August 19, 2024 • 17 mins
THE GUYS TALK WITH DONNY MARSHALL AT THE 2024 DONNY MARSHALL CHARITY CLASSIC.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're in the middle of a thunder star. But it's
okay since we got Donnie Marshall.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's his tournament, so they can't start inside until Donnie
comes back inside. So Donnie Marshall, a wonderful guy, calls
obviously the college basketball former NBA player Yukon Great and
the Donnie Marshall Charity Golf Tournament, which take takes care
of the Talent Fund and also helps out the Ryan
Martin Adaptive Sports Foundation.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Your thoughts, how was the day before we got this down?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
For well, this was you know, I know my committee
that puts this together, this is their nightmare. It's their nightmare.
But this is all they think about is outside after
we're gonna have people standing around cocktail party. But for
me to be able to get the golf in, and
you know, you've been in those events where you're like, hey,
what do we do?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Do we stay? You feel bad?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
So the timing for me and my guys is perfect.
We got the golf in and now we still can
go inside and eat. But hey, this is the day before.
The rain was perfect, especially here in Connecticut. You know
what we've been dealing with the humanity and the heat,
so we really lucked out today.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Tell us about the tribal clinic that you do before
this tournament on Sunday. This has been going on for
a little bit, but I thought it was more highlighted
this year than ever.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
What goes on in that clinic? Who is this for?
Tell us all about it? Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It started initially years ago for just the tribal members'
children and relatives, and then over the past couple of
years they Rodney Butler, the chairman a peak Quat nation.
He's a former Yukon right guy, played football at Yukon.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
He played with us nine holes today.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
But he's a very very good friend and he said,
you know, why not expand this, make it a little
bit more inclusive to kids who maybe a teammate of
a tribal member, so on and so forth.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
And I was all for it.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
And it started, as you know, it started as twenty
five kids, thirty kids. Then it turned into fifty, then
seventy five, and we had a good eighty kids yesterday.
And it's free for the kids, you know, guys now
days and dives especially, everything's paid for play. You know,
(02:05):
if you want to play, you have to pay. So
the fact that we can have, you know, seventy eighty
kids getting even though it's only a couple hours, getting
exposure to other kids who they might not normally get
exposure to in the game of basketball. I always try
to invite current players from yukon A Sandiaro was great.
I know they were on and Caroline du charm last year,
(02:26):
Cam Spencer and Donovan Klingen were there. So for me,
it's kind of twofold. It's, as we say, corny cliche
given back, but it's also kind of connecting, you know,
the current players with myself and older players and saying, hey,
this is what you do when you're done playing, this
is what you need to do. I'm passing the baton
to you, so hopefully they'll pick that up and do
that at some point. But it's it really is awesome
(02:47):
because you have coaches in there who aren't being paid,
they're in there on their own time, and we know
people would rather do other things on a Sunday morning,
but the fact that we have a great turnout and
Chairman Butler is so behind it makes it easier and
it really does.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
It's selfish for me.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
It makes me feel Last night I slept so great,
not because we had a great VIP party at I
roll this and we did have a good time with
all our sponsors, but because of what we did for
those kids during the day and even two hours.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
But it means so much well, and you're paying it forward.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I love what you're talking about because even as a
player when you came in, I'm sure veteran players took
care of you. When you're young. You know, humility is
not like one of the things in your agenda. You're
just trying to make it, make a name for yourself.
So to go to an adaptive thing or to go
to something else where people don't have as much, like
like Donnie's talking about. I you know, listen, Perfect Game
is owned by my old baseball agent. I said, I'll
(03:38):
only come on board if you let kids do this
for free. I'm not gonna keep charging kids two thousand
dollars for tournament all this other kind of stuff. And
so you know, for me, I want these kids that
don't have what we had to get an opportunity to
see what we saw, maybe have an opportunity to get there.
