Alright, what's going on drivetime on a Thursday afternoon, about fifteen minutes past the hour two o'clock. We are a little late today because admittedly Shot and I misbehaved during crosstalk. But beautiful day outside. It is sunny and clear, little chilly, of course, because you know it's January, but as it is every single day, it's good.
To have you along for the ride.
So betch check. That's beyond the mic. That is Porter Larsen behind the glass tonight, producing the show this afternoon. This afternoon, I should say, it's still afternoon. We will take you into the evening. We will get you ready for the college football semi final, and we'll talk some college football on the show. Today actually marks the start of really five days of excellent football action if you're
into such things. We got a little Notre Dame Penn State tonight, then of course Ohio State Texas tomorrow, and then high speed ahead to the wild card weekend. In Pro Football's a Flowers will not play coming up this weekend for Baltimore against the Steelers.
I didn't realize.
Jay Flowers is the first All Pro wide receiver ever drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. That kind of caught me off guard, but Jay Flowers will sit. But the Ravens are a pretty heavy favorite there. So we'll get you ready for the game tonight. It should be fun the Orange Bowl in Miami hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, where as of now, the line is even at Penn State slight favorite Notre Dame slight favorite.
It kind of went back and forth, but according to what.
I have in front of me, as of right now, that line has moved to even over unders forty four point five.
These are two really good.
Defensive football teams, so it'll be fun to see how this one plays out. James Franklin with some comments about Notre Dame joining a conference, then leave veiled shots. I suppose at Notre Dame, who does not need to join a conference as they've shown, and if they go win the national championship, they're gonna have a nice twenty million dollar check for themselves as opposed to sharing that revenue
with their conference piers. So you kind of understand the model by you tried to do it for a while, but Notre Dame really is the one institution that seems to have been able to pull this off. Tomorrow's game, Cotton Bowl A and Arlington sees Ohio State take on Texas. Ohio State is now a six point favorite. I still think that line is not necessarily reflective of how I believe that game will roll. I think Ohio State beats
them by double digits. And then, of course National Championship Game January the twentieth, So plenty of college football left to talk about on the program today. The Utah Jazz are back in action tonight, taking on the Miami Heat. We saw a great NBA game last night, and you know, a lot of the conversation surrounding pro basketball this year has been the lack of interest and the lack of ratings.
But if you watched last night, you're it's a reminder of what that what that game can look like when the best players on the planet care and play hard. It was the Cavs and the Thunder. It was real entertaining. Donovan struggled, It was Darius Garland down the stretch and some excellent play by their bigs Evan Mowbley and Jared Allen. Dovin three of sixteen took sixteen shots to score eleven points. It actually kind of felt early reminiscent of some nights
back here when Dodvan was playing for the Jazz. But the Cavs get to win, they break over Casey's fifteen game winning streak for a big game in the world of pro basketball with a lot of eyes on that game. So Jazz back in action tonight. Utah Hockey Club got smoked last night by the Florida Panthers, the defending Stanley Cup champs and one of the three favorites to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup this year. But the hockey club has six more home games during this seven game home stretch,
hopefully they can start to pick up some points. The lack of production lately still has not really killed them in the standings.
They're in the mix for the wild card and.
I think if they can get a wild card playoff Berth your one in Salt Lake, that would be nothing other than an absolute success. Carson Beck is not going pro Georgia quarterback who announced he was going pro last week. He's not a very highly thought out pro prospect as of now, but he is coming back to college. He is entering the transfer portal because that's what players do but a lot of college football on the show today. Pump for this game tonight should be a lot of fun.
We'll get you the some keys to the matchup. We'll learn a little bit more about both these two teams, and yeah, we'll get to we'll get to that on the program today. Good guest list Tony Jones. Been a minute since we've been able to catch up with Tony. He's gonna join us right off the top today He's gonna bring in Craig Bowler, Jack Gordon Monts and I'm told Live in studio, reunited and it feels so good. The big show, big hour here on the Drive, brought
to you by big Otires. So Craig Buller, Jack Gordon Monson, live in studio and then our guy Ted Robinson. Notre Dame a lump man, this fan base, I'll tell you what, got a lot of friends that went to Notre Dame, a lot of people excited for this game tonight. Notre Dame has not won a national championship since nineteen eighty eight. So we'll see what Uncle Ted has to say about the game tonight, and then move over to a little
sports courts on the program. As we do every Thursday with our friends over at Handy and Handy, Tony Jones, Craig Bowler, Jack Gordon Motts and Ted Robinson, me Spence check, ats all, all of you the great listeners, Happy Thursday. You have almost made it. And that guy Porter Larson with his votech outfit on today you got the votech hat and sweatshirt no color color coordinating, but oh so.
Just a vo tech hat.
Yeah.
Excited for the CFP semi.
Final for I am I am obviously college football play off top of mine, but a lot of good football still still to come in the next five days, as you mentioned.
Excited for no doubt.
So if you're a football fan, you've got five days of Nirvanda with the CFP semi Final tonight and tomorrow and then Wildcard weekend Saturday, Sunday and Monday in Pro football. So Tony Jones will be our first guest right out of the gates. But the ESPN seven hundred cash kickoff is here. Time for your shot to win one thousand dollars cash to pay your bills. Text Fortune in to
five oh eight seven seven seven one thousand. That's Fortune to five oh eight seven seven one thousand, for a chance to win one thousand dollars in cash in this nationwide contest. Good luck from all of us here at ESPN seven hundred, courtesy if Standard Restaurant Supply you want to stop shop for all of your tailgate needs.
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.
Programming Reminder, we are your home of the biggest and best college football and NFL events in the market. We will have the Orange Bowl on our station Tonight's following the conclusion of the Craig Smith Coaches Show. So we'll sake it out about six o'clock tonight and then we'll send it over to Bill and Craig at Slackwater in Salt Lake City for the Utah Men's Basketball Coaches Show. And then after that we'll get you over to the remaining portion of the Notre Dame Penn State game in
the Orange Bowl to historic college football brands. Two historic college football brands that have not won a national championship in quite some time. Notre Dame has not won a national championship since nineteen eighty eight, but they are looking for their ninth Natty in the ap ERA, which is second only to Alabama now. Penn State, on the other hand, has not won a national championship since nineteen eighty six. So two coaches that I think are very, very likable.
It's been funny to kind of watch the back and forth. James Franklin some comments about how he believes every program in college football should be in a conference now because of what we do in the modern day and age of media consumption, we react to a thirty second SoundBite. He went on to talk about scheduling uniformity in college football, which is something I've talked about for a number of years.
I think it's beyond time that every team has to play the same amount of conference games, and you know, ultimately there has to be some sort of centralized scheduling uniformity that makes it just a little bit more Even we were talking about this over the course of this week. I think it was Scott Mitchell who brought it up, where ultimately, you know, if you're Utah, if your BYU, you're really, you know, kind of at the mercy of the schedule makers as it pertains to the teams you'll
play in conference. The cruel irony for the past season of Utah football is that Utah football actually had a very manageable and I put manageable in air quotes because nobody knew anything about the Big Twelve. But when the Utah schedule came out, it was a very manageable Big Twelve schedule and that was just luck of the draw.
BUYU actually had a much harder schedule, and that's just unfortunately the reality of it, where you know, on the NFL side of things, obviously, you know you have schedule akers that are in a little bit more lockstep with what exactly a fair schedule is going to be now year and in year out. Divisions have been flow so if you're in a bad division, you're gonna get a little
bit more lucky. But all of the conversation today about like James Franklin and what he had to say about the whole thing, I think ignored actually the forest through the trees, but have two really good defensive teams. Interestingly enough, for all the conversation about the offensive explosion in college football over the past few years, the four teams left are four of the top seven defensive teams in all of college football. Notre Dame is the best team in
college football at takeaways. They have thirty one takeaways. That's best in college football. They're the best team in college football as far as points per game. They have won the turnover margin in every game except one. And you know exactly what game that was. That was Week two against Northern Illinois, which is wild to think about that that game actually went down as Notre Dame has run off twelve straight games with a win last game take
care of Georgia. They have now won thirteen games for the first time in Notre Dame history. When you could say something has happened for the first time in Notre Dame history, it means it's pretty exciting. But it feels like this is Notre Dame's game to me, Jeremiah Love is healthy, they're leading rusher, and apparently he's not even wearing a brace. Marcus Freeman was asked today about there was this online rumor that the flu bug kind of
went through the Notre Dame locker room. Marcus Freeman said that wasn't true. I guess they had a wide receiver. Bo Collins was sick last week, but he actually kind of touched down against Georgia, and Jeremiah Love was also a little sick. But that, according to Marcus Freeman, that rumor that's going around is not true at all. And you know, ultimately both these two teams do this, do very similar things when it comes to the defensive side, and the Notre Dame's numbers are a little bit better.
Penn State's one of the top seven defensive teams in college football. Both points per game, then against the run, and both these teams want to run the football. So I don't know that we're gonna see a very high scoring game. I think we'll see a close game again. The Vegas line has moved to even, but two historic programs looking for their first national championship since the nineteen eighties. We got Craig Bowler Jack Gordon Monson, both live in
studio coming up. Called that about a half hour from right now. Uncle Ted Robinson, our buddy from the PAC twelve network back in the day. Notre Dame of lum Will stop by the preview Tonight's ce FP semi final?
Was that?
Was that the Fresh Prince.
Of bel Air? Very nice?
Any reason we decided to play that today?
You sent it to me?
Oh, Tony's on the phone, right, it's the Tony Jones interview time, right?
That is? That is true?
On a Thursday, TJ. It's between us, pal.
How you doing?
I just don't understand you guys.
Sometimes you know what you know that your secrets are safe with me. I just figured you'd like that bump on a Thursday, right?
That is? That is really funny. How are you?
I'm good man to you. To you as well? We haven't spoken to you in the new year. What where do we find you these days? It feels like you're always traveling to and from.
I am currently in Denver.
Currently in Denver, Okay, Well, Denver's a lovely city. Are you enjoying your time in Denver?
I am bedridden with the flu.
Oh my goodness, no, like literally.
I went out to Denver and I left for Denver on Monday because the Nuggets had the Celtics on Tuesday. So huge game, and then the Clippers on Wednesday, so even you know, a big, big game. So I was like, okay, so we're gonna go and we're gonna spend a week in Denver. God playing got to the hotel media like just almost immediately got sick. Now. The other thing is Nicola Yokis did not play on Tuesday or Wednesday because I think he caught the same thing that I have.
So you and you and the Joker with the flu in Denver this week.
Huh, me and the Joker have the flu. This is factual.
Okay, my goodness, my goodness. Well, I hope you feel better soon, because that's not fun. Obviously, this time of year, a bunch of stuff going around. And let's just start with the little jazz, Tony, even though you've been busy covering a bunch of other teams for the Athletic, because the Jazz this year unseerious about winning.
But my story on Monday, what do you mean?
Did you write a story about the jazz?
I wrote a story about the jazz random and Monday's Athletic.
