Breaking down all the exes and oh's it's Steve Laverra and Jagen Summons. This
is I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back
to IE on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty from se Bramaro.
He's Jacobs. Also Doug e with our next segment, and Jay with breaking
news. All right, and this is I on the Ball breaking news on
Fox Sports fourteen fifty. We're all over the board on stuff today. So
I'm not even sure which is the most important thing, but uh, you
know, for us, for you know, Steve and I who know so
many people at the PAC twelve. It's come out that the PAC twelve is
going to start layoffs. Packed twelve Networks is going to start layoffs right after
the first of the year January fifth. When you when you're gonna do a
layoff of your company, you have to report that to the you do,
yeah, to the FED. Is a requirement of a number of there's a
certain number of you know, certain percentage of employees. Okay, yeah,
you have to report it so that they can be ready for you know,
unemployment and all that. To think you're reported this, did you? This
is I had to do that. This is a personal quick when you laid
people off, did you ever this is a personal question you don't have to
answer. Did you ever get an unemployment Yeah? And when I got laid
off from the sugar Skulls, Oh you did, and you did get it,
Yeah, you did get it. Remember there was also a thing.
It was it was it was it was during COVID, right, So unemployment
during COVID you got an extra amount. And and so who who the government
gave it? Damn them. I didn't get the state state. Oh I
didn't the damn state. I didn't get cradit when the when the citizen,
when that citizen, when the tour we went furloughed and all that stuff.
Because I was an I was an employee of the sugar Skulls. That wasn't
the contract. Okay, maybe you have to be an employee. That might
have been your If you're a contractor, you weren't going to get it.
That's probably. I was an I was the only employee of the sugar and
I got laid off. Okay, how long did that lost? Not?
You know, you know, not until I started generating income again, you
know, working again for his Tucson and and clients again, and it's kind
of like, okay, I'm I'm, I'm I'm generating some income. So
I had to, you know, on the honors and there's not a whole
lot of money, right, well, it was it was enough through COVID,
Yeah, because of the COVID, because of the bonus amount you got
because of COVID. I'll be honest, I was getting my paycheck was about
the same as it was good for you. So it was good, but
you know, you kind of have to do this on the honor system,
right, I'm starting to make money again. I'm pen Raady and come through
you know the things that I'm doing now. And uh and so I had
to tell them. I had to say, hey, that's it, I'm
done with the don But according to labor officials, the conference plans to lay
off one hundred and forty one employees from the you know, from where the
San Ramon office where they moved to after they got out of that multi million
dollar moved. They didn't didn't move, Yeah, they did move so and
so now and they're going to start laying them off from January fifth, and
the layoff will continue through June twenty eighth, and you know, we know
a lot of people over there, right, you know, Yogi Roth,
Ashley Adamson. They've been on our show a few times, and they had
already started to win a few people already. We knew, you know,
they they've got to finished. They've got to finish the school year. Right,
You've got basketball tournament, We've got basketball tournaments, You've got all the
sports. They've got to get through, the Pac twelve softball and baseball tournaments
and that kind of stuff. So but by by the end of June,
that place will be cleared out. We talked about this yesterday, on this
ruling about the waiver rule in the n C Double A, a judge had
issued a fourteen a fourteen day temporary injunction against them enforcing there was a lack
of clarity on okay, if you if you play in these fourteen games in
these fourteen days, what happens. And they clarified it day and said,
if you play in those fourteen days and the ruling get on against the waiver
rule doesn't get overturned. So you know they still you know, kill the
kill the waiver rule. If they put the waiver rule back in place,
and you've played, You've blown your red shirt, you've blown your season.
You play, you've basically used the season of eligibility because in basketball, unlike
in football, if you play one game you're in you use your red shirt
year. So you know, if somebody plays in this two weeks expecting to
hopefully red shirt at the end of it, then all of a sudden,
the nc double A wins its case. The waiver rule is held up,
and they've played, They've used the year of l M. So that clarification
king today. I know it's complicated, but it's really not. NCUAA is
losing all these all these things all right. The PAC two Oregon State and
Washington State have released well, the Mount West released its schedule, so the
PAC two has released its football schedule for next year. Remember, Oregon State
and Washington State are both going to play seven Mount West games, so both
of their schedules are out. Oregon State schedule has them playing Oregon because they
want to continue the Civil War as them playing Oregon on September fourteenth as opposed
to the last last game of the year. And then their non conference schedules
is Idaho State, San Diego State, Oregon and Purdue. They will play
cal and Washington State. They don't have Stamford on the schedule. Then Washington
State has Washington on that same week that Oregon plays Oregon State. On September
the fourteenth, They've got Portland State, Texas Tech, Washington, and then
they play at Oregon State, know, and then a bunch of Mount West
teams. Washington had San Diego State on its schedule already, so that game
stays. But it's a it's a Mountain West schedule for these guys. Did
you see that. I know that Arizona has to yet to do their schedule
for next year, but I saw New Mexico was coming here August thirty first,
so that's probably labored set. Yeah, they've got New Mexico coming in.
