WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:08.080 Coming up this week on the Martcast. Well with the finalization of the XFL 2 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:12.759 and USFL merger on the horizon, Countless theories have been floated across the internet 3 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:16.320 about what the makeup of the new merged league will entail. But as we 4 00:00:16.359 --> 00:00:20.600 approach to date when the paperwork will actually be finalized, what should you expect 5 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:25.039 from the new merged XFL and USFL league? Dust off year old Edard Stark 6 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:30.800 impressions merger is coming? When coming? Exciting show this week longtime friend of 7 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:35.119 the program, John Lewis of John Lewis Sports on YouTube stopping by first time 8 00:00:35.159 --> 00:00:38.719 ever. We're running through all of the latest news this week for the XFL 9 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:43.000 USFL merger, latest rumblings, predictions, what do we expect, and what 10 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:48.600 you should expect moving forward. It feels like that the XFL is just going 11 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.240 to be absorbed by the USFL, and I hope that there is some way 12 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:55.759 and I know you don't want get into hypotheticals or speculation and all that that's 13 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:58.079 all we got right now, but I hope there is some way for the 14 00:00:58.200 --> 00:01:02.320 XFL brand to live on, because it would just be a shame for that 15 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:03.760 to be, you know, three strikes and out, and then lots of 16 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:07.840 CFL stef to talk about this week as you barrel towards CFL Week twenty one 17 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:11.799 and the CFL playoffs. Darryl Davis, longtime friend of the program, stopping 18 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:17.319 back by. You need Darryl's insights into Craig Dickinson's contract not being renewed as 19 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:19.719 he head coached for the Saskatchewan rough Riders. Who would Darrold Davis like to 20 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:23.799 see take over that role? We get Darryl's thoughts on the CFL team award 21 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:27.560 nominations, CFL Week twenty one, and lots more. If the coach can't 22 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:32.159 motivate a team or get them better, then you have to get Rif the 23 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:34.799 coach, they gave him a second chance, which maybe they shouldn't have done, 24 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:38.000 but the way that the salary cap works out, you'd probably keep them 25 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:41.640 round for one year to finish off his contract. Craig Dickinson's a great guy. 26 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:45.319 We all love Drag Dickinson, but the players took advantage of him. 27 00:01:45.319 --> 00:01:48.000 They didn't play for him, they weren't inspired by him, they didn't believe 28 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:51.079 he could be a head coach. They had to fire the head coach the 29 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:53.200 fact they made no other changes. I'm fine with that. And in a 30 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:59.000 great chat with standout kick returner James Letchrier junior of the Montreal Alloleds as they 31 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:02.120 prepare for a couple big weekends against the Hamilton Tiger Cats here approaching the playoffs 32 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:23.639 should be a good one. Like and subscribe, you guys lookers to the 33 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:27.960 Marcus read here what we have lost on the program last week? You've kind 34 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.560 of ill fadd after the conclusion show. Now we have Game of Thrones. 35 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:34.919 Not sure if that's better or worse here, but a merger is coming. 36 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:38.680 Winter is coming. You already know the meme. I think next week is 37 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:42.360 going to be the week meetings. This week going on in the XFL players 38 00:02:42.439 --> 00:02:46.639 kind of be notified of certain things, so I expect news coming out here 39 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:51.000 soon. Kind of final catch all today John lewis excited to have him on, 40 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:53.120 kind of doing the final rundown. Whe are we hearing? Whe are 41 00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:57.800 we thinking? What would we prefer? Kind of all the different rumblings going 42 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:00.719 on here last couple of weeks, I know people are getting frustrated. Tried 43 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:04.520 to stay out of the kind of hypothetical too much, but it could be 44 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:07.719 fun today, kind of organizing, kind of collecting all of the final thoughts 45 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:13.759 and theories here, kind of predictions as we hopefully get the official announcement for 46 00:03:13.879 --> 00:03:17.080 the XFL and USFL Merge League here coming up next week. I really appreciate 47 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:21.199 John Lewis, like I said, for coming on. Darryl Davis is always 48 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:25.120 for making time batting through coffeeing illness there. Really appreciate that. Excited to 49 00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:29.800 see Darryl here coming up in a couple of weeks in Hamilton for the Gray 50 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:34.319 Cup, and then James Letcher Junior. Really appreciate that. Really punctual guests. 51 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:38.159 I always appreciate that players coming on. Appreciate Francis and everyone over at 52 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:40.759 the Montreal Alouettes for setting that up. Should do it for me today. 53 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:45.000 Like I said, hope you guys enjoy here. Let's hope for cross your 54 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:47.439 fingers. Big news coming next week. Make sure you subscribe. We'll be 55 00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:51.479 going live doing shorts and kind of all that stuff. I think I'm working 56 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:53.280 from home all week, so it should be available. Kind of win that 57 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:57.280 news if and win that news break, so like and subscribe. We'll see 58 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:04.599 at the end next Well, I was sitting I was literally cutting my hair 59 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:06.840 over the weekend. I do you know one day a week is my hair 60 00:04:06.840 --> 00:04:11.080 cutting day. And I thought, I am so rude. I've never asked 61 00:04:11.080 --> 00:04:14.919 this showman to come on. I mean, John's had me on and he's 62 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:16.519 asked me to write in stuff about it. And I said, let's get 63 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:19.720 John Lewis on here, John Lewis Sports YouTube. We'll talk to kind of 64 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:23.480 everything today. But John, how are you doing? I'm doing good. 65 00:04:23.480 --> 00:04:27.199 Read I know. I appreciate it, man, it's a It wasn't rude 66 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:30.000 at all. You have been so generous with your time. In fact, 67 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:32.879 my first real video you were the star of the show on that one. 68 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:36.079 So no, I appreciate to appreciate you having me on. Everything is going 69 00:04:36.120 --> 00:04:40.560 well. We're just you know, sitting on waiting on news. Yeah, 70 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:44.160 waiting on news. So the theme today is Merger is coming, Winter is 71 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:47.600 coming, and so we'll talk through kind of the recent we I've really tried 72 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:51.319 to get outside of a lot of the hypotheticals of everything, just because in 73 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:55.839 the Facebook groups and everything had been crazy. But I feel like we're close 74 00:04:55.920 --> 00:05:00.600 now. I feel like XFL had a meeting with their players this week. 75 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:02.720 I said, announce me this is coming next week. I feel pretty good 76 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:06.759 about that. Still hearing mixed reports obviously about the number of hubs and kind 77 00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:11.600 of all that stuff. We'll get into everything, but first off, I 78 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.959 appreciate you coming on because I do feel like I'm in my little bubble a 79 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:18.279 little bit in terms of like the XDAL news hub writers, and you know, 80 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:20.319 I hate bringing people on that. I feel like we agree all the 81 00:05:20.360 --> 00:05:25.439 time. Would you say you're more pro USFL than pro XFL, that you're 82 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:29.160 the opposite side of the coin, I mean no, I mean I think 83 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:31.879 I'm right in the middle. I mean I really just enjoyed both. I 84 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:38.079 got you know, I've attended USFL games and XFL games. I just like 85 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:42.600 spring football as you can and alternative football as you can, as you can 86 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:45.839 tell back here. So but it does feel like to me reading I don't 87 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:47.079 know that, I mean, this is certainly isn't going out on a limb. 88 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:53.399 It feels like that the XFL is just going to be absorbed by the 89 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:56.920 USFL. And I hope that there is some way. And I know you 90 00:05:56.959 --> 00:05:59.720 don't want to get into hypotheticals or speculation and all that. It's all we 91 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:01.839 got right now, but I hope there is some way for the XFL brand 92 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:05.319 to live on, because it would just be a shame for that to be, 93 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:09.959 you know, three strikes and out, especially when obviously there was the 94 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:14.319 original XFL in two thousand and one that was a disaster. Twenty twenty, 95 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:16.639 you know, they bring it back and things were going well until COVID and 96 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:19.920 then it just felt like they're going to try to revive this brand, and 97 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:23.519 it felt like it was good, and it felt like it was a more 98 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:26.959 traditional league than the USFL. I would just hate for all of that to 99 00:06:27.079 --> 00:06:30.439 just kind of go by the wayside. But it feels like that the USFL 100 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:34.639 has the upper hand now because the XFL asks for a hand up. No, 101 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:39.879 and I do think, yeah they ban off today in terms of you 102 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:42.480 know, any hypotheticals anything. I think we're fine, you know, because 103 00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:44.759 this is to me, this is kind of the last catch all before we 104 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:47.079 get into all this and speaking about I didn't want to kind of preface on 105 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:50.040 I know you're I was trying to take you on Twitter to promote and I 106 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:55.839 saw you're on threads now only there was quite the kerfuffle on Twitter this week 107 00:06:55.879 --> 00:07:00.560 where I guess Pat McAfee in relation to Jim Ersa talking about the Colts and 108 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.879 the whole referee and the review process and all of that. The Colts game 109 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:08.079 versus A Brown had come out and said there would have been review and they 110 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:11.279 need more, you know, referee reviews, and obviously Pat was familiar, 111 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:14.959 right with XFL twenty twenty and its familiar with all that, and basically made 112 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:16.839 a statement like yeah, you know, I heard that they're merging. And 113 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:21.199 basically the USFL once the XFL came back, they couldn't do anything. And 114 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:26.000 so you know, there didn't like you know, needless to say, a 115 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:30.199 lot of the USFL fans you would have thought that they were being told that 116 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:31.879 like Santa Claus didn't exist, right, it was. It was a lot 117 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:35.680 of whatever. And so like I just my preface, and I saw a 118 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:40.240 lot of that online this week, like don't worry about what other people think 119 00:07:40.279 --> 00:07:42.680 about any of the like I get, you know, we get like Anthony 120 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.759 Miller on here we're poop poo and stuff and people you shouldn't be so negative. 121 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:49.319 You should be I don't tell anyone what to think. That's why I 122 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:53.680 ask your opinion on everything. It's very interesting to me. People get so 123 00:07:53.800 --> 00:07:57.480 up in the arms about what other people think about things like I don't particularly 124 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:00.680 care what you think or not. I care about your Indian and want you 125 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:01.519 need to share it, but I'm not going to get mad at you if 126 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:05.480 you say one thing or the other. So well, in the whole Pat 127 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:07.639 McAfee thing, it's like, I get it, and you know he might 128 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:11.879 have pooh poohed this or that, but you know, Pat McAfee is uh 129 00:08:13.399 --> 00:08:15.959 no, I mean, I think he knows the NFL very well. I 130 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:18.879 don't know that Pat McAfee could name you three teams out of either league, 131 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:20.800 So I don't know that that would be I don't you know. Yeah, 132 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:24.519 he got he got some traction and because of what he said, but he's 133 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:28.240 paid a lot of money and apparently pays Aaron Rodgers some money too, to 134 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:31.240 share opinions. So I mean, that's what it is, and that's what 135 00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:37.039 it's like lists when people get so mad at oh Rolling Stone has this list 136 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:39.679 of the one hundred greatest songs and then there's some crazy thing that will be 137 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:43.840 in the top ten. There's a reason for that. It's to get traction 138 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.399 and to get people to talk. So but as We've talked about read the 139 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:52.440 XFL fans and the USFL fans. They're so tribal and so protective of what 140 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:54.320 they think is their league. I was never in either of those camps. 