This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteenth fifth Day, powered by Nova Insurance Services in sure your most prized possessions.
Hey, good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to Iye on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Rivera and with meet today is Dave Silver from Tago nine anchor Sports anchor and Henry running the board with us today. Welcome to Wednesday. Luck to get too. Obviously, playoffs are going on. MLB playoffs kind of surprises.
Yeah.
The Houston Astro is a team that usually goes deep into the playoffs, is done after two games quickly, so they're out. And Detroit's a team that nobody even was thinking about maybe a month ago.
Moving on. That's how you play that day, Dave, or two days.
Yeah, I mean the Tigers, Like I think when I was in here last week, we're talking about Detroit. They've got some really good young players, really nice stadium. I think they've got a manager who's had success.
Many different place A J.
Hinch Okay, who you know, gotten kind of in trouble I guess during that Houston Astros stretch, but you know he had success with the Diamondbacks organization. I remember, and I think the Angels and things like that, former Stanford player, but he had Detroit looking good, good young players. Yeahs is a.
They don't have a maybe the sy Young Award winner, right, that's what I heard a couple of days of the nineteen one of their pictures, one of the pictures and very young, like you said, not a whole lot of hitting, but they had enough today and yesterday. Yeah, big you know, big time hitters, bangers. So yeah, there's that. And I don't know what's going on with Baltimore because they're struggling too. Yeah, this Baltimore team that should have been better this year
than last year. Last year they were pretty good. Yeah, so we'll see, uh and uh, who else is did the Alans.
The Mets winning on the road yesterday? So yeah in San Diego, San Diego looking strong. So meantime, they're all kind of waiting for the Dodgers and Yankees to enter the party.
Sure, yeah, welcome guys. Well yeah, yeah, so we'll talk a little about that. Maybe today's I guess we have Bob Hoffman, the I think is GM of the Tucson Roadrunners. They're still in town.
Still in town.
Yeah, they have a show on this channel, on this station, so keep an eye out for that. They just started their workouts or preseason right now, right just this week.
Yeah, I think it was just the first so guess that would be yesterday.
Yesterday, So there's season's got to be right around the corner, and you know it's I'd be interesting to hear his take just on how this offseason is gone, obviously losing the Coyotes and they I'm still being here, right, there's got to be a connection with the Coyotes or whatever the team's called, Utah.
Sure.
Sure, you've been here a long time, a little bit longer than me, and I'll ask him this. They're one of the longer standing lower pro teams that it's lasted in this town.
Yes, you know when you say that, I mean, obviously, if you want to call the we had for many, many years, a lot longer than that, but there was a series of hockey teams that barely even got started.
Right.
Well, you could do a long list of pro teams, pro or whatever you want to call it, volleyball teams, hockey teams, like you said, softball teams. I guess fast pitch yeah, we had that for a brief time. Yeah. What else, There's been a lot of basketball basketball. I think it's lower level basketball pro teams.
Yeah, there was always some talk about maybe sticking somebody in the Tucson Convention Center, arena, minor league or basketball.
Yeah, and that is just never.
I don't know if you believe this would want to agree with me, But Tucson is not a basketball town. It's a college basketball town. They follow everything Arizona. But if you want to put another team here, unless they had other U of A guys, they wouldn't go.
It doesn't make sense, I think so, I mean, you know, yeah, to put you know, thirty five games, that might be kind of tough. I know when they when the Suns had a brief training stint down here, they played a game or two.
Here another day, another day, sitt in production. It was it.
Yeah, yeah, I mean that was during Shack and Steve Nash years, Grant Hill. I mean they drew. I remember I went to the game as a fan and watched it was fun. Yeah, no, I did too. You're talking nineteen ninety three, ninety four, something like that. Ninety five I think I was going to be married yeah, maybe even later. It was it was crazy, but it was it was. You know, you're right, I don't know if we could. I don't know if there's that much interest in in minor league basketball here.
No, I don't think so. You have a pretty good product.
Yeah, and you'll they go to cheer the cats. I mean yeah, they and I don't know if you believe me this, They don't go cheer the guys. They cheer the team, right, it's the Arizona.
Yeah, it's not going to matter who's playing, right, I mean, we've Arizona fans have gotten to that point where it's like, you know, and you can predict it's going to be a pretty good team. Let's just kind of see how it plays out.
Well, let's go there.
Now.
You kind of just realize is that they're not going to have the Red Blue game in Glendale, but they're gonna have one here. Are you surprised that they're not gonna have one in Glendale?
Well, I'm surprised that we're gonna do it to begin with.
I don't know really what they were expecting. You were surprised for what reason? Just I don't know.
I just didn't think no matter an exhibition game like that, really, so fans would go see it like a practice game. I know that when Arizona plays ash it's a big deal.
