This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez sound Fox Sports fourteen fifty powered by Insurance Services and Sure your most Prized Possessions Kati z R two SA at iHeartRadio Station.
Hey, good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera alongside me is partner and yesterday's non guests Jay gon Zaliz I'm back. You're back, and then we have Henry. I'll just have one thing to say to you, Jay, I hate you.
I appreciate that, Steve, and I understand your hate at this moment.
Well tell him why, because I had a perfect week going I do, although I do have a lead you. I was watching the game and the Arizona was playing and they were struggling, and they were winning, then they were losing, and then they eventually won. And not once did I think had a hand in this. And later in the night you said you bet on him, and I said, if this you did have a hand in this.
I did, and I I'm not gonna apologize, but I'm just gonna say that's the way it goes.
You know, how deadly or how effective your kiod you is.
You know, I was just beginning to think that it maybe was starting to wear off, you know, because I had you know, I had a good I had a good week on on the betting sites again, and so the actually the reason I bet it is because I was winning on the weekend. So I thought, well, I'm gonna throw something on Arizona.
I did.
By the time I was getting to get ready to go to the Stateium, I thought, you know what, Arizona was gonna kill him. And so I threw something on him, and it wrecked your perfect week. And I'm I'm not unhappy about that. I'm unhappy that I lost, but it was it wasn't you know. It was play money for me, So.
Well, I'm okay with it. Five was a pretty good You got a nice five. I got it two song as you spent on it. Oh, so that was good. Well, there you go. I gave you the whammy back and then I went five bucks, so you lost thirty on that. Yeah, I'm okay with that. That's okay. Why are you already against me? Don't touch my teams. Don't touch my team.
You know, I mean, it was it was bad from the get go and Penn State just kicked the crap out of West Virginia, and we were on opposite sides of that one. And then Notre Dame you know, lit up text say name. We were opposite side of that one. So I knew it was a bad week. I was just hoping to get a couple right, and I did. But uh, you know, I'm off to a better start with a two. I'm off the better started last week last year, so about five weeks. Yeah, I mean, yeah,
I'm okay. I'm okay for now. You know, I feel good about where. I've got a couple of teams that I saw that I'm like, okay, I'm gonna ride those.
For a little while. So we'll see what what that turns out to be.
Well, I'm not too sure. We spoke about this yesterday and we'll just get your feedback on it today and we won't kill the bird here. But Arizona didn't look good, and I don't want to pooh pooh. They look good offensively, of course, but not defensively. Yesterday they talked about it. They're gonna have to get better in that area. Your thoughts from the sidelines.
Well, you know, because I've had since I've had a couple of extra days to think about it. You know, I've had some of the people that I'm around, they've been trying to talk me into those guys, particularly the quarterback and the one receiver number fifteen. Those guys are pretty good. And I said, right, no, they're not. Okay, if they're pretty good, they wouldn't be a New Mexico.
Oh you you said, okay.
And they said, well, you know, and then they said, well, you know, Arizona's got a guy who was in Mexico last year. And so they were saying, these two guys who were killing Arizona, they'll be playing at a higher level.
I said, next year. I said that yesterday to Andy, and before they made money yet over the weekend. Yeah, because someone else is going to pay them more money.
Right and that and maybe so, but you know what, Montana State beat them the week before. Yeah, all right there, and and and you know they you know, two of New Mexico's touchdowns against Montana State were defensive touchdowns. So these guys didn't do squad against Montana State, and all of a sudden they're running up and down the field again.
Okay, so what's your evaluation.
My evaluation was that the defense looked like crap. Oh yeah, yeah, okay, and don't try But my point is, don't try and sell me that New Mexico was good.
They were not. They're not.
They're still going to go to and ten. Maybe.
No, No, I don't think the good's not the right word. They played well, they played well. They give them credit.
They did.
Yeah, no, no, so we're not talking about New Mexican. Arizona could not cover his did you have your luncheon with your boys today?
Yeah?
And what they say, same thing, same thing.
They were still trying to sell me that you know that that the quarterback and the damp here and and the and the receiver are pretty good players. And I'm like, they're not. Oh, you're not gonna You're not gonna sell me on that. You know, the whole thing where you know, you play a close game against an NAU or somebody said, well that was a really good team. No they're not. New Mexico's not a really good team.
It kind of comes from the theory that Arizona, when they played in the tournament and they play a two place of fifteen or a four place of twelve. Well that was one of the better twelve. No, no, no, there was the reason they were fifteen. Yeah you should, that's all I'm saying. I don't disagree with you, Arizona. Maybe it was a one off. Maybe the thing is maybe means there may not be Okay.
