MON POD @SpenceChecketts on Scheffler's #PGAChamp, NBA Conf. Finals, Jazz offseason, Bees new hive + more

All right, let's get it drives on Monday afternoon, about fourteen minutes past the hour, two o'clock, another cloudy and chili may day outside, but temperatures improving throughout the week. We're gonna have a really nice weekend. Memorial Did weekend coming up. But as it is every single day, it's going to have you along for the ride. Spence check, it's Beyond the Mike, Porter Larsen, Beyond the Glass today,

Much like that? I mean, I thought the Knicks played really well. I was really confident going into halftime, and I thought that they had the series in hand. But like you, the last ten minutes of the game, I was just like, dude, what we're up by? Like forty points? What are we doing here? And listen. Tom Thibodeau is the coach that has them in the Eastern Conference finals.

It should be a lot of fun. So Conference Finals time in the world of pro basketball. We are high speed ahead to the NBA Draft, a lot to do. Our first guest today will be Bobby Marx, the Great Bobby Marks from ESPN. But before we get to Bobby, courtesy of our good friends, You're good friends, Stewart Prize Picks, it is Todd Now for your opening tip.

Welcome to the Drive with Spence. Check its on Utah's number one sports talk. Now into the studios of ESPN seven hundred to set the scene for the show. The opening tip of the Drive is brought to you by Prize Picks. Use the code ESPN seven hundred and run your game with Prize Picks.

Cash in on the basketball playoffs with Prize Picks. Now miss your last chance. You have your favorite players from the court to your Prize Picks lineup, whether it's points, rebounds, or assists. Take your pick more or less for your shot to win up to two thousand times your cash. Today you can turn your playoff hot Takes and the tickets to Basketball's Championship Series starting with the playing round.

I'm good? How are you?

We're all right? I mean, let's just start here. The lottery's rigged and everybody hates the Jazz and we can't catch a break, so let's just start with the scripted world of the NBA. Bobby, Well, you.

Can probably add Washington and Detroit last year and the list of teams. Listen, you have a better chance. How the the reformed lottery odds are you have a better chance of not picking in the top three than picking in the top three. I think they had like a fifty chance of picking at five. So yeah, it is, it is. I would say it's probably not designed to reward some of the top teams. And just like the lead in general right now, there is a lot of parody when it comes to the process of the.

Lottery for sure. And Xenik was great with the media afterwards because everybody keeps saying they fell to five, and Justin's like, well, we actually had a better chance of drafting five than we had. It won, right, but you know the deal out here, when you're asked as a fan base to suffer through literally the worst season the Jazz have ever had, you're just kind of hoping for

Yeah, No, you're right, I mean I do think Listen, I think there's a ton of options, certainly with with with the draft as far as the picks that you have have, not just in June, but certainly all the you know, the draft assets that you have in the future, and you have a little bit of everything, as far as you know some expiring contracts, uh, you know your younger players that you're still trying to trying to figure out. As far as you know who are your foundational players.

I can tell you. And look, I don't pretend to speak for every jazz fan, but I don't feel like there is a lot to hope, Bobby right now for the organization, at least on the outside looking in. And I still have friends over there, and I know how

Listen, if if you honest became available, just hypothetically talking it would it would be negligant, negligent not to put a phone call in to see what the price would be, not just with Utah but the other the other twenty nine players.

If Trey Young became available, or you know, you know, there's I think I think it has a lot of it has to do with what's left of the roster. Do we still have options to add or whatever. If we go out and get two players, we basically we wiped cleaned as far as what we have left and what happens if one of those players leaves when they can become a free agent two years or three years from now, and well, we basically starting from from ground zero again here. So I think they'll, you know, I

For sure. There was one piece of actually official business, Bobby, that happened out here since you and I last spoke, and Will Hardy had already had his fourth and fifth year options picked up, so it's not like he was a lame duck. However, they decided to extend him through twenty thirty one and if he coaches throughout his entire contract, he'll have a nine year runway, which never happens. So I was I was a bit surprised. I'm not gonna lie,

I just think it's the market. You know, it's almost like a player that you kind of know what the market's going to be if you ever that coach was ever out there, and especially if he was going in with two years or on an expiring I just think that he is extremely valuable, not just in Utah, but I think he's extremely valuable how teams look at him, certainly, whether it be and I know he's under contract, whether it been a team like Phoenix or some of these

Right, Moving back to where the league finds itself as it pertains to the way they determine draft order. As a result of the data we have since twenty nineteen, where the worst team in the league does not it has not been rewarded with the number one overall pick, and so many teams have fallen while other teams have risen. Do you think that will change the approach of teams like the Jazz this year that were just unserious about winning? And look, we even Bobby, we even got a little

I think in a perfect world, you would like to be where san Antonio was this year as far as in a position to contend for playing and then you find yourself in that eat range and listen they go to two. I mean, there's no guarantee you're going to go to two. I mean Dallas wins a playing game and loses in the plant playing final and gets to the more pick, and they were eleven. So there there

Okay, I know you're not a hot take guy, which I appreciate about you. You know, what you do is a great job of educating us about what's actually happening as opposed to what you think should happen. But since we're in this weird space in Salt Lake, moving into the fourth year of a rebuild or a two years tear, whatever it is, it's four years since they were good. Do you like the way the league goes about the

I could, I could, I would be on board with rewarding a team. You know, basically the NFL model as far as going by you know, the standings, as far as you know, we ever finished worse. We let's eliminate the lottery and say, but if you finish with the first pick, then you are basically there's a void as far as you finishing first the following year, right, like you're you don't have the option to get number one consistently here, or there's a there's a there's a kind

One more thing here. Then we'll move on to teams that are actually still playing you know, San Antonio two is interesting only because if it is the Dylan Harper kid, there might be some redundancy on that roster with Stefan Castle and Daron Fox. But the reports are that they're going to hang on to two and draft him and let him develop, which is probably the right thing to do. A lot of people out here wondering if there's a way the Jazz could utilize the assets in their back

Oh? I would think so. I mean certainly, I think outside of Dallas at one, I think if it if it makes sense. You know, Dylan Harper's is a really nice player. But if you're will to move some of that, excuse me, that Cleveland or Minnesota draft equity or that Phoenix one that's kind of the golden ticket in thirty one, I think there's a way for you to get up there. I think it's just a matter of how much separation do you feel Dylan Harper is compared to what you

All right, Bobby. Last Thursday, I went to bed and uh, I was tossing and turning, picturing Charles Smith missing four layups, picturing Anthony Mason throwing a ball to Reggie Miller, picturing Patrick Ewing having a finger roll. Go off is go off the back of the rim pick and John starts shooting three of eighteen. And no part of me thought the New York Knicks were winning on Friday night, even

Yeah, it's amazing. I was a senior in Cow. I think I just graduated when that infamous Game seven happened, when the Ewing Kinger roll rolled off the rim there. So I do remember that series, the multiple series during the nineties. Well, New York is different than three other three teams that are left Oklahoma City, Indiana and Minnesota eight deep, right in, eight really good players. As far as how they're maybe okay, she's a little deeper. New

Tell me this, Bobby. I mean, look, I've known Tom Thibodeau for years. He was an assistant under Jeff and I respect the man immensely, and of course I would never second guess anything but your reference how reliant they are on their five. Yeah, when it's one hundred and ten to seventy four, like with six minutes left, can we just go ahead and set aside the ethos and maybe take the guy like, are you watching thinking the same thing I am? When it's like a forty point game with six minutes left.

You know, it's funny. It's it's one of those where like when you're sitting in a stand, I'm sure and I think Beyonce, it's like four rowers behind them. It's almost like one of those games where you'd like give a little a note to like, you know, one of the court side attendants to just give it to one of the assistants to like pull these guys please, right, like they're lucky. Listen, they're lucky that nobody because if

Yeah.

I do think that is especially when the other teams kind of pulls their own guys, right, I mean when the other white waves or white flag, it's like, okay, we're done right, Like put our guys in. There's no way a team has come back from not thirty five to forty points.

