WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.359 Coming up this week on the Mark Cast, Happy NFL Draft week everyone. 2 00:00:08.519 --> 00:00:12.800 While the rest of the world tracks the future prospects of the NFL, the 3 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:16.920 XFL or USFL. Here coming up in the near future, we here are 4 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:21.879 still talking spring football. It's XFL playoff weekend. In the words of the 5 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:27.079 ruthless ruler of Dulock, Lord fire Quad, let the tournament begin. Some 6 00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:38.159 of you made on when it's a sacrifice. I am willing to make the 7 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:48.000 tournament begin. That's right. A Shrek reference here. In twenty twenty three, 8 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:52.000 the gym more one's kind of played out. Playoffs. Playoffs, we'll 9 00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:56.640 talk about playoffs. You're kidding me. Playoffs. That's kind of played out 10 00:00:56.679 --> 00:01:00.799 here. So we are talking tournament football here with the XFL. First up 11 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.959 on the show, we have Emery Hunt, busy guy with the draft week 12 00:01:03.959 --> 00:01:08.359 and everything else. Emry is coming on to preview everything XFL playoffs as well 13 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.439 as USFL Week three. I feel like this is going to be a game 14 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:17.480 where DC shows that they're the most complete team on both sides of the ball. 15 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:22.159 Now they have to stay locked in because there's no you know, no 16 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:26.120 other game. This is a one game season, and I feel like they'll 17 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:29.680 take care of business against Seattle, and then returning to the program, we 18 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:33.640 have Tom Lugain Bill here kind of a retrospective what did we do right, 19 00:01:33.719 --> 00:01:37.439 what did we do wrong? In XFL three point out, and then looking 20 00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:40.599 forward towards the XFL playoffs. This is going to be a battle for the 21 00:01:40.599 --> 00:01:42.560 ages. I actually think this is the championship game. I do. I 22 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:46.840 think these are the two best teams, two of the hottest teams. It's 23 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:53.640 interesting because I do think Seattle has a great opportunity here. I think I 24 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:55.840 know a lot of people are going to vote for a. J. McCarron 25 00:01:56.040 --> 00:02:00.159 as the MVP, and maybe statistically you should, but I'm not so the 26 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:04.000 best overall player in the league's not been Anichi. And then finally you have 27 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:07.400 watched them on the sidelines all season. Tebuck, we have Terrell Buck, 28 00:02:07.479 --> 00:02:13.680 league coach of the Orlando Guardians, stopping by. Extended talk with Terrell. 29 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:17.039 I really appreciate his time. Just the opportunity was an a plus. Obviously, 30 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:22.680 execuse Foods one in nine got off to one of the worst starts that 31 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:29.439 that you can imagine. I can even picture at changing the roster. Some 32 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:36.360 of the details on how the makeup of the team and the expectations and all 33 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:44.719 those things we really didn't get correct. We corrected a majority of that probably 34 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:49.159 after week four and we started to play obviously a lot better and was in 35 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:54.719 a lot of games, so very very exciting and learning experience, growth opportunity 36 00:02:55.000 --> 00:03:00.120 for me, a very big growth leap. So it was good. It 37 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:15.719 was good. Hope you guys enjoyed the episode. Like and subscribe. Hey 38 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:21.039 guys, welcome to the Mark Cast. Read here. Busy week this week 39 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:23.159 everything, like I said, off the top with the NFL Draft, a 40 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:29.000 lot of regulars or maybe potential people that I was trying to get on this 41 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:32.800 week busy with the NFL Draft. I still think we have a tremendous show 42 00:03:32.840 --> 00:03:38.000 for you. A three blockbuster guest. We'll look to get some more ratings. 43 00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:40.479 Talk with some of our normal sports business people next week. Like I 44 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:45.439 said, a lot of them tied in with the NFL Draft this week. 45 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.319 Also want to get more CFL stuff we were I was kind of debating doing 46 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:54.520 the CFL Draft show with going to DC and everything. I don't know if 47 00:03:54.520 --> 00:03:59.599 that's going to be possible for the playoffs. We will be doing this CFL 48 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:01.960 Draft the post talk. I already have guests lined up for that next week, 49 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:05.719 so we'll be getting back to more CFL stuff as well. Just busy 50 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:11.039 with work and then balancing cheering for the crack in and getting all the XFL 51 00:04:11.080 --> 00:04:14.000 and USFL stuff. So we'll work towards that. But I know a lot 52 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:16.920 of the players are headed out of Arlington and coaches and stuff, and so 53 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:21.199 I appreciate obviously coach trub Buckley coming on, and the Guardians is always, 54 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:25.279 but we'll look towards that. Just a weird week with the draft and everyone 55 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:29.639 kind of leaving Arlington, but three tremendous guests. Like I said, Emory 56 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:32.759 Hunt coming on, busy guy getting ready at Emory. I'm like, Emory, 57 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:35.120 am I crazy to even ask you to come on this week? And 58 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:38.279 he goes, oh no, that's fine, happy to come on. So 59 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:43.199 appreciate Emory, and then obviously Tom Lugabell making time as well between his radio 60 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:46.720 hits, and then trub Buckley. That's going to do it for me today. 61 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:49.920 I will be in DC this weekend for the playoff game. I have 62 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:54.600 a ticket over in the beer snake sections, so I've already had some people 63 00:04:54.680 --> 00:04:58.639 DM happy to meet up. I'll be flying in a Saturday night and then 64 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:01.519 hanging out all day Sunday and flying out Monday. I know listener Seth is 65 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.399 going to be around as well, so I'll be at the bar somewhere drinking 66 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:09.319 before and then we'll be at the game hanging out. Look for a Monday 67 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:13.639 recap show. We're trying to figure out. I think Evan Wilsmore is going 68 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:15.560 to be coming on, so we'll figure out the timing of all of that, 69 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:17.079 and then, like I said, I don't know if we're going to 70 00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:20.399 do the CFL Draft show a live stream, but at least we'll do post 71 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:25.839 draft coverage here next week as well. Like to subscribe, you know two 72 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:28.800 tickets you get them to the USFL Championship game if you want. When we 73 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.600 hit thirty five subscribers, thank you all for your support. Like I said, 74 00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:33.959 did my best this week. Hope you guys enjoy. We'll see at 75 00:05:33.959 --> 00:05:43.000 the end well in a busy week. I certainly appreciate Emory Hunt taking the 76 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:46.399 time here back on. I'm trying to remember the last time we had you 77 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:48.959 on talking and I think pre XFL. But we have Emory Hunt back on. 78 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:51.560 How are you doing, sir, doing fine. Read man, I 79 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:56.319 appreciate you having me on and again love the show. I'll watch religiously. 80 00:05:56.439 --> 00:05:59.240 Man, your show is great for the trip mill. I'll tell you that. 81 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:02.360 I trying to keep it long. Sometimes my wife says, how many 82 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:05.879 guys you have on this week? So we have every here. We're talking 83 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:11.000 able to get USFL as well talking in the big XFL playoffs, you know, 84 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:14.199 the C Dragons. I'm gonna be there. I have my I'll be 85 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:16.240 in the beer snake section. I have my flight bucked as of last night. 86 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:20.160 Whether you make just overall XFL thus far, how has it been for 87 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:24.160 you? It's been great, man. You know, I'm glad they were 88 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:27.759 able to put the cleats in the grass, football in hand and get out 89 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:30.079 there and give it a go. Now we have another spring league that was 90 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:32.879 able to finish the season. Knock on wood, nothing that's gonna happen. 91 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:35.959 They'll finish this one as well. But I love it. You know. 92 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:41.360 I was religiously watching every week, you know, whenever there was a game, 93 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:44.279 because again, you got to be locked into these spring leagues. We 94 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:49.160 as media and pundits and journalists and analysts. If we don't show interests. 95 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:51.920 We can't expect the public to show interest. So I was locked in each 96 00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:57.720 and every week. Has it. Has XFL done a good job kind of 97 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:02.680 reaching mainstream outside of it If I'm not someone that's like totally involved in string 98 00:07:02.680 --> 00:07:08.560 football, not yet, And that's the next step, I believe, you 99 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:12.199 know, in terms of what can grow, how they can grow this thing. 100 00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:15.519 I feel like the football product takes care of itself. They're good on 101 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:18.240 that part, but it's about making sure you get that outreach. So in 102 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:21.439 a way, it's almost like how folks were thinking, well, the USFL 103 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:25.879 played in the Hub for one year. No one outside of Birmingham knows about 104 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:29.759 the USFL. But now we see when certain teams go to market, go 105 00:07:29.879 --> 00:07:32.879 in their markets, how different it is when they're living there and you know, 106 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:38.759 in that city from a Michigan to what we're seeing in Birmingham. I 107 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:43.839 know they probably had more of a dip in their attendance. But for the 108 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:46.920 XFL, we'll thought, well, they're gonna be playing their cities and it's 109 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:49.120 gonna be cool because they're playing in the cities and playing in the stadiums, 110 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:54.199 But if you're not living there, is not the same it's no different than 111 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:57.120 playing the Hub. So I feel like if they go into their markets. 112 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:00.600 Now. I haven't been to Arlington. I was there for I was there 113 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:03.759 for the College Ground, a showcase in Dallas Fort Work, and I was 114 00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:05.439 on a flight with a couple of guys that were going on there for their 115 00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:09.560 training camp or you to the training camp in January. But outside of that, 116 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:15.399 you didn't see anybody talking XFL. You didn't see anybody any banners hanging 117 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:18.839 around. But when you're in the city like we see in Michigan and Detroit 118 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:24.000 and also in Birmingham, it's a difference. It was, I mean, 119 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:26.439 and I was. We were there for the kickoff last year the USFL. 120 00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:30.399 It did feel like Birmingham was like we are at home of the USFL. 121 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:33.559 You can't go anywhere here without seeing that. I am, you know, 122 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:37.000 kind of I guess, not concerned, but confused it maybe why or I 123 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:39.759 think the XFL could lean more into that. I know Andy and I talked 124 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:41.919 on the show a couple of weeks ago, like, let's sure they market. 125 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:45.240 If you're gonna be in the Hub, let's market that. Yeah, 126 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:48.000 God forbid. You let a couple of people in to go watch practice. 