I will get to the five o'clock hour the program. Tonight we have some hockey on the station. Game two of the Stanley Cup Finals comes your way, as we say, a night at six o'clock. Busy, busy show today, A lot going on. It's been a minute since we caught up with our next guest. But when you hear the Godfather theme music, it means one thing. The Godfather of Utah sports talk radio himself, Gordon Monson on a Friday afternoon Gordo, Happy Friday, buddy.
How are we doing.
I'm doing just fine.
How are you doing, Spence? Some things are going well for you.
Yeah, things are great, Things are great.
I promise I won't do the entire hit about the following topic, but I've got to start out with it. Who chose your hat that you wore at your daughter's wedding on the north shore of a Wahoo.
It was kind of a toss up.
It was not you. It wasn't you. That's all I know. You did not choose that.
Hut uh bro was well. My wife and I was enjoined at first.
There it is there, it is whatever.
It was sunny and hot and I had to.
Cool waff a little Gordon.
I have looked at the picture of your family seventy five thousand times, with your beautiful daughters, your beautiful wife, and then, my man, is that a fedora?
Is where you were? Is that a fedora that you were rocking?
I don't know what you would consider at all I know is it cost me.
What I want to know is what the price stag of the whole wedding was. But I'm not going to ask you that on the radio. Hey, look, you rocked it, buddy, You look good. I mean, I just the thing about the picture is all of your daughters and your wife are so fashion conscious, and they're so dressed up and so nice. It looked to me like you walked out with your old suit on, and Lisa was like, we've got to do something, so you're wearing this damn hat.
Well, I had a suit, I had a perfect suit for the occasion, and I pull it out and my wife, but my daughter says, you can't wear that suit.
That's what the groma is wearing. So I had the resort to this thing that was like five sizes too big for me.
By the way, those.
Pictures, every time I look at pictures at a wedding, and that includes one of my daughters. I think, okay, it's time to drop a few wellbs. But anyway, it turned out really well, so I was happy about that.
Okay, lastly, the hat just rules so hard. I'm looking at it again. It's such a good look.
Man.
I'm just I'm proud of you. I'm happy for you, and you've done it right. All the daughters are now betrothed or with their partners. That's a nice accomplishment for mom and dad.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's all taken care of from that same point. But this is my fourth wedding at which I was the officiant, and I'm batting five.
Hundred because two of them ended up divorced.
But if you're bad five hundred, that ain't bad. I guess you know that would lead the league.
That's a hall of fame career. Gordo.
You know what, since you brought that up, I need to ask your advice. My little cousin, Madison has asked me to officiate her wedding in July. I'm not exactly sure what she was thinking, but any advice for your boy, as I'm set to do what you've done multiple times next month This.
Is what I would do if I were you, and it's what I've done at most of the weddings that I have, you know, been the officiants.
I interview them beforehand.
I find out what they love about each other and then express that to those congregated and that usually works out pretty well.
You know.
I like doing it that way since my daughter got married on the beach. This time, I had the groom and the bride both get a container of sand and pour it into this sea glass container where they're mixing their sand into one and then I had everybody who was there take a small We handed out small shells, and everybody who was there, it was a small gathering, added.
A little shell to the to the mix. So I thought that was kind of a nice idea.
I'm very impressed. There's no way that was your idea, though.
I knew it.
I looked up the sand thing, but my wife's idea was for everybody who was there to put a little shell in there, So you know, it was it was very It was very cool. But this is what I found outspense. You know, every so many people go out there and they spend all this money on on an elaborate affair and all this stuff and keeping it.
Small and quaint.
It's kind of nice.
The pictures looked wonderful, and of course I teas, I love your family. Looks like you guys had a great time, and that just that hat just killed me.
Man, I loved it. But let's we can move on, Cordo.
We can we can move on because since you and I last spoke, there have been a lot of news locally that I like to discuss with you. Most recently, Austin Ainge has been added to the Jazz front office as they're president of the basketball operations, and Ryan Smith himself said during the press conference that this is now the guy. It's Austin show. He's calling the shots, meaning Danny his dad reports to him. Justin'sanik, the GM reports
to him as well. So your reaction and what you think this means for the Utah Jazz is they're going to try to continue this rebuild that's into your four without a lot of for retraction.
Yeah, he says, the tanks he is over. That doesn't mean the losing's over. I mean, I think it's going to go on for a while yet. But Ustin name seems like a bright guy.
You can look at it in one of two ways.
I mean, either there's nepotism going on here or you know this, this is a person who can come in here and add energy. He was with the Celtics, all those we remember him, spenceon just being a player down at BYU. You know, that's the thing. You see these You see these guys grow up, you know, and they turn into adults. And I think Alston names is a fairly capable guy. So we'll see what he can do.
