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Monday, January 22, Hour 2

Jan 23, 202452 min
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Episode description

Monday pod, Hour 2
− BREAKING NEWS: It was a big day Saturday for Arizona football with the core of the team announcing its return.
− GUEST: Yogi Roth of the Pac-12 Networks explains the importance of college athletes connecting to their communities.
− BIG BREAKING NEWS: Arizona Athletic Director Dave Heeke is out. Mike Candrea named interim AD.

Transcript

Streaming live on the iHeartRadio WAPP. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Heay, welcome back to Ie the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve, He's Jay. Now we have chemical breaking news. This is Eye on the Ball breaking news on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. All right, so we do have some You have a ton of breaking news on this Monday, gentlemen. So obviously we touched on earlier. Noah Flafida and t Maac are back for next year.

They announced Saturday during the Arizona men's basketball game. I thought it was pretty interesting. We saw some speculation on social media about how they were getting attention from big schools like Alabama, just some dark horse candidates that we all obviously assumed at first when they were unsure whether or not they're going to come back. Where they were going, we assumed they might be Washington, but no, they were getting interest from other schools. We also have other players

returning, such as our tight ends uh Kean Burnett and Dorian Thomas. We also have some lineman returning as well as Jopah Jonah Savonea wendel Mo running back Rayshawn Luke and Jacob Manu, the linebacker, are also returning for next year. Again, Jay, to your point, core guys, right, core guys that don't kind of transition into a good spot. And then one guy who is not coming back is Jonah Coleman, who officially committed to Washington.

He's gonna follow running backs coach as well as head coach Jed Fish and the quarterback. You have the quarterback there too, Yes, four star quarterback Demon Williams and our transfer from Indiana corner Jordan Shaw are heading to Washington. So you texted me Saturday, Well you know what you had heard too. I had heard the quarterback. He really wanted the quarterback to go with him. The Williams. Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, actually that he preferred

him over Noah. Yeah, with future right, the future. But you know, and and I can't remember who made it, who made a point of this talking about you know, oh it was Michael le f Michael V's call him about how Jed really really, I mean, even though he was starting for FEEDA, he really really never single amount and said this is my

quarterback. He was hanging on to Jade and DeLaura because I remember towards the end of the year, maybe it was maybe it was the when they released the Alimoble depth chart and it listed Fafita and DeLaura as as cole really starters. Really yeah, if we have one around here, I'll try and find him. I'll look for it. But Noel Fafieda was never listed as number one on the depth chart by himself. He was never and Jed never said

he's my starting quarterback. He's just said, you know, and and it was kind of like he never really put Noah out there as his guy, so to speak. Gut I never really noticed that, Well guess what his guy got him seven point seven million dollars. Well and exactly, and and and that's the thing that people are saying, like, Jed, you know, it was purely by accident that that you got this job. Because if de Lord doesn't get hurt, you're not ten and three, you know.

Uh. I listened to Wilner and Canzano, you know, last week on their pod and and you know they were breaking down, you know, the the trickle down of what happened, you know, which and then and then and and wilnerm came out, and so he said, let's not forget Jed.

Fish would not be at Washington if Jaden Delaurd doesn't get hurt. We talked about that, and and so and why he never gave no FAFE to credit because and and you saw that, you saw the you know, the several quotes that Mike lev put, you know, in his story, just saying how he just never acknowledged how good he was, how good he was doing what he was doing for you know, for the seasons I had an undying relationship or undying relationship or as we say, he's got you know,

or we used to say, he's got some pictures of Jed doing some things that probably not very complimentary. Well, they they loved him, even when he was going on I don't want to go there. I don't leave that. Jay said that, FCC or whoever complains that, I just say no, I'm not going to say it. Did I say it? I'm no, don't I want to say it. Don't see you've already said enough on this show. If you have to ask, if you should say it twice, maybe take one more beat. I don't know, Kevin Ken, go

ahead and say it off air. All right, we'll have to wait for that, insiders only. We do have some more breaking news. We mentioned it earlier. Benedict Mathrine and the Pacers were in the building on Saturday as Mathron got inducted into their So let me say this, and I'm saying this with all apologies to you, that was kind of quick and kind of simple. They traveled all this way to get and that shaved my legs for that.

Wow. But but also too, I made the point that you know, if you're Ben Mather and you're going in the Ring of Fame, don't you come dressed in something other than sweatpants and a sweatshirt? So I guess both both. Yeah, both. It's kind of It's like it didn't seem like all that important to either side, because remember Jason Terry came in and we had the whole family and he was in suit, right, and it was a big That's what I'm saying. Didn't the game like a jersey frame?

