This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and jagon Zalis on Fox Sports
fourteen fifteen, powered by Nova Insurance Services, Hate Sure your most prized possessions,
Katz R two Son and iHeart Radio Station Yet. Good afternoon, everybody.
Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm
Steve Rivera alongside partner jagon Zos. We're loan in the studio, so you
never know what's gonna happen. I hate Boston, Jay. I've seen enough
basketball flameouts in the final seconds or moments this year to last me a lifetime,
you know. And it's it's a sad state of affair, Steve,
when you know, you tweet your text out something like that, you said
I hate or Boston is dead to me or something like that, and then
I have to defend myself and say I had nothing to do with it because
I did not touch the game. You're putting on a third party, in
the third party to do something. I hardly even watched the game. Uh
you know, I was doing some stuff and um rarely saw the game.
And you know, I saw the Celtics were kicking their butt. Then I
looked at the scoring. I'm like, what happened? Yeah, they pulled
the Arizona against Princeton. You couldn't hit a shot, and then all the
other team Dude, those hit shots. The game turned and they just couldn't
come back. Was it was it Jimmy Butler again, I mean again,
I don't know enough about what happened, and it was everybody but Jimmy Butler
was He threw up a shot that you know had no chance and it bounced
in and he said, dude, that's gonna be the end of it.
And that was the end of it. But you know, I'm not a
Boston guy, so it doesn't really matter. Um, your daughter's still there.
She's coming back. Yeah, she's actually actually she's back here and about
two weeks. Yeah, so the Boston will be eliminated by the tonight.
We have Denver and they I hope Denver wins tonight. I'm not sure that
will happen though, because usually because one on one. Um, but we'll
see what happens. Um cool, Okay, Hey, big shot of the
Yeah, good stuff. Dave Hekey is gonna join us. Uh, we'll
talk some we'll talk some sports stuff. But Dave is one of the Fathers
of the Year by the Father's Day Council of Tucson, a group that one
of my boss is, Steve Rosenberg over at BIS Tucson, is intimately involved
with UH and his dad was was one of the founders of the Father's Day
Council here in Tucson. Big event for them with the with the dinner coming
up first weekend in June. But Dave was one of the Fathers of the
Year, as was Reggie Geary, who will be on the show tomorrow.
So we'll talk about, you know, being dad's in you know for Dave
Man a really challenging, challenging yeah, good, a couple of good kids.
Job. I did a story. I think you edited my story for
yours. The biz two sons. Um, you know, he's all my
age, maybe a little older, maybe a little older, a little younger.
Former athlete, now a d didn't have a long way to get here,
but he got here. Um, a pretty good athlete. But you're
right in time consuming, right when you have a job to have a job
like that, you know. And then Reggie Geary as well, you know,
guy's a professional athlete. Um, you know, he's he's settled in
a little more working at the u of A. He does do some broadcast
stuff, but again, you know, very challenge. I mean, look,
it's hard enough being a dad, you know, and then you're throwing
all these other things that these guys are doing. So we'll talk to them,
both of those guys, about that, but you know, also get
some of their takes on some of the stuff that's going on right now,
sure PAC twelve and around Arizona. And then at h at four or fifteen
it'll be John Wilner. Um, he's a really busy guy keeping up to
date on everything that's going on that you know, as we you know,
we read Dave Hekey's quote from yesterday. You know, what you know now
maybe different from what you know in an hour, and so we're going to
get the latest from from John about what the hell is going on over with
the PAC twelve. How much longer before this thing uh takes shape? I
don't know how much he can tell us, you know, we can speculate
a lot. He's a lot closer to the situation than we are. So
we'll hear from John and get the latest of what's going on protectularly as it
relates to the PAC twelve, never changing. Did they have meetings yesterday the
day before, a couple of days ago. Yeah, there was some meaning
nothing really really, I did some Listen, we'll talk about this. I
don't want to talk about it now. But the rules or in game stuff
and blah blah blah, boring crap. I saw that, you know.
And again, I mean we talked about why did they even do I don't
half time thing and stuff that they're never gonna say anything that's gonna matter.
It's a waste of time. But mic up stuff. Yeah, that's fun.
That's good, right. I mean one of the funnest things that I've
seen lately in broadcasts when they put a microphone like a guy in the outfield
and then a ball gets hit to him. That stuff is fun. Yeah,
but even right, but try and get a comment, you know,
from a from a coach. Yeah, it's gonna tell you what. Yeah,
you know, at at after the end of a quarter, at half
time, what do you use it for? There's nothing to use it for.
I saw one for hockey maybe three or four days ago. I think
it was the I don't know, didn't matter, uh, and the guy
was annoyed. Did they asked some a couple of good questions. It was
a couple of quick yes, no things, and he got the hell out
and and and they laughed because, well, what's he gonna say right after
the first first period? I to me, that means nothing to me.
In fact, it's as you say, it's annoying. It's annoying because because
you feel like one the poor person that's got to come up with a question.
You know, how are you feeling about your game? Right? Well,
we're down fifty to nothing, so I'm kind of hating it right now,
right, you know, or you know, we're up fifty to nothing.
Oh, this game is not over. It's you know, come on
stop. Yeah, it's but again, you know the miked up stuff that
you can play later on because you're talking about doing micing up you know,
players pre game and stuff like that. That kind of stuff is kind of
fun. Yeah, they do that with coaches and stuff, so that I'm
okay with that. The coaches the stuff like so Steve and and some of
the other guys would be interesting and well, you know they do with the
NBA. Speaking of college football, Steve, it's one hundred days away.
