Hour 1: Is Lauri Markkanen a Long Term Piece for the Utah Jazz? | Top 3 Stories: Michigan fined f…
And now it’s 10:00 a.m. Let’s just get down to it and it’s time for your sports picks. Strap yourselves in, folks. From two guys who have covered the teams you’re passionate about for years, we are professionals. This is Jake Scott and Ben Anderson on 975 the KSL Sports Zone broadcasting from the Mountain Home Services studio. This is 975 KZNS FM cold band 1280 KZNS AAM Salt Lake City and 102.7 KSL FM HD2 Salt Lake City midvamp. This is 97 fun sports. And now it’s 10:00 a.m. Let’s just get down to it and it’s time for your sports picks. Strap yourselves in, folks. From two guys who have covered the teams you’re passionate about for years. We are professionals. This is Jake Scott and Ben Anderson on 975 the KSL Sports Zone. Jacob and Ben 975 the KSL Sports Zone. It’s uh it’s funny Christian is playing this song. Ben, I’ve uh with our kids, we’ve been going through like movies from our childhood that uh we want to rewatch and and they can watch. We did Back to the Future last uh last week and that is my favorite part is where Chuck, Chuck, it’s your cousin Marvin. Marvin Perry, I have that new sound you’re looking for. It’s like such a subtle funny joke. A funny joke that not, you know, anyone everyone would notice. He’s playing Chuck Barry’s song. Yeah. And Marvin’s like, “Check this out. We can take this. He’s your cousin. Yeah. Uh Christian, Back to the Future is a movie that was done in 1985 starring Michael J. Fox and uh what was what’s that clown’s name? Who’s called? Who’s Emtt Doc Brown? What’s his name? Oh, Lloyd. Christopher Lloyd. Christopher Lloyd. Yeah. And Leah Thompson. Uh a young Leah Thompson. I have seen it because my mom did the same thing. She said, she sat me and my brother down and said, “You guys have to watch these movies.” Don’t forget Chris and Glover. Uh, the first one, great Chrisen Glover. The first one is very good. I do think the wheels come off a bit in the second. And the third, I don’t know, making a western part of the genre is somewhat charming. I suppose it’s kind of always what you do with the third, right? You go to Japan or you go to whatever you Yeah, you go to the Wild West. Curly Gold. I know that wasn’t the third. That was Oh, that was City Slickers. The what? The hunt for Curly’s Gold. Yeah. You talking Ninja Turtles 3? Ninja Turtles 3. They go to Japan. Yeah. There’s a lot of that. You know, Jack Palance was supposed to be in the sequel and he unfortunately passed. Yeah. Favorite Dead Actors. Didn’t we do that uh for Didn’t get Jack Palance. Oh man, that’s a miss. Jack Palance. Well, he had to be a hundred when he died. There’s no way no way that Christian knows who Jack Palance is. I’m googling right now. The crustiest of crustiest. Listen, have you seen the original Tim Burton Batman? Not that old. The original with Michael Keaton, the one and and Jack as the Joker. Jack Palance is the boss that the Joker like kills because the Joker is hooking up with his girl. Yeah, that’s Jack Palance. Okay. Oh, you know what? I do. Okay, it’s coming back. I I do know who you’re talking about. Did some really famous Cologne commercials. He just is kind of a classic Marlboro man type of guy, you know, just a real tough guy. I don’t know how many Jack Palences are left in the culture. Yeah, we’ve kind of run some of those guys. Who’s the guy? What’s the guy’s name in uh uh in uh the big Labowski who sits down with him to have the sasparilla and says, you know, like how’s it going, dude? Sam Elliott’s an old school guy. Okay, so he’s from that palance vein, right? Yeah, I think you could, if there was a modern, that’s probably a good pick. Josh Brolan could get there as Brolan ages eventually. He could become that guy. All right. Yeah. But anyway, my kids like Back to the Future, the the first one. Anyway, we’ll see how it goes with the second. We were trying to explain to her how in the second one they fast forward in time to what was actually 10 years ago. Yeah. Right. And they were way off and they missed bad. You know, the Jetsons were supposed to take place in like 2020. Yeah. Which seemed forever in the future. We We would have had to make a lot of advancements. Yeah. Remember to get there. Nike said that they were releasing those shoes that he wears that like tie themselves. They did. They did. They released Is Yeah, they released a handful of special pairs and they, you know, they go for $3,500 or whatever on eBay now. I was I was young when the second one came out, but I vi sorry 30,000, not 3500, 30 grand. I vividly remember the rumor. you know, those hoverboards already exist. It’s just a matter of time until they hit the market, like right off. I don’t know if the movie studio like or Mattel or something like that put out that rumor or something, but that it swept elementary schools like, you know, we could we could get that. It’s coming out next spring. Still have not seen that. I’ve still not that seen that technology. No. Even what they marketed as a hoverboard is not that correct. Yeah, at all. Is not that in the slightest. All right. Well, anyway, good choice of uh music there, Christian. Uh we have a lot to do on the show today. Of course, we’ll talk college football. We haven’t done a lot of jazz today and Lock or this week. Lock had a scorcher this morning, okay, of a hot take about the Jazz. And I was asked about this situ uh situation uh when I went on with JJ and Alex yesterday. and we can get into the schedule and and that sort of thing, but I did think this was a scorching take from Luck worthy of discussion. Lowry Markin will be on the Jazz the next time they’re in the playoffs. I disagree. Well, you care to elaborate. Can we wrap the show here? End it with a disagree. What do we We want to play music or something? You want to get the let out? Can we go to break? Bides top three stories coming up next. Jacob Ben disagree. Okay. Well, first of all, how soon do we think the Jazz are going to be back in the playoffs? He was throwing out numbers like I don’t know, three to five, something like that. It ain’t this year. Uhuh. No, not next year. And that was his point. It ain’t this year because the pick they get from this year is part of his rationale. and he was talking about uh young players that are salary controlled as opposed to big contracts and when you can add another big contract and all of a sudden Lowry’s