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Rocks mL sports fans, welcome back. It is the Drive of Spence Check. It's here on ESPN seven hunder ninety two one. Okam proud to be a part of the ESPN Utah Radio Network. I'm Scott Mitchell filling in for Spence all week long. I'll be here all week so having a lot of fun. It's been a great show. If you miss any of the show, don't worry. Just go to ESPN seven hundred sports dot com or the ESPN seven hundred Sports app and you can get the podcast version.
You can get anything that you miss.
So driving along in your car and you just have to get out for whatever reason, It's okay, You're not going to miss anything. So and always glad that you tune in. So we have a great time, having a great time today and it's even going to get better because we're speaking with none other than Roxy Bernstein. He joins the show.
Of course.
He's a commentator on pretty much every sport invented.
He he is a play by play guy. Roxy. Welcome to the show. How you doing.
I'm great, Scott, how are you?
You know, I'm living the dream and as I always say, it's not a nightmare.
So I feel pretty good about it. And I am I am awakened conscious, So this is this is not you know, not made up. You were just in town right for time.
There kind of I try to slide in under the radar because it was supposed to be a surprise party for they had a retirement down at BYU for Tom Homo twenty three years working in the administration for the athletic director at BYU, and and so it was supposed to be a surprise. So I didn't alert anybody I was coming to town like my buddies. I didn't text them, Hey, I'm coming in. Just slide under the radar. But it was a great event. It was cool to see guys
like Ronnie Lott and Keena Turner show up. Yeah, in support of Tom Homo. But it was a fabulous night at it at Provo.
Yeah, you know, Tom did a great jobs as an ad and what I thought was a tough situation. I thought BYU being in independence was almost almost a prison sentence. And then and then you know, of course b YU has the unique challenges that it does, and I just thought he's just he's handled it so well and made some really savvy moves and and you know, got BYU, I think in a better place when he left and when he was there and when he showed up.
So no question considering you're now in the Big Twelve, you're in one of the power for conferences. And there had to be some growing pains along the way you alluded to when they went independent and went West Coast Conference for their Olympic sports and including basketball, but they were patient and this the Big Twelve hunt for BYU was a long time in the making. It just didn't spark a few years ago like this has been something that they were after for a while and it came
to fruition. And now you look at the league and it's just when you look at especially in basketball, Scott it's a good football league as we know, and certainly the success ASU had last year, but it's arguably the best basketball league in the country, at least consistently, although the SEC was the best league in the country last year.
So I'm curious. How many sports do you actually broadcast.
As of now? I'm doing well, do we count pro in college? Is one? If I'm doing the same sport, I'm.
Going to say no. But because I think it's different. I think it's a different preparation. You tell me or is it the same doing the same sport or no?
The prep, as you know, is different. So I do both the NFL and college football for ESPN NFL and ESPN Radio college football on TV and radio. I do college basketball. Tons of it is your listeners who are familiar with me. You know that I don't do the NBA. I do Major League in college baseball, and I do the NHL and a little bit of college hockey also for ESPN. So what is that seven.
I had? Yeah?
I had eight, but don't trust my math, right because I'm not sure I even have ten fingers?
So who knows that I could be?
Well?
Uh so when can you when you prep for that?
I was just thinking this, you know how, I think it would be maddening, which one of the sports that you actually broadcast, you have to like really grind like because I'm sure there are things you're just really comfortable, really familiar with, but there's got to be a sport you's. Man, It's just it's a real grind to find it.
Well, I wouldn't say, but I take it back. I've been doing some of that indoor football recently. Also, there's a team here to Pay Area, so I forgot about it. The Bay Area Panthers are co owned by Marshawn Lynch and they're the team in the Western Conference. And so I've done and they reached out to me, Hey, do you want to do some of our games? Sure don't I'll do your home games, yeah, and just drive down to San Jose A. So they have the playoffs coming up,
so we're getting ready for that. That's been the hardest Scott, because there is very little information out there on even the team's website. It is very elementary. So that has been the hardest sport to prepare for. And you know the thing that's challenging is, and you deal with this too, is for example, an opening college football game, because the rosters are so big and you have the guys that
are at the top of the depth chart. Right, if you get a one sided game, which for example, I'm probably going to have one of those week one, Well, how deep will the school go into their depth chart? What true freshmen are going to play? And how big can I get my spotting board to make sure I
have every potential player on there? So that that's challenging because you know, right when if Utah has played, for example, when they were heavy favorite over I don't know Southern Utah or weaker States, right, how deep do you go in your depth chart? And you know, you try to quiz coach wit and a staff, right who could possibly see the field. That's as challenging, I think as it is to prepare for a game, to be honest with you.
