All right, what's going on? It is drivetime. It's a Friday afternoon. It's about eleven minutes past the hour of two o'clock. Man, what a beautiful day. Fall is kind of creeping towards us. It's pretty chilly yesterday. It's a little warm, but man, it feels crazy. It's about seventy eight to eighty degrees sunny here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. And as it is every single day, it's gonna have
you along for the ride. Fence check. It's behind the mic back here in our beautiful Broadway media studios, our ESPN seven hundred studios riding downtown Salt Lake. That young man is Porter Larson producing the show today. And we are absolutely cam path to say it every day. But a Friday before a big weekend ahead in pro and college football, with a ton to do, we get a game tonight on Fox. It's the debut of the Fox Friday Night College Football. Two really good Big twelve teams.
It's not a conference game. Keep hearing people say that it is. It's just like Utah Baylor. A week ago. Arizona Case State had previously agreed to this matchup in Manhattan Kansas. K State is a healthy seven point favorite. The over under is sixty point five. Two really good quarterbacks going at it. So little college football tonight to wet your appetite for a big weekend ahead. That of course includes Utah Utah State up in Maverick Stadium for
the first time in over a decade. Twelve years ago, Utah went up the logan. They got got they lost to the Aggies. We'll see if Utah can handle their business. The line has moved once again Ford Utah State. Now Utah is still an eighteen point favorite, so a healthy favorite Utah is. We're gonna give you our picks later on in the show, and we went five and one last weekends. We went five and one against the spread. I looked it up. Last year we finished twenty six
and twenty four, barely above five hundred. So hopefully we can keep it rolling, give you our picks for the local games, and also jump around a little bit around the landscape of college football. Or two Arizona k State, you get a little UNLV Kansas that's in Kansas City at Children's Mercy Park. Kansas is a nine point favorite. They're trying to bounce back after a loss last weekends
at Illinois, Arizona State barely escaped last night. Texas State's a good team, man, they were actually a favorite, but Arizona State is now three to zero as they win a road game against Texas State. So Big twelve off in a run. We do get our first Big twelve conference matchup this weekend, so conference matchups are now going to become a reality. The conference matchup this week is UCFTCU that should be a good one.
M and G.
Carter Stadium down in Fort Worth, and of course BYU on the road at war Memorial Stadium against Laramine. This line has also moved, and it's also moved the way of the home team. Wyoming is now a ten point underdog. BYU's a ten point favorite. Over under is forty point five lowsed over under if any Big twelve team all weekend long. Obviously, BYU's offense has not looked great just yet,
so get you ready for a big weekend ahead. In the landscape college football, local National, Big twelve Style, latest on the PAC twelve back question mark, what does it mean for Utah States? What does it mean for the future of college football? We'll get some of those storylines on the program today, Thursday Night Football. You heard it on this little old radio station ESPN seven hundred. Buffalo trounced Miami. The Bills are now eleven and one in
their last twelve games against the Dolphins. Big story though, Hua Tonguava Loa with his fourth concussion in the last five years. That includes one all the way back in twenty nineteen at Alabama, and you know, the hands started doing the fencing thing. I hate it. It's my most un favorite thing about football when you see somebody on the ground like that and they've lost control of their extremities. A lot of conversation today today about what he should do.
It's not my place to tell that, but it doesn't look great. And if you're Miami, not like this is the most important thing. I thought. Mike McDaniel today addressed it beautifully. Everyone's talking about should he keep playing football? My man's got to make sure he's healthy before he decides what he's gonna do. But their backup situation, Skyler Thompson,
it's not gonna get it done. So I wouldn't be surprised if Miami's on the market now for a veteran quarterback, because it looks like two is going to be out for quite some time. I say it every year, Man, we get spoiled on Sundays with the morning windows and the afternoon windows on the Red Zone channel where there's seven or eight games going on at once in the morning, maybe three or four or five in the afternoons, then the Island games. All you want is a good game.
That game was over at halftime. It may have been over earlier than that. Buffalo is really good. Cole Bishop making plays last night in the secondary some local flavor on Thursday Night Football Dot and King KD four catches thirty three yards or Buffalo. So Week two of the NFL underway last night. We have a lot of really good matchups. Man, excited for Week two of the NFL.
We'll keep you up to date on the injuries for you fantasy football players, and maybe include some NFL games with our pickham segment before we say good out at
six o'clock. The Utah Hockey Club their rookie exhibition game will take place tomorrow as camp has started and we're high speed ahead of the first regular season game coming up on October the eighth, So we'll get to some hockey stuff throughout the course of the show and keep you up to date on all the latest happenings around the Utah Hockey Club, including some very excited hockey club beat riders. About these sweaters, it's getting kind of odd.
They're fine, but we've got a young man who works for KSEL that can't stop tweeting about how clean the sweaters look. It's getting a little bit weird. But hockey is here excited for that. Of course. On the program today, all right, good guests, listen. We'll start things off with Rojoe Robert Johnson Warmber, defensive back from the University of Utah. We'll get Rojo's take on I'll maybe a little bit of a tricky game coming up tomorrow up in Logan.
We'll talk you tough football, Brojo, Max Brown, one of my favorites to break it down with college football style. He'll stop by do a little golf. The Black Desert Championship is on its way to Saint George, Utah. Paul Pugmyer stops by today. Then a big show, big hour. Greig Bulerjack live and studio. Gordon Monson over the phone, not sure what his excuse is, and then before we say a night at six, we'll give you our pick them segment, a six pack of picks for you guys
to decide what to do with. I always tell you not to gamble on sports, but you know we'll give you some games today on this Friday after excuse me, on this Friday afternoon, Happy Friday to you. Congratulations you made it his weekend time. Robert Johnson, Max Brown, Paul Pugmyer, Craig Bowler, Jack Gordon Montson, he Spence Check. Its all of you, the great listeners, and that guy Porter Larson on a Thursday afternoon. Have you ever been concussed?
To your knowledge, I actually have too much experience with the two of stuff.
Do you have any because you it's not just you you're a football player, but you also like to ride horses and do things that is not safe for your health. Yeah.
I've had a motorcycle accident that resulted in one a horse situation where I was, you know, hung up in the saddle and whatnot getting thrown around. And then both in football and in basketball I had a situations. So I've had four I think diagnosed in probably several others and then yeah, man, it's it's kind of a complicated little thing to traverse.
Yeah man, that's I hate you watching it. It's my most favorite thing about watching football. That's been a big story today throughout the new cycle. All right, let's get into it. Rojo will be our first guest on this Friday afternoon. But before we get to Robert Johnson, we have a new sponsor for opening Tip, our friends at Standard Restaurant Supply. Standard Restaurant supplies your tailgate headquarters get
everything you need to make your tailgate epics. Standard carries everything from serving dishes, chafing dishes, stern O propane, portable barbecues, and much much more. Standard Restaurant Supply is open to the public and conveniently located on thirty five hundred Southwest Temple and online at Standard restaurant dot com. Get the best tailgate intown with Standard Restaurant Supply. It is time now for your opening tip.
Welcome to the Drive with Spence Check. It's on Utah's number one sports talk. Now into the studio of ESPN seven hundred to set the scene for the show. The opening tip of the Drive is brought to you by Standard Restaurant Supply, your one stop shop to build the best tailgate in town. Standard Restaurant Supply, thirty five hundred Southwest Temple.
I'm gonna give you some picks coming up in just a little bit, So let's jump around a little bit with some college football stuff here on this segment. It gets you guys ready for the weekend. Of course, for the first time in twelve years, Utah heads up to Logan to take on Utah State. All indications are under center will be one young Isaac Wilson at the age of eighteen, having enrolled in school to you in April, and Utah State is expected to start former Utah quarterback
Bryson Barnes. So the line has moved a couple of different times here. As we sit here right now, Utah is an eighteen point favorite over under his forty three and a half. Kickoff time is going to be two thirty. Our pregame coverage with that guy Porter Larson will begin at ten to thirty coming up on Saturday, so make sure to set your calendars for that. You know, it's interesting there are a lot of like random rivalry games
coming up this weekend. It's not necessarily rivalry weekend that takes place later, and I'm not saying Utah Utah State is necessarily that, but it is a little bit of a tricky game for a couple of different reasons. We just don't know what the offense is going to look
like under Isaac Wilson. Utah State their head coach, Nate Driland's also their defensive coordinator, and so I would imagine schematically, and we talked to Yogi Roth about this yesterday that they will be sound and Utah State more often not is a sound defensive team. I think they ran into a national championship contender a week ago in Los Angeles with Southern Cal. With how they've been starting out, I don't really sweat this game when it comes to the
Utah side of things. I don't love the line though, and we'll get to that coming up in just a little bit. So Utah trying to stay clean in the non con and try to stay healthy in the non con before we launch into Big twelve play with four really tough games right out of the gates at Oklahoma State, home against Arizona at Arizona State, who won last nightither three and zero, and then home against TCU. Really curious
to see TCU UCF coming up this weekend. I do think those are two of the more under talked about Big twelve teams this year. So right out of the gates and the Big twelve, we are going to learn a lot about the utes. But prior to that, you got to take care of business. Don't get caught. Looking ahead to Okay State, I would imagine coach Wit and his staff have these kids ready to play and having them understand like, look, we're heading up there without our guy,
without our alpha, without our leader, Camon Rising. This has to be a team effort. This has to be a team win. I do think they go up and handle their business. I don't love that line BYU heads to Laramie. Also with injury concerns of their own, they're without LJ. Martin and Hinckley Rapati, according to reports, are gonna be without their first two choice running backs. It does seem like to have a little depth in that room. That fourth and one, what was a thirty seven yard scamper.
That was Miles Davis, so he'll be fine. There are a couple of other guys in that room. But that line has also moved the way towards Wyoming. Just like the line has moved towards Utah State, it's moved towards Wyoming. BYU is a ten point favorite as we sit here today. BYU has the lowest over under of any Big twelve team this weekend at forty point five. That offense has not been great. I kind of feel the same way about BYU this weekend as I do about Utah. I
do think they win, I don't think they cover. I'm not sure I love that line. I see kind of a low scoring, like seventeen to ten type situation for BYU, something like that. But we'll get to our picks later on real quick, before we catch a break. I just wanted to chime in on this news cycle concerning Tua Tongua Iloa last night Thursday Night football Tua. Unfortunately, you guys probably watched it. The NFL first week numbers, the average NFL game is being consumed by twenty one million
people in our country, massive record breaking numbers. Also college football, massive record breaking numbers. I mean, our country's appetite for football is not a new thing, but it does not seem to be diminishing, regardless of the perceived issues on both the college and the pro level. Folks are consuming this sport at a very high level. So you were probably watching last night or maybe you were listening as we are your home with the NFL in this market
to the Bills Dolphins game. The game itself was over prior to halftime. Basically, the Bills had a twenty four to ten lead at half, and Tua did not look good prior to the injury. He threw three picks, two of them really really bad. But in the third quarter, you know, y'all saw it. It was fourth down, he scrammed, he takes to hit Tomorrow. Hamlin, by the way, is the guy to hit him a little bit iron you there, and of course no ill intent, and then the handstart defence.
He starts to shake a little bit. And I'm watching it, texting with some friends and some buddies of mine and my brothers who are watching it as well. And you know, it's really easy for people that have a microphone, are really easy for people who feel like they're courageous on the Internet, and the Internet and social media is where cowards go to feel brave to chime in on what
Tua should do. Okay, So Ultimately, I do find this topic interesting as a result of my experience with professional athletes, both both working with them on the team side and then working with them on the media side. I've had a lot of ex pro athletes as co hosts and shows, whether it's pre Aff and Post or just my Daily And the fact of the matter is, and this is a little bit of a cliche, they are built different. That's why they're pros. They're built different, They're born different.
