This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez Son Fox Sports
fourteen to fifteen. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio while just surgery.
I on the Ball. Hey, welcome back to My the Ball here
on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve, He's Jay, and now we
have Ryan with breaking news. Let's get in right into it. A video
click don't work. We're gonna start with the Arizona Ball first college foot ball
game to offer in IL money to players, to all players from each team
for me from both teams. We gotta get more details on this. But
Snoop Dogg went and put a video up on social media and the there was
some comment from from Kim Aderer but that when the players come to town and
they do this anyways, right, they go to hospitals and they go to
you know, stuff like that, that when they come to town, they're
gonna ask them to do some community work. But every play player will get
some ni L money by participating in the bowl game. You know, there's
a lot of discussion about the implications of that because there's so many players,
no players who opt out of their games, right because they you know,
go off and do whatever they're gonna do. Uh. They don't want to
get hurt. They want to get ready for the NFL. Whether or not,
this would be the type of thing that could entice players to uh just
stick around and you know, play an extra game. Some maybe not because
you know, like some of the guys that opt out, they're gonna make
a lot of money in the end in the NFL or whatever, So it
might not be but for other players it might. It might be enough for
them to play. So this nile thing continues to evolve, evolved. I
want to bring up a subject after when we have time at the end of
the end of the hour. Yeah, so, uh, but an interesting
announcement. We'll have to get more from uh, from Kim and those guys,
uh when that time comes along. So let's switch over to the MLB.
Some news about one of the one of the games probably worst umpires is
effective. Immediately that that brought a big cheer from a lot of people yesterday.
He's been bad. If he's bad and we all know that he's bad,
how did you continue to be bad? That was my question. It's
like, okay, if I'm doing I mean, the things they have video
of his bad calls, Like, how did he how did he keep his
job? I never understood that, Like I get and look, I'm not
you know, I mean, you know, I've been laid off a couple
of times. I'm not up for people losing their jobs, right, But
on the other hand, if you can't do the job, then somebody else
should be able to get that job. And it's it's not like you do
that job in private, right, you're doing it. This is people are
seeing it. People are seeing it. And worst of all, over the
last few years, people are gambling on it. And now you make a
bad call, uh, and and somebody loses some money on it, and
that's you know, that's bad. But he's he's you know, he's been
widely considered possibly the worst umpire in the history of baseball, certainly you know,
in this generation, because of like you said, everything's on video.
Now. I thought he was the umpire who made the bad call at first
base on that perfect game that that Detroit pitcher had. Oh it wasn't him,
that was somebody else. Yeah. Well, no, I think they're
pushing back the automatic camera for the balls and strikes to at least twenty twenty
six. Really, that's what I saw over the weekend. So it's not
gonna happen anytime soon. They're gonna do wait another year after this. And
we don't like it, right, you don't. I don't like it,
and I don't. I mean, yes, I yell like everybody else when
when a batter for the Dodgers gets a ball called, you know, off
the strike zone and gets called a strike, you know, in back to
back at bats showy Otani last week was called got to call third strike on
pictures that were a good two or three inches out of the strike zone.
But on the other hand, I don't want to see an umpire sitting back
and has to wait for a beep in his ear or whatever to call it
whether it's a ball or a strike. And I still want the human element
in there, so and and you just you just suck it up and deal
with it. Yeah, I mean. Another thing is like they need to
be more consistent on both on both sides. You know, they need to
they're going to call it for one team, they need to call it for
the other team. Right, there's so many games where it's like, well,
the biggest thing that that that that baseball. The biggest problem that baseball
players have with an umpire is when it's not consistent. They said, if
you're bad, be consistently bad. Kind Well, it's kind of a sick
way to think about it. But if you're gonna call this pitch three inches
off the strike zone, call it like that for everybody, that's what they
want. You just answered why you had a job for so long. Consistently
bad for all these years. But I'm not saying allow you to continue to
be consistently bad. But I'm just saying that, you know, in the
course of a game, if an umpire, you know that would see,
okay, the umpire said strikes. Okay, that's the strike zone tonight.
Yeah right, And that might not be the strike zone for that umpire the
next time he's or maybe that's always his strike zone. And you know,
if this umpire is umpiring, he's calling this pit. If I'm a right
handed hitter, he's calling this pitch two inches off the outside corner every time.
If you know that, you're okay with that, sure, I mean
you wish you'd bring it in, You're okay with There's also the human factor
of sometimes you're writing sometimes wrong and the opinions better. By the way,
anybody, the person who tried to call us last hour, you go ahead
and free fe feel free to call us now, Yeah you can. We'll
break into this. Yeah, all right, let's switch you over to the
ladies. PGA. Lexi Thompson twenty nine years old. She's retiring from golf
full time. What yep, Lexi Thompson's retiring. Yeah, she's twenty seven,
twenty, Yeah, she's retiring. She's gonna spit her family and friends
and all that stuff. She's got a lot of titles too, Like fifteen,
she was. She was the the hottest golfer for a good period of
time, not like Nelly Cord now who's won like six tournaments in a row,
got beat. She's, you know, hands down favorite to win the
next major. So if she was, she didn't win like that. But
she was the most dominant, you know, she was the dominating golfer for
a couple of years. There really good one of those like six foot tall
golfers that just can knock the hell out of it, hell out of the
boy. I think she tried to play in a I think she played in
a PGA tournament and didn't didn't farewell, but twenty nine years old man,
but she made a bunch of money, so she probably got You know,
she can do it because you her fifteen career worldwide wins and eleven PGA Tour
wins right there, you go, it's pretty good. Good number. The
good thing is the good thing for people like that at any level, in
any sport or life. Actually, when you're able to call your old shot
yeah and say goodbye and say yeah, isn't that the best? Yeah,
I'll be living, I'll be working here till I'm ninety. Yeah. You
know, maybe she wants to go have babies and stuff, you know,
I mean esperiously, you know, raise a family and stuff. If you
if you do that, you know the the you know, the the grind
of a of an LPGA career. You know, it makes it tough to
have a family, you know, and some players do, but it's hard.