Yeah, I didn't need to see Jalen fighting over a Xavier Tillman pick. Please, Like, what are we doing here? But let's move out. Let's move out this way, Bobby, I wonder what you make of the way Minnesota has been able to go about their business. And look, I mean it's interesting out this way because I'm watching Donovan with a great I mean, obviously it didn't end well with Cleveland, but Rudy's been great, Conley's been great, Like all the ex Jazz guys I have gone on to

Yeah, you know, it's interesting. You get to a conference finals a year ago and usually you would roll back, and you know, Atlanta did it a few way back when and it kind of hurt them a little bit. Minnesota was different because they from a financial angle, they were extremely extremely expensive, and to basically break up towns into two players with Randall and Devincenzo, I think it

Bobby, last thing that will set you loose. I started out the show with this, and I want you to kind of expand on it and help us understand where we're at in pro basketball from a macro viewpoint of an era of great parody, where markets such as ours have been able to roster construct elsewhere to win championships in the CBA, I believe expires in twenty thirty, which gives another five year window with this landscape for teams that operate in cities like ours that have been able

I think how it helps Utah and other cities is that there's three elements as far as roster building. There's the draft, there is the trade market, and then there's free agency. And the under the CBA, free agency is a distant third. Uh, it's it's probably we wouldn't maybe even put it in there because it's it's really nonexistent.

Well, Bobby, I appreciate the time has been such a fun playoff. Excited for the conference finals and let's get you back on soon. Thank you, sir.

Sounds good. Good talk with you, all right.

The great Bobby Marks, the ESPN front office insider, spend a number of years with the new Jersey nets. That's right, kids, look it up. Does a great job of kind of helping us understand the landscape of the league. Got Bobby Marks forty two is where you find them on social Brought to you today by our friends at IFA Country Stores. When the seasons change, if you're like any good coach, you'll put together your game plan for a healthy, green

All right here?

I had myself on mute. I was it was a rookie move. I had myself on mute and I was talking, and you were like, hey, can I hear you? When I was like, is my take that the last of Us episode that I watched that I can't watch tonight? Do you have any last of Us takes? Are you watching that show?

I am not.

Have you?

Have you made your way through righteous Gemstones?

So that's on my to do list this offseason.

I know, I know, just don't, just don't. I know it, everybody, all my buddies are I can't believe because, like, if you did an algorithm of like things that I like, comedies shows, HBO shows, whatever, it would all point to the Righteous said Stones. And I haven't started it yet. And I'm sorry, I apologize. That is number one on my big board.

You do not have to apologize to me, but you can count me among the people. We're not best buds, but it does seem like Rascius Gemstones would be right down your alley. I mean, I'm a like anything McBride does, I'll give it a chance, you know, vice principles, whatever it is, I'm gonna watch Danny McBride.

Well.

I think I think right now the NBA it's a great time to be an NBA fan because we've got some new fresh blood. We've got the whole Cooper Flag dynamic. There's a lot of storylines with the Luka Doncic stuff. We've got some new blood.

But I got to say, at this point in the postseason, I think everyone deserves a little bit of a beat, a little bit of a break.

And so last night having no game and then tonight not having a game.

I think it's good for all. I'm not saying it's Aaron Gordon. Where Aaron Gordon is now after losing, saying we need more rest than the postseason. I'm not saying I'm taking a page out of Aaron Gordon's book. I'm just saying, Look, I think for everyone's health and their families and their loved ones, it'll be good to get some FaceTime with them this evening. I'm just saying that.

What if you're single and your only child is twenty three, living in New Canaan, Connecticut, and not in Salt Lake. What if you have literally nothing to do and no family to interface with.

You're asking for a friend.

Yeah no, not me, not me, Tom, I'm just a buddy of mine.

Well, you know what, you can pull up some old clips. You know, you can pull up whatever you want. And that's a great thing about the NBA is there's a plenty of libraries there on NBA dot Com or if you want, on all the streaming platforms, there's lots of content you can watch on the NBA if you need to fill that void.

In your life or could you do me a favor and go to the archive of the Staples Wreckers and see if you can give me nineteen ninety four New Canaan at Staples Spence check its versus p Van Sicklin. Can you can you do that?

What is a website error message for h or not? Now, that's what that is. I don't know what you're talking about.

Fair enough? All right, Tom, I've got kind of a loaded question, but you'll be good with this. I started the show off today with you know, we're about to have our seventh NBA champion seven years. When you look at some of the teams that have won championships, it's Milwaukee, it is Denver, and ultimately this year we have Minnesota, we have Oklahoma City, we have Indianapolis, all in the final four, which means this era of parody should benefit

Here's how you do it.

You build up your medical staff. There's no cap on your medical staff. And this parody era is lipstick on a pig. The parody label is a nice, warm propaganda term to say, all our stars are injured these days, and that's what's dictating these non repeats and new champions

Then I think what's being led on and we can say this.

Is the era of you know, the CBA, that the second Apron and the Big Three era is done. I would argue that this is more of a function of NBA stars are getting hurt and not on our TV screens than it is more of this, like good competitive balance measures, and I think that's not a fun story to tell. It's an important story to tell. It's an accurate, accurate story to tell that the repeat champions or the reigning champions, I should say in that seven years are

Almost all of them have been.

Won by the team that shot better from downtown, almost every single one. And so when you have the three ball mattering this much and injuries mattering this much in the postseason, I just wrote a column for Yahoo Sports that injuries in the postseason have increased sevenfolds since the late nineteen nineties.

Injuries to star players, all star players.

Have increased sevenfold since the late nineteen nineties and fivefold since as recently as two thousand and eight. So that is why we're not having these repeat champions.

As much as we want to say it's about, oh, everyone's got a chance, Well everyone's got a chance because stars that matter more in basketball than any other sport, star players are not being available because of injuries and three point shooting, and so I think that's more of a reason. And if you're a.

Utah Jazz, sayan, I would say, make sure your training staff is as good as the New York Knicks is one,

Well, Tom, I didn't invite you on to completely sabotage my rundown of the show today. Okay, so you're not necessarily wrong. The problem with talking about that through the prism of where the Jazz file themselves is all due respect to the current roster, none of them really have to stay healthy for them to do anything special. So I guess I'll try to change maybe the angle in the direction. But I do want to get back to what you just said, because I'm wondering what your thoughts

Yeah, I mean it's good news that we have injuries to star players, because if you don't have a great team, or if you're trying to rebuild and you know, strike hit the lottery, not ands sarily the trap lottery. We don't have to revisit that from last week.

But the point is, if you are a.

Mid tier title contender like the Indiana Pacers or the Minnesota Timberwolves that were not in my top tier all season long at Tomdefiner dot com, you have a better shot in today's era when Jason Tatum and Jamian Lillard tear their achilles in the postseason, like you have a better chance at making a run and having things break your way if star players are getting into your more so, if the Utah Jazz want to look at this era and say, hey, it's a shorter path because of this,

Is is wise to the importance of the three point shot.

That doesn't mean that he he is okay with Walker Kessler taking toad threes a game that we saw a little cameo of that at the end of the season, and we might know why.

That was happening.

But I think when you look at the Utah Jazz and this more open playing open season for the championship, it might not be as long of a runway as it was in previous generations and the thunder or evidence of that. And I also think that the Indiana Pacers, you remember they were in the Webby sweepstakes like they were gonna be a team that was the tank and they kind of were too good for that. It wasn't long ago that the Indiana Pacers were considered Vegas's the

So we talked to you, I think our first NBA guest after the bad news that the Jazz did not get a little luck last week and they a cheap, hesitating to say they fell to five because the percentages said that was the best possible out or not. The most likely possible outcome was four or five, So that was their floor. So they didn't get the luck, but they actually landed where the numbers said they probably would land.

