All right, let's go, let's get a drivetime Thursday afternoon, nine minutes past the hour of two o'clock. We had some rain and some cold temperatures this morning here in Salt Lake City, Utah, but the sun is shining. It's about sixty eight degrees and it's turned into a lovely afternoon on this Thursday afternoon edition of the program. And as it is every single day, it is good to have you along for the ride.
Spent checkets behind the mic.
That's Porter Larson producing the program, booking the program today behind the glass.
The NFL Draft begins in three hours, forty nine.
Minutes and fifty seven seconds, and of course we are your home of the NFL Draft here in the market, so stay tuned. Right after we say good night, about six o'clock tonight, you will hear the NFL drafts right here on a ESPN seven hundred.
So excited to get into it.
It's a really fun day for football fans during the off season, one of the most exciting days. We'll dig into all the latest rumors. Should Or Sanders potentially falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ward your overwhelming favorite to be the number one pick of the NFL Draft to Tennessee is Jackson Dart QB two on some draft boards. Former local high school product here in the state of Utah, so a lot to get to on the show. We'll get you ready for the draft tonight and we'll talk about it from.
The local perspective angle.
Jalen Royals, the wide receiver from Utah State, seems to be the player that played his college football here with the best chance of going either in the well not in the first round, but maybe a second round or of day two pick.
We'll have to see, but we'll.
Talk about the potential of Junior Tafunu, Karenne Reed, Tyler Battie, kayleb Btn, Jacob Robinson, Brant Keithy, Caleb Loner, Mackai Bernard. I think that's kind of the list, maybe seven or eight players that played their college football here, either drafted, undrafted, free agent. We'll get into it on the show. Get you ready for tonight's draft, excited for it. The NBA playoffs continue to be a lot of fun one and the officials are letting them play the lowest free throw
rate in the playoffs that we've seen. I think I read today in twelve years, so points of emphasis for officiating. Let them play, let them play through contact, let them play through physicality. As a child of the nineties Nicks, I like it. If you're a fan of the Golden State Warriors, you probably do not. I thought Houston simply just pushed them around last night, tom and Thompson getting a lot of flat for that play where he up ended Jimmy Butler.
And that's the crazy thing about the playoffs, man.
The crazy thing about the NBA playoffs is in an absolute instant, everything changes, and if Jimmy Butler has compromised the rest of the way, Golden State cannot beat Houston.
I'm ready to say that. So it's a fun game.
Last night in Houston, I realized that I really hate the Houston Rockets. I'll tell you why a little bit later, not just this iteration. I'm not a big fan of theirs, but not a big fan of the organization. Dovivan Mitchell another thirty piece last night. As the Cavs held off the heat, they now zero lead. I do think the physical play it act actually benefits Cleveland as well. It definitely benefits Boston. We didn't even need Jason Tatum to take care of Orlando last night. Kind of a sneaky
close game, though. Tonight we get a triple header tonight. It's a fun night to watch sports if you are a sports fan, and if you listen to the show you probably are. I think that's kind of a safe bet to make. The Knicks and the Pistons move that series to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, where it's tied up a one game apiece after Kate Cunningham went off at the Garden to tie it up that one. Do we care about the Grizzlies and Thunder, I don't know.
Maybe Memphis can stay within twenty Tonight it is at the Grindhouse, the FedEx form in Memphis, Tennessee, and the Nuggets will try to bounce back in Inglewood at the into A Dome as they take on the LA Clippers. That series deadlock to one game a piece. For Jazz fans, we are inching closer and closer to Draft lottery Day.
That is the next day of interest for Jazz fans.
As for the third straight year, no spring basketball here in Salt Lake City. A lot of conversations about what the Jazz will do predicated upon where they will draft, and so we'll get into some of that on the show.
Today.
We'll continue to get to know some of these young prospects and fingers cross fourteen percent chance to land Cooper flag here.
In Salt Lake. So we'll do some jazz basketball on the show.
The Transfer Portal giveth the Transfer Portal, take it away BYU get to commit former Highland High linebacker who is a Oregon Duck.
He commits now he's headed down to play for colonies.
To take the latest on the University of Utah, the latest on mentally ill people throwing their feces at each other online with basless accusations, breaking news.
Everybody is quote unquote tampering.
Everybody is trying to talk to players that are in the transfer portal, and yes some players that.
Are not because there are no rules.
And if there are no rules, your job as a head coach or and administrators to do everything you can to get as much talent in your program as possible. So we'll get the latest on the college football Transfer Portal.
College Hoops Transfer Portal continues to stay open. Alex Jensen on the ground now allocating his full time and energy to his job here as Utah's basketball coach after Dallas lost in the play in so time to get to the primary transfer window in Major League Soccer is coming gone and RSL fans not too pleased about the additions that RSL made. One edition is official Willie Goles. That's where we nicknamed him yesterday. Now he has to score goals. And I am told that there is one more player.
Even though the transfer window closed yesterday, there is one more player on the way. And as soon as I get the ability to bring that announcement to you, we'll do it. So a lot to do on the program today. Good guest list right out of the gates. One of the best football players that has ever played at the University of Utah. He's entering his sixth year as an NFL running back, this time with the Cincinnati Bengals. Zach Moss will stop by today. I always enjoying my conversations
with Zach. He was at the Forever twenty two game last Saturday. I had a chance to catch up with him. So we'll bringing Zach today. Dave Checkets, Yeah, I know pretty well, he'll stop by. Excited to have my dad, Dave and studio. An excited an announcement. He's got a new project with the Eccles family that we're going to talk about and talk about what's next for him and what he will hope to accomplish with these great partners of his, and we'll do a little a little bit.
Of everything he is.
He'll let you know he went to both Utah and BYU, so he has no allegiance, even though I don't believe him. So we'll talk a little bit of everything with my dad today. It's been a long time since he's been in studio. Excited to catch up with him.
Andy B.
Larson from the Salt Lake Tribune. It covers the Utah Jazz does a data column for the trip. We'll do some playoffs with Andy. We'll do some jazz basketball with Andy.
Andy.
We'll be co hosting this radio show tomorrow with that young man Porter Larson. As I'll be out of town just for Friday. I'll be back on Monday, so we'll bring it Andy Today. Excited to catch up with Mike m NFL Draft covers with bykem from the NFL Network. The head coach over Al Saal Lake, Pablo Mascuetti penny for Pablo's thoughts today. I'm gonna do my best to balance the whole, like, hey, let's be positive about your group and like, hey, how do you feel about not
having like a good striker on your roster? Conversation today, and then we'll do a little sports court with our friends from Handy and Handy as we are wont to do every Thursday on the radio show. So Zach Moss, Dave Check, It's Andy Larson, Mike Yam, Pablo Mascuoretti, Me Spence checkets all of you, the great listeners, and that guy. The only thing you're missing from the wardrobe today are the is the cigarette pack rolled up in your T shirt?
Me?
You got the long hair, you got the Levi's T shirt that's fits.
This medium looking good. You look like an old school like.
You look like your distant relative Jesse James. That's not Butch Cassidy. There you go at this point. It's your stick. But how's how's your Thursday?
Thursday's gone well, Thursday's gone well. Unintentional, it's a large I'm just like almost two hundred pounds at the.
Moment, are you really yeah? Which is a development?
Is it?
Poking season, more of like the two years of breakfast burritos and whatnot. It was kind of intentional though, I was running and not you know, putting on any weights. OK, so it's all good. But yeah, Thursday's gone well. Looking forward to hosting the show with Andy tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing Big Dave here in studio today. I'm sure plenty to discuss with him, plenty to catch up on with the developments here in the market, and with the soccer club and NBA playoffs.
Of course, just a side note today.
I know.
But it's been fun. Last night was fun. Tonight it's going to be fun. I'm excited to see what the Knicks can do in Detroit. But we've got a lot to do on the show, so let's get to it. Our first guest will be the great Zach Moss. But before we get the Zach, courtesy of our good friends, you're good friends too at Prize Picks, it is time now for your opening tip.
Welcome to the Drive with Spence check its on Utah's number one sports talk now into the studios of ESPN seven hundred to set the scene for the show. The opening tip of the Drive is brought to you by Prize Picks. Use the code es P seven hundred and run your game with Prize Picks.
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Entertainment purposes only, but check them out. It's a fun way to kind of get in on the action if you've ever been interested in throwing a couple of ducats on any games. All Right, NFL draft is tonight. When we say good night at six o'clock, it will be time for the NFL Draft. You can hear it on our radio station. So kind of attack this from a couple of different angles. The overwhelming favorite in Vegas to
be off the board number one is cam Ward. Of course, the Tennessee Titans, with a number one overall pick Will Levis has never really fully lived up to the potential they thought that he had. It's interesting listening to a lot of draft experts break this stuff down. What were there five or six quarterbacks picked last year in the top like twelve or thirteen, And according to what most people believe, cam would not have even been among the
top five or six. So like five or six prospects last year Jayden Daniels, Bo Nicks, JJ McCarthy, etc. All with better grades than cam Ward and was making me think about the Utah Jazz this year because the Tennessee Titans simply have bad luck. It's not the right year to have the number one overall pick, and you know,
it is kind of part of the game. Of course, you would always want the number one overall pick, but also part of having success in that area is having the number one pick during the right draft cycle, like the Spurs did years ago with David Robinson and Tim Duncan, and of course more serendipitous luck for them as they have Victor women Yama. And if the Jazz are able to grab number one overall this year, it is the right year.
To have it.
As most people believe, Cooper Flag is a franchise changing piece, so not a lot of intrigue at one, and I don't think there's a lot of intrigue at too, although certain people disagree.
It feels like Cleveland is going to go Travis Hunter now.
Adam Schefter has reported earlier today Cleveland is also interested in trading back in to the first round. Laid in the first round to try to grab shud Or Sanders to pair him with Travis Hunter. Of course, those two playing together in college for a number of years. But the shud Or Sanders compversation continues to be really, really interesting because the Vegas ods right now have him sliding all the way to the Steelers at number twenty one, where Pittsburgh is clearly going to have to find a
quarterback after they decided to dance with you. The dude that is more interested in sitting in a cave in silence, taking ayahuaskin talking to butterflies than he is playing quarterback.
Sir Aaron Rodgers continues to kind of string them along.
It feels like they have to take a quarterback, and it's interesting to consider the way NFL teams have approached taking quarterbacks over the past ten years. Not a lot of teams go quarterback in the second round because if you've identified your guy, you want to take him as soon as possible. Side note, by the way, there are rumors that Jackson Dart has emerged as QB two on a lot of teams draft boards behind cam Ward and
not Shudor Sanders. So if Shador slides past Pittsburgh, the rumors are the Browns are going to try to trade back into the first round. What Field Yates is talking about is the Commanders at twenty nine, where maybe the steae Des trade back in at twenty nine and grab shaud Or Sanders to pair him next to Travis Hunter. But only six quarterbacks have been taken in the second round in the past ten years. Thirty five quarterbacks have
been taken in the first round. So if you know that you have your guy, you use the pick in the first round on him. I don't really know why Shudor has sliden. I mean, if you remember, I would say halfway through the college football season, chad Or was being talked about as one of the Heisman Trophy favorites, and now, of course that went to his teammate Travis Hunter, and he was talked about by a lot of very smart football people as a guy that could go number
one overall. And now we're sitting here on draft Day and we might have the story of the draft, which is shoud Or Sanders sliding all the way down to the late first round. I can't really pinpoint why. I'm not really sure, but we'll kind of see how that goes. So again, no intrigue at the top. The overwhelming favorite in Vegas to be taken by Tennessee as cam Ward Travis Hunter appears to be the pick at two.
What did the Giants do at three?
Even some conversations on NFL Live earlier today, the Giants really like Jackson Dart. Now, I can't imagine Jackson Dart going off the board of three. But here's the thing. If you have found your quarterback, it doesn't matter where you grab him. You just got to go get him. And the Giants have placeholders right now in that spot
with Jameis Winston, of course Russell Wilson. So if they think Jackson Dart is the guy, I don't have a problem with them taking him at three, because this is a league where if you don't have a quarterback, you might as well not even kick off. The other interesting storyline going on right now is Ashton Genty. Of course, Utah State knows Ashton Genty well out of the Mountain West Conference, who a lot of people believe is one of the best running back prospects to come along in years,
and the Raiders apparently are high on him. Now, remember the Raiders hired Pete Carroll. He's their head coach now and Pete Carroll's teams always usc Seattle in the NFL. They've always had a great running back and the Raiders do not have one. They let Josh Jacobs go to Green Bay and he had a really good year for them last year. But what does Jacksonville do at five? Does Jacksonville grab Ashton Genty? Do the Raiders want him enough to trade up and grab him? Kind of an
interesting side story. Now from a local standpoint, at least everything I've read, Jalen Royal is the speedy wide receiver from Utah State, has the highest grade of any local prospect, maybe a Day two guy.