Draymond Green suspended in that. Yeah, that's just that's just a drama
field, like it's Tuesday. I mean, come on, I'm just sure
they're tired of dealing with this. Yeah, because you know, he may
come back, he may not come back. You probably take fifteen days or
whatever. But they're they're supporting him, you know, and everyone's saying he's
got to get his stuff together, and it's on him. Yeah, there's
less support for him now in terms of sick people. Do you think for
that reason they needs to support him, But that the sick of the act.
They're sick of the of the anti. If you're the warrior is you
got to be sick of how he hurts your team. You're paying him a
bunch of money and he's kind of worthless to you because he's causing you more
problems than he's words. But he's suspended indefinitely. So there's been nothing come
out that said it's going to be this amount of time or that amount of
time or this other amount of Yeah, some people, at least at the
NBA level were critical of Steve Kerr because he is yet to make a public
statement about it, and he supported him a lot. But you see when
it happened, the coaching staff didn't do anything. They just like watch it
happen. I'm sure they're thinking, here we go again, Here we go
again, right. I mean, you know, you keep seeing your kid
act up in the grocery store. You just put him in the grocery car,
take him out, throw him in the back of that and you never
see You're never going back to the grocery store with me, you know exactly,
You're not going to do this. You're gonna continue this, This thing
gonna happen. One of our listeners sent me this after all, this thing
in the morning with with dream on about Gilbert Arenas. Gilbert, you know,
is goofy and talking as he is, he posts and something Gilbert and
his calls for Draymond Green to assault more euro white players. Well, I
mean, come on, come on, Gilbert, Gilbert, just you know,
just be quite, Gilbert. There's times we had Gilbert here, he
was a goopa here, you know, and then he kind of ruined his
career, his own career. This is a bad dude talking about another bad
Well, that's it, Steve, and that that's what that is. Like.
Why would we listen to Gilbert or Renus about how Draymond Green should be
should be? Right? Man? All right? You know, sort of
on the on the on the fringe of what we cover. Another receiver from
from USC is leaving the program going into the NBA, NBA, NFL drafts.
So two receivers now, Todge Washington and Brendan Rice. Bert Rice had
declared earlier. I have both declared for the draft and so that you think
would open up some space for Dorian Singer over at over at USC who left
Arizona last year, didn't get to do much this last year US. So
didn't you say someone else from leaving? Did you say? Did you say?
Did you? Yeah? I'm about to get to that. And then
Christian Rowland Wallace has officially accepted his invitation to play in the East West Shrine
Game, which means he's leaving the USC and entering the draft. Uh likely
entering the draft. Alvi hasn't declared for the draft. I think they've said
that. Whereas before those games were only for seniors, now they've opened it
up for players who aren't seniors who are leaving. So Christian Rowland Wallace left
as or now he started. He played a bunch, but he was on
the team that ended up being not a very good team. So he's he's
going to the East West Shrine Game. So he's out all right. Oh,
this is kind of funny. So every Coach of the Year nomination list
that comes out, if it doesn't have Jeff Jeff Fish on it, people
lose their minds over here. And there's another one out today. It's the
Bear Bryant Coach of the Year quote unquote for the contributions that make sport better
for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity, and a winning approach
to coaching and life. By who votes the usb W, A F b
W, whatever it is. Let me see, I don't know, just
as Bear Bryant Coach of the Year. I'll look that up. Look up,
well, I'll look it up for quer. But why don't you look
at it real quick? Bear Bryant Coach of the Year. So the list
of coaches on it, David Brown of Northwestern, who's in the middle of
the year, Jamie Caldwell, Chadwell, Liberty, who's undefeated, Kaylin de
Boor Washington undefeated, Eli Drinkwitz Missouri almost undefeated, Rhett Lashley at s m
U, Mike Norval Florida State, Nick Saban Alabama, Steves Sarkis in Texas.
It's gotta be a weird voting whoever compiled this list, because there's no
quest shouldn' judge should be on this. You know, guys, guys that
get overlooked because they're smaller schools. The guy in New Mexico State and kill
Jerry Keil, what a fantastic you go there to get fired. He's done
an incredible job there, and you know what, rich Rod has resurrected his
career. Yeah, it's it's just it's just an organization that does the Paul
Bear Bryant Awards, and now that they are sponsored by the American Art Association.