Well, and if you get a Utah game, you're going to get a lot of Polynesian names and.
And I feel confident with them.
But when you're on the air and you have to say it just it's got to flow, you know, and you get you dig deep, that's it.
That's a tough one and it takes.
Some practicing, right. You can't just phonetically. You have to say it a numbers and you can't just like repeat it in your head. You have to say it out loud and numerous times to make sure you get it correctly, because the last thing you want to do is offend someone's family, especially their mom.
If you and and a Polynesian mom, is that's that's that's a death sentence right there. It's It's like it's like throwing a football in the NFL. You just have to let it go. You just have to. You can't, you can't hold on to it. You just got to let it go there. No, just just go for it. Just whatever you say, just say it with confidence and the and it'll turn out somewhat uh nice. Uh so, well, because I want to jump all over the place. I just wanted to talk about a bunch of different things,
different sports. I was I actually kind of wanted to play a game. And do you want to play a game for a minute?
Sure? Why not?
Okay, So I'm going to give you a sport that you broadcast, and I want you to give me the most the most relevant information I need to know about that sport today.
Can you do that?
I can do my best?
Okay, college baseball.
Well, college baseball. The transfer portal is, of course like college basketball. Like college football, the talk of the town and money speaks, and players are leaving, and unfortunately that is taken the thunder away from what we should be talking about. But the transfer portal is just as prevalent college baseball as it is in football or basketball, and maybe even more so.
To be honest with you, really.
I did not know that. See, I'm glad I asked you these questions. I'm glad we're playing this game. Is there money out there for these players in a lot of I know there was a softball pitcher from Stanford who went I think to Texas.
And back and got over a million.
Yeah, was a big deal. All right, let's go h.
Think thing go with that too, Scott. Is you deal with the major league draft with some high school kids and turning it down and if kids are drafted, do they go do they go to college?
Then?
How much it really is? It's a fascinating deep dive. It can take you seriously down a rabbit hole if you don't stop.
Well, yeah, I guess because you know, you get drafted out of high school, you're going to get some signing bonus or something, and where you go to college you may get more money, and you may it may be a better opportunity for you to grow and develop, and you still and you kind of still have the benefit. Maybe you're not having the same competition, but you're at least, I don't know, getting I struggled with like three hundred
dollars a month when I played. I can't fathom what these players are getting with money and how it's all really changed.
It's so fascinating.
With the agents involved, and it's it's crazy. I was talking to a football agent last week and they're going into the high schools now to recruit kids because they can make money on their nil contracts and deals that they have with schools. So it is starting not just okay when guys are in college, it's probably when you first dealt with agents, but they're going into the high school ranks now because of the money that's out there.
It is an incredible business now. I'm anxious to see how it changes moving forward, and with some of the regulations they're trying to put in. But it is nuts when you think about high school kids are being approached by professional agents.
So my agent, who I had my whole entire career, great great guy, still an agent today.
He's been in the business forever.
Tony agnow is his names in Baltimore, And I actually had him on my radio show talking about the same thing, and he said, he said, I had a former client who's the sun was going through all this stuff, and you know, he was a young kid, still in high school and he goes and I was actually giving him instruction and helping him out with the whole thing. So yeah, it's a real thing. And these they're going after these kids at a young age.
It is crazy.
Yeah, all right, let's go to let's go to major League Baseball. What do I need to know about major League Baseball?
Well, right now, the big thing is the trade deadline, because we're approaching it tomorrow and these trades are going to happen fast and furious, and teams like the Dodgers and the Yankees are going to be aggressive. And I've already seen some interesting trades go down today between the Mets and the Giants. And does that mean the Giants are waving the white flag that they don't think they can make a push for the wild card? But right now, that's the talk as far as major League Baseball goes.
It's the trade deadline, and it's going to get fast and furious here over the next probably twenty four hours as these trades and teams are trying to strain and their roster heading down the stretch toward the postseason.
Is that what you kind of look for with the trade.
It's like if if the team doesn't make a trade and you're a fan, you go, we're done. They're not They're not going to play make the playoffs. Or is there still hope for some of these teams who who don't land a good trade option.
