WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:03.759 Wednesday afternoon, thirteen minutes past the hour of two o'clock. 2 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:07.320 I'm getting that sunshine we were promised today, but it's 3 00:00:07.320 --> 00:00:10.560 pretty warm anyway. It's about sixty six degrees bud cloudy 4 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:13.119 here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, on this April 5 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:16.879 Wednesday afternoon. And as it is every single day, it's 6 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:18.600 gonna have you along for the Riot Spence check. 7 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:19.320 It's beyond the mic. 8 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:23.440 That's Porter Larson beyond the Glass today, producing the program, 9 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:24.280 booking the program. 10 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:25.679 Got a good guest list today. 11 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:29.559 We have two members of the three Timers Club, three 12 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:32.640 time sports Broadcaster of the Year. We'll tell you who 13 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:34.799 our guests are in just a moment. But we've got 14 00:00:34.840 --> 00:00:37.560 a lot to do on the program today. It is 15 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:42.039 the first day of win or go Home basketball in 16 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:45.640 the NBA. Its one really good game last night, one 17 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:47.960 blowout Atlanta in Orlando. 18 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:49.920 Was close through about. 19 00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:52.960 Two and a half quarters, and then the magic at 20 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:55.119 the end of the third and then throughout the fourth 21 00:00:55.159 --> 00:00:59.520 quarter just smoked Atlanta. So Orlando advances on as the 22 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:05.120 seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and the Golden 23 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:08.959 State Warriors behind big games from Jimmy Butler and Stephen 24 00:01:09.159 --> 00:01:12.719 wardel Curry took care of the Memphis Grizzlies, but it 25 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:13.400 was not easy. 26 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:13.599 Man. 27 00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:16.920 Memphis counterpunched over and over and over. Desmond Bane was 28 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.840 really good. John Morantz had a sprained ankle there in 29 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:23.879 the third and fourth quarter but played well in addition, 30 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:26.680 So Golden State advances on as the seventh seed and 31 00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:28.480 they're going to take on the Houston Rockets. 32 00:01:28.519 --> 00:01:29.920 The Warriors in the. 33 00:01:29.959 --> 00:01:32.519 Rockets have a lot of playoff history, but of course 34 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:35.120 a brand new team down in Houston, full of a 35 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:36.959 bunch of pit bulls man, full of a bunch of 36 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:40.599 young guards that can really play defense, young wings with length. 37 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:43.519 This will not be an easy series for the Golden 38 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:45.840 State Warriors. So we'll get into it on the program 39 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:49.040 today and get you ready for the games tonight. For 40 00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:51.280 the third straight year, the Heat and the Bulls are 41 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:54.159 playing in the play in scenario. Now, tonight's games are 42 00:01:54.280 --> 00:01:57.840 nine v ten, so these are actually true elimination games. 43 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:02.599 The loser of tonight's game games are done. Chicago's a 44 00:02:02.599 --> 00:02:06.159 slight favorite over Miami. Chicago finished the regular season winning 45 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:09.800 seven of eight. Miami finished the regular season losing four 46 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:13.439 of six. The winner of that game will advance on 47 00:02:13.639 --> 00:02:17.639 to play the Atlanta Hawks, who lost to the Orlando 48 00:02:17.719 --> 00:02:18.479 Magic last night. 49 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:20.080 The loser of that game goes home. 50 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:23.759 The late night game at Golden One Center and Sacramento 51 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:25.199 will be the Mavericks and the Kings. 52 00:02:26.120 --> 00:02:28.360 The loser of that game is done. 53 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:30.960 The winner of that game will play Memphis coming up 54 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:31.879 on Friday for. 55 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:34.120 The right to get swept by Oklahoma City. 56 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:38.240 Should Dallas lose, then Alex Jensen will be done with 57 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:41.919 his employment for the Dallas Mavericks and high speed ahead 58 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.400 here to Salt Lake to be the seventeenth head coach 59 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:47.520 in the history of the Utah men's basketball program. So 60 00:02:47.719 --> 00:02:51.319 do some NBA today, as we are inching closer and closer. 61 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:53.159 We are less than a month away from the NBA 62 00:02:53.319 --> 00:02:56.120 Draft lottery. For you Jazz fans, that's your next day 63 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:59.080 to look forward to. That could be somewhat interesting. Kan 64 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:01.759 k Nipple has entered the NBA Draft. There was some 65 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:04.800 questions whether or not Con would leave Duke, but that 66 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:07.719 became official today. So throughout the course of the next 67 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:10.479 you know, three or four weeks prior to the NBA lottery, 68 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:13.120 We're gonna do a lot on the draft. We're gonna 69 00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:15.080 do a lot on some of these prospects, and we're 70 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:18.159 gonna get you ready for the potential of one of 71 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:20.759 these five players to land here in Salt Lake City. 72 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:22.879 As a result of the Jazz having the worst record 73 00:03:22.919 --> 00:03:26.360 in the NBA, they will have a top five pick 74 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.319 with a fourteen percent chance of landing number one overall, 75 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:33.719 where the prize, of course, will be Cooper Flack. The 76 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:36.680 spring transfer window is open in college football. It'll be 77 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:40.080 open for ten days or so. I believe it closes 78 00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:43.520 on April the twenty fifth. Utah YU will they make 79 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:47.400 some additions Utah State over the next ten days or so, 80 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:48.800 and then the transfer. 81 00:03:48.520 --> 00:03:50.599 Portal will close after that. 82 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:53.159 And I think both Utah and by you feel like 83 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:55.840 they're set in a lot of different ways, but you 84 00:03:55.919 --> 00:04:00.439 never know who's out there. You never know ultimately how 85 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:03.400 this will go down. So we'll bring you any rumors 86 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:06.520 that we hear and of course any news that comes down. 87 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:10.360 With the college football transfer portal now officially open on 88 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:14.319 this Wednesday afternoon, so a lot to do on the 89 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:17.240 show today. Rayel Saltlake will be back in action coming 90 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:20.079 up on Saturday against Toronto. That game is here, it 91 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:23.399 is home RSL is in the midst of a four 92 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:28.639 match road trip with one truncated home match in between, 93 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:32.279 and that is Saturday against Toronto. We are still awaiting 94 00:04:32.360 --> 00:04:35.879 word for this mythical number nine, these strikers that apparently 95 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:37.959 are on their way. No clue if this is going 96 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.879 to get done. We are now officially as of today, 97 00:04:41.879 --> 00:04:42.759 it's one week away. 98 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:45.480 We have one week left before the primary transfer. 99 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:50.160 Window closes for Rayl Salt Lake. NFL Draft right around 100 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:52.920 the corner. Giants came out today and said they're willing 101 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:55.279 to play Travis Santra on both sides of the football. 102 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:58.879 Latest on Chad or Sanders, latest on some of the 103 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:02.759 local prospects. As the NFL Draft is right around the 104 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:06.920 corner coming up next week. So Jam packs show with 105 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:09.759 a lot to get to on the program today. Some 106 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:13.079 NBA Playing Action Elimination Game, NBA Draft Lottery for you 107 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:17.240 Jazz fans, NFL Draft, and college football Transfer portal for 108 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:19.959 you college football fans, Love RSL for the soccer fans 109 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:22.759 out there, and whatever else comes our way. On this 110 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:25.160 Wednesday edition of the show. The guest list today looks 111 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:29.040 like this. Andy Larson, Salt Lake Tribune covers the Utah 112 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:31.079 Jazz Data columns RSL. 113 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:32.240 You know, Andy does a. 114 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:34.199 Lot of stuff, So bringing Andy today right off the 115 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:37.600 bat on a Wednesday afternoon, Neil Smith will stop by. 116 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:39.600 We'll do a little oh bit on the season that 117 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:41.519 was for the Utah Hockey Club as they went to 118 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:45.639 Saint Louis and got their butts handed to them. Blues 119 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:47.639 wins six to one. So the season is over for 120 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:48.279 the hockey club. 121 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:49.600 So Neil will stop by today. 122 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:52.000 We'll look back on the Jazz season, look ahead to 123 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:54.360 the NBA Draft Lottery. The voice of the Utah Jazz 124 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:58.720 Craig Bowler Jack and then the voice himself of the Utes, 125 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:02.959 Bill Riley, stops by. Bill will be with us for 126 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:05.680 the NBA Draft Knight covered John June the twenty fifth, 127 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:08.439 and we may be out and about. Our sales team 128 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:11.160 is looking to maybe sell a Draft Night remote, which 129 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:13.959 will be me and Bill and the Great Gordy Chiasa. 130 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:17.480 So Bill stops by as well. Craig Bowler, Jack, Bill Riley, 131 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:19.959 I believe are the only two winners of the Utah 132 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:22.879 Sports Broadcaster of the Year award on three separate occasions. 133 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:24.639 So I'm just thinking porter. 134 00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:27.000 Of like the old five Timers Club on SNL like 135 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:30.720 Steve Martin, those guys, I'm thinking like robes, cigars, maybe 136 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:34.199 a little whiskey for Bowler and and and Riles say. 137 00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:35.519 That we need to get both of them together in 138 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:37.319 their three timer robes in studio. 139 00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:40.560 We should have them in studio for that specifically. And 140 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:42.639 I could see both of those guys puffing on a cigar. 141 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:46.720 Not that not that they do often. I don't know, 142 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:50.639 but yeah I could. I could picture that now now 143 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:55.759 to be clear, three time Sportscaster of the Year between 144 00:06:56.040 --> 00:06:59.759 between the two of them, six total. I don't I 145 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:02.199 don't know if there's anyone in the building that's even 146 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:07.839 been nominated. So yeah, we were welcoming in some prestigious air. 147 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:10.079 I'm trying to think. I don't know if Bill likes 148 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:12.439 himself a cigar. I feel like Bowler does. 149 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:15.240 And Bill's a vod katonic guy, so he won't be 150 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:18.319 sipping on any whiskey out of a sifter. But I'm 151 00:07:18.360 --> 00:07:19.720 just thinking, as long as we can get the three 152 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:21.560 timer robes like they do for us and L on 153 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:23.399 the five timers, to get those two in studio, I 154 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:24.160 think we're onto something. 155 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:29.120 Okay. Ron Ron sponsors some robes. 156 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.079 I don't know, but I'll reach out. Let's see what 157 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:31.759 we can do, all right. 158 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:34.360 Our first guest today on this Wednesday afternoon will be 159 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:37.360 Andy Larson. But before we get Dandy, courtesy of our 160 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:39.839 friends at Prize Picks. On a Wednesday afternoon, it's time 161 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:41.240 now for your opening tip. 162 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:43.040 Welcome to the Drive with Spence. 163 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:46.240 Check its on Utah's number one sports talk now into 164 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:49.240 the studios of ESPN seven hundred to set the scene 165 00:07:49.240 --> 00:07:51.600 for the show. The opening tip of the Drive is 166 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:54.959 brought to you by Prize Picks. Use the code ESPN 167 00:07:55.079 --> 00:07:58.480 seven hundred and run your game with Prize Picks. 168 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:02.040 Cash in on the Basketball Playoffs with Prize Picks, don't 169 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:04.040 miss your last chance. You have your favorite players from 170 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:07.240 the court to your Prize Picks lineup, whether it's points, rebounds, 171 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:09.040 or assists. Take your pick of more or less for 172 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:10.879 your shots and went up to one thousand times your 173 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:14.199 cash Today, turn your playoff thought takes into tickets to 174 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:17.439 Basketball's championship series starting with the play in which is 175 00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:20.319 going on right now. Every lineup you make on Prize 176 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:23.560 Picks will enter you into the Take two ticket sweepstakes, 177 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:26.399 which could gets you on a plus one a VIP 178 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:27.560 trip to the ship. 179 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:28.920 So here's what you do. 180 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:31.480 Download the Prize Picks app today, use the promo code 181 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:34.720 ESPN seven hundred to check out, and you're gonna get 182 00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:37.879 fifty dollars instantly after you play your first five dollars lineup. 183 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:39.600 You don't have to win to get the fifty. It's 184 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:42.200 on the house. So download the Prize Picks app today, 185 00:08:42.279 --> 00:08:44.440 use the promo code ESPN seven hundred. You get fifty 186 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:46.679 dollars instantly after you play your first five dollars line up. 187 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:50.440 Price Picks run your game all season long. All right, 188 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:54.639 we have some meaningful basketball that's been played, was played 189 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:56.240 last night, and we'll be played tonight. 190 00:08:56.679 --> 00:08:58.639 And I talked a little bit about this yesterday. 191 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:01.360 You know, March madness for me with the way that 192 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:05.360 the current landscape and quite frankly, the ecosystem of pro 193 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:09.200 basketball in the NBA is operating where you literally are 194 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.960 rewarding people for losing, which is such a wild way 195 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:13.679 to do business when you kind of think about it. 196 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:18.000 But the incentive structure in the NBA rewards certain teams 197 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:21.039 are in certain situations if they're really bad. It's kind 198 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:23.799 of wild, Like if you had a sales job, and 199 00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:26.919 your sales staff is all sitting down in a meeting 200 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:29.480 and your general manager rolls in and he's like, hey, 201 00:09:29.879 --> 00:09:33.559 good news. The top three earners this year, the three 202 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:37.000 top salespeople on this staff this year, you get an 203 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:40.519 extra one hundred thousand dollars bonus. So congratulations on that. However, 204 00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:43.840 the three worst sales people on the staff, you're going 205 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:46.440 to get fifty grand. You know, it doesn't matter. We're 206 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:48.320 just going to give you fifty grand. If you're horrible 207 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:51.840 at this. Our bottom three sales members are going to 208 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:54.360 get fifty grand. Our top three because winning is the 209 00:09:54.360 --> 00:09:57.159 bottom line. That's how you get paid. But the top 210 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:00.320 three sales members of our staff one hundred grand if 211 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:01.200 you hit your numbers. 212 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:03.559 But the bottom three, if you're not even close, we're. 213 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:05.000 Just going to give you fifty grand because we want 214 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:08.519 to incentivize being bad at this. Pro basketball is like 215 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:10.519 the only thing in the world that does it right. 216 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:13.519 And so that's why I've always talked through the prism 217 00:10:13.559 --> 00:10:16.240 of what the jazz are doing. It's not fun, but 218 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:18.360 it's the right approach. I don't know that they have 219 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:21.759 any other choice, and they're in the kind of silo 220 00:10:21.960 --> 00:10:25.840 of teams that are being rewarded for being horrible at basketball, 221 00:10:25.960 --> 00:10:28.840 the losing teams. Actually, the incentive is there to lose, 222 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:30.759 and that's why they're doing it. And if you get 223 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:32.879 number one overall, and if you get Cooper flag, maybe 224 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:35.240 the losing will be worth it because Cooper feels like 225 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:39.679 he is a generationally special player. But ultimately, what you 226 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:41.840 want to do is being one of the teams that 227 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:45.000 every single year has a shot, right. And the awkward 228 00:10:45.080 --> 00:10:47.440 part about the NBA, and I think why a lot 229 00:10:47.480 --> 00:10:49.480 of people don't necessarily love it as much as they 230 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:51.799 love the NFL. And the parity of the NFL and 231 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:55.759 the at least the field that for most of the 232 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.360 teams in pro football, you're not that far away unless 233 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:00.279 you're a Jets fan or a Browns fan. More often 234 00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:01.679 than not, you know, there are some teams where you 235 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:04.879 just are always far away. But the majority of NFL 236 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:07.840 teams really have the ability to get back to their 237 00:11:07.879 --> 00:11:08.960 winning ways pretty quickly. 238 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:10.799 And that's why you see very few dynasties. 239 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:12.720 And that's why when you see a dynasty like the 240 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:15.120 Pats with Brady and Belichick, it's pretty remarkable. 241 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:17.440 And that's why they're remembered the way that they are. 242 00:11:17.799 --> 00:11:20.679 But in pro basketball, the dirty little secret is every 243 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:24.399 single year preseason, you give me four five guesses, I'm 244 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:27.440 gonna tell you who's gonna win the championship. Truly every 245 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:30.320 single year. In some years you don't even need four 246 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:34.159 or five guesses, like when the Warriors were peak Warriors. 247 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:35.840 With Steph and Clay and Draymond and Durant. 248 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:38.559 Like we all knew every year it was probably either 249 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:41.039 going to be Golden State or whoever Lebron was playing on, 250 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:43.879 whether it's Miami or Cleveland, right, But this year it 251 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:46.360 wasn't hard to see. And look, Cleveland's had a really 252 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:49.000 good year. We really should give Houston more credit than 253 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:51.679 they deserve. And the Lakers have Lebron and Luca and 254 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:54.240 Denver has the best player on the planet. But it's 255 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:56.159 not hard to see that we're more or less high 256 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:59.159 speed ahead to OKCE Boston in the finals unless there 257 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:02.679 are some massive upset or a massive injury or something 258 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:06.519 weird happens. And because of that, if you're a general 259 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:09.159 manager and a roster constructor in the NBA and you 260 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:11.879 don't feel like you actually have a shot, and by 261 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:13.840 have a shot, I mean going to win the thing, 262 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:17.559 and there are certain teams that can talk themselves into, yes, 263 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:19.120 we think we have a shot this year. I think 264 00:12:19.159 --> 00:12:21.720 Cleveland probably has talked themselves into the fact that they 265 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:24.679 think they probably have a chance. I don't see them 266 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:27.320 beating Boston four times and seven tries, but you could 267 00:12:27.320 --> 00:12:29.399 do a lot worse than what the Cleveland Cavaliers have 268 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:32.159 done this year and where they're at heading into the postseason. 269 00:12:32.919 --> 00:12:35.559 I guarantee I would be stunned if Houston thinks they 270 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:37.879 actually have a shot. Like I said, the Lakers have 271 00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:40.480 Lebron and Lucas, so Brob Polenka and Jeanie Buss have 272 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:42.960 probably talked themselves into believing, yeah, we have a chance 273 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:45.480 because we have those two denver As Jokics. 274 00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:46.320 We've seen it before. 275 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:49.080 The Clippers won eight straight ten the season, they have 276 00:12:49.159 --> 00:12:50.279 Kawai and when Kawi. 277 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:52.200 Is healthy, he is one of those dudes. 278 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:55.799 But ultimately, I think most people in the league this 279 00:12:55.879 --> 00:12:58.399 year realize that it's okay see in Boston if we're honest, 280 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:00.440 and if you're not one of those two teams or 281 00:13:00.519 --> 00:13:03.200 the handful of teams that I just named, namely Cleveland, 282 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:06.799 probably La Denver and maybe the Clippers. You can talk 283 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:08.799 yourself into thinking you have a shot, but if you're 284 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:12.279 not in that stratosphere, you're going to approach this thing 285 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:14.440 a little bit differently to try to open up a 286 00:13:14.519 --> 00:13:16.559 championship one dow at some point when some of these 287 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:19.720 other top teams start to fall down, which will happen 288 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:23.000 as Lebron will exit stays left at some point, and 289 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:25.600 of course the Lakers will slab Luca. We saw some 290 00:13:25.639 --> 00:13:28.720 real vintage Steph Curry moments last night, and whenever I 291 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:31.639 lock in on Steph, I realize how blessed we've been 292 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:33.639 as basketball fans to have him here. 293 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.840 But at some point he's going to go away too. 294 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:38.000 And I will say I do not view Golden State 295 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:40.679 as a legitimate contender. I think they're having going to 296 00:13:40.679 --> 00:13:43.639 have a really difficult time beating Houston. If you don't 297 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:45.960 know who Amin Thompson is, you're about to get familiar 298 00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:48.639 because he's about to guard Stephan Curry for an entire series. 299 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:51.480 They've got a bunch of size with Sheng guon and 300 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:54.759 Adams down low, and you know Draymond plays a lot 301 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:57.440 of center for Golden State and always has. But they 302 00:13:57.480 --> 00:14:00.879 don't like Kevon Looney is not an answer down low, 303 00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:03.519 and Draymond's like six five six six. I just don't 304 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:06.480 think Golden State has the size of the athleticism to 305 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:08.080 compete with the best teams in the West or the 306 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:08.919 NBA this year. 307 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:11.600 So it's fun to see meaningful basketball. 308 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:14.159 I thought that Warriors Grizzlies game last night was great, 309 00:14:14.200 --> 00:14:16.879 and we'll see what tonight brings. But from a Jazz 310 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:20.080 perspective or any of these other teams that aren't necessarily 311 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:22.440 in the group were at the start of every year, 312 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:24.720 we say you have a chance, and there are exceptions. 