FRI POD @SpenceChecketts on RSL latest, Jazz vs MINN, Runnin Utes/Big 12 hoops + more

in your GPS. ESPN seven hundred van is right out front. Happy Friday to you. Congratulations, you made weekend time. What a beautiful week we've had and we have a jam packed Friday show for you guys right now. Now get a new ride from Tim Dalliato Group. Tim Dolly is making room for the twenty twenty five models, so all twenty four models must go during their year end clearance event. You can get behind the wheel of your dream car or truck or suv. They've got EV's and stock as well.

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Good have you with us on this Friday afternoon. The Utah Jazz welcome in a couple of old friends tonight as the Minnesota Timberwolves roll into town. The Jazz were off last night, but a fun, fun out of NBA basketball last night. Stephen Wardale Curry. How about fifty six points for steph last night? Incredible performance. Golden State Warriors are seven and one after acquiring Jimmy Butler and the LA Lakers are eight and two since acquiring. Now that's

not right. It says that it doesn't feel like he's played ten games. But anyway, Lake Chris beat the Timberwolves last night, so the te Wolves roll in on the second out of a back to back. The Phoenix Suns continue to spiral in the wrong direction and it really really on game in Milwaukee saw the Bucks getting the Nuggets.

So a fun night of NBA basketball last night, and we've got a good night of NBA hoops tonight featuring the Timberwolves and the Jazz here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah at the Delta Center for a seven thirty tip. College hoops will dominate the weekend landscape both locally and nationally. BYU looks to continue their winning ways. They've won five straight Big twelve games, and that is the longest Big Twelve winning streak that they have had. Even though it's

only been two years. BYU's already won twenty games. There are eleven and six in conference play, and they welcome in the team to the Marriot Center. Who they beat to start this winning streak. West Virginia is in town coming up tomorrow night at eight o'clock on ESPN two. University of Utah will get back at it as well. Only a few games left for the Utes. Obviously, the storyline this week has been the news that Craig Smith

was relieved of his duties as Utah's head coach. We'll get to some of the latest thoughts and the latest rumors about who could take that job next. Arizona State rolls into the Huntsman Center. It's a five o'clock tip coming up tomorrow night. I would encourage you, if you have some free time tomorrow to head on up to the Huntsman Center and give these young men your support. I'm sure it's been an emotional week for them. I'm

sure it's been a difficult stretch for them. Then on the fourth, March fourth, coming up next week, it'll be West Virginia in town and Utah finishes off their regular season schedule. I'm not sure if any post season plans are going to be possible, but BYU will be the final game down on Provo, down in Provo on March the eighth, and it's gonna be a tough one for you. It's man Kevin Young, Bringham Young. They have been on fire, and the Utah Women welcome in bringing Young coming up

tomorrow at one thirty. So a jam packed the day of college hoops tomorrow. The women have lost two of their last three to two really good teams, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Try to get back at it coming up against BYU tomorrow, so a lot to do. Some local players showing out at the NFL Draft combine. We have some NFL offseason news. Stafford has agreed to a restructured deal with the Rams, and could Aaron Rodgers simply not move and play football next year in New York,

but for the Giants instead of the Jets. So a lot to do, a lot to do on the program today. Great to have you with us where Ilse Salt Lake will try somehow some way to get on track, coming up to Marrogan. It's a really good Seattle Sounders team. Seattle made a lot of offseason additions. Craig Wibel is the general manager in Seattle. He spent a ton of time down here in saw Lake. He's the man that's credited with finding Demir cry Lock and others. So it's going to be a tough test as RSL is waiting

for reinforcements. So we'll do a little RSL on the program today as well. Good guest list on this Friday afternoon Live from Tim Dolly Tim Dolly Nissan at forty five to twenty eight South State Street. It's their year end clearance, so come on by and say what's up. Get a great deal on a vehicle, price to move. Our first guest right out of the gates will be the man who I think is going to be wearing the captain's arm band for all OSL this year. Mecca

and Nelly will be our first guest. Right out of the gate. Shout out in eight bench that we're gonna move over to Howard Beck Hippis, rider around, NBA rider around at three o'clock, our friend from the Ringer, and then we'll welcome in Paul Pugmyer for a little bit of golf as a golf season. PGA Tour they're in the midst of their Florida swing and as of now it looks like it's the Cognistant Classic in the Palm Beaches. Oh,

Jake Knapp is not in the league man. He had a fifty nine yesterday Jake Knapp did, so we'll do a little little golf. But the leader board is jam packed with big names down in Florida as the PGA Tour makes their Florida swing. They'll be at Bayhill next weekend and I will be at that tournament. Very excited to attend at PGA event. It's something I've never had

an opportunity of doing. So after Pug stops, I will welcome in Spencer Linton, our friend from BYU TV, do a little BYU hoops, some Big twelve hoops, maybe some college football, some Big twelve football. BYU has actually started their spring practice on the football side of things as well. And then my guy, im my former radio partner, longtime columnist at the Salt Lake Tribune, Gordon Montson stops by

on a Friday afternoon. So a Mecca and Nellie Howard Beck, Paul Pugmyer, Spencer Linton, Gordon mottson me Spence Jackets live at Tim dally Nissan forty five to twenty eight South State Street, and back in the studio on this beautiful, beautiful Friday afternoon is where we find the producer of this program, Porter Larson, on a Friday. Is it Is it safe to say that Steph Curry might be the greatest point guard in the history of the NBA.

today will be a Mecca Annelly RSL midfielder. But before we get to a mecca on this Friday afternoon, courtesy of our good friends at Prize Picks, it is time now for your opening tip.

right now, and then we'll go from there. So obviously it's been a difficult, you know, kind of topic to cover for a number of different reasons. As I've talked about all week long, and as Tommy Lloyd outline the head coach of Arizona after the Utes were down to Michale, there certainly is a personal side to these things that

I think oftentimes we ignore. And you know, even though there are these massive, massive buyouts and massive, massive you know, wind falls and essentially golden parachutes, it doesn't make it any easier for a family when a person loses their job. You got to figure at some point you're going to relocate. Craig is still very young, He's got a lot of coaching ahead of him. And I've said this all week,

I'll continue to reiterate it. I don't view this as a Craigsmith issue entirely, but it is a bottom line, resultory oriented business, and Craig knows that as much as anybody. He even said it on the record last year. There are some cases I think to be made that there are actually signs of improvement here or there, and things

getting a little bit better here or there. But you know, ultimately, when you have very powerful people in the ears of the president of the university and the athletic director, which I've been told is definitely the case, it's hard to continue to move in the direction of allowing somebody to build if there are a lot of people behind the scenes that aren't on board with that decision, and namely people around you know the program that are capable of

writing big checks and they help your bottom line economically, because in this day and age of college athletics, powerbrokers with deep pockets, they carry a differ than they used to. They've always been important. You've always needed boner excuse me. You've always needed donors and you've always needed boosters to make sure that you have everything that you need to keep up with facilities and pay your coaches and pay

your administrators and all that stuff. But now with the ability and the necessity to actually pay your players, your pockets have to be deeper and you have to be prepared in a way that around the market. Right now, I'm not sure how many people know if Utah Basketball is in a position economically to support whoever the new head coaches, and we don't know who it's going to be, but I can promise you whether it's Alex Jensen or Eric Spolstra or if you resurrect Rick Majeris, it doesn't

matter who it is. Any candidate will ask Mark Harland and Taylor Randall the same question that is am I supported financially? Am I supported economically? And if the answer is we're working on it, They're not going to get their first choice. They might not get their first three or four choices. I mean, I don't know what the issue was. When John Calipari left the University of Kentucky. I think a lot of people were just kind of over the whole, like we have a ton of talent,

but we can't get a dun com tournament time. But Mark Pope, by all reports, was like their fifth or sixth choice. And I can't imagine any of that had to do with Nil. I'm sure Kentucky is just fine with it. But if Alex Jensen is going to leave the pros, he has to know that he is set up to succeed wherever he goes, whether it's Utah or

anywhere else. I mean, you know, I reported this earlier, and I don't tweet much anymore for a number of different reasons, but I had two different sources tell me that this is the final year of Alex's contract with the Dallas Mavericks. And you know, after essentially being a lifelong assistant coach in the NBA, and Alex of course was a G League coach. She was the G League

Coach of the Year. I thought Smitty gave us some really good context this week on just how difficult it is to coach in the G League and just how difficult it is to win in the G League, because ultimately, everybody in the G League does not want to be in the G League. That includes players, that includes coaches,

it includes administrators, it includes pr staff. Everybody in the G League is in the G League for an opportunity to at some point to get called up to the big leagues, right, And so as a head coach, if you're Alex Jensen, you're dealing with a group of players, a group of young men more often than not that aren't necessarily thrilled to be playing for you. They're playing for you for an opportunity at some point to be called up to the pros, right. And so ultimately Alex's

you know his path. He played overseas as a player for about seven years, made some money in Turkey and in other places as well. Started as a coach in two thousand and seven when he joined Rick Majeris's bench in Saint Louis and then went over to the Canton Charges a reference. He was the G League Coach of the Year, won a G League championship, and then spent an entire decade with the Jazz, starting I believe with Ty Corbin and then and Quinn Snyder took the job.