And look, you and I know it's hard enough to raise a family
without without being you know, traveling every weekend and stuff like without question.
Yeah, yeah, well good for her. So sticking with golf, we're
gonna move over to the University of Arizona Men's golf season ended this weekend yeap
over in Carlsbad. They were number fifteen and the end of their weekend fifteenth
place at forty one over Park. Yeah, they were trying to They needed
to get into the top eight to get into the final round of stroke play
and then and they didn't get there, so to get into the match play
and they didn't get there. So but you know, they got pretty far.
So good, good season. Yep, We're gonna stick with. So
it was just recent news. Back to the Major League Baseball. The Negro
League's statistics will be incorporated on Wednesday, so tomorrow, into the into the
MLB. The MLB, so part of that will be part of their MLB
stats is what you're saying, right, Because like players like Jackie Robinson,
Willie Mays, Hank Aaron Hank, Aaron, Don Newcombe, all these guys.
So I wonder if that gets Hank Aaron up past Barry Bonds for home
runs. Has there been anything about that to look into that. It just
just broke. It just broke. I would have loved that. I would
have loved that. Get out of here Berry the cheater. But I'm not
bitter, no at all. You know what, I'm glad about that he
never won a World Series. I'm really glad about that they never cheated his
way to the world So I was gonna open up ten of WORL I know,
okay, all right, And the last thing I got is just NBA
NBA playoffs. Oh yeah. The Celtics are now in the finals. So
we're down to three teams in the playoffs, and I his Game four between
the Wolves and the Mavericks. To lose any money over the weekend, No,
I didn't bet because I didn't know which way to go with any of
them. But let me tell you, I know who made a lot of
money this weekend for the playoffs. TJ. I don't know his contract now,
and no one's getting paid a lot of money. He's we were talking
about this last night. He's supposed to make nine million dollars next year.
He's going to make more eventually, because the dude, as hard as he
plays and as well as he plays, is going to land on a team
that needs him and we'll say and we'll use it and come come with us.
Unless he loves his place where he's not, and he probably does.
But he'll be ten years into the league many people, probably including me,
didn't think he'd be one. No, yeah, and and you know,
yeah, and he's wrapping up his this is his tenth year, right,
so no, no, n this is so next year will be his tenth
year. Okay. Well, and he's not an airport guy, definitely not
an airport. Watching the game the other night, my daughter maid made the
comment of he's so little, and he's really not. But when you see
him among the trees of the the NBA players right where even the even the
the two guards are six six seven and six eight, you know you see
him, right, he's what maybe six two the most? You know he
does. There are times when you know, you just get a camera shot
of him and they're shooting his head and then somebody walks by and all you
can you can't see them from the neck up because they're out of the camera
shot. And then she would just say that he does seem kind of kind
of little out there. I was just happy that, you know, he
got this far with that team and he's doing so well. He's he's just
one of those guys you cheer for. Oh is that it? So?
So today's the twenty eighth I'm assuming I'm assuming correctly or otherwise, the klab
Love will let us know tonight or tomorrow to the twenty ninth is the day,
right, Yeah, whether he's gonna come or go or stay or do
whatever, because he's got he's got like three options. Come back to Tucson
and play for Ubay, stay in the NBA and take his chances league,
or go to another school, right or go to another school. I think
he can do that, or or you know, G League Europe or whatever.
Yeah, I imagine and Broadley too, because he isn't he hasn't said
anything. I imagine that he's his goal is to get in the NBA.
So he's not gonna leave Arizona to go play overseas for now. I don't.
I wouldn't think. I would think he's either going to come back here
or another school and stay on the radar for the NBA rather than go overseas.
But his chances will get into the NBA are probably equal because he well,
let me ask you, if he's not ready for the NBA today,
today, tomorrow or otherwise, do you think he's going to be ready for
the NBA in a year. It's hard to know, Steve. If you
know, he makes other parts of his game better if he has better Let's
say he's a great shooting here. Let's say he's one of the top three
point shooters in the country. Yeah, maybe because you can say, well,
he worked on a shot, that's what he needed to do, But
he's got to do a lot of things. Part of what you would hope
is that in going through this process, both him, Jade and Bradley whatever
he's been doing j lewis that they got a sense of, Okay, this
is what I need to do now. Flip side of that is you worry
that are they going to sacrifice the team right, right right to do the
things to help themselves. Sure, he's gonna shoot more, is he gonna
shoot less? Is he going to force some things because that's what he was
told he needed to do in order to be an NBA player, And he's
going to do those things to the detriment of what Tommy Lloyd wants. And
there's the dilemma because if you you what he needs to do is work on
a shot, obviously, become more consistent, right and maybe even he can't
go into those right and become more of a point guard ball handling guy.
