Streaming live on the I Heart Radio whim. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifth day. They welcome back to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve p J. Now we have Jason with breaking news. I on the Ball Breaking news. Arizona Swimming and Dive team has hired Chadiker. Still love to
complete their coaching style. I thought that he was the he was the good grad assistant or something that he was out volunteer, former south Point, former south Point swimming coach. All right, so in house kind of all right, so they've kind of worked over their coaching. Gotta get back to what it used to people believe or I remember they had. I think that, remember they were part of the investigation that they're remember a year or so.
So all right, okay, Arizona Wallcats, Philippe or reaching in Burrow each and in Yep, Kyl and Boswell have both moved on to the quarterfinals of EBO U nineteen World Cup today. I was looking up the stats on that. UM. First of all, they can play each other, is that soon if they win their next game. UM, semis or something that. Yeah, USA plays Japan, it's quarterfinals and France plays Serbia and if they
if if Serbia and USA win, they'll play each other. They play well, it says tomorrow, so I'm guessing it's you know, early in the morning our time, uh, you know, Friday morning for US and then you know they're playing every day. So um, but France, France and Serbia, USA Japan in that side of the bracket to get to the semifinal. Okay, but uh Borovich and had twenty six points yesterday, so he kind of went off eleven to fifteen shooting. I think he's gonna be that
capable man I've seen. I've seen him a couple of times. It's just he looked he looked, Um, you look, he's not your guy because he doesn't look good coming off the bus, because because that's what it's important to you. He's my guy because he looks like, who's this dude, you know, like Pete by Richard this solve. He said, God, that guy's good. That's how he looked to me. He was pretty good.
I'll take that Steed because they we've talked about it before. So I'm not former Arizona quarterback Lil Tate is back in the CFL with the Edmund Eskimos right would actually the Elks they change that, But yeah, we had that, we had him, We had that yesterday week. A little conversation about Khalil and all that stuff yesterday. But yeah, he's back with Edmund Tinsel. We'll see, we'll see how that pans out for him. Hopefully it
does. Okay, some national news we talked about this earlier, about the handful of NFL players, including Colts cornerback and kick returner. I said Rodgers are expected to receive season long suspicions this week for a legisly gambling. So some more players, you know, not fall on the rules. Yeah, you don't know what they know what the rules are. And actually I think the guy from the Colt he's actually come on, that was my fault. I was stupid. Yeah, you know he's he's actually had had a public
uh, had a public comment on that that he's uh. Um, uh, it's fault. You shouldn't have done it. Yeah, yeah, definitely so um. The nfl PA announced loyld Howell as its newest executive director, are replacing Derry's um DA Murray Smith Smith Smith Yep, I'll stay. His term expires in twenty twenty four. Oh, I hadn't seen that one coming. Yeah, I've got dictor. Mary's did a good job, right,
didn't they. I mean there were some issues, but there always are, you know when you're talking about a union, right, yeah, yeah, okay, yeah. The new collective Bargain Agreement has been signed and shared with the thirty NBA teams um. In the letter to the players, the NBPA announced that the CBA or provide a projected twenty fifty million collective increasing salary benefits for next season and a new TV deal blooming in twenty twenty five and other
revenue streams UM. So they hope that they might earn up toward a fifty billion salaries and benefits over the seven year term. Jesus, that's a lot of money. Yeah, it's it's like, it's not even real money, is it. I don't know, but let me touch that. I just get a whiff of it. It's pretty funny, okay. The Patriots um signed wide receiver DeVante Parker to a new three year, three year deal worth up to thirty three million dollars DeVante Parker. Where's where's he been? Um?
He's been with that, he's been. I mean, they's got a contract extension, so I think him and Juju Smith, Shoester Conn probably be there one in two our receivers for them, So we'll see how that goes. Speaking of wide receiver, did you see that Antonio Brown is now being sued by the players on his indoor football team because players got their game check put in their bank accounts and then Antonio Brown had the money pulled back.
So these guys thought the money was in their accounts and they go look at their accounts and he was gone, and then they filed they filed a class action lawsuit against him. Yeah, right, that's all right. I mean that's Antonio Brown, That's who he is. Yet. Um, the Chicago Bulls center, the COLO is finalizing a three year, sixty million contract extension. Is handy good. Um, he's a solid center. He's good for what he is. I don't know if he's worth this amount of money,
but he's good for what he years. Is it good from USC? Right? I think so? I believe so? Yeah. Um, I mean their team as a whole isn't really getting any better with this move, but I guess they're kind of just satisfied for what they with what they have. Did she somebody throughout that the Suns should go after Derek Rose? Yeah, they said yeah, which makes zero sense. If if you're gonna do that, just keep Chris Paul I was. I was surprised that he's still in
the league. Yeah, and heard much about he's he's he's up there. Yeah, um so, but I have a guy who might the Sons might want to go after. Um they remember Wolves are declining to guarantee Torren Prince at seven point four mailing dollars contract in the twenty twenty twenty twenty fourth season. I'm torring Prince. He averaged about like ten point flast season, which he's a good defender, um, good size wing player, so or what the Sons could get him for a cheap deal. You kind of just asked
him death for what she really needs. Is he a starter? No, he's not started, definitely not started, but he's a good like death piece. Which so would you put money on them to win it all next year? The Suns? Yeah not right now? No, I wouldn't either. Do you think how here's a question for both of you. So do you think there's two two questions? Do you think DeAndre Aine's gonna start the season with him? Yeah? But from what I do now seeing yeah, I
do. Do you think that he's gonna end the season with him? I do now I don't think I still don't you think he's still got I think he's gonna first question, Yes, he'll start there. I think Frank is gonna want to see how he does feel and everything, and they kind of just see how it goes and he might get moved. Yeah. I think so too. Yeah, I think so too. Um Myles Bridges, PJ Washington and feel um mal maldon um making are becoming a secret free agents.
