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Hey, welcome back, joining the ball here Fox Sports fourteen fifty on Steve, you're Jay, And now with Brittany News, we have Henry Vikings.
Rookie quarterback J J. McCarthy needs menisca surgery and will miss the whole twenty twenty four season.
Yeah, that's that's tough for the kid who had a lot.
Of popach and pick right at That's yeah, that's that's that's hard and for the team, right because you get you pick, you pick a quarterback in the first round. You expect that he's going to be important to you and now he's out. That's that's too bad.
Jim Harball has offered a coaching position to Colin Kaepernick, which Kaepernick is still considering. Well, still wants to come back and play quarterback.
How old is you? Like fifteen?
Only like thirty thirty four?
This just in Joe Cappe he signed you know, well, I get it. Good for him, right, Kaepernick didn't leave on his terms and with all that crap that went on, I get it. You know, hanging on to the dream. But it's been so long since he played. I just don't see anybody, you know, saying okay, you know, come and be our quarterback. But you know, it takes the opportunity when it comes to you, man, I would.
Noah Afida has been named to the Johnny United's Golden Arm Award watchless.
Johnny, you man, that's my buddy.
That's your buddy.
Yeah, Johnny and I we're friends.
You just got to get his jersey up here, and I have it.
Johnny United jersey.
We wore it.
You were it right, Well, that's right for when when we when we did our when we moved he did our move over here. Yeah. So yeah, another award and they're somemore right coming up. Okay, let's go through those.
Jacob Manu has been named to the Preseason Buckis Award watchless.
Yeah, what's that?
The best linebacker? Okay? As he you know again, man, it's been it's been eons since Arizona's had guys that have gotten this kind of attention.
And you have to thank Jed for that.
Yeah. Oh yeah, he wouldn't got these guys.
The Patriots have traded Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon to the Falcons for a third up pick. He had fifteen and a half sacks in the twenty twenty two season before struggling through injuries last year.
All right, did you see the Patriots? So there was a list one through what are thirty two NFL teams one through thirty two ranking, and the Patriots in one I saw was thirty second, like the worst team in the NFL. I'm going from where, you know, the dynasty that they put together in just a few short years to that.
Yeah, well that's what was shocking to us. We had Ryan with a Tom Brady jersey, so what is he thinking?
But it's stunning that, you know, I mean, I get they lost a bunch of guys, right, one guy went to is well, I actually laugh at that. What's the name the guy who killed somebody?
Yeah, he was a really good player.
No, but you know, Brady Lee's gronk retires, you know, and leaves all those things and just like that, man, you're you were at the top, you were at the top of the heap, and now you're at the very bottom of the heap. That's crazy.
One of Tommy Lloyd's team USA under eighteen players, Nicholas coming and the twenty seven Franks senior in the country, has an official visit to Arizona scheduled from August thirty first to September second.
Okay, well, I mean that's why they do those things, right, you know, they do that to get contact with guys like that that they didn't can help them. So you know, if that wasn't an opportunity to get those guys and they probably none of those guys would do that, so good for him.
Tickets are now on sale for the December fourteenth matchup between UCLA and Arizona at the Footprint Center in Fields.
Yeah, we didn't say prices. I don't think.
No, I didn't see the.
Right and Arizona Gymnastics set the program record for scholastic All Americans with twenty gymnasts.
Scholastic All Americans. Wow, John cort Man tracking the whip on academics for those What.
Do you mean they had twenty All Americans overall?
Yeah, over academic All Americas.
Oh okay, yeah, because they don't overall the years. Oh, ok they acted because they don't have twenty on the roster. I don't know. Yeah, I think it's years years. Yeah, okay, yeah, did you see that they and I just saw this I was on Tucson dot com that they're provost. They left after a month, after a month because he started July first, Yeah, after taking the job in April May something like that. Uh, there's so many changes that we're you know, hard to keep track of actually in and Adam.
Mkille right, I mean, what what what's the backs? We are there? Right? They hired the new president and then goes, I'm out of here. You know, did they know each other or did the new president come in and say you're not my guy?
And did you see the amount they were paying him, which I think when they announced it was kind of surprising given the money situation. Five point fifty for the provost for the provost, that's what that's what they make not here, right, Sorry, could we give a discount?
Yeah, you wonder you know what, I don't know when you're here for a month, it's kind of okay, we're almost sense that you really wasn't committed here. Really, you know, I don't know or.
Or didn't realize. There's probably so many stories right here. Yeah, realized the scope of the the situation situation. Yeah, right, it could be It could be any because.
You would think that the new president compan he says, okay, this is who's here, let's talk, or maybe the guy said, well, I don't want to do that.
Right, your your your vision doesn't align with his with mine? And how many times does that happen in the job all the time, all the time? You're right, anything else, that's all I got. Okay, there was something else I saw here. Maybe that was it the pro listing.
But yeah, got so much stuff going on over there, so much.
