Wednesday, July 9, Hour 1

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on
Fox Sports fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services Insure
your most prized possessions.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Thank good afternoon, everybody.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
Welcome to your Eye on the ball here on Fox
Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, and today with me
is Eric Rhodes from the Snoop dogg Irresonable.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hey, Steve, how are you doing?

Speaker 4 (00:26):
I'm back?

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Thank you, thanks, thanks for coming by. You know, hey,
different bases, different voices. Got ready with us. Yep, we'll
have a martini. Serves up a good one.

Speaker 5 (00:37):
I don't what did you? Uh my better than half?
We have we have a plane. We start with martini.
She's like, slightly dirty. I get mine pretty dirty, a
lot of olive juice, yikes. And then I move on
to an old fashion and she goes to wine.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
We have. We have a routine. It's a good way
to do it.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Okay, you say that because if you want to have
a good drink, I guess go to uh King Fisher.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, real back on tuesdays. Take care of us. Yeah,
he's always good.

Speaker 6 (01:03):
Cool.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Thank you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Hey, thanks for joining us. What the hell's going on
in a good way. I'm sure it's great because I'm
sure you're busy. You're only what five months away? Yeah,
five months away from from your next game.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Yeah, man, it got here quick.

Speaker 5 (01:16):
You know. We'll just sure we'll talk about today a
lot of the media day, especially the Big twelve, you know,
big deal here in Tucson. I travel over the next
two weeks. I'll go to the Mountain West next week.
I'll be in Las Vegas with them, and then the
following week at Ford Field in Detroit with the Mid
American Conference, our two conference partners for this year.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
That cycle will end this year is what do you
do there?

Speaker 5 (01:38):
I represent the ball So most of the bull partners go,
we meet with the head coaches, the athletic directors. There's
certainly a lot to talk about in college football.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
And the changes.

Speaker 5 (01:47):
So you know, it's a it's a lot of jockeying
and positioning, and you know, I mean, we're all in
the middle of negotiating what's next, what the next relationship
looks like. So you know, Kim at Air has been
meeting with ton of people for months and months and months,
if not a year now, working on the next cycle,
which would begin in twenty six after this game.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
So I'm assuming that the players, so I won't say
kids that players had a fantastic time given all the
hoopla that came with a Snoop Dogg, but also the
trinkets in the in the fanfare and all that stuff.

Speaker 5 (02:21):
Yeah, I mean, we pride ourselves on on putting on
a top shelf experience, and it's one of the things
that's really gotten us to where we are with the
ability to have a Snoop Dogg barstool. Before that is
that that's wag bag man. That's that's a big deal.
That's cool stuff. The boys love it. So we always
finish in the top ten. You know, Sports Business Journal
writes a little article. We always try to be in

(02:42):
that top ten of bowl games. Yeah, and we got
a new couple this year that we think would be
a big deal and we're excited about so stuff. One
of the there's a lot of fun things about my job.
One of the really fun things is getting to sit
in meetings and talk about what bag should we get or.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
You know, what do you think this college kid would like?

Speaker 5 (03:00):
How much money can we spend on headphones or sunglasses
or whatever is your cap there is, Yeah, what is there?

Speaker 2 (03:06):
Like, I think it's five fifty right now? Really five
fifty per player?

Speaker 3 (03:09):
Oh man, so you can put as much five one
hundred and fifty dollars whatever.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (03:13):
So like a couple of years ago when when PlayStation
was the Fiesta Bowl, Yeah, every guy got a PlayStation,
but that took up most of that.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
So it's whether it's your bowl or anybody bull it's
five fifty five fifty. Yeah, it's supposed to be normal now.
Just like everything else, there's wink.

Speaker 5 (03:28):
Wink, there's there's some loopholes where you know, there's stuff
waiting on their bus or at their hotel room that's
not part of our official bag.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
You know already.

Speaker 5 (03:43):
I mean, we don't do it here, but I've heard
maybe other nobody.

Speaker 3 (03:47):
I just read something now from today's press conferences that
you will replay here about Pig twelve. The Dion wants
a salary cap right, salary cap on.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Oh, his son's gone.

Speaker 5 (03:58):
All the kids we did retail this amazing timing that
Shador and Travis are gone.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
And he's like, we're paying kids too much money. I mean, whoa, whoa,
Yeah don't.

Speaker 3 (04:12):
So okay, okay, So we knew how it was before
all the payments. Let's assume for a second that they
do go to a cellar cap. You mean to tell
me it won't go back to how it used to be,
where they get paid X amount of money and then oh,
here's the bag of Chick fil a.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
You might find some beginning.

Speaker 5 (04:29):
Yeah weird, Yeah, I mean they just show up at
these you know, in today's world, it's a little different,
just because of all the technology that exists today. Of
you know, if a kid is at Chick fil A,
someone's taking a picture of it. You know, Like, let's
just say our local celebrities, Arizona basketball players, Arison football
softball players, Like they show up and like people know

(04:49):
who they are, and some kids wants a picture.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
They're taking a picture. So maybe that's a little harder beout.

Speaker 5 (04:54):
Look, man, if people want to cheat, they're gonna find
a way. Like it's it's I do not I think
salar caps a good idea, you know, the new rep share,
I think, will we'll do some good things in the sports, sure,
And when I say good things, that's relative to the
bad place that's at right now.

Speaker 3 (05:11):
I don't know if it'll ever find a good, really
good place, because what's equal to everybody, you know, once
people do in Alabama to Arizona to whatever.

