This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jaken Zalece on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen powered by Nova Insurance Services. Make sure your most prized possessions kat z R two side at iHeart Radio Station. Yet, very good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen. Cookie. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Jaken zalez and we're still by ourselves, so be where some scroups can. Maybe you'll hear the person on the phone. Did he didn't call back? Re bran, No, I didn't hear myself
on the podcast. They made fun of me about that at lunch today. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just said, maybe you guys, maybe you guys should find somebody who can do this for you. I said, wherever we're trying, we're trying. You need an intern. I said, you want you guys want to be the intern. It's not a paining job. Oh no, there's nothing. I'm busy. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I was with some buddy day maybe another intern possibility. And says I want to go see your show. I says, you don't want
to give a sho show. There's nobody here, there's nothing to see in this little slow I mean, what are you gonna watch this talk? Oh hard time watching us talk sometimes? Your wife, I'm sure it was tired of I know she was tired of me this morning. I'll tell you what. You well, we're both so busy. We both had stuff to do and we have you know, both and I don't know what. Well, I'm trying to get out of town, right, you know, I want to leave town on Friday morning, and so you know, it's one of
those things. I'm on deadline on a bunch of stuff, including your story that I need. It's almost o and then and then, uh, I just got to get everything done. We're on deadline for for the magazine. If you're like me, you have you're thinking about that. Well, you're still doing this well and doing all this and then still thinking about that. All right, that was the case, I mean, really, that's it's kind of I was so distracted by everything else going on in my brain.
Yesterday I didn't turn on the button for the microphone button for our collar, Brian, and so everybody only heard our side of the conversation. And then I left the left the microphones as we went out. So it's like, what else could go wrong? Well, there's more that can go wrong. We're gonna try not to let that happen. We'll see what We have a pretty good show today. I got You've got Ryan Radkey, right, Ryan Racky, who's h the Sunday night football radio announcer for Westwood one Sports.
Former former Tusson sports radio guy, talk show guy. He's been a he's been a play by play guy for the Reno Aces Triple A team and now he's with Westwood One. He does called, he does n Double A tournament stuff he does. He does the Sunday night NFL game. He's got the Giants and the Cowboys this weekend. So he's got a Texas it is in no that in New York. So he's coming on today. We'll just talk about the start of the NFL season. You know what he thinks of some
of the teams. There's still a lot of stuff going on, a lot of person down news and stuff. We'll cover some of that in breaking news. But Ryan Racky always a great guest, always a fun guy. We have a great time with him. And so he's doing the Cowboys Giants game. Yeah, and then we're gonna kind of preview some of the game today and tomorrow. But today we've got Mississippi State state side, right, Jack
Buyers. He's the Mississippi State Rivals, a website guy over there, sort of the Matt Mordeno or or say Troy Troy Hutchinson or Bryan Peterson for from Mississippi State. We had him on before the game last year. Right, Well, we'll see if anything changes over there. They had a press conference yesterday. Today Today was the was the Mississippi State press conference with UH with their coach and they had their quarterback on. So we'll find out from from
Jack Buyers what they had to say. Let me ask you a question because you I thought this yesterday and didn't talk to you about it. So we're in the PAC twelve, right, we live in the PAC twelve of Mississippi State. May be good, may not be good, right, But I think, like you mentioned this yesterday and it stuck me and I didn't talk to you about it. There's this perception about the SEC right, whether they're good or not good, they're in the seccent, don't matter who they are.
They're big, they're top, they're right, but not always good though. I mean we could be long. I'm not sure we're wrong in this one, but you know what I'm saying, you live with this perception. It's like you're a novel you you with the Lobos, which existed at one time. It just doesn't. But the SEC has this reputation of being good top to bottom, right, But I don't know if that's always the top
to bottom. But they've got you know, they've usually got seven or eight pretty good teams that are hard and this is one of them, and this is yeah, and this is one of them. But you know what I'm saying, Oh, he's from the se SEC. So you know they're gonna not always not always yeah, No, I mean, if Arizona is going to play Vanderbilt, I'm saying they should kick their asses right right, But you know, but they're going to play Mississippi State and you're miss State.
You handled Arizona was very physical. Uh, you saw the size difference with those guys. We'll see how much Arizona has closed the gap on that if they have. Nonetheless, here's the thing. People are on here think Arizona can win the game, whether they do or don't. Why do you think they're thinking that because they think Arizona is bare. Okay, who are you talking to? Who's saying that? People that I talked to, they're not saying we think we're gonna win. H They're saying we think we can win.
There's a difference. Yeah, explain that difference than who you're talking about. I think you don't think can win. No at all, no chance zero zero. No, I'm not gonna go deon Sanders on you. But but not really percentage percentage Okay, good, good, good question. Uh, twenty twenty five to thirty percent? Okay, that's it. Yeah, but if you're gonna say, well, you have a chance, like dumb and dumber, Okay, we'll have a chance. No, I do the Do I think they're gonna win? No? Do you think they have a
chance to win? I guess twenty is a chance, but not what I saw. You asked me this game maybe or ten days you goot. I said, yeah, at halftime, at halftime on Saturday, I thought they're gonna get their ask. But again, this goes back to the Final four or the basketball season. When we went to the tournament. You say, Okay, they're gonna win this game. They're gonna win that game. Fau who they But because we don't know, we don't see them. You just
know fau who they. Well, let's go back to let's go back to what when we had Rob rob waldrop on them. Okay, you know that they opened the season one one and one and I think the one tie was against bad Oregon State team, right, and then they go to Miami. You just close your eyes. You don't want to look, right. They should have beat them, They had a chance to beat him, right, and they didn't beat him. And that was the birth of Desert Swarm.