I don't know if he's that guy, but the shot for sure. The
thing is he gonna be one year older. No, he's gonna be twenty
three, twenty four. And in the league where it's a young league,
there's a lot of things. Yeah, and don't forget Jay and I l
how much budget deserves ought to have to pay all to pay him. Doesn't
have the money to get him back. And if they might say, we
won't have any money for you, he'll go somewhere. Yeah, And we
don't know, We don't know the answer to that. I imagine he's gonna
play college basketball next year. That's mine, that's my that was my guest.
My guess he's playing college basketball somewhere. I think it's probably about And
I don't have anything to base this on. Sixty forty Yeah, I'm gonna
say about a sixty five percent chance that he's coming back here. Oh no,
no, okay, I was gonna say, what's the percentage of people
who want him back? Oh, that's sixty four. I was saying sixty
forty. Yeah. There are some people out there who think that they they'd
rather not have the packed ball player of the year back and I don't.
I don't get that, but okay, I know some of those people.
Yeah, no, I do too. Okay, No, I hear you.
I think anything else. I think anything else breaking news? Yeah,
real, real quick. As I saw this, you know it's not breaking
news, but it's it's something I thought was very interesting. So there are
six teams, six teams or six schools that had a team make an FBS
bowld make the NCAA tournament, and men's and women's basketball, baseball, and
softball. So those five things and the six are Tennessee, Alabama, Duke,
Texas, A and M Texas and and pretty good company. That's pretty
cool. I mean you see these logos and which logo doesn't belong there?
Right, there's a one two? Well what Texas if you count Texas is
an SEC school coming up? You know four teams are going to be in
the SEC next year, an ACC team and then Arizona. So there you
go, all right, sacred break. When come back with Bryce Miller,
the writer from the San Diego Union Tribune, I did call him on Bill
Walton uh for the Tribune. I guess probably knows him very well from the
work he's done with him. So Sikarn will get some of Bryce Miller thoughts
on that Billbob. The Window Depot is more than a Windows store. The
Window Depot is a one softwarehouse with everything you need for your complete Homer model.
Shop the aisles of pre built cabinets in a variety of colors, granite
and courts, countertops, sinks, skylights and hardware. To complete your project.
Need a custom order, we can help. Our designers offer free design
services and can special order everything you need for your kitchen, our bathroom remodel
Today. Shop the Window Deepot dot com or find a location near you.
The Window Depot more than a Windows store. Steve Rivera here to talk about
Dorato Rock Materials. I needed a lot of gravel for my driveway, so
I called Eric at Dorato Rock. He found out the amount and color I
needed and boom, it was taken care of and at a great price.
How do I know radio commercials work. I heard one of his on the
radio. Dorato Rock Materials provides a wide range of landscaping materials, including decorative
rock, boulders, gravel, soil, and sand, for residential and commercial
use in the Tucson area. They are locally owned and have been around for
more than fifteen years. Give them a call at five two zero for zero
zero four two three to three. Where do you buy exercise equipment? Arizona
Health Arizona Health Arizona Health. Of course, to feel better and look better,
it makes sense to buy your fitness equipment from the people who know it
better than anyone else. At Arizona Health, our goal is to help you
choose the equipment you need to reach your goals. Your health and fitness deserve
the best you deserve. Arizona Health the leading edge and exercise equipment on twenty
second just west of Wilmot. Did you know sports cards at Memorabilia are setting
record sales last month of nineteen fifty two tops Mickey Mantle SO for twelve point
six million, Lebron James Rookie SO for five point six Also, collecting cards
is a family fun hobby that can be very profitable. If you want to
start a collection or expand your collection, check out Showtime Cards. They are
one of the leading card shops in the country and have served our local community
for twenty five years. They are located on e Speedway. If that's show
Time Cards at Nova Home loans we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy the
independence that comes with home ownership. Paul Volpi is ready to help you find
an option that best fits your needs. Whether you're a first time or veteran
home buyer or want to get cash out with the refinance. Nova has a
variety of home loan programs to meet your unique situation. Visit voltee team dot
com. That's volpe team dot com or call five two oh six one eight
five six two six today n MLS three oh eight seven arizon A BKO Ninez
two nine four two Equal Housing Opportunity how to Commitments to Lyndrixon Credit rates and
available loan programs are subject to change with unumbers. We're into twenty twenty four
and it's time to think of recognizing your employees, salespeople, managers, team
members and agents with a Creative Award for the great job they did in twenty
twenty three. Come visit Creative Awards beautiful showroom with over one thousand items to
choose from, located to two to twenty eight West Drachman Street, or visit
their website at Creative Awards az dot com. Celebrate fifty years in business and
see all the creative products they carry from recognition to promotional products and premium gifts
for your special clients. Give Creative Awards a call today five to two oh
eight A two eighty six seventy seven. It's that time of year, summer
in Tucson. Time to take control with temperature control for all your air conditioning
needs. We'll keep you cool during all the hot streaks. All you have
to do is stay in control with temperature control where we handle everything you need
with prompt response, affordable pricing and sound solutions. We also excel in plumbing
and electrical work. We handle everything you need. Give us a call at
five two oh eight one five five six six' five or visit our website
at tempdash con dot com and remember, stay in control with temperature control.
Need concrete hard Works Concrete has it. We have more than twenty five years
of experience with all things concrete. Installing sidewalks and patio floors are our specialty
and handle masonry work and retaining laws. We're locally and family owned. Just
let us know what you need, how you want it, and we'll take
care of it. Leave the hard work up to us. We're Hardworks Concrete.
