The play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN on gearing up for football season, His expectations for the Utes, Is parity good for Big 12 (?) + more
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You too.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
The Shan O'Connell Show from the Murdoch Chevrolet Studio of
ESPN seven hundred and one half ans, Welcome back to
the Shaw O'Connell Show, and welcome in our good friend
Roxy Bernstein, a sports encyclopedia, and he could talk anything
(00:24):
football baseball. But I could ask Roxy questions only about
the Little League World Series and he'd probably knock it
out of the park pun intended. I'm not gonna do that,
but he's here with us to talk all things Roxy.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Welcome. How are you?
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Oh see you would stop me on the Little League
World Series?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Okay, there's limits, I guess, yeah, there's only so much
bandwidth I have.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
So talking about that bandwidth.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I mean, you've been working baseball, Football's coming, Like do
you do? You have to switch into different parts of
the Roxy Bernstein sports brain in order to handle the
two different sports, or the three different sports that you're
touching on at different phases of the year.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Or hockey the four sports that I cover right. Compartmentalizing
can be challenging. Luckily, I have like a little break
here in August to recharge because September is going to
be a grind. I mean, that's when college football just
really gets cranking up. I know, August thirtieth is kind
(01:28):
of the opening weekend, but major League Baseball heading down
the stretch in September, the NFL is starting. Then you
have the NHL and college basketball kind of right around
the corner. So this is my calm before the storm
right now. And then I just have like the emotions
of being a parent. Tomorrow, OC I am taking my
(01:51):
daughter to college. We are dropping her off, flying to
Texas to take my daughter to college. I'm still trying
to come to grips with that that.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
I'm sure that won't be a waterworks type moment at all.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Rocks, Oh not at all.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
No, I don't even.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Like thinking My oldest is only six, and I don't
even like thinking about that.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
So, dude, it's going to hit you before you know it.
It's like yesterday, I'm walking her into a kindergarten class,
and now here we are I'm going to be dropping
her off at TCU.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, I'm sure she will have a great time and
do wonderful things. And I wish you luck in that adventure. Man,
that sounds rough. Let's talk some college football, you like,
like you know, and I know that the bandwidth is
what it is. But I know you've been paying attention
to this offseason the way that I have, and you
know we're trying to figure out where Utah is going
(02:41):
to be. There are some publications, some voices that are like, yeah,
they figured out they hired a new offense. Basically, you
got a new quarterback who was very prolific last year,
even if it wasn't in the passing game per se.
And you got Kyle Whittingham and a defense that is
good every single year. So Utah should be back in
a deep and parody laden Big Twelve conference. There are
(03:03):
other people that are out there like, no, they're going
to be middle of the pack, They're going to be
kind of like six seventh in the league. Where do
you see Utah fitting in as we get rolling.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
I think when you talk about the youth six seven
in the Big twelve, I think that's kind of the
bottom for them, right. I still believe in coach wit
and what this team does. They're so good upfront on
both sides of the ball, right with the offensive line
that we know has been an anchor for this team
along with the D line for years. It is a
(03:34):
competitive Big Twelve, and certainly Arizona State shocked a lot
of people last year. A lot of people are excited
about what Kansas State can do this year, the money
that Texas Tech spent to retool their roster. But this
is a really good league and I do I definitely
think Utah is going to be in the upper half
of the league. Can they crack the top five of
the Big twelve? That remains to be seen, but I
(03:56):
think the opportunity is there for them.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, you and I spent a lot of time I'm
talking Pac twelve everything and covering that conference, and you
called innumerable games in that conference, and one of the
things that ended up hurting that conference in the long
run was the parody for the average football fan to
know that it's going to be a competitive game every
Saturday or Thursday night or whatever it is. That's fun,
(04:20):
but at the end of the year, it would hurt
the Pac twelve and it could potentially hurt the Big Twelve.