Well, then I'm glad I'm asking you about the jazz. That means you're uniquely qualified to time. I just I know that you're traveling around covering other teams. Obviously, we know that you have one eye on the Jazz at all times. I know you watch other games. But here's
what I wanted to ask you. Even though the wins haven't necessarily been coming, it does I mean they they went down to Florida, won a couple of games, but even in losing efforts, it just feels like there are signs that are pretty pretty good, that are kind of revealing themselves that were not around earlier in the year when they were just getting trucks. So what do you see from them that I would just ask you, like, is a little bit encouraging right now?
I think whenever the Jazz decided that they want to be competitive again, I think they're going to be competitive pretty easily.
You know.
The one thing that I wrote in the story on Monday was stack, you know, despite you know, everything that that's going on in terms of you know, guys missing games, you know, you don't kind of you kind of don't know who's gonna play and who's not gonna play on a ninth and night basis. I mean, this is a competitive and entertaining team, and it's a competitive, uh and entertaining product. And I think if you're a Jazz fan, you just have you have to be encouraged by the
progress that's being made. You know, Bright sense the ball. We didn't know coming into the season whether he's an NBA player. Now he kind of has a look of a guy who can be your sixth man. You know, Isaiah call Your and Kyle Philopowski are getting you know, meaningful,
meaningful reps. So you know, this could easily be you know, like a ship with no rudder in terms of you know, this could look like the Washington Wizards, it could look like the Charlotte Hornets, or it can look like you know what the New Orleans Pelicans has have regretted into this season. But you know, the Jazz have found themselves in a position where they're, you know, they're kind of I don't want to say it like this, but they kind of have to try hard to lose these games.
And you know, I think that that's a good thing because I think that it means that you know, the players are buying into everything that Will Hardy's doing. Will Hardy's you know, keeping the group engaged Uh, these guys are going out and they're playing hard from night to night and and and they've been competitive because of it.
Let me follow up with how you kind of led your answer when you said, when the Jazz want to get back to being competitive, they'll be able to do that pretty quickly.
What do you think that looks like?
You know, when when they when they lean into really competing night in and night out. Do you think that's something that's a year down the road? Two years down the road. I mean, there are so many promising prospects, not just this year but next and we're gonna have one of them in our backyard with the AJ debantsa kid heading down a provo. So when when do you think, in your estimation, the Jazz will lean into actually being competitive again?
What does that look like?
In my opinion, I think the Jazz should, you know, lose sixty games this year, and I think they should try to lose sixty games next year because the top of this draft and the top of the twenty twenty six draft, are you know, the top of the twenty sixth draft, the first three kids in that draft. We all know AJ DEBANSA, but we all know Cameron Boozer, But there's also a kid named Darren Person He's committed
to Kansas, and that kid is special. There are three franchise players at the top of the twenty six draft, and obviously there's Cooper Flag and there's still a Harper at the top of the twenty five drafts. So in these two drafts, in my opinion, there are five guys who I think are franchise were franchise level guys or potential franchise level guys. So if you're the Jazz, you know, you got to try to come away with at least
one of them. If not try to come away with two of them, that means losing a lot How that looks for them, I don't know, because I don't know that they can lose on the level that's needed, you know, for that to happen. I mean, even with all the losing they've done this season, there's still right now they still only have the fifth best lottery odds that the season season where to end the day because there are teams that they're just not going to be worse than.
But you know, at the same time, you know, if you're the Jazz, you definitely want to be at the top of this draft, and you want to be at the top of next year's draft, and then you know, if they if that comes to fruition, then you know, after that, you know you can try to go and do all the winning that you want.
Let's have some fun, and let's operate off of fun. Hypothetical that this plan works out to perfection and this year and next year they're able to capture, you know, two of the prospects that you perceive to be the elite prospects. I mean, we can get totally crazy and say they get Cooper flagged and aj de bantsa. If we want to have a little fun, if that's the process, if that's the path three years from now when they lean back into being competitive, who's left from this group on that team.
So we're saying, have Cooper flag and ad devans h let's get weird.
Let's get weird on a Thursday. Johnny, you got the flu. You know, we're just we're hanging out.
We're getting weird. Lets you get weird.
Right, So that would mean that your starting lineup will be Keynty George or likely would be Keanty George uh uh aged Devanca, which started at shooting guard, because Mike he's literally I told you he's literally Tracy McGrady another coming to Tracy McGrady. And then you're forward, you'd have you'd have what I what I would call the all clear front court. You would have lowry marketing, Cooper Flag and Walker Kessler.
Did you say the all clear.
The all clear front court?
Tell you what you're getting Jazz fans excited with that front court.
And I'm not gonna lie.
That would immediately be one of the better front courts in the league. Because if you look at what Walker Walker Kessler is doing this year, Walker Kessler has been argued Utah's best player this season. You know, lowry marketing is still lowry marketing in you know, and I think
Cooper Flag is is amazing. I think he's an amazing talent. So, you know, if if the Jazz would to luck up and get you know, the number one pick in two consecutive drafts, which just doesn't happen, you know, I mean, they would simply put they they'd be in a position to uh to compete at the highest levels potentially in time. So and that's the thing that you know, I see with this team. They're whoever they draft, you know, they're are building blocks already in place, Like Walker Kessler is
already already in place. Lowry Marketing is already in place. So you have two guys that I think that you know, kind of no matter what happens around the roster, these guys are gonna be there. They're gonna be and they're gonna the building blocks. I would have put Taylor Hendrickson in in that category as a role player, except that, you know, uh, he obviously had you know, his his tragic injury and and we have to to see how
he comes back from that injury. But you know, I think that, you know, the rest of the season is about figuring out, you know, who's going to be around in the long run. And you know, right now, I can I can pect Lowry Marketing. I conpect Walker Kesslers the two guys right now that I'm most confident I'll be around in the long run.
What about like, you know, what about Kyle Kyle Philipowski, What has he shown you through the first he's played twenty five games as a rookie. What has Kyle showing you well?
I mean, you know, he's I saw a little bit in Summer League. I just, you know, was a little bit naive and thinking that it would translate to the NBA so soon. But you know, he's a mismatch, especially when he plays at the center spot. Uh he's you know, he's really good uh facing the basket. Uh he's He's better than I thought from three levels because of his ability to put the ball on the floor and play with force. And he has a nasty streak that I didn't think.
Uh.
You know, I watched him plenty at Duke, but you know, I didn't really think that he had a nasty streak the way the way he does. Earlier in the season. You know, the Jazz were playing at San Antonio and uh and and Flip found himself uh facing the basket, you know, about twenty feet in the basket, Uh, isolated on on Victor Win Bayama, And you know, I'm like, yeah, no way. He takes Wemby, and he takes Wenby to
the basket and he draws a file. You know, that's the kind of fearlessness, uh, in the force that that he plays with. So, you know, I don't know what happened in the in the G League. You know, he obviously didn't play as well there, but you know when he gets into NBA spacing and he's playing with this group, he's playing well.
Can I follow up about Kyante? You know, because we're following kind of the ebbs and flows and in this fun and hypothetical where the next two years the jazz won't win very much but be rewarded for those endeavors by some generational talents. Is are you still confident that at some point some of the issues we've seen from Kiante over the first year and a half will settle in.
I mean, there's there's a lot to like. I've never said there's not, but at some point we just need to see a little bit more consistency with the shot selection, the decision making, and quite frankly, shot making. Do you remain confident that he can figure this thing out?
Hang off for one second?
All right? Tony Jones is with us live and.
Right now.
Oh okay, hang on, okay, as long as somebody's not breaking into your hotel room.
Well you're sick.
Tony is in Denver, suffering from the flu, covering some nug It's games this week. He did write a piece on the jazz for the Athletic that dropped on Monday. The Jazz are in action tonight against the Miami Heat, who have a lot of questions to answer themselves with some chaos in their locker room. And then last night we saw Okay see Cleveland, So we'll get Tony's take on that as soon as he's back.
You good, buddy, I think I am.
Yeah. So you know we were talking about Kayoste.
Correct, yep, correct?
You know I think you know with Kians his best attribute is, you know, kind of like Hoyle Philipowski. It's it's a fearlessness.
Hang on for a second, grab some water this time while your coffee and grab some water. Well, we can fill a little time because we have plenty of dease on the show. We've got Craig Bowler, Jack Gordon mottson live in studio. We have Ted Robinson who's going to join us to a preview tonight's CFP semi final between Notre Dame and Penn State. That line moved to Evan, I'll check you it coming up in just a little bit, so stay tuned for that.
By the way, playoffs are here in the NFL.
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after you play your first five dollars line up. Download the Prize Picks app to yeah. Used the promo code ESPN seven hundred to get fifty dollars instantly after you play your first five dollars line of prize picks, run your game all season. Long, Tony Jones, how he holding up?
Pal, I'm alive? Okay, good thing right?
Okay?
Can I get five more minutes out of you?
Yes? You can?
Okay?
So you know, I think I think the thing with Keyante is you know that that I love is the fearlessness and the ability to score. And he's got to figure out a way to transition from a streaky score to a consistent score. And I think that that's, you know, going to hold the key to what he becomes as an NBA player, whether he's a starter or whether he you know, eventually transitions to a six man. I still think that he can be a starter. I think that,
you know, his offense instincts are are really good. I think that he's got a lot of tricks in his back. And you know, I think that that, you know, if you put the right team around him, which you know, I think means you know, putting a playmaking forward around him, you know, he can be a really good starter in this league.
All right, Well, I'm glad you're still confident because I just haven't seen enough just yet. But you know the other thing that's hard, Tony is analyzing a player when
they're not surrounded by like elite players every night. Right, what do you what do you think Keyante could be when you know this thing is fully baked, so every night he's not playing with young players that are still learning how to play, and he actually has some good veteran players that know exactly what Will is asking for them to do, and he's just surrounded by simply better talent.
What do you think that looks like for Kiante?
You know, I think that you know, some of that that depends on Kiante and you know how he develops as a player, how he developed from the defensive end, because I think that that's a real weak spot for
him right now. And you know how he develops, you know kind of mentally, you know, does he you know, going to every game seeing himself as you know, a twenty five point per game score if he isn't one, or you know, does he you know, going to every game figuring out you know, what the team needs, what the game needs, and playing to what the game needs, and you know that's a that's a that's a big
question for him. You know the thing that you know, the things that I hold on to from a positive perspective. You know, games like Chicago where you know he was you know, terrific not only scoring, but you know, getting others involved. Uh, And you know you'll see that one out of every you know, eight or nine games where he just seems to get it, and then you'll see one out of every nine games where it kind of goes the other way. So where does the pendulum swing
for for Kiance. Does it swing towards you know, him getting it or does it swing the other way? And I think that those are questions that the Jazz are going to have to ask and answer for themselves at the end of the year when they do when when when they evaluate Kiante. And the second thing with Kiante is you know, I think this part is out of his hands. Like what if the Jazz gets the number two picks and you know that means Dylan Harper comes
to Utah. You know, Dylan Harper is a point guard and Dylan Harper is a better player than Kiante, you know, so you know that part is out of his hands. And you know, if the Jazz get you know, get Dylan Harper or you know, even somebody like has from Illinois, you know real, you know, live, really dynamic point guards, then you know that's going to put in question to
where Kiante is as a jazz anyway. But for kiant he has to control what he can control, and you know, he's got to figure out eternal he's got to figure out the defense.
