Gentry lets it be known that Nash is playing at no more than 70 percent right now. The Suns head coach also admits he is fairly surprised Nash is playing at all.

Alvin Gentry joined KTAR in Phoenix with Burns & Gambo to discuss Steve Nash becoming the Phoenix Suns all-time assists leader, Grant Hill’s knee injury, the emergence of Josh Childress in the Suns lineup, and Steve Nash playing through injuries.

Steve Nash is now the Suns all-time assists leader. Nice night for Steve Nash huh coach?

“Yeah he played extremely well. To be honest with you guys he is probably 70%. He had more ice on him after the game then you would find on a cooler I think. That’s just the kind of guy he is and he went out and he did a great job. I just thought he was really aggressive offensively. He just played extremely well.”

Let’s talk about Grant Hill and the knee. What are the expectations with him going forward?

“Well he feels a lot better. I don’t know at what stage of the game that he actually hurt it, but it just wasn’t worth taking a risk. We just sat him out. It was sore and Josh [Childress] had been playing really good for us anyway and really aggressive, so it was one of those deals where we felt it was best to sit him out and kind of take a look at it. He’ll rest it today and we’ll go to shoot around tomorrow and kind of take a look at it and see where we are with it.”

What have you seen out of Josh Childress that you like?

“He is the consummate professional. When he was sitting over there not playing, he was working every day at practice and doing that and we had talked several times. When I put him in there he did great and I just told him that I would continue to use him when he played with that kind of aggressiveness and defensively I thought he’s done a good job for us. It gives me a guy to relieve Grant [Hill] of guarding a Dirk Nowitzk of the world or something like that. I think he’s playing really good.”

You mentioned how Steve Nash had more ice on him than a cooler. He’s okay though right?

“Yeah he’ll play. I just…he won’t ever say anything about it. He’s playing in a lot of pain and there’s a lot of things going that would not normally – the normal guy I don’t think would be playing.”

Listen to Alvin Gentry on 620 KTAR in Phoenix here

Arizona is 6-1 in the last seven games with impressive wins over Dallas, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Their win over the Browns this past weekend wasn’t pretty but it capped off a four game winning streak, which had never been done since head coach Ken Whisenhunt arrived in the valley. At 7-7, the Cardinals playoff chances are basically a pipe dream. They need a lot of help and their fate might’ve been sealed when the Lions had a very impressive comeback win over the Raiders, but with the way they have played to close out the season, there is a lot of reason for optimism in Arizona.

Larry Fitzgerald joined PFT Live with Mike Florio to talk about what changed for the team after the 1-6 start, what the biggest win was for the team during this impressive late season run, what two losses stick in his mind the most, whether or not it will help him and Kevin Kolb to have a full offseason to work and get to know each other, and why he has had more success with John Skelton as opposed to Kolb.

What the mindset was when the team was 1-6:

“I think guys were just fed up with the situation we were in. Losing six straight games with the talent and the ability that we have on this team, there was a time for a change and Coach Whisenhunt challenged all the men in the locker room. We didn’t have anybody lay down or quit. Nobody didn’t believe and we were able to put it together one win at a time and it’s been a great ride.”

What changed for the team after the 1-6 start to the season:

“Well a combination of two things. Offensively we weren’t playing great football and defensively we weren’t playing great football. I think the single biggest change for us has been the defense. They have played lights out football for the last seven weeks, they have done a terrific job of holding people to field goals when they get down to the red zone, causing turnovers, and it’s been so much fun to watch those guys. It’s been not only one guy but a whole group effort on that side of the ball. We’ve been able to protect the football a little bit better and not turn the ball over as much and it’s giving us opportunities to win games down the stretch.”

What game sticks out as the most impressive win during this run late in the season:

“I would say definitely the San Francisco game for us as a team. Them being in our division, us not really liking them, them not really liking us, to be able to beat them was great for us because they had beaten us five games in a row so I would say the sweetest victory we have had in this run was the San Francisco run.”

What games really stick in his mind as one the Cards should’ve won:

“I would say there’s two that really stick in my mind and hurt me the most. I would say the Baltimore Ravens game where we had them down 21 points coming into the second half and we lost that game in Baltimore in early October. And then I would say the Giants game when we had them down 10 points with four minutes to go and they had a controversial Victor Cruz fumble that coulda been fumble. Maybe it was a fumble or maybe wasn’t a fumble and it ended up not going our way and we lost that game too. Those two really stick out in my mind.”

How much he thinks it will help him and Kevin Kolb to have a full off-season together

“I think it’s gonna be really beneficial for all of us to be able to have a full off-season. Just to be able to get everybody acclimated, him acclimated with us, and us acclimated with him and him being able to get comfortable with what we’re trying to do. That’s gonna be huge for our offense and I’m excited about the guys that we have on this team and in the future as well.”

Why he believes he has had more success with John Skelton as opposed to Kolb:

“It’s hard to put my finger on it. Kevin, him not being in this system sometimes he may be reluctant to let the ball go or throw it to me in certain situations because a lot of times I’m not blatantly open and I know in Philly when he had DeSean Jackson and (Jeremy) Maclin, guys that are running wide open, those guys are really fast and quick out of their breaks and I’m a little different. I’m not gonna be able to beat guys by four or five yards like that so I’m not gonna look as open. I think it’s gonna come with trust and getting to know me a little bit better. John has been here a year longer and he knows kinda how to get the ball to me in terms of just giving me an opportunity even when it doesn’t look good.”

Listen to Larry Fitzgerald on PFT Live here

It’s hard for folks around the Arizona State program not to wonder if this is just his next short stop on the coaching ladder, but Graham says that’s not the case. He states his side of things in this interview and tells people that this is a destination job, one that he won’t leave unless he’s fired or retired.

Todd Graham joined KTAR in Phoenix with Doug and Wolf to discuss his side of things on his departure from Pitt, why he left there, how he changed the environment in one season there, not being the first choice of Arizona State, his coaching strengths, those questioning his character publicly and how long he plans on being at Arizona State.

What’s your side of the story with how you left things at Pitt?:

“Obviously the timing on these things are very, very difficult. From the time you’re offered a job to when you accept it is very rapid. It was probably a 12-hour period from when I was offered the job to the time I had to be on a plane leaving. … It didn’t allow for me to have a chance to call a meeting, to have a meeting with the players. I used the only means I had at my disposal. I certainly didn’t want those guys to find out on the news. … It makes you sick to your stomach, because it’s not the way you want to do things.”

Why did you leave Pitt?:

“I had other people call me about jobs around the country and I didn’t even blink at them. This is a place where my wife’s mother and father is. We come every year to vacation here. … It was a dream destination for us. … It was really more of a family deal.”

Did you feel like the environment had changed at Pitt during your one season?:

“I think so. I think we made great progress. … I think they had 26 arrests the year before I got there and we had zero. So, I think we made a lot of progress with the young men. I’m very, very proud of that growth. … Obviously you don’t ever want to be in a situation where you’re only at a place one year. At the end of the day, it was gut-wrenching to make that decision, but it was one that was the best for my family.”

Did you care how Arizona State handled its search, seemingly going after other candidates before arriving at your hiring?:

“Oh no. If you’re asking me about being the first choice, I wasn’t my wife’s first choice. But I’m glad that I was the one that ended up with it.”

What are you strengths?:

“My whole deal, my strengths, are building relationships with coaches and players. That’s my whole foundation of what we do. I think that’s the key to building discipline. I want guys that are great teachers. … I don’t believe there’s good and bad people, it’s what we choose to bring out in each other.”

You talk about being a man of character and being genuine, but given recent reports, the media is saying the opposite. How do you address that?:

“I would point to the players and things that I’ve done as a football coach. I’m extremely proud of the things we’ve accomplished on the field and off the field. I can tell you that obviously you never want to be put in a situation like that and it was tough. I’m human. I made the best decision for my family. … I know the people that know me know what I’m all about and all’s I can do is work hard to prove that and work hard to earn people’s respect and trust.”

If you win, how long will you be at Arizona State?:

“You can say, ‘Look at his track record. He was at Rice one year.’ If I describe the circumstances from which I left there and, really, if everybody knew all the circumstances that I just left, but I’m not going to go into that. … You look around the country, they’re firing coaches after two years and it’s unfair. But I can tell you this, that I come here because I think this is a destination. It’s where my wife and family wanted to be. … I’ll prove that I’m going to be here. Unless I’m fired or retired, I plan on being here.”

Listen to Todd Graham on KTAR in Phoenix here

Nash has become a hot topic out in the desert regarding his future with the Phoenix Suns. As it becomes increasingly evident that elite players in the NBA are looking to jump ship for presumably greener pastures, the Suns are wondering if Nash will stay with the organization if this season doesn’t turn out well. From the sound of it, the Phoenix Suns have nothing to worry about.