And for the next three seasons they were really damn good. Yeah, so you don't know. You don't know what what's going to turn a team on from one day to the next, which is why we don't know. We think Colorado's going to kick the crap out of Nebraska, but do we know
that We don't know. And the one thing I've learned that I've said this on the show a few times and you've heard it a few times, is that you you can never know in college basket of college footballers, college sports, what team is going to show up given the emotional stats, uh, you know, the motivation factor. Colorado had everything to gain, nothing really to lose, right because of America outside of Dion and the team believe that they're gonna loose, and then they win and it says, well, hell
would you guys? You didn't believe? It's not our job to believe? Right, No, it's not. And that was done and that again I said, it's telling you. You know, I'm trying really hard to like what Dion Sanders is doing. He's making it really hard for me to do that. Okay, we'll see you. But he doesn't give a crap but
what I think, But you know, he's making it really hard. But nonetheless, you know, we don't know if Colorado is really damn good or if they just had a one off because they were so excited and pumped up, and maybe TCU is bad or whatever. You know, what do we know about LSU, What do we know about Florida State? What do we know about Clemson? What do we know about Duke? We know that what happened last week, Well, we don't know that Clemson's going it's going you
know six and six? Right, No, it could have been one off on a number of different teams. Duke, Colorado, they're already in the top twenty two. They won one game. They were not even supposed to win three games this year, and now they're in the top point. This is and I see this on the show all the time, Jay, And to you, it's easy to be the sizemology just after the fact. If you're gonna tell me an earthquake is coming, I like it. But you
can tell me earthquak just happened. What's the point it just happened. No One, no one I know, said Colorado. I was gonna win this game. You have a pool, right, you have a pick? How many picked? How many picked the game? I can tell you that real quick, something like just over two hundred okay, so how many got it wrong? One hundred and nine? So ten people got it right? Right? No, I can tell you it was I have it right here.
No, Almost three hundred people picked the game and two hundred and two pick tu, sixty six percent of the people got it wrong, right, Okay, And I want to talk to the other dude, See what the hell's how many of those people are gonna take Colorado this week? Right? Yeah? And how many get that right or wrong? Well, it's like Arizona. We didn't see. I think Anthony said the best it was, Well
he can't come to conclusions from that game. You can't and maybe because it wasn't at you and they kind of kind of slowed down a little in the first half, right, And I'm not touching. I'm not touching the game. No, what is even if I wasn't an Arizona fan, what is it? I'm not taking It's ten and a half. That's not a whole lot of points. It's not a whole lot of What would you do if you're gonna take it? If you if you said I had to take it,
I'd take me. Yeah, me too, because if he was fourteen and a half, right, I'd probably take an Arizona and I thought that's what it would be, not ten and a half. Well, that's not a whole lot of points yesterday. But yeah, let me ask you. I'm gonna bounce around here with you a few times. Don't saying like that with you? Not on you? So uh, with the new offense with a new clock management and Jed talked about this briefly on Saturday night. So
the clock is running. I think it hurts Arizona because it kills a lot of time it wants. You want Arizona have the ball a lot and because they move from all potentially put that clock eats up as it goes right, don't you think, well, well you're look at what any of you did on Saturday night, right, They held the ball for so much of the
first half. They held the ball for the last seven and a half minutes of the second quarter Arizona, as we said, Arizona could have had maybe should have had two possessions in there instead any of you held the ball, they go in, look a fourteen to three. The game looks like it's close or not. It wasn't, but it looked close. You're kind of going, what the hell's happening? You know, Arizona got his hands on the ball a whole lot more than the second half, and they scored more
and they won the game comfortable. So do would you agree? I agree? I agree? Don't funny think about this? Okay, So they have the clock to go faster to make the game. What's the point if you have twenty five stopping just to watch the review of the plane exactly? I mean, like, if you're army or navy or somebody like that, you you like the clock shooting, it's because the other team doesn't get the ball, you know. But if you're Arizona and you can put points on the
board pretty much against anybody, which I think they can. Sure you want you want, you want the ball. Sure Jet seems to be happy with it. You know, he likes it because he used to it in the NFL. But he wasn't happy that they only got four possessions in the first half. We all heard what Chip Kelly said. He was pissed off because they only had four possessions in the first half. Yeah, you see that. That means you're defense has to stiffen up and get the ball back.
