Streaming live on the iHeartRadio WIF. This is I on the Ball with Steve
Rovera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back to
I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve, He's
Jay, and I'm hoping Jave has some breaking news. This is Eye on
the Ball, breaking news on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. All right, with
just one game left in the college football season, obviously, you know Michigan,
Michigan and Washington Monday, a lot of activity both in the transfer portal
as well as players declaring for the NFL today. Tyler McLaughlin, the tight
end at Arizona. He's got another players still have the one year of free
ouchability from the COVID year. He's got your your eligibility left. But he's
declared for the NFL rightfully. So had a great year, a lot of
attention and I really liked him a lot. Yeah, like him a lot.
The good thing is good for you, good luck and all that because
they have Benett was at our guy that we talked to, the Dad Burnett,
Chester Burnett, Chester Burnette and a good stock coming in right and actually
Chester Burnett went on on Twitter today and thank you and thanked him for everything
that he did for his kid, said he was he was a great mentor
feels like his kid. You know. Uh, Kyl learned a lot about
about kind of key on his learned a lot from from Aclachlin, you know
what. And that opens the door for for him to, you know,
to to have a chance to make an impact next year. Look, you
know, guys like a door on. Jacob Cowing also announced today he's you
know, he's going into the draft. He could I think he could stand
another maybe not Jacob Cowan. Jacob Cown Oh yeah, yeah, of course,
you know. Yeah, here's time. What else do you need to
prove? Exactly. So, so those two guys are to open the door
for another guy to come back. Yeh, it's I can't help it be
a jerk about this. And then I would say, no, you can't
come back. The door's locked. You broke up with me, and now
you want you want to come back. It out of here, And I'm
saying, Dorian, come on back. We know that you wanted to date
that cute girl. Didn't turn out well, did it? Yeah? Exactly?
Okay, A couple of oh wait, one more, one more player
that's going in going into the draft. Uh the Jonathan Brooks are running back
from from Texas towards a cl in November. He's not going to take any
more chances about geting hurt in college. He's uh No, mal Kuiper has
him as his top ranked available tailback, so he's going into the draft.
A really good player missed at the end of the season with that injury.
As far as the transfer portal goes, we saw that Malachi Nelson, who
was the top rated quarterback last year, uh well, two years ago,
went over to USC under Lincoln Riley, who had recruited him to Oklahoma.
On Lincoln Riley take the job at USC. He he went to he went
to US. He jumped into the transfer portal. Now they're saying he's going
to What do you think about? No, no, no, no,
no, you got you got to lower your standard way man, I don't
know. Well, there is a Peter principle involved in a lot of this.
Right, if you're not good enough to play here and you reach your
level of competence or whatever, you end up at Boise State and maybe you'll
turn into but you know, that's kind of what the transfer portal does,
right, You kind of reach a level of how good you're going to play
if you and you want to play right away. If there's one thing I've
learned in this business, Okay, what's the number one? They think they're
coming to school for to play? Play to play. It's not about education.
Money is being in there, and now I know now money yeah right,
No, that wasn't the case when we covered the teams. Now it's
the case where where can I go play? And where can I get the
bag? And then one more again, another one of those head scratchers.
Quinn Shawn Judkins running back in Old miss He is it all SEC players this
year. He was at last year's SEC Freshman of the Year. In two
years, he's rushed for twenty seven hundred yards thirty four touchdowns and he's jumping
into the portal. Wow, that's a huge career too. Yeah, twenty
seven hundred yards into into two years. He's got he's gonna you know,
he's got as is anybody happy? What are they looking for? Right?
Nobody? Oh, it's not like Old Misses some crap program. No,
where he's gonna where he's not getting visibility and those kinds of things. There
was a player just uh, I think he's a receiver alignment at Florida.
Who is going to Georgia now going to the rival. And it's like,
these guys, what are they looking for that picnic? That picnic is gonna
be different now right? Yeah, no, no one's happy. I guess
they always see the greener, greener grass. Blah blah blah. Yeah,
it's nuts, it's really nuts, all right. Okay's some twenty twenty four
hes been betting odds are out, Benny nuts. Ye, okay, there's
a there's three guys that our favorites. One of them I don't your note.
I think he's the Neohio state quarterback, but Quinn yours, Jalen Milroe
Carson Beck are the three favorites. But down here on the list in about
I think twelfth place. So there's one Noah Fafida, which four thousand plus
four thousand, and then a little further down the list, not not a
lot further down the list, but a little further down the list, you
gotta Jaya Roy McMillan, and he's about five thousand, seventy five hundred.