Here, here's my my defensive analyst hat on. Now okay, and I'm not a defensive analyst. So for what you know, because a Keena talk, Duyna Keina defensive coordinator talked about how they were gonna be aggressive. They're gonna they were gonna rush, you know, vertical right, They're gonna rush to rush the quarterback. They weren't just gonna have the defensive line plug holes. Well, they did a poor job of
containing it. They did a poor job. They were getting up the field and then he was going right by him, the quarterback, and he ran for what one hundred and forty yards, So and that really.
Never got fixed.
It was better in the second half, but they still moved the ball in the second half. They still put a couple of touchdowns on the board in the second half. So to me, it never really got fixed. I thought Arizona should have just been able to stuff them, and they were never able to do that. Thirty nine points was way too many to give up to New Mexico, way too many. And that first half. Look, I never thought Arizona was going to lose a game, never thought.
But I thought this could be a seven point game because they Arizona could not get them stopped.
Yeah, so we'll see this weekend into it would be another one of those games. It's a twenty point, twenty eight point payer, I should say, so, less than there was last week. I think that's just an adjustment. We'll know in ten days. When know in ten days how good they are.
And look, I liked what they did offensively. I get it when they say, well, you know Noah's got to spread the spread the ball around, Well, no he doesn't. If they're not going to cover t Mac, if you're not going to cover teammate, then just throw.
It to him every time.
No, we talked about that too.
Problem.
And guess guess who he has a bias for team?
Of course he does.
Yeah, and he's gonna continue to.
With you have a bias for like sure, arguably the best receiver in the country.
And when all right, no, it's funny, Uh, desire. He talked joked about it obviously two weeks ago, which just if I had him, I throw him all the time. And guess what, people are eventually realize that's what they might do. But you have there's no question they have to feel the other guys. But when when Noah said it was my bad or not? No, dude, if he's if he's open, give it to him.
Never say my bad when you put sixty one points into the board.
No. And then the thing is, I think maybe it was Jim yesterday. Uh, Okay, this is all hypothetical. Of course, they had six hundred and twenty seven yards three hundred and four coming from TMAC to blah blah blah. What if something happens with that combination and read blah blah blah. Whatever. Okay, there's that, But guess what, they'll find other people, right, I'm not worried about that, they'll find other people.
This was more of if you're not going to cover him, then you're just then they're just I mean, you know, I did go back and I watched watch the recording, just watch the off. I didn't even want to look at the defense. I was I I was sick to my stomach over that and not sick to my stomach. I was just I was just kidding. I was pissed
about it. I was just pissed out of the defense. Okay, So I wanted to see what they're There were a couple of places where even the announcers saying, there's nobody within ten yards of team, what.
Are you doing?
The first the first TV catch, he was like in another times, what are you doing?
There's nobody?
You know, they put him in the slot and and the closest defender that wasn't a defensive lineman was fifteen yards away from him. You give him room to run around like that. Nobody's gonna nobody, They're not going to find him. And it was and I'm like, just keep throwing it to.
Him, right, the one thing, not one thing, but uh, it was funny to me to see all the tweets and the national level of not concern of the attention that teammate got. This is where you guys been, This is who he is. Is you missed him the last year or two him?
Come on, you know, they asked I saw on the press conference, they asked Brent Brennan, you know what his favorite catch was It was the one that you know he broke for the long he ran away down the side.
My favorite one was the one he caught in the left corner of the corner where he caught the ball, took a step back, let the defender go by, and then walked into the end zone.
Right.
That's that's a move that not a lot of guys had.
That's a that's Reggie Bush, you know, kind of stopping them that type of thing.
He catches the ball and he knew he had a guy on him, and he knew how to just let that guy go right by.
The one catch that I said, Wow, what a catch was the catch that they didn't give him on the sideline. Oh yeah, I thought he was. I thought it was a catch. I you know, showed that.
I watched the replay a bunch of you know, a bunch of times. He did look like his toe he hit the ground before his Are you stee with it right?
I could be mistaken. I think that was a cat. I think the ball was moving when he hit the ground.
That wow, I didn't see it.
I think he got both catch.
On the sideline. To me, it was and that makes kind of sense if that's true. I didn't see the ball move. I just was worried about his feet because he catches, he would have had eleven and three hundred and some like Peterson said yesterday, maybe if he catches that he doesn't have all the great you know whatever. But obviously that combination is going to be huge all year if they stay healthy.
Now I know, I I offensively, they were just incredible.
I just thought it was it was do you know.
The other thing that was concerning to me, and we talked about this was the penalties.
The penalties, and that was the other thing, the undisciplined penalties. How many the four sportsman like, yeah, two of them by by Jo Davis.
He's out for these happen.
Well, we thought that, I'm not sure. I think someone's checking on that, okay, because we're not sure about that, but that's a possibility of that. That's what we kind of think on the service, right, which is, you know, okay, it's any of you, but they can't have that.
But they can't do that.
