Thursday, January 4, Hour 2

Streaming live on the iHeartRadio WIF. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rovera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve, He's Jay, and I'm hoping Jave has some breaking news. This is Eye on

the Ball, breaking news on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. All right, with just one game left in the college football season, obviously, you know Michigan, Michigan and Washington Monday, a lot of activity both in the transfer portal as well as players declaring for the NFL today. Tyler McLaughlin, the tight end at Arizona. He's got another players still have the one year of free ouchability from the COVID year. He's got your your eligibility left. But he's

declared for the NFL rightfully. So had a great year, a lot of attention and I really liked him a lot. Yeah, like him a lot. The good thing is good for you, good luck and all that because they have Benett was at our guy that we talked to, the Dad Burnett, Chester Burnett, Chester Burnette and a good stock coming in right and actually Chester Burnett went on on Twitter today and thank you and thanked him for everything that he did for his kid, said he was he was a great mentor

feels like his kid. You know. Uh, Kyl learned a lot about about kind of key on his learned a lot from from Aclachlin, you know what. And that opens the door for for him to, you know, to to have a chance to make an impact next year. Look, you know, guys like a door on. Jacob Cowing also announced today he's you know, he's going into the draft. He could I think he could stand another maybe not Jacob Cowan. Jacob Cown Oh yeah, yeah, of course, you know. Yeah, here's time. What else do you need to

prove? Exactly. So, so those two guys are to open the door for another guy to come back. Yeh, it's I can't help it be a jerk about this. And then I would say, no, you can't come back. The door's locked. You broke up with me, and now you want you want to come back. It out of here, And I'm saying, Dorian, come on back. We know that you wanted to date that cute girl. Didn't turn out well, did it? Yeah? Exactly? Okay, A couple of oh wait, one more, one more player

that's going in going into the draft. Uh the Jonathan Brooks are running back from from Texas towards a cl in November. He's not going to take any more chances about geting hurt in college. He's uh No, mal Kuiper has him as his top ranked available tailback, so he's going into the draft. A really good player missed at the end of the season with that injury.

As far as the transfer portal goes, we saw that Malachi Nelson, who was the top rated quarterback last year, uh well, two years ago, went over to USC under Lincoln Riley, who had recruited him to Oklahoma. On Lincoln Riley take the job at USC. He he went to he went to US. He jumped into the transfer portal. Now they're saying he's going to What do you think about? No, no, no, no, no, you got you got to lower your standard way man, I don't

know. Well, there is a Peter principle involved in a lot of this. Right, if you're not good enough to play here and you reach your level of competence or whatever, you end up at Boise State and maybe you'll turn into but you know, that's kind of what the transfer portal does, right, You kind of reach a level of how good you're going to play if you and you want to play right away. If there's one thing I've learned in this business, Okay, what's the number one? They think they're

coming to school for to play? Play to play. It's not about education. Money is being in there, and now I know now money yeah right, No, that wasn't the case when we covered the teams. Now it's the case where where can I go play? And where can I get the bag? And then one more again, another one of those head scratchers. Quinn Shawn Judkins running back in Old miss He is it all SEC players this

year. He was at last year's SEC Freshman of the Year. In two years, he's rushed for twenty seven hundred yards thirty four touchdowns and he's jumping into the portal. Wow, that's a huge career too. Yeah, twenty seven hundred yards into into two years. He's got he's gonna you know, he's got as is anybody happy? What are they looking for? Right? Nobody? Oh, it's not like Old Misses some crap program. No,

where he's gonna where he's not getting visibility and those kinds of things. There was a player just uh, I think he's a receiver alignment at Florida. Who is going to Georgia now going to the rival. And it's like, these guys, what are they looking for that picnic? That picnic is gonna be different now right? Yeah, no, no one's happy. I guess they always see the greener, greener grass. Blah blah blah. Yeah, it's nuts, it's really nuts, all right. Okay's some twenty twenty four

hes been betting odds are out, Benny nuts. Ye, okay, there's a there's three guys that our favorites. One of them I don't your note. I think he's the Neohio state quarterback, but Quinn yours, Jalen Milroe Carson Beck are the three favorites. But down here on the list in about

