WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:04.679 All right, let's get it. Drivetime Thursday afternoon, ten minutes 2 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:06.599 past the hour of two o'clock. How do you like? 3 00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:10.679 Eighty degrees and more or less sunny? Here in downtown 4 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:15.359 Salt Lake City, Utah. It feels downright late spring, early summerish, beautiful, 5 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:19.239 beautiful day outside, and as it is every single day, 6 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:22.280 it's going to have you along for the ride. Spence check, 7 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:24.879 it's behind the mic. That's Porter Larson behind the glass. 8 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:27.239 Today we've got a jam pack show with a lot 9 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:31.760 to get to on the program. I will admit I 10 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:35.039 had no faith in my New York Knicks going up 11 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:37.840 to Boston and grabbing Game two at TD Garden after 12 00:00:37.960 --> 00:00:40.640 stunning the Celtics in Game one, but that is exactly 13 00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:44.320 what happened. We'll do some NBA playoff basketball on the 14 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:48.840 show today. The Oklahoma City Thunder absolutely pantsed the Nuggets 15 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:52.359 on national television after Denver was able to grab Game one. 16 00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:56.240 That's what OKAC looks like when OKC is doing OKC things. 17 00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:00.200 So a couple of takeaways from the games last night, 18 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:03.880 and we've got one game tonight, only one game this evening. 19 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:06.719 It's at six thirty Mountain time on Turner Sports on 20 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:10.079 TNT where the Warriors we'll try to take a two 21 00:01:10.280 --> 00:01:14.239 to zero lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves. We're only a 22 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:16.760 few days away now from the NBA Draft Lottery. You 23 00:01:16.760 --> 00:01:19.519 don't forget coming up on Monday here on the radio station. 24 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:23.120 We will say goodnight just a little bit early on 25 00:01:23.159 --> 00:01:26.799 the program and then bring you the NBA Draft Lottery 26 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:29.480 live during the five o'clock hour, when we will find 27 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:34.200 out the fates of the Utah Jazz and where they 28 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:36.840 will draft, and what that means for the offseason plans 29 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:39.760 and what it means for the future of this franchise. 30 00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:42.280 I think I probably say this every single day, but 31 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:46.719 I just cannot help but think about what a bummer 32 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:48.879 it is that we have not had spring basketball here 33 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:51.480 for three years, and we probably won't have spring basketball 34 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:54.159 here for quite some time. Because if you're watching the 35 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:59.239 NBA playoffs, you understand that this tournament comes springtime, and 36 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:03.719 pro basketball is really the payoff for the regular season, 37 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:05.959 which at times feels like a grind. And I can 38 00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:08.199 promise you and being on both sides of this stuff, 39 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:11.400 it's a grind for players and coaches and front office people. 40 00:02:11.479 --> 00:02:14.400 It's a grind for anybody involved in the NBA, and 41 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:16.400 it's a grind for fans in a way that it 42 00:02:16.439 --> 00:02:18.639 didn't used to be because the regular season just does 43 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:21.639 not feel like I used to. It just doesn't. And 44 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:23.319 I know I sound like the old dude every time 45 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:25.960 I talk about that, But there was a time where 46 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:28.520 the intensity that we see in the playoffs did permeate 47 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:31.680 for the most part throughout the regular season. But it 48 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:34.120 just doesn't anymore. And so this is if you're a 49 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:37.360 basketball fan, this is the payoff, and if your team 50 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:39.960 is not involved, it makes you realize how much you 51 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:42.680 miss it. And it has been way too long and 52 00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:45.800 will be probably another few years before spring basketball is 53 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:48.439 here in Salt Lake. But we will do some NBA 54 00:02:48.599 --> 00:02:51.599 draft lottery today on the program. University of Utah football 55 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:54.439 program locked in a transfer that will tell you about 56 00:02:55.159 --> 00:03:00.080 and we're gonna do some Utah basketball on the program today. 57 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:02.599 Top Basketball continues to kind of fill out their roster. 58 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:06.680 It is taking shape. Alex Jensen's staff is taking shape, 59 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:10.879 of course, Mark not Mark Pope. Mark Pope is in 60 00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:13.080 Kentucky doing a great job. Kevin Young is the coach 61 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:16.360 of BYU. Mark Pope grabbed another recruit by the way, 62 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:18.639 that's why he's top of mind. He's doing a good 63 00:03:18.680 --> 00:03:20.800 job in Kentucky. But of course, what Kevin Young has 64 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.719 done I'd bring him Young in one short year has 65 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:25.919 been nothing short of very impressive. And now it's kind 66 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:28.000 of up to Alex and his staff to answer the belt. 67 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:30.159 So we'll get to some of that stuff on the 68 00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:32.560 program today. We are one day closer to match day 69 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:34.919 for Reale Salt Lake RSL is going to be on 70 00:03:34.919 --> 00:03:40.000 the road again, this time in Dallas six thirty Mountain 71 00:03:40.039 --> 00:03:44.039 Time on MLS Season Pass on Apple Television. Do a 72 00:03:44.039 --> 00:03:46.879 little soccer on the program. Off season NFL stuff kind 73 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:50.719 of quieted down, of course, rookie rookie camp's going on 74 00:03:51.319 --> 00:03:53.400 after the draft, and now we'll see kind of what 75 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:54.919 sort of hand we've been dealt with some of these 76 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:57.280 rosters as we kind of inch closer and closer to 77 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:01.120 the fall. So busy show today on the program. Great 78 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:03.240 to have you with us. We will start things out 79 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:07.439 today with none other than the seventeenth head coach in 80 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:12.000 Utah men's basketball history. We've been efforting Alex Jensen for 81 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:15.120 quite some time. We run into a complication on afternoon 82 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:18.160 Drive that some of the other shows just don't. Most 83 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:20.560 of the time, the football team is practicing during the fall, 84 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:23.240 basketball team has stuff going on. So we've been trying 85 00:04:23.240 --> 00:04:25.439 to get Alex on the program ever since the announcement 86 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:28.279 was made. I've known Al for a long long time, 87 00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:30.680 his wife Natalie, and we made that happen today. So 88 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:34.240 our first guest will be Alex. Alex Jensen right out 89 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:36.279 of the gates. We're gonna do some hockey today with 90 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:38.720 Belle Frasier, our friend from the Salt Lake Tribune. It 91 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.639 is good vibes all around these days. Hashtag tusks up 92 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:47.079 as the Utah Mammoth. It's going to take a minute. 93 00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:48.959 I might just call him the Hockey Club forever, just 94 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:51.240 so you know. But we have a new name. It 95 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:54.519 is the Utah Mammoth. They had some lottery luck last 96 00:04:54.519 --> 00:04:58.839 week where they will draft number four, moving up ten spots. 97 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:02.959 Bell wrote a really good outlining some of the prospects 98 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:06.079 that could be available at four. Or does Bill Armstrong 99 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:09.439 elect to utilize that as a chip, a trade piece 100 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:12.000 to bring in a veteran presence to expedite the growth 101 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:15.079 of the third youngest roster in the NHL. So we'll 102 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:17.399 bring in Bell today. The Stanley Cup playoffs have been 103 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:21.519 incredible because they are every single year, and I do 104 00:05:21.560 --> 00:05:23.959 think we're going to see Stanley Cup playoffs here in 105 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:27.319 our market next year. Okay, So while we'll all miss 106 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:30.480 the NBA for quite some time unless something miraculous happens, 107 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:33.680 if you're watching this tournament in pro hockey, you realize 108 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:36.160 just how special it is. The Hurricanes and the Capitals 109 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.920 will start at five o'clock in Washington, d c Caps 110 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:42.560 trying to even that series up, and then in Vegas 111 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:44.639 the Oilers will try to take a two zero lead 112 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:48.079 on the Golden Knight. So that's your hockey action coming 113 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:51.480 up tonight. After Bell stops by, we'll bring in Dave mcminnimon, 114 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:54.000 who covers the NBA for ESPN. We'll do some NBA 115 00:05:54.120 --> 00:05:57.360 with Dave on the program today. We're gonna bring in 116 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:02.120 none other. Then we can add something to this list. 117 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:05.480 The greatest keeper in MLS history, one of the lynchpins 118 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:07.879 that allowed RSL to win a cup back in the day, 119 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.079 the Wall of the Wassatch and now we know him, 120 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:14.040 know him as Hall of Famer Nick Romondo on the 121 00:06:14.079 --> 00:06:16.240 program in the four o'clock hour. Then we'll do some 122 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:18.600 sports court with our friends from Handy and Handy, launching 123 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:20.560 at the five o'clock hour before we say good night 124 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:24.279 at six Busy Show with Alex Jensen, with Belle Frasier, 125 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:27.800 with Dave McManaman, with Nick Romondo, with Me Spence Check. 126 00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:30.279 Its all of you, the great listeners, and that guy 127 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.759 Porter Larson. I think you believed a little bit more 128 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:37.160 than I did. I'm watching that twenty point comeback for 129 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:39.040 the second straight game. You're shaking my head, dude. No 130 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:40.800 part of me thought the Knicks were gonna win last night. 131 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:43.720 I mean, the only reason I had some sort of 132 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:46.319 belief watching it live was because I saw it two 133 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:46.879 nights ago. 134 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:48.160 Like that. 135 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:52.279 There is quite literally, I believe no team that's ever 136 00:06:52.319 --> 00:06:55.279 come back from twenty straight or from twenty down in 137 00:06:55.439 --> 00:07:00.240 back to back playoff games. So to watch it New 138 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.600 York Knicks against the Boston Celtics, who just want an 139 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:07.879 NBA championship, it seems a little bit unbelievable. As a 140 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:11.199 Knicks fan, I was like last night, as you can 141 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:13.519 tell by my text messages, I was pinching myself a 142 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:18.680 little bit, like what am I watching Jalen Brunson clutch 143 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:22.480 it's it's something a little unfamiliar if you're a Knicks 144 00:07:22.519 --> 00:07:26.199 fan who wasn't alive in the you know, seventies when 145 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:28.879 Walt Fraser was playing, So you know it was fun. 146 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:31.879 I'm enjoying it a lot. I don't want to. I 147 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:33.600 don't want to jinx it. I don't want to. I'm 148 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:37.759 not that superstitious, but with the Knicks, I'm a little superstitious. 149 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:40.319 A little stitious. Little shout out Michael Scott on a 150 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:44.639 Thursday afternoon to tadhes I will I will completely admit 151 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:47.800 that this has been fun. And when you get into 152 00:07:47.800 --> 00:07:50.160 this business, you just kind of you have to lose 153 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:52.600 the fandom a little bit, at least I think you do. 154 00:07:53.399 --> 00:07:58.040 I cannot stand uh broadcasters, radio hosts, play by play 155 00:07:58.120 --> 00:08:02.120 voice they refer to the team, we and us and 156 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:05.439 Homer's drive me nuts, and I don't like to do 157 00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:07.279 the show that way. I try to approach a little 158 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:10.639 bit more authentically because I don't have any respect for 159 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:13.839 broadcasters that think they're playing for the team and talk 160 00:08:14.040 --> 00:08:16.160 like that. So, yeah, you let the fan die in 161 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:17.920 you a little bit. But this has been man, it's 162 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:20.319 just been fun, and it's so much sweeter that it's 163 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:24.040 against the Celtics. All right, we will bring in Alex Jensen. 164 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:25.920 We'll learn a little bit about this roster. We'll talk 165 00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:28.879 about his staff, we'll talk about the process that led 166 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:31.959 him to make his decision to land back here in 167 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:34.120 his home market to coach his alma made, the University 168 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:36.240 of Utah. 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That feels low 201 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:00.559 to me, as Stephen Curry will sit to take more 202 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:03.759 on Draymond Green nine point five points. Once again, Stephen 203 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:06.440 Curry is sitting, I feel like this is easy money. 204 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:09.039 With more on nas Reed twelve point five points, and 205 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:12.720 I will take less on Anthony Edwards with twenty seven 206 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:14.919 point five points. So that's where I'm going tonight with 207 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:17.360 my prize picks lineup. You guys can always follow along 208 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:21.120 and hopefully make a little chatter. All right, real quick, 209 00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:22.960 a couple of thoughts on what we saw last night. 210 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:25.399 We'll start with because it wasn't interesting at all what 211 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:29.159 Oklahoma City did to the Denver Nuggets. They hung eighty 212 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:31.399 seven points in the first half. This game was over 213 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:34.440 after the first quarter. Russell Westbrook tried to do the 214 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:36.639 hole like, hey, I'm gonna be the hero thing, but 215 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:39.240 they were already down thirty by the time that happened, 216 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:43.879 completely neutralized. Nicola Jokicic nobody on Denver really showed up. 217 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:47.840 Jamal Murray was atrocious, and this looked like a little 218 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:49.679 bit of a Okay, we got game one. Let's go 219 00:10:49.720 --> 00:10:51.960 home with a split from the Denver Nuggets because they 220 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:54.080 waved the white flag with about six minutes left in 221 00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:58.200 the third quarter. They outscored Oklahoma City thirty to twenty 222 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:00.360 five in the fourth. But it was bench guys. Really, 223 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.480 it was like Zeke Naji and Peyton Watson and Hunter Tyson. 224 00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:06.840 But that is who Oklahoma City is when they just 225 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:09.799 simply do what Oklahoma City has done all year long. 226 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:12.240 They shot forty five percent from three to fifty seven 227 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:16.720 percent from the floor. Most shockingly, and this is who 228 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:18.600 they are. They went to the free throw line thirty 229 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:21.039 six times and they made thirty three free throws. Are 230 00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:26.080 you paying attention, Boston Celtics. Yeah, rebounded Denver that. I mean, 231 00:11:26.200 --> 00:11:28.080 there's no reason to spend a ton of time on it. 232 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:31.159 That was just an undressing. They blew the brakes off 233 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:32.919 the Nuggets and now they go back to ball Arena 234 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:35.320 for Game three. But what we saw up at the 235 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:37.799 TD Garden where the New York Knicks just continue to 236 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:42.679 show this unexpected mental toughness medal against the defending champs 237 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:46.440 Boston Celtics for the second straight game. As porter reference 238 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:49.159 during the intro, it has never happened before. The New 239 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:51.720 York Knicks came down from twenty points to actually get 240 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:54.519 the win. Game one, it was seventy five to fifty 241 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:56.840 five with about four minutes left in the third. The 242 00:11:56.919 --> 00:11:59.840 Knicks closed out on a fifty three to thirty run 243 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:03.559 the fourth and in overtime to get that win. Game two, 244 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:06.399 it was seventy three to fifty three with three minutes 245 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:09.039 left in the third, and just like Game one, I'm 246 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:11.440 making a mental note like, Okay, this feels like it's over. 247 00:12:11.559 --> 00:12:14.000 How can the Knicks get back into it? And look, 248 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:17.960 to be very clear, this is just as much about 249 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:20.840 the failures of the Boston Celtics and Joe Mizzoula as 250 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:22.840 it is about anything the Knicks are doing well now. 251 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:25.399 The Knicks deserve a ton of credit. They were a 252 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:29.120 seven to one underdog in Vegas to start this series, 253 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:31.799 so I'm not taking anything away from New York, but 254 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:36.279 I am shocked at the lack of simple adjustments to 255 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:38.879 no time and score. When you're up twenty points with 256 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:42.000 his twenty points with fourteen to fifteen minutes left in 257 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:44.919 the game, and you're at home and you're the defending champ, 258 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:47.600 there's no way you should ever even come close to 259 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:51.480 losing one, let alone two straight games on your home floor. 260 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:55.519 And the criticism about Joe Mizula has always sounded like, Okay, 261 00:12:55.679 --> 00:13:00.240 he stumbled into this job. It was emy Udoka's team, 262 00:13:00.519 --> 00:13:03.519 put together initially by Danny Ainge, who of course is 263 00:13:03.559 --> 00:13:07.840 here helping the Jazz roster construct, and Brad Stevens added 264 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:10.559 his flavor to the roster, and then of course the 265 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:14.440 Emmy Udoka stuff goes down. He loses a job. That 266 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:16.720 job should have gone to Will Hardy, as I've talked 267 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:19.200 about Will Hardy. If Will Hardy would have waited two 268 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:20.919 more weeks, he would be the head coach of the 269 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:23.720 Boston Celtics right now. And who knows who would be 270 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:26.679 coaching the Jazz maybe Kevin Young, who knows, but Will 271 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:31.480 Hardy was Emi Udoka's first assistant. Emi gets fired as 272 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:35.320 a result of some improper behavior off the floor. Will 273 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:38.600 Hardy takes the Jazz job, and Joe Missoula, a lot 274 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:41.320 of people believe, just fell into it, fell into it 275 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:44.240 with a roster that was top shelf. I still believe 276 00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:48.080 on paper, the Boston Celtics have the best roster in basketball, 277 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:51.919 including Oklahoma City, including the Lakers with Luke and Lebron. 