Because half the half the races by Arizona. Yeah, well, so you're not going to tell me that Arizona Phoenix is Arizona Country. I haven't seen the billboards lately. I don't know's it is and it isn't. There's a lot of alums, but as one alum told me the day that broke on I think on Monday, he said, one, they're not going to go all the way to Glendale. And it's like going from Tucson for some places, you go from Maysa to Glendale. It's not coming down to Tucson an hour and ten to twenty minutes.
Yeah. What day of the week was that schedule? From Friday Friday night?
Yeah, so even then, no one's gonna go Acrosstown during rush hour or whatever time a crossdown to Glendale to watch a game that's not really a game and just to kind of enjoy the provolity of it all. In Tucson, that's what we do. And still it doesn't sell out. It's about eight ten thousand and it's a different crowd too. It's not your regular season for people.
Sure, it's the people who can't get into it is season close by and get to get those good tickets, But they don't do that midnight madness anymore, which was kind of another you know, introduction to the team.
That was kind of a big deal.
Kind of a big deal. You've been out for a long time. Do they have it when you were did you think it was no? People going to call it Steve always native, but I'm going to say that, did you think it was well worth the wait at midnight?
Did you think it was fun? Say that louder for the people in the back? No, you know, for us professionally.
Okay, so it's usually like on a Friday night or something, you know, late I just did a ten o'clock newscast, wrapped it up at you know a quarter of eleven or so, and then still got to go out to McHale Center to get sit out there for you know.
Right, And it's it's kind of more made for TV, you know how the and you're in the TV business, I'm asking you, do you know how TV kind of sets it up better to look better on TV and when you're there in person, there's a lot of downtime. There's a lot of moving parts, and you gotta wait for the movie parts to happen and get the chairs out of the dunk contest. It's just it's a lot of waiting, sitting and waiting. Not a lot about basketball.
No, No, but you know, in terms of but you know what, I think that would be better than having a red blue another red.
Blue game, but possibly maybe. Yeah, I mean it's no, and I'm not poo pooing the whole idea. It's just it's just like it's a red blue game. It's gonna be fun. And then you get there what I shaved my legs for this.
Yeah, if they if they considered any other way of engaging fans before the season, I'm sure not.
No.
And and what are they They are making more public appearances. Last week or so, they took uh, they went to the South Side, introduced themselves for a party or some company. But them in they're searching for nil, you know. And then that's what Phoenix was.
It was n L.
Yeah.
I didn't think it was more of a sorry to say, cash gap maybe and they realized the tickets were not going well.
Yeah, I don't know.
Again, like you said, going to Glendale, it's not even from Tucson. That's a good two and a half hour drive, now, yeah.
Yeah, And I'm sure if a few people were going to go and they had scheduled like this, a party or two afterwards. But really, you get your chance here. You're gonna go two and a half hours, like you said.
And you know, it's not like they're not going to be on TV in about two weeks anyway, with their first, you know, great exhibition game against you know, Point Loma, whoever they're playing early in the season, they've got a.
Couple of that's Dave. Send letters to Dave, not to Steve. No, no, no, just I think most fans understand that. Yeah, of course we're not like brand new to this. No, no, of course not.
But to the credit of Arizona and the fans and all that, it's going to be a fantastic season to watch basketball for the first time in a long time.
Why is that Duke's here? The big twelves, Yere minus Kansas.
You know this, Historically it hasn't been great outside of UCLA and maybe one other team that come in, maybe and maybe maybe maybe, and there's you know, maybe another non conference team. But now you have the Big Twelve coming in. Yeah, good teams, and you have Duke coming in with a couple of other teams splashed in there. So if you have season tickets, more power to you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. Hold on, write that down. David said it to me.
You're right. That was good. That's perfect because you're you are right.
The Big Twelve is going to be a whole different dynamic from a team standpoint, and everybody kind of knows who's coming. And then we these schools have reputations, good, great basketball reputations, and you know, historically again going way back, Luke used to try to get in a couple of those type teams anyway, but now that's gonna be a regular occurrence once we hit like January.
Yeah, and these games, and they'll play UCLA on a neutral Phoenix, so you have to go up for that, and that's when the Phoenix people will show up. But Arizona guys will go up, you know, Arizona too soon guys will go up. So there's plenty of opportunity to see in Vegas. I think I'm thinking I can't remember if there's a game up there. I know UCLA is gonna be in Phoenix, Yeah, definitely. It's at the Sun's Arena.
Yeah. So yeah, good Phoenix gonna have their chance there for a real game. Yeah yeah, why not. It's gonna be on TV.
So we have Bob Hoffen here in about ten minutes, and then we're going to have Mike Vader at the other side of the hour about four seventeen talking about the mix and actually Baseball Fiesta that's coming up here.