Right. But but for a team that has offense, mostly offense, you need that ball and this clock is going to be a little, maybe a little factor in right. Well you're look at what at any of you just you know, they were able to run the ball a little bit in the second half, able to keep the clock running and keep it and they just
kept the ball away from Arizona in the second half. Arizona if with without the clock rule, and let's say let's say Delora doesn't funnel that, Arizona could be up twenty eight to three at the half, and it was fourteen to three. Well, Jed said this, and I didn't check the place playlist. Fifty three total place, so you're talking about it could have been seventies. They run seventy to eighty last year, right, seventy to eighty
plays last year. Rich Rod would run in the nineties. Yeah, so that's gonna play a factor, especially with the team that loves the ball. Yeah. So that's not a good thing. That's not a positive thing. Yeah, So you know, and and again, I think it seems to me, I would think that Mississippi Stage is gonna be built on its defense. They're gonna want the clock to run. You're gonna want to keep the ball out of Arizona's hands. Yeah, because Arizon canra and they can grind
it out. They can grind it out with the big guys. So we'll see, we'll see. I agree the clock rule is I didn't. I didn't know how much it would change it. But you're seeing that, You're you're seeing a lot of games like that where there's only a handful of possessions and then, like you said, in an Arizona team runs fifty some plays that's you got to be incredibly efficient when that happened. Sure, and we didn't notice it in the TCU Colorado game, at least I didn't because both
teams were just using five players and out scoring every five seven plays. Yeah. Yeah, so you want to reach something, Yeah, we we gotta got a minute. But no, I think that this is an interesting game more more or less because you want to see what Arizona's look against the good team. I don't. I don't give them much more of a chance than you do for them to win this game. Okay, you know thirty chance. Well, did I ask you this Saturday, did you adjust your win
total with Arizona? No? No, Okay, I'm still on five and a half. I'm over. They won the games I'm talking about, Okay, how they played, they won the game. I have no would come now Colorado looks I'm still at six or seven games. Okay, Okay, I still think they can beat Colorado because by by the time that time rolls around Colorado, you have to understood Colorado. You have to understand it. Well, they were really good on Saturday. They might not have the depth
that they're gonna need towards the end. Of the season. They got a bunch of you guys and and you know, you don't know if they're other guys. Can look, everything came together for them on Saturday, no doubt. But I think that, uh, you don't know what's gonna happen some of the things you say, and I think you over over analyzed. Sometimes I like you over analyst. Sometimes sometimes I agree with it. All right,
let me read this. The best Thursday of the year is coming up and it's all about NFL Opening Night Football is back and Draft Kings sports booking official sports betting partner of the NFL, is hooking up new customers with a can't miss the offer to celebrate place your first five dollars NFL bet and score who two hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly. DraftKings is hooking up everyone with the game day greatness. All customers can take advantage of two new offers every
single game day this September. Check the app to see what you get. Don't wait to kick off to get in on the hype. Download the Draft Kings sports book app now and needs to code fourteen fifty. New customers get two hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five dollars. Let's code one four five zero only on DraftKings sports Book. The Crown is yours twenty one. An older Arizona only damning problem called one eight hundred next step.
Bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. Eligibility and deposit restrictions apply. Terms at sportsbook dot DraftKings dot com slash football terms. All right, we're ready for Ryan Radkey. Okay, okay, so we're gonna take our break. We're gonna come back Ryan Radkey from Westwood one Sports. He'll be calling the Giants Cowboys game this we'll just get his take on the overall NFL season
coming up. Let's stick around. For more than twenty years, the Window Depot has provided the best price and the biggest inventory on in stock vial windows, and now the Window Depot is more than a window store, offering homeowners and contractors a one stop warehouse offering interior and exterior doors, granted in courts, countertops, in stock cabinetry, and skylights to finish your project. Their team of professionals will help with everything from free kitchen design to custom orders from
leading manufacturers. Like mill Guard and Geldwyn. Order online or find a location near you at the window deepot dot com. Join Children's Clinics and ride for us in the fortieth annual eltourde Tucson. Help us raise funds to support adaptive sports and arts programs and to purchase adaptive trikes and bikes for children with chronic complex medical needs. Find us at Children's Clinics dot org. Steve Rivera here to talk about Dorato Rock and Materials. I needed a lot of gravel from
a driveway, so I called Eric at Dorato Rock. He found out the amount and COLORIE needed and boom, it was taken care of and at a great price. How do I know radio commercials work? I heard one of his on the radio. Doronto Rock and Materials provides a wide range of landscaping materials, including decorative rock, boulders, gravel, soil, and sand for residential and commercial use in the Tucson area. They are locally owned and have
been around for more than fifteen years. Give them a call at five two zero four zero zero four two three three. We are beads of courage. Come ride with us for the fortieth el tort at Tucson. Beads of Courage provides innovative arts and medicine programs for children coping with serious illness, their families, and the clinicians caring for them. Let's ride together. Find us at Beads of Courage dot org. Where do you buy exercise equipment? Arizona Health
Arizona Health Arizona Health. Of course, to feel better and look better, it makes sense to buy your fitness equipment from the people who know it better than anyone else. At Arizona Health, our goal is to help you choose the equipment you need to reach your goals your health and fitness to serve the best deserve Arizona How the lead nite an exercise equiment on twenty seconds to West of willnot. At Nova Homelans, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy
the independence that comes with homeownership. Paul Volpi is ready to help you find an option that best fits your needs. Whether you're a first time or veteran HomeBuyer, or want to get cash out with the refinance. Nova has a variety of home loan programs to meet your unique situation. Visit volpe team dot
com. That's Volpe Team dot com or called five two O six one eight five six two six Today MLS three O eight seven Arizona BK nine two nine two Equal Housing Opportunity now commitment to lyndricson credit rates available loan programs a subjects change us. It's summertime. In the summer leagues are wrapping up. Volleyball, softball, baseball, swimming, and pickle ball are coming to their season end. Come down and visit the cool and relaxing Creative Awards Idea center to
pick out your awards for the champs and MVPs. It's also time to replenish your corporate apparel with new Polos caps and safety t shirts with your corporate logo to make your team look sharp. Creative Awards also has a large selection of brand names like Nike, Eddie Bauer, New Era, and Carhart just to name a few. Believe it or not, it's corporate holiday gifts season time for your clients too, with over one hundred thousand items to choose from.
Come visit Creative Awards, Inc. Two twenty eight West Drachman Street or online at Creative Awards az dot com. Did you know sports cards at Memorabilia are setting records sales last month in nineteen fifty two, Tops Mickey Mantle sold for twelve point six million, Lebron James Rookie sold for five points six Also collecting cards is a family fund hobby that could be very profitable. If you want
to start a collection or expand your collection, check out Showtime Cards. They are one of the leading card shops in the country and have served our local community for twenty five years. They are located on e Speedway. That's Showtime Cards, Neckpage, back page, car Accidents, Headaches, Sports injury.