There's a genetic component to ninety nine percent of pro athletes that that folks like us cannot relate to. If you're just built like a normal dude, I'm about five eleven point eighty, right, I'm just a guy. And then you know, for me growing up playing sports, whenever i'd run into a guy that was like a high level college guy or a pro guy, I'm like, Okay, well you better find something else to do with your time
because you are not that. And just simply saying, okay, four concussions, five years, you got to hang it up. I feel like that's really short sighted because I think it lacks a fundamental understanding of how important the craft is to these people. And oftentimes we see players and coaches too hanging on for way too long, Like your
expiration day was four or five years ago. Man, Like I'll never forget seeing Patrick Ewing wear a Sonics jersey, right, Brett Favre, Joe Montana, guys at the end of their career wearing other jerseys. It never felt right. Karl Malone in a Lakers jersey never felt right. It's very rare. It does happen. But Andrew Luck is an outlier. You know, these guys that walk away in their twenties, in their when there are hundreds of millions of dollars left to be made, that's a rare thing. And Luck was a
unique guy. He was a cerebral guy. He was a thinker, and he did not leave as a result of some sort of catastrophic injury. But if you read the Seth Wickerstran piece that was written on Andrew about two years ago, he did leave because he felt his body starting to break down. And he was in his twenties, right, so
he had the foresight to do something. We've seen some other football players walk away really early, and some of the players that walk away early walk away because of what we now know about CTE, and certainly it is my sincere hope that Tua or any other player is not eating out of a straw in their fifties or can't find the school to pick up their kids when
they're driving like you do. Hear horrible, horrible stories. Players have taken their lives, Some players have taken other people's lives, and then the brain scan comes back, whether it's oj Simpson, Aaron Hernandez, and it's like, yeah, their brain is riddled with this CTE stuff, and so we know more about it. And so certainly it's easy for us to say the two of Tongua i Loa at the age of twenty six, who still probably has a decade maybe a football left
in him, like dude, that's enough. It's four and five years, you've made more money than you need the contracts. I don't know what the details would be as far as ah amnesty clause, if Miami would just simply pay the money, but at this point, I don't think money's an issue for two of Tongue of Iloa, and I think it's gonna be interesting to see how he traverses this space because there are already reports. Who knows how credible. They are that to his family is asking him to consider
shutting it down. And when I see it in a vacuum watching Thursday night football, and suddenly a guy who I like a lot man I've always been a to a guy I've always I loved him at Bama, you know, the twuo of Borrow stuff got a little one sided. Burrow obviously was the choice O one, but I always loved to and he just seems like such a sweet kid, and he seems like such a thoughtful guy. And he
has a couple of kids. He has a couple of kids, and he's married, and so that probably has to come into play, but ultimately it will be up to the player. So reports are that his wife, you know, his children, And can you imagine if you were watching football and that's your dad, and that's the fourth time you've seen this in five years. Certainly you would like him to come home. Certainly you would like him to make sure that he's preventative about his mental ability to just be
a capable person in his fifties and sixties. This is not about Tua over the next five years. This is about the rest of Tua's life, and it's not about Kenny play in a couple of weeks. It's about can he get healthy and then from there, with his doctors and his family, can he make the right decision. But when these guys walk away, it's hard to articulate how lost they seem from time to time. I mean Hans Olsen,
Brian Dunseth, Britton, Johnson. I could go on and on with all of the ex pros that I've worked with here, and I could go on and on about all the ex pros that I used to work with when I was on the team side and watching them hold on so long, And initially I didn't fully understand, like, okay, you're done, Patrick Ewing, you can't play the way you used to play. And there are so many examples. I could go, like achem Olajuan with a raptor's jersey on,
like so many examples. But then when I started to witness a lot of these guys after they retired, and how lost they were, Like Anthony Mason, you know, the former Nick you know he held on for a while, he got traded for Larry Johnson, he played in Charlotte and Mace retired and completely lost his will. He was dead before he was sixty, right, And so I saw a lot of this stuff. And that's why I never
criticized an athlete for continuing to play. Not a coach tell me once, play until somebody tells you you can't. And for me, that was my freshman year in college. For these guys, it's their living, it's their life, it's their identity, and when they walk away, when they're this young, oftentimes it's as chaotic if they keep playing and put
their health in jeopardy. I'm not a doctor. I don't know the deal with Tua, but I just find the new cycle a little sickening when everybody tells him what he's supposed to do, when the only person that ultimately knows is him, and he'll take advice from doctors, he'll take advice from his family. Ultimately. It just sucks because he does seem like such a great kid, and he's
a really good player. Utah heads to Logan without their starting quarterback coming up tomorrow, BYU heads to larn Me without their first two choice running backs, so two teams with some injury issues. Utah is a eighteen point favorite, BYU's a ten point favorite. But Week three of college football is here. Next guest, one of my favorites to break it down, my buddy Max Brown on a Friday afternoon. Max, Happy Friday, man, How are we doing.
Every Friday spend's doing well? How are you?
I'm well. I appreciate your time. I want to start actually with a story out of the NFL, because you're a former high level quarterback and I started the show off today with the two of stuff and I'm I'm always uncomfortable when I follow a new cycle after an injury and media fo get you out of microphone and say you need to retire, you should step away. At the same time, I hate watching what I saw last night and Max, that's four concussions in five years. He
had won Abama in nineteen. Their reports that his family are encouraging him to look to step away. I don't know how credible those are. But you're the guy for this because you played the position. What do you make of where we find ourselves with Tua a day after his fourth concussion in five years.
Yeah, I like the way that you started that because obviously nowither of us are doctors. And at the end of the day, I think that's the most important important word is that Dolphins trainer and what they're advising him, and I'm sure he's going to specialists, and I think we all can agree. And I saw the same Sports Center segments last night of you know, everyone, everyone kind
of saying that. But at the same time, we've also all been around football long enough and have had the awareness to see kind of where this road can potentially head. And you also can look back. It's not like we're just talking he one bad concussion, now like we're just talking two bad concussions. Is now number three. And I think the timing is unfortunate. Obviously, he's got a family, he's got to worry about that that it's priority one
for sure, and end of statement there. But I also think when you talk about from a football analysis side and from the Miami Dolphins side, the fact that they just resigned him for a contract makes this dynamic all the more delicate, all the more gut wrenching. I think if this is a quarterback on the tail end, it's maybe a different tone. I think if it's a quarterback that did not just sign a I believe it's one
hundred and eighty six million dollars guaranteed contract for everyone involved. Obviously, his health is priority one, but for everyone involved, Tua to his family, to his teammates, to the coaches Mike McDaniel, there's just so much riding on this decision that it's a delicate one. But it's hard to watch, and it would not surprise me if Tua stepped away when it's all said and done, one.
More thing on this, then we'll get to the college stuff. The other thing that has I don't know. It's kind of a lesson I had to learn when I was younger. But I used to when an athlete would walk away, or excuse me, when an athlete would continue to play when he clearly didn't have it anymore. I always wonder, like what are you doing? You know, like why are you still out there? And then I witnessed several athletes step away and really struggle to find their footing and
struggle to find what's next. And I don't think you ever fully. I was talking to some of our local soccer guys here the other night who have retired. They want a cup. In two thousand and nine, we had a little celebration for him, and they've all gone on to do other things. Ones A sports agent one's a
college coach. There are a couple of guys that are coaching with a team, but they also said the same thing, and that is nothing that we've done has come close to what it felt like to play the sport that we love. And you know, when there's a situation like this where a guy may need to walk away young, I always caution people like it's a little bit more difficult than I think most people understand for athletes to
walk away from the sport that they love. What was it like for you and what are your thoughts on just the general dynamic of athletes walking away and then struggling to find the thing that they love so much, because nothing that you will ever find will meet that they're just it just doesn't exist.
Yeah, it's a great question and certainly one that's that's close to my heart, and not that I ever played at to his level per se, but I can relate to having quarterback be pretty much your identity, your entire life. And it's funny because Spent I know, I've been coming on your show for a few years now, but it took me just until this past summer to go all in into football broadcasting, and I had a different job on the side for the past five years and had
a couple of career changes along the way. And it's one of those things where, like you said, I mean, you're trying to figure out what what your identity is, what your pursuits are post football. And even for a guy like myself, which I'd like to think, you know, I had had a level head with that transition process, which not everyone does. Even I you know, you know,
struggled with that with that transition. And so if you look at a guy who's in the NFL, who's been playing you know, to what five six years, or guys even longer, eight, nine, ten years, and literally your entire identity is who you are as a football player and you go to the grocery store. And if we're being honest, for the rest of Tua his life, he will always be the Miami Dolphins quarterback, for better or for worse, potentially if he's trying to move on to the next phase.
And that is a tough transition, especially for guys that like two of who he was a huge recruit coming to high school. He was a huge player at Alabama. He was a big time NFL quarterback and that's gonna be with him forever. I think a lot of guys struggle to turn the page. I know I had had a hard time with it as well, and I'm I'm sure not saying that two was going to do it for sure, but for all those big time quarterbacks, that adjustment can can be difficult, no doubt.
All right, let's move over to some college football storylines. We'll start with the team that plays their home ball about a mile away from where we're broadcasting, as Utah heads up to Logan for the first time in twelve years. Last time they went up there, they got got Utah stay got them. But it's a different, different story. But here's my question for you. Isaac Wilson, according to all reports, will be under center. The line has moved a couple
of different times. It's settled at eighteen utahstell a healthy favorite. But outline for us, what looks like what success looks like for Isaac? How coach Loud handles the playbook? Do they open it up a little bit more than they did against Baylor? What should you fans expect from their QB two and what does success looking sound like? Max?
I think success for Isaac Wilson looks like just an efficient day at the office and not making not making that huge mistake. And I don't think he needs to, you know, throw for three hundred yards. Shoot. I don't even know if he needs to throw for two hundred yards. But I think the stat line that he needs to have is, you know, if he can hang around that seventy percent completion percentage with no turnovers, that to me
success success for him. I think Utah fans, and you know, college football fans in general, have maybe taken for granted how could have a passer Cam Rising is. I think he makes a lot of those intermediate timing routes look very easy, and then what his replacement comes in, it's like, oh, wow, it's not that easy. I think it speaks to Cam's understanding of timing, Cam's experience, and just Cam's count as
a as a passer in that system. And so when you go to Isaac Wilson and honestly reminds me of you know, maybe where Utah was at offensively before Cam Rising, or maybe even before Tyler Huntley, or maybe a young Tyler Huntley, where it was a lot of hey, let's split the field in half. And not ask him to do full field reads, get his legs and involved, utilize the play action, and then get him out on the get him out in the run, because not only is getting a quarterback out in the run, he's able to
use his legs. But I also think when you cut the field in half, reading a defense is much easier. It's a level one, level two checkdown, level one, level two checkdown. And I think that's the recipe for success as you're working in a new quarterback, especially when you got good tight ends that you like and a couple of receivers that can be explosive downfield.
So what is the MaTx Brown level of concern? I said this earlier, We're going to do our picks before we say good night. I think Utah win. But I don't love that line Max. It's an in state game. There are a lot of the dynamics of these. A lot of the Utah State players probably wish they could have played at Utah been recruited by Kyle I mean Colorado Colorado State, like they are rivalry games this weekend that have the same dynamic, and that's kind of a
funky place to play. It's a great campus and the students are awesome, and you know, Utah State has gone through the ringer of this offseason, losing their coach for a number of different reasons. But should you fans have any consternation leading up to Utah Utah State tomorrow afternoon?
Yeah, it's a question. With rivalry weeks, I didn't catch the line. What is the line in this game?
Utah favored by eighteen?
Oh? Bit man, that's a lot of points. It feels like that's the theme this week right everything I've been listening to these you know, rivalry week games where people are picking the better team to win, but the lesser or the underdog to at least cover. I feel like it feels like that is. I feel like everyone's taking Oregon State to cover, and feels like a lot of people are taking Washington State versus Washington to cover, but again for Washington to ultimately win that game and for
Oregon ultimately win that game. And I think from a cover standpoint, I think there would be concerns if I was putting money on this game. Eighteen points is a ton, especially when you have an unproven quarterback. I mean, just simply to put up the amount of points that you're gonna need to cover. That's going to be difficult. And then when you mix in a rivalry game on the road, you never know talent aside, you never know how a younger quarterback is going to adjust to just that atmosphere.
And knowing that he knows the deal, he knows that Cam Rising was the all world, all everything quarterback and now he's no more, and every pressure is on the backup guy. You better believe as a backup quarterback. You know that. And I think the mentality and starting fast those first couple of drives is critical. But I think Utah will take care of business. I think you know
we've seen this before. Of hey, even when even when the quarterback isn't at a even good level, let's just say it's an average level, that they could come out and find wins in different ways.
So Max and you and I last spoke, the PAC twelve is back, question Mark. You know, it's interesting to follow this news cycle. I mean, look, I wonder what it means for UTAs Stana friends up in Logan, but I'm excited at the prospect of the of the PAC twelve coming back. So we all know the story about one hundred and eleven million dollars in exit fees due to the Mound West Conference from the departing institutions and
also the PAC twelve. I mean, Oregon State and Wazoo were sitting on a load of cash as a result of the settlements for the corner schools that bounce and obviously Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Cal two. So they utilize that money. They moved some of it to the Mountain West. Starting in twenty six, they'll get these four teams. They still need to add two more, as you know. But what
was your reaction to the story. What are your thoughts on the resurrection of the PAC twelve, far before any of us thought it was coming.
Yeah, I'm excited for the Bees and the coupes first and foremost. I mean, I've spent a lot of time around the Bees, especially the past couple of years, just with calling their games and following its directory of Jonathan Smith. So I think this is a stabilizing force in some regard. I think there was a lot of uncertainty just long term, and that was always the narrative around both those both
those programs, and I think this stabilizes things. I still love the stand that I don't think this is the end of things. I think there could potentially be a shake up in the ACC. I think there could be a shake up with the power too at the very top of Hey, if they start branching off, you know, three five years down the road. Like, I don't think this is the end, but I think it's critical for Washington State and Oregon State to at least not feel
like they relegated. And I think that's what you accomplished by this move is it's not necessarily Hey, we're going down to the Mountain West, and everyone knows the PAC calls not obviously where it was two years ago. But I think the optics make a lot or sound a lot better for Washington State and Oregon State, especially if there's another deck reshuffling here in five, seven, ten years
kind of thing. So that was my first takeaway. I think second takeaway was I admire Commissioner Teresa Gold PAC twelve commissioner for being proactive in this decision. I think that's one thing the PAC twelve they got out maneuvered from a business standpoint the past two three years, shoot,
you could probably even say past twelve years. And that's why the PAC twelve dissolved initially, and I think they learned from that experience and said, hey, even if we're hopeful that hey, Stanford and Colum might come back, or we're hopeful that a big twelve invite might come, you just can't sit on the sideline. And even if there was a world where that was going to happen where I don't know if that's necessarily the case, but I know people were hoping for that. I don't think you
can take that chance. And I commend them for being proactive taking the bull by their help by the Horns and creating this move. And the exit fees is significant. I'm fascinated to see what that final number ends up being. I've read things that yes, it's one hundred and fifteen million dollars on paper, but attorneys have a funny way of condensing that number when you look at history of conference re alignment a little bit. So that'll be interesting to see. And then my employer, I call games for
the CW. The CW has the PAC twelve package currently with Oregon State in Washington State, I think the TV rights, where does that net out for those six schools and tuned to potentially be eight or who knows, maybe attend schools. I'd be very curious behind the scenes because it is a critical factor. What does that TV rights deal look
like long term for those six schools? If you're Boise, if your friends no State, your San Diego state, your Colorado state, that would be the question that I would be modeling really my entire athletic department around and so I haven't heard specifics there and I'm fascinated to see what comes to that.
