WEBVTT 1 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:40.600 Well, this is exciting here today. Happy Monday everyone, Thanksgiving 2 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:43.679 American Thanksgiving Week here. I thought we'd have a couple 3 00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:46.079 of weeks off here, especially getting through the holiday. We 4 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:48.359 were waiting on the UFL schedule. We just got done 5 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:51.000 with all our CFL coverage. But here we are today 6 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:55.920 the UFL officially announcing you with their process for expansion 7 00:00:55.960 --> 00:00:57.039 here in twenty twenty six. 8 00:00:57.399 --> 00:00:58.479 So you know, I. 9 00:00:58.520 --> 00:01:00.920 Wasn't even going to do anything, quite sure if we're 10 00:01:00.920 --> 00:01:03.560 going to do this. We got John Lewis here. Max 11 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:05.680 was like you got to talk about it today, like 12 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:08.319 Mike Mitchell's like you got to talk about today. So John, 13 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:11.319 I wasn't sure if we were going to do the stream. 14 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:15.280 This time of year, there's sicknesses floating around, right, People 15 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.599 get sick this time of year. John, I have a 16 00:01:17.640 --> 00:01:21.280 fever today, and the only prescription that can help it 17 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:22.120 is expansion. 18 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:25.760 And you got it, and you finally got it. 19 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:27.879 And we got it today. But no, this is interesting. 20 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:28.959 So John Lewis welcome. 21 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.079 We have a lot of new subscribers going through all 22 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:32.920 the CFL stuff. We just got done with our great 23 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:35.480 cup show. John Lewis has his own YouTube. John Lewis 24 00:01:35.480 --> 00:01:38.400 Sports appreciate him coming on today. John does a really 25 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:41.719 good job, but really kind of more manageable size to 26 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:44.120 content coming out, which I think is always great. And 27 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:46.799 then obviously we do a little bit longer form on here, 28 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:48.239 so I'm sure John will be doing that. 29 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:50.159 We will discuss everything today. 30 00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:52.079 I have the press release, we can talk about the 31 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:54.840 Switzerland try out, we have going on next year, a 32 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:56.280 lot of stuff, so this is going to kind of 33 00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:56.879 a catch on John. 34 00:01:56.920 --> 00:01:57.519 How are you doing, sir? 35 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:01.400 I'm doing great. It's just amazing. We have have an 36 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:05.799 international event with the UFL. We've got expansion now, but 37 00:02:05.879 --> 00:02:08.080 we still don't have the twenty twenty five schedule. Just 38 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:11.000 anytime now, the coming weeks. It's coming. We've heard that 39 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:13.719 for over a month now, so hopefully maybe this is 40 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:16.199 they're kind of ushering us in with some news like, hey, 41 00:02:16.280 --> 00:02:19.319 expansion's coming. Then maybe next week we'll get hey, here's 42 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:20.919 the schedule for twenty twenty four. 43 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:22.360 Well it's interesting. 44 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:23.280 It's interesting time. 45 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:25.039 I mean, yeah, I know, and I well, I was 46 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:26.800 doing that today because I put out the thing. I'm like, 47 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:29.159 expansion in twenty five and I'm not going no, we're 48 00:02:29.159 --> 00:02:31.919 going into twenty five. The expansion twenty six, so the 49 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:33.879 kind of and we'll pull it up here I have 50 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:36.120 all the details and then we'll you know, we'll do 51 00:02:36.199 --> 00:02:37.879 we'll do a little bit more kind of a deep 52 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:40.840 dive here through all this stuff. But uh, yeah, it 53 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:43.919 is kind of a bizarre schedule release kind of here. 54 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:45.479 We thought we were waiting on the schedule. 55 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:48.680 I think we're waiting on MLS schedules here in December, 56 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:50.840 so maybe we'll get all of that stuff going on 57 00:02:50.919 --> 00:02:52.400 and then we can kind of release all that we're 58 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:55.080 obviously of like the extit foul or excuse me, if 59 00:02:55.080 --> 00:02:57.840 the UFL release like the Defenders scheduled and they would 60 00:02:57.879 --> 00:03:00.400 know games at Audi Field and that disrupts all the 61 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:02.800 other plays going with all this. But John, I do 62 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:05.599 think this is unique. Obviously we've had in the past 63 00:03:05.639 --> 00:03:07.280 the UFL talking expansion. 64 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:10.159 Okay, we're taking away teams right, the USFL. 65 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:12.439 Okay, we're putting the Tampa Bay you know, the Bandits 66 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:15.879 on the hold. Okay, we're relocating things in the merger, right, 67 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:18.120 we lost part of the franchises here we're bringing back. 68 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:20.400 But to me, this is the first like we are 69 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:24.199 looking to expand here for the UFL at lease as 70 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:25.960 far as I know, kind of a recent memory of 71 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:28.120 like actually written up kind of curiously. 72 00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:29.879 Your thoughts on that first and foremost. 73 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.599 Yeah, I was. I was interested to see that it 74 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:35.120 was a press release. It wasn't, you know, And it 75 00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:37.240 was a it was a you know, as they usually 76 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:39.479 do their media storm. There you see the press release. 77 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:41.719 You know, it was on Instagram, it was on all 78 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:45.879 social media. And you're right, something that you said last year, 79 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:48.800 that we talked about in the preseason before it's you said, 80 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:53.759 and I completely agreed. You need we needed to see 81 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:57.000 some kind of progress from the UFL from season one 82 00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:59.199 to season two, and we thought maybe that would be 83 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:02.400 expansion to kind of show that here's a signal that 84 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:06.159 this is growing. So the expansion obviously didn't happen, but 85 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:08.800 now we're starting to look at this and say, okay, 86 00:04:09.240 --> 00:04:12.879 they're positioning themselves to maybe add a couple of teams, 87 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:15.560 maybe add four teams, as Mike Mitchell said, it could happen, 88 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:17.839 you know, two teams in twenty six and another two 89 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:21.519 teams in twenty seven. We'll see how it all shakes out. 90 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:26.319 But the optimism of this to really put a press 91 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:29.720 release out, you know, with quotes that it's open right 92 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:32.240 now and that either we don't really know what the 93 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:35.079 situation is as far as it does say launches the 94 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:38.639 expansion process, we don't really know. I didn't get from 95 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:41.839 this read that is it going to be the UFL 96 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:43.759 is going to reach out to cities or they want 97 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:46.120 cities to reach out to the UFL, Like what's going 98 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:47.040 to be the process? 99 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:48.879 Well, it looks like it is, and I think that's 100 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:52.279 interesting to go through here. Something else can keep in mind, 101 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:54.839 And I hate to be the DeBie on all this stuff. 102 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.399 You know, we're talking to Switzerland Showcase next year and 103 00:04:57.399 --> 00:04:59.720 we're talking. I think there was like the under armor 104 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:02.160 green meant to win through, Like this is all kind 105 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:05.959 of fluid things. So the UFL goes through this year, 106 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:08.879 if ratings aren't up, if anythings whatever. You know, this 107 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:11.399 is very much like I'm on the rocks with my girlfriend. 108 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:15.199 We're planning the vacation next summer. But we could still 109 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.399 get like I understand, and this is super exciting and 110 00:05:18.439 --> 00:05:20.879 we're on board with all that stuff, like can subscribe 111 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:22.399 to if you're checking this out the first time. I 112 00:05:22.439 --> 00:05:23.839 know we've got a lot of people coming in from 113 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:26.680 the CFL hopefully, you know, all this alternati football stuff 114 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:29.040 kind of fills you in with all that we should 115 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:31.319 be pretty heavy UFL now and then trying to get 116 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:35.160 some CFL off you know, off season kind of postseason 117 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:38.079 whatever interviews. But like, I just want to emphasize that, 118 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:40.000 like because I see this all the time, like, oh, 119 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:42.720 they're talking twenty twenty eight, like that means we have 120 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:45.600 a fight. Yeah, I mean, it's all plans on there. 121 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:48.160 But as Stephen A. Smith always says, like, you know, kind. 122 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.040 Of the list is fluid, and so this is good, 123 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:52.120 but at least we're talking about it. And I said, 124 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:54.040 we can talk about it today because of this was 125 00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:56.480 put out. I'll kind of do a little try my 126 00:05:56.519 --> 00:05:58.600 reading comprehension here and John you can pop in. We'll 127 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:00.480 kind of get through this press release and then thoughts 128 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:03.839 because I have very specific thoughts, hopefully not as negative 129 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:07.360 as yours. UFL you defableaget out today. It's especially launce 130 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:11.360 its first expansion process. The UFL is accepting proposals from 131 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:14.560 perspective markets. We'll get to bring football spring football to 132 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:17.000 their communities and be part of the growth of the sport. 133 00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:19.360 So I think that's interesting to kind of answer the 134 00:06:19.399 --> 00:06:23.199 initial question like, uh, hey, we're soliciting right, our doors 135 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:26.879 are open. We saw the CFL with the XFL years ago, like, hey, 136 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:29.120 you know the XFL reached out to the CFL. 137 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:30.079 Their doors are open. 138 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:33.040 And now it's you know, Russ Brandon and company, like, hey, 139 00:06:33.160 --> 00:06:35.199 you know you want to spring football here. Curious your 140 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:37.279 thoughts on that first and foremost, because to me, that's 141 00:06:37.319 --> 00:06:38.600 an interesting way to approach this. 142 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:41.399 It is you know when I read that, when I 143 00:06:41.560 --> 00:06:45.000 see that though accepting proposals again, I'd like to know 144 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:48.480 what the process is. Do they contact you know, let's say, 145 00:06:48.519 --> 00:06:50.680 for instance, I don't know, I'll just throw out Louisville, 146 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:53.360 Kentucky out there, which is where I'm sitting. So it's like, 147 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:56.680 do they will they contact Louisville or do I just 148 00:06:57.160 --> 00:06:59.240 you know, Now, maybe we're getting into the weeds here 149 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:00.720 and maybe I'm just out of a nerd and want 150 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:03.639 to know, like really like what the process is. But 151 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:07.240 I will say I do like that they want to 152 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:10.480 It's there they talk about perspective markets looking to bring 153 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:12.959 spring football to their communities and be part of the 154 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:15.399 growth of the sport. I think they're seeing this sport grow. 155 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:19.199 I mean, frankly, let's think about this. We're in see 156 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:21.839 how many years now that we're going into of actual 157 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:25.439 spring football that we're you know that's legitimate on network 158 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:27.959 television spring football. It's it's been a long time since 159 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.800 we've had that. So I think they are starting to 160 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:33.560 see the growth. And you know, again, like I said, 161 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:36.040 I like the optimism of this to to really just 162 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:38.639 go out there. Not they're not doing this behind the scenes. 163 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:41.680 You know, maybe there have been talks already, but they're 164 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:45.279 putting this out front. So you know, maybe this is 165 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:48.399 a call to you to UFL fans to start talking 166 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:51.680 to their cities to say, hey, listen this they're looking 167 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:54.040 for expansion. Maybe we're the right market. You know, a 168 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:55.439 lot of that can go a long way. 169 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:58.360 Well, it's interesting to me about this, and I'll read 170 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:00.920 the quote here in the second, but you know, Mike 171 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:03.759 Mitchell has talked our UFL insider all the way back 172 00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:05.879 to all the XFL and the USFL stuff and everything that, 173 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:09.680 even as far back as the USFL twenty twenty two 174 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:10.439 that went in the. 175 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:11.439 Place of the XFL. 176 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:14.720 It's always been an audition, right for Like, if you 177 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:16.959 would you like to own one of these franchises. Would 178 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:18.680 you like to be a part of this trying to 179 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:22.279 sell off or attract owners and things that way. We 180 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:25.560 are in twenty approaching twenty twenty five. Now, clearly that 181 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.639 has not happened yet. Right, there was talks with FedEx, 182 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:30.920 you know in Memphis, right, and we're going to move 183 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:35.080 everything in there and all that. But so this is 184 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:37.919 kind of I feel like, been ongoing in some regard 185 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:39.840 at least just to try to get people involved, at 186 00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:42.279 least on the ownership side. Now it seems like, okay, 187 00:08:42.279 --> 00:08:44.799 now we want to get cities involved, you know, like 188 00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:47.519 you were saying, you call your local congressman or woman, 189 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:50.759 kind of get them involved. One thing interesting to point out, though, 190 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:54.759 is when you start accepting bids, bids come or they don't. Right, 191 00:08:54.840 --> 00:08:57.679 we just saw the CFL twenty would be the twenty 192 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:01.200 sixth Great Cup got awarded to Calgary. I think they 193 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:04.360 were the only city of the nine CFL teams that 194 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:06.919 bid on that that wanted to put together a proposal, right, 195 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:09.679 and obviously hosting the Gray Cup is a little different. 196 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:11.879 I would be curious kind of the qualifications of this. 197 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:14.279 You are we looking at different stadium sizes or we're 198 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:16.360 looking at demographics. 199 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:16.399 Things like that. 200 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:18.840 Maybe we can do you know more dive into that later. 201 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:21.840 But you know, when you open it up for proposals, 202 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:23.799 you got to be you know, not all of that 203 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:24.600 were going to come in there. 204 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:26.159 They might not be up to enough for what you 205 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:27.240 what you're looking for. 206 00:09:27.559 --> 00:09:30.559 Well, and you have to go into a community too 207 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:33.360 that you know, that can support it. I think obviously 208 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:35.639 you know, we've talked about this being a TV product 209 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:38.759 and that's true, but you need to go into a community, 210 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:40.840 as he says, be part of the growth of the 211 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:42.840 as the press release says, to be part of the 212 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:45.720 growth of the sport. And you know, I think there 213 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:49.399 are a lot of communities out there that are poised 214 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.039 to do this that might you know, not have pro 215 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:55.519 sports or they might be you know, be a larger 216 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:57.759 you know, football community. I think that's what we've seen 217 00:09:57.759 --> 00:10:00.440 in Birmingham, you know, Forever, Saint Louis as well well. 218 00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:03.200 All I mean really, when you're looking at the at 219 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:06.519 the eight teams right now, you know they're part of 220 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:10.000 that community, even though the hubs in Arlington. So but 221 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:12.840 you're right, you I mean, any I guess you know 222 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:14.399 there are a lot of places that could say, yeah, 223 00:10:14.440 --> 00:10:16.519 we'll put a bit in, but it's got to be serious. 