I would i would bet ten bucks or twenty bucks on that. That gets
you some pretty good, pretty good the news, the breaking news on that
that there's two Arizona guys on the high school. No, that's very that
crazy. When was that ever? When was the last time that ever happened?
Never? Ever, never, That is breaking, never, never,
huge breaking is that those are on on our our buddies over at fanduels.
So those just came out today. No, that's a that's that's good.
Interesting. Well, now you have people we hadn't talked to NFL with UA
football in forever. Yeah, and now we're talking the NFL exactly. Another
ranking that came out in the last couple of days is ESPN's top one hundred
players. Yeah of twenty twenty three. Yeah, Arizona has a guy at
number thirty one in Noah Fafida. Yeah, we'll get back. There's a
guy missing from the list, and Arizona fans have lost their And we'll talk
to Michael Love about that, because he's tweeted about this already, right,
because everyone bags out of ESPN. Yeah, but they hate us. Yeah,
well that I yes, that's where I got this. I followed that
that discussion where people are saying ESPN hates Arizona. They don't think about Arizona.
There's a difference. They don't hate, they don't think about him.
Where's Arizona? Have you ever been to all forty nine states? You know?
No? No, no, did you get my point exactly? Yeah,
Arizona, no one exists. We don't belong to the union. Yeah,
and Arizona was what the forty ninths or forty eight state? So you
know, look, that's fine, that's fine. Yeah, it's yeah,
because it was he one of the top one hundred players. Of course,
of course, of course he was. You know, there's there's something they
were comparing other receiver stats to this, and you know he's got the stats
and stuff like that. But again, no, they're not intentionally ignoring airs
Arizona. They just don't think about it and they just don't watch Pennix play.
I'm still mad. I'm still mad about that. Here's my finger.
And I don't know why I'm so mad about a guy who not even from
Arizona. But again, maybe it's because because they called this at the beginning
of and he never did anything. I thought to lose the heist because at
one point you had it came true. Yeah, that was right once and
I the people won't agree with all rights. Some very funny not very funny,
interesting discussion. Oh wait, let me go one more time, one
more sort of a rainy Two four seven Sports came out with five teams who
could be next to kick the door down in the twenty twenty four twenty twenty
five season being football, with five teams with national championship potential. The reason
I'm bringing this up is because Arizona, Arizona is one of the fives.
Well they could be. Well there can be a top ten team next year.
Yeah. That they've got these five teams that you know, it says,
twenty twenty four candidates right with national championship potential. According to Brad Crawford
from two four seven Sports, he lists Missouri, Arizona, Ole, miss
Oregon, and Tennessee. And they've always kind of been kind of not always
but uh those are names, yeah, except for Arizona long term Missouri.
So did you did you? I know you haven't talked about you had to
have read. It came out last week. I guess why you were on
the road the athletics Blue Blood Series. No, it was fantastic basketball fantastic
because because they had like four or five writers talked about the blue bloods in
basketball are discussion to a t and they had to go back and do it.
Oh miya coupla kind of because they forgot, you know, they so
it was. It was very good. Go go read it. Dan O'Neil's
part of it. And it's a group. I think it hits to my
point because they have like six teams. They're the blue bloods, but the
next up and comers Arizona. But there's a lot of there's stuff to work
work on. Go go read and we can talk about it when you read.
I love it, but it's maybe a week ago. Okay, I
voted that I was busy Land Athletics on my radar. All right, Big
big news in the n C Double A with the with their the NT Double
A and ESPN signed a nine twenty million dollar eight year deal for ESPN for
rights to forty championship events, including uh Division one women's basketball, the women's
basketball tournaments being valued at being worth sixty five million of that. It's a
big deal in that there's a lot of people saying, you know, women's
a women's particularly basketball, is starting to get, you know, the attention
it deserves from a financial standpoint. Look, it's still based on who's gonna
watch, right, That's that's what That's what ESPN is paying for. But
it's a it's about one hundred and fifty million dollars a year that they're paying
for, uh these sports, including you know, softball, you know,
all kinds of other stuff, but women's basketball obviously is sort of thing because
remember, and men's basketball doesn't. Uh is A is a CBS Probert Yeah,
and then right now is strike while you're hot, right, because the
women's team with Kaitlyn you just see the shots. Yeah, Yeah, she's
Steph Curry. She's Steff carry Out. I mean, unbelievable step back three
from the logo to win a game. I'm crazy, crazy, crazy.
