Steve Bravera and Jacon Salles. They had their eye on the ball on Tucson's Sports Stay Chef Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to winning the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve. You're Jay and right away you's got a call.
Hi, you're on the air, and I on the ball.
All right on the right radios, Jo, you're on the air. Hey.
Yeah, I was.
At the game and he's can take a holder, And that first half I was a little a little nervous only up there. They led at one point in.
The first half, right right, Yeah, they were up twenty four to seventeen.
Yeah, But New Mexico was a good looking team. That quarterback could roll out and throw the number fifteen, and he had hands, he could just come down with anything.
There were a couple of catches he made. There was one in particular where you know, there were two guys just all over him almost passing interference, and the ball somehow got through there.
So I think it was a good challenge, good challenge for him. It is a good football team. Sometimes I feel like any of you is a little bit of a waste. But I think that they at least spit the ball around. I like to see some of the tight ends get some get some throws. Replaced McMillan from McLoughlin. I mean from last year, right, I like, so the tight ends get some work.
So how long you been in a season ticket? Older?
My fourth year?
Fourth year? Okay, so you're still kind of fresh. Uh, obviously the best team you've seen in a while outside of last year.
Yeah, well you know you're there through the growing pain. So that one win then four wins was it? And so you know it's and I'm we've been following pretty close this year. I'm impressed with the coaching staff. When I really I really started the staff and Chuck cecoul and uh the wide receivers coach you got out of uh Tony's name again.
Bobby Wade, Bobby Wade.
You know, when you go up and down that boat, you staff, it's it's a pretty impressive looking to have backing back. It's a I'm pretty impressed by it.
Good good for you, Good for you. Well, thanks for hey, Thanks appreciate your calling. Thanks, thank call any time, call anytime. No you get some breaking news or just news or whatever.
Well, I can't. I can't play the I can't play the thing because I forgot to set that up. All right, we're gonna go breaking news. We've got a few things. Uh, first of all, the big it's not breaking, but it's happening. The NFL starts tonight. Yeah, it's the first day.
You got it.
You got a great game, a game that I kind of wish was on Sunday instead of Thursday night.
Big game. But it's you know, it's on NBC as the Chiefs and the Ravens.
What time does it start?
Uh? Five thirty?
I want it's five point twenty is kickoff. The Chiefs are a three point favorite. It's in Kansas City, and because it's in Kansas City, the Chiefs will be getting their Super.
Bowl rings tonight. And it's a big, old, ugly thing like all the other ones are.
They spell out world champions in diamonds, the rich, and then there's and then there's four Super Bowl you know things that look like the trophy and all of those are made of diamonds.
How big is this thing? It's how are you fit all that stuff on? Me? There?
It is? Yeah, he's looking at what.
Does the sandwich? It's worth her. That's just the picture.
That's just the picture. That's crazy. But anyway, so they're getting their Super Bowl rings to night.
But it should be a good game.
I'll sit down and watch it, you know, I'll pay attention to it, and it's you know, it's fun. I mean, I'll probably put some money on it. Just because my wife's not home. I'll be home all by myself with nobody to talk to. So I'm gonna watch the game.
Okay, there you go.
Arizona announced that it's I'll give you three guesses to the honorary captains.
Three guesses to the honorary cap sinis already? Is this a trick question?
Or is this no, it's just okay, you know, give me an okay, give me eighties.
I'll give you a singleton, one of the singletons, not one of the Uh oh god, did we cover him?
No?
So before us?
Yes? Three nineteen eighty seven because that's when I started.
Pre nineteen eighty seven. Uh don't know, I don't know. Was it not one of my co hosts? Right?
Bi?
Okay, okay, we'll give me one more chance. Uh oh the quarterback a ton of clip? No? Well, then I'm out Max and da oh okay, yeah, okay, yeah, how many just one guy or two guys? Just one guy?
One gay?
Yeah, okay, yeah, I wanted to I want to come up and get.
A big Yeah, get a big all right, kind of along the along the same vein. Not really.
I guess USC has retired a couple of jerseys, one really recent and one not so recent.
Caleb Williams got his number thirteen retired, So that's quick. Uh.
And Reggie Bush, who I guess you're probably holding off because you know he was in n C double a jail and now.
He's not and everything is right again? Who?
Okay? Who was as a football player? Which are those two? Do you think it was a better player? I know they played different positions.
Well, so you're talking to an older dude, now less more jaded, and I think Reggie Bush, Yeah, and you know how it is. It's it's I'm sure you've yesked your son.
Yeah, Caleb, Caleb Willms was a good player, a great player, won the Heisman. Reggie Bush was Electrifiedly.
You went to a game to see Reggie and you think, how did he do that?
You went to games to see.
Him, right, and you saw teamm do a thing with last week.
Well, that's exactly.
It'll stop on a dime.
That's the point I make. You know, we went to a game at the coliseum. It was in the mix tubs here and saw him playing. We had we had We were with the Arizona section in the seats in the corner of the end zone, and so we had a great angle on a punt that he took. And he caught a punt and you saw him break And now that he didn't score a touchdown on it, they caught it, but you saw him grab the ball, and you go, Arizona's in trouble right.
Now, dude special right now.
And and he had he had a big return one time.
How much time we have time? Right, I have a lot of time. So who who other than you know Tmac in the last few years, even when we covered him, you said, Wow, that dude's just different. Well besides Gronk maybe too.
I thought I thought I thought Coadeen carry was. But in the sense that he was, he was. He was as tough a player as as.
As there was. You know what I'm saying.