I keep using this even with Yukon baseball, they had
(03:59):
seven and D three players play on their team this year,
and I want I want to drive that message home
to my fifteen sixteen you players. We think I can
never play D one ball. I'll never get an opportunity
to play D one ball. So you know, Donnie myself,
we're trying to pay this to the next generation because
we're not gonna be here forever. It's it's gonna be
up to you to carry this on and teach these kids,
(04:21):
you know, and give these kids an.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Opportunity that we had. And it's two it works two
ways for me. Oh my god, so rewarding you can.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
As a kid, I didn't have those resources. My brother's
here from Salley, comes in every year for this. He
is my the greatest, one of the greatest human beings
I've ever had in my life. He taught me everything
I know and then my mom. So I had a
great support unit, but I had I didn't have those opportunities.
I didn't have anyone saying come play for free. You know,
(04:49):
come we have this for you, set up and your teammates.
So I could have done one of two things, said
you know what, I didn't have it, so who cares?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I didn't get it I'm fine, or go the other
way and say, you know what, I don't. I don't
want any kids to have to fight today to try
to find their place.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
And that's why we do it as well.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Some of my lifelong friends growing up in Indiana, Man,
if you don't play basketball, I don't know who you are.
And it's just the community of basketball has given me
so many different relationships. Coming here to Connecticut, I did
not know about adaptive sports. I did not know about
wheelchair basketball like I do today with the Ryan Martin
Foundation and finding out talking.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
To these kids.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
I'd rather hang out with these kids than anyone else
here at this tournament. Just the salt of the earth,
human beings that have developed a community and have tight
knit friendships that are so important for everyone to have
the ability to get out there on the court.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
That's the awesome thing about it is, you know, it's
not just able bodied people playing these sports. You know,
we have to understand that everyone has the opportunity, especially
now with technology, not just the you know, the money
that we raise for wheelchairs and amputees and trying to
find new ways to be able to compete in this
sports that they love. It's such a great opportunity and
(06:03):
through this again, when when you have them out here,
either helping or playing, it kind of shows people who
support us what they're supporting. How many events have we
played in You're like, wait, what is this support?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
And we can't see it. It's not tangible.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
But to have all of those athletes out here and
everyone that's involved with the Ryan Martins Foundation and Ryan
Martin himself, it's huge because people are like, this is
what we want to be a part of. And again
it's a basketball state. They know me and Scott Barrell
and Ray Allen and Kevin Ollie as basketball players, but
there's so much more. When you have an event like
this and you can see those other athletes out here,
it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
And you guys, you're you know now with the Talent Fund,
but also with Ryan Martin's Foundation, you've opened up so
many adaptive areas. We helped with the Miracle League get
that that stadium open, and obviously with the adapted players,
but they want able body players to come play with them.
We just had Hasandiarra on and he was joking about it.
He's like the wheelchair guys like, yeah, you can't play
(06:57):
at our level. So he was kind of that, but
to me, honestly, I mean, you know, Ben knows this
from from Amy van Dyke and six time gold medalists.
She's now in a wheelchair, but she sees things from
a different perspective. Now the wheelchairs are thirty grand, you know,
getting getting just access to places, get even to be
able to get to Jim to work out, or to
(07:17):
even play a sport or something like that. It's it's
not accessible to everybody. So that's the thing that I
think that this this opens a lot of people's eyes
on giving everybody access to the same things.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Like you, you and I said when we were growing up, and.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I like, you know, I like putting pressure on people,
whether it's on the golf course, I like you and
I call it guilt. I like guilty people. That's a
nice way to put it. We had an athlete here
last year who earned a full scholarship to play back
wheelchair basketball Illinois. I'm trying to convince University Connecticut to
try to raise the funds to find scholarships and to
(07:53):
build and will help your team at Yukon.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I think that only makes sense.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
So I'm putt I'm putting the pressure on our administrators
at Yukon to.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Donnie Marshall, FS one covers the Big East. Let's talk
a little hoops, sir. I remember seven years ago we
were talking to you about Yukon basketball and there was
this big breath and then you started talking about it.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
It's a lot easier nowadays to have that conversation. Man,
What has the last five years with this program meant
for a lumps?
