This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez Son Fox Sports fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services and Sure Your Most Prized Possessions Kati z R two SA in iHeartRadio Station.
Good, good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Jagan Zawas. We have our guy Henry with us today. It's three o'clock. We got two hours. We got a big show today. I think we do. We have well, Dave Cosdro one of our guys we usually talked to at the beginning of every soccer season at PIMA. I'm trying to go for another national title. We'll start there at three forty five, right, moved in.
Three forty I got it right at the second time around on our social media.
Yes, yes, So we'll go ahead at three forty five. And then someone we've been trying to reach for a while now, or at least have on the show, Desiree Francois.
D r f r F.
That's that's what I'm trying. That's what you're going to say, right. You want me to remember one name. I can't remember.
Three, don't forget the hyphen in the middle.
Yes.
Yeah, Desiree read francois the athletic director of Arizona, headed into her first season football season as the ad at Arizona. They've been doing a lot of stuff trying to talk about the you know, the game environment and the things that they're trying to do over there. So she'll be joining us and we'll talk about the season coming up that starts just in a couple.
Of days, right, right, so she'll be about four to seventeen. We're looking forward to that. We've had some discussions with her already the last few months, so she's she's accommodating us today, which is right, thank you everybody.
Boy. Fitting into her schedule is not an easy thing, but we got it and we're happy to We're happy to have a chance.
A lot going on to mchael. So, yes, yes, you are correct, and we're what three days away from a big football game opening season.
Yeah, you know, gets closer every day, and uh, you know, a lot of different opinions about what gonna happen this week. I saw Pro Football Focus their twitter their Twitter page picked Arizona as the Big twelve champion.
I saw, really, yes, really, what was the analysis on that? I don't know.
I didn't I didn't go into that. I just saw Arizona was on the graphic of the the four predicted UH powerful champions, and I saw the Arizona logo, and I'm like, all right, man, see so that what is that they said they have? They have Arizona beating Utah in the championship game?
Wow? Yeah, Okay, I wonder who wrote that.
I don't know. I have to go back and see.
You have to figure out the source and see what they're thinking exactly.
But you know, and then you've got you've got others who don't even have Arizona in the in the top five. So who knows what, Steve, who knows what?
Okay, No, that's interesting. That's the only one I've heard of I've seen that. You mentioned about Arizona winning the conference title. If that's the case, they have a chance to win the national title.
Well yeah, you get in there, right, who knows what they are?
You get a dream? Dream, big baby?
Why not? Right?
Why?
Why not? Look, we've said all along in whether it's the you know, the in the n cua A Basketball Tournament, you know, college football playoff. Just get in there and see what happens. Take your shot, shoot your shot, and and you never know, you just you just never ever.
Along those lines, uh, because you were here, I was not here. In the mid eighties, Loot had finally cracked the correct the code to get him to the n Cuba A tournament The Lust in the first round to Bama, I think it was first time.
First time, and then if they asked Alabama, Auburn.
And then you and then you, okay, so three times. So when they got there in the first that I'm just bringing this because I'm just wondering, just get in, baby, right that was the What was the atmosphere when they got in and I asked, because okay, we're happy to be here.
That was the that was that was the look. Okay, because they'd been so bad. That was the first time. The first time, okay, okay, Well the second one, it's kind of like, okay, we win a game, okay, okay. Then the third time they get in and they're hosting they're hosting UTEP, and you're going, you know, Arizona's got a shot to make a little run. And then they
lose and it was like, what the hell? And then then comes the final four year and you're going just don't lose four the year they went to the final, because that was the next year.
That was that that philosophy or hope or whatever. When they got into the tournament, I was here at the time, it was like, they have a chance.
Yeah, yeah, because they were a number one seed right there they were. They were they lost two games all year, they were a number one seed, and really you knew they were gonna beat the hell out of it. Why I remember these things deep. They played Cornell in the first round, beat the hell out of them, all right, I think the beaten by thirty forty or something like that,
beat him by a ton. And then they're playing Seat and Hall, big beast out of the Big East, right, and you know, even I think it was I don't know if it was Billy Packer or Dick fight Tale or somebody said, you know, said watch out for the upset. You know, Arizona's got a history of first round losses. Yeahayat YadA, uh they you know, pack twelve pack ten
basketball is different from Biggie's basketball. This game was a poly pavilion and there's you know, some people thought Seton Hall has got a chance, and they had a they had this big center. I don't remember his name, but he was a big dude. Oh, I know who you're talking about. I know you're talking about and uh, you know, just people said watch out, no, no, no, it was a big No, it wasn't a it wasn't a Latin player. Maybe I don't know. But anyways, then they beat them pretty bad twenty nine.
You were right in the first game, twenty nine in the second.
And then they go then they're playing Utah for a second time. No, I'm not Utah Iowa for a second time, because they beat in Iowa earlier in there at Iowa in the game where Steve Kerr famously was mouthing off to one of their guys at halftime and stuff like that. Yeah.
Oh, and that was the game where famously went back home.
Went back home.
He was nervous.
