This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports
fourteen fifteen powered by Nova Insurance Services. I'm sure your most prized possessions kt
z R two side in iHeartRadio station, The Good Afternoon, everybody. Welcome
to IE on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera.
He's Jagins. Also got a guy Kevin in today on a Thursday afternoon,
as we get closer to a big game on Saturday. And I mean
that seriously, because it is a big game. It is you know,
it's a third it's what a fifth straight against the ranked team. It's it's
another home game against the ranked team. It's u C l A. And
if they win, if they win, they're in a bowl game, right
right? Uh? But the thing is, Steve, they've got, you
know, five games to play again in a bowl game. Four five more
four games the wine. Yeah, but the next one is a big one
too. Yeah. But let me let me let's start this because I don't
I don't know, and I want to ask you because we didn't talk about
this, but we kind of hinted to it. The last question to Jed
today was about you. That's a great question about the quarter, about but
about actually about uh Jane j how he's doing. And then he gave us
more information that we need to know or we don't know because he threw some
shade in there. He did throw some shade in that he's still trying to
make it seem and maybe it's you know, it's the game. He's still
trying to make it seem like either one of them could start right and at
seven thirty five, we'll know, right, we already know, don't you
know? I think we know, which makes it makes no sense, but
I get it. It's maybe him being funnier. Well, but Stephen,
you know, in a true competition, if he wants to keep this a
competition, you know, the job kind of stays a little you know,
the door stays a little bit open for the guy who maybe he has a
better week of practice. And so then they started, and so I don't
know, I mean, it sounds like, you know, it sounds like
he's gonna you know, he's gonna go with uh uh. From what we've
seen, it's got to be Fafita. But if is there something going on
in practice that tells us that that, Uh, you know, Jaden still
has a shot to start. We'll just start it over. Yeah. So
far, the only thing that I would know is that Noah has started the
last four games. That's the only change that's occurred there. So Jaden was
three and one the first four games of the season, hopefully, uh Noah,
Noah's two and two at his games. And now we're sitting here and
we're going to continue to figure out each week who we want to play.
And I would say that Jaden and Noah have handled it fantastically well in a
very tough situation, and they have continued to support one another, root for
one another, share reps at practice, and coach one another up. Look
at hey, did you see this? Did you see that? Did you
see this? Did you see that? I would have gone here, would
you have gone there? They both have managed to, uh take care of
their business off the field. They're doing great in school. They're sitting there
in a spot right now where you know, they're both preparing like the starter
every single week, and that is what their job should be. And I
just tell them that at seven thirty five, I'll let them know who's going
to take the first snap. That was that was very strange, and he
said it with a straight face. Yeah, yeah, no, he was
you know again, is the gamesmanship? Is he trying to, you know,
keep the other team off their toes as much as he can, you
know, because a lot of a lot of coaches would say nor Faid are
starting quarterback until he shows that he's sure. I think though, that he's
trying to be nice, nice to both sides, play both guys, and
make sure they're both prepared. Who called earlier this week? Was it Jim
or was it Brian? One of those two? I think it was who
said You're not gonna like what I have to say or this might be out
of the ordinary, But I think they have a better chance with Jane.
What you here what he said when he said Jayane would be the guy,
We were like, what no, no, and okay, are they the
same quarterback kind of one, but one handles the game management. No,
I think actually, I think the very different quarterback Jayden is much more of
a threat to run around and and make no no, no no happened,
as opposed to he's gonna stay in the pocket, He's gonna take, he's
gonna take, he's gonna make the easier throw because it's open and he's gonna
take what they can give him, whereas Jayden is the guy if you know,
if there's a if you know, he's gonna go for the for the
long ball, you know more often. My point is I agree, I
agree, and because you're right, but it's more of a I agree,
but they're kind of still the same. There's a kind of Fafina hasn't had
the hasn't decided to run. He's more of a get the job done.
Look one, two, three, make the play. Jayden is already kind
of thinking, if this doesn't happen, I'm running well in the sense that
the offense runs the same, they run the same place, they do all
the same stuff, just two quarterbacks executed a little differently. My whole thing
in bringing it up was it just seemed odd to me. Yeah, and
and he left. That was the last question. And he left. There
was no follow up, There was no and what what what can you can
you tell us what? I thought we had time for another question. I
was surprised that it ended, because you're thinking, what do you mean?
I mean, what do you mean? And it was just a simple how's
he handling? So we put both guys in the same bucket and talking with
her both handling. Well, well that wasn't the question. Yeah, how's
jaman han no? I Yeah, and he told us, but he told
us how bout them were handling, So you want to leave one out?