She can play anyway. All Right, So that's a that's the big news
coming out of DNC double A. All right, the Rose Bowl as a
venue, there's been the topic of a whole bunch of discussions last couple of
days. Yeah, you've got you've got Kirk Curbs Street came out and said
he thinks that the National Championship Game should be played at the Rose Bowl every
year. Just make it the national whether you call it the Rose Bowl or
that's just where you have it, sure, but that's where the game should
be every year. Obviously, you know, people in New Orleans and Dallas
and Houston this year and wherever gonna say the hell with that. You know,
we we want it around, but that as a venue, there's no
better venue for the game. At the same time, stephen A. Smith
comes out and says they should move the Rose Bowl game from the Rose Bowl
over to Sofar because the traffic is so bad about around the Rose Bowl.
I'm like, so you're inconvenienced by the traffic, so let's kill one hundred
and some years of tradition because you don't want to deal with it with the
traffic. He's been obliterated on social media for saying that, and what just
a stupid thing it was for him to say. But that's stephen A.
Smith's stick. He's say stuff like that. But you know, the whole
idea of locking in on the Rose Bowl and I don't know, like I
said, nobody said, you'll still call it. You know, the National
Championship game will be called the Rose Bowl. I hope that doesn't happen,
because what I'm looking at is if Arizona can win a Big twelve championship and
get in a bracket where they can play in the Rose Bowl, that's the
only shot I got to get to a rose Bult before I kick. No,
No, it's going ticking fast. But lot you know, but a
lot of a lot of conversation of that. Chris Vanini has talked a lot
from the athletic has done a couple of a couple of calms about that,
you know, and are are you're saying? He called he compared the Rose
Bowl the game or the rosebu to the Masters. It's just like one place
that's that you just there's a mystique to it, which there is, there
is. But then again, you hear people were pissed off at the fact
that the Rose Bull won't move from its time slot, which made the National
champion and the other semi final game on Sunday and at one o'clock in the
morning Eastern time. If people are pissed about that, and they're pissed at
the rose Ball because of that, Yeah, so just a lot of discussion
about the Rods. Well, I would assume I would assume that. Well,
I guess they could play it at night at Rosebull, but it's so
beautiful during the day it is. It's such a cool place. I don't
know if you've ever ever been to a game, it could be a u
c. L A game or a Rosebull or whatever, and going to see
a game at the Rose Bull there's nothing else like it. I've not gone
to a rose Bult because I don't want to go to a Rose Bold until
Arizona gets into a Rose Bold, which may never happen. But well,
the tribucket list exactly exactly, all right, So that's that's what we got,
Steve. Okay, No, that's good timing. We got about a
minute. Let's just go and then get ahold of Michael left Michael, we'll
get get his last takes on on the Arizona on on the ALBUMO Ball,
and maybe talk a little basketball with him, see if he's got some some
things that he wants to say about this game going in tonight. He is,
after all, the columns, not not just the football writer. Chick
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I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez sound Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app just Surgeon. I on
the Ball. Hey, welcome back to Aing the Ball here on Fox Sports
fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Jacobs Austin. Now on the phone,
we have I was on a Daily Star columnist Michael lev Michael how are
you. I'm doing fine. How are you, guys? We're doing fine
as well. That we haven't talked to you in a while, or at
least the big game of San Antonio. What were your impressions from that game?
Well, it was kind of like two games, right. The first
quarter and the fourth quarter were controlled by the wildcast, second and third quarters
were controlled by the Sooners. I think the absence of Jordan Morgan was a
bigger factor than a lot of people thought it would be. Oklahoma really was
able to affect the quarterback and made away, especially in the middle of that
game. And you know, if it weren't for the heroics of Dalton Johnson
and Gunner Maldonado, Arizona probably would have lost because they were on the ropes.
They were down already two scores. Oklahoma was driving, and then those
two teamed up to make you know, one of the iconic plays in Arizona
football history, right, I mean, that's got to be. That's got
to be a top ten all time play. I would think, considering the
stakes, the situation, you know, the difference between a nine win season
and a ten win season, all of that stuff. So you know,
you just mentioned it a ten win season. Obviously shocked the hell out of
everybody. I'm sure shocked. You shocked me, I know, a shock
Steve because he thought they were only gonna get five. But you know,
how does that carry into you know, next year? I mean you hang
your hat on something great like that for Arizona, which you know people talk
about, Well, Oklahoma's done it a million times, then their zone's only
done it now four, But how can Aarzon to use that going forward?
