WEBVTT 1 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:15.320 Welcome to the Crown and Anchor Greyhounds. This is Richmond Till We Die, 2 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:19.320 a conversation about the Apple TV Plus show ted Lasso, where we explore the 3 00:00:19.399 --> 00:00:23.359 characters, their relationships to each other, how they can make us laugh until 4 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:26.760 we can hardly breathe one moment and feel with the deepest parts of our hearts. 5 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:37.600 The next I'm Christian and my favorite Beatles album is the Gray album mash 6 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:41.960 Up by Danger Mouse featuring Jay Z. I'm Brett and before we recorded this 7 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:44.840 episode, I thought warmballs was something that you had to get treatment for. 8 00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:51.200 But our guest today is Jimmy Conrad. Jimmy is a former professional soccer player 9 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:54.880 who played twenty six games with the US men's national team and twelve seasons in 10 00:00:54.920 --> 00:00:58.200 Major League Soccer, where he was named to the MLS Best eleven on four 11 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:02.240 occasions, and won the mL Cup with the San Jose Clash in two thousand 12 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:04.840 and one and the US Open Cup with the Kansas City Wizards in two thousand 13 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:08.599 and four. Jimmy hung up his cleats in two eleven, but has continued 14 00:01:08.680 --> 00:01:12.719 his career in sports media as a host and analysts since then. Currently, 15 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:18.359 he co hosts the CBS Sports podcasts in Soccer Wee Trust alongside his pals and 16 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:23.280 former men's national teamers Charlie Davies and Heath Pierce. In addition to his CBS 17 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:29.159 duties, Jimmy oversees a production company called Radical Creative Group, as well as 18 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:33.719 the online community of do gooders known simply as the Warmballers. More on that 19 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:37.879 later. He also serves as the sporting director for the San Francisco Glen Soccer 20 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:41.239 Club, whose men's and women's teams both play in the fourth tier of the 21 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:45.319 American Soccer Piramid. Of course, Jimmy's a massive fan of Ted Lasso as 22 00:01:45.319 --> 00:01:48.760 well, so we invited him onto the show to talk about Ted, Jose 23 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:55.319 Mourinho, Latan MLS, and the US national team. Warmballs and lots lots 24 00:01:55.400 --> 00:02:00.000 more so Greyhounds please join us as we give a warm welcome to Jimmy Conrad. 25 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:04.239 Thanks for being with us, Jimmy, I love in the energy boys. 26 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:07.680 Yes, I'm excited to be on the podcast. Thank you so much 27 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:10.319 for the invitation. We are excited to get a chance to shout with you. 28 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:15.400 And the most important question that we have for everybody is how did you 29 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:19.919 get into Ted lasso, and especially for people who are professional soccer players, 30 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:24.319 like what kept you with the show? Well, it wasn't the soccer plane. 31 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:28.639 That's a shout out to all the guys that I know on the cast 32 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:32.639 who picked up who picked up the game considerably by season three, which is 33 00:02:32.680 --> 00:02:37.080 pretty cool to see. They take a lot more pride and what they're doing 34 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:39.680 in the background and all that type of stuff. For me, I came 35 00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:43.800 into it not too late. You know, you still hear about people just 36 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:50.479 watching it for the first time leading up to season three, and I was 37 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:53.199 maybe five or six months late enough to hear that there was some buzz like 38 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:55.719 you gotta watch this show. I heard enough of that you gotta watch this 39 00:02:55.800 --> 00:03:00.639 show. So I sat down and watched it, and the human side of 40 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:06.120 it was very endearing for me, that side of the locker room that maybe 41 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:08.039 doesn't get talked about a lot, where you are working through things together. 42 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:15.240 You are dealing with adversity either by yourself but also within a group, and 43 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:19.080 when you lose, you're not just losing collectively, but you're also probably losing 44 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:22.719 a starting spot. You could be losing playing time, you could be losing 45 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:24.840 a whole bunch of different things, all while trying to balance what's going on 46 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:30.800 in your personal life and that compartmentalization that that exists. So to shine a 47 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:35.080 light on that I thought was was pretty cool. I'd say the the big 48 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:38.039 tie in for me, which really got me in was was Roy Kent. 49 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:40.919 You know, I mean, there's there's always there's always a jerk in the 50 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:44.319 locker room, you know, who was a bit of a softie, but 51 00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:46.759 he had to put on that front because he'd put on that front for so 52 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:50.360 many years or that's how he got led when he was a younger player. 53 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:53.680 So I really resonated. He really resonated with me. And so when he 54 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:59.400 comes in and you know, says I gotta be coached by Ronald fucking McDonald 55 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:02.199 or whatever, and then you know, Ted and Coach Beard look at each 56 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:05.080 other. I wait till we win them over. That for me was the 57 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:11.680 biggest hook that I was going to really enjoy this show because I knew that 58 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:15.759 at that point, at that moment, that the sport side of it was 59 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:19.639 just going to be the backdrop and it was just going to be a vehicle 60 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:26.000 for them to really get across these really incredible messages of being a human did 61 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:29.560 you ever lobby to audition for the show for season two or season three? 62 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:31.000 Like, you're good on camera, You're a funny guy. You could have 63 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:36.360 helped out with some of those soccer scenes. Christian, you should be my 64 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:42.800 publicist. I no. I mean, obviously we knew that they shot over 65 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:47.839 in the UK, and we knew that coach Beard Brendan Hunt was a big 66 00:04:47.959 --> 00:04:51.879 US men's national team fan, but there was never I didn't know how I 67 00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:54.879 was going to get over there. I didn't know what my link was going 68 00:04:54.920 --> 00:04:58.399 to be. And then at one point Brendan followed me on Twitter and I 69 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:00.560 remember setting him. I was so excited to send him a DM and like, 70 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:03.759 hey, I'm such and such your favorite former US men's national team player. 71 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:06.120 I used to play blah blah blah, and he's like, I know 72 00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:09.600 exactly who you are. I was at the World Cup in two thousand and 73 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:12.160 six sitting in the stands and I was like, sweets, Brenda, I 74 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.000 know. So I'm like yelling at my way. Brenda knows who I am, 75 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:17.759 you know. So it was pretty cool feeling. So when I had 76 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:23.639 the opportunity to be over in London back in August and reached out to Brendan. 77 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:26.399 I got invited to the set, so that was cool to go do 78 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:30.000 a tour of the set and to meet everybody at that level and then get 79 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:34.040 to go to the arsenal game with them the next day, and I got 80 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:39.319 to hang with Joe, Kelly and Jason and Chip and all these really important 81 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:44.879 people to the show, and you get to understand why the show is the 82 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:48.600 way that it is, and it's really these incredible human beings that are bringing 83 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:51.319 all these other people along for the ride and building the sense of community and 84 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:55.519 purpose and it's incredible. And so what was really interesting for me and you 85 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:57.800 guys have just like I'm like one of those wind up dolls. You just 86 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:00.000 you don't even have to ask like half the question. I'm gonna go. 87 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:04.519 But but I usually when you're on any any any kind of team environment, 88 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:08.879 right you're trying to build something as a group, you always wonder how the 89 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:12.480 how the people with the smallest role or maybe aren't as important, how are 90 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:15.120 they being treated by the people that quote unquote are more important? Right? 