127 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:50.639 I mean, even if you're just in Arlington, it's something to do there 128 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:54.440 in terms of the football product. Has it been up to what you were 129 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:58.720 expecting? Yeah? Absolutely, But we see the same things over and over 130 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.440 again with a lot of these springleys. I saw this in the USFL last 131 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:05.039 year. We saw it in the first iteration of the XFL, and we've 132 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:11.159 seen it again now in the XFL in some early simblance of that in the 133 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:15.200 USFL Season two, say, hey, man, play your best players, 134 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.360 Like for Vegas, Why did it take you so long to realize Jella McClinton 135 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:22.600 is your best option out there. Let the guy play, Let him out 136 00:09:22.600 --> 00:09:26.919 there, let him make his mistakes. In growth, the offense looks significantly 137 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:30.600 better. You see what happens when you allow a guy to play through those 138 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:35.000 mistakes. And so I feel like, right at this point, it's not 139 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:39.720 a knock on Luis Perez. I like the guy, but he's probably better 140 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:43.440 as a QB two now on a roster than a starter. So you got 141 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:46.200 to give a young guy a chance. Look what Josh Love is doing for 142 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.799 the Michigan Panthers and his second time around, and now he's back in on 143 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:52.720 the team. Familiarity with a lot of the players on there, and he's 144 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:56.799 playing better. We see it with Kase Cookis and how well he played, 145 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:00.360 you know when they went to him over Brian Scott. A master trying to 146 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:03.919 figure out what to Just play your best players, man, and the especially 147 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:05.720 at that position, because everything else is gonna take care of itself. People 148 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:11.039 tuned into XFL twenty twenty because p J. Walker was lightening up and it 149 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:13.840 was like, man, let's let's tune in it. Nobody wants to watch 150 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:18.000 as good as their offense was in this last game, or you know, 151 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:20.919 as great as the story is, heartwarming story. No one's tuning in to 152 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:24.919 check out AJ McCarron period. Like they want to see the young guy, 153 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:28.759 you know, and people want to see that from these spring leagues. So 154 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:31.200 play your best player. I'm not saying McCarry wasn't their best quarterback. I'm 155 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:35.320 just saying, give these young dudes a chance to play. That's how you 156 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:39.399 attract new fans. I think were you were a critical of the AJ signing, 157 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:41.240 right? I think if my memory serves yeah, because it was like 158 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:46.000 he's thirty plus, we know what he is. I thought this was a 159 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:50.039 league of opportunity, right, So why did not get the young guys in 160 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:52.559 there? Man? And granted you want to have guy you like, guys 161 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:56.360 like Aji McCarron because he's here's what I like about Aji McCarron and playing in 162 00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:58.960 this league. If he's not going to be a starter in the NFL, 163 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:03.000 fell, we would have known. We should have known that by twenty seven. 164 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:07.919 Then this would have been perfect for him to play five years and be 165 00:11:07.080 --> 00:11:09.679 thirty two on the other side of it, right, instead of waited till 166 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:13.559 thirty two and jumping in this league. So now people look at this league, 167 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:16.039 like agent mccaron, like, I'm not watching that, even though you 168 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:20.440 won a league for a guy that's probably not going to be the starter, 169 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:24.600 a starter in the NFL to play somewhere else. So a league like this 170 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:28.120 or the USFL would be ideal for those guys. There is a market for 171 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:31.559 that. But you can't go out and sign guys that people who have seen 172 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:37.639 in the NFL at times they've seen maybe a decade ago in college football. 173 00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:39.639 That's not gonna work. And I also feel like a lot of these leagues 174 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:43.399 made the same mistake every time they come out thinking, oh, well, 175 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:48.519 we have a team in Orlando, or we have a team in you know, 176 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:52.720 Detroit, let's get a lot of the players from that college. I'm 177 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:56.679 gonna tell you a secret. College fans do not care about former college stars 178 00:11:56.840 --> 00:12:00.000 that are not currently playing for their college team. It's not gonna work, 179 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:05.799 Pat Raffinale right now, I'm sure it's headed seeing with your AJ mccaren smacktick. 180 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:09.080 But that was like that was the story of the XFL this year. 181 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:11.399 I mean, I you know, just to be contrariot the year you say 182 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:15.360 no one's watching, like Nave marketed the crap out of that, Like here's 183 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:18.320 AJ and he's playing for his kids and turned down all this mood. Like 184 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:22.200 that was one of the major you know, football or otherwise storylines coming out 185 00:12:22.759 --> 00:12:28.360 saying we're seeing now in the USFL with mc McLeod Bethel Thompson, great story, 186 00:12:28.679 --> 00:12:31.840 phenomenal, you know, wants to be by his family. YadA, 187 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:37.320 YadA, YadA. Bro, you gotta quill glass there, who needs experience 188 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:41.480 play him? Yeah, let's we've seen McLeod Bethel Thompson with a great cup, 189 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:46.080 fantastic, Like I don't want to see him playing in this league that 190 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:50.240 y'all are saying is developmental, Like, at worst, play the guys and 191 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:56.360 if they struggle, go to your McLeod Bethel Thompson's or your AJ mccameron's and 192 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:58.320 let's because otherwise people gonna think, oh, this is just a league for 193 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:01.480 guys that want to playing from their families. I'm not going to play, 194 00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:03.399 you know, I need to go. Matter of fact, let me get 195 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:05.080 married, to have a couple of kids, and then I can use that 196 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:07.919 story to get into one of these leagues. Like no, let it be 197 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:13.840 about the guys like you Cole Kelly's guys like you're a quill glass to go 198 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:18.600 in there and play, because they're not getting the opportunity as young talent to 199 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:22.080 play in the NFL. So you go in there as a quill glass or 200 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:26.559 a Cole Kelly and you play really well for a season and now you bounce 201 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:30.679 right up. The creamwood rides to the top and the legal pluck regardless. 202 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:35.440 So play the quill glass, play the case cookers, play your Kyle Sloters, 203 00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:37.679 you know, and roll with it like that. Man, don't bring 204 00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:43.120 the elderly back in. Let the guys grow into the elderly within your own 205 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:48.720 league. How how is my what are your thoughts about my boy Ben Junichi 206 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:52.759 here, carterback for the c Dragons. It's funny because the Nucci is able 207 00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:58.120 to play through all his mistakes. It makes you wonder, you know, 208 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:03.600 any other quarterback that had the amount of turnovers that he has had, m 209 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:07.200 would have been pulled. But this is why these leads exist. You want 210 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:11.360 to see him stay out there, don't go to the backup. Let the 211 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:13.440 Nucci play through it and let them just you know, ride the wave, 212 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:18.240 and then you reevaluate the position in the off season. So I like the 213 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:22.879 decision to stick with him, you know, otherwise you'll see what went down 214 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:28.159 in in Orlando Dormandy, you know, and and Francoise And it's like, 215 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:31.240 man, which guy can get a rhythm? If you're constantly pulling guys and 216 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.320 then one guy has six touchdowns, the next week had six turnovers, and 217 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:37.159 it's like, you could have won that game, But why aren't you playing 218 00:14:37.159 --> 00:14:39.440 a guy that's younger, You're a little bit more dynamic, you know what 219 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:43.960 I'm saying this. There's a lot of things that go into the coaching decision, 220 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:46.879 and we don't know that because we're not at practice and we don't have 221 00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:50.600 the benefit of daily news coming out of these practices, which we would have 222 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:56.600 if they were in cities. Hey. Interesting, we were talking today on 223 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:00.559 the show at the ecotomy of and I want to take your thoughts on the 224 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:03.320 playoff thing too here. But you know, people from outraged Saint Louis didn't 225 00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:07.320 make it, but you have kind of what it feels to be more of 226 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:11.519 a family coach backed. Okay, we have everything and where we're like living 227 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:13.879 and dying. Where Seattle feels a little bit more like a super team, 228 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:16.480 right, like we brought and Josh Gordon and Philip lindsay, we've got d 229 00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:20.240 Nucci and Jim haslet like, maybe isn't this connected to like it feels, 230 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:24.039 you know, and I've been on the sidelines. Area doesn't feel as cool, 231 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:26.519 he said, what do you make of the difference of those two teams. 232 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:30.240 That's a great point because when you feel you feel like Saint Louis, 233 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:35.360 even though every team in the XFL is homegrown, you feel like Saint Louis 234 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:39.240 is more homegrown than anybody else because you know them playing in Saint Louis. 235 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:43.080 The fan base, you feel like they're more locked into what the Battle Hawks 236 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:48.600 are doing. As opposed to Seattle. You feel like, man, I 237 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:52.639 feel like these guys just kind of collected great parts and just PCs these guys 238 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:58.360 together. And um, it's I think what people have the dismay because I 239 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:02.000 feel like we've constantly seen even though this is so weird to say this, 240 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:06.240 everybody's played on TV, right, We've seen all the games, but it 241 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:10.600 feels like Saint Louis has been on TV more than everybody else, even though 242 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:14.519 everybody has been on TV the same. But so people have connected. The 243 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:18.360 nation has connected with Saint Louis, you know, the whole cause the law. 244 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:25.240 You have Anthony Beck, who is very vocal on social media since the 245 00:16:25.559 --> 00:16:27.879 inception, since he was announced as the head coach. So all of that 246 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:33.440 buys into why people have followed Saint Louis and they just don't feel like Seattle 247 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:36.919 brings the same cachet. But I will say this in defense of Seattle, 248 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:40.799 they just have to tweet out beat us. Last. All you had to 249 00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:45.080 do is beat us and guess what we are in the playoffs that didn't happen 250 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:51.000 and guess what now you're out looking at. I saw lots be made if 251 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:53.080 the coaches that didn't make the playoffs, and you know the first year head 252 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:56.240 coach isn't you know we got Blackley and backed and all that, any any 253 00:16:56.279 --> 00:17:00.399 thought of that and the coaches that rable to kind of make a long run 254 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:03.000 here. I know back then we'll get the playoffs, you know with I 255 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:04.519 want to hear get your thoughts at the ceding on that, but thoughts about 256 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:08.680 the coach is not making that, you know, I thought at they started 257 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:11.400 to figure it out. And these are first time head coaches, so you 258 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:15.480 like that they're figuring it out on the fly. And when you have a 259 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:19.359 young coach in a Buckley or you know, Rob Woodson, first time head 260 00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:22.440 coach, and you start to see them figure it out and their teams start 261 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:26.960 to play better, which just gets you excited for next season. If they're 262 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:30.200 able to do that and build on what they learned, and this this iteration 263 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:33.599 hines War start to figure some things out as well. The next thing you 264 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:37.480 know, next season, these guys would be more experienced, they have a 265 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:41.559 better idea of how to manage. They won't be as emotional on the sideline. 266 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:45.640 I think Buckley and Award a little bit more emotional than back back really 267 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.440 was even killed and when you're overly emotional on the sideline, your players tend 268 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:52.720 to reflect that out there on the field. That's why they're making mistakes or 269 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:55.799 that's why they're afraid to make the mistakes on the fly. So that's what 270 00:17:55.880 --> 00:18:00.359 I feel like we should see in the next season from Buckley and Ward. 271 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:07.039 I think and us I felt like you could have created a whole show about 272 00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:11.480 Rod Woodson versus the refs because every week it was chaotic on the sideline. 273 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:15.240 So I feel like with those guys having you know, now gotten their first 274 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:18.720 year as a hit coach beneath their belt, next year their teams will be 275 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:22.440 much more blocked in, which will make it competitive across support because it's that 276 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:26.279 tough mix. Yeah, because I think back to portrays a little bit more 277 00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:29.000 than every man, like I'm one of you guys here where what's in? 278 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:32.400 It does feel like you still have that player of mentality like oh come on, 279 00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:34.279 raff, like come on you, where's the flag? And I don't 280 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:37.720 know what the balance is there. I mean, obviously all the teams played 281 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:41.000 competitively for their coaches, even the losing team, so I guess you can't 282 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:45.519 nippick too much. But was there any of the coaches that maybe didn't deliver 283 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:48.720 in your minds. No, no, I felt like everyone and again, 284 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:52.799 first year, I want to go in and give everybody a clean slate and 285 00:18:52.839 --> 00:18:55.279 just say, hey, man, I understand this is the first year, 286 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:59.880 first time GM coach working together. You're figuring things out on the flies. 