Any thoughts on who the other schools will be to get the invite as that reference to be a accredited FBS conference, you have to have eight. They're at six. According to what I've read, Vegas feels obvious, UNLV feels obvious, and there's Memphis, there's Tulane, There's some other options out there. Then there's there's Utah State. I look, Darren Logan, all due respect, it's not a thriving television market, but we
like our agues around here. Any thoughts on who the other two schools could be they get the invite prior to twenty twenty six, Yeah, right away.
I think you have to look at Stanford and cal and how do things shake out with the acc and for people that aren't necessarily locked in on the national landscape of college football, there's there's chatter that, you know, potentially Florida State could take on a significant buyout and try to get into one of the bigger conferences. I don't think that has I don't think that's uh, you know, that's that's going to happen tomorrow. But I do think
that conversation is at least ongoing in some capacity. And then if that happens and the ACC gets reshuffled, then you know, Stanford and Call look around, and I think there's a world where they could join this new, new new school PAC twelve. I think two years ago people would have rolled their eyes and said, hey, there's no way Stanford and cal whatever buddy up with the Fresno
States and the San Diego States academically. But they might not really have a choice, especially if they also, on the other hand, pride themselves in the Olympic sports and the whole student athlete experience. I think staying West Coast certainly lends it handed that, So you know, that would be those would be my first two calls, but we'll see. I think those schools obviously have a lot of pride. And then you mentioned that Memphis two Lane is interesting.
I agree with you, UNLV is obvious, but I say that and I was that was my first reaction when I saw the schools that that that joined, is why was l UNLV not in there? And again I know that maybe the academic stuff or whatever it is, but I've been I've called a couple of un LV games. Their facilities are really nice. Obviously they're in a big market. It was a little bit of a head scratcher to me that they were not part of this initial batch.
My sense is that you know, they could grow into grow into acquiring you UNLV, and then the big one to track too to bring this full circle is Gonzaga and hoops. Everything I read is, you know, that could be the next domino of really trying to level this thing up and get it more attractive. Which I know, I'm a football guy. I'm always thinking about things through a football lens. But that would be a big get for the Pac twelve if they could get the Zachs from a hook's perspective.
All right, Max, before I said, you lose just questions on a couple of games this weekend. Let's start with a couple of former buddies of ours, former PAC twelve two. Well one still in the pack, but it is I think we can still say the Civil War without being canceled. I don't know, but it's Oregon Oregon State. It's another one of those tricky games. Oregon's getting sixteen on the road.
They barely survive there the tour of the state of Idaho, and just like Utah Utah State, Oregon State's going to be motivated. That place is nuts in core Vallis, as you know, when it really gets going. So what are you looking for? What are you expecting in Corvallis As we see Oregon take on Oregon State.
This is a fun one. Like I said a couple of minutes ago, it feels like everyone's taking Oregon State in this, not to win, but to cover obviously a lot of points. It's the record of Hey rivalry games, Civil War rivalry games. When a's at Corvallis, you know, the Beaves have certainly favored Well I called the Beams week one. And I don't know if it's me it's trying to be different or what it is, but I think gets it done and I think Oregon gets right this game. I think part of me wonders if we're
underestimating how good a program Boise he was. I thought they looked really good offensively, not even at their running back position, just with Ashton Genty, who might be the best running back in the country this past week. I thought their whole offensive operation was smooth. Yes, Oregon looks a notch softer than they did last year, or a couple of notches softer, but I feel like this is
the game where they say enough is enough. I mean to remind everyone, this was an Oregon roster that we were saying, Hey, this is the best organ Duck roster we may have ever seen preseason, and their quarterback's playing solid or playing efficient. I think they get right in the in the trenches. And I just don't know if Oregon State has enough offensive firepower. When I covered them Week one, Giovannie McCay was efficient, but it was not I don't know if I don't know if anything at
the quarterback spot really fears you or scares you. And with Oregon speed, I think this is a get right game for the Ducks and they get the season back on track all right.
Before I set you loose Colorado. Colorado State last year got weird and it was late and we all watched because the number was massive. Colorado needed I think double overtime in Boulder a year ago. They go to four Collins. Colorado's a seven point favorite on the road. It feels like the landscape under Dion's feet is awfully shaky right now.
I don't love that line either. I'm not saying Colorado's gonna lose, but another tricky and state game where you have the Colorado State side wishing they could probably play for Colorado, you know, bigger whatever program. What do you think we're gonna see tomorrow on CBS when Dion and the Boys go to four Collins.
I hope and think we'll see a round two of what we saw last year. In terms of last year, that was one of the best college games we had all season, and I think it's it'll be another exciting one tomorrow. When I look at this game, I don't even look at you know, x's and o's football stuff. I look at emotions and I think Colorado State this is their super Bowl. As you just said, it's well documented and with Colorado, I mean, man, Shador is an
absolute baller. His film is good, but you know, like the subtle jabs at your offensive line and just the overall vibe in that program. If they don't get off on the right foot in the first couple series in this game, I think they could really struggle. Their running attack is non existent, which is a complete head scratcher for me. I think so much was made of all the upgrades Colorado's made, and they're not even attempting to.
Run the ball.
I made the I tweeted out last week that they have an air raid mentality without an air raid playbook, And I think, to me, that's the perfect example of it's okay if you want to throw the rock every single time, that's what Mike Leach did, but you have
to have the quick passing game. And it feels like everything they're trying to do is drive the ball down the field and bite off the entire apple in one single play all the time, and that to me is not the recipe of success, especially when you have better athletes than the team across from you. So it's gout check time. If you're Colorado, you cannot lose this one. But I would very much put them on the upset alert against their rivals.
All right, buddy, where can everybody go get your work? Obviously you're on socials. Where can everybody go find you?
Yeah? Max Brown on all the social platforms TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, uh, doing all sorts of video content there. And then tomorrow I'll be calling Old Miss the number five Old Miss Rebels, which is probably the best team I've ever recovered in person, calling a game for They're loaded versus Wake Forest out here in acc country.
Very nice man, We'll have a great call tomorrow. I always appreciate the time Max be well.
Okay, likewise, thanks Bencher.
All right, Max Brown stops by from time to time to break down the world of college football. You referenced his Socials at Max Brown, and Brown is spelled with an E, so make sure you go follow bright young analysts. I think he's got a really good future. Appreciate his time. Rojo Live and Studio coming up on the other side, Robert Johnson as our guest before we catch a break, want to tell you about my friends at Prize Picks. Prize Picks as America's number one daily fantasy sports app
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a special guest. We have two special guests live in studio. Rojo, one of the best to ever do it, Robert Johnson, Rojo, how you doing, man? Doing good? Thank you, thank you for letting me be here. Yeah, it's great to see it. And we've we've got We've got Aiden in the studio. We got one of your little buddies. He's enjoying a little snack. So having some fun with uh. So I'm a dad, so I like the dad sound energy, you know what I mean, And so I appreciate you having having it.
You know, Fridays they get off early, so yeah, you have to do something with it.
Is like, come with me, man, bring him here, man all the time. So let's start with a little bit of a life update. We were talking about off air of what you're doing these days. I'm sure you fans would be interested in the great Robert Johnson, What's what's going on with you these days.
Well, I mean, uh, first off, the University Utah has brought me in and I've been doing I've been working at the University of Utah as a career coach for the past year and a half and it's part of the you career success that's in the business building, which is all the new buildings look so good up there. But it's a great feeling knowing that I'm there at
the university. I'm helping out with the freshman's and the sophomores of the university on their career choices, whether it's going through resumes or career at career fair prep, cover letters, jobs, internships part time. It's been a big blessing to be able to be at my school and be able to just talk to these students individually and help them at the different stages in life that they go through in college.
So I wonder what you yourself have learned as a result of having this new job, right because a guy like you, high level player NFL guy. You know, when we're all younger, we think that will live forever, and we think that we can do what we're doing when we're eighteen until we're forty. That's not the reality of the world. So what are some of the things that you've learned through this new journey of yours.
Well, first off, the state of Utah has always been amazing to me. It has always been something I've cherished and me coming back here to be part of the university again. It's night and day compared to sports and then compared to normal life. And when football is over, like I tell some of the student athletes now, is that you only want to snap away from being injured or maybe something might happen. But sports don't last forever,
you know. And I was in that position as a young guy, feeling like I'm gonna play as long as Tim Brady, I'm gonna be out here forever, you know. And the injury happened, and then life set in of like the bills do not stop. And then with my kids, with my sons, both of my sons, it was like, hey, I got to move on with life.
And it just happened to be.
Luckily that Katie Abbey, that's my boss, boss, that's over it. She seen something in me and said that I could probably connect with these students and she would love to bring me on. And then the sky's the limit now with everything that's been happening. Because football, all I knew was football. I didn't know anything else about the university.
So now as I'm working on the other end, it's like I'm walking around the university seeing buildings that I've never seen, talking to students the student body, Like, I'm really like into it and I love what I'm doing.
I love it a lot. Good for you, man, I'm proud of you. That's good stuff. And I wanted to utilize what we're talking about now to bring you into a conversation that's happening today about Tua, about Tuatna Baaloa. And I'm biased because I love the kid. I love doing college, and I think he comes across as such a sweet guy. Right, But I always cringe when I turn on the TV or turn on the radio and a guy like me, a guy with a microphone, says out loud he needs to retire. And look, it's complicated,
right because there are reports out there. He has a wife, he has two children. There are reports out there that they would like him to consider stepping away. It is his fourth concussion in five years. He had one Abamman twenty nineteen, and I hate seeing players with their hands fenced after they got knocked out. I hate it, yes, but it's not my to say what he should or shouldn't do. Because as you've been through, and I've seen
working with guys like you, ex pro athletes. When I was on the team side and now I'm on the media side, you've been able to find your way, right, You've been able to find a purpose, You have children,
you have a job that you love. But you know this, ro Joe, and so do I. I've seen so many ex pros just wander through their life to I used the example of Anthony Mason, who played for the next and when we were back in New York and Mace retired and he didn't know what to do, and he had a grip of money and essentially drank himself to death. He was dead before he was sixty. And I loved
that guy. That was my guy, right. So I want you to tell our audience just how complicated a decision like this is for Tua at the age of twenty six, with the ability if he wants to and of his doctors give him the thumbs up to probably play for another ten years and make another two hundred million dollars. This is not an easy choice, is it. And it's it's only his choice with his family and his doctors.
Yes, yes, And it's crazy that you you bring this topic up because I was just I was just talking to a couple of my friends. Was just like chopping it up. Yeah, we was talking a little bit. Yeah, yeah,
we was talking about different things. And I've seen a clip from Stephen A. Smith that was saying sacrifices for your family and things like that, and you know, like, though Stephen A. Smith is is great at what he does, he does, but me going through what I went through with playing in the NFL and seeing some of my good friends that played and received a lot of concussions, you know, it's it's sad that it's people that's on the outside that feel like they can speak for football
players when you really don't know once football is over, how our body is. I was just telling Porter, like I don't know about the statistics or the stats behind all this, but it's a lot more football players are athletes, not just football players. It's a lot more athletes that has harmed themselves outside of their sport from concussions. Because life doesn't it when you're done with football or when you're done with that sport. Life continues, but you're never
the same. When you have concussions or when you had some your brain don't work the same. It's gonna be moments that you might have those headaches, You're gonna have those moments of you might might not.
Be able to see as good to me, he needs to just go ahead and retire.
Like I feel, I feel that in my heart because most of us football players and whoever that's listening out there, I know that you mostly mostly you will agree with me, is that we live for that second contract with that big payout.
He was able to get there. He got it.
Now.
It's tough because we love sports.
That's what it is, us football players, and I'm speaking it's just football players in general. We love football and you can't just it's hard to it's hard to get ripped away from it because you have so much love for it. But life, man, life is like I'm realizing that since I've been working at the University of Utah, like, I'm very very blessed that the position that I played playing safety running into people, that's common and my brain
is not too messed up. And I'm still able to function as a high function in a black American here at the university in the state of in the state of Utah, and just to see him go through that is sad. But you gotta step away, man, you gotta It's not even just step away. You in a really
good organization with the Miami Dolphins. They take care of their players, so I can I was telling Porter, I can visually see that if he if he has a medical retirement and he has to do it, the Miami Dolphins might think of a way to keep him within football, but not in the physical aspect.
See.
So life, man, life continues outside of these sports. And I have to tell people like, do we all wish we could play loan? But man, like, when it's over, it's over. There's no there's no it's no second shot. It's it's over. It's a rap. So him and his family, I wish him, I wish them all the best, and I feel like he needs to step away from football because football is great. But I say that these owners out here they can replace you, and and and they do. Yeah,
that's how they replace you. They care for you. But sometimes it turns to what can you do for me right now, and and if you're not producing anything, they gonna get rid of you. So I feel like right now he got his he got he got the money, he.
Got the bag. Get his bag. Yeah, he got the bag.
