This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen powered by Nova Insurance Services. Make sure your most prized possessions kat z R two Side and I Heeart Radio Station The Good Afternoon. Everybody, Welcome to I on the Ball here Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Jaginsas got our guy Jason in today. We have fifteen minutes if you guys want to give us a quick call to say what's on your mind.
We have a lot of football talk today. Absolutely, it's a it's a you know, we're getting to be that time PACTAW Media Days tomorrow, so we're we put in a call to Yogi Roth and he we're gonna get him in the second hour. Just you know, he's the he's the studio host of uh of A PACTOV Media Day, him and him and uh Ashley Ashley Addison, so they'll be working. I don't know who's there anymore,
and you don't. I did see some tweets from Ashley Adamson that you know she's got she doing pacbaw me today again and then but they're you know, the cats Jet Fish with the Jaden Delora and Trade Trade and Stukes will be on at ten thirty UH, so you can watch that. You can start picking up on Pactweb Network. UM. UH. George Clioff Cooff starts off the day and his highly anticipated remarks will be coming up. And so we'll be talking some Packtwell Media Day with UH, with UH, with with Yogi
and then UH. In the first hour. Carrington Thompson, wide receiver for the Sugar Skulls, who's he's been on our show before. He's a lot of fun. He's a really great guy. UH. He's gonna come on and just talk about they got a playoff game. They're here in the San Jose for a playoff game on and they play on Sunday at three o'clock tuson time. That'll be the last of the four playoff games this week. And for the IFL the other three rds. So are they you're done? If
they win, you're done? Well, yes, you know, if if the IF both lower seeds win in this first round. So you got the Rattlers playing Northern Arizona, UM, and then you got the Sugar Skulls playing Bay Area. If Northern Arizona, who is the defending chap they do something kind of ridiculous and beat the Rattlers, and then if the Sugar Skulls win, then the Sugar Sculls will host because they'll be the higher seed. The Sugar Sculls are the three seed, Northern Arizona is the four seed. Unlikely
but mathematically possible. But they're at San Jose three o'clock Sunday. You can watch that on YouTube. You'll catch the uh, the Bay Area announcing team, and then we'll see what happens. And uh, you know, the Sugar Sculls beat They beat Bay Area up at their place earlier in the year, so yeah, anything can happened. And they play well on the road, or they have at least they have been there. They win six and one on the road this year, just kind of ridiculous, so they're certainly
walking in with some confidence that they can win that game. Yeah, okay, we'll see what happens when we talk to all these guys later in the afternoon or later today, were already year in the afternoon. M okay, um, what else is going on? Else? Well, the pack twelve pole came out. Yes, I don't know if we're want to wait, so Jason, sorry, it's all good. We're taking a Jason. Um. The media poll came out and it came out like you would have thought
it would have come out. USC was, uh was it was picked to win the league by by a healthy margin. Um. They're thirty six h thirty six voters. Twenty five of them voted to USC first. Not surprising. You got the Heisman trophy can Um quarterback back. Um, USC should be the favorite. The thing is that I still think that Washington wins this thing. Um. Where are they? They came seconds? Uh the vote the vote total was not closed. Uh what USC was got twenty five first
place votes, a total of four hundred and thirteen points. Washington got four first place votes three hundred and sixty seven points. Utah got third. Actually got more first place votes, they got six, but they got three hundred and fifty nine points, so they were eight points behind Washington. And then, as you would expect, Oregon and they got one first place. Yeah, so in Washington state seven number seven. Uh, not a shock, but but that's gonna be the key game, one of the key games.
We said, yeah, and you and I you know when when we talked about it yesterday. We both thought that Arizona come out about eighth, and that's where they that's where they came. H You've got after Oregon at four, You've got Oregon State five, you see LA six, Washington State seven, Arizona eight, Cal nine, ACU ten, Colorado eleven in Stamford. I think the final four, final four in this poll are pretty accurate. And I don't it doesn't matter how they fall, but those four, because
it's a it's a big drop from Arizona to them. Yeah, so Arizona eighth best and everyone's saying they could win six, seven, eight games. You know, some people, good luck with that, knowing how tough the league is gonna be. This is This is probably about the way I would I if I was voting, and they haven't asked me to vote, but if I was voting, I probably would Bush in USC and I think the
rest of it would have been the same. Maybe maybe put U c l A over Oregon State, but I'm not not one hundred percent sure of that, but seven to seven to twelve is exactly what I would have done. The first four I think everybody agrees those are the first four and whatever word you want to put him in. And then the middle three Oregon State, us c LA in Washington State. So it looks about It looks about right to me. Yeah, we'll see what happens. So funny thing about it
is this poll is pretty much contingent on the quarterback. It is it is, and and you know how they and how they ran them, right, I mean, wait when you look at Arizona and look, I don't know how good Jane Delora is going to be, right, but you know, if you let's let's let's project Jane Delora out to do what he's capable of doing. Okay, as good a quarterback as he should be, there probably
haven't been a whole lot of better quarterbacks than that at Arizona ever. Right, Nick Foles was really good, Matt Scott had a really good year. But they were a six and sixt team. They got into or seventy five team, they got into a bowl game. Andrew Solomon had arguably the best single season of any quarterback ever. You know, just be you know that team went, you know, went to a Fiesta Bowl. You know, you can say Danny White, but you know the you know, those those
teams in the early nineties. Then they ran the hell out of the ball um. You know, Ortiz Jenkins and and and Keith Smith split it. You know. So if Jaden and the point I'm making is Jade Delord is that good. Where he's mentioned among those years that quarterbacks had and yet Arizona's picked a finish shape, that's how good this league is. That he could be that good and they could still be the eighth place team in the league, which is a crazy, crazy number. Okay, so they picked any
This is a dumb question on both of you. Would you bet him to finish eighth or higher? I've been a finished higher. Yeah, I think higher, as high as six? Yeah, I think I think high is probably six and low is probably eight. I think I think I think the ceiling is six. I think they can finish ninth. You know, because we don't know what Cal's got. AC is a little bit of a mystery.