Steve Nash joined KTAR in Phoenix with Burns and Gambo to discuss whether he thinks the Phoenix Suns will contend for the playoffs this season given their offseason moves, the fast pace nature of NBA training camp in a shortened season, finishing his career with the Phoenix Suns, and the idea of leaving the Suns at the NBA trade deadline if his team is not a playoff contender.

Do you like the additions to the Suns for this season? Do you think this team has enough to make a playoff push?

“Well that’s gotta be the goal. Our goal has gotta be get into the playoffs. I think we can do it. I think we are definitely going to have to find a great chemistry and put some good things together towards building a team, but we definitely gotta be lucky on the schedule and not have injuries and all that stuff. We gotta have our sights set on the playoffs and hopefully improve every day as a team.”

How difficult is it to rush to get ready for this season? How different is “hyper-speed” in training camp? You guys only started camp a week ago:

“It’s not every day we have 66 games in 120 days or whatever it is, let alone an abbreviated camp with two exhibition games, so I think it is going to be crazy from start to finish. We’ve already seen a few trades and acquisitions and what not. I think top to bottom it’s going to be one of those anomaly type things where you just gotta embrace it and make the most of it and see who makes it through.”

At this point in your career do you want to finish your career with the Phoenix Suns?

“Well that would be amazing to do that. I have been here for the majority of my career and had a ton of success here. This is home. I feel a part of the franchise and organization beyond just as a player, so it feels right. It feels like home and that would be great. I know the business is crazy and ever changing so you always gotta be prepared for whatever it may be, but yeah it would be great to finish my career [with the Phoenix Suns].”

If for some reason this season doesn’t go the way you want and you a have chance to go to a contender at the NBA trade deadline, would you want to do that?

“Well I think that’s a situation where it is hard for me to answer. I think right now no. Right now I want to stay with my team and if it wasn’t going well in some way take our lumps, but it’s such a speculative question that I don’t know if I could give you a proper answer, but my heart has always been here. I always wanted to stick it out and always wanted to be [here] whether we end up in the conference finals or we end up not making the playoffs. I guess I always felt like apart of this team and apart of the fabric and never really wanted to jump ship.”

Listen to Steve Nash on KTAR in Phoenix here

Pitt wide receiver Cam Saddler, one of the team’s leaders, spoke out on the situation, describing how Graham spoke often of his money and the shock that the players were experiencing. At the mention of Graham possibly returning to meet with the team after leaving so hastily, Saddle said Graham better not dare come back.

Cam Saddler joined 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on The Morning Show to discuss Graham not being genuine, the shock of the coaching change, what it will take to trust the next guy, talking to incoming recruits, the team coming together in a tough time, Graham talking about his money and what he would think if Graham wanted to come back and meet with the team.

When did you start to see this guy as not genuine?:

“I guess I got bamboozled. It just started to unravel slowly but surely, probably the first couple months he was there in the offseason. … Everybody wants to impress the new coach. But after a while, you cannot repeat the same stuff over and over. You’ve got to actually show us something.”

Have you learned more in the past 24 hours in the locker room or in the past four years in the classroom?:

“The last 24 hours, man. This has been rough, man. This is happening again? The first time it happened last year, we were all in shock, like no way this is going down. … Then, it’s happening now. … We’re kind of just like, again? How’s this happening again? We know what to expect, what we’re getting ourselves into, and it’s like, ‘Why us?’”

What do you think it’ll take for you to trust the next guy?:

“We don’t nobody to tell us nothing. We want somebody to show us. We’re tired of hearing speeches of how everything’s going to be OK and everything’s going to get better. … Show us. We’re done talking. I don’t want no one coming in here and talking to us, trying to sell us.”

You’ve been known as a guy who helped guys decide to come here. What do you say now?:

“I’m going to do some justice on this class, I promise. I think people are a little bit too worried about recruiting. I think, as a team, we’ll handle that. I talked to a couple recruits yesterday and I just wanted to tell the guys, ‘You’re coming to join the team.’”

Do you think you guys have come together as a team because of this?:

“Definitely. This is making us closer and closer. Everyone’s texting everybody and calling everybody just so we can all be on the same page. This situation is wild man. This doesn’t happen every day. … You don’t switch bosses this often. … We’ve got each other, though. I know it’s kind of cliche to say, but who else do you have?”

Give us an example of when Graham spoke about his money:

“He told us at a team meeting that … ‘I’ll lose game with guys with integrity. It doesn’t matter to me if I get fired. I make $2 million a year, I can move to the Caribbean and me and my wife can be better off for the rest of our lives.’ Like, what kind of nonsense is that? I don’t care about that. You’re my coach. I understand that; you get paid lots of money. … You have a nice haircut and all, but why would you tell us that you and your wife would be OK.”

More on the situation:

“I had to let them know that, I understand this is a business, but this is personal. This hurt. It was a business last year, but now this is personal, man. We’re young men, and we deserve the same respect that everyone else deserves.”

Todd Graham said he would like to come back and meet with you guys. What do you think about that?:

“No, no, no. He better not dare try to come over here. He better not dare. I mean that with a passion. When the situation first happened, I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I sat down with a couple guys and told them if the plan was for Coach Graham to coach us in the bowl game, we are not going to play.”

Listen to Cam Saddler on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh here

Hill eludes to his teammate Steve Nash as being one of the deciding factors in his decision to return to Phoenix. The seven-time All-Star, who averaged 13.2 points last season, will be going into his 17th season and fifth in a row with the Suns.

Grant Hill joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix with Bickley and MJ to discuss the rumors of signing with the New York Knicks, ultimately deciding to re-sign with the Phoenix Suns, the pace of training camp during a shortened NBA season and his feelings on Steve Nash finishing his career with the Suns.

Now there are a lot of jilted people in New York. They really felt you were going to be a member of the Knicks this time. Your thoughts?

“Well it seems like I’ve entertained or flirted with them [New York Knicks] three times throughout my career. It was an interesting process. There are people in that organization that I know and know very well. Amar’e Stoudemire. Coach D’Antoni. Even Allan Houston, who I’ve played with and known since we were in high school. It wasn’t honestly just them. There were other teams as well, but it was an interesting process. It was a successful process, but to be 39 and have gone through a number of things throughout my career – to have some really good teams and great opportunities knocking at my door – it was for the most part – it was positive.”

This must have been a tough decision knowing how much you love Phoenix, but the other options were appealing?

“Yeah. No. It was interesting. They were viable, very attractive, very interesting. Coaches that I respected – teams that theoretically I guess are – one would say closer to winning a championship than we are. You want to be thoughtful in delivery in making your decision and obviously because of everything being accelerated with the rush to get the season started that it wasn’t your normal sort of off-season in terms of weighing your options. It was interesting. At the end of the day I just…I liked my teammates. I like the coaching staff, management, ownership, and just…I don’t know. I just felt like we had something to prove. Last year was a tough year for us in a lot of ways with a lot of transition and a lot of changes personnel wise. A lot changes in the front office. A lot of reasons for no excuses, but you just feel like you want to…you can’t go out like that. You want to at least – when I came here – this franchise there was a high expectation. This franchise was about trying to compete for a championship and to leave the way things were last year it didn’t fit right. Not to say if we made the playoffs I would have left, but I felt like we had something to prove. Even my teammates, even my family, my brothers, we collectively want to go out there and do it. We have a great opportunity this year.”

What has training camp been like? Do you think your style of play can win in a shortened season?

“Training camp is never fun. I’ll be the first to say. It’s a necessary evil. I think the key to the lockout season is certainly if my memory serves me correct it’s about managing the schedule as it always is. This year this schedule is going to be a lot different. There’s going to be a lot of games and not enough time for practice. We are going to use our depth or the fact that we have a lot of good players especially with some of the new guys and really sometimes these teams that rely on one or two guys to do the bulk of the scoring in some cases backfire during this type of schedule because it’s going to be hard to maintain that level of play as an individual every game, but because we have depth we don’t necessarily have that super star except for Steve [Nash], but we are going to play hard. We are going to run. We are going to compete. We are going to play better defense this year. We are not going to concede to anybody and we are going to use our depth, so I think this year might be an unusual year in a lot of ways, but hopefully it’ll play to our advantage.”

Can we assume by you coming back that Steve Nash wants to ride this thing out and get his sunset here?

“I did talk with Steve and Steve spoke about maybe a week ago and just sort of wanting me back and supporting me and that was great. He didn’t have to do that, but I certainly appreciate it. I think look the guy has had great years. He was drafted here and had MVP like seasons in a good portion of his whole Suns career. I think in a perfect world he would like to finish up here and get this organization back to respectability. Hell even just get a championship here. I think he wants to stay. I can’t – I don’t want to read too much into him and I think a lot obviously goes into this season, but you can’t worry about the future. We just gotta worry about this two-a-day that we have tonight and just take it one game at a time. I’m hopeful. I just think he’s been so much for this franchise and so much to this community. To me he embodies what true class and professionalism is all about and I’ve really enjoyed playing with him and getting to know him and really having a friendship on-and-off the court. I don’t want to get too far down the road, but the guy could still play. He’s got a lot left in the tank. I feel like too there is a lot of great point guards in this league, but he still has an edge about him and still feels like he belongs in that conversation. I expect big things from him this year as well.”

