I feel like we've accomplished something today, because sometimes you know, when it's July and it's ninety two degrees out and it's good gearless biking weather, we can get ck to pop up.
It has what, it has a gear, It has a gear.
It has a single gear, but it has one. So I guess saying gearless is single.
Speed is what we call them in the in the parlance of our hipster biking community.
I thought the hipster bike has zero gears. You need a gear, You need a gear. Okay, so one gear, single speed, a single speed bike. Okay. Anyway, I always thought it was a gearless bike.
Fixed gear is the one is the hips iss Okay.
See, I'm learning. I need to learn because I'm old and I'm not hit. But I think I feel like it's an upset to get you out of the house in January.
Well it's not January, it's late October.
Feels like it. Yeah, it's nice, it's still win or break.
My wife is home and as you know, the the little gremlin, it takes up a lot of time. So usually if I have the free time, I tell Port. I was like, yeah, let's get in. Well, I appreciate chop it up. I appreciate it.
We were talking about your New Year's Eve experience and you were in bedter early because you were working.
I mean I technically wasn't working on New Year's Eve. I was working New Year's Day, but I was in southern California earlier this week for the Rose Bowl. I was in charge of covering Organ's playoff run, which was extremely short lived. It was, but luckily I was able to go to the Lakers Cavs game in l a first time at the at the Crypt is what they call it the Crypt now Staple Center, but it's now
it's Crypto something arena, but it's the Crypt. Got to see, uh, the Kobe statue, which was really cool, the other statues as well. It's a really nice place. It's a really nice and I know, like the Delta Center is nice as well. But I grew up going to kind of crappy arenas, like going up to growing up going to the the Oracle in Oakland, which is now a crypt and that the Center was nice, but you know, it
kind of felt on hard times. But since it's been redone in the last five years, it's it's up to par.
Uh. But it was.
It was an interesting experience. Cool seeing Lebron you know, ran into my guy Donovan, dapped him up a little bit.
You saw you saw a guy, Donnie. I saw him from a very far fair enough, fair enough, but you did You didn't approach him to say what's happening? No, No, I don't think he would remember me. Yeah, fair enough. Quinn Snyder in town on Tuesday, the Atlanta Hawks, y? Yeah, yeah, Hawks in town on Tuesday. Let me ask you, but we're gonna do mostly football, but do it that has That was kind of your first NBA in arena experience in a minute.
The only NBA minutes I've watched this year, even on television.
How was like I was talking about this last week. We had a topic like the best in person sporting experience For me, it's an NFL game. Like NFL, they just do it right. What was the in arena NBA experience like for you? It was nice?
I mean I think it helped that there was a little bit of buzz because it was New Year's Eve, big game, two great. I mean, the best team in the NBA. Lebron played, Bronni didn't play, which is a huge bummer. For me, but it was a decently close game off and on, but Cleveland's too good. And the the in person experience was cool because anytime you're watching a legend like Lebron, people kind of get juiced. So anytime he did something, people would just go out of
their mind. And he had a good game. And I think it was his first game after turning forty as well. They him they saying happy birthday on the on the JumboTron, and he did the heart heart sign to the fans and then did I Love La all the all the typical.
Stuff you would do, and as in late thirties, I just pulled my back, sleeping guy. What he's doing at forty is unequivocally impressive.
I mean, yes, as as somebody who is in his age arena, but not in the competitive arena. It is it is not out of the realm of possibility to think. I think he said recently that he thinks he could play till like forty seven or forty eight. I mean, if he can avoid injury. Sure, I mean, the dude is still like throwing down dunks and he looks like he's in better shape at forty maybe I mean less
bulk and maybe that makes sense to avoid injury. But he looks like he's in better overall shape at forty than he was at like twenty five.
Yeah, there's something about Lebron that is entirely on authentic and corny, you know, like he's wrapping Kendrick Lamar at his birthday party and sending that out or whatever. But he really has taught this generation on as far as habits, to take care of yourself and take care of your body.
He spends and your mentals too, Yeah, I mean, like, yes, I agree with you.
Spend's a tremendous amount of money on his physical health and the old saying a healthy man wants a million things, a sick man only wants one.
Well, I was at the game with Bill oorm Our, buddy, he used to shut up. Bill work at the Tribune and it is now the calmness at the Oregonian. He was in town obviously for the Rose Bowl as well, but spent a number of the years covering the Lakers. And I said, Bill, why does Lebron always sit? He sits on like a higher he has like a thing.
And Bill's like, I don't know, and I'm like Dude, you covered this guy for like five years and you never asked him why he sits on like this old man pad failure by Bill, I said, I assume it has to do with some sort of backing, sure, or I mean you got the back as you know, if it's out, yeah you're out. You're out of commission for a long Yes time.
It is.
I think objectively, it is the scariest body part to injure as you get older.