I'm looking at San Antonio. San Antonio at number two. They already have Dared Fox and Stefan Castle and Dylan Harper is considered the favorite to go number two before

Jazz would be very wise to try to go get a Dylan Harper, but if it comes to the cost of marketing, I can understand why he would be very appealing to the Spurs and why Dylan Harper would be very appealing to the Utah Jazz to get like their point guard, whether you want to say hybrid guard of the future, that would make sense from a personnel standpoint. I just don't know if the Utah Jazz would move

Right, moving over now to teams that are still playing, and I wonder, and I talked to Bobby about this, and you'll get it, you know. Visions of Charles Smith missing four layups in a row. No, he was not fouled. Visions of Anthony Mason literally throwing an in bounce past to Reggie Miller, who stepped back and hit a three

I mean, it's Jalen Brunson. This guy is unreal, the way.

That he has dominated in fourth quarters this postseason and in clutch time.

It's remarkable.

It's it's a testament to Leon Rose and Tom Thibodeau and Worldwide West and the fact that they believe so much in Jalen Brunton to tamper whatever you want to call it, hire his father to the coaching staff under Tom Thibodeau, and send a whole fleet of people to go watch that game that they thought it was about Donovan Mitchell when it's more about Jalen Brunson. To go and acquire that guy and then say, not only is he going to be an All Star for us, but he's going to be one of the best, if not

He has one hundred and.

Fourteen points this postseason and the next highest guy has seventy six. So Jalen Brunson in the fourth quarter shooting fifty one percent from the floor, forty eight percent from downtown and has more points than anybody by forty by by by about forty points. That's insane.

And he's not a big.

Dude, and so I can understand why people looked at Jalen Brunson and said he's undersize, he's not athletic enough. But the dude's a winner and he's proven time and time again that he's been able to step up in last postseason against the Indiana Pacers getting hurt and just not being able to finish the season. I can't wait

League. We've got a lot of bad blood between these two teams. Historically.

We're gonna see Reggie Miller on the mic for TNT in their last postseason on the broadcast. There's a lot of dynamics here that are really exciting. But my favorite thing is that we have the potential for Tyree Taliburton to do the choke sign against the New York Knicks allave Reggie Miller with Reggie Miller in the building in Indiana, Like, if that happens, WWE ain't got nothing on this series. We even saw Tyree Taliburton and Jalen Brunson in WWE,

You know what PTSD is, Tom, you know the definition of that.

There.

I'm sorry, okay, So, like, of all the interviews you're gonna do this week, this is the only one you didn't need to do that. You realize that, right.

I am sorry to do that to you.

All good?

At first, I start off by having the mute button on, and then I do that to you.

Come on, man, if you hung up on me, I would not blame you.

I would never do that to you, especially at my age. When my son is visibly embarrassed watching me text. He's like, Dad, why does that take you so long? I'm like, just leave me alone. I'll get it done just real quick. Who do you give the advantage to Nick Pacers just early on.

I think it's the Pacers and the way that they get up and down the floor, the shot making that they have. They are the best shooting team in the postseason so far. They've got about eight guys in that series shooting fifty percent or higher against Cleveland.

They are a team that I think could give the next real problems when it comes to that up tempo. They move the ball crazy way more than the Boston Celtics.

The Indiana Pacers are having more passes per game this postseason than any team since twenty fifteen. It's been a decade plus since we've seen a team move the ball this much per game than the Indiana Pacers. And as we say against the Boston Celtics, the switching that they do sometimes.

They can get vulnerable. You're going to try to limit the passing by switching a lot, but they're not a good switching team, and so are you going to see Tom Thibodeau in that very overload strong side defense, and the Pacers are going to try to pick that apart by getting them in rotation and getting open baskets. This is a really good Pacers offense and a team that has the best win percentage in the Eastern Conference since January one. They're legit. It's not gonna be an easy series.

The Knicks in five games, so I'm obviously over underrating the New York Knicks historically, but I just think the Indiana Pacers play a brand of basketball that can be.

Really tough for the Knicks.

So I got the Pacers in that series.

Out this way okay see dispatches of Denver in Game seven, and man, when they turn it on, it just look, there might be a little press sure on OKAC with Boston out, with Cleveland out, with Lebron out, with Stephen Curry out, and I could keep going. They are the Vegas favorite to win, not just against the Tea Wolves, but the NBA Championship. Now Minnesota, I think they deserve a lot more credit than most people are giving them, and maybe we should have paid more attention to them

I think it's okay See. And their defense is so smothering and so physical and so intense that I could see it giving you know, Rudy Gobert a lot of problems. I see Julius Randall has been as good as I've ever seen Julius Randall play in this postseason. But the way that they kind of bait you into trying to go one on one and then they have like three guys swarming you and swiping at the ball, I could

This thunder team is way different. They're way younger, youngest title contending team ever. Alex Caruso. The fact that they were able to get him in the trade which for Josh Giddy and then turn him into a Yokich stopper, that was insane, And I got okay see, I've had to okay see all season long. I've been on this program saying that I think they're going to run through the postseason. Denver did a great job giving giving them a real battle in that semi Finals. I think it's

One more thing, actually, I want to kick the tires real quick because you reference the next trainer, you know, being awarded the the you know, the training staff of the Year. I would just wonder if you're watching the same way I am, Like, I get Tom's I get Tom Thibodeau's ethos, like known him forever, he was Jeff's assistant.

Man, this a tiger trait changes straight. I know, I mean, it's we've seen it, unfortunately, we've seen this horror show, the Boogeyman. What happens at the end of these runs. It happened last year. They've I don't want to ran on their parade like absolutely they should celebrate since two thousands haven't made the conference finals. An incredible and incredible performance against the Boston Celtics. But that stuff makes me nervous, man,

It just takes one. It just takes one weird freak play for that ankle to be rolled, and then it's it's you know, the Tom Thibade story all over again. But man, they're playing so well. Mitchell Robinson coming back from injury, the way that he's performed, it's a seven man rotation. And let's see what happens against the Indiana Pacers that are going to try to run them out of the gym. It's gonna be a really really fun series. I can't wait.

Where can people go get the work?

Tommy Oh, Tomdefinder dot com, Yahoo Sports, the Big Number that I do with Dan Devine, as well as the.

KOC show that I appear every week. We're gonna do a postgame show Thursday night after Minnesota, OKC. On Thursday night, We're gonna do a live show over at Yahoo Sports. So go check me out there and of course, pack your knives. Top Chef Recap show in full season right now. If you're a Top Chef fan, thanks so much.

Bench All right, buddy, talk to you soon. There's the great Tom Haberstrow brought to you today by IFA Country Stores, Summer Vacation and warmer weather are just beyond the horizon. As the days grow longer, excuse me, and brightly colored flowers being making their appearance. It's time to start planning and applying step two of IA Phase four plus annual long Care Program design with a blend of vital macro and micro nutrients. IFA is step two for Lizer promotes

I was lucky enough this this this year. I heard from home.

Oh, you live close enough that you didn't have to.

I heard that concert while I was doing my garden last night, so it was actually kind of nice.

And also Travis Tritt wasn't there. Yeah, Travis Tritt is he alive?

I think so.

Shout out Travis Trick on a Monday afternoon, Tony Parks, what's up, man, I'll tell you what I I finished my Sunday nights the same way all the time. I usually prefer to spend it with Scott van Feldt. Not literally, that'd be weird, but hopefully it's van Felt Sports Center and last night hang it out. I'd fall asleep and they say top ten plays. I'm like, hey, I'll check out the top ten plays. Who doesn't love the top ten plays? And then prior to number one, they said,

Yes's awesome. Nico Cavadas, rob's a home run. Nico gets traded to this team last year. Middle of the year, Red Sox trade him him Matthew Lugo, who's now at the Angels. Nico comes and he's a part of the team. South Bend, Indiana kid grew up dreaming of going to Notre Dame, went to games, baseball, football, watched Jeff Samarja. The whole thing has stories school, Yeah, good call. He dated a girl who lived in the Central time zone. He lived in the Eastern, which was ten minutes apart

It was annoying.

Right, So when he's at Notre Dame, a coach named Link Jarrett comes along. They're one of the worst defensive teams, flips him around to being one of the best defensive teams, and he becomes very underrated, in my opinion, defensive player first.

Base, mostly here and there.