141 00:08:54.360 --> 00:08:58.399 I just enjoyed it all and but yeah, there, but when someone says 142 00:08:58.440 --> 00:09:03.200 something bad out what they think is their league, then they get a little 143 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:07.039 man. So I can imagine the kerf that was happening on Twitter. It 144 00:09:07.159 --> 00:09:09.480 was Yeah. I was like, like, who cares? You said? 145 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:13.120 You can't? You know you couldn't. It's it's always the uh, the 146 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:15.759 yeah, the fly by night. You know, hey, I'm just going 147 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:18.159 to passing glance on this and you get a lot of that. We get 148 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:20.159 a lot of that with the CFL people whatever. I did think it. 149 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:22.799 Yeah, when that report came out about Aaron Rodgers, I think farheard Lology 150 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:26.399 had just come on from CFL, and I DMed him. I said, 151 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:28.279 I'm sorry I can't pay as well as Pat MC to come on the show. 152 00:09:28.840 --> 00:09:33.639 But so getting into all this I'm with you feels like somewhat of an 153 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:37.159 absorption to me, and I've been very open about this, don't. I 154 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:39.799 don't particularly enjoy that because I don't particularly enjoy working with Fox, and I 155 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:45.519 think that right or wrong, and whether other people agree or distrect, I 156 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:48.320 think US XFL has been far more workable with a lot of like the al 157 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:52.279 football community journalists, you know, I think across the board. To me, 158 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:56.919 that's my biggest hesitation at Fox, feeling like even outside of us, 159 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:00.919 if they don't need anyone butt Fox, right, we don't need to promote 160 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:03.120 anywhere but calling coward then maybe Skip, you know, Skip Bayless will give 161 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:07.840 us a shout out. Are you concerned if there is kind of an absorption 162 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:11.120 here of the x L. Yeah, I mean, I see where you're 163 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:15.159 coming from there. You've obviously had a lot more experience like dealing with these 164 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:16.559 leagues. I've had a little bit, you know, as far as like 165 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:20.639 trying to you know, getting on a mailing list. It just seemed like 166 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:24.240 that was a whole thing with the for me with the XFL. USFL were 167 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:28.679 you know, last year. And it's funny to say that cause last year 168 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:33.039 I at this time worked for a Fox affiliate and as a as a sports 169 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:37.679 reporter and anchor, and I was trying to go through and get some of 170 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:41.879 the players that were you know, local to this market. You know, 171 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:45.679 to try to talk to them, do interviews, and I really I mean 172 00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:48.200 I was going through interns. I mean, it was just it was a 173 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:50.720 whole thing, and frankly didn't get a lot and had to just kind of 174 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:56.080 DM some guys and get them myself. But I really think I would hope 175 00:10:56.600 --> 00:11:01.840 that the USFL and XFL or whatever this new entity is going to be well. 176 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:05.279 Understand that when you start to look at the ratings, these are grassroots 177 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:09.480 efforts, These are grassroots fans, These are not This is not the NFL. 178 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:13.600 I mean, the NFL is my favorite sport, but I love pro 179 00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:16.960 football in general. So it seems to me like if if I'm a guy 180 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:20.360 who's you know, a very small YouTube guy but would like to would love 181 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:22.600 to like get somebody on and say, hey, let me talk to this 182 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:28.000 player and kind of tell their story, that the ex that USFL or Fox 183 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:30.679 would be pretty open to that. I mean, I understand that you want 184 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:35.480 to protect your your IP, you want to protect your brand, but I 185 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:39.399 mean, how what kind of big deal would that be to, you know, 186 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:41.440 say, hey, this guy wants to talk to you. If you're 187 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.080 you know, whatever player you are, this guy wants to talk to you, 188 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:46.480 you know, do you want to do their podcast or YouTube channel or 189 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:50.279 whatever. So hopefully they'll be a little more open to that. And what 190 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:54.200 you said is interesting because you say the XFL you had, you had some 191 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:58.399 better luck with that. This merger I think presents a golden opportunity because the 192 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:03.240 XFL, you know, USFL and XFL were competitors, but now if they're 193 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:07.559 together, they can really say, Okay, they can sit down on the 194 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:11.360 table. USFL guys can say this is what we did and we had success. 195 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:13.840 The XFL guys can say this is what we did and have success and 196 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:18.279 maybe put that together. And hopefully part of that, part of that would 197 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:22.000 be let's make the YouTube guys and the podcast guys let's give you know, 198 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:26.120 let's cut them in on the deal too, because they speak directly to the 199 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:30.000 fans. So hopefully, like that would be one positive outcome of this merger. 200 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:31.600 Well, and yeah, I think, and I've been talking with some 201 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.200 people in the XFL, like there is a thought process there of you know, 202 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:39.279 we certainly bring more to the table together than we do separately. And 203 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:41.919 sure, I would say, hands down, the USFL is you know TV 204 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.600 exposure, now you know XFL you know, minimally better in the ratings with 205 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:52.200 like less broadcast, you know, exposure. I think the XFL we had 206 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:54.279 debates on this, you know, talent, it's the high end talent better 207 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:58.279 in one versus the other, obviously having the teams in the markets. But 208 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:03.600 it is it seems like it's it's a if we expected this five years down 209 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:05.799 the road. I mean, it seems like it makes sense to get to 210 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:07.720 this point already, you know, to get to this point eventually, but 211 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:11.759 that seems surprising that we got here so quick. Are you you know, 212 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:15.080 and I've asked this over the last couple of weeks. Do you feel like 213 00:13:15.159 --> 00:13:18.679 this is a merger of strengths coming together? Is this a merger of necessity 214 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:22.879 for survival? I think both things can be true. I think I think 215 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:28.279 there is. The XFL it seemed to be okay, if you these are 216 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:31.519 two very different leagues in my opinion, the USFL, and some people don't 217 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:33.720 like this and have kind of disagreed with this, But to me, the 218 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:39.000 USFL, owned by Fox, was kind of the pet project of Eric Shanks, 219 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:43.039 who is you know, a big deal in in Fox Sports. It 220 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:46.039 was a TV show. The XFL tried to create something that was a little 221 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:48.240 bit more like a traditional league. I think you can, you can find 222 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:54.480 success somewhere in the middle and those come together. But the x the USFL, 223 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:58.759 for instance, if the USFL lost sixty million dollars, that's a rounding 224 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:03.799 error for Fox, sixty million dollars to the XFL, and you know, 225 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:07.720 Capital Ventures people, that's a huge loss, and I think they didn't want 226 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:11.320 to try that again. So I think there's a little bit of truth in 227 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:15.759 both of those things. There are strengths to both leagues. I think it 228 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.840 was a little bit of different ideals of how they wanted to build these things 229 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:22.240 up. It sounds like they still want to do the franchise thing and put 230 00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:26.879 these teams in their cities, and I think that's a big would that would 231 00:14:26.919 --> 00:14:33.080 be maybe more doable with Fox as more of a backer, because again, 232 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:37.639 they can lose sixty million dollars and nobody bats an eye. When the XFL, 233 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:41.960 with a capital group whose goal is to make money, loses sixty million 234 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:46.600 dollars or whatever that figure might actually be, it's a different story. So 235 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:48.840 I think there's success that can come out of here. But I'm like you 236 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:52.720 read, I thought that this was going to be in maybe twenty twenty six, 237 00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:58.240 twenty seven, not twenty twenty three, twenty four. The are you 238 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:03.320 surprised with all? You know? Because there's obviously been the rumors out with 239 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:07.519 the United Football League stuff that the X ANDFLS trademarque and the National String Football 240 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:09.840 League stuff, which is so funny just time as a flat circle with all 241 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:15.879 that that, with both of these leagues spending so much money and resources, 242 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:18.480 you know, to acquire these things, like we've always said, you know, 243 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:20.600 Danny and the Rock could have just started the Rock Football League and kind 244 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:24.799 of moved forward and where they you know, was there too much baggage of 245 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:28.679 what people expected from twenty twenty carried in now and obviously Fox having to go 246 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:31.919 through the lawsuits and stuff like are you surprised that they were so quick on 247 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:35.720 both of these just to say we're going to be I mean, I think 248 00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:37.960 one of these will be true, right, whatever league it is, But 249 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:39.960 they say, hey, we're getting rid of all this and we're going to 250 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:43.559 start a new Yeah, I mean, especially this quickly. Yeah, I 251 00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:48.120 just thought, you know, it felt like when you when you listen to 252 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:50.440 the Rock and you listen to ing Garcia and the way that they talked about 253 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:54.759 this was a long term play. This wasn't to come in and just you 254 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:58.559 know, try something and it was financed. It just you know, that's 255 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:02.799 I was extremely optimistic. And listen, I'm an old guy. I mean, 256 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:07.639 it's all it's always cautious optimism when you're talking about alternative pro football from 257 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:10.960 even you know, from two thousand and one, but you go back before 258 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:14.960 that and a lot of people know the history. But it was interesting that 259 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:18.679 they started, when they started to snap up some of these names, I 260 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:22.679 did wonder, like, I don't know that it's going to be called the 261 00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:26.360 United Football League. Maybe it will, but it just seemed like what value 262 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:30.759 does the UFL play as a brand. That's what I didn't understand is like, 263 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:34.799 was that maybe a preemptive move because you know, there is a United 264 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:38.159 Football League out there right now and it's I mean, it's not a real 265 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:41.519 league. It's the same people that did the National grid Iron thing, and 266 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:45.480 it just felt kind of scammy. But I think that, you know, 267 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:49.279 was that maybe a preemptive move so no one can use that to maybe compete 268 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:52.720 against them. I don't know that there's a there's a lot of business that 269 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:56.360 happens that I'm not privy too and have never had that experience. But I 270 00:16:56.440 --> 00:17:02.080 was surprised that the NSFL the UFL got snapped up by by Fox and by 271 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:04.759 the XFL. Uh well no, and I I mean I would hope it 272 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:08.559 was something called the USFL. I just acquired the USFL podcast domain that, 273 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:12.880 you know, I I I think there. But to me, if you're 274 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:18.200 spending where where, we're so cost cutting on all of this, and you 275 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:22.559 know, even as conservative as the USFL was, the XFL spending so much 276 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:26.160 more money doing the travel and doing you know, trying to get the people 277 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:29.319 in and the stadium leases and all that stuff like that, you would spend 278 00:17:29.640 --> 00:17:32.559 any amount of money at all on something like legal fees or any of this 279 00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:34.880 stuff just to be okay, we're moving on here. It just does seem 280 00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:38.000 weird to me, uh, in terms of that. And uh, you 281 00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:41.839 know, there's no like you said, there's no brand recognition for any of 282 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:44.880 this other stuff, like I would even if you could have called it the 283 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:48.240 us XFL or whatever, I think there's more brand than Okay, it's it's 284 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:51.160 a comment. And then like, okay, this is a new league now 285 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:52.880 we're combining to me. To me, it always feels weird, but I'm 286 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:56.960 kind of open to any of that stuff. Yeah, I mean, you've 287 00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:00.240 got to find the right brand. And I hope that they're there's more or 288 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:03.359 talk, and I'm sure there are because you know, again Fox is involved 289 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:07.839 in Fox knows marketing and they know sports marketing, So I hope that there's 290 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:10.759 a little bit more talk on you know, what can we brand this? 291 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:15.519 I love the USFL brand. Do you remember when even that came about? 