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Well, we remember seven years ago it was a different conference.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Yeah, AAC conferences mean everything, you know when you're talking
about getting the right athletes and recruiting television rights and
it really look, you have to understand that there are
smaller conferences that are going to have success. But everyone
knew Yukon has a Big East school and it's a
different animal when you're playing in a smaller conference, mid major,
(08:45):
if you will, all due respect to mid majors, Yukon
didn't belong there. I give the administration to Yukon just
so much credit in fighting to get Yukon back into
the Big East. And look what happens now. In all fairness,
Kevin Ollie won a national title in the AAC. But
then after that there was a little dip because you're
now you're competing with Duke and Syracuse, you're in the
(09:06):
ACC or you're or Big twelve teams and you're like, Okay, who.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Do we play on a Friday? Tulsa.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
No, no disrespect to Tulsa, no, but Tulsa is not
North Carolina. Tulsa is not Saint John's or Georgetown. So
getting back into the Big East meant everything. And I
think it was both ways. It worked for the Big East.
It also worked obviously for Yukon. But the fact that
Yukon and and Villanova have won so many national titles
in the last seven eight years, it tells you what
(09:32):
kind of conference the Big East is. And you know,
look at last year, people said, can they repeat? I
said absolutely, you better place your bets. This is like October.
People thought I was crazy. And just look what Danny
Hurley has done and his staff Tom Moore was here today.
Those guys understand when you're recruiting a kid, it's not
just about basketball. And again Hassan and Caroline here today.
(09:54):
It's it's it's character. It's not you want great basketball players,
but you need good character kids. And that's what Hurley
had continue to build on from Calhoun and Kevin, and
it's just so proud to talk about Yukon Huskies.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
You know, talking to Donnie Marshall here at the Donnie
Marshall Charity Golf outing talk about Dan Hurley coming back
and not going to LA and that whole thing was
just crazy, you know, didn't didn't go to Kentucky, that
kind of stuff. How difficult was it for probably a
decision for him, and also has been able to keep
the coaching staff intact. Talk about some of these things
(10:26):
because they're almost impossible after winning back to back championship.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
I have to give a coach Hurley credit for getting
more money for his assistance because we know in sports,
these coaches make a ton of money and their assistants
are struggling to buy a new.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Suit at times. They really are.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
So they're like, hey, let's just wear the zip ups
and sweatsuits because we don't have suits like the head coach.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So I give him so much credit. Obviously, we know
he's a phenomenal coach.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
We don't have to talk about the basketball, but what
he's done Hurley as a relationship guy to me has
been It's been all the difference because you have your
coaches now who are getting paid more and getting paid well, which.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
They deserve, but it makes them now want to work
even harder. You know that.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
And the fact that he understands it's not just about me,
Coach Hurley, it's about my staff and building. And I
can't I can't imagine what those conversations were like though
with his wife. I think his wife more than anything
for telling him we're not going to La. We're not
going to Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
I like it here. You know, we we're from Jersey.
It's not that far. It's we can get in the
car and drives. And I lived in La pretender. These
are our people. Yes, I mean when you get here
you kind of like l a studio at Fox. But
when you get back here you probably like, these are
my people.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Absolutely so, Andrea, thank you wherever you are than I
give her all the credit, just like you give Pat
Calhoun the credit when Coach Calhoun had opportunities to.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Day to the NBA.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
But nowadays it's it's big money. And Coach Hurley said,
you know what, how much money do I really need?
I I want to win and win and win getting
paid well. But when you're talking to for them. The money,
that the the difference. I love that Yukon stepped up,
brought that salary up, and I love the fact that
he stayed.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Because state of Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
In the State of connect we all know he's the
highest paid UH state employee in New England.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
In New England, he's worth it.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Man. Yeah, I know I'm biased because I'm a alone coach.
Early is worth every penny if, like coach Kellan said.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Not but kind of time back, I'm back. It's like
that's the greatest heag is about the Big East, like
it's so crazy. Basketball is tough, man.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
I mean, even following Yukon, you kind of gott to
follow the transfer portal. You gotta follow the recruiting trail,
just for all these teams. I know, just looking at
it from a broad scope here, twenty four to twenty five,
who should we be worried about his Yukon fans in
the Big East.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I'm not sure there's there's a team that we should
not be worried about, because now that bulls eye is
so much bigger every time you play Marquette, every time
you played Georgetown, And I don't care what the records
were before. Every time you go and play Sean Millers
Zager to whoever it is, stad Mona, you understand they
are trying to play the game of their life. It
may be just the seventh game of the season for Yukon,
(13:03):
but it's the game of the season and the year
for all those other teams.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
So you have to go in with a different mindset.