Call us at five one two ninety six two five six six zero or
visit our website hardworks Concrete dot com. We'll put the work in for you.
Got bugs, termites, bees, are rodents, Arizona Pest Control will
hunt them down. Arizona Pest Control is your complete desert pest management specialist that's
can't run or hide from Arizona Pest Control. They use only the latest and
most technologically advanced methods of pest elimination available, which minimizes the effects on the
environment. Let Arizona Pest Control get rid of your bad bugs, termites,
bees, or rodents. Serving Tucson and southern Arizona since nineteen forty seven.
Go to azpest dot com to schedule your free evaluation today. Hey Tucson,
it's getting hot out there, which means it's time for the coolest charity run
in town. Randy A seta here inviting you to join us for the TMC
Meet Me Downtown five k Night Run and Walk coming up on Saturday night,
June first, and featuring the free Raising Caines High School Mile, a free
kids mile, and rock and roll on the main stage. This is Tucson's
biggest running party. See run Tucson dot net for all the details. Steve
Rivera and Jacin Salles they have their Eye on the Ball on Tucson Sports Stage
Chat Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back to Eying the Ball here
on Fox sportsporteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. He's Jackins always Snow on the
phone. We have Bryce Miller, columnists for the San Diego Union Tribune.
Bryce, how are you doing well? How about you guys? Fine?
Thank you? Before the show started about an hour ago. I'm taking and
one of my buddies from a long time ago USA today is uh uh,
I forgot your name, Bryce, Bryce? You forgot your name right?
Just get an old Bryce. You know that you know? Yeah? Yeah,
Well it's always nice to know that you've left kind of a lasting impression.
Well you did yesterday when I saw your call him on Bill Walton.
What a fantastic story on him. You've known him for a while. How
many stories have you done on him? Oh? I don't have any idea.
I would guess I don't know. Maybe at least ten, maybe,
well more so. I tried to I tried to lean on him when I
could because he's just such a fascinating guy. We will will we'll have our
different impressions of him. What before you go into the story, what was
your blasting impression of him? Just how how singular he is he and I
mentioned it in the column, he's kind of one of one. Uh,
there there won't be another Bill Wilton. Sometimes people say there will never be
another this guy or that guy. But but in Walton's case, it's true.
The combination of his you know, Hall of Fame basketball success and then
the humanitariany was the philanthropist that he was just the kind souls particularly meaningful in
San Diego, because like I had written, he's not just the biggest cheerleader
and ambassador for this city. He's kind of the soul of it. He's
he's as San Diego a thing about San Diego as there is in a lot
of ways. But he just even though San Diego is the eighth largest city
in the country and people don't always think of it being that size, it
kind of has that reputation of a you know, sleepy coastal found out here
in the corner. Despite that, almost everybody in the city seemingly has a
story about meeting him. He was just out there. He was available,
he interacted with people and just giving money and supporting causes on every level.
He was just a completely singular human being. Was he was he able to
you know, be around town and you know, live his life and that
kind of thing. Or was he just a guy that attracted folks everywhere he
went? I mean, how did San Diego handle him as far as that
goes? Well? And everybody wanted to be around him. But he was
kind of known for you know, he had nearly forty surgeries in his life
related to all his injuries and everything from foot to back to almost everything in
between. And he had told a colleague of mine years ago that he had
considered suicide because the cane was so intense and unrelenting. And but once he
got a surgery that allowed him to get back on his bike. He loved
his bike. In fact, there's a statue that was commemorated in twenty sixteen
to him and the statue it's a huge bronze statue. It's him and his
bike. The bike is part of the statue. But once he did that,
you just couldn't keep him off that bike. He would even in my
little community. We see him come through, and so many people have stories
about, Oh I saw Bill on his bike today. You know he didn't.
He didn't hide in his house on the edge above the park. He
got out and lived life. If there were community events, if there were
plays, if there were concerts, if they were charity events, it was
just Bill was always there. He was unbelievably, unrelentingly there. And so
he lived his life and he lived it right in the part of this city
and among people. And that's why so many people were affected by this,
and it was the sense of loss was so profound because again, almost everybody
felt like they knew him in some way. Yeah, no question, We
talked about that. Yeah, everybody has a photo of him. How I
made him at this place or that place. There was a there was a
quote in your story that struck me, and I got a screenshot of it.
You can tell me who said it, And this was about him.
Athletes usually aren't very good about giving back because they're trained to take all their
life, and I thought that was brilliant. But if you get it and
realize that the real honor is to give back to your community, Bill Relish
is that that was fantastic. Yeah, that was the late kind of iconic
broadcaster. Dick Embert he had told me at the time when I was writing
that piece about Bill, and I think it was in relation to the statue
being unveiled. They became great friends. Obviously, Dick covered him during his
the heyday of the u c l A winning all those national titles, so
they had that exposure between them in the UCLA days, but then both living
in San Diego, that developed into something more. And you know, Dick
brought up a really good point. You didn't hear a lot of from a
lot of people as athletes at that level of success. For him not to
be selfish, for him not to have a gigantic ego that matched his size,
that's another thing that made him special. Thank you. You mentioned you
thought you had ten, maybe a dozen stories about him. What were the
when you want when you needed to do a story wanted to do Stroy.