Pat Riley's old saying was back problems change your personality. Oh yeah, because they do rib injury. I'm dealing with a torn rotator cuff telling you, man, you just wait. You know you're getting there. Yeah, but that's cool you had that experience, all right. So Oregon's playoff run was short lived. That's just I don't know, man, that felt really. If I'm an organ fan, I feel hard done because I won my conference. I won every game, and I
heard I mean, you know, me grinding on tape. But honestly, and I was talked about this yesterday. Because everything in college athletics is so new, I've kind of leaned into the whole like diagnostic approach on the radio instead of like prognosticating because it's hard to know what this is going to look like. We're all going through it for the first time, and it just feels like Ohio State all year long was talked about as a team that when they're playing at their best, they're the best team
in the country. And I understand the way that the conferences went out in Ohio State with a horrible home loss to Michigan. The seating is what it is. But if you're Oregon, you're a fan, and our reward is Ohio State. The first time we have a chance to play, you feel a little hard done, don't you. You do?
But you also have to realize that there is always going to be a plethora of wartz in this system because it's impossible to figure out. Somebody is always going to have a gripe and it's a bummer, but it is what it is. Man Like, I sat on press row with a bunch of people who are a lot smarter than me, sat next to Bruce Feldman, Ari Wasserman, my good buddy was down the way, and this was just a topic of conversation for most of the day. And Cam tig Robinson, who actually covers Ohio State for
the Athletic brought up a great point. He's like, the one thing that could have fixed this is if Penn State in Ohio State were the other seed, Oregon should have been playing potentially Penn State and not Ohio State.
For sure.
Yeah, I understand that Penn State made the Big Ten title game. I understand the way things shake out. They just have to figure out by they the committee has to figure out a way to not necessarily overload a side of the bracket, which they unfortunately did this year. And like we talked about a few weeks ago, I mean, Oregon got the Group of Death. Even if they would
have won, You're going to Arlington to play Dallas. And to your point, I mean, Ohio State's the best team in the country, the deepest team in the country, easy, hands down. It's not even close. We talk about rivalry games and what they can bring out of you the best of the worst. Michigan has not brought out the best in Ohio State the last four years. They're on a four games, kid, but that doesn't like take away from the fact that they're the deepest team in the country.
And it's corny, man, but like you want to be playing your best football at this time of year, especially as the as the season can be as long as seventeen games, as it will be the case for Ohio State this year. And I'm of the mind that the way the game played out, I think Oregon has a gripe but like when you get your breaks, you know, beat off the way they did, like it's I mean, it was thirty four to nothing in the second quarter, Spence.
Yeah, and they did settle in. I don't know how much of that as Ohio State going this is over, but honestly, watching the way Ohio State overwhelmed Oregon, I wondered if any other team in the country could have even made it as close as Oregon did. The rest of the way just felt like such an unfair fight, and Oregon was really impressive all year. I guess that just speaks to Ohio State. It does.
But I think one thing that maybe a lot of us overlooked is the fact that every good team Oregon played this year they barely beat them. They still beat them, barely beat Boise State at home, barely beat.
Ohio State at home.
If Will Howard doesn't awkwardly side and lose track of time, you don't know how that game ends. Yea, and barely be Penn State in the Big Ten title game and gave up five hundred and sixty yards of total offense to a decently talented Penn State team, but not like a world beater by any means. So I do think there were some alarm bells along the way, but they won every game, so Ohio State made them look pedestrian
at best, to say the least. And listen, man, I mean they had the best player in the field, who's an eighteen year old kid. I mean it was, and like they have Chip Kelly calling their offense. I'm not saying you have a guy who a much maligned head coach and Ryan Day, who the fan base is very upset at because he's lost four games in a row against their arch rival. I get it, but this the record is still insane. It's like sixty six and seven
or something or whatever. You might be able to it up and then you hire Chip Kelly and you have all these offensive weapons.
Sixty eight and ten sixty and.
Four of those losses have been to Michigan. I get it, and Michigan won last year. But it's like, listen man, there's a reason why everybody was kind of up in arms when they figured out the number that Ohio State was able to spend on money wise on this team. And you think of players like Jeremiah Smith, Cale Downs, the kid they got from Alabama. A lot of people were skeptical about Will Howard coming from Kansas State, and he's had his best two games of the year at
the most important point of the year. So I just don't know if we're ever going to have a playoff where somebody's not feeling betrayed in some sense.
So at some point, maybe I've already reached the point of no return. I'm sure people are going to be so tired of be leading into the same narrative. I just don't know of an issue that plagues college football that can't be solved with a professional model. Nobody belly aches about the way the NFL crowns their chant, right, So you know, it's conferences, it's divisions. Now, some people
at times don't love the division things. So you win eight games, you win a crappy division and you get a home field or you know.
The NFC South. This year, the Buccaneers will win and they'll get a home game.
Yea, but you don't hear the same amount of belly aching. So Joel Klatt, his whole idea is to lean into that. You know, we'll just use the SEC in the Big Ten and they'll invite whoever they want to invite, and hopefully it's our local schools. And then there are two conferences and divisions, and then you follow the pro model, a playoff model, and Clatt's ideas to make the Rose Bowl the super Bowl of college football. Do you think there's any meat on that bone.