Um Bridges has ten games left in his thirty games suspension after pleading no contest to a fellowing domestic volunce charge in November. Um So the Corners is still looking to possibly keep him up having the season all right, and that is all the bricking it out? Well, Uh, Parry Francona, I think we need to come of course, very much so. Having some health issues. Um and sixty four three, Yeah, sixty three. I think it's my age. I had to leave the game yesterday, he got lightheaded.
I spent the night in the hospital. They say he's home, but he's not traveling. He's not traveling with the team. They hit the road, so he's uh, um, you know again, you know, he's got a history of stuff. He had gas from Tesla problems. He's got the issue with his toe right. Um that he thought was it was partty well getting fixed. But he's uh, you know, he's ever takes some some time off, relatively young. He was a great guest, remember that we
had him. You know, he's been great. We had him a couple of times and he's been great to us. So, you know, wishing all the best too, uh to Tito. So hopefully he gets he gets better and everything's okay. So right, and then I have one said, you, Henderson is now going to be playing in Cleveland, I think for their G league, for their gd He he was going somewhere their their summer league, so some of somebody he was he was going somewhere else. I
think that the Clippers. I have to go back and see. But now it was going to be going to Cleveland a better opportunity. Uh that he said, Um, all right, going going to going going over to your state, Steve New Mexico State. Do you see that? I saw that their lawsuit with two players who would who had alleged some hazy and sexual assault at the lawsuity Mexico State. One of the players got four point one million and the other one got three point nine Really really, because I hadn't seen
that yesterday. They must have just come up with the numbers today. Jeff Grammer, who you know were covering that, tweeted that that Duce Benjamin got four point one two five million and shakiroud o'doon Novu got three point Well, you know I've told you this already. Well, you know one of the guys involved in that uh former Arizona Yeah Bacon, Yeah, kim making, kim making. Uh. Just a just a crazy situation over there. I
don't think those two have landed anywhere. They were obviously transfer portal guys. Uh now, I don't know, I don't know that they need to. Yeah. Well, um, but but a bunch of Division one more Division one console stuff, so um there the again, these are proposals the NCAA D one console. They're proposing reducing the transfer portal window from sixty to thirty
days for each sport. Um. You know, I don't know when they would fall, you know, but to cut it in half again, the madness of the of the of the transfer portal, you know, is crazy.
Um, they're gonna let They're gonna let um the various oversight committees for men's basketball, women's basketball, and football to kind of manage their own rules for their championships and stuff like that and for their for their sports so that you don't have to come up with rules that kind of fit everybody, which kind of makes a lot of sense as long as there's some you know, some common sense to to all of that. And then um, this one
which is which is interesting. He'll be interesting to see what uh um, what comes to this. There have been certain requirements, one of them being, uh, game attendance for you to go from FCS to FBS in football, and so they've taken away the attendance requirement. But but they and they've specified the financial requirements. It's all about, you know, do you have
are giving enough scholarships? Is it enough money? Um? But you know, before I could like if you were getting twenty thousand people in a game, you couldn't go FBS. You had to you had up that there there are two guys. I was just thinking as I went to the cafeteria, two guys. I think we should get on the show later in July before
the football seasons are. Uh, let's get ahold Don Brown just because he's a cool dude and see just how is he doing up in because a lot of dudes left and then the rich rod again because they're gonna go d one. He's d one. He's moving towards do you want Jacksonville State? Do you won this year? You know what he says about that? I want to say Conference USA, Like yeah, I don't know, I don't remember, but yeah, he's you know, he's moving up to the Division Division
one level. Yeah, so let's maybe see check them down because Don Brown was a great interview. Scruffy guy, you know, but put a little good interview. How's he doing back up at his at his own town, his own state. He's up there? Um Conference of champions dude, they won Pack twelve won the most team championships with nine nine. So you get a hold of a bill Bill, Well, you saw the the Sears clupper.
I don't want the heck they call it now the Sears Cup. People in Stafford, Yeah, Director's Cup directors, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I saw tweet Stafford wins it again. Use um eighteen straight years that that the Pac twelve has had the most NA team. Tell me the championships, mister Gonzales. I'm joking, of course, because football, right, No basketball, no right, women's women's basketball no right. So you're talking about stuff that, uh that that people the Olympics parts. Yes, that's that's
the best way to put it, and no slide on that. It's such a party. But but you gotta be realistic, son, be realistic. It's like when you're you're giving me the finger, not figure, but you're pointing to me. When Pastor was talking about blue Blood, I'm surprised we didn't jump into that. We should have at some point, you should. I thought you were gonna ask him, but we gotta. I wasn't. I wasn't. I was gonna let it go. But did we got the
call from Princeton. I was definitely gonna gonna let that go. Hey, Um, the Sugar Skulls can clinch a playoffs spot this week. They win and they're in the playoffs for sure, But uh, oh look, here it is. Here's one that just just came across because we had talked about this last week. Xavier Jackson one of the assistant coaches that UH for the Sugar Skulls and he was up for for the Inner Football League Hall of Fame. He was voted into the Hall of Fame. Xavie Jackson, Jeff,
He's did one of the he's a co defensive coordinator. He's been a coach with them pretty much the whole time. Good dude, really, good dude. Um uh, just you know one of those happy goal looking see just one of those guys. Was always got a smile on his face, always joking around. I see him on the field for every game and he's fun to talk to you. And yeah, he's he's been named to the twenty twenty three UH Indoor Football League Hall of Fame class. So good for him.