Where were some of the things that you felt you needed to talk to him
about or that you needed to bring to your readers. What did you want
them to know about him? Well, I, you know, the statue
of veiling. Not to keep going back to that, but I took that
opportunity and ended up on one A and the sand Union Tribune back at twenty
sixteen when we did it, partially because I just did a deep die and
talked to a lot of people that he knew and didn't just write, Hey,
there was a statue on veiling. Here's Bill. He's happy about it.
It was try to understand his life, try to understand how much he
and his wife Laurie had done for the community. Try to understand a little
bit of what made him tick. And so if you go online and you
find that story, I think you'll get a sense of him there. And
and then the column I wrote yesterday is kind of a more broad brush sense
of what he meant here and the type of person that he was. But
I talked to him about anything I could almost at any point, you know,
when the Celtics were back in the NBA Finals, he's fallen up and
he'd have great stories. He's told this story. But the time he was
running late with kids and he's going to this playoff game and might have been
the finals, but he got with it a few blocks of the Boston Garden
and he was going to be late. So he just met these guys on
the street. He rolled down the window and he gave that got out of
his car and he gave them his car, and they said, if you
can, could you drive this behind the garden and ask for I forget the
guy's name, Tony or whoever, and he'll know what to do with it.
Because it was deadlock, bridlocked traffic. So these strangers he had never
met. He just gave them his car. And he came out after the
game and there was the car because they were like, well, it's Bill
Walton. We're going to go park his car. So I mean, who
does that? But you know that's just one of a million slipvers of life
that explained Bill Walton. Yeah, no question. I'm sure you talked to
his kids as well, who he loved tremendously as part of the stories.
Well more, you know, I did some stuff on Luke when he was
you know, coach of the Lakers briefly, and you know some other things
for sure. But you know it was if you guys dealt with Walton,
which I know to some degree you did, and I'm sure he did.
You asked him one question and it was twenty minutes later before he came breap.
So if you were writing about Bill, it was more or less talking
to Bill. You didn't you didn't have a lot of time or bandwidth to
be talking to a lot of other people. But that's what made him really
interesting. If you want to see something really funny, go online and searche
Bryce Miller, Bill Walton Festival of Books and we have a festival book thing
and there's a video I taught again. He just said yes to everything.
My paper said, can you get him in to talk about his book?
He had a book out about his wife, and so he tried into the
paper and all I wanted to do, all my goal was because I know
once he started talking, he wouldn't stop. And I wanted to just say,
I'm Bryce Miller's sports column with san Diego Uch and this man needs no
introduction, but I'll give him one anyway. A Hall of Famer, NBA
champion, now best selling author Bill Walton. Bill, you know than you
go to the video and here's what happened. I go, I'm Bryce Miller,
and he goes and I'm Bill Walton, and I'm the luckiest guy in
the world. And he goes on for like two and a half minutes and
I haven't explained why we're sitting there and what we're doing, what this is
about. And I'm just laughing because I lost control of this, like in
the first five seconds. And that was Bill too. He was just so
energetic about everything that, as his late brother Bruce Walton told me once,
you know, he overcame debilit any stuttering as a child, really paralyzing and
made him shy and reserved. And Bruce said, once he started talking and
he never stopped. And it's it's true. He had so much he wanted
to stay to the world and then if he got a window to do it,
he did it. Well, we laughed because the last time he was
on our show, this is back in December of twenty two, Steve says,
bringing me in, Steve says, Bill, how you doing? And
he went for seven minutes. Oh, and it's hilarious and it was all
great stuff. Yeah. Of course, I don't know if you guys saw
the Scott Van Pelt review on ESPN, but that's worth looking up too.
That they're talking to him after a cow game and he just starts talking about
bears and it's not like talking about like bears. The animals and you look
at Scott van Pelt. There's a photo of Van Pelt just slumped over his
arm like I've never seen a broadcaster on live TV, and he looked so
defeated. He's like, well, I've lost control of this interview and Bill's
going to talk for ten minutes about bears and it's just everything was an experience
with Bill, and that's what made it interesting to talk or do your own
so you can kind of get an image of what's in his head. I'm
sure you went to the house where the famous TP where the TPE is and
the collective. It's just so eclicktic, well, so many things. Yeah,
yeah, he went is there was a range of things I needed to
talk about at one point and he said, just come to the house.
And of course, you know. The other thing is he's just everybody knows
he was the biggest grateful dead fame in the world. We'll get over there
in his house and we're sitting there at breakfast and there was this kind of
moving tray thing that had these breakfast items on it, and we both sat
there for like two hours talking about two or three things, and the little
napkins were grateful dead Napkins, of course, and then he points over to
a landline and he goes, do you know you know what call I took
on that phone? And I'm well, of course, I have no idea.
And he goes, that's the phone where I got the call oh help
me out here, the lead singer to Jerry Garcia. Yes, he said,
he said, that's the call I got from one of the band members
that Jerry had died and so. And he also had in the area of
his kitchen which kind of blended into sort of the living room, but he
had a giant drum bongo kit It just kind of awkwardly sat in the middle
of all this stuff. And he would play sets with a group called the
Electric Waistband in San Diego when they do grateful bed stuff. So, you
know, he dove into music, he dove into bike broadcasting. Just he
no one made sure they they did not get cheated into life as much as
Bill Wong. You know. One of the interesting things that we we talked
about earlier Steve was that, you know, the people were mixed in terms
of what they thought of him as a broadcaster. Right. There were some
people who just couldn't listen to him and that, you know, but nobody
since he passed has said they didn't like him, right, you know.