278 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:55.279 The best roster on paper in the NBA belongs to 279 00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:58.200 the Boston Celtics, and that's credit Danny Ainge and its 280 00:13:58.240 --> 00:13:59.519 credit to Brad Stevens. 281 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:00.200 Well. 282 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:03.360 The criticism has always been, well, Okay, Misoula just fell 283 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:05.919 into this as a first time head coach, and all 284 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:08.120 he has to do is not screw it up. Now. Look, 285 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:11.200 they won the championship last year, but if you remember, 286 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:13.559 Boston ran into a grip of teams. They ran into 287 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:17.120 Cleveland without Donovan, they ran into Indiana without without Halliburton. 288 00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:20.519 So a lot of people believe Boston Celtics. The Boston 289 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:23.679 Celtics run to the championship last year was a little 290 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:25.919 bit fool's gold, and a lot of people were kind 291 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:28.399 of sitting back and waiting to see what Boston did 292 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:31.840 this season, because when you repeat, nobody can say a thing. 293 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:34.159 When you go back to the finals and win it 294 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:37.159 for the second straight time, that alleviates every single portion 295 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:40.320 of criticism that could come your way. The other thing 296 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:42.919 about the Boston Celtics, and in a way, this is 297 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:47.639 applicable to Oklahoma City. Both Boston and OKC at times 298 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:51.039 were so good this year that they blew teams out, 299 00:14:51.159 --> 00:14:53.720 and when it came down to close games, both those teams, 300 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:56.080 when you look at the metrics, aren't as dominant as 301 00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:59.240 you would expect based on their regular season record when 302 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:03.039 they both just had insanely good regular seasons. So the 303 00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:06.600 criticism about Joe Mizula is okay. This offensive system that 304 00:15:06.679 --> 00:15:09.200 was implemented when Emy Yudoka was the head coach. You 305 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:12.120 simply inherited the roster and you have so many good 306 00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:14.799 players that you just don't screw it up. That's your 307 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:16.960 job as the coach. Don't screw it up. Right. It's 308 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:19.200 like when Steve Kerr took that leave of absence from 309 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:21.360 the Warriors and Luke Walton took over as head coach, 310 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:23.440 and I think he was like thirty five and two. 311 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:26.159 Nobody thought like, hey, Luke Walton is really good at this. 312 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:28.600 It's like, No, Luke Walton just simply got out of 313 00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:30.799 the way. Because Luke Walton's had a couple of other 314 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:33.039 stops as a head coach and it hasn't worked. Okay. 315 00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:36.000 So that's always been the criticism with Missoula. And you 316 00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:37.879 do have to give Tom Thibodeau a lot of credit 317 00:15:37.879 --> 00:15:41.279 because the Knicks have changed their defensive approach a little bit, 318 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:44.600 and the defensive approach that they've changed has allowed them 319 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:46.799 to stay home on shooters in a little bit of 320 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:50.279 a different way. They're not switching everything, and mostly that's 321 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:54.639 because Ogannanobe has been insanely effective as an individual defender 322 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.320 on both Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown. Now, Boston has 323 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:01.200 been successful at times and getting the switches they want, 324 00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:04.120 but there have been so many possessions where Og has 325 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:06.559 had to run through three or four different screens to 326 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:10.480 fight through action to be the primary defender on Tatum 327 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:13.159 or Brown. And that's what you want because mckel bridges 328 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:17.600 is a solid perimeter defender. Josh Hart isn't necessarily bad himself, 329 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:20.399 but Og is the elite perimeter defender on this team 330 00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:22.799 and one of the elite perimeter defenders in all of 331 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:26.759 pro basketball. And he is driving Jason Tatum nuts and 332 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:29.960 at times he's getting into Jalen Brown as well. But again, 333 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:32.080 as far as what really and I do want to 334 00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:33.919 say this, I have never been a big Cat guy. 335 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:36.120 I've never been a Karl Anthony Towns guy. There's a 336 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:39.440 little bit of a Donovan Mitchell Field the Cat, which 337 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:43.279 is tremendously skilled, really good when the playoffs roll around 338 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:45.639 and the physicality is up to who are you exactly? 339 00:16:46.039 --> 00:16:48.600 And Donovan's had plenty of great playoff games, but Donovan's 340 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:50.600 never been out of the second round either. His Cat 341 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:53.600 that was the best Karl Anthony Town game I've seen 342 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:57.279 him play. Maybe in his career considering what was at stake. 343 00:16:57.559 --> 00:16:59.679 What I love is he only took one three and 344 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:03.080 that was say, seventy foot heave at the end of 345 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:05.799 the quarter wasn't even a real three. He actually played 346 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:08.000 like a big He had seventeen boards, he had twenty 347 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:12.160 one points. The Knicks are getting insane production from Mitchell Robinson, 348 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:15.599 who allows some rimtion protection in a way the Catches doesn't, 349 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:20.480 and essentially they are calling Boston's bluff to say, look, okay, 350 00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:23.000 we understand your five out system with spacing, and you 351 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:25.240 want to take as many threes as possible. That's fine. 352 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:26.960 We're going to stay home on shooters. We're going to 353 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:29.279 make you take contested threes, and when you go to 354 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:31.200 the rim, we're going to make you feel our presence. 355 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:34.799 So you're taking contested floaters, dunks, layups at the rim 356 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:36.960 that are contested by Mitchell Robinson or some of the 357 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:39.799 other players with length on the perimeter like a Josh 358 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:43.640 Shart or an og Annobi or Michel Bridges. Now, last night, 359 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:47.000 without what mckel Bridges did in the fourth quarter to 360 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:49.079 start things off, the Knicks are not winning that game. 361 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:52.160 So Tom Thibodeau elects to sit Jalen Brunson and Karl 362 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:54.079 Anthony Town to the start of the fourth which is 363 00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:56.240 what Tom does. He staggers the minutes to make sure 364 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:58.519 that Jalen is arrested for crunch time, because that's where 365 00:17:58.599 --> 00:18:02.680 Jalen shines, and playing Mitchell Robinson and Duce McBride a 366 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:04.720 little bit of campaign. At the start of the fourth quarter, 367 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:08.319 the Knicks are down twelve, fourteen points, and mikel Bridges 368 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:12.079 shows everybody why the New York Knicks traded five first 369 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:15.759 round picks for him. He scores individually fourteen points in 370 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:18.519 six minutes of action in the fourth and that allowed 371 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:21.440 the Knicks to stay with it. But again, and we'll 372 00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:25.079 finish here, this is as much about the failures of 373 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:27.839 Joe Miszula and the Boston Celtics as it is about 374 00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:30.720 anything the Knicks have done. When you are up twenty 375 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:35.920 points no time and score no situation, stop foceing threes 376 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:39.400 every possession. And yes, I know that's your system, and 377 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:41.960 you want a championship a year ago, and you're the 378 00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:44.319 favorite to win the East this year. And I will 379 00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:46.400 say there is a big part of me that's still 380 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:49.279 very skeptical about the Knicks chances to win this series. 381 00:18:49.319 --> 00:18:52.599 The Boston Celtics will have a game and it could 382 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:55.920 be coming up at MSG for Game three where they 383 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:59.119 go like twenty two of forty three from three and 384 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:01.440 they beat the Knicks. I like thirty points. That is 385 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:05.279 going to happen. And here's the thing. The Boston Celtics 386 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:08.359 at home this year were twenty eight and thirteen. On 387 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:12.599 the road they were thirty three and eight. This is 388 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:15.880 a team that has a championship belt. They're the defending champs. 389 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:18.440 Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum have been the five Eastern 390 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:23.799 Conference Finals, two NBA Finals. The garden will be absolutely insane. 391 00:19:24.359 --> 00:19:26.400 I was actually kicking the tires to maybe see if 392 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:28.440 I can make it back there because I just cannot 393 00:19:28.480 --> 00:19:30.480 wait to see what that atmosphere is going to be like. 394 00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:32.920 And the NBA has done a smart thing. They put 395 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:36.039 it on Saturday afternoon at one thirty Mountain time on ABC. 396 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:39.240 That is going to be off the hook, but it 397 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:42.200 will not affect this Boston Celtic team. And when you 398 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:46.519 look at the second spectrum data, expected fueld goal percentage 399 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:48.480 based off of the quality of shots you're looking at, 400 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:51.000 and I don't love that metric. It's one of the 401 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:54.200 metrics all the Jazz Homer broadcasters used to use about. Hey, 402 00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:57.279 the Jazz expected fuel goal percentage under Quinn is this Okay, 403 00:19:57.640 --> 00:19:59.880 good thing we have a scoreboard, and good thing we 404 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:02.839 can actually tell how many shots you're making. But when 405 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:05.279 you look at what Boston is expected to be shooting 406 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:08.400 based off these quality of shots that they're getting, the 407 00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:10.880 storm is coming for New York. It is, and it 408 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:13.200 might be Game three, and it could be Game three 409 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:15.079 in Game four, Like, no part of me believes the 410 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:18.599 series is over at all now. NBA history tells us 411 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:20.839 the teams go on the road to win the first 412 00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:23.720 two road games win the series eighty six percent of 413 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:26.880 the time. But don't forget the Knicks were a seven 414 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:31.359 to one underdog to to essentially lose Round one, and 415 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:33.599 they lost all four games to the Celtics in the 416 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:36.480 regular season. And the Knicks were solid at home this 417 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:39.440 year twenty seven and fourteen, but not great, And thirty 418 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:42.039 three and eight on the road is like historic Boston 419 00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:45.319 is a historically good road basketball team. So I will 420 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:49.079 admit that as a member of the media and somebody 421 00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:51.200 who tries to do this job authentically and not with 422 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:54.599 a homer take calling a team WE or US. When 423 00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:57.839 I'm doing a broadcast, I do try to put my 424 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:00.640 fandom aside, but I don't run from the fact that 425 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:03.240 there are two NBA teams that I have always cheered 426 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:05.200 for and will always cheer for, and one is our 427 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:07.920 local team, the Utah Jazz, and the others the New 428 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:10.640 York Knicks. And this has been fun. If we are honest, 429 00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:13.480 the Necks have not been this relevant in twenty five years. 430 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:15.599 There was a three or four year stretch where Mellow 431 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:18.119 was their main guy, where they were a playoff team 432 00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:20.440 and won a couple of series, but they were never serious. 433 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:23.519 Do I believe they're a championship contender? I cannot say 434 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:26.920 that with any authenticity or honesty on the program, but 435 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:29.880 as this has been fun so far, it has and 436 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:32.279 to wrap it up, I just every time I'm watching 437 00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:35.119 playoff basketball, I just miss how fun it is here 438 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:37.440 in saw Lake when the Jazz are in the playoffs. 439 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:39.920 Hopefully they can make that happen at some point soon 440 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:42.640 we'll have to see. Welcome back to the Drive with 441 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:43.759 Spence Checkets. 442 00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:47.759 The conversation continues now on Utah's number one Sports Talk 443 00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:49.680 ESPN seven hundred. 444 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.799 All Right Drive with Spance Jackets continues on this beautiful 445 00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:56.559 Thursday afternoon across the landscape from Salt Lake City and 446 00:21:56.599 --> 00:22:00.319 please to welcome in the seventeenth head coach in his story 447 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:02.839 of the Utah men's basketball program. Known him a long time, 448 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:04.880 thrilled for him, thrilled for his wife and the kids. 449 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:07.880 Alex Jensen is our guest on this Thursday afternoon. Al 450 00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:09.240 Happy Thursday, man. How you doing. 451 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:11.799 I'm doing good. How you doing? 452 00:22:12.200 --> 00:22:14.440 I'm well, I'm well. I was teasing the off air 453 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:16.559 that I thought you were contractually obligated to do your 454 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:19.160 first interview with me since you landed in the market, 455 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:21.359 But I'm going to put that aside because I'm a 456 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:23.559 professional howl. We're going to focus on the moment. I'm 457 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:28.119 beyond thrilled that this was the decision from the administration 458 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:30.640 and that you that you said yes. So congrats because 459 00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:32.319 I haven't had a chance to catch up with you. 460 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:35.480 Just big picture, what the last few weeks been like 461 00:22:35.559 --> 00:22:38.240 since the season ended in Dallas. We all know that 462 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:41.200 you were doing a lot of work even when you 463 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:44.160 were coaching with the MAVs, but since the season ended 464 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:45.839 with Dallas. What have the past few weeks been like? 465 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:49.960 Al No, well they've actually the last few weeks were 466 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:53.640 actually been a little bit better than the previous the 467 00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:56.480 previous two weeks before that. But it's been it's been good. 468 00:22:56.720 --> 00:22:58.519 Like you know, I told you off air as well, 469 00:22:58.519 --> 00:23:01.599 I'm trying to be Gill. And the advice I've had 470 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:05.880 from other college guys and NBA guys that I've talked 471 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:09.039 to was, you know, like like take your time, don't 472 00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:11.119 be rushed with everything, which I've tried to do, which 473 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:14.599 hasn't you know, always been easy or you know, easy 474 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:16.839 for those that are associated with the program. But no, 475 00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:19.400 I'm getting I'm optimistic. 476 00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:20.640 And I'm excited. 477 00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:23.839 I'm excited to build it and you know, do what 478 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:25.000 I the way I feel. 479 00:23:24.839 --> 00:23:27.759 It the right way for sure. I wonder how you 480 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:29.559 know a lot of reports and I've talked to people 481 00:23:29.559 --> 00:23:32.200 about this as well. You know last time around when 482 00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:34.000 there was an opening up here. I know that you 483 00:23:34.039 --> 00:23:37.640 spoke with Mark Harlan. I know there were conversations last 484 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:41.440 time around. What was the difference this time around after 485 00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:44.279 the decision was made to move on from Craig Smith, 486 00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:46.000 who is a great man, and I think he is 487 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:47.640 a really good coach and has a lot of coaching 488 00:23:47.720 --> 00:23:50.480 left in his future. But the difference this time around 489 00:23:50.519 --> 00:23:52.759 that led you to taking the job was what out. 490 00:23:54.599 --> 00:23:56.519 It's a great question. I don't know if I could 491 00:23:56.519 --> 00:23:59.640 put my finger on one thing. I think the you know, 492 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:01.480 I think the timing was a lot different, and I 493 00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:05.519 think you know, in college basketball changed in that time 494 00:24:05.559 --> 00:24:09.640 as well, And you know, I just think it was 495 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:12.480 probably I would put it on, you know, kind of 496 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:14.519 a place where me and my family, you know, I 497 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:18.079 got three girls and they're getting older, and you know, 498 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:20.119 there's something to be said for the stability of it, 499 00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:23.759 and uh, you know, I just think it was, you know, 500 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:26.720 kind of the timing of everything that it worked out well. 501 00:24:26.759 --> 00:24:29.359 But again, I think I think personally, like in my 502 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:31.559 in my life that you know, I was more of 503 00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:34.319 a place for if that makes any sense, me and 504 00:24:34.359 --> 00:24:35.720 my family, it makes. 