313 00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:26.200 I think a lot of people thought this year at 314 00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:28.799 the start of the season, Philly would have something to 315 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:31.679 say out east and Phoenix would have something to say 316 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:34.919 out west, and neither of those two things came to fruition. 317 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:37.279 Of course, with Philly it was the MBAT stuff and 318 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:40.679 then Paul George podcasting P do not call him playoff P. 319 00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:43.799 Of course that didn't work out, and it was just 320 00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:46.519 a bad approach by a new owner in Phoenix to 321 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:49.600 think that he could basically slog together a bunch of 322 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:52.320 aging talent. They can't stay healthy and certainly not ready 323 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:53.120 to play with each other. 324 00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:54.320 So those are. 325 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:56.720 Probably the two exceptions, but more often than not, every year, 326 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:59.039 people around the league know the group of teams that 327 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:01.120 are going to you have a chance to win it, 328 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.080 and if you are not in that group, you have 329 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:05.080 to go about your roster construction. 330 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:05.440 A different way. 331 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:07.679 And if you're in the group where the jazz are at, 332 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:10.720 you are incentivized to lose, which is why they're doing 333 00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:15.080 what they're doing. Porter has taken the wheel today. So 334 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:19.240 we are doing a hipster country is that kind of 335 00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:21.919 feels like an oxymoron? Can country music be hipster? 336 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:24.120 That's kind of why I had a weird response when 337 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:25.320 you when you mentioned it. 338 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:29.879 Not that I'm not excited, right, this is. 339 00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:32.039 All your stuff today? Was that Colter? Was that our guy? 340 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:34.960 No, that's our guy, Brent Cobb, Brent Cobb, Ran Cobb. 341 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:38.000 So I like that you're you're doing the hipster country thing. 342 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:40.480 I just don't know how to define that, right because you're, 343 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:42.759 as you said, you're kind of combining a couple of things. 344 00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:47.120 You definitely can, but I don't know if it's it's 345 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:49.120 like it's the same it's the same thing. 346 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:50.399 It's down to two different avenues, you. 347 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:52.480 Know, are we gonna get a little Florida Georgia line 348 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:55.799 today or no, absolutely not, ok fair enough, not a chance, 349 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:59.440 not a snowballs chance in hell. Okay, Porter's in charge 350 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:02.240 today doing a hipster country music or whatever that is. 351 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:05.360 Speaking of hipsters. He works for the Solid Tribune. He 352 00:16:05.399 --> 00:16:07.759 covers the Utah Jazz. He is Andy Larson on a 353 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:09.679 Wednesday afternoon. Hello, Andy, how are you? 354 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:12.000 I'm great, I'm well. 355 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:13.120 I appreciate the time. 356 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:18.120 So you asked Will a really interesting question during the 357 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:21.039 pre or excuse me, the postseason media availability a couple 358 00:16:21.080 --> 00:16:25.720 of days ago, about you know, if a team actually 359 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:29.440 came Collin who had a I believe you said, a 360 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:32.639 more winning organization, you know, just ready to win right away? 361 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:34.480 What would what would Will do? 362 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:36.320 And look, there was no way he was going to 363 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:38.519 say like, yeah, I wish I was coaching Oka see 364 00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:41.000 or if I should have stayed and kept the Boston job. 365 00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:44.840 So he said what he of course was going to say, 366 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:45.919 regardless of the question. 367 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:48.600 My question to you is did you believe what he 368 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:49.159 had to say? 369 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:50.519 Yeah? 370 00:16:50.679 --> 00:16:54.919 Look, I mean I do I think you know, as 371 00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:58.240 we've evaluated the jazz and kind of stuck at the 372 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:01.720 bottom right now, and we'll see what happened in the lottery, 373 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:03.519 and there's there's a lot of good stuff that could happen. 374 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:07.400 But this is in the middle of the rebuild. You know, 375 00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:11.279 would Will Hardy entertain offers from other teams? And you know, frankly, 376 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:17.079 the real uh scenario that I envision is Greg Papavich 377 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:20.720 retires for health reasons this summer. San Antonio looks around 378 00:17:20.759 --> 00:17:25.279 the NBA and says, Will Hardy could be our coach 379 00:17:25.400 --> 00:17:29.079 for the next ten to twenty years. Are you know, 380 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:31.960 are you interested? And you know, I didn't ask him 381 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:34.880 about that situation in particular because obviously he's got respect 382 00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:36.759 for Pop and blah blah blah, but like you know, 383 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:39.640 in general, would Will Hardy leave the Utah jess to 384 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:41.680 go somewhere else? And he was really clear, Look, I 385 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:46.000 I'm all in, is what he said. And he said, 386 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:48.759 I you know, this is I'm putting down roots in Utah. 387 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.160 I want to be part of the community here. I 388 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:53.240 believe in this rebuild and so on and so forth, 389 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:53.559 and so. 390 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:57.480 Yeah, you know, I thought it was a really forceful 391 00:17:57.480 --> 00:18:00.279 answer in a way that you know, like he could 392 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:03.119 have Hemden had a little bit and I think, you know, 393 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:05.200 frankly talking to him off the site too, Like. 394 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:06.039 I think. 395 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:09.000 That is reflective. 396 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.559 I was thinking right now, so you know, I thought 397 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:13.880 it was useful to get that kind of on record 398 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:16.960 and that like, hey, yes, Will Hardy is probably likely 399 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:19.599 hear safe for as long as he as long as 400 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:20.319 the jazz will happen. 401 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:23.759 And I know we've talked about this before, and honestly, 402 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:27.799 it is a question and a topic that is steeped 403 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:30.720 in hypothetical. So there's probably not a ton of use 404 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:32.680 of spending a lot of time on. 405 00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:33.279 This, so we won't. 406 00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:36.480 But you know, look, if we are sitting here, you know, 407 00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:42.359 mid April of twenty twenty seven, and the options on 408 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:46.200 Will's contracts are done, and it's been five full years, 409 00:18:46.920 --> 00:18:49.960 and Lady luck did not shine upon them, and they 410 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:52.000 don't get a Cooper flag, and they don't get an 411 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:54.519 AJ debantsa whoever else is that dude in the next 412 00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:55.559 class cam booz. 413 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:55.920 Or what have you? 414 00:18:56.559 --> 00:18:58.680 And you ask Will that question in five years and 415 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:00.799 they just have not given him a roster that allows 416 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:03.359 him to compete. I think Andy, you might get a 417 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:03.960 different answer. 418 00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:05.720 What are your thoughts? 419 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:09.039 I mean maybe, Yeah, it's hard to know. Right, like, 420 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:13.880 and you know, because if you do this and you know, 421 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:15.640 it doesn't go out and you have three more years 422 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:18.559 of pain. I mean, this year was difficult on everyone involved, 423 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:22.240 including Will. For sure, Yeah it might be different, and 424 00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:24.599 so you know, yes, it is in coming on the 425 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:29.200 front office to get good players for Will to coach. 426 00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:30.839 I don't think there's any question about that. And I 427 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:33.799 do think he's shown when he does have good players, 428 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:37.000 or when he is even just allowed to play his 429 00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:40.400 good players, which he wasn't this season, like he has 430 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:43.359 tended to overperform. And I know that's crazy, given but 431 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:46.440 he just led a team to seventeen wins and has 432 00:19:46.519 --> 00:19:48.720 yet to have a winning record. But like, if you 433 00:19:48.839 --> 00:19:51.960 look at kind of just what's actually happened in those seasons, 434 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:55.359 it's been Will having to put the brakes on his 435 00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:59.960 own team's success to some degree. You know, yeah, it's 436 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:01.680 it's going to be you know, who knows what happens 437 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:04.519 in three years. But I think it's a it is 438 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.039 a consideration that you don't want Will to go away 439 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:10.079 because you to some degree, like the Jazz front office, 440 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:12.960 and I think many of the fans see this to 441 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:16.440 see Will Hardy as the coach for for the for 442 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:18.759 the next good Jazz team. And you know, Justin Zennik 443 00:20:18.759 --> 00:20:21.160 said that in the press conference on Monday, like when 444 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.240 this Jazz team comes around to being good again, they 445 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:24.559 want Will Hardy to be their coach. 446 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:29.240 So I carry it may have been Sarah, or maybe 447 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:31.880 it was you asked the question about what type of 448 00:20:31.960 --> 00:20:35.920 players that Will would like to see Ada just kind 449 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:39.359 of generally speaking and among the things that Will said, 450 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:42.160 he finished it with the comment, well, we have a 451 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:44.720 lot of talent in the building, do they. 452 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:46.920 No. 453 00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:51.039 I mean, yeah, less than the other NBA teams. I 454 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:55.599 would say maybe, but other than one or two other teams. 455 00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:58.480 But yeah, they don't have a ton of talent. I mean, 456 00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:02.119 like you know, Larry Mark is good, Colin John Collins 457 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:05.440 is good, calm sections, but like you know, I don't 458 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:09.319 think they see them as with the EXCEP Varry, as 459 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:12.079 building blocks moving forward. You've got Walker Kestler, and you've 460 00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:15.920 got kind of six ifty young players, you know. I 461 00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:19.759 asked Will variation of that question when the Jazz are 462 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:22.240 playing the thunder to second last game of the year, 463 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:24.640 kind of pointing at one of the things Well said 464 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:28.319 earlier was that he was really interested in Oklahoma City's 465 00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:32.960 mentality in terms of getting role players who can kind 466 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:36.359 of provide help to their star players. And you look 467 00:21:36.359 --> 00:21:39.079 at what they've done with Jay Mitchell and Aaron Wiggins 468 00:21:39.160 --> 00:21:41.279 and Isaiah Joe and you can kind of go down 469 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:44.319 the list even like Brandon Carlsons from Utah right like 470 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:46.799 not even drafted guys who have turned out to be awesome, 471 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:49.759 awesome players for them. And he said, you know, look, 472 00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:52.839 they're looking for athletic guys who fit what they do. 473 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:56.319 The jazz, he said, the jazz version of that is 474 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:58.920 that they're looking for smart and tough role players. He 475 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:01.759 use those words over and over again, smart and tough. 476 00:22:02.680 --> 00:22:04.920 I don't see a lot of toughness on this roster, 477 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:07.200 and I'm not sure I see a lot of intelligence either, 478 00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:10.839 Like I think there are some players who play smartly, 479 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:12.640 and I think there are a lot of players who 480 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:15.880 put themselves in really tough positions and that's why they have, 481 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:19.000 you know, lead the league in turnovers. So I do 482 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:21.559 want to see, you know, and and will be interested 483 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:24.839 to see how that changes, because I don't, you know, 484 00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:28.519 I think if you had to describe kind of the 485 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:31.599 ethos of the young prospects that the Jazz have gotten 486 00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:34.440 right now, it's that they have shot for upside rather 487 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:37.359 than they've shot for you know, that that toughness or 488 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:39.640 or that intelligence you say on the court, I don't 489 00:22:39.640 --> 00:22:42.519 know that I see that right now. So it's going 490 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:44.599 to be really interesting to see how that affects their 491 00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:47.319 drafting and role player acquisition plosophy. 492 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:49.000 But it's hard to. 493 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:51.079 Say that they've had any wins in those areas so 494 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:53.559 far because you know, again you look around the league 495 00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:55.119 and you look at some other teams who have had 496 00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:58.279 more success. You know, Kyle Philipowski good draft pick, Asaya 497 00:22:58.279 --> 00:22:58.799 I call your. 498 00:22:58.720 --> 00:22:59.319 Good draft pick. 499 00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:03.480 But like in terms of creating a cohesive on court culture, 500 00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:04.559 I don't know that we've seen that. 501 00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:07.000 One of the things that kind of caught my attention 502 00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:10.240 when Will was asked about the offseason plans for his 503 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:14.799 roster is he said it was about Keante, it was 504 00:23:14.839 --> 00:23:18.200 about Isaiah, and it was about bryce different variations of 505 00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:20.640 they have to be in better shape. They just have 506 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:22.200 to take care of their bodies. They have to show 507 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:23.799 up in camp in better shape. 508 00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:24.759 I don't know. 509 00:23:25.079 --> 00:23:28.079 I mean, I think with Sensiba it's pretty obvious because 510 00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:31.640 he entered he entered the league, was just a body 511 00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:33.880 that needed work. As far as getting in better shape. 512 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.279 I mean, there is a little Dennis Scott tam I've 513 00:23:36.279 --> 00:23:39.000 told you that before. Dennis never really was in elite shape, 514 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:40.680 but he could always shoot it. That was his skill. 515 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:43.000 That's why he was a pro for like twelve years. 516 00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:45.839 But Kiant didn't strike me as somebody that wasn't in 517 00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:49.240 great condition. And I was a little taken back when 518 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:51.200 he said that about Isaiah as well. But all three 519 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:54.039 of his young wing players basically said they need to 520 00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:55.400 come back and elite in better shape. 521 00:23:55.799 --> 00:23:57.160 Did that catch you off guard at all? 522 00:23:58.839 --> 00:24:02.599 Not a time I've heard will say that before. I 523 00:24:02.599 --> 00:24:04.440 think it's about being able to compete on both ends 524 00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:07.960 of the floor at every possession, right and you see frankly, 525 00:24:08.039 --> 00:24:12.960 Kyante and Isaiah give up or you know, fail to 526 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:16.279 make that second rotation or you know, and whether that 527 00:24:16.599 --> 00:24:20.000 I think maybe some of that is due to endurance 528 00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:22.839 and getting in better shape, you know, like and then yeah, 529 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:25.599 you just look at kind of their body and it 530 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:28.079 makes sense because they're first and second year players, But like, 531 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:31.920 I don't think that they have the strength to, you know, 532 00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:35.319 fight through screens. Or to fight for rebounds, or to 533 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:38.039 put players off when they're boxing out, like kind of 534 00:24:38.079 --> 00:24:42.559 all the quote unquote little things Isaiah and Kyante have 535 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:46.160 not shown an incredible ability to do yet. So in 536 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:49.480 order for them to be plus players, you know, especially 537 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:51.599 on the defensive ends, Yeah, they do have to change 538 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:55.279 their bodies a little bit. And so I absolutely do 539 00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:57.079 see what we'll sing there, and you know, I guess 540 00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:59.680 Yeah would point to the defensive ends kind of the 541 00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:02.680 content an effort that he wants to see and then 542 00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:05.119 you know, contrast that to what we thought we actually 543 00:25:05.160 --> 00:25:08.480 did see there in their rookie and sophomore seasons. There's 544 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:10.519 just a big gap. They just they do need to 545 00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:13.480 put more effort in over the course of forty eight 546 00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:14.839 minutes the minute than they are right now. 547 00:25:16.200 --> 00:25:21.039 So justin Zenik was asked about I think it may 548 00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:23.079 have been Ryan who just asked him about all the 549 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:25.640 young players and to kind of run down the list 550 00:25:25.799 --> 00:25:28.400 of his thoughts on, you know, all the players, and 551 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:31.359 he kind of went brick by brick and player by player, 552 00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:36.319 and when he landed on Cody, he basically said he's 553 00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:39.000 smart enough to stand in the right place right He's like, 554 00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:42.680 he's got a good brain, and he usually is not 555 00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:45.119 out of position. I don't know if that was a 556 00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:47.160 stretch to try to put a positive spin on what 557 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:49.319 really was a rough year for the top ten pick. 558 00:25:49.400 --> 00:25:52.200 But do you jibe with that at all? 559 00:25:52.279 --> 00:25:55.039 After watching Cody play, does it appear that he at 560 00:25:55.119 --> 00:25:57.359 least has a good feel on how to play the 561 00:25:57.400 --> 00:25:58.880 game of professional basketball. 562 00:26:00.119 --> 00:26:04.839 Yeah, honestly yes, And like you see him making defensive 563 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:10.000 rotations that Isaiah do not make, and you know, some 564 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:12.599 of that different position a little bit, but also that's 565 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:16.119 some of that's just like Tody Williams has a better 566 00:26:16.200 --> 00:26:19.960 defensive IQ than Isaiah and and code Isaiah and Kiante 567 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:22.920 and brace to and so you see him be in 568 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:25.559 the right place, and then he just doesn't do anything. 569 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:28.440 Like he doesn't go for that rebound, he doesn't go 570 00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:31.359 for the strip, he doesn't work to keep himself in front, 571 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:34.640 he doesn't gamble on the passing lane, he doesn't do anything. 572 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:38.400 And it's so you have these really abysmal defensive statistics 573 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:42.440 that also, frankly, were the worry with when he was 574 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:46.640 at Colorado, where you know, super pretty athletic kid who 575 00:26:46.759 --> 00:26:49.960 moves you know well on the court, but then doesn't 576 00:26:50.039 --> 00:26:52.759 do anything in the statute or on on the court 577 00:26:52.839 --> 00:26:56.880 to kind of, uh take advantage of where he is placed. 578 00:26:56.920 --> 00:27:01.319 And so yeah, you know, like their their hope is, hey, 579 00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:04.640 you get you change the body, you you get stronger, 580 00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:08.839 you get more confident, you grow, you mature, and all 581 00:27:08.839 --> 00:27:10.759 of a sudden you have kind of the mentality to 582 00:27:10.839 --> 00:27:14.240 make those plays. And I think that's possible. But look, 583 00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:17.799 if you look at the history of NBA draft prospects 584 00:27:17.799 --> 00:27:20.319 who add as bad a rookie seasons as Cody Williams did, 585 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:23.640 you are seeing a lot of abject, outright bust. You know, 586 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:25.759 guys who are out of the league in four years 587 00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:31.319 or less, or kind of role player bench kind of types, right, 588 00:27:31.480 --> 00:27:34.319 and there's some players who can kind of be optimistic, 589 00:27:34.359 --> 00:27:37.440 but like, it's hard to imagine Cody becoming a star 590 00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:39.799 at this point. So which is you know, honestly, what 591 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:42.279 the Jazz hopes is that they would at least maybe 592 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:45.000 not an All Star or an All NBA player. But like, 593 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:48.039 you know, someone frankly liked his brother Jalen, who just 594 00:27:48.119 --> 00:27:51.359 did make an All Star game. So yeah, it's it 595 00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:54.759 was an incredibly disappointing season for Cody Williams. Here's someone 596 00:27:54.839 --> 00:27:58.279 I thought could be better than this right away and 597 00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:00.559 in the future. And you know, I'm not that. His 598 00:28:01.359 --> 00:28:05.200 career is already a bus and he it could turn 599 00:28:05.240 --> 00:28:08.240 around for him. And I think he he does think 600 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:09.960 about the game in the right way when I talk 601 00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:12.039 to him, you know, over and over again after some 602 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:14.920 of these games, like he is seeing the right things. 603 00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:16.839 It's just like, all right, but now you've gotta you've 604 00:28:16.839 --> 00:28:19.799 got to actually do it. And we have not seen 605 00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:21.960 that at all in his rookieear. 606 00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:26.160 All right, before we get to the draft, which of 607 00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:28.519 And I ask you this, I asked you this prior 608 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:30.839 to the trade deadline this year because I honestly thought 609 00:28:30.839 --> 00:28:34.279 they would find a spot for Clark, Center, Collins or Sexton. 610 00:28:34.680 --> 00:28:38.160 So we'll remove I'll say the young players. I'll say 611 00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:41.319 Walker and younger. Okay, so none of the rookies this year, 612 00:28:41.319 --> 00:28:43.759 and none the soft sat walker either the veteran pieces 613 00:28:43.880 --> 00:28:45.039 who's back next year? 614 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:46.039 Who do you think is gone? 615 00:28:47.960 --> 00:28:50.440 I mean, I think they will try to move Colin 616 00:28:50.519 --> 00:28:53.240 Sexton and John Collins and Jordan Clarkson. Uh, And I 617 00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:55.400 think they will listen to offers on Larie Markin and 618 00:28:55.480 --> 00:28:59.599 even the problem is what the other teams want to do, 619 00:29:00.119 --> 00:29:02.559 Right Like, the Jazz have tried to trade Jordan Clarkson 620 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:06.240 for like four straight trade deadlines for now, and in 621 00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:08.440 the end, the league is pretty uninterested at a guy 622 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:10.799 who makes shots at a twenty five like a at 623 00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:14.440 a twenty fifth percentile rate making twelve million, thirteen to 624 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:16.440 fourteen a year, right like, even though he's got a 625 00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:20.119 descending contract like it just you can get what Jordan 626 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:26.279 Clarkson provides in an analytically oriented MBA at a cheaper 627 00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:29.000 at a cheaper contract, right like, So why are you 628 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:32.480 giving up assets and to take on that deal even 629 00:29:32.519 --> 00:29:34.400 though those guys are expiring? You know, I think you 630 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:37.799 can make an argument John Collins is is a plus 631 00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:40.759 deal right now, and so maybe some team goes after that. 632 00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:43.759 But you know, again, if the Jazz would have been 633 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:46.240 able to get a you know, unencumbered first round pick 634 00:29:46.319 --> 00:29:48.640 for him at this deadline, they would have done so, 635 00:29:48.839 --> 00:29:50.920 and and in fact found that they were not able 636 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:53.960 to do that. So you know, you can have the 637 00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:57.400 same conversation about Colin Sexton, who is kind of you know, in. 638 00:29:57.279 --> 00:29:58.319 The middle of those groups. 