I think Colorado and Stamford are gonna be bad. See I don't as much as we kind of poop poo on Colorado and for obvious reasons, they're gonna be better. They could be better, But then you know, if
you're better than one in eleven. You're still really bad, right, No, Hey, but you apply goes that same thinging with Arizona last year and they want some games and they want some games, and no, Dion, we don't know how good of a coach he is, although he's shown the cam coach and with better talent coming in coaching him up during an X Factor, would I bet him know? But you don't know they're there, You don't know, you don't know. I agree with you, you don't.
I just don't see Arizona finish eleven. No, no, god, no, okay, no, no, no. I think eighth eighth is accurate and I think they'll finish um though. This is the thing if you don't know already, Jason, Yeah, Arizona historically and Jay will attest to this, wins games that shouldn't and lose those games that shouldn't. Yeah, that's
that's a definite. Yeah. At the given that the given we've talked about all this week, we've tried to figure out which is the one that that's going to happen or two where they pull something off and then the next week theay lay an egg. Right, yeah, yeah, no, you feel expect I mean, look, there's going into that UCLA game last year. There was no way that I thought it was you know, you said it was ranked. I think they were like thirteenth or twelfth or something like.
Yeah, I think twelve. Yeah, it didn't even enter my mind that Arizona would go win that game. Yeah, I'll sudden it up. I think you're fourteen to nothing. You're like, wait a minute, you know, and then it because it's just been so long since Arizona has been a team that could do that, right, right, because they just they did it all the time. They did it all the time. They did it under Stoops, they did it under rich Rod. You know, they obviously
didn't undertow me. They did under Larry Smith. They were always doing that. They are beating somebody like that every year. But it's been so long since they were capable of doing that. There was no thought in my mind that they were going to do that last year. Then they did because yeah, because you're you're not expecting it. But then but then we're back to we're back to Okay, if they can do that, they can also do
the office. Yeah. Sure, sure they're gonna lose one. They shouldn't lose, you know, but it's just your definition of which games should and shouldn't they lose. Right, And this is another theory, Jason's because we're just gonna use some history back in the day thirty years ago, probably now, a former UA football coach told us. J told Jay, it's the reason why you don't bet money on kids who are nineteen years old, because you never know which kid's gonna show up. Very very true. They don't
know if they have girlfriend, probably them's academic problem. You don't know any of that, right, it's always or today, if you're you're having a video game problem, I elbody didn't show that alb problem. Yeah, week to week and never know. No, you're right, I mean that was that was probably one of the biggest pieces of advice that I've never heated. I've just never followed. You just said, you guys are crazy for being on eighteen to twenty two. How you actually do that? Dick said that,
Yeah, he said that to me. I think it was one of those times I said we need to cover right. Yeah, I don't understand anybody who bets on eighteen to twenty two year old kids. Yeah, I mean, you never know what's going on. You guys are crazy. If there's anything I've learned, that's the thing. You don't know because it's so emotional. It's an emotional game, yeah, especially at that and the problem is not so much to go and play in college. Who knows what's gonna
happen. Yeah, definitely, you know, and then then it happens and you say, how did that happen? Yeah, you're like, what the hell? Yeah? What the hell? Yea extra good storylines? It's fine, but you know what, look win or lose, it's fun, right,
Yes, No, depends depends depends on what side you're on. I mean I felt I felt worse about teams that about games that I didn't have money on the games that I lost and did have money one hundred next step baby step Yeah, okay, okay, oh anything else before we have three minutes here before we know just again we're talking to who we're talking to? First? Were first? Um, you know, he's been one of the
leading receivers in the in the league. I think he went into last week, I think second in the league in touchdow I look up his stats. He's a fun guy. Actually want invited to come into studio, but they've got business to take care of, and I think they leave for they probably have when more practice than they flapped to San Jose on Saturday. On Saturday, they're playing that that arena where they had the West Regional and that SAP Arena, and they play a huge arena. Yeah, but I think get