your third best player because Ace Bailey is Jason Tatum. I mean it it was a it was a thing but it was concluded with Lowry will be on the team the next time. I’ll make the argument for how it happens and then I’ll tell you why it doesn’t happen. What do they call that? Steelman the argument. So bad this year, obviously going to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. Bottom four, I don’t know if they’re the worst, but bottom four. Brooklyn’s probably the worst team in the league this year. Jazz try and get AJ Debonsa, Camboozer, Darren Peterson, whatever. One of these guys. That’s their guy along with Walt Clayton, Walker Kesler, Ace Bailey. Maybe Walker Kesler. They didn’t extend him this year. They’re going to extend him next year. Yeah, I would think so, but I’ve seen that situation go south before. But anyway, um then you draft that guy, you figure out if that guy’s good, and or maybe if if we’re talking about the situation where you make the playoffs, you run this year, you get your draft pick. Ideally, you get one of those three guys that I just mentioned, Boozer, Debbonta, uh, Peterson, and you just do what the Rockets have done, or you do what the Pistons did this year, which is you go and you get a bunch of free agents, and you just say, “Yeah, we got money. We’ll just go build out the roster. The young guys are here. They’re ready. One of these young guys from this year will have broken out and be a little bit more ready to play.” So meaning you know Taylor Hendricks, Kyle Filipowski, uh Bryce Sensah, Keonte George, that group that one of those guys plus Kesler plus Lowry plus Ace Bailey plus next year’s draft pick. You support them with two or three guys, the Dylan Brookses, the Fred Vanble Vites, the world, the guys who can step in and help you win right now. and you make a run for the playin tournament and Lowry’s still on the roster. So, Houston two years ago, Houston two years ago, Detroit last year and that would come in the 2728 off season or 26 27 off season. So, two offseasons from now and then you’re back in the playoffs in three years and it’s Lowry’s last year of his deal essentially. And that essentially was Lock’s argument or the playoffs of 2027 I guess is what I think that’s what he had in his mind. He was talking about trading for another star, which I thought, well, that just doesn’t fall out of nowhere. Sure. And you know what, the Jazz have the pieces. If you have the 2030 Suns pick or 2031, whatever year it is, plus some of these young pieces, plus some salaries. Yeah, you could potentially move that for a star. You could. That’s the pathway to it. The truth is, I just think the Jazz are going to trade Lowry before then. I don’t think Lowry is going to be be here by then. Um, and now you have to elaborate as to why I think Larry’s gonna have a big year. I think you’re seeing him play already and it’s two practice games against Belgium, which is with all due respect not known as a great basketball country. But what the Dutch, his Euro basket prep, he started with 48 points. Okay, wait, wait, wait. I’m not going to let you slander Rick Smiths and then just move on with the show. Can you name another player from that country that’s played basketball? Well, he’s been retired for 20 years. Does it matter? It does matter. Yeah, you can have one good, you know, uh, Joseé Ortiz played one year in the NBA. Does not make Mexico a basketball powerhouse either. Listen, how many women’s tennis players from Czechoslovakia can you name? It doesn’t matter cuz Martina is the only one that matters. They’re still not good. Yeah, I can name Andre Agassi. It doesn’t mean American men’s tennis is any good either right now. There’s actually been a bunch of uh good tennis players from Czechoslovakia, but still the the Martina, you know, eclipses them all. Much like the Duncan Dutchman Rick Smiths. So Lowry is lighting up the corpse of Rick Smiths or whatever is on that Belgium team. He’s going to light up Poland coming up too in the next two. Yeah, the great Art Monk. Uh he’s going to have a good Euro basket playing in front of his home crowd. He’s going to come in in shape. He’s going to come in motivated. that the team’s going to let him actually play this year. He’s going to play more than 40 games and you know his breakout came out came off of the Euro basket last year. So assuming he’s healthy, I expect a much better year from Lowry Markin and I think he’s the best player on the market. I think the Jazz sat out the off season largely uh with Lowry because Kevin Durant was available and Bradley Beal became available and some of these names were out there and was waiting to see if they you know needed to unload their assets for Giannis and that’s not happening right now. So Lowry jumps back up to the top player in the market. The Jazz recognized they probably sold a little bit late on some of their other players and they won’t make that same mistake with Lowry. Uh Tummani Kamar. Yeah. Oh, is he on the Dutch team? Well, he’s from Belgium anyway. Okay. I don’t know if he’s playing. Tamani rules. Yeah, he’s a great player. DJ Manga. How do you say that again? DJ Banga. DJ Banga. It’s spelled Mabanga, but yeah, DJ Banga. Dutch. And uh Emma Misman of the Chicago Sky legend. Okay. She’s not on the team. No, but she’s from Belgium. Okay. So, that’s that’s the argument against it is I think the second that Lowry is playing at a high level again, I think the Jazz are going to be tempted to trade him. Okay, because I mean maybe but he’s 28 now. We’re talking about the soonest the Jazz make the playoffs is spring of 2027. Okay. Well, they’re not making it this year, which will be 2026, and they’re not. So, if they make it then, it’s 2027. He’s 30. He’s got two years left on his $40 million deal. I just I don’t see it. Okay. So, I think you’ve you and that’s if the Jazz really accelerate the timeline and make the playoffs in two years. uh that uh I think you you lay out both sides of the argument very well. Um that brings me to the question that I was asked yesterday on JJ and Alex and that’s does Lowry having a big year make them too good where now you’re in danger of you know you’re talking about getting a top three pick. Lock’s talking about trading for Jaylen Brown. I mean, without giving up Lowry Markin, you what if they win 30 games, Ben? If you’re going to have Lowry have a big year, there’s 30 games out there to be had. I mean, I don’t I don’t think we need to dive into the schedule and go, do you think this is a win or a loss? I don’t think that’s necessary, but there’s 30 games easy to be had out there that again I I keep coming back to how hard it was for the Jazz to lose that many games last year. Mhm. It was really difficult, which I can’t believe we’re having that conversation. But if Lowry all of a sudden is scoring 29 a game and aes showing some promise and guys like Taylor Hendricks, you know, really develop, you know, Cody Williams takes a significant step forward. All this is all, you know, optimistic if you’re a if you’re a Jazz fan. Keonte George starts playing hard. They can win 30 games 100%. Yes, you can win 30. 