I guess starts tomorrow, it does.
Speaking of you of A getting to play, Yeah, a little preseason action for them.
Have you been to it? I hate to say this, but I have not, and I want to go because I just I just haven't had the time. Honestly. Were you retired, Well now I am, but no excuses.
It depends on where I was. You know, I was traveling, traveling the country, trying to raise money for this is your first year retirement?
Yeah? Since when? Since April? Oh Man?
So you know, I hate brand New, I hate you. You can leave nice nice. I don't even know what the hell retirement's gonna be. But no, that's cool for you. You know I would go just and I'm suggesting just not just for Mike or whatever. But it's a blast. I went to help Mike maybe five six years ago and went to this came out baseball, Right, it's not about baseball, Yeah, it's about the fun around baseball, which happens to see you see a baseball game because it's
a party. It's a it's a fiesta, like it says, it's a lot of dance, a lot of music. Uh, you know you can get adhd there because you're just so distracted by so many things.
Yeah, I'm gonna try to go. I think maybe maybe tomorrow. I have to talk to Mike about that once it gets on the air. Yeah, yeah, but no, it would be fun. And you know again when you watch games, uh in Mexico or in Latin America, it's it is a party every every venue right everywhere.
Right. No, it's just a lot of fun to go to and I'm thinking, oh wow, look at this place. So there's that anything.
Also, we're gonnap breaking news by Henry. A lot of things going on w n B A. Fernando the Baseball You give us an update with the baseball scores and whatever.
Else.
I wanted to put a clip up. I guess Babers was on yesterday's press conference. I think maybe maybe today's admitting that that that this plan of him not calling the place had been set up a while back.
Yeah, that seemed to be the story that was circulating on the tu sign dot com this morning. He was kind of told beforehand that he was going to kind of be grooming some of the younger coaches to move into coordinator type positions, which, right, I don't know.
I think his check still cash. I think he's okay with it. Right, what else are you gonna do? Right?
And if he was calling the plays in the first two or three games, you're thinking, Okay, when does that change happen?
And it happened over the weekend.
Yeah, I you know, I again, I've never never been a big x's and o's guys, and I've always kind of marveled at how they do these jobs and what their strategies are and why is one play working and it's not working? As you know, there seems to be so many components who one single play, you know, what the defense is doing. Maybe maybe they're having another set of eyes there will.
Be helpful right right, Okay, well, let's take a break. I think we'll be in time about three seventeen with Bob Hoffmann.
Thank you, Henry.
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This is I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Want to take part in the show? Call up Steve now at five to two oh four one seventy four to night.
Hey, welcome back to you. I in the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve RIVERA p's Dave Silver det Henry with us. We're just waiting for Bob Hoffin.
Did give it as a quick call two minutes late where they can run a lap? Who do you run in your hockey? Do you run laps? What's that in your hockey? Do you run laps? Because now you skate lives, skate lists. Yeah, I gotta skate like around the ring. You cover hockey, right, yeah? You know you they just make a skate around this, Okay?
Is there is that?
He Well, it seems like you'd like on a motorcycle. Go give me two laps on a motorcycle because you're your schemes. But after you do it a couple of times I could make two laps in two hours, dude, because I don't know how to skate. I used to, well, how much time we're gonna hit? I mean I used to.
I grew up in Buffalo, New York, or lived there for a few years, and it was so cold in the winter that you could literally skate on the street. Just check check you could skate, you know, get that frozen. So yeah, I don't know. For some reason, I was always a hockey fan. Yeah, okay, no, we're good. He's fro He's okay, okay, I think this might be him. Yeah, Hello, you're on the air and I.
On the ball?
Is this pop?
Yeah?
Hi?
Good afternoons? Bob, how are you? We were just Dave Silver and I.
We were saying, we're gonna put Bob on skates and make him run laps or skate laps.
I know, I know it.
Run laps on the field normal. You gotta do the sprints on the basketball court. You don't want to see me on skates.
So that's two of us. That's twos. How you doing that? How are you? I'm doing great, I'm doing great.
It's an exciting time.
Of year, certainly, when October hits and the season's right here on us always exciting, got a preseason games and then our regular season getting ready to go. And you know, the fall is fantastic, get baseball, going basketball. It's just a great sports time of year. We're excited to be.
A part of it.
And nothing like one hundred and seven degrees in your home city too for the hockey season. But I know we are looking forward to your year, and it's been quite a year when you think about what's going on, you know, in the last three dor in sixty five days with your franchise and the parent club. How are things settled down as everybody ready to go full full speed ahead.
