Thursday, May 18, Hour 1

This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and jagon Zalis on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen, powered by Nova Insurance Services, Hate Sure your most prized possessions, Katz R two Son and iHeart Radio Station Yet. Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera alongside partner jagon Zos. We're loan in the studio, so you

never know what's gonna happen. I hate Boston, Jay. I've seen enough basketball flameouts in the final seconds or moments this year to last me a lifetime, you know. And it's it's a sad state of affair, Steve, when you know, you tweet your text out something like that, you said I hate or Boston is dead to me or something like that, and then I have to defend myself and say I had nothing to do with it because I did not touch the game. You're putting on a third party, in

the third party to do something. I hardly even watched the game. Uh you know, I was doing some stuff and um rarely saw the game. And you know, I saw the Celtics were kicking their butt. Then I looked at the scoring. I'm like, what happened? Yeah, they pulled the Arizona against Princeton. You couldn't hit a shot, and then all the other team Dude, those hit shots. The game turned and they just couldn't

come back. Was it was it Jimmy Butler again, I mean again, I don't know enough about what happened, and it was everybody but Jimmy Butler was He threw up a shot that you know had no chance and it bounced in and he said, dude, that's gonna be the end of it. And that was the end of it. But you know, I'm not a Boston guy, so it doesn't really matter. Um, your daughter's still there. She's coming back. Yeah, she's actually actually she's back here and about

two weeks. Yeah, so the Boston will be eliminated by the tonight. We have Denver and they I hope Denver wins tonight. I'm not sure that will happen though, because usually because one on one. Um, but we'll see what happens. Um cool, Okay, Hey, big shot of the Yeah, good stuff. Dave Hekey is gonna join us. Uh, we'll

talk some we'll talk some sports stuff. But Dave is one of the Fathers of the Year by the Father's Day Council of Tucson, a group that one of my boss is, Steve Rosenberg over at BIS Tucson, is intimately involved with UH and his dad was was one of the founders of the Father's Day Council here in Tucson. Big event for them with the with the dinner coming up first weekend in June. But Dave was one of the Fathers of the Year, as was Reggie Geary, who will be on the show tomorrow.

So we'll talk about, you know, being dad's in you know for Dave Man a really challenging, challenging yeah, good, a couple of good kids. Job. I did a story. I think you edited my story for yours. The biz two sons. Um, you know, he's all my age, maybe a little older, maybe a little older, a little younger. Former athlete, now a d didn't have a long way to get here, but he got here. Um, a pretty good athlete. But you're right in time consuming, right when you have a job to have a job

like that, you know. And then Reggie Geary as well, you know, guy's a professional athlete. Um, you know, he's he's settled in a little more working at the u of A. He does do some broadcast stuff, but again, you know, very challenge. I mean, look, it's hard enough being a dad, you know, and then you're throwing

all these other things that these guys are doing. So we'll talk to them, both of those guys, about that, but you know, also get some of their takes on some of the stuff that's going on right now, sure PAC twelve and around Arizona. And then at h at four or fifteen it'll be John Wilner. Um, he's a really busy guy keeping up to date on everything that's going on that you know, as we you know,

we read Dave Hekey's quote from yesterday. You know, what you know now maybe different from what you know in an hour, and so we're going to get the latest from from John about what the hell is going on over with the PAC twelve. How much longer before this thing uh takes shape? I don't know how much he can tell us, you know, we can speculate a lot. He's a lot closer to the situation than we are. So we'll hear from John and get the latest of what's going on protectularly as it

relates to the PAC twelve, never changing. Did they have meetings yesterday the day before, a couple of days ago. Yeah, there was some meaning nothing really really, I did some Listen, we'll talk about this. I don't want to talk about it now. But the rules or in game stuff and blah blah blah, boring crap. I saw that, you know. And again, I mean we talked about why did they even do I don't half time thing and stuff that they're never gonna say anything that's gonna matter.

It's a waste of time. But mic up stuff. Yeah, that's fun. That's good, right. I mean one of the funnest things that I've seen lately in broadcasts when they put a microphone like a guy in the outfield and then a ball gets hit to him. That stuff is fun. Yeah, but even right, but try and get a comment, you know, from a from a coach. Yeah, it's gonna tell you what. Yeah, you know, at at after the end of a quarter, at half time, what do you use it for? There's nothing to use it for.

I saw one for hockey maybe three or four days ago. I think it was the I don't know, didn't matter, uh, and the guy was annoyed. Did they asked some a couple of good questions. It was a couple of quick yes, no things, and he got the hell out and and and they laughed because, well, what's he gonna say right after the first first period? I to me, that means nothing to me.

