This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez Son Fox Sports
fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services. I'm sure your most prized possessions.
Kati z R two SA at iHeartRadio Station. Good, good afternoon, everybody.
Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm
Steve, He's Jay. We got our guy. What's your name? And
that'st Henry in today should I should know you're going to be a check on
that he'ld be a tax ride off this year. Welcome to Wednesday's show,
everybody. We are number five two O four one six seventy four forty talk
about a lot of different things. We have a kind of a different show
again today Yep, yep a little bit. We're gonna talk some more FC
two s on today, this time with their coach, Sebastian Pineda. I
believe he's in his first year, right and he's got the uh he's got
the FC two song in the playoffs. Uh. You know, yesterday we
talked to John Perlman more I'm an organization and team gold standpoint right with the
with Sebastian today we'll talk more about his team, how they've done this year,
why he thinks they're in the playoffs and you know, well, I
mean obviously he probably thinks that they've got a shot at this, but we'll
see. You know why he thinks that and some of his key players that
type of stuff is because they got a playoff game here in Tucson on Friday
night, right And in the second hour, we're going to talk to old
friend Chrissy Permercy Layton and names from me, So we're going to talk to
her about the Olympics upcoming, just how they were, the experiences and like
that, and what are they going through now, you know, before getting
close to it, So what what's it like in these last couple of weeks
before you actually get there? And and uh and start thinking, well,
you're thinking about a competition all the time, but you know now and now
it's kind of like okay, ready to go? And uh, you know,
how do you how do you know if you if you're ready? And
how do you and what tells you that you might not be ready? Right
then? Like you got two or three weeks before an event of what do
you do? Do you not eat ice cream? Do you not you're not
getting an uber. You're not go out. You're not go out, You're
not go out in the street. Don't mess around in Brazil. Probably don't
go to canes. I'm seeing canes drink glass in here. You don't need
ice cream from the QT. So yeah, just you know, what,
what are these last few weeks like when you know you've been preparing for this,
you know so many some of these folks for four eight years. You
know what are these last few weeks like? As you as the competition gets
close, right right, it's been a while since you was in the Olympics.
But she knows a lot of the people obviously, and what it takes
to get there. Okay, that's cool. Uh, And we says we
slowly get ready for football that's coming up in two weeks now, almost two
weeks from today, that they start practicing already already it's just about here,
okay cool. Yeah, well a and you're welcome to anybody who took my
suggested bet yesterday. Yeah, over eight over seven American American League minus one
and a half and over seven or seven you put it. I didn't bet,
my friend asked me, so I said it to him. Well,
I didn't. I didn't even watch it. I got home and show he
goes yard, and I was really upset at myself. He started it right,
Yeah, I planned. I had planned to get home and and put
just you know, five bucks on him hitting a home ern. Yeah,
what was it for the fun of it? I don't even know. I
didn't even look. And then I just didn't do it because I got home
and I started watching the game. I was posting the podcast, I was
just doing stuff, and I got the game on where I'm sitting and boom,
he goes yard and there was a no doubt. Yeah it was no
doubt. Yeah, so I guess who was a good game. I didn't
watch it. Like I said, it was a fun game. Yeah,
you know it was. It was tight till the end, with the exception
of the uniforms. Oh they look bad, My god, don't they don't
they realize it look bad? Doesn't somebody look at that and go, you
know what, that doesn't look really good? You know, it just doesn't.
But that's again, Jay, I think it's like the head guy or
whoever the head guy is, says I want to do it, and then
you have people who says okay, and don't have enough guts to tell the
guy don't do that, don't do that, don't do that. I'm sure
have you been in a situation like that? Oh yeah, you just say
okay, what you know, you know that should not be the decision,
but you don't step up and say that should not be the right right because
it could be your ass. It's so they were so bad. Yeah,
I say, were awful. I didn't who told the blue ones the blue
they were? They were black with with kind of teal sleeve. That's what
I saw, you know. You know, I'm like, those are bad
slow pitch. Those the National look good, playing good. Those those were
bad slow pitch softball. I wouldn't wear that at sports park, all right.
They were awful. And then and then the American League, where you
know, we're not a hell of a lot better, they were cream with
like orange, and I'm like, what are you doing? What are you
doing? You know, they're so bad? Okay, they're so bad that
it's got uh, it's it's got the people. It's got people saying they
have to go back to wearing their their their uniforms. Where your home,
you know, if you're the home team wear your home uniform. If you're
the visitors. Everybody where they're visiting uniform and back to wearing. I mean,
you know, they say, well you're going there. They're trying to
market and they're you know, they're selling. Who's gonna buy that? You're
right, a bad softball time, you know. I I've I've when I
joke about Betty from Dog saying I wouldn't let my dog have puppies on that
uniform. Okay, I wouldn't put it at the bottom of the box for
the for the dog to have puppies. They were they were the worst.