Burnella's Chiropractics is to help our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle. Combining chiropractic care with physical medicine modalities, therapeutic procedures and massage therapy not only reduced pain, but helps the body heal itself as well as provide other health benefits. Or Nellis Chiropractic. We use a natural approach to improve an individual's health and well
being. Don't suffer any longer. Call or Nellis Chiropractic today. The Secret Savings Account from Pyramid Federal Credit Union is an account you pay yourself and save oh right. It's set up as an automatic transfer for any amount and the transfers add up over time. You can save for a down payment on a dream vacation or an emergency fund. And the best part for withdrawals, Your Secret Savings account can only be accessed in branch or over the phone. Visit
Pyramid FCU dot com slash Secret Saving to learn more. Federally ensured by NCUA, join the Aviva Children's Services Team and write the El Torta Tucson for free when you raise five hundred dollars have fun while raising money to support children in foster care. Visit gear Up for Good dot org to sign up and for more information. It's that time of year, Summer in Tucson. Time to take control with Temperature Control for all your air conditioning needs. We'll keep you
cool during all the hot streaks. All you have to do is stay in control with Temperature Control where we handle everything you need with prompt response, affordable pricing, and sound solutions. We also excel in plumbing and electrical work. We handle everything you need. Give us a call at five two eight one five five six six five or visit our website at tempacon dot com and remember, stay in control with Temperature Control. Need concrete. Hard Works Concrete has
it. We have more than twenty five years of experience with all things concrete. Installing sidewalks and patio floors are our specialty and handle masonry work and retaining laws. We're locally and family owned. Just let us know what you need, how you want it, and we'll take care of it. Leave the hard work up to us. We're Hardworks Concrete US at five one two nine six two five six six zero or visit our website hard works Concrete dot com. We'll put the work in for you. This is I on the Ball
with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeart Radio Whip Just Surgery, I on the Ball. They welcome back to On the Vault on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Hushteve Rivera, you're jagons. Also now on the fun we have Ryan Radkey from Westwood one Sports. How are you Ryan? Having the boys? How are you back for another season? I see you must be ready and willing and all that fun stuff. Get ready? I am, I am. I'm very
excited. I woke up Monday morning and could not believe it was finally game week and yeah, absolutely ready ready to go. So we know you've You've got the Cowboys Giants game in New York this weekend Sunday Night Football. But let's talk to you first about the NFL as a whole. My first question to you is, do you think the Chiefs are somebody you still penciled in for the Super Bowl this year or is everybody catching up? Well? I know, I mean, I think you certainly would consider them one of the
favorites in what is a pretty stacked AFC. I think everybody would agree with that that the number of contenders on the AFC side is pretty remarkable. But I think that Andy Reid and the Chiefs, especially last year, proved that you can never count them out. You know, they trade Tyree Hill and all of us are saying, well, what are you gonna do? I mean, you just lost the best dep threat in the league that's certainly going to have a massive impact on this team, and they're wearing rings at the
end of the season. So I think as long as Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes were there and together, you always have them in the mix. I think what we've seen just in the last twenty four hours with the injury news about Travis Kelsey coming out. Is just a reminder that everybody in this league is vulnerable to injuries. You know, we like to say this a lot that so and so or Team X is one injury away from dot dot dot.
Well, really that applies to everything in the league. You know, if the Chiefs lose Travis Kelsey for an entire season, and let's hope that's not the case, it sounds like the ac L is attacked and he's gonna be okay. But you know, you lose great players, It's it's tough to overcome. But I don't think you can ever count out the Chiefs as long as as read and the homes are together. Let me ask you a dumb question. You don't have to answer it because I have two kids and
I don't want to say whose favorite. But you actually do this, and you do it well for a big time organization, big games. You also do college basketball. How much fun is or which one do you like better? And that's a tough question, but how much fun do you have in either one of them or both of them? I mean, I have a blast you and all of it. I mean I literally can tell you that I woke up Monday morning and I was kind of like a kid at Christmas.