It hurt the Big twelve a little bit last year,
and there's expected to be even more parody in it
this year. So, as an announcer, but more importantly as
a fan, how do you view a deep league, a
league like this one, because you end up cannibalizing and
(04:41):
shooting yourself in the foot sometimes, but the football that's
good every weekend.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And I think that's why the non conference sean is
going to be so critical, right, because that's when you
have opportunities to really boost your profile because of now
the really well you look at the conferences and what's
happened in the consolidate with four power conferences, you're going
to have deeper, more balanced leagues. And that's and it's
(05:06):
not just the Big Twelve that's in that category. I
would put the ACC in there, I'd put the Big
Ten in there, and I'd put the SEC in there
as well, because there is so much more depth to
these leagues. And you mentioned the Pac twelve. We'll look
at last year Arizona state their success, what Oregon did,
and these were teams that had success in the Pac twelve.
(05:28):
And you threw in certainly the year and year out
presence of a USC in Washington. But now all these
teams have scattered. But that's something you're going to have
to get used to, is this depth to these leagues
because of for example, sixteen teams in the Big Twelve,
that there's just going to be more competition, and the
(05:48):
games that you're supposed to win, you'd better win because
I don't know if there are opportunities to get them back.
To be honest with you, the depth of these leagues,
and you look at, for example, and non conference slate
opening week for the Utes going to the Rose Bowl,
it's paramount I think they win that game against UCLA,
and once he get an elite play, everybody's beating themselves up.
(06:12):
You have to have success before you get into conference play.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Roxy Bernstein is our guest here on the Sean O'Connell show,
talk at All Things Sports, all things college football. At
the moment, the idea that you know you're gonna get
a playoff representative, a single playoff representative at least for
the Big twelve conference, and there's a looming decision about
what expansion might look like and whether they'll be automatic
(06:38):
bids or not, does that make this year any more
significant in playoff representation for the Big Twelve, for the ACC,
for the mid majors, because you know, ultimately it's going
to be the SEC and the Big Ten who lead
this thing and end up with the most spots, But
can anything happen in twenty twenty five that will influence
(07:00):
how many spots there are at the table in the
future for these leagues that are kind of chasing.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
I just think the perception sean that the teams that
across the national landscape there needs to be an impact
from the ACC and the Big Twelve this year because
of what you talked about trying to get more seats
to the table. And for example, when you looked at
last year and the preseason picks, Arizona State was at
(07:28):
the bottom of the Big Twelve. Nobody thought. Nobody thought
they'd I don't even think Kenny Dillingham, to be honest
with you, thought they do what they did, but they
did it, and now the perception clearly of Arizona State
football has changed. That's why I think you need to
lay the foundation if you can find some way to
get at least two, maybe three teams into the College
(07:51):
Football Playoff, which is certainly going to be difficult, but
that changes the narrative nationally. And a lot of people
paid attention to Colorado because of Prime and what he
was doing, but let's face it, the other teams are
having more success Campbell has done at Iowa State certainly
has opened some eyes and they're going to be near
the top of the league this year. But if you
(08:12):
can find some way to get at least two, and
if you can get three in the College Football Playoff,
I think that changes the way people will look at
the Big Twelve.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
You've called a lot of games now in the transfer
portal era. You've seen the impact that new players have
on teams, great players at a previous school coming in
and doing something in a new spot.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
What is the biggest challenge in your mind?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
What has been as you've observed this phenomenon over these
last few years, what is the biggest obstacle to having
it be seamless, Because Utah and a lot of teams
in this Big Twelve and around the country, they're relying
on transfer players, in Utel's case, at the most important
position but a very important pace.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Well. From a broadcasting standpoint, Sean, it's like you know
the game that inside the NBA would play, who he
played for. That's what we have to kind of figure out, right,
because from year to year you don't know who he
played for, and one year he could be here and
then he moves to a different spot and to keep
(09:21):
up with the changes. It makes it challenging, not just
for us, but imagine the coaches and what they're dealing with. Okay,
the portal and you're trying to plug a hole. You
think you have a player that you're going to develop,
but then they're gone in a year, and that's I
have an issue with the NCAA and the way the
portal is run. I'm all for these players, Sean getting
(09:45):
a one time free transfer that there's no penalty. You're
not sitting out. The kid made a bad decision, the
coach leaves for whatever reason. I'm giving you that one
time get out of jail free card. You want to
go someplace else to play. This second time you transfer,
I think you should have to sit out regardless. I
don't care if there is a family hardship, an illness
(10:09):
in the family, whatever went on in your previous school.