30 is out there. Anyone can have 30, I think. And then all of a sudden you’re talking about either not having a pick or having pick six six seven eight. Yeah. So I don’t I don’t know. It’s It’s easy to like look down the road. I I like doing that. I like Well, if this piece falls into place here and this piece falls into place there. I just thought it was a kind of a bold prediction from Lock and I just wonder where that’s coming from because I I do agree with you. figure out the best time to maximize his value, which again, we’ve had the the conversation about how maybe they miss misread the timing on the new CBA and the TV money kicking in because the market just dwindled to nothing. And so, you got to wait the waiting game a little bit, have him redeem some of his value from two years ago, and then figure out the best time to to maximize that asset. I I would probably lean into that. But in the meantime, does he make you too good? I don’t you know, everybody just assumes that the needle is easy to thread. I disagree. Here’s kind of the catch 22 of the argument for me or I guess why I don’t think there’s an out necessarily or it’s not that super realistic that Lowry’s on the team when the Jazz make the playoff next. beyond a conversation I’ve had with somebody who seemed to imply to me that Lowry was here to carry the offense until the other guys are ready, which also made me think as soon as the other guys are ready, Lowry will not be here. But if Lowry’s good and the Jazz are on pace for 30 wins, they will trade him because that means Lowry’s playing really well. Um, but what here’s the problem though, Ben. Carry the offense. If you’re trying to lose, you don’t need anybody to carry the offense. So that’s that’s the the weird. So they’re trying to win. So they’re going to have to carry the odds. They’re going to win 30 games if they’re trying to win. That’s the problem. If you’re if you’re on pace for 30 wins, which means you might give up your draft pick. It means Lowry’s having a hell of a year, right? The other guys can’t do it. I agree. So if he’s playing that well, you will just trade him and you’ll trade him at the trade deadline. I agree. And that’s what I told JJ and Alex in a sense that Larry is actually a more valuable asset than this draft pick that everybody’s planning their life around. Probably has he is worth more on the open market. He’s a better player right now today and he’s not a geyser. So he is a more valuable asset than I than the number nine pick. Well, yeah. If you’re talking number nine, of course we are because that’s what they that’s them giving up the pick. It’s going to be nine or worse. If Lowry is cooking to the point where that’s where you are. Yes, we’re talking he is a more valuable asset than the number nine pick. Yes, I agree with that. And that’s why he hasn’t been traded cuz they were asking me, you know, why didn’t they move him off the team? He’s going to make him too good. Because they can’t just give him up for nothing. He’s way more valuable than that. Again, he’s more valuable than the number nine pick. Yeah, 100%. Yeah. So, they’re in a weird spot, which makes the needle even more delicate to thread. And the fact that the market is going to be ready to go by the trade deadline, I think is not necessarily given. Not even close. Where I mean, what was the the market last year? We thought, oh, we’re going to see some fireworks. We didn’t see anything. No. Uh, well, Lowry stunk last year and not not with the Jazz. I’m talking about the NBA overall. I mean, Jimmy Butler got traded. There was a couple of big moves, but nothing nothing life-changing. But that, you know, Lowry is this year’s Jimmy Butler, right? He’s the best player available, and by that measure, he probably gets moved. Jimmy Butler is still on the Heat. If Jimmy Butler didn’t buy in or didn’t do the ultimate arm twist. You’re right. I think there will be teams that are thinking, “Hey, this is our chance to break through.” I would specifically look at teams in the East that think this is their chance to break through. I would specifically look at a team like Detroit that thinks this is their chance to break through and if they were to add one more piece the caliber of Lowry I think that would make a lot of sense. I think that the team in the Eastern Conference right now is going to say I think there’s a finals run ahead of us. We’re as good as anybody because the East is wide open and someone says we can get into the conversation with the Knicks or we can get in the conversation with the Cavaliers with a Lowry market and trade because we’re close otherwise and Detroit is the team I would just circle kind of that obvious just on the outside looking in. Miami could be in that conversation as well. So that’s why I just don’t think Lowry’s gonna be here. The problem is if he’s good and the Jazz are on pace to win too many games, they’ll move him so they don’t win too many games. And if he’s bad, the Jazz aren’t going to get to the playoffs soon. And then I don’t think they’re going to keep him around until they make the playoffs. You know, you get the point I’m making though about carry the offense a little. If you’re not trying to win, why do you care about carrying the offense? Well, they are trying to win 20 games. They’re just trying to win more than 17. Do you see what I’m saying? Mhm. Or is it Or is it fake news from the Jazz that they’re trying to win? No, they but they truly do not want to kill their rookies by putting Ace Bailey in a spot where he’s taking 21 shots his first year in the NBA. I do think they want to let those guys develop a little more naturally than just absolutely throw them to the wolves. If they have 20 wins by the All-Star break or by the trade