WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.799 All right, let's get a drive time right afternoon, eight 2 00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:06.759 minutes past the hour, two o'clock. What a gorgeous day 3 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:09.320 to cap off a gorgeous week. We've had spring light 4 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:13.080 conditions all week long, and as it is every single day, 5 00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:14.519 it's going to have you along for the ride. It's 6 00:00:14.519 --> 00:00:16.480 Bence check, it's behind the mic. We are out and 7 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:21.640 about today at Tim Dolly Nissan, Tim Dalliotto Group are 8 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:24.239 good friends. The address is forty five twenty eight South 9 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:27.160 State Street. Really easy to find, just put that address 10 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:30.079 in your GPS. ESPN seven hundred van is right out front. 11 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:33.880 Happy Friday to you. Congratulations, you made weekend time. What 12 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:36.600 a beautiful week we've had and we have a jam 13 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:40.600 packed Friday show for you guys right now. Now get 14 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:43.000 a new ride from Tim Dalliato Group. Tim Dolly is 15 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:45.320 making room for the twenty twenty five models, so all 16 00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:49.600 twenty four models must go during their year end clearance event. 17 00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:51.479 You can get behind the wheel of your dream car 18 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:54.719 or truck or suv. They've got EV's and stock as well. 19 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:57.079 Great deals going on. He starting the new year with 20 00:00:57.119 --> 00:01:00.280 a big win and with Tim Dolly's forever warranty. It's 21 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:03.399 a real thing. It's a forever warranty. It doesn't happen 22 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:05.799 in very many places, if any at all here at 23 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:09.120 Tim dally So it is a forever warranty. It's a 24 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:11.799 win win. You can thank Tim dally Ford Infinity three 25 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:15.760 niss On two Maza location. Think Tim Daliato group, come 26 00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:19.680 on by and say what's up jam packed Friday Show? 27 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:22.599 Good have you with us on this Friday afternoon. The 28 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:25.000 Utah Jazz welcome in a couple of old friends tonight 29 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:28.640 as the Minnesota Timberwolves roll into town. The Jazz were 30 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:31.840 off last night, but a fun, fun out of NBA 31 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:36.640 basketball last night. Stephen Wardale Curry. How about fifty six 32 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:40.840 points for steph last night? Incredible performance. Golden State Warriors 33 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:43.959 are seven and one after acquiring Jimmy Butler and the 34 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:47.200 LA Lakers are eight and two since acquiring. Now that's 35 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:49.120 not right. It says that it doesn't feel like he's 36 00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:51.799 played ten games. But anyway, Lake Chris beat the Timberwolves 37 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:54.200 last night, so the te Wolves roll in on the 38 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:56.560 second out of a back to back. The Phoenix Suns 39 00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:59.640 continue to spiral in the wrong direction and it really 40 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:02.200 really on game in Milwaukee saw the Bucks getting the Nuggets. 41 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:05.120 So a fun night of NBA basketball last night, and 42 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:07.359 we've got a good night of NBA hoops tonight featuring 43 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:09.719 the Timberwolves and the Jazz here in downtown Salt Lake City, 44 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:13.639 Utah at the Delta Center for a seven thirty tip. 45 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:19.159 College hoops will dominate the weekend landscape both locally and nationally. 46 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:22.759 BYU looks to continue their winning ways. They've won five 47 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:25.919 straight Big twelve games, and that is the longest Big 48 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:28.759 Twelve winning streak that they have had. Even though it's 49 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:32.120 only been two years. BYU's already won twenty games. There 50 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:34.439 are eleven and six in conference play, and they welcome 51 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:37.520 in the team to the Marriot Center. Who they beat 52 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:40.479 to start this winning streak. West Virginia is in town 53 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:43.080 coming up tomorrow night at eight o'clock on ESPN two. 54 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:46.120 University of Utah will get back at it as well. 55 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:49.000 Only a few games left for the Utes. Obviously, the 56 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:51.439 storyline this week has been the news that Craig Smith 57 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:53.960 was relieved of his duties as Utah's head coach. We'll 58 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:56.560 get to some of the latest thoughts and the latest 59 00:02:56.639 --> 00:03:00.000 rumors about who could take that job next. Arizona State 60 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:02.439 rolls into the Huntsman Center. It's a five o'clock tip 61 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:05.400 coming up tomorrow night. I would encourage you, if you 62 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:07.719 have some free time tomorrow to head on up to 63 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:10.919 the Huntsman Center and give these young men your support. 64 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:13.759 I'm sure it's been an emotional week for them. I'm 65 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.400 sure it's been a difficult stretch for them. Then on 66 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:18.719 the fourth, March fourth, coming up next week, it'll be 67 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:22.240 West Virginia in town and Utah finishes off their regular 68 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:25.639 season schedule. I'm not sure if any post season plans 69 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:27.960 are going to be possible, but BYU will be the 70 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:31.800 final game down on Provo, down in Provo on March 71 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:34.199 the eighth, and it's gonna be a tough one for you. 72 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:37.639 It's man Kevin Young, Bringham Young. They have been on fire, 73 00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:40.840 and the Utah Women welcome in bringing Young coming up 74 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:45.479 tomorrow at one thirty. So a jam packed the day 75 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:47.520 of college hoops tomorrow. The women have lost two of 76 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:49.639 their last three to two really good teams, Oklahoma State 77 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:52.120 and West Virginia. Try to get back at it coming 78 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.159 up against BYU tomorrow, so a lot to do. Some 79 00:03:55.240 --> 00:03:58.360 local players showing out at the NFL Draft combine. We 80 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:02.120 have some NFL offseason news. Stafford has agreed to a 81 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:05.719 restructured deal with the Rams, and could Aaron Rodgers simply 82 00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:09.919 not move and play football next year in New York, 83 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.639 but for the Giants instead of the Jets. So a 84 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:15.240 lot to do, a lot to do on the program today. 85 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:17.079 Great to have you with us where Ilse Salt Lake 86 00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:21.199 will try somehow some way to get on track, coming 87 00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:23.399 up to Marrogan. It's a really good Seattle Sounders team. 88 00:04:23.399 --> 00:04:27.000 Seattle made a lot of offseason additions. Craig Wibel is 89 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:29.120 the general manager in Seattle. He spent a ton of 90 00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:31.759 time down here in saw Lake. He's the man that's 91 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:35.040 credited with finding Demir cry Lock and others. So it's 92 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:36.959 going to be a tough test as RSL is waiting 93 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:40.439 for reinforcements. So we'll do a little RSL on the 94 00:04:40.439 --> 00:04:43.240 program today as well. Good guest list on this Friday 95 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:46.759 afternoon Live from Tim Dolly Tim Dolly Nissan at forty 96 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:48.920 five to twenty eight South State Street. It's their year 97 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:52.079 end clearance, so come on by and say what's up. 98 00:04:52.120 --> 00:04:53.879 Get a great deal on a vehicle, price to move. 99 00:04:54.360 --> 00:04:56.240 Our first guest right out of the gates will be 100 00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:58.839 the man who I think is going to be wearing 101 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:01.959 the captain's arm band for all OSL this year. Mecca 102 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:03.680 and Nelly will be our first guest. Right out of 103 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:05.240 the gate. Shout out in eight bench that we're gonna 104 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:08.439 move over to Howard Beck Hippis, rider around, NBA rider 105 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:11.160 around at three o'clock, our friend from the Ringer, and 106 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:13.959 then we'll welcome in Paul Pugmyer for a little bit 107 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:18.040 of golf as a golf season. PGA Tour they're in 108 00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:22.519 the midst of their Florida swing and as of now 109 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:25.839 it looks like it's the Cognistant Classic in the Palm Beaches. Oh, 110 00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:28.600 Jake Knapp is not in the league man. He had 111 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:31.120 a fifty nine yesterday Jake Knapp did, so we'll do 112 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:34.160 a little little golf. But the leader board is jam 113 00:05:34.279 --> 00:05:37.040 packed with big names down in Florida as the PGA 114 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:39.399 Tour makes their Florida swing. They'll be at Bayhill next 115 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:42.240 weekend and I will be at that tournament. Very excited 116 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:44.319 to attend at PGA event. It's something I've never had 117 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:47.199 an opportunity of doing. So after Pug stops, I will 118 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:51.000 welcome in Spencer Linton, our friend from BYU TV, do 119 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:53.199 a little BYU hoops, some Big twelve hoops, maybe some 120 00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:56.040 college football, some Big twelve football. BYU has actually started 121 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.600 their spring practice on the football side of things as well. 122 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:02.399 And then my guy, im my former radio partner, longtime 123 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:05.160 columnist at the Salt Lake Tribune, Gordon Montson stops by 124 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:08.319 on a Friday afternoon. So a Mecca and Nellie Howard Beck, 125 00:06:08.920 --> 00:06:13.839 Paul Pugmyer, Spencer Linton, Gordon mottson me Spence Jackets live 126 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:16.000 at Tim dally Nissan forty five to twenty eight South 127 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:18.920 State Street, and back in the studio on this beautiful, 128 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:22.240 beautiful Friday afternoon is where we find the producer of 129 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:26.680 this program, Porter Larson, on a Friday. Is it Is 130 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:28.519 it safe to say that Steph Curry might be the 131 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:30.040 greatest point guard in the history of the NBA. 132 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.720 Man, that's a it's a good question. He's He's on 133 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:37.720 the very, very short list. I whenever this argument comes up, 134 00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:41.560 I say Lebron Magic, those guys are point guards. They're 135 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:42.319 in the discussion. 136 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:42.959 Uh. 137 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:47.959 But I mean it's Chris Paul, it's it's John Stockton, 138 00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:50.480 it's Steph Curry and it's maybe those guys if you 139 00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:52.879 want to, if you want to have that that discussion. 140 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:56.439 And man, he's still doing it, still doing it at 141 00:06:56.439 --> 00:06:58.959 this age and and still plenty of fun to watch. 142 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:01.439 Yeah, watching that lie last night was wild. I mean, 143 00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:04.600 when he gets going, there's a very few players I'd 144 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:07.519 rather watch than Steph. When Steph starts doing Seth things. 145 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:10.000 I mean, the Magic are a really good defensive team. 146 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:13.639 Steph Curry scored fifty six points on twenty five shots. 147 00:07:13.720 --> 00:07:16.439 That is just nuts. He went twelve to nineteen from three. 148 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:19.639 So jazz back in action tonight. Some good NBA, some 149 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:23.279 good college hoops coming up this weekend. Our first guest 150 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:26.959 today will be a Mecca Annelly RSL midfielder. But before 151 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:30.000 we get to a mecca on this Friday afternoon, courtesy 152 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:32.240 of our good friends at Prize Picks, it is time 153 00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:33.319 now for your opening tip. 154 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:36.240 Welcome to the Drive with Spence Check its on Utah's 155 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:39.639 number one Sports talk. Now into the studios of ESPN 156 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:42.279 seven hundred to set the scene for the show. The 157 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:44.360 opening tip of the Drive is brought to you by 158 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:48.720 Prize Picks. Use the code ESPN seven hundred and run 159 00:07:48.759 --> 00:07:50.720 your game with Prize Picks. 160 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:53.319 Download the Prize Picks app today, use the promo code 161 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:56.160 ESPN seven hundred, and you get fifty dollars instantly after 162 00:07:56.199 --> 00:07:58.480 you play your first five dollars. Line up Prize Picks, 163 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.639 run your game all season and long. All right, the 164 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:04.800 big news of the week this week certainly has been 165 00:08:04.839 --> 00:08:07.480 that the University of Utah are in the market right 166 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:10.759 now for a new head basketball coach for the men's team. 167 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:14.240 And you know, we've covered this from several different angles, 168 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:16.360 but let's review the latest kind of where we're at 169 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:20.560 right now, and then we'll go from there. So obviously 170 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.920 it's been a difficult, you know, kind of topic to 171 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:27.079 cover for a number of different reasons. As I've talked 172 00:08:27.079 --> 00:08:29.600 about all week long, and as Tommy Lloyd outline the 173 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:32.519 head coach of Arizona after the Utes were down to Michale, 174 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:36.519 there certainly is a personal side to these things that 175 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:40.279 I think oftentimes we ignore. And you know, even though 176 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:46.080 there are these massive, massive buyouts and massive, massive you know, 177 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:51.039 wind falls and essentially golden parachutes, it doesn't make it 178 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:55.879 any easier for a family when a person loses their job. 179 00:08:55.919 --> 00:08:58.320 You got to figure at some point you're going to relocate. 180 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:00.320 Craig is still very young, He's got a lot of 181 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:03.120 coaching ahead of him. And I've said this all week, 182 00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:05.600 I'll continue to reiterate it. I don't view this as 183 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:09.679 a Craigsmith issue entirely, but it is a bottom line, 184 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:13.000 resultory oriented business, and Craig knows that as much as anybody. 185 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:15.600 He even said it on the record last year. There 186 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:18.039 are some cases I think to be made that there 187 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:21.720 are actually signs of improvement here or there, and things 188 00:09:21.720 --> 00:09:24.840 getting a little bit better here or there. But you know, ultimately, 189 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:27.600 when you have very powerful people in the ears of 190 00:09:27.639 --> 00:09:30.559 the president of the university and the athletic director, which 191 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:35.559 I've been told is definitely the case, it's hard to 192 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:39.720 continue to move in the direction of allowing somebody to 193 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:41.720 build if there are a lot of people behind the 194 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:45.039 scenes that aren't on board with that decision, and namely 195 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:49.799 people around you know the program that are capable of 196 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:52.919 writing big checks and they help your bottom line economically, 197 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:58.200 because in this day and age of college athletics, powerbrokers 198 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:01.159 with deep pockets, they carry a differ than they used to. 199 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:04.840 They've always been important. You've always needed boner excuse me. 200 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:08.399 You've always needed donors and you've always needed boosters to 201 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:11.039 make sure that you have everything that you need to 202 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:13.840 keep up with facilities and pay your coaches and pay 203 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:16.720 your administrators and all that stuff. But now with the 204 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:20.679 ability and the necessity to actually pay your players, your 205 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:22.519 pockets have to be deeper and you have to be 206 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:25.720 prepared in a way that around the market. Right now, 207 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:29.200 I'm not sure how many people know if Utah Basketball 208 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:32.360 is in a position economically to support whoever the new 209 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:34.759 head coaches, and we don't know who it's going to be, 210 00:10:34.759 --> 00:10:37.320 but I can promise you whether it's Alex Jensen or 211 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:40.559 Eric Spolstra or if you resurrect Rick Majeris, it doesn't 212 00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:43.720 matter who it is. Any candidate will ask Mark Harland 213 00:10:43.720 --> 00:10:46.240 and Taylor Randall the same question that is am I 214 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:51.519 supported financially? Am I supported economically? And if the answer 215 00:10:51.559 --> 00:10:53.919 is we're working on it, They're not going to get 216 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:56.120 their first choice. They might not get their first three 217 00:10:56.200 --> 00:10:58.960 or four choices. I mean, I don't know what the 218 00:10:59.639 --> 00:11:03.440 issue was. When John Calipari left the University of Kentucky. 219 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:04.799 I think a lot of people were just kind of 220 00:11:04.840 --> 00:11:06.960 over the whole, like we have a ton of talent, 221 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:08.799 but we can't get a dun com tournament time. But 222 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:11.480 Mark Pope, by all reports, was like their fifth or 223 00:11:11.559 --> 00:11:14.279 sixth choice. And I can't imagine any of that had 224 00:11:14.279 --> 00:11:16.600 to do with Nil. I'm sure Kentucky is just fine 225 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:20.240 with it. But if Alex Jensen is going to leave 226 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:23.279 the pros, he has to know that he is set 227 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:26.600 up to succeed wherever he goes, whether it's Utah or 228 00:11:26.600 --> 00:11:29.519 anywhere else. I mean, you know, I reported this earlier, 229 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:31.360 and I don't tweet much anymore for a number of 230 00:11:31.399 --> 00:11:34.639 different reasons, but I had two different sources tell me 231 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:38.720 that this is the final year of Alex's contract with 232 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:42.360 the Dallas Mavericks. And you know, after essentially being a 233 00:11:42.759 --> 00:11:45.720 lifelong assistant coach in the NBA, and Alex of course 234 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:48.159 was a G League coach. She was the G League 235 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:50.279 Coach of the Year. I thought Smitty gave us some 236 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:54.159 really good context this week on just how difficult it 237 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:56.759 is to coach in the G League and just how 238 00:11:56.759 --> 00:12:00.240 difficult it is to win in the G League, because ultimately, 239 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:03.039 everybody in the G League does not want to be 240 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:08.200 in the G League. That includes players, that includes coaches, 241 00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:12.399 it includes administrators, it includes pr staff. Everybody in the 242 00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:15.440 G League is in the G League for an opportunity 243 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:17.279 to at some point to get called up to the 244 00:12:17.320 --> 00:12:19.960 big leagues, right, And so as a head coach, if 245 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:23.080 you're Alex Jensen, you're dealing with a group of players, 246 00:12:23.159 --> 00:12:25.360 a group of young men more often than not that 247 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:28.600 aren't necessarily thrilled to be playing for you. They're playing 248 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:30.559 for you for an opportunity at some point to be 249 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:34.120 called up to the pros, right. And so ultimately Alex's 250 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:37.000 you know his path. He played overseas as a player 251 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:41.120 for about seven years, made some money in Turkey and 252 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:43.960 in other places as well. Started as a coach in 253 00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:46.440 two thousand and seven when he joined Rick Majeris's bench 254 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:48.720 in Saint Louis and then went over to the Canton 255 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:50.960 Charges a reference. He was the G League Coach of 256 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:53.320 the Year, won a G League championship, and then spent 257 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:57.639 an entire decade with the Jazz, starting I believe with 258 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:01.399 Ty Corbin and then and Quinn Snyder took the job. 259 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:03.559 And I think this says a lot about Alex because 260 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:06.960 Quinn could have probably not probably, but Quinn could have 261 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:09.159 filled his bench with anybody who he wanted to, and 262 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:12.679 he could have named any coach as his lead assistant, 263 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:15.519 but he named Alex as his lead assistant. And in 264 00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:18.639 ten years with the Utah Jazz, Alex made a name 265 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:23.399 for himself with really working with big men and the 266 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:25.679 Rudy go Bears of the world, the Derek Favors of 267 00:13:25.720 --> 00:13:29.559 the world, and the Rudy story certainly is a massive success, 268 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:32.639 and most of that credit goes to go Beart, for sure, 269 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:35.080 But if you talk to anybody down in that organization, 270 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:37.000 if you talk to anybody around the league, they talk 271 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:41.360 about Alex as the conduit to tremendous growth for Gobert, 272 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:44.639 who as a rookie looked like a baby giraffe and 273 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.159 could barely get up and down the floor. Then after 274 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:49.200 working with Alex for a couple of years, we're talking 275 00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:52.120 Defensive Player of the Year multiple times, All Stars multiple times. 276 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:54.679 Rudy Gobert is a Hall of Famer. And again most 277 00:13:54.679 --> 00:13:56.799 of the credit goes to go Bear, but Alex deserves 278 00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:59.480 a lot of that as well. And then after will 279 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:01.960 Hardy to go over, Alex was in the last year 280 00:14:01.960 --> 00:14:04.159 of his contract, and I don't know if it was 281 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:06.639 out of respect. I don't know if it was just like, hey, 282 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:09.200 let's just let him finish out the final year. He 283 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:11.960 spent one year with Will, and in that year with Will, 284 00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:16.360 Alex was tasked with working with Walker Kessler. Walker a 285 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:19.080 late pick in the first round, and his rookie year, 286 00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:21.759 he ended up finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting, 287 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:23.759 and a lot of people, again around the league and 288 00:14:23.799 --> 00:14:26.320 around the organization, believe Alex had a big hand in that. 289 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:29.240 And then lands on his feet with the Dallas Mavericks. 290 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:31.799 Dennis Lindsay, who's now with Detroit, you know, spent a 291 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:33.960 lot of time here at roster constructing with the Utah 292 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:37.759 Jazz and he is the one that decided to allow 293 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:42.240 Will not allow, but encourage Dallas to look at Alex Jensen. 