292 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.319 Like again, I was working at a Fox affiliate and had no idea that 293 00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:22.480 this was happening. Then all of a sudden, on our on our Fox 294 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:26.559 Sports wire that was internal, it said USFL is coming back, and they 295 00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:30.279 sent all this old video and they had like, you know, the promo 296 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.920 announcement. This came out of nowhere, And I thought to myself, this 297 00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:37.880 is really cool. But what does the USFL brand really mean to maybe the 298 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:41.160 demos that that Fox is going to try to reach, because I don't think 299 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:45.880 it's going to be you know, old guys, but maybe they're trying to 300 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:48.519 reach, you know, a younger audience, but you have that cachet maybe 301 00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:52.440 of the nostalgia of the USFL. I don't know, but after two seasons 302 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:56.279 that I thought were pretty good and good play, I know they wanted better 303 00:18:56.400 --> 00:19:02.920 ratings in this second season, but it seems like the USFL brand it's got 304 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:07.319 some juice. And if you combine that with the XFL somehow, you got 305 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:11.839 to think that there's success there and that there's going to be some brand recognition, 306 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:15.119 because that's, to me, is what's going to be important. Not 307 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.920 to you and me, that's what's going to be important to some of the 308 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:19.920 fringe fans out there who might just be sampling this for the first time. 309 00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:26.279 It's so weird and I'm obviously not the demo honestly, I mean for any 310 00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:27.960 of these like you know, people are saying like, oh, you know, 311 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:30.640 read is going to be so poo pooed if there's no Seattle team, 312 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:34.799 Like I don't really care. I mean, like the USFL thing has never 313 00:19:34.839 --> 00:19:38.240 done a lot. I have known nostalgia for the Stallions or the Breakers or 314 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:41.400 any of that stuff. I mean that was kind of before my time. 315 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:45.160 And then you know the one stuff with the XFL. I remember watching and 316 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:47.839 I wasn't the biggest football fan. I just knew, okay, this is 317 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:51.359 Vince McMahon. This is something I should try to watch. And I didn't 318 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:53.960 know football even well enough to understand even what the differences were back then, 319 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:57.440 Right, what would out have been in two thousand? You know, I 320 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:02.640 was fourteen years old or whatever, so kind of living through and then even 321 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:06.480 this twenty twenty version, Like, you know, I think the people are 322 00:20:06.519 --> 00:20:08.519 a lot more firm with the BattleHawks and maybe the defenders. I don't think 323 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:11.480 that, you know, the DRAGONUS has ever been that. Sorry, I'm 324 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:15.240 a brand, so I'm just curious moving forward here. I don't know how 325 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:17.400 much weight there isn't any of this stuff. I mean, I'm not the 326 00:20:17.480 --> 00:20:19.799 right person to ask, but I've never gotten this obsession with the USML branding 327 00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:23.359 that it seems like a lot of the USFL people have. Yeah, I 328 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:26.359 mean, and I am old enough to remember I was thirty. Thanks for 329 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:30.079 making me feel old when you and the well twenty nine technically when the first 330 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:34.160 XFL kicked off, and I remember the original USFL At that time, I 331 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:37.440 was in high school and I or well, eighth grade or so. But 332 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:41.279 anyway, I really wasn't that huge of a football fan. I like, 333 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:44.839 you know, the NFL but didn't really understand this the whole alternative thing in 334 00:20:44.839 --> 00:20:48.240 spring football. But yeah, it was just it was just really surprising to 335 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:52.400 me. And they you know, they even bring back the logo and everything, 336 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:56.599 so that that to me is, you know, I hope that pro 337 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:00.920 football and alternative pro football is a thing that's going to be financially stable and 338 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:03.640 we'll get the eyeballs and maybe this is kind of a secondary thing, but 339 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:07.440 I am so interested in the branding and what they're going to come up with 340 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:10.359 here, and it feels like they need to come up with it pretty quickly. 341 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:12.200 Yeah, well and that's you know, so that's the thing. Obviously 342 00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:17.599 we're here end of October at a minimum. I have heard you expect like 343 00:21:17.640 --> 00:21:21.160 an April launch for whatever this is going to be. I think, you 344 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:25.039 know, I know that the XFL were signing letters of intent. I think 345 00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:29.839 that's I think it's very odd to be having players signing letters of intent for 346 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:32.319 teams that we don't know if they're going to exist in a month like that 347 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:34.839 to me feels a little hollow, And I don't I haven't wanted to get 348 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:38.359 like too critical on like the XMLS Twitter about all this stuff, just because 349 00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:41.640 I don't know how much good that does, but you know, advertising season 350 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:45.960 tickets and by this merchandise and do your costume things and we're going to give 351 00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:49.759 you thirty percent off, and like, you know, it was one thing 352 00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:53.359 for me buying old Sea Dragon stuff when the XFL was going out of business 353 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:56.759 last year and getting a discount and knowing that hey, like like I still 354 00:21:56.759 --> 00:22:00.759 have old jerseys like in plastics where. But to be selling this stuff in 355 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:03.960 earnest now is that you know. Knowing that and I wanted to get into 356 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:07.119 some of the different commendations we heard, but knowing that this stuff might not 357 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:11.640 exist here in the month, that to me is is a little hollow because 358 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:15.319 most of the at least the rumors floating around are at least all or most 359 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:19.440 of the USFL franchises retaining and then a various number of XFL ones that they're 360 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:22.200 going to stick around. Yeah, you know, it was interesting too. 361 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:29.000 Alan Offerd, who he's got a YouTube channel. He was in Orlando for 362 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:33.599 the for the showcase recently. I heard an interview with him recently where he 363 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:37.160 said after and this was after the showcase, so he didn't really kind of 364 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:38.480 he didn't say, you know, who told him, But he was boots 365 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:41.680 on the ground there and he said what he had heard or kind of you 366 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:45.599 know, the rumor that was floating around there, because he said a lot 367 00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:48.240 of the officials pretty much said we can't talk about it, but that the 368 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:52.920 XFL would lose three teams and the USFL would lose three teams. So maybe 369 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:56.240 they have come to some kind of compromise. It would be a ten team 370 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:00.240 league. You can kind of see where the XFL would come from because Las 371 00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:06.759 Vegas, that's that's easy to pitch one of the Houston teams and and then 372 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:10.119 you know, sorry, but maybe Seattle, so it it. And then 373 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:12.319 you could look at and when you look at the XFL, you could probably 374 00:23:12.359 --> 00:23:15.799 lose the Generals. I mean, they're not going to find a home. 375 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:18.440 I just don't think they're going to find a home in the New York, 376 00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:22.599 New Jersey area unless you call them maybe the Canton Generals or something. I 377 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:26.359 think they could probably do that with My guess is, and this is speculation 378 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:30.480 that they could do that with Pittsburgh maybe and make make them the Canton whatever 379 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:33.640 Bulldogs would be nice to bring that back and maybe you know, you you 380 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:37.599 jettison Philly and New Orleans. I don't know, but to me that made 381 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:41.480 the most sense because that way, you've got five USFL, you got five 382 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:45.759 XFL, and you got a ten team league. So uh, it's you 383 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:49.519 know, there's been so much speculation and and from and as you know, 384 00:23:49.799 --> 00:23:53.960 you follow a lot of these guys and that they're they're sourced, you're sourced, 385 00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:57.680 they have good reporting, You have good reporting. But it did sound 386 00:23:57.799 --> 00:24:02.640 like originally that the us CFL was going, as we talked about before, 387 00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:04.559 was just going to absorb the XFL and kind of decide, Okay, we're 388 00:24:04.599 --> 00:24:08.000 keeping our eight, we'll decide what to do with the XFL team. So 389 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:12.000 maybe there's a compromise in there somewhere. And so yeah, and just said 390 00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:15.200 the kind of the I guess to set the table for the rumors up to 391 00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:18.920 this point. And I will just say and not that I think anyone tries 392 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:22.680 to go out and liars spread misinformation. I do think things change where maybe 393 00:24:22.680 --> 00:24:26.279 if you heard something at one point and it does not end up being true, 394 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:30.799 that doesn't necessarily mean that that wasn't true at that point, right, 395 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:33.440 And you know, we even talked with the NFL trade deadlines and well, 396 00:24:33.480 --> 00:24:37.359 this person was talking to this team and they have going somewhere else. Like, 397 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:40.079 it doesn't mean that that wasn't you know, it means it's it's a 398 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:41.240 as Stephen A. Smith says like that, you know, it's a fluid 399 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:45.200 The list is kind of fluid here and going through. But the initial report 400 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:48.079 coming out a couple of weeks ago. Now Neil Stratton with inside the league 401 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:52.240 talking and I do believe in this that there'll be some number of hubs, 402 00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:53.680 whether that's you know, I think he originally said it was going to be 403 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:56.920 six. At that point Mike Mitchell had put him in our group to that 404 00:24:57.200 --> 00:25:00.920 chat today that he's hearing eight h let me get up to that. He's 405 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:04.079 here at eight hubs with twelve teams, two divisions, so all this stuff 406 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:10.160 floating around, but the I do believe the hubs. I do believe that 407 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:12.599 there was Then he had the follow up report the next week that was in 408 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:18.440 the eight USFL teams and four XFL teams. Since then, like like you've 409 00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:22.559 heard five and five, Mike's saying here twelve teams, that would be six 410 00:25:22.599 --> 00:25:25.440 and six. I've had people from the XFL tell me six and six. 411 00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:30.119 You know, at the minimum you're not getting eight and eight? How does 412 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.519 that make you feel as someone? You know if it's almost kind of like 413 00:25:33.559 --> 00:25:37.880 the Hunger Games, like are you in? Like are you you know? 414 00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:41.640 Is your is your district? Like it feels and like I said, it 415 00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:45.880 feels disingenuous selling merchants, you know, not that you can halt everything, 416 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:48.359 but it's a really weird time right now. It is. I did buy 417 00:25:48.359 --> 00:25:52.119 an Arlingkedin shirt when it was on sale because I thought this might be the 418 00:25:52.200 --> 00:25:53.880 last, you know, XFL champion, so I got to get a renegade 419 00:25:53.880 --> 00:26:00.839 shirt. Yeah, and you're right, I think because when these it's been 420 00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:06.519 almost a month now since they announced the intention to merge, so we're almost 421 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:10.240 a month later where we're still talking about we still don't know what's going to 422 00:26:10.279 --> 00:26:12.839 happen. And I think you're right. I think you make a very good 423 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:18.319 point. Read that something could have been true or been discussed at one of 424 00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:21.640 the in a meeting and it gets out and they're like, Okay, well 425 00:26:21.640 --> 00:26:25.599 this is what this is what we've talked about, but not necessarily they haven't 426 00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:30.599 signed the contract yet. But yeah, it is. If you're a USFL 427 00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:36.880 or an XFL fan and you don't like the other league. I think you're 428 00:26:36.920 --> 00:26:38.640 going to be disappointed either way. I mean, that's that's the thing. 429 00:26:38.680 --> 00:26:41.319 It's like, you know, for people like me, and I hope I'm 430 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:45.240 not in the minority. I loved both leagues. I love both leagues. 