Right, They and they and they beat they beat they play Iowa beat the hell out of them. Right, So now it's okay, Now you got North Carolina to get
into the final four. There's no chance, right. I know you're not the number one seed, but you're not being North Carolina, because North Carolina is the team that goes to the Final four all the time, and you don't you know, and this is the and Arizona's actually losing at halftime, then I think they've beaten by seventeen eighteen, right, And so all four of their games leading up to the Final four were blowouts. And it was after the North Carolina game where lut finally said, guys, we're pretty
damn good. You know, you don't give us any credit because you think we play in a bad conference. We're pretty good. And then they went and lost.
Yeah, so no, that kind of goes the beginning of the beginning of the my theoria loot let them consider you not good enough, right, because that gives you some insective Let them Arizona has historically been good when people think they.
Can let them, let them underestimate you, exactly. And then the next year they go in the number one in the country and they lose in the Sweet sixteen. Dude light team that even a really good one.
I can't even remember how I'm looking at it right now. If they had played the un l V the year before, I think they did because I went to a game.
They played eighty six, eighty seven, No.
Eighty eight, eighty nine. They did play un LV and beat them eighty six seventy five at home, and then they lost. I don't remember that eighty nine. I remember because I went to that game in Vegas. I went to a game then.
In eighty nine that same Yeah, they lost, they lost.
It's always notoriously it's we beat them already, Yeah, we'll beat them again.
Yeah.
And if Arizona just played that role, because it plays it very well. Oh, no, one loves us. Everyone hates us. I'm gonna go eat a worm. And they kicked the crap out of people. You've heard that saying, right, I heard that's saying, yeah, okay, they go. But if you start talking about, oh we are, we are who we are? Did they get their butt kicked?
Yes? And that's and that's what happened.
I gotta get a T shirt like that. Everybody hate us, so I can I can kick your ass?
Yeah so yeah, so, but but uh, you know it's uh, you just you just don't know, man, you just don't know. But you know, good for Arizona. Look here again, and I've always said this, and I remember thinking this. I remember thinking this the first year that Mike Stoops had a pretty good team. I think was that two thousand the two thousand and five team that we were talking about, you know that the team that went to the the Las Vegas Bowl during that year during game day and
stuff like that. What I what I like say, Arizona is part of the conversation. And that's all at Arizona we can ask for. You know, yeah, you love to be you know, people say you're you know, you're really good. But as long as you're in the conversation when people are talking about, you know, good teams, good programs and whatnot.
So when I see somebody like this this uh, this prediction on Twitter, or someone is picking Arizona to win the to win the Big twelve championship, I'm happy to see that just because I just want Arizona to be in the conversation. And they are this year, you know with all the all the award nominations and stuff like that that they that they've gotten over the over the course of the off season.
Right right there it is.
It was p f F College, which is the Pro Football Focus, but it's their college version. The conference champions are Miami in the a CC Ohio State, Georgia and Arizona. So, Henry, are you somebody named Max Chadwick? You know, no, do not?
So Henry, you you're a KG veteran of this program there because you have a school, you're you're kind of in tune. What's going on? What what? And you this is your senior year, right, so you've kind of been around what what's a general bravado if it that that's the right word about u A students at games and stuff is like your poop doesn't stink or or we're you know what it is. I think they're better off being the underdog. But just the student body.
I think this is the first year where people actually I can tell people care about football. I I think last year I was kind of mad when we were actually starting to win that people want to show up. And I know basketball we always have had good attendance, so that's yeah.
But the attitude is we're Arizona, don't mess with us. What what's the what's the vibe on students?
The students?
I think that's the vibe for basketball for sure, but football, I think we're still looking at ourselves as underdogs. Until we proved that we can win big game.
Yeah, that's the recipe to win.
Yeah, we'll see. And that's the thing, you know, regardless of how many you know, what the predictions have been, I'm sure the players are all the only things they see are people who don't believe in them, right right right. They're saying, you know, hey, that guy, that guy, that guy, that guy.
They think, they think, in Dion's favorite words, I keep the receipts right right right, which you really don't have to have to do it. I'll even do is win exactly, just win and then everything will go away.
Yep.
And I don't know if that's going away part bothers anybody I know it. To me, it makes no sense, but but I guess people do. Yeah, well I proved you wrong, you know, blah blah blah.
Well see here, and here's the thing, you know, the following the ninety three seasons win to ninety four and the Arizona football in the ninety nine season, both of those times Arizona got all full of itself, right, and
look what happened. But then again, the end of the twenty fifteen season, there weren't there wasn't anybody saying, well, I think people thought that the PAC twelve South championship was a bit of a fluke, right, because because they were not you know, they were picked, if I recall, they were picked like to finished fourth or fifth in the league the next year. And I'm I'm as a fan, I'm thinking, wait a minute. Their quarterback is back, their
best player on defense is back. They've got a bunch of guys, they've got, you know, players pretty much the same team as last year. Why is Arizona not getting more run? And then then they it went to crap as well, they didn't go to crap. They were a bow team, but they weren't you know, near as good as as I at least as I was expecting coming off coming off a ten and at ten.
I'll tell you why, j you jinxed and you've said that, you know, come on, you've said it, you've agreed with that. Something just happens. Okay, they lost to UCLA the first game. They won the first three, you know, Okay, us so Texas, San Antonio, Nevada, and AU and go against UCLA lose that. Stanford lost that from fifty five to seventeen against Stanford. Yep, I'm sure they didn't recover after that, and.
