His Eye on the Ball with Steve Rovera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services Insure your most prized possessions.
Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to Eye on the Ball hero on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rovera in today. Is Tim Bentley becoming a regular? Tim? What's up with that?
I like this? This is good.
I mean I get to come in and we talked a little sports, a little cross country.
A little tracks country. I did that last time.
I'm slowly turning you all to the dark side over here. No, they you heard two weeks ago, I was two xs ago. You were on your way to the Breeders' Cup.
Yeah, yeah, and you were on your way to New York.
New York City. I went and watched the New York City Marathon.
How'd that go?
Vote for one thousand people?
Uh?
Nico Montanez, from sant Agustin Catholic High School, what, one of the top rated marathoners in the United States, did not have His best race finished at two twenty four two hours twenty four minutes, which is super fast, but he had been hoping to get close to two ten.
I met with them afterwards, he's disappointed.
But he has a path forward and is going to rally to the Houston half Marathon.
Are you The only thing I run to is the kitchen, So fourteen minutes, what would prevent that?
You know, It's New York City is a tough marathon anyway.
The renovation profile and the bridges and all that stuff can really beat you up, you know, but those athletes like you know, we talk a lot about these elite athletes in college and pros, these runners, and we have a ton of elite athletes runners that live here, Abdy
and Bernard that live here. You know, there's such fine tuned athletes, just like football players and baseball players and basketball players that an off day, you know, something wrong with your diet, or you know you're right out of your training cycle, you miss your training cycle by a couple of weeks, and you peak a little earlier, a little late. So it was an amazing experience. Fifty thousand people running. I know lots of my local runners ran the race. I saw several people pr and BQ bostin
qualifying time. So sounds of fun. How was the horse race? I'm sure you talked about.
It about it.
I had Bob Baffort on the show on Wednesday. He was fantastic. He was great. Saw him there on Friday, right before the locals had their race with the two year olds. Who that was the kind of preview of the Kentucky Derby for some horses from all over the world. So it was fun. It was a bucket list. Would I do it again? Yes? Would I do it differently?
Yes.
I couldn't tell you how because I don't know, but it was.
It was nice.
It was the weather was fantastic. Friday. Well, if you're in San Diego, right umar fantastic. You couldn't ask for more. Saturday it was a little cloudy, but it was still in San Diego, so you were fine. I'd do it again. I do it again. It was nice. About thirty five thousand people there. I did Friday.
I couldn't.
I couldn't pick my nose on Saturday, and I tried. I tried. I couldn't do anything on Saturday. Those are the big races.
Do you do you? How do you how do you bet the horses? What's your style?
Well, I'm a Nickel and Time guy. I win place and show, maybe go up to some try to pack. This Friday was good, not great, but good.
You know.
I was able to split for a hat with my winnings, you know, which is fine. I'll take a thirty five forty dollars win any day. Saturday was not that said. It was my horses were you know, fourth or fifth. It was nineteen to ones, thirty to ones. It was a big money day for people that were hitting further.
And that's not you.
I'm a chalk dude. If much shock comes in, I'm happy with it. I just got to get that shot.
Cards perfect us for me, I know. So, as my grandmother would say, you can't put a price on fun.
So yeah, that's it.
Yeah, and did well.
Yeah, yeah, so that was that was cool. So I'll do it again at some point. Well it did s back at dunbar at you, so I'm definitely nice. Yeah, yeah, so that's cool. Henry. You know, Henry, you're jue, sir one and done? What's going on? How are you doing good?
I miss I missed you last Friday.
Yes you damn.
I was kind of lost on a Friday.
You did you didn't know what to do. I don't know what to do from three to five last Friday, Yeah, you and yeah, sure, what it was there a football game? They were on the road. Yeah, they played bad. How bad was that?
Listen?
I was in New York City and I said, let me turn on this game, and I was. I was in my little hotel room, and then I turned it on and I turned it right off.
By that time they were down, it was already fifteen. So so we talked about this with you, Juan, because you you're writing about the games all the time. Any more evaluations from them. I still stick with my thoughts on what's going on. They just got to look to issue at this point. I don't no, no, no, no, But what do you think is going on in the team. There's something going on. You don't play like this for fight consecutive weeks without something going on.
Yeah.
I think we talked about last time. I didn't see the defeat in the right I saw it that Saturday.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think it's a little bit of a mixture of They're all pretty new to each other. This is the first this is the first quote unquote time playing with each other in real live action. So the trust level might not be there right with each other or the coaches with each other.