294 00:14:42.279 --> 00:14:44.279 And that's where Alex has been now for the past 295 00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:46.279 two years. This is his third year, I believe, on 296 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:49.600 the bench in Dallas. So there you go. I do 297 00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:52.559 feel like all of the rumors I've heard and all 298 00:14:52.600 --> 00:14:55.399 the things I've read and the things I've heard is 299 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:57.360 that Alex appears to be at the top of the 300 00:14:57.399 --> 00:15:00.559 list as far as the candidates to coach the University 301 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:03.240 of Utah basketball program. We've talked about some of the 302 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:07.440 other you know candidates as far as the avenue of 303 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:10.799 looking at some of the young coaches in younger in 304 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:14.000 smaller schools, smaller programs that have done a really good 305 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:17.440 job with not a lot of resources, and oftentimes that's 306 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:20.320 the route you go to when it comes to a 307 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:22.960 big program in the big twelve a P four program 308 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:27.000 to find your next head coach, right and so you know, 309 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:29.879 we've already seen Mark Carlan go that route. He went 310 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:32.080 that route with Craig and there are a lot of 311 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:34.879 examples of coaches right now who people that cover the 312 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:38.600 sport believe that it's kind of their turn, right, I 313 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:40.519 guess that's how I'll put that kind of their turn. 314 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:43.519 After coaching a smaller school with not a lot of resources, 315 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:46.440 they've shown that they can coach, and so does a 316 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:49.440 big program look to make their pockets a little bit 317 00:15:49.480 --> 00:15:53.120 deeper and ultimately land on them to coach their program. 318 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:55.320 So that is one route. The other route, of course, 319 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:57.720 is finding a big name coach he's been on the 320 00:15:57.759 --> 00:15:59.919 sidelines for quite some time. That worked for Saint John 321 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:02.799 to Rick Patino. And then the last route that we've 322 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:05.879 been talking about quite a bit on this show is 323 00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:08.559 do you go the former ute route? Do you try 324 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:12.320 to restore a past glory? Does that do anything for 325 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:16.559 the community for a program that is badly in need 326 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:20.679 of a shot of life, a shot of adrenaline? Does 327 00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:23.919 that do anything for you as a member of this 328 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:27.480 community who cares about Utah basketball. If you're not a 329 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:31.320 season ticket holder right now, and you get an email 330 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:33.799 or you get an alert on your phone that Utah 331 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:36.559 has decided that their next head coach is going to 332 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:39.960 be Alex Jensen, and Alex's bench will be filled with 333 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:42.799 former utes, namely Andre Miller, who's a G League coach 334 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:45.039 right now sitting next to him. If you're not a 335 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:47.799 season ticket holder now, my question for you is will 336 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:49.960 you be motivated to call the basketball office and put 337 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:52.919 a deposit down for tickets next year? Because while that's 338 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:56.120 not the most important thing for a program that has 339 00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:58.840 not had a building full consistently for a number of years, 340 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:02.679 that is a very important The fact that there are 341 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:07.079 banners right up top, you know, covering the top of 342 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:10.200 the Huntsman Center ever at all, is just a pathetic 343 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:14.240 thing that is embarrassing. Quite frankly, I'm not blaming fans 344 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:16.039 for not showing up. You gotta have a product that 345 00:17:16.119 --> 00:17:18.279 consistently is winning. You got to have a product that 346 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:23.759 is consistently entertaining and in this day and age again, 347 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:25.599 I'll finish with this before you catch a break. The 348 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:27.880 bottom line to me is this, It does not matter 349 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:31.319 if it's Alex Jensen, if it's Andre Miller, if it's 350 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:35.000 Richard Patino, it doesn't matter who it is. Every coach 351 00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:36.920 is going to ask Mark and he's going to ask 352 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:41.440 Taylor Randall, Look, do you have what it takes economically 353 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:44.759 and are you set up financially with an infrastructure that 354 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:46.960 will allow me to succeed. If the answer is not 355 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:50.000 an emphatic yes, even if it's a hey, we're kind 356 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:52.359 of growing in that direction, that's not going to be 357 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:55.880 good enough. And there's a lot of ambiguity around whether 358 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:58.519 or not Utah basketball has the money to keep up 359 00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:01.000 with the programs in the Big twelve. And I'm not 360 00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:03.640 even saying keep up with what BYU's doing. I mean, 361 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:06.400 the reports are bru just wrote a seven million dollar 362 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:10.839 check daj Debonsa for five months of basketball next year. 363 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:14.319 He's only playing one year. He'll be in provo five months, 364 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:17.880 he's walked away with seven MILI and that's a level 365 00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:20.559 that I'm not even saying Utash should, you know, try 366 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:24.039 to strive to right away, But ultimately you've got to 367 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:26.079 be able to keep the players that you like. And 368 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:28.759 Davon Smith going to Saint John's, I mean, Davon would 369 00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:30.599 have made a big difference for this team this year. Now, 370 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:33.799 I'm told the Utah maker made a competitive offer and 371 00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:37.319 Utah can't offer Madison Square Garden, they can't offer New 372 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:40.279 York City. But ultimately, in order to get the talent 373 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:42.519 that you need, Because I will land on this once again, 374 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:44.680 I don't think this was a coaching issue. I think 375 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:48.359 this was a talent issue on the roster, not just 376 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:50.839 this year but pretty much ever since Craig has taken over. Now, 377 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:52.440 the hard part is is the head coach You've got 378 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:54.960 to wear that too. How much of that is Craig's 379 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:57.440 inability to recruit, how much of that is Utah's inability 380 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:00.640 to pay players, I honestly don't know. But whatever the 381 00:19:00.680 --> 00:19:03.759 head coach brings to the table as far as his pedigree, 382 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:08.200 it asked to be matched equally by the program economically 383 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:11.039 in order to support him with the infrastructure in place, 384 00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:13.440 So no news. I don't think we're gonna hear any 385 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:15.279 news as of right now, and you'd still have some 386 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:19.160 games to play, and I will repeat Arizona State coming 387 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:22.519 up tomorrow, five o'clock Huntsman Center. Let's do what we 388 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:25.240 can to get up there and show these show these 389 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:28.359 young men that we appreciate their efforts during a very 390 00:19:28.519 --> 00:19:32.799 very emotional week in a very very emotional situation. All right, 391 00:19:32.839 --> 00:19:35.480 we're live today at Tim Daly Nissan. They're opening until 392 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:37.319 eight o'clock tonight, so if you can't get here during 393 00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:39.759 the show, we'll take it out about six. You can 394 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:41.720 get here after work about eight o'clock. It's forty five 395 00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:44.319 to twenty eight South State Street, so come on by 396 00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:47.039 and say hi. All right, we're live today at Tim 397 00:19:47.160 --> 00:19:50.440 Dally Nissan. It's forty five to twenty eight South State Street. 398 00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:52.759 Got off to a little weird start to the show, 399 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:57.279 got a little loose, was trying to say donors and 400 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:01.279 boosters and landed on a word right in between. But 401 00:20:01.319 --> 00:20:03.640 we're gonna move on because it's Friday, and it's beautiful 402 00:20:03.640 --> 00:20:07.720 outside and RSL is in action tomorrow. Our next guest 403 00:20:07.799 --> 00:20:10.559 midfielder for Rayl saw Lake. It's always a pleasure to 404 00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:13.200 catch up with a Mecca and Nelly on a Friday afternoon. 405 00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:14.640 A meta, Happy Friday, buddy, are we. 406 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:17.359 Doing I'm doing well. I'll be Friday to you as well. 407 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:20.319 Thanks for the time. Man. First of all, tell me 408 00:20:20.359 --> 00:20:24.680 about your off season experience. And you know, no big 409 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:26.920 deal of Mecca. You had your first call up for 410 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:29.960 the US men's national team, So tell us about it, man, 411 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:30.440 how was it? 412 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:36.359 Yeah, it was fantastic. I mean I got the the 413 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:38.759 email I guess that I was going to be called 414 00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:41.720 into camp. I think just a little bit before Christmas, 415 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:45.480 so it was a nice a nice little Christmas gift 416 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:50.559 and then obviously the camp early January for two weeks. 417 00:20:50.599 --> 00:20:50.839 It was. 418 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:52.920 It was a great experience, you know, to meet some 419 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:54.799 of the players, some of the best domestic players in 420 00:20:54.839 --> 00:20:57.960 the MLS, some of the best coaches you know on 421 00:20:58.039 --> 00:21:01.559 the coach that you know, Chelseaps, the other top places Spurs, 422 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:05.039 and just to be coached by them for for two weeks. 423 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:06.519 It was. It was a great experience. 424 00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:10.240 I've got to know, what is it like in that 425 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:14.079 moment when that email spills in, Like what goes because 426 00:21:14.119 --> 00:21:17.079 I know that you and anybody that has grown up 427 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:21.559 playing at a high level, this is like the ultimate dream, right, 428 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:24.960 Like the ultimate goal is to represent your country. And 429 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:27.640 obviously I know you have World Cup aspirations and we're 430 00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:29.960 all pulling for you to make that squad. But when 431 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:33.079 that email spills in and you realize that that dream 432 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:34.720 is coming true and Mecca, what's that like? 433 00:21:36.279 --> 00:21:38.200 Yeah, it's hard to put it into words, honestly, you know, 434 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.279 like you get it and you Yeah, I had to 435 00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:43.079 double check the email to make sure, you know, it 436 00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:45.720 wasn't like it wasn't vague or anything like that, because 437 00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:49.559 I was just, you know, so excited and yeah, just 438 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:51.599 like it's a real moment, you know, it was. It 439 00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:52.359 was fantastic. 440 00:21:53.319 --> 00:21:55.920 Well, we're very happy for you. Let me ask you 441 00:21:55.960 --> 00:21:58.960 what playing against you know, because we've had a lot 442 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:02.440 of players here in our market, you know, Kyle and 443 00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:04.720 Nicki and guys went they went to the World Cup 444 00:22:04.759 --> 00:22:06.480 and even prior to that, it was Clint Mathis and 445 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:10.240 Eddie Pope and they always would talk about how playing 446 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:13.359 for the national team on that level helped them when 447 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:16.079 they came back to play in MLS. How can these 448 00:22:16.119 --> 00:22:18.599 experiences help you be a better player for your club. 449 00:22:20.039 --> 00:22:22.400 Yeah, you know, I think whenever you're playing with top 450 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:25.359 level players, you just kind of take some experience from 451 00:22:25.400 --> 00:22:27.160 them and bring it back to the club level. And 452 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:29.039 I think it also just gives you, you know, an 453 00:22:29.079 --> 00:22:31.319 added sense of confidence when you come back to the 454 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:33.839 club level after playing with you know, some of the 455 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:36.559 players at the national team who have been dominating it 456 00:22:36.920 --> 00:22:39.599 and the MLS for for many many years. Some that 457 00:22:39.640 --> 00:22:42.480 came from Europe came back like Tim Mariem I'm playing 458 00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:45.319 with them and then obviously coming back to here ourself. 459 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:47.319 It just gives you a sense of confidence when you're 460 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:49.680 on the field, and when you have that, you really 461 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:53.079 just play with a sense of freedom and can really 462 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:55.440 really show your true talent. So I felt that since 463 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:57.319 I've been back for the past you know, two or 464 00:22:57.319 --> 00:22:59.960 three weeks, I've just felt more confident on the ball, 465 00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:02.000 more competent in my decisions, and just more confident and 466 00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:04.160 everything that I'm doing here at RSL. 467 00:23:04.839 --> 00:23:07.160 So ameca, You've been asked to do a lot of 468 00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:09.960 things in just a couple of years here with RSL, 469 00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:12.480 playing a couple of different positions and you know, carry 470 00:23:12.519 --> 00:23:15.640 a few different roles. Can you play striker? Do you 471 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:17.279 have that in your back pocket? 472 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:23.599 I actually did play striker in college. I probably could well. 473 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:25.759 I mean, obviously tongue in chet because I know Pablo 474 00:23:25.880 --> 00:23:27.680 likes you where you're at. But I got to know 475 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:31.839 from a player's perspective, you know, the front office decided 476 00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:35.599 to jettison players that represented forty two goals in twenty 477 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:38.799 nine assists last year, and as of now, I'm not 478 00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:41.160 trying to be disrespectful to anybody who's on the roster now, 479 00:23:41.160 --> 00:23:44.960 but as of now, fans and RSL supporters just waiting 480 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:47.880 for reinforcements to come along after guys like Chie Scho 481 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:52.079 and Andres and Crooks and Anderson were moved on. Is 482 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:57.160 there frustrating? Is there frustration mounting among the group that 483 00:23:57.440 --> 00:23:59.759 the front office decided to get rid of the bulk 484 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:03.160 of your attacking options and hasn't necessarily brought in a 485 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:06.039 ton of reinforcements yet, I. 486 00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:09.000 Don't think necessarily. I think I think it's still super 487 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:11.799 early in the season. You know, we've only played we've 488 00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:14.680 only played three games, really, and I think we're most 489 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:18.279 focused on the process and creating those chances because I 490 00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:22.279 antually think in the three games that we've had, we've 491 00:24:22.279 --> 00:24:24.880 created a decent amount of chances. You know, in the 492 00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:28.640 first game in Costa Rica, we missed three or four 493 00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:31.680 big chances. In San Jose, I think we had a 494 00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:33.720 next year of almost two, but we oftenly didn't put 495 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:35.920 any in the back of the net. And then on 496 00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:39.279 Wednesday at home against the Coast Weakan team, again we 497 00:24:39.319 --> 00:24:41.759 have thirty shots, eighteen shots inside the box, and we 498 00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:43.440 only were able to put one goal in. So I 499 00:24:43.720 --> 00:24:46.480 don't I don't think it's a personal problem. I think 500 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:50.160 it's a bit of you know, hasn't really been on 501 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:52.319 our side these these last couple of games. But I 502 00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:56.079 think we're getting into really good areas and the shots 503 00:24:56.200 --> 00:24:58.880 just aren't hitting the back of the net at this 504 00:24:59.079 --> 00:25:00.920 point in time. But I do feel like, you know, 505 00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:06.319 if we continue to do these things correctly, come Saturday, 506 00:25:06.359 --> 00:25:08.519 we'll score plenty of goals. The next Saturday, we'll score 507 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:10.680 plenty of goals, and we'll just continue just to work 508 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:13.200 on our craft to you know, continue to create these 509 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:16.559 chances and then just be more clinical in the box 510 00:25:16.599 --> 00:25:17.880 when we have these chances. 511 00:25:18.759 --> 00:25:22.240 So and well said there. So instead of maybe speaking 512 00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:24.680 for you laced in my question. I wasn't trying to 513 00:25:24.759 --> 00:25:28.319 lead you. I'll just ask you, from your standpoint, as 514 00:25:28.359 --> 00:25:30.720 one of the better players on the roster and one 515 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:33.680 of the leaders with the potential of wearing that captain's 516 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:37.480 armband from time to time, what was your reaction to 517 00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:40.440 the moves that the front office decided to make getting 518 00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:43.359 rid of the bulk of the production up top, Like, 519 00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:44.880 just tell me how you feel about that. 520 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:50.039 Yeah, I mean, obviously, when it happens, like in the moment, 521 00:25:50.039 --> 00:25:52.440 it's a little bit shocking, just because you don't expect 522 00:25:52.440 --> 00:25:55.119 it at that time, you know, but you also understand 523 00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:58.200 that things like this kind of happen in the football world, 524 00:25:58.359 --> 00:26:02.319 you know, where transfers have been, things happened during the 525 00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:05.319 season that people don't see eye to eye on and 526 00:26:05.400 --> 00:26:08.000 you know, they maybe feel like certain players are a 527 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:09.640 better fit at a different club, or I don't fit 528 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:11.839 at this club currently. So like when it first happened, 529 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:13.440 obviously a little bit of shock. I think everybody had 530 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:16.359 a little bit of shock when when when it happened. 531 00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:19.960 But then you know, kind of just a couple of 532 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:21.680 days after a week after it kind of got past it, 533 00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:24.359 we're kind of just focused on how can we now 534 00:26:24.599 --> 00:26:27.440 as a as a group, as a collective, focus on, 535 00:26:28.039 --> 00:26:31.039 focus on the future, focus on this new season, because 536 00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:32.680 you know these players aren't going to come back. So 537 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:34.359 it's kind of done in dustin now and just kind 538 00:26:34.359 --> 00:26:35.039 of move on with it. 539 00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:38.240 Tell me, you know, and I guess what I'll say 540 00:26:38.279 --> 00:26:41.519 is during training where a lot of us don't get 541 00:26:41.559 --> 00:26:43.920 to see what you guys are doing. So you know, 542 00:26:43.960 --> 00:26:46.680 we've seen the games and you point out the chances 543 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:48.960 that have been created. But of course, as you know, 544 00:26:49.720 --> 00:26:53.160 chances that are created don't do much unless they're capitalized on. 545 00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:55.279 And one goal in three games, as you know, is 546 00:26:55.319 --> 00:26:57.599 not going to get it done. So tell me what 547 00:26:57.640 --> 00:27:01.519 you're seeing a mecca in training from this attacking group 548 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:03.440 and whether or not you believe that you guys do 549 00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:06.279 have the personnel in that area of the field to 550 00:27:06.359 --> 00:27:09.759 start going to start scoring goals and getting better results. 551 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:12.480 Yeah, I know, one hundred percent we have it. I mean, 552 00:27:12.599 --> 00:27:15.640 I think obviously with both competitions going on, there was 553 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:19.480 a lot of rotation in the squads and the attacking players, 554 00:27:19.960 --> 00:27:21.920 maybe maybe a little bit of a lack of chemistry 555 00:27:21.960 --> 00:27:26.880 and that in that department. But I think in training. 556 00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:28.880 You know, the chances we've created in changing they've been 557 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:32.880 finished off. In preseason, I mean we scored two goals 558 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:36.559 in the game, three goals, another three goals. Everything was 559 00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:38.279 falling that and then we come to the real season 560 00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:41.759 and the chances are missed, you know. So I don't 561 00:27:42.359 --> 00:27:45.079 so I think as long as we just you know, 562 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:48.240 continue to really focus on the little details and training, 563 00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:51.839 you know, finishing off every single attack. If we continuously 564 00:27:51.880 --> 00:27:56.759 do that, you know, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday comes Saturday, 565 00:27:57.119 --> 00:27:59.319 the goals will start to flow in. As long as 566 00:27:59.480 --> 00:28:03.559 each day training, you know, we're content continuously hitting on 567 00:28:04.200 --> 00:28:07.279 what we need to focus on and continuously focusing on 568 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:10.039 those little details of finishing every single attack. So I 569 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:12.319 do think it's just, you know, a matter of time 570 00:28:13.559 --> 00:28:16.240 for the goals start start flying in. And like I 571 00:28:16.279 --> 00:28:19.319 said earlier, I mean we played three games, we'll probably 572 00:28:19.319 --> 00:28:23.319 have another with Leagues Cup, another forty games left in 573 00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:26.680 the season. So I think it's just it's just a 574 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:27.279 matter of time. 575 00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:31.799 Is there any silver lining? And I know the answers 576 00:28:32.119 --> 00:28:36.119 probably know because the Conky CAF Champions Cup tournament is 577 00:28:36.759 --> 00:28:38.519 a lot of fun and something that a lot of 578 00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:42.440 RSL supporters were excited to witness. It's been a number 579 00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:45.039 of years since RSL was in this tournament, and once 580 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:47.599 upon a time nearly won the thing. Now Seattle is 581 00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:50.240 the only MLS team to win it. But because you 582 00:28:50.279 --> 00:28:52.519 guys did lose in the first round of MECA, what 583 00:28:52.519 --> 00:28:55.440 it means is you do not have these midweek games. 584 00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:58.119 As I'm looking at the schedule for like a month 585 00:28:58.319 --> 00:29:01.039 and maybe even a little bit more than your reference 586 00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:03.279 league's cop that will come at some point, But is 587 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:06.759 there any silver lining to not having such a crowded 588 00:29:06.759 --> 00:29:09.640 schedule As you enter at MLS play to try to 589 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:12.400 understand how this new group is going to manifest itself, 590 00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:14.599 I think yeah. 591 00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:17.039 I think others outside might say, like it could be 592 00:29:17.079 --> 00:29:19.640 a positive that we don't have these big week games, 593 00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:22.880 But I know me personally and the whole team is very, 594 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:26.480 very frustrated with how we with how we went out 595 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:30.160 of of Concrete Champions Cup, because I mean I could 596 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:32.640 speak for it myself. I love playing midweek games, you know, 597 00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:35.440 I mean, we play, we play for the games. We 598 00:29:35.480 --> 00:29:39.480 don't maybe we don't we don't we don't like training 599 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:40.880 as much as we like the games. Obviously, like to 600 00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:42.000 play for the game, So if we have a game 601 00:29:42.039 --> 00:29:44.640 Wednesday Saturday, Wednesday Saturday, it's better for me, it's better 602 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:47.079 for the team. Everybody likes to compete in that aspect. 