Now, Yeah, it has been a you know, an up and down interesting off season for sure, and it has the dust has settled, and certainly, you know, having an uncertain future and uncertainty for even as what we were looking at at last spring to see what we're we going to be doing in October was always a concern. And to have that kind of squared away in the future in front of us of you know, filling out our lease here in Tucson and then adding a year to it at least, so a minimum of three years
here in Tucson is something that we're happy about. And where the future goes from there, we'll see, and it's something that we're just excited to be a part of. For what's going to be our ninth season this year, Plans already underway for a tenth anniversary season next year, and we want to continue on our quest to bring a championship here to Tucson, and we're hoping that our roster, our coaching staff, everyone's prepped and ready to be able.
To do that.
So, Bob, I'm not even asking you this question, but you're talking about nine years. Have you been here for all nine I don't think so.
No, I have I had looks. Yep.
I moved down to Tucson and joined the team back in August of twenty sixteen. We played our first ever game. It was October the twenty eighth of twenty sixteen. So yeah, I've been here for the run.
It's been.
It's been a lot of fun. It's been great to find fans that were already die hards at the sport of hockey. But then I'm proud of a lot of the new fans that we've made. You know, die hard hockey fans and that fan base to the Roadrunners have been able to put together.
In our eight seasons. Playing here is certainly.
Something we're happy about and and you know, something that really was instrumental in ownership.
You know, not necessarily switching course for at least taking a long hard.
Look at what that impact would be for the team to leave Tucson. So we're excited about that piece of it and happy with all of the roots that we've planned here in the Old Pueblo.
Yeah.
Again, why do you think it's worked here? Because we had so many little hockey franchises over through the years we were talking about it didn't didn't last, did something,
didn't even get onto the ice. But I guess maybe because maybe this is obvious because you're, you know, affiliated with an NHL team and there's that support too, But you also had to find the fans, and you know, maybe that was part of the reason why the team is still here, is because there's a bit of a fan base that can support the team.
Yeah.
I think there's a lot of different pieces to.
It, you know.
I mean, some of the struggles that had happened with hockey here in Tucson, prior to us coming. I don't know all the ins and outs of it, but certainly have heard the history, and we heard about it when we first came to town. You know, of of you know, well one year and you'll be gone in one year. You know, we heard a lot of that, and you know, once I heard.
Some of the stories.
You know, certainly don't want to belittle anyone that was here prior to us, but it really feels like maybe they weren't set up to succeed, or maybe the structure from an ownership standpoint, didn't have the resources that were there. Like you mentioned the team, there was a team. I guess it didn't even play right. They think they quit before they never got a game under their belt. And I mean that that all stems from, you know, whatever that depth in the ownership department is or how they
were saying up. I knew when I took the opportunity to.
Come here to Tucson, from the support we were going to have.
From the National Hockey League level and from the Arizona Coyotes and what they had, I knew that there was resources here. They had a commitment from the city, a commitment from Rio Nuevo and renovations done to a building to bring it up to American Hockey League standards. It was something that I felt very strongly we could make it work. And then, you know, take that aside of it.
You have to obviously have people that want to come and sit in the seats and be a part of that fan base, and you have to put on an entertaining product. You got to have something I think that's affordable for families, that's a great opportunity for guys night out and girls' night out, and really need to appeal to a large broad audience. And you know, we tried to put every promotion in place we could to see what worked, and I think we found some niches that
were pretty successful. But I don't think we knew and I think, you know, maybe underestimated a little what that core fan base was. Whether it was transplants that had moved to Tucson from the Midwest, from retired from Canada, that snowbird population that grew up Blackhawks fans or Minnesota wild fans. They were here and they were dying for the sport that they loved, to be right here in their backyard and not having to drive two hours up the road.
To see the Coyotes.
And then you also had that little chunk of fan that did make that trip up there several times a year when they were in Glendale and then moved over to Tempe. They weren't opposed to that, just like they go up to the Diamondbacks games and Cardinals games and
Suns games. They were hockey fans and they went up there, and now all of a sudden, right here in their backyard in downtown was this American Hockey League team with first round draft picks and you know, a lot of great players and a lot of depth with young guys, and I think they just sort of fell in love
with it. And then, you know, a lot of credit to my staff and really doing some good things in the community and trying to make sure that we were a community asset that this town and that really the entire region of southern Arizona could be proud of. And that's what we've tried to do and tried to make sure we can hold that mantle, you know, each and every year, and we'll continue to do that here this year.
So it's a general manager day today because we have Fader on the other side of this hour with you. So what's your role in your in your title, you probably don't make decisions day to day in terms of players up and down, So what is it or do you No, I do not know.
There is a pretty good divide of the business side and the hockey side. So my role deals with the business side of the.
Operations, from the staffing, from the the day to day on the on, all of the financial decisions, everything that goes with getting the team where they need to be, you know, taking care of getting them from A to B and giving them all the tools that they need to be able to play when.
It comes to making any assessments about.