Listen to Grant Hill on XTRA 910 in Phoenix here

Now there will be plenty of other questions to answer. Rodriguez still has the blemish on his resume that was the stop at Michigan, though he explains in the following interview why he still believes he was on the right track there. And people are already wondering if he can replicate what he did at West Virginia while he’s coaching in Tucson.

Rich Rodriguez joined KTAR in Phoenix with Doug and Wolf to discuss why he decided Arizona was the right fit, how much convincing it took, the vision for the program going forward, the biggest challenge he’ll face, what he learned from his stint at Michigan, if he can replicate his success at West Virginia and why he signed on to coach without visiting Tucson.

Why did you decide you’d like to coach at Arizona?:

“The thing that appeals to me is obviously they’ve had some success there. Mike Stoops had them right on the cusp and did a pretty good job and they were right there and just had some tough luck. … They’ve had success in a lot of other sports. Look what they’re doing in men’s basketball, what they’ve done in softball. It’s a great college town with tremendous fan support, tremendous alumni support. … The other thing that appealed to me was that the staff played such a big role in hiring me. … We’re building a brand new facility. … The timing, I think, is just perfect.”

How much convincing did it take and at what point did you decide, ‘This is it’?:

“It was kind of a process. Obviously I was hungry to get back into coaching. I enjoyed the media part of it. I don’t know about putting makeup on. … It kind of gave me a chance to stay involved in the game and see other programs and all that, so I was really hungry to get back in coach. And, again, [athletic director] Greg Byrne did a tremendous job of explaining his vision for the program. … He called everybody and their brother about me and did his due diligence on me, too, which is fair, and toward the end of the process … then I started asking more questions.”

More on the vision:

“I had a great meeting with some of the other administrators … and I just felt it was comfortable. I always thought that if you’re in a place that has the resources to have success — which we do there — and you’ve got everybody pulling the rope in the same direction, you’ve got a shot. … [At West Virginia] everybody was pulling the same direction.”

What is the biggest challenge going forward?:

“I’ve got to put together, obviously, a good recruiting class. That’s important right now, but I’ve also got to have the chance to evaluate where we’re at personnel-wise. A lot of people say, and it always bothers me, ‘when you get your kids in.’ I told the team that. … I said, ‘The day I agreed to become the coach, you became my kids.’ Obviously we’re going to recruit guys every year, but they’re my kids as soon as I signed that contract. We’ve got to find what we have and adapt to the things we do. … I’ve got a five-year contract to get it done. I don’t think it’ll take that long, but I think there’s a lot of pieces in place right now.”

What did you learn at Michigan and what would you do differently?:

“I’ve thought about that a lot. Going in, people say, ‘Well, it didn’t work for you at Michigan.’ I still believe it was working, it was just taking longer than I wanted. We went from three to five to seven wins and we thought this year we’d win nine, 10 or 11 and they’re already at that level. Then, Year Five was going to be even better. I just felt we ran out of time. We had a few obstacles in the beginning because there were a whole bunch of misconceptions about ‘This guy’s an outsider and doesn’t understand our tradition.’ … We had to fight that a little bit. … That being said, I think we’ve learned from that. … I think I’m a better coach now than I was three or four years ago when we were the cat’s meow at West Virginia.”

Can you take Arizona where you took West Virginia?:’

“Everybody wants to talk about offense and I was very fortunate to have some dynamic players offensively and did some really neat things. But it’s really more about an attitude and a program and what I call a hard edge. When you play with a hard edge, you can see 11 guys out there playing as hard as they can on every snap. … I love fast players, but I love physical players even moreso. That kind of attitude and culture is something we want to implement immediately.”

Did I hear correctly that you took the job without visiting Tucson?:

“Yep, I sure did. I talked to about probably 10 or 15 people that have either lived there for an extended period of time or spent quite a bit of time there. To a person, every single one of them said it’s a great place to live. If somebody would’ve said, ‘I don’t know about this or that,’ maybe I would’ve said I needed to see it first, but heck, I signed sight unseen.”

Listen to Rich Rodriguez on KTAR in Phoenix here

It’ll feel much weirder if he’s forced to do the same this weekend. Kolb, who has seen his share of struggles in his first year as a starter with the Cardinals, has been looking forward to returning to Philadelphia, which traded him away during the offseason. It’s been reported that’s he’s doubtful, but Kolb seems to think there’s at least a possibility that he returns.

Kevin Kolb joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix with Bickley and MJ to discuss watching his team snap their six-game losing streak with him on the sidelines injured, the play of backup quarterback John Skelton, what it felt like to sit out, the status of his foot injury, the need to practice during the week to play on Sundays, what it might feel like to miss his return to Philly and making sure he holds on to his starting gig.

Was it still fun to see your teammates win even though an injury kept you from playing?:

“Oh yeah, it just changed the whole complexion of the week. You’re just tired of the same thing over and over and saying the same things. It’s good to have a decent taste in your mouth. And what an exciting way to finish the game. That was pretty incredible.”

What was your impression of your backup, John Skelton, and the way he played?:

“I thought he battled. Offensively, as a whole, we struggled there at the beginning and the Rams were doing a good job of bringing a lot of different looks and pressure. … We settled in and put a drive together whenever we had to to get us back in the ballgame.”

Can you gain anything out of being on the sidelines watching?:

“Oh it was terrible, to be honest with you. It was grueling, man. I was nervous before the game and it was just a weird feeling all the way around. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I wasn’t out there for pregame and I was just kind of buzzing around the locker room and just staring at the walls. It was a different feeling. I tried to help out where I could and provide some insight here and there. I don’t know if I did anything good, but everybody hung together.”

What’s the latest with your foot at this point?:

“The bone bruise has shown its face here in the last four or five days. That’s a painful thing and it’s also a thing that’s got to heal as well. We went back in and had a few more looks at it and made a lot of progress [Tuesday], to be honest with you. … Just like any rehab, you get to a point where, OK, the color and the swelling moves out and you hit a little lull there and you say, ‘Well, gosh, when can I get out there and run on it?’ … It was a positive day for me.”

How important is it to practice during the week? Could you not get the reps but still find a way to play?:

“Quarterback’s a little different position than going out and playing defensive end. You’ve got to see the looks. You’ve got to go out there and be a part of it and playing fast. If you’re not, you’re not doing your team any justice. We’ll see how much work I get this week and make a decision closer to game time. … You know that I want to be out there for this one as much as I possibly can, for obvious reasons.”

What would it be like for you to go back to Philadelphia but not be able to play?:

“I have no idea, because I wasn’t even expecting the awkwardness that I had at the game the other day. I’ve obviously sat on the sideline before, but I’ve never not suited up. … It’s going to be different if I have to go all the way to the east coast and play in that stadium again and all the emotions and then not be able to play. … Hopefully that’s not the case.”

Is there any thought that you want to get back out there and not let Skelton take a shot at winning the starting gig?:

“I’ve been in those shoes before. That’s always the most popular guy on the team. I was real popular for a long time there in Philadelphia. That’s kind of a running joke in locker rooms and that’s just the way it is. I wanted the best for him. … I’ve gone through too much to ever wish bad upon somebody in this league.”

Listen to Kevin Kolb on XTRA 910 in Phoenix here

Frye joined KTAR in Phoenix with Burns and Gambo to talk about how weird it was to not have Opening Night games take place on Wednesday night, whether he’s concerned that the entire 2011-2012 NBA season might be canceled, how long of a preseason he feels players and teams might need to get ready once the lockout is potentially lifted, why he has personally chosen to not be heavily involved with the negotiations as a player and instead relied on others from the players union for information and leadership, and how much of a concern solidarity amongst players is once more and more paychecks are missed in the upcoming weeks.

Was it hard not having games on Wednesday night when the 2011-2012 season should have been getting underway:

“Yeah it was very weird, just this whole situation is very weird. But, you know, I try to make every glass half full. It’s been awesome spending time with my wife and my son just being able to develop my game and my body, and just take the time to get really healthy and a lot of workout time.”

If there’s a concern that the whole season might be lost:

“I think that concern is just one of those things that’s going to happen. But for me it’s just like, look, when you get it figured out, give me a call, I’ll be ready to play, ready to put on that Suns uniform. I miss the crowd, I miss being able to play with the guys, and I feel like ending the season the way we did last year wasn’t good at all. So I’m ready to go back out there and get back to winning ways.”