Wait, we talked about how every time he ran the ball he fell forward. He ran people over every time he ran the ball, and you wanted to see him get that Colorado game where you ran for whatever the number of three hundred sugar and you just said you wanted them to give him the ball so you could see him run, right, And so that's as close as
rich you say, he ran angry? Yeah, yes, he fell forward, Colot. Yeah, you had to put him in the top five for sure, maybe top three because of the stuff that he did for that.
One that stretch of game.
Right, Yeah, I think that the thing that outside of maybe a coach's decision or two or three or whatever, he he started loving himself too much. Yes, and that kind of hurt that didn't kind of hurt him and hurt him that Sports Illustrated cover all that he.
Was just his personality was not the type that could handle.
Correct And you know what, that's a lot to be said because we see those kids.
Yeah, and then you know again, it's a hard thing to do right al sudden, you're twenty twenty one years old and you're getting that kind of attempt.
It's hard not to get off. Well, let me tell you, but some guys do really.
Well, no question, let me tell you the guy who didn't handle it very well. And I'm probably speaking to saying something that people don't know. Miles. Miles was horrible as the most outstanding player. The next year he was he was a different dude. He was a different dude and not a good not a good one, right, And I think that if I pressed, the guys who played with him would say the same thing. Yeah.
And then you look at a guy like Gronk who embraced it, Yeah, had fun with it.
He was, but he was kind of like a big knucklehead.
He was exactly though, but he was kind of a personality who can have you want that?
Right?
Right?
A guy who doesn't didn't take himself so serious exactly. You don't like when we talk about pressument, Oh they don't know any better. So you knoweah, that guy, that's that's what I'm saying. He didn't take himself so seriously and say walk around with his you know, strut around with his head.
He was like, I know, I'm good, but I'm having fun with it. Sure, sure, And that's what you liked about party exactly exactly, all right. A good news for a guy from Arizona from last year, Tyler Manoa got signed to the Cardinals practice squad today. He was a late cut, uh from wherever he got where we signed a free agent contract with. But oh with the Vikings, he was a late cut there. But he's been signed by the Cardinals today, so he'll he'll be on the practice squad.
Everyone has about ten to eleven people too, guys on the roster, so we'll see if he if he gets in there. Yeah, and of course the old man Gloom, the kicker is not old man Gloom, but old man Yeah, the kicker. What's his name folk? Yeah, Yeah, he's older than new On So Ricky Piersoll.
There's video of him, the guy got shot and he's at practice at at forty nine ers practice, walking around tossing the football around like he want you, like, coach.
I really really really really want to play. Can you let me in? But I unbelievable. You see this deo of him just walking around?
You never really guy got shot just a few days ago. Crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy all right. I don't know why this came up, but it was there was a meeting of some sort of meeting where the University of I weare President Barbara Wilson was asked if the Big Ten is done growing, are they still looking for teams?
And she said, I would say for now that we're done.
She said if the team were to add, if the they were to add a team, it would have to be quote for the right reasons.
So that's kind of a kind of a no, but kind of a leading.
I don't know if you have this on your breaking news, but the Big twelve commissioner said that they halted talks about Yukon coming on. Oh, they're paused them, he says, so it'll be a while. Yeah, And I hadn't seen it, And if that ever happens, I'd be another fantastic get, at least in basketball.
Right.
Okay, what do you think Arizona? The line is in the Arizona A game eight? No, it's well, it went up by a lot. I don't know what you saw it.
I saw it, you say, didn't you say? Somebody said maybe tuesday, maybe one of the kids in twenty twenty eight. No, of course it thirty something.
According to Justin Spears.
And I'm looking it up right now to see if if he's if that in fact is the case.
What is Justin said thirty something?
Oh, here it is. I found it. Forty four and a.
Half against any of you. Yeah, that that line of twenty eight When they said that, I said, how could they be less than yes, Mexico? Yes, And now I thought that to be kind and a half. Oh, there's no way I'm touching. Not no. In fact, my days of picking Arizona are done. I'm gonna I'm gonna pull a jay.
Hey did we didn't it during the summer?
Didn't we see a line of Arizona getting nine and a half against Kansas State?
Yeah, it's not to six and a half. Yeah, they should have gotten out.
Of gotten it at nine and a half, right at six and a half now, so that that line is already out. But yeah, forty four and a half Arizona against against an Okay, real quick, we got three minutes, Andy Kats put out.
There's two of those things. But you want to talk about that, we'll talk about because we might not have anything to talk about, Okay, yeah, yeah, because and then I sent you something else. We have three things because Andy had two things. One last week about the crowd and then he talked about the arena. Last week he talked about did you know that's my question about this.
When you talked about the arena, is it just the arena the arena because the fans are different because in the in the fans, he didn't have him on.
The Okay, all right, that because that like, because I was saying, when he says the arena, is he counting.
The fans, the atmosphere and all that.
No, No, he's talking about Well, we need to dig up that other one because I don't remember seeing that. Yeah, it came out last week.
But it's an anty Cat's top ten list of best arenas in America. And I think I'm looking at the at the replies, I think that people are saying, wait a minute, why why are they in there? Because it's a terrible you know, it's a terrible crowd. Nobody goes to their games. Yeah, Yet if it's the arena itself, then yeah, I think that I think that belongs to the I'm.
Curiously we'll talk about that because I'm curious whoul to have a NXE arena where the game where the people don't show up.
You'll see, Okay, you'll see all right, So no, I'm interested in So, Yeah, like I said, chiefs, chiefs Ravens. Tonight, another game of interest where we're interesting spread. You got the forty nine Ers taking on Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. Forty nine er is only giving four and a half at at home.
I thought that was the Rogers factor.
Yeah, I just want is he going to be any good or not?
The Cardinals are getting only six and a half at the Bills.
I mean I think I think that's.
Too low.
I think it's way too low. Yeah, way too So.