639 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:01.640 Actually a pretty effiicsion score when you look at the numbers, 640 00:30:01.640 --> 00:30:04.119 but then may give it back on the defensive end, 641 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:08.400 and then hasn't really changed the plus minus count. You know, 642 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:11.599 it does say something that he was the only veteran 643 00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:14.079 guy that the Jazz felt kind of comfortable playing in 644 00:30:14.119 --> 00:30:16.039 a lot of the games to end the season when 645 00:30:16.039 --> 00:30:19.880 they were trying to lose. So look, you know, I 646 00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:22.319 think it's going to be entirely dependent on what happens 647 00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:24.240 with other teams around the league and whether or not 648 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:30.680 they see Colin or John or Jordan as solutions. It's 649 00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:33.680 easier in the off season because you don't have the 650 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:38.480 contract is you know, you don't have to necessarily get 651 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:41.359 to the cast. You can you can have extra contracts 652 00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:43.440 on your rocks for all that good stuff. But in 653 00:30:43.480 --> 00:30:45.839 the end, it's just like, okay, which teams are the 654 00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:49.240 ones that are willing to provide value for what John 655 00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:52.880 Collins consext and Jordan's Farson provides And what we've seen 656 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:56.440 is that that hasn't been the case so far. I 657 00:30:56.480 --> 00:30:58.880 think it's certainly possible that those deals are done and 658 00:30:58.920 --> 00:31:02.480 maybe you know, Golden State goes after John Collins or whatever, 659 00:31:02.519 --> 00:31:05.160 but now their contracts are tied up with you know, 660 00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:07.519 Jimmy Butler, I don't know. It's it will be really 661 00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:09.519 interesting because see what happens around the league, and I 662 00:31:09.559 --> 00:31:11.599 think a lot of it's determined in what happens in 663 00:31:11.640 --> 00:31:15.319 these playoffs. But as of right now, I don't know 664 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:19.480 of teams that are just really excited about the opportunity 665 00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:22.440 to acquire the Jazz veterans in this year's offseason. 666 00:31:23.079 --> 00:31:26.720 It's pretty rare for a rookie, a first round pick 667 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:30.279 to not have their at least third you know, the 668 00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:33.440 first option picked up after the three years where you 669 00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:36.000 kind of get a feel for what the player is. 670 00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:37.400 It doesn't happen often. 671 00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:40.319 It happened with for Dad, with jim Or and Sacramento 672 00:31:40.400 --> 00:31:42.920 when after a couple of years they did their calculation, 673 00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:45.720 they didn't pick up his option. Is there any world 674 00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:48.200 where they don't pick up Keyante's option? I mean next 675 00:31:48.279 --> 00:31:50.599 year is like sneaky big for Keyante, George. 676 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:53.839 I mean, so you'd be talking about it. As for 677 00:31:53.960 --> 00:31:57.240 as your option, I think you still probably pick it up. 678 00:31:57.319 --> 00:32:02.279 Like you know, I I don't love Kiante as a player, 679 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:05.880 but I still think like he might be the most 680 00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:10.160 offensively talented of the bunch, right Like he he does okay, 681 00:32:10.200 --> 00:32:12.359 he does two things. Really he can shoot, like he 682 00:32:12.839 --> 00:32:15.000 just can he can hit catch and two shots. 683 00:32:15.319 --> 00:32:15.799 Uh. 684 00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:18.000 And he does have the ability to take pull up 685 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:20.960 shots and if you make him two percent three percent 686 00:32:21.079 --> 00:32:25.160 more often, then he becomes pretty efficient. And then he 687 00:32:25.359 --> 00:32:27.920 does have the ability to draw fouls in the NBA, 688 00:32:27.960 --> 00:32:32.720 which is a really valuable skill set right like he is. 689 00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:35.079 I believe it was a top twenty five or top 690 00:32:35.160 --> 00:32:38.240 thirty foul drawer this year in terms of just per minute. 691 00:32:38.279 --> 00:32:42.640 Like it's some good stuff. Like the defense is problematic, 692 00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:44.799 and the ball handling is problematic, and the decision making 693 00:32:44.920 --> 00:32:48.680 is problematic, and frankly, the like the attitude has been 694 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:52.839 problematic at times. But like, I don't know that if 695 00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:56.759 you're in the jazz position at the very bottom, you 696 00:32:56.839 --> 00:32:58.960 can kind of give up on the idea of Kiante 697 00:32:59.079 --> 00:32:59.960 maturing a little bit. 698 00:33:00.119 --> 00:33:02.319 So I would be. 699 00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:04.799 Surprised if they turned down that option. I wouldn't be 700 00:33:04.839 --> 00:33:06.920 stunned if they traded him or moved him, you know, 701 00:33:07.079 --> 00:33:10.279 like to if they were able to get another swing back, 702 00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:14.200 but to just completely give up with no return, Like 703 00:33:14.759 --> 00:33:17.200 you know, what, what are you using that roster spot on? 704 00:33:17.279 --> 00:33:20.079 That's definitely better. I just don't know that there's a 705 00:33:20.079 --> 00:33:20.839 great answer to that. 706 00:33:21.079 --> 00:33:23.839 Yeah, correct, fourth year option after three years of data. 707 00:33:23.880 --> 00:33:26.319 It just doesn't happen often, certainly with a player that 708 00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:29.519 has shown as much promise at times as Kante. But 709 00:33:29.559 --> 00:33:31.400 I do think next year is big for him because 710 00:33:31.720 --> 00:33:34.519 I oscillate on my opinion, you know, when it comes 711 00:33:34.519 --> 00:33:35.960 to who I think he can be in the league. 712 00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:41.160 Look, I agree, and look, there's maybe no young player 713 00:33:41.160 --> 00:33:44.599 in the NBA that's been kind of force fed possessions 714 00:33:44.599 --> 00:33:47.920 and opportunities in the way that Kiante has. Right that 715 00:33:48.039 --> 00:33:52.400 being said, you know, like if if you don't if 716 00:33:52.440 --> 00:33:55.000 you don't want to win next year, giving Kyante kind 717 00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:57.480 of the similar opportunities that he had in previous years 718 00:33:57.599 --> 00:34:01.000 is not a bad way to lose some games if 719 00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:02.960 he doesn't, if he doesn't improve, and then if he 720 00:34:03.000 --> 00:34:05.759 does improve, the then great, you actually might have a 721 00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:08.239 good player a building block. So yeah, well, I mean, 722 00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:09.960 we'll see what they end up doing with him. I 723 00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:14.199 don't think like there is not universal love for Keanty 724 00:34:14.280 --> 00:34:16.719 George in the front office or the coaching staff, believe me, 725 00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:20.920 but there is. You know, what else you're going to 726 00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:23.000 do with that spot that's more interesting, and it does 727 00:34:23.079 --> 00:34:25.239 just it doesn't make sense to kind of give up 728 00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:28.239 on a player who is it does have a pretty 729 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:31.039 high level of talent given where the jasna. 730 00:34:31.639 --> 00:34:34.920 All right, two part question about the draft lottery. 731 00:34:35.119 --> 00:34:39.679 Okay, so you know it has become a consensus, It 732 00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:42.239 has been a consensus maybe for about six months, that 733 00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:45.239 there is one tier and that tier belongs to Cooper 734 00:34:45.239 --> 00:34:48.840 Flag and then there's a tier behind him that maybe 735 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:53.239 in your opinion, contains one two players, and the opinions 736 00:34:53.239 --> 00:34:54.679 of a lot of people to do this for a living, 737 00:34:54.760 --> 00:34:57.239 they seem to think this is a five player draft 738 00:34:57.400 --> 00:35:00.599 of really really good, top tier talents, which good news 739 00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:04.000 because the Jazz will have a top five pick. However, Andy, 740 00:35:04.039 --> 00:35:06.400 there have been plenty of years where we all thought 741 00:35:06.440 --> 00:35:08.320 there was one tier to a draft, and then the 742 00:35:08.360 --> 00:35:10.440 better players turned out to be the players that were 743 00:35:10.440 --> 00:35:13.000 behind the star that we all thought would be game changing. 744 00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:16.400 A good example that people probably remember because it wasn't 745 00:35:16.440 --> 00:35:20.000 forever ago, but a long time ago, was the Greg 746 00:35:20.039 --> 00:35:23.920 Odin draft. And no matter what revisionist historians want to 747 00:35:23.960 --> 00:35:27.440 say today, in two thousand and seven, every general manager 748 00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:29.840 who had the number one pick would have taken Greg Odin. 749 00:35:30.280 --> 00:35:32.559 The number two pick was Kevin Durant, who obviously has 750 00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:34.000 been generational and historic. 751 00:35:34.280 --> 00:35:37.599 So my question is, you know your thoughts on what. 752 00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:40.880 Cooper would mean to the team, but attendant to it, 753 00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:43.440 is there another prospect that you think in a number 754 00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:45.639 of years we could potentially look back and say, wait, 755 00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:47.639 that player actually was better than Cooper Flag. 756 00:35:48.760 --> 00:35:51.199 Oh, that's a good question. I mean, I think given 757 00:35:51.280 --> 00:35:54.199 what Cooper did his freshman season at Duke right, like, 758 00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:58.039 the floor is so so high on him right that 759 00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:02.639 he is at least to be an extremely valuable NBA player. 760 00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:05.599 And then you know, if you believe in potential and 761 00:36:05.639 --> 00:36:08.679 he's ability to grow, and then he could be, legitimately, 762 00:36:08.679 --> 00:36:10.079 I think it's fair to say one of the best 763 00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:14.719 players in the NBA. So I think Jazz fans should 764 00:36:14.760 --> 00:36:17.800 be excited about their fourteen percent chance of getting Cooper 765 00:36:17.800 --> 00:36:20.039 flag Right, like it would change the franchise. He is 766 00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:23.280 one of the safest number one picks ever in my view, 767 00:36:23.320 --> 00:36:26.880 and absolutely deserves to be there. And then I think 768 00:36:26.960 --> 00:36:30.039 kind of the second tier is Dylan Harper, who I 769 00:36:30.079 --> 00:36:32.360 think has separated himself from three through five and the 770 00:36:32.400 --> 00:36:35.639 rest of the draft based on his production, Like, his 771 00:36:35.760 --> 00:36:39.159 numbers finishing at the rim are incredible. His ability to 772 00:36:39.159 --> 00:36:44.000 get downhill is great. His playmate, you know, like, he 773 00:36:44.159 --> 00:36:48.880 just shows nearly all of the hallmarks of being a 774 00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:53.639 really talented scoring guard in the NBA. After that, yeah, 775 00:36:53.639 --> 00:36:56.800 then you get some questions and some real upside chances, 776 00:36:56.880 --> 00:36:59.599 right like, So, like I could see a world in 777 00:36:59.599 --> 00:37:03.679 which a Bailey is a better NBA player than Cooper Flag. 778 00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:06.920 It would take a lot for him to improve on, 779 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:10.599 right like, But he does have just an incredible jump 780 00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:13.880 shot that he can make contested ones from all over 781 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:17.000 the court. He needs to get significantly smurder and how 782 00:37:17.039 --> 00:37:19.920 he uses that skill for opening up other parts of 783 00:37:19.960 --> 00:37:23.960 his game, opening up you know, success for his teammates. 784 00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:27.840 His defense is actually pretty fun. I think, you know, 785 00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:30.400 maybe if the right coaching staff is able to refine 786 00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:33.280 that he can be a really two way impact player. 787 00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:35.000 But there are a lot of questions, and there are 788 00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:38.800 a lot of times when guys with Ace's statistical profile, 789 00:37:38.880 --> 00:37:42.280 and you know, I test profiles turn out to be 790 00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:46.719 one dimensional scorers who don't actually help you that much. 791 00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:50.840 And so that's the worry, you know, I think elsewhere 792 00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:52.800 the water, I'm trying to think, you know, is there 793 00:37:52.800 --> 00:37:55.239 a chance that like jegor Demon puts it all together 794 00:37:55.920 --> 00:37:58.719 and can not only you know, figures out how to 795 00:37:58.719 --> 00:38:01.599 have a jump shot and pass like this and moves 796 00:38:01.639 --> 00:38:06.039 better on defense. Like I think they're possible, like five 797 00:38:06.039 --> 00:38:08.320 percent chance. I'm not sure I'm taking that bet, but 798 00:38:09.159 --> 00:38:11.800 uh hey maybe so. 799 00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:13.119 Look, I don't think. 800 00:38:13.000 --> 00:38:15.400 It's it's totally impossible, but what you said, But like 801 00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:19.119 Cooper is far and away the best prospect in the 802 00:38:19.199 --> 00:38:21.760 draft at this point, and it would surprise me to 803 00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:23.039 see other players overtaken. 804 00:38:23.480 --> 00:38:25.960 Last thing, Andy will get a little RSL from you 805 00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:30.239 that I'll set you loose another loss. Another week goes 806 00:38:30.280 --> 00:38:32.840 by where we're all waiting to see whether or not 807 00:38:32.960 --> 00:38:35.400 that the you know, these additions are actually going to 808 00:38:35.599 --> 00:38:38.239 get across the line. We are one week away from 809 00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:41.679 the primary transfer window closing. My question to you is simple, 810 00:38:42.199 --> 00:38:45.119 are you still standing up on your feet and shouting 811 00:38:45.159 --> 00:38:45.880 a loud rayal? 812 00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:47.239 Are you still believing Andy? 813 00:38:48.519 --> 00:38:51.039 I mean I am still shouting RAYL. I don't know 814 00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:51.559 if I'm. 815 00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:52.599 Believing it all right. 816 00:38:54.280 --> 00:38:57.039 I look, we'll see what they do in the next week. 817 00:38:57.119 --> 00:38:59.320 If they don't send a striker, it's a shifts a 818 00:38:59.400 --> 00:39:06.000 tremendous failure and they should be made fun of a lot. Look, 819 00:39:06.199 --> 00:39:08.360 I mean, Houston signed a striker today. That was cool. 820 00:39:08.760 --> 00:39:10.800 It would be neat if oursel did that. It sounds 821 00:39:10.840 --> 00:39:14.320 like txtalled with the Slovakian guy, is what I believe 822 00:39:14.360 --> 00:39:19.280 it was. Tom Boger reported it's it's look I mean again, 823 00:39:19.559 --> 00:39:22.239 I'm just going off what's been publicly reported. It looks 824 00:39:22.239 --> 00:39:26.400 pretty dreary right now. They got walloped by Columbus, Like, 825 00:39:26.440 --> 00:39:28.639 and I understand that it was an unlucky penalty at 826 00:39:28.679 --> 00:39:31.800 the end. Uh, you lost expected goals battle two point 827 00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:35.280 eight to zero point eight. Man Like, it's I don't 828 00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:38.760 love it when we when we like celebrate that a 829 00:39:38.840 --> 00:39:41.440 game could have been one, if just the rest would 830 00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:45.079 have been nicer when you're just getting out shot twenty 831 00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:48.480 to five or whatever, right Like, it's just it's tough. 832 00:39:48.519 --> 00:39:50.559 So anyway, ourselves just got to be better on the 833 00:39:50.559 --> 00:39:53.239 pitch to create more chances for themselves, get better players, 834 00:39:53.480 --> 00:39:57.159 and then yeah, you know if this can work out 835 00:39:57.199 --> 00:40:01.159 well for uh, you know where they have other good 836 00:40:01.159 --> 00:40:03.280 players on the roster, right like Diego Luna rules, the 837 00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:07.000 Machanelly rules. I think you know, Raphael Cabral has been 838 00:40:07.039 --> 00:40:10.239 awesome in goal. There is a lot of talent on 839 00:40:10.280 --> 00:40:12.519 this roster that's currently been wasted because soccer is a 840 00:40:12.559 --> 00:40:16.360 weaklink sport and because you don't have to guard right 841 00:40:16.400 --> 00:40:19.360 now ourselves attacking, you know, the tip of the spear, 842 00:40:19.679 --> 00:40:23.480 the number nine. So we'll see if that changes in 843 00:40:23.519 --> 00:40:25.800 the next week. They do have exactly one week left, 844 00:40:26.360 --> 00:40:28.440 but it needs change if oursels has any hope to 845 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:32.039 do positive things and you know, real contention things in 846 00:40:32.440 --> 00:40:33.119 this year's season. 847 00:40:33.320 --> 00:40:35.400 But just to be clear, here at the riot, the 848 00:40:35.440 --> 00:40:38.000 battle hymns begun, and you're still here for RSL. 849 00:40:38.920 --> 00:40:41.280 I mean, I'm going I'm gonna go all all the games. 850 00:40:41.280 --> 00:40:43.800 I'm gonna screen my heart out. I'm gonna flip off 851 00:40:43.840 --> 00:40:47.039 the rest as much as I can. It's you know, yeah, 852 00:40:47.119 --> 00:40:48.119 I'm all in. 853 00:40:48.239 --> 00:40:50.199 All right, buddy, all right, buddy, appreciate it. Thanks for 854 00:40:50.199 --> 00:40:51.079 the time, will chat soon. 855 00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:52.639 Thanks, I'm sing. 856 00:40:52.880 --> 00:40:55.239 Andy Larson stops by today courtesy of our friends at 857 00:40:55.280 --> 00:40:57.679 Burt Brothers. With over thirty years of experience and nearly 858 00:40:57.719 --> 00:41:02.400 thirty locations, Burt Brothers asse certified technicians bring expertise and 859 00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:05.920 professionalism to every interaction. One stop shop for reliable repairs 860 00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:08.360 and maintenance, from tires and alignments to fluids and breaks. 861 00:41:08.440 --> 00:41:10.840 Tax Day Saving Sale is in full swing. You buy 862 00:41:10.840 --> 00:41:14.039 three tires, you get one free on select Goodyear, Fulcon 863 00:41:14.119 --> 00:41:16.639 and Firestone tires. Plus get an extra fifty dollars off 864 00:41:16.639 --> 00:41:19.760 on purchases over five hundred dollars using the Burt Brothers Card. 865 00:41:20.320 --> 00:41:23.519 Tax Day Saving Sale also includes saving forty dollars on 866 00:41:23.559 --> 00:41:27.280 your valveline. Excuse me, synthetic oil change stop by a 867 00:41:27.320 --> 00:41:30.400 Burt Brothers ile. We got Craig Bowler Jack stopping. Buy 868 00:41:30.480 --> 00:41:33.119 the TV Voice of the Utah Jazz. We'll look back 869 00:41:33.159 --> 00:41:35.280 on the Jazz season that is now done. We'll look 870 00:41:35.320 --> 00:41:38.599 out to the NBA Playoffs with a couple of playing 871 00:41:38.719 --> 00:41:41.360 games Tonight. Tonight's win or go home. It's the nine 872 00:41:41.400 --> 00:41:44.480 to ten matchup in Pro Basketball. Voice of the UTS 873 00:41:44.519 --> 00:41:45.559 Bill Riley stops buy. 874 00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:46.440 As we prepare for. 875 00:41:46.440 --> 00:41:49.039 The Forever twenty two game, the spring football game for 876 00:41:49.159 --> 00:41:52.840 Utah's on Saturday. Practicing this week, and we do have 877 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:55.599 some news on a new commit for Alex Jensen, so 878 00:41:55.639 --> 00:41:58.719 we'll get with Ryles on that today. But the season 879 00:41:58.840 --> 00:42:01.400 for the Utah Hockey Club came to an end, and 880 00:42:01.440 --> 00:42:04.440 they got shellac by the Saint Louis Blues six to one. 881 00:42:04.519 --> 00:42:08.000 Your final, Our next guest, Neil Smith, stops by on 882 00:42:08.039 --> 00:42:10.159 a weekly basis to talk to you to hockey club 883 00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:11.119 and the NHL. 884 00:42:11.239 --> 00:42:12.679 Neil, Happy Wednesday, sir, how are you. 885 00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:15.519 I'm real good to Spence. 886 00:42:15.559 --> 00:42:18.320 Thanks, I appreciate the time. So we'll start with our 887 00:42:18.360 --> 00:42:20.519 local team. Then we'll kind of pan back, and you know, 888 00:42:20.599 --> 00:42:25.360 it's interesting, Neil. For all intents and purposes, they were eliminated. 889 00:42:25.679 --> 00:42:28.679 Now it's it's it's it's funny because a three or 890 00:42:28.679 --> 00:42:32.639 a four point gap with like sixteen fifteen, sixteen games 891 00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:35.119 left doesn't feel like a lot, but it actually is. 892 00:42:35.800 --> 00:42:39.079 And when they went down and got smoked by Tampa 893 00:42:39.119 --> 00:42:42.000 Bay eight zero, they lost to Detroit five to one, 894 00:42:42.159 --> 00:42:43.880 and then the loss to the Panthers two one, that 895 00:42:43.960 --> 00:42:46.960 three game losing streak really kind of put a nail 896 00:42:46.960 --> 00:42:50.280 on their coffin. But they finished the season winning six 897 00:42:50.440 --> 00:42:53.880 of their final nine games, including hanging seven on the Predators, 898 00:42:53.920 --> 00:42:56.639 hanging seven on the Kraken, and five on the I 899 00:42:56.679 --> 00:42:58.719 know the Blackhawks aren't good, but they actually played some 900 00:42:58.760 --> 00:43:01.599 of their best hockey to end the year. Even though 901 00:43:01.639 --> 00:43:04.840 the playoffs weren't in their kind of in their future. 902 00:43:04.840 --> 00:43:07.159 What does that say to you as far as the 903 00:43:07.199 --> 00:43:07.920 way they ended the. 904 00:43:07.960 --> 00:43:13.079 Year, Well, first of all, I think they ended the 905 00:43:13.159 --> 00:43:16.480 year good. I think at the Saint Louis game. You 906 00:43:16.519 --> 00:43:20.719 can't really judge them on the Blues game when they 907 00:43:20.719 --> 00:43:23.840 got blown out, because the Blues wanted that game badly 908 00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:28.199 to make the playoffs, and Utah was eliminated already, and 909 00:43:28.360 --> 00:43:30.880 you had one team that was just hunting for bear 910 00:43:30.920 --> 00:43:32.679 and the other team that was sort of out there 911 00:43:32.679 --> 00:43:36.320 with a pop gun because they already knew what their 912 00:43:36.360 --> 00:43:40.639 summer was around the corner. But Spence, I looked at 913 00:43:40.679 --> 00:43:46.440 some things just to just to make some positive, some 914 00:43:46.480 --> 00:43:50.840 positive thoughts about the Utah Hockey club after last season 915 00:43:50.840 --> 00:43:54.960 and now after this season. They're minus ten. You've talked 916 00:43:55.000 --> 00:43:58.800 about goal differential before on the show, and they are 917 00:43:58.840 --> 00:44:02.880 the best the lowest goal differential being minus ten of 918 00:44:03.000 --> 00:44:06.760 any of the non playoff teams. So that's one positive. 919 00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:10.400 Last year when they ended the season they were a 920 00:44:10.400 --> 00:44:14.760 minus eighteen, they're only a minus ten. They finished the 921 00:44:14.840 --> 00:44:17.880 year over five hundred and NHL five hundred, both at 922 00:44:17.920 --> 00:44:20.920 Homan on the road. They ended the season with eighty 923 00:44:21.039 --> 00:44:24.679 nine points. Last season, they ended the season with only 924 00:44:24.760 --> 00:44:27.719 seventy seven. The other thing that I want you to 925 00:44:27.760 --> 00:44:30.400 take into the people that are listening to take into 926 00:44:30.440 --> 00:44:34.320 consideration is that this year, as it stands right now, 927 00:44:34.360 --> 00:44:37.280 with one game to go for Vancouver, they're only one 928 00:44:37.320 --> 00:44:40.800 point behind the Canucks. And the Canucks last year won 929 00:44:40.880 --> 00:44:43.679 the Pacific Division. They were in first place. The Calgary 930 00:44:43.679 --> 00:44:46.440 Flames had a great year. They're only five behind the 931 00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:50.519 Calgary Flames. And again, had it not been for the 932 00:44:50.559 --> 00:44:54.400 Saint Louis Blues having a miraculous run in the last 933 00:44:54.840 --> 00:44:59.440 fifteen games twenty games, Utah would have been right up there, 934 00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:03.519 digging away with Vancouver and Calgary. But Saint Louis sort 935 00:45:03.519 --> 00:45:07.079 of put a kibosh on everybody by just winning twelve 936 00:45:07.119 --> 00:45:09.519 games in a row, which is what they did, and 937 00:45:10.480 --> 00:45:13.199 blew their way into the playoffs. But if you look 938 00:45:13.239 --> 00:45:17.239 at the Western Conference, Utah is one of the clubs 939 00:45:17.320 --> 00:45:21.039 on the way up. Because I look at it this way, 940 00:45:20.960 --> 00:45:23.559 they're better than they were last year, and there are 941 00:45:23.639 --> 00:45:26.239 clubs that aren't as good as they were last year 942 00:45:26.320 --> 00:45:29.159 that are on their way down. So you know, as 943 00:45:29.239 --> 00:45:33.320 long as we keep seeing the trajectory going upwards. That's 944 00:45:33.360 --> 00:45:35.639 all you can hope for. As far as the way 945 00:45:35.679 --> 00:45:38.320 the year ended, there's a lot of things that go 946 00:45:38.400 --> 00:45:41.320 into that. I mean, it's a young team. You're going 947 00:45:41.360 --> 00:45:44.079 to hit losing streaks, You're gonna things like that, are 948 00:45:44.119 --> 00:45:46.239 going to They lost those three games that you mentioned, 949 00:45:46.760 --> 00:45:50.360 but they're a young team. They've got a bright future. 950 00:45:50.360 --> 00:45:52.239 I still say that. I've said that all season and 951 00:45:52.320 --> 00:45:54.039 I'm going to continue to say that they have a 952 00:45:54.079 --> 00:45:54.800 bright future. 953 00:45:55.559 --> 00:45:58.239 Quake and Keller are twenty six years old, captain of 954 00:45:58.280 --> 00:46:02.239 his team points as a result of grabbing another one 955 00:46:03.039 --> 00:46:05.599 at Saint Louis So thirty goals which led the team, 956 00:46:05.719 --> 00:46:08.800 sixty assists, which led the team as well. Put that 957 00:46:08.840 --> 00:46:11.360 into perspective for us here in saw lake Neil a 958 00:46:11.440 --> 00:46:14.400 twenty six year old captain and grabbing ninety points playing 959 00:46:14.440 --> 00:46:15.159 eighty one games. 960 00:46:15.199 --> 00:46:16.840 What does that say to you about this young man? 961 00:46:18.760 --> 00:46:20.639 Well, I mean, I just tells you where he is. 962 00:46:20.679 --> 00:46:23.639 He's an elite class of players. I mean he on 963 00:46:23.679 --> 00:46:27.760 my show NHL wrap Around at the beginning of the year, 964 00:46:28.760 --> 00:46:31.760 we said who we thought, individually, Vic Moore and my 965 00:46:31.880 --> 00:46:34.719 partner and myself who we thought would be who's their 966 00:46:34.840 --> 00:46:37.840 breakout player for the season, And I said it would 967 00:46:37.840 --> 00:46:40.039 be Clayton Keller. In my mind, that's who I was 968 00:46:40.079 --> 00:46:42.599 looking for to have a breakout season, and I think 969 00:46:42.639 --> 00:46:46.119 he did have a breakout season. I think thirty goals 970 00:46:46.159 --> 00:46:50.119 put you in a really elite class of players. There's 971 00:46:50.320 --> 00:46:51.760 not a lot. I don't have it in front of 972 00:46:51.760 --> 00:46:55.039 me how many scored thirty goals this year. But that's 973 00:46:55.039 --> 00:46:57.599 pretty good to get, and he got it on a team, 974 00:46:57.679 --> 00:47:00.320 in all due respect, that didn't make the playoffs. It's 975 00:47:00.360 --> 00:47:03.159 one thing to get thirty goals on the Winnipeg Jets. 976 00:47:03.400 --> 00:47:05.840 It's another thing to get thirty goals on the Utah 977 00:47:05.920 --> 00:47:08.599 Hockey Club who are just clawing and scrapping to try 978 00:47:08.599 --> 00:47:10.920 to get into the playoffs. I think he's I think 979 00:47:10.960 --> 00:47:14.119 he's a great young player. He's got tons of skill, 980 00:47:14.639 --> 00:47:17.199 and he's going to be around a long time and 981 00:47:17.199 --> 00:47:19.119 he's going to excite the fans for a long time. 982 00:47:20.119 --> 00:47:23.400 So at this point, I want you to walk us through, 983 00:47:23.559 --> 00:47:26.679 as somebody who was a general manager in the NHL, 984 00:47:26.760 --> 00:47:33.480 what are the immediate boxes that Bill Armstrong is checking now? 985 00:47:34.039 --> 00:47:37.400 The NHL the regular season isn't even over, let alone 986 00:47:37.400 --> 00:47:37.920 the playoffs. 987 00:47:37.960 --> 00:47:40.559 But the season is over for the Utah Hockey. 988 00:47:40.239 --> 00:47:45.199 Club, So what's the checklist for a general manager? Immediately 989 00:47:45.280 --> 00:47:47.920 right after the season is over. What's happening behind closed 990 00:47:47.960 --> 00:47:48.760 doors down there? 