And I think this says a lot about Alex because Quinn could have probably not probably, but Quinn could have filled his bench with anybody who he wanted to, and he could have named any coach as his lead assistant,

but he named Alex as his lead assistant. And in ten years with the Utah Jazz, Alex made a name for himself with really working with big men and the Rudy go Bears of the world, the Derek Favors of the world, and the Rudy story certainly is a massive success, and most of that credit goes to go Beart, for sure, But if you talk to anybody down in that organization, if you talk to anybody around the league, they talk about Alex as the conduit to tremendous growth for Gobert,

who as a rookie looked like a baby giraffe and could barely get up and down the floor. Then after working with Alex for a couple of years, we're talking Defensive Player of the Year multiple times, All Stars multiple times. Rudy Gobert is a Hall of Famer. And again most of the credit goes to go Bear, but Alex deserves a lot of that as well. And then after will Hardy to go over, Alex was in the last year of his contract, and I don't know if it was

out of respect. I don't know if it was just like, hey, let's just let him finish out the final year. He spent one year with Will, and in that year with Will, Alex was tasked with working with Walker Kessler. Walker a late pick in the first round, and his rookie year, he ended up finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting, and a lot of people, again around the league and around the organization, believe Alex had a big hand in that. And then lands on his feet with the Dallas Mavericks.

Dennis Lindsay, who's now with Detroit, you know, spent a lot of time here at roster constructing with the Utah Jazz and he is the one that decided to allow Will not allow, but encourage Dallas to look at Alex Jensen. And that's where Alex has been now for the past two years. This is his third year, I believe, on

the bench in Dallas. So there you go. I do feel like all of the rumors I've heard and all the things I've read and the things I've heard is that Alex appears to be at the top of the list as far as the candidates to coach the University

of Utah basketball program. We've talked about some of the other you know candidates as far as the avenue of looking at some of the young coaches in younger in smaller schools, smaller programs that have done a really good job with not a lot of resources, and oftentimes that's the route you go to when it comes to a big program in the big twelve a P four program to find your next head coach, right and so you know,

we've already seen Mark Carlan go that route. He went that route with Craig and there are a lot of examples of coaches right now who people that cover the sport believe that it's kind of their turn, right, I guess that's how I'll put that kind of their turn. After coaching a smaller school with not a lot of resources, they've shown that they can coach, and so does a big program look to make their pockets a little bit deeper and ultimately land on them to coach their program.

So that is one route. The other route, of course, is finding a big name coach he's been on the sidelines for quite some time. That worked for Saint John to Rick Patino. And then the last route that we've been talking about quite a bit on this show is do you go the former ute route? Do you try to restore a past glory? Does that do anything for the community for a program that is badly in need of a shot of life, a shot of adrenaline? Does that do anything for you as a member of this

community who cares about Utah basketball. If you're not a season ticket holder right now, and you get an email or you get an alert on your phone that Utah has decided that their next head coach is going to be Alex Jensen, and Alex's bench will be filled with former utes, namely Andre Miller, who's a G League coach right now sitting next to him. If you're not a season ticket holder now, my question for you is will you be motivated to call the basketball office and put

a deposit down for tickets next year? Because while that's not the most important thing for a program that has not had a building full consistently for a number of years, that is a very important The fact that there are banners right up top, you know, covering the top of the Huntsman Center ever at all, is just a pathetic thing that is embarrassing. Quite frankly, I'm not blaming fans for not showing up. You gotta have a product that

consistently is winning. You got to have a product that is consistently entertaining and in this day and age again, I'll finish with this before you catch a break. The bottom line to me is this, It does not matter if it's Alex Jensen, if it's Andre Miller, if it's Richard Patino, it doesn't matter who it is. Every coach is going to ask Mark and he's going to ask Taylor Randall, Look, do you have what it takes economically and are you set up financially with an infrastructure that

will allow me to succeed. If the answer is not an emphatic yes, even if it's a hey, we're kind of growing in that direction, that's not going to be good enough. And there's a lot of ambiguity around whether or not Utah basketball has the money to keep up with the programs in the Big twelve. And I'm not even saying keep up with what BYU's doing. I mean, the reports are bru just wrote a seven million dollar check daj Debonsa for five months of basketball next year.

He's only playing one year. He'll be in provo five months, he's walked away with seven MILI and that's a level that I'm not even saying Utash should, you know, try to strive to right away, But ultimately you've got to be able to keep the players that you like. And Davon Smith going to Saint John's, I mean, Davon would have made a big difference for this team this year. Now, I'm told the Utah maker made a competitive offer and Utah can't offer Madison Square Garden, they can't offer New

York City. But ultimately, in order to get the talent that you need, Because I will land on this once again, I don't think this was a coaching issue. I think this was a talent issue on the roster, not just this year but pretty much ever since Craig has taken over. Now, the hard part is is the head coach You've got to wear that too. How much of that is Craig's inability to recruit, how much of that is Utah's inability

to pay players, I honestly don't know. But whatever the head coach brings to the table as far as his pedigree, it asked to be matched equally by the program economically in order to support him with the infrastructure in place, So no news. I don't think we're gonna hear any news as of right now, and you'd still have some games to play, and I will repeat Arizona State coming

up tomorrow, five o'clock Huntsman Center. Let's do what we can to get up there and show these show these young men that we appreciate their efforts during a very very emotional week in a very very emotional situation. All right, we're live today at Tim Daly Nissan. They're opening until eight o'clock tonight, so if you can't get here during the show, we'll take it out about six. You can get here after work about eight o'clock. It's forty five to twenty eight South State Street, so come on by

and say hi. All right, we're live today at Tim Dally Nissan. It's forty five to twenty eight South State Street. Got off to a little weird start to the show, got a little loose, was trying to say donors and boosters and landed on a word right in between. But we're gonna move on because it's Friday, and it's beautiful outside and RSL is in action tomorrow. Our next guest midfielder for Rayl saw Lake. It's always a pleasure to catch up with a Mecca and Nelly on a Friday afternoon.