505 00:24:35.480 --> 00:24:37.200 A lot of sense. And I'll follow up with this. 506 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:41.480 I always believed, and part of me still does, that 507 00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:45.319 you were going to or eventually could be the head 508 00:24:45.319 --> 00:24:47.519 coach of an NBA basketball team. I mean that may 509 00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:50.039 mean that's that's me a right and all of the 510 00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:52.160 work you did here with Quinn all of the work 511 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:54.839 you've done throughout the course of your life as a 512 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:57.640 coach in uh In in college for a minute with Rick, 513 00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:59.240 and I do want to talk about that in the moment, 514 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:01.279 I just I felt like you were going to end 515 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:03.640 up being a head coach. Did just out of curiosity, 516 00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:06.880 did you do some calculations to maybe believe that that 517 00:25:07.079 --> 00:25:08.839 was not part of your future and this was your 518 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:10.319 best chance to have your own team? 519 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:12.519 You know? 520 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:15.000 You know what, Spence, There's a common line in the 521 00:25:15.079 --> 00:25:17.359 NBA they talked about like it's one of thirty, right, 522 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:20.359 like a GM job or a coaching job. And I 523 00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:22.799 and I've always said this, and I still believe it 524 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:25.960 to my core, Like I've never I've never approached it 525 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:28.799 that way, like like I honestly I you know, because 526 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:32.680 you know, just to be a a head coach. I mean, 527 00:25:32.680 --> 00:25:34.440 there's a lot of a lot of first head coaching 528 00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:37.839 jobs aren't in a great situation. And and I've always 529 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:39.759 said this, I don't care if I'm the head coach 530 00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:42.079 or I just want to be in a you know, 531 00:25:42.119 --> 00:25:44.519 a good place surrounded by good people, which I wasn't 532 00:25:44.599 --> 00:25:47.200 with the Jazz for a long time, and and just 533 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:48.680 to be able to do what I you know, have 534 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:50.400 a passion for and I love. But like I never, 535 00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:55.400 I never, never, you know, it was going to take 536 00:25:55.400 --> 00:25:57.279 a job just because it was a head coaching job, 537 00:25:57.400 --> 00:25:59.000 if that makes sense, Not that I was, you know, 538 00:25:59.160 --> 00:26:02.640 had a you know of those opportunities. But yeah, no, 539 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:05.799 I think it just like with this job this time around. 540 00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:07.839 I think it was the timing of everything, and I 541 00:26:07.880 --> 00:26:09.200 think it a lot of it has to do with 542 00:26:09.240 --> 00:26:10.839 the people that you're going to be doing it with. 543 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:15.920 Certainly, certainly, Yeah, no, you know, no, that no, it 544 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:17.759 makes a lot of sense. It makes a lot of sense. 545 00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:20.279 And I was just giving you my personal take that 546 00:26:20.279 --> 00:26:21.920 I thought that that was going to be an opportunity. 547 00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:23.680 But to your point, a lot of those guys are 548 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:27.039 hired to be fired. And when you see a guy 549 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:29.440 like Michael Malone lose a job a couple of years 550 00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:31.640 after getting a ring, and a guy like Taylor Jenkins 551 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:33.680 lose a job after being the most successful coach in 552 00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:37.240 Memphis Grizzly history, I would imagine that even underscores how 553 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:38.599 nice it is for you to have a bit of 554 00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:41.960 a runway and also security, how where you and Natalie 555 00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:43.880 have roots, right that had to play into it. 556 00:26:45.079 --> 00:26:47.960 Oh yeah, one hundred percent, you know. And and Taylor. 557 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:51.119 I coached with Taylor and the D League. Phenomenal coach, 558 00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:53.519 Like he'll get another job. You know, he's one of 559 00:26:53.559 --> 00:26:56.599 the he's really good. It was always a good team. 560 00:26:56.640 --> 00:26:58.079 Like if you had that scout, it was it fun 561 00:26:58.119 --> 00:27:00.519 to do because it was you know, you'd love But yeah, 562 00:27:00.599 --> 00:27:03.240 same thing with with Mike Malone and Denver and you 563 00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:06.880 know in the NBA is you know, it's a great league, 564 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:11.039 and it's uh, it seems like it's more you know, 565 00:27:11.240 --> 00:27:14.240 unpredictable and yeah, like the stability, and I think, you know, 566 00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:18.079 it's interesting because I thought I kind of looked at 567 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:20.319 you know, college with the nil and everything, and I 568 00:27:20.359 --> 00:27:23.880 think as time goes on, they'll they'll put more like 569 00:27:24.039 --> 00:27:26.880 regulations in and I think it could actually kind of 570 00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:29.519 be a you know, it's a little wild right now, 571 00:27:29.559 --> 00:27:31.200 but I think it, you know, it could be somewhat 572 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:33.519 of a good thing with a. 573 00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:34.319 Little more structure. 574 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:38.039 Well, of course, the name Rick Manjaris will always loom 575 00:27:38.119 --> 00:27:40.680 large around here. And the first time I interviewed both 576 00:27:40.759 --> 00:27:44.119 coach Criscoviac and coach Smith, I promised them that I 577 00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:46.440 would not invoke his name in order to not be 578 00:27:46.519 --> 00:27:50.599 fair to them, because that is an expectation that is 579 00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:52.759 hard to live up to. And you know, it's It's 580 00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:56.240 funny all over the years whenever I've interviewed your former 581 00:27:56.279 --> 00:27:59.279 teammates or anybody close to the program. Obviously you know, 582 00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:02.279 Britton Johnson's good friend of mine, and they always tell 583 00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:04.960 the story that, you know, you were always his favorite 584 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:08.599 and you were always the one that he uh, you know, trusted. 585 00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:10.759 I think trust is the word that I land on 586 00:28:11.160 --> 00:28:14.279 when it comes to my view of the relationship between 587 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:17.440 the two of you. But talk about as a guy 588 00:28:17.480 --> 00:28:20.559 who played for him and coach next to him, the 589 00:28:20.640 --> 00:28:24.880 expectation that you think is realistic and the expectation he 590 00:28:25.079 --> 00:28:27.440 set for you as a player and a coach, and 591 00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:29.440 whether or not that is something you kind of use 592 00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:31.079 as a north Star if that makes sense. 593 00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:35.680 Yeah, no, no, it was that, you know, I've you know, 594 00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:38.920 I've reflected on my you know, kind of my progression 595 00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:41.359 as a coach, and I've been really lucky and to 596 00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:45.119 start with him like that's a great you know, not 597 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:48.279 to be critical of a lot of younger coaches. I 598 00:28:48.359 --> 00:28:50.440 was lucky to have him at the beginning because it's 599 00:28:50.440 --> 00:28:54.240 a great foundation to, uh, you know, to kind of 600 00:28:54.599 --> 00:28:57.240 grow and learn from. As opposed, I think the NBA 601 00:28:57.319 --> 00:29:00.440 is a hard place to to start coaching, to like 602 00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:02.119 learn the game, if that makes sense. And you look 603 00:29:02.119 --> 00:29:03.839 at a lot of the great coaches, you know, Phil 604 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:08.359 Jackson and George carl and I think even Van Gundhi, 605 00:29:08.440 --> 00:29:11.640 Like you know, this always interesting to see where they started. 606 00:29:11.640 --> 00:29:14.519 But you know, being able to play for coach mcjeri's 607 00:29:14.599 --> 00:29:16.680 and coach with them, I got to see, you know, 608 00:29:16.759 --> 00:29:20.440 two different sides. And you know, the best thing I 609 00:29:20.480 --> 00:29:22.880 got from him, well, the first thing is when people 610 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:27.000 asked about, you know, the thing you took from like, 611 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:28.920 I always say this, like he ruins the game for 612 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:30.880 you in a lot of ways because you can't watch 613 00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:33.880 a game with that without critiquing it and seeing what 614 00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:37.400 everybody's doing wrong. So it's kind of interesting. But at 615 00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:39.640 the same time, the one thing that that to this 616 00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:43.160 day that I think that he was remarkable at was 617 00:29:43.839 --> 00:29:47.839 like he was like we had long practices when I 618 00:29:47.880 --> 00:29:51.319 first got here, but like he coached every even if 619 00:29:51.319 --> 00:29:54.079 he was eating a hamburger or in the middle of it, 620 00:29:54.119 --> 00:29:58.720 he was still he was one hundred percent there coaching 621 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:02.640 and intent and seeing everything and you know it spence 622 00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:05.160 not to get long winded here, but like I've never 623 00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:08.279 been never played football, never been around it. But when 624 00:30:08.359 --> 00:30:11.759 we were in Dallas, Bill Belichick came and talked to us. 625 00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:14.000 I've listened to Mike Tomlin and I love those guys, 626 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:18.079 and they always talk about like just grinding week to week. 627 00:30:18.119 --> 00:30:20.039 And it always reminded me of the jerifs because whether 628 00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:23.799 it was a preseason game or an NCAA tournament game 629 00:30:24.480 --> 00:30:28.039 like it was, it was always he never talked about 630 00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:30.279 we want to make the tournament, we want to win 631 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:33.119 the league. It was always the next game, right, like 632 00:30:33.240 --> 00:30:36.440 getting better and then then everything else will take care 633 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:39.000 of itself. So that was like a good thing too. 634 00:30:40.359 --> 00:30:40.640 For me. 635 00:30:40.839 --> 00:30:42.279 And it's you know, it's what I'm going to try 636 00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:44.880 to do, but you know, expectations like he set the 637 00:30:44.920 --> 00:30:49.119 standard and and again I'm and you know he uh, 638 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:52.799 you know, it was a different time in college than 639 00:30:52.839 --> 00:30:56.920 it is now. But no, like that's the I'm going 640 00:30:57.000 --> 00:30:59.319 to take a lot of the things that he taught 641 00:30:59.319 --> 00:31:01.720 me and start to do them in my own way. 642 00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:03.400 And I think that's a big mistake some people make. 643 00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:04.960 I'm not going to try to be him. I think 644 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:09.680 I did that early on in my coaching career. But yeah, no, 645 00:31:09.799 --> 00:31:12.000 he's he's the standard bear, and that's what you know, 646 00:31:12.119 --> 00:31:16.200 kind of everybody from since then, and you know after 647 00:31:16.279 --> 00:31:20.160 me will be kind of be compared to. But you know, 648 00:31:20.599 --> 00:31:22.599 I look at it as it a good thing because 649 00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:24.920 a lot of people remember those days, and when we 650 00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:27.440 talk to recruits now we can talk about it and 651 00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:29.559 they might be too young to remember it, but you 652 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:32.000 know their agent or their coach or they will remembering. 653 00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:34.960 It gives us some credibility, so. 654 00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:39.160 You reference earlier al how college basketball has changed, and 655 00:31:40.119 --> 00:31:44.559 I wonder ultimately the bottom line is whether you're Utah 656 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:47.799 or BYU or Southern Illinois, doesn't matter who you are. 657 00:31:47.880 --> 00:31:51.440 You have to have the financial resources and the economic 658 00:31:51.480 --> 00:31:54.759 ecosystem in place to make sure that you can pay 659 00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:57.440 these players to play for you. I mean, there's no 660 00:31:57.480 --> 00:31:59.119 other way to put it. At this point. The people 661 00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:02.119 you say transfer or I call it free agency. And 662 00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:04.920 we're moving closer to the house of the NCAA settlement 663 00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:08.200 you guys are at. We'll have some more guardrails in place, 664 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:10.200 and hopefully that brings a little bit of stability but 665 00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:13.000 I would imagine. Now I don't want to speak for you, 666 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:15.400 and I'm not leading the witness, but you would not 667 00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:18.279 have taken this job if there weren't promises in place 668 00:32:18.359 --> 00:32:20.119 that you would have the bankroll that you need to 669 00:32:20.119 --> 00:32:22.400 stay competitive with your peers. Is that fair to say? 670 00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:28.039 Yeah, yeah, yeah, obviously, you know those are questions I asked. 671 00:32:28.039 --> 00:32:30.759 But you know, playing being from here and coming from here, 672 00:32:31.279 --> 00:32:34.480 like you know, I'm aware of that. You know, the 673 00:32:34.559 --> 00:32:38.759 university is very capable of providing those resources. And talking 674 00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:41.480 to a lot of my college coaching friends, like they 675 00:32:41.519 --> 00:32:43.480 all talk about you got it, like it's funny you 676 00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:45.119 got to get money and got to get money. But 677 00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:47.880 when I was going through the process of taking the job, 678 00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:50.240 and even after I took it, I kind of like, 679 00:32:50.759 --> 00:32:53.240 maybe I'm naive or trying to be too optimistic mystic, 680 00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:55.440 but I like the position that University of Utah is in. 681 00:32:56.200 --> 00:32:58.519 You know, they're smaller schools that you have success, you 682 00:32:58.519 --> 00:33:00.839 have no chance at keeping and players. And at the 683 00:33:00.920 --> 00:33:04.160 same time, like I don't I right now, I don't 684 00:33:04.200 --> 00:33:05.920 want to be I don't want to get in a 685 00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:09.920 bidding war and you know, pay a single player like 686 00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:11.599 a ton of money, because I think it's you know, 687 00:33:12.039 --> 00:33:15.200 coming from the NBA, like you see the problems that 688 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:19.240 that can cause. But I think, you know, like we're 689 00:33:19.519 --> 00:33:21.279 I don't want to say a middle ground, but we've 690 00:33:21.359 --> 00:33:25.559 got you know, good resources and you know, getting kids 691 00:33:25.599 --> 00:33:27.920 that you know, money is always part of it. Like 692 00:33:28.079 --> 00:33:29.920 you'd be lying to yourself if you said it wasn't 693 00:33:29.920 --> 00:33:32.680 about the money, but also you know kids that see 694 00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:37.559 the opportunity here. So yeah, like it's uh, it's very 695 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:39.599 it's transactional as the word a lot of people in 696 00:33:39.599 --> 00:33:42.480 the NBA are they used now, which is kind of 697 00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:45.920 a you know, I think college is getting used to 698 00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:50.279 it and it's it's turning professional for sure. 699 00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:54.359 So that leads me to some questions about your staff 700 00:33:54.359 --> 00:33:56.640 and players out with our remaining time that I'll set 701 00:33:56.680 --> 00:33:59.759 you loose. And you know, there isn't a bigger indicator 702 00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:03.039 as far as the changing landscape of collegiate athletics and 703 00:34:03.079 --> 00:34:06.480 college hoops. Then the fact that everyone's hired a general manager. 704 00:34:06.960 --> 00:34:09.679 And you know, me, I've been around pro basketball my 705 00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:12.840 entire life. It as a basketball siko myself. I knew 706 00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:15.840 exactly who Wes Wilcox was when I heard the news 707 00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:18.119 and I know who Wes is. I don't know him personally, 708 00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:21.719 but you know I was at the OKC Jazz game 709 00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:23.800 with Scott Layden recently, and Scott he's been doing some 710 00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:26.480 work for the King, so he's been working with Wes. 711 00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:28.760 And he's a bright guy. I mean, you know this, 712 00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:32.000 You've known him forever. What ultimately led you to landing 713 00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:33.920 on Wes Wilcox as your general manager? 714 00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:38.079 Well, you know when I when I seriously started thinking 715 00:34:38.119 --> 00:34:41.559 of taking the job, and I when I had the job, 716 00:34:42.039 --> 00:34:44.440 like my mind and I told everybody like like it's 717 00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:47.840 my mind just went so it just screamed a GM. 718 00:34:48.920 --> 00:34:51.639 And uh it's hard for a coach to negotiate the 719 00:34:51.719 --> 00:34:53.679 money with the player and then try to coach him 720 00:34:53.719 --> 00:34:56.159 during the season. But at a GM and I and 721 00:34:56.199 --> 00:35:00.239 I wanted somebody. I didn't want a former coach, but 722 00:35:00.280 --> 00:35:03.199 I want My mind just went to the NBA of 723 00:35:03.360 --> 00:35:05.760 somebody that's that that's what they want to do, that's 724 00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:09.039 what they've done. And you know Wes was you know, 725 00:35:09.079 --> 00:35:12.400 he hired me in Cleveland as the DA LEA coach. 726 00:35:12.440 --> 00:35:14.000 I means one of the guys that I had asked 727 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:19.079 to ask, you know, for advice. You know, different situations 728 00:35:19.079 --> 00:35:21.360 in my career and and I you know, I first 729 00:35:21.400 --> 00:35:24.440 approached him about asking, you know, any maybe younger Diuce 730 00:35:24.519 --> 00:35:27.880 he knew and you know, there was a little interest there. 731 00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:30.599 Then it grew and I didn't think I would get 732 00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:34.559 somebody as uh seasoned and as good as West, But yeah, 733 00:35:34.599 --> 00:35:38.079 that that that's it's been huge and I think I 734 00:35:38.119 --> 00:35:40.599 think more colleges will go that way. But I think 735 00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:45.480 there's the distinction between somebody who's done that, who's built rosters, 736 00:35:45.519 --> 00:35:51.519 balanced robsters, negotiated contracts. It's a huge asset and it's 737 00:35:51.559 --> 00:35:55.719 made it that much easier for us now. But and 738 00:35:55.800 --> 00:36:00.440 again it's a great a partnership, you know between coaching 739 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:02.840 the fern offles like you're together but separate, like you know, 740 00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:05.840 throughout this whole year, that's what he's going to be doing. Well, 741 00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:08.159 you know, I'll be coaching the team. We'll talk basketball 742 00:36:08.840 --> 00:36:10.920 ross but like that's that's his job and then I 743 00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:13.599 have my job. That makes sense. 744 00:36:13.679 --> 00:36:16.400 It does, it does, and you know, like I said, dynamic, 745 00:36:16.440 --> 00:36:18.639 bright guy who's really good with numbers. It was a 746 00:36:18.719 --> 00:36:21.880 great move. So let's talk about your the first assistant 747 00:36:21.880 --> 00:36:24.840 coach you hired, Raphael Chillius. I had heard the name. 748 00:36:25.280 --> 00:36:27.760 I've had several guests on over the course of the past, 749 00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:30.239 I guess a couple of months now since the hiring 750 00:36:30.280 --> 00:36:32.000 came down, and this was another move that a lot 751 00:36:32.039 --> 00:36:35.079 of people applauded. Tell me, why Al, you landed on 752 00:36:35.159 --> 00:36:37.000 Coach chill is your first assistant coach? 753 00:36:38.320 --> 00:36:40.440 You know? You know I got to meet Coach chill 754 00:36:40.440 --> 00:36:43.719 because we coached in the summer together with we took 755 00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:47.519 college teams, so we spent time on the bus, became friends, 756 00:36:47.559 --> 00:36:51.199 and he was actually he was a scout for the 757 00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:56.639 Grizzlies this year, had an extensive college experience, but first 758 00:36:56.760 --> 00:37:00.519 just a good person and a guy that just lives 759 00:37:00.519 --> 00:37:02.280 it like he's one of the scouts. And you know 760 00:37:02.360 --> 00:37:04.800 this spense that when the door is open to the arena, 761 00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:06.679 he's waiting to get in, and he's down there an 762 00:37:06.719 --> 00:37:10.239 hour and a half before, just watching everything. And you know, 763 00:37:10.280 --> 00:37:12.159 it's funny. We were playing in Boston and he was 764 00:37:12.199 --> 00:37:14.159 scouting when the rumors started about me, and we went 765 00:37:14.199 --> 00:37:16.400 to dinner and he brought it up and expressed interest 766 00:37:16.440 --> 00:37:19.800 in coming, which and at that time I wasn't I 767 00:37:19.800 --> 00:37:23.519 don't think I was really deep into thinking about taking it, 768 00:37:23.599 --> 00:37:27.719 but and that, you know, I'm grateful that he did 769 00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:30.079 that he wanted to be here, and you know, that's 770 00:37:30.079 --> 00:37:34.199 that's the one thing I think that that's hit me 771 00:37:34.280 --> 00:37:36.159 since you know, my staff has been here and we 772 00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:38.280 talked about with the players, like, you know, I had 773 00:37:38.280 --> 00:37:40.639 a good job, Wes definitely had a good job. Chill 774 00:37:41.239 --> 00:37:44.920 Rafael Chill had a great job, and like, we're here 775 00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:47.119 because we want to be here, not because we do, 776 00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:50.960 not because of money. But I think it's rubbed off 777 00:37:50.960 --> 00:37:55.760 on a recruiting But yet Chill coached Phil who's often 778 00:37:56.159 --> 00:37:59.679 everybody calls him, knows everybody, and could take multiple college 779 00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:03.239 jobs every year. So I'm flattered and we're lucky to 780 00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:03.679 have him. 781 00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:06.320 I wanted to ask you because you referenced meeting some 782 00:38:06.360 --> 00:38:09.079 football coaches in your time down in Dallas, and I 783 00:38:09.159 --> 00:38:12.639 understand a football coach here in Salt Lake City. You 784 00:38:12.719 --> 00:38:15.280 hopped on the phone with a football coach here in 785 00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:17.079 Salt Lake prior to taking the job, and he had 786 00:38:17.079 --> 00:38:20.360 a conversation with coach wit with Kyle Whittingham. I wonder 787 00:38:20.360 --> 00:38:24.000 if you could provide a little context on why you 788 00:38:24.079 --> 00:38:26.360 decided to talk to Kyle, what he told you and 789 00:38:26.360 --> 00:38:28.960 how that ultimately helped you decide you wanted to move 790 00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:30.400 the family here and coach the uts. 791 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:35.840 You know, I you know, I've known Kyle, you know 792 00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:38.559 since my freshman year when he when he worked here 793 00:38:38.559 --> 00:38:42.079 with his dad, and obviously i've you know, watched or 794 00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:45.559 admirred what he's done and and mostly you know, and 795 00:38:45.760 --> 00:38:48.840 the opportunity rise again, like I'd like to talk to 796 00:38:48.920 --> 00:38:51.559 him because that's what you know, we're trying to do 797 00:38:51.559 --> 00:38:54.159 on the basketball side, replicate what he's done, because he's 798 00:38:54.199 --> 00:38:58.679 built an amazing program and he's done a great job, 799 00:38:58.719 --> 00:39:02.159 and he's you know, and I respect him. And that's 800 00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:04.239 why I respect a lot of football guys because usually 801 00:39:04.239 --> 00:39:06.400 in football, you start and you work your way up, 802 00:39:06.599 --> 00:39:09.360 you know, the NBA, a lot of guys, you know, 803 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:13.280 you skip steps. But no, like he's I you know, 804 00:39:13.480 --> 00:39:15.320 every chance I get, he's a guy that I would 805 00:39:15.320 --> 00:39:19.719 approach with advice because not only has he been I've 806 00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:23.800 been in and out, but he's been around it and uh, 807 00:39:24.199 --> 00:39:27.880 like I said, just admire what he's done, and and uh, 808 00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:31.519 you know somebody that I'll is every chance I get 809 00:39:31.559 --> 00:39:34.599 try to you know, learn from and get some advice 810 00:39:34.599 --> 00:39:37.800 from you know the challenges and obviously you know talking 811 00:39:37.800 --> 00:39:40.239 about the challenges and uh, you know the good and 812 00:39:40.280 --> 00:39:42.480 bad of it all, which which comes everywhere you go. 813 00:39:42.599 --> 00:39:46.559 But no, he's uh, and again he's been here for 814 00:39:47.880 --> 00:39:51.280 what thirty years and put the programs come a long 815 00:39:51.320 --> 00:39:52.559 way in thirty years. 