In fact, it's as you say, it's annoying. It's annoying because because you feel like one the poor person that's got to come up with a question. You know, how are you feeling about your game? Right? Well, we're down fifty to nothing, so I'm kind of hating it right now, right, you know, or you know, we're up fifty to nothing. Oh, this game is not over. It's you know, come on

stop. Yeah, it's but again, you know the miked up stuff that you can play later on because you're talking about doing micing up you know, players pre game and stuff like that. That kind of stuff is kind of fun. Yeah, they do that with coaches and stuff, so that I'm okay with that. The coaches the stuff like so Steve and and some of the other guys would be interesting and well, you know they do with the NBA. Speaking of college football, Steve, it's one hundred days away.

One hundred days away, today we're double double before the first game. For the first game. Okay, yeah, I'm excited. You already talked about it yesterday college college football. Um, listen joy the first the next ninety nine? Please please can you give you that's what you're gonna so you're gonna get one hundred and ten peros soon. In fact, um, uh, you know, the world is gonna get hot outside and we're gonna be miserable. And I had to go out and fix a fix a sprinkle in my

yard and I got dizzy. I think that was as much from bending over as it was from the heat. Are you by yourself, because no one's gonna be well. I keep my phone with me now when I go work out in the yard, and keep my phone with me. And comes from a comes from an incident, uh, I don't know. Several years ago, I was up on the ladder and I was trimming a bush and I fell off the ladder and and he had hit my head on the on the hedge clipper on the way down and cut my head open. Fortunate, and

I landed on some bricks, so fortunately my phone only fell. My phone was still within arm's reach of me. I was able to reach my phone and call My wife was inside the house and told her to come out and get me. I hope a phone and I can't give up, but I goes pretty much yet I didn't know if I could so big Toyamardo. You know the Propens guess they had an interesting question that I had responded to it I really do on Twitter? What what is it? Word? What word

or term or phrase that makes you cringe? You just hate here and hearing during games? Or what phrase, word or phrase or term do you that makes you cringe during the game. When somebody asks after a win or a loss, how do you feel? Right? How did that make? How did you you went off for one hundred and five points? What did that mean to you? That's what you That's what you guys say. You know, how would you think I feel? Or when they say what what does

this win mean to you? It means that we want, you know, we gotta go play we gotta go play them again day after tomorrow. That what does it mean to you? Whin blank? How do you feel? So? I responded this way? Um, when when they say score the basketball, oh, he just he can score the basketball? What else else is you gonna score when he plays basketball. He can score the golf ball. You didn't score the tennis ball. When you can score, you would

hit the hell out of that. What we scored fifty five points with the basketball? And what else is he what else you can score? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, we've been we've been editors too. But every basketball season it happens. You'll hear it tonight. I guarantee you're gonna hear it tonight if you watch the game that yo, kids can really score the basketball. Yeah, I hear that one. I just and again it gets back to those those sideline reporters where they got come and talk to somebody at the end

of the game. What did it mean to you to score fifty points, to win the game, to pull off the upset? You know, asking something better than this. Yeah, it's the hardest job. That's gotta be one of the hardest. It is, But that's why it's not really needed. It's just not either. But you gotta figure out what why are you getting paid? Okay, So what else going on? M the golf? What's going on with Well, surprisingly be Bryson de Shambo, who's he went

to the Live Tour. He's been crap at the Live Tour. He basically lost his game. I watched his post round interview and they actually got into some deep stuff because he talked about how he just lost his game and and so he was really happy to have shot four under par. He's he's uh leads by a stroke, you know, kind of out of nowhere. Um. And then John rom the world's number one player, is six over. He shot the worst round by a world number one, the worst opening round

by a world number one in the PGA Championship. Ever, he's the dude from a s U has been, he's been money, he's won the Masters, um, and he went out of shot six over par. He's gonna have a tough time making the cut tomorrow. And then my guy, like I said, I got Xander Shaffley started out four over par after three holes. I'm like, I'm like, he's on a pace for twenty four over par. I can take him. I could beat this guy. He's still

far over after six or something like. But continues. You know, not a lot of big names up at the top of the board, and often there are not. You get a lot of guys who have, you know, a great round, and then they you know, kind of level out the next day. It's kind of it's in Rochester, New York. It's kind of cold over there. They started late because of a of a frost delay, so they started almost two hours late. I saw some of it this morning, but just very briefly. I was up in early. Man,

I had love. I love the Majors. I love the Majors with you know, for those of you who have watched stuff with with ESPN Plus, it used to be ESPN with Britt would come on, uh like at one o'clock Thursday and Friday. Then they have it early on Saturday and Sunday, and then it goes on to the main network like at one o'clock. Now with ESPN Plus it comes on when they TAF So I got up at I was up at six and it was on, yeah, and I you know, I grabbed my coffee, turn on ESPN Plus on my TV and