If he thinks players and teams need an extended preseason before being ready to start a new season, whenever that may be:

“No, no, I don’t think you need an extended preseason. You look at the whole process, you probably need 10 days for free agency. I don’t know if that’s completely gone through with like the new amnesty thing that’s completely going to change free agency. Then you have other guys that are well coveted free agents — Nene, Jamal Crawford — that’s going to take about 10 days. Then you’ve got training camp, that’s going to take about four days. I would say two or three preseason games would be max. I think that gives everybody the opportunity to play themselves into shape and get better, and I think it gives an opportunity for guys to to get used to the new guys on the team, the new additions, and the rookies to get used to the new rules.”

Why he personally has chosen to not be involved with negotiations like some other players have:

“I’m extremely competitive, you know what I’m saying? I have a very, very mean streak when it comes to winning and losing. I think during this whole process, I’ve just tried to stay as calm as possible. I don’t want to take anything that any owners say, or that any players say personal, or don’t take anything personal against me. I look at it as what’s best for basketball and what’s going to be best for the players for the next 10 years and the game of basketball really. For me it’s like I’m not in New York, nor do I want to fly to New York. We have great representatives with Jared Dudley and Josh Childress, and I’m close with Derek Fisher and some of the other guys. So I’m extremely well-informed, but at the same time, to get emotionally involved in ‘is it going to happen today, or is it going to happen tomorrow?’ I just don’t want all these ups and downs, and I think you take the same approach when you play basketball. So for me, I’m just trying to keep my ups and downs very minimal and just try to take advantage of every day that I have to continue to work out and get better and spend time with my family.”

Whether there’s a concern about solidarity breaking down once more paychecks are missed:

“I can only speak for myself, but I feel like we’re extremely well-informed for up to almost two years — ‘save your money, the owners are going to lock us out.’ You know, it’s not like this lockout is something new that just popped up at the end of the season. The owners have said to us two years ago almost, ‘we’re going to lock you out.’ So if people aren’t saving money, then I think we have available….I don’t know what the word is….we have people available to them to help them out during this time. I think right now it’s a chance for us to really step up and make sure that we’re getting a fair deal. During this whole process, it’s been tough and everybody’s kind of learned how to budget. Yes, we make a lot of money and this is just both sides need to come together for the betterment of basketball so that the fans can watch basketball.”

Listen to Channing Frye on KTAR in Phoenix

Playing against his former team, Boldin turned in his best performance of the season and nobody on the Cards could cover him. He made one-handed catches, drew a number of pass interference calls, and was the most dominant offensive force for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Without Q, the Ravens would’ve dropped their second straight game and it would’ve been panic time in Baltimore.

Anquan Boldin joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix with Bickley and MJ to talk about whether or not this weekend’s game against Pittsburgh could be a season defining win for Baltimore, how surprised he was that Patrick Peterson wasn’t covering him, what the message at halftime was, if he had more motivation playing against his former team, why he doesn’t often address what happened between him and Arizona, and how fun it is to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Whether or not this could be a season defining win:

“We had a chance to go in and watch film and make corrections. It’s just one of those games where what you do from this point on defines what you are as a team. We said it today, either we can go forward from here or go backwards. Our goal is to continue to move forward.”

How surprised he was at the coverage he was seeing against the Cardinals:

“Yeah we were kinda surprised that they were lining up number 20 against me. Even in this first half most teams come out and one corner plays left and one corner plays right but yesterday I guess they decided they were gonna follow us. We were shocked they were doing that and that was one of the things we wanted to take advantage of.”

On the message at halftime:

“For us the message at halftime was just wake up. We felt we came out really flat and not playing with a lot of enthusiasm. We just said to each other wake up. I went to Joe (Flacco) first and said throw me the ball and I will make a play for you.”

Whether or not he was more motivated playing against his former team:

“I’m motivated every week. I play this game to win. Nothing else. No matter who my opponent is I’m gonna go out and approach it the same way. It doesn’t matter if it was the Cardinals, it doesn’t matter if it was Pittsburgh, it doesn’t matter.”

On why he doesn’t often talk about what happened between him and the Cardinals:

“It does me no good and it does them no good to sit back and talk about what could’ve been. This is a league full of business. They had opportunities to sign me and they didn’t get the deal done. They kinda reneged on a couple of promises they made. So for me I had to make the best decision for me. For me that was moving on to another team. I got an opportunity to come to Baltimore and I’m happy with that decision.”

On the Ravens-Steelers rivalry:

“It’s a fun week. Probably the best weekend in football because of the history of this rivalry with these two teams. There’s nothing like it. I think the closest I came to it was playing the University of Florida when I was at Florida State. Just playing in this rivalry you know it’s gonna be a hard fought game, it’s gonna be tough, and hard hitting. It’s the reason why you play football.”

Listen to Anquan Boldin on XTRA 910 in Phoenix here

Instead, a day later, it was all about what some Atlanta Falcons players say they heard when quarterback Matt Ryan was injured during the game. Several Falcons players say they heard Ndamukong Suh and other defenders yelling for Ryan to get off the field and for the medical staff to bring on the cart. Atlanta cornerback Brent Grimes says cheering for such a thing will come back to people.

Brent Grimes joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta with Two Live Stews to discuss going up against Calvin Johnson,  a play where he made a breakup on the talented Lions wide receiver, how Detroit quarterback Matt Stafford played, what the victory meant heading into the bye, the things that were allegedly said to Matt Ryan when he got hurt and how in the world he dropped the easiest interception ever.

What was your thought process last week as you prepared for Calvin Johnson?:

“Just go out and compete. You know that they’re going to take their shots with him. He’s big, like an NBA two-guard at receiver. He can run. He’s got all the tools to make big plays in this league, so you know they’re going to take their shots at him. You’ve just got to be always ready and when you get your chance, just go and compete.”

There was a big play where you went up and broke up a pass intended to him. What happened there?:

“As the play was developing, it’s going pretty fast. So you’re not thinking, you’re just reacting really. He ran a little out and up. That’s one of his go-to routes, really. … I recovered from the fake and then I saw the ball in the air. I just went up and made a play on the ball. Once it’s in the air, you’re thinking, ‘Can I get two hands up in the air or do I just have to go up with one?’ … I just went up with one and went for the breakup.”

Grade Matt Stafford and what you saw from him as the Lions’ quarterback on Sunday:

“I think he’s a good quarterback. He has all the tools to be a great quarterback. He has the arm talent, can make every throw. He’s accurate, but we did a good job, our D-line, sending pressure at him and keeping him uncomfortable. … That’s what we did to him yesterday. He felt a lot of heat on him and so he was a little rattled in the pocket and made things difficult.”

How much different would the feeling be if you were 3-4 instead of 4-3 in the standings?:

“It’s a huge difference. Just being in this league for the amount of time I’ve been here, the week after a win and a week after a loss is so much different and so much better, especially going into a bye. You definitely want to go into a bye with a win, a little momentum. We’ve won two games in a row now.”

Allegedly Ndamukong Suh said some disparaging things about Matt Ryan when he got injured. What did you hear?:

“I heard that they were yelling at him like, ‘Get him out of here. Get the cart.’ Stuff that you just shouldn’t say. We’re all out there competing and you’re trying to hit the quarterback and intimidate him. That’s all part of the game, but you don’t really want to see anyone get hurt. That’s just not what you want to happen. And I heard several people on the sideline saying that’s what the dudes were doing on the field and I couldn’t really believe that. … For you to mock somebody when they’re on the ground and they are possibly seriously hurt where they might need a cart to take them off the field, that’s just not cool. That comes back to people when they do something like that.”

What in the world happened when you dropped the wide open interception?:

“I don’t know, man. I guess it was just too easy. That one hurt real bad. I’ve never got an interception that came that easy to me, ever in football. That was pretty embarrassing.”

Listen to Brent Grimes on 790 The Zone in Atlanta here

Now Kevin Kolb can do all the talking that he wants about change, but the fact of that matter is that when the whistle blows this Sunday the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming into town to finish off their season. It is now or never for the Cards to turn things around and they will face a big challenge against a Steelers team riding a two-game winning streak.

Kevin Kolb joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix with Bickley and MJ to discuss the emotional state of the Arizona Cardinals, the coaching staff being at the players meeting during the bye week, an accountability issue in the Cardinals locker room, evaluating his own development at this point of the season and why it took so long for the Cardinals to realize that the team wasn’t getting the job done.

Can you explain to the fans the emotional state of this Arizona Cardinals team right now?

“I think the big thing we all wanted to do was and the leaders especially wanted to do was everyone being held accountable. That’s how you win football games. It’s not about a coach breathing down your neck. It’s part of being a professional. Yes, you have to be able to handle the little details that you know makes you a better football player without someone there telling you to do it. That is kind of what it was all about. The finger wasn’t pointed, but it was just saying hey look it is pretty obvious where the mistakes are coming from. We are all making mistakes. Put your ego at the door. Think team first and let’s think of this as an 11 week season. Put the crap that happened over the past 5 weeks behind us and let’s move forward and get it changed around because again as hard as it is on you guys and on the fans you can imagine how hard it is in that locker room when you know you have the talent to go in there and win.”