I mean, I don't know. He would know better than me. I think it makes sense to have every championship game there. There's no reason why, I guess. I will say there are other cities around the country that really, I would assume provide a lot of tax breaks to, you know, people who want to come and really descend on the city. I mean, you think in places like Atlanta, Miami Fiend and Glendale area like these are all places that pretty much also managed to host like NCAA Men's and women's final.
Fours as well.
I would like I would always like the Rose Bowl to be the last game of the year. It was my second time there. It just makes sense. It's an old stadium, but it's perfect. It's like the scene is unreal. People are there at like six am, and whoever is in that theoretical title game, people will show up and show out.
Yeah, and look, there are several issues here because as you're talking through cities not wanting to give up those games. Also this, and maybe you have some insight here. I believe every specific bowl is its own business entity and employees a lot of different people. Correct, So the Orange Bowl employees are good. Wait like, wait a second, now I don't have a job.
Yeah, no, it's it's hard. In my opinion, an ideal format, at least from a schedule standpoint, is next year that got to have the quarters be at home sites.
I totally agree college football should be played on campus.
I think I think semis and final. You can make an argument that it's at a neutral site because that way you can satisfy all the major bowls. If you just sugar, Orange, Rose, so on and so forth of cotton, you can find a way to satisfy those folks. But it's it. I feel like it would make for better games. I feel like it would make for a better atmosphere. I mean, everybody that I talked to that were at
the first round game said it was insane. They said, like, South Bend was awesome, you know, State College was awesome. You got to and you have to give those those guys that earn those seeds a chance to Like, I would make the argument that having a home game, even if it's against in Ohio State, is maybe better than potentially drawing a theoretically less impressive opponent, because you're never going to figure out who, like the committee's never going to satisfy everyone's issue.
Is that right? Right?
But if you can, home field advantage is generally in college football, the most ideal home field advantage for somebody who's earned it.
Yeah, I agree with that, And I also just think college football should be played on campuses whenever possible. I mean, that's one of the things that make it make it great. One of the other things that make it great and unique, even juxtaposed to pro football, is every weekend is urgent, every weekend is intense, Every weekend is paramount. I mean, you can stub your toe once, maybe twice, and then after that you're cooked. And what we have now are
four teams left. None of whom won their conference. None of them had a first round by and it's interesting that you were in Pasadena. Like I mean, Bruce Feldman is as in my opinion, as good as it gets in covering the sport. I'd love to get already on
the show. We've had Bruce a couple of times. I wonder what the conversation is about whether or not we have diluted the regular season, whether or not these auto you know the first round byes are the right way to go, And do you think there are gonna be changes coming after all the complaining. I don't know.
I mean, like I said, those folks are way more plugged in and a lot smarter than I am. I think the committee will have to put their heads together and take notes, Like you'll have to do an exit survey, though maybe I'll have to call your guy Raye.
Get a qualtric survey.
Going to figure out what worked in the minds of people who participated this year and who didn't. It's tricky with twelve man. I think with eight it could be pretty easy to figure out, but you add four more teams in the mix, I think it's difficult. They have to figure out, Like it's a bummer that all our West Coast teams lost in the quarters man because then it plays into the narrative of it just means more, and ball means more in places that everywhere else in
the country says it means more. I get it, But I think there's a lot of people that say Arizona State and Boise State didn't deserve a first round by and some of those arguments have merit, but I think I don't know. This goes back to our conversations about nil and everything. It's like, if you just had the right people in place to like take information, absorb it and apply it and have it be functional, it seems
like it would make sense. But college football and the NCAA is incapable of doing so well.
They're gonna have to Well. It's funny because I do think at some point, you know, the right people central leadership, and I honestly believe it will follow private equity money. I think it's going to follow venture capitalist money. I think we're going to see powerful rich people get involved, and then it's going to be up to the public if you want to follow this like neoliberal capitalism that's going to permeate in the sports that you've loved because
it hasn't been involved before. But that's where it is now because the players are getting paid, and once those powerful rich people get involved in college sports, they will not stand for a broken business model. So I think we'll get central leadership in place at that point, and that brings in the conversation about a tram amount of red tape and issues because I know administrators don't want
the athletes to be employees. I know the Taylor Randalls of the world don't want to deal with that because that adds a tremendous amount of headache. But at some point, I do think the coaches are going to be the ones that will kind of push this movement because once you can collectively bargain, come up with, you know, a players terms and agreement, and then guardrails and the ability to do actually, you know, put rules in a place, things like having to rebuild every year will go out
the window because then you can sign contracts. Now, there's a bunch of stuff with the new labor board under Donald Trump that I'm not educated enough to kind of walk through, but a lot of the really smart football people that I've heard in the past say the pro model is inevitable. Now are a little bit more skeptical. Do you have any insight into that?
I don't, but I'm just thinking of an analogy or an example from today. Like Organs, one of Oregon's quarterbacks that they just signed in their December class that went to the Rose Bowl and was part of bullprep and everything, just jumped in the portal after being with the program for like two weeks. Yeah, and told ESPN that he didn't feel like he was a priority at the school. Well, they were preparing for a quarter final of the CFP. Now, I'm not belittling this guy. Like everyone has a reason
for doing what they want to do. But I'm with you. It just makes sense to be able to hold people in right spots by contractual terms and figure out things from there.