Yeah, I mean, you can get away with that against against New Mexico. You're not going to get away with that against Kansas State and a couple of those hurt. You know, there was one where it was a fourth stet or it was a it was a it was either. I think it was a third down and they were gonna have to punt and then a sudden they got the first time. Then they got down and score.
So we'll see what happens again. Overall, Steve, you know, give me a great miss.
Judge a B minus, B minus because of the defense, because of the defense. You know, I'll give I'll give the I'll give the offense and an A and not an A plus because it was against New Mexico, and I'm gonna give the B maybe even a C on defense, you know, so ill grade out to about it B minus from me. You have some Russian Well, you know, Steve, these games you're supposed to do things in these games
to get you ready for the games that matter. And I thought this game was a wasted opportunity to to to put a defense out there that could.
Do some stuff.
Yeah.
I just didn't think that they were. I just didn't think that they were as as they didn't impose their will on New Mexico, and that bothered.
Yeah, okay, hey, let's talk about today's show. We're gonna have Jody Taylor from Phoenix talking about what's going on there with the Diamondbacks.
And the Cardinals cars starting this weekend. Let's talk about you know what are we going to see there? So stuff happening up in Phoenix, right, Okay.
And then on the second hour, we're going to have Greg Hanson, Uh you know him, we know him. He's gonna be about four fifteen talk about what's going on here.
Yeah, and we you know, I don't know if he saw Jack record passed away, so you know, somebody that we all knew, so I thought maybe, Yeah, we'll talk about Reminis a little bit about all of our u experiences with Jah.
I worked with him for a long long time. Okay, Well, we've still got a lot of time here, so we'll talk all about that. We'll talk more, maybe take some calls if you go on into the call. I know Jim called yesterday, but five two, o four one, six, seventy four forty, that'll be nice to call.
After the Diamondback Rodgers took three out of four from there.
You didn't go back, did you?
No?
I didn't go didn't even think about. First of all, I had a tailgate hangover on Sunday. So it takes me all day to recover from that and then just decide. Now you know, didn't go on Monday. So but I did watch the games, and well I only watched. I didn't even watch. I listened to two innings of the Sunday game, which was the game that they got. They were down eight to nothing in the second inning and put in all the scrubs. They gave up. They gave
up on that game early. But now you know Diamondbacks. Dodgers went in there and took care of business with the d Backs, which is good to see.
It's fun.
Yeah. No, they kicked three out three in the one Nush. I was up there Monday just doing some things with friends, and yeah they had on the two buck one o'clock whatever. Yeah, okay, let's just take the break, get a hold of Jody and talk about what's going up in Phoenix.
That's good.
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This is High on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez soun Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio while just surgery I on the Ball.
Hey, welcome back to Iying the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Jaginsaus. Now on the fund, we have Jody Taylor from Fox Sports nine ten in Phoenix. Jody, how you doing?
Some great guys, how you doing?
We're doing fine? You You gotta maybe be a busy man up in Phoenix with all the sports, Diamondbacks, the Cardinals starting as you do you sleep?
Yeah, they're not really giving me any easy else anymore. Usually I could count reliably and at least one of the teams just being totally incompetent, But so far it seems like there's a strain of competent professional sports teams running through the ballot.
Give them three days. When is when the Cardinals play Sunday? Yeah, we'll talk to you one day.
Yeah, I know, I'm pretty optimistic about their game.
Well, let's start there, because you know, the season starts tomorrow on not for the Cardinals, it starts on Sunday. But uh, you know, tough game, you know against the Bills and stuff. What do you just what are your thoughts going in? You know, what do they look like and what do they look like to you?
Well, I think it's it's a game that if they were playing in December, we'd be talking about a completely different outcome. I think the fact that they're playing in Week one. Denver had a ton of changes or excuse me, Buffalo out a ton of changes this offseason. They still don't have the wide receiver room figured out. Their defense got rocked with departures and Matt Mulono injuries and no
real clear cut secondary that's been established. Damar Hamlin starting for the first time since he literally died on the field a couple of years ago and was brought back to life. So it's sixty two degrees in reigning in Buffalo, which honestly sounds like a really nice vacation for most people in the state of Arizona. So I think it's it's all things considered, kind of fortuitous opportunity for the Cardinals. And you know, to answer your question, but how they looked,
they looked they look good. I mean, they got real talent on the offensive side. The defense is going to be a little bit of am with guyver job with tooth picks and duct tape. But that's what Jonathan Gannon did last year, and when Kyler Murray returned, they went three and five in their final eight. So I'm not I'm not predicting a shock the world season, but I definitely think Week one is a winnable game for the car.
I just called in search of Jody. I think you've been kidnapped.
I get a bad rap. I listen. If you're bad, I'll tell you how bad you are.
I'm not going to tell you.
I'm not going to tell you it's good when it's bad. But when it's good, I like to tell you it's good.
Is this a put up or shut up here?