603 00:29:47.480 --> 00:29:51.319 So I mean, not really a silver lining. I'm really disappointed, 604 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:57.599 and yeah, nothing we can do about it now, but 605 00:29:57.640 --> 00:30:01.279 I just wish we took our chances better on Wednesday. Hopefully, 606 00:30:01.400 --> 00:30:03.480 just something that we can learn from and continue to 607 00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:06.000 grow on throughout this season. 608 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:09.759 What was Pablo's message to you guys after that, because 609 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:11.960 I mean it was it was gutting you guys were 610 00:30:12.039 --> 00:30:14.839 on your way, and to your point about the chances, 611 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:17.480 I felt like, you know, another couple of goals were 612 00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:21.279 coming and then boom, just a rough turnover. Nelson had 613 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:23.839 a rough turnover. Boom, they score, and then there's a 614 00:30:23.880 --> 00:30:27.079 counter and I'm watching that game a mecan. I'm just stunned. 615 00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:29.160 I can't imagine how you guys felt. What was the 616 00:30:29.160 --> 00:30:31.039 message from your head coach after that match? 617 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:35.319 Yeah, he was pretty disappointed as well, because I mean, 618 00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:36.920 it was there for the taking and we just didn't. 619 00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:39.680 We just didn't grasp the moment. So I think you're 620 00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:44.359 just reiterating, you know, the points on just to we 621 00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:46.680 have to just show up every single day, you know, 622 00:30:46.759 --> 00:30:49.160 before the match and training and just put our best 623 00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:52.079 foot forward and every single effort that we're doing so 624 00:30:52.119 --> 00:30:56.200 that you know, little lapses of you know, judgment or 625 00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:59.599 focus don't happen on Wednesdays and we have games are 626 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:02.519 on Saturday, only have games. And he made it very 627 00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:06.119 clear and very apparent that things like that cannot happen. 628 00:31:06.519 --> 00:31:10.119 I'm going forward in the future. So it's again, I 629 00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:13.440 hate to say a learning moment because it's something that 630 00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:19.319 really frustrates me losing that game, but it's just something 631 00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:21.640 that with how long the season is, with how many 632 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:23.240 games we have, it is something that we just have 633 00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:27.279 to learn and grow from and you know, just go 634 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:28.559 with that. Yeah. 635 00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:31.359 So ultimately, when it comes to the strikers on the 636 00:31:31.480 --> 00:31:34.400 roster and we're still getting to know, you know, Forrester 637 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:38.960 and the pold kid, it seems like, you know, there 638 00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:42.559 are rumors that additions are kind of on the way 639 00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:45.400 in that space. But one of the things, and you know, 640 00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:47.079 we have Curt On, we have Jason On, we have 641 00:31:47.160 --> 00:31:50.400 pablem On. A lot of people are talking about, you know, 642 00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:53.319 where will the goals come from? Well, not all the 643 00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:56.640 time it has to come from the striker, right, it 644 00:31:56.640 --> 00:31:58.960 can come from the group. So if we remove because 645 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:02.119 all the attention now in Mecca is a lack of goals, 646 00:32:02.119 --> 00:32:04.480 So what's going on with the number nine spot? But 647 00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:07.319 if we remove that, which of course you can't entirely 648 00:32:07.319 --> 00:32:10.480 because it's such an important spot, is there enough support 649 00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:14.119 with the midfield, with Mark Zuke and Diego and Diego 650 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:17.400 that you guys maybe can overcome the lack of a 651 00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:20.039 season striker to get goals from other places if that 652 00:32:20.119 --> 00:32:20.640 makes sense? 653 00:32:21.640 --> 00:32:25.640 Yeah, absolutely. I mean you obviously saw what Diego can 654 00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:28.279 produce last year. I mean you had plenty of goals, 655 00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:32.200 plenty of assists. Obviously, Diogo and Dominick came in halfway 656 00:32:32.200 --> 00:32:35.279 through the season and we're finding their legs. And then 657 00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:39.839 this preseason they've been been amazing, scoring goals, assisting goals. 658 00:32:39.960 --> 00:32:42.319 So they all have the quality, you know, and I 659 00:32:42.319 --> 00:32:46.559 think without you know, like a season nine, you know 660 00:32:46.599 --> 00:32:50.000 it's going to be a group effort, you know, with 661 00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:58.960 with goals and assists and all of them, you know, Diego, Diogo, Dominic, Lachland, Wolfe, 662 00:32:59.240 --> 00:33:01.559 I mean, they can all provide it. And I've seen 663 00:33:01.559 --> 00:33:03.880 them all provide it and in some of the preseason 664 00:33:03.880 --> 00:33:07.359 games we had in training, you know, so very confident 665 00:33:07.400 --> 00:33:13.119 in their ability to to definitely keep up the goal contributions. 666 00:33:13.640 --> 00:33:16.920 Do you guys follow because every time I fire up, 667 00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:19.440 you know, one of these websites with transfers, there are 668 00:33:19.599 --> 00:33:22.400 rumors that are SL's in the mix to either make 669 00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:24.599 a move to get an MLS striker, bring somebody in 670 00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:26.960 from overseas. Do you guys in the locker room follow 671 00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:28.720 this or is it just like you got to focus 672 00:33:28.759 --> 00:33:30.000 on what's in what's in front of you. 673 00:33:31.480 --> 00:33:32.799 I'm kind of focused on what's in front of you. 674 00:33:32.839 --> 00:33:35.519 But obviously, you know, if you're on social media, you'll 675 00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:37.960 probably come across it, you know, but it's not something 676 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:43.400 that we really like linger on or react to because 677 00:33:43.440 --> 00:33:47.160 you know, it's it's so normal and and in soccer, 678 00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:48.880 you know, for things like that to happen, for transfers 679 00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:50.279 to happen, so like we'll see it, but it's not 680 00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:53.880 anything like, oh no, nobody really makes a big deal 681 00:33:53.880 --> 00:33:56.000 about it or anything. It's kind of just okay, we 682 00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:57.359 see it and then kind of just get on with 683 00:33:57.400 --> 00:33:59.279 our day, get on with the train, and focus for 684 00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:02.440 focus on the task at hand to hopefully, you know, 685 00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:03.240 win on the weekend. 686 00:34:03.720 --> 00:34:05.839 This might be an odd question, but do you want 687 00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:10.039 to see reinforcements added? Are you guys anxious to have 688 00:34:10.199 --> 00:34:14.320 more experience in season players in that spot up top 689 00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:15.119 and number nine? 690 00:34:17.639 --> 00:34:21.440 You know, it's not really my place to answer, you know, uh, 691 00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:25.960 but I think it's just you know, you always want 692 00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:28.679 to want to have top level players on your team, 693 00:34:28.760 --> 00:34:32.519 you know, in whatever position that is. So like, wherever 694 00:34:32.559 --> 00:34:34.719 we can get players to just strengthen our team overall, 695 00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:37.039 I'm on for it, you know, because that not only 696 00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:40.159 raises our team, you know when we play on the weekend, 697 00:34:40.239 --> 00:34:43.400 but then competitively, competitively in trainings. You know, we're trying 698 00:34:43.400 --> 00:34:46.119 to push each other to be better. So it's always 699 00:34:46.159 --> 00:34:48.880 good when you know you have when any type of 700 00:34:48.920 --> 00:34:51.159 player is added to tow a squad, because it just raises 701 00:34:51.199 --> 00:34:54.800 the level, you know, and the competitive competitiveness within the squad. 702 00:34:55.760 --> 00:34:58.199 You young man, are good at this. That is a 703 00:34:58.360 --> 00:35:01.800 season season that for an answer at the ripe old 704 00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:04.800 age of twenty five, That's exactly the way you should 705 00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:07.559 handle that question. I'm very impressed, which leads me to 706 00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:11.480 this next question, which is it feels like Pablo and 707 00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:14.320 Kurt and Tony and I could keep going. It seems 708 00:35:14.360 --> 00:35:17.320 like you're viewed as a leader on this group, on 709 00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:19.480 this roster with this group, even though you're only twenty 710 00:35:19.480 --> 00:35:22.320 five years old. So I don't know who's gonna wear 711 00:35:22.360 --> 00:35:24.800 the captain's arm band. All year we had Pablo on 712 00:35:24.880 --> 00:35:27.559 and he said, you're certainly a candidate. Have you been 713 00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:29.639 told whether or not that armband is yours? And what 714 00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:33.280 sort of leadership role are you asked to take even 715 00:35:33.320 --> 00:35:36.519 though you are twenty five and year three in MLS. 716 00:35:37.000 --> 00:35:39.920 Yeah, yeah, I'll be wearing it. But I think it's 717 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:42.320 you know, it's only my third year. But I think 718 00:35:42.480 --> 00:35:46.800 I've learned a lot in these three years. And you know, 719 00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:50.599 I think leadership is just a you know, an evolving 720 00:35:50.639 --> 00:35:53.239 and a growing thing that you have to take with it, 721 00:35:53.400 --> 00:35:57.280 you know. So I think previously, I think my first year, 722 00:35:57.360 --> 00:36:01.920 my second year, I think I led very well by example, 723 00:36:02.000 --> 00:36:03.760 you know, my actions on the field, my actions off 724 00:36:03.760 --> 00:36:05.519 the field. I think I set a great example for 725 00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:11.119 everyone at the club, you know. But I think especially 726 00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:12.920 in year one, I didn't really have as much as 727 00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:15.559 a much of a voice. In year two definitely grew 728 00:36:15.559 --> 00:36:19.159 in that in that department and even now continuously trying 729 00:36:19.159 --> 00:36:21.840 to grow to lead with my voice, you know, because 730 00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:24.360 I think there's there's many different ways to lead, you know, 731 00:36:24.440 --> 00:36:29.400 with your voice by example, you know, personal relationships. So 732 00:36:29.440 --> 00:36:32.880 it's just you know, there's not one one tool that 733 00:36:33.039 --> 00:36:35.639 can lead everybody. So it's just continuously to build my 734 00:36:35.719 --> 00:36:41.639 toolbox in this leadership role to help the team in 735 00:36:41.679 --> 00:36:45.400 whatever way succeed, you know. And I also want to 736 00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:49.360 say that it's it's not just it's not just me. 737 00:36:49.559 --> 00:36:51.719 You know, we have other fantastic leaders on the team, 738 00:36:52.199 --> 00:36:55.840 you know, Jay glad Ratha, fill up yoga. Who are 739 00:36:55.920 --> 00:36:58.440 you know all leading as well? You know, I think 740 00:36:58.480 --> 00:37:00.679 the best teams are the ones where everyone on the 741 00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:02.800 team as a leader. You know, you can turn to 742 00:37:02.840 --> 00:37:05.119 your left, you can turn to your right, and everyone 743 00:37:05.159 --> 00:37:07.480 there is trying to lead each other and holding each 744 00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:10.039 other accountable. And I think that's what we we We 745 00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:15.079 set that culture so far, so I think it's something 746 00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:17.719 that's been going pretty well and it's just something that 747 00:37:17.880 --> 00:37:21.679 you know, we want to continue with and grow with 748 00:37:21.800 --> 00:37:22.599 throughout the season. 749 00:37:23.119 --> 00:37:27.760 What are your personal goals aspirations, soccer dreams? You know, 750 00:37:27.800 --> 00:37:30.559 I had diego on last year, I straight up asked 751 00:37:30.639 --> 00:37:32.559 him the same question and he wasn't shy, said, I 752 00:37:32.559 --> 00:37:34.480 want to play in Europe. And you know, at the 753 00:37:34.519 --> 00:37:36.400 age of twenty five, I Meka, You've got a lot 754 00:37:36.400 --> 00:37:37.880 of soccer in front of you, and I know you're 755 00:37:37.880 --> 00:37:40.079 focused on where your feet are at now with RSL. 756 00:37:40.199 --> 00:37:42.440 But when you dream as big as you can dream 757 00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:44.360 for your soccer life, what does that look like. 758 00:37:46.199 --> 00:37:48.840 Yeah, I think I would love to play in Europe. 759 00:37:48.920 --> 00:37:51.280 You know. Obviously people always look at the age thing 760 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:54.760 because I'm a little bit older, and you know, if 761 00:37:54.800 --> 00:37:56.679 the timing's right, but you know, I would love to 762 00:37:56.679 --> 00:38:01.039 play in Europe if the stars aligned the right way, 763 00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:03.320 the cards fold the right way, you know, and things 764 00:38:03.320 --> 00:38:06.440 go well. I I've definitely it's definitely been a dream 765 00:38:06.440 --> 00:38:09.840 of mine. You know, I always love watching European soccer. 766 00:38:10.440 --> 00:38:12.840 But you know, really just focused on what I'm doing 767 00:38:12.880 --> 00:38:16.320 today and tomorrow hopefully get me to that point, you know, 768 00:38:17.000 --> 00:38:20.039 So just really focus on the ins and outs week 769 00:38:20.079 --> 00:38:22.760 in and week out, you know, and then if a 770 00:38:22.840 --> 00:38:25.119 conversation has to be had of you know, me going 771 00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:27.719 elsewhere things like that, then it will be had when 772 00:38:27.719 --> 00:38:28.760 it's when it's the right time. 773 00:38:29.079 --> 00:38:32.400 You know, I mecha. Please do not refer to twenty 774 00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:36.840 five years old as old. Okay, I sprained my ankle 775 00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:39.599 in the shower at my age show. You're you're not old, 776 00:38:39.840 --> 00:38:41.559 young fella. You got a lot of good soccer. How 777 00:38:41.559 --> 00:38:44.400 do you last thing? Before I said you lose tell 778 00:38:44.480 --> 00:38:47.559 us going into tomorrow and look, as you referenced, it 779 00:38:47.639 --> 00:38:51.840 is early, nobody's panicking. Well, I shouldn't say that. Your 780 00:38:51.880 --> 00:38:55.800 your fans are a little concerned after you know, getting 781 00:38:55.840 --> 00:38:58.639 stopped by San Jose and losing in the cocky CAF 782 00:38:58.760 --> 00:39:02.280 Champions Cup first round. So while it is early, tomorrow 783 00:39:02.320 --> 00:39:04.440 does feel like there's a little bit of weight and 784 00:39:04.519 --> 00:39:06.400 a little bit of pressure from your fan base to 785 00:39:06.440 --> 00:39:09.199 show that the first three games aren't who you are 786 00:39:09.320 --> 00:39:12.440 and to back up your point about chances created to 787 00:39:12.480 --> 00:39:14.519 get them finished in order to have a good showing. 788 00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:17.320 So what's the mentality as you welcome in a Seattle 789 00:39:17.320 --> 00:39:19.599 team that made a lot of big time acquisitions during 790 00:39:19.639 --> 00:39:20.320 this offseason. 791 00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:23.719 Yeah, cheat, Tea's always be a really early good team. 792 00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:26.760 You know, a lot of attacking pieces. But I think 793 00:39:26.760 --> 00:39:29.159 it's just more of the same from us. You know, 794 00:39:29.559 --> 00:39:31.920 we're always going to have that fight and the determination 795 00:39:32.119 --> 00:39:35.400 every single match, and then you know, especially at home. 796 00:39:35.679 --> 00:39:38.880 I think last year at home, we we played pretty 797 00:39:38.880 --> 00:39:40.039 well most of the time. I think we got a 798 00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:41.400 lot of results. I don't think we I think we 799 00:39:41.400 --> 00:39:43.119 maybe only last once or twice. So it's just trying 800 00:39:43.159 --> 00:39:46.679 to uphold that standard of never to lose a home, 801 00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:50.119 you know. So I think we've prevared the right way. 802 00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:54.239 We've had the right mentality and trainings, and now it's 803 00:39:54.320 --> 00:39:57.239 just time to you know, go out there on Saturday 804 00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:00.159 at two thirty and show what we've been doing. And 805 00:40:01.480 --> 00:40:02.760 obvious here. I know some of the fans have been 806 00:40:02.760 --> 00:40:07.159 disappointed with the results that we've had the last three games, 807 00:40:07.159 --> 00:40:09.519 but we pushed those to the pass. We're just focused 808 00:40:09.559 --> 00:40:11.800 on on the task at hand on Saturday, and it 809 00:40:11.840 --> 00:40:13.760 will be better, you know than the last three games 810 00:40:13.760 --> 00:40:14.199 that we've had. 811 00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:17.760 So yeah, Oh, Mecca, you're the man. Congratulations on the 812 00:40:17.760 --> 00:40:20.559 call up, Congratulations on the captain's arm band, and best 813 00:40:20.559 --> 00:40:21.199 of uck tomorrow. 814 00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:22.679 Okay, appreciate it. 815 00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:26.119 Thank you Mecca and Elly RSL's captain. There you go. 816 00:40:26.239 --> 00:40:28.039 We were wondering who was going to be and a 817 00:40:28.119 --> 00:40:30.719 Mecca announces that it is him. He's gonna be wearing it. 818 00:40:30.800 --> 00:40:34.440 So RSL Seattle tomorrow. Kind of an underrated robbery game. 819 00:40:34.519 --> 00:40:38.599 Craig Wible former RSL GM is up there. Albert Russknach, 820 00:40:38.679 --> 00:40:41.920 former RSL Star is up there. Two thirty kick. If 821 00:40:41.920 --> 00:40:43.559 you're looking for something new on what should be a 822 00:40:43.559 --> 00:40:46.840 pretty beautiful Saturday afternoon, head over to RSL dot com 823 00:40:46.880 --> 00:40:49.719 for tickets and let's pack that place and hopefully the 824 00:40:49.880 --> 00:40:52.119 lads we're here for the lads play a little bit better. 825 00:40:52.159 --> 00:40:55.880 All right, we're live today. Tim Dolly Nissan, come on 826 00:40:55.920 --> 00:40:58.199 by and stop by. It's forty five twenty eight South 827 00:40:58.239 --> 00:41:00.599 State Street. They're up in until eight o'clock tonight. Get 828 00:41:00.639 --> 00:41:03.119 a new ride from Tim Dalliado Group. It's making room 829 00:41:03.159 --> 00:41:05.559 for the twenty twenty five models, so all the twenty 830 00:41:05.599 --> 00:41:08.320 four models must go during their year end clearance event. 831 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:10.159 You can get behind the wheel of your dream car. 832 00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:13.440 They've got trucks, SUVs, evs as well in stock, so 833 00:41:13.519 --> 00:41:15.199 come on by. We started the new year with a 834 00:41:15.199 --> 00:41:18.960 big win with Tim Dollies Forever warranty, Tim Dolly Ford 835 00:41:19.000 --> 00:41:21.920 Infinity three to eight Nissan locations, two mis To locations, 836 00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:24.840 think Tim Dalliado Group. So right now, theyve got special 837 00:41:24.880 --> 00:41:27.119 financing as low as zero percent. You don't have to 838 00:41:27.159 --> 00:41:31.119 pay anything upfront, zero money down, zero percent financing and 839 00:41:31.159 --> 00:41:33.079 no payments for two months. You can essentially get a 840 00:41:33.079 --> 00:41:34.840 free car for a couple months while you figure out 841 00:41:34.880 --> 00:41:36.960 the payments. End of the month. Best time to buy, 842 00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:39.360 so come on buy open tell eight o'clock tonight at 843 00:41:39.400 --> 00:41:42.360 Tim Dally Nissan. It's forty five twenty eight South State 844 00:41:42.400 --> 00:41:45.760 Street here in Salt Lake City on a beautiful Friday afternoon. 845 00:41:46.039 --> 00:41:48.360 All right, were love today? Tim Dally Nissan here in 846 00:41:48.440 --> 00:41:51.199 Salt Lake City. It's forty five twenty eight South State Street. 847 00:41:51.199 --> 00:41:54.400 It's their year end clearance event. Even though it's February. 848 00:41:54.440 --> 00:41:58.119 They've extended it. Special financing as low as zero percent 849 00:41:58.239 --> 00:42:00.239 and no money down, no payments for two months. So 850 00:42:00.280 --> 00:42:02.719 if you're in the market for a car, coming out 851 00:42:02.719 --> 00:42:05.159 and say hello. It's forty five twenty eight South State 852 00:42:05.239 --> 00:42:07.719 Street here in Salt Lake City. Our next guest knows 853 00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:11.159 Salt Lake City is a small town called a small town. 854 00:42:11.199 --> 00:42:13.920 Last week, let's welcome him in, Howard Beck on a 855 00:42:13.960 --> 00:42:17.480 Friday afternoon. Howard, Happy Friday. Which large city do we 856 00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:19.280 find you in on this Friday afternoon. 857 00:42:22.199 --> 00:42:25.840 I am happily ensconced in the borough of Brooklyn in 858 00:42:25.920 --> 00:42:29.119 traffic on my way to the arena, where I will 859 00:42:29.159 --> 00:42:35.000 see the Barnburger between the Nets and Portland trailblazers who 860 00:42:35.039 --> 00:42:36.480 also hail from a small city. 861 00:42:36.559 --> 00:42:39.920 By the way, Okay, if Portland's it was the town 862 00:42:40.119 --> 00:42:42.440 thing that got me, the small town. If Portland's a 863 00:42:42.480 --> 00:42:44.639 small town, I think that's fine with us out here 864 00:42:44.639 --> 00:42:45.239 in Salt Lake. 865 00:42:48.119 --> 00:42:50.199 I love all the small towns equally easy. 866 00:42:49.960 --> 00:42:51.559 You know, I know you do. 867 00:42:51.679 --> 00:42:51.840 Well. 868 00:42:51.840 --> 00:42:54.039 If you're in traffic in Brooklyn, we get you for 869 00:42:54.079 --> 00:42:56.440 what forty five minutes to an hour today on a Friday. 870 00:42:57.559 --> 00:43:01.400 According to the lift driver's mapping, we're six minutes out, 871 00:43:01.559 --> 00:43:03.320 which means it'll actually be fifteen. 872 00:43:03.760 --> 00:43:06.320 Okay, fair enough. Well let's get into it then, because 873 00:43:06.360 --> 00:43:09.679 obviously time is of the essence. So I wanted to 874 00:43:09.679 --> 00:43:13.920 get your take on some comments Lebron made about you know, 875 00:43:13.920 --> 00:43:16.719 Anthony Edwards said doesn't really care to be the face 876 00:43:16.760 --> 00:43:19.519 of the league, and Lebron, I'm paraphrasing, said, well, who 877 00:43:19.559 --> 00:43:20.960 would want to be the face of the league When 878 00:43:20.960 --> 00:43:23.360 everybody talks about the league just takes a bleep on it. 879 00:43:23.800 --> 00:43:27.039 On a daily basis. So I think this is an 880 00:43:27.079 --> 00:43:29.960 interesting topic for somebody like you because you'll be good 881 00:43:29.960 --> 00:43:32.119 with it. I think there are a lot of things 882 00:43:32.119 --> 00:43:35.760 to criticize right now with the modern day and age 883 00:43:35.840 --> 00:43:39.159 of the way that the business of basketball is being run. 884 00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:42.079 I get feedback and I have a sense, and it's 885 00:43:42.119 --> 00:43:43.840 a league I love. It's a game that I love 886 00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:46.880 that most people feel like the modern day NBA has 887 00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:49.400 run like a Fortune five hundred company that only cares 888 00:43:49.440 --> 00:43:53.559 about creating value for shareholders. Now, look, I'm a grown up. 889 00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:56.960 I know this is a front facing, revenue generating entertainment product. 890 00:43:57.480 --> 00:44:02.360 But does Lebron have a point or is reacting a 891 00:44:02.360 --> 00:44:06.360 little bit in a soft way as it pertains to 892 00:44:06.400 --> 00:44:08.679 a league that sometimes deserves to be criticized. 893 00:44:10.679 --> 00:44:13.639 There's a lot of different pieces of this that are 894 00:44:13.679 --> 00:44:15.519 worth talking about in a lot of different paths we 895 00:44:15.559 --> 00:44:17.840 can go down. So I'll give you my first reaction 896 00:44:18.199 --> 00:44:20.719 to what he said, and then we can hit the 897 00:44:20.760 --> 00:44:22.320 other parts of it if you want. But let me 898 00:44:22.360 --> 00:44:25.800 start with this. I'm glad you asked because one of 899 00:44:25.840 --> 00:44:28.880 the things Lebron said, the thing that struck me most 900 00:44:29.360 --> 00:44:31.280 is the thing about why would you want to be 901 00:44:31.320 --> 00:44:33.880 facing the league when everybody's always basically crapping on it 902 00:44:33.920 --> 00:44:35.639 and all this, and just feeling like, if you're the 903 00:44:35.639 --> 00:44:38.159 face of the league, as he has been, you put 904 00:44:38.199 --> 00:44:40.320 yourself in a position where you are just in the 905 00:44:40.360 --> 00:44:43.679 crossfire every day. I get that part of it, but 906 00:44:43.800 --> 00:44:46.039 to me, what it speaks to is something that has 907 00:44:46.039 --> 00:44:48.760 been a growing concern of mind for a very long time, 908 00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:53.239 going back years, which is that players today feel that 909 00:44:53.360 --> 00:44:56.559 kind of criticism and feel that kind of siege from 910 00:44:56.760 --> 00:45:01.559 what they believe to be the Capital M media because 911 00:45:02.440 --> 00:45:05.440 they are flooded every day with whether it's TV debate 912 00:45:05.480 --> 00:45:11.719 shows or maybe some podcasts, radio, Instagram commenters, Twitter commenters, anybody. 913 00:45:11.599 --> 00:45:15.320 They are constantly feeling like everybody's just kind of criticizing 914 00:45:15.360 --> 00:45:18.320 them all the time, and then they put this on 915 00:45:18.880 --> 00:45:22.639 the Capital M media and then lump everybody together. The 916 00:45:22.679 --> 00:45:26.599 reason I view it that way, or I'm concerned about 917 00:45:26.599 --> 00:45:30.079 it from that standpoint is there are a lot of 918 00:45:30.159 --> 00:45:31.960 us who cover the league, and Lebron actually used that 919 00:45:31.960 --> 00:45:34.400 phrase those people who cover the league are the ones, 920 00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:37.440 you know, crapping on us every day. The vast majority 921 00:45:37.440 --> 00:45:39.719 of us who are cover them league, especially as reporters, 922 00:45:39.760 --> 00:45:42.800 beat writers are not the ones he's actually talking about. 923 00:45:43.960 --> 00:45:47.840 It's the TV debate shows. It's people on Instagram, it's 924 00:45:47.920 --> 00:45:50.519 aggregation accounts that just take things out of context and 925 00:45:50.559 --> 00:45:52.519 then use it to tee off on people. It's all 926 00:45:52.519 --> 00:45:55.079 this other stuff. The people who are dedicating the most 927 00:45:55.119 --> 00:45:58.559 time and effort to reporting and writing and actually going 928 00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:01.559 into the gym, actually going to and shoot arounds and games, 929 00:46:02.320 --> 00:46:04.519 doing the job that I used to do for sixteen years, 930 00:46:04.519 --> 00:46:06.159 which is, you know, be a beat writer covering a 931 00:46:06.199 --> 00:46:09.639 team from start to finish, all eighty two games plus playoffs. 932 00:46:10.360 --> 00:46:11.840 Those are other people who are. 933 00:46:12.119 --> 00:46:14.679 Firing off takes and living on the hot take economy. 934 00:46:14.880 --> 00:46:20.920 And my concern as a twenty eight year writer covering 935 00:46:20.920 --> 00:46:23.079 this league, my concern as presidents of the Pro Basketball 936 00:46:23.079 --> 00:46:27.320 Writers Association, is that we have a growing problem where 937 00:46:27.440 --> 00:46:31.800 players view just this big noise machine as one big 938 00:46:32.880 --> 00:46:37.760 conglomerate and it's not. It's hundreds, maybe thousands of voices. 939 00:46:39.639 --> 00:46:41.800 But we are taking the brunt of this because what's 940 00:46:41.800 --> 00:46:43.480 happened is it makes it harder to cover the league 941 00:46:43.480 --> 00:46:47.159 when players are always on the defensive, or cutoff, or 942 00:46:47.400 --> 00:46:50.119 or too reticent to give their time and their thoughts 943 00:46:50.159 --> 00:46:53.599 because they fear being in the next spin cycle, and 944 00:46:54.519 --> 00:46:57.639 that is a problem, and that is a massive concern 945 00:46:58.199 --> 00:46:58.639 of mine. 946 00:47:00.159 --> 00:47:05.719 So is what's fair to be critical of in your opinion? 