224 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:18.600 And I think you have to have some corporate backing 225 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:20.679 to make this happen. And I think there are a 226 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:23.039 lot of communities out there that are really right to 227 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:23.279 do this. 228 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:26.159 Right now, what I do like about this, and then 229 00:10:26.440 --> 00:10:27.960 I want to read this quote and I'll put this 230 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:29.879 away so we can see both of our faces gone here. 231 00:10:29.960 --> 00:10:32.000 But what I do like about this is, at least 232 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:36.200 now we're putting thought process into what cities do we 233 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:39.480 want to operate in. My biggest criticism all the way 234 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:41.919 back up into the USFL A twenty twenty two and 235 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:45.399 they relaunched, was well, these were kind of the trademarks 236 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:47.440 we were able to get from the eighties and those 237 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:49.759 were cities that kind of worked, and that's what we have. 238 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:51.960 Now, let's kind of reuse. 239 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:54.159 Those assets or that ip that we have, you know, 240 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:56.399 no real thought to like, you know, does Tampa Bay 241 00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:57.919 want this spring football team? 242 00:10:57.960 --> 00:10:58.159 You know? 243 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:00.519 And whatever? I know, the XFL is part of outlet, 244 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:02.279 you know, like the Memphis thing. 245 00:11:02.360 --> 00:11:05.559 Kind of all these rolling out and now obviously through 246 00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:08.399 the merger, we've gotten this Miss mash and kind of 247 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:11.000 the XFL franchises and the US and nothing. 248 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:13.080 Really I've said this before in here. 249 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:15.759 There's very few cities in the eight that currently play 250 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:17.960 in the UFL that you would sit there on your 251 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:20.399 top thirty list of cities that you want to be 252 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:22.240 in and have a lot of those. So I at 253 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:25.200 least like now that it's not leftovers from things that 254 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:28.559 kind of work before we have it. Let's put thoughts 255 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:30.320 into what we want. Let me just read this qull. 256 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:30.679 By the way. 257 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:33.679 As the UFL lays the groundwork for future growth, we're 258 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:37.519 excited to begin exploring new markets for expansion expansion where 259 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:40.759 spring football can not only live but thrive. The CFL 260 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:43.399 uses that trademark now live and thriving, so maybe we'll 261 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:47.879 have an IP dispute, UFL President CEO Russ Brandon. These 262 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:52.159 expansion efforts validate our vision of early success, demonstrating how 263 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:55.879 spring football resonates with fans, reinforcing our commitment to broadening 264 00:11:55.919 --> 00:11:58.759 its reach. With strength and structure of our ownership group 265 00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:01.200 along with our media partners, we are well positioned for 266 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:04.000 the long haul and look forward to identifying communities that 267 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:06.399 have the potential and desire to host the UFL team 268 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:09.759 and it search to identify the strongest markets. UFL is 269 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:16.200 looking at several core attributes including fan interest, existing sports culture, geography, population, venue, 270 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:19.080 and infrastructure availability. And it talks about the eight right 271 00:12:19.159 --> 00:12:21.279 now and they will all be playing this year. This 272 00:12:21.320 --> 00:12:24.000 would be for a potential twenty twenty six season. 273 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:25.600 Do we get everything through that press release? 274 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:28.440 I think we've We've gotten a lot through there. And 275 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:31.919 it's interesting that they put new cities in there, which 276 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.200 you know, there was some concern I think on my 277 00:12:35.399 --> 00:12:37.159 end when I first saw this that they were going 278 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:39.879 to expand it's like, well, they owned the IP as 279 00:12:39.879 --> 00:12:42.440 you talked about there with the USFL and you know, 280 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:45.720 even the XFL. I do wonder if that, you know, 281 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:48.120 do they lean on that, Do they try that again? 282 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:50.360 Do they try Orlando again? Do they try to put 283 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:54.600 a team in New Orleans because of the ip You know, 284 00:12:54.679 --> 00:12:58.440 I don't know. I hope that they've that this is 285 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:01.919 a process. Whereas they said in this release that these 286 00:13:02.679 --> 00:13:05.240 they have a desire to be in the communities, have 287 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:08.480 a desire to be for the UFL to be there. 288 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.080 Yeah, we're just going to read exactly what James says there. 289 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.480 Yes, Yeah, the definition, because that's the thing. 290 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:19.559 It's just been this weird kind of miss mash the 291 00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:22.480 question that you brought up as well, and we were 292 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:24.200 talking to the group chat kind of getting. 293 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:24.320 Ready for this. 294 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:26.759 Yeah, do we see like do we go back to 295 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:29.399 New Orleans and maybe it's the Breakers or maybe it's 296 00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:29.919 something else. 297 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:31.039 Do we incorporate you know, we. 298 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:33.759 Have the LA Wildcats and the Guardians and obviously they 299 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:37.679 went to Orlando, but like, yeah, are we like if 300 00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:39.720 I'm a Seattle fan, why I'm a Saffan but like 301 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:42.799 if I'm my friends that texted me today, of course, 302 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:44.480 like and this will get into why I think they 303 00:13:44.519 --> 00:13:46.519 did this, But you know, if I'm a Seattle fan 304 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:49.720 knowing that the team got taken away and they end 305 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:53.039 up putting the team in you know, San Diego or whatever, right, 306 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:55.320 shout out and you're like, am I mad that? 307 00:13:55.440 --> 00:13:55.519 Like? 308 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.679 San Diego got an opportunity at this before we did, 309 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:00.000 and we were part of this and we kind of 310 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:02.399 got mixed, you know, cut off in the chopping block there. 311 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:03.799 What what do you make of if you're a fan 312 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:06.440 of one of these existing franchises went away and then 313 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:07.679 you don't get them coming back? 314 00:14:08.039 --> 00:14:09.519 Yeah, and I think, you know, are you going to 315 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.440 have some sore people in Orlando, which you know that 316 00:14:12.600 --> 00:14:14.240 you know that was just such a bad team. I 317 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:15.799 don't know that a lot of people wanted to show 318 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:17.639 up to watch them. I mean, frankly, that's just you 319 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:20.240 know how it was. But you know, are you going 320 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.399 to have some some people who are going to be upset, 321 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:24.320 you know in some of these other markets. I think 322 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:27.519 Tampa Bay is another market where it sounds like there 323 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:29.879 are a lot of people who really wanted the Tampa 324 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:32.480 Bay bandits back, you know, in that community. I mean, 325 00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:34.200 I think that's going to be no matter you know who. 326 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:38.559 You mentioned that we're former XFL or USFL teams, So yeah, 327 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:41.360 I mean, you you do run that gamut of you know, 328 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:45.559 or that risk of you know, maybe alienating a fan 329 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:48.720 base and losing those fans because oh yeah, you gave 330 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:50.159 us a taste of this and then you took it 331 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:51.879 away and now we're not getting the back, so why 332 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:53.159 would we be invested in it? 333 00:14:53.879 --> 00:14:55.840 My camera here is tricking that maybe there. I think 334 00:14:55.879 --> 00:14:57.679 I got like the hand control under and I think 335 00:14:57.720 --> 00:15:01.799 it's like tracking my head on here, so curious and 336 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:03.720 then what we get I put in the comments, you know, 337 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:05.279 cities kind of opportunities. 338 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:06.000 We'll go through all that. 339 00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:08.159 We'll kind of workshop all that. This is fun kind 340 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:10.600 of our brainstorming today. We'll get to all of that. 341 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:13.080 So you know, where you live, where you want. I'm 342 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:16.919 already seeing you know, New Orleans, Huntsville, Mississippi to put 343 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:17.799 that in the comments. 344 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:19.440 We'll kind of go through some of that workshop. 345 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:23.159 But why now, John, I want to ask you, and 346 00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:26.399 I'll give my thoughts. Why now on November twenty fifth, 347 00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:28.080 we don't have any of this other stuff going on? 348 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:30.279 Why why did we decide to announce this today and 349 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:31.840 put out of official press release. 350 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:36.919 The timing I don't understand, especially when we're still waiting 351 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:39.799 for you know, this schedule, and maybe you know, as 352 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:42.080 I kind of alluded to earlier, maybe it was like, Okay, 353 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:43.799 well we're going to try to ease into we think 354 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:45.840 the schedule release is going to be the big deal. 355 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:49.440 But hey, let's you know, let's maybe try to get 356 00:15:49.480 --> 00:15:52.519 a few headlines here. Listen, And if that's what they 357 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:54.120 were trying to do at work, go ahead. I mean, 358 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:57.799 if you look up you know, UFL expansion right now 359 00:15:57.840 --> 00:15:59.759 on Google and hit the news tab. You're going to 360 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:03.360 see a lot of a lot of responses, so it 361 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:05.600 never hurts to maybe get that out there. I would listen. 362 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:08.399 I was a little excited Sunday. Uh in the Fox 363 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:12.480 pregame It's like, we're gonna return with a Fox exclusive announcement, 364 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:14.759 and I thought, maybe they're gonna do it right now. 365 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:17.120 But it was something about some race car thing and 366 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:20.200 I don't know what it was, but you know, maybe 367 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:22.480 that is Maybe it's they're trying to just you know, 368 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.480 drum up a little, like Okay, let's get UFL on 369 00:16:25.559 --> 00:16:28.200 the headlines and then have the schedule or release coming up. 370 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:30.759 I mean, you know, you're trying to you're trying to guess, 371 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:32.799 you know, what they're doing. If maybe there is a 372 00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:35.799 strategy there, I don't know, what do you think? 373 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:37.440 Well that's what I think. 374 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:39.919 And and we were talking in the group today because I, 375 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:42.799 of course I wake up. Dorothy was doing conferences today. 376 00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:44.960 She's a teacher, and so I get up and I 377 00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:47.200 I just put in the group chat, you know what 378 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:49.039 the F is wrong with this league? Like I just 379 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:51.200 and I know that I get the mystery negativity and 380 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.279 all the time I got, but I'm like, why are 381 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:56.360 we focused on this? Can we just get into year two? 382 00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:59.080 You want these cities to you know, put the work 383 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.679 in to get the bit. You haven't even really proven 384 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:05.720 that you can do sustainable right. Year after year on 385 00:17:05.799 --> 00:17:09.240 all these we saw dwindling numbers on most of the markets, right, 386 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:12.119 I mean even Saint Louis and DC, which Greg Parks 387 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:15.240 just put out a good article on UFL board talking 388 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:17.160 that they were at one of the Sports Business Journal 389 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:20.200 conference or something. Russ and whoever was there and Greg, 390 00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:21.839 if you want to go look up Greg Parks as 391 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:24.880 I was just reading that before you know, they're talking about, 392 00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:27.359 oh the success we had in Saint Louis and DC. 393 00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:29.640 I'm like, you guys didn't make that. 394 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:33.799 None of the current successful UFL markets had anything to 395 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:35.920 do with current management, right, that was all carry over 396 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:38.400 from twenty twenty. So let's just put that mine. But 397 00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:41.319 it's this is like you said, this is free marketing. 398 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:44.319 We're going into this season. There's not a lot of buzz. 399 00:17:44.440 --> 00:17:46.880 We don't have a new hub, we don't have a merger, 400 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:49.640 we don't have additional cities, but like now, we kind 401 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:52.440 of have the promise of a new of potentially new 402 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:55.400 cities here in twenty twenty six and seven, like to me, 403 00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:58.039 like I said, my buddy's texting me this morning. Days, 404 00:17:58.079 --> 00:17:59.599 I mean, the sea dragons are coming back. 405 00:18:00.119 --> 00:18:00.599 There you go. 406 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:03.519 You already have people that were last span and now go. 407 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:07.839 And is it disingenuous? No, I mean I think that 408 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:09.759 this is a real thing. I'm not saying that, and 409 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:11.880 I understand why they're doing this, but this is a 410 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:15.400 hell of a lot cheaper than actually expanding this year 411 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:17.440 or actually adding cities, like hey, we're just gonna have 412 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:18.680 a press release, like. 413 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:20.240 You know, if you want to if you want to 414 00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:20.960 be involved in this. 415 00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:23.720 It's kind of like I see a lot on like 416 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:27.559 Twitter now where someone will be like, well, if a 417 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:29.680 team's looking for a football player or something like, well 418 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:32.400 they're currently like looking at their options forever. 419 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:34.599 And you see these people like hey, if Sidney Sweeney 420 00:18:34.599 --> 00:18:35.240 wants to day. 421 00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:37.599 Me like I'm available, Like yeah, sure, but you know 422 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:40.079 the different than that, But I think that there's part 423 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:42.359 of that in there, and you're setting up this like hey, 424 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:45.039 we're so desirable now if you want us to come 425 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:45.720 to your city. 426 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:46.720 I like that, right. 427 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:50.880 It's a little bit of gravitas whatever, a little bit 428 00:18:50.920 --> 00:18:53.240 of like, hey, we have something to offer. I like that, 429 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:55.400 but this does just feel like, how can we kind 430 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:58.440 of get some buzz? And I would say, yeah, as 431 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:00.839 soon as the MLS schedule comes out, and maybe we 432 00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:03.559 have something next week. Irregardless of that, just after the 433 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:06.480 Thanksgiving break, maybe we get another kind of random news leak. 434 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:08.680 But it does seem like just kind of a way 435 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:10.480 that this kind of a slow week people are around. 436 00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:12.119 Let's see him talking about the UFL. 437 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:14.640 Well, and I will say too, you know, you talked 438 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:18.640 about the success there, you know, of those markets, but 439 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:21.400 you know, let's look at the success maybe some of 440 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:24.720 the benchmarks of the UFL for maybe not just attendance 441 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:28.559 but also for you know, TV ratings and revenue, And 442 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:30.519 I think you have to if you look at that overall, 443 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:33.519 you have to say that was successful, especially when you 444 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:38.119 think about where that league started with the merger that 445 00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:40.920 seemed like it just happened overnight, and then they're trying 446 00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:42.359 to get off the ground and trying to get the 447 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:44.279 you know, trying to get these venues going and trying 448 00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:47.680 to get these teams together. I think overall, that was 449 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:51.240 a success. So you know, to me, maybe this is 450 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:54.920 a little bit of you know, rah rah, Listen, we 451 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:59.039 had some success last year. Now, look we are growing, 452 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:01.720 so we want tell you that we're going to expand. 