a pretty decent following. So there'll be there'll be five, six, seven thousand people at this playoff game on Sunday, which would be a big deal. It'd be fun for them to play in that in that atmosphere. But you know, good for the Sugar Scalls. You know, this is three three out of four years that they four years in existence, that they've been in the playoffs. Yeah, which pretty damn good. You know, they're
just kinda kind of break through. Yeah, breakthrough win a game. Uh, you know, go take your shot at the Rattlers if that's who you end up facing. They beat him, right, didn't They beat him earlier this year and Kevin Guy survived, so he's fine. Yeah. I even saw him a couple of times. Talk to him. You know, he seems all right. Yeah, I you know, he's They had some injury
problems and their quarterback was hurt for a little and stuff like that. I think they've won eight in a row now, so they're on a roll. They're gonna be hard to be um, but uh, you know, they're certainly the favorite in the in the West, which is, you know, the division with the with the Sugar Skulls. But I think that you know anything, when you're looking at the Sugar Sculls, they've they've beaten all three teams that are in the playoffs with that or in Arizona, Arizona and Bay
Area, they've beaten all three of them. On the roads here you can never live without hope, yea, and here we are might be there right exactly. So all right, let's go and take our break. Um Carrington Thompson, wide receiver for the for the Sugar Skulls. Alit one of the leading receivers in the league. Good guy, a lot of fun, great sense of humor. We'll have him on and we'll talk about this game coming
up on Sunday, so I'll stick around. For more than twenty years, the Window Depot has reminded the best price and the biggest inventory on in stock vital windows. And now the Window Depot is more than a window store. Offering a homeown and contractors. A one stop warehouse offering interior and exterior doors, granted in quarts, countertops, in stock, cametitry and skylights to finish your project. Their team of professionals will help with everything from free kitchen design
to custom orders from leading manufacturers like mill Guard and Gelwyn. Order online or find a location near you as a window deepot dot com. Where do you buy exercise equipment? Arizona Health Arizona Health Arizona Health. Of course, to feel better and look better, it makes sense to buy your fitness equipment from the people who know it better than anyone else. At Arizona Health, our goal is to help you choose the equipment you need to reach your goals.
Your health and fitness deserve the best you deserve. Arizona Health the leading niche an exercise equipment on twenty second dis West of Wilmot. If you think now is not a good time to buy a refinance at home, think again. Interest rates are at all time loans on most loan programs, and Paul Volpi of novahom Loans is read to help you find the option that best fits your needs. If you're looking for your dream home or want to get cash out
to refinance on a current home. Visit volpyteam dot com. That's volpe team dot com are cave six two six Today it's summertime. In the summer leagues are wrapping up. Volleyball, softball, baseball, swimming, and pickleball are coming to their season end. Come down and visit the cool and relaxing Creative Awards idea center to pick out your awards for the champs and MVPs. It's also time to replenish your corporate apparel with new Polos caps and safety t shirts
with your corporate logo to make your team look sharp. Creative Awards also has a large selection of brand names like Nike, Eddie Bauer, new Era, and Carhart just to name a few. Believe it or not, it's corporate holiday gifts season time for your clients too, with over one hundred thousand items to choose from. Come visit Creative Awards, Inc. Two twenty eight West
Drachman Street or online at Creative Awards az dot com. Neck pain, back paint, car accidents, headaches, sports injury, or Nelli's Chiropractic's goal is to help our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle. Combining chiropractic care with physical medicine modalities, therapeutic procedures and massage therapy not only reduced paint, but helps the body heal itself as well as provide other health benefits. Or Nelli's Chiropractic Wheels
a natural approach to improve an individual's health and well being. Don't suffer any longer. Called or Nelli's Chiropractic Today. Did you know sports cards that memorabilia are setting record sales last month of nineteen fifty two, Tops Mickey Mantle sold for twelve point six million, Lebron James Rookie sold for five points six Also, collecting cards is a family fund hobby that can be very profitable. If you want to start a collection or expand your collection, check out Showtime Cards.