Yeah? The question. The answer was, you know he's saying, and
I'm going, God, really really really right? Right? And you should?
Yeah, you should in this business, you're thinking, where's he going
with this? Yeah, I bet you one hundred bucks it's going to be
I don't even know what we're talking about it. I just thought it was
because it's gonna beef. Yeah. I mean, there's no reason to not
start it unless I don't. I'm not unless U c. L A does
something that he doesn't feel Fefita can handle, like he's been talking about their
their edge rushers, all right, if he feels like he needs somebody who's
a little more elusive back there. But but you know the defenses that Fefieda
his face have had, you know, they've been good defenses. And what
the way Feffita handles, you know, a good defensive line or a rush
is by getting the ball out of his hands. You know, de Laura
handles it by running around. But in those first few games it wasn't working.
He was you know, he he you know, he was he was
hesitant, He wasn't making the throws. Guys were open, and then he
was running and and you know, and he was getting them in trouble.
You know, a bunch of times that Stanford game, I mean, was
was was not very good. Although I don't want you to. I don't
want you to agree with me because of a one hundred bucks would be bad.
You agree with me? Yeah, I do one hundred percent agree that
Fafiita's gonna run out there. Maybe he's kind of like I don't know how
much Jed, how much thought Jed puts into these answers. Sometimes they think
a lot, And sometimes I think he's just confident enough of himself to just
say whatever he's gonna say right right and may and you know, so I
don't know if maybe he's just leaving it open that if you know, I
Fina gets off to a bad start, if he's having problems with the rush,
that we might see Jaden sooner rather than later. So so I know
I'm beating the stead horse. But ask me the question. Ask me the
question, how's Jay, how's Jade handling the He's I think he's doing a
tremendous job handling it. I think both of them are handling it. Well.
Uh thanks, I mean, I mean it's a simple answer. It's
a simple answer to a question. Yeah, without going into that. But
again, that's why I'm saying, you know, I think he puts thought
into these things to the point where he's still kind of trying to I don't
know. Maybe it's a comfort trying to keep Jaden motivated there and that's it
right there, and a lot and feeling like, dude, you can be
in there at any moments it right, No, it doesn't have to get
hurt for you to come in. That's it right there. He's trying to
soothe the savage beast or whatever that word whatever that Yes, yeah, to
keep him ready just in case, you know. But you know, getting
back to you know, how big a game this is. You know we
uh you know, I mean we've sat here and talked about how if,
only right or what if? And I asked Jed, well, you do
I do fans Okay, fans do I know I'm not the only one,
so fans Gias jed, do you you know, do you as a coach,
you know, play the what if game? What if? What if
we had been or not played so crappy in the first quarter against Mississippi State?
What if one play goes different in the USC game? You guys could
be sitting here seven and one. So I asked him, do you do
because everybody could do that. You could also say, what if they didn't
fumble the ball on the one yard line against MS to be staying in the
opening drive and then they're up seven to nothing. You could say, what
if you know, USC makes the field goal at the end? You could
say what I mean, what if we make the field goal? Yeah?
I don't know. No, there's so many plays in a game. No,
I don't do that at all. Otherwise you'll just be You'll be playing
that game for every game you've ever coached and point to twenty five different plays.
The problem is that everybody thinks if you do something different than it would
have worked. So it's like if you choose to go for two, then
you would get it if you did it to start the overtime rather than in
the second overtime, or if you you know, cal went for two didn't
get it, but if they kicked an extra point, everyone would have said,
you should have gone for two to be able to get to win.
So I think that the what if game is it's an imperfect game that we
play, and it's an impossible game to do that with because there's one hundred
and thirty five what ifs in every game. Right when he was saying this
today, I know you played the you play it like Dominos. Look he's
got like two teams left in his little picks because he's giving up. And
I don't play that game too, I was going, he was saying this,
I said, I know why you asked that question, because that's you.
Well, I'm asking for the fans, you know, but I'm kind
of seriously, I asked that question for the fans, okay, because fans
want to know. I think fans want to know. Do coaches do that?
And I know coaches can't. Is he said, you move, you
move forward because you know, because like I said, everybody's assuming that had
Arizona gon for two, you know, against you, against you, that
they were going to get it. Yeah, they would have won the game,
lost the game right there. It doesn't work that way it doesn't work.