991 00:47:49.960 --> 00:47:53.840 Meetings with their scouting staffs. They'll have a pro scouts 992 00:47:53.920 --> 00:47:57.679 meeting at some point here in the in the during 993 00:47:57.719 --> 00:48:01.719 the playoffs. They'll have amateur scouts meetings at some time 994 00:48:01.840 --> 00:48:05.280 during the playoffs. They're preparing for the amateur draft, which 995 00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:07.920 is coming up in June, and then preparing for July 996 00:48:08.039 --> 00:48:11.840 first for free agency to decide who they who they 997 00:48:11.840 --> 00:48:16.039 want to try to get, and who in the where 998 00:48:16.039 --> 00:48:19.320 they stand in the order for the entry draft, and 999 00:48:19.400 --> 00:48:21.440 who they might be able to you know, who they 1000 00:48:21.519 --> 00:48:24.480 might be able to draft. And that's that's the easy 1001 00:48:24.519 --> 00:48:27.920 stuff as far as it's just what you do. The 1002 00:48:27.920 --> 00:48:30.239 rest of it will be He'll be probably going to 1003 00:48:30.280 --> 00:48:33.480 the World Championships looking at the players playing there that 1004 00:48:33.559 --> 00:48:36.840 are all going to be non playoff players because that's 1005 00:48:36.880 --> 00:48:41.519 where the clubs get their players from, and uh and 1006 00:48:41.519 --> 00:48:45.480 and be judging some some perhaps free agents over there, 1007 00:48:45.840 --> 00:48:52.679 and and continually working and figuring out how to improve 1008 00:48:52.960 --> 00:48:56.280 at each position on the team. It's not like how 1009 00:48:56.280 --> 00:48:58.599 do I improve the team in a macro sense, it's 1010 00:48:58.679 --> 00:49:01.960 more like how I how do I improve our depth 1011 00:49:02.039 --> 00:49:04.800 on defense? How do I What am I going to 1012 00:49:04.880 --> 00:49:10.559 do about the goaltending? And thinking through the milk Ingram 1013 00:49:10.719 --> 00:49:15.840 situation and knowing monitoring that where is that at. There's 1014 00:49:15.880 --> 00:49:18.440 a lot of work to be done, but for a 1015 00:49:18.519 --> 00:49:21.599 GM whose team has missed the playoffs, at least you 1016 00:49:21.639 --> 00:49:24.800 get an early start on it. And so Bill Armstrong 1017 00:49:24.880 --> 00:49:27.159 is getting a very early start. When you think about 1018 00:49:27.159 --> 00:49:30.960 the manager of the Florida Panthers last year, Bill Zito, 1019 00:49:31.960 --> 00:49:37.039 and his counterpart on the Edmonton Oilers, which last year 1020 00:49:37.079 --> 00:49:39.639 was Ken Holland, they don't get to start to really 1021 00:49:39.679 --> 00:49:43.119 work on their stuff until halfway through June because they're 1022 00:49:43.159 --> 00:49:47.239 so occupied with the playoffs and their teams. So the 1023 00:49:47.320 --> 00:49:51.119 non playoff teams, I guess the silver lining would be 1024 00:49:51.239 --> 00:49:55.239 that the managers and the staff get more time to 1025 00:49:55.360 --> 00:49:59.400 work on, you know, improving the club than the teams 1026 00:49:59.400 --> 00:50:01.800 that go into deeper into the playoffs. 1027 00:50:02.119 --> 00:50:05.280 So this could be taken both as good or bad 1028 00:50:05.320 --> 00:50:08.719 news depending on your perspective. So as far as the 1029 00:50:08.760 --> 00:50:11.400 issues that plagued the hockey club that came back to 1030 00:50:11.440 --> 00:50:13.960 bite them, at the end that did not allow them 1031 00:50:14.400 --> 00:50:17.480 to either seriously compete or actually grab one of the 1032 00:50:17.480 --> 00:50:21.320 final two wildcard spots overtime in shootouts, So only the 1033 00:50:21.320 --> 00:50:23.719 Flames in the Canucks had more overtime losses than the 1034 00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:29.679 Utah Hockey Club twelve overtime or shootout losses. It either 1035 00:50:29.760 --> 00:50:32.159 demonstrates that the Utah Hockey Club was in a lot 1036 00:50:32.159 --> 00:50:34.880 of close games and those games, if you consider them 1037 00:50:34.880 --> 00:50:37.599 coin flips, might go the other way next year, or 1038 00:50:37.800 --> 00:50:39.400 they still have a lot of work to do to 1039 00:50:39.400 --> 00:50:42.960 gain experience to win those close games when they put 1040 00:50:42.960 --> 00:50:44.320 themselves in positions to win. 1041 00:50:44.360 --> 00:50:46.320 How do you digest that number, Neil. 1042 00:50:47.880 --> 00:50:51.000 Well, you know that the thing is with the overtime, 1043 00:50:51.239 --> 00:50:55.320 it's a it's a skill competition too, because it's three 1044 00:50:55.400 --> 00:50:59.400 on three and it's just crazy back and forth. And 1045 00:50:59.719 --> 00:51:02.920 the foot out is simply, you know, again, a skills 1046 00:51:02.960 --> 00:51:06.239 competition and who you've got and how much they practice it, 1047 00:51:06.320 --> 00:51:09.920 and how good you're shooting. You know your penalty shot 1048 00:51:09.960 --> 00:51:15.440 shooters are and it's all going to come with getting 1049 00:51:15.679 --> 00:51:20.719 getting better and getting and putting in time. I don't 1050 00:51:20.760 --> 00:51:23.239 I wouldn't read a lot into that because I think 1051 00:51:23.320 --> 00:51:26.920 you can find some elite teams that haven't been good 1052 00:51:27.079 --> 00:51:31.000 in the in the shootout. For example, Vegas is one 1053 00:51:31.039 --> 00:51:33.360 in five in the shootout in their first place. In 1054 00:51:33.440 --> 00:51:38.400 the Pacific, you know LA Kings one and three in 1055 00:51:38.800 --> 00:51:43.280 the shootout. And in the East you've got some good 1056 00:51:43.280 --> 00:51:45.920 teams that aren't good at either. Carolina Hurricanes are zero 1057 00:51:45.920 --> 00:51:49.280 and three in shootout and they've got Sebastian Aajo and 1058 00:51:49.360 --> 00:51:52.559 Seth Jarvis and some other great skilled players. So I 1059 00:51:52.559 --> 00:51:55.199 wouldn't put a lot into it. It's something that the 1060 00:51:55.239 --> 00:51:58.119 coach has you practice three on three because you are 1061 00:51:58.199 --> 00:52:02.880 going to hit that once every four five games. I 1062 00:52:02.960 --> 00:52:06.920 wouldn't start to worry about that number as much as 1063 00:52:08.360 --> 00:52:12.280 finishing teams off in regulation, knowing how to getting and 1064 00:52:12.320 --> 00:52:14.920 putting a system together that says, when we get the 1065 00:52:14.960 --> 00:52:17.480 lead in the third period, we lock it down. There's 1066 00:52:17.519 --> 00:52:19.760 no chance you're scoring on us in the third period, 1067 00:52:20.119 --> 00:52:22.719 coming up with the system that shuts things down. Because 1068 00:52:22.800 --> 00:52:25.039 regulation wins are the big thing you want. That's the 1069 00:52:25.159 --> 00:52:29.800 number one tiebreaker when you're heading into the playoffs, and 1070 00:52:30.880 --> 00:52:34.039 that's where I would be concerned, not about Utah, but 1071 00:52:34.119 --> 00:52:35.960 I mean as a coach of any team, I would 1072 00:52:35.960 --> 00:52:37.840 be concerned about that. We know. 1073 00:52:37.920 --> 00:52:40.480 The other interesting thing is because we talked a lot about, 1074 00:52:40.599 --> 00:52:43.679 you know, the goaltending situation with Mamelcoa and Ingram, and 1075 00:52:43.840 --> 00:52:46.320 you know, Bill Armstrong spent a lot of money and 1076 00:52:46.360 --> 00:52:49.800 made some moves to bring in defensive help. And you know, 1077 00:52:49.920 --> 00:52:54.480 on paper, with Dylan Gunther and Clayton Keller, you probably 1078 00:52:54.519 --> 00:52:57.239 just assumed that the offense was really dynamic. But the 1079 00:52:57.280 --> 00:53:00.039 offense was twenty first and goals per game and the 1080 00:53:00.039 --> 00:53:02.599 power play was fifteenth, which isn't horrible, but it's not 1081 00:53:02.679 --> 00:53:06.400 good either. So you know, with twenty one million dollars 1082 00:53:06.400 --> 00:53:10.239 in cap space and with a bunch of picks first, second, third, fourth, fifth, 1083 00:53:10.239 --> 00:53:13.559 and sixth, I would imagine Bill's priority this year is 1084 00:53:13.599 --> 00:53:17.119 going to improve those numbers with twenty first and goals 1085 00:53:17.119 --> 00:53:20.000 per game, fifteenth in the power play. Any thoughts on 1086 00:53:20.960 --> 00:53:23.719 just positionally, you know, some additions you don't have to 1087 00:53:23.719 --> 00:53:26.039 get specific with names, but where on the roster do 1088 00:53:26.039 --> 00:53:28.679 you think they can improve to make those offensive numbers 1089 00:53:28.719 --> 00:53:29.360 jump a little bit? 1090 00:53:30.519 --> 00:53:32.719 Well, I, first of all, I want to say that 1091 00:53:32.760 --> 00:53:36.159 I think that the maturation process for Gunther and Keller 1092 00:53:36.719 --> 00:53:39.599 will come and naturally they will get more goals, and 1093 00:53:39.639 --> 00:53:42.960 they will get more power play goals. You know, I 1094 00:53:43.000 --> 00:53:45.079 think that the coach has got to tell you why 1095 00:53:45.119 --> 00:53:47.880 the power plays in the middle of the pack. I've 1096 00:53:47.880 --> 00:53:50.519 been watching the New York Islanders all season, as you know, Spence, 1097 00:53:50.559 --> 00:53:53.199 because I go to all their games and they're thirty 1098 00:53:53.199 --> 00:53:56.559 one and thirty two in special teams, so to me, fifteen. 1099 00:53:56.679 --> 00:53:59.360 They would be thrilled if they could be fifteenth. But 1100 00:53:59.440 --> 00:54:01.800 I get what you're saying. It's halfway. It's halfway down 1101 00:54:01.800 --> 00:54:04.639 in the league. You know, maybe they're going to spend 1102 00:54:04.639 --> 00:54:06.840 money to get somebody like Brock Besser, who is the 1103 00:54:07.039 --> 00:54:09.559 I think is the number one free agent coming up 1104 00:54:09.599 --> 00:54:12.840 from Vancouver. Who knows where he's going to end up. 1105 00:54:12.880 --> 00:54:16.039 There's thirty two teams, so you can't say where he's 1106 00:54:16.039 --> 00:54:18.440 going to end up. But certainly I would think that 1107 00:54:18.679 --> 00:54:21.719 Bill would look to use some of that twenty one 1108 00:54:21.760 --> 00:54:26.519 million in cap space and improve perhaps another offensive defenseman, 1109 00:54:26.920 --> 00:54:31.480 perhaps another you know, playmaking centerman, or something that he 1110 00:54:31.800 --> 00:54:37.320 and coach Tourney identify as real needs to improve their 1111 00:54:37.320 --> 00:54:41.880 power play and improve their offensive effects. 1112 00:54:42.280 --> 00:54:45.880 The culture of of pro hockey, the culture of NHL. 1113 00:54:46.159 --> 00:54:48.559 I wonder how would you articulate this to our fan 1114 00:54:48.599 --> 00:54:51.639 base here in Salt Lake, where we have a basketball 1115 00:54:51.679 --> 00:54:56.119 team that often throughout the course of their existence, has 1116 00:54:56.159 --> 00:55:00.559 had a lot of trouble attracting NBA players to come 1117 00:55:00.599 --> 00:55:03.000 here to play, and then the ones that they do draft, 1118 00:55:03.039 --> 00:55:05.599 at least the modern day that turn out to be 1119 00:55:05.639 --> 00:55:09.360 really good, end up leaving, some via trade, some via demand, 1120 00:55:09.440 --> 00:55:13.480 and some via free agency. Darren Williams, Gordon Hayward, Donovan 1121 00:55:13.519 --> 00:55:16.360 mitchell I could go on at a local soccer club 1122 00:55:16.440 --> 00:55:18.800 signed a striker earlier this year that allegedly did not 1123 00:55:18.920 --> 00:55:20.320 want to live in Saul Lake. 1124 00:55:20.760 --> 00:55:22.440 So we have a little PTSD here. 1125 00:55:22.440 --> 00:55:25.159 As far as our teams not being able to attract 1126 00:55:25.199 --> 00:55:28.519 free agency or to attract free agents because we're not 1127 00:55:28.599 --> 00:55:31.840 a destination, do you think that's anything that we'll get 1128 00:55:31.840 --> 00:55:34.199 in the way for the hockey club trying to attract 1129 00:55:34.199 --> 00:55:36.679 talent here or our NHL players a little bit different 1130 00:55:36.679 --> 00:55:39.199 as far as what they look for before signing with a. 1131 00:55:39.119 --> 00:55:45.280 Club, Well, I think almost all the NHL players, certainly 1132 00:55:45.280 --> 00:55:47.480 the ones that become free agency, are veterans, and they 1133 00:55:47.480 --> 00:55:49.719 have friends all throughout the league, and if they don't 1134 00:55:49.719 --> 00:55:53.239 have friends at their agent represent somebody in the league, 1135 00:55:53.360 --> 00:55:56.679 or there's a way to find out about a place 1136 00:55:56.679 --> 00:55:59.440 when you get an offer. So for we were talking 1137 00:55:59.440 --> 00:56:03.840 about this just yesterday about attracting free agents in New 1138 00:56:03.920 --> 00:56:07.000 York and how if word gets around that you haven't 1139 00:56:07.000 --> 00:56:09.840 treated your players very well, nobody's going to want to 1140 00:56:09.880 --> 00:56:12.119 go there, even though it's New York and you know, 1141 00:56:12.199 --> 00:56:15.440 New York's been a destination for years, but they've also 1142 00:56:15.719 --> 00:56:17.760 been the first words you hear out of people is 1143 00:56:17.800 --> 00:56:21.000 how well they're treated. I'm not saying they're not treated 1144 00:56:21.000 --> 00:56:22.960 well now, by the way, I'm just saying, if that's 1145 00:56:23.000 --> 00:56:25.239 the case, I think it all goes into how the 1146 00:56:25.280 --> 00:56:29.119 players are treated, how first class the organization is, and 1147 00:56:29.199 --> 00:56:33.360 that they love to live there. I've never heard ever 1148 00:56:33.639 --> 00:56:35.639 why you wouldn't want to live in Salt Lake City. 1149 00:56:35.679 --> 00:56:39.719 I've only heard good things about it. It is not Ottawa, Ontario, 1150 00:56:39.760 --> 00:56:42.679 where it's you know, you're freezing to death all winter long. 1151 00:56:43.519 --> 00:56:46.239 It is not a small, little, tiny market. It's not 1152 00:56:46.360 --> 00:56:49.440 Buffalo that's missed the playoffs fourteen years in a row. 1153 00:56:49.840 --> 00:56:52.920 It's you know, it's not these other places like that. 1154 00:56:53.360 --> 00:56:55.800 And to be honest with you, it's not Arizona, who 1155 00:56:56.199 --> 00:56:58.800 couldn't attract free agents because they didn't have the money. 1156 00:56:59.000 --> 00:57:01.519 They were cheap on every thing they did. That's not 1157 00:57:01.679 --> 00:57:04.159 the case with Ryan Smith in this ownership group. So 1158 00:57:04.280 --> 00:57:06.800 I don't think you're going to have those problems. I 1159 00:57:06.840 --> 00:57:09.760 would be surprised if you had those problems. I don't 1160 00:57:09.760 --> 00:57:14.760 think hockey players are like that. But they yes, they 1161 00:57:14.800 --> 00:57:18.039 move around, and yes they want as much as they 1162 00:57:18.079 --> 00:57:22.119 can make in their contract to judge themselves as a 1163 00:57:22.119 --> 00:57:25.239 good player. But I don't think you're going to have 1164 00:57:25.320 --> 00:57:28.920 a situation where nobody wants to come to Salt Lake City. 1165 00:57:29.000 --> 00:57:31.559 I find that extremely hard to believe. 1166 00:57:31.960 --> 00:57:35.079 Music to the years of residence here who for years 1167 00:57:35.119 --> 00:57:37.199 have been confused as to why people don't want to 1168 00:57:37.239 --> 00:57:39.079 live here. And you know me, Neil, I grew up 1169 00:57:39.159 --> 00:57:41.960 close to where you know you ran teams and I've 1170 00:57:41.960 --> 00:57:44.280 lived here for twenty plus years. It's good living. I 1171 00:57:44.320 --> 00:57:47.840 don't necessarily know why folks don't. Some folks don't even 1172 00:57:47.840 --> 00:57:49.840 want to give it a try, you know, Like, it's 1173 00:57:49.840 --> 00:57:51.440 odd to me why you wouldn't even want to give 1174 00:57:51.599 --> 00:57:52.519 a place a chance. 1175 00:57:53.800 --> 00:57:57.960 Well, you know what, sometimes people, as you know, the people, 1176 00:57:58.400 --> 00:58:02.599 people judge, and they judge stupidly. You know, the Florida 1177 00:58:02.639 --> 00:58:05.840 Panthers weren't able to attract free agents for years and years, 1178 00:58:05.960 --> 00:58:10.079 and I mean, my goodness, that's Fort Lauderdale area where 1179 00:58:10.079 --> 00:58:14.039 they couldn't get people. So I think people have preconceived 1180 00:58:14.079 --> 00:58:17.519 notions and I don't know what it is, but they 1181 00:58:18.480 --> 00:58:20.639 you know, they I don't want to go here. There 1182 00:58:20.800 --> 00:58:23.360 there are NBA players and tell me, you tell me 1183 00:58:23.440 --> 00:58:25.440 this because you're a lot more dialed into the NBA 1184 00:58:25.559 --> 00:58:25.800 than me. 1185 00:58:25.920 --> 00:58:27.039 I'm probably the least styled. 1186 00:58:27.599 --> 00:58:29.400 I hear there's they don't want to go to Toronto. 1187 00:58:29.480 --> 00:58:31.280 They don't want to play for the Toronto Raptors because 1188 00:58:31.280 --> 00:58:34.440 they don't want to play in Canada. And I mean, 1189 00:58:34.480 --> 00:58:38.760 I'm from Toronto. Toronto is a is a mini New York. 1190 00:58:38.880 --> 00:58:42.519 I mean it's it's it's one of the destinations of 1191 00:58:42.559 --> 00:58:44.880 North America that you'd want to go to. And yet 1192 00:58:44.880 --> 00:58:47.159 I hear that NBA players don't want to play in Toronto, 1193 00:58:47.239 --> 00:58:49.400 so who knows. 1194 00:58:49.840 --> 00:58:50.880 Yeah, that's wild. 1195 00:58:50.960 --> 00:58:52.840 I mean, Toronto is one of my favorite cities I've 1196 00:58:52.840 --> 00:58:55.760 ever visited, and it seems like all the NBA guys 1197 00:58:55.800 --> 00:58:58.360 just want to simply be by a beach and most 1198 00:58:58.360 --> 00:59:01.639 of them want to play in LA or Miami. I 1199 00:59:01.639 --> 00:59:03.440 don't know, maybe it is the cold weather that scares 1200 00:59:03.480 --> 00:59:05.440 them away, but yeah, we tend to run into this 1201 00:59:05.559 --> 00:59:08.960 issue here when it comes to the stick man. 1202 00:59:09.000 --> 00:59:12.440 Look. I've never Neil. I've never pulled any punches. 1203 00:59:12.519 --> 00:59:15.119 I mean, we're not New York, We're not LA, We're 1204 00:59:15.119 --> 00:59:16.519 not Chicago, we're not Miami. 1205 00:59:16.719 --> 00:59:17.199 I get it. 1206 00:59:17.239 --> 00:59:19.840 And we do have residents here that get a little 1207 00:59:19.840 --> 00:59:22.840 bit in their feelings when I say that, And I understand, like, 1208 00:59:22.880 --> 00:59:26.199 if you're looking for a different experience, then maybe Salt 1209 00:59:26.239 --> 00:59:28.880 Lake isn't for you. But if you're looking to simply 1210 00:59:28.880 --> 00:59:31.360 focus on your craft in a very safe place to 1211 00:59:31.440 --> 00:59:33.159 raise a family, you could do a lot worse than 1212 00:59:33.159 --> 00:59:36.320 saw Lake. And I do think the commitment that Ryan 1213 00:59:36.360 --> 00:59:38.440 and Ashley and the ownership group have made would be 1214 00:59:38.559 --> 00:59:42.239 very very attractive for players that maybe don't love playing 1215 00:59:42.280 --> 00:59:45.559 for owners that are not necessarily as invested. I feel 1216 00:59:45.599 --> 00:59:47.760 like they're building something Neil with a good group of 1217 00:59:47.800 --> 00:59:51.039 young players, where maybe the right veterans to expedite the 1218 00:59:51.079 --> 00:59:53.119 process would look at living in a place like this 1219 00:59:53.239 --> 00:59:57.000 where they would like this is not unique to us, 1220 00:59:57.079 --> 01:00:01.440 but residents here have a very very very soft spot 1221 01:00:01.760 --> 01:00:05.239 in their heart for people that adopt this community and 1222 01:00:05.360 --> 01:00:09.199 come into town and play really well or coach really well. 1223 01:00:09.320 --> 01:00:11.320 You know, Jerry Sloan wasn't a Utah and he's a legend. 1224 01:00:11.400 --> 01:00:14.199 John Stockton, Karl Malone, I could tell you about our 1225 01:00:14.480 --> 01:00:17.079 local college football teams, Like, if you decide that you 1226 01:00:17.079 --> 01:00:19.159 want to take a chance on us and you deliver, 1227 01:00:19.400 --> 01:00:21.400 you walk on water around here. 1228 01:00:21.400 --> 01:00:22.239 I can promise you that. 1229 01:00:23.760 --> 01:00:26.280 Well, and Spence, I want to point something else out. 1230 01:00:26.360 --> 01:00:31.119 There is no further outposts in the NHL than Winnipeg. 1231 01:00:31.679 --> 01:00:35.559 And Winnipeg just secured the President's Trophy for this season, 1232 01:00:35.559 --> 01:00:39.320 which represents number one in the entire league. And their 1233 01:00:39.360 --> 01:00:43.360 goaltender is American and he's the best goaltender in the league. 1234 01:00:43.360 --> 01:00:45.800 Connor Hallibuck, he could have gone anywhere he wanted, he's 1235 01:00:45.880 --> 01:00:48.960 that good, and yet he wants to be in Winnipeg. 1236 01:00:49.039 --> 01:00:51.800 Mark Schifeley is one of their stars. He wants to 1237 01:00:51.840 --> 01:00:54.480 be in Winnipeg. Kyle Connor wants to be in Winnipeg. 1238 01:00:54.800 --> 01:00:58.559 So why do I bring up Winnipeg? I mean, come on, 1239 01:00:58.679 --> 01:01:01.400 we can't compare Winnipeg to Salt Lake. And yet the 1240 01:01:01.639 --> 01:01:04.639 players get treated so well there, and the fan base 1241 01:01:04.719 --> 01:01:07.199 is so rapid, and it's so good in the community 1242 01:01:07.239 --> 01:01:10.639 with these players that the players enjoy playing there. And 1243 01:01:11.360 --> 01:01:13.360 it's not like they got to you know, it's not 1244 01:01:13.440 --> 01:01:15.519 like not enough will come that we can even have 1245 01:01:15.559 --> 01:01:18.719 a good team. They've won the regular season of the NHL. 1246 01:01:18.840 --> 01:01:21.360 So I see no reason why this can't happen in 1247 01:01:21.440 --> 01:01:24.840 Salt Lake. As I said, I've been around a long time. 1248 01:01:25.000 --> 01:01:27.159 I've never heard a bad word about Salt Lake ever. 1249 01:01:27.880 --> 01:01:29.679 All Right, Neil, before I say you lose, here's how 1250 01:01:29.679 --> 01:01:32.599 I'm gonna pose the question I want you to give me. 1251 01:01:33.079 --> 01:01:34.880 As we sit here on the precipice of. 1252 01:01:34.880 --> 01:01:38.039 The playoffs, a favorite in both the East and the 1253 01:01:38.039 --> 01:01:40.320 West and a dark horse in both the East and 1254 01:01:40.360 --> 01:01:42.719 the West to come out of the Stanley Cup playoffs 1255 01:01:42.719 --> 01:01:44.800 and maybe lift Lord Stanley's Cup. 1256 01:01:47.599 --> 01:01:50.920 I'm going to say that the Winnipeg I'm going to 1257 01:01:50.960 --> 01:01:53.280 go to the obvious Winnipeg, that the team we just 1258 01:01:53.360 --> 01:01:56.760 spoke about, and the dark horse is going to be Colorado. Now, 1259 01:01:58.000 --> 01:01:59.920 one of those two is going to be gone after 1260 01:02:00.079 --> 01:02:04.280 the second round for sure, because Winnipeg will play St. 1261 01:02:04.320 --> 01:02:07.719 Louis in the first round. Colorado will play Dallas. Whoever 1262 01:02:07.800 --> 01:02:11.960 survives out of Dallas in Colorado will probably play Winnipeg 1263 01:02:12.039 --> 01:02:14.719 if Winnipeg does what they're supposed to do and eliminate 1264 01:02:14.760 --> 01:02:18.119 Saint Louis. But that's through the two that I think 1265 01:02:18.159 --> 01:02:21.320 in the West. In the East, I'm not sure about 1266 01:02:21.320 --> 01:02:24.000 the Capitals. They came down the stretch, they didn't play 1267 01:02:24.000 --> 01:02:28.519 that well. It seemed like everything was about Ovechkin's plot, 1268 01:02:28.639 --> 01:02:31.719 you know, getting that record, and ever since they were 1269 01:02:31.800 --> 01:02:35.079 focused on that, they really haven't played that well. I'm 1270 01:02:35.119 --> 01:02:38.320 really not a fan of them going deep in the 1271 01:02:38.320 --> 01:02:41.000 playoffs this year. I love their team during the regular season, 1272 01:02:41.079 --> 01:02:43.239 but I'm not sure about that. I think that in 1273 01:02:44.480 --> 01:02:51.079 that in the Eastern Conference, I love Florida and maybe 1274 01:02:51.320 --> 01:02:54.159 Toronto could be the dark horse. Maybe for the first 1275 01:02:54.199 --> 01:02:58.079 time since nineteen sixty seven, my hometown could be a 1276 01:02:58.159 --> 01:03:01.639 dark horse to come out of the East. The reason 1277 01:03:01.679 --> 01:03:04.199 I don't say Tampa is because Florida and Tampa are 1278 01:03:04.239 --> 01:03:05.760 going to play in the first round, and one of 1279 01:03:05.760 --> 01:03:09.159 those two teams, and they're both fabulous teams, is going 1280 01:03:09.199 --> 01:03:13.079 to be gone. So you know, that's that's the answer 1281 01:03:13.119 --> 01:03:15.559 to the question. Florida and Toronto in the East and 1282 01:03:15.639 --> 01:03:17.960 as I said, in the West, I think Winnipeg and Colorado. 1283 01:03:18.639 --> 01:03:20.519 Why do you tell all of our listeners where they 1284 01:03:20.519 --> 01:03:21.440 can go find the pod? 1285 01:03:22.599 --> 01:03:25.079 Well, they can find it on any platform. But if 1286 01:03:25.079 --> 01:03:26.960 you want to look at if you want to watch 1287 01:03:26.960 --> 01:03:29.599 it and see the guests like Paul Maurice and and 1288 01:03:30.599 --> 01:03:33.480 Sam Rose and we had on this week, that's dropped. 1289 01:03:34.119 --> 01:03:36.559 That drops today. I believe we had Sam. That was 1290 01:03:36.559 --> 01:03:40.480 a fantastic one. You know Sam, Sam forty years doing 1291 01:03:40.599 --> 01:03:43.880 Ranger games and a great friend of mine from wayback. 1292 01:03:44.320 --> 01:03:47.960 It's on all the different podcast platforms anywhere where you 1293 01:03:48.079 --> 01:03:52.119 find a podcast. If you put in NHL wrap around, 1294 01:03:52.199 --> 01:03:54.039 you'd be sure to come up with And I hope 1295 01:03:54.079 --> 01:03:56.480 folks are listening, and I hope folks in Salt Lake 1296 01:03:57.239 --> 01:04:01.239 have really started to enjoy the podcas Cast and listen 1297 01:04:01.320 --> 01:04:03.519 to it. I got to tell you, Spence before I go, 1298 01:04:03.519 --> 01:04:06.760 who I was with last night. Please do you'll enjoy this? 1299 01:04:07.880 --> 01:04:08.840 Mike Richter? 1300 01:04:09.199 --> 01:04:10.960 Oh wow, oh wow. 1301 01:04:11.159 --> 01:04:11.320 Yeah. 1302 01:04:11.400 --> 01:04:14.440 I took Mike Richter come to the hockey game with 1303 01:04:14.519 --> 01:04:18.760 me and he's great. He's such a great guy. And 1304 01:04:19.039 --> 01:04:22.480 you know, he's he's good, he's affable. You know, take 1305 01:04:22.519 --> 01:04:25.360 as many pictures as you want, sign autographs and all that, 1306 01:04:25.679 --> 01:04:28.679 and even without his mask on, everybody recognized him and 1307 01:04:28.760 --> 01:04:31.159 wanted to talk to him. And this was at the 1308 01:04:31.199 --> 01:04:34.639 Islander Arena, not at the Rangers Arena, at the Islanders Arena. 1309 01:04:34.719 --> 01:04:37.719 So it was really fun to be with Mike last 1310 01:04:37.840 --> 01:04:39.639 last night. And what a great guy. 1311 01:04:39.800 --> 01:04:42.400 Oh yeah, he's the best, a legend. That's awesome, Neil, 1312 01:04:42.440 --> 01:04:44.119 Thank you for the time, sir. Even though the hockey 1313 01:04:44.159 --> 01:04:46.760 club season's over, do not think you're off the hook. 1314 01:04:46.800 --> 01:04:49.079 We will be bothering you throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs. 1315 01:04:49.079 --> 01:04:50.159 If that's okay with you, sir. 1316 01:04:50.960 --> 01:04:53.079 I'm happy to be bothered by you, all right. 1317 01:04:53.079 --> 01:04:56.320 I appreciate it. Be well, thank you, Thank you, all right. 1318 01:04:56.360 --> 01:04:58.800 The great Neil Smith, general manager of the Rangers and 1319 01:04:58.800 --> 01:05:02.079 the Islanders, one of the headscts for the Detroit Red 1320 01:05:02.079 --> 01:05:05.119 Wings during the eighties when they were winning everything. 1321 01:05:05.159 --> 01:05:06.559 I always appreciate Neil's time. 1322 01:05:06.559 --> 01:05:10.119 He's got a great podcast, NHL wrap Around, So go 1323 01:05:10.159 --> 01:05:12.880 to NHL Wraparound dot com if you're interested in learning 1324 01:05:12.960 --> 01:05:15.239 more about this new league and this new sport. There 1325 01:05:15.320 --> 01:05:16.920 was a lot of fun to have here for year 1326 01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:19.920 one and excited for the future of the Utah Hockey Club. 1327 01:05:19.960 --> 01:05:22.880 Neil stops spot today courtesy of our friends at IFA 1328 01:05:22.960 --> 01:05:26.039 Country Stores. Have you ignored your lawn care because the 1329 01:05:26.079 --> 01:05:28.559 weather has not been warm consistently, Well, it's time now 1330 01:05:28.639 --> 01:05:32.559 to think about caring for your yard. At IFA Country Stores, 1331 01:05:32.880 --> 01:05:34.719 they have everything you need to care for your lawn, 1332 01:05:34.760 --> 01:05:36.880 no matter its size or shape. Their four plus lawn 1333 01:05:36.920 --> 01:05:40.559 care program could promote healthy green grass this summer. Visit 1334 01:05:40.599 --> 01:05:42.880 with their team of pro turf and landscape consultants that 1335 01:05:42.920 --> 01:05:46.320 help provide products and services to local baseball and soccer fields, 1336 01:05:46.360 --> 01:05:49.960 golf courses, parks, and other city properties throughout Utah. It's 1337 01:05:50.000 --> 01:05:51.960 the same knowledge and care they can share with you 1338 01:05:52.159 --> 01:05:53.000 about your yard. 1339 01:05:53.480 --> 01:05:54.239 You know, a little. 1340 01:05:54.039 --> 01:05:56.840 Florida Georgia line might go a long way if we're 1341 01:05:56.880 --> 01:05:59.400 just going to play singer songwriters that seem to be 1342 01:05:59.480 --> 01:06:01.719 depressed all the time and whiskey is the only thing 1343 01:06:01.719 --> 01:06:02.679 that makes him feel better. 1344 01:06:04.880 --> 01:06:07.079 So I guess maybe maybe you're looking for a different 1345 01:06:07.400 --> 01:06:08.360 type of country than. 1346 01:06:08.440 --> 01:06:10.000 Well, here's the deal, good good. 1347 01:06:10.760 --> 01:06:13.320 I was trying to find the hipster country, like what 1348 01:06:13.440 --> 01:06:16.159 lane that is? So I went like way out there 1349 01:06:16.159 --> 01:06:18.960 on the last one that was Ringo Star by the way, Wow, 1350 01:06:19.119 --> 01:06:22.760 I think that's hipster like he's a original like hip 1351 01:06:23.039 --> 01:06:27.800 guy on the country in two tenty twenty five. This one, 1352 01:06:28.159 --> 01:06:31.559 I don't know. I listened to like although you think 1353 01:06:31.599 --> 01:06:34.440 it may be hipster country, it's like just not popular. 1354 01:06:34.519 --> 01:06:38.239 It's classic, I would say, traditional, or like country in 1355 01:06:38.280 --> 01:06:44.599 Western so really old gene autry or guys that just 1356 01:06:44.679 --> 01:06:46.599 play a guitar and sit on a stool like that's 1357 01:06:46.719 --> 01:06:48.000 I don't know, that's just what I listened. 1358 01:06:48.039 --> 01:06:50.079 Well, let's get a little genautry up in here. So 1359 01:06:50.079 --> 01:06:52.039 who is that that you just played? That was Theo Laurence. 1360 01:06:52.039 --> 01:06:54.840 So it's a newer song, newer artist. But yeah, he 1361 01:06:55.000 --> 01:06:59.199 I mean it's it's just acoustic barstool and guys singing. 1362 01:06:59.400 --> 01:07:02.079 But why can't they sing about happy things? That's the 1363 01:07:02.119 --> 01:07:04.360 thing about like some of the country music. But it's 1364 01:07:04.400 --> 01:07:07.760 always I'll get you, I'll get you. Okay, Please don't 1365 01:07:07.800 --> 01:07:10.079 just like uplift a little and play little Johnny Cash 1366 01:07:10.079 --> 01:07:11.639 if you want, play some of the old stuff you 1367 01:07:11.679 --> 01:07:13.679 listen to. But it seems like and I'm not a 1368 01:07:13.800 --> 01:07:18.639 country music uh savant by any means, I have more 1369 01:07:18.679 --> 01:07:22.400 recently just become uh you know, into a place where 1370 01:07:22.400 --> 01:07:24.840 I embrace it and okay, like give people a chance, 1371 01:07:24.880 --> 01:07:28.840 don't be such a snob. And it's all like my 1372 01:07:28.920 --> 01:07:32.039 wife left me, my girl took off, like the crops 1373 01:07:32.079 --> 01:07:32.599 are in trouble. 1374 01:07:32.639 --> 01:07:34.280 So I'm just gonna drink whiskey and be sad. 1375 01:07:34.679 --> 01:07:38.079 I mean, there is some of those themes. There's no 1376 01:07:38.119 --> 01:07:38.639 doubt about that. 1377 01:07:38.760 --> 01:07:38.960 Yah. 1378 01:07:40.320 --> 01:07:43.119 I guess you have a point. And there could be 1379 01:07:43.239 --> 01:07:47.760 maybe less of that, but I don't know. It's it's uh, 1380 01:07:47.960 --> 01:07:48.519 it's real. 1381 01:07:48.559 --> 01:07:52.360 I guess, well, look sing about the struggle, sing about life, 1382 01:07:52.360 --> 01:07:54.760 but like let's just mix it up a Look, there've 1383 01:07:54.840 --> 01:07:56.079 gotta be some fun things. 1384 01:07:56.119 --> 01:07:56.639 Cowboys. 1385 01:07:56.719 --> 01:07:58.280 I got your cowboys do? 1386 01:07:59.000 --> 01:08:03.039 I mean, you're rope and steer, you're at your line dancing, 1387 01:08:03.119 --> 01:08:06.000 you're square dancing, You're at the Westerner on a Saturday night, 1388 01:08:06.079 --> 01:08:09.280 hanging out, drinking some beers, meeting some women. And it 1389 01:08:09.360 --> 01:08:11.360 can't all just be like my woman left me. And 1390 01:08:11.400 --> 01:08:13.519 so I've got a numb my brain. And so it's 1391 01:08:13.519 --> 01:08:17.920 gonna be whiskey tonight and bud light tomorrow. Maybe I'm projecting, maybe, 1392 01:08:18.119 --> 01:08:19.880 and if we need to have a conversation about that, 1393 01:08:19.920 --> 01:08:21.520 we can have a conversation about. 1394 01:08:21.239 --> 01:08:25.239 It no, actually, no, no brown water for me. All 1395 01:08:25.279 --> 01:08:26.119 of this year so far. 1396 01:08:26.159 --> 01:08:28.399 I am proud of you. I don't care of last year. 1397 01:08:28.439 --> 01:08:30.600 I don't care if it was Anthrew Cuberman or whatever. 1398 01:08:30.680 --> 01:08:33.079 I'm proud of you for making that change because you 1399 01:08:33.119 --> 01:08:34.279 gotta be careful with that stuff. 1400 01:08:34.359 --> 01:08:38.840 Yeah, but y'all, next song, next song, Okay, it'll be 1401 01:08:38.840 --> 01:08:42.159 country and western stuff, but there'll be a different vibe 1402 01:08:42.159 --> 01:08:42.800 to how about that? 1403 01:08:42.880 --> 01:08:44.359 So I know you're not a big Zach Bryan guy. 1404 01:08:44.479 --> 01:08:47.880 I know Zach Bryan's like this uber popular country singer 1405 01:08:47.920 --> 01:08:52.239 songwriter who's not being boxed into country because he's crossed 1406 01:08:52.239 --> 01:08:55.479 over lines. But it seems like Zach Bryan sings a 1407 01:08:55.520 --> 01:08:58.760 lot of duets with female country singers, and all the 1408 01:08:58.800 --> 01:09:01.279 duets are like, Zach, you're drinking so much whiskey. Stop 1409 01:09:01.359 --> 01:09:04.680 drinking whiskey. And he's like, hey, it helps, and they're like, okay, well, 1410 01:09:04.720 --> 01:09:08.239 you're ruining our relationship. Like the themes are the same with 1411 01:09:08.279 --> 01:09:09.840 all the Zach Bryan duett. 