Monday, December 30, Hour 1

This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services ensure your most prized possessions.

I've been good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to Eye on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rovera in with me today as probably an impromptu guest co host Aaron Crowley. How are you, erone, I'm doing well, Thank you, sir for having me. You are the Coulie Guard tournament director, tag you're it. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Yeah.

No, very honored this year to be the twenty twenty five tournament chairman for the Color Guard Classic by Exact Sciences.

Just super thrilled. Did I reduce your title? I said, tournament director, but tournament chairman, so chairman.

Yeah.

So we've got within the Tucson Conquislars organization, we actually have a tournament director who's a paid employee, okay, for running the actual Oh is that Jeff? No, Jeff's our executive directors, Ian Helm.

All your all your titles. All you guys have titles monkey MUCKs. I need you munkeety MUCKs right there you go. Yeah, so no, it's a pretty exciting time as we're Yeah, we're gonna have a good shoot show today because you're doing your stuff. I'm gonna have Kim and here on the second hour talking about what they just went through. I mean, I work for l Tour. It's it's like a Trioca or whatever. That's some of a big events in this town. Sports events. I should say, Uh, you know,

So I mean it's you know a few years back when we've got the programs which is.

Feah, yeah, and you have like Rogers and yeah.

And so we've done kind of the celebrity classics that have been part of the tournament itself internally, and I mean we've had a good deal for all players.

It's amazing. Ye, the crossover for professional athletes that love playing golf, right, and I'm sure back in the day already baseball and baseball had the you know the yeah, it'd come here, and kind of last year we actually had the rocket was out playing. Oh yeah, Roger Clem Yeah, super nice guy. Yeah yeah, you know they're super nice guys. When they're no longer playing, Oh, I could only imagine

I couldn't imagine sitting in your seat trying to get information answers, yeah, yeah, and dialogue, well while they're in the middle of what they're doing.

Well, that's the whole thing. Mister Crowley. Do you have a couple of minutes for me so I could ask you? Yeah? No, no, no, I don't have time now, don't bother me, kid. Yeah, yeah, that's pretty much how it was. Now it's now that I'm sixty, you have a couple of minutes. No, thank you very much that he declined. Coming. Yeah, comment, that's what gets written. Comment. You said it. You don't want to have to hang By the way, I have my intern here, my guy, Juan, how are you, Yeah, sir,

Yeah, yeah, it's been a week. It's been a week a week, so it's good to be back. How's a vacation fantastic? You know, I got some actual rest, spend some time with the family. You kids even need rest, I do.

I've been load. That's what it is. Well, you'll be back today with me at the game, Yes, sir, tonight you'll be there, Yes, sir. You're looking forward to it. I am kind of looking excited about the Big twelve. Yeah, are you prepared for what's ahead?

It's it's you know, it's a coin flip on on what's going to say?

Yeah, you're right, I mean twenty games. Uh, they've got to go better than corn flip of ten and ten corn flip of ten. Yeah, they've got to go at least fourteen and six I think to have a shot.

M hm.

The only thing that they've got going for them at the moment, based on their preseason schedule, was what those teams records are at the moment.

That's not to say it's gonna last. Yeah, I mean, yeah, you can go to the dance. I mean, and this is before the dance dance. You can go to dance, but if you don't dance, Yeah, what's the point. And I use that analogy. You can play them and you don't win. Yeah, there's no point now and they just didn't win to say that you've made it right for what you know? Yeah, I mean they have to they have to show that they're worthy. Now. This is the

I don't know about you, but watching them preseason with their exhibition games, and mind you, yes, the talent was inferior, but just the way they played, Yeah, I was rather excited about the collectiveness of that team.

Yeah.

Well, and there's been some injuries and some things that have happened, but the way they move the ball, the way that they played, I was like, okay, this is going to be.