816 00:39:53.320 --> 00:39:56.280 It sure has al How does it land with you 817 00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:59.039 when I say next year in marks a decade since 818 00:39:59.079 --> 00:40:06.519 the last NC Double Tournament appearance for your Tom men's basketball. 819 00:40:04.199 --> 00:40:07.199 You know it's it's uh, you know, think all of 820 00:40:07.239 --> 00:40:09.559 us got you know, we were spoiled and got used 821 00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:12.559 to the success. There's no reason you know why it 822 00:40:12.639 --> 00:40:16.519 can't be there, But you know, the I don't know, 823 00:40:16.760 --> 00:40:20.159 I think it's and again, obviously that's something that you 824 00:40:20.199 --> 00:40:23.079 want to do every year. But you know, just the 825 00:40:23.119 --> 00:40:25.639 way Majeri's taught me and listening to a lot of 826 00:40:25.639 --> 00:40:28.360 football guys like you know, like you just do your 827 00:40:28.639 --> 00:40:31.039 do what you're supposed to do every day and that 828 00:40:31.280 --> 00:40:33.760 will all take care of itself. I mean, obviously it's 829 00:40:34.199 --> 00:40:36.159 something that we want and everybody else wants us to 830 00:40:36.199 --> 00:40:38.400 get and I think it just starts, you know, in 831 00:40:38.400 --> 00:40:40.920 the summer and just like what we do today, you know, 832 00:40:41.039 --> 00:40:43.320 instead of talking about it every day. That's our goal. 833 00:40:43.320 --> 00:40:45.920 That's our goal. Whereas we have our you know, do 834 00:40:46.039 --> 00:40:47.840 goal about our daily business and have our goals and 835 00:40:47.880 --> 00:40:50.400 accomplish what we need to like, that'll that'll eventually happen. 836 00:40:50.400 --> 00:40:55.400 But yeah, I don't think that's something that anybody you know, ten, fifteen, 837 00:40:55.679 --> 00:41:00.360 twenty years ago, whatever of predicted have a you know, 838 00:41:00.360 --> 00:41:02.199 a ten year drought from the NCAA tournament. 839 00:41:03.719 --> 00:41:05.880 Obviously as your reference, that's a goal that you want 840 00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:09.320 to achieve every single year. As you know, al you 841 00:41:09.440 --> 00:41:12.960 are playing in one of, if not the best college 842 00:41:13.000 --> 00:41:16.039 basketball conferences in America. That was probably the SEC a 843 00:41:16.119 --> 00:41:18.320 year ago, but it might be the Big Twelve next year. 844 00:41:18.840 --> 00:41:22.199 And I continue to try just to temper expectations because 845 00:41:22.199 --> 00:41:23.920 you just started the job and you've got a group 846 00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:26.400 of a bunch of new players. But what would you 847 00:41:26.440 --> 00:41:28.480 say to the Utah fan base chomping at the bid 848 00:41:28.519 --> 00:41:31.679 for success and tournament appearances and such that they should 849 00:41:31.679 --> 00:41:34.480 expect year one from you and your staff in the 850 00:41:34.480 --> 00:41:35.039 Big Twelve. 851 00:41:36.639 --> 00:41:38.880 You know, it's just like with the you know, I 852 00:41:38.920 --> 00:41:42.159 mentioned it took my time. I wanted a GM. I'm 853 00:41:42.159 --> 00:41:45.000 trying to be really deliberate with how I go about 854 00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:48.000 it and not get rushed with my staff and the team, 855 00:41:48.079 --> 00:41:49.880 and that you know, there's a specific you know, once 856 00:41:49.880 --> 00:41:54.480 I hired west Chill and I and Eric like, we 857 00:41:54.599 --> 00:41:56.079 have our criteria for players. 858 00:41:56.079 --> 00:41:57.239 But I would say this that. 859 00:41:58.920 --> 00:42:02.800 Going after guys that want to be here, that want 860 00:42:02.840 --> 00:42:06.719 to get better, and you know, not necessarily you know, 861 00:42:06.800 --> 00:42:08.840 to make the most money. I mean, obviously that's part 862 00:42:08.840 --> 00:42:12.800 of it, but you know, I would sell fans and 863 00:42:12.840 --> 00:42:14.960 everybody else. There's a particular type of player that we 864 00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:17.920 went out after, and I think we got, you know, first, 865 00:42:17.960 --> 00:42:22.280 guys that compete, Guys that love the game and like 866 00:42:22.400 --> 00:42:24.119 to play. And that might seem like a simple thing 867 00:42:24.119 --> 00:42:26.639 and you think everybody does it, but you know, the 868 00:42:26.639 --> 00:42:28.679 hardest thing for a coach is when you have a 869 00:42:28.679 --> 00:42:30.960 player that doesn't care about it as much as you do. 870 00:42:31.880 --> 00:42:34.119 And I think we've done a really good job with 871 00:42:34.199 --> 00:42:40.719 those guys, guys that compete, love to play. And then 872 00:42:40.880 --> 00:42:43.679 after that we go into the you know, the physical attributes. 873 00:42:43.719 --> 00:42:47.559 But no, I'm actually looking really I'm getting excited to 874 00:42:47.559 --> 00:42:49.280 be able to coach these guys and to see where 875 00:42:49.280 --> 00:42:51.199 we go. And that's the fun part about it is 876 00:42:51.679 --> 00:42:55.760 I don't think I could even anticipate how things will 877 00:42:55.800 --> 00:42:59.559 turn out, but I am optimistic and we have a 878 00:42:59.599 --> 00:43:02.400 good grow it of players and coaches. 879 00:43:02.880 --> 00:43:04.360 All right, I'll before I say you lose, because I 880 00:43:04.400 --> 00:43:06.679 know we're up against it here, and I would love 881 00:43:06.880 --> 00:43:08.800 at some point to bring you in studio maybe to 882 00:43:08.800 --> 00:43:10.920 talk about all these young men individually, but we just 883 00:43:10.960 --> 00:43:12.719 don't have time to do that. And we have a 884 00:43:12.840 --> 00:43:17.920 Utah basketball community and fan base curious about this roster 885 00:43:18.119 --> 00:43:20.840 full of new faces outside of Keanu Kanda Daz who 886 00:43:20.840 --> 00:43:22.159 we all saw play who at a hell of an 887 00:43:22.239 --> 00:43:24.039 end of the year last season. So I'm going to 888 00:43:24.119 --> 00:43:27.039 give you the space with whatever direction you want to 889 00:43:27.079 --> 00:43:29.559 go as far as talking about a couple of these 890 00:43:29.599 --> 00:43:32.400 new players so our fan base can kind of get 891 00:43:32.440 --> 00:43:33.639 to know this roster a little bit. 892 00:43:35.280 --> 00:43:37.360 Okay, Yeah, yeah, No. It's funny because I would, you know, 893 00:43:37.400 --> 00:43:40.519 I was finishing up in Dallas, I had a game, 894 00:43:40.559 --> 00:43:43.159 and then I would after the game, I'd call a 895 00:43:43.320 --> 00:43:46.519 coach still in West would be up in my office 896 00:43:46.559 --> 00:43:50.360 going through a roster, and I tell him I apologize, 897 00:43:50.400 --> 00:43:52.239 and I feel bad like I just took three hours 898 00:43:52.280 --> 00:43:54.559 off and watched the game while you guys are making 899 00:43:54.599 --> 00:43:57.760 the calls. But I mean, I often having lived as 900 00:43:57.760 --> 00:44:02.679 a coach, like I wanted to point guard. You know, 901 00:44:02.719 --> 00:44:04.519 we were we were hurt in Dallas and even after 902 00:44:04.559 --> 00:44:06.320 the game, I'd say, okay, point guard, we need a 903 00:44:06.360 --> 00:44:08.039 point guard. But you know, Terrence Brown is one of 904 00:44:08.079 --> 00:44:11.559 the first guys we signed out of Fairley Dickinson hid 905 00:44:11.599 --> 00:44:15.440 from Minnesota, and uh, and I just you know, he 906 00:44:15.679 --> 00:44:18.000 loves it. He's in Vegas working out now, but he's 907 00:44:18.079 --> 00:44:21.960 one guy. And then and we got uh, after that, 908 00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:25.920 we got Elijah Choppa Moore from from Syracuse. He's originally 909 00:44:25.920 --> 00:44:29.280 from the Bronx, and uh, you know, you know, I 910 00:44:29.320 --> 00:44:31.159 think the one thing we had, you know, James the 911 00:44:31.239 --> 00:44:34.440 Conquo who's actually originally from London who played Acklan last year, 912 00:44:35.119 --> 00:44:40.159 Jackai Howard from Auburn, Don McHenry and Babacar fey Or 913 00:44:40.840 --> 00:44:43.719 coming from West Virginia, and Sadu Traillery who's from the Bronx, 914 00:44:43.719 --> 00:44:45.880 who's coming from Iowa. It's kind of kind of dawned 915 00:44:45.920 --> 00:44:47.760 on me that they're kind of I don't know the 916 00:44:47.840 --> 00:44:49.920 last time, you know a Feutah team has had two 917 00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:54.280 kids from the Bronx or you know, Boston London, so 918 00:44:54.400 --> 00:44:56.360 it's it's actually and you know, Keanu is a local kid. 919 00:44:56.360 --> 00:44:59.320 But I think it's uh again, they I feel like 920 00:44:59.360 --> 00:45:01.039 they have all those rights. They likes to compete, they 921 00:45:01.159 --> 00:45:04.800 like to play, and they want to get better. So anyway, yeah, 922 00:45:04.800 --> 00:45:07.039 I'd love to come in sometime too, Spence, and we could. 923 00:45:07.239 --> 00:45:09.800 We could spend more time with each one of them, 924 00:45:09.800 --> 00:45:12.559 because it's a good group. I think. 925 00:45:13.280 --> 00:45:16.199 Well, Like I said, I'm thrilled that this was the 926 00:45:16.239 --> 00:45:19.079 decision made by the administration. I'm thrilled that you'd say that, 927 00:45:19.159 --> 00:45:21.679 you said yes. You know, my family are big fans 928 00:45:21.679 --> 00:45:23.960 of the Jensen family and big fans of you, and 929 00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:27.119 big fans of your bride and your girls too. So 930 00:45:27.320 --> 00:45:29.039 thrilled to have you on the ground. If we can 931 00:45:29.079 --> 00:45:31.519 ever do anything for you as your broadcast partner, please 932 00:45:31.559 --> 00:45:31.920 reach out. 933 00:45:31.960 --> 00:45:34.559 Okay, I will thank Spence. 934 00:45:34.840 --> 00:45:38.280 Likewise, all right, Alex Jensen, seventeenth head coach and you 935 00:45:38.360 --> 00:45:41.000 Tom Men's basketball history joined the program on this Thursday. 936 00:45:41.000 --> 00:45:44.280 I'm courteous of our friends at IFA Country Stores. Dave 937 00:45:44.360 --> 00:45:48.239 mcmanamon's Gonna roll by covers the NBA Free ESPN, one 938 00:45:48.280 --> 00:45:50.880 of our celebrity reporters. He's very famous. He's a very 939 00:45:50.880 --> 00:45:54.800 big deal. Nick Ramondo, who's a Hall of Famer, also 940 00:45:54.960 --> 00:45:59.159 very famous, A very big deal, joining us now, very famous, 941 00:45:59.320 --> 00:46:02.280 very big deal. On a Thursday afternoon, she covers the 942 00:46:02.360 --> 00:46:05.320 Utah Hockey Club for the Salt Lake Tribune. Always fun 943 00:46:05.360 --> 00:46:08.440 to welcome in Belle Frasier on a Thursday. Bell, Happy Thursday. 944 00:46:08.440 --> 00:46:12.239 How are you good? I'm good? All right? Here's my 945 00:46:12.360 --> 00:46:15.000 question right out of gates. We have a basketball team 946 00:46:15.199 --> 00:46:18.039 in midtown Manhattan that's about to return home to a 947 00:46:18.199 --> 00:46:22.639 Rausius Madison Square Garden fan base to watch the Knicks 948 00:46:22.639 --> 00:46:24.960 try to beat the Celtics. I hate to rub it 949 00:46:25.039 --> 00:46:28.159 in Bell, but the Rangers obviously not involved. What is 950 00:46:28.440 --> 00:46:32.360 midtown Manhattan like when the Rangers are in the Stanley 951 00:46:32.360 --> 00:46:33.880 Cup playoffs come springtime? 952 00:46:35.199 --> 00:46:38.480 It's insane that I have to say Knicks fans definitely 953 00:46:38.599 --> 00:46:41.320 take the cake there. I actually was lucky enough to 954 00:46:41.360 --> 00:46:44.239 be in Boston last night and grabbed last minute ticket 955 00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:46.440 to the Celtics Knicks games. They're about to see the 956 00:46:46.480 --> 00:46:50.880 next with their second straight comeback, and even within TD Garden, 957 00:46:51.280 --> 00:46:55.199 the Knicks fans we absolutely crazy, and all of Steventh 958 00:46:55.199 --> 00:46:57.719 Avenue last night in New York by Madison Square Garden 959 00:46:57.760 --> 00:47:00.360 was flooded and the game wasn't even there, So I 960 00:47:00.360 --> 00:47:02.119 can't imagine what it's going to be like for Game 961 00:47:02.199 --> 00:47:05.880 three Rangers. I mean, of course NHL playoffs are big, 962 00:47:05.920 --> 00:47:08.440 but New York is kind of more of a basketball town, 963 00:47:08.440 --> 00:47:11.519 I would say. And it seems like it's the highest 964 00:47:11.559 --> 00:47:14.480 price to even get in that the Nicks have ever had, 965 00:47:14.599 --> 00:47:17.480 and it's second round, so I think that's saying something. 966 00:47:17.559 --> 00:47:20.599 But yeah, I'm pulling for my Knicks now that no 967 00:47:20.719 --> 00:47:21.559 Rangers to root for. 968 00:47:22.480 --> 00:47:26.400 Wait, you were at the game last night. I was, oh, well, 969 00:47:26.480 --> 00:47:30.159 I'm so jealous you did you don orange and blue? 970 00:47:30.159 --> 00:47:31.320 Were you decked out? 971 00:47:32.159 --> 00:47:34.159 I had a little hat, but you know you got 972 00:47:34.159 --> 00:47:37.639 to be careful, so. 973 00:47:36.519 --> 00:47:39.840 Yeah you do. In fact, did you witness any tense 974 00:47:40.079 --> 00:47:42.559 interactions between Celtic fans and Nick fans? 975 00:47:43.480 --> 00:47:46.639 Most definitely. I think we maybe are Snicks fans are 976 00:47:46.639 --> 00:47:48.960 a bit of sore losers. I kept pretty quiet, but 977 00:47:49.800 --> 00:47:52.119 you know, always at all the games and the staircase 978 00:47:52.199 --> 00:47:54.840 going down and stuff, there's the chirping and such, but 979 00:47:54.960 --> 00:47:57.400 nothing you wouldn't expect from a Boston, New York serience. 980 00:47:57.679 --> 00:48:00.000 Fair enough, fair enough? Are you still in Boston. 981 00:48:01.239 --> 00:48:04.599 I'm at the airport right now, going to be touching 982 00:48:04.639 --> 00:48:06.559 down and Felt Lake tonight. So I'm excited to get 983 00:48:06.599 --> 00:48:07.320 back to Utah. 984 00:48:07.400 --> 00:48:09.920 Okay, very nice. We'll travel safe and there's a lot 985 00:48:09.920 --> 00:48:11.960 to talk about. Since you and I last cut up. 986 00:48:12.000 --> 00:48:15.559 There's been a ton of storylines surrounding of course, the 987 00:48:15.559 --> 00:48:17.480 Stanley Cup playoffs going on. We'll get to that in 988 00:48:17.480 --> 00:48:20.280 the moment, but we now know that the name of 989 00:48:20.360 --> 00:48:23.239 the hockey team that plays in Utah will no longer 990 00:48:23.239 --> 00:48:25.920 be the Utah Hockey Club. It is Tusks Up the 991 00:48:26.039 --> 00:48:29.320 Utah Mammoth Bell. What do you make of kind of 992 00:48:29.320 --> 00:48:31.360 the process and went down and what are your thoughts 993 00:48:31.440 --> 00:48:33.599 on the name now that we know what it will 994 00:48:33.639 --> 00:48:34.960 be henceforth then forever. 995 00:48:36.199 --> 00:48:39.400 I'm so happy it's out. I think people were guessing 996 00:48:39.400 --> 00:48:42.320 that it could be around the NHL Draft and things 997 00:48:42.360 --> 00:48:44.599 like that, but I think the team just had everything 998 00:48:44.679 --> 00:48:47.400 ready and we've been tracking the trademark websites. We saw 999 00:48:47.440 --> 00:48:50.760 that they extended for it and they asked for an 1000 00:48:50.760 --> 00:48:53.639 immediate approval, so I think they knew that if they 1001 00:48:53.679 --> 00:48:56.639 waited any longer, it would probably get leaked. And everyone 1002 00:48:56.760 --> 00:49:00.000 saw that they accidentally changed their user name on youtub 1003 00:49:00.039 --> 00:49:02.400 to Utah Mammoth and then deleted the page and then 1004 00:49:02.440 --> 00:49:04.719 swished it back to Utah Hockey Club. So I think 1005 00:49:04.719 --> 00:49:06.400 it was getting to a point where everyone had a 1006 00:49:06.400 --> 00:49:09.119 feeling it was Mammoths, so why not just make it official. 1007 00:49:09.239 --> 00:49:11.760 But it was one of the coolest days on the 1008 00:49:11.840 --> 00:49:15.280 job yesterday just seeing it all happened. We were counting 1009 00:49:15.320 --> 00:49:18.159 down and so we could post our stories and sort 1010 00:49:18.199 --> 00:49:20.360 the whole public to know. And I think seeing the 1011 00:49:20.440 --> 00:49:24.679 fan reaction was really special. I mean overwhelmingly positive. People 1012 00:49:24.719 --> 00:49:27.159 really liked the jerseys, they really liked the names, and 1013 00:49:27.199 --> 00:49:29.360 I think that's the product of the fact that they 1014 00:49:29.440 --> 00:49:31.639 voted for it. And I talked to a lot of 1015 00:49:31.679 --> 00:49:34.079 fans yesterday over the phone, and that was kind of 1016 00:49:34.119 --> 00:49:36.199 the main theme that came through, was that they said, 1017 00:49:36.199 --> 00:49:38.719 we feel like we're woven into this jersey, that this 1018 00:49:38.760 --> 00:49:40.519 is something that we wanted for our state and that 1019 00:49:40.559 --> 00:49:42.800 we got to choose. So it makes it all that 1020 00:49:42.840 --> 00:49:46.320 more special. And I think some people maybe we're second guessing, 1021 00:49:46.440 --> 00:49:49.039 is Ryan Smith is really going to keep his promise 1022 00:49:49.079 --> 00:49:50.960 of letting the public choose it. And he made a 1023 00:49:51.039 --> 00:49:53.559 joke at his press conference that he wouldn't go through 1024 00:49:53.559 --> 00:49:56.760 this process again, just you know, collecting millions a million 1025 00:49:56.800 --> 00:50:00.360 votes during an NHL regular season and everything else they 1026 00:50:00.360 --> 00:50:02.320 had going on. But it turned out great, and I 1027 00:50:02.360 --> 00:50:06.679 think everyone, fans, players are excited for the second year. 1028 00:50:06.719 --> 00:50:09.320 It builds kind of the hype of momentum for next 1029 00:50:09.400 --> 00:50:11.199 year having a legitimate identity. 1030 00:50:11.719 --> 00:50:13.960 Let me follow up, because you referenced the fan reaction, 1031 00:50:14.199 --> 00:50:17.280 then you just referenced I just haven't seen a lot 1032 00:50:17.280 --> 00:50:21.079 of player or coach reaction, so I wanted to. I 1033 00:50:21.119 --> 00:50:23.239 was curious from your vantage point, if you've been able 1034 00:50:23.239 --> 00:50:25.320 to kick the tires with players and coaches and how 1035 00:50:25.320 --> 00:50:27.519 they feel about the new name and the new logo 1036 00:50:27.559 --> 00:50:28.719 and the color scheme and everything. 1037 00:50:29.800 --> 00:50:32.559 Yeah, they weren't. They didn't have a media availability to 1038 00:50:32.599 --> 00:50:36.559 players and coaches yesterday, but Jack mcdain, Jayleen concert, Ian Cole, 1039 00:50:36.679 --> 00:50:39.360 and Ollie Mata, as well as Andre and Bill aren 1040 00:50:39.440 --> 00:50:42.679 Seng and the San Sean obviously were there yesterday, checked 1041 00:50:42.679 --> 00:50:45.639 out in the Maymoth merch. This team social media did 1042 00:50:45.679 --> 00:50:48.440 some videos with them and they seemed excited about it. 1043 00:50:48.480 --> 00:50:50.760 They were doing the tosts up, so I think it's 1044 00:50:50.800 --> 00:50:53.519 really energizing for the players to to kind of see 1045 00:50:53.559 --> 00:50:58.039 the investment FI Entertainment Group and the fans that they 1046 00:50:58.079 --> 00:50:59.960 wanted to make it a big thing. They wanted to 1047 00:51:00.119 --> 00:51:03.480 take time with the branding. And I mean, we don't 1048 00:51:03.480 --> 00:51:05.320 need to talk about free agency, but it's a pretty 1049 00:51:05.440 --> 00:51:07.519 exciting time for Utah right now. They get the name, 1050 00:51:07.559 --> 00:51:10.119 they get the fourth overall pick, they have a front 1051 00:51:10.159 --> 00:51:13.000 facing owner who's spending lots of money on them right now. 1052 00:51:13.079 --> 00:51:15.519 So I imagine it feels really good to be one 1053 00:51:15.519 --> 00:51:19.280 of those players. And we talked them throughout the season, 1054 00:51:19.360 --> 00:51:21.079 they said they didn't fully care about the name. They 1055 00:51:21.119 --> 00:51:23.760 just wanted the fans to be happy. So I imagine 1056 00:51:23.800 --> 00:51:25.000 that's still the same. 1057 00:51:25.840 --> 00:51:26.159 All right. 1058 00:51:26.159 --> 00:51:29.960 You referenced the number four overall pick, and in one 1059 00:51:30.039 --> 00:51:33.360 year of existence, the Utah Hockey Club has received more 1060 00:51:33.400 --> 00:51:36.000 good luck than the Utah Jazz have received in fifty 1061 00:51:36.079 --> 00:51:40.000 years of existence. And maybe that will change come Monday. Bell, 1062 00:51:40.119 --> 00:51:42.519 We'll kind of have to wait and see there. But 1063 00:51:42.559 --> 00:51:44.239 you did a really good job for the trip of 1064 00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:48.440 outlining really what this could mean, so let's dig into it. 1065 00:51:49.039 --> 00:51:52.119 You know, ultimately, Bill Armstrong is in a spot now 1066 00:51:52.159 --> 00:51:54.239 with several different options where he could add a good 1067 00:51:54.280 --> 00:51:57.559 young piece to this core. They're already the third youngest 1068 00:51:57.599 --> 00:52:01.119 team in the NHL, and we had Smith on yesterday. 1069 00:52:01.239 --> 00:52:04.039 Neil was good to walk us through how rare it 1070 00:52:04.119 --> 00:52:07.400 is for a draft pick to play right away. A 1071 00:52:07.440 --> 00:52:09.719 lot of these kids are seventeen, eighteen years old. They're 1072 00:52:09.719 --> 00:52:11.039 going to go back to college, they're going to go 1073 00:52:11.079 --> 00:52:12.639 back to junior so we're not really sure what it 1074 00:52:12.679 --> 00:52:14.639 would look like. But the other option Bell is to 1075 00:52:15.360 --> 00:52:17.920 utilize this, certainly as a trade chip and a piece 1076 00:52:17.960 --> 00:52:21.119 to maybe expedite the growth by adding a veteran player. 1077 00:52:21.199 --> 00:52:24.159 So you've had a chance to hear from Bill Armstrong, 1078 00:52:24.159 --> 00:52:25.639 You've had a chance to kind of dig into this. 1079 00:52:25.719 --> 00:52:28.320 So your thoughts on Utah getting the number four overall 1080 00:52:28.320 --> 00:52:30.159 pick and your thoughts on what they may or may 1081 00:52:30.199 --> 00:52:30.760 not do with it. 1082 00:52:32.000 --> 00:52:34.440 First of all, it's just crazy that they got it. 1083 00:52:34.559 --> 00:52:37.280 I mean, everyone knew they had one point five percent 1084 00:52:37.559 --> 00:52:41.039 chance of winning that second sequence, and since they were 1085 00:52:41.079 --> 00:52:44.920 originally fourteen, they could only move up ten, so obviously four. 1086 00:52:44.960 --> 00:52:47.199 But to be in the top five and not be 1087 00:52:47.480 --> 00:52:50.360 a bottom feeding team is I mean, it's incredible. They 1088 00:52:50.880 --> 00:52:53.960 missed playoffs by seven points and are up and coming, 1089 00:52:54.079 --> 00:52:55.679 unlike a lot of the teams in the top ten 1090 00:52:55.719 --> 00:52:57.920 of the draft right now, So for them to be 1091 00:52:57.960 --> 00:53:00.719 able to add a franchise player or like you said, 1092 00:53:01.719 --> 00:53:04.559 trade for someone that could come in and provide immediate 1093 00:53:04.639 --> 00:53:08.320 help really changes the trajectory for this team. So I 1094 00:53:08.360 --> 00:53:11.079 cannot underscore enough you know what a game changer this 1095 00:53:11.239 --> 00:53:14.000 is for the organization, not just next year, but for 1096 00:53:14.039 --> 00:53:15.840 the next ten years. Like you said, a lot of 1097 00:53:15.840 --> 00:53:18.239 these players will go back to play in junior or 1098 00:53:18.239 --> 00:53:20.880 college for a year or two. And Bill Armstrong definitely 1099 00:53:21.480 --> 00:53:23.960 likes when his players get a little bit more developmental time. 1100 00:53:24.039 --> 00:53:27.039 So Utah fans shouldn't be disappointed that if they keep 1101 00:53:27.079 --> 00:53:29.599 the pick, they don't see the draft ye right away, 1102 00:53:29.679 --> 00:53:32.400 But yeah, I think it is really interesting to think 1103 00:53:32.440 --> 00:53:34.440 about what they what else they could do with it. 1104 00:53:34.639 --> 00:53:37.880 And Bill Armstrong was very clear he said, we'll never 1105 00:53:37.920 --> 00:53:40.280 shut that door. That's always been an avenue for us 1106 00:53:40.320 --> 00:53:43.760 to get players in terms of trading a pick, and 1107 00:53:44.440 --> 00:53:46.239 a lot of teams who thought they were going to 1108 00:53:46.239 --> 00:53:48.639 be in the top ten or top five are not. 1109 00:53:48.880 --> 00:53:51.559 So I imagine Bill Armstrong is going to be getting 1110 00:53:51.599 --> 00:53:56.559 a ton of calls from organizations who are further back 1111 00:53:56.559 --> 00:53:59.360 in the rebuild than he is and want a prospect. 