And it's like just step away from it because once the football is over, that's when a lot of people won't be talking about you. And when you're going through all those different things, man, it's just it plays with your brain. And I mean what Junian say, I like sadly, you know, like it was it's it's players out here that has harmed himself and they have made sure to leave a note get my brain checked. And that comes from getting those concussions. So if you're going to continue
to just do this, it's it's dangerous. And we all know that we signed we know what we sign up for.
We do know that.
But it's still sad though that he's going through this. And it was like just slid man, come on as I'm watching them, like the slide, you know, It's it's sad and I just really wished.
I wish I wish the best for him.
I wish he makes a really good decision because life goes on with sports is over.
You said something that jarred something in me. I didn't plan on doing this today, but I and if I catch off guard, I apologize. I'm in this space where I get so tired of how hate is permeating in our country right and how polar And I'm a sports socc rator Houston saw like, I'm not changing the world. I'm not changing anyone's mine. I'm not trying to. But you know, I was raised in pro sports. I played basketball through high school and aau so. I had black teammates,
I had road trips. There was one road trip we took up to Boston where there were twelve of us. I was the only white player, and it was never a thing for me. I'm lucky that I was raised that way because I don't have any uh you know, I don't have any premonitions about being scared of a race that I'm not familiar with, right. I just I'm comfortable around black people. I don't know how it's to say it. I always I love the culture, you know,
love hip hop, I love basket I love all of it. Right, But there's this thing that people believe that we have in our state where just be and look Let's be clear there three percent of Salt Lake is black. Yeah, so there's not a lot of people like you, ro Joe, But I don't want to speak for you. It feels like, as a black man, you have found more or less love in our state. Is that fair to say? Yeah? Yeah, I mean I've found all the love. Like that's what I would say here at the State of Utah.
Hearing that, Yeah, And I think that's one of the biggest reasons why I decided to even move back here is to raise my boys. On top of that, meet a lot of these great people that's here in the state of Utah.
Like it's it's amazing people that's here. And I tell people all that.
I tell people about that all the time, no matter where I'm at, because once they see a like where you live at I live in Utah, black guy in Utah.
What is that? No, it's worth it, Like, come up here in experience.
I tell everybody that don't go by what you see on TV, come experience it and come check it out. Because I I've met all the people in the world out here in the university at the state and everybody has been amazing towards me. Yeah, and it has nothing to do with just being a football player.
It has more.
To do with how I present myself and how I carry myself and on top of that, how I take in somebody that might not want to be close to me, but then they.
Attract to me. So I got used to it. Yeah, well that's good, and I think people need to be reminded of positive experiences. Yes, because I'm a transplant too. Of sorts, it's home now. I've been here twenty five years, but the kids I grew up with same thing, like you live where that's what they're always actually like and what's alike. And for me, I have friends and family, so it's home of sorts, and I know how to
traverse the space. But I just feel like whenever we have the opportunity to express ourselves as people that just have different pigmentation of skin and that's all it is, let's be clear of you know, what it is really like here. I just like to give people the opportunity to talk about it, you know.
Like one of the main things I've learned, and this is something quickly that I've learned, is that think about sports like I tell people think about sports. University of you talk, you know, like our our team, the fans are not really cheering for the color of the skin. They're cheering for the color of the jersey.
Yep.
Now, if I'm not saying the world need to do this, I'm not saying that because I'm not a world I'm not trying to change the world. But if everybody remember that we're on the same team and we have the same jersey on the colors, won't the color of the skin won't mean anything because once you lose them, yeah, you upset, you know just what it is. But then when you win, you're not pointing at like, oh this African American or this Caucasian or this Asian or this
You're looking at it as like our team one. You're not looking at it as an individual player. So to me, I always tell myself and I tell my sons this a lot where it's just like, it doesn't matter what skin tone you are, like when you play sports, that jersey is what matters. And the fans they're seeing the jersey, they're not really seeing too many of what the skin color consists of. Unless I'll speaking you started out spoken
and say some things supposed to be saying right. Still, at the end of the day, it's like fans is cheering for the jersey color. They're not cheering because of the color of a skin.
Right, And your boys Aiden and Adonnas are playing soccer in the state because Look, racism is rooted in fear, which is rooted in unfamiliar situations. You're just scared of things you don't know, and it's learned behavior. And at this age, I would imagine they've got white teammates and it's not even a thing for them, right, Because they're young. I don't know what we do to injure them. As
they get older, then they learn this behavior. But you know, watching your little boys play soccer probably reminds you, like, yes, this racism that does exist. I'm not saying it doesn't, but it is learned behavior from people that simply are scared of situations they don't know about it.
Yes, yes, And I have seen that twice. I have seen it in two different topics. I've seen it from a kid that didn't really understand some of the things that he was saying, and it was like, hey, where do you learn Where did the skin from? It's like, well, I learned that at home.
Ork.
I picked it up on different things, and it's like, okay, not saying this the parents fault, but it's like, hey, you got to get more involved kids. And then that also turns more back into this other topic that I was just speaking about, where a mirror sat Brown the receiver from the Detroit Yeah, so his dad they was doing a little interview and his dad said something that was really really important to me, where he said, most people see a kid that don't play sports or don't
do something, they like, oh, the kid is lazy. It's like, have you ever really looked at the parents. It's like ninety percent of the time it's the parents, because if the parents are pushing their kids or being there and supportive or taking them to practice and doing things like that, it kind of changed that outlook of a kid is lazy. And when I thought about that, I was like, oh gosh, I thought about my kids. I'm like, like, I've been training my kids for so long that my mind is like,
if they're lazy, it's because something I'm not doing. So then it was just like seeing it from another parent saying it, it made sense in my brain of like most of the kids that's out there. If you see a kid he say he's lazy, maybe look at the mom and dad, or look at whoever that's the guardian and try to figure out what are they're doing, because they might not be pushing them as hard.
Yeah, that's good perspective. That's good perspective. Okay, we will do some football. Sorry we got a little distracted, but I appreciate the perspective, bro Joe. Through two games, okay, we'll get to Saturday in a moment, but through two games. Defensively, as a former defensive back at the year, what stands out most playmakers the way that the defense is never a problem. It certainly isn't this year. But what stands out to you turnovers.
I mean, you think about all the different years of the University of Utah football program. In general, turnovers make a season different. And a couple of years ago, our defense wasn't as strong. But the reason that they wasn't as strong because we didn't have a lot of turnovers. A matter of fact, I think it was sack Lake City. That's when we had all our sacks. You know, we had a lot of sacks, but we didn't have a
lot of turnovers. And then at one point the linebackers have more interceptions than the dvs, and I'm like, that's unusual. But this year I can see that we're flying to the ball and on top of that, we're causing. Like I tell my son right now as he plays soccer, I'm like, control chaos. Like he's going to be crazy to be able to control it and to see what
our defense is doing. That's exactly what it is. Everybody's flying to the ball, that everybody's trying to go make up play instead of just going to make the tackle.
It's like the strip the ball.
Let's see what we can do on that field goal block that tail TiO tale tale.
That was amazing.
It was I was like like for me, like I think Slide probably said the same thing. Was like the coaches always say, get down, don't catch it, get away from it.
He called it and he knew what to do with it.
So for what I feel the rest of the season is gonna turn into is these tough games that were gonna have to compete against because he need to give a Saturday you could take an l but turnovers would definitely help out and then turnover into points. That just makes it so much better. If we can get a turnover and score, that's that's seven points or six points
for sure, six points coming from the defensive side. We're stopping six points or stopping three points and making six points, which is good.
So I had Nate Orchard and studio asked Sly the same question. And I'm not setting you up and I'm not trying to stir the pod. But after Cameron got hurt and it's Cam in a moment, the offense stalled. It just did right, and so three and out and three and out, three and out. And I asked Nan, asked Slie. When you're on defense and you get a stop, you go in sack whatever it is, kay, boom, force a punt, You roll back to the sideline, take the helmet off, you're drinking the gatorade, and you look up
and you're like watch back out? Yeah? What Like is it a challenge to not get upset to your offensive teammates?
Like?
What what are the emotions when as a defensive player you need a blow man, you need to rest and then you look up and you're like wait what and you got to put your helmet back out?
What?
What?
What?
What's that feel like? At the beginning of the game, it's fine.
You start like because we're warming up right right, like, or at least me and a slider probably are like, yeah, we're warming up, We're starting to get into the game, so yeah, we want to be on the field. But but tour is that that into the third quarter, going to the fourth quarter, it starts turnings as like you don't even take off your helmet, Yes, go to the sideline, make a quick adjustment. We're back out there. And it's hard, man.
It hurts.
It hurts because when you're on defense, your job is to stop them from scoring, and then offense, their job is to score. And when they don't score, when they get a quick three and out, it hurts us defensive players. It's you start doing more plays than you're supposed to, and your body start getting tired, and you know, your mind start having these laps during the game because you're having so many plays and and okay, it.
Happened in the Baylor game. I mean was killing them. It was killing them on defense. We was stopping everything.
Then all of a sudden, that one big play and it just happens to be at the same time where we kept getting three and outs, like the offense kept getting three and out.
The defense can only go so long.
Before we start like having that like all right, right, come all right, yeah, put us on offense.
Then let's make let us do right. So yeah, it's so hard.
It's a hard effect to kind of think back to the times that Brian Johnson. I think about that Air Force game in two thousand and seven to two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine, the undefeated season. We went down here to Arizona and it was a lot of three and outs, and then VJ threw a interception that got ticked to the crib and we was on defense looking at each other like, man, we can't even we can't even stop them from scoring because they just scored without us on the field.
So it's hard, though, it's very, very hard.
It's a it's a mental it's mentally challenging when you're on that sideline and you're looking at the offense and it's like, all right, y'all, come.
On, yeah, we we need you. Yeah you know, so let me ask you about Cameron cam Rising. So I've heard coaches and other media types talk about the necessity of trying to get him to understand how important he is, and therefore slider throw it out of bounce. I just think I just think Cam is Cam, and if he sees the lane and he thinks he can go get seven, he's gonna go get seven if he gets if he gets blitzed and he's under duress, he's gonna try to get out of it. Yes, I would like him to
throw it away. I would like him to get down because we all know for you Tah to win the Big twelve seven has to be under center. Is it possible to rewire an athlete's brain to say, look, you're too important, please don't be so aggressive. I don't.
I don't know that you can do that and and and not against you, but I believe that you can.
That's good. You can practice habits. So practice habits.
I mean, like I mean, probably everybody that's listening, or everybody that's a big football fan. I know they watched the Hard Knocks. They watch Hard Knocks, and on one episode, even though I hate talking about this guy, like, I mean, there's nothing against him, but his fingernails just throw me off. So so Caleb Williams like he he uh not, Caleb is well. Caleb yeah, okay, yeah, So in one episode they had them doing sliding.
They was doing not the water slide, they was doing like a slide.
Was doing a sliper slide because they were trying to teach him how to slide. It shows it's showing up in the games now, like Caleb is sliding and to me, I'm like, I doubt that he had that when he was at USC because every time you look up he was running and you get hit or something happened. But now it's like that muscle memory is starting to kick in of like just slide and he's doing it now with Cam. Cam is a beast, he's a baller man.
He's he wants to he wants to score. Like you said every time you got the boy, you want to score. But we need you, we need you it's a slide or we need you to get rid of the ball early. Just throw out of bounce, you know, like we can live to fight another day. But when you get injured and they hear what you just said me watch I watched it on TV at the Baylor game and really on TV you can see that the crowd just wasn't
the same. Oh yeah, and it's weird, like as you're watching it from a game, like when you're at the stadium, you can feel all this, but then.
Watching it through TV, you don't supposed to fill it.
But then for me, I'm like, oh, this is happening, Like this is this is really happening. Like our our offense is at a stop sign forever, you know, and it's like what is going on? But number seven wasn't under the center, and Coach Witt said that after the first quarter on TV. Coach Witt said like like there was like, how's the offense so successful?
This is that coach?
I can't say quote for quote because I know when I watched it, I laugh. He was like he was like Cam rising, Yep, He's like Cam raise. He's like, Cam, make the team go. And and when Cam is filling it, it's it's just contagious. And then all of a sudden you get hurt and it's like it's contagious to the opposite.
Yeah, Okay, before I set you loose, let's get into tomorrow a little bit. So sounds like Isaac is going to be undersenter. He's been taking first team raps according to reports, and don't rush Cam back for sure, eighteen point favorite utaias, so they should be fine without Cam. What does success look like tomorrow? In logan with Isaac hutter Center talk about the dynamic of Utah State. It's
not Utah BYU, but it's an in state game. Yeah, so tell me what you think success looks like, Rojo tomorrow before I set you lose.
I mean, first off, the rival was definitely something where players step up and start playing out of their body, like having those outer body experiences. And Utah State has always been our little brother, so it's it's they're gonna
come out firing. But for us, the way I feel is that I'm very happy that Isaac was able to get those first team reps for a full week, which I am hoping that Coach Lovewick opens up the playbook a little bit and maybe this would be the best time to try some of those plays that's normally for Cam. Let's try him for Isaac since he had a full week of practice, and let's see how it goes, because you just never know.
It's a long season.