Oh yeah, I was gonna go spend some time on the rosters of who is still here. And because because you know, I've been out of the newspaper business fourteen years. You used to live there pretty much, have aartic my laptop and sit sit on a desk there and see everybody come by. And that's how you got stories, right, People talk to you. People don't know me because they're
all new. Yeah, I mean I couldn't tell you. Maybe Justin Kikowski who's there at the time with basketball, uh football, nobody nobody even yeah, even in even in just anywhere along those lines, academics, nobody, nobody, and everyone's in the in the other building.
Yeah.
Now just you know, so many, so many people have gone come and gone.
You know, no, absolutely, it's yeah, it's all different. But god, you just all this upheaval at the university. Feel like at some point it's got to settle down and then they just got to start doing the work to you know, to pull this all back together.
I think.
And then we talked. We had President Robinson here three or four months ago talking about eighteen months. Yeah, I think that was a little gen we I only thought that went in to suddenly we said that that it would take longer than eighteen months to get out of this mess, right, and then in the Ernst and Young thing, it's going to take you know, time for for them to get all this money and have people support them again, right, to get back on track. Yeah, especially especially what's the
what's the kids that you're gonna get paid? That the kid the twenty two million dollar thing?
Oh that just the revenue sharing.
Revenue sharing, Yeah, that's a huge deal.
Yeah, well that's that's a big, big, big ticket item to say, to say the least. Right, But you know, it's like how you know, and how's everybody going to do this right.
Let me ask you. Let me ask you. Could you do this? I don't do this. You probably had to pay for football tickets already, right, Uh you got four two two? Okay two? So you and your wife?
Yeah?
Oh, because they're real goes to Yeah, they're on their own.
Yeah.
Well, can you say what you paid for it?
I don't recall. I think it was. I had it. I can look it up real quick.
But let me actually, so I want you to do that. Was that a fair price?
Yeah? My tickets went up fifty dollars particular, okay, year for the year. Yeah, fifty dollars per ticket for the year.
And the reason I ask is, I think if you if you make it a fair price. And that's what we talked about last week with Lamont, and we talked about it with you when you came back. That you have to find a way that that that central point, you know, that that perfect spot where you're in Tucson, you're not in rich Richville, that they can open their wallets and come to a game or two or three, uh, to get them in the in the stands.
Well, the thing is, and I shouldn't say this, you should say publicly, but I'm going to If they had raised my tickets one hundred dollars one hundred and fifty dollars, I would I would have bought tickets, okay, because I'm going. Yeah, you know, I'm going. I'm going to these games. I'm going. You know, I'm gonna follow the team, you know, I'm going. So what I've been unhappy about it?
Probably and Deserrey has already gone public to say that the ticket sales were up, Right, you talked about this few days ago in terms of the percentage of new ticket sales.
Right, and yeah, And I don't know what that uh you know what that uh good call is. But yeah, I mean I'm I'm going to the games.
Yeah, got a call.
Hi, you're on the air and on the ball. Hey.
I was wondering what you guys would think if they were to ever think about bringing back the not whole club that used to exist in the eighties and nineties at the football games. You know, I was a kid growing up going to the games eighties and nineties, and the deal back then was amazing. It was a dollar a game for all home games, and you went and you were kind of baby babysat by like student helpers in this at the end. But it made it easier for the parents to be able to afford and then
a family could go. But I mean, now if you wanted to go with the family, everyone has to get the same tickets and stuff, you know, so it's a whole other thing. But I would just think that would be a very easy way to boost attendance if they were willing to accommodate, because I do know families that try to go that can afforda that would want to go. They're up in the three hundred section. They're the ones
that are die hard, yelling hard. No one could hear them on the field while the students are partying, hanging out with Chris Rogers, and the main valley side is just still in there, sitting down, not really cheering. So I just think that would make a huge impact.
You sound like Steve, you might have to get over that.
Chris Rogers.
Let me ask you do you go? Do you go? Do you have tickets?
And I'll go when I can afford a ticket because I have a big family. I mean, I go and we can go. But that's basically two games a year. But if it was more affordable with a family option, and I could send off my little ones to go be with you know, people that would be with them. And even if it was a different section that they the kids don't eat the great seats. But if you think about the amazing tony years and the amazing seasons when it was a packed house, it's you had a
good few thousand that were just kids. They're very discounted. Well the families could afford the other day.
So did you listen to us when Lamont was on the show a week or so ago he brought that, he brought that specific thing up. He wished you could go back to that time. But but Jay and Jr. Is that Jr? Yeah, yeah, yeah, the corporate baby, it's it's all about the kids. And what would you mean?
Yeah, but I mean if you anything give and take, you know, I know some MESSYC schools still do something like that. And I mean, I'm just saying, if you want to get people back to the door, you can't get some get some families in who are like the blue collar families and get your kids and things like that. Total gifts unless there's some type of compromise.