91 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:20.360 And there was a real sense of we're all in this together when I visited 92 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:24.519 the set, and I wasn't surprised so so what you're seeing, that energy 93 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:27.920 that you're seeing on camera definitely permeates to what's happening off camera, which I 94 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:30.920 thought was was exciting. Yeah, so you just mentioned that you've hung out 95 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:33.800 with Brendan Hunt and Chip Hamilton and a bunch of the cast get to do 96 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:36.879 go into my flex of the day. How many flexes am I allowed? 97 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:39.879 I was gonna say, we're just it's gonna be a flex fest and that's 98 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:43.839 okay, We're just gonna roll with it. But our question is, is 99 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:47.800 Brendon Hunt more or less on edge and those type of high stress situations than 100 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:53.800 coach Beard or what's the I was actually because I was there, I'm a 101 00:06:53.800 --> 00:06:56.759 social butterfly. I think everybody's picked up on that by this point, and 102 00:06:57.160 --> 00:07:00.160 so so I'm work in the room, you know, saying hi to everybody, 103 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.040 and dam watching the game. It's Arsenal Fulham as a couple of Americans 104 00:07:02.040 --> 00:07:05.319 out there with Anthony Robinson and Matt Turner. I got to see him warm 105 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:10.360 up as he watched Aaron Ramsdale play and Tim Reeve's out there doing a thing, 106 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:13.319 and this is pre World Cup, so I was excited to see how 107 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:16.560 he was performing in Fulham overall and Arsenal ended up winning two one. But 108 00:07:16.680 --> 00:07:19.399 I wasn't really paying attention to the game. I did a little bit, 109 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:23.720 but I was mingling. Coach Beard was like on it, he's watching. 110 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:29.639 He is like focused. So Brendan is definitely focused on what's happening. And 111 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:32.120 if there was any questions about what was going on, because we had some 112 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:38.439 new bees, some relative newbies sport with us, Jason would say, hey, 113 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:40.680 you gotta ask Brendan, and I'm like, dude, I'm sitting right 114 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:44.800 here. I feel like I might know just maybe just as much as maybe 115 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:46.879 I had. Well, I saw Brendan on Jeopardy, so he probably knows 116 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:50.040 more about the sport and the game than I do. But at that moment, 117 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:53.399 I was like, I could I could also answer some questions about what 118 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:55.879 offside is. You got to absorb that pressure. He doesn't want to be 119 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:59.160 answering questions while watching too, and that's true. So I was a good 120 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:01.879 plan B. I was a good plan B for that. That was like 121 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:05.160 a recurring theme on his and Rebecca Lowe's World Cup podcast. He like the 122 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:09.720 watch party etiquette is like, don't come in and start asking questions. Everyone's 123 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:13.519 watching the mat What's funny about that is that I would call those guys before 124 00:08:13.560 --> 00:08:16.360 the US game. So I was in I was in Doha and Qatar with 125 00:08:16.439 --> 00:08:20.160 Fox Sports see all their digital coverage, and right when we went off air, 126 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:22.680 because we did all the pre and post game for every single game, 127 00:08:22.759 --> 00:08:26.639 which was a lot of work, and I'm still trying to relax from all 128 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:30.000 that stress. Intention but no, I had I had a blast. But 129 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:33.519 I would call. I would call Chip or Brendan and I would face time 130 00:08:33.559 --> 00:08:37.759 with those guys and they're all bleary eyed at seven am, ready for the 131 00:08:37.879 --> 00:08:41.320 US game, and I've got my boobas HeLa and I've got my megaphone. 132 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:43.679 I'm like, come on, god, watch go just ramp and right when 133 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:48.440 they're about to start talking, I'd hang up every kind So that was kind 134 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:52.919 of think, Yeah, I just come in with some super hot energy for 135 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:54.480 thirty seconds, and then I'd hang up before they could even say anything. 136 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:58.639 And they're probably this guy is an absolute maniac. But yeah, I loved 137 00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:03.039 it. And I could tell right then or even when I got to spend 138 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:05.320 that time with Brendan at the Arsenal game, that he doesn't want to answer 139 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:09.759 too many questions. He is focused on what's happening, and he's a student 140 00:09:09.799 --> 00:09:13.679 of the game, and that's probably the highest compliment, highest praise I can 141 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:18.399 give him. As the show continues to go on, they keep folding in 142 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:22.559 tidbits that people who follow soccer will recognize. In season two, it was 143 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:28.679 Nate's metamorphosis into Jose Mourinho. In the season three, now we get this 144 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:33.679 character that's referred to as Zava, and for those of us who follow the 145 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:39.360 game, and even people maybe who don't, will recognize that that character is 146 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:43.440 based at least in part on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who's just an iconic character and 147 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:50.279 an iconic personality and someone that you have had the privilege of interviewing before. 148 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:56.399 How would you describe Ibrahimovic to someone who has not heard of him before and 149 00:09:56.440 --> 00:10:01.639 thinks that this character that they have in the show is just made like fully 150 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:05.679 out of cloth and can't at all be real. I had the opportunity my 151 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:07.159 extra flex of the day, I went to the premier, so I got 152 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:11.159 to see the first two episodes. Hey, and what's funny is that I 153 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:15.919 went out the night before with them and I got introduced to the guy that 154 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.519 plays Zava. Yeah, Maxis say yeah, And Chip introduced me to him, 155 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:22.200 and I was like, I don't know who this guy is. I've 156 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:24.399 never I didn't see him when I was on set, Like who is this 157 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:28.559 guy? And then I slowly started to piece it together and Chip started to 158 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:31.679 fill me in, and obviously when I saw the episode, it all starts 159 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:35.919 to tie in and yeah, he's larger than life. To answer your question 160 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:39.200 directly, Christian, and I'm very good at deflecting and not really answering. 161 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:41.919 So I should probably run for political office in some capacity. But maybe maybe 162 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:45.240 I can run from mayor of Kansas City one day. Christian knows I got 163 00:10:45.240 --> 00:10:48.440 some got some name recognition there. Well, I will say, well, 164 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:50.600 Jason would definitely win in a light landslide if he every goes back to Casey. 165 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:56.600 And but I's lots On is larger than life. So to give you 166 00:10:56.679 --> 00:11:01.159 an example, he took out a full page ad when he went to go 167 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:07.039 sign with the Galaxy the Los Angeles Times, a full page ad that said 168 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:11.120 You're welcome. That's about a joke. Slaton said, dear people of Los 169 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:16.159 Angeles, You're welcome. Slats On. That was it. The full page 170 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:20.879 ad, big it's nice to meet me. Energy, It's unbelievable. Here's 171 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:24.399 what this is what makes lats On special. Slats On can back it up 172 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:26.960 on the field. Yeah right, we had We've We've seen a lot of 173 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:30.320 people that they can talk a big game, but they can't necessarily follow it 174 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:33.320 through. And multiple sports doesn't have to be related to this one, but 175 00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:35.840 slats On is one of those guys. And he is an incredible character. 