I think twelfth place. So there's one Noah Fafida, which four thousand plus four thousand, and then a little further down the list, not not a lot further down the list, but a little further down the list, you gotta Jaya Roy McMillan, and he's about five thousand, seventy five hundred. I would i would bet ten bucks or twenty bucks on that. That gets you some pretty good, pretty good the news, the breaking news on that that there's two Arizona guys on the high school. No, that's very that

crazy. When was that ever? When was the last time that ever happened? Never? Ever, never, That is breaking, never, never, huge breaking is that those are on on our our buddies over at fanduels. So those just came out today. No, that's a that's that's good. Interesting. Well, now you have people we hadn't talked to NFL with UA football in forever. Yeah, and now we're talking the NFL exactly. Another ranking that came out in the last couple of days is ESPN's top one hundred

players. Yeah of twenty twenty three. Yeah, Arizona has a guy at number thirty one in Noah Fafida. Yeah, we'll get back. There's a guy missing from the list, and Arizona fans have lost their And we'll talk to Michael Love about that, because he's tweeted about this already, right, because everyone bags out of ESPN. Yeah, but they hate us. Yeah, well that I yes, that's where I got this. I followed that that discussion where people are saying ESPN hates Arizona. They don't think about Arizona.

There's a difference. They don't hate, they don't think about him. Where's Arizona? Have you ever been to all forty nine states? You know? No? No, no, did you get my point exactly? Yeah, Arizona, no one exists. We don't belong to the union. Yeah, and Arizona was what the forty ninths or forty eight state? So you know, look, that's fine, that's fine. Yeah, it's yeah, because it was he one of the top one hundred players. Of course,

of course, of course he was. You know, there's there's something they were comparing other receiver stats to this, and you know he's got the stats and stuff like that. But again, no, they're not intentionally ignoring airs Arizona. They just don't think about it and they just don't watch Pennix play. I'm still mad. I'm still mad about that. Here's my finger. And I don't know why I'm so mad about a guy who not even from

Arizona. But again, maybe it's because because they called this at the beginning of and he never did anything. I thought to lose the heist because at one point you had it came true. Yeah, that was right once and I the people won't agree with all rights. Some very funny not very funny, interesting discussion. Oh wait, let me go one more time, one more sort of a rainy Two four seven Sports came out with five teams who could be next to kick the door down in the twenty twenty four twenty twenty

five season being football, with five teams with national championship potential. The reason I'm bringing this up is because Arizona, Arizona is one of the fives. Well they could be. Well there can be a top ten team next year. Yeah. That they've got these five teams that you know, it says, twenty twenty four candidates right with national championship potential. According to Brad Crawford from two four seven Sports, he lists Missouri, Arizona, Ole, miss

Oregon, and Tennessee. And they've always kind of been kind of not always but uh those are names, yeah, except for Arizona long term Missouri. So did you did you? I know you haven't talked about you had to have read. It came out last week. I guess why you were on the road the athletics Blue Blood Series. No, it was fantastic basketball fantastic because because they had like four or five writers talked about the blue bloods in basketball are discussion to a t and they had to go back and do it.

Oh miya coupla kind of because they forgot, you know, they so it was. It was very good. Go go read it. Dan O'Neil's part of it. And it's a group. I think it hits to my point because they have like six teams. They're the blue bloods, but the next up and comers Arizona. But there's a lot of there's stuff to work work on. Go go read and we can talk about it when you read. I love it, but it's maybe a week ago. Okay, I

voted that I was busy Land Athletics on my radar. All right, Big big news in the n C Double A with the with their the NT Double A and ESPN signed a nine twenty million dollar eight year deal for ESPN for rights to forty championship events, including uh Division one women's basketball, the women's

basketball tournaments being valued at being worth sixty five million of that. It's a big deal in that there's a lot of people saying, you know, women's a women's particularly basketball, is starting to get, you know, the attention it deserves from a financial standpoint. Look, it's still based on who's gonna

watch, right, That's that's what That's what ESPN is paying for. But it's a it's about one hundred and fifty million dollars a year that they're paying for, uh these sports, including you know, softball, you know, all kinds of other stuff, but women's basketball obviously is sort of thing because remember, and men's basketball doesn't. Uh is A is a CBS Probert Yeah, and then right now is strike while you're hot, right, because the