They didn't and again the team went but I think it went seven and five, got into a bowl game, won the game, and seven and six, seven and six, Okay, so they were six and six and then went to a bowl game. They won their bowl game, right, so you know it's kind of like didn't really matter. But you know, players, players don't like to be told that they're not very good. Oh, sure, there's low expectations.
Especially especially there's Lute built a program on that theory right there. Yeah, because he didn't he wasn't like like Sean who went after five five stars, you know one and Donner's lut got guys who were very good, and then then they told him you're not any good. And they knew that. You know, you're gonna tell Richard Jefferson that he's not any good. You're gonna tell Gilbertinez you're ran any good. And that's kind of how they said, Well,
you didn't recruit me, you didn't recruit me. And then they go out and play well November, December, January, February, and.
Then March then then yeah, and then the talent levels and all that kind of stuff come come into play and you know, and people don't give a crap what what they think of you? There?
That is and that's their kryptonite, right, that's exactly. You hit it on the head. You could pop it a puffy chest and blah blah blah. You can do whatever. You can walk the walk. But if some others guy says, I don't care Clemson, I don't care who you are. What do you think you are? Right, I'm gonna punch you in the mouth and then you're gonna like it and let's see how you handle that. And that was Clemson. Yeah, that was a lot of the school Princeton. That was
you know. And I told you about the night that the first in the opening game against Priston, one of the guys didn't shake the Princeton kid's hands on the introductions. Oh and that that pissed them off.
You might have.
Yeah, yeah, you don't start that way.
You don't start that way exactly.
Okay, let's go, let's go. We have a break here.
We're gonna break, yeah, break and we're gonna be back. We'll take your calls, take calls, will take costs five two zero, four, one six, seventy forty. Then the final segment of this hour. Dave Cosgrove, the man soccer coach at.
Pimat the Window Depot has everything you need to create the kitchen or bathroom of your dreams. Frowsy aisles of instack cabinets available in a variety of sizes and configurations, and instantly elevate your space. Today, visit a showroom and let our experts guide you. Whether you're choosing for money to go designs or creating a custom master. We can help you select the perfect wood type, color and style and top it off with unique hardware to complete your luck.
Find a location near you at the Window Deepot dot com. 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 if 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 second just west of Wilmot.
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 Drackman Street or visit them online at Creative Awards AZ dot com.
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, whether 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 volteteam dot com, that's volpe team dot com or call five two oh sixe eight five six two six today n MLS three oh eight seven Arizona KO nine two nine four two Equal Housing Opportunity, How to commitment to Lyndrix syn credit rates and available loan programs or subject to change with no notice.
Did you know Sports cards at Memorabilia are setting records 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 e Speedway. That's show Time Cards.
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, says remember, and you could 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.
That really insured and CUA guys, bugs, termites, bees, are rodents. Arizona Pest Control will hunt them down. Arizona Pest Control is your complete desert pest management specialist tests 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 Azpest dot com to schedule your free evaluation today.
This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez, so Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app just searge I on the Bar.
Hey, welcome back to Win on the Ball here Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Roverta, He's jaygan Zaunce. Got a guy Henry In working on the boards. Give us a call five to zero four one six seven four four zero. We'd love to hear the first time listeners or first time colors. It'd be great. We have a few of those, Uh getting ready for the game. Are what are you
gonna do? Are you gonna go to the game? We're gonna have desiree here in about an hour or so talking about uh, maybe you're one of the new ticket.
Holders, right. That sounds like there's a whole lot of them, right.
Yeah, yeah, what what brought you to this point?
And you know what brought you to this point? What brought him to this point?
Yeah, Whinnie, Yeah, we're hopeful of when yeah right, no, but but having won last year yeah oh yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right here right now.
That I think people feel they can, Okay, they can come to a game and have an expectation that they might actually win a game.
Sure, sure, and be part of it because.
They think it said a million times every time I walked in THEIRS on the stadium last week last year. Until the Utah game, you didn't know I would, you know. I was kind of like, you know, I don't. I don't know how they're gonna win today. And then they kept winning.
Who who are those games? Those games?
Washington State? Because remember they yeah, remember no Washing State was out, they remember they ca Yeah, they came, they went and lost to USC, came back here, lost to Washington I think, right, it wasn't that the order? And then they then they went to Washington State.
They lost, the lost to Washington, lost to USC, then beat Washington State on the road.
And then Oregon State here because remember we had talked about the Washington State and Oregon State games being the ones that were going to determine if they were gonna have a wining season. They had to split correct those two games, so I didn't think they were gonna be Oregon State. Then they beat Oregon State right then U c l A comes to town and even though I was one had beaten U c l A, you still thought U c l A might be pretty decent. Chip
Kelly was still the coach. And then they beat U c l A. You know, and now you know, now you're going along and you're you know, you're you're beating everybody, and you got yeah, they played, Yeah, they played Washington, then you sc then b Washington State came home and
beat Oregon State. Then they beat U c l A. Go to go to go on the road and look like they're I mean, they had a tough one against Colorado, yeah, right, and then Utah's coming to town, and even though they didn't have cam Rise and was still pretty damn good defending Roosevelt Champs. And then all of a sudden they beating UCLA U twenty one to nothing in the first courting. You got, okay, this team is actually pretty.