Totally get it. Okay, let's let's say that happens, just hypothetically, you'd have to make those ticks. It's now, well not one dollar, but maybe five.
Per kids, you know, per game. Let's say fifteen bucks.
You know what I mean.
You know KERK game, So I mean at that or at ten bucks, you know what I mean. But it's it's something more reasonable because if you could just sit at home then and watch you an HD and eat you know, a family.
Meal together, it's it's that's.
How we're watching them now.
The HD fifty five seventy five in screen has killed a Yeah, and your yeah, and your beers are cheaper in the fridge.
Oh yeah.
And now before there were beers and kids, people would would you see the guys sneaking stuff in?
Now?
Was just a kid, but yeah, I just that that's a very easy way to get more numbers out there.
Yeah. Absolutely, I was a whole kid too as well.
Yeah.
Yeah, even when when Dick told me they didn't know that that Jay was his friend.
Appreciate that there, Thank you.
I always want to I want to do what the lover was reciprocated.
We loved each other. Hey, okay, so here it is. My tickets went up one hundred dollars. It went from six to eighty for a pair for six where I sit six games for yeah for uh that to to uh seven.
Eight each each, no total six games.
It went from it went from three forty three ninety.
For six games per ticket six games right, yep, seven hundred seven seven eighty six games, two tickets, fifty dollars each. Whatever it is, that's not bad. No for entertainment, then you're gonna go anyway, right, you said anybody who heard him he'd paid double that.
That doesn't mean I'm trying to move my seats more towards the middle to pay more. It's just we sit where we sit, and we we like where we sit. We're close enough to the bathrooms and the snack bars and yeah, you know, we feel we've got a good, good angle on things.
So yeah, I know those seats are those seats are good. I like those and the weather. Yeah, we'll see. We're not here to solve problems. But if you could find an area and I can't remember in that south zone.
It was in the south end zone and there were some bleachers. Now I don't know where you'd put them. I know exactly exactly where would you put them and you can't. You don't put them up in the top. Yeah, yeah, because those seats are you know, you need to have them down. Look, you know what kids falling out of.
The shure and you need and you need those prime seats for the regular people.
Those seats are. Yeah, those are good seats for people.
Yeah they there. You got to go, right, we do have to go.
We've got Scott McKee head coach AT's Canyon to Laura, defending state champions new head coach there, so we'll talk about what what his challenge is in front of him stepping in for a team that already won a state championships. So Scott McKey coming right up. Then right after that we're gonna have Mo Tangara form Arizona player. Uh, he'll be here for the Fludofs and basketball camp. So we'll
talk to both of those guys. So our phones are gonna be filled up, but we appreciate you listening, so stick around.
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This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio WAPP just surgeon I on the Ball.
Hey, welcome back to Wind the Ball here Fox Sports Fortune fifteen. I'm Steve Rivera, he's Jagan's aust now and IFO we have Scott McKee that you football coach at Canyon del Orol. How are you doing coach?
Hey, guys, I'm doing well. Thanks for having me on.
I guess you've been a long time football coach, so it's not so much new, just new to cdo. But when you just to take the job, what were you thinking.
Thinking? How fast can Dusty get back kind of a deal we were doing together were kind of called at the Queen Creek model, where the head coaches kind of both overlapped and helped each other and then, uh, you know, kind of kept the program going that way, but took a little bit off of each side of it. And uh, and I totally get it. I mean, you want to stay championship, and he wants to spend time with his boys and his wife and and it's and it's a
great place to be. So you just couldn't kind of pass something like that up because those places like that don't come open very often.
Well, you're you're in a position, you're you guys, are you know, coming off of a state championship and now you're the head coach of this team. Is there any a little bit of feeling of okay, just don't mess this up? I mean, how do you how do you how do you approach that right with probably continued expectations for this program.
Well, every day I try to make sure I don't mess up two things, right, my marriage and then Dusty's program. Okay, so that's the big kind of thing there. But you know, we know that we lost a lot of guys, but boy, of those guys that are sitting in the locker room are really good too. It's just their turn to go. And you know, the places is built for success. The way it's set up with class schedules, an a rated school administration that cares, and then your parents group is
ridiculously amazing. So you have everything you need there. You just need, you know, we just need young guys to get experience right now. But it's a pretty amazing place to be honest with you.
I think you were there last year, right, you were there last year with him?
Yeah, I came in. I finished up at Saworo and then I helped us. He's kind of an analytical guy a couple of years ago, just kind of working practice plan, just two guys that like football. And then after Snowflake, I told him, I said I'm all in and I'll help you. And my job was just to assist him and anything he needed. And that was great because I
could just focus on the coaching. And we're very fortunate to have those thirty seniors and what a special group, you know, Kaden Luke and Ski Lee and Chase Locks. I mean, you can't have a better group of young men than that.
So so kind of wanted to go here with it because the kids know you, but you probably have a different style than Dustin and you know, how how does that work?