Yeah, obviously it's a huge milestone for the program. It is only the
fourth time that's ever happened. It happened a lot sooner than most people expected
it to happen. Well, the biggest silver under I think was five right
coming into the season. I think I think maybe the initial one might have
even been four and a half, maybe a climb to about five and a
half. I always thought that that number was too low. I had them
going seven and five, which would have been, you know, good progress
from five and seven the previous year, but obviously made an even bigger leap
and it gives them a lot of momentum and buzz heading into next season,
going into a winnable conference in the Big twelve. I don't think it's going
to be a cakewalk by any means. I've mentioned this already elsewhere, but
the schedule next year, especially the road games, is kind of tough.
It's kind of tough. There's they can easily lose three of their six road
games or however many they have when you when you break it down, so
you know, winning the Big twelve is going to be a big challenge,
but I think it'll be It's an easier wall to climb than the Pac twelve
of this year. And they were extremely competitive in the Fact twelve this year
against really good competitions. So given the momentum and given you know how many
key pieces are coming back, the program is in really good shape heading into
next season. But one one last one last thought on last season, you
know, being the being the Arizona fan that I am and that you know,
the history that I have with this program, probably wasn't until going into
the SU game that I thought this team is really good. When did you
think that? Or was there a time that you thought that? When they
kept winning those games, particularly against ranked teams. Well, okay, so
you know they'd be Washington State handily right the game, right before the Buye.
I was th was forty four to six. I mean, they just
they obliterated them. I mean it was completely one sided. They were clearly
the superior team. But I don't think that that was the that was the
game that convinced me, because I feel like Washington State was a little bit
overrated heading into that and Arizona was kind of due to win. I would
say that two game home stretch against Oregon State and UCLA. They went to
Totoe. With Oregon State, it was a really close game against a very
good team. They came out on top, and then they were really controlled
the action against UCLA, A pretty tough UCLA team. I know they had
some ups and downs over the course of the year, but their defense was
really good good and for them to kind of control the line of scrimmage win
that game relative relatively drama free fashion, that was pretty telling to me.
I thought they were kind of on their way when that happened. So realistically,
did you and you talked about it with Maldonado and the other one other
one, Justice Johnson, did you think going into the fourth quarter they had
a chance at all that game? I would say, I mean going into
the fourth quarter. Yes, late in the third quarter, no, because
I mean they were in trouble. It was twenty four to thirteen, and
worst case scenario really you thought for Oklahoma and that drive was that they're going
to get a field goal if you have twenty seven to thirteen, right,
And the offense wasn't doing anything, you know, I mean those of Fido
was kind of running for his life. They were all out of whack.
They weren't able to get the ball to their makers. And then everything changed,
you know, the whole the tide of that game changed did a full
one to eighty when that play happened, and you know, the turnovers kept
coming and the offense kind of found its rhythm a little bit. They were
able to put together one nice, big scoring drive and they got another turnover
scored again, and that was that. It was. There weren't a lot
like that this year either. Really. The Stanford game on the road was
tough. The Colorado game required a comeback. But you know, when we
talk about the term game control, you know, starting with that Washington State
game, they were in control of pretty much every game that they played.
So it was interesting to watch how they would respond to uh An adverse situation
like that. So from where we said, now you was all that you
know, covers all these things us as me as a fan, Steve is
just a grumpy guy. What you know, what what should we be keeping
an eye out for this off season? You know, we as fans have
been through this thing. You know, they've had three other ten win seasons.
The next year has not been even close to what you know, reaching
you know, the level of expectation that those seasons created. And so that's
the kind of thing that I'm sitting here thinking about, like, how do
you not how do you not screw this up so that this isn't just a
one off? What do you what do you get an eye out on?
Yeah, well, I mean the first thing, of course, is the
coaching staff. It looks like, you know, Jetfish is going to be
around for at least one more season here, and you know, I think
in less an NFL team takes a liking to him and then makes him an
offer that you can't refuse. That's I think still a possibility at least and
not only Jed, but you know, Johnny Manson reportedly has been offered a
job at Texas as a co defensive coordinator, intet linebackers, coach. So
you know, there's those issues that you have to monitor. I think,
you know, they've pretty much survived the transfer portal at this point. You
know, things change if there are changes to the coaching staff, that might
spur some players to leave. But Jedfish has done a remarkable job in terms
of retention with both coaches and players. And then you know, like what
else can they add through the portal? They've addressed some of their needs.