The second time you transfer, there should be that penalty
for an automatic sit out a year. You shouldn't lose
that year athletically, but you have to sit because I
think it's made a mockery of what college athletics are
supposed to be. And I get it, they're getting paid
now with nil and the way the revenue sharing everything's
(10:29):
going to go. But they are also students at universities
and the education has taken a back seat, where I
think that needs to be brought to the forefront and
really the base of what college athletics should be about.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Is there a team this year that you could foresee
that that's not one of these blue bloods? Right we
know who the haves are and who the have nots are,
and who is kind of in the middle is the
kind of haves? Is there someone even from the kind
of haves category that you could see making a national
splash like Arizona State did last year? They very nearly
beat Texas in a playoff game, but almost only counts
(11:07):
in hand grenades and horseshoes. So is there some team
out there that could pull that off this year?
Speaker 4 (11:14):
An interesting team for me is Kansas State because of
what they're bringing back in terms of at quarterback with
Avery Johnson. When you look at the schedule, for example,
I think it's relatively favorable for them, although they will
have that big showdown in Salt Lake City I think
at the end of November, and they will play some
(11:36):
other competitive teams, but I do believe that there was
a path for Kansas State to make a push this year.
Outside of that, it's really tough now because when I
look at the ACC, well, Clemson to me has really
an inside track to get to the College Football Playoff
and get a high seat. I just don't think there's
(11:59):
the depth and ballot us to the ACC that there is,
for example, in the Big Twelve. So Clemson has an
easy path. But that's kind of, you know, a blue
blood that's kind of found themselves again. Right, For years
Clemson was out of the national equation, but in recent
years they've come back, and I think this is a
year that Clemson can really make a run because of
(12:22):
I think the parody that's in the ACC, and I
don't think it's top heavy, and Clemson to me is
far and away the best team in the league.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
How are your cal Bears going to look this year?
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Roxy you know, it's funny, Sean, because they did lose
a lot, right Franda mendoz are the quarterback transfers to Indiana,
Jaydon Odd transfers to Oklahoma, Jack Andres transfers to Texas.
Those are three key weapons offensively. I think they're going
to be really good defensively, which has always been really
a trademark of the Justin Wilcox teams. Offensively, there's some questions.
(12:56):
If they can figure those out, they can be maybe
an eight win team at best. That's the way I
look at Cal. The more likely probably six and six,
could go seven and five, but I think they have
a weaker schedule that gives them the opportunity to get
to eight wins.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Before I let you go touching on a little bit
of baseball. As you know, it's a marathon of a
regular season. You know that far better than I do.
But there's gonna be a little crisp in the air
soon enough, and that's when things really get serious in
Major League Baseball. How many teams are World Series contenders
as we round into August.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
I look at the six teams in the National League,
and I give them all legitimate shots that I see
as playoff team sean because of the way the trade
deadline worked right. Certainly, the money the Dodgers have put
in to what they do and a lot of their
work was done in the offseason in the winner. But
when I look at those six teams, for example, I
(13:57):
don't see any team breaking through and taking a playoff
spot away from the Phillies, the Mets, the Brewers, the Cubs, Dodgers, Padres,
I could see any of those teams winning it. And
you know, when you get to September baseball it's a
crapshoot because it's not always the best team that wins
a lot. Like the NCAA basketball tournament, it's the team
(14:19):
that's playing the best at that time of the year.
And in the American League, I think there's a little
bit more parody. I don't like the way the Yankees
are trending right now. It's been a rough go of it. Now.
Judge just came back, but they've still lost five in
a row. To push the Toronto has made and how
aggressive they were at the deadline bringing in a former
Cy Young Award winner, Boston is shocked everybody with what
(14:41):
they've done. The Tigers to me seeing the class to
the American League, but I think there's more power and
strength of the National League and those six teams. I
think our World Series champion comes from the NL. I
really do.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Rox Sey.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I love picking your brain every time we get a chance.