I was very very excited that we get a chance to get back at it. So, you know, people asking all the time, what's what's your favorite, what's the most fun? I have fun doing all of it. I really do. And I've been very very blessed to do the things that I've done, To be in some you know, big time college environments, to do the NFL the last couple of years, to be part of the basketball tournament, and some great games and great environments. It's just it's
it's great. I mean, I don't I don't work for a living, Guys, I spend my time around sports, and that's that's something that is just amazing to me. That's awesome. So we mentioned you've got You've got the Cowboys and the Giants. Uh, you know, has been over the years a great rivalry. Neither of them been terrific recently, but still a rivalry. You know, how do you approach this game as far as that
kind of thing goes. I think it's fun. And you know, I get a chance to work with my goli who played in the NFC East with Philadelphia, and so he's really familiar with all these rivalry games and what these mean to the teams. You know, I haven't get the great way to start the season. Obviously, two teams that were both in the playoffs last year. Interesting how they both made it to the same point. They both
went to the divisional round and lost. And yet you talked to the Cowboys side, and it's kind of seen as you know, a failure in a lot of ways that you know, once again, they got to the divisional round. Seventh straight time they've gotten to the divisional round and lost. They haven't been passed that since ninety five when they won a Super Bowl. It means that the Giants go to the divisional round and it was seen as really a rousing success and something for them to build on going forward. So I
think that's an interesting component to it. Obviously, both teams are a little bit different. The Cowboys said good Brighter to Zieg Elliott in the off season, which, you know, a guy that's been a cornerstone for them, but they're really excited about Tony Pollard and what he can bring. You know, the Giants also are a different team. I think that's still have some questions to answer going into the year. So to me, it's a it's a great way to start the season. Well, they had that issue with
sat all summer long. How does that affect things? Do you think? Are you it's done, Sku is going to play and that's the way it is. Yeah, I mean and listening to some of the stuff he said this week, and he was asked just today again about his contract situation and he shot it down really quickly and said, all I'm worried about is Sunday night, and all I'm worried about is twenty twenty three. In twenty twenty four, we'll take care of itself. And you know, it's kind of
an interesting thing. He could have done what Josh Jacobs from the Raiders did, which was basically sit out all of camp and then sign his deal and show up this week. But he chose to sign a deal before camp he even started, and he was there for the entire preseason all of camp. Didn't play in the preseason game, but he was there for all of them. So, you know, he's a guy that he speaks highly in New York how much he loves the organization. He wants to be there, it's
just a tough time for running backs right now. It's hard to know where it's going to go. But I don't think that's going to be an issue at all for sa Kuon Barkley or for for the Giants. Have you in your time? Is this your second or third year? This is year number four actually doing Sunday? So I'm assuming you've covered every team out there, right, You've You've covered it, covered a game almost. There's a few that I think we haven't checked off the list yet, but yeah, almost
everybody. So I was going to ask you what fan base is kind of like the most not delusional, but kind of that kind of that word like where you go and you think, wow, these guys are kind of crazy, maybe in a good way. Well, look, I think every year the Cowboys kind of have that super Bowl or bust mentality, right from a fan perspective, certainly, I think that they're one that goes in every year of we need to win the Super Bowl, that that's what we do.
And if they don't win the super Bowl, all apologies to Jonathan Tennacopo, they look at it as a failure and that's just the way it is. I think every fan base is probably delusional to some point in thinking that you know, hey, one thing here, one thing there, we could you know, win it all. And it's like, no, one thing here, one thing there. You might be a wild card game. But that's what makes this time of the year fun. It's like in baseball, right
when they talk about in spring and hope springs eternal. I think it's the same way right now for a lot of football fans that are thinking, you know, hey, I like the way we looked in preseasons. Listen to what Steelers fans are saying right now. They had a great preseason and they feel like, hey, maybe this team is ready to shock the world and
maybe we're ready to be among the AFC contenders. So I don't know if I could point to one necessarily, but I do think the Cowboys are one that always have that mentality of it's either the super Bowl or we failed. It's it's as simple as that. So our Lions fans delusional this year thinking that they're you know, they're a playoff team after being so bad for so many years. No, I don't think they're delusional. I think they're a playoff team. You know, Look, they were running a cusp last year.
We did that game week a team last year in Green Bay, and I gotta tell you, I was really impressed by what that team did because they knew before the game they could not make the playoffs. They knew before they walked out there, and long before, not like right at kickoff. They found out, you know, an hour or half hour or whatever it was, before they even walked down in the field. They knew we cannot
do anything in terms of the playoffs tonight. All we can do is try to knock off Green Bay, a division rival, and they played like the playoffs were on the line. And you know, like watching hard Knocked last year, and uh, you know, seeing some of the behind the scene stuff, you wondered, you know that Dan campbell energy, is this legit? Is this just an act this guy puts on. I think we all found out last year it was legit. That team played hard for him,
that team believed in him and each other. And I was super impressed by by them. And so, you know, they've been down for so long. We don't root for teams necessarily, we root for stories. I think it'd be a great story if they've found their way into the playoffs this year. Wow, what are refreshing comment right toell? We don't, you know, root for teams when we root for stories, I mean for we have interns here, all right, tell we tell them all the time. You
can't. You can't root for the team you're covering or anything. You just gotta you know, look at it straightforward. You know Jay Jay, and we admitted Jay's the in this room here. I am kind of the old cranky guy. And you know that cranky guy, right, you know you've been a rect but but you're right, I mean you have to go and kind of straightforward and not mean either way. Well, people ask me all the time, who's your favorite team, and I'll say, well, I'll
tell you who I grew up rooting for. But I don't have a team anymore. My job is to go in and call the game. My job is not to go in and root for somebody and root for one team over another. My job is to go on and tell you what's happening on the field, to do that as accurately as possible, so you know the sports I cover, I don't. I don't have favorite teams, but I certainly
love a good story, and I certainly love. You know, look last year when when we were in Minnesota and they were down at behalf and when they started coming back in the fourth quarters, well I admit that, Yeah, I wanted Minnesota to finish off the largest comeback in NFL history. Sure, because I wanted to see that. I wanted it to be a part of it. But now that's that's what it is. You can root for store lines, but you certainly don't root for individual teams, that's for sure.
Who'd they played Miami hood two? When did they be come back? Send letters for people in Indiano. Okay, speaking of storylines, what about the Aaron Rodgers storyline? What what do you think is going to go on over there? Well? I think it's a really good team. I mean, look, they were a terrific defense a year ago, and they bring back that defense with a lot of young guys, and now you add an Aaron Rodgers and they feel like they're a really talented offensive team. Clearly,
he's been the focus a lot in the preseason. If you watched the Hard Knocks show this year, it might as well just be called Aaron Rodgers. You know, he is the focus of that. But but I think they have a chance to be really really good now you know, again, how to injuries and things like that factor in. We'll see Aaron Rodgers obviously, the guy that doesn't miss games and and and stays healthy. But you know, they'll the end of the biggest microscope and the biggest media market this year.