1412 01:09:09.760 --> 01:09:14.159 Yeah, you're you're not wrong there, and listen, you're you're 1413 01:09:14.159 --> 01:09:16.319 not wrong about it being like an overarching theme of 1414 01:09:16.359 --> 01:09:20.760 country music, like there's a there's a song from the eighties. 1415 01:09:20.800 --> 01:09:25.399 That's kind of playing off that, and it's talking about 1416 01:09:26.159 --> 01:09:31.159 railroads and you know, your truck and all of this, 1417 01:09:31.279 --> 01:09:33.680 and it's it's kind of just playing off of what 1418 01:09:33.800 --> 01:09:38.479 is the stereotypical country song. So I get it. I 1419 01:09:38.560 --> 01:09:38.880 get it. 1420 01:09:39.439 --> 01:09:42.640 But we'll we'll expand our our horizons here next. 1421 01:09:42.680 --> 01:09:45.039 Fair Enough Supporter is in charge of the music today 1422 01:09:45.159 --> 01:09:47.439 because I know he gets tired of me ruining his 1423 01:09:47.479 --> 01:09:49.319 algorithm by sending him songs. 1424 01:09:49.920 --> 01:09:51.520 So we're doing a little country all right. 1425 01:09:51.560 --> 01:09:54.000 We're gonna send you to golf at Mountaindale today, all right, 1426 01:09:54.359 --> 01:09:55.680 one of my favorite tracks. 1427 01:09:55.760 --> 01:09:56.279 I'll be there. 1428 01:09:56.439 --> 01:10:00.399 Let's see on Saturday, I'm gonna play a little outain Dell 1429 01:10:00.479 --> 01:10:03.439 Lake on Saturday. So it's the ESPN Festival at Teas. 1430 01:10:03.479 --> 01:10:06.439 It's powered by the Utah Golf Association. Each day of spring, 1431 01:10:06.479 --> 01:10:09.000 we are giving away rounds of golf to the best 1432 01:10:09.039 --> 01:10:11.479 courses in the state. So listen to The Down and 1433 01:10:11.520 --> 01:10:13.800 Dirty with Scott Mitchell, the Sean o'connells Show, and then 1434 01:10:13.800 --> 01:10:16.039 this program. The drive was spent checkets from two to 1435 01:10:16.079 --> 01:10:18.399 six for your chance to win each day from ESPN 1436 01:10:18.439 --> 01:10:22.479 seven hundred and the Utah Golf Association. Details can be 1437 01:10:22.520 --> 01:10:26.520 found on ESPN seven hundred sports dot com. So mountainde 1438 01:10:26.760 --> 01:10:29.159 one of the best tracks. Right up the Canyon, It's beautiful. 1439 01:10:29.199 --> 01:10:31.279 They just opened last week. I played there. The course 1440 01:10:31.399 --> 01:10:34.079 is in great shape. Text in eight seven seven three 1441 01:10:34.119 --> 01:10:36.920 five three zero seven hundred. Maybe we'll ask the listeners 1442 01:10:36.920 --> 01:10:40.079 to text in their favorite country music artists. Okay, you 1443 01:10:40.119 --> 01:10:42.279 have a different idea, No, I like that. Okay, I 1444 01:10:42.319 --> 01:10:44.399 got the rest of them. But the listeners get one 1445 01:10:44.680 --> 01:10:45.279 choice today. 1446 01:10:45.920 --> 01:10:46.800 One choice. 1447 01:10:46.960 --> 01:10:49.960 Text in a country music song that you would like 1448 01:10:50.000 --> 01:10:53.159 to hear Porter play on the program today. And if 1449 01:10:53.199 --> 01:10:56.000 it includes numbing your mind with little bourbon because your 1450 01:10:56.039 --> 01:10:58.800 woman left you and your cows aren't producing whatever they do, 1451 01:10:59.039 --> 01:10:59.439 I don't know. 1452 01:11:00.760 --> 01:11:03.760 You've heard my spiel. It's traditional country. It's country in 1453 01:11:03.840 --> 01:11:06.439 Western So if you if you go down that lane, 1454 01:11:06.920 --> 01:11:10.920 you may be more inclined to get on the show. 1455 01:11:10.960 --> 01:11:11.760 Okay, fair enough. 1456 01:11:11.800 --> 01:11:14.000 And then if Porter picked your song, he's going to 1457 01:11:14.039 --> 01:11:15.640 send you to golf and boundell for free. 1458 01:11:15.800 --> 01:11:17.960 Porter stand the mic. Let's do a little college football. 1459 01:11:18.000 --> 01:11:24.640 So Nico Iamaliava, the Tennessee quarterback transfer who's been receiving 1460 01:11:24.640 --> 01:11:27.720 a ton of attention because he I've heard the term 1461 01:11:27.880 --> 01:11:30.319 held out and you know. 1462 01:11:30.359 --> 01:11:32.840 If you listen to the show. First of all, thank you, hello, 1463 01:11:32.920 --> 01:11:33.319 how are you? 1464 01:11:33.359 --> 01:11:36.239 Second of all, For years, I simply have said, ever 1465 01:11:36.279 --> 01:11:39.840 since the transfer of Portal and the NIL situation became 1466 01:11:39.840 --> 01:11:42.600 a reality, it is time for the sport to lean 1467 01:11:42.600 --> 01:11:45.199 into the pro model as soon as they possibly can. 1468 01:11:45.279 --> 01:11:47.560 And the reason I said that is if you lean 1469 01:11:47.600 --> 01:11:50.199 into the pro model and allow the athletes to unionize 1470 01:11:50.199 --> 01:11:52.560 and collectively barred and there's a lot of complications, but 1471 01:11:52.640 --> 01:11:56.319 what you eliminate are players coming and going every few months, 1472 01:11:56.319 --> 01:11:58.359 and then you have some uniformity as far as a 1473 01:11:58.399 --> 01:12:01.760 salary cap or a salary struck. Sure concerning what you 1474 01:12:01.800 --> 01:12:05.800 can play pay each player. Quarterbacks may be different because 1475 01:12:05.840 --> 01:12:08.199 they're valued higher, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It's 1476 01:12:08.199 --> 01:12:10.960 the same thing the NFL does, and as a result 1477 01:12:11.039 --> 01:12:13.880 of the landscape of college football, situations like this were 1478 01:12:13.880 --> 01:12:17.520 inevitable and will continue. So Nico is landed at UCLA now. 1479 01:12:18.000 --> 01:12:21.279 According to reports, Utah's first game of the season against 1480 01:12:21.600 --> 01:12:24.920 Nico iam Aliava and the UCLA Bruins, they have a 1481 01:12:24.960 --> 01:12:29.239 new quarterback. Did you digest this as something overly problematic 1482 01:12:29.359 --> 01:12:32.319 or do you think as most college football people I 1483 01:12:32.359 --> 01:12:34.359 respect and I've listened to, seem to talk about, this 1484 01:12:34.439 --> 01:12:37.840 is just an inevitable part of the changes and the 1485 01:12:37.840 --> 01:12:38.760 growth of this sport. 1486 01:12:38.840 --> 01:12:41.600 Yeah, this is an inevitable step that you know, kind 1487 01:12:41.600 --> 01:12:43.760 of surprise we haven't seen more of it, and frankly 1488 01:12:43.800 --> 01:12:47.319 you have if you're in touch with folks around college football. 1489 01:12:47.760 --> 01:12:50.720 These things are happening behind the scenes in a lot 1490 01:12:50.760 --> 01:12:53.680 of different places. That's why kids are moving, It's why 1491 01:12:53.760 --> 01:12:57.279 kids are understanding that they're not going to get a 1492 01:12:57.319 --> 01:13:00.680 spot on this team. And that used to mean you 1493 01:13:00.720 --> 01:13:03.560 don't have a scholarship. That used to mean, you know, 1494 01:13:03.640 --> 01:13:05.199 maybe you're gonna gray shirt for us and be on 1495 01:13:05.239 --> 01:13:07.600 the practice squad. Now it means you're not getting paid. 1496 01:13:07.720 --> 01:13:11.239 Now it means you don't have anil collective deal with us. 1497 01:13:11.279 --> 01:13:15.119 Now you know, it means different things. But it's nothing 1498 01:13:15.159 --> 01:13:18.279 new in college football. What happened with the Tennessee thing 1499 01:13:18.319 --> 01:13:22.000 as it went public, and it seemed to me that 1500 01:13:22.319 --> 01:13:27.439 pretty much from the beginning, Nico approached Tennessee or Nico's people, 1501 01:13:27.840 --> 01:13:30.600 his agent, whatever the hell it is, because there are 1502 01:13:30.600 --> 01:13:33.159 no parameters on that and it doesn't there's nothing to 1503 01:13:33.760 --> 01:13:38.399 tell us who should be making those negotiations. Gave Tennessee 1504 01:13:38.399 --> 01:13:41.600 a number and Tennessee said no, like pretty early in 1505 01:13:41.600 --> 01:13:46.119 that process, and then Nico his people were shopping that around. 1506 01:13:46.199 --> 01:13:51.319 They're you know, hey, our talents are available, and Tennessee 1507 01:13:51.399 --> 01:13:54.119 kind of said, yeah, we don't. We're not playing this game. 1508 01:13:54.880 --> 01:13:57.600 We have a number that we can do. It's not 1509 01:13:57.760 --> 01:14:00.319 that and we don't think you're necessarily worth that is 1510 01:14:00.359 --> 01:14:03.800 a player. Obviously, you know they had some up and 1511 01:14:03.840 --> 01:14:09.399 downs over the course of last season, but I think that, really, Spence, 1512 01:14:09.439 --> 01:14:11.640 this is something we should expect to see more and 1513 01:14:11.680 --> 01:14:17.039 more of in college football, and Nico probably did a 1514 01:14:17.119 --> 01:14:19.479 service to a lot of college football players around the 1515 01:14:19.520 --> 01:14:22.600 country that are going down this path thinking that they 1516 01:14:22.600 --> 01:14:26.079 have more power than they do at the moment. Spence, 1517 01:14:27.199 --> 01:14:30.840 your power as a college football player is in the NIL. 1518 01:14:31.199 --> 01:14:33.880 There's not a collective bargaining agreement. You do not have 1519 01:14:33.920 --> 01:14:37.319 a players association, you don't have a player's association president. 1520 01:14:37.399 --> 01:14:40.760 Going out and working on your behalf, you have to 1521 01:14:40.800 --> 01:14:43.880 look out for yourself and your NIL, and you have 1522 01:14:43.960 --> 01:14:48.319 to be very careful of not making that something separate 1523 01:14:48.319 --> 01:14:50.840 from the football team, because then you may be kind 1524 01:14:50.840 --> 01:14:53.159 of hung out to dry like Nico is. Part of 1525 01:14:53.199 --> 01:14:57.039 it is owndoing, and part of it just Tennessee saying, hey, not. 1526 01:14:57.039 --> 01:14:58.720 Worth the number that you're trying to give us. 1527 01:14:58.560 --> 01:15:02.800 It's business and a lot of eighteen nineteen year olds 1528 01:15:02.800 --> 01:15:04.800 are going to learn business pretty quick in the college 1529 01:15:04.840 --> 01:15:05.399 football world. 1530 01:15:05.479 --> 01:15:08.079 Yeah, And part of if you know, if I don't 1531 01:15:08.119 --> 01:15:11.840 continue down the theme of what I've been preaching for years, 1532 01:15:11.880 --> 01:15:15.319 and I'll sound like a hypocrite. Part of leaning into 1533 01:15:15.479 --> 01:15:20.319 the pro model and part of allowing athletes to unionize 1534 01:15:20.319 --> 01:15:24.439 and collectively bargained does bring a negotiation element to contract 1535 01:15:24.439 --> 01:15:28.479 discussions that make college football fans really uncomfortable. Like one 1536 01:15:28.520 --> 01:15:31.079 of the things that I just think is really misguided 1537 01:15:31.199 --> 01:15:33.439 or all the people that have been piling on Nico 1538 01:15:34.560 --> 01:15:38.640 for what I perceived to be simply a play to 1539 01:15:38.680 --> 01:15:42.039 try to maximize your talent. Now, because we're all accustomed 1540 01:15:42.039 --> 01:15:45.359 to the propaganda that we've been fed for years by 1541 01:15:45.399 --> 01:15:48.399 decision makers and college athletics where we say dumb things 1542 01:15:48.479 --> 01:15:51.720 like student athlete, and we use dumb things and dumb 1543 01:15:51.720 --> 01:15:55.319 words that really are farcical, like amateurism. We're all kind 1544 01:15:55.359 --> 01:15:58.920 of conditioned to believe that these young men should be 1545 01:15:58.960 --> 01:16:01.600 grateful just for the opportunity to play college football. Well, 1546 01:16:01.640 --> 01:16:03.439 if you still think like that, it's time to pay 1547 01:16:03.479 --> 01:16:06.319 attention because those days are long gone. 1548 01:16:06.800 --> 01:16:07.119 Okay. 1549 01:16:07.159 --> 01:16:09.439 It's kind of like this weird dynamic that's happening in 1550 01:16:09.479 --> 01:16:14.600 provo with BYU clearly outbidding teams for basketball players. Yet 1551 01:16:14.600 --> 01:16:18.399 they're in house media and I'm using median air quotes 1552 01:16:18.399 --> 01:16:22.039 because they actually work for BYU, are being forced to 1553 01:16:22.159 --> 01:16:24.760 go on social media to further this narrative. It's like, no, 1554 01:16:24.840 --> 01:16:29.680 it's not about money, it's about love and development and work. Well, okay, 1555 01:16:30.079 --> 01:16:34.079 like stop stop stop trying to muddy the way. Stop 1556 01:16:34.199 --> 01:16:38.239 pulling as Steve Bannon when it comes to your athletic department, 1557 01:16:38.319 --> 01:16:42.000 call it what it is. You are modernizing your approach 1558 01:16:42.479 --> 01:16:44.439 and you are keeping up with the Joneses with the 1559 01:16:44.479 --> 01:16:49.079 ability to write checks alongside Kentucky and Carolina and Duke, 1560 01:16:49.319 --> 01:16:49.840 et cetera. 1561 01:16:49.960 --> 01:16:51.319 And there's nothing wrong with it. 1562 01:16:51.800 --> 01:16:54.039 I just don't understand why you have to convolute the 1563 01:16:54.079 --> 01:16:56.479 message when everybody can see exactly what's going on. 1564 01:16:56.640 --> 01:16:58.720 Don't tell me I'm not seeing what I'm seeing. 1565 01:16:59.359 --> 01:17:01.119 It's one of the problems with this whole approach of 1566 01:17:01.199 --> 01:17:05.319 muddying the waters and you know, flooding the zone with 1567 01:17:05.439 --> 01:17:08.479 misinformation to distract people from what actually is going on. 1568 01:17:08.560 --> 01:17:11.640 It's a trick in religion and politics that they use everywhere, 1569 01:17:12.079 --> 01:17:15.039 and now it's heaped into sports, certainly culturally in certain 1570 01:17:15.079 --> 01:17:19.119 places more than other places. But this whole movement to 1571 01:17:19.199 --> 01:17:22.359 try to distract people from what's actually going on with 1572 01:17:22.399 --> 01:17:25.920 BYU basketball, Because what's actually going on with BYU basketball 1573 01:17:26.479 --> 01:17:28.720 is the Royal Blue Collective, as a result of their 1574 01:17:28.840 --> 01:17:32.920 nine seven figure donors, has the ability to pay aj 1575 01:17:33.079 --> 01:17:36.479 debantsas seven million dollars for five months of basketball, or 1576 01:17:36.560 --> 01:17:39.880 pay the Baylor the guard they got from Baylor three 1577 01:17:39.920 --> 01:17:43.840 point five million dollars reported by Jeff Goodman, Like, we 1578 01:17:44.000 --> 01:17:47.920 know what's happening, So don't try to convolute the message 1579 01:17:47.960 --> 01:17:50.800 and lie to people, straight up fool people and lie 1580 01:17:50.840 --> 01:17:53.600 to people like, No, these young men care about the 1581 01:17:54.199 --> 01:18:00.479 love culture of BYU. They care about the family community 1582 01:18:00.600 --> 01:18:02.039 and the feel around campus. 1583 01:18:02.119 --> 01:18:02.840 No they don't. 1584 01:18:03.560 --> 01:18:05.520 They care about the seven million dollars you're paying for 1585 01:18:05.600 --> 01:18:08.239 you're paying for them to play, And yes, do they 1586 01:18:08.359 --> 01:18:11.279 like the ability that Kevin Young seems to have to 1587 01:18:11.439 --> 01:18:14.640 develop players and the message that he is able to 1588 01:18:14.640 --> 01:18:17.600 bring them that he coached Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, 1589 01:18:17.640 --> 01:18:18.880 Chris Paul. If you want to know how to be 1590 01:18:18.880 --> 01:18:20.920 a pro, come play for me. Certainly that's part of it. 1591 01:18:20.960 --> 01:18:22.119 But you know what, the bigger part of it is 1592 01:18:22.159 --> 01:18:23.840 the fact that you can write checks. So stop lying 1593 01:18:23.880 --> 01:18:26.560 about it. And like everything else has come out of 1594 01:18:26.560 --> 01:18:30.680 this Nico situation with the college Football Transfer Portal, he 1595 01:18:30.840 --> 01:18:34.399 simply and maybe he was getting bad advice because again 1596 01:18:34.479 --> 01:18:36.279 back to the way we're all conditioned to think about 1597 01:18:36.279 --> 01:18:38.880 college football, Nico was being paid two and a half 1598 01:18:38.880 --> 01:18:42.119 million dollars to play college football at Tennessee. And because 1599 01:18:42.199 --> 01:18:44.760 just a few years ago none of these guys were 1600 01:18:44.800 --> 01:18:47.600 being paid anything other than their stipends and their scholarships, 1601 01:18:47.960 --> 01:18:49.840 we all hear two and a half million dollars as 1602 01:18:49.840 --> 01:18:51.560 a nineteen year old to play college football, and we 1603 01:18:51.600 --> 01:18:53.239 say you should be grateful for what you have. 1604 01:18:54.039 --> 01:18:55.000 Well, look in the mirror. 1605 01:18:55.039 --> 01:18:57.600 If you have the opportunity to leverage your talents to 1606 01:18:57.640 --> 01:18:59.319 go to your boss to try to get more money, 1607 01:18:59.319 --> 01:19:00.319 are you going to do that? 1608 01:19:00.840 --> 01:19:02.399 You would be an idiot if you said no. 1609 01:19:03.359 --> 01:19:06.680 So the venom that has gone in his direction is 1610 01:19:06.840 --> 01:19:09.319 entirely misguided. And if you are that old school guy 1611 01:19:09.319 --> 01:19:12.079 that says a scholarship is enough value for college football, 1612 01:19:12.399 --> 01:19:14.800 well you need to find something else to watch, because 1613 01:19:14.800 --> 01:19:18.960 that mentality is as antiquated and dated as watching a 1614 01:19:19.039 --> 01:19:21.439 black and white television when you have the ability to 1615 01:19:21.520 --> 01:19:23.800 watch in all of its glory with the way we 1616 01:19:23.800 --> 01:19:27.079 can watch TV these days, like it's simply a different 1617 01:19:27.119 --> 01:19:29.800 time now, And it looks like Nico. I don't know 1618 01:19:29.800 --> 01:19:32.359 what he got with UCLA, but he is going to UCLA. 1619 01:19:32.800 --> 01:19:35.159 And so that opening game for Utah football just got 1620 01:19:35.199 --> 01:19:37.760 a lot more interesting because the world of sports and 1621 01:19:37.880 --> 01:19:40.039 college football had been on this story. And I have 1622 01:19:40.119 --> 01:19:43.279 no problem with Josh Heipel, the head coach of Tennessee, 1623 01:19:43.399 --> 01:19:46.800 essentially sending the message like nobody's bigger than our program. 1624 01:19:46.800 --> 01:19:49.079 I would imagine coach wit would do something similar. So 1625 01:19:49.680 --> 01:19:51.399 we'll get back to some of this stuff because Bill 1626 01:19:51.479 --> 01:19:54.000 Riley's going to join us during the four o'clock hour. 1627 01:19:54.039 --> 01:19:55.680 But the four o'clock hour of the show has two 1628 01:19:55.760 --> 01:20:02.840 three timers. 1629 01:20:03.560 --> 01:20:06.479 Utah spring football closes out as Kyle Whittingham and the 1630 01:20:06.600 --> 01:20:09.279 Utes prep for the annual twenty two Forever Game. 1631 01:20:09.640 --> 01:20:10.479 On Saturday. 1632 01:20:11.079 --> 01:20:14.239 Coverage up at ESPN seven hundred, Sports dot Com, brought 1633 01:20:14.279 --> 01:20:18.800 to you by Advanced Windows and Jersey Mike's. The NBA 1634 01:20:18.880 --> 01:20:22.720 Play In Tournament continues tonight at Sacramento plays host to 1635 01:20:22.720 --> 01:20:27.239 the Dallas Mavericks, winner taking on Memphis Kings and the 1636 01:20:27.319 --> 01:20:29.279 MAVs on ESPN seven. 1637 01:20:29.079 --> 01:20:29.920 Hundred and seven. 1638 01:20:30.439 --> 01:20:33.680 Tipping off this afternoon, it's Miami and Chicago in the 1639 01:20:33.720 --> 01:20:37.199 Windy City. Winner of the Heat and the Polls takes 1640 01:20:37.239 --> 01:20:37.960 on Atlanta. 1641 01:20:39.000 --> 01:20:40.359 Oh a great goal by Kels. 1642 01:20:40.439 --> 01:20:42.520 Yeah, Keller with a goal, and he's at it again 1643 01:20:42.560 --> 01:20:45.119 in Saint Louis, and the power play. 1644 01:20:44.920 --> 01:20:48.680 Remains red hot and Utah's on the board. 1645 01:20:48.960 --> 01:20:52.199 The Utah Hockey Club closed out the NHL regular season 1646 01:20:52.279 --> 01:20:55.159 last night with a six to one loss to Saint Louis, 1647 01:20:55.680 --> 01:20:59.399 ending the year thirty eight, thirty one and thirteen, good 1648 01:20:59.520 --> 01:21:03.439 enough for it in the West outside of postseason eligibility, 1649 01:21:03.720 --> 01:21:07.600 but the highest win mark in the franchise since twenty nineteen. 1650 01:21:07.800 --> 01:21:11.560 In Arizona, any drive in the basket begins with the 1651 01:21:11.560 --> 01:21:15.039 first step on the court. It's the ultimate power move. 1652 01:21:15.520 --> 01:21:18.760 IFA Step one crabgrass preventner in lawn food is the 1653 01:21:18.760 --> 01:21:22.720 first choice for a healthy greenyard this summer shop online 1654 01:21:22.720 --> 01:21:25.640 at IFA dot co op or stop by one of 1655 01:21:25.680 --> 01:21:30.920 eighteen Utah stores today. IFA helping to grow the Things 1656 01:21:30.960 --> 01:21:35.439 you Love. I importer Larsen on Utah's number one sports Talk. 1657 01:21:35.680 --> 01:21:39.319 It's ESPN seven hundred ninety two point one FM live 1658 01:21:39.399 --> 01:21:43.119 on YouTube. Man at ESPN seven hundred sports dot. 1659 01:21:42.920 --> 01:21:46.279 Com in that big rug. All right, you don't have 1660 01:21:46.319 --> 01:21:47.199 to overcorrect? 1661 01:21:47.560 --> 01:21:48.000 All right? 1662 01:21:48.119 --> 01:21:50.640 What is who is this? What are you playing? 1663 01:21:50.760 --> 01:21:50.920 Oh? 1664 01:21:50.920 --> 01:21:52.680 Come on, little Big Rock Candy Mountain. 1665 01:21:52.880 --> 01:21:53.960 Okay, I have heard this one. 1666 01:21:54.159 --> 01:21:58.000 I am as you said, you wanted something upbeat, something happy. 1667 01:21:58.159 --> 01:22:02.359 I did overcorrect, obviously, Big Rock Candy mountains sing about 1668 01:22:02.359 --> 01:22:07.399 like lemonade springs and cigarette trees and and uh hey 1669 01:22:07.479 --> 01:22:09.079 it is a Utah connection, though I don't know if 1670 01:22:09.079 --> 01:22:10.520 you've been to Big Rock Candy Mountain. 1671 01:22:11.039 --> 01:22:12.800 Where is it at Severe County? 1672 01:22:12.920 --> 01:22:13.279 I have not. 1673 01:22:14.000 --> 01:22:20.560 It's like a big natural some some force form of landmark. 1674 01:22:20.680 --> 01:22:22.760 It looks like a big pile of candy. I'm sorry, 1675 01:22:22.760 --> 01:22:24.560 did you did you say cigarette trees? 1676 01:22:24.800 --> 01:22:25.119 Yeah? 1677 01:22:25.560 --> 01:22:27.920 Yeah, I guess you don't have to pay for your stove. 1678 01:22:28.079 --> 01:22:30.680 Exactly exactly, okay, exactly, all right, we have a big 1679 01:22:30.720 --> 01:22:33.199 hour coming up for the next hour, we have the 1680 01:22:33.239 --> 01:22:36.880 only two people in our market to win the Utah 1681 01:22:36.960 --> 01:22:39.960 Sports Broadcaster of the Year Award three separate times. 1682 01:22:40.399 --> 01:22:42.760 On SNL they have the five Timers. 1683 01:22:42.359 --> 01:22:45.279 Clubs, So on uh, on this show, we have the 1684 01:22:45.279 --> 01:22:48.119 three Timers Club. And I'm just picturing Craig Bowler, jack 1685 01:22:48.239 --> 01:22:52.119 in his robe, saying three Timers Club with a stogy 1686 01:22:52.159 --> 01:22:54.640 and a cigar and celebrating the jazz season that is 1687 01:22:54.680 --> 01:22:55.399 now behind us. 1688 01:22:55.439 --> 01:22:55.760 Bowler. 1689 01:22:55.760 --> 01:22:59.279 How you doing, buddy, Yeah, Spence's good to hear. 1690 01:22:59.359 --> 01:23:01.760 Yeah, I got a little stogie, You got a little brandy, 1691 01:23:01.960 --> 01:23:03.800 just kind of warming that up right now, you know 1692 01:23:03.840 --> 01:23:06.079 it is. It's five o'clock somewhere. 1693 01:23:06.159 --> 01:23:06.920 So there you go. 1694 01:23:08.399 --> 01:23:11.439 Yeah, sitting back, taking a deep breath on a challenging 1695 01:23:11.520 --> 01:23:16.920 season and hopeful that we see some progress on May twelfth, 1696 01:23:17.000 --> 01:23:19.800 and we see something on Draft Night, and we see 1697 01:23:19.840 --> 01:23:23.640 something on during Summer League and then and on we go. 1698 01:23:23.840 --> 01:23:27.520 But yeah, challenging season. As you know, we have had 1699 01:23:27.600 --> 01:23:31.039 multiple chats this year, and you know, I thought we 1700 01:23:31.079 --> 01:23:35.159 saw some growth after the All Star break, especially with 1701 01:23:35.199 --> 01:23:39.640 two guys in Koyer and Philipowski. And that's a good thing, 1702 01:23:40.079 --> 01:23:41.359 you know, as a Jazz move forward. 1703 01:23:42.520 --> 01:23:45.000 Yeah, yeah, And I will say you and Thurrell did 1704 01:23:45.000 --> 01:23:49.399 a really really professional job of handling what was a difficult, 1705 01:23:49.479 --> 01:23:52.319 difficult year, a historic year for all the wrong reasons. 1706 01:23:53.000 --> 01:23:54.760 As far as the wins and the losses go. 1707 01:23:56.159 --> 01:23:58.199 Let me just stay in the space though, what was 1708 01:23:58.720 --> 01:24:01.800 what's the biggest challenge lenge of trying to make a 1709 01:24:01.840 --> 01:24:04.720 product entertaining and look to be fair. There are plenty 1710 01:24:04.720 --> 01:24:07.079 of close entertaining games, and I do think this is 1711 01:24:07.119 --> 01:24:11.359 a smart basketball community that understands that when you exist 1712 01:24:11.359 --> 01:24:14.439 in an ecosystem where the governing body tells its members, 1713 01:24:14.880 --> 01:24:16.640 if you're not one of the teams it has a 1714 01:24:16.720 --> 01:24:19.479 chance to win a championship, we actually will reward you 1715 01:24:19.680 --> 01:24:22.359 if you lose games, then its members are going to 1716 01:24:22.399 --> 01:24:24.119 take you up on that, and they're going to lose 1717 01:24:24.159 --> 01:24:28.239 games because that's the ecosystem of how you reward certain teams. 1718 01:24:28.239 --> 01:24:31.000 So we all know what time it is, we all 1719 01:24:31.039 --> 01:24:34.159 know what the organization was doing. But for one of 1720 01:24:34.359 --> 01:24:38.600 the front facing members of the organization that has to 1721 01:24:38.640 --> 01:24:41.479 present this product to the community, when the community knows 1722 01:24:41.520 --> 01:24:43.840 that they're unseerious about winning, how does that bring the 1723 01:24:43.960 --> 01:24:45.840 challenge up in your job Craig. 1724 01:24:47.239 --> 01:24:52.079 Oh wow, that's a great question. I thought COVID was 1725 01:24:52.159 --> 01:24:55.000 tough Spence in twenty twenty and twenty one when we 1726 01:24:55.680 --> 01:24:58.279 throw an cold about one hundred games off the jumbo 1727 01:24:58.319 --> 01:25:01.840 Tron and empty arenas, that was a challenge, But this 1728 01:25:01.960 --> 01:25:07.800 one was a different one because you just said something 1729 01:25:07.960 --> 01:25:13.479 very poignant in the fan base here knows what's going on. 1730 01:25:14.199 --> 01:25:17.239 I think Danny and Justin and Will have all said 1731 01:25:17.319 --> 01:25:18.840 they understand the. 1732 01:25:18.720 --> 01:25:19.920 IQ of the fan base. 1733 01:25:19.920 --> 01:25:22.920 They've been through a lot highs lows, two title runs, 1734 01:25:23.000 --> 01:25:25.920 a lot of playoff action, you know, fifty one years 1735 01:25:25.960 --> 01:25:31.039 now of jazz basketball. I think for me, honestly, I'm 1736 01:25:31.079 --> 01:25:33.000 trying to do a deep dive in how I kind 1737 01:25:33.000 --> 01:25:35.079 of approached this with thorough because we had a lot 1738 01:25:35.119 --> 01:25:39.560 of talks on buses, on airplanes and arenas prior to 1739 01:25:39.560 --> 01:25:42.560 tip off on what we could talk about that had 1740 01:25:42.560 --> 01:25:46.079 a positive spin or twist to it, but real so, 1741 01:25:46.159 --> 01:25:49.159 my point is I wasn't going out as a broadcaster 1742 01:25:49.359 --> 01:25:53.640 to be one to make it a candy what is it? 1743 01:25:53.680 --> 01:25:55.199 Cigarette and mountain. 1744 01:25:55.319 --> 01:25:58.640 You know, it's almost appropriate that Porter played that coming 1745 01:25:58.680 --> 01:26:01.920 out right, because look, fans understand, they're smart. I'm not 1746 01:26:01.960 --> 01:26:03.880 sitting there trying to sell them a bill of goods. 1747 01:26:03.920 --> 01:26:06.840 I get excited on a big play. Do they have 1748 01:26:06.920 --> 01:26:08.000 twenty three turnovers? 1749 01:26:08.079 --> 01:26:11.039 Absolutely? Do they like to hear that? 1750 01:26:11.199 --> 01:26:14.199 Probably not, But I gotta be real on what some 1751 01:26:14.239 --> 01:26:17.239 of the issues are. Defense got to be much improved 1752 01:26:17.720 --> 01:26:21.760 as the next year or two comes about, So I 1753 01:26:21.800 --> 01:26:24.399 think Thurll and I we try to find the fact 1754 01:26:24.439 --> 01:26:27.479 that Isaiah was chasing Stockton that was a feel good moment. 1755 01:26:27.640 --> 01:26:31.359 Philipowski's development. We try to put that, you know, as 1756 01:26:31.359 --> 01:26:33.800 a positive as well. And I really believe that even 1757 01:26:33.880 --> 01:26:37.720 Walker Kessler's third year after the sophomore slump, was another 1758 01:26:37.760 --> 01:26:40.000 big story that we tried to just focus on. We 1759 01:26:40.039 --> 01:26:42.920 didn't try to make up anything. I wasn't going to 1760 01:26:43.000 --> 01:26:43.680 be a part of that. 1761 01:26:43.960 --> 01:26:46.720 I mean, I just thought, look, let's be real here 1762 01:26:46.760 --> 01:26:47.119 it is. 1763 01:26:47.279 --> 01:26:50.159 Let's try to find some positives and then let the 1764 01:26:50.199 --> 01:26:54.159 fans for themselves see what I'm seeing. And they saw mistakes, 1765 01:26:54.239 --> 01:26:57.560 they saw growth, they saw potential, but they also saw 1766 01:26:57.800 --> 01:27:02.920 what we all saw a need for better ball handling, 1767 01:27:03.960 --> 01:27:07.520 a much bigger need after watching even the play in games. 1768 01:27:07.520 --> 01:27:10.800 Got to be better defensively, got to commit to be 1769 01:27:10.880 --> 01:27:13.359 a defensive player in this league, a two way guy 1770 01:27:13.920 --> 01:27:17.279 and you know, the postseason, as everyone says, I know 1771 01:27:17.359 --> 01:27:20.439 it gets it's a play on words or you hear 1772 01:27:20.439 --> 01:27:22.239 it all the time, Spence, but it is a different 1773 01:27:22.279 --> 01:27:24.640 level of basketball. I mean, guys going to a different mode. 1774 01:27:24.680 --> 01:27:30.479 Look at Curry and Jimmy Butler last night, seventy five combined. Wow, 1775 01:27:31.520 --> 01:27:35.520 There's just certain players that do turn it on and perform, 1776 01:27:35.640 --> 01:27:36.680 and they did last night. 1777 01:27:37.079 --> 01:27:39.079 Do the Jazz have those that combination? 1778 01:27:39.279 --> 01:27:39.319 No? 1779 01:27:39.920 --> 01:27:41.039 Will they hopefully? 1780 01:27:41.680 --> 01:27:44.800 And you know, I think the future there are some 1781 01:27:44.880 --> 01:27:47.840 bright spots, but there's definitely need. I think Will Hardy 1782 01:27:47.840 --> 01:27:51.079 and his post season comments were really straight up, and 1783 01:27:51.119 --> 01:27:53.039 I think the other thing, Spence, to answer your question, 1784 01:27:53.119 --> 01:27:56.680 I think I just kind of followed to the way 1785 01:27:56.840 --> 01:27:59.920 Will approached the media. I don't think he cut corners. 1786 01:28:00.479 --> 01:28:02.920 I think he chose the right times to really call 1787 01:28:02.960 --> 01:28:05.960 out the team. He didn't really bury any one individual 1788 01:28:06.359 --> 01:28:11.479 per se, which kept the locker room intact. So I 1789 01:28:11.560 --> 01:28:13.640 have to give him a lot of kudos for going 1790 01:28:13.680 --> 01:28:16.119 through a rough time, but also a guy that says 1791 01:28:16.159 --> 01:28:18.359 he's committed, and I believe he is. I've watched him 1792 01:28:18.720 --> 01:28:20.720 and the way he continued to coach down the last 1793 01:28:20.720 --> 01:28:24.319 ten games. Wow, some coaches or some players may just 1794 01:28:24.399 --> 01:28:27.640 not care much or even show up, but that team 1795 01:28:27.760 --> 01:28:29.720 was still has engaged. I can promise you that in 1796 01:28:29.760 --> 01:28:30.520 the last ten. 1797 01:28:31.199 --> 01:28:32.920 Let me ask you this while we're in the space 1798 01:28:32.960 --> 01:28:36.840 of talking about this odd incentive structure that pro basketball 1799 01:28:36.920 --> 01:28:42.000 has where they literally offer great rewards for teams who 1800 01:28:42.000 --> 01:28:43.560 decide to lose on purpose. 1801 01:28:43.680 --> 01:28:45.720 I mean, it's such a weird model. 1802 01:28:46.039 --> 01:28:48.600 It'd be like, Creig, It'd be like if your boss college, 1803 01:28:48.640 --> 01:28:50.359 you know, was like, hey, look, if you are awesome 1804 01:28:50.399 --> 01:28:52.680 this year, we are going to give you a massive 1805 01:28:52.720 --> 01:28:56.039 bonus and you might win Utah Sports broadcaster there. However, Craig, 1806 01:28:56.039 --> 01:28:59.680 here's your other option. You can bumble through every broadcast. 1807 01:29:00.079 --> 01:29:02.199 You can be the worst broadcaster in the league, and 1808 01:29:02.239 --> 01:29:04.159 we are still going to give you a reward. It 1809 01:29:04.239 --> 01:29:07.159 might not be the reward that you get if you're awesome, 1810 01:29:07.199 --> 01:29:10.439 because look, the winning teams in pro basketball to the 1811 01:29:10.479 --> 01:29:11.560 victor goes the spoils. 1812 01:29:11.640 --> 01:29:12.640 That will never change. 