For fifteen years, the Big Show dominated the Utah sports talk airwaves. First it was Craig Bowler Jack and Gordon Monson, followed by Spence Check its in Monson. Now all three are reunited on the Drive. It's time for the Big Show Hour on the Drive at Spence check Its exclusively on ESPN seven hundred.
It is time for the Big Show, Big Hour.
And as a result of some logistics, it's been difficult to get all three of us in studio, but we have accomplished it today on this Thursday afternoon, so we have Craig Bowler Jack sporting. I love the look whenever it's game day, and let's make sure their mics are on whenever it's game day. It just looks like you did a set as a crooner down at Graycie, singing a little Sinatra and just walking right across the street.
I just loosened the time. It was a tough three hour little gig, but I'm good. It was that lunch crowd. It's tough out there.
I love the look man and just smashing beers. It's unreal on a Thursday, Gordon, it looks like that looks like a Budweiser in your in your cup, and I know I know that you're not necessarily one that in vibes. What are you drinking in the early afternoon stages of a Thursday.
It is apple beer, So it's not real beer.
No, well, I mean it's apple beer, but it doesn't I don't think it has alcohol in it.
Are you sure?
We'll find out during the show.
It seems loose Spence. All I know is back in the day.
I know he won't love you sharing this, But for about a week if pat Dad was like, man, I really love kombucha. It makes me feel grand, Like you know, there's.
A little bit of hitting there, right, yeah, just so you know, bops, that's why you're feeling good. So apple beer? Is this a new a new hobby of you?
Actually, it's a trip in time for me because when I was a kid on the East Coast, apple beer was a little more of a thing. Sure, you know, uh and uh, But I haven't really had luck since then, so I thought, what the heck I went grocery shop in this.
I don't believe that for a second or video of this, Yeah, I don't believe that for a second.
Where'd you go? Because we're calling right now.
I went to the grocery stores down the street from me. I was supposed to pick something up. Yeah, And I picked up a cart and went up and down the aisles. Man, And you know what, It's just so amazing what's in these grocery stores. You take it for granted, right, But I mean I'm not there very often. And so I started looking around, and I was going, how come Lisa never gets that? And so I started just cherry picking stuff off the aisle.
You would wait, did you leave you to your own devices at the store.
Yeah, she wasn't there. It was just me.
But he's talking like he wants the Nobel Peace bass and he went grocery shops?
You really? Did you hit all the aisles, all twenty four of it.
I didn't go up down every one of them, but I went up. I think I skipped the the kitchen cleaning applying stunning. Yeah, but I went up and down most of them.
Wow.
So did you do this as a pushcart or just what you got in the little scooter? I would pay to see that, just rolling around the store in a little the way the way, hold on here, when you guys go to the grocery store. Yeah, what do you buy.
The necessities that I need to live? Like?
What though? I mean, do you spoil yourself with a little treat here and and something that's less than healthy over there?
Yeah?
You know what, Usually it's a list that I'm mean given from Sharon saying break free. But sometimes, you know, I'll go on my own just because like I need idprofen bad, you know, Okay, something like that. After these long road trips, I'm out. I got where I need some help to. Yeah, exactly, that's a headache right there.
So what do you buy?
It's it's whatever, you know.
Sometimes I'll see a special on Cheetos and I haven't had the tough Cheetos in a while. Okay, you know, two bags five nine with the card, you know, with my card, so i'll see what the heck I'm taking them. I'll leave one in my office and then just throw one in the kitchen.
Yeah.
You know what I got today that I've never bought before?
I can't wait time?
Yeah? Yeah, those what do you call those little potato puff things? Like in Napoleon Dynamite that he was putting.
Tater tots potato puff things. That's not even a hard thing to pull tater tots what do you call potatoes?
And little slits? And you fry them? What do you call those? Do you understand that you have to warm those up? Yeah? You just can't open the bag and eat them. Yeah.
In fact, we got one of those do dads that air fryer things.
You can use the air fryer to make some tater tots.
Yeah.
Okay, Well it looks like you're smashing a budweiser right in front of it.
You know.
Do you think people would judge me?
I wouldn't. No, man, I can't speak for the community.
If it's five o'clock, i'd say on, but it's three three oh seven, so I thought maybe a little early. But that's okay, it's five o'clock someplace, you know. The first thing I thought of was the great late Jerry Sloan, who liked to throw a few ice cubes in a cold bud light.
Really. Yeah.
One of my jobs when I was the pr intern for Dave all Read and Kim Turners, I had to keep six beers back for hot Rod and two beers back for Jerry.
Because in the media room back in the day they had beers. They did absolutely not any longer.
I wouldn't judge you, but I think there's a portion of our community that's been enjoying your recent work with the trip that might judge you a little bit.
If you're smashing beers.
I think that I'm doing that. Well, look, if that's your thing, then go forward. But I'm just saying, when I walked in here, there's a police officer driving by, and would that be ill?
Yeah, you would be.
That's called an open container And I could go down all the laws if you want to.
We can.
We can dissect every single one of them in Vegas.
You'd be fine.
Can you imagine getting an alert on your phone that Monson has been detained for an open container in downtown? So I would not believe that to be true.
For but if I had this Benson it was filled up because it started up here. If it's filled up there and it's got the phamy head on it and all that stuff that's they found my head, would would would the police officer?
Yes?
To me, I think a cop would inquire as to what the beverage was in in your plasticut there.