Well, it's like my dad says, you know the old football coach. He goes, do it, Dusty, did you know what? Be yourself? So we follow a lot of the protocols of what they had, but we know we're adding some of our systems and things that I believe that were successful for us. And it's and it's been good. The kids got, you know, some some things they're familiar with, but at the same time they're getting a couple of things that are new, which kind of makes it exciting
for him each day. And I'm humbled to be there. And you know, we got a lot of respect for Dusty in the school. So I'm just trying to give my best every day. And I'll tell you the part that I have that that you know doesn't get talked about well enough is how how blessed we are with the assistant coaches and then how hard did those players try for us? So pretty cool place.
So what's the first thing you do when you walk into a situation like that? Because you're the guy now you said, I'm just trying to not mess up Dusty's program. But it's your program you've got. You know, you're going to do things the way you do things. How do you how do you approach that? What? You know what when you walked in the door and said, okay, I'm the guy. Now what's the first thing you were thinking about that you needed to do?
Well?
The first thing you do is you just do a full evaluation of the program, you know, and all the things that they did well. You got to keep those right. And then you go back and you look at the Swaro years where we were getting it going pretty well with great football players, and you take some of those pieces of it. And then obviously then you got to tellor that to fit what you have in the room. And Kyd and Luke isn't in the room anymore. You know,
if the Kylie's not in the room. There's great football players, but we have to adjust the angles for the stuff that we're asking those guys to do because you can't make them be what they're not. They have great skills. We just have to put them in those positions to be successful. So it's been good. And then the other part is used to lean on the staff. You know, hey, guys, how'd you coach this? How'd you cover this? Tell me the drill here, you know, and well I'll tell you
the learning curve on those guys. The summer has been. It has been really really impressive, how hard and fast those guys are improving.
So you're a you have a many years ago. I won't say how many because I really don't know, but you're an old bag. Your your roommates are Bobby Wade? Are you thinking? You're thinking I can't wait to coach? What were you thinking back then?
Well, it was my roommates were the three of them were Lancebriggs, Bobby Wade, and Ray Wells and they all went to the NFL and I went to Pleblo High School as volunteer assystem. So that tells me the difference in the skill level. Okay, guys, So I got to go down there, and it just I always wanted to be a coach because of my father, and I was going to be on the U of A staff as
a grad assistant. And then some of the alument talked to us about, hey, it's probably not a good idea to join on because Mackovic was going to get removed in a couple of days, and so I just ended up kind of in the high school game. And I've been there since and it's kind of been a great place because I tell the kids all the time, you know, I just plug into them. I mean, it's unlimited energy with those young guys, and it's great to be around them.
And I'm really proud of Bobby. I mean he's I mean, how lucky are we to have that guy as a receiver coach of the UA?
Right? So let me say so, you know, I write books. I think the stories you could tell being roommates.
Yeah, well we'll focus on the good parts of that great great guys. And you talk about amazing teammates. I mean, those guys are the guys so and that's the best of the best. So you know, to have those guys still around the program, you know, I know Lance is in here and out a lot, and uh. And then Bobby's really working hard with those receiver groups. And if you guys look at those recruiting stuff, you know, he
signs all those guys. I mean, you know those the rest of the staff is amazing, but Bobby's the one that's beating the doors down. So really happy for him and obviously coach a Keina and then Brennan. Those guys are all amazing human beings.
Yeah, so all right, so going your football season starts in a couple of weeks. You know, we we talked to Pat Nugent yesterday. The only two games they lost were to you guys last year. Is that a rivalry that's that's brewing right there, even though you guys aren't far you know, as far away from from each other as you can get in this town.
Uh, And do you need each other right? Right? Well?
I mean, I think there's tremendous respect from our school for Pat because Pat was the one that got you know, CDO. I mean, it was always really good, but he's the one that took it up a whole other level over over there, and he did it with some really interesting things. I mean, the way he fund raised, the way he set his weighting room stuff. His practice plan was completely different because his varsity coaches would coach the JV and
the varsity kids. So he left a lot of blueprints and fingerprints on the CDO program, and then Dusty came in and made it his and just you know, super charged it. So we all have a lot of respect for Pat and what he's doing over there. And you know, good football teams like to play good football teams. You know, we know that that was going to take our best effort to make sure we were ready and be prepared to play him, and we were fortunate that we had a group that was ready to do that.
And you know, kids are always impressionable, right, they have white Ice. You have some pretty good alums that have come down. Yeah, and not too long ago. They're a little older, but you know, you have the Cadeen Carries, the Martinez kid. I think went to see the Robins kid.
