March 13, 2024: Steve Baker and The Big Hoopla

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the press Box with MartyBanister, the latest on all local sports

(00:05):
from Wright State to the Dayton Flyers, from the Reds and Buckeyes to the
Bengals and Browns. Called Marty nowat nine three seven by three, one
six, one seven zero the pressBox on Fox Sports ninet eighty WNA slider
wasn't really there tonight. It waseither staying armside or it was going down

(00:27):
Derry bluffside. I mean it feltgood with the cutter and the sinker.
I feel like there were some pitchesI put it where I want to,
got two strikes quick and early.Just wasn't able to execute the off speed
pitch at Cincinnati Red's right hander GrahamAshcraft after a rather rough outing last night.
Better to have them now than whenthe Major League Baseball season starts.
Welcome to the press Box, FoxSports nine to eighty. W owenem Marty

(00:50):
Banister. We are so very gladyou are spending part of your Wednesday Sports
with US Sports Wednesday with US,I guess the better way of saying it.
Kelly be' is the producer of theProgram's alongside for the Ride as always,
and we have a big show comingup for you. Saffred and the
voice of the Miami RedHawks, SteveBaker, will join us coming up at
three thirty five to talk a littleMiami basketball. Of course, we are
your home for RedHawks basketball, andSteve also will be retiring, leaving the

(01:14):
RedHawks Department of Athletics, hopefully justthat part of it will be retirement for
Steve. He's been the red Hawksplay by a play announcer for many,
many years. And we'll talk toSteve about that and some other things as
well to college athletics related. TerrySlayball and Sarah Speach from The Big Hoopla
will be in studio with us nexthour. If there's a basketball center of
the globe right now, it's Dayton, Ohio, no question, I mean

(01:38):
tomorrow. The OHSA Girls basketball Tournamentstarts Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
The NCAA First Four takes place theweekend after this it's the boys OHSA State
Basketball Tournament. So if you wantbasketball, this is the place to be.
Yeah, Dayton loves basketball. Imean you see that all the time.
And I mean UD, as we'vetalked about, is just really one

(02:01):
of the best places to play basketball. So Yeah, I mean we've set
it up so that it's real niceto play ball here. To have basketball
games in a basketball arena just kindof makes sense, doesn't it. Yeah,
But not enough that other people followthat sort of idea, because well,
that's true. The NCAA ignores itonce you get once you get past

(02:23):
the first four. Yeah, theylove to throw you in a whole football
arena up there on the four hundredlevel looking at a dome in a dome.
One of my favorite comments when AaronKraft played at Ohio State, the
Buckeyees point guard. They got tothe final four. I think it was
his junior year. They went toNew Orleans Wow and played I think they
played. They played Kansas and inthe opening run and they end up getting

(02:46):
beat. That was a game wherethey think they had a huge lead and
then it fell apart on them inthe second half of Some of those lines,
Aircraft at the Prescotts the day leadingup to the game refer to the
Superdome as a gym. Yeah,we can't wait to get in the gym
and go work out. It's adome, Aaron, It's a dome.
But nonetheless, the Jim, theJim the Jim. All right, let's

(03:08):
update you as to what's going on. Still some NFL move but four o'clock
is the official start of the signingperiod when you can put ink to contract
or however you do it, doc, you hub, or whatever you do
to sign contracts these days, andthere will obviously be a lot of movement
in about an hour. Will keepyou updated on all that. The Bengals

(03:28):
have made another roster move today.One I'm very happy about. They've released
safety Nick Scott. He just wasnot very good last year, just was
not very good. They also lostto RV. Smith the other day,
to Kansas City. I saw that, and again, okay, whatever,
those were two moves that just didn'tpay off, just didn't pay off for
Cincinnati. So I think it's agood move. I think that's edition by

(03:51):
subtraction right there, Nick Scott.Keeping your linebacker also, Keem Davis Gaither,
that's a very good move as welltoo. I think the Bengals line
backers are very good. Yeah,I would take a couple of them.
We never mentioned. You got AustinEckler the other day. You're excited about
that, aren't you. I havemy moments. He really fell off a

(04:12):
little bit last season. I'm hopingit was just because nobody believed in the
Chargers. But the last three yearshe's going to get you sixteen seventeen touchdowns.
Well, there's no room for himnow with Gus Edwards out there.
Well sheeesh. Interesting. Interesting.Yeah, if you're a running back right
now, you're getting a new jobs. That's exactly that's right. If you're
a running back, you're going someplaceelse right now. So we'll keep you

(04:35):
updated again on other movements that arehappening. Some minor things have gone on
today. The Chargers releasing Mike Williams, which is a pretty big move.
That's twenty million dollars a cap.Somebody's gonna snap him up pretty fast.
He's obviously still a very competent widereceiver. Let's see. Other than that
again, it's all right now.Things are pretty quiet. But as I

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said, four o'clock is the openingof the period where you can officially sign
and from what I've been told,it would not surprise me if we hear
some kind of news coming from theBengals later on this afternoon. So I've
been working the phones and text messagesand things along those lines. I think
there's something else coming today that couldbe of a lot of a lot of

(05:18):
importance and a lot of fun andand and a good move. I don't
think it's Justin Jefferson. What wasThere was a thing on social media last
night where somebody reported they saw JustinJefferson at a Kroger in Cincinnati. So
people are like, Oh, mygoodness, they're gonna go ahead and go
get Justin Jefferson. I don't.I don't think they're going to do that.
I also saw, and I don'tknow if this was just a rumor

(05:40):
that he reportedly turned down a thirtymillion dollars a year contract, because you
know, Sam Darnold is supposed tobe throwing. If you're Justin Jefferson right
now, where would you want toplay? You just lost Kirk Cousins,
I'd go, I'm waving my handin Cincinnati. Hey, I'll come play
for you. Absolutely, I've ato be reunited with Jamar Chase and Joe

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Burrow. Absolutely, that would beinsanity. A friend of mine who's a
huge Browns fan, texted me yesterday. The text message was along the lines
of, are you guys really goingall in on Justin Jefferson. He goes
being a Browns fan. That scaresme to death. Yeah, listen,
I'm sure that there's a few teamsin your league that just don't want to

(06:26):
see that happen. But we'll seeagain. We'll keep you updated again.
As I said, just some ofthe things I've heard, I think there
may be something coming today. Itwon't be justin Jefferson, but it might
be a move that Cincinnati. Ithink a lot of folks were hoping they
would make in the in regard toprotecting the franchise. So we'll see how
all this plays out. Again.A lot of rumors, a lot of

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chatter going on right now, Sointeresting news locally. Bob Grant announced his
retirement today as the director of athleticsat Wright State. He had been in
charge of the Right State athletic programfor a number of years, and March
thirty first will be his final dayas Right State's director of athletics. He's
served more than thirty years at WrightState and his athletic department. Under his

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leadership, Right State's athletic programs experienceachievements such as fifteen combined NCAA tournament appearances.
That's only since twenty eighteen. Twelveof the thirty one years prior to
that, best overall and conference teamwinning percentages in the Horizon League from twenty
eighteen to twenty twenty three sixty sevenand sixty one overall, sixty seven percent
in conference play. The men's basketballteam had an NCAA Tournament win back in

(07:31):
twenty twenty two, the first fourgames over ud Arena. So it's been
a good run for Bob Grant announcinghis retirement again effective on March the thirty
first. And as I'm sure allof these situations work out, there will
be a nationwide search as they alwaystalk about. So Bob Grant got a
chance to know Bob worked with him, Oh goodness, many years ago there

(07:55):
might go around broadcasting Right State basketballon TV. A good guy and bestell
to you, Bob. I hope, I hope it's not a forced retirement.
I don't believe that it is.But regardless of all, the best
to you, Bob, and didsome great things at Right State. There's
no question, no question about that, did some good things at Right State.
Another interesting move, Ohio State footballassistant coach Tony Alford is leaving Ohio

(08:18):
State the running backs coach to becomethe running backs coach at dun Du Michigan,
Michigan. Yes, Alford has beenthe Buckeye's running backs coach in twenty
fifteen. He is the second longesttenured assistant on the Buckeyes coaching staff,
only behind a defensive line coach LarryJohnson, who joined Ohio State in twenty

(08:39):
fourteen. Alford to replace Mike Hart, who was not retained by new Michigan
head coach Sharon Moore as the Wolverine'srunning backs coach. So there had been
some rumblings that Tony Alford had kindof fallen out of favor a little bit
with Ryan Day, whose birthday wasyesterday, by the way, that matters
to you at all. But therehad been some chatter along those lines that

(09:00):
it was not the relationship had soureda little bit. So I'll offered,
was I think maybe told, butnot told if you look for another job,
we won't stop you, one ofthose type of things. Got I
just don't think they thought he wouldgo to Michigan. Yeah, yeah,
I mean that's the move and it'sright in its own right right there.
That just obviously has Ohio State fansall all at thither right now. Yeah,

(09:24):
I can understand why. I mean, you you never want to see
you don't like to see a teamgo or player go to a team that's
in your division. If you're OhioState, you don't ever want to see
someone go to Michigan, and Ithink vice versa. No, well,
Michigan for years ago, Michigan hassome assistant coaches that came to Ohio State
off their football staff left and cameto Columbus. What's that old If you
can't beat them, join them thetype thing. And that was but that

(09:46):
was back then. So but Tonyoffered Tony's son, a standout high school
football player at the Dublin Jerome HighSchool in the Columbus area. I think
he's going to what are they?What are the academies? I think he's
going to the Naval Academy, Ithink. But a very talented running back
at Dublin Jerome High School. Soother news in the world of college athletics,
Nebraska's losing their director of athletics,a rather surprising move. Today.

(10:09):
Trev Alberts is leaving his alma materfor Texas A and m Alberts is expected
to agree to a five year dealthat will put him near the top of
the SEC and among the top tendirectors of athletics nationally in terms of salary.
He was a former All America linebackerat Nebraska, won the Buckets Award
nineteen ninety three. In November,he agreed to a contract extension through twenty

(10:31):
thirty one, which raised his salaryfrom one point seven mil to two point
one million. In twenty twenty six. He owes Nebraska four million dollars if
he departs before the end of thisyear, which it looks like he's going
to do. So, get outthe checkbook, get out the debit card,
get the Zell working. However you'regoing to send the money. Trev
Alberts, he's leaving to go toTexas A and m Brandon Alford is actually

(10:54):
going to Butler Butler. Okay,I knew one of the academies was in
him. Yeah. He's got somepictures with a couple of them. Yeah,
but yeah, nope, very talentedyoung man. His dad again the
Ohio State's running backs coach or formernow former o High State running backs coach
Tony Offend. We have a coupleof fan polls up for you this afternoon.