176 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:39.799 He's got so much belief in himself and he can back it up, and 177 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:43.360 that's what makes him special. And and he's so when I asked him a 178 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:48.759 question, I said, hey, do you think slats On can do this? 179 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:50.279 Because lots On slats I just said slots On as many times as I 180 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:54.240 possibly could in this question, and he answered in the third person for me, 181 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:56.240 oh well, yes, Latson does think that he could. It was 182 00:11:56.240 --> 00:12:00.480 amazing. I set him up perfect and he answered it perfect and he it's 183 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:05.879 fantastic. I will say I had a chance to mingle with him because PSG 184 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:09.879 when he was playing in Paris, they came to New York for some couple 185 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:13.039 of tours or a game and doing their thing or whatever. So we got 186 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:16.600 to go hang out with them at the top of this building in New York 187 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:22.600 right by Rockefeller Center. Really nice, but like any of these types of 188 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:26.720 team functions where these kind of random people show up to hang out with the 189 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.919 team, the team just kind of hangs out by themselves, and the random 190 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:33.320 people are like, how do we actually go say hi to these people when 191 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:37.480 they're not actually out and about. You can't be seen. So so finally 192 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:41.399 the team kind of get there's like a light introduction, informal introduction, and 193 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:43.360 so you know, I want a photo as lats On. I don't want 194 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:46.360 it. So I take a photo is lats On and the dude doesn't smile. 195 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:50.279 He's just like, this is the most obligatory. I don't give a 196 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:54.559 shot, Like okay, you want to get fined exactly kind of thing. 197 00:12:56.039 --> 00:12:58.039 And as I take a photo with him, my buddy's taking the photo. 198 00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:03.200 I said, I'm like, god, this guy smells amazing. He smells 199 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.879 fantastic. So I take the photo and I turned to him like, dude, 200 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:11.799 you honestly you smell awesome. And he started busting up like he because 201 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:13.799 he did he knew he smelled great, and he started laughing, and so 202 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:16.279 my buddy's like, oh, I want a photo, alats On, and 203 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:18.799 I was like, all right, and slots On's got the biggest smile for 204 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:22.039 this guy, like he's the best photo he's ever taken. I'm like, 205 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:24.559 this bullshit. I got the one where he's unhappy, and you get the 206 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:26.919 one where he's looking like he's having the best time. Anyway, that's my 207 00:13:26.039 --> 00:13:30.279 slats On story. He was very very kind one on one, and I 208 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:31.919 think he knows, you know, everything's done with a wink. He knows 209 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:35.840 that he's playing a character. He knows that he's being a villain or a 210 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:39.759 cartoon character. He knows all that and that's what I think makes him endearing 211 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:43.240 in some ways. And I hope and I hope that Zava is going to 212 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:46.360 be the same in this season. So I guess we'll have to wait and 213 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:50.720 see. It's been ten years since you did interview him for a kick TV 214 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:56.759 and you undersold yourself as a journalist as you explain that interaction, and amazingly 215 00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:00.919 enough undersold lots On. So I just want to read for people the back 216 00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:05.039 and forth, just yes, just so that they understand this is the question 217 00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:09.080 that you asked. You asked whether or not Zlatan would kick Christiano Ronaldo extra 218 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:13.720 hard for taking aways Latan's opportunity to go to the World Cup. And you 219 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:18.440 asked him that before Real Madrid was getting ready to face psg and in a 220 00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:22.519 friendly, and this is his reply verbatim. No, I think Zlatan will 221 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:26.799 be very cool with Ronaldo. Zlatan will do a good preparation and Zlatan will 222 00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:28.600 play the game, and then Slaton will focus on the rest of the season 223 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:33.720 for twenty fourteen. Laton is very happy for Ronaldo that he's going to the 224 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:37.279 World Cup, and Slaton will see what will happen under the World Cup. 225 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:43.039 It's classic, classic lat It is classic, what a legend he is. 226 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:48.879 So I have another question about personalities that show up in the show, and 227 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:54.879 that is going back to Nate's metamorphosis into Jose Mourinho, because I saw that 228 00:14:54.960 --> 00:15:00.600 in one of your videos you made the case for Jose Mourinho to be the 229 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:05.360 US men's national team coach, and I have been lobbying for there to be 230 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:11.960 parallel universes occurring at once where there's a spinoff where Nate becomes the US men's 231 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:20.000 national team manager as Jose is becoming in real life the US men's national team 232 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:26.320 manager. What parallels do you see between Jose and Nate as someone who follows 233 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:30.159 the game and Ted Lasso. Woh wow, that's a great question. First 234 00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:33.200 of all, I really love Jose Rino as a manager. He's another one 235 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:39.200 Baries lots On esque who completely believes in himself one hundred percent. And that's 236 00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:43.360 where I think there might be a bit of a difference between him and Nate 237 00:15:43.399 --> 00:15:48.120 because Nate, well we're seeing obviously, we didn't see Jose in his dark 238 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:52.320 moments right where he's trying to potentially put on a mask of confidence when he 239 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:56.240 doesn't necessarily have that confidence himself. And then it eventually evolved into that confidence 240 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:00.039 because he had the trophies and the success to back it up. So I'm 241 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:03.080 sure there were times where he very similar to Nate, where he's kind of 242 00:16:03.080 --> 00:16:07.000 working into this this character that he wants to become. And we even saw 243 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:11.200 it an episode one of season three where he has to go down and spit 244 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:15.000 to kind of like embody that who he thinks he has to be to be 245 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:18.360 this manager. And I do think there is a lot of that. I 246 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:19.480 think every manager, when you have to go out there and face the music 247 00:16:19.480 --> 00:16:25.480 a little bit you have to put ye. Remember when Clint Dempsey wore sunglasses 248 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.639 to do some coverage for the US men's national team, like in his first 249 00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:30.559 foray into TV, And I think he needed to put those on to kind 250 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:34.120 of be this other version of himself. And I think Nate is very similar 251 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:38.320 to that, and I think Jose was probably there. And I wonder how 252 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.039 Nate does with west Ham, of course, in terms of his success and 253 00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:45.320 whether he can continue to drink his own kool aid, which which I think 254 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:48.879 is is still that sounds negative, but I still think it's a necessary component 255 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:51.919 to be successful at anything, Like you have to believe in yourself. You 256 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:55.039 have to buy into what you're good at and what you're not. But I 257 00:16:55.080 --> 00:16:57.600 think it's it's you don't have to treat people like shit along the way to 258 00:16:57.600 --> 00:17:00.799 get to where you want to go. And I think that's what Nate's gonna 259 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:03.360 learn the hard way, if he hasn't learned it already. Well, I 260 00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:07.440 don't think he has, guys or still on episode one, but I would 261 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:11.039 say that there's a very clear way that Jose Marinho wants to play the game. 262 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:15.359 And when I see what Nate's trying to do or what he was doing 263 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:18.519 as an assistant, and as he's now when we see in the early shots 264 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:22.039 of him with West Hamley, there's a clear way of how he wants to 265 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:25.440 play the game. And if you're a player that can't buy into that or 266 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:29.079 not going to live up to that standard, then you're gonna stand in that 267 00:17:29.160 --> 00:17:32.920 one area and be made fun of and ridiculed in some ways until you can 268 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:34.160 figure it out. And so there's a lot of different ways to lead. 269 00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:37.759 This is one way. This is a choice by Nate to make that happen. 