Speaker 5 (05:19):
I mean, you look at the deal Texas, Texas gave
their alignment. I mean, good gracious, that's Texas money. I mean,
you can't find that in Idaho. I mean, Pois State's
one of our conference partners and it's a phenomenal school.
But I mean they have a finite number of Troil
billionaires who are willing to or even like at Utah
and Salt Lake where they gave every player a truck truck,

(05:41):
right and right, I mean yeah, men and women, yeah,
and so I mean it's I don't think they're doing that.
And Logan utaught Utah State like they No, I'm saying,
I don't think like when you just talk about the
have and the have not, so like Utah State has
a really nice athletic tradition, a good program, good you know,
Greg Canson would be all over telling you all about

(06:02):
the beauties of Logan, but but it's it's not the
same as the Salt Lake compete in provo. Now, I
mean with the money they're thrown at that program, things changed.

Speaker 3 (06:12):
But they kind of remained the same because the haves
and the have nots are still the same.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (06:17):
I mean we'll talk about it further today, but I
mean winning cures a lot of ills. We'll talk about,
you know, our team here in Tucson, and then we'll
talk about that the team up up the road a
little bit, and where they both sit, and then they
both earned their spots respectively and they both so I mean,
you done that good and bad.

Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yeah, but you well you went to Ube, right, it
did not You didn't. You went to Mid Mid America.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
So yeah, it was.

Speaker 3 (06:40):
Tennessee, Tennessee. Okay, Tennessee. You coached here kind of in
a in a club sport. Yeah, but you saw the
athletic department. You saw it's it's uh, in the Pac twelve.
I'll just go to the back twelve because I think
it's better in the Big twelve in in how it's
positions itself. Then it's middle of the Pac twelve where
it was for a long time. Not everything, but maybe

(07:03):
basketball and softball for a long time.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
Big twelve.

Speaker 3 (07:07):
I think they're higher up on football, basketball, baseball, football.
We'll soon see, but it's hard to move up from there.

Speaker 5 (07:15):
Oh you mean you look at Let's just look at
the College World Series that just happened. And you know
the Murray State story, right, and everybody all that picture
circulated of the coach who cuts the grass, which he
came out He's like, I don't.

Speaker 2 (07:26):
Cut the grass.

Speaker 5 (07:28):
You know, that was just you know, but yeah, I
mean it's he it's eight hundred and the guy resigned
there because he loves where he's at.

Speaker 2 (07:35):
But you're going, you're gonna tell me.

Speaker 5 (07:38):
It's one of the things I actually love about the
College World Series is like double elimination gives people a chance.
There's no flukes. In double elimination, you've got to beat
the better team twice.

Speaker 3 (07:48):
Like, well, yeah, there's no flukes. But they had a
lot of fun stories. Yeah that you mentioned here, the
one that made it to the finals. Out Carolina Coachal Carolina,
thank you. I mean you have those underdogs.

Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (08:03):
And what's funny about Coastal is you know they beat
Arizona in twenty sixteen and they were a top their
top sixteen seed. They were a thirteen seed and their
coach would not stop harping on the We're not a
Cinderella story.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
We're like, who thinks you're a.

Speaker 5 (08:14):
Cinderell story, you're a national seed, like you hosted two rounds,
but you gotta create your own narrative. Yeah, I mean
they really try. But I mean to your point in
a circle, it all back. It's it's different but the same, right,
you know, you're the top is gonna be the top
and they're gonna have more sure and the bottom is
gonna be the bottom, and they're gonna they may work

(08:35):
a little harder, and there's gonna be a team that
doesn't belong in the top that's gonna finish up.

Speaker 3 (08:39):
And historically, at least in my time, and you've been
around a little less than me, but you've been around
Arizona thrives and being the underdog.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
Oh yeah, it thrives. They're better off being the underdog. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (08:50):
I actually, you know, going back to Colts World Series,
like I loved where the baseball team was and everybody's like, oh,
well now they're playing Coastal, Now they're playing that Carolina.
I was like, yeah, yeah, it's house money. Yeah, like,
oh yeah, I mean we've seen it for years at McHale.
We've seen the underdog effect for decades at McHale. Of
teams coming in and way overperforming and way overachieving, and

(09:15):
there is something absolutely to be said when you can
play loose.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
Well, look at it is. Look how they play loose,
and look how they played tight. Yeah, I mean, come on,
ninety seven was the perfect example. They were playing on
house money, Yeah, and hated being the underdog, so they
proved it ninety eight, which was totally opposite. They didn't
farewell as the favorite.

Speaker 5 (09:34):
Yeah, I mean, and that's there's there's a lot of
history to that.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yeah, more more.

Speaker 3 (09:38):
Yeah, if people were to witness it or go back
and do a case study. I mean, if you go
back to school, there's your thesis and you can start
it at eighty six when they lost you tip at home.
You can start it in ninety two, East Tennessee stateeteen
ninety four, ninety three, Forth Carolina Santa Clara.

Speaker 2 (09:57):
Every time. Yeah, I mean, expectation is heavy.

Speaker 5 (10:00):
We saw it, no question, every Pac twelve Pack ten
basketball ternament, every year where Arizona had locked up a
high seat, and there was teams who didn't want to
be there, playing for their life and who didn't want
to be there, and they'd get upset more times than not.

Speaker 3 (10:13):
Like yeah, so, but that's just the way they said
there was one has its place in the middle.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
I think it's better off in the Big twelve because.

Speaker 3 (10:20):
They have a better chance of winning the Big twelve
than they did winning the well packed twelve.

Speaker 5 (10:24):
And you know this because you've traveled a lot to
a lot of these facilities as I have. I think
that's the biggest difference, is the bottom of the big
twelves athletic facilities.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah still really nice. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah sure great.

Speaker 5 (10:36):
Great baseball stadium is great, softball facility is greatlleyball well attended,
well attended, like, And that's the difference in some of
those pack schools we'd go to and you'd sit in
a gym with.

Speaker 2 (10:45):
A couple hundred people and then gave silver.

Speaker 5 (10:48):
Yeah, And so you go on the road and you'd
be like, are people coming to this thing? I shave
my legs for this, you know, back in the like
like the one I always think of is Washington State.

Speaker 2 (10:59):
Oh yeah, yeah, you know.