I'm watching off there. But so, did you read how Ozillus did in his first I did not some clips and stuff like that, and he did fairly well obviously with points and numbers. Uh, you know, I've been doing this long enough to know that points and numbers and rebounds don't mean anything. Wow, it's your ability to play, right, Guys. The guys who were watching are looking for something other than put what you put in the box score right. And I mean I hate when people, I just I

really do. When when you see the coach or you see and the coach, and the coach can do it. The players take the little sheet and they sit at the podium and then read the stats, and so why I have this and have that? And if you can't play and you can have twenty three And I'll give you the example. Ruben Douglas could feel the basketball. He could, he could feel the skill. He could he could score the basketball right and do other things. But he couldn't. He couldn't play

at the next level because guess what, he just wasn't good enough. He was the heck of a college player dot dot dot. But he even though he had great numbers, it's not about numbers, Jay, It's like Miles Oh, he had this great run. Yeah, because he was a pretty good college basketball player, but could he fit into an NBA play with other guys? Exactly, You're on the court with Kevin Durant, do you know what to do? You're guarding these guys, right, yeah, right,

I give a college basketball player. But yeah, no, I you know that's well, and that's what these combines are about. They want to see, Okay, what do these guys do besides make a layup and score or whatever? You know, how do you how do you play? How do you fit in? This is super second? He has a great comb combine, great numbers. Didn't you know that he can do that already? Then what's what's what's his big knock? The jumper from beyond? How athletics is

he gonna beat with the other guys? Uh, there's factors involved at the next level that you absolutely there's a reason why they get paid a lot of money, exactly exactly. You know. You know it's funny because I mean, I play basketball as a kid, but I don't know how to play basketball right right right? You know I mean and by that I mean even when you know, when I was young and I was still playing, Yeah, I played on the city league team and stuff like that, I didn't

really know how to play basketball. How you know when and where to set a pick? You know, how you know the vision to make a you know, make a pass, when to shoot her? When I maybe I shouldn't shoot from here because that guy should shoot time and circumstances, you know all that stuff. I you know, there's a there's an art if you call her an art or a science or whatever. You're playing basketball, you could and not everybody. Just because you could go out there and shoot the

ball doesn't mean you know how to play basketball right right. The one that kind of did this beyond what we thought he would be t J McConnell right, time and circumstances. You think TJ is gonna make the league. And then Sean was adamant about it. Slow white guy, but fantastic. His IQ was. It was off the charts. And you know what, he knew he couldn't shoot, Yes, he does, so he'd only shoot when he knew he could make it right, right, right, and time and

circumstances. He does a great fantastic job now all these years later, right making tons of money because he knows how to fit into the system. Kerr, Yeah, Kerr did the same thing. Right, Call me when you need me a shot. I'll be right here, right there, right, you know what I mean? TJ. Heck, even you didn't have a jump shot, he had like a flat footed sets Solomon Hill same way. It didn't wow you, right, but he had a heck of a long

career with all the other things that he could do. Right, all right, let's go take our break. We have Dave Hicky, one of the fathers of the year, also the athletic director at Arizona, so we'll have some questions about all that stuff when he gets here. So stick around for

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developed, roan and mododized based solely on the minerals. It could process that my friend is why mine is so important? Brought to you by the Southern Arizona Business Coalition Steve Rivera and Jacob Solids. They have their eye on the ball on Tucson sports station, Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back to one of the ball, you know, Fox Sports fourteen fifties. I'm Steve Rivera. He's Jakin's house now on the phone. You're lucky enough to

have Dave Kiki d Ad at Arizona. How are you, Dave, I'm doing great, gentlemen, thanks for having me on today. Looking forward to our conversation. Yeah, us two. Congratulations. It's a nice a little honor that you're getting a little big honor h next month. Well, I'm excited, and it's very nice of the group to be to be part of it, to be recognized as a Father of the year here in the home

the great tradition that has in town. And uh again, I'm very honored, a little bit, I'm very humbled and a little bit surprised all in all in the same thing. Well, as you're aware, Dave, you know, I'm a Steve and I are both writers for BIZ Tucson. I read the story that's that was done on you and you know, really focused on you know you as a dad. I mean, we know who you are as an athletic director, so we didn't want to talk about that right now, but you as a dad in the job that is so demanding.

Um, you know you have to ask, you know, how are you able to you know, to do that? I mean I don't do half the stuff that you do, and I don't think Steve does either, And being a dad is still pretty hard. You know, how did how did you balance all of that and you with your family? Well, you know, hey, we're we're all busy in our in our ways, and I think parenting is a really a big challenge and we all have to prioritize.