I don't know if they have like a little scary strip, they may have put in there to see if it.
Reacts to it well. And also since you're new to the game, red red plastic cups, Yeah, the red Solar Bear. That's why everybody has the red solo cups.
Okay, okay, because I had one to lose at home, I could he.
Use see this is a giveaway. Well it's also apple beer. You're fine red plastic or you had to go if you know what I mean.
Okay, So look like that caught off guard bowler, welcome back to civilization.
Friend here, you shouldn't be wearing socks.
Really, that wouldn't I completed if he was.
If I was in Miami like I was like five days ago, should just warn no socks. And we did Big T's idea. We just went the the Don Johnson Miami Vice Look no tie, which felt good for change.
Actually to go down to the South Beach.
Yeah we actually did. Yeah, not much. It rained the entire you know, little no No. That was New York.
I get mixed up where I am sometimes Miami was beautiful. Orlando was very nice as well. But to Spens and if we were talking earlier, I mean that the schedule has been insane and we hit the road again for a quick trip to Phoenix, and then we come back and head to New Orleans and by the middle of January, man, we've we've, we've, we've put some miles on those airplanes.
Let me tell you that, right, this is the time of year.
Because I did pre aff and post for seven years, and even because I never traveled, we were at the at the arena and that was no. This is the time of year where you walk out of you and for me, it was like one thirty am, and you're just like, dude, I need to I don't care if you're a coach, a player, a broadcast. This is the time of year where you lose track of the days and like where you're at.
Here's the biggest thing to have in me? What side of the bed do I get off and out of? Okay, I mean it's weird. I wake up and I go I am totally lost. I don't know if people who travel a lot feel the same WA's. And the thing I've been trying to do is make sure you know as you get older, you say I can handle it. But one night I remember, on this last road trip,
I stayed in Room nine seventeen, the next night. I was in seven nineteen, you see, So okay, all of a sudden, my mind flashes back to the ninth floor, or mind the seventh floor.
Yeah, and you go crap.
So you go up to the seventh floor and you throw your cart across a little you know, if it doesn't beep or go click click, just start knocking loud. Yeah, then I go back up to the ninth floor and try it again. So that's what I did.
Well, I'm glad you're back. It's good to be bad guys. I'd love to see you know. This is where you know, this is where it all starts. This where it is.
Yet I gotta ask a quick question about this travel thing. You remember back when people were telling us that Carl had in his contract that he had to have a couple of baskets are fresh fruit in this hotel? Yeah? Was that true? I don't know.
I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, if you hear rock stars only have green m and ms right in the green room or whatever. I mean, everybody has this, you know oddity that they like.
You have anything that you have?
Are you kidding me?
They would laugh me right through, Like Bullerjack wants what Yeah, right?
You ever you ever raide the bar?
I try to stay away from that.
Isn't like two hundred bucks if you if you eat a bag of potato.
Chips, it's not two hundred dollars for a bag of potato chips. But it's not economic depends.
On what city. If you're in San Antonio versus New York, if you're in Sacramento versus Miami. It is a night and day price difference night and day.
So people wonder this spencer you drive this bro. I think people wonder.
Yeah, we got an hour here, We're fine.
Okay. What are the players? What is their situation from city? This city?
Is it?
I mean, is it posh? Is it just routine?
Is it? What?
What are their accommodations?
Well, it's nice according to the NBA Players Union, I do believe hotels are in the five star category. That's part of the contract. Yes, per diem, Yes, well, you know, food at their disposal in the hotels. But I'll be honest with you, all the years I've traveled, I really think that it's a routine that everyone has to decide on how to do it themselves and what works for you.
I mean, Tea has told me in the older days, because they used to play back to back to back, and there were some days in the Sloan era especially, but the back to backs are rough.
I mean there's naps.
I mean, it sounds crazy for young men to say it's nap time, but I think you have to catch your best rest whenever you possibly can, and it depends on your body. Some sleep on the flight, some one. Some stay busy with whether it's movies uh or looking at at game film honestly uh. And others just I think just try to just just chill.
The players, watch what they eat. Who is the player Spencer used to eat the cheeseburgers.
I was Mel Turpin Dinner Bell Mel. Yeah.
I thought there was another one. I'm forgetting his name right now, but he he ate like a teenager.
But you know, I don't think the NBA, any training staff in the league now would allow that, the least in the sense of them presenting to that on the flight or in a hotel gathering where they get together for team meetings and then they have a meal. There's no way unless they jump out on their own and go to smashburger. I don't know maybe once in a while they do. They got to treat themselves on occasion.
Let me ask you this because I love the Gordon asked if NBA players staying nice, it's like a lacina with Jimmy Johns for life.
Of course.
Has Yeah, the buffet, how accommodating.
Made order pancake Walker just nailed a thousand Marrion points so he can get some milk in the morning.
Give me a break.
But I am curious. Gordon as Gordon, as only Gordon can do. Gordon does bring up an interesting topic. I wonder how it's changed because I think it was Wickerstram somebody about four years ago, five years ago, because I can remember doing postgame my final year doing postgame with Britain and we would notice it was a Warriors game and there were about six or seven young ladies in the arena just sitting there and we're.
Kind of like what's going on here? Like how'd they get in?
And Klay Thompson walks out and all six or seven of them just follow Clay out back and the disappear.
End of the night.
Well I didn't follow them. I don't know where they went.