I was really high on the offensive line acquisition that they that they made last
week, you know, getting a kid from the Phoenix area with four years
of eligibility still in college, with a big frame and Alex Deuce. I
think that was an excellent pickup. That got a defensive back, two defensive
back defensive linemen. Would still like to see them, you know, come
up with an edge rusher at some point, maybe a linebacker to add to
that mix, and also a wide receiver who can just bring in a little
bit more experienced than you know, some of the young guys they have coming
up through the ranks. But you know, none of those things are deal
breakers, you know, as far as the as adding personnel I mean,
I think if they went into next even with the roster that they have today,
they'd feel pretty good about things. Okay, you mentioned a wide receiver
at the end of that list. Do you knowing Jed? How you know
him? If Dorian Singer wanted to come back here, what do you think
he says or does? Man, that's such a tough one. I think
if Dorian wanted to come back and he was like, hey, you know,
I I messed up. I should never have left, you know,
give me a second chance, I think Jed would. I think Jed would
take him back. Personally. He might go to the team, to the
votes right, you know, and be like, hey, what do you
guys think you know? And I bet you bet the team would say yes.
Also if given that choice, I just don't know really what the status
of that whole relationship is like if that is a bridge that has been burned
and never to be repaired. But you know, he's obviously a talented player
who put up huge numbers here, you know, like Jedfish knows how to
get the best out of him us. He obviously did not I know how
to do that. So it would be interesting to be sure. I don't
think it's likely to happen, but I don't think we can. No,
I agree with you. I mean, it's not just about Jeff, It's
about the rest of the team. Yeah, because you know they know they
saw a guy, a brother, Well he broke like I said, he
broke up with them, followed the swimsuit model over to USC and found out
she wasn't so great. You know that she was on ozempic. What are
you talking about, I've the gruppy guy. So this was the basketball with
Michael. Uh, what were your thoughts? Well, you were you were
defending you know what, I will we'll talk another time about defending ESPN with
the teamax stuff. But but basketball, what do you make of that one
off? I call it a one off with Stanford? Well, I am
definitely tempted to say it to one off because Stanford shot the ball so exceptionally
well in that game, made sixteen to three pointers, made over fifty percent
of their three point attempts, just the kind of thing that rarely, if
ever happens in basketball. So it feels a little bit like a one off
in that regard. But then again, you know, they've lost what three
of their last five games, you know, get some tough opponents, to
be sure, and you didn't expect them to go unscathed through that of non
conference games. But it's definitely a little bit worrisome to see that. And
then maybe you wonder a little bit like, hey, did we overrate this
team? You know, are they not as good as we thought that they
were when we saw them earlier in the year tumbling Wisconsin or winning you know,
on the road at Duke. So you know, this next little stretch
here will provide a good measuring stick. I think Colorado and Utah both quality
opponents. Colorado might be a little dinged up heading into this game tonight,
but I think the upper echelon in the league. Utah has been one of
the surprise teams in the league. And I think then they go to Washington
State, I want to say, for a one off road game following Saturday,
always toss to go up into the Pacific Northwest, so an important time
here, I think for them to kind of re establish their footing and kind
of figure out who they are and what kind of team they want to be
moving forward. I'll also add this, like it is not unusual over the
course of a long basketball teas and for teams to experience ups and downs,
abs and flows, you know, whatever you want to call it. And
what you want to do is, you know, do you want to improve
right over the course of the year. And sometimes it takes, you know,
taking a step back in order to take a couple of steps forward.
And maybe that's kind of what's happening with them right now. Well let me
ask you this, and again, you know you're you're not in the locker
room, so you know, you don't you don't know, but you might
have an opinion. Is this team fragile at all? And by that,
I mean, you know, let's say they fall behind, you know,
ten to two, twelve to two, you know, Colorado, you know,
punch them in the face at the at the start of the game.
You think, is that an issue with this team at all? Do you
think, uh, you know, or are they at a point where if
that's something like that happens that you know, they can going to the end
of the into the toilet again? I don't think so. I mean,
if you you act at the beginning, you know, was this last game
a one off? And if you want to look at the score and the
way that the game played out, then, yes, because they were extremely
competitive against Purdue, kept kind of battling back and forth in that game and
against Fau as well. I mean, that was a heck and forth.