But he thinks it's you know, American Art Association doesn't. Yeah,
yeah, but it's an organization. They've been doing this for thirty years,
three years. Do they know that Arizona's a state? They might not.
They might not, But again, Arizona fan going what the hell? It's
understandable, but it gives them another reason to go, what the hell?
Okay, speaking of we can probably talk about this the last couple of minutes
of this segment, Big Game, Boomer coming through with a ranking for it.
Okay, which what's the ranking? The top twenty five most likable and
unlikable head? Okay, Jed's got to be in there. A top ten.
Where do you think, top ten? Give me a number, I'll
give you say he's in the top ten eight or nine two? Most really?
Yeah, became Boomer. He really wants a Mexican real. He wants
goodbye, but he gets here. He's got Den Sanders at one likable.
Yes, oh, that's he's polarizing. I don't know. Am I not
right? He's polarizing because either you really like him or are you really dumb?
Right? His top five? Deon Sanders, Jetfish, Biff Pogy or
Poggy at Charlotte Lane Kiffen, what's if? I'm gonna text him right now?
And then Mac Brown? Oh my god? Uh? Marcus Freeman is
in the top ten. Nick Saban at eight likable likable? Is that a
typo? Mike? No? Because the unlikable those guys are? Who's there?
Okay? Okay? Who do you think is number one? Most unlikable?
Unlikable? Harball? No, where's horrible? Uh? Harba's not on
either list. Unlikable holds top twenty five. I need to unlikable unlikeable?
What's Lincoln Riley there? Number two? Unlikable? Yes? Yeah, okay,
god, I don't know. Chip Kelly, Oh, he's just different,
Chip Kelly. Number three? Brian Kelly, Okay, okay. Number
four is a surprise to me because I thought everybody liked this guy. Donathan
Smith. Uh yeah, why not right now? A guy that I think
I would put up higher than five, Dabbo Sweeney, Yeah, Mary Crystal
Ball at six, you freeze at seven? Your friend, my friend where
number eight? My friend a football coach? Yes, tell me Rich Rodriguez
eighty Yeah, Riches, Riches, he's an acquired taste man might yeah,
correct. Mike Gundyad comes in at eleven. Sunny Dyke's at nine. Unlikable,
unlikable? What what we gotta get him on this? When he come
in? Ryan Day at fourteen, Greg Ciano's in there. Sarkisian at twenty
one, Oh Harbot twenty five, likable, coach, likable, Yeah,
he's another polarizing guy. Yeah, gr number one. That's a little too
much. That's a little too much, because he's polarizing. He is,
he is. All right, we're gonna take our break right now. We're
gonna come back. Donnie Salem from the nineteen eighty eight eighty nineteens, we
talked about Donnie a few times recently. Was a guy that we watched what
we watched him get his scholarship on the practice field way back in eighty eight.
But Donnie Salem was a tough linebacker aar Zone in those years, and
he'll be joining us and we'll talk about some I will get, you know't
get his thoughts on some of this. You know where was Dick showing me
on the Likable meeting stick around for Donnie Salem. For more than twenty years,
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evaluation. Today streaming live I Mean iHeartRadio WAPP This is I on the Ball
with Steve Rivera and Jacnzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back
to you. I on theball here ol Fox Sports fourteen fifty on Steve Rivera,
He's chicken sauce. Now on the phone, we have former U of
A football player, Donnie Salem. How you doing Donny? I'm doing great.
How are you guys? We're doing fine. Wanted to pick your brain
on this year's team and what's going on in your life and then give us
your life with the Groundkowskis, Yeah, yeah, I'm I'm I couldn't be
happier about the team and the coaching staff. And you know, when he
first got hired, I was like, this guy's a tennis guy. And
then you look at the coaches that endorsed them, and it's like who's who
of Hall of Fame coaches and I was like, Hey, if all these
guys and Pete Carroll's going to send his son to coach with him, and
hey, I'm all in. And you know then, you know, most
most coaches they all say, you know, they give it the uh,
the lip service of being you know, with the alumni and the old old
school Wildcats, and this guy hires our best guys, you know, Fers,
tohn Ley and Brandon Sanders and Steptoe. I mean, it's not just
talk, it's this guy's the real deal. So I couldn't be happier with
the way our defense is playing now. And it took a couple of years.