That's something's going on with the Bills.
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, that's someone's going on with the Bills. The Bears are favored with a rookie quarterback starting for them.
So did you see the Justin flow Twitter? His performance on Saturday? He just went down and I.
Saw we went and blasted somebody else kick off.
That's just who he is. In fact, we had a jake last week, put him on the special teams and just let him.
Loose, let him loose, and that he did. I saw that. I saw that. He just pancaked a guy.
Yeah he says, hey, I didn't do anything.
Yeah, that was pretty good.
All I know is I'd rather have him on my team than.
They then not on your team exactly. All right, let's uh, let's take a break. We're gonna come back. We've got who do we have? Marquis Mars Flowers.
I won't tell you.
I don't tell him.
I said that, dude, you know what, he should be honored that I forgot. I forgot trunk candidate's name. Okay, that's what you need to know. All right, coming back, it'll be Marquise Flowers will talk about NFL season again started.
Stick around.
The Windows Depot is more than a Windows store. The Window Depot is a one soft warehouse with everything you need for your complete Homer model shot. The aisles of pre built cabinets in a variety of colors, granite and courts, counter talks, sinks, skylights, and hard where to complete your project. Need a custom order, we can help. Our designers offer free design services and can special order everything you need for your kitchen or bathroom remodel today. Shop the Window
Deepot dot com or find a location near you. The Window Depot more than a Windows store.
Steve Rivera here to talk about Dorato Rock Materials. I needed a lot of gravel for my driveway, so I called Eric at Dorato Rock. He found out the amount and color I needed and boom, it was taken care of and at a great price. How do I know radio commercials work? I heard one of his on the radio. Dorato Rock Materials provides a wide range of landscaping materials, including decorative rock, boulders, gravel, soil, and sand for residential
and commercial use in the Tucson area. They are locally owned and have been around for more than fifteen years. Give them a call at five two zero four zero zero four two three three.
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 edge and exercise equipment on twenty seconds just west of Wilmot.
Did you know sports cards at Memorabilia are setting record sales. Last month of nineteen fifty two tops Mickey Mantle so for twelve point six million.
Lebron James Rookie so for five point six.
Also, collecting cards is a family fun 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 EA Speedway. That's show Time Cards. At Noble Home Loans, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to
enjoy the independence that comes with home ownership. Paul Volpi is ready to help you find an option that best fits your needs. You're a first time or veteran home buyer or want to get cash out with the refinance. Nova has a variety of home loan programs to meet your unique situation. Visit voltpeteam dot com that's Volpe team dot com or call five two oh six eight five six two six today n MLS three h eight seven Arizona BKO nine two nine for two Equal housing Opportunity.
How to commitment to lyndrixon credit rates and available loan programs or subjects change with Untunice.
It's awards season for summer sports leagues and time to look at trophies for baseball, softball, volleyball, and swimming seasons for youth and adult leagues. Summer has arrived and it's time to replenish your promotional products for your companies. Giveaways keep your employees looking great in fresh new apparel, polos and caps with your sharp looking logo. Creative Awards is
here to serve your professional and promotional products needs. Visit their Creative Awards Idea center at two twenty eight West Dractman Street or visit them online at Creative Awards az dot com.
Got bugs, termites, bees, or rodents, Arizona Pest Control will hunt them down. Arizona Pest Control is your lead. Desert pest management specialists can't run or hide from Arizona Pest Control. They use only the latest and most technologically advanced methods of pest elimination available, which minimizes the effects on the environment. Let Arizona Pest Control get rid of your bad bugs, termites, bees, or rodents serving Tucson and Southern Arizona since nineteen forty seven.
Go to azypest dot com to schedule your free evaluation today.
Selling your home want to get more money for it? Will Danny Roth can help you he told me about as you Flip the Home You Own program. The program allows for a homeowner to fix up their home to sell without using any of their own money. They will be able to sell the home for a much higher price. Danny Roth with Armny Homes International is the real estate
consultant in Tucson that offers this program. He has consistently been the top agent in Tucson for the last thirty years and has sold over ten thousand, five hundred homes. For more information on this program or just buying our selling a home of Danny Roth at five two zero four nine zero four thousand.
Steve Rivera and Jake and Salez they have their eye on the ball on Tucsons stage.
Yeah.
Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming live. I mean I heard radio.
Wams Hey, welcome back to Ian the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve, He's Jay, and we're still waiting to get ahold of Marquis. I will tell you whose fault that was, will be okay, we'll get them real quck.
I doubt the wrong number.
Oh good, that's good news.
Then, yeah, I doubt the wrong number. I mix up some numbers there.
We're nothing with other kids.
Oh, we are, we are, we are. We need we need to find a way to pay those.
The lottery. You might help.
Yeah, I agree that. Okay, no, cool, you need something screw up right?
Yeah? Yeah, we're just talking here and we got to kind of so we're just waiting for his car real quick. Yeah, so yeah, we'll talk more about the arenas. I saw what I saw the list, so I kind of prey. You know what I'm talking about. I know what you're talking about. So a couple of basketballs. Then I sent you one about the Did you see mine that I sent you? I sent you one about the players where Arizona ranks in terms of players on the roster.
Oh I saw that.
Yeah, and it might surprise you. I don't know if it surprised you when I sent it to you, but it despised me a little bit. Well, here you go, Here you go. Okay, here we go, Marquise, is this you?
Ye?
Well fine? Thanks thanks for jo and Marquise, Flowers for.
Harley Marquees That that was my bad. I screwed up your phone number, So what can I tell you?
It's all good?
All right, Good to have you on the show. So you played in the league a number of years. What would be today? If you were playing today, what would be the what would be the situation in terms of emotions and stuff? Another year? How would you feel? Were you nervous? Were you excited? What was the situation?