Any trips to Salt Lake City scheduled anytime soon.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
I am coming in a couple of weeks. Sean Well,
I was just there last week they and last Monday
nodded down at BYU. They had a retirement party for
Tom Holmo that I flew in for as Tom and
I go, as you know, go back a long way,
so I wanted to be there for him and his family.
Was a great night down at Lavelle Edward Stadium. But
I'm coming back. Counting Crows are coming to Salt Lake Shawan.
(15:24):
You know, if I could squeeze in a trip to
red Iguana the show, you know me, there's.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
No there's no more quick to essential Roxy Bernstein experience
than red Iguana Counting Crows. I guess you would have
to call a game while you were here in order
to make it the perfect trifecta.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
That's that's a very good point. There's no games for
me to call in Salt Lake City at that point
of the year, so unfortunately I can't pull off the
hat trick.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Maybe maybe we'll have our guy Tony Parks take a
night off for the Salt Lake Bees and you could
check out the new ballpark.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
You know, I want to see it. I've heard great
things about it. I know it's a little bit of
a track from downtown, but I've heard great things about
that ballpark.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yeah, I've heard both.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
I've heard people who love it and people who like
me miss the one, the Smiths Ballpark right in the
heart of the city that was more convenient for me,
which is all I care about.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Roxy, It's all about us. I'm with you one hundred percent.
What's ever easier works best for me.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
You're the man. Talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
If you have time while you're in town, Let's go
grab a burrito or something.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
I'll text to you. I'll let you know all right.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
That's Roxy Bernstein.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
You can hear him calling football games, basketball games, hockey
games right now, baseball games, and if you.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Go to the Counting Crows concert you'll see him there.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
He does the occasional ESPN Radio baseball game. Our listeners
are very familiar with her and him on ESPN Radio,
so I'm sure we'll hear plenty of that before the
irregular season's over.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Roxy.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Somehow, he's got restaurant connections and ticket connections everywhere he
goes because he's just a man.
You too.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
The Shan O'Connell Show from the Murdoch Chevrolet Studio of
ESPN seven hundred and one half ans, Welcome back to
the Shaw O'Connell Show, and welcome in our good friend
Roxy Bernstein, a sports encyclopedia, and he could talk anything
(00:24):
football baseball. But I could ask Roxy questions only about
the Little League World Series and he'd probably knock it
out of the park pun intended. I'm not gonna do that,
but he's here with us to talk all things Roxy.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Welcome. How are you?
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Oh see you would stop me on the Little League
World Series?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Okay, there's limits, I guess, yeah, there's only so much
bandwidth I have.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
So talking about that bandwidth.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I mean, you've been working baseball, Football's coming, Like do
you do? You have to switch into different parts of
the Roxy Bernstein sports brain in order to handle the
two different sports, or the three different sports that you're
touching on at different phases of the year.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Or hockey the four sports that I cover right. Compartmentalizing
can be challenging. Luckily, I have like a little break
here in August to recharge because September is going to
be a grind. I mean, that's when college football just
really gets cranking up. I know, August thirtieth is kind
(01:28):
of the opening weekend, but major League Baseball heading down
the stretch in September, the NFL is starting. Then you
have the NHL and college basketball kind of right around
the corner. So this is my calm before the storm
right now. And then I just have like the emotions
of being a parent. Tomorrow, OC I am taking my
(01:51):
daughter to college. We are dropping her off, flying to
Texas to take my daughter to college. I'm still trying
to come to grips with that that.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
I'm sure that won't be a waterworks type moment at all.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Rocks, Oh not at all.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
No, I don't even.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Like thinking My oldest is only six, and I don't
even like thinking about that.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
So, dude, it's going to hit you before you know it.
