Thursday afternoon, eleven minutes past the hour of two o'clock.
It is a beautiful, gorgeous May day.
As we have turned our calendars to May, it is May first, it is spring. It's about sixty eight degrees in sunny and clear here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, right outside of our Broadway Media studios, and as it is every single day, it is good to have you along for the ride. Well, okay, all right, right out of the gates. If you're watching on YouTube, I got you know what. Scott's a little aggressive with the mic.
I didn't know this.
Have you ever us there's one person on YouTube you've produced a show with Scott before?
Right?
Yes? So does he? Is he jacking the mic around a lot? I don't know now he is clear it looks like it though.
Yeah, all right, Scott, let's go ahead and not do whatever you're doing with the mic.
I'm gonna screw this back in real time. Porter. Hello, how are you? I'm doing well? Spencer? How are you? I'm good?
I uh, you know you always if anything with the mic is like off a little bit, it does send you.
Yeah. No, I'm I'm a creature of habit I admittedly understandable.
Yeah, but I enjoyed that this is the this is the opening segment of the show. And yes, I'm keeping the YouTube on you so that folks can.
See we are good. We are good.
So in uh, in a past life, I worked for a radio station where the show before me featured a host that both spit his luncheon into the microphone and also jacked his mic around.
He actually is still over there.
He still does Middays shut out, and so I had to be very cognizant of the microphone set up. But Bill is not a microphone mess and neither Sean. So now I know that Scott is, so we'll be very cognizant. But the mic is good now. So you know what, Actually, now that I think about it, whenever I do cross talk with Scott, he is sitting back like this and he's jacking the.
Micro He's relaxed, he's kind of just doing his thing. Yeah, we might have to get him like one of those if you ever watched like a just a podcast, like a low prop yes, low production podcast. Just give him a mic with the cable.
Yeah, well, we're professionals in the afternoon space. We don't mess around with the mics. We like to do a good show anyway. Hello, how are you Thursday? Microphone situation is good, it is screwed back in and we're good to go. A lot to get to on this Thursday afternoon. The easy thing to do, and I'm not going to do it entirely, but we are going to get into it.
The easy thing to do is talk about the twenty twenty one Utah Jazz featuring Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley and Nikiel Alexander Walker and Jordan Clarkson and George Niang and Derek Favors and Boy and Bogdanovich and roycell Ney, et cetera, et cetera, and then talk about the decision that the new front office made after Dennis Lindsay decided he did not want to work for the new ownership, and Quinn Snyder decided he did not want to work for the new ownership, and Danny Ainge
is brought in and Ryan Smith buys the team and they elect to trade a superstar player in his prime in Donovan Mitchell, a legitimate Hall of Famer defensive superstar, and Rudy Gobert still in his prime, and then later on get rid of Bogdanovich and my Don Lee and Royce O'Neil and the like and George Niang, and we're watching all of these players play at a very high level in the postseason.
The easy thing to do.
Is to say it here today, the day after Rudy Gobert maybe had his best career postseason game and criticized the decision making process, And we are going to do some of that, but we're gonna be fair about it, and we're going to talk about exactly how that all went down, why it all went down, and why three years later and entering the fourth year, they may or may not have done the right thing. We're gonna dig into it from a bunch of different angles. Really happy
for Rudy last night. Rudy is a guy who I cheer for twenty seven points twenty four rebounds.
So we're gonna do some NBA playoffs on the show today and.
Get you ready for some good action tonight as the New York Knicks, we'll try to close out the Detroit Pistons in Detroit, Michigan Little Caesars Arena. That's a five thirty tip time locally on TNT and then when that game concludes, the Denver Nuggets will try to eliminate the LA cl Whippers at the into a Dome in Englewood, California. So we have some playoff basketball to get to on the show today. We have some jazz fans on the show today.
We have some.
College football and college basketball transfer portal news locally and nationally on the show today, and we'll get you ready for a busy sports weekend that includes a road trip for real Salt Lake as they are going to take on Vancouver today or not today on Saturday. Vancouver, as of now is the best team in the West and one of the best teams.
In all of MLS.
So we'll get you ready for a weekend full of NBA basketball, little soccer from the local side of things, and we'll do some college and pro football in addition to that. All right, good guest list, it's been a while since we've welcomed in the Voice. That's right, the voice himself, Bill Riley, stops by today on a Thursday afternoon.
We're going to welcome in the Voice of the Youth.
So we'll do some Utah football, some Utah Basketball is Ryle's an hour in studio with the editor of the sports section of the Solid Tribune Fake News, Aaron Falk, will be in studio, that liberal, left leaning fake news outlet. We'll bring it to Aaron today to talk about a bunch of different things on the program, and then we'll.
Do a little sports court.
But before that, the head coach over Al Salt Lake is Pablo Masterjoinni. He had a chance to spend a little time with my guy Pobs and in San Diego as Ursel was able to get all three points last week. Look heat to a busy week end with Vancouver as the road continues for rsl So, Bill Riley, Aaron Falk, Pablo Masjoini, a little sports court with our friends from Handy in Handy. No Alan Handy on the show today. But Garon, Preston and me Spence Check. Its all of you,
the great listeners, and that guy Porter Larson. All right, I'm gonna give you first crack at this.
Okay.
The easy thing to do today, Porter is to say Rudy's awesome, Donovan's awesome, Mike Conley hitting dagger shot after dagger shot. Then there are the bit pieces like Roys O'Neil, Poem, Bogdanovich, George Nyang. And in a city like Salt Lake where it's hard to get a collection of talent like that to play together and win games, the easy thing to do is how in the hell you just decided to break it down brick by breaking That's the easy thing to do.
What's the right thing to do. I'm gonna get it first track.
That is the easy thing to do. And listen, part of it's true. Rudy is awesome, Donovan Mitchell is awesome. Part of that group that Utah had together was obviously awesome. They were the first place team in the West, They broke three point shooting records. They I think they won the most amount of games over the course of like a four game span in the NBA. Right, this is a true thing. We can acknowledge that while also understanding timing,
roster construction, salary caps, personal relationships and the like. Right, all of those things played into the fact that Utah did reach a juncture point right where they had to move and they had to move in a real substantial fashion. Now, did they have to move off both guys? Did they have to move off of all all of the bit pieces. You know, I'm not so sure we will know the answer to that still in four or five years. But let's just rewind right. Say you run it back for
a couple of years. Well, then you do have probably a contending window maybe for the conference, for the Western Conference, but it last spents about a year and a half and then going into what would have been next off season, you're looking at extensions for Rudy Gobert. You're looking at a roster that is really in a point where you have no versatility, you have no optionality.
You have.
Close to fifty percent of your salary cap allotted to a star center who, yes, last night, did what we haven't seen him do in his career. And what again, no one in the NBA has ever had a twenty five point, twenty rebound, eighty percent field goal shooting game in an elimination match, no one in an NBA history
until Rudy Gobert last night. So we can acknowledge all of that while also acknowledging that the Jazz were in a place partly due to folks in their front office roster things that they I think kind of messed up on a little bit some signings that they didn't necessarily have to make, and still understand that the Jazz had to move, did they have to move in the fashion that they did, which is pretty much a complete reset. I'm not sure what if Rudy Gobert's on this roster
Donovan's not. What if Donovan's on this roster and Rudy's not. Those are things that we can examine. But as of today, Spence, the Jazz have an opportunity to get the number one pick. They have the most roster optionality in the league. They have a window in front of them where they can build their window with Donovan, with Rudy, with that core, it was closing. It doesn't matter what you think of what they're doing now. It was closing based on the relationships,
the behind the scenes stuff. And yes, awesome to see them performing well, but I don't think it necessarily means that the Jazz were wrong, and it doesn't necessarily mean that these other teams are going to go on and win an NBA title. Now, if we see the Cavs and the Timberwolves in the NBA Finals in a few months, we can revisit this conversation a little bit deeper, but don't want to be prisoner of the moment too much.
All right, Bill Riley's gonna be our first guest.
But before we get the Bill, courteousy of our friends at Prize Picks, it's time now for your opening tip.
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bet all right, couple things here. So last night Minnesota beats the Lakers one O three to ninety six, and more importantly, beats the Lakers in the series four games to one.
So a couple things here.
I think JJ Reddick is really looking very bad today for a number of different reasons. First of all, the way you handle the series number one, the way you coach the series number two, acting like an absolute clown and a baby during his press conference, acting defensive, dismissing questions, getting up and walking out like he's pat Riley or Phil Jackson. This is your first time as a coach, period. The only experience you have as a coach is coaching your ten year old and now you're the coach of
the Lakers. Okay, so you're not beyond reproach, buddy, you're not above reproach. He got his ass kicked by Chris Finch. He got out coach start to finish, and he has the nerve to blame it on the roster construction. He has the nerve to get defensive with reporters. Once again, he was out coached last night. Now, when the Luka trade went down, we talked about it on the show. A lot of people wondering, does this mean the Lakers are the best team in the NBA? Absolutely not. Does
this mean the Lakers were championship contenders this year? No, I mean I never believe that. And it's probably time to admit that Lebron James is old. He is forty years old. This is a twenty second season. In the fourth quarter of this series, Lebron was atrocious. He did not score in the fourth quarter of Game four, and had three points in the fourth quarter of Game five
and got absolutely beat defensively left and right. Okay, now we're gonna do the song and Dan and Lebron's the Lebron Song and dance now where he has a player option, and that's already started where he's like, I've got to have a conversation with myself and he's going to hold the Lakers hostage.
He's gonna come back and play one more year.
But at this point it's probably safe to say that in his twenty second season, he is not the guy that you can rely upon to make miracles happen, as he's done throughout the course of his crip. That's why you bring in a Luka Dacic. Here's the problem, Okay. And I'm not saying the Nico Harrison can take a victory lap today. I still do not make that trade.
No matter what, you do, not trade a twenty four year old, twenty five year old generational superstar who's also a global superstar entering his prime the year after he took you to the finals. But Minnesota and Chris Finch made a calculated effort to put Luka Doncic in every defensive action they could last night, and it worked. Aunt didn't have a great shooting game, but he beat Luca every time. Luca was the primary defender. And it wasn't
just In, it was Julius Randall. Every time Julius Randall found Luka Donciic on him, he went at him and it tired Luca out. Luca looked tired in the fourth quarter. Yes, he heard his back. He was sick in Game three. But if you're going to have these two players and Look, make no mistake, any roster constructor in the NBA would
want Lebron James and Luka Doncic on their roster. You have to supplement their weaknesses with strengths on the other portions and parts of your roster construction, which they have not done. So JJ Riddick last night overthinks it. And I'm not a big Jackson Hayes guy, but at least Jackson Hayes has a little bit of size that he can provide some pushback. They bring Maxi Kleiba off ice, who hasn't played since March and hasn't practiced with the Lakers once, and he was not ready to play at all.
I thought Jared Vanderbilt, who spent some time here with the Jazz, gave them some decent minutes. And for all the conversation about what Rudy did last night, and look, I always cheer for Rudy.
I will always cheer for Rudy.
Rudy Gobert impacts winning in a way that most players, certainly in the league do not, and most fans that watch basketball full don't understand. Rudy was committed to the Utah Jazz. He was committed to the city he did not want to leave. He still maintains a residence here. And you know the juxtaposition between Gobert and Mitchell was
Donovan surrounded by his powerful agency. Did you ever find it odd that every time Donovan was out and about in public doing something that was pretty cool, it was public knowledge.
Oh, he's got a Fourth of July party? Why is that in the paper?
Oh, Donovan Mitchell stumbles upon a car accident and helps out the Why is that in the paper?
You want to know? Lie? Because it was leaked.
Every time Donovan was doing something in public, his agency made sure there were cameras on the scene to make Donovan look better.
Rudy went about his.
Business behind the scenes, helping people out without the fanfare of the public attention.
Because that's not who Rudy is.
Okay, So if you're looking to take a side between the Rudy and Mitchell stuff, it's Rudy all the way. At least, I'm team Rudy all the way I always
have been. I was thrilled for him last night to shut people up, and I always I always get a kick out of how quiet the social media converse turns into when Gobert has a great game because all the Rudy haters they go and hide, and the Shacks of the world and the Bill Simmons of the world and our friend Ryan Rossillo get people like that who hate Gobert. They're eating a ton of crow today and I love that,
and I was happy for Rudy. But we also have to acknowledge that Rudy was catching lobbs over Gabe Vincent, who is Porter's height. Okay, we have to acknowledge that Rudy was catching lobbs over Dorian Finney Smith and Austin Reeves, who are sixty six and sixty seven. Okay, So the Lakers with a calculator risk, and in the past against Gobert,
this has worked at times. The Lakers aren't necessarily a small roster, but they just don't have centers, Okay, Like Dorian Phinney Smith is sixty seven, Rudy is six nine. Lebron of course, is six' eight and built like a, tank which makes it odd That dante Diam vincenzo can knock him over and he has to sit down for thirty minutes to catch his. Breath luke is a big, Boy Austin reeves is a big. Boy vandos six nine,
Right so they've got a roster of big. Wings they just don't have, centers which is why they tried to trade For Mark williams Before mark failed as physical and, Yes Mark williams would have made a.
Difference, Sorry, shack can we Get shack? Off the?
Dais by the, Way shack is a, legend but he never says anything of any. VALUE i Thought chuck handled it well last. NIGHT i Thought kenny handled it well last. Night But shaq is just this, old angry big that won't give anybody any. Credit And rudy deserved a lot of credit last night Because minnesota shot seven of forty seven from.