1112 00:53:59.480 --> 00:54:02.440 And you saw him do it last year. He traded 1113 00:54:02.599 --> 00:54:05.239 the forty ninth overall pick for John Marino. He threw 1114 00:54:05.280 --> 00:54:08.280 two picks in the Mikail Serga chev trade, and those 1115 00:54:08.320 --> 00:54:12.079 guys are Utah's top two defensemen now. So it's definitely 1116 00:54:12.079 --> 00:54:14.840 about that he feels comfortable taking, and I think it'll 1117 00:54:14.880 --> 00:54:18.920 just be what the team needs. I think they're lucky 1118 00:54:19.000 --> 00:54:20.800 that the top five in the draft. A lot of 1119 00:54:20.800 --> 00:54:23.760 them are big centers, and I think Utah could use 1120 00:54:23.880 --> 00:54:28.480 a big goal scoring two way forward. So it'll work 1121 00:54:28.519 --> 00:54:31.599 either way. And I think that's what Utah Hockey I 1122 00:54:31.719 --> 00:54:34.119 was going to say, Utah Hockey Club. This is hard 1123 00:54:34.199 --> 00:54:38.280 Utah Mammoth fan should be excited about. Is you can't 1124 00:54:38.320 --> 00:54:40.599 really lose here. You're either going to have a big 1125 00:54:40.639 --> 00:54:42.559 time player come in next season or have a really 1126 00:54:42.599 --> 00:54:44.559 exciting prospect to look forward to. 1127 00:54:44.880 --> 00:54:47.119 It's going to take a minute. I think I I'm 1128 00:54:47.159 --> 00:54:49.519 not even sure that I've said Utah Mammoth yet. I 1129 00:54:49.559 --> 00:54:51.679 think I've just said Utah Hockey Club all week bell. 1130 00:54:51.800 --> 00:54:54.519 But we'll get there, one step at a time. You 1131 00:54:55.440 --> 00:54:57.760 point out in your piece for the trip that there 1132 00:54:57.840 --> 00:55:01.360 is not, you know, the number one odds on. You know, 1133 00:55:01.440 --> 00:55:03.639 this is the dude you gotta take. There's not the 1134 00:55:04.360 --> 00:55:07.840 franchise changing piece at number one like there has been 1135 00:55:07.840 --> 00:55:11.079 in the past. But you outlined some of the options 1136 00:55:11.079 --> 00:55:13.360 that could be available at four for the Utah Hockey Club. 1137 00:55:13.599 --> 00:55:16.239 So for our listeners that have not had a chance 1138 00:55:16.280 --> 00:55:18.280 to read what you wrote, let's talk about some of 1139 00:55:18.320 --> 00:55:20.679 these names and some of these young prospects. You think 1140 00:55:21.079 --> 00:55:23.360 A will be there at four and B makes sense 1141 00:55:23.400 --> 00:55:24.639 for the Utah Mammoth. 1142 00:55:25.800 --> 00:55:28.679 Yeah, I mean, just from other scouts who do this 1143 00:55:28.840 --> 00:55:30.800 for a living and watch these guys night in the 1144 00:55:30.880 --> 00:55:33.719 night out, the consensus is that the guys in the 1145 00:55:33.760 --> 00:55:37.000 top five at least will be Matthew Shafer, Michael Missa, 1146 00:55:37.199 --> 00:55:41.920 Jane Pagan, Porter, Marton Anton Fondell. Matthew Shaefer is the 1147 00:55:41.960 --> 00:55:44.280 only defenseman in that group, and in the past couple 1148 00:55:44.280 --> 00:55:47.199 of days it sounds like he's starting to lean more 1149 00:55:47.239 --> 00:55:51.039 towards number one. And the Islanders have the number one 1150 00:55:51.079 --> 00:55:54.079 pick they could use the blue liner, So there's that. 1151 00:55:54.360 --> 00:55:57.960 But then also Jane Pagan's a year ago everyone thought 1152 00:55:57.960 --> 00:56:00.320 he was going to go number one. He actually goes 1153 00:56:00.360 --> 00:56:04.000 to Boston College. But he's a great player nonetheless, kind 1154 00:56:04.000 --> 00:56:06.800 of a smaller center, but he grew up in Islanders 1155 00:56:06.840 --> 00:56:09.280 fan He's from Long Island, so who knows if they 1156 00:56:09.320 --> 00:56:12.000 swing that way, So those guys might be off the table. 1157 00:56:12.000 --> 00:56:15.800 But I could also see Hagan's dropping because you just 1158 00:56:15.880 --> 00:56:19.239 never know what the other teams are going to do. 1159 00:56:19.400 --> 00:56:22.360 But I think Utah fan should definitely look at Porter Marton. 1160 00:56:23.159 --> 00:56:25.760 I think he kind of fits the forward depth and 1161 00:56:25.920 --> 00:56:28.639 scoring touch and save the advantage for Utah. He fits 1162 00:56:28.639 --> 00:56:31.880 that bill. Eighteen years old, he had ninety eight points, 1163 00:56:32.000 --> 00:56:34.639 which was thirty seven goals and sixty one assists in 1164 00:56:35.199 --> 00:56:37.400 fifty seven games. I believe he was the captain of 1165 00:56:37.400 --> 00:56:40.840 the Ohls Branton's Steelheads this season. And he's six foot 1166 00:56:40.840 --> 00:56:43.519 three and two hundred and eight pounds right now, so 1167 00:56:43.800 --> 00:56:46.800 can only imagine what he'll be put on weight at 1168 00:56:46.840 --> 00:56:48.760 an NHL shape in the next couple of years. And 1169 00:56:49.280 --> 00:56:51.719 he's a right winger, so not a center. But I 1170 00:56:51.760 --> 00:56:55.280 think Utah just needs some size reinforcements in its top 1171 00:56:55.360 --> 00:56:57.480 six and if that's someone they could develop, that would 1172 00:56:57.480 --> 00:56:59.960 be great. And I think it's realistic that he could 1173 00:57:00.079 --> 00:57:03.239 drop to four. But I don't know it really is. 1174 00:57:03.320 --> 00:57:07.480 I think teams will say that they'll draft there the 1175 00:57:07.559 --> 00:57:09.880 best player available, but I think it's a little more 1176 00:57:10.440 --> 00:57:14.159 me tailored than they'll admit. So someone else may want him, 1177 00:57:14.159 --> 00:57:16.280 But I think that's someone that Utah fans could be 1178 00:57:16.320 --> 00:57:18.320 excited about and start watching a bit. 1179 00:57:19.000 --> 00:57:22.400 I'm sorry, did I catch you? Just say? He goes 1180 00:57:22.440 --> 00:57:25.000 to Boston College, but he's a good player. Nonetheless, Is 1181 00:57:25.039 --> 00:57:27.280 that because I'm talking to a BU girl? Did I 1182 00:57:27.320 --> 00:57:27.960 catch that right? 1183 00:57:28.960 --> 00:57:32.320 I am? I am Bu, but I'm unbiased. I'm an 1184 00:57:32.400 --> 00:57:35.239 unbiased journalist as well, so he would be a great 1185 00:57:35.280 --> 00:57:38.800 pick for Utah. Good forward in the mix. 1186 00:57:39.000 --> 00:57:41.679 Okay, fair enough. I just wondered if I heard that correctly. Bill, 1187 00:57:41.800 --> 00:57:44.119 let me go the other let me let's go the 1188 00:57:44.119 --> 00:57:47.679 other direction, and look, if you haven't dug into this, 1189 00:57:47.800 --> 00:57:50.159 I totally understand and we can move on. But should 1190 00:57:50.239 --> 00:57:54.159 Bill Armstrong elect to utilize four and maybe some of 1191 00:57:54.159 --> 00:57:57.039 the other assets at his disposal to expedite the growth 1192 00:57:57.079 --> 00:58:00.519 and bring in a veteran any names out there? Any 1193 00:58:00.559 --> 00:58:03.960 thoughts on who could be available and who the Mammoth 1194 00:58:03.960 --> 00:58:05.960 could look at to potentially bring in to help out 1195 00:58:05.960 --> 00:58:06.320 the group? 1196 00:58:07.239 --> 00:58:10.079 Yeah, I mean The thing with trades is theoretically anyone 1197 00:58:10.199 --> 00:58:12.840 could be available if they don't have no move cause, 1198 00:58:12.920 --> 00:58:14.760 but even then you could get them to lift it 1199 00:58:14.800 --> 00:58:19.039 for specific trades. So there's nothing, actually no news actually 1200 00:58:19.039 --> 00:58:22.039 around it. But as beat writers we like to hear 1201 00:58:22.079 --> 00:58:24.719 arrives of what would be a really fun thing to happen. 1202 00:58:24.760 --> 00:58:27.519 And I think you look at someone like Page Thompson 1203 00:58:27.559 --> 00:58:30.719 and Bill armsheng is actually in his drafting process when 1204 00:58:30.800 --> 00:58:34.400 he's in Saint Louis. Thompson was drafted to the Blues 1205 00:58:34.440 --> 00:58:37.239 and he's actually on a line with Clayton Keller and 1206 00:58:37.280 --> 00:58:41.159 Loping Cooley at the World Championship, the Mentoral Championship. Right now, 1207 00:58:41.400 --> 00:58:44.760 he's on the Buffalo Sabers, who are the ninth overall pick, 1208 00:58:44.800 --> 00:58:47.920 I believe, but at a brutal season. I mean, it's 1209 00:58:47.960 --> 00:58:49.760 going to be a long long time until that's a 1210 00:58:49.800 --> 00:58:52.840 winning team. So you could really imagine that they would 1211 00:58:52.920 --> 00:58:55.840 want to trade up in the draft number four, and 1212 00:58:55.880 --> 00:58:58.639 teams like Santose and the Chicago blipops to the second 1213 00:58:58.639 --> 00:59:01.679 and third pick are also in the rebuilt, so they're 1214 00:59:01.719 --> 00:59:04.119 not going to give up those picks. So it would 1215 00:59:04.119 --> 00:59:06.039 seem that if Buffalo was going to trade with anyone. 1216 00:59:06.239 --> 00:59:10.840 It could be Utah Thompson's. He had seventy two points, 1217 00:59:10.880 --> 00:59:14.320 forty four goals, twenty to assists in seventy six games. 1218 00:59:14.960 --> 00:59:18.599 He's six foot four, would I want to say a center, 1219 00:59:18.639 --> 00:59:20.719 but can play the wing. He's kind of exactly what 1220 00:59:21.559 --> 00:59:24.239 you want it. This kind of fits exactly what Utah 1221 00:59:24.280 --> 00:59:27.039 needs and he could step in immediately. But I mean 1222 00:59:27.679 --> 00:59:31.320 that's just hypothetical. Who knows what Page Shompson actually wants 1223 00:59:31.320 --> 00:59:33.360 to do. I think he would have to cry him 1224 00:59:33.440 --> 00:59:35.679 out of the Buffalo Sabers hands. That is not a 1225 00:59:35.719 --> 00:59:39.920 guy that they want to see leaves. So yeah, just 1226 00:59:40.000 --> 00:59:42.199 the thought. But I think that's the type of caliber 1227 00:59:42.719 --> 00:59:45.159 of player that Bill armsheawan was trade for. He's not 1228 00:59:45.199 --> 00:59:48.800 going to give up the fourth overall pick for a 1229 00:59:48.920 --> 00:59:51.440 mediocre player and then a couple of depths people. I 1230 00:59:51.480 --> 00:59:54.440 think it would have to be for a star like him. 1231 00:59:54.840 --> 00:59:57.679 So you referenced some of the players Clayton and others 1232 00:59:57.679 --> 01:00:00.760 that are playing, you know, for that, some of the 1233 01:00:01.159 --> 01:00:04.480 national teams United States and others. I wonder if you 1234 01:00:04.480 --> 01:00:08.199 have any other just general information. You know, when the 1235 01:00:08.280 --> 01:00:11.400 season ends, the players go through their exit interviews with 1236 01:00:11.440 --> 01:00:14.559 coaches and front offices, and I would imagine there are 1237 01:00:14.679 --> 01:00:17.639 you know, structures in place, plans in place for the 1238 01:00:17.639 --> 01:00:20.719 players as they kind of jettison and takeoff. So whether 1239 01:00:20.760 --> 01:00:24.000 it's the players that are in action with their countries 1240 01:00:24.119 --> 01:00:28.199 or players that are not necessarily playing anything competitively, any 1241 01:00:28.239 --> 01:00:30.280 thoughts on what the front off is and the coaching 1242 01:00:30.320 --> 01:00:32.920 staff are expecting from these players come off season so 1243 01:00:32.920 --> 01:00:34.079 they're ready to go next year. 1244 01:00:35.079 --> 01:00:38.039 Yeah, I think you see in the men's World Championship 1245 01:00:38.079 --> 01:00:40.440 specifically for hockey, it's a lot of the guys that 1246 01:00:40.880 --> 01:00:43.920 didn't make playoffs with their NHL teams or bounced in 1247 01:00:43.960 --> 01:00:46.599 the first round. It's a long summer for them and 1248 01:00:47.119 --> 01:00:50.400 training you know, their athletes, their competitors, they do it 1249 01:00:50.440 --> 01:00:52.840 every day, but you don't get any game action for 1250 01:00:52.960 --> 01:00:55.840 months on end. So the World Championship is a really 1251 01:00:55.840 --> 01:00:58.280 good outlet to be able to do that. This year 1252 01:00:58.320 --> 01:01:02.519 it's in Sweden, in Denmark, and some guys I'll dalg 1253 01:01:02.639 --> 01:01:04.880 it of it on a yearly basis because it's only, 1254 01:01:04.920 --> 01:01:07.760 you know, a month after the regular season ends for hockey, 1255 01:01:07.840 --> 01:01:10.760 so guys can be heard or just want some rest time. 1256 01:01:10.840 --> 01:01:13.000 But there's kind of another layer to it this year 1257 01:01:13.079 --> 01:01:16.360 because the twenty twenty six Olympics are coming up, so 1258 01:01:16.480 --> 01:01:19.440 it's almost like a test run or trial to get 1259 01:01:19.440 --> 01:01:24.320 yourself in front of the decision makers and just the organizations, 1260 01:01:24.360 --> 01:01:27.440 the national teams that will be making those rosters. I 1261 01:01:27.480 --> 01:01:30.840 personally think that's a huge reason that Clayton Keller went. 1262 01:01:30.960 --> 01:01:33.480 He was left off of the four Nations roster for 1263 01:01:33.599 --> 01:01:35.679 Team USA this year and played at the chip on 1264 01:01:35.679 --> 01:01:38.000 his shoulder for the rest of the season, finished with 1265 01:01:38.039 --> 01:01:40.480 a career high ninety points, and he's now captain of 1266 01:01:40.480 --> 01:01:43.880 Team USA for the World Championship. You mentioned Looking Cooley's 1267 01:01:43.920 --> 01:01:46.599 there with him, Michael Kestering's there, Josh Jone is there, 1268 01:01:47.079 --> 01:01:50.000 Barret Hayton playing for Canada, and then Carel Venlka is 1269 01:01:50.000 --> 01:01:53.559 playing for Chechia. So good amount of Utah. Oh my god, 1270 01:01:53.639 --> 01:01:57.079 Utah Hockey Club. This is going to be bad mammoth representation. 1271 01:01:58.960 --> 01:02:03.239 You tell mammoth mammoth and mammoth representation at the World Championship, 1272 01:02:04.239 --> 01:02:06.679 And yeah, I mean, I imagine management likes to see 1273 01:02:06.719 --> 01:02:08.719 their guys sitting in the extra work over the summer, 1274 01:02:08.760 --> 01:02:11.960 but there's so many injuries and layers to it that 1275 01:02:12.119 --> 01:02:14.519 is not made to the public or that the media knows. 1276 01:02:14.639 --> 01:02:16.679 So I think it's good for those guys to kind 1277 01:02:16.679 --> 01:02:18.840 of put their name in a hat for Olympics and 1278 01:02:19.320 --> 01:02:21.719 just get some extra reps. Like Kessoing just said, it's 1279 01:02:21.719 --> 01:02:24.159 good for his development, for him to be confidence over 1280 01:02:24.199 --> 01:02:26.440 the summer. He's probably not done into the Olympics. But 1281 01:02:27.119 --> 01:02:28.800 for someone like Cooley and Keller, I think it's a 1282 01:02:28.800 --> 01:02:32.320 different story. And those games actually start tomorrow. The tournament 1283 01:02:32.320 --> 01:02:36.360 will run May night through May twenty fifth, So if 1284 01:02:36.400 --> 01:02:39.599 you tell Mammoths fans are missing action, you can watch 1285 01:02:39.639 --> 01:02:44.599 that on I think it's IIHF TV streaming and then 1286 01:02:44.679 --> 01:02:49.840 NHL Network also streams those games. If you're missing Utah. 1287 01:02:49.559 --> 01:02:52.719 Action, all right, Bell, Before I said you lose, it's 1288 01:02:52.760 --> 01:02:58.880 interesting to consider what exactly hurt the Utah Mammo's I 1289 01:02:58.880 --> 01:03:01.960 almost did it. But learning from you, it's interesting to 1290 01:03:01.960 --> 01:03:04.800 consider where they kind of failed a little bit because 1291 01:03:04.800 --> 01:03:08.119 there are two sides of the coin. So overtimes in shootouts, Okay, 1292 01:03:08.199 --> 01:03:13.039 so losing twelve games and overtime or a shootout two 1293 01:03:13.119 --> 01:03:15.519 sides here. It means you're close, but it also means 1294 01:03:15.559 --> 01:03:17.159 you need to learn how to close out and win 1295 01:03:17.199 --> 01:03:20.559 those games. And then ultimately, as you and I have discussed, 1296 01:03:21.199 --> 01:03:22.960 you've got to be better at home and you've got 1297 01:03:22.960 --> 01:03:24.960 to be better at holding leads. All of those things 1298 01:03:25.000 --> 01:03:27.000 Bell indicate to me that this is still a young 1299 01:03:27.039 --> 01:03:28.960 team that needs to learn how to do those things. 1300 01:03:29.400 --> 01:03:32.559 The offense twenty first and goals per game power play 1301 01:03:32.639 --> 01:03:35.039 was fifteenth, so those have to improve. So before I 1302 01:03:35.079 --> 01:03:37.239 set you loose, we're already talked about potential trades, but 1303 01:03:37.639 --> 01:03:40.320 twenty one point five to three million in cap space, 1304 01:03:41.199 --> 01:03:44.159 how does Bill Armstrong go about his business during the 1305 01:03:44.199 --> 01:03:48.000 offseason to improve those areas? Or is it simply allowing 1306 01:03:48.039 --> 01:03:51.440 this team to grow in order to make the postseason 1307 01:03:51.480 --> 01:03:53.440 next year, which I think is a very realistic thing 1308 01:03:53.480 --> 01:03:54.079 to expect. 1309 01:03:55.239 --> 01:03:56.800 I think it's a bit of both, And I think 1310 01:03:57.039 --> 01:04:00.159 Utah fans should feel very comfortable with phill Armshell as 1311 01:04:00.199 --> 01:04:04.000 general manager because he has a very balanced approach to things. 1312 01:04:04.039 --> 01:04:07.199 He's not going to be overzealousous because Brian Smith is 1313 01:04:07.199 --> 01:04:09.159 the owner now, and he had a quote He's like, 1314 01:04:09.239 --> 01:04:12.480 we know Ryan and Seg will do whatever it takes 1315 01:04:12.519 --> 01:04:14.760 and can get any deal we need done. So he 1316 01:04:14.880 --> 01:04:16.519 has that in the back of his head. But he 1317 01:04:16.599 --> 01:04:18.480 followed that up with saying that doesn't mean you need 1318 01:04:18.559 --> 01:04:22.440 to spend unwisely. Just because you have that cap space 1319 01:04:22.599 --> 01:04:25.760 and you know are in better conditions as an overall organization, 1320 01:04:25.840 --> 01:04:28.559 doesn't mean you need to spend it all on someone 1321 01:04:28.559 --> 01:04:31.559 like Mitch Murner if it's not a fit, or you know, 1322 01:04:31.960 --> 01:04:34.360 someone like Niklai Eelers if it's not a fit, who's 1323 01:04:34.400 --> 01:04:36.719 probably going to get more money because the CAP's going 1324 01:04:36.800 --> 01:04:40.760 up as well. So I think they're taking a cautious approach. 1325 01:04:40.880 --> 01:04:43.039 But they've also been rumored to be one of the 1326 01:04:43.039 --> 01:04:47.320 teams that insiders like sports Nets Elliott Friedman think is 1327 01:04:47.320 --> 01:04:49.360 going to take a really big splash this summer. So 1328 01:04:49.880 --> 01:04:52.239 I think, if the deal's there, and Bill Armsheank has 1329 01:04:52.280 --> 01:04:54.760 said this as well, if the free agent is right, 1330 01:04:54.880 --> 01:04:57.960 if the fit's right, if the conversations with them and 1331 01:04:57.960 --> 01:04:59.920 their agent and the number is right, and it phil 1332 01:05:00.079 --> 01:05:02.440 the need that they need that they have, and I 1333 01:05:02.480 --> 01:05:04.559 would say that's going to be a top six forward. 1334 01:05:04.679 --> 01:05:07.000 I would not think they would go after a defenseman 1335 01:05:07.199 --> 01:05:11.519 as much then I think they do it. But yeah, 1336 01:05:11.679 --> 01:05:14.920 I don't think they're going to just go sign anyone 1337 01:05:14.960 --> 01:05:16.840 because they feel like they have to, because it's their 1338 01:05:16.840 --> 01:05:18.880 first off season as the Utah Manis and they have 1339 01:05:18.960 --> 01:05:21.840 all this cash, so I do agree. I think they 1340 01:05:21.880 --> 01:05:24.000 need to bring someone in or a few people in 1341 01:05:24.079 --> 01:05:26.920 to turn that corner. But it's also, like you said, 1342 01:05:27.000 --> 01:05:29.320 not like they were losing by five to six goals 1343 01:05:29.320 --> 01:05:31.960 in those games. It was overtime. It was shootouts, which 1344 01:05:32.039 --> 01:05:35.360 almost make it more frustrating. But Ian Cole had great 1345 01:05:35.400 --> 01:05:37.519 quips at the end of the season. He's like, that's 1346 01:05:37.519 --> 01:05:39.760 on us. If we turn a corner, that's on us. 1347 01:05:40.119 --> 01:05:42.199 Everyone needs to dig in and decide if they want 1348 01:05:42.239 --> 01:05:44.119 to win or if they want to focus on other things. 1349 01:05:44.119 --> 01:05:46.480 So I think there's a good understanding in that room 1350 01:05:46.519 --> 01:05:48.960 with the players they have now that it's you know, 1351 01:05:49.239 --> 01:05:51.480 one more check, one more block shot and they're in 1352 01:05:51.519 --> 01:05:55.000 the playoffs. So that mixed with some new personnel, I 1353 01:05:55.039 --> 01:05:57.679 think will put these guys in a good spot moving forwards. 1354 01:05:58.119 --> 01:06:01.159 Okay, Bell, thanks so much for the time, Travel safe 1355 01:06:01.159 --> 01:06:02.239 and go nix right. 1356 01:06:03.239 --> 01:06:04.039 Yes, thank you. 1357 01:06:04.679 --> 01:06:07.280 At Belle Fraser from the Solid Tribune covers the Utah 1358 01:06:07.400 --> 01:06:10.800 Hockey Club. She has landed on the ground and just 1359 01:06:10.840 --> 01:06:12.599 been a star in her role. If you're looking for 1360 01:06:12.639 --> 01:06:14.719 the best coverage of the Utah Hockey Club. Look no 1361 01:06:14.800 --> 01:06:18.440 further than Bell at Belle Fraser one on Twitter and 1362 01:06:18.480 --> 01:06:20.920 go to scel trip dot com and subscribe for the 1363 01:06:20.920 --> 01:06:24.360 great coverage. Bell stops spot today courtesy of our good 1364 01:06:24.360 --> 01:06:27.599 friends at the Daybreak Home and Garden Show, which is 1365 01:06:27.679 --> 01:06:30.079 right around the corner. It's May sixteenth through the eighteenth 1366 01:06:30.119 --> 01:06:33.400 at the ballpark at America First Square, one one one 1367 01:06:33.480 --> 01:06:37.280 one Ballpark Drive in South Jordan. Visit the Best Home 1368 01:06:37.320 --> 01:06:40.480 Show dot com for more information. So listen out, homeowners 1369 01:06:40.480 --> 01:06:42.199 spring us in the air, the birds are chirping and 1370 01:06:42.239 --> 01:06:45.079 the flowers are blooming. Is your home and backyard sanctuary 1371 01:06:45.199 --> 01:06:48.159 ready to enjoy the coming season? Go check out the 1372 01:06:48.159 --> 01:06:50.599 new Daybreak Home and Garden Show coming to the Ballpark 1373 01:06:50.599 --> 01:06:53.840 at America First Square May sixteenth through the eighteenth. This 1374 01:06:53.880 --> 01:06:56.239 new show, we'll have something for every member of the family. 1375 01:06:56.360 --> 01:06:59.679 Vendors galore, home garden and patio, free games for the kids, 1376 01:06:59.679 --> 01:07:03.599 free seminars and hourly free prizes. Come toward the exciting 1377 01:07:03.639 --> 01:07:05.880 new tiny home from box House and tour the new 1378 01:07:05.880 --> 01:07:08.719 Bees Ballpark. Get your tickets now. This will be the 1379 01:07:08.719 --> 01:07:13.119 most exciting, fun and educational home show ever in Daybreak. 1380 01:07:13.480 --> 01:07:16.280 Get tickets and information at the Best Home Show dot com, 1381 01:07:16.280 --> 01:07:18.559 sponsored by our friends at Bullfrog Spots. 1382 01:07:18.639 --> 01:07:22.320 We're back on the Drive with ESPN's Dave mcminimmon joining 1383 01:07:22.400 --> 01:07:25.320 us for today's NBA Daily Assist. 1384 01:07:25.199 --> 01:07:29.199 Alex Jensen five o'clock hour tonight. Always appreciate his time. 1385 01:07:29.280 --> 01:07:32.199 Hey Porter, real quick? Do you follow? Do you follow 1386 01:07:32.280 --> 01:07:34.039 Dave mcminnimon on Instagram? 1387 01:07:34.159 --> 01:07:34.639 I think so? 1388 01:07:34.880 --> 01:07:38.199 I think so? Okay? Has he ever posted a photo 1389 01:07:38.960 --> 01:07:41.760 thanking us for bringing him on and like saying, Hey, 1390 01:07:41.800 --> 01:07:43.639 this is really cool. I've been doing this for years 1391 01:07:43.679 --> 01:07:46.800 and Spence rules. Has he ever posted any photos like 1392 01:07:46.840 --> 01:07:48.159 that you sell the Richien hit? 1393 01:07:48.239 --> 01:07:48.320 No? 1394 01:07:48.360 --> 01:07:50.480 I mean, I'm just saying, like, I like rich Eisen, 1395 01:07:50.639 --> 01:07:52.760 but I too, you know, I think Dave is on 1396 01:07:52.840 --> 01:07:54.880 Riches show once a year, he's on our show. I'm 1397 01:07:54.880 --> 01:07:58.119 just curious. Did I miss a post of Dave saying Wow, 1398 01:07:58.159 --> 01:07:59.719 it's awesome to be on Spencer's show again. 1399 01:08:00.000 --> 01:08:01.880 You know we've had Dave on. I think we've had 1400 01:08:01.960 --> 01:08:04.519 Dave like on site before. Have we had him in studio? 1401 01:08:05.000 --> 01:08:08.000 H No? But you know, I'm just wondering if if 1402 01:08:08.000 --> 01:08:11.199 he holds rich Eisen on a pedestal, then he doesn't 1403 01:08:11.199 --> 01:08:14.280 really feel like I'm worthy of social media sharing. 1404 01:08:14.440 --> 01:08:16.239 Yeah, you may have a point. 1405 01:08:16.279 --> 01:08:18.560 I don't know. Dave mcmahiman joins us on a Thursday. 1406 01:08:18.560 --> 01:08:20.960 What's the deal, dude. I mean I like Rich Eisen too, 1407 01:08:21.079 --> 01:08:22.760 but I mean, come on equal time. 1408 01:08:24.319 --> 01:08:29.119 I would say in my recollection, when I made sure 1409 01:08:29.399 --> 01:08:32.279 to go remote on site with you dur An All 1410 01:08:32.319 --> 01:08:36.039 Star weekend in Salt Lake City, your operation didn't have 1411 01:08:36.119 --> 01:08:38.920 a cameraman there capturing the moment and. 1412 01:08:38.880 --> 01:08:41.560 Then sharing that image with me so that I could 1413 01:08:41.600 --> 01:08:43.039 then share with my followers. 1414 01:08:43.319 --> 01:08:45.479 Had I received. 1415 01:08:45.079 --> 01:08:47.279 That jpeg and not shared it. 1416 01:08:47.199 --> 01:08:49.039 I think you would have a point. But I would 1417 01:08:49.119 --> 01:08:50.800 have to say, like, you got to up your game. 1418 01:08:50.880 --> 01:08:53.199 You got to start doing it like Eisen so I 1419 01:08:53.199 --> 01:08:55.600 can start promoting the show the same way. 1420 01:08:55.840 --> 01:08:58.800 Porter, Will you please hire a photographer before Dave gets 1421 01:08:58.800 --> 01:09:00.199 off air so we could do it next time. 1422 01:09:00.239 --> 01:09:03.479 In town, just for Dave mcmannibe's next hit. 1423 01:09:04.039 --> 01:09:07.680 Okay, thank you, sir. I kid Dave, obviously, I kid. 1424 01:09:07.720 --> 01:09:10.680 All right. Look, you know the deal, man, you do 1425 01:09:10.800 --> 01:09:13.680 this job, You're in this ecosystem, and you've got to 1426 01:09:13.680 --> 01:09:16.479 put the fan aside, which I try to do, but 1427 01:09:16.560 --> 01:09:18.560 I have not been this excited about a New York 1428 01:09:18.640 --> 01:09:22.399 Knick team, truly in twenty five years since the late nineties, right, 1429 01:09:23.239 --> 01:09:27.840 I am still incredibly skeptical of their ability to get 1430 01:09:27.840 --> 01:09:29.840 two more wins. That's just where I'm at. But where 1431 01:09:29.880 --> 01:09:33.119 are you at with Nick Celtics after two games? 1432 01:09:33.840 --> 01:09:37.479 I mean, listen, they the Knicks deserve so much credit 1433 01:09:37.520 --> 01:09:40.039 for the way they did not give up on either 1434 01:09:40.079 --> 01:09:44.359 of those those games. Day one, Kas in foul trouble, 1435 01:09:44.479 --> 01:09:47.960 didn't find a rhythm, Brontson caught a heater late, and 1436 01:09:48.159 --> 01:09:51.399 mckel bridges making every play they needed in overtime. And 1437 01:09:51.760 --> 01:09:55.279 last night, you know, like just they never gave up 1438 01:09:55.439 --> 01:09:58.039 once again. And you know, the Boston I'm not saying 1439 01:09:58.039 --> 01:10:03.800 they're like an intimidating opponent, but they are very very 1440 01:10:03.800 --> 01:10:07.680 good one. They're a worthy champion, and anyone who watched 1441 01:10:07.720 --> 01:10:12.520 them this year, I think certainly they have the best 1442 01:10:12.960 --> 01:10:14.279 level of play when. 1443 01:10:14.119 --> 01:10:15.279 They are at their best. 1444 01:10:15.600 --> 01:10:19.000 But the Knicks are making it tough for the Celtics 1445 01:10:19.000 --> 01:10:22.119 to play at their best. And man, the Garden's going 1446 01:10:22.199 --> 01:10:25.199 to be insane for Game three. I saw Jared Smith 1447 01:10:25.199 --> 01:10:25.720 said he's. 1448 01:10:25.600 --> 01:10:27.399 Going to go there. He needs to be in the building. 