WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.799 --> 00:00:07.480 Coming up this week on the Mark Cast. Well, per Wikipedia, the 2 00:00:07.639 --> 00:00:12.800 Four Dummies Books are a series of instructional reference books which are intended to present 3 00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:18.239 non intimidating guides for readers YouTube various topics covered well. Today on the Mark 4 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:21.920 Cast, we are talking the XFL offseason for dummies. We'll look at this 5 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:27.120 here, talking actual football in the XFL offseason. Big show for you today, 6 00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:29.800 but working on this one for a long time. We are Rush Jilio 7 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:35.679 coming on, senior Director of Player Administration and Officiating Operations for the XFL. 8 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:40.799 We are doing a deep dive into the l twenty twenty four player acquisition process 9 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:43.840 and what that means for you. By and large, most of the players 10 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:47.439 that we wanted, that we thought were the best available sign with us. 11 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.719 You know. To be frank, and I think part of it is really 12 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:56.280 just it's not USFL versus XFL as far as all things equal, it's our 13 00:00:56.320 --> 00:01:00.520 schedule I think is more attractive. And you know, I'm not breaking any 14 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:03.280 news by saying that. I think if you ask most agents and players, 15 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:07.239 they'd prefer our schedule, which obviously is a huge advantage to us in recruiting. 16 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:11.879 If that's you know what you want to call what we do as part 17 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:15.280 of our job. And then speaking of those showcases, we have Pat Raffino, 18 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:18.280 a longtime friend, coming back on. Pat was fortunate enough to be 19 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:22.959 in Saint Louis talking with Russ Brandon, president of football Operations for the XFL, 20 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.120 getting Pat's thoughts. Where did he see at the combine? Whether we 21 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:29.239 expecting from the talent coming out of St. Louis. They did it at 22 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:34.159 Missouri Baptist University, which is an n AIA college. Fair and so many 23 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:38.799 of these Missouri Baptist kids to be a part of the c AJA se Eric 24 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:42.840 see Dan, see Mike and all the coaches and pr staff that we're there. 25 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:49.120 And for a smaller school to do that for this community outreach in Missouri, 26 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:53.959 it doesn't get much better than that for me. And then don't think 27 00:01:53.959 --> 00:01:57.519 we forgot CFL fans out there. We have Dave Naylor TSM Zone coming back 28 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:02.079 on the program. Dave, we are talking everything CFL Week six Crazy time. 29 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:06.719 Here is mccalled bettel Thompson coming back up north. What is going on 30 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:09.199 in Ottawa? What is going on in Toronto? Big games this weekend? 31 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:14.960 Should be excited. There's a real issue with the depth of talent at quarterback 32 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:16.840 across this league, the likes of which you know, we may never have 33 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:20.960 seen before, and teams just don't have the margin to turn to the next 34 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:24.879 guy because the next guy is usually unproven or nowhere near as talented as the 35 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:30.840 guy you lost. And then, speaking of the Ottawa red Blacks quarterback controversy, 36 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:32.800 here in that really controversy but more of a dilemma, we have Tim 37 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:36.919 Bains Ottawa, a sudden coming down, getting all of Tim's thoughts on the 38 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:39.599 Red Blacks. A future pivot situation should be a good one, like can 39 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:59.800 subscribe. Hey, guys, welcomes to the marcass read here. Really proud 40 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:04.280 of my photoshopping skills this week for the thumbnail of the episode. Hope you 41 00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:07.639 enjoy that if you're watching on YouTube. I don't know if anyone remembers those 42 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:10.159 complete idiots guides or you know, such and such for dummies, but I 43 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:13.400 thought that was great today. You know, we have an expert. We're 44 00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:17.000 talking with Russ Julio here. Everything involved in the XFL player acquisition process and 45 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:23.560 administration, all of the things under Rus's purview here on the show should be 46 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:25.520 a good one. I wanted to be a little evergreen talking you know, 47 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:30.199 what is the XFL looking for here coming into the off season, going into 48 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:34.759 next year, what is Russ looking forward to? And the showcases and the 49 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:37.639 combine kind of everything else. I hope you guys enjoy, Like I said, 50 00:03:37.719 --> 00:03:40.120 been working on that one for a long time since the showcases last year, 51 00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:45.000 So I hope you guys enjoy my lengthy conversation with Russ. And then, 52 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:47.800 like I said, Pat Rafino, Pat was at the Saint Louis Showcase 53 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:52.560 last Friday talking with Russ. Brandon and AJ McCarron was there and the Ampthony 54 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:54.680 back and all of that. So kind of getting first hand accounts from Pat 55 00:03:54.719 --> 00:04:00.240 Rafino everything with the XFL Saint Louis Showcase and kind of all of the you 56 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:03.919 know, kind of summer showcase combines everything XVEL offseason on here. And they 57 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:09.719 really appreciate Dave Naylor coming on, making time, Dave busy schedule, talking 58 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:13.319 about the streak in Edmonton. We'll be making fun of. I can't believe 59 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:16.439 Dave Naylor, We're talking about the Edmonton Elks home losing streak and not talk 60 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:21.319 about Bill Goldberg's one hundred and seventy three match winning streak and ww back in 61 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:26.160 the nineties. Disappointed with Dave about that, but we'll be excited to get 62 00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:30.560 his thoughts everything CFL. Hey, guys, future read here. I just 63 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:34.120 wanted to give an extended plug here. I recorded my normal intro before chatting 64 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:38.639 with Dave Naylor. You do not want to miss this Today we get into 65 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:43.360 the CFL quarterback issues, Dave wants to get rid of the neglist, and 66 00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:47.720 then you'll even get an in office kind of studio tour of Dave Naylor's whole 67 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:51.240 it's a whole situation here. Don't want to miss. I just wanted to 68 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:56.160 make sure I gave proper, proper excitement and plug here for this interview coming 69 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:00.319 up, so I hope you enjoy. And then a longtime friend Tim as 70 00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:03.680 here if we're not partying in uh you know we were parting last year and 71 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:06.519 we're giant in that will be in Hamilton hopefully for the Great Cup this year. 72 00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:13.399 But talking everything Red Blacks quarterback pivot situation they called the pivot up there 73 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:16.279 North, the quarterback position. Everything with Tim, I hope you guys enjoy. 74 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:19.000 The show should be a good one next week. I gotta figure out 75 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:23.199 what we're doing. I have a heavy work schedule. We'll figure out what's 76 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:25.800 going on, but for now, please like and subscribe to this up to 77 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:32.279 thirty five two subscribers, and we'll see at the end next Well. I'm 78 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:35.879 excited, and I can tell from the interests I've gotten on social media this 79 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:39.879 week after posting this, people are very excited. We tried to do this 80 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:43.319 last year, but there was a lot of league building and everything else. 81 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:46.600 But we're here now, we're in the XFL offseason. We imbrest Julio here. 82 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:48.120 How are you doing, sir? Doing well? Thanks for having me 83 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:53.240 read. And I'm surprised people are excited because I'm supposed to be the guy 84 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:56.480 behind the scenes that notable nobody's ever heard of, which I'm fine in that 85 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:59.560 role. Yeah, well, no, people are excited. And what I 86 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:03.199 am honestly really excited about is talking actual football here in the off season because 87 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:06.519 there's a lot of you know, we do this, you know three sixty 88 00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:10.319 five, and obviously we have you know, CFL and everything right now. 89 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:14.399 Exciting times, but I'm enjoying this. At your full title here, XFL 90 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:18.959 Senior Director, Player Administration and Officiating operations quite everything going on there, but 91 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:23.319 a busy guy. I guess it wanted to do this last year. What 92 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:27.399 did you make going through You know, we've completed the first year and you've 93 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:30.199 been a part of the DC you know, but AF and XFL and everything 94 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:33.079 else back in the day. How do you feel like L twenty twenty three 95 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:38.319 win. I think it went really well. I mean from my in my 96 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:41.360 area and I hope to stay in my lane as best as I can in 97 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:46.199 this interview. Is our group, meaning myself, Doug Whale at the league 98 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:48.720 office, Mark Ross, and then the DPPs at the team and to some 99 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:55.000 extent the head coaches right where to identify the best players in the country and 100 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:59.720 the you know or the world who weren't playing in the NFL and attract them 101 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:01.519 to want to play in the XFL. And I think, you know, 102 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:04.120 we have metrics to show. I mean, I could tell you we did 103 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:08.079 a good job at that, but I think the numbers bared out too that 104 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:12.439 we got really good players, and I think we put on good football games 105 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:15.160 and that's our goal in my area. And then on the business side, 106 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:18.800 I can't really speak to that, but I think um haven't been been part 107 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:21.399 of three of these leagues. Now that it's the best, you know, 108 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:25.800 it's the best league by far. I've been a part of for if you 109 00:07:25.800 --> 00:07:29.399 want to call it, spring football, developmental football, startup football. So 110 00:07:30.519 --> 00:07:32.240 yeah, it's interesting, you know, and we've we've talked and I've talked, 111 00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:34.680 you know, we met it. We were the years in the showcase 112 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:39.199 and kind of you know last season and uh down at the Choctaw you know 113 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:43.120 what was it the hub like the Arlington Hub announcement whatever. And I've always 114 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.160 said I had no concerns of any kind about the football that was going to 115 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:48.720 be put on the field for the XFL, you know, last year, 116 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:51.399 this year, kind of whatever. It's some of the other things, and 117 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:55.959 outside of your your preview, you know, that was my concern. I 118 00:07:55.959 --> 00:07:59.399 mean we saw, you know, the talent that you brought in, like 119 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:03.639 you said, DPPs and you guys are running the showcases and doing all that. 120 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:05.680 That was never a concern. And so it did bear out. I 121 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:09.959 think that the XFL it was a high quality, you feel as though the 122 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:13.600 highest quality of any league. You've been a part of the vessel. Yeah, 123 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:16.279 and I could you know, I don't want to bore the hell out 124 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:18.319 of your audience just throwing numbers. But the one I think that sticks out 125 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:22.160 to me the most. Again, I haven't been through the AF and the 126 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:26.000 XFL twenty twenty is we signed about forty five. I think the number is 127 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:31.839 practice twenty twenty two NFL practice squad play Guys who were on an NFL practice 128 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:35.679 squad in twenty twenty two signed with US forty five of them. Me and 129 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:41.679 I think in the AF may have had in the teens like fifteen and XFL 130 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:43.840 twenty twenty, we thought we'd get more because you know, the AF proved 131 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.679 that it's a you know, for that type of player, the next best 132 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:50.240 guy in the in the country or world, it's a it's a place to 133 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:54.480 go to play good football. We didn't get as many as we wanted in 134 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:58.720 twenty twenty, and then this past season in twenty twenty three, forty five 135 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:01.840 is a pretty impressive number, and I think we'll just keep growing, you 136 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:05.840 know, we'll grow on that next season. So yeah, heading into next 137 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:09.120 year, goals here looking into twenty twenty four, what do you guys trying 138 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:13.000 to do from a football first record side? Another thing you know we did 139 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:15.919 that it's new, right I mean season two. A bunch of us have 140 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:20.120 worked in some other leagues and season two is new to us, right, 141 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:22.759 I mean, we planned for it a bit in XFL twenty twenty, and 142 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:26.039 then it never happened. And now we're here, and the first thing we 143 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:28.399 did is, you know, and you covered it was, was the rookie 144 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:33.080 draft, which we want to make part of our you know, our yearly 145 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.120 cycle, which you know, we planned to be here a long time and 146 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:39.120 every year we want to have that rookie draft after the season of the best 147 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:43.039 players who didn't you know, latch onto an NFL team after mini camps and 148 00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:46.399 so on. And I think I have to give credit to our DPPs because 149 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:50.159 in short order, you know, we finished the season, they have work 150 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:52.919 to do. During the season. They had to evaluate probably upwards to five 151 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:58.720 hundred rookies in about a month. And you know how these these guys old 152 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:03.000 and they're not not old, but the scout scouts are about being meticulous about 153 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:07.039 film study and everything, so they I think they did a great job on 154 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:09.360 identifying those players. And part of it for us too is, uh, 155 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:13.279 where we have to recruit them, right, I Mean, we're drafting them, 156 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:16.480 but we also have to get them excited about signing on and that they 157 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:20.240 have a roster spot and managing you know, the rosters. And I'm sure 158 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:24.039 we'll talk about that and later an interview, but that rookie draft I thought 159 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:28.480 was pretty exciting for us to to get new players who you know, younger 160 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:31.480 players to be frank, although you know, if you look at our rosters, 161 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:37.440 we we don't discriminate. We have long time vets and and rookies and 162 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:41.879 really we had draft eligible players twenty twenty three draft eligible players on rosters this 163 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:46.279 year too. So well, what I like in you know, you had 164 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:50.639 the the inside the league hall and you know, doing things like that with 165 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:54.279 you and Doug doing obviously this interview. What I like about it is the 166 00:10:54.720 --> 00:11:00.200 transparency, right of being able to see why you guys are doing things the 167 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:01.279 way that you are, right and you said on the call, you know 168 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:05.559 we want to do the rookie draft now kind of give people a sense, 169 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:07.000 hey, we're you know, coming into the summer and if you're not on 170 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:09.360 a camp, like what am I going to do with my time? And 171 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:13.919 I think fans of the league right them obviously players want to be a part 172 00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:16.480 of that. Just really appreciate that transparency, which I do not think we 173 00:11:16.519 --> 00:11:20.159 get the same level of that from the USFL. So I will say, 174 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:24.120 I like credit to you and Doug and everyone whatever whoever came about making those 175 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:28.320 decisions to do that. I would just give kudos because I think that that 176 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:31.080 helps let people know what's going on. Evading me to say something about well, 177 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:33.960 no, I I have a question about it, but no, I 178 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:39.639 just I want to you know, I do you feel like have you gotten 179 00:11:39.639 --> 00:11:41.919 good feedback of that, Like we're being a little bit more transparent with our 180 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:48.600 process and why we want Yeah. I mean I think there's just a lot 181 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:52.960 of players that want to play football, right, and they're opportunities and you 182 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:56.600 know, our competitor and us we are providing those players and it's just a 183 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:01.000 matter of um, you know, tracting them, recruiting them and giving them 184 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:03.480 a good job. To be frank, it's it's a good job, right, 185 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:07.440 I mean, it's it's you know, if you want to look at 186 00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:11.879 his development to get to the next level. But it's also while they're there, 187 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:15.039 it's a it's a good football, it's it's a good league, and 188 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:18.559 it's a good job for these guys and that's in the up where we do 189 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:22.600 in operations. That's what you know, that's part of our charge. The 190 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:26.759 one I do have one USFL question on here and then we'll get into all 191 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:31.919 the XFL kind of numbers and combines and everything. Uh. The comments at 192 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:33.320 the end of the season from you know, you're a good friend here, 193 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:39.080 I assume Daryl Moose Johnson talking about you know, hey, like we're baffled 194 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.120 and ratings and all of that. But the interesting know that bout it was 195 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:46.320 there was no real critique of the XFL or the USFL from a football standpoint, 196 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:48.960 right. All Moose's comments were like, well, our production values better 197 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:52.279 and we have Joel Clatt, so that makes it better. Obviously. You 198 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:56.000 you know, you're peeking over the curtain here, over the fence in the 199 00:12:56.039 --> 00:13:00.240 yard. What did you think of the USFL's product or how they're handling things 200 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:01.840 versus how you guys are. Well, I'll start with say, I mean, 201 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:05.799 he's one of the best guys I know, and I've worked with Tim 202 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:07.639 in the AF and the XFL, and he's as good of a guy as 203 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:13.440 he seems on camera. I love moves. Yeah, I mean, I 204 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:16.279 don't know much about production and I don't know how that moves the needle. 205 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:20.120 I mean our partners ESPN as a when I turn on the TV, I 206 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:24.039 watch sports baseball, basketball, football, and I go to ESPN and go 207 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:26.360 from there on my dial. So I don't know if that's a knock on 208 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:31.679 ESPN. I can't comment on that. But about the players, again, 209 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:35.200 like I said in the beginning, our job was to identify the best players 210 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:39.240 and to recruit them and attract them to the league. And I think by 211 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:41.120 and large, most of the players that we wanted, that we thought were 212 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:45.559 the best available signed with us, you know, to be frank, and 213 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:48.720 I think part of it is really just it's not USFL versus x FL, 214 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:54.879 as far as all things equal, it's our schedule I think is more attractive. 