All right before I said, you lose one young player that we just haven't talked a ton about, at least this year or over the course of the first couple of years, is Bryce Bryce Sensiba, who just could not miss on the road trip, and that was his you know, that's his superpower at Ohio State. He just simply was a pure bucket getter. And that's why the Jazz decided to get back in when he was available, to take him where they did. And the question was always, you know,
can he get his shot off? Is he quick enough to find some airspace? Is he simply just a spot up shooter. I've always kind of felt there's a little Dennis Scott to his games, I've told you, But when you see him make shots the way that he was making shots when he was on that heater, when the Jazz won a couple of games. It gives you some potential faith and maybe he's a rotational piece. Where are you at right now with the development of right Censiba.
He you know, obviously the shot, you know, the shooting is real, and you know the jazz is long. You know, really thought that he was an elite shooter, you know, but he's gotten his body to the point to where he can get stuff off the dribble at the NBA level now and he couldn't do that last year. You know, he was a little bit too much overweight, but he lost some he lost some pounds. Uh, he's in. You know, he's gotten his body to the point where, uh he can get to his spots. And when he gets to
his spots, you know he's gonna make shots. And you know he's he's taken a lot of hard coaching from from from Will, from Will Hardy and you know, I don't think you know, he's had to earn a lot with Will and you know, he's had to earn some trust and I think that's he's done that in you know, the Heat game, in the Magic game, you know, those were real glimpses into to what he can be. He had thirty four and then he had twenty seven. But it was the way he got him, you know, he
just he had the entire offensive arsenal. I mean, he was obviously shooting well from beyond the art, but you know, he got to mid range. He was hitting floaters, he got all the way to the basket. You know, he was posting up in the mid posts a little bit, he was playing off the pick and roll. I mean, he just did it in a lot of different ways. He got filed, went to the free throw line, you know.
So you have to be encouraged by what you're saying out of bright sense of ball and you know the fact that the Jazz got him so deep into the draft. That's turning out to be a skill at this point.
All right, my guy, well, hydrate. Do you have some Gatorade electrolytes?
You know you have?
Do you have the proper hydration elements you need to get back on your feet.
I'm trying to man, I apologize to anybody who almost heard me pass away this on this radio interview.
Well, I'm just glad you're okay. Stay safe, You know, travel safe and hit us up.
You can need all right, no problem, thank you.
All right, Tony Jones. You know, one of the things I love about this job, among several it's a wonderful way to make a living, make your way through the world, is you never know when coming into work whether or not you will have a first and oftentimes you do. I think that was the first time in eighteen years of doing this full time now that I had to pause and do a read while my guest was coughing up along to make sure that he's good and safe.
Yeah, that was a that was a new one we've got. I mean, we've had similar instances. I remember doing Bill Show once and this is a first and probably a last.
We did Collins on the midday show, Oh yes you did, and a caller who wanted to speak on Utah football was on hold, and while he was on hold, apparently got into it with police officers, Like we went to him and we heard am I being detained like he was fighting with cops on the side of the road, And we just kept it live for a second and Bill was entertained.
Did it have anything to do with the fact that he was on his cell phone trying to talk into a radio show.
Could be could be if you're driving down the freeway, maybe wait until you pull over, get the the serri on the line to call us.
Don't be textan and driving.
Should we start taking phone calls on the show?
The answer is now, let's do it. It will never happen every segment.
It was just a fundamental difference that we had when we did the show together. But hey, what is for some is not for others. Okay, one hour down, three hours to go. I just saw Gordon's Porsche pull up. I believe Lisa was driving the Cayenne, so she's dropping Gordon off right now. He will shuffle his way up the stairs and join us live in studio. Craig Bollerjack
on a game day as well. Now we're going to move over to Ted Robinson comprehensive preview of a big Game time Man Notre Dame, Penn State.
For fifteen years, the Big Show dominated the Utah sports talk airwaves. First it was Craig Bowler, Jack and Gordon Monson, followed by Spence check its in Monson. Now all three are reunited on the drive. It's time for the Big Show Hour on the drive at Spence check its exclusively on ESPN seven hundred.
It is time for the big Show, Big Hour, and as a result of some logistics, it's been difficult to get all three of us in studio, but we have accomplished it today on this Thursday afternoon, so we have Craig Bowler, Jack Sporting. I love the look whenever it's game day, and let's make sure there mics are on whenever it's game day. It just looks like you did a set as a crooner down at Graycie, singing a little Sinatra and just walking right across the street.
I just loosened the tie. It was a tough three hour little gig, but I'm good. It was that lunch crowd. It's tough out there.
I love the look man, and just smashing beers. It's unreal on a Thursday, Gordon, it looks like that looks like a Budweiser in your in your cup, and I know, I know that you're not necessarily one that in vibes. What are you drinking in the early afternoon stages of a Thursday.
It is apple beer, So it's not real beer. No, well, I mean it's apple beer, but it doesn't. I don't think it has alcohol in it?
Are you sure? We'll find out its loose sence? All I know is back in the day. I know he won't love you sharing this, but for about a week if pat Dad was like, man, I really love kombucha.
It makes me feel grand, like you know, there's a little bit of hitting there right.
Yeah, just so you know, bops, that's why you're feeling good. So apple beer, is this a new knew bobby of you?
Actually, it's a trip back in time for me because when I was a kid on the East Coast, apple beer was a little more of a thing. Sure, you know, uh and uh, But I haven't really had much of it since then.
So I thought, what the heck? I went grocery shop in this.
I don't believe that for a second or video of this, Yeah, I don't believe that for a second.
Where'd you go? Because we're calling right now.
I went to the grocery stores down the street from me. I was supposed to pick something up. Yeah, And I picked up a cart and went up and down the aisles. Man, And you know what, it's just so amazing what's in these grocery stores. You take it for granted, right, But I mean I'm not there very often. And so I started looking around, and I was going, how come Lisa never gets that?
And so I started just cherry picking stuff off the aisle.
You would wait?
Did you leave you to your own devices at the store?
Yeah, she wasn't there.
It was just me.
But he's talking like he wants the Nobel Peace pros and he went grocery shops?
You really? Did you hit all the aisles, all twenty four of it.
I didn't go up down everyone on them, but I went up.
I think I skipped the uh the kitchen cleaning uh applying stunning.
But I went up down most of them.
Wow, did you do this as a push cart or a hand just a push cart? What you got in the little scooter? I would pay to see that.
Can't you see Gordon just rolling around the store in a little the way the way?
Hold on here? When you guys go to the grocery store, Yeah, what do you buy.
The necessities that I need to live?
Like?
What though?
I mean, do you spoil yourself with a little treat here and and something that's less than healthy over there?
Yeah? You know what? Usually it's a list that I mean given from sharing. I'm saying break free.
But sometimes you know, I'll go on my own just because like I need id prof bad, you know, Okay, something like that. After these long road trips, I'm out, I got where I need some help. Yeah, exactly. That's a headache right there.
So what do you buy?
It's it's whatever, you know. Sometimes I'll see a special on Cheetos and I haven't had a had the tough of cheetos in a while. Okay, you know, two bags five forty nine with the card, you know, with my card? Yeah, yeah, so i'll see what the heck I'm taking them. I'll leave one in my office and then just throw one in the kitchen.
Yeah.
You know what I got today that I've never bought before?
I can't wait time?
Yeah? Yeah?
Those those what do you call those little potato puff things? Like in Napoleon Dynamite that he was putting.
Tater tots potato puff things. That's not even a hard thing to pull. Tater tots? What do you call your potatoes? And little slits and you fry them?
What do you call those? Do you understand that you have to warm those up? Yeah? You just can't open the bag and eat I know. Okay. Yeah.
In fact, we got one of those do dads that air fryer things.
You can use the air fry to make some tater tots. Yeah, okay, Well it looks like if you're smashing a budweiser right in front of it.
You know.
Do you think people would judge me?
I wouldn't, No, man, I can't speak for the community.
If it's five o'clock, i'd say right on, But it's three three oh seven, so I thought maybe a little early. But that's okay, it's five o'clock someplace, you know. The first thing I thought of was the great late Jerry Sloan, who liked to throw a few ice cubes in a cold bud light.
Really. Yeah.
One of my jobs when I was the pr intern for Dave all Read and Kim Turners, I had to keep six beers back for hot Rod and two beers back for Jerry because in the media room back in the day they had beers.
They did not any longer.
I wouldn't judge you, but I think there's a portion of our community that's been enjoying your recent work with the trip that might judge you.
A little bit.
If you're smashing beers, I think that I'm doing that. Well, look, if that's your thing, then go forward. But I'm just saying, when I walked in here, there's a police officer driving by, and would that be ill?
Yeah, you would be.
That's called an open container And I could go down all the laws you want to.
We can. We can dissecting one of them in Vegas. You'd be fine.
Can you imagine getting an alert on your phone that Monson has been detained for an open container in downtown So I would not believe that to be true.
For but if I had this Benson it was filled up because it started up here. If it's filled up there and it's got the phone, me head on it and all that stuff.
That's the found my head. Would would would the police officer?
Yes? I think I think a cop would inquire as to what the beverage was in in your plastic cat there.
I don't know if they have like a little scary strip they may have put in there to see if it reacts to it well.
And also, since you're new to the game, red red plastic cups, Yeah, the red sol bear. That's why everybody has the red solo cups.
Okay, okay, because I had one to lose at home, I could he use.
See this is a giveaway.
Well it's also apple beer. You're fine.
Red plastic or you had to go if you know what I mean.
Oh yeah, okay, So look like that we caught off guard Bowler. Welcome back to civilization friends here.
You shouldn't be wearing socks, Bowler.
Really, I was not complete it if he was.
If I was in Miami like I was like five days ago, uh should just warn no socks. And we did big T's idea. We just went the uh the Don Johnson Miami vice look no tie, which felt good for change.
Actually to go down to the South Beach.
Yeah, we actually did. Yeah, not much.
It rained the entire you know, a little little no no. That was New York. I get mixed up where I am sometimes. Miami was beautiful. Orlando was very nice as well. But to Spencer and if we were talking earlier, I mean that the schedule has been insane. Uh. And we hit the road again for a quick trip to Phoenix and then we come back and head to New Orleans and by the middle of January, uh man, we've we've we've we've put some miles on those airplanes.
Let me tell you that, right, this is the time of year. Because I did pre aff and post for seven years, and even because I never traveled. We were at the at the arena and that was no. This is the time of year where you walk out of and for me, it was like one thirty am, and you're just like, dude, I need to I don't care if you're a coach, a player, or a broadcaster. This is the time of year where you lose track of the days and like where you're at.