1449 01:10:27.880 --> 01:10:30.760 You can imagine I'm surely be a parade of former 1450 01:10:30.800 --> 01:10:33.680 Knicks there. You know, Patrick Ewing going up to Boston 1451 01:10:33.720 --> 01:10:35.399 for these games, but you know Pat will be in 1452 01:10:35.399 --> 01:10:38.720 the building. You know you're going to see Larry Johnson 1453 01:10:38.840 --> 01:10:42.359 ETCT Center. It's going to be awesome. And I think 1454 01:10:42.720 --> 01:10:44.760 this is kind of what everyone was hoping for last 1455 01:10:44.840 --> 01:10:46.960 year on that NIXT team to make it to the 1456 01:10:46.960 --> 01:10:49.720 conference finals. Obviously upset by Indiana, and they were injured 1457 01:10:49.720 --> 01:10:52.079 at the end of their run, and they look like 1458 01:10:52.880 --> 01:10:54.880 a real contender right now. 1459 01:10:55.640 --> 01:10:58.079 I will say this, though, the series is far from over. 1460 01:10:58.560 --> 01:11:01.359 And you know, I picked Boston and seven, and I 1461 01:11:01.359 --> 01:11:05.520 guess my confidence netic is shaken ever so slightly. But 1462 01:11:05.600 --> 01:11:07.279 I don't think it's going to be easy from here 1463 01:11:07.319 --> 01:11:07.880 on out for. 1464 01:11:07.840 --> 01:11:11.199 The next I'm surprised you picked Boston in seven. Most 1465 01:11:11.199 --> 01:11:13.920 people pick Boston in four, five or six, so I'm 1466 01:11:13.960 --> 01:11:16.600 surprised you thought it would go seven. And look, I 1467 01:11:16.960 --> 01:11:20.119 completely agree with you, and we really should give Tom 1468 01:11:20.159 --> 01:11:21.920 Thibodau and the New York Knicks a ton of credit 1469 01:11:21.960 --> 01:11:25.520 for a number of different things. They've changed their defensive approach. 1470 01:11:25.720 --> 01:11:28.600 Some of the switches that Boston is trying to force 1471 01:11:28.680 --> 01:11:31.039 has not worked because og is just such a beast, 1472 01:11:31.079 --> 01:11:34.279 and when the switches don't work, it allow it allows 1473 01:11:34.279 --> 01:11:36.039 the defenders to stay home. So a lot of the 1474 01:11:36.079 --> 01:11:39.000 Boston Misses are can test it, but a lot of 1475 01:11:39.000 --> 01:11:41.680 the Boston Misses are not contested, Dave, So, do you 1476 01:11:41.680 --> 01:11:44.560 feel like we're in for like a regression to the 1477 01:11:44.560 --> 01:11:46.960 mean situation? Part of me believes one of these games 1478 01:11:47.000 --> 01:11:50.079 Bostons is going to go like twenty two of forty 1479 01:11:50.119 --> 01:11:51.920 two from three and win by like thirty. 1480 01:11:53.319 --> 01:11:55.640 I mean, you'd think that's going to be the case here. 1481 01:11:55.720 --> 01:11:58.720 I mean, it's clearly the style of play that they 1482 01:11:59.159 --> 01:12:02.119 look to go for, and they have the personnel to 1483 01:12:02.199 --> 01:12:04.920 do it. You know, it's not just Jayson Tatum, but 1484 01:12:05.520 --> 01:12:10.119 Jalen Brown and Derek White and Richard Howser, etc. Like 1485 01:12:10.359 --> 01:12:12.800 even a Horford and for Zingis when he's right, Like, 1486 01:12:13.159 --> 01:12:14.640 they have a ton of guys who can hit from 1487 01:12:14.640 --> 01:12:19.520 the outside, and like you do have a non get 1488 01:12:19.520 --> 01:12:24.119 this word out right, anominally type things that occur in 1489 01:12:24.720 --> 01:12:28.239 NBA playoffs run. You know the Kimberwolves, who I've covered 1490 01:12:28.239 --> 01:12:30.680 now in the first and second round, they open up 1491 01:12:30.720 --> 01:12:33.079 Game one against the Lakers, they hit twenty two threes. 1492 01:12:33.520 --> 01:12:36.479 These last two games between Game five against the Lakers 1493 01:12:36.520 --> 01:12:39.239 and Game one against the Warriors, they're twelve for seventy 1494 01:12:39.279 --> 01:12:40.279 six from three. 1495 01:12:40.479 --> 01:12:42.560 Are they the twenty two to three team? Are they 1496 01:12:42.560 --> 01:12:44.439 the twelve for seventy six? They're probably neither, right. 1497 01:12:44.560 --> 01:12:48.840 But with teams you know, throwing the kitchen sink at 1498 01:12:48.920 --> 01:12:52.560 you defensively, they're going to have some ups and downs 1499 01:12:52.760 --> 01:12:56.159 on a huge stage. And the question is, you know, 1500 01:12:56.680 --> 01:12:59.760 will we get to rooty t type of temerity from 1501 01:13:00.159 --> 01:13:03.880 this Celtics group going into Game three. You never underestimate 1502 01:13:03.920 --> 01:13:06.119 the heart of a champion, and they look like a 1503 01:13:06.119 --> 01:13:10.119 different team and they have kind of the stable sense 1504 01:13:10.159 --> 01:13:14.520 of mind to be able to recognize that two oh, 1505 01:13:14.560 --> 01:13:17.119 it really doesn't matter. It doesn't matters, Like what do 1506 01:13:17.239 --> 01:13:20.560 we do? Tip off for Game three, play our best 1507 01:13:20.600 --> 01:13:23.960 forty eight minutes of basketball, and then you know, continue 1508 01:13:24.159 --> 01:13:25.880 to get back into the series that way. 1509 01:13:26.600 --> 01:13:29.880 So the rise of kind of the analytical approach to 1510 01:13:29.920 --> 01:13:33.000 the game of basketball certainly is not new. I think 1511 01:13:33.119 --> 01:13:35.079 John Hollinger was one of the first to kind of 1512 01:13:35.079 --> 01:13:38.159 help people understand how new numbers can be digestible and 1513 01:13:38.199 --> 01:13:42.319 not completely boring. I hate broadcast that or steeped and analytics. 1514 01:13:42.359 --> 01:13:46.399 I think they're boring anyway, But ultimately I understand how 1515 01:13:46.439 --> 01:13:48.840 the approach from a front office and a coaching staff 1516 01:13:48.840 --> 01:13:51.640 can lead to more efficient you know, efficient play and 1517 01:13:51.840 --> 01:13:55.600 rotational decisions and such. But look, man, you're up twenty 1518 01:13:55.880 --> 01:13:59.600 with thirteen or fourteen minutes left in the game. The 1519 01:14:00.000 --> 01:14:02.600 easiest stat Dave for me from Game one is after 1520 01:14:02.880 --> 01:14:06.079 Boston goes up twenty with three and a half minutes left, 1521 01:14:06.199 --> 01:14:09.159 ten straight possessions they shoot a three and nine of 1522 01:14:09.199 --> 01:14:11.800 those possessions the ball didn't even break the pain. Like, 1523 01:14:13.119 --> 01:14:17.479 at what point do you say, okay, our style and 1524 01:14:17.560 --> 01:14:20.319 the personnel we have to your point that is suited 1525 01:14:20.359 --> 01:14:23.680 to play this style won a championship a year ago, 1526 01:14:23.800 --> 01:14:26.600 has led to a tremendous couple of year run. But 1527 01:14:26.960 --> 01:14:30.039 maybe it's okay to try to attack the glass and 1528 01:14:30.079 --> 01:14:32.279 get twos and ones when you're up twenty with fourteen 1529 01:14:32.319 --> 01:14:34.560 minutes left to play, Like, at what point do you 1530 01:14:34.640 --> 01:14:37.279 kind of scrap the whole approach in the name of 1531 01:14:37.399 --> 01:14:39.119 just running the game out so you can get to win. 1532 01:14:40.960 --> 01:14:44.880 It's a great point. It's why, as we've seen the 1533 01:14:44.960 --> 01:14:49.640 analytical movement, basically say teams just want layups, dunks and 1534 01:14:49.720 --> 01:14:54.439 threes and specific corner threes, where you've had people like 1535 01:14:54.560 --> 01:14:58.840 Lebron James publicly be vocal pushing back against that, saying like, 1536 01:14:58.880 --> 01:15:01.199 what about the midrange? You need to have a mid 1537 01:15:01.279 --> 01:15:03.560 range game because that's the shot you can get to 1538 01:15:03.600 --> 01:15:06.680 at the end of the shot clock that that teams 1539 01:15:06.680 --> 01:15:08.079 are going to give it to you, Like, you should 1540 01:15:08.079 --> 01:15:11.680 have that in your bag. And look at the maestro 1541 01:15:11.880 --> 01:15:14.960 for the Knicks in Jalen Brunston. I mean, he has 1542 01:15:15.039 --> 01:15:19.479 every single three level score type of bag to his game, 1543 01:15:20.039 --> 01:15:25.319 whereas you know Tatum right, like that's what he's kind 1544 01:15:25.319 --> 01:15:28.439 of been critiqued for over the last several years where 1545 01:15:28.960 --> 01:15:32.000 when he goes to that mid range step back, it's 1546 01:15:32.039 --> 01:15:34.119 not a very efficient shot for him, And so you 1547 01:15:34.239 --> 01:15:38.800 wonder do they have the personnel to get those shots 1548 01:15:38.840 --> 01:15:41.720 you're talking about on the fly, And also like who 1549 01:15:41.760 --> 01:15:43.640 is their penetrating guard too? 1550 01:15:44.319 --> 01:15:46.039 You know, other than Richard. 1551 01:15:45.840 --> 01:15:47.920 Can do that in moments off the bench, but that's 1552 01:15:47.960 --> 01:15:50.039 more of a change of pace type guy who's going 1553 01:15:50.079 --> 01:15:52.239 to be the guy consistently getting into the pain for them. 1554 01:15:52.279 --> 01:15:57.479 So as great as they are with their fastball, and 1555 01:15:57.600 --> 01:16:00.720 obviously there's a reason that they were the champion, and 1556 01:16:00.760 --> 01:16:03.319 they're a team that hit more threes last year in 1557 01:16:03.359 --> 01:16:05.680 their postseason run than any other team has an NBA 1558 01:16:05.720 --> 01:16:11.600 postseason history. But if they if they are hitting, they 1559 01:16:11.600 --> 01:16:14.560 all of a sudden look vulnerable. Now, I think the 1560 01:16:14.640 --> 01:16:17.960 numbers will bear out and they're gonna win with that 1561 01:16:18.039 --> 01:16:21.119 style in the long run personally, but I mean, they 1562 01:16:21.159 --> 01:16:23.520 are certainly playing with fire going into Game three. 1563 01:16:23.840 --> 01:16:28.079 So as you know the Missoula the portion of the 1564 01:16:28.119 --> 01:16:32.199 basketball I don't know media or ecosystem that criticizes Missoula. 1565 01:16:32.840 --> 01:16:37.840 It's okay inherit. He inherited emy Udoka's team. He fell 1566 01:16:37.880 --> 01:16:40.359 into the job because Will Hardy took the Jazz job. 1567 01:16:40.439 --> 01:16:43.720 Will was Joe's number one assistant and then Will takes 1568 01:16:43.720 --> 01:16:47.640 a Jazz job like two weeks later, loses the job 1569 01:16:47.720 --> 01:16:49.640 because of what happened off the floor of Missoula kind 1570 01:16:49.640 --> 01:16:52.039 of falls into it. So the criticism is, did he 1571 01:16:52.239 --> 01:16:56.079 just inherit a roster and a system that is self 1572 01:16:56.079 --> 01:16:59.279 sustainable because of the roster that Danny Danny Ainge then 1573 01:16:59.319 --> 01:17:01.640 Brad Stevens put together, which I still believe is the 1574 01:17:01.640 --> 01:17:04.760 best roster in pro basketball on paper, and so the 1575 01:17:04.800 --> 01:17:07.840 criticism has kind of been, all right, it's an auto 1576 01:17:08.039 --> 01:17:10.600 drive car, like you don't really have to do much. 1577 01:17:10.600 --> 01:17:13.520 I'm not sure how fair that is. But what are 1578 01:17:13.560 --> 01:17:17.479 you expecting from him as it pertains to adjustments that 1579 01:17:17.520 --> 01:17:19.680 people think that he needs to make, or do you 1580 01:17:19.720 --> 01:17:21.680 think he just rides with the system that won him 1581 01:17:21.680 --> 01:17:22.760 the chip a year ago? 1582 01:17:24.479 --> 01:17:27.520 Yeah, he seems to be. And I covered the finals 1583 01:17:27.560 --> 01:17:29.319 last year, so I got to spend a little bit 1584 01:17:29.359 --> 01:17:32.479 of time around him. He seems to be a guy 1585 01:17:32.520 --> 01:17:38.680 who's pretty strong in his divinchens and not one to 1586 01:17:38.720 --> 01:17:42.239 meddle with the big picture. Now, of course, I imagine 1587 01:17:42.319 --> 01:17:46.159 Neils some sort of adjustments, but I wouldn't even venture 1588 01:17:46.640 --> 01:17:48.840 like a guess as to what specifically. 1589 01:17:48.399 --> 01:17:48.880 That would be. 1590 01:17:49.000 --> 01:17:55.600 But I think in general this roster has perfected to 1591 01:17:55.680 --> 01:17:59.159 some degree. This approach of shooting forty three is a game, 1592 01:18:00.239 --> 01:18:03.000 and I think if you look at the long time 1593 01:18:03.159 --> 01:18:04.600 term sample size, right. 1594 01:18:04.520 --> 01:18:05.760 You'd even say that like. 1595 01:18:06.119 --> 01:18:09.600 For the two games so far the series, it worked 1596 01:18:09.760 --> 01:18:13.680 for seventy out of the eighty six minutes or whatever 1597 01:18:13.760 --> 01:18:18.680 ninety six minutes, right, So I wouldn't anticipate whole sold 1598 01:18:18.960 --> 01:18:22.720 wholesale changes, but you know he would be kind of 1599 01:18:22.760 --> 01:18:24.800 a sleep of the wheel if he doesn't make some tweeks. 1600 01:18:25.079 --> 01:18:27.840 Last question before we move on, My goodness, I could 1601 01:18:27.880 --> 01:18:30.039 talk to you for three hours today. This playoffs has 1602 01:18:30.079 --> 01:18:34.840 been so insane. But should the Celtics should they? Should 1603 01:18:34.840 --> 01:18:38.920 they not find their way back? If if Mozilla stays 1604 01:18:38.920 --> 01:18:41.439 stubborn and the next get it, Let's say, I don't know, 1605 01:18:41.560 --> 01:18:44.319 maybe the next go to MSG and get two. They're 1606 01:18:44.359 --> 01:18:47.159 on the hook next year for twenty three are two 1607 01:18:47.279 --> 01:18:50.000 hundred and twenty three million dollars in change, almost two 1608 01:18:50.039 --> 01:18:52.800 hundred and twenty four million dollars in change. They have 1609 01:18:52.880 --> 01:18:55.920 a new ownership group who I would imagine would not 1610 01:18:56.039 --> 01:18:58.319 be thrilled to pay a luxury tax bill for a 1611 01:18:58.319 --> 01:19:01.439 team that lost in the second round. If Boston doesn't 1612 01:19:01.479 --> 01:19:03.239 get back into this thing and win, what do you 1613 01:19:03.239 --> 01:19:05.840 think the offseason looks like for Joe Missoula and this roster? 1614 01:19:07.640 --> 01:19:11.600 And that is a very very good question. And obviously 1615 01:19:11.720 --> 01:19:14.640 the other group putting up on precedent amounts of money 1616 01:19:14.840 --> 01:19:17.279 just to be able to take over, and that's that's 1617 01:19:17.319 --> 01:19:19.640 a huge bill. And you know some of the pieces, 1618 01:19:19.720 --> 01:19:22.600 you know, a guy like Al Horford not getting any younger. 1619 01:19:23.800 --> 01:19:26.560 I don't know. I think it certainly would have them 1620 01:19:26.720 --> 01:19:31.880 reevaluate things and and look again at the the brunt 1621 01:19:31.960 --> 01:19:35.720 excuse me, the jail and Brown situation and him with 1622 01:19:35.840 --> 01:19:39.680 Jason Tatum and and figure is just really our best 1623 01:19:39.720 --> 01:19:43.520 pathway forward paying both these guys incredible sum of money 1624 01:19:43.680 --> 01:19:47.159 when there's still a bit of an overlap. I would 1625 01:19:47.159 --> 01:19:49.479 tend to think that they would try to keep them 1626 01:19:49.479 --> 01:19:52.800 together together one more year, because again, you're gonna be 1627 01:19:52.800 --> 01:19:56.279 talking about the big picture of this team is that 1628 01:19:56.479 --> 01:19:59.119 this would be a second round exit, right, but over 1629 01:19:59.159 --> 01:20:03.239 the last nine years, it would be that would be 1630 01:20:03.279 --> 01:20:07.600 the earliest things that they had. I'm including two finals appearances, 1631 01:20:07.760 --> 01:20:12.560 a championship, and six conference finals appearances. So do you 1632 01:20:13.000 --> 01:20:16.359 trust the eject button on that? I think probably not. 1633 01:20:17.359 --> 01:20:19.920 But I do think some of the kind of the 1634 01:20:20.000 --> 01:20:22.840 role players, you would have to look at, what specifically 1635 01:20:22.880 --> 01:20:26.199 will we missing against the Knicks, and is it going 1636 01:20:26.239 --> 01:20:28.640 to be something that we are going to achieve by 1637 01:20:29.000 --> 01:20:32.039 continuing to pay some of these role players, And I 1638 01:20:32.079 --> 01:20:35.079 think obviously there would be some degree of a shakeup. 1639 01:20:35.439 --> 01:20:39.359 You like dogs, Dave, I love dogs. You love dogs. Okay, 1640 01:20:39.399 --> 01:20:41.760 we're gonna move over to Indiana and Cleveland. Now here's 1641 01:20:41.800 --> 01:20:45.079 the deal. Donovan Mitchell is a golden doodle. We love 1642 01:20:45.119 --> 01:20:48.399 golden doodles. Everyone loves golden doodles. The golden doodles are cute. 1643 01:20:48.439 --> 01:20:50.239 You can enter them to a dobs show. They're gonna 1644 01:20:50.239 --> 01:20:53.119 win a dog show here there. To win the NBA Playoffs, 1645 01:20:53.159 --> 01:20:56.399 you got to have Rott Wilders and the Pacers have 1646 01:20:56.520 --> 01:20:59.439 a bunch of dogs. Man, they got a bunt Nie Smith. Now, 1647 01:20:59.640 --> 01:21:03.279 I mean Benedict Matherin wants to fight everybody all the time. 1648 01:21:03.520 --> 01:21:06.119 And you know, and we love Donovan. 1649 01:21:06.159 --> 01:21:06.279 Here. 1650 01:21:06.279 --> 01:21:08.920 I cheered for Donavan and look he nearly hung half 1651 01:21:08.920 --> 01:21:11.720 a hundred and he's without three of his four best teammates. 1652 01:21:11.720 --> 01:21:14.439 So this is not even a criticism. But we all 1653 01:21:14.479 --> 01:21:16.800 thought we were a high speed head to Boston. Cleveland 1654 01:21:16.800 --> 01:21:18.680 and the Calves are up a creek. Man, what do 1655 01:21:18.720 --> 01:21:20.279 you make of what we've seen so far with the 1656 01:21:20.279 --> 01:21:21.119 Pacers taking that. 1657 01:21:21.079 --> 01:21:24.960 To a lead? Yeah, I mean that's what a brutal game. 1658 01:21:25.079 --> 01:21:28.520 Brutal ending. I say, for Donovan Mitchell, you're missing three 1659 01:21:28.600 --> 01:21:32.720 of your keep rotation guys. You know DeAndrea Hunter, no 1660 01:21:32.800 --> 01:21:35.359 Evan Mobley, who just was named defensive Player of the 1661 01:21:35.439 --> 01:21:37.960 Year and can't go because of an ankle. Obviously Daris 1662 01:21:38.000 --> 01:21:40.600 Garland has been out since the first round. You put 1663 01:21:40.640 --> 01:21:42.560 up forty eight I think you have nine to fix 1664 01:21:42.720 --> 01:21:45.680 four steals, and in the last two minutes and thirty 1665 01:21:45.720 --> 01:21:47.840 seconds you can't hold on to a seven point lead, 1666 01:21:47.960 --> 01:21:50.520 in part because you missed two free throws and you 1667 01:21:50.560 --> 01:21:53.520 have a bad turnover, and of course mass Screws also 1668 01:21:53.560 --> 01:21:57.279 had a terrible turnover. But I mean, that is devastating, 1669 01:21:58.000 --> 01:22:01.039 and you know, he said the right thing. Okay, we 1670 01:22:01.119 --> 01:22:03.680 got to go down to Indiana and get to and like, 1671 01:22:04.399 --> 01:22:08.199 I hope there's confidence behind that statement because this is 1672 01:22:08.199 --> 01:22:12.239 a really tough Indiana team and a lot of I mean, 1673 01:22:12.239 --> 01:22:15.279 the commentary is through that lens of the Lakers, JJ 1674 01:22:15.399 --> 01:22:18.600 Reddick was so high on this Pacers team all season long. 1675 01:22:18.760 --> 01:22:22.920 He thought that they play with an incredible pace, they 1676 01:22:23.039 --> 01:22:27.159 are really sharp rotations defensively, and they have the size 1677 01:22:27.199 --> 01:22:30.560 and physicality to give you problems on the wings. And 1678 01:22:31.880 --> 01:22:34.880 this Cavs team, they are very, very deep, but all 1679 01:22:34.920 --> 01:22:38.119 of a sudden, there is a big drop off. Whereas 1680 01:22:38.199 --> 01:22:42.960 you know, Dean Wade getting knights Man minutes, they seem deep, 1681 01:22:43.159 --> 01:22:45.239 but when Dean Wade's getting six man minutes. 1682 01:22:45.439 --> 01:22:46.560 It's a different. 1683 01:22:46.520 --> 01:22:49.680 Mass that you're dealing with. You know, tyjer Robes was 1684 01:22:50.279 --> 01:22:53.199 a six Man of the Year candidate. He starts in 1685 01:22:53.239 --> 01:22:55.760 game two, goes one for fourteen, you know, and it's 1686 01:22:55.800 --> 01:22:59.079 the guy guarding Haliburton when he makes the game winning shot, 1687 01:22:59.199 --> 01:23:02.600 and you wonder, you know, if he should have available 1688 01:23:03.039 --> 01:23:04.880 up on him closer. I mean, it makes you think 1689 01:23:04.880 --> 01:23:08.000 back to Game seven the twenty sixteen finals. Kevin loved 1690 01:23:08.000 --> 01:23:11.279 it a better contesto Steph Curry than ty Jerome did 1691 01:23:11.279 --> 01:23:15.319 on Tyrus Haliburt in that situation. So I think, whereas 1692 01:23:15.399 --> 01:23:17.319 this is Cavs team I actually watch a lot because 1693 01:23:17.319 --> 01:23:21.159 I spent four years cover in Cleveland, and I really 1694 01:23:21.279 --> 01:23:22.119 enjoyed this group. 1695 01:23:22.159 --> 01:23:23.560 I think they're a fun group to watch. 1696 01:23:24.119 --> 01:23:27.159 I think they're I don't have nearly the same faith 1697 01:23:27.199 --> 01:23:29.000 I have in the Calves that I do I have 1698 01:23:29.199 --> 01:23:29.720 in Boston. 1699 01:23:30.279 --> 01:23:32.960 I think they are up the creek without a paddle. 1700 01:23:33.039 --> 01:23:34.439 This is gonna be a tough one for them to 1701 01:23:34.520 --> 01:23:35.119 advance through. 1702 01:23:35.239 --> 01:23:37.439 I agree one more question with this series though, because 1703 01:23:37.439 --> 01:23:40.079 of course you want Evan Mobley and you want DeAndre Hunter, 1704 01:23:40.199 --> 01:23:44.119 but they need Darius Garland in this series. Any thoughts 1705 01:23:44.159 --> 01:23:46.560 on if they're getting close to healthy with either Garland 1706 01:23:46.640 --> 01:23:48.000 or all three of those guys. 1707 01:23:48.760 --> 01:23:53.039 I mean, what we heard most recently from Kay Eckinson 1708 01:23:53.239 --> 01:23:56.600 was basically putting it on the medical staff and saying 1709 01:23:56.840 --> 01:23:59.880 it's out of Garland's hands. When you start to hear 1710 01:24:00.039 --> 01:24:03.319 stuff like that, you know, let's say, even if he 1711 01:24:03.359 --> 01:24:06.760 does get in uniform at some point this series, or 1712 01:24:06.800 --> 01:24:09.359 even as close as these next two games in Indiana, 1713 01:24:10.239 --> 01:24:12.199 I think they're kind of laying it out there that 1714 01:24:12.960 --> 01:24:17.960 he's not the player that we've accustomed to have and 1715 01:24:18.159 --> 01:24:20.600 received his contribution to the multi time All Star. 1716 01:24:20.760 --> 01:24:24.640 Like again, maybe I'm wrong, and maybe. 1717 01:24:24.439 --> 01:24:27.079 This is smoke screen from Kenny Atkinson, but his most 1718 01:24:27.079 --> 01:24:29.600 recent comments that I read in a Cleveland Plain Dealer 1719 01:24:29.720 --> 01:24:31.920 makes me think that you're not going to be getting 1720 01:24:32.640 --> 01:24:35.199 prime time Derek Starlin this series. We're gonna have to 1721 01:24:35.239 --> 01:24:38.000 try to figure a way to win without him. 1722 01:24:38.039 --> 01:24:40.239 Man to your point, I'm not sure they can. But 1723 01:24:40.319 --> 01:24:42.439 let's move out west. With a few minutes we have 1724 01:24:42.520 --> 01:24:46.600 remaining Warriors t Wolves. Game one goes to Golden State. 1725 01:24:46.680 --> 01:24:50.119 Even though Stephen Wardell Curry played thirteen minutes and left 1726 01:24:50.119 --> 01:24:52.000 in the second quarter. So give us an update on 1727 01:24:52.119 --> 01:24:55.000 Steph and give me your thoughts on whether or not 1728 01:24:55.079 --> 01:24:57.520 Golden State can actually get this thing done if Steph 1729 01:24:57.560 --> 01:24:59.279 isn't ready to go sometime quick. 1730 01:25:00.560 --> 01:25:00.760 Yeah. 1731 01:25:00.800 --> 01:25:03.159 One, I have to give credit to Steph Curry. 1732 01:25:02.920 --> 01:25:05.960 Speaking to reporters today in Minneapolis. A lot of guys 1733 01:25:06.000 --> 01:25:07.199 when they're injured. 1734 01:25:06.840 --> 01:25:10.039 Will not do that, and I think it only benefits 1735 01:25:10.520 --> 01:25:13.720 the fans to have that kind of trust with the press, 1736 01:25:13.720 --> 01:25:17.039 to be able to give some information about what you're 1737 01:25:17.039 --> 01:25:21.319 going through. He is a guy who he really doesn't know. 1738 01:25:21.199 --> 01:25:23.279 You know, he's been in the league for forever and 1739 01:25:23.359 --> 01:25:27.680 has never experienced a hamstring injury period. He was asked 1740 01:25:27.720 --> 01:25:31.000 if even experienced tightness at some time in his career 1741 01:25:31.319 --> 01:25:35.399 and he said no. And so the plan here is 1742 01:25:35.439 --> 01:25:38.560 to give him a full week's rest, which means Game two, three, 1743 01:25:38.560 --> 01:25:42.880 and four are out, and then see where he is 1744 01:25:42.960 --> 01:25:45.880 at that moment. So right now it's just treatment round 1745 01:25:45.920 --> 01:25:50.000 the clock. He's doing stand still shooting. I think probably 1746 01:25:50.199 --> 01:25:53.840 just to you know, not have himself go nuts during 1747 01:25:53.880 --> 01:25:58.279 this process more than anything, and then we will see 1748 01:25:58.279 --> 01:26:02.199 where the series stands. If it's going back to San 1749 01:26:02.199 --> 01:26:06.880 Francisco for a game six. I think everyone involved with 1750 01:26:06.960 --> 01:26:09.119 the Warriors like that is the tie in the sky. 1751 01:26:09.279 --> 01:26:12.359 Hope is that we can get Steph Curry on the 1752 01:26:12.399 --> 01:26:15.119 court that game, but we don't know if that will 1753 01:26:15.119 --> 01:26:17.399 be a Willis Reid Steph Curry and he's going to 1754 01:26:17.439 --> 01:26:20.199 be there just to get the crowd riled up. You know, 1755 01:26:20.479 --> 01:26:23.000 people forget Willis Resonas scored four points in that game 1756 01:26:23.399 --> 01:26:27.359 when the Knicks won it, or he will actually be 1757 01:26:27.399 --> 01:26:29.399 able to recover from this thing, a Grade one strain. 1758 01:26:30.279 --> 01:26:33.920 It's one of two weeks and it's something that if 1759 01:26:33.960 --> 01:26:37.000 you rush it back, you're automatically out for another one 1760 01:26:37.000 --> 01:26:39.880 to two weeks. So it's a tough situation for them. 1761 01:26:40.760 --> 01:26:44.199 I think the Wolves is sixth going into this series. 1762 01:26:44.239 --> 01:26:47.479 I think it pace still goes that direction. But I 1763 01:26:47.520 --> 01:26:50.039 do think when you get a guy like Jimmy Butler, 1764 01:26:50.640 --> 01:26:54.680 that's a pretty good alternative to having. Of course, Steph 1765 01:26:54.760 --> 01:26:57.279 Curry is, you know, an all time great, but Jimmy 1766 01:26:57.319 --> 01:27:00.600 Butler is someone who will not blink at this task 1767 01:27:00.760 --> 01:27:03.600 that's placed on his plate right now. He will come out, 1768 01:27:03.880 --> 01:27:05.399 He'll come out with a game plan. He would be 1769 01:27:05.399 --> 01:27:08.800 ball dominant. They're probably not gonna score a ton again. 