A meta, Happy Friday, buddy, are we.

and the MLS for for many many years. Some that came from Europe came back like Tim Mariem I'm playing with them and then obviously coming back to here ourself. It just gives you a sense of confidence when you're on the field, and when you have that, you really just play with a sense of freedom and can really

really show your true talent. So I felt that since I've been back for the past you know, two or three weeks, I've just felt more confident on the ball, more competent in my decisions, and just more confident and everything that I'm doing here at RSL.

there frustrating? Is there frustration mounting among the group that the front office decided to get rid of the bulk of your attacking options and hasn't necessarily brought in a ton of reinforcements yet, I.

any in the back of the net. And then on Wednesday at home against the Coast Weakan team, again we have thirty shots, eighteen shots inside the box, and we only were able to put one goal in. So I don't I don't think it's a personal problem. I think it's a bit of you know, hasn't really been on our side these these last couple of games. But I think we're getting into really good areas and the shots just aren't hitting the back of the net at this

point in time. But I do feel like, you know, if we continue to do these things correctly, come Saturday, we'll score plenty of goals. The next Saturday, we'll score plenty of goals, and we'll just continue just to work on our craft to you know, continue to create these chances and then just be more clinical in the box when we have these chances.

obviously a little bit of shock. I think everybody had a little bit of shock when when when it happened. But then you know, kind of just a couple of days after a week after it kind of got past it, we're kind of just focused on how can we now as a as a group, as a collective, focus on, focus on the future, focus on this new season, because you know these players aren't going to come back. So it's kind of done in dustin now and just kind of move on with it.

not going to get it done. So tell me what you're seeing a mecca in training from this attacking group and whether or not you believe that you guys do have the personnel in that area of the field to start going to start scoring goals and getting better results.

in the game, three goals, another three goals. Everything was falling that and then we come to the real season and the chances are missed, you know. So I don't so I think as long as we just you know, continue to really focus on the little details and training, you know, finishing off every single attack. If we continuously do that, you know, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday comes Saturday,

the goals will start to flow in. As long as each day training, you know, we're content continuously hitting on what we need to focus on and continuously focusing on those little details of finishing every single attack. So I do think it's just, you know, a matter of time for the goals start start flying in. And like I said earlier, I mean we played three games, we'll probably have another with Leagues Cup, another forty games left in the season. So I think it's just it's just a matter of time.

As I'm looking at the schedule for like a month and maybe even a little bit more than your reference league's cop that will come at some point, But is there any silver lining to not having such a crowded schedule As you enter at MLS play to try to understand how this new group is going to manifest itself, I think yeah.

as much as we like the games. Obviously, like to play for the game, So if we have a game Wednesday Saturday, Wednesday Saturday, it's better for me, it's better for the team. Everybody likes to compete in that aspect. So I mean, not really a silver lining. I'm really disappointed, and yeah, nothing we can do about it now, but I just wish we took our chances better on Wednesday. Hopefully, just something that we can learn from and continue to grow on throughout this season.

on Saturday, only have games. And he made it very clear and very apparent that things like that cannot happen. I'm going forward in the future. So it's again, I hate to say a learning moment because it's something that really frustrates me losing that game, but it's just something that with how long the season is, with how many games we have, it is something that we just have to learn and grow from and you know, just go with that. Yeah.

can come from the group. So if we remove because all the attention now in Mecca is a lack of goals, So what's going on with the number nine spot? But if we remove that, which of course you can't entirely because it's such an important spot, is there enough support with the midfield, with Mark Zuke and Diego and Diego that you guys maybe can overcome the lack of a season striker to get goals from other places if that makes sense?

So they all have the quality, you know, and I think without you know, like a season nine, you know it's going to be a group effort, you know, with with goals and assists and all of them, you know, Diego, Diogo, Dominic, Lachland, Wolfe, I mean, they can all provide it. And I've seen them all provide it and in some of the preseason games we had in training, you know, so very confident in their ability to to definitely keep up the goal contributions.

about it or anything. It's kind of just okay, we see it and then kind of just get on with our day, get on with the train, and focus for focus on the task at hand to hopefully, you know, win on the weekend.

to push each other to be better. So it's always good when you know you have when any type of player is added to tow a squad, because it just raises the level, you know, and the competitive competitiveness within the squad.

the captain's arm band. All year we had Pablo on and he said, you're certainly a candidate. Have you been told whether or not that armband is yours? And what sort of leadership role are you asked to take even though you are twenty five and year three in MLS.

everyone at the club, you know. But I think especially in year one, I didn't really have as much as a much of a voice. In year two definitely grew in that in that department and even now continuously trying to grow to lead with my voice, you know, because I think there's there's many different ways to lead, you know, with your voice by example, you know, personal relationships. So it's just you know, there's not one one tool that

can lead everybody. So it's just continuously to build my toolbox in this leadership role to help the team in whatever way succeed, you know. And I also want to say that it's it's not just it's not just me. You know, we have other fantastic leaders on the team, you know, Jay glad Ratha, fill up yoga. Who are you know all leading as well? You know, I think the best teams are the ones where everyone on the

team as a leader. You know, you can turn to your left, you can turn to your right, and everyone there is trying to lead each other and holding each other accountable. And I think that's what we we We set that culture so far, so I think it's something that's been going pretty well and it's just something that you know, we want to continue with and grow with throughout the season.

But you know, really just focused on what I'm doing today and tomorrow hopefully get me to that point, you know, So just really focus on the ins and outs week in and week out, you know, and then if a conversation has to be had of you know, me going elsewhere things like that, then it will be had when it's when it's the right time.

Champions Cup first round. So while it is early, tomorrow does feel like there's a little bit of weight and a little bit of pressure from your fan base to show that the first three games aren't who you are and to back up your point about chances created to get them finished in order to have a good showing. So what's the mentality as you welcome in a Seattle team that made a lot of big time acquisitions during this offseason.

you know. So I think we've prevared the right way. We've had the right mentality and trainings, and now it's just time to you know, go out there on Saturday at two thirty and show what we've been doing. And obvious here. I know some of the fans have been disappointed with the results that we've had the last three games, but we pushed those to the pass. We're just focused on on the task at hand on Saturday, and it will be better, you know than the last three games that we've had.

former RSL Star is up there. Two thirty kick. If you're looking for something new on what should be a pretty beautiful Saturday afternoon, head over to RSL dot com for tickets and let's pack that place and hopefully the lads we're here for the lads play a little bit better. All right, we're live today. Tim Dolly Nissan, come on by and stop by. It's forty five twenty eight South State Street. They're up in until eight o'clock tonight. Get

a new ride from Tim Dalliado Group. It's making room for the twenty twenty five models, so all the twenty four models must go during their year end clearance event. You can get behind the wheel of your dream car. They've got trucks, SUVs, evs as well in stock, so come on by. We started the new year with a big win with Tim Dollies Forever warranty, Tim Dolly Ford Infinity three to eight Nissan locations, two mis To locations, think Tim Dalliado Group. So right now, theyve got special

financing as low as zero percent. You don't have to pay anything upfront, zero money down, zero percent financing and no payments for two months. You can essentially get a free car for a couple months while you figure out the payments. End of the month. Best time to buy, so come on buy open tell eight o'clock tonight at Tim Dally Nissan. It's forty five twenty eight South State Street here in Salt Lake City on a beautiful Friday afternoon. All right, were love today? Tim Dally Nissan here in

Salt Lake City. It's forty five twenty eight South State Street. It's their year end clearance event. Even though it's February. They've extended it. Special financing as low as zero percent and no money down, no payments for two months. So if you're in the market for a car, coming out and say hello. It's forty five twenty eight South State Street here in Salt Lake City. Our next guest knows Salt Lake City is a small town called a small town. Last week, let's welcome him in, Howard Beck on a

Friday afternoon. Howard, Happy Friday. Which large city do we find you in on this Friday afternoon.

with it. I think there are a lot of things to criticize right now with the modern day and age of the way that the business of basketball is being run. I get feedback and I have a sense, and it's a league I love. It's a game that I love that most people feel like the modern day NBA has run like a Fortune five hundred company that only cares about creating value for shareholders. Now, look, I'm a grown up. I know this is a front facing, revenue generating entertainment product.

But does Lebron have a point or is reacting a little bit in a soft way as it pertains to a league that sometimes deserves to be criticized.

start with this. I'm glad you asked because one of the things Lebron said, the thing that struck me most is the thing about why would you want to be facing the league when everybody's always basically crapping on it and all this, and just feeling like, if you're the face of the league, as he has been, you put yourself in a position where you are just in the

crossfire every day. I get that part of it, but to me, what it speaks to is something that has been a growing concern of mind for a very long time, going back years, which is that players today feel that kind of criticism and feel that kind of siege from what they believe to be the Capital M media because they are flooded every day with whether it's TV debate shows or maybe some podcasts, radio, Instagram commenters, Twitter commenters, anybody.

They are constantly feeling like everybody's just kind of criticizing them all the time, and then they put this on the Capital M media and then lump everybody together. The reason I view it that way, or I'm concerned about it from that standpoint is there are a lot of us who cover the league, and Lebron actually used that phrase those people who cover the league are the ones,

you know, crapping on us every day. The vast majority of us who are cover them league, especially as reporters, beat writers are not the ones he's actually talking about. It's the TV debate shows. It's people on Instagram, it's aggregation accounts that just take things out of context and then use it to tee off on people. It's all

this other stuff. The people who are dedicating the most time and effort to reporting and writing and actually going into the gym, actually going to and shoot arounds and games, doing the job that I used to do for sixteen years, which is, you know, be a beat writer covering a team from start to finish, all eighty two games plus playoffs.