You know, you didn't put the whole thing right away, but you
know the offense last year and the defense this year, and I just you
know, if we can keep him around for a couple of years, we
could be we could be competing for the whole thing. So I couldn't be
happier without trying to aid you too much, But you know you played a
while back. Do you watch football like somebody who's just recently played, you
know you look at it that way, or do you just sit around and
watch it like a fan like fat guys like Steve and I would watch it
now, I'm really I watch it. You know. I coached my son
for a few years, and this year he was on Peyton mann ntil Davis's
team, and you know, you of a I you know, I'm about
to crawl out of my skin for every game. I'm still I'm still feel
like, I want to play, and I'm fifty seven years old, so
I would last about ten yards, but be really good ten yards. But
no, I love I love the game. You know. I've you know,
worked with Robbie for years and really stayed and involved with a lot of
you know, guys of pros all the way down to Poblem Warner in high
school. And I love it. I love the game all the way through.
It's funny. So now I will date you because you were We covered
you in eighty eighty nine. I think it was back in the day.
It's thirty five, thirty six years ago. You said you're fifty seven.
Does it seem like that long ago? No, it really doesn't. I
mean I still dream about playing and wake up and I'm like, oh,
well, obviously that wasn't real. It feel like like I mentally like I
could still play, but obviously physically I couldn't. And but no, it
doesn't doesn't feel like that long ago at all, you know, I mean,
it's like fifteen years ago, not thirty five five years ago. Right.
Well, well bring up that point you were making with the scholarship.
Yeah, so you know, Steve and I were there the day you got
your scholarship. Was right there on the field. You know, one of
the coolest things I remember I ever saw, you know, covering you guys,
but you know, I just remember looking at you and thinking, Wow,
this is you know, this is huge. Describe that moment for you
and how much that that's meant meant you even in later years, right,
Yeah, I mean, I I'll never forget that day down at coaches and
told me rounded up the whole team and and put me on scholarship. And
I remember, you know, I knew I was good enough to play,
and I knew I could could play at the level that that you know,
U of A. And I'll never forget that day. And you know,
coach told me he's you know, obviously rest in peace, but he's just
been like a true father figure to me. And you know, I had
no idea it was coming. I knew I needed it because I couldn't afford
this cool So if I if I didn't get that scholarship, I was I
was going to be off the team pretty quick because I couldn't afford school.
And he put me on scholarship and then you know, he actually threw me
in in the middle of the Oklahoma game was my first time playing metal linebacker,
and I was more outside and kind of special teams. And he threw
me in in that Oklahoma game, the sixty three game and told me it
was my job to lose and put me in at mike linebacker. And I
remember as a fear of losing my job until basically the issue game and Darren
Case said, Donnie, you're leading the team and tackled you never come off
the field, your job safe, and trying to get me to calm down
and practice because I was out there practicing with my hair on fire. Yeah.
Well, but you're describing the flow just in Flow, because that's how
he plays, and he's kind of a crazy attack attack, attack, and
that's who you were. Yeah yeah, I mean I was kind of,
you know, I was strong safety before he got to U of A.
And then they kind of have me outside inside outside and and and Flow has
that same mentality. I remember playing just you know, I mean crying before
practice. I'd be so so hyped up for practice, not much less a
game, you know, game time, and just forget it. I couldn't
even really communicate. But uh, I uh, you know, I love
Flow, you know I wish he I think he's working on his coverage skills
so he could get the game a little bit more. So. That's uh.
But that guy's he's a he's a monster, and I think overall his
energy really benefits the team uh as much as or more than when he's on
the field, because he's got that uh high energy and super hype uh you
know, mentality. So I'd love to hear thoughts on Jacob Monuo, Right,
he's sort of the you know, I've kind of declared him as the
next you know, great linebacker possibly to come out of Arizona. A guy
who'll be mentioned, I think by the end of his time here, you
know, with you know, Ricky Hunley and and and don the guy from
FU in Phoenix, Oh, Randy Byron Evans, Yeah, Donnie. You
know what, you only got a few more years before you get to that,
right. You can't remember Byron Evan's name, but you know, Lance
Briggs, those guys that came through here, you know, I mean,
you know, in two short years, and he's a true sophomore this year,
you know, making that name for himself. What are your thoughts on
what you see from her? Yeah, you know when I first saw him,
I was like, this guy's a little kind of like an Adrian Coke.
You know, You're like, man, he's he really a Pac twelve
linebacker. And then you watch him play, and you've watched you know,
we've all watched him grove the last two years and and you know, especially
the last two thirds of this year. He's just really got a nose for
the ball. And you know, I don't know that he's Ricky Hunley or
Byron because they're to me, they're just elite and uh and at the college
level especially, but you know, if Iron had an incredible pro career as
well, but uh, I don't know that. You know, Man is
going to be that. But he's a leader on the on the field.