Three that is fourteen point nine.
Percent, Okay So dante Di vincenzo two of, Twelve nikhil Alex Xander walker two of. Nine aunt never fully got going, offensively but he did so many other things that were so. Good he had eleven, boards he had eight, assists he had three, Steals he was engaged on. Defense this was The Rudy Go bear, game and because it was against The, lakers the basketball world was watching and he was. Dominant he had nine offensive, rebounds which is the most In
Minnesota timberwolves, history tied Actually Kevin. Garnett he had twenty four overall. Boards he had twenty seven, Points he was twelve to fifteen from the Flor he had nine dunks and dominated the. Paint two block, shots four or five others, affected AND Jj reddick showed his inexperience and refused to do anything to, adjust like you do have options on
the bench to at least provide a little pushback For. Gobert, Okay but again, today the easy thing to, do and we'll get into more of this, later is looking back on the final season Of Quinn snyder's. Tenure, Here Donovan, Mitchell, royce O'Neil, Boam, Bogdanovich Rudy, Gobert Mike, conley who hit two dagger threes and had two big time defensive plays last, Night Joe, ingles who of course is not even playing.
Anymore Jordan clarkson's still, Here George niang who's continuing to play well in THE, nba and then there's some other bit pieces and most of them are.
Not in the league.
Anymore but that's your eight or nine n. Rotation And Danny ainge And Justin zannik and the new ownership group decided they were going to break that group down brick by brick in the name of a long game, rebuild and as of, today it looks like a very idiotic. Decision, Okay so, LOOK i know that we're supposed to, say, Hey tome will tell they've got draft picks and assets and clean, books all. Right, well from a sports talk radio, Standpoint from a media, STANDPOINT i cannot analyze the twenty
twenty Nine. JAZZ i don't know what they look. LIKE i can only analyze The jazz that are in front of. Us and right, now this rebuild process has not bread anything that you guys should be excited. About that's just the bottom. Line it has been mediocre basketball at. Best it has been underwhelming at. Best which of the young players are you guys really excited. About i'll ask you you excited About Kante. George i'm not even sure that
he's AN nba. Player Isaiah callier Breaks John stockton's rookie record. Assists, okay he shoots twenty five percent from. Three Kyle philipowski has shown some. Things, Okay so your best pick has been the thirty second Pick Taylor. Hendrix feel bad for the. Kid hope he gets, healthy and hope he evolves and
starts to play. BETTER i still think he's got measurables and a lot of things to be excited about Out but Watching gobert dominate last, night Watching mitchell evolve into this calm presence and leader for The, cavs a guy that's more comfortable in a role where the usage isn't as. High he's not playing as much hero ball and his numbers are down a little, bit but his production overall is.
Up he's engaged on the defensive.
End he will be first Team ALL nba at the age of twenty, six twenty seven years. Old, like watching all of these guys play so well in the postseason has to bring up a conversation as to what exactly the front office was.
Thinking, now AS i, referenced we will be fair.
Today And i'll just say, this if you are looking for a, scapegoat if you are looking for the one person to blame as to why that really exciting five year run Of jazz basketball came to an, end it's Not Ryan smith to. Blame it's Not Danny ames to. Blame it's Not Justin xanig to. Blame it's Not Dennis. Lindsay it's Not Quinn. Snyder it's Not Rudy. Gobert it's Not Bom. Bogdanovich it's Not Mike. Conley it's Not roy.
O'Neil it's Not Joe, ingles it's Not george And. Yangle who's the one name THAT i haven't said into this microphone just, Yet Porter.
Jpchung it comes.
Down To John. Paul it Was John paul's. Fault It's, donovan. Man it just is. Okay and there are things that happened behind the scenes that, Honestly i'll never say into this microphone out of respect for information THAT i received from. People there are things THAT i know that went down With donovan and his camp behind the scenes THAT i
have respect for, People i'll never say to this. Microphone but if you're looking for a, scapegoat if you're looking for somebody to blame as to why all that did go, down it's a kid that's playing great ball In cleveland
on this. Show this song means only one, thing one, thing and one thing only to tryumph for a return of the voice of The utes, Himself Bill riley on A thursday afternoon, ROUSE i got to tell you how to, buddy last time you were, on reach out and, say when we play this bump to introduce, you it actually makes them very sad because.
It makes a miss your. SHOW i thought you might want to hear.
That.
Well that was nice of him to, say how you, doing? Man So i'm doing. Great how are you?
Doing i'm, Good i'm, Good i'm. Good.
Yeah when we had you on last and this is how we kind of bumped you, in he reached out emotionally and, said you missed you on the mid days.
Man so, YEAH i figured you'd like to know.
That that's that's people come up and say that from time to. TIME i, was you, know it's really nice when they say, that AND i appreciate.
It you.
Know it's just that that song WHEN i hear, it WHEN i comes up on the on the old rotation On, spotify it takes you back to the radio show. Too SO i tell, you, buddy, thanks AND i HOPE i can fill fill the gaps a little bit coming on with you and coming on with Ses.
Sean it really is such a great. Bump there's no doubt about, that all, Right, Bill, right out of the. Gates let me bring you into the topic we started the show, with because we'll do mostly youth with. You obviously that's the gig these, days but for a number of years you did a show that covered everything in the, market Including Utah. Jazz and as you Watch donovan settle into this, evolved mature, role he's going to be first Team ALL mba and he might even get SOME mvp,
votes he won't win. It and Then rudy has his really potentially best postseason statement game in front of the world last night against The, Lakers conley's hitting dagger. Threes then they're the big pieces that are still having good, years Like niang And bogdanovich and O'Neil and. Such what sort of thoughts do you have about the decision that the front office made to break that team down in the name of what we've seen over the past three, years which is, inspiring absolutely.
NOBODY i think it looks worse and worse the further we get from expence and the better That donovan. Plays and you Know, rudy you, Know rudy isn't going twenty seven and twenty four every, night but he is still a very good piece to a. TEAM i think it looks bad AND i think it's a bit of A i hate to be too, harsh BUT i think it's an organizational failure for not being able to figure out how to make it work and put the right pieces
around those. Guys those are. Two one is a TRAN i think a lot of people thought What donovan was, here we had seen the, plateau that he was what he. Was that's not the. Case he has elevated his game even further In cleveland And cleveland an, organization it really had no success in the last twenty five or thirty years outside of The lebron, years and, frankly to be, honest they didn't really do a great job of placing talent Around Lebron. James they have found a way to
build an organization Around Donovan. MITCHELL i JUST i think it looks worse and. Worse As i've said to you on this show, Before i'm still not quite, sure outside of hoping that you get the number one pick In Cooper, flag what the plan. Is AND i do think that you know you've got to you, know when you've got star, players they don't have to be best. Friends but somebody figured. Out adults in the room figure it, out figure out how to make it. Work AND i don't think The jazz.
Did And i'm not sure if you're going to have An ALL nba defensive, guy a first Team ALL nba, guy and some good pieces like they've had they had there here anytime in the near. Future SO i just think it looks worse and worse the further we get from. It you feel the, Same, YEAH i.
DO i.
Do and you, know even at the, time and look to be, Fair Don evan behind the scenes really was causing issues to the point WHERE i think they had to do what they had to do with.
Him but if.
You just kind of draw a little bit of a parallel, here if you say that they do The mitchell deal but hang on To rudy who wanted to stay. Here you, know you bring in lowry, marketing and you bring in a bevy of draft assets that you get From. Cleveland and at the, TIME i think it Was ohioboji who actually played well For toronto this. YEAR i think there's a world that exit that would have, existed and who knows what it looks, Like and you, know ultimately this is,
hypothetical but it's what makes sports radio. FUN i think there was a world that you could have moved forward in a different way as opposed to breaking everything down in the name of again in the past three, years which has just been a road to.
Nowhere, yeah and, again those were, guys AND i know people will, say, well you did it, once you can do it. Again that's hard to. Do and maybe they maybe lightning did strike twice for them With stockton And malone and Then rudy And. Donovan but we've not seen anything really over the last three. Years and, yeah you Acquired lowry marking, in but there's got to be part Of lowry market. In that feels like he's wasting away some of his best years of basketball playing for a
team going. Nowhere and how long is it Before lowry market and decides he doesn't want to be part of this rebuild. Anymore So, YEAH i just, AGAIN i want that franchise to have. Success those were fun years AND i know you told me a lot about, it And i'd talk to other people that Yet donovan was problematic behind the. Scenes but find a. Way and if you can't find a, WAY i don't know that you had
to get rid of. BOTH i, mean because Clearly minnesota's found a role For rudy and obviously they've Got Anthony Anthony, edwards which is transformational To BUT i, JUST i JUST i look at it AND i, SAY i don't know when The jazz are going to be competitive to the degree they were competitive when they Had gobert And mitchell here and as you, Said conley and.
Others, yeah, yeah in three straight years with no spring, basketball and spring basketball so. Fun playoff basketball when it's In utah so. Fun but we'll move on, Now, BILL i, wonder you, KNOW i Thought junior would be, drafted held out some hope For, karne but happy For Caleb.
LONER i, mean what a.
Story but your thoughts on the only you being drafted this year Being Caleb loner and obviously we'll get into some other players who have found some landing, spots but not a very active draft cycle For utah, football what are your?
Thoughts, YEAH i, MEAN i think it was just one of those off years where you had some guys that, were you, know third day guys or free agent, guys and that's just how it. Was if you, know you play the game forward next, year there's a Chance utah has two guys in the Top i've seen a lot way too, early But i've seen the two tackles Is spencerfano And Caleb lomu both mocked in the top fifteen or twenty. Picks SO i just think it was one of those years where you didn't have a lot of
guys that were top end. Guys but the good news, is you, KNOW i think those guys are all good football. Players i'd be shocked If Junior tafuna and Karennie, reid and you, know even a guy Like zemiah von because he's just such a good, athlete they don't end up ON nfl. Rosters and once you end up on AN nfl, roster you know you make your way forward. There BUT i think those guys are good football. PLAYERS i just think it was one of those one of those off years where they just didn't have it well.
In one of the other dynamics.
HERE i can remember When Trevor riley was drafted by My New York. JETS i think he was a seventh, rounder AND i sent trevit text, like, hey congrats, man you got, drafted and of, course in True Trevor riley, fashion he sends me an expletive laiden response about how pist he was that he didn't get to choose where
he wanted to. Sign so if you're not going to be you, know first four rounds or, whatever maybe A connor o tool gets to choose that he goes To seattle And junior with The texans or what have.
You so maybe all these players would have.
Preferred not to be drafted late so they can decide to choose which landing spot they actually ultimately go.
With, yeah you'll Get just a few years, Ago Brittan covey didn't get. Drafted we all Loved. Covey oh he'll be somebody who'll. Pick, well they. Didn't but what. Happened he lands with The Philadelphia, eagles has A Super bowl, ring has been a really good special teams per former for.
Them so you're absolutely, right those guys get to pick that. Location, because to be, honest you, know when you're a six or seventh round, pick there's not a lot of guaranteed money, anyway and if you're a priority free, agent they're going to give you some of that money. Too SO i think at the end of the, day it's going to work out pretty well for those guys being able to pick and choose their own.
Spots, so of, course the massive storyline coming out of the draft was the fall and slide Of Shador sanders and you had a chance to call some Of shador's, games and you, know, ANECDOTALLY i told the story Of big Twelve Media day Where sean AND i were on radio row and interviewing coaches and players without much, fanfare and then double doors. Open six cameras are Following, Shiloh shador And dion around and we had a chance to Interview. Shiloh they didn't let us Interview, shador but of course
the circus that follows them around is. Undeniable and, LOOK i always find it fascinating ryles like the the chasm that exists between talent evaluators that work for teams and leagues and talent evaluators that work for media. Outlets And i'm not saying media members don't work hard and do the best they can?
Analyze is this as? Simple can we be.
As reductive AS nfl talent evaluators did not Evaluate shaudor as highly as maybe some of the media guys.
DID i think that's exactly what it. Is spence and then when You're i'm not sure that he was a fifth round, talent but he was a second or third day. Talent and then when you have everything that went along with, HIM i think that some teams don't want to bring in all that went With Shador sanders for a guy that's going to be a backup, quarterback and you don't want to bring that circus to. TEN i had a chance to interview him the year before At pack twelve media.
Day he And Travis hunter sat down, together And shadour couldn't have been any more rude than he was looking at His he was literally scrolling through his phone alive on the radio during the. Interview Travis hunter was a really, nice friendly, kid and you know it was kind of his first time through doing any of that. Stuff shador was, disinterested, dismissive and got up to leave before the interview was. Over it was last Question travis was answering. It he
got up and kind of wandered. Off so that was my one in person experience with, him AND i know other people have had that same. EXPERIENCE i think he was a really good college. Quarterback it was really hard to judge him because his offensive line was so awful over, there and it was a little bit of an unconventional, offense so it was kind of him improvising. THINGS i, know he's a, competitor he's a really tough. Kid he's got good football. Instincts so you, know he's now going
to do what a lot of people have to. Do he's got to go prove himself and if he. Could you, know the thing with THE nfl is, man they don't. Care you go out and if you can, play you could, play you'll find a spot on the, team and if you, can't they'll say thanks for coming, in. Goodbye so we'll
see this. FALL i, mean it's a tough situation because you've got two veterans in whether The flaco and Pick, it and then they Drafted Dylan gabriel in the third, round and you, know there's only so many reps to go, around even in fall camp and things like. That so it'll be really interesting to see how that whole thing plays out In.