A hockey team or you know, I'm I'm probably no more of of of an expert on that as just a fan in the stands. I would never pretend to go and tell our coach how to run a power player, how to take care take.
Part of a penalty kill.
That's where the hockey guys come in and developing the team. We work very closely with our NHL affiliate, which for the first eight seasons was the Arizona Coyotes and now this year for the first year of a three year agreement with the Utah Hockey Club. So they put the team together, they put the roster together, and they have a mission of putting together a successful culture for their players so that when they get up to the National Hockey League, they know what winning is, they know what
being a good, true professional is. And you know, I've got the obligation to make sure that they have all the tools that they're able to do that and that we can, you know, be a big part of the community and entertain an awful lot of people here in Tucson.
You know, one of the beauties of minor league sports is watching these guys advance, you know, and move up. And we've had so many players come through here that have gone on to the NHL. Can you talk about maybe this year's roster and who we should be looking for, who's going to be a player who you know, could be playing in the NHL in a year or so.
Absolutely, And I'm always so hesitant at the beginning of a year because on paper never wins championships, right, But I'm looking at this now, I can't wait to get started, because on paper, this might be the strongest group that we've ever had. The Coyotes when they were drafting and really in their rebuild plan that they had over the last four seasons under their general manager Bill Armstrong, they had a very intentional plan of drafting. They would trade personnel,
they would trade assets. They had to really garner a lot of picks, and they would get ten, eleven, twelve guys each draft that they would draft, which usually was the most in the National Hockey League as far as just pure numbers of players drafted, well, those guys typically in the NHL, guys get drafted around eighteen years old, so those guys don't play in our league until they're twenty.
So this is really kind of that culmination of when those years started of drafting those players that we're getting these guys now of age to get to the American Hockey League. So a lot of first round picks, a lot of great talent. There's a guy named Maverick Lamaru who's a six to seven defenseman. He's a giant, he was a first round pick two seasons ago, and he's somebody that the American Hockey League is kind of already
looked out in front of. This is probably a guy we want to watch for an All Star, for somebody that's a great Hockey development prospect, So that's one that the fans can listen to listen to that name. Shane Doanes's son whose names Josh Doone, played with US last year, had an All Star year and then got his call up to the National Hockey League late in the year and had some really good success. Still a very young player with a lot to learn and a lot to
grow with. But he's probably a guy that'll be back and forth or potentially in between the American League in the National Hockey League, so the fans will get to see more and more of him as well. So some really good young prospects. But then I think one of the biggest keys to what they're doing with this club this year from a roster standpoint is signing some of the veterans and getting guys to kind of mold these young players and to show them what it's like to
be a professional, what they've learned over their time. So, you know, Robert Bortuso is a defenseman that won the Stanley Cup with Saint Louis several seasons ago. He is going to be spending some time with US. Kevin Connaughton has played close to five hundred National Hockey League games, so he'll be here and then an old fan favorite that our fans will remember from a few seas tis ago defenseman named Robbie Russo is one of our best players and always a first, second or third team All
Ahl defenseman is coming back to Tucson. He loved it here and wanted to rejoin us and be a part of our future. So it's great to have Robbie back. So there's a lot of great names and a lot of great players that on paper, as I said, looks like it's going to be a fun year, and now we got to go out there and actually produce.
No, it should be funny. We were talking about the longevity and you kind of did with David. With Dave here, Trader's here on the other side, and we talked about the longevity.
You must be pretty proud of that because we talked about the teams that have come in and come out.
Fader had the totals that we're here forever, even predated Toy. Mike Sidewinders did a nice little spot here, and you must love Tuson given that you've spend almost a decade here.
I do, I do.
I love it. Everyone that knows me or the fans that I have become close with here, with the team or my staff, they all know that Tucson's home for us and my family. I've bounced around in in the hockey world. This is my twenty ninth season, and I've been in eight different markets over that time, and now
here Tucson for the last eight years. We love it here and Tucson from a sports town, seeing what the university means here to this to this community and really rallying behind that and finding that there is a place for hockey and a place for the sport that I love and have been a part of for so long. And you know, Tucson I think has really shown it's a hockey town, and I think it's just a tremendous
sports town. In the sky is the limit in the future is so bright for all that's going to happen in Tucson with hockey as well as many other opportunities in sports that potentially could be coming down the road.
What's the what's the health of the of the AHL.
I know it's been around forever, what I mean And when I when I watch kind of from a distance and I'm seeing you're playing in cities that maybe in some cases have had NHL teams or still have NHL teams. What what's the thinking behind that, Like like San Jose, for example, is there still a team there?