431 00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:49.279 It's it would be it we're not going to have two Houston teams. So 432 00:26:49.319 --> 00:26:52.599 we know that we're gonna you know, we're going to lose a team and 433 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:55.720 that's going to be kind of sad. And you know, as we talked 434 00:26:55.720 --> 00:26:57.880 about when you we talked about predictions and I did a video and you were 435 00:26:59.240 --> 00:27:03.240 nice enough to, uh send in like three predictions. And you know, 436 00:27:03.319 --> 00:27:06.119 one of the one of my predictions, and it's not really a prediction because 437 00:27:06.119 --> 00:27:08.839 it's just math, is that they're gonna be fewer opportunities that That, to 438 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:12.440 me, is one of the sad things of it is there are a lot 439 00:27:12.440 --> 00:27:17.519 of at least there's more that than there would than zero. But when you 440 00:27:17.559 --> 00:27:19.880 start to lose teams and you start to contract and however many it's going to 441 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:23.920 be, you're gonna lose some opportunities for players. But yeah, you're right, 442 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:29.079 it's kind of funny when you start to see Uh, the advertisements on 443 00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:32.599 you know, on Facebook and things for it, Oh twenty percent off. 444 00:27:32.680 --> 00:27:36.519 Just put this in and you know there's always the response just wait a few 445 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:38.359 weeks and it'll be half off, or it'll be a clearance sale. So 446 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:42.160 you know that that is kind of the sad thing at Disingenuous. Yeah, 447 00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:45.039 I think that's right, because they are they keep saying, we you know, 448 00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:48.400 we're going on business as usual. We saw, uh, you know 449 00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:53.079 just recently that the the XFL and signed seven more players and one of them 450 00:27:53.119 --> 00:27:56.000 was Seattle, you know, went to the you know, rights to Seattle 451 00:27:56.000 --> 00:28:03.319 with a letter intent. It's I don't think we're finding any clues really when 452 00:28:03.319 --> 00:28:07.680 we start to see these releases. You know that those rights could be could 453 00:28:07.720 --> 00:28:10.839 go if it's one it's gonna be one combined league, so those rights could 454 00:28:10.839 --> 00:28:14.480 go to any team. Well, and I don't think that, you know, 455 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:18.839 in terms of the numbers working out, And I don't think they are 456 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:22.160 going to care if it's a XFL and for USFL or vice versa E, 457 00:28:22.519 --> 00:28:27.680 or which which leagues fan base feels they're gonna say, logistically, here what 458 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:30.960 makes the most sense money wise, whether you know, what are the costs 459 00:28:32.039 --> 00:28:34.279 to run these. I mean, Seattle was a flyer in twenty twenty. 460 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:37.480 Yeah, in and of itself, that wasn't going to be there. And 461 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:41.400 I Sam Swartzein told me the story offline about that where it was, you 462 00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:44.640 know how, and I think I remembered hearing this, you know, but 463 00:28:44.680 --> 00:28:48.119 it was like the house show and they ran an XFL promo and the crowded 464 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:52.359 tendanccy and I was probably at that house show and didn't even realize it, 465 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:55.599 and like the pop that they got, and Vince McMahon was like, derm, 466 00:28:55.839 --> 00:28:57.079 you know, we gotta go to Seattle, like so, you know, 467 00:28:57.119 --> 00:29:00.440 but but you know, Luman costs a lot. So I think that 468 00:29:00.119 --> 00:29:03.480 will go into it more than well, which league, span base or which 469 00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:07.759 city or well, uh, you know, the Birmingham Stallions have more legacy 470 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:10.599 than whatever. I mean, I think they're going to look at it is 471 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:12.359 what does it cost more to run here? And where can we save money 472 00:29:12.359 --> 00:29:15.720 and how can we house some of these teams together? Well, and that's 473 00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:18.559 you know a lot. Some of the fans are like, well if they 474 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:22.599 if they do hubs, I'm not going to watch. Well, then you're 475 00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:25.240 you might as well just get ready to not watch. And I don't know 476 00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:30.200 why that's that's a problem, because if they're doing hubs, it's not because 477 00:29:30.119 --> 00:29:34.839 it's because they want to make this a viable thing. So I get that 478 00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:37.839 you you might not have liked it, especially if you're an XFL fan. 479 00:29:38.319 --> 00:29:41.480 I didn't like watching, you know, games from Birmingham because no one was 480 00:29:41.480 --> 00:29:45.359 there unless it was a Stallion's game. But even they lost some attendance, 481 00:29:45.240 --> 00:29:48.400 So you know, I get that to a point, but you have to 482 00:29:48.440 --> 00:29:52.519 remember, especially if you're an XFL fan, they had a hub. They 483 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:56.759 had one hub, and then they would fly to the city the night before, 484 00:29:56.880 --> 00:29:59.200 and I get, yeah, they had home crowds. I was at 485 00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:03.279 the Saint Louis game this past year, the one where they scored it felt 486 00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:07.359 like a thousand points, and it was incredible, and the vibe was great 487 00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:10.519 before the game, during the game, after the game. That was really 488 00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:14.880 fun. That was as a fan where there were thirty thousand people. You're 489 00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:18.200 trying to reach millions of people and hopefully that you'll get more than six hundred 490 00:30:18.200 --> 00:30:22.480 thousand viewers and that you will try to make this a viable thing, So 491 00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:26.039 you might have to have hubs. And you might get bigger crowds for other 492 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:30.200 games, but it really feels like and I know we'll get more when we 493 00:30:30.200 --> 00:30:34.039 get the announcement read, but it feels like they want to get this going, 494 00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:38.960 get these two leagues together, and then hopefully try to sell these franchises 495 00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:44.240 later. But you can't sell franchises if your league doesn't have value in your 496 00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:48.680 hemorrhaging money. So yeah, do the hubs for a year or two and 497 00:30:48.720 --> 00:30:52.480 then start to find the right owners to bring these teams into the cities. 498 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:56.319 And see, that's obviously where we disagree, right, I mean, I'm 499 00:30:56.119 --> 00:31:00.839 vehemently anti hobbit, and to me, it's more than and I understand that. 500 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:03.960 I thought connor Folk kind of the best tweet when the original report came 501 00:31:03.000 --> 00:31:07.279 out with from Neil Stratton and all that saying like, I get hubs, 502 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:10.480 I get why every corporate person in the world like gets likes hubs, and 503 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:12.240 I get why the leagues like it, and I understand all the money behind 504 00:31:12.279 --> 00:31:15.640 it, but it just sucks as a fan. That sucks all the life 505 00:31:15.640 --> 00:31:18.920 out of it. And to me, you know, to me, you 506 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:22.839 know, you have a lot of own this on the USFL where Okay, 507 00:31:22.839 --> 00:31:25.440 we're in Birmingham, you're one. Okay, we're going to try to go 508 00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:27.200 to three to four hubs next year and then we're going to go to you 509 00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:32.119 know, we're You always want to see growth, even if it's we're adding 510 00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:33.839 one hub, even if they just added Memphis or whatever, like, you 511 00:31:34.119 --> 00:31:37.920 want to see growth in that way. And by retracting here and going back, 512 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:41.400 I don't believe you now when you say, well, next, you 513 00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:45.319 know that's the goal at this point. That's where I have a struggle with 514 00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:48.640 that, where now you've you've seen what that is and now you know what 515 00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:52.440 and maybe you did fly too close to the sun, right, and maybe 516 00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:56.319 it was too expensive to do that, but but now it's it's hard to 517 00:31:56.359 --> 00:31:57.599 go back, if that makes sense. It's like I've seen, you know, 518 00:31:57.599 --> 00:32:01.240 I got to live and I got to stay in the Airbnb Paradise villa 519 00:32:01.319 --> 00:32:04.519 over the weekend and I got to go back to my condo and like, 520 00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:07.240 I don't know if I want to you know, I can't share. Yeah, 521 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:08.960 I know what this is now, No, I get it. But 522 00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:15.000 you also that that's from a fan perspective, yep, when you start to 523 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:17.440 look at it from a fox perspective, because it sounds like Fox is going 524 00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:22.160 to be really the owners of all this. From that perspective, then you 525 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:25.000 got to think, okay, we're we're we're making a TV product. That's 526 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:30.519 what I thought with the with the USFL versus the XFL. Certainly the XFL, 527 00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:32.720 you know, got the boost from being on ESPN and ABC and all 528 00:32:32.799 --> 00:32:37.519 that, but they were trying to start a traditional league, whereas the USFL 529 00:32:37.599 --> 00:32:42.079 and Fox that felt like a TV show. And they made Birmingham a studio 530 00:32:42.160 --> 00:32:45.400 basically that that first year, and so it didn't matter. They weren't None 531 00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:50.559 of their finances were built on ticket sales. It was kind of built on 532 00:32:50.599 --> 00:32:54.480 advertising and ratings. So so when now that it sounds like Fox is going 533 00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:59.480 to be, you know, they're going to own this thing, you're probably 534 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:02.319 going to get hubs and you And that's from a business perspective, and hopefully 535 00:33:04.279 --> 00:33:08.039 we can convert people like you read and say this is this is just this 536 00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:13.799 is temporary. We'll try to get these into you know, you're gonna just 537 00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:15.599 have to live in a condo for a little bit, but eventually this is 538 00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:20.599 going to turn into you know, if all goes well, this will this 539 00:33:20.680 --> 00:33:23.519 will be the you know, the beach vacation in a few years. Yeah, 540 00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:27.680 the last metaphor, it feels like. And I went and saw that 541 00:33:28.119 --> 00:33:31.039 new Saw movie last night with my brother and this girlfriend and h I'm a 542 00:33:31.039 --> 00:33:37.039 big Saw guy. Uh. She was talking about how they had laid off 543 00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:38.880 someone at work and they're like, hey, you need to You're going to 544 00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:42.799 take over the you know, these duties here for just until we get someone 545 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:44.759 else. And now it's been five months, and oh, well, we 546 00:33:44.759 --> 00:33:49.640 don't need to. That to me is you know, if we if we 547 00:33:49.680 --> 00:33:53.720 discover we are viable enough doing the hubs, you know, I to me, 548 00:33:53.799 --> 00:33:58.559 there's no incentive to expand on that. And obviously I don't think they 549 00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:00.799 were totally happy with the hub is because I don't think they would have as 550 00:34:00.880 --> 00:34:05.119 much as the XFL needed to reach out and call the USFL for a hand 551 00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:07.159 up. You know, if all was well with the USFL, you're not 552 00:34:07.280 --> 00:34:10.679 answering that call either, right, I mean, I'm not. I think 553 00:34:10.760 --> 00:34:14.760 that is that is a very good point. And you know, Darryl Johnston 554 00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:17.440 was pretty unhappy with the ratings and even said as much and said, like, 555 00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:21.119 you know, we felt like we even had a better presentation, uh 556 00:34:21.239 --> 00:34:23.280 than the XFL. So yeah, you're right. It's like, oh, 557 00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:27.840 well, if we if we didn't need that's a great point. If we 558 00:34:27.880 --> 00:34:30.559 didn't need the XFL, you don't answer the phones like you know what, 559 00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:32.679 you guys can just go out of business. That's fine. So this has 560 00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:37.639 to be kind of a this has to be a mutual partnership and mutual conversations 561 00:34:37.639 --> 00:34:39.639 happening. Yeah, there's no question. Well it was. I mean we 562 00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:43.679 went through all that with the CFL as well, where you know, uh, 563 00:34:43.840 --> 00:34:47.840 the XFL. You know, maybe they're just you know, really proactive 564 00:34:47.880 --> 00:34:52.039 about stuff, you know what I mean, like you know, hey, 565 00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:53.559 you know, let's talk about stuff if you maybe they're more you know, 566 00:34:53.639 --> 00:34:55.840 my wife will talk to anyone at the party. I mean, maybe they're 567 00:34:55.840 --> 00:34:58.880 more like my wife, Like, hey, we're just reaching out. We're 568 00:34:58.920 --> 00:35:02.920 just not talking networking where maybe you know, I'm like the USFL, you 569 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:06.320 need to call me. I'm sitting here and you let me know what's going 570 00:35:06.360 --> 00:35:08.400 on. We don't want this go forever, though, I appreciate your time. 571 00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:12.559 Anything else, you want to make sure we touch on any other topics 572 00:35:12.639 --> 00:35:15.320 on your head before we get out. No, I just think you know, 573 00:35:15.400 --> 00:35:17.360 we you and I have talked about this and I've said it with some 574 00:35:17.400 --> 00:35:22.320 other guests before. It's like we had the golden age of spring football. 575 00:35:22.480 --> 00:35:25.039 We had year round football. It was like, you know, it started 576 00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:29.840 the Super Bowl ended, and we had the XFL that ended, and we 577 00:35:29.880 --> 00:35:31.920 had the USFL and then we went right into the you know, seems like 578 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:36.320 you know, the NFL preseason. But it was fun for one year. 579 00:35:37.159 --> 00:35:40.559 I'm an old guy. I'm trying to stay cautiously optimistic, and I really 580 00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:45.920 hope that this partnership works out, and most of all, read for everyone's 581 00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:49.360 sake, I hope we hear something pretty soon is that solid, and we 582 00:35:49.400 --> 00:35:52.800 can kind of prepare for what's next and we can get on here and pontificate 583 00:35:52.880 --> 00:35:55.559 and you know, criticize and be happy about things and all that. But 584 00:35:55.800 --> 00:35:59.400 no, it was it was great joining you. You know, you're one 585 00:35:59.400 --> 00:36:01.239 of the reasons that I kind of up to my game here to get to 586 00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:06.039 do some YouTube stuff, and you have been generous with your time with me, 587 00:36:06.159 --> 00:36:08.880 so I was absolutely glad to be on with you. Well, I 588 00:36:08.920 --> 00:36:13.239 appreciate that. No, I mean I you know, as someone that and 589 00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:15.639 I noticed she didn't put the CFL on that. You know, we've been 590 00:36:15.639 --> 00:36:17.159 doing CFL sefter in the summer as well. I know, I see, 591 00:36:17.519 --> 00:36:22.400 but you didn't mention that, just saying where there's one here, I promise, 592 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:27.760 But you know, as someone there, you go, as someone that 593 00:36:27.960 --> 00:36:31.199 you know covers all of this. I think football fatigue is really is really 594 00:36:31.280 --> 00:36:35.239 a real thing, right, And I don't know if there's a nonz. 595 00:36:35.239 --> 00:36:37.159 You're a number of people that could even tell you what is the next develop 596 00:36:37.239 --> 00:36:40.840 versus what is usblit you case in point, Pat mcaby here rounding back out 597 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:46.679 to the beginning, and so whoever has the upper hand or had the upper 598 00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:50.840 hand, or had the leverage, and there's no doubt that both both existing 599 00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:54.519 hurt each other, both from a player standpoint, a TV standpoint, even 600 00:36:54.760 --> 00:37:00.559 having to pay the players and uh to be comfort you know, hoparable that 601 00:37:00.599 --> 00:37:02.280 way where Vince McMahon when the AAF went away, he said, well, 602 00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:05.800 we don't need to pay our guys as much because you know, whatever they're 603 00:37:05.800 --> 00:37:07.360 option, they have and that's not a good thing. And that's why I'll 604 00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:10.320 always say that, you know the best time that there ever is like in 605 00:37:10.320 --> 00:37:15.000 wrestling, is when WCW is facing WWF or now with WWE and AW and 606 00:37:15.239 --> 00:37:17.679 I have to do all that. So I hope we don't see complacency that 607 00:37:17.719 --> 00:37:22.280 way, but yeah, it does feel like this is the necessity more than 608 00:37:22.599 --> 00:37:25.039 merging the powers right now. If that makes sense, Yeah, it does. 609 00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:28.760 And you know, Mike Mitchell, he brought that up as well. 610 00:37:28.800 --> 00:37:31.440 You know, I talked to him and he said they were cannibalizing each other. 