At what point did you feel that it has it changed? I'm sure it changed a little bit. Yeah, so you're talking early November. Yeah, and then you said, okay, in late November, this is not the team. I thought, Hey, I was the same way. In fact, I talked to one of the assistants and I said, I really like the way this team is constructed, very very fits right. Yeah, and then it didn't and then it didn't. And in fact, I had a great question from a from a listener,

I honestly think we're gonna find out tonight because if you look at TCU's defense, but fifth in the country for points allowed, and when we haven't scored more than seventy.

You're not any good any well, you're can I ask your age thirty forty forty so your loot was here in eighty three, so you were just kind of bornish, not even born yet eighty three, born eighty four, eighty four. So and I said this in my stories today for the look Ahead, was that historically and you know this because you grew grew up in it. Arizone thrives on points on transition, correct, that's what makes them who they are. They bitch you twenty four to four, you know, thirty

You're games one to six to eight point runs. Yeah, and we just have not had those right this year.

So I asked him that, I said, is it more of them defending you differently or you just not being able to do an He kind of put it on him that they're not doing what they need to do being aggressive, blah blah blah. But but if you know that's what I do, Yeah, what are you going to try to do? You're going to try and stop this? Trying to stop that? Don't you think that's what people are doing? Absolutely? And wouldn't you that's a.

Percent I mean it if you think if we and I'll just pick on Caleb Love for the moment of where his shooting's at right now, we all know what his slumps are. But if he was maybe five, six, seven points more percentage points on his three point accuracy right now, we might be talking about it completely different.

Oh sure, you'd begne three right. I mean, it's it's that close for the margin.

So, I mean you have to give some credit to I think the teams that we've played are stopping what we're supposed to be good at.

Yeah, so which which which more power to them because that's what they're supposed to do. Yeah, you know. Uh, And and everyone that's been kind of wishy washy on defense at time and offensively been wishy washy. And that's the best word word when I can come up with, because they haven't been consistent. Uh. And it's just as I say, I've been doing this long time. This is the most bizarre team I've covered kind of in thirty some years. Yeah, because you don't know, you don't know.

Yeah, I've wrote a piece right right after the non conference schedule finish.

I saw them when you read it.

But I saw, we've we've talked out it's almost since the season began, and even in the summer. So goes Caleb Love, so goes Arizona. Y. Yeah, so that's gonna be one of them. Did you make that one? They gotta This is one of the main points that's gonna drive their success if if Caleb Love can be successful, like you said, get those shooting percentages up, they're good. They're gonna be a successful team. They're not gonna look so sluggish and some of these losses.

That they've had, and I'll even say it this way, if he can get to the foul line six to eight times a game.

They'll win.

And he's doing it because the last two that's his downhill. When he's playing downhill and he gets to the line, that means he's attacking in transition.

That's a journal where he gets most of it. But right, and he's done that, like you said, last couple of games. But let me also tell you that the opponents that he's played this are not the ideal ponents, you know, so so also just I think they just need to stay aggressive.

There was that that ten minute gap in that you see the game where they just turned it around. That's what they need to do, sure for the entire game.

And when you saw that that ten minute stretch, what you think, oh, this is the team might that was it? Right? That was that that ten minute stretch And then they got choked and then they choked them right, they choked them into the slow and now they started doing what they've been doing.

And maybe there's a few things that coach Lloyd saw that I didn't watch in that game, but I felt like there was a shift in personnel to rely that ten minute run.

I don't think Carter Bryan got as much run.

I think there was a few things, and who knows, there might have been some things he didn't do execution.

Wise that that would warrant.

Hey, you need to sit learn watch, But there was just it seemed like a different squad.

But the way they played and who was on the court, Yeah, I didn't notice that enough and during that stretch. But right at the end of the first quarter, I did turn to Brian and I've said this before, Peterson saying that this is a weird lineup. I mean, who's gonna score with this lineup? But yeah, with no score in and he kind of referred to it. It was kind of like the let's get out of here lineup? Where rest the guys before the Okay, okay, yeah you know.

That The other part too, I think you know, and it's it's always easier to be happier when you're winning and playing well, but the joy and passion behind it, I think they're feeling the weight of what they should be and they're not, and it's starting to wear and tear a little bit on them.