453 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:05.400 And again I think, you know, we I think that 454 00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:09.319 the endgame here is to have franchise owners. So if 455 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:11.599 you know, if that's the case, where there are maybe 456 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:14.680 some potentials out there, some potential owners, they'll say like, Okay, 457 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:17.880 they had their initial season after the merger, it was 458 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:19.599 a success. When you look at a lot of different 459 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:22.200 bench marks, maybe this is something that I will want 460 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:26.759 to invest in because here's an opportunity. 461 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:29.400 There's just there's a lot of double speak here, right, 462 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:32.519 we were told in addition to the trademark kind of 463 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:35.400 them having all that back, the USFL was putting cities 464 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:39.640 in places where they thought they had potential ownership hasn't 465 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:41.359 seen to be. You know, there's a lot of double 466 00:20:41.400 --> 00:20:44.240 speak here. And now as to your point, okay, maybe 467 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:46.200 now we want the cities to reach out, but then 468 00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:48.079 do we have anyone in that city that wants to 469 00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:49.440 buy a team and franchise it. 470 00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:50.359 I mean, we've seen in. 471 00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:54.920 The CFL, and I don't know if I've always said 472 00:20:54.920 --> 00:20:57.680 that I hope that the UFL is starting to look 473 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:00.960 at itself more like the CFL and not like the NFL, 474 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:03.440 where hey, we can put on whatever we want any 475 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:05.000 of the other the week people are going to watch. 476 00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:05.319 You know. 477 00:21:05.559 --> 00:21:07.960 We it's bde you know, come in here. We're going 478 00:21:08.039 --> 00:21:10.240 to kind of take care of everything. We're the CFL. 479 00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:12.440 It's we got to build in the local communities. We 480 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:14.400 got to engage, you know, the communities. We got to 481 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:16.599 send up players. If you own one of these teams, 482 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:17.279 you got to. 483 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:18.200 Put in a ton of work. 484 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:20.880 We were just a great cup in BC ownership there 485 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:23.039 put in a ton of work more so than the 486 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:25.680 three previous We and no besmirchman on any of those, 487 00:21:25.720 --> 00:21:28.720 but like put in additional to kind of show like, hey, 488 00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:31.920 we're really invested in this. And so now, yeah, let's 489 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:34.720 say you end up going to Tulsa and then you 490 00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:36.559 know you still don't have anyone there that wants to 491 00:21:36.599 --> 00:21:38.279 own the team, Like I guess the league can just 492 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:40.000 I just I don't know. It still feels a little 493 00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:42.160 messy to me. It still feels like heart before the horse, 494 00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:44.240 and we kind of got to get something out here. 495 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:47.119 But I don't you know, if you pick Portland and 496 00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:49.079 then you put a team there. Do you have anyone 497 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:50.559 in Portland and wants to own a team in the 498 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:51.200 next five years? 499 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:51.640 I don't know. 500 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:57.119 Well, you know, uh, none of this is not unprecedented. 501 00:21:57.160 --> 00:22:00.200 I want to read you something here just really quick. 502 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:00.599 YEP. 503 00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:03.279 Looking to add up to two new clubs to the 504 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:06.359 eighteen league as early as next season. The XFL is 505 00:22:06.359 --> 00:22:09.960 put together a platoon of expansion experts that will visit Washington, 506 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:13.920 DC on Tuesday. That was from March twenty third, two 507 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:17.839 thousand and one. So, you know, like you, I don't 508 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:20.839 want to be Debbie Downer, but these things have happened before. Now. 509 00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:24.240 I'm not comparing the UFL to XFL two thousand and 510 00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:27.039 one because that was a you know, that went straight 511 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:29.240 that way. I think the UFL is going this way. 512 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:33.039 But when we start to talk about expansion, you know, 513 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:36.160 I think there will be First of all, I think 514 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:38.200 there will be a league in twenty twenty six, but 515 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:41.519 twenty twenty five is going to be very important to 516 00:22:41.559 --> 00:22:44.640 see if this expansion and these ideas and talking to 517 00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:47.480 these cities will work because they need to see something 518 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:50.119 that they want to buy into. So I think there 519 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:53.319 does need to be some maybe some benchmarks that they 520 00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:56.039 have to meet and exceed in twenty twenty five to 521 00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:57.400 make that happen well. 522 00:22:57.400 --> 00:22:59.640 And I guess that also leads me to kind of 523 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:02.160 ass follow up because we've had Mike Mitchell on here 524 00:23:02.200 --> 00:23:04.240 a lot talk about Okay, this year is make or 525 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:07.960 break for the UFL, for Fox, for everyone involved. Okay, 526 00:23:08.039 --> 00:23:09.720 last year we kind of got through it, and it 527 00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:11.799 was the late merger. We couldn't do any of that. 528 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:15.279 We're still on kind of the delayed timeline again this 529 00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:17.519 year and we don't have the merger, so that leads 530 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:22.119 to be desired. But I still think this is a 531 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:25.440 make or break. I saw comments immediately with when Mike Mitchell, 532 00:23:26.519 --> 00:23:28.960 I think he quote tweeted the press release and then 533 00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:31.680 he was adding his additional context, and you had people 534 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:33.759 asking like, oh, well, this means we're set to go 535 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:36.720 this year. Absolutely not like I said, this could all 536 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:38.440 go away in an instant. 537 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:39.559 I didn't think it was funny. 538 00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:42.640 I had because we're getting all these rollouts, and you know, 539 00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:45.519 we had the season tickets were available, and then we 540 00:23:45.559 --> 00:23:47.720 had like the home and away matchups, and then we 541 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:50.519 had the theme nights and I don't I am nowhere 542 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:53.799 near like a Mike or An Evan or a Sam Shady. 543 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:55.880 I'm talking with a lot of players and coaches. I mean, 544 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:58.039 people will reach out and I got I got friends 545 00:23:58.039 --> 00:23:59.839 that kind of I talked to, but I'm not I 546 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:02.720 would never pretend that I'm in that whatever. But I 547 00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:05.799 did have a UFL coach reach out to me. Well, 548 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:08.240 we don't have coaches, but we have theme nights. So 549 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:11.839 I just you know, I thought that was interesting. And 550 00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:13.920 I don't know if that's a shared sentiment or if 551 00:24:13.960 --> 00:24:16.319 that's an individual opinion, but I thought that was interesting 552 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:19.480 that like, yeah, you know, I mean, we're this is 553 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:21.200 all kind of glitz and glamour, but at the end 554 00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:22.680 of the day, we want to we want to put 555 00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:24.440 that we still got to put football team on the field. 556 00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:27.960 So well, and you know, we're starting to close in here. 557 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:30.079 I mean, what was in March twenty eighth is is 558 00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:33.599 going to be the kickoff? So yeah, I don't think 559 00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:35.839 it's going to I think the main thing is and 560 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:39.119 I asked Darryl Johnson this question about does it feel 561 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:43.119 like you're miles ahead already because the merger's over now 562 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:45.799 and now you're starting to plan. So I'm okay with 563 00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:51.319 this rollout right now, because there are obviously some things 564 00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:53.319 behind the scenes that they have got to get ironed out. 565 00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:55.480 And you know, like you said, they're probably waiting on 566 00:24:55.519 --> 00:24:57.960 the MLS schedule so they can figure out with you know, 567 00:24:58.079 --> 00:25:00.240 DC and some other places and how they're gonna move 568 00:25:00.279 --> 00:25:05.160 things around. But but yeah, I'm okay with this because 569 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:09.200 they can focus on these kind I think they can 570 00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:12.359 focus on these kinds of things, maybe not to our liking, 571 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:15.279 but you know, to the to the fan base in general, 572 00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:17.559 where they can say, yeah, you know, hey, here's we 573 00:25:17.640 --> 00:25:20.039 got this happening. We're already planning for this, which were 574 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:22.839 probably things that they couldn't even begin to think about 575 00:25:22.839 --> 00:25:24.799 this time last year as they got ready to go 576 00:25:24.839 --> 00:25:26.799 into the first season of the UFL. 577 00:25:27.720 --> 00:25:31.519 Yeah, it's also it's you always want to have a 578 00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:35.599 public out, publicly outward facing kind of positive image, right, 579 00:25:35.640 --> 00:25:37.759 And this does speak to you like, hey see we're 580 00:25:37.799 --> 00:25:41.200 looking we're doing as opposed to like had in hand 581 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:43.480 them calling the CFL excuse me a couple of years ago, 582 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:45.920 like hey, would you like to talk about it? And 583 00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:49.160 stuff like this feels like, you know, like I'm a freelancer, 584 00:25:49.240 --> 00:25:51.839 I do weddings. When you go to events and you're 585 00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:55.960 like networking things. Everybody's doing great, right everyone. I got 586 00:25:56.039 --> 00:25:58.119 lots of gigs and I'm so booked, and I got 587 00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:01.440 all the like you know, it's it's a thing, I mean, perception. 588 00:26:01.559 --> 00:26:02.839 You know, you fake it till you make it. 589 00:26:02.920 --> 00:26:05.640 And I even like when I started the company, there 590 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:08.000 was a lot of like we and us and whatever, 591 00:26:08.119 --> 00:26:10.079 you know, even though it was just me for a 592 00:26:10.119 --> 00:26:10.519 long time. 593 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:12.359 But so I'm saying all that. 594 00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:15.200 We have some comments here, and we kind of helped 595 00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:19.640 spur any any other conversation here talking about team numbers 596 00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:22.000 and cities and all that. I did, like this our 597 00:26:22.039 --> 00:26:24.160 friend Gregory, and then we were just talking about Gregory 598 00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:27.000 the other day. He goes, why expansion Now they fell 599 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:30.720 at the Stallions competition. So I like that, like, well 600 00:26:30.759 --> 00:26:33.279 we beat all the teams. We gotta we gotta need 601 00:26:33.319 --> 00:26:34.599 some teams to be right. 602 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:40.400 I like it. But you know, uh yeah, and I thought, 603 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:42.359 I'm out, I can keep going to other comments here. 604 00:26:43.480 --> 00:26:45.559 Yeah, I mean, you know, the Stallions have been the 605 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:48.839 the Yankees of this, uh of these all these leagues 606 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:51.720 here for a while. So uh uh no, I get it. 607 00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:55.559 You know, I think Birmingham, Uh Mike Mitchell wrote something 608 00:26:55.559 --> 00:26:58.640 I think it was before this past season started, about 609 00:26:58.680 --> 00:27:02.119 how Birmingham was the gold standard. Uh, and it's true, 610 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:05.720 and it's just too bad that that city. I thought 611 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:08.920 should have embraced Birmingham a little more. But I think 612 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:11.319 some of that is comes to, you know, talking to 613 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:14.000 some people in Birmingham when I was down there this 614 00:27:14.039 --> 00:27:18.000 past spring. It's they, frankly did some people in the 615 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:20.839 general public didn't know that the Birmingham Stallions existed. So 616 00:27:20.920 --> 00:27:23.640 there's something, you know, there is there's something to that. 617 00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:25.960 To your point, as you were talking earlier, you got 618 00:27:25.960 --> 00:27:27.839 to get into these communities and you've got to really 619 00:27:27.880 --> 00:27:30.079 start working on these things. I you know, I got 620 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:32.039 there the day before and went out to the stadium 621 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:35.640 just kind of walking around. The only Birmingham Stallions sign 622 00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:38.240 that I saw was a small sign over the ticket 623 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:40.400 window and the meet where the media passes were that 624 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:44.720 said Birmingham Stallions. You know, media credential pickups. So uh, 625 00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:46.759 you know, there could be a lot more things, and 626 00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:48.599 I think that I think that was the case in 627 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:52.720 a lot of cities, that the marketing efforts, you know, 628 00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:54.319 they need to be there and maybe not just be 629 00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:55.279 seasonal workers. 630 00:27:56.920 --> 00:27:57.839 What I would like. 631 00:27:58.359 --> 00:28:00.960 Is some sort of the DA to come out of 632 00:28:01.079 --> 00:28:05.680 like this is what a UFL team, Yeah, they have 633 00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:08.319 the pressure release sky, we're looking for you certain demographics 634 00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:08.880 or whatever. 635 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:11.359 I would like that to be a little bit more public. 636 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:14.039 I thought, just speaking to Birmingham, that really spurred my 637 00:28:14.119 --> 00:28:15.559 memory of when we used to have Roy S. 638 00:28:15.640 --> 00:28:17.079 Johnson. Then we could come on a lot and he 639 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:20.119 wrote for al dot com. He did a lot. 640 00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:22.440 Of the research there with the Birmingham what was at 641 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:26.039 the BJCC or whatever kind of the conglomberation around there, 642 00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:27.960 but you know he had numbers of it. You know, 643 00:28:28.119 --> 00:28:31.119 there was this much increase in attendance over a comparable 644 00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:33.640 period years before, and there was this much more revenue, 645 00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:36.119 and I think parking made this much more. We had 646 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:39.119 all these different kind of infusions of that to. 647 00:28:39.160 --> 00:28:40.200 Show the benefits. 648 00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:43.039 There was of a spring foot at that point a 649 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:46.559 USFL franchise being there, And so I would like, you know, 650 00:28:46.599 --> 00:28:49.680 can we get either from the league. What do they 651 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:51.440 feel like some of these teams are worth? 652 00:28:51.559 --> 00:28:51.759 Right? 653 00:28:51.880 --> 00:28:54.200 I think obviously you were talking to CFL here and 654 00:28:54.240 --> 00:28:57.079 this is a very similar just having just gone through 655 00:28:57.079 --> 00:28:59.799 this bidding process with Winnipeg and the Calgary getting the 656 00:28:59.799 --> 00:29:02.599 great as you know, I just view it similarly that way, 657 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:04.839 but obviously we have way more track record knowing what 658 00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:07.079 the Gray Cup kind of means to an influx. But 659 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:09.880 what does this mean from the teams? And then, like 660 00:29:09.880 --> 00:29:11.839 you said, whether they looking for I mean, we have 661 00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:14.039 the press release and it says, you know, we want 662 00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:16.039 you know, we just put back up here. You know, 663 00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:22.960 we're looking for fan interest, exhibitions, sports culture, geography, population 664 00:29:23.480 --> 00:29:26.680 and venue and infrastructure availability. That's kind of a weird 665 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:29.960 statement anyway. I don't know who rust is Ross, come on, Russ, 666 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:33.759 but like what does that mean specifically? I would love 667 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:36.119 to know. Fans of this league that are tracking its 668 00:29:36.200 --> 00:29:38.960 growth would love to know, like what exactly are you 669 00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:41.240 looking for? What kinds of fans are you looking for? 670 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:43.839 What kind of populations are you looking for? Do you 671 00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:46.319 want to be in markets with an NFL team? Do 672 00:29:46.319 --> 00:29:48.240 you want to be in only markets that don't have 673 00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:50.839 an NFL franchise? Or like I would just love more 674 00:29:50.920 --> 00:29:53.240 transparency of that. I know that we always want that 675 00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:56.160 in the spring leagues, but like just more data and 676 00:29:56.279 --> 00:29:58.759 analytics that way, because we did get a really good 677 00:29:58.759 --> 00:30:01.880 picture and the USFL at least that first and I 678 00:30:01.880 --> 00:30:04.960 think it was the first two years there in Birmingham, 679 00:30:05.400 --> 00:30:08.960 Roy was able to track positive growth, you know, throughout 680 00:30:09.079 --> 00:30:11.240 even if you know, we poo poo the attendance or whatever, 681 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:13.160 but it meant a lot to the city. So I 682 00:30:13.160 --> 00:30:15.480 would just be curious now, like now that we have 683 00:30:15.559 --> 00:30:18.000 even more years of kind of research under our belts 684 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:20.480 and like, well, yeah, what does a DC Defenders home 685 00:30:20.519 --> 00:30:22.960 game average bring in? You know, what kind of revenue 686 00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:25.240 are we know, what kind of concessions are we getting there? 