But then they put him in the outfield, and I'm like, you know what, this guy could play some outfield. This guy and you're watching it in workouts and all of that, You're going, this dude's I don't think he's I don't think people would look at him and think, oh, this is going to be a dynamic outfield player, a player in the outfield, and sure enough, yesterday he's out and right, I think that's his first game, and right, this year's play mostly left most of that.

I have to go back and look at it. Some of the games kind of blur together.

But as it's going back, I'm like, Okay, yeah, I think that's gonna get out. And then as I'm watching him time the leap, I'm going, oh my gosh. And then you see his athleticism, his ability to reach over. He couldn't have been more perfect with the timing. It was awesome.

Man.

It was a great way they lost yesterday.

They didn't have a lost like seven to one, but that was like a stellar highlight, one of many great defensive highlights for the team. But that was so cool to call to watch and then to know his background which led up to that moment.

How you know, if at all, How does that work? Like, do you guys get a call from ESPN like hey, we want to use this clip. I mean, are you aware that you're about to be calling the top play on Sports Center that night? Or you weren't it in real time like the rest of us. I didn't know it would be number one. I thought, oh, that's got to be a candidate for sure.

And what you do is in your tweets and all of the communication you hashtag sc top ten and Sports Center and all that and so yeah, and I immediately because the feed, here's what would happen this year. I started saying, Hey, look, when we get a really dynamic call, let's have a communications situation where we can get our call over the MiLB call because they always take home a home feed, because that would just normally be on

And so that was a gimme.

We had a good system and it got processed right away and then communicated to Sports Center right away, and it just increases your chances.

For something like that.

To give love to Cavadis, to the Bees and you know, a whole organization.

So it was cool. John Ollinger, John Oliver, excuse me not John Hollinger. He writes for The Athletic. John Oliver hosts this show called Last Week Tonight on HBO. It airs every Sunday, and John's a really funny you know, it's a lot of satire, it's a lot of political satire. But he did last night. He did an entire segment

That's why I think so many people who work in the Pacific Coast League. Steve and I were obviously close, Steve Cloukey and I, so many of us that work there. That's why it's a clubhouse feel because it doesn't have some of those undertones you're talking about. You deal with far less of the unnecessary bs. There's always weird stuff you gotta deal, but like, you get to really connect with people in a great way, and the fans too,

Base tell me, and I don't have any data at my disposal with this. You know, my sincere hope is that the Millers endeavor to bring Major League baseball here. It comes to fruition. I just think it would be so great, and obviously through my prism last night, after getting through you know, the NBA stuff, I watched Game seven on the NHL side, and then some of the

I mean, I think you look at how you would compare it to other stuff like the NFL.

Clearly it's going to take a back seat.

I mean, just you it has so many games, and when you talk about being there in person, it's a great experience. TV and radio is obviously different. It's one of those that you have on the background for radio if you want. You know, I've always loved one. I'll prep for a game if there's day games on. I love my Wednesday Thursday games. I'll have it on in the background, like listening to different broadcasters, just hearing the sounds of it.

It's just nice. It's nice to have.

When it comes to something that you are going to attach yourself to. You're not attaching yourself to it going Okay, they can get out of the sixth inning, we get to the bullpen.

And that No, that's for the playoffs.

It's just because there's so many games that the attention span is not going to be there all the time. So it's something to have on, something to have on like on a Sunday night, like you're talking about, right, and so the the eat, sleep, breathe every live moment. In terms of TV radio, I think that would be tough to ever compare it to stuff like it has with the NFL and things like that, but it is healthy. There is attraction to the stars of the game right now.

Just not and it doesn't it doesn't have to be. It doesn't have to, you know, And on the landscape, of the hierarchy. It's probably still three, right, it's probably football, basketball, then baseball, maybe hockey's gained some in roads, and soccer will probably all beyond the outside looking in in this country.

Yeah, I am no, very confident because the same reason why they supported the NHL, and the same exact reason because I had a good friend of mine who's one in Chicago and then another one lives in Long Island, and he was like, it's not I've been out there. It doesn't really feel like a hockey city.

I said, it's not. I'm not gonna lie to you and be like, this is a hockey town. No, it's not. It's not.

People were learning the game as the season went along, by the way. It doesn't make them less of a fan, doesn't make them not intelligence. Yeah, it's just this is not a place where kids played a lot of hockey.

We can just call it like it is. But they supported it because it was their team.

They love events and they they are totally engaged with this community. So I knew the moment the NHL came in, I was like, oh, yeah, they they'll totally get behind that team. And then as it turned out, they did, And I thought it was great with the way that people were able to just say like, oh, okay, I'm learning about this part of the game. And you know what, Nat was never a hockey fan, toughter offsides icy in

It was awesome.

But for a lot of people here that can be the same thing, and it's another great enjoyable experience. There's the other thing. It would own the summer. It would absolutely own the summer. So would it sell out every game like you would say the NHL, Well, no, you have eighty one.

Nobody sells out everybody Baseball Like that's I.

Love it when people are like, I could see them having a tough time selling out every game.

Nobody does.

Well, yes, and nobody does, and so you get two months of dicey weather.

You've got a lot of games.

But I do think you would see a ton of great energy and passion towards it, like you were seeing energy and passion towards now the the Utah Mammoth so.

And summer night's here rule I mean amazing, you know, Like, that's one of the things I love about the soccer experience. And I tease those guys over there because they're always like, hey, you coming to the game I'm like, is it seventy five degrees yet, because I'm not coming until it's warm, because I'm not sitting outside in cold weather. But a warm Utah summer night out at America First Field, even if you're not a soccer fan, you will enjoy the experience.

Yeah, I'm not being a homer with this leader in the clubhouse. Leader in the clubhouse. And by the way, you know, there's a ton of variables that come with stuff like this over time, so things can always change. But I think they're the leader in the clubhouse because all the circus, all the nonsense is out of the way.

Yeah, oh my gosh, the last minute.

Oh crap, Hey, by the ways, all that stuff gone, and there is something too, having already put so many other plans in place to then let this be a smooth landing, as smooth as you can have.

Sure. Sure.

Now the other thing I try to tell people too, because they well, how long do you think it would take? And I'm like, well, you got to remember when Tampa and Arizona had their expansion teams, it was four years later. They had opening day, four years when it was like if I remember it was announced, it was like four years later.

That's so that's a gap.

So it would have to be hey, we're expanding, Hey, this is where we're doing it. I don't know if it would be four years, but that's what it was back then, So that takes some time. The other thing is if you expand, so people look at what happened with Ryan Smith and the Utah Mammoth. Now, great work to quickly turn it around, I mean, amazing, like they deserve it's on a credit for that. It was also easier that it was a purchased team right, because now

Right to them before you catch a break. The Solid B's and Miller Sports and Entertainment invite all to celebrate the grand opening of the Salt Lake Bees team Store the ballpark at America First Square. This is tomorrow, May the twentieth, one one one South Ballpark Drive.

First of all, great address, easy to fide. It's my mom's pass code for her phone, so she can't forget.

You know, I probably should not say my father's cell phone on air, but it is amazingly easy. New merch, great deals and more. Beesteam store dot com. Tell me what do you want our listeners to know?

Oh man, I'll tell you what. Like I love with what they're gonna have with this new team store. Obviously the new gear and all of that, but the varieties of the new gear, you know, a ton of different stuff from a great women's apparel, you're gonna love it.

For Like, I'm wearing this polo and this is what the old gear.

I haven't looked on a new one as well, But then all the different hats that's what I like too. So I don't know about you. I was never a flat bild guy. I just didn't look good in a flat bill hat. I looked like a train conductor. I didn't look like a cool train conductor. I looked like a weirdo train conduct So I think there's a natural expiration date.

Like I was a flat brim guy when I was younger, But whenever I see any dude that's over thirty five, like wearing a flat brim hat, I'm like, bro, give it up, Like it's not a good look. I don't have a problem with it. It's just that I don't have a problem. I don't look good in it. I just don't look like. You have a smaller face. Yes, you need a big jawline to look good in a flat priam.

Yeah, apparently you gotta have a big fat face or something, and.