As a two time champ.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
You just do because now you give those teams confidence
and then they say, okay, well what's the recipe. We
saw Xavier beat Yukon Georgetown. They have the recipe now.
So I don't know if you can go into a
season and we know as players sometimes we know we
got them. You look at the calendar and you're like, oh,
we're gonna beat them, We're gonna beat them. But coaches,
I guarantee you are not saying, oh, we're gonna go
(13:31):
six and oh eight and oh ten, and oh oh
we can beat Butler. Go to you go to Indy,
Butler's a tough team there. What I love now about
the Big East is the personalities of the coaches. It's
back to when I played. You have this larger than,
larger than life and they demand so much more because
they have that pinas because they have kind of the
(13:51):
validation already of being winners across the board. So you know,
we got some good young guys and Shaka smart Kim
English now they're pulling it up because they've learned from
some great coaches. So I'm not sure there's a team
that we can we can look past. And the biggest
this this is if there was ever a time to
be a biggiest fan, right now is the time.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
I know you got to get inside it.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
When I throw one Olympic question after it though, because
Lebron may not play again, Uh, Katie, some of these
other guys, but the run that you know obviously the
U us men, but obviously you know Serbia, France, some
of these other these countries are getting better at at
playing US.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
So is that good for the NBA game. I think
it is.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I think it's good for you know, David Stern, you know,
before he passed, he was trying to globalize the game
in terms of the NBA.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
And and if you think about this, when the Dream.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Team played in the Olympics, they played against nine other
NBA players this year, not including our team. They played
against sixty one sixty one the Dream Team played against nine.
Now I'm not saying you compare and who's right, right,
but no, But that's the show. Is that tells you
what basketball is all about around the world.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
And not only that.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
There was a time twenty years ago where Europe wanted
to play like Americans in the NBA, and now you
see the NBA game turning into more of a European
style game. When you see seven foot three guys handling
the ball, you see seven foot or shooting threes, Yep,
it's nothing but good for basketball, not just at the
A level, but also at the college level. So right now, man,
(15:26):
it's look. I know people only watch basketball and at
the pro level in the playoffs. Most of the friends
that I talked to, even former NBA my former maid buddies,
I don't watch to the playoffs. But I'm telling you what,
watching those Olympics, if you weren't proud of our team
for the way they played, and then watching those other
NBA players they played against, they respect the US And
(15:46):
some people may say that gap is closing. I don't
know about that. I just know that basketball around the world,
including the NBA, is just at an all time high
and only getting better.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Guys.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
It's the shot of the day. What was the big
shot for Donny Marshall's team year over the edge? Maybe
win a personal bet or too.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Uh So there was a there was a par five.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Uh so the first year I got criticized because Sterling
Sharp was in my group and we won it.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
That's not It was the inaugural, so I had to
win the first part. So now which so Ray today, Yeah,
came out, so we we So we played a match.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
So Ray was on into at about twenty feet on
a par five and and I was on into at
about four feet and I like that.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Wow, it was my shot of the day. And uh
there you go. Always good having my guys out here.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Chris Smith, you know we can come down the line, uh,
Scottie Burrell just it's I tell Sterling Sharp.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
I told Ray and Kevin the same thing.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Like you guys don't understand how important this is not
only for me, but for all the people to see
you here.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
It might be just another day. Man.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I love you guys, dude, but even so, I know
you're with them every day. So many people like Rob
Dibbles here, I'm like can you believe it? I think
he's I think he's on I love Scotty. I think
he's on the rock though. That's why he's here. Other
guys are here for charity. Dibbs is getting paid.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Go inside your events? Isn't getting I love you not
even Marshall Man. I love you man. That's great. We'll
be right back on the rock. People show a Ben
Darnell on Fox Sports Radio
We're in the middle of a thunder star. But it's
okay since we got Donnie Marshall.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's his tournament, so they can't start inside until Donnie
comes back inside. So Donnie Marshall, a wonderful guy, calls
obviously the college basketball former NBA player Yukon Great and
the Donnie Marshall Charity Golf Tournament, which take takes care
of the Talent Fund and also helps out the Ryan
Martin Adaptive Sports Foundation.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Your thoughts, how was the day before we got this down?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
For well, this was you know, I know my committee
that puts this together, this is their nightmare. It's their nightmare.