That was a double overtime one point loss, you know. I mean,
I was not panicking at all after they lost that game, even though some
people were pointing out that Fau the stuff. We lost to a couple,
you know, not so great teams this year, but that they played that
was a veteran team that played really well. As the announcers said during the
game, it was probably the biggest regular season game in the history of the
program, you know, so it was kind of the super Bowl for them.
The Stanford game was the only one where Arizona got down and stayed down
and couldn't catch up. And I think that that mostly had to do with
the fact that that Cardinals just couldn't miss. No, I'm not worried about
I'm not worried about the wildcatch. From a character standpoint, I think they
need to defend better, They need to communicate better on defense, and I
think, you know, a couple of guys need to step up their games
a little bit, like Tylan Boswell. I think it's been a kind of
a disappointment in his second season, and Lumar Balo hasn't been quite as efficient
this year as he was last year. So those are a couple of guys
that they were really counting on that to me need to take take a step
forward here for the team to do the same. One last quick question because
we're running out of time. Did you go to the press conwence yesterday with
Tommy? I was not there, No, okay, but you saw it.
I'm sure I'm familiar with what was said. Yeah, okay, okay,
I say more about the tone. So you didn't write about it today?
Okay? Yeah, So if you would have written a story today,
how would it what would have been? I mean just kind of how feisty
and defensive he was. Yeah, look, I mean our Bruce Pasco was
up there at Stanford where you know, Tommy was like using the term kicked
our ass like a two minute span. You know, he's obviously frustrated and
that showed after that game, and I think yesterday was more like, hey,
you know, like everyone's bashing a team and I need to step up
and defend them a little bit and take some of the fire here. So
I think that's really what was going on in terms of what he said and
how he said it yesterday. More than anything that was just that was just
a coach kind of taking responsibility, using himself as a shield to protect his
players from criticism. Yeah, okay, I like it. I like it.
Okay, Well, thank you, professor lev Philosopher Love. We'll see
at the game tonight if you're going, yeah, that's good stuff. Yeah,
interesting. Well, you know again, I love their you know,
their perspectives because they see they see things we don't see. You know,
well, we all have different views of what we see. Yeah, absolutely,
all upbringing, man upbringing. All right, we'll get we'll close it
out. If you want to give us a call. Five two zero four
one six seventy four forty Your thoughts on this game with Colorado tonight. What
are you hoping for? What are you hoping to not see tonight? Stick
around. You're an Arizona Man's basketball fan. You know it's been successful for
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today at the Arizona Bowl dot com. Steve Rabia and Jacob Salz they have
their eye on the ball on Tucson Sports Stage Chef Fox Sports fourteen to fifteen.
Hey, welcome back to I'm the Ball Hero Fox Sports Team fifty on.
Steve, He's Jay. He got about twelve minutes. If you want
to give us a quick call. We like to hear from you. Good
show today, a lot of fun and a lot of fun, good discussion.
Yeah, yeah, we'll screwed up here in two minutes. Yeah we
can mess. Yeah. Do you know if someone asked me today on Facebook
if Nico has Facebook? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, And I
said, I said, I don't know, because they won't go see who
his girlfriend? No, No, I probably wanted to just probably friend him
because they liked They like Nico. What's not to like him? On Nico?
We want to see an interesting character. Yeah, I think he would
caused me problems being a friend, but you know, kind of made a
name for himself from our lot of people, you know, my paymid gamee.
Yeah, the people that you know that I hang with, Hey,
they love Nico anyway. So Steve, what do you think tonight? Man?
Oh, I think they're gonna come out and play really well. They're
at home, right, they always play well at home. Twelve and a
half, Uh, yeah, it was, it was. It was lower
than that. It was like ten and a half. They moved to twelve
and a half. Yeah. I think I think they'll cover I think they'll
cover. I still think there's a couple of things. Blow needs to hit.
Prie throws. He just does. He has been though more than the
more than usual, but not right. Let's take this call. Hi,
you're on the arm and one on the ball. Hey, guys, what's
up this? Vic? Vic? What's going on? You win any participation
trophies lately? Days participated Bampa of the Year? Oh, they're that.