Yep, there is there there. You know from the health of the American Hockey League is a minor league. It's the It's as as strong as it's ever been. It's the number two league in the world. So you have the National Hockey League and the next best group of players are playing in the American Hockey League with markets that range all the way from from a Tucson to
larger markets like you mentioned with Charlotte and Cleveland. Some teams double in Calvary, they have two teams, they have the Calvary Flames and then they have their affiliate who plays.
In our league. And you mentioned San Jose.
So the health of the league has never been better. Developing players is the number one goal of the league as far as trying to get these guys ready to get up in the National Hockey League, much like you'd see in the in Major League Baseball at the Triple A level. But all these communities have their own little pockets of trying to do great things in their markets and and really making a difference in an impact. And you know, I'm a fan of it obviously, and I
love what this league does. I think one of the things that goes maybe you know, unspoken or overlooked a little is it's a development league for players, absolutely, but it's a development league for coaches, for trainers, for front office staff members. I mean, we're in eight years here
with the road Runners. We're proud to say that we've put forty different front office workers, more than forty into higher ranks, whether that's working for the Suns, which we have several, whether that's working in the National Football League or going up and staying in the hockey world to
the National Hockey League. So when you come to the road Runners, our average age of our staff is a little younger, maybe obviously than what the NFL or ANHL is, but that's because we have the opportunity to allow them to learn, to grow, to make mistakes, and to get better from them, and then we want them to move on. We want them to find success at whatever it is that their dreams are, and we love being a part
of that. So when we see all those players that are up there, which it's up to seventy players that have played in Tucson that are now in the National Hockey League. And then we see what we've done as well with the front office staff and two different coaches as well, and Mike Van Ryan and Jay Verity that were coaches of the Roadrunners that are now on coaching
staffs in the National Hockey League. That's one of the things I'm most proud of, and to show that we're really doing what we're supposed to be down here at this level.
One last thing I was going to say, a couple of years ago, I had a chance to go to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and there was your jersey.
It's on display with.
The maybe like in the Coyotes section or something, but the Tucson jersey is on display. In fact, if you want to go to a great Hall of Fame, that is right near the top of the list.
Yeah.
I agree, we did.
The history there is unbelievable and we're honored to have our jersey up there. They really like They usually put up teams that are in their first year and so they would have those there for the owners. But they've kept us up all these time. Because I think of our location. I think it's unique to see, you know, the ice hockey sport we talked about earlier one hundred and seven degrees outside, but.
So far down in the Southwest and so close to.
The Mexican border. I think they really view us as maybe even a little bit of what the future of hockey may be. Is we're seeing our fan base grow exponentially to the Hispanic market using an alternate identity called Alazo, to the Tucson separate uniform we use. We just want to make sure that everyone understands. Hockeys for everyone, and
it's a great sport. And I think that the National Hockey League has recognized some of those efforts and us trying to help grow the sport in a non traditional market. So we're happy that they've kept the Roadrunner marks and logos up there in the Hall of Fame, and anybody that jumps in there can see them and read a little bit about the history of hockey and Tucson.
So already you start Friday Saturday, right, it's right around the corner.
Preseason games this weekend on the road in Henderson.
I wish we could add a home one, but it didn't work out that way, and then our regular season starts next Friday. But the big day for us and for people down here in Tucson October the nineteenth. That's the home opener we open this year against the Texas Stars. So it's a great opportunity to come to the game.
We have a red carpet and before the game to meet all of our players, watch them walk the red carpet as they come in, a tailgate party before the game, and then let's fill the Tucson Arena and get this team off to a great start.
Bob, maybe my last one. Jay was here, Mike was here.
They were connected to the Sidewinders for a few years, and they always said, then you show up for a game, even if it's your first one, you're hooked.
I'm not a hockey guy.
I don't know many, in fact, but if I went to the Roadrunners, would I be hooked?
I think so.
I'm obviously biased, but I always tell people give it one shot, and as a live sport, I don't think there's anything better. I went to a Cardinals game recently and watch it was fun the atmosphere, but I'd much rather sit on my couch and watch a football game. Baseball is a little slower to watch. You a basketball's fun on television as well. I think they do a great job of making that a TV production. Hockey is
a sport you've got to see in person. I don't think you can appreciate how fast and how big these players are doing what they do on ice skates. It's physical. There's so much talent out there that I personally think you come and watch it one time, you're going to enjoy it, and then if you're not a huge hockey fan, you don't understand the rules, maybe it's not your favorite sport,
then that's on us. We want to make sure then that we entertain you so that even if you come and didn't really catch on to the sport and it's not going to be your number one choice of the four major sports, that you had a great time because we entertained you with our music, with our video clips,
our movie clips, and the atmosphere that we provide. So we want to make sure we're great for a three year old that's jumping around in the aisles with their family, or for that diehard hockey fan that grew up watching Gordy outplay. We want to make sure we can entertain everybody and have a place for everyone to call home for their hockey team.