One hundred days away, today we're double double before the first game. For
the first game. Okay, yeah, I'm excited. You already talked about
it yesterday college college football. Um, listen joy the first the next ninety
nine? Please please can you give you that's what you're gonna so you're gonna
get one hundred and ten peros soon. In fact, um, uh,
you know, the world is gonna get hot outside and we're gonna be miserable.
And I had to go out and fix a fix a sprinkle in my
yard and I got dizzy. I think that was as much from bending over
as it was from the heat. Are you by yourself, because no one's
gonna be well. I keep my phone with me now when I go work
out in the yard, and keep my phone with me. And comes from
a comes from an incident, uh, I don't know. Several years ago,
I was up on the ladder and I was trimming a bush and I
fell off the ladder and and he had hit my head on the on the
hedge clipper on the way down and cut my head open. Fortunate, and
I landed on some bricks, so fortunately my phone only fell. My phone
was still within arm's reach of me. I was able to reach my phone
and call My wife was inside the house and told her to come out and
get me. I hope a phone and I can't give up, but I
goes pretty much yet I didn't know if I could so big Toyamardo. You
know the Propens guess they had an interesting question that I had responded to it
I really do on Twitter? What what is it? Word? What word
or term or phrase that makes you cringe? You just hate here and hearing
during games? Or what phrase, word or phrase or term do you that
makes you cringe during the game. When somebody asks after a win or a
loss, how do you feel? Right? How did that make? How
did you you went off for one hundred and five points? What did that
mean to you? That's what you That's what you guys say. You know,
how would you think I feel? Or when they say what what does
this win mean to you? It means that we want, you know,
we gotta go play we gotta go play them again day after tomorrow. That
what does it mean to you? Whin blank? How do you feel?
So? I responded this way? Um, when when they say score the
basketball, oh, he just he can score the basketball? What else else
is you gonna score when he plays basketball. He can score the golf ball.
You didn't score the tennis ball. When you can score, you would
hit the hell out of that. What we scored fifty five points with the
basketball? And what else is he what else you can score? Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, we've been we've been editors too. But every basketball season
it happens. You'll hear it tonight. I guarantee you're gonna hear it tonight
if you watch the game that yo, kids can really score the basketball.
Yeah, I hear that one. I just and again it gets back to
those those sideline reporters where they got come and talk to somebody at the end
of the game. What did it mean to you to score fifty points,
to win the game, to pull off the upset? You know, asking
something better than this. Yeah, it's the hardest job. That's gotta be
one of the hardest. It is, But that's why it's not really needed.
It's just not either. But you gotta figure out what why are you
getting paid? Okay, So what else going on? M the golf?
What's going on with Well, surprisingly be Bryson de Shambo, who's he went
to the Live Tour. He's been crap at the Live Tour. He basically
lost his game. I watched his post round interview and they actually got into
some deep stuff because he talked about how he just lost his game and and
so he was really happy to have shot four under par. He's he's uh
leads by a stroke, you know, kind of out of nowhere. Um.
And then John rom the world's number one player, is six over.
He shot the worst round by a world number one, the worst opening round
by a world number one in the PGA Championship. Ever, he's the dude
from a s U has been, he's been money, he's won the Masters,
um, and he went out of shot six over par. He's gonna
have a tough time making the cut tomorrow. And then my guy, like
I said, I got Xander Shaffley started out four over par after three holes.
I'm like, I'm like, he's on a pace for twenty four over
par. I can take him. I could beat this guy. He's still
far over after six or something like. But continues. You know, not
a lot of big names up at the top of the board, and often
there are not. You get a lot of guys who have, you know,
a great round, and then they you know, kind of level out
the next day. It's kind of it's in Rochester, New York. It's
kind of cold over there. They started late because of a of a frost
delay, so they started almost two hours late. I saw some of it
this morning, but just very briefly. I was up in early. Man,
I had love. I love the Majors. I love the Majors with
you know, for those of you who have watched stuff with with ESPN Plus,
it used to be ESPN with Britt would come on, uh like at
one o'clock Thursday and Friday. Then they have it early on Saturday and Sunday,
and then it goes on to the main network like at one o'clock.
Now with ESPN Plus it comes on when they TAF So I got up at
I was up at six and it was on, yeah, and I you
know, I grabbed my coffee, turn on ESPN Plus on my TV and
I'm watching off there. But so, did you read how Ozillus did in
his first I did not some clips and stuff like that, and he did
fairly well obviously with points and numbers. Uh, you know, I've been
doing this long enough to know that points and numbers and rebounds don't mean anything.
Wow, it's your ability to play, right, Guys. The guys
who were watching are looking for something other than put what you put in the
box score right. And I mean I hate when people, I just I
really do. When when you see the coach or you see and the coach,
and the coach can do it. The players take the little sheet and
they sit at the podium and then read the stats, and so why I
have this and have that? And if you can't play and you can have
twenty three And I'll give you the example. Ruben Douglas could feel the basketball.