It's not easy to be totally one year old around Disneyland. I'll tell you
what. So what's going on? Still my mom My Mom's been gone about
ten years and I'm still a hero for carrying my nephew on my on my
on my uh shoulders for a whole Disney Yeah, it's not easy, man,
It's not easy. So what's up? I wanted to chime in on
the coaching thing. Okay, So basically, you can't win without players,
guys. I mean, look at look at isn't Pop regarded as one of
the greatest coaches in NBA history and the guy can't even make the playoffs now
that he don't have uh Kim Duncan and that and that those guys around.
Okay, Bill Balichi, isn't he one of the greatest coaches, and now
he can't make the playoffs without Brady and that crew. McHale is as one
of the greatest places to play because of all the players we've had, or
because a great coach, or what. There's a hell of a lot of
great players been through the last thirty years in that building. Yeah. No,
I said this before as part of the stories that I did for the
Loop book. Montgomery said, you know how, I said, you know,
how was it coaching against Louton here? And he says, well,
they had some pretty good players. That's what makes it tough. And I
mean, look, mcale is tough, but the players made it even tougher.
So you're right to your point. So you guys asked about idea,
he was a I'm a good coach when she had airy. Oh okay,
that's where you're going with this. Yeah, so is she a good coach
or did she? You know? Years ago in nineteen eighty nine, one
of the greatest teams in Little League history. We dis missed a Little World
Series, but I had two pictures that I rolled the ball out and went
and folded my knee and Steve j They once told me, you man,
you have such a great infield. Well, those two pitchers averaged fourteen strikeout
the game, and in the little league there's only eighteen outs. So how
good a defense that I have. Yeah, but people don't realize that they
you know, and like I said, look at look at Belichick. Can't
you make the playoffs? Now, I'm sure he didn't change drills or didn't
change his coaching philosophy. Yeah, I know, you're right. Well,
but at the college level, though, getting players is up to the coach
too. You know, you go, you you're talking NFL, NBA,
whatever, Major League Baseball. You know, you've got to have a general
manager who's got to spend money and got to get players and stuff like that.
You know, and look, there are great recruiters who aren't great coaches
who bring in great players. And you know, look Sean Miller, right,
he kept getting five star after five star after five star, but he
couldn't get those five stars to play and win him a championship. Luke did
it a different way. He got guys that fit what he was trying to
do, won a national championship with him, went to four final fours.
You know, he had to go get those guys then, he also had
to coach him. You know, Tommy Lloyd. You know, he's getting
guys again that fit his system, mixed in you know, five star here,
five star there, getting guys and he you know, we're still finding
out how he's putting those guys together. So there, I think. I
think from a coaching standpoint, at the college level, coaching is more than
the x's and o's on the court. And well, it's true, and
you do velop and you got to remember Luke changed philosophies a couple of times,
right, he ran, and then he had the big guys, the
the Brian Williams, Stokes and Don Brooks Gill and so he changed philosophies,
which I think made him even a better coach, right, and then went
back to running again. Went yeah, exactly, Okay, exactly, Okay,
So I'm gonna write this down. What was your point? After all?
And you got that you got to have players to be a good coach.
Okay, what is what is what if you got if you got sucky
players, you're you're You're obviously not. Like I said, Pop is the
perfect example. Okay, So I thought you're gonna go with basketball too,
So what does Tommy have Jerry's still out man that that. You know,
you've got the Princeton lost in there, and you've got a couple of bad
uh and but in college you got to develop those guys too, not like
the pros were they're already. I mean, so you think anybody coaches Lebron
nowadays? How though? So let me ask you something just with a minute
we have left for you, uh pull disclosure. Rick text me all the
time during games. He's a pain in my ass. I'm okay with that.
So here's New Year's Eve, right, he's already, he's already.
I had to get him off the leads New Year's Eve to admit that,
mister Vick, I admit it. And Day said about ruining the day got
me ruined my Chris Year, and I believe it. Yeah, sorry,
Vick. You know there's another one coming up in a few months. So
there you go, all right, Vick. Hey, thanks a bunch man,
you guys take care, Thanks for listening. You know he's he texted
me all the time here and John Morrites all these guys. Oh come on,
let me watch the game. Guys. You know I appreciate them.
I get those two man I get those two from a different group of people,
but I think they're kind of all saying the same thing. Right,
what the hell? This is what it is? I mean, you have
to if you're gonna be Oh, I was gonna say that level of fan
because I say this to you. If you're putting money into it and you're
you know, you're you're given to the nil, You're given to the school.