Good, right, right?
And then they went and laid the wood to.
Su got it. I don't remember them playing Washington before they played you. I thought it was the other way me too. I mean too, because that USC gave you game, gave you hope. That's the one that gave you hope, right, And that was after the Washington. Yes, I thought it was the other way way to Washington game.
I remember there was like I think everyone kind of expecting them to Loseer really was a point in the game they're gonna win, whereas the USC game.
They actually right, No, you're you're exactly right. That's why I thought it was at the other side of the schedule, because Washington they were just hanging on. They were just hanging out, and Washington was like playing with their food, right, they kind of just need to play a little and.
Then all of a sudd they're an on side kick away from from having a chance to go into overtime.
Yeah, yeah, okay, no, and and that schedule. I guess what's it? What's the streak? Five six.
Seven including oh that's.
Okay, yeah, seven seven.
I think it's the longest streak in college football. No, Michigan, Michigan.
So you does it feel that way?
No, because you're not used to it. Because you're not used to it, because Arizona never has seven game winning streaks, you know they you know.
Well, come on, there were twenty three games removed three weeks aga, I know, whatever games it was.
No, you know, no, I this is this is unusual and again being the being the the I don't know what the right word is for us, just the pessimists that we are. You're just waiting for it to crash, right, and and you hope it doesn't. You don't, you don't expect to, at least in these first two games. But then it's kind of okay, and here here comes Kansas eight. Arizona's going there. It's a Friday night game after a Saturday game, so one less day of prep. They're on
the road. You right, what can go wrong?
Yeah, you can go wrong. But I think that the fact that they're gonna be underdogs, no one believes yaha, ya still doesn't believe, right, you know, that helps.
I mean that it'll be interesting to see what because that, you know, there's so many good games every week. We're talking about that. But this game is on Friday, so it's gonna get a lot of run during the week and particularly on you know, on ESPN and whatnot on Friday. Yeah, here's a game.
What is what's what's the twenty.
You know, Arizona's got an Arizona's got a a winning streak. It's gonna be the twentieth Arizona's got that's not right, the thirteenth. Arizon's got a winning streak. But big to you know, it's a it's a big twelve matchup. Even though it's not a conference game. Kansas State people think is really good. There's gonna be a lot of conversation about it. And what you want is for Arizona to go in there and show well, you know, if they win,
all the better. But as long as they go and it's a great game, maybe they lose in the fourth quarter, you're going in the fourth quarter with a chance to win. That's what you need and that's what you want. And if they do that, then then you go, Okay, you know we are where we are. Let's go to Utan, see what happens there.
They could be in the top fifteen at that time. Who knows, you know, things go well.
And depending on what happens elsewhere. Because there's said, there's a lot of a lot of there's a lot of games where you know, ranked teams against ranked teams. To me, one of the more intriguing games of this weekend is that LSU USC game because again, like Arizona, there's a lot of mixed opinion on USC and how good they're going to be in the Big Ten. There's a lot of people picking Oregon to compete in the Big Ten. There's even some who have picked Oregon to win the
Big Ten. Nobody's picking USC to win the Big Ten. But because they're USC, and for no other reason than they are us C. There's people who say they're going to be competitive in the Big ten? Are they? Are? They not? They played They opened with LSU in Vegas or neutral Field. Let's see what that looks.
Like, right right, We'll see It's gonna be fun. Those are There's like a handful of big games this weekend.
That that that Texas A and M Notre Dame game. You know, new coach at new coach at Texas and M. The guy, uh yeah, alco from from Duke is there.
He seems like he's a perfect fit there Texas.
I never from I mean from the time he was at Florida State. I did not like Jimbo Fisher. I thought he was trying to be Nick Saban but just didn't have the Nick Saban chops in what way, just trying to be that kind of uh the kingpin, you know, the the dawn of the college football kind of guy.
Him and Saban went at it because of that, like button heads.
That's what I'm saying. He kind of want It's kind of like he he was aspiring to be a Nick Saban type of persona in college football. Dude, you won a national championship, you know, and then and and part of laid that into a forty gazillion dollar contract at Texas and m and you sucked from the day you.
Got there, right yeah, and then make a tunnel.
You're not Nick Saban or anybody even close to Nick Saban and and and so yeah, so that was a that was a I mean, that just that was that went south right away right away. Yeah, And so you know, we'll see what Mike Alco does over there, you know. And then you got the the second year of the guy Notre Dame, right everybody liked last year. He's a
great story too. Yeah, so we'll see. I mean, that's a tough one because you know, if you Notre Dame, they're they're trying to carve a path for you to get into the into the playoff, but your your opportunity is a lot thinner than say and even in Arizona because Arizona knows all along. All it's got to do is win the Big twelve, and there in Notre Dame does and have a conference, and so they got to be They got to be ranked in the top twelve in the College Football Playoff rankings to get in. And
two losses probably means you're done. They might not. Yeah, and you open with Texas A and M. At Texas A and M, your margin for air may get thin after week one, so you know.
