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Welcome at Jay Drew of the Desert News. Jay, how
you living doing?
Speaker 2: Fantastic, good day to be alive.
Speaker 1: It's a great day to be alive. Attitude of gratitude,
love and appreciate that that that mentality here on our show. Jay,
what's been keeping you busy for the last forty eight hours?
What have you been writing about?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I've just been writing about the Pop Tarts Bowl
and got an interview with the guy from the Pop
Tarts Bowl, and just so I've been writing a little
bit about that, and and then of course, uh, you
know the kind of the aftermath of the Big twelve
championship game. So uh, those and then I did write
a little preview article of BYU basketball playing in Madison
Square Garden tonight. I'm not there obviously, Jackson Paynes there
for the Desert News. But so those are the main
topics for the last couple of days.
Speaker 1: Let's talk Pop Tart's Bowl. First, b YU gets the
maybe the consolation prize of college football head now to Orlando,
and BYU fans not happy that they're on the outside
looking in, but it's a nice consolation prize, and BYU
seems pretty excited about it. Coli seems excited about it.
Do you feel like the football team and players are
excited about it collectively? Do you think there could be
some opt outs within the BAU football program.
Speaker 2: Yeah, those are all good questions. We don't know a
lot other than what we heard, you know, Chase Roberts
and Parker Kingston Tanner Wall talk about immediately in the
aftermath of the game Saturday, and they all seem to
think that the locker room was still really well intact,
the culture was still there, and and of course things
could change over course of the next couple of weeks,
but and there may be some opt outs. Don't know,
you know, every every situation is different, every young man
is different. So I really don't know that, and I
don't expect any from listening to Georgia Tech coach Brint
Key kind of what he said as far as commitment
being a pillar of one of their one of the
pillars of their programs. So I hope there's no opt outs.
I think it'll be a really close competitive game if
both teams are intact from what they finished the season with.
So yeah, as far as HOLBA, you've players are treating it.
You know. The sense I get is that, you know,
if you talk to maybe an old guy like me,
I wouldn't want to be spending Christmas away from home
for the holidays. But I think these young guys, you know,
their family really a lot of their family is the
football team, so maybe that's a cool thing. It was
last year in San Antonio for a lot of them.
So I don't think there's a lot of heartburn from
the players about when this game is being played two
days after Christmas. And so from all I know, and
like I said, we haven't sat down with any players
since after the game. I think everybody's all in and
really excited to be playing in Orlando, a really good
weather place on you know.
Speaker 1: On the twenty seventh, Trevor Maddage I think, hopped on
the BA Sports Nation and said that this BA football
team and season is one of the best in BAA
football history and it's the best maybe even since the
nineteen eighty four National Championship season. Would you agree or
disagree with that?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd wholeheartedly agree. I you know, they you just
can't discount the fact they're in a power for a
conference right now, even back then in two in nineteen
eighty four, even in the Cotton Bowl year when they
only lost one game, this strength of schedule is more difficult.
That they've just gone through being in a power for
a conference, playing the number four team in the country twice.
So yeah, I would. I would tend to agree with
with Trevor. I think it's it's been very special. It's
even better than last year based on you know, the
quality of their losses and that they went to the
championship game. So yeah, I would buy into that as well.
I think it probably could be the most special season
since eighty four.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I can't wait to see what happens. It's a
good matchup Georgia Tech, not the matchup BAYU fans were
hoping for. Notre Dame ends up saying we are the
not so fighting We're the quitting Irish when it comes
down to it. The ad has stated look, and it
was the process that we had a problem with. It
was the fact that we were in until we weren't
at the end of it all. And if we had
started off you know, fifteen, sixteen, seventy to eighteenth or
what have you, and we were on the outside looking in,
we would have probably taken a different path. But we
were fooled. We were bamboozled issue, if you will, your thoughts,
your commentary on the Notre Dame situation.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they really did have the rug pulled out from
under them. I mean, what's the point of all these
ranking shows a weekly I know, I like to watch them.
I like to hear all the scuttle butter, the debate
and going back and forth, listening to what the chair
has to say and mocking what he has to say.
I think it's all good entertainment. So I know why
they do all the I'm sure they get good ratings
for ESPN, but I think there that's kind of a
copra is they lead everybody on. In fact, in a
way they basically told BYU, you know, hey, you're not in.
It doesn't matter, you know, if you're competitive in that
Big twelve championship game or not. You got to win
the game basically, or you're not in. I mean, I
think that was the sentiment going in based on everything
we got from those ranking shows. So I think that
process is Notre Dame probably has a beef with as
much as anything else is. They got their hopes up
too high. It's like a kid on Christmas morning who
thinks he's going to get a red wagon. What a
red flyer wagon? You know, I know I wanted one
and never got one, but you know, and then you
get up that day and you get a Hot Wheels
or something, so you know, you just they just got
like you said, bamboozle. They just got their their hopes.