Yeah, Ben looked like he just rolled out of bed. It does seem to me though, that it was kind of a situation where your birthday happens to fall on Christmas. You know what, I mean, he came in on a night to be honored, where also the football team just announced that it was staying and that was the big news of the day. But he didn't know that going in and that was the big production of the day too, that you didn't have a maybe they did give him to a ball.

I thought the game of jersey and kind of like a frame jersey and a he's already got a frame jersey from Oh he didn't. Oh he didn't have a senior night? Did he senior night? No? To me, maybe I'm wrong, but that's just what I thought in terms of shears something that says that's all it was. I do. I do like the trend I'm seeing of NBA teams traveling with their teammate and that yeah, okay, T should have run out on the floor during So he gave a little,

you know, heartfelt thing. Nine years already in the NBA. Does it seem like nine years? I thought maybe six or seven, but it's nine years. And who would have ever thought nine years from t J McConnell, and he's one of the better players. We didn't even think one year for TJ McConnell. When when when Sean Miller was talking about he's gonna be the league. People are like, what are you thinking? You think nine years removed and very wealthy man, had a good dude, had a good dude,

a guy you want to say, Wow, good for you. He's the one that he's the one that deserves to be up there and see it. Tell me I'm wrong, Jay, And just my end, isn't he the most personable personal guy for sewn on Seawn's time? But the guy you actually feel that you know, yeah, of any of one guy, of any of them, right, absolutely percent, Because we don't know any of Sean's We don't. We don't, We didn't get to know any of them. But yeah, no, I agree, we do have some well,

we don't really live in the world of the mock. As Tommy Lloyd said earlier this year, I really love that I've been I've been repeating that often. But Arizona has been up and down. But they're back to nine in this week's In this week's eight people for I give the update there. We don't have to do too much on that. Arizona women's basketball drop both games this weekend, won by another single possession, almost another heartbreaker. Situation.

Uh, And the one on Sunday was a lot less. I got blamed for that one. We were watching the football game and went to halftime, so we put the we put the The women's came on, and they were down two. By the time we turned the channel back to the football game, they were down eighteen. That's tough. I won't tell you who I

bet this weekend, but I did well. So I mean, you didn't either play those games or you must have played the games the opposite of me, because you're thank you, thank you, so you gave me the wins. I'm okay with that. I had the Bills money line. Nope, that's one game I didn't touch. You didn't touch it. I didn't like any either way. I didn't want to I had. I had the other two. I had two of the other games I had. I had the Niners and I had the who played yesterday morning Detroit. I had to try,

but then I had. I had a three three leg money line, and I needed the Bills to close it out for me over under fifty two. It was right there. Didn't cover well that field. You ever seard a word the field goals all like that. He was going right, and then it took it. It just stay right, yeah, yeah, the Buffalo gods. Just how many times have those birds that they just said about, oh I just need Buffalo money line that said, right, you know

what I think? I said this, Steve before the playoff started, I said, watch out for Buffalo. I really thought, I really thought this was that, this was it. They were not just you know, advanced, but I just really thought they were playing well enough and that they were going to win the Super Bowl one. Because I don't believe in Lamar Jackson. I do now because I had Houston. I took the points with Houston. I took the ten with Houston. It was ten ten at the half.

I'm like, I felt good about that. Take you again, all right. So we were touching on the NFL. We do have some more NFL news. Arizona alum Antonio Pierce is the new head coach officially of the Las Vegas Raiders. So one of the luckiest guys. All falling forward, big time, forward, yep, falling forward, big time. And then

we have some other coordinator news. The Bears are hiring Seattle's offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to run their offense, hoping that maybe it will look a little bit different next year, maybe with a different quarterback, well a different quarterback. And that's sort of the follow up to we were hearing last week that that Cliff Kingsbury was a candidate for that job, and you you, you rolled your eyes and another fall forward guy. I wish I was better looking.