But this is all they think about is outside after
we're gonna have people standing around cocktail party. But for
me to be able to get the golf in, and
you know, you've been in those events where you're like, hey,
what do we do?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Do we stay? You feel bad?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
So the timing for me and my guys is perfect.
We got the golf in and now we still can
go inside and eat. But hey, this is the day before.
The rain was perfect, especially here in Connecticut. You know
what we've been dealing with the humanity and the heat,
so we really lucked out today.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Tell us about the tribal clinic that you do before
this tournament on Sunday. This has been going on for
a little bit, but I thought it was more highlighted
this year than ever.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
What goes on in that clinic? Who is this for?
Tell us all about it? Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It started initially years ago for just the tribal members'
children and relatives, and then over the past couple of
years they Rodney Butler, the chairman a peak Quat nation.
He's a former Yukon right guy, played football at Yukon.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
He played with us nine holes today.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
But he's a very very good friend and he said,
you know, why not expand this, make it a little
bit more inclusive to kids who maybe a teammate of
a tribal member, so on and so forth.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
And I was all for it.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
And it started, as you know, it started as twenty
five kids, thirty kids. Then it turned into fifty, then
seventy five, and we had a good eighty kids yesterday.
And it's free for the kids, you know, guys now
days and dives especially, everything's paid for play. You know,
(02:05):
if you want to play, you have to pay. So
the fact that we can have, you know, seventy eighty
kids getting even though it's only a couple hours, getting
exposure to other kids who they might not normally get
exposure to in the game of basketball. I always try
to invite current players from yukon A Sandiaro was great.
I know they were on and Caroline du charm last year,
(02:26):
Cam Spencer and Donovan Klingen were there. So for me,
it's kind of twofold. It's, as we say, corny cliche
given back, but it's also kind of connecting, you know,
the current players with myself and older players and saying, hey,
this is what you do when you're done playing, this
is what you need to do. I'm passing the baton
to you, so hopefully they'll pick that up and do
that at some point. But it's it really is awesome
(02:47):
because you have coaches in there who aren't being paid,
they're in there on their own time, and we know
people would rather do other things on a Sunday morning,
but the fact that we have a great turnout and
Chairman Butler is so behind it makes it easier and
it really does.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
It's selfish for me.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
It makes me feel Last night I slept so great,
not because we had a great VIP party at I
roll this and we did have a good time with
all our sponsors, but because of what we did for
those kids during the day and even two hours.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
But it means so much well, and you're paying it forward.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I love what you're talking about because even as a
player when you came in, I'm sure veteran players took
care of you. When you're young. You know, humility is
not like one of the things in your agenda. You're
just trying to make it, make a name for yourself.
So to go to an adaptive thing or to go
to something else where people don't have as much, like
like Donnie's talking about. I you know, listen, Perfect Game
is owned by my old baseball agent. I said, I'll
(03:38):
only come on board if you let kids do this
for free. I'm not gonna keep charging kids two thousand
dollars for tournament all this other kind of stuff. And
so you know, for me, I want these kids that
don't have what we had to get an opportunity to
see what we saw, maybe have an opportunity to get there.