687 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:26.079 What kind of gate revenue? 688 00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:28.200 I would just like to know that are people coming 689 00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:31.279 into town? Are there? You know, are you traveling with 690 00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:32.240 the team right to. 691 00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:34.599 Come in or are you live on the east goest? 692 00:30:34.759 --> 00:30:36.599 I don't know, I'm rambling there, but does that make sense? 693 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:39.119 It doesn't you know? When I read that passage there, 694 00:30:39.160 --> 00:30:42.000 it sounds like they are looking for data, like whether 695 00:30:42.200 --> 00:30:44.799 they're trying to gather that data themselves or they want 696 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:46.759 the cities to come back and give them that data. 697 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:49.319 You know there, what should we be looking for? 698 00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:49.720 Please? 699 00:30:49.799 --> 00:30:52.880 Right right right, It's right, It's like, can you give 700 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:55.720 us this information or you know, how is that going 701 00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:57.319 to work again. That kind of goes back to my 702 00:30:57.440 --> 00:31:00.400 question of how this process that they were talking about, 703 00:31:00.519 --> 00:31:04.119 you know, really works. Are are they going into these markets? 704 00:31:05.039 --> 00:31:07.119 You know, is there is there some you know, corporate 705 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:09.599 matchmaker happening here. I just I'd like to know, like 706 00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:12.440 those are the things they want when they talk about 707 00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:16.720 you know, infrastructure and they talk about uh, you know, 708 00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:20.079 really like population and demographics and the fan interests and 709 00:31:20.119 --> 00:31:22.200 the culture and all that of these cities, then you know, 710 00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:25.359 where does that data come from? And who's who's trying 711 00:31:25.400 --> 00:31:27.359 to gather that? Are they trying to gather that? Do 712 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:29.240 they want the cities to provide that? I don't know 713 00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:31.880 a couple of questions here. This was for I'm do 714 00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:34.119 all this this funny a UFL with a lot of 715 00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:37.920 XFL the first week they probably would not the last 716 00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:40.559 week very true, you know, And I said, well, we're just. 717 00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:42.640 On it, you know, like it subscribe, joined the channel, 718 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:43.319 help support. 719 00:31:43.400 --> 00:31:44.839 I think we can put them some new We got 720 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:47.039 a ton of subscribers with the CFL S, which is great. 721 00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:48.599 I think we even added a couple of new members 722 00:31:48.599 --> 00:31:51.599 there that ninety nine cents of mind that's getting that 723 00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:54.160 extra twelve bucks or whatever in my pocket and all that. 724 00:31:54.440 --> 00:31:56.400 But John Tanner has a question here. I think it's 725 00:31:56.440 --> 00:31:59.000 really good. What do you think the team cap should 726 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:01.279 be for their foreseeable few I become spoiled with the 727 00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:03.880 quantity of talent the UFL currently has. I don't want 728 00:32:03.960 --> 00:32:04.559 to delude it. 729 00:32:04.759 --> 00:32:05.759 I think it's very important. 730 00:32:05.799 --> 00:32:10.240 Right we're still dealing with this second third tier right athlete. However, 731 00:32:10.279 --> 00:32:12.039 you want to look at it here with the CFL 732 00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:15.119 and all these alt leagues, you know, we kind of 733 00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:17.480 can see that we can put a decent seven eight 734 00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:19.799 teams on the field here, But are you worried about 735 00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:21.640 expansion kind of deluding that talent base. 736 00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:24.319 Yeah, that's a really good question. I think Tanner brings 737 00:32:24.359 --> 00:32:27.079 up a good point because it's that's what's going to happen, 738 00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:30.680 Because I mean, when you look at what happened with 739 00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:33.400 you had the USFL and the XFL playing the one 740 00:32:33.480 --> 00:32:36.599 year at the same time. There were some bad teams 741 00:32:36.599 --> 00:32:40.400 in there, and we really didn't see that to that point. 742 00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:43.440 Or you know, even if teams didn't have a great record, 743 00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:46.519 you didn't see a lot of bad play. I didn't 744 00:32:46.519 --> 00:32:49.440 feel like like that was an exception rather than the rule. 745 00:32:49.480 --> 00:32:50.960 When you saw a team that just had, you know, 746 00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:53.640 just bad play or get overwhelmed by something. Now we 747 00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:57.480 did see that in the in the UFL Championship, But 748 00:32:57.480 --> 00:32:59.680 but you're right, I think there probably needs to be 749 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:02.160 a little little bit of an influx of you know, 750 00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:05.279 you you want them to come in here to you know, 751 00:33:05.839 --> 00:33:08.920 all things being equal, you you're gonna have to have 752 00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:11.039 some more funds to pay these players. I mean, that's 753 00:33:11.039 --> 00:33:13.799 just math. But I think you want it where you're 754 00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:16.960 gonna get. Let's say there's ten teams in twenty twenty six. 755 00:33:17.400 --> 00:33:20.960 You want ten good quarterbacks, you want ten good coaches. 756 00:33:22.039 --> 00:33:24.039 You know, I don't know if there what kind of 757 00:33:24.079 --> 00:33:26.000 cap you're going to put on you know, the team 758 00:33:26.039 --> 00:33:28.279 as a whole, or is there going to be maybe 759 00:33:28.279 --> 00:33:30.680 a different cap or or just a straight salary for 760 00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:35.039 the coaches. That's you know, that's something I don't understand 761 00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:37.960 how any of the mathematics and finance finances work there. 762 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:40.200 But I agree Tanner has a good point there. You 763 00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:43.799 don't want to just you know, bring in teams, maybe 764 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:45.880 you know, lower how much you're gonna pay, because you're 765 00:33:45.880 --> 00:33:47.759 then you're gonna you're just not gonna have a great league. 766 00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:49.920 And that's the one thing that I really liked about 767 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:52.759 the UFL last year was we saw a lot of 768 00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:54.960 good play over over the entire season. 769 00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:55.640 Yeah. 770 00:33:55.640 --> 00:33:57.319 I think there was a lot of comments when we 771 00:33:57.559 --> 00:33:59.640 when we had both leagues going back and you know 772 00:34:00.039 --> 00:34:02.359 the same time kind of compete, like there might not 773 00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:07.200 be sixteen spring football quality starting quarterbacks right now, right 774 00:34:07.240 --> 00:34:10.320 there might not be whatever that number would be offensive 775 00:34:10.360 --> 00:34:13.280 lineman quality. I remember we had Eric galco on years 776 00:34:13.320 --> 00:34:16.639 ago if you want to look at the past YouTube step, 777 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:19.360 but we had him on the former DPP back in 778 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:23.119 the XFL twenty twenty eight. They're involved in that with 779 00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:25.360 Sam and everyone, and like, you know, what were the 780 00:34:25.360 --> 00:34:28.320 biggest concerns for him in terms of roster building, the 781 00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:31.480 numbers and kind of all that stuff. Denzel, I see 782 00:34:31.480 --> 00:34:33.760 your question here. We'll talk AJ at the end. I want, 783 00:34:33.800 --> 00:34:35.280 I do want to mention the AJ stuff and I 784 00:34:35.400 --> 00:34:37.440 don't want to forget about the Switzerland and stuff. So Denzel, 785 00:34:37.440 --> 00:34:40.840 I've got your thing whatever, Gregory here and this is 786 00:34:40.840 --> 00:34:42.639 my other Seriously, now that the NFL probably wants to 787 00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:45.079 see her best springs football, every team wants their Jake 788 00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:50.119 Biggs and Brandon Aubrey side note, really a roller coaster 789 00:34:50.280 --> 00:34:57.039 for Reid yesterday. Oh, Dallas Cowboys special teams. I hate 790 00:34:57.079 --> 00:34:59.800 all of them just because they're the Cowboys. Brandon Aubrey's 791 00:34:59.800 --> 00:35:03.239 been on the show like great guy. We joke a 792 00:35:03.239 --> 00:35:05.880 lot in the chat about I hope he misses just 793 00:35:05.880 --> 00:35:07.920 because it's the Cowboys if he played for any other team. 794 00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:10.679 I hate the Cowboys Commanders fan. But we had Brandon 795 00:35:10.719 --> 00:35:15.639 Aubrey blocked field goal, missed extra point, and then I 796 00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:17.880 think he almost missed one of the field goals. Yeah, 797 00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:20.760 I'm like living life, living life. And then that damn 798 00:35:20.800 --> 00:35:25.199 Cavante Turaman with the game ceiling kick return, incredible ninety 799 00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:28.920 nine yard that spin movie went through his legs and 800 00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:31.800 they always talk about that disrupts the timing everyone's coming 801 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:35.320 down that extra app Anyway, I was, I was. I 802 00:35:35.360 --> 00:35:36.639 almost threw my phone against the wall. 803 00:35:36.639 --> 00:35:37.719 I was very very much. 804 00:35:38.199 --> 00:35:41.199 I can imagine. And there, you know, there's a former 805 00:35:41.239 --> 00:35:44.320 New Jersey general right there who's getting it done. You're right, 806 00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:47.840 and when you you know, you saw like I can't 807 00:35:47.840 --> 00:35:51.320 remember what the final numbers were, but how many UFL 808 00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:55.320 players ended up you know, at least getting a shot 809 00:35:55.320 --> 00:35:59.559 at practice, you know, in camp, being a practice player 810 00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:01.360 ended up on a roster. I mean, there were a 811 00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:03.800 lot and I think I think he's right. I think 812 00:36:03.840 --> 00:36:07.880 the NFL does want viable spring football because it's it. 813 00:36:08.679 --> 00:36:13.440 You know, certainly college football, NCAA, college football that is there, 814 00:36:13.760 --> 00:36:17.000 that's their free uh you know, training camp, that's their 815 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:20.679 free farm teams that for the NFL. But I think, 816 00:36:20.760 --> 00:36:24.000 you know, if you have some players who aren't NFL 817 00:36:24.119 --> 00:36:28.559 ready but could really enhance their play and become good players, 818 00:36:28.599 --> 00:36:30.960 as we've seen this year through spring football, why would 819 00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:34.000 they not want it. I do worry though, that if 820 00:36:34.039 --> 00:36:37.119 the NFL decides to dip in on it, if they 821 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:38.960 lose a dollar, they're going to shut it down. We've 822 00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:41.280 seen that too often. So I'm kind of on the 823 00:36:41.320 --> 00:36:43.320 fence there about how much do I want the NFL 824 00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:44.840 involved with the UFL. 825 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:49.079 It's just hard, like, and I know this would never 826 00:36:49.159 --> 00:36:51.480 happen just because of injuries and everything, but like we 827 00:36:51.559 --> 00:36:54.960 see what's happened this season with like an Anthony Richardson right, Right, 828 00:36:55.840 --> 00:36:57.920 wouldn't that be awesome if you and I understand like 829 00:36:58.199 --> 00:37:00.480 football wasn't nearly as violent, right? You know, we see 830 00:37:00.519 --> 00:37:02.360 this all the time in hockey, right where you draft 831 00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:04.320 a player, even the Cracker right now, we draft a 832 00:37:04.360 --> 00:37:06.960 player they're not ready, we go send them to playing 833 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:09.360 Europe kind of does the track that way. We send 834 00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:10.920 them to the miners, you know, and then we bring 835 00:37:10.960 --> 00:37:12.760 them up. Like look at someone like Ante and someone 836 00:37:12.800 --> 00:37:14.639 had just put Indianapolis and here was kind of maybe 837 00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:17.639 thinking about it in terms of teams. Send someone like 838 00:37:17.719 --> 00:37:19.880 him to the spring League, get ten weeks of rep, 839 00:37:20.039 --> 00:37:22.159 get you know, get kind of comfortable with it. You know, 840 00:37:22.360 --> 00:37:24.880 can the can the Colts loan someone? Can we make 841 00:37:25.519 --> 00:37:28.239 some relationships that way? I understand it's totally different, but 842 00:37:28.280 --> 00:37:30.719 like hockey does that a lot. I just think that 843 00:37:30.760 --> 00:37:32.480 works as you get all these guys coming in and 844 00:37:32.519 --> 00:37:35.679 they just aren't ready to go, and then you know 845 00:37:35.840 --> 00:37:36.519 they can. 846 00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:38.239 They kind of fall to that. I had a comment 847 00:37:38.440 --> 00:37:39.559 I lost on that. 848 00:37:40.360 --> 00:37:43.280 Uh yeah, here was Indianapolis will be spending thirty thousand 849 00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:45.599 on MLS style stadium entertainment district. 850 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:49.800 I believe they'll be interested. They already hosted half of 851 00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:51.760 the spring League back in what was that the. 852 00:37:51.719 --> 00:37:58.400 Tree one season. Brian Woods famously, Uh, how's the players 853 00:37:58.440 --> 00:38:01.280 there in the hotel district? Not pay his bills and 854 00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:03.239 left the city with like a one point two million 855 00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:06.920 dollars in debt. So Indianapolis might be a little bit 856 00:38:06.960 --> 00:38:09.400 on the fence about getting back involved in the spring football. 857 00:38:09.639 --> 00:38:13.280 If you missed, Brian Scott, a great Cup winning champion 858 00:38:13.360 --> 00:38:15.679 quarterback here a third third on the depth chart with 859 00:38:15.800 --> 00:38:18.039 the argos. His name will be on the trophy. Chack 860 00:38:18.119 --> 00:38:20.960 Hilles will not this season, which is interesting. Was part 861 00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:22.679 of the CFL show. If you want to catch up 862 00:38:22.719 --> 00:38:24.880 with Brian, that's on our it's all time coded on there. 863 00:38:24.920 --> 00:38:27.519 But wonderful talk with Brian about the CFL. You know, 864 00:38:27.559 --> 00:38:31.119 Brian Woods building a cardboard building this spremely out of 865 00:38:31.119 --> 00:38:33.760 cardboard boxes in his garage. Really great to catch up 866 00:38:33.800 --> 00:38:35.960 with Brian. My mom, he was the shining point. My 867 00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:37.719 mom said, I really that boy at the end was 868 00:38:37.800 --> 00:38:38.440 really nice. 869 00:38:39.400 --> 00:38:42.880 That's great. But yeah, you know, Andy, Indy could be 870 00:38:42.920 --> 00:38:44.280 one of those teams. You're right, they might be a 871 00:38:44.280 --> 00:38:48.880 little gun shot there with that, but I think there 872 00:38:48.880 --> 00:38:52.360 are a lot of opportunities. The question is, you know, 873 00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:54.960 if what and Mike Mitchell is in the know, you 874 00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:57.440 know is if it's going to be two in twenties 875 00:38:57.440 --> 00:39:01.199 twenty six and maybe two in twenty twenty seven, you know, 876 00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:05.440 who were the four and how how much of an 877 00:39:05.480 --> 00:39:06.880 eye are they going to keep on this? And you 878 00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:09.119 got to think about geography too. There's a lot that 879 00:39:09.159 --> 00:39:13.079 goes into this because more than likely, unless something changes, 880 00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:17.039 these teams aren't going to you know, be housed there 881 00:39:17.119 --> 00:39:18.920 in their cities. I mean, I'd love to see that 882 00:39:18.960 --> 00:39:22.159 because you just have so much community support, especially in 883 00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:24.840 a lot of places, you know, like I mean take 884 00:39:25.480 --> 00:39:29.480 you know, take Andy for example. Obviously their football crazy 885 00:39:29.519 --> 00:39:32.119 in the fall, but you know they have they do 886 00:39:32.159 --> 00:39:34.119 have a lot of spring sports there, but they could 887 00:39:34.280 --> 00:39:37.039 they can be you know, that could be community centric. 888 00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:38.079 There are a lot of there are a lot of 889 00:39:38.079 --> 00:39:42.079 places like that. As we were talking earlier, twenty twenty 890 00:39:42.079 --> 00:39:45.480 five is going to be a resume for these cities 891 00:39:45.599 --> 00:39:47.440 and this expansion for the next two years. 892 00:39:48.079 --> 00:39:49.760 All right, So let's look here at cities. 893 00:39:50.039 --> 00:39:52.400 I had a comment from Leon and just speaking with 894 00:39:52.440 --> 00:39:54.280 Mike Bitch and all that. Yeah, here, the Ohio is 895 00:39:54.320 --> 00:39:55.280 a strong possibility. 896 00:39:55.559 --> 00:39:56.239 That's very true. 897 00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:58.880 So Mike Mitchell reporting before kind of the merger, and 898 00:39:58.920 --> 00:40:02.480 the cities came out and doubled down on that afterwards, 899 00:40:02.760 --> 00:40:07.000 Ohio very much in the mix there. I there could 900 00:40:07.079 --> 00:40:09.960 have been ten teams going into the merger. They ended 901 00:40:10.039 --> 00:40:12.840 up settling for eight, So you know, we bounce back 902 00:40:12.880 --> 00:40:15.119 to ten. Kind of do that slow impact, you know, 903 00:40:15.199 --> 00:40:18.280 kind of slow increase that way, you know, we do Ohio, 904 00:40:18.639 --> 00:40:23.480 Andy Murray, san Diego resident seems down on San Diego 905 00:40:23.639 --> 00:40:27.079 now do we you know, we've lived through Vegas. I 906 00:40:27.079 --> 00:40:29.800 don't think you go back to Seattle. Loom is too expensive, 907 00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:33.400 it's too far travel. Do you look in Oakland somewhere? 908 00:40:33.639 --> 00:40:35.719 I think that would be kind of cool spurred fan 909 00:40:35.800 --> 00:40:38.079 base there. I just John, where do you see if 910 00:40:38.119 --> 00:40:40.599 you do Ohio, which I think is like pretty a 911 00:40:40.679 --> 00:40:42.960 no brainer to add back into this just because it 912 00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:45.400 was originally. But where do you do that? East Coast? 913 00:40:45.400 --> 00:40:47.400 I don't think Portland works. I don't think Seattle works. 914 00:40:47.400 --> 00:40:48.480 I think that's too far north. 915 00:40:48.960 --> 00:40:51.519 Yeah, I love Oakland, and I know there are so 916 00:40:51.599 --> 00:40:54.400 many issues there with California. There's been a lot of 917 00:40:54.440 --> 00:40:59.599 talk about a lot of governmental you know, there's restrictions 918 00:40:59.639 --> 00:41:01.880 and iNTS and a lot of things that happened there 919 00:41:02.480 --> 00:41:05.199 with California where it might price the ufl out of business. 920 00:41:05.239 --> 00:41:07.000 As far as trying to put a team there. But 921 00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:09.079 you know, all things being equal, it seems to me 922 00:41:09.800 --> 00:41:13.760 what what what worked for Saint Louis was a team 923 00:41:13.800 --> 00:41:16.960 that was jilted and they have a very strong base. 924 00:41:17.400 --> 00:41:19.880 To me, San Diego or Oakland would certainly fit that 925 00:41:19.920 --> 00:41:24.360 bill if you've got the right venue. So but the 926 00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:28.559 thing is, too, if you have a West Coast team, 927 00:41:29.400 --> 00:41:32.440 do you need two out there or do you try 928 00:41:32.440 --> 00:41:36.000 to do a you know, another Midwestern like Ohio, which 929 00:41:36.000 --> 00:41:37.880 I think Columbus would be the area to do it, 930 00:41:39.280 --> 00:41:42.480 and have you know, your two expansions be one over 931 00:41:42.519 --> 00:41:45.239 here and one over here. To me, the UFL needs 932 00:41:45.239 --> 00:41:48.280 a West Coast presence and if it's not Seattle or Portland, 933 00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:51.400 to me, it's got to be southern California. 