270 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:41.960 But I do believe that Marinho was probably in that same spot. This 271 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:44.039 is the way we're going to play and if you don't like it, you 272 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:47.039 can get the hell out. And I think that Marinho softened a little bit 273 00:17:47.079 --> 00:17:51.240 in his age since he's had tremendous success, and I think that it might 274 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:52.880 be the right time now to turn it into real life for him to take 275 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:56.839 over a national team because he's only done the club scene for a long time. 276 00:17:56.680 --> 00:18:00.880 But we'll have to wait and see his contracts up with Romo, or 277 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.319 at least they can talk about it in the summer. It'd be an interesting 278 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:06.039 higher for sure, and I don't know if he'd be busy enough because the 279 00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:08.319 national team there's a lot of waiting around until you get to see the guys, 280 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:11.480 and I don't know if Marino would be up for that. But that 281 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.640 said, I think there are some comparisons to Nate for sure, and I'm 282 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:18.119 curious to see how his character evolves throughout the season. Speaking of Apple stuff, 283 00:18:18.759 --> 00:18:22.200 this season, soccer fans in the US can watch every MLS game on 284 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:27.359 Apple TV Plus with the MLS Season Pass, which is huge. And you're 285 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:30.799 a former MLS player. He played twelve seasons, so you know that's huge 286 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:33.480 for the league. So I'm wondering if you could just briefly talk about your 287 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:37.359 experience in MLS and just kind of the progress of the league at since you've 288 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:41.599 been a player, and kind of the hopes for the future everybody listening. 289 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:44.640 Bretta said briefly, I don't know where you get me and giving you brief 290 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:47.160 answers, but I'll do my very beast, Brett, I'll do my very 291 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:49.480 best. It's all relative, man, that's true, and I need to 292 00:18:49.519 --> 00:18:55.119 find brief I did my coaching Kansas City Bob Gainzler, who Christian knows quite 293 00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:57.519 well, he told me that brevity is an art form that I have not 294 00:18:57.640 --> 00:19:04.119 mastered, which is pretty much. And this was me like during a game, 295 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:07.519 trying to put people in good spots to make place. So he always 296 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:11.599 used to poke fun of me. But yes, with regard to MLS Season 297 00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:15.759 Pass and Apple TV, it's such a huge move for the league in general 298 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:19.480 to be able to be number one in somebody's book instead of being a second 299 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:26.240 class citizen for other outlets that were out there. I think at times ESPN 300 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:29.079 did give it the red carpet treatment but didn't stick with it, and at 301 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:32.599 times Fox gave it the red carpet treatment but didn't stick with it. And 302 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:37.720 now you feel like there's a real commitment from Apple TV to put it on 303 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:41.079 the red carpet for quite some time and to see where it could go and 304 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:44.519 how it could grow. And so it's incredible to be able to go to 305 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:48.200 one place where you feel like you're getting all the information that you need and 306 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:55.759 it's being treated in the right way with respect instead of it's like knowing, 307 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:57.200 you know it's going to be good stuff as opposed to hoping. And I 308 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:02.119 feel like for so many years we were just hoping that somebody would treat it 309 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:03.839 with respect. And now we're at Apple TV and we know that it's going 310 00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:07.480 to be treated with respect, and that is the biggest difference, and I 311 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.880 think it makes all the difference. Yeah, and guys like you deserve a 312 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:15.359 lot of credit because MLS like you really had to grind back in the day. 313 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:18.240 You know, you guys played, you were Were you in the Arrowhead 314 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:22.519 Stadium era? Is that where you was? I was? Yeah? So 315 00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:26.599 you know you could get a great MLS crowd of twenty thousand people, but 316 00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:30.359 the place would feel empty because I held eighty thousand. And you know, 317 00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:33.759 you played at Chivas USA for a while and like they had their issues. 318 00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:38.559 And so when you now look at soccer culture overall, in then MLS culture, 319 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:45.599 how do you reflect on the journey from what was going on when you 320 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:51.079 played to what now we experience as fans of MLS. Ooh, night and 321 00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:55.200 day, Christian night and Day. I would say that when I came through 322 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:57.519 and I started in ninety nine with the San Jose clash, Okay, they 323 00:20:57.640 --> 00:21:03.240 walked into the earthquakes. The following year we won MLS Cup. In two 324 00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:07.160 thousand and one, we came back to downtown San Jose to have a victory 325 00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:08.960 party. And I don't even know if I want to say this number out 326 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:11.759 loud, but if there was a thousand people there to celebrate with us, 327 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:15.960 that would be that that might even be a reach. But it was people 328 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:19.759 that cared and they loved the team, and they were way in and it 329 00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:26.079 felt very it felt very niche. It felt very cult's esque to a team, 330 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:32.519 and you could see it grow slowly, right and as it as each 331 00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:36.440 team, that felt like there was some permanence to it, like this team 332 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:40.240 wasn't going anywhere. San Jose is an interesting example because they ended up moving 333 00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:42.960 to the Houston to become the Houston Dynamo, and then the earthquake started up 334 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:47.960 again a couple of years later. But I'll use Kansas City, where I 335 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:49.519 played the bulk of my career for eight years. We were at Arrowhead, 336 00:21:49.559 --> 00:21:52.599 then we went to Community America Ballpark, which is the minor league baseball stadium, 337 00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:56.359 and then moved into Sporting Park now, and it's it's incredible, but 338 00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:02.000 I think that journey was really important to not only understand where we came from 339 00:22:02.039 --> 00:22:03.640 and how hard we had to work to get to that point, but also 340 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:08.680 to lay of the foundation of how important the sport can be in a community 341 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:11.920 and how it grew. And even though we did You're right, we drew 342 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:15.119 twenty to twenty five at Arrowhead, which is a healthy number, it just 343 00:22:15.240 --> 00:22:18.279 didn't feel like it was as big of a deal as it is now. 344 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:26.160 And that's actually without kind of a TV contract, as we were alluding to 345 00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:29.720 before with Apple TV, that was wasn't really giving it everything that they had 346 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:32.759 now. There was local broadcasts and all that, but it didn't take that 347 00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:34.640 big step and now it feels like it is. I will say, I 348 00:22:34.839 --> 00:22:40.000 think what makes the sport unique and what separates it from all the other American 349 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:44.640 sports is that it feels like you're part of something bigger than yourself, and 350 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:47.920 that when you go to the game, you're still a part of the game. 351 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:51.039 You're still a part of the fabric of what's happening on the field. 352 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:52.799 You can have influence and impact in a way that I don't think you can 353 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:56.759 in other sports. When I go it went to a baseball game with my 354 00:22:56.920 --> 00:23:00.839 dad, it felt like it was just a moment between me and my dad. 355 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:03.519 If I went to an NFL game, all that all the fun stuff 356 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:08.599 was happening outside the stadium and the tailgate right inside. The games are slow 357 00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:12.880 for me, there's not a lot going on, and I was just drawn 358 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.240 to the sense of community you go in. And I think Atlanta is probably 359 00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:18.599 the best example of it. They didn't think it was going to work in 360 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:22.759 Atlanta, and then all of a sudden they get into an NFL stadium. 