611 00:37:31.559 --> 00:37:36.880 And as far as you know, like you said, players, ratings, 612 00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:42.119 fans and you know, and I think the realists of us out here 613 00:37:42.159 --> 00:37:45.519 will say, we understand that spring football and alternative pro football. There's a 614 00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:50.840 reason they call it alternative or all football is because it's an alternative to the 615 00:37:50.840 --> 00:37:52.800 big thing that's the NFL. So you're in a bit of a niche. 616 00:37:53.079 --> 00:37:59.280 When you have niches that are competing against each other, you're gonna you'll have 617 00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:02.880 tribes and you're gonna just you're gonna have smaller audiences. So maybe you bring 618 00:38:02.960 --> 00:38:07.800 those that you bring both that you bring all that together and you're not going 619 00:38:07.880 --> 00:38:09.239 to compete with the NFL, and that's not what they want to do at 620 00:38:09.239 --> 00:38:13.880 all, but you're going to have you'll be stronger together. And I think 621 00:38:13.960 --> 00:38:17.320 that's what hopefully we'll see. They won't cannibalize each other's ratings, and if 622 00:38:17.320 --> 00:38:22.639 one of the things that we hear is true, hopefully we'll find out these 623 00:38:22.679 --> 00:38:27.760 these games will be on network television over the air, because it didn't matter 624 00:38:27.840 --> 00:38:30.519 if it was the two worst teams. I mean, there was an Orlando 625 00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:32.880 game that I think was on ABC that got huge ratings because it was on 626 00:38:32.960 --> 00:38:37.320 ABC. So I think there's opportunities there to put you know, don't don't 627 00:38:37.320 --> 00:38:40.559 have people trying to go out and find these games. It wasn't as bad 628 00:38:40.599 --> 00:38:44.679 as the AAF where you had to have apps and everything else to find games, 629 00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:46.719 but it was tough for the for XFL, you know, when you're 630 00:38:46.760 --> 00:38:51.880 looking for well, I don't know what FS or USFL games. I don't 631 00:38:51.880 --> 00:38:53.960 know what FS won, Where is FX here? Where's F It was it 632 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:58.719 was too much. So if you put these on broadcast networks at a time 633 00:38:58.760 --> 00:39:04.199 when broadcasts now works need content, especially with the writers strike that you know, 634 00:39:04.360 --> 00:39:07.119 kind of wrapping all that up and the actors strike here, this is 635 00:39:07.159 --> 00:39:12.199 a huge opportunity for these two leagues to come together and make something really viable, 636 00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:15.079 at least for a year. Yeah, I just hope it is that 637 00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:16.840 my last thought. I just hope that, like you, I think you 638 00:39:16.840 --> 00:39:20.880 said at the beginning, that we still retain some sort of this XFL and 639 00:39:20.920 --> 00:39:23.760 this to it, because I'm not alone in saying, you know, some 640 00:39:23.880 --> 00:39:29.079 of the sterileness of the some of the USFL broadcasts was a little challenging. 641 00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:32.000 And even if if even if I didn't agree with that, was Ian Fitzimmons 642 00:39:32.079 --> 00:39:36.119 or whatever screaming on the sidelines of cash Man feel like I got I won 643 00:39:36.199 --> 00:39:38.119 my over bet, I want my over bet, like it felt like there 644 00:39:38.199 --> 00:39:40.199 was more. So I just, yeah, I hope that there's a mix. 645 00:39:40.280 --> 00:39:45.679 I'm not I'm not a homer for like any like you say, necessary 646 00:39:45.719 --> 00:39:49.239 brand, more just the mentality of that where, uh, maybe if I 647 00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:52.519 don't always agree with the personality of the XFL, I still felt like they 648 00:39:52.519 --> 00:39:57.760 had the personality where the USFL, it's it's NFL light, yeah, and 649 00:39:57.880 --> 00:40:00.440 we're you know, and and that it is what it is. Then that's 650 00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:02.920 fine, but it does feel like it's a step down of what the NFL 651 00:40:04.079 --> 00:40:07.199 is versus this is something that we're trying to make it be its own thing. 652 00:40:07.960 --> 00:40:10.159 And it was a Fox product and that's what Fox knew how to do, 653 00:40:10.679 --> 00:40:15.840 is do professional football broadcasts. And that's why, you know steril I 654 00:40:15.920 --> 00:40:20.800 get that. I get that definition of what you're saying there, because it 655 00:40:20.840 --> 00:40:22.920 felt like they tried to do an NFL broadcast. Now they had, you 656 00:40:22.960 --> 00:40:27.000 know, they had the drones and some other things that they you know, 657 00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:30.159 some innovations, but it did feel like that they were doing an NFL broadcast. 658 00:40:30.199 --> 00:40:34.639 And when you see those kinds of things in empty stadiums, you get 659 00:40:34.679 --> 00:40:37.719 that sterile feeling. I totally understand where you're coming from. There. It 660 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:40.440 didn't bother me as much. I mean, certainly I would love to have 661 00:40:40.480 --> 00:40:44.360 seen like a big crowd because it was really fun. I was at a 662 00:40:44.360 --> 00:40:49.400 Birmingham Stallion's game last year and when the Stallions played, I mean that place 663 00:40:49.559 --> 00:40:52.960 was rocking, but the games the next day, I mean I was one 664 00:40:52.960 --> 00:40:55.320 of about one hundred people there. So, yeah, you do feel like 665 00:40:55.360 --> 00:41:00.159 it's different in person and certainly has to be different for the audience, and 666 00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:04.280 maybe some of that will change when if you do have if you do have 667 00:41:04.360 --> 00:41:07.440 to have hubs of the first year, we'll see. Yeah, I think 668 00:41:07.519 --> 00:41:09.719 Mike Kids said in our thing that there was a Molars game or something that 669 00:41:09.800 --> 00:41:15.239 had like thirty eight tickets distributed or something. I can't remember something somebody that 670 00:41:15.639 --> 00:41:17.800 number that way. Well, John Lewis, I appreciate it everyone. Like 671 00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:22.159 I said, you do a lot of interesting stuff on your YouTube channel. 672 00:41:22.159 --> 00:41:24.000 And I'm not a big ideas guy, like once I can go run with 673 00:41:24.039 --> 00:41:27.159 something, but I always see the videos that you put out, I'm like, 674 00:41:27.559 --> 00:41:29.599 that's a really good idea, Like this is really good, just really 675 00:41:29.639 --> 00:41:31.519 creative. So because I'm not, I can't do any of that stuff with 676 00:41:31.559 --> 00:41:34.480 all, Like once I have something I can drive, you know, I 677 00:41:34.480 --> 00:41:37.679 can drive the truck, but I can't put the truck together. So good 678 00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:39.519 job with that. Keep up the work and we'll see you, hopefully on 679 00:41:39.559 --> 00:41:43.480 here again soon. We'll get you back anytime. Read thank you for having 680 00:41:43.519 --> 00:41:50.199 me on. I appreciate it. Well. Here we are back here, 681 00:41:50.280 --> 00:41:52.599 Darryl Davis fighting the cold. I hope we're doing okay. We'll see you 682 00:41:52.599 --> 00:41:57.199 in a couple of weeks. Lots of Saskatchwan Rough Riders stuff here and then 683 00:41:57.199 --> 00:42:01.840 obviously the CFL Awards. But what about our boy Jordan Everleague game winning overtime 684 00:42:01.880 --> 00:42:07.199 goal against the Red Wings. It was about time he got on the board 685 00:42:07.199 --> 00:42:09.440 here. Yeah, he's been a little sluggish getting started. But I'm torn. 686 00:42:09.480 --> 00:42:14.079 I've a detroed Red Wings fan, to be honest, so that one 687 00:42:14.159 --> 00:42:15.840 hurt me a little bit loud. I was happy for Jordan, but I 688 00:42:15.880 --> 00:42:20.519 was a little sad because but at least the Wings got a point in overtime, 689 00:42:20.559 --> 00:42:22.480 so it was fun to watch. And once everyone gets going, I 690 00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:25.360 think the I think the Cracking start getting a little bit better too, because 691 00:42:25.559 --> 00:42:29.400 you're right, he's been a little sluggish to start with, and they they 692 00:42:29.400 --> 00:42:31.199 haven't been scoring the way they did last season, so it was good to 693 00:42:31.199 --> 00:42:36.599 see them get going. But unfortunately at the expense of my favorite team. 694 00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:38.880 I didn't rete that you and that Jason Hussey here Red Wings fans, Yeah, 695 00:42:38.880 --> 00:42:42.159 I'm always okay, who's cheering for? Okay, we cheering for the 696 00:42:42.239 --> 00:42:45.800 leaves, we cheering for whatever. Yeah, and Cracking a slow, slow 697 00:42:45.840 --> 00:42:47.639 start. We got seven goals in one game, but otherwise it's been rough. 698 00:42:49.960 --> 00:42:52.159 So we had Jamie and I on the podcast last week, right Green 699 00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:55.679 Zone, and he's saying, you know, Riders, they're gonna you know, 700 00:42:55.960 --> 00:43:00.679 whether they get the playoffs or not, They're They're not great Dickinson is 701 00:43:00.679 --> 00:43:02.800 not long for this world and kind of everything else there, you know, 702 00:43:02.880 --> 00:43:06.880 as predicteds here. Monday, right after we got done with our recap, 703 00:43:06.920 --> 00:43:09.639 they announced he is not being renewed, but Craig Reynolds is going to be 704 00:43:09.679 --> 00:43:12.800 there. And what's going on? You were at the press conference. What 705 00:43:12.800 --> 00:43:15.440 are you reading in all this? Oh? Yeah, it's kind of as 706 00:43:15.519 --> 00:43:17.119 Jamie said and we talked about quite a bit on our show. Read that 707 00:43:17.800 --> 00:43:23.199 the problems with this football team aren't necessarily talent or organizational. It was bad 708 00:43:23.239 --> 00:43:27.719 coaching this year. When you look at the team that beats the Winnipeg Blue 709 00:43:27.719 --> 00:43:30.440 Bombers and the BC Lions back to back, they're six and five out earlier 710 00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:35.000 in the season, and then for the last two years in a row totally 711 00:43:35.039 --> 00:43:37.679 fell apart. They lost their last seven games of each season. That's bad 712 00:43:37.719 --> 00:43:40.960 coaching, playing and simple. You know, if the coach can't motivate a 713 00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:45.360 team or get them better, then you have to get rid of the coach. 714 00:43:45.400 --> 00:43:46.719 They gave him a second chance, which maybe they shouldn't have done, 715 00:43:46.760 --> 00:43:51.320 but the way the salary cap works now, you probably keep them around for 716 00:43:51.360 --> 00:43:53.559 one year to finish off his contract. Craig Dickinson is a great guy. 717 00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:58.400 We all love Craig Dickinson. But the players took advantage of him. They 718 00:43:58.400 --> 00:44:00.000 didn't play for him, they weren't inspired by him, they didn't believe he 719 00:44:00.039 --> 00:44:04.000 could be a head coach. They had to fire the head coach. The 720 00:44:04.039 --> 00:44:07.599 fact they made no other changes, I'm fine with that because that is where 721 00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:10.679 the controversy, and at least from my reading from the outside, is, 722 00:44:10.679 --> 00:44:15.039 is that that was the only change that they made. Yeah, it basically 723 00:44:15.079 --> 00:44:17.679 is Jeremo Well, Jeremoday got a new three year contract as a general manager. 724 00:44:19.239 --> 00:44:21.559 You have to give him a new contract. If he's going out to 725 00:44:21.559 --> 00:44:24.480 find a head coach and you only gave him one year, that's not going 726 00:44:24.559 --> 00:44:27.960 to work if you gave him two years. While the new head coach who's 727 00:44:27.960 --> 00:44:30.760 at Worth Assault is going to say, I don't think I want to go 728 00:44:30.840 --> 00:44:32.960 somewhere for a two year deal. But if they're going to go get Scott 729 00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:37.599 Milanovitch, and I think to me, the conversation begins and ends with Scott 730 00:44:37.679 --> 00:44:40.760 Milanovitch. So the Hamilton Tiger Katz offensive coordinator, if they're going to get 731 00:44:40.840 --> 00:44:45.119 him, they'll need to sign him for a three year deal and Jeremy Oday 732 00:44:45.159 --> 00:44:47.000 as the general manager will have to have that many years on his contract too, 733 00:44:47.039 --> 00:44:52.199 so they had to redo it for him, get him a new deal 734 00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:55.960 so he's got job security. To their credit, the writers did it quickly. 735 00:44:57.159 --> 00:45:00.880 They made the decision to move on. They didn't keep Craig Dickinson hanging 736 00:45:00.920 --> 00:45:01.960 around and saying, oh, I got to get ready for next year. 737 00:45:02.320 --> 00:45:06.320 They've done everything. They're ready to move now. So I think that's a 738 00:45:06.400 --> 00:45:08.320 really that's really a feather in their cap. I know, as you say, 739 00:45:08.320 --> 00:45:10.719 there are a lot of people mad that Jeremy Oday and Craig Reynolds are 740 00:45:10.760 --> 00:45:15.920 still in charge. There's really no reason to get rid of them. And 741 00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:19.119 you believe that because it's more of a football issue than it is a talent 742 00:45:19.199 --> 00:45:22.599 issue. Yeah, while the talent's not bad, they have a pretty good 743 00:45:22.599 --> 00:45:25.239 football team. It was just badly coached. Nobody wanted to be the offensive 744 00:45:25.239 --> 00:45:30.519 coordinator this year. Because Craig Dickinson was on the last year of his contract. 745 00:45:30.519 --> 00:45:34.960 They asked a whole bunch of respectable, reputable, reputable offensive coordinators are 746 00:45:34.920 --> 00:45:37.159 on the league who would come to the Saskatchewan rough Riders and work for Craig 747 00:45:37.199 --> 00:45:40.960 Dickinson when he's the head coach on a one year contract, so they couldn't 748 00:45:40.960 --> 00:45:45.320 find anybody in. It showed their offense wasn't very good with Kelly Jeffrey. 749 00:45:45.760 --> 00:45:50.119 The disappointing part this year was how bad their defense got under Jason Shivers. 750 00:45:50.440 --> 00:45:52.880 It just totally fell apart. This year went long, and that had a 751 00:45:52.920 --> 00:45:55.760 lot to do with veteran cornerback Nick Marshall just somewhere along the line saying that's 752 00:45:55.760 --> 00:45:59.119 it. I'm not playing anymore. I'm not going to try. I'm going 753 00:45:59.159 --> 00:46:01.599 to give my paycheck and not do anything. But they had a bunch of 754 00:46:01.639 --> 00:46:07.000 players like that, So that's coaching. Maybe it's a little bit of personality. 755 00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:08.239 You weed out the bad apples, which they did last year. They 756 00:46:08.239 --> 00:46:13.000 weeded a lot of bad apples. But I think that team is pretty talented. 757 00:46:13.039 --> 00:46:15.280 They've got great receivers, they got a good running game, They've patched 758 00:46:15.280 --> 00:46:20.679 together an offensive line. I'm excited to see what happens to Jake Dolagala. 759 00:46:20.760 --> 00:46:27.840 I think they're gonna at quarterback. I think they're gonna eventually dump their veteran 760 00:46:28.039 --> 00:46:30.679 who got Trevor Harris? Who got hurt? You know, he's thirty seven, 761 00:46:30.719 --> 00:46:32.440 thirty eight years old, getting five hundred thousand a year after coming off 762 00:46:32.480 --> 00:46:37.199 a season with five broken parts in his knee. So they're gonna have to 763 00:46:37.199 --> 00:46:39.360 make those changes. But the talent's not bad and jerem Oda put the talent 764 00:46:39.400 --> 00:46:43.280 in place. People are arguing with me. They're telling me I'm a show 765 00:46:43.360 --> 00:46:45.360 for the Rough Riders. Now I've never been called that in forty years, 766 00:46:45.400 --> 00:46:51.039 which is really kind of fun these days. Read. But those are my 767 00:46:51.119 --> 00:46:55.000 thoughts on where the football team sits in terms of you know, I watched 768 00:46:55.000 --> 00:47:00.119 that last game the Toronto right coming in and look they had a shot there. 