And it's hard, especially when another topic we've talked about is the nil that comes into play, like, yeah, I'm getting paid, I should probably produce.

Or I'm already paid, right right? Why does this wat? Yeah? Why does it matter? You? Have you been watching the Bowl games? Yeah? Okay, so so I've said this for months. Right now, you're getting paid, and I don't know the pay scale or the pace scheme or every two weeks

Yeah, it's you got Shdor Sanders already wearing giant giant sneakers.

Yeah, I saw that cleets cleats made with the New York Giants.

I mean, and if you're if you're a teammate, what are you thinking? That's that sucks. I couldn't imagine.

I played small Division two basketball, but I couldn't imagine playing in this environment now with all the other aspects.

From a team standpoint, because it's not that's hard. Did you did you read or did you see Doug Holler's story on TJ McConnell last week. It was very, very good, and I think I saw somewhere else. Did you see it. Probably not, but some of it was referenced when he came here to do his his retirement or not retirement, but that the story was that he was a senior and Stanley Johnson was a freshman, right, and then he had you know, he was the one and done dude.

Or you're a freshman year, Like you can't take for granted that moment.

Yeah. Yeah, And to think that you're the poop to come in and and and and be who you think you can be here or want to be. There's other dudes on this team.

Yeah.

Could you imagine now having that conversation if I mean and I have no idea Stanley was getting paid bet or not. But good question, good question having that conversation now, right right, Like you can't, right, I.

Don't know if you can.

Like I think it's I think it's tougher to be a leader like that, and that's why they just don't really exist at the moment.

Yeah. Yeah, well look at football, Yeah, look at football. I mean you probably go to the games, right, there's so many questions there that you that you can't find the answers to. No, and even if they have, the answers are the real answers.

And I think it's so new and you know, it's it's unchartered. Yeah, and for any of us watching participating in it, I mean it's you know, yeah.

The thing about it, guys is that it's not exclusive to hear no, oh gosh, No, it's everywhere, yeah, all on all levels. Yeah. And it's how they handle it, that's how they succeed or don't succeed, you know, even at the smaller schools. I'm sure they're dealing with stuff because even though they don't have the money for it, and Arizona's not a big school, it's.

A no, not on the grand scheme of things when we're talking to Ilma right right, So you know they're dealing with it.

Arizona's dealing with it. The bigger schools are dealing with it, probably at a bigger scale. Okay, So I guess who's the g NEX guest You are well part? So, yeah, you were scheduled to come on through fifteen. Tim Bentley was ill so we couldn't come in. Thanks for being here. You stay for the hour. I want to stay for two. I don't know. You can do whatever you want, stay for the hour. I gotta get home. Yeah, your your wife, Willie, you're not too far. Yeah, I don't sit too far

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Streaming live on the Ihearts Radio while this is Eye on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.

Hey, welcome back to Ye about Hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera and with me today is Aaron Crowley, the Color Guard tournament chairman, chairman. Welcome back, Thank you back everybody. Hey, so you got something you got you're on the clock, man, you got a little two months, two months, two months from like yesterday or something. Yeah, how are you? Thanks for getting out of your office. Yeah, you got it. So because you guys, I know how

We start we start ramping up even more so. I mean we've had a collect few of guys that have been kind of working and grinding since last year's tournament for.

This one, and that's what it takes. Did you see my two something I did so, So you you've been busy at the course a lot. Yeah, yeah, so I said, I don't know at the time we talked. Yeah, we talked. Yeah, you'd been there a few times, like a few times, and I'm sure you've been there a few times since. Yep. So what are you looking at it? You say, okay, this, you know, what are you doing?

Well, it's I mean, we want to get out there just so we can reaffirm where we have things set up, and knowing from last year being our first year with you know, some of the challenges of the congestioned of where we've got kind of our finishing holes fifteen sixteen, seventeen eighteen.

Up there by the clubhouse.

Just trying to find ways to make it easier for patrons and for the golfers themselves because this one's a little different.

They're in carts. Yeah, so you know, previously.