Your thoughts on the coaches being in the players meeting and guys saying what they felt?

“Our coaching staff is the most open I have ever been around. In my opinion it is great. It starts with Ken Whisenhunt. If you have something that is bothering you let it off your chest and he has an open door policy and that goes all the way down the staff. For us as players to be able to express our opinions in a professional manner. Just like they do to us. That is just a healthy relationship. I think that can only lead to good things down the road and that’s why they’ve had success in the past because of the way that Ken starts it off being an upstanding ego free guy. He’s not concerned about what is good about himself. He’s concerned about wins and making sure that us as players have the same values and the same concerns.”

Was accountability an issue in the locker room during these loses?

“I just think you have so many new faces and so many new guys there that there is just a lot of change. I think some people – look the finger points at me first – like I always say. That’s the way it goes. I just feel like we are figuring each other out and hey where can we expect things? Where can we not expect things? You know what I am talking about? As a team you learn yourself and you learn who to lean on in certain times and who not lean on and that’s fine. That’s how a team is supposed to work. That is a tough question. It’s just one of those deals where I don’t think the accountability…maybe accountability is not even the right word. Maybe it is just touching up the details. Just like any business does. When things aren’t right what do you go to do? You go in there and start fine tuning things. What did we look over in the first five weeks that we are not doing? That’s more of what it was about. It’s just saying alright look obviously what we are doing is not right. We are right there and we can’t finish a football game except for the one football game against Minnesota. What can we do when you walk into the door and look at yourself in the mirror and say okay what can I do? Forgot about placing the blame somewhere else. What can I do to make us get over that step in the last five minutes of the game or over the last two or three points or whatever it is that we would have won those football games for us.”

Evaluate your own development right now? Where are you in the whole process?

“I feel like I had my best two days of practice last week during the bye week. I feel like it sinks in more-and-more every day. Now my play assessment has to be indicative of that. I hate to have the turnovers that I’ve had. Misfortunes or not and some of them were bad luck. That’s part of the game and that can’t – look the ball is in my hands – regardless of what happens and I have to take care of the ball. I think the one thing we are all keying in on this week when we go back in and watch film. There may be two or three plays that we have to execute in order to win football games. I had a few of those along with the other guys. The biggest thing is pointing the finger at yourself and saying what can I do better to help us to win? There was plenty to point at my own jersey. I am doing my best to make sure that is getting taken care of and just trying do my own job and not worrying about everyone else and trying to do my own job.”

Why has it taken so long for guys to get on each other about doing your own jobs and realizing that the team just wasn’t getting it done? What is your assessment on that?

“That’s a good question. I think that first of all that happens in every locker room that I have ever been in. Every time you lose ball games things start to tighten up. That’s why we as players say man we just gotta keep winning because everybody likes a loose atmosphere while winning. That is when it is the most fun right? Ken Whisenhunt gave us enough…he treated us enough as professionals and enough as men to give us some leeway and say hey look like the first time it happened – forget the meeting thing. He expects the details to come from ourselves and that’s the way it is suppose to work. Now not everybody has that same personality. That same thought and so he was saying and all I was saying and everybody else is that hey look it shouldn’t be on the coaches to make us do these things. Now it’s going to be because we need that as a team and maybe getting our tails kicked in made us realize some of those things as individuals and as coaches and as an entire staff, so looking back we would like to address now that we lost four games in a row. That happens in a lot of locker rooms when a couple of losses pile up. I go back and think about my boys in Philly and I know how they are thinking the same thing we are thinking. I remember having the same conversations with Andy Reid in those locker rooms when we were two or three games and on a losing streak. That is what we did. Tighten up all the details and it’s nothing different than anyone else going through our situations and it’s just something that has to be done.”

Listen to Kevin Kolb on XTRA 910 in Phoenix here

Now Kevin Kolb can do all the talking that he wants about change, but the fact of that matter is that when the whistle blows this Sunday the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming into town to finish off their season. It is now or never for the Cards to turn things around and they will face a big challenge against a Steelers team riding a two-game winning streak.

Kevin Kolb joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix with Bickley and MJ to discuss the emotional state of the Arizona Cardinals, the coaching staff being at the players meeting during the bye week, an accountability issue in the Cardinals locker room, evaluating his own development at this point of the season and why it took so long for the Cardinals to realize that the team wasn’t getting the job done.

Can you explain to the fans the emotional state of this Arizona Cardinals team right now?

“I think the big thing we all wanted to do was and the leaders especially wanted to do was everyone being held accountable. That’s how you win football games. It’s not about a coach breathing down your neck. It’s part of being a professional. Yes, you have to be able to handle the little details that you know makes you a better football player without someone there telling you to do it. That is kind of what it was all about. The finger wasn’t pointed, but it was just saying hey look it is pretty obvious where the mistakes are coming from. We are all making mistakes. Put your ego at the door. Think team first and let’s think of this as an 11 week season. Put the crap that happened over the past 5 weeks behind us and let’s move forward and get it changed around because again as hard as it is on you guys and on the fans you can imagine how hard it is in that locker room when you know you have the talent to go in there and win.”

Your thoughts on the coaches being in the players meeting and guys saying what they felt?

“Our coaching staff is the most open I have ever been around. In my opinion it is great. It starts with Ken Whisenhunt. If you have something that is bothering you let it off your chest and he has an open door policy and that goes all the way down the staff. For us as players to be able to express our opinions in a professional manner. Just like they do to us. That is just a healthy relationship. I think that can only lead to good things down the road and that’s why they’ve had success in the past because of the way that Ken starts it off being an upstanding ego free guy. He’s not concerned about what is good about himself. He’s concerned about wins and making sure that us as players have the same values and the same concerns.”

Was accountability an issue in the locker room during these loses?

“I just think you have so many new faces and so many new guys there that there is just a lot of change. I think some people – look the finger points at me first – like I always say. That’s the way it goes. I just feel like we are figuring each other out and hey where can we expect things? Where can we not expect things? You know what I am talking about? As a team you learn yourself and you learn who to lean on in certain times and who not lean on and that’s fine. That’s how a team is supposed to work. That is a tough question. It’s just one of those deals where I don’t think the accountability…maybe accountability is not even the right word. Maybe it is just touching up the details. Just like any business does. When things aren’t right what do you go to do? You go in there and start fine tuning things. What did we look over in the first five weeks that we are not doing? That’s more of what it was about. It’s just saying alright look obviously what we are doing is not right. We are right there and we can’t finish a football game except for the one football game against Minnesota. What can we do when you walk into the door and look at yourself in the mirror and say okay what can I do? Forgot about placing the blame somewhere else. What can I do to make us get over that step in the last five minutes of the game or over the last two or three points or whatever it is that we would have won those football games for us.”

Evaluate your own development right now? Where are you in the whole process?

“I feel like I had my best two days of practice last week during the bye week. I feel like it sinks in more-and-more every day. Now my play assessment has to be indicative of that. I hate to have the turnovers that I’ve had. Misfortunes or not and some of them were bad luck. That’s part of the game and that can’t – look the ball is in my hands – regardless of what happens and I have to take care of the ball. I think the one thing we are all keying in on this week when we go back in and watch film. There may be two or three plays that we have to execute in order to win football games. I had a few of those along with the other guys. The biggest thing is pointing the finger at yourself and saying what can I do better to help us to win? There was plenty to point at my own jersey. I am doing my best to make sure that is getting taken care of and just trying do my own job and not worrying about everyone else and trying to do my own job.”

Why has it taken so long for guys to get on each other about doing your own jobs and realizing that the team just wasn’t getting it done? What is your assessment on that?

“That’s a good question. I think that first of all that happens in every locker room that I have ever been in. Every time you lose ball games things start to tighten up. That’s why we as players say man we just gotta keep winning because everybody likes a loose atmosphere while winning. That is when it is the most fun right? Ken Whisenhunt gave us enough…he treated us enough as professionals and enough as men to give us some leeway and say hey look like the first time it happened – forget the meeting thing. He expects the details to come from ourselves and that’s the way it is suppose to work. Now not everybody has that same personality. That same thought and so he was saying and all I was saying and everybody else is that hey look it shouldn’t be on the coaches to make us do these things. Now it’s going to be because we need that as a team and maybe getting our tails kicked in made us realize some of those things as individuals and as coaches and as an entire staff, so looking back we would like to address now that we lost four games in a row. That happens in a lot of locker rooms when a couple of losses pile up. I go back and think about my boys in Philly and I know how they are thinking the same thing we are thinking. I remember having the same conversations with Andy Reid in those locker rooms when we were two or three games and on a losing streak. That is what we did. Tighten up all the details and it’s nothing different than anyone else going through our situations and it’s just something that has to be done.”