(11:15):
With basketball being the forefront of alot of what's going on right now,
we're asking a couple of basketball relatedquestions. Number One, Ohio State
starts Big Ten Hoops Tournament play tomorrow. Big Ten Tournament action Buckeyes will face
Iowa. What do the Buckeyes haveto do to make the NCAA Tournament?
Win the tournament, get to atleast the title game, or reach the
Summis and then get some help fromother teams around the country in their tournaments

(11:37):
and reach the Summis and get helpRight now at forty seven percent of the
vote right now, personally, Itend to think they have to win the
tournament. I think they've got towin it. If they get to the
championship game, to me, that'sthe second best option for them. I
don't think reaching the Summis and thenhoping for some help. We'll do it
for them. Either get to thewill either at least get to the championship

(12:00):
game, or win the thing.If they win it, obviously they're in.
But I think if they get tothe game, yeah, and are
competitive, I think if they getblown out, right, if they're competitive,
that may that would help them,I think. But you're right.
If they go over there and getboat raced by Purdue or Illinois or somebody
like that, then that might thatmight be enough. Yeah, that might
be enough for a high state.And then we dive headfirst into the coaching

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search. Also, the OHSA statebasketball tournaments play their last final four type
formats over the next two weekends.Then we go to the expansion with divisions
of seven and each boys and girlsbasketball. So we'll ask you today,
should the final four format be kept? Yes, it's better for fans and
teams. No, it's hard todo it with seven divisions or seven title

(12:45):
games at one site. Works justfine, and that's what's going to happen.
At least next year. You're goingto have seven title games just down
the road at ud Arena. Butright now, no, it's hard with
seven divisions at forty three percent.If you look at it and try it,
break it all down and piece itall out, how you would do
it. You would have to startyour tournament on Tuesday to get all of

(13:07):
these games in. If you're talkingabout a final four with seven divisions and
a final four in each division,and obviously Udy Arena is kind of booked
with the first four, so thatis on the boy side of things.
It just makes it almost realistically impossibleto do it that way. So you
I mean also that that's a marathonof of anything, Like you would be

(13:31):
watching basketball for ever. And Ilove basketball, but sheesh, what's your
point? What are you talking about? I mean, you'd have to be
in there all day for like sixdays straight. What's your point? What
are we talking about? That soundslike that sounds like Xana due to me,

(13:52):
that's that's tremendous. I have noproblem with that whatsoever. I think
I'd be spectacular to watch all thatbasketball. It's a lot of basketball.
I think I could watch football thatway. With basketball, I start to
feel like I could maybe play,and I, you know, get to
it. Yeah, well, allI have to do is go back and
look at a picture when I played, and I know that those days are
long gone. Somebody asked me oncewhen did you play? And I said

(14:15):
about forty five pounds ago. Yeah. So, But so those are our
questions today, and you can voteon those for another hour, ten minutes
or so. A couple other things, as we mentioned, the Bengals releasing
Nick Scott today from the Bengals,going away from him at safety d Alexander
named Ohio's Miss Basketball. The semifinal or the finalists rather for the boys

(14:39):
Mister Basketball award have been announced andthose coming out today and they will be
announced though the winner will be announcednext week at the Boys as the boys
get ready for the state tournament.So at the Alexander wins as Ohio's Miss
Basketball, we'll run through some ofthe names of some of the players.
In fact, why don't we justdo that now while we have the moment.

(15:01):
It's my show. I can prettymuch do what I want. The
finalists for Mister Basketball in the Stateof Ohio are Jay Allen Barrino from Malvern,
a six to two Senior Division threeEast District and inter Valley Conference North
Division player of the Year led histeam to a twenty two to zero record.
We talked about Wright State a momentago Director of Athletics Bob Grant retiring
Alex Bruscotter, a six to eightsenior from Shelby who averages twenty four points

(15:22):
a game as a right State commit. He is one of the finalists for
Mister Basketball in the state of Ohioplays for the Whippets at Shelby. One
of the great nicknames in the stateof Ohio. Marcus Johnson, a six
to one guard from Garfield Heights,first team All Ohio as a freshman,
right twelfth nationally in the class oftwenty twenty six. The Bulldogs of Garfield
Heights are twenty one to one andstarted out the season nineteen and Oero Cruz

(15:45):
mccluir from Westernville South in the ColumbusAreas a six to ford junior who's averaging
twenty four points four rebounds on acouple of assists per game. Jesse McCullough
very good players headed to Michigan Statesix foot ten in senior leads Cleveland Heights
Lutheran East. He is a welllast year helped Cleveland Lutheran East rather become

(16:06):
the Division three state champions. Andalso let's see Tyler McKinney from Cincinnati Winton
Woods, a six' nine senior, is also one of the finalists.
Hayden Nigro from Louisville, a sixtyfive senior, is one of the finalists,
and Mason Shroud from Prebel Shawnee isalso one of the finalists. So
a local products sixty five senior who'shaving a pretty good year twenty four points

(16:29):
seven rebounds, And of course ColinWhite, the six foot six senior from
Ottawa Glandorf who is the Ohio StateUniversity commit. Twenty five points, eight
rebounds, three assists per game forColin White for the Associated Press Pole champions
Titans, who stand at twenty andthree. White is already a two time
All Ohio first team selection and lookslike if everything holds together, we might

(16:49):
see him in Dayton again. Sothat's a very good team Ottawa Gleandorf and
a great program up in the WesternBuckeye League. All right, so those
are you're a finalists for mister basketballin the state of Ohio. All right.
Three eighteen is a time as weroll along here this afternoon. When
we come back, we'll talk alittle bit more about this Tony Alford situation,

(17:10):
leaving Ohio State to go to Michiganas an assistant coach and take over
as running backs coach. Three eighteenthe time the press box rolling along Fox
Sports nine eighty w ol e geton the press box called Marty Now at
nine to three seven, buy three, one, six one seven zero the

(17:33):
press box on Fox Sports nine eightyWN eighty three twenty one the time.
Welcome back to the program Fox Sportsnine eighty w OL and E. This
is the press box. I'm MartyBanister. Kelly b' is the producer of
this program alongside for the ride thisafternoon as we talk sports and other things
with you right up until five o'clocktoday. Still to come in this hour.
In about fifteen minutes, our friendSteve Baker, the play by the

(17:55):
play voice of the Miami RedHawks,will join us. The MAC Tournament starts
tomorrow for the men the women tournamentsalready underway up at Rocket Mortgage field House.
For the MAC Women's Tournament and Miamiplays tomorrow, they'll take on Accrid
at four o'clock. We will havethe game for you right here on Fox
Sports nine eight W O and E. By the way, the little programming
heads up for you. We willnot be with you tomorrow. I will
be on the air here tomorrow fromabout one o'clock on. I'm calling games

(18:21):
for the OHSAA Radio network and forSpectrum Television and in the semi finals of
the tournaments. Spectrum in OHSA andthe OHSA Raider Network combined to simulcast.
So tomorrow I'm calling the Division foursemi finals and we're going to air the
Fort Lormi game since it's a relativelylocal school. Friday night, will have
the Springboro game here for you aswell too on Friday night at Dwight Burgess,

(18:44):
who handles television games for the Universityof Dayton. He'll be on the
call of that game on Friday night, but we'll have that for you.
We had Mike Holwagger on yesterday,the head coach of Springborough, so we'll
have those games for you. Ourgame, the one I'm doing tomorrow,
the second game we'll tip at oneo'clock, and then Miami coming on at
three thirty in case the first gamewould go overtime or something. You're getting

(19:04):
into a lot of logistical areas,so we're just gonna give you about a
half hour of Doug Gottlieb and thenget to Miami and we'll be back with
you on Friday for a full twohours from the University of Dayton Arena for
this program, as we'll be betweensessions with the girls divisions. It's two
and it's three and one on Friday, as part of the State Tournament.

(19:26):
So a lot of fun. Lovecovering the State Tournament. It's such a
great atmosphere and so much fun tobe around everything that goes on over there.
But before we started the show,Kell and I were sitting in here
just talking about things as we usuallydo, try to get everything organized and
try to make some semblance of everythingthat's going on right now. And I
went to the vending machine and boughtsome of these. They're from the company

(19:48):
Lance. There are those little toastcheese crackers with peanut butter in the middle
of the orange cracker orange ones.Now, George Carlin at one time said
the late great comedian George Carlton said, why are there no purple foods?
Or it was a purple or blue? I think it was blue. Why
they are blue foods? He's ahe's he's a blueberries or purple? So
want to so forth? Well,there are no orange crackers other than these,

(20:12):
none. And I don't know ofa better orange cracker than these little
toast cheese. I mean they arespectacular, and I mean orange is not
the color that you expect a crackerto be. Some sort of tan,
you know, multi grain, someyou're gonna put something. I don't know
who thought of this was like,let's throw some orange in this. Yeah,

(20:33):
it really make it pop. It'sbut they do pop. They honestly
top ten crackers exactly all time anda great little pick, pick me up
snack. I don't know anything aboutthe Lance company, but I know they've
been making these snacks forever. Youcan find those machines anywhere, and yeah,
I mean they they feel like they'vebeen a company for one hundred years.

(20:55):
Yeah yeah, because they, likeeveryone in my family has leaned on
these you know, the name Lance. It's it's out there and you know,
uh and therese a little and thosethings are just tremendous, those little
orange cookies with the peanut butter inthe middle, and it's just spectacular.
It's a nice little pick me upsnack. There by the way. Anyway,
I don't know you're if you workfor Lance and you're out there,

(21:17):
we would love to sponsor you.I'm not don't don't start going down that
line about trying to plead for thingson air, because we've got the big
wigs in the building today. Sobut I mean we have to be careful.
I mean, what if they justgave us a bunch of those lance
crackers. I'm telling be careful,Matt Bell is gonna come run around the
corner here and come in, comein the studio and pull you out of
here. Gotta be careful about thosethings. Big news coming out of Ohio

(21:40):
State today, but big, Yeah, it is interesting. Tony offered leaving
Ohio State and going to Michigan asrunning backs coach. And I know it's
it's raised the ire of a lotof Ohio State fans. But I'll be
quite frank with you. I II know, Tony offered somewhat. I've
had a chance to interview him alittle a couple of times and talk to
him away from the coaching days andthe and the practice field and everything.