He could, he could feel the skill. He could he could score
the basketball right and do other things. But he couldn't. He couldn't play
at the next level because guess what, he just wasn't good enough. He
was the heck of a college player dot dot dot. But he even though
he had great numbers, it's not about numbers, Jay, It's like Miles
Oh, he had this great run. Yeah, because he was a pretty
good college basketball player, but could he fit into an NBA play with other
guys? Exactly, You're on the court with Kevin Durant, do you know
what to do? You're guarding these guys, right, yeah, right,
I give a college basketball player. But yeah, no, I you know
that's well, and that's what these combines are about. They want to see,
Okay, what do these guys do besides make a layup and score or
whatever? You know, how do you how do you play? How do
you fit in? This is super second? He has a great comb combine,
great numbers. Didn't you know that he can do that already? Then
what's what's what's his big knock? The jumper from beyond? How athletics is
he gonna beat with the other guys? Uh, there's factors involved at the
next level that you absolutely there's a reason why they get paid a lot of
money, exactly exactly. You know. You know it's funny because I mean,
I play basketball as a kid, but I don't know how to play
basketball right right right? You know I mean and by that I mean even
when you know, when I was young and I was still playing, Yeah,
I played on the city league team and stuff like that, I didn't
really know how to play basketball. How you know when and where to set
a pick? You know, how you know the vision to make a you
know, make a pass, when to shoot her? When I maybe I
shouldn't shoot from here because that guy should shoot time and circumstances, you know
all that stuff. I you know, there's a there's an art if you
call her an art or a science or whatever. You're playing basketball, you
could and not everybody. Just because you could go out there and shoot the
ball doesn't mean you know how to play basketball right right. The one that
kind of did this beyond what we thought he would be t J McConnell right,
time and circumstances. You think TJ is gonna make the league. And
then Sean was adamant about it. Slow white guy, but fantastic. His
IQ was. It was off the charts. And you know what, he
knew he couldn't shoot, Yes, he does, so he'd only shoot when
he knew he could make it right, right, right, and time and
circumstances. He does a great fantastic job now all these years later, right
making tons of money because he knows how to fit into the system. Kerr,
Yeah, Kerr did the same thing. Right, Call me when you
need me a shot. I'll be right here, right there, right,
you know what I mean? TJ. Heck, even you didn't have a
jump shot, he had like a flat footed sets Solomon Hill same way.
It didn't wow you, right, but he had a heck of a long
career with all the other things that he could do. Right, all right,
let's go take our break. We have Dave Hicky, one of the
fathers of the year, also the athletic director at Arizona, so we'll have
some questions about all that stuff when he gets here. So stick around for
Dave Hicky will be right back. For more than twenty years, the Window
Depot has provided the best price and the biggest inventory on in stock vinyl windows,
and now the Window Depot is more than a window store, offering homeowners
and contractors, a one stop warehouse offering interior and exterior doors, granted in
courts, countertops, in stock, cabintry, and skylights to finish your project.
Their team of professionals will help with everything from pre kitchen design to custom
orders leading manufacturers like mill Guard and Gelwyn. Order online or find a location
near you. It's a Window Deepot dot com. Where do you buy exercise
equipment? Arizona Health Arizona Health Arizona Health. Of course, to feel better
and look better, it makes sense to buy your fitness equipment from the people
who know it better than anyone else. At Arizona Health, our goal is
to help you choose the equipment you need to reach your goals. Your health
and fitness deserve the best you deserve. Arizona Health the lead nitch An exercise
equipment on twenty seconds, just west of Wilmot. If you think now is
not a good time to buy a refinance at home, think again. Interest
rates are at all time loans on most loan programs, and Paul Volpi of
Noble Home Loans is ready to help you find the option that best fits your
needs. If you're looking for your dream home or want to get cash out
to refinance on a current home, visit Volpe team dot com. That's Volpe
team dot com or call six five six two six today. It's a new
year and time to give a Creative Award to your student athletes winter and spring
awards seasons, as well as for grade school, middle school and high school
athletes. Scholastic awards for those academic students just in time to recognize all their
achievements. Visit Creative Awards online at Creative Awards az dot com or visit their
Idea studio at two twenty eight West Drachman Street in Tucson. It's also time
to get your creative promotional products for the upcoming conventions, giveaways to promote your
company and get your employee's new apparel to look sharp representing you and your company.
Come see Creative Awards to twenty eight West Drachman Street or online at Creative
Awards az dot com. Neck pain, back pain, car accidents, headaches,
sports injury Burnella's chiropractics goal is to help our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle.
Combining chiropractic care with physical medicine modalities. The reputed procedures and massage therapy
not only reduced pain, but helps the body heal itself as well as provide
other health benefits. Or Nellis kiro Practic. We use a natural approach to
improve an individual's health and well being. Don't suffer any longer called or Nellis
Chiropractic. Today, the holidays are fast approaching after a difficult year where sure
everyone could use a little financial help. Pyramid Federal Credit Union is bringing back
to the holiday Helper Loan, a low into a short term loan that can
help get you through the holidays. In support of our community. Pyramid is
making a donation to the Community Group Bank of Southern Arizona from each a loan.
For more information or apply online, visit pyramid su dot com slash Holiday
Helper. All those are on approved credit. Other restrictions may apply. Pyramid
Federal Credit Union Insured NCUA. Did you know sports cards at Memorabilia are setting
record sales last month in nineteen fifty two, Tops Mickey Mantles sold for twelve
point six million, Lebron James Rookie sold for five points six Also, collecting
cards is a family fun hobby that can be very profitable. If you want
to start a collection or expand your collect check out Showtime Cards. They are
one of the leading card shops in the country and have served our local community
for twenty five years. They are located on EA Speedway. That's Showtime Cards,
Wie. Mining so important. It's the foundation of everything, that defines
the society. Everything you see is a product of mining. Don't matter when,
don't matter, how, don't matter why every society on this planet has
developed, roan and mododized based solely on the minerals. It could process that
my friend is why mine is so important? Brought to you by the Southern
Arizona Business Coalition Steve Rivera and Jacob Solids. They have their eye on the
ball on Tucson sports station, Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back
to one of the ball, you know, Fox Sports fourteen fifties. I'm
Steve Rivera. He's Jakin's house now on the phone. You're lucky enough to
have Dave Kiki d Ad at Arizona. How are you, Dave, I'm
doing great, gentlemen, thanks for having me on today. Looking forward to
our conversation. Yeah, us two. Congratulations. It's a nice a little
honor that you're getting a little big honor h next month. Well, I'm
excited, and it's very nice of the group to be to be part of
it, to be recognized as a Father of the year here in the home
the great tradition that has in town. And uh again, I'm very honored,
a little bit, I'm very humbled and a little bit surprised all in
all in the same thing. Well, as you're aware, Dave, you
know, I'm a Steve and I are both writers for BIZ Tucson. I
read the story that's that was done on you and you know, really focused
on you know you as a dad. I mean, we know who you
are as an athletic director, so we didn't want to talk about that right
now, but you as a dad in the job that is so demanding.