769 00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:06.079 Not a lot of people there right for the last game of the season 770 00:47:06.239 --> 00:47:08.800 in playoff contention, And you know, I have my own grives about the 771 00:47:08.840 --> 00:47:14.519 Calgary stampedersa beating VC and their pants. Maybe get your thoughts on that too, 772 00:47:14.559 --> 00:47:17.480 But like state of you know, Jamie said, it's really bad state 773 00:47:17.519 --> 00:47:21.960 of kind of the CFL franchise and the Rough Riders right now. Yeah, 774 00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:25.159 they have, but you know, twenty four thousand is a bad that's the 775 00:47:25.199 --> 00:47:29.239 announced crowd that they had at the last game. Yeah, they've changed it. 776 00:47:29.280 --> 00:47:31.719 They don't have tickets sold, tickets distributed. It's a I don't know 777 00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:35.960 tickets. Tickets distributed, I think is a word that they use, so 778 00:47:35.960 --> 00:47:37.960 I don't know how many of those are bought. But according to us, 779 00:47:38.039 --> 00:47:43.760 according to Jamie ny, that's the smallest regular season crowd they've had in seventeen 780 00:47:43.880 --> 00:47:46.159 years. So the fans aren't making a statement. They're staying away. And 781 00:47:46.159 --> 00:47:49.599 that's how they speak around here. They speak with their wallets. It's a 782 00:47:49.599 --> 00:47:52.239 community owned team, so they like to tell you we're not buying tickets, 783 00:47:52.239 --> 00:47:55.320 we're not buying merchandise. We're mad at the football team. You know, 784 00:47:55.360 --> 00:48:00.400 they've stayed away from it because they're angry. But it doesn't last very long. 785 00:48:00.480 --> 00:48:04.800 Eventually, if they hire a Scott Milanovitch, that reinspires everybody. They 786 00:48:04.800 --> 00:48:08.199 get back on the bandwagon. Every year there are fewer tickets sold. You 787 00:48:08.239 --> 00:48:10.639 know, Winnipeg's a bit of an anomaly. They're going the other direction. 788 00:48:10.679 --> 00:48:15.480 They're selling the place out all the time. Saskatchewan, once they start winning 789 00:48:15.519 --> 00:48:17.440 again, will sell this place out, no matter how mad. People are. 790 00:48:20.599 --> 00:48:22.880 Follow up questions here for the coaching steps. So Craig Dickins said, 791 00:48:22.880 --> 00:48:28.320 what's next for him? I mean we saw last year, right and Jason 792 00:48:28.360 --> 00:48:31.079 oss right go to the Aluettes And I mean, is he take a year 793 00:48:31.119 --> 00:48:35.280 off or what do you see hack next for him? Well, somebody might 794 00:48:35.360 --> 00:48:37.880 hire him, right, He's not beholding to the rough Riders. His contract 795 00:48:37.920 --> 00:48:42.639 expires in the off season, so they're not paying them to do anything to 796 00:48:42.679 --> 00:48:45.920 not coach. So somebody will knock on his door I'm thinking and say, 797 00:48:45.039 --> 00:48:49.039 hey, we could use you as a special teams coach. He's a great 798 00:48:49.079 --> 00:48:52.079 special teams coach. He's a great person to have on a team. He's 799 00:48:52.159 --> 00:48:54.519 just not capable of being a head coach. He couldn't motivate those guys. 800 00:48:54.239 --> 00:49:00.400 So sometimes there are guys throughout the league. Richie Holland in Winnipeg, defensive 801 00:49:00.440 --> 00:49:04.360 coordinator, great assistant coach, didn't have any success as a head coach. 802 00:49:04.719 --> 00:49:08.920 The league is littered with guys like that. Right, So I think Craig 803 00:49:08.920 --> 00:49:12.960 Dickinson can get another chance. Will he come back here? Is Yes? 804 00:49:13.519 --> 00:49:16.800 I don't think that because it's always funny when you see like you see Mike 805 00:49:16.800 --> 00:49:21.360 Benavide's in BC, right, a former head coach is now their special teams 806 00:49:21.400 --> 00:49:23.039 coordinator, And you think, well, I guess guys can go back, 807 00:49:23.039 --> 00:49:25.840 but you need a little bit of breathing room afterwards. And it's not quite 808 00:49:27.199 --> 00:49:30.639 It's not the size of the NFL where guy where the coaching staffs are so 809 00:49:30.719 --> 00:49:35.039 big that they can hide guys into his coaching staff. So somebody in the 810 00:49:35.119 --> 00:49:37.920 league will probably want Craig Dickinson to hire to work for them. It probably 811 00:49:37.920 --> 00:49:40.519 won't be in Saskatchewan, but I think that he might go somewhere else. 812 00:49:40.559 --> 00:49:44.679 He he does like coaching, and he gets along with people, so you 813 00:49:44.760 --> 00:49:46.239 wish you the best. Those are guys. You know, there are guys 814 00:49:46.239 --> 00:49:50.360 in this league who you don't like, and you cross paths to them. 815 00:49:50.519 --> 00:49:53.159 Craig Nickinson somebody, everybody who meets them likes them. So he'll get a 816 00:49:53.239 --> 00:49:57.920 job somewhere. I guess. I'm just surprised where you come out and you 817 00:49:57.960 --> 00:50:00.719 say that you know the players basically quit. I thought he was one of 818 00:50:00.760 --> 00:50:06.760 the more kind of tempole coaches right now. Yeah, true in that way, 819 00:50:06.840 --> 00:50:12.880 but he made a lot of bad coaching decisions, sideline decisions right, 820 00:50:13.599 --> 00:50:16.039 and that loses a confidence of a team right, went to gamble, when 821 00:50:16.039 --> 00:50:21.000 to go for two points? Things like that. Players are really picky about 822 00:50:21.000 --> 00:50:27.840 those things when they see that their coach isn't as tight and focused as they 823 00:50:27.840 --> 00:50:31.039 are, or they mess up things like that, they started watching for more 824 00:50:31.119 --> 00:50:34.920 mistakes. And that's what happened to Greg Dickinson over the last couple of years. 825 00:50:35.400 --> 00:50:37.440 He was making silly mistakes and none of them ever worked. You know, 826 00:50:37.440 --> 00:50:40.039 if you make a bad call and it works out, then you say, 827 00:50:40.119 --> 00:50:43.480 oh wow, that's really brave. But if you make a bad call 828 00:50:43.519 --> 00:50:45.280 and it doesn't work out, then everybody says, what a stupid decision. 829 00:50:45.320 --> 00:50:50.079 And that's what happened to Greg Dickinson. They started losing faith in him as 830 00:50:50.119 --> 00:50:53.639 a coach. They did last year when remember Garrett Reno, the defensive tackle 831 00:50:53.639 --> 00:50:57.960 went crazy in that game and the Riders didn't handle that very well. This 832 00:50:58.039 --> 00:51:00.119 year, they didn't handle a lot of the sideline decision very well. The 833 00:51:00.159 --> 00:51:04.440 players started saying, we don't have faith in him as a head coach. 834 00:51:04.639 --> 00:51:07.320 We like the guy, you know, and you can like the guy, 835 00:51:07.719 --> 00:51:10.760 but they just didn't play for him. It's funny. It's funny read when 836 00:51:10.800 --> 00:51:14.519 you go watch it. A lot of times, teams will go from a 837 00:51:14.599 --> 00:51:17.639 Craig Dickinson type coach who's a wonderful players coach, good guy, and then 838 00:51:17.679 --> 00:51:21.480 you usually go to a hard ass, right, you go to a real 839 00:51:21.639 --> 00:51:24.679 tough task master and say he's our next coach, and you bounce back and 840 00:51:24.679 --> 00:51:28.880 forth because eventually, no matter how good a coach you are, eventually the 841 00:51:28.880 --> 00:51:31.519 players tune you out. They had tuned out Craig Dickinson. Are they going 842 00:51:31.559 --> 00:51:34.719 to bring in a hard ass? Well, maybe if they find one, 843 00:51:34.760 --> 00:51:37.360 But I think what Scott Milanovitch is the hard ass? Or is the players 844 00:51:37.360 --> 00:51:40.599 coach? We're about to find out? I think. So you talk about 845 00:51:40.679 --> 00:51:45.840 him, I've seen and I know there's politicking involved in who we like and 846 00:51:45.920 --> 00:51:49.519 who we don't like. I don't like I know, I think it's Rod 847 00:51:49.599 --> 00:51:52.920 and balls. He were talking about Henry Burris coming in and that scene and 848 00:51:52.960 --> 00:51:55.760 that he wants. I don't know any of this stuff, So when does 849 00:51:55.800 --> 00:52:00.920 that sit with you? Well, Henry Burris was a pretty good quarterback here 850 00:52:00.960 --> 00:52:04.559 for a very short time, became popular until he left to join the Calgary 851 00:52:04.559 --> 00:52:07.639 Stampeders, and he's been bouncing around the NFL a little bit after his career 852 00:52:07.719 --> 00:52:13.199 ended. As you know, an up and coming coach has he got the 853 00:52:13.360 --> 00:52:15.719 pedigree for it. Not yet. Does he have the friendships for it? 854 00:52:15.800 --> 00:52:19.440 Yeah, he has friends in the media. Henry has been one of our 855 00:52:19.440 --> 00:52:22.559 favorite guys forever and ever. So you know, he sends out a tweet 856 00:52:22.679 --> 00:52:24.639 or sends out a text, or somebody calls him interested in the job, 857 00:52:24.679 --> 00:52:28.440 Henry, Oh, yes, of course I'm interested in the job. So 858 00:52:28.719 --> 00:52:31.400 his name gets thrown into the mix. But you know, they can say 859 00:52:31.440 --> 00:52:35.480 that there's eight, nine guys or ten guys, however many Jeremy Oday is 860 00:52:35.519 --> 00:52:38.239 going to open up with his initial candidacy. I can't see them going much 861 00:52:38.280 --> 00:52:45.360 further than the one name I've mentioned I is And do you think that would 862 00:52:45.400 --> 00:52:47.679 be that would be a good fit. Do you think that that writer nation 863 00:52:47.800 --> 00:52:52.519 would would be acceptable with that? Would they want? Because I guess to 864 00:52:52.559 --> 00:52:55.679 me, Henry Burr seems like the sexier name, if that makes sense, 865 00:52:55.719 --> 00:52:59.920 where Henry Burst I'm sorry, Henry burs seems like the sexy your name? 866 00:53:00.280 --> 00:53:01.480 Does that? I mean it seems like, yeah, a little bit Twitter, 867 00:53:02.000 --> 00:53:06.039 Yeah, Kerry Joseph, you know, former quarterbacks with the Rough Riders. 868 00:53:06.079 --> 00:53:09.840 But Milanovich can sell He's he's been a great successful CFL coach and he's 869 00:53:09.840 --> 00:53:13.840 gone down to the NFL to try his hand down there. He's done a 870 00:53:13.880 --> 00:53:15.880 really good job wherever he's been. It didn't work Edmonton. He took over 871 00:53:16.000 --> 00:53:21.039 twenty twenty and disappeared because of the pandemic season. He didn't even have to 872 00:53:21.039 --> 00:53:24.360 coach in Edmonton, so he's bopped around a little bit. But I think 873 00:53:24.400 --> 00:53:29.840 he's the type of coach who has experiences, he's talented. He knows how 874 00:53:29.840 --> 00:53:34.119 to develop quarterbacks, which helps them with Jake Dolagala, and I think that 875 00:53:34.119 --> 00:53:38.320 that's he's the type of guy who the fan base here would be enthusiastic about 876 00:53:39.440 --> 00:53:44.800 in terms of the work that he's done with the Tykats this season. See 877 00:53:45.480 --> 00:53:47.039 what do you make of kind of I guess his resume at least recently. 878 00:53:47.280 --> 00:53:50.840 Yeah, when he took over for Tommy Condell, that team got a lot 879 00:53:50.840 --> 00:53:52.679 better, didn't it. You know, they were playing with Taylor Powell who 880 00:53:52.840 --> 00:53:55.360 became a pretty good quarterback. And I think he has a future in the 881 00:53:55.360 --> 00:54:00.559 Canadian Football League. What they've been doing back and forth with their two quarterbacks 882 00:54:00.599 --> 00:54:02.440 now though, and putting bow leave by mitchellin back as the starter, I 883 00:54:02.440 --> 00:54:06.920 guess they have faith in him as as the veteran. I thought it might 884 00:54:06.920 --> 00:54:08.360 blow up in their faces, but they seem to know what's going on. 885 00:54:08.800 --> 00:54:12.280 The team is a lot better now. I think Orlando stein a Er, 886 00:54:12.519 --> 00:54:15.079 the head coach, is concentrating a lot more on coaching, uh, being 887 00:54:15.559 --> 00:54:22.679 there for his players and relying on Scott Milanovitch to run the offense. Tommy 888 00:54:22.719 --> 00:54:24.519 Condell just you know, it happens, guys tune you out. He'd been 889 00:54:24.519 --> 00:54:29.480 there a long time and it wasn't working, so you need to find something. 890 00:54:29.480 --> 00:54:31.920 And that's still my complaint with the rough Riders. If Jeremo Day needed 891 00:54:31.960 --> 00:54:37.199 something to say, if he wanted to criticize Jeremo Day late in that season 892 00:54:37.239 --> 00:54:39.599 this year, when that when the rough Riders were on that seven game losing 893 00:54:39.599 --> 00:54:44.480 streak, that's when he should have stepped in and just brought in somebody to 894 00:54:44.599 --> 00:54:47.280 hire to run that team for a couple of games, because you could see 895 00:54:47.320 --> 00:54:52.599 they weren't responding to Craig Dickinson. Jeremo Day has to hopefully he's learned that, 896 00:54:52.920 --> 00:54:57.599 but he has to step in sometimes and and take charge. In terms 897 00:54:57.840 --> 00:55:01.719 of bigger picture here with the player asked coming up, I was very upset 898 00:55:01.800 --> 00:55:05.960 kind of about BC and the whole Calgary thing and all that, and you 899 00:55:06.000 --> 00:55:08.119 know, even giving them an opportunity and then siscotch and all that stuff. 900 00:55:08.320 --> 00:55:12.559 What do you make of that game here coming up? Because I have warning 901 00:55:12.639 --> 00:55:16.719 signs both with Calgary and then obviously going into Winnipeg for BC. You're worried 902 00:55:16.760 --> 00:55:21.960 about your BC Lions, I am. I'm worried about America CFL team. 903 00:55:22.119 --> 00:55:27.000 Yes. Uh, I think the Lions are okay. I've never been a 904 00:55:27.079 --> 00:55:30.440 huge Vernon Adams fan. He's too mercurial up and down. He can, 905 00:55:30.719 --> 00:55:35.519 you know, and his his confidence level is so fragile. Sometimes he goes 906 00:55:35.519 --> 00:55:38.360 from this I'm in charge, I'm the best leader ever to oh, geez, 907 00:55:38.639 --> 00:55:42.760 six interceptions, I'm never going to play again, you know. And 908 00:55:42.800 --> 00:55:45.920 I think that that reflects on the on the Lions. If they get a 909 00:55:45.920 --> 00:55:50.079 good game out of him and he's rolling along and he's not trying to get 910 00:55:50.119 --> 00:55:52.719 to five thousand yards passing or something and doesn't forget, you know, the 911 00:55:52.800 --> 00:55:57.599 basics that he's being taught by Jordan mc simmick, a very good offensive coordinator, 912 00:55:57.920 --> 00:56:00.159 then uh, then then they've got a chance. Defense is really well 913 00:56:00.199 --> 00:56:05.480 put together. I think that the Lions, there's no way the Lions should 914 00:56:05.519 --> 00:56:08.960 lose to the Stampeters. They did in that game, that regular season game, 915 00:56:09.199 --> 00:56:13.800 they're not going to in the playoffs, you see. I don't know. 916 00:56:14.199 --> 00:56:15.760 To me, I feel like you needed I don't know, I feel 917 00:56:15.800 --> 00:56:21.480 like there's games where you need to be able to have a level of effort, 918 00:56:21.519 --> 00:56:22.320 even if it's not this. I don't know. To me, it 919 00:56:22.360 --> 00:56:27.119 felt like BC very much resigned, like, well, Winnipeg's gonna win anyway, 920 00:56:27.239 --> 00:56:30.039 We're gonna be second anyway. Well, and I just don't I don't 921 00:56:30.119 --> 00:56:31.920 like that mentality here at the end of the season, especially when you're trying 922 00:56:31.920 --> 00:56:36.679 to like sell the idea of coming to BC Lions games as well. Well, 923 00:56:36.719 --> 00:56:39.360 true enough, but you know what, the buye isn't such a great 924 00:56:39.400 --> 00:56:42.960 thing in the CFL. Well look, you know, look it over over 925 00:56:43.000 --> 00:56:47.159 the past how decades, and sometimes that by team just is cold. The 926 00:56:47.199 --> 00:56:51.800 team that wins the semi final is usually the hot one. The fact that 927 00:56:51.800 --> 00:56:54.920 the BC Lions had a home game already, you know that maybe maybe you 928 00:56:54.960 --> 00:56:58.639 can play possible a little bit with the Calgary stam Peters. That's who you're 929 00:56:58.639 --> 00:57:01.719 gonna play it as a learning experience and a rallying point, you say, 930 00:57:01.920 --> 00:57:05.559 look at like they smoked this last time. We got to play a lot 931 00:57:05.599 --> 00:57:07.320 better, and they're going to play a lot better. They're they're the better 932 00:57:07.360 --> 00:57:12.280 team. They have the better quarterback, regardless of how even Vernon Adams on 933 00:57:12.320 --> 00:57:15.360 a decent day is better than Jake Mayer. So they're a better football team, 934 00:57:15.400 --> 00:57:19.400 and that from the offensive point of view, and much better on the 935 00:57:19.440 --> 00:57:22.119 defensive point of view, and talent wise all the way through. So PC's 936 00:57:22.119 --> 00:57:28.119 gonna win. You don't have to worry about America's football, America's CFL team 937 00:57:28.760 --> 00:57:32.360 taking a stumble. Did Calgary making it to the playoffs? Does that save 938 00:57:32.440 --> 00:57:37.199 any jobs that maybe would have been on the line, or any cool any 939 00:57:37.280 --> 00:57:39.480 seats or is it still kind of chaos there? What do you make Yeah, 940 00:57:39.519 --> 00:57:44.239 they're probably okay. You make the playoffs again there, and they think 941 00:57:44.280 --> 00:57:47.000 they're getting better because you know, they they were a stable team. They 942 00:57:47.039 --> 00:57:51.159 didn't make many changes, they didn't have a hurt quarterback. I don't know 943 00:57:51.159 --> 00:57:53.760 if he's the answer, if Mayor's the answer, but they've got enough talent 944 00:57:53.840 --> 00:57:59.039 to be a decent team. I think this was the first year for Dave 945 00:57:59.119 --> 00:58:02.159 Dickinson to be head coach and general manager, and he really struggled with both 946 00:58:02.280 --> 00:58:07.719 jobs. I think he's learned something. He's a very smart guy, so 947 00:58:07.800 --> 00:58:10.360 I think he's learned something. He'll probably maybe ask for some more help to 948 00:58:10.400 --> 00:58:15.519 look after the personnel side of the team. It probably hurt him as a 949 00:58:15.559 --> 00:58:19.920 coach because he's usually one of the better head coaches on the sideline, and 950 00:58:19.960 --> 00:58:23.280 you could tell that late in the season when that team really needed to play 951 00:58:23.360 --> 00:58:27.920 well and he needed to get a response from his team. He was able 952 00:58:27.960 --> 00:58:30.400 to do that with the Stampeders and that's what Dave dickinson strengths are. So 953 00:58:30.440 --> 00:58:34.880 he is he going to be safe in both jobs? Yes, I think 954 00:58:34.920 --> 00:58:37.280 so. That's the way they want to go forward. It might last a 955 00:58:37.320 --> 00:58:39.199 year or two years, eventually it falls by the wayside, but right now 956 00:58:39.639 --> 00:58:44.199 they've saved themselves a bunch of jobs. Yeah. I saw the post game 957 00:58:44.239 --> 00:58:45.760 and Jake Mayer and that, you know, this is the best game, 958 00:58:46.119 --> 00:58:51.159 this is what we've wanted to be all year, and it's really been rough 959 00:58:51.199 --> 00:58:55.360 for them. I mean, I think Mayer has whatever expectations people had, 960 00:58:55.440 --> 00:59:00.920 he certainly is below even even the mid most mid expectation. That's true. 961 00:59:00.960 --> 00:59:04.519 You know, you could see why the Callier Stampeders let bullieve by Mitchell go. 962 00:59:04.639 --> 00:59:07.960 You have to make a move on those things before everybody else knows you 963 00:59:07.960 --> 00:59:09.760 have to make that move. So letting Bullieve by Mitchell go was okay. 964 00:59:10.119 --> 00:59:14.559 And Jake Mayer had looked pretty good in his stead when he had to play. 965 00:59:15.159 --> 00:59:17.760 But after you watch Jake Mayor play for a while, you realize he's 966 00:59:17.800 --> 00:59:22.079 not really worthy of being bully By Mitchell's replacement yet. Is he getting better? 