But we are taking the brunt of this because what's happened is it makes it harder to cover the league when players are always on the defensive, or cutoff, or or too reticent to give their time and their thoughts because they fear being in the next spin cycle, and that is a problem, and that is a massive concern of mine.

suddenly we're all thrown in the same category. But as I referenced, I do believe there are things that are very fair to criticize, and I think there are things that are fair to criticize with the way Lebron at times handles himself or all of us brilliant. So your points are well taken, But I will ask you what is fair to criticize in your opinion about the modern day approach of NBA players and the way the league is run.

of the game's I mean, everything's fair. It's not that anything is off limits to criticize, although you know, times people get a little too personal or a little bean spirited or so hot taking that they lose track of the fact that these are human beings playing this game. But also I would separate cover, you know, the criticism of you know, the game writ large that the league and what the league is doing at a given time

changes it's making or the quality of the product. That's a different case or a different issue than how the players are feeling about being ripped apart on a maybe sometimes daily basis by some people who again have no interest in it other than their ability to market their takes.

ask the ron. I don't know whether he's referring to Turner inside the NBA, whether referring to ESPN, whether it's referring to Fox Debate shows what I don't I don't know. I think this is more about this is less about how the game is being talked about in terms of what he said, than than the way he's been talked about I think he was referring to his own experience as the face of the league.

through the prism of negativity. And the last couple of weeks I have turned on basketball and I have watched basketball players seem to care about playing basketball, and it is a reminder, Look, maybe this is just the world of basketball now that we all should just say, Look, we'll tach you after the All Star break, we'll hit

you up in late February, early March. But the past couple of weeks, when these guys have been locked in, it is a reminder of what this league looks like and what this sport looks like when the best players are playing hard with a purpose.

ahead to, and it's getting closer. It certainly brings a different level of focus and intensity.

it's guys are load managing too much, or whatever. Like there's bits and pieces of all of this, and everybody's got a little bit different version of what's bothering them about the league at any given time, and so I just I don't know which part of that is the one that needs to.

Portland play tonight in person, which is very impressive. So let me just ask you point playing your opinion then instead of dancing around it, do you feel like from your dvantage point, uh, you know that the league is in a healthy place, you know, as opposed to what anyone else has to say about what does what does Howard Beck have to say about the current state of the NBA.

going to play that night going to be there? Because I don't worry about it the same way as anybody else does. Right, I've bought tickets that that's a serious concern, and the NBA they've tried to deal with it. We know that, you know, it was a you know, starting last season when they instituted all these rules to try to make sure that players were playing more often than not and not abusing the latitude that teams have.

evened out. It's still down, but it's not down dramatically, and the league locked in a seventy billion dollar media right seal Like you know, that goes back to your your view of like the like the cynical take of like, yeah, it's just a business and they're just accruing value. And I think there's something to that, But I don't know where where are the crisis is here?

stories when they manifest. Walker Kessler had a great game the other night against THELMLSA Bonus, And there's some stuff with Isaiah Collier and Keyante George that are pretty exciting, but it does feel like every year about a third of the teams are just unseerious about winning. And I get it, and certainly out here I get it, and I think the Josh should have done this two years ago,

as we've talked about. But is there is there any fix to this scenario where and John Hollinger wrote a good piece for The Athletic about this where you're either in the halves or the have nots, And it seems like every year about a third of the league as this, you know, this situation where they're not serious about winning, they're trying to develop young players and then a rebuild is hope that some young players pop, acquire assets, and

then hope you get lucky in the lottery. Is this just the NBA where about a third of the teams every year are just not going to be able to compete with the top shelf team, so they go young, try to develop, and try to get lucky in the lottery.

But the piece I wrote was about kind of this, which is that there still aren't enough stars to go around, especially when you know stars like to join up with each other on ungiven teams, where teams you know, are able to get them on their own. Yeah, it's it's stars are a finite come out of This is a

zero sum game. So we can look at the Jazz or the Nets and the Blazers, two teams I will see either tonight or the Wizards and say, well, they're rebuilding, they don't have enough talent whatever, They're in the have nuts category. They're hoping for lottery balls, they're hoping for something. The fact is, whether you're doing it intentionally or just because that's just where in the life cycle your team is, naturally you're trying to pursue stars that aren't there because

they're on somebody else's team. It's a zero sum game. And we can talk about the fact that there's more talent than ever around the league today than ten fifteen twenty years ago, and there is, but it's not franchise star level talent. Like the Jazz have Lowry Markinen, who's a really good player, all NBA caliber, but that's not enough for them to win enough games to be in the playoff hunt. And you know, the Nets and the

Wizards certainly traded away players to do their rebuilds. But the fact is there's so few true superstars or stars that you can do that and have. There still be a bunch of other teams that are still searching for talent as well, Like this is just the state of things. You can't possibly have thirty teams competitive at the same time, no matter how much Adam Silver has tried to engineer parody, and there is more parody now than there has been in.

going to be himself again. So we don't know the answer to that, and if he's never himself again, and he just signed a massive extension last summer, they are screwed for the foreseeable future.

seventh or later, it's going to Oklahoma. So the the insult to injury here for Philadelphia is that their seasons already toast embiid is on the shelf, and if the pick is seventh or lower, it's going to Oklahoma instead of them getting the benefit in Philly. So there it is. There is in their best interests to shut down everybody at this stage. Do whatever you have to do, take the fines from the league, but do everything possible to

have the worst record possible. And even that doesn't guarantee anything, because the lottery balls could bounce the wrong way and it could drop the Sixers to seven or eight or nine or whatever, and they could still lose the pick. So they do need to increase their odds of having a top six pick.

come around. They look pretty good so far, but you know, let's check back in a few weeks or you know, a month or so. I don't I don't know that the Lakers as constructed have enough to make a run this year. They didn't make that trade for this year. They made that trade for the next ten years. And you know, with the Warriors, that one's interesting, like they're playing their butts off. They look really good. Steph goes for fifty six last night, and Butler's fit in perfectly.

They have a little bit better depth in roster balance the Warriors than the Lakers do, So I'll put the manach ahead, but probably it's Denver Howard.

Appreciate Howard's time, Yeah, if you missed it. Lebron James was asked about Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis said he's not really trying to be the face of the league, and Lebron said, quote, why do you want to be the face of the league when all the people that cover our game and talk about our game on a day to day basis bleep on everybody. Obviously I didn't ask to be the face of the league. I feel and I understand this is weird energy when it comes to that,

and there's been a lot of reaction about it. And as I reference to Howard, you know, I'm one that has spent my entire life around pro basketball, and I've always enjoyed it. I enjoyed playing as much as I could before, you know, I had to find something else to do because I couldn't keep up with pros. And I enjoy covering it. I enjoy watching it, and it is a different league than was back in the day, and certainly there's an argument to be made that it's

time just to shut up and embrace it. It is what it is, and it is overstated a little bit as far as players not going hard all the time, but it's not entirely overstated. I watch this league a lot, and there are plenty of nights when I'm watching games I'm excited to watch where those guys are nailing it in man. Then there are plenty of games I sit

down and watch it are awesome. And ever since this league came back from the All Star Break, there have been a lot of games that have been worth watching. Players are showing up and they're playing hard. But we shouldn't have to wait for that to be consistent for like four months, Like, show up and do your job. Man, You're getting paid a lot of money. The fans show up and they watch, and I do think players have an obligation of fans, even though players don't seem to

think that they do. And sometimes they say the quiet heart out loud, like Kevin Durant did when he said, we don't ever really take any consideration what the fans have to say. And if that's the attitude, you are going to turn a lot of people off. And quite frankly, I think pro basketball has That's just my opinion. But the Warriors game was awesome last night. The Bucks and the Nuggets played a really good game. Lakers and the

Timberwolves played a really good game. And tonight we've got Jazz basketball as Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, in addition to Joe Ingles and Nikhil Alexander Walker are back in town with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and it'll be fun to kind of see those guys and hopefully they get a good rowd of applause and ovation. I imagine they would. Timberwolves good team, not a great team. Just about five hundred Jazz on that first round pick. So maybe the Jazz try to get a win. Tonight seven thirty is your

tip time. As the NBA is kind of on the stretch. Run now got Nuggets Pistons, which I wouldn't have said is a good game. A couple of weeks ago. The Pistons run off eight straight games, and I try to you oftentimes cover the league and talk about teams that were in the position the Jazz are just a few years ago. Detroit won eight games last year. They've won eight straight games right now, and they've got Kate Cunningham. Obviously.