Here's the biggest thing that happens to me. What side of the bed do I get off and out of? Okay, I mean it's weird. I wake up and I go I am totally lost. I don't know if people who travel a lot feel the same. World's And the thing I've been trying to do is make sure you know as you get older, you say I can handle it. But one night I remember, on this last road trip, I stayed in room nine seventeen. The next night I
was in seven nineteen. You see, So okay, all of a sudden, my mind flashes back to the ninth floor or mind the seventh floor. Yeah, and you go crap, So you go up to the sumventh floor and you throw your cart across a little you know, if it doesn't beep or go click click, just start knocking loud. Yeah, then I go back up to the ninth floor and try it again. So that's what I did.
Well, I'm glad you're back.
It's good to be bad guys to see you know. This is where you know, this is where it all starts. This where it is.
Yeah, I got I gotta.
Ask a quick question about this travel thing, Spence. You remember back when people were telling us that Carl had in his contract that he had to have a couple of baskets of fresh fruit in his hotel room.
Yeah? Was that true?
I don't know it.
I wouldn't be surprised. I mean if you hear rock stars only have green m and m's right in the green room or whatever. I mean, everybody has this, you know oddity that they like.
You have anything that you have?
Are you kidding me?
They would laugh me right through, Like Bullerjack wants, what yeah, right?
You ever you ever raide the bar? I try to stay away from that.
Isn't it like two hundred bucks if you if you ate a bag of potato chips.
It's not two hundred dollars for a bag of potato chicks. But it's not economic.
Depends on what city. If you're in San Antonio versus New York, if you're in Sacramento versus Miami. It is a night and day price difference night and day.
So people wonder this spence you drive this bar.
I think people wonder, Yeah, but we got an hour here, were fine?
Okay? Uh? What what are the players?
Uh? What is their situation from city? This city?
Is it? I mean, is it posh? Is it just routine? Is it?
What?
What?
What are their accommodations?
Well, it's nice according to the NBA Players Union, I do believe hotels are in the five star category.
That's part of the contract.
Yes, per diem, Yes, well you know, food at their disposal in the hotels. But I'll be honest with you, all the years I've traveled, I really think that it's a routine that everyone has to decide on how to do it themselves and what works for you. I mean, Tea has told me in the older days, because they used to play back to back to back and there were some days in the Sloan era especially, but the back to backs are rough.
I mean there's naps.
I mean, it sounds crazy for young men to say it's nap time, but I think you have to catch your best rest whenever you possibly can, and it depends on your body. Some sleep on the flight someone, Some stay busy with, whether it's movies or looking at at game film honestly, and others just I think just try to just just chill.
The players watch what they eat. Who is the player Spence who used to eat the cheeseburgers? I was Mel Turpin dinner Bell Mel. Yeah, I thought there was another one. I'm forgetting his name right now, but.
He he ate like a teenager.
But you know, I don't think the NBA, any training staff in the league now would allow that, at least in the sense of them presenting to that on the flight or in a hotel gathering where they get together for team meetings and then they have a meal. There's no way unless they jump out on their own and go to Smashburger.
I don't know. Maybe once in a while they do. They got to treat themselves on a ca.
Let me ask you this because I love the Gordon asked if NBA players staying nice, it's like a Lakina with Jimmy Johns for lunch. Of course they stayed nice.
Yeah, the buffet how accommodated, made order pancakes.
Walker just nailed a thousand marry A points so he can get some milk in the morning.
Give me a break.
But I am curious. Gordon as Gordon, as only Gordon can do. Gordon does bring up an interesting topic. I wonder how it's changed, because I think it was Wickerstram somebody about four years ago, five years ago, because I can remember doing postgame my final year, doing postgame with Britain, and we would notice it was a Warriors game and there were about six or seven young ladies in the arena just sitting there and we're kind of like, what's
going on here? Like how'd they get in? And Klay Thompson walks out and all six or seven of them just followed Clay out back and.
And they disappear end of the night.
Well I didn't follow them. I don't know where they went.
But the piece that Wickerstram road, he called it the tenderfication of the NBA whereas back in the day, like Gordon was talking about, and I saw this, you know, in my own travels, But you've traveled with the teams of more than I have. You know, players get done with a game, go back to the hotel and then they're out. They go to the club, right they want to meet women, they want to hang out, and that
was kind of the deal. And now with dating apps, they land and boom, you're swiping and oh, a girl sees Klay Thompson match with me on Tinder, so I'm going to go meet him.
After the game.
They don't have to go out the way they used to if they want to meet women. And also there's a little bit more of an understanding of how to take care of yourself because of the implementation of strength and conditioning coach and nutritionists, like teams, they don't want these twenty one to twenty two year old players going out and smash into kuila shots. I think they take care of themselves better now in a way they didn't back in the day.
I would agree that there's more on the line today than ever because they make it very clear your in the NBA and the rookie symposiums that that are held. Look, here's the way you're supposed to act, and the team also expects the same thing.
But at what point is an intrusion into privacy? Because you know, that's a great point.
You still have your private life, right. It was Tom Habershaw who wrote that piece. My bad Tom Habershaw, Yeah, who wrote the piece about the tender use in the NBA.
Just but I remember one time at Marina del Rey.
We were standing at a hotel there and the team hotel was next door, the Ritz and and uh, yeah, you've been there many times, and the jazz are in the playoffs, and there was a certain jazz player who was checking his cousin into the hotel right when a few of us media people walked and he was checking her in and and he happened to also be married at the time, and he was checking this cousin in And it was just kind of weird because it was like, Okay, it's really none of our business what so and so
is doing.
Uh, but that's what he was doing.
How do you know it wasn't his cousin.
We were pretty sure.
Can't people have attractive cousins?
Uh could be a sister. It's a dangerous question in Utah.
Yeah, true, it could be a sister.
Well your point is, well.
I don't want to jump to a conclusion, but we kind of did.
I think the bottom line to it is that there is space that men live and women who travel in the WNBA or whatever, you know, there still is a privacy. I think the players respect that, the coaches as long as it doesn't impact that the team concept of winning and moving forward. You I tell you what, there's some nights at three o'clock. He doesn't, You don't. I can't
say it, but you know what I'm talking about. You just want to go to get your butt upstairs, throw your sixty pounds bag that you've been on the road for seven days, and just try to find some sleep.
I think this particular jazz player just wanted to take a little comfort.
Ah, not a pillow simon. You know, look, does it happen?
Sure? I mean, but is this exclusive to the NBA? No?
I mean business trips, whatever you make, you know, you can break it downever you want. But look, traveling is, in my opinion's still difficult mentally physically, and if you're making the kind of money that is in the NBA the National Football League, hockey baseball, there was so much at stake now even more that if you want to stay in this league and they're pushing you every day because there's somebody else rumored to be on their way, and so I think the pressure of just being who
you are and keep and for six months, that's your job. Obviously, you work out during the off season, and you may go overseas, you may play in summer leagues or whatever it may be.
But man, you've got to be uber focused, especially.
With a team like the Jazz, because.
You play hungover. I can't imagine.
Well, I mean, if you're a star, if you're an established star, then people aren't going to really question you about what your routine is. But if you're in the Jazz situation and you're trying to prove yourself and you're trying to improve as you do it, if I were one of those guys, I wouldn't be messing around.
I wouldn't do a thing, man.
I would play ball, sleep and eat, play ball, sleep and eat. As they say is you're living in the tube, which means the bus, the arena, the hotel, and the plane.
That's it. That's it.
That's your life and the money you make is the reward. And right now, the Jazz especially, there's a lot of players out there that are still unknown in their own minds or their contracts, and their agents are trying to make sure that they play, they live to play another day. Because I loved your interview with Tony coming in, I mean Tony spot on. I mean there's a lot of ifs.
There's a lot of players that are potentially ready to be drafted that could easily jump in and take a place or two of multiple jazz players you over this next three years. Man, you've got to be solid if you're going to survive. Danny Ainge and Justin Zannik.
Do you remember Ron Fellows? Yes, Na sounds familiar, defensive bag for the Dallas Cowboys. I'm almost certain my memory might be playing a trick on.
Me, but I was here.
I was interviewing him about Manny hendrick Man, the former youth basketball player who was trying to make the jump to the NFL. And the Cowboys were having their training camp out a thousand Oaks, and I went out there and to do something on Manny, and I was stucking to Ron, and he's an established player in the NFL, and I'm asking him tell me about Manny Hendrix and he said, well, I don't want to give him too much glory or public because I don't want my job taken away.
That was the first thing he said.
Yeah, yeah, think about Kante.
He's looking over his shoulder, looking at a kind of a bulldog athletic point guard in Isaiah Collier.
Yeah, right, does he developed?
Well, look, man, you know I've got I've got my own worries in U two and you know, or Sensiba. All of a sudden, it's starting to look like a six a sixth number six player. Or he's got a body like a d Wade, you know, where he can plow in and get things done. He may actually turn out Spence to be a good finisher at the rim. Of course, he has to learn how to play defense
or continue to improve there. But man, there's all of a sudden since we've talked, you know, in studio, there's been an acceleration of development with the team, and I probably would say the Hawks loss was as entertaining as we've had all season long. On a tree, young heave ho after Sexton goes crazy with with the tie and you go, wow, did they grow up a lot tonight?
But they still suffered the loss. And I know no one wants to well, some Jazz fans want to lose, and I get it, But for me, it was like, Wow, a lot accomplished tonight. Incredible minutes, closing minutes, tight minutes against a team that has a really outstanding player to actually, but Trey Young's good man.
When Sexton hit that three, I just saw, Okay, there it is. Yeah, And next thing they turn around and Trey hits that. I texted Quinn and said, what was that? And he texted me back and said, crazy stuff. Can't make this up. Yeah, you know, it's just I don't care what the situation is. I don't care what the Jazz are trying to do, where they're trying to win or trying to lose.
That was a great game. That was a fun game to watch.
The last ten I think Spence and you're probably looking at him right now, I think have been competitive. I think we've seen growth. I've seen more confidence in this team. Will Hardy's a good coach and the players are connected, and you know that's part of the whole process. You know, you talk about building the foundation the winning culture. I think the culture the bricks are starting to pile up
a little bit. And you know, a month ago, I don't think we could have said that, but I think over the last team games.
Yes, yes, yeah, it's funny. I texted Quinn after the game. I said, hey, hell of a play call, and he said, better to be lucky than good. But that No, that was a fun night, and I do think, okay, so we'll do this topic. Don't catch a break because I was thinking about because I've been watching Cleveland. I watched the Cabs OKAC game last night, and Donovan is starting to really understand. You know, his numbers are about the same.
He didn't shoot it well last night, but if you watch the way he's participating in the team offensive flow and he's playing defense. He actually said, not too long ago, oh I'm actually trying on defense now. And I'm like, thanks, dude, sweet, yeah, you were here for five years.
What was that?