It seems like they're well prepared for that. They seem like a team that doesn't shy away from it. Just during some of the comments yesterday from their guys talking about that they could possibly be not just a really good defense, but a historic defense and dropping the eighty five Bears in reference to what they can be. They don't lack for confidence. So that's definitely going to be one of the more interesting stories to watch. And I can tell you
Sunday night, Week four, Jets hosting Kansas City. I am really looking forward to that game. I think that'll be a great early season matchup. Yeah, no, you're right. One of the teams that intriguing me is Baltimore. Quarterback signs. They should be better. They have their new right receiver, right is it, what's his name? Beckham? Beckham. They've got some parts now. They've always kind of lingered, but then they fall apart. You know what I'm saying, what do you think about them?
To me? Another interesting story and and and one to watch. I think I'm a little more skeptical than maybe some others are because it was just a couple of years ago that we went through the let Russ Cook era in Seattle and that fell apart spectacularly, and I kind of feel like in Baltimore we're kind of leaning towards that a little bit. I think when the Ravens have been their best, they've been a team that had a terrific defense, they
ran the ball really well. And look, I'm not taking anything away from Lamar Jackson. I'm not telling you that Lamar can only run and he can't throw. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying, when they've been at their best, this is what they've done. I think when you know the Seahawks were at their best, they ran the ball, they played great defense, and yes, Russell made plays that helped them win games. But all
of a sudden it kind of shifted to this. Well, you know, Russell needs to throw the ball forty five times a game, and I kind of get some of those vibes coming out of Baltimore. Like many we need to let turn Lamar loose and he needs to be able to throw and he needs to do this. They need to upgrade their wide receivers. I don't know that he needs to put the ball in the air thirty five forty times a game, but we'll see. I absolutely could be wrong about that.
It is an interesting story to watch to see how that goes early in the year, especially with the new offensive coordinator and Todd Monken. So you're talking that I'm looking at Jay and he's not looking at me. Sadly, I don't Khalil Tate. I mean, come on, here's the guy who just run the ball, don't pass it so much, but quarterbacks got pass to make him a pocket passer. Yeah, didn't exactly what you're saying. Is it reminds me of Khalil? Yeah? Yeah, yeah. But okay,
okay, So I got one last question. This is personal. You know, you know, we think about gambling here all the time. What do you mean we exactly what I said? And uh, you know, I mentioned that I was very unhappy with your Nevada wolf Pack for what they did last weekend. But you know the way gambling has entered into the conversation.
Now, you know, in the NFL college, you know, everywhere, do you get any kind of instruction about how much you can or can't talk about point spreads and over unders and things like that, or how do you approach that in the in the course of a of a broadcast. You know, I don't talk about it much at all. Uh, And that's really kind of a personal choice. I've always kind of stayed away from that, mainly because it kind of helped me. If people would call me and say,
hey, what do you think about this guy? I'd be able to say, I don't even know what's this? What's the line? I don't know? I didn't I didn't really look. So we don't talk about it a lot unless Look, if you're doing a game where somebody's a three touchdown underdog, you're probably gonna mention that as part of Hey, here's the upfilled climb that Team D has against Team AU. They're missing six starters, they're a twenty one point underdog. That's gonna be tough for them. But other
than that, we don't talk about it a lot. I'm certainly not involved in it. We are very sternly and heavily reminded every year that we are not to be engaging in that. Maybe I get reminded of it more because of the state that I live. Yeah, I don't know, although it's legal pretty much everywhere now. So yeah, it's something that I've always kind of stayed away from. I avoid certainly not anything that I engage him,
that's for sure. All right. So let me ask my last question, only because he's in the news now, have a big time, dion, What do you make of that situation? I'll say what I was wrong. I went into last week and I kind of thought, this is a bunch of hype, you know, I just don't see how this is gonna work. And I've watched that game on Saturday and I was blown away. I mean, they were great. To go on the road, and look, we'll find out how good CCU is this year. Obviously they were really good
last year. We'll see what they turn out to be this year. But to go on the road in challenging conditions and you know, a hundred degrees and play the way they did, I thought was unbelievable. You know, I hadn't seen Sanders, the quarterback, Deon's kid play. I thought he looked extremely poised in the way he handled himself. The Travis Hunter story, to me, is already one of the most intriguing things I think I've ever
seen. I mean, we're talking about a kid that's playing both ways and played what eighty something percent of the snaps on Saturday at a position where he has to run on every single play. Namely the last guy that did anything like that. We've seen guys that are corners that play a little bit of wide receiver, maybe they played seven plays at wide receiver or vice versa. I don't remember the last guy that was legitimately on the field for almost every
single play going both ways, and he's really good. I mean over one hundred yards he has a pick in the game. No, I don't know if that's sustainable over the course of the year, especially playing after games in Boulder at a mile high. But I thought it was all a bunch of hype and you know, look at the shiny new thing over here. But boy did they proved me wrong. Now, it's one game. I'm not saying they're gonna win the National Championship. I'm not saying they're they're the best
team in the country. But I think that they definitely proved to a lot of people, including b that they've been underestimated so far this year. Yeah, okay, Ryan, always good to talk to you in that voice of years. Can I borrow it for a week. You're sure you can borrow it for as long as you good. We'll hear you on Sunday night. Thank you, Thanks, I appreciate it, Thank you Jay. What he brings up is another point that we talked about it and I couldn't emphasis enough.