It's funny because you do this almost every weekend, when or when we
picked up friend the picture, I picked Detroit last week and you looked at
me. He got beat last week. So what does that mean? I
don't care. I gotta play again, They gotta play again. Yesterday means
nothing to me today? What if there's no what if? I like this
team now? So he's exactly right when he talks about what if I go
for two? The funny thing about it he was saying this, Jay,
and this is one of your questions, like for probably Knight yesterday you talk
about I don't know if he was joking about the media. Well, if
I don't get this, I'm criticized if I do do this. I found
that to be odd too, very strange, because why would he give a
crap what we think he does, which is surprising to me, not surprising
to me. Why because because because of the way he starts every press conference,
we gotta sell tickets. He cares what people think. What the hell
are hey? Greg's not writing stories anymore, I know, but he cares.
He cares what people think because he's still trying to sell this program.
And if he's being criticized, and he thinks that there's people out there who
aren't gonna buy tickets because of that. I do think he cares what we
think and what we say. He's wasted then didn't he's wasted his what maybe
no, maybe maybe not Steve, you know, maybe if it helps him.
I don't think what okay this is let me kind of separate this,
But I don't think that what we think, who's the week, what we
as fans and media thing impact his decisions. But I think he cares what
we think. You see what I'm saying. I don't think that because because
everybody said he should have gone for two, I don't think he thinks he
should have gone for two. Yeah, yeah, no, the we we
I get what you're saying, and I like your explanations, but no,
I mean, come on, you're not gonna please everybody. Two people who
get married to get divorced because they can't please each other. That's two people
he's gonna Fand no, no, I think about sixty percent of the world.
Sixty percent of the world, that's sixty that's just two people. Now
you have a fan base of thousands, you think you're gonna make everybody happen.
No, no, no, no, no no. And I'm not
saying he's doing that, but I think he pays attention to it. No,
And that's what that's why I'm saying. That's what I'm saying that I
don't think I don't think he cares from the standpoint of it riles him or
something like that, but I think he pays attentions. Yeah, well,
he's got it. Let me say this too, he's kind of kind of
easy because Greg's not around and he's not criticizing exactly to my point, thank
you very much. Yeah, nobody is. So what does the matter.
I know a couple of people, but they don't have they don't have platforms.
They don't okay, all right, they may shoot something out on Twitter,
or I may get a text or something like yan Yan who cares.
Obviously it falls, it's a tree of forest exactly exactly. So I found
that to be strange too. Well yeah, no, no, no,
I wasn't surprised by his answer at all. But because you know that,
because when you're the when you're a coach again, as he said, you're
going to just drive yourself, you know, bad stuff, crazy no question,
don't do that. And they're just not going to do that. Well,
you know the guy that we covered and I covered Loot. I don't
read the papers. Yes, yes, like it. All right, it's
curry to take our break. We're going to be back Tracy McDonald from the
Bruins Blitz, which has the rivals website for UCLA, so he'll come in
and talk about the Bruins and give us a little insight into them. And
then John Wilmer. We're going to catch up with John at four fifteen,
just talking about the PAC twelve in general and things went on this season.
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your free evaluation today. This is High on the Ball with Steve Rivera and
Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Subscribe now to the podcast on the
iHeartRadio app. I I'm a mam, Hey, welcome back to Why on
the Ball, you know, Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera,
He's Jagan Sauce. Now on the phone. We have Tracy McDonald from the
Brewin Blitz and Rivals. How are you, Tracy? I think you have
a title in your last name. Pretty well. I believe a lot of
people have messed up my last name. The fact that you got it.
I like Tracy Jaws. I had it all the way. Okay, I
had it all the way. So we're all good. He'd like you to
believe that. So your this is your second year with the Bruins. How
is it covering? Uh? Jip oh? It's been interesting, you know
he I obviously knew of his reputation coming in, but really he's mellowed out
these last two seasons from what I've heard from the other reporters have covered the
team longer than I have. You know, he's he's still not so great
as far as you know, if you wanted to try to get anything injury
wise or anything like that. But that's pretty much any coach I've come across.
But yeah, no, he's been He's been an interesting person to cover.
He's kind of like I'm assuming if you'd covered Reg Popovich with the NBA,
you know, you just kind of have to roll with it. Yeah,
So, you know you talked about reputation. You know, we know
Chip's reputation has been you know, offense and the stuff he did up at
Oregon and and those kinds of things. But you know, the UCLA is
all about the defense this year, you know, best defense in the league
right now. Is One is that surprising to you? And two? How
did that happen? Yeah? I think it's very surprising to just about everybody
aside from the people actually in that building. So I think it actually started
last year. Their numbers against the past weren't great, but they had this
pass rush. They brought in Kaika Maloy, who actually just wrote about.