I mean he he was an acquired taste as relates to what he did on
UH on a on a game broadcast, But you didn't hate him for it,
you just you know, And and that's that That's what's the amazing thing
to me about it is that people who really disliked how he did a game
still liked it. Yeah. He the traditionalists who just wanted to score and
some analysis because he understood the game of course, you know the level he
played it at. Yeah, it was frustrating for some and he knew he
wasn't for everyone in the sense of that, but nobody wasn't entertained, a
bit, a little bit informed. You talk about anything and you just appreciate
it. A kind of kind of person, even if even if that's not
how you generally want to watch a game. And and Bill was just gonna
again, even if it was in his work life, he was going to
live life on his own first. Yeah, no question. Anybody who wants
to read Bryce's calling, please do just kind of Bryce Brycemailer, sendye your
Union Tribune. You love it. Thank you Bryce for joining us telling us
about it. Yeah, I'm glad to be good to talk to you.
Well, take care of our guys. Yeah, Ryan, uh yeah,
yeah, yeah. He told me today that that you guys were in some
football pool or something. You're gonna be talking to my guy today. Yeah,
we'll be sure. Tell them me be sure. You know, we
know things about Ryan, so you know, if you ever need something like
that, feel free to share anytime. Thank you. Okay, guys,
you got it. You know what are the great writers in the West Coast?
Price stuff? Google him if you haven't had a chance. There's plenty
of stories, yeah, all over the country about it. All right,
so we're gonna take our last break. We'll be back. We'd love to
take your cause if you called earlier and we didn't take your cause because we
were right up against the top of the top of the hour. So we
will be right back. 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 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. What one email me at Steve dot RIVERA
ninety five at gmail dot com. Hi, this is formal while get leman
huntly with Arizona Health, imagine how home GM can change your health, your
comfort, and your time. Arizona Health is everything you need to transform your
personal space and your life. We off a complete line of cardio machines,
multi gms and freewright equipment. I'll certify fitness experts and technicians will set you
up with the right equipment and training to get you started to keep you going.
Visit our share room today at twenty second in Wilmot. Arizona Health the
lead edge and exercise equipment. What's your goal a new career or career advancement?
How about transferring to a four year college. PEMA Community College can help
you make someday today and reach your goals affordably on your schedule. With over
one hundred programs to choose from and financial lad available. It's time to earn
the degree or certificate you need to prepare for the career you want. PEMA
offers free career exploration classes so you can choose the field that's right for you.
Learn how at PIMA dot edu slash someday, I don't have to tell
you it's hot. Hi. This is run from Picture Rocks, coolingpeting,
and plumbing. Make sure your home is cool uncomfortable all summer long. Three
team maintenance can often prevent major breakdowns. Call us before the first sign of
trouble. All today five two zero four ninety two zero seven four eight or
picture Ockschooling dot com takes day and coming. Ready to save but not sure
where to begin? Take the Pyramid Federal Credit Union ten thousand dollars Saving Challenge
and we'll guide you along the way. Save five hundred dollars over six months
as a member and you could win big. Watch your savings grow to help
you reach goals like buying a car, owning a home, and more.
Visit Pyramid FCU dot com slash ten k challenge to get started today. Been
really Insured and CEU wag Do you want to be part of a winning team.
A Team Security is looking for friendly, outgoing event security guards and event
staff to be a part of our team. We've been providing our outstanding services
to some of Arizona's big sporting events and concerts for over twenty years. We
want you to join the action. A Team offers a fun and exciting opportunity
to work in the sports and entertainment industry, with flexible schedules that are perfect
for those looking for a part time job or a second income. Come be
a part of a winning team. The A Team apply online today at a
team security dot net. Steve Rivera and Jagen Salez they have their Eye on
the Ball on Tucson Sports a yet Fox Sports fourteen to fifty streaming live.
I mean iHeartRadio. Wapp Hey, welcome back to I on the Ball Hero
Fox Sports fourteen to fifty of Steve Rivera. He's Jacobs Awa, Scudder guy
Ryan after Control. We're gonna try it again. Yeah, I think we
hopefully have fixed a problem. I think we've got this thing cued up.
But we're gonna play the first the first seven minute clip, so you can't.
We're gonna take a call, right so our lines are busy right now.
We'll take a call after after this if at plays, So bear with
us. We're gonna hit play. And this is the from December of twenty
twenty two when we were talking to Bill got Bill on the show. He
was talking about that team. But you'll you'll see still here in the beginning
and you'll just go, this is gonna be a seven minute clip. So
here we go. Let's give it a shot. Hey, welcome back to
my on the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Romera,
He's Jiginsaws, and now on the phone we have the great Bill Walton.
Bill, how the heck are you? Oh my, I'm sitting in my
own desert garden with the long shadows on a cool, actually freezing cold afternoon,
and I'm underneath the proteas and the euphorbias and the cacti and the succulents
and the aloes and the dragon trees, and I'm thinking about the incredible experience
I just had watching the World Cup semi final France two nothings over Morocco.