You know, he's got that energy, and you know, I think all
those survey guys, you know, the only one we really haven't seen a
lot of the four is is you know Burnett, right, and uh but
the other three, I mean, wow, I mean we pulled off that
whoever that was it pulled that coup off. Besides Jed was just you know,
puts Our puts our program at another level. And you know, I
hope we you know, keep recruiting the way we have, you know,
That's what I said after the twenty two class, I said, if we
can stack two or three more classes up behind this, I mean, look
out, you know, because you're the community is hungry, the team,
the fan base, the alumni, everybody is is super ecstatic. You know.
But I love man and I love the way he plays. He's always
around the ball, you know, Hill miss a few plays here and there,
but well then he comes up big a play later, and you're just
like, well that's why he's in there, you know, and he's leading
the team. And I saw he got first team, you know, all
back I thought I thought, you know, uh, our receiver was going
to get it and maybe he would be second team. But they flipped lopped
those guys. I don't know how t Max not first team All American.
They give it to that, you know, Travis Hunter up here, as
I know, he didn't make All American at corner. And you can't put
him Travis Hunter against t Mac right now. Not that he won't be a
great pro one day or something, but as far as this season goes,
it had to just be off the hike. They gave him that first team
you know. So, I team Mac is as good as there is anywhere.
And I heard about him from some friends when we first got him,
or when we were still after him, when he was committed to Oregon and
I heard he might flip to us, and he did, and they said,
you just got it. You just got a guy who's going to play
ten years in the pros and do amazing things. So so, man,
he's a great player. He's really got a nose for the ball, and
I can't wait to see what he's going to do in the next couple of
years. I'll see him. I'll see him even after next year, like
some of these other guys might. You know, So you been talking about
Jeff Jed for you in some of that you have yet to meet him.
I'm sure you have. And did you go to the Colorado game? Oh
yeah, yep, I had. I was on site. They got me
pregame sideline passes. I brought about seven kids from our football team up here,
and Tate Manyson Marshall and Deral Davis's son, and a bunch of other
kids. But I've met I've met Jed multiple times, you know, especially
when I'm there with grown Korroy's right around him. But I love Jed personally
of his his you know, I actually told him the story of loud Olsen.
How Luke, you know, could have went to Kentucky and decided not
to, and then he built a dynasty. He put us on the map,
literally the U of A. And then Luke actually told me a second
time he turned down Kentucky. It's because Bobby said if he went, he
was going by himself because she wasn't leaving the grand kids. No, no,
that's pretty accurate. That's pretty accurate. And then Kentucky screwed it up
too, but not including her in meetings. Yeah. So no, you're
you're pretty you're pretty accurate. Yeah. No, And what did he did?
He say, Oh, interesting, because it's true, is very true.
But if he could do that, you know, Tomy, he really
set the table. And obviously he's a legend for life, but Jed could
if he takes us, you know, it's building something versus chasing the money.
And and you know, I remember Larry Smith and the worst mistake he
ever made was leaving to go to USC And you know, he could have
built the powerhouse here, and you know, he left and told me a
few years to get rolling and then you know, we finish you know where
I thought, if we had a playoff and you know, the Fiesta Bowl
year or the Holiday Bowl year, we might have won it all and he
would have had a lifetime contract. And instead, you know, we have
a couple of down in years and he got you know, pushed to the
side, and and uh, you know it was a big mistake because then
we ran into Macovic and then the students I thought did a great job,
and then you know, he had had his issues. He couldn't deal with
the refts. And Uh, I told Mark Stoops when when Mark was on
the phone with me, Uh, Pete Russell had put him on the phone
with me. Pete was a scout and Mark was I didn't even know there
was a Mark. And I said, hey, if he goes, we
really want that job. I said, if you want it, you got
to understand you're inheriting a glorified junior college. Uh. After Macavick had done
with us, and then uh, and we got to get good enough to
beat the other team and the rest. That's what I've said it multiple times
to anybody that will listen. I just really pray we don't bring uh.
You know that the Big twelve doesn't bring any of these rests from the Pac
twelve because they're they're as bad as there is out there. And you know,
they never they never liked us or Issue that I felt like the only
game they called uh even was when we did play Issue because neither one of
us were from the old Guard. You know, interesting, interesting, but
that's a whole nother that's a whole nother story. But you know, so
you talk about let's talk about Oklahoma real quick and again and the big game.
Are you going to be going to that one and two? What do
you look like about the matchup? And you did play We had Doug faff
on last week. What do you remember that game? Oh? That game
was It was a defensive battle, and you know, people don't like defensive
games, but I love them. Of course I'm a defensive guy. But
it was just huge. You know, we went in my junior year and
we played him up there and it was twenty eight ten I think, and
but the game was a lot closer than that showed, so we knew we
could we could go with them, and they had Jamel Holloway and Barry Switzer
and came into Tucson and it was just it was literally about defensive battle.
The offenses couldn't do anything on either side of the ball. And you know,
I remember, I remember praying. I was down on one knee.