When we were over at Omni, the golfers were walking, so you had less cart traffic, which is just tough to navigate a golf course trying to go there from an operation standpoint, just making sure that we're maximizing every piece because we were at Omni for so long that every one of us in leadership roles knew that place, like at the back of our hands. We knew every lot, every dirt spot that we could put something. And now

Sure.

Sure, I think one of the things that they were concerned about, and you guys did a great job. I was there on a I don't know whatever day it was, Saturday, whatever. Uh the traffic, I mean, you guys had that all figured out.

Yeah, we were I think from and this is what we were pretty optimistic about. Just centrally located, you know, north central we'll call it, at least from where we were far northwest side of town is able to utilize parking and bussing in and so we really kept a lot of foot traffic off and I think anyone that knew that the golf course was going to be occupied by us in the tournament kind of stayed away from

Right, yeah, from here, and it's and it's just like in and out. I mean, because you're going east west or whatever it is. I know an'll tour and you know this better than most because you're a native. That day, because we tie up the streets. The number one complain is what the hell you're doing? Is you ruin our day? Yes, it's one day out of three sixty five, and we we understand that, and and and and sorry, yeah this

It was, but I think I mean just Tucson in general, and I think welcoming this event up to this side of town. We got some great partnership from a lot of business.

Is a different audience.

It's a different it's a different audience, and it's a different use of of land. And when we were over at Omni, this is before those KB homes got built yet behind I think it was a tournament course seven. That whole dirt lot was was ours to use. And so you know, knowing that we don't have that kind of.

Space, we we got pretty creative on where we could park people, right, yeah, no, and okay, so let's get away from that. Uh now, uh, you have the field set? Is the field set of at all? No, it's not.

So we are generally about i'd say, probably three or four weeks away before we start to get the majority of it.

So let us one hundred how many people seventy eight seventy eight, so you're probably sixty seven and then not that's an issue because you're always fill it up, right, Yeah, but this is how it's getting closer and closer.

Yeah, so we're we're starting to get more and more phone calls for exam sponsor exemptions and get the other players in the field.

But we got to kind of see where we sit. Who's who determines that?

So title sponsor, Tour and us get to say in the number of openings that we have that are not filled by to or card requirements and so again figure out who's you know, medically not going to participate if or choose not to participate, we generally get outside the majors, We generally get one.

Of the top one or two names. Yeah, so for for the actual full full lineup. So so we're coming up about the time when the big names are about turning fifty, right, I think what Phil had just turned fifty a couple of years ago, Yeah, years ago. Yeah, and I think he played in it. He did. Uh So now you know the Tiger Woods people in that era, right, we.

Got so we got Tiger next year. You wish turning fifty out? You know you have a congre you're listening.

Wish list you have I'm sure you have a wish lish not for the future, but even now. Yeah, can you say no, really, no one was listening to go ahead, help next time I'm on I will oh as we get closer. Yeah, no, that's cool, that's cool. But I'm sure that if I went in and tried to google who starting Yeah, exactly. So No, so there's it could or could not happen. It might it might happen.

I am cautiously optimistic to say, yeah, that's good, we'll see.

I mean, that's good.

Basically, did you watch him at all up the PNC Championship with his son Tiger?

Oh yeah, yeah, that was fantastic. It was a great story. Yeah, great story, and it was a founding thing. The ex wife was there and the daughter and yeah, yeah, No, coming out was a warm and fuzzy Yeah it was. Yeah. I mean he looked pretty good playing so yeah, yeah, and he'd probably be returned. And this is just me not knowing much about golf, so I can't hit it straight that. Once he turns fifty, I mean, he could be Tiger again. He yeah, you know what I'm saying.

He can hit it three ten and still be yeah ten fifteen yards above average for that age base. Right, you know the fifteen up guys which I still launched it. It's crazy.

Well, yeah, that's they're they're good for a reason.

Yeah, oh it's yeah, it's I played in the program a few times and getting to walk and play with those guys.