I interviewed him after Tuesday's practice and he greatly improved the pass rush. They
recruited Layout through Lotso out of Washington through the portal. They also got Gabriel
and Grace and Murphy through the portal and both of them have really stepped up
along with Lots to this season. But the big change back in the spring,
they hired Danton Lynn, the son of former NFL Chargers coach Anthony Lynn,
and you know, really young, energetic guy and he's just brought a
different mindset to this defense. You mentioned the improvement They go from the twelve
worst pass defense last year to all of a sudden, I believe the forty
sixth best right now. So yeah, it's been a really big turnaround that
I think everyone's taken notice of. Yeah, Okay, okay, are they
are they still doing the screen of deception or whatever hell you call it?
Here's the screens on the sidelines. Yeah. So he was asked about that
actually before the Colorado gave because obviously the whole thing in Michigan and sign steeling
came out. Then he said, basically that was just because the familiarity on
the Arizona coaching staff. He had so many of their coaches on his staff
previously. It sounds like they're not going to do that, But I mean,
you never know, you know, it could just be a gamesmanship sort
of thing. But I guess we'll wait to see. So that the down
here in too soon. They've been we we as covering in Arizona have been
dealing with this. The two quarterbacks that they have here. You know,
Jane Delori got heard nor Feta stepped in. He's been playing really well and
Jane hasn't been able to get his job back. Chip's been dealing with a
couple of quarterbacks as well. What's the latest and who do we expect to
see on Saturday. So right now, the more than likely starter will be
Ethan Garber's. You know, he started against Stanford, well, initially started
the season as a starter, quickly lost that to Dante by the fourth quarter
of that first game, Dante ran into some interception issues. He had three
consecutive games with not only an interception, but three consecutive games with a pick
six, and then before the Stanford game, Chip mentioned that he was a
little bit banged up. So they went to Garber's against Stanford. Garber's got
to call again against Colorado. But you mentioned, you know, they do
have multiple quarterbacks. One quarterback in particular that they just got back their backup,
Colin Slee. He was more of a run option than someone who's actually
gonna throw the ball, but he has been very effective in that way.
So yeah, they've definitely been dealing with a bit of a carousel. But
all the players that we've spoken to, they've been dealing it, dealing with
it pretty professionally and they kind of understand it's about winning games and right now
it's working for them. So you've covered him for two years. But you've
been you're a LA guy anyway, right, You're Southern California guy. Is
UCLA of taking a step brother type of our younger little brother to USC?
Now that USC's kind of a faltering I mean, so it's always been a
weird dynamic just with really pro sports in general when you come to the Southern
California area, right, And I mean, obviously it's a college sports we're
talking about, but in a way it's almost like pro sports because you look
at the Chargers, you look at the Rams. You know they have a
tough time attracting people. And the big thing with any LA team is the
options around you. But as far as you know, in relation to UCLA,
USC football wise, it's kind of, you know, just always been
that feel around Southern California, even when you know some of the down years
US he has had before Lincoln Riley arrived. So UCLA is still kind of
trying to break through that. But I think right now where they're at,
and considering where USC's at right now, I think right now they are the
premier team in Los Angeles, which is kind of crazy to think when you
think about US, these expectations going into the sea. Sure, no,
they can need more to get more than twenty thousand people here. So,
you know, it just it's kind of an offbeat question. But you know,
I think going into the year, because of all the you know,
the realignment stuff that happened, everything like that, that there was some thought
that you know, going on the road, you know, fans were going
to be all over the you know, the the UCLA and USC Washington,
Oregon because they were leaving and going to the Big Ten and all that kind
of stuff. But it feels like in reality, the whole Big twelve,
Big ten things sort of kind of taken and gone to the side. Nobody's
even talking about it. I mean, do you sense that, I mean,
because I don't feel like they're talking about it here. Yeah, I
mean, it's not really a big point of contention. Even when we've asked
you know, Chip about it, he's kind of just kicked it down to
the road. He said, you know, that's something for next year.