You need to be younger than thirty five.

All I know is every time I put one on, I was like this just does not look good. So nice curve bill hat. I like the forty seven series, all that stuff they have it. It looks great. So I always say it. If you need it, they've got it. If you don't need it, they've got it.

So go get it. There you go, the best Team Store come out out tomorrow, grand opening the Be's Team Store at a new ballpark at America First Square. All right, Tony stops about it. Courtesy of our friends at Cortland Roofing. They're re roofing and roof repair experts with over twenty years of experience. They're family owned and operated called Cortland Roofing. Today they've got this great offer. So if you feel like you're in the in the market now for a

Last night they put together that terrific performance with four total strikeouts.

This is launched high in deep to Ripe by Daniel.

Johnson, going back as gavanas at the Wall Lapside and he brought it back Hey rocking.

On the short sidewall over by the right Bill pull Man, Candy tucking Away. Tonty Parks is live in studio, good enough to join us two weeks in a row. Easton Folster, who's the executive director of the UGA, will join us in a little bit. Scottie Scheffler was with his third major. Easton has requested space to talk about the Knicks because even though he's a local guy, he's a fan of the New York Knicks. But we will talk little golf.

Hundred k and be like, you know, I'm not the best, but I'm not the worst.

I made two hundred thousand dollars. That's a good weekend, a great week top twenty at a major. So have you had a chance to meet Tony just the nicest kid.

Yeah, I've crossed passed it a little bit. He and I know a lot of the same people. Huh right, crazy, Yeah, but no, I've never really gotten to know him, but I know of him, and we've been around each other before.

We know who each other are. If you will, Although he who Tony Parks, is that the voice of the Bees? I'm sure tell the guy who did the produce race all those years, Tony probably came out to a game or two of the ballpark, I would imagine, Oh ye, but obviously he had that great connection with Ron McBride. Yeah.

So it just good people that know good people and and yeah so I but I've always been a huge fan of them, always rooted them on.

Do you play golf? I don't know this about you. Do you ever play any golf?

Do you watch at it? Don't watch it so much. I've got so much going on, but like I track it. I keep an eye on it. Yeah, yeah, I like to follow it. And then to me, it's always about the who you know. You and I always had such odd schedules, so we never golf together, and even when we were at the tournaments or whatever like, we would be offset on the timing that we're in the air. So but yeah, you'd be the kind of guy. I'm

Oh, we can do that even if we're not playing golf. I will tell you thank you. First of all, I think I'm a good time on the golf course.

Yeah.

Absolutely. If I'm not playing well, I tend to be a little ground. I have changed my view. First of all, there's an economic factor that comes into play if you're breaking golf clubs left and right. So my goal this year and I've told my buddies, so I played golf with the over under for broken clubs is one point five, so I'm going to give myself grace to maybe break a club. My goal is to just not break more than one. And so far it's only May. I have

So here's where it happens. You know you're not good. You go out there, Hey, you're having a good time. You know it's all good. Then you actually start to improve. Then you actually see like wait, I'm stratten that out, like I've I've kind of got that down. Then you sit there and waste thirty five minutes in a conversation with the buddy talking about how you dropped one perfectly on the pool table on six at Nibley or whatever, you know, whatever your story is. And then I'm going

Yeah no. And it's a big time crunch, I mean, excuse me. It's very time consuming. So it asks a lot of your time, it asks a lot of your paycheck. It's not a cheap thing to do. But yeah, as you start to get a little bit better. The other weird thing is there'll be a round where something clicks in your head where you're like, I've got to pull down with my left I've got to get my left hip out of the way. And then you're like, okay,

Every day is that's what it is for me, Like I compete with myself like I have a vision and I have preparation.

I have everything that you know, fundamentals.

I love the art of constantly an effortless or with an unquenchable thirst to improve and to just minimize the distance between where I am and where I want to be more and more every day. To me, there is nothing like that. You wake up with that fire, you feel that fire, and then you you know, let's say, let's say you had a good day with it like you would on the golf course.

You have a good day. Cool thing is you got another game tomorrow.

Let's say you know, didn't go quite as well as you thought and for whatever reason, just didn't feel right, didn't deliver it right. I don't know whatever. You know what, got another game tomorrow? And I love that about play by play.

But if you mispronounce your name, you're not breaking your microphone. No, I'm not taking off the headside. Do you miss a call? And you're not breaking your equipment? What's the you know what? This is a dangerous question. Whatever I would say. It's a Monday. Let's just get asked, like, have you ever witnessed a local broadcaster melt down? Yes? You feel like you can share it. No, I didn't think so that's why it was a dangerous question. Ask no, it is trying to see.

The toughest one was where somebody would be upset and you could actually understand why they're upset, And then other times it was like, no, you're you're taking it out on this person and you're justifying your behavior. The hardest part I think in this industry was me saying, you've explained your behavior.

Are you excusing your behavior?

Well no, but.

Yeah, okay, so you are excusing your behavior, right, yeah, because if anybody ever treated you like that, you would cry in a corner for three months. And okay, right, so you chose to treat them like that because they're them and you're you, and you knew these people over here don't have the courage to in any way rectify that.

Have a slight inklean that I know who you're talking about.

And just watching the defensiveness, watching the and then watching the fear based proposition, it's like, don't, don't, don't, don't like but you know what you did. It's just because I care so much. No, No, that's.

Not it passion's behavior.

You're telling a truth to mask the truth. So let's talk about the truth. And that was always like yeah, that was always a tough one. But no, but there were times where people would be frustrated or mad and they're just mad about the situation and I'm like, yeah, I'm like no, no, hey, you know, like you care, you're into it. It matters to you. And in those situations, I was always like, great, you know what I mean?

I always get a kick, what I hear? Like, No, it's just he's just overly passionate. Oh so he's an ass, that's what you're saying, Like you'll like Draymond Green's overly passionate. Like I love Draymond as a player, but when he when he when he crosses that line. Passion is not an excuse for poor behavior. Well, it's it's like Okay, uh, Michael Jordan slaps Steve Kerr. Right, guess what Michael Jordan did owned it? Yeah, he owned it. And Phil Jackson

So to me, you're going to have emotions, boiler, you're going to the big thing is do you take responsibility when it happens? And do you and then you you have a commitment to improved successful behavior going forward?

Right, Right.

So everybody's always like whenever the well, they'll they'll show a coach meltdown on a player and they'll be like.

Hey, is this good coaching or is this abuse? I'm like, is there trust between the two?

Because if there's trust between the two, now it's coaching because the players you care about them, and that's why you're also upset because you care about them.

Now there's belief here. Yeah, But if they.

Don't think you care about them, then they think you're just putting on a show. Then they know that you're just acting out of line. Now what you're doing is actually a detriment to the team rather than a benefit.

Yeah, so there you go. No, I got you all right, Tony. When you last joined us, it was last Monday when hope was prevalent in the market. That last Monday night, we were all going to be gathered around our televisions or our radios because we had a live on ESPN seven hundred to listen to Mark Tatum revealed that the Utah Jazz were going to draft number one overall, therefore draft Cooper flag and therefore bring hope to a market in a fan base that right now, if Ronest does

We still have a salon in our place here, and I was getting a beard trim, and I was sitting there and my phone on the yes on the ESPN seven hundred app, I had it sitting there and as I was sitting there watching the TV was on, but it's on delay and all that stuff.

Anyway, as I'm sitting.

There and I hear on the the app the Utah Jazz, and I just went WHOA. And I didn't say well, because I was like, it was more that I knew the reaction of the fan base knew I was.

Coming would be overwhelming, and local media members.

I knew it would be a massive blow up because the Jazz in years passed let's say, like the Darren Williams thing, or when they fell to six and then they traded. Yeah, but when they fell to six, they weren't trying to get the one. I mean they were you know, they just weren't dealing with a great team. So I was like, all right, this is the one time, oh you fell, that's unfortunate. But they moved up to three, they traded whatever. In this situation, they were going all

This whole thing is this and that.