Yeah you know who played with Ken Duke boy from Markansas. Oh he's fun. Yeah. So I'm not a big golfer. I'm not a big fan boy of golf, but I know the names. Uh. And I've said this when I was there last year, and I can't have fandmoid him because we were at eighteen. I think it was watching great day, great day, and I thank god if I could only walk like for a couples. He's got that. He's got that gate like you know, oh my god, doesn't stink. And I'm just it's always got his shoes

I Mean there's you know, twenty or thirty names out of the seventy eight field, you know, you know, and then the other ones you wouldn't you did a little deeper dive.

And yeah you know. Yeah. Well you had the Spanish guy a year or two ago. Yeah, yeah, you know, he's the fun character guy.

Yeah.

You have all those guys, and then you have old guys. Oh yeah, he's still around. You have all that guy is still around yep. Yeah, and then you have the women my age who are kind of like still fanboying them. Yeah, you know because they remember from younger days. Yep. Yeah, a lot of fun, a lot of fun. So when you're there doing the stuff, and I say stuff meaning work, give me your day, give me your day. So tournament week turnment day. They start Friday, right.

So actual tournament play starts Friday, so we call it advance week. So we're out there the Friday before the tournament starts and doing a few operational pieces. But we're probably in the next week or so we'll start having operationally building the infrastructures and so kind of being out just making sure things stay on time and online. But tournament week itself really, I mean, we have a phenomenal

With that, right, and it's probably stressful, yeah, for twofold I mean one, you want to make sure that you you put on a good event, and that's your priority, right for how many partners are part of it, for those that buy you know, sponsorship package or hospitality packages, not to say you know col of Guard and Exact Sciences and the Conquistores and U of A and all the all the big names that helped lint this song.

We want to make sure that we represent them well. Sure, at the end of the day, it falls back on us to me up.

No, no, And I'm sure you hear it.

If you don't, oh, oh absolutely, we hear it throughout what we could have done better, you know, Monday morning, on Monday afternoon, here's what you should have done differently.

Right, right, And then you said and you do it differently, says well, maybe you should have zagged the other way. You know. Yeah, there's no real answer, no, because you have so many people. When there's you know, when there's more than two people involved, you get the third person talking about, well you should have Oh, yeah, it's you know, you know, it's it's yeah, it's like.

Any any any big event.

Sure in large organization. Right there, you do it two ways to get it right that they're and the one thing you don't want to do is mess up. You just try to do as best you can whatever.

Yeah, I think just represent you know, the community, represent the organizations that are right but want it.

The good thing is you're the tournament, the chairman, and you have that big title, but you have like the fifty eight people who are pulling the rope with you to make sure that this works. Yeah, wouldn't be where I'm at without them. Yeah. And then you're but you're only here for a year, right as tournament chairman. Yep. And then and then you kind of become normal again.

Yeah, I'll be I'll be still affiliated with it, I become no longer an active member, so I won't count as that that fifty eight, but I'll still be part of our tournament leadership committee and other things that are still part of and.

That's how it's structured. Yes, right, who's you already have an is year guy? Right?

We Yeah, we do. But well that's the secret too. Yeah, we don't announce that. Yeah, I can't. I can't steal that fun. This is not the CIA.

I know. I can't. I can't do it. It ends up because we end up doing Uh, there's some process to affirm he he yeah, he does. If he doesn't, you know, he doesn't mess something up there at sixty five days. If you don't fulfill your commitment then and if he happens to be listening, he knows. Okay, okay, No, it's a good gig. You guys do a great job because it is important in the community. This is important for the community, and it's been going on forever.

Yeah, and we couldn't be more more happy with the partnership. We have a cop guard right now and the exact science team it's been I think you know they're they've this is now going into their I think their eighth year.

Eighth or nine. Well I was gonna say five, but yeah, I should know this a the story. No, and it's right in a wheelhouse.

Yeah, because it's important, which and they're using this which is fantastic and I love it the platform for but and I think the numbers here last year we had three and twenty seven survivors and attendance.

Yeah, so their advocacy.

Group and their survivors and caregivers for those survivors get brought out, get put up, get to attend and right and and get the whole, the whole treatment for it, which is awesome.