Yeah. See, And I still think there's a disconnect between the players and the coaches that it's uh And you know you're a coach, Tim. If the kids don't want to play for Tim Bentley, guess what? Or run for Tim? But guess what they're gonna do. They're not gonna run for Tim Bidley.
They're not gonna run if they're not gonna run. No, you can see.
You know, when when kids start to especially you know when we're talking about kids, when they start to get beat.
Up, you know, on a weekly basis, Man, it takes the fun out of it.
You're talking physically and mentally, yeah.
And emotionally, you know, and it's you know, they're they're not you know, yes, there's nil but I mean there's still eighteen, nineteen twenty year old kids and it's not fun.
I mean you can watch it and to your point and you can see it right in their eyes. It's not fun.
And it's a slog and they had to fly all the way to Florida to get their butts kicked like that. And you know, thank goodness there's a bye week because you know, nothing bad can happen this week, right, you cross your fingers.
Nothing bad.
I saw a post said Arizona or the bye week is favored against their.
Yeah, take the bye week. I think you need to make your money back.
Take ye, take the bye week plus one ten. I should do that. Yeah, no, that's funny, that's funny. Well, here's another chance to get healthy for whatever whatever. Uh, get ready for another game. It's just the last season. It just is, especially when you thought they're gonna go eight three if seven, you know, seven five whatever.
You were sitting here in August, I listened to Jac's talk about the you know what when when we're five and one.
Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Well that goes to show you you shouldn't do that.
I should have been laughing. I said the same thing too.
Yeah. Who didn't. I mean, I don't know anybody realistically said, uh, they're gonna go four to three or three or five and blah blah blah. No, no, no, I did say.
At the beginning, there was an article by Desert Swarm. My prediction said, or the expectations should be we should be satisfied with the bowl game.
It was two years ago. We were on losing that long losing streak, right, Okay, so.
If the season got to that, the fans should have been fine with the bowl game going to a bowl game.
Now, even if we if they if they made you.
You're still a student.
I'll give you they made a bowl game. I'm not sure how satisfied the fans would be.
Oh yeah, let me let me throw this theory at you, and I think it's okay for me to say talk about this. So you're you're Brent Brennan. You come on the scene for the first time. You did fairly, fairly well at the Santurse State mediocreally well if that's a phrase. Okay, So you come here, your dream job, and you have this potential with some pretty good players, not all, but some. A good group, right, a good group. So now you're tasked to keep them, try to keep the best guys
you can. You know you're gonna lose some what you did, but you have Noah, and you have t Mac, and you have some other ones that you're you're you're almost desperately trying to keep them and keep the core group playing. Okay, So now he did that, He did that, and the expectations remained the same or if not more. Whatever from Austria do you think it may have been a beneficial This is I know people are going to say I'm full of it and I'm okay with that. They've done
that before. Let's assume for a second Brennan does not get these guys and he's going through what he's going through. Now, it'd be fine because you kind of expected it, right, would he have been better off?
You know a lot of times when new coaches come in there following somebody who really screwed up.
You know, that's a place most of the time, most of the time.
So so he's coming in off off of a high our coach went, you know, gets recruited up up the chain. So he's not entering bad expectations. So that's against him.
You know who's that, Brennan?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So there's you know, so he's not entering it's where he has to rebuild. Everybody's like, we're already built. Let's go.
But people were they they were built, but maybe not to the extreme that people thought.
Right, well, but the expectations after the season, let's go, Let's assume that everything to good place. We're ready to go, whereas it probably was a little bit more of a rebuilding season or.
A restocking season where I have.
A little downtime and so one game after another loses and it's you know, from last year to this year. People are like, that's not good, let's get him out of here, when it's really he should be given the same expectations as a as a as a new coach come in to a to a rough or a flat.
You be are you being I was gonna say, are you being kind to? So I'm gonna say, are you gonna ask are you being kind? Realistic or what are you being? In that statement?
Well, I think I'm being kind because the expectations were high. Sure, you know, I'm unfairly a little bit. I think for him, I think a little unfairly, you know. I mean look at the uvased track record. I mean the year before one just said, you know, we were yeah, so so is it a My feeling was he should have been given you know, this year to his in print, but we didn't give him that with expectations what you know, Bowl game eight and three, nine and two.
Yeah, And he came in at a bad time, I mean right before recruiting or right during recruiting, and he couldn't get any of his guys, and we don't even know how good those guys are going to be moving forward, because Tim, you're a you're a three star, four star guy in Kalamazoo and you're thinking about Arizona. They're three and five? You want to come here? When you when after initially after saying I want to go there, but now you're seeing this and you're thinking, what are you thinking?