You gotta get him on the show. So did you see here Steve Kerr talk about the trade from Pool. He finally admitted to what everybody else do. They just needed a reboot. Yeah, it wasn't about talent and just needed Yeah. Yeah, but how could you how can you get along with when people fighting, especially they're even getting over it. Yeah, the trust has already been good. I mean that had to have put a cloud over the locker room for the whole year, for the whole year. Right,
those things don't go away. No, those things do not go away at all. Okay, all right, um, let's uh, let's check our break when to come back when very well, we're gonna be having an nil conversation with the guy in the middle of nil at Arizona, so we'll
be right back. For more than twenty years, the Window Depot has provided the best price and the biggest inventory on in stock vinyl windows, and now the Window Depot is more than a window store, offering homeowners and contractors a one stop warehouse offering interior and exterior doors, granted in quarts, countertops,
in stock cabinetry, and skylights to finish your project. Their team of professionals will help with everything from free kitchen design to custom orders from leading manufacturers like mill Guard and Gelwyn. Order online or find a location near you at the Window Deepot dot com. Where do you buy exercise equipment? Arizona Health Arizona Health, Arizona Health. Of course, to feel better and look better, It makes sense to buy your fitness equipment from the people who know it better
than anyone else. At Arizona Health, our goal is to help you choose the equipment you need to reach your goals. Your health and fitness deserve the best you deserve. Arizona Health leading niche and exercise. The quickment on twenty seconds just west of willnot. If you think now is not a good time to buy a refinance at home, think again. Interest rates are at all time lows on most loan programs, and Paul Volpi of Nova Home Loans is
ready to help you find the option that best fits your needs. If you're looking for your dream home or want to get cash out to refinance on a current home, visit volpeteam dot com. That's volpeteam dot com. I'll call five six two six today. It's a new year and time to give a Creative Award to your student athletes winter and spring awards seasons, as well as for grade school, middle school and high school athletes. Scholastic awards for those
academic students just in time to recognize all their achievements. Visit Creative Awards online at Creative Awards az dot com or visit their Idea studio at two twenty eight West Drachmann Street, intusun It's also time to get your creative promotional products for the upcoming conventions. Giveaways to promote your company and get your employee's new apparel to look sharp representing you and your company comes See Creative Awards to twenty eight
West Drachman Street or online at Creative Awards az dot com. Did you know sports cards that memorabilia are setting record sales last month of nineteen fifty two, Tops Mickey Mantle sold for twelve point six million, Lebron James Rookie sold for five points six Also, collecting cards is a family fund hobby that can be very profitable. If you want to start a collection or expand your collection, check out Showtime Cards. They are one of the leading card shops in the
country and have served our local community for twenty five years. They are located on e Speedway. That's Showtime Cards, neck pain, back paint, car accident, headaches, sports injury Burnella's Chiropractic's goal is to help our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle, combining chiropractic care with physical medicine modalities. Therapeutic procedures and massage therapy not only reduced paint, but helps the body heal itself as well
provide other health benefits or Neellus Chiropractic. We use a natural approach to improve an individual's health and well be. Don't suffer any longer or Neellius Chiropractic. Today, it's that time of year, Summer in Tucson. Time to take control with temperature control for all your air conditioning needs. We'll keep you cool during all the hot streaks. All you have to do is stay in control with temperature control where we handle everything you need with prompt response, affordable pricing,
and sound solutions. We also excel in plumbing and electrical work. We handle everything you need. Give us a call at five two o eight one five five six six five or visit our website at tempskn dot com and remember, stay in control with temperature control. Need concrete hard works Concrete has it. We have more than twenty five years of experience with all things concrete. Installing sidewalks and patio floors are our specialty and handle masonry work and retaining laws.
We're locally and family owned. Just let us know what you need, how you want it, and we'll take care of it. Leave the hard work up to us. We're hard Works Concrete. Call us at five one two nine six two five six six zero or visit our website hard works Concrete dot com. We'll put the work in for you. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeart Radio app just Surgery I on the Ball.
They welcome back to Welcome back to Turing the Ball. Here a Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. He's Jagon's awesome. Now on the phone, we have Ray Wells from friends of Wilbur and Wilma. Ray, how are you doing. Oh, I'm doing great. How are you guys doing today? We're doing good. We want to reminder you're up there. We have three mind a lot of guys who say stuff, good, good, have you on the show? Oh hey, thanks for having me?