That's the whole thing, because it's obviously everyone has their thing, and you guys are more than golf. Yeah, it's it's it's an event to support these people and awareness for co director cancer and of course for the for the money you raised to help local the charities.

Yeah, oh it's I mean, and I had talked about this when we when we chatted a while back. But I mean just one hundred plus charities that benefited from this last year's tournament.

Yeah, it was like my number in the strength I can't remember what the number.

Was, seven hundred and eighty four thousand ternible proceeds raised from last year, right, which is awesome. I mean We had five hundred and eighty four volunteers. I mean, it takes a gigantic village to put this on. But you know, as we talked about, I think the cool part of you know, every every dollar that that hits this community.

You're cana stick around. We'll talk more about this, but we're still give me the dates real quick. So March seventh through the ninth is the tournament. Yeah, March.

Think I thought it was leap February, but so it used to be. It's gottenfted around a bit. Okay, so a little bit more than two months. Yeah, we're trying to buy a little touch of warmer weather. You guys know how it goes sometimes that Lake Rodeo weekend. You don't know what you're gonna.

We're never gonna get. No, we're never gonna get I even forgot the word for it. Winter. We're in the middle of almost January. We haven't had winter now, but watch what happens. We're gonna get snow on Easter Sunday. Winter late and yeah, late January even though right because everything's shifted a month. Yeah, it's crazy. You know what, maybe you'll get the eighty two degrees, but It's always been good because even when you get the snow, you get a lot of publicity, like look at the mountains

Yeah.

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Steve Rivera, He's got his Eye on the ball on Tucson's sports station, Fox Sports fourteen Biday.

Hey, welcome back to Eye in the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera in with me today. It's kind of a co host, is mister Aaron Crowley for thanks sure, The Coling Guard tournament chairman and we'll have my Guyjan in with me today. That's why it's gotten so smoothly. Everybody's exactly right. If you want to call people though, what I recharge other what the hell

And I've always been a fan of of any concert and an event I can go to to where I can exit quickly, Yeah, and have ease of egress, which is that's how it's set up out there. So we've got Friday night the seventh, March seventh, will have Vanilla Ice. We'll be playing with Rob Bass and Tone Loak so.

So yeah, back in again, our ages kind.

Of in that my age nineties nineties themed evening. We think it'll be a blast, is a great showing. And then Saturday night, March eighth, we've got our headliners co Wetzel's just been coming. Yes, single single, single, yep, yep single musicians, Yeah, no.

That would be a lot of fun for two nights of the music. Yeah, it should be. It should be a great time. Yeah, especially well for the older group of Ice Baby and yeah it's a funky gold right yep, gold the one brought based. Yeah, I'm sure I can come up with a name. It takes too to make a thing go right. Yeah, that's three so we got three songs. We got three songs, so it'll be a fun nine minutes. Just kidding, they've got more than that. Yeah, it's gonna be. It's gonna be a great show. It'll

And you did and and doing two nights. We've typically have just done one. And in the past when we were at Omni, it was held on the driving range and then created. You know, some benefits, but also some setbacks on on setup and established. So last year is our first year again kind of breaking the mold on the golf course change and then getting out to the racetrack for for the concert, which we couldn't have gone better for our first showing.

Yeah, yeah, no, no question. A lot of a lot of fun. A lot of people at can't remember I wrote the story what a month and a half ago with you. A lot of people came through. Do you remember what you told me? It came through to the event. Oh.

For the number days, yeah, forty one thousand.

So you're looking at an average of at least twelve each day. But you have days before you played Wednesday Thursdays.

So we've got the PRORAM Wednesday Thursday, which is not open to the public. Oh okay, so we don't get yeah, we don't necessarily count that from a point. And then we have an event on Sunday of Advanced Week. It's an amm tournament, so it's four amateurs get to play in a scramble on the course set up for the tournament.

So you actually get to play for the purpose of just another opportunity for you know, those that don't want to play in the pro am from either just a comfortable standpoint of playing golf, but it's it's a fun day again, raising.

Awareness and proceeds back to our foundation for the kids.