It's like yesterday, I'm walking her into a kindergarten class,
and now here we are I'm going to be dropping
her off at TCU.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, I'm sure she will have a great time and
do wonderful things. And I wish you luck in that adventure. Man,
that sounds rough. Let's talk some college football, you like,
like you know, and I know that the bandwidth is
what it is. But I know you've been paying attention
to this offseason the way that I have, and you
know we're trying to figure out where Utah is going
(02:41):
to be. There are some publications, some voices that are like, yeah,
they figured out they hired a new offense. Basically, you
got a new quarterback who was very prolific last year,
even if it wasn't in the passing game per se.
And you got Kyle Whittingham and a defense that is
good every single year. So Utah should be back in
a deep and parody laden Big Twelve conference. There are
(03:03):
other people that are out there like, no, they're going
to be middle of the pack, They're going to be
kind of like six seventh in the league. Where do
you see Utah fitting in as we get rolling.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
I think when you talk about the youth six seven
in the Big twelve, I think that's kind of the
bottom for them, right. I still believe in coach wit
and what this team does. They're so good upfront on
both sides of the ball, right with the offensive line
that we know has been an anchor for this team
along with the D line for years. It is a
(03:34):
competitive Big Twelve, and certainly Arizona State shocked a lot
of people last year. A lot of people are excited
about what Kansas State can do this year, the money
that Texas Tech spent to retool their roster. But this
is a really good league and I do I definitely
think Utah is going to be in the upper half
of the league. Can they crack the top five of
the Big twelve? That remains to be seen, but I
(03:56):
think the opportunity is there for them.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, you and I spent a lot of time I'm
talking Pac twelve everything and covering that conference, and you
called innumerable games in that conference, and one of the
things that ended up hurting that conference in the long
run was the parody for the average football fan to
know that it's going to be a competitive game every
Saturday or Thursday night or whatever it is. That's fun,
(04:20):
but at the end of the year, it would hurt
the Pac twelve and it could potentially hurt the Big Twelve.
It hurt the Big twelve a little bit last year,
and there's expected to be even more parody in it
this year. So, as an announcer, but more importantly as
a fan, how do you view a deep league, a
league like this one, because you end up cannibalizing and
(04:41):
shooting yourself in the foot sometimes, but the football that's
good every weekend.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And I think that's why the non conference sean is
going to be so critical, right, because that's when you
have opportunities to really boost your profile because of now
the really well you look at the conferences and what's
happened in the consolidate with four power conferences, you're going
to have deeper, more balanced leagues. And that's and it's
(05:06):
not just the Big Twelve that's in that category. I
would put the ACC in there, I'd put the Big
Ten in there, and I'd put the SEC in there
as well, because there is so much more depth to
these leagues. And you mentioned the Pac twelve. We'll look
at last year Arizona state their success, what Oregon did,
and these were teams that had success in the Pac twelve.
(05:28):
And you threw in certainly the year and year out
presence of a USC in Washington. But now all these
teams have scattered. But that's something you're going to have
to get used to, is this depth to these leagues
because of for example, sixteen teams in the Big Twelve,
that there's just going to be more competition, and the
(05:48):
games that you're supposed to win, you'd better win because
I don't know if there are opportunities to get them back.
To be honest with you, the depth of these leagues,
and you look at, for example, and non conference slate
opening week for the Utes going to the Rose Bowl,
it's paramount I think they win that game against UCLA,
and once he get an elite play, everybody's beating themselves up.