(22:06):
He's a really good guy. Ithink he's a good coach, and these
days in college athletics, somebody wantsyou. And it appears that he was
kind of being as I said earlier, asked if you want to look someplace
else, we won't stop you,and that seemed to be the chatter coming
out of Columbus. What obviously upsetsa lot of people is that he's going

(22:30):
to Michigan now. I don't thinkhe's going to go into the Ohio State
offices and grab the playbooks or anyany type of computer knowledge or whatever and
take it with him to Anne Arbor. No, unlikely. But he probably
already knows the playbook really well well, I would hope. So he's only
the running backs coach exactly. Hedoesn't need the paper. No, so
I don't. I don't think it'sit's prudent, a panic or anything along

(22:56):
those lines about him going up there. It's just it's just a unique move.
It is a very unique move.Now. I know, a couple
of years ago, Miami and Ohiohave a very good rivalry and John Howser,
who was the defensive backs coach atMiami, left to go to Athens
and take and become an assistant coachat Ohio. And why it's not on
the same level, it's still aninteresting like it's an interesting move by coaches

(23:18):
who all of a sudden, yougo to your biggest rival and you become
an assistant coach or I don't knowif anybody's ever moved from one to be
a head coach. I don't thinkthat's ever happened. I mean, as
a coach though, I mean,you're not taking the playbook, but are
you telling the secrets of the otherteam. Well, you're going to talk
tendencias and everything. You'd be sillynot to. Yeah, I agree,
you would. I mean you'd besilly not to if you get up to

(23:40):
Michigan and the defensive coaches come inyour office and say, hey, what
Ohio State do here? But see, here's the other at the angle of
all this with the Connor Stallions stuffthat that that happened. Ohio State fans
are are already on edge thinking thatMichigan cheated, whether they did, whether
they didn't, and that's that's upto your belief. But now they've got

(24:02):
an assistant coach who's now leaving togo on their staff. So again,
that's that's all part of it.I just don't think Tony Offerd's that kind
of guy. Quite frankly, Iwould be surprised if something like that were
to happen. But it just addsa very interesting dynamic to a rivalry that
just doesn't need any more dynamics.Absolutely, it's already as intense and tired

(24:26):
as you're gonna find. Yeah,it just adds a little seasoning though for
when they play a game. Absolutely, yeah, that'll be before we know
it seems it feels that that willhappen when we get to the college football
season. But I just found itinteresting and the reaction to it by a
lot of high state fans on socialmedia about how they're just all of a
sudden, now, oh my gosh, he's going to Michigan. How can

(24:48):
he do that to us? Well, it's not unheard of. Well,
he was looking for a job,So yeah, exactly, And I don't
I don't blame him. I don'tblame him whatsoever. Michigan wants you,
I mean, and until they getbeat they're the champs. It's true.
So it's not as if you're goingto Indiana or con or not. Was
consent? Was consin? Is agood program? If you one of somebody's

(25:11):
else in a Big ten, thatjust doesn't just doesn't. Yeah, doesn't
register in football. Okay. Sowe have the West Coast Conference championship game
going on right now. We're keepingan eye on that for you. They're
into the second half. Is thatwas that yesterdayor is that live? This
game was yesterday? That game wasyesterday? Okay, Saint Mary's in Gonzaga,
so again a very good match.That's one of the leagues that next

(25:33):
year will include Oregon State and WashingtonState. So when they have their tournament
next year in Las Vegas, Ithink that's gonna be great. I do
too. I think it's gonna begonna be a lot of fun. There
have been some conference tournaments, uhwell, actually got started yesterday in the
majority of the Power five leagues.When we were on the area yesterday,
Cincinnati was playing West Virginia and thebear Casts were getting just destroyed by the

(25:56):
Mountaineers, and all of the suddenCincinnati found another gear, roared back and
beat West Virginia. They were downby close to twenty points in the second
half and came roaring back to win. So that victory gets them sixteenth rank.
Kansas tonight at nine thirty in theBig twelve ternament and Cincinnati they're a

(26:17):
lot like record wise, very similarto Ohio State, but they don't have
the same resume that Ohio State has. As far as knocking off quad one
teams like Purdue Michigan State. Peoplelike that. That helps Ohio State much
more. I found interesting comments aswell too. The head of the selection
committee was interviewed and said was askedabout Indiana State. We talked about that

(26:37):
the other day about Indiana State,and his comments centered on the fact we've
been keeping an eye on Indiana Stateall season long. We're impressed with their
resume. I'm paraphrasing a lot ofwhat he said, but we've been very
impressed with their resume. We thinkthey're a very good basketball team. Now
that's one of two things. Thatis either he's dead serious about it or

(27:00):
or he's just covering himself for whenthey don't select them. It's one,
it's one of the other. It'sone, it's one of the other.
That you that way, you cansay, well, we thought highly of
them, but this happened, thishappened, and this happened, and we
just didn't have room for him.Yeah, well, apparently you didn't think
that highly of them, or youwould have made room for them. So
I always find it interesting when wesee comments like that, and also Selection

(27:22):
Sunday comes up and I'm one ofthose. I mean, I work in
TV. I do a lot ofTV work, probably much of the sagrine
of every viewer, but I'm aroundit. I know a lot of people
in the business and everything. I'msorry, on Sunday when the selection show
is on, I don't believe fora second, for a second that those

(27:44):
CBS announcers don't know what the bracketlooks like. I'm sorry, you just
there's just no way you can goon in an hour show and you can
even look at their reactions, there'snot there's no surprise on their faces when
something shows up. It's almost like, yeah, it's right in front of
me, So I see Syracuse isgonna play VCU. Okay, Okay,
they see it. They know.I mean it may not be an hour

(28:06):
before it comes out. I meanthey might find out ten minutes before airtime.
Oh sure, sure, but theyknow they see it, and they
swear up and down that they don'tAnd I guess I'm too to I don't
know what what's the word jaded?I guess I don't know, maybe something
like that. I just I justhave a hard time believing that they don't
see it. That's the same thingwith the ESPN College Football reveal show,

(28:27):
the playoff show. They see thebracket, they know what it is.
Don't tell me they don't. Yeah, I mean they someone has to know
in the building before they can airon exactly exactly the ground. You're not
holding up placards and putting it onTV. You're holding up a dry erase
board with Ohio State one, Georgiatwo, Michigan three. So it's they

(28:48):
know, they know, it's it'sI think they're just doing their best to
not seem to be in cotes.Yeah, I think a lot of times.
All right, let's take a timeout. When we come back,
we'll spend some time with our friendSteve Baker the long time I played by
a play voice of the Miami RedHawks, of course, where you're home for
Miami RedHawks football and basketball RedHawks andthe MAC Tournament tomorrow because the team they
beat just a couple of weeks ago, the Aquins Zips in Oxford. We'll

(29:10):
talk to Steve about that and someother things as well too. The press
Box continues long on this Wednesday,Fox Sports nine eighty WOA. Get on
the press box called Marty now atnine to three seven buy three, one
six, one seven zero The pressBox on Fox Sports nine eighty WN eighty

(29:34):
three thirty six the time as wecontinue along with you here on this Wednesday,
just a gorgeous day, temperature inthe seventies, sunny skies. But
as you heard the meteorologist tell usa short time ago, we've got some
storms on the way in the overnighthours and into tomorrow, so be prepared
for that. Hey, it's March, it's Ohio, deal with it.
It is what it is, allright, let's talk a little college basketball,

(29:56):
college athletics. Our friend Steve Baker, the longtime play by play voice
of the Miami RedHawks, visits withus on the live line this afternoon.
Steve, first of all, congratulationson your decision to retire. I always
wonder when people say congratulations, butwhen you make this, when you when
you make this move and decide todo what you're doing, you still have
hopes of coming back and calling someMiami athletics, and I certainly hope that

(30:18):
works out for you. But it'sit's still it's Is it bittersweet for you
in some way? Yeah? Yeah, it is in a lot of ways,
And you know it's you know,my job is the director of broadcasting
at Miami University, and that involveda lot of different things. You know,
in the twenty three years, wewent from just broadcasting on radio to
streaming on the internet, to doan ESPN plus and three broadcasts. And

(30:42):
I'm an old radio guy, soI didn't know anything about video when I
started, and I probably know moreabout video now than I do radio.
But you know, it's it's gonea long ways, and I think I
thought it was just time, youknow, number one, nine to five's
become nine to midnight's real real quickly, and tired of doing those and it's

(31:03):
it's time for a younger generation totake care of that technology and also too,
And this is a part of thejob that I know so well,
and obviously you know so well,as you said, those nine to fives
become nine to midnights, and thetrips they do become a little I don't
want to say tiresome, but theyare. I guess that they are tiring,
aren't they maybe more than anything thantire some Yeah, I mean,

(31:27):
it's it's not necessarily the mental fatigue. It's it's the physical fatigue. You
know, you do you do anair shift, and in my case,
you know, when I first starteddoing Miami games, it was I was
doing mornings. So you get upat three o'clock, four o'clock in the
morning, you go do a fourhour radio show, You do all your
production and other stuff, and youknow, you hop in the car,

(31:49):
drive, in the case of CentralMichigan, six hours and you know,
even if you stay the night thereand then turn around, you're driving back
right after the game, and guesswhat, there's no rest for the wear.
You still got to be there fora six o'clock morning show. And
you know that continues even into youknow, when I started working for Miami

(32:10):
exclusively is you know, suddenly insteadof just doing the broadcast, I had
to be responsible to make sure thehockey broadcast got on, the women's broadcast
got on, all of the streaming, any of the video production we were
doing. And we were drawing alot of attention then because when I came
back in two thousand and one,that was Ben's first year, so you're
doing a lot of different things forthat as well. So you know,

(32:32):
it's it's been long enough I've beenI think I put on my post.
I've been broadcasting for about forty threeplus years to the folks of Oxford in
southwest Ohio and eastern Indiana. Outof my forty seven years, I'm from
Oxford and It's been a blessing justyou know, to be at home,
and now I really want to beat home. My daughters are grown and

(32:55):
maybe spend some time with them.They're on opposite coasts, and you know,
still be able to do the games. I'll be broadcasting the games as
an employee of Van Wagner, whois our Miami who is our Miami Multimedia
rights holder. But just be ableto take some time and just concentrate on
prepping for the games and not worryyou so much about the other stuff.

(33:15):
Steve Baker, voice of the MiamiRedHawks, visiting with us here in the
press box on Fox Sports nine eightyw and you talked about the years,
and this is something that I lookback at. I mean, in my
career I started back in eighty oneon the air, and the people that
you meet is a big part ofall of this. The relationships that you
that you forge in all of this. And Friday night at a game against

(33:37):
Ohio, Charlie Coles was remembered andI know that was a special moment for
a lot of people. I knowhe was a special guy. And when
you start thinking about these relationships overthe year, Steve, I know that's
one that you cherish and your abilityto be around it and to work with
and be a friend of Charlie Coles. Yeah. Absolutely. You know,
I first met Charlie when he wascoaching at Central Michigan, and one of

(34:01):
the first things I will ever rememberabout Charlie is, you know, Ron
Harper was here at Miami at thetime, and Ron Harper's last game at
Malllette Hall, they made the mistakeof retiring his jersey before the game,
and we were terrible. Jo Harperwas terrible, Ron Hunter was terrible.