But I was thinking about through this prison because I could remember Donovan's rookie year when he just like remember Gordon Leaves and everybody said, okay, they'll be okay because Rodney Hood is going to step in and take Gordon's usage, and honestly, Rodney had shown a little ability. So it's like, all right, let's see if Rodney is ready for that challenge within five games, like he's you know, he's not that dude. Maybe he can be a role player that
can hit some shots. And Quinn said to Donovan, all right, you're driving the car now throwing the keys. Boom, Rookie takes over. And then the second year Donovan's second year, watching that playoff run where Donovan was the main scoring option for a team that advanced a couple of rounds.
They beat OKC Right, Okase was supposed to be that super team, And I remember thinking like, this is such great news because for a second year player to have playoff experience as the guy that's leading the charge in four or five, six years, it's gonna pay off. Now.
Unfortunately it's paying off for the Cavs. But I've been thinking, like, for a team that has no playoff basketball in their future, how are we going to get some of these young kids experience in intense game situations if they're not gonna have playoff experience like Donovan did as a young player. Because the experience you have in your one year, two year, three manifests, year four, year, five, year six. This is
a ride of passage league. So the fact that over the past ten to twelve games they've had a couple of wins here there, but these games are close down the stretch, and it's intense, and it's good basketball against good teams. These are the games that you want Keyante and I know he's been out, but you want Kyle in, you want Isaiah, and you want the young players to feel what it's like to play intense minutes in intense situations.
And if it's not going to be playoff basketball, this is the second best thing exactly.
I thought the same thing down those last four and a half minutes, was like, Wow, this is what you know, players fans all wanted to see, all want to live for, and it is a replica. It's the best replica replication of a playoff field goro. I mean, you can't replicate that until you live it because there is another level. But this is as close as you can get. And
also who closes those minutes? You know, Will Hardy is using ten player rotations mostly he's gotten a lot of guys get a lot of minutes but Cody Williams is in there, you know, since the ball has been in there when he hasn't been ill Kyante has been there and flip his head some moments as well. So how do you do it? You have to throw them into a situation that they go, Man, this feels good. I don't like to lose, but boy, it felt good to get this to this point. What do I have to
do now to get to the next level? And so it's a process, but I still I hold true the last ten games, man, I just get a total sense of more confident, more confident Utah Jazz team who seem to be handling situations much better. Turnovers are down a bit, but they still come back to bite them in just stressful times where they haven't been and they seem not to know exactly what to do or if they trust themselves or their teammates.
So, if I were gonna ask the both of you one conclusion, I know we're really not in the conclusion business right now with that team, But based on the last ten games, if you had to come up with one conclusion about what's happening with the Jazz, what would you say it?
In a way, it reminds me of the early part of Quinn's tenure here, where early on rebuild team wasn't winning, but you could see like this guy can coach. Will can coach, and so even on nights like in Orlando, they sat like half the team, Well, it's like whatever,
let's just go win the thing. He maximizes the talent on that roster, and I just I really hope that in the next two years he sees enough to stick around for the long term, because I remember thinking before Dennis was able to be really savvy and a little lucky with Donovan and Rudy, right, but other additions ingles pops like nobody thought he would. Then Quinn had a team. I'm like, all right, Quinn is good here. But I remember thinking like, if Dennis doesn't get Quinn players, Quinn's
gonna get gone. And I just hope that they can give Will enough talent at his disposal that in two years from now he sees enough to stay, because I think he could coach pretty much anywhere in the league. I think it'd be a hot commodity if he doesn't stick around here.
He deserves it.
Yeah, No, I mean it comes from you know, the Popovich Tree and he's obviously well trained, learned, watched listen started in the film room, like Spolstra with pat Riley in Miami. There's a lot of comparisons there. But again, you know how far? How long? Yes, Tony, this too, Spence? What's the run time here of actually being a dynamic playoff team in the West which is aging which will.
Help the Jazz in a lot of ways.
But what if you finish with the five spot and maybe Lady Luck doesn't follow on you like it did with Atlanta. Now, Rishache, you know that the for a number one pick, I'm not really sure where that is, but you know, the next two years there's some home runs out there to hit and where are the Jazz? And the other part of this equation is does Xanik and Danny do what they've done the last two years
and move players prior to the trade deadline? And that is yet to be seen if that would really then push the Jazz back down from where they are right now and open up more minutes or even flip and if and for Cody and others.
I don't think they'll do anything. I actually think I mean, look, if a GM calls and says I'll give you first for Clarkson, they'll take it.
Yeah, or known Collins.
Yeah, you know, maybe they can get a first for a bad But it almost feels like they're built perfectly to stay competitive but continue to lose, and that I know it sucks, but that's kind of what you want.
Delta Center. Still, I'm really I got applaud Jazz fans. It's still wow. They walk in, they want to see this rebuild. They're there and I wasn't sure if that would be the case this season, but I think they do see what we see, and that is some young players who have some excitement to them, and you know, it's a wait and see game to see exactly how long they'll take.
Can I use one analogy? I look at it like this.
I think that the Jazz are putting a puzzle together. Only what's the first thing you do when you're doing a five thousand piece?
Don't you want to find something else to do?
Sucks?
Is it a five thousand pieceer we're doing here?
Calif're talking about I want you do the border on a puzzle?
Yes, yeah, you do the.
Border, But the Jazz are doing the middle.
First, building out Yeah, because they don't.
They don't have a framework.
That makes it tougher.
We started out the segment with cooking potato puffs and the go Daddy instead of tops.
Here and we're talking puzzles.
He literally called tater tots potato puffs. He's a sixty five year old man calling on. All right, we'll catch a break. We're going do some football coming up next, Penn State Notre Dame tonight. And since we last spoke, Big Time transfer heads down to Provo. Gordon Monson, Greg Bullerjack liven Studio. Gordo's almost done with his beer, so keep it here on ESPN seven hundred. Got another big segment here before we bring in Ted Robinson preview tonight.
It's Notre Dame Penn State game. Interesting conversation during the break.
I think it.
I think it. It's probably appropriate and fair to say we should all be very grateful for this time and where we find ourselves existing in society.
Yes, I would agree with that one hundred percent. And I wish you know this has been something in my thirty years of doing radio. Sometimes I think the breaks are more interesting than what we say on the air. I wish all of your listeners could have heard the story Craig just told.
I mean, it's just anyway.
Yeah, I agree with you one hundred percent. When you see what's happening down in southern California right now, people losing their homes, people in tough, tough circumstances.
It doesn't be grateful for the good things.
I think we've lost track of that. Not to preach, but you know, I hope everybody just takes a deep breath on occasion and just understands what really is going down. You lose a president and Jimmy Carter, you know, half staff flags a new president inauguration around the corner, you've got fires. It's crazy world, man, make the best of me. I don't understand. You know, you know more about that,
gordl you lived there. But the Santa Anna wins, they always fear that, they always fear the Santa Anna wins. And it can just I mean, those things roar like forty to sixty miles an hour, right or.
More more, and so it be more. It's its own weather system.
And so once a fire picks up, and they haven't had much rain of ending in the last three years in sokows so it's it's prime picking.
I talked to a friend of mine last night and he sent me four or five videos he drove around my old neighborhoods. I had two different houses down there. One of them's gone, the other one made it through. And I'm like, he's showing me what's going on. And I'm like, and people. I heard one person say, isn't it a coincidence there was a fire and the wind just happened to be blowing at that time, And I said no, because there could a fire when the Santa
Ana's aren't roaring and they just put it out. But in this case, that wind picks up those zmbers and they are flying all over the place and next thing you know, your city's burning down.
It's crazy.
Yeah, it's horrifying.
Man.
It looks like apocalyptic out there. But there was this let's see here. Let me give this guy the proper credit. So David Bornstein is his name, and he's he's the co founder of a organization called the Solutions Journalism Network, and he wrote an op ed for The New York Times two years ago and said, scared by the news, question mark take the long view. Now's the greatest time in history to be alive. But the problem is we're all consuming fear based you know, propaganda and for profit
news that doesn't give a rip about truth. They want to scare you, so you keep consuming. And if you get lost in the cycle about who's going to be president and then half the country hates that Canada and suddenly we're on the precipice of a civil war, you lose track of the long game, which is truly, this is the best time in human history to be alive. And I think it's important to keep reminding people of that because it does feel like life is so hard
for so many people right now. And I'm not sure how necessary that is. If you just reframe your thinking, the truth does get lost, and that's a scary thing. When the truth doesn't matter anymore, and when it comes to government and other things, then you've got a bit of a problem that needs to be handled. But you're right, Spence, when you think of the advances and I hear people
complain about doctors, and they complain about this. When you think about the advances in medicine and how it's helping people live rich lives, and I don't not talk about financially, they're just.
Being able to live. I mean, we do.
Live in a fantastic time. But and people used to ask me this all the time, and they say, man, the news is so negative all the time.
I get it.
I get what you're saying. But the very definition of news is that which is extraordinary. And so if the bad news is extraordinary when it gets when don't get really bad, is if the good news is extraordinary, and that's what's being portrayed. And so take good some optimism out of that, you know, be Paul McCartney and say everything is getting better.
Not John Lennon. It couldn't get no no.
I pick up this phone, Spence, and I think, what an incredible development this was. You're what are we on the iPhone sixteen going on seventeen? I mean, I don't use half of whatever's on this thing. I don't have any need for it, but it's you can become addicted to it, and anyone now has everyone has a voice, but now it's heard more than ever. You know, we just grew up in an era with Gordo and I where of course we sat down and watched two newscasts, the six and ten in the old days or the
five thirty National News with the Kronkite and others. I miss Walter, Yeah, and you know those are those are early memories for me. But there was no other way to get news. But now news is so fast and the six and ten is old news, and so now they do more local. But I think that's something that you can almost become addicted to, is the negativity that you see on your phone every day and so many different areas of communication. So you have to decide for yourself.
And I've decided to kind of let it just sit down a little bit more, to be honest with you, because i'ment on the road. My office is the plane. My office is my hotel room. And sometimes, you know, after my fifth run of mash Or Gilligan's Island, you know, I've got to do something else. So I picked this up and go, no, that can't be right, And you know, and and they all have. Everyone has their own opinion about every subject that's out there.
I read somewhere where there's more computing power in that phone you just picked up than thes that put the man on the moon.
Yes, exactly right, Yeah, yeah, you know it's we could do hours and hours on this topic. You know, to your point about progress in medicine, I mean, our life inspects, expect and sy has gone up over the past one hundred and fifty years because we've learned how to eradicate diseases through science.
This body's only made to last fifty.
And then I swear, and then ultimately I got these you know, artificial this and ar You know what I mean. It's amazing COVID gets politicized and we forget like, no, we need to keep eradicating diseases through science. That's why we're living longer than we over have. Interesting enough, though, life expectancy for white men in America has actually gone down since COVID Apple beer, what's the apple beer?
Yes, what's the explanation for this?