I think that's what Liz and I have tried to do is always prioritize our family and our our boys, three fantastic boys who are now a really outstanding young man. Um. But you know, in our world, it is all consuming at times, and we really just embrace the profession. We embrace We love athletics. The boys have been involved in athletics, but to be around it from infants all the way through their lives, that's where a lot

of our memories are. And they tagged along and they've walked in locker rooms, they've walked out on fields, they've they've been part of this from the very beginning. We we just made that what had kind of become. I come from a very traditional family. We had dinner every night. We was a pretty pretty straightforward My dad was a dentist, my mom was a nurse, and then obviously the head of our household. And you know, it's

pretty straightforward. We lived in the same house and and you know, that's a different lifestyle than we have and what Liz and I have and our boys. So but we've just tried to embrace that and make the very best of it. And it's a fun, fun lifestyle, and I think our boys have really appreciated it too. I'm assuming, and having talked to you and did a no story on you that the boys were with you a lot and they kind of played ball when you were at work, well they did.

I guess you know. I've always embraced it wherever we've been, and I've been fortunate that the people who have worked for have have allowed it and embraced it. As having families and children around this is a demanding as we just

talked about profession, whether you're a coach or administrator. It's great to see kids around at practice, out on the fields, seeing their their moms and dads at work, just being part of it because it's special and yeah, and I think when you're around it, the boys got to yeah, play catch with some pretty neat people and run around the gym, shoot hoops, you know, be out on the practice field. It was It was a

lot of fun. How much of the type of athletic director that you've been has has had to do with or does have to do with the fact that you got you know, kids were called athletes, right, Um, you know, trying to make sure that there was some you know level of experience that you were you know, do you were responsible before for athletes who were not your kids? Well, and I look at us as our program.

Um, this isn't transactional, this isn't clinical. Um, these are someone's sons or daughters, granddaughters, grandsons, niece's nephews, you know, really important people and we have to embrace that they've come here, they've chosen to be part of our program. I want our program to feel like family, to feel like people care about them and and that's how I've you know, again, I was a student athlete, been in the business a long time.

UM, I always want to prioritize our young people. Then when I had two sons who who played and played in a program that I was involved in, you know, you get a little different look and they kind of look across you go, hey, how can we do this? And how come it goes down like this? Or how come they get this and we don't? How come they travel over there and we don't. You know it Really it makes you open your eyes to UM making sure that your program is

really balanced. But again i'd go back to I really care about those young people and the development in our program. I want them to win. I want them to win at everything. But that's not the only thing that we try to do. And we you know, there's a lot of benefits in losing and competing and and all of it. And I think that's why we just try to make our program feel like everyone has a place here and everyone has really cared for and really can can you know, can excel in whatever

they want to do. One of the things that Steve alluded to a second ago is you know, I mean the in the field that you're in. You know, you move around a bit, so maybe at some point you settle in. You know you've been here for a while now, but you know you've had to move around, You've had to bring the family with you,

and those kinds of things. You know, how again in your mind, how did you how did you try to handle that to make it as I don't know, a seamless as the word, or it's comfortable for your family to be able to make these moves that you guys made. We always tried to prioritize family, Liz and I always do that. I've been fortunate and really blessed really to only be at three different places, maybe four when you count my early career at Michigan State, but three different places with family,

and we've made that a priority. If we were going to move, it had to be a really good move for our entire family. And when we made the commitment when we're at Central Michigan where I was prior to here at Arizona, we were not going to move regardless of what opportunities came about. If one of our sons were started high school, he would start and complete at the same high school and in a way. You know, we were blessed because all three of them started and finished in the same high school.

All three of them went to the same high school. I think that provided some stability and it didn't hurt me it really. I think again, as we prioritized the family and what's really important, there was way more benefits for that than anything career could have done for me. Maybe a couple of quick questions here, how did your dad influence you? I think I may to ask that question, but I know, in fact, I think your

your potential, your future father in law given you the best advice. Indirectly, Well, you know, I've had some some really solid men in my life, but certainly my dad and my mom. It all starts with my mom and dad. They were really solid, um such giving, warm people, only wanted the best for their children, gave them every opportunity to be to do whatever they wanted to do, try whatever they wanted to try. Our family was really pretty basic. There wasn't a lot of rules or discipline.

My dad really had two simple things. Do the right thing. Always do the right thing, and when you're not. When you're if you don't really know what the right thing is, your gut will tell you and then to be a good person. Everything else will take care of itself. And that was really straightforward. And then yeah, my father in law made sure that you know, I was going to take care of his daughter, and uh, we we had some direct conversations about that, so I definitely learned

about that side of it as well. No, no, didn't he say like, are you really gonna do this for? Is this going to really pay the bills? My father in law took me outside one day. I was we were newly married, and I did not have a really solid job yet, and he kind of came asked me and goes again. He was a really salty earth guy from the state of Michigan, a state worker, and he said, remind me again how you make money doing this sports thing.