287 00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:04.119 An unusual situation because you're not in a home place, you don't have a 288 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:07.440 place to call home. You're kind of working together. You beat a team, 289 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:10.640 is you know, and then you got to get back on the plane 290 00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:15.640 with the same team. So there's a lot going on. So I'm not 291 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:19.559 holding anything against any coach. I just like the fact that coaches seem engaged, 292 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:22.559 they seem locked in, they seem like they want to be there. 293 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:26.160 They didn't seem like they checked out. So it was good for me to 294 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:30.000 see that week to week from the XFL are you as outraged as the world 295 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:33.799 seems to be about the playoffs and have the Battot Hawks and the Nest and 296 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:40.359 they're seven and three and being somehow Arlington's in. People are hilarious, like 297 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:45.680 we've had divisions in sports since been right, this is how divisions work. 298 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:49.279 And Saint Louis all they had to do is beat Seattle, and this would 299 00:19:49.319 --> 00:19:52.480 be a conversation. You had a winning and get in situation. Guess what, 300 00:19:52.599 --> 00:19:56.519 you didn't win and you didn't get in. So that happens all the 301 00:19:56.599 --> 00:20:00.960 time in the NFL, where you got a team that plays earlier in the 302 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:03.559 day and does what they're supposed to do, but the team later in the 303 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:07.400 day they need to lose, ends up playing a game in their life and 304 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.400 they get out the playoffs. Well, if you would have did what you 305 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:12.559 had to do earlier in the season and not let it come down to this, 306 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:15.799 then this wouldn't be a problem. So I had no issue with it. 307 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:19.680 It doesn't bother me because hey man, this is how sports work, 308 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:23.720 this is how competition works. And yeah, you have a better record than 309 00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:26.680 san Antonio, and yeah, san Antonio is gonna get the doors blown off 310 00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:30.839 their first you know, in the playoffs. But hey, had you beat 311 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:34.000 in Seattle, this wouldn't be a conversation. See, you don't like them 312 00:20:34.119 --> 00:20:37.440 thinking that we need to move it and it needs to be in the top 313 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:40.400 two and then points or anything, because like that's the thing is if they 314 00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:44.119 would do it a different way, none of these games wouldn't mattered this weekend, 315 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:47.720 right, Like, it's because of the playoffs situation. That's that's why, 316 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:52.039 Because that could have been a nothing game there Seattle in Vegas or Vegas 317 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:55.359 at Seattle here or something that maybe we should ask Peter King, because if 318 00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:59.160 Peter King says something, then rules get changed. If he didn't like that 319 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.880 Brett fall of Law also against New Orleans. Next thing, you know, 320 00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:04.799 everyone should touch the football. He didn't like that Josh Allen lost to Patrick 321 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:07.720 Mahons. Next thing, you know, well, everybody will need a possession 322 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:11.920 over time. So maybe Peter King when he says something, rules get changed 323 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:18.440 for whatever whatever team he wants to win. Looking to hear at the playoffs, 324 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:21.279 the more exciting one I think will be in the North. We'll talk 325 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:26.079 about that. But you know, Arlington at Houston, it feels like Arlington 326 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:27.640 has never really found there. You know, we're trading quarterbacks all that. 327 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:33.200 What do you make of the South playoffs? It's the South Playoff and the 328 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:37.279 North Playoff to me are the same thing. So the South Playoff is about 329 00:21:37.160 --> 00:21:44.880 can Houston stay locked in for sixty minutes and not allow Arlington to hang around? 330 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:49.000 Because but we saw last weekend should be what we see this weekend and 331 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:52.960 nothing will change with the game plan because there's no threat from the run game 332 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:59.240 from Arlington. There's no threat from the passing game, especially vertical passing game 333 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:03.000 from Arlington. And defensively they do a great job of applying pressure and turning 334 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:07.440 the ball over that to pick six last game. So this is not gonna 335 00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:10.440 be a good look for Arlington, you know what I mean. So for 336 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:15.359 me, this is a situation where it's more about Houston than it is Arlington. 337 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:18.839 Now, Arlington does have some really good defensive players. They do have 338 00:22:18.839 --> 00:22:21.799 an ability to really slow down an offense. But if they can't depend on 339 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:25.480 their offense to put points up in the paint and kind of make this a 340 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:27.680 game, it's gonna be all for not. And I feel like that's going 341 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:32.680 to be the case again. Houston, you know, has been through it 342 00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:34.319 trying here, you know, and Brandon kind of got hurt and everything they 343 00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:37.359 looked good. Then they can't win against the North. I mean, it's 344 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:41.519 Houston a real presuming they may get onto the championship game or they're real throughout 345 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:45.680 here against ever comes out of the North. No, they're not because their 346 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:52.039 offense is too scattershot. On paper, their offense looks dynamic. You know, 347 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:56.400 they can score. They have shown flashes of brilliance. But quarterback player 348 00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:00.480 is crucial in these games. And we've seen over the course of the season, 349 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:06.000 those that have had the more consistent play at quarterback have been the teams 350 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:11.240 that have won more more than they loss and they have ultimately saying Saint Louis 351 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:15.400 found themselves in the playoffs and maybe that would have been different head Aji mccarroon 352 00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:18.599 now gotten hurt, right, maybe they would have found a way to win 353 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:23.640 more games. Right, So, I feel like Houston's quarterback play is too 354 00:23:23.720 --> 00:23:30.160 inconsistent to win against whoever comes out the North. It's weird to me because 355 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:33.200 you know, I love a Jason had been on the show everyone and talk, 356 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:37.960 you know this, you know Wizard Football everything. Is he just getting 357 00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:40.839 found out? Is he getting out coached? Is like? What's going on 358 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:42.359 with him? And it seems like Houston's has kind of had a bunch of 359 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:47.480 roadblocks. There are certain times where you feel like, and this happens in 360 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:51.680 you know, the NFL and college football. I want to say it was 361 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:56.680 maybe two weeks ago where they had a team beat and they went forward on 362 00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:02.359 fourth down or went forward on thir day through it like Silver's threw an out 363 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:03.759 route and they got picked off and it was like, why are you throwing 364 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:07.839 in that situation? Run the ball forced that team to use their time out. 365 00:24:07.880 --> 00:24:11.960 So and this is something that happens with these guys that left to throw 366 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:14.839 the football a lot. You know, they get enamored with their passing game 367 00:24:15.079 --> 00:24:18.200 and their play calling and miss out on situational football. So for me, 368 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:22.400 it's mostly about they have to tie up the loose ends. I have no 369 00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:25.000 problems with the play calling or you know what you're saying with the play calling 370 00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:29.960 and how he runs his offense A J. Smith, But situational football is 371 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:34.279 what wins you games. And if they're not playing great situationally third on offense, 372 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:38.559 red zone offense, four minute offense, then they're going to find themselves 373 00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:42.880 losing. And plus guys also have to make plays and that falls onto the 374 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:48.599 quarterback position. He has to be consistent and beating pressure, beating the blitz, 375 00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:51.599 just like he did earlier in the season when teams wanted to blitz him 376 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:53.200 but he was finding he always had an answer. And if he can get 377 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:56.480 back to that, and I feel like that's something that can help them out. 378 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:00.440 They'll have a shot. In terms of Bob steps and everything. It 379 00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:03.720 feels like he's kind of made chicken salad out of everything this year and it's 380 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:07.839 just not a great I mean, do we blame him for assembly maybe a 381 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:10.799 subpar team? Do we blame I mean, what do you put on in 382 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:15.759 Arlington? Arlington needs a quarterback and they have to go into the off season 383 00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:18.200 and find one. You know, right now, there's they're not getting any 384 00:25:18.200 --> 00:25:23.480 production out of the quarterback position. They're not dynamic at quarterback, they don't 385 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:29.400 have the athleticism at quarterback. All of that needs to change next year because 386 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:33.640 there's talent on the roster. But when you don't have the at least a 387 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:37.440 threat of the QB run or you don't have a game breaker in the backfield, 388 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:41.559 there's an issue. So maybe quarterback and running back or where they have 389 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:45.240 to address first. And if they can answer those questions, there'll be a 390 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:47.920 different team. Because again, they got players on defense. You know, 391 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:51.640 they're very strong in my opinion, they can rush the passer. They had 392 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:55.279 a good front point of attack play up front on a defensive line. But 393 00:25:55.400 --> 00:26:00.640 offensively, nothing threatens you on offense outside of the guy on the perimeter, 394 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:03.319 but the quarterback has to get it down the field and for them to really 395 00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:08.279 take effect. In terms of the North here Seattle going in. I'm excited. 396 00:26:08.400 --> 00:26:11.000 I you know, I to me, it's cool that we have to 397 00:26:11.079 --> 00:26:14.680 kick off there in twenty twenty and now we kind of have the playoff game 398 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:18.200 this year. You know, didn't you Chi even during an interception at the 399 00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:19.559 end of the game. You know, we're like, can we just get 400 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:22.359 out of this game? Please? What do you make of this matchup? 401 00:26:23.079 --> 00:26:29.079 It's gonna be a strength versus strength battle, right Seattle strength is their ability 402 00:26:29.160 --> 00:26:32.000 to work touchdown to check down. They can throw the football vertically down the 403 00:26:32.039 --> 00:26:36.440 field. DC has a good defense. They're opportunities that can get pressure where 404 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:41.480 DC has a problem. And I was there at the Allington game and witness 405 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:45.680 this again firsthand, Like they play with their food far too often, Like 406 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:48.400 they had Allington blown out, And if you were a Vegas guy, you 407 00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:51.880 know, you just felt like, oh, this was a comfortable lead. 408 00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:55.759 You know, plus nine and a half is going to cover and then they 409 00:26:55.799 --> 00:26:57.519 just get tired in the last five minutes of the game and just allow them 410 00:26:57.559 --> 00:27:02.640 to come back and how you find cells in overtime. Right, So the 411 00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:07.400 football side is if DC keeps their foot on the gas and stays interested for 412 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:11.079 sixteen minutes throughout the whole game, then they'll have a They won't have a 413 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:15.119 problem with Seattle. They can play the run all the way to the quarterback 414 00:27:15.160 --> 00:27:18.599 and do a good job of shutting down to Nucci. They know the Nuchi 415 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:22.240 is gonna give them at least two opportunities turn the ball over, so they 416 00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:26.200 just have to capitalize. They haven't really dropped interceptions all season long on offense, 417 00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:32.680 probably the perfect blend of utilizing the two quarterback system, knowing when and 418 00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:37.039 where to fit guys in and pull guys out, as opposed to some scattershot 419 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:44.319 thing that we're seeing now with the New Jersey Generals with Mike Riley. Let 420 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:47.359 DeAndre Johnson just get out there and rock out. Man. You take prew 421 00:27:47.400 --> 00:27:49.640 Coop, you put prew Coop in at the worst possible time, and your 422 00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:53.200 offense goes non existence for three straight drives, right, and the other team 423 00:27:53.240 --> 00:27:56.279 gets back in the game. But I feel like with DC and what they 424 00:27:56.359 --> 00:28:00.559 do, they understand who they are, They get you know, Deerk king 425 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:03.480 in at the right moments and he's able to execute at a high level. 