I don't think we're going to hear his name tonight.
But on the BYU side, Tyler Baddie a great defensive end and a pass rusher. They probably will be drafted mid round. There's the Caleb atn kid, the offensive lineman. A lot of mock drafts have him four, five, six as far as mid round pick. And then Jacob Robinson from the secondary who was a real ballhawk for j Hill. On the Utah side, Junior Tafuna mid round guy Karene Reid who continues to try to get healthy. Those are probably if any youth players are going to be drafted
as probably those two. Mackai Bernard is out there. I know Caleb Lohner has been intriguing to a lot of teams as well. Four touch down passes. All four of his receptions last year for the Utes were touchdowns. Of course, really made a name for himself as a dynamic basketball prospect, played at Utah BYU Baylor, then came back to Utah and tried his hand at football.
And then of course there's bran Keithy.
Once upon a time, bran Keithy was the better tight end draft prospect before before Dalkon King Kid kind of burst on the scene and took the thunder from him.
And of course brand needs to get healthy as well.
It's not a year where a lot of local players are expecting to be drafted very high at all, but hopefully, whether it's undrafted where they can pick their spot or drafted late, hopefully some of our local players will see.
And hear their names called.
Our next guest knows what this day is like for these young men waiting to hear their name called one of the best players that we've ever had in state from the University of Utah, entering his sixth season in the NFL with Cincinnati. Friend of the show Zach Moss on a draft day Thursday, Zach, Happy, Thursday, Man, how you doing good?
Good man?
Well, I appreciate your time.
I want you to take us back to your draft day and tell us what that was like. What did you do, who were you with, and how did you handle the emotions of a day that change your life?
Zach?
Yeah, it was a.
Great day, man. Honestly, you know, my year was different during COVID, so didn't get an opportunity to do, you know, a bigger thing and stuff like that, but still was surrounded by loved ones and things of that nature. But you know, in the day, no matter what, you know, just hearing your name called flash across TV and things of that nature something you definitely never forget for sure.
When did you know that it was going to be Buffalo? When were you told that the Bills were taking you in the third round.
Of literally probably two three minutes before you know, came up on a TV and things like that. They called me and let me know that they were going to select me there in the third round. With their pick and stuff like that. It was crazy because I didn't know where I was going to go. I didn't even really have Buffalo on my radar. Like I said, it was COVID, so you know, all the top thirty visits and all these different things that you have to go do as traftees. I didn't get a chance of doing
any of that. So it was literally just up in the air and seeing who was wanted to select meet whenever they did.
Wow, just a couple of minutes before.
So now I've got to know what the emotions were like when you heard your name. Like we you know, all of us at some point, if you're in the business or if you're listening to sports talk radio, there's a chance that most everybody dreamed of doing what you still do to this day and having a moment like hearing your name called during the NFL Draft.
What was that moment like for you, Zach?
You know, it was definitely surreal to some degree. You know, I think I've always worked, you know, pretty hard to put myself in it to give myself an opportunity to be able to hear my name called. So you know, when I did hear it called, it was. It was definitely surreal, but you know, it felt like a good moment of validation of all the work I've done and you know, the things I had to overcome and all
those different type of things. So just hearing my name was like a validation in that moment, Like I didn't get really emotional and things like that because I moved, was still a lot of work to do. Six years later, I'm still trying to do that work to you know, do the things I really want to do in life.
And you continue to do it.
And there was some news that broke a couple of days ago that you and the Bengals agreed to terms where you've restructured your deal a little bit. So tell us what that process has been like. And also, most importantly, Zach, I probably buried the lead. You're not supposed to do that in this business. How are you doing. How is your health?
I'm doing good, man, Just you know, taking the day by day and you know, just doing the best I can do to be ready for another year in the league and.
Things like that. But yeah, research the deil to come back to Cincinnati. You know, got a lot of good people there, and we got a really good team, so decided to be a part of that process again with those type of people.
What do you guys, Let's talk about the Bengals for a moment, because last year was it was just strange. You know, you ended the season on a wild run because there and you know this, there is so much talent in your locker room and so ultimately when you start out the season, you're not winning football games. And you know a lot of this it is another defensive side of the ball because you obviously have Burrow, you get those two wide receivers back, and you've got a
great running back room. You know, obviously you among the three backs that will be running and blocking for the Bengals coming up this year. But how would you articulate how last year went and what are you guys hoping to accomplish this year?
Yeah, last year it was tough, man, I think us being so young on the deeper side of the bar, it was just one of those years where it felt like no matter what you kind of did right, uh, something always kind of went wrong. And playing in that division AFC north Man, you've got to be ready to go each and every week. It's a it's a real tough physical division. I mean you factor in the weather into those cities and stuff like that as well, and you know, it was it was just a hard year.
We got a lot of good quarterbacks in that division as well. But I think it's a good learning curve. I mean, you saw a lot of guys have you know, great individual years, which was nice and crazy to see. I mean you got to see I got to see Borough play at a high level, chase at the high level, and things of that nature. So I think, you know, everyone coming back, uh, you know and getting another year
on our belt. Uh, with those guys, you know, there's gonna be a lot of interesting things that's gonna be able to happen for us this season. That just didn't go out way last year. You know, sometimes you don't get the ball to spend your way, and you know we we dealt with that a lot last year. But I think the way we competed throughout that year, you know, there was never gains where we just laid it down,
always competitive as a team. So that's that's huge, right when you're thinking about it, when you look back at that year and finish it out, finish it out strong. So definitely looking forward to getting that cohesiveness together this season and you know, give him our best shot again.
I'm gonna ask you kind of a little bit of a fanboy question, which I never do, but I you know, you hear a lot of people talk about the best wide receivers in the NFL, and there's a lot of Justin Jefferson. There's a lot of Tyreek when he's healthy. There's a lot of aj Brown I. I I think it's I think it's Jamar I think it's Jamar j. I've got to know what it's like. And look, you're a top man athlete yourself, so I'm sure you never in awe of any of your peers.
But he seems to be a unicorns unicorn. He seems to be one of one.
What's it what's it like to watch him day to day do what he does?
Yeah, he's different, man, Honestly, I think you know I was. I was telling people like, he didn't even play during the preseason, and he didn't do anything in training camp, and he didn't do anything in the offseason program.
Right.
Uh. Usually, you know, when you see guys go out there and perform at the level they do, they've done a training camp which gets them in tune and with the playbook, you know, his quarterback and all those different type of things. I mean, the guy didn't even have to do any of that to go out there and have the type of season he did. When he thought about the triple Crown, it was it was crazy to see.
I played with a lot of really good receivers and you know, a guy like Diggs our first year in Buffalo, him having a career year and stuff like that, and to see what Jamar does. You know, the way he does it is so nonchalant, it's not like it's not even really trying. And to see him straight up so many defenses, and like I said, planning that division, you kind of almost respect it even more just because you're
going against top defenses. We can and weak out, and we had to really good schedule this season when it comes to the terms of who we played and the guys that he had to mind up in front of and things like that. So I mean, like you said, he's a unicorns in the corn when you think about just the fact that demand didn't even do training camp and just went out there and just ball, which is crazy to see.
Additionally, a lot of debates about who the best quarterback is in pro football, and of course fifteen in Kansas City probably continues to hold that Moniker, But I don't know where you put Joe. But there aren't a lot of quarterbacks i'd want ahead of Joe Burrow. And look, Zach, as you know, in this game at any level, but especially in pro football, if you don't have one of the elite dudes under center, you might as well not
even kick off. But having Joe Burrow under center, that's got to give you the belief in that organization that you have a shot to do anything possible as special as any other team in this year this year with him under center?
Is that is that accurate to say?
Yeah? Absolutely. I mean you're talking about one of the best receivers in the league, I mean quarterbacks in the league. Sidney stepped in and this season coming off of a risk injury and leading the league and yards and touchdowns, which which is just crazy. You know, it's throwing risk at that and to be able to come back from that and look as seemless as he did, that was
really special to see that from him. But uh, you know, I think you have a guy like that, like you said, if you don't have one of those top guys in this league, which he is, it's gonna be really really hard to win a lot of games. And fortunately I've been able to play with, you know, two guys that are really really good at what they do. So that's that's been just a blessing, just being able to play with guys who play the game at a high level of future Hall of famers.
So you were at the Forever twenty two game.
It was fun to see you hanging out with Devin and Mackay and a bunch and Britain Covey in town as well. How connected do you stay to the program, Zach and what was it like to be up there for the spring game last Saturday.
Yeah, I'm always around, man. I think I try to, you know, be in tune with those guys as much as I can be, and you know, find being back because I was only being able to be back last year one time for a home game, which I hadn't been too long since I left, you know, so that was really cool. Then being out there this past weekend, that was also cool just to see, you know, the football and being in the stadium again and stuff like that and seeing the coaches do what they do best.
But I try to say interlock with the school as much as I can. And I live here now, so you know, I think anytime I'm able just to be around the game for one and then be around you know, people with familiar faces that I know in the program that has helped me tremendously. I think it's always a good thing for sure.
Last year was a year that nobody was expecting, certainly nobody in the media and I know nobody in the locker room know. The standards up there are very, very high and have been for quite some time. What would you say to youth fans tuning in today your belief that a bounce back year two in the Big twelve as possible.
Yeah, I mean they've They've done it right within the sense of you know, I think the quarterbacks are going to be really, really good. When you add a dual threat quarterback like that, it's gonna make it real hard and it helps to the running game tremendously, which is gonna beautiful for the new running back also that they have,
so that's nice. And the solid defense that that we play over there at Utah, you know, with coach Scalley and coach Wade leading the way over that side, when you add a dual threat quarterback, a really good running back as well that's come in as well, you're gonna be able to control the ball and play the style that they want to. And I think, you know, like I said, I think the quarterback is gonna be really
just I've seen what he was able to do. I think it's at New Mexico State, so excited to see what he can do with these guys and the coach staff, and I think obviously bringing on it's always a coordinator from his last school as well, and keeps that similiarity there, it should be a pretty seamless transition for him. Hopefully, you know, these guys can put it together and you know injus a part of the game. Hopefully that you know, they don't get hit with that buzz again for sure.
So you've gone on to have a really good pro football career, and of course we all cheer for you to play as long as you possibly can, and so somebody like you when you look when you look at nil and transfer portal, it probably doesn't sting as much because you've achieved success. I mean, I'm sure you would have liked to make money when you're in college, as all of us would have liked. I'm not alluding to
anything other than that. But as somebody who was an athlete, very good athlete, good football player prior to NIL and the transfer portal and follows the sport and follows the program, how do you think those two those two things have changed the sport the most of.
It, man, I think that's the biggest thing. It's like, you know, you used to not saying that it's not there, but it's definitely saying a way a bit in the sense of, you know, you used to want to care about, you know, the logo on the side of your helmet, you know, and putting on for your school and things of that nature. Wanting to be all the you know, being alumni at school and things like that when you graduate.
I think, now, if you can't fault the kids to some degree, you know, when you talk about the money and setting yourself up for the future, you know, because there's only so many guys that can go to the NFL for one coming out of college. You know, if I broke down the numbers on that, it's just Obviously a lot of people know it's crazy on how many people play college football, college sports period and aren't able
to make it to that pro level. Even if you are able to make it to that pro level, the chances of you, you know, having a full career and things of that nature, it's already hard when you think about that type of stuff. So you know, obviously them taking advantage of the n I L it is a
good thing. I think hopefully, you know, we can they can just get a cap on it and you know, really control it the best that they can, so they think, you know that the schools don't lose as much, and you know, the people with the biggest pocketbooks don't just throw money at these kids, and you know, they just jump school to school and don't really build that brotherhood that they are going to you know, really love and depend on it at some point. So I think that's the biggest thing.
Do you pay attention at all to any of the back and forth between Utah and b y U fans complaining about the other teams poaching their players?
Do you pay attention at at all that?