(34:25):
We were bad, and about midwaythrough the second half, we're down twenty
two to Charlie's Chippewaws, and JoeBerry, who I've done many many games
with, was an assistant coach atthe time. Darryl Hedrick called time out
and Harp walked to the huddle andsaid, just give me the blank ball,

(34:46):
and we came back. We weretwelve down with six minutes to go
in that game and won the game. And there's pictures of Ron Harper sitting
on top of the basket on oneend, Ron Hunt sitting on top of
the basket at the other end,and the crowd all on the floor of
Malette Hall, and Charlie Coles justhad to feel great for Miami because he

(35:07):
was a Miami guy, but justhad no idea what to do when Harp
just took over the basketball game andgo ahead, go ahead, no,
And I mean and since then,obviously I was there for all of Charlie's
games as a head coach, youknow, and you know just how much

(35:28):
he cared for the players, Imean and teaching. I mean, he
taught a basketball class at Miami formany many years, and you know,
just teaching those players and you know, changing them into men and giving them
the opportunity to do that while playinga game that he loved and they all
loved, and you know, itwas it was really really difficult for him

(35:49):
to give it up. And Iknow when he retired and now is his
retirement. We were on the roadat Toledo and he told the team in
the locker room after the game hewas retiring and you and walked out of
the locker room and came over anddid the postgame interview and says, bake
you mind if I ride home withyou. He didn't, he didn't want
to ride home on the bus withthe players. So he rode home with

(36:09):
Terry and I and you know,I had some of the best stories ever
told by Charlie Coles. Then whenyou were going through that story, you
started to rattle off some names.And it goes right back to what I
said when I when I mentioned CharlieColes, you mentioned Darryl Hendrick, you
mentioned Ron Harper, you mentioned RonHunter. I mean, goodness sakes,
I mean, and that's just thetip of the iceberg, isn't it from

(36:30):
some of the time of it reallyis. Yeah, to see what Ron
was able to do Harper. Uh, you know I was able to do
play with. One of the veryfirst games I did play by played for
because Omar was working down in uhspring training for the Reds was our nc
double A game against Maryland and itwas Harper and Lenn Bias. It was

(36:50):
just months before Lenn Bias passed away. Wow, and got to see Harp
dunk over top of Lynn Bias andyou know, and to meet Leftidrizelle at
an NCAA tournament. I mean,you know, it was just for a
kid, really just an incredible experience. And you know, obviously when Wally
was here, you know, Icaught his early games. I called his

(37:13):
early games, then came back intwo thousand and one and did all of
Ben's games. Got to know himreally well and all of the other guys.
And you know, I say itto our coaches all the time.
I probably should have said it moreon the air, but you know,
getting to know these players, youknow, in all of our sports,
all of our varsity sports, wedon't have a bad kid to talk to.

(37:35):
I mean, you know, they'reall just they're all giving of their
time. They're all great individuals andgreat humans to start with, and then
they come in and give their allto a sport. And I couldn't be
prouder to have spent as much timeas I have at a single place like
mind. That's a great point.You bring up Steve and against Steve Baker

(37:55):
voice the line of RedHawks visiting withus right now when you talk about those
real relationships with players, when Imean, you obvious you know my background.
When I worked in Columbus and CovertalHives the games, you almost had
to make an appointment to make anappointment, to make an appointment to talk
to a player. It's not thatway at the mid American conference level.
You have access, you can talkto players, you can get to know
them, and that's a special partof all this, isn't it. Yeah,

(38:19):
it really is. I mean,you know it, and every one
of them is great. I mean, basically, if you're looking to do
an interview with one of our players, all you have to do is find
out who the person in charge ofthe media contact is for that sport,
and chances are they're going to getyou the interview within the next day or
so. And it's that way everywherein the mid majors. And you know,
I understand the protecting of athletes andthe popularity of athletes at a school

(38:42):
like Ohio State and Michigan. That'sthe process they've developed and it works for
them. But yeah, I meanI sat down and did about a fifteen
in minute interview with Ty Wise yesterday, who you know, came to Miami
from Indiana University and talked about thetransfer of portal and doing the portal the
right way for these major kids.I think so many kids are going the

(39:06):
wrong way in trying to get toa bigger school that they're never going to
play at in hopes of going tothe NFL. And Ty was like,
look, I'm not kidding any timeat Indiana University. I'm want to go
someplace where I'm going to play,And he's come to Miami University, and
I think he's got a real goodshot at the NFL. One thing we
haven't mentioned, and I said Iwas going to bring this up when we

(39:29):
had you on ye that on Fridaynight prior to the game, you got
to sing the national anthem. Now, my wife has been in a band
for a number of years and sheis saying at different events and whatnot.
She's told me on different occasions thatother people have told her Steve, that's
one of the hardest songs to sing. You step right out and crushed it.

(39:49):
What was that like? You know, I've done it so many times,
Marty. To be honest with you, Okay, the only I haven't
sung honestly in about two years tosing all the time, and it got
to the point where I was singingat more funerals than weddings and that sort
of thing, and it was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna back away
from that. But yeah, it'sI've done it several times at Miami.

(40:13):
I've done it a couple of timesat the Mid American Conference tournament. But
yeah, when I when I graduatedhigh school, I thought I was going
to be a music teacher because Isang and I and I was proficient enough
to play a scale on just aboutevery instrument in the band and that sort
of thing. And that didn't workout, and I got to playing music
a different way in radio. Butyeah, it's something I've always cherished.

(40:37):
I used to do community theater anddo musicals and that sort of thing.
And it is a hard song tosing, and I don't really want to.
You know, everybody has their ownstyle of doing it and that sort
of thing. But I believe,sincerely, if you're going to sing the
anthem, you sing it the wayit's written, because it is a national
anthem. It is a specific songfor a specific person. It's not one

(40:59):
to make your own. So Ising it as written. I could not
agree with you more. All Right, Ring moments that we have, Miami
plays in the MAC Tournament tomorrow againstAkron. Just a couple of weeks back,
Stravisteel's team beat John Gross's team downin Oxford. Before we got on
the air, I said, doyou guys have a chance tomorrow? And
you said, well, there's alwaysa chance. We don't know how good
it is, but there is achance. What does Miami have to do

(41:22):
tomorrow to get a win over Akronin the MAC Tournament. They have to
do exactly what they did when theybeat Akron here, and that is play
outstanding defense, the best defense thatthey've played in the year. I mean,
Akron, you know, struggled downthe stretch a bit, but they
have bar None the player of theyear and the rico in very que Freeman.

(41:43):
This kid is the real deal andhe's got a nice, nice supporting
cast. So defense is job one. And the thing that Miami has struggled
down the stretch with is shooting.They've got to have the shooting eye going
tomorrow. They've got to be ableto shoot the goal and shoot it well.
And the other thing is to bewilling to take the punch and then

(42:07):
battle your way back, because youknow, Miami, when Akron played in
Oxford, delivered that punch. Theywere up by twenty some points in that
game. Akron responded and made avery very close game, but Miami was
able to a stand at you know, tomorrow, you might be willing to
have to be willing to take thepunch and battle back yourself. Miami's got

(42:28):
the guys to do it. Uh, certainly Marambo and and I'm trying to
thank you of Bryce Boltman, ArsiHarte leaders the up. Yeah, the
upperclassmen on this team have really gotto play well. The freshman will get
there, they're they're coming along great. But if you're going to be,
you know, a graduate student playeror a senior leader, you've got to

(42:52):
step up in these situations. Andyou know, I was just sitting here
a little while ago watching the MACwomen's tournament. Eight nearly beat one.
So it's not out of the realmfor seven to beat two and on and
on, especially this year in theMid American Conference. To will be a
great game. If it's If it'snot a great game, Ackeran wins big,
I think. But it has tobe a war. It has to

(43:15):
be a war. Steve Baker,one of the great things for me in
my years was starting to cover theMAC in Athens and being around the Mid
American commerce is getting to meet youon a personal basi. I followed your
work for a number of years.I think our past crossed a couple of
times when Miami would come to Columbusfor games. But it's been a pleasure
my friend, and I know I'llsee you down the line, but I
wanted to have you on, giveyou a chance to say so folks could

(43:37):
hear what's going on with your careerand everything. It's been a pleasure.
Look forward to talking to you againdown the road soon. Hey, I
appreciate Mary, appreciate all you guysup there do for Miami sports. It's
not unnoticed and we really do appreciateit. Take care, Steve Baker,
take care of yourself. Good totalk to you again. Miami takes on
Akron tomorrow with the Mac Turmer.We'll have it for you three thirty pre
game four o'clock tip time right hereand if Steve mentioned you hit it right

(43:59):
on the head. If it's agreat game, then Akron probably wins.
But Miami, if they do whatthey did a couple of weeks back,
a legitimate shot for the RedHawks threefifty one the time. This is the
press box Flax Sports nine eighty WNAget on the press box called Marty now

(44:25):
at nine to three, seven bythree, one, six, one seven
zero the press box on Fox Sportsnine eighty WNA welcome back to the show,
three fifty four of the time,and again thanks to Steve Baker for
spending some time with us. Thereare a lot of class guys in this
business, and he's near the topof that list. A good guy,
Steve Baker, and if we wishhim all the best and hopefully he will

(44:49):
get a chance to come back,as he said, and still call Miami
games on a contract type basis withthe Van Wagner folks who owned the rights
to Miami Broadcasting. So that's goodnews that Steve will be back and have
a chance to call Miami games andcontinue what he does and does such a
great job. He's right about theone part about the getting up in the
morning and doing a morning show andthen having to go do a game,

(45:12):
then having to turn back around.That's just it just comes with the territory.
It's just what we've all done inthis business. I did it for
twenty five thirty years, where youget up at the three in the morning,
get on the air at four fourfifteen, do a game that night,
right back to the next But asI said before, to a lot
of people who who for some reasonwant to complain about what goes on in

(45:34):
this business. It beats working fora living. And that is no disrespect
to those of you who do workfor a living, who do great things.
But me, this is all Iam. I can't, I can't
and I don't do this very well. But I can't do anything else,
and I don't want to do anything. Yes, I have no intention of

(45:54):
hanging it up anytime soon. Stevemade a decision that he he made,
and you respect it and you understandit absolutely. And there are a lot
if you think about it, thereare a number of guys who are still
calling games at the well even atthe professional level, who have been doing
it for a long long time.Paul Keels is in his mid sixties now,

(46:15):
the voice of the Buckeyes. DonFisher who does Indiana games. He's
been calling the Hoosiers since seventy five. Seventy four to seventy five, I
think is when he started calling Indianagames. Johnny Holliday does Maryland games.
He's been calling those games, ohgoodness. Yeah, he's been over there
when Marylynd was in the ACC.And there are other guys who I probably

(46:37):
don't know from just off the topof my head that have been doing it
for a long Eli Gold, whowas doing Alabama games for he in the
Voice in NASCAR for the longest time. Eli Gold was. I think he's
in his seventies right now. EliGold. He's moved on to other things
now at Alabama, but there area lot of guys that are still out

(46:57):
there doing it. George Blaha,who does Michigan State games is I think
he's pushing eighty. I think so. Yeah. It's a lot of folks
say it's a young man's business ora young person's business. I disagree with
that, but it it is.You just have to if you want to
stay in it, you have tocontinue to fight the good fight. And

(47:20):
Steve is more than ready to dowhat he is deserves to do. Uh
call his own call his own shot, Yeah, which is exactly what he
is doing with Miami the Mac Tournament. Tomorrow, Miami plays acron at Games
at four o'clock tomorrow. It willbe the third game of the four games.
Tomorrow, eleven o'clock in the morning, Kent State plays Toledo. I
think that's going to be an interestinggame. Kent State. They had a

