The Brad Cesmat Show

Tuesday could be the day we hear if the Pac-12, as well as other Power Five conferences postpone the season until later this fall or possibly next spring. Brad and Eric discuss what makes the most sense and how a decision either way will impact the college football world. Former 3TV sports anchor/reporter Gil Tyree (10:22 on podcast) weighed in with his thoughts. Former Sports360AZ.com, turned NFL/CFB reporter Kaelen Jones (23:30 on podcast) talked about the Pac-12, as well as the biggest hurdles facing the NFL with camps now in full swing. Plus, the Suns route the short-handed Thunder. Can they keep it going Tuesday against the short-handed 76ers?

Jordan and Eric discuss a busy sports weekend and tenuous start of the week when it comes to the future of college football which. Will we see CFB in the fall? Most early signs say no but the door is still slightly opened. One conference which won’t be playing this fall is the Big Sky which pushed things back to the spring. NAU head coach Chris Ball joined Jordan via Zoom (18:15 on podcast). The Coyotes upset Nashville and now brace for Colorado in the best of seven which starts on Wednesday. Plus, the D-backs are mess and there isn’t a lot of time for Torey Lovullo and the crew to figure it out.

The Suns will look to stay hot (and undefeated) when they battle the Pacers Thursday afternoon in The Bubble. Brad believes Devin Booker’s star is now brighter than ever and his ceiling is still incredible considering his age/youth. ESPN NBA Insider/”The Jump” host Amin Elhassan (16:34 on podcast) talked Booker, the Suns turning heads in Orlando, the job Monty Williams has done and much more. Plus, Devon Henry unveils the inspiring story of NASCAR driver Armani Williams (22:54 on podcast). 

As MLB COVID cases continue to add up, Brad wants to applaud the NHL and NBA for their proactive approach from the jump in terms of getting into a bubble for the protection and safety of players, coaches and staffers. Tuesday marks another tri-fecta day for sports in the Valley as the Coyotes, Suns and Diamondbacks are all in action. NBCSports.com NFL columnist Peter King (12:55 on podcast) Skyped in to discuss the new-look Arizona Cardinals, the loaded NFC West and much more with the regular season now in focus. Plus, SI Senior Fantasy Analyst Michael Fabiano (28:10 on podcast) on his new role and position at Sports Illustrated and the latest fantasy news from around the league.

Brad and Eric discuss the weekend in sports which included an Arizona Coyotes playoff win and the Suns upsetting the Mavs late Sunday night. The Pac-12 released their revised, shortened football schedule with ASU plays at UofA to open the season (for now). What has happened to the Arizona Diamondbacks? Could Torey Luvollo be on a short leash if the struggles continue? Plus, ASU basketball gets a huge boost with the announced return of star guard Remy Martin. 

Things have not gone well for the Valley baseball team after the D-backs dropped to 2-4 following Wednesday’s loss to the Rangers in Arlington. The trek gets no easier with the Dodgers and Astros coming to town to open up the home slate starting Thursday. Team President Derrick Hall (9:01 on podcast) talked about a much different home opener, the early struggles on the road and hints of a new downtown stadium? The Pac-12 is likely to release their new-look schedule Friday or Monday. How about ASU-UofA twice in 2020? South Point Casino Resort’s Jimmy Vaccaro (26:40 on podcast) took you inside the numbers with sports ramping back up across the country.

The Diamondbacks have been a mess since returning to the diamond in southern California. Brad wonders where to start: poor pitching, sloppy fundamentals, cold bats? It’s still early but the season will be over sooner than later so the time is now for Torey Lovullo’s team. NFL camps are opening but a number of players are opting out due to COVID concerns. This will be an interesting development to follow. Brad caught up with ASU Associate Head Coach/Co-Def. Coordinator Antonio Pierce (7:44 on podcast) via Zoom to talk about his internship with Howard Stern, helping turn ASU into a national brand, the model of student-athletes the Sun Devils are recruiting, as well as how he views in-state players. Plus, NFL Network Senior Fantasy Analyst Michael Fabiano (31:07 on podcast) getting you ready for your upcoming drafts. 

The Miami Marlins had 13 players test positive for coronavirus. How will this impact the already shortened MLB season moving forward? The D-backs are off to a slow start as Robbie Ray continues to struggle to keep his pitch count down as evidenced in San Diego over the weekend. Brad caught up with AIA Executive Director David Hines (10:18 on podcast) who talked about a number of topics regarding the upcoming high school football season and the rest of the fall sports calendar as he and the AIA try to navigate through the pandemic. Plus, azcentral Chief Film and Media Critic Bill Goodykoontz (33:15 on podcast) Skyped in to talk about the passing of Regis Philbin, the political spin around COVID and much more.

The Pac-12 will be scaling back to a 10-game season, most likely starting in mid-September according to San Jose Mercury News Pac-12 Insider Jon Wilner. Brad likes the concept but wonders if we’ll see a full season played with states like California and Arizona still COVID-19 hotbeds. Major League Baseball is officially back and Brad and Eric concur the Arizona Diamondbacks will be a playoff team in the recently expanded post-season. ESPN MLB Insider Pedro Gomez Skyped in (11:14 on podcast) to talk about Mookie Betts’ monster deal with the Dodgers, the D-backs chances in the shortened season and much more. Wilner (30:03 on podcast) talked about all the different angles with Pac-12 football and what it’s going to take to get the season started and completed. Plus, Seattle names their new NHL team and Washington temporarily names their NFL team.

Yes, it’s only summer exhibition baseball but the Dodgers walloping the D-backs on back-to-back nights doesn’t exact give everyone in the desert a warm and fuzzy feel. Brad believes Thursday we may see some movement by the AIA when it comes to a sports calendar for the 2020(?)-21 season. Tuesday Texas pushed back the start of their 5A and 6A regions. Suns insider Gina Mizell (10:40 on podcast) discussed Phoenix restarting games in the bubble, what we can expect during these likely eight games, the long-term future of Devin Booker in Phoenix or elsewhere – as well as Deandre Ayton’s steady improvement in now his second season. Brad was also joined by Times Media Group Sports Editor Zach Alvira via Skype (35:02 on podcast) to talk about the potential start of high school and much more.