I keep using this even with Yukon baseball, they had
(03:59):
seven and D three players play on their team this year,
and I want I want to drive that message home
to my fifteen sixteen you players. We think I can
never play D one ball. I'll never get an opportunity
to play D one ball. So you know, Donnie myself,
we're trying to pay this to the next generation because
we're not gonna be here forever. It's it's gonna be
up to you to carry this on and teach these kids,
(04:21):
you know, and give these kids an.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Opportunity that we had. And it's two it works two
ways for me. Oh my god, so rewarding you can.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
As a kid, I didn't have those resources. My brother's
here from Salley, comes in every year for this. He
is my the greatest, one of the greatest human beings
I've ever had in my life. He taught me everything
I know and then my mom. So I had a
great support unit, but I had I didn't have those opportunities.
I didn't have anyone saying come play for free. You know,
(04:49):
come we have this for you, set up and your teammates.
So I could have done one of two things, said
you know what, I didn't have it, so who cares?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
I didn't get it I'm fine, or go the other
way and say, you know what, I don't. I don't
want any kids to have to fight today to try
to find their place.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
And that's why we do it as well.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Some of my lifelong friends growing up in Indiana, Man,
if you don't play basketball, I don't know who you are.
And it's just the community of basketball has given me
so many different relationships. Coming here to Connecticut, I did
not know about adaptive sports. I did not know about
wheelchair basketball like I do today with the Ryan Martin
Foundation and finding out talking.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
To these kids.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
I'd rather hang out with these kids than anyone else
here at this tournament. Just the salt of the earth,
human beings that have developed a community and have tight
knit friendships that are so important for everyone to have
the ability to get out there on the court.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
That's the awesome thing about it is, you know, it's
not just able bodied people playing these sports. You know,
we have to understand that everyone has the opportunity, especially
now with technology, not just the you know, the money
that we raise for wheelchairs and amputees and trying to
find new ways to be able to compete in this
sports that they love. It's such a great opportunity and
(06:03):
through this again, when when you have them out here,
either helping or playing, it kind of shows people who
support us what they're supporting. How many events have we
played in You're like, wait, what is this support?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
And we can't see it. It's not tangible.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
But to have all of those athletes out here and
everyone that's involved with the Ryan Martins Foundation and Ryan
Martin himself, it's huge because people are like, this is
what we want to be a part of. And again
it's a basketball state. They know me and Scott Barrell
and Ray Allen and Kevin Ollie as basketball players, but
there's so much more. When you have an event like
this and you can see those other athletes out here,
it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
And you guys, you're you know now with the Talent Fund,
but also with Ryan Martin's Foundation, you've opened up so
many adaptive areas. We helped with the Miracle League get
that that stadium open, and obviously with the adapted players,
but they want able body players to come play with them.
We just had Hasandiarra on and he was joking about it.
He's like the wheelchair guys like, yeah, you can't play
(06:57):
at our level. So he was kind of that, but
to me, honestly, I mean, you know, Ben knows this
from from Amy van Dyke and six time gold medalists.
She's now in a wheelchair, but she sees things from
a different perspective. Now the wheelchairs are thirty grand, you know,
getting getting just access to places, get even to be
able to get to Jim to work out, or to
(07:17):
even play a sport or something like that. It's it's
not accessible to everybody. So that's the thing that I
think that this this opens a lot of people's eyes
on giving everybody access to the same things.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Like you, you and I said when we were growing up, and.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I like, you know, I like putting pressure on people,
whether it's on the golf course, I like you and
I call it guilt. I like guilty people. That's a
nice way to put it. We had an athlete here
last year who earned a full scholarship to play back
wheelchair basketball Illinois. I'm trying to convince University Connecticut to
try to raise the funds to find scholarships and to
(07:53):
build and will help your team at Yukon.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I think that only makes sense.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
So I'm putt I'm putting the pressure on our administrators
at Yukon to.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Donnie Marshall, FS one covers the Big East. Let's talk
a little hoops, sir. I remember seven years ago we
were talking to you about Yukon basketball and there was
this big breath and then you started talking about it.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
It's a lot easier nowadays to have that conversation. Man,
What has the last five years with this program meant
for a lumps?