Right from the fan perspective, I mean, you look at some of these
non conference games they've had this year thence wise, I mean, you know,
they're still trying to get that buzz, so they're hoping that this move
to the Big ten creates more consistency with with that attendance, and I think
that's where I think you will see a more positive spin on things. But
as far as just the general buzz this year, I mean, it's not
something really being talked about. So yeah, it's it's really hard to see
where it's gonna go until next August actually does arrive. So Tucson does have
a local connection there the Bruno Fina. How's he doing and have you spoken
to him? Yeah, he met with the media believe Tuesday's practice, and
you know, he recalled his time growing up around the Arizona program, obviously
his father being the Arizona Hall of Famer that he was, and he also
mentioned, you know how he used to work in restaurants as a busser around
Tucstan. So yeah, he has very fond memories and he sounds like he's
really looking forward to going back there and playing. As far as the performance
this year, they're starting left tackle. They lost their left tackle each of
the last two seasons now, so he's kind of the third one in as
many seasons. Uh, there have been some struggles along the offensive line just
in general no matter who the quarterback has been. And I think that's really
why you've seen the role reverse where the defense has taken more of a center
stage of the offense is still coming along as a work in progress. So
the big thing will be, you know, if they can continue to protect
Ethan Garber's and uh, you know, kind of kind of keep them clean
and and try to get the offense back and do a more of a rhythm,
particularly in the first half of these games. What what what? So
you met with Chip Kelly this week? What is he saying about Arizona?
Because the the you know, the you know, the impression is that,
you know, Arizona hasn't been good for a while, you know, but
people are kind of getting surprised now once you know, some games being a
couple of ranked teams. So what's Chip's impression of Arizona? What has he
said this week? Now, he's been very complimentary, you know, he
noted there you know, even not not just their wins, but some of
the losses they've had. I believe they only lost their games by a combined
sixteen points or something like that. So he's noted, how you know,
they've got their full respect and you know, obviously looking back at last year's
game, what Jaden de Laura was able to do to them. You know,
it's definitely not an opponent they're taking lightly at least what they're as far
as what they're saying publicly. And it'll be interesting to see whether it's you
know, the Laura or Noah Alfida what exactly their defensives like this time around.
But I know that you know, Chips mentioned, uh, you know,
both of the quarterbacks kind of do the same thing, and uh,
they're preparing for both of them no matter what. But it doesn't sound like
they're gonna be too surprised. Yeah, everybody's talking nice about each other.
Jay, Everyone's keeping receives, everyone's keeping receipts. Man, Well, okay,
so you know Arizona's you said, Arizona's got I think they're fifth in
the league in defense. UCLA's first. So you know, we're talking about
two teams that historically don't bring in you know, when they're getting ready to
meet, you're not talking about their defenses. So what kind of what do
you expect to see on Saturday? I mean, you know the over unders
fifty, so you know, do you do you expect to see a kind
of a you know, your twenty one twenty game or something like that.
What do you think? So that's the weird thing because I was waiting for
more of a shootout when over when UCLA played Washington State didn't really happen.
The weird thing is those games in Tucson, just from everything I remember when
I was covering the program there, and really when UCLA and Arizona meet in
particular, they're just really really wacky. So I'm expecting nothing short of some
strange, packed, all that through dark type of classic. You know.
I just think there's everything has gone so well for UCLA to this point,
I think, especially defensively that I think people are still waiting to see if
that other shoe is going to drop, and I think a little bit it
might, but I think their defense is improved enough to the point where they
can overcome any you know, lapses and defense that they might have. Yeah,
so it looks jay that Bruins have the same contagious disease that Arizona fans
have. At some point, they're hoping that they're looking forward, not looking
forward to, but worried about the next shoot to drive Tracy you covered Arizona
football for a while here about ten, five, six, seven years ago.
What do you make of the impression of what Jed's done, because I
think you were here for Rich Rod Right. Yeah. From what everything I've
heard, and I still friends with Matt right known all that and everything he's
told me about it is the way Jed seems to have ingrained himself in the
community. I think Rich did that a little bit, but it sounds like
Kevin Sunland didn't do that at all. And I guess, you know,
Jed Fishes really bought into being a college, college town kind of coach and
uh really, you know, just ingrain himself in that community. I was
one of those people that were, you know, skeptical, and they did
hire him, and you know, obviously had no head coaching experience and all
that, and just as much as he jumped around in his coaching career before
taking that job. But yeah, no, everything he's done and the foothold
that they kind of had getting into southern California, particularly in Orange County and
grabbing some of those guys who are now you know, performing for them,
I think he's done. You know, I'm better than expected job have one
go ahead. So you're from southern California. So I think Jed was asked
this question. I played later about we've seen it. We've seen that thousand
times. Jay, you know where I'm going with kids from southern California to
come to Arizona and play out of their minds because the US season, the
UCLAs didn't recruit them. Have you seen that because you you were here as
well. Yeah, no, I remember hearing all kinds of guys talk about
that when you know when that was covering the program and uh, you know,
wanting to show the UCLAs and usc is that they should have been recruited
more closely. I think it's the way everything's kind of shifted with conference alignment.