Listen to Kevin Kolb on XTRA 910 in Phoenix here

However Ken Whisenhunt wants to phrase the Arizona Cardinals putrid first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, the 28 points the Cardinals allowed in the first 15 minutes of play eliminated any chance they had of winning in Week 5. That’s exactly what happened as the Cardinals fell to 1-4 on the year with a 34-10 loss against previously winless Minnesota.

Arizona’s offensive line could not handle Minnesota’s strong defensive front led by Jared Allen. Kevin Kolb hasn’t looked particularly strong out in the desert throwing five touchdowns and six interceptions in his first five games. The Cards need to find a way to get Larry Fitzgerald the football more in this offense. At 1-4 Ken Whisenhunt has got a lot of work to do in Arizona.

Ken Whisenhunt joined 620 KTAR in Phoenix on In the Red Zone with Doug and Wolf to discuss the changes the Arizona Cardinals will be making during the bye week, his impressions of Kevin Kolb’s play so far this season, the Cardinals offensive line performing up to expectations and the areas the Cardinals will look to build on during the bye week.

What do you think needs to change in the course of this bye week?

“I think we are going to go back and look at a lot of things we are doing. Obviously areas of emphasis for us are going to be third downs and red zone. Those are two areas that we are going to work on tomorrow with the guys. I think it comes at a good time. It’s chance to get a little break and get the focus back on some of the details that we need to make sure will help us execute some of these situations where we are coming short. Our guys are working well. They are working hard. We are just not able to get it done on game day and that is very frustrating for us as it is for our fans, but we believe that what we are doing is the right way to do it and it’s gonna work out for us here very soon.”

How did Kevin Kolb play in your opinion in this game?

“I think it’s hard to judge it based on the number of tipped balls that happened early because that puts a bad assessment of what the whole day was. He was going to the right place. He had open receivers. Let’s face it if you want to be 100% truthful the first ball of the game was open. We threw it and we dropped it. That’s not Kevin’s fault and sometimes those plays early in games make the difference for you. You gotta be able to make those plays like if A.J. Jefferson had held onto that potential interception that could have changed the course of the game, but the second one he was going to throw to was to Andre Roberts, who was wide open, and about 15 yards down the field. The ball got tipped and they intercepted it. The next one the guy came around the edge of our tackle and knocked the ball out as he was getting ready to throw that one. The first three times early in the game it was not successful and it wasn’t necessarily Kevin’s fault. He did some good things in the game, but he also did some things that we need to continue to work on as far in the pocket and making some of the reads and sticking with them. When you are down three or four scores early and you are going against a team with the front Minnesota has and you know you have to throw the ball to catch up it is very difficult.”

Is your offensive line doing what you expect from them?

“I certainly don’t think you can judge it based on this game. If you put any offensive line in that situation it is going to be difficult. You put them down that many scores having to throw the ball to catch up. If we are able to run the football and do some of our play action game that will certainly help the line and the protection of the quarterback. When you are going against a Jared Allen and a Brian Robison and Kevin Williams, guys that know you are going to throw the football, they can pin their ears back. You beat them on one play it is not going to change the course of the game dramatically at that particular time. It’s a whole different arena. There was a number of good plays by our offensive line in that game, but everyone wants to focus on the couple that the guys get beat. If you are an open edge as an offensive tackle in the NFL. How many times did we throw it? 42 snaps in the game? You are going to get beat on the edge especially in a stadium where there’s noise. That happens. We gotta minimize those opportunities. We tried to do that by adjusting our protection and giving them help, but they are rushing four guys and dropping seven into coverage. It’s unrealistic to think you are going to get guys open in the pattern if you keep six or seven guys in to protect. You have to put those guys out to counter their seven guys in coverage. In order to do that you expose those tackles to the open edge and that is a very difficult situation. It’s easy to sit back and criticize when you see them getting beat on a play. I understand that’s part of the game, but we’ve gotta do a better job of not putting our line in that situation in the first place. If we don’t turn the ball over and keep them out of the end zone then maybe we are not talking about this today.”

What areas of the game can you actually build on?

“There was some progress for us as far as doing some things a little bit better. There’s a couple of plays that we repeated from the week before that were run game plays and some play action stuff that we actually hit and we made some good plays on and that was something you wanted to see. As a coach you wanted to see some improvement. There were some things on the defensive side of the football where we had some opportunities to make plays. In fact we had a couple of lapses where we missed some tackles and then later in the game we came back in the very same situation and we stuffed them and we made some very good plays. The positive thing I saw there was our guys didn’t quit. They continued to try to work at it. We gotta eliminate one of two guys making mistakes and let the player get out and make a big play on us. We had one of our safeties fall down on one of the largest pass plays of the day. That happens, but those things seem to happen at the most inopportune times. I liked the way our guys continue to stay in the game in the battle. We started the second half with our defense getting a turnover and then we went down and scored a touchdown. When you are down as much as we were I thought that was a sign that our guys still believed and still had fight in them and that’s the attitude we have to have going forward in order to get out of this.”

Listen to Ken Whisenhunt on 620 KTAR in Phoenix here

If there’s a silver lining for Arizona from last Sunday, it was that Beanie Wells had the breakout game that Ken Whisenhunt desperately needs for the Cardinals offense to be successful. The former Ohio State standout rushed for 138 yards on 27 carries with three touchdowns, easily his best career performance. The 100 yard performance was just his second of his career, and the three touchdowns also were a career best. Wells now leads the NFL with his five rushing TDs. It was the kind of performance that Whisenhunt knows Beanie is capable of when he’s not hampered by lingering injuries as has been the case over the course of the past year. Now seemingly healthy, Wells seems poised to finally show Cardinals fans why he deserving of his first round status and the feature back of the future for Arizona’s offense.

Beanie Wells joined Sports 620 KTAR in Phoenix with Doug & Wolf to discuss the changes he made to his running style against the way he ran the ball against the New York Giants last week, running more physical than he had previously in his NFL career, earning more carries with his dominant performance, the drafting of Ryan Williams motivating him this offseason, and feeling frustrated just two short weeks ago after injuring his hamstring.

Who is this new Beanie Wells we are seeing? Are you feeling better? Is there something new about you or we didn’t realize how good you were a long time ago?

“I don’t think anything has changed. I go to work and practice just like I have been year in and year out. I just like to think I am getting an opportunity right now. I gotta thank coach for that. I gotta thank my offensive line for doing a great job. In this game that is all you can ask for is an opportunity to showcase what you can do and that’s what I have been given.”

So when you watch film of yourself you don’t see yourself running harder or more physical than before?

“No. Not at all. If you go back to last year at the end of last year it was one of those years where I had the knee injury all year. It kind of lingered. Right now I think you guys are just seeing a healthy me. I think it is more comparable to how I ran my rookie year to how I am running now. I feel similar.”

Talk about your mentality now when you get that many carries? I know the game against the Giants was a loss and it can’t feel very good. At the same time do you think you are getting more carries because you are earning them? Is it a matchup thing?

“I don’t know. It’s hard to say. As the weeks go on I will know that. Sometimes it could be matchup or the coach could show that much dependability to give me that many carries. Either way I am just excited about it. It’s something I always wanted and I am finally getting that chance. I’m not looking back. I am not worried about anything else other than the chance to get in and that’s going out there and being productive and helping us win football games.”

When the Cardinals drafted Ryan Williams did that send a message to you? Did that put any added motivation coming in this season?

“Definitely so. I would be lying if I said it didn’t. Whenever somebody drafts another running back and somebody at the same position you definitely feel a little bit threatened. You feel like the coaches don’t think I can get the job done. That’s how I felt. I took that this offseason and kind of ran with it. I have to tell the truth.”

Your hamstring kept you out of that third game here. How are you feeling now physically and how frustrated were you?

“I was real frustrated. I wanted to be out there especially missing games last year I knew I didn’t want to miss any games this year. It was unfortunate I had to go and miss that game against Seattle and I definitely think that I could have been a difference maker in that game. It sucks that I wasn’t a part of it. As far as how I am feeling right now? I’m sore just as anyone else is in the National Football League after four weeks of football. It’s something I am going to have to deal with throughout the season just like everybody else in the league. I am not going to worry about that right now and just try to work hard and help us find a way to close out these games.”

Listen to Beanie Wells on Sports 620 KTAR in Phoenix here

But few are talking about the game’s outcome today as one play has seemed to overshadow the contest itself. Trailing 27-24 with fewer than three minutes remaining, receiver Victor Cruz made a reception and then went to the ground and dropped the ball to keep the hurry-up offense going. He wasn’t touched on his way down however, and the Cardinals picked the ball up hoping for a fumble. Instead, Cruz was ruled down and the Giants kept the ball and won the game. Antrel Rolle helps explain his view on the ruling in this interview.

Antrel Rolle joined PFT Live with Mike Florio to discuss being 3-1, the Victor Cruz fumble, what he’s been taught to do in that situation as a defender, how the Giants shut the Cardinals down late, motivating factors for the Giants, the fact they get to spend a month at home now and why this week’s game against Seattle won’t be a trap game.