Yeah. All right, Coming up next, we'll lean into some of the local stuff and Chris comarad he's going to join us for one more segment. Tony Parks rolls by later, so does JB. Long, the voice of the Rams. Do you get us ready for the final week slash weekend of pro football? I want to tell you about my friend's a clear water distilling it's the only distillery in Utah County open on Sundays Holidays. Well, they're kind of behind us now, but make Clearwater a one stop shop
with their bottles. They're swagging their gift cards perfect time because they just did a rebrand their cinnamon whiskey. It's now called Kanela Cinnamon Whiskey, formerly known as Scandalous. If you need a spot, nope, we need new copy points. Well, it's a cool place, so if you want to celebrate
the holidays next year, put it on your calendar. For now, their Victorian tasting room makes a great date night or fun activity anytime I need to stop ron Burgundy my scripts by their spirits in State liquor stores online, or take a trip to their beautiful distillery. More at Clearwatersdilling dot com. It's not too soon to plan for Christmas twenty twenty five, It's all I'm saying. More was Ck coming up next right here on ESPN seven hundred. All right,
Chris Camaraddie Latin Studio. We got one more big segment with our guys Ck from the Athletic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. I still don't know if the ceremony was on Sunday, but the television presentation with Sunday Evening Little Dave n Tribe in the same class. So your boy was happy, share too, Share Little Mary J. Blige. Yeah, if you're of a certain age, you have a little Mary J. And share you went with Foreigner of the List.
Yeah, it feels like the most rock and roll hall. I went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when I was in Cleveland a few years ago, and it's cool place. I mean Cleveland. The rock and Roll Hall of Fame is Cleveland.
Yeah, take it or leave it. Yeah, if you go to Cleveland, you better do the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because there are not a lot of options. Chris camraaddi Liven Studio went to the Laker game where they played the Cavs. A our guy, don He's going to be I think, potentially the first player in the history of this organization. The Jazz of course obviously didn't play for RSL to leave and be awesome somewhere for
a long time. We're not used to this. I mean, if you think about it, a lot of our really really good players Heyward got hurt, Darren never kind of recaptured the form he had when he was here. Booze couldn't stay healthy. Because I've watched plenty of Caves basketball this year, Donovan has started to mature. Now, look, he's gonna have to answer questions come spring. But if you think about the history of the Jazz organization, Karl went to the Lakers, but he was done. Millsap's a good one,
but it's the same level. But Millsap also played better after he left here. He made All Star teams in Atlanta and such. But Donovan, I'm starting to get the feeling he's kind of figuring out where that I wasn't. Well for now, he doesn't have a choice. I mean, I got such a kid, Like so the Nick signed Jalen Brunson and they're awesome, and they get mckel bridges.
There was no space for Donovan in New York to play for the Knicks the Nets after they had to blow up the Durant Harden Kyrie thing went full rebuild. There was no place for Donovan and Brooklyn. So he's like, oh, I love Cleveland, Like whatever, dude, you have no choice he has for now. There's nowhere for him to go. Now. I've always heard two things from people that know Donovan better than I do, that he actually would really love Miami and he would love Los Angeles in a way
that I didn't know about it. But that's not a surprise. I wouldn't be stuck. He's got two years left on the deal. After this deal, I wouldn't be stunn if he's remember the Heat of the Lakers.
I guess if you're just looking at it from a roster building point of view, is there a team in the NBA right now that is built to win for the next five years?
Okay? See okay, see maybe Boston?
Okay, Yeah, so three three teams one other team, unfortunately as a team that just won the title and is in your same division. But I mean, shoot, man, and maybe the Lake, the Lakers and Heat can rebuild in the blink of an eye, as we've seen several decades.
But yeah, it was cool.
It was funny being there, man, And I'm just always this is always a trip. Like I told some of these other guys that were there with Bill, and I like, like, Bill and I covered that kid and they were like which one. I was like, Oh, the kid and the white kid in the corner who shoot the three, like Sam Merrill Sam. Yeah, it's it's so cool because, like Sam was one of those kids that was really enjoyable
to cover as a as a prep athlete. He was part of that wave of like the Lone Peak three, Bricott Chapman, a lot of talented young kids coming up of that age.
Jalen Moore at Skyview shout up, Bountiful Braves. That's right, yeah, my guy.
And you know, it's just I never really saw him. Hell of a player, great shooter, and it's awesome to see him stick and him getting a chance in that rotation on a really good team.
I truly thought he was not going to be able to get a shot off. In fact, my producer at the time was an Aggie. He's like, do you think Sam's a pro? And I said, if he could ever get he is such a pure he is such a pure shooter. He has such a beautiful stroke. But this was for Thatt's issue. He could not simply could not get a shot off in the pros, and I was concerned that Sam was gonna run in the same problem. But he's worked his tailoff and he needs no space.
You're right, It's been fun to watch him grow up.
And I think this sounds super corny too, but like Sam's like a legit six ' four jimmers like a legit six.