women's team with Kaitlyn you just see the shots. Yeah, Yeah, she's Steph Curry. She's Steff carry Out. I mean, unbelievable step back three from the logo to win a game. I'm crazy, crazy, crazy. She can play anyway. All Right, So that's a that's the big news coming out of DNC double A. All right, the Rose Bowl as a venue, there's been the topic of a whole bunch of discussions last couple of

days. Yeah, you've got you've got Kirk Curbs Street came out and said he thinks that the National Championship Game should be played at the Rose Bowl every year. Just make it the national whether you call it the Rose Bowl or that's just where you have it, sure, but that's where the game should be every year. Obviously, you know, people in New Orleans and Dallas and Houston this year and wherever gonna say the hell with that. You know, we we want it around, but that as a venue, there's no

better venue for the game. At the same time, stephen A. Smith comes out and says they should move the Rose Bowl game from the Rose Bowl over to Sofar because the traffic is so bad about around the Rose Bowl. I'm like, so you're inconvenienced by the traffic, so let's kill one hundred and some years of tradition because you don't want to deal with it with the traffic. He's been obliterated on social media for saying that, and what just a stupid thing it was for him to say. But that's stephen A.

Smith's stick. He's say stuff like that. But you know, the whole idea of locking in on the Rose Bowl and I don't know, like I said, nobody said, you'll still call it. You know, the National Championship game will be called the Rose Bowl. I hope that doesn't happen, because what I'm looking at is if Arizona can win a Big twelve championship and get in a bracket where they can play in the Rose Bowl, that's the only shot I got to get to a rose Bult before I kick. No,

No, it's going ticking fast. But lot you know, but a lot of a lot of conversation of that. Chris Vanini has talked a lot from the athletic has done a couple of a couple of calms about that, you know, and are are you're saying? He called he compared the Rose Bowl the game or the rosebu to the Masters. It's just like one place that's that you just there's a mystique to it, which there is, there

is. But then again, you hear people were pissed off at the fact that the Rose Bull won't move from its time slot, which made the National champion and the other semi final game on Sunday and at one o'clock in the morning Eastern time. If people are pissed about that, and they're pissed at the rose Ball because of that, Yeah, so just a lot of discussion about the Rods. Well, I would assume I would assume that. Well, I guess they could play it at night at Rosebull, but it's so

beautiful during the day it is. It's such a cool place. I don't know if you've ever ever been to a game, it could be a u c. L A game or a Rosebull or whatever, and going to see a game at the Rose Bull there's nothing else like it. I've not gone to a rose Bult because I don't want to go to a Rose Bold until Arizona gets into a Rose Bold, which may never happen. But well, the tribucket list exactly exactly, all right, So that's that's what we got,

Steve. Okay, No, that's good timing. We got about a minute. Let's just go and then get ahold of Michael left Michael, we'll get get his last takes on on the Arizona on on the ALBUMO Ball, and maybe talk a little basketball with him, see if he's got some some things that he wants to say about this game going in tonight. He is, after all, the columns, not not just the football writer. Chick

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I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez sound Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app just Surgeon. I on the Ball. Hey, welcome back to Aing the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Jacobs Austin. Now on the phone, we have I was on a Daily Star columnist Michael lev Michael how are you. I'm doing fine. How are you, guys? We're doing fine as well. That we haven't talked to you in a while, or at

least the big game of San Antonio. What were your impressions from that game? Well, it was kind of like two games, right. The first quarter and the fourth quarter were controlled by the wildcast, second and third quarters were controlled by the Sooners. I think the absence of Jordan Morgan was a bigger factor than a lot of people thought it would be. Oklahoma really was able to affect the quarterback and made away, especially in the middle of that

game. And you know, if it weren't for the heroics of Dalton Johnson and Gunner Maldonado, Arizona probably would have lost because they were on the ropes. They were down already two scores. Oklahoma was driving, and then those two teamed up to make you know, one of the iconic plays in Arizona football history, right, I mean, that's got to be. That's got to be a top ten all time play. I would think, considering the stakes, the situation, you know, the difference between a nine win season

and a ten win season, all of that stuff. So you know, you just mentioned it a ten win season. Obviously shocked the hell out of everybody. I'm sure shocked. You shocked me, I know, a shock Steve because he thought they were only gonna get five. But you know,