I don't pay attention to it. It does pop up on my social media here and there, just like because I'm just so into you know, with the school and different accounts and things like that. But it's crazy, for sure, but it is you know, a big part of it, which you can't really, like I said, be upset at
the kids for wanting to take advantage of that. But it does destroy the loyalty part of it where you can just jump schools and go different places and do different things and it's not much to think about behind it.
Yeah, and like you said, you can't blame the players and look, Zach, the bottom line here, love it or hate it, college football has become very transactional, right and so the only way to handle these ebbs and flows is to remove your emotion. But as you know, it's hard to ask fans to remove their emotions.
You know. Yeah, yeah, I mean it's the human element to all of it. So yeah, it's gonna be hard. Absolutely, Like I said, hopefully you know, it's double. They can figure out a way to make it more, you know,
even around all the schools. That way, you know, it doesn't love you don't lose the integrity of the college support game, which I think is you know, has been so great for so long for a reason, and it's definitely time for the athletes to get paid, but there's always better ways to do a lot of different things in life.
Yeah, well said one more thing in this space, and then, ironically enough, I get to ask you about a former teammate of yours at Utah who's going through the draft process. So we'll get there in a moment. Like I said, you've gone onto the NFL. You know, you've had a really good career and you'll continue to. But I wonder through conversations that you have with with ex teammates at Utah who didn't have an opportunity to go make money playing pro football, do you feel like there's resentment?
Do you feel like there's bitterness?
Do you feel like there's anger that they were not able to play and benefit off of their name, image and likeness while they were playing at college college football Utah?
Uh?
You know, I think you definitely are going to have those emotions to some degree, And I think that's fair when thinking about putting your body on the line the way you do, and you know, and all that type of stuff. So I think that's fair to have those emotions, and I'm sure some guys do I know I've had them, even though I've been able to go in the NFL and do some things in that in that realm and things like that as well. But you know, I think
long lasting wise, I don't think so. But you know, it's like I said, it's fair to have that because it is something that would have been great to a lot of guys. Because it's just like I said, it sets you up at at a certain age twenty one, twenty two years old with X amount of dollars, right, you do it correctly and things like that. It's a big blessing financially to take care of yourself and even people you love, depending on you know, however much you
made or whatever. But it is what it is. You know, it just wasn't the timing didn't didn't work out, and that's you know, obviously that's fair in the sense of, you know, you just were born a little too early and that's when he decided to do it.
But yeah, no, it's a good perspective, all right.
The twenty nineteen Utah football team, in my estimation, is as talented, was as talented, is as talented as any team that we've ever had in the state. I believe that, and I think that includes two thousand and four. In two thousand and eight, the undefeated teams and you played with Brandt Keithy and Bran Keithy. Of course, prior to Dalton King, Kid was thought to be the better NFL tight end prospect because back before brand had his injury issues,
he was really dynamic. Uh, he's going through the process and I don't know that he'll be drafted and hopefully he can just get healthy and somebody gives him a look. But what sort of NFL player do you think bran Keithy could make.
You know, like you said, he's very dynamic when he was healthy. I think that's the main thing, is getting into the NFL for one and being able to stay healthy. He's guy who can do it a lot of different things. And you know, in NFL is about you know, sticking around. You know, it's really hard to stick around that league. So you know, him being the athlete that he is at especially at that position, I think, you know, you don't always just have to catch passes. It's the more
you can do in NFL. It's what allows you to have a really good career and have the longevities you might want. So, you know, I think going in with an open mind, maybe it's not fifty catches you know, a year or anymore or something like that. Maybe it's special teams and different things of that nature, especially when you've been able to be a player who's had the type of career he's had in a sense of production in college. So I think that's the biggest thing for him.
It's just you know, hey, it's you know, not drafted or or drafted. You know, it doesn't matter when you get in. It's just getting in and staying. And that's the biggest thing because it's a lot of guys that go early rounds that don't play for a long time, and there's guys that do played for a long time
that didn't go draft, that went undrafted. So I think once you get past that, and then just being healthy and you know, being available, and then you know, having that flexibility which he has athletic wise for sure, and then just going out there and taking advantage of each and every day.
Before I said, you lose Bengals are at seventeen and throughout the course of the draft, what are you hoping that your current team adds, So you guys can take another step.
Man, I think you know you need that to those guys for sure. I always do ever really think about it. But you know they know best in the sense of what the team needs in that moment in time right for us to go out and compete at a high level.
So you know, whatever whoever they choose, man, we're going to open our doors and you know, invite them in and make sure he's comfortable and you know, ready to work and get this thing back on track and put Bangals back on top where we were just a few years ago.
All right, man, besides working out, besides rehabbing and getting healthy. What's the Zach Moss offseason? You're gonna get some trips in. You swing a golf club. What do you like to do in your downtown.
Well, I got another little kid on the way girl. Yeah, So I'm chilling, man, getting ready for that, and you know, get excited for that. And that's the main thing right now. That's what I'm up to.
All right man.
Well that's the good stuff. Congratulations on that. You know that you always have a home here, so stay healthy and be well.
Okay, absolutely, my man, appreciate you having me on all.
Right, Zach Moss truly one of the best football players we've ever ever had in State. I talked about that twenty nineteen team all the time. Unfortunately it didn't end the way that we all thought it could. But when you look at that roster top to bottom, and I think Zach was the best player on the team. I know he's running back and a bunch of other good
players on both sides of the ball. Pack twelve Offensive Player of the Year that year, First Team All Packed, twelve, third round draft pick from Buffalo entering in his sixth season in the NFL. That's wild to think about that, our guy Zach has been doing this five years and he's entering his sixth year. It seems like he was just here like yesterday.
It is crazy. Time certainly flies. As he mentioned, he was part of the COVID year draft class. Everything since then, timing wise, feels a little blurry, so maybe that's part of it. But yeah, man, one of the best players in the program's history. You mentioned it, the state's history as far as what they did at at the college level, and to go in and now keep doing it at the NFL level. Proud of Zach can love seeing it
as it continues to grow. Got to get healthy, Yes, you're sure in Cincinnati, that's that's the story this year.
Yeah, Zach had a neck injury.
It limited him to I think eight games, yeah, eight games last year. But he's in that running back room. Chase Brown, they brought in Sumiji Perin right. I think it's those three at the moment. Yeah, in the running back room. So only wishing good things for our guys. Zach appreciate his time today. We'll get back to some draft stuff. He'll forget after we say good night. Right about six o'clock, we'll launch into our NFL Draft coverage.
We are your home for the NFL Draft here in this market, so no reason for you to go anywhere. Zach stops Spot today courtesy of our friends at IFA Country Stores. Any drive to the basket begins with the first step on the court. That's the ultimate power move IFA Step one crabgrass Preventer and their lawn food that's the first choice to give your yard the healthy green look you admire.
The neighbors will be green with envy.
Shop IFA online at IFA dot co op er stop by one of their neighborhood stores today. You know, if I can't even convince my father to roll in a studio on time, then I might need to find another line of work. So that's where we're at. We're in a bit of a holding pattern. Usually these are for guests that you know, you book and you're not sure what the deal is. So we're gonna bring in my dad coming up in a little bit, Dave check. It's a a new project for him, a new partnership with
the Eccles family that we're going to talk about. Really exciting things, happy for him. They've been working on this for quite some time. We do have Andy Larson from the Solid Tribune coming up a little bit. Mike am from the NFL Network will stop by. Pablo MASTERONENI the head coach of RSL. So we just had Zach Moss
on and Porter. We've talked about this before, but every time I pull up the roster for the Utah football team from twenty nineteen, you just shake your head and you know, again, it didn't end the way that we all thought it could. It's kind of wild that I can ask Zach Moss about Brand Keithy that they played together, right of course Brand had the medical year.
The COVID year allowed some more eligibility.
But I mean, we could just we could talk about so many of these players, of course, Zach and Julian Blackman, Tyler Huntley, the aforementioned Brand, Keithy Bradley, and I I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch that every time we have this topic, whether it's Zach hopping on the show, we talk about some of the best football teams we've ever
had in the state. I know that they didn't finish undefeated, let go four or eight, and I know they never won a conference championship because of the injuries at the end. But man for man, on paper, it's hard to find a roster for either Utah or BYU that matches up with twenty nineteen.
Yeah, I mean, you look on the defensive side of the ball spent specifically Devin Lloyd, Francis Bernard, Terrell Burgess, Julian Blackman, Javelin Gidry, Mika Defu, Bradley, and I John Pennasini, Jalen Johnson, Lecky FO two. Josh Nurse was on that team. Huatiputu Tao. There were twelve or thirteen guys that ended up not on an NFL roster but getting mini camp invites or at least spending some time on an NFL roster. Oh and also Tyler Huntley, Zach Moss, Britton Covey, Matt Gay, bran Keathy.
As you mentioned, McKay Bernard.
It's a twenty nineteen team that, by the end of their careers could have eighteen guys that spent time in the NFL.
Pretty remarkable.
It's wild so that lost to Oregon Pac twelve Championship game, then of course Texas Alamo the Alamo Bowl. But I appreciate Zach Moss hopping on today our NFL draft coverage.
We'll be in at six o'clock.
We are your home with the NFL in this market, so stay tuned for that.
All right, we did it, You did, miss Neil Young, old man?
Oh no, no, really, you know what, Porter's Let's fire that back up because I know that would put him in the right frame of mind. I was debating which songs to play for you today, and I landed on Neil Young, which I figured you'd appreciate.
Hi Dad, what is hi?
Son?
But what is the right frame of mind to go on? Your son's radio show.
Exactly.
It's an excellent question. You should do this for a living. That's a good question. I mean, just put you in a good mood because you are a Neil Young fan.
I am. I love that song too, great song. How you doing, I'm doing great.
I just came last night from three days in Nashville at the World Congress of Sport, and it was just amazing to see so many people haven't seen in a long time, owners and presidents and and people that have the commissioners that have been around sport and uh and and I I was.
I was.
I was privileged enough to be to be given an honor there. I was honored as a I think they call it these sports champions, pioneers and innovators.
Pioneers and innovators.
And you were rightly honored for that, Okay, it was. It was a it was a just reward that you've earn't It was a great, great honor.
Well, thank you for that. I it was. It was very nicely done.
I have a.
Beautiful statue at to go in my to go in my study. And then, as you you know, your youngest sibling was also given a chance there by her agents CIA was doing, was sponsoring the whole thing, so they arranged for her to speak after Adam Silver spoke. I mean, here's Lily check its Shimbashi going up on the stage to talk about her business and about especially about engaging women as fans of your team and what a positive thing that is. And then they asked me to introduce her.
So the whole thing was fun. It was really fun.
Tremendously impressed with Lil's former friend of the program. When she first started sports at sports Ish, we had her on almost on a weekly basis.
Right, So does she even want to anymore?
Now she's too.
Big for us, she doesn't even return our calls, but really really proud of her and what she's built. And you know what's funny, I've had multiple people over the past few months somehow find out that we're related Lily and I because her last their maiden, her married name is Shimbashi, and you know, so if you just see Lily Shimbashi, and I've had direct messages from women that I went to school with like, wait, Lily is your sister.
We love we love what she's doing.
So people haven't even really made the connection, and it's it's got to make you a proud dad to see what she's built because she's worked real hard at it.
It does, and I'm not sure it's for better for worse. But her agents represented and Wreck and they basically were sold on the fact that she had to start going by Lily check its shimbashi. And I said to her husband, I said, look, this was not me. I did not I did not say this needed to be a hyphenated name or anything else. But I have noticed that that's what Sports Business Journal calls her now and.
And to the extent if.
It helps her at all in this industry of ours, I'm all for it.
Yeah, no, for sure, and I'm so proud of her, you know, watching those videos of her on stage just owned it. You know, she stepped up and did a really good job. So exciting news broke last week. And you've been working on this for a while now with the Eccles family, who of course sports business royalty in our state, and often say Spence Ecles does not receive
the credit he deserves for a myriad of things. I mean, his name is on building, his name is on a bunch of buildings at the U. But take us through this process, your new partnership with the Eccles family, and what should the community know about what's coming up next.
Okay, So it was twenty twenty one when your mom and I returned from England after three years serving as mission leaders there, and it was just one of the great experiences of my life. Seven hundred volunteers, fifty four countries, COVID language.
You were COVID mission presidents.