934 00:41:51.599 --> 00:41:54.400 At the other Just and just to kind of go 935 00:41:54.480 --> 00:41:56.519 back to this is I'm in my head here kind 936 00:41:56.519 --> 00:41:58.400 of just trying to picture the map and everything and 937 00:41:58.480 --> 00:42:01.679 these teams and okay, of these we have DC right, 938 00:42:01.719 --> 00:42:04.480 we're not in New York and New Jersey, but we're 939 00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:06.679 kind of there right, trying to get the West coast 940 00:42:07.199 --> 00:42:10.400 this whole, like, Okay, we're soliciting, give us your bids, 941 00:42:10.480 --> 00:42:14.800 Like the contrarian, like, shouldn't the UFL kind of know 942 00:42:14.960 --> 00:42:17.679 what markets work for them now as opposed to like 943 00:42:17.760 --> 00:42:19.079 you tell us if you want. 944 00:42:19.639 --> 00:42:20.119 I don't know. 945 00:42:20.239 --> 00:42:21.760 I don't want to be back to go back to that. 946 00:42:21.840 --> 00:42:24.920 But like, shouldn't they have analytics now? Shouldn't Redbird and 947 00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:28.519 Fox and just it's like the CFL with the Genius sports, 948 00:42:28.599 --> 00:42:30.239 like we have all this, Like shouldn't they know kind 949 00:42:30.239 --> 00:42:31.559 of where they want to where they want. 950 00:42:31.480 --> 00:42:32.400 To play now? You know? 951 00:42:32.440 --> 00:42:34.639 And maybe they do. I mean, maybe this is this 952 00:42:34.719 --> 00:42:37.599 is a press release to get a few headlines and 953 00:42:37.599 --> 00:42:40.599 and to let people know we are growing and we're 954 00:42:40.639 --> 00:42:42.719 going to start trying to look you know, in these 955 00:42:42.719 --> 00:42:45.760 different communities. I don't think they flew blind into this. 956 00:42:45.840 --> 00:42:48.119 I don't think someone woke up this morning and said, 957 00:42:48.159 --> 00:42:50.039 let's put out a press release. I think there's probably 958 00:42:50.079 --> 00:42:52.880 a little bit more thinking behind it. So I have 959 00:42:52.960 --> 00:42:55.960 to think that they at least have some target cities. 960 00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:59.440 I know, you know, even when the previous UFL back 961 00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:02.079 in the mid two thousands, you know, they aimed at 962 00:43:02.159 --> 00:43:04.119 like twenty I think there were twenty one different cities 963 00:43:04.119 --> 00:43:07.840 they were aiming at. It was it was weird that 964 00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:10.400 UFL was weird because they actually played in the fall. 965 00:43:10.440 --> 00:43:13.880 They didn't play against the NFL. They played, you know, 966 00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:17.320 around the NFL, which the commissioner, Michael Hughes said he 967 00:43:17.320 --> 00:43:19.360 didn't think spring football would ever work because of the 968 00:43:19.400 --> 00:43:22.239 time you needed to play in the fall. That's another story. 969 00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:26.119 But you know, so you have to think that there 970 00:43:26.239 --> 00:43:30.679 is they have a lot more information than hey, let 971 00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:32.559 us know, if you want a team, we'll come talk 972 00:43:32.599 --> 00:43:34.719 to you. I have to think there are some target 973 00:43:34.719 --> 00:43:37.920 markets that they have in some dossier somewhere that Redbird 974 00:43:37.920 --> 00:43:39.760 and Disney and Fox have put together. 975 00:43:40.880 --> 00:43:41.599 This is interesting. 976 00:43:41.639 --> 00:43:43.559 I was just kind of so a couple of things here, 977 00:43:43.639 --> 00:43:45.199 just what I'm working on in the back here. So 978 00:43:45.320 --> 00:43:48.239 you had talked about kind of just wanting to kind 979 00:43:48.239 --> 00:43:50.480 of get in the news period and all this that here. 980 00:43:50.480 --> 00:43:51.840 I mean, you look at that. This is more people 981 00:43:51.840 --> 00:43:54.480 they wrote about the US or UFL in you know months. 982 00:43:54.480 --> 00:43:57.480 You're right, I got sparied because Wort illustrated Bleacher Report. 983 00:43:57.840 --> 00:44:01.320 The newsrooms for a business journal. We even have you know, 984 00:44:02.840 --> 00:44:07.079 one oh four four point three. I hope I know 985 00:44:07.079 --> 00:44:09.199 what good you have there? You go, but you know, 986 00:44:09.239 --> 00:44:11.159 you're getting all these involved through You're having mixed, but 987 00:44:11.199 --> 00:44:13.360 I thought it was interesting, so I pulled up obviously, 988 00:44:13.400 --> 00:44:16.599 friends with our people over at Sportico. I don't know 989 00:44:16.719 --> 00:44:18.800 Jason Klinkstale, but I've had a lot of the Sporting 990 00:44:18.840 --> 00:44:21.639 Core reporters on It looks like he did a phone 991 00:44:21.760 --> 00:44:24.400 interview with Russ Brandon kind of in conjunction with all 992 00:44:24.440 --> 00:44:26.639 of this, and so obviously they have the original quote here. 993 00:44:26.719 --> 00:44:29.159 This is from the press release talking about that. But 994 00:44:29.199 --> 00:44:31.880 I thought it was interesting and phone interview. Brandon declined 995 00:44:31.920 --> 00:44:34.000 to reveal which city is The league is considering more 996 00:44:34.079 --> 00:44:35.679 information on expansion fees. 997 00:44:36.039 --> 00:44:37.840 We're going to stick with the integrity of the. 998 00:44:37.880 --> 00:44:41.039 Process, that is, that is having an open mind and 999 00:44:41.079 --> 00:44:43.559 good communications with our fellow markets to see where it 1000 00:44:43.639 --> 00:44:44.079 takes us. 1001 00:44:44.599 --> 00:44:46.320 Talked about Saint Louis having. 1002 00:44:46.159 --> 00:44:48.599 Both, you know strong, I've given my thoughts on all 1003 00:44:48.679 --> 00:44:51.320 that stuff, but Saint Louis has obviously been a model franchise. 1004 00:44:51.400 --> 00:44:53.559 You've had tremendous support there from the legacy into the 1005 00:44:53.639 --> 00:44:56.719 UFA Legacy, XFL into the UFL. We've seen across many 1006 00:44:56.760 --> 00:44:59.480 of our markets will be patient, very disciplined with our process, 1007 00:44:59.519 --> 00:45:01.880 and we'll can you internally to work through all the 1008 00:45:01.960 --> 00:45:03.480 metrics that we've set ourselves. 1009 00:45:04.840 --> 00:45:09.840 Uh that those are a whole lot of words. I 1010 00:45:10.079 --> 00:45:12.719 don't know that it really reveals much of a strategy. 1011 00:45:14.440 --> 00:45:16.840 That's good, open mind, good communication. I mean we should 1012 00:45:16.840 --> 00:45:19.119 all have that in our professional and personal lives. But 1013 00:45:20.239 --> 00:45:23.760 I mean it's it's fine. He declined to reveal which 1014 00:45:23.800 --> 00:45:28.599 cities the league's considering. So to me, there a. 1015 00:45:28.639 --> 00:45:31.119 Couple when you leak a couple of this to be like, yeah, 1016 00:45:31.199 --> 00:45:32.000 we're thinking, well. 1017 00:45:32.400 --> 00:45:36.679 You know, frankly, maybe maybe this is maybe they're they're 1018 00:45:36.719 --> 00:45:39.679 floating this to see like, Okay, there was a lot 1019 00:45:39.760 --> 00:45:41.920 of interest here, we're starting to see some returns. People 1020 00:45:42.000 --> 00:45:45.159 are talking about that maybe we leak something out there, 1021 00:45:45.440 --> 00:45:48.159 especially one that they might really like, a city they 1022 00:45:48.280 --> 00:45:51.960 really covet that could very well, you know, be kind 1023 00:45:52.000 --> 00:45:54.119 of the strategy behind this. You know, we're playing a 1024 00:45:54.159 --> 00:45:57.599 guessing game because we're not in those rooms, so it's 1025 00:45:57.679 --> 00:46:01.039 really hard hard to say, like what strategy is here. 1026 00:46:01.880 --> 00:46:04.960 But at least you know they are talking international forum, 1027 00:46:05.320 --> 00:46:07.840 they are talking to the fans and the general public 1028 00:46:07.920 --> 00:46:09.880 in a press release. I mean those are all good 1029 00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:10.400 things to me. 1030 00:46:11.440 --> 00:46:13.320 Leon has a question here, and I have another inch. 1031 00:46:13.440 --> 00:46:15.000 I'm not going I'm doing this, so then a sports 1032 00:46:15.039 --> 00:46:17.119 business channel has some quotes as well, different quotes. 1033 00:46:17.159 --> 00:46:18.960 I like that, I'm kind of doing this in the background. 1034 00:46:19.000 --> 00:46:20.159 But Leon has a question. 1035 00:46:20.280 --> 00:46:22.679 How many trademarks? I can put that very how many trademarks? 1036 00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:25.199 Is the UFL still have the rights to a lot? 1037 00:46:25.880 --> 00:46:28.039 I am on and you I can't even remember how 1038 00:46:28.039 --> 00:46:29.679 the heck guy signed it. But you can sign up 1039 00:46:29.719 --> 00:46:34.079 for like basically notifications of like any time the XFL. 1040 00:46:34.320 --> 00:46:36.039 I mean now it's kind of been grandfather then, but 1041 00:46:36.079 --> 00:46:38.480 anytime the exit the UFL. But I get stuff all 1042 00:46:38.519 --> 00:46:40.599 the time, like I was getting stuff the other day. 1043 00:46:41.800 --> 00:46:45.480 You know, the Orlando Renegades. They're still working through the 1044 00:46:45.840 --> 00:46:50.239 check process. The Showboats are still working through. That was it. 1045 00:46:50.400 --> 00:46:51.440 Denver Gold in there. 1046 00:46:51.880 --> 00:46:54.639 Denver Gold's in there, Tampa Bay Viper is still working through. 1047 00:46:54.760 --> 00:46:56.079 Let me just read through real quick. 1048 00:46:56.079 --> 00:46:58.679 I don't know if this is interesting, John Vaan for 1049 00:46:58.840 --> 00:46:59.960 this is second why I pulled this up. 1050 00:47:00.199 --> 00:47:03.800 Okay, yeah, I mean that that was and I remember 1051 00:47:03.840 --> 00:47:05.599 you told me the website and I started going in 1052 00:47:05.639 --> 00:47:08.440 there and it was a rabbit hole of all the 1053 00:47:08.559 --> 00:47:12.039 trademarks that they had, and you know, it started to 1054 00:47:12.119 --> 00:47:14.320 cause a lot of speculation too, because people were going 1055 00:47:14.360 --> 00:47:16.440 in there, especially like Denver Gold. I mean, I would 1056 00:47:16.440 --> 00:47:18.679 love to see a team at Denver. That would be great. 1057 00:47:19.880 --> 00:47:22.199 But just because you owned the trademarks doesn't mean that 1058 00:47:22.239 --> 00:47:26.840 you're necessarily like that's that's you owned that to keep 1059 00:47:26.840 --> 00:47:29.880 it in your back pocket, I think, not necessarily like Okay, 1060 00:47:29.880 --> 00:47:31.679 they're going to go to Denver, or they're bringing back 1061 00:47:31.719 --> 00:47:33.760 the Orlando Renegade or anything like that. 1062 00:47:34.679 --> 00:47:34.840 Yeah. 1063 00:47:34.960 --> 00:47:38.000 No, I got quite a few domains and terry marks, 1064 00:47:38.039 --> 00:47:40.639 and but yeah, I mean, just like I said, this 1065 00:47:40.840 --> 00:47:43.400 is just going back to let's just go back. 1066 00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:45.119 I get a lot of emails from this. I just 1067 00:47:45.239 --> 00:47:46.360 kind of junk them all in the back. 1068 00:47:46.440 --> 00:47:51.039 But got the Renegade, show Boats, Vipers, Alpha Entertainment, We've 1069 00:47:51.079 --> 00:47:54.440 got the Bandits, Birmingham Stallions either all working through updates 1070 00:47:54.480 --> 00:47:58.320 on their stuff, the La Express, the La Express, Denver Gold, 1071 00:47:58.480 --> 00:48:01.519 New Orleans Breakers still working too. That the Blitz Arizona 1072 00:48:01.639 --> 00:48:04.679 Outlaws the Gold in conjunction with the Denver Gold. 1073 00:48:04.840 --> 00:48:07.559 I think Canton was part of that too, the Canton Gold. 1074 00:48:07.719 --> 00:48:09.719 Oh yeah, we're still working through. 1075 00:48:09.800 --> 00:48:12.519 We have a fifth statement request for extension to use 1076 00:48:12.639 --> 00:48:16.400 he hate Me. That was updated a as of October 1077 00:48:17.199 --> 00:48:18.119 for the love of Football. 1078 00:48:18.199 --> 00:48:18.920 We're so working there. 1079 00:48:19.000 --> 00:48:20.920 I did want to buy that one. I was trying 1080 00:48:20.960 --> 00:48:22.960 to at one point when they were working through. I 1081 00:48:23.039 --> 00:48:24.880 was like, Man, if they let that lapse, I'm picking 1082 00:48:24.960 --> 00:48:26.400 up for love of football. I want to have that 1083 00:48:26.480 --> 00:48:30.159 trademark Jacksonville Football. So you know, there's a lot the 1084 00:48:30.199 --> 00:48:34.079 outlaw is still working through. So yes, to answer Leanne's question, 1085 00:48:34.159 --> 00:48:36.360 they still have quite a few. Like John said, they 1086 00:48:36.440 --> 00:48:39.599 aren't all like guarantees. It's very cheap, especially if you 1087 00:48:39.679 --> 00:48:42.280 have Fox lawyers to kind of file and work through 1088 00:48:42.320 --> 00:48:43.039 all of these things. 1089 00:48:43.159 --> 00:48:45.119 But it is something interesting to keep in mind. 1090 00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:49.599 Yeah, it's you know, it's fun to talk about and 1091 00:48:49.719 --> 00:48:51.760 it's fun to dream about, like, oh my goodness, can 1092 00:48:51.800 --> 00:48:54.800 you imagine the you know again the Denver Gold which 1093 00:48:54.920 --> 00:48:58.400 was which was an interesting franchise and the story in itself. 1094 00:48:58.480 --> 00:49:01.599 But yeah, I think you keep a lot of those 1095 00:49:01.679 --> 00:49:04.119 in your back pocket just in case, and you know, 1096 00:49:04.280 --> 00:49:07.159 maybe one of those cities are like, hey, you guys 1097 00:49:07.159 --> 00:49:09.039 already owned this. Let's sit down and talk. 1098 00:49:09.159 --> 00:49:12.199 So the other article wanted to pull up here, So 1099 00:49:12.320 --> 00:49:15.280 this is from the Sports Business Journal. Again, similar quotes 1100 00:49:15.320 --> 00:49:18.559 and everything from the pressure release, but talking get another 1101 00:49:18.639 --> 00:49:19.280 phone interview. 1102 00:49:19.360 --> 00:49:21.679 Brand In sided the league's ratings following. 1103 00:49:21.400 --> 00:49:23.559 Its initial twenty twenty four season as to why it 1104 00:49:23.599 --> 00:49:26.880 feels comfortable attempting to add more franchises. We've had a 1105 00:49:26.920 --> 00:49:28.719 lot of early initial quote. Now, we've had a lot 1106 00:49:28.760 --> 00:49:31.880 of early excitement around the league. Obviously that's been shown 1107 00:49:31.920 --> 00:49:34.800 with our ratings all the measurements. From an engagement standpoint, 1108 00:49:34.880 --> 00:49:37.800 the UFL average eight hundred and fifty thousand viewers over 1109 00:49:37.880 --> 00:49:41.079 its forty telecasts in twenty four. You know it came 1110 00:49:41.159 --> 00:49:44.039 from the merger. Spring football may have been too saturated 1111 00:49:44.079 --> 00:49:47.679 with both. They averaged thirty four percent fewer viewers when 1112 00:49:47.760 --> 00:49:49.920 you we both were in there. They believe they'll find 1113 00:49:49.960 --> 00:49:51.920 an optimal number. We're going to see what the sweet 1114 00:49:51.960 --> 00:49:54.519 spot is, continue to do our due diligence and see 1115 00:49:54.559 --> 00:49:57.159 where that plays out. The league has not consulted any 1116 00:49:57.199 --> 00:50:00.320 banks or lawyers on the expansion process. As Brandon leaves, 1117 00:50:00.400 --> 00:50:03.480 its network of leaders and investors gives the league what 1118 00:50:03.559 --> 00:50:06.280 it needs. We're doing everything internally right now with the 1119 00:50:06.360 --> 00:50:08.920 power of the individuals that can prize our leadership group. 1120 00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:11.880 We're going through this first phase initially, then we'll see 1121 00:50:11.920 --> 00:50:13.000 what resources we need. 1122 00:50:13.599 --> 00:50:15.239 That's interesting that was below the fold. 1123 00:50:15.280 --> 00:50:16.840 I hadn't even gotten that far. I like that we're 1124 00:50:16.880 --> 00:50:19.519 not involved in anyone We know what we're doing. 1125 00:50:20.519 --> 00:50:22.320 We're just kind of sitting around a table at the 1126 00:50:22.400 --> 00:50:24.360 office and talking about it, kind of like we're doing 1127 00:50:24.480 --> 00:50:26.440 right here, right here, and trying to figure out that 1128 00:50:27.039 --> 00:50:27.519 sounds right? 1129 00:50:27.639 --> 00:50:30.159 Yeah, you know that meme where it's the guy that's like, 1130 00:50:30.800 --> 00:50:34.960 what are you doing? Like me nothing, just hanging around. 1131 00:50:35.639 --> 00:50:37.880 That's what it kind of feels like what this is 1132 00:50:38.000 --> 00:50:38.320 right now. 1133 00:50:39.159 --> 00:50:43.400 Yeah, there's there's more to this, I really think, uh, 1134 00:50:43.679 --> 00:50:46.280 and hopefully we'll see that kind of unfold as we 1135 00:50:46.360 --> 00:50:48.639 get closer. I don't think we're gonna hear a lot. 1136 00:50:48.880 --> 00:50:51.159 This might be as much as we hear, unless they 1137 00:50:51.199 --> 00:50:53.239 do leak a couple of cities that they might be 1138 00:50:53.320 --> 00:50:56.800 looking at. But I think this was to get UFL 1139 00:50:56.880 --> 00:50:59.639 in the headlines maybe and then you know, a schedule, 1140 00:50:59.760 --> 00:51:02.440 so people are talking about the UFL and then you know, 1141 00:51:02.519 --> 00:51:05.199 maybe we'll get a schedule release because you know, frankly, 1142 00:51:05.880 --> 00:51:09.000 when the Home and Away you know schedule came out, 1143 00:51:09.480 --> 00:51:11.639 that was just you know which teams are playing, which 1144 00:51:11.760 --> 00:51:13.519 I mean, I don't know that did a lot of 1145 00:51:13.639 --> 00:51:20.079 traction outside of our niche or that you might be right, like, 1146 00:51:20.199 --> 00:51:22.039 I mean, how many people were really interested in that 1147 00:51:22.159 --> 00:51:25.079 because it was like, Okay, well, you know, birming patslaying 1148 00:51:25.119 --> 00:51:27.320 here and they're playing here. Well, I mean it's eight teams. 1149 00:51:27.360 --> 00:51:31.480 You kind of got that figured out. But I think 1150 00:51:31.559 --> 00:51:36.199 this could be a process of getting the name out there, 1151 00:51:36.320 --> 00:51:39.079 getting the UFL and headlines even though it's we're in 1152 00:51:39.199 --> 00:51:41.280 the middle of NFL c or UFL. We're in the 1153 00:51:41.320 --> 00:51:43.800 middle of NFL season, and then as we kind of 1154 00:51:43.840 --> 00:51:47.440 move forward, here is Fox have the Super Bowl this year? 1155 00:51:47.639 --> 00:51:51.320 I can't ye, So so there's some opportunity there. There's 1156 00:51:51.320 --> 00:51:54.719 some opportunity for the UFL once again to get you know, 1157 00:51:55.000 --> 00:51:57.320 a lot of eyeballs and and maybe people who didn't 1158 00:51:57.320 --> 00:51:59.559 even realize it was a thing last year. In fact, 1159 00:51:59.639 --> 00:52:03.320 I had someone in sports media asked me today, the 1160 00:52:03.480 --> 00:52:06.039 UFL is that the thing that Vince McMahon is involved in, 1161 00:52:06.280 --> 00:52:08.760 So it's you know, this is someone in sports media. 1162 00:52:08.800 --> 00:52:12.079 So they can get some more eyeballs and involved here, 1163 00:52:12.079 --> 00:52:14.599 and hopefully maybe the Super Bowl can help that as 1164 00:52:14.639 --> 00:52:15.559 well well. 1165 00:52:15.639 --> 00:52:18.840 And we even have a Mike Mitchell was talking today. 1166 00:52:19.119 --> 00:52:21.119 He's been talking with a lot of his CFL people, 1167 00:52:21.239 --> 00:52:23.880 and you know they claim to know this or know 1168 00:52:24.039 --> 00:52:27.639 that Andy and I and Evan had more people asking 1169 00:52:27.760 --> 00:52:30.320 us about the UFL from the CFL media, so they 1170 00:52:30.360 --> 00:52:31.519 don't you know, they. 1171 00:52:31.519 --> 00:52:33.800 Sit there all this in the league and all this 1172 00:52:33.960 --> 00:52:37.440 kind of stuff. Yeah, Leon having comment here. What's Vince 1173 00:52:37.519 --> 00:52:38.119 McMann doing. 1174 00:52:38.719 --> 00:52:41.599 Definitely out on Vince, I hope even keeping track him 1175 00:52:41.599 --> 00:52:42.480 all the news lately. 1176 00:52:42.719 --> 00:52:45.559 But they just had a Vister McMahon documentary. I'm very 1177 00:52:45.679 --> 00:52:46.119 out of that. 1178 00:52:46.800 --> 00:52:49.480 It was really good. The Netflix documentary series was actually 1179 00:52:49.559 --> 00:52:51.519 really good. But if you watch that, you don't want 1180 00:52:51.559 --> 00:52:53.000 anything to do with Vince McMahon. 1181 00:52:53.360 --> 00:52:59.039 If you did already abdul and bring back Vegas, I 1182 00:52:59.280 --> 00:53:01.760 still think if you kind have figured out something with 1183 00:53:01.880 --> 00:53:05.159 Sam Boyd or somewhere else, they had that loyal six 1184 00:53:05.239 --> 00:53:08.800 thousand people there. The other comment I wanted to bring 1185 00:53:08.920 --> 00:53:10.320 up here, I don't know how long you want to 1186 00:53:10.320 --> 00:53:12.400 stay on this, and you know, for a few minutes 1187 00:53:12.400 --> 00:53:13.320 hopefully will kind. 1188 00:53:13.159 --> 00:53:14.760 Of van I'm here with you, brother. 1189 00:53:16.119 --> 00:53:18.679 The other there was in the article Greg's share then 1190 00:53:18.719 --> 00:53:20.519 maybe I can pull that up, but they were talking 1191 00:53:20.599 --> 00:53:24.639 about the it was about Russ Brandon talking this season 1192 00:53:24.760 --> 00:53:27.360 about kind of the work they have going on in 1193 00:53:27.480 --> 00:53:28.039 the markets. 1194 00:53:28.119 --> 00:53:30.679 We've seen hiring for all that. I know Greg's been 1195 00:53:30.760 --> 00:53:32.960 kind of tracking all of that, and just. 1196 00:53:34.440 --> 00:53:36.880 Like, can we get two or three years of just 1197 00:53:37.000 --> 00:53:42.079 like sustainable UFL offseason living. I mean, I know this 1198 00:53:42.239 --> 00:53:44.800 is such the sugar rush and everything else, but like, yeah, 1199 00:53:44.880 --> 00:53:47.199 can we get eight people in each market just building? 1200 00:53:47.599 --> 00:53:49.719 I think San Antonio is going to be awful this 1201 00:53:49.880 --> 00:53:52.639 year just because of the lack of the additional home game. 1202 00:53:52.800 --> 00:53:55.239 The four home games they have are really backloaded to 1203 00:53:55.280 --> 00:53:57.679 the end of this season, Like there's already issues that 1204 00:53:57.760 --> 00:53:59.559 play here without kind of anything else. 1205 00:54:00.480 --> 00:54:03.159 Yeah, but I think it is a positive sign. I 1206 00:54:03.480 --> 00:54:06.599 follow you know, you're on LinkedIn too, you know, and 1207 00:54:06.880 --> 00:54:08.960 UFL will pop up and it's like, hey, we're hiring 1208 00:54:09.000 --> 00:54:11.039 for this, We're hiring for that. I think those are 1209 00:54:11.119 --> 00:54:14.079 all good signs. But I think too, as we started 1210 00:54:14.119 --> 00:54:17.239 this conversation of twenty twenty five is make or break. 1211 00:54:17.840 --> 00:54:20.599 So I think that you really could, you know, if 1212 00:54:21.159 --> 00:54:24.199 this is another successful season they hit those benchmarks, meet 1213 00:54:24.320 --> 00:54:26.119 or exceed a lot of other things that they're trying 1214 00:54:26.159 --> 00:54:28.599 to look at this year. I think you do see that. 1215 00:54:28.719 --> 00:54:31.400 I think you start to see more than seasonal hirings. 1216 00:54:31.480 --> 00:54:34.480 I think you see them getting to the communities, especially 1217 00:54:34.480 --> 00:54:36.559 if you're going to go into expansion, if you have 1218 00:54:36.639 --> 00:54:40.360 an expansion team, and I don't care where it is. Again, 1219 00:54:40.760 --> 00:54:43.039 you know, as we were talking about Birmingham were there 1220 00:54:43.079 --> 00:54:44.639 were a lot of people in the general public that 1221 00:54:44.840 --> 00:54:47.239 didn't know what the stallions were. So if you can 1222 00:54:47.320 --> 00:54:50.199 get into these, you know, whatever expansion communities you want 1223 00:54:50.239 --> 00:54:52.280 to get into. And maybe I'm putting the cart before 1224 00:54:52.320 --> 00:54:54.440 the horse, but you've got to get it, get in 1225 00:54:54.559 --> 00:54:56.559 there in the community. And you can't do it by 1226 00:54:56.639 --> 00:54:59.960 hiring people. And you know, November and December or January, 1227 00:55:00.239 --> 00:55:02.519 you've got to get those people in there, like you know, 1228 00:55:02.679 --> 00:55:05.000 ready to go through the season, and then as soon 1229 00:55:05.039 --> 00:55:07.679 as the season's over, you know, to start showing out 1230 00:55:08.119 --> 00:55:10.599 at these you know, different events that are in the community. 