And do you I don't know, I mean maybe here, but was was was Brian recruiting those guys in California at his other place and they're like they're.
Well they're not. No, Well that's the whole thing want and you you know this, Are they Arizona good? Or they Satose Stay good? Or are they are they Utah good? You know what I'm saying, there's always that good. It's like it's the kid from the South Point. Who's the kid from south Point Atlanta? Everyone said, oh he's so is he Arizona good? No, he's Texas good. You know what I'm saying, He's not gonna come here. He's Texas good? Why would you come here?
Right?
So now it's well, sounds a state good or Arizona good? Am I saying anything that you haven't already heard.
I mean, there's just that expectation going into the season of Yes, he was he was given the expectations unfairly, but I feel like the team wasn't.
As a whole. I feel like a lot of the players have underperformed.
Sure, I totally agree, totally.
Regardless of play calling, who you are going up against, play play design, whatever, They've been playing this their whole.
Life, so so the criticism and I'm not I'm not going to alibi anybody. They make a lot more money than me. They don't need my alibi. So you have these plays, whether they're whether they're crazy plays or just dink and dunk plays or just mundane plays. They're not even doing those well. But wouldn't you think because of the athletes they have, they should be doing those well, even the simplest plays.
Yeah, to your point, the execution, the fire is not there. It's Lackaday's aical. They're they're not really excited. You can just see it on the field. They're not. And then you know when when they drop a pass or it's a miss, put their head down, walk back.
They don't seem fired up.
Right, And that's why. That's why I say there's a disconnect between the players and the coaches because if you if you're on these kids as a coach, you have parents you had. If they're on you, you put your clothes away, hang your clothes out, blah blah blah. How many times you need to hear that? Make it happen? Tim? You you you employ people? Hey, can you get this corrected? Son? Or can you get this corrected? Betty? You know what I'm saying.
Yeah, they need to be on a ninety day work plans?
Well just what they are? No, No, Tim, Tim, good point. Let me tell you August, September, October, November, December. That's one hundred and fifty day plan. Because now they're getting paid. It's like what do you call that? The not fur little but it's called the probation. When you hire somebody, you get six months or three months. That's what they're doing. Because guess what if they don't like it, guess what they're gonna do. Boom they're gonna go.
I think you're gonna see a lot of people leave.
Oh, there's no, I have no doubt about that.
I mean I really think that you know, with these kids, even a few dollars, there's a lot of money and they're looking at one eye.
What's over there? Where's the grass green? Where can I play?
I gotta get out of here. This wasn't my coach, This wasn't my guy. And now we like, like Tad Prescott says.
We.
Said no, no, no, And I've said this with you, just said elaradly this week. He's not my coach, he's not my guy. He didn't bring me here. What do I need to prove to him?
You know? Right?
You know, when kids used to have to stay three years or you know it's a four year, transferring was hard, you know, and now that it's you know, it's it's like open enrollment. You can go wherever you want and you can you know, you can get fifth, sixth year, you know, exemption and you can go and these kids.
But that might be good.
You know.
Then it's his team and it's his guys, and he can say, look, this is what I'm building.
We've got to go. We'll talk more about this. We'll talk more about this, and we'll actually talk to it with Justin Spears will be on the show here on the other side of.
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that's at Tucson Business Networking dot Com Slash Conference. Hey, welcome back to win the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Si Rivera in with me today is Tim Bentley? Get one with us on the boards Now we have Justin Spears from the Arizona Daily Star.
Justin.
How are you? Can you hear me?
Yeah?
Hey? How are you good? To talk to you?
Justin?
Not much? How are you? Are you busy and busy? How was the week off for you? Or not week off? But at least the bye week?
Not not really a week off? Still still got some bye week stories that I'm tackling right now. I'm actually doing a story looking at the transfers who left Arizona and seeing how some of these guys are doing. And you know, for some hey, it turned out well for them, but for many players, the grass a always dream on
the other side, and they certainly found that out. So yeah, still staying busy during the bye week, and yeah, then we'll get cranking on Monday for what is Houston Week aca A the Kevin summon Bull.
So let me ask you if I could real quick, because you did that story. Is there a story coming up or is it already published for the transfers.
Oh, I'm putting it out right now. Okay, story some of the stories that I have been working on. It's just kind of like what Brent and Brennan discussed during his Monday press conference. I've also you know, I'm taking a look at some of the guys that they have committed for twenty twenty five. The coaching staff right now is on the road. They're going all over the country.