But the piece that Wickerstram wrote, he called it the tenderfication of the NBA. Whereas back in the day, like Gordon was talking about, and I saw this, you know, in my own travels. But you've traveled with the teams of more than I have. You know, players get done with a game, go back to the hotel, and then they're out. They go to the club, right they want to meet women, they want to hang out, and that was kind of the deal.
And now with dating apps, they land.
And boom, you're swiping and oh, a girl sees Klay Thompson match with me on Tinder, so I'm going to go meet him after the game. They don't have to go out the way they used to if they want to meet women. And also there's a little bit more of an understanding of how to take care of yourself because of the implementation of strength and conditioning coach and nutritionists. Like teams, they don't want these twenty one to twenty two year old players going out and smash into kuila shots.
I think they take care of themselves better now in a way they didn't back in the day.
I would agree that there's more on the line today than ever because they make it very clear in the NBA and the rookie symposiums that are held. Look, here's the way you're supposed to act, and the team also expects the same thing.
At what point is an intrusion into privacy? Because you know, that's a great point.
You still have your private life, right. It was Tom Habershaw who wrote that piece. My bad Tom Habershaw, Yeah, who wrote the piece about the tender use in the NBA.
But I remember one time at Marina del Rey. We were standing at a hotel there and the team hotel was next door, the Ritz and and uh, yeah, you've been there many times, and the jazz are in the playoffs, and there was a certain jazz player who was checking his cousin into the hotel right when a few of us media people walked and he was checking her in, and and he happened to also be married at the time, and he was checking this cousin in, and it was
just really kind of weird because it was like, Okay, it's really none of our business what so and so is doing, but that's what he was doing.
How do you know it wasn't his cousin.
We were pretty sure.
Can't people have attractive cousins.
Uh, could be a sister. It's a dangerous question in Utah.
Yeah, true, it could be a sister. Well, your point is, well.
I don't want to jump to a conclusion, but we kind of did.
Think.
I think the bottom line to it is that there is space that men live and women who travel in the WNBA or whatever, you know, there still is a privacy. I think the players respect that, the coaches as long as it doesn't impact that the team concept of winning and moving forward. Uh, you know, I'll tell you what. There's some nights at three o'clock you just don't you don't. I can't say it, but you know what I'm talking about.
You just want to go to get your butt upstairs, throw your sixty pounds bag that you've been on the road for seven days, and just try to find some sleep.
I think this particular player, jazz player, just wanted to take a little comfort.
Ah, not a pillow, simon. But you know, look, does it happen sure? I mean, but is this exclusive to the NBA?
No?
I mean business trips whatever you make. You know, you can break it downever you want. But look, traveling is, in my opinion's still difficult mentally, physically, and if you're making the kind of money that is in the NBA, the National Football League, Hockey Baseball, there is so much at stake now, even more that if you want to stay in this league and they're pushing you every day because there's somebody else rumored to be on their way, and so I think the pressure of just being who
you are and keep it for six months, that's your job. Obviously, you work out during the off season, and you may go overseas, you may play in summer leagues or whatever it may be. But man, you've got to be uber focused.
Especially with a team like the Jazz, because you play hungover.
I can't imagine.
Well, I mean, if you're a star, if you're an established star, then people aren't going to really question you about what your routine is. But if you're in the Jazz situation and you're trying to prove yourself and you're trying to improve as you do it, if I were one of those guys that wouldn't be messing around, I.
Wouldn't do a thing, man.
I would play ball, sleep and eat, play ball, sleep and eat. As they say is you're living in the tube, which means the bus, the arena, the hotel, and the plane.
That's it. That's it.
That's your life, and the money you make is the reward. And right now, the jazz especially, there's a lot of players out there that are still unknown in their own minds or their contracts, and their agents are trying to make sure that they play, they live to play another day. Because I loved your interview with Tony coming in, I mean Tony spot On. I mean, there's a lot of ifs. There's a lot of players that are potentially ready to be drafted that could easily jump in and take a
place or two of multiple jazz players. And over this next three years, man, you've got to be solid if you're going to survive. Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik.
Do you remember Ron Fellows O? Yes, Na sounds familiar, defensive bag for the Dallas Cowboys. I'm almost certain my memory might be playing a trick on me.
But I was there.
I was I was interviewing him about Manny hendrick Man, the former youth basketball player who was trying to make the jump to the NFL, and the Cowboys were having their training camp out a thousand Oaks and I went out there and to do something on Manny and I was starting to ron and he's an established player in the NFL, and I'm asking him, tell me about Manny Hendricks And he said, well, I don't want to give him too much glory or public because I don't want
my job taken away. That was the first thing he said.
Yeah, yeah, think about Kante.
He's looking over his shoulder, looking at a kind of a bulldog athletic point guard in Isaiah Collier, right, how does he develop? Well, look, man, you know I've got I've got my own worries in you two and you know, or sends the ball all of a sudden starting to look like a sixth, sixth number six player, Or he's got a body like a d Wade, you know, where he can plow in and get things done. He may actually turn out Spence to be a good finisher at the rim. Of course, he has to learn how to
play defense or continue to improve there. But man, there's all of a sudden since we've talked, you know, in studio, there's been an acceleration of development with the team. And I probably would say the Hawks loss was as entertaining as we've had all season long on a Trey Young heave ho after Sexton goes crazy with with the tie and you go, wow, did they grow up a lot tonight?