I was me and maybe a few other people in that whole stadium. I
didn't even watch that kick go through because I was on one knee praying,
and he hit that field goal, and there was a feeling I'll never forget,
you know, to just beat you know, top five of sixteam in
the country, and you know, Oklahoma is a perennial power, and you
know, here we are as a as a you know, maybe upper but
mid upper level Pac twelve team that just you know, just coming in from
the you know, from the whack, you know, ten years earlier or
whatever it was. And and I thought we were on our way, you
know, and then you know, you they did it. You know,
I had the Desert Swarm after I left, and there's two nineties teams that
and you know, it's just feels so good to be able to watch a
game and see great defense again, see offense. That's exciting. You know,
I really hope the Tucson crowd gets behind the team. You know,
I know Jed, it's got to be frustrating for him with the nil you
know, have to try to chase that stuff, and you know, and
have people not show up to the games. And I think, I think
after if we win this game, I think that stadium it'll be it'll be
less often that it's it's you know, a third empty than all the time,
you know, like it's it's been. And you know, you got
to have a good product on the field. And I think now that people
are seeing that and and I think excitement is going to go way up.
I'm just you know, I think we're going to win this game. They
got a bunch of guys missing, it's going to be more or less a
home crowd for them. But yeah, I'm gonna I'm going to the game
and I'm just hoping, hoping we can win it. And you know,
we're one to want to get Oklahoma soap and we come out of there two
and one, and I think next year, with what we got coming back,
and and you know, some of the the excitement around everything, we
might come into the preseason, you know, ranked in the top ten or
twelve in the country and that so and that's a great way to enter the
Big twelve. Absolutely absolutely, yeah. Okay, yeah, well Donny appreciate
your time. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. DONNYE. Save travels,
dude, save travel Bank, Steve and uh down all right, okay,
all right, guys, what I got from that he's fifty seven years
old. I didn't realize that he was that close to me. Yeah,
man, come on, yeah, well no, it's a good dude.
But we didn't talk about the ground Gronkowski stuff. But there he's like a
like the wingman for them, you know, obviously around all the time.
All right, let's take our last break. We're gonna come back. It'll
be uh, we'll take your phone calls five to zero four one six seventy
four. Oh that's right. We won't take your phone calls because we're doing
our We're doing our picks, so fab five Friday picks on a Thursday,
so be sure to come back for those. I know you don't want to
miss those. We got a cat I have a good damp holding in that
the bots in down. If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you know
it's been successful for nearly forty years now take a look back at the Ludolsen
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Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now
to the podcast on the iHeartRadio while just surgery. I on the ball.
Hey, welcome back to my I on the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen
fifty. On Steve, he's Jake, and Jay's got some work to do.
I got it, man, I got him. I'm good. I'm
ready. Okay, Yeah, no, I'm still got a lot of work
to do. You know what, Steve, I'm just trying to not be
in last place. Okay, and that's what I'm doing. Don't please don't
screw me up this week. Well, I'm taking a bunch of college games.
Oh good, good, I'll tell you what. I'm still taking two
NFL. Oh okay, please, there's I am taking three college Well the
gin joints don't pick money, all right, Well, then I'll start out
of the college side. I've been listening to you know, who's who's gonna
be playing, who's not gonna be playing? You know you got to listen
to you know, these teams that are showing up for Bowl games without their
rosters and stuff. So just today, Ohio's quarterback announced he's he's leaving.
He's in the transfer port. He's going to Indiana. I think if they
lost a bunch, Ohio's lost a bunch of other players. I'm gonna take
Georgia Southern on Saturday morning at give you have three points on that in whatever
bowl game they play Ohio. Georgia Southern against Ohio. I guess I should
get the list of the bowl games. Okay, Well, you're gonna go
online real quick. Yeah, I'm doing that right now. So we know
you're gonna go to college. It's cool. Okay, So I'm gonna go
pro. All am gonna be pro, hoping I do better than I did
last week. That's the Myrtle Beach Bowl down in South Carolina. Uh,
Georgia Southern is giving three Okay, all right, okay, so I want
to go all pro. My first pick is gonna be Indy minus one and
a half. I think they played Pittsburgh, the Steelers. Yes, right,
that's one of that game that we were talking about. I'm sticking the
sticking to the same mostly the same teams I went with last week. I
don't have your grudge, but they better pull this baby off. You can't
go two in a row, you know. I thought that about the Lions.
I thought they couldn't host me again, and then they did me too.