You have people yep, right and Rockers Stevie Rockers playing right now is starting running back over at Montana. So there's a lot of them. And you know, we had guys that came in, like the other day we had Montana Newstetter came down. He was here two weeks ago, three weeks ago with the freshman kids, and he was talking about that he was an iron man for cdo
that means you didn't miss a day. So he's a four year didn't miss a day kid, four point zero and he's up there as a starting quarterback playing football in college. So you got those guys that keep rolling through the building, and then obviously I don't know them all, but they're always welcome. So anybody, you guys know that's a cdo guy. I end up painting a lot of houses for those guys, you know, class of sixty seven eighty five, that kind of years, But I don't I
would love him. Everybody come by anytime. We need all their help.
So okay, so tell us what do you guys look like so far? You know what kind of team are you going to be?
Well, I'll tell you we have the most sophomores they've ever had on a varsity group has been four. We have fifteen and then four freshmen. But the way that they're learning right now is amazing. It looks like to be about ten seniors that will be able to really contribute. You have some special ones like Evan Greer, I mean there's nobody better than that one, and and some young guys that are just waiting for their turn. So the learning curve has been great. I can't get the gate
open fast enough in the morning. They're sitting outside at five forty five, Coach, can we go now can we go a little bit earlier. So really blessed and fortunate to have the group. It will be a good fundamental group, you know, will be sound, and we'll just try to make sure that we can improve every single week and at the end of the year we'll be standing. We'll be there for sure.
So how many people you have back from these both sides of starters?
Three? Three toll? Yeah, Well, those kids that are in that build, those kids that are in those building are the same ones that were there.
You know.
Basically that senior group that left is a state championship a couple of years ago. That was what Dusty had too, a bunch of sophomores, a couple freshmen, and a lot of young guys, and he really did a good job of nurturing that group through and then well you get a state championship out of it. So we're hopeful we can follow that same plan.
So you show, you show up here at those three starters, and you know, everybody else in the city is saying, now, we gotta.
Yeah, we know how that goes. And that's okay because that kind of drives us in the morning time. You know, we're the first one out to practice so and I know that for a fact. So we're out there earlier, and you know that's that they're reminder of that daily. You know, we've got people knocking on our door and they're excited to get a chance to get a piece of us. And that's okay. We look forward to that opportunity.
You know. Over the last couple of seasons, you know, we've we've had a number of the local coaches you know, come on the show, and there's a lot of there's a lot of good coaches in Tucson. It seems like more than maybe there has been all at once in the past. And maybe I'm over generalizing there, but you know, you got you know, you're up against a pretty good
coach weekend and week out. What as Steve's like, Stephen like Steve's this term, what's the secret sauce of having a good program and a good high school football team in Tucson, Arizona. What does that take?
Well, I mean, I've been I've had something that we've had to build from the bottom and then there's something that you know, I'm getting to inherit from the top. But it's all the alignment stuff. It's it's you know, does the administration believe in in the message and are they willing to do the equal amount of work that you're doing. Do you have parents that can help fund it, support it and get the kids there every day? You know, that's an amazing thing. I mean, I don't think we've
got a kid miss a day. You know, we don't have a ride problem, We don't have that kind of stuff that get them there, you know. And then the last part about is you got to have kids that are willing to work. And you know that's that's the formula for those those programs that are at the top, and they're consistent every year. You know, you just just change the faces and those kids have followed that same routine for you know, for Dusty was for fifteen years.
So I've asked this question of the coaches and some of some other players administrators. So your coach and you have players, what's the percentage of being success if you have I'm gonna screw up this question. So you have some good players or mediocre players. How what's a mix of good coach and players to make a good team? And does the does that make sense?
Players first?
Right?
I mean, you know it didn't matter if we didn't block it right, Kate and Luke would run them over. Okay, So there's a difference between in a three yard game and Kyden putting kids on their back. So it's always players first, no doubt about that. But I think it's also now which is you know, if you look at the game it used to be, is those staffs were
super charged. You had five or six head coaches on every staff, and maybe now you got a first time coach with a couple of new guys and a couple of their buddies, you know, But that's kind of been the secret if those those groups that keep those coaches together the longest are usually the most successful and two soon at least. And then in Phoenix it's a whole different deal because you know, your your funding is different.
You know, you don't have six coaches, you got twenty six, but in twoson, that's kind of been the recipe has been the staff.
But I also think that the coaching. Coaching matters, right, coaching matters. You can have a mediocre team and you used to be a player, so you kind of know these types of players, and the coach gets the things out of them for sure.
Yeah, for sure. And I think part of it is, you know, does the coach have a daily plan that allows development? You know, is it a hot or cold plan? Where is there is there a deal where every day there's a procedure for fundamentals and discipline and academics and all that tied together. Those are the guys that are usually pretty successful. But again, it always comes down to really good football players that are motivated to play. So that's that's the next part of it as well.
We're talking to Scott McKee, the new head coach at CDO, defending state champion. Scott, I know you played them last year, but is there a little extra for you when you go up against your old Cougars or anything like that or.