They're going to Texas, they're going to California, they're going into some other states, just trying to you know, check in with the twenty twenty five recruiting class, which you know, I know Arizona fans don't want to hear about it because you know, they are so disappointed with this year's team. But you know, even though they are struggling, Arizona does have a top five recruiting class in the Big Twelve, which ranks just inside the top forty. So recruiting wise,
Arizona's got some really good prospects coming in now. The thing is, as we're approaching the month of December here, when you got the early signing period coming up, you know you're going to have to really hold off on hold off the other schools that are going to be
trying to poach some of these recruits. You know, we've seen in many years past teams come in right at the finish line, they make an offer that the player just simply can't refuse, and then they end up jumping ships super late, even when this kid has been committed
to Arizona since the summertime. So they just want to make sure that the recruiting class stays intact, and they're going out across the country and visiting the current commits while also looking at, you know, some guys that they could possibly add as well.
Hey, justin this is this is Tim Bentley, good to talk to you. I have a question, you talk about recruiting out in the field, what do you see the coaches have to do in this day and age of the NIL to recruit on their own team?
Are there are those coaches doing anything to keep some of those players?
Who?
Do you see them making run on our own team to make sure that they don't jump ship at the end?
Yeah?
No, that that that's honestly a really good question.
Uh.
And that's something that college coaches got to deal with every single season. You know, even Jetfish if he was still the head coach at Arizona, that would have been something that he had to worry out when he was here. Is you know, players or teams coming up to his players and making some pretty sweet NIL deals. You know, we saw that with Dorian Singer.
You know.
I talked to Caleb Williams who's now playing for Chicago Bears, and I talked to him at Paktwell Media day last year and I asked them like, is you know what made Dorian Singer the you know, the player that you wanted to come to USC And he said, well, when we played against Arizona down in Tucson and he was just going off on us. You know, I kind of looked over at one of my assistant coaches and said, hey,
we're gonna go after this guy. And and like I think he Williams was like obviously joking, But I think there is a little some truth to a scenario like that, where you know, teams that have deeper pockets can you know, go get after players and pretty much force them to jump ship. And then you know, of course, you know with revenue sharing and and the way that the rosters
are going to be changing here in the near future. Yeah, that's something that Brent and Brennan has to worry about, is, you know, can he keep some of the players that he has on his roster right now? Can he keep them for next year? Because you know, even though Arizona struggling this year, they have some really good players, right, like Genesis Smith. I think that the defensive back that you have to keep on your team with Trade and
Stokes at Gunnarmalonado. You know, those guys have only played four games this year, so they could red shirt and come back for another season and preserve another year of eligible. But the thing is, like those guys I think are different Cats. I think that those guys are probably gonna stay at Arizona rather than jump ship. But you know, there's a lot of players right now that could be thinking, you know what, this coaching staff ain't what it cracked
up to be. And I think I'm ready to move forward. But you also have to worry about you know, like I said earlier, you know, the grass ain't always greener
on the other side. You know, I'm looking at, you know, some players that jump ship last year and they're not doing as well as maybe they would have that they stayed at Arizona right Like I'm looking at, for instance, Jacob Kendeica, a defensive tackle who is a pretty key contributor to Arizona over the last couple of years, and honestly, he could be starting right now for the Wildcat but he's only got to think, like six tackles in just a few games this year, had not really been you know,
as key of a contributor as the key contributors that we thought he would. But I think that Arizona right now, they have some really good players that they have to keep moving forward and I think they will.
Now.
The fortunate part for the coaching staff that is currently in place, is that they have the opportunity to go into the transfer portal and really address some of the issues like the offensive and defensive line. You know, Arizona lost nine scholarship defensive linemen last year. That's really tough to replace. And heck, even the two you know, three hundred pounders that they have in the middle, and Isaiah Johnson and Shruba May you know, those guys have really
been in and out of the lineup. So Arizona's lost a lot of size on the defensive line. They need to go in and get you know, some size up front on there. And then you know, offensive line. No one expected Raymond Pledo to step away for personal reasons. No one expected lath Magnuson to be out for the season with concussion. You know, right on, Tapato Tai was supposed to be like a backup tackle. It was supposed to be groomed by Jonas Savi and Aya and also
ring the Polito. But then he's thrust it into this leadership position and he's actually not doing so bad, and the next thing you know, he's suffering a season ending leg injury. So now you got to shuffle the deck. You got to put big Jonah over on the other side. You got to bring in Michael Wooten, a transfer from Oregon who's just really isn't ready right now, but hey, you got to get baptized by fire man. There's you got to be able to develop under the live bullets.