Speaker 5 (11:00):
I mean you go to the police and you go
to that gym and it's like, well those starts in
fifteen minutes, right, those.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
Were the games.

Speaker 3 (11:06):
There was one specifically, there was maybe five hundred. It
was snowy up start obviously. Yeah, and there was one
that got beat. Some dude that you've never heard of,
goes for twenty eight.

Speaker 2 (11:15):
Yeah and get beat because there's nobody in the arena.

Speaker 5 (11:17):
Yeah, I mean it's hard to get up and playing
those games. When he used to play in front of
fifteen thousand, playing in an empty gym. You saw it
in COVID when the NBA guys like you saw teams
make runs when they were playing in that bubble. There's
guys who came out of nowhere who dropped thirty a game.

Speaker 2 (11:33):
Yeah, because they weren't. It was a bull mule block effect.
Remember that. You remember that?

Speaker 7 (11:37):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah, yeah, well you Buck the guy who walked on
him from Texas.

Speaker 2 (11:42):
No one knew who he was. You had like thirty
in the Red Blue game. Oh who's this dude?

Speaker 5 (11:47):
This is not recruit. You never saw him again? Yeah,
I think it was number sixteen. He was like five
ten buck eighty, soaking wet, holding the rock.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
For that one day. Yeah, he had.

Speaker 5 (12:02):
Yeah, who was it? You'll remember this and I can't
remember who it is. It's John ash esque, somebody back
like in the Chris Rogers era. It was middle of
the year, in an important game got to start. It
was like the tenth or eleventh guy in.

Speaker 3 (12:18):
The bad uh arenas Anus Uh, one of the I
know exactly what youre talking about.

Speaker 5 (12:27):
Yeah, yeah, And it was like out of nowhere and
all of a sudden, this kid was in the starting
lineup and everybody.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
Was like Gilbert what.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
Well, I think it's may have been the time when
Gilbert Uh was late to a practice and oh and
uh you put him in. God, he's a bank he
was a banker and near in my house. I know
exactly the story now, it's just he has a weird name.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, yeah, it's unique. So I didn't want to say
it wrong, but.

Speaker 5 (12:47):
Yeah, I kind of like, I remember the story came
out that morning and I kind of thought this is
going to be a joke, right because he was like
number ten on the ten or eleven and all of
a sudden he's in the lineup, like and an important game.
It was like you say or something like that. Somebody
will text me in with that. Yeah, but yeah, I
mean that stuff happens. Yeah, yeah, I mean it's the
beauty sport, right, and you gotta do what you gotta

(13:08):
do to fight your guys up. But I think the
Big Twelve it was a great move for Arizona. I
think what's going to happen. There's across the board. You've
seen it already, the Big Twelve Baseball tournament, the Big
Tall Softball tournament. I mean, Arizona Softball is, you know,
absolutely a blue bud and they're going up against Texas Tech,
who also got the million dollar arm and you know

(13:29):
that girl is trying to throw them to a national championship.
And you're playing against the best in conference. Yeah exactly.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
Oh we had the guy yes week talking about that
they're one pitch away from winning the thing.

Speaker 5 (13:39):
Yeah, I mean, and it's so I think from that
level the competition across the board. We saw in basketball,
both men's and women's, like, there's no easy games. There's
not your cows, there's not your like. I mean, there's
there's no just chalk it up and get a w here.
So let's gonna kind of set the scene here. We're
gonna go to break.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
Here with and come back with Javio Morales, who sat
through some of the things this morning with the Big
Twelve conferences press conferences, come back and talk more about that.
We'll listen to to coach Bennan's press conference.

Speaker 2 (14:10):
One of them. Yeah, some interesting stuff there.

Speaker 3 (14:12):
We'll talk about it after that, and then breaking news
at top the hour, yep, and then at four to
seventeen we're gonna have hold Raubino from Devil's I just
talked about the issue side, given that, you know, last year,
no one thought and now this year they're They're there,
the darlings, right yeah, let's see how they hangle the pressure,
right yeah, Okay, So that's what we have here, and
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Experts breaking down all the xs at ohs. This is
I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Box Sports
fourteen fifty.

Speaker 4 (19:42):
Y.

Speaker 3 (19:42):
Welcome back too on the ball here on plot Sports
fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera and today is Eric Rhoads
from the Snoop dogg Arisonable And now on the phone,
we have of your morales from all sports TUSUN dot com.

Speaker 14 (19:53):
How how you doing good? How are you guys doing good?

Speaker 2 (19:57):
Good? Thank you? Hey?

Speaker 3 (19:58):
Did you spend a few hours of your day without
nothing better to do?

Speaker 2 (20:02):
Right? But listen to the Big twelve?

Speaker 15 (20:05):
Not right now during the summer in Tucson, No, not
much more to do. But yeah, I was watching the
TV slipped between ESPN U and and uh.

Speaker 14 (20:15):
ESPN Plus and uh.

Speaker 15 (20:17):
You know, listening in on on the on some of
the serious XM stuff. So yeah, I just trying to
get an idea of what what's being said about Arizona,
what Arizona's saying.

Speaker 3 (20:27):
Did anything Did anything strike you from Brennan's uh first,
you know, hello Brennan, we're looking forward to this season.

Speaker 2 (20:35):
Ye, anything strike you from that?

Speaker 15 (20:38):
I think because you you were around him a lot
more last year. I think you could sense probably when
you saw he was a little bit more direct with
his comments, more to the point, more more frank Uh.
It didn't seem like the O Gaully nice kind of
guy Brent Brandnan we saw last year. It's more of
like he's more in in control now. He's more he

(21:02):
understands what what's going on within the program.

Speaker 14 (21:05):
No more with the players that are returning.

Speaker 15 (21:07):
That have decided to stick with them for two years.
So there's a more of a loyalty based relationship now
with the players. And you can sense that with his
comment saying that guys who are tough and who are
committed have stayed with him. So and then he you know,
he does use the A word.