They are one of the leading card shops in the country and have served our local community for twenty five years. They are located on e Speedway. That's Showtime Cards, It's Christmas. In July, Pyramid Federal Credit Union is
celebrating a month of great rates and returns for our members. All new accounts opened in July are entered to win a cash prize of two hundred and fifty five hundred and one thousand dollars, stay tuned for weekly, limited time new member referral bonuses, autorefinance rebates, and Tucson's highest credit union rate certificates. For promotion details, visit Pyramid FCU dot com. Slash Christmas in July federally ensured by NCUS. That time of year, Summer in Tucson. Time to
take control with temperature control for all your air conditioning needs. We'll keep you cool during all the hot streaks. All you have to do is stay in control with Temperature Control where we handle everything you need with prompt response, affordable pricing, and sound solutions. We also excel in plumbing and electrical work. We handle everything you need. Give us a call at five two eight one five five six six five or visit our website at tempascon dot com and remember,
stay in control with temperature control. Concrete hard Works Concrete has it. We have more than twenty five years of experience with all things concrete. Installing sidewalks and patio floors are our specialty and handle masonry work and retaining laws. We're locally and family owned. Just let us know what you need. How you want it, and we'll take care of it. Leave the hard work
up to us. We're hard Works Concrete. Call us at five one two nine six two five six six zero or visit our website hard works Concrete dot com. We'll put the work in for you. Streaming live on the iHeart Radio WAP, this is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Hey, welcome back to Why the Baharo Fox Sports fourteen fifty of Steve Rivera. He's Jakin Sauce as we have worked a call from Carrington Thompson of these Sugar Skulls, let's say, finish out their
year in the playoffs, which is a good thing. Yeah. Yeah, we're just three or four in the playoffs, three of the last four three of the last four years. Uh um, you know, three or four years in the league. So they were the they were the first new franchise for the first expansion franchise to make back when they did it in the first year, and then they then they didn't make it the second year, and then they made it last year, lost in the first round both times.
So they're in for the third time and hoping to get hoping to get a win. So uh, and I'm still waiting for Carrington to give us a call. Hopefully he does that here in a in a second or two. Um, but uh, you know, it's it's been Uh, it's been a strange season, Steve, you know, watching them lose all these games at home when these games on the road. They did finish out with a win. Uh, you know in the last game last week. So um,
yeah, you should be happy. Hi is this Carrington? Yeah, Hi Joe, this is Jagnzalez. Then we got Steve Steber Verry here where you're on the air, So I just want to make sure you knew that how you doing. We're doing well. Thank you very much, thanks for joining us on the show. How's the team looking before they get to the road for the playoff game? I was like saying that one more time. Yeah, how's the team looking as you guys get up to the road to
get on the playoffs playfrom Yeah, we're we're we're looking pretty good. We're just doing everything that we can control, and that's practicing and getting better and paying attention to the little details every day. So you guys that this is the second year in a row three out of four that you're in the playoffs. Carrington, you were on the team last year, got to the playoffs.
What's the what's the approach this year that you know? Is there has there been you know with the guys who were back this year that we're on it last year. Is there any benefit to the fact that you guys have experienced that? What are you guys talking about as far as that goes, Um, we really haven't talked about last year with or anything like that. We've just been focusing on this year and pretty much just focusing on our details
and everything like that, because it really don't matter about experience. But if you don't, if you don't pay attention to the little details and doing your job and your job only anything can happen. The game can go anyway. So we just haven't focused on that this year. With that and I mean the experience and the best that we have on our team that it does help, but our main focus is just paytage in the details and doing everything we
can do with our job. So, Um, you've been on the team for a while now, right, a couple of three years, years, a couple of years. Does this team look different than the last years from the playoff situation. Um, I wouldn't say this team is any different. I would say our mindset is different from last year. We are more of a team oriented team for real. We do a lot of things outside of football this year, and I can tell that we were more kind of more
of a bond this year as a team than we did last year. Interesting. So, UM, you know we I was telling Steve when we were talking about the fact that you've been one of the top receivers of the league all year, very durable. You've been in all fifteen games. We even see you out there making tackles on special teams and that kind of thing. You know, being a receiver in the endoor football league. You know, you're not just not the catching passes. You gotta do a whole lot of
stuff. Tell us a little bit about, you know, just kind of what it takes and the mentality you have to have to play in this league when you you know, you suit up twenty one guys you know on a given day, and all the other things you got to do besides catch passes and score touchdowns. It's we have a lot to do. Um, It's not as much has been like a load. I mean, I really would say pretty much. Being a receiver in this league or any league, it's
just so with the will to want to do it. Um I do everything I do with special teams and playing offense because I want to sell the younger guys. I mean, a lot of people come in this league looking to get to the next level. And when you go to the next level, it's not you're coming in as a starting receiver. You're gonna be coming as
a role player. You're gonna be coming in playing special teams. So if you get that aspect of wanting to place press teams and wanting to go down to make a tackle, you can make any team at the next level. But it's the willing and the want to do it. We had coach on um Well back maybe two three four days ago. How is it practicing getting ready for this in this heat? It's pretty high man. We kind of kind of I'm sorry, monitor the amount of time that we outside for practice
and everything like that. But we're just taking care of bodies, making sure we're doing everything to be able to practice in the team. We know our environment, we knew what we was getting ourselves into. Coming down here. So it's just pretty much just doing everything we can do to take care of that so we are able to practice out in that heat. And it's a lot of people think that the heat is a bad thing, but it's just
with the league we're playing, we're playing indoor. It's actually a good thing to be practice the outside of that heat because it gets you in conditioned way more especially going into and it's endurable. So, uh we we've talked a lot this year about you know, Ramon Atkins at quarterback, a new guy for coach for coach Chen, learning a new system. It seemed like it took him a while to sort of get acclimated to what was expected of him
offensively. What tell us a little bit about what you've seen him and how you've seen him progress from day one to where he is today, where you know he hasn't had a turnover or he hasn't had an interception. I think it's it was his eighth game now without an interception after throwing eleven in the first half of the season. Just tell us about maybe the connection you've developed with him and just what you've seen him do over these last several games.