Cleveland So Spring Football forever twenty two GAME i was down on the, sidelines boots on the, ground, grinding and you were up in your beautiful air conditioning studio calling the. Game SO i didn't get a chance to come say, Hello but what from your bird's eye, view just some takeaways times for a few tough fans that did not have a chance to see the. Action what were your takeaways from The forever twenty two.
Game, WELL i thought Damp pierre did a lot of the same things in the game situation that we saw him do all spring. Long he's a. TALENT i was actually surprised he played as long as he. DID i know the quarterbacks weren't, live but that did surprise me a little bit because we have seen non contact injuries
in spring games. Before BUT i thought he was. Terrific you know that it's hard to say with the defense because they have to run at So Vanilla Morgan scalley not able to blitz and scheme a bunch of stuff. Up BUT i think you can see athleticism, flash AND i thought that The, carvallo the young wide receiver who took that screen to the house or down inside the five yard, line showed some. FLASHES i think the running
backs all looked really good in that game. Too we didn't see a single one of the starters on the offensive, line so it's hard to it's hard to judge, that But i'll tell you. What the guy THAT i noticed in practice this, spring AND i thought he had a good game during the spring game Was Bird, fickland the left handed freshman, quarterback the kid out Of. OKLAHOMA i
thought the ball really left his hand. NICE i thought he moved around well, too for a kid that probably should have been at his senior prom that weekend and not playing football in the spring. GAME i thought he looked really good. Too so you, know the best thing was nobody got hurt and they got out of it. Clean AND i think they're going to be really. GOOD
i Think i'm really interested to see this. SPRING i think they need to add a couple of wide, receivers you, know And beck was pretty clear about, that so it Was Kyle. Whittingham but outside of, THAT i thought it was ABOUT i thought it was a pretty clean. GAME i just kind of looked for guys at flash athletically spence and make a few. Plays AND i think they had a few of those Guys Hunter andrews.
Too, yeah and you, Know, bill they were. HITTING i, mean you, know down on the.
SIDELINE i was, again boots on the, ground grind you no big. DEAL i was surprised at how live the action. Was AND i know they held Out lander and SO i think there were fifteen or sixteen starters that did sit. Out but were you surprised at the physicality that you saw or was that something you were.
Expecting, well that was WHAT i was.
Expecting they can't be physical with the, quarterbacks but, man they could be physical with everybody. Else i'll tell you another guy that really jumped out this, spring and he actually made a couple of plays in the game With Jackson, benny the kid that played a little bit last year on special teams From olympus form the walk. On he's going to be really. Good he's built like a, linebacker but he's going to play safety in. CORNER i thought he was really good and he had a big hit
in that game. Too so, no it doesn't surprise me that they were physical everywhere but with the. Quarterback because if you're going to put some shackles On scaley and say you can't be exotic and you can't do a lot of, things he's gonna be physical where he. Can so that didn't surprise.
Me you referenced the wide receiver group and as you said both Coach beck and coach would have talked about. It Zach Williams zacharias last year known As zach this year lands AT sc and he had a couple of
really nice plays in the spring. Game when the spring game was, OVER i asked a couple of the, coaches Including jason And, morgan are you guys expecting and, look we should be very clear that kind of the rhythm of this thing over the past four years or, so since the transfer portal became a, reality and you, KNOW byu LOSES I, Harson taggart And keel And marion right after their spring session. Ends usually springball and spring game.
Happens you have exit interviews and then players. Leave it's not a, surprise BUT i think there was some surprise That zach decided to. Leave what was your response to that, Story.
YEAH i. WAS i was surprised to simply because he. Was he was clearly the best wide receiver all spring. Long you mentioned plinking some plays in the spring, game and you, know wide receiver won in a program Like utah where they're going to clearly throw the ball. More this, YEAR i thought he was in a pretty good. Spot BUT i think what you've. Learned What i've, learned especially over the last couple of, years is don't be surprised
by anything when it comes to the transfer. Portal and for him to have hit it so quickly but then he landed pretty, quickly tells you there was probably some stuff that was going on behind the. Scenes, SHOCKER i, know to a lot of. People but for him to, have you, know immediately after the spring, game made that decision and then landed pretty, quickly he probably tells you there were some other. Decisions so you just have to let.
Me you don't know what's. COMING i don't think the coaches probably, expected BUT i think you have to expect some of that. Stuff and now you pivot and try and you, know figure out who your new wide receiver one is going to, be whether you bring him in here in the spring, portal or is somebody that's already on your.
Team so the internet is full of folks with mental health issues throwing their feces at each. Other SO i don't necessarily program my show off of. It but you, reference you, know things that are clearly happening behind the. Scenes now here's the, issue so you can, say, WELL, byu they are tampering with our players OR usc here's the, Problem, like there are no rules against, it and so everybody should be doing. It if it's not against the, rules
you're going to be doing. It, now The house FIRST ncaa settlement might bring some, clarity and, look you work for the, school so be careful and do what you got to. Do but is there a feel up there that The utah players are being tampered? WITH i, guess for lack of a better, term BY byu and other.
Schools, WELL i.
Don't, WELL i think tampering's happening Everywhere spence and there are actually rules against. It you're not supposed to reach out unless the if the kid declares for the, portal that's where the communication is supposed to. BEGIN i don't think that that's necessarily the case across intercollegiate, athletics but that's that's the case. Now with The house, settlement it's supposed to put guardrails on. It there's supposed to be
a third party that will be. Monitoring we'll see if that happens or, not but as of right, NOW i think it's probably happening all over college. ATHLETICS i think it probably has been for a number of, years BUT i think, NOW i think because THE ncaa has kind of has kind of removed itself in a lot of, WAYS i think a lot of people feel emboldened to do this. Stuff SO i don't know who's doing, it BUT i mean it's it's clearly happening around collegiate.
Athletics there's a report from two four seven The utah is hosting a cow wide receiver Name Tobias merriweather for a visit. Today any any insight as to the plans THAT utah has didn't maybe try to restock that wide receiver.
ROOM i just know that they're they're according to my conversations With Jason, beck we actually had him on during the, broadcast and he said that they would be active in the in the transfer portal looking for some help at wide. Receivers so anybody that it doesn't surprise me at all that they're bringing some guys. In and again THIS i don't. Know you, know there's a lot of guys in the. Spring they're they're probably not as, plentiful the big play guys as you would have in the, fall but there's
plenty of talented guys out. There AND i used this example a. Lot you don't have to find them for the big. PROGRAMS i, mean look at the guy that was taking over the weekend in THE Nfl, draft The Iowa state wide Receiver Jayden. HIGGINS i believe he played his first two years of college football At Eastern kentucky and then he you, Know Iowa state found and brought him in and he became a you, know first Team
All big twelve second round draft. Pick so there's so many guys and so many schools out there THAT i have no doubt that they're going to bring a lot of guys. In AND i you, KNOW i THINK i don't know what the magic number. Is my guess would be they'd probably like to have one or two guys that they could they could get to add to their. Numbers and, obviously with the loss Of Zacharias, williams we ought to fill that spot as. Well SO i don't know anything about any of the guys they brought, in.
Though try and Analyze big twelve football this season In may On may first as an exercise and. Futility But i'll just go off The vegas lines right. Now you can get odds For Arizona, State Kansas, state And Texas tech at eight point five. Wins so those are the three teams That vegas is telling us as the best chance to win the most. GAMES i, MEAN i could go to some blog and tell you what they, think BUT i don't. Know In, may and then right behind them IS byu And utah AND i was stayed at
seven point. Five does that kind of jive with where your head is at right now generally, speaking how this conference might play.
Out that seems, LIKE i, mean that's the over, under you, know you take the over the Under i'm. Getting, Yeah, yeah that seems like a pretty low number for a lot of those. Schools they're basically saying they see the winner of The Big twelve having roughly in the neighborhood of nine, wins which may be the. CASE i, mean this, conference we used to joke about THE pac twelve cannibalizing. ITSELF i would say The big twelve could probably do that as. Well, YEAH i haven't looked close enough at, it,
because like you, said It's may. FIRST i figured i'd dig in on it a little bit after the rosters kind of balance themselves out sometime In. June those numbers for whatever, reason feel a little low to, me but you know they're probably in the.
Neighborhood i'll ask you a question that's been posed to me at different stops and questions That i've, poked you, know a question That i've posed other college football. Guests what gives You bill the most confidence the year two in The Big twelve will be better for you top football than your one.
Was, well, again the offensive line might be the best in college, football certainly going to be the best in The Big. Twelve the defense brings back a lot of really good player. Performers And i'll say this BECAUSE i had a front row seat for every game last. Year team competed and played really. Hard they were wildly deficient at one, position and had that had quarterback played been better For utah last, year just at an average level as it kind of was the year, before the season
would look a lot. DIFFERENT i think a lot of people are looking in, saying, well five wins the had down program things like, That, well it's really back to back years without your first string. Quarterback and they managed eight wins the year before With bryce And barnes because he had been in that system for three years and knew it. Inside, Now Andy ludwig systems really, complicated and last year they didn't have a quarterback that knew it
well at. All SO i think with a new offensive system and a dynamic, quarterback if you can keep him upright and this offensive line's really, GOOD i think This utah team was probably an eight nine ten win team a year ago if they had a Healthy Cam. RISING i think that they can be in that same range again this year if they keep the quarterback upright and find one or two playmakers in the past.
Game all, Right rile's last.
Thing The Dallas mavericks lose to The Memphis grizzlies in the playing, game which Allowed Alex jensen allocatas full time and energy to his new job as the head. Coach John McHenry is the latest transfer seventeen points three boards couple of assists At Western. Kentucky by my, CALCULATIONS i think there are five roster spots left For alex.
And Coach chilias And west and the group to.
Fill so just give us an update the progress and if you have a chance to kind of communicate and see any of these coaches up.
There and how the project is. Going to Rebuild utah men's.
Basketball i'm actually spence getting a. Chance over the next several, days we're going to do some sit, down one on one interviews nice with these, coaches which you guys will see in the coming. Weeks SO i haven't met and spoken a lot to a lot Of alex, obviously and Coach chilius i've spoken to on a couple of occasions because he been around an awful. LOT a lot of the other guys, now they're all pretty set. HERE i Think Martin schiller will be the last one to come
over From, germany but they're pretty set. Now So i'm looking forward to getting a chance to really meet these guys and talk to these guys and kind of get their feel for where they. ARE i can't really speak to the recruits themselves only because none of them have officially signed. It they've all, committed and BECAUSE i work for the athletic department, Now i'm not technically allowed to
speak about them until they're officially. Signed so on a future show with, YOU i will go very much in depth with these, guys AND i think we'll probably see that pretty. Soon BUT i know they've gotten a lot of commitments from some players they really. Like So i'm just really looking forward to getting a chance to talk to these guys BECAUSE i Think alex has put together a really unique. Staff he hasn't gone with, that you, Know i'm going to hire seventeen assistant coaches and staff.
MEMBERS i think he's kind of valued quality over quantity and kept a little bit tighter. Group But i'm really anxious over the next week or, So i'm going to get a chance to sit down with each new staff member and and do a one on one with.
Them just pass along the message and find out if there's any interest in signing a forty seven year old gunner who will not guard or.
Pass, well you'd be a lot Like Luka. Doncic then you're just a little bit.
Older fair, enough fair, enough R.
Luca, passes but he doesn't. Guard what what do you?
Mean did?
You by the, way what did you make of the Whole halliburton's dad And yannis's face thing the other?
Night whenever the family member is the, story it's never. Positive let let your famous family member be the famous family member instead of. It LIKE i, think like if that was you OR I, bill we'd be banned from AN nba. Arena we would never attend ANOTHER nba. GAME i think they should send a very stern. Message it was a horrible look and he took the shine off his son's, moment you know WHAT i?
Mean like everything about it was just clown.
Behavior by the, way they did come out this say. Afternoon pacers had banned him the rest of the.
Playoffs, OH i didn't see it for away. Game, okay good, good good good. Good all, right my, friend great to see. You let's get together. Soon.
Okay the, voice the voice of the. Utes his name Is Bill. Riley he joins the program from time to. Time he Stops spot today courtesy of our friends AT Ifa Country. STORES Ifa Country stores they have everything you need.
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Yard you can find them online AT ifa dot co. Op All Right, thursday, show run, along beautiful day. Outside we have turned our calendars To. May Happy thursday to. You it has been a while because he's a very busy, man and also he's really not allowed to hang out with, me but we got him live in the studio for an entire. Hour the editor of The Sports action from The Salt Lake, Tribune Aaron, Fall Happy, thursday.
Sir how are? YOU I i'm.
Great how are you Spend i'm. Great it's great to see. YOU i know you're a busy, guy so thank you for the.
Time, Yeah i'm breaking my restraining order by by seeing.
You, hey, well you, KNOW i doubt she, listens SO i think you're. Saying if you want to see What aaron looks, like log onto. YouTube we Had Chris camarannie live in studio yesterday sitting where you're.
At you're, good, buddy all, Right?
Aaron? Right?
Nice two thumbs.
UP k typically wears the shirt of the picture of you From Talking.
Sports, yeah that's that's a nice.
TOUCH i GOTTA i got to pull out some of my my Specific kamarani merch next. Time do you have a SPECIFIC k? Shirt, Yeah i've Got i've Got i've got C k. Merchant there was a period of time WHERE i think that was our that was our love.