1813 01:29:12.840 --> 01:29:15.079 But there's no other industry in the world that actually 1814 01:29:15.079 --> 01:29:16.720 tells you that if you're one of the worst at 1815 01:29:16.800 --> 01:29:19.760 what you do, we will still reward you. Is this 1816 01:29:19.840 --> 01:29:23.399 a structure you would like to see changed because it's 1817 01:29:23.479 --> 01:29:25.960 an interesting topic because the fact of the matter is 1818 01:29:26.840 --> 01:29:29.560 there are certain teams in certain cities, namely the Utah 1819 01:29:29.640 --> 01:29:32.840 Jazz and Salt Lake City that actually do need the 1820 01:29:32.880 --> 01:29:36.840 ability to add a premier, big time talent through the 1821 01:29:36.920 --> 01:29:39.079 draft in a way that maybe the Lakers don or 1822 01:29:39.119 --> 01:29:40.880 the heat down or whatever it is. 1823 01:29:40.920 --> 01:29:42.000 We all know the deal here. 1824 01:29:42.399 --> 01:29:46.800 So it's a difficult juxtaposition because, on one hand, get 1825 01:29:46.880 --> 01:29:49.119 us Cooper flag at number one and the losing has 1826 01:29:49.159 --> 01:29:51.680 been worth it. On the other hand, if the Jazz 1827 01:29:51.680 --> 01:29:54.079 don't get lottery luck and they're spinning their wheels, we're 1828 01:29:54.119 --> 01:29:56.680 in danger of being a lottery team year in in, 1829 01:29:56.760 --> 01:29:58.680 year out, like some of the teams in the NBA 1830 01:29:58.720 --> 01:30:00.000 have been for years that have never been. 1831 01:30:00.039 --> 01:30:01.960 Able to find their way back out. 1832 01:30:02.039 --> 01:30:05.039 So there are pros and cons to what the NBA 1833 01:30:05.199 --> 01:30:09.239 does to incentivize losing with this you know this ecosystem, 1834 01:30:09.960 --> 01:30:13.039 but it does lead to unwatchable basketball for about a 1835 01:30:13.079 --> 01:30:17.119 third of the product in the entire in the entire NBA. 1836 01:30:17.279 --> 01:30:19.720 So do you like where we're at? Do you think 1837 01:30:19.840 --> 01:30:21.680 improvements or changes need to be made? 1838 01:30:23.560 --> 01:30:25.840 Well, I'm not a fan because that wasn't the way 1839 01:30:25.840 --> 01:30:28.920 I was raised. I was raised it could be competitive 1840 01:30:28.960 --> 01:30:30.840 and if you go out and bust your tail on 1841 01:30:30.960 --> 01:30:33.960 the field, then the reward is going to come your 1842 01:30:34.000 --> 01:30:38.720 way weight room in the huddle on those hot days 1843 01:30:38.720 --> 01:30:43.840 in practice. And that's just the way I think. I 1844 01:30:43.840 --> 01:30:47.640 think we're in a different era of athlete that has 1845 01:30:47.840 --> 01:30:50.960 been raised a bit differently, with a lot of aau 1846 01:30:51.199 --> 01:30:55.520 and you know, I think also, gosh, if I could 1847 01:30:55.560 --> 01:30:59.760 go to highlight reels at sportscasts around the country on 1848 01:31:00.079 --> 01:31:04.439 national they kind of applaud just, you know, the remarkable 1849 01:31:04.560 --> 01:31:07.600 and it's not remarkable every night. Not all the players 1850 01:31:07.600 --> 01:31:10.680 that play this game have the athleticism or the skill 1851 01:31:10.720 --> 01:31:15.159 set that Curry or what MJ had or what Lebron does. 1852 01:31:15.279 --> 01:31:18.720 So you know, they've got to get real about basketball skill. 1853 01:31:19.720 --> 01:31:22.399 Can you pass? Can you catch the ball? Can you 1854 01:31:22.439 --> 01:31:24.640 do it to two hand chest pass? Thence, I'm going 1855 01:31:24.640 --> 01:31:27.560 back to your where you came from on just the 1856 01:31:27.600 --> 01:31:31.399 real simple basics of the game. Hold the pivot foot. 1857 01:31:32.279 --> 01:31:35.479 What's wrong with the mid range? I know analytics would 1858 01:31:35.479 --> 01:31:37.279 say three is more than two, but you know what, 1859 01:31:38.079 --> 01:31:40.079 it still as part of the game. Three level scoring 1860 01:31:40.119 --> 01:31:43.920 has kind of disappeared. There's a few Demarta Rosen comes 1861 01:31:43.920 --> 01:31:46.840 to mind that can still hit a jump shot the 1862 01:31:46.920 --> 01:31:52.560 low block. You know, play is not that common anymore, 1863 01:31:52.880 --> 01:31:55.960 like in the day. It's a three ball game, so 1864 01:31:56.399 --> 01:31:58.720 you know, I think fans will have to adjust along 1865 01:31:58.840 --> 01:32:00.840 with it. I mean, there's not a lot of defense 1866 01:32:00.880 --> 01:32:03.359 played except in playoff action. And I think the reason 1867 01:32:03.399 --> 01:32:06.439 why Boston won a title last year Spence was because 1868 01:32:06.479 --> 01:32:09.319 of defense. I think Oklahoma City is the by far 1869 01:32:09.399 --> 01:32:11.359 the favorite to win in my opinion, from what I 1870 01:32:11.399 --> 01:32:16.399 saw multiple times this year, OKAC is absolutely a blanket 1871 01:32:16.439 --> 01:32:20.199 of hell. They are constantly at you, and I think 1872 01:32:20.239 --> 01:32:22.800 that's going to bode well for the Thunder unless you know, 1873 01:32:22.880 --> 01:32:27.520 an injury happens or Boston decides the flexter their championship 1874 01:32:27.600 --> 01:32:30.399 muscle again. But I think those two teams, I think 1875 01:32:30.439 --> 01:32:34.199 we'll see East and West. Those two teams, in my opinion, 1876 01:32:34.680 --> 01:32:37.399 will be the ones in the finals. But you know, 1877 01:32:37.800 --> 01:32:41.079 I think, gosh, man, there's so many issues that talk about. 1878 01:32:41.479 --> 01:32:44.479 I'm not a fan of having the lottery. I'm not 1879 01:32:44.520 --> 01:32:47.039 a fan of having three teams. They have fourteen percent 1880 01:32:47.159 --> 01:32:51.399 chance of winning. The Jazz are guaranteed a top five. 1881 01:32:51.880 --> 01:32:54.680 But you know what, in this world, that's not what 1882 01:32:54.720 --> 01:32:57.880 the Jazz would prefer, that's not what the fans would prefer. 1883 01:32:57.960 --> 01:32:58.479 Because there's a. 1884 01:32:58.520 --> 01:33:02.319 Kid at Duke named Cooper Flag that quote has been 1885 01:33:02.399 --> 01:33:06.840 labeled as a potential generational player and that could change 1886 01:33:06.840 --> 01:33:09.439 things in a big way overnight on May twelfth, e Spence. 1887 01:33:09.520 --> 01:33:11.800 I mean, bottom line, if that's what happens when they 1888 01:33:11.960 --> 01:33:15.199 walk out and introduce it, then they'll say it was 1889 01:33:15.239 --> 01:33:17.319 worth it. And you just said if they don't, then 1890 01:33:17.319 --> 01:33:20.399 where do you go from there? Danny has a plethora 1891 01:33:20.880 --> 01:33:25.720 of picks. What he does with that don't know, but 1892 01:33:26.560 --> 01:33:29.199 I think it's probably and I always think in the 1893 01:33:29.199 --> 01:33:31.199 summertime that boy, this summer is. 1894 01:33:31.159 --> 01:33:31.720 A big one. 1895 01:33:31.880 --> 01:33:36.079 No, no, no, this one is probably a big impact, 1896 01:33:36.199 --> 01:33:39.520 a big big, maybe the biggest impact on this franchise 1897 01:33:39.600 --> 01:33:42.039 since they moved to Salt Lake. Yeah, they got stocked 1898 01:33:42.119 --> 01:33:45.560 him alone. That was a long long time ago and 1899 01:33:45.600 --> 01:33:49.000 they were mid first rounders and look what happened. So 1900 01:33:49.319 --> 01:33:51.399 lady luck has to shine on you somewhere, and I 1901 01:33:51.399 --> 01:33:53.520 think it's time for the Jazz that had that type 1902 01:33:53.560 --> 01:33:56.680 of lady luck that they really haven't had last year 1903 01:33:56.720 --> 01:34:01.960 eight down to ten, what Canner was a pick Dante 1904 01:34:02.239 --> 01:34:05.359 was the top five. But you have to hit and 1905 01:34:05.439 --> 01:34:08.520 you have to be lucky, and hopefully the Jazz will 1906 01:34:08.520 --> 01:34:11.119 have that luck on their side. If they don't and 1907 01:34:11.359 --> 01:34:15.399 Washington scoots in or Charlotte whomever, then the Jazz probably 1908 01:34:15.520 --> 01:34:20.119 will have to reevaluate what how they're going to go 1909 01:34:20.279 --> 01:34:23.000 in their next direction? Right, And I think that's going 1910 01:34:23.079 --> 01:34:24.520 to be important. I think fans are going to be 1911 01:34:24.600 --> 01:34:28.000 very intrigued with that. And I will say again as 1912 01:34:28.000 --> 01:34:30.680 I rambled, but there's so many topics here a plot. 1913 01:34:30.840 --> 01:34:34.199 Jazz Nation, you were there. They put bodies in that 1914 01:34:34.279 --> 01:34:37.560 building all year long, watching the process, and I have 1915 01:34:37.640 --> 01:34:39.960 to applaud them for that because I've been to a 1916 01:34:40.000 --> 01:34:44.039 lot of arenas even this year, where man, if you're 1917 01:34:44.039 --> 01:34:46.600 not in the forty five to fifty one category, man 1918 01:34:46.640 --> 01:34:49.520 you look around like, wow, there's nobody in this building. 1919 01:34:50.079 --> 01:34:53.520 You know, it has to be manufactured excitement. But for 1920 01:34:53.560 --> 01:34:55.560 the Jazz Nation jazz fans, I give them a lot 1921 01:34:55.560 --> 01:34:57.560 of credit. Man. They were there and they watched these 1922 01:34:57.560 --> 01:35:00.039 young guys grow, and hopefully they saw some things. 1923 01:35:00.239 --> 01:35:03.960 Like totally agree and I do have to wonder, and 1924 01:35:04.039 --> 01:35:06.079 I honestly don't know. So we're just going to talk 1925 01:35:06.079 --> 01:35:10.920 about it because this is a community that has a 1926 01:35:11.279 --> 01:35:14.279 history with his team where part of me feels like 1927 01:35:14.520 --> 01:35:17.520 jazz fans are always going to show up no matter what. Now, 1928 01:35:17.600 --> 01:35:20.039 there have been years in the past, ties last year, 1929 01:35:20.239 --> 01:35:23.479 Quinn's first year, where they weren't very good, and there 1930 01:35:23.520 --> 01:35:26.359 were some signs here there that maybe they had something 1931 01:35:26.600 --> 01:35:28.840 with Hayward, maybe they had something with a young go Bear, 1932 01:35:29.560 --> 01:35:31.800 you know, maybe that'd something with Fave And you know, 1933 01:35:32.000 --> 01:35:35.039 there were some signs here there, and the building was 1934 01:35:35.079 --> 01:35:37.640 not full every night during those years. I was on 1935 01:35:37.680 --> 01:35:39.680 the broadcast team, so I was there every single night. 1936 01:35:40.239 --> 01:35:42.520 So but you know, there there's part of me that 1937 01:35:42.560 --> 01:35:46.439 believes that there are so many basketball and jazz fans 1938 01:35:46.479 --> 01:35:49.159 in our community. And you know, we do live in 1939 01:35:49.199 --> 01:35:52.279 a city, in a community that has a winter where 1940 01:35:53.159 --> 01:35:54.520 you know, you just kind of want to get out 1941 01:35:54.560 --> 01:35:56.840 of the house and do something fun. And it's not Miami, 1942 01:35:56.880 --> 01:35:59.119 it's not South Beach, it's not La where those fans 1943 01:35:59.119 --> 01:36:02.119 oftentimes are there for the scene and they're happy to 1944 01:36:02.199 --> 01:36:03.920 leave to go to the bar or the beach or 1945 01:36:03.960 --> 01:36:06.880 whatever at halftime. I've seen that aside an NBA Finals 1946 01:36:06.880 --> 01:36:10.239 game in Miami, we have fans that you know, there's 1947 01:36:10.279 --> 01:36:12.920 not a plethora of other options at times. So maybe 1948 01:36:12.920 --> 01:36:14.840 people just want to go to a damn game, and 1949 01:36:14.920 --> 01:36:16.600 maybe they don't really give a rip as to whether 1950 01:36:16.680 --> 01:36:18.840 or not the team is on the way up, or 1951 01:36:19.000 --> 01:36:21.399 they're not listening to sports socc radio. They just want 1952 01:36:21.439 --> 01:36:24.239 to leave the house. The neighbor got on some tickets 1953 01:36:24.239 --> 01:36:26.079 and they want to go to a Jazz game. But 1954 01:36:26.199 --> 01:36:30.439 how long do you think because the dirty little secret, Craig, 1955 01:36:30.680 --> 01:36:32.479 it is not a secret. The Jazz are not one 1956 01:36:32.520 --> 01:36:36.039 piece away from being close to where Oklahoma City is 1957 01:36:36.119 --> 01:36:38.159 or Denver, the Lakers or the Click like whatever, like 1958 01:36:38.479 --> 01:36:40.239 the West is so good and so deep, and the 1959 01:36:40.319 --> 01:36:42.760 Jazz are not one player away, even if that player 1960 01:36:42.840 --> 01:36:45.399 is Cooper Flag. And there is this kind of thing 1961 01:36:45.479 --> 01:36:49.119 hanging over the jazz fan base in the community that 1962 01:36:49.279 --> 01:36:51.239 a lot of people believe that we will be in 1963 01:36:51.520 --> 01:36:53.960 for next year. We're going to be in for what 1964 01:36:54.000 --> 01:36:55.960 we were in for this year. Next year is going 1965 01:36:56.000 --> 01:36:58.960 to look a lot like this year. And the other 1966 01:36:59.159 --> 01:37:01.520 thing that we have to acknowledge is if there's no 1967 01:37:01.680 --> 01:37:05.079 lottery luck this year and there's no lottery luck next year, 1968 01:37:05.640 --> 01:37:06.239 how long. 1969 01:37:06.159 --> 01:37:06.880 Is this going to take? 1970 01:37:07.479 --> 01:37:11.279 So as we continue to watch the organization stretch the 1971 01:37:11.319 --> 01:37:13.600 pain tolerance of the fan base. How patient do you 1972 01:37:13.600 --> 01:37:15.560 think Jazz fans will be at the end of the 1973 01:37:15.600 --> 01:37:19.359 day if this thing doesn't get going quick, Spence, that. 1974 01:37:19.520 --> 01:37:24.359 Is really the question of unknown. You know, Will Hardy 1975 01:37:24.399 --> 01:37:27.560 would be in his fifth year with the scenario that 1976 01:37:27.600 --> 01:37:32.520 you just outlined right and up for renewal. So even 1977 01:37:32.560 --> 01:37:34.880 though he said he's bought in three years in yeah, 1978 01:37:35.000 --> 01:37:37.000 I think he wants to see how this process is 1979 01:37:37.039 --> 01:37:39.359 going to work itself out. And he he's a hell 1980 01:37:39.359 --> 01:37:42.159 of a coach. He's really good with the individuals. He 1981 01:37:42.199 --> 01:37:46.479 doesn't try to coach everyone the same, and I like 1982 01:37:46.560 --> 01:37:50.520 that because each guy needs his own different approach and 1983 01:37:50.560 --> 01:37:53.119 there's a lot of different personalities on each team, especially 1984 01:37:53.199 --> 01:37:57.079 the Jazz. But Spence, that is something that we're gonna 1985 01:37:57.079 --> 01:37:59.199 have to wait and see. Jazz fans, you said, have 1986 01:37:59.359 --> 01:38:06.199 always been very supportive. They remember the past and they 1987 01:38:06.199 --> 01:38:09.840 hope for the future. And sometimes those tickets are sold 1988 01:38:10.399 --> 01:38:14.520 to Laker fans, Sometimes those tickets are sold to thunder fans. 1989 01:38:15.199 --> 01:38:19.800 Sometimes those tickets are sold to New York or Miami fans. 1990 01:38:20.119 --> 01:38:23.760 But I think that the Jazz base that comes wants 1991 01:38:23.800 --> 01:38:26.680 two things. They want to see the opponent and some 1992 01:38:26.760 --> 01:38:29.880 of their star players. And I think all of us 1993 01:38:30.439 --> 01:38:33.199 get a little bit twisted when that particular night. This 1994 01:38:33.239 --> 01:38:35.479 is where the NBA has to step in on how 1995 01:38:35.479 --> 01:38:38.720 many nights off does an individual star get right, Because 1996 01:38:39.039 --> 01:38:41.239 I ran across so many people even on the road, 1997 01:38:41.760 --> 01:38:44.359 Oh my gosh, they're not playing tonight. Oh my gosh, 1998 01:38:44.479 --> 01:38:45.439 this is the only game I. 1999 01:38:45.359 --> 01:38:45.840 Could go to. 2000 01:38:45.960 --> 01:38:50.680 That's tough to hear when that superstar player is not 2001 01:38:50.800 --> 01:38:53.239 going to be on the floor. And I feel for 2002 01:38:53.319 --> 01:38:56.560 a dad and a son or a daughter and the mother, 2003 01:38:56.680 --> 01:38:58.520 father whatever on a birthday night. 2004 01:38:58.600 --> 01:39:04.520 Right. The other part of it is, you know, I'd 2005 01:39:04.560 --> 01:39:07.720 tell you the luck part. The luck part of it is. 2006 01:39:07.680 --> 01:39:10.199 You have to you do have to be lucky like 2007 01:39:10.279 --> 01:39:14.119 Atlanta last year that went and got Reshaw sche right, 2008 01:39:14.840 --> 01:39:18.079 And if the Jazz don't get their number one pick, 2009 01:39:18.840 --> 01:39:21.359 then I think that, you know, Ryan will have to 2010 01:39:21.600 --> 01:39:24.680 maybe even get more involved in what Danny's strategy is 2011 01:39:24.720 --> 01:39:29.119 with Justin as well, those three and Will who admitted 2012 01:39:29.199 --> 01:39:32.039 yesterday that he's very involved in what direction the Jazz 2013 01:39:32.119 --> 01:39:34.680 go in draft night, which is a good thing. I mean, 2014 01:39:34.680 --> 01:39:39.079 he's going to coach these guys. So you know, I 2015 01:39:39.079 --> 01:39:40.760 don't I tell you I said here, and I wish 2016 01:39:40.840 --> 01:39:42.640 I could just give you an answer like one year, 2017 01:39:42.920 --> 01:39:45.760 two years. My question to you may be, and what 2018 01:39:45.880 --> 01:39:49.479 your thoughts if indeed they land the number one pick? 2019 01:39:50.079 --> 01:39:54.399 Does that accelerate the process because of the excitement and 2020 01:39:54.520 --> 01:39:57.159 the fact that Danny has picks to maybe move and 2021 01:39:57.239 --> 01:40:01.960 even grab another lottery pick if he needs to. That's 2022 01:40:02.000 --> 01:40:04.279 the unknown. What do you do with the picks he 2023 01:40:04.439 --> 01:40:07.720 gathered for Golbert and Donovan, the number one pick he 2024 01:40:07.800 --> 01:40:12.079 got for Semoni Fontekiel. You know they're sitting there waiting 2025 01:40:12.119 --> 01:40:15.479 to be used. But in what way and what time frame? 2026 01:40:16.000 --> 01:40:19.159 Those those answers I don't have. But it's it's interesting 2027 01:40:19.199 --> 01:40:24.399 to ponder that right to see if it accelerates the process, right, 2028 01:40:24.920 --> 01:40:26.279 And that's what I'm anxious to see. 2029 01:40:27.560 --> 01:40:31.119 It's a really fair question to bring up, and it's 2030 01:40:31.119 --> 01:40:32.479 a really fair point to make. 2031 01:40:33.319 --> 01:40:35.600 You know, the issue as we sit. 2032 01:40:35.479 --> 01:40:38.399 Here today, and let's be very clear things can change 2033 01:40:39.119 --> 01:40:42.239 at the drop of a hat, is that neither Cleveland 2034 01:40:43.000 --> 01:40:46.800 nor Minnesota look like they are going to be bad 2035 01:40:47.079 --> 01:40:47.880 anytime soon. 2036 01:40:47.920 --> 01:40:50.600 I don't think Cleveland's gonna win sixty four games every year. 2037 01:40:50.600 --> 01:40:53.600 But that's a young roster with a new coach, and 2038 01:40:53.640 --> 01:40:56.640 they're all they're all under contract for a while. So 2039 01:40:56.720 --> 01:40:59.199 if we look Craig at the incoming first round picks, 2040 01:40:59.640 --> 01:41:03.600 the jack have six of their next seven of their own. Okay, 2041 01:41:04.039 --> 01:41:08.359 they have the most favorable Cleveland Minnesota twenty five, Cleveland 2042 01:41:08.399 --> 01:41:12.399 Minnesota twenty seven, Cleveland Minnesota twenty nine, six through thirty, 2043 01:41:12.840 --> 01:41:15.720 top five protected pick for the Lakers in twenty seven, 2044 01:41:15.800 --> 01:41:19.600 which looked really somewhat exciting prior to you know, they 2045 01:41:19.680 --> 01:41:23.279 just got Luca, right, so that's different. Now they've got 2046 01:41:23.279 --> 01:41:25.960 an unprotected first from Phoenix in twenty thirty one, and 2047 01:41:26.000 --> 01:41:27.880 we'll have to revisit that because that's in. 2048 01:41:27.880 --> 01:41:28.880 Freaking six years. 2049 01:41:28.920 --> 01:41:32.760 I have no idea, but what they have in their 2050 01:41:32.800 --> 01:41:38.319 treasure test right now does not look to be a high. 2051 01:41:39.399 --> 01:41:42.079 You know, the odds of any of these picks being 2052 01:41:42.640 --> 01:41:45.239 very high in the lottery are very low as we 2053 01:41:45.279 --> 01:41:48.239 sit here today, because Cleveland and Minnesota are good and 2054 01:41:48.279 --> 01:41:50.439 they've got good young players that'll be around for a while. 2055 01:41:50.439 --> 01:41:52.880 The Lakers have Luca again, We'll put the Phoenix one 2056 01:41:52.880 --> 01:41:53.399 on the shelf. 2057 01:41:53.600 --> 01:41:56.640 The fact of the matter is on paper, their. 2058 01:41:56.520 --> 01:41:59.880 Best chance to get a high lottery pick continues to 2059 01:41:59.880 --> 01:42:03.920 be their own pick. Okay, so that's the problem, right, 2060 01:42:04.000 --> 01:42:06.920 So what does that mean about how Danny and. 2061 01:42:06.960 --> 01:42:09.439 Justin approached this construction? Moving forward? 2062 01:42:09.439 --> 01:42:12.520 Now, we should also acknowledge that the best player on 2063 01:42:12.560 --> 01:42:15.000 the planet right now was drafted what forty thirty. He 2064 01:42:15.079 --> 01:42:18.239 looks like his diet consists of Pringles and pp and J's. 2065 01:42:18.279 --> 01:42:21.079 So you can find a good player in the second 2066 01:42:21.159 --> 01:42:24.039 round and the best players we've had, yeah, we've and 2067 01:42:24.079 --> 01:42:27.720 the best players we've had John Carl, Donovan Rudy. I 2068 01:42:27.760 --> 01:42:30.239 could keep going. The majority of them have been mid first, 2069 01:42:30.319 --> 01:42:31.159 late first. 2070 01:42:30.960 --> 01:42:34.079 Right, and go go with Paul Millsap. 2071 01:42:34.520 --> 01:42:38.079 Sure, sure, right, And so I'm not saying that because 2072 01:42:38.119 --> 01:42:40.840 on paper it looks like the chances of them getting 2073 01:42:40.880 --> 01:42:43.840 a really high pick as if today aren't great unless 2074 01:42:43.880 --> 01:42:46.319 they decide to keep tanking because their own picks could 2075 01:42:46.319 --> 01:42:47.359 continue to be really good. 2076 01:42:47.800 --> 01:42:49.600 That doesn't mean they can't find good players. 2077 01:42:49.640 --> 01:42:52.159 But if you play the odds, the better players typically 2078 01:42:52.199 --> 01:42:55.000 are faut at the top of the draft. So if 2079 01:42:55.039 --> 01:42:58.720 they luck into number one with Cooper Flag, part of 2080 01:42:58.760 --> 01:43:02.640 me believes that everyone else is on the table, including Lowry. 2081 01:43:02.880 --> 01:43:04.960 I don't know that, but part of me believes they're 2082 01:43:04.960 --> 01:43:08.399 going to look at this as Okay, our organizational timeline 2083 01:43:09.159 --> 01:43:11.640 is the timeline that we have with Cooper, who is 2084 01:43:11.680 --> 01:43:14.640 a young eighteen year old, and so therefore we are 2085 01:43:14.680 --> 01:43:17.880 actually starting this process with him, and Lowry at the 2086 01:43:17.920 --> 01:43:20.319 age of twenty eight doesn't fit the timeline. Walker even 2087 01:43:20.319 --> 01:43:22.159 at the age of twenty five twenty six might not 2088 01:43:22.199 --> 01:43:24.800 fit the timeline. Like there's part of me that believes 2089 01:43:24.840 --> 01:43:27.439 if they get Cooper they actually go all in on 2090 01:43:27.520 --> 01:43:30.680 a massive rebuild surrounding him, and the timeline starts with 2091 01:43:30.720 --> 01:43:33.359 Cooper flag at eighteen. But there is another part of 2092 01:43:33.359 --> 01:43:36.079 me that looks at what they could be if they 2093 01:43:36.159 --> 01:43:39.159 don't tank, and if they don't rest everybody, and you 2094 01:43:39.199 --> 01:43:41.760 add Cooper Flag another first round pick, and maybe a 2095 01:43:41.760 --> 01:43:43.760 couple of vets, and then you say, okay, let's go, 2096 01:43:43.880 --> 01:43:46.319 let's actually try to see what we have when we 2097 01:43:46.439 --> 01:43:49.239 play Lowry as many games as he'll play, or Walker, 2098 01:43:49.279 --> 01:43:51.920 et cetera. Those are the two avs. Craig and I 2099 01:43:51.960 --> 01:43:53.640 honestly don't know which direction they'll take. 2100 01:43:55.119 --> 01:43:58.199 I don't either, but you know it's possible for either, 2101 01:43:58.520 --> 01:44:01.920 very very possible. The second one you just mentioned about 2102 01:44:01.920 --> 01:44:06.359 the young players and Flip and Walker and Isaiah Collier. 2103 01:44:08.800 --> 01:44:12.479 That's intriguing. With Cooper Flag the timelines you mentioned are 2104 01:44:12.520 --> 01:44:16.319 intriguing as well. Age is always going to win, Father 2105 01:44:16.439 --> 01:44:17.760 time is never defeated. 2106 01:44:18.319 --> 01:44:20.359 And what is the value. 2107 01:44:20.319 --> 01:44:23.039 Of any player on this Cavs roster at the moment 2108 01:44:23.119 --> 01:44:27.000 and marketing the courses is that highlighted player didn't get 2109 01:44:27.039 --> 01:44:29.760 to see a lot of them this year legitimate back 2110 01:44:29.800 --> 01:44:33.800 injury early and then basically, you know, the JAD just 2111 01:44:33.800 --> 01:44:36.119 said let's wait and see what happens with a lot 2112 01:44:36.119 --> 01:44:39.680 of players down the stretch. And you know, that's a 2113 01:44:39.680 --> 01:44:42.039 million dollar question that every Jazz fan wants to know, 2114 01:44:42.359 --> 01:44:45.119 and there's only about three guys really that know it. 2115 01:44:45.119 --> 01:44:48.439 It's got to be Ryan and he may maybe dictates 2116 01:44:48.560 --> 01:44:52.560 the future. He owns this franchise, and I think with 2117 01:44:52.640 --> 01:44:55.600 the downtown development and looking at the Olympics coming in 2118 01:44:55.640 --> 01:45:00.000 thirty four, you know how important is that as well 2119 01:45:00.039 --> 01:45:04.439 all to have a base of excitement this time. 2120 01:45:04.239 --> 01:45:07.239 Of year with postseason play. 2121 01:45:08.520 --> 01:45:11.640 Spence, you know this team, had they played all year long, yeah, 2122 01:45:11.680 --> 01:45:15.439 they probably could have manufactured a play in potentially. I 2123 01:45:15.439 --> 01:45:17.520 don't think that's a stretch of the imagination. 2124 01:45:18.319 --> 01:45:21.279 But you know, one and done. 2125 01:45:21.439 --> 01:45:24.199 It doesn't get it done, but it still adds the 2126 01:45:24.239 --> 01:45:27.439 excitement of the moment as the season progresses and something 2127 01:45:27.479 --> 01:45:30.439 to look forward to. But how deep does Ryan want 2128 01:45:30.439 --> 01:45:32.840 to go? And how far does Danny you know go 2129 01:45:33.079 --> 01:45:37.720 as well? In Justin's mindset, it may really dictate Spence 2130 01:45:37.960 --> 01:45:40.600 the lottery on May twelfth. What direction the Jazz want 2131 01:45:40.640 --> 01:45:44.439 to go? I think it's it's huge for this franchise. 2132 01:45:44.920 --> 01:45:47.079 You know, maybe one of the top two or three 2133 01:45:47.159 --> 01:45:50.720 moments in franchise history. I don't want over you know, 2134 01:45:50.760 --> 01:45:52.880 I can't say it's number one. I mean, you had 2135 01:45:52.880 --> 01:45:56.399 the Miller's, you know, save the franchise, you had Ryan 2136 01:45:56.439 --> 01:45:58.560 and Ashley buy it from them. I mean there's some 2137 01:45:58.600 --> 01:46:01.800 mega moments in this franchise. To stay in Salt Lake, 2138 01:46:01.840 --> 01:46:05.439 by the way, and this one, this one's right there, 2139 01:46:05.640 --> 01:46:08.359 This one's big. I always say summertime is always fun 2140 01:46:08.359 --> 01:46:11.159 to see what direction each franchise goes. But for the 2141 01:46:11.279 --> 01:46:15.119 Jazz fan base, this is big. And if the number 2142 01:46:15.159 --> 01:46:18.239 one pick happens to be the kid from Duke, it 2143 01:46:18.279 --> 01:46:21.479 could change direction. If it isn't, then they're going to 2144 01:46:21.520 --> 01:46:23.840 have to probably rethink. I'm sure though, up on a 2145 01:46:23.880 --> 01:46:26.840 board somewhere they've got all these options. I'm thinking that's 2146 01:46:26.880 --> 01:46:30.039 the way that you know, Danny works and justin They're 2147 01:46:30.079 --> 01:46:33.399 always thinking about different scenarios. But right now, the focus 2148 01:46:33.479 --> 01:46:35.560 is on that number one pick, and you know what 2149 01:46:35.760 --> 01:46:39.079 spends fourteen percent doesn't sound all that much, but it 2150 01:46:39.119 --> 01:46:40.880 does when it comes down how you break it down 2151 01:46:40.880 --> 01:46:43.600 with everybody else, right, the other thirty teams in the league, 2152 01:46:43.680 --> 01:46:46.680 So three teams have the best opportunity to grab the 2153 01:46:46.760 --> 01:46:50.319 number one. In the NFL, as you mentioned, NFL, if 2154 01:46:50.319 --> 01:46:52.159 you're the worst team in the league, what happens you 2155 01:46:52.279 --> 01:46:56.159 get the pick right In the NBA, it's not that way. 2156 01:46:56.680 --> 01:46:58.399 So I'm sure. 2157 01:46:58.640 --> 01:47:00.399 I'm sure the league's talking about some of these other 2158 01:47:00.479 --> 01:47:02.640 issues we talked about too. They tried to make the 2159 01:47:02.680 --> 01:47:06.720 All Star Game more functionable, more watchable, and I'm sure 2160 01:47:06.760 --> 01:47:10.000 that Adam Silverwill has some discussions as we speak about 2161 01:47:10.000 --> 01:47:13.439 how they're going to stay active with these players and 2162 01:47:13.520 --> 01:47:16.359 how teams are going to be Can they reward teams 2163 01:47:16.399 --> 01:47:16.960 for wins? 2164 01:47:17.479 --> 01:47:19.560 Can you get another pick if you win fifty? I 2165 01:47:19.600 --> 01:47:19.960 don't know. 2166 01:47:20.319 --> 01:47:22.439 Those are just ideas, but you know, I'm sure that's 2167 01:47:22.479 --> 01:47:25.760 being talked about right now and all summer long. 2168 01:47:26.640 --> 01:47:28.520 All right, baller, before I say you loose, I'm going 2169 01:47:28.560 --> 01:47:32.159 to hold you to one name the biggest bright spot, 2170 01:47:32.279 --> 01:47:35.319 whether it was a surprise, whether it was growth, whether 2171 01:47:35.520 --> 01:47:38.800 it was you know, just a player that you would 2172 01:47:39.119 --> 01:47:41.319 say to the fan base, this is the guy that 2173 01:47:41.399 --> 01:47:42.680 impressed me the most this year. 2174 01:47:42.680 --> 01:47:43.960 And why who would you go with? 2175 01:47:44.600 --> 01:47:44.920 Oh? 2176 01:47:45.680 --> 01:47:47.640 And right off the top, and you said that to me. 2177 01:47:47.680 --> 01:47:51.279 Two names popped in my head, actually three, but I'm 2178 01:47:51.279 --> 01:47:55.520 going to go with Collier just because of the pace 2179 01:47:55.560 --> 01:47:58.800 he plays with and the fact that he is his 2180 01:47:58.960 --> 01:48:03.000 brain is wired to be a point guard and to share. 2181 01:48:03.079 --> 01:48:05.640 He led all rookies with six point three assists a game. 2182 01:48:06.359 --> 01:48:09.920 He was near double figures and scoring. I think he's 2183 01:48:09.960 --> 01:48:13.560 a bulldog mentality. I think he has a grit and 2184 01:48:13.640 --> 01:48:18.199 a grime the Jazz need, like a Desmond Bane. He's 2185 01:48:18.199 --> 01:48:20.560 not the biggest kid in the world, but he's strong 2186 01:48:21.319 --> 01:48:25.279 and I think he changes the look. He has to improve, 2187 01:48:25.520 --> 01:48:28.039 as Will echoed, and we all see it. You know, 2188 01:48:28.079 --> 01:48:31.359 he went from sixteen seventeen percent from downtown to about 2189 01:48:31.359 --> 01:48:35.680 twenty five from three. That's got to jump another ten points. 2190 01:48:35.800 --> 01:48:38.000 Ten percentage points. And also he's got to be more 2191 01:48:39.560 --> 01:48:42.840 dedicated to defense. That's where everybody in the league, and 2192 01:48:42.920 --> 01:48:46.399 not only the Jazz, but I think defenses does win 2193 01:48:46.479 --> 01:48:48.520 championships in the end. 2194 01:48:48.760 --> 01:48:51.399 So Isaiah just popped in my head, flip. 2195 01:48:51.800 --> 01:48:54.800 I can't help but like as an early second round pick, 2196 01:48:54.840 --> 01:48:57.840 he grew big time and proved a three point shot 2197 01:48:57.880 --> 01:49:01.079 on the run after the All Star and he seems 2198 01:49:01.119 --> 01:49:04.920 to have a little bit better attitude and a voice. Spence, 2199 01:49:04.960 --> 01:49:06.680 I don't know what you saw, but that's kind of 2200 01:49:06.720 --> 01:49:09.279 those two guys, and again Walker's growth after a tough 2201 01:49:09.319 --> 01:49:12.520 sophomore season. Those three guys jumped down at me the most. 2202 01:49:12.520 --> 01:49:15.760 But Isaiah, you know, is he a starter in this league? 2203 01:49:15.920 --> 01:49:19.039 Yet to be seen? Could it be a dynamic six guy? Yes, 2204 01:49:19.720 --> 01:49:22.479 I think so. But I like his attitude. I like 2205 01:49:22.520 --> 01:49:25.479 the fact that his voice. He started to use his 2206 01:49:25.600 --> 01:49:28.800 voice more. And as a rookie I can't imagine coming 2207 01:49:28.840 --> 01:49:32.039 into a veteran situation trying to, you know, be a 2208 01:49:32.039 --> 01:49:33.880 guy that says, hey, follow me. But I think his 2209 01:49:34.039 --> 01:49:37.680 play on the floor was enough to say, okay, guys, 2210 01:49:37.680 --> 01:49:40.439 look here, I am let's roll. And that's that's a 2211 01:49:40.439 --> 01:49:43.159 good thing. And I think Will Hardy's looking for leadership, 2212 01:49:43.439 --> 01:49:43.880 as you know. 2213 01:49:45.079 --> 01:49:47.199 All right, my friend, Well, I was hoping to hear 2214 01:49:47.239 --> 01:49:49.880 the sounds of either slot machines in the background or 2215 01:49:49.920 --> 01:49:52.520 maybe waves crashing on the shore. Because you deserve some 2216 01:49:52.640 --> 01:49:55.199 time off, so I'll let you get back to the road, 2217 01:49:55.359 --> 01:49:57.800 the brandy and the stogy. Craig, thank you for the time, 2218 01:49:57.840 --> 01:49:58.199 my friend. 2219 01:49:59.319 --> 01:50:00.720 All right, man, don't be a stranger. 2220 01:50:01.399 --> 01:50:03.960 You know, sometimes I'll have to walk into the studio 2221 01:50:04.000 --> 01:50:07.479 and just to air my air my just to get 2222 01:50:07.560 --> 01:50:08.920 you know, just to get it on the table once 2223 01:50:08.960 --> 01:50:09.279 in a while. 2224 01:50:09.279 --> 01:50:11.199 It's an open invitation, buddy, you know that. 2225 01:50:12.600 --> 01:50:14.479 All right, pal, Good to talk. 2226 01:50:14.279 --> 01:50:17.239 To you, great Craig Bowlerjack TV Voice the Utah Jazz 2227 01:50:17.239 --> 01:50:20.279 stops about today. Courtesy of our friends at IFA Country Stores. 