So let's dig into what he said about the tanking stuff. And you're the way you articulated I think is the right way to articulate it, Like, just because the tanking is apparently over, doesn't mean the losing is apparently over. So what do you think it's going to look like, Gordon? Because here's what I perceive to be the number one priority for next season. It's very simple. So if the Jazz did not owe a top eight protected picked Oklahoma
City next year, I feel differently about the approach. But because they do, the worst possible thing that could happen this year is the Jazz winning like thirty five games and we're all sitting here next spring, and Mark Tatum pulls out the envelope and says, the number nine pick in the draft belongs to the Utah Jazz. Me mean, it belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have to maintain that asset. Gordo, that's my opinion. Give me your
thoughts on it. And if so, what do you think this year is going to look like?
Uh?
You know, especially bring up a great point there, but I think at some at some juncture, the Jazz have to be able to go out and let those players play as hard as they possibly can and win as many games as they possibly can. Because I don't know, it's interesting a lot of people look at OKAC and they say, oh, that's a blueprint for the Jazz to follow. Well, that'd be great. I mean, Austin Ainge is smart, dude,
I don't think he's quite at Sam Presty's level. I mean what that guy did to build that team, you know, trading two all stars and then freeing up some flexibility. That sounds familiar Jazz fans. I mean it is sort of what the Jazz are looking at now, what they did.
But what's the difference. Okay, see got an MVP?
Uh?
He's traded for an MVP and whether the Jazz can find that kind of leadership I really don't know. And you have to get lucky, but you have to be Here's the thing. Austin Age has to be smarter than just about everybody else in the league. Is he is he at that level of spence. I don't know whether he is. It may sound unfair, but that's sort of what quote unquote small market teams have to do. They have to they have to get lucky in the draft, but they have to recognize talent and get it one
way or the other. They have to figure out what they have and unload what what what they can unload without hurting the building process and get guys who others might not think are as good as they might be. And that's what ulstin Ange has to do, regardless of where the pigs are that they get. I mean, it
just has it has to happen that way. The thing about Okay, see though they haven't forfeited many of their draft picks, they could still get better based on the after the smart decisions they've made to build that build that roster into what it is. And of course SCA I mean those guys don't grow on trees. And where the Jazz is going to get a player like that, I don't know.
Yeah, and look a lot of good stuff there.
You know, It's interesting to understand the narrative of the finals in front of us, where there are two teams that parlayed Paul George into two star players. If you think about it, I mean, Indiana had Paul George. They traded Paul George DOKC for Victo Ladipo and Domo Sabanas Sabonis.
Then they traded Domo Sabonis to Sacramento for Tyree Saliburton, and then Oklahoma City flips Paul George to the Clippers for Shay Gilgess, Alexander a couple of other pieces like Danilo Gallinari and five picks one has turned into Jalen Williams. But the fact of the matter is, look, I know that when they traded Mitchell, When the Jazz traded Mitchell, there was this celebration of the hall they got in return.
I don't think they got enough. I really don't. And I like Lowry the Ringer just released our top one hundred players in the NBA. The Jazz have one on the list. It's Lowry who's fifty three, and Donovan Mitchell is twenty eight years old in his prime. He's the eighth best player in pro basketball according to the Ringer. So look, there are still draft picks that can be conveyed. They had some other pieces in that deal. Colin Sexton has been fine for the Jazz. Oh Chiobaji was good
in Toronto. Didn't work out here, but Sam Presty and the Indiana Front office turned Paul George into cornerstones, and I don't know that the Jazz did that with Donovan, who is a top ten player in his prime.
Gordon, Yeah, I agree with you one hundred percent. Spence.
I know you study this stuff and you're right on the money in my opinion. I mean, Sam Presty, I have so much respect for that guy. I don't know him. Have you talked with him.
I've met him a couple of times.
He was with the Spurs for a number of years before they the Sonic sired and then obviously okay, see after they left Seattle.
People talk about luck, you need luck, and yeah, you do a little bit here and there. But Sam Presty's just been smarter than everybody else. And as far as what the Pacers have done. You know, there's been a lot of talk about this small market finals and whatnot, but these two teams have proved to me that you you don't have to be in some huge market in order to make it work.
The Pacers.
So we talked about what OKAC has done, and but what the Pacers have done, not only have they gotten some talent. You talked about Halliburton, Holy Casts. He shoots it like you did back in the days, just in those clutch moments. I mean, he's just he's just exactly what a team needs. And so that's the second part of the two stage rocket here is you got to get the players and then you've got to implement something that works for them in their best interests. And that's
so the Pacers have done. I'm sure you've broken down what they do offensively.
I love it.
I love people talk about that.
I want to see New York.