deadline, which is Mhm. the same thing. Yeah. Do they pull the plug on the rest of the year? Meaning, do they either jettison Lowry for below market value because they wouldn’t, you know, have the leverage of saying that we’re going to keep this guy or uh or sit him, do what they did last year and just sit everybody for the last part of the year. Are you putting that out on the convo? Maybe it’s 25 games where it’s like we cannot afford to win 10 more games. Yes, they’ll do that. Yep. Again. Yep. So, they’re not trying to win. They’re not trying to make the playoffs. So, why would they care about carrying the offense? Who cares? Uh again, because you don’t want to have your young guys, your rookies, Wall Clayton, Ace Bailey, trying to manufacture 18 to 20 shots a game and learning the bad habits that come with that. But I’m told that’s uh what’s going to make them better. Oh, no. It’s wrong. And they recognize it’s wrong. But then have George Niang carry the offense. Yeah. Have George Nang do a little bit of it. Have Lowry do a little bit of it. And then after the All-Star break, it’s kind of just out there. But, you know, I don’t buy that as an argument because I don’t think they value carrying the offense. Who cares? They don’t want to. They They would care if they were trying for a Jerry Sloan. I’m gonna be a 500 team out of this. the hot garbage. Then they needed Matt Harper to carry some of the load, Andre Kolinko to carry some of the load. They don’t. That’s not the goal. I Well, I I I think you’re being a little too binary. I think you’re treating it a little too black and white. There is gray area here, right? You want to be good enough that these guys are actually competing in games that matter and they can win a couple of games. And to do that, they feel like they need somebody who can actually produce offensively at a high level. And Lowry can do that. And they also, I would suspect, don’t believe that even with Lowry doing it at the high level, they’re a danger to win too many games to lose their pick. Okay? And that’s the gray area they’re trying to find. Maybe I am oversimplifying, but that’s all cute, but that’s not tangible. Why not? Because I’ve been told that people are living and dying games against Brooklyn in January because if they’re not lunatics on Twitter, if they’re not in this spot or if they’re not drafting top five, they’ll never get a player ever. So, they’ve got to lose every single game. It’s, you know, I I like to, you know, kind of jab at those wing nuts, but in a way, they’re not wrong. Winning games doesn’t do anything for you. And it’s an NBA problem. It’s not a Jazz problem, but winning games does not benefit your franchise. Teaches players how to win, right? Which again is fluffy, but I’m talking about system. I’m talking about the rules of the game. Sure. Incentives. I’m talking about the things that matter to the franchise. It does not matter. That stuff you’re talking about does not matter. Again, I think you’re being too black and white. I think they’re saying it does matter and also they think they can have their cake and eat it too. They can teach their guys to win some games, experience what that feels like, not do what happened last year, and then also lose enough games to hold on to their pick and that be the last time they really maximize getting this draft pick. This is the year. Go for it one more time and then just start to really let the cards fall where they may. And also, of course, that coincides with the fact that they will now have paid off their debt or their debt will be excused to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They will not owe them any more picks. All right, stay tuned. Last year, just quickly, to be in the playin tournament at the at the trade deadline or the all-star uh break, which is, you know, again, basically the same thing. You had to be 500, you had to be 28 and 27 or 27 and 27, right about in that range. I just I mean, the Jazz aren’t getting that for the season. So there’s no way they’re going to be there at the trade deadline where they’re even having to have that conversation. I don’t know. I think it’s more possible than that. I just look at the West and think who who on earth are they better than? Not better than Phoenix. Not better than Sacramento. May I mean maybe maybe New Orleans. New Orleans doesn’t have a draft pick next year. So they have to play hard. Just like there’s not there’s not a team the Jazz are obviously better than. Everyone else, I think, got better than they did. So, I just I just don’t see the pathway at all. And I still think there’s 30 wins out there for a team. I think you can have 30 wins because you can pick up 10 season in both camps. That’s the worst case scenario, right? But we’re talking about have having to have near 30 at the trade deadline with three months left in the season. It’s not going to happen. Well, I No, I’m more just saying what if they’re at 20. You You can’t win 10 games in the last Certainly you can over the last three months. Yeah. Three games a three games a month. You’d have to pull the plug. You’d have to pull the plug big time. Yeah. You trade Lowry, which is why he’s not going to be on the team next time they make the playoffs. But they don’t want to trade Lowry in a desperate situation. They’ve made that abundantly clear. Previously, they didn’t. I think they would do it now. But also, if they’re on pace for a lot of wins like that, wouldn’t that mean that theoretically that Lowry is playing well? If he’s playing that well, then you trade him because But it has nothing to do if it had anything to do with Lowry the player, they would have traded him by now. It doesn’t. And it has to do with what’s available in the market, what teams are willing to give you for Lowry. And if you’re like, “This guy is too good. We got to get off him.” That’s all your leverage goes out the dang. But you know what? The Jazz did the same thing with Colin Ston. They did not trade him until they wanted to get the right value and they held on too long and they ended up having to move picks to get off him. I got it. That’s the job. You’ve got to pick when to pull the trigger. But if you dump a guy for nothing when he’s valuable Oh, yeah. And that’s a mistake, too. You’re dumping him for nothing. Yeah. If that’s the situation, no market materializes and you’re at 24 wins at the trade deadline, he’s not going to play the second half of the