I'd fall forward far instead. Hey, you want to wash the dishes today? And then we have we have two little a little more shocking. Uh, we're surprising would be a better word. Uh. Coordinator options being sent out there. Ron Rivera is interviewing for the Eagles defensive coordinator job after a lot of people would assume he would just be done with coaching in the NFL's the most incestuous league there is. And then I say that because they all

eat them, they'll always go from place to place. You know you're not good here? Come here? Yeah, that is true. That's true. One man's trash, another man's treasure. And then and then Jay brought up in between breaks that Chip Kelly, it's just rumors that he's, as they said, drawing interest from the NFL teams as an offensive coordinator. Man, what time would be? What timing that would be. You know though, if you're Jed and you're saying Jed Washington or U C l A, you

gotta take Washington. ULA is not gonna pay him seven point seventy five million dollars. But no, buddy, and they're not any good. Well there's well, yeah, no, I I what do you think that UL would pay him six and a half six? Maybe going back to U C l A l A. Yeah, I haven't being UCLA in the Big ten versus being Washington in the Big ten. I think he's got a like where he's at much better if it's between him on the phone, the one that the

one. Well, okay, here's the Let me just say this. Let me just say this, because you know, there's a lot of information gets better around and I think this is this is also pretty pretty reliable. Washington was not the only job that Jedfish interviewed for. I didn't hear this. I did. You're gonna say, huh, you're gonna say the team. No, but no, because it's soft enough that I don't want to say the team, but it's strong enough that I'm willing to say that told you

this. Yeah, Okay, he hold it. He did interview for at least one more job, A good one. Yes. I'll have to do is go back and see what jobs were open, and you've given Steve a mission from middle tonight. I'll say it this way, another big ten job. Okay, I'll get it. We're a potential one. No, it was a big ten. It was open. It was a big ten, so it couldn't be a mission all right, So some hints were dropped there.

But we do have some more free agency stuff. The Lions are signing veteran tight end Zach Ertz to try to fill some injury holes they've had over the past couple of weeks. But something more important in my opinion, Tara Vanderveer Oh yeah, has now officially become the most winningest coach in college basketball history. All of college basketball, college basketball and women and everybody in between. All of it runs the whole good for her incredible career. Do you

see her quote? No, she said her parents. Her parents told her something like, uh, you know something along the lines of I don't know why you're continuing this basketball thing. It's never going to do anything for you. And she said, I send them. I send them cards from every country that I go to It's pretty I'll look up the quote, and then while Jay looks that up, I want to mention this before we get to

our last one. DePaul has made the first men's basketball coaching change with the entire season, firing their head coach I believe his name is Doublefield after a three and fifteen start, and she went twenty eight and fifty four overall in his two plus seasons. It's amazing that here where I'm talking from Tucson, Arizona in Southwest, that DePaul has had such a hard time finding basketball successful there. You know, back when we were kids, you know, DuPaul

was the stuff. Now not so much. That hasn't been forever. Yeah, and they're a pretty good spot for recruiting, as you mentioned, so you think that would be a maybe not a super high quality job, but it's a desirable Two good guys locally, three good guys locally, boob, but no. And then to round us out, there was some incredible news out of the golfing world that I know Jay wanted to mention a little bit. Alabama golfer Nick Dunlap has become the first amateur golfer since Phil Mickelson to

do something. Jay what did? What was a sophomore out of Alabama, so twenty years old, and he won a PGA tournament yesterday. He won the I forget what it's called, but it was the tournament out at the Lakinta at PGA West being a good field. He shot sixty on Saturday, playing in the same group with Justin Thomas and as Kevin said, first amateur to win a PGA tournaments and film since Phil Mxson did it in nineteen ninety one at the Tucson Open. And it's just his fourth tour event in general.

Yeah, so now he gets two years of exemptions to play in the in the tour, he does not get the one and a half million dollar prize that goes to the second place guy. And he's obviously being asked, so, are you just going to turn pro now? He just said, I've got to think about it, but yeah, And he went and won, and he had to make a six footer on the last hole to win by one, and he hit it and he was great. He was in tears and the whole bit. It's cool. All right, let's take our

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Surgeon I on the Ball. Hey, welcome back to und of the Ball. You know, Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve, He's Jake. Now on the phone. We have Yogi Rock from the Pac twelve networks. Yogi, how you doing. I'm doing well. How are you guys? We're doing well. A long season, huh. And you took it to the last game. How was the last game for you? Oh? It was awesome. I mean it was what a what a gift to follow a team like Washington all year and you know it as you're around these teams for

twenty years. I've been around the plague now, oh, you guys have been around it for longer. You know the talent, and then when you just get to see a team earn their way out of the biggest of stages, it's celebratory. It's a bomber in terms of they played their worst game of the season and the biggest game. I don't but you know, at the end of the day, uh, it it kind of feels like that was like a year ago, to be honest with you, with all the

changes in college football, but it was. It was a gift. I'm glad my colleagues and I you know, we carried the flag as long as we could right until the very end, and we committed to doing that to start the season, even though there was a season of change right and within it I think I'm really proud of the job that we did. Well, you guys as always you guys, did you know, did a great job