426 00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:07.480 Saying for Jordan Tiama, who's played better this year than he did last year 427 00:28:07.480 --> 00:28:11.240 for the Tampa Bay Bandit. So, I feel like this is gonna be 428 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:15.359 a game where DC shows that they're the most complete team on both sides of 429 00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:21.160 the ball. Now they have to stay locked in because there's no you know, 430 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:25.000 no other game. This is a one game season, and I feel 431 00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:27.839 like they'll take care of business against Seattle. I just care like I been 432 00:28:27.960 --> 00:28:30.880 playing horrendous the first half of the game, you know, on Sunday, 433 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:33.359 and I just really bad, and I'm like, I'm looking at the silence. 434 00:28:33.400 --> 00:28:36.119 I'm like, what is going on here? And then you know, 435 00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:38.279 we got to touchdown before half, and then he comes back and it seems 436 00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:41.319 like, you know, but then it's sustained. Well, I just it 437 00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:44.680 never feels like he learns anything, and just we're still out there and we're 438 00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:45.920 running, and I think he's I don't know, if it's like he's a 439 00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:49.359 really emotional player and he gets like caught up in then you go, I 440 00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:53.279 just I'm very scared if if we're getting going to continue to give him the 441 00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:59.319 weather ball like we have oh you guys will give away to football. That 442 00:28:59.440 --> 00:29:03.160 has been the most consistent thing everyone. And it's gonna be not just it's 443 00:29:03.160 --> 00:29:04.160 gonna be one way. He's gonna hold the ball a long and it's gonna 444 00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:07.720 he's gonna fumble, and another one's gonna be like, Yo, where were 445 00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:11.000 you throwing with that? Like the dude was like either covered or that dude 446 00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:15.160 clearly has on a DC Defenders uniform. So yeah, it's gonna happen. 447 00:29:15.799 --> 00:29:18.880 It's about when it happens. If it happens early, not a problem, 448 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:22.319 but it happens in crunch time you're in trouble. Yeah, it was like 449 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:26.359 because and we're trying to do them out in the stands on how many points 450 00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:27.119 we have to win by and then he give us up to turn them. 451 00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:30.799 I'm like, can we just flean to get another dutchtownle to just get out 452 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:34.359 of here? Like it was very very scary there, very trying times listen. 453 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:37.880 And first of all, it's hard to it's hard to hate Seattle because 454 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:41.680 I've said this, they have the best uniform out there in the expel. 455 00:29:41.880 --> 00:29:48.000 Their uniform is phenomenal, helmet color, scheme. Everything works, so you 456 00:29:48.039 --> 00:29:51.240 want to see them do well because you keep on to seeing you keep wanting 457 00:29:51.319 --> 00:29:55.559 to see the uniform. But the play has to catch up right and the 458 00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:59.400 play has to be consistent, and they only have one more shot to get 459 00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:02.920 it done, and that's this weekend in the playoffs. I have my replica 460 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:06.079 Jersey. I think I'm getting ready to ship it back, getting ready to 461 00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:08.839 getting ready to return that too. It's just not it's just not up to 462 00:30:08.920 --> 00:30:11.359 snuff. The ones that they put out right now, I don't know to 463 00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:15.720 me. And it's two Broncos. It looks like we were at the bar 464 00:30:15.079 --> 00:30:18.880 and I saw a lady and she had at Philip Lindsay Jersey and it was 465 00:30:18.119 --> 00:30:21.839 I'm like, did she get it? Like? Did she get a custom 466 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:25.240 like Philip Lindsay Jersey, like from China this quick? And then she turns 467 00:30:25.319 --> 00:30:27.000 rounds the Broncos jersey. I'm like, of course like that, But I 468 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:30.039 mean it looks, it looks and we hate the Broncos here in Seattle, 469 00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:36.400 cells right, oh AFC West, you know Folds. My thing is I'm 470 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:40.119 you know, I'm a I'm a mini helmet guy. Can we at least 471 00:30:40.119 --> 00:30:42.720 get the XFLO to sell us many helmets, like I would buy all eight 472 00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:48.039 right now, including the XFL League helmet um because right now I don't have 473 00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:53.519 any XFL helmets. Like make the mini helmets available on the site easy to 474 00:30:53.559 --> 00:30:59.000 do our rack those ate up right now. If they do that, well, 475 00:30:59.319 --> 00:31:02.079 you know that fair Women of the League now follows me on Twitter. 476 00:31:02.119 --> 00:31:07.920 So maybe maybe we can work outs at tweeted you too, like listen. 477 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:11.720 Might have to worry, Yeah, may have to bulls in the shakes there. 478 00:31:11.759 --> 00:31:15.039 See, we can't get miss working on that before we get out of 479 00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:21.039 here. USFL comes back, I want you know, I'm trying to watch 480 00:31:21.079 --> 00:31:23.799 for what do you make of us all season two ratings? Ratings, We're 481 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:26.160 down the week one. I presume they're going to be down again this week. 482 00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:30.720 Well, to me, it's we gotta focus. We gotta get people 483 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:34.400 to focus on the football. In both the XFL and USFL, we spend 484 00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:38.960 so much time talking about ratings and crowd attendance. Like focus on the football, 485 00:31:40.359 --> 00:31:42.799 get people talking about that. That's the real battle. And the football 486 00:31:42.839 --> 00:31:48.880 has been solid, but again, play your best players. Why is DeAndre 487 00:31:48.039 --> 00:31:52.519 Johnson, you know, getting pulled and being absent for three series. No 488 00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:56.799 less, no figure that out, man, Like the whole thing was you 489 00:31:56.920 --> 00:32:00.759 had a longer, extended off season and or you know, training camp, 490 00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:06.240 so you shouldn't have had this issue. And also you guys just play those 491 00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:08.319 guys that are that are like better. Let those guys play, man, 492 00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:14.240 Let the young guys play. The football is still good and it's it's funny 493 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:19.759 to watch like these USFL games, and you see the benefit of having an 494 00:32:19.799 --> 00:32:24.880 extended preseason. Hit the ground running in Week one. The scores are higher, 495 00:32:25.240 --> 00:32:30.240 the competitive balances there, you recognize guys continuity as king. So now 496 00:32:30.359 --> 00:32:36.039 teams remember fans remember who was on their team last year. You see the 497 00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:39.440 difference in continuity with Alex McGoo playing much better this year than he did last 498 00:32:39.480 --> 00:32:44.279 year. Uh, you know, losing Jamar Smith. So now you have 499 00:32:44.400 --> 00:32:46.319 some intrigue. They're like, oh, man, jmar was good last year, 500 00:32:46.400 --> 00:32:50.440 but now Magoo, who's there last year, has improved. So now 501 00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:53.079 you're starting to see teams half progression. C. J. Marrable is running 502 00:32:53.119 --> 00:32:57.119 better this year than he did last year. You're seeing Kingston Davis, who 503 00:32:57.160 --> 00:33:00.759 was on the general's roster last year, now getting an opport to the rocket. 504 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:01.960 Now you say, Wow, they got a really good one to punch 505 00:33:01.960 --> 00:33:06.440 in New Jersey. So I like the fact that the continuity that we're seeing 506 00:33:06.440 --> 00:33:08.920 in season two is manifesting itself out there on the field with better play. 507 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:15.839 And I can't wait to see what it's like in Detroit for the Michigan Hub. 508 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:20.079 I'll be there Mother's Day weekend to check those two games out, just 509 00:33:20.119 --> 00:33:22.680 to see. But I like the fact that we are now back and teams 510 00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:27.799 are fans are invested in, you know, year or two. Everybody keeps 511 00:33:27.799 --> 00:33:31.599 saying what about playing in their cities. But these people that keep saying that 512 00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:37.400 are probably horrible at business. Are finances that you got to understand finances first 513 00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:42.480 in order for this to really sustain itself. And I think over the long 514 00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:45.599 haul, with the approach the XFL has taken and the approach that the USFL 515 00:33:45.680 --> 00:33:51.559 is taken, both leagues will be able to be here for a long time, 516 00:33:51.599 --> 00:33:54.000 which is what we want because everything else will increase. You know, 517 00:33:54.119 --> 00:33:58.319 So we can't like people, well it's not the NFL, like well, 518 00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:00.839 dug Like again, the NFL has been around since nineteen twenty, Like, 519 00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:05.319 why are you even trying to compare this to something that's been around four hundred 520 00:34:05.319 --> 00:34:08.199 plus years. Like, I just don't understand people's focus, but I do 521 00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:13.039 like the fact that year two they can't. At first of all, let 522 00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:15.840 me stop. We gotta stop saying year or two. In year one of 523 00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:19.400 year two, Can we just say last season, this season, you know, 524 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:21.639 because if we said because it's gonna be, it's gonna couple of time, 525 00:34:21.639 --> 00:34:22.599 we're not gonna be able to keep up with year end, right, 526 00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:27.679 So just say this season, right, But this season, I'm glad. 527 00:34:27.960 --> 00:34:30.639 You know, we've seen we're seeing them back, and we're seeing teams, 528 00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:34.960 uh, you know, more hubs are open, which means more teams are 529 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:37.719 in their market. And the slow approach is working for the USFL. And 530 00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:40.159 I think, you know, with them having that draft that they had, 531 00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:45.159 I liked the draft concept and we'll see how it continues to work itself out 532 00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:49.840 moving forward. But I'm just glad that we're seeing we got we still got 533 00:34:49.880 --> 00:34:52.599 spring football watching. We're not Jones and for football. Imagine if there was 534 00:34:52.639 --> 00:34:55.800 no USFL and the XFL just ended here, like, man, you know 535 00:34:57.039 --> 00:34:59.559 what are we gonna watch now? You know, we're not gonna fake like 536 00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:01.719 soccer? You know what I'm saying, we're gonna watch NBA playoffs, but 537 00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:06.440 we want to watch more football and we have more football. Yeah, that 538 00:35:07.079 --> 00:35:09.079 college draft was, you know, it's like, wait, I was drafted, 539 00:35:09.199 --> 00:35:12.280 Like, let's go. It was. I think that I think the 540 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:15.239 execution leads a little bit to be desired there. I like the concept of 541 00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:19.039 it, and I like, you know, valuing players rights and the teams 542 00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:21.679 and all that kind of stuff, But I think that they needed the messaging 543 00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:23.840 needed to work a little bit more on that. What they what they have 544 00:35:23.920 --> 00:35:29.039 done, what what one team has done that It seems like Pittsburgh was really 545 00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:32.280 locked in with who they drafted because a couple of their guys have already committed 546 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:36.719 to playing in the league, and that's where the focus has to change. 547 00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:42.079 Like, hey, man, we know football players and athletes have the ego 548 00:35:42.119 --> 00:35:45.280 of I'm going to the league, Like, yeah, we want you to. 549 00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:51.000 But let's be realistic right here. Man. You're you just played at 550 00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:55.519 Middle Mississippi Baptist. The likelihood of you getting drafted and getting an opportunity is 551 00:35:55.559 --> 00:36:00.440 probably slim. Come play these ten weeks here and the league reevaluate you from 552 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:02.719 there. What if you balled out a week one a Week two in the 553 00:36:02.840 --> 00:36:07.960 USFL, and now you find yourself here in week three with the NFL draft 554 00:36:07.199 --> 00:36:12.400 approaching. You probably just played yourself into a draft pick because you played two 555 00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:17.079 extra games here for the Pittsburgh Malors or the Michigan Panthers. That so, 556 00:36:19.079 --> 00:36:22.519 I think the more of these leagues are around, the messaging for both leagues 557 00:36:23.079 --> 00:36:28.400 have to change it. I think we need to stop saying NFL, stop 558 00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:31.800 talking about the NFL. NFL gonna pick guys up regardless. XFL focused on 559 00:36:31.840 --> 00:36:37.639 building your stars, USFL focused on building your stars. And as the leagues 560 00:36:37.400 --> 00:36:42.559 grow, obviously the salaries will increase and it will become a more attractive option 561 00:36:43.039 --> 00:36:45.960 for guys that are on the smaller school level that you know won't go anywhere, 562 00:36:46.159 --> 00:36:51.719 so they'll be locked into the league and it'll just help the league grow 563 00:36:51.760 --> 00:36:54.880 I think faster. Last question to that, I appreciate it extending the timeline 564 00:36:54.920 --> 00:36:59.760 here. How terrible is the Pittsburgh Malors and how are they still sabad this 565 00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:06.559 year? Common theme man quarterback play. Find you a quarter Granted you're banking 566 00:37:06.599 --> 00:37:09.800 on Lindsay Scott. You know now Lindsay Scott as a phenomenal player, but 567 00:37:09.960 --> 00:37:15.000 all seriousness. It's quarterback play and that's what these there's a big myth out 568 00:37:15.039 --> 00:37:20.119 there read that people feel like there's not enough quarterbacks out there. Yes, 569 00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:23.679 there's enough quarterbacks. There's enough athletes, enough football players. There's eight hundred 570 00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:29.440 and sixty football playing colleges across the country and into Canada. There's more than 571 00:37:29.519 --> 00:37:35.519 enough football players to field two spring football league. So it's about trusting what 572 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:40.679 you're seeing, playing the best player and allow that player to play. And 573 00:37:40.760 --> 00:37:45.000 that's what has to happen. Once you get good quarterback play, people think 574 00:37:45.039 --> 00:37:47.559 you have to be Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and whatnot. 