(06:12):
You have to have success before you get into conference play.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Roxy Bernstein is our guest here on the Sean O'Connell show,
talk at All Things Sports, all things college football. At
the moment, the idea that you know you're gonna get
a playoff representative, a single playoff representative at least for
the Big twelve conference, and there's a looming decision about
what expansion might look like and whether they'll be automatic
(06:38):
bids or not, does that make this year any more
significant in playoff representation for the Big Twelve, for the ACC,
for the mid majors, because you know, ultimately it's going
to be the SEC and the Big Ten who lead
this thing and end up with the most spots, But
can anything happen in twenty twenty five that will influence
(07:00):
how many spots there are at the table in the
future for these leagues that are kind of chasing.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
I just think the perception sean that the teams that
across the national landscape there needs to be an impact
from the ACC and the Big Twelve this year because
of what you talked about trying to get more seats
to the table. And for example, when you looked at
last year and the preseason picks, Arizona State was at
(07:28):
the bottom of the Big Twelve. Nobody thought. Nobody thought
they'd I don't even think Kenny Dillingham, to be honest
with you, thought they do what they did, but they
did it, and now the perception clearly of Arizona State
football has changed. That's why I think you need to
lay the foundation if you can find some way to
get at least two, maybe three teams into the College
(07:51):
Football Playoff, which is certainly going to be difficult, but
that changes the narrative nationally. And a lot of people
paid attention to Colorado because of Prime and what he
was doing, but let's face it, the other teams are
having more success Campbell has done at Iowa State certainly
has opened some eyes and they're going to be near
the top of the league this year. But if you
(08:12):
can find some way to get at least two, and
if you can get three in the College Football Playoff,
I think that changes the way people will look at
the Big Twelve.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
You've called a lot of games now in the transfer
portal era. You've seen the impact that new players have
on teams, great players at a previous school coming in
and doing something in a new spot.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
What is the biggest challenge in your mind?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
What has been as you've observed this phenomenon over these
last few years, what is the biggest obstacle to having
it be seamless, Because Utah and a lot of teams
in this Big Twelve and around the country, they're relying
on transfer players, in Utel's case, at the most important
position but a very important pace.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Well. From a broadcasting standpoint, Sean, it's like you know
the game that inside the NBA would play, who he
played for. That's what we have to kind of figure out, right,
because from year to year you don't know who he
played for, and one year he could be here and
then he moves to a different spot and to keep
(09:21):
up with the changes. It makes it challenging, not just
for us, but imagine the coaches and what they're dealing with. Okay,
the portal and you're trying to plug a hole. You
think you have a player that you're going to develop,
but then they're gone in a year, and that's I
have an issue with the NCAA and the way the
portal is run. I'm all for these players, Sean getting
(09:45):
a one time free transfer that there's no penalty. You're
not sitting out. The kid made a bad decision, the
coach leaves for whatever reason. I'm giving you that one
time get out of jail free card. You want to
go someplace else to play. This second time you transfer,
I think you should have to sit out regardless. I
don't care if there is a family hardship, an illness
(10:09):
in the family, whatever went on in your previous school.
The second time you transfer, there should be that penalty
for an automatic sit out a year. You shouldn't lose
that year athletically, but you have to sit because I
think it's made a mockery of what college athletics are
supposed to be. And I get it, they're getting paid
now with nil and the way the revenue sharing everything's
(10:29):
going to go. But they are also students at universities
and the education has taken a back seat, where I
think that needs to be brought to the forefront and
really the base of what college athletics should be about.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Is there a team this year that you could foresee
that that's not one of these blue bloods? Right we
know who the haves are and who the have nots are,
and who is kind of in the middle is the
kind of haves? Is there someone even from the kind
of haves category that you could see making a national
splash like Arizona State did last year? They very nearly
beat Texas in a playoff game, but almost only counts
(11:07):
in hand grenades and horseshoes. So is there some team
out there that could pull that off this year?
Speaker 4 (11:14):
An interesting team for me is Kansas State because of
what they're bringing back in terms of at quarterback with
Avery Johnson. When you look at the schedule, for example,
I think it's relatively favorable for them, although they will
have that big showdown in Salt Lake City I think
at the end of November, and they will play some
(11:36):
other competitive teams, but I do believe that there was
a path for Kansas State to make a push this year.
Outside of that, it's really tough now because when I
look at the ACC, well, Clemson to me has really
an inside track to get to the College Football Playoff
and get a high seat. I just don't think there's
(11:59):
the depth and ballot us to the ACC that there is,
for example, in the Big Twelve. So Clemson has an
easy path. But that's kind of, you know, a blue
blood that's kind of found themselves again. Right, For years
Clemson was out of the national equation, but in recent
years they've come back, and I think this is a
year that Clemson can really make a run because of
(12:22):
I think the parody that's in the ACC, and I
don't think it's top heavy, and Clemson to me is
far and away the best team in the league.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
How are your cal Bears going to look this year?