You know, it's like Orlando WITHO. You know some of these teams that were rebuilding and now looking a little bit better. Well, they've got cornerstones in the way in a way, the Jazz is don't. The Calves are at the Celtics tonight to TD Garden, so that should be a fun one. Clippers Lakers late night game at Crypto dot Com Arena. All right, we are live today out here at Tim Dally Nissan. It's forty five to twenty

eight South State Street. They're opening till eight o'clock. So if you can't get here while we're here until about six tonight. You can come by after work if you get off or whatever. At forty five twenty eight South State Street. They've got special financing. It's their year end clearance events. Special financing as low as zero percent, zero money down as well then no payments for two months. End of the month is the best time to buy. It's the last day of February. Good riddance. By the way.

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eight South State Street. The sun is shining. It's been a week that feels like spring, and I do believe Paul Pugmyer, we actually have some local tracks open for business this weekend. Yes, sir, is that right?

a reputation of being very, very hard. But a combination of some overseating that they did on the grass that made the fairways softer, which makes them play effectively wider, combined with an odd situation of zero wind, the course was playing easy. It was gettable, and by and large people were complaining about it. And then a nap comes in with the fifty nine and they say, see told you so, And my reaction was, well, what'd you shoot?

And nobody got anywhere near him, and so it was the fifteenth sub sixty round shot in PGA tour history. The first goes back to nineteen seventy seven when al Geiberger did it in Memphis and then there was like like ten or twelve years before anybody did it again below. The sub sixty rounds are coming more quickly now, and there's been fifteen of them. It was a great round at twelve birdies, no bogies, fifty nine really really great.

work at night and practice during the daylight hours. And he's, you know, he's a stout young man and uh filled the role of the bouncer pretty well. But he did that until he got his game back, got his status back, and he made real good use at that time, and he got got through the PiZZ Corn Ferry tour, got a card and on tour he's got a win to his credit. And now he's done this and he seems like a really good guy. Everybody who knows him says that they like him. He's, you know, the good guy.

So got that.

He said, if you only and I'm paraphrasing, but it was something along the lines of if you only analyze your golf when it comes to winning and losing, you're in for a career of misery, right, And I was like, oh man, what a line. And that leads me to asking you about Brian Campbell, because my man has one hundred and eighty eight starts in the Corn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour, and he broke through with a win, and it just it makes golf so unique this way.

You know, there's not another sport like if you went, oh to one eighty eight in basketball, you're not keeping your job. And he he had one hundred and eighty eight starts before he got his first win. And one of the things I love about watching the end of these tournaments when it's a guy like Brian Campbell, who I don't know anything about, is you see him instantly change his life in a moment, and it really is what makes golf unique. What was it like for you

to watch this guy? And when he was interviewed afterwards, he just said, it's about my grind and there were times where I wanted to quit. It's my girlfriend, it's my family, they encourage me to keep going. But Brian Campbell's life instantly changed last week in Mexico after playing one hundred and eighty eight tournaments. Give me your thoughts on that, well, you.

But that kind of thing doesn't happen in golf. You've got to do it all. You got to do it all yourself, and you've got to to do it all at the right time in order to get the win the win. And I love Campbell's story. It was grind he is, he's never been a big hitter, and he's in the field at down at Vidanta. He was the shortest hitter statistically in the field, and yet what do

you do he won. Another thing was, you know, he got just an unreasonably incredibly good bounce off to the tree on the final hole, and he took advantage of it. He paid it off. Now, good bounce has happened. Bad bounces happened ones on Thursday, we forget about. But this happened on Sunday, Sunday afternoon, with the cameras rolling when everything mattered and he paid it off. He made it work. And people will remember the bounce, but I hope they also remember the wedge he hit the six feet after

he got the bounce. That was a great shot and he made that happen.

Guid kid. I don't know much about him. You pointed him out, and you know, it was pretty fascinating when they went to the playoff. It wasn't just Campbell who needed some luck pot Guid. You know, he was just roping everything all tournament long, and down the stretch. The moment got a little too big for him, didn't it.

strong and fast. He hits the ball a ton. He will make a lot of noise. There's a lot of trophies waiting with his name on it, but he hasn't yet learned how to handle the moment. And I say that with no condemnation good Land. At twenty, I was still trying to figure out how to burp the alphabet.

don't want to say fell apart. He just missed two what looked like gimme's short putts at the end of you know, two of the final three holes, Rory had like three foot putts, and I didn't realize he had hit four hundred and eighty three of the four hundred and eighty three chances he had from three feet prior to sixteen and eighteen. I mean, I don't know how you digest that. Now, Rory's been great this year, but

let's go back a little bit. What are your memories of watching Rory kind of really just blow it down the stretch there?

and Rory missed it in the worst possible moment. But part of the story also, it isn't just that Rory missed that putt. It's that Dave Chambeau. He was hitting his driver all over the county and he kept getting decent brakes where he could have a shot and hack it back down into play. And if you roll the tape backward ten minutes, you'll see that he did exactly that.

Hit it way left on eighteen seventy second hole on Sunday and just had to bump it up the fair way and to have set up an attempt to make part by getting up and down. He hit it a little bit too far and hit it into a bunker. And then he hit one of the greatest shots ever hit in the history of the game. And the shot two yard shot that he hit out of the bunker

to four feet that will live forever too. You can take great players and drop them in that same spot and give him one hundred balls and half of them will never get it within four feet. But Dey Chambeau did it in that moment. So it was the combination of all those things coming together. And what can I say, that's the US Open, that's Pinehurst number two, That's that's why we pay money to watch and play.

But he's he's really found a way to turn his personal narrative around.

What are your thoughts on his ability to change that narrative and how do you think he's been able to do it.

he approached things. I am a big fan. I have been since he was at SMU, and I've had a couple of opportunities personally to spend a little time with him and interact with him, and he has been just absolutely golden to me. He's been nothing but really really good to me. Plus Tony Fenale's former caddy caddie Greg Boudine is now caddying for Bryson, and I think that's a cool connection for us here in Utah. But he listened to what people were saying and he realized he

needed to make some changes. He used his YouTube channel and his Instagram account to communicate directly with people and to show a different side of himself. And the turnaround in his public persona has been remarkable. I admire him for it, and he's figured out a way to have fun and to convey fun on his social media. That thing he did hitting the ball over his house trying to make a hole in run, that that was a gas and I applaud him for it.

I don't know if it was the live stuff. He just decided to uh, go his his his separate way to do his own thing, and then received a phone call that changed his life from a young man named Scotty Scheffler. Uh And obviously when Ted first started working with Scotty, Scotty wasn't the full bake Scotty that we see now as the best player in the world. But just your experience, your knowledge of how important the right

partnership is and the roles that caddies play. Because one of the coolest things I can't remember Scotty won like seventy times. I don't remember which tournament he was where he had you know, it was the Masters where he had Ted just make the walk with him after Ted grabbed the flag. But what makes this partnership so rock solid and what is the secret Sauce Paul between a great player and a great caddy.

names we know and it contributed to their success. And it was Jack Nicholas with Angelo Dundee. It was Tom Watson with Bruce Edwards, and it was Johnny Miller with Andy Martinez. And those three players really built relationships with their caddies, made their caddies trusted collaborators on the execution of the round, and their record showed it, and then everybody else, oh there's something there, and it's become the norm.