2228 01:50:20.960 --> 01:50:23.439 If you've been ignoring your lawn because the weather hasn't 2229 01:50:23.479 --> 01:50:27.039 been super warm this spring, it's time now to consider it. 2230 01:50:27.560 --> 01:50:30.039 IFA Country Stores has everything you need to care for 2231 01:50:30.079 --> 01:50:32.560 your lawn, no matter its size or shape. Their four 2232 01:50:32.600 --> 01:50:36.000 plus long care program can promote healthy green grass this summer. 2233 01:50:36.479 --> 01:50:39.000 Visit with their team of pro turf and landscape consultants 2234 01:50:39.000 --> 01:50:41.880 that help provide products and services to local baseball and 2235 01:50:41.920 --> 01:50:45.600 soccer fields, golf courses, parks, and other city properties throughout Utah. 2236 01:50:45.880 --> 01:50:48.000 It's the same knowledge and care that they can share 2237 01:50:48.000 --> 01:50:51.319 with you about your yard only at IFA and online 2238 01:50:51.439 --> 01:50:54.119 at IFA dot co op. All right, we continue a 2239 01:50:54.239 --> 01:50:56.640 very big, important hour with Bill Riley coming up on 2240 01:50:56.680 --> 01:50:58.920 the other side, probably the last day of that year, 2241 01:50:58.960 --> 01:51:04.039 in charge of our musical selection. But there's a method 2242 01:51:04.079 --> 01:51:07.680 of your madness here. Vince Gill is the artist and 2243 01:51:07.760 --> 01:51:11.079 Bill Riley is our guest. So what's the reasoning here? 2244 01:51:11.119 --> 01:51:12.279 I'm gonna let you explain it. 2245 01:51:12.319 --> 01:51:12.840 What's going on? 2246 01:51:13.319 --> 01:51:15.640 I guess not much of a hipster country thing like 2247 01:51:15.680 --> 01:51:20.479 you were saying, No Vince Gill, Bill Riley, lou stoppelgangers. 2248 01:51:20.840 --> 01:51:23.199 Oh, there's some certain pictures of. 2249 01:51:23.239 --> 01:51:24.880 Vince Gill you can find, and it looks like Bill 2250 01:51:24.960 --> 01:51:26.359 Riley belting out of country too. 2251 01:51:26.399 --> 01:51:26.920 It's awesome. 2252 01:51:26.960 --> 01:51:28.720 I have a feeling that our next guest is going 2253 01:51:28.760 --> 01:51:32.159 to take on bird with that. Bill Riley joins the program. 2254 01:51:32.399 --> 01:51:34.800 Have you ever heard Ryle's that you look like Vince Gill. 2255 01:51:35.640 --> 01:51:38.359 I've had people stop me in airports and places saying 2256 01:51:38.399 --> 01:51:39.239 I look like Vince Skill. 2257 01:51:39.560 --> 01:51:39.720 Oh. 2258 01:51:40.319 --> 01:51:42.159 Porter Larson is on it. Today. 2259 01:51:42.399 --> 01:51:47.000 Okay, okay, well we're continuing Ryle's a very important hour 2260 01:51:47.039 --> 01:51:49.760 on the program because last segment we had Craig Bowler 2261 01:51:49.840 --> 01:51:52.439 Jack who has won the Utah Sports Broadcaster the Year 2262 01:51:52.520 --> 01:51:56.399 three times, and you Bill have one Utah Sports Broadcaster 2263 01:51:56.439 --> 01:51:58.399 the Year three times. Have you guys been able to 2264 01:51:58.399 --> 01:52:00.520 get together with the robes in the andy and the 2265 01:52:00.560 --> 01:52:02.000 stoves to celebrate. 2266 01:52:01.680 --> 01:52:05.800 Yet we were going to come in studio and where 2267 01:52:05.800 --> 01:52:10.079 are Hugh Hefner smoking jackets? And if Steve Johnson would 2268 01:52:10.159 --> 01:52:13.199 let us maybe fire up a stogy, have a brandy sniffer, 2269 01:52:13.279 --> 01:52:14.159 one of those type things. 2270 01:52:14.359 --> 01:52:16.239 I'm gonna go out and limb and say Steve probably 2271 01:52:16.279 --> 01:52:18.960 wouldn't be thrilled if we're just smoking cigars in the studio, 2272 01:52:19.079 --> 01:52:21.920 But your point stands. My follow up question is have 2273 01:52:22.039 --> 01:52:27.399 you guys cultivated the handshake like they have at SNL 2274 01:52:27.479 --> 01:52:30.159 for the five Timers Club where you just go one, two, three, 2275 01:52:30.239 --> 01:52:31.439 You're great, You're great. 2276 01:52:31.479 --> 01:52:32.720 Have you and Baller done that yet? 2277 01:52:33.840 --> 01:52:34.039 No? 2278 01:52:34.399 --> 01:52:36.039 But I will let you know. 2279 01:52:36.319 --> 01:52:39.359 I will let you know that someone that you know 2280 01:52:39.720 --> 01:52:40.159 that is. 2281 01:52:40.199 --> 01:52:43.880 Close to you may or may not have shared a 2282 01:52:43.960 --> 01:52:45.199 secret handshake with. 2283 01:52:45.119 --> 01:52:45.920 Me that you would know. 2284 01:52:46.079 --> 01:52:47.439 Oh no, was it Morgan. 2285 01:52:48.760 --> 01:52:51.319 It was just not Scaley. No, it was that Scaley. 2286 01:52:51.520 --> 01:52:53.199 Are you gonna tell me who is share the name. 2287 01:52:53.079 --> 01:52:54.880 With you off air because I don't want to. I 2288 01:52:54.880 --> 01:52:56.199 don't want to out him publicly. 2289 01:52:56.319 --> 01:52:58.119 Okay, well, just so you don't want you share the name. 2290 01:52:58.119 --> 01:53:00.960 He's getting dinged. We're kicking him out because that's not allowed. Bill, 2291 01:53:01.159 --> 01:53:02.079 that is not allowed. 2292 01:53:02.199 --> 01:53:04.159 He's one of your guys, though, he is one of 2293 01:53:04.159 --> 01:53:04.600 your guys. 2294 01:53:04.680 --> 01:53:07.840 Okay, all right, now my mind is spinning, but we 2295 01:53:07.960 --> 01:53:08.560 shall move on. 2296 01:53:08.640 --> 01:53:08.800 Bill. 2297 01:53:08.840 --> 01:53:11.159 How you been man? What's going on with you these days? 2298 01:53:11.680 --> 01:53:13.000 I've been good. I was hoping. 2299 01:53:13.319 --> 01:53:15.800 I'm glad that Porter brought me in with Vin skilled today. 2300 01:53:15.840 --> 01:53:18.640 I was hoping for some third eye blind though, No, we. 2301 01:53:18.600 --> 01:53:22.359 Hit our quota. Porter got loose with the third eye blind. 2302 01:53:22.359 --> 01:53:24.560 We had like five third eye blind socks the other day. 2303 01:53:25.199 --> 01:53:28.239 But let's let's get an update. You know, obviously you're 2304 01:53:28.279 --> 01:53:31.319 busy up there, and it's a new it's a new world. 2305 01:53:31.439 --> 01:53:34.199 So it's been a while since we've checked in with 2306 01:53:34.279 --> 01:53:36.720 you as far as all of the things you have 2307 01:53:36.800 --> 01:53:39.279 going on as the director of Broadcasting at the University 2308 01:53:39.279 --> 01:53:39.640 of Utah. 2309 01:53:40.039 --> 01:53:40.800 Let's get an update. 2310 01:53:40.800 --> 01:53:44.159 There a lot of baseball as of late. Did some 2311 01:53:44.319 --> 01:53:50.039 softball yesterday Weber State and Utah softball. Lots of prep 2312 01:53:50.119 --> 01:53:52.760 going on for the big spring football game coming up 2313 01:53:52.800 --> 01:53:56.199 on Saturday, a chance for Utah Angewhich. I'm sure we'll 2314 01:53:56.199 --> 01:53:59.359 talk about her momentarily. We'll get to see Devin damp 2315 01:53:59.399 --> 01:54:02.239 here in all this glory and the rest of Utah football, 2316 01:54:03.159 --> 01:54:06.199 and just kind of winding down the season a little 2317 01:54:06.199 --> 01:54:09.279 bit and then really ramping up for next year. We 2318 01:54:09.319 --> 01:54:11.720 did we're on our way to about fifty events this 2319 01:54:11.840 --> 01:54:15.000 year on ESPN Plus, and next year we'll have in 2320 01:54:15.039 --> 01:54:16.960 the neighborhood of one hundred and ten to one hundred 2321 01:54:17.000 --> 01:54:20.000 and twenty events, So it will be it will be 2322 01:54:20.039 --> 01:54:21.159 a big lift next year. 2323 01:54:21.560 --> 01:54:22.520 Very nice, very nice. 2324 01:54:22.560 --> 01:54:25.439 So let's stay in the football space, and let's start 2325 01:54:26.000 --> 01:54:28.279 the football portion of the conversation with the fact that 2326 01:54:28.319 --> 01:54:31.000 the transfer portal has once again opened up, and it's 2327 01:54:31.279 --> 01:54:33.680 a small one. I think it's only ten days. I 2328 01:54:33.680 --> 01:54:36.640 think it'll close on the twenty fifth. And you know, 2329 01:54:36.680 --> 01:54:38.399 you hear some of the interviews and some of the 2330 01:54:38.439 --> 01:54:40.840 sound from coach Wit and others, but what do you anticipate, 2331 01:54:40.920 --> 01:54:44.399 if anything, Utah football doing over the next ten days. 2332 01:54:45.119 --> 01:54:48.119 I you know, when spring football ends this weekend, they'll 2333 01:54:48.159 --> 01:54:50.720 probably be some departures for the program. 2334 01:54:50.840 --> 01:54:52.279 You know, that's always going to be the case. 2335 01:54:52.279 --> 01:54:53.840 Some of the guys that figured out that they are 2336 01:54:53.880 --> 01:54:56.319 not in the two or the three deep and they 2337 01:54:56.319 --> 01:54:58.640 probably want to move on to go someplace where they 2338 01:54:58.680 --> 01:54:59.239 can play. 2339 01:55:00.199 --> 01:55:01.239 I think Utah. 2340 01:55:01.079 --> 01:55:03.880 Will probably be a little active. They've always been a 2341 01:55:03.920 --> 01:55:06.720 little active in the spring portal, and I could see 2342 01:55:06.720 --> 01:55:10.279 them targeting some folks. I could see them maybe adding 2343 01:55:10.279 --> 01:55:10.720 a little bit. 2344 01:55:10.720 --> 01:55:11.640 I don't think that they're. 2345 01:55:11.479 --> 01:55:14.079 Necessarily going to be out hunting for somebody that's going 2346 01:55:14.119 --> 01:55:18.039 to be an a one top line starter, but I 2347 01:55:18.039 --> 01:55:20.239 could see them probably looking to add a little bit 2348 01:55:20.239 --> 01:55:22.880 of depth on both sides of the ball. I'm not 2349 01:55:22.920 --> 01:55:25.119 sure where it would be yet. Got to talk to 2350 01:55:25.239 --> 01:55:28.840 Jason Beck and Morgan Scalley after football kind of wraps 2351 01:55:28.920 --> 01:55:31.960 up in the spring. But I wouldn't anticipate, as they've 2352 01:55:32.000 --> 01:55:34.199 been the last couple of years, I could see Utah 2353 01:55:34.279 --> 01:55:36.880 probably going out and do it a little shopping and 2354 01:55:36.960 --> 01:55:39.960 probably adding some depth on both offense and defense. You know, 2355 01:55:40.680 --> 01:55:43.560 I wouldn't expect double digits, you know, I'd probably expect 2356 01:55:43.560 --> 01:55:45.880 maybe a handful of guys, four or five guys, maybe 2357 01:55:45.920 --> 01:55:48.479 they would add the portal, But again that's just guesswork 2358 01:55:48.479 --> 01:55:48.960 on my part. 2359 01:55:49.079 --> 01:55:53.119 What about wide receiver because just you know, on paper 2360 01:55:53.159 --> 01:55:55.680 and look on paper, there are so many new players 2361 01:55:55.680 --> 01:55:57.880 that we still need to kind of understand what sort 2362 01:55:57.880 --> 01:56:00.279 of hand we've been dealt. And honestly, Bill, you know this, 2363 01:56:00.319 --> 01:56:03.119 we won't know until fall. You know, spring is spring 2364 01:56:03.119 --> 01:56:05.279 and springball springball, and I'm excited to be up at 2365 01:56:05.359 --> 01:56:08.000 Rice Ecles on Saturday in the spring game Forever twenty two. 2366 01:56:08.000 --> 01:56:10.000 Game is always fun. Go to Utah Youth dot Com 2367 01:56:10.039 --> 01:56:13.680 for tickets. But just on paper, and then what coach 2368 01:56:13.720 --> 01:56:17.279 Witt has said during media, it feels like wide receiver 2369 01:56:17.399 --> 01:56:19.079 might be a position of need. What tell me your 2370 01:56:19.079 --> 01:56:19.680 thoughts on that. 2371 01:56:20.640 --> 01:56:23.000 Yeah, I think they're trying to I think they've got 2372 01:56:23.159 --> 01:56:25.279 numbers right now Spence, and I think what they've been 2373 01:56:25.279 --> 01:56:27.199 trying to do through spring and that's why it's going 2374 01:56:27.239 --> 01:56:28.960 to be interesting for me to talk to Beck. I'll 2375 01:56:28.960 --> 01:56:30.880 get a chance to talk to him over the next 2376 01:56:30.960 --> 01:56:33.359 day or two leading up to the game is where 2377 01:56:33.399 --> 01:56:35.600 are you're at. The one name that's come up consistently 2378 01:56:35.640 --> 01:56:38.600 through spring football has been Zacharias Williams Zack. They call 2379 01:56:38.680 --> 01:56:41.680 him Zach now, but Zach Williams I think has kind 2380 01:56:41.680 --> 01:56:45.680 of separated himself as kind of the wide receiver one 2381 01:56:46.199 --> 01:56:48.720 as the guys that they have right now. But they've 2382 01:56:48.720 --> 01:56:51.159 got a bunch of other guys, you know, Zipper Or 2383 01:56:51.199 --> 01:56:53.399 who's been in the program, Otto Tiya who's new to 2384 01:56:53.439 --> 01:56:57.079 the program, the Ryan Davis kid who came from New Mexico. 2385 01:56:57.159 --> 01:56:59.520 With Jason Beck who's been in the Pro. There's some 2386 01:56:59.600 --> 01:57:01.800 guys that have been there. But I think that they're 2387 01:57:01.840 --> 01:57:04.479 trying to figure out what the hierarchy is. So it's 2388 01:57:04.520 --> 01:57:06.279 gonna be really interesting for me to be able to 2389 01:57:06.279 --> 01:57:10.159 talk to Jason Beck and see what he's seen over 2390 01:57:10.239 --> 01:57:14.399 spring football. But to your point, because there haven't been 2391 01:57:14.439 --> 01:57:16.359 a lot of names that have really jumped out, it 2392 01:57:16.399 --> 01:57:20.680 wouldn't surprise me if maybe wide receiver was an area 2393 01:57:20.760 --> 01:57:23.880 they look. Now, you know, here's your problem at wide receiver. 2394 01:57:24.079 --> 01:57:27.079 Your problem at wide receiver is the elite guys are 2395 01:57:27.119 --> 01:57:30.439 probably on teams, and if an elite guy comes out, 2396 01:57:30.840 --> 01:57:32.760 then you're gonna you know, it's going to be a 2397 01:57:32.840 --> 01:57:36.159 bidding war for somebody like that. So I think that 2398 01:57:36.199 --> 01:57:38.640 they would look to add somebody who's probably got a 2399 01:57:38.640 --> 01:57:41.079 little bit of a resume already that's probably played and 2400 01:57:41.119 --> 01:57:44.439 produced some places. But I think wide receiver might be 2401 01:57:44.520 --> 01:57:46.239 an area that they could look. But I'll find out 2402 01:57:46.279 --> 01:57:48.000 a little bit more after the talk. I am able 2403 01:57:48.039 --> 01:57:48.960 to talk to Jason. 2404 01:57:48.680 --> 01:57:52.399 Beck, tell me what you're hearing about Devin about Devin 2405 01:57:52.479 --> 01:57:54.800 damp here. And you know, we've had an opportunity over 2406 01:57:54.840 --> 01:57:57.880 the past couple of months, both Jason Beck and coach 2407 01:57:57.920 --> 01:58:01.359 with and Morgan too, who joined week. But I you know, 2408 01:58:01.399 --> 01:58:03.800 I asked Jason and I asked Kyle this too. I'm 2409 01:58:03.840 --> 01:58:05.319 not sure how much he loved it, but I asked 2410 01:58:05.319 --> 01:58:07.560 both of them like Devn's the guy, right like based 2411 01:58:07.600 --> 01:58:12.119 off of just the difficulty. Certainly the health has been 2412 01:58:12.199 --> 01:58:14.680 the biggest thing. But you know, we certainly have a 2413 01:58:14.760 --> 01:58:17.439 Utah football fan base that I think at times were 2414 01:58:17.479 --> 01:58:21.479 frustrated with the lack of information and the ambiguity surrounding 2415 01:58:21.520 --> 01:58:24.239 your starting quarterback under center. And I'm not putting that 2416 01:58:24.319 --> 01:58:27.520 on any one person. And I will maintain that Cameron 2417 01:58:27.600 --> 01:58:29.720 Rising should never pay for a beer again in Salt 2418 01:58:29.800 --> 01:58:31.920 Lake and should be remembered as a legend as he 2419 01:58:31.960 --> 01:58:35.199 exits stage left. But you know, Jason said, yeah, the 2420 01:58:35.279 --> 01:58:37.560 jobs devns and Kyle said, yeah, if we were playing tomorrow, 2421 01:58:37.600 --> 01:58:40.680 Devon's our starting quarterback. So at least there there's no 2422 01:58:40.760 --> 01:58:43.520 ambiguity around the decision, at least as of now. Tell 2423 01:58:43.560 --> 01:58:46.079 me what you're hearing about the progress of Utah's quarterback 2424 01:58:46.119 --> 01:58:46.880 Devin dan Pierre. 2425 01:58:48.159 --> 01:58:51.680 He's he's spectacular spence in the times that you had 2426 01:58:51.680 --> 01:58:53.920 a chance to watch him and I've had, I've been 2427 01:58:54.000 --> 01:58:55.720 able to get over to a number of practices. 2428 01:58:56.359 --> 01:58:57.720 He is electric. 2429 01:58:58.000 --> 01:59:01.520 I can't think of a quarterback has had in the 2430 01:59:01.600 --> 01:59:05.479 last twenty five years that's comparable to his skill set. 2431 01:59:05.720 --> 01:59:09.279 And I say that from an athleticism standpoint. As good 2432 01:59:09.279 --> 01:59:12.119 an athlete as Tyler Huntley was, Devin dam Piers a 2433 01:59:12.159 --> 01:59:16.319 better athlete than Tyler Huntley. He's just got the ability 2434 01:59:16.399 --> 01:59:20.680 to do and move and do things that other quarterbacks 2435 01:59:20.720 --> 01:59:23.279 haven't been able to do. Now again, he's doing it 2436 01:59:23.319 --> 01:59:27.760 in practice against the defense that's been relatively vanilla. You know, 2437 01:59:27.800 --> 01:59:30.000 Morgan Scalty will dial it up from time to time, 2438 01:59:30.479 --> 01:59:35.039 but he is a very unique athlete and his passing 2439 01:59:35.079 --> 01:59:36.439 and I watched a lot of his stuff from New 2440 01:59:36.479 --> 01:59:40.159 Mexico a year ago. His accuracy, at least in practice 2441 01:59:40.159 --> 01:59:42.239 and on the practice field looks like it's gotten better 2442 01:59:42.279 --> 01:59:44.159 to me. But here's the thing, you've got to love 2443 01:59:44.960 --> 01:59:49.119 talking to the coaches up there. He is a leader already. 2444 01:59:49.199 --> 01:59:49.359 Now. 2445 01:59:49.399 --> 01:59:50.760 Some of that has to do with the fact that 2446 01:59:50.800 --> 01:59:53.039 he knew the offense coming in. That's the leg up 2447 01:59:53.079 --> 01:59:55.880 he had on everybody else. But he is a guy 2448 01:59:56.000 --> 01:59:59.600 that people have kind of been attracted to. He's been 2449 01:59:59.680 --> 02:00:02.760 kind of a a teammate magnet, and he is most 2450 02:00:02.760 --> 02:00:05.000 deadly a leader on the field and in the in 2451 02:00:05.079 --> 02:00:06.880 the in the in the classroom as well, in the 2452 02:00:07.000 --> 02:00:09.319 in the in the film room, and in the offensive 2453 02:00:09.399 --> 02:00:10.000 meeting room. 2454 02:00:10.479 --> 02:00:12.000 So I've not heard. 2455 02:00:12.039 --> 02:00:15.119 One thing on or off the field that is in 2456 02:00:15.159 --> 02:00:17.600 any way, shape or form negative about Devin dan Peer. 2457 02:00:17.680 --> 02:00:21.279 He has been really impressive this spring with his new teammates. 2458 02:00:22.560 --> 02:00:26.359 When it comes to just the dynamic bill of spring football, 2459 02:00:27.279 --> 02:00:29.840 what over the years, since you've been doing this for 2460 02:00:29.840 --> 02:00:31.359 as long as you have, because you're really old, what 2461 02:00:31.640 --> 02:00:34.199 are some of the things that are real that you 2462 02:00:34.199 --> 02:00:37.520 would say to the fan base, Because for me, it's 2463 02:00:37.560 --> 02:00:40.640 always just been an excuse for those of us that 2464 02:00:40.680 --> 02:00:43.199 are in the space to do this for hours every day, 2465 02:00:43.319 --> 02:00:46.319 to actually talk college football in the spring, and for 2466 02:00:46.560 --> 02:00:49.600 college football fans that are chomping at the bit always 2467 02:00:49.640 --> 02:00:50.760 because they're crazy people. 2468 02:00:50.760 --> 02:00:52.680 In addicts a reminder that it is coming back. 2469 02:00:52.760 --> 02:00:55.800 But what are real things that the coaching staff is 2470 02:00:55.840 --> 02:00:58.600 trying to implement that we can actually learn from spring ball. 2471 02:00:59.560 --> 02:01:03.359 Well, I think it's athleticism more than anything else, and 2472 02:01:03.600 --> 02:01:08.159 football moves. It's not that somebody breaks a fifty yard 2473 02:01:08.199 --> 02:01:12.159 touchdown in practice. It's how they break the fifty yard touchdown. 2474 02:01:12.359 --> 02:01:17.119 A guy like way Sean Parker who's able to he 2475 02:01:17.199 --> 02:01:19.640 looks the part of running back one. They've got four 2476 02:01:19.720 --> 02:01:21.800 really good running backs on the team right now, but 2477 02:01:21.920 --> 02:01:25.800 Parker looks different than the other three. Maybe that's because 2478 02:01:25.800 --> 02:01:27.920 he had a really good freshman year at Washington State. 2479 02:01:28.199 --> 02:01:32.359 But I think when you see guys out there, athleticism 2480 02:01:33.119 --> 02:01:37.319 and the freakishness that some of these guys possessed, that's 2481 02:01:37.359 --> 02:01:40.000 what flashes for you. It's not the fact that they 2482 02:01:40.079 --> 02:01:42.840 score a touchdown or they do well against the ones 2483 02:01:42.920 --> 02:01:45.199 or the twos. It's when you see a guy come 2484 02:01:45.239 --> 02:01:47.960 out of a break and he leaves the defensive back 2485 02:01:47.960 --> 02:01:50.159 of the dust or you see a defensive back make 2486 02:01:50.199 --> 02:01:52.119 a break on a ball and make a really nice 2487 02:01:52.159 --> 02:01:55.840 play against the first team offense. To me, I don't 2488 02:01:55.880 --> 02:01:59.439 look at the overall results because again, those can come 2489 02:01:59.479 --> 02:02:02.119 and go, and in football, it's how they got there. 2490 02:02:02.199 --> 02:02:05.800 It's how they made the play. It's out jumping somebody 2491 02:02:06.199 --> 02:02:09.600 or outrunning somebody, or just looking the part. So that's 2492 02:02:09.640 --> 02:02:12.279 to me what usually translates. It's not that they, oh, 2493 02:02:12.359 --> 02:02:14.479 they had a ninety yard touchdown run. That's not it 2494 02:02:14.520 --> 02:02:14.760 for me. 2495 02:02:15.359 --> 02:02:18.199 I asked Morgan this question last week, and you know, 2496 02:02:18.319 --> 02:02:21.239 it was a typical coach answer, which I expected when 2497 02:02:21.279 --> 02:02:23.359 it comes to preseason expectations. 2498 02:02:23.880 --> 02:02:26.199 And look, we all know the truth of the matter. 2499 02:02:26.720 --> 02:02:29.319 Coaches and players tell us they don't read, they don't listen, 2500 02:02:29.399 --> 02:02:32.239 they don't watch, and they do they pay attention. And 2501 02:02:32.279 --> 02:02:34.119 certainly in this day and age where we all have 2502 02:02:34.239 --> 02:02:37.800 computers in our hand and the ability to be inundated 2503 02:02:37.840 --> 02:02:41.039 with information twenty four or seven, you're going to be 2504 02:02:41.159 --> 02:02:44.880 curious about what other people are expecting from you in 2505 02:02:44.960 --> 02:02:48.520 this ecosystem. And last year, everybody expected you tough football 2506 02:02:48.560 --> 02:02:51.039 to win the Big Twelve. Everybody expected you tough football 2507 02:02:51.079 --> 02:02:54.359 to go to the expanded CFP this year, Bill, the 2508 02:02:54.439 --> 02:02:57.600 pressure to do that is not there at all most 2509 02:02:57.640 --> 02:03:01.720 of the way too early, big twelves have Utah about 2510 02:03:01.800 --> 02:03:05.279 mid tier, about mid table, five, six or seven. Does 2511 02:03:05.319 --> 02:03:09.000 the lack of pressure take anything off the plate of 2512 02:03:09.039 --> 02:03:13.600 these players and coaches? Because coaches, whether it's Kyle or Kilani, 2513 02:03:13.720 --> 02:03:18.079 we always hear the moniker in the message nobody believes 2514 02:03:18.119 --> 02:03:20.119 in you play with a chip on your shoulder. Remember 2515 02:03:20.279 --> 02:03:22.840 everyone picked us six, seven, eight, not one, two or three. 2516 02:03:23.359 --> 02:03:25.760 Does the lack of pressure do you think it bodes 2517 02:03:25.800 --> 02:03:27.520 well for Utah football this year? 2518 02:03:29.399 --> 02:03:31.760 Maybe a little bit, Spence, But what I would say 2519 02:03:31.840 --> 02:03:35.920 is there's a lot more internal pressure. I think the 2520 02:03:36.039 --> 02:03:39.479 lack of results, or the lack of usual results last 2521 02:03:39.560 --> 02:03:43.239 year dials it up more internally because the bar has 2522 02:03:43.279 --> 02:03:47.319 been set so high within the program. I can tell 2523 02:03:47.319 --> 02:03:50.239 you Kyle Whittingham and those guys on that staff were 2524 02:03:50.279 --> 02:03:52.920 really disappointed with how last year played out. Some of 2525 02:03:52.960 --> 02:03:55.800 it was out of their control, like injuries. But you know, 2526 02:03:55.920 --> 02:03:58.920 a five win season is not you know, good by 2527 02:03:59.000 --> 02:04:02.680 Utah standards, and so I think that there's a lot 2528 02:04:02.720 --> 02:04:06.239 more internal pressure this year to have a bounce back 2529 02:04:06.359 --> 02:04:09.479 year than there was any kind of external pressure even 2530 02:04:09.560 --> 02:04:12.439 last year, because you know, Kyle Whittingham is not going 2531 02:04:12.520 --> 02:04:15.199 to coach forever, and I don't think that he wants 2532 02:04:15.239 --> 02:04:17.800 to have back to back down years toward the end 2533 02:04:17.800 --> 02:04:20.600 of his career. So I just I think there's a 2534 02:04:20.600 --> 02:04:23.199 lot more internal pressure to do well. But here's what 2535 02:04:23.239 --> 02:04:24.640 I will tell you too, And I think you and 2536 02:04:24.680 --> 02:04:26.800 I may have talked about this on prior hits about 2537 02:04:26.800 --> 02:04:30.960 spring football. There's a real energy and a real kind 2538 02:04:31.000 --> 02:04:34.079 of vibe around this team this spring, and I think 2539 02:04:34.119 --> 02:04:36.039 some of it's the disappointment of last year, but I 2540 02:04:36.039 --> 02:04:37.800 think some of it's the new blood and the new 2541 02:04:37.880 --> 02:04:41.079 energy that stuff, you know, that that kind of Jason 2542 02:04:41.119 --> 02:04:44.119 Beck and Micah Simon and Mark out to Why have 2543 02:04:44.199 --> 02:04:45.960 brought in with the offense. And I think with this 2544 02:04:46.039 --> 02:04:47.920 new offense, it's kind of brought a little bit out 2545 02:04:47.960 --> 02:04:51.319 of the defense as well. So yeah, going back to 2546 02:04:51.359 --> 02:04:54.119 your original point, I think, you know, externally, there's not 2547 02:04:54.119 --> 02:04:56.119 a lot of people talking about him, though some people are, 2548 02:04:56.159 --> 02:04:58.399 but I think there's a lot of internal pressure to 2549 02:04:58.479 --> 02:05:00.359 get back to where they've been the last couple years. 2550 02:05:00.560 --> 02:05:03.319 You know, it's really interesting you reference that because I 2551 02:05:03.359 --> 02:05:04.880 had a list of things I wanted to kick the 2552 02:05:04.920 --> 02:05:06.880 tires with you today, and one of the things I 2553 02:05:06.880 --> 02:05:10.000 wanted to ask you about is, you know, you listen 2554 02:05:10.079 --> 02:05:14.199 to Kyle Morgan. You know, you listen all the coaches 2555 02:05:14.239 --> 02:05:17.920 after practice and during their media availability, and ninety nine 2556 02:05:18.000 --> 02:05:20.560 percent of it is coach speak. Ninety nine percent of 2557 02:05:20.600 --> 02:05:23.319 it is just kind of them filling their obligations, and 2558 02:05:23.359 --> 02:05:23.840 I get it. 2559 02:05:24.399 --> 02:05:27.399 But sometimes Kyle will say some things. 2560 02:05:27.039 --> 02:05:28.880 That kind of, you know, make me perk up a 2561 02:05:28.920 --> 02:05:31.319 little bit as my my antenna's buzzing a little bit. 2562 02:05:31.840 --> 02:05:35.399 And on a number of occasions, Bill, not once, not twice, 2563 02:05:35.479 --> 02:05:38.960 multiple times he has said there's more positive energy in 2564 02:05:39.000 --> 02:05:41.960 this building than we've had in quite some time, which 2565 02:05:42.000 --> 02:05:44.960 struck me because Kyle's not one to run down former players. 2566 02:05:45.000 --> 02:05:46.880 I'm not saying he's doing that, and he's not one 2567 02:05:46.960 --> 02:05:51.119 to run down form or whatever, but just his expression 2568 02:05:51.640 --> 02:05:55.079 of this positive energy around the club the football team 2569 02:05:55.239 --> 02:05:58.479 has caught me. It's just got my attention on multiple times. 2570 02:05:58.520 --> 02:06:01.079 So elaborate on that and maybe specifically what you've seen 2571 02:06:01.119 --> 02:06:02.399 and felt from Kyle himself. 2572 02:06:03.560 --> 02:06:06.920 I just think that there's some people that I think 2573 02:06:06.960 --> 02:06:10.239 the new offensive staff brought a new offensive energy and 2574 02:06:10.359 --> 02:06:13.960 kind of a new excitement around the program, and that 2575 02:06:14.119 --> 02:06:16.520 certainly jumps start of the offensive side of things, but 2576 02:06:16.560 --> 02:06:19.680 I think it's been kind of contagious on the defensive 2577 02:06:19.720 --> 02:06:22.119 side as well, because they're seeing all this energy in 2578 02:06:22.159 --> 02:06:24.359 this everything that's going on over there. And I think 2579 02:06:24.359 --> 02:06:27.000 there's some of it too, is there's a lot of 2580 02:06:27.000 --> 02:06:28.239 new faces on this team. 2581 02:06:28.399 --> 02:06:30.960 There's you know, your roster, whether you're Utah. 2582 02:06:30.760 --> 02:06:33.960 Your BYU, or your Tennessee or your or your Alabama, 2583 02:06:34.039 --> 02:06:36.640 you're turning your roster over. So I think some of 2584 02:06:36.680 --> 02:06:38.680 the new faces to go along with some of the 2585 02:06:38.720 --> 02:06:40.600 new energy on the offensive side and some of the 2586 02:06:40.640 --> 02:06:44.720 new terminology has really done that. And I think it's 2587 02:06:44.800 --> 02:06:47.079 permeated through the players and the staff, and I think 2588 02:06:47.119 --> 02:06:49.560 the head coach has felt some of that too, and 2589 02:06:49.600 --> 02:06:51.399 I think there's an excitement about that. I think when 2590 02:06:51.439 --> 02:06:54.439 Kyle decided he was going to come back and coach again, 2591 02:06:54.880 --> 02:06:56.720 I think he felt a little re energized by it. 2592 02:06:56.760 --> 02:06:57.920 So I think he's brought that with it. 2593 02:06:58.840 --> 02:07:00.560 All right, a couple of minutes least, So let's do 2594 02:07:00.640 --> 02:07:04.800 a little basketball. As Alex Jensen will potentially be coaching 2595 02:07:04.880 --> 02:07:08.880 his last game with the Dallas Mavericks tonight, so you know, 2596 02:07:08.960 --> 02:07:11.199 potentially we'll see that they win. They're going to maybe 2597 02:07:11.199 --> 02:07:13.279 have one other game, but Alex might be a week 2598 02:07:13.319 --> 02:07:17.319 away from leaving Dallas behind and moving here, moving back 2599 02:07:17.319 --> 02:07:20.399 here well where he will be the seventeenth head coach 2600 02:07:20.399 --> 02:07:22.439 in the history of the Utah men's basketball program. 2601 02:07:22.520 --> 02:07:24.319 Before we get to the specifics, bill from your. 2602 02:07:24.279 --> 02:07:27.359 Vantage point, thirty thousand foot view, about a month, month 2603 02:07:27.439 --> 02:07:29.279 and a half of Alex's tenures so far. 2604 02:07:29.359 --> 02:07:30.560 What are the main takeaways. 2605 02:07:31.479 --> 02:07:33.880 Well, I think that he's finally beginning to get his 2606 02:07:33.920 --> 02:07:37.039 staff in place, and I think that's important. I think 2607 02:07:37.079 --> 02:07:39.760 the HighRes this week and getting close to completing his 2608 02:07:39.840 --> 02:07:43.000 staff are big. I do know, though I don't know 2609 02:07:43.039 --> 02:07:44.760 a lot of exact names, I know that they've had 2610 02:07:44.800 --> 02:07:47.600 a lot of visitors on campus. I know that the coach, 2611 02:07:47.880 --> 02:07:51.560 the staff that's here, Chileas the GM, some of the 2612 02:07:51.600 --> 02:07:54.920 other staff members are really working hard right now. 2613 02:07:55.039 --> 02:07:57.439 So I think that they're they're vetting. 2614 02:07:57.840 --> 02:07:59.800 I think they're doing their time, They're kind of doing 2615 02:07:59.840 --> 02:08:02.520 the work in vetting these guys. I don't think they're 2616 02:08:02.560 --> 02:08:05.520 just going out willy nilly and grabbing guys because I 2617 02:08:05.520 --> 02:08:07.439 think that they want to you know, as Alex has said, 2618 02:08:07.439 --> 02:08:08.920 and I think he's probably said it with you and 2619 02:08:08.960 --> 02:08:11.520 said it on Sean's show too, he wants to build 2620 02:08:11.520 --> 02:08:13.800 it the right way and doesn't want to just grab 2621 02:08:13.880 --> 02:08:16.560 guys for the sake of grabbing guys, because I think 2622 02:08:16.600 --> 02:08:18.600 we've seen how that's worked in some other places and 2623 02:08:18.640 --> 02:08:21.840 it doesn't necessarily work. So I think that the I 2624 02:08:21.840 --> 02:08:23.399 think he's had a plan. I think a lot of 2625 02:08:23.399 --> 02:08:26.920 people have maybe not necessarily felt it because he's not 2626 02:08:27.000 --> 02:08:29.600 here full time. But the sense I've gotten is he's 2627 02:08:29.640 --> 02:08:31.640 working a lot behind the scenes, and he's got the 2628 02:08:31.680 --> 02:08:34.800 staffed in place. It's working too, So I think as 2629 02:08:34.840 --> 02:08:36.680 he's filling out this staff, I think we're going to 2630 02:08:36.720 --> 02:08:38.279 be starting to see more and more players. 2631 02:08:38.319 --> 02:08:40.079 I think we've got, you know. 2632 02:08:40.079 --> 02:08:42.560 Four commitments right now, or four guys they got a 2633 02:08:42.600 --> 02:08:45.520 commitment today according to some of the reports, and then 2634 02:08:45.560 --> 02:08:49.119 you've got Dawes and Terence Brown and James Occono who 2635 02:08:49.119 --> 02:08:52.399 have committed publicly. So I think that some of that 2636 02:08:52.479 --> 02:08:55.000 stuff is good for them. And I think it's very 2637 02:08:55.000 --> 02:08:58.680 interesting to see, you know, how he's putting this thing together. 2638 02:08:58.720 --> 02:09:01.680 But I like the pace instant that they've come forward with. 2639 02:09:01.960 --> 02:09:04.439 Does it feel like there? 