I believe loans we don't have any turnovers on offense and we just play control ball like because that's what coach Lovewick. Offense is control a ball, control that time managed. Be a time manager, don't be just a risk taker. I believe that Isaac can play a really good game because he had the full week and no turnovers. That's the goal, not having turnovers. But you never know, but the goal is not to have turnovers and we will be fine because I'm not looking for us to dominate
this game and just destroy them. I'm just looking for us just to get out alive. Yeah, because we still gotta play down there and Logan Logan is not no easy spot. Like they come and they come into play, They're gonna come to give us the noise and they gonna do what they need to do as a Utah state, they gonna do what they have to. But we just got to reduce the turnovers and try our best to reduce injuries because it seemed like every year the next
man up has been our main thing. So I'm just hoping for no turnovers, like like I'm hoping for no big turnovers. Like it's okay to have him every like you know, every blue moon, But a big turnover is if he fumbled, they scoop and score or pick six. Yeah, like those are those are hard because now you're playing from behind. So I'm just hoping that, like Isaac, control it, do what you need to do, and I believe we'll
be find loans. He just let's just run the ball, forget it, Let's just run play action short, don't throw anything deep, and then maybe once we get the lead up, then start stretching it, like open up the playbook and see how he reacts to it. Because he's a good kid. He's a very good kid. I met him. I met him at one at an event walking through the university.
I met him.
She's short, but because I'm tall, and he talked to me normal. And this is before I mentioned to him like, hey, I played for the team and he was like, wait, what y'all played for the team.
Yeah.
He's just a nice young man. I think his parents raising really really well.
Good man. Hey, great to see Okay, Hey, thank you Rojoe, Robert Johnson, one of the best to ever do it. Before we catch a break, I want to tell you about my friends at Diamond Coat Premium Homes Siding. They're new here along the Ossatch Front, and you won't believe what they can do to your home's exterior. Diamond Coat Siding next generation system delivers the exterior transformation you deserve
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weather ready, durable in all seasons. Discover more at Diamondcoatsiding dot com. That's Diamondcoat spelled Kote Siding dot com. Paul Buckmeyer joins us next right here. It's not a big show, big hour coming your way with Craig boiler Jacket and Gordon Monson. Also college football so far, But how about a little golf on a Friday, Because golf on a Friday, well, golf on any day is always good. And our guy Paul Pugmyer joins us. All Happy Friday, sir. How are you.
Doing great, Spencer? How are you doing?
I'm well so did you experience the rice ecles golf situation. Did you end up going and playing?
I wasn't able to make it up there. Darn it sounds like so much fun.
Oh rats, Okay, well we can move on.
Okay.
I just wanted because I want to know how it was. But if you weren't there, you wouldn't know how it was, So we can move on from it. Pa, here's my question to you, sir, on a Friday, as our golf expert on the radio station, what does it mean that the PGA Tour is returning to Utah for the first time in more than sixty years.
It is such a big deal. So the Utah Opened that was just played here a few weeks ago at Riverside used to be a PGA Tour stop and some of the greatest names in the game have been here to play that tour event. Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Keim Venturi, Holy Cal Bob Rosberg won it one year. Great great names back when it was a tour stop in that
time frame. But in the late nineteen sixties, the tour was undergoing some reorganization and various factors came into play, and the Utah Open was no longer a PGA Tour event. So it's been sixty two years since the PGA Tour has been in Utah. That will change here in a few weeks at Black Desert when the PGA Tour comes back to Utah at the new Black Desert Resort. I played it last week. It is spectacular and it will be a really fun, interesting test for the greatest players in the world.
Take the time and remind everybody. The Black Desert Championship is October ninth through the thirteenth, and Black Desert Result short. Like I said, return of the PGA Tour for the first time in more than sixty years. Tickets available at
Black Desert Events dot com. Follow them on Instagram at Black Black Desert Championship, Paul, Since you played there recently, I played there, I think about three months ago, and we had the chairman on the show a couple of weeks back, and I told them I walked into the clubhouse and I chuckled when I saw a handwritten sign that said something like, don't worry, We'll be ready, because I can tell you three months ago they were not ready, okay,
by their own admission. So you played there recently, are they prepared for the world of golf to descend upon them coming up in just a few.
Weeks as of today. No, but the question is will they be ready? And I'm confident they will be for two reasons. I've been making trips down there for the past couple of years every two or three months, and every two or three months, and especially this last week. It is a different look at different place, and the amount of progress it's being made and the pace it's being made is staggering. Plus, I have come to understand that Patrick Manning, the director at and the CEO at
Black Desert Resorts, he delivers. This is a guy who gets things done and makes things happen, and he says it's going to be ready, and I have complete confidence in him.
All Right, Paul, maybe too early for this, but of course I'm very curious because I'm debating going down. I probably should, but we'll see if I can make it happen. But I would like to know who I'm paying to see play golf, Any idea what that field will look like, and any thoughts about well, who you'd like to see let's talk about the field. Where are we at with that?
So this is a part of the PGA Tours FedEx Fall Series. They call it the Fall Series, and everybody, everybody with a Tour card is eligible and able and invite it to play. But you tend to get the players who are looking to improve status, players who are just outside the top fifty, trying to play their way into the top fifty for the for the coming year. Players on the bubble one way or another, on the top one twenty five, and that's the magic number because
that's tour status right there. And so players like our own Patrick Fishburn and Zach Blair. Fishburn goes into this week down at Silverado in the Pro Core. He goes in number one two, Zach Blair goes in number one thirteen. Those guys will be playing in the Fall Series and they're both committed to play at Black Desert to protect their status in the top one twenty five. And then there's players right outside the top one twenty five trying
to play their way in. You will get some of the players in the top fifty who play for various reasons, maybe to stay tuned up in preparation for next year's FedEx Cup season that starts in January, maybe to because it's a course they like or a town they like to take their family to, any number of reasons. So you're seeing a handful of the top fifty, and you're seeing a lot of the players just below there who are looking to protect and enhance their status for next year.
Any chance we see Tony I've heard rumors that, you know, some sponsors have cobbled together the necessary cash. I can't collaborate that. Any chance we see Tony Fenow playing in the tournament.
Absolutely a chance. He hasn't committed yet, but we do expect actually that he will be there. We know that Patrick Fishburn and Zach Blair will be there. We know that Mike Weir will be there. In what I think is so far the best golf story of the year in Utah, jay Don Blake a Saint George native who grew up just down the street, right literally down the
street from where Black Desert is now. Wasn't there when he was a kid, but when he was a kid, he lived down the street from where Black Desert is now and has stayed in Saint George his entire life. He has four hundred and ninety nine career starts on the PGA Tour. He has been given an exemption into this event. On Thursday, when he hits his t shot and gets his official five hundredth start on the PGA Tour,
he'll be doing it in his hometown. With the PGA Tour coming back to Utah for the first time in sixty two years. It is a fantastic event and a great story.
Since you and I last spoke, beca, Scottie Scheffler was struggling. He was having a rough year. He hadn't made very much money. Obviously, I kid Scotty takes on the Tour Championship in East Lake A cool what twenty five mil? So he and you know what, isn't it fitting like it should have been him? Gold medal, all the things, all these what was it, nine to ten wins this year,
we haven't seen in forever. So give me your take on Scotty's performance in the Tour Championship and give us a perspective on the season that we just saw from the world number one.
We saw one of the great seasons ever in the history of the game. Not the greatest, but one of them, certainly in the mix for one of the top five greatest seasons ever. It's going to be hard, ever to beat Tiger Woods two thousand. I think you've got to World War two. Notwithstanding, you've got to include Byron Nilson nineteen forty five in the mix in these discussions. VJ. Singh two thousand and nine. But this season that Scottie Scheffler just had had some markers on it that were
really impressive. First of all, it included a major. In a great season, must include a major. Secondly, the other tournaments that he won are what are now these elevated tournaments. But think about these and the courses that he plays. He won the Players again on TPC Sawgrass, a great golf course and a great tournament that I think will ultimately be treated as a major championship. He won Jack's tournament on Mirfield Village. He won Arnie's tournament at bay Hill.
He won the gold medal, and even though that's not an official win, finding anybody who doesn't care, I care, it matters. It's the Olympics. We won the gold medal in the Olympics. And then even though it was the side of the tournament that he won at the Tour Championship, he did what he had to do to get the official win there and that's Bobby Jones home course. So you add all that up and it was a season for the Ages, no doubt.
Also, the President's Cup team was announced Scott e Xander, Colin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark can't lay so he tagalags thrilled for that young kid, Keegan Bradley. Come on, I mean, who doesn't love seeing Keegan's name on at Sam Burns are very on, Tony fenw Ryan Harmon, Russell Henley and Maxoma. Any thoughts on you know, the cliche question snubs? Did they get it right? What are your thoughts on the President's Cup team?
Fascinating to me that Keegan Bradley didn't pull himself out. He is the incoming Ryder Cup captain. I get that he's a player first, I get the juice's flow they do with this all they sure do with that guy. I would have thought that he would have said, no, I'm going to focus on being a Ryder Cup captain. I'm going to be an assistant, have to learn all
I can and really focus on that me personally. If I was in Jim Ferick's place, the captain of the American side, I would have taken I would have taken Justin Thomas. I think Justin Thomas is a generational talent with a a proven record in these events, and he was just a little bit outside the points on this. I would have taken him. But yeah, all yea. Add it all up, and look, this is an incredibly deep
and talented American team. I think that the international team will be able to compete, but everything's going to have to bounce right for them to get a victory.
Tell us, and when I say, I mean me too, you know, because I still a minia fight here. I'm learning. I had no one cares about the round I had last week. It was so sad. I was like, why do I do this? It was so sad.
I care.
It did not go well, Paul, it did not go I'll tell you what I grinded to in eighty seven. Okay, So I'm to the point now where if it's between seventy eight and eighty four, I'm good. Anything above eighty four bombed. Anything below seventy eight, I'm thrilled, But nobody cares. It was bad. I know you care. We'll talk off air, so you know. Recently, I'll admit this was the first Ryder Cup I watched and I watched start to finish, I sacrifice sleep, you know, and I loved it even
though we got smashed. So tell us tell me about the President's Cup, about where they're playing and the track at format and what we should expect from the American team.
Format is virtually identical to the Ryder Cup, so if you're familiar with that, you know what they're talking about. There will be a four ball what the Scotts call a fourball, but that's the best ball. There will be an alternate shot where the players play every other shot. There will be the head to hit singles, which are always the most fun matches, and that will wrap up
the week. One of the differences between the President's Cup and the Ryder Cup that I really like and think that the President's Cup gets right is that when they're doing the pairings on the Ryder Cup, the captains submit their choices and match one player A, match two player B, and it's just on paper and then you don't know
what's coming. The pairings are live on the on the the President's Cup, they'll say, okay, I choose Scotty Scheffler, and then the then it's the the international turn time in this case, it will be chair, it will be Captain Mike Weir, our own Mike Weir, and he'll say, Okay, I'm gonna put I'm going to put Adam Scott against Scotty Scheffler. And then it's then it's where's turn to go first? And he says, I'm throwing out to Deckie Mantziyama.
And then it'll be Ferri's turn to say, okay, Manciyama, all right, then I'm going to give you Kegan Bradley or Manziama, whatever it is. But that that live matching is so cool to watch and so compelling to see how how the the captains and their assistants go through the pairing process. That's a lot of fun. You asked about the course, Royal Montreal, one of the great courses in the world, an old school parkland course that is very mature at this point and it has a lot
of history. This is the course where Captain Mike Weir, then a player on the international side, took down Tiger Woods at Tiger's Prime, got a point in the President's Cup, wasn't enough for the International side to win, but everybody still remembers when Mike Weir took down Tiger Woods in the President's Cup that was at Royal Montreal, and so you've got Mike were a native Canadian at Royal Montreal where he had one of his great moments as a player. And it's going to be a stirring thing. I will
be there. We will be doing the Utah Golf Radio Show live from Royal Montreal on that shot. Cannot wait.
Wait, what did you just say? Did you say you're doing your show on site at the President's Cup?
Yeah?
Well, hold who Porter Hop on the micro quick who on this station hosts a very highly listened to, highly rated afternoon drive program.
Is that me on Saturdays? It's Paul pug Meyer.
Well, but why can't I get an invite Paul to any of this stuff? Why do you freeze me out of the cool things you do being Paul pug Meyer. I'm very upset on a Friday.
Now, you know, I'll bet you we can still make it happen.
Spencer.
Let's go all right, I'm gonna hold you to it. Porter. I'm gonna be out of remote in Montreal all the week before the President's Cup just so you know, I will make it happen. Okay, thank you. I can't I get I'm thrilled for you. It's just good to be Paul pug Meyer. As I say all the time, find something you love the way Paul pug Meyer loves golf. Let me ask you this. It feels like the Ryder
Cup is a bigger deal. I don't houlse to put it feels like the Ryder Cup is a bigger deal than the President Is that fair to say it's the only it's the neo fi way I'm putting it today.
No, it's a good way to put it. It's completely accurate and it is true. Yes, it is a bigger deal. It is older and has more history and because of that, yes it is. Plus, the President's Cup has has lacked a rallying identity for the for the international team. When when Ernie Els was the captain, he put a lot of effort into creating a logo and creating a way of talking about the international team to bring them together
as one. And even though the Ryder Cup side is against the European team, that actually is a fairly recent change that Jack Nicholas was instrumental in bringing about. Because the Ryder Cup got its start as a great Britain versus America thing, and America was too dominant. And this was back in the time when Sevi Biasteros and Bernhard Langer were coming into their own and Jack Nicholas said, let's make this more competitive. Let's make expand the Great
Britain team to be all of Europe. Let's Spring Bia Steros and longer into this, and that made everything more competitive for everybody, and it really led to the Ryder Cup becoming must watch TV and completely compelling. And so the President's Cup has lacked that unifying.
Thread, but they're getting to it.