215 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:58.080 And you know, I'm not not breaking any news by saying that. 216 00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:01.279 I think if you ask most agents and players as they'd prefer our schedule, 217 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:05.279 which obviously is a huge advantage to us and recruiting. If that's you know, 218 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:09.320 what you want to call what we do as part of our jobs, 219 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:15.000 you know, I mean that it's still up for debate now, even as 220 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:18.360 we're going through and obviously the second season of the USFL here and you know, 221 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:22.399 what is the better time of year. And I think when it came 222 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:24.960 out in the USFL, you know, we're kind of reading in all that 223 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:26.240 last year and like, yeah, we're going to go right into camps and 224 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:28.679 kind of all that, and then we saw the reality of that. And 225 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:33.240 I think having this breathing room coming out from April and being able to get 226 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.519 into the camps earlier and latch on, I do think is the benefit for 227 00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:41.759 the XFL now having lived through kind of the colendar cycle. Amen, there 228 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:46.519 you go. So coming into this season, are any updates to like player 229 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:52.759 contracts, anything in terms of if any pay benefits, any changes. We're 230 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:56.919 still working through. As you know, you may have covered it and we've 231 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:00.879 talked about it on inside the league. You know, our rosters have been 232 00:15:00.919 --> 00:15:03.879 increased to ninety and that's really I mean, we have players under contract that 233 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:07.919 finished the season last year on the act of List of Injured reserve who are 234 00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:11.679 under contract for the rest of the calendar year. And then the new players 235 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:16.039 who we add are technically the rights to those players. You know, the 236 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:20.279 team we're singing Lenity League, so the players will sign with the league and 237 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:24.120 their rights will be assigned to a team, so to speak. And so 238 00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:28.720 right now we're just in the process, our teams more so than me, 239 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:33.039 of managing you know, those roster spots and how many players. We brought 240 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:37.799 seventy seventy five or so players to camp last year, and so it's just 241 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:41.159 a matter of you know, managing the players that are going to come back 242 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:45.480 from the twenty twenty three season to camp in twenty twenty four, the rookies 243 00:15:45.559 --> 00:15:50.440 that we added to rosters and then combined players, and then the NFL players 244 00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:54.759 who were released, you know, after Labor Day. So right now, 245 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:58.600 I think we're in roster management mode, the teams and the coaches and from 246 00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:03.240 the league level. You asked about the tracks we're working. We're finalizing those 247 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:06.960 now and we'll probably start signing players sooner. I'm not going to give you 248 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:10.919 an exact date, but sooner than later. So you expect any any changes 249 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:14.279 to benefits or pay or anything like that, Uh No, I think, 250 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:18.080 you know. I mean, there's pretty the market's pretty much been established for 251 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:22.120 spring football, and so we'll be competitive in the marketplace. And you know, 252 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:26.240 I think the decision to play where you're going to play, whether it 253 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:30.360 be And you know, we haven't talked about the CFL, and you have 254 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:33.000 to I have a lot of respect for them up there as well. So 255 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:37.360 how players make that decision? I think in these leagues it's probably not so 256 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:41.360 much about the financials. It's probably other you know, when all things being 257 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:45.559 equals. So in terms of the teams, you know, we're we're signing 258 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:51.320 players over the summer, managing those rosters and then obviously with the upcoming and 259 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:55.240 kind of the supplemental drafts and all of that in the fall, how are 260 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:57.120 teams doing in terms of managing that? Is there going to be enough space 261 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:00.519 for these teams to be able to bring that's on team? You know, 262 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:03.440 that's the teams having to manage it, the team by team. But so 263 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:07.839 and I mentioned, you know, our yearly cycle, and I think we 264 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:14.559 start now again this is year two is new to us. But the rookie 265 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:18.039 draft, which will do every year, and then we go into our showcases 266 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:22.240 and combine, and you know, I think that's how we differ from the 267 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:26.440 the NFL. Obviously as a rookie draft are the access to our league is 268 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:30.039 different? Right and probably and for our competitors too, is where it's a 269 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:33.680 little bit more accessible and opportunities, and you know, they're not quite open 270 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:37.000 tryouts, but we're players, you know, and there's a ton of I 271 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:40.759 mean, like we said last year, there were eighteen hundred players on a 272 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:44.640 waiting list to go to a showcase. This year, every showcase is UH 273 00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:49.039 is full to capacity. And so that we'll evaluate those players and then into 274 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:53.519 the NFL camps, will evaluate the players on the bottom of rosters in the 275 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:57.440 NFL that that it don't make you know, a practice squad after Labor Day 276 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:03.319 and so sorry, I'll finish. So we'll have a draft. Unlike last 277 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:04.799 year we had you know, a big draft if you want to call it, 278 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:08.880 when we drafted sixty some players and then had a supplemental draft. We 279 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:15.279 had the rookie Draft. Now we're gonna have an NFL plus combine participant draft 280 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:21.319 in early October, right and then we'll have a supplemental draft in December, 281 00:18:21.400 --> 00:18:25.559 right before we go to training camp for players that weren't available then. So 282 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:29.240 that's our and I think it is pretty much it makes sense for us to 283 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:32.799 do that on a yearly basis, where people in the football world know, 284 00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:37.920 you know, our calendar and how we're adding players to rosters. In terms 285 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:41.519 of this, it came out I think last week this IFL combine with the 286 00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:45.119 XFL. Any do you have any details about father how many players it's in 287 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:49.039 August? I guess I don't know. I talked to their commissioner a week 288 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:53.880 or two ago. It's around their championship game in Vegas in August, I 289 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:59.799 believe, and it's gonna be I'd imagine their top players from their league that 290 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:03.039 and make it to Vegas and we'll work out for some XFL personnel. So 291 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:07.519 has that, you know, depending on who you asked her, has been 292 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:11.200 varying, like, oh, this is you know, the IFL partnership and 293 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:12.880 all that. Has that proved dividends so far in your mind? Decided? 294 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:17.599 Yeah? I mean again, it's opportunities, right Like, So, we 295 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:21.119 brought, like I said, seventy five players to training camp and we cut 296 00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:26.440 down to fifty one, and that's twenty four guys per team or more that 297 00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:32.279 we're out of football, and some of them landed and other leagues, including 298 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:37.960 the IFL, So I think helping them, you know, to identify some 299 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:41.920 of our better players to maybe attract them to that league. And then and 300 00:19:41.960 --> 00:19:45.079 then it works both ways, right, So the better players they had in 301 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:49.599 their league will work out and we'll have access to that workout. So I'm 302 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:52.839 sure it could grow from there, but it's you know, it's the early 303 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:57.359 stages of a partnership. How many spots are left for the combine here coming 304 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:03.359 up? The wa in? Yeah, the big combine? Is it pretty 305 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:06.960 full now? Because I know there was a lot of I guess, I 306 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:08.799 guess Saint Louis had a lot of invites being sent out. Like I said, 307 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:11.880 we had Pat on the show talking about that, but DC two, 308 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:15.160 I hadn't. I didn't go to the DC Combine. But they people, 309 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:18.319 again, we've been people like me who have been in the a F and 310 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:22.759 XFL have been to you know a lot of showcases over the years, and 311 00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:26.400 they said it's the best talent. That DC showcase was the best talent they've 312 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:32.200 ever seen in one of these leagues. So I think we're getting pretty close 313 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:37.039 to the There'll be two hundred players at the Arlington Combine, one hundred on 314 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:42.079 offense and one hundred on defense. So that's interesting. What do you attribute 315 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:45.440 that to the DC one? I mean, I know you weren't. There 316 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:48.599 is just location or now you know, yeah, I mean a lot of 317 00:20:48.599 --> 00:20:52.400 times, Yeah, there's I don't know if it's one thing you can attribute 318 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.319 to a lot of times the location, you know, you go to hotbeds 319 00:20:55.319 --> 00:21:00.279 of football, whether it's you know, uh in places in Texas, Lord, 320 00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:03.279 the DC area. So it's probably part of that partly that it's maybe 321 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:07.720 you know, players think that it gives them a legit opportunity to make an 322 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:11.319 XFL roster, and so it's worth they have to put some skin in the 323 00:21:11.319 --> 00:21:15.160 game to go to a showcase, and they're willing to do that. So 324 00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:21.559 do you think having made it through season one now is a something as well? 325 00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:22.480 Kind of the USFL was talking about, you know, we got to 326 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:26.559 get through Like do you think that bats At trubuting Now, hey, okay, 327 00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:27.880 now we've made it. You know, you guys have made it, 328 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:32.519 like we're going to the year two? Is having increasing buy in I guess 329 00:21:32.519 --> 00:21:34.640 from players? Yeah, I think. I mean, like I mentioned earlier 330 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:38.599 that forty five number of practice squad players from twenty twenty, those are players 331 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:41.960 who are an injury away from you know, dressing in an NFL game, 332 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:48.839 and they maybe turned down a future deal to come play because the opportunity, 333 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:51.240 you know, to talk about it on a macro level. You know, 334 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:55.119 each one is a case by some players it's better option for to go and 335 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:57.880 play in spring football in between practice squads, and some of it's better just 336 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:03.480 stay with the team. But yeah, and the other one I mentioned earlier 337 00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:07.599 that I think is going to be something we could build on in twenty twenty 338 00:22:07.640 --> 00:22:11.359 four is draft eligible players. So we had Willie Taylor. I don't want 339 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:14.759 to mention too many players by name because I don't want to leave people out, 340 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:18.240 but Willie Taylor was a draft eligible player in the twenty twenty three NFL 341 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:25.119 draft and he signed with the XFL. You know, his last he played 342 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:30.000 at Washington State up your way, and then he played his graduate school year 343 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:33.839 at Eastern Kentucky and then signed in the XFL and then signed with the Jaguars 344 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:37.880 right after the championship game. And we had one other player like that, 345 00:22:38.039 --> 00:22:42.839 Harrison Frost, a quarterback from West Georgia, and he hasn't signed in the 346 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:45.599 NFL, but he went to the Saints mini camp, and so I think 347 00:22:48.119 --> 00:22:52.240 we could identify more of those players that it makes again, it's it doesn't 348 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:56.880 make sense for every college player to finish their season and go to the XFL. 349 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:59.799 But for hopefully for more and more of them, it does and we 350 00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:03.920 on the ones who can do it right, I mean that are our pro 351 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:07.839 football players that it's not too much wear and tear on their body and so 352 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:11.359 on and so forth. So in terms of the combine, are is those 353 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:15.359 the attendees list? Are those going to be made public or is it going 354 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:17.799 to be because you know, I know last year going into the draft and 355 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:19.480 stuff, we didn't want to, you know, put out all the different 356 00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:23.160 stuff we've seen kind of people posting about getting sign to the I don't think, 357 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:26.599 well, I think same as last year. I think I mentioned too. 358 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:30.759 I mean, if we put out certain lists in our draft to some 359 00:23:30.839 --> 00:23:33.880 extent, is a list of the players that we think are the best. 360 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:38.640 And why would we give lists when we don't have to to our competition? 361 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:42.640 Although the draft is an exception because I think we want. Part of it 362 00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:45.400 is we want the players to feel like they're part of the team. You 363 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:52.799 know. So in terms of quarterbacks here quarterbacks being drafted in the rookie draft. 364 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:56.799 Are are we going to be assigning any more quarterbacks? There's a kind 365 00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:00.359 of free market. Now you're on out, we will be drafting quarterbacks, 366 00:24:00.359 --> 00:24:04.000 whether it be in the rookie draft, the NFL Draft, or the supplemental 367 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:10.720 draft. It's interesting, keV. You know, I mean the nice thing 368 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:12.759 about working in spring football, and I worked most of my career in the 369 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:15.920 NFL where you have, you know, a constitution and by law, isn't 370 00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:21.599 that I mean we were more flexible. So depending on circumstances, that may 371 00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:25.279 change. But how we see it is that quarterbacks would just be included in 372 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:30.559 drafts going forward. On the il call I brought up a little bit about 373 00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:33.240 the alumni Academy. Any updates on that ors it's still kind of TBD. 374 00:24:33.799 --> 00:24:37.720 Yeah, I think it's TBD. I mean, they're their own entity and 375 00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:41.160 we partnered with them. I think as far as you know, we would 376 00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:47.640 sign graduates of their program, So I guess it's TBD. If they have 377 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:51.680 a program, we'll talk to them about the players that they have there, 378 00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:56.160 you know, you know, to me, it feels like you know, 379 00:24:56.200 --> 00:25:00.319 and you don't need a comment where it feels like maybe last year we weren't 380 00:25:00.359 --> 00:25:02.599 sure how much interest there was going to be. We're going to cast in 381 00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:04.920 that where maybe now you guys know, Okay, we have interests from all 382 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:10.160 of these different facets and maybe we don't need to have like direct partnerships with 383 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:12.400 anything like. I don't know if if that makes sense at all. Yeah, 384 00:25:12.440 --> 00:25:15.960 I mean, no comment. I guess that's that's fair. I haven't 385 00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:21.000 even thought about really. I mean, we're inundated, I guess. And 386 00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:23.319 you want to give everybody the tention that they deserve, but you, I 387 00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:26.720 mean, you can't imagine how many players there are out there that want to 388 00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:30.960 play, you know, and that's that I think as a football person that's 389 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:33.359 been in football in my whole career and I love football, that I think 390 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:38.119 that's good for the game. You know, Any updates about breakaway data using 391 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:44.160 any of their help coming forward end of the showcases this year, I don't 392 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:47.359 know enough about that part. That's our our tech side, I'm not I'm 393 00:25:47.400 --> 00:25:52.400 not sure about that. I know we have some innovatives, innovative, innovative 394 00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:56.759 things going on at the Combine through Sean. Sean Hayes is our director of 395 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:00.680 I'm gonna say he's, you know, the head stretting conditioning. I think 396 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:04.160 he has a bigger title than that, but he has some innovative testing that 397 00:26:04.200 --> 00:26:08.839 he'll be doing it to combine in Turm. We just saw Antie Levin's being 398 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:12.240 brought in here as the Vipers coach. Thoughts on that, what kind of 399 00:26:12.279 --> 00:26:17.359 stands out to you about him? I think it's a great higher I mean 400 00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:21.960 that you have a sitting NFL coach that's willing to to leave to come and 401 00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:27.000 coach and spring football says a lot about maybe the stability in our league and 402 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:32.519 the opportunities that obviously, that's the obvious thing, is the opportunity. But 403 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:34.960 and I hear and there was a lot of interest in that job, which 404 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:40.079 I think also speaks well for our league. I don't really, I don't. 405 00:26:40.119 --> 00:26:42.000 I don't know, and I'm not part of the coaching search process, 406 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:45.640 but I've only heard good things and it's exciting. You know. Well, 407 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:49.279 there's been a lot of that came out last week when I was working I 408 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:52.559 think I was at a wedding and the like. There's been a lot of 409 00:26:52.599 --> 00:26:56.319 positive you know, and I even have here in athletic article talking about that 410 00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:00.440 as well, where you know, I'll say sorry, I thought so again. 411 00:27:00.680 --> 00:27:03.559 I don't want to harken back too much to my AF but you know 412 00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:10.119 with AF where you would never have a heady coach or a coach in the 413 00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:14.440 NFL leave his job to coach and the AF I think we did a good 414 00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:17.599 job and standing up the league from a football side and playing the game. 415 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:22.000 But that was you know, and who doesn't love Steve Spurry and Rick new 416 00:27:22.039 --> 00:27:25.160 Husl and coaches like that, But that was kind of our market is like, 417 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:27.440 let's find guys who've been a few years out that are not gonna you 418 00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:33.400 know there semi retired to now or have you know, active NFL coaches leaving 419 00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:37.079 their job to coach in the XFL says a lot about our league. So 420 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:41.119 it does. I talking here, and we've had coach back on a couple 421 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:44.079 of times on the show. He's called him a friend of the podcast. 422 00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:48.119 Now. He mentioned at the end of the season he didn't realize kind of 423 00:27:48.119 --> 00:27:52.240 a balance between building a roster to be competitive as also being developmental. Right, 424 00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:56.839 Like with the XFL, we're always kind of balancing that and you know, 425 00:27:56.920 --> 00:27:59.519 their team kind of struggled a little bit, if I want to stay 426 00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:03.079 a little bit. But have you seen growth from him or Hines Ward kind 427 00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:07.359 of any of these first year coaches in terms of like trying to get new 428 00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:12.680 players in different roles. Now, I guess if that makes sense, I 429 00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:15.440 don't know enough of you know, that's also not my area. I think 430 00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:19.799 they're it's exciting that to see how they run a team. I've been around 431 00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:25.519 football forever. They how serious they take their their job and the craft, 432 00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:29.400 and that they're leaders of men and you know, and they're obviously learning to 433 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:32.559 be head coaches and this is a great spot for them to do it. 434 00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:37.680 Um. I think they have what it takes, you know, that intangible 435 00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:41.400 thing that takes to lead profession. You know, these are to lead men, 436 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:42.599 Like I said, so, I think they have that. I think 437 00:28:42.599 --> 00:28:48.599 they're learning, you know, And there's an administrative the head coaches part of 438 00:28:48.599 --> 00:28:51.960 it. They're not the GMS per se, but they're involved in you know, 439 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:55.759 the football operations and player personnel. So they have a lot on their 440 00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:57.960 plate and they you know, they think they both did a really good job 441 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:03.039 of managing all that. So how do you just personally view because it's this 442 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:07.559 constant thing, right, if we we want to have a place for guys, 443 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:11.640 eot get that step to the X to the NFL, right and all 444 00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:15.960 that, but also like this needs to be good football and kind of stand 445 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:18.440 on its own, right. I mean, it can't just be we're recycling 446 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:22.559 the guy like, how do you bet about that? And I go to 447 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:26.039 uh. I love going to minor league baseball, especially Triple A baseball. 