And I knew right then I better get a real job that had benefits. And it was a it was a very direct way, or maybe a little bit soft way, but direct to the point you better get it together here a young man or else is going to be a short relationship. Well and so again a really great honor for you, a Father of the Year from the Father's Day Council. Uh, and you got a guy in your in the department, he's also doing that. Reggie Geary named named one of

the Fathers of the Year. How cool is that for you two guys. It's very cool, Um, the opportunity to be up there with Reggie, and you know, I get to watch Reggie kind of walk his journey a little bit with our team, with our staff and his family and how great they are with their kids. And you know, I'm inspired and impressed by by Reggie every day, and so it's it's neat to share the you know, the podium with him amongst the other Fathers of the Year. Um,

it's a it's a terrific group of us. There's five of us, and I mean they've done terrific things and I'm just so glad to be along for the ride. But it is special to have two of us from from here, from Arizona Athletics and from different backgrounds and different ways of life to to

kind of be there together. I'm I'm inspired by that it But you know what's most important is really what it's all about, and that's helping others, helping the Steal Children's Research Center, and you know, watching doctor Kushan and the great um scientists and doctors who are really trying to cure diabetes for diabetes one for young children, you know, in young children, and uh,

it's some really moving stories. And so I'm I'm inspired by being part of that and helping the group move forward and helping us bring awareness and certainly dollar helping that cause. I still think that there's tickets available for this, right you can go to the you can go to their website. It's uh it's fd Tucson dot com. Uh. The event is on June the fourth, which is Sunday at Loews Vantana Canyon. It's a Sunday evening, uh cocktail

reception and then the gala dinner and awards. So as as Dave said, five, you know, five honrees, Peter Backus, one of the just a local businessman, Shane Clark, there's always always get a military person. He's out at the Arizona Air National Guard. And then Vince Fallbaum who's a wealth management guy. And then obviously Reggie So David, congratulations on that. Okay, now we're not gonna let you go now because we have we have

other questions. I know you're thinking, we still got we still got six minutes. So uh, and we're going past the nachos, are going to move right on to you know, how much can you tell us about what's going on with the PAC twelve right now? We're to have John Wildern a little later, so he'll give us a perspective. But you know, people are getting answer obviously, and you know, just because they don't know.

So what how much can you tell? Well? Hey, you know again, Uh, look, we all get a little uptight and little nancy when we all fear the unknown. We don't know exactly what will happen. We want stability, we want coordination, you know, we want long term stability. Um. But look, I'm again I remain very confident, as I consistently have said, UM, we are true together the ten institutions that remain that have chosen to stay together. We believe very passionately that we can put

a media deal together that will be very successful. Um, that will provide the resources for the ten institutions to stay together. We can evaluate after that media deal comes to fruition. You know, what what next steps occur? Do we do we want to grow? Do we want to stay at a certain number? How would we alter what we do you know that all play that's the next step. And so I think that again, good people are working on this. It continues to be a positive, um, move moving

forward type of program. You know, I don't want to every time you say something, people can kind of mix your words. They look at I'm bullish on it. We're going to get this thing done. Very hopeful of that. I've always said you have to look at all different things. You can't just get lost in a tunnel or in a vacuum. But again, I'm very focused on making this work and being a PAC twelve soon to be PAC ten and maybe Pack something else. But we're going to stay together as

the Pack and get a good media deal. One of the things that we applaud Van or at least I have, and we have here the spring sports. We talk a lot about the football and the basketball programs, and we know what happened there. And I thought that we talk about this this kind of reminded us of the nineties when it was things were going fantastic. This year not so much. You know, softball didn't do so well. Baseball is trying to survive and some of the other sports. How do you make

the spring situation right now. Well, you know again, I think our teams are you know, have had different journeys, and I think, look, we all want immediate or we want really solid success. All the time, we're focused on winning. You know, I'm proud of our softball program. We went through a lot of different things that people don't understand from a

team perspective. Kaitlin did a remarkable job. I thought we we've there's no secret we've kind of struggled in finding the right mix and getting the right outs that you need sometimes from pitching, but we've had key injuries. We can hit the ball, and I thought we were playing really good softball at the end. I'm on record is saying I think we're one of the teams that deserves to be in the tournament. A lot of the problem is when you

leave that into someone else's hands and while you're playing with fire. And yes, we needed to win a few more games to get in there. I was really proud of our group and our staff here the community for hosting the first ever PAC twelfth Championship tournament here in Tucson. It deserves to be in Tucson. We glad we hosted it, and I thought I think we said a really high bar. Baseball has got a big weekend here. They're not

done. Let's just we we got to win some games against USC this weekend, get to the tournament in Scottsdale, and then work our way into postseason play for an NC double a regional. Really proud of our golf teams are our women will go to the are one of the top thirty teams in the country in the national start tomorrow, so up in Scottsdale. So and Laura and Ella was named the coach of the year, the national Coach of the Year just yesterday, so you know, good things are happening. I'm really