And I think that the international team is getting stronger as we get deeper into this, and that maybe not this year, probably not this year, but I think it will become more evenly balanced.
Is jan going to the President's Cup?
No?
All right, okay, I just I wanted to know how mad I need to be on a Friday. Let's move on from it. Okay, Actually, real quick, isn't saying Mike hours the same thing as saying lowry marketing is ours? Like if he's our, shouldn't he? I don't know Mike Weirs is it's Canada's Mike Weir, isn't it.
Nope, We're very happy to share him with Canada because Mike grew up in Canada and retains his Canadian citizenship as a dual citizen. But Mike Weir went to college at Brigham Young University and fell in love with Utah. I get that, and he stayed. He has been a full time resident of Utah since he was in college, and he continues with that today. He's a Utah All.
Right, Okay, all right, Paul, before I set you loose, you will not be in Montreal tomorrow, but tell our listeners where you'll be and what the latest is in the world of local golf.
We'll be in the Mothership, We'll be in the studio tomorrow. But there is so much going on in Utah golf that we're going to be talking about. We've We're going to be talking with dus In Bulk, the new Utah
PGA Section Championship champion winner. We're going to be with Colby Callen updating everybody on the Utah exemptions that were announced this week at Black Desert, and we're going to be talking with coach Garrett Clegg about the incredible record setting performance from the University of Utah golf team.
This week.
Half the record book was rewritten in a massively stirring win that the youths had up at Washington State. We'll talk with Coach Cleig about that.
Thanks for the time, I'm mad at you. Well chat soon, okay, okay, good right, all right, Paul pug Meyer check him out Utah Golf Radio tomorrow. What what's the deal? I need to have a conversation with upper management my remotes. Next week. I think I'm at the Snowmobile show, right, I think I'm there next week?
I think so.
I believe I'm at a jewelry store in Ogden. You are, I want to be clear, I'm fine with that. And Paul Pugmyer goes to Montreal for the Resident's Cup to do a show.
I'll be honest, I'm a little jealous of that one too.
I just need to know how the business is done at this company.
I think I think the golf show kind of that's their whole thing.
But maybe I'll start doing my own thing.
But yeah, there we go. I'll go do a radio show from the Olympics, from the super Bowl.
Wherever, wherever. Good for Paul all Right, Paul Today courtesy of our friends at Black Desert Resort. The Black Desert Championship takes place October the ninth through the thirteenth. It's coming up. It's gonna mark the return of the PGA Tour to Utah for the first time in more than sixty years. Tickets available at Black Desert Events dot Com. Follow them on Instagram at Black at Black Desert Championship
is where you find them. If you haven't played it, I don't know if you still can prior to the event. It's awesome. They've done a remarkable job. Track is great, the food is good, staff wonderful. People can't wait to get back down there to our good friends at the Black Desert Resort in Saint George.
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 with Spence Check Its exclusively on ESPN seven hundred.
It is time now for the Big Show Big Hour. We usually do it on Thursdays, but comes your way out of Friday. It's brought to you by Big O' Tires. Get our Healthy Car Special for fifty nine to ninety five, which includes a conventional oil change, Jackson on Lineman's breaks, batteries, and more. Check out big otires dot com to find a location near you. Craig, I think we have a special guest on the phone. I'm not sure, but let's you and I. Let's do our thing. Let's not worry
about anyone on the phone. Is this somebody on the riviera? I don't know. I don't know. But happy Friday, buddy.
How you do see?
Is Friday the thirteenth? You superstitious? No? Not really? It did enter my mind, yeah, but I've never been superstitious. Maybe a little stitious? What about your Yeah?
I think kind of numbers do kind of bug me. Maybe I'll work with too many numbers. Maybe that's what it is. And so the thirteen pops up and I don't think about it on a regular day, but a thirteen on a Friday?
Are you superstitious? A little? You know?
I think it's the business because I get into habits of how you approach every game and where I sit on a plane. You know, there's so many hours, and if I don't sit in the same row or the same seat, which is almost ninety nine percent of the time, sometimes they've moved this around. I'm going, Man, I don't like this, Yeah, because I'm so comfortable and I look around and see the same people all the time. But yeah, I think so. I think you kind of get into
most people do. Some people could care less, but I think over I think I'm an overthinker when it comes to that.
Hey, I wanted to say to you, thank you, thank you so much for living up to your commitment of coming in the studio to do the show. Yes, it is sponsored by Big O'd Time, so it says a lot about you.
And your character. I appreciate that. Yeah, look I see an empty seat. Yeah, but I'm not gonna I'm not the type of guy.
No, I want to focus on you to talk much about that, because you show up, you do the work. You're not all talk. You're about action. So let's just you know, it feels like this segment's going really well. Yeah. Yeah, it's smooth with the two of us live in studio, man, because we're men of our work. Yes, smooth, Porter is Gordon on the phone? Okay, hey, uh is there someone on the other end of the line. Is Do I hear a voice there? Hello? Hello, hello, hello, Hello? Come in? How are you?
I'll tell you what Come in? Come in here, I'll tell you what's on the single of the line.
Where are you? Where are you? Why aren't you hanging out with us on a Friday? Is this ship to shore? What's going on? Well?
Okay, you should I be honest.
I always prefer honesty. I think it's the best way to go. But that's just us too. You do your thing. If you want to make up something really good, that's okay.
Okay, So this is that was good?
It's true.
I uh. I was planning on doing the show on Thursdays, like we usually do, so I scheduled a rather costly golf outing and it was the kind of golf outing you can't get out though, So I thought, if I want to lose all that money, I'll come into the studio. But I blamed for because I thought it was I thought it was Thursday.
Well, real quick, did you get invited on this golf outing?
No?
I did not? Ye did I? No?
No telling. Do you want to share with the listeners. I mean, is it close by or Bandon Dunes, You down at the new course in Saint George, or I've.
Never been on Bandon Dune's, but I planned to. My problem was going there, Augusta. I'm afraid of the I'm afraid that the weather will be in clinics.
You know what you're at? Black You're a black desert.
Aren't you.
No?
No, I'm not, but I need to get there too.
All right, well, where are you, Gordon? Let's stop good.
I don't want to get too specific, but let me put this away. I'm in the mountains, m.
But Promontory. You're a Promontory.
I was broken hearted because I wanted to come, come hang out with you guys. They're all planned for yesterday.
But no, it could be at Wasatch State Park. Lost at is not an expensive out for money, not for money bags mons, just the Crater Right Homestead, which is going private. I'm thinking Promontory or Victory Ranch. Gordon, Am I close?
You could be?
Yeah? Okay, all right, all right, snob, let's move on. Let's we'll take advantage of the time we have with and then we'll let him go. So Gordo we'll just start with you. Let's let's do a little Utah football. Let's do a little cam rising. Okay, we talked about this last week. Can you really rewire an aggressive athlete's brain to throw it out of bounds or get down? I don't know that the answer is yes. I could be wrong. It's only week three and we're talking about
an injury to camp. Gordon, what do you think?
It's exactly what we said, Bence, he said, exactly right. I wrote about it. It's just like it's like it's like telling Einstein not to think, or Edison not to invent our Shakespeare that he could only write in short sentences, you know, or or you know, it's like telling Donald Trump not to lie so much. You know. I mean, it just it ain't happening. It ain't happen it you can't change.
Look.
I thought maybe he would have listened to the coaches, because the coaches of stress is all through camp, you know that. And I was a little surprised when I saw the play he got hurt on because it was the exact kind of play that Andy Ludwig has probably gone over with him a thousand times, saying don't do this. And it's exactly what he did.
So Buller the play where he was injured, what really And in real time, I'm like, dude, it's early down, Okay, you have good field position. He's running to his left, the ball is in his left hand, and I'm thinking this won't end well. Now in real time, I thought it was a penalty. I rewatched it and I still think at the end of the day it probably is. But the contact started in bounds. What do you make of the play where Cam got hurt?
I thought both players were over aggressive and so that's the outcome.
So what a quarterback you give? Chase? Your learning it?
Almost from my experience, you see a quarterback out loose, it's fair game and the meat hooks come out, man, because you want to take him down.
It's exactly what happened.
What went down And look, I thought, throw it away, throw it away, get down, And I thought this you know, and you brought Can you take an aggressive attitude out of an athlete?
And I'm convinced no. All you do you can try.
To rewire the guy, but in reality he may buy in for a couple of snaps, but when he's out in the open like that, then the instincts kick and.
That's exactly what I saw him do.
I thought, Okay, he's gonna motor, he's gonna prove everybody again and himself that the wheels are good. And he's a big, strong cat and he's back and all of a sudden it turns upside down. I thought it was an aggressive play by him, which shouldn't have been a
very aggressive play by the defender. And of course, bad placement for about a half a dozen gatorade whatever, and and equipment, you know, carriage or carriers, and you know, when he looked when he rolled in hit, I thought, okay, maybe then he looked at his hand, I thought, wow, did he dislocate? But instead it's a laceration. And now you don't know what the outcome will be.
So let's guys go ahead, guys, I thought, I thought it was an absolute cheap shot. I you know, because I understand the aggressive of the defensive, EVENCI player two hundred and ninety pounds, you know, so fleet for the dude. And when I saw what he was doing, I thought, oh. The second I saw it, I thought, that's trouble. And then when Cam flew into the gear aage stand. It was like, something's got to be hurt. So I don't know what it was.
What it would be shoulder, hey, goal turned underneath. You know what remind me of a little Gordo the day of Taysom Hill. The days of Taysom Hill where he was injured. A great athlete, but multiple injuries running and most of those occurred as he was heading out of bounds.
An exactly the same thing happened to Camp.
Well, yeah, I just you've got to put it in your mind. Play smart. Your team needs you. You saw the difference between the first half and the second half. It was like two different teams in that first half. Guys, I was thinking, there's a playoff team. It's a playoff team. Second half, Holy hell, are these guys even gonna finish five hundred without this guy? They meet him and Kyle with them probably just said, look, Kyle, I know how
you're wired. I want you to go watch film with Dan Marino and watch him throw the ball away anytime he's pressured. Just do that. Because the utes can't abide the loss.
Of that guy.
So let's move into the space of what it's going to look like coming up, because Bullard to Gordon's points. And I was at the game and actually went down to watch the fourth quarter on the sideline and see if I could get any information about Cam. And you could tell the air just evaporate from the stadium when he got hurt. You could tell he, you know, walks
out in street clothes. There was kind of a funny little moment where somebody from the muss yelled at him, Cam, give us thumbs up if you're okay, which he did, and you know that obviously is comforting. But okay, isaacsure two, We get it. That's what you've said, Isaacs, you're two, all right, He's eighteen. He disenrolled in April, So I'm absolutely about observation, not conclusion. But here's the deal, Craig, if Isaac'su're two, it asked to look better than it did on set. I agree.
You had Rojo Robert Johnson on in the three o'clock hour, and I thought that was pretty I thought he was very insightful.
It's real simple.
Here's an eighteen year old backing up a potential All American or a Heisman supposed early season candidate, and now he's the guy for the time being and that's difficult to take over a top ten team and predicted to be, you know, in the running for a Big twelve championship and beyond.
And I think Gordo would agree.
I mean at eighteen, Andy Hesson now collapses offensive playbook which was wide open and now it's probably the chapters one, two and maybe maybe open three.
But as Roberts said, was short throw game.
Run the ball and depend on your offensive line to help you and don't turn it over and just get through this process. Now it's Utah State and maybe again Utah coaches and everyone says, look, Aggie's are hurt too, They've got their own issues. We'll go up there, get one, come back and reevaluate. It's kind of a lucky week in a way for Cam and the Utes, but it's
also could be Gordon. In my book, I think a growth week for Isaac who desperately needs to find his confidence, and also not only himself, but the ten other guys in the huddle to say, if Cam's not coming back for a while, then you know what, we have to trust this young freshman. And that's what I see is it's a growth period, a confidence booster, but also a way that ten other guys in the huddle are going to build respect for this young kid.
Gordon, what do you think success? Yeah?
Good, I'm sorry. I guess I was gonna follow Bowler with, uh, do you have to trust him or do you go to a different option? I mean, I don't know. I'm one of those people that does believe. I do believe that a quarterback needs time to develop, and so if that's what you really want to do with him, then do it. But this season is such a such a unique opportunity for you taught to do something that's never done before. And let's go to that playoff. If they can just get by, you said it, you touted no
disrespect to the aggage, but they're struggling. So maybe they can get by with the kids. Maybe they can do both things. They can develop him, give him some confidence, and let him play against this team and come out with a victory. If you could do that, then okay. But if he struggles against this team, I don't I mean I wouldn't be that. I wouldn't be that hesitant to go ahead with somebody else if I needed to.
So that is actually where I wanted to go next. You know as far as what success looks like for Isaac and U taught football tomorrow, Craig, and I'll go to you on this because, like I said, if it looks the way it looked on Saturday against Utah State, then we need to have a conversation because at this point, I hate to say this, what's our confidence level the Cameron can stay healthy about My hope, my sincerest of hopes is that he does. My confidence level in that
is not all that high. I don't know how it can be based off of what we've seen, and I think Gordon raises a fair point. Okay, so Baylor, Dave Randa has made his way through the sport as a defensive genius. Right, So Baylor showed up with better athletes than SUU, a good defensive scheme because that's who Dave is, and so they were able to stifle Isaac. Utah State just got their breaks blown off by USC and Southern
cal Nate Driyling is a defensive coach. But if it looks, Craig tomorrow like it looked last week, when do we start talking about Brandon Rose or Sam Yeah? Well Rose was my first thought.