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Well, we remember seven years ago it was a different conference.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Yeah, AAC conferences mean everything, you know when you're talking
about getting the right athletes and recruiting television rights and
it really look, you have to understand that there are
smaller conferences that are going to have success. But everyone
knew Yukon has a Big East school and it's a
different animal when you're playing in a smaller conference, mid major,
(08:45):
if you will, all due respect to mid majors, Yukon
didn't belong there. I give the administration to Yukon just
so much credit in fighting to get Yukon back into
the Big East. And look what happens now. In all fairness,
Kevin Ollie won a national title in the AAC. But
then after that there was a little dip because you're
now you're competing with Duke and Syracuse, you're in the
(09:06):
ACC or you're or Big twelve teams and you're like, Okay, who.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Do we play on a Friday? Tulsa.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
No, no disrespect to Tulsa, no, but Tulsa is not
North Carolina. Tulsa is not Saint John's or Georgetown. So
getting back into the Big East meant everything. And I
think it was both ways. It worked for the Big East.
It also worked obviously for Yukon. But the fact that
Yukon and and Villanova have won so many national titles
in the last seven eight years, it tells you what
(09:32):
kind of conference the Big East is. And you know,
look at last year, people said, can they repeat? I
said absolutely, you better place your bets. This is like October.
People thought I was crazy. And just look what Danny
Hurley has done and his staff Tom Moore was here today.
Those guys understand when you're recruiting a kid, it's not
just about basketball. And again Hassan and Caroline here today.
(09:54):
It's it's it's character. It's not you want great basketball players,
but you need good character kids. And that's what Hurley
had continue to build on from Calhoun and Kevin, and
it's just so proud to talk about Yukon Huskies.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
You know, talking to Donnie Marshall here at the Donnie
Marshall Charity Golf outing talk about Dan Hurley coming back
and not going to LA and that whole thing was
just crazy, you know, didn't didn't go to Kentucky, that
kind of stuff. How difficult was it for probably a
decision for him, and also has been able to keep
the coaching staff intact. Talk about some of these things
(10:26):
because they're almost impossible after winning back to back championship.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
I have to give a coach Hurley credit for getting
more money for his assistance because we know in sports,
these coaches make a ton of money and their assistants
are struggling to buy a new.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Suit at times. They really are.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
So they're like, hey, let's just wear the zip ups
and sweatsuits because we don't have suits like the head coach.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So I give him so much credit. Obviously, we know
he's a phenomenal coach.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
We don't have to talk about the basketball, but what
he's done Hurley as a relationship guy to me has
been It's been all the difference because you have your
coaches now who are getting paid more and getting paid well, which.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
They deserve, but it makes them now want to work
even harder. You know that.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
And the fact that he understands it's not just about me,
Coach Hurley, it's about my staff and building. And I
can't I can't imagine what those conversations were like though
with his wife. I think his wife more than anything
for telling him we're not going to La. We're not
going to Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
I like it here. You know, we we're from Jersey.
It's not that far. It's we can get in the
car and drives. And I lived in La pretender. These
are our people. Yes, I mean when you get here
you kind of like l a studio at Fox. But
when you get back here you probably like, these are
my people.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Absolutely so, Andrea, thank you wherever you are than I
give her all the credit, just like you give Pat
Calhoun the credit when Coach Calhoun had opportunities to.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Day to the NBA.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
But nowadays it's it's big money. And Coach Hurley said,
you know what, how much money do I really need?
I I want to win and win and win getting
paid well. But when you're talking to for them. The money,
that the the difference. I love that Yukon stepped up,
brought that salary up, and I love the fact that
he stayed.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Because state of Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
In the State of connect we all know he's the
highest paid UH state employee in New England.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
In New England, he's worth it.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Man. Yeah, I know I'm biased because I'm a alone coach.
Early is worth every penny if, like coach Kellan said.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Not but kind of time back, I'm back. It's like
that's the greatest heag is about the Big East, like
it's so crazy. Basketball is tough, man.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
I mean, even following Yukon, you kind of gott to
follow the transfer portal. You gotta follow the recruiting trail,
just for all these teams. I know, just looking at
it from a broad scope here, twenty four to twenty five,
who should we be worried about his Yukon fans in
the Big East.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I'm not sure there's there's a team that we should
not be worried about, because now that bulls eye is
so much bigger every time you play Marquette, every time
you played Georgetown, And I don't care what the records
were before. Every time you go and play Sean Millers
Zager to whoever it is, stad Mona, you understand they
are trying to play the game of their life. It
may be just the seventh game of the season for Yukon,
(13:03):
but it's the game of the season and the year
for all those other teams.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
So you have to go in with a different mindset.