keeping everybody you know, up to speed on everything. And it was great for the you know, great for the PAC twelve, do you know, push it all the way to the very end and you know, being the last game, you know. But then as you as you said right after that, man, all hell broke loose, you know, starting with the Nick Saban retirement, and then the trickle down that went has actually gone all the way down to San Jose State. And that's just the way things are

now. You know, when something like that happens, it's a there's a lot of effects to it. What's what's been your reaction to all of that? Well, I think we have to just accept reality now, Like within this sport is that you know, there was always chaos and things you couldn't

predict, like coaching changes or players departing. Right. It used to be like players out there onda Bowl games is the biggest surprise, right, and now it's you know, Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick no longer coach in the NFL, or an excabit or retiring and you know, I just think we saw a domino effect that I don't know if we'll see anything like that moving forward with Giants and Titans in the industry, But I do think the aftermath

of all of that we should get used to. You know, whenever there's a coaching change, there's going to be influx on a roster that we've never seen before, just based on the rules and the way that the portal works in NIL. So it's been It's been a lot. I think everybody at every institution impacted, right in Alabama to Washington to Arizona to San Jose State. I mean, it's just whoa what is going on? Like so much

has happened so quickly, everybody's trying to wrap their heads around it. But I think when the dust settles, like all the schools that have a change head coaches based on save it or retiring at least on the West coach and I find themselves I think in a really healthy position. Right right off here, you're talking about you knowing Brennan. What do you know of him and what do you like about him? Oh, I've known Brenton for her coach Brennan for man. I want to say fifteen years or so twenty years.

I mean, if you follow Let's Goos football, you knew about him as a young coach when he was a you know, either Arizona the GA or at Cal Poly coach in wideouts. And then of course Oregon State is really where he made his mark. If you look at all those receivers there, they went I want to say eight straight years something like that with the first team All conference wide out. It's not a second team All league. So from Marcus Wheaton to Brennan Cooks, I mean, he just was coach in

that position at a really high level. I always felt like he had the stuff to be a head coach. You know, he and I used to go for jogs around Corvallis Fridays after we finished with our head coach and coordinator production meeting. Then we just talk about life. Guys. You know who he is as a five and a husband. He's awesome. And then the more and more a relationship developed, you learn about you know, what makes him chink and as philosophical approach. And when he got the job with San

Jose State, I visited him a bunch of times up there. He'd let me come in and be around the team and the program and sitting on meetings, and I just think as a culture builder, Brent Brennan like that's his superpower. You know, football document is as good as you'd imagine for somebody who spent their life in the sport, But in terms of a building team and connecting with players, that's where he drives. And a mid chaos,

right, that's what's needed. Right, It's needed in Seattle at you dove, it's needed in Alabama and Tuscaloosa, needed in Tucson, can be needed in San Jose and Brit awesome at that. And I love getting to know him, and I also know that this has been a dream job for him. I mean, this is a guy who you know, he's he was up for a lot of head jobs. Every idea I've ever talked to in the last couple of years who's asked to put a head coach, they've always

asked about Brent Brennan at every single stop. And I just think that, you know, will some of those jobs he didn't get necessarily, but God should he land in the perfect position in the most unique circumstances in terms of how it happened. But I know he and his wife and his kids are just thrilled, thrilled to be in Tucsons. Well, let me ask you that, because you know, as you say, he's in a better position with the job he's getting now here in Arizona than had he gotten it three

years ago. But you know, like a lot of us, I mean, did you think Arizona made a mistake last time? And look, we all know how Jed Fish turned out. It was great, he turned the program around. People are happy about that piece of it. Did you think Arizona had made a huge mistake when they didn't hire Brendan last time around? No, not at all. No. I mean I think this thing is like it's kind of like when we were talking about quarterbacks in the draft,

like who would you take one or two? CJ. Strat or Bryce Young? Yeah, you know, to me when we were talking about Jedfish, I knew Jed as well as anybody, right. I went on your show the day he was hired and talked about how much I loved and respected him and knew the vision he would bring it to the program. Every single thing I've said, And I think it's the dust settles a little bit. I think Arizona. Fish should be really proud of what he did there, and