And I thought, man, way too many years agoing by with the Knicks not being the number one pick, way too many things have happened where teams who have no benefit to the league to have the number one pick.

I've had the number one pick.

I can make far more of an argument that if the league's rigging this, they're doing a really bad job.

Yeah.

Yeah, Now that's not to say that there haven't been some things where you kind of go, all right, Lebron leaves Cleveland, they get one, Chris Paul leaves New Orleans, they get one, And honestly, look, I think it's intellectually embarrassing to discuss the potential of what is literally called

Like part of this has to be that you have to look at yourselves and saying, you know, what, whatever this process had been, it hasn't gone as well as we want.

Even if you want.

To say, well the process, you know, the plan wasn't to win yet and it's like I got it. But while this process is put together, what has been the most positive part of this process to me?

It's Will Hardy six year extension because I think he's the right guy.

What what is it? There's no identity, there's no culture. Okay, okay, you were planning on losing out, that's fine, but you haven't.

I haven't.

And somebody else can come on and be like I've seen this from this guy and that from that guy.

I still well, I haven't seen enough yet.

It makes me go, you know what, that right there, that here is going to move them this direction. I remember in the Quinn years, in the early Quin years, going okay, they got something here. They're big here, and they're defensive oriented, and they've lost nine in a row, but they have an identity and there's something moving this direction now, okay, And in this current situation.

I'm not just trying to be critical.

I know they're doing it differently than Dennis and Quinn and Kevin O'Connor back in the day. I'm not saying do it the way they did it. I'm just saying throughout all of this, hey, you've garnered a lot of assets. I'll give you that, and you I think have the right coach right mind. But now it's it's making everything

Yeah, the number one thing you have to do is draft. Well, Bobby Mark is on earlier and he outlined it perfectly. And here's the deal. And I hate to use this team as an example because right now they are the best example of roster construction under the new CBA, which has allowed teams that play in cities pretty similar to ours build up. Some really good teams are going to be good now and be good for a long time. Now.

I had a Jazz fan asked me how's it the Sacramento airport yesterday and ran into a couple different Salt Lake residents but one of them was a Jazz fan as well and was talking about the five pick and this and that. What do you think And I just said, well, they can catch up in terms of gaining ground from where they have been up to this point. But when they made the wholesale change three years ago, I thought, okay, no, you're turning the page.

And I'm totally fine with that.

I would not have predicted that they've made what I would consider very little to know forward progress.

So so for you to lose, that's one thing. But I do not see a ton of forward progress.

And I know that we're supposed to be positive about the Jazz and there are NBA team and no, I'm just I'm going to be very honest.

I'm looking at it going.

I get that the plan wasn't to win, but I don't see other things that tell me this is a surging direction forward here, here and here. And when I see that, I say, okay, you can gain ground on that with hitting draft picks and all of that and catch up from the distance that I thought you would be at. But I am curious as to why. I'm curious as to why three years I mean, there's there's really nothing to show for this. We've got a ton of assets. Yeah, I know, you've had them for a while.

I do.

I think all of his principles.

I think the fact that he wildly overperformed with that that team he had what three years ago and then two years ago, I mean, that was amazing Spence. And then they flushed out and said, Okay, we're gonna bottom out, We're gonna do it this way. Okay, But now I got to see something in that process that tells me, here is the light, Here is the direction, Here is the momentum.

You know, It's like anybody who's.

Gonna go to the gym or make a whole major change in their life. People may not see it right away, but you can feel and see the momentum that's around you based on different decisions, you know, different opportunities, different habits. They may see them under the surface. I'm just telling them I don't see them. And I've watched as much as I can. I don't see it. So I'm hoping for them. Then in the near future this can be

Yeah, And as far as just simply being positive and believing the messages that are propably, you know, it's just propaganda coming out of the organization, and you know, like I can't roll that way. I can't just call something other than what I see. And yes, the organization wants you to believe that the rebuild is on track. And yes, at times they plan a story where it's like, oh, hey, just so you know, we haven't been rebuilding. We've been

Yeah, and the comparisons you make to the other teams, I think it jumps out because the first thing I saw with the reaction was they will never help us small market tape. Well, I tell you, the Tember Nuggets are recent champions, right, and I know they're not like small smallmerker right. But the Milwaukee Bucks are resa champions. The Spurs won five of them. They put together a good run of winning, consistently winning. The Jazz, by the way, in the nineties won a ton more teams. Jordan beating

If you want to say it's all even, it's not okay. I get it.

Some places are probably more wished upon by a free agent than say, Salt Lake. But when I look at the way teams have been able to build championships build championship teams, I look at the way that they were

And it's a competitive league.

I got that, And I'm not saying this team should be in that position now, But I did think they would be more along than they have been. I did think that they would be at a at a bigger step in this process, it has surprised me.

If san Antonio is willing to move too, or Philly is moving to move, is willing to move? Three? Do you put marketing on the table? You put Lowry on the table? Yeah?

I mean if you're gonna bet on that being this cornerstone piece to the ultimate future, then yes, yes I do. But but with that said, you better be ready because if I'm them, I want Lowry, I want to swap, and I want a future at basement.

That's the basement, all right, ton, Before I say you loose, reminder of the Salleid Bees and the Miller Sports and Entertainment invite all to celebrate the grand opening of the Salleid Bees Team Store at the Ballpark at America First Square, coming up tomorrow, five o'clock PM, one one one one South Ballpark Drive new merch, great deals and more. Go to Bees teamstore dot com. What do you want our listeners to know? Man, get in there.

Check out all the latest and the best gear. You're gonna love all the different types of hats that they have, tons of hats las of a house, which of course is great. Those are a copa hats, copa jerseys, all the different. I'm sure they'll have a ton of different looks on the variety of the rebrand. With the new gear that you're going to see out there, they did

If you don't need it, they still got it. Go get it. Father's days around the corner. Get it done right. That's right. Great to see my friend, Okay, Tony Park stops by today courtesy of our friends at Courtland Roofing, Reroofing and roof repair experts with over twenty years of experience. They're family owned and operated. Call Courtland Roofing today to

I'm doing fantastic And you guys, couldn't it fixed a better song? And suck us hoping you would? That's just that made my heart happy.

There you go. And we're not only going to talk golf because your text offering your presence on this radio show came with a mandate. And Easton, even though you're a local boy, you happen to be a lifelong fan of the New York Knickerbockers. Let me start with the origin story. When did you and why did you become a Knicks fan?

Yeah, that's a good question, you know, Obviously, being a nineties kid, the Knicks were a little more relevant, you know, back then than they are, you know, in the previous two decades. And obviously I had the Jazz Troop for but for some reason I hooked on with the Knicks. Was a big Patrick Ewing fan, and I will say that I've remained loyal through some dark years, and now there seems to be somewhat of a light at the end of the tunnel. So things are looking a little brighter, that's for sure.

So I wonder what you find most likable about this iteration of the Knicks, Because Porter, my producer, is a younger Nick fan, and so he has this idea in his head that the Mellow years were awesome and they just weren't. They won a couple of playoff series and look, I'm a mellow guy, love mellow I just it's all bottom line this to me, this is the most likable Nick team, literally since nineteen ninety nine. What what do you like most about this team?

Yeah?

I agree, they're fun to watch, you know. I think the compelling component is the fact that I feel like they're never out of a game. You know, I've told some friends and you know solo basketball fans that I feel like, if the Knicks can get to the fourth quarter within ten points and Jalen Brunson is in the game, we have a shot. And I think being able to watch a player like him with as clutch as he's been,

Did you anticipate Friday Night happen in the way it did at all? I mean, I finished the show and drove home, and you know what, man, it was kind of fun because I will say in this space, when you do this for a living, and as long as I've done, and now, you know, approaching twenty years full time, you do have to be agnostic a little bit, you know, you do have to kind of put the biases and fandom aside in order to do the job the right way. Like I would love for the Jazz to be good again,

Well, I'm with you. I was terrified, you know, when we lost Game five the way that we did, even without Tatum, I was I was really nervous, and it just has felt like Nicks never really blow teams out, you know. If anything, they've been getting blown out in games and have caught back, which has been a lot of fun. But I had I wish I could say I saw the Knicks blown them out. I didn't have that level of confidence. I thought it'd be a great game, but it seemed like, you know, they had their foot

Was confident that we're going to hold on.