Sure, yes, yes, it's true. All right, back to football. Let's do some local stuff here, since we've covered kind of the national topics. The utes locked in Justin Stevenson today wide receiver. That's a huge git from Wyoming. Do you know the stat line? No, dude, I don't know about. What are you talking about? Just heard of him ten minutes ago. I don't know the stat orders and there laughing at me. Listen you.
I mean I googled it like any reasonably logical responsible media members should do.
The guy had felt like a shot.
I'm not going to The guy had like two hundred receiving yards last year and like two touchdowns, so he's due.
I mean, listen, If.
If Utah is able to recruit the most hidden gems at the Mountain West Conference level and bring them to the Big twelve and help them show out with Jason Beck and Devin dampierret good on them. But man, I'm I'm approaching this next year with a whole hell of a lot of skepticism.
I don't know how you can approach it any other way unless you are simply red goggles period, end of story, Because they're going to be, by my count, twenty five incoming freshman. I think Justin and his two touchdowns. I think that's the sixth teenth transfer portal addition. I didn't know that was a stat line. It's just you know, the same old people that report and they're like, hey, this is exciting. That's what I saw. I believe it's forty one or forty two new players next fall. I
don't know how you do that. I have no idea. Unless you are unless you have Ohio State's payroll, unless you're bringing in dudes like that left and right now. The transfer portal ranking according to two four seven is twenty five ish or whatever. I just don't know what's reasonable to expect. Don't believe those rankings, man, when you turn it over like this in one year, I have no idea.
So this is for our guy, John Paul shout out. This is the success of whether or not Utah's offense can establish itself in this new system. Is totally going to rely on fit and scheme. That's it. Because you're bringing in a guy who's going to do a lot of different things compared to Andy Ludwig. You're bringing in a quarterback that probably wouldn't have played under Andy Ludwig.
You're bringing in a bunch of receivers who have had slow to decent careers at much smaller level schools than what Utah is and who they'll be playing next year. You brought in a talented running back out of the portal. Weirdly. You know which helps Utah a ton is that their offensive line was able to stay intact and they should be good. But listen, man, I mean everybody should take off the red tinted goggles when it comes to a lot of these additions because they are not proven commodities.
They're the furthest thing from when you're seeing these Twitter graphics being created for players that are transferring from Texas A and M to LSU, or from Auburn to Florida, or from Florida State to Ohio State.
These are different caliber players.
And I'm not saying that the players at Utah is getting I'm not saying that players at Utah are getting right now are not going to be at players. But they are behind, man, they are behind, and they fell behind in such a drastic way in such a short amount of time, which is kind of like the perfect if you want to like utilize one program, kind of the perfect encapsulation of how things can go sideways for a program that was in the Rose Bowl just two years ago.
So if we could circle back, Justin Stevenson three touchdown, three touchdown, sorry, two hundred and forty yards. Also, he competed in the triple jump in high school, so let's not just throw that out like it's nothing.
Football coaches love track athletes, especially in the University of Utah football coaches.
Indeed, sophomore jump numbers of forty two six and forty two to two in the triple and an eighteen to seven long. How tall is he? He is six to one, So.
That's probably like the talle sky they've added.
So far as far as the receiver goes.
They've added short, They've added some koby wanabes, I think, which is great.
You know, maybe that's part of the approach. Maybe they're zigging when everyone's zagging there you go, yeah, I look you I said this last segment diagnostic not prognostication, because it's impossible to analyze how these kids are going to fit into a system that we've never seen before. I
honestly don't know what's reasonable to expect. And there are two sides of this thing, right, because obviously last year was not nearly good enough, and so yeah, you want an influx of talent, you want to change the roster over because it wasn't good enough a year ago. And yes, we could always lean back on the whole cam wasn't healthy thing. But I do think this is a fan base that isn't necessarily opposed to this one year rebuild
because of what they just experienced. Now to your point, and it's not just the Rose Bowl like two years ago, that team that Kyle was able to coach the eight wins, That was a remarkable season, but then prior to that back to back Rose bul it's like it feels like, even though we're only a couple of years removed from very exciting, successful uh of Utah football, you know era that maybe is coming to a bit of an end. This is a fan base that's ready for something different.
So I think people are kind of latching on to these new players with a lot of hope because of what they just experienced.
Yeah, and I mean, I gave Kyle and Morgan. I'm giving both of them credit because they both decided on this hire. The fact that they hired Jason Beck and were able to get Devin Dampier. And I mean, as soon as you saw those two additions, you knew that this was going to be a totally different offense going forward. And I assume that when they were doing interviews, Jason said, I want to run my offense, and that's going to be that. You know, at least I would have hoped that.
But listen, I don't disagree with you at all. Things have not been good enough for a while. It got stagnant. When it was working three or four years ago. It was working because Utah had like five running backs that like ran for like five hundred yards and a couple of them ran for eight hundred yards and one ran for.
A thousand yards.