361 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:26.680 But everybody wanted to be part of this and they created something special and they 362 00:23:26.839 --> 00:23:29.640 thankfully had some early success. It kind of got everybody that's shot in the 363 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:30.799 arm of adrenal and like, wow, this is amazing. Look how good 364 00:23:30.839 --> 00:23:33.559 we are. And now they're going through some tough times. They're working through 365 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:37.319 it. Now the season's been pretty good. But but I think that's a 366 00:23:37.400 --> 00:23:41.160 really good example where if you and people would go to those games and say 367 00:23:41.160 --> 00:23:42.400 that it's better than going to a Falcons game. It's better than going to 368 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:45.319 a Hawks game where a Braid's game, because you're just you're part of it 369 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:48.480 in a way where you get the tailgate, that the party continues within the 370 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:52.759 game and you're still talking about how much fun you had afterwards, and it's 371 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:55.759 and it's always two hours, right. That doesn't go any longer, and 372 00:23:56.599 --> 00:23:57.960 there's just a lot of special things about it, but I think that sense 373 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:04.839 of community is number one, and this is where we're obliged to uh to 374 00:24:06.359 --> 00:24:08.400 say that if folks want to hear more of your thoughts about MLS, you 375 00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:12.880 have a podcast that you you talk about MLS and all sorts of other soccer 376 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:18.960 things three times a week with your pals Charlie Davies and Heath Pierce called in 377 00:24:18.039 --> 00:24:22.440 Soccer We Trust and that. So that's on the CBS Sports Network and so 378 00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:26.359 you know you can get you can get all of the Jimmy you want there. 379 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:29.960 You're gonna get a lot. Welcome Welcome to the party if you come 380 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:33.519 hang out with us. Yeah. But besides having an amazing podcast, being 381 00:24:33.559 --> 00:24:40.519 our favorite former mlser and usmntier, you are also known in the Internet for 382 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:45.799 warm Balls. So can you tell our audience a little bit about the warm 383 00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:49.440 Balls conspiracy, the community in the organization that grew out of that. Yes, 384 00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:52.960 yes, I almost want to reverse engineer it. So when I for 385 00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:59.519 the TV, we were part of the kind of the emerging YouTube worlds. 386 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:03.000 Yes, and YouTube was just starting to like, hey, can you get 387 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:06.759 to a million subscribers? And we were friends with a guy that's got fifteen 388 00:25:06.759 --> 00:25:10.640 to twenty months subscribers now KSI who's based in London and doing boxing now. 389 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:12.920 And we knew him when he was a couple hundred thousand and really sweet kid. 390 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:15.759 He's still super sweet even though he's like the Michael Jordan of YouTube. 391 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:19.799 But he had a thing called KSI Army, and so we're like, oh 392 00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:22.720 man, we gotta have we gotta call our community something. As we started 393 00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:29.240 to get into the hundreds of thousands of subscribers and and so I put it 394 00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:33.680 out there for the audience and they came up with warm Ballers and we were 395 00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:37.480 like, that's perfect, warm Ballers, Like that's our community now. As 396 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:41.240 we learned as we try to sell merch parents weren't buying their kids shirts and 397 00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:44.200 said warm ballers on them because they thought there was some sexual connotations there. 398 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:48.119 So talk about a failed thing that maybe that wasn't the best name of all 399 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:52.319 time that said it was perfect for the community because because and everybody loved it, 400 00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:53.920 and I still have people come up to me even though the channel hasn't 401 00:25:53.960 --> 00:25:56.720 been around in a while that was still shout out warm Ballers to me from 402 00:25:56.720 --> 00:26:00.680 across the street. It's pretty sweet. But it all started that the name 403 00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:06.400 comes from. The origin story is that back in two thousand and twelve, 404 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:11.319 twenty eleven, I tweeted out that I think that the balls in the Champions 405 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:15.920 League draw when they did the Champions League draw, Yeah, they're ping pong 406 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:19.359 balls. One of the I think they're warm. I think that whoever's doing 407 00:26:19.400 --> 00:26:22.720 it around, even though it's like a former player that's you know, they 408 00:26:22.759 --> 00:26:25.720 make it seem like it's that one of them. It has a different temperature. 409 00:26:25.799 --> 00:26:29.160 So I thought there was my warm balls theory. And that's where the 410 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:32.319 guy and we talk about it everywhere. A happy warm Baller's Day everybody, 411 00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:36.240 or warm balls Day, because this is the moment where they're gonna get Bayern 412 00:26:36.319 --> 00:26:37.680 muting versus Arsenal. It was like that in the round of sixteen of the 413 00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:41.880 Champions League, like six consecutive years, something crazy, and it was just 414 00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:45.160 too much, too much of a coincidence, and they kept getting these high 415 00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:48.359 profile matchups that they wanted and I don't know, man. And so it's 416 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:53.559 funny is that at the time FIFA president was set bladder and he is uh 417 00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:00.279 now a disgrace, grace for President Bladder, and he came out out maybe 418 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:03.000 three or four years ago, so we're talking seven or eight years after I 419 00:27:03.079 --> 00:27:07.920 stated the SERI saying that those balls were either warm or cold. Isn't that 420 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:14.039 insane? That is absolutely insane. So yeah, so I was ahead of 421 00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:17.839 it. So the Warmball's theory is true. It's real, and disgrace fee 422 00:27:17.880 --> 00:27:22.160 for President sept Ladder and I finally agree on something that fostered and he validated 423 00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:26.920 my theory from a long time ago, my conspiracy theory, and it's true. 424 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.119 But yes, that's where it started, the warmballers thing, And so 425 00:27:29.720 --> 00:27:33.480 there there are quite a few people out there rocking the Warmballer stickers and Warmballers 426 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:37.440 t shirts and anytime I travel, I try to do pickup games and hand 427 00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:40.880 out as much gear as I can because nobody's buying it, unfortunately, even 428 00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:45.839 though all the money goes to charity. But yeah, warmballararmbars dot com exists, 429 00:27:45.880 --> 00:27:48.200 even though don't think anybody's bought a shirt in two years because I don't 430 00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:52.319 talk about it much anymore. But I appreciate you bring it up because I 431 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:55.839 think it really was a community that was trying to be a positive force for 432 00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:57.440 good, just like you guys are doing with this podcast. Well, and 433 00:27:57.599 --> 00:28:02.319 just the fact that you sort of called that as like amazing to me, 434 00:28:02.440 --> 00:28:03.759 like I had somehow missed that and all of that, Like I had heard 435 00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:07.839 eventually about the temperature being different, and that I had no idea that there 436 00:28:07.960 --> 00:28:12.720 was this prophet in the wilderness like shouting. So that was amazing. Yeah, 437 00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:15.000 I was ahead of it. I was ahead of it. Now, 438 00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:18.400 I've probably put out a whole bunch of theories out there and that's the only 439 00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:19.000 one that's stuck. But you know what, I'm gonna stick with it. 440 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:22.720 I'm gonna run with it. It's the law of averages, man. It's 441 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:26.440 my badge, my badge of honor. In your career, we've mentioned that 442 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:32.799 you were a US men's national team player. What was it like to represent 443 00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:37.480 your country at a World Cup? That's that's a big question. I would 444 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:41.279 say it's the biggest honor that you can have in your career, whether you're 445 00:28:41.319 --> 00:28:45.839 representing the US or any other country. Because at that moment, that first 446 00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:48.400 game we played in two thousand and six against Czech Republic, I didn't I 447 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:51.880 didn't play that particular game. I got to play in the next two against 448 00:28:51.920 --> 00:28:55.680 Italy and against Ghana. But in that first game when you hear the national 449 00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:57.759 anthem, Now, I'd heard the national anthem plenty of times through my college 450 00:28:57.839 --> 00:29:03.480 career, through my professional career, but it hits different. It hits different 451 00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:07.039 when you're out a World Cup because at that moment, you know that everybody 452 00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:11.799 back home