confident in both our baseball and softball programs. And again men's golf was in the regional tournament, unfortunately didn't go on to the advance to the national tournament, but it still had a really good year and the futures bright with some outstanding young players there. Track and field's not done yet. We've got national

champions on that squad. We finished fifth in the Conference UH tournament and you know the conference championships and any anytime you can finish ahead of the University of Oregon in track and field, which we did this year. I mean, I think that's pretty good in the league that's full of great teams in track and field, so on our men's side. So so that's my that's my I guess Chamber of Respec Fring Sports round up for you. Okay, So

look, we've saved the toughest for last. And I know there's only so much you can say. What is that I'm losing a little bit. Okay, something something happened there. I don't know what's going on, but can you hear some now? What is that? Okay? So look, and I know there's probably not anything that you can say about Jane Deloord in the situation, But what I want to ask you is how you know when the university gets into a situation where there's a player, there's a situation with a

player. You saw the stuff that happened at Alabama, and you know, and it happens everywhere, and it's happened in Arizona. What can you as an administration do to kind of you know, get your arms around things like that. Does what happened with Jaden make you guys during recruiting look a little deeper into a guy? Can you change things what can you do to try and not get in a situation where now you've got a controversy in your department

because of something a player has in his past or whatever. You know, I'm trying to get at sure, let me let me just kind of say a few things. One, I want to be real clear that we fully review and evaluate recruits when they come here. Um do we do FBI, Um you know Secret Service background checks. No, we're not at that stage. We do background checks, We research our recruits, We talk to a

lot of people. We have um AT testations that have to be filled out by the student athletes when we recruit them about their their past and their background. Um. So those all are in place and those take you know. Now you there are twists and turns to everything, and um, you know, we we fully The second thing I would say, when we are faced with something that occurs that we come that we become knowledgeable of, we fully fully um examine that in review that. And that's not one person, that's

a number of people on our campus. It's a full vetting and a full review of it based on the things that we have. So again, I don't want to give the impression that we just you know, we just nonchalant this stuff. We don't and there's a lot of people involved in that, so we take it really, really seriously. I'll also say in the in specific cases, you know, there's a difference between what is reported, what is fact, what you have access to, what you can get access to.

All of those things play into the decision. As I always said, though, we're gonna do it the right way. If we learn something that we have to pivot, we're going to continue, we'll pivot and we'll do the right thing at the right time. Right, that's fair. I mean hopefully that doesn't. You know, there's a little bit of it. And I know all these things are hard. Um, we don't take it for

granted. We have a high level of sensitivity to it. I know we're responsible for a lot of things, and we represent this community, the university, our fan base, and it's and it's not easy, not an easy decision to make at times. And that's and that's the hard part of the job, right, I mean, isn't that? I think those are difficult times anytime you're faced with big challenges and there are lots of moving parts and

you can not share everything with everyone. All the time. Um, but again you have to just boil that down to making the very best decision you can make with the people and the information you have. And UM, I don't take it lightly, and I know these are really sensitive things and it's hard, but um, but we will do the right thing. And I feel with the information and all that we know, and um, the young men that we have on our football team will will do the right things and

we will represent us the right way. All right, Okay, Dave, we'll congrats again, Thank you very much for your time. All right, guys, And and again I appreciate that question and rather than the nacho question because I can answer that one. So's you know, I've had a couple of those today. We got through it. So I appreciate a guy that I enjoy spending time. I had some at the softball game the other day. All good day, Thanks a bunch. Congratulations again, very take care

who we know we love having on the show. Oh once again, And I really want to promo this because it is a big deal. These fathers, Fathers of the Year, you know, the honorrees are all you know, prominent guys in the community. But it's a it's on Sunday, June the fourth, lows v Town of Canyon. You can get tickets at fd AS in Father's Day Oh FDC Father's Day Council, Tucson dot com and you can go on there and get tickets by a table, whatever you want to

do. It's on June the fourth, on Sunday. All right, okay, let's take our breakword we'll come back. Take your calls. I have two zero four one six seventy four four it We'll be around. 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 lud Olson 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 power house. What one email me at Steve dot rivera ninety five at gmail dot com.