1231 00:55:11.519 --> 00:55:14.880 A couple of comments here abdual Santoni issue. We're just 1232 00:55:14.920 --> 00:55:17.320 talking kind of the backlay. It could happen with Panthers. 1233 00:55:17.679 --> 00:55:19.960 Ford Field is hosting the Final four in twenty seven. 1234 00:55:21.400 --> 00:55:23.440 Let's get to twenty seven. That was like when the 1235 00:55:23.519 --> 00:55:26.000 Kraken were looking for their offseason, they were hiring a 1236 00:55:26.039 --> 00:55:27.639 new coach. In the off season, we were talking to 1237 00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:30.679 like Rob Brendan Moore was over with the Carolina Hurricanes, 1238 00:55:30.719 --> 00:55:31.039 and they. 1239 00:55:30.960 --> 00:55:33.679 Go, well, Rob's good, but he's he can't make a 1240 00:55:33.760 --> 00:55:36.079 deep playoff run. It's like, let me get a coach 1241 00:55:36.159 --> 00:55:38.360 that can get us to the playoffs. Then we can 1242 00:55:38.440 --> 00:55:41.320 deal with that. Let's get to twenty seven. Sam here 1243 00:55:41.559 --> 00:55:44.039 loll twenty five is a make or break? Shut up. 1244 00:55:44.760 --> 00:55:46.639 Yeah, we don't need that kind of language, but I 1245 00:55:46.679 --> 00:55:48.639 would like to know why Sam doesn't feel that way. 1246 00:55:48.760 --> 00:55:52.679 And that's been bad vibes on a holiday week man. 1247 00:55:52.760 --> 00:55:55.800 But you know, if you don't think that twenty twenty 1248 00:55:55.880 --> 00:55:58.719 five is not make or break, I don't know. I mean, 1249 00:55:58.760 --> 00:56:03.880 I mean we're on completely polar opposite of opinion here, 1250 00:56:04.000 --> 00:56:06.400 because if they don't have a good twenty twenty five, 1251 00:56:06.519 --> 00:56:09.519 do you really think that they're going to set They're 1252 00:56:09.559 --> 00:56:13.000 going to put more you know, good money after bad. 1253 00:56:13.320 --> 00:56:16.119 Now I'm optimistic. I think, you know, I was kind 1254 00:56:16.159 --> 00:56:18.559 of you know, we used to talk about the welfare 1255 00:56:18.679 --> 00:56:20.519 check when we would talk about before the season and 1256 00:56:20.599 --> 00:56:23.159 with the UFL man who knew I didn't know. I 1257 00:56:23.239 --> 00:56:25.480 didn't know but like, after what I saw in twenty 1258 00:56:25.559 --> 00:56:28.599 twenty four, I'm certainly optimistic about twenty twenty five. But 1259 00:56:28.679 --> 00:56:32.159 it can't be a disaster and it's you know, certainly, 1260 00:56:32.599 --> 00:56:35.840 but it can't be below some a certain thresholds I 1261 00:56:35.920 --> 00:56:38.039 think of ratings and revenue and those kinds of things, 1262 00:56:38.119 --> 00:56:40.519 because they're not going to continue to invest in it. 1263 00:56:41.320 --> 00:56:45.360 Yeah, it's think the whole like, oh, we're working on 1264 00:56:45.519 --> 00:56:47.639 merchandise and we're working on this, like we just need 1265 00:56:47.639 --> 00:56:49.519 and people like read you just need to give them time. 1266 00:56:50.199 --> 00:56:52.920 Spring football that never has the benefit of time, never 1267 00:56:53.039 --> 00:56:54.559 has the benefit that we need to make the best 1268 00:56:54.599 --> 00:56:56.039 we can run. Now, that's where we talk about it, 1269 00:56:56.119 --> 00:56:58.679 because if you sit around and say everything is fine, 1270 00:56:58.880 --> 00:57:02.719 then this that goes away. Here where's Leon? The twenty 1271 00:57:02.800 --> 00:57:05.639 five is definitely make or break the other thing. So 1272 00:57:05.840 --> 00:57:08.119 I want to talk to this sports business Shuril thing. Yeah, 1273 00:57:08.199 --> 00:57:12.599 Leon caught the Sports Business Shott video. They seem very bullish. Again, 1274 00:57:13.480 --> 00:57:16.199 every freelancer I know is booked all the time and 1275 00:57:16.320 --> 00:57:19.599 business is crazy and all that stuff, but this was interesting, 1276 00:57:19.800 --> 00:57:22.320 just some quote. So they were here at the SVETO 1277 00:57:22.440 --> 00:57:26.760 Sports Business Journals of Media Innovators conference that's nice. We're 1278 00:57:26.760 --> 00:57:29.719 talking through all this stuff, this rest brand, and it's 1279 00:57:29.719 --> 00:57:32.239 about money and execution. Now with the backers we have, 1280 00:57:32.840 --> 00:57:35.239 capital won't be an issue. Patients isn't going to be 1281 00:57:35.320 --> 00:57:38.639 an issue, even though we're moving to expand here before 1282 00:57:38.760 --> 00:57:40.880 maybe we were ready for it, but I don't think 1283 00:57:40.960 --> 00:57:43.159 execution is going to be the issue. The other thing 1284 00:57:43.199 --> 00:57:45.000 I just thought was interesting in this again, this is 1285 00:57:45.079 --> 00:57:47.440 Greg Parks over here. I would encourage everyone to check 1286 00:57:47.480 --> 00:57:50.559 this out on ufl board. This just came out today. 1287 00:57:51.880 --> 00:57:53.960 We're set up as a single entity. We did so 1288 00:57:54.159 --> 00:57:57.639 the maximized speed and flexibility for us as collective in 1289 00:57:57.760 --> 00:57:59.760 terms of exits and how we think about return on 1290 00:57:59.840 --> 00:58:03.840 there's number of outcomes we get. Definitely sell franchises, we 1291 00:58:04.159 --> 00:58:06.079 keep it as a single entity. So it's just kind 1292 00:58:06.119 --> 00:58:08.800 of I know, we know that, but I just always 1293 00:58:08.800 --> 00:58:11.360 appreciate that kind of the vocalizing kind of just how 1294 00:58:11.400 --> 00:58:14.159 they're viewing this, how they're viewing potential, you know, expansion 1295 00:58:14.280 --> 00:58:15.800 and franchising kind of all that stuff. 1296 00:58:16.280 --> 00:58:18.719 Yeah, and I liked that because this was in Sports 1297 00:58:18.760 --> 00:58:21.360 Business Journal. You see that there were a lot of 1298 00:58:21.840 --> 00:58:23.800 where they talked about, you know, some of the numbers 1299 00:58:23.880 --> 00:58:27.199 behind it that we don't always see. I do want 1300 00:58:27.239 --> 00:58:29.000 to point out something. If you'll scroll down just a 1301 00:58:29.079 --> 00:58:32.960 little bit, you see that Dick Sporting Good UFL store. 1302 00:58:33.360 --> 00:58:37.599 I'm just gonna say that thanks to Greg's page. I 1303 00:58:37.800 --> 00:58:39.000 was on there and I was like, what is this? 1304 00:58:39.119 --> 00:58:41.480 And I clicked on there and they had like deeply 1305 00:58:41.639 --> 00:58:45.440 discounted under Armor UFL stuff. So I hope that I 1306 00:58:45.559 --> 00:58:47.760 really hope that Greg got like a cut of that. 1307 00:58:48.000 --> 00:58:48.199 It was. 1308 00:58:49.079 --> 00:58:51.440 It was they had like some incredible prices and I 1309 00:58:51.519 --> 00:58:54.320 went on there and bought some stuff. But yeah, to 1310 00:58:54.639 --> 00:58:57.280 you to your point there about like you know, the 1311 00:58:57.360 --> 00:59:01.280 Sports Business Journal, those forums are exactly like you said 1312 00:59:01.280 --> 00:59:03.239 about freelancers. Those are to get up there and kind 1313 00:59:03.280 --> 00:59:05.639 of market yourself because it's really kind of a marketing thing. 1314 00:59:06.039 --> 00:59:08.719 But I love where they can really talk about a 1315 00:59:08.800 --> 00:59:11.119 lot of the a lot of the numbers, and you see, 1316 00:59:11.199 --> 00:59:12.960 like one of the things the digital users on the 1317 00:59:13.239 --> 00:59:15.679 ESPN app, which sometimes we didn't get a lot of 1318 00:59:15.760 --> 00:59:18.880 those numbers. I would love to know, like overall, you know, 1319 00:59:19.039 --> 00:59:22.159 what's the you know, the the viewing public, not just 1320 00:59:22.239 --> 00:59:25.320 percentage wise, but like who you know who's watching on 1321 00:59:25.519 --> 00:59:28.320 these apps, and and that's where you get into demos too, 1322 00:59:28.400 --> 00:59:30.559 and maybe that's just something I'm interested in, but it 1323 00:59:30.880 --> 00:59:33.960 it feeds into the bigger question of how many people 1324 00:59:34.119 --> 00:59:37.559 are watching the UFL and I'm sure they probably you know, 1325 00:59:37.679 --> 00:59:40.159 put that into the eight hundred and fifty thousand, but 1326 00:59:41.199 --> 00:59:43.519 you know, we really don't get streaming numbers that often, 1327 00:59:44.119 --> 00:59:45.920 if ever, so that would be interesting to know. 1328 00:59:47.360 --> 00:59:51.039 We're so Sam's the you know, they handter Sam so 1329 00:59:51.199 --> 00:59:54.559 ty we have massive backers all this stuff. Keep in mind, 1330 00:59:54.679 --> 00:59:58.360 Disney just canceled the Accolade after one hundred and eighty 1331 00:59:58.440 --> 01:00:00.559 million dollar Star Wars here is here I think it 1332 01:00:00.559 --> 01:00:02.039 was one hundred and eighty five million dollars Star Wars 1333 01:00:02.079 --> 01:00:03.480 here as they were working on because. 1334 01:00:03.639 --> 01:00:06.960 It didn't meet it didn't meet the viewership and. 1335 01:00:06.960 --> 01:00:08.800 There was a lot of backlash and everything in terms 1336 01:00:08.800 --> 01:00:11.599 of like kind of them kind of woking Star Wars, 1337 01:00:11.679 --> 01:00:13.360 but like they just scraped that. 1338 01:00:13.440 --> 01:00:14.119 They're like, we're done. 1339 01:00:14.199 --> 01:00:16.480 So if you don't think they're having money involved in 1340 01:00:16.559 --> 01:00:19.039 this from these leagues or from these companies, and now 1341 01:00:19.119 --> 01:00:21.800 you know that's Disney ABC, right, obviously they're not. You know, 1342 01:00:21.840 --> 01:00:24.199 they're they're a part owner and kind of the stuff 1343 01:00:24.199 --> 01:00:26.400 I mean use slash product products all the time. I mean, 1344 01:00:26.440 --> 01:00:28.480 this isn't just because oh we've put two years and 1345 01:00:28.559 --> 01:00:30.639 thirty million dollars into the UFL. 1346 01:00:30.440 --> 01:00:33.400 Like Acolyte was gone like that, and that's a lot 1347 01:00:33.440 --> 01:00:34.119 bigger project. 1348 01:00:34.320 --> 01:00:38.199 It's and it's not losing money. It's not the only factor. Uh, 1349 01:00:38.360 --> 01:00:42.599 it is a big factor. Paramount has had layoffs. We're 1350 01:00:42.639 --> 01:00:46.280 starting to see large you know, these large TV you 1351 01:00:46.360 --> 01:00:50.199 know owner ownership groups who are starting to gut stations 1352 01:00:50.280 --> 01:00:53.400 right now because and it's you know, and it's because 1353 01:00:53.800 --> 01:00:56.800 it's all money. Start if you look at the media 1354 01:00:56.920 --> 01:00:59.400 layoffs that have happened this year. CNN had an article 1355 01:00:59.440 --> 01:01:03.400 recently out and they ran down all the media companies 1356 01:01:03.440 --> 01:01:07.000 that had layoffs. Remember there are two media companies that 1357 01:01:07.119 --> 01:01:09.559 are involved in this. So when you if they start 1358 01:01:09.599 --> 01:01:12.400 losing money, it might not be the only factor saying, 1359 01:01:12.480 --> 01:01:13.719 but it's going to be a big factor. 1360 01:01:14.800 --> 01:01:16.920 The other enginesing thing here just to kind of round 1361 01:01:17.000 --> 01:01:19.880 this out that the moderator, moderator, this is all of 1362 01:01:19.920 --> 01:01:22.159 the panels. So the moderator took questions of the audience. 1363 01:01:22.239 --> 01:01:24.480 One asked for a breakdown and focus between the local 1364 01:01:24.559 --> 01:01:28.000 revenue and tickets versus television viewership, which I would that 1365 01:01:28.039 --> 01:01:29.119 would also be my question. 1366 01:01:29.199 --> 01:01:30.280 And why do we care about all this? 1367 01:01:30.400 --> 01:01:34.079 They goes random told a story of the battle Hawks 1368 01:01:34.119 --> 01:01:37.400 fan tailgate hours before home game. Be times about wanting 1369 01:01:37.400 --> 01:01:40.360 to build the local markets, you know, using the hub 1370 01:01:40.440 --> 01:01:41.360 and they wanting to get. 1371 01:01:41.320 --> 01:01:41.960 People in there. 1372 01:01:42.039 --> 01:01:43.920 They know they have staff of eight to ten people 1373 01:01:43.960 --> 01:01:47.320 in each market building the basis for our league. We've 1374 01:01:47.519 --> 01:01:49.960 enormously pleased with the reach and engagement by like that, 1375 01:01:50.119 --> 01:01:51.559 Like Russ, what can you give us about this? 1376 01:01:52.119 --> 01:01:54.880 You know the tailgates and say Louis are really crazy 1377 01:01:55.000 --> 01:01:57.000 because we talk about that all the time. Do you 1378 01:01:57.199 --> 01:02:00.159 care more? Is this it built for TV? Product? Talk 1379 01:02:00.159 --> 01:02:01.400 about you know, we get all. 1380 01:02:01.360 --> 01:02:03.519 The time the comments and all this. Oh attendant says 1381 01:02:03.559 --> 01:02:06.519 it matter they're making so much money on TV. But 1382 01:02:06.679 --> 01:02:09.599 then yet there's still now in all of these now 1383 01:02:09.719 --> 01:02:12.280 this expansion, all these talks and what markets we want 1384 01:02:12.360 --> 01:02:15.800 to go to is we need fans, we want hungry fans. 1385 01:02:15.880 --> 01:02:17.719 This isn't just to tell I would love to know 1386 01:02:17.880 --> 01:02:20.320 that the breakdown of that. But anytime anyone says that 1387 01:02:20.400 --> 01:02:22.400 attendant says it matter because they make all their money 1388 01:02:22.440 --> 01:02:24.400 on TV, is just foolish to me. 1389 01:02:24.760 --> 01:02:29.320 Well, the USFL, you know that that was a TV product, 1390 01:02:30.119 --> 01:02:33.280 and what was the big knock on the USFL. People 1391 01:02:33.360 --> 01:02:35.559 didn't want to watch it because there was no one in. 1392 01:02:35.679 --> 01:02:37.400 There were no one at There's no one at the 1393 01:02:37.440 --> 01:02:40.320 games except for the Stallion's games. Those like in twenty 1394 01:02:40.440 --> 01:02:45.000 twenty two, the Stallions games were packed. Everyone else it 1395 01:02:45.079 --> 01:02:47.159 looks like they it was a high school practice, like 1396 01:02:47.239 --> 01:02:48.559 there were a few people in the stands. 1397 01:02:48.599 --> 01:02:48.960 I was there. 1398 01:02:49.000 --> 01:02:51.760 I went there for an entire weekend and it was unbelievable. 1399 01:02:51.960 --> 01:02:56.320 Birmingham's there, It's like a awesome atmosphere, and then every 1400 01:02:56.360 --> 01:02:58.800 other game there's like, you know, one hundred people there. 1401 01:02:59.320 --> 01:03:01.920 So that was the big knock because the visuals weren't 1402 01:03:02.039 --> 01:03:06.280 very good on network television and it was a TV product. 1403 01:03:06.320 --> 01:03:08.920 The XFL, I felt, was trying to build a more 1404 01:03:09.000 --> 01:03:11.800 traditional one with not just a great TV product, but 1405 01:03:11.880 --> 01:03:14.079 they were trying to put these teams in the communities. 1406 01:03:14.760 --> 01:03:17.559 And then that's what you have, the conglomeration of both 1407 01:03:17.599 --> 01:03:21.000 these leagues together and it's not just a TV product. 1408 01:03:21.079 --> 01:03:25.199 Because the USFL it didn't look good, it didn't work 1409 01:03:25.280 --> 01:03:29.239 that way. So yeah, so I think attendance does matter, 1410 01:03:29.840 --> 01:03:32.280 and maybe not even to the revenue side of it. 1411 01:03:32.440 --> 01:03:34.519 It matters to the optics side of it when you're 1412 01:03:34.519 --> 01:03:38.280 watching on television, because if anyone who's not who doesn't 1413 01:03:38.320 --> 01:03:40.599 really know about the UFL and they turn it on, 1414 01:03:40.840 --> 01:03:42.679 like well, nobody cares to show up, why would I 1415 01:03:42.760 --> 01:03:43.320 care to watch it? 1416 01:03:44.519 --> 01:03:47.599 Yeah? John, here, Jan just confirming with you. Yeah, that 1417 01:03:47.679 --> 01:03:49.800 was Fox. They were cost cutting first rather than I 1418 01:03:49.840 --> 01:03:52.840 think any marketing. Put your comments in the chat. 1419 01:03:52.920 --> 01:03:55.079 I want to touch on the Switzerland stuff, and then 1420 01:03:55.119 --> 01:03:57.119 I want to touch on the AJ Battlehawk stuff, and 1421 01:03:57.159 --> 01:03:59.400 then if anyone else has anything that way, I've lost 1422 01:03:59.480 --> 01:04:00.760 my green break down here? 1423 01:04:01.159 --> 01:04:01.760 What do you think? 1424 01:04:01.840 --> 01:04:03.440 I want to see if I can just pull up 1425 01:04:03.440 --> 01:04:05.719 the press release? What do you think of this showcase? 1426 01:04:05.800 --> 01:04:06.159 What is it? 1427 01:04:06.360 --> 01:04:10.679 Next fall in uh uh in Switzerland? I don't even 1428 01:04:10.679 --> 01:04:12.440 think they put it on the website. Let me see 1429 01:04:12.440 --> 01:04:13.760 if I can get the press release up? 1430 01:04:14.639 --> 01:04:15.039 What do you think? 1431 01:04:15.559 --> 01:04:18.639 I don't know what to think of it. It's like, 1432 01:04:18.840 --> 01:04:22.960 what how much football talent comes out of Switzerland? Number one? 1433 01:04:24.920 --> 01:04:25.400 Number two? 1434 01:04:25.599 --> 01:04:25.840 Are you? 1435 01:04:27.159 --> 01:04:30.079 Is that a market that you're trying to reach internationally? 1436 01:04:30.280 --> 01:04:33.960 I just I don't understand why this is why this 1437 01:04:34.199 --> 01:04:36.519 is happening. I mean, I really don't. And if there's 1438 01:04:36.559 --> 01:04:39.159 a press release, maybe they are. They explained that I didn't. 1439 01:04:39.280 --> 01:04:43.320 I don't remember seeing a press release. That's what I saw. Yeah, 1440 01:04:44.519 --> 01:04:48.400 So I don't, you know, mark your calendars for what? 1441 01:04:48.760 --> 01:04:51.280 I don't understand, Like what we're marketing our calendars for. 1442 01:04:51.840 --> 01:04:53.880 Is it going to be some kind of televised event. 1443 01:04:54.119 --> 01:04:56.679 I mean that might be kind of cool, but I 1444 01:04:56.800 --> 01:05:01.400 don't understand. Like why Switzerland, I mean, I don't get it. 1445 01:05:02.840 --> 01:05:07.079 Philip here says the UFL purchases ELFU the UFL wishes 1446 01:05:07.239 --> 01:05:11.119 they had the intendants and hands and money and teams 1447 01:05:11.159 --> 01:05:14.280 at elpads. I think that would be the that's the other. 1448 01:05:14.199 --> 01:05:17.400 Way around of ELF moving into the stands for a movie. 1449 01:05:17.599 --> 01:05:21.519 I'm telling you why the ELF is not. I can't 1450 01:05:21.599 --> 01:05:24.199 imagine that the pay per view thing is really working 1451 01:05:24.239 --> 01:05:27.400 out here in the States. How they don't have a 1452 01:05:27.480 --> 01:05:29.760 TV contract here yet. I don't. I don't get it 1453 01:05:29.880 --> 01:05:32.119 because I mean, when you see some of the highlights, 1454 01:05:32.159 --> 01:05:33.679 and I watched some of the videos from over there, 1455 01:05:33.719 --> 01:05:37.360 it's incredible. But yeah, uh yeah, you're right, it might 1456 01:05:37.400 --> 01:05:38.800 be the other way around on that one. 1457 01:05:39.199 --> 01:05:41.599 But yeah, no, the I think that's interesting about this. 1458 01:05:41.880 --> 01:05:44.840 And I had someone involved back in ACTUFL twenty twenty 1459 01:05:44.960 --> 01:05:47.480 reach out to me when this came about, and they said, basically, 1460 01:05:48.159 --> 01:05:49.760 you know, if you wanted to talk about. 1461 01:05:49.719 --> 01:05:52.920 Germany or somewhere maybe that there was maybe a proven 1462 01:05:53.000 --> 01:05:53.519 record of Tom. 1463 01:05:53.599 --> 01:05:57.679 But to them it felt like this is executives wanting 1464 01:05:57.719 --> 01:06:00.079 to plan a vacation, like we can so. 1465 01:06:00.679 --> 01:06:03.480 Surprised the Hawaii or the Bahamas. 1466 01:06:04.599 --> 01:06:09.360 But remember remember how pissy people were when the it 1467 01:06:09.559 --> 01:06:11.960 was the XFL did the showcase in Hawaii because the 1468 01:06:12.039 --> 01:06:13.719 Rock was there and they wanted to do a track, 1469 01:06:14.000 --> 01:06:17.079 but a, I mean, the Rock lives there, so that 1470 01:06:17.159 --> 01:06:18.880 was okay, how can we get the Rock involved in this. 1471 01:06:19.000 --> 01:06:20.880 We're going to use this as a marketing thing, right. 1472 01:06:20.960 --> 01:06:23.320 They utilized a lot of that, But then also like 1473 01:06:23.519 --> 01:06:25.559 there is a lot of players like in Hawaii and 1474 01:06:25.639 --> 01:06:28.239 the Islands and kind of in that area of the 1475 01:06:28.360 --> 01:06:29.760 world that came in and they. 1476 01:06:29.880 --> 01:06:30.679 Spoiler a little. 1477 01:06:30.760 --> 01:06:34.760 I think that was the most the talent there signed 1478 01:06:34.880 --> 01:06:36.960 to the League of any of the showcases, right, I 1479 01:06:37.000 --> 01:06:39.239 mean it was it was high in terms of any 1480 01:06:39.320 --> 01:06:42.880 showcases or part visibility, part making money, part trying to 1481 01:06:43.039 --> 01:06:46.079 just you know, we're filling press releases and do whatever. 1482 01:06:46.199 --> 01:06:48.880 But it actually was successful. But I just I can't 1483 01:06:48.880 --> 01:06:52.480 figure out how this uh especial thing's gonna work out. 1484 01:06:52.559 --> 01:06:54.920 I don't had the player fifty four episode from Hawaii 1485 01:06:55.079 --> 01:06:57.119 was really good and that was like probably that was 1486 01:06:57.159 --> 01:06:59.039 one of the most memorable ones that was. That was 1487 01:06:59.119 --> 01:07:01.840 a really good episode where the where the Rock went 1488 01:07:01.920 --> 01:07:04.599 back to some of his old stomping grounds. It was emotional. 1489 01:07:04.679 --> 01:07:07.119 It was really good. Uh Switzerland, Yeah, I don't get 1490 01:07:07.199 --> 01:07:10.559 Maybe it is a vacation. Like well, Adam Sandler signs 1491 01:07:10.599 --> 01:07:12.920 these movie deals and he sets them all in Hawaii 1492 01:07:13.119 --> 01:07:14.920 or all these tropical islands, so he gets to go 1493 01:07:15.039 --> 01:07:18.000 there and you know, shoot for six months and something. 1494 01:07:18.039 --> 01:07:21.719 We're doing a romantic comedy of a couple with but 1495 01:07:21.840 --> 01:07:24.719 it's going to be in Africa. John, you know the 1496 01:07:24.840 --> 01:07:27.519 story can only be told in the SENGANI you want 1497 01:07:27.559 --> 01:07:29.000 to go on the planes here and we want to 1498 01:07:29.039 --> 01:07:32.280 do all that stuff. Yelady did Hawaii. It's almost like 1499 01:07:32.440 --> 01:07:38.119 Max maybe listening to the show, I don't know, Christina here, Hellelujah, 1500 01:07:38.159 --> 01:07:40.760 it's great to hear newsback Spanshion. Now remember Christina to 1501 01:07:40.840 --> 01:07:43.039 say a member here. You always get your comments right 1502 01:07:43.039 --> 01:07:45.599 if you're remember here ninety nine cents a month. 1503 01:07:45.679 --> 01:07:47.920 I appreciate Christina reaching out for that. 1504 01:07:48.159 --> 01:07:50.000 I think I did see too. I think I'm eligible 1505 01:07:50.079 --> 01:07:52.280 now for like the Twitter memberships. I was like, Oh, 1506 01:07:52.400 --> 01:07:56.480 I'm going to start making all my secrets. Yeah, I 1507 01:07:56.559 --> 01:07:59.480 still here. I like this showcase episode in Switch. 1508 01:07:59.559 --> 01:08:03.079 I did it. That's a that's a great ideas off. 1509 01:08:03.519 --> 01:08:05.400 We did well, it is one, but we did. We 1510 01:08:05.519 --> 01:08:07.199 did the showcase in Arizona. 