how does that carry into you know, next year? I mean you hang your hat on something great like that for Arizona, which you know people talk about, Well, Oklahoma's done it a million times, then their zone's only done it now four, But how can Aarzon to use that going forward? Yeah, obviously it's a huge milestone for the program. It is only the fourth time that's ever happened. It happened a lot sooner than most people expected it to happen. Well, the biggest silver under I think was five right

coming into the season. I think I think maybe the initial one might have even been four and a half, maybe a climb to about five and a half. I always thought that that number was too low. I had them going seven and five, which would have been, you know, good progress from five and seven the previous year, but obviously made an even bigger leap and it gives them a lot of momentum and buzz heading into next season, going into a winnable conference in the Big twelve. I don't think it's going

to be a cakewalk by any means. I've mentioned this already elsewhere, but the schedule next year, especially the road games, is kind of tough. It's kind of tough. There's they can easily lose three of their six road games or however many they have when you when you break it down, so you know, winning the Big twelve is going to be a big challenge, but I think it'll be It's an easier wall to climb than the Pac twelve of this year. And they were extremely competitive in the Fact twelve this year

against really good competitions. So given the momentum and given you know how many key pieces are coming back, the program is in really good shape heading into next season. But one one last one last thought on last season, you know, being the being the Arizona fan that I am and that you know, the history that I have with this program, probably wasn't until going into the SU game that I thought this team is really good. When did you

think that? Or was there a time that you thought that? When they kept winning those games, particularly against ranked teams. Well, okay, so you know they'd be Washington State handily right the game, right before the Buye. I was th was forty four to six. I mean, they just they obliterated them. I mean it was completely one sided. They were clearly the superior team. But I don't think that that was the that was the game that convinced me, because I feel like Washington State was a little bit

overrated heading into that and Arizona was kind of due to win. I would say that two game home stretch against Oregon State and UCLA. They went to Totoe. With Oregon State, it was a really close game against a very good team. They came out on top, and then they were really controlled

the action against UCLA, A pretty tough UCLA team. I know they had some ups and downs over the course of the year, but their defense was really good good and for them to kind of control the line of scrimmage win that game relative relatively drama free fashion, that was pretty telling to me.

I thought they were kind of on their way when that happened. So realistically, did you and you talked about it with Maldonado and the other one other one, Justice Johnson, did you think going into the fourth quarter they had a chance at all that game? I would say, I mean going into the fourth quarter. Yes, late in the third quarter, no, because

I mean they were in trouble. It was twenty four to thirteen, and worst case scenario really you thought for Oklahoma and that drive was that they're going to get a field goal if you have twenty seven to thirteen, right, And the offense wasn't doing anything, you know, I mean those of Fido was kind of running for his life. They were all out of whack.

They weren't able to get the ball to their makers. And then everything changed, you know, the whole the tide of that game changed did a full one to eighty when that play happened, and you know, the turnovers kept coming and the offense kind of found its rhythm a little bit. They were able to put together one nice, big scoring drive and they got another turnover scored again, and that was that. It was. There weren't a lot like that this year either. Really. The Stanford game on the road was

tough. The Colorado game required a comeback. But you know, when we talk about the term game control, you know, starting with that Washington State game, they were in control of pretty much every game that they played. So it was interesting to watch how they would respond to uh An adverse situation like that. So from where we said, now you was all that you know, covers all these things us as me as a fan, Steve is just a grumpy guy. What you know, what what should we be keeping

an eye out for this off season? You know, we as fans have been through this thing. You know, they've had three other ten win seasons. The next year has not been even close to what you know, reaching you know, the level of expectation that those seasons created. And so that's the kind of thing that I'm sitting here thinking about, like, how do you not how do you not screw this up so that this isn't just a one off? What do you what do you get an eye out on?

Yeah, well, I mean the first thing, of course, is the coaching staff. It looks like, you know, Jetfish is going to be around for at least one more season here, and you know, I think in less an NFL team takes a liking to him and then makes him an offer that you can't refuse. That's I think still a possibility at least and not only Jed, but you know, Johnny Manson reportedly has been offered a job at Texas as a co defensive coordinator, intet linebackers, coach. So

you know, there's those issues that you have to monitor. I think, you know, they've pretty much survived the transfer portal at this point. You know, things change if there are changes to the coaching staff, that might spur some players to leave. But Jedfish has done a remarkable job in terms of retention with both coaches and players. And then you know, like what else can they add through the portal? They've addressed some of their needs.