But it took great players to make the change, and it's been a very pots that have changed for the game. A caddy now plays a role that coaches do in other sports. To think about it, they're right out there on the field of play, thinking through and discussing and helping to execute on the field of play. It's it's a really important relationship.

which obviously has made him a really rich man. But it's interesting, after watching the full swing up on Scotty to witness what he's doing today because he is the exact opposite of a hothead. He is measured. When he hits a bad shot, he's on to the next. Does Ted deserve some credit for this? What? What? What have you seen as far as the evolution of simply the controlling of emotions from the world number one right now, Scott Scheffler.

he can be a beast, you know what I mean? Like, what are your thoughts on his game and how he's evolving.

kid's gonna make some noise. It was, it was obvious. Now, what's interesting there is when he was in college, he was a lot more rough edged, and he what you see out of him as an adult, a full adult at this point, and a professional with a professional caddy. He's much more refined and much more polished now than he was when he was twenty. But again, you know, aren't we all, but but it was it was really clear when he was in college that he was going

to be very good. But it's been fun to watch him grow up and fun to watch him mature and become a player who is legitimately appropriately a crowd favorite. I am a big sit. He's Taghla fan, and I want to see him do really well.

he seemed to be going through. Do you have any insight as to why Joel Damon seems to be, you know, at least in the hunt with most tournaments he's played so far this year.

backstory on Joel here. Just this last year, he was the last one to he snuck in getting a tour card, getting his full status in the last couple of holes of the last tournament, the last chance to get it here the last fall, and he is one actually who knocked Zach Blair, our local kid, knocked him out of having a card. And Joel is making full use of

this opportunity. He's doing pretty well, this year he's in the mid fifties somewhere on his ranking on the FedEx Tour or the FedEx Points list, and so he's making use of the opportunity he gave himself. And that's pretty cool. I respect him for.

to Saint George in May. And we're also going to touch base with some people who are in back of a new economics impact study on what golf means to the economy of Utah. That's going to be really interesting. I'm looking forward to that conversation.

more forgiveness. You went to golf, as we reference right now the PGA Tours in the midst of its Florida swing, and it's the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches right now being played at the PGA National Resort and SPA the Champion Course, and right now after fifty nine yesterday, Jake Knapp followed it up with a seventy, but still good enough to have the lead. Jake is in the

clubhouse at thirteen under. Then it's Matthew Pavone at twelve under parr, Doug Gim and Michael Kim in addition at Daniel Berger and yes pruspencent are at eleven under par. Then it's Taylor Montgomery, Zach Johnson and Ricky Fowler at ten under parr. As we referenced, our local representation is Patrick Fishburne, who will make the cut. He's tied for forty eight at five under PARR. A lot of big

time names in this tournament. Jordan Speith is playing well in addition to Shane lowry, but no Tony final in this event. All right, two hours down, two hour to go. We're live today, Tim Dally Nissan, which is forty five twenty eight South State Street, open until eight o'clock tonight. It's their end of year clearance event. Special financing as low as zero percent, zero money down and no payments for two months. Great time to buy a vehicle. If you're in the market, stop by ken or excuse me,

Tim Dolly Nissan. All right, we're live today, Tim Dally Nissan at forty five twenty eight South State Streets there, open until eight o'clock tonight. It's their year end clearance event, special financing as low as zero percent, zero money down, no payments made for two months. So if you're in the market for a vehicle, come on buy at forty five twenty eight South Stage Street here in Salt Lake City. I thought my wallet had been stolen during the break.

It was not. It was in my car, but a moment of panic and we'll welcome in our next guest, Spencer Lynton. Spencer, have you ever had your wallet stolen or have you ever lost your wallet?

just start with your overall thoughts. Now, five straight wins, which is the most in BYU's Big twelve adventure, started in Morgantown and then you guys have West Virginia tomorrow. What stands out most about the past five games for BYU Spencer, Yeah, I think.

that's a tough pill to swallow. And then to have to kind of reinvent yourself with what Kevin Young wants you to do and how do you mesh with this lottery freshman phenom in yegor demi and how do you split minutes? It just it just took time. And I think I shared it with you when you called me a little over a month ago when BYU was struggling a little bit, and I shared an analogy and correct me if I'm wrong. But I used getting a new set of clubs and then being given a professional swing coach.

And you have all the nicest equipment and incredible swing coach, and you have access to all these courses. But just because you get a new set of golf clubs doesn't mean automatically you're gonna show up with the course and just beat immediately better, Like, oh, I'm better, I have new clubs, I'm better, I have a swing coach, I'm better. It just takes time to work with said coach and your new equipment, figure out what you got to do with it to then go out and play your game

at the highest level possible. And so it's just taken time. And now he has locked in that rotation and it is a deep rotation. They can go less and deep on the bench and are doing so regularly with a couple of guys playing, you know, sparse minutes here and there between Trey Stewart and Mihailo Boskovic. Those guys would come in and give you why you would change of

pace to go along with the nine regulars. And it's just been really really interesting and entertaining to watch him and his staff hone in on what is working best. And obviously during this five game win streak they've been able to flex a little bit and taking a little bit of luck for sure down in Arizona. But I mean outside of that, they've just been playing really really high level basketball. And we're talking about a team that

is starting to shoot it well. Eleven mad threes per game almost that's an insane number for a college team. But this is what by you brought Kevin Young in to do as one of the most brilliant offensive minds in the game.

of the game. It just it just wasn't. Look credit Richie steps out, knockdown the free throws, and there was inconsistent officiating. BYU was on the wrong side of some calls. But the final play, my man, my man, you got to help me out here. That just wasn't a foul. It just wasn't.

that was poorly officiated. And he's a really smart player to try and take advantage of how that game had been called in ninety nine out of one hundred games and scenarios, You're right, that is not a foul call. But because it was so poorly officiated, I thought from start to finish and Arizona getting calls and Boa getting questionable calls, it kind of didn't surprise me. But Richie's a really good player. He sold it. It wasn't a foul,

but he did his part. Still had to step up and make some really really high pressure free throws and BYU was lucky to get out of there, but sometimes you need a lucky break like that. And so yeah,

not dodging that. I know that the alternate angles came out, and that kind of gave me pause where it's like, okay, well they kind of knocked me these a little bit, and there's a little bit of a hip slide there, but it's in slow motion and like the officials got one chance to look at it, and I know Tony Fadiaz had his history with uton By for Bethan worse,

but yeah, I'm not going to shy away from it. Man, Like, you're right, it's not a foul, but given the way that game was officiated, I was not surprised that it was called a foul.

I don't shy away from the conversation. Some people do, and I do believe this is such a double standard in so many different ways. And I'm not a big fan of what Aboutism's but if this was bleep the insert religion here or bleep the insert ethnicity here, this would be a national story. And I just and look, I talked about this on the show. I have a

pretty unique prism and experience of being. You know, an LDS kid from Salt Lake City, Utah, suddenly planted in the northeast at the age of eleven, and this was nineteen ninety and I was treated like a total outcast. This was far before the church had a footprint back there that it does now. And I know what it's like to be around people that simply don't know culturally

what else Yes people are about. And I was there were kids that were clearly getting information from their parents, asking me questions like I would go to school and be like, I'm pretty sure my dad has only the one wife and it's my mom. That's been the deal the entire time. I know, you guys are asking me like And so I understand that there is a large portion of our country, even in the year of Our Lord twenty twenty five, that view the prism of LDS

culture as odd and unfamiliar. But it just it can't. It can't mean the chants like that are okay, and it shouldn't dissuade people like us that have a microphone from talking about I just wonder how those things land down there with you when your fellow BYU media members and people down in Provo.

just an easy target. I hate that excuse. Well, it's just an easy target because you're weird, So just deal with it. It's just part of the deal. Like, at what point do we say, well, maybe we don't like it, maybe it's it's hurtful and it's annoying. But for a long time, and even still now today, I kind of have come from a standpoint of, well, you know, they hate what they don't understand, and let's just go ahead and turn the other cheek and love them and hope

for something better. But again, at some point you have to stand up and say, hey, we don't like that, We would appreciate having a conversation about it so that it doesn't happen again, And so I was happy to see some of the conversation that came from this, and I super appreciate Tommy Lloyd and think he is an

absolute class act as Arizona's head coach. Not only one did he address the bigger concern with the game after a terrible foul call hurt his team and cost his team the game in some ways, but he pointed to the bigger picture of my team's got bigger issues. And then later on down the week, as he's preparing for another game, he talked about how his fans need to be better and you need to not take those shots.