(47:44):
down year, but they've got sometalent on that team. Whether or not
Rob Cenderoff's team has decided to mailit in yet or not, hard to
tell, but they have capabilities.Toledo the once again the MAC Regular Season
champions They've done it again, butthey've won the MAC Regular Season Championship.
It's so many times. But theyhaven't been to the NCAA tournament since the

(48:05):
eighties. So they get to thetournament, to the MAC Tournament and just
can't get over the hump for whateverreason. It is one thirty tomorrow Bowling
Green Central Michigan, and then atsix thirty tomorrow at the MAC Tournament,
Ohio will play Western Michigan, andif everything goes the way we hope it
goes, we might be able tosqueeze Ross Eisenstein on with us on Friday
when we come back after the offday tomorrow we have for you because we

(48:28):
have the OHSA tournament tomorrow for youthe girls games. We'll have the Fort
Loami game against Convoy Cressview at oneo'clock twelve forty, twelve forties pregame show.
I hope it is, because I'mdoing the game. I think it's
twelve forty somebody I'm sure will tellme, and then we'll have Miami for
you three thirty pregame and the tipat four o'clock. So we'll be back

(48:49):
with you on Friday for full twohours from the University of Dayton Arena.
We'll have a lot to get intoby that time as well too. The
four o'clock witching hour is upon uswhen contracts can now officially be signed in
the NFL Free agency or the NFLyear starts in thirty seconds, so we
could see a lot of movement inthe next hour or so. Also in
the next hour here in the program, we'll talk about the big weeks of

(49:12):
basketball coming up here in Dayton,Terry sligh Ball and Sarah's Peace from the
Big Hoopla. We'll be in studiowith we'll talk about what's going to be
a fun, fun next couple ofweeks for our city. And there's so
much going on around the games aswell too. That's why they're going to
be here to talk about that andthe games. The press box Fox Sports
nine eighty w O A name FoxSports nine eighty w o E Dayton and

(49:51):
w t U E HD two DaytonSports Station. And here's what you need
to know. The Los Angeles Chargersare making some moves. They said,
good bottle wide receiver Mike Williams,saving them twenty million dollars in cap space,
and restructure the contract of edge rusherKhalil Mack. He'll stay in LA.
The Panthers have signed former Bills cornerDan Jackson to a two year deal.

(50:15):
The Bills today sent former Falcons widereceiver Mac Collins, while the Raiders
are releasing wide receiver Hunter renfro.In baseball, Yankees pitcher Garrett Cole's going
to miss the next month or twobecause of an elbow injury. This according
to the New York Post. Coledid not suffer a torn UCL, but
the report says there is concern aboutthe status of the ligament in his elbow.
College hoops old miscave head coach ChrisBeard a six year extension, while

(50:37):
Louisville officially parted ways with men's basketballcoach Kenny Payne after two seasons. At
the half in the ACC Tournament atWake, Forest is up on Notre Dame
forty to thirty four. Florida Statebeat Virginia Tech earlier today eighty six seventy
six of the Big twelve byu dropsUCF eighty seven to seventy three. I'm
Dan Beyer John. Welcome to thepress box with Marty Banister. Latest on

(51:00):
all local sports from Wright State tothe Dayton Flyers, from the Reds and
Buckeyes to the Bengals and Browns.Called Marty now at nine to three,
seven by three, one, six, one seven zero the press box on
Fox Sports nine eighty WNE. Thisis such a hard place to play in

(51:21):
respect coach Pipel and his program.You know that he's I think he is
just such a really good coach,and you know they build a reputation in
this building. You know when youcome in, everybody you have to be
really, really tough. That's OhioState basketball INTROIM coach Jake Diebler after the
Buckeyes closed out the regular season witha win over the weekend at Rutgers.

(51:42):
Welcome back to the press box FoxSports nine eighty. Wow. I'm Marty
Bannister. We are so glad you'rewith us here this afternoon as we talk
sports with you. We'll continue ourbasketball conversation coming up here in a few
minutes about we're going to talk aboutall that's going on around our area surrounding
basketball, because it's a big weekwith the girls state tournament starting on Thursday,

(52:02):
the first four coming in next week, the boys tournament at the end
of next week. It is alwaysa busy, busy time in our area,
and we're going to talk about thatcoming up. Hearing about the fifteen
twenty minutes or so. Over theweekend, there was a conference tournament.
It was the Mountain West Conference tournamentwhere Utah State was beaten a Utah State

(52:22):
women's team, and after the game, every coach is required to go to
a press conference and talk to theassembled media. Now, I don't know
how many folks were actually at thispresser for the Utah State loss at the
Mountain West Conference women's basketball tournament,but there was still some press in there,

(52:45):
and it's an interesting conversation. Takea second and listen to this.
Here's how it played out in theMountain West Conference postgame press conference I think
it was Monday. And how doyou plan to rebuild for next season?
I'm not going to be rebuilding.I just coached my last game at Utel
State, and I spoke with Dianaand they're going in a different direction,
and I respect her decision, andI hope they get a really good coaching.

(53:10):
I'm assuming that's going to be thelast question. All right, okays,
assuming it's going to be the lastquestion. It was a very good
assumption on her part. That wasKayla Ard who was let go after coming
out of the locker room and thengoing to the postgame press conference. Diana
Saboo is the director of athletics there, who what was that Ohio State was

(53:35):
in the Big Ten office for awhile. I mean, that's that's hard.
I mean I was thinking about itearlier. And if you're going to
be if you're going to make thatmove, if you're Diana Sabo, you're
going to make that move, thentell her tell her, hey, you've
been let go. We're making achange. But don't tell her to go

(53:58):
meet with the media. No,no, no, no, no,
I'm right out loud. Honestly,I just don't understand that at all.
She was classy about it, asyou heard. I respect her decision.
I hope they get a really goodcoach. Yeah, she Honestly, she
was as good as you could bein that moment. Exactly. I me
personally, I'm probably saying some differentwords. That was my thought that the

(54:21):
urge would have been to just napalmeverything. But smartly she knows that she
probably wants to stay in coaching andbe a coach. So maybe that was
her mindset of going ahead and goingto the press or I I don't know.
Also, I think coaches sometimes areable to just kind of rise above.
That's part of what makes them acoach. Like a lot of craziness

(54:42):
is going on, and she wasable to rise above and be the bigger
person here because me, I mean, I'm not going to the press conference.
Yeah, I would have said.That would have been my reaction.
I said, sorry, I'm notgoing. I'm not going. What do
I have to talk about? Whatcan I say about what just happened?
He was twenty four and ninety andfour years obviously not a glowing resume right

(55:04):
there, And Diana sayby I believeit was in her first year as the
director of athletics at Utah State.That's a next day conversation. Very capable
athletic director, very good administrator.But I think she kind of missed the
boat on this one a little bit. Again, if you're going to make
this move, tell you tell coachart or now, former coach Art you
say, hey, listen, we'remaking a move. It'd be better if

(55:27):
you just gathered your things and leftand went with the team. I'll go
to the press conference and just stepin and say, hey, here's what
has happened. We're not taking anyquestions. Something along those lines. But
it just looked very weird. Iagree. I mean, you know,
I don't know. I can understand, you know, being in charge of
the program that you probably she Danaprobably also had feelings. Maybe it's like,

(55:52):
this is not the conversation that happenedright after the game. Maybe this
is a conversation that happens that nightwhen everyone is back home or the next
day. But don't you don't needto fire me right before I go in
front of a past There's that too, now, I can. I can
tell you that I have seen situationswhen I was covering Ohio State when the

(56:16):
Buckeyes football team lost to Florida inthe Gator Bowl the year the transition from
Luke Fickle to Urban Meyers regime,I saw some things in the locker room
area, the anti way, theantiway between the field and the locker room
where some individuals, let's just saywe're pretty much told you're not coming back.

(56:39):
And it was it was unpleasant,it was uncomfortable, But it was
almost a situation where again, youcould have waited until you got him back
to the hotel and let them pullall their things out of the room and
then leave. And you know,some of these individuals were not allowed to

(57:00):
go back with the team. Itwas just not a good situation. And
a couple of the guys I knowpretty well and felt really bad for them,
and you just I think you justhave to have to have a little
more. Is decorum the word justclass? Yeah, it's because the I

(57:22):
mean, well, let's let's saythis. There's no good way to fire
anymore, no good way. Ifyou've been fired, I've been fired.
It's not fun. It's the worstfrom a professional standpoint. It's the worst
day of your life. It's noteven close. There was some there was
a couple jobs that I got firedfrom that I was a little I was
like, thank goodness. I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah, thank

(57:43):
goodness. But at the same time, back that paycheck's gone. However,
you have to go about getting yourlife put back together. It's a very
hard thing to do and to dealwith and in a situation that's as visible
as being a basketball coach at aDivision one school or a football coach at

(58:05):
a Division one school, it's Ijust think you gotta be a little more.
I don't know if class he isthe word, but just have read
the room better. Yeah, youknow, maybe that's the way you go
about it. Just read the rooma little better and understand this is going
to be uncomfortable for all concerned,and just tell her, hey, sorry,

(58:27):
we've made a decision. You're notcoming back. Go go tell the
team, go do the things youhave to do. I'll go to the
press conference and just inform everybody,and then we're gonna go back to wherever
Utah State's located. I'm not reallysure. I know it's in Utah obviously.
No that's b y U b yusing provo. But still, it's
just a very uncomfortable situation that reallydidn't need to have happened. I think

(58:51):
you you could have handled it alot better. And again I'll give I'll
give Kayla Ard who I don't know, I'll give her some credit for of
the ability to just kind of somewhatkeep it level because there are a lot
of us who would have got upand just tossed a chair or just as
I said, maybe just just goneoff on the situation. But when you're

(59:14):
twenty four and ninety over four years, you don't have a whole lot in
your defense. Yeah, I mean, I think she had to know it
was cod of I would think so. Yeah, I don't know if she
thought it was coming that way likethat. And I agree that there's no
good way to be fired, butthere's it's definitely you can do better than
that. Well, and also knowingtoo that a new director of athletics is
coming in who is analyzing everything that'sgoing on with the program, and understanding

(59:39):
that you're now twenty four to ninetyin four years, you're not my coach.
I didn't hire you. It's timeto move on. It's time to
go a different direction. So inUtah State, if you're wondering, is
in Logan Loto? Okay, allright, it's not near any other city
that I've ever heard of in Utahfor being on But still you have to

(01:00:00):
have I just think you have tohave a little more Again, I don't
know if class is the right word, but just a little more understanding of
how these things work. And again, as I said, I kind of
feel sorry for kayla Ard, butit's again, it's it's a business,

(01:00:21):
and like it or not, That'sthat's where we're at with this right now.
All right, let's update you onour fan polls. Right now,
we're asking you today. The BigTen Tournament for Ohio State starts tomorrow.
The buck Eyes play Iowa in theI think it's at five point thirty tomorrow
when they play Iowa. We're askingyou today, what do the buck Eyes
have to do to make the NCAAtournament. They have played themselves back into

(01:00:42):
the discussion, I think is thebest way to put this right now.
I still don't know that they're gettingin, quite frankly, unless they win
the Big Ten Tournament. So that'swhat we're asking you today. What do
they have to do to make thetournament? Do they have to win the
Big Ten Tournament, get to atleast the title game and perhaps get to
the title game to make a goodshowing of themselves, or reach the semis

(01:01:02):
and get help. And right now, reach the semis and get help.
Is getting forty eight percent of thevote. I think that's a little bit
of a stretch. I just don'tknow that that again, because you're depending
on everything else going to chale.Well, no, you're you're kind of
going everything else going, well,everything else has to There can't be upsets.