Speaker 14 (21:27):
You know he did that last year.

Speaker 15 (21:29):
And he says now that he doesn't he doesn't feel
like he doesn't have to kiss anybody.

Speaker 2 (21:33):
You know what we have heard.

Speaker 3 (21:36):
And I looked at Ray who played it, I think
because we're gonna play it later, and I said, that's
exactly right, exactly right, And.

Speaker 15 (21:45):
That's what Arizona needs. That they needed that for him
last year. But he was in a different spot because
the players kind of held the card last year because
they a lot of them returned. They they come coming
off a great season, and his power wasn't as as
much as what they held. Yeah, you know, it's not
it's not a power pool or power struggle. It's just

(22:06):
that the way he's uh, he's you know, perceived or
or welcomed in the program. It wasn't probably the point
that any coach who want because of the way the
players you know, held the cards, so to speak. Yeah,
but now now it's more in mine because now he
knows these are the guys who wanted to stay here
and want to be with him and so forth.

Speaker 5 (22:28):
Hey Javier Eric here, Yeah, good to see you or
hear you. I guess not see you, Steven. You and
I have been around a lot of new coaches, a
lot of media days. I always found there was one
thing that like peaked my eyebrows and I was like, huh, okay,
or we'll see what did you see? Did Brent say
anything today where that kind of caught your interests? Like, oh,
all right, well we'll see.

Speaker 15 (22:50):
Well the comment that he made about Fafita being in
December that people not only in the Big twelve and
nationally are gonna are gonna be talking about him because
of the way he delivers the ball and how clean
cities that he's got to clean, the cleanest throw that
he's never seen. So that kind of was one of
those comments where like, oh, okay, like the nation is

(23:12):
going to be noticing uh Fafeeda in December, and you
know what games are in December, right, that's past the
regular season, so uh you know, of course you gets
to think that way that that Arizona season will go
beyond but what it's scheduled for.

Speaker 14 (23:29):
But I thought that was kind of interesting.

Speaker 15 (23:31):
And I think it's it's based on his confidence with
Daggy working with the Feeda because they first of all,
they work so well together off the field, and that
that's huge that people don't realize how big that is.
And and I think that that's kind of parlay out
of the field with with some of the players that
they have.

Speaker 3 (23:51):
So so this is to your point and and and
then have you brought this up a bit because we
listened to the first part of Rendon's press conference and
they asked him, you know, what do you think about
about Noah taking a step back?

Speaker 2 (24:05):
Last year?

Speaker 3 (24:06):
He had the t mac. You know, blah blah blah,
how did that happen? Says Well, Brennan says this, It
wasn't about Noah taking a seatback?

Speaker 2 (24:15):
Was it was?

Speaker 3 (24:15):
You can blame that on me because the offense was
what it was, right, And he's right, this was not
about Noah, although he was a function of the of
the of the boring offense, whether maybe he wasn't as
fully capable of doing whatever, but there's no question this
was not on him. Yeah, sorry, go ahead, go ahead.

Speaker 5 (24:37):
I was going to say to that point, we saw
a little bit of that even the year before, even
you know, Oklahoma had four or five sacks in that
Alible Bowl and everybody only wants to remember the touchdowns
come back, but like Fafita's taken some licks his whole
time at that spot. I think, Javier, what I'd be
interested in your opinion on in hearing after today is
what gives Brennan that confidence. What'd you hear today that

(24:59):
that give Zack ground for that confidence that we're going
to see a different product.

Speaker 15 (25:05):
I think, just the way the offense is going to run,
and you know, no pun intended. He did make more
than one time a comment about the running game, how
much he wants that to be more of a factor.
They ranked one twenty out of one thirty four FBS
teams last year and runs running rushing yards per game.
That's that's that's not good, especially when you want, when

(25:27):
you want to have a quarterback like for Fee to
operate and operate freely.

Speaker 2 (25:31):
He didn't.

Speaker 15 (25:32):
He didn't have that opportunity. A lot of it was
a problem on the offensive line with injuries and people
not being I eligible and so forth. So I think
that that really was a factor. And I think his
comments today kind of gave us an insight oft how
he felt last year to a degree with you know,

(25:52):
you know, Babers being the offense corner because that's his
old friend, oh former, you have a staff member that
he work with. But there wasn't a chemistry there that
that he wanted and he had to live the whole
season with it. And and I think I think some
of the comments today kind of you can feel that

(26:14):
that he was kind of, you know, tied up in
a corner. And now he has Daggy who runs a
wide open offense who wants to run the ball, which will.

Speaker 14 (26:24):
Help out the passing game.

Speaker 15 (26:25):
So I think he fills that because of that reason.

Speaker 3 (26:27):
Well he did mention that, and I think another question
was what are the changes or how the changes think
maybe even Justin asked him the question, and he says, well,
it's a change of coaching staff and more confident. To
your point, the first one where is he feels totally
in ingratiated into the program. Now uh you know said
I'm not have to kiss anybody's ass. He just blah
blah blah. So he just feels more comfortable.

Speaker 2 (26:49):
To your point.

Speaker 3 (26:50):
But you know, also last year, I thought them losing
the running back, you, yeah, was was huge because we
all know that he's a quality back and that kind
of threw something a wrench into the whole system where
we would have had a better running game and then
maybe the passing game would have been better.

Speaker 2 (27:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (27:07):
I mean that kid's on a practice squad in the
NFL right now. Yeah, no, no, exactly. Yeah, obviously he
can he can play football, So yeah, he takes one thing. Yeah,
one of the the slack I thought Brendan never got
last year, and I'm really interested to see this year
is to that point, like the folks that are available
in February when all of that happened, that are ready
to move and you have even the finances to make

(27:30):
moves with other to take them out of their current contracts.

Speaker 2 (27:33):
Is good.