No, No, that's you know, if I ever made anything about me, guys, then I'm doing the wrong thing in this position. Okay. I loved every single minute I was down there, except for the last meeting I had with the principal and the athletic reccor. I still have a bad I still got a bad feeling about that. But not those kids that played for us, not those parents that supported us, and not the teachers that were in the building, you know, and I kind of thought that
would be my last place to coach. And you know, things happen in mysterious ways, so you know, I would have never been a part of that state championship team had that conversation not taking. But let me let you know that every day I'm really really motivated by that conversation.
How long you been doing this?
It will be my nineteenth years ahead football coach. I think I'm actually going into my twentieth season. So I started off I was twenty three. I believe I was the youngest head coach in the state, one of them, I think, in the history of the state. And now I'm the old guy. So the beard got gray, the hairline went back, the body, you know, the belts on the last loop now, guys, So I'm getting right into that prime meet as a coach.
I think you know you're talking about us, dude, you're describing us too, So don't worry about that.
All those ambigers. It's the world man. You guys remember those things I did you get the bacon burger?
I absolutely did.
Yeah. Well one more thing, guys, with the U of A you know, maybe maybe they could take that nil stuff and some of the some of the corporate sponsors, and you roll that into a package where of the kids for the NIL would get to choose a elementary school, a middle school, high school kid that has really improved academically, we're socially, and he could take his whole kid to the you know, they could take the whole family to the game. And the ni L would pay for that
from the from the vendors and the sponsors. Yeah, so the player could get a community outreach. The kid could get to go to the game. The families are going to the game, they're buying concessions. The NILS tied into it, and now you have a pack stadium every week. What about that guy?
That sounds good to me. My son just joined the marketing team over there, so I'll pass that one on to him for sure.
Yeah, I mean, and I think it would be grant me. How cool would that be if that quarterback that we got stops by a kid's house there, you know, and a graduations. Man, you did a great job on the team, and you did a great job in your school. Here's four tickets for you and your family and i'll see after the game. Well, I'll tell you what. You can make a lot of fans for life doing that.
A big brother, big sister type of thing, no question. Let me ask you, so you and your roommates, Uh, how do you think they would have done in this uh, this crazy nil deal.
Well, you know, you guys will be disappointed. I'll tell you the story. But Lance and Bobby, you know that was they were down to bear meat and bones. And I was running a small paint company at the time, and those guys were on the paint trucks. Okay, and you're talking about NFL guys and they were they were working, especially Lance, and those guys were working, taking off houses
and doing that to make it. And then he walked by the and know just kind of disappointing because you walked by the student store and there's their jerseys and these guys don't have enough money on their scholarship check to buy the jersey, right, and you look at Lance's personality and you talked to Bobby. I mean, those guys would have made a million dollars each just on personality and performance.
You guys were born a little too early. Yeah, thanks coaching, But I'm happy.
I'm happy for the players that they're getting it now, I am for sure.
Thanks coaching Scott. Thanks a bunch of good luck this year.
Thank you guys. You're always welcome.
Man.
We've got a great place up there. We love to have you guys. We've got good nacho, little Aliano sauce and they're little warmer.
All right, thanks Matt, good guy.
Yeah, excited in a job like that, right, all of a sudden, you're you know, you're coaching a state championship.
Team in a good and a good school pronounced school name, school, all that stuff. Okay, we're gonna come back, take a little what time is it come back? And we had to wait a little while because.
Yeah, you're go get Mom was going to come on at four forty five, So we'll have a couple of minutes. I don't know if we'll be able to take a call, but yeah, we'll get Okay, good idea, All right, stick around.
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Steve Rapira and Jaden Solids they have their eye on the ball on Tucson Sports stage shat Fox Sports fourteen fifteen.
Hey, welcome back to eying the ball here Fox Sports forteen fifteen. I'm Steve, You're jay Don Henry working behind the scenes. Got fifteen minutes. We got about four minutes here before we go to get Tom.
Right, you have something for me? Yeah, you know. I got curious. I saw the Twitter announcement the tickets were on stale for that UCLA Arizona basketball game December fourteenth. It's a one o'clock game Saturday afternoon up in at the Footprint Center. Though US old guys still refer to it as America West Arena, but it hasn't been that for a really long time. But the arena in downtown Phoenix.
Fifty court side seats right you know, on the floor, sideline seats or one hundred and twenty nine dollars upper level seats. The cheapest ticket, and you know, really it's again one of those arenas where all the seats are good. They're only forty five bucks.
Forty five bucks. And that was the last time they played who they played last year up and there up there was that Alabama. They yeah that was Alabama. Yeah, a good game. Yeah, the two games Ashue played somebody in the right Yeah that that was. That's a good venue to play.
Yeah. So anyways, if you're if you're interested that that games up now that there own there's only one game. It's just the one game. There's not a c is not playing that day either. Also, but you know, uh again it's a great venue. Uh good stuff. I was last day to watch the Eagles, which was cool. But it's you know, forty five dollars for a nupper level ticket.
If you don't ever get to go to games in Tucson because you don't you know that season tickets or whatever, there's a good opportunity for you to go up and see what should be a really good game, right And.