I turned it on. I'm like, what are we what are we looking
at? Well? Look bad play baths, you know it got it was
just you know, and and look I again, we're going to could get
off my lawn territory. I just loved back in the day when these guys
took this game seriously, right, Pete Rose running over the catcher, you
know at home base, you know, pictures going in there, you know,
and trying to and trying to strike everybody. Yeah, you know,
guys are just playing hard like a real game, like a World Series game,
you know. And and I get I get you know, you're trying
to get the younger audience. You know, you're putting microphones on the guys.
There's two two guys in the outfield and they're talking to each other,
you know, Juan Soto and and and and and Aaron Judge are talking to
each other. And like tells me, are they even watching the batter on?
What's going on? And I'm like, on the one hand, yeah,
you know that. But on the other hand, I'm like, these
guys don't give one crap about those games. That's part of the thing that
I've written about and just ranted about. Uh, I don't like pregame or
court. Are you talking to the coach at the quarters or whatever? And
halftime? Just start a time out? What is it? What does it
matter? That's that nothing to do with anything? And I guess that's the
way the kids like it. Yeah, I don't to me, you know.
You know. The funny thing is in our business back in the day,
j uh do you have a boss to say, do this story?
Do this story the people want to know? Really? Do the people really
want to know? Or are we giving it to them thinking they want to
know? That's what they're doing. They're things and look, I'm not I'm
not gonna Sometimes it's been interesting when they do that during the regular season,
right, guys, they got a guy in left field, he's got a
microphone on and they're talking to him. The play comes his way, but
this chitter chatter that was going on with a couple of guys in the field
and they're they're yapping, and you say, dude, somebody's gonna hit the
ball. You're not gonna see it because you're looking at him, right,
You know, those kinds of things that it just to me. I guess
we've gone way past the time where the All Star Game is a serious thing,
right, right, all All Star games, none of them are serious.
I would assume there are very few people under thirty that listen to us.
But if you do, call us and do you think it's this is
for you, guys a fun Yeah. Do you enjoy a game where you
feel like, one, nobody really cares about who wins, and two are
they you know, are they giving their best effort out there? You know,
go back and look up Pete Rose and Ray Fosse, And that's what
the All Star Game used to be. You know, guys used to pictures
used to throw it guys because you know, they they they were competitors.
They wanted to win that game. And and that that again, that went
out the door a long time ago. I get it, and we're the
generation that misses that. But you know, for inner, you know,
what are you entertained by? Right? Are you entertained by a game where
guys are going all out to win it? Or are you entertained by a
game where guys are just kind of having to having fun and and talking to
each other out in the field and doing whatever they do. Is that a
fun game for you? Do you enjoy that? If you do, then
we you know, then our boats sailed a long time ago. See and
and where you know again as we as we say often we're not the demo
graphic and that's fine, But then those are those damn uniforms. I know
those aren't for us, that's for sure. No, I mean, I'm
serious. I wouldn't put I mean, I'd throw that jersey, you know,
under this under my spare tire in the trunk of my car, you
know, and that's where it would stay. It was. They were just
awful. So I don't know the baseball all Star Game was always the one
all star game where you thought guys really wanted to win, right, The
Pro Bowl was there. You know, the Pro Bowl's gone so bad that
didn't just play flag football now. But you know, even back in the
day, the Pro Bowl, guys just didn't want to get hurt. The
NBA, the NBA All Star Game, you know, guys just wanted to
score, but they kept trying to keep the other team from scoring occasionally.
You know, they don't do that anymore obviously, so it's kind of like
we've lost it. You watch. So did you watch all of it?
The All Star Game? Yeah? Pretty much. I was working. I
had to work to do last night, so I'm sitting at my desk.
The game is on. Uh you know, I stopped a few times and
watch what was going on. I watched the last couple of endings. It
was close. Yeah, I did, but so I you know, I
had to. I wanted to stick my finger down and I wasted my time.
I'm gonna say, no, well, yeah, right, I'm gonna
say if I wasn't working where, you know, I had to be at
my desk and the TV's on right there, what I've gone and sat down
and watched the game. Maybe maybe not. You know, we had dinner,
you know, during the game, so we had the game on.
I ate dinner, went to my desk, and I turned it back on
over there. I might have gone late on the couch, but also might
have you know, been scrolling social media and stuff like that, not intently
watching the game. Like I know that I used to, you know,
when I did it those times, those days when it was it was in
the day, right, it was a day game for us. It came
on and came out at eleven o'clock in the morning to some time, which
was cool. It was a summer so we weren't in school, so we
got to walk. You know, those times too, were very cool.
I'm not saying make it, make it a day game. All I'm saying
is that it's lost what we get, Yeah, lost what we had.