Language you, know we.
Humiliated each other with CUSTOM t shirts and in all of our, friends not Just kimarani AND. I it was it was too expensive and we spent way too much money doing, this but we did it for two or three.
YEARS i mean it was a long.
Time you have a face swap Of Kyle, goon is IT? Tj, yes that's a great.
Shirt, yeah, yeah, exactly many things like. That it's just weird, things you, know stuck on, planes playing with your. Phone dumb things, happen and and we made merch and you, know we made memories, really.
And that's what it's all. About what is your love? Language by the, way eron.
Peace and quiet and? Quiet, okay that.
Is that, one because if that's, ONE i finally figured mine.
Out, no you, KNOW i think you, know if we're going to answer, honestly quality, time quality, time, okay love. It, well we're about to spend some quality time, Together.
Aaron the easy thing to do today is to look at The Utah jazz roster from twenty twenty one and See Donovan, mitchell who's about to be a first Team ALL Nba player and will even get SOME mvp. Votes he might finish third or. Fourth it's probably gonna Be shay and. Yokah to look At Rudy, gobert who just had potentially the best postseason game he's ever had last. Night it helps that it was against The, lakers so the world was. Watching and Then Mike conley hit a
couple of dagger. Threes to be, Fair mike his age a little, bit but he was really good last. Night George nyang had a good. Season then there there's the boy On bogdanovitch's of the. World the easy thing to do today is to, say, wow did you blow it by breaking that group down In Salt Lake, City, utah where it's hard to get. Talent, okay that's the easy thing to do. Today what's the fair thing to say about that entire?
PROCESS i was thinking about this AND i do, think you, KNOW i, mean, okay, sure, Sure George nang had a you, know had some. Moments like you, Said mike, looked you, know looked better last night than he has throughout the last little bit as he's gotten a little bit. Older but both of these, guys Both rudy And donovan went to better teams THAN i think would have existed In Salt. Lake and so if you, are you, know a believer in you, know we're living for the now and playoffs is a good.
Time and you know we have two.
Star level players and truthfully may not achieve a duo like that anytime. SOON i can you know, YOU i think you're you have a fair argument to be frustrated and, say, hey we should have been a playoff. Team we should have given ourselves a few bites at this and maybe maybe you get lucky and break. Through BUT i think if you look at it, realistically the talent that That rudy has around him in In minnesota is better than
A Rudy donovan team was. Here AND i think the talent That donovan has around him In cleveland is better than A Rudy donovant team would have been. HERE i, mean no disrespect to The royce O'Neills of the, world and and you, know and Boy on has has not be you, know it's not the person that Boy on was when he had the surgery in the bubble that that pandemic. Season BUT i don't think that that cast of players matches either one of those, Teams AND i don't think that there were a lot of avenues for
bringing in that kind of. Talent there's No garland, coming there's No Julius randall coming on the other. End and you, know even if you say That donovan is as good as ant or or, WHATEVER i just don't think that you have the cast that supports either of them the way that they do in their current.
Situations the fair and well.
Said So i'll reduce it to a, question do you think because you, know for whatever, Reason Dennis lindsay meets with the new ownership group and decides, Like i'm, out all, right So i'll be the, consultant, essentially pay out my contract and all exit states left and wear leather jackets and. Such quinn himself said no pathway. Forward so the decision to break that team down brick by brick essentially Was danny's, right and Probably Jay z as well a little, bit who was still part of the.
Equation do you think it was the right call in?
RETROSPECT i think, So AND i think even even if you even if we you, know take WHAT i just said and maybe you, disagree and maybe you think that
that cast is as good as one of those. Teams and maybe, NO i think you're, correct but for the sake of, ARGUMENT i think that those two guys had real issues with each other, obviously and you, know sometimes you got a break up and and you, know maybe maybe you could, say, hey if you stick together for another seven six seven, years you, know everything heals, over we've got, scars we move. ON i just don't think
that you get there very. Quickly AND i think that both of those guys are in better places because of a. Breakup and SO i do think ultimately right. Choice it doesn't mean that it's not doesn't mean that it's not, painful and doesn't mean that that that's not gonna be the high water mark for a long. TIME i mean that very, well maybe as good as it gets for ten or twenty.
YEARS i don't. Know, yeah, yeah you.
Know it's it's funny because and this is a little bit at apples and, oranges and it's always dangerous to compare eras and different operating styles of eras and the way teams have to go about their, business and certainly the uniqueness Of John stockton And Karl, malone who stayed in our market for basically twenty. Years But John stockton And Carl malone were together for eleven and twelve years
before they went to the. Finals, Right so in nineteen eighty, Eight john And Carl mark Eaton Bobby, hanson that group they Take Magic, Johnson Kareem Abdul, jabbar That laker team to seven games and almost beat, Them and that was kind of the NBA's wake up, call, like, oh that team In salta's pretty. Good the next, Year Terry, teagle
a random cast Of Golden State warriors sweep. Them so If Scott layden decided in nineteen eighty nine pulling the plug they can't get it down to the, playoffs that takes away seven eight years later of when they actually go to the.
Finals. Right you see the parallel.
Here so look, again this is a little bit unfair because we can again be reductive and say one person blew this whole thing, up and he's playing In. Cleveland this was A Donovan, MITCHELL i don't want to live in Salt lake.
Anymore summer At George.
Floyd Black Lives matter kind of finds his, voice which is, fine you, know, ao no issue with. It we have a was it a Senator adams or whatever who Tells donovan get. Educated like the whole, thing the way it went, down has to be talked about in order to be. Fair but there is a space in my mind that, Exists Like donovan had two years left on his, deal and you say to, him you're under, contract you play for, us and then maybe for two more, years you try
to convince him that he can win. Here and if somehow that, happens Maybe rudy And donovan learn the Lessons john And carl do for the next seven or Eight you understand What i'm, saying extremely hypothetic and you can only misbehave.
Like, this or you get to that place and you, know you get to the end of a tracked and you basically lose all your leverage and you don't get package back For donovan or For.
Rudy rudy ages.
Out maybe you, know something happens and you, know butterfly flaps its wings and caught her fly and here we. Are BUT i you, KNOW i THINK i think that it makes sense on paper to have done what they. Did it hurts the heart of people who want to watch quality, basketball right because it was not a season to pay attention TO i mean if you're if you watched all eighty two of, those you're a. Sikoh good for.
You but there was no reason to be invested in what was happening on that court in any meaningful way this this. Year so if you're, HURT i completely. Understand BUT i think on, paper it was the strategically sound thing to, do knowing that you might not get those packages.
Back, okay one more thing, here let's operate off the hypothetical. Again we can misbehave on sports soccreatio in a way you can. Elsewhere let's Say danny Sits Alan donovan and all, right it's clear that in two years you're. Leaving all, right so we're gonna trade you to your, point because if you don't, TRADE i mean he leaves in two years for, nothing you Get Gordon hayward all over, again
which sets your franchise. Back The mitchell trade Brought Colin Sexton lowry, Marketing Ochai, obaji who by the, way played well In toronto this, year and three first round.
Picks and two.
Pickswaps what if you do The mitchell trade and you hang on To Go, bear and suddenly your starting lineup is Go Beart, lowry marketing, Boy Am, Bogdanovitch Mike, CONLEY i don't, Know clarkson, whatever And obaji the other piece Is Colin sexton's brought?
In what does that look?
Like And quinn, decides, Okay i'll stay there's a pathway forward because we're not completely rebuilding.
Or Or quinn.
DOESN'T i, mean you know there's a chance there that, that you, Know Quinn snyder a GOOD nba, coach great maybe GREAT nba, coach he runs into a situation where you, know your voice doesn't sound the, same you lose a locker room a little, bit or you just need you just need to shake things. Up so maybe maybe there's another piece there. Where if it's Not Will, hardy it's somebody else who comes in and can uh take over and you, know give you a little bit more energy
in that. WAY i don't, know BUT i MEAN i, AGREE i THINK i think those are our good. Teams, again probably not a championship level. Team and you also run the risk of you, Know rudy aging out and being you, know the end the on the on the downward slope of a career arc and you're, like why
did we do? This so with a big contract, Too, yes the huge, contract and a guy who as talented as he is does a thing that everyone here you, know can can appreciate and, respect but does get either exploited or you, know gets get some blame for in in you, know the kind of the national. Landscape and maybe that's not a winning combination all the. Time, sure last night was, great but so, far you, know it hasn't exactly won anyone a championship just.
Yet, well and to be fair about last, night he was catching lobs, over Gave, vincent who's your hYP you, know Like rehddick decided to go by the way that good good size in.
Girth while we're at, IT.
I, Mean reddick went all, small, Right and so in order to be, fair it's not like they were throwing it To rudy on the block and he was giving you The Hakeem olajuan dream.
SHAKE i mean he. Was he had nine, dunks nine.
Offense, look he was, awesome but it was against a team that went completely.
Small let's, see all, right.
One more thing, here because every TIME i, like for, instance The pistons in the next play, tonight The pistons have lost nine straight home playoff. Games they have not won a home playoff game since two thousand and, eight which for, Guys i'm older than, you but you Remember Isaiah thomas and the bad boys in The Great pistons. Basketball minnesota just won a first round playoff. Series they did the same thing last. Year it was the first time in the history The timberwolves that they have two
straight years where they won a playoff. Series we could talk About washington the last time that they were. Decent and my fear is if On may, twelfth you, know The jazz are picking fourth or, fifth we could be one of those markets that's spinning their. Wheels for, fourteen, fifteen sixteen, years we've just been spoiled because we've never had that. Happen it's commonplace in pro basketball to have, decades if, not you, know a, decade if not, more of no playoff, basketball no playoff.
Success and it doesn't have to be in a small.
Market The New York knicks from like nineteen ninety nine to twenty, thirteen fourteen were a. Joke is there a fear underlying fear in this? Market, like all, right maybe we get one In Cooper, flag maybe we. Don't and the dirty little secret is they're Not Cooper flag away from even being, Good like they're a long way away from even being.
Good, WELL i think you know there there probably needs to be some level set of expectation going into into that lottery BECAUSE i think there are a lot of people people and even if they know the math and they've heard that, number they think we did we did the hard, work we did the dirty, work and Now Cooper flag is the next. Step those numbers are not in your. Favor, yes you gave yourself the best chance possible.
Fourteen.
Percent there's gonna be a lot of you, know there's the potential high higher, Potential, yeah a lot of disappointed fans when when those ping pong balls are read. Out so, yes so to your, point, absolutely, okay see incredible.
Rebuild that's that's going to be more rare than They.
Yeah, sure you, know it could be a long time and if they don't Get Cooper, flag or maybe even if they, DO i mean it's going to be a lot like this next. Year you, know and you look at you, know What hinky did In philly and the number of they got number ones out of that or you, know and those and always pan out. Either, SO i, mean it's just there isn't a magic way to get this, done but.
Through the.
PAIN i think you know there is, potential but there could be a lot of pain before we get.
There you got to have a lot of luck fall your.
WAY i know you were not working with the team when the deconstruction, happened but what's your understanding of just how how bad a guy With donaga behind the?
Scenes?
Why because look a lot of attention this year in THE, nba, like how Could Nico harrison trade a twenty five year old superstar in his?
Prime that never?
Happens happened? Here donovan's Not, luca but it happened here and In Salt. Lake when you have a talent like, that you've got to do everything you can to hang on to, him which has to indicate behind the, scenes it got it Got, harry it got.
Bad what's your understanding of how that went?
Down?
Yeah AND i don't know all the ins and, outs but certainly there was very real frustration intension with Between donovan And, rudy and, certainly you, know As donovan voiced himself and felt more comfortable saying after, leaving he obviously had real problems with how he was treated while he lived in the, state by, politicians by you, know maybe just maybe just perception even but so, NO i think definitely a real. Problem and, yeah AGAIN i don't know
all the ins and, outs but that's. Somebody but people with the best information thought that was the best.
Move so here we.
Go, Sure AND i always try to be very sensitive to dynamics THAT i don't. Understand i'm a white man who lives In Salt. LAKE i don't know what it's like to be a black man living In Salt lake WHEN i think it's two point seven percent of our city As African. American so it's easy for me to say AND i am going to say this BECAUSE i felt Like donovan walked on water. Here and, yes there was The Stewart adams dumb.
Thing, SAY i JUST i don't, Know LIKE i, Said i'm Not. DONOVAN i can't relate to that.
Experience but from my vantage, POINT i felt like people Loved Donovan mitchell here In.
UTAH i think that's, true you, know and, certainly you, know people Love Donovan mitchell the athlete and the success that that he brought and the joy that he brought to a fan. BASE i you, know, Again i'm with,
you white guy living In Salt Lake. CITY i can imagine that it would be tough to, be you, know in in that grade of a minority and not see many people who look like you and feel that maybe you, know you, are whether whether it's real organ perception that feel like you're being you, know judged or, watched or
that the weight is on. You and there are people who study these things that feel, that you, know say like there is a level of pressure that somebody in that, situation star, athlete you, know or or a voice for you, know a minority group feels and and has to sort of like, uh process and deal with that goes beyond what we can what we can. Understand SO i think
THAT i think that's that's a real. THING i mean, again hard to hard to, know hard to, know whether you, Know and you're putting maybe some thoughts Into, okay yes you're cheering me in the, arena but based on the policies that get voted into in the, state based on what people say about other, things you, know like, yeah you know you're not saying this to, me but you're saying this about someone who is like, me or looks like, me or things like.