I think there are a lot of lonely, disenfranchised, you know, middle aged men that don't have life partners, that don't have things to get them out of bed every day that excite them. They probably thought they were going to be presidents of companies and now they're barely hanging on. And so there are things out there that indicate people I think are just thinking the wrong way. Though, you know, that's why this piece where it's like, keep the long game in mind. This is an ext the time to
be alive. Not enough people, I think fully Embrace, Embrace.
I love what's your message there is, Spence. I couldn't agree with you more.
Even though we get the extraordinary, we get so much of the bad news, it really is probably the best time ever to be alive.
I'm gonna send you this out at I think you'd like that.
Yeah, for as far.
As opportunity, as far as health, as far as UH, as far as maybe some degree of open mindedness at least in some camps UH, and the opportunity that to be what you want to be if if you're willing to pay the price, and if you do have the original opportunity from jump, because if you don't have that opportunity, then you can be stepped on your whole entire existence.
And one last thought, I think you have to force yourself, to Spence and Gordo, to actually control your own narrative, because you can actually become overwhelmed with negativity. And you know, why do some white men don't make it as long as what the norm is, if that's you know what the study you just said is that you become depressed. You only look at the negative, and if you're that negative in life, then it draws you down. Your health is impacted by it as well. Mental health is a
key here, That's my point. Mental health is something that you have a friend. If you know someone that needs to talk, I think it's super important to try to offer that type of help or someone to talk with a guide them to the right people.
Well, I think I have a good idea about your entire background. I could get you in a whole lot of trouble. I know so much about you. Yeah, spend the same thing with you. And when I look at you, guys's lifeline and how you've sort of gone through and overcome certain challenges. And look, I'm not saying that, I'm not saying that, oh boy, you guys had it so rough from the beginning, but you have had your rough spots and you overcame them through some degree of positivity.
You know, I mean, if you weren't an optim.
Has spent some of the challenges that you've overcome are unbelievable. It's a great story. And same thing with you, Bowler. And so if there's a message in this for all your listeners out there, Spence. I hope they hang on and keep climbing and keep working towards something positive, because you can make a difference in this world.
You can do. I sound like a Baptist preacher.
You do, amen, It's a revival here right here on seven hundred.
I like the new approach gory. You know, if I told you my one resolution, well, I mean it is still the first week of January.
It's like like water Boy when he says the play another day. Yes, there we go. See that's think about that. Live to play another day. So if you're down, you just have to remember tomorrow you continue on perfect well, said last thing here, and then we'll move on entirely. But I find this really fascinating because the leading cause of death for middle aged white man it's still heart disease, but number two is accident old deaths meaning suicide addiction related overdoses.
That's now number two. You know.
So you have a lot of depressed, like lonely men out there right now that they just get lost in their mind.
What's the answer?
Well, number one, recognize that your mind lies to you. Your mind is constantly barking at you about things that aren't true constantly. Yes, there's a difference between thinking and thoughts. Thoughts are the things that just come in when you're not you're just sitting there and like, oh, you're a piece of you know, you did this. You can combat that with positive thinking, but it takes practice.
The thing I've learned is that everyone has just the odd thought that you know, when you're growing up, you know, you just think that life is just you know, you're out of the playground having a good old time playing baseball. But then you hit the real reality of life and you think, oh, wonder what that popped into my head?
What what that was? Kind of sitting dumb.
Thought, Yeah, dumb thought, but it's it happens, and people can't sit on it and just, I think, become obsessed with that.
And that's why you just are a bit and let it go. If you can't, you can't get lost in the mind because then it goes like this.
I think that all three of us have been extremely fortunate in our lives, but we've also overcome some things that people may not know about. And I love it when people say he always remember that the guy you're talking to or the guy.
Sitting next to you. You don't know what his problems.
Everyone has, what I've learned, everyone has a story. Yeah, everyone, everyone has a story. Every person in the arena that you set to, you're you're you know, everyone is going through something and they're really good at hiding it. And you're lucky enough if you can find one or two friends along the way that you can actually trust and open up and maybe they give you some ideas to either alleviate or find answers to some of those stresses that everybody takes every day. Well, I think I'm still
working hard on mine. I mean, look, it never ends. You just kind of find ways to say, okay, progress, I get it, you know, I get it.
I understand.
I have made a profession out of expressing opinion but also interviewing people to tell their stories. And I boler, I did that to you did and we got into all kinds of stuff. Did I make you uncomfortable with that?
Now?
You know what?
I need to talk about those things as I get older. There's a great story and people boler.
People look at you and say, oh, he's got it made.
Look at what he's doing.
Wouldn't that be a great job to have they have no clue what you've overcome in your life and spent the same thing with you. And this is interesting because when I interview I've interviewed people over the last fifty years, a lot of times they think, oh, I don't have anything really interesting to say about myself.
I'm telling you, almost.
Everyone listening to your show right now, Spence, you have a story to tell, and you have an interesting story to tell, and you have a worthwhile story to tell. But people don't give themselves enough credit I think for what they've been well.
And when you when you share it, it empowers others to help. And I will say, before we move on a little football with a few minutes left, I just know that you're not alone in struggles and in sadness and in loneliness. And ignore those dumb thoughts, man, let them go and get back to center, and just get through another day, and.
Ignore the criticism that comes from the guy behind the HI.
It doesn't matter.
I know it's sports talk radio, but I hope that if we touch one person in this twenty minute segment, then that's a good thing for this day. I'm one person. If we just made one person think differently or say, you know what, I'm gonna make a conversation about this or I'm going to go look and find somebody that can help. Then amen, we did the right thing today. Sometimes, you know, I get ah, you guys get off topic
and stuff. Yeah, but you know what, We're just talking life sometimes too, and I like that.
And I'm on here for four hours.
So you can stay tuned for sports for the other three hours and forty minutes. So everybody calmed down. But let me get both your opinions on this. And I I think I've talked to you both separately about the dynamic. But with a few minutes we have left, let's get into this. You know Keano Tanavasa, who is a professional football player. He's going to play in the NFL and
he's awesome. And if you're a ute fan and you're following the news and you see that, you know, Makai Pittman his inners of transfer port, you're like, all right, dude, by five, good luck. But then you see that Kanu does and you go, oh, man, that hurts. And then you see he goes to Byu and that hurts even worse. I'm happy for Kilani and Jay to get this kid who's a stud and also seems like a good kid.
But the way he announced it was interesting because he took a lot of heat because Keanu went at Cameron Calhoun who Cameron said a Utah manami, and then Caylin Debor said, well, do you want to check out Tuscaloosa. He's like, okay, that sounds good. So he goes down to Bama and Keanu kind of cracked on him on social and he sends out Utah manami and then boom deletes the tweet two days later. And I was told he told the Utah coaches two weeks before we found
out he heads down a pro releases a scripture. His father is very active on social which I didn't know this, and he said when the heavens open, our family listens. And I was told Keano told the youth coaches, God wants.
Me in provo.
What do you say to that? You know, like what I'm not saying.
He's using it as a smoke screen.
And you know, this is the unique dynamic with Brigham Young in Utah and the religious like undertones of the football rivalry. But there are a lot of things like, oh, what's the what's the number. Okay, help us, we can maybe meet this with nil. Okay, what are they promising you? Okay, we can send you the NFL as well. But when someone says like this is God's will, what do you do? You give him a high five and say there's nothing.
You can really say to it.
No, I mean, you know, look Kyle Whittingham, former BYU player, so you know he understands probably better than the three of us. Gordo, you'll understand it better than I do. I'm the outsider here growing up in the Midwest, and I'm were coming here in eighty five trying to figure out. Wow, I didn't wow the BYU Utah rivalry. Man, This is a little odd, but interesting but intense. Yeah, this one's interesting. There's not much you can't say, Spence, I don't think.
I would say this about that.
Everyone has to make their own mind up about what's most important for them. But you can find God at Utah just as well as you can at BYU. I mean it's not as much out there and straight in your face, but the largest LDS institute in the world is sitting up on the hill on Utah's campus. So I mean you can find that if that's what you're looking for. Typically, when I hear that, I think, okay, there are other factors as well. There's something going on here.
And I'm not discounting him his feeling religiously at BYU whatever if I'm not saying he doesn't feel that, but there are other things as well.
And he talked about the coaching.
I mean, he said that coaches at b YU would love him even if he sucked. Use those words, but he essentially the only thing that does that mean that Kyle would have been all over what. I don't know what that means, but it spoke to him personally. Whether God spoke to him, I don't know, but you know, you got to follow your own heart, and if.
That's what this heart's telling them, then go do it.
The only other thing that comes into play for me, guys, is that if there's other situations at at hand at both schools that impacts those decisions. What I mean by that is the future of Utah football quit.
And the link to time.
He stays that he knows more than than others and that the feel good feeling is gone and BYU's on the upswing, and you know, this is the time but I'm with you. If you're if you feel like that, the heavens, as his dad said, has opened and spoken.
What do you say to that? I mean it's like, go with your heart. I guess right.
And this bo we're living today is the portal, the nil money, all those things are the trickle down effects as well. Who knows? And you know what, it's hard to I guess counter that with other you know, like, oh, was it cash only?
Was it you know? The is it playing opportunity?
What?
You know? What? What could it be?
But if the young man says it's you know, that's what the good man wants, then so be it and shake his hand and say good luck.
Do you think God cares?
That's here we go, buddy, here we go.
This has been a question that I get asked constantly because it's very in the forefront of sports today interviews after games. Yes, intriguing, yes, yes, And I wonder I don't know how that really sets or settles in with most fans who watch football because it's a violent ass game.
Man. But then at the same.
Time you turn and praise your heavenly father for the victory. So what does he think about it? And this is what I was gonna So he didn't like the the opponent. That's always the counter to this. I think it's it's tough to intertwine it. You know, Tim Tebow really came out, remember, and was on the forefront of that as well. I think he had underneath his own his eye wasn't the sticker was the psalms and it was.
John?
Was it?
What?
Yeah?
Psalms? John? Yes.
But I think it's really interesting to see how people react to that. And it's more of a it's it's much more now happening in collegiate athletics. Not as much I see in pros but on occasion, but a lot now in postgame comments, and I guess even on Sunday and Monday Night football, same type of thing.
I always thought that when Tebow went into the end zone and took a knee instead of prayer. I look, I'm a religious person, try to be, but that to me is the greatest form of smack talk that you can do, because you're essentially proclaiming to God, thank you for blessing me over the schmuck.
I just beat in the insiet. Yeah, And I don't like it's a tightrope to walk.
I prefer to have it separate, not because I don't think. I think God.
If you believe in God, okay, and God can bless your life. He wants you to live a happy, productive life, but he doesn't necessarily favor you over the guy you just beat.
Now that's a great topic of conversation, and Spence, I got to applaud you.
Man.
This show in one hour's time really goes back to Napoleon, Dynamite and frozen tater tots and all the way to take. Man, think about that where we covered this today. Man, it's the world of sport.
Really.
I think the lesson for me is it's all encompassing of us of life. It is we live for sport, competition, for the gladiators that we watch on the field at certain times and then praise them or they praise their God. It's it's fascinating to me, and it's it's it is.