But exciting way to win the game and a lot of momentum going into the Eastern Conference finals, so it's exciting.

What is your confidence against this pacer team that just has a grip of physical pitbull wings that just want to fight everybody all the time.

Yeah, I think it's going to be a great series. I think we'll match up well. I really I think that Knicks fans might be making a mistake and kind of overlooking the Pacers and looking onto the finals.

That would be a mistake.

I mean, Pacers man handled a really good Cavs team, and so I could see this going six. I could go see it going seven. But of course, as a true Knicks fan, I think I think we'll get it done. You know, I'd have to say maybe Nix and Nixon six would be my prediction. In fact, I think that's what we've done. The last two series is one in game six, so hopefully we get that done again.

Does it make it sweeter that it's been so long? I mean I've kind of gone back and forth on this because certainly, as a fan, every year, you want your team to have a shot, and if for honest, you know, the Knicks have not had a shot it doing anything since nineteen nine. I mean, it literally has been twenty five years, and if we're honest, the Jazz haven't had a chance to win a championship. In my opinion,

Yeah, I think so, And I think most Knicks fans would say that. I mean, if anyone saw the social media buzz around the Knicks fans going absolutely crazy in New York City, I mean, on one, it's a little embarrassing. I mean, all we did was win two series, but they celebrated, you know, like we won the championship. So I think you see that that somewhat of a relief, you know, from fans that it's been so long that we've made it to this point, and it certainly is sweet.

And so it feels it feels.

Good, you know, to be this point, and hopefully we can keep it rolling.

All right, Before we will, we do need to talk a little golf. But before we get there, I have your Instagram pulled up and number one, congrats, that's number one. I was going to ask you if you're raising your young your young fella as a fan of this team, because one of the things, like my poor son has grown up Jazz, Nicks, Jets, luckily we have the Yankees. But I feel bad that I ever encouraged him to

Yeah that's right.

Yeah, no, And he's a you know, for only being four years old, he's a real fan.

I mean he can.

Name I would say at least six or seven players on the team, So for being four years old, i'd call him a real fan. I mean, he's watching the games with me, and he's and he's excited, and you know, as you mentioned, wife expecting and I've told her, if we're lucky enough to win it all, Jalen, the name Jalen is certainly in play. You know, she's not necessarily a fan, but I've just warned her that Jalen is in play. So you might see that here in a few months. But yeah, I mean we're excited, and I

Thinking, Jalen Spencer fulster, how's that land?

I like it.

I'm all in.

You put a basketball in his hand? Can he shoot it? Did he dribble it?

All?

He can play? Yeah, he's an athlete, you know. Right now he's just kind of trying to figure it all out. Soccer, t ball, you know, basketball, But he can play. And you know, like I said, he's he watches, he observes, and you know, he's a big fan. So Jalen's his favorite player. We went to the Knicks Jazz game when they were here in town, and he caught Jalen's attention. He waved at him, and of course that just made his day. I think it made my day more than his. But yeah, he's a big fan.

Have you put a golf club in this young fella's hand yet.

Yeah, a little bit, just a little you know, a little plastic sets it. Golf's tricky, as you know, I mean, we're we're adults. I still haven't figured it out. And I've been playing, you know, for the better part of a decade. So I feel like that's a long road and maybe I can get him some more quicker than golf. But eventually, yeah, we'll put a golf club in his hand and see what he can do. But got a long ways.

To go for that, hopefully, Because when I was younger, I thought it was boring. I did not want to play golf. My grandfather may he rest in peace, loved it and he always said, like your natural athlete, you could be good at this if you wanted to. And then I would just get frustrated and quit, and I'd want to go shoot buckets. I want to go play

Yeah, probably more of the latter, you know, figure out what he likes, you know, I think exposure is important, especially for kids, you know, expose him to everything and let them kind of pick what they excel at and what they enjoy. And if it's golf, great, you know, that would make me certainly a happy father, you know. But not going to push him, you know, in that in that direction. But you know, hopefully, you know, like I did, and it sounds like maybe you did as

What do you think it is about this game, the game of golf that seems to draw people in on a level where it truly turns into an addiction. And I'm not even kidding. What do you think it is about how people just get addicted to the game.

I think it's I think it's those little moments of success, which of course are relative to the golfer. You know, if you're incredible and you're really talented, obviously you know your your success, and that little addiction might be shooting a sixty four, sixty three, going for the course record, winning championships, you know, But for the rest of us, it might be flushing a fore iron and that feel of, you know, hitting a grain in regulation and hitting a

A taste.

And you know what, you know, the really good player, you know, experiences on you on every shot basis. We don't get those very often, but with golf on any given day, you know, there's a lot of players that can hit a shot like a professional. They do it consistently. We do it maybe once around. But it's that one shot that I think gives people that hitch.

You know what's interesting you reference how the pros are so consistent with it. I don't know that I fully understood their ability to figure out problems and get out of trouble until I went down to Bay Hill as an honorary observer and followed Sam Stevens' Nick Taylor around

Sure, and you know, and I think it's you know, it's avoiding the big mistakes that I think. You know, amateur players, you know, tend to make the big numbers. You just don't see as often from the pros. All go out and make a number of double bogies and triple bogeys and around, and that's what kind of adds

You have a favorite golfer watch right now or historically? Is there one that comes to mind?

Yeah, you know, I hate to be right on the bandwagon, but I just there's I can't find anything not to like about Scottie Scheffler, both from a playing standpoint and just from a you know, who he is as a person. Of course, I don't know him personally, but from everything I see, just seems like a very likable guy. Like the way he plays his swing a little unorthodox, you don't see that every day, and it's consistent and just wins. And so, like I said, I hate to jump on

When he's dialed in. And I've talked about this on the show with a lot of my golf guests quite a bit. One of my big regrets is that I was not dialed into the game of golf when Tiger was Tiger. I wasn't watching. I had an opportunity. In nineteen ninety seven. I was living with my grandparents, and as I referenced, my grandfather was a big golfer, and for whatever reason Easton, it is known on the show that my grandfather named me nickname me Spencer Doobie when

Yeah, it does.

And I think we're there. I think the run has at least started. You know, like you said, now, what made Tiger so great is you know, the how long

Now.

I think Scotty is certainly right there on the path. Only twenty eight he's got, you know, I would say fifteen twenty years of competitive golf lift and we'll see what he can do. You know, Tiger with fifteen majors, Scotty now has three, so he's got a little ways to go. But I mean, I'd be shocked if you if you asked me to predict, I'd be shocked if he's not at least at double digit majors by the

Does the Live thing move the needle for you at all? I mean I was going to ask you, like, I don't know how it would affect your job, but in you know, in and around the game of golf, it still seems to dominate the conversation. Part of me feels like we've settled into acceptance, if that makes sense, where like, all right, Live is just going to be around, and it's just going to be another tour. It's going to be like the USFL or Minor League Baseball or whatever

Yeah, you know, it's really tough to predict. I do agree that I think that we've kind of landed in this acceptance. I think that there was some turmoil there when Live was picking off some of the you know, the best tour players, and I think that made everyone uneasy. That's settled, and now kind of the rumors are Bryson could come back, John rom could come back. You know, there's some regrets that they took them money and don't get to play on the on the tour, you know,

We don't really need to get more people excited to play, Euston, We just we just don't. Okay, I've already presented my endeavor of hashtag shrink the game, which you summarily dismissed, and of course I'm being phasis just but before I set you loose, I know you've got tournaments, you've got mid ams, you've got state ams, qualifying senior and all that women, all that stuff. So what what do you want our listeners to know about what you have going on with the UGA?

Yeah, appreciate it, and you know very much we're we're in the camp of expanding the game, and you know, we want everyone to come out and play as much golf as humanly possible and stack up the t sheets and and hopefully there's still some tea times that you can book as well. But you know, my challenge for any golfer that's listening, or even non golfer, is to push themselves to the to the next level, whatever that may be. You know, golf is on a boom right now.