Um, you know you have to ask, you know, how are you
able to you know, to do that? I mean I don't do half
the stuff that you do, and I don't think Steve does either, And
being a dad is still pretty hard. You know, how did how did
you balance all of that and you with your family? Well, you know,
hey, we're we're all busy in our in our ways, and I
think parenting is a really a big challenge and we all have to prioritize.
I think that's what Liz and I have tried to do is always prioritize our
family and our our boys, three fantastic boys who are now a really outstanding
young man. Um. But you know, in our world, it is
all consuming at times, and we really just embrace the profession. We embrace
We love athletics. The boys have been involved in athletics, but to be
around it from infants all the way through their lives, that's where a lot
of our memories are. And they tagged along and they've walked in locker rooms,
they've walked out on fields, they've they've been part of this from the
very beginning. We we just made that what had kind of become. I
come from a very traditional family. We had dinner every night. We was
a pretty pretty straightforward My dad was a dentist, my mom was a nurse,
and then obviously the head of our household. And you know, it's
pretty straightforward. We lived in the same house and and you know, that's
a different lifestyle than we have and what Liz and I have and our boys.
So but we've just tried to embrace that and make the very best of
it. And it's a fun, fun lifestyle, and I think our boys
have really appreciated it too. I'm assuming, and having talked to you and
did a no story on you that the boys were with you a lot and
they kind of played ball when you were at work, well they did.
I guess you know. I've always embraced it wherever we've been, and I've
been fortunate that the people who have worked for have have allowed it and embraced
it. As having families and children around this is a demanding as we just
talked about profession, whether you're a coach or administrator. It's great to see
kids around at practice, out on the fields, seeing their their moms and
dads at work, just being part of it because it's special and yeah,
and I think when you're around it, the boys got to yeah, play
catch with some pretty neat people and run around the gym, shoot hoops,
you know, be out on the practice field. It was It was a
lot of fun. How much of the type of athletic director that you've been
has has had to do with or does have to do with the fact that
you got you know, kids were called athletes, right, Um, you
know, trying to make sure that there was some you know level of experience
that you were you know, do you were responsible before for athletes who were
not your kids? Well, and I look at us as our program.
Um, this isn't transactional, this isn't clinical. Um, these are someone's
sons or daughters, granddaughters, grandsons, niece's nephews, you know, really
important people and we have to embrace that they've come here, they've chosen to
be part of our program. I want our program to feel like family,
to feel like people care about them and and that's how I've you know,
again, I was a student athlete, been in the business a long time.
UM, I always want to prioritize our young people. Then when I
had two sons who who played and played in a program that I was involved
in, you know, you get a little different look and they kind of
look across you go, hey, how can we do this? And how
come it goes down like this? Or how come they get this and we
don't? How come they travel over there and we don't. You know it
Really it makes you open your eyes to UM making sure that your program is
really balanced. But again i'd go back to I really care about those young
people and the development in our program. I want them to win. I
want them to win at everything. But that's not the only thing that we
try to do. And we you know, there's a lot of benefits in
losing and competing and and all of it. And I think that's why we
just try to make our program feel like everyone has a place here and everyone
has really cared for and really can can you know, can excel in whatever
they want to do. One of the things that Steve alluded to a second
ago is you know, I mean the in the field that you're in.
You know, you move around a bit, so maybe at some point you
settle in. You know you've been here for a while now, but you
know you've had to move around, You've had to bring the family with you,
and those kinds of things. You know, how again in your mind,
how did you how did you try to handle that to make it as
I don't know, a seamless as the word, or it's comfortable for your
family to be able to make these moves that you guys made. We always
tried to prioritize family, Liz and I always do that. I've been fortunate
and really blessed really to only be at three different places, maybe four when
you count my early career at Michigan State, but three different places with family,
and we've made that a priority. If we were going to move,
it had to be a really good move for our entire family. And when
we made the commitment when we're at Central Michigan where I was prior to here
at Arizona, we were not going to move regardless of what opportunities came about.
If one of our sons were started high school, he would start and
complete at the same high school and in a way. You know, we
were blessed because all three of them started and finished in the same high school.
All three of them went to the same high school. I think that
provided some stability and it didn't hurt me it really. I think again,
as we prioritized the family and what's really important, there was way more benefits
for that than anything career could have done for me. Maybe a couple of
quick questions here, how did your dad influence you? I think I may
to ask that question, but I know, in fact, I think your
your potential, your future father in law given you the best advice. Indirectly,
Well, you know, I've had some some really solid men in my
life, but certainly my dad and my mom. It all starts with my
mom and dad. They were really solid, um such giving, warm people,
only wanted the best for their children, gave them every opportunity to be
to do whatever they wanted to do, try whatever they wanted to try.
Our family was really pretty basic. There wasn't a lot of rules or discipline.