It's always the same thing and nervous excitement kind of a bundle of all the bulches mixed together. I don't know if I'll still be playing now. I am thirty two, you know, with some back pains now I'm getting old. But it would just be, you know, the excited man, nervousness obviously preparation for a week, going into another season, and just wanting to put your best foot forward.
What were you? Were you a lot less nervous? Uh?
You know after your rookie year or after your first game? You know, were you're super nervous at that first the first time you walked on the field. I mean, just compare what it was like at the beginning versus later in your career.
So me, man, honestly, I was nervous every single game and I did it back to honestly, Pop Warner, I mean I just wanted to do so good obviously, just thinking about football day. The plays that you want to make obviously don't want to be a reason why a team scores or you get be just little things like that and kind of creeping your head. So I was nervous honestly before every single game, but it would go away.
Honestly after the first kickoff. I just kind of needed to get into the moment, be there, either get hit hard or hit someone harder, you know, kind of just get into the game and the nervousness will go away. But I mean every game, it came back before the game, and the figger the games, the bigger the jitters.
So so along those lines of wanting to play well every game and who doesn't. Right, So let's assume the second you played in two hundred three hundred games in your lifetime, probably more than that. What's the percentage of the games you said, Okay, I went out and did the thing I wanted to do, and I'm happy with my performance.
Such a low percentage, man, that's you love. It's almost like we're insane people. Man. We chase perfection, but we will never play perfect.
Wow.
There's always gonna be plays you want back. There's always going to be things when you watch them like, man, why did I do that? You know, because you can't see yourself, you figure doing everything right. So that was It's a very low percent. It's out of all those games, maybe like four or five games out of my home where I'm like, okay, I played how I will place. But still I'm sitting there like I could have did so much, so many more things better.
And you're saying more people are like that than not like that.
Do you know what? I can't speak for other people. I can't speak for other people. You know. There's just some some guys who you know who honestly like, I don't know how many games Tom Brady when he can probably tell you something, I justly do Tom Brady because that's just one of the other guys I know. As a quarterback, it's a little harder. It's a little different the preparations to everything. I'm sure he had games where
he want throws back and he wants that back. But once you kind of get into the game, that's the biggest thing is like, hey did we win did we lose?
That's that biggest thing.
You know, you want to be a good teammate and you want to get to win for your team, even if you know there's gonna be guys that kind of probably have bad games when they won it, and it's terrible to watch when you watch in film because you feel so bad on yourself. But as long as you get to win, man, that's all that matters kind of at that moment, and then you work on your your technique and work on yourself. But yeah, man, for me, it was I hated watching myself on film because it
was like, Man, why did I do that? You know, and I know what to do. I just I don't know, just gonna get caught up in the game and you you kind of just you know, do your own thing, and there's miss tackles or miss dessignments or mental errors, and it's like I know what to do, so I don't know why I did that.
Okay, you've probably been asked a million times, but I don't know that we've ever asked you this. I'm gonna ask you best player, best receiver, best player, running back, whatever that you ran into that you saw you were on the field with in the NFL, it has.
To be, uh, in my opinion, one of the hardest guys I had trouble with Washa McCoy was Shaw McCoy. So that's probably the best running back I ever went against or even played with. And I would say receiver for me it was aj Green. I don't know, it was a Green.
Yeah, No, tough.
What what was tough about playing? What did they do that made it hard on you?
Well, Lashaw McCoy, Man, he was just one of those guys man, it didn't matter what you didn't matter how which your technique was, his feet, his his ability to make someone miss. I mean, you know, we are a professional grown man and he could make a whole defense look like they're Pop Warner team.
Yeah.
So you know you prep for it all week, all week, and it just actually when you get out there and he got you in space. Man, I had a tough time, you know, tackling my I tell people all the time that one time I did tackle him was when I when I just sat there, he ran it to me. I literally just sat there when I was chasing him, like I can't get this guy. And then I just sat there. He ran it to me, and I'm like that's that can't be the way you tackle him. But uh but uh, yeah, he was a tough one.
Man.
That's probably one of the hardest running backs I ever had to go against man because you know, he could make any move from uh play gold front side, he could make one cut and go backside, and it was just his feet was just amazing, amazing athlete.
So mean, I'm sorry again an apologize for this answer. How many years did you play? Seven? Six?
Yes?
Six? Did you? Did you go out on your own terms? Maybe an injury or so, or did they, you know, call you in and say it's it's time.
Oh no, I mean with that with that league, it's it's a little bit. I want to all my own terms in terms of you know, I did get kind of banged up and washing it and I hurt my neck, and as a linebacker would a hurt neck, I didn't sure, you don't want to risk anything and didn't want to wait to be seriously seriously injured. I had to go check that out. And then on top of that, I got tired man of it, in my opinion, putting my
best foot forward. And it wasn't about hey, this guy's a good player, he could help us win no more. It was all about money salary, so I wanted so I just walked away from it. You know, I had kids at home that you know that that I was putting a lot of pressure on their mom, who did a great job, but she was really by herself at that time. Man, because football took so much, specially being a professional. I'm going to city city state to stay,
not being with my kids. So I walked away on my own and it came home and you know, definitely had to get right transmission back into that. And I'm still doing that.
To this day.
Did you do you have any boys?
I won U.
Is he gonna play football? Is he gonna play football?
With all that, with everything that you went through, the good stuff, the bad stuff, the injuries.
Will play that.