Okay, Ray, So we've got a lot of questions, but you know, you're you're in the middle of the day, the middle of the nil stuff, and I think for a lot of people it's still some of it's still a mystery to some folks, But you know, there's a lot going on where there. It's it's you know, some people think it's a mess, other people think you know, everybody's trying to figure it out. Just don't know what's your how what's your approach to all the stuff that's going on
with NIL, and how do you operate within all of that. So I think for me, the biggest thing is our collective. You're in Tucson, um. What we wanted to do is be able to build a collective that
impacted the players but also impacted to the Tuson community. So what our players do and how we do that is are all of our player engagements are out in the community working with local nonprofits and charities to be able to impact the community in a positive way and hopefully in turn, the community comes back and supports the players, whether you know coming to games, being ted and ticket holders. And that's basically what we try to do in terms of what are
collective with Friends of Wilburg Glomo. So is it one big pool. Let's say I'm an athlete with u A and I get Sparkle. I happened to go in Sparkle Cleaners, I say, I love you guys, is hey, we'll sponsor you, Steve. Where does that money go? Does it go to me directly or is it in the pool of for other guys too. So we have two bake So Blueprint Sports, which is our parent company, which runs the collective which funds Friends and Wilma. We have a for
profit side of the business where we do a lot of sponsorship deals. So something like that with Sparco Cleaners would be a sponsorship if someone wants to do attack deductible gift, that goes on to our foundation side. And yes, that would be something that requires a requires charitable hours to be done and completed
in order to receive some type of compensation. Got it okay? Because this whole issue came out about you know, and again another confusing issue to me about the I R. S ruling that you know, nil collectives cannot be you know, or donations to nils cannot and our collectives cannot be tax deductible. Tell me what that meant in the context that what that meant to you guys. So our collective, so Friends of Wilburn and Wilma, is actually
not a five or one C three okay, it is a collective. It is an nil collective that is basically run by a company, and so that's why we have a different take on all of those things. That IRS letter didn't affect us in some ways and directly indirectly it affected us because we have others around us that the rumor mill basically starts, so we have to do a lot of cleanup. We don't have any issues with the IRS because our foundation, the BPS Foundation, which is one of our parent companies, does
all of our engagements. Everything runs through them. So anytime a student athlete for Friends of Wilbur and Wilma is out in the committee doing an engagement, they are doing that on behalf of the foundation. We don't just someone give us money and then we funnel and give it to a student athlete. It
all goes to one pots. Donors can't designate, so that we kind of don't have issues with that memo where you had some people saying, oh, we're given to A five or one C three, Where basically you had someone saying, oh, may give a hundred thousand dollars and then turn around and give it to a student athlete. We don't operate that way. It is. It is absolutely quick pro quo. You have to do work in order to be able to receive funds from our foundation, and those and those those
works have to be through a charitable organization. And that's been the issue, right because you know all all the stuff that you hear, and how much how much of it is real noise, and how much of it is as you say, rumor where you know they're saying. So many of the of the collectives have become not what this is supposed to be, that they become just Okay, we've got a pot of money. We're gonna give you some just so you can come to our school, do you is I mean,
is that what's going on out there? And in some places I can't speak on it with personal knowledge that I say, yes, I know for sure it's going on. If we're speaking in a general term, I'm pretty sure there are some collectives out there that that kind of fall under that where they've basically been using it as a paper play scheme. But I do feel that most schools and most conferences do a really good job of making sure that there
are compliance that we are in compliance with NCAA. We like Friends of Open Wilma. I meet weekly with Arizona Athletics, with the compliance department, with the administration, the football staff, so we are all in the same page to make sure we're following the rules and we're doing things the right way. I would say that that is probably ninety percent of the collectives across the country
are doing this the way they're supposed to. And then you're going to have those that want to be able to push the rules because there is some gray area and the NCAA has admitted that there's a little bit of gray area and how you operate, So you have someone that's probably pushing the rules to the absolute limit in that gray area. So we've had an Arizona assist on this a couple of times. Their specific to men's basketball. Are you everything else?
Yes, we are. We are everything else at the moment. So we are doing baseball, soccer, women's basketball, football. But I'm going to give you a little bit of a sneak peak. We are we are going to actually rebrand and the football collect the football program that's going to have
their own collective becoming very very soon. It will still be under the umbrella friends of Wilbur and Wilma, but we feel like football needs something that is various, football centric, and then we will have all the Olympic sports basically house, I'm the friends of Wilburn Wilma. Well, we like those sneak peaks you much. We do appreciate that. So okay, so let me let me get get very basic with you. So what are you mentioned the
two ways that athletes can can benefit from this. There's the for profit side and then the nonprofit side. So explain to me how that would work. Let's say, let's say you come to me and say, okay, I've got fifty thousand dollars that I want to contribute to this. Where does my fifty thousand dollars go and how does it get into the hands of an athlete? So the first question I would ask you is what type of impact do you want to have? Are you trying to support a specific student athlete?
And if that was the case, I'd say, hey, we're going to do a for profit deal, which means you're not going to be able to receive any tax deduction, but you're going to have an athlete, say, be an ambassador for your business. So they're they're gonna make appearances at your business. They're going to sign autographs for your business, maybe signs football, do photo sessions. They're basically going to be an ambassador for your business.