And so it was just kind of this cool galvanizing moment between the staffs at Arizona and DYU and for some of Arizona fans to come out and say, you know what, it's not okay, and we will be better. So, yeah, we're making a little bit of progress, but it is an unfortunate banner that so many fan bases have joined in recent years, and you would think that in twenty forty five, as you pointed out, we would be better than that.

good things. I just don't And you know, whether it's Real Housewives stuff or the Hulu show or the junk stuff, you know, the Sister Wives show. I wonder how much of that that people are digesting gives them a completely inaccurate idea of the way the culture is actually, you know, in reality when you experience it, do you think there's anything there? Spencer?

never had an issue with our families interacting. It just seems kind of boring, like, yeah, it's good, I choose that all the time, but it's not worthy of what the world perceived as entertainment value. No one's signing up to watch the show when it's just, oh, yeah, those people are nice, and they helped me do my yard work, and they shovel my walk when I can't do it, and they went down into some yardwork for this elderly grandma on our yard in our neighborhood life. We don't

hear enough about that stuff. I wish we could cast more of a light on that. But I truly believe that it just comes down to, well, what's weird and what's kind of that landish, how do we build a show in it so that we can make money and sell advertising and we can all get rich. And so it is uncomfortably becoming more and more common to see the things that you are pointing out, and those shows because people.

was going to go well. But after the game, I thought Tommy Lloyd handled it again just perfectly where he pointed out the two sons and how they showed up for work, and that would be I mean, look, my dad wasn't a coach, but he was an executive. I mean we had to uproot our family four or five different times for his career. There's a personal side of this that we don't do a very good job covering because fans want to know what happened and what's next.

But I wonder from Afar down there, your take on what we've had going on up here with Craig losing his job. Wow.

a fantastic basketball coach. I was a little shock Spence because I thought that he was finally starting to get some grounding. Like when Utah beat Kansas State or at Kansas and Kansas State back to back and they're middle of the pack in the Big Club, I thought, Okay, there may be on the cusp of something.

was stunned. I hate it for the Smith family, especially when I thought that he had finally started to figure some things out, and I think he was getting a lot out of the talent that he had up there, and if you had given him some real nil support and true support from an athletics standpoint, that he go out and do some damage and recruit that they were on the cusp of being an NCAA tournament team.

and recruit those guys. I think Alex Jansen would be a home run higher. Hate that it comes at a time when I felt like Craig had started to in some ways turn a corner. But hopefully Utah makes the right higher, and I hope that it's Alex Jenson. I think he is dynamite. I don't know what the true interest level is there, but he's going to pick a time to leave Dallas and the NBA as an assistant this and take this job at Utah. Man of a huge get for the you and returning to them to

their basketball glory. Man, you and I we grew up. Utah basketball was everything just there, Jerif Sweater, the files forward.

Yu in the first round. And I think it's been what since Jimmer byus not want to take a game inside the round of sixty four they won a first four in game or whatever. But when I watched this team this year and when they are at their peak, they feel more dangerous and more complete than the team a year ago. And they're deeper as well. So if you expand your imagination, what's the ceiling for Kevin's team this year NCAA tournament style?

ball well. All of these things that I heard about the twenty twenty team and how UI is dangerous nobody wants to see BYU in March, I'm starting to hear a lot of the same things about this team, which is exciting and so, yes, this team is better prepared

to go and win an NCAA tournament game. I don't know if the UI is going to be granted the consideration by the tournament selection committee that they had last year, even though I think they're a better team this year because of the non conference slate, and Kevin knows that they didn't beat anybody in non conference play relatively speaking, they have since caught fire and have added plenty of meat to the resume in the Big twelve. But I

don't know. Pardony just believes it that the selection commans can be like, yeah, but By's non conference, Like we need to punish them a little bit for that. So I wouldn't be surprised to see BYU if they win two of the final three. I'm not going to ask the team or expect this team to go to Ames and win against Siawa State, especially if Bio State gets some of their scores back and courage Jones specifically, Like,

that's a tough ask. But if you win two of the final three and you beat West Virginia, Sam and I and then handle Youthah on Senior Night, and you go to Kansas City and you win a game there, then I think DYU has absolutely done enough to be given real consideration at worst as a seven seed. And what ten seed or what team in the NCAA tournament wants to face seven seed BYU who recently just won at Arizona and just humiliated Kansas and had won as many as six games in a row and are playing

their best basketball this season. I think they could be a very very dangerous seven. You said ceiling, so I'm gonna give you to I think the ceiling for the PA team because of the non conference plane, because of no Sunday play and how the seeding principles work, probably a six seed at best, all.

obviously some players not thrilled about it. The trip did a follow up where they were able to talk to some people from the Royal Blue Collective who are saying that there will be some changes this year, you know, coming off the heels of a very successful season. I just need to know your understanding of this story and kind of where we're at with collective down in Provo.

know what, we'll kind of keeping it for ourselves. It's what's in the paper is out there, but like we're not going to add any additional comment. So I thought, Okay, well, I'm not going to get anything from cruise people. That's fine. Let me reach out to the Royal Blue Collective. And what I was told was we're processing everything. We're figuring

out where there were some discrepancies and some misunderstandings. And I was assured that they are trying to do everything with as much integrity and clarity and transparency as possible while still working with an institution that is private. It's like an impossible balance at BYU. I'm not saying it's perfect, it's not. So clearly there was something that happened and I'm misunderstanding. And I'll say this, everybody needs to get everything in writing and put in contracts and stop giving

these handshake agreements. Like handshakes are not going to cut it anymore. Like everything needs to be documented. We've gone from amateurism to like minor league professional sports, with many college athletes get everything in writing, get everything in a contract, but that you can guarantee it, and there's legal ram pitations if you don't uphold your end of the bargain.

But I wish I had more for you. I reached out to both sides and was given a very political answer from the Royal Blue Collective and then we'll kind of shut down on the other side. So I wish

I had more than that to add. But I'm adamant that that there will be an effort to have things laid out that are legally solid, that are on paper guaranteed contracts, because I believe, truly believe to be why he wants to do it the right way, and they don't ever want to put anybody in a uncomfortab position like they did or was reported allegedly they did from crewe Wakely and then this other you know athlete or these other athletes that are now coming forward.

So if you're in the market for a vehicle for you, you're a child, or your spouse, forty five twenty eight South State Street, come on buy and say hi. All right, we are live today Tim Dolly Nissan at forty five twenty eight South State Street. Come on buy and say hi. It is their end of the year close out special. Even though it's the beginning of the year, they're still having it. Special financing is low a zero percent, zero

money down, no payments for two months. My next guest back in the day would be sitting next to me on these remotes often Gordon monson, Happy Friday, sir, how are you?

paying some dead money to Larry. And there's a lot to this, and you know, ultimately there's a human side of it. Feel bad for Craig and his family. A little five million dollar golden parachute doesn't hurt. But what's your reaction to the news, and then we'll move into what you think comes next.

the acts. The timing of it was a little suspicious to me because I wondered if Mark Harland had it in for him from from the start of the season and he I don't know. I don't know this for a fact, but it seems like they were better than maybe what they were thought to be, and Craig Smith was a big part of that. And then all of a sudden he's given the acts after the loss, and they had won some games and people didn't expect them

to win. And who knows what would have happened if he had finished strong with that team, Spence, I don't know what happened if they went down to Provo and beat the Cougars, I mean, and then you're going to fire him after that. That would have been a more

difficult situation. But that's all speculation on my part. I have no idea what Mark Carlett was thinking other than the fact that what the youths were doing on the basketball floor and what they were drawing in as far as fans just wasn't good enough for him.

weren't necessarily happy with the direction and Gordon. While I certainly met the news with sympathy for Craig and his family, there was part of me that said, okay, you know what, finally somebody who stood up and said this is not good enough. They have not made the tournament in almost ten years, and for a program once upon a time that made the tournament every year and nearly won a

national championship, but just ran out of gasagainst Kentucky. Part of me likes the fact that whatever the reason was, like this standard should not do for a basketball community that's used to greatness.