Yes, so we had twenty months without COVID and sixteen months with. But I came home exhausted because there wasn't a single week that it wasn't like working ninety hour weeks. Just that's what's necessary to do that job. And so I'm glad that they're calling younger and younger guys and women to do that. But anyway, when I came home, I knew a couple of things. One, I wanted to work with my sons. Two, I wanted to work with my daughters. I wanted to I didn't want to jump
into the industry right away. It's now been three and a half years since we've been home, and earlier this year I started to think that I'd like the last chapter of my career the last ten years, because I think I'll work another ten years, but I'd like the last ten years to be in a situation where I have a significant sports fund and ken invested in the many opportunities that I just uncover literally weekly that are good,
good places to invest our industry. Even during COVID when the rest of the world was in financial crisis, sports sports continued to grow seven percent a year during COVID. During COVID when the you know, the financial crisis of COVID and everything that stopped, but sports continued to grow. And so this is an industry I've been in for
a long time. And so it became about identifying who would I like to do this with, because I felt like the firm that I founded in New York has a lot of really good people, but it's lacking the kind of investment expertise that it would take to both raise a large fund and to invest a large fund. And I was out here actually in Deer Valley, and it was a it was a conference put on by a private equity fund, and you came up and interviewed me.
When we talked about sports and collegiate sports and where to invest in sports.
Got Rick new heisl on the panels right.
That was fun.
And then the next night Mitt Romney came up and spoke, and I've you know, I've known Mit since my days in Boston and Bane a million years ago, but I've never seen him so relaxed as he was that night he came up and spoke. He you know, he has a lot of concerns about our country, but we'll leave that alone. Could We could go for hours on that, because I'm right with him on his views. But anyway, at the end of it, a lot of people ask him questions, and one question was where will you invest now?
What are you going to do? He said he was moving to Florida. He wanted Anne to ride horses. I'm not going to share anything that I don't think he would want shared. But he when he talked about how he was going to invent, he said, I'm no longer looking at internal rates of return. I'm not looking for track records. I'm looking for people that I trust. I
want to do things with people that I trust. And you have to understand when I came to Salt Lake in nineteen eighty three to try to save the Utah Jazz and turn it around, My one friend in town consistently was the president Heir Security Bank and the chairman, Spencer Eccles, who's now ninety years old. He's still skis.
I see him up at the Ute Games. I see him at the Jazz Games, and every time I see him, we go back to the old days and we talk about, Hey, Suspence, if you hadn't done that eight million dollar loan when no one else would help us, and we weren't making payroll and we were losing a fortune. We were drawing six thousand people a night, and no one told me, not even David Stern, that this club was on the
verge of bankruptcy. But it was Spencer Eccles who understood that if Salt Lake lost the Jazz, we would we would go a long time before we ever got another NBA team. And I think he pushed his board into making a loan that no one else would because Larry Miller was the borrower. Larry Miller owned exactly two dealerships. Larry Miller didn't have the net worth to borrow that money. But but, but Spencer was so impressed with the things we were starting to do with the team and with
Larry's earnest desire to keep it here. He found a kindred soul. He made the loan, we paid off the debt. We put two million dollars into the bank. I remember that day thinking, oh my gosh, the heavens have opened up.
And today that's pennies. But back then he needed it.
Yeah, yeah, And that's on the heels of in eighty four drafting Stockton and eighty five drafting Malone. Everybody thought we had a future suddenly, and all we needed was the right capital. And it was Spencer Eccles that made it all happen. So with that in mind, and thinking about what Mit said that it was going to be totally about who your partners are, I went to Spence Spencer P. Eckles, his son, who I'm really good friends with.
I met Randall Corels, who is the chairman and former vice chair of the Federal Reserve, enormously qualified Davis Polk, one of the America's premier law firms, thirty year lawyer. These two gentlemen sat down with me, listened to my dream about finishing by investing a billion dollars or more in sports, and the conversations went really very quick, quickly and already we have places we can invest. There's a lot of work to do to finish up all of
the administrative side of a fund. But the one thing when I go to sleep at night now is I know I've got the best partners I could ever ask for. Yeah, these they run a great firm. They're very successful in their own right. They didn't need to do this, but they're excited about it because you know what the Ecchos family has meant to the University of Utah, to Southern Utah, STA, they're all over the place. That's why I said my quote and the press release is you know they brought
the way. They were instrumental and getting the Winter Olympics here and financing so much of that. They were key in keeping the jazz here, and they've built great collegiate programs across the state. So now to pursue this fund with them, I couldn't be happier. I couldn't be more
optimistic about the things we're going to do. And I'm all And since the press release, my phone has just blown up from people all over the world that I've done business with in the past, in Japan and in certainly in London, in Germany and France, and I'm going to be over there next week and start the process of creating a real flow of deals coming to us.
So certainly, and I had a chance to see Spence up at the Utah spring football game. He sat with Ron McBride and shook his hand. He's still skis as your reference, just turned nine years old. And certainly with a fund as large as this and the goals you have that are as big as they are, only time will tell what the execution looks like and what you
invest in. And if it's teams here in state, if it's teams across the landscape of the country, or maybe you do some international deals a those things will manifest themselves when they do. It's not going to happen tomorrow, but I'm sure people are curious if you have any tangible plans with one point two billion, which is the goal we do.
So we love teams, but we will probably not be buying any majority piece of a teams where we determine how to run things. But I do think we'll get involved because that's what I've done. Sure, so we'll get involved with teams where they're in good markets, they have excellent operators and they work hard. This is the this is the eCos value that is going to run through our organization. How are they doing in the community, and are they caring about the community, and are they making
a difference in the community. So that will be on the team side. We'll look for media assets during this transition from cord cutting and cable and satellite into streaming and what happens and direct to the consumer, which ESPN is now doing. As all of this happens, there's going to be a tremendous capitalization of media assets. We want
to be in the middle of that. I've spent my life running MSG network, buying companies like Gravity Media, so I'm very, very keen to do some things in sports media. There are startup leagues that I think are interesting. The three on three unrivaled thing I think is very interesting.
There's startup volleyball.
There's so many places to invest, and I don't think we'll have one hundred by any stretch investments. It's more likely that will take significant positions in sports assets that have value and will continue to accrue value.
We can make a difference.
So over the course of your career.
One of the things that I've always found interesting is excuse me. When you were here, you work with Larry Right, and then you go to New York and after a stint with David starting in the League office, you land with the Knicks in Madison Square Garden where you work with a lot of different owners or four different owners. And the first three I think you really enjoyed working for, and the last one was probably a little a little
sticky from time to time. And Jim Dolan still owns the New York Knicks and also the New York Rangers and Moonlights playing the kazoo for his band.
That's a true thing.
You also spent some time working with Jerry Jones, So you've had a bunch of interesting relationships and synergies with a lot of different owners with a lot of different styles.
My question to you is what makes a great owner?
Well, that's a great So that's a wonderful question. I think the great owner are people who create a culture not of winning, but of championships, and that means they create a culture of high levels of trust and high levels of expectations. If you if you watched the Whole family and the way that they have owned the San Antonio Spurs. They've got the same general manager. And sadly, you know, Greg Popovich looks like he may not be able to push on much longer. He's not in good health.
And I just feel so bad. But but look at the years they've had for championships, the teams, and and they have done it right. And it's by the way, both Larry and I knew this when we came in. When when when I brought Larry in, we started to talk about the teams that had really done well, and we could see that they had very little turnover in coaches and general managers, very little turnover at all, very
little turnover in owners. That's why Larry, when frank Leyden stepped aside and we put Jerry Sloan, you know, I mean Jerry Sloan coached here for twenty three years, yes so, and had a great, amazing history, you know, making the playoffs pretty much all the time. It was just a regular thing. So good owners take a back seat, They
step back. They hire really great people, they show them a tremendous amount of respect and trust, but they also want them to know that, you know, there are expectations here to win, not a free ride. We're here to win, and we're here to win all the time, and we're you know, this is not the place to debate whether losing to try to get you know, the first pick in the draft is a good strategy for me. I
could never live that strategy. And I'm very much like building the pat Riley you know, my he just keeps somehow squirting in and getting in the playoffs and competing. Even even after the Jimmy Butler trade here they are still in the playoffs. And that's the kind of culture that I respect. Mickey Harrison and I have had our differences, certainly when he stole a pat from us, yep, But I give him a lot of credit. Pat's been down
there twenty years. He's had you know, the same people around and and they're very that's a very successful franchise. So what's a great owner? I think an owner is someone who hires really smart, really good people, shows them a high level of respect and trust, does not try to do the job for them or get involved, and and it steps back and establishes that kind of culture and rewards the people that win for him.
Yeah, I always I often think of the pat Riley line. I think a lot of a lot of pat Riley lines. But in the NBA, there are two things. There's winning and there's misery, right right and so and look, unfortunately, the incentive structure and pro basketball mostly rewards winners, but if you're not in that small group, it also rewards if you lose. And that's a complicated thing because it's hard to find that cornerstone, transcendent piece when you're building
a team in Salt Lake City. If you don't get it through the draft and so you know, if you can get number one in Cooper Flag, the pain's worth it. But if you can't, you're spinning your wheels for a while. But we have an interesting dynamic in our market because there's new ownership with the Jazz with Ryan Smith and SEG Group. But there's also new ownership out in Sandy at the Soccer Club now the soccer club that you founded.
And it's wild to think that we're twenty plus years later and now this is the fourth ownership group of RSL. So Jason christ is back with the club. John Kimball, after spending some time with the Jazz, has been running the club now for I think five years. Matty Raider's back. Shout out Trey, we need to say, and Trey's back. A lot of the old guard is back at RSL
and people that you know very well. The Millers and Miller Sports Entertainment has taken over the controlling ownership stake of the club.
The Blitzer group.
Maintains their portion, and Ryan and Ashley Smith and the SEG Group will focus on their project downtown.
I know you, doctor Steve quite a bit.
You also are helping them bring Major League Baseball here, which fingers crossed. I hope that happens. But how have you digested this whole story? And what would you say to RSL fans about how do you think the Millers are going to handle this well?
Steve was nice enough to invite me out for that announcement. I just couldn't make it. There was no way it could be here. But look, Salt Lake owes a giant debt of gratitude to David Blitzer. Yes, because he came in stabilized the whole situation there, put John Kimball in permanently as president, and John's you know, RSL runs deeply in John's Bloody was first employee, maybe other than you I don't. I think it was right around the same
time that both of you. I think we give it to John, Okay, I think we'll get that, that's right. So so John is an extraordinary guy. And now, and you know, Dave Blitzer also let run within the organization a lot of people who understand what it was like in the early days to fight through and create a championship team in two thousand and nine in a brand new venue and all that it took to get there.
So Tony Beltran, for instance, is in the organization, Hamas and Nolove, these these guys that played for us, and then to bring Jason back was just a brilliant move. So so I'm I'm very optimistic about what's happening there. I want to be helpful to them if I can. Time will tell whether that works for them. But but the Miller family were tremendous stewarts for the Utah Jazz for many years. I said that my speech at the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.
I said to g she was sitting right there.
I said, Gail, you guys have been the best stewards the Jazz could ever have. Have lent permanence, have built a building and then redone it and made it beautiful. Now Ryan's going to do even more with it with hockey. So and not only that, but Utah has become like one of the most desirable sports markets in the world with the success of the college teams and the Big Twelve and even the success of weaber stayed in Utah State and and you know, there's a there's a level
of excellence here in athletics. I hope the Jazz can can get the guys they need to get back back at it over a long period of time. I know that's what they want. And I love you know how I feel about Danny Ainge and one of my dearest friends. So so look, there's a lot of great things happening here with this fund. Will we have an opportunity to invest here? I think we may if we get a baseball team, for sure, But even more than that, you know what's next and where are their opportunities. And I've
built stadiums of you know, I've bought television properties. This gives me a chance literally around the world, but in Salt Lake, if it so happens to really get back back in the game.
Yeah, I think it's tremendously exciting and like you, my phone has also blown up from a lot of people wondering what this looks like and very excited for the possibilities of I will not call the final chapter of your career. From as your oldest son, I view you working for another thirty years. Okay, so I'm not going to do the ten year timeline, but I know you've got to go. I'm gonna ask you one more question.
I'm good to buy time time wise.
Okay, Okay, yeah, yeah.
B YU needs a new athletic director, Tom Homo after twenty years of stepping aside, and he has done a tremendous job. Yes, traversing through independence, I mean that. When I found out that that was going to be their path, I went, okay, let's see how this goes.
Utah gets the PAC twelve invite BYU.