My dad really had two simple things. Do the right thing. Always
do the right thing, and when you're not. When you're if you don't
really know what the right thing is, your gut will tell you and then
to be a good person. Everything else will take care of itself. And
that was really straightforward. And then yeah, my father in law made sure
that you know, I was going to take care of his daughter, and
uh, we we had some direct conversations about that, so I definitely learned
about that side of it as well. No, no, didn't he say
like, are you really gonna do this for? Is this going to really
pay the bills? My father in law took me outside one day. I
was we were newly married, and I did not have a really solid job
yet, and he kind of came asked me and goes again. He was
a really salty earth guy from the state of Michigan, a state worker,
and he said, remind me again how you make money doing this sports thing.
And I knew right then I better get a real job that had benefits.
And it was a it was a very direct way, or maybe a
little bit soft way, but direct to the point you better get it together
here a young man or else is going to be a short relationship. Well
and so again a really great honor for you, a Father of the Year
from the Father's Day Council. Uh, and you got a guy in your
in the department, he's also doing that. Reggie Geary named named one of
the Fathers of the Year. How cool is that for you two guys.
It's very cool, Um, the opportunity to be up there with Reggie,
and you know, I get to watch Reggie kind of walk his journey a
little bit with our team, with our staff and his family and how great
they are with their kids. And you know, I'm inspired and impressed by
by Reggie every day, and so it's it's neat to share the you know,
the podium with him amongst the other Fathers of the Year. Um,
it's a it's a terrific group of us. There's five of us, and
I mean they've done terrific things and I'm just so glad to be along for
the ride. But it is special to have two of us from from here,
from Arizona Athletics and from different backgrounds and different ways of life to to
kind of be there together. I'm I'm inspired by that it But you know
what's most important is really what it's all about, and that's helping others,
helping the Steal Children's Research Center, and you know, watching doctor Kushan and
the great um scientists and doctors who are really trying to cure diabetes for diabetes
one for young children, you know, in young children, and uh,
it's some really moving stories. And so I'm I'm inspired by being part of
that and helping the group move forward and helping us bring awareness and certainly dollar
helping that cause. I still think that there's tickets available for this, right
you can go to the you can go to their website. It's uh it's
fd Tucson dot com. Uh. The event is on June the fourth,
which is Sunday at Loews Vantana Canyon. It's a Sunday evening, uh cocktail
reception and then the gala dinner and awards. So as as Dave said,
five, you know, five honrees, Peter Backus, one of the just
a local businessman, Shane Clark, there's always always get a military person.
He's out at the Arizona Air National Guard. And then Vince Fallbaum who's a
wealth management guy. And then obviously Reggie So David, congratulations on that.
Okay, now we're not gonna let you go now because we have we have
other questions. I know you're thinking, we still got we still got six
minutes. So uh, and we're going past the nachos, are going to
move right on to you know, how much can you tell us about what's
going on with the PAC twelve right now? We're to have John Wildern a
little later, so he'll give us a perspective. But you know, people
are getting answer obviously, and you know, just because they don't know.
So what how much can you tell? Well? Hey, you know again,
Uh, look, we all get a little uptight and little nancy when
we all fear the unknown. We don't know exactly what will happen. We
want stability, we want coordination, you know, we want long term stability.
Um. But look, I'm again I remain very confident, as I
consistently have said, UM, we are true together the ten institutions that remain
that have chosen to stay together. We believe very passionately that we can put
a media deal together that will be very successful. Um, that will provide
the resources for the ten institutions to stay together. We can evaluate after that
media deal comes to fruition. You know, what what next steps occur?
Do we do we want to grow? Do we want to stay at a
certain number? How would we alter what we do you know that all play
that's the next step. And so I think that again, good people are
working on this. It continues to be a positive, um, move moving
forward type of program. You know, I don't want to every time you
say something, people can kind of mix your words. They look at I'm
bullish on it. We're going to get this thing done. Very hopeful of
that. I've always said you have to look at all different things. You
can't just get lost in a tunnel or in a vacuum. But again,
I'm very focused on making this work and being a PAC twelve soon to be
PAC ten and maybe Pack something else. But we're going to stay together as
the Pack and get a good media deal. One of the things that we
applaud Van or at least I have, and we have here the spring sports.
We talk a lot about the football and the basketball programs, and we
know what happened there. And I thought that we talk about this this kind
of reminded us of the nineties when it was things were going fantastic. This
year not so much. You know, softball didn't do so well. Baseball
is trying to survive and some of the other sports. How do you make
the spring situation right now. Well, you know again, I think our
teams are you know, have had different journeys, and I think, look,
we all want immediate or we want really solid success. All the time,
we're focused on winning. You know, I'm proud of our softball program.