Like I said, I don't even know half the people, more than half
the people on the damn rosters. In fact, Victor, mister mister nice
guy saying that we're the bad guys. Oh my god, you guys are
old. Yeah, host we are well okay, but damn Patrick made a
great point today. There were thirty two first time All Stars. Okay,
okay, he said, you know they came up. I had no idea
who they were. I had no idea who they played for. Right,
And if they're out there in their uniforms, Now you know Gunner Henderson is
an oreole, right, you know all the you know these guys, you
know who they are? Right now? We don't? You know, there's
so many, you know, I mean everybody. You think everybody knows Paul
Skans, but does everybody know he plays for? You're right? No,
Actually, that's that's a good point. That's a great point because if you
want to market with the teams and the playbook people and the players, yeah,
Mark, you know, let us know who they are, right,
You're I still don't know. I know Tani, I know Bryce Harper played,
I know Paul Skeen's played. I know uh Ti, Oscar Hernandez played.
You know, ask me to name another one. I couldn't tell you
did Aaron George played. Cruz was in the game. He got in the
game late there and there you go, he gets a base hit and and
they show him turning the base. I'm like, who's that, Oh,
it's Elie Dela Cruz. If he'd have been in a REDS uniform out of
Elie de la Cruz. That's the kind of thing I think we're forgetting that
they used to do. The winner of the All Star Game gets that's the
advantage that was dumb, see, and that that was a sign that the
game didn't matter to the guys. You shouldn't need that. You should want
to win this game. It's an All Star game. Have some pride in
your league and go win the game. That's that's what I'm talking about.
They put that in because they called a tie, and and nobody gave it.
Even after they put that in, still nobody gave a crap about the
game. The guy whose team was in the last place, where did he
give a crap about who was going to get home field advantage? He didn't.
So that's what I'm saying. We've got a generation of of of players
in this game who really don't care one way or another if they win the
game. Yeah, and that's I'm saddened by that because it used to be
so so cool. I looked forward to the All Star Game. Now it's
kind of Oh, the All Star Game is on Tuesday, Okay, lotch
You know, well, you can get off on or rock whatever, turfle
on vic. I know I'm old, Okay, I know I'm old.
Yeah that was you know, like I said, I didn't watch it.
It didn't care too well, there you go, right, you didn't care
to I you know, I'm just I just don't understand how you get into
a game like that. You really don't compete, right, Okay, let's
just go to break here. We're gonna give to mister the head coach.
Okay, talk more a little about soccer, something that you're really getting into.
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I mean iHeartRadio WAM. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and
Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteenth fIF day. Hey, welcome back to Why
the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, He's jacinsas
now and if all we have Subashian Pina, the FC two son coach.
How you doing Hi, Steve, I'm doing good? How are you we
do? Jay? And I here? You got a new soccer fan and
Jay which is a great tea watching soccer a lot. Hey, congrats on
your first year with these guys. I think that the dumb question is,
did you think this would happen in the first year, thank you, you
know, I guess it was the goal from the beginning and the team would
go for that. So I think it just talks about the job that we
have done as a club with the recurion and everything. So I'm excited where
you know. So as you as you began the season, you know,
everybody, everybody has hope and all those kinds of things, but you know,
one of the things that you felt you needed to do best or need
to improve on the most in terms of you know, just on the field
kind of stuff that you actually did and that got to guide you to where
you are in the playoffs. I think, well, first we started,
we knew that we were bringing players from all over the plays, all over
the world, different cultures, so it was important for us to how quickly
can we get this group together, to understand importance, to get to know
your storry, to build chemistry. And once we got to that point,
and I think I my aim was to keep the tactical side very similar to
what they do back in their schools or wherever they were coming from, and
that way we were able to find success quicker. And I think that that
was the goal from the beginnings where we try and it worked well throughout the
season. So do you have a part in putting the team together? Is
it all on Perlman? That was a little bit of ball, but it
was heavy on me this year. He helped me just with advice and put
him in contact with people, but I made the decisions to bring the players
in, so you kind of know. So you must then be a coach
where the pieces fit. You're not You're a coach, but you're also a
piece guy where you put the people in the right positions because that's what they
play correct, I think, and that's a big part of the summer league
because we don't have enough time to work that hard. So you have to
bring the right people, the right players, everything that that fits the club.
Really Okay, So if you if you look at your team, he
said, you know these one, two or three things are the things about
my team that made us you know who we are, whether it's you know,
your character, your defense, your offense, or whatever. What are
the things that characterize your team that you know, you feel or what made
you you know, have have the season that you've had so far. I
think we start with the ability the personal bit, the ability of have different
goal scorers. If you look at the goals I was for, we got
many people scoring goals, so that made us strong. I think in that
way Trips we were very strong defensively, were able to get points away because
of our defense, especially away. And then the last thing I would say,
I think has to come down to the players. How they got to
know each other quick, how they got to fit I had. They got
to understand the language that we're trying to say, and that's credit to the
players for that. I should know where you're from. So where are you
from? And this must be your first few months in Tucson. Well,
I'm from Columbia Originally, I believe in the US for a while. Came
to Tucson two years ago with Prolman. He brought me in as one of
the systems for the USL League One team, So you know, I've been
able to see that side. I was last year with Mark and then this
year was my opportunity. But I get to learn from those two guys have
been my mentors for some years now. So let me say this, and
this is a philosophy. It probably doesn't apply to you because I'm already apologizing
for myself. So I've always been a guy who says, up, you
say the head coach, and you were an assistant for the head coach last
year, right, So the head coach leaves, the head coach leaves,
and the assistant takes over. Many times, at least in my view,
that doesn't work because you were as an assistant. The players look at you
differently, and it's like the substitute teacher coming in to run this class when
the kids already know that you're the substitute teacher, if that makes any sense.