I was really high on the offensive line acquisition that they that they made last week, you know, getting a kid from the Phoenix area with four years of eligibility still in college, with a big frame and Alex Deuce. I think that was an excellent pickup. That got a defensive back, two defensive

back defensive linemen. Would still like to see them, you know, come up with an edge rusher at some point, maybe a linebacker to add to that mix, and also a wide receiver who can just bring in a little bit more experienced than you know, some of the young guys they have coming up through the ranks. But you know, none of those things are deal breakers, you know, as far as the as adding personnel I mean, I think if they went into next even with the roster that they have today,

they'd feel pretty good about things. Okay, you mentioned a wide receiver at the end of that list. Do you knowing Jed? How you know him? If Dorian Singer wanted to come back here, what do you think he says or does? Man, that's such a tough one. I think if Dorian wanted to come back and he was like, hey, you know, I I messed up. I should never have left, you know, give me a second chance, I think Jed would. I think Jed would

take him back. Personally. He might go to the team, to the votes right, you know, and be like, hey, what do you guys think you know? And I bet you bet the team would say yes. Also if given that choice, I just don't know really what the status of that whole relationship is like if that is a bridge that has been burned and never to be repaired. But you know, he's obviously a talented player who put up huge numbers here, you know, like Jedfish knows how to

get the best out of him us. He obviously did not I know how to do that. So it would be interesting to be sure. I don't think it's likely to happen, but I don't think we can. No, I agree with you. I mean, it's not just about Jeff, It's about the rest of the team. Yeah, because you know they know they saw a guy, a brother, Well he broke like I said, he broke up with them, followed the swimsuit model over to USC and found out she wasn't so great. You know that she was on ozempic. What are

you talking about, I've the gruppy guy. So this was the basketball with Michael. Uh, what were your thoughts? Well, you were you were defending you know what, I will we'll talk another time about defending ESPN with the teamax stuff. But but basketball, what do you make of that one

off? I call it a one off with Stanford? Well, I am definitely tempted to say it to one off because Stanford shot the ball so exceptionally well in that game, made sixteen to three pointers, made over fifty percent of their three point attempts, just the kind of thing that rarely, if ever happens in basketball. So it feels a little bit like a one off

in that regard. But then again, you know, they've lost what three of their last five games, you know, get some tough opponents, to be sure, and you didn't expect them to go unscathed through that of non conference games. But it's definitely a little bit worrisome to see that. And then maybe you wonder a little bit like, hey, did we overrate this team? You know, are they not as good as we thought that they were when we saw them earlier in the year tumbling Wisconsin or winning you know,

on the road at Duke. So you know, this next little stretch here will provide a good measuring stick. I think Colorado and Utah both quality opponents. Colorado might be a little dinged up heading into this game tonight, but I think the upper echelon in the league. Utah has been one of

the surprise teams in the league. And I think then they go to Washington State, I want to say, for a one off road game following Saturday, always toss to go up into the Pacific Northwest, so an important time here, I think for them to kind of re establish their footing and kind of figure out who they are and what kind of team they want to be moving forward. I'll also add this, like it is not unusual over the course of a long basketball teas and for teams to experience ups and downs,

abs and flows, you know, whatever you want to call it. And what you want to do is, you know, do you want to improve right over the course of the year. And sometimes it takes, you know, taking a step back in order to take a couple of steps forward. And maybe that's kind of what's happening with them right now. Well let me ask you this, and again, you know you're you're not in the locker room, so you know, you don't you don't know, but you might

have an opinion. Is this team fragile at all? And by that, I mean, you know, let's say they fall behind, you know, ten to two, twelve to two, you know, Colorado, you know, punch them in the face at the at the start of the game. You think, is that an issue with this team at all? Do you think, uh, you know, or are they at a point where if that's something like that happens that you know, they can going to the end

of the into the toilet again? I don't think so. I mean, if you you act at the beginning, you know, was this last game a one off? And if you want to look at the score and the way that the game played out, then, yes, because they were extremely competitive against Purdue, kept kind of battling back and forth in that game and against Fau as well. I mean, that was a heck and forth.