1511 01:08:07.360 --> 01:08:11.480 It just sucks because you can't you can't really tell 1512 01:08:11.559 --> 01:08:13.239 what's going, you know, and they always get like, oh, 1513 01:08:13.719 --> 01:08:16.960 are you seeing players or like you're not really they're 1514 01:08:17.000 --> 01:08:19.279 running drills and stuff. We got to I mean, we 1515 01:08:19.319 --> 01:08:21.079 had fun talking to the coaches and it was just 1516 01:08:21.159 --> 01:08:23.439 more of a kind of a cool experience that way. 1517 01:08:23.479 --> 01:08:26.079 But it's not like you're, oh, the secret unknown Swiss 1518 01:08:26.399 --> 01:08:27.960 quarterback is just gonna be dye. 1519 01:08:28.079 --> 01:08:32.039 I just isn't gonna happen that way. I think Uh. 1520 01:08:32.479 --> 01:08:34.600 I think pat Rafino went to uh there was one 1521 01:08:34.680 --> 01:08:36.600 in Saint Louis maybe, and like there was a lot 1522 01:08:36.640 --> 01:08:38.680 of access to or in that area, and there was 1523 01:08:38.680 --> 01:08:41.319 a lot of access to coaches and Uh. I don't 1524 01:08:41.319 --> 01:08:43.399 know about players, but you know they got some really 1525 01:08:43.399 --> 01:08:45.399 good stuff. He got some really good stuff with some 1526 01:08:45.520 --> 01:08:46.840 of the coaches. Yeah. 1527 01:08:47.479 --> 01:08:50.000 Yeah, Pat's always in Saint Louis, except when we went 1528 01:08:50.000 --> 01:08:50.920 to the championship game. 1529 01:08:50.920 --> 01:08:53.239 Of course, be a say Louis. That was good saying 1530 01:08:53.239 --> 01:08:55.319 when I was in Saint Louis, he was working or somewhere, 1531 01:08:55.399 --> 01:08:56.199 he was somewhere else. 1532 01:08:56.319 --> 01:08:59.239 Yeah, speaking of I want to touch on it. If 1533 01:08:59.239 --> 01:09:01.359 anyone has an equatquestions about this, we'll probably get. 1534 01:09:01.279 --> 01:09:02.479 Down here at the bottom of the hour. 1535 01:09:04.199 --> 01:09:08.079 Like this whole AJ battle Hawks thing, I am curious 1536 01:09:08.199 --> 01:09:10.359 your thoughts on this. You've been to the battle Hawks, 1537 01:09:10.439 --> 01:09:12.359 you know games, and obviously with the merch out like 1538 01:09:12.960 --> 01:09:15.359 this to me is the biggest pissy pants story I've 1539 01:09:15.359 --> 01:09:15.920 ever seen here. 1540 01:09:15.960 --> 01:09:17.319 What's your thoughts on the AJ thing? 1541 01:09:17.760 --> 01:09:20.079 Yeah? I didn't. I didn't really like it. 1542 01:09:20.319 --> 01:09:20.439 Uh. 1543 01:09:22.079 --> 01:09:25.000 And frankly, I didn't like it from AJ mccern's perspective. 1544 01:09:25.119 --> 01:09:27.399 And you know, maybe he was he was wronged, and 1545 01:09:27.640 --> 01:09:30.880 you know that could have been the case. I don't 1546 01:09:30.880 --> 01:09:35.039 think he handled it great. Uh, even with the response, 1547 01:09:35.239 --> 01:09:38.199 like I think that the social media post it might 1548 01:09:38.239 --> 01:09:40.039 have been on Twitter that he put out about like 1549 01:09:40.720 --> 01:09:42.239 some about it, I didn't get a phone call or 1550 01:09:42.239 --> 01:09:44.760 it doesn't work both ways, but thank you Saint Louis. 1551 01:09:44.800 --> 01:09:47.720 And it was just it was, I just I didn't 1552 01:09:47.800 --> 01:09:51.199 like it. I didn't like it from any part. Sometimes 1553 01:09:51.439 --> 01:09:55.680 you know, I understand this is uh, this is not 1554 01:09:55.840 --> 01:09:58.800 the NFL. I mean, even NFL players they sometimes don't 1555 01:09:58.800 --> 01:10:02.359 handle things great. Uh So I just I thought it 1556 01:10:02.520 --> 01:10:04.760 was I didn't like it. You're right, it was kind 1557 01:10:04.760 --> 01:10:08.000 of pissy, it was, and I and and I think 1558 01:10:08.079 --> 01:10:10.359 Beck tried to clean it up a little bit, but 1559 01:10:11.479 --> 01:10:13.560 I mean they said they wanted to like send him 1560 01:10:13.600 --> 01:10:15.279 out the right way, but they needed to do some 1561 01:10:15.399 --> 01:10:18.640 other things. I don't know. Uh, it just I didn't 1562 01:10:18.720 --> 01:10:21.199 like it. It didn't feel good. And I know the 1563 01:10:21.279 --> 01:10:23.319 one thing he said about like not wanting to ride 1564 01:10:23.359 --> 01:10:27.880 the plane with the opposing team, It's like, you can 1565 01:10:27.960 --> 01:10:30.640 still be competitive and right now, listen, I've never taken 1566 01:10:30.880 --> 01:10:33.439 a snap of professional football, but you can still ride 1567 01:10:33.479 --> 01:10:35.880 the plane and be competitive with the other team. You know, 1568 01:10:36.000 --> 01:10:38.000 you're all kind of in the same boat together here. 1569 01:10:38.039 --> 01:10:40.399 You're all trying to work toward the same goal. I mean, 1570 01:10:40.479 --> 01:10:42.840 you live and you live in the same city. And 1571 01:10:42.920 --> 01:10:45.920 you're probably practicing. And I remember there was there was 1572 01:10:46.039 --> 01:10:49.439 a I think it was with the with the first 1573 01:10:49.479 --> 01:10:52.119 season of the UFL that there was some other players 1574 01:10:52.199 --> 01:10:54.920 that kind of wandered into the stadium watching practice and 1575 01:10:55.000 --> 01:10:57.359 didn't realize that they weren't supposed to be there. So 1576 01:10:57.479 --> 01:11:00.479 it's you know, it is what it is. It's it's 1577 01:11:00.720 --> 01:11:03.920 it's not the NFL, so but you can. I thought 1578 01:11:03.960 --> 01:11:06.800 he could have handled it a little better, especially publicly. 1579 01:11:07.399 --> 01:11:08.920 Yeah, I just have a questions or who you guys 1580 01:11:08.920 --> 01:11:12.560 think replaces aj A y'all in here. Ag has to 1581 01:11:12.640 --> 01:11:14.880 understand the stance of the league. It's development. If he 1582 01:11:14.920 --> 01:11:17.880 wants more money or the NFL, go find another lead. 1583 01:11:17.960 --> 01:11:20.520 You're tasting. I mean, that's what kills me. Philip here, 1584 01:11:20.760 --> 01:11:23.439 silversus out the door. I wouldn't count on Bretty the 1585 01:11:23.439 --> 01:11:26.359 White Night here riding into that, but that like that, 1586 01:11:26.560 --> 01:11:27.439 that's what kills me. 1587 01:11:27.960 --> 01:11:32.960 Is the like again, just talking to freelance. 1588 01:11:32.560 --> 01:11:34.680 Saying, like I do a lot of gigs, and I 1589 01:11:34.800 --> 01:11:36.760 do a lot of weddings, and some weddings a really 1590 01:11:36.840 --> 01:11:39.119 nice and some weddings are not so nice, and some 1591 01:11:39.319 --> 01:11:42.239 things are really like you know, going in and if 1592 01:11:42.239 --> 01:11:44.199 you're a J McCarron and you're like, I'm going to 1593 01:11:44.279 --> 01:11:46.800 into this UFL and I want my you know, my 1594 01:11:46.880 --> 01:11:47.880 kids to see me play. 1595 01:11:48.840 --> 01:11:51.199 Like then you can't then be like, well it wasn't 1596 01:11:51.199 --> 01:11:52.880 for my kids, I would have walked the hell out 1597 01:11:52.920 --> 01:11:53.520 of this league. 1598 01:11:53.600 --> 01:11:56.520 Like right, okay, Like you can do that, Like you 1599 01:11:56.920 --> 01:11:59.119 have your an adult man, and you can do anything 1600 01:11:59.159 --> 01:12:00.840 you want. You chose to come, but I just don't 1601 01:12:00.920 --> 01:12:03.000 like that later you knew what you're getting involved in. 1602 01:12:03.520 --> 01:12:05.079 It was kind of like the whole pizza gate and 1603 01:12:05.119 --> 01:12:07.479 all that stuff, Like you know you're going into these 1604 01:12:07.520 --> 01:12:09.760 spring leagues. They kind of got the history. I like, 1605 01:12:10.319 --> 01:12:12.199 I just I wouldn't be surprised by any of. 1606 01:12:12.199 --> 01:12:16.319 This, but it you know, and he even asked for 1607 01:12:16.439 --> 01:12:18.880 his release from the Bengals because he wanted to play 1608 01:12:19.119 --> 01:12:23.119 in the He wanted to play in the UFL and 1609 01:12:23.359 --> 01:12:25.880 you know, with his and his kids, and you know, 1610 01:12:26.039 --> 01:12:28.359 I was, I was there before one of the games, 1611 01:12:28.439 --> 01:12:31.119 and you know, he's coming in, walking in to all 1612 01:12:31.199 --> 01:12:33.239 the fans and there's you know, his kids are there 1613 01:12:33.359 --> 01:12:34.920 and his and his whole family and it was really 1614 01:12:35.000 --> 01:12:39.159 cool and uh, but yeah, it's it's not you know, 1615 01:12:39.319 --> 01:12:41.520 I I don't like to. I don't like to call 1616 01:12:41.600 --> 01:12:44.880 the UFL minor league. A lot of people do. It's 1617 01:12:44.880 --> 01:12:48.399 a professional football league. I don't think it's minor to anything. 1618 01:12:48.479 --> 01:12:50.720 It's unless you're trying to compare it to the NFL, 1619 01:12:50.760 --> 01:12:52.159 and I don't know a lot of people are doing that. 1620 01:12:52.720 --> 01:12:56.279 But like you said, it's not the top tier of 1621 01:12:56.359 --> 01:12:59.520 professional football. You knew what you're getting into, and then 1622 01:12:59.560 --> 01:13:02.560 to compleat playing about it afterward because you kind of 1623 01:13:02.600 --> 01:13:05.199 got jilted by your team, I don't I don't know. 1624 01:13:05.359 --> 01:13:07.920 I mean this, I just thought it was bad. But listen, 1625 01:13:08.039 --> 01:13:10.560 here's one thing. If he does stay in the UFL, 1626 01:13:10.680 --> 01:13:13.479 like he says he wants to, and he's not, nothing's 1627 01:13:13.520 --> 01:13:15.359 gonna change. But he says, you know, he's gonna get 1628 01:13:15.399 --> 01:13:18.640 an opportunity to beat the battle Hawks, you know, twice 1629 01:13:18.760 --> 01:13:20.840 or whatever. So at least it gives you some kind 1630 01:13:20.880 --> 01:13:21.479 of storyline. 1631 01:13:21.520 --> 01:13:24.439 I don't know. Yeah, I just I don't know. I 1632 01:13:24.479 --> 01:13:24.960 don't like that. 1633 01:13:25.359 --> 01:13:27.720 It seems a little weird to me. I phillip here 1634 01:13:27.880 --> 01:13:30.560 Silvers is a legend rough actually the b Arlington if 1635 01:13:30.600 --> 01:13:35.439 he had played rolling back to the the I guess 1636 01:13:35.520 --> 01:13:37.640 the expansion talk today before we get out of here, 1637 01:13:37.680 --> 01:13:39.560 anyone else has any comments, because like, I'm kind of 1638 01:13:39.600 --> 01:13:42.279 over you know my thoughts on the battle Hawks anyway, and. 1639 01:13:43.760 --> 01:13:48.920 Listene, I guess notorious USFL hater, notorious XFL hater, notorious 1640 01:13:49.960 --> 01:13:51.119 Saint Louis BattleHawks hater. 1641 01:13:51.239 --> 01:13:52.279 I got it, I did. 1642 01:13:52.439 --> 01:13:54.199 I actually I did have one quick credit I forgot 1643 01:13:54.479 --> 01:13:59.680 so I will be curious going forward here the rocks 1644 01:14:00.319 --> 01:14:04.720 of involvement in this league, just because this Red One 1645 01:14:04.840 --> 01:14:09.000 movie has totally flopped right shocked early. But like, also 1646 01:14:09.119 --> 01:14:11.600 it costs two hundred and fifty million dollars, like I 1647 01:14:11.720 --> 01:14:14.239 believe I saw like the first Avengers movie cost like 1648 01:14:14.239 --> 01:14:16.920 one hundred and sixty million, So like the fact that 1649 01:14:17.119 --> 01:14:20.079 like Red One costs more than and don't quote me 1650 01:14:20.159 --> 01:14:22.479 on that, but the Red One costs more than the 1651 01:14:22.560 --> 01:14:23.520 first Avengers movie. 1652 01:14:24.000 --> 01:14:25.800 But you know that crashed. 1653 01:14:26.239 --> 01:14:29.920 Obviously, the Black Adam thing wasn't working out. They See 1654 01:14:30.000 --> 01:14:34.000 You Universe. I watched that movie really bad. Rock just 1655 01:14:34.119 --> 01:14:36.039 had an article about like he wants to do more 1656 01:14:36.079 --> 01:14:38.720 indie movies and kind of disappear and he's kind of 1657 01:14:38.760 --> 01:14:40.880 tired of always playing the same role and all that 1658 01:14:40.960 --> 01:14:43.840 kind of stuff. I'm just curious, like where the UFL 1659 01:14:44.000 --> 01:14:46.680 fits into this, like you know, the like this new 1660 01:14:46.760 --> 01:14:49.000 twenty twenty five Rock's curious your thoughts on that, And 1661 01:14:49.079 --> 01:14:50.840 I have another Russ Brandon comment we can go through. 1662 01:14:51.640 --> 01:14:55.039 Yeah, I do wonder and if he is gonna maybe 1663 01:14:55.520 --> 01:14:57.760 take a more hands because it felt like he and 1664 01:14:57.880 --> 01:15:00.520 Danny Garcia were gonna be they talked about being really 1665 01:15:00.600 --> 01:15:04.439 hands on with this and being involved. I never felt 1666 01:15:04.520 --> 01:15:09.720 that they were that involved this year, certainly publicly. You know, 1667 01:15:09.800 --> 01:15:11.640 I don't know. I wasn't there behind the scenes. I 1668 01:15:11.800 --> 01:15:13.720 just thought I would see a lot more of them 1669 01:15:14.319 --> 01:15:16.359 other than you know, kind of what we saw before 1670 01:15:16.399 --> 01:15:19.000 the season started. And he's on you know, college game 1671 01:15:19.079 --> 01:15:22.399 Day and he's on all these different shows on Fox, 1672 01:15:22.840 --> 01:15:25.720 NFL pregame to talk about the league that I think 1673 01:15:25.760 --> 01:15:29.159 it was like January first or whatever it was. But 1674 01:15:29.760 --> 01:15:34.680 I do wonder, And frankly, like you said, like his 1675 01:15:35.560 --> 01:15:37.880 I don't. I mean, he's still a bankable star, don't 1676 01:15:37.920 --> 01:15:40.479 get me wrong, but like it's his his star is 1677 01:15:40.560 --> 01:15:42.840 not as shiny as it was when he first came 1678 01:15:42.880 --> 01:15:45.760 into this. So maybe I think. I think he's a 1679 01:15:45.840 --> 01:15:47.960 really good actor. And if you've watched Ballers I mean, 1680 01:15:49.239 --> 01:15:50.640 I thought he was great, and he's been good in 1681 01:15:50.680 --> 01:15:53.680 a lot of movies. But I do wonder if maybe 1682 01:15:53.760 --> 01:15:57.159 he will concentrate more on that and they have people 1683 01:15:57.399 --> 01:16:01.199 there that they don't necessarily need or Daty Garcia for 1684 01:16:01.239 --> 01:16:04.680 the day to day stuff. Frankly, I think Daryl Johnston 1685 01:16:04.800 --> 01:16:07.159 might be more hands on involved with it than anybody 1686 01:16:07.640 --> 01:16:11.039 of the public facing people that we've seen, for better. 1687 01:16:10.960 --> 01:16:15.279 Or worse, I would say, sorry, I did. I did 1688 01:16:15.399 --> 01:16:20.399 think it was funny that Brandon Aubrey missed. You know, 1689 01:16:20.680 --> 01:16:23.640 there's not many NFL games this season where they missed 1690 01:16:23.680 --> 01:16:24.880 the kickoff zone right. 1691 01:16:25.000 --> 01:16:26.920 Either they right and they still. 1692 01:16:26.800 --> 01:16:29.720 Touched back in or they land and then But I 1693 01:16:29.800 --> 01:16:32.600 thought it was funny that Brandon Aubrey missed the kickoff 1694 01:16:32.680 --> 01:16:33.119 zone and I. 1695 01:16:33.279 --> 01:16:34.680 Was so that was the other thing. I forgot the 1696 01:16:34.720 --> 01:16:35.520 gaps of the game. 1697 01:16:35.479 --> 01:16:38.479 But like, hey, Brandon Aubrey was in the XMOL maybe 1698 01:16:38.479 --> 01:16:40.640 he would have known how to do that stuff. The 1699 01:16:40.720 --> 01:16:43.159 other Yeah, but just with the Rocks thing, Yeah, I 1700 01:16:43.199 --> 01:16:46.079 don't know if it's kind of revamp here focusing on that, 1701 01:16:46.159 --> 01:16:49.319 but yeah, I think his public perception has has really 1702 01:16:49.399 --> 01:16:51.640 hit a dive on that. The other article I wanted 1703 01:16:51.720 --> 01:16:53.800 to talk about here, and I was just kind of 1704 01:16:53.800 --> 01:16:56.079 looking through this news and a lot of these websites 1705 01:16:56.119 --> 01:16:59.359 are just regurgitations of the press release. Front Office Sports 1706 01:16:59.399 --> 01:17:01.079 has some quotes year and I thought it was nice 1707 01:17:01.119 --> 01:17:03.239 to sport the Coen you know, sports business show, like 1708 01:17:03.279 --> 01:17:05.119 they have a you know, additional kind of quotes on 1709 01:17:05.199 --> 01:17:08.000 here talk about all this stuff. You know, this is 1710 01:17:08.199 --> 01:17:11.960 uh right, Eric Fisher with Front Office Sports. But they're 1711 01:17:11.960 --> 01:17:14.920 bringing the additional franchises, building, the a, the moving, and 1712 01:17:15.039 --> 01:17:17.920 there's not a specific timetable governing the process or a 1713 01:17:17.960 --> 01:17:21.359 targeted number of franchises. The UFL president and CEO Rush 1714 01:17:21.439 --> 01:17:23.880 brandons that there'll be fewer than eight teams, and at 1715 01:17:23.960 --> 01:17:26.319 least at least on the outset, something related to expansion 1716 01:17:26.359 --> 01:17:27.079 might be in place. 1717 01:17:26.920 --> 01:17:30.159 For twenty twenty six. We're open for business, very open minded. 1718 01:17:30.319 --> 01:17:32.560 We are taking the very holistic approach to the market, 1719 01:17:32.840 --> 01:17:34.159 look at the market and everything. 1720 01:17:33.880 --> 01:17:35.199 That needs to be done to stand up to a 1721 01:17:35.279 --> 01:17:37.079 new team. So it is kind of curious on that 1722 01:17:37.199 --> 01:17:38.199 you no timetable. 1723 01:17:38.359 --> 01:17:41.680 We've heard conflicting reports, you know, like just since today, 1724 01:17:41.720 --> 01:17:43.119 you know it's at twenty twenty six seven. 1725 01:17:43.239 --> 01:17:44.920 I just think we're kind of looking through. 1726 01:17:45.039 --> 01:17:47.840 It was kind of like in the CFL XFL talks 1727 01:17:47.880 --> 01:17:51.079 when it was we're talking about talking, and I think 1728 01:17:51.159 --> 01:17:53.399 that was like, I think that was their public facing 1729 01:17:54.039 --> 01:17:56.520 kind of like what what you know, Hey, the xbos 1730 01:17:56.520 --> 01:17:58.000 calling the CFL, like what does that mean? 1731 01:17:58.119 --> 01:17:59.880 And they go, well, we're talking about talking. 1732 01:18:00.039 --> 01:18:03.039 That was their thing, and so, you know, to me, 1733 01:18:03.159 --> 01:18:06.920 it feels very similar here where we don't really know 1734 01:18:07.079 --> 01:18:08.760 what we're doing, but this is something kind of working 1735 01:18:08.800 --> 01:18:09.359 on in the future. 1736 01:18:09.680 --> 01:18:11.840 We're having a meeting about some future meetings that we 1737 01:18:11.960 --> 01:18:14.279 might have later on. It's what that's a lot what 1738 01:18:14.399 --> 01:18:17.439 it sounds like. But I will say it was a 1739 01:18:17.520 --> 01:18:21.359 press release that was short on a lot of details, 1740 01:18:21.479 --> 01:18:24.079 but it had one big overarching theme, and it was that, 1741 01:18:24.399 --> 01:18:30.079 I think maybe the subtle theme of we are successful, 1742 01:18:30.239 --> 01:18:33.560 we are we are growing, so people you need to 1743 01:18:33.600 --> 01:18:36.920 talk talk about us right now even though it's ANFL season. 1744 01:18:37.000 --> 01:18:39.039 That's kind of the more we've talked about this and 1745 01:18:39.159 --> 01:18:41.279 like kind of diving into some of these articles, that's 1746 01:18:41.319 --> 01:18:43.399 what it really feels like. It's like, hey, let's send 1747 01:18:43.439 --> 01:18:45.079 something out there to get our name out a little 1748 01:18:45.079 --> 01:18:45.319 bit and. 1749 01:18:45.479 --> 01:18:47.319 Just you know, float it and see how it goes 1750 01:18:48.119 --> 01:18:50.079 all right, last thing here, let's see the last ten 1751 01:18:50.119 --> 01:18:52.960 minutes on this or more you know less probably, but 1752 01:18:53.079 --> 01:18:53.600 figure out here. 1753 01:18:53.800 --> 01:18:58.520 So in terms of like do we in your ideal 1754 01:18:58.560 --> 01:19:00.439 world here? Right? So we get through this and we 1755 01:19:00.560 --> 01:19:01.880 move forward, We're gonna have eighteens. 1756 01:19:01.920 --> 01:19:06.079 We've talked to Ohio. We do we move the Roughnecks 1757 01:19:06.199 --> 01:19:08.079 back over to the XFL conference? 1758 01:19:08.159 --> 01:19:09.840 Do we redo that? Do we keep them? 1759 01:19:09.920 --> 01:19:10.039 Now? 1760 01:19:10.239 --> 01:19:13.039 Is that too disruptive? Yeah? Like I said, Seattle, kind 1761 01:19:13.039 --> 01:19:13.960 of all that stuff in the mix. 1762 01:19:14.039 --> 01:19:16.520 But where do you I guess ideally now as we've 1763 01:19:16.560 --> 01:19:18.159 kind of read through everything before we get out, like, 1764 01:19:18.319 --> 01:19:20.239 what would you like to see here moving into six 1765 01:19:20.319 --> 01:19:21.000 and twenty seven? 1766 01:19:21.439 --> 01:19:24.239 Well, I would like to see a West Coast presence 1767 01:19:24.319 --> 01:19:26.000 like we talked about. I would like to see the 1768 01:19:26.039 --> 01:19:28.800 Houston Gamblers come back and be in the and be 1769 01:19:28.920 --> 01:19:32.279 in the USFL conference. I mean, I that was a 1770 01:19:32.479 --> 01:19:34.880 We've talked about this a lot about how that just 1771 01:19:34.920 --> 01:19:37.840 felt like a compromise somehow. I'm not sure the rough 1772 01:19:37.960 --> 01:19:40.680 Necks ip was as strong as the gamblers or vice versa. 1773 01:19:40.880 --> 01:19:44.640 Wherever the reason was mad chatter, thank you? Uh, but 1774 01:19:45.279 --> 01:19:49.000 I think you know what I would like to see 1775 01:19:49.119 --> 01:19:50.960 as we get into I would love to see four 1776 01:19:51.039 --> 01:19:52.720 more teams. That might be a lot to take on 1777 01:19:54.199 --> 01:19:56.880 an initial expansion. So what I do like about this 1778 01:19:57.239 --> 01:19:59.520 is if they stick to the plan what we think 1779 01:19:59.600 --> 01:20:02.000 they will, it'll be two teams in twenty six and 1780 01:20:02.039 --> 01:20:04.840 two teams in twenty seven. Now, again let's hope they're 1781 01:20:04.840 --> 01:20:07.840 still a league. I'm optimistic. I want to see a 1782 01:20:07.880 --> 01:20:10.640 lot of good things happen this year. First. That's one 1783 01:20:10.680 --> 01:20:13.479 thing I want to see is I want to see 1784 01:20:15.119 --> 01:20:17.840 even if the viewership is flat, I think it was 1785 01:20:17.960 --> 01:20:20.960 good enough that it was. It was successful with the 1786 01:20:20.960 --> 01:20:23.359 eight hundred and fifty thousand, and again we don't know 1787 01:20:23.439 --> 01:20:26.520 if that really included some of the streaming numbers. But 1788 01:20:26.600 --> 01:20:28.760 I think there's a lot of opportunity because as we know, 1789 01:20:28.840 --> 01:20:30.800 it is a league of opportunity. But I think there's 1790 01:20:30.800 --> 01:20:34.640 a lot of opportunity to have a stronger year than 1791 01:20:34.680 --> 01:20:36.399 they had last year, which I still think was a 1792 01:20:36.479 --> 01:20:40.520 very successful year and get to that where where expansion 1793 01:20:40.640 --> 01:20:43.079 makes sense and that these are you know, it's a 1794 01:20:43.159 --> 01:20:47.359 strong league that would will have a strong brand that's 1795 01:20:47.439 --> 01:20:49.520 not just the people that are you and I and 1796 01:20:49.600 --> 01:20:53.000 the people watching this. It's maybe a little bit more 1797 01:20:53.319 --> 01:20:56.560 more so and kind of growing in public perception. And 1798 01:20:56.640 --> 01:20:58.960 when you add teams, you add communities and cities, and 1799 01:20:59.000 --> 01:21:01.920 I think you add fans and that all that's that's 1800 01:21:01.920 --> 01:21:03.079 a rising tide right there. 1801 01:21:04.239 --> 01:21:05.119 Curious your thoughts. 1802 01:21:05.119 --> 01:21:06.920 And then Pat has a question about kind of reaching 1803 01:21:06.960 --> 01:21:10.399 out to ownership here. But I think in the in 1804 01:21:10.520 --> 01:21:13.359 the initial reports out and forgive me, now, it's like 1805 01:21:13.399 --> 01:21:15.279 a fever dream of go. But when the initial reports 1806 01:21:15.359 --> 01:21:16.840 came out of the merger and all that, and the 1807 01:21:16.960 --> 01:21:19.680 Ohio was in the mix, But then I believe Arizona 1808 01:21:19.880 --> 01:21:21.039 was in the mix, and I do. 1809 01:21:22.279 --> 01:21:23.880 Yeah, yeah, whether you know. 1810 01:21:23.960 --> 01:21:26.840 You relocate Seattle there you add a team, is that 1811 01:21:27.079 --> 01:21:30.720 far enough west coast? You're still Texas kind of adjacent there? 1812 01:21:30.880 --> 01:21:32.960 You're you're building, you know, it's like the Oregon Trail. 1813 01:21:32.960 --> 01:21:35.880 We're kind of building more. Does that do anything for you? 1814 01:21:36.039 --> 01:21:38.880 I don't love Arizona as a market. I mean, like, 1815 01:21:39.840 --> 01:21:42.800 the Cardinals are a great team, beat them yesterday, but 1816 01:21:42.920 --> 01:21:46.359 like it doesn't arizonthing doesn't feel like a hotbed of 1817 01:21:46.479 --> 01:21:49.800 I mean even the Diamondbacks like the World Series contending 1818 01:21:49.920 --> 01:21:54.119 right two seasons ago, Uh, really big drop off, right 1819 01:21:54.199 --> 01:21:56.079 and attendance all that. I mean, it feels like they're 1820 01:21:56.119 --> 01:21:57.640 more of a casual kind of market. There is my 1821 01:21:57.720 --> 01:22:00.079 point kind of thoughts on that of Arizona fits. 1822 01:21:59.840 --> 01:22:05.119 That I I like it. If it's not gonna be Seattle, Portland, 1823 01:22:05.199 --> 01:22:08.800 Oakland or San Diego. I think it is west enough. 