Speaker 5 (27:34):
What I'm excited about to see. And maybe he mentioned
this hoavier and you can tell us is there's no
tape on Arizona's offense right now, right like I mean,
you can go back to the last couple of years
and go all right, this is Jedfish's style or this
is you know, they run this style offense like Daggy
is all over the place. So and there's some new weapons.
You know, I really am high in that why song

(27:55):
that the kid from New Mexico right, like to give
Noah more than just that whole one field down option.
Plus you know, if you add gosh, four or five yards,
this is you know, I mentioned folds earlier. What that
team did so well was get three to five yards
on first down. You got three or four yards on
first down. It just makes the game. So well, here's

(28:16):
the whole thing.

Speaker 3 (28:17):
We don't know what to expect right from anybody, You
don't honestly, like.

Speaker 15 (28:25):
Like like Kerry was saying, that's a good thing. You know,
you don't know what to expect now from Arizona. You
knew what to expect as the season went on last year,
and that's why they really got into a rut and
it wasn't fun. The best football is played when you're
having fun. And look at look a who you guy?
You got DAGGI got Salavea. He's got some young, some young,
you know, invigorating guys who are going to really liven

(28:47):
up that that coaching room and in the locker room.
I think that's gonna pay some dividends. Of course, we
don't know, like you said, we don't know. This is
a lot of toxics. Is talking season, so we don't
know if all if this parlay and when.

Speaker 2 (29:01):
Yeah, what is July night?

Speaker 5 (29:06):
Sure we'll talk about this more later, I'm sure, But
like at this point last year, a su was picked
dead last in the Big twelve. So you know, all
of us is media quote on Twitter experts. I'm sure
all of our significant significant others can tell you how
often we're wrong.

Speaker 3 (29:21):
No leave the door open, no, no better clothes, no, no,
leave the door, no, no cold.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
We know there's no such thing as experts. We'll see,
we'll see.

Speaker 5 (29:30):
I've here like one thing I've loved about Brendan and
I'd be interested to see if you felt this even
just watching today, is I think, and I think coach
Dillingham up in Tempe does an amazing job of this.
Looking like you're excited to be where you are and
giving your fans the feel that you're excited.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
Goes a long way. Did you feel that today?

Speaker 15 (29:52):
I felt it, you know, And I'm not just saying
it because I've fallt Arizona for a long time.

Speaker 14 (29:58):
I've salted in his voice. And then it's the way
he answered questions.

Speaker 15 (30:02):
I felt like like he's determined to see this thing through.
He's more in command. You got, you got that feeling
that he's more in control of things. And he wants players,
like he said a number of numerous times, he wants
players that believe in the system and the and the program.

(30:24):
And I think he feels like he has that now,
and I think that's a big, big thing. Uh, you know,
we'll see, we'll see how it develops. But I think
it's at a point right now where it's where it's
really good. And I think he feels that way. He
could he could just tell by the way he was
talking to the media. Uh, you know, last year we
he was he had a you know, he's always has

(30:46):
an aeron to optimism about him.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
But we did.

Speaker 15 (30:49):
But he was kind of like he didn't know, he
didn't know what to what to expect. Now he knows
more and what to expect.

Speaker 3 (30:55):
Just kind of want to bring this analogy. I mean,
because it's never been a part of my life. Have
you been stepdad? Your stepdad? So to me, he kind
of filled in the stepdad role, came in with fifty guys, right,
and and you know, I could be wrong because I've
never been a step down. I'm just assuming that you
go in and you meet your girlfriend's kids or your
wife's kids, and you're not my dad. You're not my dad.

(31:17):
How can you tell me to go to bit at ten?
I'm not gonna listen to you. I don't you know.
I'm gonna hold my breath. I'm gonna tell mom I
didn't come. Yeah, well you see I've heard that before.
But you know what I'm saying. So that so the
dad or the or the boyfriend, your hands are handcuffed
and you.

Speaker 2 (31:31):
Got to be nice.

Speaker 3 (31:32):
Well, you know, if I get you this popsicle will
you do this for me? You know you almost his
voice today gave me that. I don't know if you
thought that.

Speaker 15 (31:41):
Yeah, like I said, you were around him a lot
more than I was last year, and I'm sure you
felt you you picked up on that. And you know,
being in education, I think of like substitute teacher or
a teacher who replaces them the main teacher. You know,
the kids aren't as inclined to follow.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
The lead, so the speech.

Speaker 15 (32:00):
So I think I think now he's established that more
in that relationship which is so huge, and you know,
now it's basically on him if they don't have the
kind of season that we think they can have at
least of you know, six win season. Then it gets
to another So.

Speaker 3 (32:18):
Last question to both of you guys. Okay, so everything's
hunky dory July ninth, no losses, no wins, and everybody's happy.
If he goes five and seven, is he the coach
next year? If you go seven and five.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
How is that? Javier? What do you say?

Speaker 5 (32:36):
You've been around this a long time, my friend.

Speaker 15 (32:40):
I think if the ad that hired him was still
here and he went five and seven, I think you
would get another shot. If since it's a different ads
who wants results. I don't think I personally, I don't
think that five and seven will be good enough because
as you go, as you go on and you had
the losses that up, it affects a tenance, it affects morale,

(33:02):
and I think at seven and five you have more
wins and losses and you see a positive trend, a
winning trend. Even six and six I think would be okay.
Anything less than six wins, I think it'd be pretty
tough for Brennan.

Speaker 5 (33:20):
That's the mark I've been saying, which all summer is
six and six. I think, I think, I think the
expectations for this team should be make a bowl game,
get six wins, because we're not in the Pac twelve anymore.
Big twelve is good football every weekend, and so it's
not like all of a sudden you're like, oh, I've
got three more wins.

Speaker 2 (33:37):
Sure, and maybe they do.

Speaker 5 (33:40):
Maybe, I mean, we've all seen it now BYU is
all of a sudden in this really transitional phase with
their stud quarterback who's not going to be there anymore.
Maybe there's a couple more wins, but finding three wins
in the Big twelve is a challenge.