It's hard because teams are just trying to bolster their roster right get depth, whether they're adding an arm for their pitching staff, whether it's a bullpen, or they're trying to bring in a starter where they're trying to get another bat to length in the lineup. It's hard if you don't make a move because how aggressive these other
teams are. And you see it, Scott, You know, when a team makes a move and they're aggressive about making a trade, it sends a message to the clubhouse or the locker room right that they believe in this team, and everybody in there gets just a little more confident knowing that Hey, they're trying to help us, and they're trying to give us another weapon that we can use.
So that's the other the psychological factor also coming up of a trade deadline, but or if a team that realizes, you know what, we're not going to get there, so they start unloading some key veterans or some big contracts to try to gear up for the next season or at least replenish their farm system.
So you talked about, of course, the Dodgers Yankees. Who do you think makes the biggest move in the in the with a trade this year? Are there still moves to be made? Do you do you hear things? Who's gonna who's going to turn out with the best the best new team moving forward with the trade?
Well, the Dodgers have always been aggressive and they have the resources both with some of the talent they have in the minor leagues, plus the revenue and the money. Then we saw last off season their bullpen is still an issue, and they've reportedly acquired about, for example, Mason Miller from the Artist formerly known as the Oakland Athletics.
Camillo Douvall is another one that the Giants closer. But I just find it hard to believe the Giants Dodgers are going to get together on a trade where the Giants would send their closer to their bitter arch rival.
But teams are going to go for it. They're going to roll the dice knowing that everybody else is also trying to better their team, and the only way to do it is to be aggressive, and will teams overpay And the teams that are the sellers are trying to hold those teams in the club's ransom to try to get the best deal, and they'll try to wait until
the eleventh hour to make a trade. But the Dodgers are going to be aggressive, and it wouldn't shock me if somebody like Detroit is aggressive or Toronto with how well they're playing. Those are teams that feel that they have a chance to contend it. And frankly, Scott, I think the American League is wide open.
H Ryan Sandberg. Ryan Sandberg passes away this past He was one of my favorite players. Loved Ryan Samberg. Actually have a ball signed by Ryan Samberg. That's funny story, but just loved him. Of course he died way too young. Just kind of your thoughts on him.
First off, what a tremendous player, right, Rhino, what for sixteen years you think of him with the Cubs, although he was with the Phillies briefly as well, But to pass away at sixty five is so sad. And he
fought cancer for a number of years. But that's a part of my childhood, right, growing up watching Major League Baseball and the Braves and the Cubs were basically on TV every day and in every household if you were a baseball fan, because they were on those superstations and you got to see Harry Carey broadcasting, Ryan Sandberg and Mark Grace and those great Cubs teams from the eighties. And he was the dominant offensive second basement of his generation.
And what was it like, ten time All Star I believe, but gold gloves that he won, Silver Sluggers, and he was a no doubt Hall of Famer and just a phenomenal career that he was an MVP led the n National League and homers one year. Just a tremendous player. But also you hear the great stories about him off the field and what a great person he was. And that's what makes it even sadder, is just you lost
somebody so young. It's such an impact and was really revered and loved by every Cub fan everywhere.
Yeah, well said, I really was upset by that because the same I have the same thing. You know, Braves and Cubs were in my living room, and he was
one of my favorite players. Speaking of baseball, we'll stay on that for just a minut Major League Baseball, there's there's been a lot of talk about Salt Lake City potentially getting a franchise, and it seemed like, uh, they're they're I don't want to say they're the team, but they're certainly in significant consideration for a spot when expansion happens. Do you get a sense that that's reality or are we just living a non reality life here in Utah.
No, I think it's realistic Scott, that Salt Lake City could become a major League team. There's some issues that Major League Baseball needs to get through. First, they need to figure out the Tampa Bay situation. It appears they have some clarity on that now, and they also have to get I think some clarity on the athletics because Okay, yes they did their quote unquote groundbreaking in Vegas. I'm still not one hundred percent sold that they're moving to Vegas.
I don't think it's more than likely than not they will end up there. But nothing having worked for an organization, which I did for ten years, nothing would surprise me with that team. Like could they go back to Oakland? I think every option is on the table. Could they
stay in Sacramento. Could John Fisher, who owns the team, get fed up with a situation and things are stalling in Vegas because keep in mind, he's got to pay for the majority of the ballpark himself, and as he get frustrated and decide to walk away and look to sell. And if that's the case, then would for example, Ryan Smith be active about trying to get the major league team there to Salt Lake City? We saw how aggressive
he was in pursuit of bring him. Then the Coyotes up and now the Mammoth getting ready for their second year and it is the whirlwin And how crazy it was that how quickly that deal came together. But I wouldn't rule anything out at this point. But I think major League Baseball has some other issues Scott to deal with as far as both Tampa Bay and the Athletics. And I also think the whole labor situation because we could be headed toward a lockout potentially after next baseball season.