And right now, that's what Michael Woten is doing, and that's what Arizona's doing. You're starting to see it.
Right No.
Fafida is pressured a lot. He's got to, you know, get the ball out quick, but he can't because receivers can't get open and the protection is not as good as it was last year. And so you look at you know, Arizona losing and you know they're just simply
just getting bullied on the offensive a defensive line. Now, going back to my original point about the first transfer portal wave, that's when you can really get those caliber players, like those high caliber offensive defensive linemen, because there's so few of them in the portal and the coaching staff last year they got here after that first wave. They got it after it was closed, and the only players that they could get were the players that were affected
by the Nick Saban coaching chain. You know, the the Washington's of the world, the San Jose States, Right, So it was slim pickings for Arizona and you can't get really good offensive defensive linemen during that time. So I think now that they're here for that first period, they're going to be able to really go after some high quality linemen on both offense and defense.
Hey, justin you know, you're talking about you know, some some future wins. What can we do for next year? Already we're looking ahead, like what are we doing in the portal? What does this team need to do other outside of beating ASU to end then the season on a high note and make sure sure that the fans are staying engaged.
What can they do? What can the team do outside of beating ASU?
Well, I think ASU is priority number one because as much as Arizona fans probably disagree with me, you know, ask them about that twenty sixteen season. Do they remember Arizona going three to nine or they do they remember Arizona beating ASU in the Territorial Cup and running every single play in the second half. They probably remember the latter part. They don't remember that got awful three and
nine to you. So I think ASU is priority number one beating them, And you know what, if you can somehow in the process of beating ASU, you can get to a bowl game. Because right now it's do or die time for Arizona. You know, they have three opportunities to get three wins, and if they get a lost, then they're not going bowling. But I think if you can win that last game, you can somewhat restore the good vibes. But I think right now they got to figure out a way to get to a bowl game.
But I'm not optimistic. You know. I thought maybe they could do it against West Virginia, which was also struggling. Maybe they could do it to UCF, which was using their fourth quarterback, their fourth starting quarterback of the season, and then you know, he ends up throwing for how many yards I forgot it was, but you know, and also had a couple of big runs too, and UCF just had their way running the ball with r. J. Harvey.
You know, I thought that, you know, there were some opportunities for Arizona to find their mojo and get things back on the winning track, but that has not been the case. And I think a big part of it has to do with the injuries on defense and offense, also dealing with a couple of injuries, and and also you know the running back situation too. You know, no one expected Jacory Krosky marrit to be dealing with eligibility issues.
No one thought that ray Shawn Speedy Luke would be red shirting and being out for the year after four games. And so your top or I wouldn't say top two, but two very important running backs that are part of that rotation they're not available now. So Arizona's been kind of dealt a very difficult hand, like it's a it's a hard hand to come out of, man, But like, I really feel like this team right now, with the leadership of no Fafita and Tenor Roll McMillan, like they're
not dead in the water just yet. You know, even when Arizona was, you know, down by five or six touchdowns against UCF, you could see the two leaders and noahen Tmac, they were fully engaged on the sidelines on the tablets, studying the plays and doing all that. So I think, you know, by week we'll do this team
some good. You know, I don't know how we're going to see them look against a really tough Houston team, because you know, while Houston is is down this year, they're also really well coached and they play tough and heck, they almost went to Oklahoma and pulled out a win early in the year, So you know, this is not gonna be a total pushover. Like, this is still gonna
be a tough game for Arizona. And on top of that, like how many people are going to show up to this game because judging Twitter and looking at the timeline of that game on against Houston on the same night as the road basketball game against Wisconsin, like, there's not gonna be many people there. It's also on a Friday night too, so you've got high school football playoffs going on in southern Arizona. There's other things to do on a Friday night than to, you know, potentially waste your
money and watch Arizona get smacked around. So yeah, I really don't think that there's gonna be a lot of
people at this game coming up here on Friday. But you know, the Wildcats need to do whatever they can to figure out a way to win because that game against TCU on the road, even though TCU is a little bit down this year, like that is still going to be a really hard game on the road, but right now it's one week at a time, which is a total cliche, but you know that's where Arizona's at right now, because yeah, if they again, uh, they're going
to be not going to the postseason. But yeah, I think priority number one, you know, is win against Houston, win against TCU. If you lose either of those things, your priority shift just beating Agacy for the Territorial Cup.