Speaker 3 (33:55):
We went through it yesterday, just hypothetically, and we went
seven to five. Yeah, with a regal room of one
or you, because it could be six and six.

Speaker 5 (34:02):
So my I think six and six and I think
if you make a bowl game, that should be and
I think from two Javier's point from the athletic administrative
expectations too. That gives you a bowl game to talk about,
gives you some recruiting momentum. You know, it's it's just
it leaves you on a high note that you're in
the postseason.

Speaker 2 (34:21):
Get a hold of get a hold of desro right now.
Thanks tober.

Speaker 14 (34:28):
Thanks, thanks guys.

Speaker 2 (34:29):
Take care. Yeah, we'll see. I mean we'll see.

Speaker 4 (34:33):
I think if it's five and seven, but two losses
are really close.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
Yeah, well yesterday you were like the optimist in the room.
We were both okay, dis proof of that.

Speaker 3 (34:42):
I don't want to hear it, Yeah, but I don't.
So I think it's seven is five realistic and we
went through it, right. Yeah, there's a couple of IFY games,
but they can go good ify or bad if in
a five and seven way or seven.

Speaker 5 (34:55):
Yeah, I mean even last year there was games that
I mean, I'm a season ticket. Alergo to every game
we were in the third quarter, even the beginning of
the fourth quarter, and maybe the final score didn't show it,
but like in Texas not even playing well, you're like, man,
I think we could have should have won that game.

Speaker 3 (35:10):
Well and that was like the beginning of the end.
I mean they won that, things would have been different.

Speaker 5 (35:15):
Yeah, And so I think the challenge is is listen.
I mean, and and Javier touched on it. Salavea is huge,
like getting Noah, listen, like, let's all just call it
what it is. He's not a big guy. Like he runs,
but he doesn't run well like and he runs well.
He's way and they more than I. Yeah, like that's

(35:36):
not that's not his game. No, No, I don't want
him to get hurt. I mean, you got it. They
and you you had to and they did find him
some beef. Like he's a he's such a good cerebral quarterback.
If you give him time, he'll make the right throw.
He just had to make so many decisions, running backwards
and running sideways and rolling out. It just was so difficult.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
From Eric's mouth to God's ears, listen to some of
Brennan's not press conference stuff, but off like yeah, panel,
because he was pretty insightful. If you're an Arizona men's
basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly forty years.

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Speaker 1 (40:03):
Steve Rivera, He's got his eye on the ball on
Tucson's sports station, Fox Sports fourteen fifty.

Speaker 3 (40:13):
Hey, welcome back to Wy on the Ball here on
Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera and with me
today is Eric Rhodes. Now we have Ray on the
controls and now we're going to listen to some Brent
Brennan from Frisco texts.

Speaker 16 (40:26):
Brennan, year two is head coach and two son. He's
got one of the most electrifying quarterbacks in the conference.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
Maybe in the country.

Speaker 16 (40:34):
No fafida, He returns, as is Brett Brennan, who has
kind of up to join us here on set. Year
two coach.

Speaker 2 (40:39):
Great seeing you, great talking to you.

Speaker 16 (40:41):
We saw you at dinner last night, so we knew we'd.

Speaker 22 (40:43):
Be evan some fun with you today.

Speaker 16 (40:45):
How's your twenty four hours beenner? So our twelve hours
been so far in Frisco.

Speaker 2 (40:48):
It's been great. Yeah, we've been.

Speaker 4 (40:50):
It's been a great job, great facility. I think the
ease of like moving through the hotel and getting everybody
through and all the players and coaches and getting to
meet all the media.

Speaker 2 (40:57):
It's been awesome.

Speaker 16 (40:58):
I've always entertained to talk to second year head coaches
because I find so much changes between year one and
year two. So from that perspective, as we sit here today,
how much has changed since you've taken the job in
year one?

Speaker 2 (41:09):
In year two, I mean, I think it's night and day.

Speaker 4 (41:11):
I mean I really think is I'm looking at it.
One of the challenges when we first got there is
right the portal created by Jeed's departure, So you have
like a thirty day portal there, then you're getting ready
for spring practice, and then you've got another portal at
the end of spring practice. And so like I felt
like we spent the first you know, six months on
the job like kissing everyone's ass asking them to stay. Yeah,
and it was like just a horrible foundation for what

(41:32):
we're trying to get done there. This second year, we
just feel much more stable in it. I think because
of that, like a lot of the players chosen and
to stay. Our retention's been high good, and then also
kind of the acquisition of like new talent's been really positive.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
So we're in a great spot.

Speaker 16 (41:45):
I love that you said that too, because it started
interrupt But when you get year one, you're right, you're coming.
You're like, who's here, who's the run? Year two, it's like,
all right, here's what I'm about, here's what our program's about.
Your quarterback stage stays was a big day for you.
But now you can kind of sink your teeth into
what you believe the job is in Tucson.

Speaker 4 (42:01):
Yeah, absolutely, and it's a special place and I think
it's got an opportunity to be incredible for college football.
We have a fan base and like a city that's
kind of baked into this, like like where the we're it, right,
Like the University of Arizona in the city of Tucson
is it. And so we have this incredible fan base
that we need to do the best job of engaging
and then putting a product on the field they're excited
to come watch. Yeah, and that's a challenge ahead.

Speaker 22 (42:22):
And I think to one thing, back to your original
point at that time, when Jed left and you take over,
there's only.

Speaker 2 (42:27):
Three schools that you can recruit from.

Speaker 22 (42:28):
You got Alabama because of Kaalen, You got Washington because
of Kalen, and then you got Michigan because of Harbaugh.
I mean, so you're in like an impossible spot. So
I completely understand the challenges that. Don't think people are
recognizing that enough. And you look too though at the
personnel that was lost. Teed McMillan was unbelieable, I mean,
just an incredible player. How do you try to replace
his productivity on the.