Now you know the fact that Arizona's not going to be going up against
UCLA and USC regularly. I'm interested to see how that changes. I think
you're still going to see some of those guys because it is such a state
that's close by. I think you're still going to see some of those guys
trickle down out to Arizona, but I don't know how much more frequent it's
going to be. Uh So that'll be something to keep an eye on.
But I definitely think that's something that true. You know, especially doing the
recruiting side of things a little bit here and there. You always hear about
these guys who think they should be, you know, recruited more nationally,
and especially when it comes to their home state school, and when they don't
get that respect, there is that chip on their shoulders. So I don't
think that's something that's overblown at all. So lastly, I hope you're better
than the previous beat writers we've spoken to when they face Arizona, because they've
been wrong a lot. What do you think is gonna happen this weekend?
I think I think you Sela pulls it out, but I think Arizona really
gives it to them and makes it close. It's funny because I remember last
year Matt asked me this question along with Troy, and they actually were surprised
I picked Arizona to beat UCLA. They thought I still had some lingering,
you know or something. But so yeah, last year's resultant surprised me at
all. But I think the way they've improved defensively this year, specifically the
way they've defended you know, some of those screen passes that can go for
big plays and things like that. I think UCLA has improved enough and shown
enough for the first I believe eight games of the season that they can get
pressure on the quarterback and their secondary can hold up. But I'm still expecting
a little bit more of a shootout. I think something in the mid the
high thirties and Arizona or UCLA figures out away in the fourth quarter to kind
of, you know, clean things up. So it looks like now the
only thing you have memories of Arizona is your phone number. Yeah no,
because I was too latey to change it. You're a sportswriger, of course
you are all right, Thanks man, Thanks Tracy, Thanks about appreciate it.
Yeah, thanks for having me. All right. That feels good.
Yeah. I mean, you know, I I if I had to bet
it, I'd take the under. I take that. Yeah. What is
the fifty? Yeah? Yeah, like you know, twenty one one,
yeah, twenty one seventy. That's good. I mean I'm looking at their
scores. What's is spreads still one and a half? One two and a
half is JUCAE ONCLA by two and a half. Like you take out that
crappy outlier where they beat the hell out of Stanford when I had Stanford,
plus seventeen their games for twenty eight, sixteen, thirty six, twenty four,
twenty five, seventeen, fourteen, seven, h thirty five, ten,
twenty seven, thirteen. They're playing a low scoring, a lower scoring
game, So I don't know why that would be any different, because Arizona's
defense is good too. Sorry, all right, we went along. Let's
take our break. We're going to come back. We'll take your calls five
two, zero, four, one, six, seventy four, forty some
of your thoughts on UCLA Arizona as we get closer to that, and maybe
women's basketball what you saw last time. Yeah, with five players playing the
whole game. We'll be right back. If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan,
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online today at a teamsecurity dot net. Steve Rivera and Jacob Salaz they have
their eye on the ball on Tucson Sports Stag chat Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
So welcome back to joining them all on here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Steve or Jake got Kevin with us today. We got twelve minutes relate to
call us. Please do looking forward to it. How about them Rangers.
I haven't heard too much from the Diamondbacks fans today. I don't like I
said maybe know two. You said you know about five? Yeah, I
well, you know, I didn't hear from my sister. She didn't.
I was in on the text on the chat where somebody was asking her,
my sister, how she was doing the last night or today this morning,
this morning? Yeah, but I haven't heard from anybody else. Yeah,
Hey, they were one of two teams that got this far. Look,
you know, I think we said yesterday that even if they lose it,
you know, it's a it's a great season for them. You know,
nobody expected them to get there. So you know, you go with that
where you know, on the opposite side, you know, the Dodgers get
into the playoffs and you know, yeah, coop the bed and so they
you know, it's a disappointing season for them. So you know, gig,
yeah, give it up for the d back. You see, I
watched the the portion of the interview with the Tory Lavallo where you got choke.
I heard about that. You know, I mean that's the guy,
you know who you got to have an appreciation for that. He really wanted
this, even though you know, nobody expected them to get there. So
you know, look, you know, you got to have respect for what
they did. Yeah, And I wanted to ask you guys a quick question.