ME i can see how that can be. Frustrate, yeah very, fair good.
Perspective the other last thing, Here the other thing Is donovan's. Generation he's twenty eight, now so you, know twenty, five twenty six when he left. Here it's easy for me to, say don't look at your, mentions or get off get Off, twitter get Off, instagram stop reading direct. Messages this generation behind, Us. Aaron they were raised with cell phones and social media as their friends and their babysitters in a way that we just.
Weren't SO i never look at my.
Mentions i've got my direct messages open On. Instagram if people send me something, Decent i'll interact and OTHERWISE i ignore.
It but the social.
Media backlash that he took here in the state after he started speaking, up it's easy for me to, say don't read, it but they all read. IT i, mean coaches in THE nba talk about going in to the locker room at halftime to give a speech and all the players have their phone looking like looking at their. Mentions that probably didn't help the way that he seemed to be a tapped online after he started kind of expressing his, views no.
Doubt, well and and you know the old it's the switcheroo, THERE i, mean you think about, yeah, okay so we were talking about all the negative that comes from. That but for, huge for, years you, know from from probably high, school maybe before high school Into louisville into the earliest, days he was getting tons of positive.
Feedback you, know brain is firing, good, good good.
Good and then all of a, sudden like the thing that you know has given you a bunch of very positive reinforcement in your in your life collapses on. You and you, know it takes a while to break a. Habit if that's you, know it's, hard hard to put away the mentions right.
Right one more thing, here because you WERE i still can't believe you had this. Experience you were in the bubble In orlando when THE nba resumed. Playing how do you THINK covid changed? Them how do you THINK covid changed that? Group Because i'll always maintain OBVIOUSLY covid changed a lot of, things and basketball is not the most important. Thing but how did THE covid experience change that?
Group?
Yeah, WELL i think definitely there was you, know whatever differences That donovan And rudy had There here was another point of, frustration you, Know donovan believing That rudy got him sick early on in the initial days of a, pandemic when you didn't know what that meant, for you, know somebody Like, donovan you, know because you, know would
it impact him as an? Athlete would it impact you? Know, Again so so here here's someone who's already under your, skin and now you're blaming them for putting you in a situation that you really really don't want to be.
In SO i.
THINK i think watching that and watching you, know kind of the, Restart, uh there was sort of a. CHILLING i think they did try to bridge, things you, know and maybe there was a, chance a great reset that the pandemic there give, us all, right and then you lose because Because Mike, conley smart guy planned a pregnancy with this with his wife to happen during THE nbaf.
Season but the nb off season becomes the, playoffs, right and he goes back home and you, know throws off a little rhythm there because Boy bogdanovitch gets hurt and needs surgery and isn't there and because you you, know choke away what should have been an easy seemed an easy win over the over That nuggets team at that. Point and maybe if you, win maybe if you if you make a run to the conference finals or something like, that even in the, bubble maybe that sets you up
for more success and a chance to go. Over but you, take, yeah we've we've just. Lost we don't don't have that. Taste then we come back and you, know get run out of the building early, on vibes are very very.
Down, yeah, yeah five years ago that you were in that. Bubble it's, wild they can, Say or isn't it truly?
Insane and, uh you, Know i've it's very. Funny it's like it just becomes part of a. Personality we're we're so, old we're SO i feel like it's just like this is the depression for us or something like, that, right like we have to talk about. It it's a central point in. Everything and then there's just people that don't. Care it's not gonna bother them. Anymore let it, go And i'm trying to get to that.
Place there you, Go, yeah let. Go let got er all?
Right coming up, tomorrow excited for. This we're gonna be out in about at the Former Legacy. Center this is a legacy, fulfilled a milestone forty years in the, making will be realized. Tomorrow the location is one oh nine six Zero South Park road In South. Jordan it's their grand. Opening we're gonna have a ribbon cutting that starts at eleven.
Am the event itself goes from eleven am to, three but we're gonna be there until Six so ribbon cutting, ceremony tours the new, facility appearances by local, leaders dignitaries and sports. Personalities Former Legacy center is gonna serve as a hub for amateur, boxing youth, mentorship and community health, programming including fitness boxing for, women, seniors and individual living With. Parkinson's so come on, by of, course the legends, themselves
Gene jay and Don. Fulmer it is the legacy fulfilled the grand opening of the Former Legacy center at ONE o nine zero ONE o nine six Zero South Park road In South. Jordan all, right tusks up coming up next on the, program so keep it here ON espn seven.
Hundred the listeners.
Of the program and also friends of, mine know That i'm a, massive massive fan of the greatest REALITY tv show of all, Time Laguna beach and then the.
Hills of, course shout OUT. Lc he's like a sister to.
ME i was always Team, kristen But elsie, again lover like a. Sister AND i don't know, Why, aaron but every time this is from that soundtrack AND i love the, soundtrack and every time A Dashboard confessional song comes on for some, Reason i'm, LIKE i guarantee fulk went through a big.
Phase fair, confirmed all, right knew. IT i knew. IT i don't know.
Why, listen, MAN i got. FEELINGS i know you? Do you, KNOW i know you do. It it rocked my. World you know this this came OUT i was IN i was in high. School you, know truthfully it might be a bigger fan of some of his early.
Work, okay just. Kidding was this in the phase when you were playing? Music? Yeah for, Sure LIKE i you know this is.
We're going To Warp, Tour we're going to we're going to, Shows we're hanging out of Kilby cory Love. It you, know we're putting this in the sixth disc changer in The Nissan pathfinder and you, know like just just feeling the. World, man windows? Down did you cover a dashboard?
Song? Oh?
Man, okay all, Right, well, yeah that soundtrack has been making the rounds and that song came. On i'm, LIKE i Know faalk would appreciate, it all, Right aaron tusks. Up, Okay so the headline ON espn dot com is this mammoth gaff question Mark utah mom on name after leak.
C k yesterday on the. Show more.
Interested in the angle of who is up at two am monitoring The Utah Hockey club YouTube?
Handle and why are we doing? This for?
Me it's another dynamic where who's asleep at the wheel over? THERE i, mean this reeks of the whole, like, hey we're gonna leak the Yellow jazz jerseys accidentally and then, say, Wait purple's. Back so it appears that The Utah Hockey club accidentally let the cat out of the, bag and the hockey club, henceforth in forever will be known as The Utah, mammoth WHICH i think is so bad for so many different. Reasons but this is another Embarrassing, look, man that's my.
Opinion where you at with?
It?
OH i, MEAN i.
It's hard for me to get very worked up about something like.
THAT i, Mean i'm not losing. Sleep, yeah you, KNOW.
I think having worked in that, world you know sort of, before like a lot of different people doing a lot of different, things and you, know, again did somebody make sure just we need to we need to secure, this to make sure that this handle exists on, YouTube and, uh you know you're you're trying to just lock it. Down and then oh, no you, know we've we've we've confirmed when we should not have. CONFIRMED i, MEAN i don't. Know and then and then the other thing is, like
what's the bad? Publicity you, know, no there's no there's no bad publicity publicity if you think this is if this is the, name and you get people talking about it, again you, know your team's not in the, playoffs and all of a sudden you. Are you, know it's a there's a bunch of really good stuff happening in THE nhl playoffs and you became a story again. Today like that's not too bad for me, Either SO i, mean,
uh to, me not a bad look. NECESSARILY i just think that you're talking about a bunch of people doing a bunch of random.
Things it's like not that high.
Level does it make the actual announcement a little anti climactic since we know what the name is going to be now or is there a possibility that this actually Is to your, point were they just messing?
Around maybe this isn't the. NAME i don't think they're messing. AROUND i MEAN i saw that the comment, when you, know WHEN i asked about, it that they, said, hey we're still exploring all three. NAMES i can't really believe that at this late date you're equally exploring three different, possibilities like you got to start printing. Things we got to start you, know we've got to have a hat for you know, WHOEVER i don't know mask or, SO i, mean it seems it seems very likely that this is the.
OUTCOME i think it seems likely given the fan, reaction, uh you, know after After yetty drops, off it seemed like this was the number one. Choice, SO i, mean, yeah Quote John Paul, Junga i'm not surprised not.
A real, name all, right as somebody who was part of a naming process for a team that at the time had a lot of, pushback and still to this, day when people here At rayle Saw, lake they kind of go way away a. Second WHAT i always have to remind everybody that the reason we did that. Is our initial intention was to be The North american sister club Of Real, madrid and and we did have a
partnership with. THEM a young ck in the stands as a student Watching jason christ nearly score Against Real, madrid watching The, galactokos and.
We had becks put put a shovel in the. Ground you did a golden shovel at.
That there's a picture in my, House rude Van nistelroy Ecer, cassius. RIGHT i mean that was the initial intent of The real Saw lake. Name it's not an easy thing to land on a name that everybody's gonna. Love AND i Hate. MAMMOTH i think it's. Horrible of the, options that was actually my least. Favorite so again it's this is a difficult thing to do because you're gonna get criticism no matter. What but what do you think of the name now that we have an idea of what it's going to.
BE i think a couple of. Things i'm not as put off by it as as you. ARE i, think you, know it makes it makes some. Sense there's you, know history within the, state there's you, know some some actual local tie LIKE i THINK i would have had a greater problem with something that just like tries to sound, cool like venom was was, Migrat like venom is a thing that's a nickname you give yoursel elf and.
It's not like it's not. Cool it's gonna Do, avatar.
Bro SO i think that at least it feels, like, hey, yeah there's there is a utah reason that this could be the name of the. Team and it makes sense. TOO i think with anything with naming a, child, like every name sounds, stupid even you, know my parents sitting down there thinking about naming a Child, aaron like it sounds, stupid and then it just becomes your, name you. Know and so for the first generation of fans, here, yeah there's gonna.
Be some people that are hardcore about.
It they're gonna be a bunch of people that think sounds, fake it's not. Real and then there're gonna be people that are born into it and it's always gonna be real to, them you know WHAT i. Mean and SO i think that's that's the nature OF i like the Name. Aaron do you not like your? Name, Oh I'm i'm you're okay with.
THAT i love the. Name it's it's you, know no no.
Problem i'm just saying it sounds it's you, know when you say a word over and over again or, whatever it sounds fake like, this like how do you how do you make that? Decision and then it just becomes that the right fit fair? Enough what's your middle?
Name?
Caleb my Parent? Caleb my parents argued my my mother wanted to name Me. Caleb my father put the guybosh on.
It so, okay so then they all twitch your. Room, yeah. Okay.
Uh from a macro, Standpoint Bell Belle, frasier who you hired to cover the hockey club or The Utah mammoth potentially for the trip friend of the Program dynamic on. AIR i think it was a great hire by, you AND i think she does a really good. Job what has the first year been like for you guys to cover pro hockey in our?
Market, yeah you, know shout Out. Bell she has been super hard, worker clearly understands the the, sport and it's extremely passionate about. IT i think a great, person you, know to advocate for fans and try to you, know teach a little and all of.
That you, know it's been it's been very.
INTERESTING i think it's it is.
There's those are full buildings every.
Night, yeah and it is still a very niche sport in a lot of.
Ways you. KNOW i think.
The test and the question for me will be once this team is a playoff team or you, know a little bit of a, run how many folks are really invested in? It Beyond i'm excited about like the vibes of this. Thing here's a cool new. THING i like going to a. GAME i, like you, KNOW i like the idea that my state has this versus how many people are like Obviously Dylan gunther should be on the second, line you, know and and breaking it down AND I i have SOME i have some questions about.
That we'll.
See but you, KNOW i think that fans really, connected you, know just based on our metrics and what people. Read they really connect with the cultural, stuff How utah has, perceived how you know players fit, in how you know where you are in the pecking order of OTHER nhl, markets and and those types of, things and certainly less about like Is Barret, hayton you, know getting in front of goal?
Enough?
Right like that those are gotting, increase Right? Yeah, yeah those are two very different.
Things and so the audience for one is much greater than the other at the, moment for.
SURE i will tell you. This The Stanley cup playoffs are so. Cool they're so, intense and we are now in a market during the springtime when other markets are experiencing either basketball spring basketball playoffs or spring hockey, playoffs and we're experiencing. Neither when, Well i'm going to say, when Because i'm an internal, optimist you know, Me when springtime rolls around here in Saut lake and The mammoth and The jazz are both in the, postseason it is going to be popping.
DOWNTOWN i, mean that's a fun thing to think about.
As a as a guy you grew up here following The jazz and working in the media now for a number of. Years do you have any specific Spring jazz playoff memories that. POP i, mean when the weather gets warm and playoff basketball is in Saut, lake it's a really really fun. THING i hope we can experience it.
Too, yeah no.
DOUBT i mean it's hard for me to to, ignore like the more recent, memories but being in being in there for That OKAY c series a couple of years ago with the you, know The City edition jerseys and that color scheme and you, know the arena looked just it's that's probably the COOLEST i, think and honestly some of the Loudest I've i've ever heard. It Ricky rubio moment that was that was a high water. Mark it was for everybody. There Uh and SO i think that
that's that really stands. OUT i, mean you, know back a little bit didn't hit quite as much that that first breakthrough with With gordon and you get smoked by A Golden state and then you go back years before AND i don't, know the memory. FADES I i. DON'T i don't have quite the attachment TO i. WASN'T i wasn't at the arena for you, know jazz bowls or anything like.