But they still suffered the loss. And I know no one wants to well, some Jazz fans want to lose, and I get it, But for me, it was like, Wow, a lot accomplished tonight. Incredible minutes, closing minutes, tight minutes against a team that has a really outstanding player to actually, but but Trey Young's good man.
When Sexton hit that that three, I just saw, Okay, there it is.
Yeah.
And next thing they turn around and Trey hits that. I texted Quinn and said, what was that? And he texted me back and said, crazy stuff. Can't make this up. Yeah, you know, it's just what. I don't care what the situation is. I don't care what the Jazz are trying to do, where they're trying to win or trying to lose. That was a great game. That was a fun game to watch.
The last ten I think Spence, and you're probably looking at him right now, I think have been competitive. I think we've seen growth. I've seen more confidence in this team. Will Hardy's a good coach and the players are connected, and you know that's part of the whole process. You know, you talk about building the foundation, the winning culture. I think the culture the bricks are starting to pile up
a little bit. And you know, a month ago, I don't think we could have said that, but I think over the last ten games, yes, yes.
Yeah, And it's funny. I texted Quinn at the game. I said, hey, hell of a play call, and he said, better to be lucky than good. But that now, that was a fun night and I do think, okay, so we'll do this topic. Don't catch a break because I was thinking about because I've been watching Cleveland. I watched the Cabs OKAC game last night, and Donovan is starting to really understand. You know, his numbers are about the same.
He didn't shoot it well last night, but if you watch the way he's participating in the team offensive flow and he's playing defense. He actually said, not too long ago, oh I'm actually trying on defense now.
And I'm like, thanks, dude, sweet, yeah, you were here for five years. What was that?
But I was thinking about through this prison because I could remember Donovan's rookie year when he just like, remember Gordon Leaves and everybody said, Okay, they'll be okay because Rodney Hood is going to step in and take Gordon's usage. And honestly, Rodney had shown a little ability. So it's like, all right, let's see if Rodney is ready for that challenge. Within five games, it's like he's not. You know, he's not that dude. Maybe he can be a role player
that can hit some shots. And Quinn said to Donovan, all right, you're driving the car now throwing the keys.
Boom, Rookie takes over.
And then the second year, Donovan's second year, watching that playoff run where Donovan was the main scoring option for a team that advanced a couple of rounds. They beat OKC right, OKAC was supposed to be that super team, and I remember thinking like, this is such great news because for a second year player to have playoff experience as the guy that's leading the charge in four or five, six years, it's gonna pay off. Now. Unfortunately it's paying
off for the Cavs. But I've been thinking, like, for a team that has no playoff basketball in their future, how are we going to get some of these young kids experience in intense game situations if they're not gonna have playoff experience like Donovan did as a young player, because the experience you have in your one year, two year, three manifests, year, four year, five, year six. This is
a ride of passage league. So the fact that over the past ten to twelve games they've had a couple of wins here or there, but these games are close down the stretch and it's intense, and it's good basketball against good teams. These are the games that you want Keyante and I know he's been out, but you want Kyle in, you want Isaiah, and you want the young players to feel what it's like to play intense minutes in intense situations. And if it's not going to be
playoff basketball, this is the second best thing exactly. I thought the same thing down those last four and a half minutes, was like, Wow, this is what you know, players fans all wanted to see, all want to live for, and it is a replica. It's the best replica replication of a playoff field goro. I mean, you can't replicate that until you live it because there is another level, but this is as close as you can get. And
also who closes those minutes. You know, will Hardy is using ten player rotations mostly he's gotten a lot of guys get a lot of minutes. But Cody Williams is in there, you know, since the ball has been in there when he hasn't been ill Keyante has been there and flip his head some moments as well. So how do you do it? You have to throw them into a situation that they go, Man, this feels good. I don't like to lose, but boy, it felt good to get this to this point. What do I have to
do now to get to the next level? And so it's a process, but I still I hold true the last ten games. Man, I just get a total sense of more confident, more confident Utah Jazz team who seem to be handling situations much better. Turnovers are down a bit, but they still come back to bite them in just stressful times where they haven't been and they seem not to know exactly what to do or if they trust themselves or their teammates.
So if I were gonna ask the both of you one conclusion, I know we're really not in the conclusion business right now with that team, But based on the last ten games. If you had to come up with one conclusion about what's happening with the Jazz, what would you say.
In a way, it reminds me of the early part of Quinn's tenure here where early on Rebuild team wasn't winning, but you could see like this this guy can coach. Will can coach, and so even on nights like in Orlando they sat like half the team, well, it's like whatever,
let's just go win the thing. He maximizes the talent on that roster, and I just I really hope that in the next two years he sees enough to stick around for the long term, because I remember thinking before Dennis was able to, you know, be really savvy and a little lucky with Donovan and Rudy, right, but other additions ingles pops like nobody thought he would. Then Quinn had a team. I'm like, all right, Quinn is good here. But I remember thinking like, if Dennis doesn't get Quinn players,
Quinn's gonna get gone. And I just hope that they can give Will enough talent at his disposal that in two years from now he sees enough to stay because I think he could coach pretty much anywhere in the League. I think it'd be a hot commodity if he doesn't stick around here.
He deserves it.