2640 02:09:04.720 --> 02:09:06.439 You know, we talked about the positive energy on the 2641 02:09:06.479 --> 02:09:09.640 football side of things, and I didn't talk to one 2642 02:09:09.720 --> 02:09:13.880 person who felt like Market landed on the right the 2643 02:09:13.920 --> 02:09:16.720 wrong choice with Alex. It's one of the rare hires 2644 02:09:17.720 --> 02:09:20.960 for my prism where everybody felt It felt to me 2645 02:09:21.079 --> 02:09:24.159 like everybody was on board. Do you have any context 2646 02:09:24.239 --> 02:09:27.800 as far as the positive energy around the basketball program, 2647 02:09:27.800 --> 02:09:30.359 whether or not they're receiving phone calls for season ticket 2648 02:09:30.359 --> 02:09:33.359 deposits and you know, a basketball community build they're quite 2649 02:09:33.359 --> 02:09:36.600 frankly has been more or less dormant since Rick left. 2650 02:09:36.640 --> 02:09:39.680 If we're honest with truncated moments here or there, what 2651 02:09:39.840 --> 02:09:42.159 has been the buzz in the building around the new 2652 02:09:43.159 --> 02:09:45.560 era that we're in now with Alex Jensen as the coach. 2653 02:09:46.520 --> 02:09:49.640 Everybody here is excited about expense. I haven't talked to 2654 02:09:49.760 --> 02:09:52.680 ticketing per se about you know, whether their ticket numbers 2655 02:09:52.680 --> 02:09:55.039 are up, but I just know that there's a real 2656 02:09:55.159 --> 02:09:57.560 buzz and talking to some folks in the Crimson Club, 2657 02:09:57.560 --> 02:10:01.199 they've gotten great feedback and positive vibes from it two, 2658 02:10:01.319 --> 02:10:04.840 So I think everything has been really really positive. As 2659 02:10:04.840 --> 02:10:07.000 you know, I mean Alex is beloved here as a 2660 02:10:07.039 --> 02:10:11.199 former player and for just a local guy that's got 2661 02:10:11.239 --> 02:10:14.840 such great ties. But everything to this point in time 2662 02:10:14.960 --> 02:10:18.119 that I've heard or been talked to about is really 2663 02:10:18.159 --> 02:10:19.239 positive about the hire. 2664 02:10:19.800 --> 02:10:25.239 Last thing, what to you will indicate next year? Because 2665 02:10:25.439 --> 02:10:27.359 I've been asked this a million times, And first of all, 2666 02:10:27.520 --> 02:10:29.640 we don't know who the players are going to be, 2667 02:10:29.800 --> 02:10:32.000 so it's impossible to analyze how good the team is 2668 02:10:32.000 --> 02:10:35.239 going to be. But if you look at what the 2669 02:10:35.279 --> 02:10:38.199 Big twelve could be next year, Houston is going to 2670 02:10:38.199 --> 02:10:38.800 be impossible. 2671 02:10:38.840 --> 02:10:39.119 Again. 2672 02:10:39.199 --> 02:10:41.720 They've got a bunch of transfers coming in to replace 2673 02:10:41.760 --> 02:10:44.359 some of the players that are leaving. Your rock Chop 2674 02:10:44.479 --> 02:10:47.199 Jayhawks are bringing in a tremendous amount of transfers and 2675 02:10:47.279 --> 02:10:51.239 talent byus open up the checkbook. And there's a rumor 2676 02:10:51.319 --> 02:10:53.600 that they're going to grab the Williams kid from Texas Tech, 2677 02:10:53.640 --> 02:10:56.359 which might make them a top ten team in college 2678 02:10:56.439 --> 02:10:59.479 basketball next year. So I'm trying Bill to be very 2679 02:10:59.520 --> 02:11:03.479 diligent to set expectations. You're one, so Alex doesn't get 2680 02:11:03.479 --> 02:11:04.920 a bunch of heat on him if he's not one 2681 02:11:04.920 --> 02:11:06.720 of the top four or five teams of the Big Twelve. 2682 02:11:06.760 --> 02:11:09.520 So just generally speaking, what will you look for next 2683 02:11:09.600 --> 02:11:11.920 year to indicate that this thing is at least moving 2684 02:11:11.960 --> 02:11:12.680 in the right direction. 2685 02:11:13.680 --> 02:11:16.319 But I think it's being competitive into Big twelve and 2686 02:11:16.439 --> 02:11:19.560 winning games on the road, and being you know, being 2687 02:11:19.600 --> 02:11:22.960 in contention for, you know, being in the top half 2688 02:11:23.000 --> 02:11:24.279 of the league, because if you're in the top half 2689 02:11:24.279 --> 02:11:25.880 of the league, you're then in contention for an NC 2690 02:11:25.960 --> 02:11:29.039 double A tournament birth. So it'll be interesting to see, 2691 02:11:29.079 --> 02:11:31.439 you know, once the rosters put together, how that looks. 2692 02:11:31.560 --> 02:11:34.439 But I think that's progress. I think being in the 2693 02:11:34.479 --> 02:11:36.199 top half of one of the best leagues in the 2694 02:11:36.239 --> 02:11:40.960 country and also being talked about, you know, when joeln 2695 02:11:41.000 --> 02:11:44.279 already's putting bracketology and stuff together. That's that's important too, 2696 02:11:44.399 --> 02:11:46.880 because I think that's the standard that you know, Mark 2697 02:11:46.920 --> 02:11:50.520 Harlin and and Taylor Randall said they want to be 2698 02:11:50.520 --> 02:11:52.680 an NC double A tournament team. So I think competing 2699 02:11:52.680 --> 02:11:55.199 for an NC DOUBLEA tournament birth and being in that conversation, 2700 02:11:55.359 --> 02:11:56.319 that's progress. 2701 02:11:57.000 --> 02:12:00.760 Wednesday, June twenty fifth, the NBA Draft will take place, 2702 02:12:01.079 --> 02:12:03.399 and a little birdie tells me that we might see 2703 02:12:03.439 --> 02:12:07.680 the triumph return of the former program director and longtime 2704 02:12:07.840 --> 02:12:10.079 host over here at ESPN seven hundred to do a 2705 02:12:10.079 --> 02:12:12.760 little radios can you coroborate those reports? 2706 02:12:12.800 --> 02:12:13.000 Bill? 2707 02:12:14.119 --> 02:12:17.199 You know, it sounds like I was extended an invitation 2708 02:12:17.439 --> 02:12:20.159 on the air while I was listening to Third Eye 2709 02:12:20.199 --> 02:12:24.279 Blind and you and and Porter talking the other day, 2710 02:12:24.800 --> 02:12:27.640 A chance to be in studio with you and Gordie 2711 02:12:27.920 --> 02:12:30.199 to talk about the draft. I mean, I you know, 2712 02:12:30.279 --> 02:12:33.319 maybe at full six, maybe we do just six seven hours, 2713 02:12:33.359 --> 02:12:35.960 go into the wee hours of the morning. It sounds 2714 02:12:36.000 --> 02:12:37.279 like something that would excite me. 2715 02:12:37.840 --> 02:12:39.600 Love to see it, love to hear it. We'll look 2716 02:12:39.600 --> 02:12:41.279 forward to catching up with the Bill. Thanks for your 2717 02:12:41.279 --> 02:12:42.359 time today and have a great week. 2718 02:12:42.399 --> 02:12:44.560 Okay, see you Saturday expense. 2719 02:12:44.319 --> 02:12:47.079 Bill Riley, Voice of the Utes. Saturday is the spring 2720 02:12:47.119 --> 02:12:49.600 game Forever twenty two game. Go to Utah Utes dot 2721 02:12:49.600 --> 02:12:53.119 com for tickets. We gave you a chance. We gave 2722 02:12:53.159 --> 02:12:56.359 you a chance all day long to play your music 2723 02:12:57.079 --> 02:12:59.159 during our bumps, and. 2724 02:12:59.399 --> 02:13:00.479 I think we made it mistake. 2725 02:13:01.119 --> 02:13:03.239 You may have made a mistake. Well that's up to you. 2726 02:13:03.319 --> 02:13:04.119 It is subject. 2727 02:13:04.199 --> 02:13:08.439 It's on me. Uh who's this? Who were we entering 2728 02:13:08.439 --> 02:13:09.399 the five o'clock hour with? 2729 02:13:09.520 --> 02:13:12.000 Oh, just the late Luke Bell which you are disgracing 2730 02:13:12.039 --> 02:13:13.399 the name of Now that's okay. 2731 02:13:13.520 --> 02:13:15.640 Well, I can't disgrace the name that I've never heard before. 2732 02:13:15.680 --> 02:13:17.560 Who is Luke Bell again? 2733 02:13:17.640 --> 02:13:18.439 Yeah? Less or no? 2734 02:13:18.560 --> 02:13:22.960 Less or No, but I really really good album that 2735 02:13:23.039 --> 02:13:25.359 he released right before he passed away super young. 2736 02:13:25.439 --> 02:13:26.520 So oh that's sad. 2737 02:13:26.800 --> 02:13:27.279 Sorry? 2738 02:13:27.560 --> 02:13:30.159 Is this the song that a listener selected that you 2739 02:13:30.279 --> 02:13:31.399 decided to send golfing? 2740 02:13:31.640 --> 02:13:35.560 No, we got one more for that, all right, okay, no, 2741 02:13:35.680 --> 02:13:38.880 this one was you wanted something that wasn't like sad? Well? 2742 02:13:38.960 --> 02:13:41.720 Yeah, every song you played before was the guy whose 2743 02:13:41.800 --> 02:13:44.239 girl left him and so he's drowning himself in whiskey. 2744 02:13:44.279 --> 02:13:47.319 It was a little sad. Yeah, yep, but we move on. 2745 02:13:48.119 --> 02:13:49.439 It's okay. It's not for everybody. 2746 02:13:49.479 --> 02:13:51.680 So before we say good night, and in about an hour, 2747 02:13:51.800 --> 02:13:54.159 you will play the song that a listener selected that 2748 02:13:54.239 --> 02:13:56.840 you picked to send golfing. Yes, all right, fair enough. 2749 02:13:57.239 --> 02:13:59.560 Five o'clock hour of the program today. 2750 02:14:00.159 --> 02:14:00.600 Sure I will. 2751 02:14:00.600 --> 02:14:02.560 I mean, so far you're zero for ten, but you 2752 02:14:02.600 --> 02:14:04.239 know what, different strokes different folks. 2753 02:14:04.279 --> 02:14:06.439 It's all good. I'm trying to embrace country music more 2754 02:14:06.439 --> 02:14:07.760 than I have my entire life. 2755 02:14:08.359 --> 02:14:10.079 Five o'clock out of the show Today is brought to 2756 02:14:10.079 --> 02:14:12.079 you by Friends at Advanced Window Products. 2757 02:14:12.359 --> 02:14:12.960 Here's the deal. 2758 02:14:13.119 --> 02:14:14.920 You can get twenty five hundred dollars off when you 2759 02:14:14.960 --> 02:14:18.119 purchase ten windows or more. Advanced Window Products is a local, 2760 02:14:18.199 --> 02:14:21.199 solid company operated by Nate Orchard, our guy who is 2761 02:14:21.199 --> 02:14:23.000 the Mayor of sack Lake City and of course span 2762 02:14:23.039 --> 02:14:26.039 about eight years in the NFL business partner Jake Wherever. 2763 02:14:26.079 --> 02:14:27.000 They're just the best people. 2764 02:14:27.039 --> 02:14:30.319 So bottom line, call Advanced Wintle Products at eight one 2765 02:14:30.479 --> 02:14:34.920 eight five zero ninety one hundred or visit Advancewindows dot com. 2766 02:14:34.960 --> 02:14:37.520 Don't miss out on twenty five hundred dollars off when 2767 02:14:37.520 --> 02:14:39.920 you buy ten windows or more. So call the Mayor 2768 02:14:39.920 --> 02:14:42.079 of sack Lake City today at eight one eight five 2769 02:14:42.159 --> 02:14:45.439 zero ninety one hundred. That's eight one eight five zero 2770 02:14:45.560 --> 02:14:48.880 ninety one hundred Advanced Window Products, Building, installing and guaranteeing 2771 02:14:48.920 --> 02:14:53.880 the best windows in Utah. All right, So NBA basketball 2772 02:14:54.039 --> 02:14:57.800 last night. NBA basketball tonight, the play in tournament continues. 2773 02:14:58.640 --> 02:15:01.760 We saw really fun game last night as the Golden 2774 02:15:01.760 --> 02:15:04.760 State Warriors were able to take care of the Memphis Grizzlies. 2775 02:15:04.800 --> 02:15:07.840 But it was not easy, one twenty one to one sixteen. 2776 02:15:07.880 --> 02:15:11.119 It combined seventy five points from Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry, 2777 02:15:11.840 --> 02:15:15.720 but Memphis counterpunched over and over and over, and Golden 2778 02:15:15.720 --> 02:15:19.159 State needed a real vintage Steph Curry fourth quarter where 2779 02:15:19.159 --> 02:15:22.760 he scored fifteen points at three threes to get that done. 2780 02:15:22.760 --> 02:15:25.600 The Orlando Magic ran away from the Atlanta Hawks one 2781 02:15:25.680 --> 02:15:28.399 twenty to ninety five after a pretty competitive two and 2782 02:15:28.399 --> 02:15:29.560 a half quarter stretch. 2783 02:15:30.439 --> 02:15:32.000 Orlando just overwhelmed them. 2784 02:15:32.560 --> 02:15:34.600 So tonight we move over to the nine to ten 2785 02:15:34.680 --> 02:15:38.039 matchups where it is a true lose and go home. 2786 02:15:38.159 --> 02:15:40.079 The Heat and the Bulls are about to tip off 2787 02:15:40.159 --> 02:15:43.359 the United Center in Chicago. It's the third straight year 2788 02:15:43.399 --> 02:15:44.960 the Heat and the Bulls have played in the play 2789 02:15:45.000 --> 02:15:47.399 in Tournament. And then your late night game is at 2790 02:15:47.399 --> 02:15:50.880 the Golden One Center in Sacramento, California, where the Dallas 2791 02:15:50.880 --> 02:15:54.319 Mavericks and Alex Jensen will be playing the Sacramento Kings. 2792 02:15:54.920 --> 02:15:58.199 Kings win, Dallas goes home, and Alex will be done 2793 02:15:58.279 --> 02:16:00.800 with his stint with the Dallas Maverickson. We'll be here 2794 02:16:00.840 --> 02:16:06.439 coaching the Utah Utes men's basketball program pretty quickly. Of course, 2795 02:16:06.439 --> 02:16:08.279 he's been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, 2796 02:16:08.720 --> 02:16:11.720 and we did receive news today that Alex and the 2797 02:16:11.840 --> 02:16:17.479 Utah basketball program received a commitment from Kendall Sanders, IMG forward, 2798 02:16:17.880 --> 02:16:21.600 who I guess visited the campus last week. The transfer 2799 02:16:21.600 --> 02:16:25.680 portal in college football open today. No news on any 2800 02:16:25.800 --> 02:16:28.680 utes at this point, BYU did have five. 2801 02:16:28.479 --> 02:16:30.800 Players enter the transfer portal. 2802 02:16:31.119 --> 02:16:33.520 Bill Riley, voice of the Utes, joined us last segment 2803 02:16:34.239 --> 02:16:36.319 and he brought up a good point. So after this weekend, 2804 02:16:36.520 --> 02:16:39.440 Utah football will have their spring game on Saturday. That 2805 02:16:39.559 --> 02:16:42.639 Forever twenty two game coming up on Saturday, so I'd 2806 02:16:42.639 --> 02:16:44.440 love to see you there. Go to Utah Utes dot 2807 02:16:44.440 --> 02:16:48.159 com for ticketing information. I would imagine after the spring 2808 02:16:48.239 --> 02:16:51.399 game Monday of next week, we will hear Utah football 2809 02:16:51.399 --> 02:16:55.760 players entering the transfer portal. Coach Wit did some media 2810 02:16:55.799 --> 02:17:00.120 today and he kind of alluded to that possibility. The 2811 02:17:00.120 --> 02:17:04.040 bottom line is every team will lose players, and once 2812 02:17:04.079 --> 02:17:07.079 the two deep comes out, and once spring football is 2813 02:17:07.120 --> 02:17:09.600 kind of behind us and these players understand where they're 2814 02:17:09.639 --> 02:17:11.719 at on kind of the pecking order, then they're going 2815 02:17:11.760 --> 02:17:15.879 to make their decisions. So at this point, Kendall Sanders 2816 02:17:15.959 --> 02:17:21.559 is the sixth player on Alex Jensen's roster, James o'conquo, 2817 02:17:21.879 --> 02:17:23.600 Terrence Brown, Keanu Dawes. 2818 02:17:23.639 --> 02:17:25.159 Of course, that we saw play last year. 2819 02:17:25.200 --> 02:17:29.159 Eb Treori and Alvin Jackson are the players on Utah's 2820 02:17:29.200 --> 02:17:32.840 roster right now, six players, So Alex still has nine 2821 02:17:32.959 --> 02:17:36.719 open roster spots to work with and this is going 2822 02:17:36.760 --> 02:17:39.559 to be a slow build. Ultimately, we are seeing the 2823 02:17:39.600 --> 02:17:43.200 staff round out a little bit. Wes Wilcox, your general manager. 2824 02:17:43.280 --> 02:17:47.280 Rafael Chilius added as the lead assistant. Apparently Rafael Chilius 2825 02:17:47.319 --> 02:17:49.840 is the one that had the relationship with Kendall Sanders. 2826 02:17:49.879 --> 02:17:52.159 Remember when coach Chilius was hired. 2827 02:17:53.040 --> 02:17:55.559 That was kind of the mo that people use to 2828 02:17:55.639 --> 02:17:59.639 discuss him when it comes to his reputation around the 2829 02:17:59.680 --> 02:18:03.159 world both high school and college basketball. Spent some time 2830 02:18:03.200 --> 02:18:06.000 in the pros as well. Martin Schiller was named as 2831 02:18:06.040 --> 02:18:08.760 the third assistant coach Alex's staff. Of course, as this 2832 02:18:08.799 --> 02:18:10.799 staff continues to kind of round out a little bit, 2833 02:18:11.520 --> 02:18:13.399 Martin Schiller is the one that is thought to have 2834 02:18:13.479 --> 02:18:17.159 a bunch of connections overseas as he coached the German 2835 02:18:17.280 --> 02:18:20.200 national team with Alex by the way, so that's kind 2836 02:18:20.200 --> 02:18:22.799 of how they got to know each other. So the 2837 02:18:23.239 --> 02:18:26.760 staff filling out players filling out. Six players have signed 2838 02:18:26.799 --> 02:18:30.760 on the dotted line, leaving nine different players available with 2839 02:18:30.799 --> 02:18:33.120 the open roster spots that Alex has to work with, 2840 02:18:33.639 --> 02:18:36.920 so I referenced BYU Football. Utah football, with the transfer 2841 02:18:36.959 --> 02:18:40.840 portal opening, BYU had five players announced that they will 2842 02:18:40.920 --> 02:18:44.680 hit the transfer portal as of right now. And you know, 2843 02:18:44.799 --> 02:18:46.760 I don't know that any of these players are really 2844 02:18:47.360 --> 02:18:51.319 anything that BYU fans need to worry about ultimately. You know, 2845 02:18:52.239 --> 02:18:55.840 these are players that after spring ball we're probably told like, 2846 02:18:55.920 --> 02:18:58.120 this is kind of the deal. So if you're not 2847 02:18:58.159 --> 02:19:00.440 going to play here, we would welcome me to go 2848 02:19:00.520 --> 02:19:02.959 find another place to play if that's what you're interested in. 2849 02:19:02.959 --> 02:19:05.559 And that's what any good coach would do when it 2850 02:19:05.600 --> 02:19:07.680 comes to communicating with his players. 2851 02:19:08.079 --> 02:19:10.239 So final week of spring practice for. 2852 02:19:10.280 --> 02:19:14.639 Utah football, BYU football wrapped up their spring ball. Cale Breslin, 2853 02:19:14.680 --> 02:19:17.120 a running back, is into the transfer portal. Nason Coleman 2854 02:19:17.159 --> 02:19:21.000 at tight end, Justin Anna, who is the son of 2855 02:19:21.079 --> 02:19:24.159 BYU linebackers coach Justin n As ender the transfer portal. 2856 02:19:24.559 --> 02:19:28.120 Nathan Hoke defensive end linebacker, son of Chris Oak. He 2857 02:19:28.120 --> 02:19:31.639 has entered the transfer portal for BYU, and Landon Rico, 2858 02:19:31.680 --> 02:19:35.200 who's a punter. He has entered the transfer portal as well, 2859 02:19:35.479 --> 02:19:38.319 so that's kind of the news that's moving the needle today. 2860 02:19:38.920 --> 02:19:41.319 It looks like these reports are not official yet. 2861 02:19:42.000 --> 02:19:46.159 But Nico Iamaliava, who is the Tennessee quarterback that's received 2862 02:19:46.200 --> 02:19:49.600 a ton of attention after quote unquote holding out looking 2863 02:19:49.639 --> 02:19:52.559 for about double of the nil he was getting from Tennessee. 2864 02:19:53.200 --> 02:19:56.040 The rumors are he will land at UCLA, which would 2865 02:19:56.079 --> 02:19:59.200 be interesting because Utah's first game of the season is 2866 02:19:59.239 --> 02:20:02.440 against ucl So there you go some NBA basketball tonight 2867 02:20:02.479 --> 02:20:05.200 after a couple of fun games last night. So it 2868 02:20:05.319 --> 02:20:08.639 is a true win or go home situation in pro 2869 02:20:08.760 --> 02:20:12.840 basketball tonight. It has been a painful, painful Wednesday show. 2870 02:20:13.040 --> 02:20:15.239 Music is part of the vibe of the show The 2871 02:20:15.319 --> 02:20:18.239 Driver with Spence Jackets Monday through Friday Live two to six, 2872 02:20:18.319 --> 02:20:19.000 no exceptions. 2873 02:20:19.079 --> 02:20:21.760 Music is a big part of the vibe. Why are 2874 02:20:21.760 --> 02:20:22.799 they all so sad? 2875 02:20:22.879 --> 02:20:23.040 Man? 2876 02:20:23.079 --> 02:20:23.239 Now? 2877 02:20:23.280 --> 02:20:29.200 Look, expressing your feelings and your sadness through artistic expressions 2878 02:20:29.280 --> 02:20:31.280 is a healthy endeavor. I'm not saying it's not, But 2879 02:20:31.360 --> 02:20:34.920 what's I guess? I bury the lead? Who are you playing? 2880 02:20:35.040 --> 02:20:35.600 End the show here? 2881 02:20:35.680 --> 02:20:39.440 It's a little Rose Colored Glasses by John Conley. That 2882 02:20:39.600 --> 02:20:43.559 was our guy, Phil the Texter wanted that one. Now 2883 02:20:43.879 --> 02:20:48.159 I love the song. You're not wrong. There's some sad 2884 02:20:48.159 --> 02:20:53.440 overtones there, but a little UT's angle. Spring football rose 2885 02:20:53.479 --> 02:20:58.799 colored Glasses. Oh also, okay, that's ultimately why I chose it, 2886 02:20:58.840 --> 02:21:00.680 because I think it is It is a good time 2887 02:21:00.680 --> 02:21:03.280 of the year for some rose colored classes. Your quarterback's 2888 02:21:03.319 --> 02:21:06.000 the best in the country. You got running backs all 2889 02:21:06.000 --> 02:21:09.879 over the place, the defense is flying around, and the 2890 02:21:09.959 --> 02:21:13.520 pads are popping. It's spring ball, rose colored glasses. 2891 02:21:13.559 --> 02:21:15.639 Did you say your quarterback is the best quarterback in 2892 02:21:15.680 --> 02:21:16.120 the country. 2893 02:21:16.159 --> 02:21:18.040 Everyone says in spring. That's kind of what I was 2894 02:21:18.040 --> 02:21:18.399 getting in. 2895 02:21:18.840 --> 02:21:20.719 Oh yeah, spring is time for hope. 2896 02:21:20.840 --> 02:21:22.200 He can really spin it, man. 2897 02:21:22.520 --> 02:21:22.760 Yeah. 2898 02:21:22.879 --> 02:21:25.879 I mean that's why some of the superlatives in some 2899 02:21:25.959 --> 02:21:30.239 of the you know, just the spring football takeaways on 2900 02:21:30.280 --> 02:21:31.799 social like Nate Johnson's fast. 2901 02:21:31.840 --> 02:21:34.879 Oh really, we do know that one man, Nate Johnson 2902 02:21:34.920 --> 02:21:36.040 can really run. Okay. 2903 02:21:36.159 --> 02:21:39.399 You know, Like as I said with Bill earlier, and 2904 02:21:39.440 --> 02:21:43.200 I've told you before, spring football is an excuse for 2905 02:21:43.200 --> 02:21:45.440 people like us to talk ball because you know me, 2906 02:21:45.479 --> 02:21:46.040 I love ball. 2907 02:21:46.440 --> 02:21:49.079 I'm all about ball. I just want dudes who love ball. 2908 02:21:49.520 --> 02:21:50.959 I'm all about the dudes who love ball. 2909 02:21:51.000 --> 02:21:51.559 You know, what I want? 2910 02:21:51.639 --> 02:21:52.159 What do you want? 2911 02:21:52.200 --> 02:21:56.000 I want all twenty two film of spring football. 2912 02:21:56.040 --> 02:21:59.879 Stop it, let's get weird. No like Look, it's a 2913 02:22:00.040 --> 02:22:03.239 great excuse to soft football. There just are very few 2914 02:22:03.360 --> 02:22:06.680 times where anything that happens in the spring turns out 2915 02:22:06.719 --> 02:22:09.680 to manifest itself. Is very important when it comes to 2916 02:22:09.799 --> 02:22:12.959 the fall. Now, transfer portal is open right now, I 2917 02:22:12.959 --> 02:22:16.399 misspoke earlier. By the way, Utah football throughout the spring 2918 02:22:16.440 --> 02:22:20.639 window has had players into the transfer portal. Wyatt Becker, quarterback, 2919 02:22:20.719 --> 02:22:26.559 Sammy Hunter, Komari Semwell both cornerbacks have entered the transfer portal. 2920 02:22:26.639 --> 02:22:28.920 None of those players really germane to what's gonna happen. 2921 02:22:28.760 --> 02:22:29.239 In the fall? 2922 02:22:29.920 --> 02:22:32.120 Well, are you hearing anything up there about what could come? 2923 02:22:32.319 --> 02:22:34.639 Because Bill makes a good point. Like BYU football, they 2924 02:22:34.639 --> 02:22:38.280 wrap up their spring session and after it was announced 2925 02:22:38.319 --> 02:22:40.319 that they were done with spring ball, they lost five 2926 02:22:40.360 --> 02:22:41.840 players immediately into the portal. 2927 02:22:41.879 --> 02:22:43.200 Now, none of the players. 2928 02:22:42.799 --> 02:22:45.639 That BYU was lost to the portal were expected to 2929 02:22:45.639 --> 02:22:48.040 play big minutes. Hence the reason why they're looking for 2930 02:22:48.079 --> 02:22:51.879 another place to play. But come Monday after spring football 2931 02:22:51.959 --> 02:22:53.760 is behind us for Utah, what are you expecting to hear? 2932 02:22:53.959 --> 02:22:54.159 Yeah? 2933 02:22:54.200 --> 02:22:57.200 I like Bill kind of alluded to, there's going to 2934 02:22:57.239 --> 02:22:58.920 be a name or two on that list that you 2935 02:22:59.000 --> 02:23:01.280 will see enter the transfer portal. 2936 02:23:01.360 --> 02:23:02.559 And you know, this is. 2937 02:23:04.239 --> 02:23:06.920 Something that shouldn't surprise anybody. Number one, this is just 2938 02:23:07.000 --> 02:23:09.440 the reality of college football. There are going to be 2939 02:23:09.479 --> 02:23:14.719 transfers post spring, pre fall camp, regardless of the NIL situation, 2940 02:23:14.920 --> 02:23:18.559 regardless of what's going on with your team behind the scenes, 2941 02:23:19.239 --> 02:23:23.280 team vibes, doesn't matter. You're going to have transfers between 2942 02:23:23.280 --> 02:23:26.120 the spring, between the fall, no matter what. Every year 2943 02:23:26.280 --> 02:23:30.079 before the NIL situation was a reality that was true. 2944 02:23:30.120 --> 02:23:34.239 But I will say that Kyle and this team, much 2945 02:23:34.280 --> 02:23:37.520 like we've talked about, they have leaned into the professional model. 2946 02:23:37.559 --> 02:23:41.799 They've leaned into you know, obviously they got a general 2947 02:23:41.840 --> 02:23:44.920 manager up there now working the contracts and working the 2948 02:23:45.000 --> 02:23:48.719 NIL stuff. And there are players that are going to 2949 02:23:48.799 --> 02:23:51.520 not be getting what they think they are are worth 2950 02:23:51.639 --> 02:23:55.600 or vice versa. There are going to be spots on 2951 02:23:55.639 --> 02:23:58.639 the roster that don't have the money allotted to them 2952 02:23:58.799 --> 02:24:01.760 that some of those players think that they deserve. So 2953 02:24:02.159 --> 02:24:05.799 you're going to see players enter the transfer portal. From 2954 02:24:05.840 --> 02:24:12.040 what I understand, everything is kind of already understood in 2955 02:24:12.079 --> 02:24:15.719 that regard. Players know their places. Kyle's gone to folks 2956 02:24:15.760 --> 02:24:19.079 and kind of given them the lowdown on that. And 2957 02:24:19.479 --> 02:24:21.760 you're not going to see it publicly right like you 2958 02:24:21.799 --> 02:24:24.440 did with Tennessee. You're not going to see drama come 2959 02:24:24.479 --> 02:24:27.319 out of it, if you ask me. But you will 2960 02:24:27.360 --> 02:24:30.479 see a few names that enter that transfer portal. I 2961 02:24:30.479 --> 02:24:33.319 don't think any that are of much consequence. 2962 02:24:33.920 --> 02:24:37.159 Well, any of the players threatening to leave for the 2963 02:24:37.159 --> 02:24:39.520 transfer portal have to have a come to Kyle moment. 2964 02:24:42.360 --> 02:24:44.200 That was one of my favorite things you said all 2965 02:24:44.200 --> 02:24:44.920 of last year. 2966 02:24:45.200 --> 02:24:46.040 It ruled. 2967 02:24:48.360 --> 02:24:49.840 It was awesome, No, it was great. 2968 02:24:49.879 --> 02:24:53.639 Listen, Hey, when a man rules the house like he 2969 02:24:53.719 --> 02:24:57.799 does there, you know you look to him in a 2970 02:24:57.799 --> 02:24:59.959 certain way if you're involved in that. 2971 02:25:00.479 --> 02:25:01.559 I forgot to tell you this. 2972 02:25:01.719 --> 02:25:04.239 So last week when I was at the Utah Sports 2973 02:25:04.280 --> 02:25:06.319 Hall of Fame dinner where my high school coach is 2974 02:25:06.360 --> 02:25:08.520 being inducted, since you know, I played for him, and 2975 02:25:08.559 --> 02:25:10.239 that was like enough for them to get it over 2976 02:25:10.239 --> 02:25:10.600 the top. 2977 02:25:10.799 --> 02:25:11.840 Of course, that's not real. 2978 02:25:12.399 --> 02:25:15.879 Kyle was there in support of a couple of other people, 2979 02:25:16.440 --> 02:25:18.079 and so I saw him. 2980 02:25:18.079 --> 02:25:18.680 I said hello. 2981 02:25:19.000 --> 02:25:22.000 And every interaction with Kyle, he talks to you like 2982 02:25:22.040 --> 02:25:24.280 a coach. He comes up and he's like, how's your father. 2983 02:25:24.840 --> 02:25:26.479 I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm like he's good. 2984 02:25:26.520 --> 02:25:27.639 He's good. So what's he up to? 2985 02:25:27.760 --> 02:25:30.520 Like it's you're not wasting. He just wanted to know 2986 02:25:31.319 --> 02:25:33.959 how's your dad? What's he up to? And it wasn't like, hey, 2987 02:25:34.000 --> 02:25:36.760 how's your dad. He's like, no, no, no, Logistically, what 2988 02:25:36.920 --> 02:25:39.399 is going on in your father's life right now? He 2989 02:25:39.440 --> 02:25:41.280 asked about the grandkids and he's you know, what he's 2990 02:25:41.280 --> 02:25:45.639 doing for work. But you know, it's a fifteen second interaction. 2991 02:25:45.719 --> 02:25:47.719 That's when he also said, Hey, anytime you need me 2992 02:25:47.760 --> 02:25:49.319 on the show, let me know, I'll come on. So 2993 02:25:49.360 --> 02:25:51.760 I told him weekly hit from here on out. But 2994 02:25:51.840 --> 02:25:54.639 it was just very pragmatic. It was very matter of fact. 2995 02:25:54.680 --> 02:25:56.479 He just wanted to know the details. Then he had 2996 02:25:56.479 --> 02:25:58.000 to move on to go to dinner. A little peak 2997 02:25:58.040 --> 02:25:59.000 behind the window with Kyle. 2998 02:25:59.239 --> 02:26:02.399 He has like a what's it called when a musician 2999 02:26:02.440 --> 02:26:04.440 has like the clicking talk in their head in there, 3000 02:26:04.959 --> 02:26:07.479 the clicking clock. Right, he's got like a metronome going 3001 02:26:07.799 --> 02:26:10.959 where We've done this with coaches, shows and whatnot. You 3002 02:26:11.000 --> 02:26:14.120 can tell Kyle exactly how long the commercial break is 3003 02:26:14.520 --> 02:26:16.440 and he will be sitting down for the Coaches Show 3004 02:26:16.559 --> 02:26:19.559 that second, like in his brain he knows this is 3005 02:26:19.559 --> 02:26:22.920 a minute, a minute there, a minute there, and every 3006 02:26:22.959 --> 02:26:27.600 one of those minutes is calculated and accounted for, right 3007 02:26:27.680 --> 02:26:28.159 as you know. 3008 02:26:28.280 --> 02:26:30.200 He's very serious about his business. 3009 02:26:30.200 --> 02:26:34.319 But going through normal conversations, that's still the guy you're 3010 02:26:34.319 --> 02:26:36.319 talking to. So yeah, like you said, sometimes it's short, 3011 02:26:36.680 --> 02:26:39.559 not in a bad way, just very concise and short 3012 02:26:39.879 --> 02:26:42.200 and yeah, coach speak if you will. 3013 02:26:42.440 --> 02:26:45.520 I I once mentioned to Kyle that I play a lot. 3014 02:26:45.399 --> 02:26:49.639 Of tennis, and now when we talk he's asking me 3015 02:26:49.639 --> 02:26:52.440 about my tense. He's like wondering how my tennis game is. 3016 02:26:53.879 --> 02:26:55.239 You just can't turn it off with that guy. 3017 02:26:55.319 --> 02:26:57.799 Gotta love it, God to love it all. Right, Time 3018 02:26:57.840 --> 02:26:59.479 to say good night, get out of here. Watch the 3019 02:26:59.719 --> 02:27:02.200 NBA basketball last night. Man, last night was so fun 3020 02:27:02.799 --> 02:27:05.159 that Warriors Grizzlies game. Man, when the best players in 3021 02:27:05.200 --> 02:27:07.719 the world give a rip, basketball is still awesome. So 3022 02:27:08.159 --> 02:27:10.200 little NBA hoops tonight Portal, Let's get out of here? 3023 02:27:10.200 --> 02:27:12.600 What comes our way? On a Thursday edition of the show. 3024 02:27:12.799 --> 02:27:14.760 On a Thursday edition to the program, it's gonna be 3025 02:27:14.799 --> 02:27:17.799 a lot of reaction to the NBA play in and 3026 02:27:17.840 --> 02:27:21.399 look ahead to the NBA play off. Stave mcminnimon stops 3027 02:27:21.399 --> 02:27:25.079 by for our NBA Daily assist Richard Smithy Smith in 3028 02:27:25.200 --> 02:27:29.760 studio for an entire hour. We'll catch up with RSL's Gaffert, 3029 02:27:29.840 --> 02:27:33.959 Pablo Mastro, any little sports court action, and we'll go 3030 02:27:34.000 --> 02:27:35.200 from there on a Thursday. 3031 02:27:35.200 --> 02:27:37.120 All right, there you go. That'll be a good Thursday show. 3032 02:27:37.120 --> 02:27:39.280 We will say goodnight and a very special thank you 3033 02:27:39.319 --> 02:27:42.799 to today's guest Sandy Larson, Neil Smith, Craig Bowlerjack and 3034 02:27:42.840 --> 02:27:45.399 Bill Riley. Some good stuff on the show today. If 3035 02:27:45.399 --> 02:27:47.559 you missed any of it, good news. It's all online 3036 02:27:47.600 --> 02:27:51.319 for your digital consumption. Our website is ESPN seven hundred 3037 02:27:51.319 --> 02:27:54.639 sports dot com. I would recommend downloading our mobile app 3038 02:27:54.639 --> 02:27:56.159 and taking us on the go. It's how I listen 3039 02:27:56.200 --> 02:27:58.920 to our station every single day and then for what 3040 02:27:58.959 --> 02:28:02.200 we do in our space, specifically four hours every afternoon. 3041 02:28:02.600 --> 02:28:04.959 Check out our podcast page. It's called The Drive with Spence. 3042 02:28:05.040 --> 02:28:07.600 Check its and that's available wherever you get your show. 3043 02:28:07.760 --> 02:28:10.360 So subscribe, rate review saying ice things in the comments, 3044 02:28:10.399 --> 02:28:12.120 give us all the stars that it really does help. 3045 02:28:12.559 --> 02:28:16.520 Reporter I'm Spence saying tonight, better music on the program. 3046 02:28:16.559 --> 02:28:16.840 Tomorrow. 3047 02:28:16.959 --> 02:28:17.639 Joy your Wednesday. 3048 02:28:17.680 --> 02:28:20.120 Talk to you tomorrow right here on ESPN seven and 3049 02:28:20.159 --> 02:28:22.079 ninety two IFM. We are proud to be part of 3050 02:28:22.200 --> 02:28:24.120 utah Z ESPN Radio Network and 3051 02:28:26.200 --> 02:28:43.840 Rou Colored Glessus