There's a lot of alums up there, so it'll be another one side of affair in terms of uh fans. Yeah, you know, you see a doesn't travel well yeah, they they they they don't even go to the home games. Yeah, that's that's Arizona.
Well, we haven't really fun conversation about that today about road trips in the Big Twelve, and they say, well, you know, Arizona fans aren't going to travel. Fans have never traveled. You know.
That's one of the biggest no mercy, right, you know.
Like like they said, well, you know for football, yeah, you know, fans would go to the u C, the u C, l A, and USC games because you could drive, and a lot of students would go to those games to spend for football, right, to go spend a weekend in La hanging out, you know, and stuff like that. But aside from that, Arizona fans, either football or basketball, don't travel to distances that they can't drive to.
No question. One of the biggest things. And the first thing I'll say to you, Jay, well, what about all the yelling and screaming you here in basketball games? Okay?
Right?
Because you do you know what, because they have a ton of.
Lands there live there, and that's going to be different in the Big Twelve because those cities that Arizona is going to starting starting this year, they're not big alumni bases for the UFA. Maybe Dallas, right, maybe Houston, Yeah, probably some in Colorado. But in terms of uh, you know, the way you know, the kind of fan bases that they had in uh In, uh In, uh l A or even the Bay Area, they don't have, you know,
they don't They're not there. No, So you're not going to see that kind of support on the road that those are.
We supposed to go?
No?
Yeah, well are you this is Steve?
Yeah?
Are you ready for us? You're ready for us? Yes, you're You're on the air. Mon, Just so you know you're on the air. Now, we have Mo Tangara on the show. How are you, Mo?
How you been I'm doing okay, I'm doing okay, so working family and uh you know, just trying to keep up.
Okay. Well, we're going to see you here pretty soon, right, You're coming next week for the big camp.
Yeah? Yeah, yeah yeah.
How did you enjoy yourself? The first time? Was great?
I think it was it was a human process for me. I know a lot of guys struggle after the loop holes away and think for me it was like I wasn't here and then he was someone who was like a father figure to me.
It was good.
It was really really good for me. After that, I was able to recover.
See I don't know if you can do this, but so we have the guys speak about, you know, the impact had on them. He had a he had he had a long story. Can you kind of can you summarize what he meant to you? He in love to me.
I think with the Lou I was able to discovery who I'm, who I am what I mean by there When arriving in the United States from OFFICEA with going to Prens School, I didn't have a clue what was going on. Even though I was a good player over the well, coming from my background and everything, I didn't
have a really clue who I am. And even if being ranked the players, I didn't have no clue because you know, once again it's and then acting the game by him coming and visited me for the first time and give me the confidence to see I'm a somebody. I think that a law changed my life. So to recognize their wow, I'm in the United States and Ludosa
time visited me. And then when the new was there, the whole school, the pastor the principal, everybody is wait for him, do that out of practice style that was waiting. It's like he had a big welcome. And after the Loon, keep after Louo back to Arizona and everything changed for
me even in my high school. So from there it gives me a sense of confidence, giving sense of Wow, I'm a somebody in this world, and that's what I would say, you know what, I'm gonna go play for this guy so that alone know retire him what I would be because you know, I came in there with a lot of trauma, being young, being the poor, and now you're fighting and someone who's just opened their door.
You recognize he's a big time and it's kind of changed my life and since then, to give me that confidence that I keep going with everything I'm doing.
Wow, that's pretty powerful. It's very very powerful.
To get to that and see that when I lost him, do what he did to me, and even in my tournaments that I'll run it, I'll run with him and him being gone. He takes a lot out of him. I'm telling him. But the last time that I came to the defense he camp. It helped me.
Loe.
Yeah, do you remember the first time you visited the Tucson on you.
Yeah, I remember, I remember. I think, like I want to stand out to that is? Uh the softball game?
You went to the softball game?
Yeah, no, no, we we had a softball game.
I think.
Doing that.
I didn't.
I never played softball, so I had to pretty much running around. Now I know what I want to do.
The seven foot guys, the seven foot so the bat you must say look like a toothpick to you?
Well, what I guess. And maybe had these conversations before. What did you like most about being here? The time that you spent here? What would what did you like about Tucson and the and the time that you had here?
People was number one?
But people.
I had the environment where it makes me feel like I'm home. And when I went when I went through to my box surgery, it was a very tough time for me. I see my dream being shut down completely, but I had the people around me. Uh, this is a wonderful lady Paddy Oda and then people on the university gods. So it was so much sharing what I was going through with my back suits because I came here to get to the pro and I had a
back problem. And then I see that my dream being shut down and from there when I look, people have so much love for me. Anybody cared to say hey, you're gonna be fine and trying to uplift my spirit. I think that's Adam to the Loot. Also, that's what attracted me willing to stand Arizona and call here at home.