That but.
That's that stands out for me. Personally and, Yeah i'm. EXCITED I i you, know very. Selfishly it's nice to have things to talk about and absolutly that matter that people are invested.
In And i'll be very. CURIOUS i, mean my my working theory And i'd be.
Curious you, know what your take is on this is that hockey has a will not be, bigger but has a higher ceiling THAN. Nba here in terms of landing free. Agents marquee, guys you know you have a higher potential of being A Stanley cup champion In Salt Lake city THAN i think Lifting alari O'Brien absolutely.
Agree And i've been very impressed With Bill armstrong and they're good. Now they're the third youngest team in THE. Nhl they've got to think the fifth most most cap. Space and there just isn't the stigma attached To Salt lake for hockey players that there are for basketball. Players and for whatever, reason, right there are probably several that we get. INTO i think we've and you know what we like. Here we want you to tell us that you like. Us and we've heard a lot of high
hockey players already, say, man this place is. Great they'll be front facing about attracting other players to play for the. Team you never HEAR nba players say that About. Utah you just, don't, Right, yeah.
The best the best you get is you, know, oh once you get, here you know it's not bad or it's you, know you'll you'll. Understand but nobody's selling it like. That, right it's a very different. Thing and, right you, know right or, wrong very very different. Thing and, yeah and you look at obviously it's it's not as metropolitan and as you, Know toronto Or montreal or. Whatever but you've got guys coming From edmonton And, winnipeg and and you, know like someth like doesn't look so, bad right?
Right and you, KNOW i remember When hayward. LEFT i said on air a couple of weeks, later if we can't keep the white dude who likes to play video games at night and is raising a, family it doesn't bode well for who we're going to be able to.
Keep and THAT i think is an underlying fear of jazz.
Fans where, uh Since john And carl left and, retired every player that we've had here drafted and, developed they have not spent their entire career.
Here and if you can't get a player.
Here to spend more than five or six years, here it's going to be hard to get a team to gel together long enough for them to be. GOOD i think a lot of jazz fans are afraid of.
That, yeah for.
Sure and you look at you, know people with a little perspective Like Darren williams comes, Back But Darren williams was not going to stay, Right AND i think pretty clearly at that. Point so you, know once you have a little bit of life experience and you see how things operate in other places and how you were treated and how you, lived and you know your commute and
all of, That, like, yeah it makes. Sense but you, know if you're a twenty five year old millionaire and the world is endless, potential you want to explore endless.
Potential, Sure AND i completely get.
IT i MEAN i always try to look at it through the prism of IF i was a twenty five year old multi, millionaire where WOULD i want to live IF i was? Single And i'm biased BECAUSE i like it here AND i don't think it's a bad place to, live BUT i can understand if you want to experience other. Places, really being a professional, athlete it's kind of an odd.
Thing like you're told where you're going to work and where you're going to live in any Other if you're the best at what you do in the, world you have control over where you can do that, thing and athletes just. Don't it's kind of an odd thing for.
Sure maybe you get traded To Salt Lake city and you, Decide i'm gonna go To Brazil i'm never coming.
There there you.
Go we'll get to the, lads, okay in a, Moment but before we get to the. Lads twitter discourse between college football fans it you, know the the VISUAL i have are the monkeys throwing their feces at each other at the. ZOO i, mean AND i don't program my show off of, it but you can't help but SEE byu Fans utah, fens are you tampering with our? Players
are you trying to steal our? Players the transfer portal in college football is chaotic every school across the landscape of collegiate athletics and, football and in, basketball you're going to lose players no matter. What the days of us getting to Know Andre miller and getting to Know Britton johnson and getting us to you, know getting to Know Alex, smith three or four of your, players they're.
Gone they just. Are that's a. Tribune how much does this back.
And forth when it comes TO byu Football utah football with keV phenomenal short, GAME i Guy jason on the other, side your college football beat. Riders how much of this back and forth moves the, needle if at, ALL i think.
It does move the needle AND i think, that you, know the way we try to look at it is maybe not so much jumping into, uh into the cage and you, know picking up our own faces and throwing. IT i think we're trying to look at it as, like can we provide some perspective here and maybe get to get to a. Truth, so you, know right, now the back and forth On, twitter if you haven't been paying, attention is there are a lot of people out there that that accuse B yu of quote unquote, tampering you,
know and offering guys large nil packages to go. South hasn't really happened That i've, seen you know in This, yeah the top was Miss snowden or somebody like, That, right hasn't Happened Smiths noden reaffirms he's At. Utah you, know maybe this is lingering from The tonavasa stuff or. WHATEVER i think my, preference very strong, preference is to
try to answer that and, say, like what is the? Truth, okay so here's here's a bunch of people talking about, it, speculation here's a. Rumor can we get to the answer of what's really going? On and that's really like what we would endeavor to. Do SO i think it can shape and present interesting. QUESTIONS i think it very rarely gives the real, answer and to be, FAIR i always
put the. Disclaimer you, know you can ask for a public records request to understand WHAT utah is doing, financially but you can't do that WITH byu because of our private. Institution so it really is hard to know exactly what the truth is with some of these financial.
Figures the on three group seems to be doing a lot of. Reporting Jeff, goodman who's a very well respected college basketball, reporter did report that The Rob wright kid From baylor a million dollar deal From baylor to stay, there and THEN byu is paying him north of three million dollars to play in. Provo THE aj debantsa figure is seven million dollars for five months of. Basketball Richie
saunders comes back reportedly with a seven figure. Deal if you just do loose, MATH Byu basketball is paying thirteen to fifteen million dollars ish for this roster that's coming back next. Year that's going to be. Awesome they're going to be a top five. Team my question to you, is why can't they just admit what they're? Doing why can't they just say what the truth is and stop
telling us that we're not seeing what we're. Seeing we we you, know we hear these things Where Travis hansen, says, well we don't outbid, people we outlove, them we outdeveloped, them we out. Whatever the name of the game now is to have your nil in a place where you can pay players to come play for you so you attract. Talent it's not to outlove them or you, know THE byu experience or, whatever like why can't we just say what's actually.
Happening what if your love language is money, fair then plan out love someone.
Fair point fair. Point maybe that's the, Angle and SO i, mean, YEAH i think BY u is in in a.
It's just an interesting situation in that they have a mission that, is you, know very publicly stated that that's that's different than a lot of other, places and so it is hard to jump into the fray and fully embrace like, hey, yeah we've got a bag here for
you and come play for. Us and it feels, mercenary like we want you to be part of of you, know cougnation and we want you to be part of the mission and and all, that and SO i THINK i think that is, hard but like there's no shame in paying people what you think there, work no take the victory leapt, sure there's no shame in, it, Right and so, YEAH i THINK i think it's.
NEW i THINK i think it's.
New AND i think you have a lot of people that, make you, know at high levels that make decisions FOR buyu at large on both you, know academically and and sort of you, know spiritual mission wise and and you, know athletics is only part of. That and so, YEAH i think you kind of make sure that people that have that don't have their minds wrapped around AND i l the way that you AND i, do the way that a lot of fans now have come to who believe, that you, know it just kind of sounds, gross like
they're not there. Yet and SO i think part of it is probably making sure that the people that make those decisions higher up in the church and BYU's academic side feel good about it.
Too that's fair and some good perspective. There it just comes across as so unauthentic and disingenuous when the reality of the situation is you are outbidding other schools for these, players and there's nothing wrong with that so trying to spin the message to make it sound any other. WAY i don't understand what you're afraid. Of maybe it's, this
and we should be. Clear the church is not writing these. Checks, Okay these are powerful boosters that contribute to The crimson or what do they call The Royal Blue, collective and you, KNOW Byu i've been told has at least nine and maybe more at this point seven figure. Donors so it is the boosters and the alumni that are paying for the. Players it's not the. Church maybe people are scared of making you, know that kind of.
Line that's something that you see every, time like the argument this is this is tithing or, whatever and so they have to make sure that that gets that message gets. Out this is not the church paying for, This this is not your tithing, money because this is someone else's
decision to do this on behalf OF Byu. Athletics and, so, yeah it is messy when you have that kind of you, know, big big mission and stage goal and then you have this other thing that feels tangential to, it or you, know feels maybe dirty in the mind of somebody who wants it to be much more, pure focused on a single.
Thing what's your understanding of where The university Of utah is at right now with their ability to attract talent and The Crimson collective where the nil stuff is at you right?
Now, Yeah so what they've said is that they are prepared to go to the full twenty and a half million of revenue sharing once The house settlement is. Finalized i'm less clear on what that means in terms OF i think a lot of people are going to be at the full twenty and a half and then that's great and it's nice that the universe that a school can now do this, directly but you, know there's third party AND i is still going to be on top of.
That you, know it Doesn't this doesn't mean that you And Ohio state are equal at twenty and a, half Right there's there's more money on top of. That So i'm less clear on where that, is you, know BUT i think they are, in you, know setting themselves up to do.
That we'll see how they do, that because.
You got to come up with twenty million dollars and it's probably private, equity and you, know be curious how that looks once once that that.
Happens who Is Nate bench's favorite jazz player of all.
Time that is a great. QUESTION i feel LIKE i feel like it's going to be Like Blue edwards or.
Something but do you have an? Answer.
No, well WHEN i WHEN i first Met, nate we were playing golf together and we were going to draft a jazz team back and, forth AND i, said if you had the first, pick who would you?
Take and he said Armand. GILLIAN i knew. It The, Hammer The. Hammer.
Okay the Reason i'm asking this is the first person can text In Nate bench's favorite jazz PLAYER d eight seven seven three five three zero seven.
Hundred we're giving you a free round of golf To Mount.
Ogden, okay it's The festival Of teas presented by our friends at THE. Uga so we'll give you A pga tour update coming. Up but first person Contexted Nate bench's favorite jazz.
Player we're gonna send you to golf for. Free all.
Right BEFORE i set you, Loose i'm gonna ask you a two PART rsl. Question part one is your thoughts on you AND i have spoken about. This we were able to sit with The millers for a while the day before their announcement that they have purchased the controlling stake OF. Rsl so your thoughts on the ownership transition OF rsl and what they did. Do AND i have decided to name Him Big Willie. Goals so we Got, willie you got. It we Got Johnny russell across the.
Line so your thoughts on what they did do during the primary transfer window and maybe more, importantly what they did not. Do so BEFORE i set you, loose your thoughts on all THINGS.
Rsl, yeah you, know incomplete grades AND.
TBD i, mean you KNOW I I i understand the frustration to start with the second. Half, FIRST i understand the frustration that you know you don't have a star striker at this point after selling off the guy who looked very much like a star striker at least for the first half of last. Year AND i completely understand the. Frustration, however you, KNOW i. DON'T i don't know anything about our Friend. BOSNIK i. DON'T i couldn't tell. You but, hey you tried and through no fault of your, own,
fails SO i can't really hold that against. You, maybe given how complex it is to get across the line on these, things you got to have four that are close and you you get to that. Situation but it sounds like they got done dirty on that, one and so, hey you, know gotta gotta try. Again Johnny, russell once a great, player now seems like a great.
Guy we'll see how that.
Works and That god gives you at least something because they didn't have you, Know forser was not the. Answer, no it was not so incomplete in terms of The miller's you, KNOW i think that they are not the splashiest and flashiest of.
Owners.
Right they're not going to go, In they're not not going to heere to lure whoever the next Great european is and spend a bunch of money to do. It they're always going to you, know be smart with with their money and see where they can you, know maximize some.
Things that being, said you, KNOW i mean we talked about being. Spoiled have they?
Did they really have bad teams, ever you, know for a long period of. Time SO i, think, yeah maybe maybe you feel c b about about, it BUT i do think you're gonna have a good product for for a long period of.
TIME i do think that will be important to.
Them, NO i, agree well, said and you don't have to SPEND nba money ON mls, teams you, know so we'll see how it.
Goes.
Well look great to see you. Up subscribe to the. Trip what do you want to tell our listeners about what we got going to the?
Troop? YEAH i.
Know thank you for everybody that Reads bell, Stuff kevin, Stuff jason, Stuff andy, Stuff gordon, stuff mesltrip dot, Com like and, subscribe shout out neat.
Bench love it. Man great to see what we'll see His.
Saturday, okay Absolutely Aaron, falk the editor of the sports section of The Sali Lake. Tribune special thanks To Aaron, falk the editor of the sports section from the Salid, tribunes for his time today live in studio for an entire. Hour get back to some of MY nba playoff conversation and we'll do some college football transfer portal in the five o'clock. Hour But Real Salt lake took all three points on the road Against San diego and the road, continues taking On vancouver coming up On.
Saturday next, guest the head coach OF rsl on.
A thursday, Afternoon Pablo, Master, Wendy Happy, thursday, Buddy how.
We doing.
Doing?
Great?
BUDS i got to ask you the question that everybody is.
Asking is it fair to say THAT i must be a good luck charm being In San diego watching you pick up all three.
Points YOU i need to invite you in the locker.
Room it hatime if you if you so, choose you're a good Luck.
John, well you didn't need, it, buddy you didn't need.
IT a brace For Diego, sam who joined the show this week with a wonder. Strike after watching the tape and digesting what you guys, did what'd you like the?
MOST a little bit of?