Speaker 4 (42:49):
Outside, Well, I think it's going to be you know,
one of the things that I felt like we were
missing a year ago.

Speaker 2 (42:54):
Is I felt like we were missing.

Speaker 4 (42:55):
Some people on the other side of Temac, Like we
needed to have more needed more speed, And.

Speaker 2 (43:01):
I think we've added that in the offseason.

Speaker 4 (43:02):
We've added five guys that run ten six, ten, five
ten four, you know, and so like we just needed
more heat, and that was.

Speaker 2 (43:08):
One of the reasons.

Speaker 4 (43:09):
Like t Maac was incredibly productive, what a great player,
what a great human being, And we're so excited for
what he's going to do in the NFL. But I'm
excited to see what this receiver group does as a
collective in the set Daggie offense. And I'm sure we're
going to talk about that soon enough, but it's gonna
be a lot of fun.

Speaker 2 (43:23):
Well, you just eat up my questions. That's exactly where
you know.

Speaker 23 (43:28):
I'm curious you made some coordinator changes, but specifically on
the offense side.

Speaker 2 (43:32):
Why set Dagi.

Speaker 4 (43:34):
I think Seth Daggi, you know, from the moment I
met him, when he came and spent some time with us,
I was just really impressed with the energy he brought
and just kind of the conversation had incredible juice, which
I'm looking for high energy guys like that, that's a
big part of who I am, and I need to
work with guys that can feed off each other that way.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
But then also when we.

Speaker 4 (43:52):
Started talking about the football, when we started talking about
what we were trying to build at Arizona, I also
thought it was interesting to hear an air Raid guy about, Hey,
last year at Marshall, we found some real success running
the ball out and I had never heard an air
Raid guy talk that way, right, Like, because I really
I was just in my mind, I was like, Okay,
how do you win games late in the season. You

(44:13):
got to be able to run the football, right And
so talking to Deggie and talking about the championship run
they went on last year at Marshall, like his ability
or his willingness to adapt the scheme to fit the
personnel is what really solidified it for me.

Speaker 16 (44:27):
Yeah, and you go back to Arizona's history on offense,
that you guys would try it out running backs for years.
Trunk candidates, one of that comes to mind. One of
those games, these guys that come out and it's like,
you can do all you want, but if you can't
run the ball in this week, we talk to coaches
all morning. They love throwing the ball, but as you know,
that's all well and good.

Speaker 2 (44:44):
But you got to run the ball just as well.
That's right. So when you look at.

Speaker 16 (44:48):
Now where you guys are headed, you've got stability, you've
got your quarterback.

Speaker 2 (44:53):
What do you believe is next?

Speaker 4 (44:55):
I think the next step for us is to as
I look at the kind of changing landscape college football,
it's going to be how do we build a more
connected and more committed team? Like, how are we tougher
than the people we play? I really think that's going
to be the kind of the separating factor in college
football going forward, because everybody.

Speaker 2 (45:09):
Has some variation of nil or REV share.

Speaker 4 (45:13):
Like everybody has some somewhere in that kind of window, right,
So whatever that is, Like, Okay, how do we now,
how do we build the best team we can at
the University of Arizona. And I think we've had really good
momentum in recruiting this offseason.

Speaker 2 (45:24):
It started with the portal, you.

Speaker 4 (45:25):
Know, coming out of the season, and then kind of
moving into spring practice and now that and now you know,
kind of summer workouts and finishing up the spring recruiting period.
So I love where we're at, and I think that
this team is poised to do something really cool. And
I think when you be around our team, be around
the players, spend.

Speaker 2 (45:41):
Some time talking to them.

Speaker 4 (45:42):
Their belief in each other, their belief in our process
is what really stands out.

Speaker 16 (45:46):
I know this is blasphemous sitting up here on this set,
and I don't want to make the comparison, but could
you model Arizona State last year was picked to do nothing,
They go on a run and win the conference. Can
you have that kind of team in year two where
people aren't looking much at Avenue but you know what's going.

Speaker 2 (46:02):
On in those doors.

Speaker 4 (46:03):
I think if you're not playing in this conference looking
to play for the conference championship like you're you're full
of it and you're cheating your team, I mean that
should be the goal every year, you know what I mean?
And I think what the school up north did last
year was you got to respect it. I think it's
really playing and simple, like our fans will like to
hearing me say that, but I can respect it because
what they did was hard to do, right, That's what
we're trying to do. And so you know, as we

(46:23):
look at what they did or what other teams that
did That's one of the things I love about the
Big Twelve is I do think anyone has a chance
to win it.

Speaker 2 (46:30):
Yeah, And I don't know.

Speaker 23 (46:31):
And you have the key component that can get you
there in your quarterback, right Ada. And I'm curious about that.
You know, two seasons ago just lit it up, stepped
in there, started and led double digit wins. Last season
seems like he kind of took a step back. What
have you seen out of him this spring in this offseason.

Speaker 4 (46:48):
Well, just seeing him attack his process of development. I
think coach Dagy's been critical for him. And I think
in defense of Noah Fafida, I think as I look
back to last year, we didn't run the ball well
enough to protect him like they did the year before,
and we didn't just protect him well enough.

Speaker 2 (47:00):
And I think those things are simple.

Speaker 4 (47:01):
And I think what we talked about earlier, not having.

Speaker 2 (47:03):
Enough people opposite team AAC to kind of.

Speaker 4 (47:05):
Offset that coverage and people pushing so much to them
impacted that. But I believe I know if a Fida,
and I know our fan base says too, and you're
going to see exciting things from him with coach Jaggy.

Speaker 2 (47:15):
Yeah, I look forward to watching him.

Speaker 22 (47:16):
I know, he's a fun guy to watch when he's on.
He's going for sure schedule, I'm sure you're one in
the league. You're drinking through a fire hose, learning the opposition,
retaining your players, trying to figure out who does what.
And this is the league where you just see so
much variety.