947 00:47:06.079 --> 00:47:09.719 You know? Because yes, to your point, when these players 948 00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:14.119 are hearing a million different voices and they're on social media, 949 00:47:14.159 --> 00:47:18.239 they're on Instagram, they're on Twitter or Blue Sky or whatever, 950 00:47:18.440 --> 00:47:21.840 and they are in their echo chamber, and the algorithm 951 00:47:21.880 --> 00:47:25.519 feeds them, you know, whatever it does, and suddenly, you know, 952 00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:29.559 a very small group of people in their mind represents 953 00:47:29.920 --> 00:47:32.360 all of us right that cover the league, and then 954 00:47:32.440 --> 00:47:35.400 suddenly we're all thrown in the same category. But as 955 00:47:35.400 --> 00:47:38.400 I referenced, I do believe there are things that are 956 00:47:38.480 --> 00:47:41.679 very fair to criticize, and I think there are things 957 00:47:41.679 --> 00:47:43.960 that are fair to criticize with the way Lebron at 958 00:47:43.960 --> 00:47:46.800 times handles himself or all of us brilliant. So your 959 00:47:46.800 --> 00:47:49.400 points are well taken, But I will ask you what 960 00:47:49.719 --> 00:47:52.360 is fair to criticize in your opinion about the modern 961 00:47:52.400 --> 00:47:55.360 day approach of NBA players and the way the league 962 00:47:55.440 --> 00:47:55.719 is run. 963 00:47:55.719 --> 00:48:01.039 Now, I'm not trying to be here at Spence. I 964 00:48:01.920 --> 00:48:04.360 don't know how to answer that, because everybody has their 965 00:48:04.400 --> 00:48:07.159 own view of what might be wrong with the league, 966 00:48:07.239 --> 00:48:09.199 or what needs to be improved, or what they think 967 00:48:09.280 --> 00:48:12.440 is broken or whatever it may be. I've got my 968 00:48:12.519 --> 00:48:14.280 views of it. You and I have had various discussions 969 00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:17.480 over you know, the months and even years about how 970 00:48:17.519 --> 00:48:19.639 we viewed certain aspects of the league and the state 971 00:48:19.679 --> 00:48:23.880 of the game's I mean, everything's fair. It's not that 972 00:48:23.920 --> 00:48:26.639 anything is off limits to criticize, although you know, times 973 00:48:26.679 --> 00:48:28.920 people get a little too personal or a little bean 974 00:48:29.000 --> 00:48:31.440 spirited or so hot taking that they lose track of 975 00:48:31.480 --> 00:48:34.679 the fact that these are human beings playing this game. 976 00:48:35.360 --> 00:48:37.599 But also I would separate cover, you know, the criticism 977 00:48:37.679 --> 00:48:41.519 of you know, the game writ large that the league 978 00:48:41.559 --> 00:48:43.639 and what the league is doing at a given time 979 00:48:43.840 --> 00:48:46.159 changes it's making or the quality of the product. That's 980 00:48:46.159 --> 00:48:49.559 a different case or a different issue than how the 981 00:48:49.559 --> 00:48:52.800 players are feeling about being ripped apart on a maybe 982 00:48:52.800 --> 00:48:56.639 sometimes daily basis by some people who again have no 983 00:48:56.719 --> 00:49:01.039 interest in it other than their ability to market their takes. 984 00:49:01.920 --> 00:49:03.840 Do you think any of this has to do directly 985 00:49:03.880 --> 00:49:06.559 with the way that some of the inside guys handle it, 986 00:49:06.599 --> 00:49:09.039 The inside, you know, the inside of the NBA on TNT, 987 00:49:09.159 --> 00:49:12.199 which is still in my opinion the most entertaining studio 988 00:49:12.280 --> 00:49:15.920 show out for any sport, not just pro basketball. But 989 00:49:15.960 --> 00:49:18.920 it seems like there's a lot of players now that 990 00:49:19.000 --> 00:49:22.000 don't necessarily appreciate some of the the guff they get 991 00:49:22.039 --> 00:49:23.519 on that show. Do you think any of it's deeped 992 00:49:23.519 --> 00:49:24.480 with the inside stuff? 993 00:49:25.800 --> 00:49:28.079 I don't know. I mean, I think it's everything. I 994 00:49:28.119 --> 00:49:31.039 don't think it's anyone thing, and I don't want to, like, 995 00:49:31.199 --> 00:49:35.119 you know, get into names of various on air personalities 996 00:49:35.199 --> 00:49:38.760 on any of the networks. But there are people who 997 00:49:38.840 --> 00:49:43.159 obviously have made a living off of just you know, 998 00:49:43.480 --> 00:49:47.039 firing off takes on players and test sometimes taking it 999 00:49:47.079 --> 00:49:52.000 to illogical or unfair extremes, and you know, that's that 1000 00:49:52.159 --> 00:49:56.639 is the unfortunately the media landscape we live in right now. 1001 00:49:57.639 --> 00:49:59.679 I don't know, like you do have to ask to 1002 00:49:59.679 --> 00:50:02.320 ask the ron. I don't know whether he's referring to 1003 00:50:03.280 --> 00:50:07.000 Turner inside the NBA, whether referring to ESPN, whether it's 1004 00:50:07.000 --> 00:50:10.599 referring to Fox Debate shows what I don't I don't know. 1005 00:50:11.519 --> 00:50:14.480 I think this is more about this is less about 1006 00:50:15.400 --> 00:50:18.360 how the game is being talked about in terms of 1007 00:50:18.360 --> 00:50:20.719 what he said, than than the way he's been talked 1008 00:50:20.719 --> 00:50:22.719 about I think he was referring to his own experience 1009 00:50:22.760 --> 00:50:23.840 as the face of the league. 1010 00:50:24.880 --> 00:50:27.960 Yeah, no, that makes sense. Hey, porter, will you effort Lebron. 1011 00:50:28.159 --> 00:50:31.079 Let's get Lebron on to kind of ask him. We'll 1012 00:50:31.079 --> 00:50:34.880 get him on to cast him directly, obviously tongue in cheek. Now, look, 1013 00:50:35.199 --> 00:50:38.159 I'll tell you what, Howard, Not everybody covers a league 1014 00:50:38.159 --> 00:50:40.840 through the prism of negativity. And the last couple of 1015 00:50:40.880 --> 00:50:44.400 weeks I have turned on basketball and I have watched 1016 00:50:44.400 --> 00:50:48.000 basketball players seem to care about playing basketball, and it 1017 00:50:48.079 --> 00:50:51.119 is a reminder, Look, maybe this is just the world 1018 00:50:51.119 --> 00:50:53.360 of basketball now that we all should just say, Look, 1019 00:50:53.760 --> 00:50:55.559 we'll tach you after the All Star break, we'll hit 1020 00:50:55.559 --> 00:50:58.039 you up in late February, early March. But the past 1021 00:50:58.119 --> 00:51:00.559 couple of weeks, when these guys have been locked in, 1022 00:51:00.760 --> 00:51:02.880 it is a reminder of what this league looks like 1023 00:51:02.960 --> 00:51:04.840 and what this sport looks like when the best players 1024 00:51:04.880 --> 00:51:06.159 are playing hard with a purpose. 1025 00:51:07.679 --> 00:51:10.239 I mean, there were great games in October, November, December too, 1026 00:51:10.280 --> 00:51:12.639 So I don't know, like I do think that there 1027 00:51:12.719 --> 00:51:14.920 is such a thing as the dog days of the season, 1028 00:51:14.960 --> 00:51:18.920 especially January. I do think that when we get back 1029 00:51:18.960 --> 00:51:21.480 from the All Star break, and there's it's not even 1030 00:51:21.480 --> 00:51:23.719 the midway point, it's it's beyond the midway point. There's 1031 00:51:23.800 --> 00:51:27.679 usually like thirty thirty five games left, and when when 1032 00:51:27.679 --> 00:51:31.280 the teams that especially know they're they're locking in for 1033 00:51:31.320 --> 00:51:34.760 the postseason and have you know, the spring to look 1034 00:51:34.760 --> 00:51:37.360 ahead to, and it's getting closer. It certainly brings a 1035 00:51:37.360 --> 00:51:39.199 different level of focus and intensity. 1036 00:51:39.239 --> 00:51:41.679 But like we were all raving about. 1037 00:51:41.480 --> 00:51:43.239 Certain games back and I'm trying to remember, like there 1038 00:51:43.280 --> 00:51:46.920 was a bunch involving the Warriors, involving the Thunder, like 1039 00:51:47.599 --> 00:51:49.000 there were good games earlier in the season. 1040 00:51:49.079 --> 00:51:49.440 Like it. 1041 00:51:49.960 --> 00:51:52.559 I'm not I'm not sold on the idea that that 1042 00:51:52.719 --> 00:51:55.800 suddenly the whole landscape changes the second we get back 1043 00:51:55.840 --> 00:52:03.159 from the All Star Game. But you know, the problem is, 1044 00:52:03.639 --> 00:52:07.039 in the context of the bigger conversation here, people's complaints 1045 00:52:07.039 --> 00:52:08.960 about the league might be that, oh, we don't think 1046 00:52:09.000 --> 00:52:11.000 guys play hard on the given night, or maybe because 1047 00:52:11.000 --> 00:52:12.760 they didn't play hard in the All Star Game, or 1048 00:52:12.880 --> 00:52:15.760 it's guys are load managing too much, or whatever. Like 1049 00:52:15.800 --> 00:52:18.719 there's bits and pieces of all of this, and everybody's 1050 00:52:18.719 --> 00:52:21.519 got a little bit different version of what's bothering them 1051 00:52:21.519 --> 00:52:24.960 about the league at any given time, and so I 1052 00:52:25.039 --> 00:52:27.760 just I don't know which part of that is the 1053 00:52:27.760 --> 00:52:29.800 one that needs to. 1054 00:52:29.719 --> 00:52:30.360 Be focused on. 1055 00:52:30.440 --> 00:52:32.079 All right, I'm getting out of the car. 1056 00:52:31.960 --> 00:52:32.519 Here real quick. 1057 00:52:32.599 --> 00:52:35.559 Hold, I'm saying all good. Howard Beck is our guest, 1058 00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:38.360 one of my favorite riders. He's joined my show for 1059 00:52:38.400 --> 00:52:41.079 a number of years. You can get him on Blue 1060 00:52:41.079 --> 00:52:45.320 Sky mostly. He is technically on Twitter, but he has 1061 00:52:45.800 --> 00:52:48.239 been at a number of different places. He always does 1062 00:52:48.239 --> 00:52:50.280 his job at a high level, and he does his 1063 00:52:50.360 --> 00:52:52.679 job so well that he's going to see Brooklyn and 1064 00:52:52.719 --> 00:52:55.880 Portland play tonight in person, which is very impressive. So 1065 00:52:56.199 --> 00:52:58.360 let me just ask you point playing your opinion then 1066 00:52:58.400 --> 00:53:02.480 instead of dancing around it, do you feel like from 1067 00:53:02.519 --> 00:53:05.840 your dvantage point, uh, you know that the league is 1068 00:53:06.039 --> 00:53:08.679 in a healthy place, you know, as opposed to what 1069 00:53:08.679 --> 00:53:10.760 anyone else has to say about what does what does 1070 00:53:10.800 --> 00:53:13.639 Howard Beck have to say about the current state of 1071 00:53:13.639 --> 00:53:14.079 the NBA. 1072 00:53:15.159 --> 00:53:15.760 I think it's. 1073 00:53:15.639 --> 00:53:19.800 Fine, honestly, I really do. The game has changed, and 1074 00:53:19.800 --> 00:53:22.559 some people don't like the way the game has changed stylistically. 1075 00:53:23.159 --> 00:53:27.559 The load management part of it is an absolutely legitimate 1076 00:53:27.599 --> 00:53:30.679 issue and concern, especially for fans who pay a lot 1077 00:53:30.679 --> 00:53:32.920 of money go to a game. I'm bringing my daughter 1078 00:53:32.960 --> 00:53:35.719 to a game soon and I don't want to say 1079 00:53:35.800 --> 00:53:39.199 which game am I gonna do, But I'm I'm sitting 1080 00:53:39.199 --> 00:53:41.639 there going like, are the players that I'm hoping are 1081 00:53:41.639 --> 00:53:43.039 going to play that night going to be there? Because 1082 00:53:43.039 --> 00:53:44.599 I don't worry about it the same way as anybody 1083 00:53:44.599 --> 00:53:48.679 else does. Right, I've bought tickets that that's a serious concern, 1084 00:53:48.719 --> 00:53:51.039 and the NBA they've tried to deal with it. We 1085 00:53:51.119 --> 00:53:53.599 know that, you know, it was a you know, starting 1086 00:53:53.840 --> 00:53:57.440 last season when they instituted all these rules to try 1087 00:53:57.480 --> 00:54:00.000 to make sure that players were playing more often than 1088 00:54:00.119 --> 00:54:03.440 not and not abusing the latitude that teams have. 1089 00:54:03.440 --> 00:54:05.840 To rest guys. So those are issues. 1090 00:54:05.920 --> 00:54:09.920 But the state of the game, honestly, it's fine. Like it. 1091 00:54:10.039 --> 00:54:12.039 I think it's mostly depends on who you're rooting for. 1092 00:54:12.320 --> 00:54:14.880 But thunder fans are thrilled with the state of the game, 1093 00:54:15.519 --> 00:54:16.480 Sixer fans. 1094 00:54:16.239 --> 00:54:17.239 Probably not so much. 1095 00:54:17.599 --> 00:54:21.719 Suns fans probably a bit depressed right now. The Nets 1096 00:54:21.760 --> 00:54:24.559 fans that I'll see in here tonight, you know, they 1097 00:54:24.719 --> 00:54:26.719 they're just happy that their team is playing their butts 1098 00:54:26.760 --> 00:54:30.559 off despite not having any stars. And you know they're 1099 00:54:30.599 --> 00:54:32.800 hoping for a lottery balls Like I don't. I don't 1100 00:54:33.320 --> 00:54:35.920 think the game is in crisis. I think that has 1101 00:54:35.960 --> 00:54:40.480 been wildly overstated based on some early ratings data earlier 1102 00:54:40.519 --> 00:54:42.239 in the season, a lot of which has kind of 1103 00:54:42.280 --> 00:54:45.320 evened out. It's still down, but it's not down dramatically, 1104 00:54:46.000 --> 00:54:48.400 and the league locked in a seventy billion dollar media 1105 00:54:48.480 --> 00:54:51.639 right seal Like you know, that goes back to your 1106 00:54:51.760 --> 00:54:54.679 your view of like the like the cynical take of like, yeah, 1107 00:54:54.679 --> 00:54:57.280 it's just a business and they're just accruing value. And 1108 00:54:57.320 --> 00:54:59.760 I think there's something to that, But I don't know 1109 00:54:59.800 --> 00:55:01.199 where where are the crisis is here? 1110 00:55:02.880 --> 00:55:05.440 All right? I will ask you because I often ask 1111 00:55:05.519 --> 00:55:09.360 you these philosophical questions on how to fix certain issues, 1112 00:55:10.159 --> 00:55:12.599 because I was talking to and your point about who 1113 00:55:12.639 --> 00:55:15.440 you cheer for and where you're at currently as it 1114 00:55:15.440 --> 00:55:17.199 pertains to your opinion of the state of the league 1115 00:55:17.239 --> 00:55:19.800 is really good. And obviously out here there are a 1116 00:55:19.800 --> 00:55:21.960 lot of people that are frustrated that we're in year 1117 00:55:22.000 --> 00:55:25.599 three of this rebuild, and we focus on the good 1118 00:55:25.679 --> 00:55:28.360 stories when they manifest. Walker Kessler had a great game 1119 00:55:28.400 --> 00:55:31.440 the other night against THELMLSA Bonus, And there's some stuff 1120 00:55:31.440 --> 00:55:34.960 with Isaiah Collier and Keyante George that are pretty exciting, 1121 00:55:35.440 --> 00:55:39.239 but it does feel like every year about a third 1122 00:55:39.280 --> 00:55:42.679 of the teams are just unseerious about winning. And I 1123 00:55:42.800 --> 00:55:45.039 get it, and certainly out here I get it, and 1124 00:55:45.079 --> 00:55:47.079 I think the Josh should have done this two years ago, 1125 00:55:47.119 --> 00:55:50.360 as we've talked about. But is there is there any 1126 00:55:50.360 --> 00:55:55.119 fix to this scenario where and John Hollinger wrote a 1127 00:55:55.119 --> 00:55:57.119 good piece for The Athletic about this where you're either 1128 00:55:57.159 --> 00:55:59.679 in the halves or the have nots, And it seems 1129 00:55:59.719 --> 00:56:02.480 like every year about a third of the league as this, 1130 00:56:02.760 --> 00:56:06.000 you know, this situation where they're not serious about winning, 1131 00:56:06.039 --> 00:56:09.239 they're trying to develop young players and then a rebuild 1132 00:56:09.400 --> 00:56:13.159 is hope that some young players pop, acquire assets, and 1133 00:56:13.199 --> 00:56:15.559 then hope you get lucky in the lottery. Is this 1134 00:56:15.880 --> 00:56:18.199 just the NBA where about a third of the teams 1135 00:56:18.239 --> 00:56:19.880 every year are just not going to be able to 1136 00:56:19.880 --> 00:56:22.559 compete with the top shelf team, so they go young, 1137 00:56:22.639 --> 00:56:24.679 try to develop, and try to get lucky in the lottery. 1138 00:56:26.239 --> 00:56:29.719 I wrote a very long piece last week during the 1139 00:56:29.800 --> 00:56:32.480 Ringers NBA expansion week, as we called it. We'd a 1140 00:56:32.480 --> 00:56:34.880 whole packs of stories about it. The idea of expansions 1141 00:56:35.119 --> 00:56:38.599 been talked about so much, and it seems to be 1142 00:56:38.599 --> 00:56:40.880 on the horizon, although as I reported, I think it's 1143 00:56:40.880 --> 00:56:43.519 actually three to five years out still if it happened. 1144 00:56:43.800 --> 00:56:46.119 But the piece I wrote was about kind of this, 1145 00:56:46.440 --> 00:56:50.119 which is that there still aren't enough stars to go around, 1146 00:56:50.320 --> 00:56:52.440 especially when you know stars like to join up with 1147 00:56:52.480 --> 00:56:54.519 each other on ungiven teams, where teams you know, are 1148 00:56:54.519 --> 00:56:58.559 able to get them on their own. Yeah, it's it's 1149 00:56:58.800 --> 00:57:00.480 stars are a finite come out of This is a 1150 00:57:00.559 --> 00:57:03.760 zero sum game. So we can look at the Jazz 1151 00:57:03.880 --> 00:57:06.000 or the Nets and the Blazers, two teams I will 1152 00:57:06.000 --> 00:57:09.199 see either tonight or the Wizards and say, well, they're rebuilding, 1153 00:57:09.239 --> 00:57:11.000 they don't have enough talent whatever, They're in the have 1154 00:57:11.159 --> 00:57:14.079 nuts category. They're hoping for lottery balls, they're hoping for something. 1155 00:57:15.079 --> 00:57:17.280 The fact is, whether you're doing it intentionally or just 1156 00:57:17.320 --> 00:57:19.400 because that's just where in the life cycle your team is, 1157 00:57:19.519 --> 00:57:25.559 naturally you're trying to pursue stars that aren't there because 1158 00:57:25.559 --> 00:57:28.559 they're on somebody else's team. It's a zero sum game. 1159 00:57:29.000 --> 00:57:30.760 And we can talk about the fact that there's more 1160 00:57:30.760 --> 00:57:34.960 talent than ever around the league today than ten fifteen 1161 00:57:35.000 --> 00:57:38.000 twenty years ago, and there is, but it's not franchise 1162 00:57:38.039 --> 00:57:41.760 star level talent. Like the Jazz have Lowry Markinen, who's 1163 00:57:41.800 --> 00:57:44.639 a really good player, all NBA caliber, but that's not 1164 00:57:44.880 --> 00:57:47.920 enough for them to win enough games to be in 1165 00:57:47.920 --> 00:57:52.000 the playoff hunt. And you know, the Nets and the 1166 00:57:52.039 --> 00:57:55.440 Wizards certainly traded away players to do their rebuilds. But 1167 00:57:55.480 --> 00:58:01.639 the fact is there's so few true superstars or stars 1168 00:58:01.800 --> 00:58:03.880 that you can do that and have. There still be 1169 00:58:03.880 --> 00:58:06.480 a bunch of other teams that are still searching for 1170 00:58:06.519 --> 00:58:09.280 talent as well, Like this is just the state of things. 1171 00:58:09.320 --> 00:58:13.559 You can't possibly have thirty teams competitive at the same time, 1172 00:58:13.599 --> 00:58:16.119 no matter how much Adam Silver has tried to engineer parody, 1173 00:58:16.199 --> 00:58:18.639 and there is more parody now than there has been in. 1174 00:58:18.519 --> 00:58:19.599 The history of the league. 1175 00:58:20.280 --> 00:58:23.239 But it doesn't ensure that every team is going to 1176 00:58:23.239 --> 00:58:25.519 have a chance every season to be a five hundred 1177 00:58:25.519 --> 00:58:26.519 team or a playoff team. 1178 00:58:27.920 --> 00:58:29.719 All right, I know you got to go. So let's 1179 00:58:29.719 --> 00:58:31.639 get a couple of things that are actually going on 1180 00:58:31.840 --> 00:58:33.960 in the league. Joel Embiid is going to miss the 1181 00:58:34.000 --> 00:58:37.039 remainder of the season due to a knee injury, and 1182 00:58:37.239 --> 00:58:39.519 it feels like This was the only course of action 1183 00:58:39.639 --> 00:58:42.639 for a Philadelphia team that was just spiraling out of control. 1184 00:58:43.360 --> 00:58:45.199 What's next for Philly? What's next for MB? 1185 00:58:47.079 --> 00:58:48.280 Who knows what's next for MB? 1186 00:58:48.400 --> 00:58:50.719 Because I don't think we really know the true extent 1187 00:58:50.760 --> 00:58:55.079 of his knee problems, and he is notoriously private about 1188 00:58:55.119 --> 00:58:57.559 his health and about whatever's going on at a given time. 1189 00:58:57.679 --> 00:59:02.199 So the Sixers are not very forthcoming on these things 1190 00:59:02.199 --> 00:59:04.320 and haven't been because MB doesn't want them to be, 1191 00:59:05.199 --> 00:59:07.239 which is his prerogative. But it's frustrating if you're a 1192 00:59:07.280 --> 00:59:09.320 Philly fan and you have no idea whether he's ever 1193 00:59:09.360 --> 00:59:11.320 going to be himself again. So we don't know the 1194 00:59:11.360 --> 00:59:13.320 answer to that, and if he's never himself again, and 1195 00:59:13.360 --> 00:59:16.079 he just signed a massive extension last summer, they are 1196 00:59:16.119 --> 00:59:17.880 screwed for the foreseeable future. 1197 00:59:17.559 --> 00:59:18.199 On that alone. 1198 00:59:18.239 --> 00:59:19.960 On top of that, they signed Paul George to a 1199 00:59:20.039 --> 00:59:22.519 max four year deal, and you know he's on the 1200 00:59:22.519 --> 00:59:27.440 downhill slide too, So they're shutting down EMBIID is the 1201 00:59:27.440 --> 00:59:30.239 practical thing to do from a health standpoint, probably, but 1202 00:59:30.280 --> 00:59:32.679 it's also the practical thing to do from a draft standpoint, 1203 00:59:32.719 --> 00:59:35.960 because they owe a pick to Oklahoma that is top 1204 00:59:36.000 --> 00:59:41.400 six protected. So if the Sixers pick lands in the 1205 00:59:41.400 --> 00:59:44.159 top six, the Sixers get to keep it. If it's 1206 00:59:44.480 --> 00:59:47.679 seventh or later, it's going to Oklahoma. So the the 1207 00:59:48.199 --> 00:59:51.800 insult to injury here for Philadelphia is that their seasons 1208 00:59:51.800 --> 00:59:55.400 already toast embiid is on the shelf, and if the 1209 00:59:55.440 --> 00:59:59.679 pick is seventh or lower, it's going to Oklahoma instead 1210 00:59:59.679 --> 01:00:03.679 of them getting the benefit in Philly. So there it is. 1211 01:00:04.079 --> 01:00:06.840 There is in their best interests to shut down everybody 1212 01:00:06.840 --> 01:00:09.280 at this stage. Do whatever you have to do, take 1213 01:00:09.280 --> 01:00:12.039 the fines from the league, but do everything possible to 1214 01:00:12.079 --> 01:00:15.679 have the worst record possible. And even that doesn't guarantee anything, 1215 01:00:15.719 --> 01:00:18.480 because the lottery balls could bounce the wrong way and 1216 01:00:18.679 --> 01:00:20.800 it could drop the Sixers to seven or eight or 1217 01:00:20.880 --> 01:00:23.519 nine or whatever, and they could still lose the pick. 1218 01:00:23.679 --> 01:00:27.639 So they do need to increase their odds of having 1219 01:00:28.000 --> 01:00:28.920 a top six pick. 1220 01:00:29.599 --> 01:00:31.199 All right, before I set you loose, We'll let you 1221 01:00:31.199 --> 01:00:34.519 get to the game. Uh, who keeps Mark dagnalled up 1222 01:00:34.519 --> 01:00:37.760 that night? The most? Is it Denver? Is it La 1223 01:00:37.880 --> 01:00:40.320 with those two? Is it Golden State with Jimmy? I mean, 1224 01:00:40.639 --> 01:00:43.559 Oklahoma State clearly is entrenched themselves as the favorite. But 1225 01:00:43.599 --> 01:00:46.119 who keeps Mark up that night the most, in your opinion. 1226 01:00:47.280 --> 01:00:49.960 Probably Denver because they've got the best player on the 1227 01:00:49.960 --> 01:00:51.880 planet in Jokic, and that the team that won a 1228 01:00:51.960 --> 01:00:56.840 championship within the last couple of years. I think, you know, look, 1229 01:00:56.880 --> 01:00:59.199 i'd be the first to say I don't want to 1230 01:00:59.199 --> 01:01:02.840 face a Loop Lebron tandem at any time, but supporting 1231 01:01:02.880 --> 01:01:05.320 cast is a little questionable. They don't have any size 1232 01:01:05.880 --> 01:01:09.480 and you know, Lucas still trying to get his legs 1233 01:01:09.480 --> 01:01:11.920 back under him. He's not shooting well yet. They'll probably 1234 01:01:11.960 --> 01:01:14.599 come around. They look pretty good so far, but you know, 1235 01:01:14.679 --> 01:01:16.719 let's check back in a few weeks or you know, 1236 01:01:16.960 --> 01:01:19.679 a month or so. I don't I don't know that 1237 01:01:19.719 --> 01:01:23.360 the Lakers as constructed have enough to make a run 1238 01:01:23.719 --> 01:01:25.920 this year. They didn't make that trade for this year. 1239 01:01:25.960 --> 01:01:29.079 They made that trade for the next ten years. And 1240 01:01:29.800 --> 01:01:32.880 you know, with the Warriors, that one's interesting, like they're 1241 01:01:32.920 --> 01:01:35.360 playing their butts off. They look really good. Steph goes 1242 01:01:35.400 --> 01:01:39.159 for fifty six last night, and Butler's fit in perfectly. 1243 01:01:41.119 --> 01:01:43.440 They have a little bit better depth in roster balance 1244 01:01:43.519 --> 01:01:45.639 the Warriors than the Lakers do, So I'll put the 1245 01:01:45.679 --> 01:01:48.679 manach ahead, but probably it's Denver Howard. 1246 01:01:48.719 --> 01:01:50.639 Thank you, my friend. It's always fun. And enjoy that 1247 01:01:50.719 --> 01:01:52.079 game that I had. I know you will and we'll 1248 01:01:52.119 --> 01:01:54.239 chat soon. Thanks buddy, I'll try. 1249 01:01:54.239 --> 01:01:54.440 Thank you. 1250 01:01:54.559 --> 01:01:57.559 Pett great. Howard Beck now with the Ringers, spent some 1251 01:01:57.639 --> 01:02:00.239 time with the New York Times, LA Times and was 1252 01:02:00.239 --> 01:02:02.199 a nick beat writer for a number of years. He's 1253 01:02:02.239 --> 01:02:04.920 a very talented NBA writer. He's worth your time to 1254 01:02:05.559 --> 01:02:08.199 listen to and read. We appreciate his time. He technically 1255 01:02:08.280 --> 01:02:10.800 is on Twitter, which is just his name at Howard 1256 01:02:10.800 --> 01:02:12.360 Beck and from there you can get the link to 1257 01:02:12.400 --> 01:02:15.239 Blue Sky, where I think he's posting more now, or 1258 01:02:15.280 --> 01:02:17.199 just go to The Ringer dot com and search Howard Beck. 1259 01:02:17.719 --> 01:02:21.559 Appreciate Howard's time, Yeah, if you missed it. Lebron James 1260 01:02:21.639 --> 01:02:24.360 was asked about Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis said he's not 1261 01:02:24.400 --> 01:02:26.840 really trying to be the face of the league, and 1262 01:02:27.239 --> 01:02:28.880 Lebron said, quote, why do you want to be the 1263 01:02:28.880 --> 01:02:30.639 face of the league when all the people that cover 1264 01:02:30.719 --> 01:02:33.039 our game and talk about our game on a day 1265 01:02:33.079 --> 01:02:36.760 to day basis bleep on everybody. Obviously I didn't ask 1266 01:02:36.760 --> 01:02:38.039 to be the face of the league. I feel and 1267 01:02:38.199 --> 01:02:40.320 I understand this is weird energy when it comes to that, 1268 01:02:41.199 --> 01:02:43.320 and there's been a lot of reaction about it. And 1269 01:02:43.400 --> 01:02:45.519 as I reference to Howard, you know, I'm one that 1270 01:02:46.159 --> 01:02:48.760 has spent my entire life around pro basketball, and I've 1271 01:02:48.760 --> 01:02:52.159 always enjoyed it. I enjoyed playing as much as I 1272 01:02:52.159 --> 01:02:54.400 could before, you know, I had to find something else 1273 01:02:54.400 --> 01:02:56.719 to do because I couldn't keep up with pros. And 1274 01:02:56.760 --> 01:02:58.920 I enjoy covering it. I enjoy watching it, and it 1275 01:02:59.039 --> 01:03:01.760 is a different league than was back in the day, 1276 01:03:01.840 --> 01:03:04.440 and certainly there's an argument to be made that it's 1277 01:03:04.480 --> 01:03:06.400 time just to shut up and embrace it. It is 1278 01:03:06.440 --> 01:03:09.440 what it is, and it is overstated a little bit 1279 01:03:09.480 --> 01:03:11.519 as far as players not going hard all the time, 1280 01:03:11.519 --> 01:03:14.280 but it's not entirely overstated. I watch this league a lot, 1281 01:03:14.760 --> 01:03:17.400 and there are plenty of nights when I'm watching games 1282 01:03:17.400 --> 01:03:20.079 I'm excited to watch where those guys are nailing it 1283 01:03:20.079 --> 01:03:22.559 in man. Then there are plenty of games I sit 1284 01:03:22.599 --> 01:03:25.079 down and watch it are awesome. And ever since this 1285 01:03:26.320 --> 01:03:28.199 league came back from the All Star Break, there have 1286 01:03:28.280 --> 01:03:30.760 been a lot of games that have been worth watching. 1287 01:03:30.800 --> 01:03:33.119 Players are showing up and they're playing hard. But we 1288 01:03:33.159 --> 01:03:36.000 shouldn't have to wait for that to be consistent for 1289 01:03:36.079 --> 01:03:38.159 like four months, Like, show up and do your job. Man, 1290 01:03:38.199 --> 01:03:40.639 You're getting paid a lot of money. The fans show 1291 01:03:40.719 --> 01:03:43.159 up and they watch, and I do think players have 1292 01:03:43.199 --> 01:03:45.559 an obligation of fans, even though players don't seem to 1293 01:03:45.559 --> 01:03:48.159 think that they do. And sometimes they say the quiet 1294 01:03:48.239 --> 01:03:50.159 heart out loud, like Kevin Durant did when he said, 1295 01:03:50.199 --> 01:03:53.840 we don't ever really take any consideration what the fans 1296 01:03:53.840 --> 01:03:56.360 have to say. And if that's the attitude, you are 1297 01:03:56.400 --> 01:03:58.159 going to turn a lot of people off. And quite frankly, 1298 01:03:58.159 --> 01:04:01.000 I think pro basketball has That's just my opinion. But 1299 01:04:01.079 --> 01:04:03.079 the Warriors game was awesome last night. The Bucks and 1300 01:04:03.079 --> 01:04:05.360 the Nuggets played a really good game. Lakers and the 1301 01:04:05.400 --> 01:04:08.119 Timberwolves played a really good game. And tonight we've got 1302 01:04:08.199 --> 01:04:12.840 Jazz basketball as Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, in addition to 1303 01:04:13.519 --> 01:04:17.360 Joe Ingles and Nikhil Alexander Walker are back in town 1304 01:04:17.360 --> 01:04:20.239 with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and it'll be fun to kind 1305 01:04:20.239 --> 01:04:22.079 of see those guys and hopefully they get a good 1306 01:04:22.599 --> 01:04:26.400 rowd of applause and ovation. I imagine they would. Timberwolves 1307 01:04:26.400 --> 01:04:28.719 good team, not a great team. Just about five hundred 1308 01:04:29.199 --> 01:04:31.400 Jazz on that first round pick. So maybe the Jazz 1309 01:04:31.400 --> 01:04:33.079 try to get a win. Tonight seven thirty is your 1310 01:04:33.079 --> 01:04:36.000 tip time. As the NBA is kind of on the stretch. 1311 01:04:36.079 --> 01:04:39.440 Run now got Nuggets Pistons, which I wouldn't have said 1312 01:04:39.519 --> 01:04:41.360 is a good game. A couple of weeks ago. The 1313 01:04:41.360 --> 01:04:43.480 Pistons run off eight straight games, and I try to 1314 01:04:43.480 --> 01:04:47.559 you oftentimes cover the league and talk about teams that 1315 01:04:47.639 --> 01:04:50.079 were in the position the Jazz are just a few 1316 01:04:50.159 --> 01:04:53.800 years ago. Detroit won eight games last year. They've won 1317 01:04:53.880 --> 01:04:57.920 eight straight games right now, and they've got Kate Cunningham. Obviously. 1318 01:04:58.079 --> 01:05:01.599 You know, it's like Orlando WITHO. You know some of 1319 01:05:01.639 --> 01:05:03.760 these teams that were rebuilding and now looking a little 1320 01:05:03.760 --> 01:05:05.920 bit better. Well, they've got cornerstones in the way in 1321 01:05:05.960 --> 01:05:08.400 a way, the Jazz is don't. The Calves are at 1322 01:05:08.519 --> 01:05:11.039 the Celtics tonight to TD Garden, so that should be 1323 01:05:11.039 --> 01:05:14.159 a fun one. Clippers Lakers late night game at Crypto 1324 01:05:14.239 --> 01:05:17.920 dot Com Arena. All right, we are live today out 1325 01:05:17.960 --> 01:05:20.000 here at Tim Dally Nissan. It's forty five to twenty 1326 01:05:20.000 --> 01:05:22.800 eight South State Street. They're opening till eight o'clock. So 1327 01:05:22.800 --> 01:05:24.920 if you can't get here while we're here until about 1328 01:05:24.960 --> 01:05:27.280 six tonight. You can come by after work if you 1329 01:05:27.320 --> 01:05:29.280 get off or whatever. At forty five twenty eight South 1330 01:05:29.320 --> 01:05:32.800 State Street. They've got special financing. It's their year end 1331 01:05:32.880 --> 01:05:37.039 clearance events. Special financing as low as zero percent, zero 1332 01:05:37.079 --> 01:05:39.320 money down as well then no payments for two months. 