So the this year's World Series averaged just nine point one million viewers across
the five games ever played. It's by far the least watch World series in
history, and the past four World Series are increasingly less and less the least
watch matchups. We talked about that before the Shooters started and figured that would
happen, that they would be not watched very much, obviously because it's not
really sexier attractive of Texas and Arizona. Who would have thought that, right,
But we we also said that what does the matter if people want to
watch this, We're the world series, World damn Series. Yeah, yeah,
you know, I mean I watched all of them, you know,
I mean, yeah, as much as I could. You know, we
were off trip or treating, but you were on trigger treating with our kid
on on on Tuesday night. But I you know, I had it on
in my ear, you know, I was listening to it, paying attention
to it. So you know, I'm a baseball fan and I was interested
in it. Yeah, I was just I was just really surprised that the
last four have been the least watched on record. It's it's you know,
in general, and that's sports in general, right, and you know we're
finding that out last four. You say, yeah, the last four have
been the least. I would you be surprised that twenty twenty was small if
it was because of COVID everybody's there's nothing else to do but watch Michael Jordan's
you know, remember that you had a captive body and something that we couldn't
wait for the next the next episode of The Last Dance to come on.
I mean, and I never cared more about the NBA than I did at
that time just three years ago. Yeah, I know, I never cared
more about Pack twelve water Polo. Yeah really, and you were having to
watch past Way Water polog man now. But you know, good for the
Diamondbacks, you know, and I'm sure that you know because we've talked,
as we talked to Jack mcgrudery, this is he doesn't think this is a
one off. Yeah, you know, and a lot of people don't think
this is a one off. They think, you know that, Okay,
now they're gonna be one of the favorites next year, right, well,
you know that goes uh you give you the Josh Pastor. Yeah, deal,
Oh we get here. It's gonna be easy, gonna be easy.
Come back now. Now the the you know, the odds are already out
and they're already picking the Dodgers and the Braves again, you know, for
the rates for sixty five four fifty six to fifty, it's six hundred.
That's good. I'm I'm looking. Tahani also hasn't signed yet, And whenever,
as soon as our tany lands anywhere, that's gonna the odds are gonna
shift from. So what are the Dodgers? Maybe lenser the Dodger in a
second? Okay, they've got the Braves at seven hundred. Oh, I
do that tomorrow. The Dodgers at seven fifty. I wouldn't do that tomorrow.
The Astros nine hundred, that's a good one. Then your Texas Rangers
at nine hundred. Where's baltim sixteen? Oh, I'd take that too.
Sixteen to one kind of got aroused a sixteen sixteen to one. I didn't
the team fourteen that did for the number one. See yeah, yeah,
So let me go back to just connected the basketball, so we know how
just to kind of with the directs two thousand and one, they win in
everyone's happy, yeaha YadA. They're celebrated forever they get to the finals.
Now they won't be celebrated as much, right although, although they had a
fantastic season, just shorter from winning it. So I'll equal it to these
to ninety seven and two thousand and one where they got to the finals but
didn't win it. And in my mind, the two thousand and one team
is much better than ninety seventeen. Yeah, but you don't say we don't
celebrate it like those guys, right right, even though they were the championship
game, they didn't win it. Again, so hose against Duke because they
didn't win because they didn't win it, right, yeah, right now,
But you had a better team, I mean, I mean you rate okay,
they rate the final fourteens for Arizona and you probably put ninety seven is
four worse than the fourth yeah, right, right, right, because ninety
four with Clidon Clidon and Damon Stottmaire. Yeah, I don't know, well,
ninety eight they were better. Yeah, they never got to exactly,
Yeah, you can. I mean there were some there were some teams that
didn't even get to the front before that were better than the ninety seventeen,
you know, just in the ninety timing maybe timing. Okay, So here,
since we're on the subject, Astros at nine hundred Textas Rangers, nine
hundred, Phillies eleven, Yankees fifteen Oriel sixteen, Blue Jay seventeen, Padres
eighteen, Raised nineteen, Mariners, Mets twenty, Red Sox twenty two,
Twins twenty five, Cubs thirty, Arizona thirty. The Diamondbacks are thirty.
Their way down the list. Yeah, no respect, no respect. What's
what plus three thousand? You do it for the Diamondbacks? Yeah? The
playoffs? Oh dude, give me twenty bucks and will put forty bucks on
it and come on after after I hit my over five for air forty forty
times. That's a ton. That's a pretty good price. I mean,
the chances are, but if it's not a one off, well when when
you think that them to win the division would be the smarter because yeah,
they've always gonna get They've only got World Series odds out right now, so
I bet those will come up and they're probably waiting for as you said,
who gets so Tani and some of the other guys that are going to be
moving around. But you know, people want to bet this some of this
stuff right away, and so that's that's what they want to take our money
just as bad as we want to give it to them, exactly exactly.