As a two time champ.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
You just do because now you give those teams confidence
and then they say, okay, well what's the recipe. We
saw Xavier beat Yukon Georgetown. They have the recipe now.
So I don't know if you can go into a
season and we know as players sometimes we know we
got them. You look at the calendar and you're like, oh,
we're gonna beat them, We're gonna beat them. But coaches,
I guarantee you are not saying, oh, we're gonna go
(13:31):
six and oh eight and oh ten, and oh oh
we can beat Butler. Go to you go to Indy,
Butler's a tough team there. What I love now about
the Big East is the personalities of the coaches. It's
back to when I played. You have this larger than,
larger than life and they demand so much more because
they have that pinas because they have kind of the
(13:51):
validation already of being winners across the board. So you know,
we got some good young guys and Shaka smart Kim
English now they're pulling it up because they've learned from
some great coaches. So I'm not sure there's a team
that we can we can look past. And the biggest
this this is if there was ever a time to
be a biggiest fan, right now is the time.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
I know you got to get inside it.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
When I throw one Olympic question after it though, because
Lebron may not play again, Uh, Katie, some of these
other guys, but the run that you know obviously the
U us men, but obviously you know Serbia, France, some
of these other these countries are getting better at at
playing US.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
So is that good for the NBA game. I think
it is.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I think it's good for you know, David Stern, you know,
before he passed, he was trying to globalize the game
in terms of the NBA.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
And and if you think about this, when the Dream.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Team played in the Olympics, they played against nine other
NBA players this year, not including our team. They played
against sixty one sixty one the Dream Team played against nine.
Now I'm not saying you compare and who's right, right,
but no, But that's the show. Is that tells you
what basketball is all about around the world.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
And not only that.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
There was a time twenty years ago where Europe wanted
to play like Americans in the NBA, and now you
see the NBA game turning into more of a European
style game. When you see seven foot three guys handling
the ball, you see seven foot or shooting threes, Yep,
it's nothing but good for basketball, not just at the
A level, but also at the college level. So right now, man,
(15:26):
it's look. I know people only watch basketball and at
the pro level in the playoffs. Most of the friends
that I talked to, even former NBA my former maid buddies,
I don't watch to the playoffs. But I'm telling you what,
watching those Olympics, if you weren't proud of our team
for the way they played, and then watching those other
NBA players they played against, they respect the US And
(15:46):
some people may say that gap is closing. I don't
know about that. I just know that basketball around the world,
including the NBA, is just at an all time high
and only getting better.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Guys.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
It's the shot of the day. What was the big
shot for Donny Marshall's team year over the edge? Maybe
win a personal bet or too.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Uh So there was a there was a par five.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Uh so the first year I got criticized because Sterling
Sharp was in my group and we won it.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
That's not It was the inaugural, so I had to
win the first part. So now which so Ray today, Yeah,
came out, so we we So we played a match.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
So Ray was on into at about twenty feet on
a par five and and I was on into at
about four feet and I like that.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Wow, it was my shot of the day. And uh
there you go. Always good having my guys out here.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Chris Smith, you know we can come down the line, uh,
Scottie Burrell just it's I tell Sterling Sharp.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
I told Ray and Kevin the same thing.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Like you guys don't understand how important this is not
only for me, but for all the people to see
you here.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
It might be just another day. Man.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I love you guys, dude, but even so, I know
you're with them every day. So many people like Rob
Dibbles here, I'm like can you believe it? I think
he's I think he's on I love Scotty. I think
he's on the rock though. That's why he's here. Other
guys are here for charity. Dibbs is getting paid.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Go inside your events? Isn't getting I love you not
even Marshall Man. I love you man. That's great. We'll
be right back on the rock. People show a Ben
Darnell on Fox Sports Radio
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