So I got an email or text from Victor uh show, Hey, Tany's bubblehead is tonight? Oh?
I saw there was alright, then there was a line down the have you written Dodger Stadium. It's it's up on it's it's up on a hill parking. To get to the parking, you got to go up this. It's all the way down the shore.
Sure. Yeah, I saw he shoved Send me a picture.
Yeah, man, I got, I got, I got a new Geeks on Saturday. I got a are you a Lakers faand you're not Lakers fan? You're not Lakers fans? I got they it was it was it was Kobe Ryant day and because it was eight twenty four. Oh yeah, So I got this T shirt with Kobe T shirt, Kobe Bryant t shirt.
Well they together or something.
Yeah, it was it was like it had a camera. I think it had a bunch of the Laker old Lakers on the front of it or something like that. I haven't even taken it out of it. It's still in my suitcase, let me put it that way. But that's what I got.
Yeah, the the d sending me a text A big race this weekend. It's the classic. Remember we were there two years ago, two years ago. Oh, that's right, and we missed. We were ahead of the classic. Yeah, but that was a great weekend with us.
We were calling, we were calling races on the show, on the show.
This was a fun time. But it was only about one hundred degrees.
On somebody that day.
Yeah, the Bucks Bucks. But it was funny. That was already two years ago when we were until more's the show. We're getting old.
Man, Yeah we are, we are. That's right. It was two years ago. Yeah. You know when when I was in San Diego last week, we were talking about how hot that weekend was, how crazy hot it was. Yeah, it was. It was the worst. It was fun, you know, and and again that was where we first saw that jet Fisher jet Fisher jet Fish had actually maybe done something. You know, they beat San Diego State and on the road.
You know, you know, you're getta think this is funny, because this is this is that whole look good, play good thing. When we got when we got into our seats and we saw Arizona in warm ups, and I saw Jade and de Laura for the first time, and I said, he looks like a quarterback, you know, just the the tape on the wrists and and the way he was wearing his shoes and his tape. And then he said, it looks like we have a quarterback. Okay,
it went well for a while. They won five games. Look, he was better.
Than what they had, no question, you know, no question. But he looked like a quarter yeah, and he and he does you know, the guy had some some U And.
Then then I remember we were sitting in the end zone. Remember those a pass that t mac cat for a touchdown and he got drilled and he was out of the game for a little while. And I thought they already killed our receiver. But it was right in front of us, and I thought past Arizona receiver at least for the last several years, don't catch that pass and
hang on to it. And I thought, there's something going on here, and there was, right, And then I had over two and a half wins and there was already one and one that was kind of unexpected, and I'm like, I'm gonna win my money and they did.
Ye.
I had that pretty quickly.
That one time, that one time, at one time at band camp.
So uh, you know, so you know that that was that was, you know, a good start, a good start after you know, the difficulty of the year before, and you felt pretty good leaving the stadium that that day as an Arizona fan. Of course, people are passing out all over.
The place, right that was called Tuesday for them.
I know. But it was a different kind of heat over there, Steed, it really, it was a very different kind of heat. That was a mugginess.
That was the day they broke right into my drive back with the western window. I just hell with it. I'm not going to stay this down anymore. Drove back at two in the morning in the heat.
It was it was fun.
It was fun. Okay, Yeah, that was my trouble that day. So we'll see what happens here. I don't think many. I put out an alert home on Facebook if I'm any of my guys are going to come back from Albuquerque to see the game. But no one gives a crap already they should have never lost that game. The fans pair of Albuquerque is already. You know, what the hell Mendon Hall's first year, it's gonna be a nice rebuild. It's gonna have the big rebuild. And Arizona's a defensive guy.
Gonzales is now here, is here, so you know there's that.
Yeah. To me, it's it's about what this looks like. One one thing that you don't want to see is a lot of disorganization right in play calling and guys running the hunt and off the field, like like these guys know what you do? Because if I recall and then maybe I'm making it up because I hated it so much. I just recall watching the sidelines Kevin Someone's first game, thinking they're a mess.
Yeah no, that that's that's they're a mess. And they proved to be a mess. Yeah No, it was just a different situation. You never got the sense in someone's time that they cared. Yeah, even though my booster, my friend Brewster who or boosters said he just has no just like no no caring. The check was still going to cash. It didn't matter, and it finally mattered at the end when they said goodbye, you know, for whatever reason. No.
And then so that's one of the things, you know, you know, do things seem in order? Do they know what they're doing? Are they getting you know, they're getting uh delay of games because they're not getting plays in well, was a signal calling technology? Yeah, the the headset technology.
Are they using that? Uh? Just just and then just kind of you know, when when guys walk on the field, are they do do they have a kind of a stride or a you know, a bounce in their step that says, you know what, guys were pretty good and you know you got no shot, which is what you know, you want to see guys who look and feel like that. And and and then they if they just kind of if they do whatever they want to do anytime they want to do it against a team that they should
be able to do that against. Uh, you know, and I think it's uh, that's what you look for. On top of winning the game without a lot of trouble.
Right right, Yeah, we'll see. We'll see what happens, right and then what it was a thirty point to favorite and a half. I can't remember last time, or maybe maybe it was you when they're in thirty point favorite. I don't know, because they they hadn't been favorite support.