It was just absolutely spectacular. I'm a huge World Cup soccer fan, and
to see how hard. Everybody tried to see the fans. They're passionate,
their passionate commitment and their willingness to go to such lengths to help their team
win. And I was just reminded one more time of the big red Army
of the West. And when I come over there to michale and I can't
wait. I know there's snow one mountain Lemon right now. We just had
a big two day dump of some much needed rain, and it's just been
so beautiful here. Even with all the problems that we face on a constant
basis, so many of them self inflicted. But if we can find some
piece, if we can find some solace in the world of sports, in
the world of community and coming together, and we can find that sense of
that sense of normal sea that the desert gives us, and that inclusiveness diverseness
and the animals and the plants and the sun and the air and the nature,
and somehow we find that way to look at each other and say,
hey man, we got to get this done. And to see what Tommy
Lloyd has been able to do. And the team is just on fire right
now. I was shocked, shocked at the loss of a Utah. But
Utah, like so many of the teams in college basketball. Man, when
they got it going and they got their crowd behind them, we saw what
Morocco did. And then last night or whenever it was, you lose track
of time in my life, but to see to see the Arizona Wildcats come
right back, and with the big game coming up on Saturday nights, even
though it's a late tip off, eight thirty Mountain time, Tennessee, don't
ever forget what Tennessee did to the University of Arizona a year ago when Arizona
went in undefeated on just a remarkable run and start, record setting start for
Tommy Lloyd. But then they were not ready. They were not ready to
play. And one of the great things about being the champion being the best,
which Arizona, Tommy Lloyd, Dave Heikey, Bobby Robbins, all the
guys, everybody in the community of Tucson. It's just what the standard of
excellence is. I mean, that's what lude Olsen created there and to be
able to carry that on and it's not just happening in the city of Tucson,
it's happening up in Phoenix with the Suns. It's happening in Tempe with
the Sun Devils, and so it's just absolutely fantastic. I watched the Sun
Devil's play I know this is a UFA station. I watched the Sun Devils
play man, and they are really fun because they play free, they play
easy, and they make it exciting as can be, and they're not looking
over at the coach every time for a structured play. They're saying, hey,
look, this is what we have. We may now have the big,
huge studs and so many of the superpowers like Arizona, like maybe UCLA
C certainly has, but this is going to be a remarkable Pac twelve Conference
A champion seasons. And just as we were coming on, I was told
that there was news of the day coming out about Sean Miller and if you
guys can clarify that for me, so I don't say something that is not
accurate. But I'm a big Steve. I'm a big Sean Miller fan.
And I got to have a little bit of contact with him up at PK
eighty five, and it was just a spectacular run for his new his old
Xavier team, and they got a really good squad and I like the fact
in college basketball, the good teams are playing each other one more time.
And I don't want to leave anybody out. I'm a big guy about inclusiveness,
about diversity. So you guys can maybe tell me what Grand Canyon University
is doing and Bryce Newell is doing as well. Well. I take a
quick breath and adjudge my sunglasses here as the shadows keep getting longer. And
I moved myself over under the purgeon there and see all the Bonzai specimens that
I have right there. Oh, there's the tpe right back there in the
corner. What a beautiful day we have in San Diego, and I hope
you're celebrating the wonders of nature and life as well. Thank you, Eve.
How are you guys? Well? Thanks for doing us. Bill,
we've run out of time, the t says Bill. We're freezing over here.
For Hey, Bill, you had that freezing the other day. And
I'm super sorry that I was not able to make the show on whatever day
it was. But I was scheduled and my car broke down and I couldn't
move and I was stuck and I couldn't get anything, and it took four
to five hours out of my life to get back to my dance, to
get back to order. But finally order was restored in the universe, and
I'm back at it now and good to be on your show. Eye on
the ball, because that's always what I try to teach, is to keep
your eye on the ball, because if you're going to ever get the ball.
And when you look at these guys like, oh my gosh, ma
Bappi and Hernandez and Girard and oh the greaseman and all these guys from France
who were just playing so hard in Morocco. Morocco was playing with such spirit.
But the goal is just in the fourth minute of the game, and
there was a very dangerous attempt defensively and then you know, in soccer,
so many of these games come down to just one play and one mistake,
and the guy went for a steal that he didn't need to do. They
had the French guys under control. He went for the steal and all of
a sudden, now France is wide open in front of the goal and they
got the goal, and oh man, and from then on they just eventually
wore down the Moroccan team, which played with a lot of spirit, a
lot of pride and hearts, the kind of things that I look for in
all kinds of athletics, but really look forward to in the conference. A
champions pack, twelve basketball wow, vintage. But we didn't even get to
what we wanted to talk about. I don't even remember what Shaw the sewan
breaking up? Yeah, what that break was here, So it didn't really
matter, h Yeah. And then we had one more question right now,
Jackson, you asked him a question about the Arizona big man. It just
said you might. You started to ask it, and then and then he
kept going. He asked him that it's another seven minute clips, so we
can't play the whole thing. But it was again, it's not so much
what he said in these things, it's just that how he said it,
right, and just the conversation. And you know, yeah, I mean,
as he's painting a picture of his backyard to us, right sure,
talking about you know what he's doing, and we never mentioned the backyards.
No, And that's what he wasn't in the broadcast. Right. It's funny
because I could I get it when I didn't travel with the team, obviously,
we listened to the games at home, and I could understand and why
people got frustrated. But Jay, when you go to a game, right,
when you go to a game, physically go to a game, what
do you do? You watch the game? I watch the game. You
don't need anybody telling you about the game, right, Why don't they just
turn down the TV and watch the game. Well, that's what some people
would do. They'd say, I've got to turn him off. I actually
showed somebody you can listen to Brian Jefferies and watch the game. You just
got to time your you know, your your your TV with with you know
where it's coming over the over the radio or whatever there was. You know,
I never did that. I loved I'm not gonna say I loved listening
to him. I I would listen to him and watch the game, and
he was he was kind of like background talk to me. You know.