I imagine they are. I saw something and I think no Fafidas, someone in his family put out on social media of like, let's ne forget who got him there? Right? Who is the only Power five offer? And I was identified by Jed Fish. So I'm not in the world of lighting a guy up when he leaves. Nobody's happy when the coach leaves, and in any instance, that's just what reality is. And the timing was brutal

for everybody involved, including the players in Seattle at Washington. But no, I think that they they would have been great either way, both of those guys who we have built it up and Jed did it extremely efficiently with the pro model. They got people in Tucson that probably had never been to Tucson, you know, like Sean McVay and Zach Taylor, Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, like people come into town to see Jed and Arizona not coming to

town because they're coaching a team. So I think fans in that community, I get it they're angry at teams, but I'd be really proud of you got the place to a extremely healthy position. I think you're a favorite to win the Big Twelve next year. And the best players on the team recognized that it was Tucson that they fell in love with. They came because of

jet Let's not forget that he came to Arizona because of Jet Fish. But he's staying because of what Arizona stands for and what he fell in love with. And I think that's kind of getting lost in all this, and it's become Jed versus Brent Brandan, And that's to me just that that is not the way that I would think about this thing. And I know it may not be the popular to be happy. You're too you're too uh pragmatic, you're not emotional like the rest of us over here. That's that's a great

way to say, you're right, you're spout off. And for Fetus, Dad's who I read that very he's very poignant, very good. I was wondering when you were a player, did you have to deal with something like this? No, we never lost a coach. For our coach, Wald Harris is always up for other jobs. He turned out Ohio State to stay at TIT, which kind of would have been like je turned out Washington but

I think when you're a player. Back then, when I was playing, you didn't really know the magnitude of jobs, Like I didn't know how big Ohio state of a job that was. I thought Pitt was the biggest thing in the world when I was there. I think it's different now. You know, in terms of players and the CFP and the players in this era, you know more about media rights than probably any player in the history of football ever will. So no, I never had to deal with that,

thankfully, I guess. Yeah. So getting back to back to Brent Brennan and said, you know you you jogged with him, so you must know something about him. What do you think the fans in Tucson are going to like about him the most? Well, that's a great question. I think at the end of the day, they want to win. So they got a winner, a guy who knows how to win. He's gonna have an aggressive mentality. He's not gonna lay low in terms of tight games. He's

going to go for it. In recruiting, he's going to go for it. I think though, honestly, the thing that they will love the most, and in ten years when we're talking about you know, he might still be there in ten years. But if he's not ten to fifteen years, where you're talking about how he poured it into the community, they're going to everybody's gonna get to know him. You know, he's so accessible as a personality. I think he's a He's an extrovert. He loves being around people.

He loves selling a vision that he believes in his core, similar to Jed. Like I think that Jed really laid a nice foundation and now Brett's gonna take it in his own direction. But it's going to be a similar vibe of like the communities get involved. I mean you go back to San Jose State and before he got there, football players did not go to softball

games or volleyball games, and in San Jose State they're about everything. I'd say the same thing in Tucson, right, I mean remember when the women's basketball team made a run for it and Jed and his team that they can't fill practice to watch the game and cheer on the team. It's gonna be very similar. So yeah, and answer the question, I think players are gonna or fans are gonna love getting to know BRT Brennan. He'll pour into

that community as you guys know, his wife went there. It's really a place that is special in his heart, and I think he wouldn't mind me sharing that among all the places that he's been coveted by, or the jobs that he's been up for, this has always been the one he's wanted. And I think it's so rare in this profession that you actually get an opportunity to have a shot at that job and then actually get it. I mean,

it's less than one percent in terms of the job. When you're a young coach and you circle on the whiteboard, because I did it, you'd write in the whiteboard like what are your top five jobs? You could be a head coach somewhere, And for Brent, number one has always been this institution that he's at now, and I think that's what makes this so special. And it kind of feels like he's been there for a while. I gain it tendn't even been a week. But for me, I'm like,

of course, Brent Brennan is the head coach Arizona. I thought it was always gonna happen at some point, you just didn't know when, and none of us could have predicted the timeliness that this happened, and so so I think people in Tucson to go back to this. The sky was following a week ago today, but it's it's recovered. It got a group of players, ex players or current players now that are coming back. What was your thought on that or is your thought on that because they have some talent coming

back? Yeah, well I think this. I think number one, you take the emotion out and you say what is best for everybody. Right for Jonah Coleman, it's different than for no Facita, true McMillan, and I got a ton of respect for that. So that's number one for me.