has your back. You know, at that moment, casual fans 453 00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:15.440 want to see you do well. It's the most incredibly powerful feeling to know 454 00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:21.839 that we're all in this together for those ninety minutes and that everybody back home 455 00:29:22.039 --> 00:29:26.160 is wanting you to succeed. And I've never been able to chase that feeling, 456 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:29.839 or I've tried to, but couldn't make another World Cup team after that. 457 00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:33.000 But I had a couple opportunities to feel that, and it is. 458 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:37.039 It is really special. And I would say that for me too, for 459 00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:40.559 everybody that doesn't know my story, and I don't expect you to know my 460 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:44.319 story at all. But I was a walk on in college and I won 461 00:29:44.359 --> 00:29:47.920 the national championship with UCLA my senior year, and I thought, oh man, 462 00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:49.720 I'm going to get drafted in MLS for sure, because I'm on the 463 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:53.079 best college team in the country, and I was only I was the only 464 00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:57.440 senior out of US five that didn't get drafted, so so I was the 465 00:29:57.480 --> 00:30:00.799 little engine that could. I had to go down to lower leagues, had 466 00:30:00.839 --> 00:30:03.680 to fight my way into it. Than I eventually signed with San Jose and 467 00:30:03.799 --> 00:30:07.880 played four years there and eight years with Kansas City and a cup of coffee 468 00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:11.799 with Chiefs USA before I had to retire due to concussions. But I would 469 00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:17.039 say that to be in that moment, knowing my career and how hard I 470 00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:19.680 had to work to get to that point, to not only make the national 471 00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:22.079 team, but to play in a World Cup and to represent my country at 472 00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:25.240 the highest level, and then to go out and kind all. So that's 473 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:26.279 one, right, You're very proud of that, and you can always nobody 474 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:30.559 can ever take that away from you. But then there's that's personal satisfaction of 475 00:30:30.839 --> 00:30:33.880 I went out and hung with the best players in the world and the biggest 476 00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:37.359 competition in the world with millions of people watching, and I handled that pressure. 477 00:30:37.880 --> 00:30:41.160 That's just for me, right, I mean, yeah, people can 478 00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:42.920 they can judge you and whatever, but I know that I know what I 479 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:47.440 did and I know what I had, and that is incredibly satisfying, and 480 00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:51.799 it makes all those sweat and tears and work and all the sacrifice worth it 481 00:30:52.039 --> 00:30:56.279 times a million. It was. It's an incredible I can't even believe I'm 482 00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:59.240 I did it At this point, it feels like I'm talking about somebody else. 483 00:30:59.319 --> 00:31:03.359 But it was an incredible ride. You've been a part of a lot 484 00:31:03.440 --> 00:31:07.200 of different soccer organizations, and now you've been able to see a lot of 485 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:12.400 different soccer organizations as a media personality and a journalist. What is one aspect 486 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:21.000 of the AFC Richmond organization that you wish you could experience at a real life 487 00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:26.359 soccer club. That is a great question. I would say having a relationship 488 00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:30.920 with the owner, you know like that. I guess that Rebecca isn't really 489 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:33.839 hands on per se, and when she comes in it's more to kind of 490 00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:37.880 tell her story or to be a part of somebody else's in a meaningful way. 491 00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:41.880 And I guess I did have it a little bit in early days of 492 00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:45.319 Kansas City with Lamar Hunt, rescue piece who was kind of in the trenches 493 00:31:45.319 --> 00:31:48.240 because he was trying to help. He was cold calling people to buy season 494 00:31:48.279 --> 00:31:52.559 tickets to come watch his Kansas City Wizards play an airhead, and he gave 495 00:31:52.599 --> 00:31:55.559 me a big hug after we won the US Open Cup back in two thousand 496 00:31:55.559 --> 00:31:57.920 and four. So there's some really cool moments that I have with Lamar and 497 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:01.599 I maybe those early days as it kind of feels Rebecca esque, I guess, 498 00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:05.000 in the most positive Rebecca vibe, not the one where she's trying to 499 00:32:05.079 --> 00:32:09.000 undermine everything. But there's something about that collective we're all in this together, 500 00:32:09.480 --> 00:32:15.839 that you maybe didn't always feel every single season. And that's not a disrespect 501 00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:17.319 too to any of the clubs that I played for. A lot of it 502 00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:22.319 was just because you had maybe one person wearing fifteen hats. They had to 503 00:32:22.599 --> 00:32:24.839 do so many jobs. You never really got to know them because they were 504 00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:30.680 so busy just trying to do so many different things. And and I feel 505 00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:34.319 like that's changed a lot too as a pertained suit to the game in America 506 00:32:34.359 --> 00:32:37.720 and MLS in particular, they have they've hired enough people now to manage all 507 00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:42.000 that type of stuff. So that's a really good question. I always felt 508 00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:46.799 like I was pretty close with my my the kitman, and nice the team 509 00:32:46.839 --> 00:32:52.359 managers. You know. I still still talk to Matt ben Ben in particular, 510 00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:55.240 his dad, Rick coached Casey Comments and UMKC for a long time, 511 00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:58.880 and I still talk with Matt and he was our equipment manager by first couple 512 00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:01.079 of years. I'll see my old trainer back San Jose every once in a 513 00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:05.720 while that I'm back here in the Bay Area. So those connections, right, 514 00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:09.279 those are these really meaningful, powerful relationships that continue to be maintained outside 515 00:33:09.319 --> 00:33:13.279 of the results of the wins and losses. And I think I can relate 516 00:33:13.319 --> 00:33:16.599 to that a lot to what Ted Lasso tries to focus on as a show. 517 00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:20.200 But yeah, I don't think I answered your question directly. I might 518 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:22.400 have to come back to it or just be have to skip it all together. 519 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:27.200 Boys, these days, you do get to travel the world, and 520 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:34.680 you get to interview and interact with teams and supporters and various players. As 521 00:33:34.759 --> 00:33:37.440 you've done that, is there a team or a league or a supporters group 522 00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:44.480 that you feel like you've had the most fun or a particularly enjoyable time getting 523 00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:49.440 to know As a media personality, I would say because I'm welcome some warmly. 524 00:33:50.119 --> 00:33:52.319 This is me being a bit of a homer. But I love hanging 525 00:33:52.359 --> 00:33:55.480 out with the Cauldron. I love hanging out with my peeps in Kansas City. 526 00:33:55.480 --> 00:33:59.480 They supported me for so many years so that when I go back that 527 00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:01.960 love, I can feel it and I want to give them back my energy 528 00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:05.400 and love as well. So anytime I get to hang out with the Cauldron, 529 00:34:05.799 --> 00:34:09.159 it's great. Now when I think globally that the times that I've gotten 530 00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:13.599 to spend in Rome with the Roma supporters was really neat. I got to 531 00:34:13.639 --> 00:34:17.079 see a couple of games there at the Stadio Olimpico, and they are a 532 00:34:17.159 --> 00:34:21.599 passionate bunch. That's probably the best way I can say it. But I've 533 00:34:21.679 --> 00:34:24.880 had the benefit of going to see some big Derby's. I got to see 534 00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:29.519 Super Classico between Book of Juniors and River Plate, so being amongst the Book 535 00:34:29.559 --> 00:34:32.239 of Fans in particular, it was a law. Bambanera is a bucket list 536 00:34:32.280 --> 00:34:36.280 side and I highly encourage everybody to go check out that game if they ever 537 00:34:36.360 --> 00:34:39.000 get a chance to get down to Buenos Aires. That was awesome. I'm 538 00:34:39.000 --> 00:34:43.599 a Book of Fans, so you know I'm still GREENO. Of course you 539 00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:46.480 know there's there, but they know that I care and want to be a 540 00:34:46.519 --> 00:34:51.519 part of it. Yeah, I mean, I'm just drawn to supporter of 541 00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:55.320 groups in general. Because it means so much to them, the wins and 542 00:34:57.159 --> 00:35:00.360 losses. But it's always it's not just that that feels so basic to say, 543 00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:07.039 it's also about how is the team playing, Like are they representing me 544 00:35:07.199 --> 00:35:09.719 out there on the field. I like that they don't suffer any fools that 545 00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:13.880 if anybody's dogging it out there and not giving their all, because anybody in 546 00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:16.760 the supporters section would kill to be on that field playing for those colors, 547 00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:23.119 and if you're not working your hardest to represent them in the best possible way, 548 00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:25.079 they're going to hold you accountable. And I love that, and so 549 00:35:25.239 --> 00:35:28.679 I really tap into that side of it because I tried to lead the same 550 00:35:28.760 --> 00:35:30.280 way when I was on the field, because I was grateful for that opportunity. 