448 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:32.480 I've been to three or four different stadiums this past year and it's just different. 449 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:34.319 What we're doing is just different. I mean, you want then stadium 450 00:29:34.359 --> 00:29:37.319 experience is great at those places, and I think we have some of that 451 00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:41.079 where it's it's an event, it's a fun, it's a family thing. 452 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:45.440 But um, I mean these people are and I think they're trying to win 453 00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:49.640 in minor league baseball to some extent. I mean in the XFL, they're 454 00:29:49.640 --> 00:29:53.079 trying to win games, right, I mean and the coaches, like, 455 00:29:53.160 --> 00:29:56.839 you know, it's the cliche, their coaching for their life and their career. 456 00:29:56.359 --> 00:29:59.759 And the players, yeah, they want to get to the NFL and 457 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:02.720 to develop, but it's football is just a different hand and I love it. 458 00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.079 I grew up my dad's a long time high school baseball coach. I 459 00:30:04.119 --> 00:30:07.839 played college baseball. I grew up in a dugout. But it's just a 460 00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:10.720 different game. I mean, there's ten foot in our league, there's ten 461 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:14.599 games a year and they're important, you know, and it's when they kick 462 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:17.519 off the ball. They're not thinking about development, They're thinking about winning the 463 00:30:17.559 --> 00:30:21.000 game. And I think that makes it a different product to put on TV 464 00:30:21.119 --> 00:30:23.160 and all. And again that's outside of my scope, but that's more just 465 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:29.920 my opinion on what our league is about. So in terms of you know, 466 00:30:30.279 --> 00:30:33.240 back in twenty twenty, the Team nine having that be able to kind 467 00:30:33.240 --> 00:30:37.279 of be able to cycle through with injuries or at least be able to increase 468 00:30:37.319 --> 00:30:41.039 a number of active roster spots we've had, we had Jonathan Heimbach on kind 469 00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:42.839 of talking, hey, what's your wish list going too the next year? 470 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:45.880 Any consideration about Team nine? There are more out I mean, I think 471 00:30:45.880 --> 00:30:51.440 we'd all it's a beneficial thing, but you know, we're a business year, 472 00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:55.599 so I think again I'll go back to AF and other experiences and start 473 00:30:55.680 --> 00:31:00.799 up football. I think we have a good relationship and dialogue from the finance, 474 00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:04.200 between the finance side and the football side of you know, what do 475 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:07.599 we need to make this a good product? And yeah, we'd love to 476 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:11.440 have a Team nine or something like that, but there's some things we just 477 00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:15.759 realistically, from a business standpoint, we can't do. And in the pecking 478 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:18.119 order that just you know, it wasn't high enough to keep to keep it. 479 00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:23.440 So in terms of Jordan Palmer coming in and kind of maybe more limited 480 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:29.400 interaction last year, any chance of like increasing that or whether player is going 481 00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:30.960 to get any of the quarterbacks were working with him this year, I'm not 482 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:37.680 sure about the Doug Willy manages that relationship and partnership. I'm not sure. 483 00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:42.160 I think he is back this year, but I don't know the details of 484 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:48.480 that program. Did you take away anything from that worthwhile beneficial? Again, 485 00:31:48.519 --> 00:31:52.160 I don't want to, you know that, what's the old adage. I'm 486 00:31:52.200 --> 00:31:55.240 not a doctor. I just played one on tea. I don't even play 487 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:57.359 a scout on TV, so I don't know. I'm sure it was beneficial. 488 00:31:57.400 --> 00:32:02.960 I mean, guys working out in the offseason with the guy put with 489 00:32:04.039 --> 00:32:07.319 Palmer, who works with the top quarterbacks in the NFL. It couldn't have 490 00:32:07.400 --> 00:32:09.440 heard, you know, But I wasn't there. I didn't go out there 491 00:32:09.440 --> 00:32:13.839 for the program, and I'm not a scout, so I couldn't speak to 492 00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:16.759 the specifics of it. That's okay. In terms of training camp this year. 493 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:22.160 You know, they kind of had a great Texas ice storm and everything 494 00:32:22.200 --> 00:32:24.160 last year. They're kind of invaded part of that. Like, how's training 495 00:32:24.200 --> 00:32:29.039 camp gonna look heading into the season. I think it'll be similar. I 496 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:31.480 mean, haven't gone through it a year, and we're all we're right now 497 00:32:31.480 --> 00:32:37.079 and planning process with different departments around the league. So I think having a 498 00:32:37.160 --> 00:32:39.839 year under our cap will help, but it'll probably be pretty simple. I 499 00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:46.079 mean, like training football training camps are pretty similar anywhere you hold them, 500 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:51.119 So I know it's outside probably outside of your ProView, but you know, 501 00:32:51.640 --> 00:32:54.240 local training camps in cities, so I think would be beneficial in terms of 502 00:32:54.440 --> 00:32:59.680 a public PR spectacle as well. So just something something I think you mind. 503 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:04.160 It's we we've talked at great length. I think this was on the 504 00:33:04.200 --> 00:33:07.400 IL call as well, about kind of the bye week and whether we deal 505 00:33:07.480 --> 00:33:09.640 with the bye week, and you know we've talked about do we do a 506 00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:14.440 March Madness bye week or a rolling by? You know, thoughts on the 507 00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:20.160 bye going into this year from a football standpoint is you know that's a broadcasting 508 00:33:20.279 --> 00:33:25.240 decision and an ownership decision. I'm sure it's on the table. So that's 509 00:33:25.240 --> 00:33:30.480 all, would you would you prefer to see at a different time than pre 510 00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:37.519 championship game? Um, whatever makes the most sense for our business, you 511 00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:40.960 know, I don't Again, I don't. You probably know more about that 512 00:33:40.960 --> 00:33:47.759 that uh part of football, you know, as far as broadcasting and ratings 513 00:33:47.799 --> 00:33:54.279 and things. So I'm sure they'll make the best decision that In terms of 514 00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:58.960 anything about like kind of injury reports anything, are you able to speak on 515 00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:00.920 that in terms of being able to get those sent out for more of like 516 00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:06.000 the uh, you know, people doing fantasy sports, betting anything like, 517 00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:08.559 Yeah, I mean as far as I don't know what the criticism, I 518 00:34:08.639 --> 00:34:13.440 mean, those were supposed to be available, as were they hard to find 519 00:34:13.519 --> 00:34:21.920 that I think the feedback was having the teams post them individually, as opposed 520 00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:24.440 to like emailing them out to a select few and then having them be propagated 521 00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:30.119 that way through an easy fix and we would do whatever you know it was. 522 00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:34.480 I mean injury reports, I mean I've been at the NFL. Obviously 523 00:34:34.519 --> 00:34:37.440 they're important. They're important in football, and if there's gambling on football, 524 00:34:37.480 --> 00:34:42.639 they're critical and there's nothing to hide there from us. So I think whatever 525 00:34:42.760 --> 00:34:46.000 makes whatever is the most efficient way to do it. We'll do it. 526 00:34:46.119 --> 00:34:50.519 So yeah, because it's the same with like the depth charts, and I 527 00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:53.280 know that some weeks are kind of like maybe there were some inaccuracies or we 528 00:34:53.360 --> 00:34:57.559 had kind of maybe more copy and paste, and we're seeing, Okay, 529 00:34:57.599 --> 00:35:00.679 this guy's listed, but he's on the injury report like I do. And 530 00:35:00.039 --> 00:35:04.119 this goes for all the leagues. It's not just an XFL thing, USFL 531 00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:07.440 and CFL. Like it seems like everyone knows that we need to embrace sports 532 00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:12.039 betting or like fantasy or whatever. But then like, well what does that 533 00:35:12.119 --> 00:35:15.320 mean? And like, yeah, having like injury reports sent out, having 534 00:35:15.360 --> 00:35:17.119 like accurate depth charts and things. Again, I know this is outside of 535 00:35:17.639 --> 00:35:21.280 you know, you're but but you know, passing the long messages here, 536 00:35:21.320 --> 00:35:24.480 I think in terms of but I will say from all of the fantasy people 537 00:35:24.519 --> 00:35:30.519 I've interviewed on the show, feel like transparency for the XFL was better between 538 00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:35.039 the two. If that's you know, I mean, there's not really We're 539 00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:37.760 not trying to hide anything, so I'm sure it's not. It's more of 540 00:35:37.760 --> 00:35:45.840 a process thing than a transparency in terms of if if anyone, and we'll 541 00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:46.840 wrap up here soon, and I appreciate. I know, I promise you 542 00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:51.239 at the time here here won't keep you too long. If more, if 543 00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:54.800 if any other players, agents, people wanted to get involved in this, 544 00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:58.719 wanted to have their info sent out, wanted the place to go. What 545 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:00.639 are you guys telling people to do right now? Yeah, we've all I 546 00:36:00.719 --> 00:36:06.039 mean, the easiest way for us to manage that is they send their information 547 00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:15.400 to FBO at XFL dot com f Football Operations f Frank Boy Oliver and we 548 00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:19.519 have people aggregating, you know, the player information. So we have a 549 00:36:19.599 --> 00:36:22.400 database that here's players that are interested in their information. And you know, 550 00:36:22.440 --> 00:36:27.320 I mean again we have scouting departments of one per team, right, and 551 00:36:27.559 --> 00:36:30.800 we try to help them more from the league office side on managing data on 552 00:36:30.920 --> 00:36:37.800 players. But like I said earlier, we want to give everyone the opportunity 553 00:36:37.880 --> 00:36:43.159 to to make the league right. I mean, it's different than the NFL 554 00:36:43.199 --> 00:36:46.039 in that regard where you could go to a showcase or send your information in 555 00:36:46.119 --> 00:36:51.519 and we'll take a look. And we want to turn over every stone and 556 00:36:51.559 --> 00:36:53.960 find I'll let me think of a few more cliches, find diamonds in the 557 00:36:54.039 --> 00:36:59.119 roughs and things like that, you know, from just a personal standpoint here, 558 00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:00.559 having you know, lived all these other things, did you ever think 559 00:37:00.599 --> 00:37:04.360 you'd be at the point here we're talking the spring league, season two, 560 00:37:04.440 --> 00:37:09.400 going in offseason, you know, player acquisitions here. I always believed in 561 00:37:09.440 --> 00:37:13.400 it, you know, and I started when I started at the NFL was 562 00:37:13.519 --> 00:37:16.760 right around when NFL Europe was still going, but it was toward the end 563 00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:22.400 of that program, and you know, the football people always lamented that we 564 00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:25.679 lost something with NFL Europe, and obviously it was a business decision, and 565 00:37:25.719 --> 00:37:31.960 there was that void there for years and you know, between the AF was 566 00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:35.880 probably the first one to seriously fill it. I know there were some other 567 00:37:36.119 --> 00:37:40.000 leagues and then So yeah, I answer your question, I've always believed in 568 00:37:40.039 --> 00:37:45.039 it. And this is just like I said at the beginning of the three 569 00:37:45.079 --> 00:37:49.159 that I've been a part of the best because of the ownership group, the 570 00:37:49.320 --> 00:37:55.400 experience we have in all areas of between football business and the player, I 571 00:37:55.400 --> 00:37:59.239 mean players and coach. The game is about players and coaches, and I 572 00:37:59.239 --> 00:38:02.920 think we keep getting better players as we proved that. It's you know, 573 00:38:02.960 --> 00:38:06.039 it's a good like I said, it's a good job. It's a good 574 00:38:06.039 --> 00:38:09.719 opportunity for players and coaches. And officials for that matters, since that's part 575 00:38:09.760 --> 00:38:14.559 of my title. Well, Russ, I hope you feel like I grilgy 576 00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:16.320 too hard today. I've ever we got through some good stuff. Anything else 577 00:38:16.400 --> 00:38:20.920 from me before we get out of here, Uh no, I appreciate what 578 00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:25.480 you do. I think that you're objective and you know you have journalistic integrity. 579 00:38:25.519 --> 00:38:30.599 But obviously you're a fan too, so I think you give us good 580 00:38:30.599 --> 00:38:34.559 coverage and you keep us honest and call you call it like you see it 581 00:38:34.599 --> 00:38:38.000 when you don't you don't agree with what we're doing. So well, I 582 00:38:38.039 --> 00:38:40.920 appreciate that. Like I said that, the league and everyone else were working 583 00:38:40.920 --> 00:38:45.400 this out in the off season talking role football here, Rush Giulio. Really 584 00:38:45.400 --> 00:38:47.960 appreciate your time coming on this week and everything else. Good luck with the 585 00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:51.599 showcases. I know, like you said, you're going to Arizona and everything 586 00:38:51.639 --> 00:38:54.360 else, so you know we're no off season here for the mark House and 587 00:38:54.400 --> 00:38:57.920 no off season for the XFLS. I think that that's good, right, 588 00:38:58.599 --> 00:39:06.320 all right, thanks for well. I put on my best. This isn't 589 00:39:06.320 --> 00:39:09.000 a flooral it's kind of floral. It's like a tiger and like flowers on 590 00:39:09.079 --> 00:39:12.320 there, so I can match my guest through day. We have para female 591 00:39:12.360 --> 00:39:14.559 back on here. Founder of Creative Arts, Pat, How are you doing? 592 00:39:14.800 --> 00:39:17.119 I'm doing great. Um. I think next time I have these mannequins 593 00:39:17.119 --> 00:39:22.079 and I'm gonna, you know, casting couch behind me all the mannequins with 594 00:39:22.119 --> 00:39:25.559 my flamboyant shirts. That's good. That's good. I like it said. 595 00:39:25.559 --> 00:39:29.920 Pat's here. We've had rests on. We're talking kind of offseason scouting. 596 00:39:30.039 --> 00:39:32.960 What's the XFL doing. We're in showcase season combines. At the end of 597 00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:37.719 the month, Pat was lucky enough to go to the Saint Louis showcase there 598 00:39:37.760 --> 00:39:40.599 and talk with the rest, Brandon and kind of everybody else. AJ mccarren 599 00:39:40.679 --> 00:39:44.039 popping around. So, Pat, what do you have kind of going on? 600 00:39:44.119 --> 00:39:46.119 Busy week for you last week? Yeah, I mean I'm still pushing 601 00:39:46.119 --> 00:39:52.360 out videos on my phone that I took and all that goofy stuff. Doing 602 00:39:52.400 --> 00:39:55.480 a lot of editing right now. But in the end, some of the 603 00:39:55.519 --> 00:40:00.360 guys from the XFL that I did talk to, or AJ mc Karen, 604 00:40:00.639 --> 00:40:07.320 Eric Magwood, Anthony back, Russ, Brandon, and Stephen Austin as well. 605 00:40:07.760 --> 00:40:10.480 If you don't know who Stephen Austin is, he's kind of a background 606 00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:15.599 guy, but he runs the ANC Combines and he works in collaboration with the 607 00:40:16.199 --> 00:40:20.920 XFL. But he's also done the Spring League, he did the AF, 608 00:40:20.920 --> 00:40:25.159 he's done stuff for the CFL, and he was integral in the USFL of 609 00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:30.519 the nineteen eighties getting a lot of those guys back to work after the league 610 00:40:30.519 --> 00:40:36.239 folded. Because the combines have been his involvement in the combines have been around 611 00:40:37.039 --> 00:40:38.800 since about it. I think he said eighty seven or eighty eight. And 612 00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:43.880 he was also the guy who started the regional combines. So he's kind of 613 00:40:43.880 --> 00:40:45.880 an unsung hero in this and I was really lucky I got to talk with 614 00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:49.840 him as well. Well, it's interesting. So we're going through, right, 615 00:40:49.840 --> 00:40:52.920 we lived through the USFL offseason last year, Right, what are they 616 00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:57.559 doing now? We're in the USFL and the XFL offseason. Interesting. It 617 00:40:57.599 --> 00:41:00.599 feels like the XFL trying to be a little bit more. We're in the 618 00:41:00.639 --> 00:41:02.239 spotlight a little bit. You know, we had our what was at the 619 00:41:02.280 --> 00:41:07.840 rookie Draft they were having these showcases. I thought it was great that Rust 620 00:41:07.960 --> 00:41:09.119 was at the showcase. You know, talked with you. Max and I 621 00:41:09.159 --> 00:41:13.239 were going back and forth like it's good that it's good the rust is at 622 00:41:13.239 --> 00:41:15.559 this. It's good that he's making like we're kind of making these be a 623 00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:17.440 thing. I've been getting a lot of media alerts for the showcase. Are 624 00:41:17.480 --> 00:41:21.840 you liking kind of how the xfls approaching their offseason? Yeah? I mean, 625 00:41:21.960 --> 00:41:25.320 for me, it was a great experience on both fronts. So it 626 00:41:25.400 --> 00:41:30.880 wasn't open to the public, but they had a tailgate there and like Dirty 627 00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:32.760 was out there from the x fan show. He was doing his thing, 628 00:41:34.239 --> 00:41:37.280 and it was great to see a lot of people with family members there as 629 00:41:37.320 --> 00:41:40.639 well, coming out to support them. And the XFL was like, well, 630 00:41:40.639 --> 00:41:45.480 it wasn't open to the public, but if some guys bringing his girlfriend 631 00:41:45.519 --> 00:41:46.320 here, what we're gonna do? Tell are the way in the car? 632 00:41:46.400 --> 00:41:52.320 So they let them stay in the stands. A couple of XFL players were 633 00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:55.360 there as well. Dan Williams of the Orlando Guardians was there. He was 634 00:41:55.400 --> 00:42:00.840 with Mike Glass, formerly of the CFL Montreal Alouette. So you had guys 635 00:42:00.880 --> 00:42:07.519 who are in the professional space from Saint Louis coming out to support A prominent 636 00:42:07.599 --> 00:42:12.960 Saint Louis agent from Harold Lewis was there, you know, checking in on 637 00:42:13.039 --> 00:42:19.719 his guys. Looking for possibly new guy guys coming out there and uberall just 638 00:42:20.199 --> 00:42:24.039 the vibe of positivity for a lot of these hopefuls. And I think sixteen 639 00:42:24.519 --> 00:42:30.360 is the number that got brought in to this. It was you know, 640 00:42:30.480 --> 00:42:34.679 now we have sixteen more guys who are getting an opportunity to be a part 641 00:42:34.719 --> 00:42:38.159 of this combine that's happening, I believe on the twenty fifth or twenty six. 642 00:42:39.360 --> 00:42:42.840 Yeah, so we have here. We had the HBCU on so these 643 00:42:43.039 --> 00:42:45.159 went back kind of mid June, right after the rigging the rookie Draft, 644 00:42:45.199 --> 00:42:50.360 the Atlanta we had Sat Louis on the seventh, DC on the ninth, 645 00:42:50.440 --> 00:42:52.320 and then this weekend we're gonna have the Houston one and the arizone the one 646 00:42:52.360 --> 00:42:55.239 and then you have the combine back down the chata. You said, so 647 00:42:55.360 --> 00:43:00.840 sixteen of the showcase went in. Who were these What was your vibe of 648 00:43:00.880 --> 00:43:04.360 who these are specifically targeted for? Because there's been a lot of confusion that 649 00:43:04.360 --> 00:43:07.440 we've talked with Russ as well about this. But like we have the rookie 650 00:43:07.519 --> 00:43:10.119 Draft, that's for guys that are our word draft eligible, aren't on the 651 00:43:10.159 --> 00:43:14.559 team. But then you have guys like hey, well I graduated two years 652 00:43:14.599 --> 00:43:15.760 ago, or maybe I've been a free agent for a while, or I 653 00:43:15.800 --> 00:43:20.159 was in the usfl or kind of So who is this showcase for? So 654 00:43:20.280 --> 00:43:24.400 it's it's for the second part of what you said. Interesting enough, We 655 00:43:24.480 --> 00:43:30.840 did have some guys there who were recently with Canadian teams or contracts didn't work 656 00:43:30.880 --> 00:43:36.079 out. There was two guys. I forget one of the gentleman's name, 657 00:43:36.119 --> 00:43:39.000 but the other one was Bernard McCall. He was there. They were in 658 00:43:39.079 --> 00:43:44.000 camp with the Defenders. I'm pretty sure they were. I know McCall was 659 00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:46.239 with the Defenders. I think the other gentleman was as well. We had 660 00:43:46.280 --> 00:43:52.519 some guys from the class of twenty two that were there. Antar Antar Johnson 661 00:43:52.639 --> 00:43:54.960 was there. He was a Miszoo guy, finished up at Valdoza State. 662 00:43:55.320 --> 00:44:00.199 And then there were smaller school pross a lot of smaller school prospects. There 663 00:44:00.960 --> 00:44:04.719 one gentleman, his name was I think his name is Luke Hoffman. He 664 00:44:04.760 --> 00:44:07.880 went to KU, finished at West Texas A and m He ended up getting 665 00:44:09.079 --> 00:44:15.039 getting an invite. And then another name was that he was from like Missouri 666 00:44:15.159 --> 00:44:19.679 State or something like a real one of those Northwest Missouri State University of our 667 00:44:19.840 --> 00:44:23.400 lady type places. He got an invite and this gentleman man, he was 668 00:44:23.440 --> 00:44:29.079 a man in Love's Boys. I think he's two years removed but from a 669 00:44:29.119 --> 00:44:32.199 smaller school. He was about six nine, three hundred and five pounds. 670 00:44:32.840 --> 00:44:37.760 And Dave Boehler, who was also there, was all over this guy, 671 00:44:37.880 --> 00:44:40.280 like wanted to see him and talk with him and whatnot. So it was 672 00:44:40.639 --> 00:44:46.199 a lot of these guys who maybe had some movement in their colleges and whatnot. 673 00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:50.079 A lot of guys who were serious players, and then there was some 674 00:44:50.159 --> 00:44:53.159 guys that were you know, saw it on TV and thought, hey, 675 00:44:53.159 --> 00:44:55.519 man, let me give this a tribe. One guy I wanted to give 676 00:44:55.559 --> 00:45:00.119 a shout out to, and I don't believe he got a combine in it 677 00:45:00.280 --> 00:45:04.519 was a guy named Luke Drone. Luke Drone is thirty eight years old. 678 00:45:05.199 --> 00:45:08.000 He played with the Bills in two thousand and eight and then from two thousand 679 00:45:08.039 --> 00:45:14.480 and nine to twenty thirteen played in the AFL, the Arena Football League one, 680 00:45:15.840 --> 00:45:20.400 and he came out there. He's coaching high school football and Western Illinois. 681 00:45:20.400 --> 00:45:23.960 I think it's El Paso, Illinois. And I mean mechanically he looked 682 00:45:23.960 --> 00:45:27.599 good. He just you know, you're thirty eight years old throwing this football 683 00:45:27.639 --> 00:45:31.400 like it's things don't don't if if Payton Manning had to drop off, so 684 00:45:31.599 --> 00:45:35.440 Luke drone, you know, and it was cool that he just gave it 685 00:45:35.559 --> 00:45:38.159 that shot. You know. He's a great story. Not the most polarizing 686 00:45:38.199 --> 00:45:43.239 guy, but like you know, there is there's some players out there, 687 00:45:43.280 --> 00:45:45.400 man, that got overlooked, and there's some guys who were fresh off Canadian 688 00:45:45.519 --> 00:45:50.679 roster or Canadian training camp that were there. And then there's some guys who 689 00:45:50.679 --> 00:45:54.400 are kind of like, hey, man, you know what's going on here. 690 00:45:55.000 --> 00:46:00.800 But overall, two hundred and almost seventy two hundred and sixty, I 691 00:46:00.840 --> 00:46:06.039 think the number was between that range getting an opportunity and the most important thing 692 00:46:06.079 --> 00:46:09.320 in my opinion was that they did it at Missouri Baptist University, which is 693 00:46:09.360 --> 00:46:15.440 an n AIA college there and so many of these Missouri Baptist kids to be 694 00:46:15.519 --> 00:46:20.199 a part of this CJ. C. Eric s Dan Seem Mike and all 695 00:46:20.239 --> 00:46:24.760 the coaches and pr staff that were there, and for a smaller school to 696 00:46:24.840 --> 00:46:30.199 do that, for this community outreach in Missouri, it doesn't get much better 697 00:46:30.199 --> 00:46:34.599 than that for me. And it's also what the coaches were also there as 698 00:46:34.599 --> 00:46:37.199 well, being a part of this, and they did have some game based 699 00:46:37.199 --> 00:46:40.000 staff working as well. Well I'll say this, and you know, we 700 00:46:40.239 --> 00:46:44.119 Andy and I had our big like what should the XFL do? You know, 701 00:46:44.239 --> 00:46:45.719 charting the chorus for the off season, I think is what we called 702 00:46:45.760 --> 00:46:49.280 it. And you know we were talking about some of the stuff and here, 703 00:46:49.880 --> 00:46:52.960 you know, I've seen seen a lot of content posts on social media. 