575 00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:52.440 Now you just can't be out there, you know, not being able to 576 00:37:52.480 --> 00:37:55.920 evade pressure, terrible with reads and skipping the passes all over the field. 577 00:37:57.239 --> 00:38:01.199 Just get competent quarterback play. It doesn't have to be spectacular. It just 578 00:38:01.239 --> 00:38:05.199 has to be consistent and if you can get that, everything else will work 579 00:38:05.239 --> 00:38:08.920 itself out. Pittsburgh also has a lack of speed running game wide receivers. 580 00:38:09.000 --> 00:38:13.280 Right now, everything is a possession. They have possession receivers and they don't 581 00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:15.639 have explosiveness in the backfield. So I think their defense is ready to win. 582 00:38:16.039 --> 00:38:20.159 They got really good. They had a good defense last year. They 583 00:38:20.199 --> 00:38:23.239 just didn't have the explosiveness and dynamic ability on offense coming from the quarterback, 584 00:38:23.599 --> 00:38:29.480 running back or the wide receiver position. Well, wish us locked this weekend. 585 00:38:29.559 --> 00:38:32.599 Big exciting South for the Yeah, XFL playoffs L three everything else and 586 00:38:32.719 --> 00:38:36.360 read good luck with the draft and everything else you have going on. I 587 00:38:36.400 --> 00:38:38.400 really appreciate your time to that. Appreciate your read. Always a pleasure, 588 00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:40.679 man, Good luck down there in DC. I had fun when I went. 589 00:38:40.760 --> 00:38:44.920 Man, I got to see the beer steak in person, and like 590 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:46.440 I said, you know, beer's fine. That's a lot of beer they 591 00:38:46.519 --> 00:38:50.760 drink. But if it was a you know, Cabernet snake, I may 592 00:38:50.800 --> 00:38:53.400 have gone over there and participated of If it was a you know, uncle 593 00:38:53.480 --> 00:38:57.239 nearest Bourbons, you know snake, I probably would have gone over there. 594 00:38:57.280 --> 00:39:00.320 But it's cool to see it live in person, and is it would be 595 00:39:00.360 --> 00:39:02.119 a fun time for you. Yeah, I'll be I'll be in there. 596 00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:06.559 I'm in the section. I got a ticket listeners Seth hooked me up with 597 00:39:06.599 --> 00:39:08.440 the code early. I'll be a paid member there of the DC Army, 598 00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:15.639 So it'll be fun. Well, I appreciate it. Here we have him 599 00:39:15.679 --> 00:39:19.320 on preseason. Now we have him back, Tom Luka. But how are 600 00:39:19.320 --> 00:39:22.360 you doing, sir? I'm good man, how are you doing? Thanks 601 00:39:22.360 --> 00:39:25.280 for having me back. We're good making the rounds busy week NFL Draft. 602 00:39:25.320 --> 00:39:30.440 I appreciate it. Uh, we're here at the playoffs. First off? 603 00:39:30.440 --> 00:39:35.960 What has been this whole experience like for you XFL twenty twenty three. It's 604 00:39:36.000 --> 00:39:38.679 been a blast. To be honest with you, I've had probably as much 605 00:39:38.760 --> 00:39:43.920 fun as I've had in the last eighteen years at ESPN broadcast and you know 606 00:39:43.960 --> 00:39:45.920 football where it's college football, high school football, being in the booth, 607 00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:51.639 being on the field, um, And I think the reason why it's been 608 00:39:51.679 --> 00:39:54.719 so much much fun is it's it's such a it's such a different product, 609 00:39:55.000 --> 00:40:00.400 right, It's it's a it's a there's several differences to the game that make 610 00:40:00.440 --> 00:40:02.079 a big difference. You know, the pace of play is fantastic. We 611 00:40:02.119 --> 00:40:06.360 all know about the access and the audio, but it's how you have to 612 00:40:06.400 --> 00:40:09.039 call the game that's so dramatically different than what we've done at the collegian or 613 00:40:09.079 --> 00:40:13.119 the National Football League level. And it's made it a lot of fun, 614 00:40:13.239 --> 00:40:15.559 a lot of adjustments. It's kind of like having to start over when you 615 00:40:15.559 --> 00:40:19.480 you know you're taught, or you learn a certain way to you know, 616 00:40:19.679 --> 00:40:23.119 do your traditional broadcast, and this is anything but. And so it went 617 00:40:23.239 --> 00:40:28.320 about as I anticipated, some rough sledding early with teams trying to find their 618 00:40:28.360 --> 00:40:32.480 footing and particularly in the offensive line. And then as we rolled around about 619 00:40:32.480 --> 00:40:37.639 week four or five six, you really started to see the games become ultra 620 00:40:37.679 --> 00:40:42.519 competitive. You saw more points being scored on behalf of both teams. There's 621 00:40:42.519 --> 00:40:46.000 a lot more familiarity, a lot more things to scout and prepare for. 622 00:40:46.079 --> 00:40:50.719 Could you remember those first two weeks? You know, what are you watching 623 00:40:50.719 --> 00:40:57.280 to prepare for the opponent? And so I thought it materialized and grew and 624 00:40:57.400 --> 00:41:01.679 matured the way the league hoped it would. The viewership, I think went 625 00:41:01.800 --> 00:41:06.599 the way the league hoped it would. And you know, you're looking the 626 00:41:06.639 --> 00:41:08.559 last couple of weeks of the regular season. You know, we finally get 627 00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:14.679 a two overtime games in one weekend, and then you get a third one, 628 00:41:14.840 --> 00:41:17.079 and then you know, you find yourself in these one point games or 629 00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:22.480 these one possession games, and that's competitive football, top to bottom. And 630 00:41:22.719 --> 00:41:27.840 I will say this it was a dream come true for the league because they 631 00:41:27.880 --> 00:41:31.280 could have no way they could have scripted. Having every single game in the 632 00:41:31.360 --> 00:41:36.920 last weekend has some sort of impact on the playoff pitch, and that's exactly 633 00:41:36.920 --> 00:41:40.960 what you want to have happen. I still see people upset with the playoffs. 634 00:41:40.960 --> 00:41:44.519 I saw I coach back, I think it was yesterday, even still 635 00:41:44.519 --> 00:41:47.440 tweeting about it, like I reover it now. What do you what do 636 00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:53.199 you make of this? As with anything in startup leagues and startup franchises, 637 00:41:53.239 --> 00:41:57.360 and I've been a part of a lot of them, you're gonna take stock, 638 00:41:57.559 --> 00:42:00.239 you're gonna sell scout, and you're gonna go back and you're gonna say, 639 00:42:00.239 --> 00:42:00.960 what do we need to correct, What do we need to fix, 640 00:42:01.000 --> 00:42:04.320 What did we get right? And what do we want to leave alone? 641 00:42:04.840 --> 00:42:07.480 How can we add? How can we subtract? And I don't think there's 642 00:42:07.480 --> 00:42:14.760 any question that you know Russ Brandon and you know even Danny Garcia and Dwayne 643 00:42:14.800 --> 00:42:20.039 Johnson, everybody affiliated at the league level. Dean Blandino, from a rules 644 00:42:20.079 --> 00:42:25.800 perspective, do we need to evaluate having division champs, which is fine, 645 00:42:25.880 --> 00:42:30.519 North and South division champs, but then also ensure that the top four best 646 00:42:30.559 --> 00:42:34.920 records get into the playoff, and that's really where the beef has come from 647 00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:38.400 from fans. And I get it right, this was an unfortunate byproduct of 648 00:42:38.519 --> 00:42:44.280 something that really couldn't be foreseen. I mean, if if you're everybody, 649 00:42:44.280 --> 00:42:45.719 you can sit there and say they've got all the answers. But if you 650 00:42:45.760 --> 00:42:50.199 were heading into the season as an executive at the XFL and you said, 651 00:42:50.239 --> 00:42:52.320 hey, at the end of this deal, we're gonna have a four to 652 00:42:52.440 --> 00:42:54.559 six team make the playoff, but we're gonna have a seven and three team 653 00:42:54.760 --> 00:42:59.320 not make the playoff, they'd be like, what, oh, way, 654 00:42:59.400 --> 00:43:01.679 what is this distical chance that happens. Well, it happened, right, 655 00:43:01.920 --> 00:43:05.119 and so now they'll have to figure out how they want to address it, 656 00:43:05.159 --> 00:43:07.880 if they want to address it, and those will be decisions made by people 657 00:43:07.880 --> 00:43:13.199 a way above my bagorite. Yeah. I mean I if anything, you 658 00:43:14.119 --> 00:43:15.159 have to ride it out at least now. I mean, I think that 659 00:43:15.320 --> 00:43:17.719 it would be worse if midway through the season they're like, oh no, 660 00:43:17.840 --> 00:43:21.320 we need to kind of adjust here and this isn't working now. I mean, 661 00:43:21.360 --> 00:43:23.400 if anything, you ride this out, you reflect later, because it 662 00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:27.039 would be worse the other way. Yeah, you know, I do think 663 00:43:27.079 --> 00:43:30.960 it would have been worse off for them to make any changes based off of 664 00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:35.079 what they started to see could potentially happen, because then it looks like you're 665 00:43:35.119 --> 00:43:37.519 scrambling right, and then it looks like you're trying to write it wrong. 666 00:43:37.679 --> 00:43:42.079 And I think they were smart just to stay away from it. Let it 667 00:43:42.119 --> 00:43:45.719 play itself out. You'll deal with it in the offseason. But it's just 668 00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:46.400 like, you know, there are going to be rules, they are going 669 00:43:46.440 --> 00:43:50.760 to be looked at, Like, for example, there was a rule that 670 00:43:50.800 --> 00:43:52.719 happened. It was either an unsports bike conduct or a personal found it was 671 00:43:52.760 --> 00:43:59.159 after an extra point trial, and it was on the offense. So what 672 00:43:59.199 --> 00:44:04.480 would happen is the penalty would be assessed after the kick, all right, 673 00:44:05.599 --> 00:44:09.559 but all it, excuse me, would be assessed during the kick. But 674 00:44:09.679 --> 00:44:14.840 it didn't actually give the team that should have gotten the yardage the yardage. 675 00:44:14.920 --> 00:44:20.519 It actually just moved the kick closer to the zone that they had to get 676 00:44:20.559 --> 00:44:23.280 in the twenty yard line. Whereas if you make that a post kick penalty, 677 00:44:24.039 --> 00:44:28.239 then the team that should have received the fifteen yards gets fifteen yards on 678 00:44:28.440 --> 00:44:32.199 top of the kick return. So you know, little things like that that 679 00:44:32.239 --> 00:44:36.840 are going to be looked at and examined. It's sorry we were talking about, 680 00:44:36.920 --> 00:44:39.000 you know, radiance and everything, and obviously we don't know their metrics. 681 00:44:39.039 --> 00:44:44.800 But I think going into this season maybe XFL twenty twenty fans had that 682 00:44:44.960 --> 00:44:49.159 maybe a grander vision of what this would be. I think maybe this was 683 00:44:49.239 --> 00:44:52.440 kind of a test pilot. We got through, we kind of maintained the 684 00:44:52.440 --> 00:44:54.719 whole way through. How do you view that success or not in terms of 685 00:44:54.920 --> 00:45:01.000 maybe what expectations were versus what actually happened. I think it carried over supremely 686 00:45:01.519 --> 00:45:07.039 from the end of Week five in twenty twenty, because what was happening in 687 00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:10.559 twenty twenty was fantastic and it was very well received. The product on air 688 00:45:10.719 --> 00:45:16.360 was fantastic, ironed out the kinks and got rid of the troublesome approaches that 689 00:45:16.360 --> 00:45:22.840 that played two thousand and one, and then the pandemic hit and unfortunately that 690 00:45:22.840 --> 00:45:25.199 that you know, we all we all know what took place and the rest 691 00:45:25.280 --> 00:45:34.000 is history. So I think that when you consider that there was a foundation 692 00:45:34.000 --> 00:45:37.280 there in twenty twenty that was really successful, and so you know, you 693 00:45:37.320 --> 00:45:39.519 can see, you can envision that it can happen, it can work. 694 00:45:40.440 --> 00:45:45.840 And then I thought it was really really important that the XFL did not just 695 00:45:45.239 --> 00:45:51.400 jump in and decide to go that very what next year after the pandemic and 696 00:45:51.440 --> 00:45:55.000 go twenty twenty two. They decided to wait and really map things out and 697 00:45:57.079 --> 00:46:01.719 play the slow game, which I thought was a smart strategic move probably made 698 00:46:01.719 --> 00:46:06.679 the league more organized and better as a whole. And so you know, 699 00:46:06.719 --> 00:46:09.840 again, now you know, moving forward, I think the fans got what 700 00:46:09.880 --> 00:46:15.519 they were clamoring for. They got access, they got audio, they learned 701 00:46:15.519 --> 00:46:20.199 about the game. Um, you know, they hear things, whether it's 702 00:46:20.199 --> 00:46:23.400 an X is an O type of element or it's it's some type of verbiage 703 00:46:23.440 --> 00:46:27.480 type of element. Hey what does that mean? You know how when I 704 00:46:27.559 --> 00:46:30.679 hear that, what am I supposed to know? And I think that really 705 00:46:30.760 --> 00:46:35.480 benefited the fan And listen, this this league is about the fans. And 706 00:46:35.519 --> 00:46:38.639 when you look at you look at DC, and you look at Saint Louis 707 00:46:38.760 --> 00:46:45.440 and even even you know, San Antonio, who didn't have the season maybe 708 00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:46.320 on the field that they would have liked to have had. They had a 709 00:46:46.320 --> 00:46:51.079 pretty good team that was just ravaged with injuries, and they had tremendous support 710 00:46:51.119 --> 00:46:54.159 at home and so, uh, there's a good foundation to build upon. 711 00:46:54.320 --> 00:47:00.719 Now, whether that foundation, whether that that that building includes expand after year 712 00:47:00.760 --> 00:47:05.960 one or doesn't include expansion after year one, whether it includes you know, 713 00:47:06.239 --> 00:47:13.280 playoffs scenarios or tidebreaker changes, that remains to be seen. But I think 714 00:47:13.920 --> 00:47:17.679 as far as and not just on a linear perspective of ABC, ESPN, 715 00:47:17.880 --> 00:47:22.320 ESPN two in FX, but I think the league felt really really good about 716 00:47:23.320 --> 00:47:31.239 how the league was received digitally, whether it's through social media platforms, the 717 00:47:31.280 --> 00:47:36.920 digital program we did at ESPN each and every week, social media engagement. 718 00:47:37.679 --> 00:47:40.239 There was a lot of interest there and there was a lot of fun and 719 00:47:40.280 --> 00:47:45.000 a lot of banter back and forth. If they gave you the clipboard, 720 00:47:45.079 --> 00:47:46.480 you know, headed into next season and said, Tom, what would you 721 00:47:46.519 --> 00:47:50.760 do? What would be your advice for us to maximize kind of year one 722 00:47:50.800 --> 00:47:53.199 to year two, you know, growth, whatever, viewership everything, What 723 00:47:53.239 --> 00:48:02.480 would you say, m operationally or from a football perspective, in what way 724 00:48:04.599 --> 00:48:06.760 whatever way you see? I mean, I think the football, I think 725 00:48:06.760 --> 00:48:08.519 the product on the field was good. I think they could have a better 726 00:48:08.599 --> 00:48:14.559 job of cultivating some of the local fan bases that weren't already built in right, 727 00:48:14.639 --> 00:48:16.920 like I think I think they inherited Saint Louis, right, I don't 728 00:48:16.920 --> 00:48:22.159 know what was done there to further kind of growth in DC. Yeah, 729 00:48:22.320 --> 00:48:24.559 yeah, you know, I think the one thing that could be important going 730 00:48:24.639 --> 00:48:32.199 forward is to really examine cities that have MLS teams, because those stadiums are 731 00:48:32.559 --> 00:48:38.039 perfect, absolutely perfect for the XFL. You know, it's eighteen to twenty 732 00:48:38.079 --> 00:48:40.719 two thousand, that right on top of you. It makes for a great 733 00:48:40.760 --> 00:48:47.920 game they experience. I think that's something that's that that could be really interesting, 734 00:48:49.039 --> 00:48:52.639 you know, moving forward and looking forward, because the venues just seem 735 00:48:52.719 --> 00:48:57.000 to be really really good in that regard. And then I think what you'll 736 00:48:57.000 --> 00:48:59.920 see this isn't something I do. This is what I think you will see 737 00:49:00.119 --> 00:49:07.719 happen naturally. Is the player pool by which the teams will be able to 738 00:49:07.800 --> 00:49:13.599 draw from will get more experienced and more talented with each and every offseason because 739 00:49:13.639 --> 00:49:17.639 agents and players and their representatives are going to start to realize that if I've 740 00:49:17.679 --> 00:49:21.440 got a guy, let's just say, made it a practice squad, then 741 00:49:21.440 --> 00:49:27.079 he made an active roster for one year, and you know he's just he's 742 00:49:27.159 --> 00:49:30.920 this close well, is my client better served signing an NFL future or is 743 00:49:30.960 --> 00:49:36.599 he better served playing ten games or eleven games or twelve games. And there's 744 00:49:36.639 --> 00:49:42.599 a lot of validity to that question because if these guys start realizing if I'm 745 00:49:42.639 --> 00:49:45.280 playing, I'm going forward, I'm not moving backward, and I'm giving more 746 00:49:45.320 --> 00:49:51.239 people more opportunities to evaluate me. That's going to get better, bigger name, 747 00:49:51.639 --> 00:49:53.960 higher profile players to jump into the player pool, which is in turn 748 00:49:54.840 --> 00:50:00.360 is going to make each and every team's roster more talented. And I think 749 00:50:00.400 --> 00:50:06.800 you'll see that naturally occur over over the course of time. Um, you 750 00:50:06.800 --> 00:50:09.760 know, obviously with Vegas in their and their field set up, I think 751 00:50:09.760 --> 00:50:15.880 that you know, that's going to be something that will will be addressed. 