And that's how they would be able to be compensated. If you say, hey, Ray, I really want to I really want to task deduction. I just want to make sure that I'm supporting the program overall. How can I do that? I would say, Hey, if you want to make a tax deductable gift, you're going to give this to the BPS Foundation. We are going to use this in our overall mission to support charities and two
signs with our students. And so how that would work is if you say, hey, Ray, I really love I want to help the Boys and Girls Club. That was one chariot that's near and dear to my heart. We would what we would do is we would call the Boys and Growth Club and say, hey, we have a donor that really wants to support inn I L but they also have the Boys and Growth Club. How can we partner together using the student athletes and their name, image and likeness and their
profiles to be able to benefit the Boys and Growth Club. And so the Boys and Growth Club like a couple of weeks ago they had a fundraiser. We would show up with players there to be able to find autographs, take pictures, possibly speak either go to the local clubs. I think there are twenty local clubs in southern Arizona. We would just have athletes go to local clubs and be able to engage with those boys and girls that are in those clubs. And so that's how we would work. Both sides of that,
they're a little bit different. One side you're basically using someone as a marketing marketing tool, and then the other you're using them as they do good in the community. But those athletes who go do an event like that, they get paid to do that, right, they would get they would be compensated. And Coach Fish, Coach Fish does something very unique and not a lot of collectives do, which I absolutely commend him for. Coach Fish wants to
take care of We call it kind of moneyball. We take care of everyone on our rosters, from you know, a starter all the way down to a walk on. The coach believes that being able to help and use nil to be able to help all of us, all the student appletes on a roster is very important to him. And so you know, you have you may have a young man that has to walk on. He's still going to have an opportunity to be able to go out in the community and do some
good until receives some type of compensation. So we had mister geist don here maybe about Jordan guys obviously one of the we consider one of the faces of the University of Arizona athletic program giving his success. We talk to him about, hey, how's the nl IL. That's not about me, that's about the you know, the other sports football and basketball. So so how would a guy like that who you know and and the and the diver um Delaney
Snell doantastic people, but you know they don't see that money. So it is interesting enough. We actually just did an activation with Delaney Snell. She was actually a brand new bassador um for the Easter Shills Blake Foundation. She was out with their Olympic medals um and without their golf tournament fundraiser. She also did a spot on the news like local news channel for them. So she actually did We did at nil in uh engagement with Delaney that was probably
two weeks ago. Uh, Jordan and and you know it's it's we we set them up as they come along. Um. And so we're slowly working through the department to be able to onboard more sports. We haven't gotten the track and field. And for me, I actually was a track and field letter when her coach Harvey with my hurdles coach when I was here at jo Ay. So it's one of those sports that's near and dear to my heart that we are slowly starting to onboard and getting four sports in an apartment so
that we can work with them in the local community. Wait a minute, dude, you were a linebacker, how are you and you were a hurdler? Yes, sir, absolutely, Wow, dang things we get today. Well, okay, I'm sorry I digressed on that, but I was just a little stunned by that. But okay, so you know, are you in terms of the way all this is coming back, do you ever feel like just stuff is coming from all different directions at you, like you just
uh taking a test. You're just okay. Just yesterday, the NCAA puts out a memo that says, if you have a state law that is in conflict with nc double A rules, you better be following the ncable A rules, what the hell you know what? So we actually we are actually working with UM all of our state legislator partners on specifically for that. We had a coach in a couple of our university admin actually go out to DC a
couple of weeks ago and had a forum. Nick Saban was actually attended this thing, but at the University of Arizona was actually leading the charge on this because of things like legislation in every state has a different law as it pertains to NIL. You could get California and Florida really kind of got all this thing kicked off a couple of years ago, but they have different laws there than we have in Arizona that they have in Washington, you know, the
University of Texas. Everywhere, everyone has different laws. So it's hard for us to be uniformed what we what we do. And this is why I meet with compliance and administration, so is that I know exactly where you know, the lines we need to stay in between, and what we can and cannot do and is a constant name And that's why we do so much meeting to make sure that we are all in compliance and that we don't have those types of issues because it can be slippery. We have, you know,
with like you know, I'll speak with basketball. We also had with football. We have international students. There are specific rules to what international students can and cannot do as it pertains to nil, so we have to make sure that we're you know, up on those at all times. So you've been out of the game for a while, although kind of still doing stuff. Could you have ever imagined it coming to this? And what got you into
this? You know what, I could actually see this coming you because of the amount of revenue generated on a year out, year year in, year out basis, it was going to get to the point where student athletes we're either going to have to be compensated or you were going to have the college model kind of collapse on itself because why take my talent to college when I can just go as for a basketball player, I can go overseas Allah like
you know, LaMelo Ball or someone like that. If that starts becoming a path, well what happens to March madness? It kind of goes away. And so you could kind of see those things coming. But why I got back into it, You know, I worked in the athletic department for you of a for six years doing alumni relations and then the full time fundraiser.
This job was kind of the best of both worlds for me where I still got I got to work with student athletes, I get to work with a lot of my former colleagues in the athletics department, and I get to raise money. So it was really like almost a tailor made out for me. I'm in Coach Fisher's office, you know, I got I got a phone call from yesterday, so you know, I get I talking to the head coach literally today. I had just left Jaden Delora from doing an engagement,
and so I'm back in athletics. I'm back working with athletics, but I'm not all the way in athletic, which is nice. Yeah. So so let me ask you too. Like I said, we touched Arizona, assist, there's all these things going on. You were in Tucuda, Arizona, a great college town. But there's only and this is I could be wrong. There's only a certain amount of deep pockets in this town and obviously alum
everywhere around them. But how is it going after the same type of money from different locations, not just you everybody else trying to the school, the sports department, all that changing the same money. You know what, I would say that this is we kind of have, but I think most college athletics programs kind of operate this way, and University of Brizonna is no different.