704 00:46:52.079 --> 00:46:55.199 We're doing. The jerseys are for sale, I mean, take or 705 00:46:55.280 --> 00:47:00.599 leave that, but you know, we're USFL. It does feel like and 706 00:47:00.599 --> 00:47:05.400 we're two weeks removed from the championship game. Now really drops off right, 707 00:47:05.440 --> 00:47:07.760 And obviously you're never going to be full steam with these spring leagues in the 708 00:47:07.800 --> 00:47:10.719 summer, right. I mean, NFL has enough money to kind of churn 709 00:47:10.760 --> 00:47:14.679 and burn. And they're even have talent, you know, NFL network, 710 00:47:14.760 --> 00:47:15.840 like the panels are different. You know, hey, we got the main 711 00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:20.280 guys are off right now, we've got the backups or whatever. But doing 712 00:47:20.320 --> 00:47:23.480 these events and doing the rookie draft when they did it not in February, 713 00:47:23.599 --> 00:47:29.800 like we criticize the college draft of the USFL doing these showcases now having the 714 00:47:29.880 --> 00:47:32.559 combine, I just think you're you're giving these guys that maybe don't have a 715 00:47:34.280 --> 00:47:37.000 whether am I doing right now? It gives you a sense of purpose of 716 00:47:37.079 --> 00:47:38.079 like, all right, I can look forward to this. I can build 717 00:47:38.199 --> 00:47:42.159 this kind of throughout the summer because you know, next thing, you know 718 00:47:42.199 --> 00:47:45.079 it, here we're going into the drafts and as you know, December, 719 00:47:45.079 --> 00:47:49.960 we're in the XFL like official preseason. We're USFL. You know you're going 720 00:47:50.000 --> 00:47:52.000 to ramp back up in in March, right and you're gonna say, hey, 721 00:47:52.079 --> 00:47:54.400 you know, we signed some people in the off season. I just 722 00:47:54.440 --> 00:47:59.639 I feel like it makes it more transparent than just seeing transaction notes on Twitter 723 00:47:59.679 --> 00:48:04.599 from the USFL. Hey, usbl general signed a release whoever macau belto Thomason 724 00:48:04.719 --> 00:48:07.119 this release from the Breakers. I don't know if that makes sense. I 725 00:48:07.119 --> 00:48:10.679 would like to see the USFL do something similar in their four and their four 726 00:48:10.800 --> 00:48:16.000 hubs. I think you could do that UM and I think after probably the 727 00:48:16.159 --> 00:48:22.360 second week on a Saturday, maybe in in Memphis, in Detroit, UM 728 00:48:23.079 --> 00:48:29.800 in Birmingham, in UM. I would probably do it on Friday now that 729 00:48:29.840 --> 00:48:31.519 I think about it, because you have college football going on. But I 730 00:48:31.519 --> 00:48:36.679 would do that. I would do a similar showcase in those in those cities, 731 00:48:37.639 --> 00:48:42.760 um in September after NFL Camp because then the chips are kind of lying 732 00:48:43.119 --> 00:48:45.280 and you only even have to do them, like how the XFL is doing 733 00:48:45.280 --> 00:48:51.280 them back to back to back one on this Friday in September till October. 734 00:48:51.360 --> 00:48:54.760 It's still good enough weather to be outside, especially in the South. And 735 00:48:54.920 --> 00:48:59.000 like, if you know, I'm seeing Louis guy, if it's in Memphis, 736 00:48:59.079 --> 00:49:01.199 I'll go. You give me. You don't do it the day before, 737 00:49:01.480 --> 00:49:05.039 would you give me a week to like move around, I'll go. 738 00:49:05.320 --> 00:49:07.679 I'll go to Memphis and go to this. It was such a great experience 739 00:49:08.159 --> 00:49:10.760 for media to be there, you know and be a part of it. 740 00:49:10.800 --> 00:49:15.000 And I know the USFL was working with the Hub and the hub's been discontinued 741 00:49:15.079 --> 00:49:20.800 and now it's these grid camps and everything like that. But just having you 742 00:49:20.840 --> 00:49:25.000 know, in Memphis make fun of it all the time. But Brady White 743 00:49:25.039 --> 00:49:28.440 being there, you know what I mean, Like he's gonna be there, 744 00:49:28.440 --> 00:49:30.000 you know, he's coaching and whatnot. That would be pretty cool. And 745 00:49:30.039 --> 00:49:34.400 there's a couple other Memphis guys around, you know, having a couple of 746 00:49:34.400 --> 00:49:38.280 the Detroit guys like around and whatnot. They Michigan Panthers have a couple Detroit. 747 00:49:38.360 --> 00:49:42.320 You know, they have Brian Luurki there, he's a Michigan's I think 748 00:49:42.360 --> 00:49:45.400 he's from Ohio. But having any of these guys there, plus the coaches 749 00:49:45.440 --> 00:49:47.599 and staff, you can pick up a lot of talent because now you're getting 750 00:49:47.599 --> 00:49:52.239 all these cusp guys from the XFL combine who are you know, maybe theydn't 751 00:49:52.280 --> 00:49:55.280 get signed. Now they're going there too, And now you're creating more of 752 00:49:55.320 --> 00:50:00.519 this football wars and whatnot for talent because there's guys who went to this combine 753 00:50:00.639 --> 00:50:05.239 or who are going to this combine that even if they're not drafted, they're 754 00:50:05.239 --> 00:50:07.960 signed, they will have an opportunity at some point. But either one of 755 00:50:07.960 --> 00:50:13.159 these leagues. Yeah, I wasn't it last year there was the rumors, 756 00:50:13.159 --> 00:50:16.199 Hey, they were going to do some either if it was a combine or 757 00:50:16.199 --> 00:50:19.920 like OTA's, they were going to do them in the city. Is to 758 00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:22.360 kind of get the people like Anne of that candidate fruition with the USFL, 759 00:50:22.440 --> 00:50:27.159 right, I mean they really it really was radio silence until it's all ramp 760 00:50:27.199 --> 00:50:30.679 up period. I mean, and you know we're going into the third season 761 00:50:30.719 --> 00:50:36.840 the twenty twenty four season. They're talking and you know about this the walk, 762 00:50:37.000 --> 00:50:38.719 the crawl, walk, run, let's get walk. You know, 763 00:50:38.760 --> 00:50:42.000 I would love to see that, and maybe they're doing that. You know, 764 00:50:42.039 --> 00:50:45.840 maybe maybe I'm I'm putting the cart before the horse, and I'd love 765 00:50:45.880 --> 00:50:47.559 to you know, And I'd loved, like I said, if they did 766 00:50:47.559 --> 00:50:51.679 something in Memphis, I'd love to be a part of it. It's a 767 00:50:51.800 --> 00:50:53.440 decent drive for me. But you know it's worth it because you know you're 768 00:50:53.440 --> 00:50:59.199 gonna be around a lot of these people and a lot of these players who 769 00:50:59.559 --> 00:51:02.320 who you know are living their dream and you know, and you know, 770 00:51:02.679 --> 00:51:06.719 to do that takes, as Aj McCarron said, a lot of courage to 771 00:51:06.760 --> 00:51:09.960 go out there. Are you finding because we you know, this podcast has 772 00:51:10.000 --> 00:51:15.000 existed in this you know, with the Spring League and fan at fort Football 773 00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:16.639 and kind of all this stuff. We either the post COVID and there was 774 00:51:16.679 --> 00:51:21.840 the surplus of guys that you know, we've had the seven year senior years 775 00:51:21.840 --> 00:51:23.480 and all this stuff coming in, Like are we getting the point now where 776 00:51:23.480 --> 00:51:27.239 we are going to have to deep dive to find new guys? Like there 777 00:51:27.239 --> 00:51:30.760 were sets of surplus there for a while. Man I mean, I think 778 00:51:30.800 --> 00:51:34.639 that depends on who you are, who who the GM is, right, 779 00:51:34.719 --> 00:51:38.559 Like I look at the BattleHawks specifically, and you look at their roster and 780 00:51:38.599 --> 00:51:44.440 there was a lot of AF retread. There was a lot of guys who 781 00:51:44.519 --> 00:51:52.519 retreaded from uh even the USFL and whatnot, Like like Dave Boller was, 782 00:51:52.800 --> 00:51:57.639 Dave Buller wasn't was an AF guy. Anthony Beck was the tight ends coach 783 00:51:58.000 --> 00:52:06.199 for the for the Fleet Andy's Fleet. And when you're starting these leagues, 784 00:52:06.199 --> 00:52:08.519 in my opinion, and I talked to a couple of USFL coaches about this 785 00:52:08.599 --> 00:52:14.920 last year, why would you not sign a guy who might he had Maybe 786 00:52:14.920 --> 00:52:16.719 he's older, but I know who he is, I know what his deal 787 00:52:16.840 --> 00:52:22.079 is because I can go sign maybe someone who has more potential, but potential 788 00:52:22.199 --> 00:52:24.719 is great, Like I need I need someone who is in camp with the 789 00:52:24.760 --> 00:52:30.079 Cowboys. I need someone who played in in the A for the XFL in 790 00:52:30.159 --> 00:52:32.480 twenty twenty at that time in the spring league who might not be as good, 791 00:52:32.519 --> 00:52:35.960 but I know who he could show up to meetings that I know he 792 00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:39.480 can learn the playbook. So like when we have these off seasons, I 793 00:52:39.519 --> 00:52:45.840 think it's going to expand our it could expand our our you know, our 794 00:52:45.960 --> 00:52:51.039 catch so to speak, of players that you might want to take a little 795 00:52:51.079 --> 00:52:54.199 bit more of a look at, especially with roster expansion as well. Going 796 00:52:54.199 --> 00:52:58.559 in the training camp. It's just going to be interesting to see, how, 797 00:52:58.960 --> 00:53:01.440 you know, because you're gonna have you gotta have gaps to fill in 798 00:53:01.480 --> 00:53:04.960 the matter, whether it is where guys decide, hey, I'm done, 799 00:53:05.119 --> 00:53:07.599 or guys go up to Canadada, or guys go to the NFL or guys 800 00:53:07.639 --> 00:53:10.320 go to the USFL. Right, Like, there's so much churn that you're 801 00:53:10.320 --> 00:53:14.159 going to live with in these spring leagues, and so it's this balance of, 802 00:53:14.920 --> 00:53:16.599 you know, do these teams even resemble what they do? I mean, 803 00:53:16.760 --> 00:53:21.119 I felt like the USFL it felt like there was continuity, right, 804 00:53:21.159 --> 00:53:24.239 I mean, didn't you feel like then they would either lived out to whether 805 00:53:24.320 --> 00:53:27.719 or not. But I felt like we went into season too at least knowing 806 00:53:27.800 --> 00:53:30.960 kind of what those USFL teams are going to look like, right and and 807 00:53:30.280 --> 00:53:34.320 do? And how do people feel about that? Like? I like that, 808 00:53:34.480 --> 00:53:37.840 right, I like knowing that you have to it's to the yeah. 809 00:53:37.880 --> 00:53:44.280 And I like knowing that the Stallions were going to be good because it feels 810 00:53:44.320 --> 00:53:49.719 real to me, it feels like we're making progress that like you know, 811 00:53:49.960 --> 00:53:52.039 like for example, Scooby right got hurt, Well we can bring in Brady 812 00:53:52.079 --> 00:53:57.159 Buck or Quinn Polling could fill in and we're not missing a guy who might 813 00:53:57.199 --> 00:54:00.199 not be as good as Scooby, but we know the playbook. Like I 814 00:54:00.239 --> 00:54:04.679 know next year right now for our receiving corps, well we lost like four 815 00:54:04.719 --> 00:54:07.480 guys with the Battle Hoops right well, I know Austin Pearls there still. 816 00:54:07.519 --> 00:54:12.400 I know Stevie Mitchell is still is still there. They've had guys that they 817 00:54:12.480 --> 00:54:15.639 released that they can bring in as well, maybe having like Chad Hanson or 818 00:54:15.639 --> 00:54:20.480 Poka Poopa is on another team, but Chad Hanson could come into camp and 819 00:54:20.559 --> 00:54:23.119 kind of bridge the gap if we don't have these guys coming back right now. 820 00:54:23.320 --> 00:54:27.800 And I love that because now it also and re you know me, 821 00:54:28.000 --> 00:54:31.199 like I'm really in the stats and everything like that. And yesterday when West 822 00:54:31.199 --> 00:54:38.760 Saxton of the Generals got resigned, he's coming in for his fifth alt football 823 00:54:38.840 --> 00:54:45.679 season, Like five years of this man playing football after an NFL you know, 824 00:54:45.920 --> 00:54:47.159 cups a team in the NFL. I think he's playing two games in 825 00:54:47.199 --> 00:54:52.639 the NFL. Luis Perez is going into his sixth football season hit, you 826 00:54:52.719 --> 00:54:57.800 know, and Jamar Summer's number five, and it's like, this is cool, 827 00:54:58.079 --> 00:55:01.960 this is cool that they are a part of these leagues. And you 828 00:55:02.000 --> 00:55:06.239 know, we're going to trickle in some new guys and I'm sure there's plenty 829 00:55:06.239 --> 00:55:08.519 of one and done guys, you know, and I mean that's what's going 830 00:55:08.559 --> 00:55:12.880 to happen. But the fact that like continuity is there. So when you 831 00:55:12.920 --> 00:55:15.360 do get these new guys that come in, they can lean on Austin Prole, 832 00:55:15.639 --> 00:55:19.760 they can lean on Brian Hill, you know, they can lean on 833 00:55:19.840 --> 00:55:22.119 aj and be like, hey, this is how we do things in Saint 834 00:55:22.119 --> 00:55:28.960 Louis or even Jamar and in Birmingham because I'm sure he's going to be back 835 00:55:29.039 --> 00:55:31.719 next year or I'm not sure, but you know, and you can be 836 00:55:31.760 --> 00:55:34.920 like, you know, I was a guy here for two seats. I've 837 00:55:34.920 --> 00:55:37.320 been a part of this team for two seasons. Let me tell you how 838 00:55:37.360 --> 00:55:40.280 we do things here. I think I think that's yeah, I mean, 839 00:55:40.280 --> 00:55:46.599 that's that's for That's that's what football is like. It's it's such an you 840 00:55:46.639 --> 00:55:51.360 know, and you can get new coaches, but as long as you have 841 00:55:51.400 --> 00:55:54.199 the players that are still there, the the halves and the half nots. 842 00:55:54.239 --> 00:55:58.119 As far as knowing what's going on is going to be a little bit different. 843 00:55:58.599 --> 00:56:00.480 Well, because it's this fear and we get people that comment all the 844 00:56:00.519 --> 00:56:04.920 time and like these teams in leagues and you have to have identities. And 845 00:56:05.400 --> 00:56:07.400 the CFL deals with that as well. I mean just in their CBA they 846 00:56:07.440 --> 00:56:13.079 passed last season, you know, getting some more guaranteed money and longer contracts 847 00:56:13.079 --> 00:56:15.599 as you get in. I think once you're in the year three on that. 848 00:56:15.719 --> 00:56:19.199 Like, you know, there's a lot of movement in the CFL as 849 00:56:19.199 --> 00:56:21.840 well. You know, not just a quarterback. I mean you get the 850 00:56:22.000 --> 00:56:24.320 receivers kind of every year. It's kind of the feeding frenzy of free agency. 851 00:56:24.400 --> 00:56:29.000 So it's not it's not just the USFL or an XFL issue. I 852 00:56:29.039 --> 00:56:30.480 mean it's any of these leagues aren't the NFL. But yeah, you need 853 00:56:30.519 --> 00:56:35.480 to have some identities with that. In terms of the showcase, Russ was 854 00:56:35.519 --> 00:56:37.440 there. I know, you guys talked and you posted the video on your 855 00:56:37.480 --> 00:56:40.960 Analyze and Educate channel. Thoughts on Russ and what he had to say. 856 00:56:42.480 --> 00:56:45.840 I mean, the biggest thing he took was the championship game he's like, 857 00:56:45.559 --> 00:56:50.960 you know, first off, one of the things I asked him was now 858 00:56:50.960 --> 00:56:53.440 we have the monkey offer back, you know, like now we've proven that 859 00:56:53.480 --> 00:56:57.800 we can do this, and didn't really get into the financials of it. 860 00:56:57.880 --> 00:57:00.559 You know, I don't expect I don't expect him too. You know, 861 00:57:00.639 --> 00:57:04.000 it's one hundred degrees out on a football field. That's probably you know, 862 00:57:04.119 --> 00:57:08.000 gonna make it a little bit hotter for that. But it's it's building up. 863 00:57:08.039 --> 00:57:12.039 It's building where you know, it's typical business stuff. Man, It's 864 00:57:12.079 --> 00:57:14.599 like, Okay, we have this, we have our baselines. How do 865 00:57:14.679 --> 00:57:16.920 we get better? How do we continue to build? The day before they 866 00:57:16.920 --> 00:57:23.119 did a meeting greet with certain season ticket holders and and um, you know, 867 00:57:23.280 --> 00:57:28.559 possible sponsorships as well. That from what I was told, you know, 868 00:57:28.719 --> 00:57:30.760 really going out in the community and whatnot, and like talking with people 869 00:57:30.760 --> 00:57:34.679 who are going to be invested in this. They talked a little bit about 870 00:57:34.719 --> 00:57:38.760 the championship game. Um, you know, still undecided. I'm you know, 871 00:57:38.880 --> 00:57:43.360 I'm not. I think they should do it in San Antonio. Personally, 872 00:57:44.039 --> 00:57:46.199 I think it's safer. I think there's more fan friendly stuff to do 873 00:57:46.519 --> 00:57:51.280 and whatnot. M Saint Louis would be great only if the BattleHawks are in 874 00:57:51.320 --> 00:57:53.679 there. But there's really you know, the city isn't the best city. 875 00:57:53.719 --> 00:57:57.599 They'll go walking around, especially if you want to go from a place like 876 00:57:57.679 --> 00:58:01.760 Ballpark Village all the way up to where the dome is. It's not It 877 00:58:01.880 --> 00:58:05.719 might not be the best thing. But if the BattleHawks are in there, 878 00:58:06.000 --> 00:58:08.559 I could see that being a pretty wild time. Russ talked a lot a 879 00:58:08.599 --> 00:58:15.199 bit about how Saint Louis is the staple of the XFL, and I don't 880 00:58:15.199 --> 00:58:19.400 think many people disagree with that. I talk with people about it all the 881 00:58:19.480 --> 00:58:23.559 time, and you know, we've talked offline a little bit about it is 882 00:58:23.960 --> 00:58:28.920 with Saint Louis. There's so much hurt here from the Rams and Cronkey. 883 00:58:29.079 --> 00:58:31.920 There's so much hurt here from even twenty twenty, which people don't blame the 884 00:58:32.000 --> 00:58:35.320 league. They just they're like, well, this thing's not coming back. 885 00:58:35.360 --> 00:58:39.119 I'll watch it on TV. I live part time in the Ozarks. Sometimes 886 00:58:39.119 --> 00:58:43.639 it's just two hours away, and I had people tell me that they're not 887 00:58:43.679 --> 00:58:46.320 going to a game in twenty twenty three because the Ozark and vacation spot. 888 00:58:46.360 --> 00:58:50.960 These people live in Saint Louis area. But if they come back in twenty 889 00:58:51.000 --> 00:58:53.719 twenty four. I'm all in because I can't get my heartbroken again by another 890 00:58:53.760 --> 00:58:58.800 football team. And Russ touched on that a little bit as well. The 891 00:58:58.920 --> 00:59:04.320 championship. Uh, they have a lot of venues already booked, but they 892 00:59:04.400 --> 00:59:07.400 still haven't decided, which makes sense because right now every team is O and 893 00:59:07.480 --> 00:59:10.280 O and they could all be winning, and they can all be winning their 894 00:59:10.320 --> 00:59:15.960 division and hosting a playoff, a playoff game in their home city. You 895 00:59:15.039 --> 00:59:19.719 mean it's not it's not confirmed for Saint Louis yet. I was I read 896 00:59:19.800 --> 00:59:24.760 wild but no, well, yeah, I mean I don't want to deep 897 00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:30.079 too much about the championship game here, but I imagine the plan was Choctaw 898 00:59:30.239 --> 00:59:34.280 and they had the rugby stuff from whatever going on, and I imagine sant 899 00:59:34.280 --> 00:59:38.679 Antonio is To me, it makes sense just that's where our infrastructure headquarters kind 900 00:59:38.679 --> 00:59:43.280 of is. Like you said, sant Antonio is the best in terms of 901 00:59:44.000 --> 00:59:46.119 you stay at the Riverwalk, you walk over there, there's plenty of hotels, 902 00:59:46.199 --> 00:59:50.119 restaurants, bars, eateries, that whole kind of thing, and it's 903 00:59:50.199 --> 00:59:53.599 built out that way. Um, in terms of just and this is of 904 00:59:53.599 --> 00:59:57.239 course rest brand. They we're talking about not Rest Julio that was on the 905 00:59:57.239 --> 00:59:59.840 show, you know, because two Rest is both of high prominence on here. 906 00:59:59.840 --> 01:00:05.280 But I hope like having Rust at this thing and doing the showcases, 907 01:00:05.400 --> 01:00:07.239 having my interactions this week with the league, trying to set up all this 908 01:00:07.280 --> 01:00:13.079 stuff. I'm really excited for this offseason because it felt like last year. 909 01:00:13.119 --> 01:00:15.199 It's like it's such triage and we're just trying to kind of figure out what's 910 01:00:15.239 --> 01:00:20.440 going on. And we have eighteen thousand different XFL podcasts that I'll want to 911 01:00:20.440 --> 01:00:23.400 talk and all these news outlets and we're trying to you know, we're hiring 912 01:00:23.440 --> 01:00:25.760 people, and it's just kind of chaos. Like I think, now, 913 01:00:25.840 --> 01:00:29.840 maybe okay, we really saw what worked, we really saw what didn't. 914 01:00:29.840 --> 01:00:31.840 I know a lot was made of like the sixty million loss with the Rock 915 01:00:31.920 --> 01:00:35.960 and Danny and Forbes and all that, but if nothing else, to me, 916 01:00:36.079 --> 01:00:38.119 it's hey, they're admitting, like we made mistakes and there's things we're 917 01:00:38.199 --> 01:00:43.400 learning now, right and the USFL right with Moose coming out and being baffled. 918 01:00:43.599 --> 01:00:46.320 I think both of these leagues realizing things that could be done better. 919 01:00:46.360 --> 01:00:50.360 I think that's promising for both sets of fan bases. Well, I mean, 920 01:00:50.400 --> 01:00:54.880 if you don't constantly critique yourself and constantly try to get better and reevaluate 921 01:00:54.920 --> 01:00:59.159 your business model, you're not going to have a business for very long. 922 01:00:59.559 --> 01:01:02.239 Talking to a guy who's got two failed LLCs, you know, just because 923 01:01:02.280 --> 01:01:07.480 I you know, I make an extra six thousand dollars in month one and 924 01:01:07.679 --> 01:01:12.519 month two, I don't make that amount, you know, and I'm I 925 01:01:12.599 --> 01:01:17.840 only make fifteen hundred dollars or something arbitrary like that, Like if you're not 926 01:01:17.840 --> 01:01:22.119 looking at your analytics and you're not like wondering, Okay, why did I 927 01:01:22.159 --> 01:01:23.760 make more in month one? Okay, it's Christmas month. I have a 928 01:01:23.840 --> 01:01:28.880 merchandise thing, you know, or maybe in February I'm not doing as much 929 01:01:29.000 --> 01:01:31.199 Valentine's Day stuff, like that's why I'm not making you know, that money. 930 01:01:31.239 --> 01:01:37.480 If you're not constantly reevaluating, reevaluating and looking at your numbers, your 931 01:01:37.480 --> 01:01:39.519 engagements and whatnot, you're not going to be a league for very long. 932 01:01:39.679 --> 01:01:45.800 And as long as these two leagues understand that, Like in my opinion that 933 01:01:45.119 --> 01:01:47.880 it's you know, and I think and I know they do. I definitely 934 01:01:47.920 --> 01:01:51.599 know Fox does. Like Fox has you know, Fox been around for god 935 01:01:51.599 --> 01:01:54.079 knows how many years they're you know, they they have plenty of people who 936 01:01:54.119 --> 01:02:00.400 are looking at the books and figuring out what works, you know, and 937 01:02:00.440 --> 01:02:05.320 I think there's less of a learning curve for them, while the XFL is 938 01:02:05.360 --> 01:02:13.519 like, we don't really know what works and what doesn't because you know who's 939 01:02:13.559 --> 01:02:19.239 there from two thousand and one, the twenty twenty season that that COVID curveball 940 01:02:19.559 --> 01:02:23.119 no one like you know, you have incomplete data. So they were going 941 01:02:23.119 --> 01:02:27.280 probably off a lot of their twenty twenty stuff. Okay, this is what's 942 01:02:27.280 --> 01:02:29.559 working, this is what's not. But once you get the year two and 943 01:02:29.639 --> 01:02:32.199 three and four and five and six, you could start figuring out what's the 944 01:02:32.239 --> 01:02:37.760 best formula. And I think right now these showcases, especially because last year 945 01:02:37.760 --> 01:02:40.320 I don't think they did a showcase in Saint Louis. Big thing about Saint 946 01:02:40.400 --> 01:02:45.599 Louis to me is obviously, yes, the BattleHawks are here, not a 947 01:02:45.599 --> 01:02:49.480 bad shake. But what's around Saint Louis compared to these others, these other 948 01:02:49.519 --> 01:02:54.119 places. You get your Chicago kids, you get your kids from or Ohio, 949 01:02:54.440 --> 01:02:59.519 you get your Kentucky, your Memphis kids, you get kids from Iowa. 950 01:02:59.559 --> 01:03:01.840 That has a lot of football. Some Michigan guys came down. You 951 01:03:01.840 --> 01:03:07.280 have all these different states and cities where football players have put out good products 952 01:03:07.320 --> 01:03:10.960 and good films, and now you're bringing it here. Everyone knows about Atlanta, 953 01:03:12.199 --> 01:03:15.280 Lennish, clost to Florida. The DMB in DC has put out good 954 01:03:15.320 --> 01:03:20.599 products and whatnot for football, a lot of DMV guys. Plus you get 955 01:03:20.599 --> 01:03:23.480 your East Coast guys coming down in New York, Texas is Texas and you 956 01:03:23.519 --> 01:03:29.199 know Arizona's you can pick up all your Calli kids. We didn't see that 957 01:03:29.280 --> 01:03:30.599 last year. You know, now they have Saint Louis, they can tap 958 01:03:30.599 --> 01:03:35.000 into all these extra people. Then if not, you can go meet Aj 959 01:03:35.239 --> 01:03:37.760 McCarron. Everyone knows who AJ McCarron is and he can shake your hand and 960 01:03:37.800 --> 01:03:42.000 tell you, hey man, you do a good thing that goes along way 961 01:03:42.039 --> 01:03:46.280 with people. It Also it feels like, yeah, we were last year, 962 01:03:46.400 --> 01:03:50.639 like they had the Hawaii one and like, I don't know how much 963 01:03:50.679 --> 01:03:53.039 of that was was specifically targeted demos over there, and I know the rock 964 01:03:53.079 --> 01:03:55.920 and everything, but that to me felt like a little bit more of a 965 01:03:55.960 --> 01:03:59.599 pr thing. Although I know that they said that they're buried, they were 966 01:03:59.679 --> 01:04:02.159 very leaves with the talent they got out of that right obviously, but I 967 01:04:02.159 --> 01:04:09.239 don't know, it feels like we're learning. I really enjoyed the call that 968 01:04:09.320 --> 01:04:13.920 rust and Rustilio and Doug did talking about the rookie draft and everything, Like 969 01:04:14.119 --> 01:04:16.199 I just think hearing these guys and obviously rush on the show here, like 970 01:04:16.440 --> 01:04:20.440 hearing how these guys talk and think and kind of, you know, we're 971 01:04:20.480 --> 01:04:24.239 trying to figure this out together, Like we don't have all the answers, 972 01:04:24.239 --> 01:04:27.599 but we're trying to cast a why this net leave, no son, no 973 01:04:27.679 --> 01:04:30.920 turn kind of all those cliches. But it does feel like doing these advertising 974 01:04:30.960 --> 01:04:33.199 now, I mean they all look like they're sold out. If you get 975 01:04:33.239 --> 01:04:35.800 signed, you get your money back. Like we're trying to get people an 976 01:04:35.800 --> 01:04:41.159 opportunity to hear. Yeah, And I do think while you did get good 977 01:04:41.199 --> 01:04:45.199 guys from Hawaii, it's a pretty small island, right, So, I 978 01:04:45.239 --> 01:04:50.880 mean everyone who thought they had potential in Hawaii probably came out last time. 979 01:04:51.639 --> 01:04:56.599 So it's like, and their numbers are there. So if you add someone 980 01:04:56.639 --> 01:05:00.400 who was under the red line and you're like, oh, I under what 981 01:05:00.440 --> 01:05:02.760 this? You know? You know this? You know John Smith from the 982 01:05:02.880 --> 01:05:06.960 U of ah, she's doing well. He performed this way. Call his 983 01:05:08.079 --> 01:05:11.440 agent, they have all the info. Is he still working out this football 984 01:05:11.559 --> 01:05:14.639 thing? You know? Could we do you know, have him come to 985 01:05:14.719 --> 01:05:17.960 California? Can he send me tape? The tape doesn't look good? Okay, 986 01:05:18.000 --> 01:05:19.880 man, we don't you know, we don't need to go out to 987 01:05:19.960 --> 01:05:24.440 Hawaii like it's a small island. It's a it's you know, I don't 988 01:05:24.440 --> 01:05:27.760 want to use the word fixed population, but it's in my opinion, you're 989 01:05:27.760 --> 01:05:30.639 gonna have a lot of the guys who came last year, plus or minus 990 01:05:30.679 --> 01:05:33.360 a couple of guys that if you really wanted them on the team, you'd 991 01:05:33.400 --> 01:05:38.559 know who they were, you know. So I'm while I think Hawaii was 992 01:05:38.599 --> 01:05:41.639 cool, I'm glad they didn't do it, you know, because we got 993 01:05:41.679 --> 01:05:45.199 Saint Louis. We you know, did we get in Lina last year. 994 01:05:45.239 --> 01:05:47.719 I'm trying to remember they had the Oh I had a list on here, 995 01:05:47.760 --> 01:05:50.599 We had the Arizona. We had the whole I would I could run down 996 01:05:50.639 --> 01:05:56.039 the whole list here, but probably not the most exciting podcast. And um 997 01:05:57.280 --> 01:06:00.880 yeah, we had we had the Dallas one, we had the Arizona one, 998 01:06:01.159 --> 01:06:05.480 we had the HBCU one. Where was that one that that was in 999 01:06:05.719 --> 01:06:10.280 um like North Carolina? Yeah, and then we had yeah. So I 1000 01:06:10.280 --> 01:06:12.119 mean it was good. I mean they had this now there. I think 1001 01:06:12.159 --> 01:06:15.639 they had six last year and then they had the Nick Nick Nick Novack, 1002 01:06:15.800 --> 01:06:17.880 nick Nolvack one on that. So AJ was there? Backed? Was there 1003 01:06:17.960 --> 01:06:21.039 anything from them before we get out of here? And the kind of like 1004 01:06:21.239 --> 01:06:25.639 how how invested is backed in the off season, because you know, it's 1005 01:06:25.760 --> 01:06:29.159 different. I feel like it's different them coming to this kind of stuff than 1006 01:06:29.400 --> 01:06:31.440 than the USFL, Like we're making some roster moves here in the off season. 