752 00:50:15.280 --> 00:50:22.840 Aside aside from that, like I really I really kind of liked how things 753 00:50:22.920 --> 00:50:25.960 played out. I like the director of place, player personnel and head coach 754 00:50:27.000 --> 00:50:30.559 relationship on each team and how they manage that and how they managed it was 755 00:50:30.639 --> 00:50:34.880 just it was And again, there are a lot of young, when I 756 00:50:34.920 --> 00:50:37.360 say young, young in the coaching profession, inexperienced coaches that were first time 757 00:50:37.400 --> 00:50:40.880 head coaches, right, and so they've learned a time and they're gonna go 758 00:50:40.920 --> 00:50:44.559 back and they're gonna sell Scott and they're going to examine and say, well, 759 00:50:44.559 --> 00:50:46.039 what we maybe do wrong in draft? You know, for me, 760 00:50:46.519 --> 00:50:52.199 I think that there were so many more positives and outweighed any negatives that came 761 00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:55.440 from your one coaches that you were impressed with. You know, obviously we 762 00:50:55.480 --> 00:50:59.039 have a lot of the new head coaches not make the playoffs. But who 763 00:50:59.079 --> 00:51:02.960 do you think really them excelled? I thought Anthony Beck does a fantastic job. 764 00:51:04.000 --> 00:51:07.320 They were extremely organized. They did a really good job of identifying exactly 765 00:51:07.360 --> 00:51:10.400 what they wanted at each position and who fit and who didn't, and they 766 00:51:10.440 --> 00:51:15.480 didn't deviate from that. I thought Reggie Barlow and his staff and the approach 767 00:51:15.519 --> 00:51:20.199 they took offensively was brilliant because in professional football you barely have to deal with 768 00:51:20.280 --> 00:51:24.920 quarterback run and defending quarterback run. So what do they do. They look 769 00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:29.280 like a college team on offense, and then they go out and they signed 770 00:51:29.320 --> 00:51:32.760 a draft three athletic quarterbacks, so if something happened to one of them, 771 00:51:32.880 --> 00:51:36.800 they don't have to change the offense. They just plugged the next guy in. 772 00:51:37.320 --> 00:51:39.679 And as we could see, particularly throughout the first five or six weeks 773 00:51:39.679 --> 00:51:44.920 of the season, people had a hard time figuring them out because you just 774 00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:49.360 in professional football, guys don't have to prepare for that, and you do 775 00:51:49.480 --> 00:51:53.400 every day in college. So I thought that was really really well done on 776 00:51:53.719 --> 00:52:00.679 behalf of Reggie Barlow in the DC staff, I felt or I felt for 777 00:52:00.960 --> 00:52:07.599 Hines Ward because that team was just crushed, crushed with injuries, particularly at 778 00:52:07.639 --> 00:52:10.960 quarterback. But really, what the common denominator is, and the coaches would 779 00:52:12.000 --> 00:52:15.519 tell you this, and it's true at every level anyway, but the teams 780 00:52:15.679 --> 00:52:22.079 that ended up hitting the market quarterback, we're the best teams, all right. 781 00:52:22.159 --> 00:52:25.840 So and sometimes not just with one but with two. I mean Cole 782 00:52:25.920 --> 00:52:30.360 McDonald and Brandon Silver's on one team, Nick Tiano a J. McCarron on 783 00:52:30.360 --> 00:52:37.280 one team. The two players at DC that we referenced Derret King and Jordan 784 00:52:37.360 --> 00:52:43.039 Tamu. And then the teams that struggled to settle in at quarterback struggled to 785 00:52:43.079 --> 00:52:45.199 improve offensively and get enough wins. I mean, that's just kind of the 786 00:52:45.239 --> 00:52:50.960 bottom line. Looking towards this weekend, you know, speaking of DC Seattle 787 00:52:51.039 --> 00:52:52.800 going in, I'll be there. This Seattle will have a chance. I 788 00:52:52.800 --> 00:52:57.039 mean, they've held DC close both other times. When you make of the 789 00:52:57.159 --> 00:53:00.480 North Division, I think Seattle is a dangerous team in the league right now. 790 00:53:00.599 --> 00:53:05.679 And when you really start to dissect their season, they're three plays, 791 00:53:05.960 --> 00:53:08.239 all three of them essentially on the last play of the game for being ten 792 00:53:08.320 --> 00:53:13.480 to no the fumble on the one yard line at DC all right, the 793 00:53:13.519 --> 00:53:15.920 field goal to Seattle in a week two excuse me, Saint Lewis in week 794 00:53:15.960 --> 00:53:20.519 two, and then the thirty five, thirty four or whatever one loss or 795 00:53:20.639 --> 00:53:23.400 one point loss at home against DC. This is going to be a battle 796 00:53:23.400 --> 00:53:27.280 for the ages. I actually think this is the championship game. I do. 797 00:53:27.519 --> 00:53:30.400 I think these are the two best teams, two of the hottest teams 798 00:53:31.880 --> 00:53:37.440 there. It's interesting because I do think Seattle has a great opportunity here. 799 00:53:38.480 --> 00:53:40.679 I think I know a lot of people are going to vote for a J. 800 00:53:40.840 --> 00:53:45.119 McCarron as the MVP, and maybe statistically you should, but I'm not 801 00:53:45.159 --> 00:53:49.559 so sure. The best overall player in the league's not Bend Nucci. And 802 00:53:49.840 --> 00:53:53.039 while he does take risks with the football and you're gonna have turnovers from him, 803 00:53:53.239 --> 00:53:58.480 you're also going to have some utterly spectacular plays, players that have changed 804 00:53:58.519 --> 00:54:01.280 their season players that have changed the of a game. And I think the 805 00:54:01.320 --> 00:54:05.599 biggest challenge for Seattle isn't whether they can go toe to toe and match up 806 00:54:05.639 --> 00:54:09.079 with DC. It's how do you handle you know, the crowd, the 807 00:54:09.360 --> 00:54:14.159 road environment, which will be really really difficult, especially if you get backed 808 00:54:14.199 --> 00:54:17.760 up in that one end zone. And you know, secondly, can you 809 00:54:17.800 --> 00:54:21.599 get over that mental hurdle of sant kak? Can we finally get these guys 810 00:54:21.599 --> 00:54:24.360 and we're so close, we feel like we should have won. We didn't 811 00:54:24.360 --> 00:54:28.480 because we made more errors than they did and maybe it's now their time. 812 00:54:28.519 --> 00:54:31.400 Can you get over that? You know? Do you think Ben has played 813 00:54:31.440 --> 00:54:37.440 his way into a new NFL role here after the season? Oh yeah, 814 00:54:37.480 --> 00:54:40.800 In fact, I think it'll have multiple options now, you know, getting 815 00:54:40.800 --> 00:54:45.199 into camp, going deep into camp, whether he sticks or not, I 816 00:54:45.280 --> 00:54:51.079 firmly believe will not be based upon anything talent related. It will be whether 817 00:54:51.119 --> 00:54:54.159 he can prove he can consistently protect the football, because you're not going to 818 00:54:54.239 --> 00:54:58.480 be able to do what he's done with the football and make a National Football 819 00:54:58.519 --> 00:55:00.199 League roster. That's just they're not going to They're not going to do that, 820 00:55:00.400 --> 00:55:05.559 and Ben knows that, But you don't also want to take away from 821 00:55:05.920 --> 00:55:09.239 what makes him really good, right that riverboat gambler, gun slinger, guys 822 00:55:09.239 --> 00:55:13.320 out in the street playing with his boys and things break down. You just 823 00:55:13.320 --> 00:55:15.840 stolen them. I mean, that's what he is. And it's fun to 824 00:55:15.880 --> 00:55:19.599 watch. Yeah, you wonder what Seattle would be if we didn't turn the 825 00:55:19.599 --> 00:55:22.000 ball over eighty seven times? You know, right exactly. I mean, 826 00:55:22.000 --> 00:55:25.000 at the end of the day, football's football, walking, tackling and who 827 00:55:25.000 --> 00:55:28.599 protects the ball. I mean, it's let's get down to it. In 828 00:55:28.719 --> 00:55:31.360 the bottom line is they were really, really careless with the football this year, 829 00:55:31.559 --> 00:55:36.199 especially in those first four weeks. See you give you give Seattle the 830 00:55:36.280 --> 00:55:38.440 edge against DC. I do. And I'm surprised that I'm saying that because 831 00:55:38.480 --> 00:55:44.639 we had DC so much this year and I'm so familiar with them, But 832 00:55:44.719 --> 00:55:47.159 I think that just might be due. And I think they're playing with such 833 00:55:47.320 --> 00:55:52.280 confidence right now. And I don't know if you've noticed, but all of 834 00:55:52.320 --> 00:55:57.480 a sudden, Josh Gordon's become a much bigger piece of the puzzle when the 835 00:55:57.559 --> 00:56:02.079 other wideouts on that team started to perform, right Jordan VC, Blake Jackson, 836 00:56:02.280 --> 00:56:06.000 Core Pearson. I mean, they have a group of four or five 837 00:56:06.079 --> 00:56:08.559 guys, they're really good. That's enabled everybody not to just say, well, 838 00:56:08.599 --> 00:56:12.920 let's focus on number zero. Now, you better defend the whole entire 839 00:56:12.960 --> 00:56:15.760 field. And it's really helped him become more of a focal point of the 840 00:56:15.800 --> 00:56:20.840 passenger. It's just crazy looking. And I've coached Buckley on this episode as 841 00:56:20.840 --> 00:56:23.519 well, like how some of the teams were so much able to build so 842 00:56:23.639 --> 00:56:27.239 much better? It seems that, you know, because everyone's starting from scratcher, 843 00:56:27.360 --> 00:56:30.800 right, and is it just better DPPs and being able to scout? 844 00:56:30.840 --> 00:56:34.159 Like how are some of the teams stacked so much more like Seattle? And 845 00:56:34.199 --> 00:56:36.880 then you have coach Buckley, you know, I gotta go through twenty five 846 00:56:36.920 --> 00:56:39.920 different guys to get a team here. Well, I think that for some 847 00:56:39.960 --> 00:56:44.639 of the first year head coaches and the guys that hadn't built a franchise or 848 00:56:44.679 --> 00:56:49.719 built a team. And I'm not saying this is the case, but in 849 00:56:49.760 --> 00:56:53.320 supplemental leagues like this, it's all player evaluation. It's all player personnel. 850 00:56:53.440 --> 00:57:01.400 And if you look at Dave Boehler at at St. Louis, over twenty 851 00:57:01.400 --> 00:57:07.559 five years experience as an NFL scout, ben in Personnel's entire career, obviously 852 00:57:07.639 --> 00:57:13.480 Mueller at Seattle and then the NFL pedigree of the coaches on that staff. 853 00:57:14.199 --> 00:57:17.880 And I think as the newer head coaches become more entrenched, they're going to 854 00:57:17.960 --> 00:57:22.159 start, I believe, to really see the value in an off season in 855 00:57:22.199 --> 00:57:27.400 a league like this, it is all player evaluation. And I go back, 856 00:57:27.559 --> 00:57:30.599 I go back to two thousand and one on the team that we built, 857 00:57:30.400 --> 00:57:36.840 like we worked harder and longer in our offseason than we ever did on 858 00:57:36.880 --> 00:57:40.280 a single day during the week of the game of a game in season. 859 00:57:40.880 --> 00:57:46.800 And it was because we wanted to ensure that when we went into training camp 860 00:57:46.800 --> 00:57:52.760 and came out of training camp that barring injury or something unforeseen, that we 861 00:57:52.800 --> 00:57:55.360 had a chance to win, right. And that comes to research and study 862 00:57:55.400 --> 00:58:00.679 and evaluation. And it's months and months and months and months. And not 863 00:58:00.719 --> 00:58:06.199 to say that you know Haines or Rod or you know te Bak or any 864 00:58:06.199 --> 00:58:08.800 of this, but they haven't necessarily had that background at this point, you 865 00:58:08.840 --> 00:58:12.360 know, And some of the other coaches had a little bit of that, 866 00:58:12.440 --> 00:58:17.480 they had some more. It was just like when Galen Hall or Jim Kriner 867 00:58:17.559 --> 00:58:21.960 came over from NFL Europe and comes into the XFL in two thousand and one, 868 00:58:22.039 --> 00:58:25.400 Well, they had distinct advantages over a guy like Jerry DiNardo, right, 869 00:58:25.599 --> 00:58:29.880 And it's just because they'd been through that whole prep of how you do 870 00:58:29.920 --> 00:58:32.400 this in professional football in a supplemental league. And so I think, again, 871 00:58:32.880 --> 00:58:37.760 going back taking stock evaluating, a lot of teams will probably choose to 872 00:58:37.840 --> 00:58:43.360 maybe tweak things or go a different direction sometimes. Do you think the league, 873 00:58:43.440 --> 00:58:45.960 through all of their different you know, we had all the showcases and 874 00:58:45.079 --> 00:58:49.519 everything, and we're finding another do you think they provided the coaches with the 875 00:58:49.559 --> 00:58:52.559 best talent that they It was just who was able to kind of work with, 876 00:58:52.639 --> 00:58:55.000 and that you think that the quality that they assembled for everyone was up. 877 00:58:59.400 --> 00:59:02.159 I thought, let's talk about Orlando for a second, because I thought 878 00:59:02.280 --> 00:59:07.320 Orlando, outside of the quarterback position until they settled on Quentin Dormity, I 879 00:59:07.360 --> 00:59:14.840 didn't think they had bad players. They just self destructed each and every week. 880 00:59:14.920 --> 00:59:16.400 I mean, and Tebuck will tell you that. I mean, double 881 00:59:16.400 --> 00:59:21.239 digit penalties, turn over, snapping, game kicking, game snap booze. 882 00:59:22.840 --> 00:59:25.159 And you can't go out when the playing fields, when you know the margin 883 00:59:25.199 --> 00:59:29.880 of error is so small, you can't go out and do that and expect 884 00:59:29.880 --> 00:59:32.760 to be successful, and then they compounded it because they were struggling at quarterback 885 00:59:32.800 --> 00:59:37.599 and then lo and behold. If you watched the game that they beat DC, 886 00:59:39.119 --> 00:59:44.639 it was the one time leading to that point that DC had actually done 887 00:59:44.679 --> 00:59:47.199 what everybody on the else in the league had done, gone out there and 888 00:59:47.440 --> 00:59:52.079 played bad, just flat out played bad. And on that day Orlando didn't 889 00:59:52.079 --> 00:59:57.760 play as bad and the quarterback made some plays and we all know the result. 890 00:59:57.880 --> 01:00:01.639 And so I I think that all of the teams had pretty good players. 891 01:00:01.679 --> 01:00:06.599 I thought some of the teams lack some team speed. Other teams did 892 01:00:06.639 --> 01:00:10.400 a good job at that with some of their skill. Um. I do 893 01:00:10.519 --> 01:00:16.280 think that there's there's so many good players out there, really good players, 894 01:00:16.360 --> 01:00:21.000 players that can make an NFL roster all right, that will be in the 895 01:00:21.000 --> 01:00:24.559 player pool for an NFL draft or a showcase or a supplemental draft for the 896 01:00:24.679 --> 01:00:30.360 XFL or whatever it is. That if you do your homework, you can 897 01:00:30.440 --> 01:00:32.920 put together one heck of a roster. I mean you really can. But 898 01:00:32.960 --> 01:00:38.000 you know that homework is going to be watching every single guy that's been cut 899 01:00:38.039 --> 01:00:42.559 for the last three years and every single game he's ever played in. It's 900 01:00:42.559 --> 01:00:46.599 going to I mean, it's it is an arduous, arduous process. Before 901 01:00:46.639 --> 01:00:49.800 we get out of here. Thoughts on the South, I know, not 902 01:00:49.920 --> 01:00:53.559 as intriguing the matter period that Bob Steve's kind of limping into the playoffs make 903 01:00:53.639 --> 01:00:59.079 of Arlen Tan and Houston, Well, hopefully davey On Smith will be back 904 01:01:00.480 --> 01:01:02.599 their whole offense. Really, if there's a strength that there's something you want 905 01:01:02.599 --> 01:01:07.119 to look at, it's the offensive line in the run game. But they've 906 01:01:07.199 --> 01:01:09.880 just struggled to come off of that with any semblance of consistency in the passing 907 01:01:09.920 --> 01:01:14.639 game. And you know, outside of South Canal, Arlington hasn't had a 908 01:01:14.679 --> 01:01:16.679 guy that can just run and take the top off the defense, right, 909 01:01:16.880 --> 01:01:20.639 and not a lot of teams in this league had that. John Jay Kirkman 910 01:01:20.760 --> 01:01:23.840 had that until he got hurt, and we saw the impact that had on 911 01:01:23.880 --> 01:01:28.719 Houston's offense. So I think it's really critical for Louise Perez to have a 912 01:01:28.800 --> 01:01:31.119 chance. They're going to have to run the football effectively, So getting Smith 913 01:01:31.199 --> 01:01:35.880 back I think should be a help. I didn't like how Arlington went out 914 01:01:35.880 --> 01:01:38.679 and played last week. It just it kind of left a sour note. 915 01:01:38.880 --> 01:01:44.039 You find out that you're in the playoffs, before you kick off, Houston 916 01:01:44.079 --> 01:01:46.960 comes out and plays with a vast majority of their reserves and Arlington play well, 917 01:01:47.000 --> 01:01:51.000 I mean, and that's and you could hear Bob Stoops and the frustration 918 01:01:51.079 --> 01:01:54.039 that he had on some of the open mic conversations and listening in, and 919 01:01:54.079 --> 01:01:58.079 I don't blame him. And so now you're, like you put it, 920 01:01:58.079 --> 01:02:00.920 you're kind of limping in against the team you just played, and you went 921 01:02:00.960 --> 01:02:04.519 out, you kind of laid an egg. I'm really looking to see Arlington 922 01:02:04.599 --> 01:02:07.639 come back and play some inspired football. That's what needs to happen for them. 923 01:02:07.639 --> 01:02:09.719 And if it does, if they do, because defensively they're good enough. 