Week we have kind of a trickle down economics in terms of the athletic department where you have a football program where the revenue generates from football helps to cover a lot of the other sports. You know, football or basketball is very self sustandings you have those two main revenue generating sports. And so I think what has happened in the Tucson community is there's a there's been a recognition that we need to make sure our football program and solid to be able to
make sure that all the other sports are solid. So the community is a little bit divide. I wouldn't say community is divided. What we are trying to do is actually broaden our net and get more people in the community involved. You don't have to be a million dollar donor to help with nil we have. You know, we have so many different ways to give, whether it's memberships, memberships, you can be an annual donor, making pledges.
You know, we got some new things rolling out with the new collective and when we rebrand and launch that coming up soon where the average span in two stig can be more a part of what we're doing with NIL and they can now, but we're going to have more avenues for them to be able to get involved from. And it could be whether you're just doing you know, you know, as little as fifteen to twenty dollars a month. Yeah, so you know that's two star. That's two starbus, coffees and a muffin
and go Wildcats, Right, So where do they go to? Where do they going to help you? So if you go to friends at Wilbur, friends at Wilbur and Wilma dot com and put support now, and it will take you to those avenues where you will be able to help and support the wildcats. So a lot of dudes like Jay and I who have no money go there and click on and give you twenty bucks. Forty bucks that's what you're looking for to absolutely and I think you know, the more people that
do that in Tuston. If I have a stadium of fifty thousand people and everyone's given us one hundred bucks we're in a good spot. Yeah, that makes total sense. Well, you know, I don't know how you put your head on the pillow at night with all the stuff that's going on around this um. I mean, they're just coming from so many different directions.
But you know, you somehow have to keep it all sorted and to make sure that as you said, you're in you're in compliance, and then you know double bonus that you're actually helping the athletes and that and that to me is the most fulfilling when I got hired, and I would never forget this. In my interview when I came back to work for athletics red Burn, he said, hey, you know, what do you see yourself doing in ten years? And I said, helping people. I said, I will
be of service in helping people. I don't know what that capacity will be. And here I am ten years later, literally almost ten years. You know, I'm helping student athletes. I'm directly impacting our student athletes, and I think that is the perfect thing for me. And that's why I came back to Tucson was I wanted to be a difference maker when it came to what we do in athletics. Well, right, We appreciate your time. We'll probably have you back to explain more more stuff. But let me tell
you somelve you, unlike Jay, I believe you change tomorrow. Tomorrow we have a very funny anybody. But there you unlike Jay, I believe you could hurdle. And so there picture Bray, I believe I saw you play. I mean, I believe you. It's just like, that's a big dude, dude, you jumping those hurdles. Man, get out of his play, Get out of his way. Thanks, Ray, thank you very much. You got to have a good one. That was a good interview.
He was a big dude. Man. Yeah, that's a good dude, you know, you know, but to lean, lean and mean and he's like, you have to be a hell an athlete to be, you know, a linebacker and that and fast enough to be a hurdle for him. Okay, we gotta go for this segment, all right, come back more. Yeah, we'll take your calls five to two zero four, one, six seventy four forty. Uh. If you didn't catch this, or you want to make sure that your friend here's what we just talked about.
Make sure they listen to the podcast at the iHeart dot com, so will be right back. If you're an Arizona Man's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for newly forty years. Now. Take a look back at the ludles An era in my new book, Lessons from Loot. It was a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them, competed against them, and inspired them. Twenty five chapters for his twenty five years as
Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Loot is an insight to how he built the program into a national powerhouse. What one email me at Steve dot RIVERA ninety five at gmail dot com. Hey, Walcat Nation, Jake Fisher here, I gotta tell you about my winning team. Over at Arizona Health Insider, I was able to get a custom private health insurance plan with no deductibles, no code, pays nationwide coverage, and I get to pick my own doctor
for less than two hundred dollars a month. If you want to avoid getting gouged on the exchange and you want real health insurance, call Arizona Health Insiders five two zero eight five zero six eight six six five two zero eight five zero six eight six six fardown. What's your goal? A new career or career advancement? How about transferring to a four year college. Pima Community College can help you make Someday today and reach your goals affordably on your schedule.