year. So, they are going to do what they did last year. Yeah, absolutely. All right, top three stories coming up next. Jacob Ben 975D KSL Sports Zone. Break down the biggest stories of the day. This is the top three stories of the day on KSLports.com. Ah, 975 the KSL Sports Zone Zone. Jacob Man 975 the KSL Sports Zone. Time for the top three stories of the day. KSLports.com. It’s brought to you by Jbrooks Jewelers. Cherish your love with Jbrooks Jewelers. Explore their expertly crafted engagement rings made from the finest materials. J. Brooks Jewelers. Christian, where do you want to start today? Number one, it came out this morning that Michigan was fined $20 million for their cheating scandal. Gentlemen, is that worth it for a national championship? Yes, it is. Especially when there’s no real consequences for the guy who’s, you know, who helped you win it. Uh certainly worth it for Jim Harbaugh. Well, yeah. Yeah, he’s Jim’s doing fine. I I wasn’t uh I wasn’t all that worried about uh Jim Harbaugh. I’m not worried about Michigan either. Yeah. just don’t think these penalties matter that much in this this era of college football. Oh, 20 million bucks matters to someone. But it’s not coming It’s not like they have to cut a $20 million check today. I bet it has to come from the university, though. Well, yeah, but it comes out of penalties and deductions and what they lose and money that comes over uh payouts for postseason play. Again, it’s not like they have to close the science building because they can’t afford the electricity. It’s just an amount of money that will acrue over time. I apologize. cuz I didn’t see this detail. Did Harbaugh get a show cause penalty 10 years? I believe so. Yeah. Which is a a toothless thing, too. Um I always laugh at the show cause thing. And by the way, which is never really enforced. Bruce Pearl just had a show cause and he asked. He said, “Hey, could I coach at Auburn?” And they said, “All right, Bruce, you’re out of the you’re out of the headlines. Go right ahead.” Um here’s a full list of the penalties for Michigan. four years of probation, financial penalties, including a $50,000 fine. So, you know, again, it it will add up to 20 million. That’s significant, but a $50 million fine plus 10% of the budget for the football program. A fine equivalent to the anticipated loss of all postseason competition revenue sharing associated with 2025 and 2026. And a fine equivalent to the cost of 10% of the scholarships awarded in Michigan’s program in 202526. a couple of other little things, but not, you know, again, no one’s cutting a $20 million check right now to the NCAA. This is I I agree with you if you’re implying that a lot this is PR, which it it is. And maybe the NCAA always kind of has been that with one exception. There is a punishment that matters, and that’s scholarships. If you punish scholarships and you take scholarships away, it has a direct impact on the field. Kind of. It did with USC. It did certainly with SMU. What do you think a year at Michigan costs to go to school? Ballpark 40,000. Now they can they can cover the cost. Congrats. Your NIL has an extra 50 grand. Maybe you know what? Maybe that does. I I you’re right. I hadn’t thought about that. Maybe even that punishment doesn’t have any teeth anymore. But yeah, most of this is PR. Somebody somewhere is having a bad day because of the $20 million. And they’ll have to at least pretend to adhere to the probationary standards, which will be annoying for their compliance person. But I mean, Conor Stallion’s having a bad day. I never watched Did you ever watch the Netflix thing about him? I did not. Christian? No, I heard it was fluff. It was his side of the story. I can’t even remember. Yeah. Uh, should we even care about cheating? Well, should we even care about what Michigan did? No, because they won the title. No, I’m not talking about from that aspect. I’m talking about should the overall should we care that they were spying on other teams to get signals and plays and all that stuff. Should we care? Not should Michigan fans care. Should we care? I mean, yes, in the sense that you would like to have even playing ground conceptually, but do we think that’s actually happening in college sports? I don’t. See, it’s like a lot of these issues. Yes, I care. I care that they created a stupid scheme to disguise some bozo to go spy on other teams. But a lot of the response I’ve heard is, “Oh, so they stole some signs. Oh, who cares?” Which is always the deflection from these types of violations, which bugs me. The the Tom Brady football thing, there’s a reason he was doing it cuz it gave him an advantage. And people go, “Oh, he was just letting the air out of the ball.” That is so beside the point. Then why do they even have a rule? Sure, why is there a rule then? If it’s just a little air in the ball, then why is there a rule? But I have, and this is, I guess, me becoming more cynical, but I am I’m almost tired of arguing against the well, they won or well, it’s only some Stein stealing or well, it was worth it. I Is there a rule or not? And how do you enforce it? And in college in college sports case, enforcement has basically become impossible which is another shame because we used to at least pretend to have common playing. You have to everybody has to play by the same rules. That used to be a value if you want to look at it that way as opposed to well everybody’s doing it. If you want to look at it that used to be a value. Is it even a value anymore? Should we just stop caring? Should nobody care? Should there be a Connor Stallions in every dang football department? You don’t think there is? Not in every. Should there be? I’m not talking about do I think there is. Again, not to get the Well, it’s going on already. Should there be? Should we care? Should Who cares? No, there shouldn’t be. I should there be clandestine operations in college sports? Why do we care? Of course not. No, there should be. Why do we care? We can’t enforce it. Correct. It’s going on anyway. So, why should we care? Well, that’s what they’ve realized is that yeah, this is purely toothless because the financials are not limited by anything. You can do whatever you want. You can’t actually take anything away from anyone. That means a whole lot. Yeah, they’re not getting their payout for the next two postseasons. They’re going to lose $20 million at least, which is a lot. How much more have they made from