1770 01:27:09.079 --> 01:27:11.000 But they're going to grind out this game. They're gonna 1771 01:27:11.000 --> 01:27:14.159 be physical. They out rebounded the Wolves by ten in 1772 01:27:14.199 --> 01:27:15.920 game one. They're going to try to do the same 1773 01:27:15.960 --> 01:27:18.920 thing here. And if they can get a hot shooting 1774 01:27:19.039 --> 01:27:23.319 night from you know, Brandon Puzhevski or you know, Buddy Healed, 1775 01:27:23.840 --> 01:27:26.880 they could have a chance to stay in this thing. Basically, 1776 01:27:26.920 --> 01:27:29.119 all they got to look at the next three games. 1777 01:27:29.119 --> 01:27:31.880 We got to win one and that'll assure us that 1778 01:27:31.960 --> 01:27:32.880 this thing goes six. 1779 01:27:33.199 --> 01:27:34.680 And if it goes six, you have a chance to 1780 01:27:34.720 --> 01:27:35.640 get Steph Curry back. 1781 01:27:35.800 --> 01:27:38.319 Give me a thought on tonight. The Tea Wolves are 1782 01:27:38.319 --> 01:27:40.880 a ten point five point favorite. Part of me feels 1783 01:27:40.920 --> 01:27:44.039 like this could look a little bit like Oklahoma City 1784 01:27:44.159 --> 01:27:46.920 and Denver last night. Part of me feels like we 1785 01:27:46.960 --> 01:27:49.000 may see the Tea Wolves wrong. But what do you 1786 01:27:49.039 --> 01:27:52.239 think happens tonight, the first game they're playing without Steph. 1787 01:27:52.560 --> 01:27:54.279 Yeah, I'm totally with you. I don't know if we're 1788 01:27:54.279 --> 01:27:57.479 gonna be a forty point blowout, but I anticipate the 1789 01:27:57.479 --> 01:27:59.760 Wolves come out like their pants are on fire. And 1790 01:28:00.560 --> 01:28:04.000 this thing's not even a game. You have to think, 1791 01:28:04.079 --> 01:28:07.880 and especially because they have the athletes to just, you know, 1792 01:28:08.199 --> 01:28:12.199 be able to turn this thing into a track race, 1793 01:28:12.239 --> 01:28:16.239 and you're getting rebounds and steals and deflections, and you know, 1794 01:28:16.640 --> 01:28:18.479 if you get the whistle on your side. Chris Finch 1795 01:28:18.520 --> 01:28:22.760 certainly doing his part politically to play the rests and 1796 01:28:23.079 --> 01:28:26.000 put it out there that Rudy Gobert wasn't getting a 1797 01:28:26.039 --> 01:28:28.319 fair whistle in Game one, and a lot of times 1798 01:28:28.399 --> 01:28:31.359 that does work. You get the league's attention and it 1799 01:28:31.479 --> 01:28:35.479 sways back the other direction a little bit. Yeah, I 1800 01:28:35.479 --> 01:28:38.560 would be very I would be very impressed, but I'd 1801 01:28:38.560 --> 01:28:41.159 be very surprised if the Warriors even make this a game. 1802 01:28:41.600 --> 01:28:43.960 I think Vegas kind of has the line right on 1803 01:28:43.960 --> 01:28:44.319 this one. 1804 01:28:44.439 --> 01:28:46.960 I think the Wolves run away with it, and then 1805 01:28:47.399 --> 01:28:51.119 we reset the series in Golden State and see if 1806 01:28:51.159 --> 01:28:54.319 the Warriors can kind of use the hometown energy to 1807 01:28:54.920 --> 01:28:57.920 go back ahead and get that one more win because 1808 01:28:57.920 --> 01:29:00.000 we have a chance at seeing Steph again this year. 1809 01:29:00.279 --> 01:29:04.199 Would imagine Okase is salivating watching Boston struggling, but of 1810 01:29:04.199 --> 01:29:07.000 course we're getting ahead of ourselves. I was tremendously impressed 1811 01:29:07.039 --> 01:29:10.920 by Denver's just great an attitude to hang around and 1812 01:29:10.960 --> 01:29:12.880 then make a couple of big plays down the stretch 1813 01:29:12.960 --> 01:29:16.319 to get Game one, and then Oka See to your 1814 01:29:16.640 --> 01:29:19.880 earlier point, just curb stomps them in game two. So 1815 01:29:20.039 --> 01:29:21.920 through two games, Dave, what are your thoughts on that 1816 01:29:22.000 --> 01:29:23.720 series and how do you think it plays out? 1817 01:29:25.600 --> 01:29:25.920 Thought? 1818 01:29:26.039 --> 01:29:29.520 Game one is what a tremendous moment that we get 1819 01:29:29.560 --> 01:29:33.760 the two guys up for MVP going against one another, 1820 01:29:35.000 --> 01:29:38.159 one just starting his prime and she goes out Xander 1821 01:29:38.199 --> 01:29:40.279 or the other guy clearly smacked that in his prime 1822 01:29:40.399 --> 01:29:43.199 and the best player in the world, and then both 1823 01:29:43.720 --> 01:29:47.159 tremendous performance. Jokis was so good down the stretch in 1824 01:29:47.279 --> 01:29:50.680 game one, the play where he caught it above the 1825 01:29:50.760 --> 01:29:53.319 foul and he saw he had Caruso on him, and 1826 01:29:53.359 --> 01:29:56.199 he just immediately put it in like Dad in the 1827 01:29:56.239 --> 01:29:58.760 driveway mode and backed him down all the way to 1828 01:29:58.800 --> 01:30:01.359 two feet from the basket and around plopped it in. 1829 01:30:01.640 --> 01:30:03.560 And then a couple of mostons later he gets it 1830 01:30:03.680 --> 01:30:07.039 now top of the key partner scene on him surveys, 1831 01:30:07.319 --> 01:30:10.000 you know, jab steps rise and fire makes it like 1832 01:30:10.359 --> 01:30:15.000 he's so good now. Tremendous credit to okay See for 1833 01:30:15.079 --> 01:30:18.039 having the right bounce back, But I don't think that 1834 01:30:18.079 --> 01:30:21.920 means like the rest of the series is going to. 1835 01:30:21.319 --> 01:30:24.239 Not be competitive. I mean, I don't want to hurt 1836 01:30:24.279 --> 01:30:26.239 any of your listeners here and bring up. 1837 01:30:26.479 --> 01:30:27.279 You know, old wound. 1838 01:30:27.359 --> 01:30:31.039 But we remember Bulls killing the Jazz right in game 1839 01:30:31.119 --> 01:30:33.560 three back what was that the ninety eighth final, yep? 1840 01:30:34.640 --> 01:30:36.800 And then Game four was a nip and tuck like 1841 01:30:36.920 --> 01:30:39.119 right back to being a competitors series. The rest of 1842 01:30:39.159 --> 01:30:40.840 the series quite frankly, it was nip and tuck. 1843 01:30:40.960 --> 01:30:44.520 So I don't think Denver's out of this by any means. 1844 01:30:45.680 --> 01:30:50.039 However, I think okay see probably avoided disaster by making 1845 01:30:50.039 --> 01:30:51.560 sure this is a one to one series, and I 1846 01:30:51.680 --> 01:30:54.800 do it anticipate them at dancing, but it could certainly 1847 01:30:54.840 --> 01:30:55.279 go six or. 1848 01:30:55.279 --> 01:30:57.199 Seven final thing, Dave, I'll set you loose on this. 1849 01:30:57.279 --> 01:30:59.520 We actually have a local story which kind a lot 1850 01:30:59.520 --> 01:31:02.520 of people are guard now. Will Hardy had had year 1851 01:31:02.640 --> 01:31:05.680 four and year five options picked up, so he was 1852 01:31:05.720 --> 01:31:08.199 not up against it, but the Jazz elect to extend 1853 01:31:08.319 --> 01:31:11.560 him through twenty thirty one, which means, Dave, if he 1854 01:31:12.000 --> 01:31:14.720 coaches through his contract, he will have a nine year 1855 01:31:14.800 --> 01:31:18.039 run runway before he has to figure out what's next. 1856 01:31:18.079 --> 01:31:21.279 That never happens in pro basketball. He would be the 1857 01:31:21.319 --> 01:31:25.039 third longest stenured coach right now if he coaches through 1858 01:31:25.039 --> 01:31:26.680 the end of his contracts. Are your thoughts on the 1859 01:31:26.720 --> 01:31:29.840 decision of the Jazz to offer and Will to accept. 1860 01:31:31.000 --> 01:31:33.720 Yeah, I was briefly talking about this with your producer 1861 01:31:34.119 --> 01:31:37.039 porter before I came on air. I'd like to think 1862 01:31:37.039 --> 01:31:42.359 that maybe Sanny Ainge and you know, Ryan and all. 1863 01:31:42.239 --> 01:31:44.840 The decision makers listen to your show. 1864 01:31:44.640 --> 01:31:47.920 Because I feel like we've talked about this kind of 1865 01:31:48.720 --> 01:31:53.239 quandary that they may have found themselves in by clearly 1866 01:31:53.439 --> 01:31:57.800 continuing this rebuild. And are you going to dim the 1867 01:31:57.880 --> 01:32:01.399 light of your head coach someone who's going to actually 1868 01:32:01.479 --> 01:32:04.239 want to be involved in this or does he feel 1869 01:32:04.279 --> 01:32:08.159 like he's not being able to like pursue what could 1870 01:32:08.239 --> 01:32:12.920 be a great coaching career if he just goes through this. 1871 01:32:13.319 --> 01:32:16.439 And I think they made it quite clear for their 1872 01:32:16.439 --> 01:32:19.600 money where their mouth is that no, we really value you. 1873 01:32:19.600 --> 01:32:21.960 You are going to be there for now and for 1874 01:32:22.039 --> 01:32:24.479 the future and for the extended future, and you are 1875 01:32:24.479 --> 01:32:26.239 going to be the guy to lead us out of this. 1876 01:32:26.880 --> 01:32:28.760 I think it was a great decision by them. I 1877 01:32:28.800 --> 01:32:30.640 think it's still going to be very hard for Will 1878 01:32:30.680 --> 01:32:34.800 Hardy to actually go through because you know they are 1879 01:32:34.840 --> 01:32:39.760 not close to being a playoff team, let alone a contender. However, 1880 01:32:40.640 --> 01:32:43.720 the lottery goes you know, in their direction, and you 1881 01:32:43.840 --> 01:32:46.840 end up with you know, I'd say top two picks 1882 01:32:46.840 --> 01:32:51.399 are both should be like can't miss guys. I think 1883 01:32:51.520 --> 01:32:55.159 that it will be a fruitful journey for Hardy. 1884 01:32:55.520 --> 01:32:58.880 Based off of the feedback I receive. They definitely listen 1885 01:32:58.920 --> 01:33:01.439 because I'm either welcome with open arms if I'm nice, 1886 01:33:01.560 --> 01:33:04.159 or i am shunned and I'm giving dirty looks if 1887 01:33:04.199 --> 01:33:07.039 I'm not nice. Dave, so I know I know they're listening. Hey, 1888 01:33:07.079 --> 01:33:09.119 thanks so much for the time. I guy, travel safe. 1889 01:33:09.119 --> 01:33:15.039 We chats in. Dave mcmanman covers the NBA for ESPN. 1890 01:33:15.279 --> 01:33:18.479 He is on the Warriors Timberwolve series. But some good 1891 01:33:18.479 --> 01:33:21.279 stuff from Dave today. It's our next guest. I could 1892 01:33:21.359 --> 01:33:24.039 use a ton of superlatives. The Wall of the wasatch 1893 01:33:24.880 --> 01:33:26.640 the best to ever do it in Major League soccer, 1894 01:33:26.680 --> 01:33:28.760 and now we can add to it. Nick Romondo Hall 1895 01:33:28.840 --> 01:33:32.000 of Famer as Nicky was inducted into the National Soccer 1896 01:33:32.079 --> 01:33:33.920 Hall of Fame as part of the twenty twenty five 1897 01:33:33.960 --> 01:33:36.560 class just a few days ago. The first RSL player 1898 01:33:36.640 --> 01:33:40.199 ever to be inducted so Nick, the first thing first, man, 1899 01:33:40.399 --> 01:33:42.279 so proud of you. Congratulations, how you. 1900 01:33:42.159 --> 01:33:44.439 Doing, Thank you man? 1901 01:33:44.920 --> 01:33:48.720 Yeah, worlwind Tour just got back from being inducted in Dallas, 1902 01:33:48.760 --> 01:33:53.520 and just so real for me to be amongst the 1903 01:33:53.640 --> 01:33:56.840 names of so many great American soccer players and people 1904 01:33:56.880 --> 01:33:58.479 being inducted into the Hall of Fame. 1905 01:33:58.600 --> 01:34:03.159 So just feeling so happy, so grateful, so blessed. And 1906 01:34:03.880 --> 01:34:05.520 to be the first to ever do it from Rsel 1907 01:34:05.560 --> 01:34:08.199 obviously that's a special feeling as well. 1908 01:34:08.800 --> 01:34:11.680 Let me ask you this, Nick, because as I referenced, 1909 01:34:11.840 --> 01:34:14.079 I certainly am proud of you. I know a lot 1910 01:34:14.119 --> 01:34:16.439 of people, including my old man, very proud of you. 1911 01:34:16.479 --> 01:34:18.920 What are you most proud about during this journey that 1912 01:34:19.039 --> 01:34:21.800 is culminated with an induction into the Hall of Fame. 1913 01:34:23.039 --> 01:34:23.960 Yeah. 1914 01:34:24.119 --> 01:34:26.800 I tried to get your pops down there. Unfortunately, you 1915 01:34:26.840 --> 01:34:29.159 know your dad has a busy schedule, but he was 1916 01:34:29.199 --> 01:34:31.840 able to send me a nice little little gift to 1917 01:34:31.880 --> 01:34:35.119 the house. That was very nice of him. But for me, 1918 01:34:35.880 --> 01:34:38.000 I think just the consistency of being able to play 1919 01:34:38.039 --> 01:34:41.640 for twenty years. You know what it takes to play 1920 01:34:41.680 --> 01:34:43.880 for that long, to be able to take care of 1921 01:34:43.880 --> 01:34:48.479 your body, have the trust from the organizations and teammates, 1922 01:34:49.319 --> 01:34:52.560 your coaching staff, and to stay the longevity of just 1923 01:34:52.600 --> 01:34:54.680 being at a club for so long, like Real Salt Lake. 1924 01:34:54.800 --> 01:34:57.000 So and again, I. 1925 01:34:56.880 --> 01:34:59.000 Think I would be remiss not to say that, you know, 1926 01:34:59.680 --> 01:35:01.800 the speriences I've had with the national team, going to 1927 01:35:01.840 --> 01:35:04.119 represent the country down at the World Cup in twenty 1928 01:35:04.199 --> 01:35:08.359 fourteen was very special for me. And obviously the whole journey, 1929 01:35:08.560 --> 01:35:10.560 the whole journey makes me who I am as a player, 1930 01:35:10.560 --> 01:35:12.640 as a person, and the ups and downs of my 1931 01:35:12.720 --> 01:35:17.600 careers and just again this reminiscing and looking back on 1932 01:35:17.640 --> 01:35:19.960 my career, there's so many ups and downs that maybe 1933 01:35:19.960 --> 01:35:22.760 the person I am today And just again just feeling 1934 01:35:22.800 --> 01:35:23.720 so grateful. 1935 01:35:23.560 --> 01:35:25.199 To be in the Hall of Fame. 1936 01:35:25.560 --> 01:35:29.000 No, you're a big music guy. I was watching this documentary, 1937 01:35:29.000 --> 01:35:33.800 this music documentary on Glastonbury, this music festival, and they 1938 01:35:33.840 --> 01:35:38.239 interviewed Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay, after that 1939 01:35:38.279 --> 01:35:42.199 big cold Play, like their first Glastonbury concert, and he 1940 01:35:42.239 --> 01:35:44.880 said something that struck with me because they said, and 1941 01:35:45.000 --> 01:35:47.880 you know, guys like you who achieve, and guys like 1942 01:35:47.960 --> 01:35:49.720 lead singers of a band, you know, they start with 1943 01:35:49.800 --> 01:35:52.560 a dream and then they followed the dream and work 1944 01:35:52.600 --> 01:35:54.319 as hard as they could. And I'll never forget what 1945 01:35:54.359 --> 01:35:57.399 he said. He said, my dreams never got this big. 1946 01:35:57.640 --> 01:36:00.560 I never got here in my dreams. Were you did 1947 01:36:00.600 --> 01:36:03.039 you dare to dream that something like this was a 1948 01:36:03.079 --> 01:36:05.680 possibility for you when you were starting out playing soccer 1949 01:36:05.800 --> 01:36:07.800 or did your dreams never get this big? 1950 01:36:08.920 --> 01:36:09.000 No? 1951 01:36:09.319 --> 01:36:12.119 You know, I never started playing soccer to be in 1952 01:36:12.159 --> 01:36:14.359 the Hall of Fame. It was because I loved the sport. 1953 01:36:14.399 --> 01:36:17.039 I love the competition, I love the bands, I love 1954 01:36:17.079 --> 01:36:19.399 the team, my teammates and being a part of the 1955 01:36:19.439 --> 01:36:23.319 team and the goal to reach, you know, the finals, 1956 01:36:23.319 --> 01:36:26.159 the playoffs. That I was just a competitive person. And 1957 01:36:26.319 --> 01:36:29.039 obviously when you start playing for as long as I did, 1958 01:36:29.279 --> 01:36:31.439 to act like you start to, you know, accumulate a 1959 01:36:31.479 --> 01:36:34.159 little bit more and more, and if you win, if 1960 01:36:34.199 --> 01:36:36.399 you do well, you know, your name might get you know, 1961 01:36:37.239 --> 01:36:39.399 shine bright a couple of times here and there. But 1962 01:36:40.000 --> 01:36:42.600 I think if you ask anybody that has been inducted, 1963 01:36:42.640 --> 01:36:44.000 they don't They don't do it to be in the 1964 01:36:44.000 --> 01:36:45.640 Hall of Fame, to do it because they love the sport. 1965 01:36:45.680 --> 01:36:49.159 And yeah, as you continue to play, those ambitions get 1966 01:36:49.159 --> 01:36:52.199 a little bit bigger and bright and as I, you know, 1967 01:36:52.680 --> 01:36:54.760 won the MLS Cup, it's like, what could I do next, 1968 01:36:54.840 --> 01:36:56.399 Let's go to the Goal Cup, Let's let's get on 1969 01:36:56.439 --> 01:36:58.520 the national team. And then obviously the goal was to 1970 01:36:58.800 --> 01:37:01.000 make it to the World Cup, and and uh, to 1971 01:37:01.079 --> 01:37:03.720 be able to achieve that that goal the biggest goal 1972 01:37:03.760 --> 01:37:06.479 of my of mine and playing in one of the 1973 01:37:06.520 --> 01:37:09.760 biggest soccer tournaments or sports tournaments in the world was 1974 01:37:10.479 --> 01:37:13.760 massive to me. And I guess when when you're done playing, 1975 01:37:13.800 --> 01:37:17.119 maybe there's a little hope that that there's gonna be 1976 01:37:17.319 --> 01:37:19.920 some recognition somewhere here and there, and and and to 1977 01:37:20.000 --> 01:37:21.319 be recognized by the Hall of. 1978 01:37:21.279 --> 01:37:23.439 Fame and be inducted, that's that's the biggest for me. 1979 01:37:23.880 --> 01:37:28.000 I wonder Nick, because you know, the hero's journey contains 1980 01:37:28.039 --> 01:37:29.920 a lot of ups and downs, and life is not 1981 01:37:30.079 --> 01:37:32.840 a straight line and careers are not linear. And you 1982 01:37:32.920 --> 01:37:35.720 had a really interesting career where you started out, you know, 1983 01:37:35.760 --> 01:37:38.640 on a trajectory that was going straight up with Miami 1984 01:37:39.119 --> 01:37:41.439 and you want a supporter shield. You know, you were 1985 01:37:41.439 --> 01:37:43.800 a starter as a rookie, uh, and then you went 1986 01:37:43.840 --> 01:37:46.399 to d C and you know you were able to 1987 01:37:46.399 --> 01:37:48.239 get the starting job for a minute. You guys want 1988 01:37:48.560 --> 01:37:51.479 a cup, and then you lost your starting job and 1989 01:37:51.800 --> 01:37:55.520 ultimately you landed here in uh in a in a 1990 01:37:55.600 --> 01:37:59.640 trade that brought RSL. Freddy you do and you turned 1991 01:37:59.680 --> 01:38:02.039 out to be the gem of that deal. But at 1992 01:38:02.039 --> 01:38:04.479 the time, I think there were some questions. Did you 1993 01:38:04.560 --> 01:38:07.560 ever question yourself during that time when you had lost 1994 01:38:07.600 --> 01:38:10.600 your job and you landed here, grabbed the starting job 1995 01:38:10.640 --> 01:38:12.279 and the rest is history? But did you ever have 1996 01:38:12.439 --> 01:38:13.600 doubts during that process? 1997 01:38:13.800 --> 01:38:14.439 Yeah? 1998 01:38:14.439 --> 01:38:17.039 Of course. And again like that's I touched. 1999 01:38:16.880 --> 01:38:18.760 On a little bit, But who made It's what made 2000 01:38:18.800 --> 01:38:22.600 me as a player, the downs more than anything, the injuries, 2001 01:38:23.479 --> 01:38:27.520 the not playing someone else taking my starting position. It's 2002 01:38:27.560 --> 01:38:31.159 believing in yourself, pushing yourself through. There're in those moments, 2003 01:38:32.079 --> 01:38:34.079 letting that be the feel not you know, not the 2004 01:38:34.119 --> 01:38:36.279 ceiling of who you are as a player and a person. 2005 01:38:36.399 --> 01:38:39.600 And I really think if I didn't have any setbacks 2006 01:38:40.239 --> 01:38:43.279 in my career and everything was just jolly and going straightforward, 2007 01:38:43.319 --> 01:38:46.640 I wouldn't be where I'm at. It's those setbacks and 2008 01:38:46.720 --> 01:38:50.399 injuries that again made me and made me go through 2009 01:38:50.560 --> 01:38:53.319 the hard times in my career and really really flourish 2010 01:38:53.399 --> 01:38:56.640 and the good times and you know, push me through 2011 01:38:57.000 --> 01:38:58.880 to get to those moments, you know, winning in two 2012 01:38:58.920 --> 01:39:02.199 thousand and nine, going to the MLS club and even 2013 01:39:02.279 --> 01:39:05.079 losing I think I believe it was twenty twelves a KC. 2014 01:39:07.039 --> 01:39:09.880 Those feelings stick with you and and and you don't 2015 01:39:09.880 --> 01:39:11.840 want to feel those feelings again. So you get back 2016 01:39:11.880 --> 01:39:14.520 on that on that on that field and in the gym, 2017 01:39:14.680 --> 01:39:16.479 and you try to do whatever you can not to 2018 01:39:16.520 --> 01:39:19.079 have that feeling again of losing, and just pushes you through. 2019 01:39:19.399 --> 01:39:22.159 Everybody has motivation in their own way, and and and 2020 01:39:22.279 --> 01:39:24.560 mind was through the losses and and and those learning 2021 01:39:24.600 --> 01:39:27.640 experiences and how to get back on that horse. 2022 01:39:28.119 --> 01:39:30.199 You know what I didn't know until recently because we 2023 01:39:30.199 --> 01:39:34.600 were talking about your induction. You never want MLS Keeper 2024 01:39:34.640 --> 01:39:36.920 of the Year in your entire career. That award never 2025 01:39:36.960 --> 01:39:37.760 came your way once. 2026 01:39:38.920 --> 01:39:42.399 No, no, I figure I was close a couple of times, but. 2027 01:39:43.039 --> 01:39:45.199 Uh never never was able to get it. And and 2028 01:39:45.199 --> 01:39:47.680 and listen, there were some good goalkeepers in my time, 2029 01:39:47.760 --> 01:39:50.199 and not not to you know, be that humble guy 2030 01:39:50.199 --> 01:39:53.720 all the time, but you got to give it to 2031 01:39:53.760 --> 01:39:56.119 some of these goalkeepers. Man, Every time I thought I 2032 01:39:56.199 --> 01:39:58.680 maybe had it, and again you don't. You don't start 2033 01:39:59.000 --> 01:40:00.640 the year. It may be a goal, but you don't 2034 01:40:00.680 --> 01:40:02.119 push for it, and at the end of the year 2035 01:40:02.119 --> 01:40:03.680 you're like, Okay, maybe I got it. 2036 01:40:03.600 --> 01:40:06.760 And it was just never on the table for me. 2037 01:40:06.880 --> 01:40:08.680 And I'm okay with that. I'm okay with that. 2038 01:40:08.760 --> 01:40:13.039 I have selling more experiences and then friendships and teammates 2039 01:40:13.039 --> 01:40:14.920 and awards that I got through my career, and. 2040 01:40:16.399 --> 01:40:18.359 But it is. It is a talking point for sure. 2041 01:40:19.199 --> 01:40:23.880 Look, dude, you have the MLS records for minutes games played, wins, 2042 01:40:24.000 --> 01:40:27.439 clean sheets, saves, and penalty kicks. There's literally nothing else 2043 01:40:27.479 --> 01:40:29.560 you could have done. So I will complain for you. 2044 01:40:29.640 --> 01:40:31.680 The fact that you never won that award once is 2045 01:40:31.720 --> 01:40:32.520 beyond stupid. 2046 01:40:35.119 --> 01:40:36.520 I think you and my mom agreed. 2047 01:40:36.680 --> 01:40:38.880 Okay, fair enough. Well, then I'm in good company because 2048 01:40:38.880 --> 01:40:41.319 I've met your mother. Of course, she's a lovely lady. Hey, 2049 01:40:41.399 --> 01:40:45.359 let me ask you this, what was it about, you know, 2050 01:40:45.399 --> 01:40:49.439 whether it was simply Salt Lake being a new fresh 2051 01:40:49.439 --> 01:40:52.520 start or John Ellinger and then Jason christ you know, 2052 01:40:52.600 --> 01:40:56.960 believing in you. What was it that made this market 2053 01:40:57.199 --> 01:40:59.720 at that time the right fit for you, that allowed 2054 01:40:59.760 --> 01:41:02.359 you to go on to break all these records. 2055 01:41:02.600 --> 01:41:05.319 Yeah, well, for me, it needed I needed to change. 2056 01:41:05.960 --> 01:41:08.119 I wasn't the number one in DC. I was really 2057 01:41:08.600 --> 01:41:11.399 in good with with DC United and the front office, 2058 01:41:11.439 --> 01:41:14.079 so so uh, they helped me, you know, get out 2059 01:41:14.079 --> 01:41:17.039 of there and gave me some options. It was Kansas City, Columbus, 2060 01:41:17.079 --> 01:41:20.000 and I think Salt Lake City were at the top 2061 01:41:20.840 --> 01:41:24.840 of the list for trading options, and honestly, for me, 2062 01:41:24.920 --> 01:41:26.319 it was just trying to get as west as I 2063 01:41:26.359 --> 01:41:28.760 could in Salt Lake was that and I was thinking, Okay, 2064 01:41:28.840 --> 01:41:31.640 if I could somehow end my career in California, that 2065 01:41:31.680 --> 01:41:35.680 would be great. I'm back to where you know I'm from. 2066 01:41:36.159 --> 01:41:39.920 But Salt Lake is it was a home. It fit me, 2067 01:41:40.000 --> 01:41:43.960 It fit my family, the people here that the relationships 2068 01:41:44.000 --> 01:41:47.720 I built the club now to this day have have 2069 01:41:47.800 --> 01:41:51.520 a great relationship with them and I owe a lot 2070 01:41:51.600 --> 01:41:54.319 to them in my career. So many people did to 2071 01:41:54.479 --> 01:41:57.520 name but this is home. After I was. 2072 01:41:57.479 --> 01:42:00.520 Done playing, there was there was, you know, hands of 2073 01:42:00.640 --> 01:42:03.760 MLS clubs that wanted me to come and get into 2074 01:42:03.800 --> 01:42:06.359 coaching with their first teams, and for me, it was 2075 01:42:06.399 --> 01:42:09.239 just it wasn't the right time. And honestly, I wanted 2076 01:42:09.279 --> 01:42:11.960 to see what coaching was about, what that next level 2077 01:42:12.039 --> 01:42:14.560 was about, and what better place to do do it 2078 01:42:14.600 --> 01:42:18.159 at than my home club where my kids are, and 2079 01:42:18.479 --> 01:42:21.000 really dip my toes and what this coaching thing is 2080 01:42:21.000 --> 01:42:23.119 all about. So again they open up their arms to 2081 01:42:23.159 --> 01:42:27.920 me and let me be the coach version of myself 2082 01:42:27.960 --> 01:42:29.319 and see if I. 2083 01:42:29.279 --> 01:42:29.720 Like it or not. 2084 01:42:29.840 --> 01:42:33.279 And I just love it here man, the weather, the 2085 01:42:33.399 --> 01:42:35.880 changing of the weather, the people that you know where 2086 01:42:35.920 --> 01:42:38.840 I live, riding my bikes everywhere, that the concert scene, 2087 01:42:39.119 --> 01:42:41.840 the restaurant scene. It's just evolving through the years, and 2088 01:42:42.239 --> 01:42:44.079 I'm happy this is home. 2089 01:42:44.520 --> 01:42:47.279 Yeah, you really have carved out an excellent piece of 2090 01:42:47.319 --> 01:42:51.520 real estate for yourself, both literally and figuravely in this market, 2091 01:42:52.000 --> 01:42:54.279 with the businesses you run, the coaching you're doing, and 2092 01:42:54.359 --> 01:42:57.159 the presence you have. I wonder I want to kick 2093 01:42:57.199 --> 01:42:59.039 the tires with the coaching stuff for a little bit, Nikki, 2094 01:42:59.079 --> 01:43:03.680 because from my experience interviewing players and coaches over the years, 2095 01:43:03.680 --> 01:43:07.239 and specifically players like you that decide to get into coaching, 2096 01:43:08.239 --> 01:43:12.119 nothing will ever capture the buzz of playing, right, I mean, 2097 01:43:12.159 --> 01:43:14.119 I think that's fair to say, But does coaching come 2098 01:43:14.159 --> 01:43:16.880 close at all? And what's your experience been like so far? 2099 01:43:18.720 --> 01:43:21.000 You cut out a little bit spent, say that again, Bud. 2100 01:43:22.159 --> 01:43:24.520 I'll reduce it to make it quicker. I don't think anybody, 2101 01:43:24.600 --> 01:43:26.760 I don't think anything can ever capture the buzz of 2102 01:43:26.840 --> 01:43:28.840 the buzz you had when you were playing. I just 2103 01:43:28.840 --> 01:43:32.319 don't think that's possible. But does the coaching thing come close? 