Is like each guy has to make their decisions. But I will say this, and I said this many times and instead of years ago when Jordan Addison became the first real portal guy who left my Ala Mater pit to go to USC with only six months left in his playing career, and I've always felt that, you know, one point six percent of college athletes make it to the NFL on average, and as the Wall Street Journal staff from an arc I read recently, So with that said, everybody thinks they're going, but

the reality is you're not. And the reality is that when it's all over. You're going to lean on an alumni base. So what alumni base are you going to call yours? And what alumni base are is it going to call you a part of them? And I think that's the part that gets forgotten in all this. So I love that those individuals who chose to come on back to Tucson decided that, and I hope they played for fifteen years a piece, but the likelihood is that's not going to happen, right,

And now I think that they have a community and supporters and alumni. Of course they're going to buy them a beer or a burger every time they come back to town for the rest of their lives. But more importantly, when they need a job, when they're looking for a sponsor for their company, when they're looking for a partner in a business, that network's going to be there. And I think if you leave to go to a school for just six months, I think you lose a lot of that. And that might

just be where we are. But for somebody who talks to a lot of locker rooms, I always say the same thing I asked them all. I say, who's building a logo for your personal brand? Right? Now, and a lot of hands go up, and I said, I'd urge you to stop pause and leverage the logo that you're wearing on your helmet or on your jersey or on your hoodie right now, because it's going to be much stronger than the one you create on your website. And the example is Tom

Brady. He's not bigger than the Michigan logo, but he can leverage that thing forever. So I love the players that chose to stay. I hope they get to leverage it. The ones that left, I hope they pour into their new place outside of just the football and the exus and os and

playing, because they've got a strong alumni database there as well. And what I'm fearful of, honestly, is that in this portal era, not only going to lose the academic side of it, but it's really the connection side of it to alumni, and I worry about that and players just becoming a jersey number and a helmet versus becoming a young man who's growing into a real

one. You know, it's funny because of all the people we've interviewed about this type of thing, nobody's ever said that I thought it was really yeah, you know, I mean I've thought that a lot. I'm from here, right, and I see the guys like Ricky Huntley and Lamont Hunley and Chuck Cecil and you know, Corey Williams and all these guys who have stuck

around Tucson from other places, some of them very far. How they have leveraged that, and you know, you think about that when guys do lead, you know, and you think even Steve Kerr, you know, he's you know, he continues to be connected to this community. So that's a great insight on that, Yogi, because nobody's ever said that on the other side, on the other side of this call, even though, like I said, I've thought about it all the time, and that's a really important

thing that guys need to think about. Well, you know, it's interesting you say that, Like, I just got an interviewed by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette because they're doing a story on former players and what they're up to. And my stat line is nowhere near you know, dozens and dozens of players that have played a pit in the last twenty years and I haven't been back more than once, maybe twice, since I played for twenty years, I've

been back to Pittsford maybe twice. Because of my job right I'm working in college football, So every weekend I've got something going on, or is going to the homecoming game or the spring game. But point is that because when I was there, I tried to get three business cards every Tuesday and Wednesday, and I built a community in a network that still cares about you twenty years later to write a feature about you, to ask you, hey, to come back and zoom with a couple of players, and I can call

anybody in the pit alumni database now and I'm connected with them. And I was a walk on or we're in a scholarship, and caught fifteen passes in

his career. So I just say that for the guys like no On TMAC lean into that, and then for even some of the lesser known players and the guys that maybe are just going to play in college, it's a great opportunity to leverage this school that loves you and can get to know you beyond just being a student athlete, but being a three hundred and sixty degree human being. No good stuff, really good stuff you'll get, by the way, tell the Pittsburgh Post to get is that that Shaun Miller's that Xavier?

You got it? I appreciate it, thanks, Yoge appreciating good stuff, A very good stuff. That was great. The A that's you know what, I'm gonna use that because you have to use that, Yeah, because it does sell better. Right. You know you spent this time here, right, do you invest in this time here? Why not make the most of that investment. Yeah? No, See, that's great. That was awesome. That was very awesome. Okay, Hey, thanks, Yogi,

appreciate it. We'll hopefully we'll see you around soon. All right. That' said, we're gonna take our last break. We're gonna come back. Take your calls on anything that's happened over the weekend. A couple of things going on, right, Dave, Yeah, So give us a call. Five zero four one six seventy four forty don't believe, Let just fla. Don't believe, Let just fla. Don't believe. Just win. Believe, just win. Okay, if you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you know it's

been successful for nearly forty years. Now, take a look back at the Ludelsen 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 his twenty five years as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Newton is an insight to how he built the program

into a national powerhouse. What one email me at Steve dot RIVERA ninety five at gmail dot com. Hi, this is formal while get leman huntly with Arizona Health, Imagine how home GM can change your health, your comfort, and your time. Arizona Health is everything you need to transform your personal space and your life. We off a complete line of cardio machines, multi gms and freeway equipment. I'll certify fitness experts and technicians will set you up with

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for a part time job or a second income. Come be a part of a winning team the A Team Apply online today at a teamsecurity dot net. Steve Raverera and Jacob Salis they have their eye on the ball on Tucson Sports Stage chet Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Hey, welcome back to O about here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Rivera. You or Jigins also came in with us today. We've got about twelve minutes. If you'd like to reach out to us, please do five to zero four one four forty.