winning the title? It’s just that it’s worth it. It’s stupid, but it’s worth it. If Utah doesn’t have an intelligence department today, they are falling behind. Neglectful. Yeah. So, they should have some weasel whose job is to skullk around in everybody’s bushes and find out everything they can about the other people’s opponents. We’re just fine. We’re fine with that. I guess the question that’s the argument people make you think you’re gaining from doing that actually. Did Michigan win the title because of Conor Stallions? I don’t think so. That doesn’t matter. take away the rule then cuz the rule is designed to create an even playing field so that when you win may the better team win all of that. So again the argument of well did they really benefit that much? That’s a silly argument. Get rid of the rule then. I don’t think you get rid of the rule. You f you punish teams when you find out they’re cheating like this. But what if you have no way of punishing them which they don’t. Yeah. I mean again the $20 million may dissuade some teams. It won’t dissuade a few of the teams, which is why they’re comfortable doing it, you know. Yeah, Utah would be hurt more hurt by this than Michigan will. I’d almost rather just get rid of the value than continue to in the sherrod. This would crush Utah State. It doesn’t matter for Michigan. But that’s why they’re doing it. So, the rule is for Utah State. So, the rules are for Utah State and put them even further behind. The other ones don’t have to uh adhere to any rules, but god forbid Utah State do anything. We’re coming in with the hammer of Thor. You guys are messed. It’s how much will how much are you how can you give a team the true death penalty in sports? And what would that look like for Michigan? And look, it’s different than it is for Utah State. But that’s the myth that there’s an even playing field at all. They won’t do it because they don’t want to give the death penalty to their money maker because now we have other values in college sports. And it’s a real shame. But then now we’re into the rules for thee, not for me territory, which is great if you’re Michigan, which is fantastic. I see all these coaches and just say I’m, you know, if you were to tell me hypothetically that a year from now we find out Chip Kelly was cheating at Ohio State, I would say, “Oh yeah, duh. He left where was he? Philly. Where was San Francisco? What had he been doing? He was He was UCLA UCLA’s head coach. He left UCLA. You’re right. To go to Ohio State and then jump up to the NFL. If he realized, “Oh, something was coming for me. I’m just going to go hide in the NFL, which is, by the way, a very good place to hide because you’re going to make more money and have a not easier job, but better job, and never have to pay the consequences, especially when you are Jim Harbaugh’s age or Chip Kelly’s age, which is latter in their careers. You never have to go back to college football.” Yeah, cheat. Who cares? Bring guys on. Who was the bozo at Arizona State? Now on ESPN. Herm Edwards. Herm Edwards. Cheat. When are you going to get another job? No, it’s your last job. Bring all the kids you want during co into campus. Who cares? The the enforcement issue with coaches is an entirely different conversation. Yeah, I I think it is sad that they can just get out of town. Carol can just get out of town. I I I don’t like I don’t like that one bit, but that’s an entirely It is a different conversation. That is an entirely different problem because it does it can hurt those schools more. But it won’t hurt Ohio State. But they found out Chip Kelly was recruiting illegally or stealing some defensive signal so he could run the offense better at Ohio State. He doesn’t care. And Ohio State won a title two and they don’t care. But the logic of finding Michigan to send a message to Utah State is crazy. Come on. That’s I mean that’s unfair. Is is to say the least. Yeah, to say the least. All right, what’s next? But yeah, when when an NBA player gets pulled over for speeding, their speeding ticket looks just like mine. You know, it may dissuade me. It doesn’t dissuade them. But yeah, that’s the real world is it stinks. But yeah, we don’t we don’t punish people equally based on what they can afford. That’s just the truth of it. You need to come up with a punishment that punishes everybody. Then what you’ve got is a bad punishment. I think that’s probably accurate. All right, what’s next? Number two, the Jazz schedule came out yesterday. How many national televised games do they have? Oh, they two. Two, but they’re both NBC properties. A Peacock and an actual NBC game. Well, Call Jeremy in studio. I’m We’ll figure out a way to watch it. Uh Peacock game against the Clippers and an NBC game against the Rockets. I believe I have that right. Uh both in the second half of the season, at least January or later. Looking at the Jazz schedule. will be curious to see uh if they can pick up some early wins, which I actually think would be a bad thing. The Jazz start off on an easy note. Ben Clippers is Clippers at home, at Sacramento, Phoenix at home, Portland at home, at Phoenix. Well, uh you get through those games and the Jazz actually could win a couple, but then they hit a fivegame roadie at Phoenix, at Charlotte, at Boston, at Detroit, at Minnesota, and then they basically have the hardest stretch of their schedule for the next month. So, it kind of looks like they have an easy start. They don’t really. They might get a couple of wins at the beginning of the season, but once that five-game roadie hits, that’s going to be tough. And even some of those 50/50 games, which is like I don’t know how good Boston’s going to be this year, especially early, I don’t know if Jaylen Brown’s going to be playing, but on the second night of the second back to back, right? It’s an excuse to not play guys. Uh Indie, same boat as Boston, right? Injured players, lost guys in the offseason. We don’t know how good they’re going to be. second night of a backto-back after playing Minnesota. So, even some of those toss up games aren’t really aren’t as toss up as you may have thought. And again, when you’re counting when you’re when you’re, you know, splitting hairs between 15 wins or 17 wins and 22 wins, those matter that that team that should have been a 50-50 game going into the season conceivably loses that and that’s how you end up at 21, 22 wins, 19 wins versus 28. Um, listen to this