For?
For Kyler? What do you think.
It's tough. In some ways, it is. In some ways it isn't right, because the question would be context always matters if if he's healthy and completely underwhelms offensively, is it because of injuries the offensive line, or is it because Kyler's just you know, maybe not that guy. I think that is at least one of the the options on the table. I don't think that's true, but it's certainly impossibility. I do expect to put up.
I just do.
I don't think it's going to be a real question for the Cardinals. I think the real interesting curve ball comes if he suffers an injury. He's never made it through a season through seventeen games. If he suffers an injury that's significant, then I think the Cardinals are going to have some real internal deliberation. But that will cross that bridge when we come to it.
That's not a shock to you that he's been hurt all this time, because he's five point ten and he's you know, runs around and I don't get it. I don't get it. I'm not like you, Jody, but I don't see the see the guy having a lot of success now or later just because of that. Right, that's part of it.
I think it has a lot to do with and this is this is he's a mature, more mature guy. He's twenty six now, he's clearly learned, and I think that can spill over to how you play. And when you're twenty three and you're running around like a crazy child, then you can run into a lot of trouble. If you're more mature and you kind of pick and choose your spots, I think you're can avoid some of that trouble.
Now.
You know, he got towards ACL on a basically no one, no one was there. It wasn't like a real contact injury. So some things are just out of your control. But I think his maturity has been evident off the field, and I'm really curious to see how it manifests on the field this year.
Yeah, a good point.
Yeah, who do we're talking to somebody from up there about Marvin Harrison Junior being the real deal?
Do you think he's the real deal? Mak Mad Do you think he's a deal?
He clearly is. But I also pump the brakes a little bit because we we we just expect this kid to come out and be one of the best receipts. Like, I don't know if you guys played fantasy football, but he's like a first round pick in fantasy right night. Yeah, it's like the idea that this son of a Hall of Famer on day one is just going to be better than his Hall of Fame dad is antithetical to the way that dynamic has always worked in his sport.
So I my my perspective is, I don't think Marvin Harrison Junior is going to lead the NFL in or excuse me, beers on the Cardinals and receiving yard this year. But I think he's going to have a really big positive impact. He could have eight hundred yards and sixty catches, but the way he creates opportunities for the rest of the passing weapons in this offense could mean Trey McBride's one thousand yard guy or Michael Wilson or both. And
so I think the expectations are out of control. I think you'll have a very good rookie year, but I don't expect him to be, you know, Hall of Fame and waiting from K one the moment he steps onto an NFL. But the NFL is not easy, and I don't care how good and how great your your DNA is. It ain't easy.
I had to google antitheticals there. No, what do you think they're going to end up in the division? It's not an easy division? No.
I really like the Seahawks actually really wow. The miners are the niners. I mean, the ESPN came up out that top one hundred list and they had like seven dudes in the top twenty five. I mean, they're just stacked now that everybody's fat and happy with new contracts. So I think it's probably third is the best I would say. But I also think that it's stance that the NFC West could have three playoff games, whether that includes the Cardinals or not. I think it's pretty ambitious
to expect them to be a wildcard team. I think a floor of seven wins probably you know, an eight.
To nine win ceiling, okay, And if.
They can do that, then I think there is real momentum going into next year where they could address what's clearly their biggest need, which is a pass rush, which I expected you need also, Gong.
So are you in that area of eight and nine maybe nine to eight if you're.
Lucky, I would yeah, I thought nine and eight until they got rocked by injury at their edge rusher and defensive line, and then I kind of downgraded seven to eight wins. All I care about. My only real expectation is that they play meaningful December football with real stakes, real consequences, so that this young roster can get a taste of what the NFL really is. Because it's you guys know you watch the NFL every week. It's increasingly
becomes September is just an extension of the preseason. Teams don't really turn it on until November December, and that's when really the contenders emerge, and so I want the Cardinals to get a taste of that. And I think that's the biggest objective for this upcoming year.
Okay, Okay, I was going to ask you typically, I think though you've been pretty fine, you've been pretty optimistic at the beginning of the year, and then eventually that fades. I think two years ago they had that streak in the back end that wasn't very good, any kind of poop pooed on them. So the key to winning is going to on. Wait, I know the coach, you know, I'm a firm believer that coaching matters. Did they find the guy that they like?
Now?
Yeah? So here's a comp thought about this is this feels like year two of Jetfish for the Arizona Cardinals. And I know that's the four letter word in Tucson these days, but when they went five and seven and you can see the formation of a real culture, a real team, I think that's where Jonathan Gannon is in year two. So they could end up seven and ten or eight nine, but I think next year they could be that ten win team that that Arizona became. And so I think the right guy is in place. I
think that's evident. I think that's the thing I'm most confident in is that Jonathan Gannon is is the real deal. And as you see at all levels of football, you got that guy, you got that guy, you got.