They weren't the favored by thirty points anytime before last year, if they were even last I don't think even last year, they would have been favored by that much any game last year. So yeah, I don't know, but uh, you know again, it's it's time to show it. So we'll see, all right. So I think we're at a break when.
We're gonna you know already, Okay, Dave Cosgrove in here right, Well, we probably not after the break three forty five.
A couple of minutes after the break, we'll come back. But Dave Cosgrove well joined us about three forty five. So you want to hear about Dave and how he's going to win another national championships. Stick around for that.
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 Loudolsen 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. What one email me at Steve dot RIVERA ninety five at gmail dot com.
Hi, this is formal while get lemanhneally with Arizona Hell. Imagine how home GM can change your health, your comfort, in your time. Arizona Health is everything you need to transform your personal space in your life. We off a complete line of cardio machines, multi gyms 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 aid 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 Pima dot Edu.
Slash Someday Steve Rivera and Jacob Salex they have their Eye on the Book on Tucson's sports station SAT Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to Eye in the Ball here at Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve, You're Jay, and he's Andrey. You got eighteen minutes, just maybe no calls so we don't get it all missed up unless you want to do it for no No.
Listen wells right now, Dave.
Right. I don't want to run laps. Dave makes people run.
Laps, still trying to call when it was the last lap that you were in. Oh dude, I mean literally had somebody say okay, go run go to that lap. High school forty two years ago. Yeah, high school forty.
Two forty two. Yeah, yeah, no, baseball, baseball practice, baseball practice.
Yeah, those were and those were health I don't play the pe classes in college. It might have been there, but I don't actually no.
No, So let me ask you, because you coached, and I played it for a long time and I coached a little. So so did you have to run? Did you play and you played ball baseball and you ran laps?
Yeah?
What was the purpose?
I always thought it was just too you know, be in shape, you know, be conditioned.
Okay, you know, and I get that if you didn't run a lot, you know, we had to run a lot because that was our discipline. You know, whatever, run, But you know how you can become a better baseball player?
You catch you you play ball? Yeah, you play ball?
You practice? Yeah, So what the hell is running crappy?
I don't know, but you know I made I made our guys run. We ran, Paul, Well, you also sometimes it was for discipline.
Wait a second, you also beat at the danjor league play didn't better major league player as a coach. That tells me that your coaching ability shaky.
Wow, you throw that out of you. I don't even know if you remember that you know, I know.
You play, you play get better by playing.
I knew. I knew in football and basketball you had to do that for conditioning. But baseball, yeah, because you just wanted guys to, you know, have have endurance and you know you get to the seventh inning and you're not tired and things like that. That's how I thought of it.
Sure, sure, but do you remember that the bases are ninety feet but not low. You're not going to run miles and stuffing that you get to run and keep them in shape. Blah blah blah. But I don't get that running.
St Well, Well, one thing that we would do, uh, guys that make them run bases and time then yes, but make them do a bunch of them right and and and try and you know, not lose time as you get. Sure you go to be able to run close to the same time every time.
Sure, sure, and see see if they're able to steal bases or that guy you're trying to figure out, you know, who's your best base steeler stuff like that. But I didn't get that running. Remember he probably looked good.
He probably looked good. Well, you know again, I remember I think it was a soccer class that I had pe class in high school that I had. For some reason, they made us run off campus this one time.
No one came back.
Well, no, we ran. We ran kind of close to my house, so mean another guy. We peeled off and went and hung out of my house. So they came back the other way until we got back in line.
You remember that, uh October to that.
Yeah, we did that once. And because I didn't understand why we had to run that far for soccer. For a soccer pe e class, soccer you need to, but for a pea class. It wasn't for a soccer team. It was not for a peel Yes, you know we we when I was in eighth grade, we had we didn't have a track at our eighth grade h at my middle in my junior high school, but we had We had to run around the entire you know, school
yard right, not including the building. We used to call it a scenic because you saw the you saw everything around the school. We called it said, okay, run three scenics, and each one I thought we were told it was like a half a mile. It was pretty far. And if you had to run three scenics, you felt you were running a mind.
So how long did you see in the house before you cut up? They cut up to fifteen minutes? Ok, cut a little.
It was stupid. It was a stupid risk for fifteen minut it break right. We did it not because we didn't want to run. We did it to see if we could do that and not get caught, which I did a lot of that as a as a high school Kuld. I just did stuff for the sake of of doing it, to see if we can pull it off.
Yeah, that's why kids do their things that they do. Let's see if mom and dad could catch us, and if they did a little crap.
Exactly and two. And the problem was that all too often I didn't get caught, so I kept doing stuff.
Henry, you're not this guy a kid, are you? You wouldn't mess up? And just so you can pull your parents.
That you need just cond it. It was a different day, Steve. It was a different day.
Kids today still do it.
You know, No, man, they're hanging out playing video games. They're not out there ringing doorbells and running. You're throwing throwing soap SuDS into into water fountains and things, not drinking right, you know, sucking sprinkler sucking water out of sprinkler heads. You did that, right, kids?
Yeah? Kids, Well that's that's that's kind of fun. For that was fun back in the day.