1333 01:05:39.679 --> 01:05:41.000 End of the month is the best time to buy. 1334 01:05:41.039 --> 01:05:43.519 It's the last day of February. Good riddance. By the way. 1335 01:05:43.599 --> 01:05:46.400 March is here tomorrow forty five to twenty eighth South 1336 01:05:46.440 --> 01:05:49.280 State Street. It's their end of year clearance event with 1337 01:05:49.360 --> 01:05:53.559 special financing available as low as zero percent. They're also 1338 01:05:53.679 --> 01:05:56.360 offering some really nice cars with no money down and 1339 01:05:56.400 --> 01:05:59.000 no payments for two months. So it's a good time 1340 01:05:59.000 --> 01:06:00.440 to buy a vehicle if you're in the market for 1341 01:06:00.559 --> 01:06:03.199 come on by and say hi at forty five twenty 1342 01:06:03.239 --> 01:06:06.119 eight South State Street. The sun is shining. It's been 1343 01:06:06.159 --> 01:06:08.480 a week that feels like spring, and I do believe 1344 01:06:08.519 --> 01:06:12.280 Paul Pugmyer, we actually have some local tracks open for 1345 01:06:12.400 --> 01:06:14.679 business this weekend. Yes, sir, is that right? 1346 01:06:15.800 --> 01:06:19.159 There are a few yep down in the bottom part 1347 01:06:19.159 --> 01:06:23.400 of the valley and actually up in Davis County Valley 1348 01:06:23.480 --> 01:06:26.159 View who has opened nine holes to walking only, So 1349 01:06:26.239 --> 01:06:26.599 there's that. 1350 01:06:27.480 --> 01:06:28.760 Don't tease me. Are you playing? 1351 01:06:28.760 --> 01:06:28.880 Are you? 1352 01:06:29.039 --> 01:06:30.239 Are you gonna get it? Are you gonna get out 1353 01:06:30.239 --> 01:06:32.239 of the swinger club? This this this weekend? 1354 01:06:32.960 --> 01:06:33.639 Planning on it? 1355 01:06:33.719 --> 01:06:33.960 Yet? 1356 01:06:34.880 --> 01:06:39.000 Can you tell me where one more good for you? 1357 01:06:39.199 --> 01:06:41.639 How's How's? How's the game? How's the game? Right now? 1358 01:06:42.519 --> 01:06:46.679 It's pretty rusty and uh, pretty rickety. I need some work. 1359 01:06:47.320 --> 01:06:49.159 I'm going to try to get out to Nibley play 1360 01:06:49.239 --> 01:06:51.960 nine tomorrow and nine and sun. I have not swung 1361 01:06:52.000 --> 01:06:55.199 a club since November. Paul, So what are the what 1362 01:06:55.239 --> 01:06:58.800 are the main challenges of getting back into it after 1363 01:06:58.840 --> 01:07:01.800 a number of months off because I'm planning on not 1364 01:07:01.960 --> 01:07:04.599 playing well, but I'm going to try to not get frustrated. 1365 01:07:05.639 --> 01:07:09.559 The short game will go first, and it's it's takes 1366 01:07:09.599 --> 01:07:12.719 a little longer to come back. So if you hit 1367 01:07:12.800 --> 01:07:17.400 some skanky chips, give yourself some grace. It's kind of 1368 01:07:17.400 --> 01:07:18.239 the way it's going to go. 1369 01:07:19.280 --> 01:07:20.880 Did you say skanky chips? 1370 01:07:21.440 --> 01:07:21.840 I did. 1371 01:07:22.639 --> 01:07:24.360 I did not know that was a term. I'm going 1372 01:07:24.440 --> 01:07:29.199 to use that here now. Yeah, put a little Paul Pugmyer, 1373 01:07:29.239 --> 01:07:31.760 our guests, heos our golf radio show every Saturday morning. 1374 01:07:31.840 --> 01:07:35.480 Put a little context on Jake Knapp going low with 1375 01:07:35.599 --> 01:07:39.239 a fifty nine round one at the Cognizant Classic in 1376 01:07:39.280 --> 01:07:40.039 the Palm Beaches. 1377 01:07:41.119 --> 01:07:45.719 Well, that was great stuff. I was able to catch 1378 01:07:45.840 --> 01:07:50.480 the last or tail end of it, and he was 1379 01:07:50.599 --> 01:07:52.480 very calm about it all, which you got to be 1380 01:07:52.519 --> 01:07:54.559 in a situation like that in order to get over 1381 01:07:54.559 --> 01:07:59.480 the finish line. But he it was really funny. This 1382 01:07:59.599 --> 01:08:06.000 is Jack Nicholas's course, referred to both lovingly and derisively 1383 01:08:06.039 --> 01:08:11.559 as the bear Trap, and it has a tradition and 1384 01:08:11.599 --> 01:08:15.280 a reputation of being very, very hard. But a combination 1385 01:08:15.639 --> 01:08:19.079 of some overseating that they did on the grass that 1386 01:08:19.560 --> 01:08:23.039 made the fairways softer, which makes them play effectively wider, 1387 01:08:24.039 --> 01:08:30.520 combined with an odd situation of zero wind, the course 1388 01:08:30.600 --> 01:08:34.279 was playing easy. It was gettable, and by and large 1389 01:08:34.279 --> 01:08:38.640 people were complaining about it. And then a nap comes 1390 01:08:38.680 --> 01:08:40.680 in with the fifty nine and they say, see told 1391 01:08:40.680 --> 01:08:44.000 you so, And my reaction was, well, what'd you shoot? 1392 01:08:44.119 --> 01:08:50.199 And nobody got anywhere near him, and so it was 1393 01:08:50.239 --> 01:08:54.560 the fifteenth sub sixty round shot in PGA tour history. 1394 01:08:55.079 --> 01:08:58.159 The first goes back to nineteen seventy seven when al 1395 01:08:58.199 --> 01:09:02.399 Geiberger did it in Memphis and then there was like 1396 01:09:02.399 --> 01:09:06.359 like ten or twelve years before anybody did it again below. 1397 01:09:06.560 --> 01:09:08.920 The sub sixty rounds are coming more quickly now, and 1398 01:09:08.960 --> 01:09:11.760 there's been fifteen of them. It was a great round 1399 01:09:11.960 --> 01:09:16.279 at twelve birdies, no bogies, fifty nine really really great. 1400 01:09:16.640 --> 01:09:20.039 Follows it up with a seventy round two because golf 1401 01:09:20.119 --> 01:09:22.600 is ridiculous. Tell me about this young man. I don't 1402 01:09:22.600 --> 01:09:24.239 know much about Jake dot Tell me about him. 1403 01:09:24.880 --> 01:09:27.720 Well, he is a winner. He won down in next 1404 01:09:27.760 --> 01:09:32.079 school last year, and he's also got a really interesting backstory. 1405 01:09:32.119 --> 01:09:36.119 I appreciate you asking about it. He is a bomber. 1406 01:09:36.239 --> 01:09:40.000 He generates stupid club hit speed hits it a long ways, 1407 01:09:40.600 --> 01:09:44.520 and he lost his corn Ferry tour card a couple 1408 01:09:44.560 --> 01:09:48.560 of years. He had no status and so to pay rent, 1409 01:09:49.079 --> 01:09:53.199 he was working as a bouncer at a bar. And 1410 01:09:53.600 --> 01:09:55.479 the reason he took that job was so he could 1411 01:09:55.520 --> 01:10:00.560 work at night and practice during the daylight hours. And he's, 1412 01:10:00.600 --> 01:10:04.399 you know, he's a stout young man and uh filled 1413 01:10:04.399 --> 01:10:07.560 the role of the bouncer pretty well. But he did 1414 01:10:07.600 --> 01:10:10.199 that until he got his game back, got his status back, 1415 01:10:10.399 --> 01:10:13.000 and he made real good use at that time, and 1416 01:10:13.319 --> 01:10:16.319 he got got through the PiZZ Corn Ferry tour, got 1417 01:10:16.319 --> 01:10:19.479 a card and on tour he's got a win to 1418 01:10:19.560 --> 01:10:23.399 his credit. And now he's done this and he seems 1419 01:10:23.439 --> 01:10:27.199 like a really good guy. Everybody who knows him says 1420 01:10:27.479 --> 01:10:29.760 that they like him. He's, you know, the good guy. 1421 01:10:29.880 --> 01:10:30.720 So got that. 1422 01:10:32.079 --> 01:10:36.800 So we talked to you last week while the Mexico 1423 01:10:36.880 --> 01:10:40.520 opened at Verdonta. World was going on and you know, Paul, 1424 01:10:40.800 --> 01:10:43.640 uh Full Swing Season three is out and I'm not 1425 01:10:43.800 --> 01:10:46.800 through it, but I watched I watched one last night 1426 01:10:47.000 --> 01:10:51.359 did feature Rory and uh, you know they and I 1427 01:10:51.399 --> 01:10:53.239 want to talk to you about the US Open last year. 1428 01:10:53.560 --> 01:10:56.039 He missed those two short putts two of the final 1429 01:10:56.079 --> 01:10:59.279 three holes and when you see when you when you 1430 01:10:59.319 --> 01:11:01.520 see the way Full Swing covered it, it just was 1431 01:11:01.560 --> 01:11:04.479 even more gutting for him. But he dropped the line. 1432 01:11:04.479 --> 01:11:07.239 He said, if you only and I'm paraphrasing, but it 1433 01:11:07.239 --> 01:11:09.600 was something along the lines of if you only analyze 1434 01:11:09.840 --> 01:11:13.079 your golf when it comes to winning and losing, you're 1435 01:11:13.159 --> 01:11:16.039 in for a career of misery, right, And I was like, 1436 01:11:16.079 --> 01:11:18.359 oh man, what a line. And that leads me to 1437 01:11:18.359 --> 01:11:21.760 asking you about Brian Campbell, because my man has one 1438 01:11:21.880 --> 01:11:26.199 hundred and eighty eight starts in the Corn Ferry Tour 1439 01:11:26.279 --> 01:11:29.199 and the PGA Tour, and he broke through with a win, 1440 01:11:30.000 --> 01:11:32.960 and it just it makes golf so unique this way. 1441 01:11:33.039 --> 01:11:35.520 You know, there's not another sport like if you went, 1442 01:11:35.640 --> 01:11:38.319 oh to one eighty eight in basketball, you're not keeping 1443 01:11:38.359 --> 01:11:42.640 your job. And he he had one hundred and eighty 1444 01:11:42.680 --> 01:11:45.720 eight starts before he got his first win. And one 1445 01:11:45.720 --> 01:11:47.279 of the things I love about watching the end of 1446 01:11:47.279 --> 01:11:49.239 these tournaments when it's a guy like Brian Campbell, who 1447 01:11:49.279 --> 01:11:52.920 I don't know anything about, is you see him instantly 1448 01:11:53.039 --> 01:11:55.960 change his life in a moment, and it really is 1449 01:11:56.000 --> 01:11:58.199 what makes golf unique. What was it like for you 1450 01:11:58.239 --> 01:12:00.640 to watch this guy? And when he was interviewed afterwards, 1451 01:12:00.640 --> 01:12:03.760 he just said, it's about my grind and there were 1452 01:12:03.800 --> 01:12:06.000 times where I wanted to quit. It's my girlfriend, it's 1453 01:12:06.039 --> 01:12:08.760 my family, they encourage me to keep going. But Brian 1454 01:12:08.800 --> 01:12:12.000 Campbell's life instantly changed last week in Mexico after playing 1455 01:12:12.079 --> 01:12:14.560 one hundred and eighty eight tournaments. Give me your thoughts 1456 01:12:14.560 --> 01:12:16.199 on that, well, you. 1457 01:12:16.199 --> 01:12:21.560 Are so right. Look his obituary's opening paragraph got written. 1458 01:12:21.640 --> 01:12:26.720 It'll start off saying PGA Tour winner Brian Campbell, and 1459 01:12:27.000 --> 01:12:33.359 you're right. Everything changes from there, and the nature of golf, 1460 01:12:34.039 --> 01:12:39.039 where the individual has to do everything, really puts the 1461 01:12:39.079 --> 01:12:42.159 emphasis on winning, just like you just did. You know, 1462 01:12:42.479 --> 01:12:45.720 a guy can be the twelfth player on an NBA 1463 01:12:45.840 --> 01:12:48.399 team and can contribute and can be there when they 1464 01:12:48.399 --> 01:12:50.720 win the championship, even if he's not in the headline. 1465 01:12:51.319 --> 01:12:54.159 But that kind of thing doesn't happen in golf. You've 1466 01:12:54.159 --> 01:12:55.439 got to do it all. You got to do it 1467 01:12:55.479 --> 01:12:58.199 all yourself, and you've got to to do it all 1468 01:12:58.239 --> 01:12:59.880 at the right time in order to get the win 1469 01:13:00.479 --> 01:13:04.920 the win. And I love Campbell's story. It was grind 1470 01:13:05.439 --> 01:13:08.760 he is, he's never been a big hitter, and he's 1471 01:13:08.920 --> 01:13:12.520 in the field at down at Vidanta. He was the 1472 01:13:12.920 --> 01:13:16.319 shortest hitter statistically in the field, and yet what do 1473 01:13:16.399 --> 01:13:19.239 you do he won. Another thing was, you know, he 1474 01:13:19.359 --> 01:13:24.079 got just an unreasonably incredibly good bounce off to the 1475 01:13:24.199 --> 01:13:30.680 tree on the final hole, and he took advantage of it. 1476 01:13:30.800 --> 01:13:33.960 He paid it off. Now, good bounce has happened. Bad 1477 01:13:34.000 --> 01:13:37.159 bounces happened ones on Thursday, we forget about. But this 1478 01:13:37.239 --> 01:13:40.439 happened on Sunday, Sunday afternoon, with the cameras rolling when 1479 01:13:40.479 --> 01:13:43.479 everything mattered and he paid it off. He made it work. 1480 01:13:43.960 --> 01:13:47.039 And people will remember the bounce, but I hope they 1481 01:13:47.079 --> 01:13:51.560 also remember the wedge he hit the six feet after 1482 01:13:51.600 --> 01:13:54.680 he got the bounce. That was a great shot and 1483 01:13:54.760 --> 01:13:55.800 he made that happen. 1484 01:13:56.600 --> 01:13:59.680 Yeah it was. And that's ultimately what I've learned, you know, 1485 01:14:00.119 --> 01:14:02.239 the past five years or so, really getting into this 1486 01:14:02.279 --> 01:14:04.680 and wanting to get better at it is you have 1487 01:14:04.760 --> 01:14:07.439 to have that goldfish memory. Man. You have to put 1488 01:14:07.479 --> 01:14:10.520 the last shot behind you. Because when I saw that bounce, 1489 01:14:10.600 --> 01:14:13.600 I'm like, oh, they're not too different than we are. 1490 01:14:13.640 --> 01:14:15.920 That looked like me on for ad Bonneville that I've 1491 01:14:16.399 --> 01:14:19.079 hooked it in the trees several times and pray that 1492 01:14:19.119 --> 01:14:22.479 it bounces back out. But what about the Aldrich pot 1493 01:14:22.479 --> 01:14:24.680 Guid kid. I don't know much about him. You pointed 1494 01:14:24.720 --> 01:14:27.399 him out, and you know, it was pretty fascinating when 1495 01:14:27.399 --> 01:14:29.680 they went to the playoff. It wasn't just Campbell who 1496 01:14:29.760 --> 01:14:32.760 needed some luck pot Guid. You know, he was just 1497 01:14:32.920 --> 01:14:35.279 roping everything all tournament long, and down the stretch. The 1498 01:14:35.319 --> 01:14:37.800 moment got a little too big for him, didn't it. 1499 01:14:37.800 --> 01:14:39.520 It did get too big for him. Now, One thing 1500 01:14:39.560 --> 01:14:41.560 to keep in mind about him is that he's only twenty. 1501 01:14:41.960 --> 01:14:45.279 He has not yet experienced any grind. He is the 1502 01:14:45.319 --> 01:14:49.039 youngest PGA Tour cardholder. Yeah, he's one of these guys 1503 01:14:49.079 --> 01:14:53.159 who chose to forego college went straight to the pro game. 1504 01:14:53.520 --> 01:14:57.760 He's only twenty years old. He can't go in and 1505 01:14:57.800 --> 01:15:01.079 buy a beer, and he's out there competing for these 1506 01:15:01.720 --> 01:15:04.880 PGA Tour titles. This is a kid who is the 1507 01:15:04.920 --> 01:15:10.640 antithesis of Campbell. He just drips talent. He is incredibly 1508 01:15:10.800 --> 01:15:15.800 strong and fast. He hits the ball a ton. He 1509 01:15:15.960 --> 01:15:18.920 will make a lot of noise. There's a lot of 1510 01:15:18.960 --> 01:15:22.239 trophies waiting with his name on it, but he hasn't 1511 01:15:22.319 --> 01:15:24.960 yet learned how to handle the moment. And I say 1512 01:15:25.000 --> 01:15:29.720 that with no condemnation good Land. At twenty, I was 1513 01:15:29.760 --> 01:15:32.079 still trying to figure out how to burp the alphabet. 1514 01:15:33.199 --> 01:15:33.720 It was. 1515 01:15:35.199 --> 01:15:37.680 He just hasn't had a chance to figure it out yet. 1516 01:15:37.720 --> 01:15:40.359 And it showed, Paul, most of us stopped trying to 1517 01:15:40.359 --> 01:15:42.560 burp the alphabet at ten. Why were you trying to 1518 01:15:42.600 --> 01:15:44.359 do that at twenty? Oh? 1519 01:15:44.439 --> 01:15:46.800 I had bricks for brains. What can I say? 1520 01:15:47.159 --> 01:15:47.600 Fair enough? 1521 01:15:48.520 --> 01:15:50.800 Fair enough? Okay, let me move over to because again 1522 01:15:50.840 --> 01:15:52.880 it's top of mind. I watched the event or the 1523 01:15:53.960 --> 01:15:56.279 doc last night, and you know, I had forgotten that 1524 01:15:56.359 --> 01:15:58.479 Tony finished tied for third. We can't lay at the 1525 01:15:58.560 --> 01:16:00.680 US Open last year at pine He still a great, 1526 01:16:00.680 --> 01:16:05.039 great tournament for him. But what was your reaction, and 1527 01:16:05.079 --> 01:16:07.039 now that it's been you know a number of months 1528 01:16:07.079 --> 01:16:09.720 to the way that Rory just and I want, I 1529 01:16:09.720 --> 01:16:12.239 don't want to say fell apart. He just missed two 1530 01:16:12.439 --> 01:16:16.560 what looked like gimme's short putts at the end of 1531 01:16:16.680 --> 01:16:19.199 you know, two of the final three holes, Rory had 1532 01:16:19.279 --> 01:16:21.399 like three foot putts, and I didn't realize he had 1533 01:16:21.439 --> 01:16:25.119 hit four hundred and eighty three of the four hundred 1534 01:16:25.119 --> 01:16:28.399 and eighty three chances he had from three feet prior 1535 01:16:28.520 --> 01:16:31.079 to sixteen and eighteen. I mean, I don't know how 1536 01:16:31.119 --> 01:16:33.680 you digest that. Now, Rory's been great this year, but 1537 01:16:34.199 --> 01:16:36.039 let's go back a little bit. What are your memories 1538 01:16:36.079 --> 01:16:38.640 of watching Rory kind of really just blow it down 1539 01:16:38.680 --> 01:16:39.279 the stretch there? 1540 01:16:40.760 --> 01:16:44.199 Well, you know, the pet on eighteen will live forever, 1541 01:16:44.439 --> 01:16:49.439 which is unfortunate, but it will. And I actually had 1542 01:16:49.479 --> 01:16:53.319 had the unusual good fortune to be at Pinehurst a 1543 01:16:53.359 --> 01:16:56.079 few months later, and I went out there on eighteen 1544 01:16:56.119 --> 01:16:58.760 and stood over where that pet was. I didn't play 1545 01:16:58.840 --> 01:17:01.479 number two, but I played one of the other courses 1546 01:17:01.479 --> 01:17:03.920 and had a caddy show me exactly where Rory was. 1547 01:17:04.399 --> 01:17:07.439 And that putt is one the good players are going 1548 01:17:07.520 --> 01:17:12.279 to miss half the time. It was a brutal putt. Yeah, 1549 01:17:12.399 --> 01:17:17.279 and Rory missed it in the worst possible moment. But 1550 01:17:17.439 --> 01:17:20.680 part of the story also, it isn't just that Rory 1551 01:17:20.720 --> 01:17:25.960 missed that putt. It's that Dave Chambeau. He was hitting 1552 01:17:26.000 --> 01:17:30.279 his driver all over the county and he kept getting 1553 01:17:30.359 --> 01:17:34.039 decent brakes where he could have a shot and hack 1554 01:17:34.119 --> 01:17:36.680 it back down into play. And if you roll the 1555 01:17:36.720 --> 01:17:39.640 tape backward ten minutes, you'll see that he did exactly that. 1556 01:17:39.800 --> 01:17:42.359 Hit it way left on eighteen seventy second hole on 1557 01:17:42.399 --> 01:17:46.279 Sunday and just had to bump it up the fair 1558 01:17:46.319 --> 01:17:50.000 way and to have set up an attempt to make 1559 01:17:50.439 --> 01:17:52.520 part by getting up and down. He hit it a 1560 01:17:52.560 --> 01:17:54.520 little bit too far and hit it into a bunker. 1561 01:17:55.000 --> 01:17:57.239 And then he hit one of the greatest shots ever 1562 01:17:57.319 --> 01:17:59.880 hit in the history of the game. And the shot 1563 01:18:00.079 --> 01:18:02.520 two yard shot that he hit out of the bunker 1564 01:18:02.520 --> 01:18:05.399 to four feet that will live forever too. You can 1565 01:18:05.439 --> 01:18:08.079 take great players and drop them in that same spot 1566 01:18:08.119 --> 01:18:10.920 and give him one hundred balls and half of them 1567 01:18:10.960 --> 01:18:15.279 will never get it within four feet. But Dey Chambeau 1568 01:18:15.399 --> 01:18:19.359 did it in that moment. So it was the combination 1569 01:18:19.560 --> 01:18:23.239 of all those things coming together. And what can I say, 1570 01:18:23.399 --> 01:18:27.119 that's the US Open, that's Pinehurst number two, That's that's 1571 01:18:27.159 --> 01:18:30.319 why we pay money to watch and play. 1572 01:18:30.520 --> 01:18:34.760 Doesn't feel like too long ago where Bryson and you 1573 01:18:34.800 --> 01:18:37.600 know what, in my opinion, it was his own faults. 1574 01:18:38.840 --> 01:18:42.439 Was like villain number one in the world of pro golf. 1575 01:18:42.520 --> 01:18:45.319 I mean, and look, every time he would hold a 1576 01:18:45.319 --> 01:18:47.600 press conference, he would just come up with some sort 1577 01:18:47.640 --> 01:18:52.399 of algorithm, algorithmic mathematic explanation about why he's better and 1578 01:18:52.439 --> 01:18:54.119 smarter than everybody else. And I just think at some 1579 01:18:54.159 --> 01:18:56.239 point people are like, dude, we get it, just shut up. 1580 01:18:56.840 --> 01:19:01.640 But he's he's really found a way to turn his 1581 01:19:01.760 --> 01:19:02.920 personal narrative around. 1582 01:19:02.920 --> 01:19:03.079 Now. 1583 01:19:03.119 --> 01:19:05.880 I'm not a huge fan, but I learned a lot 1584 01:19:06.000 --> 01:19:09.600 watching the documentary. Look like he lost his father, certainly 1585 01:19:09.920 --> 01:19:12.680 at a very young age, and that I think kind 1586 01:19:12.680 --> 01:19:15.720 of I don't know if humbled him or you know, 1587 01:19:15.880 --> 01:19:19.079 decided to change his focus on what he wanted to do. 1588 01:19:19.119 --> 01:19:21.279 I don't watch his YouTube channel, but I know millions 1589 01:19:21.319 --> 01:19:24.199 of people do. But he seems to have gone from 1590 01:19:24.239 --> 01:19:26.600 this dude that nobody could stand to one of the 1591 01:19:26.600 --> 01:19:29.399 biggest stars in golf, even though he plays for Live. 1592 01:19:30.600 --> 01:19:33.239 What are your thoughts on his ability to change that 1593 01:19:33.319 --> 01:19:34.680 narrative and how do you think he's been able to 1594 01:19:34.680 --> 01:19:35.920 do it. 1595 01:19:35.920 --> 01:19:41.640 It's remarkable and I think that he's been able to 1596 01:19:41.640 --> 01:19:47.039 do it because he is a guy who absolutely goes 1597 01:19:47.079 --> 01:19:50.359 off the data. Now what I mean here in this 1598 01:19:50.520 --> 01:19:53.600 case is when people are talking to him and saying 1599 01:19:53.880 --> 01:19:57.560 exactly what you just said, he listened, and he viewed 1600 01:19:57.560 --> 01:20:00.920 it as as data input to be used for analysis 1601 01:20:00.960 --> 01:20:04.840 and action. And he made changes and that's a hard thing. 1602 01:20:04.880 --> 01:20:06.960 A lot of people don't and they're not they're not 1603 01:20:07.000 --> 01:20:09.600 willing to or they can't, and he changed the way 1604 01:20:09.640 --> 01:20:15.239 he approached things. I am a big fan. I have 1605 01:20:15.359 --> 01:20:18.079 been since he was at SMU, and I've had a 1606 01:20:18.119 --> 01:20:22.000 couple of opportunities personally to spend a little time with 1607 01:20:22.079 --> 01:20:25.159 him and interact with him, and he has been just 1608 01:20:25.279 --> 01:20:28.640 absolutely golden to me. He's been nothing but really really 1609 01:20:28.680 --> 01:20:34.119 good to me. Plus Tony Fenale's former caddy caddie Greg 1610 01:20:34.199 --> 01:20:37.279 Boudine is now caddying for Bryson, and I think that's 1611 01:20:37.279 --> 01:20:41.520 a cool connection for us here in Utah. But he 1612 01:20:42.319 --> 01:20:45.680 listened to what people were saying and he realized he 1613 01:20:45.720 --> 01:20:49.239 needed to make some changes. He used his YouTube channel 1614 01:20:49.239 --> 01:20:53.239 and his Instagram account to communicate directly with people and 1615 01:20:53.720 --> 01:20:57.960 to show a different side of himself. And the turnaround 1616 01:20:58.000 --> 01:21:01.720 in his public persona has been remarkable. I admire him 1617 01:21:01.760 --> 01:21:05.800 for it, and he's figured out a way to have 1618 01:21:06.000 --> 01:21:10.600 fun and to convey fun on his social media. That 1619 01:21:10.760 --> 01:21:13.199 thing he did hitting the ball over his house trying 1620 01:21:13.239 --> 01:21:16.560 to make a hole in run, that that was a 1621 01:21:16.680 --> 01:21:21.039 gas and I applaud him for it. 1622 01:21:22.760 --> 01:21:28.960 Interesting you reference Caddies episode four, Full Swing. They entitled 1623 01:21:29.000 --> 01:21:32.840 it Carrying the Burden, and they followed Scotty Scheffler and 1624 01:21:32.840 --> 01:21:36.840 so he Tagala and it was really all about uh, 1625 01:21:36.920 --> 01:21:41.159 their their caddies, and you know, ultimately it was interesting 1626 01:21:41.199 --> 01:21:43.119 to learn, Like I didn't know much about Ted Scott, 1627 01:21:43.159 --> 01:21:45.960 but he was on Bubba's bag when Bubba won a 1628 01:21:45.960 --> 01:21:49.119 couple of green jackets, and uh, you know, ultimately, just 1629 01:21:49.239 --> 01:21:50.640 I don't know if it was the live stuff. He 1630 01:21:50.760 --> 01:21:54.479 just decided to uh, go his his his separate way 1631 01:21:54.520 --> 01:21:56.439 to do his own thing, and then received a phone 1632 01:21:56.439 --> 01:21:58.399 call that changed his life from a young man named 1633 01:21:58.399 --> 01:22:03.119 Scotty Scheffler. Uh And obviously when Ted first started working 1634 01:22:03.119 --> 01:22:05.720 with Scotty, Scotty wasn't the full bake Scotty that we 1635 01:22:05.760 --> 01:22:08.039 see now as the best player in the world. But 1636 01:22:08.439 --> 01:22:12.600 just your experience, your knowledge of how important the right 1637 01:22:12.920 --> 01:22:16.920 partnership is and the roles that caddies play. Because one 1638 01:22:16.920 --> 01:22:19.159 of the coolest things I can't remember Scotty won like 1639 01:22:19.199 --> 01:22:21.399 seventy times. I don't remember which tournament he was where 1640 01:22:21.439 --> 01:22:23.279 he had you know, it was the Masters where he 1641 01:22:23.319 --> 01:22:26.119 had Ted just make the walk with him after Ted 1642 01:22:26.159 --> 01:22:30.239 grabbed the flag. But what makes this partnership so rock 1643 01:22:30.319 --> 01:22:32.640 solid and what is the secret Sauce Paul between a 1644 01:22:32.640 --> 01:22:33.880 great player and a great caddy. 1645 01:22:34.920 --> 01:22:40.960 Trust communication, willingness to be candid in a tense moment, 1646 01:22:42.319 --> 01:22:48.760 willingness to disagree when that needs to happen as well. 1647 01:22:49.760 --> 01:22:55.039 It is a central relationship and a central function to 1648 01:22:55.119 --> 01:22:59.439 the success of a player. Interestingly, it didn't used to 1649 01:22:59.479 --> 01:23:04.359 be a couple of generations ago. Players used to really 1650 01:23:07.199 --> 01:23:10.279 treat their caddies as second class citizens. Just you know, 1651 01:23:10.880 --> 01:23:13.800 show up, keep up, and shut up with the mantra. 1652 01:23:14.079 --> 01:23:19.920 And interestingly, the players who changed that are players whose 1653 01:23:20.000 --> 01:23:23.720 names we know and it contributed to their success. And 1654 01:23:23.880 --> 01:23:29.960 it was Jack Nicholas with Angelo Dundee. It was Tom 1655 01:23:30.000 --> 01:23:34.039 Watson with Bruce Edwards, and it was Johnny Miller with 1656 01:23:34.079 --> 01:23:39.960 Andy Martinez. And those three players really built relationships with 1657 01:23:40.039 --> 01:23:46.600 their caddies, made their caddies trusted collaborators on the execution 1658 01:23:46.720 --> 01:23:50.159 of the round, and their record showed it, and then 1659 01:23:50.199 --> 01:23:53.840 everybody else, oh there's something there, and it's become the norm. 1660 01:23:54.479 --> 01:23:59.000 But it took great players to make the change, and 1661 01:23:59.079 --> 01:24:01.199 it's been a very pots that have changed for the game. 1662 01:24:02.279 --> 01:24:06.399 A caddy now plays a role that coaches do in 1663 01:24:06.439 --> 01:24:09.199 other sports. To think about it, they're right out there 1664 01:24:09.239 --> 01:24:14.680 on the field of play, thinking through and discussing and 1665 01:24:14.760 --> 01:24:19.199 helping to execute on the field of play. It's it's 1666 01:24:19.279 --> 01:24:21.159 a really important relationship. 1667 01:24:21.920 --> 01:24:23.520 I got a kick out, excuse me, I got a 1668 01:24:23.600 --> 01:24:26.800 kick out of Ted saying he wasn't sure if he 1669 01:24:26.880 --> 01:24:29.600 wanted to work with Scotty because Scotty had a little 1670 01:24:29.640 --> 01:24:32.439 fire in him, and you know, there was there were 1671 01:24:32.439 --> 01:24:35.119 clips of Scotty he threw a putter at one point, 1672 01:24:35.479 --> 01:24:38.880 and Scotty himself said he would get really frustrated, and 1673 01:24:38.880 --> 01:24:41.640 and you know, ultimately, I can't imagine how Ted would 1674 01:24:41.640 --> 01:24:44.399 feel if he said no to that gig at this point, 1675 01:24:44.880 --> 01:24:47.159 which obviously has made him a really rich man. But 1676 01:24:47.720 --> 01:24:51.960 it's interesting, after watching the full swing up on Scotty 1677 01:24:52.079 --> 01:24:55.199 to witness what he's doing today because he is the 1678 01:24:55.239 --> 01:24:59.359 exact opposite of a hothead. He is measured. When he 1679 01:24:59.439 --> 01:25:02.600 hits a bad shot, he's on to the next. Does 1680 01:25:02.640 --> 01:25:04.920 Ted deserve some credit for this? What? What? What have 1681 01:25:04.960 --> 01:25:07.039 you seen as far as the evolution of simply the 1682 01:25:07.439 --> 01:25:10.680 controlling of emotions from the world number one right now, 1683 01:25:10.720 --> 01:25:11.439 Scott Scheffler. 1684 01:25:12.439 --> 01:25:15.159 Yes, Ted Scott gets credit for that, not all of it. 1685 01:25:15.439 --> 01:25:19.800 I think that Scheffler's family, his father in particular, and 1686 01:25:19.840 --> 01:25:22.800 I think Scheffler getting married and his wife Meredith has 1687 01:25:23.159 --> 01:25:25.720 given him a foundation and a footing that he didn't 1688 01:25:25.760 --> 01:25:27.600 have before. And you know, if that applies to how 1689 01:25:27.640 --> 01:25:28.920 many of the rest of us as well? 1690 01:25:29.000 --> 01:25:29.199 Right? 1691 01:25:29.720 --> 01:25:31.239 And uh it? 1692 01:25:32.319 --> 01:25:36.760 But yes, Ted Scott deserves most of the credit because 1693 01:25:36.920 --> 01:25:39.800 again he is there on the field of play in 1694 01:25:39.880 --> 01:25:44.000 the moment, dealing with the play at hand in the moment, 1695 01:25:44.560 --> 01:25:49.680 and he deserves a great amount of credit for that. 1696 01:25:51.199 --> 01:25:53.960 It is and it is interesting to when you say 1697 01:25:54.000 --> 01:25:58.159 he's become wealthy doing it. He has his his share, 1698 01:25:58.439 --> 01:26:02.840 his his percentage. With what Sheffler did last year would 1699 01:26:02.840 --> 01:26:05.479 have put him in the top twenty of players on 1700 01:26:05.520 --> 01:26:10.000 the money list on the PGA Tour. It's great. 1701 01:26:11.279 --> 01:26:15.199 The other duo they focused on was Carl Smith and 1702 01:26:15.199 --> 01:26:19.680 Saheita Gala. Really cool story. Carl recruited Saheath when he 1703 01:26:19.760 --> 01:26:23.399 was younger to play college golf, and then Carl left 1704 01:26:23.399 --> 01:26:27.239 the program to caddy, and so Heath still went to 1705 01:26:27.279 --> 01:26:29.640 the schools escaping me, but he still went to the school, 1706 01:26:29.720 --> 01:26:33.319 played well, and then ultimately decided he wanted Carl to 1707 01:26:33.359 --> 01:26:35.279 caddy for him and sa Heath Paul is one of 1708 01:26:35.319 --> 01:26:37.359 those guys that at times I watch, I'm like, man, 1709 01:26:37.880 --> 01:26:41.319 he can be a beast, you know what I mean? Like, 1710 01:26:42.079 --> 01:26:44.479 what are your thoughts on his game and how he's evolving. 1711 01:26:45.680 --> 01:26:51.640 So I appreciate you asking. There's a little local connection 1712 01:26:51.720 --> 01:26:55.600 with Saheith. The college in question is Pepperdine and you 1713 01:26:56.159 --> 01:26:59.239 used to be in the conference with BYU and so 1714 01:26:59.520 --> 01:27:03.000 Sahtha would come to provo sometimes twice a year during 1715 01:27:03.000 --> 01:27:06.399 those years, and so I've been down to Riverside and 1716 01:27:06.880 --> 01:27:11.039 followed him in the Cougar Classic, and then when BYU 1717 01:27:11.159 --> 01:27:15.840 hosted the conference championship, and it was pretty clear, this 1718 01:27:16.039 --> 01:27:20.159 kid's gonna make some noise. It was, it was obvious. Now, 1719 01:27:20.239 --> 01:27:23.560 what's interesting there is when he was in college, he 1720 01:27:23.720 --> 01:27:27.239 was a lot more rough edged, and he what you 1721 01:27:27.239 --> 01:27:29.760 see out of him as an adult, a full adult 1722 01:27:29.800 --> 01:27:34.840 at this point, and a professional with a professional caddy. 1723 01:27:35.159 --> 01:27:37.880 He's much more refined and much more polished now than 1724 01:27:37.920 --> 01:27:40.479 he was when he was twenty. But again, you know, 1725 01:27:41.000 --> 01:27:44.960 aren't we all, but but it was it was really 1726 01:27:45.000 --> 01:27:47.119 clear when he was in college that he was going 1727 01:27:47.199 --> 01:27:50.239 to be very good. But it's been fun to watch 1728 01:27:50.319 --> 01:27:55.720 him grow up and fun to watch him mature and 1729 01:27:56.119 --> 01:28:01.960 become a player who is legitimately appropriately a crowd favorite. 