We don't know, We don't. People don't know, and they can think they know. We didn't know about the laugh of you and we didn't. We can know Dion has what he and you met a lot of new faces blow he can't coach. We don't know. We can get all full of themselves this week and come out and the bad. We don't and we just don't know what we don't know. And like I said, we don't know how good TCU is or is either. Right. Yeah, Hey, thanks Ryan, Racty. That's great. He's always always a great guest.
He's a pro. Love having you. So all right, let's take our break long, but it was all well worth it. We'll be back. We'll take your calls five to zero, four one, six, seventy four, forty. If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look at the Ludolson era in
my new book, Lessons from Loot. It was a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches, and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them, competed against them, and inspired them. Twenty five chapters for his twenty five years as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Loot is an insight to how he built the program into a national powerhouse. What one email me at Steve dot RIVERA ninety five at gmail
dot com. The world's first three D scanner for wild animals has finally been made. It will save countless lives while also creating exciting youth programs to protect our wild spaces. Will you ride an ill toward to twoson to help start a digital wildlife revolution? Go to Biodiversity Group dot org for more information. Ride with us. All skill levels are invited to join our groupo Youth Cycling for our Fall Fondo on October twenty ninth. Your race fee supports programs that
empower all youth, regardless of socioeconomic background. Call us at five two o four two nine six one three eight for more info. Hey, Walcat Nation, Jake Fisher here, I got to tell you about my winning team over at Arizona Health Insider. I was able to get a custom private health insurance plan with no deductibles, no co pays, nationwide coverage, and I get
to pick my own doctor for less than two hundred dollars a month. If you want to avoid getting gouged on the exchange and you want real health insurance, call Arizona Health Insiders five two zero eight five zero six eight six six five two zero eight five zero six eight six six beardown. What's your goal? A new career or career advancement? How about transferring to a four year college. PEMA Community College can help you make some day today and reach your
goals affordably on your schedule. With over one hundred programs to choose from and financially aid available, it's time to earn the degree or certificate you need to prepare for the career you want. PIMA offers free career exploration classes so you can choose the field that's right for you. Learn how at Pima dot Etus slash Someday in Tucson. The fall arriving means a couple of things. One, our wildcats are back in the classroom and back on the field, and
two we still have some hot days ahead of us. Picture Rocks Cooling, Heating and Plumbing is ready to bear down on all your AC problems and keep you cool. If your fall gets overheated, give us a call for for zero for zero six nine or go to Picture Rocks Cooling dot com. Need more affordable auto and home insurance while making sure your family has the courage it needs when mayhem happens. They've got you covered at the Edmund Marcus All State
Agency. Go see Edmund Marcuts. He's born and raised in Tucson and a proud graduate of the University of Arizona. He's been an all State agent for twenty five years and has an award winning agency which takes care of his clients. Call him today at five two zero three two three nine three three three for an auto and home quote and let him save you money and make sure you have the courage you need You're in good hands with the Edmund orcus l
State Agency. Looking for an exhilarating adventure newdal tour DA Tucson this year. Join Mad Arizona on November eighteenth and be a part of bringing an end to drunk and drug driving. Head tomad dot org slash azy to register today and together we'll ride towards a future of no more victims. That's MDD dot org slash az. Do you want to be part of a winning team? A Team Security is looking for friendly, outgoing event security guards and events staff to
be a part of our team. We've been providing our outstanding services to some of Arizona's biggest sporting events and concerts for over twenty years. We want you to join the action. A Team offers a fun and exciting opportunity to work in the sports and entertainment industry, with flexible schedules that are perfect for those looking for a part time job or a second income. Come be a part of a winning team the A Team Apply online today at a team security dot
net solids. They have their tie on the board on sports station Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Hey, welcome back to joining them all here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve, He's Jake. You have nine minutes. You do you want to call us? Please do? This is your nine minute warning because we have very little options when as I need that much of a warning just to be able to get to the party. Lib dang so calling You can call in five two zero four one six seventy four forty if you
want to chime in. Well, you know, I you know, I asked him about the Chiefs and and yes they're you know, you you still consider I'm a favorite. But you know, are there teams that there are catching up with him? Right? Okay? And and uh and I don't know, I mean, you know, are the Bengals, Yeah, maybe Joe Burrow. You know, there's some question about his his leg injury. Uh what's his name? At at Buffalo, you know, they've Josh Allen.