So let me make an observation justin real quick, because you know, you know, are kind of close not kind of close competitors in a sense, but not really You're like in your five of your profession, right, pretty much of your of your real world.
Deals in your adult life.
Yeah, about five years, let's say five years probably pretty much, right, You're like twenty eight, twenty nine, maybe seven, how how many years? Let me try to make it my point, So so you have a good advantage of well, I don't want to couch this thing. So I was here doing this in the paper business for like twenty three twenty four years. I never had to cover a losing, losing team. Even now I can't remember losing team. Maybe the tough tennis for the Sean Miller times and maybe
the loot End years. But I think that this year has kind of benefited you because you've had to become a better reporter. I don't. I'm just assuming because these are tough times. So now you have to be asking tough questions you around the guys that you have to be. For me, it was easy. Hell, I you know, how was the win? Today's coach? You know whatever? You know what I'm saying, you're probably better than than what what many think because because tough times, you have to ask
tough questions. Did you did you? Did you tough questions?
Did you that question.
You cut out there at the last part?
Oh yeah, no no. So I'm sure that this whole year has kind of made you better at what you're doing. Oh.
Absolutely. And you know it's even last year. You know, I was dealt with a little bit of a verby because the whole Jaden DeLaura situation. Right, so you know I'm coming, I'm coming through court documents and doing all that. I'm like, okay, you're one of the beat Like here we go going through, uh, you know, court documents for a sexual assault case. And then it went into the season.
Like I look at really the last year or so year plus in the calendar year and think about, like how much I've had to do as a reporter covering Arizona football between you know, the spring ball, preseason, training camp, Jaden Dolora's case, the season itself, the really the transition between Dayden Delora and Noah Fafida, right, because Jed wouldn't just come out and say that Noah was the starter, but we so we had to keep acting like what's
the quarterback situation? And he never really acknowledged it, but just kind of let it organically happen. And then no Fafida became the starter and then they went on the winning streak and everything was all great, and then you know, I get a phone call from an agency saying that, yeah, Jeff Fish is entertaining offers and you know he's looking
at maybe going to the NFL. I know that the Tennessee Titans are interested in potentially adding here, and hey, this Washington thing is legit, like they are really serious in Jed. And then in just a couple of days, Jeff Fish is the head coach in Washington. And then they started the coaching search and all that and that really benefited my career. And then next thing, you know, you know, Brent Brennan be able to keep Temac and No Facida and a lot of these starters to come back,
and you think, hey, the vibes are good. You know, they have a really good team. They have the nucleus of players that took them to ten wins last year in the Alamo Bowl. Like maybe the Brent Brennan Arrow will get off to a great start and they can have another magical year. And then, like I said, that bad hand that they were delves just has contributed to
what has been a really disappointing season. And you know, you do have to ask those tough questions because you know, I hear Arizona fan I understand their observations and everything like that. So you know, I got to ask about, you know, what the offensive identity right now? What's the deal with the long developing plays? You know, why are you guys struggling right now? Why are you guys failing
to score points during this time? Like it it's really hard, and you know I know that the coaching staff, you know, they don't want to be in this position right now. Peck I don't want to be asking why Arizona stuck every single week, right, Like, I love writing the stories about the Polynesian influence on Arizona football. You know, I'm writing a story this weekend about Genesis Smith and his
foundation around the Holidays that he's creating. You know, I do like writing about the the players on the team because I think there are a lot of great stories. But yeah, no doubt about it, Steve, Like, this year has really helped me grow as far as writing about the struggles and the hard times, because you know, that's the unique part about sports is yeah, there's a lot of winning, but you know what, there's also going to come to stretch where there's also some losing too, and
and how you want to navigate through that. That's definitely something that's been interesting.
Hey, justin quick question, you talk about tough times and struggling. You know we're talking about specifically with on the football team. Is the tough times in the athletic department overall budget and turmoil there is that affecting this team? And is it Is it coming down from the top and making things awkward for the team and tough for the team?
Uh?