1730 01:28:02.039 --> 01:28:04.760 I am a big sit. He's Taghla fan, and I 1731 01:28:04.800 --> 01:28:06.159 want to see him do really well. 1732 01:28:07.119 --> 01:28:10.720 I'm looking at the leaderboard here, Cogs is in Classic 1733 01:28:10.920 --> 01:28:14.000 and it seems like Joel Damon while we're just leaning 1734 01:28:14.039 --> 01:28:18.520 into the next Netflix Netflix stuff, he's not as prominently featured. 1735 01:28:18.560 --> 01:28:21.680 At least I've only watched four episodes, but Joel's tied 1736 01:28:21.720 --> 01:28:26.439 for fifteenth. He is now I think this year there's 1737 01:28:26.479 --> 01:28:28.840 something different about his approach. I don't know what it is. 1738 01:28:28.920 --> 01:28:34.359 That Netflix season two certainly outlined some difficult personal issues 1739 01:28:34.399 --> 01:28:36.119 he seemed to be going through. Do you have any 1740 01:28:36.119 --> 01:28:39.279 insight as to why Joel Damon seems to be, you know, 1741 01:28:39.439 --> 01:28:42.000 at least in the hunt with most tournaments he's played 1742 01:28:42.039 --> 01:28:42.720 so far this year. 1743 01:28:43.720 --> 01:28:47.000 I wish I did, because he's the kind of player. 1744 01:28:47.039 --> 01:28:49.680 He's got a lot of talent, But I don't think 1745 01:28:49.720 --> 01:28:52.640 he has ever fully believed that he deserves to be 1746 01:28:52.680 --> 01:28:54.439 one of the top hundred players in the world. But 1747 01:28:54.600 --> 01:28:59.880 he is, and maybe he's just coming to an acceptance of, 1748 01:29:00.079 --> 01:29:03.079 oh hey, I actually am this good. There's an interesting 1749 01:29:03.199 --> 01:29:06.960 backstory on Joel here. Just this last year, he was 1750 01:29:07.000 --> 01:29:10.800 the last one to he snuck in getting a tour card, 1751 01:29:10.880 --> 01:29:14.720 getting his full status in the last couple of holes 1752 01:29:14.720 --> 01:29:16.880 of the last tournament, the last chance to get it 1753 01:29:17.000 --> 01:29:19.840 here the last fall, and he is one actually who 1754 01:29:19.920 --> 01:29:24.479 knocked Zach Blair, our local kid, knocked him out of 1755 01:29:24.520 --> 01:29:30.720 having a card. And Joel is making full use of 1756 01:29:30.760 --> 01:29:34.720 this opportunity. He's doing pretty well, this year he's in 1757 01:29:34.479 --> 01:29:40.079 the mid fifties somewhere on his ranking on the FedEx 1758 01:29:40.159 --> 01:29:44.359 Tour or the FedEx Points list, and so he's making 1759 01:29:44.479 --> 01:29:47.880 use of the opportunity he gave himself. And that's pretty cool. 1760 01:29:47.920 --> 01:29:49.439 I respect him for. 1761 01:29:49.479 --> 01:29:57.079 That is Tony in this tournament. I'm looking at the Yeah, 1762 01:29:56.359 --> 01:29:59.560 we have Patrick fishburn right, Fishburne's time. 1763 01:29:59.439 --> 01:30:03.119 Yet playing fish fish makes the weekend, he goes sixty seven, 1764 01:30:03.279 --> 01:30:06.680 seventy and he's, uh, he was like T forty five 1765 01:30:07.199 --> 01:30:10.680 an hour ago, but that's going to jump all over 1766 01:30:10.720 --> 01:30:11.840 over the next hour or so. 1767 01:30:12.600 --> 01:30:14.119 But but but he'll he'll play. 1768 01:30:13.960 --> 01:30:16.960 The weekend, and which is a bit of a bounce 1769 01:30:17.039 --> 01:30:21.239 back he had. He had Fishburne had one of the 1770 01:30:21.239 --> 01:30:26.279 most brutal kick in the head experiences, and golf loves 1771 01:30:26.319 --> 01:30:27.000 to give us those. 1772 01:30:27.119 --> 01:30:27.279 Right. 1773 01:30:28.159 --> 01:30:31.880 He was T five after the first round down in 1774 01:30:31.960 --> 01:30:36.359 Mexico last week and ended up missing the cut because 1775 01:30:36.560 --> 01:30:43.000 his second round was just so brutal, and Patrick said, look, 1776 01:30:43.039 --> 01:30:45.119 I just clan played that. There's no reason for it. 1777 01:30:45.159 --> 01:30:49.319 I played that, And that happens. It happens in every sport, 1778 01:30:49.439 --> 01:30:53.880 but golf. It's it's pretty, it's pretty bare, it's pretty 1779 01:30:53.960 --> 01:30:55.800 naked and out there for everybody to see when it 1780 01:30:55.920 --> 01:30:56.760 happens like that. 1781 01:30:57.479 --> 01:30:59.600 All right, Paul, Before I say you lose a big show, 1782 01:30:59.680 --> 01:31:00.279 cut up tomorrow. 1783 01:31:00.319 --> 01:31:04.680 What do we got, Well, we're gonna do some fun 1784 01:31:04.720 --> 01:31:07.840 things tomorrow. We're gonna touch base with John cool Bob, 1785 01:31:07.880 --> 01:31:11.560 the tournament director for both the Black Desert PGA event 1786 01:31:11.720 --> 01:31:15.680 and the upcoming Black Desert LPGA event. They're on this 1787 01:31:15.840 --> 01:31:18.600 six month cycle, which is really tough. We're going to 1788 01:31:18.680 --> 01:31:21.239 catch up with cool Bond, see how things go in 1789 01:31:21.319 --> 01:31:24.800 preparing for the LPGA coming to town in May, coming 1790 01:31:24.840 --> 01:31:28.319 to Saint George in May. And we're also going to 1791 01:31:28.319 --> 01:31:33.039 touch base with some people who are in back of 1792 01:31:33.760 --> 01:31:38.600 a new economics impact study on what golf means to 1793 01:31:38.680 --> 01:31:41.800 the economy of Utah. That's going to be really interesting. 1794 01:31:41.840 --> 01:31:43.359 I'm looking forward to that conversation. 1795 01:31:43.960 --> 01:31:46.079 Good stuff, my friend. Well, I appreciate the time, have 1796 01:31:46.119 --> 01:31:47.840 a great show, and we'll get you on Sue. 1797 01:31:48.520 --> 01:31:48.880 Thank you. 1798 01:31:49.479 --> 01:31:52.279 All right, Paul Pogmyer. Time now for our PGA to 1799 01:31:52.560 --> 01:31:54.359 Leaderboard update. It's brought to you by you went to 1800 01:31:54.439 --> 01:31:57.199 golf and Worldwide Golf Shops. Go to Worldwide Golf Shops 1801 01:31:57.239 --> 01:32:00.159 dot com. You can experience the future of performance with 1802 01:32:00.199 --> 01:32:03.479 the new Callaway shaping materials and the AI ten times 1803 01:32:03.479 --> 01:32:06.560 smart face delivering up to eight yards longer with even 1804 01:32:06.560 --> 01:32:10.039 more forgiveness. You went to golf, as we reference right 1805 01:32:10.079 --> 01:32:12.640 now the PGA Tours in the midst of its Florida swing, 1806 01:32:12.680 --> 01:32:15.039 and it's the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches right 1807 01:32:15.079 --> 01:32:17.880 now being played at the PGA National Resort and SPA 1808 01:32:18.039 --> 01:32:22.159 the Champion Course, and right now after fifty nine yesterday, 1809 01:32:22.239 --> 01:32:24.640 Jake Knapp followed it up with a seventy, but still 1810 01:32:24.640 --> 01:32:27.439 good enough to have the lead. Jake is in the 1811 01:32:27.439 --> 01:32:30.600 clubhouse at thirteen under. Then it's Matthew Pavone at twelve 1812 01:32:30.720 --> 01:32:33.399 under parr, Doug Gim and Michael Kim in addition at 1813 01:32:33.479 --> 01:32:35.960 Daniel Berger and yes pruspencent are at eleven under par. 1814 01:32:36.039 --> 01:32:39.800 Then it's Taylor Montgomery, Zach Johnson and Ricky Fowler at 1815 01:32:39.800 --> 01:32:43.279 ten under parr. As we referenced, our local representation is 1816 01:32:43.279 --> 01:32:46.520 Patrick Fishburne, who will make the cut. He's tied for 1817 01:32:46.520 --> 01:32:49.840 forty eight at five under PARR. A lot of big 1818 01:32:49.960 --> 01:32:53.439 time names in this tournament. Jordan Speith is playing well 1819 01:32:54.199 --> 01:32:57.720 in addition to Shane lowry, but no Tony final in 1820 01:32:57.760 --> 01:33:00.319 this event. All right, two hours down, two hour to go. 1821 01:33:00.319 --> 01:33:02.760 We're live today, Tim Dally Nissan, which is forty five 1822 01:33:02.840 --> 01:33:05.880 twenty eight South State Street, open until eight o'clock tonight. 1823 01:33:05.920 --> 01:33:09.720 It's their end of year clearance event. Special financing as 1824 01:33:09.760 --> 01:33:12.439 low as zero percent, zero money down and no payments 1825 01:33:12.439 --> 01:33:14.840 for two months. Great time to buy a vehicle. If 1826 01:33:14.880 --> 01:33:16.960 you're in the market, stop by ken or excuse me, 1827 01:33:17.079 --> 01:33:20.359 Tim Dolly Nissan. All right, we're live today, Tim Dally 1828 01:33:20.479 --> 01:33:23.880 Nissan at forty five twenty eight South State Streets there, 1829 01:33:24.000 --> 01:33:28.199 open until eight o'clock tonight. It's their year end clearance event, 1830 01:33:28.279 --> 01:33:31.680 special financing as low as zero percent, zero money down, 1831 01:33:31.760 --> 01:33:34.800 no payments made for two months. So if you're in 1832 01:33:34.840 --> 01:33:37.680 the market for a vehicle, come on buy at forty 1833 01:33:37.680 --> 01:33:40.279 five twenty eight South Stage Street here in Salt Lake City. 1834 01:33:40.520 --> 01:33:43.399 I thought my wallet had been stolen during the break. 1835 01:33:43.960 --> 01:33:45.680 It was not. It was in my car, but a 1836 01:33:45.720 --> 01:33:48.199 moment of panic and we'll welcome in our next guest, 1837 01:33:48.239 --> 01:33:51.640 Spencer Lynton. Spencer, have you ever had your wallet stolen 1838 01:33:51.880 --> 01:33:53.279 or have you ever lost your wallet? 1839 01:33:54.159 --> 01:33:57.600 Funny you asked that, Spence, because yes, and it happened 1840 01:33:57.640 --> 01:34:03.399 in Miami and a five star hotel. No less, I 1841 01:34:03.600 --> 01:34:06.680 was hanging out ten feet away from my wallet and 1842 01:34:06.720 --> 01:34:09.159 my phone at the pool, turned my back for probably 1843 01:34:09.239 --> 01:34:13.920 fifteen seconds, and came back. Both gone done. It was 1844 01:34:14.039 --> 01:34:17.000 not easy getting home. Not a great trip to Miami. 1845 01:34:17.800 --> 01:34:21.000 Would you rather lose your wallet or your phone? 1846 01:34:22.600 --> 01:34:22.880 Oh? 1847 01:34:22.960 --> 01:34:29.079 Man? Probably my phone because obtaining all of the government 1848 01:34:29.239 --> 01:34:32.239 issued IDs and things that go along with licenses and 1849 01:34:32.279 --> 01:34:34.119 being able to get on a plane and go home, 1850 01:34:34.680 --> 01:34:37.800 like that's harder to replace. Like a phone. Right now, 1851 01:34:37.800 --> 01:34:40.039 with the technology we have, you can just straight wipe 1852 01:34:40.079 --> 01:34:42.840 it like you can wipe it and as soon as 1853 01:34:42.840 --> 01:34:45.359 it turns back on, like there are some safety protocols 1854 01:34:45.399 --> 01:34:46.800 put in place. So for me, it's a phone. 1855 01:34:46.800 --> 01:34:49.319 Do you feel differently, No, I think that's probably the 1856 01:34:49.399 --> 01:34:54.079 right call. I mean answer is, see neither, because it 1857 01:34:54.119 --> 01:34:56.560 will ruin your weekend and cause a lot of anxiety. 1858 01:34:56.560 --> 01:34:59.279 But I'm good, got my wallet. We're locked in. Man. 1859 01:34:59.479 --> 01:35:01.720 How you been, Spencer Litton b YU TV on the 1860 01:35:01.720 --> 01:35:03.600 program on a Friday, How you doing, Man? Everything good? 1861 01:35:04.239 --> 01:35:04.479 Yeah? 1862 01:35:04.640 --> 01:35:07.680 Doing well? Interesting time of the year, no doubt. Was 1863 01:35:07.680 --> 01:35:10.920 spring football kicking off for the local teams here in 1864 01:35:10.960 --> 01:35:14.159 the b High State and then the home stretch as 1865 01:35:14.199 --> 01:35:17.680 we push toward March maddness. It's a little chaotic, but yeah, 1866 01:35:17.760 --> 01:35:20.199 really really entertaining time of year, no doubt about. 1867 01:35:20.039 --> 01:35:23.720 It, for sure. And it's been pretty remarkable to watch 1868 01:35:23.800 --> 01:35:27.159 the evolution of this basketball team after a pretty rough start, 1869 01:35:27.319 --> 01:35:30.960 and you know, it was easy to see early on 1870 01:35:31.159 --> 01:35:33.680 even in some of the losses, like there's juice on 1871 01:35:33.720 --> 01:35:36.520 that roster, there's offensive talent on that roster. If Kevin 1872 01:35:36.520 --> 01:35:39.800 figures out his rotation and if they start to gel, 1873 01:35:39.920 --> 01:35:41.840 you know, they could be a dangerous team. So let's 1874 01:35:41.880 --> 01:35:44.680 just start with your overall thoughts. Now, five straight wins, 1875 01:35:44.720 --> 01:35:49.159 which is the most in BYU's Big twelve adventure, started 1876 01:35:49.239 --> 01:35:52.039 in Morgantown and then you guys have West Virginia tomorrow. 1877 01:35:52.039 --> 01:35:54.600 What stands out most about the past five games for 1878 01:35:54.680 --> 01:35:57.439 BYU Spencer, Yeah, I think. 1879 01:35:57.319 --> 01:36:01.359 You have to start with BYU finding out how to 1880 01:36:01.520 --> 01:36:06.960 handle the rotation and everybody truly buying into what Kevin 1881 01:36:07.039 --> 01:36:11.239 Young is trying to do. And there was some resistance 1882 01:36:11.279 --> 01:36:14.680 at first, and I understand why there was resistance when 1883 01:36:14.720 --> 01:36:18.800 you look at a guy like Doallen Hall and him 1884 01:36:19.079 --> 01:36:21.800 going from starter last year on a team that was 1885 01:36:21.800 --> 01:36:24.119 a six seed in the NCAA tournament and finished tied 1886 01:36:24.159 --> 01:36:26.399 for fifth in the Big twelve, and everything they did 1887 01:36:26.439 --> 01:36:30.600 in Mark Pope's final year at BYU. Like to be relegated, 1888 01:36:31.039 --> 01:36:33.640 that's a tough pill to swallow. And then to have 1889 01:36:33.720 --> 01:36:37.560 to kind of reinvent yourself with what Kevin Young wants 1890 01:36:37.600 --> 01:36:39.840 you to do and how do you mesh with this 1891 01:36:40.680 --> 01:36:44.680 lottery freshman phenom in yegor demi and how do you 1892 01:36:44.720 --> 01:36:47.600 split minutes? It just it just took time. And I 1893 01:36:47.640 --> 01:36:50.520 think I shared it with you when you called me 1894 01:36:50.560 --> 01:36:52.800 a little over a month ago when BYU was struggling 1895 01:36:52.840 --> 01:36:55.600 a little bit, and I shared an analogy and correct 1896 01:36:55.640 --> 01:36:59.600 me if I'm wrong. But I used getting a new 1897 01:36:59.640 --> 01:37:03.359 set of clubs and then being given a professional swing coach. 1898 01:37:03.960 --> 01:37:07.560 And you have all the nicest equipment and incredible swing coach, 1899 01:37:07.600 --> 01:37:10.119 and you have access to all these courses. But just 1900 01:37:10.159 --> 01:37:11.760 because you get a new set of golf clubs doesn't 1901 01:37:11.760 --> 01:37:13.319 mean automatically you're gonna show up with the course and 1902 01:37:13.319 --> 01:37:15.600 just beat immediately better, Like, oh, I'm better, I have 1903 01:37:15.680 --> 01:37:17.520 new clubs, I'm better, I have a swing coach, I'm better. 1904 01:37:17.680 --> 01:37:20.560 It just takes time to work with said coach and 1905 01:37:20.600 --> 01:37:23.520 your new equipment, figure out what you got to do 1906 01:37:23.600 --> 01:37:26.600 with it to then go out and play your game 1907 01:37:26.920 --> 01:37:30.880 at the highest level possible. And so it's just taken time. 1908 01:37:31.159 --> 01:37:34.600 And now he has locked in that rotation and it 1909 01:37:34.720 --> 01:37:37.439 is a deep rotation. They can go less and deep 1910 01:37:37.520 --> 01:37:40.439 on the bench and are doing so regularly with a 1911 01:37:40.479 --> 01:37:42.680 couple of guys playing, you know, sparse minutes here and 1912 01:37:42.720 --> 01:37:46.560 there between Trey Stewart and Mihailo Boskovic. Those guys would 1913 01:37:46.560 --> 01:37:48.359 come in and give you why you would change of 1914 01:37:48.359 --> 01:37:50.560 pace to go along with the nine regulars. And it's 1915 01:37:50.600 --> 01:37:55.560 just been really really interesting and entertaining to watch him 1916 01:37:55.600 --> 01:37:58.760 and his staff hone in on what is working best. 1917 01:37:58.800 --> 01:38:01.880 And obviously during this five game win streak they've been 1918 01:38:01.880 --> 01:38:04.199 able to flex a little bit and taking a little 1919 01:38:04.199 --> 01:38:06.560 bit of luck for sure down in Arizona. But I 1920 01:38:06.560 --> 01:38:08.800 mean outside of that, they've just been playing really really 1921 01:38:08.920 --> 01:38:11.199 high level basketball. And we're talking about a team that 1922 01:38:11.479 --> 01:38:14.239 is starting to shoot it well. Eleven mad threes per 1923 01:38:14.279 --> 01:38:18.039 game almost that's an insane number for a college team. 1924 01:38:18.439 --> 01:38:20.840 But this is what by you brought Kevin Young in 1925 01:38:20.880 --> 01:38:22.880 to do as one of the most brilliant offensive minds 1926 01:38:22.920 --> 01:38:23.319 in the game. 1927 01:38:24.079 --> 01:38:27.640 Since you brought up Arizona, my guy, I'm gonna we're 1928 01:38:27.640 --> 01:38:30.960 gonna lean into it for a second year. Okay. So 1929 01:38:30.960 --> 01:38:35.359 so look, there are a few things that are true. Okay, 1930 01:38:35.399 --> 01:38:37.520 there are a few things that are true, and we're 1931 01:38:37.520 --> 01:38:39.800 not great at that in this country at acknowledging a 1932 01:38:39.800 --> 01:38:45.880 few different sides. The officiating wasn't awesome, and BYU was 1933 01:38:45.920 --> 01:38:49.600 on the wrong side of some calls. But I listened 1934 01:38:49.640 --> 01:38:54.359 to you, and I've listened to Shep and Greg and Spencer. 1935 01:38:54.479 --> 01:38:57.680 My man, that was not a foul at the end 1936 01:38:57.720 --> 01:39:00.560 of the game. It just it just wasn't. Look credit 1937 01:39:00.640 --> 01:39:03.520 Richie steps out, knockdown the free throws, and there was 1938 01:39:03.560 --> 01:39:06.680 inconsistent officiating. BYU was on the wrong side of some calls. 1939 01:39:06.680 --> 01:39:09.000 But the final play, my man, my man, you got 1940 01:39:09.000 --> 01:39:11.039 to help me out here. That just wasn't a foul. 1941 01:39:11.079 --> 01:39:12.039 It just wasn't. 1942 01:39:12.960 --> 01:39:16.079 It's tough to make that call in that scenario, No question, 1943 01:39:16.239 --> 01:39:18.920 like it benefited BYU. I'm not shying away from that. 1944 01:39:19.560 --> 01:39:22.479 I guess my point was, and maybe I didn't portray 1945 01:39:22.520 --> 01:39:24.359 it the right way and how I said it on 1946 01:39:24.399 --> 01:39:28.840 the show, but it feels like Richie was very, very 1947 01:39:28.880 --> 01:39:31.920 aware of how that game had been officiated, and so 1948 01:39:32.319 --> 01:39:34.840 he chose to try and initiate something in a game 1949 01:39:34.880 --> 01:39:37.640 that was poorly officiated. And he's a really smart player 1950 01:39:37.960 --> 01:39:40.760 to try and take advantage of how that game had 1951 01:39:40.800 --> 01:39:44.479 been called in ninety nine out of one hundred games 1952 01:39:44.479 --> 01:39:47.600 and scenarios, You're right, that is not a foul call. 1953 01:39:47.720 --> 01:39:51.479 But because it was so poorly officiated, I thought from 1954 01:39:51.479 --> 01:39:54.000 start to finish and Arizona getting calls and Boa getting 1955 01:39:54.039 --> 01:39:58.680 questionable calls, it kind of didn't surprise me. But Richie's 1956 01:39:58.680 --> 01:40:01.680 a really good player. He sold it. It wasn't a foul, 1957 01:40:01.880 --> 01:40:05.079 but he did his part. Still had to step up 1958 01:40:05.079 --> 01:40:07.720 and make some really really high pressure free throws and 1959 01:40:09.119 --> 01:40:12.279 BYU was lucky to get out of there, but sometimes 1960 01:40:12.279 --> 01:40:15.079 you need a lucky break like that. And so yeah, 1961 01:40:15.199 --> 01:40:18.239 not dodging that. I know that the alternate angles came out, 1962 01:40:18.279 --> 01:40:20.239 and that kind of gave me pause where it's like, okay, 1963 01:40:20.239 --> 01:40:21.680 well they kind of knocked me these a little bit, 1964 01:40:21.720 --> 01:40:23.520 and there's a little bit of a hip slide there, 1965 01:40:23.560 --> 01:40:26.840 but it's in slow motion and like the officials got 1966 01:40:26.840 --> 01:40:28.720 one chance to look at it, and I know Tony 1967 01:40:28.760 --> 01:40:32.439 Fadiaz had his history with uton By for Bethan worse, 1968 01:40:33.760 --> 01:40:36.199 but yeah, I'm not going to shy away from it. Man, Like, 1969 01:40:36.239 --> 01:40:39.399 you're right, it's not a foul, but given the way 1970 01:40:39.439 --> 01:40:41.840 that game was officiated, I was not surprised that it 1971 01:40:41.880 --> 01:40:42.720 was called a foul. 1972 01:40:43.840 --> 01:40:46.399 Yeah, you hang ninety six and Michale you deserve to 1973 01:40:46.840 --> 01:40:49.039 at least be in the mix. And I'm not taking 1974 01:40:49.079 --> 01:40:51.600 anything away from the wind because I'm never one to 1975 01:40:51.680 --> 01:40:55.680 believe that one call is enough to explain away a result, 1976 01:40:55.720 --> 01:40:58.680 even if it's that call at that time. Let me 1977 01:40:58.720 --> 01:41:00.319 ask you this, and I don't know if you guys 1978 01:41:00.359 --> 01:41:03.359 have addressed it on the show, but yeah, you know, 1979 01:41:03.640 --> 01:41:07.600 like you know my background and whatever, there's this story 1980 01:41:07.640 --> 01:41:11.600 about another chant about bleep the Mormons or whatever it is, Like, 1981 01:41:12.600 --> 01:41:15.279 I don't shy away from the conversation. Some people do, 1982 01:41:15.960 --> 01:41:19.640 and I do believe this is such a double standard 1983 01:41:19.800 --> 01:41:22.239 in so many different ways. And I'm not a big 1984 01:41:22.279 --> 01:41:25.279 fan of what Aboutism's but if this was bleep the 1985 01:41:25.960 --> 01:41:29.479 insert religion here or bleep the insert ethnicity here, this 1986 01:41:29.520 --> 01:41:33.319 would be a national story. And I just and look, 1987 01:41:33.640 --> 01:41:36.000 I talked about this on the show. I have a 1988 01:41:36.039 --> 01:41:39.720 pretty unique prism and experience of being. You know, an 1989 01:41:39.840 --> 01:41:43.600 LDS kid from Salt Lake City, Utah, suddenly planted in 1990 01:41:43.640 --> 01:41:46.279 the northeast at the age of eleven, and this was 1991 01:41:46.399 --> 01:41:50.239 nineteen ninety and I was treated like a total outcast. 1992 01:41:50.600 --> 01:41:53.520 This was far before the church had a footprint back 1993 01:41:53.560 --> 01:41:56.119 there that it does now. And I know what it's 1994 01:41:56.159 --> 01:41:59.560 like to be around people that simply don't know culturally 1995 01:41:59.600 --> 01:42:02.800 what else Yes people are about. And I was there 1996 01:42:02.800 --> 01:42:05.720 were kids that were clearly getting information from their parents, 1997 01:42:05.760 --> 01:42:09.079 asking me questions like I would go to school and 1998 01:42:09.119 --> 01:42:11.680 be like, I'm pretty sure my dad has only the 1999 01:42:11.720 --> 01:42:13.520 one wife and it's my mom. That's been the deal 2000 01:42:13.600 --> 01:42:16.520 the entire time. I know, you guys are asking me 2001 01:42:16.720 --> 01:42:20.319 like And so I understand that there is a large 2002 01:42:20.319 --> 01:42:22.640 portion of our country, even in the year of Our 2003 01:42:22.640 --> 01:42:27.640 Lord twenty twenty five, that view the prism of LDS 2004 01:42:27.640 --> 01:42:31.840 culture as odd and unfamiliar. But it just it can't. 2005 01:42:33.319 --> 01:42:36.399 It can't mean the chants like that are okay, and 2006 01:42:36.439 --> 01:42:40.760 it shouldn't dissuade people like us that have a microphone 2007 01:42:40.800 --> 01:42:43.920 from talking about I just wonder how those things land 2008 01:42:44.199 --> 01:42:47.720 down there with you when your fellow BYU media members 2009 01:42:47.720 --> 01:42:48.720 and people down in Provo. 2010 01:42:49.680 --> 01:42:54.119 Yeah, I appreciate you bringing this up, And truthfully, I 2011 01:42:54.159 --> 01:42:58.640 think I have been conditioned over the years to just 2012 01:42:58.880 --> 01:43:00.920 kind of let it roll off your back and love 2013 01:43:00.960 --> 01:43:03.239 them back and turn the other cheek and don't worry 2014 01:43:03.279 --> 01:43:06.960 about it. But at some point you have to say, Okay, 2015 01:43:07.640 --> 01:43:12.800 now that's just craft and cheap and lazy, Like, can 2016 01:43:12.840 --> 01:43:17.199 we have a conversation about this, because just because the 2017 01:43:17.319 --> 01:43:20.760 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and how 2018 01:43:20.760 --> 01:43:24.159 they're called obviously referred to still as the Mormons are 2019 01:43:24.199 --> 01:43:27.479 just an easy target. I hate that excuse. Well, it's 2020 01:43:27.520 --> 01:43:30.000 just an easy target because you're weird, So just deal 2021 01:43:30.079 --> 01:43:32.399 with it. It's just part of the deal. Like, at 2022 01:43:32.399 --> 01:43:34.560 what point do we say, well, maybe we don't like it, 2023 01:43:34.680 --> 01:43:39.000 maybe it's it's hurtful and it's annoying. But for a 2024 01:43:39.000 --> 01:43:42.119 long time, and even still now today, I kind of 2025 01:43:42.159 --> 01:43:45.279 have come from a standpoint of, well, you know, they 2026 01:43:45.560 --> 01:43:48.279 hate what they don't understand, and let's just go ahead 2027 01:43:48.279 --> 01:43:51.239 and turn the other cheek and love them and hope 2028 01:43:51.239 --> 01:43:54.560 for something better. But again, at some point you have 2029 01:43:54.640 --> 01:43:57.399 to stand up and say, hey, we don't like that, 2030 01:43:57.680 --> 01:44:00.800 We would appreciate having a conversation about it so that 2031 01:44:00.840 --> 01:44:03.439 it doesn't happen again, And so I was happy to 2032 01:44:03.479 --> 01:44:07.119 see some of the conversation that came from this, and 2033 01:44:07.359 --> 01:44:10.279 I super appreciate Tommy Lloyd and think he is an 2034 01:44:10.279 --> 01:44:13.840 absolute class act as Arizona's head coach. Not only one 2035 01:44:14.079 --> 01:44:16.439 did he address the bigger concern with the game after 2036 01:44:16.680 --> 01:44:19.279 a terrible foul call hurt his team and cost his 2037 01:44:19.359 --> 01:44:21.760 team the game in some ways, but he pointed to 2038 01:44:21.800 --> 01:44:24.399 the bigger picture of my team's got bigger issues. And 2039 01:44:24.399 --> 01:44:27.560 then later on down the week, as he's preparing for 2040 01:44:27.600 --> 01:44:30.039 another game, he talked about how his fans need to 2041 01:44:30.039 --> 01:44:32.239 be better and you need to not take those shots. 2042 01:44:32.520 --> 01:44:36.359 And so it was just kind of this cool galvanizing 2043 01:44:36.439 --> 01:44:40.800 moment between the staffs at Arizona and DYU and for 2044 01:44:40.880 --> 01:44:42.439 some of Arizona fans to come out and say, you 2045 01:44:42.479 --> 01:44:47.680 know what, it's not okay, and we will be better. So, yeah, 2046 01:44:48.159 --> 01:44:51.119 we're making a little bit of progress, but it is 2047 01:44:51.159 --> 01:44:56.039 an unfortunate banner that so many fan bases have joined 2048 01:44:55.239 --> 01:44:58.239 in recent years, and you would think that in twenty 2049 01:44:58.279 --> 01:45:00.640 forty five, as you pointed out, we would be better 2050 01:45:00.680 --> 01:45:01.000 than that. 2051 01:45:01.479 --> 01:45:02.680 But here we are yet again. 2052 01:45:03.159 --> 01:45:05.560 One more thing on this and I'll ask you the 2053 01:45:05.680 --> 01:45:08.039 question that you asked my guys Shep today. I want 2054 01:45:08.039 --> 01:45:12.159 you to dish on a little tea. You ready for it? 2055 01:45:12.159 --> 01:45:14.279 It was a perfect question to ask Shep, who's such 2056 01:45:14.319 --> 01:45:17.560 a tmz honk. But I wonder if part of this 2057 01:45:17.600 --> 01:45:19.560 and we're just talking about louder because honestly, I don't 2058 01:45:19.560 --> 01:45:23.560 know if there's anything here. But you know, the LDS 2059 01:45:23.600 --> 01:45:27.880 exposure through pop culture over the past three four years, 2060 01:45:28.640 --> 01:45:31.319 I don't think it's done the church a lot of 2061 01:45:31.359 --> 01:45:33.960 good things. I just don't And you know, whether it's 2062 01:45:34.000 --> 01:45:37.039 Real Housewives stuff or the Hulu show or the junk stuff, 2063 01:45:37.079 --> 01:45:40.199 you know, the Sister Wives show. I wonder how much 2064 01:45:40.239 --> 01:45:44.439 of that that people are digesting gives them a completely 2065 01:45:44.560 --> 01:45:49.760 inaccurate idea of the way the culture is actually, you know, 2066 01:45:49.880 --> 01:45:52.319 in reality when you experience it, do you think there's 2067 01:45:52.399 --> 01:45:53.640 anything there? Spencer? 2068 01:45:54.680 --> 01:45:58.039 Yes, And you know what people like the strange and 2069 01:45:58.079 --> 01:46:01.279 abnormal and weird this is they gravitate too. These are 2070 01:46:01.279 --> 01:46:05.560 why these are the most stream shows, unfortunately in broadcast media, 2071 01:46:05.640 --> 01:46:08.920 because the real story, Spence is probably a little boring. 2072 01:46:09.279 --> 01:46:11.319 How often do we hear. Yeah, I grew up with 2073 01:46:11.359 --> 01:46:14.199 some Mormon neighbors and they were super nice and they 2074 01:46:14.199 --> 01:46:17.680 always respected the laws of the land, and they were cool, 2075 01:46:17.720 --> 01:46:20.800 and they didn't drink and they were responsible, and I 2076 01:46:20.840 --> 01:46:24.880 never had an issue with our families interacting. It just 2077 01:46:24.880 --> 01:46:28.159 seems kind of boring, like, yeah, it's good, I choose 2078 01:46:28.159 --> 01:46:31.800 that all the time, but it's not worthy of what 2079 01:46:31.920 --> 01:46:36.600 the world perceived as entertainment value. No one's signing up 2080 01:46:36.640 --> 01:46:38.800 to watch the show when it's just, oh, yeah, those 2081 01:46:38.800 --> 01:46:43.119 people are nice, and they helped me do my yard work, 2082 01:46:43.119 --> 01:46:45.279 and they shovel my walk when I can't do it, 2083 01:46:45.359 --> 01:46:47.960 and they went down into some yardwork for this elderly 2084 01:46:48.000 --> 01:46:52.039 grandma on our yard in our neighborhood life. We don't 2085 01:46:52.039 --> 01:46:53.880 hear enough about that stuff. I wish we could cast 2086 01:46:53.920 --> 01:46:56.840 more of a light on that. But I truly believe 2087 01:46:56.880 --> 01:46:59.399 that it just comes down to, well, what's weird and 2088 01:46:59.439 --> 01:47:01.840 what's kind of that landish, how do we build a 2089 01:47:01.840 --> 01:47:04.560 show in it so that we can make money and 2090 01:47:04.640 --> 01:47:07.159 sell advertising and we can all get rich. And so 2091 01:47:07.880 --> 01:47:13.199 it is uncomfortably becoming more and more common to see 2092 01:47:13.920 --> 01:47:16.880 the things that you are pointing out, and those shows 2093 01:47:16.920 --> 01:47:18.000 because people. 2094 01:47:17.720 --> 01:47:18.840 Just want extremes. 2095 01:47:18.960 --> 01:47:21.800 They want extremes, and they want to talk about it, 2096 01:47:21.840 --> 01:47:25.399 and they want a gossip about it. And it's kind 2097 01:47:25.399 --> 01:47:28.399 of an unfortunate diet tribe on what our society is 2098 01:47:28.439 --> 01:47:29.920 becoming in broadcast consumption. 2099 01:47:30.600 --> 01:47:33.800 Yeah, well said you referenced Tommy Lloyd. And you know 2100 01:47:33.880 --> 01:47:36.600 Tommy after you know, after the BYU game. Now he 2101 01:47:36.680 --> 01:47:39.640 handled that and you know, Utah, we've had a change 2102 01:47:39.680 --> 01:47:42.159 up here, as you know, Craig has been relieved of 2103 01:47:42.159 --> 01:47:44.159 his duties and two of Craig's sons are with the 2104 01:47:44.199 --> 01:47:46.359 program once the director of ops. The others is a 2105 01:47:46.399 --> 01:47:50.119 walk on. And unfortunately josh Isilc's first task was to 2106 01:47:50.159 --> 01:47:52.640 take Utah and to McHale and there's no way that 2107 01:47:52.760 --> 01:47:54.800 was going to go well. But after the game, I 2108 01:47:54.840 --> 01:47:58.680 thought Tommy Lloyd handled it again just perfectly where he 2109 01:47:59.119 --> 01:48:01.640 pointed out the two sons and how they showed up 2110 01:48:01.640 --> 01:48:03.479 for work, and that would be I mean, look, my 2111 01:48:03.560 --> 01:48:05.359 dad wasn't a coach, but he was an executive. I 2112 01:48:05.399 --> 01:48:07.279 mean we had to uproot our family four or five 2113 01:48:07.319 --> 01:48:10.439 different times for his career. There's a personal side of 2114 01:48:10.439 --> 01:48:12.720 this that we don't do a very good job covering 2115 01:48:13.159 --> 01:48:16.079 because fans want to know what happened and what's next. 2116 01:48:16.119 --> 01:48:18.760 But I wonder from Afar down there, your take on 2117 01:48:18.920 --> 01:48:20.840 what we've had going on up here with Craig losing 2118 01:48:20.840 --> 01:48:22.399 his job. Wow. 2119 01:48:22.479 --> 01:48:24.960 Well, let me say this, all of my interactions with 2120 01:48:24.960 --> 01:48:28.000 Craig Smith, and they've been limited, have been super positive. 