I think, out of necessity, did what they had to do, and they found their landing spot in the Big twelve. And it feels like everything down there is in a really good spot. Nil has changed the game. Kevin Young, former NBA assistant, had a really good first year Sweet sixteen team. They've got Gary Parrish put him as his number five team in the country. Next year, Kladney had a really good year two in the Big twelve, and
they appear to have a good team coming back. As you like to remind me, you went to both schools, so I know you don't have any allegiance one way or the other. But people are wondering whether or not you have been contacted to potentially be the athletic director BYU.
Any insight there.
The insight is absolutely not. I no contact about that at all, and I'm not surprised, actually, I think they're probably I don't know what they're thinking. I am on the President's Leadership Council down at BYU and have been for a long time and have great respect for Shane and for Keith Shane Reese, the president, Keith Workink, who is over the athletic department, among other things, great great people.
I love Tom Homo.
And and Chad Lewis and Brian Santiago. Those guys down there are great.
And that is I did.
Wear that uniform, so he did, so I kind of have always cheered for them. But what Taylor Randall has done and and the Utah Athletic Department and coaches and everything else and their plans, which I know something about, are are just off the charts. They are progressive, they are smart, they are they are engaging the community in a way that I don't think has happened before. And you know, I don't, I don't know. It's their football team had the first tough year, and it seems like forever.
Yeah, that Kyle spoiled everybody. The standards are sky high. When I was in school, there are five six wins Bowl Game.
Love it. You know, it's different now, it's different now.
I know for him to be coming to the end is actually that's going to be a hard thing because he has been a tremendous influence in the state. So but but Spencer, when I step back and look at how the state is as opposed to the mid eighties when I was here trying to save the jazz, it
is vibrant. The economy is number one in the country, the population is young and energetic, and there's there's really nothing to derail it other than you know, petty jealousies or you know, I mean, there's nothing better than a good rivalry. But let it be a good rivalry and be glad that we have all this excellent. I mean the by U basketball team and they I mean when when when their coach, when when Mark Pope left and went to Kentucky. That was a really pivotal time. They
reacted quickly and got Kevin. Then Utah went and got you know, really a great young coach who played there. I mean, these are all the right things, all the right steps. They're they're doing great things, and it is a it's a terrific time to be in the state. And and one of the one of the blessings of this partnership with the Eccles is I think I'm I'm going to be here more. I think Mom and I
will be more in Utah than we have been. I don't think we'll move from Connecticut, but but we'll be here more, and we'll be bothering you more, you know, asking you if there's an empty bedroom upstairs.
There is there always is, uh but no, it's it's all exciting and I think you should feel really uh juiced about the potential with this partnership. So we'll set you loose, though I appreciate you stopping by, and yeah, all the insight, I wanted to give you the space to express other because everyone's asking me what, so, what's the deal? And so I figured i'd give you the space to kind of unpack it. So, but I know you're busy and I'll see you soon, Okay.
Can I say one last thing?
You can say as many things as you'd like.
Can I say, I'm really proud of you and how long they've done this show and how important you are to people in this community. They tell me this all the time. Everybody wants to know what you're thinking about every item, and I'm really proud of the way you've handled everything.
No, I appreciate it, and I think it depends on who you ask, whether or not they're a fan. But that's okay. It's a phenomenal coup. It's a great way to make a living, but it's it's kept me around the things that I've always loved.
You know that, No, listen, you're not going to make everybody happy. And if you were making everybody happy, you wouldn't have this job, because even if they disagree with you all the time, they still want to know what is he you think?
Part of Gold just doesn't feel like the right song for our next guest.
I'm not gonna laugh Andy's got a heart of gold. Do you think Andy has a heart of gold?
Yeah?
Andy Larson, Salt Lake Tribune, Andy accurate statement, heart of gold?
Would you concur I come.
On the show every week the kind out of the kindness of my heart, even helping you out tomorrow, and I get.
This from you.
That's fair, Now, that's fair, Irish sin Andy, you have a heart of gold.
The guilt trip worked, my friend. Happy Thursday? How you doing?
I was good before then, I'm but yeah, I'm good.
How about you?
Oh?
Come on?
You know that I'm teasing you. It's a little good fun banter back and forth. Uh do you want to start with your anger at the lack of additions made by our local soccer club?
And you know what's sure?
Why not?
Look you can't. It's just a It's terrible what you've done to the Sam, to Diego, Luna, to Mecca and Nelly, to the other good players on this roster to only have one designated player on it. I mean, you learned about Chico Arongo's misdiscretions ten months ago. Now you sold Gomez for eleven million dollars eight months ago. Now to only sign Willie Gotta who I like as an addition actually, but for five hundred thousand dollars not a designated player.
Oh and by the way, you're actually only designated player on the roster. Isn't actually even very good at the MLS level in the year that you've made the Concacash Champions League for the first time in a decade. Is dis horrible, I mean, it's it's horrible. I think David Blitter should be a villain in local fans' mind. I'm
disappointed in the Miller group for getting nothing done. I'm disappointed in the Miller group for not trying to get more done over the last month and months plus since it's been clear that they're going to buy the team. And yeah, just you know, I just feel really bad for the Diego Lunas and the Mecanelli's and the other players, you know, even Pablo masroonies of the world, because they have not been supported with adequate talent on this rostra to really compete.
Williegata known around here as Willy Goals. He's the addition. Don't know much about him, but what does that do for you?
Honestly, Like, you know, for a cheap signing, I think it is a really good chief signing. I guess, you know, a trade, but whatever, you know, five hundred thousand dollars a game plus maybe three hundred and fifty thousand next year.
If he sticks around and has always had really good like kind of underlying numbers right where, gets himself in really good positions and as a result, has a lot of straws and chances on goal, has been kind of up and down at finishing them, and you know, which is what ends up having answer if you look at kind of socker analytics over the long term, is that those kind of even out. So it's a player is
kind of bad at finishing earlier on his career. You may see that as a sign of potential because they usually do figure that out and start to finish at kind of the league average or above rate, or you know, kind of try to find some consistency. And so, you know, I think given that, I think Williagotta is a significant upgrade over every striker at RSL has right now and be a nice addition for the team that you know
will make them better. It's just not you know, he's not one of the fifteen best strikers in MS right now. So as a result, you know, you just don't have the kind of attacking talent that the actual teams at the top two, including some small market franchises by the way, like Columbus and Cincinnati and Nashville, and you know, teams that are the same size as Salt Lake as a market, are going after significantly better players than RSL.
Is right now.
They're able to get Johnny Russell across the line. What does that do for you?
Yeah, he's thirty five and was kind of washed for a really bad Kansas City team. He might be better than Tyler Wolfs though, So hey, you know, I you know, I don't hate it. It gives you another depth option. But and this team really does lack depth right now. But it's it doesn't change the upside of the team at all.
Does it feel like one more thing here, because I talked to a ck about this yesterday, does it feel like this is now potentially a lost season for RSL?
Yeah?
I mean, look, the summer transfer window is with eight games left in the season, so you can miss the playoffs based on what happens over the next you know, the first twenty five games of the year. So yeah, I mean there's absolutely that potential. And you look at what's happened in the last few games, and you know what happened last week in losing that game. You know, I know it's it was a bad red card and
you know, I am very angry at the referee. But like in the end, just rfl lack of attacking quality showed again and as it has time and time again early on in the season, and it's just that's a waste of opportunity for this team to be cheaped out on as much as they have. But over the last ten months.
Is it I actually wanted to ask you one thing.
Is there any sort of space to allow a little bit of I guess I'll say grace. It sounds really cheesy as a result to what happened with the Bosanique deal, because apparently Robert Bosaniqu from Boa Vista was done and then I didn't know any of this, but Boavista sounds like doing business with your second cousin. It probably is not up to business acumen as far as the way
that they operate. I don't know much about this, but he was set to be the second DP and then apparently this Portuguese club caused issues.
What's your take on that.
Yeah, first of all, I mean I did not love that as a DP Sanning just because his record in Portsbowl this year has not been very good, right Like, he scored four goals in twenty nine games.
That's not great.
It certainly did have a better season the season prior though, and of course aren't no perfect players. Look the it sounds like the reason that it didn't go to you know, because Boavis to ask for more and kept kind of changing the terms of the negotiation. And I totally get that. So a, you know, do something before the season so that you don't have to wait ten games into the year.
The second, most importantly, it was still going to be a relatively cheap DP, right Like, this was going to be a designated player that RSL could buy down with TAM and open up a DP slot for somebody else later on down the road. Well, I think that's like the right thing to do. It ultimately, is not the designated player of the of the quality of a Chiito Aroango or Carlos sandrascomes kind of a like for like replacement.
You're talking about a tammable DP that you know, again you can buy down it's just not the same level of player that RSL sold in the last ten months. So yes, that would have been you know, look, I understand, and you're were negotiating with a weird club it doesn't pay money, and was desperate and was uh yeah, you know it was problematic. They're just even in ambition. It just wasn't up to par with what you lost earlier on in the year.
All of that is fair, and I share in your disappointments.
And now I guess we'll see what Pablo can do with the cast of characters that he has.
It is disposal. But let's move on now and do a little NBA.
So Andy, after it was pretty clear that Oklahoma City was the class of the West, I would ask you and my other NBA guests, who are the other teams that we should be paying attention to? Who keeps Smart Dagnal up at night? Is does anybody have a chance? I mean, did we overthink this is Oklahoma City just that good?
I think some people did overthink that, Like I certainly saw them as the Western Conference favorites. And when you win a conference by that many games and show, you know, have the best point differential of any team in the last few years, Like, yeah, I think you have to be considered the favorites, and I think they are considered the favorites and have shown it's certainly in the first two games that they're just you know, capable of blowing
out teams. I don't think like if they done deal yet, you know, I think that it's totally possible that like a Lakers give them problems Denver even Minnesota, like, but I do think that ultimately, like this is you know, the thunder should be considered the favorites, and rightfully so it's kind of funny, like I understand why the NBA is putting them on national TV tonight and putting the
Nuggets and Clippers on NBA TV. You know, you want to market the team that's going to be in the finals down the road so you get great finals ratings. But I totally expect them to beat the Grizzlies by you know, double digits tonight and it should be a really really great game. I'll getting the Clippers one. Why, I you know, probably rather watch instead.
Weird jazz related question to this, I mean, and look, Sam Pressy might be the best of what he does in the world and maybe he's been the best of what he does for quite some time. But you know, oftentimes you'll hear jazz fans, as you know, talk about, oh, well, the Lakers got Luca, they're gonna be great again, the
Celtics or this the heat or that or whatever. Is there any sort of positive spin that we can put on the fact that Sam Presty has built the Juggernaut in a city like Oklahoma City juxtaposed to what the Jazz are trying to do in a city like Salt Lake.
Yeah.
Look, I mean I think it's clear that the draft is a really incredibly viable way to build teams, right Like, I don't think you need a free agent superstar. I don't think you need to like win. I obviously they got say in a trade, but I think you've got him earlier enough in his career that it was just kind of a flyer on a on a rookie with potential.
So yeah, look, I think it's totally possible. And you look at Denver winning the title and kind of look at it in the same way and what Cleveland's done up there. Right, Like, small markets to a reasonable degree, are are the best teams in the NBA this season, and so yeah, I think you can have total optimism that, like you know that the Jazz past could work. I don't think that there is a ceiling on the Jazz's path at all.
Outline a blueprint for the Jazz to follow over the next whatever timeframe you want to before you believe that they can be competing. Because here's the thing, man, Like I'm watching these games, and obviously, for what you and I do for a living, I always try to bring it back to some sort of local prism. And the fact of the matter is, this is not breaking news when it comes to any of these top teams in
the West. The Jazz are a marathon away, a marathon away, and they're not one Cooper flag away.
They're not one or two pieces away.
What does the path back to legitimate consistent competitiveness in the West look like from the Andy Larson viewpoint for the Utah.