They think, they think the University of Utah is a better basketball program than was being exhibited on the court and in a day and age where just like Craigstmis, it's a bottom line business man, you got to win, and you got to win at a certain level or else you're gone. And he's gone. But it's hard to feel sorry for arm considering the five million dollar parachute that you mentioned.

the tournament. You know, a small school gets an automatic qualification, they win a couple of games, and a bigger school poaches their coach. Jeff Borzello put together a list that he thinks Utah should look at. It's UC San Diego's Eric Olson, It's Nico Medved from Colorado State, It's Eric Henderson from South Dakota State, Leon Rice Boise State. They just be Utah State, Russell Turner from UC Irvine. So

that's one avenue. And the other avenue that seems to be getting a lot of traction is the former ute pile, which includes Johnny Bryant, Alex Jensen seems to be the front runner from what I can understand, and then Andre Miller's coaching in the G League. So I want your thoughts on what you think Mark should do. And then ultimately, one of the things I've tried to consider is I'm not usually a win the press conference guy. I don't

think it matters. The long game of building a culture is what matters and finding your way back to winning. But this basketball community, Gordon needs such a shot of life. The part of me feels like, go all in and get Alex and put Andre next to him on the bench. And I would imagine if that's the announcement, a lot of phone calls would be made to the basketball building to put deposits down for season tickets. But what do you think Mark should do next? As far as the avenue we should look at.

go if I were Mark Carlett. Now Harlan seems to like to sort of put on a national search, but I mean he hired Craig Smith, I.

wouldn't you talk to a guy like Alex Sinton. Why wouldn't you talk to a guy like Johnny Bryant or Andre Miller. I mean, those are exciting names, and I think that's the way I would go.

for five for five. Now, I know there are other sports I'm not diminishing them and the importance of them and the other hires, but Mark in his tenure has made one higher on the football on the basketball side, and it was Craig and obviously didn't work. The succession plan for more than a takeover I believe was in place before Mark got here. And you know, it hasn't been the greatest year for Mark Carlin, who I like

and respect and he's been nice to me. But that postgame die tribe after the BYU Utah football game didn't land very well. He was reprimanded, he was fined, and I wonder how you would articulate this feels like a very big decision for the athletic director of Utah. What are your thoughts scoredon?

I know Morgan, he's a smart guy. You think he would be able to do that again with a football program that has a proud history, so you'd think he'd be able to do it. In basketball, the utes have been struggling, like you said, for quite some time. It's a basketball school. It used to be a basketball school, right, and so I think he does need to nail that.

He'd never get this one right. He embarrassed the university during football season, and I think from the reaction that I've gotten from fans know when they found out that Craig Smith was being fired, a lot of them thought that Craig Smith was doing okay, not great, but pretty good, and there was a lot of vitriol I thought toward Mark Harlan, which is interesting that the athletic director would get that kind of heat. So yeah, I would say get this one right, especially at this point in time.

good candidates out there. So your thoughts on the twenty years with Tom in charge down there and where do you think BYU goes next.

are right now. I mean, nobody's perfect, and it can get better, I suppose, But I think he pretty much did exactly what he set out to do, which is we're lofty goals, and he got him there. As far as what they're going to do move it forward, this is kind of an interesting thing you mentioned Shane Ree. I believe he worked for a time advising the Philadelphia Eagles, didn't.

I mean, he's got a sports background, and sports we've seen that boosters down there are willing to shell out big money and the university is allowing that to happen now, and so BYU I have heard BYU mentioned more in the last month or two on a national level then I think I had maybe since nineteen eighty four, And so I mean, I think they're they're making this a priority, and they could go in house, you know, they'd go to Santiago or it'd be interesting though if they went

outside and got somebody who was from a different realm. Whether they'll do that or not, I don't know. I do know that Santiago had been given more and more responsibility by Tom over the past couple of years, and so you know, if I were a betman that's the way I would lean. But there's big money. I talked to a big booster them there recently and he said, they're swimming in money. They're swimming in money. And when you have that advantage, who knows who you might draw in?

figure players. And then on first take aj Debounts and his father dropped that they're going to BYU and then the information comes out that it's like seven million bucks for five months of basketball. My first reaction was, well, what are you doing for Kwane? What are you doing for the football program? And and look, this is this is interesting because according to the good reporting of Kevin and everyone over the Trib, there was a meeting last year right to the start of the season that was

held by someone named men Kim. I don't know who he is, but he is one of the guys in charge of the Royal Blue Collective, and it's Isaiah Bagna as well as Crue, Wakely and Crewe left in his wake. No pun intended a lot as he left. You see what I did there. He obviously was not happy with any of this. But none of this information looks good for the collective and none of it looks good for

the football program. The Trip Today actually released a follow up where the Royal Blue Collective is going to make some changes for the better when it comes to the football program. My first reaction when I read this, Gordon is man, Colonie did a great job with a roster full of players that weren't getting paid as much as their competitors. But ultimately this lands in the space of the college football landscape, providing no guardrails and therefore everybody's

flying blind. Man, I'm not here to cast stones at all, but I wonder what your reaction was to these stories.

like that. It bothers them the old school loving the amateurism. But that's just gone. That genie's out of the bottle now and it'll never go back. And so yeah, you've got to have the money to make it happen. I mean, it's funny you mentioned the Bonsa BYU. I mean that's shocked. That literally shocked some people, even though BYU was on their list. But think about how that happened. Think about h You know, there were all kinds of things that

came in to play there. He was down at Utah Prep, he happened to be his favorite player, happened to play for the Phoenix Suns, and Kevin Young happened to be a coach who that particular player Kadie loved. And then on top of that, Danny Ainge, who's a b yu Wi love he debonsa grew up a huge Celtics fan, and he's connect me with Day of the Ames. And

this thing is all coming together to BYU's advantage. But look at some of the other players that are considering going to BYU now and already have committed to them, players that BYU in the past never would have gotten. And so there's some money there. It just depends on how it's going to be distributed.

months while they're catching up from the Christmas situation. And you know, end of the month, end of the month, this is the last day of the month is always, no matter what you hurt from anybody else, We're under the gun to get as many cars in tonight as we can. So if folks, if you're listening and you want to get a car, come down here.

sell more of those than anything else. But we still have our vintage, the Verse of the Center of the Ultimate n They've been around forever and are all all will drive now. The Frontier truck, we've been moving those like it's nobody's business because it's the last of the six cylinder trucks. You go buy my competition. They're all four cylinder turbos now. Then of course we have the GTR and I actually have one for you guys out

there that are listening. You want a GTR. This is the last year for them.

We know them better than anybody else. And God bless if you want to used one and you want to Tesla, you want this, you want that, you want the keys, you want the Hyundais. I have probably an inventory forty to fifty evs here that qualify for the forever warranty.

Great spot to you at a vehicle. They're opened and tell eight but Rich, their sales manner manager Buffalo Strong Rich said they might not close until ten because they're moving a bunch of vehicles. They've got to clear out the deck to make space for their new inventory. And they're offering zero percent financing, zero money down, and no payments for two months. It's real, and their lifetime warranty is all excuse me, yeah, therefore, ever warranty is what

they call. It is a real thing. When I first heard about it, I'm like, that's a sales tactic. That's not true. But it is. If you buy a new or used car from Tim Dolly, you have a warranty on that vehicle forever for the life of it, doesn't matter how many miles you drive. So definitely come out, coming out and check it out, all right. Some sad news. Gene Hackman has passed away, and according to reports, he had passed for quite some time before they found him.

Why is that sports related? Well, I still believe Hoosiers is an incredibly entertaining basketball movie, and of course Gene Hackman played the great coach Norman Dale. Four passes before you take a shot port or four passes, So rest in peace to the great Gene Hackman on this Friday.

sports porter. What comes our way on a Monday edition of the radio.

Podcast page is called The Drive with spence Check its It's available wherever you get your show. Subscriber in reviews, say nice things, give us all the stars. It helps for Porter and Cynthia. You can see it at the RSL game tomorrow. R sale taken on Seattle. My name is Spence Check and Saga Night, Happy Swiping. We'll talk to you on Monday right here on ESPN seven hundred