2121 01:48:28.159 --> 01:48:31.439 I really really enjoy that guy. I think he is 2122 01:48:31.439 --> 01:48:34.359 an outstanding basketball coach. It won't take him long to 2123 01:48:34.399 --> 01:48:37.239 find a good landing spot. Whether that's as a head 2124 01:48:37.239 --> 01:48:39.199 coach somewhere else so or as a high level assistant. 2125 01:48:39.279 --> 01:48:40.560 I don't know, but he's going to find a good 2126 01:48:40.640 --> 01:48:43.399 landing spot because I think he's a fantastic human and 2127 01:48:43.439 --> 01:48:46.640 a fantastic basketball coach. I was a little shock Spence 2128 01:48:46.720 --> 01:48:50.479 because I thought that he was finally starting to get 2129 01:48:50.520 --> 01:48:54.119 some grounding. Like when Utah beat Kansas State or at 2130 01:48:54.159 --> 01:48:56.680 Kansas and Kansas State back to back and they're middle 2131 01:48:56.680 --> 01:48:58.479 of the pack in the Big Club, I thought, Okay, 2132 01:48:59.039 --> 01:49:01.439 there may be on the cusp of something. 2133 01:49:01.600 --> 01:49:04.800 Maybe they gave them one more year to try and build, 2134 01:49:04.840 --> 01:49:07.399 and I thought, maybe Utah is going to be a 2135 01:49:07.399 --> 01:49:10.079 tournament team next year if he can build the core 2136 01:49:10.279 --> 01:49:12.439 and keep his people and use this momentum in the 2137 01:49:12.479 --> 01:49:16.119 Big twelve with those two big wins against the Sunflower State, I. 2138 01:49:16.119 --> 01:49:19.520 Thought, cool, good for Craig. They're figuring some things out, 2139 01:49:19.800 --> 01:49:21.520 and then they lose at UCF and then all of 2140 01:49:21.520 --> 01:49:24.199 a sudden he's out of a job, and so I 2141 01:49:24.279 --> 01:49:28.439 was stunned. I hate it for the Smith family, especially 2142 01:49:28.479 --> 01:49:30.840 when I thought that he had finally started to figure 2143 01:49:30.840 --> 01:49:33.159 some things out, and I think he was getting a 2144 01:49:33.199 --> 01:49:36.159 lot out of the talent that he had up there, 2145 01:49:36.359 --> 01:49:38.840 and if you had given him some real nil support 2146 01:49:38.960 --> 01:49:43.880 and true support from an athletics standpoint, that he go 2147 01:49:43.920 --> 01:49:46.199 out and do some damage and recruit that they were 2148 01:49:46.199 --> 01:49:48.319 on the cusp of being an NCAA tournament team. 2149 01:49:48.359 --> 01:49:48.600 Again. 2150 01:49:48.880 --> 01:49:54.439 Well, reading the teavs, I'm guessing Utah absolutely has one 2151 01:49:54.560 --> 01:49:59.159 or two clear candidates in mind, maybe three, and they 2152 01:49:59.199 --> 01:50:02.279 want to return to who I believe some of those 2153 01:50:02.359 --> 01:50:06.119 legacy guys that will bring in immediate injection of enthusiasm 2154 01:50:06.199 --> 01:50:11.000 and support and booster donations into it. So obviously, if 2155 01:50:11.000 --> 01:50:14.479 they can hire a guy like Alex Jenson, it would 2156 01:50:14.479 --> 01:50:16.680 be the best case scenario. Trust me, from a guy 2157 01:50:16.720 --> 01:50:18.760 who's watched what Kevin Young has done as an NBA 2158 01:50:18.880 --> 01:50:22.279 assistant with his connections and ability to develop NBA players 2159 01:50:22.279 --> 01:50:25.000 and recruit those guys. I think Alex Jansen would be 2160 01:50:25.000 --> 01:50:27.720 a home run higher. Hate that it comes at a 2161 01:50:27.760 --> 01:50:30.279 time when I felt like Craig had started to in 2162 01:50:30.319 --> 01:50:33.479 some ways turn a corner. But hopefully Utah makes the 2163 01:50:33.560 --> 01:50:36.600 right higher, and I hope that it's Alex Jenson. I 2164 01:50:36.640 --> 01:50:39.840 think he is dynamite. I don't know what the true 2165 01:50:39.880 --> 01:50:42.479 interest level is there, but he's going to pick a 2166 01:50:42.520 --> 01:50:45.079 time to leave Dallas and the NBA as an assistant 2167 01:50:45.079 --> 01:50:47.800 this and take this job at Utah. Man of a 2168 01:50:48.039 --> 01:50:50.920 huge get for the you and returning to them to 2169 01:50:50.960 --> 01:50:53.159 their basketball glory. Man, you and I we grew up. 2170 01:50:53.319 --> 01:50:58.199 Utah basketball was everything just there, Jerif Sweater, the files forward. 2171 01:50:58.399 --> 01:50:59.439 It was so fun. 2172 01:50:59.439 --> 01:51:01.720 And I don't care any yu fanas kidding themselves. They 2173 01:51:01.720 --> 01:51:04.319 didn't think that that wasn't fun to watch those guys 2174 01:51:04.359 --> 01:51:07.720 Andre Miller and Alex Jensen and the Johnson brothers do 2175 01:51:07.800 --> 01:51:09.720 their thing, and before that, Keith van Horn. Those were 2176 01:51:09.800 --> 01:51:13.439 glorious years for Utah basketball. And this rivalry is better 2177 01:51:13.439 --> 01:51:14.600 when they are good at basketball. 2178 01:51:15.079 --> 01:51:17.319 Well said, all right, I'll have a football question, but 2179 01:51:17.359 --> 01:51:20.880 before we get there, what do you think? So you know, 2180 01:51:21.239 --> 01:51:25.479 last year's team I thought was playing pretty well entering 2181 01:51:25.520 --> 01:51:28.079 the NCAA tournament, and I thought if they could knock 2182 01:51:28.119 --> 01:51:30.199 down some shots and get the right matchup, they could 2183 01:51:30.199 --> 01:51:32.439 win a couple of games. And it was the day 2184 01:51:32.479 --> 01:51:35.479 day grand Kid in Ducane last year that Ouse did 2185 01:51:35.720 --> 01:51:38.159 Yu in the first round. And I think it's been 2186 01:51:38.199 --> 01:51:41.840 what since Jimmer byus not want to take a game 2187 01:51:41.920 --> 01:51:44.439 inside the round of sixty four they won a first 2188 01:51:44.479 --> 01:51:47.720 four in game or whatever. But when I watched this 2189 01:51:47.880 --> 01:51:50.199 team this year and when they are at their peak, 2190 01:51:50.319 --> 01:51:54.079 they feel more dangerous and more complete than the team 2191 01:51:54.079 --> 01:51:57.680 a year ago. And they're deeper as well. So if 2192 01:51:57.720 --> 01:52:02.279 you expand your imagination, what's the ceiling for Kevin's team 2193 01:52:02.359 --> 01:52:04.079 this year NCAA tournament style? 2194 01:52:04.680 --> 01:52:08.199 Yeah, fantastic question, with a lot of layers there. I 2195 01:52:08.199 --> 01:52:11.000 agree with you this team. Do they not have a 2196 01:52:11.000 --> 01:52:14.239 little bit of the twenty twenty vibe before we sadly 2197 01:52:14.279 --> 01:52:18.079 were shut down by that whole COVID pandemic, Like I 2198 01:52:18.119 --> 01:52:20.279 get some vibes from this BUA team that I had 2199 01:52:20.319 --> 01:52:23.399 with that team, they shoot the three incredibly well, their 2200 01:52:23.439 --> 01:52:28.800 offense is super efficient, so fun, engaging, they're defending enough, 2201 01:52:29.239 --> 01:52:31.840 like they're not a bad defensive team. They rebound the 2202 01:52:31.880 --> 01:52:34.039 ball well. All of these things that I heard about 2203 01:52:34.079 --> 01:52:36.760 the twenty twenty team and how UI is dangerous nobody 2204 01:52:36.760 --> 01:52:38.680 wants to see BYU in March, I'm starting to hear 2205 01:52:38.720 --> 01:52:41.479 a lot of the same things about this team, which 2206 01:52:41.520 --> 01:52:45.119 is exciting and so, yes, this team is better prepared 2207 01:52:45.760 --> 01:52:49.800 to go and win an NCAA tournament game. I don't 2208 01:52:49.840 --> 01:52:52.600 know if the UI is going to be granted the 2209 01:52:53.279 --> 01:52:57.399 consideration by the tournament selection committee that they had last year, 2210 01:52:58.720 --> 01:53:00.720 even though I think they're a better team this year 2211 01:53:01.000 --> 01:53:04.439 because of the non conference slate, and Kevin knows that 2212 01:53:04.520 --> 01:53:09.239 they didn't beat anybody in non conference play relatively speaking, 2213 01:53:09.880 --> 01:53:13.279 they have since caught fire and have added plenty of 2214 01:53:13.279 --> 01:53:15.359 meat to the resume in the Big twelve. But I 2215 01:53:15.359 --> 01:53:17.680 don't know. Pardony just believes it that the selection commans 2216 01:53:17.680 --> 01:53:20.239 can be like, yeah, but By's non conference, Like we 2217 01:53:20.760 --> 01:53:23.039 need to punish them a little bit for that. So 2218 01:53:23.479 --> 01:53:26.079 I wouldn't be surprised to see BYU if they win 2219 01:53:26.119 --> 01:53:28.039 two of the final three. I'm not going to ask 2220 01:53:28.039 --> 01:53:30.039 the team or expect this team to go to Ames 2221 01:53:30.119 --> 01:53:32.840 and win against Siawa State, especially if Bio State gets 2222 01:53:32.840 --> 01:53:36.800 some of their scores back and courage Jones specifically, Like, 2223 01:53:36.880 --> 01:53:38.680 that's a tough ask. But if you win two of 2224 01:53:38.720 --> 01:53:41.760 the final three and you beat West Virginia, Sam and 2225 01:53:41.840 --> 01:53:44.319 I and then handle Youthah on Senior Night, and you 2226 01:53:44.359 --> 01:53:46.920 go to Kansas City and you win a game there, 2227 01:53:47.520 --> 01:53:50.039 then I think DYU has absolutely done enough to be 2228 01:53:50.119 --> 01:53:53.960 given real consideration at worst as a seven seed. And 2229 01:53:54.039 --> 01:53:56.760 what ten seed or what team in the NCAA tournament 2230 01:53:56.800 --> 01:54:01.119 wants to face seven seed BYU who recently just won 2231 01:54:01.239 --> 01:54:05.039 at Arizona and just humiliated Kansas and had won as 2232 01:54:05.079 --> 01:54:06.840 many as six games in a row and are playing 2233 01:54:06.840 --> 01:54:08.600 their best basketball this season. I think they could be 2234 01:54:08.600 --> 01:54:11.960 a very very dangerous seven. You said ceiling, so I'm 2235 01:54:11.960 --> 01:54:13.640 gonna give you to I think the ceiling for the 2236 01:54:13.680 --> 01:54:17.079 PA team because of the non conference plane, because of 2237 01:54:17.199 --> 01:54:20.640 no Sunday play and how the seeding principles work, probably 2238 01:54:20.680 --> 01:54:23.399 a six seed at best, all. 2239 01:54:23.399 --> 01:54:25.640 Right, But before I say you lose, The Solid Tribune 2240 01:54:25.720 --> 01:54:29.239 did some reporting this week on the Royal Blue Collective 2241 01:54:29.279 --> 01:54:32.199 and some changes that were made, and I just want 2242 01:54:32.239 --> 01:54:35.079 your take on it. You know, crue Wakely obviously left 2243 01:54:35.079 --> 01:54:37.119 the program with a little bit of an extra grind, right, 2244 01:54:37.159 --> 01:54:39.399 and I always make sure to keep that in mind. 2245 01:54:39.439 --> 01:54:43.159 And there was another starter who claimed that there were 2246 01:54:43.199 --> 01:54:45.960 some cuts and some changes made to the collective, and 2247 01:54:46.359 --> 01:54:49.399 obviously some players not thrilled about it. The trip did 2248 01:54:49.439 --> 01:54:52.960 a follow up where they were able to talk to 2249 01:54:53.000 --> 01:54:55.159 some people from the Royal Blue Collective who are saying 2250 01:54:55.159 --> 01:54:57.960 that there will be some changes this year, you know, 2251 01:54:58.039 --> 01:55:00.119 coming off the heels of a very successful season. I 2252 01:55:00.439 --> 01:55:03.439 just need to know your understanding of this story and 2253 01:55:03.520 --> 01:55:05.399 kind of where we're at with collective down in Provo. 2254 01:55:06.960 --> 01:55:07.199 Yeah. 2255 01:55:07.239 --> 01:55:11.680 Again, I mean to be frank with you, like I 2256 01:55:11.720 --> 01:55:15.960 don't know Crewe on a close enough level to understand 2257 01:55:16.279 --> 01:55:19.520 everything that he said and why he said it. 2258 01:55:19.680 --> 01:55:20.880 I still like Crew. 2259 01:55:20.920 --> 01:55:22.520 I think he was a good player for buy and 2260 01:55:22.520 --> 01:55:24.439 he did some nice things. But you're right, he had 2261 01:55:24.439 --> 01:55:27.520 an ax to grind. So whenever something like that begins, 2262 01:55:28.399 --> 01:55:30.319 you as well as I know that as a member 2263 01:55:30.319 --> 01:55:32.199 of the media, you have to take it with the 2264 01:55:32.279 --> 01:55:36.520 proverbial grain of salt, like, Okay, something happened, he didn't 2265 01:55:36.600 --> 01:55:38.680 like it, Let me see what I can find out. 2266 01:55:39.079 --> 01:55:40.920 And so when I went down that route, to kind 2267 01:55:40.920 --> 01:55:42.319 of figure out what was going on in the Weake 2268 01:55:42.399 --> 01:55:45.640 we camp. I was largely shut out and said, you 2269 01:55:45.640 --> 01:55:49.520 know what, we'll kind of keeping it for ourselves. It's 2270 01:55:49.159 --> 01:55:52.439 what's in the paper is out there, but like we're 2271 01:55:52.439 --> 01:55:55.239 not going to add any additional comment. So I thought, Okay, well, 2272 01:55:55.239 --> 01:55:58.239 I'm not going to get anything from cruise people. That's fine. 2273 01:55:58.720 --> 01:56:01.039 Let me reach out to the Royal Blue Collective. And 2274 01:56:01.239 --> 01:56:06.520 what I was told was we're processing everything. We're figuring 2275 01:56:06.520 --> 01:56:10.319 out where there were some discrepancies and some misunderstandings. And 2276 01:56:11.159 --> 01:56:14.119 I was assured that they are trying to do everything 2277 01:56:14.279 --> 01:56:20.439 with as much integrity and clarity and transparency as possible 2278 01:56:21.159 --> 01:56:24.720 while still working with an institution that is private. It's 2279 01:56:24.760 --> 01:56:29.840 like an impossible balance at BYU. I'm not saying it's perfect, 2280 01:56:30.560 --> 01:56:33.720 it's not. So clearly there was something that happened and 2281 01:56:33.800 --> 01:56:39.039 I'm misunderstanding. And I'll say this, everybody needs to get 2282 01:56:39.039 --> 01:56:41.880 everything in writing and put in contracts and stop giving 2283 01:56:41.960 --> 01:56:45.720 these handshake agreements. Like handshakes are not going to cut 2284 01:56:45.760 --> 01:56:49.560 it anymore. Like everything needs to be documented. We've gone 2285 01:56:49.560 --> 01:56:52.800 from amateurism to like minor league professional sports, with many 2286 01:56:52.800 --> 01:56:56.760 college athletes get everything in writing, get everything in a contract, 2287 01:56:57.000 --> 01:56:59.760 but that you can guarantee it, and there's legal ram 2288 01:57:00.079 --> 01:57:02.720 pitations if you don't uphold your end of the bargain. 2289 01:57:02.800 --> 01:57:05.479 But I wish I had more for you. I reached 2290 01:57:05.479 --> 01:57:07.920 out to both sides and was given a very political 2291 01:57:07.960 --> 01:57:10.279 answer from the Royal Blue Collective and then we'll kind 2292 01:57:10.279 --> 01:57:12.520 of shut down on the other side. So I wish 2293 01:57:12.600 --> 01:57:16.039 I had more than that to add. But I'm adamant 2294 01:57:16.159 --> 01:57:19.840 that that there will be an effort to have things 2295 01:57:19.920 --> 01:57:23.920 laid out that are legally solid, that are on paper 2296 01:57:24.279 --> 01:57:27.560 guaranteed contracts, because I believe, truly believe to be why 2297 01:57:27.560 --> 01:57:28.760 he wants to do it the right way, and they 2298 01:57:28.800 --> 01:57:31.880 don't ever want to put anybody in a uncomfortab position 2299 01:57:32.039 --> 01:57:36.039 like they did or was reported allegedly they did from 2300 01:57:36.079 --> 01:57:39.399 crewe Wakely and then this other you know athlete or 2301 01:57:39.439 --> 01:57:41.199 these other athletes that are now coming forward. 2302 01:57:41.920 --> 01:57:44.600 All right, buddy, always appreciate the time. Please, as I 2303 01:57:44.640 --> 01:57:47.159 always say, give sheep a wet willie and a purple 2304 01:57:47.239 --> 01:57:50.680 nurple for me and we'll get you back on soon. Okay, 2305 01:57:51.640 --> 01:57:52.319 you got a brother. 2306 01:57:52.319 --> 01:57:53.920 Hey, I'm glad you found you all. But if you 2307 01:57:53.960 --> 01:57:57.520 don't listen if you didn't. All it takes is a 2308 01:57:57.520 --> 01:57:59.439 simple text message to be on your phone. Bro, I 2309 01:57:59.479 --> 01:58:01.640 got you. I'll carry you for a little bit. 2310 01:58:02.159 --> 01:58:04.159 No, I appreciate that. I might just send you my 2311 01:58:04.239 --> 01:58:06.760 Venmo now if I know that's the deal. Thanks buddy, 2312 01:58:06.760 --> 01:58:10.079 I have a good weekend. Okay? All right? Spencer Lynton 2313 01:58:10.079 --> 01:58:12.800 from BYU TV, I always appreciate his time. We're live 2314 01:58:12.800 --> 01:58:15.520 today at Tim Dolly Nissan at forty five twenty eight 2315 01:58:15.560 --> 01:58:19.760 South State Street. It's their special year end clearance sale 2316 01:58:19.800 --> 01:58:23.000 and special financing is low a zero percent. They're offering 2317 01:58:23.000 --> 01:58:25.720 cars for zero money down and no payments for two months. 2318 01:58:25.760 --> 01:58:28.159 So if you're in the market for a vehicle for you, 2319 01:58:28.159 --> 01:58:30.880 you're a child, or your spouse, forty five twenty eight 2320 01:58:30.960 --> 01:58:33.560 South State Street, come on buy and say hi. All right, 2321 01:58:33.600 --> 01:58:36.319 we are live today Tim Dolly Nissan at forty five 2322 01:58:36.399 --> 01:58:39.279 twenty eight South State Street. Come on buy and say hi. 2323 01:58:39.319 --> 01:58:42.199 It is their end of the year close out special. 2324 01:58:42.640 --> 01:58:44.239 Even though it's the beginning of the year, they're still 2325 01:58:44.319 --> 01:58:47.920 having it. Special financing is low a zero percent, zero 2326 01:58:48.479 --> 01:58:51.760 money down, no payments for two months. My next guest 2327 01:58:52.680 --> 01:58:54.840 back in the day would be sitting next to me 2328 01:58:55.359 --> 01:59:00.119 on these remotes often Gordon monson, Happy Friday, sir, how 2329 01:59:00.159 --> 01:59:00.439 are you? 2330 01:59:01.479 --> 01:59:04.399 I'm just fines man, how are you doing? Those were 2331 01:59:04.399 --> 01:59:07.479 good old times, you know, you look back. I have 2332 01:59:07.560 --> 01:59:08.279 fond memories. 2333 01:59:08.319 --> 01:59:09.119 I'll say it that way. 2334 01:59:09.800 --> 01:59:12.760 The first memory I have of a remote we did together, 2335 01:59:12.960 --> 01:59:17.520 I believe, was out in Bountiful or Centerville and we 2336 01:59:17.560 --> 01:59:19.840 showed up to I think a target and they didn't 2337 01:59:19.840 --> 01:59:21.960 know we were coming, so we had to set up 2338 01:59:22.000 --> 01:59:26.479 outside and it was snowing, and you went inside target, 2339 01:59:26.520 --> 01:59:29.640 and if I remember correctly, bought a sweatshirt that did 2340 01:59:29.680 --> 01:59:31.159 not fit you very well. Is that right? 2341 01:59:32.039 --> 01:59:35.239 You know the saddest part of that whole story is 2342 01:59:35.319 --> 01:59:37.800 that it didn't fit me very well, but it fits 2343 01:59:37.880 --> 01:59:38.319 me now. 2344 01:59:40.319 --> 01:59:42.239 Oh so you still have the sweatshirt. 2345 01:59:42.960 --> 01:59:49.079 I still haven't. I I decided I'll try this, see 2346 01:59:49.239 --> 01:59:51.399 it is, you know, and it was like, you know, 2347 01:59:51.479 --> 01:59:57.319 it's like that bride that tries on a weddings twenty 2348 01:59:57.439 --> 02:00:01.600 years later or whatever. But uh it it's me pretty 2349 02:00:01.720 --> 02:00:04.359 nice now. But it was too big back then. 2350 02:00:04.520 --> 02:00:07.640 Oh well, it was very cold from what I recall. 2351 02:00:07.720 --> 02:00:09.960 I'm trying to think of other remote stories. You know, 2352 02:00:10.000 --> 02:00:12.720 we did all those Papa John's for years, where we'd 2353 02:00:12.720 --> 02:00:15.239 be like right next to the oven and leave spelling 2354 02:00:15.279 --> 02:00:17.119 like pizza and freezing cold. 2355 02:00:19.000 --> 02:00:22.479 So not one you bring up, though, I mean, I've 2356 02:00:22.479 --> 02:00:26.279 never experienced that before where we're loading into the store 2357 02:00:26.720 --> 02:00:30.079 and essentially the store manager is pushing us back out 2358 02:00:30.119 --> 02:00:34.720 the door. Oh yeah, we're out on the curb in 2359 02:00:34.880 --> 02:00:38.279 like minus twenty degree weather. Right, you know we made 2360 02:00:38.319 --> 02:00:41.399 we powered through though, man, because we could have walked away. 2361 02:00:41.520 --> 02:00:43.039 But no, no, we don't. 2362 02:00:43.079 --> 02:00:44.000 We don't walk away. 2363 02:00:44.359 --> 02:00:46.640 We're men of the people, Gordon, we don't walk away. 2364 02:00:46.880 --> 02:00:48.640 I mean, come on, you know we're here. We're here 2365 02:00:48.680 --> 02:00:49.840 to serve. We're here to serve. 2366 02:00:50.840 --> 02:00:54.600 So tell me, well, I wish Smith that we could 2367 02:00:54.680 --> 02:00:58.359 pull back the curtain on everything that ever happened, either 2368 02:00:58.399 --> 02:01:02.239 in the studio or out of the We could write 2369 02:01:02.239 --> 02:01:03.119 a book. 2370 02:01:03.159 --> 02:01:05.680 Oh yeah, oh yeah, behind the scenes. Look at the 2371 02:01:05.720 --> 02:01:08.479 old radio days. I'm not sure how many people anymore 2372 02:01:08.479 --> 02:01:11.640 would be all that interested, but the old school listeners, Gordon, 2373 02:01:11.680 --> 02:01:13.159 I don't know how many of them are still around, 2374 02:01:13.159 --> 02:01:15.520 but the old school listeners would be interested, that's for sure. 2375 02:01:17.199 --> 02:01:20.560 Well, all I know is fun, So I'm glad you're 2376 02:01:20.600 --> 02:01:21.279 still doing it. 2377 02:01:21.319 --> 02:01:24.640 Man for sure. Now I appreciate your time. I always 2378 02:01:24.880 --> 02:01:27.479 missed having you, you know, you and Craig in Hopefully 2379 02:01:27.479 --> 02:01:29.720 we can get that going back soon. But there's a 2380 02:01:29.800 --> 02:01:32.279 lot going on, Gordo, and you've been writing about a 2381 02:01:32.279 --> 02:01:34.199 lot of it. So let's start with the news that 2382 02:01:34.720 --> 02:01:37.760 has dominated the headlines up this way, and that's Craig 2383 02:01:37.800 --> 02:01:42.479 Smith losing his job year four six year contract. And 2384 02:01:42.520 --> 02:01:44.880 so now you toss some dead money to Craig after 2385 02:01:44.920 --> 02:01:47.680 paying some dead money to Larry. And there's a lot 2386 02:01:47.720 --> 02:01:50.159 to this, and you know, ultimately there's a human side 2387 02:01:50.159 --> 02:01:52.199 of it. Feel bad for Craig and his family. A 2388 02:01:52.600 --> 02:01:55.720 little five million dollar golden parachute doesn't hurt. But what's 2389 02:01:55.760 --> 02:01:58.079 your reaction to the news, and then we'll move into 2390 02:01:58.159 --> 02:01:59.560 what you think comes next. 2391 02:02:00.199 --> 02:02:03.319 Well, one thing that comes to mind on a personal 2392 02:02:03.399 --> 02:02:07.840 level is some especially basketball coaches, I don't know, it's 2393 02:02:07.840 --> 02:02:11.640 football coaches too. They're kind of power guys and they 2394 02:02:11.840 --> 02:02:16.199 some of them just aren't the nicest guys in the world. 2395 02:02:16.239 --> 02:02:19.079 I'll say it that way, but Crank Smith was. 2396 02:02:19.520 --> 02:02:21.600 I mean, he was a nice dude. I mean, you 2397 02:02:21.680 --> 02:02:24.479 wish the best for him and his family, And on 2398 02:02:24.520 --> 02:02:29.000 a personal level, on the professional level. You know, things 2399 02:02:29.039 --> 02:02:35.239 weren't getting slowly better, but I just you know, it 2400 02:02:36.039 --> 02:02:39.920 just wasn't I guess good enough for the proud history 2401 02:02:40.479 --> 02:02:44.039 of the University of Utah basketball program. And you know, 2402 02:02:44.119 --> 02:02:46.199 I mean they were picked, they picked last in the 2403 02:02:46.279 --> 02:02:48.640 conference and they were seven and nine when he got 2404 02:02:48.640 --> 02:02:52.000 the acts. The timing of it was a little suspicious 2405 02:02:52.039 --> 02:02:55.520 to me because I wondered if Mark Harland had it 2406 02:02:55.600 --> 02:02:58.640 in for him from from the start of the season 2407 02:02:59.239 --> 02:03:01.800 and he I don't know. I don't know this for 2408 02:03:01.840 --> 02:03:04.600 a fact, but it seems like they were better than 2409 02:03:04.720 --> 02:03:08.920 maybe what they were thought to be, and Craig Smith 2410 02:03:09.039 --> 02:03:10.840 was a big part of that. And then all of 2411 02:03:10.880 --> 02:03:14.920 a sudden he's given the acts after the loss, and 2412 02:03:15.000 --> 02:03:17.439 they had won some games and people didn't expect them 2413 02:03:17.479 --> 02:03:20.119 to win. And who knows what would have happened if 2414 02:03:20.159 --> 02:03:24.000 he had finished strong with that team, Spence, I don't 2415 02:03:24.039 --> 02:03:26.399 know what happened if they went down to Provo and 2416 02:03:26.399 --> 02:03:28.720 beat the Cougars, I mean, and then you're going to 2417 02:03:28.800 --> 02:03:31.279 fire him after that. That would have been a more 2418 02:03:31.319 --> 02:03:34.760 difficult situation. But that's all speculation on my part. I 2419 02:03:34.760 --> 02:03:37.880 have no idea what Mark Carlett was thinking other than 2420 02:03:37.920 --> 02:03:40.479 the fact that what the youths were doing on the 2421 02:03:40.520 --> 02:03:43.520 basketball floor and what they were drawing in as far 2422 02:03:43.560 --> 02:03:46.720 as fans just wasn't good enough for him. 2423 02:03:47.039 --> 02:03:50.560 All right. So, and like you, I'm not entirely sure 2424 02:03:50.600 --> 02:03:53.680 what all the reasons were. I did hear from two boosters, 2425 02:03:54.319 --> 02:03:58.560 one of whom you know, that this was in I 2426 02:03:58.560 --> 02:04:01.760 don't know what percentage, but in some part this was 2427 02:04:01.800 --> 02:04:04.439 booster driven. And by booster driven, I mean some of 2428 02:04:04.439 --> 02:04:06.760 the biggest of the big dogs. You know, they just 2429 02:04:06.760 --> 02:04:10.680 weren't necessarily happy with the direction and Gordon. While I 2430 02:04:10.720 --> 02:04:13.840 certainly met the news with sympathy for Craig and his family, 2431 02:04:13.880 --> 02:04:16.239 there was part of me that said, okay, you know what, 2432 02:04:16.479 --> 02:04:20.039 finally somebody who stood up and said this is not 2433 02:04:20.399 --> 02:04:23.800 good enough. They have not made the tournament in almost 2434 02:04:23.840 --> 02:04:26.880 ten years, and for a program once upon a time 2435 02:04:27.439 --> 02:04:30.239 that made the tournament every year and nearly won a 2436 02:04:30.319 --> 02:04:33.359 national championship, but just ran out of gasagainst Kentucky. Part 2437 02:04:33.359 --> 02:04:36.520 of me likes the fact that whatever the reason was, 2438 02:04:36.640 --> 02:04:39.880 like this standard should not do for a basketball community 2439 02:04:39.880 --> 02:04:41.560 that's used to greatness. 2440 02:04:41.960 --> 02:04:46.520 Yeah and yeah, I I well said Spence, And you know, 2441 02:04:46.760 --> 02:04:50.279 some schools you'd say, Okay, this is good enough, kind 2442 02:04:50.319 --> 02:04:53.319 of getting better each year, but that's that's good enough. 2443 02:04:53.359 --> 02:04:55.439 We're not going to do anything about it. And that's 2444 02:04:55.439 --> 02:04:58.920 frustrating for fans to be put in that situation because 2445 02:04:58.960 --> 02:05:03.000 they want the results yesterday and it was it was 2446 02:05:03.079 --> 02:05:06.439 too slow. And I know some of the boosters. I figure, 2447 02:05:06.479 --> 02:05:08.439 I know some of the boosters of which you speak, 2448 02:05:08.880 --> 02:05:11.840 and I know for a fact that they weren't happy. 2449 02:05:12.520 --> 02:05:15.520 They think, they think the University of Utah is a 2450 02:05:15.520 --> 02:05:19.840 better basketball program than was being exhibited on the court 2451 02:05:20.520 --> 02:05:24.159 and in a day and age where just like Craigstmis, 2452 02:05:24.479 --> 02:05:26.960 it's a bottom line business man, you got to win, 2453 02:05:27.319 --> 02:05:29.640 and you got to win at a certain level or 2454 02:05:29.680 --> 02:05:34.000 else you're gone. And he's gone. But it's hard to 2455 02:05:34.079 --> 02:05:38.319 feel sorry for arm considering the five million dollar parachute 2456 02:05:38.359 --> 02:05:39.079 that you mentioned. 2457 02:05:40.039 --> 02:05:43.000 So now we move over to what's next, and it's 2458 02:05:43.039 --> 02:05:46.880 interesting and consider a few different avenues here. So you know, 2459 02:05:47.039 --> 02:05:50.560 one of the avenues that athletic directors and school presidents 2460 02:05:50.600 --> 02:05:52.960 take when you're a P four school and a Big 2461 02:05:53.000 --> 02:05:56.279 twelve school as you look at the smaller conferences and 2462 02:05:56.319 --> 02:05:58.920 the smaller schools and you try to figure out which 2463 02:05:58.960 --> 02:06:00.680 coaches are doing a good job and they've kind of 2464 02:06:00.680 --> 02:06:02.880 earned their way to figure out what's next as far 2465 02:06:02.920 --> 02:06:05.960 as the bigger level, and sometimes that doesn't happen until 2466 02:06:05.960 --> 02:06:09.560 the tournament. You know, a small school gets an automatic qualification, 2467 02:06:09.640 --> 02:06:11.359 they win a couple of games, and a bigger school 2468 02:06:11.399 --> 02:06:14.640 poaches their coach. Jeff Borzello put together a list that 2469 02:06:14.680 --> 02:06:17.079 he thinks Utah should look at. It's UC San Diego's 2470 02:06:17.159 --> 02:06:20.680 Eric Olson, It's Nico Medved from Colorado State, It's Eric 2471 02:06:20.680 --> 02:06:24.279 Henderson from South Dakota State, Leon Rice Boise State. They 2472 02:06:24.359 --> 02:06:28.079 just be Utah State, Russell Turner from UC Irvine. So 2473 02:06:28.159 --> 02:06:30.680 that's one avenue. And the other avenue that seems to 2474 02:06:30.680 --> 02:06:33.279 be getting a lot of traction is the former ute pile, 2475 02:06:33.359 --> 02:06:36.920 which includes Johnny Bryant, Alex Jensen seems to be the 2476 02:06:37.000 --> 02:06:39.680 front runner from what I can understand, and then Andre 2477 02:06:39.760 --> 02:06:42.239 Miller's coaching in the G League. So I want your 2478 02:06:42.239 --> 02:06:45.039 thoughts on what you think Mark should do. And then ultimately, 2479 02:06:45.520 --> 02:06:48.119 one of the things I've tried to consider is I'm 2480 02:06:48.119 --> 02:06:50.600 not usually a win the press conference guy. I don't 2481 02:06:50.640 --> 02:06:53.239 think it matters. The long game of building a culture 2482 02:06:53.319 --> 02:06:55.359 is what matters and finding your way back to winning. 2483 02:06:55.840 --> 02:06:59.479 But this basketball community, Gordon needs such a shot of life. 2484 02:07:00.039 --> 02:07:02.159 The part of me feels like, go all in and 2485 02:07:02.199 --> 02:07:04.800 get Alex and put Andre next to him on the bench. 