Everything you, KNOW i think we are opportunittunistic with our, chances something that we haven't been this. Year diego getting in good, Positions diego getting in good, positions but more importantly just capitalizing our, chances and Obviously sam's great goal from, distance and the other part, too is just building on
our you, know defensive performances of the last few. WEEKS i thought was really important against a really dynamic team in the Way San diego, ATTACKS i thought we did a great job minimizing their opportunities and then competing in the right. Way you, know we're a way from you were in the. Stadium it was it was quite the hostile.
Environment but the way we competed in someone else HOME i thought was Fantastic and in the, END i think it was a little bit of everything that kind of pulled us through for the.
Victory what are you able to take from that game to build, upon because, again the start of the season from a macro, standpoint has been up and. Down that's kind of how it. Goes but there's no use in looking. Back that's kind of not exercise and. Futility so what would you like your group and what have you told? Them, okay we can build upon that to take this form moving.
Forward, Yeah LIKE i, said you, KNOW i think in The nashville and The toronto, games we did play some good. Stuff we didn't get the. Results and it's sometimes hard from a coaching perspective to keep the guys, focused you, know because everyone always just talks about the. Results but as, coaches you, know we see the work that's being, done we see the changes being, made and and you, KNOW i think you have to have a complete performance and to help with the referees at times and in getting.
Results and SO i, think you, know we're we're we're on a good. PATH i think we need to stay the, course you, know one of the things that we've really move, on and you, know it's been a little bit of a tactical, adjustment but also the players buy and was you, know not spreading ourselves defensively and not getting behind the score, line and you, know you, know when we've, won we've
done a really good job of. That so now we're going Into vancouver, again best team in the league at the, moment and we just got to continue to do what we do really, well which is defend, well but more importantly take our chances when they when they you, know show.
Themselves SO i stepped in and listened to a bit of the media you did via zoom after the, game and you said SOMETHING i really. Like, now to be, Fair diego's only twenty one years, old so it's not like he's fully, Bigud it's not like he's fully. Formed there's plenty of, improvement and there's plenty of there's plenty of advancement and development still left ahead at the age
of twenty. One BUT i like that you said it might be time to stop talking about how is he developing and just who he is as this superstar player IN. Mls so what do you like most about what you continue to see from this kid who start continues to.
Rise you, know it's it's so interesting for me Because i'm always feeling these questions about his, development and you'd associate that with. Age but the one thing About dago is that he does not care what anyone. Thinks and he goes out and he plays his. Game you, know sometimes you get stuck in this like world of, well the coach wants me to do, this and he wants me to do. That you, KNOW i think greatness is
found in between. Everything it's it's not what the coach, says because the coach is speaking to, everyone, Right so how are you going to be great if you just do what everyone? Does and he finds the fine line of not losing who he is as a person and playing with the chip on his shoulder and then being a creator on the field and playing between the. Lines you know that first goal that he that he, scores the tactical party did. Great he followed their deep line
and midfield across the. Field what he did on his own was play camp and mouse with the ball, carrier which Was i'm gonna act Like i'm gonna keep going with him and then when you pass, It i'm gonna jump the passing. Light i'm gonna steal. It and then what he does from there from there is just Classic, diego which is like take on two, defenders wait for
a gap to, open and fire a. Shot you. Know so like that's WHAT i love About diego and and and that's Why i'm, saying you, know because everything THAT i want with this group is. PERSONALITY i want you to be who you, are AND i want you to be Like i'm going to color outside the lines because that's the WAY i see the world and that's WHAT i want to, be and that's what that's what's going to win. Games and so the more authentic the players can be who they are obviously within the game, model
but the game model will always. Change AND i always tell the, players, like if you see something, different do. It we'll talk about it later if it doesn't work. Out but but more times than not ends up working out because you believe in what you're doing outside the. Line and SO i think That's diego's, greatest you, know asset to the team at the moment is that he
doesn't worry about the. Results he doesn't worry about This he just goes out and he plays the game, like you, know like a young player, would which is not having any, fears not being, jaded not thinking about. This he just goes out and plays and you can see the authenticity in his game when he steps on the. Field AND i want more of the guys in the group to be almost that cavalier and in the way they approach the.
Game you, know you don't have to be a soccer expert or a basketball, expert or a football, expert or even a golf. EXPERT i, mean if you watch golf and you Watch Scotty, scheffler you're, like that dude's, different, Right and it seems Like diego pops every TIME i watch you guys. Play it just seems like he's among the best, players if not the best player on the.
Field every TIME i watch you guys. PLAY i wanted to ask you today because we do this thing in media where we do cops like this player reminds me of that? Player Does diego remind you of anybody that maybe you played with or played, against or you've watched as far as who he is and how good he can.
Be that's a good, question you, know it's hard to, say BECAUSE i think he's very. Unique you. Know the, way you, know is the is physicality in the, game his technical ability, game his dogged. DETERMINATION i, mean he's got the determination of like a ball winning, pivot like that's the way he approaches the. Game but now he's got the quality of like A Hobby, morales you, know and and the you, know the youthfulness of a Young Wayne. Rooney like so he's got so many different parts of
his game that are so. UNIQUE i don't think he reminds it of any one player because the way he gets after it on both sides of the ball for an, attacking creative player is so, unique AND i think that's what makes him.
Special you.
KNOW i have the opportunity to meet With miguel one Of, pochattino THE us inter national team's assistant, coaches and we spend some time with, him and he says he plays with big stones like this guy's you, know he's got this you, know this hunger for the game that is like when the rest of the team is, flat he's, popping you. Know and SO i think he's a very unique player and has a very unique. Background great student
of the. Game but but everything he does is with one hundred percent, conviction AND i think any coach in whatever sport would love the player like.
Him you referenced Who diego is as a, person AND i don't know him the way you.
Do i've been able.
To meet him on several, Occasions we've had him on the show multiple. TIMES i wonder as his star rises because and sometimes And i'm not calling any individual, out BUT i think at, times when there's a superstar who's scoring, goals who's receiving, attention who's being called up to the national. Team he won The Utah Male athlete of The, year
his star is clearly. Rising are you seeing any change to who he is as a. Person are there any concerns about him believing that his star is bigger than the?
Rest, no you.
Know because you, KNOW i meet With diego once a. Week we talk, about you, know a lot of different, things and one of them a few weeks, backs were his non verbals and how that affects. Teammates, Right and so the one thing About diego is that he's a forever. Student he's a, learner. Right he wants to get, better and he sees the growth in his game by people calling out stuff that isn't in his best interest moving, forward you. Know so you, know you ask me about,
DEVELOPMENT i would say that's the one thing he. Is he's a forever learner and and that's the GREATEST i think ass that you can have as a human, being let alone a soccer. Player so there's there's nothing because, again when we when we train, defending he's all. In when we train both sides of the, ball he's all.
In and to be, fair he's one of the. Guys his personality is so unique where he's one of the guys that even at his, younger younger, age he is such a winner that he starts calling out his teammates to be. Sharp and you, know we don't get that a lot from a lot of the older. Guys everyone just is happy doing their own job and just really focuses on his job when he's the guy calling guys.
Out because now he's got a taste of the national team and he knows what the level of expectations are for him when he goes into that, camp and he brings a lot of that same energy. Back SO i would, say you, know we we work with him at week on a lot of different. Things more, importantly he works with, us, Right he brings his clips in and does a lot of his work and so you, know it's just for.
Me it's not a surprise that he's rising as fast as he, is because he's the guy that's willing to be as vulnerable as anyone and understand that he's got a ways to. Go but in the, process he's being authentic, too he.
Is are you you referenced this the work, Rate AND i don't know if it was last year the year. BEFORE i think there may have been a little bit of frustration, about you, know not tracking back and not doing what he needs to do because the natural tendency of a fan is to watch the. Ball you watch the touchdown, pass you watch the three point, shot you watch the, dunk you watch the, goal and you know the goal was so, dynamic like the things he does that create at.
Tension are so jaw.
Dropping are you getting what you need from him in the moments that aren't as.
Obvious, absolutely you. Know AND i think for, me you, know having played WHERE i, play the weak side of the field or wherever the camera is not becomes the most important part of the. Field just give it a couple of seconds, right so as the camera span you, know comes across the field from left, right there's a really important decision to be. Made and so like you, know these are these are the, areas the black areas of the field where you don't you're not privy to
at the moment that are super. Critical and he does such a great job up front from, defending for, example of communicating With ari and the midfielders and getting them in good position so that we can win the ball. Back and so he's doing a great job on you, know, effort commitment and also you, know help leading the team in those moments that that most people aren't even privy.
To is there any concern that there's too much weight on his? SHOULDERS i, mean he certainly is up to the, task but it oftentimes it feels like If diego doesn't create the opportunity or if he doesn't score the, goal where's it coming? From any concern that you're putting too much on this twenty one year?
Old, yeah, NO i think that's a great. Question and and and you, know, obviously as as you referenced, earlier you, know you, know a twenty one year old doesn't have the life experience that that an older person. Would so there's definitely gonna be moments where we're gonna have to
reset and we're gonna have to go at it. Again but BUT i also know with younger players is when they're living in a good, moment you have to you you got to take it like there's no, hey you got to temper it because you, know if it goes too, well then you know you might. Fall like you've got to step on it and you've got to, go, hey
if you're the, guy you're the. Guy let's. Go because you, know from a team's, perspective to your point is If diego is not doing, that but then who's going to do, that who's going to take the who's going to take the? Baton and there's there's a few players that are capable of doing, it but we're still kind of waiting for that moment to come. Through so the MORE i think, that you, know we we we highlight What diego is.
Doing and, again he's a player that wants the. Responsibility he's not, scared but like this is what's this is what he's been living the last few. Years and so the idea for us is, like, well if he's the, guy regardless of his. Age let's keep him. Forefront you. KNOW i made a, note you, know On, wednesday And i'm, saying the reason Why diego's improving and getting better and leading the group of the ways is because he's not worried about what other people. Think he's just worried about getting.
Better and the more of us that can do, that whether you're a coach or a, player we're all going to be a better. Team so let's challenge. Ourselves let's hold ourselves to really high, expectations and let's not care what anyone else, thinks because if we all do, this we're going to be in a position of receiving a lot of. Praise SO i.
May have shared this with you.
ANECDOTALLY i can remember back IN i don't, know maybe two thousand and, seven two thousand and, eight there was a game out At Rio tinto Where Kyle Kyle beckerman hit one of His we used to call Them becker, bombs are like these thirty yard, strikes and whenever he would score one of those, goals and they were just one of those stunning. Moments AND i Had, jason who was the coach at the, Time i'm on the postgame, show AND i, Said, Jas i'm gonna do your. Favor
i've got an. Idea kyle needs to play. Striker put him up, top you, know just go, ahead and you're, like there you. Go you're, Welcome, Jay and he gave me this look that he wanted, to you, know strangle, me but he, said he, said, look If kyle embraces what we're asking him to, do he will play in A World, cup which was pretty striking and obviously very.
Telling and so from then on, OUT i started to pay more attention to the Way kyle dominated the field in his role in that, space because going back to the, whole, like the obvious things are the. Goals the obvious things are the, moments and so that's allowed me to color my perspective on that. Position AND i Thought ameca was awesome Against San, diego you, know but not as obvious
because he didn't. Score what stands kind of same, Question what is standing out most to you about the way A mecca has embraced this role and is there a LITTLE kb five in?
Him, yeah, no you're absolutely. Right the way he took the game over in a way That mecha can take the game, over which is linking short, passes is controlling the game with the ball always being. Available he had a crunching tackle in the middle of midfield to help us retain, possession which helped us continue with our momentum in that attack and third of the field like he was just it looked like there's Three mechas on the.
FIELD i, mean he was. Everywhere AND i think those games as a deep lying midfielder Like beckerman are are you, know like as, coaches we see that that's that's the, uh that's the engine, room, right that's the room that has to go and and it inspires a team with. Belief it keeps everyone connected because you're in the middle of the field and you're connected to the wide players
and the guys up, front the guys in the. Back and SO i think that was the best AND i told them back up for the, game that was the best forty five minutes of football That i've SEEN i could play, in particularly in the second half where he was world. Class it wasn't like best in THE. Mls
he Was i've played against world class defensive. Antilliers what he did in that second half was was an unbelievable, standard and so my challenge to him, was let's see that again next week against the best team in.
Leagues does he Have?
WELL i kind of ask you about his personality the same way That i'll ask you About. DIEGO i, mean A meca has been on the show a, bunch and the first thing that stands out is just simply how smart he is and how well spoken he is and measured he is with his. Answers as far as his, Personality i'll ask you kind of the same THING i asked you About. Diego what sort of makes him tick as a teammate and as a leader as opposed to a, great great.
Midfielder, YEAH i think There's it's really interesting with The mecca because he is a really bright human, being AND i think when you're a smart, person you tend to overthink a lot of, things where you, Know diego was a smart, guy but he operates the more from the, heart and A mecca is really a. Thinker and so one of the things that we're talking through is how to let go of that like overthinking piece and just
operate from a place of. Flow you, KNOW i know you've heard that in sport and all the sports when you're in the. Zone there's there's no thinking, involved you're operating on. Autopilot you're just. Instinctual AND i think that performance that he had a weekend was very much an instinctial, performance because there's no way you can think your way to so, many so many, plays and so that's that's what we're working with The mecca. With as far as you, know lead from a place of what you know and
what you're. Learning don't worry about having all the, answers because you're not going to have them. All but the more you can provide performances like, that the leadership piece just comes naturally because because you will believe, more your teammates will believe. More and so he's you, know he's a fantastic, teammate a fantastic, player and when we have performances like we had it from him at the, WEEKEND i feel like we can we can be in the team this.