Ooh, were you with the A's when they were doing Moneyball?
I was not? And when so when Moneyball that was back the two early part of the early to mid two thousands. I was working for the Marlins at the time. So, but it was prevalent. You know, every buddy paid attention to what Oakland was doing, and it just seemed at the time that they were ahead of the game. What Billy Bean was doing and he talked about were hard counters at the casino, and they were creative about the
way they did things. And for example, the movie Moneyball, really it cracks me up, to be honest with you, because, well, for example, it featured Scott Hadiberg and Chad Bradford, who were key players on that team. I'm not saying they weren't, But what the movie neglects was the Aides had three dominant ages at the top of the rotation. They had Tim Hudson, Mark Bulder, and Barry Zito, and two of those guys won Cyug Awards at one point in their career.
Yet it kind of gets glossed over in the movie. And oh, by the way, that year they also had the American League MVP in Miguel Tahata, which kind of also doesn't really get featured in the film. And the other thing, I hate to burst the fan out, there's but you never had to pay for soda in the clubhouse. That's complete hogwash.
I love this And Rudy wasn't wasn't real either, by the way, I know that one too.
They had to make it more appealing, right, of course they did for the audience. Oh, it was such a great start. Chad Bradford, who is this, you know, submarine specialist that comes in and Scott Hadiberg teaching him to play first base. It's it's got to be more attractive than talking about Moulder, Hudson and Zeno.
But don't you think that sports actually in its raw form, I mean, you don't have to embellish it. There's plenty of great stories that you know, you can just state of the true true nature of them, and they're they're very compelling. I don't know, I just I don't think you have to embellish it to make it wonderful.
No, And look, the twenty game win streak was incredible. Right to see the A's win night after night and think about that, twenty consecutive wins and that's you're on top of your game for over three straight weeks. That's incredible to do. And then, of course the Indians or the Guardians, I think they were the I think they were the Indians. Were they the Guardians at the time that they won the twenty two in a row?
I remember because I thought they were the Indians.
Okay, just Cleveland, I'll say, if and just go Cleveland. But that's it's crazy to think about how consistent you need to be. And the other is you know this as well as anybody. Those professionals on the other side, I don't care, for example, how bad the Colorado Rockies are this year. That is a major league team and they're professionals and they're competing at the highest level. And to win twenty consecutive major league games, that's incredible.
Well it is because you talk about the bad teams are still really good, and they are. And that line between winning and losing is so thin, and it's just and it moves all the time. And you know, you can walk into a game and say, oh man, we got this, and we are just on top of the world and we're playing a garbage team today and you get it handed to you or the other way around. You know, it's like, I don't know if we got a shot today, and all of a sudden, you beat
the best team in the world. So yeah, it's to do that is absolutely incredible to win that number of games in a row.
All right, let's go ahead.
No, no, no, just about upsets. Okay, upsets happen, but to do it on the road and you're fatigued, you're tired, but you keep grinding and you see upsets, crazy upsets more in college, and you do professionally because the pros are just not upsets. It's because they're professionals. They're getting paid just like everybody Else's all.
Right, in our little game we're playing here, I'm going to let you it's it's dealer's choice, So you get to pick which sport you want to talk about that you broadcast. Give me relevant information that I need to.
Know, relevant information that we need to know. Well, I went and watched by U basketball practice the other day. Is that relevant?
Absolutely? Yeah, we're on the we're on the Voice of Utah. But yeah, I'm kidding.
Rival from hang.
On, let me give you because this is this is my perspective, and I'm a big fan of Look, I went to Utah and I left and I went, you know, and played professional football and all that stuff. And I want my uthes to be on the national stage. And I think by U basketball is headed there, if it isn't there already, and they're making that commitment, whether it's
financially and whatever they're doing. You know, they get the number one prospect in the country and and it looks like they've got a pretty solid basketball team this year.
Uh.
And it's and it's mind boggling to me because here you're in the Big Twelve and you talk about what is this? This conference is known for basketball, and it's certainly not known for BYU basketball, But they are making a name for themselves. And I'm just saying, hey, big brother up the street forty five minutes away, you better get your act together or you're going to get left in the dust.
That's my take on this.