924 01:02:09.760 --> 01:02:15.800 Now Arlington is good enough on defense. So if they come out and 925 01:02:15.840 --> 01:02:19.800 they can you know, minimize the mistakes, they'll get into the fourth quarter. 926 01:02:19.840 --> 01:02:22.320 This will be a heck of a football game. Houston obviously coming back 927 01:02:22.320 --> 01:02:24.679 down to earth, you know. And I'm trying to figure out, like 928 01:02:24.679 --> 01:02:27.880 if A J. Smith kind of got found out, like you said, 929 01:02:27.880 --> 01:02:31.159 we have the you know, the Kirkland injury, like what happened to Houston 930 01:02:31.239 --> 01:02:35.519 here just playing against better teams in the North. It just seems like they're 931 01:02:35.559 --> 01:02:37.400 not even the same team they were five six weeks ago. Yeah, I 932 01:02:37.440 --> 01:02:40.400 think everybody kind of got caught up with I mean, look at look at 933 01:02:40.440 --> 01:02:44.719 how DC got exposed on defense in the last four or five weeks of the 934 01:02:44.760 --> 01:02:46.840 season. The first five weeks of the season, he's playing chess and everybody 935 01:02:46.840 --> 01:02:51.880 else is playing checkers, right, And don't kid yourself, they do some 936 01:02:51.960 --> 01:02:54.239 things on defense at DC that are on sound. Well, after about five 937 01:02:54.320 --> 01:02:58.400 or six weeks of study and it, people started attacking it and having some 938 01:02:58.480 --> 01:03:01.039 success. I think the same thing to be said here. Here's where Houston 939 01:03:01.079 --> 01:03:06.920 had a huge advantage. Houston's offensive line was further along in the passing game 940 01:03:06.960 --> 01:03:08.960 in the first two to three weeks of the season than everybody else in the 941 01:03:09.000 --> 01:03:14.679 league. And Brandon Silvers did a great job of getting the ball out of 942 01:03:14.679 --> 01:03:17.320 his hand, so unlike a lot of the offense is the first couple of 943 01:03:17.360 --> 01:03:22.559 weeks, and not so much DC but just about everybody else, they weren't 944 01:03:22.559 --> 01:03:25.840 dealing with a lot of negative plays. They were always playing with you a 945 01:03:25.880 --> 01:03:30.000 pretty full deck. And then listen, he's a young offensive coordinator. He's 946 01:03:30.000 --> 01:03:35.880 probably created tendencies that they came glaring. And guess what, a lot of 947 01:03:35.880 --> 01:03:38.000 good coaches start studying up and now you have more to go on. And 948 01:03:38.480 --> 01:03:43.320 I think John Trey Kirkland getting hurt crushed them. I really do believe that. 949 01:03:43.440 --> 01:03:45.880 And then you know, Brandon Silver's got dinged up a little bit. 950 01:03:45.599 --> 01:03:51.559 So it's a multitude of things, but I think it applies to the league 951 01:03:51.599 --> 01:03:55.639 got better because everybody got to know each other better. So the gains became 952 01:03:55.719 --> 01:04:01.679 more more competitive because there was more to prep for. And then at the 953 01:04:01.760 --> 01:04:06.199 end of the day, quarterback play, who got hot late right, and 954 01:04:06.239 --> 01:04:10.800 who stayed healthy. I mean that's a big part of it too, is 955 01:04:11.039 --> 01:04:14.480 where we sit heading into the week one of the playoffs. It just I 956 01:04:14.840 --> 01:04:16.920 liked it that everyone seemed to really give an us all year. I mean, 957 01:04:17.000 --> 01:04:21.159 you know, we're having we're reliving the offensive coordinators and defensive like we're 958 01:04:21.159 --> 01:04:25.280 doing all this. It just seemed like, I know, sometimes in the 959 01:04:25.360 --> 01:04:28.280 USFL Season one, that felt like some of the coaches maybe we're out for 960 01:04:28.320 --> 01:04:30.880 a cup of coffee a little bit. Sometimes like it felt like we really 961 01:04:30.960 --> 01:04:33.199 we're all in right now, where this is our job. I'm ali, 962 01:04:34.280 --> 01:04:41.239 Well, I'll say this. I think that there are young coaches, middle 963 01:04:41.239 --> 01:04:45.199 aged coaches, and older coaches that would love to make a career coaching in 964 01:04:45.239 --> 01:04:47.920 the XFL. I think they really enjoy it, and I think they can 965 01:04:47.960 --> 01:04:51.239 be paid well enough to do that and support their families. So there is 966 01:04:51.280 --> 01:04:55.320 an investment. And I think one of the reasons why there's been an investment 967 01:04:55.519 --> 01:05:00.400 is the coaches can clearly see how invested Danny and DJ and you know, 968 01:05:00.440 --> 01:05:05.440 the investment group is towards making this thing work. When the owners care and 969 01:05:05.480 --> 01:05:10.920 the owners are visible and they're there and they're interacting with the people they've hired 970 01:05:10.920 --> 01:05:13.800 because they want to support him and see him succeed, it makes for a 971 01:05:13.800 --> 01:05:15.960 pretty fun work environment, you know, it really does. And so, 972 01:05:16.480 --> 01:05:20.199 yeah, there's there's good football coaches that a coach I mean, yeah, 973 01:05:20.199 --> 01:05:25.400 I mean Reggie Barlow to me is just I mean, here's a guy that's 974 01:05:25.440 --> 01:05:29.719 won everywhere he's been all right. Now he gets a chance in professional football 975 01:05:29.760 --> 01:05:31.880 and has one of the better plans of any coaching staff in the league. 976 01:05:31.880 --> 01:05:34.039 They knew exactly who they were, what they were going to be, how 977 01:05:34.199 --> 01:05:38.039 they were going to go about doing it. The players bought in. He 978 01:05:38.039 --> 01:05:42.960 didn't deviate, and so you know he's looking at this thing is not just 979 01:05:43.000 --> 01:05:45.559 an opportunity for him to move up, but even if it didn't happen. 980 01:05:45.679 --> 01:05:48.639 What a great what a great gig, man, I mean, what a 981 01:05:48.679 --> 01:05:53.679 great gig. So much fun. Well, Tom, I appreciate it. 982 01:05:53.760 --> 01:05:57.039 Busy here making the time anything else before I let you go. Thanks for 983 01:05:57.079 --> 01:06:00.840 your time today, No, man, I just looking for watching the playoffs 984 01:06:00.840 --> 01:06:04.360 and saying keep I keep joking with everybody. I got this XFL Championship ring 985 01:06:04.360 --> 01:06:09.119 and nobody's coming take it from me, so sooner or later, somebody's gonna 986 01:06:09.159 --> 01:06:13.119 win it. I know I had my la extreme jersey on the first time 987 01:06:13.159 --> 01:06:15.519 we talked. I appreciate that a lot of the time with the league and 988 01:06:15.519 --> 01:06:24.519 everything else. So thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Well. 989 01:06:24.559 --> 01:06:28.599 I'm thrilled today we are joined by I have been glued to my TV 990 01:06:28.760 --> 01:06:30.440 every week watching this man. We have had coached srub Buckley here. How 991 01:06:30.440 --> 01:06:33.599 are you doing, sir, I'm doing well, doing well. Appreciates for 992 01:06:33.679 --> 01:06:38.119 asking how are you doing. I'm good. We're excited. I'll be in 993 01:06:38.280 --> 01:06:41.880 DC this weekend. We're gonna be at the c Dragons Defenders game. Wish 994 01:06:41.880 --> 01:06:45.000 you guys would be in the South, but you know where there's always next 995 01:06:45.079 --> 01:06:46.719 year. You said, you're back home. How's your life right now? 996 01:06:46.719 --> 01:06:54.840 How are you doing well? I'm kind of revealing a reliving i should say, 997 01:06:55.360 --> 01:07:02.760 this past season on the good, the bad, but also very thankful 998 01:07:03.039 --> 01:07:10.679 and really really excited about this weekend watching watching some more XFL football. Yeah, 999 01:07:10.719 --> 01:07:13.599 how how's the process? What was the whole process like for you? 1000 01:07:13.639 --> 01:07:16.639 If you kind of had to grade, your experience were great? Just the 1001 01:07:16.719 --> 01:07:23.239 opportunity was an a plus. Obviously, Execuse's one in nine got off to 1002 01:07:23.519 --> 01:07:27.840 one of the worst starts that that you can imagine, I can even picture 1003 01:07:27.920 --> 01:07:34.639 that changing the roster, some of the details on how the makeup of the 1004 01:07:34.760 --> 01:07:43.199 team and the expectations and all those things we really didn't get correct. We 1005 01:07:44.239 --> 01:07:49.079 corrected a majority of that probably after week before and we started to play obviously 1006 01:07:49.079 --> 01:07:55.039 a lot better and was in a lot of games, so very very exciting 1007 01:07:55.119 --> 01:07:59.280 and learning. Experience, growth, opportunity heat for me, a very big 1008 01:07:59.320 --> 01:08:02.559 growth a leap. Uh. So it was good. It was good. 1009 01:08:03.280 --> 01:08:06.360 When you talk, how do you do you internalize that? Is that? 1010 01:08:06.480 --> 01:08:10.119 I'm you know, team building? Is it on the coaching, is it 1011 01:08:10.199 --> 01:08:13.000 on the players? How do you kind of where do you place that if 1012 01:08:13.000 --> 01:08:15.800 you had to kind of you know, look look back now of some of 1013 01:08:15.840 --> 01:08:19.039 the troubles you guys had. Well, remember I tried to remember this. 1014 01:08:19.239 --> 01:08:24.800 We we didn't have a team this time last year and no players, no 1015 01:08:24.960 --> 01:08:30.439 coaches. So you're talking about an entirely new league, a new staff, 1016 01:08:30.439 --> 01:08:35.239 uh, new players, no ota day. So we went right into training 1017 01:08:35.319 --> 01:08:40.640 camp, which was trying to learn each other, to learn a new system, 1018 01:08:41.279 --> 01:08:48.000 implement a culture, uh, in a new city of everything. And 1019 01:08:48.199 --> 01:08:54.399 it just did not jail. Some teams that jailed a little bit earlier and 1020 01:08:54.520 --> 01:08:58.800 they got off to a hot start. Uh. But if you see, 1021 01:08:58.840 --> 01:09:01.279 at the end, I felt like it was competing and we just couldn't get 1022 01:09:01.279 --> 01:09:06.680 over. We had too many turnovers. Earlier, we couldn't score in the 1023 01:09:06.680 --> 01:09:13.279 red zone. We couldn't stop. But I don't kick off the turn The 1024 01:09:13.439 --> 01:09:15.920 first part of season, defensively played pretty well out in the field. I 1025 01:09:15.960 --> 01:09:24.119 don't think we played very well in the red zone. And then we we 1026 01:09:24.239 --> 01:09:30.560 just didn't create enough negative plays on defense. We had some explosive players on 1027 01:09:30.680 --> 01:09:35.720 offense. At the end, too many turnovers. Just the little things again, 1028 01:09:36.560 --> 01:09:41.239 the errors pointing in the right direction, some of the penalies to move 1029 01:09:41.279 --> 01:09:45.640 in the ball to stopping them. H It was. It was a learning 1030 01:09:45.640 --> 01:09:49.399 experience, and I feel like we got better when you look and see you 1031 01:09:49.399 --> 01:09:54.399 know Houston or any of that, you know Arlingtons them being in the playoffs 1032 01:09:54.399 --> 01:09:58.600 and you're not were they just when you talk about jelling better, being able 1033 01:09:58.640 --> 01:10:00.039 to work, Like, what did they do? What happened with them that 1034 01:10:00.399 --> 01:10:03.640 they were able to succeed where you guys were in. I thought they got 1035 01:10:03.680 --> 01:10:06.720 off to a great start. They rushed the pass so pretty well. On 1036 01:10:06.800 --> 01:10:12.760 defense, Houston did they made more big plays and they made them when it 1037 01:10:12.880 --> 01:10:16.560 counted. I don't they just for us, We didn't make the plays when 1038 01:10:16.600 --> 01:10:21.279 it counted. Just like with Seattle, you look at halftime. I go 1039 01:10:21.359 --> 01:10:27.920 back to the halftime scenario we played Seattle. Well, we got a fantom 1040 01:10:27.960 --> 01:10:31.960 called about one of our linement moving his hands. So we go to halftime 1041 01:10:32.039 --> 01:10:38.800 ten nine versus thirteen six. Because it was five yards away from being in 1042 01:10:38.880 --> 01:10:41.720 field goal range. That could have been a huge day. We get a 1043 01:10:41.720 --> 01:10:46.359 plot a block punt with down one, were punting it in the fourth quarter 1044 01:10:46.439 --> 01:10:51.520 with seven minutes left, We're lose by seven. We lost the all of 1045 01:10:51.640 --> 01:10:58.279 ten by combined two games by three points. So and we got a call. 1046 01:10:58.439 --> 01:11:01.640 We had a big catch against all into the first game that had us 1047 01:11:01.640 --> 01:11:08.000 in field goal range that was overruled by Dean. Blandino still mad at Dean 1048 01:11:08.119 --> 01:11:14.680 for that. So we did some good things, but we didn't execute and 1049 01:11:14.880 --> 01:11:17.880 make the plays when it counted. Because it's tough because the obviously next year 1050 01:11:17.880 --> 01:11:20.479 I'll be different than people coming back, but you know, everyone's starting to 1051 01:11:20.520 --> 01:11:23.960 square one this year, so it's just hard. You know, I'm always 1052 01:11:23.960 --> 01:11:27.840 curious like where some teams were able to gel or find success earlier because everyone 1053 01:11:27.960 --> 01:11:30.920 started in any exact same place. I mean, it's it's challenging for all 1054 01:11:30.960 --> 01:11:35.439 eight teams, right, and I feel like the guys, this is what 1055 01:11:35.560 --> 01:11:42.039 I say, been the first time head coach and and creating that type of 1056 01:11:42.119 --> 01:11:46.279 environment hurt me, hurt us. But that's the great thing about it. 1057 01:11:46.479 --> 01:11:51.119 There's only one time, so again, moving forward, it won't be like 1058 01:11:51.279 --> 01:11:56.439 that. You look at Way, you look at Stoops, you look at 1059 01:11:56.960 --> 01:12:00.880 Ballow, look at has them. They've been head coaches. They understood kind 1060 01:12:00.880 --> 01:12:05.399 of with this how to build a team correctly, and they have It was 1061 01:12:05.479 --> 01:12:10.680 kind of dumb and Sword too they have a bunch of older players. We 1062 01:12:12.800 --> 01:12:16.119 kind of emphasize even in the league, we wanted a younger team, kind 1063 01:12:16.159 --> 01:12:21.840 of developmental. By the time I realized that was not the case, it 1064 01:12:21.880 --> 01:12:28.000 was too late and if you could see the turnover on the team we had 1065 01:12:28.039 --> 01:12:31.680 over the twenty five transaction. So we once we realized and I think this 1066 01:12:31.760 --> 01:12:35.680 is good for us, We realize, Okay, we made a mistake. 1067 01:12:35.720 --> 01:12:41.199 That's not right. Let's fix it, versus just sitting on it. Like 1068 01:12:41.319 --> 01:12:44.680 you see a lot of teams just sit and pump things and blame No, 1069 01:12:45.399 --> 01:12:50.039 I take it. DPP the minutes, we took that and we started to 1070 01:12:50.039 --> 01:12:55.560 make that change things you would do different going back and you said, you 1071 01:12:55.640 --> 01:12:59.640 know, Scott signing younger players that way? It is that the biggest thing 1072 01:12:59.640 --> 01:13:00.760 you would change if you had to go back and do it together. What 1073 01:13:00.800 --> 01:13:06.840 would that be that not not having so many and having some guys that have 1074 01:13:08.119 --> 01:13:13.960 gone, which will make older guys. I turned down. We as a 1075 01:13:14.079 --> 01:13:17.239 group, we turned out some guys like you know, it's twenty nine thirty. 