I think what Utah State will do, will test Isaac early as they should come at him, edge, rush, up the middle. I mean, all sorts of different defensive looks. I think they're going to try to. I think their best opportunity, Spence and Gordon would be to disrupt Isaac in the first quarter. That's where Robert Johnson ROJO said to you, play it safe, don't turn the ball over,
just hand it off and run. Establish a run, get through the early part of the game, which is smart because what that does is counter what Utah State wants to do, and that is to mess with the head of an eighteen year old quarterback with one hell of a football team. So it's up to the O line to buy in and also protect. But also he's got to find some early success. Just dump it off flat, don't do anything crazy, and just get a couple under your belt.
And that's what it takes.
I mean, the guy comes in with incredible credentials, right, and so you have to build that confidence and say to yourself, yeah, I know I belong. And so I looked at his first two game numbers. He's eleven of twenty one hundred and forty yards, two picks, touchdown, and he's carried the ball seven times, mostly just out of necessity for a poultry eleven yards. But those are just kind of like breakdown plays that he's had to kind
of just make something out of nothing. But if this is a big week, and as Gordon said, I think it's true that, you know, if it doesn't quite work, then Andy and Kyle they've got some decisions.
Do you go another direction?
But also do you destroy the confidence of Isaac early in his young career and does that force a red shirt? I mean, there's a lot of situations that they have to weigh out.
And how bad is Cam's injury?
I mean I heard it was infected and then you know this may be for six weeks.
Oh wow. I mean you just don't know.
But I can't believe that we're talking about this in or mid September that Cam Rising is again on the shelf.
Yeah, with injury, poor guy.
Guys. I'm sorry, go ahead, No, I just said.
Just to be clear. The reports that I understand to be accurate are he's out this week, expected to play next week. That's a good thing. Yeah.
And here's the other aspect to this. An issue that has to arise, and that is everybody else on that team has to step up because if this is gonna hap, Let's say this happens once or twice or a year, but cam is always able to come back and finish out the season. Let's say, you know, and that's I think most of your fans probably would take that. If you said, miss two games and be here the rest of the time. Do you think they would take that?
They probably would. But what has to happen. Everybody else on that offense has to step up, and the defense has to play a step above where it usually does to give that offense what it needs in the meantime. If they do that, if they can do that, and I thought that was really hit or miss against Dale or I saw some good play and then I saw some con mediocre play. Everybody has to ride. And I'm sure that Kyle Whittingham has said that a thousand times to him.
This week, Bence, I thought was spot on.
You could tell the difference in the stadium, on the field, and the huddle. He goes out that team's personality did a left turn, right turn or a U turn twenty three to three?
What at the half?
And then the offense goes still thankfully Utah's defense continue to kind of just hang in there. But they were on the field a lot and Baylor was moving and we're able to regain some confidence. But in the end Utah was able to shut him down. But I think an early start, some early confidence, you just got to play go up there and hopefully get home. And the other part of it is, again, can you get back to Salt Lake healthy? And Utah State's trying to stay healthy too.
One more thing on this game.
Okay, sorry, now just one.
More thing on this game because then we need to do a little BYU so we can get Gordon back to a stake sandwich and his caviaar. Every week, every week in college football, something bananas happens. Okay. So Notre Dame was essentially a thirty point favorite. Last week they lose to Northern Illinois. Bamba was tied with South Florida in the fourth quarter, then they ran away. I'm not saying that this has upset written all over it, but this is a sneaky game. We've all been up to Logan,
we've all been up to Maverick Stadium. Student section is really good. It's not Ford Field, but it's not the easiest place to play. We have the in state stuff where Utah State kids may want to play at Utah, they want to come out and really play hard. One to ten Craig and Gordon. That will move on to byu level of concern that you fans should have for upset watch tomorrow.
That's a good question, really good question. You know, the in state statement is real, so let's put that on the table. Home field advantage is real. That's a tough place to play. Also in Aggie basketball, is they're great fans. Yeah, I'd be concerned. I think the first quarter tells a lot again and the way Isaac plays, But on a scale of one to ten, I think there's a little bit of maybe five and a half to six of worry.
I mean it's easy to say, oh gosh, you know, look at us, we're Nashally ranked, We're supposed to do this, supposed to do that. This weekend doesn't really give you that much. That doesn't mean anything. You're still working in a new guy eighteen years young, and Utah State has nothing to lose after getting stepped on forty eight zip right rally call, maybe, but I would think the first
quarter will indicate the outcome of this game. In my opinion, I could be wrong, but I think the way you start is the way you then dictate the pace of the game and also how the opponent will react.
If they get stepped on or give.
Somebody a pop and they drop the ball, you pick it up, run it for a pick six or something. You start to control the tempo and the outcome of the game.
Gorda, what do you think, don't.
Worry at all, camera playing zero worry as is. I would put it at about five. I think Bowler's pretty right somewhere in that range. And again we're guessing, because what are we going to see at quarterback? What are we going to see there? I don't know, and I don't think anybody knows. I think Andy Love would go over there, going let's see what am I going to see?
You?
I don't know.
You know, I would I put it at five.
All right, before we set Gordon loose, Let's do a little BYU. So BYU travels to Laramie. They have injury issues of their own. Hinkley, Rapati and LJ. Martin, their top two running backs, according to reports, will not be available. There are some reports that say both those are going to be both those two will be out for a while. Last week fourth and one, the thirty seven yard carry was Miles Davis. They have some depth in that room. By the way, gritty gutty win on the road, SMU,
you're a twelve point dog. That's like a Killane win for sure. So BYU has a chance to finish non con clean. And I've said that they had to to make a bowl. That's what I believe to be true. The line has moved three times towards Wyoming. It is settled as of now BYU minus nine point five. The over under is the lowest over under the Big twelve at forty point five. Because BYU's offenses look horrible and
Wyoming is just not good. So Craig will start with you your thoughts on a gutty win in Dallas, and what are you expecting from BYU and Layer of Me tomorrow?
Yeah, I was surprised the way that game played out, low scoring, big play, field goals, defensive stops what eighteen fifteen?
Eighteen fifteen? And you know, is it pretty football?
No?
But it's what you call grind it and get it done and come home. Killanie right, Kalani. I mean it's you know, I'm sure he was smiling on the bus ride and the plane ride home.
Look, that's how you win.
You win dirty sometimes and not speaking dirty play, I'm talking about just it. It was just not clean, but you won. And now you're two to zero, and now you go to Wyoming and you've been up there. It's it's a difficult place to play. They have a crowd that's not fun. And you know what, they're lucky it's September, not in the middle of October or early November, because it's a hell hole of weather that that rolls into
Laramie quite often. I've been up there for basketball. It's like, are you kidding me?
Right now?
You know tim below, you know, and the wind chill factor. So I mean it should be a good day weather wise. But again it's it's go go up there, and Klannie's gonna have to say this, guys, we're two and oh. No time just to feel like we're walking on you know, on on air. I mean, we just we got to put our head down and play. That'd be my biggest concern, is it go on the road after oh, after being two and oh, and then lay an egg and laramie defense obviously gonna have to shape it uh and and
control some of that. But also I hate to say this because when I was calling games, every coach decordinator would always say this or an O coordinator.
How are you gonna win this game? I'll give you three keys.
You know what they are, Control tempo, run the ball, and don't turn it over. And basically by he's going to have to do that as well and try to find some offense and if not, that opens a window.
And you know what, in.
College football, every Saturday, there's one score or two that jumps out. You go, whoa, and this could be one. But Kilane's going to have to control I think, the attitude and the approach and make that very clear. And I always am the first quarter guy because you can understand the mentality and the approach of each team. And I guarantee ym he's going to be running around spraying the defense around that field.
And one week from tomorrow K states in Prova. Right, are we looking ahead? Gordo? Before we set you loose, give me your thoughts on where we're at with BYU.
Why on we suck? I mean, I mean that team is not good this year. But I agree with what you guys said. Any football team can lose on a certain day if they're not dialed in. What we saw last week was obviously the defense has played fantastic. The offense sputtered all over the place. And you heard what Colonieck he said earlier this week talking to let's laugh. Uh, you know, don't turn the ball over, take care of the ball, don't fumble it without being hit, don't throw
picks that are just stupid. And so I've always believed that BYU, in order to be even that it's sort of seventy five level, the quarterback has to play well. And so that's what has to happen. And I said, a hostile environment with a urn bombs fly.
Craig, let me say once again how you are proven to be a man of character by showing up live in the studio to fulfill your obligation. Appreciate that. So, hey, Gordo Cavir, cold cold, cold beer with a little little head on top. I don't think he's picked up that habit at this stage of Okay, okay, you know I didn't think, well, you know, a good guy code comes in hand wrong with it. Beer whatever you want.
But the cavityard though on a cracker, I can see it right now.
Pinky's up, man.
Uh huh. I'm just trying to pick some of myself with the pinky up.
Pinky's on.
Yeah, I don't think I can see myself. I'm doing it. But look, I mean.
The future will have to book out every.
Day of the week for the show, you know, because I'm not sure what it's going to be.
Gord. We cand we tease have fun up there. I enjoy it. Bust be beautiful. Man, it's a beautiful day. I see next week. Okay, here it is.
Man, and it's I wouldn't miss this. I just missed three bold and I couldn't care less because I'm having a good.
Time with you. Gush.
I hit it straight all right. There he is Gordon Monson, brought to you by Big O Tires get our Healthy Car Special for fifty nine to ninety five, which includes a conventional oil change, checks on alignments, breaks, batteries, and more. I want to keep our customers safe on the road and help them save money on tires and service. There's always something on sale at Big O'tire. Stop into any of our locally owned and operated locations in Utah, a
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ESPN seven hundred. All right, we got one more segment with Craig Bowler, Jack Live in Studios. The Big Show, Big Hour rolls on here on the drive brought to you at Big O'd Tires. Visit Big o'tires dot com to find a location near you. Over fifty locally owned and operated locations in Utah. All right, Bowler, there are very few people. There are very few help anything objects furniture that represent the Utah Jazz quite like Dan Roberts does. And you know, we just found out that this will
be Dan's final year. He is the PA Voice of the Utah jazzt I still miss bring him on. How about that jazz that was like my favorite thing back in the day. Can we get Craigs micon porter please. So you obviously have known Dan forever as if I'm great friends of the family. Jeremy and I golf from time to time.
This one got me. I'm I'm sad about this. Yeah, this one surprised me, kind of just came out of left field. But man, Dan is terrific individual. Got to know him even better these last twenty years that I've been involved, and you go by the table, you know it's iconic voice. You go into the press room and the crews in there, and Dan's kind of leading the charge, and you know it's he is. He has witnessed greatness,
I hope, and I know he understands that. But he's had a front row seat to some just marvelous moments in a franchise and the history of Carl and John, Larry, Gail and now Ryan and Ashley. But man, think it the game, I mean Stockton to Malone. I don't know how many times he said it, hot Rod, I mean multiple, multiple, thousands of times. That's why Stockton's the assist leader in Malone's now what three in NBA scoring. I mean, those guys were just so special. And you know, I envy
that hot rod. You know, had that combo for so many years because it was almost like you dialed it in every night. You could ride in twenty seven for Carl, twelve assists, in seventeen for John. You'd see Jerry stop in his feet and cussing at the officials. And it was just basketball, hardcore, man. And Dan was able to see that and witness a lot of history. And you know what, I hope he has a great season where he can enjoy himself and take the accolades that he deserves.
Yeah, no, I'm with you. I've just I don't know, man. You know me, I date back to the South Palace going to Jazz games when I was six, seven, eight years old. I was there.
I got here in eighty five, man, so I was only seventeen, you know. And your dad that's where I met. You know, your dad was running the show, all right.
And and Dan is he is synonymous with jazz basketball. He is a consistent threat in the tapestry of the jazz where if you show up whether they're good, whether they're bad, whether they're fun, whether they're boring. You know that the PA guy is gonna be awesome with the intros. You know you're gonna hear the and you're in the Dan Roberts Deep Boys group in a way that it's never you know. I mean, he drops it down a lot, but he still has the pipes of pipes right. And think about it too.
I mean in Chicago during the ninety seven and ninety eight World Championships, or I should say NBA Championships, I mean two iconic voices at both arenas, I mean Chicago, my gosh and La Laker girls.
You've heard that of one thousand. Of course, that guy's a little too monotone for me. I'm not gonna lie.
Yeah, I think his whole kind of plan of action is just to kind of say this and let a kind of rumble on everybody's And that's what the beauty when I go around the league is that every every PA announcer has their own style.
Some worst is Miami, I'm sorry. Some are hype down of their heads.
Other ones do the kind of the long drawn out Others drop their voice, other goes hi. You know, it's just amazing how you know who, what style that particular team takes. It'll be difficult man, to put a new body, a new voice in the chair. Yeah, no, for sure. And so I lived it. I mean, look, hot rod iconic. You know, can't run from it.
It is what it is.
Yeah, And you know I always told my dad always said, look, man, just go do your thing. And I think, you know, that's the only advice I could give the next guy is just go do it.
Yeah, and be yourself.
Yeah.
I wonder who it'll be. I wonder what it'll sound like. It'll be really weird for those of us who have been going to jazz games for over thirty years to experience that without Dan Roberts. So Dan, if you're listening, we love you and best of luck and a great butt.
Of run down on the line on X I still say Twitter, but the jazz are a nice little minute and a half kind of look back, Dan, I'd say, if you're listening, man, your hair like, you know, that was pretty boss back it was?