I was one of those dads and said I didn't want my son to play football, but you know, him growing up around it and him doing that. He actually does play football right now. He plays soccer football for my old high school. We got a feeder team, so I'll try to help him with that. He's actually really good, and that's one of the hardest things. I of course he's good. Of course he's good at football, and of
course he wants to play football. But if I teach him the right techie you know, because everybody experience is different. You know, I got the blueprint for him now, and I know he loves the game and the love of the game just like I did. And you know, I would definitely let him know when it turns into more of a business than it doesn't matter how much you love a game, you know, because when you start getting older at the higher levels, they don't really love the
game no more. They love the business.
Right. So how old is he twelve? Twelve? Yeah, so right at that age of either you do it or you don't.
Yeah, yeah, either you do it or you don't. But whatever we do, I'll tell him all the time, we're gonna get mac depper. You know. He's better than I was at his age, you know, so you know, he listens really well. He's a better version of me. I tell people out all the time, and I'm very proud of him. But yeah, he's really good.
Does he like to hit?
Because that's the thing, that thing separates kids who keep playing football the kids who don't. The kids who like to hit, like to hit, like to get hit. Where's where's he on that?
Yeah he is. He's not afraid to hit. He's not afraid to hit. I don't know if he likes it, but he's not afraid to hit. He plays cornerback, so I get on him some time when he guys try to stay out the playoff on one of the NFL quarter cornerbacks, I said, we're not doing that. We're tackling the ball come your way. You need to get in and get into action. I'll be standing there watching. But
on offense, he's the offensivelayer. So he's gonna have a decision to make like I did coming out if he does make it, when he hopefully, when he does make it to the point we're getting scholarshipsoot that he wants to play office or defense?
How how will how will you advise? How I was gonna say, how will you advise him in that?
What you know? What will you say to him?
Follow your heart? Follow your heart? I mean you're always gonna have that other side. Doesn't matter what you cake to just know that you're gonna matter. You're gonna say, man, what if I win him for defense? If you go for offense, and if you go for office, You're gonna say, what if I went for defense? So just follow your heart? What do you like to do? What do you feel like you're better at where you feel like you could
be more help your team more more at. So that's what I would tell him, and I will try to tell him if I if I see it right now, I think he's equally good at both. You honestly, is equally good, really good at both. So it's gonna be completely up to him. It's his journey, it's his path. I don't want to do nothing to it's the mess that have. Like, man, my dad nested up for me. So I'm gonna let him choose that.
So I know you probably watch a game on Saturday. Your thoughts on what you saw and especially on your side of the ball.
Oh man, yeah, of course, you know. I watched the game. Watch the game, you know, big u of a guy. You know, so everybody likes to watch the game with me because I'm intense and I'm into it. But I thought it was good for a game. I thought, I think everybody needs to relax. Yes, the defense didn't play like they wanted to play, but sometimes that happened Week one. Yeah, everybody wants to come out and perform. Everybody wants to
make the play, to do something. And you know, you know, sometimes you got to just get credit to New Mexico statement. They had a good game plan. Very athletic quarterback. Obviously he's from Phoenix, Arizona, so he was definitely a problem athletic, dual threat quarterback like that, creating play, creating extra play. But if anything, I know Dwayne Keena, he'll get it right and trusted Dwaynea Quina. He didn't go our way week one on defense, like he won through offense. Explosively, explosive,
very explosive, but defense. That's the thing about it. They're still becoming a team. They got to become a team. They gotta trust each other, They got to do their assigmons. I think. Man, I'm really not worried about it. They got a lot of time to get better, get and to come together.
Do you remember seeing anybody like Tam Mac during your time in college, Not as a pro because of a bunch of those guys, but yeah, in college, anybody like that that you can.
Recall, Yeah, yeah, you know t Mac. He's a he's a phenomenal player man, great wide receiver. He's minded me. You know, I think last year he reminded me of Jeron Kriner when we came when I came in, and how Jeron Kriner used to be out there, him and Nick Foe and all the crazy catches and good games he had. But I think t Mac is now understanding that he's he's basically unguardable and how good he is, and I think he's taking next step. So it'd be like more of a drunk rider and the Kadeen Caerry.
You know, Kadeen carry dominated at his position to the point where you know, you sat down and you watch that. On the other side, it's like, man, these guys can't can't deal with him, and man, look how good you know, look how good he is? So uh t Mac though, Man, he's real good man, and it's honestly, it's fun watching him. Man,
I can't believe teams lead him wide open sometimes. So but I know the offense, I know it explosive and all that, but we definitely gonna have the other and I'm not saying the other players think that, but they all did great. But but there's no way when we get into the conference, like these teams are gonna let Tam Mac this. You know he's about to double in
even maybe Chiple cover. So it's gonna be fun to see somebody really step up off that and you know for feet that he does a good job back there controlling the offense. Obviously the offense has no problem at least after week one. They have no problem yet, and they have no problem. So once we've cleaned the defense up, man, it's gonna.
Be exciting for you of a So we always ask this former players, who who played the game, Uh, how do you look at a game?
Then?
Do you watch your position? Do you watch the game? Are you a fan who just watches it, or do you kind of critical critical eye it?
Yeah, so that's why I kind of stopped watching football four a while. At first, I couldn't stop watching it, like I was watching the film, finding out who did wrong, what happened, and and you know, getting up said. So now I try to watch it as a fan and understand it. You know, sometimes you know these other teams are gonna make plays, but I kind of put everything together.
I'll watch it as a fan. Then if they show the replay, I'll break it down to see who did wrong or who or or where where we got be at and then you know, after that and it'd be like critical, like man, what should they do to to to I'll try to think ahead, like what are they gonna do? What coverage are they gonna go in, or what what are they gonna do defensively? Obviously, I can watch it as a fan because I haven't played offenses
so long. You know, I'm a deft the guy actually watch the other defense and I'll say like, oh, they about to get beat because they or something like that. So I do watch it a little critically. Obviously playing the game, knowing the game, it helps a little bit to understand. And then it doesn't help when I'm watching them with people and they're asking me questions about.