A chance, all right? All right?
So how did the as you look last week? I know that they beat the crap out of one, I mean, but.
What did it look like for who is?
Oh gosh, you know, I think the biggest takeaway ad for ACU is they're not a bad football team. You know, I know what bad football looks like. I watched plenty of Arizona teams after one game you're like, Nope, not happening this year. I've watched plenty of ACU teams after one game where you're like, no, not happening. This year. I watched as you and I thought, this team's not bad. I don't know how good they're going to be. I don't know if they can be good, but they're not bad.
Yeah.
Frankly, I think that's that's great for both Arizona and ASU. I think a healthy college football ecosystem in the state of Arizona would be mutually beneficial to both Brennan and Anthony Dillingham. And I know their rivals on the field, and none of the fan bases are bit of rivals. But I actually think having ASU be a competent program at the same time Arizona is thriving is good for everybody.
Yeah, yeah, no question.
Yeah.
It was hard to tell though, because I mean, Wyoming has been okay. It's not like, you know, it's not like they were New Mexico or something.
Well, Wyoming looked terrible. Yeah right, They're not a historically bad program, but they in this game. It was sloppy, it was penalties, it was a mistake.
It was.
It was bad. So I'm curious. You know, they've never beaten an SEC team, So if they pulled that off this week, it'll be a franchise first and I think that's a real test for them. But I I'll be curious Wyoming might end up being like a three or four win team this year based on so before.
But well, I think that issue is probably in that range two, unless, of course they you know, improve a heck of a lot. But people having at the bottom of the Big twelve, maybe three or four wins being okay, generous maybe to some people.
Well, I know last year in the Big twelve. You know, obviously we were all hyper focused on the PAC twelve, but in the Big twelve year ago, but West Virginia was expected to be a three win team and they ended up winning what eight games last year. I mean, they vastly exceeded expectations. I don't think ASU is doing that because I think the top of the conference is
better this year than it was last year. But you you know, you could see the Arizona State Sun Devils impressed beyond just you know, two or three wins, which is kind of the expectation.
Yeah, all right, okay, what about I have to sit here in a room with Jay with the Dodgers shut. I guess there's a lot of Dodgers fans up in Phoenix this weekend. What about those d Bacs say, you're doing very well and now I think they're third in the in the DIVILLI.
Yeah, they're They're a half game within the top wild card spot, but they're still in good shape. You know, I've been on the Diamondbacks all year and they're They're a resilient team. They got a lot of depth. They're bullpens a little wobbly right now, but I think this team's gonna matter in the postseason. You know, I don't it's possible to predict them getting back to the World Series, but they are a team that's gonna be tough to play.
They're starting pitching. I'm gonna be really curious to see how Zach Gallen pitches tonight. They they need Zack Gallen to be an ace. They need Merrill Kelly to get back to for him Ryan Nelson and bring him Fodham and the two best pitchers. But you know, the Dodgers kind of came in kinda kind of intent on reminding everybody who who the bully on the block was, and they they accomplished that with that, you know, Freddy Freeman,
show Otani and Mookie bit. It's crazy. Sobody's gonna have fifty home runs at.
Fifty fifty and fifty.
I still don't think he should win the MVP because he's engaged, and I just think Baseball president and history means you got to play the field to win an MVP. But he might be a rare exception, believe.
It or not.
So I one hundred percent agree with you as much as I like the guy, and I'm a Dodger fan. In the whole bit, I one hundred percent agree with you. You can't be in You can't be an MVP. To me, you can't even be in the Hall of Fame if you're if you play half the game. Uh, you know, like I don't think Edgar Martinez belongs in the Hall of Fame. The guy was a lifetime designated hitter. You never never played the field, you.
Know, show hey, well, obviously the Hall because he's also going to have the pitching right he will pitch, and so I don't I just don't think you can make that exception and kind of undo one hundred plus years of baseball history by just saying we want to market this star, so let's make an except. I don't I don't believe in that. I think baseball kind of like college football, has lost enough of its tradition and sort of connection to the past. This is one of those
few that remains. I think it's just important to keep around.
So if not him, who, well, you.
Know, Catel Marte I think had a real chance before he got injured, and he's been banged up for a few weeks, so now it looks like Francisco Lindor. But if they don't make the wild card, then I think there could be a real opportunity for Ktel Marte if he comes back and he's specs back soon. If he comes back and finishes with like a really good three weeks in the year, I think to tell Marte could be the NLMVP.
Yeah, no, I agree.
I agree that it's it's so up in the air, you know, with the you know, some of the guys have gotten hurt and stuff like that.
It's there's just nobody that's been there all year long.
You know, what if Shoe Hay goes goes fifty to fifty, They're going to give it to him, you know.
That, right? Well?