You know. Don't go back until the elementary school that was behind our house where we had we hung out, right, it was a it was an interesting building. It was. It was a square building, but like with a courtyard in the center, so basically it looked like a big like a big o, but square. We hused to put our bikes up there and and have races around on the roof around the top of the building because we could.
Yeah.
So anyway, that's another thing that my mom never knew about.
Yeah, well you didn't get in trouble, so fun. We didn't a couple of things, but not that I'm aware. Fine, exactly exactly, and yeah, yeah, okay, we're expecting a call from cos Grove any moment. Now. There they were they were better tournament last year, right, Yeah, yeah, there as a host too, but it's been a couple of rough and I'm asking them about that because I'm close to him anywhere he comes, right, you know, is this Dave?
Hey, how theyre going?
Hey, Dave Cosgrove. I don't know if do you know you're the soccer coach and how are you?
That's been the rumor for about twenty seven years.
Yes, you you twenty seven years Does it feel much differently than seventeen years ago, twenty years ago?
You know, it doesn't really. I mean we do things. I think we do things a lot better because I'm just I think older and more more mature. Yeah, I think it's more about me than it is about the players of the school.
And what have you learned about the kids they want to be coached more now or or what's the difference.
You know, it's hard to generalize. I think individual kids are all different, and like the group we have this year, they're they're very they're very dedicated. They like the challenge. You know, we've had groups a couple of years ago or ten years ago that didn't like that, but this is one of those groups that really I think has big goals for themselves and want to be pushed.
We were having a conversation minutego Dave about running laps? Okay, okay, for your conditioning over time? What have you learned about conditioning?
Right?
Do you make guys run laps? Do they run sprints? Do they do some of both? Because you know, Steve and I were trying to remember the last time we ran a lap, but we couldn't remember when that would have been. But you do that, I'm sure for condition. But what's the purpose and how do you do it? And what do you know about it that maybe you didn't know several years ago.
Well, there's a lot more science to all that now than there used to be. There's a ton of information and unfortunate enough that I've worked with people who now have moved on and working at MLS and other places that provide really good information. But generally, the long running the laps, nobody does anymore. It's more short distance, you know, sprinting, especially for our sport. You know, we don't. We don't do a whole lot of two mile runs or anything
like that. And the one thing I've learned is to moderate to get in and fit, you know, to not just jump in with both feet one hundred miles an hour, but over the course of a month two months, to gradually increase the workload, so you know, we don't overwhelm them in the first two weeks like I used to.
Makes perfect sense, yes, yes, So let let's talk about this year's team compared to them, not compared to you. But let's get talk about the program.
First.
You've done very well recently, a national championship or two, right, How has that affected this this past? Not this past? How has your past affected your future?
Well, I think there's a you know, over the last decade, this is a total different expectation, you know, whether that comes from myself, for the players, or honestly the school. You know, I think everybody just affects us that we're going to be one of the top five teams in the country in a challenge for our national championship, which is great. I mean, we put that pressure on ourselves by being so good and win a couple of national championships. But you know, I think people just jump to the
conclusion that's gonna happen, and it doesn't. You know, it's a lot more work than people see and think. There's a lot a lot of time and effort from my coaching staff, from the support staff, from the school to make this thing happen year after year after year. So yeah, again, people just pick up the paper and sew, we'll ranked number five in the country. Of course Beeman's there all the time. But it's not that simple, yeah, is it?
I don't know. I guess is there pressure, I mean actual pressure where? And if there is, where does it come from? Is do you guys just put it on yourselves? Can it come or does it come from outside?
I think there's a little you know, I'll be honest, that's a little pressure from the school. Uh. You know, we've been one of the you know, top programs at the campus for you know, close to two decades, and you know, I think they feel like every year PEMA men's soccer should compete for titles. So there's a little bit of pressure. But I think, mostly, honestly, it's internally.
I think the team. When I recruit the players, I tell him, you know, you know, we have kids who could play at any of the junior college and play a lot of minutes, who may not even get on our travel roster, you know, because of the expectations and the excellence we have within the program. So I think we put a lot on ourselves.
And I know I.
Certainly, you know, feel the pressure every year to put a good product on the field.
Yeah, I remember talking to Dave. I don't know, twenty years ago, probably they had beaten yav A Pie. They they had crossed that obstacle. Finally they had done it more consistently, and he had crossed that Right now he was trying to become a better program, and now he became a national championship. You kind of created your own beast, you'd like, Mike Candrea and where you created this beast, now you have to feed it.
Well, you know, I'll of course say that the fact that my name is mentioned in the same Andrea is maybe the greatest compliment I've ever had, So I appreciate that. I'd like to think we're there, but I'm honest enough to know that we're not at that level, and especially with the amount of time over the years he did it that he was so good. But uh, yeah, we
certainly have. But you know, I much rather be where the expectations are high and you know, we are chasing a national championship than where we were in the first ten years, where you know, we were finishing the year frustrated and almost they're almost you know, accomplished our goals but never quite got over the home. So it's a different set of expectations. But I'd much rather have these than what what we were dealing with when we were first starting the program.
So let me ask you as a as a junior college program. So guys, you know coming and going every couple of years, does your team change, uh from year to year year to year a little bit a lot dramatically in terms of how you play or you know what you've got, or are you coaching to your style so that you kind of have the same kinds of players all the time.