(01:01:25):
A thirteen can't win the Pac tenor the SEC or something like that.
That can't happen exactly. Some thefavorite, the top four seats have
to win, have to not getknocked out right away. So you've played
yourself into a situation. Where AsI said, you're kind of back in
the discussion right now. I don'tknow how much in the discussion you are.

(01:01:45):
This may be more of a socialmedia thing than anything right now.
With Ohio State. Again, tome, when you're tenth in the league,
you're nine and eleven, you werein last place a month ago.
I mean, let's be a littlerealistic here. I just think there are
teams out there with better resumes thatdeserve more consideration right now. But I

(01:02:07):
will say this, if Ohio Statedoes march to the championship game and they
give let's say Purdue, whom they'vealready beaten this year, if they give
Prety, well they can handle,that would make them let's see, three
wins to get there, that wouldthey would be twenty two and thirteen.
That might be enough as long asthey don't get drilled. If they go

(01:02:30):
there and rolls them by forty,then that that's that's yeah. I think
that'll take care of it. Butthe Ohio State Iowa game is at six
thirty six, well five thirty Centraltime. They're playing in Minnesota too as
the target Center, so I didn'trealize that in both at the same spot.
So again, as I said,I think Ohio State's in the discussion
right now. I don't know howdeeply into the discussion they are, but

(01:02:52):
I think they're a part of it. But again, we'll have to wait
and see how everything else kind ofplays itself out and how the rest of
the landscape shakes out. As faras games. Dayton to the Barkley Center
in Brooklyn for the Atlantic ten Conferencetournament, So we'll keep you updated on
the Flyers, and of course,again as we've talked about, they're in.

(01:03:12):
I just I think it's more aboutseeding right now for Dayton as to
if you win them. Obviously,if you win the Atlantic ten, I
think you jump from that six orseven line to probably a five or maybe
a four if you win the tournament, that would be pretty impressive. I
agree, But I mean because theylike that. That's the thing, like
really they they had like a littlebit of a slump, but ended the

(01:03:37):
season really strong, and I thinkthat the committee's going to acknowledge that that
like for the majority of the season, this has been a dominant and impactful
team. I don't have the Aten bracket in front of me, but
I know Dayton has. I thinkthey have the double buy. So they
would have to win two games toget to the championship game, if I

(01:03:57):
if I, if I understand itcorrectly, and and regardless, they're twenty
four and six right now and finishjust a game behind Richmond and Loyola in
the conference standings in the Atlantic ten. So if you if you win it,
that's twenty seven and six that Ithink that's that's and they're and some
of the games they have won thisyear, I think that's a four seed.
If you win the tournament and finishat twenty seven and six, I

(01:04:18):
think that's a four seed. I'dI'd be surprised if they're not. If
they do that. So that's wherea Dayton stands right now again the only
Area team that we know that's goingto be playing in the postseason, and
and they have also played themselves.I think they played themselves out of the
first four. I don't think they'regoing to be there. And I wonder

(01:04:40):
how the NCAA handles that, howthey look at that if they are,
if they already have said, youknow what, Dayton, you're going,
but you're you're not playing at home. Can you imagine the uproar if they
had to play if Dayton played,because well, the thing is, you
can't play on your home court intournament now. But but does the first
is the first four? So that'swhat I mean. So dateon, I

(01:05:03):
mean, yeah, Dayton kind ofhas a kind of has to get out
of jail free card and a lotof respects there. Yeah, knowing,
because that's the thing. You don'twant to play Dayton at home. You
you might play him on a blacktopor something, but you do not want
to play Dayton at home. It'sthe it's fifteen to oh this year on
that floor. Yeah, So Ihear you, I hear you. Yeah,
that's not good. That's not goingto happen. But again, twenty

(01:05:26):
seven and six winning the A tentournament. If that's the way things finish
up, I guess I think that'spretty solid. For yeah, I would
be stunned if it was any lowerthan that. There are bracketologies out everywhere.
You can look at those. JoeLonardi is the one that's perhaps the
most popular. So you can checkthose out on all the different websites and
we'll see where things go. Hesays. As far as Ohio State versus

(01:05:48):
Iowa, they're in the win here, then win again category, so kind
of what we talked about, youhave to win that game and then then
win another one. He doesn't havethem in any of the categories last four
byes, last four in, firstfour out, or next four out.
They're not in any of those rightnow. The press Box Fox Sports nine
eighty WNA, get on the pressbox called Marty now at nine three seven,

(01:06:27):
buy three one six, one sevenzero the press box on Fox Sports
nine eighty wn eighty and welcome backto the program for twenty two. We're
with you here on this Wednesday afternoon. This is the press box. I'm
Marty Banners or Kelly b' is theproducer of the program alongside for the ride
We're with you right up until fiveo'clock this afternoon. Always good to have
you with us here today. Don'tforget our two fan polls are up with

(01:06:48):
you. You can vote on Ohiostates chances to make it to the NCAA
Tournament. Do the Buckeyes have achance right now and reach the semis and
get help? Is getting fifty percentof the vote there, And we're ask
you as well too. Should theOHSA continue their final four format when they
expand to seven divisions next year?As far as the state basketball tournaments are

(01:07:09):
concerned, right now, forty fivepercent of you say keep the final four
format. It's better for the fansand for the teams involved well. To
say it's going to be busy overthe next couple of weeks in our town
with Basketball's probably one of the biggestunderstatements I've ever uttered on the air.
And right now we're pleased to havein studio with us Terry Slaybaugh and Sarah
Space with the Big Hooplah. Greatto have both of you in here this

(01:07:30):
afternoon. Tell us I guess firstof all, Terry, let's just start
with you. What is the BigHoopla? Why the name? Tell us
all about it. Yeah, sothe Big Hoop Live was started. I
don't know, Sarah, I guesshas spent twelve thirteen years COVID COVID.
We kind of lost count, butit was it was started really when the

(01:07:51):
games were called the play In Gamesand started here in Dayton, Ohio,
and we partnered with the Universe ofDayton and really right Pad Air Force Space
became an important part of that.And the whole idea was to create excitement
around the games and also to beable to use the games as an opportunity

(01:08:15):
to honor and thank our men andwomen that are serving at right Pad Air
Force Space and their families. Wasreally an opportunity to bring them into the
community. And right away it becamesuccessful in that it accomplished those things,
but it helped us fill the arenaon Tuesdays and Wednesdays for what had really

(01:08:36):
become. I think everyone recognizes nowthe beginning of the tournament in March Madness,
you know, begins in Dayton,Ohio, and it was JP Nossif
was the founder of the Big Hoopla. He was the brainchild that came up
with it. And now it's turnedinto an event that you know, it

(01:08:59):
gets and harder every year for Sarahand I to get the tickets and be
able to put together the program wehave for right pet Air Force Base and
the airmen and guardians because there's alot of demand now for people that want
to come to the games. Absolutely, and Sarah, that's the part of
this. I think that's so big. Yes, the basketball is great and

(01:09:21):
everybody loves being part of that,but everything that goes on around it,
it's such a great event and sucha way to honor as Terry mentioned,
And I know that's such a bigpart of this where everyone involved, isn't
it. Absolutely. So we area five oh one C three organization of
a bunch of volunteers, community leaders, military personnel that strive to bring the

(01:09:42):
economic vibrancy of people to our areafor the first four So to do that,
we have companies in our community thatsponsor basically the sale of tickets for
airmen and their guardians, like Terrymentioned, so they provide us the funding
opportunity to purchase the tickets that allowall these airmen, their families and students,
especially students in STEM education to attendthe games which they might sometimes never

(01:10:05):
get the opportunity to do. Yeah, that's a great point because these games,
as we all know, tickets areat a premium and if you've got
a chance to get them, you'regoing to take that opportunity. And you
know this as big a basketball communityas this is what people flack this event,
don't they They do. In fact, every year we've seen the organic
growth where the opportunity of number oftickets for us to purchase diminishes, which

(01:10:30):
is a great problem to have becausethe community loves it. And before they
even know who the teams are,selection Sunday hasn't even happened and the tickets
are selling so well. So we'revery lucky to keep it. Like Terry
said, we've had it since inception, back in the nineties, before it
was even the official first for andso our goal is to help and dice
NCAA and the region to understand howwe want to keep it and we can

(01:10:55):
make it stay here successfully. Andthat's another good point about this, because
it is a sales job, isn'tit. You have If you were doing
all this and two thousand people showedup at these games, then the NCBLA
is gonna go. You know what, We might want to try someplace else,
but they know what goes into thisand the effort you folks put into
this we do and really like thoseefforts. It's it's the community. I

(01:11:15):
keep going back to community. Theconvention visitors Bureau starts with an amazing welcome
for these teams. They get aFinal Four experience when they stop, step
off the bus, when they enterthe hotel, when they get off the
plane, making them feel no matterwin or lose, you're going to feel
the excitement of like being in acollegiate you know, Final four experience.
Absolutely in studio with us Terry Slayballon Sarah's Peace with the Big Hoopla as

(01:11:38):
we get ready for two big weeksof basketball here in the Dayton area.
Of course, the NCAA First Fourcoming next week. The OHSA basketball termaments
are here this weekend and the followingweekend. Terry. With this area being
so big for basketball, from mystandpoint of looking at it, I don't
know if there was a more logicalchoice than this area to host these type
of games. It just seems likeit's too easy to do. I think

(01:12:01):
I think it's been proven that weare the epicenter of basketball. You know,
we offer up a venue, theUniversity of Dayton, their arena that's
had more champion, more more playoffbasketball played in it than any other arena
in the country. We really arewhere these games belong. March, you

(01:12:24):
know, it really does belong startingin Dayton, Ohio. But I think
the bigger thing that we do isit's not just about basketball that it's about
getting the entire community involved. Sarahkeeps talking about community. I think we're
in the one of the best communitiesin the country to be able to pull

(01:12:44):
off an event like this. Andit starts, you know, really Sunday
mornings. Selection Sunday, uh seventhirty am will be at to the University
of Dayton Women's softball field, wherewe'll kick kick the whole day off with
the four miner in the race.This year, I think we we already
have almost two hundred people registered forthe race. We're hoping to break last