Yeah, plus, I mean and this is where my more cynical part of my brain comes, and it's like, of course they want him to win the MVP maje And I know the voters control it. It's not Major League Baseball crowning somebody. But what better way for Baseball to move on from the fact that guy was nearly involved in the most you know, significant gambling scandle and American culture than him winning the MVP and becoming the marketing
juggernaut that he was before that. And I know he was, you know, clear of any wrong doing, he wasn't involved, But I still think Baseball just wants a total restart and give him the m v P and they'll find a way to make it happen.
Puzzle. Yeah, you're right, you're right.
I agree. I agree.
Okay, Jody, Oh, we appreciate your time. Be safe up in Phoenix.
Hey go do go do some go do some like caheel cartwheels and things.
You know, I'm not the most limber of a gentleman, so I will be uh standing. I did. I did take on the kids and rousing him at kickball the other day and hit hit some kids in.
The head, and that you're the peyton of that commercial. Okay, thank you man, thank you Joe.
All right, I appreciate it.
Well.
Jodyaylor from nine.
He was at his gymnastics class, which is what reference was about.
Right right. You can hear him in the back, Yeah, yeah, Okay, goods tough. Let's take a break, come back to the local stuff. Maybe talk a little bit more about what we were talking about.
All right, that's good.
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Steve Rivera and Jacon Salles, they have their Eye on the Ball on Tucson Sports Stage chat Fox Sports fourteen fifteen.
Hey, welcome back to Eye on the Ball here. I'll Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, you're Jay Gonzalas. Got our guy here, Henry today you are at the game. So I'm gonna ask both of you guys. So the desre said she's gonna be sending a lot of a lot of questionnaires after games that she wants to know what's going on. She's new, obviously the feel of it. So what did you. And we had Jeff Deane on yesterday and we kind of went soft with him and
questioned and stuff. But I guess, I guess tell me about the audio. I guess it wasn't the audio system. It wasn't very good.
Well, the arty system has never been very good.
Okay, so it's standard.
Right Centa Press. It's never been very good.
And that goes back to when they picked the audio system for for when they put up the new scoreboard.
They just didn't get a good one. Okay, Uh, I've heard.
My understanding is that that the person who was responsible for that wasn't even an audio guy, an audio person, an expert in it. So so it just so the only the only way you're they're ever going to fix that is to get a new one, new audio system. Audio system not so much aboard nothing nothing board just right, they're not attached.
They're two separate things. So that the what what what look?
You go you go to most stadiums and the audio system surrounds the stadium. At Arizona Stadium, it's straight out of the scoreboard and that blasts into the Stateum so you said where I said, right on the north end, it's far and it's not that loud. We moved we we used to sit on the south end, okay, and it was awful.
It was too damn too loud okay, okay? Or was it muffled?
It's just it was no because it was so loud because they have to play it loud enough for you to hear.
It on the other end.
Now it's now it's not super loud.
It's just muffled. I don't hear very well.
Yeah, that's what I'm getting on the Twitter here with people asking about what can be improved.
It's a bad sounds apparently, and so that's there's nothing they can do about that short of building and.
The Well then that's this year. They won't happen. If that's the case, what else, because I guess that you couldn't hear the refs, that's what they were saying with their explanations.
And it was a long ass game. Oh well, the game was horribly long, and that's probably got some people in a bad mood over over over game atmosphere. You know, the the reviews were long. There was so much scoring, so every time they scored, they went to a commercial. So that's not that was just the nature of that game. That's not you a base fault. That's not anybody's fault other than you know, some of those three and four minute.
You know booth reviews.
The only problem with the Uba Wizard fault on defense to leve them. There's some scoring.
I'm there. One hundred points scored in this game. Yeah, right, that's it. I mean, you go to a baseball game and if it's fifteen to fourteen, that's a long game, right, the same thing. You put one hundred points on the board. That takes a while.
So some people, you're sixty five years old. We talked about this. The DJ. The DJ? Is it the music?
Is it?
The loudness?
Is it?
Is it a propropriate for ag?
Well, Steve again, I've come I've come to grips with the fact that I'm not the audience. I'm not the audist, I'm not the demographic. If if having the DJ doing what he did Saturday night means the students stay, which they did, I was going to tell you this, which they did, then I'm fine with it.
He told us to any One of the things impressed me was they stayed, stayed, they stayed, which I can't remember when late in.
The fourth quarter they started to leave. But the game's out of hand, it's over, it's late. Bar minutes are are sure falling off the table.
Sure, but but hey, I plodded them because that's the longest I've ever seen.
So if having the DJ and listening to them to the music means that more people stay in the stadium, But.
They've been playing that same music for the past, well they didn't, they didn't. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, it's it's no different, but.
It's a different DJ. I can't tell the difference a different DJ. I can't tell the difference.
Well, some guys just said they need a new DJ.
What did you need the new DJ?