That was a double overtime one point loss, you know. I mean, I was not panicking at all after they lost that game, even though some people were pointing out that Fau the stuff. We lost to a couple, you know, not so great teams this year, but that they played that was a veteran team that played really well. As the announcers said during the game, it was probably the biggest regular season game in the history of the program, you know, so it was kind of the super Bowl for them.

The Stanford game was the only one where Arizona got down and stayed down and couldn't catch up. And I think that that mostly had to do with the fact that that Cardinals just couldn't miss. No, I'm not worried about I'm not worried about the wildcatch. From a character standpoint, I think they need to defend better, They need to communicate better on defense, and I think, you know, a couple of guys need to step up their games

a little bit, like Tylan Boswell. I think it's been a kind of a disappointment in his second season, and Lumar Balo hasn't been quite as efficient this year as he was last year. So those are a couple of guys that they were really counting on that to me need to take take a step forward here for the team to do the same. One last quick question because we're running out of time. Did you go to the press conwence yesterday with Tommy? I was not there, No, okay, but you saw it.

I'm sure I'm familiar with what was said. Yeah, okay, okay, I say more about the tone. So you didn't write about it today? Okay? Yeah, So if you would have written a story today, how would it what would have been? I mean just kind of how feisty and defensive he was. Yeah, look, I mean our Bruce Pasco was up there at Stanford where you know, Tommy was like using the term kicked

our ass like a two minute span. You know, he's obviously frustrated and that showed after that game, and I think yesterday was more like, hey, you know, like everyone's bashing a team and I need to step up and defend them a little bit and take some of the fire here. So I think that's really what was going on in terms of what he said and how he said it yesterday. More than anything that was just that was just a coach kind of taking responsibility, using himself as a shield to protect his

players from criticism. Yeah, okay, I like it. I like it. Okay, Well, thank you, professor lev Philosopher Love. We'll see at the game tonight if you're going, yeah, that's good stuff. Yeah, interesting. Well, you know again, I love their you know, their perspectives because they see they see things we don't see. You know, well, we all have different views of what we see. Yeah, absolutely, all upbringing, man upbringing. All right, we'll get we'll close it

out. If you want to give us a call. Five two zero four one six seventy four forty Your thoughts on this game with Colorado tonight. What are you hoping for? What are you hoping to not see tonight? Stick around. You're an Arizona Man's basketball fan. You know it's been successful for nearly 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 his twenty five years as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Loot is an insight to how he built the program into a national powerhouse. What one email media Steve dot Rivera ninety five at gmail dot

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Steve, He's Jay. He got about twelve minutes. If you want to give us a quick call. We like to hear from you. Good show today, a lot of fun and a lot of fun, good discussion. Yeah, yeah, we'll screwed up here in two minutes. Yeah we can mess. Yeah. Do you know if someone asked me today on Facebook if Nico has Facebook? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, And I said, I said, I don't know, because they won't go see who his girlfriend? No, No, I probably wanted to just probably friend him

because they liked They like Nico. What's not to like him? On Nico? We want to see an interesting character. Yeah, I think he would caused me problems being a friend, but you know, kind of made a name for himself from our lot of people, you know, my paymid gamee. Yeah, the people that you know that I hang with, Hey, they love Nico anyway. So Steve, what do you think tonight? Man? Oh, I think they're gonna come out and play really well. They're

at home, right, they always play well at home. Twelve and a half, Uh, yeah, it was, it was. It was lower than that. It was like ten and a half. They moved to twelve and a half. Yeah. I think I think they'll cover I think they'll cover. I still think there's a couple of things. Blow needs to hit. Prie throws. He just does. He has been though more than the more than usual, but not right. Let's take this call. Hi, you're on the arm and one on the ball. Hey, guys, what's

up this? Vic? Vic? What's going on? You win any participation trophies lately? Days participated Bampa of the Year? Oh, they're that. It's not easy to be totally one year old around Disneyland. I'll tell you what. So what's going on? Still my mom My Mom's been gone about ten years and I'm still a hero for carrying my nephew on my on my on my uh shoulders for a whole Disney Yeah, it's not easy, man, It's not easy. So what's up? I wanted to chime in on