Well, I think that's pretty much what it is. It is not our connection. Actually, it's pretty much him trusting the offense and trusting coach Chen and our other receivers that we had um everybody know beginner to season first of my virgin virtue, but sow with Chen going out to the grab weapons to be able to help us be a complete offense. Yeah, I think just him trusting other guys and trusting the offense is really playing a big part.
And every week we always are in our even with him me the running back, anybody on our offense, we always are harped on uh taking control, I mean keeping uh. And I think that's what the biggest impact is helping him out and turning that around with it turnovers and everything. It's just focusing on protecting the ball and taking what the details gives us. Turn to explained this to me, Jay tells me, it's a very strange year or audi year. You win a lot of games in the road and couldn't do it
at home. Thank thankfully you're on the road this weekend. Yeah. Yeah, I don't. I don't know what what it was with us this year with our home games and everything like that, but I'm very confident of us going on the road. I guess we're just a team that like to upset people at their home. But um, it's gonna be a good one that that Bay Area came over there. I'm sure they're studying us pretty well. And it's always gonna be a great bad especially with the history between the coaching
staff to hurt his chin and Dixie and everything. So it's gonna be a great fight and I'm sure it's gonna go down pretty to the wire and nobody's on both sides gonna give up. But as far as the only thing we can do, pretty much though it's taking control of work, we can take control love and like I said, doing doing everything to the details. Um, looking at your stats, like I said, he played in all fifteen games, seventy eight catches, twenty one touchdowns. I mean, whether you
want to admit it or not, you're your romanes guy. You're his go to guy. What's that been like for you to kind of be in that role where you're sort of the guy that you know he appears to be leaning on. You know when he needs a guy to make a catch. You know you got Mike Jones who does what he does, but then you know Carrington Thompson is the receiving piece of that. Tell us a little bit about how that, how that's been for you this year. Um, it's been
unbelievable, especially with them my last year playing in our football. But any receiver would love to have that title of the go to receiver. UM, I'm just able to be able to put our team in spots to be able to win the game. Uh, just giving back to this game, It's It's been other teams I've been to go to, but this year it kind of been a little bit more special because everybody says, yeah, you once
it gets to the end, it hits a little bit different. And I think that's that's pretty much what been so best about this year is just to out turnout of this season that happened for me, especially with it being my last year, just putting it all out there and showing everybody that if you want to win, especially being a receiver in this league, you guys that go one hundred and ten. So so WAYMNTE, did you just announce your retirement to us? I think I retire. I not say I do not
say earlier in the season. I think before our last home game. Uh, but yeah, everybody knows it's going to be my last season. So what's the real world gonna happen for you? What's gonna happen, Um, So it's going to be a father man, going to go get a career job, be a father, being around my kids, and just getting getting that time back that I kind of lost with having to travel and uh do every team but this game. So it's it has it been rewarding for you
though? I mean you know you play your your professional football player, right, I mean that's something that a lot of guys don't get to do. Yeah, It's it's definitely rewarding for with it being the last one. I tell my team every day, um that I'm so grateful for the season that they gave me, with it being my last one, the memories they gave me, um, And I'm just happy to be able to give back to our rookies or our players that's two years or a year in this league.