Well, I think the Big Twelve took notice that byus a player last year with look what Kevin Young did with certainly some support both financially and off the floor that they're going to compete and they've got the resources
to do it. And last year, for example, Jegor Demon the top ten pick this year in the NBA Draft, and they go out and as you alluded to, Aj Debantsa coming in as the top prospect of the country, Richie Saunders staying, they have depth, they're really talented, and they're going to be really good and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon. And maybe that's what motivated the coaching change in Utah and to try to kind
of copy. I don't want to say copy what they're doing, but certainly the way the Utah puts their stamp on it, because we know how proud of a basketball program the running youth have.
You do you think that basket, you know, you talk about putting a stamp or copying it. You know you have Kevin Young who's it? You know, watching by U, it looked more like a pro style game. You know, the floor was spread out more and and it looked, you know, more of a free or flowing game and as opposed to kind of hunkered in and you know, and in a half court game. And and so Utah Alex Jensen, who was a former player but had a lot of extensive experience as an assistant in the NBA.
Do you think that's a just a one or two off just just because of it, you know, the nature of the schools here, or is this potentially a trend in college basketball in general.
Well, I think for example, with Utah seeing a success that Byu had, I'm sure it had some influence on hiring Alex Jenson and of course the former player, but with the NBA experience, but you're seeing that some NBA guys in the college game and have success. And for example, my alma mater over at cal Mark Madson, who was at Utah Valley, did a really good job as a college head coach coach in the NBA with the Lakers
played in the NBA for a long time. USC Eric Musselman was a head coach in the NBA even the mid major quote unquote programs. Mike Bibbie gets hired as the head coach at Sacramento State. You're seeing that NBA influence now come in to the college game. And it's not just that influence, but when I watch Arizona play, for example, the free flowing offense that Tommy Lloyd has and when they were doing at Gonzaga when he was there as well, that's kind of what the thought process is.
And I thought how creative Mark Pope was when he was the coach at BYU and their offense, and now he carries it to Kentucky. So I think we're seeing more of that NBA influence come into the college game.
All right, I got one more question for you, and I'm going to pick the sport. Uh, this is our last question. The game done amazing, by the way. I'm very impressed how you play this game. But so the Mammoth, of course they were the Coywites.
Now they're the Mammoth.
We're trying, we're slowly being convinced that the Mammoth was a thing here in Utah. But it was just a long time. It's ten thousand years ago, it's but we're catching up to history. What is it going to take and have the Have the Mammoth done enough to make it to be a playoff team this year?
In this in this NHL season.
I thought they could have been a playoff team last year, but things had to go right and they had so many injuries. Got in the blue line right, with John Marine missing as much time as he did, Sergachev was banged up on Dursey was out for an extended period of time. It makes it hard to compete when guys you're counting on and that was basically you didn't have half of your defense corps for a good chunk of
the season. I like the move they made to go get Paterka to give them some more firepower up front. And look, guys that score twenty five thirty goals a year, they don't grow on trees. And when I look at the top six offensively that they have with the great season that Keller had, the emergence of Gunther like, this is a team that can't compete. The problem that they have is you look at the division and how good
Dallas is and the firepower Colorado has. It is a very tough division to compete in and that's what they're going to have to do. But I think they can push. I think that there's a lot of young talent that's pushing under the radar move I like to pick up a Brandon Tanev. You need to have a little sandpaper out there and some depth. This is the team that I think is definitely the upswing and could push for a playoff spot next year.
I sure hope so.
For the sake and the sanity of all sports fans in the state of Utah, we.
Need some winning.
We're in the process of rebuilding all of our professional sports teams except for RSL. RSL is doing quite well.
So well, I'll say that Mammoth. They're not rebuilding at this point. They're rising. They were bottomed out and they consistently been getting better, so they're on the rise. How's that.
I love the optimism. Hey, and thank you so much for humoring me with this little game we played. I hope it wasn't too much for you. I didn't ask you to name any Papolynesian names, so hopefully it was a good day, a lot of fun.
I really appreciate thanks for having me. Man.
All right, have a good day you too. All right, there you have it. Roxy Bernstein, of course, he is the man.
He broadcasts all the sports around the sports dial. So, oh, we're going to get some sound from Utah coming up here at after the break, We're going to have sounds from Camp ESPN seven, our listeners help children at the road home start school in style. Stop by the advocates in Ogden, American Fork or Murray. Pick an apple from the tree and you can supply clothing and backpacks for a child at the road home. Every child deserves an advocate stop by today. See ESPN seven Oersports dot com
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Hey and Stan Patrick catch me weekday mornings from seven to eleven right here on ESPN seven hundred ninety two point one FM and Utah's ESPN Radio Network.
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