The kids? What do the kids feel about everything? The whole situation. I was asking Jay, the music, the atmosphere, the speakers.
I think the Zona Zoo atmosphere is by far the best I've.
Seen in the It was it was good. It was good. I have to admit that me and.
All my friends were just sick of how long the commercials were.
Yeah, sure, yeah that was hard. What do you say about the audio?
I think, yeah, I couldn't hear the refs.
That's what the big question was here.
You you know, I guess I wouldn't pay.
I wouldn't have known that because I've told you I I have Brian Jefferies in one here, so I'm listening to those guys.
And so I guess I didn't hear that. You couldn't hear the refs. But overall, you know, they said there were gonna be all these changes to the you know, with the DJ and the music and promos and stuff like that.
It all looked the same to me. It didn't look like anything changed. And now maybe it did and I just didn't notice it. But you know, Stef, I you know, I go to a game. I go with my wife and some friends, and you know, during timeouts we talked to each other. We you know, whatever we do, whatever we do.
So I don't know what you can do to create a better atmosphere, if there's certain music you can play or what. I don't know it all.
I had heard that it was all gonna look and feel different. It didn't look and feel any.
Different, right right? Well, she had said that, and they have a new production guy. He was that did you go in line for food?
Yeah?
And and how was that you didn't try the other stuff that.
Oh yeah, my daughter went and bought the new nachos that they do that at Serveces.
Holy crap, good good.
And you didn't have the other ones that you talked about with Disrae. The oh the other stuff, now okay, because those are good. I didn't have the barbecue or any of that. Don't know the sweet stuff, wasn't that the Yeah?
Yeah, and I didn't. We didn't have that. My my daughter did get the the luxe nachos with you know, with meat and all the very good.
So in addition to your chicken and.
I had, I had the regular nachos that I know that I always get. They still don't give you enough enough cheese and you have to beg for right.
Well, let me tell you, I'm not gonna cover the game this weekend. I'm gonna go as a fan with your boy Bill. Uh, so we'll see, you know, see what happens. Yeah, but let me ask you, did how did the tail get with Miguel show up? That Mike?
He did not.
He called me and said he couldn't come somewhere else he had to be and had had a nice ticket. It rained, It rained for about half an hour, and I mean it was kind of sideways rains. We had to kind of protect our food and the TV in a little bit. Once it stopped, it was old off and it was not actually it was.
It was a nice night.
It was actually a pretty nice night. It wasn't super hot, and this game is always dreaded for for the heat and you know, this one coming up on Saturday's supposed to be really hot.
But no, it made for a really nice night. We had a great We had a great time. You know, it was it was a win. We were a little frustrated that, you know, at the end of the half it was a close game, but you know, walked out of there with it with a win. And uh, we you know, we had fun. We did.
I'm not I'm not gonna you know, look, we're gonna have fun no matter what. Anyway, So whether the DJ's good or bad, whatever, you know, we we still we all have fun. But yeah, when I when I think about all the stuff that was supposed to be different, there was not any anything different.
Well, the biggest thing is the DJ here and the sound system is the kind of the top complaint.
I don't know what they're gonna do about that sounds Yeah, well, Steve, it wasn't It wasn't good from the day they put it up.
I was just gonna say, this year is not good. The previous years are not the same.
It wasn't good from the from the moment they put it up. And like I said, we moved because of it. We well partly because of it. We also were on across the aisle from the visiting teams that we were tired of fighting with those guys.
Yeah, so so we moved to the north side.
You know, I like where we are again for me personally, because I've got Brian, Jefferies and Lamont in my ear. That's where I'm getting my information. I'm not getting my information off the off the.
The sound I can't remember because I don't do this. And you listened to it on the radio or on your the radio.
I have a radio.
It's simultaneous, simultaneous.
Yeah, you can't listen to it on the phone because there's like a six second delay, yeah, six seven second, eight second, maybe even more than that thirty second delay, so you can't.
I have a radio. I have an actual radio that I hook on my belt.
So they said, I want to say forty four. I think it was what it was, but it was good. It looked good. Hey again the students stayed and they looked good. On the sidelines, there was nice. I don't think they're gonna have that this weekend. I thought it was in the forty six, forty seven. I think it could it could have been. I want to say forty four for the announcement. Could be, could be right, could be wrong too. Oh.
One thing I am still pissed at and pissed out again is the band just walks out on the field and starts to play.
There's no banded entrance at all.
Oh oh oh, I hate to begin the year.
Yeah, the start of at the start of the game.
I don't know every other damn school has their band makes an entrance, right, some sort of you know, choreograph, march on the field, get everybody fired.
It just walk on the field and line up and then they go to me that does nothing.
Well, you know, part of that experience, Jay, is as you've been to places to watch. I don't think the people who make decisions have been to places.
Why not?
Well that's you know what you know what you do question?