Jazz, Yeah, I mean they are eight out of ten players away. They are you know, four out of five of a starting lineup away. They are as far away as it can be. Obviously, they are the worst team in the NBA. I think ultimately you look at the path and it's you know, you hope for good luck and get a star in this year's lottery, and I think the best chances of that are are Cooper Flag
and Dylan Harper. And then if if that does work out, then you probably still need even a second star and next year's draft, and that's an A J. De bonsa Darren Peterson, a Cam Boozer or someone like that. I mean, you're looking at you need multiple all stars to be the best team in the league, right, like to actually win an NBA title, And and you know, certainly the Jazz had that five years ago. We're the number one team, didn't make it through the playoffs due to various weaknesses
and injuries and blah blah blah. But nevertheless, like you just need that top level talent and then you need the role players around them. And I you know, while I think it's possible to be optimistic on the Jazz is youth turning out to be good roles, I think it's very hard to believe that they become kind of the star level players that actually drive the drive the
boat a little bit. So yeah, I mean you're you're talking multiple drafts and then you're also talking time for those guys to develop kind of recognizing that, like, hey, you know, say Gildeth Alexander wasn't an MVP level candidate on day one, you know, and neither it's Cooper Blaguna be. It took him three, four or five years. It's going to sick Cooper that amount of time. It's probably gonna take aj De Bouncer or whoever that amount of time.
So really you're looking at a window you hope three four, five, six years down the road.
All right, let's hone in on.
Well, we'll just stick with the top two and let's just be hopeful and optimistic and positive that the Jazz don't fall further than two. Now, the Pistons, who are back in the postseason and an interesting case study, but they have Kate, and Kate is really really special. They were the worst team in the league last year. They had the best chance in the number one pick and they fell to five. Now that's the Jazz floor. They
can't fall past five. Here's what I'll ask you for Jazz fans that are really curious, is there one comp for Cooper that you like more than the rest? Like, if it is Cooper Flag, what sort of players should Jazz fans expect.
I don't hate the core. I kind of a like poor Man's peak Kawhi if you will, where like I don't expect him to be that difference making on offense or defense, but I kind of expect him to be such a good all around player that you know, he's a no doubt or star, no doubt or all star every year. You know, kind of maybe in like the Paul George realm of impact. You know, just can do everything right. Like he's at six to eight. He's does
defend really well. He's both on ball and help. He can shoot, he can He's kind of developed a pretty impressive mid range game, got better getting all the way to the rim this year, got better getting fal this year, and then was one of the youngest players in college basketball this year as well, and may have been its best player at eighteen years of age. So look, I
think he is absolutely the real deal. I think you can maybe question, like, hey, you know, does he have number one, uber two, best player in the in the NBA kind of potential, But heck, I wouldn't have thought that about Shay gild As, Alexander or Nikola Yokis. Certainly when they were drafted either. And I do think you have to look at Cooper's rate of development in his career and kind of his work ethic and what everyone says about him as real plus is like this kid
could be really, really great. I think kind of no doubter is as a franchise piece, a franchise superstar, you know, kind of moving forward could absolutely make all the difference.
All right, let's move over to Dylan Dylan Harper, who at the start of the year it was kind of a conversation, well, it was a conversation about whether or not this draft was the Cooper flag draft, and it clearly is. And now it feels like Dylan has moved into the consensus number two. Just kind of same question for jazz fans aren't familiar. Is there a comp out there?
You like?
What sort of player is he?
Yeah, I kind of a James Harden isn't the right comp. You know, he may want to even go further back in the nineties and two thousands for a comp for him, but you're you're looking at like a six five, really talented scoring guard who also makes all the right decisions
on offense. Kind of the most eye popping part of his statistical profile is how he finishes at the rim, where he I believe he was seventy seventy two percent last year on and on shot that the rim, like layups like that is incredibly elite for college competition, would be incredibly elite in the NBA. Just finishes so well around the around the basket, but has the other parts of his game too, you know, can shoot at from the outside again, can pass, can defend well, is is
you know, there aren't a lot of weaknesses. You know, maybe isn't the best athlete in the world, and so that's why you know he's He's not you know, Michael Jordan, Anthony Edwards, so on and so forth, but he's he's a really good, smart player who I think, yeah, probably has kind of again that's kind of level of All star upside with maybe less of a higher stealing than Cooper Flag does, just with the size limitations and you know, kind of output production that he showed in his freshman
year wasn't where Cooper was at an older age too, But just looks like a really good player and even his floor, you know, is kind of a no doubt starter in the league.
I think Andy you truly have a heart of gold for our listeners that will be tuned in tomorrow for four hours in the afternoon.
Do you care to give us a little tease.
Yeah, We've got fellow Beat writer Sarah Todd joining us, so we'll talk some jazz and NBA too. That's always fun. Sarah and I always after we finished writing at the end of jazz games end up talking for like half hour to an hour just in the Jazzes media room about what's going on. So we may do a little bit of that on on the air tomorrow.
We've got Zach.
Harper as well. Used to host a radio show with him here in Salt Lake on this very radio station, so that'll be a cool reunions. We've got Paul Pugmyer golf wise, and I believe we've got one other special extra guest that I'm not announcing yet because I don't think we've booked him yet. But well, we'll have a lot of fun tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it.
Well, thank you, my friend, not just for filling in tomorrow, but for stopping by and dealing with a little banter back and forth. So I have a great show tomorrow. We got to get out and swing your golf club soon. Okay, thanks many Larson will.
Be on the program with that guy.
Order Larson, Is he leaving a guest out that you'd like to throw out there today?
Kyle van Noy? What?
Oh?
Here we go again?
This was Fence is out of town? Is Eric Weddell written Covey stopping by tomorrow? Here we go again.
You just spoke for twenty minutes to the number one running back in program history.
You know what, I realized you booked Zach today to ease the news that you're bringing Van Noy on tomorrow when I'm out of town.
I actually, just to be clear, didn't even book Kyle, and our sales guy, Austin Rich did for a sales tournament.
So you know what, I will be okay, because I'm going to Black Desert to play in Kyle's golf tournament.
Here you can interview Kyle. I'm gonna play in his golf turn.
And we're gonna set you up with Patrick Manning to get your tea times.
Yeah.
Otherwise, yeah, we please send me a cell phone number whenever. Okay, thank you.
I can connect you so tomorrow Porter Larson and Andy Larson, Larson and Larson.
Why didn't that dawn on me until just now? That's really weird.
Funny thing is we have very old like Mormon ancestry back to Central Utah.
Not related, very interesting.
I think if you have LDS lineage, you just keep going back. At some point you're related.
Which coincidentally I asked John Kimball about that yesterday. He and I are not like distant cousins at all. We're actually fairly closely related.
Oh yeah, that sounds about right.
So Porter and Andy tomorrow NFL Draft one hour, fifty five minutes and fifty six seconds away. Special thanks to Zach Moss. You tah great for hopping on. Let's do more draft now. He is a busy man, but he is a good guy. So Michael yam is carving out some time on a Thursday.
Mike, how you doing, man?
Doing awesome? Man. Always appreciate the invite and glad we could make this work.
No, I appreciate it, so I know. I know you're busy, So let's just jump right to it. Is there any intrigue, got one, any at all?
None at all, none at all? And I think, by the way, any of the intrigue that would have been there from a Tennessee perspective got completely squashed after the Colorado pro day when that thing was done and it became abundantly clear that they weren't even going to bring in Sanders for a private workout and they canceled that.
All eyes clearly on cam Ward. Yeah, no, no, no, no intrigue there, And I think barely any intrigue, to be honest with you at two because not that I'm like jumping ahead on the questions that I think you might be asking, but I think Cleveland is probably wrong with Travis Hunter.
Yeah, it feels that's the case that a lot of people are pontificated on the possibility of Cleveland wanting to add should or next to track a Hunter. But before we get to that possibility, why do you think it feels like Shador is falling at one point?
Mike?
Like, like mid season in college football, Shadar was talked about as a Heisman potential and a guy that could be drafted number one overall.
Why do you think he's falling down draft boards?
I couldn't agree with you more in terms of the perception, couldn't agree more on what we saw during the college football season. I remember on a Monday night, I was working with Maurice Jones Drew. We were doing a postgame show after Monday Night football, and I turned to him and I don't even know how we got on the subject of quarterbacks, but you know how it goes. Sometimes in the middle of the season, you start peeking ahead
and in a lot of ways. You know, the Super Bowl is the Super Bowl, but the NFL Draft, let's be real here, man, three days of complete fun and everyone in the entire country who's a football fan is invested for three straight days. So of course in the middle of the season you start thinking about those top guys. And I turned to MJD and I was like, Hey, what do you think about Shador Is he going to
be that first quarterback taking off the board? And it felt like it was a two man race between cam Ore and Sanders And he said, yeah, there's no question he can be in that mix. And I said, well, what do you.
Like about him?
And he said, I like the fact that he knows how to make plays while running for his life, because the reality is whoever drafts him towards the top might not have a great offensive line. It might not have a ton of weapons, but he's clearly a winner. You see the turnaround that see you as made with primes since he took over, and which the door under centered. Now there's playmakers like Travis Hunter that were there. Why he's fallen, I don't entirely know. I think part of
this could be. And this is just speculation, Spence, and you've been around sports your entire life, and you get this. I don't. I think people sometimes say stuff through agents, through media insiders, so that their prerogative is the one that's discussed. And maybe it's a little bit of a
smoke screen. But if you said to me, and I've seen some mocks where it's Shador, you know going you know in the twenties, maybe it's you know, Pittsburgh, Maybe it's another team that's that's in the mix there, I don't see that happen. I think there's such a premium at that spot that I don't think he should or Sanders falls outside of the top ten. I just I don't see that. And I think you're going to see
a team potentially you can move up. Carolina at eight to me is a really intriguing spot because we know that New Orleans might be looking for a quarterback at nine. I think the Panthers and that position in particular could be where you see a trade go down for a team that's looking for a quarterback and maybe it's Sanders.
Outside of the fact that it's just the Jets and they don't do anything correct, why wouldn't the Jets take a look at him?
It's a great call. I think they feel like, if I'm Aaron Glenn and I just take over this team, you got your quarterback in Justin Fields, who, by the way, showed that he can be a really talented starting quarterback any flash now. I know Devil's advocate would say, well, Mike, he lost his starting jobs. Russell Wilson, kudos to Mike Tomlin for being able to pull the stringings on that one,
because I think it's a colonus. If I'm being honest, like the Steelers are playing some good football, I think that the Jets go, you know what, we got QB one and we are deficient in some other needs, Like I still think offensive line is a place that we go and just knowing that it's a defensive minded coach like I wouldn't be shocked to like, you know, guy like Jaylen Walker is available. Just knowing the personality of an Aaron Glenn, I wouldn't be surprised that they went
in that direction. I just think there's too many needs right now for Gangreine to think about a quarterback. And to be fair, I don't know if this group is what we saw last year. You know, I don't think you see six quarterbacks taking A lot of mock drafts on NFL dot Com will show you three, with Jackson Dart being that third guy. I'm under the belief and Spence, I don't know if you feel this way. I think you see four quarterbacks taken. I'm a huge fan of
Jalen Milroe. I think a team trades up to grab him at the end of the first round.
Interesting with Jackson Dart, who played his high school football about twenty miles south of here, I've heard some people surmise that he could be QB two behind cam Ward.
Are you understanding potentially the same thing.
I absolutely think there's a world that exists where that is the case.
Now.
I saw a fair amount of Jackson Dart number one when he was that sc and more specifically a time at all this, which is really where all the hype as centered. Now he's thrown video game numbers up there. He's got an absolute cannon for an arm I remember when I was working for the CW, you know, ole this point matched up against some some ACC squads, so I got a first hand, you know, account to really pay closer attention to a couple of those games. He's
got moxie. There's a little bit of that. I wouldn't use a foul word, but a little you in him, you know, like he doesn't he's not He's gonna. He's gonna make sure that his presence is felt, and I like that in a QB one. I think my hesitation is I've seen quarterbacks put up video game type numbers when Lane Kippin is their offensive coordinator, so I think sometimes those numbers are a little skewed. Now I think
Jackson Dart could go in the first round. I think it could be the second quarterback taken off the board. I candidly would be surprised if that is the case, though I still think it's in my order of cam wardsha Door Sanders, then Jackson Dart, and maybe I'm on the outside of this and the minority. But you know, people have talked about Tyler shuck. I think some of
the injury concerns are a real thing. I think the fact that I think he's like twenty five, maybe even twenty six, the guys like in football college terms, like he's basically like ready to clock social security. Has been playing for so long because of some of these injuries. But he did ball out at the Senior Bowl. I
know there's a ton of buzz about him. I just look at the intangibles and those traits from Jell and Milroe, and I just see so much potential there that it would be I would be hard pressed to pass on him if I needed a quarterback and thought I could take him at the end around number one.