1007 01:06:31.519 --> 01:06:33.760 I mean, he was there. He's in Saint Louis, fresh off 1008 01:06:33.840 --> 01:06:38.599 vacation, had a nice tan um, you know, going out there, 1009 01:06:38.599 --> 01:06:42.599 and he was looking like he was he was up in these not almost up 1010 01:06:42.599 --> 01:06:45.760 in guy's faces, but when people called his eye, he walked over there. 1011 01:06:46.119 --> 01:06:49.119 You know, his hands on knees, had the clipboard out. He 1012 01:06:49.199 --> 01:06:55.360 was pretty active. Dave Bueller looking at these offensive linemen. AJ was AJ 1013 01:06:55.599 --> 01:06:58.599 was there? A lot of memories were made when I talked to some of 1014 01:06:58.599 --> 01:07:00.480 these showcase guys are like man, and you know, I don't know how 1015 01:07:00.480 --> 01:07:04.920 well I did, but like you're you're you're fifteen inches away from a national 1016 01:07:05.000 --> 01:07:10.159 champion, an NFL guy like everyone knows who Aj mccaren is. The biggest 1017 01:07:10.199 --> 01:07:13.519 thing with AJ was are you coming back? Are you coming back? Are 1018 01:07:13.559 --> 01:07:16.440 you coming back? I didn't ask that question because I'm sure he's been asking 1019 01:07:16.679 --> 01:07:20.599 a fifteen and a half times. And you know, when when my personal 1020 01:07:20.639 --> 01:07:26.159 interactions were very casual, we talk more about life than life than that, 1021 01:07:26.320 --> 01:07:29.000 you know, because I mean, I don't know if you know this read, 1022 01:07:29.039 --> 01:07:32.199 but these guys are human beings and sometimes they don't want to talk football 1023 01:07:32.239 --> 01:07:34.880 all the time, just like I don't want to talk football all the time. 1024 01:07:34.960 --> 01:07:40.440 So you know, as crazy as that sounds. But the big thing 1025 01:07:40.480 --> 01:07:45.079 to take away from AJ is that November. Per what he said, and 1026 01:07:45.119 --> 01:07:46.639 you can check out my video lead where you don't know if you want to 1027 01:07:46.639 --> 01:07:51.360 link them or not, November looks like his time frame as far as that 1028 01:07:51.639 --> 01:07:58.719 NFL interest has been had people have reached out to him. Coach Beck was 1029 01:07:58.760 --> 01:08:01.159 asked about AJ as well, made it very clear, you got a guy 1030 01:08:01.199 --> 01:08:05.599 like AJ mccaren, training camp probably isn't the most necessary thing, and you 1031 01:08:05.679 --> 01:08:08.800 have to look for him. What does he want to do. He can 1032 01:08:08.840 --> 01:08:12.800 go be a backup. Definitely had offers last year and whatnot. He can 1033 01:08:12.840 --> 01:08:15.680 go back up. Hold the clipboard, make one point two one, you 1034 01:08:15.720 --> 01:08:20.000 know, two point five that Chase Daniel. That Chase Daniel money. But 1035 01:08:20.399 --> 01:08:24.960 AJ likes playing football. AJ has made a lot of money playing football. 1036 01:08:25.119 --> 01:08:28.039 If you don't know who his wife is, she's probably made a decent amount 1037 01:08:28.039 --> 01:08:32.079 of money doing what she did. Let this guy enjoy the offseason with his 1038 01:08:32.199 --> 01:08:38.319 kids. And you know they're full on in baseball right now, and then 1039 01:08:38.359 --> 01:08:42.039 around November they'll reevaluate. And they got a couple of good quarterbacks on that 1040 01:08:42.159 --> 01:08:45.960 roster, you know, Manny Wilkins and Nick Tiano, two good guys. 1041 01:08:45.000 --> 01:08:48.520 And then we'll see what happens after training camp. I think the last time 1042 01:08:48.560 --> 01:08:53.560 I looked at their roster it was around either fifty eight or sixty six. 1043 01:08:53.640 --> 01:09:00.359 I can't remember because I don't think I added the the guys from the drafted 1044 01:09:00.399 --> 01:09:03.439 free agents yet. But you know, training camp comes around in the NFL, 1045 01:09:03.560 --> 01:09:06.640 good guys are going to get cut. You know, maybe they they 1046 01:09:06.680 --> 01:09:11.960 wouldn't they rather go to the XFL then play the practice squad game. And 1047 01:09:12.199 --> 01:09:15.199 we saw a good showing from Nick Tiano last year, so you know, 1048 01:09:15.399 --> 01:09:19.600 helicoptering and he's healthy, he's training, AG's talked with him. Manny Wilkins 1049 01:09:19.680 --> 01:09:25.520 is still there as well, a Dave Boehlergard from ASU and worst case we 1050 01:09:25.560 --> 01:09:28.760 see Vinnie tests of Earthy Junior, you know, the son of a New 1051 01:09:28.840 --> 01:09:31.920 York legend and XFL twenty twenty a one, so there's options there at the 1052 01:09:32.000 --> 01:09:34.960 QB position. Well, good, well, Pat, I'm glad thanks for 1053 01:09:34.960 --> 01:09:39.199 coming on sharing and I've you know, I appreciate getting the people on kind 1054 01:09:39.239 --> 01:09:42.760 of firsthand that they're covering this and not just using your work and kind of 1055 01:09:42.760 --> 01:09:45.239 coming on talking through it. But I appreciate it. I'm glad a that 1056 01:09:45.279 --> 01:09:50.279 they're doing these from a talent finding perspective, from a media perspective, and 1057 01:09:50.279 --> 01:09:54.239 then obviously from you guys being able to go into kind of talk and rub 1058 01:09:54.439 --> 01:09:57.760 rub shoulders and all that stuff as well. So I appreciate anything else from 1059 01:09:57.800 --> 01:10:00.800 you. It's been a week we didn't have our USFL off the USFL. 1060 01:10:00.079 --> 01:10:02.960 Yeah, I mean it's been a heavy week for me content wise. You 1061 01:10:03.000 --> 01:10:06.439 know, I'm just doing a lot of editing, but I mean, man, 1062 01:10:06.479 --> 01:10:10.680 it's always good to come on the Mark Ass and chat it up and 1063 01:10:10.840 --> 01:10:13.640 you know, talk whichever league we want to talk about, you know, 1064 01:10:13.760 --> 01:10:15.960 And uh, I don't know, man, I'm really geared up for this 1065 01:10:16.079 --> 01:10:19.239 CFL season. Not watching as heavily, but when I do, it's nice 1066 01:10:19.279 --> 01:10:24.439 to kind of just casually watch the game and not really be analytical about it. 1067 01:10:24.520 --> 01:10:27.239 To be honest, I was talking to Dorothy we were at dinner the 1068 01:10:27.279 --> 01:10:30.000 other night, and I can't remember how it came up. We were talking, 1069 01:10:30.000 --> 01:10:31.359 Oh, because I had booked Rests, right. We were talking like, 1070 01:10:31.399 --> 01:10:33.399 oh, I'm really excited that we like rest is going to come on 1071 01:10:33.439 --> 01:10:38.239 the show and everything. And I'm like, you know, like not all 1072 01:10:38.279 --> 01:10:41.319 these other podcasts really have to do all that, right, and you know 1073 01:10:41.359 --> 01:10:44.279 if the USFL podcast wants to take time off or you know, we've got 1074 01:10:44.279 --> 01:10:46.000 the XLA And she's like, like, you really did do it all year, 1075 01:10:46.079 --> 01:10:49.079 Like there's still off season. I'm my god. They like, yes, 1076 01:10:49.159 --> 01:10:53.760 we just we just are all coming about this, but no off season 1077 01:10:53.840 --> 01:10:57.239 here on the mark Ass for pat and I appreciate it. Yeah, XFL 1078 01:10:57.359 --> 01:11:00.319 keep the content going here. This is good for the summer. So yeah, 1079 01:11:00.359 --> 01:11:02.199 and like I said, man, you guys do something for the USFL 1080 01:11:02.319 --> 01:11:06.039 in Memphis. I'll be there, yea, with a week in advance. 1081 01:11:06.319 --> 01:11:11.560 Yeah, don't. They'll do it tomorrow and then people will say, why 1082 01:11:11.600 --> 01:11:14.960 did it go. It's it's your fault if you don't go. That's what 1083 01:11:15.000 --> 01:11:17.399 I've learned. It's it's it's only your fault. It's never anyone else's fault 1084 01:11:17.399 --> 01:11:26.640 if you don't go. So yep, well, time jumps here. I 1085 01:11:26.720 --> 01:11:29.560 was recording with Tim and then we move inside and then we have Dave on 1086 01:11:29.920 --> 01:11:32.920 jack hammering my neighbor's patio. We're back on the first time since we have 1087 01:11:33.079 --> 01:11:35.760 you on the Big CFL pregame show here, Dave Naylor, How are you 1088 01:11:35.760 --> 01:11:40.119 doing very well? Very well? Yeah, keep it busy. It's it's 1089 01:11:40.159 --> 01:11:44.520 getting getting to that interesting part of the season where there are pressure points on 1090 01:11:44.600 --> 01:11:48.039 teams and because teams are starting to see their seasons slip away the first third 1091 01:11:48.039 --> 01:11:50.119 of it. In the Canadian Football League, you know, everybody can make 1092 01:11:50.159 --> 01:11:55.479 a recovery in the second and third parts of the season, but if your 1093 01:11:55.479 --> 01:11:58.640 troubles follow you to the midpoint, it gets different. And I think you 1094 01:11:58.920 --> 01:12:03.199 good illustration in the Hamilton Edmondson game tonight right that Edmonton, the streak, 1095 01:12:03.640 --> 01:12:09.560 the winlessness to start the season, the pressure that's on that organization in Hamilton, 1096 01:12:10.239 --> 01:12:13.520 you know, which got off the schneide last week. Um, you 1097 01:12:13.560 --> 01:12:17.279 know, losing to Edmonton for them would be a real setback. So it's 1098 01:12:17.319 --> 01:12:19.680 one of those ones I think where both teams kind of look at and say, 1099 01:12:19.720 --> 01:12:21.880 oh, my goodness if we don't win this week, you know, 1100 01:12:21.960 --> 01:12:26.279 and neither of them want to say that publicly, but I think privately that's 1101 01:12:26.319 --> 01:12:29.520 probably the sentiment. Well, I'm all in right now, very excited. 1102 01:12:29.560 --> 01:12:31.319 I mean, we lived through the XFL and the USFL. No. Dorothy 1103 01:12:31.359 --> 01:12:33.520 was seeing the other day. She's like, well you really are like all 1104 01:12:33.600 --> 01:12:39.600 year now. Yeah, there's no offseason on this but um well yeah this 1105 01:12:39.640 --> 01:12:43.039 will obviously air Friday after the game tonight. But I think we can still 1106 01:12:43.079 --> 01:12:45.199 talk about because even if the Elks, even if Elks win, I don't 1107 01:12:45.199 --> 01:12:48.079 think that that gets the monkey out there back. But how how did you 1108 01:12:48.119 --> 01:12:53.279 talk about famous sports streaks and not include Bill Goldberg's one hundred and seventy three 1109 01:12:53.399 --> 01:12:56.279 match winning streak in WCW. I want to I want to know, is 1110 01:12:57.279 --> 01:13:00.000 that is wrestling? Right? Sports entertainment? Yeah, sports entertear. That 1111 01:13:00.039 --> 01:13:04.680 would be the answer to when the results are prescribed. And I'm not a 1112 01:13:04.680 --> 01:13:08.640 wrestling guy. I'm not a wrestling hater. I just it's just kind of 1113 01:13:08.640 --> 01:13:11.439 beyond me a little bit. And in terms of the appeal, so yeah, 1114 01:13:11.640 --> 01:13:14.319 I think we're talking about sports where where the results are in depth. 1115 01:13:14.560 --> 01:13:16.600 So no, Yeah, Dave had this big I watched the Big Steaks. 1116 01:13:16.600 --> 01:13:19.640 Seeah, I mean, I guess we can start there on that. Um 1117 01:13:20.199 --> 01:13:25.399 tie cats really kind of hot mess here, felt very much like we're gonna 1118 01:13:25.399 --> 01:13:29.560 bring in Aaron Rodgeros, like the Jets were going, Mark and what have 1119 01:13:29.600 --> 01:13:33.079 you made with Schiltz and everything there? Why not Matthew Schiltzz looked pretty good, 1120 01:13:33.239 --> 01:13:39.640 you know, certainly throwing the ball down the field vertically different than than 1121 01:13:39.680 --> 01:13:42.640 believe Mitchell did. It was interesting. And the first one of mitchell starts 1122 01:13:42.720 --> 01:13:45.680 he didn't do it very well and in the second one he hardly did it 1123 01:13:45.760 --> 01:13:49.399 at all. And you know, again, I think this has reignited the 1124 01:13:49.399 --> 01:13:55.079 conversation about what is boliev Mitchell at this stage of his career. And I 1125 01:13:55.119 --> 01:13:58.199 would say there's there's two types of injuries in football. There's the type that 1126 01:13:58.279 --> 01:14:00.600 you recover from and you're back in you're one hundred percent and the type that 1127 01:14:00.640 --> 01:14:04.800 you never recover from. And it's it's not always one right, Sometimes it's 1128 01:14:04.840 --> 01:14:09.119 the accumulation. And I think that's the issue with Paulie by Mitchell, the 1129 01:14:09.199 --> 01:14:12.880 number of surgeries, the number of times that he got hit. Is he 1130 01:14:13.000 --> 01:14:15.520 ever going to be able to throw the ball the way he was? And 1131 01:14:15.359 --> 01:14:18.840 you know, since this has happened, in conversations that I've had with people, 1132 01:14:19.520 --> 01:14:24.760 there's been kind of a look, John Huffnagel and Dave Dickinson, we're 1133 01:14:24.760 --> 01:14:28.439 going to put this guy on the curb at thirty two if he was still 1134 01:14:28.479 --> 01:14:31.920 capable of doing what he's doing. And I think that's looks certainly. Did 1135 01:14:31.920 --> 01:14:35.039 that go off in my head? Yeah? It did. I think the 1136 01:14:35.079 --> 01:14:38.600 Cats, you know, took a lot probably off his late game of his 1137 01:14:38.680 --> 01:14:42.760 late season appearance last year, and you could look back at a Henry Burrus, 1138 01:14:42.880 --> 01:14:45.920 right who they did a similar thing too. And Henry Burrus went on 1139 01:14:46.000 --> 01:14:48.880 and you know, through forty touchdowns with the tie Cats and then ended up 1140 01:14:48.880 --> 01:14:53.920 winning a great Cup for for Ottawa. And I think some different circumstances around 1141 01:14:53.960 --> 01:14:58.239 that one than than there really wasn't any concern about, you know, Henry's 1142 01:14:58.279 --> 01:15:01.800 physical status at that time. I think it was more just maybe he'd worn 1143 01:15:01.880 --> 01:15:05.520 out his welcome. There was some feelings there that they wanted to move on 1144 01:15:05.600 --> 01:15:09.279 from him. They had. It was actually people forget. It wasn't moving 1145 01:15:09.319 --> 01:15:14.159 from Henry to pau Levi Mitchell. It was from Henry to Drew Tate and 1146 01:15:14.800 --> 01:15:17.720 Drew Tait. If you look at statistically, he doesn't really good things. 1147 01:15:17.720 --> 01:15:19.880 He just couldn't stay healthy, right, He's just one of those guys who 1148 01:15:20.039 --> 01:15:24.279 was four games and down and three games and down and two games and down, 1149 01:15:24.359 --> 01:15:28.720 and they just destabilized as a team, you know, to such a 1150 01:15:28.760 --> 01:15:31.079 degree. So yeah, it did. It did feel like that. And 1151 01:15:31.359 --> 01:15:34.520 look, I think with you look at the way the tie Cats tried to 1152 01:15:34.520 --> 01:15:38.640 build around him. They go and get James Butler from BC and all around 1153 01:15:38.720 --> 01:15:42.079 back a team that really hasn't had a feature back in a few years. 1154 01:15:42.479 --> 01:15:45.840 They get Duke Williams, they resigned Tim White. You know, they did 1155 01:15:45.840 --> 01:15:48.960 a lot of things to try to give him the targets that they wanted. 1156 01:15:49.479 --> 01:15:53.479 I like what I've seen in Matthew Schiltz. The thing that always it's a 1157 01:15:53.479 --> 01:15:56.399 compliment to Matthew Schiltz, But it scares me if I was the tie cats 1158 01:15:56.520 --> 01:16:00.960 is man, he will stand in there and take a licking like he I 1159 01:16:01.000 --> 01:16:03.920 mean, he's he's a tall guy, but he's a bit of a wiry 1160 01:16:03.960 --> 01:16:08.960 guy, right, He's not He's not really solidly built, and his history 1161 01:16:08.960 --> 01:16:13.479 would suggest that taking those kinds of hits is not sustainable. He's been He's 1162 01:16:13.479 --> 01:16:15.600 a guy who's played in a relief role, you know, two or three 1163 01:16:15.640 --> 01:16:18.279 games at a time, and he's had injuries and things like that. So 1164 01:16:18.319 --> 01:16:20.760 the first game he started, I was watching that, I'm like, holy 1165 01:16:20.840 --> 01:16:25.399 smokes, Like he is getting the ball down the field, but he is 1166 01:16:25.439 --> 01:16:29.960 paying a price to do it. And you know, as as we all 1167 01:16:30.119 --> 01:16:33.920 have become aware and far halology and I tape some stuff on this earlier today. 1168 01:16:34.600 --> 01:16:39.520 Um, you know, there's a real issue with the depth of talent 1169 01:16:39.560 --> 01:16:42.760 at quarterback across this league, the likes of which you know, we may 1170 01:16:42.840 --> 01:16:45.800 never have seen before, and teams just don't have the margin to turn to 1171 01:16:45.880 --> 01:16:49.159 the next guy because the next guy is usually you know, unproven or nowhere 1172 01:16:49.199 --> 01:16:54.600 near as talented as the guy he lost. What do you attribute that to 1173 01:16:54.680 --> 01:16:58.399 him? I think there's multiple factors to it, and and we actually it 1174 01:16:58.439 --> 01:17:00.920 is funny because some of them are obvious, and mentioned some of the obvious 1175 01:17:00.920 --> 01:17:03.279 ones, but there's some others that are maybe not so obvious. And look, 1176 01:17:03.600 --> 01:17:08.680 the two other leagues, right, fifty quarterbacks off the market. That 1177 01:17:08.920 --> 01:17:11.840 has to have an effect, even if CFL teams will often say, oh, 1178 01:17:11.880 --> 01:17:14.319 the guys in those league we wouldn't want and things like that, you 1179 01:17:14.319 --> 01:17:16.319 know, that's something you kind often here in a refrain, You've got the 1180 01:17:16.399 --> 01:17:23.159 National Football League that has expanded rosters, expanded practice rosters, and most importantly, 1181 01:17:23.199 --> 01:17:25.800 no limit on the amount of time a guy can stay on the practice 1182 01:17:25.880 --> 01:17:28.880 rosters, So that takes some other guys out, and that will even keep 1183 01:17:28.960 --> 01:17:31.800 guys away from the CFL because they know that they've got an eligibility to get 1184 01:17:31.800 --> 01:17:38.159 onto an NFL practice roster, even though they may have veteran status. A 1185 01:17:38.199 --> 01:17:41.880 couple of it that maybe aren't as often. Look, I think the year 1186 01:17:41.960 --> 01:17:45.840 the CFL only dressed two quarterbacks, I don't think that helped. And I 1187 01:17:45.840 --> 01:17:48.640 think getting rid of the the what you know we kind of called ota season 1188 01:17:48.680 --> 01:17:51.039 the CFL, which was really passing camps, right, they used to get 1189 01:17:51.039 --> 01:17:55.600 the offenses together. Guys got into the playbook at their timing down. I 1190 01:17:55.640 --> 01:17:58.399 was talking to a GM this week who said, look, I'd rather have 1191 01:17:58.520 --> 01:18:01.199 that than the rookie camps. Like, give me that a month in advance, 1192 01:18:01.439 --> 01:18:05.119 because when guys went away and had that month before they came to main 1193 01:18:05.199 --> 01:18:09.760 camp, they dive into the playbook, they had some time to digest you 1194 01:18:09.800 --> 01:18:13.479 know what they've done, think about it, communicate with coaches. It was 1195 01:18:13.479 --> 01:18:15.520 a much better run up to the season in terms of getting your timing down 1196 01:18:15.520 --> 01:18:18.119 on offense than it is right now, where everybody just shows up the rookie 1197 01:18:18.119 --> 01:18:21.920 camp and bang your in main camp and so far. Hunt and I kind 1198 01:18:21.920 --> 01:18:28.279 of actually had, you know, our favorite kind of favorite. We used 1199 01:18:28.279 --> 01:18:30.760 to pick a kind of an issue that we picked in far. Hunt picked 1200 01:18:30.800 --> 01:18:33.880 a really interesting one. It's the it's the development of the third yard of 1201 01:18:33.880 --> 01:18:39.439 the short yardage quarterback. Okay, it's almost its own position now. So 1202 01:18:39.560 --> 01:18:43.000 you used to have your starter and two guys you were developing behind him, 1203 01:18:43.039 --> 01:18:46.279 Like when when Ricky Ray was in Toronto, you had Zach Coleros and Trevor 1204 01:18:46.279 --> 01:18:48.720 Harris behind him. Those were the next two in the hobbard, right, 1205 01:18:48.920 --> 01:18:53.399 But you look at the BC Lions. Their number three is a thirty three 1206 01:18:53.439 --> 01:18:56.520 year old guy who nobody thinks is a starting quarterback. Where ever going to 1207 01:18:56.520 --> 01:19:00.680 be Dom Davis. You look at what would have just signed Dakota Prucup. 1208 01:19:01.039 --> 01:19:06.399 Why because he's gonna run third down? And it's two things. It's that 1209 01:19:06.640 --> 01:19:12.039 and then also the CFL is running so many more short yardage plays than they 1210 01:19:12.119 --> 01:19:15.680 ever have because the analytics have come in and told coaches, once you get 1211 01:19:15.720 --> 01:19:19.039 to second and four or second and three, you don't want the ball moving 1212 01:19:19.039 --> 01:19:24.199 backwards, just fall forward twice. And Marshall Ferguson did some digging on this 1213 01:19:24.279 --> 01:19:27.640 late last year when he actually counted the number of short yardage plays in the 1214 01:19:27.760 --> 01:19:31.279 CFL game. It's way up. It's not an entertaining play, and it's 1215 01:19:31.319 --> 01:19:35.319 funny. You know that we've got this league where eight of the top ten 1216 01:19:35.399 --> 01:19:41.039 touchdown leaders or backup quarterbacks. And I poured through the statistics when we had 1217 01:19:41.079 --> 01:19:45.840 them last year and historically and found that the first three quarterbacks who kind of 1218 01:19:45.880 --> 01:19:51.199 crop up on that are Drew Tate in Calgary, Alex Brink in Winnipeg, 1219 01:19:51.479 --> 01:19:56.399 and Adrian McPherson in Montreal. Around like ten, eleven, twelve, you 1220 01:19:56.479 --> 01:20:00.760 start seeing these backup quarterbacks creeping into the leading touchdown lead, and now it's 1221 01:20:00.800 --> 01:20:02.520 ubiquitous, and it's it's funny. It's a trend that hasn't taken hold in 1222 01:20:02.520 --> 01:20:06.000 the NFL. You know, they still will roll their forty million gallars guy 1223 01:20:06.079 --> 01:20:10.520 off tackle on a one yard plunge, and maybe someday we'll see it, 1224 01:20:11.000 --> 01:20:14.479 but right now it's it's it has really taken hold in the CFL. And 1225 01:20:14.800 --> 01:20:17.520 and I think that's that has hurt development of quarterbacks because you're just you're not 1226 01:20:17.560 --> 01:20:21.359 developing necessarily the two guys behind them. You're developing maybe one and the other 1227 01:20:21.399 --> 01:20:26.720 guy he's got a roll like a separate position. Here's one of my things. 1228 01:20:26.760 --> 01:20:29.079 I was actually I'm gonna write a column on this. I mean, 1229 01:20:29.159 --> 01:20:30.479 not get it done this week and maybe next week because I got a bunch 1230 01:20:30.520 --> 01:20:39.119 of things going on. But the neglis the average CFL team has between ten 1231 01:20:39.239 --> 01:20:44.600 and twelve quarterbacks on their negotiation lists. Okay, so that's basically a hundred 1232 01:20:44.680 --> 01:20:47.720 in the league. If you're a team that needs a quarterback, there's ninety 1233 01:20:47.800 --> 01:20:50.880 quarterbacks that you can't talk to. Now some of them are in the XFL 1234 01:20:51.000 --> 01:20:55.239 and can't come anywhere usfls. A lot of them are in college, but 1235 01:20:55.319 --> 01:21:00.039 you still be talking about dozens of quarterbacks that are not accessible to a team 1236 01:21:00.039 --> 01:21:04.119 with quarterback needs. So the greatest competition for quarterbacks right now is other CFL 1237 01:21:04.239 --> 01:21:09.319 teams. And I you know, I had a GM say to me this 1238 01:21:09.319 --> 01:21:12.279 week. This GM has an established quarterback. He said, Look, the 1239 01:21:12.359 --> 01:21:15.439 agents are just Crazy's not gonna send me a guy who thinks he's capable of 1240 01:21:15.479 --> 01:21:18.840 playing in this league and being a star because they know who our starter is 1241 01:21:18.880 --> 01:21:23.079 and they know where you know where we are, where we're at. Whereas 1242 01:21:23.319 --> 01:21:26.199 you know, Ottawa might be able to use that guy, but he can't 1243 01:21:26.239 --> 01:21:30.880 because he's on somebody else's necklace. Honestly, I am really of the belief 1244 01:21:30.920 --> 01:21:34.520 that the necklace needs to go in its entirety. I think it certainly needs 1245 01:21:34.560 --> 01:21:39.720 to go when it comes to quarterbacks. And like people, it's funny because 1246 01:21:39.920 --> 01:21:43.000 people will think, well, why don't we allow teams to add more quarterbacks 1247 01:21:43.039 --> 01:21:45.359 to the necklace. These aren't the things that allow you to sign quarterbacks. 1248 01:21:45.359 --> 01:21:48.439 You can sign quarterbacks with a necklace. These are the things that present other 1249 01:21:48.479 --> 01:21:53.000 teams from signing quarterbacks and that's not good for the league. So I would 1250 01:21:53.000 --> 01:21:56.520 put a restriction and say, hey, you can protect two guys, but 1251 01:21:56.640 --> 01:22:00.439 not twelve. I mean, we just it doesn't make sense. I look, 1252 01:22:00.439 --> 01:22:03.680 I think it goes across the league right now. And again, historically 1253 01:22:03.840 --> 01:22:08.039 I was looking this up. The neglis came in in nineteen fifty seven. 