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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. Steve Ravera and Jaken Salez they have their eye on the ball on two Suns Sports Big Chef Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming live on the iHeartRadio. A am, Hey, welcome back to win the vault. You know Fox Sports Sport ten fifty on Steve's jay. Got about twelve minutes something like that left. If you want to call us five two four one six seventy four forty

talk to us about whatever you want and maybe our interview would do. Dave, he's as such a good sport, yeah, you know, and look, we have to ask some tough questions, you know. We we don't ever go after him right like some others might, but we had, you know, we had to ask about the Jade Delord situation in a way that in a way that he can answer. We just said, tell us what

happened with Jade Delores. He's not They're not gonna, you know, gonna do everything you need to do, right, Yeah, but it's kind of like, Okay, you know you have to figure out a way. And that's why you and I are such pros because we can do that. Okay, they way to ask those questions before you got on, He was like, what are you gonna do? What are you gonna ask? The funny think about it, Jake, you've been on the side of the podium and

you've been on the other side. Uh, you write one hundred stories? Do you write one hundred stories or cover one hundred nine hundred events? You write ninety nine that are glowing? Right? That one? People remember, right you're after me? Yeah? Yeah, no, you hear that all the time. Yeah, you know, you know United nine. Oh it

was great, Everything's well and fine. Oh remember that one? Remember that thing that when when Luke like yelled at Javier Morale is you know, saying that you know, I know you're trying to get me fired or something like that. I'm like, Luke, first of all, there isn't anybody in this town, who can get you fired? And two you know it was during that I think during that stretch of time when they were getting eliminated first round and stuff like that, when that happened, you know that. Yeah,

No, yeah, Javier came after that. No, something else happened. Something happened. We talked about but he didn't get on Habier for something like that. Was it was something else. But I know what you're talking. You know what I'm saying though, Yeah, you know. But it's it's a thing where you write all these things and all of a sudden one, you know, one bad thing comes out because you have to sure you know which which. On the flip side of that, I remember that.

I'll tell the story in a minute. They just give us a callback. Yeah, callback, we missed you know when when when when Melvin Smith fired the gun? Yeah, and I'd go, you know, I go to the quarter and at the at the at the next practice that I saw Dick Tomy. He said, I'm surprised you didn't go after me more than that more than you did. I said, I wasn't going after anybody was telling the facts. I just had to report what happened. I was doing the

same thing because I was at the same event. Yeah, at the roller skinning ring. Yeah, And he was like, you know, you know, I thought you would, you'd go after us a lot more, go after what you know, what happened. And two people in this town, the media in this town, you know, I was doing the media in this town, our favorite pretty much favorable to the u BA. Yeah, to the detrimental journalism kind of in a way. I mean, you'll do

that, you know. And but and that's all over. You know, it's funny because I, um, oh, here's the color Hire on the R and I on the ball. Hey, Jake, good afternoon, guys, Tommy lying, how you doing? What's Tommy? Hey? I feel like we need marshmallows and a campfire or something more. I'm about to say, but you know, people, you know, people of Tuton. I hope and know that you know the to appreciate that both of you and what you do would have been so tied and have been tied to the ULA for

so long. And you know, you know, you have a finger on the pulse. You're not afraid to ask questions now. In the interview with Dave, you know, and I thought it was great because you obviously have a relationship with him, right, that's don't over time. Yes, yes, you know, I myself, I'm opinionated, you know, and I'm I'm starting to put Dave in the Jim Live and Good said it Dempsey category. And it's just my personal opinion because of who I think he is as

a person, you know. And it's so cool, you know, to hear the interview where you're talking about the father of the Year, you know, because those things matter. You know, you've got kids, you know, and uh, you know, he shared a little bit about his voice growing up around the programs and how great that is for kids, despite you

have to move around. And then when it came time, you know, I really appreciated how you crafted the st to the Jay because if he knews, you're gonna put him in a spot that he can answer the question. It's not like some disappointing loss of a game and you're at you're at the press conference and you you know, Steve, go ahead, Yeah, how do you explain this loss? Coach? You know what I mean? And

I appreciate that, I really do. I want to make a quick comment about we hear you know, now we're seeing about how Zoo's doing on the combines. You know what, It reminded me of that video we got treated to not to see, not this past season, but the previous when their mom to be listen Zoo's mom showed up and surprised. You guys remember seeing that, you know, because these guys, these kids, he's not coming back, and I'm good with it because he's trying to make the most out

of his life to help himself, to help his family. And that video came into my head when I started hearing and reading some of the comments about oh, Zoo, listen Zoo. That man he's been. He's a great ambassador. We're lucky he was part of our program. Yeah, you know a little longer the next one because we appreciate at him. Well, Tommy, one of the things that you're talking about with Dave is reminded me of the Curry interview that we had a while back. And a few people know

about Kurr. So he came on and how did he sound? Fantastic? Right, kind of like a cool dude, not the dude you sell on the court, right, Yeah, And I heard it, uh and I remember too, and again it's not Kumbaya. But it's how I really feel because Steve, you know, I'll say that, but you put him in a position to be able to choose to give the answers with which he wanted to right and how he wanted to Does that sound correct? No, Well,

you have to give him a question that they can answer. And you know we were talking about that, you know before, you cause that we couldn't We couldn't say to Dave, Dave, tell us what happened with Jaden Delores. He's not going to answer that question. So you're you're trying to get to an answer, you get some information that maybe we haven't gotten before. That's all we're trying to do. Yeah, and you know to put

the to put the chocolate and the Graham crackers on this call. Um. This is why I like to listen to the eye on the ball because you guys, you're crafted in what you do and you know how to and have the relationships to ask the questions that we need ask in a way the person on the receiving end doesn't feel confront the corners, right right. I appreciate it. Yeah, I think we appreciate the words. Thank thanks so much, many great afternoon right in fact, Davison, thanks for the interview.