They had a couple, you know, NFL caliber tight ends, one that went on to be a first round pick, the other one that just unfortunately got hurt too often. But they became so predictable from like an opponent's point of view, it was pretty painful, man. I mean, and like you think about the Colorado game, and it's always easy to compare like a similar opponent that two teams had in common, And I not saying Byu is anywhere
close to where Utah was this year. They were the superior team on basically every facet of the ball, but offensively, Utah against Colorado, like Isaac had some had some chunk plays, had some stats, but man BYU and Aaron like just basically had those guys running around with like chickens with their heads coff. They had no idea what Byu was doing, and Colorado felt like they knew what Utah was going
to do on every single down. Run on the first down, run on the second down, play action, on third down, sack.
And that's what it was for most of the year.
So I can understand why fans are approaching this season with a healthy amount of optimism, because what other points do they have at this point?
Yeah, And I used to say this oftentimes about by You and the Independent years, and it wasn't a knock on the program. It was the reality of what they dealt with as it in dependent that typically as soon as you lose your first game, it's the Hawaii Bull or whatever it go spend New Years in a while. Who there's nothing wrong with that, nothing, But it seemed like back then, the most exciting time to be a fan of Brigham Young football was the off season because
you had all this hope. Then the season comes and you don't have a conference to play for, you stub your toe, and it kind of feels like right now for a ute fan, the only thing to get excited about is the potential of this new coaching staff and the new talent added. So we'll see, but let's move Let's move over to a player that Utah lost. And since you and I last spoke, this story has kind of gained some traction. So Keanutanavas is a really good
player and seems like a good kid. I've interviewed him. You know, I don't know him personally, but he elects to leave Utah and head down to BYU and a lot of you fans in their feelings about this, as I say, you can always not tweet, that's an option that you have. But let me start here. Does the money change the level of criticism that these athletes are
going to get? Because you know, there was like this unwritten rule for years and years and years, whether it's meteor fans like, layoff the kids, man, stop cracking on the kids. These are unpaid young kids. They don't get paid for what they do, so stop criticizing them. Now that some of these players are making seven figures. I don't know what Keanu got, but now that the money is not just there but it's real, does that change the level of criticism they'll receive.
Absolutely. I don't think that's right though, but I think that's the world that we live in. I don't know if Keanu left Utah because he wanted to get paid more money. I was kind of siloed due to the holidays and being focused on Oregon during their playoff runs, so I saw some stuff tangentially. I know there was, you know, some religious affiliated posts and you know, God's plan, like every other kid who goes into the portal says it's God's plan. I think it's particularly hurtful for Utah
because they lost them to BYU. I mean, I just if he would have gone to Texas or Washington or wherever.
M Calhoun goes to. Bamay.
Yeah, it's like we're people up in arms that cam Calhoun left for Alabama. Not at the same level and I understand that Keanu like trolled him at one point on social media and so on and so forth, but listen, man, we are living in a lawless state of college football. Everybody is up for grabs, and people can say there's tampering, there's tampering always like that is just the reality that
we live in. Utah is frustrated because they lost one of their best defensive players to their rival down South, who had their best year in a very, very long time. I think it's disingenuous to act like this is particularly unique. Players transfer between both of these schools all the time. I mean, one of the Fano brothers started out at B and I'm sure BYU fans were upset when he decided to leave.
But the list is incredibly long, man.
I mean, it is absurd the amount of people that have changed schools in the last twenty years since college football has entered this kind of era. And I mean, they're all just popping in my head. It is what it is, man. You kind of just got a grin and Barrett.
Yeah, And you know, people wouldn't be upset if he wasn't awesome. That's the thing. Like, nobody was pissed when like Makai Pittman's in the transfer port, like, all right, whatever, but Keano's really good and you lose them to your rival.
I will follow up, though, because I do find this interesting and I don't want to paint this as only one person, but Keanu and his family, the people around him have been very vocal, okay as far as his motivation, and his father tweets out when the heavens speak, our family strives to follow quickly. Keanu decided to send a scripture as far as his announcement that he's leaving, and you know, the religiosity of the entire thing is something
I've never been fully comfortable with. But I know people need their beliefs, and I know beliefs are important to people, and I'm not I want to tell anybody how they should praise their God or worship their God or practice their religion. But it does seem at times, something that these players throw out there is like, now, okay, now I'm beyond reproach because I told you, God came to me last night to say I should go to BYU,
and I don't love that. You know, if you're just kind of throwing that out there because that is something that you throw out there is like a guardrail. Now you cannot tell me or question what I've decided to do exactly when we know you got to check. But you know, if you want to say that God told you go to Provo, I guess that's the deal.
Yeah, And I guess I would say it would be an easier sell if the two most important people in the program up up the hill here weren't members of the same religion. And maybe even I assume Jason beck is as well because he went to BYU.
But like, listen, yeah, that.
If you're talking about like Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen and these guys who were in CHAN, it's a totally different story, right, I don't know. Man, Like it's become kind of a meme in the sports media world. It's like anytime a kid goes in the portal, it's like and they're referencing God, Like God decided to point me in this direction. I mean, maybe maybe God did, and if he and if they did, whatever, good for you.
Man, that's awesome.
But the reality is we're living in a time where people can move freely and without like any sort of I mean, nobody's gonna get in trouble because there are no rules. And yeah, it sucks for Utah that they lost one of their best players, but you know who else loses some of their best players every other team, in every team, it's just about how you replace them at this point.