the coaching thing. Okay, So basically, you can't win without players, guys. I mean, look at look at isn't Pop regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history and the guy can't even make the playoffs now that he don't have uh Kim Duncan and that and that those guys around. Okay, Bill Balichi, isn't he one of the greatest coaches, and now he can't make the playoffs without Brady and that crew. McHale is as one of the greatest places to play because of all the players we've had, or

because a great coach, or what. There's a hell of a lot of great players been through the last thirty years in that building. Yeah. No, I said this before as part of the stories that I did for the Loop book. Montgomery said, you know how, I said, you know, how was it coaching against Louton here? And he says, well, they had some pretty good players. That's what makes it tough. And I mean, look, mcale is tough, but the players made it even tougher.

So you're right to your point. So you guys asked about idea, he was a I'm a good coach when she had airy. Oh okay, that's where you're going with this. Yeah, so is she a good coach or did she? You know? Years ago in nineteen eighty nine, one of the greatest teams in Little League history. We dis missed a Little World Series, but I had two pictures that I rolled the ball out and went and folded my knee and Steve j They once told me, you man,

you have such a great infield. Well, those two pitchers averaged fourteen strikeout the game, and in the little league there's only eighteen outs. So how good a defense that I have. Yeah, but people don't realize that they you know, and like I said, look at look at Belichick. Can't you make the playoffs? Now, I'm sure he didn't change drills or didn't change his coaching philosophy. Yeah, I know, you're right. Well, but at the college level, though, getting players is up to the coach

too. You know, you go, you you're talking NFL, NBA, whatever, Major League Baseball. You know, you've got to have a general manager who's got to spend money and got to get players and stuff like that. You know, and look, there are great recruiters who aren't great coaches who bring in great players. And you know, look Sean Miller, right, he kept getting five star after five star after five star, but he couldn't get those five stars to play and win him a championship. Luke did

it a different way. He got guys that fit what he was trying to do, won a national championship with him, went to four final fours. You know, he had to go get those guys then, he also had to coach him. You know, Tommy Lloyd. You know, he's getting guys again that fit his system, mixed in you know, five star here, five star there, getting guys and he you know, we're still finding

out how he's putting those guys together. So there, I think. I think from a coaching standpoint, at the college level, coaching is more than the x's and o's on the court. And well, it's true, and you do velop and you got to remember Luke changed philosophies a couple of times, right, he ran, and then he had the big guys, the the Brian Williams, Stokes and Don Brooks Gill and so he changed philosophies, which I think made him even a better coach, right, and then went

back to running again. Went yeah, exactly, Okay, exactly, Okay, So I'm gonna write this down. What was your point? After all? And you got that you got to have players to be a good coach. Okay, what is what is what if you got if you got sucky players, you're you're You're obviously not. Like I said, Pop is the perfect example. Okay, So I thought you're gonna go with basketball too,

So what does Tommy have Jerry's still out man that that. You know, you've got the Princeton lost in there, and you've got a couple of bad uh and but in college you got to develop those guys too, not like the pros were they're already. I mean, so you think anybody coaches Lebron nowadays? How though? So let me ask you something just with a minute we have left for you, uh pull disclosure. Rick text me all the time during games. He's a pain in my ass. I'm okay with that.

So here's New Year's Eve, right, he's already, he's already. I had to get him off the leads New Year's Eve to admit that, mister Vick, I admit it. And Day said about ruining the day got me ruined my Chris Year, and I believe it. Yeah, sorry, Vick. You know there's another one coming up in a few months. So there you go, all right, Vick. Hey, thanks a bunch man, you guys take care, Thanks for listening. You know he's he texted me all the time here and John Morrites all these guys. Oh come on,

let me watch the game. Guys. You know I appreciate them. I get those two man I get those two from a different group of people, but I think they're kind of all saying the same thing. Right, what the hell? This is what it is? I mean, you have to if you're gonna be Oh, I was gonna say that level of fan because I say this to you. If you're putting money into it and you're you know, you're you're given to the nil, You're given to the school.