967 00:59:22.599 --> 00:59:25.719 Not very much? Maybe a little bit, but he hasn't been on 968 00:59:25.760 --> 00:59:30.119 a real upswing in terms of becoming a better CFL quarterback. I think I'd 969 00:59:30.199 --> 00:59:34.079 much rather have Trey Ford on my list, or Taylor Powell than I have 970 00:59:34.440 --> 00:59:39.800 or Jake Dolagala than have Jake Mayor. Are you surprised I just saw the 971 00:59:39.800 --> 00:59:45.280 tweet come out, Well, actually it was sent to me. But Bryan, 972 00:59:45.840 --> 00:59:49.679 Brian Scott, Cameron Duke's maybe getting playing time this weekend, the whole 973 00:59:49.760 --> 00:59:52.440 Chad Kelly of it all and playing you know, two and three whatever quarters? 974 00:59:52.480 --> 00:59:58.000 And are you surprised at that Toronto's handling this coming down the pike? 975 00:59:58.400 --> 01:00:00.639 Well, he got hurt. He was limping a little bit during the Saskatchewan 976 01:00:00.679 --> 01:00:04.159 game. So I think you have to be careful with him. He certainly 977 01:00:04.239 --> 01:00:07.519 makes them go and if you put him in, he doesn't want to come 978 01:00:07.559 --> 01:00:09.599 out. We saw him earlier this season arguing with Ryan Dinwood, he his 979 01:00:09.639 --> 01:00:13.559 head coach, when they were trying to pull him out. He's the heart 980 01:00:13.599 --> 01:00:16.400 and soul of that football team, the competitive leader. If they don't play 981 01:00:16.480 --> 01:00:19.760 him and they lose, and everybody says, okay, well we're not the 982 01:00:19.760 --> 01:00:22.760 same team without Chad Kelly. If they put him in and get him hurt, 983 01:00:22.079 --> 01:00:25.559 that's a drastic thing. So I don't think it's a bad idea to 984 01:00:25.719 --> 01:00:30.039 rest Chad Kelly. He's really taken over that leadership mantle on that team the 985 01:00:30.079 --> 01:00:32.360 way they want to do it. Hey, they've earned the right. They're 986 01:00:32.400 --> 01:00:37.519 a fifteen and two football team. That's amazing to me. I didn't think 987 01:00:37.519 --> 01:00:42.079 they were with basically a first year starting quarterback. Yes, they put together 988 01:00:42.119 --> 01:00:45.320 a great team around him, an awesome defense and some great receivers and what 989 01:00:45.400 --> 01:00:47.960 a running attack they have. It's really impressive. So they've earned that right 990 01:00:49.000 --> 01:00:51.400 if they want to rest Chad Kelly, they didn't have to play him for 991 01:00:51.400 --> 01:00:53.199 the last six games. If they wanted to, but you want to get 992 01:00:53.239 --> 01:00:57.079 him a little bit of playing time so he's at least sharp for the playoffs. 993 01:00:57.519 --> 01:01:01.559 It's interesting because I think and obviously very drastic different situations here, but 994 01:01:02.199 --> 01:01:05.800 you know, weird tracking here with the NFL, and you've had the whole 995 01:01:05.800 --> 01:01:07.920 brock Purty kind of thing of it all, and like what part of it's 996 01:01:07.920 --> 01:01:10.719 a quarterback and what part of it's the team and what part of it's whatever. 997 01:01:12.079 --> 01:01:14.880 And you know, obviously he's kind of had struggled the last couple weeks. 998 01:01:14.920 --> 01:01:17.239 Like Chad Kelly has never really had a bad There's been no drop off 999 01:01:17.280 --> 01:01:22.519 this season at all. Are you surprised just I mean now looking obviously like 1000 01:01:22.519 --> 01:01:24.079 you said, and I think, right, record breaking if they win next 1001 01:01:24.119 --> 01:01:27.800 week or you know, there's all sorts of accolades here, like, are 1002 01:01:27.800 --> 01:01:31.679 you just surprised how exceptional he's done. Yes? Yeah, everybody said that 1003 01:01:31.719 --> 01:01:35.960 he would be the guy because you know, in the offseason the rough Riders 1004 01:01:35.960 --> 01:01:37.400 were looking for a quarterback and he kept thinking, oh, why don't they 1005 01:01:37.440 --> 01:01:40.920 go after Chad Kelly? Well, no, the Argonauts think he's their starter 1006 01:01:40.960 --> 01:01:46.199 after McLeod Bethel Thompson disappeared, So they knew something that everybody else didn't really 1007 01:01:46.199 --> 01:01:52.320 realize what a great leader he is, and so as he's kept it up. 1008 01:01:52.360 --> 01:01:55.679 Yes all the way through. He's not having the world's best statistics and 1009 01:01:55.719 --> 01:01:59.760 you can argue, should he be the outstanding player in the league. Well, 1010 01:02:00.119 --> 01:02:01.280 no, he should be the East outstanding player, I think. But 1011 01:02:01.360 --> 01:02:06.119 I still think i'd vote for Brady Olivera being the outstanding player in the league 1012 01:02:06.119 --> 01:02:08.599 this year because of what he's done for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. But Chad 1013 01:02:08.679 --> 01:02:13.559 Kelly certainly is in the running for that, and it's a bit of a 1014 01:02:13.599 --> 01:02:17.239 surprise. Yes, he's played pretty well, his stats are pretty good, 1015 01:02:17.599 --> 01:02:21.039 but they've won. And what do you base a quarterback on. You know, 1016 01:02:21.239 --> 01:02:23.119 Rock Party had his flaws. You can watch it with the forty nine 1017 01:02:23.199 --> 01:02:25.519 ers and you say, oh, he's not really great at this, not 1018 01:02:25.559 --> 01:02:29.639 really great at that, but he's winning, so that's all that matters. 1019 01:02:29.679 --> 01:02:32.320 And with with Kelly, same thing. They're not the best statistics in the 1020 01:02:32.360 --> 01:02:37.559 league, but he's winning. Do you sense an upset for the ty Cats 1021 01:02:37.679 --> 01:02:44.760 going into Montreal? Yeah? Yeah, I think I think Hamilton's a team 1022 01:02:44.800 --> 01:02:47.639 on the f swing. Like we talked about with their quarterbacks. How they're 1023 01:02:47.679 --> 01:02:52.320 doing it is pretty interesting. I wasn't sure that it would work, but 1024 01:02:52.360 --> 01:02:55.039 their talent was in place that remember, I think when we talked earlier this 1025 01:02:55.119 --> 01:02:58.440 season read there were tooths, there were a couple of things that we had 1026 01:02:58.440 --> 01:03:00.440 talked about, and we said, what are the big surprises of the season. 1027 01:03:00.480 --> 01:03:04.760 Well, Calgary Edmonton and they're bad play in their small crowds or one 1028 01:03:04.760 --> 01:03:07.079 of them. And Hamilton was certainly one of the teams who said, what 1029 01:03:07.119 --> 01:03:12.119 the heck has happened to the Tiger Cats? It's the same personnel while it's 1030 01:03:12.159 --> 01:03:15.639 even with a new quarterback, it's it's Orlando Steinauer, who you know that 1031 01:03:15.679 --> 01:03:20.639 the players seem to follow him along as the head coach. So what happened 1032 01:03:20.679 --> 01:03:22.320 to Hamilton? Well, they seem to have got their mojo back, and 1033 01:03:22.360 --> 01:03:27.599 I think that there are more consistent team. I think they'll make fewer mistakes. 1034 01:03:28.000 --> 01:03:30.119 You know, around here you keep seeing Cody Fajardo come playoff time, 1035 01:03:30.519 --> 01:03:37.480 something goes wrong and he'll blame somebody else. Hey, now are you are 1036 01:03:37.519 --> 01:03:42.280 you final grave? I mean, obviously we have playoffs here. Final grade 1037 01:03:42.320 --> 01:03:46.039 of the season for Cody here in Montreal's as far has he exceeded or fallen 1038 01:03:46.119 --> 01:03:50.000 flat. He's better than we thought he was going to be. Right, 1039 01:03:51.320 --> 01:03:53.960 He's They've done a pretty good job. Obviously, you know that you can 1040 01:03:54.039 --> 01:03:58.800 laugh about things. Because they dumped Cody Fajardo in Saskatchewan, they dumped Jason 1041 01:03:58.800 --> 01:04:00.400 Moss, the offensive coyne, and everybody thought, oh, that's good, 1042 01:04:00.400 --> 01:04:03.760 that'll make this team better. Obviously that wasn't the issue, right, The 1043 01:04:03.840 --> 01:04:06.960 head coach was more of the issue. So they got rid of somebody who 1044 01:04:08.519 --> 01:04:12.000 who's done a pretty good job, Jason Moss. Jason Moss, how he's 1045 01:04:12.199 --> 01:04:15.679 changed his demeanor and talked about it, what he's learned about how to behave 1046 01:04:15.760 --> 01:04:20.039 on the sidelines, because your your players follow your demeanor. As a head 1047 01:04:20.079 --> 01:04:25.079 coach, he's done a terrific job about that. Uh And and there's been 1048 01:04:25.079 --> 01:04:29.079 a bond between which we heard that Fajardo and Moss had and it seems to 1049 01:04:29.119 --> 01:04:31.639 still exist. And what made dump Cody Fajardo last year, That was Craig 1050 01:04:31.679 --> 01:04:35.199 Dickinson, the head coach, not Jason Moss, the offensive coordinator, deciding 1051 01:04:35.199 --> 01:04:38.960 on that. So, yes, they've done a pretty good job working together. 1052 01:04:40.639 --> 01:04:44.519 He's not to me, he's still a bottom third quarterback. He's played 1053 01:04:44.559 --> 01:04:47.000 pretty well. He's got you know, he's got some pretty good personnel around 1054 01:04:47.039 --> 01:04:50.719 him. That defense has played exceptionally well. Adding a Sean Lemon has just 1055 01:04:50.719 --> 01:04:56.519 been amazing to them, has really sparked him. But I just don't see 1056 01:04:57.400 --> 01:05:00.840 them as a as a finalist team. I think Howton's a team on the 1057 01:05:00.920 --> 01:05:03.159 rise, and Montreal is one of those teams that sometimes you get a decent 1058 01:05:03.159 --> 01:05:06.360 performance, sometimes you get a mediocre performance, and I think you're probably going 1059 01:05:06.400 --> 01:05:10.679 to get a mediocre performance out of them in the playoffs. All right, 1060 01:05:10.719 --> 01:05:14.480 real quick here before we get out. I appreciate all this rapid fire here 1061 01:05:14.480 --> 01:05:16.480 today, Daryl. This has been good in terms of the I don't want 1062 01:05:16.480 --> 01:05:20.599 to deep dive all these awards, but I think obviously the CFL whatever the 1063 01:05:20.599 --> 01:05:25.360 nominees came out today and I'm like in my bed, like, okay, 1064 01:05:25.400 --> 01:05:27.800 what the heck's going on here? Trying to rethrow all this up. To 1065 01:05:27.880 --> 01:05:32.679 me, obviously, the most outstanding player surprise Olivera over Kolaros. Is that 1066 01:05:33.119 --> 01:05:36.199 your thoughts on that? Are there any other surprises for that one? Yeah? 1067 01:05:36.239 --> 01:05:41.119 Olivera to me has really been the backbone of that football team. The 1068 01:05:41.239 --> 01:05:47.519 entire year. You kept wondering how are they going to survive when Andrew Harris 1069 01:05:47.559 --> 01:05:50.000 disappeared. And I know it's been a couple of years. Oli Ourro just 1070 01:05:50.079 --> 01:05:53.599 keeps getting better and better. Yes, Klaros was one at two years in 1071 01:05:53.599 --> 01:05:56.760 a row. His stats this year aren't as good as the stats he had 1072 01:05:56.800 --> 01:05:59.400 before. They're still a pretty good team. They've had a couple of dips, 1073 01:05:59.719 --> 01:06:03.039 but Brady Oi Olivera shows up every single game whenever they need him. 1074 01:06:03.039 --> 01:06:08.079 He's fast, he's strong, he doesn't seem to make bad plays. That 1075 01:06:08.239 --> 01:06:11.800 that's who I vote for as the outstanding player, even against Chad Kelly in 1076 01:06:11.840 --> 01:06:15.599 the East, I think Brady Oliverra wins that bad race. How far out 1077 01:06:15.840 --> 01:06:19.159 is did you? Do you think Vernon Adams is at this point from contention 1078 01:06:19.320 --> 01:06:25.840 on that from winning if he he has those bad games, which is what 1079 01:06:25.920 --> 01:06:28.719 Kolara's had a couple of games that were only mediocre, and I think that's 1080 01:06:28.719 --> 01:06:30.360 what hurt him. Could Vernon Adams win it? Yeah, he was. 1081 01:06:30.400 --> 01:06:33.400 He probably would have gotten some votes this year. He's probably still going to 1082 01:06:33.440 --> 01:06:39.079 get some votes. But I think if you watch who means the most to 1083 01:06:39.119 --> 01:06:41.880 their team, well you can say, Vernon Adams, Yes, but they've 1084 01:06:41.880 --> 01:06:45.320 also gotten some performances out of Dan at Evan's stepping in on occasion. So 1085 01:06:46.079 --> 01:06:49.880 uh, as I said, I'm not I'm not the biggest Vernon Adams fan. 1086 01:06:50.480 --> 01:06:56.000 So I think that he's a bit of a long shot to win the 1087 01:06:56.039 --> 01:07:00.760 West, you know, because and obviously Brady not not a unanimous decision here, 1088 01:07:00.880 --> 01:07:03.519 you know, in terms of kind of devoting on that. The other 1089 01:07:03.559 --> 01:07:08.280 one, the outsandy Canadian. I saw a lot of kerfuffle about Matthew Betts 1090 01:07:08.280 --> 01:07:12.440 not being unanimous for BC. We had talked offline, but thoughts on that 1091 01:07:12.639 --> 01:07:15.760 and in terms of him and any of the other outstanding Canadians, well, 1092 01:07:15.800 --> 01:07:18.119 the outstanding Canadian once again, Brady Oliver. If you're going to be the 1093 01:07:18.119 --> 01:07:23.599 outstanding player in the league and you're Canadian, you probably win both both awards, 1094 01:07:23.679 --> 01:07:26.719 right, That's the way Andrew harrisy that a couple of years ago, 1095 01:07:26.760 --> 01:07:29.840 I believe. So it's rare for it to happen. Canadians don't win the 1096 01:07:29.840 --> 01:07:33.119 Outstanding Player award very often, but I think he will this year. Matthew 1097 01:07:33.159 --> 01:07:38.039 Betts certainly worthy of consideration. And I know that people are saying, how 1098 01:07:38.039 --> 01:07:42.519 could he not be the outstanding the unanimous choice in BC of the Outstanding for 1099 01:07:42.559 --> 01:07:46.559 the outstanding defensive player after all the sacks Matthew Betts had I read was a 1100 01:07:46.639 --> 01:07:50.199 J. C Abbott I think it was from three Down Nation who said he 1101 01:07:50.320 --> 01:07:54.480 voted for Gary Peters, the corner who is the best corner in the league 1102 01:07:54.519 --> 01:07:57.840 and did not allow a touchdown all season. So he's got a valid point. 1103 01:07:57.840 --> 01:08:00.039 That's who he did his studying and his research. And you know, 1104 01:08:00.159 --> 01:08:04.360 the defensive end is also usually more glit' see your position in a cornerback, 1105 01:08:04.760 --> 01:08:10.079 So Bets' stats are kind of eye opening. But to say you voted for 1106 01:08:10.119 --> 01:08:12.840 Peters, you know, you can't fault the guy for doing his homework and 1107 01:08:13.239 --> 01:08:18.079 believing otherwise. Any other any other standouts here and though obviously a couple of 1108 01:08:18.119 --> 01:08:21.119 weeks here to go for all this and anything else stand out from the CFL 1109 01:08:21.119 --> 01:08:26.560 awards not huge ones. No, you know, it's always tough to judge 1110 01:08:26.600 --> 01:08:30.479 lineman. When I'm voting, I go talk to other defensive linemen around the 1111 01:08:30.520 --> 01:08:32.800 league who they who they have trouble playing against, the talk to coaches, 1112 01:08:32.840 --> 01:08:39.439 so it's always tough to get a real feel for it. And our voting 1113 01:08:39.520 --> 01:08:42.640 panel expands a little bit now, so it's it's tougher to get a read 1114 01:08:42.680 --> 01:08:45.279 on how people are voting. Read so usually you know who the team reps 1115 01:08:45.279 --> 01:08:48.920 are going to because it's a small group. There's four voters in each center 1116 01:08:48.920 --> 01:08:53.319 and the head coach. But now it starts expanding onto the national stage, 1117 01:08:53.600 --> 01:08:56.880 so I don't know how they're going with it. It's always part of the 1118 01:08:56.880 --> 01:08:59.159 fund of the debate, right It's like who goes in the Hall of Fame, 1119 01:08:59.199 --> 01:09:01.119 who makes the all start, who are the outstanding players. I love 1120 01:09:01.159 --> 01:09:04.720 the debate. It's part of the fun of this and agree or disagree with 1121 01:09:04.760 --> 01:09:08.960 whatever you want, just be talking about. That's great, well, Daryl, 1122 01:09:09.000 --> 01:09:11.560 I appreciate it working through. You know, like we said, illness 1123 01:09:11.600 --> 01:09:13.960 here coming on that. We'll see you here in a couple of weeks. 1124 01:09:14.000 --> 01:09:16.760 Getting all our stuff finalized for our show, location, all that stuff, 1125 01:09:16.800 --> 01:09:20.079 so it should be fun. But I got our hotel bloked and everything else. 1126 01:09:20.079 --> 01:09:24.439 So looking forward to seeing everybody here, coming up here less than a 1127 01:09:24.439 --> 01:09:27.680 month. It's almost there. It's getting closest. It'll be good to talk 1128 01:09:27.720 --> 01:09:30.319 to you and I'll see in Hamilton. Have a good trip. Thanks man. 1129 01:09:30.720 --> 01:09:36.520 All right, take care body, Well, this man has had an 1130 01:09:36.520 --> 01:09:41.399 exciting last couple of weeks. Big I saw you know, kick return here, 1131 01:09:41.600 --> 01:09:44.000 touchdown, everything else. James Ltchard Jr. How are you doing, 1132 01:09:44.000 --> 01:09:46.680 sir? I'm good. I'm great. I can't be better. Can't complain 1133 01:09:46.680 --> 01:09:51.159 about anything going on right now. That's good. Allett's are hot ten and 1134 01:09:51.239 --> 01:09:55.600 seven here. This weekend's kind of weird obviously, and then we got the 1135 01:09:55.600 --> 01:10:00.159 playoffs. How's this season going for you? How are you feeling me personally? 