1076 01:13:17.279 --> 01:13:20.319 I don't know, does you know kind of out of shade? Do 1077 01:13:20.439 --> 01:13:27.079 we do? We really want that? We run we rerun that yes, 1078 01:13:27.359 --> 01:13:30.600 we would take u We would take four or five of those guys, which 1079 01:13:30.680 --> 01:13:35.000 I think would would have made a huge difference for us. You did have 1080 01:13:35.039 --> 01:13:39.439 some bright spots here. We had Devin Derrington on our show a couple weeks 1081 01:13:39.439 --> 01:13:43.439 ago, and obviously who who stood out to you? And I wanted to 1082 01:13:43.439 --> 01:13:46.119 talk Quittin Dormandy separately, but who stood out to you? Uh, you 1083 01:13:46.119 --> 01:13:50.159 know it's bright spots on the team. Well, Devin Derrenton did a great 1084 01:13:50.239 --> 01:13:58.760 job, Terence Plumber, uh did a great job. Savon Patton uh, 1085 01:13:58.840 --> 01:14:04.039 Eli Rogers came and did a great job for us. Jordan Thomas at the 1086 01:14:04.279 --> 01:14:08.000 end. See, that's one of the things we wanted drawing early. We 1087 01:14:08.039 --> 01:14:14.720 couldn't get him to the middle of the season. Matt Brown partner. So 1088 01:14:14.760 --> 01:14:19.359 we have a few We have a few guys that came in uh and and 1089 01:14:19.840 --> 01:14:25.560 did a great job for Jayles Spady center the twenty might be the youngest player 1090 01:14:25.560 --> 01:14:30.600 in the league. Center that started last two games in terms of you know, 1091 01:14:30.640 --> 01:14:32.520 the the quarterback situation in Dermody and we don't got to have to get 1092 01:14:32.560 --> 01:14:36.039 into all that other stuff, but everything that he went through and playing the 1093 01:14:36.079 --> 01:14:40.199 way that he did, and just like, what do you think that was 1094 01:14:40.239 --> 01:14:42.800 like? And what is your thought process? I'm kind of seeing everything he 1095 01:14:42.840 --> 01:14:48.840 went through. It was a different situation, unique which I've never been a 1096 01:14:48.840 --> 01:14:53.880 part of. For sure, he's never been a part of. But the 1097 01:14:53.920 --> 01:15:00.840 way, the maturity, the professionalism on both sides of okay, this is 1098 01:15:00.039 --> 01:15:03.319 kind of what happened. Everybody disagree. You go through these things, but 1099 01:15:03.359 --> 01:15:09.600 then as a family when it comes back around and like it's like, okay, 1100 01:15:09.720 --> 01:15:15.039 this might have might not have. Let's water on the bridge as handle 1101 01:15:15.079 --> 01:15:19.560 as like men like professionals, and let's move forward. In terms of the 1102 01:15:19.640 --> 01:15:24.239 league overall, how do you think that this season when and if you you 1103 01:15:24.319 --> 01:15:27.560 know, if you had the great league, you know, management and executives 1104 01:15:27.560 --> 01:15:30.720 and everything from kind of a football ops. Oh man, I would say 1105 01:15:31.119 --> 01:15:38.720 you for a new league for I think we had over us it's gonna be 1106 01:15:38.760 --> 01:15:45.119 an end being able about seven hundred thousand fans to come playing in and having 1107 01:15:45.159 --> 01:15:48.640 a hub and playing in your home stadium. The logistics over that, and 1108 01:15:49.039 --> 01:15:54.640 I would give us an eight. There's a league and the first class of 1109 01:15:54.760 --> 01:16:00.640 it, the ownership group being available and being what we said, lion off 1110 01:16:00.680 --> 01:16:08.239 feetmen able to just make adjustments from not having an indoor when it got cold 1111 01:16:08.319 --> 01:16:14.600 to having an indoor. Just just in general, the flexibility that we was 1112 01:16:14.720 --> 01:16:20.560 afforded, I think is is second and none thoughts on spring football in general, 1113 01:16:20.680 --> 01:16:25.640 having the league like this to give these players an opportunity, I mean 1114 01:16:25.800 --> 01:16:30.640 awesome. I think I don't now. Obviously we had the NFL Europe before, 1115 01:16:31.239 --> 01:16:40.239 which was unbelievable. This being here in the States, United States and 1116 01:16:40.359 --> 01:16:43.840 being able to support each other like we do, I think it's unreal. 1117 01:16:44.000 --> 01:16:49.119 I think it's needed. It's appreciated on both sides, fans and players and 1118 01:16:49.359 --> 01:16:57.720 coaches, and the opportunity for the XFL that it gives to guys like myself 1119 01:16:58.439 --> 01:17:02.439 that get the opportunity have an ups and downs, to make adjustments, to 1120 01:17:02.439 --> 01:17:06.720 to be the head coach, to being charged and do all that. It's 1121 01:17:06.840 --> 01:17:11.760 unbelievable, and for mem I'm just very very appreciative. Yeah, in terms 1122 01:17:11.760 --> 01:17:14.720 of yeah, I misspoke in terms of not only the players, but obviously 1123 01:17:14.720 --> 01:17:19.960 the coaching and staff giving you are you do you find yourself or do you 1124 01:17:19.960 --> 01:17:25.640 think other players former players would now be interested in utilizing this and kind of 1125 01:17:25.920 --> 01:17:29.680 taking a datage to this opportunity. Also absolutely, you know, I was 1126 01:17:29.720 --> 01:17:33.640 talking to somebody last night that I'm thinking about bringing on an old vetching coach 1127 01:17:33.800 --> 01:17:41.359 that has been in the NFL. The scheduling, everything about it. It's 1128 01:17:41.359 --> 01:17:47.760 still coaching. You're still getting i'll call them that their prose. It's almost 1129 01:17:47.800 --> 01:17:51.439 like that that development of part the fifth year senior. You get a little 1130 01:17:51.439 --> 01:17:55.600 bit of that and get a little bit of that first year of rookie guy, 1131 01:17:57.840 --> 01:18:00.479 and you get to keep working your craft, doing something you love and 1132 01:18:00.600 --> 01:18:05.960 provide an entertainment and having an impact not just on the field but off the 1133 01:18:06.079 --> 01:18:10.880 field. Uh. It's what it's about, I think, and that's why 1134 01:18:11.600 --> 01:18:16.199 I love it and appreciate it. In terms of other players and things being 1135 01:18:16.199 --> 01:18:20.720 involved. When you as a player, you know, seeing the head coach 1136 01:18:20.760 --> 01:18:24.520 and obviously you're gonna have a million different things that you think that they should 1137 01:18:24.560 --> 01:18:27.239 do different. Now with the shoes being on the other foot, I think 1138 01:18:27.359 --> 01:18:30.640 you kind of look back at maybe some of the things that you were critical 1139 01:18:30.640 --> 01:18:32.800 of with former coaches or players, like now that you've got to hold the 1140 01:18:32.840 --> 01:18:38.279 clipboards on that side. Yeah, I think there's a couple of things that 1141 01:18:39.479 --> 01:18:45.119 that I look back on and Will Uh says Okay, maybe I shouldn't have 1142 01:18:45.159 --> 01:18:48.960 said that. It uh not a whole lot because I was always respectful and 1143 01:18:49.159 --> 01:18:53.760 knew how tough it was. But there's a couple of things You're like, 1144 01:18:53.920 --> 01:18:59.600 Okay, it should not not been in this tough But I understand now what 1145 01:19:00.000 --> 01:19:04.279 those guys we're going through at that time, being now that I'm on this 1146 01:19:04.439 --> 01:19:10.359 side and some of them am actually gonna reach out to over the next few 1147 01:19:10.439 --> 01:19:15.760 days and get some more advice from them, like totally dungee, Dan Mullen, 1148 01:19:15.920 --> 01:19:18.600 you know, just different guys like Okay, how would you handle this 1149 01:19:18.680 --> 01:19:24.720 situation? What happened? When this happened? He looking forward the year to 1150 01:19:25.039 --> 01:19:27.600 hear what would you like to see from the league to help you guys be 1151 01:19:27.640 --> 01:19:31.319 more successful? Uh, And it's happening now. It's one of those. 1152 01:19:31.680 --> 01:19:40.520 Uh. We have a calendar of events that we've already started on the camps. 1153 01:19:41.560 --> 01:19:45.279 We already have picking out teams that we're going to visit NFL teams. 1154 01:19:45.800 --> 01:19:51.359 So the improvement and this is why this league is so great and gonna have 1155 01:19:51.479 --> 01:19:59.159 standing for They're not waiting around to decide what what can we do better? 1156 01:19:59.239 --> 01:20:03.079 What do we do? They've they've been doing that the entire season and been 1157 01:20:03.119 --> 01:20:08.039 giving us that information. And you think they're receptive of the you know, 1158 01:20:08.079 --> 01:20:11.399 anything that you guys might need to help success, helped set yourselves up for 1159 01:20:11.520 --> 01:20:15.039 more success. Absolutely. I mean they said out they said out something a 1160 01:20:15.039 --> 01:20:17.920 couple of weeks ago, asking about that, and I think from from Dannon 1161 01:20:17.960 --> 01:20:24.399 Glocer to Dwayne to Jared Carton or the owners, that's what they want, 1162 01:20:24.439 --> 01:20:30.680 that feedback. And then you throw a rough sprand and uh Mark Mark Marking 1163 01:20:30.880 --> 01:20:35.399 and Doug and you got you got a management team and the ownership group that 1164 01:20:35.520 --> 01:20:41.800 wants to get better. They want to put a grade grade one product on 1165 01:20:41.840 --> 01:20:45.199 the field. A couple more. I'll let you go here our promise. 1166 01:20:45.239 --> 01:20:48.119 I appreciate your time here, said. We talked with the coach back at 1167 01:20:48.119 --> 01:20:50.960 the beginning of the season, and he was talking, you know, his 1168 01:20:51.079 --> 01:20:56.279 biggest success would be to have all his players signed on the NFL camps at 1169 01:20:56.279 --> 01:20:59.439 the end of the season. Rebuild. You know, obviously continuity all that, 1170 01:20:59.520 --> 01:21:01.680 How do you view the team in your position in the league and what 1171 01:21:01.720 --> 01:21:05.720 would you like to say, Echoing with Beck, said, you want all 1172 01:21:05.760 --> 01:21:11.479 these guys to get opportunity to go to the next level. If not, 1173 01:21:12.560 --> 01:21:16.640 as they come back and we get them core guys going that they they really 1174 01:21:16.720 --> 01:21:24.000 appreciate this opportunity and stay focused on what's in hand and we're about the future 1175 01:21:24.079 --> 01:21:30.680 later and let's try to put this thing turning around for us the Landau Guardians 1176 01:21:30.760 --> 01:21:34.159 and be in the playoff and get opportunity to win the championship. Were you 1177 01:21:34.199 --> 01:21:38.319 impressed with the level of talent in the league or what was your thoughts from 1178 01:21:38.319 --> 01:21:43.680 the talent level of the players. Oh man, I was very impressed talking 1179 01:21:43.680 --> 01:21:47.479 about from first of all, how big and how to shape those guys were, 1180 01:21:48.000 --> 01:21:53.840 and then just from a playbook, the football key it is, I'm 1181 01:21:53.880 --> 01:21:58.960 taking schemes thematically. They're a bunch of NFL NFL coaches, former coaches on 1182 01:21:59.079 --> 01:22:03.720 the staff, so implement that. How quickly they received that, and the 1183 01:22:03.880 --> 01:22:09.960 play just kept getting better and better and better. Uh. From from everybody 1184 01:22:09.960 --> 01:22:16.680 around the league, the respect factor from each team was unbelievable. The professionalism, 1185 01:22:16.760 --> 01:22:21.119 I mean we literally would go would fly down on the same plane, 1186 01:22:21.479 --> 01:22:28.520 split the plane up, fly in compete, I mean, try to tear 1187 01:22:28.560 --> 01:22:32.439 each other apart after the game, see each other. I'm talking about literally 1188 01:22:33.439 --> 01:22:40.720 thirty minutes later and congratulate each other. Obviously was congratulating a team a lot 1189 01:22:40.800 --> 01:22:45.319 what we want. It won't be the case next year. And the professionalism 1190 01:22:45.359 --> 01:22:49.159 didn't get back on the plane and the bus and there was no issue. 1191 01:22:49.199 --> 01:22:54.600 So I can really really appreciate that for the players. Yeah, I hadn't 1192 01:22:54.640 --> 01:22:57.399 been. You know, I'd probably a little chippy after some of the games, 1193 01:22:57.479 --> 01:23:00.039 right, depending on the year who won the last Well, that's what 1194 01:23:00.079 --> 01:23:06.079 I'm saying. It was. It might have been initially, but after the 1195 01:23:06.239 --> 01:23:11.079 cool down and everything, because we had to go through the buses a part 1196 01:23:11.159 --> 01:23:14.760 right beside each other. We had to go through the same security gate, 1197 01:23:15.039 --> 01:23:17.960 and then you had the bus ride over, separate bus, and then you 1198 01:23:17.960 --> 01:23:23.439 get on the same plane and you get off the plane together and the buses 1199 01:23:23.439 --> 01:23:30.880 a part right beside each other. To the professionalism of the players, I 1200 01:23:30.920 --> 01:23:35.760 think need to be highlighted just across the league. That was amazing to me 1201 01:23:35.800 --> 01:23:40.640 and I really appreciate the players. Last question, what would you what would 1202 01:23:40.680 --> 01:23:44.159 be your masters for Orlando Guardians fans? Obviously a tough year trying to build 1203 01:23:44.159 --> 01:23:46.439 a new market, new franchise. We'd like to see more success. What 1204 01:23:46.439 --> 01:23:49.039 would you have to say to them, I would say, hey, have 1205 01:23:49.159 --> 01:23:51.840 some patients, would us if you saw us at the end of the season. 1206 01:23:51.960 --> 01:23:58.079 The second half was very, very competitive. We are working diligent and 1207 01:23:58.159 --> 01:24:02.159 trying to find guys that can and finish and make plays when it count. 1208 01:24:03.119 --> 01:24:10.319 We've already started the process of improving the team. So we had this saying 1209 01:24:10.399 --> 01:24:15.720 last year Orlando Guardians that and guard We've already changed in that we're gonna make 1210 01:24:15.720 --> 01:24:23.880 it the Guardian way, which is first class professionalism, playmakers, all those 1211 01:24:23.920 --> 01:24:29.239 things that we need to turn this around and getting the playoff and give us 1212 01:24:29.239 --> 01:24:31.760 a shot to win a championship. Well, I really appreciate your time. 1213 01:24:31.800 --> 01:24:34.560 It was fun to watch. I enjoyed you trying to ask if you can 1214 01:24:34.640 --> 01:24:38.319 get your time out back the other day and that was fine. I could 1215 01:24:38.359 --> 01:24:40.840 tell you on there about did you really think they were going to give it 1216 01:24:40.880 --> 01:24:45.319 back or replayed to the camera? No, I really because the relf, 1217 01:24:45.319 --> 01:24:50.520 you guys to hear the whole conversation, right, The relf was telling one 1218 01:24:50.520 --> 01:24:54.199 of the players on the field, and we had twelve guys on the field, 1219 01:24:55.000 --> 01:24:59.199 which was not the case. So that was their mistake. And so 1220 01:24:59.239 --> 01:25:02.279 I was asked, since you guys made the mistake, then you should give 1221 01:25:02.359 --> 01:25:05.680 us the penalty, give us the time out back. That was the whole 1222 01:25:06.079 --> 01:25:12.039 whole thing around that we had Dan on last week five, I bogus question 1223 01:25:12.119 --> 01:25:14.960 here, were you happy with the level of officiating that would you like to 1224 01:25:14.960 --> 01:25:18.199 see the improved? Well, just like us in the beginning of the season, 1225 01:25:18.279 --> 01:25:23.159 it was it was needed an improvement to like our team. I felt 1226 01:25:23.239 --> 01:25:28.239 like the second half it was very good. I thought it was its thought 1227 01:25:28.319 --> 01:25:31.760 to be fair and balanced and and all that. So in the beginning, 1228 01:25:32.199 --> 01:25:38.000 need a lot of work, no different than than us, and at the 1229 01:25:38.159 --> 01:25:43.000 end it got really good and it was unique and very exciting too. Well. 1230 01:25:43.039 --> 01:25:45.840 I appreciate your time. We'll see you next season, and I know 1231 01:25:45.920 --> 01:25:48.479 that you just enjoy the watch. And a lot of Guardians fans i'd hear 1232 01:25:48.479 --> 01:25:53.279 as bad as they were sometimes and it's good to see the improvement. Well, 1233 01:25:53.439 --> 01:25:57.359 thank you again, and they just have patience. Again, Guardians fans, 1234 01:25:57.399 --> 01:26:02.439 we will do better. Appreciate all the love and all all the stuff 1235 01:26:02.439 --> 01:26:08.199 we get too. We will come back bigger, faster and stronger next year. 1236 01:26:08.720 --> 01:26:12.000 Awesome, good luckily, thank you so much, appreciate it. Thank 1237 01:26:12.039 --> 01:26:19.319 you brother huge Sprestal. Thanks to all of our guests. Like I said, 1238 01:26:19.359 --> 01:26:23.359 I know it was a crazy week with the NFL Draft is kind of 1239 01:26:23.399 --> 01:26:28.399 engulfing everybody's time. So really appreciate Emory Tom and then chow Buckley for coming 1240 01:26:28.439 --> 01:26:33.079 on the Guardians media team. If we joked, if the Guardians could play 1241 01:26:33.119 --> 01:26:36.399 on the field as well as the comms team plays off the field, that 1242 01:26:36.479 --> 01:26:40.000 you know, the Guardians would be a force to be reckoned with. But 1243 01:26:40.680 --> 01:26:43.640 I hope you guys enjoy I hope you guys are enjoying the draft. Hope 1244 01:26:43.680 --> 01:26:46.520 you like the XFL playoffs. I hope ratings go good. Like I said, 1245 01:26:46.560 --> 01:26:49.760 I got some spokes in the fire to get one of some more sports 1246 01:26:49.800 --> 01:26:54.800 media people on next week to break all that stuff down. Our ratings came 1247 01:26:54.840 --> 01:26:58.359 out this week when I was working, sure, I'm sure Twitter was fine. 1248 01:26:58.439 --> 01:27:00.880 I was I was filming over at a school for an auction video. 1249 01:27:00.920 --> 01:27:04.960 But I'm sure Twitter was absolutely fine when the USFL ratings came out this week. 1250 01:27:05.000 --> 01:27:09.159 But it should be good. We'll see how they do against the XFL 1251 01:27:09.199 --> 01:27:13.279 playoff games, and then obviously XFL will be going away, so hopefully we'll 1252 01:27:13.319 --> 01:27:16.960 see some boosts in the usfl our ratings here are coming up here in two 1253 01:27:16.960 --> 01:27:19.159 weeks or I guess it would be that we got the bye week and then 1254 01:27:19.159 --> 01:27:23.319 the championship, So we'll see. I'm sure they will figure it all out. 1255 01:27:23.680 --> 01:27:25.920 Like I said, I can subscribe. Thank you guys so much for 1256 01:27:26.000 --> 01:27:29.039 your time, you know, busy and taking the time to watch the show 1257 01:27:29.079 --> 01:27:31.840 with everything else going on in the draft, and I hope your NFL team 1258 01:27:31.880 --> 01:27:35.319 got the best draft pick in the world and that you did not throw any 1259 01:27:35.399 --> 01:27:40.479 remotes against your TV or anything else with that. Thank you guys. We'll 1260 01:27:40.520 --> 01:27:41.199 see you next time.