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Roxy you know, it's funny, Sean, because they did lose
a lot, right Franda mendoz are the quarterback transfers to Indiana,
Jaydon Odd transfers to Oklahoma, Jack Andres transfers to Texas.
Those are three key weapons offensively. I think they're going
to be really good defensively, which has always been really
a trademark of the Justin Wilcox teams. Offensively, there's some questions.
(12:56):
If they can figure those out, they can be maybe
an eight win team at best. That's the way I
look at Cal. The more likely probably six and six,
could go seven and five, but I think they have
a weaker schedule that gives them the opportunity to get
to eight wins.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Before I let you go touching on a little bit
of baseball. As you know, it's a marathon of a
regular season. You know that far better than I do.
But there's gonna be a little crisp in the air
soon enough, and that's when things really get serious in
Major League Baseball. How many teams are World Series contenders
as we round into August.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
I look at the six teams in the National League,
and I give them all legitimate shots that I see
as playoff team sean because of the way the trade
deadline worked right. Certainly, the money the Dodgers have put
in to what they do and a lot of their
work was done in the offseason in the winner. But
when I look at those six teams, for example, I
(13:57):
don't see any team breaking through and taking a playoff
spot away from the Phillies, the Mets, the Brewers, the Cubs, Dodgers, Padres,
I could see any of those teams winning it. And
you know, when you get to September baseball it's a
crapshoot because it's not always the best team that wins
a lot. Like the NCAA basketball tournament, it's the team
(14:19):
that's playing the best at that time of the year.
And in the American League, I think there's a little
bit more parody. I don't like the way the Yankees
are trending right now. It's been a rough go of it. Now.
Judge just came back, but they've still lost five in
a row. To push the Toronto has made and how
aggressive they were at the deadline bringing in a former
Cy Young Award winner, Boston is shocked everybody with what
(14:41):
they've done. The Tigers to me seeing the class to
the American League, but I think there's more power and
strength of the National League and those six teams. I
think our World Series champion comes from the NL. I
really do.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Rox Sey.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I love picking your brain every time we get a chance.
Any trips to Salt Lake City scheduled anytime soon.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
I am coming in a couple of weeks. Sean Well,
I was just there last week they and last Monday
nodded down at BYU. They had a retirement party for
Tom Holmo that I flew in for as Tom and
I go, as you know, go back a long way,
so I wanted to be there for him and his family.
Was a great night down at Lavelle Edward Stadium. But
I'm coming back. Counting Crows are coming to Salt Lake Shawan.
(15:24):
You know, if I could squeeze in a trip to
red Iguana the show, you know me, there's.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
No there's no more quick to essential Roxy Bernstein experience
than red Iguana Counting Crows. I guess you would have
to call a game while you were here in order
to make it the perfect trifecta.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
That's that's a very good point. There's no games for
me to call in Salt Lake City at that point
of the year, so unfortunately I can't pull off the
hat trick.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Maybe maybe we'll have our guy Tony Parks take a
night off for the Salt Lake Bees and you could
check out the new ballpark.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
You know, I want to see it. I've heard great
things about it. I know it's a little bit of
a track from downtown, but I've heard great things about
that ballpark.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yeah, I've heard both.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
I've heard people who love it and people who like
me miss the one, the Smiths Ballpark right in the
heart of the city that was more convenient for me,
which is all I care about.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Roxy, It's all about us. I'm with you one hundred percent.
What's ever easier works best for me.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
You're the man. Talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
If you have time while you're in town, Let's go
grab a burrito or something.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
I'll text to you. I'll let you know all right.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
That's Roxy Bernstein.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
You can hear him calling football games, basketball games, hockey
games right now, baseball games, and if you.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Go to the Counting Crows concert you'll see him there.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
He does the occasional ESPN Radio baseball game. Our listeners
are very familiar with her and him on ESPN Radio,
so I'm sure we'll hear plenty of that before the
irregular season's over.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Roxy.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Somehow, he's got restaurant connections and ticket connections everywhere he
goes because he's just a man.
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