Yeah, no question, no question. So tell me though, when you first got here, other than the softball game, did you come in the heat? What did you think about the place? The cactus and stuff like that, because you'd never been this far west.
No, I love it because it was like Africa. So it was like remind me so much back home with the heat, so I've been used to that, and then when I came here, I'm like, oh man, this is home. You know, so the pretty much over in Africa. It's part of the desert, so we get a lot, we get the heat like the year. So that kind of helped me say, Okay, this is home. And I said I'm just gonna come to this place and I want to play for the Ludoso.
Well, and then you stayed right in your your phoenix and you still you're still you're in a harder place than it was here. But uh, you you've decided to stay. Why did you decide to stay?
It's uh. Once again, it's it's kind of part to deal with the loud also, uh and uh, the the people anything you need, Like even right now, I had a second baby, I had a you know a lot of those, A lot of the thing I'm dealing with my family now. He involved a lot of the University of Arizona love, uh, and then a lot of the
people who's involved with the university. So the environment and that family environment that I'm surrounding with it, I think that's what tracked me to stay here and know that, Like the University of Arizona is there, and I get to see you guys once in a while, and loud also legacy, whatever it is, I still want to be part of that.
So you you had your own little thing here a few years back with your with your native kids playing up here. How did that? How did that go? And did we see or have we seen any of those kids play in the States.
Yeah, none of them come to the state. It was I had about we had about four guys who went to Division, different programs Division. Some went to the prep school, end up junior college end up in Division one program. We had about four guys who was able to do that, and then some of the Chinese players now that big time that play the Channel League. It was really really really good, uh the tournament, but you know, the working today is very hard. It was really really really hard.
But you'd also made it easy for me. But uh, I think we had about two years of that that we haven't haven't done anything with that.
Well.
Also, what did you feel about about Ballow leaving?
It was a tough it was. I was shocked we never had that. We never had that conversation. I'm I'm gonna do tough old brothers like you know, I call him a young brother. I like to stand back and then be the supporter, be the fan. So we didn't have any conversation. I wish, you know, he had a little bit of conversation with me, Uh, so I can guide him, like see what we can do to bring
you know, what whatever he was looking for. When I can coming down to two Shie to see if we can talk to the people rather people will get some of whatever whatever he is looking for. But I didn't have that conversation with him.
Uh.
It's a rise of me. I just sat on the news and then I texted him. Ah, and then I try to talk. Uh you know, they say, hey, everything okay, and but you know, I find out he left for a different purpose. But you know, I think.
If the reports are true, he's doing okay with about a million dollars in his pocket.
So yeah, it's really cool. I mean, I think the money is good, but what I have today, money don't buy that. My mother and my little brother, I totally understand. But you know, sometimes the relationship can go far away.
Yeah he did.
He did a great job, willing to help and the good kid. So I think he's always gonna have their relationship with the u A with the love now. But you know, I feel like we should have maybe just talk to him or just see what we can come up and help him a little bit with that.
Yeah, well we'll see that. We'll see you next week. Appreciate you.
See one more thing, I'm going through to some really tough time right now. My my my town or my own town that I've been fighting that I've been doing a lot of to help people back home.
The flood.
The flood come to my town and destroy almost about six hundred thousand homes and even my home. My parents just have to move to another city, like the waters all over the place. So I'm putting some stuff together. I'm going to need you guys help, trying to set up the book go fund me and to see how can I support my people. Now, my family, I'm going to take care of her, but there's a kind of people who look up to me who need some assistance.
So I'm gonna put some stuff together and then I'm going to need you guys help because I've been helping them with the fund raising, but it has been tough.
All right. We'll be happy to help. You'll definitely be happy.
We'll see you next weekend. You just let us know, thank you, thank you. Yeah, I didn't know that.
Yeah, I hadn't heard anything about that.
Okay, So once he gets to we'll put on our social we'll get out there and get out so good. It turned out to be a good show.
Yeah, I didn't back.
We didn't rag the fans all that much.
Well a little bit. Well again, we we you know, we reminisced and talked about you know, I poured my heart out there for.
You guys, right, you should. I'm running your book today. I was a friend with.
Toby under Rich was listening because he wasn't that good friend. Yes I was, Yes, I was, Yes I was.
We were Bud Henry. You didn't give me a Kleenex. I needed to wipe my ear, my towel and my eyes.
We we were the we were the right side of that infield for for several years. He played first and I played second. And the reason we both played those two positions because that's as far as we could throw the ball. We had a blast, it was. It was a lot of fun playing playing baseball.
Good show today, Thank you, Scott Key.
Yeah, good guys. Yeah, be interesting to see what happened what happened with Cdo this year?
And then yeah, well he doesn't have a lot of coming back. Exactly, mister p exactly.
All right, we are out of here. We'll be back, uh tomorrow. Today the day was always lining up guests, so uh uh check out our social media tomorrow and follow the podcast. So see you tomorrow.