We went through a lot of different things that people don't understand from a
team perspective. Kaitlin did a remarkable job. I thought we we've there's no
secret we've kind of struggled in finding the right mix and getting the right outs
that you need sometimes from pitching, but we've had key injuries. We can
hit the ball, and I thought we were playing really good softball at the
end. I'm on record is saying I think we're one of the teams that
deserves to be in the tournament. A lot of the problem is when you
leave that into someone else's hands and while you're playing with fire. And yes,
we needed to win a few more games to get in there. I
was really proud of our group and our staff here the community for hosting the
first ever PAC twelfth Championship tournament here in Tucson. It deserves to be in
Tucson. We glad we hosted it, and I thought I think we said
a really high bar. Baseball has got a big weekend here. They're not
done. Let's just we we got to win some games against USC this weekend,
get to the tournament in Scottsdale, and then work our way into postseason
play for an NC double a regional. Really proud of our golf teams are
our women will go to the are one of the top thirty teams in the
country in the national start tomorrow, so up in Scottsdale. So and Laura
and Ella was named the coach of the year, the national Coach of the
Year just yesterday, so you know, good things are happening. I'm really
confident in both our baseball and softball programs. And again men's golf was in
the regional tournament, unfortunately didn't go on to the advance to the national tournament,
but it still had a really good year and the futures bright with some
outstanding young players there. Track and field's not done yet. We've got national
champions on that squad. We finished fifth in the Conference UH tournament and you
know the conference championships and any anytime you can finish ahead of the University of
Oregon in track and field, which we did this year. I mean,
I think that's pretty good in the league that's full of great teams in track
and field, so on our men's side. So so that's my that's my
I guess Chamber of Respec Fring Sports round up for you. Okay, So
look, we've saved the toughest for last. And I know there's only so
much you can say. What is that I'm losing a little bit. Okay,
something something happened there. I don't know what's going on, but can
you hear some now? What is that? Okay? So look, and
I know there's probably not anything that you can say about Jane Deloord in the
situation, But what I want to ask you is how you know when the
university gets into a situation where there's a player, there's a situation with a
player. You saw the stuff that happened at Alabama, and you know,
and it happens everywhere, and it's happened in Arizona. What can you as
an administration do to kind of you know, get your arms around things like
that. Does what happened with Jaden make you guys during recruiting look a little
deeper into a guy? Can you change things what can you do to try
and not get in a situation where now you've got a controversy in your department
because of something a player has in his past or whatever. You know,
I'm trying to get at sure, let me let me just kind of say
a few things. One, I want to be real clear that we fully
review and evaluate recruits when they come here. Um do we do FBI,
Um you know Secret Service background checks. No, we're not at that stage.
We do background checks, We research our recruits, We talk to a
lot of people. We have um AT testations that have to be filled out
by the student athletes when we recruit them about their their past and their background.
Um. So those all are in place and those take you know.
Now you there are twists and turns to everything, and um, you know,
we we fully The second thing I would say, when we are faced
with something that occurs that we come that we become knowledgeable of, we fully
fully um examine that in review that. And that's not one person, that's
a number of people on our campus. It's a full vetting and a full
review of it based on the things that we have. So again, I
don't want to give the impression that we just you know, we just nonchalant
this stuff. We don't and there's a lot of people involved in that,
so we take it really, really seriously. I'll also say in the in
specific cases, you know, there's a difference between what is reported, what
is fact, what you have access to, what you can get access to.
All of those things play into the decision. As I always said,
though, we're gonna do it the right way. If we learn something that
we have to pivot, we're going to continue, we'll pivot and we'll do
the right thing at the right time. Right, that's fair. I mean
hopefully that doesn't. You know, there's a little bit of it. And
I know all these things are hard. Um, we don't take it for
granted. We have a high level of sensitivity to it. I know we're
responsible for a lot of things, and we represent this community, the university,
our fan base, and it's and it's not easy, not an easy
decision to make at times. And that's and that's the hard part of the
job, right, I mean, isn't that? I think those are difficult
times anytime you're faced with big challenges and there are lots of moving parts and
you can not share everything with everyone. All the time. Um, but
again you have to just boil that down to making the very best decision you
can make with the people and the information you have. And UM, I
don't take it lightly, and I know these are really sensitive things and it's
hard, but um, but we will do the right thing. And I
feel with the information and all that we know, and um, the young
men that we have on our football team will will do the right things and
we will represent us the right way. All right, Okay, Dave,
we'll congrats again, Thank you very much for your time. All right,
guys, And and again I appreciate that question and rather than the nacho question
because I can answer that one. So's you know, I've had a couple
of those today. We got through it. So I appreciate a guy that
I enjoy spending time. I had some at the softball game the other day.
All good day, Thanks a bunch. Congratulations again, very take care
who we know we love having on the show. Oh once again, And
I really want to promo this because it is a big deal. These fathers,
Fathers of the Year, you know, the honorrees are all you know,
prominent guys in the community. But it's a it's on Sunday, June
the fourth, lows v Town of Canyon. You can get tickets at fd
AS in Father's Day Oh FDC Father's Day Council, Tucson dot com and you
can go on there and get tickets by a table, whatever you want to
do. It's on June the fourth, on Sunday. All right, okay,
let's take our breakword we'll come back. Take your calls. I have
two zero four one six seventy four four it We'll be around. If you're
an Arizona man's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for newly forty years.
Now take a look back at the lud Olson era. In my new
book, Lessons from Loot, it was a labor of love through the eyes
of twenty five former players, coaches and friends to give insight to the coach
and the man who led them, competed against them, and inspired them twenty
five chapters for his twenty five years as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Loot
is an insight to how he built the program into a national power house.
What one email me at Steve dot rivera ninety five at gmail dot com.
Hey, Walcat Nation, Jake Fisher here, I got to tell you about
my winning team. Over at Arizona Health Insider, I was able to get
a custom private health insurance plan with no deductibles, no code, pays nationwide
coverage, and I get to pick my own doctor for less than two hundred
dollars a month. If you want to avoid getting gouged on the exchange and
you want real health insurance, call Arizona Health Insiders five two zero eight five
zero six eight six six five two zero eight five zero six eight six six
beardown. What's your goal a new career or career advancement? How about transferring
to a four year college. Pema Community College can help you make Someday today
and reach your goals affordably on your schedule. With over one hundred programs to
choose from and financial aid available, it's time to earn the degree or certificate
you need to prepare for the career you want. PIMA offer free career exploration
classes so you can choose the field that's right for you. Learn how at
Pima. Dot eedu slash Someday is your old ac system struggling to keep your
home comfortable during the summer, I'm wrong From picture rocks, cooling, heating
and plumbing. Do you dread hearing that AC come on because of high electricity
bills? Replace it now with a new high efficiency system before the long hot
summer. With rebates, tax credits and energy savings, it just makes sense.