stretch, Ben. Starting in the middle of November at the Lakers, home against OKC, home against the Lakers at Golden State, home against Sacramento, Houston at home, Houston at home, at Brooklyn, at New York, Oklahoma City at home. Uh, then the the cup play and then uh the Lakers at home. I mean, that’s Houston twice, Oklahoma City. Skip Orlando there either. Orlando’s going to be one of the best teams in the East and then you’re at Denver. So that stretch is and then Memphis at home. Honestly, maybe Memphis might be good. Again, that’s a 50-50 game and on the second night of a backto-back. That stretch is that stretch is brutal. Um only a couple long road trips I noticed, Ben. There’s what two fivegame road trips. Uh there’s uh like I think two more four game road trips, but for the most part it’s all two and three games which I’m sure Lock and Bowler and those guys are are uh grateful for. Um I didn’t really pay much attention I don’t know you can tell me uh to the end of the schedule just because I I still don’t think you can pay attention to the NBA in that last month. You talked about how difficult that middle part was or November to December end of the season is absolutely insane. Uh, you go about the 23rd of March, you play Toronto and Washington as a back-to-back at home. Not not true back-to-back nights, but you get Toronto and Washington home. Both probably winnable. And I honestly don’t know if the Jazz win another game the rest of the season. Starting December 27th, they go at Denver, at Phoenix, home against Cleveland, home against Denver, at Houston, at OKC, at New Orleans. Maybe that’s the win. But again, New Orleans can’t be tanking because they’ve already traded their unprotected pick next year home against Memphis at the Lakers. You might lose your last 10 games of the season. So again, where we’re talking about getting to 30, which is how you clean up in the last little bit. That that’s where it may look may not be as possible. The teams you can beat in the second half of the season, you do play Washington twice, I believe, both after the trade deadline. So you could get a couple wins there. You know, maybe Milwaukee stinks. She beat them at home. Except you have no idea if these teams are even trying in the last month. That’s why I I have it, you know, does Oklahoma City have it all sewn up by probably then. Yeah, probably. Yeah. Are they even playing anybody? Yeah. Lakers last game of the season on the road. They locked into the fifth seed. They’re not going to play Luca and LeBron. Sure. But I just don’t see a again when you’re as bad as the Jazz are going to be, it’s just hard to pencil in wins. And there’s just not that easy stretch where they’re going to win four or five, I don’t think. All right, what’s next? Number three, a couple of position battles up on the hill. Blake Cotton is pushing for a starting corner spot. I would say my physicality and just my mindset. You know, I said it a million times, but stuff goes wrong, just forget about it. Keep going. Taking the quarterback and the running back off the out of the conversation. Is there a single position you think is most important for Utah this year than the corners? That would be just anywhere. Is there a state is there a place where you think Utah needs to have an absolute dude to wreck shop allah you know Devin Lloyd a couple of years ago? Um the corner is always the most important position in Whittingham’s defense because it more or less starts with the ability of the corners to cover manto man and then that allows the rest of the defense to function as it does. Now, that that’s not to say that the tackles or the linebackers aren’t important, but if you don’t have Shawn Smith on the outside locking up Julio Jones, then you don’t get as much flexibility to do the other things that you want to do, which is which makes Utah’s uh defense so effective. So, yes, it is important. Conceivably, Smith Snowden or I’ve said that word too many times today. Smith Snowden has been a nickel. There was some talk that maybe they could move somebody else to nickel and play Smith on the outside, which might be better for his career long term. And if he’s your I guess top corner, which he probably is regardless, but if he can be on the outside and be your top corner, you probably already have a stud there. I mean, that’s a he’s just a great player. So, if you have a nickel who can move in and play that spot, I think that position is taken care of. I am I’m curious if Barton is ready to take that step to be the next, you know, when Utah’s been really good. They seem to have a linebacker that rises above. Chase Hansen mentioned Deon Lloyd. Probably the best linebacker I’ve seen. See the I kind of disagree with that take. Uh because the linebacker has always been the least important position in which seems to be the least productive. I’m not saying they don’t have haven’t had good players over the years at that position, but it is the least important. And years where they were good like do you know their do you remember their linebackers in ’08? Yeah. No. Neither does anybody else. No offense to those guys, but it hasn’t been. It’s like I view that position in that defense as icing on the cake, which which has been, you know, you see Jay Hill and Kehlani’s evolution of it at BYU. You can really recruit linebackers to BYU, and they’ve had to evolve to make that position more important in that defense as coaches do. You know, you you play to the players that you can get. But, uh, the linebacker at at Utah just needs to scrape up those tackles and to be at their normal baseline level, which by the way, their baseline is through the roof. Extraordinarily high. If Deon Lloyd’s an all-American, well, then yeah, good news for you, right? And then you’re competing for a Rose Bowl, right? You go to the Rose Bowl. That’s why I’m saying if Lander Barton takes that leap and turns into a guy, you know, and is over aundred tackles, then I think you’re in a really good spot. All right, stay tuned. We will have more coming up next. It is the Jake and Ben show 975 the KSL Sports Zone. What’s up? Whether it’s the Jazz, you cougars or Aggies, these guys have got you covered. You’re locked on to Jake Scott and Ben Anderson 2 on 975 the KSL Sports Zone. Jacob 975, the KSL Sports Zone. Win big every Wednesday on the station with Win Ticket Wednesday. Coming up next week, you can get tickets to go see Counting Crows August 21st at