What does it mean to be 3-1 after losing the first game of the season?:

“It feels good. This team is just continuing to climb and climb and I think we’re making extreme progress week-in and week-out.”

Everybody’s talking about the Victor Cruz play, which wasn’t ruled a fumble. What was your take on it?:

“I actually didn’t see the play, didn’t see when he dove down and got back up. I saw him running but I didn’t see him hit the ground. I kind of missed that part of it, but I did see the replays on TV. I wasn’t aware of that rule, but the rule says if a player declares himself down and isn’t trying to complete a process then he’s down. You can’t challenge that call. I think it was a great call by the ref because he clearly shows he’s not trying to run.”

What is a defender taught to do in a situation like that?:

“You just try to tag him off, definitely try to tag him off in that circumstance. It was a play that happened and I think it was a great call by the refs.”

What did you guys do to shut down the Cardinals after they took a 27-17 lead?:

“I think we just had to buckle down and play relentless ball. They definitely got a few more rushing yards than we wanted to allow. … They gave us a dog fight for 60 minutes. The defense, we just tried to play relentless. We came up big at the point in time where we needed to.”

Do you think both your Giants and the Washington Redskins are for real or do you still think there’s a gap there?:

“I can’t really worry about what the Redskins are doing at this point. I can only worry about the Giants and what we’re doing as a team. … When the time comes for us to face the Redskins again, then we’ll see who’s going to be the better team at that point.”

Did you guys find motivation in people overlooking you for the Eagles or Cowboys?:

“We took motivation within ourselves. We know we were faced with a lot of difficulties, a lot of adversity. At the same time, we never doubted ourselves. … We’re playing for each other out there and [Sunday] was a pure example of what our team identifies themselves as. We played great team ball. It might not have been the best game or a perfect game … but at the end of the day we played together.”

How nice will it be to basically be at home now for a month — three home games and a bye?:

“We definitely take things one game at a time here, but we’re full aware of what we have coming up.”

Any worry now about the Seahawks being a trap game since you are 3-1 and they are 1-3?:

“We could care less about what’s on paper. We go and we watch film, we study our opponents and we play every team as if they’re the best team in the league. … Record means nothing in this league. You can get a totally different team week-in and week-out.”

Listen to Antrel Rolle on NBC Sports here

Fitzgerald joined KTAR in Phoenix to talk about how he feels the start of the season has been for the new-look Cardinals, what it is about the Giants and their secondary that presents problems for him and the Cardinals offense, his thoughts on how Kevin Kolb and he are progressing in terms of getting comfortable with one another, and how he’s taken it upon himself to be a bit more vocal with his leadership on this year’s Cardinals squad.

How he feels the season has gone so far:

“If it was ideal we would be 3-0, but that’s not the case right now. We’re sitting at 1-2, I’m disappointed in our last two performances, felt like we could have performed better and the outcomes could have been better. But we can’t do anything about that now, those games are behind us. All we can do now is look forward to playing against the New York Giants which is a really good football team, well coached, disciplined, used to winning. We’re going to have our hands full with them for sure, but I think we’ve got a good game plan for them.”

What about the Giants’ secondary presents challenges for him and the rest of the Cardinals offense on Sunday:

“Well it’s the same thing any time you play a Tom Coughlin football team. They’re disciplined, they’re tough, they’re physical, they’re going to come up and tackle you, they’re not going to shy away, they’re never going to turn down a challenge. It’s just added for fun me to go up against Antrel, he’s like a brother to me, it’s been close to ten-plus years. Those kinds of challenges are always fun and bring out the best.”

How he thinks he and Kevin Kolb are progressing getting comfortable with one another:

“I think we’re getting better week in and week out. I think he’s getting more comfortable with me, I’m getting more comfortable with him. I’ve been really encouraged by the way he’s been able to adjust to the game plans week in and week out. He’s only been here eight weeks, he’s at a huge disadvantage not having the offseason program and all the time that most quarterbacks are able to have. But he’s made the best of it, he’s gave us extra time with his feet in the pocket when things are breaking down. And he’s really got this fire and moxie about him that’s infectious in the huddle.”

If he’s taken it upon himself to be more of a vocal leader on the Cardinals this year:

“Maybe a little bit, I don’t do anything out of my comfort zone. I still try to lead by example, but now I feel it’s my responsibility if I see something I don’t like or is not something I feel is good for the team, I’m going to address it, I’m going to get it off my chest and say it. But I’m going to do it in a way that does not alienate guys. I don’t want to do that. I want everybody to be on the same page and working for one common goal, and that’s winning and having success. But at times throughout the course of the season, there’s 53 men, different personalities, different agendas, and sometimes things need to be addressed.”

Listen here to Fitzgerald with Doug & Wolf on KTAR in Phoenix

Now if only that pesky lockout would resolve itself so that Nash can continue his remarkable career, and fans can return to watching him and the bevy of other stars in the league right now that collectively are putting out a better in-game product than what the league has seen in a long, long time. Get it done gentleman.

Nash joined 590 The Fan in Toronto to talk about his new business venture with Liquid Nutritious, his passion for healthy living and eating, appreciating that others see his off-court ventures as a reflection of the personal growth he’s experienced since entering the NBA, the Game 7 loss by his beloved Canucks in this year’s NHL Finals, the unfortunate riots that ensued in downtown Vancouver afterwards, this being the time of year he typically starts his basketball training for the upcoming season, why he’s training as if there’s going to be a season as usual, how he’s trained year round for the past six or seven years so as not to risk injury at his age, why he explained his decision to not participate on the Canadian National Team on Twitter this past weekend, the reasoning behind him not playing on the National Team since around the age of 30, what he thinks of the state of Canadian basketball, and what he’d do to improve the Canadian hoops program.

How his business ventures reflect the personal growth that he’s created for himself since entering the NBA:

“Well thanks. Like I said, I really want to set myself up so I have options in fields that I’m passionate — Liquid Nutrition, the Steve Nash Sports Clubs in British Columbia, the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Steve Nash Foundation — I wish not everything had my name on it, but it is an opportunity for me to do stuff that I am passionate about well beyond my playing days. So that’s the design. And thanks, I’m glad it fits in your eyes that it’s an ‘on’ kind of message for what I’m all about.”

His reflections on the NHL Finals with his beloved Canucks and the riots that ensued in the city of Vancouver after the Game 7 loss:

“Yeah, obviously the series was disappointing, but at the same time, the guys played great, they brought a lot of excitement to the city and just couldn’t quite turn the corner in the Finals. But the rioting thing was just a crazy situation. Vancouver is one of the most beautiful, peaceful cities in the world, and then all of a sudden, every time we lose the Stanley Cup Finals we turn into monsters. But it’s not Canucks fans, it’s opportunists that put on a Canucks jersey and go downtown and take it as an opportunity to get out their frustrations or whatever they’re expressing. But Vancouver is still a great city, it was a disappointing moment but we’ll rebound from it. And I think the Canucks will be great again this year so we’re looking forward to it.”

On this being the time when he typically starts training for the upcoming season:

“Absolutely. I don’t have the frame of mind that we’re going to go back to work late or in December or whatever. And at my age, I’ve decided for the last five or six years that I don’t take time off, because I feel like it’s a dangerous territory to enter when you get older. So I stay in shape, I don’t play a lot of basketball, this summer I’ve been doing a lot of rehabbing an injury. And I feel great so I’m definitely getting into that space where I want to go to camp October 1st. That may or may not happen, but that’s my frame of mind.”

On why he decided to turn to Twitter to explain why he would not be playing on the Canadian National Team:

“Well I appreciated the passion some people on Twitter had for the program. They want to see the program do well, so they were disappointed I didn’t play; and I wanted to tell them why I didn’t play. It’s simple. A lot of people said ‘oh, well he doesn’t deserve a pass.’ Absolutely not, I don’t deserve a pass. I’m not above that. I made a really tough decision seven years ago to retire from the National Team, Mark Cuban didn’t re-sign me because he thought I was about to combust and my career would be over any day now. I was carrying injuries through every season, I was carrying injuries every summer with the National Team and doing it year after year for the better part of 13 years since I was 16, 17 years old, and something had to give. I thought, ‘I’m 30 years old, do I want to continue playing year round and my career could possibly be over in a year or two, or my value be gone? Or do I want to make a decision and try to play as long as I can?’ That’s the decision I made, and at the time people said ‘thanks for your 13 years of service busting your butt around the world with a bad back. The National Team was the greatest experience of my career. This summer, the truth is I couldn’t have played anyway rehabbing my pelvic instability, but to be fair, it really wasn’t even on my radar because I had retired so long ago. And I have only gotten to the stage now where I could start training basketball-wise everyday.”