I'm just able. I'm just happy to be able to get back to that receiver room and see what they can do next year. When I'm watching the game, well, you've definitely had some memories, right because you played in the Cotton Bolt right at Western Michigan. Uh, that had to be cool, right, Yeah, that was pretty That was pretty cool. It was. It was a great run a lot of people. I tell uh when
I was younger, it was it was the next level buzz. But just the game that I played, everywhere I went with this game took me to a lot of places I never thought i'd go. So I'm just satisfied with all that and happy that I was able to play the game and go see the world as I did it. So now you can have to go out and style with a championship. So so so so you're how old are you? But so, what would the twenty nine year old Carrington tell the twelve
year old Carrington looking back? What would you? What would go? Advice would you give it? Uh? You kept pushing. Uh, I'll never give up, never listen to the outside world. And whatever path that you wanted to go, you want to go down, is the path that you you go down. They'll never let nobody control your life. They'll never let nobody say that the path that the best pappen. Just continue to show the world that you can do things the way, no matter what level That your
own all right, Well, Carrington had some sage advice right there. Uh, you know, appreciate you being here, Appreciate you know what you've done your last couple of years that you know, I think people remember you. You were the guy you know for a couple of you. You didn't over, ain't over. You got you got a couple of you, hopefully at
least got a few more games. Right, it's not over for so I'm gonna make sure this last season be where I'm holding up that trop All right, Well, best luck to you guys on on Sunday, and uh, safe travels and let's see how it goes. All right, Thank you so much. I really appreciate you guys having me on your shows every year i've been out here, and the love and support you have gave me since doing throughout my luck. Thanks. Thanks. He's a good dude, Jake,
dude. Man. He announced his retirement here. I mean, I'm sure I'm sure his guys knew, but we didn't know. Holy cow. Now he's gotta keep that dream alive. Yeah, you're not good for him though, you know what, hey, you know, beat, you know, look, twenty nine years old. Time to move on. With my life. I got a kid either on the way or he's got one. Now, I don't you know what. I'm not sure what that is. But you know, you know, smart dude, you know, obviously recognizing what
he's got to do. Very cool. Okay, all right, let's take our news break break, take a breakwa and come back. Take your calls five, ten, zero, four, one, six, seventy four, forty we'll talk some more football. If you're an Arizona Man's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for newly forty years. Now take a look back
at the Ludolson 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 me at Steve dot rivera
ninety five at gmail dot com. Hey, Walcat Nation, Jake Fisher, here, I gotta tell you about my winning team over at Arizona Health Insider. I was able to get a custom private health insurance plan with no deductibles, no co pays, nationwide coverage, and I get to pick my own
doctor for less than two hundred dollars a month. If you want to avoid getting gouged on the exchange and you want real health insurance, call Arizona Health Insiders five two zero eight five zero six eight six six five two zero eight five zero six eight six six beardown. What's your goal a new career or career advancement? How about transferring to a four year college. Pema Community College can help you make Someday today and reach your goals affordably on your schedule.
With over one hundred programs to choose from and financial aid available, it's time to earn the degree or certificate you need to prepare for the career you want. PIMA offers free career exploration classes so you can choose the field that's right for you. Learn how at Pima dot Edu. Slash someday. It's so hot and sticky. I can't stand this humidity. I'm melting. So you can either check for hot flashes and duck or call picts Rocks cooling, eating
and plumbing. It's not hot flashes. We're calling picture rocks, cooling, eating and plumbing right now at five to zero or four zero or zero six nine and need more affordable auto and home insurance while making sure your family has the courage it needs when mayhem happens. They've got you covered at the Edmund Marcus All State Agency. Go see Edmund Marcus. He's born and raised in
Tucson and a proud graduate of the University of Arizona. He's been an All State agent for twenty five years and has an award winning agency which takes care of his clients. Home today at five two zero three two three nine three three three nano on home quote and let him save you money and make sure you have the courage you need. You're in good hands with the Edmund Marcus l State Agency. Do you want to be part of a winning team?
A Team Security is looking for friendly, outgoing events security guards and events staff to be a part of our team. We've been providing our outstanding services to some of Arizona's biggest sporting events and concerts for over twenty years. We want you to join the action. A team offers a fun and exciting opportunity to work in the sports and entertainment industry with flexible schedules that are perfect for those looking 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 team security dot net. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeart Radio while just surgeony I on the Ball. Come back to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, you're Jay Goon. Gals got our guy Jason and us today. We have about fifteen minutes. We'll give us call five two four one six seventy four forty. I'd like
to hear from you guys. Yeah, you know, it's interesting to talk with with Karrington Thompson because, um, you know a lot of people ask and you've asked before too. You know, these guys that are playing in you know, in this league, you know why do they play? Yeah? Do it? I love right? And they out of love. Some of these guys got to get you know, they don't feel that they're done. Um, it's almost like they got to get something out of their system
or something right right in fact, to move on. In fact, we've had this before. We'll probably do this next week. You're not gonna be here tomorrow, so do this next week. The two sons sorrows are playing and they're they're the leading the leading league. Um, and this is the lowest of the pros or whatever you want to call them. Uh, dudes are just playing baseball, trying to live their dream with a slim chance,
you know, getting But they're doing something I wish I could do. Yeah, not in one hundred and ten degree with other but well, nobody see playing baseball. And I would bet one hundred and one that you would want to do it, Oh, one hundred percent. I would have kept playing if I'd had a chance. Look, you know all the sugar skulls, Kuarington, Thompson, all of them. They can say I was a professional football player, right, say what you want. And while you were in
your football league, you weren't in the NFL. Well you know how many guys do get to the NFL. Right, but um, you know they're a professional football player. They got paid to play football, as he said, they got he got to go places and he might not have right, not have gone. Yeah, right, he's heading up to sand Josey, did you cut some stuff from yesterday's press press conference with Well, Well, he talked about it, tell me talked about him not this is his first
chance to get out of the country to when they're going to Israel. Uh, he's excited about that. He'd never left the continental United States outside of well, Hawaii of course, but um um, he's exciting about it. And sports gives an opportunity. It does to people who to people like me and Tel Right, I wouldn't I wouldn't have gone to Europe or whatever, to Germany to do all these things were professionally you leave in the country. I'm a traveling around the country. I last Steve No, you know we
lived to earthquakes, right, you know you have Anthqua. Yeah, we had an earthquake while I was there and everybody I still remember everybody come running out the stud wells. We were outside in the high in the snow. It was crazy. So, you know, but you're right, And that's one of the cool things about you know, the opportunity you get from from sports. What I have traveled like that, as a regular news reported.