551 00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:35.440 And sometimes there are some players that that that they're not grateful, They 552 00:35:35.480 --> 00:35:37.360 just lose a little bit of focus and some of that perspective that is necessary 553 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:40.000 to make sure that you're like, hey, this is a privilege for us 554 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:44.039 to be out here. Let's make sure that we reward the people that are 555 00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:46.039 paying their harder money to come watch you play. So I relate in that 556 00:35:46.199 --> 00:35:50.159 sense too to a lot of the supporters groups, not the ones that are 557 00:35:50.159 --> 00:35:52.559 trying to incite violence, of course who are taking it to the extreme, 558 00:35:52.639 --> 00:35:55.719 but the ones that really just care about being a part of something bigger than 559 00:35:55.760 --> 00:36:00.280 themselves, which I've mentioned before, which is really a straight line between we're 560 00:36:00.320 --> 00:36:05.440 saying and what what ted Lesso was all about too and and but yeah, 561 00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:09.000 the Roman supporters stand out for me, I thought, there they just when 562 00:36:09.039 --> 00:36:14.039 they start singing Roma Roma, I mean, it comes from that, It's 563 00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:17.039 from deep down, it's from the heart, you know. And you know, 564 00:36:19.000 --> 00:36:21.960 when I was early on in the early days, you might had one 565 00:36:22.039 --> 00:36:23.639 or two people really belted it out like that, but we didn't have the 566 00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:27.400 same type of history. You know, you come and you go over to 567 00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:30.280 these different countries and they just got so much more of that. But that's 568 00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:34.840 being developed now we're almost two year thirty of MLS or getting closer to that. 569 00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:38.480 And and now you're starting to have people that went to the games that 570 00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:42.960 are having kids and are passing along why it matters for them to support a 571 00:36:43.000 --> 00:36:45.519 particular team. And that's going to be I think a pretty big tipping point 572 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:49.360 for the growth of the sport in this country. My wife's gonna think I 573 00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:53.119 paid you for that. Segment because we're taking a trip to Italy next month, 574 00:36:53.480 --> 00:36:55.360 and as I was looking at the schedule, I was like, oh 575 00:36:55.400 --> 00:36:59.840 my gosh, we're not going to be in any cities when there's going to 576 00:36:59.880 --> 00:37:02.320 be any games being played. And then when that Europa League draw came out, 577 00:37:02.679 --> 00:37:07.760 now they're going to be playing fine ord Our first night in Rome, 578 00:37:07.119 --> 00:37:10.239 and so I like floated the idea. I was like, so, now 579 00:37:10.320 --> 00:37:14.840 there's a really big soccer match that we could you have to go see it 580 00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:17.159 at nine o'clock at night. Yeah, said you tell her to call me 581 00:37:17.320 --> 00:37:21.280 after this interview is over. I will tell her why it will change her 582 00:37:21.320 --> 00:37:23.320 life in a positive way for her to go to Saudiolypico and watch that game, 583 00:37:23.800 --> 00:37:28.599 because it is unlike anything you've been to. I promise. Okay, 584 00:37:28.679 --> 00:37:30.320 I'm gonna ever call you. You gotta do it for that, and you 585 00:37:30.360 --> 00:37:34.320 gotta do it for the ted Lasso parallels. Right, Yeah, it's what 586 00:37:34.360 --> 00:37:36.760 I said. So Christians got to go there, like listen, honey, 587 00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:40.760 Jimmy said this, and we gotta go because I gotta confirm whether he's bullshittingness 588 00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:45.320 or not right right, And when when this podcast starts making dollars, then 589 00:37:45.360 --> 00:37:50.599 I can write that off and my taxes as research. In your role with 590 00:37:50.679 --> 00:37:57.599 the San Francisco Glenn's your sporting director right now, is like Higgins the closest 591 00:37:57.679 --> 00:38:01.039 like sort of like parallel to your job there now, like what who is 592 00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:06.880 there a character on ted last question? Anything we could kind of like adjacently 593 00:38:07.079 --> 00:38:10.800 kind of come at that question with. I would say Higgins is still at 594 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:15.079 times, even though he's demonstrated he's not a puppet, that he's got more 595 00:38:15.119 --> 00:38:20.000 puppet like tendencies, or did at least in season one. And I'm yeah, 596 00:38:20.039 --> 00:38:22.280 I'm not a puppet, per se. I I like to have my 597 00:38:22.440 --> 00:38:24.639 voice be heard. It doesn't have to be the one that you follow, 598 00:38:24.760 --> 00:38:28.920 per se, but I like to chime in. And I think Higgins has 599 00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:32.159 gotten there right, especially as the Diamond Dogs we've got kind of go in 600 00:38:32.199 --> 00:38:35.719 and he got more confidence, which has been pretty cool to see his story 601 00:38:35.840 --> 00:38:40.320 arc and I'm curious to see where it goes this particular season. But yeah, 602 00:38:40.519 --> 00:38:44.119 yeah, yeah, I mean, I guess in terms of roles, 603 00:38:44.519 --> 00:38:46.360 I'm trying to help sign players to make our team as efficient and as good 604 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:51.360 as possible, but I'm also trying to find locations for us to to use. 605 00:38:52.679 --> 00:38:54.119 Yeah, so there's there's some elements of that. I think it ties 606 00:38:54.159 --> 00:38:59.320 into that. And over the last couple of seasons i've been co head coach, 607 00:38:59.400 --> 00:39:01.079 I've been a assistant coach. Kind of depends on some of the work 608 00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:05.400 responsibilities that I have and how much how much time I can commit unfortunately, 609 00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:09.440 but I do get to also input with like tactics and that type of stuff 610 00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:15.119 too in players selection so so and I read run Training. So I've guessed 611 00:39:15.119 --> 00:39:19.840 I'm kind of like a hybrid between kind of you know, early Nate roy 612 00:39:19.960 --> 00:39:23.639 Kent, your coach beard reading, reading all of his uh inverted pyramid stuff, 613 00:39:23.679 --> 00:39:29.679 and a little bit of the good nature of Ted Lasso of him coming 614 00:39:29.760 --> 00:39:34.280 through with I like to joke with the team a lot, so you know, 615 00:39:34.440 --> 00:39:37.519 you say something important. But there's something about the show that I absolutely 616 00:39:37.559 --> 00:39:39.360 love and I want to say it now. The balance and even when I 617 00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:45.639 watched episode one and two at the premiere, their ability to find that balance 618 00:39:45.760 --> 00:39:54.719 between serious and lightheartedness and fun but meaningful. It's just that is that they 619 00:39:54.840 --> 00:39:59.280 found the sweet spot, and it is incredible how good they are at finding 620 00:39:59.320 --> 00:40:00.679 that and the people that right for the show and how they directed in the 621 00:40:00.760 --> 00:40:05.960 acting, it's it's fantastic. Everybody behind it is unbelievable. Can you describe 622 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:08.880 what the vibe was like at the premiere because you come in and it's on 623 00:40:09.119 --> 00:40:15.079 a giant screen and then they show season three episodes one and two, and 624 00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:20.360 unlike you know, watching it at your house or with your family or maybe 625 00:40:20.400 --> 00:40:22.079 a small group of friends, you're watching it with all of these people and 626 00:40:22.280 --> 00:40:27.480 none of you. There's all this anticipation, but nobody has yet experienced what's 627 00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:30.840 going to happen, except for the you know, doesn't select or whatever that 628 00:40:30.880 --> 00:40:32.800 have worked on the show. So what was it like to be at the 629 00:40:32.960 --> 00:40:37.000 premiere and receiving the show in that way? It was incredible. To see 630 00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:42.320 it in the movie theater was different to your point, there's something intimate about 631 00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:45.280 watching it at home, watching it on a screen that's quite close to you, 632 00:40:45.320 --> 00:40:50.679 as opposed to one that you normally associate with these big Marvel blockbuster movies. 633 00:40:50.760 --> 00:40:53.239 So that that was a little bit that threw me off a little bit. 634 00:40:54.199 --> 00:40:57.960 But what I liked about it was the energy in the room was awesome, 635 00:40:58.239 --> 00:41:00.960 Like everybody was so excited. You see, you know, Rebecca shows 636 00:41:01.039 --> 00:41:06.519 up or or, and it's just a big round of applause. Everybody's getting 637 00:41:06.599 --> 00:41:08.639 rowdy, you know. So the energy was a stage show. People were 638 00:41:08.679 --> 00:41:14.559 so excited to see everybody an amplicent It's true, It's true. And I 639 00:41:14.599 --> 00:41:19.079 also think I got to hang with the guys that are on AFC Richmond Um 640 00:41:20.199 --> 00:41:22.800 and they just hadn't seen each other in a long time because the show had 641 00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:24.679 wrapped, you know, a couple of months before, or four or five 642 00:41:24.719 --> 00:41:29.199 months before. Yeah, and everyone's busy. Yeah, everyone's busy. Everybody's 643 00:41:29.199 --> 00:41:31.480 got their own goal. So just so when you got to be a part 644 00:41:31.519 --> 00:41:36.320 of them seeing each other for the first time, knowing that this journey that 645 00:41:36.360 --> 00:41:40.239 they've gone through was was pretty cool, to be honest. And I actually 646 00:41:40.280 --> 00:41:45.039 spent the most time with George. He plays Goodman on the show UM number 647 00:41:45.079 --> 00:41:50.079 seventeen, I believe, and so it was cool to hang out with him 648 00:41:50.119 --> 00:41:52.719 and he was kind of give me the lay of the land on you know, 649 00:41:53.000 --> 00:41:55.280 who was showing up and who hasn't seen each other for a while, 650 00:41:55.360 --> 00:41:59.039 and kind of just talking about the show overall and how impactful it was for 651 00:41:59.159 --> 00:42:01.159 his life, and really cool to kind of get these little bits and pieces 652 00:42:01.239 --> 00:42:06.119 from all these guys about what it meant to them and what it means to 653 00:42:06.280 --> 00:42:08.840 their careers moving forward. Frankly, so so it was it was it was 654 00:42:08.920 --> 00:42:13.599 incredible to be there. I am shout out to Chip. I was his 655 00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:17.800 plus one for this. Chip is the nice and so it was just cool 656 00:42:17.840 --> 00:42:22.280 to be there and be amongst it and to be treated like I wasn't an 657 00:42:22.320 --> 00:42:24.119 outcast, right, I was just yeah, of course you're here, let's 658 00:42:24.159 --> 00:42:29.280 go, you know. And so that is That's something I've been seeking. 