Good to talk to Yogi. He was great. I loved I loved what he had to say about about You know, you come here, you're here for our however many years you're here. It's an investment, you know, in your time, your career. But you know, make the most of that investment because there's something there for you. Yeah, and you're talking about all these guys from other places who have stuck around here, right, And it's about networking, right, The right people know people, I think,

and we're gonna have them worked here here tomorrow. That's gonna be a lot of our conversation. A guy like him get to know the right people are right people, the Corey Williams with the Cody's Cody Ritchie's of the world, the Jim Clicks, and there's people here to help you, you know, Bert kinnerk, Jim Klick, all these guys who help you know, enjoy the relationships with these athletes and they'll help you down the road. Well, back in the day, our was uh then you saw one in one rate.

It's the uh and we would have found it a long time ago. Where you you have a job to cut the grass and it's or turn on the sprinklers and it's all automatic. And those shine shakes that we do. No, you get paid. You can do that. Do that. You know you can go see you know our uh uh. You know Humberto Lopez and he's you know he's retired now, but you know his businesses. You know, he's a real estate developer and that's why he made his bones here

in Tucson. He's got connections. You know, he'll he'll he'll help you and you can make you can stay here and have a lucrative career doing things here in Tucson, Arizona. And that's that's the cool thing about what I think. Guys like you know what, No, if a FIDA has done team yeah, yeah, maybe they'll go off and play professional football. Even if they do, they can come back here after that. And as he said, never have to buy their own burger or their own beer. So

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Draft Kings Backloce. Yes, yeah, you got any ideas what you're gonna do this weekend? Steve's I know it's only Monday. Well my ticket, my tickets. I only have two tickets left that are supplying. It's uh, it's the Ravens from I've got them in August, the Ravens and the Chiefs. Okay, well, you're gonna have a team in the super Bowl. That's fine. I have an eleven to one team and a four to one team. I think it was final one. The Ravens eleven to one.

Yeah, I kind of like that one better. I like the I mean Lamar Jackson, Man, I've been, I've been Lamar Jackson, Dowter. I'm like, he's only so far he can take you. But dang, he's doing really well. Yeah, so I'm hoping I'm going to be pulling for the Baltimore. Yeah. But then again, man Mahomes and his voice, they just keep finding a way, right, they just keep finding a way. Mahomes was so good he even got MBS to catch a couple.

Yeah. Yeah, oh yeah. Here's the fun with some of my son, who you know, is a huge Raiders fan or forty nine Ers fan, and my godson, Danny Martinez. The two of them are basically best friends. They've known each other since they were bored. Danny's a huge Lions fan, Adam a huge forty nine Ers fan. So this is going to be a very interesting to watch it together. No, Adam's not even gonna come and watch it at my house, he said. He said, Dad, I'm not because we usually do, you know, Sunday dinner at

our house. He said, I'm not coming Sunday. And this is why this is funny. He came over to our house to watch the Packers game, and he left. When he left or the Packers, and when he left, the forty nine Ers were losing. Because he had to go home and he had go take get his son down for a nap. Then the forty nine Ers came in. When he said, Dad, I said, Adam, you came here and you watched it and they won. He said, when I left, they were losing. He's still believing in the death,

so he's not coming up. I think that's gonna be a great game, outstanding games. I think even the Lions could put up a better fight than a lot of people. Yeah, I'm not I'm not going to be disappointed in either whoever wins that game, because you know, I want the Niners to win. I want my son to be happy. They call him Sadam when they lose. You know, see these fans, I don't get it. I used to be that a long time ago, now anymore. But I enjoyed the game. But you know the Lions in the Super Bowl,

that's never happened. Well, you had a stat who was the stat with the Cowboys in the in the other one. Oh, there's only two teams that haven't made two teams in the n FC that have not been NFC Championship game this century. It is the Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys. So so if we're talking blue bloods, Dallas is blue. Is not as blue as it used to be. Yeah, it's just not. It's just not. And we'll talking about there was one and we won't go there,

but it's enough. This year's are this this year? How many this year's? I mean this this year seemed to be the collapse, you know center. I thought that's not very long. It's twenty three years. Man, they haven't been since thirty five, ninety six one one. Yeah, not that I want to rag on Cowboy Fence and Miguel I'm sorry, like fat mic Yeah yep, but no, I you know, it's uh but I like them. I like the matchups this weekend. I think they're both gonna

be fun games. And I mean, you know, the Ravens just look they look unbeatable, don't they they really? I thought the Texans were gonna cover they were getting ten. I thought they were going to cover that, and it was ten ten. I was about to say it looked good to start too. It was tied at the half, and I'm like, okay, I got this. It was it was going on during the during the UFA basketball game. The game ends, I'm like, it's thirty one to ten. What the hell happened? Yeah, So I made a bet.