Yeah, No, I mean he comes from you know, the Popovich tree, and he's obviously well trained, learned, watched listen, started in the film room, like Spolstra with pat Riley in Miami. There's a lot of comparisons there. But again, you know how far? How long? Yes, Tony, this too, Spence? What's the run time here of actually being a dynamic playoff team in the West, which is aging, which will.
Help the Jazz in a lot of ways.
But what if you finish with the five spot and maybe Lady Luck doesn't follow on you like it did with Atlanta. Now, Rischache, you know the for a number one pick, I'm not really sure where that is, but you know, the next two years, there's some home runs
out there to hit and where are the Jazz? And the other part of this equation is does Xanik and Danny do what they've done the last two years and move players prior to the trade deadline, and that is yet to be seen if that would really then push the Jazz back down from where they are right now and open up more minutes for even flip and if and for Cody and others.
I don't think they'll do anything. I actually, I mean, look, if a GM calls and says i'll give you first for Clarkson, they'll take it.
Yeah.
Or you known Collins, Yeah, you know, maybe they can get a first for a bad But it almost feels like they're built perfectly to stay competitive but continue to lose, and that I know it sucks, but that's kind of what you want.
Delta Center. Still, I'm really I got to plod Jazz fans. It's still wow. They walk in, they want to see this rebuild. They're there and I wasn't sure if that would be the case this season, but I think they do see what we see, and that is some young players who have some excitement to them, and you know, it's a wait and see game to see exactly how long they'll take.
Can I use one analogy? I look at it like this, I think that the Jazz are putting a puzzle together. Only what's the first thing you do when you're doing a five thousand piece?
Don't you want to find something else to do? Or it sucks? Is it a five thousand piece? Or we're doing here?
Calfe choice talking about I meant the border on a puzzle.
Yes, yeah, you do the border, but the Jazz are doing the middle.
First, building out.
Yeah, because they don't they don't have the framework.
That makes it tougher.
We started out the segment with cooking potato puffs and the go Daddy instead of tots.
Here and we're talking puzzles.
He literally called tater tots potato puffs. He's a sixty five year old man calling on. All right, we'll catch a break. We're gonna do some football coming up next Penn State Notre Dame tonight. And since we last spoke, big time transfer heads down to Provo. Gordon Monson, Creig Buller, Jack liven Studio. Gordo's almost done with his beer, so keep it here on ESPN seven hundred. Got another big segment here before we bring in Ted Robinson. A preview
tonight's Notre Dame Penn State game. Interesting conversation during the break. I think it, uh, I think it, it's uh probably appropriate and fair to say we should all be very grateful for this time and where we find ourselves existing in society.
Yes, I would agree with that one hundred percent and I wish, you know, this has been something in my thirty years of doing radio. Sometimes I think the breaks are more interesting than what we say on the air. I wish all of your listeners could have heard the story Craig just told. I mean, it's just anyway. Yeah, I agree with you one hundred percent. When you see what's happening down in southern California right now, people losing
their homes, people in tough, tough circumstances. It doesn't be grateful for the good things, you know.
I think we've lost track of that. Not to preach, but you know, I hope everybody just takes a deep breath on occasion and just understands what really is going down. You lose a president and Jimmy Carter, you know, half staff flags a new president inauguration around the corner. You've got fires. It's crazy world, man, make the best of me. I don't understand. You know, you know more about that the gordl you live there. But the Santa Ana wins.
They always fear that, they always fear the Santa Anna wins. And it can just I mean, those things roar like forty to sixty miles an hour, right or.
More more, and so it would be more.
It's its own weather system.
And so once a fire picks up, and they haven't had much rain of ending in the last three years in Sokows, so it's it's prime picking.
I talked to a friend of mine last night and he sent me four or five videos he drove around my old neighborhoods. I had two different houses down there. One of them's gone, the other one made it through. And I'm like, he's showing me what's going on. And
I'm like, and people. I heard one person say, isn't it a coincidence there was a fire and the wind just happened to be blowing at that time, And I said no, because there could be a fire when the Santa Anna's aren't roaring and they just put it out. But in this case, that wind picks up those zmbers and they are flying all over the place and next thing you know, your city's burning down. It's crazy.
Yeah, it's horrifying. Man, it looks like apocalyptic out there. But there was this let's see here. Let me give this guy the proper credit. So David Bornstein is his name, and he's he's the co founder of a organization called the Solutions Journalism Network, and he wrote an op ed for The New York Times two years ago and said, scared by the news, question mark, take the long view.
Now's the greatest time in history to be alive. But the problem is we're all consuming fear based, you know, propaganda and for profit news that doesn't give a rip about truth. They want to scare you, so you keep consuming. And if you get lost in the cycle about who's going to be president and then half the country hates that Canada and suddenly we're on the precipice of a civil war, you lose track of the long game, which is truly, this is the best time in human history
to be alive. And I think it's important to keep reminding people of that because it does feel like life is so hard for so many people right now. And I'm not sure how necessary that is. If you just refrint, you're thinking, the.
Truth does get lost, and that's a scary thing. When the truth doesn't matter anymore, and when it comes to government and other things, then you've got a bit of a problem that needs to be handled. But you're right, Spence, when you think of the advances, and I hear people complain about doctors, and they complain about this when you think about the advances in medicine and how it's helping people live rich lives. And I don't not talk about financially,
they're just being able to live. I mean, we do live in a fantastic time. But and people used to ask me this all the time, and they say, man, the news is so negative all the time. I get it. I get what you're saying. But the very definition of news is that which is extraordinary. And so if the bad news is extraordinary when it gets when don't get really bad, is if the good news is extraordinary, and
that's what's being portrayed. And so take good some optimism out of that, you know, be Paul Cartney and say everything is getting better. Not John Lennon. It couldn't get no no.