So again and again, we're trying to be entertaining right as we want people to listen to us. Are we trying to be informative you, We're trying to be informative too, but we're not investigative report. No, you know, no, if we wanted to do that would go back to work in a day, and I'm not going back right, No, I'm not going back to work in a day. Music. What is the yeah? Are

there any left? Anybody want to call? We got a little time left five two one, six, seventy four forty they give us a quick call. Um uh, just a lot of a lot of things going on. Um uh. So we kind of we mentioned that Larsen's coming back, right, it's all right, no, um um what's his name? They got two kids from Lithuania who are gonna be here. Passport you, baby, passport you. I think they're gonna be fine next year. They're gonna be

fine. They have a good core coming back with new guys coming in, and they had guys on the bench that they're gonna be fine that we didn't see because of the guys in front of them. But that's kind of the circle of life here. Yeah, you wait your time again and and again. You know when when when people are freaking out about you know, who's

gonna be on this team. They were saying that his team didn't come together last year until tis yeh r because it wasn't finals until right because the two guys the Texas um kid yeah Ramy and and Henderson Henderson and Henderson Henderson a freshman um kylin Bos decided didn't declare, you know, to come in until until late in the summer. So you know, guys, it's it's gonna be fine and they're gonna be good. How good are they gonna be?

I don't know when was the last time we signed out. Someone asked you and I'd been doing time, Steve, how's the basketball team gonna look any good? Well, I've never said they're gonna look horrible ever ever, exactly exactly, because I mean we didn't know going into Tommy's first year and then he did and then he did what he did. It was kind of like,

what do we have here? And then he went in more or let's did it again you know the next year, right getting close to it, like Okay, so what are you worried about for the year, you know, for next year? Right, why are you worried? I will see because we've talked about this before. It'll be his third year, it'll be Chip Haill's third year. It'll be the softball coaches the third year. Right, and then we got the old oh well he did it with Sean's player.

Yeah, right. How many times have we said, okay, and guess where Sean is. Guess where those players got shot. He's not coaching. They got him fired. So you know, let's uh, you know, let's take a seditive on all of that. What do I have to take it? Please you? I know you got to I know you got Denver, but I mean Denver, but i'mout confident. It's five and a half, five and a half, but I have Denver. I just wanted to go six games, that's all six game, six games because exactly sex

exactly six exactly six. So don't win this, maybe lose a game or two in LA and then come back and maybe kind of finish it off. We'll see, we'll see. I uh, the whole series in my mind, and I've said this all along is going to be on a D. A D. You guys, You and Jason were Waxley potting. Oh they came back. It seems good. If a D does not have a good game, it's over for la. He had a fantastic game and game on

forty points and blah blah blah. Let's see if you can do it again, it again, because he historically had exactly you answered that for me, right right, So okay, all right, we'll see, so we'll see what happens. But so don't touch it, please. I know you had something to do with last night. I did. I had nothing, Steve, Like I said, it was barely even watching the game. What was I doing last I was working. I was doing Boston hates you. Boston

doesn't even know you kid it with a Harvard shirt. I do have a Harvard shirt on. You feel smarter, way smartest. You just put it on the shirt. I you know, I joked that we walked around the Harvard campus when I went to my daughter. When I walked out, I felt like my IQ just went up a bunch of points. What was the movie Mett Damon and uh and the other good Will? Honey, you know,

just walking around the campus. I went to that statue of John Harvard, and I was gonna say, and can you get the clock right today? I got it, We got it, we got But that's my pat I know. Yeah, I'm okay, as as dumb as I am still sometimes. Just know that I was a little dumber before that. But you look good at the Harvard shot. All right, let's say, Oh man, I don't know what to say, Steve, I don't know what to say. Okay, well, I'll have to tell you. You have to

get some breaking news for later. And then a few things. Well Wilner talking about as the world as the PAC twelve turns right, Oh yeah, and it is turning. There's a lot of stuff going on over there, not just in the PAC twelve, but it's some of the other confidence. So all right, let's take our break. We're gonna come back. We'll have a breaking news here at the top of the hour. Then John Wilner from the PAC twelve hot light, as I stick around the whole world's com