No, I would I wouldn't say that. I know that some Arizona fans are you know, over here talking about, like how can Arizona figure out a way to let go of Brent Brennan, which is just not realistic, you know, with his buyout money, the fact that Arizona has to pay two athletic directors, the fact that the university has to pay two presidents. Like there's there's just a lot of uh financial kink that's going on right now with
with Arizona and and also the athletic department. You know, but I think that you know, they've stopped everything that I've heard from Brent Brennan that Desree refrancois the new a D. She's doing a really great job of getting together a revenue sharing model because you know, with that that case, that settlement that just happened with the MC double A, now there's gonna be revenue sharing in collegiate sports and each school is going to get roughly, you know,
twenty two million dollars. And so you have revenue sharing, you know, but how can you also you know, boost up your your nil And she recently just hired Bud Sasser, who came over from Missouri was actually a former Missouri Tiger football player who was supposed to play in the NFL but had I think like a heart condition or
something like that that kept him from playing. But you know, he specializes in contracts, he specializes in the money, the money side of collegiate athletics, and and she just hired him to help out with NIL and also revenue sharing. So there's a plan in place. You know, Arizona's trying to make sure that they stay afloat and they stay they keep up with the Joneses when it comes with
you know, college athletics and college money. But you know, at the end of the day, there are just there are certain programs that just have deeper pockets that Arizona just can't compete with. And these coaches know that. Now he is just to find that the players that are willing to I guess not play for the largest paycheck, but also you know kind of keep their eyes on the prize and come down to Tucson and train practice
and become an NFL player. It's a weird time in college sports because you know, what does an athlete value. Does he value the paycheck or does he value what he's ultimately playing this sport for well.
We know the answer to that.
We do it.
Yeah, be sure to ask the Daily Star for more nil money for you just because you are who you are.
Thank you very much, justin thank you, justin you need to raise Yes, well done.
Yeah man, I need rivera money, bro.
You'll be living in the right like living larger.
Justin thank you, thank you, justin appreciate it. Andy, we got to go. We're way over, so let's come back. If you're an Arizona Man's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for newly forty years. Now. Take a look back at the Ludolsen era in my new book, Lessons from Loot. It was a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them, competed against them, and inspired them twenty five chapters for
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Breaking down all the xys and ohs. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Blox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to wyn the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. You're Tim Bentley. Got one with us today. So a lot of the stuff that Justin kind of was talking about was exactly what we were kind of talking about, especially the transfers. I said this with coach Lopez yesterday. The kids who transferred during the loot time, and that's the team, the team I know wish they had not transferred because their success was not very good somewhere else, thinking that more time
would make them better. Well, here you'd stay and develop, you play against better players and you become pros down the road. But kids today, I'm sure kids twenty years ago want it now.
They want it now, you know.
And we've been talking about coaches, and you know we're talking about San Jose Goad Texas.
Good is.
You know, people wanted to play for Luke because they knew that they were gonna be good, They're gonna play in big games, are going to.
Be on TV.
You know, so those folks that left, you know, obviously didn't get the benefit of loot. I wonder about these kids, you know, do they not see that in this coach?
Is this?
Do I need to hook myself to this guy? Or can I go someplace else?
Because you know his story justin story is going to be about the kids that left and then they're not doing as well. But I guarantee you every one of these kids that leaves thinks, well, that's not me. That's not going to happen to me.
Right well, kind of like everything else with me, I'm in denial of my health. I'm denal my of my abilities. You know, we're all at denial.
Of something now. I'm an old guy too, man like nothing.
Yeah, I could chase twenty five year old women. Yeah right, you know what, I can't.
Chase anything right now, Like I like my bad back and my ankle is angry. I can't.
Yeah, barely have you looked at you both? I'm thinking of me. Have you seen yourself in the mirror? Late?
Yeah?
You know, I was listening to coach Lopez yesterday. I'm neither a one nor a three right now. I'm like, I'm like an eight right now?
Did you did you listen to the dad? He was good, He was so good, he was so goolf was fantastic to me because it's I love that stuff, that philosophy, and and everybody thinks they're a one or a three, and you're mostly a two, thinking you're you're you're a one.
I laughed hard and I thought, God, I'm I'm probably like an eight chasing a five, trying it hard to be a three.
Y're nowhere near that. But I mean, what a good philosophy.
And it's it's this team building, you know, and it's it's recognizing in kids and and you know, and and finding those kids. And you know, we live in a in a given to me now uh era, And it's been like that, but in this age of you know, I can see my stats, I can see my I can be immediate.
These kids want immediate stuff. That's why they leave.
Nobody invests, you know, what's what's the next game, what's the next season, What's where am I going to be next? Nobody wants to invest in that time and that that's you know, we've been talking about this, you know, we're talking about jobs. I mean it's it's you know, these these young kids, they're like they're like, what's what's next? And they have a four or five year window to try to hit So no, Coach Lopez, I I admired that guy from Afar for a long time and then to.
Hear his philosophy yesterday, it was perfect. You know, three or four ones, a bunch of threes and then you know, get the twos out of town.