I want to see the Lakers in the finals, who are not No. I love this matchup. I love what we're seeing the way the Pacers. I mean, I compare it. I was writing to column and compare it to sort of a Jiffy pop kind of offense.
It's conceptual in nature.
But I get the feeling that the players are free to do what they want to do. You know, they set all those screens, and they move the ball and they get up the floor, and it's just fun to watch. I don't need to have Lebron James in the finals in order to enjoy it. I mean, what these teams do that game the last night was what basketball fan wouldn't love?
That jiffy pop, as in the popcorn that you put on a stovetop like forty years ago.
Is that.
They did not have that anymore.
I don't know. I mean, you know, but what I mean.
Is jiffy pop? Are you kidding? Happier readers have never even heard of that?
Gordon Okay, so I probably could have found a different analogy there. But all I know is that offense explodes kind of like popcorn colonels, you know. I mean, it's just it's fun to watch. And I'm not even sure the players know exactly what they're gonna do with the ball every time down the floor. It's they know the basics of what they like to do, and they're familiar with one another.
But it's just this kind of.
I don't know, yeah, explosive offense. It's that really adds to the you know, the color features of the game.
I can't believe you landed on Jeffy Pop, but we can move on that. The good news, Gordon, if you're a jazz fan is there's one top three pick on both of these rosters, and it's Chet. He's the only top three pick on both these rosters. So that's the good news. The bad news if if you're a jazz
fan is Oklahoma City and in a way Indiana. But Indiana has done this a little bit differently because they were able to get Pascal Siakam when Toronto decided to yard sale and they you know, and they already had Halliburton on the roster. Miles Turner has been there forever. Aaron Ne Smith was a Celtic but couldn't get off the bench. So as far like they drafted Benedict Matherin Andrew Nemhard, but they have not got about this the
same way Oklahoma City has. The bad news for the Jazz is at this point the jury is still out on all of their picks. Like so I can say the good news is they're not. The only top three pick in the finals is chet Holmgren. But whether it's top three, top five, top ten, top fifteen, both rounds, you have to draft the right players. It sounds so reductive and simple, but you have to hit on the picks and you have to start to develop.
And they did not draft Walker.
He was part of the go Bear deal, but he has developed under under Will Hardy. There's some things to like about Callier, but dude, I don't think Isaiah Callier and Cante George even make Oklahoma Cities roster, and I don't think Larry.
Starts for them.
So the bad news is there just is not a lot in the cupboard which leads us to number five. This feels like as important as a draft for the Utah Jazz in a number of years.
Would you agree with that?
Yeah, it's one hundred percent. And there's somebody out there. There's somebody in this draft that isn't going to be picked in the first four selections that can really help a team in a major, major way. And this is where Austin Inge has to.
Dial in on that guy. Who is it?
Well, I mean yeah, they say, well, you get lucky sometimes you hit sometimes you miss it. No, the Jazz can't afford to miss.
They've missed a couple.
Times already in my opinion, as you articulated, and this time they cannot miss. They have to take advantage of what they have here and then once if they do hit on their draft picks, then they got to do what the Pacers and what okay see you have done and selecting a guy that they can bring in who may be less thought of than what the Jazz recognize that they can be. I mean you mentioned the trades, the Pacers getting Halliburton and okay See getting a CA.
I mean those are just really savvy, smart moves by smart front office people. How smart are the Jazz front office guys? Danny, I don't know, his golf game's probably really good. Austin seems like he's more dialed in and maybe he's on top of these things. But I mean if they miss, if they miss, then they flounder.
And think about it.
In the past, when the Jazz hit on draft picks, then it really helped them. I mean, we don't need to go through the stockton A loans the situations of sixteen to thirteen. I mean, looking at it when they got Downovan Mitchell and others. It was through smart, smart moves by the Jazz, So recognizing the kind of talent that can be utilized in the system that they.
Want to run. Here, go get that guy.
If it's not Cooper Flagg, because you're not going to have an opportunity to get in. We'll get somebody who's going to be just as good as him that maybe.
Other people don't recognize.
I mean, it's I'm not saying it's easy, but it's something that has to be done in order.
For the Jazz to succeed.
Yeah, this stuff isn't easy.
And you know when you're able and you know, one of the reasons why not grabbing one overall.
Stings this year? What are you there?
Yeah?