I pick up this phone, Spence, and I think, what an incredible development this was. You're what are we on the iPhone sixteen going on seventeen? I mean, I don't use half of whatever's on this thing. I don't have any need for it, but it's you can become addicted to it. And anyone now has of everyone has a
voice but now it's heard more than ever. You know, we just grew up in an eras with Gordo and I, where of course we sat down and watched two newscasts, the six and ten in the old days are the five thirty National News with the Kronkite.
And others I missed Walter.
Yeah, and you know those are those are early memories for me. But there was no other way to get news. But now news is so fast and current. The six and ten is old news, and so now they do more local. But I think that's something that you can almost become addicted to, is the negativity that you see on your phone every day and so many different areas
of communication. So you have to decide for yourself. And I've decided to kind of let it just sit down a little bit more, to be honest with you, because I went on the road. My office is the plane, My office is my hotel room. And sometimes, you know, after my fifth run of mash Or Gilligan's Island, you know, I've got to do something else. So I picked this up and go, no, that.
Can't be right, and you know, and period, and they all have.
Everyone has their own opinion about every subject. That's out there.
I read somewhere where there's more computing power in that phone you just picked up than the person that put the man on the moon.
Yes, exactly right, Yeah, yeah, you know it's we could do hours and hours on this topic. You know, to your point about progress in medicine, I mean, our life expectancy has gone up over the past one hundred and fifty years because we've learned how to eradicate diseases through science.
This body's only made the last fifty.
And then I swear, and then ultimately I got knees artificial this, and you know what I mean, it's amazing. COVID gets politicized and we forget like, no, we need to keep eradicating diseases through science.
That's why we're living longer than we over have.
Interesting enough, though, life expectancy for white men in America has actually gone down since.
COVID apple beer, what's the apple beer?
Yes, what's the explanation for this?
I think there are a lot of lonely, disenfranchised, you know, middle aged men that don't have life partners, that don't have things to get them out of bed every day that excite them. They probably thought they were going to be presidents of companies and now they're barely hanging on. And so there are things out there that indicate people I think are just thinking the wrong way. Though, you know that's why this piece where it's like keep the long game in mind.
This is an excellent time to be alive. Not enough people I think fully embraced. Embraced.
I love what's your message there. I couldn't agree with you more. Even though we get the extraordinary, we get so much of the bad news, it really is probably the best time ever to be alive.
I'm gonna send you this out, bet, I think you'd like that.
Yeah, for as far as opportunity, as far as health, as far as UH, as far as maybe some degree of open mindedness at least in some camps UH. And the opportunity that to be what you want to be, if if you're willing to pay the price, and if you do have the original opportunity from jump, because if you don't have that opportunity, then you can be stepped on your whole entire existence.
And one last thought, I think you have to force yourself to spencon Gordo, to actually control your own narrative because you can actually become overwhelmed with negativity. And you know why do some white men don't make it as long as what the norm is. If that's you know what the study you just said is that you become depressed. You only look at the negative and if you're if you're that negative in life, then it draws you down. Your health isn't acted by it as well. Mental health
is a key here, That's my point. Mental health is something. Yet you have a friend, if you know someone that needs to talk, I think it's super important to try to offer that type of help or someone to talk with. Ye, well, a guide them to the right people.
Well, I think I have a good idea about your entire background. I could get you in a whole lot of trouble. I know so much about you. Yeah, spend same thing with you. And when I look at you guys's lifeline and how you've sort of gone through and overcome certain challenges. And look, I'm not saying that, I'm not saying that, oh boy, you guys had it so rough from the beginning, but you have had your rough spots and you overcame them through some degree of positivity.
You know. I mean, if you weren't an optimist spent. Some of the challenges that you've overcome are unbelievable. It's a great story. And same thing with you, Buller. And so if there's a message in this for all your listeners out there, Spence, I hope they hang on and keep climbing and keep working towards something positive, because you can make a difference in this world. You can do well. I sound like a Baptist preacher.
You do, amen.
It's a revival here right here on seven hundred. I like the new approach gory. You know, if I told you my one resolution, well, I mean it is still the first week of January.
It's like like water Boy when he says the play another day. Yes, there we go. See that's think about that. Live to play another day. So if you're down, you just have to remember tomorrow you continue on perfect well said last thing here, and then we'll move on entirely. But I find this really fascinating because the leading cause of death for middle aged white men it's still heart disease, but number two is accidental deaths, meaning suicide addiction related overdoses.
That's now number two. You know, So you have a lot of depressed, like lonely men out there right now, that they just get lost in their mind. What's the answer, Well, number one, recognize that your mind lies to you.
Your mind is constantly barking at you about things.
That aren't true constantly. Yes, there's a difference between thinking and thoughts. Thoughts are the things that just come in when you're not you're just sitting there and like, oh, you're a piece of you know, you did this. You can combat that with positive thinking, but it takes practice.
The thing I've learned is that everyone has just the odd thought that you know, when you're growing up, you know, you just think that life is just you know, you're out of the playground having a good old time playing baseball. But then you hit the real reality of life and you think, oh, wonder what that popped into my head? What what that was? Kind of string dumb thought, Yeah, dumb thought. But it's it happens, and people can't sit on it and just I think, become obsessed with that.