Why this, so leave me alone. I'm just trying to watch the game, right right. So eventually, at the end of the day they're in the Big Twelve. I'm sure you like the move because it's gonna be a competitive situation. How do you think you're gonna finish?
Oh, you know what, after they got taken one week at a time, the Big Twelve is gonna be explosed. They got some explosive offenses in the Big twelve, so we got to prepare for you know, you know, honestly, there's a lot of great skill players. It reminds me a little bit of the Pac twelve with the skill player that they have on offense. It's uh, it's gonna be some. It's gonna be some dog fights, it's gonna be some some some some shootouts. And so if we
could get the defense to get the defense right. Man. Obviously I still believe defense wins championships, but we gotta be ready for shootouts and not critical on that because I mean, there's some real tough, tough teams and it's big twelve, so it's got to say. I think we gotta take it when we get a time. I can't look ahead because I haven't seen everybody yet. I've seen Colorado play a tough Dame against in DSU is gonna
make them better. Obviously we know Deon. He's a professional, so he's gonna have them ready to make them better. So many good team. I haven't seen Utah play yet. I know they're high on Utah. I want to see why. So it's a lot. We gotta take it when we get a time. We got to understand the game, playing great weekue of preparation and ukay man, they could really
do good. They should finish you know, I think they should be playing for the Big Cold Championships or in the twelve team playoff if they with the potential that they got. But we'll see it's it's gonna be a great year.
Okay, Marquis, thanks a bunch for joining us. Man, it's always talking. Good talk to you.
Appreciated Mark's good stuff.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you talk to you so appreciate it. Marquis Flowers, formerly of Arizona and Cincinnati.
I could have gone another ten minutes to come about that New Mexico the New Mexico Bowl ole game. Yea, he had that pick at the end of the game to clinch the game. But just what that what that had to be like that day as.
A Times file.
Let's take our last break. We're going to come back and we'll take your calls.
We got some stuff to talk about that we've been seeing on on social media that should generate some conversations.
So give us a call. Five to zero, four, one six.
If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look back at the Ludolsen era. In my new book, Lessons from Loot. It was a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them, competed against them, and inspired them. Twenty five chapters for his twenty five years as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from lut is an insight to how he built the program
into a national powerhouse. Want one email me at Steve dot Rivera ninety five at gmail dot com.
Ki this is formal while get Laman huntly with Arizona Health. Imagine how home GM can change your health, your comfort, and your time. Arizona Health is everything you need to transform.
Your personal space and your life.
We off a complete line of cardio machines, multi gms and freeway equipment. I'll certify fitness experts and technicians will set you up with the right equipment and training to get you started to keep you going. Visit our shareroom today at twenty second in Wilmot. Arizona Health the lead edge and exercise equipment.
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 laid available, it's time to earn the degree or certificate you need to prepare for the career you want. PEMA offers free career exploration classes so
you can choose the field that's right for you. Learn how at PEMA dot edu slash someday.
Ready to save but not sure where to begin? Take the Pyramid Federal Credit Union ten thousand dollars Saving Challenge and we'll guide you along the way. Save five hundred dollars over six months as a member.
And you can win big.
Watch your savings grow to help you reach goals like buying a car, owning a home, and more. Visit Pyramid FCU dot com slash ten k challenge to get started today.
Been really insured and see you a hey Tucson, Steve rivera heir, and I've got a tip for you. Want to be in good hands while cruising the desert or kicking back at home, then you need to call my friends at the Edmund Marcus All State Agency. These guys are the MVPs of home and auto coverage. Whether it's a fender bender or a leaky roof. They've got you covered. Don't fumble your chance to save. Call them today and score big on your insurance with the Edmund Marcus All
State Agency. You're always in good hands. Visit them at twenty seven nineteen Lord Campbell or call them at five two zero three two three nine three three three.
Extremely live, I mean, iHeartRadio. This is High on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jacobzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen.
Hey, welcome back to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Steve Rivera, you're chaking Zalez and we're gonna talk a little about hoops. Yeah oops, why not? Right, we'll talk about Andy Katz's stuff.
Like he puts these lists out. He does a bunch of them.
He did top ten Rivalry, top ten college basketball rivalry, top ten college towns, top ten student sections which.
The zone was not Did you did you see that? Did you find it? Top ten student sections?
Yes?
Okay, let's talk about that first. Okay, because you're Arizona was not in it. It came out last week, nuts priced Arizona just belonging to it, right, right, it's totally different. Like you were talking about venue, game experience and then student sections outside of the and I know I'm gonna be we have a lot of older people here to defend the older people. They do a good job when it's a big game, that's a huge game, they're that that arena rocks and they pay a lot of money.
They said without the students, right. The students help obviously, but it's just a great atmosphere. That's why it made the top ten.
Well again, I always say any slap can be great when when it's a big game and all that kind of stuff.
It's what do you like when you know Oregon State shows.
East West Tennessee State is in town. Yeah, right, So that's what's separates.
So the students and everyone talks about the arena and people are saying, well, they need to move the students on the side. No, no, because it's the same. They're gonna have the same amount of students, right, it's not gonna be any different. Right, And they have them, whether they have them on the side or the sidelines. How many students you think gets them it? How many in there? Two and a half? Yeah, they're not going to change that, No, they need to pay some bills, right, and they're not
gonna put them on the side. They're not gonna put them on the side. Stop asking, right or saying that's the solution. If it's not, it's not, it's not. No, and you say, well Duke does it, Well that's a little different because it's a nine thousand stuff.