Well, thanks Bob forget to cancel those two laps that we made you do before.
Altho, I got to take them. I earned them. I'm gonna know if you worry, guys, I appreciate you having me on.
All right, Bob, take take care a good season, Bob.
Bob Huffman totally true what he just said about spectator sports. It is fantastic to watch. I mean, as a little kid, I would go to games, you know, and I was just first of all, like just what they're doing is amazing to watch. But just the sound of the skating and hitting on the boards, it's a great. It is a great sport to watch in person.
Go see a hockey game, get a fight, go see a fight or what.
They don't They don't even do that as much as they used to do. But that, I mean, that was kind of part of the attraction back in the way. But in terms of just and in person event, it's right up there with anything else. Yeah, fast, Okay, let's take a break, go and come back.
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This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app just search I on the Ball.
Hey, welcome back to my I in the Ball here Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera and with me today is Dave Silver. Henry's running the board. Henry's important important. In fact, I got to do some things for Casino Del Soul. Will be there October tenth for our first showing Jay and I on a Thursday talking all things sports and the NFL Day games that day. So from
the moment you walk into the Casino Del Soul. You'll be greeted by a diverse and robust selection of restaurants that cater to any craving you may have, from the award winning Py Steakhouse to the laid back dinner or diner of Mobi's Movie's Places, which is great place to if you just want to get some food real quick. Discover the taste of Casino del Soul during your next visit. Discover with Soul. They've got a lot of places in
there to eat. Alita's, the Mobi's, the Pizza place in the corner there of course, the p Y, and then the.
Asian place there.
Be.
I can't forget. I know what it is, I just can't see. I can to so a lot of different different places.
Obviously great atmosphere, the prettiest casino around with the sky you know.
So if you remember again, going way back when they first opened, they did a big promotion here in Tucson for the Super Bowl, which I think was the one in Tempee and that can give him away tickets the ninety six game.
Oh wow, when did the casino open? About that time? Around the almost three years. God got pretty sure that's what it was for.
I remember the r TV station had something to do with it where I had to go out there, and that might have been the first time I ever went to the casino years.
Maybe maybe it's that's a long time ago because the packs, the you know, the casino packs of best starting then.
But it was ninety six when the super Bowl.
Yeah, I remember that date, but I'm trying to remember if that was the actual game. It might have been a different super Bowl, but they could have been. They had something to do with us, Yeah, a lot of promotions. They're looking forward to having to come and visit us on October tenth, and then we'll probably be the twenty fourth, and then who knows after that. We'll set the dates after that and you'll get to see Jay and give him hell. You know, he's actually doing very well and
his picks. We both went five for five five last week. So you do your picks on Fridays.
Fridays.
Yeah, we're gonna move them to Thursdays when we're at at the casino.
Yeah, what are you thinking about Saturday's game?
Here?
Ye?
Here?
Uh, I don't even know what the what's the spread's gotta be favorite, right, what's the spread? The Henry? Uh, probably a pretty good favorite all week. Oh have they a pretty good meeting Steven right, Yeah, yeah, then that's what it's going to be. The first one.
The third East fans got of at six six I'd probably give I'd probably give the points. I take Arizona minus six. It's not that I'm sold. I just don't think that Texas text is that good. Yeah, and and and if if Arizona has found itself, you know, maybe this is the team. But I don't know. You probably don't read me day, but I said this week in my story on Sunday, is that, uh, we saw three games. They didn't look that good. Rights, they had one good game.
So which team? Which one? Which team are you gonna believe? Yeah, that's the funny thing about football too.
And he really does seem to change from week to week, sometimes very dramatically, and the other team matters.
I mean, it depends on who you play. But people say, oh, they look great, especially week one of the NFL. Oh, those Cowboys look great. They're gonna be and then in the next two three weeks they look horrible. Right, it's how you play that day and the opponent you've played.
You know, there was something I read today, and I.
There's something I thought I saw today where a handful of starters on Texas Tech's defense are injured. So again that could figure into the line or the strategy, but there were a number of players that are going to be out for Texas.
Yeah, okay, hey, you're on the air and on the wall. This is Steve.
I see it's Jim.
Jim. What's the word? Well wait, wait, wait, wait wait.
Go on to talk about football game last week?
Okay, before you go there, did you how was that crow tasting?
I was what?
How was that crow tasting?
I don't have any crow to eat?
Okay, then what do you have to eat? Tell me what you're gonna talk about? Then?
All right.
I'm sure Jay has been walking around somewhere in too Soon all week bringing like that.
Jess Shire Cat he did call us Monday and say that he wanted the people to started and shut up to talk about the coach's jobs.
I didn't say anything like that.
No, that wasn't directed at you. That was just the normal things on Twitter.