Of the UGA.

You know, get a handicap index and start tracking your progress. That's that's our goal. We think it's you know, we helped develop those players that can go from just beginning to maybe one day playing you know, championship level golf here in the state. So I encourage everyone to go out and try something new, whatever that may be. And if you'll visit you JA dot org. That's how you can become a member, get a handicap index and play as much golf as possible.

I gotta tell you before I set you loose after you're on last time. I showed up the next morning to play around a bottleville and as I checked in paid the fee. As I was walking out, one of one of my guys up there said, hey, go easy on Easton, will you So? I don't know if you got any feedback last time, but people were listening, and I apologize if I went too hard on you.

No, of course not. I know where you're coming from. Everyone wants to tea time, and everyone wants to get out there and play. You know, like I said, from our standpoint, love seeing t sheets full, and our golf professionals are working really hard to make it a good experience. But no, we want you to be able to get out there and play, you know, a quick round too. You know you're busy, So hope you'll keep playing.

Oh you know, I will? You know, I will, buddy. I appreciate the time today, and if the Knicks keep advancing, we're gonna keep having you on because now the good luck charm apparently he's in play, all right.

I love it.

Thanks for your time, Spence, Go.

Nick Easton Folster, executive director of the Utah Golf Association. Go to UGA dot org or maybe don't, I don't know. Maybe you play pickleball, maybe go for a walk, maybe bride your bike, maybe walk the dog. You're crazy. I feel like too many people are way into it now.

Listen. I get it as a guy who you know is often looking for a tennis quarter around Salt Lake and it's full, I understand, all right, I do, okay, full as pickleballers too.

So oh yeah, and most of the tennis courts are now open for pickleball players as well. Get me started. Just go up to the corner of let's see first South and University Park. That park there, the tennis courts, frat bros, no shirts, pickle ball all day.

You know they're always there too.

Yeah they are, all right, So go to UJA dot or Okay, just do that for our guy Easton. But you know it, honestly, golf is it's hard, it's boring, it's expensive, it's time consuming. Like why do you guys even want to play? Go do something else with your time. Yeah, it's it's it's here's the thing.

If you go and you know you haven't played golf yet and you're you're wanting to get into it, You're not going to be good for years and years and years.

Just know that, yep, just know that.

You know it takes ten thousand hours plus probably of practice. Those are reps that you can't shortcut.

Yeah, you guys don't want to put yourself through that grind. You really don't. Maybe you do, Maybe you do. It's wildly addicting. Anyway, Time now to send somebody golfing for free. Stone Bridge, Oh nice love stone Bridge. Eighteen holes of stone Bridge on the line. It is the Festival at Teas, brought to you by our friends at the UGA. ESPN. Festival of Tea is powered by the Utah Golf Association.

Hopefully some more flowers.

That's all. That's the best you could do.

We need more flowers.

I guess why do we need more flower? We need consistent sunshine. We need warmth, that's what we need. May has been chilly, We've had a cold spring.

Yeah, okay, we can have like a nice warm June then.

Okay for you? Okay, fair enough, fair enough. No NBA playoff basketball tonight, Tom Haberstrow is going to binge the last of us. What do you what do you have plans on the docket on a Monday night when the conference finals don't get going until tomorrow.

Yeah, I'm getting to the point I probably need to make a list on on stuff I need to catch up on. When you're you're talking all the series and whatnot. I am not up to date on Gemstones, which is when I do enjoy. Uh maybe some of that. I'm building a garden this week, so I'm finishing that.

Look at you, mister green thumb, But not much, Bob Vila over here.

Who's that? Oh my gosh, is that the Toolhouse Guy?

This Old House with Bobby? You know what? That actually ages me a lot, because I think I was young when Bob. You know, I'm gonna I'm gonna do a Google Google shows you've never heard of Bob Vila.

I think I know who you're talking about. But deep, deep memories.

There was an old TV show.

Oh yeah, I told yeah, yeah, the Toolhouse Guy.

Yeah there was. It was an old TV show called This Old House with Bob Vila, and my parents loved it and when I was a kid, we used to watch it. I don't even know when it was on. I was probably on, like back in the eighties. That may have been. Honestly, that may have been the oldest reference that I've ever made on the show. Vila was hired as the host of This Old House in nineteen seventy nine.

And then, wasn't he the guy like across the fence on tim the No? Was it not the same guy?

It's not the same guy.

I thought it was the same guy.

Let's see. This Old House was on from nineteen seventy nine to nineteen eighty nine. That officially is the oldest reference I've ever made on the show. I think I told you. I shocked somebody recently who asked me when I was born when I revealed that I was actually born in the seventies. That's the oldest reference I've ever made on the show, for sure. I dig it. I dig it. I like that.

I like the seventies reference.

So you're building a garden in your house or excuse me, in your yard outside of the house. Any are these flowers? Are they vegetables that you'll be able to like actually eat?

I like to. I usually if I have the space, I like to grow like everything that I've got, all my vegetables and stuff. I like to grow at myself. So that's that's the hope. Maybe a few flowers if I got extra room. But uh yeah, berries, peppers, tomatoes, stuff I can eat.

I am very impressed. I do not have the natural the natural green thumb. Is it something that you have naturally or as a result of being raised in God's country to just kind of learn the skill a little bit of.

Both, I would say I definitely, you know, tended to enough crops growing up a little bit that I I've got a a bit of a head start, but yeah, it was. It was always something I've I've done. I'm a green thumb, whether it comes to the garden or like my house plants. Like I don't have pets, so those are those are my things until I have room for pets.

Grown any weed not at the moment. Okay, don't, don't, don't. Don't incriminate yourself.

I was gonna say, can I can I tell you on the radio if I was Oh, yeah, no, okay, sorry, okay, shout out to Fred Warner.

Three years, sixty three million dollar extension. So some good stuff there. Well, oh, I know what I wanted to ask you. Do you think the Mets are good? I can't wait for this, you think. Do you think the Mets are good? Don't you?

They have a good roster.

They do have a good roster.

But here's the thing. They weren't good ten years ago, twelve years ago, thirteen years ago. We never had good Mets teams. And then we started to have this thing where we did have good rosters. You go back to the year we did make the World Series, that pitching staff was the best in the league and it wasn't close. You go back to like the Matt Harvey, Cinderguard de Graham like, the fact that those Mets didn't make genuine runs outside of the one they lost to the Royals

Conference finals in pro basketball begins tomorrow with the Western side of things. Then on Wednesday it's the Eastern side of things. So of course stay two. We have you covered there porter what comes our way on a Tuesday edition of the show.

On a Tuesday edition the program you mentioned. Of course, NBA Conference finals start tomorrow, so we'll double up on the NBA daily assists from ESPN. It's Tim McMahon joining us as he does each and every Tuesday. We're gonna catch up with our friend Lee Ellis, of course a guy from down Under, but he covered the entirety of the Eastern Conference semi finals. So we'll check in with Lee Richard Smitty Smith in studio for an entire hour, and then we'll cap off the show catching up with

Did you try to lob a shot on target text to somebody that was rejected by RSL? Or how were you able to book someone from the club. Well, that was rude.

That was a little rude.

Now score a goal, man, I.

Know, listen, what did you say? Two hundred and fifty minutes?

Almost two fifty and Pablo said to the Apple TV broadcasters he would be surprised if Diego Luna is around after the summer transfer window.

That's the other part. If you if you need an attack and you've got guys that uh, you know, maybe on the way out, where are you going to be after that? It's a it's a it's an interesting spot. RSL is in. Yeah, we'll we'll see who they they wrangle up to join us tomorrow.

All right, there you go, We'll say good night, special thank you, Bobby Marks, Tom Haber Show, Tony Parks and Easton Fulster. For any of the sound, go to the website ESPN seven hundred sports dot com. Download our app, Take us on the Goats, How I'll had sow I listen to the station. The seven app is available in the App Store the Google play Store. Then for what we do in our space podcast page, it is called