(01:13:09):
year's record and be able to getover three hundred runners. Hopefully we'll get
a little bit warmer weather this year. Then I remember, I remember last
year. I think that that itwas snowing that morning, wasn't it it?
Yeah, it was freezing exactly andhad Risen that's right, that's right,

(01:13:31):
yeah, and then you know,very from there, we'll be downtown
at the Dayton Convention Center for theSTEM Challenge, where again we hope to
have well over one thousand people.Right now, it's over five hundred and
sixty pre registered and we get usuallythat many on site. But again that's

(01:13:53):
a community event where we have anumber of companies in the community that come
and put put STEM exhibits together thatthe kids can participate in. Wright State
University is our sponsor now for theSTEM Challenge. They've been great partners.
But the cool thing that starts atthe STEM is the kids have a shootout

(01:14:15):
and we take the top shooters andthen on Tuesday night they get to go
out on half court during the gamesand shoot in front of the fans that
talk about and I think that's oneof the best moments for me of the

(01:14:36):
entire tournament. Absolutely, you talkedabout the relationship with Ry Patterson and I'm
a military family. My son anddaughter are both veterans. My son was
in the Army, my daughter wasin the Navy, and anything that can
be done for our veterans, ourpeople in uniform I mean, you can't
do enough, I don't think.And that's one of the great relationships in
this isn't it? Absolutely? AndI think just state in Ohio, our

(01:14:59):
largest employer in this region is rightPatterson Air Force Base. Then you layer
onto that all of the ancillary companiesfor suppliers that come in to support the
businesses that come out of Right patand that's our community. So to support
those men and women veterans that comein maybe in Dayton for two or three
years, go get stationed somewhere elseand then they retire, we want them

(01:15:21):
to come back to Ohio and seewhat's happening here. Army, Navy,
whatever your brand is, you're allwelcome here. And I think that these
games have a way of really showcasingwhat we do and why we have these
events. Some of the other eventsthat go on. These are not the
only things going on around these games. Right, There's so much going on
around here. There's a lot anda lot of companies and individual organizations.

(01:15:45):
Like I said, the Convention VisitorsBureau does a lot. One thing I
need to mention you know, ofcourse, this year's selection Sunday happens to
be Saint Patrick's Day. So theone thing Terry left out about the races,
we will have green beer for everybody, So come on down, walk
or run. She's given me thehigh, which is really exciting. Then
you have selection Sunday, and thereare numerous selection parties that happen. Hoopla

(01:16:11):
also does because we have such agreat support with our sponsors. We have
some private events that happen. Sowe have a tip off reception on Monday
night at Caroline Historic Park. Wegive out some awards to those key folks
in the military and in our sponsorrealm and in our volunteer realm that really
help us. We always have specialnew distinguished guests, so look for those

(01:16:33):
to come in the near future.And then Tuesday and Wednesday we have a
reception before the game for the sponsorsand their guests, and then, like
Terry said, at the game halftime. Each day we have the really cool
events. So Tuesday is when theSTEM students get to walk on court.
We have a lot of military peoplewith them who are rebounding for the kids

(01:16:53):
out on the court with their balls. And then on Wednesday we have the
swearing in concurring of office for thenew recruits and this year we're very excited.
Special. That's special. It makesall the difference absolutely terry with basketball
being what it is, it's aunique sport in doing something like this.

(01:17:14):
With football, it's one game andyou're out the door and people come in,
they leave. But that's what makesthis kind of special, isn't it
That you can set this up foralmost a week long worth of activities surrounding
these games because you're going to bethere two days. The teams come in
on Monday, So it's it's it'sset up just perfectly for this type of
event, isn't it? It is? And you know it, it really
is when you think about it.One of the crazier things too that happens

(01:17:39):
in sports that you've got these kidsall over the country watching the TV on
selection Sunday and to think that someof them, within an hour they're going
to be stepping on to an airplaneand flying into Dayton, Ohio, and
they're going to be practicing here onMonday. And I don't think there's any

(01:18:00):
any other sport like that. We'rean athlete, you know, in twenty
four hours going to have that kindof transition, and the cool thing that
we do is just the memory wetried to leave with those players, the
work that the visitors and Convention Bureaudoes. We have people greeting them at

(01:18:20):
the hotel, We have great crowdsfor the practices, and really, you
know, for a lot of thesekids, that may be the first time
that they're going to get the kindof attention they're going to get in Dayton,
Ohio. And that's a great partabout it too. So often these
days, and I know in workingwith the OLHSAA, they have this issue

(01:18:41):
because sometimes people sites don't want tohost this type of an event because of
all the work that goes into it. You have to have people willing to
come out as you have and helptake part of this. And that's what
I think, Sarah SUTs this apart. Isn't you have in almost an entire
community that's like, yeah, wewant to be involved in this absolutely,
And I think what's also a layeron that. Everybody knows their own little

(01:19:03):
part. And at the end ofthe day, you talk about the mechanics
and the muscle power that's behind it. We can do all our thing and
get the people here, et cetera, but that arena has to flip from
the ud Arena floor to the OSHAfor the girls, to the NCAA for
the first four, back to theOSHA for the boys, and then back

(01:19:23):
to UD all in less than eightdays. Shout out to the tech team.
Yeah, Scott DeBold and his teamout there are work crazy and that
is the muscle man behind it.Sunday there. We always go out there
on Sunday after the race for aquick peek. They're flipping the floor over
after OSHA and so look for thosevideos to come out. So it's pretty

(01:19:44):
exciting. I talked to Scott lastweek and I had him as a guest
on a show I do for theOhio High School Letic Association, and we
talked about that effort that goes intothat. It's remarkable what they have to
do to get that building ready.I think that's overlooked a great I'm glad
you brought that up, because thatpart of it people just think, oh,
well, it's just you roll thebaskets out, you roll the balls
out, you put a different youdo this, and you go play.

(01:20:05):
It's it's not that easy, isit right. There's a lot of a
lot of time effort goes into this, and then NCAA has their corporate sponsors,
which are different than the University ofDayton sponsors, so all that layering
has to be covered up and changed. Wow, yeah, it's think about
that. It's a remarkable effort.It really really is anything we missed,
anything else that's worth mentioning one moretime before we wrap things up here.

(01:20:25):
I think, just again, thegreat sponsors that we have that have been
with us, Montgomery County, theCounty Commissioners, care Source Go just every
year they show up and I andI think that's the other thing too,
is there's a real comfort with thisgroup from University of Dayton, the local

(01:20:48):
Organizing Committee, all of our partners. Now we've been doing this together.
Uh, and we start you know, it'll be over in a few in
a week, and then we startagain in about three to four weeks,
and so it's it's pretty cool whatwe have created in Dayton for the tournament.

(01:21:09):
And I think there's just a lotof pride in our community that you
know that it starts here. That'sa great point you bring up, because
yes, uh, the tournament isgreat and we all love it, but
the couple of weeks afterwards, you'realready thinking too. Twenty twenty five.
That's one of things Scott de Boltsaid to me. We're already thinking about
next year. We're already thinking aboutdoing this, We're think about doing that.
It's it's it's not an overnight process, is it. Nope? What

(01:21:30):
can we make better? Yeah?Exactly what can we make better? Yeah?
Something? My question is where canfolks find out more information and where
can they get tickets? Everything forinformation about the Big Hoopla and all of
our events are on daytonhoopla dot comand there is a link on there that
takes you directly to the NCAA siteto purchase tickets. I love that.
Easy Yeah, very easy, veryeasy, very very easy. Terry Slayball,

(01:21:54):
Sara's peace. A pleasure to meetboth of you. I know it's
gonna be a fun next couple ofdays to go to be a busy next
couple of days as well too.But that's what you like, isn't it.
Absolutely? I didn't go on vacation. There you go. See you've
already got it. See your plan, you've already got it. You've already
get your steps laid out. I'mworking. I respect that. Thanks so
much, both of you coming.We appreciate it. Thanks for reezing.
All right, take care. Thisis the press Box four thirty eight.
We'll continue a long check the NFLFree agency boards if anything has happened there.

(01:22:15):
And I've made you on our fanpolls as well too. More of
the press Box, Fox Sports nineeighty wne Get on the press box called
Marty now at nine to three sevenbuy three, one, six, one
seven zero the press Box on FoxSports nine eighty WN eighty one. Welcome

(01:22:42):
back to the press box, FoxSports nine eighty w OWNI thanks to Terry
slay Ball volunteer chair Sarah Speace,Executive director Dayton developing a coalition for visiting
with us talk about the big hooplacgoing on surrounding the first four games coming
up next week. We were talkingto Terry and Sarah as they walked out
of the studio about the growth ofthe Incible Tournament, and I mean it
I think anymore. It's just it'sjust assumed that it's always been what it

(01:23:08):
is and it's not. I mean, there were years you go back,
you can probably go back into theeven the part of the early eighties or
the late eighties, the early nineties, where you had trouble sometimes getting getting
seats sold at games, but ithas it has elevated itself. And I
think one of the moves that theymade that has really helped with attendance for

(01:23:31):
the men's tournament is the POD systemthat they use for selecting teams and putting.
For example, if Columbus were hostinggames, you would have four games
from the West Region there, butyou would have teams geographically closer to Columbus
that were going to the West Regionalto play those games there in order to

(01:23:53):
increase the attendance. And that's that'sa smart move on their part. It's
it's a move that makes tremendous sensebecause it used to be again and back
in the day when you had atournament, when you had the tournament,
if you were in the West Region. There's a story one year Georgetown back
when they were whatever they were backthen with I think this was the year
after Patrick Ewi had graduated and theywere in the tournament and they were sent

(01:24:15):
out to the West Regional. Theyjust stayed out there. They went because
they were I think they were inSeattle and then the region was in Los
Angeles. They went to Seattle,played the first second round in Seattle,
then stayed out, so they weregone for two weeks. But under this
format here, this the pod system, it just makes a lot of sense
and works so much better for teamsand fans who get a chance to see

(01:24:41):
some of these teams. I mean, uh, Dayton, if they if
Columbus were hosting Dayton would get achance to play, I'm sure they would
be sent there. It would justmake too much sense, so you would
hope. Well, again that's anotherthing too, Sometimes too much sense.
Yeah, that's when it that's whenit doesn't happen and you think things make
sense. But so but again that'sthat's been something I think it has helped

(01:25:03):
the tournament in that regard from anattendance standpoint, And as we said too
when we were talking to to Terryand Sarah when they left, it was
the tournament is I think it's afterthe super Bowl when you start listing events
in this country, sporting events.Obviously super Bowl is far and away number
one. It's final four. Isthe tournament's a close It's not a close

(01:25:26):
second, but it's second. Idon't know what you would put from an
event standpoint, again, because ofthe length of it is different, But
I mean, I don't what elsecompares to it. Nothing. You're not
wrong. I mean like as faras like really overwhelming the public consciousness,
Like people who never think about basketballall season are going to fill out a

(01:25:46):
bracket and suddenly tell you how goodCreighton is and yeah, something everybody knows
about the backup point guard at BYU. I'll tell you what. He came
on strong down the stretch. He'she scored eighteen points in the US nine
games they play. You got towatch out for them, Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah. How many analyststhe other they come out of the

(01:26:08):
war work. That's a great pointthat they really do. Our press box
fan polls are up for you thisafternoon. In fact, one of them
has gone final. We're asking youtoday what does Ohio State have to do
in the Big Ten Tournament that startstomorrow to make the NCAA Tournament, win
the tourney, get to at leasta title game, or reach the Semis
and get some help. And fiftypercent of you feel that is what Ohio

(01:26:30):
State needs to do, reach theSemis and get some help to make the
NCAA Tournament. Joe Nardi as wetalked about earlier. Has Ohio State in
that win here then win again category? And so yeah, you just got
if you're a high state, yougotta take a one game at a time.
Now. Now, if you losetomorrow, that's it. Pack your
bags, you're done. You know, you're not playing, You're not going.