Here's what happened to me, Stee. For me, that was a different team that showed up Saturday night, and the difference in my opinion as a former competitor on two or three different levels, is they were for the first game that they were prepared to play, they were focused, and they were intense about their focus. And by the time Spooks put his helmet into the center of that running backs on the left edge and knock him down for fourth and out, everybody's confidence was surging, right right.
I think in fact, you texted me about that time. It says they're confident, they're building their confidence. And I think you texted me somewhere in the third maybe early fourth, is they're going to win this game.
Yeah, I did.
You only see some intensity and on the defense, I mean there there were there were just times where the poor quarterback was a true freshman. You could tell he looked like he was scared to death sometimes because Arizona was coming at him pretty fast.
What's the entire game they were? Well, as a team, you you you plan to win, you prepare to win, and only then can you play to win. And I do think that this week, this past week, they were prepared to win and that's what they did.
Yeah, I think, so, go ahead, go ahead. Well, I think that there was a lot of factors involved.
One Utah.
They had beaten them last year. They knew that they were capable. They had to play out of their mind, and they did. The change of the offensive scheme helped probably get them prepared for that.
And one thing, huh what change? What change in the offensive scheme?
They moved from offensive coordinators. Okay, so there's that there was a different plate calling from a different person. Uh So a lot of factors that that played a part, I mean, not just one.
Well, and I want to add something about Flacida. He made some good decisions and he made a couple of really fantastic throws, both of them.
To Burnett, and those were great throws.
Great catches, and and he's got to come off of T mac as a full time pursuit. He's kind of spread the ball around and once that happens in a number of games, these teams won't be able to key on T. Matt full time with two or three.
Players, right, Yeah, right, I'm sure the defense does know that. Yeah sure, who the number one target is?
So sure? Which makes teams.
I'm sorry. They still have one deficiency that I checked on, and that is that they they can't control the ball for the clock in spite of losing, Utah had had the ball for about ten more minutes than they did and ran twelve or fifteen more plays. And that's happened in every game so far.
Yeah, we'll see what happens the spread of six. What do you like about that? Or don't?
Uh?
Who's getting the six? Texas?
Texas getting the six?
Yeah, that's probably a good bet.
I think so too.
And it's they're talking high scoring too. I mean the Runders like sixty two that.
Tex scores forty points a game, just expected.
And they have a quarterback too who's good.
Fourteen touchdown passes already this year in just a couple of games, three games, four games?
Does he run a lot?
Davis?
I don't think so.
He's I haven't. I haven't seen them play yet. I've seen some highlies with them involved, but not a game.
I need to look a little deeper into this, into their statistics.
He's got fourteen touchdown passes, two interceptions thrown Fronder over fourteen hundred yards in their four games. So yeah, bigger kids, sixty two and twenty pounds.
Yeah, that's a big quarterback.
Yeah.
Well, all of my statements about wins and losses and performance are all conditional, and so if those conditions are met, they usually take place. So I'd also like to say how refreshing it is to see the Tigers step up and winning win a series against the Astros.
Okay, well, we'll see what happens next. Next step who they played out? Yep, all right, thanks, thanks Jim, thanks for calling. Appreciate it. You just got a couple of minute stuff do on this segment, so if you want to call, you got to be real quick with it. Otherwise we're gonna get to the commercials and then we're gonna have Henry with the break the news and then have Fader on the other side as well.
Okay, anything else, Dave.
Yeah, Detroit, I mean it was that's an impressive win. Like he was saying, I don't think anybody expected Houston to lose in the first the first round like that. They've been to World Series and the AL Championship Series consistently in the last decade.
I was just going to ask you they're probably living off a reputation now well and good play because they didn't play well at the beginning of the year. I don't think they rallied in the middle and then they finished pretty pretty what they finished.
They make the playoffs.
In fact, I've been communicating with Francisco Romero here in the last through thirty minutes. He said, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna come back home? And he says, well, I can't because I sold my house or someone's living in his house. He lives in Houston now full time. And he says, uh, he wants to be the sidekick every now and again. Well, he has to be infict in town. I don't want to do it on the road.
Does he have any U of A connections anymore?
Yeah, he's still doing the Hispanic website all you know, the information they put on, but not the broadcast. No, his buddies are his buddies, the ones that used to work with him there. I think they just kind of slipped into the chairs and that used to have So Yeah, no, No, he's a big time now, he's you know, he is.
A big time majors for a long time. Yeah, he has. I've laspianol good good U of a grad what Pueblo High School? Been all over the place? Yep, got a few World Series rings more than we do.
Yeah, yeah, right, I had to buy. I had to buy his mind from the bubblegum machine. That's worth about a buck now, yeah, okay, are we ready to go? Henry please say yes. I guess we're okay. Thanks and