They look like they're right there, but they just haven't. It hasn't materialized. You know, the last couple of years he does he's done some dumb things, either in the playoffs or in the regular season. You know, the Patriots aren't anything anymore. I don't know, but you know, like this year, I expect a lot from the Chargers. Okay, I feel like, like, uh, what do you Herbert? Yeah? Do you? I drafted a whole bunch of them in my face. Oh that's
anybody, try to refund your tickets. If you haven't, Justin must be crying, really crying. Now he's gonna be upset with me. I didn't get. I didn't get. I didn't get Herbert, but I did get. What do you have the odds up? Can you get the odds up? Chargers? They got to be more than fifteen to one? Probably? Yeah? Probably? I think that if you like them, I would put twenty bucks on them. Senor, Well, I see if that's the thing. I still don't think they're gonna win the the the AFC. I think
they're gonna be really good. But she's a gauntlet. Yeah, well, and that's the thing. It is a gauntlet. I couldn't even tell you anybody in the NFC Dallas ain't gonna do it. Ellie Rams, they're done. Uh so let's just go maybe if the quarterback stays healthy. Who else could it be? In the NFC Green Bay? No, man, there's there isn't very many. There aren't very many teams out there. Okay, really conference Conference champions. Okay, and it's AFC Conference champions. Yeah,
Chiefs a plus three thirty. Yeah, this is a conference. Rest is the conference? Yeah, because I just can get I'm not gonna tell you what I've got this year because I do the Chiefs Bills plus five hundred, Bengals plus five fifty, Jets plus eleven. I don't get that. I don't get that either, Dolphins plus eleven, okay, Ravens plus eleven, and then the Charges at plus four so twelve, okay, Yeah, they're
the number seven. No, go to the NFC. NFC, Okay, you got the you got the e Okay, who do you think is that? Man? That's that's all I'll all I would get. And maybe I got the Eagles, San Francisco, the Niners the plus three eight, what's the what are the Eagles at two sixty fifty to fifty? Okay? Is that for the Chapman? What's that conference CHAMPI? Okay? What about super Bowl? Okay? Super Bowl? Yeah? After this the Philly and San
Francisco, the Cowboys are and that's a delusional pick. Yeah, the Cowboys are our next at plus six hundred, and then you go all the way to plus eleven hundred for the Lions. Okay, don't why why the Cowboys? Bs? What have they done because of the Cowboys? Because of the Cowboys. I mean, that's where people will better if there's if there's a team that lives with hope. Yeah, it's the Cowboys. Okay, super
Bowl super Bowl champion. Okay, Chiefs plus six hundred, right, number two would be Philly to me, you go seven hundred okay, Uh, Buffalo maybe, uh give me Cincinnati maybe? Well, you know, Niners are next Niners and then Cincinnati okay, and then the Cowboys. Yeah, and and uh they charged all the way down to twenty five one. Man, I think I'll put them there. Could be your Green Bay if you do it. That's what happens to me. I don' think they win the
super Bowl, but you know, again, they win their conference. The chance of winning the super Bowl, yeah, yeah, because because the only team that you feel can be a problem, there's always that one team. They could be that one team. I don't I don't follow closely enough to know how good they are. Obviously the quarterbacks good. I don't know some of the some of people don't like to court the coach because he's not it's kind of like too young or whatever. They don't they don't think that he's
the guy that leads them. I just, I just I've always liked Justin Herbert, even when he was back at Oregon. I've always really liked him. Yeah. One, because it seems like a really good guy, which is to me important's important, you know about whether or not I like a player. We'll call on the air and I on the ball. Hey, yeah, hey, you guys. I want to give you guys an easy tip for for betting. Okay, don't it's Richard. Don't do you think
I mean Colorado is going to blow out Nebraska. Okay, I think the spread is like five points or something. This is the no brainer bet of the season. And a lot of times they come on a no brainer bet early in the year. This is it. I mean, this is a joke that Nebraska has no offense, they had no very little creativity. They're still mired in their past and that will be revealed. I've bet Nebraska Colorado
blows him out by half time. The line is actually it went after the games, after the weekend, it jumped to two, then it went to five. Now it's back to three Colorado. Is Hunter gonna play? Is he hurt? I don't know, see, because I saw something that there was a somebody hurt in the Colorado roster. I don't know who that was, but yeah, there were a couple of people banged up. I saw that too. I didn't see his I don't think he's injured. Okay,
so I just and he's just fabulous. But I mean, they just got such a prolific offense. Yeah, they're just gonna absolutely blow out and they're at home and this will be the most exciting Colorado crowd in how many years. So let me ask you, Richard h let me see something that me or I mean, i'd be true. I think you're a realistic guy, because you know you text me all the time and we talk on the phone here. Uh yeah, do you believe you what do you believe it's going
on in Colorado? Legit? Not legit? We're wait and see. I think it's I think they're a legitively very competitive team. I think if they passed the eye test and all that, you look at the talent, you know, it's a testament to the transfer portal. Also, what Dean was able to put together his style of Maybe his sons are excellent. His son is an outstanding quarterback, and that's good. It's going to get Taylor Williams little competition this year, right, and so I think they've got a very
good looking team. How many games are gonna win? I don't know if they're gonna beat Nebraska, and it's gonna be very exciting to watch them. Hey, my one other tip for the year is this. I believe that Cla Clayton Tune is going to be the quarterback for the Cardinals and I believe that he will end up just about taking him to the playoffs this year. Wow, look at he's now. Now he's he's brock Purty. Okay, Tune is six three two twenty. He can see over the line of scrimmage.
He's got great vision. He's a very savvy, experienced quarterback. He's got a very fine arm, and he's an excellent scrambler. And the one thing he can do that's outstanding is he's very a good screen pass. And that's what Kyler has has a very big challenge doing, as we know, is going to screen pass a little shot there at Kyler, but being able to see over the line. So I like that. That's it, all right, Richard, appreciate by the way, it's it's a it's a safe.
It's a safe. Thank you, thank you. It's a safety for Colorado. That's out guyny miles six tackles last week, Richard, you didn't had a chance to say this to you. Go sooners didn't take kill somebody over the weekend. Oh yeah, they scored seventy three some you know something, somebody really bad, like one of the Texas states, like North Texas. But somebody like that. All right, So all right, yeah, so it's a Miles Slusher, a defensive back played a big role in the
game last week, who is out this week? So anyways, all right, Steve, I've been wanting to play this all week, uh, you know, for one of our out songs. But I've just I haven't had control of the mean I'm ready for it, good enough control of the of myself. So September had that on Tuesdays, it had on Friday. All right, So we're headed out top of the hour. We're gonna have breaking news when we come back. Then we're gonna have Jack Buyers from a Mississippi
state Rivals website talking about the Arizona m Missipiate. This week's will Stick Around Stop