But let me again, let me think this or say this. You
must have a lot of different players from last year who respect the hell out
of you and play hard for you. Yeah. Well, the plan was
we only brought back three or four players from last year, and then we
added a lot of academy players. I was the academy coach for the last
few years, so I had that connection with those guys. I was the
plan for the club to have more too, so guys be part of this
year's roster, and I think it has worked well. So I've seen so
many guys is get in a lot of minutes, and then the guys from
out of town, brand new guys that just trusted my what I was saying
and what I was trying to do here with the club. So I want
to go to that. My philosophy kind of sticks still because you you don't
have a lot of the old guys, you have the new guys. Right.
Yeah, And Okay, so you're you step into these head coaching shoes
and maybe I'll just ask you what kind of a head coach do you think
you are? I'll go, you know, it's the first year as a
head coach, so I've been getting to know myself as a head coach this
year, a lot of learning experiences, but I think something that has to
the most for myself is just I believe I have the ability to connect well
with players, and especially in a quick season like this, is you need
to to find the way that the players understand what you're trying to do quickly
and that trying really to die for you. On the film, I guess
I get the tactical side of things, very basic and simple for them,
so we all are able to understand it. But it's just managing the humans.
I think it's has been the part that I've been challenged the most.
That's funny because I think you you hit it on the head. I think
that coaches coach one way. But if you know how to manage people and
know, like you said, put them in the right spots. And this
is not brain surgery, but if you know how to how to deal with
people, you're going to be good at what you do correct And that's that's
key for for what we're trying to do this summer. So I'm where we're
at, so hopefully I'm doing a good job with that. We're talking to
Sebastian Pineta, the head head coach at FC two so on in the playoffs
this Friday night, So Sebastian, you know, in terms of all of
that, then along the way where there are times where as the head coach,
you kind of really didn't know what to do, what to say,
you know, a tactic or whatever, and how how did you resolve those
Maybe you were in a position where you could go talk to talk to John
and you'll get some thoughts and bound some things up. No, maybe you're
in the middle of a match and you got to deal with the situation.
Any run into anything like that over the course of the season, you know,
that. There's many times, and of course the conversation happened with the
staff and we were able to deal with different situations in different games. But
I also had a close relationship with John and we were able to find ways
for him to be involved, even if he's a little quick shot during halftime,
where he would come and just tell me his side of things. That
way, it will help me just see different points of view and make decisions
based on that. But I believe I don't know all the answers, and
just hearing different points of view made us stronger throughout the year. Yeah,
you know you look like you're twenty two. How old are you? Ha
haha? I am thirty two. Take your mom and dad for your gas.
Yeah, because the picture that we say you look for young. So,
so is this your future kind of maybe learn how to be a coach,
become a coach somewhere else as well as you learn well that can you
repeat that you are you? Is this your plan to be a coach here
and then maybe if you do well, move on? Yeah, it was
the plan when I came two years ago. I have had the chance to
coach at the college level for a few years and of course, when the
pro opportunity opened up here in Suson, I trusted what John was doing and
came in. And now, of course he keeps throw hating opportunities for me.
I keep preparing myself and I'm also with the U of a women's team
here in town, so I just keep preparing myself for the next step.
That's that's really where I'm at. But what do you like about coaching?
What what's what's your favorite thing about being a coach. Of course, I'm
super passionate about football since I was little. Is my my first love,
like my wife will say to me, But I think that is the ability
to be able to no one connect with people from all over the world because
the social globe was bored. And in my life I've been able to live
in different countries, meet people for countries that I maybe never even thought I
will meet people from and soccer have given me that. Like we have ten
different countries in this team, different languages, different cultures, and I think
that's what makes us for so great in my opinion. So there's different type
of styles of play. What's your style? Because you've used the word tactical
a few times. Yes, the players that we have and what I like,
I said coach is really to have the ball. Were play in a
four three three, which is a basic basic formation in soccer. But I
think in soccer is not much about information. It's about attacking the right space
and moving the people where you need them to be so you can attack the
space that is open. So we have very technical players that understand that,
so we're able to be flexible in where where our position needs on the field.
That way we can attack the right ways because just to have the ball
for to have it doesn't make any sense. We want to have a purpose
for it and you score goals. So the guys know that and we have
work hard on that. You and out and got players who fit that.