And Duke's is a rich freaking school, all right. It's expensive to go there. The people that go there end up making a lot of money. It's like Stanford, they get they got money coming out of places that you don't even know.
So no, that don't compare.
That, right, So they didn't. There was a lot of concern last week, I mean talk not concerned about how can we're not know because you're not you're not student section though.
Now say I don't know these student sections, so I don't know if I should be surprised to.
Go down because I've seen a few of them.
Well, San Diego State's in there.
And they're good. They're good, very good.
I've never been to a game at San Diego to day, so I couldn't tell you. Rutgers, I've never been, never been, right, Providence, I.
Don't know, Yes, Arizona played them in the early nineteen ninety six ish. I think time very good.
Pretty good.
But I mean like Duke, Purdue, Kansas, Michigan State, Conzagi. Those are the top five. Not surprised to see them, even Yukon.
No.
One of the things that I didn't I didn't see was the Grand Canyon one because they rocked too. They've brought out of sight, out of my student section, out of sight, out of mind. They've even showed up here for the game Ember.
Yeah, yeah, no, out of sight, out of mind, they don't.
And that was it. What's the rest of them?
Then?
Okay, after those five, then you got Yukon, Auburn, San Diego State, Rutgers, Providence.
Okay, I don't know about that last five.
Yeah, I don't know. The scariest place I ever went to cover a game, and obviously I went to twenty three years old, the best ball was l s U. Crazy, scary, and I was just a reporter there.
Yeah.
Well, and I and I can't speak for even paying attend to what the student section was, but I know that the loudest arena that I ever went to and the craziest arena ever went to was the pit.
The well Mexico circumstances were that.
Yeah, well the number team in the country. I mean they they were locked and loaded. We got there for that game, you know, and they didn't disappoint.
In fact, I should have asked will last week insist because I talked about this at time that that's diminished. Patino's kind of bought them back a little. But for a long stress stretch there. Uh, they weren't. They were twelve thousand, eleven thousand because they weren't any good. Now they're good again.
Yeah.
So I mean it's such an unassuming building from the outside, right, and then you walk in and it's this madhouse.
Yeah, this down and you look down in the hole, right, Yeah, it's crazy. And I have to give you that that'st it's crazy there.
Yeah, I mean that was That's a liars arena I've ever been in.
Oh yeah, especially the circumstances dictated.
Yeah.
One of the funnest for me was was Stamford when Naples rocked and the thing was bouncing, Holy crap.
And the old Matt Court.
Oh that organ, that's my favorite of all time. Yeah, because anybody had a cigarette in there, places can burn down. It was so old.
Well I kind of made me think that that that must have been with the old Boston Garden used to look probably right like that, just this old rickety.
Yeah, built on just wood and nothing.
And the footprint was like the size of a bedroom. I mean it was so small because it was just went straight up.
In the air.
You were top of the people, on top of each other.
It was like three or four decks.
You remember the locker rooms.
Oh god, you had to go downstairs. Yeah, yeah, man, yeah, horrible.
Crazy, but it was the best.
That was the best unbelievable, unbelievable atmosphere at that place.
Plus you know Arizona at that you know, came in and they you know they Arizona was Arizona by that time, and they just wanted to beat the hell out of you and they got a big kick out of it. And it was it was fun when Arizona went in there.
Okay, so let's go to the list that you were trying.
The other one is they called it Vaunted Venues, the bet the ten best arenas in America. So this is the arena itself as opposed to the atmosphere, the atmosphere, the fan. Yeah, whatever. And uh, you know again not surprised at the top now that I know that this is that this is the category because you got Allen Fieldhouse.
Uh can this Cameron Indoor Duke?
I would I would think that Alan field House is above Cameron because it's bigger, bigger war fans.
Right right, you know what to me? And I went to Cameron last year, very cool, very tight, you couldn't move for all game. I've been to Allen three times. I would still pick Cameron ahead of but Arizona beat I don't know, it didn't have that did have something, but Arizona went in and beat a member Candygate and and Selim going off in that second half and beat it.
You're thinking, but why would you pick over?
It didn't because maybe I'm biased?
You said you think Cameron.
Yeah, from from my perspective because I've been to both. Now, Cameron was just Cameron. I mean it was kind of had that. Yeah, And maybe there's a bias in me because you're thinking, I get to go to New York Yankee Stadium and it's this and and maybe I didn't live up to it, but in your mind, back your head, it did. And I've been to Allen three times, so I don't, Cameron. Still, there's other ones.
But then you got Purdue never been macked arena before, it's poly Pavilion.
See there's only one time that's good Arizona.
Yeah, but as an.
Arena with the history, when you think about the history and all that stuff.
As an arena and it's a great looking arena.
Yeah, it's nassive.
Walk in and you walk in and you feel Louel Sender and Bill.
Walton and we'll see that biased.
To So so I can see why you would put the as an arena. Yes, as a venue when you bring in the fans in the atmosphere, not even in the top twenty five because they get seven thousand. There's sometimes they get seven thousand at a game. So I wouldn't. But I remember the first time I walked into poly Pavilion.
You had a bias I got. I got Tamo I did, of course, because you had this bias and UCLA that I remember because there was not that far removed from those teams that I saw growing up with Walton and and and Lowell Sendor, Sidney Wis all those guys.
And the coach was still on the sidelines watching games and he.
Was yeah, yeah.
So so then after Polly is Bud Walton and you got I was there Arkansas the first year when they opened it because everyone who played them it Wasona had Chris Mills and did will ever tell you the trip to to Arkansas.
Told me how hard it was out of there.
You had to get plans, change the plans. We were stuck in the airport for like nine hours. He had drove the sportsmith. It was crazy crazy. It was very very good, very good place, very good place.
And then number six and it's a place in Arizona will ultimately go to Iowa State when what we've heard.