Yeah, what a great question, and I'm not sure I can answer it quickly or you know, succinctly. But leafar, I was only having kids for two years. It changes quite a bit. You know, last year we were really young. This year we have a lot of second year players. So next year we're going to look completely different. We'll try to recruit the same quality players, and we'll try to recruit the same type of players that we have
this year. But you know, the reality is, I don't think we're going to be able to find the amount of quality that we have this year next year. So you know, I think the job I have to do is going to be a completely different job next year versus the job I'm doing right now.
The fact that you guys had played here I think the last two years, right for the national national Tournament? Is that right? Last two years?
Yeah?
That's correct?
Did that? Did that? I don't know? Was that an obstacle too, because there was more pressure on you guys to do well?
Yeah?
You know, I mean I think the right answer would be like, no, of course not. You know, we could go out and do the job. But but I did feel more pressure, and honestly, I feel like I let the school and the city down by not doing as well as we have in the past at the national tournament. I know a lot of people put a lot of time and work into it, and we didn't perform as well as I expected us to. So you know, uh, you know, I think there were some distractions playing at home,
and I'm not using that as excuse. I'm just probably use it more as I think. I don't did. I don't think I did a good job coaching them in the situation at playing at home.
No, I didn't realize that you have a lot of returners back, so you'll expectations right here. You are your number five in the country. Is that right? You said that? What what are the expectations for this year, what do you hope.
Well, you know, over the last decade, the expectations pretty much become the same. We start small. Why we want to be one of the best teams or the best team in our conference, which isn't easy. You know, we got a couple other nationally ranked teams in our conference. But you know, then we talk about if we can win that, then we want to progress to the regional and the national level. But ultimately, you know, we think
we have a good group. If the coaches do a good job and the kids keep working hard, I think we can be in the mix at the end for sure.
Yeah. So, so now you don't have the tournament here this year, So does that change things for your mindset going into the season, Not so.
Much, as you know, I think, you know, if we do make it, if we're fortunate enough to make it, I think are will be our tenth out of the last eleven years.
You know.
When we travel, you know, it's nice you can kind of seclude the kids. They're in the hotel, they're with us, you know, twenty four to seven, and honestly, it's pretty much soccer, study tables and sleep, you know, and you know, sometimes that's just the best thing to do to focus to kids and get them ready to play.
So, how many starters you have coming back? Both?
So we have eight of our starters, including two All Americans, four of our top five goal scorers are coming back, and then I think four of our top seven reserves are coming back as well.
Well. So okay, that sounds like a national championship to me, Steve, I don't know about you, No pressure, don't worry about that.
Thanks, guys, I thought we were talking about.
So, how do you guys keep these how do you? Dave and I obviously known day forever he's catched my kids. Uh, you got to keep them motivated, and we talk about this with you way football. Sometimes the lofty expectations become burdens. How do you keep your guys motivated or or how to keep them ground ground is good work.
Yeah, both both are good questions, you know. Uh, in terms of their motivation, I think the entire team and one of the reasons I think they all came back is they wanted to play with each other and improve on what we did last year. We actually had a really good regular season. You know, we finished number three in the country. But when we got to the postseason, we didn't perform well, and I think that leaves a
bad taste in their mouths. And I certainly don't feel good about the way our season ended, and I think I I if I had to look at my own performance, I would I'm not very happy with how I performed in the postseason. So, you know, to keep the focus is very easy.
You know.
We we gotta get to the postseason and do a lot better than we did last year.
Okay, real quick, Dave, we just have about a minute. Would you played this weekend? What's the situation.
Yeah, we both the men and the women programs host Paradise Valley Saturday evening, so us you know, obviously the home opener for UFA football as well. But we're out at the West Campus at six and eight.
Okay, Thanks Dave, Dave, thanks a bunch, best of luck.
We'll talk again.
Thanks so much, guys. I appreciate all the support.
Well, thank you, Dave Cosgrove. He's won a ton of games last.
Year, and you know what, it's interesting to hear. Yeah, I get he's not satisfied with what they did last year, but you know what, he's still a really good coach and it's still a really good program.
Yeah.
Maybe they didn't get where they were going to get, but they shouldn't be, you know, apologizing for anything, right.
And let me say this, I don't know very I know a lot of coaches. I know they have egos and stuff like that. There are a few guys more intense than Dave Costgrove.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, you talked about running by sense of PA. You found out it's not that important, but you run. It's like crazy who we played for you, We were born too. I just remember having to run.
I remember my first my first freshman football practice, and how much we had to run that day.
Yeah.
I'm like, there was no ramping up and you still remember, Yeah, I do remember. There was no ramping up that day. I'm like, look, and I don't know. Maybe part of it was they were trying to separate those who were in and those who were just kind of.
Great point, because you're probably right, yeah, yeah.
And there were some guys who didn't show up the second handle it.
You can handle. If you can't, well you shouldn't be here, right.
All right, we're at the top of the hour. We're gonna take a break, Henry's gonna be back with breaking news, and then we've got Desiree Reid Francois, the athletic director at Arizona, in the second segment in the next hour, so be sure to stick around for that