Who are the players that fit that? You know? What what kind of
players do you do you try to bring to your team and what are the
what are the characteristics you want them to have when they show up on your
on your field. The main thing is how good they are with the ball
right in their position. They need to they need to be able to do
certain things all color roles or responsibilities in what they are. They are a
center back at least you need to be able to do these things. On
the ball, you gotta be able to have a good control. You gotta
be able to read the press, to play from where the press is coming
and play a path between lines. If you're number ten, you've got to
be able to create. That means you've got to be able to play on
tight spaces. If year are nine, you gotta be able to hold the
ball play on their need. Then my wingers that have to be guys that
are very good at one B one situations are going at people consistently creating chances.
So every position has a role and technically you need to be able to
solve the situations that the game is giving you. In the film, So
what level did you Where did you play at? What level did you play
at? So back home in Colombia, I played at the third division level.
Then I went to Germany when I was seventeen to play at the Bundesliga
academies, and then I came to the US with scholarship. Was able to
play five years in different PDL teams now what is called the USL two teams.
I was able to be with the Okay See Energy at the championship level
and many multiple tryouts at the championship level as well, and then I just
decided it was time to stop and then started coaching right away. At some
point you decided, you say, you wanted this to continue to be your
life as opposed to going and get into job as like a old radio host
or something like that. When when did you feel like this could be something
you could do for you know, for a life. You know, you
got to the point where I've been trying for so long, and you travel
and you try, and you go here, you go there. My buddy
was a little bit of as well, but eventually I got it. Came
to a point where me as been internationally, it's tough to go outside my
country and find contracts. It's not easy. So that was a big bomb
in my career. And you know, if you ask me right now,
maybe I wasn't good enough, but I believe I was a lead for for
some second third division team in different countries. But that's what happened. And
then I just loved the game too much and just continue to coase and it
started learning and all the stuff. So you're from Watemala, do you have
a good restaurant to recommend for us from Columbia, Well from Columbia. I'm
sorry. Any good restaurants Columbia. There is no Columbia shouting Tuism that I
know about. It is the one in Phoenix that I haven't tried, So
I gotta go to Finnish. So what do you think about the Tucson food.
It's good. I like it. I mean, it's very It's the
spicy food, a lot tuson. You know, with the Mexican community,
they like the spicy food, and we don't know. We're in Columbia.
We don't need that much spicy food, so I gotta I gotta ask always
without spicy. But but it's good. I love it. It's very similar
to back home. So yeah, okay. So we're talking to a Sebastian
Pananda, the head coach at FC tu Soon. So were you were you
living and dying with the COPA Were you paying attention to that? And what
was Sunday like for you? Uh? We actually got our game was delayed
that day, so I was able to watch most of the game and we
were watching with some of the Columbian guys that we have on the team all
the way till we have to go to warm Us and we were just suffering.
Really, its nail biting talking with people back home, as you know,
you know, you can probably imagine when Columbia playing a final stop the
country, everybody wasn't so yeah, it was sad. It was that what
happened. But it's good to see the national team doing that well at the
international level. Yeah, no question. So again, you guys played Friday
the second game correct? Correct? Yeah, second game seven thirty ish,
I think right. And the tickets, what do you think about the fans
in this town? I think they always show up. Since I was a
player player for Exstitution, they were always there, especially for playoffs. So
I invite everybody to come and support a team this Friday night. I believe
we have a playoff running us in the team that we have with the talent
that we have, especially hosting in Tuision, in the Tuision heat that other
teams are not used to. So we are waiting for lots of time to
come and supporters. Okay, well, coach, thanks for joining us.
Good luck to you. Thank you guys, I appreciate Yeah, well we
might see you down there at you good luck again, Thank you very much
about all right? Be well? Sounds like a good dude. Yeah,
very very much. So you know is action, Hey, how you doing?
Had a next like that? You can make one up very low.
That one was It wasn't. It wasn't. It was like Jersey, New
Jersey, Columbia. No, you know, look it's there's a good opportunity
if you haven't been to one and you know to an f C two so
on match, this is a good one to get to. Uh, it's
a playoff. A lot at stake. They as the coach said, it
feels like they've got a playoff running them. So maybe get out there on
Friday night again. If there's three matches here this week. I didn't realize
that was that, because there's the two and then the winners play on Sunday,
so they might be able to catch them again on Sunday. But yeah,
you get out and support these teams. They they work hard. It
means a lot to them, as you can tell from from the coach,
and they're a lot of fun. So yeah, well pearl And was already
saying we're gonna, you know, Friday, come and see us, and
then come again and see us on Sunday. I don't know what tend to
Sunday again either, okay, bilthough when they go on fronatly, Okay,
all right, we're gonna take our break. We'll come back. We'll take
your cost five two zero four, one, six seventy. What'd you think
of the uniforms in the All Star Game last night? I thought they were
bad. We'll be all right back. If you're an Amazon a man's basketball
fan, you know it's been successful for newly forty years. Now. Take
a look back at the Loudolsen 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 lut is an
insight to how he built the program into a national powerhouse. Want one email
me at Steve dot RIVERA ninety five at gmail dot com. Hi, this
is formal while get Leman Huntley with Arizona Hell. Imagine how home GM can
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It's so hot and sticky, I can't stand as humidute. I'm melting.