Okay, all right in the Celebration No, not the Celebration Bowl,
the New Orleans Bowl. I'm gonna take your friend and mine, rich Rod
who they playing Jacksonville State giving two and a half to Louisiana. I just
think, you know, rich trot's hard to prepare for and I think,
uh, you know, he's just They've just been really good. They you
know, they're excited to being a bowl game because they weren't supposed to be
able to be in one. Yeah, because this was that one year that
they weren't allowed. But then because of the way the number of teams that
ended up qualifying, they got into a bowl game. I think they got
to be happy to be there, and that's a big part of it.
Even Jedfish said that that you know teams that are happy to be at bowl
games, said, teams are like, Okay, we got another game.
So I'm going with with the Jacksonville State in the New Orleans Bowl also on
Saturday against Louisiana. Okay, my next game, sticking with the team that
you went with last week and blew it Miami minus eight and a half.
The Dolphins were a semi finalist of mine, so you didn't pick them I'm
not picking them. They play the Jets even eight and a half the Jets.
They're at home. I liked the game, but I thought, I
think I found one better. Okay, well we both we both have to
pick the Jags and Ravens. That's our that's our special pick this week.
So we'll pick that at the end. But uh, you know, I
I was looking at it. I was on the Dolphins, and then I
found a game that I need to be better. So I let that one
go because I want to take another college game, and I am taking your
your New Mexico State Aggies in the New Mexico Bowl. Gary Kale and Company
plus two. They're they're they're giving three and a half your fresnel staving.
You know, they're divving who is playing without their head coach. But they
played well without their head coach three and a half, three and a half.
Their favorites by three and a half. Yes, in the New Mexico
Bowl. I'm going to that game. Are you going to the game.
Yeah, that's where you're leaving. Yes, Well, no, I was
going to go visits. Well, I'm gonna go visit some rinds and stuff,
but I'm going to the game. See if I want to go there,
you go. Man, you got the degree, you got some juice
on that degrees. I'm gonna freeze. I just remember when they came here,
man, turn out the lights and Las Crucees and oh yeah, you
know another they're excited to be sold out all the beer joints, you know,
and how excited Presnel State they're going out. Their coach Yeah yeah,
yeahday yeahday. I'm on New Mexico said I want to be here. I
gotta be cold. That's actually a good pick because you know that it means
a lot to mix with State and who knows what it means to president,
And That's what I'm going after, Steve. These both games, I mean
both games are hard because you know, you don't you need to know that,
right, And so I feel like they're they're fired up. They've had
a great season. They don't want to mess it up in this right.
Okay, I'm gonna go pro again. I'm gonna go Casey. They sucks,
Steed, I know they do. They suck. I know they do.
I'm mad at this week and I hope they do. I hope they
suck so bad. Chiefs are minus seven and a half over I think the
Patriot Patriots. Yeah, what's up of the Patriots and the coach? You
know, he's just a pain. A lot of discussions this week that he
his way out the door. Yeah you know that. You know, I
wonder how that will happen. I hate to cover a team like him.
Yeah, yeah, right, don't question you know, and and and so
often teams take on that personality. They see how he treats the media.
They you know, you'll get not everybody, but you'll get guys will treat
the media the same way. Sure, it's like crap because he's the example.
Yeah, it's like crap. You know, it's a crap. I
hate that. I hate that. Okay, my first Pro game the one
that I think is better than a pick on the Dolphins because these guys have
just been so mean all season long. The forty nine ers giving twelve and
a half, that number started at fourteen. So now that it's under fourteen,
by the fact, because it's dropped to twelve and a half, that
means people are taking the Cardinals. I Am just gonna beat the crap out
of them, And so I'm taking the forty nine ers giving twelve and a
half at the Cardinals. I know it's in Phoenix, and I hate taking
double digit point spreads, especially on the road, but I think I think
the forty nine just really really damn good. Yeah. Okay, my second
last pick, I'm gonna go with another team that went over last week,
the Rams over the Commanders. It's at home. See last time I bet
against the Commanders. They won. They beat who they beat? They beat?
The was the Lions that they beat I can't remember they beat. They
beat somebody that really pissed me off. And you've been pissed off for picked
the whole season sixteen weeks. I'm okay with that. Well, Hell,
Steve, we're gonna tell you up. I'm gonna tell you up. The
Boats twenty six wins and forty nine losses. That's crap. You gotta be
able to pick more winners than that. You get out of bed and do
it. But you haven't got out of bed yet. No, man,
it's terrible, all right. And then okay, so we both got to
pick the Jags and the Ravens. I hate the spread it's three because that
can push very easily, and I've been on the Ravens a few times,
and they pissed me off. I've been the Jags on a few times.
They pissed me off. Everybody has. So I'm just gonna take the home
team, and I'm gonna taking the Jags the three. Okay, I'm taking
the Jags too. No, no, because it's either or. Baltimore should
have should have covered last week. They didn't. Then they barely won,
So they'll get what the deserve. I think in this one. We'll see,
we'll see the first place in their division. I'll take the jackson home.