2486 02:07:04.880 --> 02:07:07.800 And I would imagine if that's the announcement, a lot 2487 02:07:07.800 --> 02:07:10.159 of phone calls would be made to the basketball building 2488 02:07:10.199 --> 02:07:13.239 to put deposits down for season tickets. But what do 2489 02:07:13.279 --> 02:07:15.359 you think Mark should do next? As far as the 2490 02:07:15.359 --> 02:07:16.399 avenue we should look at. 2491 02:07:17.680 --> 02:07:20.159 Well, the first option that you talked about, well, that's 2492 02:07:20.319 --> 02:07:22.840 how Craig Smith got there, right yep. I mean he 2493 02:07:22.920 --> 02:07:26.479 was he was winning games, and you saw we needed 2494 02:07:26.560 --> 02:07:28.800 a Utah state and he was winning before that. He 2495 02:07:28.920 --> 02:07:32.600 build a program and they bring him into Utah and 2496 02:07:33.000 --> 02:07:36.079 it didn't really light the fire you're talking about. And 2497 02:07:36.119 --> 02:07:39.039 so I really liked those last three games you mentioned, 2498 02:07:39.800 --> 02:07:42.520 and I think that would be the way I would 2499 02:07:42.600 --> 02:07:45.560 go if I were Mark Carlett. Now Harlan seems to 2500 02:07:46.119 --> 02:07:49.720 like to sort of put on a national search, but 2501 02:07:49.800 --> 02:07:52.119 I mean he hired Craig Smith, I. 2502 02:07:52.079 --> 02:07:52.760 Would go for. 2503 02:07:53.119 --> 02:07:55.800 I would go for one of those three. I really 2504 02:07:55.880 --> 02:08:00.079 would Alex Smith or Jensen. You know you and I 2505 02:08:00.119 --> 02:08:05.000 know him well, and he's He's a fine man, and 2506 02:08:05.079 --> 02:08:09.119 he's a really good basketball mind with that NBA experience, 2507 02:08:09.520 --> 02:08:12.039 And it makes me wonder sometimes that when you look 2508 02:08:12.079 --> 02:08:16.079 at what happened to BYU and Kevin Young's success going 2509 02:08:16.159 --> 02:08:20.800 in there and having that NBA experience and that being 2510 02:08:20.840 --> 02:08:24.560 a big draw for certain athletes who definitely that's their goal. 2511 02:08:24.600 --> 02:08:26.680 They want to go to the NBA. Right, So why 2512 02:08:26.680 --> 02:08:29.000 wouldn't you talk to a guy like Alex Sinton. Why 2513 02:08:29.000 --> 02:08:32.000 wouldn't you talk to a guy like Johnny Bryant or 2514 02:08:32.359 --> 02:08:36.520 Andre Miller. I mean, those are exciting names, and I 2515 02:08:36.560 --> 02:08:37.960 think that's the way I would go. 2516 02:08:39.000 --> 02:08:41.880 So I want to get your take on the pressure 2517 02:08:41.960 --> 02:08:45.640 that Mark Harlan finds himself in with his hire and 2518 02:08:45.840 --> 02:08:49.159 you know, to juxtapose it a little bit, when Tom 2519 02:08:49.159 --> 02:08:51.840 Homo announced that he was stepping down after twenty years 2520 02:08:51.840 --> 02:08:55.439 down in Provo, one of the main things that Tom 2521 02:08:55.479 --> 02:08:58.239 can hang his hat on is the hires he made 2522 02:08:58.239 --> 02:09:03.720 for his basketball and his football program, Bronco, Dave rose Colte, 2523 02:09:04.000 --> 02:09:06.319 in addition to Mark Pope and Kevin Jung. I mean, 2524 02:09:06.319 --> 02:09:08.680 there's an argument to be made that Tom went five 2525 02:09:08.720 --> 02:09:11.119 for five for five. Now, I know there are other 2526 02:09:11.159 --> 02:09:13.479 sports I'm not diminishing them and the importance of them 2527 02:09:13.520 --> 02:09:16.479 and the other hires, but Mark in his tenure has 2528 02:09:16.520 --> 02:09:19.319 made one higher on the football on the basketball side, 2529 02:09:19.319 --> 02:09:22.560 and it was Craig and obviously didn't work. The succession 2530 02:09:22.600 --> 02:09:24.840 plan for more than a takeover I believe was in 2531 02:09:24.840 --> 02:09:28.439 place before Mark got here. And you know, it hasn't 2532 02:09:28.479 --> 02:09:31.319 been the greatest year for Mark Carlin, who I like 2533 02:09:31.359 --> 02:09:33.239 and respect and he's been nice to me. But that 2534 02:09:33.319 --> 02:09:37.439 postgame die tribe after the BYU Utah football game didn't 2535 02:09:37.520 --> 02:09:41.039 land very well. He was reprimanded, he was fined, and 2536 02:09:41.199 --> 02:09:43.479 I wonder how you would articulate this feels like a 2537 02:09:43.600 --> 02:09:46.319 very big decision for the athletic director of Utah. What 2538 02:09:46.319 --> 02:09:47.159 are your thoughts scoredon? 2539 02:09:48.159 --> 02:09:51.239 I couldn't agree more with everything that's going on in 2540 02:09:51.279 --> 02:09:54.920 college words right now and with the changes that are 2541 02:09:54.960 --> 02:10:00.960 afoot and the importance are still these RULs are angling 2542 02:10:01.079 --> 02:10:05.119 for that what twenty thirty thirty one time when the 2543 02:10:05.199 --> 02:10:09.399 TV deals are up and people are positioning themselves for 2544 02:10:09.520 --> 02:10:13.600 the most advantageous situation they can find. So, yeah, this 2545 02:10:13.760 --> 02:10:15.960 is big. I don't know what's going to happen when 2546 02:10:16.000 --> 02:10:19.079 Kyle Whittingham retires, Is Morgan Scaley going to pick up 2547 02:10:19.119 --> 02:10:21.920 the football and just take it from there? You and 2548 02:10:21.960 --> 02:10:24.119 I know Morgan, he's a smart guy. You think he 2549 02:10:24.159 --> 02:10:27.439 would be able to do that again with a football 2550 02:10:27.520 --> 02:10:30.920 program that has a proud history, so you'd think he'd 2551 02:10:30.960 --> 02:10:33.640 be able to do it. In basketball, the utes have 2552 02:10:33.680 --> 02:10:36.800 been struggling, like you said, for quite some time. It's 2553 02:10:36.840 --> 02:10:40.319 a basketball school. It used to be a basketball school, right, 2554 02:10:40.840 --> 02:10:43.119 and so I think he does need to nail that. 2555 02:10:43.159 --> 02:10:47.039 He'd never get this one right. He embarrassed the university 2556 02:10:47.199 --> 02:10:51.680 during football season, and I think from the reaction that 2557 02:10:51.760 --> 02:10:56.079 I've gotten from fans know when they found out that 2558 02:10:56.199 --> 02:11:01.840 Craig Smith was being fired, a lot of them thought 2559 02:11:01.880 --> 02:11:05.560 that Craig Smith was doing okay, not great, but pretty good, 2560 02:11:05.840 --> 02:11:08.359 and there was a lot of vitriol I thought toward 2561 02:11:08.439 --> 02:11:11.920 Mark Harlan, which is interesting that the athletic director would 2562 02:11:11.920 --> 02:11:14.760 get that kind of heat. So yeah, I would say 2563 02:11:14.840 --> 02:11:18.239 get this one right, especially at this point in time. 2564 02:11:18.960 --> 02:11:21.159 Since excuse me, since I have not been able to 2565 02:11:21.159 --> 02:11:23.000 catch up in the past couple of weeks, I wonder 2566 02:11:23.039 --> 02:11:26.319 what your thoughts are on the announcement that after twenty years, 2567 02:11:26.319 --> 02:11:29.960 Tom Homo is exiting stage left as byus AD and 2568 02:11:30.399 --> 02:11:33.199 your thoughts on potentially what's next down there. You know, 2569 02:11:33.680 --> 02:11:36.760 Shane Reese, the president of the university, was present at 2570 02:11:36.800 --> 02:11:40.880 the press conference they held and he outlined his criteria 2571 02:11:40.960 --> 02:11:44.600 for whether BYU athletic director needs to meet. Plenty of 2572 02:11:44.640 --> 02:11:46.960 good candidates out there. So your thoughts on the twenty 2573 02:11:47.039 --> 02:11:48.920 years with Tom in charge down there and where do 2574 02:11:48.920 --> 02:11:50.520 you think BYU goes next. 2575 02:11:51.159 --> 02:11:54.319 Tom just did a fantastic job and he's a good guy. 2576 02:11:54.479 --> 02:11:56.800 I know some people in the media got a little 2577 02:11:56.840 --> 02:12:00.000 angry because the access to him was a little difficult 2578 02:12:00.279 --> 02:12:03.239 for some folks. I had a cell phone on my phone. 2579 02:12:04.039 --> 02:12:04.720 I felt like I. 2580 02:12:04.680 --> 02:12:07.479 Could call him whenever, but that wasn't the way it was. 2581 02:12:09.079 --> 02:12:12.520 In every direction, I liked him. I liked the job 2582 02:12:12.560 --> 02:12:16.079 he did. You mentioned the success that they made the 2583 02:12:16.159 --> 02:12:20.680 transition into the Big twelve. The optimism in Provo right 2584 02:12:20.720 --> 02:12:24.560 now is, if not off the charts, it's really high 2585 02:12:24.960 --> 02:12:28.479 and Tom deserves credit for that. He made that happen. 2586 02:12:29.319 --> 02:12:33.560 I remember sitting in a Peacha joint in Prova with 2587 02:12:33.680 --> 02:12:36.960 Tom and we were talking about what his vision was 2588 02:12:37.000 --> 02:12:41.279 for BYE Sports, and it's pretty much exactly where they 2589 02:12:41.279 --> 02:12:44.600 are right now. I mean, nobody's perfect, and it can 2590 02:12:44.680 --> 02:12:47.800 get better, I suppose, But I think he pretty much 2591 02:12:47.880 --> 02:12:50.840 did exactly what he set out to do, which is 2592 02:12:51.439 --> 02:12:54.840 we're lofty goals, and he got him there. As far 2593 02:12:54.880 --> 02:12:56.600 as what they're going to do move it forward, this 2594 02:12:56.720 --> 02:12:59.199 is kind of an interesting thing you mentioned Shane Ree. 2595 02:13:00.079 --> 02:13:05.159 I believe he worked for a time advising the Philadelphia Eagles, didn't. 2596 02:13:05.239 --> 02:13:08.960 I mean, he's got a sports background, and sports we've 2597 02:13:09.000 --> 02:13:12.319 seen that boosters down there are willing to shell out 2598 02:13:12.399 --> 02:13:17.159 big money and the university is allowing that to happen now, 2599 02:13:17.319 --> 02:13:21.199 and so BYU I have heard BYU mentioned more in 2600 02:13:21.239 --> 02:13:26.600 the last month or two on a national level then 2601 02:13:26.640 --> 02:13:30.560 I think I had maybe since nineteen eighty four, And 2602 02:13:31.600 --> 02:13:35.520 so I mean, I think they're they're making this a priority, 2603 02:13:36.119 --> 02:13:38.920 and they could go in house, you know, they'd go 2604 02:13:38.960 --> 02:13:41.920 to Santiago or it'd be interesting though if they went 2605 02:13:42.000 --> 02:13:46.000 outside and got somebody who was from a different realm. 2606 02:13:46.560 --> 02:13:48.880 Whether they'll do that or not, I don't know. I 2607 02:13:48.920 --> 02:13:52.199 do know that Santiago had been given more and more 2608 02:13:52.239 --> 02:13:56.640 responsibility by Tom over the past couple of years, and 2609 02:13:56.680 --> 02:13:58.960 so you know, if I were a betman that's the 2610 02:13:58.960 --> 02:14:02.760 way I would lean. But there's big money. I talked 2611 02:14:02.800 --> 02:14:05.600 to a big booster them there recently and he said, 2612 02:14:05.600 --> 02:14:10.640 they're swimming in money. They're swimming in money. And when 2613 02:14:10.640 --> 02:14:14.079 you have that advantage, who knows who you might draw in? 2614 02:14:15.319 --> 02:14:18.359 Yeah, I mean look, and that allows us to transition 2615 02:14:18.439 --> 02:14:20.920 over to some good reporting by Kevin Reynolds over at 2616 02:14:20.920 --> 02:14:24.399 your spot of the Trib. And you know, Gordon, I 2617 02:14:24.479 --> 02:14:27.039 talked to you about this when I started to hear 2618 02:14:27.079 --> 02:14:30.039 the details of Kevin Young's contract and I started to 2619 02:14:30.079 --> 02:14:33.640 hear the details of his staff, and then the rumors 2620 02:14:33.640 --> 02:14:36.159 are the Yegor Demon and Cannon Catchings are both seven 2621 02:14:36.199 --> 02:14:39.359 figure players. And then on first take aj Debounts and 2622 02:14:39.399 --> 02:14:42.039 his father dropped that they're going to BYU and then 2623 02:14:42.079 --> 02:14:44.520 the information comes out that it's like seven million bucks 2624 02:14:44.520 --> 02:14:47.039 for five months of basketball. My first reaction was, well, 2625 02:14:47.039 --> 02:14:49.039 what are you doing for Kwane? What are you doing 2626 02:14:49.079 --> 02:14:52.439 for the football program? And and look, this is this 2627 02:14:52.560 --> 02:14:55.800 is interesting because according to the good reporting of Kevin 2628 02:14:55.840 --> 02:14:59.439 and everyone over the Trib, there was a meeting last 2629 02:14:59.520 --> 02:15:02.000 year right to the start of the season that was 2630 02:15:02.039 --> 02:15:04.319 held by someone named men Kim. I don't know who 2631 02:15:04.359 --> 02:15:06.439 he is, but he is one of the guys in 2632 02:15:06.520 --> 02:15:09.199 charge of the Royal Blue Collective, and it's Isaiah Bagna 2633 02:15:09.239 --> 02:15:13.039 as well as Crue, Wakely and Crewe left in his wake. 2634 02:15:13.439 --> 02:15:16.399 No pun intended a lot as he left. You see 2635 02:15:16.439 --> 02:15:18.560 what I did there. He obviously was not happy with 2636 02:15:18.600 --> 02:15:21.119 any of this. But none of this information looks good 2637 02:15:21.159 --> 02:15:23.560 for the collective and none of it looks good for 2638 02:15:23.640 --> 02:15:27.920 the football program. The Trip Today actually released a follow 2639 02:15:28.000 --> 02:15:32.840 up where the Royal Blue Collective is going to make 2640 02:15:32.920 --> 02:15:35.399 some changes for the better when it comes to the 2641 02:15:35.399 --> 02:15:37.920 football program. My first reaction when I read this, Gordon 2642 02:15:38.000 --> 02:15:40.239 is man, Colonie did a great job with a roster 2643 02:15:40.279 --> 02:15:42.199 full of players that weren't getting paid as much as 2644 02:15:42.239 --> 02:15:47.279 their competitors. But ultimately this lands in the space of 2645 02:15:48.600 --> 02:15:52.840 the college football landscape, providing no guardrails and therefore everybody's 2646 02:15:52.880 --> 02:15:55.359 flying blind. Man, I'm not here to cast stones at all, 2647 02:15:55.359 --> 02:15:57.399 but I wonder what your reaction was to these stories. 2648 02:15:58.640 --> 02:16:00.800 Well, first of all, would you say what you said 2649 02:16:01.199 --> 02:16:04.880 about Kilanie? He were wondering if they were going to 2650 02:16:04.960 --> 02:16:07.800 get taken care of Klanie was under in the state, 2651 02:16:09.640 --> 02:16:14.119 you know, I mean the success he's had, he deserves 2652 02:16:14.159 --> 02:16:16.720 more money and if there is more money there to 2653 02:16:16.800 --> 02:16:21.079 be given out, and yeah, he's earned that. As far 2654 02:16:21.119 --> 02:16:25.119 as the collective goes, I think they are correcting that because, 2655 02:16:25.159 --> 02:16:26.880 like I said, I talked, that's why he was talking 2656 02:16:26.880 --> 02:16:30.279 to this booster and he said, there's money available down here. 2657 02:16:30.680 --> 02:16:30.960 You know. 2658 02:16:31.359 --> 02:16:35.000 So if there's money available, then share it with your 2659 02:16:35.000 --> 02:16:38.479 football team. And you got to get that job done 2660 02:16:38.639 --> 02:16:40.719 in this day and age now with revenue sharing, who 2661 02:16:40.799 --> 02:16:43.559 knows how what shape that's going to take and will 2662 02:16:43.559 --> 02:16:47.639 that limit will there be like a limitation on how 2663 02:16:47.719 --> 02:16:50.959 much he's given out or will it be shared and 2664 02:16:51.000 --> 02:16:53.159 then you can pile on top of that. I don't 2665 02:16:53.159 --> 02:16:56.360 know how that's going to go. But it comes down 2666 02:16:56.440 --> 02:16:58.840 to money. I mean, it really does. That is the 2667 02:16:58.959 --> 02:17:02.079 college game. And there's a lot of people who don't 2668 02:17:02.159 --> 02:17:06.760 like that. It bothers them the old school loving the amateurism. 2669 02:17:07.120 --> 02:17:10.680 But that's just gone. That genie's out of the bottle 2670 02:17:10.760 --> 02:17:14.760 now and it'll never go back. And so yeah, you've 2671 02:17:14.799 --> 02:17:17.840 got to have the money to make it happen. I mean, 2672 02:17:17.879 --> 02:17:24.159 it's funny you mentioned the Bonsa BYU. I mean that's shocked. 2673 02:17:24.280 --> 02:17:27.280 That literally shocked some people, even though BYU was on 2674 02:17:27.319 --> 02:17:31.360 their list. But think about how that happened. Think about 2675 02:17:31.680 --> 02:17:33.520 h You know, there were all kinds of things that 2676 02:17:33.600 --> 02:17:36.719 came in to play there. He was down at Utah Prep, 2677 02:17:37.520 --> 02:17:42.360 he happened to be his favorite player, happened to play 2678 02:17:42.360 --> 02:17:46.319 for the Phoenix Suns, and Kevin Young happened to be 2679 02:17:46.399 --> 02:17:51.239 a coach who that particular player Kadie loved. And then 2680 02:17:51.440 --> 02:17:54.280 on top of that, Danny Ainge, who's a b yu 2681 02:17:54.319 --> 02:17:58.159 Wi love he debonsa grew up a huge Celtics fan, 2682 02:17:58.680 --> 02:18:01.760 and he's connect me with Day of the Ames. And 2683 02:18:01.799 --> 02:18:05.319 this thing is all coming together to BYU's advantage. But 2684 02:18:06.000 --> 02:18:08.120 look at some of the other players that are considering 2685 02:18:08.159 --> 02:18:11.399 going to BYU now and already have committed to them, 2686 02:18:11.520 --> 02:18:14.280 players that BYU in the past never would have gotten. 2687 02:18:14.600 --> 02:18:17.879 And so there's some money there. It just depends on 2688 02:18:17.959 --> 02:18:19.360 how it's going to be distributed. 2689 02:18:20.079 --> 02:18:21.840 It's a new day, man. I'll tell you what, Gordon, 2690 02:18:21.840 --> 02:18:23.840 I appreciate the time, buddy, have a great weekend and 2691 02:18:23.920 --> 02:18:25.200 let's get you let's get you back on. 2692 02:18:25.200 --> 02:18:27.799 Soon, you too, Okay, svet'z have a good one. 2693 02:18:27.840 --> 02:18:31.399 Thanks Gordon Monson, My old radio partner, longtime columnists from 2694 02:18:31.399 --> 02:18:34.399 the Salt Lake Tribune. I always appreciate his time. All right, 2695 02:18:34.399 --> 02:18:36.680 before we wrap up the four o'clock hour of the show. 2696 02:18:36.760 --> 02:18:38.680 Launching into the five o'clock hour of the program, we 2697 02:18:38.719 --> 02:18:42.040 are live today at Tim Dolly Nissan forty five, twenty 2698 02:18:42.079 --> 02:18:43.920 eight South State Street. You guys don't want to hear 2699 02:18:43.920 --> 02:18:45.239 the deals from me, You want to hear it from 2700 02:18:45.319 --> 02:18:47.920 Rich sales manager here. What's up, Rich? How are you? 2701 02:18:48.079 --> 02:18:49.959 Yeah? Ten years in the business, but he's here at 2702 02:18:49.959 --> 02:18:52.600 this store. And what a great time to buy a car. 2703 02:18:53.000 --> 02:18:55.200 Okay, So tell us this is like your year end 2704 02:18:55.280 --> 02:18:57.399 clearance event that you've extended through the new year. Is 2705 02:18:57.399 --> 02:18:58.040 that fair to say? 2706 02:18:58.159 --> 02:19:00.959 That's fair to say. And you know in Japan the 2707 02:19:01.040 --> 02:19:03.280 year ends in March, so we want to get as 2708 02:19:03.360 --> 02:19:06.879 much much as we can done right now. And with 2709 02:19:07.000 --> 02:19:11.719 it being Valentine's month, you know, we've got interest rates 2710 02:19:11.719 --> 02:19:14.360 as low as zero percent. Most of our clients like 2711 02:19:14.479 --> 02:19:17.559 no money down. All of our clients love the fact 2712 02:19:17.600 --> 02:19:19.079 that they don't have to make a payment for two 2713 02:19:19.120 --> 02:19:22.479 months while they're catching up from the Christmas situation. And 2714 02:19:23.000 --> 02:19:24.840 you know, end of the month, end of the month, this 2715 02:19:24.879 --> 02:19:27.440 is the last day of the month is always, no 2716 02:19:27.479 --> 02:19:29.959 matter what you hurt from anybody else, We're under the 2717 02:19:30.000 --> 02:19:32.680 gun to get as many cars in tonight as we can. 2718 02:19:32.799 --> 02:19:35.280 So if folks, if you're listening and you want to 2719 02:19:35.319 --> 02:19:36.680 get a car, come down here. 2720 02:19:36.559 --> 02:19:39.719 Tonight, open until eight o'clock tonight. Well we close a 2721 02:19:39.799 --> 02:19:43.399 ten okay, great so special financing as a reference, zero percent, 2722 02:19:43.559 --> 02:19:46.399 no money down, no payments, two months. Do you guys 2723 02:19:46.479 --> 02:19:48.360 do the lifetime warranty over here as well? Yeah, we 2724 02:19:48.399 --> 02:19:49.799 do forever warranty. 2725 02:19:49.639 --> 02:19:52.639 Ever warranty, As crazy as that sounds, as long as 2726 02:19:52.680 --> 02:19:54.440 you own that car, you've got a warranty on that 2727 02:19:54.520 --> 02:19:58.200 transmission that costs five thousand dollars to replace, on that 2728 02:19:58.280 --> 02:20:01.440 engine that might cost ten thousand dollars Serie place. And 2729 02:20:01.479 --> 02:20:03.760 the turbos on these cars. We have a lot of 2730 02:20:03.760 --> 02:20:07.200 cars with turbos on them, and it's our used cars 2731 02:20:07.239 --> 02:20:09.760 as well as our new ones. If you buy it 2732 02:20:09.840 --> 02:20:12.520 and you own it, and you own it forever, you've 2733 02:20:12.559 --> 02:20:15.799 got a warranty on it forever. It costs nothing. 2734 02:20:16.280 --> 02:20:18.719 It sounds honestly rich, too good to be true. We 2735 02:20:18.719 --> 02:20:21.760 were here last month across the street and Coup the 2736 02:20:21.840 --> 02:20:25.760 GM said, it's this is not a money maker for us, 2737 02:20:25.879 --> 02:20:27.920 Like he said, they were having a meeting, should we 2738 02:20:27.959 --> 02:20:30.479 still do this because we're losing money and you guys 2739 02:20:30.479 --> 02:20:33.200 elected to continue, Like it sounds too good to be true, 2740 02:20:33.200 --> 02:20:34.280 but it's actually a real thing. 2741 02:20:34.479 --> 02:20:36.639 Yeah, we've been doing it for five years. Yeah, we 2742 02:20:36.639 --> 02:20:39.040 were the first ones to do this in this marketplace. 2743 02:20:39.479 --> 02:20:43.319 When we did it, we expected every dealership in the state. 2744 02:20:43.200 --> 02:20:45.280 To join in and none of them. None of them 2745 02:20:45.280 --> 02:20:45.879 have no. 2746 02:20:45.920 --> 02:20:48.440 But we've grown our customer base with it, and that's 2747 02:20:48.479 --> 02:20:50.639 what we're all about. We've been here for fifty five years. 2748 02:20:50.719 --> 02:20:52.520 You can't get a better place to buy a car at. 2749 02:20:52.920 --> 02:20:56.879 Tim Dally is a fantastic individual and it flows right 2750 02:20:56.879 --> 02:20:59.879 down through his organization. And this is the original store 2751 02:21:00.040 --> 02:21:02.280 right here on State Street forty five to twenty eight 2752 02:21:02.360 --> 02:21:02.920 South State. 2753 02:21:03.200 --> 02:21:04.239 This is the original store. 2754 02:21:04.280 --> 02:21:07.079 It's best place out of all of Tim's places to 2755 02:21:07.159 --> 02:21:07.639 get a car. 2756 02:21:07.680 --> 02:21:09.760 Got to love it. Hit me with some specific deals, 2757 02:21:09.799 --> 02:21:11.959 like which cars do you want to highlight before I 2758 02:21:12.000 --> 02:21:13.479 set you loose right, Well, I'll tell you why. 2759 02:21:13.600 --> 02:21:15.520 We want to highlight the new Kicks, which is a 2760 02:21:15.520 --> 02:21:18.280 brand new model all Will Drive. We never had that before. 2761 02:21:18.600 --> 02:21:20.920 And if you're looking for an all Will drive that's affordable. 2762 02:21:21.280 --> 02:21:23.600 This is your bad boy right here under thirty K 2763 02:21:24.239 --> 02:21:27.600 all the goodies on it and the latest styling, especially 2764 02:21:27.600 --> 02:21:29.879 for our younger crowd. But we also have the Rogue, 2765 02:21:29.879 --> 02:21:33.840 the Pathfinder, the Morano, the Armadas are brand new. We 2766 02:21:33.920 --> 02:21:36.319 sell more of those than anything else. But we still 2767 02:21:36.319 --> 02:21:39.120 have our vintage, the Verse of the Center of the 2768 02:21:39.239 --> 02:21:42.520 Ultimate n They've been around forever and are all all 2769 02:21:42.559 --> 02:21:45.920 will drive now. The Frontier truck, we've been moving those 2770 02:21:45.959 --> 02:21:48.840 like it's nobody's business because it's the last of the 2771 02:21:48.879 --> 02:21:52.719 six cylinder trucks. You go buy my competition. They're all 2772 02:21:52.760 --> 02:21:56.520 four cylinder turbos now. Then of course we have the 2773 02:21:56.559 --> 02:21:58.879 GTR and I actually have one for you guys out 2774 02:21:58.879 --> 02:22:01.760 there that are listening. You want a GTR. This is 2775 02:22:01.799 --> 02:22:03.000 the last year for them. 2776 02:22:03.280 --> 02:22:04.280 Oh wow, that's. 2777 02:22:04.120 --> 02:22:07.200 It right there won't be anymore at least for a 2778 02:22:07.280 --> 02:22:11.239 few years, and so you're going to get one right now. 2779 02:22:11.440 --> 02:22:14.920 That's part of that whole group of GTRs that came out, 2780 02:22:15.280 --> 02:22:18.280 and we're improved over the years. We have one. It'll 2781 02:22:18.280 --> 02:22:21.200 probably be the last one we get, so comeing to 2782 02:22:21.239 --> 02:22:23.680 see it. I got three z's here, and not to 2783 02:22:23.719 --> 02:22:27.319 mention the electrics. Okay, I got the Aria, I got 2784 02:22:27.360 --> 02:22:30.360 the leaf. We made the leaf back in twenty twelve. 2785 02:22:30.840 --> 02:22:34.920 We're one of the original manufacturers to make an electric vehicle. 2786 02:22:35.200 --> 02:22:39.040 We know them better than anybody else. And God bless 2787 02:22:39.600 --> 02:22:41.680 if you want to used one and you want to Tesla, 2788 02:22:41.799 --> 02:22:43.879 you want this, you want that, you want the keys, 2789 02:22:43.920 --> 02:22:48.479 you want the Hyundais. I have probably an inventory forty 2790 02:22:48.520 --> 02:22:52.559 to fifty evs here that qualify for the forever warranty. 2791 02:22:53.079 --> 02:22:55.639 I got to say before I say loose my northeast boy. 2792 02:22:55.760 --> 02:22:57.600 Radar is going up. Where are you from, Oh, Buffalo, 2793 02:22:57.680 --> 02:23:01.000 New York. There you go. I know it. Yeah, I'm like, 2794 02:23:01.000 --> 02:23:03.000 this is a salt lake. I could hear it. I 2795 02:23:03.000 --> 02:23:04.959 I just couldn't land on it. Rich, great to me, 2796 02:23:05.000 --> 02:23:06.079 each man, Thanks for having us out. 2797 02:23:06.079 --> 02:23:06.399 Pleasure. 2798 02:23:06.959 --> 02:23:09.159 All right, come on out. Rich just outlined the deal. 2799 02:23:09.200 --> 02:23:11.520 It's forty five to twenty eight South stage treet bunch 2800 02:23:11.520 --> 02:23:14.479 of vehicles priced to move. Final segment of the day, 2801 02:23:14.600 --> 02:23:19.479 Final segment of the week. Happy Friday, Congratulations, it's weekend 2802 02:23:19.520 --> 02:23:22.200 time special. Thank you to Tim Dolly Nissan for hosting 2803 02:23:22.280 --> 02:23:25.600 us today at forty five twenty eight South State Street. 2804 02:23:26.120 --> 02:23:27.959 Great spot to you at a vehicle. They're opened and 2805 02:23:28.040 --> 02:23:32.360 tell eight but Rich, their sales manner manager Buffalo Strong 2806 02:23:32.479 --> 02:23:35.159 Rich said they might not close until ten because they're 2807 02:23:35.200 --> 02:23:37.239 moving a bunch of vehicles. They've got to clear out 2808 02:23:37.239 --> 02:23:40.879 the deck to make space for their new inventory. And 2809 02:23:40.920 --> 02:23:44.200 they're offering zero percent financing, zero money down, and no 2810 02:23:44.239 --> 02:23:47.639 payments for two months. It's real, and their lifetime warranty 2811 02:23:47.719 --> 02:23:50.520 is all excuse me, yeah, therefore, ever warranty is what 2812 02:23:50.559 --> 02:23:52.559 they call. It is a real thing. When I first 2813 02:23:52.559 --> 02:23:54.520 heard about it, I'm like, that's a sales tactic. That's 2814 02:23:54.559 --> 02:23:56.879 not true. But it is. If you buy a new 2815 02:23:57.000 --> 02:23:59.840 or used car from Tim Dolly, you have a warranty 2816 02:23:59.840 --> 02:24:02.319 on that vehicle forever for the life of it, doesn't 2817 02:24:02.360 --> 02:24:05.079 matter how many miles you drive. So definitely come out, 2818 02:24:05.159 --> 02:24:07.920 coming out and check it out, all right. Some sad news. 2819 02:24:08.520 --> 02:24:14.479 Gene Hackman has passed away, and according to reports, he 2820 02:24:14.760 --> 02:24:16.920 had passed for quite some time before they found him. 2821 02:24:17.479 --> 02:24:20.840 Why is that sports related? Well, I still believe Hoosiers 2822 02:24:20.959 --> 02:24:24.360 is an incredibly entertaining basketball movie, and of course Gene 2823 02:24:24.360 --> 02:24:27.239 Hackman played the great coach Norman Dale. Four passes before 2824 02:24:27.239 --> 02:24:30.360 you take a shot port or four passes, So rest 2825 02:24:30.399 --> 02:24:32.479 in peace to the great Gene Hackman on this Friday. 2826 02:24:33.079 --> 02:24:37.040 Yeah, I actually forgot that was him in that movie. 2827 02:24:37.159 --> 02:24:40.639 I was, I know Gene Hackman, but what what movies 2828 02:24:40.840 --> 02:24:43.680 from It's that that's like the main one that came out. 2829 02:24:43.719 --> 02:24:46.159 But earlier today I was kind of racking my brain 2830 02:24:46.200 --> 02:24:47.000 trying to figure that out. 2831 02:24:47.200 --> 02:24:49.399 Why do you strike me as the type of player 2832 02:24:49.440 --> 02:24:53.399 that ignored the four pass rule before he took a shot? Yeah, 2833 02:24:53.440 --> 02:24:54.920 you were a black hole. I knew it. You were 2834 02:24:54.920 --> 02:24:57.159 not a good teammate. Were you nice to your teammates? 2835 02:24:57.239 --> 02:24:57.600 Actually? 2836 02:24:57.600 --> 02:24:59.719 I led the league and assists in the two. 2837 02:25:00.639 --> 02:25:03.399 You're a mellow You're a mellow fan. I don't believe 2838 02:25:03.399 --> 02:25:04.959 that for a second. You were a black hole. You 2839 02:25:04.959 --> 02:25:06.879 were a chucker. As Kramer, I. 2840 02:25:06.840 --> 02:25:11.280 Weirdly kind of went through some phases because I really 2841 02:25:11.280 --> 02:25:14.000 did lead the Dimpledell rec League and assist one year. 2842 02:25:14.040 --> 02:25:16.600 But I did kind of turn into a kind of 2843 02:25:16.600 --> 02:25:18.760 a microwave shoot it when I got it, get to 2844 02:25:18.799 --> 02:25:24.440 the rim, do that stuff. Yeah, no four passes for me. 2845 02:25:24.600 --> 02:25:27.319 I'm trying to make something happen pretty quick. There's a 2846 02:25:27.360 --> 02:25:28.200 shot clock spence. 2847 02:25:29.399 --> 02:25:31.719 Okay, now that's fine. I just believe in playing ball 2848 02:25:31.760 --> 02:25:34.879 the right way, but I'm old school, all right. Reminder Tomorrow, 2849 02:25:35.000 --> 02:25:38.479 busy day on the station eight o'clock Utah Golf Radio 2850 02:25:38.559 --> 02:25:41.719 one fifteen Utah Women's basketball versus b y U, four 2851 02:25:41.840 --> 02:25:46.319 thirty Utah Men's basketball against ASU. Then on Sunday we've 2852 02:25:46.319 --> 02:25:48.319 got the Celtics Nuggets game, which could be an NBA 2853 02:25:48.399 --> 02:25:52.319 founalist preview at ten thirty am here on ESPN seven hundred. 2854 02:25:52.360 --> 02:25:55.760 Jazz in Action. Tonight, busy weekend of local and national 2855 02:25:55.760 --> 02:25:59.000 sports porter. What comes our way on a Monday edition 2856 02:25:59.200 --> 02:26:00.120 of the radio. 2857 02:26:00.479 --> 02:26:03.719 Enjoy the weekend, have a good one, and join us 2858 02:26:03.760 --> 02:26:07.040 back on a Monday. Tom haberstrow for the NBA Daily Assist, 2859 02:26:07.079 --> 02:26:10.000 as he does each and every Monday. We'll catch up 2860 02:26:10.000 --> 02:26:12.520 with our guy Brian Done, Seth Dunny on a Monday 2861 02:26:12.559 --> 02:26:16.319 reacting to RSL obviously, the Conker Calf elimination and more. 2862 02:26:16.879 --> 02:26:20.520 Bill Riley will stop by to talk some utes over 2863 02:26:20.639 --> 02:26:24.399 the weekend, and then we'll recap the NFL combine with 2864 02:26:24.520 --> 02:26:28.600 one Sam Monson. And as you requested, I'm out to 2865 02:26:28.840 --> 02:26:30.840 both Lebron James and Jordan Schultz. 2866 02:26:31.040 --> 02:26:33.680 Great great, so hopefully we'll get both Lebron James, and 2867 02:26:33.760 --> 02:26:36.559 Jordan Schultz next week. I was caught off guard when 2868 02:26:36.600 --> 02:26:38.520 Howard was like, well, you need to ask Lebron. I'm like, dude, 2869 02:26:38.559 --> 02:26:41.159 I don't really have the lifeline to Lebron right now, 2870 02:26:41.200 --> 02:26:42.559 but thank you Howard. 2871 02:26:42.680 --> 02:26:44.920 If we got Dave mcmanhamon, yeah, we got one text 2872 02:26:44.920 --> 02:26:45.959 away from Lebron James. 2873 02:26:46.000 --> 02:26:47.879 Really, that's that's a good point. So we're out to 2874 02:26:47.959 --> 02:26:52.360 Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais, Louis c K, Lebron James. I 2875 02:26:52.360 --> 02:26:54.840 guess I'll put Jordan Schultz in that category. That feels weird. 2876 02:26:55.079 --> 02:26:56.520 Yeah, Jordan's been on the show before. 2877 02:26:57.040 --> 02:26:58.000 He's texting me back. 2878 02:26:58.040 --> 02:26:59.600 But yeah, well we'll see if we can get him on. 2879 02:27:00.000 --> 02:27:01.600 All right, So we'll see if we can get big 2880 02:27:01.680 --> 02:27:03.799 name guests next week. Try to do a better job 2881 02:27:03.920 --> 02:27:05.680 with that. Will say good night, special thank you Today, 2882 02:27:05.799 --> 02:27:09.200 Mecca and Nellie, Howard Beck, Paul Pugbyer, Spencer Lynn and 2883 02:27:09.239 --> 02:27:11.600 Gordon monson jam Pack Show for any of the sound 2884 02:27:11.639 --> 02:27:14.079 you may have missed. ESPN seven hundred Sports dot Com 2885 02:27:14.120 --> 02:27:17.040 download the app. ESPN seven hundred one hundred app is 2886 02:27:17.040 --> 02:27:19.040 available for free in the App Store in the Google 2887 02:27:19.040 --> 02:27:21.879 Play Store, and then for what we do in our space. 2888 02:27:22.040 --> 02:27:24.239 Podcast page is called The Drive with spence Check its 2889 02:27:24.239 --> 02:27:26.559 It's available wherever you get your show. Subscriber in reviews, 2890 02:27:26.559 --> 02:27:28.719 say nice things, give us all the stars. It helps 2891 02:27:28.760 --> 02:27:31.520 for Porter and Cynthia. You can see it at the 2892 02:27:32.040 --> 02:27:34.879 RSL game tomorrow. R sale taken on Seattle. My name 2893 02:27:34.920 --> 02:27:37.239 is Spence Check and Saga Night, Happy Swiping. We'll talk 2894 02:27:37.239 --> 02:27:40.280 to you on Monday right here on ESPN seven hundred