So you can either check for hot flashes than duck, or you call picture
rocks, cooling, eating, and plumbing. It's not hot flashes. We're
calling Pictu Rocks, Cooling, Heating and plumbing right now at five two zero
four, nine, two zero seven or eight and plumbing. This is I
on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app Just Surgery. I on the
Ball. Hey, welcome back to Wining the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen
fifty. I'm Steve, He's Jay. Got a guy with us today,
Kevin, Henry Henry Kevin. You know you don't even look like a Kevin.
Okay. I don't know about Henry either, but that's fun. Well,
Henry. Aren't really a lot of Henry's these days, are there?
Yeah? Your is your dad? Henk? Call you Hank? No,
you want Henry? Okay? Actually, thank you? What's your dad's name?
Mark? Mark? Okay? Thank you? Henry? Uh hey,
we got fifteen minutes. Do you guys want to call five to oh four
one six seventy four forty. I need name text That's what I needed.
Name texts. Oh my god, you need one from me? Uh no?
Because I don't care. So you were saying yesterday, I want to
miss you. Sure you are? Hey and I won't miss you. Uh,
okay, say you want to call in and here's your chance. Five
two o four one six four forty good to talk to. We talked a
lot of soccer, a lot of talks on the soccer last few days.
Yeah again that it was a soccer weekend. I mean that was that was
some good stuff. Yeah, a lot of you know, last last Sunday.
I mean, look, if I got my attention, you know,
there's nothing else is going on. Yeah, well, well you know it
got probably you know a lot of people's attention though who probably you know,
if I'm like, you know, just somebody that's kind of average as far
as that goes. I have not been watching soccer, but I was compelled
to watch it on Sunday. Maybe there are the people like me who generally
aren't compelled to watch soccer in the again, because it was you know,
it was some good stuff. You know, there's all that stuff going on.
Part of it to me was, you know, the the the COPA
game was in the United States or it was at Miami, and I thought,
okay, this is cool. It's here in the US. It's a
big international tournament, the U of A. You know, stunk and guy
you know, came out of it. But you know, you had two
kind of legendary teams going at it. You had Lionel Messi in there.
Even I know who Messy is, right, and so it was fun and
and Uh again a lot of drama with all of that. It was Messy
and his injury and stuff. So it was he was compelling and I and
I and I sat there and I watched it. Okay, we got thirteen
minutes left to here in the in the second, we had a lot of
breaking news. Henry will have a lot of breaking news going on in the
middle of summer basketball stuff going on. You know, we were I was
at having lunch of Bob Dubs today and the Miami Heat game was on again
another one. Yeah, and the guys, you know, we saw Pale
a little bit and I kind of had my back to the screen, but
you know, the people that I was sitting with, you know, they
were paying attention to it. You know, I'm launching, you know,
paying paying attention to how Pale and Uh and Uh and Keishad we're doing.
So you know it's people get like, people follow these guys still, you
know, no matter what a lot, you know again, but a lot
of the a lot of discussions around of football. Uh, they're just fired
up. Everybody's fired up. We're talking about planning for our tailgates and all
that kind of stuff. Can't wait to get this thing started, right,
and it starts here August the thirty first, The first game Saturday the thirty
first, so Labor Day weekend. Uh, they got they've got a home
game. So we're looking at next year's schedule already. Arizona plays Kansas the
second half of that Kansas State series. It's here. So Arizona's got three
home non conference games to start the season next year. The conference schedule hasn't
made yet, but they open here against Hawaii and then they got Weaver State,
which is their kind of gimme game, it's not an AU and then
they've got Kansas State here, so there's going to be they'll be at ASU
next year, so they'll be for seven home games again next year as well,
but three right out of the about three you know August and September games
which are always hot, so you can met those be late night games,
right right right? Okay, you know we were just always looking ahead.
Steve always looking ahead. Everybody's trying to trying to hit the over and make
it to the Alabama game in twenty thirty two. There's there's some over unders
on some of the people I know and whether or not they're going to get
there so are kind of funny, and that even if they get there,
are they going to be in a in any kind of physical condition to be
able to go and see and actually see that and what that's going to be
like. So, but that's a long way off. But yeah, you
know, fired up about about about football. It's kind of starting to wonder
what's going on with t mac right? Is the injury? Okay, it
seems we don't seem to be hearing anything that it's not And he said,
he said, I'm sure he had to answer a few times, a few
number of times if he was fine that the media day. In fact,
he started laughing after so many questions came. Yeah, so it'll be interesting
to see I got stop drinking cokes. Oh you want some of my ice
cream and my canes? You had ice cream over there? Well I did.