Speaker 2 (47:32):
I mean, it's unbelievable.

Speaker 22 (47:34):
Some teams are twenty one, some teams are twelve, A
lot of teams are eleven, some teams are one. You know,
they're all over the place. So now, looking at the schedule,
do you feel now that you're better prepared to kind
of navigate knowing the opponent a little better than he
did last year.

Speaker 4 (47:48):
I think that gives us a chance to Yeah, And
I think that's all part of it, right, Like stepping
into a new conference. It's not just new scheme and
new coaching staff, so you're going head to head with
it's also new venues, right, and that's part of it.
You know, that's something that's so interesting as you're traveling
in these places, and I think it's exciting for our
players to get to see some new places this season.
We're going on the road.

Speaker 2 (48:05):
We got a couple of tough ones, you know, late
in the year.

Speaker 4 (48:08):
But I do think it gives us a better chance
because at least we have some familiarity with it.

Speaker 16 (48:12):
And five of the first six at home. Yes, I mean,
that's a great man up pointing for you out amen.
The schedule makers liked you when you look now top
to bottom. We've asked all the coach of this because
we get set up here and making a case for
anybody winning this league, how would you assess the Big
twelve top debout?

Speaker 4 (48:28):
I think this is the deepest conference in college football.
I really believe that, and I think you know, in
some of the other conferences, I don't think you. I
think you have some people that are kind of always
at the top of the food chain, you know what
I mean where this one we talked about a minute ago,
Like the team up north, they just prove that you
can go start at the bottom and find a.

Speaker 2 (48:44):
Way to finish at the top.

Speaker 4 (48:45):
And I think that that's what makes it exciting brand
of football.

Speaker 16 (48:48):
By the way, are you proud Like we just sat here,
you just had a conversation with two sun devils and
it was so cordial, Greg, Are you proud of us?

Speaker 2 (48:57):
No?

Speaker 22 (48:57):
Actually, because you asked a question about the Sun deal
in the actual interview product we were talking about, which
is fine.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
I got your back. I appreciate it, guys.

Speaker 16 (49:07):
We're looking forward to it. Good luck in year two.
It's an exciting brand of football. We hope things go
well for you down in Tucson.

Speaker 2 (49:13):
That's why you good. I'm good, all right, got so.

Speaker 16 (49:17):
Brandon head coach, you of a coach, Thank you so
much for spending time, but didn't success with you.

Speaker 2 (49:22):
Good luck this way so well? Yeah.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
So, so we had him on uh, you know you've
listened to him a number of times obviously probably another settings, right.
We had him on the show about six weeks ago,
a month. He was fantastic. He was not the dude
that we heard behind the mic odd games right, kind
of contrived, kind of you know, scripted whatever. And he
even cussed on those show. It was like, you know,

(49:45):
make sure it was funny. Uh, but in context, yeah,
and you you heard it again today where he's more
like Javier said, more, there's something about it, right, Uh.
I think that'll hell that it's helped the new people
coming in and the second group coming in for another year.

Speaker 2 (50:02):
Couldn't be any worse. No, No, it couldn't be any.

Speaker 5 (50:05):
Worse, Steve, I'll remind you you and hours old around for.

Speaker 2 (50:10):
The mac of it days.

Speaker 3 (50:11):
Yeah, I already forgot. I don't ever say it couldn't
get worse. It will, though, personality so different to your point,
I think he's a football guy. Here's what I really
like about him.

Speaker 5 (50:26):
You know, you're talking about him cussing like he's he's
a family guy. Like he cusses in a way that
like football guys get a little excited about you, like
rich Rod, that dude, I mean, he said the F
word seven out of eight words.

Speaker 2 (50:38):
In a sentence. Yeah, but it's not like that.

Speaker 3 (50:41):
No, No, but to Richard, to Richard point, he put
it in context, it was, oh yeah, if he wasn't.

Speaker 5 (50:47):
Yelling at you at Do you remember Blayer Willis like
Blaire and I used to stay in at practice and
and talk about like okay, well maybe that one was
the subject and that one was the verb.

Speaker 3 (51:00):
He was on the on the podium today too. He
said a couple of quick things. Yeah that we're funny.

Speaker 5 (51:05):
But I mean, to your point, I think Brennan is
he's if if you've been around him in practice, He've
been around him closed doors.

Speaker 2 (51:13):
He's that guy.

Speaker 5 (51:14):
He's excited, he's he's upbeat, he's culture, he's clapping, he's
getting ready to go. You know, in my world, in
the bowl world, they sent us a video a couple
of years ago when they were announcing what bowl they
were going to go to. Yeah, when he was at
San Jose State and we were up, you know, we
were one of their options and then ended up.

Speaker 2 (51:33):
I think they went to Hawaii.

Speaker 5 (51:35):
But he he comes in in board shorts and no shirt,
holden surfboard like, you know, shirtless. I mean, he's that guy.
He's like, I'm excited to do this with you, Like
you don't do this for me, I do this with you.

Speaker 3 (51:51):
The defense to embrace that, Yeah, then you just say,
you know, he needs to be this, needs to be that, well,
he needs.

Speaker 2 (51:56):
To be who he is. Yeah, I mean we've seen again.

Speaker 5 (51:59):
I don't want to say his name too much for
fear that something might return, but Macovic showing up in
a suit and tie and the sidelines in August and
Tucson and you're just like, yeah, you're not the guy.

Speaker 2 (52:10):
You're just not the guy.

Speaker 5 (52:11):
Actually, even though that's who you are an exception. Yeah,
I mean I get what you're trying to do. I mean,
PJ Flex still does it, and that's fine. But Minnesota
is different than Tucson, Arizona and August.

Speaker 3 (52:22):
Like you're ready, we already were up against it. No
good first hour. I thank you, Eric. We're gonna come back.
You're gonna give us some breaking news and then we'll
have some hod Rabino on the other side.