(01:26:51):
It's over your you're leaving Minneapolis.If you lose tomorrow, you're not
going to the NCAA tournament. ButI honestly think that even really, unless
they're winning, they're not getting reallyin that tournament. Kelly, I just
don't know. We talked a lotabout the Indiana State thing the other day,
and I just think that the waythe committee deals with all of this,

(01:27:15):
I just think that if Ohio Stategets to the championship game, gives
a good account of themselves comes outof that. I guess it would be
twenty two and thirteen and depending onwho they beat to get to the championship
game. Now there are upsets alongthe way, and Ohio State is able

(01:27:36):
to navigate their way through a lowerseed. I don't know that that helps
them. I think they need tohave higher seeds win and then beat those
higher seeds. They have to beatIowa tomorrow, then they have to beat
whomever the next game would be,and it has to be a higher seed
than Ohio State. That helps.Again, that does wonders for their resume
right now, for their tournament resume. So whether or not again, whether

(01:28:00):
or not they can get in,I tend to with the poll, I
I tend to put them in theuh they have to win the attorney to
get in. Just I mean thatobviously makes certain that you're in. That's
kind of where I put them.I just don't know that they again,
but so many other things going on. The thing you have to keep in
mind is all these other conference tournamentsthat are going on, not every favorite

(01:28:21):
is going to win, and thereare teams with better resumes than Ohio State
that are going If Dayton were tolose tomorrow night, then that that's a
that's another thing Ohio State that's againstOhio State. Absolutely, that takes a
shot away from Ohio State. Becausethe team that beats Dayton continues on and
that that hurts Ohio State chances.And if you start putting A with B

(01:28:43):
and C with D and all thosethings all the way down the line,
you get a math problem. EvenI don't understand. Yeah, but it's
again they're what they've done, though, is they've played themselves into the into
the position where they have at leastmade the committee go, we gotta spend
some time talking about that. Well, yeah, because there was a I
mean, but in January it waslike last everybody was like, you guys
are gonna have a great summer,you know, like move on exactly.

(01:29:06):
So they they played their way intothis position, absolutely, but did they
get there only time time? Yeah, it's going to be a fun,
fun weekend of basketball four forty eightha time. This is the press box.
We're glad you're with us, FoxSports nine eighty WN and e get

(01:29:30):
on the press box called Marty nowat nine three seven by three, one
six, one seven zero the pressbox on Fox Sports nine eighty WN eight.
The Easternament going on in Madison SquareGarden in New York City. The
eight seed Butler, the nine seedXavier going at it. And it's thirty

(01:29:50):
one thirty Butler with the advantage rightnow in the eight versus nine seed game.
Thad mottas Butler Bulldogs trying to advancein the Big East Tournament again at
Madison Square Garden in New York City. We were looking at Ohio State's tournament
bracket as we were talking about itprior to the time out Black Eyes.

(01:30:10):
If they were to win the BigTen Tournament and everything were to hold a
hold chalk, so to speak,get your SHARPI out and mark all these
teams down, they would all haveto win. Ohio State would would have
beaten the seven seed Ile with thetwo seed Illinois the one seed Perdue.
Obviously that gets you win because youwin the automatic berth. But I think
if they get to Purdue, andas I said, if they knock off

(01:30:32):
Iowa and Illinois the seven and twoseeds and then give Perdue all they can
handle for forty minutes, that mightbe good enough. If everything else,
if things don't go completely off therails, like if for example, Xavier
wins the Big East Tournament, wellthat's a problem. You have to have
all the higher seeds. You haveto have the top seeds win these things

(01:30:54):
exactly so you can have so youcan have quality wins, right, So
you can have it quality wins andyou can have a chance. Yeah,
So that's that's all part of thisas well too, And That's why this
is so much fun, because youcan you consider and talk about these brackets
and all the ways of teams winningand what they have to do. And
as like we were talking before thebreak, how the backup point guarded BYU

(01:31:15):
is now scoring twenty nine points agame. There's so many things that just
factory into this would make it sucha such a fun, fun time of
the year. Of dating on someof the things going on on this Wednesday,
trev Alberts leaving Nebraska as director ofathletics, taking the same job at
Texas A and m he Owes Nebraska, his alma mater a little over four
million dollars as part of the buyoutof the contract. The Bengals have released

(01:31:40):
safety Nick Scott. There are rumorsbouncing around the Bengals have interest in Eric
Armstead, who has been released bythe forty nine ers defensive lineman. That
would as much as I want DJReader back, I wouldn't be unhappy with
Eric Armstead. I wouldn't. Imean, I wouldn't complain about that.
I would take that and run withit. You're not wrong, there be

(01:32:02):
very happy about that. Cincinnati PurcellMary and junior basketball stand out d Alexander
has repeated as Ohio's Miss Basketball,and this is her second win in that
category, so she has a chanceto be a three time winner and stands
a pretty good chance I think ofdoing that next year, although there are

(01:32:26):
some talented players in this state,make no mistake about that, but she's
I think, without question, thebest girls basketball player in the state of
Ohio. Right State Director of AthleticsBob Grant has announced his retirement. He
has been the director of athletics atWright State, who has been with the
university for more than thirty years andwas a part of a tenure that saw

(01:32:51):
Wright State win its first ever NCAABasketball Division I Basketball tournament game fifteen combined
NCAA tournament appearances since twenty eighteen.So many other programs did very well.
The men's golf program, the women'sbasketball team posted its first ever tournament win
in twenty twenty one. Constantly aNCAA tournament participant, he was direct named

(01:33:14):
director of athletics at Right State intwo thousand and eight, and we'll be
retiring. His last day as directorof athletics will be March thirty. First
for Wright State and also in collegeathletics today some news that has called a
lot of Ohio State fans off guard. Tony Alford, Ohio State's running backs
coach, is leaving the Buckeyes totake the same job with the University of

(01:33:39):
Michigan. He has been Ohio State'srunning backs coach since twenty fifteen. He
is the second longest tenured assistant onthe Buckeyes coaching staff, behind only defensive
line coach Larry Johnson, who joinedthe Buckeyes in twenty fourteen. So interesting
move there, with Larry Johnson goingto Tony Alfer going to Michigan, I

(01:34:00):
should say so interesting move there.Spring training baseball Reds were up pounded last
night. We played that comment fromA. Graham Ashcraft a little while ago
about his effort last night, andagain, if you're gonna get beat around,
okay, do it now. Let'snot have it happen when everything starts
for real. The Reds, Guardiansand Reds both in action. I've read.

(01:34:21):
You know the Reds are planing.I thought they had an off day.
But the Reds are playing the Giantsand that one starts. It should
be getting underway here shortly. Ithink the Guardians at last check. We're
up five to nothing on the Cubs. That game is where is that game
happened? No? Check it theother way around. It's five nothing.
It's five nothing Cubs. The Redslead the Giants four to one. Now

(01:34:43):
as that game moves along, thatgame is in the bottom half of the
third So spring training baseball. Aswe count down the days towards the start
of the Major League Baseball season Marchtwenty eighth, when the Reds open up
so quick? Did we? Did? We ever? Mention Drohn Holmes being
named the A ten players quickly yesterday, But uh, that's a given.

(01:35:05):
I mean, don't you think youabsolutely? I think so. Well.
He was the co Player of theYear, so that was interesting only I
think the third time that that's happened. And he was named defensive player of
the Year, which that's not surprisingat all, No, but winning both
of the same time also a rarity. Absolutely so shout out Toron Holmes,
the second who we interviewed. Yeah, we had him here in a in
studio. I was back in December. Yeah, a long time ago.

(01:35:27):
He's still that tall. I don'tthink he's lost it. Lost night they
had just play Houston at that time, and we had a really good conversation
with him about Houston and how theyplayed against Houston, and he was obviously
very impressed with Houston, but Idon't think he was afraid of them.
No, that's the thing. Imean, he's been able to, i
mean, meet the challenge. SoI'm excited to see what Dayton can do

(01:35:49):
here in the tournament coming up.It's gonna be a lot of fun,
no doubt. Again. We'll beback with you on Friday. We're off
tomorrow with the OHSA Girls Basketball timateweb coverage of the Lower ME game at
twelve forty right here from the OHSARadio Network, and then we'll take you
to the Miami broadcast of their MACTournament game with Akron, and we'll be

(01:36:11):
back with you on Friday from threeto five with the full show that will
come to you live from the Universityof Dayton Arena. I think they're going
to let me sit courtside for that. We're trying to get it worked out
to do something next week from theUD arena from the first four The NCAA
is very stingy about things like that, so we're trying to get all that

(01:36:32):
figured out. But our basketball andthe state secutity and I we're going to
be over there watching the games andwe'll be able to talk a lot about
what happened, and perhaps some specialinterviews as well too when we're over there
and hears some things from some ofthe participants in the first four games over
the University of Dyton Arena. Andas we talked earlier with the folks in
the Big Hoopla, it's such afun time, it really is. All

(01:36:53):
the basketball and all the things goingon. It's kind of that last hurrah
of the winter sports season with basketballwrapping up with the OHSA state tournaments the
first four It's just a fun,fun time of the year as far as
basketball is concerned. All Right,that will do it for today's edition of
the press Box. Again, We'reback with you tomorrow or Friday, she'll

(01:37:13):
say, from three to five Again, no show tomorrow. We'll have a
high school tournament basketball action for youTomorrow is starting at twelve forty and then
the Miami RedHawks the Akron Zips threethirty pre game four o'click tip. Terry
Bridge will be calling that game tomorrow. Stee Baker will not be making the
trip up to the Cleveland area.But Terry does a fine job. He'll
have to call tomorrow as Miami triesto stay alive and knock off Travis Steele's

(01:37:36):
Brothers team John Gross to coach theAkron from the second time in a little
less than a month. I justwonder what Thanksgiving is going to be like,
the opposite ends of the table.One family here, one family there.
We'll see you on Friday. Thepress Box, Fox Sports nine eighty
w h Fox Sports nine eighty E, w O N E Dayton and w

(01:38:15):
t U e h D two DaytonSports Station

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.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}1. The Podium

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March 13, 2024: Steve Baker and The Big Hoopla

1. The Podium