Right right? Did you listen to it? You should? You should have so fantastic.
I've been.
I've been. He's booked all week.
So you get class, you get class places, you.
Don't have to do homework. I'm telling you, it's all right.
Yeah, I wish I believe that.
That's what I was in college for eight years.
You don't have to do homework.
I had to.
Do a bunch of stuff for the for the election this week for classes.
Oh yeah yeah, doing those things.
Yeah, is just practicing, like putting news packages together and stuff like that.
So that's that's taking up most of my week.
And if I'm if I'm not in class, I'm working, and if I'm not doing either.
I'm sleeping, trying to sleep.
And you know what, they say, it's the best time so their lives in college.
Listen.
If I could go back, I would. I was living like a king back then. I didn't know what I was anxious to get out. I was working at a radio station and a pizza place. I was eating free pizza in the radio station. Gave me a free ski pass. I was a king, I'm telling you, man, and I left young.
It's funny because I remember talking to Luke Walton his fourth year I think it was, and he had rich for the year because of his foot, and he says, you ready to leave. I could stay here, Steve another six years. I'd stay.
Weald Man.
That guy knows exactly what's going on, you know, and it's it's we all say it. If you could go back, he would, you know. He didn't know how good you had it, of course.
Yeah, without question, because the bill suck, real life sucks, mortgages suck, and teams you cover sometimes, so.
No, it's yeah, so enjoy your time.
Man.
It's uh, you know, I know that.
He's almost done. I know, trying to get him a job.
Very scary right now, Ye scary hours at the witching hour.
Are you done in December?
No?
Man, hopefully is your LinkedIn updated? Let's go, let's get it out there right now.
They've been trying to. But you guys don't make funny everything. And you understand this. And I say this because I teach other people. Uh, you're you're not just going against Joe Bob. You're you're looking for jobs with everybody else that are coming out of school. And I think today's world, and you're different because you've been doing it here with me and with other people. Uh, going to school and you know this, Tim, Just because you go to school
and get a degree, that's nothing. You have to have experience. You have to already have a networking group. You have to, man, I mean you you know you well your eight years ship at you a lot. But I started when I was a freshman knowing that eventually I'm gonna have to find a job. And I have to get these jobs in the summer to make sure that the people know me.
We're Tejuana is you know, get in when you can be essential? Uh, when you ask you to do something, say you got it, I'll be there. What time you're going to be there, And that's that's a good lesson for anything. It applies to jobs, and I know you're looking for a.
Job, make sure with three and you.
Know I'll take it.
I'll take a team of threes and a couple of ones, you know. But that applies to sports too. Is you know what time is practice? I'll be there a little early. You know, it's cliche to say, but you know, those are the kids that you're looking for, and you want
that excitement and that enthusiasm even when times are tough. Yeah, you know, I coach kids and we get our butts kicked in September and they put their heads down and I go, do you want to win September or do you want to win at state in November?
Yeah?
You know, and I think that's that's kind of right. The short side of this that can happen with these kids. I didn't win this week. We're horrible, and it's a perpetuate.
You'll get better later. Yeah, no question. Hey, we're not going to take calls now, but we'll take calls on the other side. We're not going to have a J Roberta session. Jay's ill, so he's going to keep his kip. What's the phone number his keep his picks to himself? Which is better off for you guys. Phone number is five two oh four one six seventy four forty. We can take calls. We have some breaking news on the side.
You may or may not take the whole time, right, And then at the mid four fifteen for seventeen hour, we're going to talk to Josh Pastner, who doesn't know Josh former U of a football, football, basketball player and coach all over the country. So we'll talk to him about the college basketball season and his his love for Arizona. Well sounds action to him.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll share that connection. See if he remembers me.
Yeah, yeah, you're you're trying to stop me, okay, yeah.
He could only hope to contain me. I'm Johnny Man.
It was a a misery just twenty five years ago, probably.
Oh it's longer than that, only twenty seven years Red, Red Blue, nineteen ninety seven.
Yeah, okay, how much some we are? We ready to go many? Yeah?
Right, Well, it sounds like Jay is going to have a good weekend.
There's the Dodgers one right, he's good, and there's no U of a football to drive Hi crazy.
He won't lose, he will be Okay, yeah, he called me something life.
Living life, living the dream baby.
Good job.
Talk about living the dreams. He's living it well. After twenty years he had to give a real job. I guess he was living in it before this real job. Okay, let's just go. We can go and then come back with your ackness.
Is there