And that's why you just observe it and let it go. If you can't, you can't get lost in the mind because then it goes like this.
I think that all three of us have been extremely fortunate in our lives, but we've also overcome some things that people may not know about. And I love it when people say, hey, always remember that the guy you're talking to or the guy sitting next to you, you don't know what his problems.
Everyone has, what I've learned, everyone has a story. Yeah, everyone, everyone has a story. Every person in the arena that you set to you're you know, everyone is going through something and they're really good at hiding it. And you're lucky enough if you can find one or two friends along the way that you can actually trust and open up and maybe they give you some ideas to either alleviate or find answers to some of those stresses that everybody takes every day. Well, I think I'm still working
hard on mind. I mean, look, it never ends. You just kind of find ways to say, okay, progress, I get it, you know, I get it.
I understand.
I have made a profession out of expressing opinion but also interviewing people to tell their stories. And I Bowler, I did that to you. You did, and we got into all kinds of stuff. Did I make you uncomfortable with that?
No?
You know what I need to talk about those things.
As I get older, there's a great story and people more people look at you and say, oh, he's got it made.
Look at what he's doing. Wouldn't that be a great job to have. They have no clue what you've overcome in your life and spent the same thing with you. And this is interesting because when I interview I've interviewed people over the last fifty years, a lot of times they think, oh, I don't have anything really interesting to say about myself. I'm telling you, almost everyone listening to your show right now, Spence, you have a story to tell, and you have an interesting story to tell, and you
have a worthwhile story to tell. But people don't give themselves enough credit I think for what they've been able.
To do well.
And when you share it, it empowers others to help. And I will say, before we move on, a little football with a few minutes laugh like I just know that you're not alone in struggles, in sadness and loneliness, and ignore those dumb thoughts, man, let them go and get back to center and just get through another day, and.
Ignore the criticism that comes from the guy behind the hill.
Doesn't matter.
I know it's sports talk radio. But I hope that if we touch one person in this twenty minute segment, then that's a good thing for this day. I'm one person. If we just made one person think differently or say, you know what, I'm gonna make a conversation about this, or I'm going to go look and find somebody that can help, then amen, we did the right thing today. Sometimes you know, I get ah, you guys get off
topic and stuff. Yeah, but you know what, We're just talking life sometimes too, and I like that.
And I'm on air for four hours.
So you can stay tuned for sports for the other three hours and forty minutes. So everybody calmed down. But let me get both your opinions on this. And I think I've talked to you both separately about the dynamic. But with a few minutes we have left, let's get into this. You know Kiano Tonavasa, who is a professional football player. He's going to play in the NFL, absolutely
and he's awesome. And if you're a ute fan and you're following the news and you see that, you know Makai Pittman his inners of transfer port, You're like, all right, dude, by five, good luck but then you see that Keanu does and you go, oh, man, that hurts. And then you see he goes to BYU and that hurts even worse. I'm happy for Kilani and Jay to get this kid who's a stud and also seems like a good kid.
But the way he announced it was interesting because he took a lot of heat because Keanu went at Cameron Calhoun, who Cameron said, a Utah manami, and then Caylen Debor said, well, do you want to check out Tuscaloosa. He's like, Okay, that sounds good. So he goes down to Bama and Keanu kind of cracked on him on social and he sends out Utah Manami and then boom deletes the tweet two days later. And I was told he told the Utah coaches two weeks before we found out he heads
down a provo releases a scripture. His father is very active on social which I didn't know this, and he said when the heavens open, our family listens. And I was told Keano told the Youte coaches, God wants me in provo.
What do you say to that? You know, like what I'm not saying.
He's using it as a smoke screen, and you know this is the unique dynamic with Brigham Young in Utah and the religious like undertones of the football rivalry. But there are a lot of things like, oh, what's the what's the number? Okay, help us, we can maybe meet this with nil. Okay, what are they promising you? Okay, we can send you the NFL as well. But when someone says like this is God's will, what.
Do you do? You give him high five? And there's nothing you can really say to it.
No.
I mean, you know, look Kyle Whittingham, former BYU player, so you know he understands probably better than the three of us. Gordo, you understand it better than I do. I'm the outsider here growing up in the Midwest, and I remember coming here in eighty five trying to figure out, Wow, I didn't wow the BYU Utah rivalry. Man, this is a little odd but interesting but intense.
Yeah, this one is. This one's interesting. There's not much can't say Smith. I don't think I would say this about that.
Everyone has to make their own mind up about what's most important for them. But you can find God at Utah just as well as you can at BYU. I mean, it's not as much out there and straight in your face, but the largest LDS institute in the world is sitting up on the hill on Utah's campus, So I mean, you can find that if that's what you're looking for. Typically, when I hear that, I think, Okay, there are other
factors as well. There's something going on here. And I'm not discounting him his feeling religiously at BYU whatever if I'm not saying he doesn't feel that, but there are other things as well. And he talked about the coaching. I mean, he said that the coaches at BYU would love him even if he sucked. They didn't use those words, but he essentially said, does that mean that Kyle would have been all over what? I don't know what that means,
but it's to him personally. Whether God spoke to him, I don't know, but you know, you got to follow your own heart, and if that's what this heart is telling them, then go do it.