Yeah, I mean, that's the issue comes back down to the NCAA's literal inability to hand down any sort of punishment. They're not allowed to. They were told, like, you cannot regulate this stuff anymore. So you have to figure out a way to traverse it while it's you know, off the rails and tell it's corralled, and you know, ultimately, if you don't find a way to exist in the space, it is adapt or die. Until you actually understand what
the rules are going to be. While there are no rules, you kind of have to be a little ruthless, you know what I mean. I mean, that's it feels like that's kind of the only way to do this stuff.
You can find a way to be irrelevant really quickly, for sure, if you don't think ahead. Really, I mean, and I don't want to say Utah is in that space yet, but we're going to learn a lot about the state of the.
Program this next year. What does it look and sound like next year? If it's more or less the same for the uthes, what does that look in sound like from the fan base? Yeah?
Oh, I mean if it's much of the same, I think the fan base will just say that it's Morgan's time, the same way a lot of people say that it's Morgan's time this year.
I think there are a lot of people that feel that way. Now I agree.
Yeah, But like I've said before, if you want to go off results and statistical analysis, seventeen out of twenty is like eighty eight percent, seventeen winning years out of twenty a lot.
Yeah, it's a lot, and sure it is.
And it would be one thing again if like you had a guy busting down the door who has a bunch of big game experience, like this is not a knock on Morgan, but he's never done it before. Right, So, if you really think that a first time head coach will be able to change things so dramatically in such a short amount of time, good for you. But we don't have any we don't have any data to back that up yet.
When it comes to BYU's case to be included in the twelve team CFP. I feel like the timing of their losses ultimately is what did them in because during the course of the past the final couple of iterations of the rankings, they really weren't even the conversation, yeah, you know, you would listen to people analyze, Okay, tonight it's the rankings release and BYU wasn't even in consideration.
Now again diagnosing, not prognosticating. They beat SMU, who was a playoff team, they lose ASU, who was a playoff team. Their strength of schedule, their strength and strength of record, their quality wins indicate that they did have a case. Do you feel like that's legitimate, that b why you had a case to be included in the twelve team CFP? I do.
And the one person from a media point of view that's been, you know, flying this flag as John Wilner. Yes, yes, he's done. He's been very upfront about how the committee basically left by you out in the cold. I think if the Kansas game is the one that killed them, Like if if they win that game, they're in the they're in the Big Twelve Championship, and and and and
if you lose to Arizona State again. I mean then they probably are in even as like as as an eleven or twelve, maybe they should have been at least But.
I agree with you.
It's the timing of the losses. It's were those back to back.
Game yeah, yeah, so you killed them?
Yeah, and then you you end the year with a with a win over a bad Houston team, like you have nothing to recently remind the committee who you are, what you've done. I mean, they reminded everybody who they were against Colorado late by that it's too late by then. But again, man, like everybody is going to find a way to feel hard done or be pissed off. Yeah, that is the reality, no matter. I mean, I guess we could get to sixty four teams like basketball and just make these guys play forever.
That's that's that's the only way.
I do think Culturally, it's weird, like this is a little bit of a tangent. Why are we so obsessed with the underdogs in basketball doing well, but in football we feel like it's the people who have quote unquote earned it.
I think it's fair. I will say that I think people love the upsets early on in the Tournament, the Cinderella people.
Wanted Butler, Yeah, George Mason. I mean people were going like, like.
Did people want TCU when they made the playoff and they got who they play? Georgia? You had the Georgia they got. Yeah, yeah, I don't. It's a fair, fair question.
But it's an interesting, like I'm thinking of it just through like the psychological standpoint of a sports fan through that lens, Like I understand we do like them early on, but I still think people if they can keep.
It going, people love it. Man.
And then like in football, it's like now who's earned it the most. It's just an interesting kind of dichotomy in my mind.
So with the SEC, clearly shout out to Danny Cannell who was on this hill all year long. And obviously the results bear out that the conference was overrated from an on field standpoint, but they still are the pre eminent college football conference in the country. They the revenue speaks for itself. All those schools, you know, per school, as far as you know, bull payouts, television contracts, they are making money hand over fist in a way, even the Big Ten is and the Big Ten is in
their cult to sack but they're not there. You think the way this stuff unfolded will motivate the power brokers to Jerrymanner college football to simply be more in their favor. Oh yeah, it feels like that's always the deal, right, absolutely.
I mean, in a weird way, you should almost be thankful that one of the fake SEC teams is still in it, like with Texas, because otherwise if they would be shut out with these final four, I feel like be even more so overcorrecting. But yeah, I agree, And I know a lot of people were trolling the Alabama fans and the SEC homers after a couple of these losses and saying, like, you know, when the Alabama lost in their bowl game to whoever, I forgot who they
lost to Michigan. I think, like you can't eat the revisionist history part of it is to me is so exhausting. It's so annoying, Like you kind of just have to like understand that you are existing in a flawed space and it's a flawed universe and it will be forever, so you kind of just have to appreciate what it is for what it is and just kind of roll with it. I mean I almost swore Like, dude, like do you remember the BCS for crying out loud?