Call five two zero four four zero four zero six nine. Need more
affordable auto and home insurance while making sure your family has the courage it needs
when mayhem happens, They've got you covered at the Edmund Marcus All State Agency.
Go see Edmund Marcus. He's born and raised in Tucson and a proud
graduate of the University of Arizona. He's been an All State agent for twenty
five years and has an award winning agency which takes care of his clients.
Call Umn today at five two h three two three nine three three for anno
one home quote and let them save you money and make sure you have the
courage you need. You're in good hands with the Edmund Marcus l State Agency.
Do you want to be part of a winning team? A team Security
is looking for friendly, outgoing events security guards and events staff to be a
part of our team. We've been providing our outstanding services to some of Arizona's
biggest sporting events and concerts for over twenty years. We want you to join
the Action. A Team offers a fun and exciting opportunity to work in the
sports and entertainment industry, with flexible schedules that are perfect for those looking for
a part time job or a second income. Come be a part of a
winning team. The A Team apply online today at a team security dot net.
Steve Ravera and Jaken Salez they have their eye on the ball on two
Suns Sports Big Chef Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming live on the iHeartRadio. A
am, Hey, welcome back to win the vault. You know Fox Sports
Sport ten fifty on Steve's jay. Got about twelve minutes something like that left.
If you want to call us five two four one six seventy four forty
talk to us about whatever you want and maybe our interview would do. Dave,
he's as such a good sport, yeah, you know, and look,
we have to ask some tough questions, you know. We we don't
ever go after him right like some others might, but we had, you
know, we had to ask about the Jade Delord situation in a way that
in a way that he can answer. We just said, tell us what
happened with Jade Delores. He's not They're not gonna, you know, gonna
do everything you need to do, right, Yeah, but it's kind of
like, Okay, you know you have to figure out a way. And
that's why you and I are such pros because we can do that. Okay,
they way to ask those questions before you got on, He was like,
what are you gonna do? What are you gonna ask? The funny
think about it, Jake, you've been on the side of the podium and
you've been on the other side. Uh, you write one hundred stories?
Do you write one hundred stories or cover one hundred nine hundred events? You
write ninety nine that are glowing? Right? That one? People remember,
right you're after me? Yeah? Yeah, no, you hear that all
the time. Yeah, you know, you know United nine. Oh it
was great, Everything's well and fine. Oh remember that one? Remember that
thing that when when Luke like yelled at Javier Morale is you know, saying
that you know, I know you're trying to get me fired or something like
that. I'm like, Luke, first of all, there isn't anybody in
this town, who can get you fired? And two you know it was
during that I think during that stretch of time when they were getting eliminated first
round and stuff like that, when that happened, you know that. Yeah,
No, yeah, Javier came after that. No, something else happened.
Something happened. We talked about but he didn't get on Habier for something
like that. Was it was something else. But I know what you're talking.
You know what I'm saying though, Yeah, you know. But it's
it's a thing where you write all these things and all of a sudden one,
you know, one bad thing comes out because you have to sure you
know which which. On the flip side of that, I remember that.
I'll tell the story in a minute. They just give us a callback.
Yeah, callback, we missed you know when when when when Melvin Smith fired
the gun? Yeah, and I'd go, you know, I go to
the quarter and at the at the at the next practice that I saw Dick
Tomy. He said, I'm surprised you didn't go after me more than that
more than you did. I said, I wasn't going after anybody was telling
the facts. I just had to report what happened. I was doing the
same thing because I was at the same event. Yeah, at the roller
skinning ring. Yeah, And he was like, you know, you know,
I thought you would, you'd go after us a lot more, go
after what you know, what happened. And two people in this town,
the media in this town, you know, I was doing the media in
this town, our favorite pretty much favorable to the u BA. Yeah,
to the detrimental journalism kind of in a way. I mean, you'll do
that, you know. And but and that's all over. You know,
it's funny because I, um, oh, here's the color Hire on the
R and I on the ball. Hey, Jake, good afternoon, guys,
Tommy lying, how you doing? What's Tommy? Hey? I feel
like we need marshmallows and a campfire or something more. I'm about to say,
but you know, people, you know, people of Tuton. I
hope and know that you know the to appreciate that both of you and what
you do would have been so tied and have been tied to the ULA for
so long. And you know, you know, you have a finger on
the pulse. You're not afraid to ask questions now. In the interview with
Dave, you know, and I thought it was great because you obviously have
a relationship with him, right, that's don't over time. Yes, yes,
you know, I myself, I'm opinionated, you know, and I'm
I'm starting to put Dave in the Jim Live and Good said it Dempsey category.
And it's just my personal opinion because of who I think he is as
a person, you know. And it's so cool, you know, to
hear the interview where you're talking about the father of the Year, you know,
because those things matter. You know, you've got kids, you know,
and uh, you know, he shared a little bit about his voice
growing up around the programs and how great that is for kids, despite you
have to move around. And then when it came time, you know,
I really appreciated how you crafted the st to the Jay because if he knews,
you're gonna put him in a spot that he can answer the question.
It's not like some disappointing loss of a game and you're at you're at the
press conference and you you know, Steve, go ahead, Yeah, how
do you explain this loss? Coach? You know what I mean? And
I appreciate that, I really do. I want to make a quick comment
about we hear you know, now we're seeing about how Zoo's doing on the
combines. You know what, It reminded me of that video we got treated
to not to see, not this past season, but the previous when their
mom to be listen Zoo's mom showed up and surprised. You guys remember seeing
that, you know, because these guys, these kids, he's not coming
back, and I'm good with it because he's trying to make the most out
of his life to help himself, to help his family. And that video
came into my head when I started hearing and reading some of the comments about
oh, Zoo, listen Zoo. That man he's been. He's a great
ambassador. We're lucky he was part of our program. Yeah, you know
a little longer the next one because we appreciate at him. Well, Tommy,
one of the things that you're talking about with Dave is reminded me of
the Curry interview that we had a while back. And a few people know
about Kurr. So he came on and how did he sound? Fantastic?