Let me go back to the Browns at two because I find it interesting. And Andrew Berry there GM said we viewed Travis Hunter primarily as a wide receiver and everything. Every time Travis has a chance to talk, he says he wants to play on both sides of the ball. It's one thing to do in college, it's another thing to do in the NFL. But it feels if anybody can it might be this dude. Because he's very unique. How do you think the Browns use him totally?
Totally?
I do think it's on the offensive side, and I won't say it's exclusively. I think most teams would look at him as more of a wide receiver than the dB look in terms of the paychecks and the direction that goes. If I'm Travis Hunter, I'd rather be paid as a wide receiver. But I think you hit the nail on the head like that is a big ass. Now, it was a big ass from prime. The amount of refs that he saw and see you on both sides is truly remarkable. It's my first year Spence to get
a Heisman vote. Had it not been for as you, yeah, it was pretty cool man for it. Had it not been for as unique as season as it was for Travis Hunter, I thought GENTI you know, I really thought long and hard. It was way tougher than I thought. But Travis did things like we just don't really see in college football. Do I think he's got the potential? Yeah, absolutely, you play on both sides. I do get worried about the frame though, and the physical punishment with all those
reps that that might become in his way. I still think if the Browns take them, they're in more of a need of a playmaker and an offensive weapon. That's why I think you see him mostly on the offensive side.
Over to Shador one more time.
You know, I was thinking about this through through the perspective of well, for Shador, I mean, he's Dion's son, so the nil, you know, the monetary factor of nil doesn't necessarily play into whether or not shoudor needs to get a paycheck right away. But there's just there's so much data and so many examples of really talented players landing with the wrong organizations like my Jets.
So if you're Shadoor, I don't know that.
I mean, maybe your ego wants to be a top ten pick, but wouldn't you rather fall later on in the first round just to get to the right organization as opposed to wanting to be drafted highly by a team that might not be a good good spot for you.
I couldn't agree with you more. I think the more you talk to guys who played in the league, they will tell you that where you end up matters in some instances more than anything else. Who's your offensive coordinator, who is your head coach? Are they more on the offensive side, defensive side? All of these factors, who's your play caller situationally? That could make or break an entire career.
And to me, it's that's what it's about. It's there's the ego that's involved with being a high draft pick. I get that, but the fit is the most meaningful thing when it comes to these players. I you know, and this is like a different category spense, but I just you know. I was down in New Orleans back in February for the HBCU Legacy Bowl, and I met a kid who I thought had like this remarkable story.
Actually wrote the piece on him and it's on HBCU game day And sorry to like take that plug, but I only bring this up because the two of us had this conversation. He's a wide receiver who's six four, two twenty and looks like he has the physical tools to play in the NFL. Do I think he gets drafted over the next three days, Like, I don't know
if that's the case. And I said that to him, I go, I don't know if you want to be drafted, because you're not gonna He's not a guy that's going to be you know, a Day one or a Day two player. So if you're a Day three guy, like a sixth round pick, you might be kind of screwed. Man Like, then you're locked in on a team who just saw your trades, maybe don't have a ton about you and and you must might not be a fit
for what that team wants to do. You might be in a much better situation as an undrafted free agent to go and find the coach who sees what you can do. Hell, and I'll take it back to like Veron McKinley, you had a great career at Oregon, who I just talked to you the other week, who's hoping to get an opportunity and invite into a camp. And Verron when he was about to get drafted, like, he
said the same thing to me. He's like, hey, man, like, I might be better off just getting you know, not being drafted, not hearing my name call, and then finding you know, a defensive fit. That that really makes a whole lot of sense for me. And that worked out well for him. He's had some good stops and I think he wants another one. But I think from a shad or standers standpoint, I agree with your assessment one hundred percent.
Before I saw you lose, because I know you got to get to a just quick question. There have been zero trades made, you know, involved first round picks, and the draft is right around the corner. Quiet night ahead, busy night ahead.
What do you think I still look, I think there's going to be trades. Do I think it's chaoff? Absolutely not. I wouldn't be surprised. And you know, I'm a Giants fan. There's something in my mind that says they're either going to trade down, which tells you about the comfort a guy like Joe Shane, their general manager, has. The directive is win right now, which is why I'm not totally
convinced they'll trade out of that third overall pick. I feel like they take Abjuel Carter and he's a monster, and it puts them in a position to keep their jobs. And I think that's why it gets dicey with front office guys and head coaches who are involved in some of these decisions when there's a directive and you feel like you're kind of on a hot seat, like you're looking for duce who can help you right now, maybe not a project or you know, a guy that might
be two years away from really reaching that ceiling. So if that's one of those spots that I'm looking at, and as I made reference to, I think at eight the Panther, I think they could be in a potential spot to move out.
Mike, you are the man. I appreciate the time. We'll set you loose and enjoy. Enjoy what's a really fun few day process.
Okay, yeah, yeah, always appreciate it.
Man.
Enjoy tonight.
The great Mike Eam formerly the PAC twelve network.
That's how we got to know Mike and now he's with our friends at the NFL Network. He is on Twitter at Mike Underscore Yam is where you find him stop spot to day courtesy of our good friends at Burt Brothers. With over thirty years of experience and nearly thirty locations, Burt Brothers, as certified technicians, bring expertise and professionalism to every interaction to one stop shop for reliable repairs and maintenance from tires and alignments to fluids and breaks.
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a Utah favorite for over three decades. Burt Brothers doing it better since day one. We'll take a break from the football and the basketball to do a little soccer. As the head coach over Al saw Lake, Pablo Master joinning a Thursday afternoon.
Pablo, Happy Thursday, Buddy, how are we doing?
Happy Thursday? Bud yourself.
I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. Let's see here, buddy.
All right, So you and I have talked over the past few months, prior to the close of the transfer window yesterday about the potential additions that you guys would make to bolster what I think needs to be bolstered. As far as what you guys are doing in the attack, it's not a secret. You've been very honest about it. So what are your thoughts on what you've been able to do and also maybe more poignantly what you were unable to do now that the transfer window is coming gone.
Yeah, I think the first and foremost is obviously getting someone in with a group that has a track record of scoring goals, you know, And I think we're able to achieve that with Willy. I think he's a player that you know, that has scored uh quite a few goals in limited playing time, So this will be a new kind of position for him where he's actually be leading the front line, you know. I think in Kansas City he was more of a guy that would come
in when needed. So this is a great opportunity for him. But it's great for us as well, because he's a guy that's, you know, last year hit the back of the net ten times, you know, with more playing time with with the team that is creating a lot of chances in front of goal, but hasn't been finishing. You know. I think it's it's it's a it's a great situation for both us and and for Willy to to thrive.
And you know, I expect that we'll sign one more free agent that has uh, you know, yet to be confirmed, and and then you know, and and I feel like these two players, again one is a potential, but bring bring a level of experience to the group and experience doing what we need given that we're relatively young team.
I think the most important thing for for for players is having an experience so that they can learn on the fly, and and and also bolster our communication and the decisions made in those final third areas, which are very tight spaces, and often it takes years to really refine those skills. So I think, you know, we did a good job and and and now we've got to get them up to speed with our group and and keep moving forward.
If I say the name of the player who is potentially on his way into this microphone, are you even allowed to comment on it?
That's a great question. You know, I didn't get with Trey before we talk, but yeah, you know what, the documents might be signed, it might be over the line, but I still think it's a bit premature, just in case. I hate I hate to do that to everyone.
Spence, Okay, fair enough, But after I get.
Off, just just mentioned after I get off, how.
About I just ask you, how about I just ask you this whether or not he's playing for you or you know what, I'm not gonna do that.
I'm not going to put you in a bad spot.
After you get off, I will say the name of the microphone so people know who it is. But you're my guy, so I'm not going to put you in a bad spot. But i will ask you this.
Okay.
So Robert Bosanique, striker who was playing for a Portuguese club. Everybody who I talked to, both with the club and outside of the club, believed that it was sign sealed and delivered, that it was essentially done. And look, as I discussed often and then you and I have discussed this.
I've talked to Kurt about this as well.
Soccer when it comes to dealing with some of these clubs internationally, it is wild the stories you hear about things that actually go down. So can you shed some light on what happened with Bosanique and his club Boa Vista and why this deal did not get across the line?
Yeah? And you know, we've been talking for probably you know, the last month about you know, bringing in player, and I said, there's so many things that have to align in order to get these things over the line, and
this is one of those situations. And this is this was over the top where you know, I think you know, the deal was essentially agreed to and in the eleventh hour literally uh, the players here on the ground great to meet him like an unbelievable young man, and then the stipulations changed from the club that he was coming from. So like there's there's just nothing that you can do. I mean, you just got to sit there and just just laugh at how crazy the world is and go
all right, well, it's not meant to be right. And so I always talk about the universe and things happened as they should, because if they didn't happen, then then then it you know, if it wasn't meant to happen, I guess it wouldn't happen right, things would change. But we did everything on our end to make sure that
we got this thing across and and it didn't. But you know, I think it's a good opportunity as well to you know, be grateful that, you know, Kurt front office ownership was real nimble and we were able to pivot quick and get another great striker and Willie got up. So that's that's the extent of it. It was the eleventh hour, you know, and this is more common than it should be in soccer, especially when dealing with foreign clubs.
But I think in the end we got a great player, a great goalscorer, and also a great person as well.
All right, Pablo, good news here.
I just received a text message from somebody who's tuned into our interview and he has given me full permission to ask you about your second edition.
That is all but done. And his name is Johnny Russell.
Johnny was a good player for Sporting KC for quite some time. He has not been with any club for a few months. I believe he's thirty five years old. So now that we are in the clear, free and clear, let's talk about the second edition. We already discussed Willie and I do want to get back to Willy in a moment, but Johnny Russell across the line now, and he's going to be in addition to what what does he do for your club?
Well one, you know, I think he's been a guy that has been a thorn in our side as far as you know, playing against he's the left of the player that plays off to the right side, and when you have an opposite winger, when you have a left pot and winger on the right side. They can literally go both directions and that makes it very difficult for for an outside back or a defender that's marking him because he can go inside on his left or he can kind of cross his body and go down the
line with his right. And so you always want to overplay the left because you've left footed. Last second he chops you. He's driving to the goal without any kind of pressure right. And so I think the biggest area where we've struggled right there. You know, if you divide the field and three third in thirds, you have to build third, the middle third and the attacking third. Attacking
third is very difficult to break down. And it's where we've had our Biggert struggles to score goals because you have to have you have to have this X factor about you, right, you have to have, you know, the the Andres Gomez factor, which one v onees are critical in matt phase because if you can beat if you can get past your defender in one v one, that means someone else is going to be open because the defense comes over to the ball. So this is what
Johnny Russell brings. He brings an incredible one vwuntability, he scores goals, and the other part too, is he brings a wealth of experience and experience in the locker rooms as a mentor, and not necessarily that he's got to take the guys up to dinner every night. But you don't play till your thirty four thirty five at a good level if you haven't done all the little things right, So that that's really exciting. And again he's been a captain, you know, he's a captain at s CAC for many years.
And I just feel like we need more voices in our locker room, right. I think, like I said, we're a really young group and the voice that I consistently hear is rop right, but he's in the goal. So who's you know, who's going to be that voice of experience, having been there, having done that bring belief to the group. And I think Johnny Russell is a guy that can bring tremendous value to our attacking group, but really to the whole team in the locker room.
Forty goals for Johnny according to what I'm seeing over one hundred and thirteen games for Sporting Case.
So we've got Johnny Russell.
We have williagatta, what is the plan to implement them? What and when can we expect to see them either in the eleven or the eighteen And how does that look with the rest of the group that you already have in place.
Yeah, great question. With Willy again, he's got about ninety plus minutes in these nine games so far, right, so it's it's not a whole lot of minutes. You know, he came, he came in this morning, was able to train with us, you know. And it's pretty bizarre too. You know, yesterday at nin o'clock I get on a zoom call with him and he had no idea.
What was going on.
So he literally finds out yesterday at nine am, nine am this morning training with a whole new team. And I'm like, this is just it's this Azarro world, right, how things happen so quickly. But I think with really it's really just kind of getting him on the field. So the expectation is that, you know, he'll be in the twenty for for for the weekend, and then we'll at some point see the field and then just we're just still getting to know, you know, how much he's done.