Go to YouTube that's the question.
Go to YouTube because everyone's a copycat. Right, We'll say, what does Ohio State do? What does what does other teams do? What do big schools do?
And they do that?
Right?
Yeah, they have an entrance. Go to YouTube.
Look at the Wisconsin entrance, Look at the State entrance, Look at the USC entrance, Look at the Cal entrance. We are we are cal when it comes to football traditions, right, Arizona is cal and Cal has you know, cal blast the cannon and then the you know, they they go marching out onto the field and everybody stands up and goes crazy. It's like the band kind of strolls out onto the field and get in their lines, and then
they start to play. And they play this video that tries to hype up the crowd.
You know, how up the crowd.
Make an entrance, They have a perfect They come in from the corner of the stadium and the big giant tunnel right there. They can line up an entrance right there and and and you know, march out onto the field and away that gets that gets build some atmosphere, and they don't do it.
Let me ask you, you think you're an aberration for this you, because do you think other people care about that?
Well, they would care if they did something they don't know, they don't know. The average fan probably did because this is the way it's always been in Tucson, Arizona. Youve but if if there was a band entrance that fire the looking Notre Dame. I mean there's an entrance where the band gets the crowd jacked up before the game, and they still don't do it.
How early into the how early do you get there before the game?
Half hour?
So there's thirty minutes on the clock, so and then two sons of later rivals. You know, I take my pictures with about ten minutes after doing the national anthem, and it's still not it's about sixty percent full. You know what, if it was something to see right, they would go in, they would they would get there A good point, I kill, Are you that that's a possibility? Yeah?
You know you again, and I get it. We're not Ohio state, We're not Wisconsin. We're not us well sort of us in terms of crowd, right. But you if you go look at the you go to YouTube and you see the banded entrance and they show the stadium it's full yeah, and that's fifteen minutes before ten fifteen minutes before.
The game starts. That's all you gotta do.
And fans will get there early to see it if it's a spectacle. But it's not, and so fans stroll in, you know, with ten minutes left in the first quarter.
Yeah, right, Well there you go. Outside of talking about nachos, there's your thing. If we ever have desiree on again? Or do your little survey? Did you get you get a survey?
Yeah?
Did you do? You do it?
I always bring it up. I haven't done this, sar, but I will.
I do it.
I did a preseason survey, okay, and that was mentioned, Yeah, I was. I bring it up every time. Attendance was forty four to seven.
Forty four. I just remember. So I don't think it's going to be that this weekend probably.
Well you don't know, you don't you know why is it Labor Day weekend? Yeah, it's a struggle on Labor Day week.
But you said it's gonna be hot.
Yeah, yeah, it's I bet it's about this.
What's what's the next one's home game?
Uh?
Texas Tech?
Yeah, Texas Tech.
You see their game fifty two fifty one. I was told over the weekend, is that right? And they already struggle against Abilene against Christmas our guy at Texas we had a guy on from the beat. Yeah, and it was very optimistic. Yeah. Uh so you know who knows, but uh, I don't know. You know, Tucson, you gotta it's to show me. It's Missouri, you gotta show me.
Yeah, exactly the after after any of the next home game is Texas Tech October the fifth.
Fifth, Yeah, and we don't have a time for that. We won't have a time for that till probably two weeks before.
Yeah, so they just got to show up for the first two games on the road. You know.
You know, I think it'll be good for them to you know, play this game with any of you and go on the road and like you know, like coaches say, they go on the road, circle the wagons us against them and get fired up.
You know, they had the whole wear white thing and a lot of people were white. But in the zone they must have given did they give out T shirts to the zone? Now, you guys didn't get T shirts.
Even for that they did it last year, thought it wasn't but yeah, they didn't give.
It costs money. Jay, you gotta get out of this deficit, I know.
But if you're gonna tell me where this, well, then give them this to wear at least the at least the students.
You know.
I was originally wearing a red shirt, and then my friends reminded me.
And then you got to go back home and get.
God.
You know again, Look I had it was fun. It was a great It was I would say a great game.
It was.
It was a fun day, fun game. You know, the cat's got to win. You You love seeing what Tmac did. That just incredible, you know, I mean, he's building a legacy we could walk out of here. Is the best player you know ever at Arizona. You know, I don't know how what any you was gonna do so that that doesn't happen to them too. On Saturday, it's gonna
he's gonna be fun to watch the defense. You hope that they you know, I mean, if they if NAU scores two touchdowns on them, I think Arizona's got a problem.
They just scored seventy two touchdowns.
Well did you see who they played?
I know, it was like school for the school for.
The some of from some obscure conference in California.
We were looking at, uh, you know, if any of you moves the ball against some you know, to some level of success, I think they've got a problem.
Okay, we'll see how that figures.
For good quick first hour, let's go take a break. We're gonna have Henry with breaking news, and then Greg