Yeah, both the first place. And it's even three. It's an
even three. It dropped from three and a half. Yeah, Okay,
you're gonna have a lot of people upset this week. They get mad when
it happened. Yeah, you know, I'll take it. If you don't
like it, you know, just don't take the even number. Yeah,
I'll I gotta stay at least for three and hoping I get three magical wins.
I may throw a little some of some of my DraftKings cash on this.
Georgia Southern, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State partly group of group of
college games. You're still for U C. L A Man California. Yeah,
U c l A Cal. You know Cal. I'm sure it's excited
to be there. Texas Tech, you know, maybe, but I don't
trust Cal. I don't trust Cal. Yeah, anything. I'm surprised that,
you know, bowl game. He must have done a heck of a
coaching job, because they were they looked at bad. They were just as
bad as Arizona back two years. They look bad at the beginning of this
year, and they got into a bowl game. But that's that's that.
What is it the Potato Bowl? I think because because Ula is in the
La Bowl, oh, the Independence Bowl. They're in Shreatport. Oh,
that's the other thing. That's the other thing. Why I laid off of
that. It's going to be like freezing and sleet and all that stuff like
it always is in Shreveport. And I don't know that Cal, We're going
to be prepared for that, So stayed off of that. Yes, seven
bowl games, uh this weekend. Six of them are on Saturday, and
then you've got a bowl game Monday. What was the Bahamas Bowl is now
the Famous Toastery Bowl and it's being played in North Carolina and that's Western Kentucky
against the old comedian, but I'm fired up. I love the bull seasons,
Steve. I know you don't. I do you do? A lot
a lot of people say, well, why do we have these Bowl games?
Because they're fun, that's all, no other reason. They're fun bowl
games. It's college football fun to watch. Yeah, some games are crap
because teams don't you know, don't want to be there. So so I
don't know this. I don't pay attention. So the twelve teams next year,
are they going to have the current Bowl games as games in the playoffs?
They're can create their own. What are they gonna do because the first
round of games are home games for the vial seas, Okay, so those
are not Bowl games. Okay, so then that'll be like now, like
December sixteenth. So in the next round of games, which are the semi
semi final game, no quarterfinal games, semi final twelve to eight, right,
yeah, totally, I guess. Yeah, it goes from twelve to
eight. Yeah, the quarterfinals. I think those begin are Bowl games.
Okay, I think they're using the six New Year six Bowl games, but
you don't know which game quarterfinals and then the semi finals. You don't know
which games that should help attendance if the playoffs is going to be part of
the Yeah, there's still some discussion that down the road, Uh, they're
gonna want to use They're gonna want to let the in the second round,
let them host teams that get first round by let them host a bowl game.
Okay, but I'm trying to look the look look this up right now,
because I believe I believe that that was that was the deal, is
that the quarterfinal games were the round of eight, right that that that those
will be actual, that those will be played in the bowl games because the
semifinals next year. Now the first round are on campus. Here we go,
I got it. The first round are on campus games. The quarterfinals
are the Festival, the Peach Bowl, the Rose Bowl, and the Sugar
Bowl, and then the semi finals are the Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl.
And then the National Championship is its own game. So so the new
year six are used for the six games for the quarterfinals in the semi final
that moves around in the In the following season, you've got the quarterfinals of
the Cotton Bowl, Orange, Rose, Sugar, and the semis are the
Fiesta and the Peach So you're never gonna get to the Rose Bowl. Yeah,
well, when Arizona gets When Arizona gets into it, gets into the
playoff next year and they get in the bracket for the next game is the
Rose Bowl. Yes, they're going to get into these You ever met an
optimist, crazy optimist. It's a better shot than they've had up to now.
Stas you'll see one. And you know what's I just wanted to get
to the game. They didn't even have to win the damn game. Just
get there, get into the playoff and get in the bracket where the net
where you win a game. And they're in the roads. What's the strangest
looking desert animal you've ever seen? It's j Win the Big twelve next year,
Win the Big twelve next year, you have, beautiful Dreamer. Win
the Big twelve next year, and then get be the team that hosts the
Rose Holy you have a beautiful dreamer. Like, no, it's not on
there, stop it, beautiful dream All right, that's our day. That's
our day. Steve and I will we'll post these the picks up before the
weekend. We'll give you a sense of what we're doing, and then we
will be back on Monday. We're off tomorrow. Steve's going to watch the
New Mexico Bowl. I'm just taking the day off. I've got stuff.
It's y so all right. Thanks for being here all week. We'll see
you on Monday. We brought our hands