Right, kind of like a cool dude, not the dude you sell on
the court, right, Yeah, And I heard it, uh and I
remember too, and again it's not Kumbaya. But it's how I really feel
because Steve, you know, I'll say that, but you put him in
a position to be able to choose to give the answers with which he wanted
to right and how he wanted to Does that sound correct? No, Well,
you have to give him a question that they can answer. And you
know we were talking about that, you know before, you cause that we
couldn't We couldn't say to Dave, Dave, tell us what happened with Jaden
Delores. He's not going to answer that question. So you're you're trying to
get to an answer, you get some information that maybe we haven't gotten before.
That's all we're trying to do. Yeah, and you know to put
the to put the chocolate and the Graham crackers on this call. Um.
This is why I like to listen to the eye on the ball because you
guys, you're crafted in what you do and you know how to and have
the relationships to ask the questions that we need ask in a way the person
on the receiving end doesn't feel confront the corners, right right. I appreciate
it. Yeah, I think we appreciate the words. Thank thanks so much,
many great afternoon right in fact, Davison, thanks for the interview.
So again and again, we're trying to be entertaining right as we want people
to listen to us. Are we trying to be informative you, We're trying
to be informative too, but we're not investigative report. No, you know,
no, if we wanted to do that would go back to work in
a day, and I'm not going back right, No, I'm not going
back to work in a day. Music. What is the yeah? Are
there any left? Anybody want to call? We got a little time left
five two one, six, seventy four forty they give us a quick call.
Um uh, just a lot of a lot of things going on.
Um uh. So we kind of we mentioned that Larsen's coming back, right,
it's all right, no, um um what's his name? They got
two kids from Lithuania who are gonna be here. Passport you, baby,
passport you. I think they're gonna be fine next year. They're gonna be
fine. They have a good core coming back with new guys coming in,
and they had guys on the bench that they're gonna be fine that we didn't
see because of the guys in front of them. But that's kind of the
circle of life here. Yeah, you wait your time again and and again.
You know when when when people are freaking out about you know, who's
gonna be on this team. They were saying that his team didn't come together
last year until tis yeh r because it wasn't finals until right because the two
guys the Texas um kid yeah Ramy and and Henderson Henderson and Henderson Henderson a
freshman um kylin Bos decided didn't declare, you know, to come in until
until late in the summer. So you know, guys, it's it's gonna
be fine and they're gonna be good. How good are they gonna be?
I don't know when was the last time we signed out. Someone asked you
and I'd been doing time, Steve, how's the basketball team gonna look any
good? Well, I've never said they're gonna look horrible ever ever, exactly
exactly, because I mean we didn't know going into Tommy's first year and then
he did and then he did what he did. It was kind of like,
what do we have here? And then he went in more or let's
did it again you know the next year, right getting close to it,
like Okay, so what are you worried about for the year, you know,
for next year? Right, why are you worried? I will see
because we've talked about this before. It'll be his third year, it'll be
Chip Haill's third year. It'll be the softball coaches the third year. Right,
and then we got the old oh well he did it with Sean's player.
Yeah, right. How many times have we said, okay, and
guess where Sean is. Guess where those players got shot. He's not coaching.
They got him fired. So you know, let's uh, you know,
let's take a seditive on all of that. What do I have to
take it? Please you? I know you got to I know you got
Denver, but I mean Denver, but i'mout confident. It's five and a
half, five and a half, but I have Denver. I just wanted
to go six games, that's all six game, six games because exactly sex
exactly six exactly six. So don't win this, maybe lose a game or
two in LA and then come back and maybe kind of finish it off.
We'll see, we'll see. I uh, the whole series in my mind,
and I've said this all along is going to be on a D.
A D. You guys, You and Jason were Waxley potting. Oh they
came back. It seems good. If a D does not have a good
game, it's over for la. He had a fantastic game and game on
forty points and blah blah blah. Let's see if you can do it again,
it again, because he historically had exactly you answered that for me,
right right, So okay, all right, we'll see, so we'll see
what happens. But so don't touch it, please. I know you had
something to do with last night. I did. I had nothing, Steve,
Like I said, it was barely even watching the game. What was
I doing last I was working. I was doing Boston hates you. Boston
doesn't even know you kid it with a Harvard shirt. I do have a
Harvard shirt on. You feel smarter, way smartest. You just put it
on the shirt. I you know, I joked that we walked around the
Harvard campus when I went to my daughter. When I walked out, I
felt like my IQ just went up a bunch of points. What was the
movie Mett Damon and uh and the other good Will? Honey, you know,
just walking around the campus. I went to that statue of John Harvard,
and I was gonna say, and can you get the clock right today?
I got it, We got it, we got But that's my pat
I know. Yeah, I'm okay, as as dumb as I am still
sometimes. Just know that I was a little dumber before that. But you
look good at the Harvard shot. All right, let's say, Oh man,
I don't know what to say, Steve, I don't know what to
say. Okay, well, I'll have to tell you. You have to
get some breaking news for later. And then a few things. Well Wilner
talking about as the world as the PAC twelve turns right, Oh yeah,
and it is turning. There's a lot of stuff going on over there,
not just in the PAC twelve, but it's some of the other confidence.
So all right, let's take our break. We're gonna come back. We'll
have a breaking news here at the top of the hour. Then John Wilner
from the PAC twelve hot light, as I stick around the whole world's com