2104 01:43:32.359 --> 01:43:35.279 And what's been your experience so far with the coaching experience? 2105 01:43:36.319 --> 01:43:36.560 Yeah? 2106 01:43:36.760 --> 01:43:38.479 No, I mean when you step on the field and 2107 01:43:38.760 --> 01:43:41.600 you put the mids on and you got the cleats underneath, 2108 01:43:41.600 --> 01:43:45.520 the lights and the pressures and trying to accomplish something 2109 01:43:45.600 --> 01:43:48.920 as a team, that's a whole different feeling than you know, 2110 01:43:49.279 --> 01:43:51.239 put it on the running shoes and a polo before 2111 01:43:51.279 --> 01:43:54.520 a game, that's for sure, But you know, it keeps 2112 01:43:54.560 --> 01:43:59.199 me involved. You can't buy experiences, and the experience I've 2113 01:43:59.199 --> 01:44:02.880 had in the game, I think, you know, real real 2114 01:44:03.000 --> 01:44:05.039 moniks for the academy kids that I've been working with 2115 01:44:05.079 --> 01:44:07.640 and even the first team as if there's you know, 2116 01:44:07.760 --> 01:44:09.520 I see him around a lot in the locker room 2117 01:44:09.520 --> 01:44:12.199 and we you know, small talk hand they're about games. 2118 01:44:12.239 --> 01:44:15.439 But I think you're never going to get that same 2119 01:44:15.479 --> 01:44:18.520 filling of being the player. But I hope that you know, 2120 01:44:18.600 --> 01:44:21.840 my presence on the sideline on the training training field 2121 01:44:21.880 --> 01:44:25.279 will give these players an upper hand, you know, with 2122 01:44:25.319 --> 01:44:26.079 my experiences. 2123 01:44:26.760 --> 01:44:28.319 All right, tank you before I set you lose, because 2124 01:44:28.319 --> 01:44:31.159 I know you have to run. I always hesitate to 2125 01:44:31.239 --> 01:44:34.840 either dismiss or anoint an MLS team based off the 2126 01:44:34.880 --> 01:44:37.079 start because some of the best teams we've ever had 2127 01:44:37.119 --> 01:44:39.279 here they've started slowly and some of the worst have 2128 01:44:39.319 --> 01:44:41.920 started quickly. It has been an up and down start 2129 01:44:41.960 --> 01:44:44.319 to say the least. But Roth has been really good. 2130 01:44:44.399 --> 01:44:46.439 I wonder what your take is on this new keeper 2131 01:44:46.439 --> 01:44:49.000 for the club and your thoughts on if Pablo and 2132 01:44:49.000 --> 01:44:49.920 the group can turn around. 2133 01:44:51.600 --> 01:44:55.239 Yeah. I see Ratha every day. His training habits are 2134 01:44:55.239 --> 01:44:58.039 second to none. What he's doing on the field, Isn't 2135 01:44:58.039 --> 01:45:00.399 it surprising me? Because he comes in and we're part 2136 01:45:00.479 --> 01:45:09.720 every single day. His technique is upstanding and other players 2137 01:45:09.720 --> 01:45:14.079 to look up to and and I'm just really really 2138 01:45:14.680 --> 01:45:18.039 proud to see rap A step in and be so 2139 01:45:18.159 --> 01:45:20.119 consistent with the team. And he's been one of the 2140 01:45:20.159 --> 01:45:23.600 best players in my opinion, throughout throughout the season so far. 2141 01:45:24.079 --> 01:45:26.359 Obviously you have to be you have to think of 2142 01:45:26.640 --> 01:45:32.800 Diego Luna as well, who's and we could get back 2143 01:45:32.840 --> 01:45:36.279 on track, you know, we've had some injuries. I'm trying 2144 01:45:36.319 --> 01:45:40.520 to get you know, I think some some Uh let's. 2145 01:45:40.319 --> 01:45:42.560 Let him go, all right, Uh, there you go. I 2146 01:45:42.600 --> 01:45:45.000 think he copped in his car. I think he probably 2147 01:45:45.000 --> 01:45:46.960 had to get to practice, is my guest this time 2148 01:45:47.000 --> 01:45:50.479 of day, right, I. 2149 01:45:50.199 --> 01:45:53.640 Think actually another soccer game, daughter soccer game. 2150 01:45:53.760 --> 01:45:57.439 Well, yeah, he's got too two growing kids. I'm sure 2151 01:45:57.439 --> 01:46:02.439 he's uh there, there's there's nothing more complicated. Then you're 2152 01:46:02.439 --> 01:46:04.880 doing an interview and you can tell that they're walking 2153 01:46:04.960 --> 01:46:07.359 from their house to the car. Then you got to 2154 01:46:07.399 --> 01:46:09.199 get in the car, got to start the car, got 2155 01:46:09.239 --> 01:46:11.840 to pull out of the driveway. So that's my guest 2156 01:46:11.920 --> 01:46:13.560 that we had Nick in his house and then he 2157 01:46:13.600 --> 01:46:14.760 had to get in his vehicle. 2158 01:46:14.800 --> 01:46:17.039 I think you actually when you cut out, was him 2159 01:46:18.119 --> 01:46:22.159 the headphones going into the car. So I think you're spot. 2160 01:46:21.920 --> 01:46:26.159 On, Nick Romando, Hall of Famer. I will repeat this now. 2161 01:46:26.319 --> 01:46:28.439 We do this thing in our market where you know, 2162 01:46:28.479 --> 01:46:30.880 we always complained that Jerry Sloan never one Coach of 2163 01:46:30.880 --> 01:46:34.000 the Year, which was a crime. I think Jerry had 2164 01:46:34.000 --> 01:46:38.479 a case four or five different times. Nick Romondo has 2165 01:46:38.640 --> 01:46:43.399 the MLS records for minutes played, games played, career wins, 2166 01:46:43.520 --> 01:46:49.279 clean sheets, saves and penalty kicksaves. Is there anything else that? 2167 01:46:50.520 --> 01:46:52.439 Is there any other record you can hold as a keeper? 2168 01:46:52.600 --> 01:46:56.239 I feel like Nick has literally every record in MLS 2169 01:46:56.279 --> 01:46:58.399 history that you can carry as a goalkeeper. 2170 01:46:58.560 --> 01:47:02.720 I think so at least is we're talking career spans, right, 2171 01:47:03.399 --> 01:47:05.720 there's no one that really comes close to Nick Romondo. 2172 01:47:05.760 --> 01:47:08.760 And when you look at the comparison spence, they are 2173 01:47:09.800 --> 01:47:13.199 several of them. They are records that appear like they 2174 01:47:13.239 --> 01:47:19.479 could stand for a very long time in Major League soccer. Yeah, 2175 01:47:19.479 --> 01:47:22.079 I don't know that there's much more. You know, you 2176 01:47:22.119 --> 01:47:26.079 don't rely on on goalies for goals, but I always 2177 01:47:26.119 --> 01:47:26.600 like that one. 2178 01:47:26.680 --> 01:47:27.319 That's always fun. 2179 01:47:27.319 --> 01:47:29.199 When a goalie has a couple of goals on the sheet. 2180 01:47:29.000 --> 01:47:32.800 Maybe assists distribution out of the back porter. 2181 01:47:32.920 --> 01:47:33.520 It's important. 2182 01:47:33.560 --> 01:47:36.039 It's important soccer terms. I don't mean to get too deep, 2183 01:47:36.399 --> 01:47:38.560 but you got to be able to provide distribution from 2184 01:47:38.560 --> 01:47:40.199 the back line. Nick was actually good at that. I 2185 01:47:40.239 --> 01:47:43.279 don't know how many careers Sissy have he had, but 2186 01:47:43.319 --> 01:47:45.520 I think he had a few. So outside of goals 2187 01:47:45.520 --> 01:47:48.960 and assists that you do not count on your keeper 2188 01:47:49.039 --> 01:47:51.520 to provide. Nick has all of the meat and potato 2189 01:47:52.039 --> 01:47:53.079 records in MLS. 2190 01:47:53.159 --> 01:47:56.399 Yeah, I believe so, as you said, probably a crime 2191 01:47:56.399 --> 01:48:00.960 that he was never given that award. And you go 2192 01:48:01.039 --> 01:48:04.039 back to some of the ways that RSL won and 2193 01:48:04.079 --> 01:48:09.279 one playoff games, one games down the stretch, it was shootouts, 2194 01:48:09.319 --> 01:48:14.079 it was one Nill right that. I mean, you're relying 2195 01:48:14.119 --> 01:48:17.279 on your keeper quite often. So yeah, shout out to 2196 01:48:17.319 --> 01:48:19.279 NICKI well deserved Hall of Famer even if he didn't 2197 01:48:19.279 --> 01:48:21.119 get that Keeper of the Year award. 2198 01:48:21.439 --> 01:48:24.640 Throughout the course of RSL's runs back in the you know, 2199 01:48:24.720 --> 01:48:28.600 the two thousand and seven to twenty fifteen sixteen run 2200 01:48:28.640 --> 01:48:33.039 when Nick was really peak Nick, if you weren't there 2201 01:48:33.239 --> 01:48:35.600 or if you weren't watching consistently, it's hard to explain 2202 01:48:35.680 --> 01:48:38.640 how many big time saves he came up with, not 2203 01:48:38.880 --> 01:48:41.960 just throughout the run of play soccer term, not trying 2204 01:48:41.960 --> 01:48:44.359 to get too deep, but also just penalty kick saves 2205 01:48:45.199 --> 01:48:49.800 PK shootouts, certainly MLS Cup that saw RSL beat that 2206 01:48:50.079 --> 01:48:52.960 LA Galaxy team that had Landon Donovan and David Beckham 2207 01:48:53.000 --> 01:48:56.600 on it. And you know, it's interesting to consider, you know, 2208 01:48:56.760 --> 01:48:59.760 Nick's Nick's story is a really really just simply a 2209 01:48:59.760 --> 01:49:03.159 really good life lesson because, as I talked to Nicki about. 2210 01:49:03.960 --> 01:49:07.279 Ironically enough, Nick's career started out in Miami with the 2211 01:49:07.279 --> 01:49:10.319 Miami Fusion. They picked him thirty fifth overall in the 2212 01:49:10.359 --> 01:49:13.239 third round of the draft, and the starting keeper in 2213 01:49:13.319 --> 01:49:15.520 Miami at the time was a guy named Jeff Kassar, 2214 01:49:17.119 --> 01:49:20.680 and Nick took Jeff's job. Ironically enough, Jeff was the 2215 01:49:20.720 --> 01:49:24.920 goalkeeper coach under Jason christ here in saut Lake, so 2216 01:49:25.039 --> 01:49:27.720 Nick was started as a rookie and then started twenty 2217 01:49:27.720 --> 01:49:29.960 five games the next season, and the Fusion won the 2218 01:49:30.000 --> 01:49:32.319 Supporter Shield in two thousand and one. With Nick and 2219 01:49:32.399 --> 01:49:36.279 goal Miami now has a soccer team. I don't know 2220 01:49:36.279 --> 01:49:38.199 if you've heard they've got a player. I don't know 2221 01:49:38.199 --> 01:49:40.840 how to pronounce his name. I think it's Messi. But 2222 01:49:41.199 --> 01:49:44.279 Miami was contracted after the two thousand and one season, 2223 01:49:44.319 --> 01:49:47.760 so Soccer and Miami was done and the players were 2224 01:49:47.760 --> 01:49:51.439 dispersed via an allocation draft, and Nicki was taken by 2225 01:49:51.479 --> 01:49:55.439 DC United, who was coached by Ray Hudson, who coached 2226 01:49:55.479 --> 01:49:58.319 Nick in Miami. And in two thousand and two, Nick 2227 01:49:58.359 --> 01:50:02.119 played in every game and three he missed the end 2228 01:50:02.119 --> 01:50:04.119 of the season with an injury, but then he lost 2229 01:50:04.119 --> 01:50:07.680 his job to Troy Perkins because Ray Hudson lost his job, 2230 01:50:08.079 --> 01:50:10.079 and I want to say, Bruce Arena took the job 2231 01:50:10.239 --> 01:50:15.600 in DC and then Nick actually took the job back 2232 01:50:15.640 --> 01:50:19.079 and they won MLS Cup that year, but then he 2233 01:50:19.159 --> 01:50:21.600 lost out to Troy Perkins again in two thousand and six, 2234 01:50:21.640 --> 01:50:24.439 so he was their second string keeper. And I think 2235 01:50:24.479 --> 01:50:26.640 what a lot of people may forget is we had 2236 01:50:26.760 --> 01:50:29.760 Nick here for a minute, but then Nick lost his 2237 01:50:29.800 --> 01:50:32.359 starting job here in saw Lake to a guy named 2238 01:50:32.359 --> 01:50:38.119 Scott Garlic, and so Nick was sent back to DC United. Okay, 2239 01:50:38.560 --> 01:50:42.079 so he was sent back. Excuse me, he was actually 2240 01:50:42.119 --> 01:50:45.600 traded to the New York Red Bulls. Okay, So he 2241 01:50:45.640 --> 01:50:47.479 was traded to the New York Red Bulls because Scott 2242 01:50:47.520 --> 01:50:50.239 Garlic won the job here. So Scott Garlic was going 2243 01:50:50.319 --> 01:50:52.399 to be the keeper here. He was the first choice keeper, 2244 01:50:52.399 --> 01:50:56.319 he had won the job, and Nick was in New York. Well, 2245 01:50:56.720 --> 01:51:00.680 I'll never forget being in RSL's offices when a phone 2246 01:51:00.720 --> 01:51:05.720 call came through and the general manager at the time, 2247 01:51:06.319 --> 01:51:08.920 Steve Pastorino John Allinger, was kind of making most of 2248 01:51:08.920 --> 01:51:13.600 the decisions, but John Ellinger informed the staff that Scott 2249 01:51:13.640 --> 01:51:17.399 Garlic was retiring from Major League soccer because he got 2250 01:51:17.439 --> 01:51:20.920 a good job in real estate. And I can remember 2251 01:51:20.920 --> 01:51:23.159 thinking like, Okay, this is not the NBA, this is 2252 01:51:23.159 --> 01:51:25.000 not the NFL. This is a different league. If you're 2253 01:51:25.079 --> 01:51:27.439 starting keeper who had won the job and was under 2254 01:51:27.439 --> 01:51:31.439 contract and probably had three or four years left to play, 2255 01:51:32.079 --> 01:51:34.720 decided he was retiring from soccer because he wanted to 2256 01:51:34.760 --> 01:51:37.880 pursue real estate. This is a different thing altogether. So 2257 01:51:38.039 --> 01:51:42.520 John Ellinger, to his credit, had to scramble and he 2258 01:51:42.680 --> 01:51:45.920 calls New York and as the story goes, New York 2259 01:51:46.079 --> 01:51:48.640 I believe gave John the choice between two keepers, and 2260 01:51:48.760 --> 01:51:51.560 Nick was one of them, and John said, just send 2261 01:51:51.640 --> 01:51:54.279 Nick back to us and let's see what we can 2262 01:51:54.319 --> 01:51:59.119 do with that. And the deal again for Romando, was 2263 01:51:59.159 --> 01:52:03.039 made to acquire Freddie Adue, who was thought to be 2264 01:52:03.079 --> 01:52:05.479 the future of American soccer. He was a teenage kid 2265 01:52:05.520 --> 01:52:08.039 when he was receiving national team call ups. And Freddie 2266 01:52:08.039 --> 01:52:11.600 had played for John Ellinger at the Bradenton Academy with 2267 01:52:11.720 --> 01:52:15.479 the developmental program for the national team. So the attention 2268 01:52:16.039 --> 01:52:19.880 in that transaction was on Freddie and not Nick. Nick 2269 01:52:19.960 --> 01:52:21.800 was kind of a throw in, and then they had 2270 01:52:21.800 --> 01:52:24.359 to panic to get Nick back because our keeper retired. 2271 01:52:25.239 --> 01:52:27.520 They made Nick the number one overall keeper in two 2272 01:52:27.520 --> 01:52:29.600 thousand and seven and all he did after that was 2273 01:52:29.680 --> 01:52:33.680 go on to break every record that MLS has for keepers. 2274 01:52:34.279 --> 01:52:37.159 So pretty phenomenal story and Nick deserves a lot of 2275 01:52:37.199 --> 01:52:40.000 credit because obviously RSL went on to win MLS Cup 2276 01:52:40.680 --> 01:52:43.199 in two thousand and nine. They went onto a CONCACAFF 2277 01:52:43.319 --> 01:52:47.399 Champions Final, almost becoming the first MLS team to win 2278 01:52:47.439 --> 01:52:50.720 the CONCACAFF Champions League, and then nearly won a Cup 2279 01:52:50.760 --> 01:52:53.920 again but lost to KC in the final. And then 2280 01:52:54.000 --> 01:52:58.399 Nick played through twenty nineteen, so played another five years 2281 01:52:58.399 --> 01:53:01.479 after that and will go down as one of, if 2282 01:53:01.520 --> 01:53:03.159 not the best keeper in the history of this league 2283 01:53:03.159 --> 01:53:07.600 and certainly a legend for RSL. Utah Football picked up 2284 01:53:07.640 --> 01:53:10.520 a transfer today. His name is Dylan Battle. He's a 2285 01:53:10.520 --> 01:53:17.800 defensive lineman who transferred to Utah from LSU. A cool 2286 01:53:17.880 --> 01:53:21.279 six two three twenty. What would be like to be 2287 01:53:21.359 --> 01:53:24.880 six two three twenty. That is a massive, massive human. 2288 01:53:25.039 --> 01:53:32.880 That's what you call a dude. Yeah, sec experience obviously 2289 01:53:32.920 --> 01:53:36.399 got the size, got the got the measurements to play 2290 01:53:36.479 --> 01:53:39.920 de tackle. But when you get a player like that 2291 01:53:40.079 --> 01:53:44.000 at Utah, it's at least the ceiling is there. You 2292 01:53:44.039 --> 01:53:46.399 never know what you're gonna get. The transfer stuff, you know, 2293 01:53:47.760 --> 01:53:51.840 sometimes is hit or miss, but the potential the ceiling 2294 01:53:51.920 --> 01:53:53.399 is is obviously going to be there. A kid that 2295 01:53:53.479 --> 01:53:56.279 was pretty highly recruited, played at an SEC school and 2296 01:53:56.319 --> 01:53:59.840 now transferring to Utah where well, I don't know if 2297 01:53:59.840 --> 01:54:03.560 you've heard they had some changes that de tackle the offseason. 2298 01:54:04.279 --> 01:54:06.199 Porter, You know me, all I want is dudes who 2299 01:54:06.279 --> 01:54:10.600 love ball. That's all I want. Found dudes, dudes who 2300 01:54:10.600 --> 01:54:12.960 love ball. Just bring me all the dudes who love ball, 2301 01:54:13.039 --> 01:54:13.960 and we're ready to roll. 2302 01:54:14.239 --> 01:54:15.119 Get Yogi on the show. 2303 01:54:15.239 --> 01:54:17.119 Do it? Oh, you know what we should? Yogi released 2304 01:54:17.159 --> 01:54:19.760 a really cool video on Cameron on Cam Rising yesterday, 2305 01:54:19.760 --> 01:54:21.960 and Yogi has known Cam since he was a high 2306 01:54:21.960 --> 01:54:24.920 school quarterback with his Elite eleven ties. It'd be funny 2307 01:54:24.960 --> 01:54:28.760 catch up with Yogi, all right, Porter, Ryan Smith is 2308 01:54:28.800 --> 01:54:32.720 taking a massive risk. You ready to hear? Why? Yes? 2309 01:54:33.399 --> 01:54:36.199 So we know now who the Jazz rep will be 2310 01:54:36.439 --> 01:54:38.760 at the NBA Draft lottery coming up on Monday of 2311 01:54:38.800 --> 01:54:42.920 next week. Thurle not Big T would be a good 2312 01:54:42.920 --> 01:54:44.960 call with Big wasn't T there last year? I think so? 2313 01:54:45.239 --> 01:54:48.319 And then the Jazz moved down. Yeah, sorry Thurle, Sorry 2314 01:54:48.319 --> 01:54:52.479 t our guy. Reminder coming up on Monday, we are 2315 01:54:52.520 --> 01:54:54.720 going to say good night just to sco Shirley, just 2316 01:54:54.760 --> 01:54:55.159 to scoach. 2317 01:54:56.000 --> 01:54:56.960 That's a unit measurement. 2318 01:54:57.000 --> 01:54:59.479 It is a unit of measurement. It's applicable for this conversation. 2319 01:54:59.560 --> 01:55:01.920 And we will bring you the NBA Draft Lottery live 2320 01:55:03.079 --> 01:55:06.760 and representing the Utah Jazz will be none other than 2321 01:55:06.800 --> 01:55:13.760 Ashley Smith, Oh, Ryan's wife. Okay, here's the risk. What 2322 01:55:13.840 --> 01:55:17.239 if Ryan asks Ashley to rep the Jazz and they 2323 01:55:17.279 --> 01:55:20.600 move down all the way to five right, That's not 2324 01:55:20.720 --> 01:55:22.800 going to be a very happy household. Ryan and Rii's 2325 01:55:22.840 --> 01:55:24.800 my guy. A couple guys in their forties that throw 2326 01:55:24.840 --> 01:55:28.399 the hat on backwards. Okay, riise my guy. But I 2327 01:55:28.520 --> 01:55:30.880 view that as a massive risk. Now, the reward is 2328 01:55:32.079 --> 01:55:35.640 Jazz get number one overall, happy wife, happy life, as 2329 01:55:35.680 --> 01:55:39.319 they say, The risk is they fall. Good luck, dude, 2330 01:55:39.359 --> 01:55:40.000 good luck at home. 2331 01:55:40.279 --> 01:55:42.760 You're putting expectations now on Ashley. 2332 01:55:42.880 --> 01:55:45.000 I'm just saying it's a risk for Ryan to do that. 2333 01:55:45.079 --> 01:55:48.560 You are, you know, maybe trying to get some brownie points. 2334 01:55:48.600 --> 01:55:55.880 Maybe it's it's Mother's Day, I think, so you're trying 2335 01:55:55.880 --> 01:55:59.239 to play that card. But if it doesn't go well, 2336 01:56:01.000 --> 01:56:02.800 you're putting a lot of weight on the shoulders of 2337 01:56:02.800 --> 01:56:03.720 your wife there. 2338 01:56:03.720 --> 01:56:06.239 That's what I'm saying. So hopefully it works out. So 2339 01:56:06.359 --> 01:56:10.439 the Jazz rep will be Ashley Smith coming up for 2340 01:56:10.520 --> 01:56:13.399 the draft lottery on Monday of next week and we 2341 01:56:13.439 --> 01:56:16.800 will bring that to you live. All right, Porter, that's it. 2342 01:56:17.000 --> 01:56:19.359 I'm done. I'm out. I've had enough. No more where 2343 01:56:19.399 --> 01:56:22.439 you're going. I'm going to play golf in Saint George. Okay, 2344 01:56:22.840 --> 01:56:26.760 I'll be back on Monday. But tomorrow, Scott Mitchell apparently 2345 01:56:26.920 --> 01:56:29.439 is hosting shows on the station for like seventy five 2346 01:56:29.479 --> 01:56:30.039 straight hours. 2347 01:56:30.079 --> 01:56:33.199 I think it's the Scott Mitchell Extravaganza, if you. 2348 01:56:33.119 --> 01:56:36.119 Will, Okay, so stay tuned for that. Scott Mitchell will 2349 01:56:36.159 --> 01:56:40.119 be hosting this program tomorrow. So I am going to 2350 01:56:40.159 --> 01:56:42.720 ask you to make sure that you hold the ford 2351 01:56:42.760 --> 01:56:44.479 down because Scott's got a lot of work to do. 2352 01:56:44.560 --> 01:56:46.520 So there's some pressure on you tomorrow, young man. Can 2353 01:56:46.600 --> 01:56:47.079 you handle it? 2354 01:56:47.920 --> 01:56:51.319 I relinquish any of that responsibility, sir. I just I 2355 01:56:51.520 --> 01:56:54.680 just I just got the knobs, you know, Okay, I 2356 01:56:54.720 --> 01:56:57.279 got the buttons. I got the knobs, all right. The 2357 01:56:57.359 --> 01:57:00.840 responsibility falls on the shoulders of one Scott Mitchell in 2358 01:57:00.880 --> 01:57:01.520 Broadway media. 2359 01:57:01.600 --> 01:57:03.960 All right, well they're Broad's shoulders. But if Scott needs 2360 01:57:03.960 --> 01:57:05.840 a nap, you might have to just cover five DA 2361 01:57:05.840 --> 01:57:06.720 eight minutes of air time. 2362 01:57:06.800 --> 01:57:08.840 I got it, Okay, I got it. Scott will be here, 2363 01:57:08.880 --> 01:57:11.039 but I'll be I'll be ready to go. I'll be 2364 01:57:11.079 --> 01:57:11.960 in tow all right. 2365 01:57:12.000 --> 01:57:14.000 So I'm out tomorrow, gonna go play little golf in 2366 01:57:14.079 --> 01:57:16.319 Saint George where the weather is supposed to be phenomenal, 2367 01:57:16.319 --> 01:57:18.720 so look forward to that. I'm not playing Black Desert. 2368 01:57:18.760 --> 01:57:21.760 So Patrick Manning, you are dead to me. That was hard. 2369 01:57:21.880 --> 01:57:22.800 Did he not text you back? 2370 01:57:23.119 --> 01:57:27.159 He did, but it was during the LPGA event, and 2371 01:57:27.239 --> 01:57:29.680 so he said, hey, lobby to attext tomorrow before noon. 2372 01:57:29.760 --> 01:57:32.359 Let me see what I can do. Lobbed the text 2373 01:57:32.920 --> 01:57:35.640 in your back. So, Patrick Manning, if you're listening, you 2374 01:57:35.760 --> 01:57:37.800 have a chance to be my best friend in the world. 2375 01:57:37.840 --> 01:57:40.039 But as of now, you're dead to me. Yeah, it's 2376 01:57:40.119 --> 01:57:44.039 kind of harsh. Busy guy with the LPGA stuff. 2377 01:57:44.079 --> 01:57:46.920 We're gonna get you on that course, all right sometimes. 2378 01:57:46.920 --> 01:57:48.760 So I'll be down in Saint George playing a little 2379 01:57:48.760 --> 01:57:51.600 golf over the weekend, I'll be back on Monday. But Porter, 2380 01:57:51.680 --> 01:57:54.039 what comes our way on a Friday edition of the program? 2381 01:57:54.119 --> 01:57:56.840 You going to the UNI course, I am playing. We're 2382 01:57:56.840 --> 01:57:59.199 going to mesquite Oh fun, We're gonna do a little 2383 01:57:59.199 --> 01:58:01.239 falcon Ridge, and then your boy might throw some cards 2384 01:58:01.279 --> 01:58:03.159 tomorrow night. You should. I will. 2385 01:58:04.479 --> 01:58:04.960 Sports. 2386 01:58:05.119 --> 01:58:07.000 I never bet on sports, but I can grind on 2387 01:58:07.039 --> 01:58:10.039 a blackjack table. I've played enough blackjack that I can 2388 01:58:10.079 --> 01:58:12.039 spend a couple of hours and then either go up 2389 01:58:12.159 --> 01:58:14.000 or down one hundred or couple hundred bucks and then 2390 01:58:14.039 --> 01:58:15.640 walk away. I'm not trying to get rich. I'm not 2391 01:58:15.640 --> 01:58:16.399 trying to lose money. 2392 01:58:16.439 --> 01:58:18.439 If you do bet on sports, use the provo CODESPN 2393 01:58:18.439 --> 01:58:19.159 seven hundred. 2394 01:58:19.079 --> 01:58:21.640 Ice pick get fifty dollars for a first five dollars. 2395 01:58:21.680 --> 01:58:23.720 Bet on a Friday with Scott Mitchell, of course, we'll 2396 01:58:23.720 --> 01:58:26.159 react to the retirement of one Cam Rising. We'll talk 2397 01:58:26.199 --> 01:58:29.600 some Utah spring football. Max Chadwick stops by the program 2398 01:58:29.640 --> 01:58:32.760 for that, Paul Pugmeyer will give us the latest at 2399 01:58:32.800 --> 01:58:37.039 the Truest Open, and Howard Beck for some NBA playoffs, 2400 01:58:37.039 --> 01:58:39.439 and I'm sure the remainder of the time will be 2401 01:58:39.479 --> 01:58:41.079 Scott and I kind of going back and forth on 2402 01:58:41.159 --> 01:58:46.720 Utah Football, NBA playoffs, whatever comes about on a Friday afternoon, 2403 01:58:46.760 --> 01:58:49.920 and then set you loose for the weekend. There you 2404 01:58:49.920 --> 01:58:50.880 on Mondays. 2405 01:58:50.560 --> 01:58:52.239 There you go. Thanks for holding the Ford down, and 2406 01:58:52.279 --> 01:58:54.560 we'll say good night. Special thank you today to Alex Schenzen, 2407 01:58:54.600 --> 01:58:57.399 the Belle Frasier, Todave mcminnimon, and to Nick Romando for 2408 01:58:57.399 --> 01:58:59.279 any of the sound you missed from the show. ESPN 2409 01:58:59.359 --> 01:59:02.920 seven hundred words dot com is our website. Download our 2410 01:59:02.960 --> 01:59:04.680 mobile app, Take us on the go. That's what I 2411 01:59:04.800 --> 01:59:06.720 use to listen to our radio station. You'll love it. 2412 01:59:06.960 --> 01:59:09.359 ESPN seven hundred app is free in the Google Play 2413 01:59:09.359 --> 01:59:11.680 Store of the App Store as well. Then, finally, for 2414 01:59:11.840 --> 01:59:14.640 what we do in our space every afternoon for four hours, 2415 01:59:14.720 --> 01:59:16.960 check out our podcast page. It's called The Drive with Spence. 2416 01:59:17.039 --> 01:59:20.840 Check it's that's available wherever you get your shows. Subscribe, rate, review, 2417 01:59:20.920 --> 01:59:22.600 say and nice things in the comments. Give us all 2418 01:59:22.640 --> 01:59:25.479 the stars. It actually does help. Reporter. I'm Spen saying, 2419 01:59:25.520 --> 01:59:27.760 and I have a great weekend. Give Scott and Porter 2420 01:59:27.840 --> 01:59:30.439 your attention coming up tomorrow. I'll be back on Monday. 2421 01:59:30.520 --> 01:59:32.239 Be good yourself, be good to each other so always 2422 01:59:32.239 --> 01:59:34.600 you can catch all the action right here on ESPN 2423 01:59:34.640 --> 01:59:36.279 seven hundred and ninety two and FFM. We are proud 2424 01:59:36.319 --> 01:59:38.640 to be part of utah's ESPN radio network.