1824 01:22:10.359 --> 01:22:13.319 You know, the Las Vegas thing. We got to stop 1825 01:22:13.399 --> 01:22:18.560 with this no more. But I mean, yes, it's west 1826 01:22:18.680 --> 01:22:21.239 enough I think to have for me. Anyway, as you asked, 1827 01:22:21.479 --> 01:22:24.279 if for a West coast presence, which I just think 1828 01:22:24.319 --> 01:22:26.800 you've got to get, you you've got to get something 1829 01:22:26.840 --> 01:22:30.439 more than you know, mostly Central time zone and a 1830 01:22:30.479 --> 01:22:31.800 couple in the Eastern time zone. 1831 01:22:32.800 --> 01:22:35.960 Yeah, yeah, in here says the Seattle, Oakland, San Diego, Vegas. 1832 01:22:36.199 --> 01:22:38.840 H I like Oakland. I think you can ride out, 1833 01:22:38.920 --> 01:22:41.560 especially falling off the A's now and everything. We were 1834 01:22:41.720 --> 01:22:44.159 just there for the Mariners. 1835 01:22:43.760 --> 01:22:47.239 Kind of last last homes, their last you know, whenever 1836 01:22:47.359 --> 01:22:49.960 home playing in Oakland and kind of all that stuff. 1837 01:22:50.000 --> 01:22:52.399 But man, that's a brutal market right now if you're 1838 01:22:52.399 --> 01:22:55.880 a sports fan there right The Warriors have moved the obviously, 1839 01:22:55.960 --> 01:22:57.920 the Raiders have moved that. The A's are moved, like 1840 01:22:58.479 --> 01:23:01.680 I think that's a no brainer. If you do the Coliseum, 1841 01:23:01.800 --> 01:23:02.680 they're probably not right. 1842 01:23:02.800 --> 01:23:05.680 That's huge. But other areas, I don't know. 1843 01:23:05.720 --> 01:23:07.359 I think, to me, Oakland, if you're not going to 1844 01:23:07.439 --> 01:23:09.720 do San Diego. But I do think I've heard this, like. 1845 01:23:10.159 --> 01:23:12.840 You can't do California and the taxes, and they were like, 1846 01:23:13.279 --> 01:23:15.119 you gotta suck it up and do it, like you 1847 01:23:15.399 --> 01:23:16.000 you have to. 1848 01:23:16.319 --> 01:23:18.359 I think at this point you have to say, Okay, 1849 01:23:18.399 --> 01:23:21.560 we're making an effort. If we care enough about expanding 1850 01:23:21.600 --> 01:23:23.760 and finding the right markets, we got to pay and 1851 01:23:23.840 --> 01:23:26.279 maybe you have to play those players and extra eight 1852 01:23:26.319 --> 01:23:29.479 percent or whatever the counterbalance that I don't think any 1853 01:23:29.600 --> 01:23:32.239 player would argue. If you're like if you and I 1854 01:23:32.359 --> 01:23:34.279 are both playing and I'm on the Texas team and 1855 01:23:34.359 --> 01:23:37.119 you're like, you're getting paid an extra six hundred dollars 1856 01:23:37.159 --> 01:23:38.680 a month, You're like, yeah, but they're going to take 1857 01:23:38.720 --> 01:23:41.399 it down taxes Like okay, Like we understand these things, 1858 01:23:41.880 --> 01:23:42.079 you know. 1859 01:23:42.680 --> 01:23:46.840 And maybe this is the old school thinking that we 1860 01:23:46.960 --> 01:23:49.640 don't need anymore. But to me, it's like, if you're 1861 01:23:49.680 --> 01:23:55.000 going to be a league that is taken seriously. I've 1862 01:23:55.079 --> 01:23:57.640 always thought you've got to have a Southern California team, 1863 01:23:57.680 --> 01:24:00.319 and you've got to have a Northeastern team where really 1864 01:24:00.399 --> 01:24:02.520 New York, I think you are New York, New Jersey 1865 01:24:02.920 --> 01:24:05.560 to me, I mean maybe that's not the mindset anymore. 1866 01:24:05.680 --> 01:24:08.439 I mean because again, we saw a lot of success 1867 01:24:08.520 --> 01:24:10.800 I think in a lot of and they hit a 1868 01:24:10.840 --> 01:24:12.960 lot of numbers here in the UFL this past year. 1869 01:24:13.039 --> 01:24:15.840 Without that, I think that could only add to it. 1870 01:24:16.000 --> 01:24:18.520 And when you have a place like Oakland. To me, 1871 01:24:19.600 --> 01:24:23.079 on the surface, now again I don't know the financials, 1872 01:24:23.119 --> 01:24:24.720 and as you said, I'm one of those guys like 1873 01:24:25.000 --> 01:24:27.000 I don't know about the taxes and all that. I 1874 01:24:27.880 --> 01:24:30.159 it to me just seems like, on the surface, what 1875 01:24:30.359 --> 01:24:34.359 a perfect market to put a team in because there's 1876 01:24:34.479 --> 01:24:36.840 so much opportunity there and there's got to be a 1877 01:24:36.920 --> 01:24:39.960 fan base who's hungry for professional sports. Again that you 1878 01:24:40.079 --> 01:24:41.720 know may be on any level. 1879 01:24:43.199 --> 01:24:45.039 Yeah, on here says, do you think they suck up 1880 01:24:45.039 --> 01:24:48.159 a New York cost before a West Coast expansion? 1881 01:24:48.880 --> 01:24:53.439 I if the West Coast is in California, they might 1882 01:24:53.840 --> 01:24:56.800 be you know, again we're talking finances. You're right, but 1883 01:24:56.960 --> 01:24:59.039 I think a New York cost would probably be a 1884 01:24:59.119 --> 01:25:02.640 lot less because they're not going to be They're not 1885 01:25:02.720 --> 01:25:04.960 going to be housed there. You know, they fly in 1886 01:25:05.159 --> 01:25:07.279 and you know, play the game, then fly back to Arlington. 1887 01:25:07.359 --> 01:25:09.720 So it might actually be cheaper to do that to 1888 01:25:09.840 --> 01:25:12.239 be in the New York, New Jersey area, and there's 1889 01:25:12.279 --> 01:25:14.680 a lot of places that they go that might be 1890 01:25:14.920 --> 01:25:17.720 a lot more cost effective than playing Unfortunately in a 1891 01:25:17.760 --> 01:25:18.640 place like Oakland. 1892 01:25:19.600 --> 01:25:22.199 Adil says, don't respect cashm and Field. John Lewis cash 1893 01:25:22.319 --> 01:25:23.680 that place. 1894 01:25:24.399 --> 01:25:27.079 A buddy of mine was on the broadcast crew of 1895 01:25:27.279 --> 01:25:29.479 the of one of the Las Vegas games, and he 1896 01:25:29.600 --> 01:25:32.319 does all kinds of of He he does all kinds 1897 01:25:32.319 --> 01:25:35.760 of you know, from Major League Baseball to to everything else. 1898 01:25:35.800 --> 01:25:38.039 He actually was worked. He actually worked on one of 1899 01:25:38.079 --> 01:25:41.319 the Alliance of American Football crews, which was a story 1900 01:25:41.399 --> 01:25:43.319 to itself, but he said Cashman Field was one of 1901 01:25:43.319 --> 01:25:45.880 the worst places he's ever been and it just the 1902 01:25:46.000 --> 01:25:48.960 sight lines were bad. The place was just not good 1903 01:25:49.640 --> 01:25:51.840 and it was so weird in Los I guess they 1904 01:25:51.960 --> 01:25:53.239 kept having bad weather there. 1905 01:25:54.319 --> 01:25:56.239 Well, I can't remember who it was, if it was 1906 01:25:56.359 --> 01:25:58.439 Matt Berry or someone else who was on the call, 1907 01:25:58.520 --> 01:26:00.600 and like he was on our show that next week, 1908 01:26:00.720 --> 01:26:02.439 like one of the guys that was I can't remember 1909 01:26:02.479 --> 01:26:05.439 it was him or uh Tom lougan Beilt one of 1910 01:26:05.479 --> 01:26:07.119 the guys they came on the show, but they were 1911 01:26:07.199 --> 01:26:07.960 in that structure. 1912 01:26:08.000 --> 01:26:10.640 I'm like, oh, how like what was that? They're like, dude, 1913 01:26:10.680 --> 01:26:14.279 that was scary like watching it on the show. Yeah, 1914 01:26:14.359 --> 01:26:16.159 it was very terrim I know, you know you can't 1915 01:26:16.199 --> 01:26:19.319 do that, but no, I yeah, I'm with you there. 1916 01:26:19.520 --> 01:26:21.279 But you know they got this stud ut vag we 1917 01:26:21.319 --> 01:26:23.520 got look at this, We got Van checking in here 1918 01:26:23.560 --> 01:26:27.159 in the chat. Van, I wore your jacket all over Vancouver, 1919 01:26:27.399 --> 01:26:30.159 your Marcus jacket with the your sleeves. I didn't get 1920 01:26:30.159 --> 01:26:32.000 as many comments from Evan and Andy as I would 1921 01:26:32.000 --> 01:26:33.840 have liked, but I did. And there was a stop 1922 01:26:33.920 --> 01:26:37.199 with San Diego. USSD has much less capacity, is currently 1923 01:26:38.439 --> 01:26:41.399 doing carecter about I would play it like like what 1924 01:26:41.720 --> 01:26:43.279 who was it is like we'll play in the parking 1925 01:26:43.319 --> 01:26:44.239 all on the soide of the road. 1926 01:26:44.279 --> 01:26:47.800 We don't right well? And I think, if I'm not mistaken, 1927 01:26:48.399 --> 01:26:50.800 was it San Diego. There was one of the markets 1928 01:26:50.840 --> 01:26:52.840 that had been kind of bandied about even you know 1929 01:26:52.960 --> 01:26:57.079 before all this, where they were building a new a 1930 01:26:57.199 --> 01:26:59.199 new soccer stadium that was either I think it was 1931 01:26:59.239 --> 01:27:02.239 a USL Stadium, So it feels like, you know some 1932 01:27:02.359 --> 01:27:04.159 of those venues, like well, there was some talk about, 1933 01:27:04.359 --> 01:27:06.880 you know in this that Louisville was a place that 1934 01:27:07.079 --> 01:27:09.199 had been brought up, and a lot of people were like, well, 1935 01:27:09.239 --> 01:27:12.680 Cardinal Stadium sixty thousand people, which Cardinal Stadium would be 1936 01:27:12.760 --> 01:27:14.720 great if you played a team there, but you also 1937 01:27:14.840 --> 01:27:18.039 have Lynn Family Stadium, which seats fifteen thousand and is 1938 01:27:18.079 --> 01:27:22.239 one of the nicest USL stadiums around. The only problem 1939 01:27:22.359 --> 01:27:25.520 is you have a USL team and an NWUSL team 1940 01:27:25.560 --> 01:27:29.439 that plays at Lynn Family Stadium, which would scheduling would 1941 01:27:29.439 --> 01:27:30.800 be a nightmare. And I don't know if they'd ever 1942 01:27:30.920 --> 01:27:33.239 let them do it, but I think some of these 1943 01:27:33.359 --> 01:27:36.000 USL teams, even though they play kind of at the 1944 01:27:36.039 --> 01:27:38.880 same time, there could be some opportunity to play in 1945 01:27:38.920 --> 01:27:40.600 those kinds of places. Yeah. 1946 01:27:40.640 --> 01:27:42.600 Yeah, I'm still talking about New York and I agree. 1947 01:27:42.640 --> 01:27:44.479 I've talked a lot with Sath in the front of 1948 01:27:44.520 --> 01:27:47.239 the show and all of that, and having both coasts, 1949 01:27:47.239 --> 01:27:50.279 but especially having New York and LA but really helps 1950 01:27:50.319 --> 01:27:53.159 your bottom line of TV ratings just having games from 1951 01:27:53.279 --> 01:27:55.319 New York, from the New York market, even if you're 1952 01:27:55.319 --> 01:27:58.319 only attracting you know, five percent of whatever the people like, 1953 01:27:58.399 --> 01:28:02.199 I just it's no offense to the memphisis of the world, 1954 01:28:02.359 --> 01:28:05.880 or even New Orleans or Birmingham. Like, you need markets 1955 01:28:05.920 --> 01:28:08.159 with a lot of people, even if it's if it's 1956 01:28:08.239 --> 01:28:10.199 the sixteenth thing on the minds of some of the 1957 01:28:10.239 --> 01:28:13.079 people there. You saw the Guardians games kind of might 1958 01:28:13.159 --> 01:28:15.439 cover them back in twenty twenty, Like even if you're 1959 01:28:15.479 --> 01:28:18.039 only getting a fraction, which is is funny to me 1960 01:28:18.119 --> 01:28:20.560 because that's kind of the thought process of spring football 1961 01:28:20.600 --> 01:28:23.960 in general. Right, the NFL gets, you know, one hundred 1962 01:28:24.039 --> 01:28:26.039 million people, and if we could just get a fraction 1963 01:28:26.199 --> 01:28:26.680 of that, like. 1964 01:28:27.439 --> 01:28:27.840 Here you go. 1965 01:28:28.119 --> 01:28:30.720 You know, just even if you're into New York, even 1966 01:28:30.720 --> 01:28:32.560 if you just get a fraction of that, Phillip, they're 1967 01:28:32.600 --> 01:28:34.399 not doing another Texas team. 1968 01:28:34.479 --> 01:28:35.079 We don't need more. 1969 01:28:35.560 --> 01:28:38.840 No, that's enough. Yeah, And it's not a zero sum game. 1970 01:28:39.039 --> 01:28:41.279 I mean you if you if you add a you know, 1971 01:28:41.399 --> 01:28:43.800 team in New York or whatever, it's not going to 1972 01:28:43.920 --> 01:28:46.560 take away from the Memphis or Birmingham's or Saint Louis 1973 01:28:46.720 --> 01:28:49.399 or anyone. I mean again, it's it's to me, it's 1974 01:28:49.399 --> 01:28:50.199 a rising tide. 1975 01:28:52.239 --> 01:28:53.319 Let's see here, Matt chatter. 1976 01:28:53.399 --> 01:28:55.199 I was talking about Buffalo and now we're getting some 1977 01:28:55.279 --> 01:28:59.399 things about this and then you know, yeah. 1978 01:28:59.359 --> 01:29:02.359 Rest branding, that's there is a Buffalo connection. You're right, 1979 01:29:02.600 --> 01:29:03.840 absolutely get that. 1980 01:29:04.000 --> 01:29:06.439 These I still don't understand that stadium they're building, Like 1981 01:29:06.479 --> 01:29:08.720 we're building a stadium that's smaller than the one we 1982 01:29:08.880 --> 01:29:10.880 have and it's not a dome and we're not I 1983 01:29:11.039 --> 01:29:12.800 just I don't I don't understand the thought. That's the 1984 01:29:12.840 --> 01:29:15.880 sorry for another day, Yeah, Jennifers. No, like it's I 1985 01:29:16.239 --> 01:29:18.119 mean all the way back to the Guardians again, and 1986 01:29:18.479 --> 01:29:21.960 people pooh pooh, right, like back in twenty twenty, everyone. 1987 01:29:21.760 --> 01:29:24.079 Pooh poo oh. The XFL attendants here is terrible. 1988 01:29:24.159 --> 01:29:27.920 Like you would die for Tampa Bay Viper attendants right now, 1989 01:29:28.000 --> 01:29:30.880 you would die for New York Guardians attendants. You would 1990 01:29:30.880 --> 01:29:33.560 die for the LA Wildcats attendants when you look at 1991 01:29:33.640 --> 01:29:37.119 like Memphis, right, So it's all relative. And I know 1992 01:29:37.199 --> 01:29:39.960 we talked the XFL viewership back in oh one versus whatever, 1993 01:29:40.039 --> 01:29:41.800 but this is a lot more apples to apples, So 1994 01:29:41.840 --> 01:29:42.399 you would. 1995 01:29:42.199 --> 01:29:44.159 Die for some of these ones that were deemed not 1996 01:29:44.399 --> 01:29:45.800 good enough back in twenty twenty. 1997 01:29:46.319 --> 01:29:49.119 Yeah, and you know that was the twenty twenty. I mean, 1998 01:29:49.159 --> 01:29:51.199 people will remember that was a that was kind of 1999 01:29:51.239 --> 01:29:53.359 a huge deal when they were because it was like, oh, 2000 01:29:53.680 --> 01:29:55.680 you know, spring football is really coming back. 2001 01:29:55.840 --> 01:29:56.000 You know. 2002 01:29:56.439 --> 01:29:59.800 The AAF was just a non contender, like this is 2003 01:30:00.079 --> 01:30:03.119 this is the real deal and yeah, and you you 2004 01:30:03.319 --> 01:30:06.199 had the New York and the LA markets and it 2005 01:30:06.399 --> 01:30:09.439 was just it was to me, that makes it bigger again. 2006 01:30:10.279 --> 01:30:13.279 And maybe that's old school me thinking that when you 2007 01:30:13.399 --> 01:30:15.239 have a league you got to have you know, a 2008 01:30:15.359 --> 01:30:17.359 New York in LA. But it just seems to me 2009 01:30:17.479 --> 01:30:19.319 like it just has always worked out that way. 2010 01:30:20.560 --> 01:30:23.680 Uh, We're for thirty now. Anything else, anything else, we 2011 01:30:23.720 --> 01:30:25.760 want to make sure I'm going to shower here before. 2012 01:30:26.000 --> 01:30:29.279 We got money at football. We've got right rocking there playing, 2013 01:30:29.359 --> 01:30:31.880 we got things having Dorothy's either way, anything else we 2014 01:30:31.920 --> 01:30:33.600 want to touch on any other thoughts here today? 2015 01:30:33.960 --> 01:30:36.399 No, But I'm always jealous of people on the West 2016 01:30:36.439 --> 01:30:38.800 Coast who get to watch Monday night football at like 2017 01:30:38.960 --> 01:30:41.600 what like five point fifteen. It's like seven thirty. It's 2018 01:30:41.600 --> 01:30:43.880 seven thirty here in Louisville right now, so I got 2019 01:30:44.000 --> 01:30:46.840 to wait, you know, it's I usually fall asleep by halftime. 2020 01:30:46.920 --> 01:30:49.680 So I'm jealous of you. So, but you know read, 2021 01:30:49.760 --> 01:30:52.039 I always love being on your show, and you and 2022 01:30:52.119 --> 01:30:54.159 I talk a lot offline. It's fun to talk here 2023 01:30:54.239 --> 01:30:57.079 and uh, you know, keep it PG rated as we 2024 01:30:57.760 --> 01:31:00.760 usually don't in our uh in our text chains and everything, 2025 01:31:00.800 --> 01:31:03.039 but it is it's always fun to talk about this 2026 01:31:03.279 --> 01:31:05.520 and this is newsworthy. This is not trying to make 2027 01:31:05.600 --> 01:31:09.119 something up. This is the UFL is talking about expansion, 2028 01:31:09.600 --> 01:31:11.479 and I think that is really good news for a 2029 01:31:11.520 --> 01:31:14.880 lot of Spring football fans because to me, spring football 2030 01:31:15.000 --> 01:31:19.439 has been as viable as it's ever been, you know, 2031 01:31:19.640 --> 01:31:23.439 maybe since the original USFL. And you know, even then 2032 01:31:23.520 --> 01:31:24.960 it was it was iffy, and there are a lot 2033 01:31:25.000 --> 01:31:27.279 of stories from that. But I just think that you know, 2034 01:31:27.399 --> 01:31:31.039 with this network ownership and and everybody behind it, that 2035 01:31:31.239 --> 01:31:33.239 it has an opportunity to grow. And we're starting to 2036 01:31:33.279 --> 01:31:35.319 see players go to the NFL. I just think this 2037 01:31:35.520 --> 01:31:37.840 is I think it's all positive right now, we'll see 2038 01:31:37.880 --> 01:31:38.359 what happens. 2039 01:31:38.920 --> 01:31:42.720 Yeah, and again, I really in this in this space, 2040 01:31:43.039 --> 01:31:45.640 and the same with the CFL. I mean, this is anything. 2041 01:31:45.680 --> 01:31:47.239 I mean, even the NFL, but they have a lot 2042 01:31:47.239 --> 01:31:48.720 of other stuff like this is. 2043 01:31:48.880 --> 01:31:54.680 The biggest click bait sugar candy rush, we're board, let's 2044 01:31:54.720 --> 01:31:57.880 talk expansion that you can do. So I hate to 2045 01:31:57.960 --> 01:32:00.399 get on that all the time because I just clake, 2046 01:32:00.479 --> 01:32:02.720 you know, even this Switzerland thing, like oh you're a 2047 01:32:03.239 --> 01:32:05.920 Sperder and you're like, you know you can do but 2048 01:32:06.119 --> 01:32:08.359 so but you know, when there's a press release, because 2049 01:32:08.399 --> 01:32:10.199 again I weren't going to do the stream. I mean 2050 01:32:10.239 --> 01:32:12.439 I I treated it out and I said, this leak's crazy. 2051 01:32:12.479 --> 01:32:14.680 I'm going back to bed, and Mac's like, oh, I 2052 01:32:14.720 --> 01:32:16.640 think we should talk about it, Mike, and they're all 2053 01:32:16.680 --> 01:32:18.319 going in the chat all day and like I said, 2054 01:32:18.319 --> 01:32:20.840 I was getting the text, but I laughed because in 2055 01:32:20.960 --> 01:32:22.960 our group chat and John, if you if you ever 2056 01:32:23.000 --> 01:32:24.920 got back on Twitter, we could incorporate you into that 2057 01:32:25.560 --> 01:32:26.279 on the Twitter. 2058 01:32:26.520 --> 01:32:28.359 Maybe maybe maybe one of these days. 2059 01:32:28.840 --> 01:32:31.600 But but but even on there, right, and this is 2060 01:32:31.720 --> 01:32:33.720 like the you know, the the UFL media. 2061 01:32:33.760 --> 01:32:35.319 I mean, as much as you want to joke about that, 2062 01:32:35.439 --> 01:32:38.039 but you know, this is a group and all day 2063 01:32:38.039 --> 01:32:39.840 in there, all the way about this and what about this. 2064 01:32:40.359 --> 01:32:42.319 I'm like, you guys, you know, because at the end 2065 01:32:42.359 --> 01:32:44.279 of the day, we're fans and we're all fans and 2066 01:32:44.279 --> 01:32:45.680 all that stuff, like you're just like. 2067 01:32:45.960 --> 01:32:48.159 You bought in. Like it worked. We're all talking about 2068 01:32:48.199 --> 01:32:50.800 the UFL today. I didn't think I'd be doing the podcast. 2069 01:32:51.159 --> 01:32:54.039 If that was the strategy, then yeah, it certainly worked. 2070 01:32:54.079 --> 01:32:55.680 And that's what a lot of people need to understand. 2071 01:32:55.760 --> 01:32:58.720 You know, we if we criticize the UFL or whatever, 2072 01:32:58.880 --> 01:33:01.279 it's because we want it to succeed. We're not. If 2073 01:33:01.319 --> 01:33:03.159 we didn't care, we wouldn't be talking. We wouldn't have 2074 01:33:03.199 --> 01:33:06.119 talked for an hour and a half about it. So, yeah, 2075 01:33:06.159 --> 01:33:09.239 we wanted to succeed. You're right, we're fans and you know, 2076 01:33:09.319 --> 01:33:11.239 hopefully there'll be a lot more that come aboard of 2077 01:33:11.359 --> 01:33:13.600 you know, in twenty twenty five, and you know this 2078 01:33:13.720 --> 01:33:14.560 thing might take off. 2079 01:33:15.399 --> 01:33:18.319 Uh So yeah, So anyone get ready for football. Everyone 2080 01:33:18.479 --> 01:33:20.159 I like and give a thumbs up to the stream. 2081 01:33:20.199 --> 01:33:22.800 Please if you can like and subscribe, subscribe if you 2082 01:33:22.880 --> 01:33:24.760 have it, we're gonna give away. Actually hung out with 2083 01:33:24.920 --> 01:33:28.560 Dustin in Vancouver. Dustin was there of Royal Retros. He 2084 01:33:28.720 --> 01:33:31.960 was there with his CFL PA. They've got that big 2085 01:33:32.000 --> 01:33:33.479 partnership now with Royal Retros. 2086 01:33:33.520 --> 01:33:34.520 But he was up there. 2087 01:33:34.560 --> 01:33:37.039 I we bysd with Dustin for about half an hour 2088 01:33:37.079 --> 01:33:38.600 at the bar, had a beer, and hung out. 2089 01:33:38.560 --> 01:33:39.920 Dorothy and I and him. So that was fun. 2090 01:33:39.960 --> 01:33:42.560 But we're gonna give away two custom jerseys when we 2091 01:33:42.640 --> 01:33:45.880 hit four thousand subscribers. We'll do a CFL one and 2092 01:33:46.000 --> 01:33:47.880 the UFL or we can do see it doesn't matter 2093 01:33:47.960 --> 01:33:49.560 to me, but we'll do two. So if you are like, 2094 01:33:49.600 --> 01:33:51.720 I don't I want to STFL, we can do all that. 2095 01:33:52.159 --> 01:33:54.279 But that's again I got I mean, he's already on 2096 01:33:54.399 --> 01:33:56.840 board and it's it's a great giveaway for me because 2097 01:33:56.840 --> 01:33:58.439 then he can just ship them right out to you. 2098 01:33:58.560 --> 01:34:00.600 You know, you can get custom whatever you want. I'll 2099 01:34:00.680 --> 01:34:03.000 cover all the costs and he'll ship it right out. 2100 01:34:03.039 --> 01:34:05.119 So like and subscribe if you want to be a 2101 01:34:05.199 --> 01:34:07.880 part of that. And then we're kind of TBD right now. 2102 01:34:08.039 --> 01:34:10.279 Once we get back into regular you know, kind of 2103 01:34:10.680 --> 01:34:13.399 preseason UFL probably in the new year, we'll be doing 2104 01:34:13.439 --> 01:34:16.079 the regular kind of weekly episodes, but right now it's 2105 01:34:16.159 --> 01:34:17.600 just whenever news came out. 2106 01:34:17.720 --> 01:34:19.159 I was traveling a lot this summer. 2107 01:34:19.640 --> 01:34:21.479 We kind of did the tail end of the CFL 2108 01:34:21.600 --> 01:34:24.960 through the Great Cup, but like, I wasn't home a 2109 01:34:25.079 --> 01:34:29.479 Monday or Friday like any of September October, so it 2110 01:34:29.600 --> 01:34:30.560 was hard to get all that done. 2111 01:34:30.600 --> 01:34:32.159 But we're back on the horse now, John, anything else 2112 01:34:32.159 --> 01:34:33.159 fround the plug? No. 2113 01:34:33.319 --> 01:34:35.319 I just really appreciate you having me on. It's always 2114 01:34:35.359 --> 01:34:38.079 good to talk to you about all things UFL and 2115 01:34:38.159 --> 01:34:38.800 everything else. 2116 01:34:39.279 --> 01:34:42.479 All Right, everyone, take care, let's go cracking. Let's go. 2117 01:34:42.840 --> 01:34:46.720 Who do we got is this age? We need chargers tonight. 2118 01:34:46.760 --> 01:34:48.520 We need Andy Murray, So we're pro. 2119 01:34:48.640 --> 01:34:51.239 Chargers, pro chargers. Okay, I'll go with it. 2120 01:34:51.520 --> 01:34:54.119 All right, We'll see you guys. John, Thanks, and we'll 2121 01:34:54.119 --> 01:34:54.720 see you next time.