That right, and you see the student section can go crazy with the way.
We've been told that that watch out that in Iowa State is very underestimated as a place to go both for football.
And basketball, good and basketball.
Right.
And then the Palestro at Penn University never been University of Pencil and yet I wouldn't know, but you you know you're here, tell us one of those places that's a little smaller but just crazy.
The Michigan State's Arena, the center.
Very very good. I remember going there cold as all hell. Will Bynum was on the team at the time in Salima, and all they did was buying Will bying them is tell him he was Gary Coleman. Gary all game they called Arizona lost that game? You remember Will?
Yeah, that's not right, that's right, that's all right. Then Michaeale Center comes in at number nine. Yeah, which I think that's about you know, every big game. It's a nice it's a great venue. Uh you know, the underground of it, you know, if you're behind the scenes private, it's it's tight and tiny and weird. But yeah, in terms of you know, watching a basketball game in there is uh, it's pretty cool.
So I think that that belongs there.
And then the which again probably has lost a lot of its mojo over the last you know, many years, But as a venue, I mean that that that that famous final foward where North Carolina State beat beat Houston. That was at the pit and and it's a crazy place.
Right, yeah, no question nineteen eighty three. Okay, so I get the most talented teams in college hoops, I send it to you.
I have that.
Okay, So this kind of surprised me. And this just came out yesterday and I rightway looked for the AA symbol and I'm thinking, Okay, Arizona's gonna be ranked about twelve this year to begin the year. Yeah, so it's twenty fifth on the list of talented players here, which is kind of surprising. And there's kind of a weird correlation, right, I mean, what how you know? How is that?
I'm sorry, you have Caleb Love on your team that that alone should put you, you know, close to the top ten. I mean, who does who does Georgetown have that they say is more talented than Arizona?
Who does Maryland have? Who does Texas A and M have? Even U C L A.
And there's a bunch of teams here that go Okay, somebody I don't know. I don't think somebody did their homework. You have Virginia the number four talented team in the country.
Well that's the funny thing about it. Uh, That's why I asked who did these type of things? Could be some dude, some dude in the basement. And let me say this to you, Uh, Florida. Did you see the quote from Florida's coach about the fans and he says, oh, that's some We're not gonna worry about some dude in the basement, and he got criticized for it. What our coach can't say anything anymore because I guess he ripped the fans. They were they were upside. They're gonna rip
him over anything. What can you can? What can you and cannot say? That's not gonna piss anybody off? Sure, I know you do. I know you do, and and most of the times you're right with that, because anybody has a computer like.
This is somebody that it's called bart barttorvi dot com that's got some sort of a analytics website that has put this together and the ranking came from there somehow. But I don't you know, Uh, there's a bunch of teams in here that you go, well, why do you think they're more talented than Arizona?
And you know, we'll see why, you know why they think.
That dev Utah thirty eight? Is that right?
Yeah?
And youtubh hasn't been relevant in a long.
Time quite a while. You know, ole miss is in there?
Who's the dog there? Who's the dog at the end? Is that Georgetown?
Is that Georgetown is thirteen?
Oh yeah, Georgetown? And who's thirteen? That must be Gonzaga talented players. Zaga is well, that might be Zabing. Is that zaber who's the dog at the end?
I don't know.
You see it though, Yeah, I don't know who that.
Is at thirteen? That gee, that's not Gonzaga. That's George sounding or is it Gonzaga? Maybe that is Gonzaga.
I don't think. Oh you know what Gonzaga is thirty seven? That pulled out? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that's that's three seven? Is that?
No?
George is twenty one? So I don't know.
I don't know who. You know, who these teams are. I mean, there's that number twenty four. Who's that is that?
Creighton?
Yeah, that's Blue Jazz?
Great, yeah, the Blue Jays.
So I don't know.
But here here's okay.
This is their list of top ten talented teams and college troops Yukon obviously Illinois. These are in order, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, Duke. I have no idea who number seven is? Purdue at eight, Houston nine, and Michigan State at ten.
Well in Kansas, who's going to be the number one team in the country?
At eleven, Wake Forest or twelve? I don't know.
What's the again, some guy somebody develops the criteria and it fits whatever this says it is.
I don't know well to me and we can probably dissect all this in a in a real way. Kansas is eleventh best talent, but they're gonna be the number one team in the country. There's only twenty fifth in talent, but they're gonna be number ten, twelve in the rankings. There's kind of something wrong with it. Doesn't right, either the rankings or this right.
It doesn't seem it doesn't seem right. Okay, I mean, what's UCLA got left? I'll tell you another one. I got it, I got it bone to pick on. Back to Andy Katz's rankings, he has got he ranked the top basketball rivalries college basketball.
He missed on that too, at number five.
He's got UCLA USC. There isn't one person outside of U LA and USC who gives a crap about that basketball rivalry. You know why that should be UCLA in Arizona, not UCLA and USC. And maybe they may maybe that was a mistake because U C l A US. He isn't even a basketball rivalry and it hasn't been a basketball rivalry pretty much ever. Right, And if somebody says who's UCLA's basketball rival, they're gonna say Arizona every time, right, So I don't know why that.
And Natty hasn't been here in a long time into Arizona. I haven't seen him here in the game in a while. You know, he's not like good Man.
Who next time he shows up, you need to smack him.
Yeah, yeah, I'll tell you. I tried to get him on the show about three months ago. He didn't have time. Yeah, so we'll see. Well, let me try to get him on all right, basketball season? Yeah, we gotta go.
All right, man out of time. That was fun, all right. We will be back tomorrow.
We'll be uh picking up the NAU game and we'll have the fast five Friday picks.
I'll be sure to be here tomorrow