He had an injury in preseason that he battled through. So he's again he's not ninety minutes fit. But I want to make sure that I, you know, integrate him into the group as quickly as possible, and if it means starting him the uh you know, the following week and he plays sixty just to get those minutes up. You know, this is a guy that we're going to have to really lean on to take the lion's share of minutes up front. And then Johnny has been you know, after last season, he had a he had a surgery,
uh and hasn't and has been recovering. He's been doing a lot of work on his own, so hasn't had any kind of team training, and you know, just going off experience with training on my own, it's one thing when you're just running to run. It's another thing when you're running and you have someone chasing you and you have to get the balld and you have to do
three or four repetitive sprint actions. So I think with him, if we can finalize the paperwork, I want to bring them with the group of San Diego, probably not in the twenty for this weekend, but but again we'll have to sit down with our with our fitness coach and make sure that we bring them bring them both in a way that we're not so excited about it that we put put them in situations that has long term ratifications as far as getting another injury because we're so
so it's I think it's exciting, it's it's a wonderful thing to have both these guys in with the group. But I think each one of them will have their own individualized plan as to how we integrate them into the group.
Have you spoken with Johnny yet?
Have you given them an idea of how you foresee him fitting in?
Yeah, he came into town last week sometime. I don't even remember what date is anymore, but uh, we had a nice dinner, talked a little bit about expectations, you know, coming into our group, told them a little bit about what our group needs. But again, just really said to him is like when you walk into the locker room, you're with your experience, You're going to get a feel of of of you know, how your voice could be utilized to make our team better. And again just a
real humble down to earth. You know he's got some casts with Scotland. You know he's scored a goal every three games in our league. So like a guy that has everything and and and you know, I think it will take some time to get to a new club. You know, he's been in Casey for quite some time and that transition might be a little bit strange for him. But but again, just just a top notch character, a real humble person, and and just a real quality player.
So I'm really excited to get to know both of these guys and to see how they can, you know, how quickly they can integrate into the group, because I think, you know, now is the time.
Okay, all right, last question here, and you handle this however, You on Pops, and I know that you are a the universe brings you exactly what you need in the moment, and I like that approach.
It's a good way to live life.
But I think from what I read, you're the only team in MLS with one designated player.
And I know best laid plans. Like I said, I get it.
The way I do this job is having experience in front offices. I know the complications, so I understand it. I try to bring that perspective to the show. But I don't feel like they gave you enough. That's just my opinion. Do you feel like your front office did enough to give you the tools you need to have a good year even with a start that hasn't been what we were all hoping.
Yeah, well against Bence. You know, I think every year is going to be different. And you know, there's there's teams that spend a ton of money on players that that are kind of in the same situation that we are. So no two teams operate the same, No two situations are the same. You can get to the same place do with different things. So the way I like to look at it is really assessing the last couple of games, right Nashville and Toronto in particular, and I think we've
made some really good strides. You know, early in the season, we gave up a lot of goals. In these last two games, you know, there's been a few goals, a couple of goals, and you know, from a tactical perspective and a positional play perspective, I think the guys did a really really good job and we were really nabbed by two decisions and you know, one in the ninety minute against Nashville and then one early on against Toronto.
And so when I look at the way we want to play, and I look at like, you know, how we build from the back, how we control the game with our possession, how many shots we take a game, then I'm saying, okay, those three check off right. One was an away game, one was a home game, and I'm going those three were doing a really good job. And the truth is, like, where we're struggling the most over the course of these in eight goals in nine games, is really that that final product and that final piece.
And I feel like when you bring in a striker of Willie's capabilities and you have a guy like Johnny Russell coming in, I think that helps the issue that we have. Now, you know another you know, obviously we wanted a little bit more experience in the back in this window and it just didn't manifest. But I believe that with the you know, the the decisions that we're making in the back that are costing us goals, and some of them by younger players, you've got to learn
from those decisions. And there's got to be this emphasis and this urgency to get over that. And so again we're not I'm not going to change the philosophy of the club. You know, we have to develop our players, and so by adding some experience to our team in the front, how does that affect the experience in the back, And does that bring a bit more belief to the guys in the back knowing that, hey, we have guys that can put the ball in the back of the net, so we can be a little bit play a little
bit more free. So, you know, we'll see how it all shakes out. But I think the moves that we made in this window were exactly the pieces that or the you know, the the tactical pieces that we needed to confront and deal with, and you know, and I think we did that. So, like I said, the integration will be important, and getting these guys on the field and doing their thing, well, we'll hopefully change the whole dynamic of our group.
Okay, so let's move over here.
I honestly in so, I'm watching the match last week on television, and when the play happened in real time, I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, like Diego is standing over that dude. Did he make contact with him? Is he rubbing it in? Is this something that's really egregious? And then the ref pulls read and then I watched the replant.
Go, you have got to be kidding me, like it was that bad.
And so when Trey and John told me that you guys were appealing the red card, my initial reaction was, well, best of luck, because typically Pablo, in any sport, the governing body wants to detect its officials and they go out on a limb and they take it all the way to the point where even something as obvious is
rarely overturned. So give me your thought when that went down, when Diego was shown red and then the process that led to it actually being rescinded and he'll be able to play coming up on Saturday.
Yeah, it was. It was crazy because again we have the camera view on our fence as well, so we can go through it and watch and some backgrounds to it. You know, Diego was trying to get the referee to
speed up the game. You know, they were taking a ton of time on these goalkicks, and so I don't know if that was an influence on whether or not he looked over and just saw Diego pulling his speed out of the guy's legs, but he must have thought it was egregious, right, and so he gives them the red card, and then I think there's an ego play as well. So referees are like every other human being.
You know.
It's when you're standing in front of twenty thousand home fans and everyone's booing you because the decision was wrong, it's hard to go back to the monitor and admit that you were wrong. And so I think that's the
first thing, right. I think the most important thing is the same to be of the game and doing what's best of the game, and the and the same same thing happened in Nashville where there was a red card and uh, there was a red card v a R and the referee didn't call it in real in real time, so when he was summoned to the v R, he looked at it and said, no, it's not a red card.
And then afterwards we get a we get a comment from the league saying that moving forward, the league would like to like to see a red card on that play. So along with what I've been saying about the last two games, there's been two huge moments in games that
have completely affected our agility to get the results. And that's why always talk about good performances, because at the end of the day of these these these margins are so thin, and when the impact is the referee not doing what is by law, the right decision, it's gonna
it's it's it's you're you're fighting uphill battle. So you know, hopefully's a learning experience for the referee, But for us, what I saw was a group of guys that, even with a man down, continued to fight and had some opportunities to maybe nick a you know, nick a goal here or there. So you know, credit to the guys, but you know, too often in the last few games that we've been let down by some officiating, and.
That's where I wanted to go next.
And I'll set you loose in a bit, but look, I've been around this stuff my entire life. You've been around it forever too, and I'm I'm of the belief and maybe this is just me having to believe this way that at some point the calls do even out. And so I'm not one that blames the rest for
this this or blames the rest for that. But I thought Alex Catronas after the match out, you know, he he he, He did a pretty good job of articulating what I perceived to be a string of games where calls, Pablo have directly cost you points, like directly penalty kicks, Okay, Nashville Dallas red card, you know, the red card at home against pe Ol Dallas like, and I could keep going. I feel like there have been five or six really
punitive calls that have cost you points. And when I get issues with officials is when they make calls that directly affect the outcome of games, because then you're affecting livelihoods and there are real things at stake.
So what is fair to.
Say about how hard done you guys have seen to have been as of late with the.
Officials against I'm sorry I cut out, so.
I'll ask a much shorter version of that long, blabbering question. What's fair to say about this string of games over the past five or six where you guys have been on the wrong side of some really egregious calls.
Yeah, no, again, I think it's a part of sport. And like you said, I think you would like to believe that in the longer run, that the calls are going to go our way and and not are calls like favoritism are calls like the calls should be what they what they are, right, and and and again, I think it's really easy for you know, for myself, and and and this is situation where where it's been tough
getting results to really throw it on the referees. And I feel like if I start doing that, then the players start stop doing what they have done well in the last two games, which is played extremely well and just come up short at the end because of because
of the decisions made by others. But but our focus is going to be and again we have another wonderful opportunity this weekend to continue playing in a great way, creating goal scoring opportunities, denying quality chances you know, against us, but come away with victorious if the game is even steven as far as officiating is concerned. So I'm optimistic. I feel like, you know, you know, you can only have so many bad calls before the league starts saying, hey, guys,
do we got to clean this up right? This has got to be a fair playing field. And then keep playing the way we are and then adding you know, two key players to our attack. Uh, you know, I think we're we're we're in a good way.
All right, last thing.
Diego.
San Diego is an expansion side, but they're playing some really really good soccer and you should know, Pobs, I'm going to be there, all right, So little extra added pressure, little extra added pressure.
Your guys going to be in the stand.
So tell me about the challenge on Saturday, and what do you guys need to do to come away as a result.
Yeah, you know, I think you know, one of the things that we experienced when we first played them is we were we were a little bit open defensively trying to get after the ball. They're a very technical team. Again, they they they've got a good deal of experience and real savviness about them when they play and they're looking for a little they're they're looking for defense defenses to jump to, then penetrate centrally and then really go to the house. And they did a really good job of
that against us. So in these last couple of games, we've been really fine tuning our defense. I feel like we have a good setup against them going into the weekend, and and in front of goal we've been sharper as as the week's pass. So, you know, I feel like these guys are these guys are really good. And but like I've been telling the guys last two games, I'd put us up with anyone in the league. And I know that's a crazy thing to say, but that's the
kind of belief I have in this group. Belief I havn't our coaches and the way we've prepared and and I think you're you're you're coming to a great game, Spence, because I think this is a game where, you know, hopefully we break this night and put together a fantastic performance, hopefully without any kind of referee uh uh decision that affects it. You know, we come away with the three points.
If it is tied or you are down at halftime, do I have your permission to break into the locker room and give a rousing speech.
Let's go, Spa, let's get let's get tray on that to get the uh. Make sure you have all the necessary accreditations to get in the locker room. I would love that the players would love to hear your voice there.
I'm sure they would not.
Okay, brother, thanks for the time, travel safe and I'll see you this weekend.
Thanks Bud, appreciate it.
Ablom mash Jouni Ras RSL head coach Rsel makes two additions we can actually say it out loud, Willia Gatta from Sporting k C and Johnny Russell formally from Sporting KC.
He'll be on his way and hopefully we'll see him soon.
It is time the NFL Draft come joy coming up. On the other side, it is the ESPN coverage does not appear to be any intrigue at the top.
Or cam Ward is expected to go number one.
Most people believe Travis Hunter will be off the board to two. And then what do the New York Giants do. There's a lot of intel and odds and Vegas. The Jackson dart Our local product here who played his college excuse me, his high school ball about twenty miles south has moved up to QB two for a lot of people, and should or Sanders is slipping, but only Tom will tell. So let's get out of here. Let's make some space
now for the NFL Draft. It's a big night for you football fans, and we got you covered.
Porter, I'm out.
That's it, it's over. I'm done again. Yeah, I'm done. I'm done at least for tomorrow. So tomorrow, please give Porter and Andy Larson your attention. So before we say good night, Porter in time for the NFL Draft, to what comes our listener's way out of Friday edition of the program.
Yeah, as you mentioned, Andy Larson and I will be out at Tim Dally Dealership out of one oh seventh South. So wait way Outie House and Sandy come say hi and say what's up. Zach Harper, we'll stop by to talk some NBA. Sarah Todd will stop by to talk some Utah jazz, Paul Pugmeyer with our PGA Tour leaderboard update,
Kyle van Noy to talk some NFL drafts. So really, between the NBA playoffs, Jazz offseason, and the NFL Draft, we're gonna be pretty full on a Friday, but we'll save some space to talk some golf, talk a little soccer, and uh some offseason college hoops and whatnot from there as well.
There we go, fun time a year, Porter and Andy have you covered tomorrow. I'll be back on Monday for a Monday edition of the show. Special thank you today to Zach Moss, to Dave check Its, Dandy Larson, Mike Ham and Pablo Master joining for any of the sound you may have missed from the program today. Check out the website. It's ESPN seven hundred sports dot com. Make sure to download our mobile app and take us on the go. Then check out our podcast page, which is
called The Drive with Spence. Check its available wherever you get your show. Subscribe, rate reviews, Sanda sings in the comments. Give us all the stars for Porter. I'm Spence saying tonight, get Porter and Andy your attention tomorrow and I'll talk to you guys on Monday.
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