On how he’d assess the Canadian National Team and what he would do to fix or improve it:

“Well I think the program’s really needed an overhaul for a long time. We’ve had some really good people involved, but it’s not been whole. Jay Triano was great, you know, we had a lot of people that covered up a lot of deficiencies, but to me it’s always had a disconnect in the community; we’ve never really had every on in the basketball community on board. So I think we need to unify, I think we need to develop players — which we’re doing, but continue at a higher rate — and we need to build chemistry with the current players. So it’s doable and I look forward to getting more involved with the program in some capacity, and I’m excited by some of the talent that we’re developing — some of these young guys are phenomenal. So this is an opportunity to capitalize on their talent to inspire new talent and build chemistry and have some success with the National Team.”

Listen here to Nash on 590 The Fan in Toronto

Newton stole all kinds of headlines, throwing for more than 400 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. His 422 yards matched Matthew Stafford for the most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.  The rookie’s performance stole the show, but it was Kolb — who threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns of his own — who picked up the victory.

Kevin Kolb joined ESPN Radio with Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo to discuss winning his first start in Arizona, how impressed he’s been with  Patrick Peterson, the challenge of learning a new system, his ability to be mobile in the pocket, the weapons he has around him outside of Larry Fitzgerald, how the Cardinals reacted to how well Newton was playing, and if he watched the Eagles at all on Sunday.

What was the mood in the locker room like after you held off the Panthers?:

“It was awesome just because we got our first win, but there was a lot of mistakes. There always is Week One, especially when you’re a team like us that has 60 percent new players. So we knew that was going to come, but it’s nice to come out with the victory even though we made those mistakes.”

How impressed have you been with Patrick Peterson, who had the critical punt return for touchdown Sunday?:

“He’s made plays all camp and had a pick returned to the house during preseason as well. He’s a dynamic player. I’m obviously pretty happy he’s in red and white. As he just grows as a corner, he’s going to be an elite corner very soon.”

How much of a challenge has it been to learn the new system?:

“It’s a big challenge, it really is. If I said anything different, I’d be lying. The thing for me is every day is more beneficial — and every game and every situation. I’m just trying to put the notches in my belt and keep learning and getting better. I think the biggest thing is just never stop striving to get better.”

How have you been able to develop as a mobile passer in the pocket and get receivers to understand that part of your game?:

“We work on it in practice. When I first came here and when I was in Philly, I tried to implement that into 7-on-7 and team periods. A lot of guys just want to stop when the play breaks down in practice and, shoot, that’s when big plays are made. … I want to say that at Houston, under Art Briles, that’s when he really taught me to understand that part of the game.”

Does everyone focus so much on Larry Fitzgerald that they don’t understand some of the other weapons you have there?:

“Absolutely. They’re going to do their best to take No. 11 out of the game because they know how important he is to our team, but we have athletes all the way around. … Even though they may not be big names yet, it’s coming and we look forward to putting up some big numbers.”

What was the reaction like of your teammates to what Cam Newton was doing?:

“I think about the third quarter, everybody looked at each other and went, ‘Man, this guy can really play.’ … He made some tight throws throughout the game to keep drives alive, third-down completions, a big, strong guy in the pocket. As long as he keeps pressing, he’s going to be a great player. And I think he will because he wants to be a star in this league.”

Did you watch the Eagles on Sunday?:

“I didn’t; I didn’t at all. I just saw that they won and it looked like Mike moved around a lot. … Like I’ve said all along, if we don’t win it, I want them to win it. And I truly mean that.”

Listen to Kevin Kolb on ESPN Radio here (Interview begins at 9:45)

Welts joined XTRA 910 in Phoenix with Bickley and MJ to talk about why he’s deciding to step down as CEO from the Suns effective September 15th, what his future plans are away from the game of basketball, how his life has changed since publicly coming out, whether he feels it’s at times been a burden to constantly be associated with his sexual orientation, how Suns owner Robert Sarvar has been nothing short of tremendous and entirely supportive throughout his process, why he thinks the Suns are in a great position as an organization moving forward, and when he feels the right time to write a book will be.

On why he’s deciding to step down as CEO of the Suns at this point in time:

“Well, I’ve only developed only one skill in my 36 years in this business, and that’s having a great sense of when it’s time to leave a job. Now is the right time. I drove over to Coronado and talked to Robert Sarver about two months ago and told him this is what I was thinking and he and his ownership partners have been absolutely terrific in trying to make that happen for me. And they have. I have a big smile on my face today and a lot of excitement, but this has also been a great nine years, I’ve worked with amazing people — Bickley I’d even throw you in there.”

On what he’s planning to do next? Retire?

“No!!! Retiring? I’ve got way too much energy and get bored way too easily to consider retirement. I made this little announcement in May — you may have not heard about it — but as a result of that, I’m going to be spending a lot of time on the rubber chicken circuit, and I’ve got a few colleges to speak to, and a few conferences and had some really interesting book offers. I don’t know, any number of those things could occupy my time. I think inevitably you’re going to find me back running a team somewhere I hope. But that’s all in the future for me right now. I’m doing a very un-Rick Welts thing in taking this leap without really knowing what that next thing is.”

On how his life has changed since his coming out announcement:\

“Well I was back at the U.S. Open talking to Billie Jean King this week, so that’s one way my life has changed. And I had to make a little speech at the U.S. Open on some award they were giving me, and Billie Jean came up to me afterwards and said ‘you know you didn’t use the word gay during the entire conversation. Are you comfortable, are you okay with that? Because it’s okay if you aren’t, I just wanted to point that out to you.’  So I needed to make sure now that anytime I’m in a public setting now I’m using the word so Billie will be proud of me. But I would say that the overwhelming response that I got — the thousands of emails, the hundreds of letters (people actually write letters, I don’t know if you know that, but people actually writer letters). A lot of them came from all the people I’ve ever worked with in my life, tremendously appreciated. However, the ones I would say are the most meaningful to me are the ones from the parents of kids who are struggling with this issue of their sexual orientation, from the kids themselves. And then from people in my industry who I don’t know, who are in the same situation I was in most of my career. Just people who wanted to connect with somebody that would understand. And the whole idea of doing this was the hope that by telling my story in such a public way, it might convince some kid out there who has a passion of sports — or frankly anything else — that you really can do whatever you want to do, and you’re not prevented from doing that just because of who you are. And if it served that purpose, than it was really worthwhile.”

If it ever gets tiresome always being associated with his sexual orientation:

“Well it’s funny, I’ll tell you, in January I sat down with this big media guru friend of mine in New York to really test whether or not doing this in such a public way would really have such an opportunity to have an impact. And he and I had never had  the conversation before, and he looked across the table and said, ‘Well, at least you know what your obituary is going to say now.’  From that point on, I kind of knew what I was signing up for. With all the great things that have happened since — this hasn’t been imposed from the outside, it comes from inside — but I truly do feel a sense of responsibility to try to do something with this platform that’s been created. That’s always going to be a part of what I do; sports will also always be a part of what I do. I think just for me as a person, it’s going to be important to me to pursue that in a way that hopefully I can improve and increase the dialogue on this whole topic of sexuality in sports and try to help us find their way through it.”

If the difficulty of working with Robert Sarvar had anything to do with his decision to step down:

“Absolutely not. In fact, if there’s a good guy in this story, he’s a good guy in this story. And I would absolutely confirm on a scale of 1 to 10 he is not an easy guy everyday to work for. I will tell you that the guy that I worked for before him, David Stern for 17 years, is off-the-charts in difficulty to work for. So Robert is a piece of cake, okay? He’s got a wonderful heart. He’s got this thing about wanting to win that I think every fan should appreciate. And through this process, he’s been nothing but tremendous.”

On mentioning earlier that he would ‘buy stock in the Suns’ right now if he could, suggesting that he thinks the Suns are in great shape as an organization:

“Yep, because of what’s been invested in the infrastructure on the basketball side. Last season was our first step, and I can tell you that the resources, the personnel, the systems that have been invested in over the course of the last 12 months are extraordinary. I’m a big believer in the people we’ve brought in, and we’ve made big investments in everything that is possible to invest in in building the infrastructure to be a successful basketball organization. And I really think that’s going to bare fruit. Whether that’s one year, two years, three years, I’m not sure. But it’s going to happen, and I think when it does, this is going to be a team that’s going to be right in the thick of things and competing for a championship again.”

When does he know is the right time to write his book:

“Great question, because when I was looking for advice on how and when to make my announcement, my assumption that I was trying out on a couple of my friends was ‘look I guess what you do is you write a book, and then you go out on a book tour, isn’t that what you do?’ And one very wise person said to me, ‘no, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong. What you need to do in your experience is go through this whole process and capture not only that experience, but also what happened afterwards which is going to make it a lot more interesting journey, and a lot more interesting read. So that was good advice. I don’t know when exactly the right time is, but I’ve had some wonderful experiences in a lifetime of sports, been around some amazing people, and probably about the time I’m ready to retire would be the right time to write it. So…”

Listen here to Welts with Bickley and MJ on XTRA Sports 910 in Phoenix