With over one hundred programs to choose from and financial aid available, it's time to earn the degree or certificate you need to prepare for the career you want. Pima offers free career exploration classes so you can choose the field that's right for you. Learn how at Pima dot edu slash someday. Is it hot in here or is it just me? Honey? I always think you're hot, but it's June and we all know it's going to get hot in Tucson. It doesn't have to be hot in our house, honey. You should
call picture ROCs Cooling, Heating and Plumbing. They have the solutions for us for all your air condition needs. Call five two zero, four four zero or zero six nine or visit us at picture ROCs Cooling dot Com and Clumbing. The holidays are fast approaching after a difficult year where sure everyone could use a little financial help. Pyramid Federal Credit Union is bringing back to the Holiday Helper Loan, a low interest, short term loan that can help get you
through the holidays. In support of our community, Pyramid is making a donation to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona from each a loan. For more information or apply online, visit pyramid su dot com slash Holiday Helper. All loans are on approved credit. Other restrictions may apply. Pyramid Federal Credit Union Insured NCUA need more affordable auto and home insurance while making sure your family has the courage it needs when mayhem happens. They've got you covered at the Edmund
Marcus All State Agency. Go see Edmund Marcus. He's born and raised in Tucson and a proud graduate of the University of Arizona. He's been an All State agent for twenty five years and has an award winning agency which takes care of his clients. Home Today at five two zero three two three nine three three three for an auto and home quote and let him save you money and make sure you have the courage you need. You're in good hands with the
Edmund Marcus All State Agency. Do you want to be part of a winning team. A Team Security is looking for friendly, outgoing events security guards and events staff to be a part of our team. We've been providing our outstanding services to some of Arizona's biggest sporting events and concerts for over twenty years. We want you to join the action. A Team offers a fun and exciting opportunity to work in the sports and entertainment industry, with flexible schedules that are
perfect for those looking for a part time job or a second income. Come be a part of a winning team. The A Team apply online today at a team security dot net and Jacob Solids. They have their eye on the ball on Tucson sports station Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back to whining about here Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve, he's Jason in the house. You've got about eleven minutes a good interview. I know we'll have him back. I don't know, Ray, but very important, very sport
dude. I feel I feel like between the Arizona Assist interview that we did last week, this one, I have a better understanding and I get that no matter who we get is going to say we're doing it. The right way, right, but we all know that there are some that are not. Yea, And but it makes sense now how the nonprofit side versus the you know the other side, right, and now we get some little break news and football will be on their own, right, Yeah, sort of
like Arizona Assistance and have it on kind of separated. But you know, I certainly hope that, um, you know, people out there realized that you know, some of these other athletes, man, they work hard too, yeah, no question. And they need they need money too, yeah, no question. Where's all that coming from? I mean, just where coming from? I don't know, you know, it just it is because the Wildcat Foundation or the sports area needs gets needs stuff to right. They
still got to be able to have there's tentacles everywhere. They still got to be able to have facilities and and scholarships and all this stuff. So yeah, right, all right, So we were talking about the Director's Cup, the lear Field Director's Cup, which the final standings are out going to make a prediction, you can does Arizona one? I have it? Yeah? Okay, so uh I said sixty the tip fifty six lower, no better better? Better? Higher? I guess higher? Uh no better than forty
five, little high. Wow. Okay forty three, okay, forty three. Surprising to you. I thought they were in the fifties. Yeah, exactly, Yeah, a while back they were. They were in the fifties. Um they're they're forty third. Um, Stanford won the thing of yeah, um number one, it's it's the top ten or Stanford, Texas, Ohio State. Now, for those of you who don't know what the Director's Cup is, it's standing for all sports, so you get points for how
you finished nationally in all sports. Stanford, Texas, Ohio State. Virginia, Florida at six is Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, LSU USC. That's it right, there's still PAC twelve, LA at fourteen, Washington, Washington at twenty one, twenty two. I was surprised by Cal. I was surprised by KELP. You know, still, but they don't it's almost I get the impression, maybe you do two. They don't care about their athletics at kel which, of course, there's a bunch of brainy acts where
you're here. They don't care about football and basketball and basketball, which, of course, which is the opposite everywhere else. After Cal at twenty two and the Pact twelve. You got Utah twenty eight, a su at thirty five, Oregon at thirty eight, Arizone at forty three, so azone sort of at the bottom of the conference. Yeah, yeah, it makes sense. It makes sense that just needs to improve on that. Hey, we
got about eight minutes. I have a little quick thing. I saw something I was watching ESPN today and have a question for you guys right now today today, uh, in the year twenty twenty three, twenty two, who is the most exciting player to watch any sport, any gender? Who would you go and see, you know, pay one hundred bucks to go watch to play? Who's your guy? Who looked too it's easy show I paid to go see show. Hey, last year and the dude didn't even get
a base head. I was so mad at him. Okay, okay, did hit one ball up? The man? His name was mentioned a couple of times. What about you? He was? He was the next guy in in fact, Patrick's Patrick Holmes and see for me, although I've probably seen him with time or two Steph Curry. Yeah, so guys like that, you know, it's like that. I mean, there are few, there are a few guys you know, I'm more of a baseball guy than both of you. No, but let me two You'll never see you're seeing.
Yeah, another Steph Curry may come along, and another Patrick ma Holmes may come along. There isn't gonna be another show. Heyo, Tony probably probably see yesterday. Yes, he struck out ten on the mound and he hit two homes. Wait wait, and you forget the kid the other part of it. He left because he had a chip nail. I mean, you know that's that's that. That's that. That's that kid in literal league, right who comes and it's just better than everybody else and dominates. Uh
you know, a literal league. That's who he is. And he's doing it at the major league level. He's just the best player by a lot, and and that that's what's crazy about about that. But yeah, I'm I'm always on playing and I was excited, and every time he came up to batman, I was glued. I didn't I didn't and I think he got a single, but that was it. Yeah, No, he'd be
one. I think Curry Mahomes was mentioned a lot because he one of the people said on the thing is it's like watching magic, Michael Jordan because of what Patrick Mahomes does and he enjoys doing what he does. These players do things that Yeah, yeah, I think there's a couple of other ones. So I mean I want to go see Lebron right before he goes out. Yeah, I would have loved have seen Jordans live right. Um, you know, uh, I can't think of anybody else in the NBA that right
rises to that left. You're gonna want Steph Curry. You might want to go see the San Antonio kid coming here. Uh, I'm waiting to see I'm gonna I think he's you know. The funny thing is everyone's talking about him now. No one's talking about Home anymore. Yeah, he's He's this is the newer, improved gun improved you know. Yeah. I mean, look, am I gonna watch him play to see how he's doing? Of course I am once so I can come on and show and talk about it.