And when you have your hopes crushed, when your dreams
are crushed, that's that's hard to deal with. So I
can I don't agree with them not playing in the
in the Bowl game, but I can understand it. Let's
put it that way.
Speaker 1: Jay Drew Desiret News here on ESPN, The Fan and
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seventy dollars off your first cleaning Jay. This BYU basketball
team in a good spot heading out to Madison Square.
Got you do a little preview of this game. I'm
sure you were on the zoom call with Ky thoughts commentary.
How do you see this game playing out tonight?
Speaker 2: Yeah? You know, I you know, you look at it
on paper. B Why you should win this game? They're
a more talented team than then Clemson. Clemson is has
a lot of balance, but no real superstars like BYU's
got arguably three superstars rob Rye, Aj Debontsa and Richie Saunders. Obviously,
Cannard Davis is also a very very good player, and
kebatatas we saw the other nights against col Baptist, is
an outstanding player. So by you should win this game.
You know, you just wonder if the bright lights of
Madison Square Garden will get to them. I don't think
they will. I think they when they played in Vegas
last month they kind of got that maybe out of
their system, and so I expect them to play well.
They've been playing well lately. There's a nagging a little
question about the backup point guard and who will play that,
And you know there are some issues. Let's not kid
you kid ourselves and say this is a perfect team yet.
But they're on the right trajectory and and you know,
I think everything's on course. You know, of course, maybe
three point shots don't fall or other things. I mean,
upsets do happen, but on paper, I think by you
should be able to take care of Clemson tonight.
Speaker 1: Yeah, let's hope. So they're on a nice run right now.
And their only losses to Yukon, and they were a
little bit they were a little bit shorthanded right in
that in that Yukon game. So BYU basketball is in
a good spot. BYU football in a good spot. They're donors, right,
the corporate sponsors. They're booing up BYU athletics in a
way that's never been seen before. And so the outlook
of BA athletics seems to be very optimistic. You have
Elder Holland, Elder Oaks, ras Ben, Elder benn Or, they're
showing up to the games, they're showing up to the events. Well,
give me your perspective on everything that's occurring down there
in Provo and the investment that is being made by
the the I mean, it's not from the church. It's
not from b YU as an institution, but they're supporting
the donors as they they go through this process.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I kind of touched on this a lot last
week when Klanney had the news conference to announce the extension.
Is that everybody's all in, you know, from the boosters
to the administration, you're assuming the Board of trustees, although
you know they they kind of have to rubber stamp
all this stuff. I know, I know they're not spending
tithing dollars. I'm not suggesting that, but everybody seems to
be all in on on boosting BYU athletics too, and
you know, to as high as it can go. And
and basically that's the resources are going to be there now.
I guess you know, you just don't want anybody to
get complacent. Colonie said he certainly won't h that he'll
redouble his efforts and so you know, moving forward, they
can't take anything for granted. Just because you get you know,
top dollar you're getting, maybe you have the money to
spend on guys like Texas Tech did, that doesn't still
guarantee success. You still have to put the chemistry together
and do all those other things. But yeah, right now,
you know, it's been said many times, it's a great
time to be a BYU fan because the major sports,
the marquee sports, the sports that pay the bills are
certainly in top ten, top fifteen in the nation. You
can't really ask for much more.
Speaker 1: Jay is the active nature of and the aggressive nature
of BYU Athletics and its donors. The reason why UTAH
is aggressively pursuing private equity through OTRO, the private equity
firm and receiving a sizable sum to stay competitive, stay
relevant here in the modern era. Give me your thoughts
on the recent news coming out of Salt Lake City.
Speaker 2: Yeah, my first blush would have thought, yeah, that's kind
of a reaction. You know, maybe not. I haven't read
up a lot on this. How much How long was
it in the works? How long has these a discussion
has been taking place? But obviously, you know, by you
would do the same thing. You can't expect your chief
rival to sit back and just you know, take the
body blows what's going on down south and not react
to it. Is this a direct reaction to that? Is
it a reaction to what's going on at Texas Tech?
I mean, we may never know, but it certainly they
certainly seem to be related. And like I just said,
if you know the University of Utah was doing some
innovative and creative fundraising, booster getting boosters, more involved, whatever,
you know, you would as a BYU fan, you would
expect them to do the same thing. So, uh, you know,
right now, I would say, all good, And uh you know,
it's certainly throughout college sports it's an arms race, and
and everybody wants a piece of it, including you know,
teams that have tasted that success in the past that
you know they're boss and their alumni are going to
want more of that in the future.
Speaker 1: Doesn't the state legislature have to approve something like this?