I would kind of I would kind of hear him and and and uh,
you know, sometimes I'd pay attention to what he was saying. I'm like,
what's he talking about? But it was fun for me. There were
other people who just said, I absolutely can't listen to him. Well it
was nice story from seven nine years ago. I think it was he knew
everything about Ducsan, the birds, the species of birds, the weather tempts,
the Mountain Lemon because he wrote it. He said, I know there's
snow on Mountain Lemon right now, remember, because that we were it was
cold that day, is what I recall. And the funny thing about is
Arizona fans the ones who you don't hear from now. He said all he
hates us. He hates us because all he does is rip us, right.
And the funny thing about it is, I probably think that every team
in the conference felt the same way because he that's who he was. You
talked about the teams right well, the schools. Yeah, he did it
and you no, and he didn't hate anybody. Yeah, it's just the
perception that people are right right. Yeah, you know again, we're gonna
miss him, We really are. You know, when when they're when when
you know Arizona is that playing wherever they're playing, and and you know Dave
Pash maybe maybe doing a game, or Roxy Burns, he might be doing
the game and they're not with Bill Walton, you're gonna go, wait a
minute, there's something missing. Yeah, yeah, well I remember the one.
There's two big stories that I remember. The most so nineteen ninety two.
I think it was had to be ninety two. He was here with
to do a game somehow, and he came in and he was talking to
Lute on the court. That's when we were able to go to practice blah
blah blah, and Damon, Damon, who was from Portland, Yeah,
was on the floor and he he kind of acted like a two year old
a ten year old when he went to go shake Bill Walm's hand for the
first time, and he was like, holy crap, I get to meet
mister Bill Walmen, who of course paid at port in Portland, right,
And Damon must have been a kid back then, yeah, and he was
like, holy crap, I'm meeting Bill Walden for the first time. Yeah.
That and then when he paid, uh, when he paid for the
airplane ticket and got Richard Jefferson in trouble, I remember, and he was
very very because we had to do the stories, right, he was very
apologetic. He's Rich's one of my sons. Yeah, I'm buying it together
for one of my sons to see my other son, right. I remember
all that. I remember all that, and he was just he just he
had good intentions always exactly. Always, even in his commentary, you know,
on a game broadcast or where he was on our show or somebody else's
show, the intentions were always good. He was never trying to make anybody
look bad. He was never mean, he was never you know, he
just was You could tell he was just having fun. Yeah, without realizing
he was having fun. He did it because he was just doing what he
became natural together, right, He wasn't trying to create fun. He was
just that's who we were. The funny thing is I did that story nine
years ago. I think it wasn't And I asked him, what do you
think about the fans kind of like loving you and not loving you at the
same taxes. I don't know. I'm just trying to be me, trying
to be me, And I don't know how to answer that, because again,
I'm just trying to be me. And he was so polarizing. People
loved him or hated him. But Larry Scott's the one who kind of brought
him to the PAC twelve Yeah, and says I like what I see and
I'm going to keep him. Yeah, So you know again, and he's
one of those guys that you don't you know, you don't think about him
in terms of am I gonna miss him when he's gone? But then once
he's gone, you go, okay, yeah, you know I do miss
I do miss the one. The thing. I sent Luca a note yesterday.
I feel bad for their sons, obviously, you know what. He
was only seventy one, and you know, I don't know if that's old.
And he's only six years older than me, so well six and change.
You would think that, uh, well, but the thing is,
he's only sent me one. But he had a fantastic life. He had
a fantastic life, but in a lot of ways, a tough life,
very much right. First of all, living in that spotlight is hard,
no matter what, whether it's good or bad, it's hard. But then
you know all the health issues that he had. We saw that, and
very well known health issues. And Bryce said forty forty and not simple.
Yeah, how many back surgeries, foot surgeries and all that stuff. I
mean, you know, I've told you know again. Having breakfast with him
in those times in chime, he would get two chairs from the table and
back them so he could sit there. He was already tall enough. And
then you're sitting with him at breakfast. You're looking up at him. Well,
you get a kick when you watch the show. Eventually, when you
watch the show, and then we'll read the other Mouchy story. On this
trip homework, he talked about having to sit in chairs like for kindergarteners.
Yeah, oh, in these kindergartener chairs, you know, just normal chairs
that you and I would sit in because he couldn't. His legs were too
long and his knees. I can't even imagine him getting in airplane and stuff.
Yeah, he got tired of doing that With the NBA. They finally
said, sorry, you can't do this anymore because he was traveling so much.
Right, all right, well again we're gonna miss himself. Yeah,
but you know the thing is we're talking about him and it's all fun and
fun. Yeah, fun and good stuff, you know, because that's who
he was. That's who he was. Yeah, So celebration of life,
Yeah, very much. All right, we're out here. I'm out here
for a week. I will be back a week from tomorrow. I'm going
down to Rocky Plat and spend some time on the beach, get my summer
color, and uh so Steve will be here with some great guests, already
got some guys lined up for tomorrow. You have color? What are you
talking about? I need more, I need more. And then I will
see if they let me back in the country. Well might look might be
looking for a new all right, I'll see you guys in a week.
Steve will be back tomorrow with some great guest host and some great guests,
so we hope to see it. Thanks a bunch