But too, I am curious to see how good he's really gonna be. But I'm not sitting here saying he's the second Coming, because we've had other second comings. Jet Homegren is the second coming and and he's not, you know, but we haven't seen, barely even seen him, so, um, you know, I don't know, but you're right. I mean Steph Curry, Lebron James. I don't know who else in the NBA doesn't
fire me. No, no, because he's so nondescripted. Yeah, but the Greek creak, but be fun to watch even he do not even even him not so much, or Joel Embia, none of those guys. No homes, Yes, I didn't think. I don't think him my homes. Yeah, I'd love to see him. I would have liked to have seen Aaron Rodgers five years ago, six years ago, seven. I would like to see him running too. The endzone three. You're still you're still holding onto that. I'm a bit. That's the only time I've ever been yours
still holding onto that. You need to let that you had all that yardagein here? That would you need to let that go? Okay? Let it go? Okay? You know there was a sawt fight. There's also UFC that's very popular. Man nuns who you just go and you see how do these people beat the crap out of each other and survived? Thinking up our friend Roman Bravo saw this weekend Thursday, Thursday, I think Thursday. That's tomorrow, right, okay, right, but he has a local tucsonan Jabier
knows more about this in his corner. I think it's the debut, right, it's a debut debut. Just first, like I'm asking, why do you go get in the face like that because they pay you. It's not like a bar. You know, you can't pay me. It's not a good gentleman. Sorry, you cannot pay me enough. You cannot pay me enough. So good luck to him. Back to the director cup standings, Arizona finished ninth in the conference, even though they were forty third in the
country. They were nice Washington State. It's the after Arizona. It's Oregon State, Colorado and Washington State. That makes sense. Yeah, you've used to be at the top of oh yeah, yeah, no when Liven the leven good years. Yeah, you finished two spots ahead of Arizona. They were, they were six. But Arizona ended up with the Territorial Cup. Yes they did, which is way more important than than the than the back when they used to call it the Seriares Cup. My buddy that Ray Martinez
raised money and the Ray we need to get to a rose. He said, man or, we're up there in the in the in the sears cup. I said, you know what you can do with the serious cup, turn it in at the until you get me a rose bowl. I don't give one crap about the series. Well, your time is to it is
sticking fast, really fast. Okay, we got we got about a minute and we want to call five two o four one, six seventy four forty Just a quick question if you want a good show today, like more informative with with three right, Um, I think we're trying to get a Sugar Skulls guest for the Mark. They've got a big game on Saturday. They've got Vegas, Vegas coming in town. It's in town, Rights, it's here six o'clock. Oh, that's a big, big, big thing.
Right they have a big Do they have something big the first? Right, don't you have? It's a big given. Well, they're given all it's military appreciation to day. And they're also giving away kids baseball cats. Um, first thousand kids in the door get a base. And I know they at two son is in the hunt for a playoff, as as are the women. Um so I've see two sons. If you have a chance to fireworks and all that stuff on Saturday thing or the third one of those days.
It's gonna be hot out on Saturday. Come to it's gonna be hot the resident. What are you talking about? Oh man, it's it's gonna like this for another week or so. No, and the ital tail off. Okay, I'm gonna check with you, mother nature. I mean, I'm not going golfing this weekend, but I maybe you know, if it's not well after are sent a graphic of something too much of friends one hundred eight one hundred eleven hundred and twelve. Speaking of real real quick um um,
let's plug. Jason spears he's got a golf tournament coming up. We talked about it on when when he was on yesterday, July the fifteenth. Uh, it's a star pass, it's a it's a it's a benefit tournament. He's not making any money off. It's just something that he and his brother felt it was it was important to do. Um it benefits um.
Where is it? I have it here? I don't know what's okay, I can't find it, but it's it's you know, it's just something that they want to do do annually and benefit of local charity and so July the fifteenth, und twenty five bucks a player five hundred dollars a foursome. Uh and uh, you know you get to go play golf for eighteen play eighteen holes that uh at Star Past, which is a great course, fun course. Anyways, just to want to make sure you're not gonna not gonna go
play it. I'm not because you know what I have. There's a Sugar Skulls game that night. It will be the season finale. A couple of weeks ago, I played on the day of a Sugar Skulls game and it was a bad idea. You know, it was a bad idea. If I played, I might still go play. Yeah, I suck it. I sucked. I'm just horrible. But that's prevent you reach out to Justin if you if you feel like that's something you'd want to contribute to, because it's uh, it's for a good cause and he's gonna try and do this
once a year or so. All right, man, that was fun, very well, Thank you so much. Thank you for the education. Uh Keona will Hike. Thank you for talking about why you went to Arizona. I think get some good yeah, good stuff, okay, great, all right, we will see you tomorrow. A perfect