League as the head, coach your job is to coach all the.
PLAYERS i wonder if you have a unique ability to coach a mecca because you played that position at the highest of.
Levels that's, interesting that's a great question for A, mecca AND i guarantee you he's going to say he's harder on less pivots than he is with any other position on the. Field AND i constantly have to check, Myself, spence BECAUSE i finished playing the game WHEN i was thirty eight years, old so you can IMAGINE i have
a ton of. EXPERIENCE i just couldn't move. Anymore and SO i don't remember at what stage in my CAREER i was WHEN i learned these things That i'm trying to teach these, guys you, know because one of the things That i've come to realize is that younger, players they almost play the game with the you, know those things that the horses wear where they cover their their peripheral so that they can look forward to. That they
come into the league with those things. On and as you gain more, experience and then you watch a guy Like messi who looks like he has eyes in the back of his head because he's always. Scanning he knows exactly where he is relative to the opponent and the, ball and he seems like he is just like floating
through the. Field and so like some of these, Things I'm i'm you, Know i'm being hard on not being, hard but just high expectations for A mecca of high expectations For Briana hayden and the rest of The pivot crew because it is so critical the. Game once those those blockers come, off this game is so, easy but it's so hard to get to the point where you have three hundred and sixty degree vision and you know
exactly what you're gonna do before you get the. Ball and once you start doing, that then then the whole world is your. Oyster AND i think A mecca is getting better every single. Day you, know this is only his third year as a, professional and so hope you asked me when he, started would he'd be where he's, AT i would have. Laughed but he keeps, on you, know coming up trumps and doing things that PROBABLY i didn't do TILL i was in my mid. Thirties and
So i'm constantly having to check. Myself but he's again a great. Student he takes, it he digests, it and he.
Produces do any of your players know what a good player you?
Were?
Are are we all just too old at this? Point?
Yeah we're too. Old, YEAH i don't go back, there you, know it's It's i've thought about that just a quick. STORY i finished my career IN la and SO i was in a different, place so a lot of people didn't know WHO i was From Anela galley. Perspective BUT i remember there's a there's an ex national team teammate that was working there and he, Goes, PABLO i have to introduce use it to our under eighteen, team and uh SO i was, like, okay, Yeah i'll inter your.
Sceon he, goes, guys who COOL i have? Here and they are looking, around, like who who is? It who is this? Guy and that's THAT i was only, whatever, like you, know five years removed from the national. Team so imagine now whatever it is years, later they, guys don't these guys have to look at the archives to find a snapshot of WHEN i.
Played oh, well you know that's why YouTube, exists, brother you. Know So i've sent him to some. Highlights all, right let's move over to. This we saw twenty three minutes From willie and, look it's gonna take some time for him to acclimate understand what you guys want him to.
Do SO WILLI i gotta one of your new.
Additions what did you see from him in the limited minutes Against San diego and shed some light on how it's been to have him on the.
Ground, yeah so, AGAIN i, think you, know he came into the game AND i think the biggest Thing spence was there's there's a couple of balls played into him at like chest high or you, know waist, high and he was able to bring those, down control the ball and bring our pivots into the. Game AND i think this just that aspect of the game from just an attacking perspective was huge for the group and you just saw the confidence and the group kind of grow when
he came on to the field and did just. That he had a good chance of you, know inside the box that he put over the. Bar but, again getting the game that spot is really really. Important and the one thing With willie that we're working with him is level of. Fitness he only had about ninety minutes over nine games before he came in and played thirty plus minutes for, us and this, week, unfortunately he didn't have
a lot of training. Time he went back home to grab his stuff to move and so we only got. Him he only showed up today for the first day we're working with. Him he had a workout yesterday on the. Treadmill he worked out today with the group and then did some extra. Running so for, us it's nothing more than what will he feels comfortable giving at the level
that we need him to play. At and so AGAIN i think a similar type timeframe as far as minutes this, weekend maybe a little bit more depending on how he. Feels and so just really you, know Using willy's perspective as a guide as to how much he. Plays and then unfortunately we had a setback With Johnny russell after a training session On. Tuesday it looks to be, minor
but won't be available for this. Weekend and it's something that we kind of already kind of baked in because he hadn't trained with the team in four plus, months but who was doing a lot of stuff on his own and came in super. Fit but the biggest thing with soccer is that it's one thing to have controlled environments and controlled. Actions so you're running on, treadmill you're
running on your, own you're in the. Gym it's another thing when the ball's bouncing and guys are bouncing into you and all those, little you, know supportive muscles that are activated when you're playing soccer that you don't activate when you're training on your. Own so hopefully it's a, week maybe a couple of. Days but really excited to really integrate these guys BECAUSE i think they're gonna make a huge difference to our.
Group had a chance to sit With johnny for a minute watching the, game and his intensity just it wafts off of. Him AND i don't use the term wafted very, Often, pablo but like you can just sense when you're around, him like this dude wants to like he's ready to.
Go you can tell he's chomping at the. Bill, yeah, Yeah, no he's a.
Winner. MAN i look at him AND i feel like he's like he was an extra in like The Brave heart, movie you, know like just like you, Know i'm going for. It there's no reservations and a lot Like, Diggle luna and the, LIKE i don't care what anyone has to. Say i'm gonna plumb my. Football and again that personality piece he exudes that That i'm so comfortable in my own. SKIN i know What i'm capable. Of just give me the, rock you. Know and so again super excited to have Both willie And johnny on.
Board all, right but BEFORE i say you Lose, vancouver goodness, gracious they're coming off just an ass Kick king Of Miami Le Lido messi In, miami a five to one aggregate, win three to one the other, night and they're as of right, now they're atop the. TABLE i don't know much about, them But i'm looking at their stats and you guys are in for a. Challenge tell me about this side and what you have to do to go up there and come away with a.
Result, yeah this is this is definitely a team where the hole is greater than some of their. Parts they've done a really good job as a, team you, know talking to some guys in their, camp they, said it's just, amazing like the feeling that we have and that we're invincible and that you, know we can we can go, away we can play with majority of second team players
and we can still get the same type of. Production so they're gonna be really tough, teams AND i think that's why that that game Against San diego is really. Important they defend in a similar. Shape they they they attack fairly. Similar so it's you, know we got to go out and and do we do as opposed to stifle, them you, Know AND i think that's always a sign of a good, team right where you're aware of your,
opponent you're aware of how good they. Are we work through some of their you, know they're they're attacking rotations that they have and that's just kind Of but WHAT i said, was how do we dominate the game with the ball and in, transition because they're a really good transition. Team they're very, fast they're very, athletic and they'll like to go to the. House but we've got to be the impediment to anything that they're doing with the. Ball and then when we have the ball is make sure
we take our chances like we did last. Game so you, KNOW i think this game sets up great for us that you, know they're coming off a big. High they are fantastic, teams and you, Know Salt lake has been we've been struggling as a, team but we got a first taste of what it feels like to win on the. Road and so now we just got to double, down have a fantastic, performance full of belief and, intensity and.
Enjoy sports a brother, well save.
TRAVELS i will not be, There so DO i have your commitment that if you don't get all, three you will talk to ownership about sending me on every road trip on the.
Charter let's.
Go that's a, deal all, right, brother.
Safe travels be.
Good, okay all, right Pablom astronomy ourselves back in. Action you Have, Vancouver, Smoked, miami uh and Linal. Messi so it's gonna be a tough challenge for. Ourselves you missed. It Johnny russell not available for the game coming up this, Weekend so unfortunate news. There like slow spinnish, track goes Out Aaron, falk whose love language is quality time.
Spent aaron is a millennial emo who has feelings like the rest of. Us what is your love? Language, porter do you know where your love language?
Is good?
Question time is big? Time is big?
Time?
Actually, TIME i think is like the main. Thing that was a good answer From Aaron, folk ALTHOUGH i think it was it was men is a little bit of a cop. Out he didn't want to really dive into. It but t time is just like your priority it's just your, uh what you spend your time on is what you, love what you have on your priority.
List so that's a good.
One that's a really good.
One the five love languages are physical, touch quality, time receiving, gifts acts of, service and words of.
Affirmation, okay you're still going with, time.
Time and time and and some some. Touch if we're talking about little, touch, guy you need like some hugs like.
Us you're not a. Hugger i'm. Sorry i've tried to hug you. Before you're not a. Hugger you're lying to, Me.
Well i'm not a hugger like well that it. Depends it depends on the. Relationship you just don't want to hug for.
Me you're my. Coworker, well why can't we hug it?
Out?
Bro we?
Can we can have like a little bro.
Hug now it's too. Late i've. Tried you don't want to? Hug, fine all.
Right so you're saying quality time and physical touch are? YOURS i think SO i don't THINK i have. One, oh, well that explains a.
Lot is? That is?
That?
Uh is that why we're?
Easy let's just pumped. Up, Hey i'm very single as. Well, okay, well and over Thirty i'm working on.
It.
Man well i'm approaching. Fifty, okay halfway to one. Hundred you don't have to say, that, Right i'm working on. IT i got to, admit, man it's kind of fun being like A knick fan and being nervous about watching The.
Knicks do you think we're gonna get it? Done?
That it's, refreshing, Right it's. Cool, yeah being A knick fan and having something to look forward to in the spring is quite. Crazy outside of you, know usually you have like some rumor Like Kevin durant's gonna come in the off, season or you're gonna trade for the biggest star in the, game or you know whatever The knicks
rumor of the year. Is that's usually what you have to look forward to in the, spring free, agency the, draft we got a basketball, game and we got a potential clinching basketball game to get The knicks into the Semi so, Yeah i'll obviously be dialed, in and it's it feels a lot different than my Historical knicks, experience which ONLY i think three times really they had any sort of playoff. Run so, yeah refreshing and, welcomed.
No, doubt no. Doubt All, right a little story time before you say good.
NIGHT i alluded to this earlier when we did a little sports car With handy And, handy So the story Of Jeff oldbrik's Son jack's Pranking Shudor sanders is of course a horrible look for The oldbrick family The falcons as an, organization we're fined two hundred and FIFTY, k And jeff himself find one hundred thousand, dollars so, it's
by the, way six percent of his. Salary it's not, nothing but as the son of a sports, EXECUTIVE i can't admit to playing a. Prank it was not near as bad as, This it was not, public BUT i have to come.
Clean are you ready for? IT i? AM i am.
So my father back in the day had so this was before cell. Phones, Kids, yes that's how OLD i. Am the only cell phones that, exist like my dad had the old Like brick big cell, phone Like Zach morris's dad had on saved by the.
Bell there's a reference for, it but, no.
Kids once upon a, time if you wanted to call, somebody you had to call her. House so at our house we had two. Lines line one was for normal. Use we could use line. One you could call your, friends you could call your, girlfriend do the thing online. One line two was dad's business. Line so when it rang you were not supposed to answer it because it could be you, know, Anyone Bill walton called line two, once a lot OF nba, Players David, Stern it could be.
Anyone the only person that would answer line too was my grandfather when he was Visiting god rest his.
Soul he's the sweet he was the sweetest. MAN i miss him every single.
Day but he's the only one that would answer line too because my dad would never get mad at my, grandfather my mother's, father who he, loved and he always wanted to answer line too in case it was somebody, famous, Right AND i knew the line two, number and if line one was, busy IF i tried to get, THROUGH i would oftentimes call line two just to see if my dad would. Answer and So i'm out here at The university Of, utah call line. Two this is nineteen ninety.
Nine grandpa answers and he says. HELLO i, Said latrell spruill Is DAVE checki Series Lutroll, spreux and my, grandfather blessed Us hard, goes, oh, Hello, latrelle how are you? Today and then my dad gets, says, Hey, latrell It's david's.
Going and THEN i had to come. Clean i'm, like, oh, Hey, dad it's. Me that's.
Awesome you pranked your grandfather that you Were latrell's so we did not get. Fine BUT i do have to admit, that as the sound of a sports, EXECUTIVE i did pull a prank.
Once, well and you pulled the prank on your. Grandfather not a drafty, correct not or Not latrell spree, will which you would have got your ass.
Kick probably correct for.
Sure All, Right tomorrow we're out at the Former Legacy. Center come out out and join us porter what comes our Way on A friday edition of the.
Show on A friday edition Of The, Drive Howard beck stops by for OUR Nba Daily, assist as he does each and every, week we'll have A Pga tour leaderboard update live From Black desert With paul Pug, Meyer Sean sayatt Of Suomer, sports for the little bit OF Nfl. Draft we'll talk some hockey With Neil. Smith so we're going all over the, map and of course live from the Former Boxing Legacy, center so we'll have some combat sports guys hopping on the, Show i'm sure at some point as.
Well, yeah we'll have a lot of interviews out. There so we'd love to see you guys come out and join us and we'll say good night for A thursday show. Special thank you today To Bill, riley To Aaron, falk To Pablo masjourney for any of the sound you may have missed from the show. Today the website is there for your disposal AT espn seven hundred sports dot. Com make sure to download our mobile app and take us on the. Go THE espn seven hundred app is available in The App store of The google Play.
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Support, subscribe rate, reviews seeing us things in the, comments give us all the. Stars, Reporter I'm spence saying, tonight enjoy Your thursday. Evening we'll talk to you on A friday weekend edition Of The drive and as, always you can find that right here ON espn seven hundred and ninety TWO. Andefm we are proud to be part Of UTAH'S Espn radio.
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