I understand that passion, right, but if you have just emotional you
know, I was criticized for not being a fan. You know, I'm
a fan, but I'm not a fan like you guys, right because I
don't I like to sleep at night. I like to sleep at night.
I don't want to work up Monday. You know, I make it.
I don't lose sleep over these Okay, so that's the level of fan.
But you're around a people who do lose sleepover. Okay. See, that's
kind of crazy to me. I think I overcame that when I was thirty.
But you know what I'm saying, it's I saw the purpose. Why
would you put invest your heart and your stolen it because at the end of
the day, they're gonna break your heart. They at the r remember I
said this yesterday. You've won one title in twenty seven years. Good luck
for the next twenty seven years. Full disclosure. I once Larry Smith's first
game. Let's take this. I'm gonna tell stories. Hi on the art
on the ball, my guy, this is Kim. Hey Jim, how
are you? I'm great? How are you? We're good? What do
you have? What do you have for us? I wanted to quickly give
Jay props for he was the only guy I heard that picked the U of
a football team to go ken and three, and in fact they did well.
There's a caveat for that. There's a for that. Jake was the
guy that kind of started this whole thing, and then you came. But
I did say, but they were going and they were doing well. Yeah,
okay, thank you Jack. All the griefs that Jay has taken over
the years for his game pics. I'm gonna pat him on the That's okay.
He deserves that, man. And we're getting them glasses for the blind
Squirrel fort glasses for the That last game was very opportunistic. Uh Nubby there
it was, Yeah, it was fun. It was yeah, I mean
it was You want to talk about a roller coaster of a game for Arizona
fense. Absolutely absolutely well and fixed turnovers. I mean that the defense didn't
really hold up Verry into the bargain. Yeah, yeah, all right,
Jim. I do appreciate you taking the time to pick up the phone and
call in and tell Steve how he messed that up. Well, that's not
exactly what I said. Well, that's how I took it, That's how
I was writing the story. Yeah, I get it. Okay, Well,
one more quick thing, Jay, I take issue a little bit with
Vic that you can CoA jump a little players once in a while. You
can't. You can't. You can't. Dick made a living off of that,
so absolutely you can't. All right, man, Hey, thanks a
bunch, Jim. Happy New hear to you, Happy New Year to you,
guys, Thank you, thank you for listening. All right, Getting
back to your topic about people lose their mind. Full disclosure. Larry Smith's
first game at Arizona. They're playing. They opened with Colorado nineteen eighty twoish
nineteen eighty nineteen eighty eighty Okay, yeah, okay, I think it was
eighty first game Colorado. Colorado State comes in here. They lose on a
last second field goal. I smashed a nice chest at the game the holders
one. Okay, okay, well, okay, there's some okay that you
know, but that was when you could take little ice chests into the stadium,
little baby igloose, and I smashed it on the seats and busted into
pieces and left it there. Okay, Okay, that's where I was at
twenty one. Oh, thank god, you've matured. Yeah, I had,
I had, you know, and I would say probably mid eighties that's
when it kind of changed. Yeah. It took a few years where I'm
like, Okay, they lost, and you know, I hate that,
but let's go on to the next you know what solved it for me?
You know what I think when Arizona started beating in Arizona State, right,
because that was that was just a thing that growing up that you have on
that you know, it was just you hated the end of the football season,
and and you know, you started feeling better about being an Arizona fan
because they started being ACU and you weren't. You were no longer the you
know, the little brother that gets in the way. So okay, but
then and then comes two thousand and you're in twenty twenty one, just loses
to NAU. I was passed, so I just smashed an. I said,
well, because you probably didn't have one with you, But what level
of the pissed were you? You know, it was more of a resignation.
I was mad, Okay, I'm like, you can't lose. I
don't care how bad you are. If you're Arizona, you can't lose to
AC. I was really I was angry at that, but then pretty quickly,
I mean, now I'm gonna say, by the time I got to
my car, you know, parking in the nailgator. By the time I
got to my car, I thought, holy hell, this is way worse
than anybody thought. Right and and and now I'm cussing at Kevin someone Yeah,
not it. Yeah, And we found out that was the case.
Yeah, it's a bad group of apples back then the case. All right,
Uh god, that's it's okay, man. We're headed to the Colorado
game. Yeah, uh seven thirty start. Well, we'll be here to
talk about it tomorrow and we'll bring somebody in who can give us some thoughts
on that as well. So be sure to be back tomorrow. Have a
great night.