659 00:42:29.320 --> 00:42:30.119 This is like, I don't know how much I owe you for this therapy 660 00:42:30.199 --> 00:42:36.079 session, but since I retired, I've been seeking that my whole you know. 661 00:42:36.239 --> 00:42:38.280 I tried to build it with KickTV when we had our YouTube channel and 662 00:42:38.360 --> 00:42:40.760 we had ten or twelve people in the same space, so it was easier 663 00:42:40.800 --> 00:42:44.800 to do that. And now I don't have that. I'm by myself, 664 00:42:44.840 --> 00:42:46.760 and obviously the pandemic made us even more isolated, and now we're starting to 665 00:42:46.840 --> 00:42:50.480 come out of that. But I'm always thirsty to be a part of a 666 00:42:50.559 --> 00:42:52.920 team, and so when I'm around it and I can see it and there's 667 00:42:52.920 --> 00:42:57.039 that energy, I'm definitely drawn to that. I could feel when I went 668 00:42:57.079 --> 00:42:59.480 on set and I got to feel it again when I was around them, 669 00:42:59.519 --> 00:43:04.679 and they're so welcoming and inclusive and it's not exclusive, and I think that 670 00:43:05.239 --> 00:43:07.320 makes it pretty special too. But yeah, to be there to see it, 671 00:43:07.400 --> 00:43:09.559 to experience it in that way, to hear the oos and os and 672 00:43:09.840 --> 00:43:13.719 like kind of ride a roller coaster with everybody, because it was the first 673 00:43:13.760 --> 00:43:16.719 time to see these first two episodes and where it's going, and it was 674 00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:20.519 great. It was great and I'll never forget it. So shout out again 675 00:43:20.559 --> 00:43:23.760 to Chip. Yeah. I think people maybe don't realize how real that Roy 676 00:43:23.880 --> 00:43:30.159 Kent trajectory is once he retires and then it's just like trying to figure out 677 00:43:30.360 --> 00:43:34.960 his place, you know, in the world, and he's not so much 678 00:43:35.360 --> 00:43:37.639 like he's trying to figure out he's not so much chasing like sometimes you see 679 00:43:37.679 --> 00:43:43.079 athletes do. But as you're talking about like just trying to find community, 680 00:43:43.159 --> 00:43:45.719 trying to find something, your identity shifts. So suddenly, Yeah, and 681 00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:52.719 something that recreates not the people cheering for you necessarily, but the camaraderie that 682 00:43:52.920 --> 00:43:57.679 you have as a team. It's really tough outside of sport. It is 683 00:43:58.079 --> 00:44:00.679 it is. I'll jump in on the identity thing when I got forced to 684 00:44:00.719 --> 00:44:05.519 retire due to concussions. But when that decision was finally made, I was 685 00:44:05.639 --> 00:44:08.360 down where the LA Galaxy play in their stadium, that's where Chiefs was playing 686 00:44:08.400 --> 00:44:12.960 at the time, and well, I was just trying to wrap my head 687 00:44:13.000 --> 00:44:15.079 around Okay, this is this is it. That was it. So I 688 00:44:15.199 --> 00:44:19.280 go back up to the car and I call my wife to let her know 689 00:44:19.400 --> 00:44:22.159 that this is it, like with the decision has been made and it's done, 690 00:44:22.559 --> 00:44:25.880 and I could not get it out. I was just I was crying. 691 00:44:25.960 --> 00:44:29.880 I couldn't get She thought somebody my mom, my mom had died or 692 00:44:30.079 --> 00:44:34.599 somebody like somebody in my life had died. And and and what's interesting is 693 00:44:34.639 --> 00:44:38.320 somebody did die, like my identity was dead. Like my mom knew me 694 00:44:38.320 --> 00:44:42.039 as a professional athlete. I was her professional athlete's son. I mean that's 695 00:44:42.079 --> 00:44:45.360 how many years I had played. All my friends knew me as a professional 696 00:44:45.400 --> 00:44:50.320 athlete. Friend I identified as a professional athlete. Everything was wrapped around that. 697 00:44:50.400 --> 00:44:52.280 My whole life, being an athlete was what drove me, which is 698 00:44:52.400 --> 00:44:54.960 how I knew myself, which is where I got my confidence, which is 699 00:44:55.000 --> 00:45:00.280 how I dealt with adversity and you know, my kids still like we not 700 00:45:00.360 --> 00:45:01.960 have any more sports cliches to solve any problems, so like we're done with 701 00:45:02.000 --> 00:45:06.000 those things, which is pretty funny. But but when that it took me, 702 00:45:06.159 --> 00:45:09.000 it took me a long time. I'd say nine to ten months to 703 00:45:09.199 --> 00:45:13.960 really I'm not that guy anymore. I need to find something else. And 704 00:45:14.079 --> 00:45:17.079 so I was depressed. I don't I don't know, Like in the moment, 705 00:45:17.159 --> 00:45:20.000 you're like, no, I'm fine, I'm working through it. But 706 00:45:20.199 --> 00:45:23.239 but now looking back, I was definitely depressed and I felt lost. I 707 00:45:23.320 --> 00:45:27.920 didn't know where to go or who to talk to and does anybody want to 708 00:45:27.960 --> 00:45:30.639 hear my sob story? Like I had an incredible career, I've been the 709 00:45:30.719 --> 00:45:32.719 life I've led it unreal, Like who wants to sit and listen to me? 710 00:45:34.159 --> 00:45:37.679 Complaint? Necessarily complain, but feel lost? And so you bring a 711 00:45:37.760 --> 00:45:43.840 lot of that, that kind of tough guy mentality to your problem solving because 712 00:45:43.880 --> 00:45:46.440 that works in a previous life, but it doesn't work when you're outside of 713 00:45:46.480 --> 00:45:50.480 that and trying to establish yourself again. And only I'll say this, only 714 00:45:50.639 --> 00:45:53.320 when I got into this media stuff and we were at kick TV and we 715 00:45:53.360 --> 00:45:57.760 were in studio and in New York City and it felt okay, I felt 716 00:45:57.760 --> 00:46:00.440 a little bit uncomfortable. But then we lobbied to take a trip to the 717 00:46:00.519 --> 00:46:06.239 Euros in Poland and Ukraine in twenty twelve, and at that moment, when 718 00:46:06.280 --> 00:46:09.920 I was back amongst the people and basically getting paid to get drunk with fans, 719 00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:12.920 I was like, I think I can. I think this is I 720 00:46:13.000 --> 00:46:17.360 can do this. I think that I can and this isn't so bad. 721 00:46:17.400 --> 00:46:21.679 And that is actually was such a pivotal trip for me to kind of get 722 00:46:21.719 --> 00:46:23.360 out of the studio and kind of showcase what we could do as a channel, 723 00:46:23.440 --> 00:46:27.840 what I could do on camera, and I had a blast and that 724 00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:30.440 really was the switch for me. But it took me nine or ten months 725 00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:32.519 to get there. Well, I think we can wrap things up with a 726 00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:37.000 question about music. We talk about music a lot on our show, and 727 00:46:37.079 --> 00:46:38.320 this is a bit of a deep cut bringing this back to your Kick TV 728 00:46:38.519 --> 00:46:42.079 days. You have a video that's kind of the story of your life in 729 00:46:42.239 --> 00:46:46.079 quotes, and you talk about how your name you're named after Sir Paul McCartney 730 00:46:46.119 --> 00:46:50.440 because his first name is James. Yes, that's right. So I'm curious, 731 00:46:50.480 --> 00:46:53.280 do you have a favorite Beatles song. Yes, it's Here, There 732 00:46:53.320 --> 00:46:57.519 and Everywhere, which is not the champ from the Stadium, but the battle 733 00:46:57.519 --> 00:47:00.199 Oh No, No No, which is kind of funny. Well, I 734 00:47:00.280 --> 00:47:01.039 kind of wanted to be both now that you said that, But no, 735 00:47:01.159 --> 00:47:06.960 I Here, There and Everywhere is an incredible song and from the best Beatles 736 00:47:07.000 --> 00:47:09.639 album objectively, from Revolver Revolver. That's right. I think that came out 737 00:47:09.719 --> 00:47:13.559 in sixty six. My dad's a big Beatles nut, so if I didn't 738 00:47:13.559 --> 00:47:15.639 say that or got that right, he's gonna be really disappointed in me. 739 00:47:15.719 --> 00:47:19.039 But I yeah, Here, There and Everywhere. What what a jam? 740 00:47:19.400 --> 00:47:22.519 And there's another There's another great bit of trivia just about that song that it 741 00:47:22.639 --> 00:47:29.199 is the only song that the John Lennon complimented Paul McCartney on his songwriting. 742 00:47:29.320 --> 00:47:31.400 It's like a way, it's it's Paul McCartney's favorite song. He have a 743 00:47:31.440 --> 00:47:35.880 row and it's one of the only ones John Lennon said he liked. So 744 00:47:36.039 --> 00:47:38.960 yeah, I picked a good one. And I just assumed the lady in 745 00:47:39.039 --> 00:47:42.679 that song as lady Football. That's how he's talking about that goes about that 746 00:47:42.800 --> 00:47:45.719 goes without saying that's who I've always envisioned it to be. Man. Well, 747 00:47:45.800 --> 00:47:47.000 Jimmy, thank you so much for coming on the show. It has 748 00:47:47.039 --> 00:47:52.440 been a blast tucking soccer and ted Lasso with you and uh Man, we're 749 00:47:52.440 --> 00:47:54.880 so glad you came on. Thank you bretton Christian and say hi to your 750 00:47:54.920 --> 00:48:04.880 dog for me. But yeah, we'll do and that's our show. We 751 00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:07.960 had a blast chatting with the legendary Jimmy Conrad. You can find links to 752 00:48:08.079 --> 00:48:13.480 his podcasts, his production company, his social media accounts, the Warmballer community, 753 00:48:13.719 --> 00:48:15.880 and everything else we mentioned in the show notes. We'll be back soon 754 00:48:15.960 --> 00:48:20.320 with more ted Lasso goodness, but you can keep the conversation going with us 755 00:48:20.400 --> 00:48:23.079 on Twitter and Instagram in the meantime. Our handle on both is at ted 756 00:48:23.199 --> 00:48:27.599 Lasso Pod. This episode of Richmond Till We Die is brought to you by 757 00:48:27.679 --> 00:48:30.800 Gin and Kerosene Productions. It was produced by Me Brett and Me Christian. 758 00:48:31.199 --> 00:48:36.119 If you're enjoying the podcast, please take thirty seconds to subscribe to our feed 759 00:48:36.280 --> 00:48:38.599 and give the show a five star review on Apple Podcasts or a five star 760 00:48:38.760 --> 00:48:43.239 rating on Spotify. Heck, if you're feeling generous, you could even do 761 00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:46.079 both. As always, we appreciate all the ways y'all share your love and 762 00:48:46.199 --> 00:48:51.639 support for the pod. Okay, I'm Christian signing off for Brett and Jimmy. 763 00:48:52.559 --> 00:49:06.039 Thanks for listening. Until next time, Cheers y'all, A high court