Yeah, I thought you ate it looked like you ate it all you
certainly we're giving it a try, but you know, again getting back to
the football thing, just we just want to know, right, we just
want to know what are they going to be good? Are they going to
be you know, are they gonna come out and are you going to see
uh, you know t Mac and Fifita you know kind of you know back
in stride, you know, right out of the box. What's you know,
what kinds of things are are they setting up offensively for those two guys.
Certainly Brent Brandon looks to be smarter than the coach and say, okay,
this is our bread and butter. We're going to make the most of
it, as opposed to what what someone did with with cloth. Take just
said we're gonna to do this whether or not you're good at it. You
bring up the clot and we all know his situation here here, and we
knew he was very talented, but he was sitting there behind Dawkins and this
is kind of a totally different subject. And it took Dawkins to get hurt
for him to play right, And we wondered, how did that happen in
terms of what Bridge Rod, what what? What? What are you doing?
Well? Why didn't you see this before? But then he never made
it. He never made it beyond Arizona. He had those four games and
that was that and that let's not forget they lost that year, right,
Yeah, it's that's that final year. He got hurt too, got hurt.
Right, So so there's that. And then if you were good,
like I say this all the time, if you're good enough, they'll find
you. Maybe he caught lighting in a bottle and that's what it was.
Was it for a four game stretch and he was just unbelievable. But yeah,
beyond that, Okay, what did he do? Right? And no,
no disrespect, it's just that it's stuff like that happens. How good
was he? Really? That's and that's my point. All it's like Kitle,
but I'm kind of bring this back. We know, we see it,
we see it. He's got something, he's got something. But is
it And there's no criticism if you're not an NBA player, He's just not
an NBA player. But you're a heck of a college player. I know
why it wasn't. I know I wasn't. I'm not getting paid in IL,
right, I'm not doing as well as those guys are. I wish
I had his future, you know, there's no it's just it's just observation,
you know, you just you just you wonder, because here's the thing
that you have to be able to do it for the long haul, right.
You know that four game stretch for for Colt Tate did absolutely nothing for
him the next season. In fact, it probably made it harder on sure,
because the expectations were created very much. But then you know, you
got a new coaching staff who came in here and said we're going to do
things this way, and it didn't fit with what he was able to do
the year before. And consequently, you know, his his his career just
got just got sidetracked. I don't even remember this. I'm bringing this out
of just out of left field. When that first game came and I kept
who was it? I can't remember, you would know, And he threw
the ball thirty eight times or whatever Houston okay, and they lost, right
And I was the guy that asked him specifically, and I don't even know
how I asked him, are you the guy that should be thirty showing thirty
eight thirty eight games? Says, well, that's what quarterbacks do, not
you? Not? You doesn't have to be what quarterbacks do right right,
and it was it was a certainly response and a smart ass the response.
And that's when I think that maybe maybe he's not the guy. I don't
know, this is me being older, yeah, and looking at it just
kind of like the response was kind of strange and and you're not the guy
that should be thirty throwing Steve, you know, because of what happened that
year, and it certainly turned out for wherever it came from. They tried
to get him to do things that weren't in his wheelhouse exactly exactly. It's
like we're talking about the coach with Pinena. Yeah, you put the guys
they're going to be in the positions that make him do well. And that
and that was that was the thing that I always commended rich Rod for doing.
He didn't get he didn't get his guys to do more than they could
well. Right, you HADJ. B J. Denker, That's exactly where
I was going. He gave b J. Denker as much as he could
do well and said, Okay, that's how much you're gonna do the rest
of it. We're giving the ball to Kadem Carry was the same night the
guy that you had to apologize to AJ Bramlett. He was the center.
Who would you think that A. J. Brown was the center of the
national championship team? Exactly? I mean, and and they got him to
do what he was good at. And they built around all those all those
pieces, right, you know, Jason Terry and Mike and and and Michael
Dickerson, all those guys they did what they do best, and Louke built
that into this national championship team. Rich Trod did that with his guys,
right, you know. Uh and Solomon his freshman year he had he had
probably the best freshman year of any quarterback in the history of Arizona football because
he only did the rich Rod only let him do this much stuff. Right.