So, but no again, you know, just just want to make sure
we know, we talk about him and uh, you know, maybe we'll
get somebody on down the road. But it was nice run by the d
Backs and it was very nice. That's fun to watch, really's fun to
watch. You got your rooting for him, right, if you're here,
you got your rooting for him. But man, can you imagine though,
We're going to see what what Sammy says when he gets back. If you're
a Diamondbacks fan, you bought three days of World Series tickets two three,
four hundred dollars five hundred dollars per game, and he saw three loss that's
probably probably double that. Yeah, you saw three losses. Yeah, well
that that that couldn't have been fun and three bad losses. Yeah, I
mean they got crushed all three times. R I mean those games couldn't have
been fun at all. So at least you watch that. You know,
the Rangers were the first, yeah, you know, and the Padres are
the highest that have the best odds of a team that has never won it,
so that they're plus eighteen hundred. Also money, they just got so
much, They got so much potential, but they never materialized. You know,
what, what has to happen. I need to get one Soto and
Manny Machado off my fantasy team for them to have a chance. I'll tell
the management over there, could you make a call to five two? Oh
what pay? Pay me and I'll dump them. But I but Steve again,
I said a number time I had three times, three key diamondbacks on
my on my roster. Christian Walker, tell Marte and Zach Gallen, we're
all on my team. Right. I'm not always the kids to death,
just often, just often always, not always. But yeah, so anyways,
so there you go, right, we got four minutes. I do
want to play one clip from Jed because he was asked about are you talking
to you guys about the fact that you need to win one more game to
go to you? But you know it's like, you know, coaches kind
of stay away from but they just say it's one game at a time,
and you know, you know, we're only thinking about the next game.
Here's what Jed had to say about whether or not he's talking to his guys
about win one more and you're in a bowl game. No, I you
know, I I I kind of I don't know. I don't subscribe to
the coach speak. Really, I just like to tell it, tell it
honestly, and heck, we win, we go to a bowl, you
know, And why would I not talk about that. I don't know.
I don't know that whole thing of don't talk about that or don't tell you.
I don't know. I don't believe in that. I believe in Hey,
it's right in front of us. Go take it if you can do
it, and let's do everything we can to do it and see what it
looks like. Yeah. In fact, if I were writing a story,
that's where I would go. That'd be my lead. Yeah, it has
to be that. In the quarterback, that would be my lead, and
then the second that would be the quarterback. Well and and and you know,
and uh and Tracy McDonald said that they're preparing. They're still prepared for
both quarterbacks. That's what Jed wants. Yeah, and that's fine, they'll
be ready for both. Yeah. But again, I don't think they run
anything differently. I think they executed different well, no question, yeah,
but going to the bowl game. Things, see, the over under was
five, so they've hit they've hit the number right, so now you need
to get the over right right, which wouldn't be surprised, I think I
said I fit five or six. Obviously that was easy. Uh. The
guy who could be writing off old him of an apology. Jake if they
get j if they get the eighth, and I'm thinking Jet, if they
get to eight, Jenna's coach the year, no matter what organ does,
come on this, This team was picked to finished the eighth or ninth in
the league. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, but there's
gonna be some people out there who are gonna vote for sure, whoever wins
the league because it was such a hard league. Sure, but Jed has
done if I mean, he certainly should be in the conversation even now,
should be in the conversation because because you know, because nobody's taking them lightly
anymore, and yet they're still out there winning game. Come on, I
can't remember in the last five to six years, seven years that that we've
talked that. I've talked so favorably of the team, but you don't talk
about favorably about anything. Yeah, you're overweight, by that was a little
retribution. Yeah, you're right, So I'm not gonna. I'm gonna but
so, by the way, you know what, I resent that because I'm
not just a little overweight I'm allowed. You offered him, went for the
bank. I've put some effort into this body. Okay, this is taking
some work. I was being very caught to you. This is taking some
work. You don't You don't get like this overnight. Okay, you put
some time and effort into it. Okay, and that's what I'm doing,
all right, Okay, So all right, one more guest today. We're
gonna have John Wilner. Will have him come in and talk about, you
know, what's going on around the PAC twelve. You know, as we
sit here, uh, you know, I'm waiting for the Pac twelve to
crash. I'm waiting for USC to beat Washington and you know, get them
out of the playoff race. I'm waiting for somebody to beat Oregon, because
that's how that's how we as Arizona fans. Don't get in your car because
you could crash because it or it could blow up. You bury the same.
All right. So we're gonna take a break breaking news. We've got
Kevin on the breaking news. A lot of stuff going on with more stuff
on the Michigan sign stealing things, so we'll talk about that as well.
All right, So stick around and then John Wilner at four fifteen. If
we does not cat if, I have a good sampling in that instead of
boughts in the Atlanta Subsat, I'm gonna get loose.