No, because I was covering local news, right, So, you know, I got to go to you know, the various places I got to go to, and it was all it was all very cool. So and that's you know, And so when you have an appreciation for that, UM, it sort of makes walking away probably a little bit easier. Sure, you know. Sure in the first year that the Sugar Skulls had a linebacker's name was Zach Allen. Um. I know there's Zach Allen in the NFL. It's not the same Zach Allen. UM. And he was like an
all All League guy. I've been playing at the barn Stormers with uh, with Dixie Wooton and those guys over there. He was here. He was the best player on the team that first year. Um. And then I remember at the end of the season, Um, you know, the season was over and I'm in the office and guys are coming in and they're turning in their stuff and whatnot, and um, and I just on a whim. I don't know, I guess I just said, I said, what now, Zach? What meaning you know what's next? What? What are
you gonna do this? The rest of the summer right, and he was and he was like, that's it for me. And I'm like what he Because that's it for me. I'm done, I said, you're that's it. You're didn't play football? Go But yeah, because because man, I got I got kids, I gotta go do stuff. I gotta get and and and because they don't make a lot of money here, because they have
to have a real life. Yea, the football they play and for what they played for, it's because they played because they love the game and it gives them enough to be able to do it right and not uh not not be a financial hardship for that. And that's that's what they get to do. And then at some point, you know, you say, okay, I've you know, I've done my I've done my stuff and I'm ready to move on. So that's that's where we're at, right. I know these
guys want to play three more games. That's how many it to take. How can I say this? And I think you could talk about it. So if they go another week to get paid another they get paid per game per game, okay, right, they get they get paid per game, and then all the things that they get with at the room and board and the room and board, the medical, the meals and all that stuff that
continue that just it just continues until they're done playing. Um, I don't know if there's uh uh, you know, they get an extra check, say you win a playoff game. I don't know if there's if there's an addition, an additional mount or anything. Because you know, somebody wins the Super Bowl, they get X thousand dollars or whatever. But I don't know if there's that. The rings involved in this too, I think it will be. Yeah, I think they would get rings if they they were to
win it. Okay, because I was assuming that the Riders have a few, right because they want Yeah wow, but it's been a while since they won a championship. Don't remind him. Don't remind mister guy. I know, if he's listening bringing that up, don't talk about to bring that up.
Yeah, but you know, but um, I don't know. I would think there would be you know, I mean, it's not gonna be a Super Bowl ring, but it's gonna be a you know, there'd be you know, something like that that would be sort of a keepsake from winning the league. I would think the league would would pony up for something like that. You know, you'd like to think that they would. Look. These guys sacrifice a lot. I mean, as I said, they don't make a ton of money at this. They make enough to live right and
and be able to play football. You know, they don't, you know, they don't have careers because they're they're spending you know, however, but three or four months doing this, so they don't. You know, none of these guys are you know, lawyers in a law firm or taking a break. What they all want to be is is um Oh. I know I do this to myself. Think about names and I can't remember the names the Cardinals quarterback from Iowa who played um um um, Kurt Warner, Kurt
Warner. They don't want to be that story that gay, right, and there's that, you know, And I honestly believe that some of these guys do it because of no because they see, because they see that there was a dream that got realized there what's that? Why not me? Why not? Why not me? Exactly? Why not me? Why not you? Jason career in journalism? Yeah? Why not? Set the storm? Got a tan ESPN. He'll be re hiring by then, yeah, yeah,
who knows? So how many how many guys do make it? You know, good questions league like, um, a number of guys And when I say a number, there's there's there's what fifteen fifteen sixteen teams okay, okay, and so they probably and these teams got twenty five guys. So I would say probably maybe ten twelve guys might move up and go play the USFLM NO in the league. Yeah, you know, some guys move up.