The only other thing that comes into play for me, guys, is that if there's other situations at at hand at both schools that impacts those decisions. What I mean by that is the future of Utah football quit in the link to time, he stays that he knows more than others and that the feel good feeling is gone and byus on the upswing, and you know, this is the time. But I'm with you if you're if you feel like that, the heavens, as his dad said, has opened and spoken.
What do you say to that? I mean, it's like, go with your heart? I guess right. And this bo we're living today is the portal, the nil money, all those things are those trickle down effects as well. Who knows? And you know what, it's hard to I guess counter that with other you know, like, oh, was it cash only?
Was it you know? The is it playing opportunity?
What?
You know? What? What could it be?
But if the young man says it's you know, that's what the good man wants, then so be it and shake his hand and say good luck.
Do you think God cares?
That's here we go, buddy, Here we go.
This has been a question that I get asked constantly because it's very in the forefront of sports today interviews after games. Yes, intriguing, yes, yes, And I wonder I don't know how that really sets or settles in with most fans who watched football because it's a violent ass game, man, But then at the same time you turn and praise your heavenly Father for the victory. So what does he think about? And this is what I was gonna go. So he didn't like the the opponent. That's always the
counter to this. I think it's it's tough to intertwine it. You know, Tim Tebow really came out, remember, and and was on the forefront of that as well. I think he had underneath his awn his eye wasn't the sticker was the psalms?
And I was sixteen, John was it?
Yeah, I'm not psalms John.
Yes, But I think it's really interesting to see how people react to that.
And it's more of a.
It's it's much more now happening in collegiate athletics. Not as much I see in pros but on occasion, but a lot now in postgame comments. And I guess even on Sunday and Monday Night football, same type of thing.
I always thought that when Tebow went into the end zone and took a knee instead of prayer. I look, I'm a religious person, try to be, but that to me is the greatest form of smack talk. That you can do because you're essentially proclaiming to God, thank you for blessing me over the schmuck.
I just beat in the inZone. Yeah, and I don't like it's a tightrope to walk.
I prefer to have it separate. Not because I don't think. I think God. If you believe in God, okay, and God can bless your life. He wants you to live a happy, productive life, but he doesn't necessarily favor you over the guy you just beat.
Now that's a great topic of conversation, and Spence, I got to applaud you.
Man.
This show in one hour's time really goes back to Napoleon, Dynamite and frozen tater tots and all the way to take. Man, think about that where we covered this today. Man, it's the world of sport.
Really.
I think the lesson for me is it's all encompassing of us of life. It is we live for sport, competition, for the gladiators that we watch on the field at certain times and then praise them or they praise their God. It's it's fascinating to me, and it's it's it's it is what it is. If you want to take it as you like I guess as a as a as a consumer.
If you want to hear a good speech on this, listen to Steve Young. He's got some great, deep thoughts on the value of sports and the relationship with what we're talking about here, and he talks about Ronnie Lott in the lessons he taught Steve about the importance of what you're doing in the middle of competition, but not necessarily that I'm a winner and you're a loser. That's not the labeling that any kind of power up above would would have in mind, but that's the way it's
portrayed sometimes. And you want to end the show, was saying, praise Jesus.
Take an aid before the game tonight. Now you know it's personal for me, but I feel very connected, but I just don't use that verbally in public. And again that's something that again is a personal decision to do, and I try to respect that. But at the same time I get pushed back from fans who say that's that's a great thing, or I that does not jive with the way that I live my life.
You can buy a Trump Bible so and sneakers. Yeah, but you know that's where we are today. This is again as a microcosm of where we are in society today, very split on so many issues, and for us to come together and just talk about it's a good thing and then you make your own decision. And if you want to get mad at Gorda Rye or Spen's fine. But you know, everyone has an opinion about it. But it's right there for us all to consume and see do you agree with everything?
No?
But how do you accept it? I think is probably the biggest challenge. And certainly faith.
Faith is an individual thing and I'm not judging anybody for the way they decide to, you know, express their faith. But sometimes when it's laid on super thick with the outcomes of games, I'm like, does God have like a fourteen parlay that he needs one more to hit?
You? Like?
Does he pulling up his DraftKings app like, oh I need Penn State to it? And I like the way it's laid on sometimes is just like I don't know, it's a little weird.
But you know what that comment right there that makes me laugh, man, Yeah, a fourteen parlay going tonight?
So you mean that God is in a Notre Dame season.
To Notre Dame tonight, Notre Dame, Penn State, Gattle States d By the way, it's pretty good.
Well, thanks for humoring me and leaning in.
A different direction to come onto still get some puffs.
Say I got a microwave down here, let's roll.
I always prefer it in studio. Great to see you guys. By the way, Jazz, no, no, no, not Jazz. We are sitting next to you. The three time Utah Sports broadcast of the Year, Craig, congratulations and no, while we're in the space, real quick shout out to clearly the best sports rider in the market, Sarah Todd for winning her awards.
First of all, this way, uh that award. If that award was properly done, Bowler would have won it ten times.
Okay, kind of you, my friend. You know what, I've worked with some great people and you know, Trav I got JB and Joe and Stoke and everybody.
I got it.
I've got great support or the Jazz have some great people that I work with, and I'm blessed.
Thank you. Have a great call.
It's going to happen.
It's the Bowler every year. In my opinion, it's going to happen, Spence. Great to see you guys. Have a great call then I okay, appreciate you