Because my attention spent is like two minutes. Did we talk about some of your program people coming in, like, yeah, we we're not doing the celebrity Yeah, so we're we may have a few special guests one to put yeah, that we'll want to play, so we'll kind of fill fill that out as we get closer, but the program is typically just the professionals and then okay for amateur and that's how it's normally been. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you

Yeah.

A few years back we had Rogers play in the program. And also we did something on Saturday for Celebrity Challenge, so we did a few years back. We had Jake Owen performed for us as well, and Jake's like a too handicapped golfer golfer, so he also wanted to play in the the celebrities, so we actually had it was a couple of NFL players, Larry Fitzgerald playing it.

You also had what's his name, who's a pretty good golf for to the pictures smoked. Yeah, yeah, he's played in the event a couple of times. Yeah, he's got it. Yeah, he is a super nice guy. Yeah, it's a mile. Yeah, you could tell he's a big dude. What about the other guy who's who's probably the most popular dude out there who doesn't walk like uh Ford Couples. But mister Daily, Oh, because everybody loves him. He's like one of the He's like you, he's like a dude, you want to go,

Physically, and if he can actually qualify on his own, he may be able to do. He and his son part of that because they usually so. I I didn't see their name on on the top of the leaderboard, and I didn't watch every bit of it, so I don't know if he played, because I know that he's undergone another couple of surgeries.

So sure, you don't want to tell me who's coming in. I can't tell you. I'll get it out of you. I'll get it. Uh No, what a great event. Obviously you've had it forever forever probably you know. And miss McDermott who did it for a long while. She's one of my favorites. Also, Jeff, Jeff is doing a great job in his return here. Ah, you guys do a fantastic job. Thank you. And it's kind of like a I don't know, and it's like attorney.

It's got that component too. It and definitely a brotherhood that we have. And you know, we've got over two hundred and thirty members.

So tell me that's what two hundred and thirty members, but only fifty eight are that's what we call active.

So we've got by our our by laws of our organization, how many active members can facilitate from a sales standpoint, an operational standpoint, just the size of our group and what we do.

But to be honest with you, it's not fifty eight.

It's closer to seventy five or eighty of guys that actually show up and operate and help out, regardless of their status of active life senior whatever it is.

Yeah, okay, we got to talk cool. Hello, you're on the airline on the wall. Who's this?

Yeah? This is Jill.

How are you doing? Got a question? I'm doing?

Question? Yeah? The venue I just turned the radio on. Is the venue the same?

Is it?

Tucson Country Club?

We're gonna be over at La Paloma Country Club?

Oh? La Paloma? Okay, Okay, there, it was there last year.

It was there last year.

Okay, Okay, I didn't go. I was out something I just might mention the manager. I used to work for pat Our Vendors pay for a suite on the ninth green at Tucson Country Club, and one of my customers happened to know one of the caddies who came up after he finished, and that was the best storytelling time I've ever heard. Okay, this guy had. He had about fifteen people just mesmerized some of the stories he was telling about some of the things that happened to golfers caddies.

Thank you, you appreciate it. Yeah, thanks for the call, Thanks for taking your time to and to listen. I appreciate it. No, come on, you could write a book. You could write a book on the behind the scenes stuff.

Oh it's I mean, I don't get me wrong. I love interacting with the players. They're fantastic their stories. But the caddies come on loopers and and what they've seen in the journeys that they've been on. I mean, they they do a phenomenal job. Especially see it in the program.

If you if you wanted to go to a store, you don't go to the source. You go to the barbershop.

That's it. Go to the barbershop, that's that's you want to. There's a we've got to there's a cabby tent. Yeah, you know the caddies hang out and yeah, it's like the barbershop.

At the racetrack. You don't go to the owners. You go to the jocks. Uh huh. They'll tell you, Oh, he's a pain, yes, but I write for him. They'll give you all the details. Yeah, yeah, up the record. Yeah you didn't hear this from me, that's exactly it. But I got a story for you, that's exactly it. Yeah, that they've seen what you've been part of this. You're forty for how long? So this would be my ninth tournament. Yeah, I became a member in twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen. It

Actually going back to John Daily, So we have something called BUCkies, which is where our members kind of go. It's our it's our spot or our kind of safe haven. For us to get away, get out of the heat when it's hot out. But we usually have a little fun going on there.