Did you see that? I'm you know what I'm bringing back the term that's pretty boss. Yeah, i'marting that right now, let's do it. Yeah, I love it. Yeah, No, it was great, and you know, we'll certainly wish Dan the best this year. I wonder, Craig you are you're a survivor, okay, because you know Dan, He maybe Dan and Trave longest tenured jazz guy, Trave, but you have seen so many iterations of jazz basketball. What's it been like to watch this? You know, this whole thing unfold.
What I've learned in this business, you know, being at KSL when I came in in eighty five, young guy got to know hot Rod immediately. The one of the first shows ever on Sports Beach Sunday.
Sports Beat Sunday, what a pull.
It was was center Court with Larry H. Miller and we wore hard hats and he recited verbatim yards of concrete rebar that was inside Delta Center at the time.
And I just was in awe to be a part of the early years.
You know, I was there for thirteen, took off, but never kept my eye off what the Jazz were doing. And then you know, the great Randy Rigby, who was then president of the Jazz, hired me on with Denny Haslim, and I've been grateful ever since. I mean, but I followed this team since eighty five. It's been a roller coaster. But that's what you expect in most cities, in most franchises,
there are highs and lows. There are some teams like Boston who has multiple, you know, championship banners hanging from TD Garden, But you know, well, the Jazz have always been competitive. I think that's the one thing Spence is that the fan base is always known when they went to a game, they were going.
To see basketball.
What I hope I see this year is Lebron on the floor, not a night off. What I hope to see this year is a d on the floor or Booker on the floor. Not to use Salt Lake as a stop gap, like, ah, you know what, I'm resting. No, this is the NBA, you know what, And you come and play and let the fans get their money's worth and let these young players play against some of the best who've ever played the game. And I think that's the one thing what Malone and Stockton brought was they
said it's straight up. They went thirty eight and three most of the times at Delta Center, man and fan or the fans knew they came to watch a win and every and Malone always told me, look, nobody believes they can win in this building.
And you know what, he was right.
And now you went through d Will and Boozer, you through Donovan and Rudy, and now you wait to see what the next trio or duo will be to elevate this fan base. I'm excited to see it. I hope there's a pop with growth this year. That would be the biggest surprise and probably fuel some interest again with this franchise because there's young, young, young, young talent. But who's gonna pop Keyante, Taylor Hendricks, Who's gonna be Is it gonna be Philipowski? I mean it's it's gonna be interesting.
So let's move over to that real quick. We'll end with a little bit more football. By the way, some breaking news just came down. Christian McCaffrey is out two and the Niners are considering putting him on the injured reserve.
So that just barely came down. Of talent, Oh my goodness, love watching him play, yeah for sure, So real quick, let's do a little more jazz than We'll end with some football Vegas over underwins this year, We'll just go an order in the West Thunder one Timberwolves, two Nuggets, three Mavericks for Grizzlies, five Sons, Kings, seven Pelicans, eight Rockets, nine Lakers, ten Warriors, twelve Clippers, thirteen Spurs, fourteen Jazz fifteen over under.
Right now is twenty nine point five? Did you just read four teams that have some packed punch but that won't make the playoffs?
They're going to be three or four really good teams, veteran teams. Look players like Stephen Curry and James Harden and Lebron James fighting for their playoff live.
Let me talk real quick about four teams. Clippers come to mind first, because now in Philly is Paul George Kawhi Leonard is so oft injured? I'm not sure, and I think that probably is a fair assessment of where they will be. Clay to Dallas is intriguing. What's he got left? And how does he fit?
All?
Right? Dallas is good, but we'll see.
What do you think of Giddy going to Chicago and Caruso coming to ok See?
I like it for too. Yeah, I mean Giddy couldn't play in the playoffs because he doesn't guard, and he can't shoot. His three ball just kind of disappeared. What does Crusoe do? He guards in his guards and that's a beautiful thing Westbrook, Denver. That could be a disruptor for me. Entavious called will Pope. You know, you lose something if you're Denver. Yeah, it's not irreplaceable. But here's why this is bad news. Craig Okay, as I'm reading
this off, thunder youth Timberwolves aunts a kid. Yeah, now I'll get still young Mavericks. You know, Lucas in his mid twenties. Joh comes back from Memphis. That's intriguing. I want to see that Sacramento Okay, young team, Pelicans, young team, Rockets, young team Okay. So I just listed eight young teams because during the Donovan and Rudy era, the walkie line was always okay, when the Warriors go away, when the Lakers go away, when the Suns go away, when the
Clippers go away, We'll be there. Guess what those teams are about to go away. So now your clock has reset. So now we're going to say hey when okase's not going anywhere for a long time. So the problem is the teams that you were waiting to go away so you could jump in and the windows are so small. But when that window manifested, if you had the group that you thought you had with Donovan and Rudy and Quinn and Dennis and all, I will always maintain there's
a world to keep them together. I know that most people over there said they had hit their ceiling. Here's what just guts you go. Baron Mitchell are still in their prime. A lot of the players that you sent off can still play, Like you know, Royce got a deal in Phoenix. There's a world where you could have kept that team together. And the problem is the group that built that team was waiting for this moment, and
now that moment is gone. And so the Jazz are in an area where there's only one other team in the West that's with them, and that's Portland and they're both not good. And now when's the window. The eight teams I just referenced in front of you are better and just as young as you are, but they're more advanced in the rebuild. It's just I don't know what to make of it.
Man.
I don't think it's great news, No, it's it's difficult.
I mean when you really break it down in the in that regard, you know Donovan, Now when I we talked about this a month ago, three weeks ago, when Donovan came out on a podcast who said he thought, you know, the Jazz had a few more years left with that group.
Well, why don't you speak up then? Yeah? Right, give me a break with that, by the way.
I mean, you know, I don't know what kind of you know, is the ironing over some hard feelings or what have you, but you know, from all indications, it did implode after uh, you know, having the best record in the NBA and playing in the bubble. I mean, there were marvelous times there. Joe Ingles was a special guy coming off the bench and just had a personality that you know, still in the league, Yes, still in the league, Mike Conley, really, Agdanovich.
The whole group still in the league. Still in the league. Ni Kiel, Alexander Walker, still in the league. I couldn't get off the bench. And he's playing right and playing well.
So I mean it's it's really odd when and if you want to say that the voice of Quinn Snyder had been lost and Quinn, you know, I've talked to Quinn and you know, he plays it the way it should be, but you know, knowing him, I think there was frustration. I don't think he could mend the fence of the two players is two superstars, and then money comes into play and people getting players' ears and they start to tell him. You know, look, you know the
grass is greener on the other side. I've told you this a thousand times on this show that players like d Will and Booze and even even Hayward have come and talked to me and said, man should never have left. And it's it kind of makes you just stand back. And you know it happens in other cities, I'm sure, but Utah's teams to get just the spotlight hits because it's Utah and this you know, the comments have been said, I want to play in Utah. You know it's too white,
whatever it may be. There's no night life. Hey man, that's over.
Get it.
Olympics coming back here, NHL team. I mean, this city's grown and busting by the seams. You can do anything you want here. I don't buy it. And I think that's where the league and hopefully the players start to understand that more and more. But it comes back Spence to who is your centerpiece that can entice those players to come here and of the group. Over the last two summers, the Jazz have drafted who breaks it open or does Danny have to say thank you? No, move
him on, move him out, stay with him. I think it's an incredible important season for Kessler. I think it's an important season for Kiante and the evaluation process. Year three for Walker is important. Year two you want to see a jump, especially if you're running the show, and I think that's really important for fans to follow and understand that, yes they're young, but really highlight talent that are top ten picks. You know they should. Taylor Hendrix
is another big year for him to bust open. And if they do, you know what, there may be some surprise talk around the league and maybe the Jazz makes some noise, but a lot of fans don't want them to. But I don't trust, not the sense of the NBA. But I wouldn't put all my marbles into the into lottery night. I mean, look where the Jazz fell, right just three months ago after they played and they went what we only won three games after the All Star Break close to that so they could keep the pick.
Yeah, and they lost the pick.
So you know, I don't think there's any guarantees, and you have to find some luck along the way, and the Jazz are desperately in the market for some luck. They had it with Stock and Malone. They actually found out with Gobert and Donovan. What's the next phase for the Jazz. I like Will Hardy, but he's in his third to five years. You know what, coaches get a Lancey too because they think about their careers. He's thirty six.
I mean, it's amazing. So this season I think again, evaluate young players multiple minutes, different combinations to see what works and what doesn't, and you may get a surprise or too. Philipowski is intriguing to me because he's six eleven, big faces the basket, seems to be comfortable with the ball in his Handspence and you know he may pressure a Walker and that's a good thing. But you could
be at one big front line. You think about Market and Kessler, and if you play Philipowski at the three or the four, I mean, it's gonna be interesting. I mean that'd be one hell of a front line, and then how do you manage Collins and JC in the rotation?
Craig, good luck. I'm a call this here, buddy. I'm glad I got tea. I just I can't wait to hear the lock numbers on the Drew You banks Patty Mills pick and roll? Yeah, five times in the third quarter. It doesn't mean anything, David. You know what, Patty, I want to get to know him.
I've always been impressed with his play, and he's been around forever. But I think, you know what, he probably is going to be more of a coach for the younger guys and maybe get spot minutes on occasion, but I don't see him on the floor that much.
I've got an insider tip for you on Patty Mills. Yeah, okay, you can ask a question when you meet him. So about let's see, Well, I'll tell you exactly what it was about seven years ago. I had a little life interruption. Yes I do remember that. Yes, So I went to the north shore of a Wahoo and stayed there. I'm like, I don't think I'll ever come back. And as there's this place called Leylas that's on the golf course. They have the best ribs. It is awesome and the owner
is a huge sports fan. And Patty Mills every year goes over there and goes deep sea fishing with the owner of Leylas and he has a place on the north Shore. I went over there one night to get dinner and suddenly walks out Patty Mills. My man was having a good time. A man was having it. It was the off season, right right, and I think he had just come off of good year with San Antonio. Ask him about the north Shore, asking about Leles. Okay, there's your end if you get a chance in it,
Layley's I'll remember that in ribs. Yeah, all the ribs, the mashed potatoes, the coconut Trent. Leayles is where it's at. Yeah.
I'm anxious to see him, meet him, Drew you Banks. I've chatted with him a couple of times in during his career. Where does he fit in?
I don't know.
It's it's depth three point shooting maybe you know, and I just don't know. It's it's one of those years where I'm so anxious for camp to hit open court.
A lot of guys are in town. You know.
Media content Day is I think a week from next Monday, Spence, and so we're coming up on it, and you know, the answers or some of the questions. We probably will get some answers, not all of them. But I'm anxious for rotation. I want to see what will Danny Justin have in mind on the minutes played by this group of young, young, young players.
Here's what you got. You got lowry marketing. Yeah, and he is awesome. He is Okay, so he's box office. He's worth the price of admission. The rest of the roster, I don't know. We'll see Craig before I set you loose. God speed, my friend. The PAC twelve. You want to you want to come in and hang one night or two with T and I. I have a feeling you're gonna have to send that up the ladder. Okay, yeah I will. Yeah, maybe travel give me a call. You
might get a few hard no's over there. The PAC twelve is back, question mark, Okay, before I set you loose. Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, I'm missing Colorado State, invited to join, Washington State and Oregon State. A lot of state schools. Uh, they need two more calling for our guys up in logan. Although all my college football guests don't believe Utah State is going to get that
phone call? What do you make of the Pac twelve shuffling and suddenly coming back into our consciousness far before anybody thought it would go down? Before?
I tell you Spence, honestly, I thought the death nail had been, you know, hit and never to be heard from again. The big deal was divving it up PAC twelve money and the that was the biggest conversation was lawsuits. Who gets what, who belongs where?
You know what? There's always a way right and here's the deal.
You toss State ought to listen to it because you know you want survival. And I don't want to see a small state school go under because what they do when they go play and get their tails beat down in weeks one, two, and three. In most cases not all boys states had a good football program for a long time. But you still get a payday. How much did Notre Dame pay to get beat one hundred and one point five million, Yeah, it was just under two
I think it was just undred two million. Now you think about that, most teams it's a five hundred thousand to seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars pay day to go to the big school to be practiced on. And what it does it lets the rest of your athletic program survive. And that's what is so important, is that the football money held with softball, volleyball and everything else. Now if you get into a conference, but the deal, SPAN's what television network is interested.
Right now, the CWS, the Mountain West. I mean, I don't know who would want this, this rebranded Pac twelve. It's all of the TV deals were taken. The Big twelve got the last one, right, so I don't know who's coming call the one the one option.
The one plus is is that you still have the late night window, the late one. I used to call those all the time, Big Monday basketball, ten o'clock midnight Eastern. I did an open on a couch and logan with the Aggies and UNLV Yeah, stew and a tart and it was a big game on ESPN, Jimmy Dyke, save Hella, Hey but NOA and we had a blast. But it was so late everybody's in pajamas. But my point is that there's windows that become unfilled at times, and a lot of teams like Utah. Do they want to play
at eight thirty or eight o'clock or ten o'clock Eastern? No, But you know those teams may say, Okay, I get it, it's nine o'clock on the West coast, but it's midnight eastern. Some you know, there may be somebody out there now. The money won't be great, no, but may be enough to resurrect the BAC twelve.
Great to see my friends, Great to see him. To see you next week? Well you bet all right. The Great Craig Bowler Jack brought to you by Big od Tires Healthy Car Special for only fifty nine to ninety five. Is it Big o'tires dot com to find a location near you