1254 01:22:08.199 --> 01:22:13.079 Okay, right when the CFL was incorporated as the Canadian Football League. Bang, 1255 01:22:13.159 --> 01:22:16.039 the neglist comes in. But in that era, there were twelve teams 1256 01:22:16.039 --> 01:22:20.079 in the National Football League. That's it. That was the competition. If 1257 01:22:20.119 --> 01:22:23.960 you weren't on one of the twelve teams in the NFL, and in those 1258 01:22:24.039 --> 01:22:26.920 days, the salaries between the leagues would have been comparable. So a neglist 1259 01:22:27.079 --> 01:22:30.720 was just really a way to prioritize a short list of guys that you wanted 1260 01:22:30.760 --> 01:22:32.920 to be able to have, and the teams could certainly explore beyond that. 1261 01:22:33.159 --> 01:22:40.079 Now the neglist is fourty five players. And you know, somebody made the 1262 01:22:40.159 --> 01:22:43.560 argument to me the neglist was also to keep salaries down so you wouldn't get 1263 01:22:43.560 --> 01:22:46.880 into bidding wars for players when they're coming in the CFL. But we have 1264 01:22:46.880 --> 01:22:50.159 a salary cap now. And you know what the CFL did when the salary 1265 01:22:50.159 --> 01:22:54.920 cap was like, we've had a theoretical salary cap for a long time, 1266 01:22:54.960 --> 01:22:58.560 but we've really owned a real cap talary cap for about a decade right when 1267 01:22:58.560 --> 01:23:00.760 the real salary cap came in. And one of the things the CFL did 1268 01:23:01.079 --> 01:23:05.600 was expanded the neglist from thirty five to forty five. So we've got, 1269 01:23:05.960 --> 01:23:11.239 you know, three hundred and sixty players, four hundred players that are that 1270 01:23:11.319 --> 01:23:14.439 are whose rights are protected by other CFL teams. And I think that's an 1271 01:23:14.439 --> 01:23:18.439 issue in general for players. I think it's an issue for quarterbacks especially, 1272 01:23:18.520 --> 01:23:23.880 But I think you know, another issue is the league is talking like quarterbacks 1273 01:23:23.920 --> 01:23:27.439 when you're attracting them, especially going up against these other leagues, need to 1274 01:23:27.479 --> 01:23:30.199 know that if you hit in the CFL, you can be making between four 1275 01:23:30.239 --> 01:23:33.640 and six hundred thousand dollars very quickly. You know, Like, what's Chad 1276 01:23:33.680 --> 01:23:36.760 Kelly gonna get paid next year? Right? Yeah, he's gonna be a 1277 01:23:36.760 --> 01:23:42.520 half million dollars guy. Right. So I think there's also an education that 1278 01:23:42.560 --> 01:23:45.279 the leagues need to do with the colleges, with the college coaches, with 1279 01:23:45.319 --> 01:23:48.760 all of that. So the guys are aware that you know, this isn't 1280 01:23:49.039 --> 01:23:51.680 Yeah, it can be a springboard to the National Football League, sure, 1281 01:23:51.920 --> 01:23:56.560 and that's what these other leagues are all promoting. But the CFL, you 1282 01:23:56.600 --> 01:24:00.199 can actually have a legit career and make some money. I mean, you 1283 01:24:00.239 --> 01:24:03.399 know, making a half mail playing football for five months a year is not 1284 01:24:03.560 --> 01:24:08.319 a bad compromise if your goal was to someday start in the National Football Like 1285 01:24:08.439 --> 01:24:11.199 I think they got to promote that a little more as well. So but 1286 01:24:11.640 --> 01:24:14.760 look, I'll tell you this. I was talking to somebody at the league 1287 01:24:14.800 --> 01:24:16.720 office about this this week and he said, look, when we entered league 1288 01:24:16.720 --> 01:24:19.479 meetings in Canon, ask Us in January, we talked about all these things. 1289 01:24:19.720 --> 01:24:23.159 We all are aware of it. We're not blind to it, We're 1290 01:24:23.159 --> 01:24:27.600 not in denial. We talked about a whole lot of solutions, and every 1291 01:24:27.600 --> 01:24:30.760 one of them was either shot down because they didn't like it or because it 1292 01:24:30.800 --> 01:24:34.039 was going to cost money. And he said, I guarantee you we will 1293 01:24:34.039 --> 01:24:38.840 go back at this this offseason and everybody's gonna have to be prepared that there 1294 01:24:38.880 --> 01:24:42.119 are no solutions that don't require investment. You know, there's gonna be some 1295 01:24:42.119 --> 01:24:46.680 commitment. You've talked about minimum salaries for quarterbacks, cap exempt salaries for quarterbacks, 1296 01:24:47.000 --> 01:24:53.000 tiering for something like that, and not to make the game all about 1297 01:24:53.119 --> 01:24:55.960 quarterback because I actually hate that kind of analysis of football. I think it's 1298 01:24:55.960 --> 01:24:59.960 oversimplified and things like that. However, as somebody who sits in the panel, 1299 01:25:00.319 --> 01:25:03.640 you know, off air, if you see the energy on our panel 1300 01:25:04.039 --> 01:25:08.399 when we're watching, you know, even a game like the Vernon Adams Chad 1301 01:25:08.439 --> 01:25:10.920 Kelly game, and I know Vernon through six picks, but he also threw 1302 01:25:10.960 --> 01:25:13.319 three tens and through for three eighty three. It was the weirdest six picked 1303 01:25:13.319 --> 01:25:16.159 game in the history of football. Just the excitement of us off air watching 1304 01:25:16.159 --> 01:25:21.079 a game with dynamic quarterbacks versus the excitement of us watching a game, you 1305 01:25:21.119 --> 01:25:24.520 know, insert some of the games we've had to sit through this year that 1306 01:25:24.600 --> 01:25:28.760 didn't have dynamic quarterbacks. Just the entertainment value among the four of us is 1307 01:25:28.800 --> 01:25:32.159 so different. I can only multiply that among the hundreds of thousands that are 1308 01:25:32.199 --> 01:25:36.760 watching and figure they're reacting the same way I did. I did to be 1309 01:25:36.840 --> 01:25:42.000 fair, and I the rouge game that was out you know this week, 1310 01:25:42.039 --> 01:25:45.039 that was I was taking Dorothy app for a birthday there Thursday night because their 1311 01:25:45.039 --> 01:25:46.560 birthday was Friday. I had a wedding. I did go back and watch 1312 01:25:46.640 --> 01:25:48.920 that whole game on demands and just see. You know, I did do 1313 01:25:49.039 --> 01:25:53.359 my homework there with all of that, But I thought that was pretty entertaining. 1314 01:25:53.720 --> 01:25:57.159 A couple of quick things. I'm realizing that the over year left shoulder 1315 01:25:57.239 --> 01:26:00.439 is that you're famous brick wall and bookshelf. Is that your shame? And 1316 01:26:00.439 --> 01:26:03.560 I gotta show you something. You got a moment here, Yes, it's 1317 01:26:03.560 --> 01:26:10.039 your segment. Okay. So I have taken heat sometime from fans for the 1318 01:26:10.039 --> 01:26:16.760 fact that my right no bookshel has a National Football League helmet, right, 1319 01:26:16.920 --> 01:26:19.319 And in fact, I took so much heat that I kind of I turned 1320 01:26:19.319 --> 01:26:24.600 it around. So it's just like a generic helmet. And the truth is 1321 01:26:24.880 --> 01:26:28.399 I've been trying to get the Canadian Football League to provide a helmet with me 1322 01:26:29.159 --> 01:26:31.800 that would kind of counter it, and I could put both up and such. 1323 01:26:32.239 --> 01:26:40.640 So here you go, walk into my house yesterday, big box opened 1324 01:26:40.680 --> 01:26:46.279 it up. Another box, Here we go and the row there you go, 1325 01:26:48.159 --> 01:26:50.760 Dan's rock and then that looks good. Got it? So we got 1326 01:26:50.800 --> 01:26:56.680 we got we got a new element for the backdrop there, so very happy 1327 01:26:56.680 --> 01:26:58.640 to have the CFL helmet. There we go. I love it. I 1328 01:26:58.720 --> 01:27:00.560 love it. This good. We get a little back This is good. 1329 01:27:00.640 --> 01:27:01.760 Yeah, Dave, do we have time? This is your segment you're on 1330 01:27:01.840 --> 01:27:09.560 here. I will say just in not that the the fantasy sports bade is 1331 01:27:09.560 --> 01:27:13.399 the biggest issue with quarterbacks, but you're also talking the short yardage that affects 1332 01:27:13.399 --> 01:27:15.720 fantasy and all of that. Right, if we're trying to grow the game, 1333 01:27:15.720 --> 01:27:17.600 we're trying to do all that having to go to prew cop you know, 1334 01:27:17.640 --> 01:27:21.399 winning with three touchdowns or whatever. Isn't My last point on that was 1335 01:27:21.479 --> 01:27:25.439 you're talking about, Hey, there's people in the XFL or the USFL and 1336 01:27:25.720 --> 01:27:27.960 CFL teams like, oh, we wouldn't want them. It's like, yeah, 1337 01:27:27.960 --> 01:27:30.439 because Dustin Crumb was really like on the top of the people's wish list, 1338 01:27:30.560 --> 01:27:33.760 right like I don't I don't want Alex Mgoo. I really want Dustin 1339 01:27:33.800 --> 01:27:36.520 Crumb, Like he's really the guy that we want to put our money behind. 1340 01:27:36.960 --> 01:27:42.199 Well, there's still a little bit of I think sometimes superiority complex, 1341 01:27:42.520 --> 01:27:45.319 you know, among some people in the CFL with regards in these other lakes. 1342 01:27:45.359 --> 01:27:48.159 For sure. Yeah, no question in terms of it just to wind 1343 01:27:48.159 --> 01:27:51.079 out, you know, because we go like, did Hamilton make a mistake 1344 01:27:51.119 --> 01:27:54.159 with bo? Is it too early to tell? I mean, I'll be 1345 01:27:54.399 --> 01:27:58.399 I have my flights books for Hamilton's So I mean, look, I think 1346 01:27:58.439 --> 01:28:00.399 the early look. First of all, it depends when he comes back, 1347 01:28:00.680 --> 01:28:05.079 right like, that's that. I think it's too early to say that right 1348 01:28:05.119 --> 01:28:08.560 now. And when they put him on the sixth game, you know, 1349 01:28:08.640 --> 01:28:11.199 I was kind of led to believe it was one of those precautionary things, 1350 01:28:11.279 --> 01:28:13.800 right because if an injury lingers, you don't want to look back and say, 1351 01:28:13.800 --> 01:28:15.880 oh, we should have put him on six game and such and and 1352 01:28:15.880 --> 01:28:18.039 of course the one thing you can't practice when you're in a six game, 1353 01:28:18.039 --> 01:28:20.760 which is why jeremiamzz old he never was at the start of the season because 1354 01:28:20.760 --> 01:28:24.880 he need to practice to get up to speed. Yeah, I think the 1355 01:28:24.960 --> 01:28:27.800 jury is still out. I'm not willing to write off believe I Mitchell this 1356 01:28:27.840 --> 01:28:31.800 stage of his of the season. I know that when you know, they 1357 01:28:31.840 --> 01:28:35.520 looked at bow in camp, they thought he was throwing. Well, you 1358 01:28:35.560 --> 01:28:40.680 know Scott Milanovitch, who came in and has been sort of an offensive consultant 1359 01:28:40.680 --> 01:28:43.479 with the tie Cats. You know, thought he was throwing the ball well 1360 01:28:43.600 --> 01:28:45.560 enough to you know, to be able to win with the tie Cats this 1361 01:28:45.680 --> 01:28:50.800 year. But it's I gotta be honest, it's the first two games were 1362 01:28:50.840 --> 01:28:56.800 not encouraging and now he's been down. So if if you didn't played better 1363 01:28:56.840 --> 01:29:00.159 than that, if he's gone for eight weeks, you know, it's hard 1364 01:29:00.199 --> 01:29:03.039 to see this as a positive move. But I think what this brings Upbreed 1365 01:29:03.119 --> 01:29:05.800 is is kind of like, Okay, we could criticize that decision and say 1366 01:29:05.840 --> 01:29:09.600 going all in on bolie B Mitchell was too risky. It's blowing up in 1367 01:29:09.640 --> 01:29:13.159 the face. We'll come back to the well, what's the option here? 1368 01:29:13.199 --> 01:29:16.319 And this is again brings us back to the quarterback depth issue in the league. 1369 01:29:16.760 --> 01:29:21.760 Bolie By Mitchell got benched last year and got a raise. You know, 1370 01:29:23.159 --> 01:29:28.760 Trevor Harris was good last year, not great, but good. He 1371 01:29:28.880 --> 01:29:32.960 started the year as a backup and got like a fivefold salary increase. By 1372 01:29:32.960 --> 01:29:36.039 the end of the season, He's back to being a half million dollar quarterback 1373 01:29:36.079 --> 01:29:40.680 last year. And I credit for Trevor for taking you know, the backup 1374 01:29:40.760 --> 01:29:45.680 role, taking a much more team friendly salary and just kind of resetting his 1375 01:29:45.720 --> 01:29:48.720 career. I think I think it was a real lesson in what Trevor Harris 1376 01:29:48.760 --> 01:29:53.479 did and like, look, what's Dane Evans gonna be worth next year? 1377 01:29:53.600 --> 01:29:57.800 If he you know, after a year in BC. All it would take 1378 01:29:58.199 --> 01:30:01.720 is a few appearances for Dane ev to, you know, to come on 1379 01:30:01.880 --> 01:30:04.920 into a role in a meaningful part of a game during a season look good, 1380 01:30:05.039 --> 01:30:09.560 and what's he worth next year? Somebody's I talked to a GM this 1381 01:30:09.560 --> 01:30:12.720 week who said to me, like, is Matthew Schiltz gonna get paid next 1382 01:30:12.760 --> 01:30:16.239 year? Because you know, he's, to his credit, I think he's 1383 01:30:16.279 --> 01:30:19.520 looked pretty good earlier in the year. But he's not somebody that every anybody 1384 01:30:19.560 --> 01:30:21.880 ever saw, you know, as a quarterback who was going to be making 1385 01:30:21.960 --> 01:30:27.159 Marquis salary in this league. So I think every time you examine a situation 1386 01:30:27.239 --> 01:30:30.199 like BO, you've got to say, Okay, what were the alternatives? 1387 01:30:30.279 --> 01:30:34.399 Right? Bring Dane Evans back? I don't think he could do that just 1388 01:30:34.439 --> 01:30:38.239 the way last year went, you know, I think that would have been 1389 01:30:38.239 --> 01:30:42.439 a really hard sell, especially in a great Cup year for Hamilton. Okay, 1390 01:30:42.680 --> 01:30:45.760 um, you know they were so so you know, what are your 1391 01:30:45.800 --> 01:30:47.840 where you gonna go Cody Fajardo, he was available, right, Like, 1392 01:30:48.239 --> 01:30:51.760 you start to get down to these options, and I think where people are 1393 01:30:53.319 --> 01:30:56.760 kind of drawing these comparisons. It's it's not to go back to the seventies 1394 01:30:56.840 --> 01:31:00.239 or eighties. Like, let's go back to like a dozen years, right, 1395 01:31:00.840 --> 01:31:03.680 every team had a frontline starter, three or four of the starters, 1396 01:31:03.720 --> 01:31:08.920 you know, Ricky Ray, Anthony Calvio, Henry Burris, Dickinson was kind 1397 01:31:08.920 --> 01:31:13.439 of newly was just retired. These guys were Hall of famers, and then 1398 01:31:13.439 --> 01:31:15.359 you had guys in the hopper who were the next guys. Whether it was 1399 01:31:15.399 --> 01:31:18.840 the bow Levy Mitchells and the Drew Tates or the Trevor Harrison and the Zach 1400 01:31:18.880 --> 01:31:24.600 colaross That's what people you know, like you'd show me the backup right now 1401 01:31:25.079 --> 01:31:28.479 that you would say, I'm gonna go get that guy making my starter next 1402 01:31:28.560 --> 01:31:30.119 year, you know, like Hamilton did when they when they went after Zach 1403 01:31:30.199 --> 01:31:34.359 Colaris, right, or like Edmonton did when they went after Mike Rioting. 1404 01:31:34.600 --> 01:31:39.960 Right. The only guy in the league that I thought, yeah, kind 1405 01:31:39.960 --> 01:31:43.960 of fit that bill was Chad Kelly, right, And I said it on 1406 01:31:44.039 --> 01:31:47.000 radio during Great Cup Week and set off a firestar when that's radio and Saskatchewan. 1407 01:31:47.079 --> 01:31:50.199 I said, if I was Saskatchewan, I'd call the Argos this offseason 1408 01:31:50.199 --> 01:31:53.399 and say, what do you want from Chad Kelly? Right, that was 1409 01:31:53.439 --> 01:31:57.840 before It's great Cup heroics and all that. But like I think the Argonauts 1410 01:31:57.840 --> 01:32:00.239 were, I don't want to say they were. They were happy be with 1411 01:32:00.319 --> 01:32:02.720 McLeod Bethel Thompson moving on, but I think they were okay with it because 1412 01:32:02.760 --> 01:32:06.520 they knew they couldn't keep Chad as a backup forever. He's not wired that 1413 01:32:06.600 --> 01:32:11.119 way. He's a one year backup and God bless him that. You know, 1414 01:32:11.159 --> 01:32:14.039 they got to him and said, you need to be patient for a 1415 01:32:14.119 --> 01:32:16.960 year. This is how this league works. Like if Johnny Manzel had been 1416 01:32:17.000 --> 01:32:20.640 on the Chad Kelly plan, what's he in year number two? Right? 1417 01:32:20.800 --> 01:32:24.720 Instead? You know, different kind of thing. Again, we can talk 1418 01:32:24.760 --> 01:32:28.920 about how the Nicholas screwed that all up as well, so at the time, 1419 01:32:29.920 --> 01:32:31.039 you know, by by forcing him into the hands of a team that 1420 01:32:31.079 --> 01:32:34.640 already had a quarterback, which didn't make really that much sense as well. 1421 01:32:34.680 --> 01:32:39.079 But my point is that you know, other than Chad Kelly, Chad Kelly 1422 01:32:39.199 --> 01:32:41.760 was that guy, right, you could see it last year, right, 1423 01:32:41.800 --> 01:32:45.720 and again his pedigree's there, everyone knows the history, but there aren't those 1424 01:32:45.720 --> 01:32:48.760 guys in backup rolls across the league. And you know when when Ottawa would 1425 01:32:48.920 --> 01:32:51.760 would lose its quarterback at any point over the last couple of seasons and you 1426 01:32:51.760 --> 01:32:54.800 see Caleb Evans come in, You're like, yeah, I can get through 1427 01:32:54.800 --> 01:32:58.399 a game and get you through a few games. But did Caleb Evans screamed 1428 01:32:58.439 --> 01:33:01.359 future starting quarterback in the Sea fount right? And there's just I think a 1429 01:33:01.399 --> 01:33:06.159 lot of guys of that kind of ilk right now, and it's it was 1430 01:33:06.279 --> 01:33:10.000 enough. So I mean this whole quarterback thing, I think three down was 1431 01:33:10.039 --> 01:33:13.239 the last week had the big article, you know AMBROSEI talking about all of 1432 01:33:13.239 --> 01:33:17.439 that with this in just the streak and everything and Edmonton and whoever comes out 1433 01:33:17.479 --> 01:33:23.359 of this right you know there Cornelius everything else going on there and Jared Aegi 1434 01:33:23.520 --> 01:33:27.199 everything. You know, even if Edmonton wins, right if we wake up 1435 01:33:27.239 --> 01:33:30.439 Friday, can they won tonight? Like that doesn't solve their issues? Right? 1436 01:33:30.479 --> 01:33:33.319 They still have whatever? What do you this? Chris Jones and Cornelius 1437 01:33:33.359 --> 01:33:36.359 Like I just can't figure out what to make of it. It's really weird. 1438 01:33:36.399 --> 01:33:40.880 And I mean it even predates Chris Jones and Edmonton, right, because 1439 01:33:40.960 --> 01:33:44.760 let's go back to twenty twenty one. And I was incredulous about this. 1440 01:33:44.880 --> 01:33:48.199 Right when they sat down Trevor Harris, I was like, are you kidding 1441 01:33:48.199 --> 01:33:51.479 me? Like he's thrown for four hundred yards and Labor Day or something. 1442 01:33:51.479 --> 01:33:55.159 But yeah, but you know he was he playing the best football of his 1443 01:33:55.199 --> 01:33:59.680 life. No. But when you have an experienced, proven CFL quarterback who's 1444 01:33:59.720 --> 01:34:01.680 health is fine, and you decide to go on to the next guy, 1445 01:34:02.720 --> 01:34:06.560 I mean that is, and then they trade him, right, they trade 1446 01:34:06.640 --> 01:34:14.239 him, and I mean Taylor Cornelius early in his career it looked like a 1447 01:34:14.279 --> 01:34:15.960 guy who might be able to develop into something because of the arm and the 1448 01:34:16.000 --> 01:34:18.279 long striding in the run. And I would put him in the category of 1449 01:34:18.279 --> 01:34:20.680 guys that you could see it's, you know, developing into the future. 1450 01:34:20.880 --> 01:34:24.720 But did he look like the guy who gave you the better chance over Trevor 1451 01:34:24.720 --> 01:34:29.039 Harris to win next week? No way? And that's what was always curious 1452 01:34:29.079 --> 01:34:32.720 and what all went down between Trevor Harris and Jamie El Lazando and how Brock 1453 01:34:32.760 --> 01:34:36.920 Sunderland, Finn I don't really know. I've never heard a full disclosure about 1454 01:34:36.960 --> 01:34:41.319 what happened there, but it never made sense to me. And I think 1455 01:34:41.479 --> 01:34:45.159 it shows you the caution that if you're going to move on from a guy 1456 01:34:45.199 --> 01:34:48.880 in this league, you better you better know what you have behind him. 1457 01:34:48.920 --> 01:34:53.439 Because I mean, Trevor Harris still playing, He's playing at pretty high level. 1458 01:34:53.479 --> 01:34:55.560 And I did it. I don't if you saw the tweet I did, 1459 01:34:56.239 --> 01:34:58.760 because you know, Ottawa kind of did a similar thing with Trevor right 1460 01:34:58.760 --> 01:35:01.520 they lost him in free agency and whether he walked or they let him go, 1461 01:35:01.520 --> 01:35:05.840 whatever, but I did. It was the combined records of the Elks 1462 01:35:05.920 --> 01:35:11.439 and the Red Blacks since they moved on from Trevor Harris, and I think 1463 01:35:11.439 --> 01:35:17.640 it was fifteen and sixty four, which is like astoundingly bad. And then 1464 01:35:17.760 --> 01:35:23.760 you know, then Jones goes into last year and Taylor Cornelius goes from fourth 1465 01:35:23.800 --> 01:35:28.520 string to starter. You know it just like he all of a sudden, 1466 01:35:28.520 --> 01:35:31.359 he becomes the guy. Then they make the commitment to him, then they 1467 01:35:31.760 --> 01:35:35.439 pull away from him early in this season to go to a guy who's come 1468 01:35:35.439 --> 01:35:40.199 off the practice roster. You know, Kyle Locksley didn't do a good job 1469 01:35:40.279 --> 01:35:43.720 running the short yardage and he pounded on the sidelines. He's gone. Trey 1470 01:35:43.760 --> 01:35:45.760 Forward seems to have fallen out of the mix, which seems to be I 1471 01:35:46.239 --> 01:35:51.960 think there must be some sense that maybe he didn't completely recover from what he 1472 01:35:53.000 --> 01:35:56.279 had last year, because why is he getting those opportunities last year as a 1473 01:35:56.399 --> 01:35:59.600 rookie right out of U Sport. You know, feel free to look up 1474 01:35:59.640 --> 01:36:02.840 the history of CFL coote rookie quarterbacks from U Sport, and now as a 1475 01:36:03.119 --> 01:36:09.520 sophomore with an obvious need, he's not getting that opportunity. And people will 1476 01:36:09.560 --> 01:36:14.399 say, oh, you know American Chris Jones. Suddenly look I stood beside 1477 01:36:14.479 --> 01:36:18.560 Chris Jones at tray Forward's workout at the University of Buffalo in April of twenty 1478 01:36:18.640 --> 01:36:24.520 twenty two. Okay, Chris Jones loved him. Who drafted him, Chris 1479 01:36:24.600 --> 01:36:29.760 Jones? Okay, So if something's turned there, it's not like Chris Jones 1480 01:36:29.800 --> 01:36:31.279 was always sour on tray Forward, never liked him, go forced to take 1481 01:36:31.319 --> 01:36:34.439 him. No, that is not the case. He was he was a 1482 01:36:34.520 --> 01:36:40.439 huge tray Forward guy. And so something there isn't adding up as well. 1483 01:36:41.800 --> 01:36:45.119 I thought the Jared Davey thing and our panel was, you know, incredulous 1484 01:36:45.119 --> 01:36:47.039 on that one. When they moved on from him at halftime or after halftime 1485 01:36:47.119 --> 01:36:51.399 or the of the Argo game. I just it was perplexing because I thought 1486 01:36:51.680 --> 01:36:56.680 Taylor Cornelius made some strides in that game the week before where they'd been shut 1487 01:36:56.720 --> 01:36:59.920 out. It was the BC Lions. His defense was performing at a historic 1488 01:37:00.159 --> 01:37:03.760 pace. And you know, it's funny, like you, sometimes I have 1489 01:37:03.800 --> 01:37:06.920 to take games. I don't devote every moment of my life to live CFL 1490 01:37:08.000 --> 01:37:11.199 watching, and one of the interesting things, I usually want to know what 1491 01:37:11.319 --> 01:37:14.800 happened rather than, you know, do the fan experience to be in suspension 1492 01:37:15.039 --> 01:37:16.640 because it allows me to know what I want to focus on in this game. 1493 01:37:16.920 --> 01:37:20.279 So when I watched that game, I said, I want to watch 1494 01:37:20.640 --> 01:37:26.640 Taylor Cornelius and his decision making and his throws on. I didn't think he 1495 01:37:26.680 --> 01:37:30.760 was horrible in that game, like a shutout game. Offense was terrible all 1496 01:37:30.760 --> 01:37:33.039 the punts, but play by play, when you broke it down, it 1497 01:37:33.119 --> 01:37:36.800 wasn't like Taylor Carnelius was missing open guys all over the field necessarily at all. 1498 01:37:36.920 --> 01:37:42.199 So it was when he comes off of that decent first half in Toronto. 1499 01:37:43.000 --> 01:37:45.640 It's really it's really curious, and look, Jones is the defensive guy, 1500 01:37:45.640 --> 01:37:50.319 but he's a football guy like he just because he coached defense doesn't mean 1501 01:37:50.359 --> 01:37:54.760 you don't understand the offensive side of the field. He's you know, he's 1502 01:37:54.760 --> 01:37:58.800 had Steve McAdoo with him in Saskatchewan. He's got him again in Edmonton. 1503 01:37:58.880 --> 01:38:01.119 He's a guy who's sometimes not popular with the fans, and I think part 1504 01:38:01.119 --> 01:38:04.560 of it is Seamack and who doesn't doesn't speak publicly very often. He's not 1505 01:38:04.600 --> 01:38:08.680 a guy who comes out and defends himself, right, He's he's a very 1506 01:38:08.680 --> 01:38:11.880 thought of, low key guy, you know, and that kind of thing, 1507 01:38:11.920 --> 01:38:15.199 and makes himself maybe an easy target because he's not out, you know, 1508 01:38:15.239 --> 01:38:18.239 explaining himself or his philosophies or things like that. But boy, I 1509 01:38:18.920 --> 01:38:24.720 think this has been a big disappointment for the Elks because I think we all 1510 01:38:24.760 --> 01:38:28.680 thought when they went out and got those receivers, and you know, when 1511 01:38:28.960 --> 01:38:32.279 when does it click for CFL quarterbacks somewhere between year two and three usually, 1512 01:38:32.600 --> 01:38:36.199 So you had Cornelius who's got the big arm. The other thing that was 1513 01:38:36.239 --> 01:38:41.880 curious about it is like he was the leading rusher among quarterbacks last year in 1514 01:38:41.920 --> 01:38:44.720 the league, and when I think he's the only quarterback in the top six 1515 01:38:44.760 --> 01:38:45.840 to eight, ten, whatever it was, I remember writing about this. 1516 01:38:45.880 --> 01:38:49.359 Again, I can't check the historical stats, but I believe I remember this 1517 01:38:49.399 --> 01:38:56.119 from last season. Um he uh he. And yet you know, the 1518 01:38:56.199 --> 01:39:00.600 first three or four games this year, they didn't run like he wasn't he 1519 01:39:00.640 --> 01:39:02.319 would say it was. I mean, he's and he's a deceptive runner, 1520 01:39:02.399 --> 01:39:05.239 right, because he's not the typical runner we see in the CFL, kind 1521 01:39:05.239 --> 01:39:09.439 of a compact body who can tucket. He's huge. He's a huge and 1522 01:39:09.479 --> 01:39:12.800 he's a long strider. Right. But but it was obviously effective. I'm 1523 01:39:12.800 --> 01:39:15.880 glad they saw they brought that back a little bit into the last game. 1524 01:39:15.359 --> 01:39:21.039 But it's um again, we're gonna bring the conversation full circle here, what's 1525 01:39:21.039 --> 01:39:26.359 their option right now? Right? And that's that's the trouble. And again, 1526 01:39:26.399 --> 01:39:30.199 that's that's why I think having quarterbacks that you're developing, I'll tell you 1527 01:39:30.239 --> 01:39:33.279 a great example of the difference between the developed quarterback and a guy who's not 1528 01:39:33.359 --> 01:39:38.039 head an opportunity to develop was the head to head matchup between Tyree Adams and 1529 01:39:38.119 --> 01:39:42.720 Jared Day two guys making their first start. But but Tyree Adams had been 1530 01:39:42.720 --> 01:39:45.439 there for a year, you know, he'd done two training camps, you 1531 01:39:45.439 --> 01:39:48.199 know, and then that's just a massive difference between taking a guy off the 1532 01:39:48.199 --> 01:39:53.159 pr and his rookie year and saying, you know, go and I assumed 1533 01:39:53.239 --> 01:39:56.680 Jared GG he's a much much better player than he showed, you know, 1534 01:39:56.720 --> 01:39:59.520 in the limited action. But you know, this league has made a lot 1535 01:39:59.560 --> 01:40:02.439 of decent quarterbacks who don't have the proper background or experience to handle the job 1536 01:40:02.439 --> 01:40:06.159 look pretty ordinary or bad. Yeah, the fact that last week they're like, 1537 01:40:06.159 --> 01:40:10.119 you know, Cornelius with four wins in his I'm like, is insane 1538 01:40:10.119 --> 01:40:12.760 that he has four wins in his CFL career got paid the way that he 1539 01:40:12.800 --> 01:40:15.760 did with that, Again, that's the market, right and why what do 1540 01:40:15.880 --> 01:40:18.119 they think? What did Chris Jones think was going to happen at the end 1541 01:40:18.119 --> 01:40:20.359 of the last year if they didn't sign him, and by the way, 1542 01:40:20.439 --> 01:40:25.520 guarantee money for next season as well, he's been playing in the league that 1543 01:40:25.560 --> 01:40:29.520 he came from, the XFL. Yeah, I would be curious if there 1544 01:40:29.600 --> 01:40:30.600 was a market, you know, what the market for him was going to 1545 01:40:30.680 --> 01:40:33.720 be in the XFL you know, just because like I mean, who is 1546 01:40:33.760 --> 01:40:38.800 even who was it? I can't remember who the DPP was in the vibr 1547 01:40:39.000 --> 01:40:41.960 Yeah, I'd be curious to see what the market there was for Agazons. 1548 01:40:42.239 --> 01:40:44.159 No better than me on that. Yeah, well, you know, because 1549 01:40:44.199 --> 01:40:48.399 Alison knows ELPs heads when they sign yes, yes, a couple more things. 