What it is. If you want to hear it as you like I guess, as a as a as a consumer.
If you want to hear a good speech on this, listen to Steve Young. He's got some great deep thoughts on the value of sports and the relationship with what we're talking about here, and he talks about Ronnie Lott in the lessons he taught Steve about the importance of what you're doing in the middle of competition, but not
necessarily that I'm a winner and you're a loser. That's not the labeling that any kind of power up above would it would have in mind, but that's the way it's portrayed sometimes.
And you want to end the show is saying praise Jesus.
Taking aid before the game tonight. Now you know, I I'm it's personal for me, but I I feel very connected, but I just don't use that verbally in public. And again that's something that again is a personal decision to do and I try to respect that. But at the same time I get pushed back from fans who says that's a great thing, or I that does not jive with the way that I live my life. You can buy a Trump Bible so and sneakers. Yeah, but you
know that's where we are today. This is again as a microcosm of where we are in society today, very split on so many issues, and for us to come together and just talk about it's a good thing. And then you make your own decision and if you want to get mad at Gorda Orrye or Spen's fine. But you know, everyone has an opinion about it, but it's right there for us all to consume and see. Do you agree with everything?
No?
But how do you accept it? I think is probably the biggest challenge.
And certainly faith faith is an individual thing, and I'm not judging anybody for the way they decide to, you know, express their faith. But sometimes when it's laid on super thick with the outcomes of games, I'm like, does God have like a fourteen parlay that he needs one to hit?
You?
Like, does he pulling up his draft kings app like, oh I need Penn State to win? And I like the way it's laid on sometimes is just like I don't know, it's a little weird.
But you know what that comment right there that makes me laugh, man, Yeah, a fourteen parlay going tonight?
You mean that God is in a Notre Dame.
Season to Notre Dame tonight, Notre Dame, Penn State, Gattle States d By the way, it's pretty good. Well, thanks for humoring me and leaning in a different direction to come Onotato puffs, get some puffs.
I got a microwave down here. Let's roll.
I always prefer it in studio. Great to see you guys. By the way, Jazz, no, no, no, not Jazz. We are sitting next to you. The three time Utah Sports Broadcaster of the Year, Craig. Congratulations and while we're in space, real quick shout out to clearly the best sports rider in the market, Sarah Todd for winning her award.
Is first of all, this way, uh that award. If that award was properly done, bowler would have won.
Okay, kind of you, my friend. You know what, I've worked with some great people and.
You know, Trav I got JB and Joe and Stoke and everybody I got to I've got great support the Jazz have some great people that I work with and I'm blessed.
Thank you. Have a great call. It's going to happen.
It's the Bowler every year. In my opinion, it's going to happen.
Spence. Great to see you guys, have a great call tonight. Okay, appreciate you.
You can hear the CFP semi final at the Capitol One Orange Bowl. Let's give the sponsor a shout out tonight following the Craig Smith Coaches Show, Notre Dame, Penn State and our next guest, I have to imagine is excited for it tonight's festivities, Uncle Ted, as he's gone around these parts, the Great Ted Robinson on a Thursday. Ted, Happy Thursday, sir, how are you?
It's great to be back with you. Happy New Year? And yeah, I mean it's it's nice to see and look, Penn State is a terrific school itself, so and I think many of us, I guess you probably are not surprisday we say this, are very happy that the SEC is not of office. Texas is not the SEC, even
though they're taking the money from us. It's been good and you know what, the games last week actually ended up being pretty good, and I was happy for that because we all know the first week that Friday Saturday was not good.
Oh for sure. And you know, I do want to get to some Macro takeaways. But since you are a proud Notre Dame alum, I wanted to have you on today to talk about what exactly would it mean for this institution and folks such as yourself did care about it. If Notre Dame is not only able to win tonight, but go in their first national championship since what nineteen eighty eight?
Wow, well, yeah, it would mean It would mean a ton And I will always proclaim that Notre Dame won the national championship in nineteen ninety three since the peat fle are to stay head to head in November and the two schools ended up with the same record. But back then there was not a whole lot of love for the Holtz and Bobby Bowden was beloved by the media, had never won the national championship and so they gave it to him. And that's just the way it is.
And that's why, you know, it's one of the many reasons why we eventually got to various forms of playoffs is because that was just ridiculous. I mean, the two teams met head to head in November, not a week zero, and Notre Dame beat them and you end up with the same record. That usually means the tie break, right, but that didn't happen Idea anyway, What it would mean in the present day would be a lot. It would
be confirmation for Marcus Freeman. I'm very open with the fact that I met Marcus Freeman once I met him last year when Notre Dame played at Stanford the final Pack twelve Network football game. Very impressive. I'm thrilled for the university because it was way too long to have diversity in our coaching ranks. Being the prim and Catholic university in the world, that should be something is important to us, and we didn't practice it enough in my
view until recently. And Marcus Freeman even now has gotten heat from alums because of some of the losses Notre Dame's had in this three years, including Northern Illinois this year, and I'm thrilled for the results because it just silenced all of that. Admittedly, Notre Dame didn't have the toughest schedule this year because the ACC wasn't great. USC was not great, so it wasn't it wasn't the gauntlet that some of the SEC teams have to face. Let's let's
be clear on that. But Notre Dame handled their business and they handled it pretty well.
So James Franklin with some comments about his belief that every school should have a you know, should be in a conference, and Notre Dame has always been the one institution, the one brand that's been able to make this model work. And if they win the national championship, I think the check is twenty twenty one million, which goes to Notre Dame. They don't have to split it to the winner, goes
to Spoil. So help us understand a little bit more as to why the independent dynamic is so important to the lifeblood of not just the football program, but the institution that is Notre Dame.
Okay, yeah, I don't know what. I didn't I'm not familiar with James Franklin's comment there. I don't understand it, as you related. I don't know what. First of all, none of his business. And secondly, I don't know why is there a constitutional mandate here that every school has to be a part of something that doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. But anyway, having said that, let's let me say two things. One, Notre Dame is really part of the conference. They are in the ACC
for every sport except hockey. Because the ACC doesn't play hockey. Notre Dame actually plays in the Big Ten, believe it or not, hockey conference. They're in the ACC for every other sport and they play between four and five ACC games a year. That also means that when the ACC school plays at Notre Dame, that school has taken home a pretty nice TV paycheck as a visiting team on
a national NBC telecast. So the one, or i should say, the two elements that the independence means for Notre Dame, and it's only two, is the TV the home television contract only the home games. And secondly, it's scheduling. It enables Notre Dame to schedule probably half a dozen games a year, including what they termed the Shamrocks Series, which means it's a neutral site game, usually in a big market in the country that has a lot of Notre Dame alums, and Notre Dame schedule is one of those
every year. That's the extent of their independence. So my point to you is it's vastly overrated. I'm also my second point would be, this was back in the late nineties, probably Jim Delaney opened the door for Notre Dame to join the Big Ten as the twelfth member within the Notre Dame world. I thought it was a great idea. I thought we belonged to the Big Ten for all of our sports. Women's sports were just growing, we were starting to develop Olympic sports, and to be in the
Big Ten just made a ton of sense. For all the apparent reasons. The Notre Dame faculty largely wanted that association. Most of the Big Ten schools, not the new Big Ten, but the original Big Ten schools. Most of them are excellent academic schools. They're large state universities with good library systems, with good research programs, with medical schools, and Notre Dame's faculty wanted that association. At the end of the day, football independence won out, and that's how powerful it is
in the Notre Ame world. That was the only reason Notre Dame turned down the Big Ten membership. That has never come back, although I suspect it will someday because I think it's known the Big Ten has clauses in their TV deals that would reflect adding Notre Dame that would have a lot more money. So I'm assuming that somewhere down the line that opening will come up again for Notre Dame. I don't know how long it'll take,
but I hope that Notre Dame join. Well, the Big Ten isn't the Big Ten anymore, so I have to revise that thought. But I've always thought the Big Ten, the core Big ten, was a great place for Notre Dame to be.
Well, excuse me.
We could talk about what the Big ten is right now, but we would probably have to recalibrate not too long after because everything continues to change and ebb and flow, Which allows me to transition into more of a macro question because I keep using this line over the past few weeks, ted where I've just leaned into from a sports radio approach, diagnosing and not prognosticating, because we're all
learning this as we go. It's a new format, it's a new sports as far as your ability to talent off the field with a transfer portal and the and the nil situation, And of course it's a twelve team expanded CFP, and all the conferences look much different than they did a year ago. Most of them do, as far as you know, conferences adding teams several of the teams that you and I are familiar with as the
Pac twelve crumbled. But since I haven't had a chance to catch up with you for a while, how do you feel about the current state of college football, the sport that we all love to consume.
Wow, that's a wide open Palette there Spence, So you know, I'll let me personalize this to my experience this football season. So the Pac twelve still existed in the form of two schools. As everyone knows, those two schools did a television deal with the CW network, which is an over the air network has an outlet and I think just about every significant market in America. So the Washington State and Oregon State home games were aired all on the
CW this year. I was part of that package. The season began with a lot of hope for Oregon State, it quickly pivoted to Washington State, and I ended up doing five Washington State games. So being around the Cougar program a lot this year was the collision of where I think college sports are right now. It was an incredibly uplifting season for them. I am a huge fan of their head coach. I think Jake Dickard is terrific and he's meant to be a coach and he's only
forty one years old. The quarterback story having cam Ward had this huge build up in the twenty three season and then basically fall flat and the Cougar's collapsed at the end of the year. Cam Ward collapsed and then he ended up getting a million plus to go to Miami, which you saw what happened this year. So what's Washington stay going to do a quarterback? Well, they had a kid from Texas who was under recruited. He had been there for a couple of years and it's his turn.
And John Matteer made himself into a player that I actually put on my Heisman ballot this year, that's how good he was. The team sat, their defense was not good, and they collapsed in the last three games and took themselves out of you know, they were on the fringe of the playoff conversation and would say no more than that, but just being there was a miracle, and sadly they fell out the last three games. What happens, John Mattier
goes to Oklahoma. Rumors are three million offensive coordinator goes to Oklahoma. And then Jake Dicker turns around and and I would have even stunned me, takes the job at Wake Forest. So this incredibly wonderful, uplifting story for the school that got left behind, the school that's got in the prairies, you know, doesn't have wealthy roles of alums.
You know, a lot of individuals who succeeded in farming an bag and business, but they chip in to a collective and they have this wonderful season, and the program survives the first year of this anarchy, and then suddenly it collapses within a couple of days. So I'm uplifted, and then I'm really dismayed because that's the point, and it's very obvious for everyone to see, is that the Washington States right now and the Oregon States and other
programs around the country are just farm teams. And until there's some order in all of this, and no one knows how that's going to happen, but until there is, this is this is the case. So to your question that I hope that explains this internal collision I've experienced. I'm so happy to be part of that Washington State football season. And then at the end, you go, man, that's just a drag that really stinks.