1136 01:10:00.199 --> 01:10:02.840 I'm I'm great, you know, I'm I'm I'm four games in, 1137 01:10:02.960 --> 01:10:08.239 about to be four games in. I feel like as far as special teams, 1138 01:10:08.880 --> 01:10:13.680 we're getting our chemistry down from a from from switching to a new returner. 1139 01:10:13.760 --> 01:10:16.760 So I can't be any better right now. I'm just waiting to get 1140 01:10:16.800 --> 01:10:20.800 to the playoffs. How does it feel kind of getting that opportunity? I 1141 01:10:20.880 --> 01:10:25.399 was trying to kind of do them now it's where the CFL website doesn't have 1142 01:10:25.479 --> 01:10:28.000 accurate stats. It's chilling. I'm like, Okay, when was he sign? 1143 01:10:28.079 --> 01:10:30.920 What's going on? So obviously you're moved up here, getting in the 1144 01:10:30.000 --> 01:10:32.279 kind of a spotlight position here at the end of the year. What's it 1145 01:10:32.279 --> 01:10:38.720 like getting that opportunity. It's it's it's a blessing, honestly, you know, 1146 01:10:39.960 --> 01:10:42.399 coming up here, I was just excited to be a part of a 1147 01:10:42.520 --> 01:10:45.600 team. You know. I wasn't really worried about playing as much as far 1148 01:10:45.720 --> 01:10:48.800 as being on the active roster. I was just happy to be on the 1149 01:10:48.840 --> 01:10:50.800 team. You know, coming out of college, I didn't know where I 1150 01:10:50.840 --> 01:10:54.119 was going to be, what I was going to do, So as far 1151 01:10:54.119 --> 01:10:57.079 as being on the team practice roster wise, I was. I was very 1152 01:10:57.119 --> 01:11:00.640 excited. Uh you know, just staying patiently, stay staying patient and you 1153 01:11:00.680 --> 01:11:04.079 know, waiting for my time and whenever the time come or whenever it came, 1154 01:11:04.159 --> 01:11:06.600 I I did what I was supposed to do. Sorry, I really 1155 01:11:06.640 --> 01:11:13.000 can't complain what's it take to keep yourself mentally and physically ready for that, 1156 01:11:13.079 --> 01:11:15.159 because you know, if when you ever know when that opportunity is going to 1157 01:11:15.239 --> 01:11:21.680 arise, right, a good support system. I think that's that's one of 1158 01:11:21.720 --> 01:11:26.520 the biggest things. Talking to my family every day, uh, them just 1159 01:11:26.560 --> 01:11:29.760 telling me to just make sure I'm studying the place because the time's coming, 1160 01:11:31.079 --> 01:11:38.039 stay working hard. You know, my friends Sheler and Sneed, I'm talking 1161 01:11:38.039 --> 01:11:41.000 to him every day. You know, we're all rooky, so we're all 1162 01:11:40.800 --> 01:11:45.520 all studying the play it at the same time and and figuring out our certain 1163 01:11:45.560 --> 01:11:47.880 positions. So whenever our time comes, you know, we make the most 1164 01:11:47.880 --> 01:11:54.239 of it. So being patient was really the biggest thing for me. What's 1165 01:11:54.279 --> 01:11:56.920 it been. You know, it's been a good season for you guys. 1166 01:11:56.960 --> 01:11:59.720 I think there was a little bit of uncertainty coming into the year, just 1167 01:11:59.720 --> 01:12:02.039 with changes and everything. We've interviewed a lot of the different guys. We've 1168 01:12:02.079 --> 01:12:05.600 had Cody and everyone else on like what what how do you view kind of 1169 01:12:05.640 --> 01:12:13.760 the locker room mentality right now? We're We're we're laser focused right now. 1170 01:12:14.119 --> 01:12:16.239 Our mentality is we're the best. We're the best team in the league, 1171 01:12:16.279 --> 01:12:20.319 regardless of our record. We're we're hitting our strive, We're getting hot at 1172 01:12:20.359 --> 01:12:23.840 the right time. You know, coming into playoffs, you gotta you gotta 1173 01:12:23.880 --> 01:12:26.680 be playing as as good as you can, and I feel like we're doing 1174 01:12:26.720 --> 01:12:30.520 that. So I think we're locked in. I think we're having great practices. 1175 01:12:30.560 --> 01:12:33.800 We've practiced great all year, but we're having I think our best practices 1176 01:12:34.520 --> 01:12:38.079 at the end of the year when it matters the most. So we're locked 1177 01:12:38.119 --> 01:12:42.760 in, we're layers of focused and we're ready to go all away. Getting 1178 01:12:42.800 --> 01:12:45.039 to host that, you know, one of the playoff games. What's it 1179 01:12:45.119 --> 01:12:48.920 like playing in Montreal in front of the crowd there. It's amazing, Honestly, 1180 01:12:49.720 --> 01:12:53.119 the horns, you know, I talk to my dad all the time 1181 01:12:53.159 --> 01:12:57.239 and then and they're they're blasting the horns every play, regardless of offense, 1182 01:12:57.319 --> 01:13:00.279 defense is special teams, they're blasting the horns. So I know they're going 1183 01:13:00.319 --> 01:13:02.720 to show out regardless if we were had a winning we're losing record. They're 1184 01:13:02.760 --> 01:13:08.079 they're very loyal fans, you know. I'm I'm, I'm, I'm, 1185 01:13:08.159 --> 01:13:11.399 I'm. I'm so happy to be playing for them because I know I know 1186 01:13:11.439 --> 01:13:14.279 what they do. Regardless if it's Sunday out, if it's raining or snowing, 1187 01:13:14.319 --> 01:13:18.359 I know they'll be out there. So I'm excited to plan for them 1188 01:13:18.399 --> 01:13:23.600 for sure. This is it. Yeah, we're a famously anti horn podcast, 1189 01:13:23.600 --> 01:13:28.720 So good I have to agree to this. What did it not? 1190 01:13:29.680 --> 01:13:31.560 Uh? You know, I read a lot about you you kind of you 1191 01:13:31.560 --> 01:13:35.920 know, before hopping on here, and you know undersize kind of working through 1192 01:13:36.000 --> 01:13:39.239 and you know it, it just seems like, uh, you know, 1193 01:13:39.359 --> 01:13:42.239 chip on your shoulder. I guess, whatever kind of cliche you want to 1194 01:13:42.319 --> 01:13:45.439 use, But what is your mentality here coming in like you said, you 1195 01:13:45.479 --> 01:13:47.039 know, getting to work your way up here, getting to do a position 1196 01:13:47.079 --> 01:13:51.880 of prominence? How do you what do you kind of internalize about all that? 1197 01:13:55.039 --> 01:13:57.159 It's just something I dept with my whole life. You know, I've 1198 01:13:57.199 --> 01:14:00.359 never had anything given to me, especially at my side, you know, 1199 01:14:00.439 --> 01:14:03.399 so I gotta work ten times or ten times as harder as the next person, 1200 01:14:03.800 --> 01:14:08.319 you know, based off of my side alone, regardless of the stats 1201 01:14:08.319 --> 01:14:11.159 I put up, or or how much I've bench or how fast I am, 1202 01:14:11.279 --> 01:14:14.479 or wherever the case may be, I always got to work harder because 1203 01:14:14.479 --> 01:14:17.159 of my size. So I take that with everything everything in life, whether 1204 01:14:17.199 --> 01:14:23.640 it's football or work outside of football or anything like that, I gotta I 1205 01:14:23.640 --> 01:14:27.359 gotta work harder because I know at any given moment, they could find somebody 1206 01:14:28.119 --> 01:14:30.079 three inches taller than me and take and pick him over me, you know, 1207 01:14:30.159 --> 01:14:33.840 So I try to I try to put my foot down in the place 1208 01:14:33.880 --> 01:14:39.359 I'm at and make sure I'm noticed enough so for them to want to keep 1209 01:14:39.359 --> 01:14:43.119 me. You know. So my whole life, I've been using that same 1210 01:14:43.119 --> 01:14:45.359 Italian. It's got me this far, so why not keep using it? 1211 01:14:46.279 --> 01:14:49.119 We cover all, you know, we do the XFL and USFL some kind 1212 01:14:49.159 --> 01:14:53.560 of all that we call alternate football leagues here in the CFL. Do you 1213 01:14:53.680 --> 01:14:57.760 find maybe there's that similar mentality with other guys on the team, like just 1214 01:14:57.960 --> 01:15:01.319 for whatever reason and the things don't open up and you're not giving those opportunities 1215 01:15:01.359 --> 01:15:03.640 maybe until you got to come there and work extra hard. Do you think 1216 01:15:03.640 --> 01:15:06.920 that everyone on the team feels that way or there's a good portion? Uh? 1217 01:15:08.000 --> 01:15:10.239 Yeah, I definitely think it's a good portion for sure. All the 1218 01:15:10.279 --> 01:15:14.199 smaller guys. Definitely me and sneed because we've had the same problems growing up. 1219 01:15:14.199 --> 01:15:18.159 We've always been undersized. But as far as other people, like a 1220 01:15:18.199 --> 01:15:20.399 newcomer on the team, he's been on the team for I want to say 1221 01:15:20.399 --> 01:15:26.399 about a month TD. You know, coming into a new team mid season 1222 01:15:26.520 --> 01:15:29.119 is hard. You know, you got to learn the whole new system where 1223 01:15:29.199 --> 01:15:31.800 it's offensive defense. You got to make sure you're you're on time and everything. 1224 01:15:31.880 --> 01:15:33.960 You know where to go, you know how to do this whenever the 1225 01:15:34.000 --> 01:15:38.479 time comes. So I feel like if you're coming onto a team late, 1226 01:15:40.039 --> 01:15:43.600 you got to have that same mentality where you got to outwork everybody and let 1227 01:15:43.880 --> 01:15:45.880 let the coaches notice how hard you're gonna work in and that you actually want 1228 01:15:45.880 --> 01:15:49.880 to be here. I think those those are probably the top two in my 1229 01:15:49.920 --> 01:15:55.399 opinion. You said you were happy just to be on the team to get 1230 01:15:55.399 --> 01:15:59.960 the opportunity any like, what was your preconception of the CFL before coming out? 1231 01:16:00.479 --> 01:16:03.680 Honestly, I really didn't know too much about it, you know. 1232 01:16:03.720 --> 01:16:09.399 I was I was telling people my senior year of college, and the Hamilton 1233 01:16:09.439 --> 01:16:12.399 Tiger Cats coach ended up coming up there and talking to me. He said 1234 01:16:12.479 --> 01:16:15.319 he enjoyed watching me play the past few years, and they have their eyes. 1235 01:16:15.359 --> 01:16:18.640 I mean whatnot? He said, I should, I should study a 1236 01:16:18.640 --> 01:16:21.159 little bit on the CFL. And at the time I brushed it off because 1237 01:16:21.199 --> 01:16:25.840 growing into growing up in the United States, I'm I'm thinking NFL or nothing, 1238 01:16:26.279 --> 01:16:28.640 you know, So I kind of brushed it off. And after the 1239 01:16:28.720 --> 01:16:30.720 draft, I'm like, Okay, what's next, What's next? And my 1240 01:16:30.760 --> 01:16:32.680 agent telling me the CFL. I know, my y'all wants you to looking 1241 01:16:32.720 --> 01:16:35.399 at you and this and that, so I'm like, okay. A week 1242 01:16:35.479 --> 01:16:38.880 later, I got I got called at like midnight, like, hey, 1243 01:16:38.880 --> 01:16:43.359 we want you to come. So after that I left literally like eight hours 1244 01:16:43.439 --> 01:16:45.920 after the phone call. I got a flight too much at all, So 1245 01:16:45.399 --> 01:16:49.399 it was it was new to me the whole game itself. Obviously it's still 1246 01:16:49.399 --> 01:16:56.359 football, but certain rules and tactics throughout the game was definitely definitely crazy to 1247 01:16:56.399 --> 01:17:00.000 me. All the running around before before the snap was throwing me off from 1248 01:17:00.079 --> 01:17:03.199 I first got out here, no fair catch, the three downs, the 1249 01:17:03.239 --> 01:17:06.319 extra player on both sides. You know, it's a bunch of little things 1250 01:17:06.319 --> 01:17:10.760 like that, and and the like my field goal return, you know, 1251 01:17:10.800 --> 01:17:13.399 if you don't, if I'm not back there, they get a point. 1252 01:17:13.479 --> 01:17:15.479 You know, So every every little thing like that matters, and that's what 1253 01:17:15.600 --> 01:17:18.760 makes the game exciting. So I really didn't know too much about it. 1254 01:17:18.760 --> 01:17:24.680 But we're here now. Do you think, you know, because we hear 1255 01:17:24.760 --> 01:17:27.600 there's like this learning curve rioting kind of for any position. Do you think 1256 01:17:27.640 --> 01:17:30.640 coaching staff does a good job kind of get you guys, because a lot 1257 01:17:30.680 --> 01:17:32.680 of people, I think, you know, it's obviously not their first first 1258 01:17:32.680 --> 01:17:35.479 thought is going to go play, you know, kick return with every for 1259 01:17:35.520 --> 01:17:40.760 the Altlettes, right, No, I think they do a great job I 1260 01:17:40.840 --> 01:17:44.079 knew, like like you said, my side and everybody else is my side. 1261 01:17:44.079 --> 01:17:45.960 So I knew at the time when I first got here, if I 1262 01:17:46.039 --> 01:17:48.960 was gonna make the team, I was gonna have to make it on special 1263 01:17:48.960 --> 01:17:53.880 teams first and then show them that I could also play receiver, you know. 1264 01:17:54.000 --> 01:17:59.560 So Coach b he said he found me right before the season started and 1265 01:17:59.600 --> 01:18:02.560 he said I was a great as special team. So I took that right 1266 01:18:02.600 --> 01:18:06.039 on the shoulder as everything else and worked hard on that. And then as 1267 01:18:06.079 --> 01:18:09.800 the season got, as we got deeper and deeper into the season, I 1268 01:18:09.840 --> 01:18:14.039 started learning the offense more and more, and they're saying I can make plays 1269 01:18:14.039 --> 01:18:15.920 on offense as well. So maybe maybe this next teame I might get in 1270 01:18:15.960 --> 01:18:18.840 the offense a little bit. As far as the as far as the record 1271 01:18:18.880 --> 01:18:24.239 shows, it really doesn't matter because we already clinched playoffs and home home field 1272 01:18:24.239 --> 01:18:27.039 for the first round, so you know, they might throw me out there 1273 01:18:27.159 --> 01:18:30.439 and see what they can get next year. Well, it's exciting here because, 1274 01:18:30.479 --> 01:18:32.399 yeah, I know, when you have everything locked up, having these 1275 01:18:32.399 --> 01:18:35.319 opportunities. Before I let you go here, I thought it was funny that, 1276 01:18:35.399 --> 01:18:39.159 you know, the one hundred and twenty five yards care and I was 1277 01:18:39.159 --> 01:18:41.720 reading the quote you found it felt like it was a lot longer. What 1278 01:18:41.800 --> 01:18:44.399 was it like kind of just having that big because you know, all you 1279 01:18:44.479 --> 01:18:46.039 need is a couple of these big, standout moments to really get on people 1280 01:18:46.079 --> 01:18:53.199 for it. Are right once again, I'm gonna say it again into until 1281 01:18:53.239 --> 01:18:56.079 I forget about it. But I probably won't ever forget about this memory. 1282 01:18:56.079 --> 01:18:59.479 But I haven't ran that far since since track in high school, in my 1283 01:18:59.560 --> 01:19:00.600 opinion, and I used to run the two hundred a little bit, so 1284 01:19:01.359 --> 01:19:03.840 it felt like a two hundred, you know, running from the left and 1285 01:19:03.840 --> 01:19:06.680 then going back to the right, and you know, maneuvering my way. 1286 01:19:06.960 --> 01:19:12.399 Honestly, the return was built to go to the left, and I had 1287 01:19:12.439 --> 01:19:17.039 a little wall over there but me making it difficult on myself. I took 1288 01:19:17.039 --> 01:19:21.840 another turn and made the most of it. But nah, I'm very blessed. 1289 01:19:21.840 --> 01:19:25.840 You know, my teammates were running with me. Even you could tell 1290 01:19:25.880 --> 01:19:29.399 I was tired because one of our d linemen was keeping up with me for 1291 01:19:29.439 --> 01:19:31.640 a little bit. So I'm very blessed, and I'm excited, and I 1292 01:19:31.640 --> 01:19:35.640 know they were excited for me and throughout that play, so I can't complain 1293 01:19:35.680 --> 01:19:39.960 about nothing for real, Well, good luck here. I'm reading for the 1294 01:19:39.960 --> 01:19:43.000 Alouettes here in the East, so I appreciate it. I appreciate your time 1295 01:19:43.039 --> 01:19:45.640 today, good luck this weekend and then obviously for the playoffs. I hope 1296 01:19:45.680 --> 01:19:47.640 you get some good opportunities. Yes, sir, thank you. I appreciate 1297 01:19:47.640 --> 01:19:55.520 it. Thank you for having me. Huge special thanks to all the guests 1298 01:19:55.560 --> 01:19:58.119 coming on today. John Lewis, like I said that, finally coming on, 1299 01:19:58.159 --> 01:20:00.000 I felt so rude. I never asked John to come on. John's 1300 01:20:00.000 --> 01:20:03.079 had me on his channel and has quoted me, had me, you know, 1301 01:20:03.119 --> 01:20:05.760 write things, the predictions for him to read on his channel. So 1302 01:20:05.920 --> 01:20:09.840 it felt like I I didn't owe John the favor, but certainly felt like 1303 01:20:09.880 --> 01:20:12.960 I owed John the courtesy. I really appreciate him coming on. And then 1304 01:20:12.960 --> 01:20:15.600 super appreciate Daryl Davis and like I said, everyone over at the Montreal Alouettes 1305 01:20:15.960 --> 01:20:19.319 for setting that up. Always appreciate the help that they help me with, 1306 01:20:19.479 --> 01:20:24.399 you know, the courtesy they do allowing their players to come on the program. 1307 01:20:24.560 --> 01:20:27.720 So really appreciate that. That'll do it for me today. Like I 1308 01:20:27.760 --> 01:20:30.000 said, hopefully a big week here coming up next week. Hopefully the you 1309 01:20:30.000 --> 01:20:34.119 know the Internet doesn't bowl up here, National String Football League, United Football 1310 01:20:34.159 --> 01:20:38.279 League, kind of whatever. We end up with hearing lots of different things. 1311 01:20:38.359 --> 01:20:42.039 Still more messages here, you know, from Mike Mitchell in the in 1312 01:20:42.119 --> 01:20:45.119 our group chat kind of as I record this, lots of speculation out there. 1313 01:20:45.199 --> 01:20:48.439 Should be excited, excited to kind of finally get everything put to bed 1314 01:20:48.479 --> 01:20:51.600 and we can focus on, you know, what is or what isn't going 1315 01:20:51.640 --> 01:20:55.720 to be moving into twenty twenty four. So I like to subscribe. We'll 1316 01:20:55.720 --> 01:21:05.000 see you next time. Thanks,