Some guys are on their way back from those leagues, right, Yeah, you know a lot of these guys have Some of these guys have they've had some time in the NFL and then or they've been uh, they've been um, you know, they've been in training camp. They may have maybe made the practice squad and then got cut. Yeah. Try so now they've had a taste of it and try to stay alive to uh, you know, to keep playing. Let's take this call higher on there and on the ball.
Hey you guys, this is Gabriel Gabriel from California. How are you guys? Are you guys are doing well? Gabriel? Wow, we're doing well? What do you and where are you been and how do you feel on the eve of something that could or could not happen. Um, well, I'm not surprised that they don't have a TV deal, So I guess that the TV deal is gonna be on PBS Kids or Nickelodeon. So I'm being a mod ass so no, you never so anyway, I just wanted to see I just wanted to talk about this. Um, I'm not surprised
that there isn't no TV deal. So and also, can I just voice my opinion about George klia Coffin and then we can discuss about Arizona's football schedule. Okay, but you're not allowed to cuss, okay, because then you're it sounds like you're mad. No, no, no, I'm just I'm just not surprised by anyway, I'm not gonna cuss. Don't worry about it. Um anyway, So my opinion about George klia coff is he talks a lot and does him back it off and at bets he's way way too over
his head or he just a we're all famous encompassed him buffoon. Well you didn't cuss, Well that's short of cussing. Okay, all right, respect your opinion. All right, what makes you say what makes you say that because nothing's been done? What if? What if nothing could be done? Well, here's the scene. He didn't, he didn't, he didn't he he he basically didn't. He didn't know that USC and UCLA wire basically staff in right in the back and tw the knife and decide to go to the
bid ten. So that is on his ass and he and just mainly I just I just basically set up with with him all saying well, well, I'm just basically sat up with seeing well TV me always coming. Well, that's basically more of the patrol STEMP step boys just like um not John, we'rener the of your guy because Dono, he's just a huge steps for the conference. I just said, up with his his personality. I'm trying not
to cuss. Yeah, I can tell you're working hard at that. All right, so what do you So let's talk about the football schedule we got We got a few minutes. So yeah, first of all, how many wins do you see? I see I think eight wins. I think they got an upset either Washington. I think, well at home, that's a good upset upset at USC because I think they're probably gonna feel motivated to get to give the Chargings best sat L and upset and win against against Utah.
And they gotta beat the teams I needed. They need to beat um like a fu Colorado, Washington State, Danford, definitely, Nau, definitely uh al Pasto. So a whole lot of wins in there. You went. You went from being the most pessimistic guy to the most optimistic guy in a matter of seconds. Well, well that's because Kevin Bumlin was running Arizona and I wanted I wanted his ass gone. So luckily is that has gone. So I'm running myself. A note, do not piss off Gabriel's kind of
mean. Yeah, I love you, Gabriel. You know that's three hell within the USC, Washington and Utah. Holy cow, those are the three best, three best teams other schedule. Yeah, I mean, like a rousing snake. Well good luck, all right, man, we're gonna take your eight winds. We're gonna mark that with Dow Gabriel. Okay, all right, man, appreciate And I'm being really patient with the whole TV deal.
And you know that I want Arizona to go to the bitchall because I still think that Aaron Arizona needs to be producted and survived as a whole athletic to parment a whole conference. And I really don't care about the other schools. There is no such thing as conference loyalty, just like USC and UCLA. So Arizona needs to do where it's best for Arizona, not to Scumdale is not Utah, not Oregon, not Washington. Hear about you, not them. They can go to the dust town of history. All right,
there you go, Bobby Robbins, that was for you. All right, Gabriel, thanks a whole bunch for the call. We always appreciate it. Thank you, guys, I help you guys are doing good. And State State, thank you, thank you. Oh he's trying to be nice at the end. Thank you, Gabriel. I got tears in my eyes, man, Kevin. But of all all this time, all these years, I've never I've never thought of that, and I'm really upset at myself for not having thought of that. That would have been a nice headline in the
New York Post. Way to go, Gabriel. Nice call. That was fun. It was really fun. He win. He's got his beating Washington, Washington Uh, because they said you got those three he had a beating Washington State, Arizona State, Colorado, and Stanford. So that's what that's that's seven you tapping, you tapping, and a year that's nine. He's
he's been listening to Jake Fisher if you called nine wins. Yeah, because then because the only the only teams he didn't say that they were gonna beat were the teams he didn't mention, right, didn't mention Mississippi State, he didn't mention us Lay, and he didn't mention Oregon State. So so I mean he might he might be thinking they're goundefeated. Maybe Okay, Brooke, thanks what we call You're in the clubhouse leading for the calls of the day,
all right, uh man? Breaking news? Uh we well, we already covered the pack Talk Media Day, but a lot a lot more stuff going on, some stuff in the NFL. So Jason will be back with some breaking news for everybody. We'll we'll go through it. So