I understand that passion, right, but if you have just emotional you know, I was criticized for not being a fan. You know, I'm a fan, but I'm not a fan like you guys, right because I don't I like to sleep at night. I like to sleep at night. I don't want to work up Monday. You know, I make it. I don't lose sleep over these Okay, so that's the level of fan. But you're around a people who do lose sleepover. Okay. See, that's kind of crazy to me. I think I overcame that when I was thirty.

But you know what I'm saying, it's I saw the purpose. Why would you put invest your heart and your stolen it because at the end of the day, they're gonna break your heart. They at the r remember I said this yesterday. You've won one title in twenty seven years. Good luck for the next twenty seven years. Full disclosure. I once Larry Smith's first game. Let's take this. I'm gonna tell stories. Hi on the art on the ball, my guy, this is Kim. Hey Jim, how

are you? I'm great? How are you? We're good? What do you have? What do you have for us? I wanted to quickly give Jay props for he was the only guy I heard that picked the U of a football team to go ken and three, and in fact they did well. There's a caveat for that. There's a for that. Jake was the guy that kind of started this whole thing, and then you came. But I did say, but they were going and they were doing well. Yeah, okay, thank you Jack. All the griefs that Jay has taken over

the years for his game pics. I'm gonna pat him on the That's okay. He deserves that, man. And we're getting them glasses for the blind Squirrel fort glasses for the That last game was very opportunistic. Uh Nubby there it was, Yeah, it was fun. It was yeah, I mean it was You want to talk about a roller coaster of a game for Arizona fense. Absolutely absolutely well and fixed turnovers. I mean that the defense didn't really hold up Verry into the bargain. Yeah, yeah, all right,

Jim. I do appreciate you taking the time to pick up the phone and call in and tell Steve how he messed that up. Well, that's not exactly what I said. Well, that's how I took it, That's how I was writing the story. Yeah, I get it. Okay, Well, one more quick thing, Jay, I take issue a little bit with Vic that you can CoA jump a little players once in a while. You can't. You can't. You can't. Dick made a living off of that, so absolutely you can't. All right, man, Hey, thanks a

bunch, Jim. Happy New hear to you, Happy New Year to you, guys, Thank you, thank you for listening. All right, Getting back to your topic about people lose their mind. Full disclosure. Larry Smith's first game at Arizona. They're playing. They opened with Colorado nineteen eighty twoish nineteen eighty nineteen eighty eighty Okay, yeah, okay, I think it was eighty first game Colorado. Colorado State comes in here. They lose on a

last second field goal. I smashed a nice chest at the game the holders one. Okay, okay, well, okay, there's some okay that you know, but that was when you could take little ice chests into the stadium, little baby igloose, and I smashed it on the seats and busted into pieces and left it there. Okay, Okay, that's where I was at twenty one. Oh, thank god, you've matured. Yeah, I had, I had, you know, and I would say probably mid eighties that's

when it kind of changed. Yeah. It took a few years where I'm like, Okay, they lost, and you know, I hate that, but let's go on to the next you know what solved it for me? You know what I think when Arizona started beating in Arizona State, right, because that was that was just a thing that growing up that you have on that you know, it was just you hated the end of the football season, and and you know, you started feeling better about being an Arizona fan

because they started being ACU and you weren't. You were no longer the you know, the little brother that gets in the way. So okay, but then and then comes two thousand and you're in twenty twenty one, just loses to NAU. I was passed, so I just smashed an. I said, well, because you probably didn't have one with you, But what level of the pissed were you? You know, it was more of a resignation. I was mad, Okay, I'm like, you can't lose. I

don't care how bad you are. If you're Arizona, you can't lose to AC. I was really I was angry at that, but then pretty quickly, I mean, now I'm gonna say, by the time I got to my car, you know, parking in the nailgator. By the time I got to my car, I thought, holy hell, this is way worse than anybody thought. Right and and and now I'm cussing at Kevin someone Yeah, not it. Yeah, And we found out that was the case. Yeah, it's a bad group of apples back then the case. All right,

Uh god, that's it's okay, man. We're headed to the Colorado game. Yeah, uh seven thirty start. Well, we'll be here to talk about it tomorrow and we'll bring somebody in who can give us some thoughts on that as well. So be sure to be back tomorrow. Have a great night.