I picked them to win. Spread was like nine, I think it was. So I said, I went on and got my X amount of money on there and I said I saw some of the show and the kind of commitment to go six and a half at halftime and they had a ten to three league and think, okay, good. So then I went to go cash and I never pulled the trigger on the halftime. It was great because I said, I thought I hit the punch bart I didn't, so it was good. I only bet the Ravens, So yeah, now this would

be fun. I think that I think Sunday will be the Chiefs Ravens is the early game, one o'clock our time, and then you got the lines in forty nine ers at four thirty Chiefs Chiefs Ravens being the early game is a crime. You have to end the night on that on that game. No, you can't play that game at night in Baltimore, man, No way, that's true. That's true. You know the forty nine ers at night didn't in San Francisco. I think, you know, I could hate.

I hate when the weather is at such a such a huge impact on the game. So I'd rather that be just clean daytime, get some sun and play the game and made the best man win. So I'm looking forward to that. Should be a lot of fun. Should be a lot of fun. A fan of when everything is equal, all things equal, you want you just want to clean. Yeah, the best team wins, team wins. Okay, do you still think that? I still think this. That's why I'm gonna bring it up. There's still a lot of mistaque in

the case. Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa. University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins announced today a transition in the leadership of the Department of Athletics, with Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve he concluding his nearly seven year tenure on February second. Robbins is appointed legendary Wildcat's former head coach Mike Andrea as the interim director, penning approval by the Arizona Border Regents. WHOA what did you get? Tell? It's

un newsually sent out by the U of A news. It's not, it's not it's not a sports Uh, it's out of the University of Arizona. University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins announced today a transition in the leadership of the Department of Athletics, with Vice President and Director of Athletics Dave Heickey concluding his nearly seven year tenure on February second, which is two weeks from today. Yeah, Robbins has appointed legendary Wildcat's former head softball coach Mike Candrea

as the interim director, pending approval by the Arizona Board of Reaching. Huge huge news. Holy hell, let me see this. Let me say this. Hickey was at the at the press conference on Wednesday, right when he had he announced that doctor Robbins was sick. Yes, right, he has not been involved in any of these hiring He was has you been around the last time today? The apparently he was sick that we've taken for his word and what do we say? What do we say to each other? And

I said this to Greg Dave looked tired, tired. He didn't. He looked tired at that press conference. I even told Greg that I think there's something going on with Heikey's family that happened. I won't say what it was because I don't know, but that this this this sits on the shock of maybe a one or two. I mean in uh, it's it's shocking. Yeah, but not all We ten, okay, to to make sure the

point is h with Candre it's intern Yeah, okay, yeah. Uh. Robins goes on to say, I'm confident Mike and Dave will ensure a smooth transition as we immediately begin a national search for new director of athletics. With our transition to the Big twelve, success in our high profile programs, the passion fan base, an institutional alignment, I'm confident that we'll be able to attract the tremendous new leader or athletics. This is huge, it's mecca.

Yeah, it's and it's mega for Brent Brennan, right, you just got hired and now he's gonna have a new boss. People hate they hate that,

well, of course they hate that. Now for Brett, you know, maybe Brandon be fine with it. You know, he'll be okay, you know, win and you're all right right right, but jang, wow, Well, there's not a lot of good things going out of that that you eith Dr Robbins, Well, Doctor Robins, he got a he got a vote of no confidence from the from the fact Union saying that they they recommend that he be Yeah, so this came out of this came out of not out of the out of the athletic Department, out of out of the

u A News, the news. Still, I'm glad I saw that before we hit the road man breaking, I mean literally breaking nine minutes. We'll find out more about this tomorrow. We have a big show tomorrow. In fact, we have we have a Humberto Lopez going to join us talk about well we'll ask him this too. Okay, what do you think about you having a U A D. But Bert Lope is a philanthropist, you have a athletics uh supporter and uh, you know, just all around you know,

pretty good guy work from Frank Bush. He will be on the show as well, a lot of things going on with him with Ni all right, should be an interesting show tomorrow, So be sure to come back tomorrow.

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