There was that game against Cal where he threw the ball sixty some times
and on that night he needed to do that, but he did it in
a way that he knew Anna Solomon could do it. Right. There were
other games aroun A Solomon wasn't so great, but you know he rich Rod
got his guys. The year that they went three and nine and they beat
ASC, Brandon Dawkins was the quarterback, Remember that ASU game. Brandon Dawkins
is the quarterback and a wide receiver, Samaji Grant was the tailback, and
they ran for five hundred plus yard because rich Trod figured out, this is
what these guys can do, so let's do that, and let's get them
to do that the best way they can. And they beat the hell out
of Asu by throwing the ball. I think they threw the ball three times
that night, something like that and rushed for five hundred plus yards and beat
the hell out of Asu because rich Rod said, Samaji Grant, we can
do this, so we're gonna do that, as opposed to trying to force,
you know, force something that wasn't going to work, which is exactly
what Kevin Sumlan did with Calil Tate him and Noel Mazzoni. They forced him,
tried to force him, you know, to do something that he really
wasn't wasn't in his wheelhouse, wasn't good at sure. Sure, And let
me tell you some good coaches see that, right, I mean, obviously
that's what they get paid to do. Look, let let's let's go to
Sean Miller, right, he was trying to get guys to do stuff they
didn't really either want to do or maybe weren't good at. He was trying
to change the players that they were where if because that he recruited him because
they were really good? But should he shouldn't he have recruited somebody who could
do what he wanted to do. You know who was the better recruit,
TJ McConnell or or a nic Omnnion. Who was the better recruit? TJ
McConnell because he was succeeded with McConnell and Nico Mannon came here and was lost
right, No, No, because because he tried to get Nico Mannion stuff
that he wasn't in his in his character, I was always speaking this it's
funny cranky Wednesday for both of us. But but exactly he and he chased
these five star guys that didn't fit, that didn't fit the roles that he
put him into. And I said that in my collum, I says he
brought them in, let them play for the first semester, and then took
took the ball out of their hands and said, you're gonna play my way
right because I don't want you to transfer in the first semester after realizing this
is what it is. But yeah, so much talent too. Some of
those teams where he had so much talent and then and then they didn't do
well. It was like, Okay, what why aren't why isn't this team
better? Right? Uh now? In some cases like that, that the
twenty twenty eighteen team that lost to Buffalo and you know, those guys just
decided they don't want to play it and give a crip this And this is
an analogy that I'd like to talk about because Caliparty has his guys. I
know we're going to go all over the mouth, but he has his claim
to famous getting the guys into the league. Right, the guys that he
has stay with him for seven months, you think he turned them into an
NBA player? Weren't they already NBA when they got there? When they got
there, if a pretty girl shows up in class on in August, she's
a pretty girl in May. Anthony Anthony Davis was going to going to the
NBA after one year, whether he went to Arizona or Kentucky or North Carolina
or you know, Saint Peter's or wherever he was going to the NBA.
He just needs he just needed the clock to pass. DeAndre. Yeah,
these other kids did the same thing. I'm here for a year. I'm
not I don't have to listen to coaches. Just what I'm gone anyway,
versus look at look. Let let's let's go to Rich Rod's twenty fourteen team.
All right, how many guys from that team made it in the NFL.
I don't know how many. None, okay, but they played well
together, but they were they were a great team, one of the great.
And let's fit let's put in context. Arizona hasn't had a lot of
great teams, but one of the great football teams here and not a guy
and maybe there were a couple of I don't know about the lineman and the
defensive but you know the guys that we think of when you think of that
team. You know, Austin Hill and Solomon Nick Nick Wilson Wilson uh uh.
The other receivers uh uh, Dan not Buckner with the other guy uh
not got what was his name? Is tall guy? Oh that we had
him on the show. No he was, We haven't had him on the
show. But you know, the big tall receiver that they had, you
know, I mean none, none of the guys that you think of from
that team, even Scooby Wright, right, you know, Okay, he's
he's been in the us FL, but you know, he didn't make it
in the NFL. So it was just a bunch of guys that fit together
and and made you know, made a ten win team out of that.
And that's that's what a really good coach will do, as opposed to let's
say Richard only had bj Denker as the quarterback and he tried to get him
to do what Anord Solomon could do. That wasn't gonna work. Yeah,
it's just strange, especially coaches, and we've seen a number of more they
go away from what they got them, what they got them there in the
first place, because you have talent now. Caleb Caleb Caleb, Oh yeah,
yeah Jones, Caleb Jones from Texas. He came in from Texas.
Right, yeah, God, look at you. I could say, your
wife should have called you bring home milk, and guess what, that's the
last thing you can bring on. I blew it the other day. I
forgot, I forgot a whole lot, a whole list of stuff. She
said, Yeah, but you know that Suliman Hill was the quarterback you knew
Arizona last twenty four to twenty one. Oh yes, you in nineteen seventy
four or seventy five. That was all right. We were talking about that,
and they would give me a crap about it, about the conversation that
we had about that. Yesterday, wasn't it. It was just yesterday.
So they listened, or they new I must listen. I don't remember the
lid, the lid thing I told. I told, I told gap the
lid story she had. Yeah, she laughed, She thought it was pretty
funny. I said, you're my lid, honey. Were talking about,
what the hell does that mean? That makes sense? You're my lid.
But she says, aren't you lucky? Aren't you lucky? The tumbleware they
found there and Steve's lid blew off into the blue, into the wind,
and he's okay, and he's okay, all right, we're gonna take our
break cord and come back. Henry's gonna breaking you, so stick around.