And a few years back, mister John Day and I were doing some karaoke together. I think I heard about that because he's he likes to get love singing. Yeah, he love Yeah, any good he is, okay, Yeah, sometimes when you're good, you like doing it. You're pretty good. Yeah, yeah, I heard some stories like that, but maybe not your story. But because he does it quite frequently.

Yeah, you know, And depending on which part of the operation side of the tournament you're in, there's always some some fun interactions and the food and beverage guys and supplied distribution guys that you keep everybody who loved up and happy.

Right, they work quite quite long hours. So the funny thing is, that's funny. You guys had forty one thousand. You're probably gonna see that again. Depends on the weather, of course, but even forty one thousand for three days, it's not a crowded thing, you know what I'm saying. It's just packed, but it's not a crowded thing. Yeah, which makes it very comfortable. Oh, it does. And I think the way that that I'm not trying to be

The last thing, I mean, as much fun as it is to in those events that your elbows to elbows with people, it's not the most enjoyable experience.

Sure, lines and stuff.

Yeah, exactly, so I think you're that's exactly what I think the experience of it, And that's what we strive to do is to make sure that one our venues, if if you're happen to be purchasing kind of the hospitality ticketed venues, that that your your experiences is top of the line. And then if you're if you're coming out as a as a general admission ticket holder, and which we love having all the above, we want to make sure again that your experience, you're not sitting there

And remind me again, So you talked about the pricing, so general mission all that stuff.

Yeah, so general admission pricing and believe we're around it's something forty to forty five dollars.

I haven't a day going and and that's like, well you have all day yeah right, yeah, yeah, well day you can make the date with three day packs if you want, you can get by the day packs. Uh. And it's kind of like people watching.

Well it's in and again if you've got the mobility to be able to walk a little bit, right, it's a beautiful venue. Yeah, and depending on what side of the golf course. Again, if you're wanting to go a little bit away from the hospitality side to go on the north side of Sunrise, the first nine, first thirteen holes are on that side of the golf course.

Do you know, we're, like you said, a little listen to little more than two months away. If you want to get tickets, they can get them now, get them now, or even as you get closer you can get them in.

Yep.

So you kind of don't sell out, right, No, we don't. We'll end up our hospitality tent. So our Club sixty two trophy terrasts.

Those are our hospitality ticketed events that come with food and drink, and and that's sort we do sell out those just because we build the capacity. But general admission now, so I mean you can get tickets at the gate. Yeah, day of So if it's something he decides you want to come out for a few hours, spend the time on a beautiful day, come join us.

Yeah, okay, cool, that's true. I was fortunate to be with you. Is your boss or coworker, mister Van, mister Advance Vance and and in RBC right and your sponsor. Thank you for very much for joining in on absolutely and the party that I have here. I love it. Well, no, no, great. I hope that you'll be fine. I mean this this event is kind of like not sells itself, but you guys kind of maintain it.

I think with being the especially the actives and some of the guys that are still really active in and even if they're not active status, are part of the fabrics of this community anyway what is right, And so they're promoting it through their own channels. And so we got a lot of a lot of sales arms going out there and keeping the word going right, and really there's not another one of these in town, and so you know there's there's there's a dollar to be spent sure in this town.

And you and you do a lot with that dollar to give away and yeah, stuff like that. Yeah, And I've done those stories where the people that you give the money to are like, oh God, look them this, look what this means to us, you know, And that's the gratified any thing from your end, Oh, which I love.

I mean, And again I think as we talked about in our story previously, is you know the little dollar, the one dollar that gets you know that it's donated out and what that what that means, I mean the bigger, the bigger dollars spent names on buildings and things like that are great.

But being able to change the lives of we have less than a minute after how many people do you think and we're going to have you in again, Yeah, as we get closer, maybe a time or two obviously how many people representing the color Guard will be coming