1550 01:40:48.399 --> 01:40:49.960 I mean, we could go forever. I don't want to keep you 1551 01:40:50.039 --> 01:40:56.439 forever. The Calgary mayor everything. It seems to be a little bit of 1552 01:40:56.520 --> 01:40:59.760 dud season right now. What do you make of Calgary here, because like 1553 01:41:00.079 --> 01:41:01.680 they're very quickly falling out of their way in the West. Yeah, and 1554 01:41:01.720 --> 01:41:04.960 you know, and the Stamps have been so good at plug and play when 1555 01:41:04.960 --> 01:41:08.640 they've been injuries. I mean, this is sometimes like one of the things 1556 01:41:08.640 --> 01:41:12.199 about Winnipeg's quote ongoing dynasty or they're great runs. Man, they've been They've 1557 01:41:12.199 --> 01:41:14.560 been really good on injuries. You know, they have not had a ton 1558 01:41:14.600 --> 01:41:18.159 of important players out of their lineup, and that's a big, big part 1559 01:41:18.199 --> 01:41:23.199 of it. Calgary historically has has dealt with injuries, and you know, 1560 01:41:23.239 --> 01:41:26.039 there's been kind of the John huff Nagel magic formula, you know, next 1561 01:41:26.039 --> 01:41:29.159 man up, and they've always got a guy in developing guys the practice roster. 1562 01:41:29.640 --> 01:41:32.760 But they've been decimated at receiver. You know that that that has really 1563 01:41:32.800 --> 01:41:38.199 I mean Camar Jordan's injury, Reggie Bagleton out, maliek Henry gone. You 1564 01:41:38.199 --> 01:41:41.279 know, they brought back Mark and Michelle who's a you know, very good 1565 01:41:41.279 --> 01:41:44.039 player, and once he gets up to speed, I think he can certainly 1566 01:41:44.039 --> 01:41:47.039 help them. But even among their Canadian receivers, right, they're they're very 1567 01:41:47.119 --> 01:41:56.239 inexperienced um at that and and and even that two of their Canadians right um 1568 01:41:56.359 --> 01:42:00.079 are are guys who've never played three down football, like like like at two 1569 01:42:00.159 --> 01:42:04.680 rookie Canadians whose entire lives, one of them from the States, the other 1570 01:42:04.680 --> 01:42:10.600 one grew up in BC and played at Simon Fraser. They're being introduced. 1571 01:42:10.600 --> 01:42:13.039 So so the one thing that you know, some a lot of times to 1572 01:42:13.039 --> 01:42:16.960 look people look at, maybe it's the receiver might be one position that it's 1573 01:42:17.079 --> 01:42:20.960 easier to transition out of U Sport to the CFL than the NC double A 1574 01:42:21.159 --> 01:42:25.319 because of the waggle and just understanding the angles on the field and all those 1575 01:42:25.399 --> 01:42:29.239 kinds of things. So that's usually one of the janities you get with your 1576 01:42:29.239 --> 01:42:31.239 Canadian receivers and the Stamps don't even have that. I mean Ryce and John 1577 01:42:31.279 --> 01:42:34.439 in the game the other night at like one catching garbage time, right, 1578 01:42:34.439 --> 01:42:38.279 I mean, he's a he's a huge guy who stuck around in the NFL 1579 01:42:38.359 --> 01:42:41.319 for a while. He's six seven, and again he may turn into something, 1580 01:42:41.359 --> 01:42:45.039 but the lack of experience has really hurt them. And Jake Mayer looks 1581 01:42:45.119 --> 01:42:48.479 looks ordinary right now. You know of our guy who what through for three 1582 01:42:48.600 --> 01:42:54.279 hundred yards in each of his first three starts in the CFL, And you 1583 01:42:54.279 --> 01:42:58.359 know that's that's a small sample size. That's pretty impressive. I don't know 1584 01:42:58.399 --> 01:43:00.800 that anybody's ever done it. Even I think he may have been the first 1585 01:43:00.880 --> 01:43:03.079 quarterback ever to open his career with three three hundred yard games. But man, 1586 01:43:03.079 --> 01:43:05.600 I think he'd kill for one of those right now. Yeah, it 1587 01:43:05.680 --> 01:43:10.119 wasn't that. It was like him versus Vernon right in Montreal. I'm trying 1588 01:43:10.119 --> 01:43:13.560 to remember that debut game. Was it two years ago and he came twenty 1589 01:43:14.079 --> 01:43:15.119 one? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I just try to remember that. 1590 01:43:16.039 --> 01:43:19.119 Last things here, I mean we kind of hit on the argos at Cody 1591 01:43:20.000 --> 01:43:25.079 is Cody got his groove back here and then in Montreal. You know, 1592 01:43:25.279 --> 01:43:28.239 we've been we've been talking about that a little little bit one this week, 1593 01:43:28.239 --> 01:43:30.000 and we're looking at the sack the sack figures, right, which is, 1594 01:43:30.479 --> 01:43:33.920 you know, he's leading the league in sacks getting sacked, he led the 1595 01:43:33.960 --> 01:43:38.840 league in getting sacked last year, he led the league and getting sacked in 1596 01:43:38.920 --> 01:43:42.880 twenty one, and the year that he was the MP nominee for the West 1597 01:43:42.880 --> 01:43:45.239 Division, he was third in the league in game sacked. So you know, 1598 01:43:45.279 --> 01:43:50.600 there's some compelling evidence that and I look at it looked and I love 1599 01:43:50.600 --> 01:43:53.960 people made the first to say this is not what I do. Okay, 1600 01:43:54.000 --> 01:43:59.479 I don't break down film and tell people who's responsible on what plays. But 1601 01:43:59.479 --> 01:44:02.920 but there's a consistency there, right, And and when you go from one 1602 01:44:02.920 --> 01:44:08.760 of the weakest offensive lines in the league to one of the best and the 1603 01:44:08.760 --> 01:44:11.720 sack numbers are still there, that that becomes. Now all that said, 1604 01:44:12.399 --> 01:44:15.760 I think Ottawa BC in Winnipeg have the best pass rushers in the league. 1605 01:44:15.760 --> 01:44:18.119 And that's three of the four opponents of Montreal's had. You got to be 1606 01:44:18.159 --> 01:44:21.199 careful, always a small sample size and who your opponent is early the schedule, 1607 01:44:21.279 --> 01:44:25.760 trying to project stuff. So there's that uh that you know, the 1608 01:44:25.920 --> 01:44:30.720 receivers I've been down, Reggie wiping down, Philpott down. And and I 1609 01:44:30.760 --> 01:44:33.840 think the other factor that's been huge there is the run game, right that 1610 01:44:33.920 --> 01:44:40.279 you would expect that with that offensive line and Williams Standbeck and jess ran Entry, 1611 01:44:40.319 --> 01:44:44.159 that that that's going to take some of the pressure off Cody Fajardo because 1612 01:44:44.159 --> 01:44:45.439 the defenses aren't going to just be able to, you know, pin their 1613 01:44:45.479 --> 01:44:49.159 ears back and line up and go after him. They haven't really been able 1614 01:44:49.159 --> 01:44:54.119 to get the run game rolling. So but I think I think Fajardo has 1615 01:44:54.159 --> 01:44:56.840 the fun things. The two things that people used to say about Figardo and 1616 01:44:56.920 --> 01:45:00.039 Edmonton was you get sacked or in Saskatchewans you get sacked you often and he 1617 01:45:00.039 --> 01:45:03.159 can't throw the ball down the field. Well, he's addressed the second one. 1618 01:45:03.199 --> 01:45:05.560 He would throw the ball down the field really well, you know that, 1619 01:45:05.680 --> 01:45:11.159 and that that I'm sure is something that you know, he's put some 1620 01:45:11.159 --> 01:45:15.039 some thought and some some work into The sack thing is harder to solve. 1621 01:45:15.119 --> 01:45:18.399 And God bless him for the number of times Cody Fajardalan sack. I got 1622 01:45:18.399 --> 01:45:24.560 his career sack number the other day. One hundred and fifty four. Okay, 1623 01:45:24.720 --> 01:45:29.359 over the last two years eighty three. And you know the second player 1624 01:45:29.439 --> 01:45:33.359 on that list is fifty three. He has been sacked thirty times more over 1625 01:45:33.399 --> 01:45:36.920 the last season and a half or a season. The third then the next 1626 01:45:36.920 --> 01:45:41.760 guy. Now, again not my area of expertise, but put that, 1627 01:45:42.239 --> 01:45:45.479 I'll tell you, I'll give him some marks for they're guys in this league 1628 01:45:45.479 --> 01:45:46.560 that, you know, every time they get sacked, you wonder if they're 1629 01:45:46.560 --> 01:45:50.239 going on six games or something. I'm exactly, but we know there's quarterbacks 1630 01:45:50.239 --> 01:45:53.479 that when you see them get hit, you're kind of like, oh boy, 1631 01:45:53.520 --> 01:45:56.960 all right, that's just the nature of something. One hundred and fifty 1632 01:45:57.000 --> 01:46:01.920 four sacks in his career. How many games Cody fajardal miss Not a lot, 1633 01:46:02.000 --> 01:46:05.479 I'm struggling to think of. It was a game last year. I 1634 01:46:05.479 --> 01:46:10.520 think he didn't play, but one. So hey, if you're gonna get 1635 01:46:10.520 --> 01:46:13.279 taken down that often, uh, you know, at least it's not a 1636 01:46:13.359 --> 01:46:15.960 turnover. At least you're not getting your quarterback hurt. But I think they 1637 01:46:15.000 --> 01:46:18.000 know they're playing with fire, and I think, you know, Jason Moss 1638 01:46:18.079 --> 01:46:21.840 is certainly under some pressure to try and correct that for him. Yeah, 1639 01:46:21.840 --> 01:46:26.199 they someone posted the video where it was him from from the last game and 1640 01:46:26.319 --> 01:46:29.720 like doing the spin move where it's like a totally perfect pocket and he's running 1641 01:46:29.720 --> 01:46:32.640 back and you're like, that's not a good look to have become kind of 1642 01:46:32.920 --> 01:46:38.640 unnecessary. Scambe's last thing here the allans on the bye this week. You 1643 01:46:38.680 --> 01:46:42.319 know, I've been happy with our performances thus far, except obviously the six 1644 01:46:42.399 --> 01:46:45.760 picks. What do you just quick thoughts on BC before we get out? 1645 01:46:45.960 --> 01:46:48.800 Well, use the Argo game, right is there? That was the way 1646 01:46:48.800 --> 01:46:54.279 that game got away from BC, And what the score eventually became was was 1647 01:46:54.359 --> 01:46:58.720 not indicative. Like if you if you BC in Toronto were playing again next 1648 01:46:58.760 --> 01:47:01.680 week and I was asked to make the point spread, I'd basically make it 1649 01:47:01.720 --> 01:47:04.359 a pickup game, you know, which is which sounds weird, you know, 1650 01:47:04.399 --> 01:47:08.479 given the way Toronto played. But I mean, I joked earlier, 1651 01:47:08.479 --> 01:47:11.119 I said it was the greatest six pick performance in the history of quarterback. 1652 01:47:11.199 --> 01:47:14.840 I mean, it really was, and you know some and the weird thing 1653 01:47:14.920 --> 01:47:16.920 is it is is that you know a good part of those picks were awful. 1654 01:47:17.319 --> 01:47:21.840 It wasn't like he had contested balls. You know that we were taken. 1655 01:47:21.880 --> 01:47:26.319 They were you know, passes to the other team, and so you 1656 01:47:26.439 --> 01:47:30.119 try and reconcile that with what he does on the other you know, thirty 1657 01:47:30.119 --> 01:47:35.159 throws. It was a very it was a very unusual quarterback performance. But 1658 01:47:35.399 --> 01:47:41.199 look he got a break the next week against Montreal because the clause pick six 1659 01:47:41.560 --> 01:47:45.079 was a pick six. I mean, I think the league has conceded that 1660 01:47:45.279 --> 01:47:47.039 was a wrong call, and James, you know, it wasn't. It 1661 01:47:47.119 --> 01:47:53.119 wasn't challenged um by by Montreal's staff, and it should have been. And 1662 01:47:53.159 --> 01:47:55.920 who knows if he's if he throws a pick six in the first quarter of 1663 01:47:55.920 --> 01:47:59.760 that game, like did he gets Yeah, he gets in his head, 1664 01:48:00.159 --> 01:48:01.840 sure, yeah that that that changed it. But now, I mean, 1665 01:48:02.600 --> 01:48:05.840 and Farheim has made this point about I'm gonna borrow one of his points about 1666 01:48:05.840 --> 01:48:11.960 the Lions defense. And one of the challenges in the CFL sometimes is unlike 1667 01:48:12.000 --> 01:48:15.079 the NFL, it's harder to have time to develop, and the NFL has 1668 01:48:15.119 --> 01:48:18.720 gotten very short and getting rid of coaches as well, But there's still time 1669 01:48:18.840 --> 01:48:21.840 that you that you know, when you're investing in draft picks and you can 1670 01:48:21.880 --> 01:48:28.359 see the talent blossoming and the investment you have, you'll you'll get sometimes a 1671 01:48:28.399 --> 01:48:31.720 couple of seasons to to make that happen. In the CFL, we don't 1672 01:48:31.800 --> 01:48:34.600 very often, right, it is a win now league. Every team at 1673 01:48:34.640 --> 01:48:38.279 the start of the year expects to be in the playoffs, expects to be 1674 01:48:38.319 --> 01:48:42.439 in the hunt for the Great Cup. And we don't see that investment where 1675 01:48:42.439 --> 01:48:44.800 teams will say, hey, we're gonna live with these guys because we know 1676 01:48:44.880 --> 01:48:46.279 that in a year or two these are gonna be our guys. That's what 1677 01:48:46.319 --> 01:48:48.840 the Lions did with their defense, right if you go back to two years, 1678 01:48:48.880 --> 01:48:51.840 they're all no name guys and you look at the you know, the 1679 01:48:53.199 --> 01:48:56.279 talent in that secondary. You know, they've added some pieces from other teams 1680 01:48:56.279 --> 01:48:59.840 that I think that's probably the best secondary in the league, maybe Toronto along 1681 01:48:59.840 --> 01:49:02.159 with that as well. Uh, you know what they've what they've been able 1682 01:49:02.199 --> 01:49:06.840 to do overall, I think is kind of a bit of a model for 1683 01:49:06.920 --> 01:49:10.920 what teams should be able to do and and and credit. You know, 1684 01:49:11.399 --> 01:49:14.880 I thought it was funny. Far Hunt was really bullish on Vernon Adams at 1685 01:49:14.880 --> 01:49:16.159 the start of the year, almost like one day at Sports Center he was 1686 01:49:16.439 --> 01:49:19.079 said, I was like wow, and then Vernon Adams went out that first 1687 01:49:19.119 --> 01:49:23.720 game and just played. I texted far out and said, here your sports 1688 01:49:23.720 --> 01:49:26.880 center. It's looking better and better. But he washed him through companies, 1689 01:49:26.920 --> 01:49:29.039 knows him a little bit and own him for a long time. Thought sort 1690 01:49:29.039 --> 01:49:30.439 of settling on the West coast. You know. I like what I like 1691 01:49:30.479 --> 01:49:32.000 what they've been able to do. I mean, they've got a couple of 1692 01:49:32.039 --> 01:49:34.560 running backs. You should always be able to backfill a running back, you 1693 01:49:34.600 --> 01:49:36.680 know, and they and they looked like they've done that with a couple of 1694 01:49:36.680 --> 01:49:41.840 guys um and the receivers there. I mean, that was one of the 1695 01:49:41.920 --> 01:49:46.880 things I think when you were looking at who Vernon Adams is throwing too. 1696 01:49:47.119 --> 01:49:50.159 I think that's probably the best receiving unit in the league right now. And 1697 01:49:50.239 --> 01:49:55.199 that's saying something given that you pulled Brian Burnham off that unit, you know, 1698 01:49:55.279 --> 01:49:58.039 from last year, and that it's still as good as it is. 1699 01:49:58.119 --> 01:50:01.199 So yeah, I U I would be. I'm trying to remember it. 1700 01:50:01.279 --> 01:50:04.439 Is there a Toronto BC matchup rematch on the schedule this year? I'm not 1701 01:50:04.479 --> 01:50:08.760 sure there is? Is there? I feel like there is some of us 1702 01:50:08.880 --> 01:50:14.239 I'm looking here. We don't always have the guaranteed home at home every year 1703 01:50:14.279 --> 01:50:17.359 now, right, since they change the stuff after the pandemic. But you 1704 01:50:17.399 --> 01:50:19.960 know, it wouldn't shock me at all to ce BC Toronto in the Great 1705 01:50:19.960 --> 01:50:25.199 Cup, and that is certainly a matchup I would welcome. Yeah, I'm 1706 01:50:25.199 --> 01:50:29.439 not seeing it on here. I did laugh when they had Nathan Rourke. 1707 01:50:29.479 --> 01:50:32.399 They were showing him on and it's like, see, like we're still here 1708 01:50:32.399 --> 01:50:36.560 in Nathan, Like he's still were I you know, it's like when you're 1709 01:50:36.560 --> 01:50:40.159 the kid goes back to high school and he's like the mega star. I 1710 01:50:40.239 --> 01:50:44.920 go to see like we still But I did like that because Nathan has basically 1711 01:50:44.920 --> 01:50:46.840 said like I was glad with my time in the CFL, and I'm glad 1712 01:50:46.840 --> 01:50:51.720 of stuff. So yeah, no, it's I'm gonna be down on August 1713 01:50:51.800 --> 01:50:58.439 twelfth at his first preseason game in Dallas, so yeah, yeah, yeah, 1714 01:50:58.479 --> 01:51:02.319 it's it's it's a I think there's a lot of interest in his foray. 1715 01:51:02.640 --> 01:51:05.039 Over the summer, we'll see if he settles into a number three role. 1716 01:51:05.119 --> 01:51:09.960 The story will go quiet until he gets a chance to play. But 1717 01:51:10.199 --> 01:51:13.560 over the summer, while he's playing in preseason, we're gonna be unna be 1718 01:51:13.600 --> 01:51:15.840 pretty engaged in watching his story. Yeah, I'm just good. I don't 1719 01:51:15.880 --> 01:51:18.880 see it Toronto on there Allywright. Well, Dave, I appreciate it extended. 1720 01:51:19.199 --> 01:51:21.680 Well, I said, we're we're being Hamilton. We got all that 1721 01:51:21.680 --> 01:51:26.399 figured out. So hopefully, Job, it's got to the point where it 1722 01:51:26.399 --> 01:51:30.840 wouldn't be the Great Cup with Vergie. Yes, I said that a spring 1723 01:51:30.920 --> 01:51:33.840 league guy. That's that's what we got to have. That's good. Well, 1724 01:51:33.840 --> 01:51:35.800 we'll be there. I appreciate. We'll try to get you on here 1725 01:51:35.840 --> 01:51:40.239 again, maybe midway through the season, but I certainly appreciate extending time today. 1726 01:51:40.319 --> 01:51:46.520 So thank you, awesome man, have a good day. Well, 1727 01:51:46.520 --> 01:51:50.279 we are done him. I guess they had to flee practice for the Red 1728 01:51:50.279 --> 01:51:56.760 Blacks. Thunderstorms everything else here thunderstorms metaphorically kind of circling as well around the 1729 01:51:56.800 --> 01:52:00.840 Red Blacks. You're Tim Bains ottawas Sun has Has there ever been more interest 1730 01:52:00.880 --> 01:52:05.439 in the Ottawa Redblacks quarterback situation than this week? Wow, let's I'm trying 1731 01:52:05.479 --> 01:52:10.840 to think back to the dark the speaking of stormy clouds and all that, 1732 01:52:11.439 --> 01:52:17.359 Matt Nichols. I mean, it's been a string of quarterback issues going back 1733 01:52:17.479 --> 01:52:25.640 to I guess Trevor Harris in twenty eighteen. Of course that didn't involve two 1734 01:52:25.640 --> 01:52:30.720 starting quarterbacks having season ending injuries within two weeks. Yeah, so it's certainly 1735 01:52:30.720 --> 01:52:35.399 been interesting. And a team that really has been very poor on the football 1736 01:52:35.439 --> 01:52:42.600 field for the past three years and in the midst of trying to turn that 1737 01:52:42.680 --> 01:52:46.800 around, has to do it again with a lot of adversity. It's crazy. 1738 01:52:46.840 --> 01:52:50.479 I was working. I watched the game on I had because that we 1739 01:52:50.520 --> 01:52:55.600 can record the CBS Sports Network ones we can record right and watching with the 1740 01:52:55.640 --> 01:52:58.439 States. I had a wedding on Saturday, and I'm getting the text and 1741 01:52:59.439 --> 01:53:02.159 Zola's Zili's legs after what's going on? And I'm thinking, oh, maybe 1742 01:53:02.199 --> 01:53:05.199 he came out and didn't look right right, you know, came out and 1743 01:53:05.279 --> 01:53:09.680 maybe whenever and then no, they said no, you know, he went 1744 01:53:09.720 --> 01:53:13.920 down again. And I'm watching the broadcast and crazy experience. I mean, 1745 01:53:13.960 --> 01:53:16.720 what was it like just kind of living through it and thoughts on everything going 1746 01:53:16.760 --> 01:53:20.680 on. Well, I mean, it was a non contact play, so 1747 01:53:20.760 --> 01:53:25.319 when you think of of injury, you think of okay, late hit, 1748 01:53:25.640 --> 01:53:30.319 you know, got hit low light happened a year ago. But he tried 1749 01:53:30.359 --> 01:53:34.600 to tried to pivot a little bit and the light collapsed and without even thinking 1750 01:53:34.680 --> 01:53:39.520 left or right leg, you're thinking, oh, no, same injury, 1751 01:53:39.680 --> 01:53:43.000 and you know, as it turns out, it's it's the achilles and then 1752 01:53:43.079 --> 01:53:46.600 it's in the other leg, and it's one of those things that that happens, 1753 01:53:47.439 --> 01:53:54.279 and again not really related to previous injuries, but it was you could 1754 01:53:54.319 --> 01:53:58.880 hear a pin drop. Of course, Jeremiah was a great quarterback in Hamilton 1755 01:53:58.920 --> 01:54:01.079 for a number of years and so a lot of them was an appreciation for 1756 01:54:01.159 --> 01:54:05.680 him there. But when he went down and he tried to get back up 1757 01:54:05.680 --> 01:54:09.520 and immediately went back down again and had to be helped off, I mean 1758 01:54:09.560 --> 01:54:12.960 it was there was just silence, and I think you could feel, certainly 1759 01:54:13.000 --> 01:54:15.920 there's an empathy for a quarterback. I'm much beloved quarterback for a number of 1760 01:54:16.039 --> 01:54:20.239 years. With the tie cuts, it's crazy because even you know, and 1761 01:54:20.279 --> 01:54:24.000 I was watching the like the pre panel, you know, and it's like, 1762 01:54:24.560 --> 01:54:27.520 you know, like Jesus is coming back. I mean it was like, 1763 01:54:27.760 --> 01:54:30.000 you know, but not to make light of it, but like you 1764 01:54:30.079 --> 01:54:32.159 know, this team and he's like he's sent a leader and you know, 1765 01:54:32.359 --> 01:54:36.479 I can't remember if it was Milt, whoever was on Whoever's on that down 1766 01:54:36.439 --> 01:54:40.640 against talking and trying to give his perspective and like, you know, this 1767 01:54:40.640 --> 01:54:43.640 guy's coming to come back and write the ship, and then two quarters in 1768 01:54:44.199 --> 01:54:46.439 it's like disaster again. And I don't know if the Red Blacks looked great, 1769 01:54:46.920 --> 01:54:50.279 you know that if he was going to solve everything, but it certainly 1770 01:54:50.399 --> 01:54:54.079 wasn't going to hurt. I mean, what do we do now? You 1771 01:54:54.119 --> 01:54:57.159 know, Dustin crummin there, which is probably the worst name for us, 1772 01:54:57.279 --> 01:55:00.840 you know, backup quarterback to come in. What do you I mean he 1773 01:55:00.880 --> 01:55:04.920 looked good, He looked athletic, but was that kind of like the backup 1774 01:55:05.000 --> 01:55:08.640 cornerback bump is always what I think, right, like, oh, this 1775 01:55:08.680 --> 01:55:11.239 guy comes in, we were a game planning for him and it's kind of 1776 01:55:11.319 --> 01:55:14.680 cast. How do you think he actually looked? I thought he looked really 1777 01:55:14.720 --> 01:55:20.560 good. And he addressed he made three really bad mistakes. Two interceptions really 1778 01:55:21.479 --> 01:55:27.079 that maybe weren't thrown to the proper place, and a fumble. Those were 1779 01:55:27.119 --> 01:55:31.800 costly, just costly mistakes, and Dustin Crumb addressed that the other day, 1780 01:55:32.600 --> 01:55:39.840 and he talked about really having to play clean football and about how games aren't 1781 01:55:39.840 --> 01:55:44.239 one as much as they're lost now when you interviewed Dustin Crum, you have 1782 01:55:44.319 --> 01:55:49.279 to know that Dustin Crumb is a rocket scientist, like literally rocket scientists. 1783 01:55:49.279 --> 01:55:56.039 They graduated in eron whatever the degree is, aeronautic space engineering and built rockets. 1784 01:55:56.880 --> 01:56:01.079 So Dustin Krumb is a very very smart guy. So I gotta think 1785 01:56:01.960 --> 01:56:10.439 digesting and understanding a playbook is probably something he's pretty good at. So he 1786 01:56:10.479 --> 01:56:14.399 will certainly have a very good knowledge of the playbook. And I think every 1787 01:56:14.439 --> 01:56:16.479 one of the quarterbacks would tell you anyway. They treat each week like the 1788 01:56:16.560 --> 01:56:19.439 starter, because, especially if you're an Ottawa Redblack, can never know. 1789 01:56:20.199 --> 01:56:23.800 Um, I mean, I was warming up my arm today just in case 1790 01:56:24.479 --> 01:56:28.720 you never know. Like, is there is there a need for a sixty 1791 01:56:28.760 --> 01:56:30.840 four year old guy who really was never a quarterback even in high school or 1792 01:56:30.840 --> 01:56:34.560 college? Probably not. I Actually, if I keep putting on more weight, 1793 01:56:34.600 --> 01:56:40.039 I'd probably have a better chance of being an offensive lineman. Well what 1794 01:56:40.600 --> 01:56:44.760 was this when they brought in Dustin? Like, how long was he part 1795 01:56:44.800 --> 01:56:47.800 of the roster before this? Now he was he was brought in last year. 1796 01:56:48.319 --> 01:56:54.039 I think the team thought it would be like basically getting him a second 1797 01:56:54.079 --> 01:56:57.439 training camp where he wasn't at last years training camp, but they brought him 1798 01:56:57.479 --> 01:57:00.960 in and kind of a learn, um, just stay off the side, 1799 01:57:01.000 --> 01:57:04.319 listen and learn. There was no chance he was he was going to be 1800 01:57:04.359 --> 01:57:08.319 that guy last year, but then he said by the time he gets into 1801 01:57:08.359 --> 01:57:13.439 camp this year, it's almost like it's his second training camp. Um. 1802 01:57:13.479 --> 01:57:17.359 And he looked especially in in their preseason one of their preseason games, he 1803 01:57:17.439 --> 01:57:20.239 looked really good the thing and he brings to the table. I don't know 1804 01:57:20.319 --> 01:57:26.680 that he's the fastest guy in the football field, but again, he's able 1805 01:57:26.720 --> 01:57:30.680 to use he's smart, and he's able to use his legs. He's not 1806 01:57:30.720 --> 01:57:33.199 afraid. He's patient enough. I think that he'll stay in the pocket and 1807 01:57:33.319 --> 01:57:38.000 look. But he's able to use his legs pretty effectively. And I think 1808 01:57:38.359 --> 01:57:41.840 that's his SAMO dating back to college, is that he can run with the 1809 01:57:41.880 --> 01:57:46.600 football, which in the Canadian game is a pretty good asset to have that 1810 01:57:46.640 --> 01:57:49.680 you're you know, you're able to bounce out of the pocket. You want 1811 01:57:49.680 --> 01:57:53.079 the quarter your quarterback to have patiences. You don't want him jumping out too 1812 01:57:53.079 --> 01:57:56.720 early. But if need be, he can be that guy. If your 1813 01:57:56.760 --> 01:58:00.840 second and nine and it's not there that he can he can get those nine 1814 01:58:00.920 --> 01:58:03.680 nine yards for you with his legs. You know, I just I'm always 1815 01:58:03.680 --> 01:58:06.079 curious, like was there in this big scout even pro like, oh, 1816 01:58:06.119 --> 01:58:10.279 we got this guy here, and you know we just buy this time. 1817 01:58:10.319 --> 01:58:13.960 Whereas you know, really by process of elimination and my default, you know, 1818 01:58:14.000 --> 01:58:16.279 he gets the he gets the spot there in the game last weekend. 1819 01:58:16.479 --> 01:58:19.119 Yeah, I think it's always really, especially with quarterbacks, it's a bit 1820 01:58:19.159 --> 01:58:23.680 of a guessing game. I mean, there's a reason why these guys aren't 1821 01:58:23.680 --> 01:58:28.720 in NFL camps and some of them are getting NFL looks, But it is 1822 01:58:28.720 --> 01:58:31.079 a bit of a guessing game, and you're trying to project a quarterback really 1823 01:58:31.119 --> 01:58:36.800 to play almost a new game, certainly with different rules and different nuances. 