I know we're kind of in the initial foray into this,
but I thought the state legislator has to approve any
sort of action like this is as University of Utah
is a state run institution.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know how it all works together. Obviously,
Universy of Utah has a board of trustees and they
said today that they have approved it. I don't know
if they ran that by the state legislature first or not.
From a couple of tweets I've seen out there, maybe not.
There have been some legislators Dan. I think Dan McKay
was one of them. Not sure what area he represents,
but he said something about that on social media. So
I don't know. I'm just not an expert in that field,
but it would seem like they would have some people
in the know that would have greenlighted this or at
least gave, you know, preliminary approval for it to get
this far.
Speaker 1: Jay Drew des Red News A little Cougar Beat brought
to you by Bresa Cleaning Services. Bresa makes it a
breeze to keep your house clean, Jay, this modern era
of athletics, I've always said that BYU has one more
per dollar spent than any athletics apartment, any football program
in the country. From nineteen seventy two to present day,
I was chatting with Val Hell and Val told me
in two thousand Lavelle was making only two hundred thousand
dollars a year, which, you know, hey, that's a decent
sub but respective comparatively to the market, it was well
below market value. Would you agree with that assessment that
bya football is one more with less dollars spent up
to this point in its college football college athletics foray here.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I can't think of another institution off the top
of my head. Of course, we're close here, you know,
we've got that proximity bias, but so yeah, I mean
it is commendable what they've done. They've touched a butt
punched above their weight class for a long time. You know,
you look at the measurables. I guess you would look
at the Director's Cuplirfield Sports Director's Cup. I think it's
what they call it, where Byus finished in relation to
other power for schools, and even when they weren't power
for how high they would finish. There are other measurables
as well. But yeah, I can't think of another one.
In basketball, I would. I always think of Saint Mary's.
I always kind of wonder if you've ever been to
Maraga and just seen their facility and that's developed into
a national basketball program. I'm in the top twenty five
often and contending for conference championships, and what they've done
has certainly been commendable too. But on a whole scale,
total athletics department, I would say BYU's probably better than
most and maybe right near the top. It's not the
top as far as getting the most bang out of
their buck.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree with you there. It's kind of been
my feeling and assessment. So with that being said, Look,
I had a conversation with my dad about this, Like
the perception is, and I don't know if you have
to deal with this, the perception is that BYU and
the Church are funding the Boa Athletic Department. Like, and
I'm like, you know, when they see the new deal, right,
the new deal of Kilani and the REV share from
TV money and nil, you know, ten to fifty million,
nil then REV share and Kilanie's making nine and a
half million, they all think that the Church of the
Descritional Letter Saints are funding this. Do you have those
questions still to this day, even though you've probably tried
to clear them up in articles?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, for sure. It's just it's just always out there.
You know, the LDS Church is wealthy and all that,
and they don't People just don't understand that the athletic
department is is self you know, what's the word, yeah,
self sustaining exactly. So yeah, I get that once in
a while, probably from out of other beat writers that
I rubbed shoulders with as I'm out on the road
traveling and talking to them or about BYU, or when
I do the behind behind the enemy lines type stuff
with with people. Uh yeah, that's a common misconception that
I always try to clear up. But it does spring
up now and then quite often. It's pretty amazing. And uh,
you know, I know that b YU has made a
push publicly Kevin Shane Reeves and and Keith FOURTEENK and
others of trying to dispel that, and even Clark Gilbert
a lot on social media, but that that certainly that
perception still does exist. That's there's no question about it.
Speaker 1: Jay Drew des red News, Jay, what else you got
cooking for? What else you're gonna be publishing here? Surely
at the Dezerdnews dot com.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm kind of working on a regular season wrap
up piece of football, just kind of naming my you know,
MVP offensive defense of just kind of a what we
call a water cooler story where you know, just throw
out my ideas from who I think had great seasons,
who overperformed all that, and then let people kind of
weigh in on who they think we're the you know,
like Offensive Player of the Year for BYU and stuff
like that. Just kind of a regular season wrap up
as we kind of have this low between now and
the Bowl game.
Speaker 1: J Drew, Ladies and gentlemen, make your funnel on x
and reading all his content at the des Red News
Dezradnews dot com. Thanks so much, Jay, appreciate your time today.
Speaker 2: Okay, thank you for having me on.
Speaker 1: I'm always appreciated. Yep, always appreciate our time together. Jdrew
of the des Red News. Guys, the season to be giving.
Jay expressed his gratitude. Uh as he hopped onto our show.
We got to express our gratitude to those that are
in most need, an attitude of gratitude during the holiday season.
That's what it's all about. Uh tis the season to
be given. So let's give back to those that are
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brief time out. We'll be back well. Welcome in Jared Bledsoe,
former BAU wide receiver, to discuss what's cooking with the Cougars.
This is Cougar Sports. One of three nine nine eight
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