Yeah, from that vantage point for sure, And there's nothing really to debate there because you're not wrong, and you know, from a local standpoint, Ted, it's interesting to see where Utah football finds themselves because, as you know, covering the program as part of the Paxweld Network. Coach Witt has built Utah football on the ethos of recruit and develop. That's how they do it. And they don't necessarily rely
on number of four and five star guys. Go find Utah guys and then they bring them on campus and over the course of a number of years they basically indoctrinate them into the Kyle Whittingham way. His saying is,
we will not become you, you will become us. In the most successful seasons in Utah football history have been with third, fourth, fifth year players that sign on the dotted line, often overlooked from other schools, came in and learned the Kyle way, put in the work, and you know, at times it paid off with conference championships and Rose Bowl appearances. Can you build a football program in the modern day and age of college football with the ethos of recruit and develop over time anymore?
Yeah?
Hard?
I mean, my initial answer is that Spence is really hard. I hope somebody does it. You know, it's I'm trying to think of an example right now. I mean, it's it's it's I mean, we're sitting here waiting tomorrow night to watch Texas play and here's Texas having its best football season in a long time, and everyone's talking about should the quarterback come back to Texas next year or should he get a huge nil deal to go to another school which would likely pay more than he would
make in his first NFL season. I mean, that's what that that. I'm sorry, that's just lunacy when you think of what that means. But it is where the world is, and so I would Sugg. I would take this. Maybe if I can spend a background on that question, Spence, here's my concern, having raised kids and now raising grandkids, it's it's extremely wise to respect the fact that players athletes now in the top college sports can earn there.
And I have no objection to that. I don't know that any smart minded person has an objection to that. The way it's done, maybe that's where we would start
to have some some difference of opinion. And what I feel very strongly about is I fear that this generation, represented by these eighteen to twenty five year olds and damn near thirty year olds now in some cases playing college athletics, are being are being raised, and are living through an experience completely devoid of character, character, commitment when
a quarterback quits in the middle of the season. How many times did we see that top level college football this year where quarterback just quit the quarterback of a football team. Is there any more leadership demanded position in sport and quarterback and football? And you had several guys just quit in the middle of the season on their team, and you reference the Kyle phrase with the word US, and I'm very fearful from what I see in football
and men's basketball, there's no US. It's me MEI me me. And so the the concept of an athlete being able to be compensated when everybody else around them is fine, we get that. To do it without character is really I mean, that's long term ramifications for us, way beyond sport.
Well said, we'll end with because I know you got to go. We'll end with your thoughts on because the fact of the matter is, you know, we can belly ache about the state of the sport and then you just look at the ratings and the numbers, and people
are consuming it at a historic level. And it happens to be a multi billion dollar business with a failed business model, which makes it probably very appealing to folks in the private equity world, and it does feel like we are in this like neoliberal capitalism type takeover of college athletes. On the horizon out it feels like very powerful, rich people are going to start to buy potentially college
football programs. A lot of rumors already circulating. But that thing is, you know, going to happen, and it is inevitable. Is there part of you that is hopeful that at some point the business model of college football can be fixed to the level where most of the problems that are plaguing the sport can go away and we can all kind of sit and enjoy whatever the final paradigm shift is with this sport.
Whenever that happens, Yes, Ben, I think I think the business model is in place. I don't think it will change. I mean unless somebody else gets a case of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court has another, you know, Judge Kavanaugh life decision that reverses things. I think We're way gone. It's professional nothing. There's nothing college about the top anymore. It's professional. So now, to me, the question is how in the name of goodness do we get structured?
And I listen to smart people who believe now with the results of the election, that there's a much better chance that Congress will get involved and help orchestrate some guardrails, build some guard rails because the universities clearly are there is no NCAA anymore, and the universities don't because they're all involved in self interest. There's no collective concern to
build those guardrails. So I believe that that's the ultimate answer here, is that the business models in place, but let's make it so it's just like the pros, where everybody can make money in the pros, but there's a way you do it. There's a structure because and you say, why do I have to have structure, because you sell tickets. You're a competitive enterprise. And if we don't have competition, then we have wrestling, which is performance. And that's fine.
If you want to call performance art, that's great. That's what wrestling is. And wrestling no longer tries to hide it. I think sport doesn't want that. And if you want to make sure that we have a competitive enterprise, and there has to be structure, which the NFL, of course is the gold standard to make sure they're all thirty two of their members every year have a chance. So I strongly feel that where this thing has to happen.
And again I'm not smart enough to know, but here's let me throw one other thing that you spent because we haven't talked for a while, and I'll just finish with this. And I thought a lot about this during the year, my belief that we're going to have a Super League and it could be anywhere forty to fifty teams anymore, and I've started to realize I think we
already had it. And if you look at the SEC Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Florida, now Texas, that's maybe very equivalent to the forty nine Ers, Bears, Giants, Cowboys, Eagles of the NFC. The SEC's owned by a network, ESPN owns them, the NFC is owned by a network Fox. Then you look at the Big ten and wait a second. We have Michigan, Ohio, State, Penn State, USD, now Oregon is pushing its way into trying to be that national brand.
And you can say, well, that's kind of like having the Steelers and the Patriots and the Raiders and the Broncos and the Chiefs and the ASC is owned by a network CBS and Fox, owns the Big Ten? They own it. Okay, what's to stop the ESPN and Fox and their respective conferences that they owned from just saying, listen, each of our leagues, we're just going to play off and have a champ. We'll have our Big Ten champ and our SEC champ and then we're just going to
play a super Bowl. The heck with his twelve teams? Why are we sharing with Boise State and Notre Dame and Pence Pens in the Big Ten? But Arizona State, why are we sharing with them? We'll just do our own super bowl, college Bowl, whatever you want to call it.
I think that's maybe a more realistic end game, and that would achieve the breakaway of the schools that are already professional, and it would leave the Florida States and the Clemson's and the Notre Dames, and you probably a couple of other schools that want to think they're in that category just get Oh wait a second, what about us? Can't leave us behind?
Yeah?
You know, Ted, when we have more time, you and I are just going to fix college football in the world, my friends, But I know you have to run. It's always a pleasure, I hope you're well, and anytime you have time, you know, we have time for you here.
Okay, No, and it goes the.
Same way, Spenson. I'll enjoy talking to you and say hi everybody. I missed coming to see live. I saw Colin in the spring Mills, I missed football Visuer, and I miss seeing Craig and basketball. So hopefully I'll get back soon.
For sure, we'll be pulling for the Irish tonight.
Okay, all right, good, thanks, all right?
Great Ted Robinson Notre dame alum. He is a broadcasting legend. He has done everything Olympics, golf, tennis, basketball, football. Was the first voice hired by the Pac twelve and obviously you know PAC twelve didn't last sadly, all right, final segment of the program this Thursday afternoon. Coming up next it is the Craig Smith Coaches Show, Bill Riley Craig
Smith live at Slackwater and saw Lake City. The Utes basketball team on the men's side, they've lost four straight games, they have been run off the floor, and they're first three Big twelve games. But they do welcome in Oklahoma State coming up on Saturday. And certainly on paper, this appears to be Utah's best chance to get their first Big twelve win. As we've talked about this week, if you have time and the ability and the budget, you
should head and support this basketball team. They could certainly use it. Oklahoma State, after getting really housed over their first couple of Big twelve games, they did beat k State at home a couple of nights ago, seventy nine to sixty six. So we'll see what Craig has to say about the current state of the team. You tell women. Surprisingly enough, they got smoked pretty good by k State, and they're gonna take on a good Houston team coming
up on Saturday as well. All right, Porter, here's where I'm at. Notre Dame twenty four Penn State twenty ooh. I'm taking the fighting Irish. I think it's a low ish scoring game that hits about where the over under is. So I'm taking Notre Dame twenty four Penn State. What's your head tell you about this game?
Yeah, I'm I mean, I'm close there with you. I think it's gonna be a one possession game. I think this is one of the better matchups, maybe just stylistically, that we've seen in the college football playoff, and I think it'll be an entertaining game. I've gone back and forth. Obviously, the line has too, so that kind of tells you where we are at and where everyone thinks this game
is at. There's a lot of players on that Penn State roster that are still there from when I covered them at the Rose Bowl, right, and I just have this feeling that they are It's a long time coming for those guys, right, and I think James Franklin has them dialed in and ready to go. I think they are the better team by a small margin, but Notre Dame's been playing better football. So I've really gone back and forth on this one for the sake of the show.
Even though I'm wavering so hard, I'm going to do the exact opposite, is you. I'm gonna say twenty four to twenty for the Nitney Lions.
Loser has to audition for season of Yellowstone Deal already you've already done that, though.
I think they're done right.
Well, I think they're giving the daughter spinoffs now, yeah, I think they're doing them some spinoffs because the daughter married like the big rancher dude I forget his name and rip, Yes, yes, and I think they're getting their own show.
Okay, I believe good for them. I'm gonna look that up real quick.
Yeah. So Beth Dutton Kevin Costner's daughter, John Dutton's daughter who likes vodka and ice cream for breakfast and cigarettes.
It's a real thing.
Married Rip Wheeler played by Cole Hauser, who, by the way, is a phenomenal actor. He's a really good actor. Hilarity ensues, drama ensues. She's quite a handful. He's a cool character. And I believe they're getting their own show. So the loser has to look into it and then go audition for that show.
I wish them well.
I look good in a cowboy hat man.
I haven't seen that yet.
I can cosplay a cowboys. I've ridden a horse before. Really, Oh yeah, I've never been bucked off one like you, but I've I've ridden.
Sounds fun. We should We should get out there.
I know how to get it to trot there we go, just kick it the spur, all right, All right, porter, let's get out of here. We got a Friday show coming up on the other side though, it's the Craig Smith Coaches Show.
Then we're gonna throw it over.
To Penn State and No Tre Dame with Dave Passion, Roddy Jones, how are we getting in our listeners? Weekend started out the right way.
Tomorrow Yogi rob On a Friday, of course, talking some college football, some CFP. We'll do some MBA with our friend Howard Beck, as we do each and every Friday. We'll double it up on the college football side. Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus in the PFF College Football Show stops by the program and on apparently sentencing day, JL Covan and the former and next President of the United States.
Okay, very nice. If you don't know jol shtick, he is a jazz fan who is a lawyer and a stand up comic from Jersey and I have him on a cup of times a year to talk about the Utah jazz in his Donald Trump voice. It is very funny. Don't get offended. It's called comedy. That'll be a good Friday show and we'll say goodnight.
It special.
Thank you to Tony Jones, Craig Bowler, Jack Gordon Monson, and Ted Robinson Brady of the sound. You may have missed from the show today, head to the website it's ESPN seven hundred sports dot Com. Download our mobile app, take us on the GOP's ESPN seven hundred app that's available in the App Store of the Google play Store. Then, finally, for what we do in our space four hours every day, check out our podcast page. It's called The Drive with Spence.
Check it's available wherever you get your shows. Reporter, I'm Spence Sagadnight you've been tuned in to the Drive on ESPN seven hundred ninety two one FM. Proud to be a part of utah's ESPN Radio network.