Utah uh First Credit Union Amphitheater. Don’t miss Counting Crows, the complete sweets tour with special guest, the Gaslight Anthem. Tickets now at livenation.com or listen to the KSL Sports Zone all day on Wednesday for your chance to win. I told you I am going to 3:11 on uh on Sunday. Counting Crows would also fall into that category of like I I’ve always been an old soul when it comes to music, but there are a couple of bands that I do identify with my high school experience whether I like them or not. I was kind I always kind of liked Counting Crows and they were a cool 90s band. They were super popular right when I was in that high school wheelhouse. Yeah. Um 311’s the band you’ve seen the most. Yeah. Uh, it’s either 311 or Bob Dylan. Probably 311 because I’ve got a group of friends and we go every pretty much every time. I mean, since I’ve I think since we’ve been doing the show, you’ve seen him three times. Yeah, you’ve seen Bob a lot. I didn’t know that. Yeah, I’ve seen him like probably eight or nine times maybe. Okay. Wow. That is a lot. Christian, you seen any band more than once? Post Malone. Okay. Twice. Uh, I think I’ve seen him two or maybe three times. I can’t remember. Yeah. Uh, I saw Jimmy Buffet quite a bit. Did you? Uhhuh. He was kind of a life tour guy. Yeah. And it was fun. It’s It’s fun to take a road trip to Vegas to see Jimmy. To see to see Jimmy. Whether you have kids or whether you’re like go with my dad. My brother and I went to Jimmy Buffett with my dad to celebrate my brother’s 21st birthday. There are not a lot of bands I’ve seen more than once. But But you’re watching like garage bands that don’t break up that don’t matter. A lot of the bands I saw Yeah. just don’t exist and don’t matter because they get tired of playing for and then they go be an accountant or something because they’re not relevant. Bob Dylan can’t break up. Jimmy Buffett can’t break up Jimmy Buffett. So yeah, the solo act is great. You can see that those people a lot. Jimmy was very loyal to the Coral Reefer band. The Coral Reefer. That reminds me yesterday you asked what job it looks like Ben does. Uhhuh. Art dealer. Art dealer. Art dealer. I thought you were going to say roadie like our friend Tim Mcome who was an art dealer for a bit. I slept on this last night. Okay. Art dealer. All right. I could see that. Sure. It’s the most respectable type of dealer in my opinion because you can picture Ben being like this is a resco. You can tell in the negative spacing and the way that he used its color. Imagine wearing those pants. Oh my goodness. See, this falls right into that. Yeah. [Laughter] You just don’t understand because you’re not as sophisticated as I am. I think it’s the hair. Really? Is that what it is? I think that’s what it is. Okay. That You know what? That conversation took a bizarre turn yesterday. Can I give you a really hot take? Uh oh. Your average drug dealer is probably a more above board person than your average art dealer. Minus 10. More uh more honest, more uh you’re not buying an artwork for 30 bucks. You know what I mean? You’re talking about huge sums of money that someone’s I don’t know. I think it’s probably mostly sketchy. It’s mostly a scam. Once you get to the auction level, you’re fine. Probably. But yeah, the underground plus there’s the whole Is there a underground art market? Well, yeah, absolutely. Right. Everything that was stolen during every war when they go and raid all that. Yeah, that’s Oh, that that I Yeah, sure. So, yeah, I think there is. And yes, I think that that happens. I’m Oh, people like you go money in their artwork. For sure. You go up to Park Silly, you know, and you’re walking through all the exhibits and somebody pulls you off to the side and is like, “Hey, someone who made a bronze elk.” No, not that guy. Not small sculpture guy. I was definitely thinking like flipping paintings. Yeah, I’m not I’m not talking about the the the Van Go that was stolen uh in 1943. No, but I think it does start that high and then I think it goes down further and further and further. And there’s a lot of people who are like, “Yeah, this is worth $2 million.” They’re like, “Okay, well, we’re going to put on the books that this is how I spent $2 million.” I think there’s a lot of that. I thought you were talking about like see a photographer who has taken a has a charming print of flaming gorge and someone pulling you aside and being like I can get you that print for uh like $20 less than that guy. I know a guy I listen we’ll we’ll get you a nice frame. I don’t think there are smalltime art dealers. That’s the problem because you just deal directly with the artist cuz the artist doesn’t have any money. I do love Park Silly though. I got to tell you. I haven’t been this year. You haven’t been in a I got to I got to make that happen. Christian Park Silly fan. Uh I went last year. Haven’t been up this year. Hate the name. Oh, I love it. What’s the matter with Park Silly? Just call it the Park City Farmers Market or whatever you want to call it. Main Street Market. Yeah, this is why you’re not in marketing. Park stupid. Wow. That and that was just slanderous. And I like Park City and I like the market. How about the park market? There you go. Great. Park it. The park it. I fixed it. Park silly. Give me a break. Hey man, I could get you that wood engraving for like 50% of that price. I got a van. Yeah, around the corner. Last year we bought like a beach bag that had dogs on it and it said bark. Silly. Oh, hilarious. They call that a hat on a hat. It’s too much. See, you can’t even hide the pretentiousness about a name of a market. Park silly. Well, the pretentiousness of every farmers market is a problem right from the get. Tons of pretentious people. Yeah, I agree. You want to I won’t say it. Never mind. We’ll talk off the air. No, you you you just want somebody to ask where you got that stupid hat so you can tell them I was at Park Silly over the weekend. All right, stay. It’s the only store you go to where you have to like put on an outfit to go to the store. More Jake and Ben next 975 the KSL Sports Zone.
Hour 1 of Jake & Ben on August 15, 2025
• What are the Utah Jazz hoping to get out of Lauri Markkanen? A long term piece or a trade asset?
• Top 3 Stories of the Day: Michigan Fined for Cheating Scandal, Ups and Downs of Utah Jazz Schedule, Blake Cotton pushing for starting Corner spot at Utah.
• Does Ben have a secret side hustle?