I sorry about that. One of the one of the reasons why not grabbing one overall Sting? Well, there are several reasons. Because Cooper's awesome. But when you have the guy like san Antonio has women Yama, then Chris Paul will sign with you. And I know Chris Paul is you know, not who he used to be. But Daron Fox will greenlight a trade to San Antonio because you have women Yama If the Jazz can find their answer to that, and it's not Cooper Flag, maybe it's aj Debonsa,
then you've got something. Then agents will take your phone call to say, Okay, yes, I want my client to come play for you because you have this great young piece and all players want to win and get paid. Right now, the Jazzes don't have that, Like no one, no agent is calling it Austin agent saying, hey, my client would really love to play off of Johnny Juzang Like they just don't have the piece as of now to attract other players, which is why this has to
be a long game. One more Jazz thing that I do have some other things for it, then I'll set you loose. Tom Thibodeau just lost his job after going to the Eastern Conference finals and winning fifty games back to back seasons and making the playoffs four or five years. Michael Malone just lost his job after winning a championship two years ago. Taylor Jenkins, a lot of good coaches have lost their jobs. Will hardly received a five year
contract extension. He's won thirty three percent of his games. The Jazz have locked in their front office with Austin Danny and jay Z and other pieces moving forward. So the problem is, it doesn't matter who you cut your coach is, it doesn't matter who your front office is,
if you have bad basketball players. But is there a silver lining that Ryan and Ashley Smith appear to be hiring people they believe in and giving them space to do their jobs and giving them the long game to do this from a front office and coaching perspective.
Yeah, it's been to you and I have had this conversation so many times. That's a single most important element in any franchise is the owner and what the owner is willing to do. And if Austin Ains can bring to this team what is necessary, which we've thoroughly discussed here, then yeah, they're willing to pay them to be here and pay them to keep them here.
And that's what has to happen. I mean, it.
Sounds unfair in some ways, Like Okay, Spencer, we say, Okay, you just got to be smarter than the other guys. That's the way it is.
That's what they got to do.
And if Ryan Smith is willing to continue to pour resources into this, then then yeah they can get it done. But like you said, that number five pick is huge for this team this year for the very reasoning you talked about. And I remember it used to be that people said these small market teams players don't want to go play there. Well, talk to the players on the Thunder, talk to the players on the Pacers, two supposedly small market teams, and then talk about how much they like
playing what they're where they're playing. I mean, but you said it exactly right. They have they have assets involved in their franchises that draw other players in. And as you so articulately said there right now, the Jazz don't have that.
All right, switching gears here before I set you lose, you know, And this is a complicated story to talk about, but you've always excelled in things like this, and I hate to make it a football story, but Jake retz Laugh is the starting quarterback at Bringham Young University, and since you and I last spoke, a civil suit has
been filed. No criminal charges, as I continue to remind everybody, and these are allegations and Jake deserves to process like everybody else, and so we'll kind of see how it plays out. It adds an extra layer of complication as far as where he plays and the honor code, which he is.
Forced to it here too.
I don't want to say, but like he has to do it here too if he wants to be a student and an athlete at BYU. They all have to that's just the deal. If you're playing down there, if you're going to school down there. So your thoughts on where we find ourselves and just some thoughts on how Brian Santiago and BYU kind of have to traverse this newly complicated space.
Well, it's if you're going to break the law and you're going to hurt people, then you're in big trouble. It's just the way it is. I mean, anybody theoretically has to follow the law, but at BYU.
You can't bail out.
By saying things are consensual or other things that might be utilized in other cases.
Because the honor code is there.
It's an extra layer, the behavioral code that is going to demand a certain kind of behavior. And so I don't know, this is what I think is gonna happen in this case. If this see plays out in the courts, it's going to take over a year to get it settled.
And so where does that.
Leave BYU B was in situations where they I don't think they can afford to have their starting quarterback be playing under this kind of dark cloud. So what they have to do, in my opinion, I'm not an attorney, but by us access to a whole lot of those they need to go out and find out what really happened and then move on it in that direction. If they can get it solved beforehand that it isn't a thing,
then then they can move on. But if there's that cloud, if there's any if there's that doubt, then yeah, you people who have a due process and you want to presume the medicine until proven guilty. But BYU is a different beast. I mean they cannot, they cannot abide that, and I there's a whole lot of colleges out there, university football programs who couldn't abide it, at least among them BYU.
So I really I don't.
Want to condemn anyone before it is made as certain as possible, but doing things away BYU does. I don't think they can afford the luxury to wait that long.
Gordo, It's been too long.
I appreciate the time, was that hat more than two hundred dollars, tell me the truth.
No, it was not, it was not.
I think I think I've botched it off.
Someone on the street somewhere have all of that hat.
There's a Rodney danger filled bowl of soup joke in here somewhere, Gardo. But hey, you weren't well. Looked like you guys had a great time. I always enjoy visiting with you. Let's do it again soon, Okay.
I think the line is, oh, no, no, but it looks good on you.
Thank you, sir, be good okay.
Gordon Monts in Salt Lake Tribune. I always appreciate his time. Some good stuff there from Gordo