Yeah, this like.
Fake computer algorithm that like Elon Musk probably like created like twenty five Like are you kidding me? Like we're here now with like Boise State wasn't was a first round by team in a playoff like Arizona State, like a team that historically could have had a chance but was the like the worst team in the PAC twelve last year, took text to the brink, should.
Have won that game.
These are games that we never would have seen in previous years. So I understand why the powers that be are shaking their fists at the sky because they've always been used to having it their way. But everyone else that would just caution to say, calm down and just enjoy.
It for what it is. Yeah, and that's good advice, but you know, ultimately that's not able to take my advice. Well, I mean, it's good advice, but that's unfortunately that's not the way fans behave and I think media members for you know, further agendas and narratives that are best for their business. But yes, try to enjoy the games. And most of the games have been good there have been blowouts, but there were blowouts in the four team, there were
blowouts in the BCS. Since that's the deal. But let me move over here with a couple of minutes we have remaining. It feels like right now BYU's collective isn't a good place. The number I've been told is they have nine seven figure donors. It feels like Utah's collective has some work to do to catch up. If we're talking about kind of the arms race locally, I've been told that Utah right now has two seven figure donors. It's not hard to figure out who they are. So
I'm not breaking any news. Any thoughts on kind of what feels like it's turned into be and look, I talk to you about this as soon as NIL became a reality, I said, this is good news for them down south. It felt like this was cater made for tech bros and MLM bros that had a lot of money and loved by athletics to kind of step in and help BUYU get back to the relevance that they were in the nineties and the eighties and the seventies. Because it's really just simply been a long time. Yes,
COVID year, what have you? And I think that has turned out to be kind of the case. I think it took a little bit of time, but aj debansa seven mil for five months of basketball, Kevin Young, his staff, they're all ex pros, so they're being paid a lot of money. And now we're seeing the football team certainly I think breed some of the same results that we've
seen on the basketball side of things. So kind of your thoughts on what appears to be a little bit of a gap as far as BYU right now being the team and the school that's figured things out in a way that Utah hasn't necessarily on they have. I mean, look the BYU, excuse me, the Utah basketball team. Man, I cheer for Craig. He's the best, dude. I watched the first game of the Big twelve Baylor. They're not even close. So the results simply indicate there is a
little bit of a gap. And these things are cyclical and they're fleeting. But what are your what are your thoughts?
I guess, starting locally with the nil component, it makes sense that BYU is ahead of Utah because of its alumni base, larger spirt, like it has a a net that is cast much larger throughout local, national, and international scene.
So I'm not surprised by that at all.
I think Utah is just an interesting case study and it could potentially be you know, if it continues to struggle, like how a recruit and develop program like Utah could potentially nosedive in this in the era of nil like Utah historically wouldn't lose the same number of players that they've lost in the last couple of years, Guys that are difference makers, Guys that will go on to be pros, guys like Keanu and Cam Calhoun by US football, those Spence, Like,
I think they're still like in this point where a lot of these guys are recruiting and developed guys at Kilani and those that staff put together too. So like I think they they could potentially avoid a potential like pitfall, so to speak. But like if I'm just thinking off the top of my head, like the offensive line, you know had some had some departures in the last couple of years, but you have a lot of legacy kids. Jake was a guy that nobody was going to take
away for on that Aaron did. The linebacker group, you have a local kid. You have two local kids, one that came from Oregon, one recruiter from high school, one came from Weaver State, totally totally normal defensive line like you know, homegrown kids for the most part. Secondary there have been some transfer ads, but like you're not talking about a program that's going out and ending five hundred thousand dollars on the defensive back like these are. These
are recruit and develop guys. So I don't want to like belittle what Kloni and his staff have been able to do. Like I think them being good and then having an nil in fusion will help them retain players. But they've just done a hell of a job in the last couple of years piecing that roster together and keeping it intact. So I think ultimately when we look at kind of the grand scheme of the state of both rosters, I just think BYU has done a better job and you just see kind of the the fruit
that is borne out of that this year. Considering how good they were and they were pretty deep too, especially when they had guys go down. They they they didn't have that type of like starter goes down all of a sudden, We're throwing in you know the former.
Bountiful Brave, their fourth stringer named Dallen A White kids A L L Y and I end exactly do you believe in New Year's Resolutions? I like it? Or intentions? What's the younger generation like?
Like that show? Like the movie Role Models? I don't know if you've seen it. When he asked him if he likes Coca Cola, he's like, I like the idea of it.
I actually yeah, yeah, so I like the idea.
Of New Year's resolutions more than I actually like them, But I don't dislike them.
Did you set an either year you want to share with our audience? I didn't. Can I set one now? Yeah? Please go ahead?
Oh man, no pressure. I don't want to hurt my back anymore.
That's an excellent one. As you age, take care of your body. Now, that's great. Well, look, man, always great to see it. To get you out of the house is an upset too. Yeah. Yeah, it's a good start. It's a great start to the year. And as long as it's fifty degrees, we'll be all right. I love it.
I love it when it's October and January.
I'm with you, man, good to see Okay,