1824 01:58:38.079 --> 01:58:42.199 So how do you project that? So again, I think you scout the 1825 01:58:42.239 --> 01:58:47.199 guy, You'll you'll look at different intangibles and the tangibles and you think, 1826 01:58:47.479 --> 01:58:50.520 does he have a chance? Does he have a chance. I don't think 1827 01:58:50.520 --> 01:58:53.159 when you look at him, you're thinking, well, he's gonna be our 1828 01:58:53.159 --> 01:58:59.199 starter next year. But that's what they're in right now, and certainly the 1829 01:58:59.319 --> 01:59:05.039 Red Blacks exhausted. I think possibilities of maybe bringing back a guy with more 1830 01:59:05.119 --> 01:59:11.439 experience. There was contact with the agent for McLeod Bethel Thompson. I'm sure 1831 01:59:11.439 --> 01:59:14.199 they reached out to a couple other teams in the league that you maybe check 1832 01:59:14.239 --> 01:59:19.039 on the availability of some of the guys, maybe some backups, but ultimately 1833 01:59:19.079 --> 01:59:23.760 a guy like Bethel McCloud Thompson is not willing, at least at this time 1834 01:59:24.880 --> 01:59:28.560 to come North. So when you when you cross that one off the list, 1835 01:59:29.479 --> 01:59:32.600 um, you you go down the list and we have two new two 1836 01:59:32.640 --> 01:59:36.239 new quarterbacks, one of them who was in training camp Jake don Away with 1837 01:59:36.239 --> 01:59:40.760 the Red Blacks, and another who made it through training camp with the Winnipeg 1838 01:59:40.800 --> 01:59:44.119 Boo Blumbers before I mean cut. So, um, we've got two new 1839 01:59:44.159 --> 01:59:47.760 faces here. And Nick Arbuckle, who started the year as our who was 1840 01:59:47.800 --> 01:59:54.880 our starter, is a backup right now. So it's just weird how how 1841 01:59:55.119 --> 02:00:01.000 things have changed so much. Where through the first a few games it was 1842 02:00:01.039 --> 02:00:03.079 like, oh, well, yeah, but Jeremiah could be back next week. 1843 02:00:03.159 --> 02:00:06.279 Jeremiah could be back next week, and there was that anticipation and you 1844 02:00:06.399 --> 02:00:11.560 talked about kind of you know, the taking you to the promised land. 1845 02:00:12.279 --> 02:00:15.159 He was you know, it didn't matter what their record was Jeremiah was coming 1846 02:00:15.199 --> 02:00:20.439 back and that's the unfortunately that ended less, you know, really very fairly 1847 02:00:20.439 --> 02:00:25.319 early in his first game back. Yeah, and the macau things weird because 1848 02:00:25.359 --> 02:00:29.079 obviously this week it came out, you know, he's beneficial released from the 1849 02:00:29.079 --> 02:00:31.880 Breakers, and I think that's a formality to kind of so he can at 1850 02:00:31.920 --> 02:00:35.960 least entertain um, you know, kind of NFL. And I think he's 1851 02:00:36.000 --> 02:00:40.920 three games away from earning his pension there, which I think is probably a 1852 02:00:41.000 --> 02:00:45.479 driving forrest for all of that. So if he doesn't come in right now, 1853 02:00:46.920 --> 02:00:49.319 you know, we have Crumb and then who is the other one? 1854 02:00:49.399 --> 02:00:53.239 Tyrell? Right? Who is the other quarterback? Signed? The two on 1855 02:00:53.279 --> 02:00:57.960 there? Like, is there enough here to kind of get this going well? 1856 02:00:58.000 --> 02:01:01.640 I think they'd like to develop pay as they call him, uh uh. 1857 02:01:01.920 --> 02:01:05.399 They'd like to develop him probably as a short yardage quarterback because of his 1858 02:01:06.199 --> 02:01:12.319 ability to run. And uh, I mean with Jake Jake Dunaway again, 1859 02:01:12.680 --> 02:01:15.880 I think a guy they liked in training camp. There was no room with 1860 02:01:16.039 --> 02:01:21.720 four quarterbacks on the roster to keep him and a guy that they bring back 1861 02:01:23.119 --> 02:01:25.319 knowing that he knows the playbook of it. He was here for a couple 1862 02:01:25.359 --> 02:01:30.760 of months, maybe a month and a half, but but it's there's a 1863 02:01:30.760 --> 02:01:34.239 lot of inexperience on the roster, and the one guy they have with experience, 1864 02:01:36.119 --> 02:01:40.439 they're not willing again, They're willing to go with a guy who's never 1865 02:01:40.439 --> 02:01:43.960 started a game in the CFL ahead of him. So you know, let 1866 02:01:43.960 --> 02:01:50.960 that speak volumes is there. You know, we we had just kind of 1867 02:01:51.640 --> 02:01:56.720 has solved the home losing curse for Ottama, right, we still have going 1868 02:01:56.800 --> 02:02:00.439 on the Elks one. And then it was amazing to me as well they 1869 02:02:00.560 --> 02:02:02.279 said Saskatchewan had like a seven game home Elsia stream. I'm like, what 1870 02:02:02.399 --> 02:02:04.800 is without? Like, how do you have how do you have three home 1871 02:02:04.840 --> 02:02:10.479 Elisian streaks in the Nineteam League? But uh, Ottawa wins with with Tyrelle 1872 02:02:11.039 --> 02:02:14.640 or Tyree, sorry with Tyree. And then you know, like we're getting 1873 02:02:14.640 --> 02:02:16.359 a little bit of momentum now Missouri all this, I mean, can they 1874 02:02:16.359 --> 02:02:20.960 afford to just uh march this out and kind of way if McLoud comes, 1875 02:02:21.000 --> 02:02:24.359 Like, I mean, how do you keep like how does Ottawood keep the 1876 02:02:24.399 --> 02:02:28.560 faith here with the fan base? Well? Uh win football games? I 1877 02:02:28.600 --> 02:02:32.199 mean the thing in my mind they were going into the win against Edington at 1878 02:02:32.199 --> 02:02:35.720 home. A couple of weeks ago, they had lost twenty four of twenty 1879 02:02:35.760 --> 02:02:40.560 six games at home. I don't know how that's possible. As bad a 1880 02:02:40.600 --> 02:02:43.439 football team as you, you know, I could could I assemble a bunch 1881 02:02:43.479 --> 02:02:45.960 of guys to bring a gun of a bunch of guys in and and put 1882 02:02:46.000 --> 02:02:49.279 give them a defensive, decent offensive line, and give them a quarterback and 1883 02:02:50.319 --> 02:02:54.359 at least maybe win a game or two. I don't understand how it could 1884 02:02:54.359 --> 02:02:58.359 happen. So they beat vanton, They're still they still lost twenty four, 1885 02:02:58.359 --> 02:03:01.079 they lost twenty seven at home. It's not good they play. They played 1886 02:03:01.119 --> 02:03:04.119 home Saturday against the Winnipeg Blue Umbers three times. They've been in the last 1887 02:03:04.159 --> 02:03:10.279 three Great Cups. Not easy. They've got some tough games coming up, 1888 02:03:10.439 --> 02:03:14.439 and if they can get through this stretch they play the tie Cats again, 1889 02:03:14.520 --> 02:03:17.239 you're you're if you're going to win games, you really got to win against 1890 02:03:17.239 --> 02:03:21.399 your division opponents, because that they've proven back when they won the Great Cup 1891 02:03:21.399 --> 02:03:26.439 in twenty sixteen, they had an eight nine and one record in the regular 1892 02:03:26.520 --> 02:03:30.079 season. You just have to make the playoffs and be playing your best football 1893 02:03:30.079 --> 02:03:35.279 and you have a chance. So can they win with Dustin Crumb. Sure. 1894 02:03:35.399 --> 02:03:41.279 The I mean they've got the special teams unit is well coached and they're 1895 02:03:41.319 --> 02:03:45.399 good. The defense has been playing much better, and they're getting back some 1896 02:03:45.600 --> 02:03:49.720 key key players in the next couple of weeks coming off the six game injured 1897 02:03:49.760 --> 02:03:53.479 list, So if they can stay, I don't want to lose anybody else 1898 02:03:53.520 --> 02:03:56.800 in the next game or two, but they've got some key players coming back 1899 02:03:56.840 --> 02:04:01.119 soon. Do you think long term McCleod is the plan here, whether it's 1900 02:04:01.399 --> 02:04:03.880 hey, let's get through Labor Day and then kind of figure it out, 1901 02:04:04.520 --> 02:04:10.319 well, I think they'd like to see Dustin Crumb succeed. Um. Certainly 1902 02:04:10.359 --> 02:04:15.800 there'll be savings, pretty big savings with with Jeremiah being lost for the right 1903 02:04:15.880 --> 02:04:19.000 rest of the season. I mean that so the salary cap, there's a 1904 02:04:19.039 --> 02:04:24.640 lot of salary cap relief there. Would they like to see McLeod Bethel Thompson, 1905 02:04:25.800 --> 02:04:28.039 Sure, but I don't think they want him. I don't think they're 1906 02:04:28.039 --> 02:04:31.239 gonna wait until mid September, really October again him, because we're talking about 1907 02:04:31.279 --> 02:04:35.239 a guy coming in learning a new system, developing, kind of getting in 1908 02:04:35.279 --> 02:04:41.920 sync with his receivers. So you know that that ship is going to pass 1909 02:04:42.000 --> 02:04:45.359 at some point soon, and it doesn't seem like he's too willing to come 1910 02:04:45.399 --> 02:04:48.800 up for a variety of reasons in and that's fine, but I think right 1911 02:04:48.840 --> 02:04:56.079 now they've got to hope that that Dustin Crum can can go out there and 1912 02:04:56.760 --> 02:04:59.840 as they as I think it's been said about other quarterbacks, just manage, 1913 02:05:00.159 --> 02:05:02.960 manage to the game, don't make mistakes, let your your your playmakers make 1914 02:05:03.039 --> 02:05:08.119 plays, and you need really really good defense to make that old work. 1915 02:05:09.319 --> 02:05:12.000 I just wonder, and I know that there was you know, the reports, 1916 02:05:12.119 --> 02:05:14.840 you know when when he left the argos and okay, they were going 1917 02:05:14.880 --> 02:05:16.600 to go with Chack Kelly, and kind of everyone was sure up at that 1918 02:05:16.640 --> 02:05:20.039 point because even right at the way I had Neil Mazzoli and everything else, 1919 02:05:20.079 --> 02:05:24.600 and like, you know, he got paid, you know, fifty five 1920 02:05:24.600 --> 02:05:28.680 thousand. I think they do the playoff win bonuses in the USFL. But 1921 02:05:28.720 --> 02:05:32.720 you know, like if you know, he lost in the playoff game and 1922 02:05:32.760 --> 02:05:35.279 not a good game. I don't know how much of the USFL you covered, 1923 02:05:35.319 --> 02:05:38.560 but I mean they kind of got their asses beat there going into the 1924 02:05:38.560 --> 02:05:44.039 playoffs and it wasn't particularly close against Birmingham, and I don't know in retrospect, 1925 02:05:44.079 --> 02:05:46.520 if do I take six months off and just spend time with my wife 1926 02:05:46.560 --> 02:05:49.319 and kid and not play football in the USFL, And I don't know if 1927 02:05:49.319 --> 02:05:53.159 this works out him going to the NFL, or you know, do I 1928 02:05:53.239 --> 02:05:55.600 just sit and then I get a call here and pick up the phone and 1929 02:05:56.520 --> 02:05:59.479 take the money now, Like I don't know if the us AL was world 1930 02:05:59.479 --> 02:06:01.720 like at the NFL doesn't pan out, you know, does McLeod just take 1931 02:06:01.760 --> 02:06:04.399 the year off and wait for this call? Like I don't know if it 1932 02:06:04.439 --> 02:06:08.439 was worth him getting beat up for eleven twelve weeks to get to this point. 1933 02:06:08.439 --> 02:06:10.479 I don't know. Yeah, Well, I mean let's remember as well, 1934 02:06:10.520 --> 02:06:14.560 it's not like McLeod is like the second Coming, Like he was a 1935 02:06:14.560 --> 02:06:16.560 pretty good quarterback. But you know what, I think he almost lost his 1936 02:06:16.640 --> 02:06:20.720 job in Toronto last year. Is he better than what they have? Well, 1937 02:06:20.760 --> 02:06:24.199 he's got more experience. He had a lot of passing yards, and 1938 02:06:24.199 --> 02:06:26.680 I think he is a pretty good He's a bit of a gun slinging quarterback, 1939 02:06:27.000 --> 02:06:30.880 takes risks, but he has a lot of success doing that. I'm 1940 02:06:30.920 --> 02:06:35.920 just saying, yeah, he's he's certainly not the best quarterback in the CFL, 1941 02:06:36.039 --> 02:06:40.840 and is he Ottawa's best option right now? Sure he would be, 1942 02:06:41.600 --> 02:06:46.319 but you know what again, Yeah he's a he's a pretty good quarterback. 1943 02:06:46.359 --> 02:06:50.600 I'm just not sure that that. Maybe he's the guy you would want to 1944 02:06:50.640 --> 02:06:54.359 say, Well, he's the messiah, he's gonna lead us, he's the 1945 02:06:54.399 --> 02:06:59.279 guy. Yeah, we'll see that's hot. Takes well. Well, now, 1946 02:06:59.279 --> 02:07:00.920 if he signs here and he listens to this, he's gonna be like, 1947 02:07:01.199 --> 02:07:03.520 I heard what you heard? What you said about me? Hey, 1948 02:07:03.560 --> 02:07:06.800 he's afraid. He's been on the show's friends. I think he's a good 1949 02:07:06.880 --> 02:07:11.840 quarterback. My point is, I don't know whether expectations should be well, 1950 02:07:11.880 --> 02:07:14.760 look, we signed him all of a sudden, we're, you know, 1951 02:07:14.840 --> 02:07:17.680 from being maybe a decent team to being a really really good team. I 1952 02:07:17.720 --> 02:07:20.439 don't know if he can bring that team to another level. Maybe he can. 1953 02:07:20.760 --> 02:07:25.039 Again, I think he's played pretty well. I don't if he's listening. 1954 02:07:25.319 --> 02:07:29.079 McLeod, I love you. I mean he's non Nick Harbuckle. I 1955 02:07:29.079 --> 02:07:32.960 mean you can't remember that. I remember like two years ago we were getting 1956 02:07:32.960 --> 02:07:35.479 into all this coverage like, oh, like Nick Harbuckle got traded, Like 1957 02:07:35.520 --> 02:07:39.279 that was like the big stories, like a Harbuckles on the move or he's 1958 02:07:39.319 --> 02:07:44.760 going to evidend in terms of you know, Bob Dyce here. First, 1959 02:07:44.920 --> 02:07:46.840 you know, he's got his you know, came in last year and all 1960 02:07:46.920 --> 02:07:50.079 that, he came onto our show during all the media day stuff and kind 1961 02:07:50.079 --> 02:07:54.439 of the offseason, like how how do you gauge him here being able to 1962 02:07:54.520 --> 02:07:59.640 kind of manage way way this ship through all this Well, I mean, 1963 02:07:59.680 --> 02:08:01.560 it's not easy when you're losing football games. But again they're they're one in 1964 02:08:01.680 --> 02:08:07.479 three. Um, certainly if they if they look at the four games, 1965 02:08:07.520 --> 02:08:11.880 it's always I think a lot in the CFL, it's often it often turns 1966 02:08:11.880 --> 02:08:16.640 on one or two plays. And and certainly of all of all their four 1967 02:08:16.680 --> 02:08:22.199 football games probably all winnable. It's not like they were blown out, so 1968 02:08:22.279 --> 02:08:24.319 it could be much different than one in three they lost to Hamilton last week. 1969 02:08:24.960 --> 02:08:31.560 He was very winnable. So, um, I think Bob Dice is 1970 02:08:31.560 --> 02:08:35.079 a very fiery, emotional coach. And I think, as the players have 1971 02:08:35.199 --> 02:08:37.640 said, they would go through a wall for the guy. So I think 1972 02:08:37.640 --> 02:08:43.880 he's got his guys fired up. And part of that emotion I think is 1973 02:08:43.920 --> 02:08:48.520 built off you know, we here, we've got more adversity. Let's go 1974 02:08:48.640 --> 02:08:52.720 show everybody what we can do. And it's certainly a tough test when the 1975 02:08:52.760 --> 02:08:58.760 Winnipeg Blue Bombers are lining up opposite you in your next game. But they've 1976 02:08:58.800 --> 02:09:01.640 got to respond, and they've got to come out on Saturday with some emotion 1977 02:09:01.720 --> 02:09:05.960 and in front of your home fans. You've got to do something early. 1978 02:09:05.319 --> 02:09:07.880 You've got to put some points up, get your fans engaged, get them 1979 02:09:07.880 --> 02:09:11.720 into the game. Because if you're fans hanging their heads right now, probably 1980 02:09:11.760 --> 02:09:15.000 going, oh no, we've we've lost Jeremiah, you know we have no 1981 02:09:15.119 --> 02:09:18.279 chance. So give them hope. That's what you want to do when you're 1982 02:09:18.279 --> 02:09:22.840 playing it at home, is give your fans hope. If you think about 1983 02:09:22.880 --> 02:09:26.039 it. You know Ottawa, you know on the road lost, you know 1984 02:09:26.199 --> 02:09:31.039 their starting quarterback and you know horrific fashion. I mean just you know, 1985 02:09:31.119 --> 02:09:33.520 you see this go down and they were two yards away from at least tieing 1986 02:09:33.600 --> 02:09:35.600 the game there at the end of the game, you know, I mean, 1987 02:09:35.600 --> 02:09:39.319 you can't write. And I was telling I showed Dorothy because she was 1988 02:09:39.359 --> 02:09:41.000 I was watching the game, like I said, I'm on, you know, 1989 02:09:41.079 --> 02:09:45.439 record whatever, and I said, you gotta come watch this because I 1990 02:09:45.479 --> 02:09:48.000 said, you know, in the in the rudy version of this movie. 1991 02:09:48.159 --> 02:09:50.920 Right, he gets the touchdown, right, he gets tackled and flies into 1992 02:09:50.960 --> 02:09:52.000 the end zone. Then they you know, they tie the game or win 1993 02:09:52.039 --> 02:09:56.319 the game. And it's obviously not real life at sports, but to think 1994 02:09:56.359 --> 02:09:58.199 that they came that close, even with everything in that game, to be 1995 02:09:58.279 --> 02:10:03.199 two yards away from winning and from time the game is pretty remarkable. Well, 1996 02:10:03.319 --> 02:10:05.279 I mean, you see the field you're watching, you watch from up 1997 02:10:05.319 --> 02:10:09.039 above, and you can see everything opening up and you can see this like 1998 02:10:09.159 --> 02:10:15.119 this, there's a lot of opening in front of him. He makes a 1999 02:10:15.159 --> 02:10:18.439 decision to run and I don't know if he had receivers open or not, 2000 02:10:18.479 --> 02:10:20.239 but he makes a decision to run and you see him nearing the end zone 2001 02:10:20.239 --> 02:10:24.199 and you're thinking he's gonna make it, and you're right, like what an 2002 02:10:24.279 --> 02:10:26.640 ending. You still got to score the two points and then the game maybe 2003 02:10:26.680 --> 02:10:31.079 goes into overtime. But wow, like Dustin Crum who had already scored a 2004 02:10:31.119 --> 02:10:35.279 touchdown earlier in the game, like all of a sudden, if he makes 2005 02:10:35.319 --> 02:10:37.880 that runs into the end zone, somehow they tie the game and then and 2006 02:10:37.920 --> 02:10:43.560 then win it. Like we're it's a different scenario we're talking about Dustin Crumb 2007 02:10:43.680 --> 02:10:46.680 being the next great thing because all of a sudden he's done what he did. 2008 02:10:48.359 --> 02:10:50.039 We can and then you'll put the three turnovers behind you and say, 2009 02:10:50.119 --> 02:10:54.600 man, this guy's he's gonna be great. I think he could be good. 2010 02:10:54.479 --> 02:11:03.159 But it's it. You don't often see quarterbacks emerge that quickly and assent 2011 02:11:03.279 --> 02:11:09.760 to that next level. It takes knowledge, It takes experience, especially when 2012 02:11:09.760 --> 02:11:13.680 you're coming into a game where you've got you've got the waggle and the wider 2013 02:11:13.720 --> 02:11:18.039 field and the longer field, and you've got a twelfth defensive player. There 2014 02:11:18.039 --> 02:11:20.800 are a lot of things to adjust to and and and we'll see. I 2015 02:11:20.840 --> 02:11:26.119 mean, I hope Dustin, as I said, he's a smart guy. 2016 02:11:26.159 --> 02:11:30.560 So we'll see what happens Saturday. I'm meeting my mic here. My neighbor 2017 02:11:30.600 --> 02:11:35.000 has decided to I guess that Jackhammer has Pattio or something here. We'll see 2018 02:11:35.000 --> 02:11:37.079 how that comes in. Before I get out of here. You you talk 2019 02:11:37.159 --> 02:11:41.119 to Winnipeg, hope. I understand that at home coming out strong, But 2020 02:11:43.239 --> 02:11:46.359 this is a pretty heavy, pretty heavy burden that Ottawa has here this this 2021 02:11:46.359 --> 02:11:52.479 coming weekend. Yeah, and I never want to downplay what Winnipeg has done 2022 02:11:52.560 --> 02:11:56.119 it they've been they've been the best team in the CFL for now for three 2023 02:11:56.199 --> 02:11:58.640 years. They've gotten well where they lost the great up last year. So 2024 02:11:58.640 --> 02:12:03.079 I guess theoretically you could save Toronto is the best team, but wouldn't take 2025 02:12:03.079 --> 02:12:05.039 it. Has been a really, really good football team, and there's still 2026 02:12:05.079 --> 02:12:09.520 a really good football team, but they haven't looked, I think, especially 2027 02:12:09.560 --> 02:12:13.840 offensively, they haven't looked in twenty twenty three like the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of 2028 02:12:13.880 --> 02:12:16.520 the past couple of years. And maybe that's just right. Maybe maybe that's 2029 02:12:16.560 --> 02:12:20.960 something that they're working out some kinks there. But a lot of their key 2030 02:12:20.039 --> 02:12:24.880 players are a year older, and in general, when guys get into their 2031 02:12:24.920 --> 02:12:31.840 thirties and they get a year older, the level of performance the era wasn't 2032 02:12:31.880 --> 02:12:35.840 necessarily pointing up. And I think a lot of their players are still playing 2033 02:12:35.880 --> 02:12:39.039 in an extremely high level. But you gotta wonder again, a lot of 2034 02:12:39.079 --> 02:12:43.239 their key performers on the other side of thirty. So at some point, 2035 02:12:43.359 --> 02:12:48.359 at some point, these guys are gonna I'm not gonna say they're gonna lose 2036 02:12:48.399 --> 02:12:50.600 it, but but maybe you'll lose a bit of an edge and other other 2037 02:12:52.159 --> 02:12:56.000 players catch up to you. Again. It's it's hard to argue with this 2038 02:12:56.279 --> 02:13:00.680 success that football team has had over a sustained period of time. Um, 2039 02:13:01.159 --> 02:13:05.159 it's it's been phenomenal, um. But all of a sudden you're seeing other 2040 02:13:05.199 --> 02:13:09.199 teams like the BC Lions, um, showing that maybe it's maybe it's time 2041 02:13:09.199 --> 02:13:13.800 for a change at the top. It's I like that that we just got 2042 02:13:13.920 --> 02:13:16.960 to wait for him to get old and die and then we'll be the can't 2043 02:13:18.039 --> 02:13:20.239 be when a thing well, yeah, yeah, yeah you might you might 2044 02:13:20.319 --> 02:13:24.680 have to wait for that. Yeah, last thing for me here, Like 2045 02:13:24.720 --> 02:13:28.279 I said, this jack hammer is horrendous. I gotta get move inside here 2046 02:13:28.279 --> 02:13:31.880 for my next interview. Um. In terms of you were talking with the 2047 02:13:31.960 --> 02:13:35.520 dustin crime and like it could be whatever you know. Here, we've seen 2048 02:13:35.600 --> 02:13:39.880 Jake Mayer kind of be presumed to be the guy in Calgary and he's been 2049 02:13:39.920 --> 02:13:41.520 in the system and had years and now he comes in this year and he's 2050 02:13:41.840 --> 02:13:45.239 kind of pooh pooh right now. I think at least if you wanted to 2051 02:13:45.279 --> 02:13:48.319 talk to the round, Ryan Valentine's for the world like not doing great. 2052 02:13:48.359 --> 02:13:50.920 So I don't know. I mean, there's a lot of pressure with Dustin 2053 02:13:50.039 --> 02:13:54.159 and it's a really steep learning curve to come in here, especially now, 2054 02:13:54.199 --> 02:13:58.439 like you said, in basically a second year, which was supposed to be 2055 02:13:58.439 --> 02:14:03.359 a glorified training camp. It is tough. It's it's tough for a guy 2056 02:14:03.399 --> 02:14:05.479 who's been in the league for four or five years when you're asked to be 2057 02:14:05.520 --> 02:14:09.239 the guy, when you're asked to take the starting reps and really you put 2058 02:14:09.239 --> 02:14:13.439 the team on your your offensive hopes at least on your shoulders. And sometimes 2059 02:14:13.439 --> 02:14:18.159 it's not even just the technique and all that technical stuff, it's the weight 2060 02:14:18.199 --> 02:14:22.359 of being the guy. And when I say that, yea, yeah, 2061 02:14:22.359 --> 02:14:26.119 you're gonna yeah. These guys have been the guy and probably in high school 2062 02:14:26.760 --> 02:14:33.399 and at college, but NFL too it to be the guy. You're not 2063 02:14:33.439 --> 02:14:37.840 holding the clipboard anymore. To be the guy. There there are special people 2064 02:14:37.920 --> 02:14:41.119 that can do it, and the CFL is in the NFL. Um these 2065 02:14:41.159 --> 02:14:46.000 are guys that, for whatever reason, are not in the NFL right now, 2066 02:14:46.159 --> 02:14:52.239 so coming up learning again, they're learning a new game. So you 2067 02:14:52.279 --> 02:14:56.560 look around the league, where who's the next great young thing. I don't 2068 02:14:56.560 --> 02:15:00.239 know. I mean, it's not like a few years ago when we had 2069 02:15:00.239 --> 02:15:05.600 Mike Riley and Bow and Zach Kilos and Jeremiah Um But they got to develop 2070 02:15:05.640 --> 02:15:09.840 somewhere. They got to develop somewhere and somehow, So we'll see maybe a 2071 02:15:09.840 --> 02:15:15.760 guy like Jake Mayer. Uh, maybe Taylor Cornelius finds it. Maybe Dustin 2072 02:15:15.800 --> 02:15:20.399 Crumb finds it. Dustin Crumb the next grade CFO quarterback and in thirty years 2073 02:15:20.479 --> 02:15:24.359 let me talk in that. Well, remember you heard it here first, 2074 02:15:24.479 --> 02:15:26.720 right, I'm giving you the scoop. That's this guy. Hey, I 2075 02:15:26.760 --> 02:15:30.159 tried to get Mayor I ted last year, so I want to get Mayor 2076 02:15:30.199 --> 02:15:31.439 on because I want to. I want to hitch my wagon too that you 2077 02:15:31.439 --> 02:15:35.159 know, hitch my ride in that wagon. And now it's we'll see, 2078 02:15:35.199 --> 02:15:37.079 we'll see. Well, Tim, I appreciate it. Hopefully we'll try to 2079 02:15:37.079 --> 02:15:41.640 get you on again this season here. But you know, it's quite a 2080 02:15:41.680 --> 02:15:43.800 time to be a beat writer for the outworld Red Blacks. I mean, 2081 02:15:43.840 --> 02:15:46.920 it's a lot of excitement going on. As bad, there's not a lot 2082 02:15:46.960 --> 02:15:48.239 of there's not a lot of things to write about. Would you like me 2083 02:15:48.279 --> 02:15:52.840 to call like the cops and have the guy with the jack ammer taken away? 2084 02:15:52.640 --> 02:15:56.640 Well, it's because it's so quiet in this yard. I mean, 2085 02:15:56.680 --> 02:15:58.199 that's why I can seat here all day and record. But literally it's like 2086 02:16:00.479 --> 02:16:01.800 not my next door neighbor, but it's the one behind. I don't know 2087 02:16:01.880 --> 02:16:05.039 them as well, so I can't. I might scream at them here. 2088 02:16:05.079 --> 02:16:07.399 So well, hopefully he's not bringing the jackquant hammer over and starting to put 2089 02:16:07.399 --> 02:16:11.800 it into your house or anything. That's good. Tim Vans out of a 2090 02:16:11.840 --> 02:16:15.119 side. Appreciate it, Good luck with everything. Busy times there, stay 2091 02:16:15.199 --> 02:16:22.079 say thanks, good catching up, take care, huge special thanks to all 2092 02:16:22.119 --> 02:16:26.720 four of our guests coming on today. Really appreciate Rustilio's time. Really appreciate 2093 02:16:28.079 --> 02:16:31.239 X League Offices for working to make that interview happen. Means a lot. 2094 02:16:31.319 --> 02:16:35.079 You know, we were trying to wanted did you SHOWCASEE talk last year and 2095 02:16:35.120 --> 02:16:37.719 I know there was a lot of league building happening, So really appreciate making 2096 02:16:37.760 --> 02:16:43.000 the time now talking to XFL offseason and kind of what's going on. I 2097 02:16:43.040 --> 02:16:46.280 appreciate the transparency, Like I told Russ on the interview with the XFL, 2098 02:16:46.360 --> 02:16:50.319 with him and Doug Whaley talking, you know, what is our thought process 2099 02:16:50.360 --> 02:16:52.959 here? Why are we doing things the way that we are? I think 2100 02:16:54.000 --> 02:16:58.120 that that is refreshing for fans of a certain spring football leagues, so really 2101 02:16:58.280 --> 02:17:03.959 appreciate coming on special. Thanks again to Pat Rofino coming on first hand accounts 2102 02:17:03.000 --> 02:17:07.399 sharing his time in Saint Louis. Dave Naylor as always for making the time. 2103 02:17:07.440 --> 02:17:11.680 I really appreciate that. As busy as he is, I'm making videos 2104 02:17:11.680 --> 02:17:16.239 about the Edmonton alex and covering everything CFL, running crazy. If he's not 2105 02:17:16.280 --> 02:17:18.959 on the panels everything else, Dave's doing a busy guy. And then Tim 2106 02:17:20.000 --> 02:17:22.000 Bayin's a longtime friend of the show. Really appreciate Tim taking the time. 2107 02:17:22.360 --> 02:17:24.120 That will do it for me today. Like I said, it off the 2108 02:17:24.159 --> 02:17:28.200 top. Busy week next week and then we're going into vacation, so we 2109 02:17:28.239 --> 02:17:33.680 will figure it out. Not quite sure the plan yet, probably talking CFL 2110 02:17:33.040 --> 02:17:37.000 Jason Hussey and how I will be back on Mondays as normal doing the CFL 2111 02:17:37.840 --> 02:17:43.000 CFL weekend recaps, but everything else kind of d TVD but I will figure 2112 02:17:43.040 --> 02:17:45.680 that out. Keep you guys posted, like I said, like can subscribe. 2113 02:17:45.760 --> 02:17:48.239 Appreciate all your guys to support. We'll see you next time. Thanks