WEBVTT 1 00:00:15.320 --> 00:00:19.120 Hey, y'all, welcome to another episode of Soccer for US. 2 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:22.760 I am Mark and on this episode we're gonna be 3 00:00:22.839 --> 00:00:28.000 chatting about well, it's MLS kickoff weekend, so we're going 4 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:30.079 to be chatting about not MLS, which is kind of funny. 5 00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:34.039 We are going to be talking about the USL United 6 00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:38.359 Soccer League, as you as the extrapolated name of it is, 7 00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:42.840 and their news that they are going to launch a 8 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:49.159 Division one men's league come twenty eight, So to talk 9 00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:53.520 about that with me on this episode is the greatest 10 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:56.719 historian on US soccer Twitter. It is Thomas aka us 11 00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:59.200 Key for US. Good evening, How are you this evening? 12 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:04.439 I'm doing fine, cold up here in the Northeast, so 13 00:01:06.280 --> 00:01:09.840 MLS season kicking off might hopefully give me a little 14 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:15.560 warmth of my soccer socker heart to get me through 15 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:18.760 these cold winter days. 16 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:21.519 It is. Indeed, I will be at a tailgate this 17 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:25.400 Saturday for Atlanta Nights home opener and the lowest twenty seven, 18 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:28.920 the highest forty nine, so that'll be a fun Saturday. 19 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:31.719 Hopefully it's closer to forty nine. And when we're tail dating. 20 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:37.400 Also joining us is the man who is the lead 21 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:40.319 soccer writer for Bluff City Media and the host of 22 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:42.640 the nine er one Soccer podcast, which is also on 23 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:46.519 the Bluff City Media Network. It is Lawrence Docker. You've 24 00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:48.640 heard him on here before. Lawrence, welcome back. 25 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:49.560 Thank you. 26 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:53.560 Not to rub salt in any wounds, but you're not 27 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.200 really part of USL anymore, but you have a lot 28 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:02.760 of valuable insight and I think you're particular. Also, maybe grudge, 29 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:06.480 if I put it that way nicely, might come into 30 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:07.959 play here tonight. 31 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:09.439 Well I don't. 32 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:11.240 I don't know that any of the parties involved that 33 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:13.360 we're going to be talking about tonight, I necessarily hold 34 00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:15.520 a grudge against any of them. My grudge is more 35 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:18.599 against the Memphis Grizzlies. But you know they operate, They 36 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:22.719 operate like a certain Italian organization from the seventies in 37 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:24.479 New York. So I better not say too much or 38 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:26.120 they're going to find me in the back of a 39 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:33.280 car somewhere. But no, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll end 40 00:02:33.319 --> 00:02:36.199 up in the river. You know, Memphis nine I want 41 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:39.400 to see, unfortunately no longer part of the USL. You know, 42 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:42.159 I covered them from day one, like their very first game, 43 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:45.439 all the way until their last game, probably think probably 44 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:48.919 close to eighty ninety something Memphis nine to one to 45 00:02:48.919 --> 00:02:50.520 see home games. I got to go on the road 46 00:02:50.599 --> 00:02:52.800 several times and cover them I think maybe three or 47 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:56.479 four times. So that was that was always a lot 48 00:02:56.520 --> 00:02:59.800 of fun. And we can talk about my experiences and 49 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:02.840 so of those red games. I'm sure that'll become important 50 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:06.319 later tonight. But yeah, it's it's when this when this 51 00:03:06.439 --> 00:03:08.680 story broke, I just it's it's one of those ones 52 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:13.719 where I just I just want why, Like what what? Why? 53 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:19.759 Why is the question that we're hopefully I don't know 54 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:22.319 if we'll answer it, because only I think a select 55 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:24.439 group of people know. But we're going to talk about it. 56 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:27.120 But before we answer that, I can't answer the why 57 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:29.000 not Well. 58 00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:32.400 We probably all can. Before we get into that, Thomas, 59 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:35.199 I got to ask you, man, we watched the last 60 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:37.759 time we recorded. We were keeping up with a twenty 61 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:42.080 two to nothing drubbing by the US U seventeen national 62 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:44.560 team over the British, the US version I keep calling 63 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:46.919 them the British version Islands, the US Virgin Islands. We 64 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:51.919 owned them and we beat them that badly real quick. 65 00:03:52.439 --> 00:03:56.759 They qualify for the U seventeen World Cup. They conceded 66 00:03:56.879 --> 00:04:03.439 zero goals the entire tournament, they scored thirty Did I 67 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:04.120 do the math right? 68 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:07.879 I think it's twenty nine knowledge one that no knowledge one, 69 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:09.719 that's thirty thirty one. 70 00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:14.840 Yeah, three. They scored a lot of goals, Thomas. Look, 71 00:04:15.960 --> 00:04:18.680 the competition was what it was, But I just want 72 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:23.959 to know your thoughts on the guys and what this 73 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:27.560 means for them and as we look forward at now 74 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:30.879 the U seventeen World Cup that we've officially qualified for. 75 00:04:31.959 --> 00:04:33.480 Yeah, I mean it's always good to qualify for the 76 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:37.480 World Up for these young for these young U seventeen players. 77 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:42.399 I mean the Cuba match was the most competitive match to. 78 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:45.439 Nil win for them. I don't think we took a 79 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:46.680 lot from that. In general. 80 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:50.079 There are some players that you'll probably want to watch, uh, 81 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:54.920 you know, out of this group. But it's just I'm 82 00:04:54.959 --> 00:04:57.839 disappointed that we didn't have a knockout stage of the tournament. 83 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:01.519 You know, fine, have your have qualifying, but also to 84 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:04.519 have a knockout stage for these players to kind of experience. 85 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:07.199 That level of tournament heading into that tournament. 86 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:10.079 So because eight and eighteens qualified, so it's it's a 87 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:14.480 big group from Cockcaff heading to this h you know, 88 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:16.639 uh you seventeen World Cup. 89 00:05:17.959 --> 00:05:22.800 Yeah, it definitely given the expanded field, this was the 90 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:27.319 most logical way to determine eight qualify qualifiers. But I'm 91 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:29.319 with you, I wish we would have had some sort 92 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:34.160 of a knockout round, because you know, it's just more fun, Lawrence, 93 00:05:34.199 --> 00:05:35.800 like I said, I don't think you could look at 94 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:38.360 this and go, wow, that was we learned something. I mean, 95 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:41.240 the Cube game was was at least competitive, but even 96 00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:44.639 then it's like what will re we We had to 97 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:50.199 not lose, which was unlikely to happen anyway, but hey, 98 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:51.399 we got the job done. 99 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.720 Yeah, and it's it's it's one where you know, that's 100 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:57.160 what you're You're just scrolling through the Twitter feed and 101 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:01.000 I saw it was like half like seventeen nothing. I said, 102 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:04.560 hang on, time out now wait hey now, but so 103 00:06:04.759 --> 00:06:09.519 I mean, scoring that many goals, good, winning all your games, good, 104 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:15.240 Conceding zero goals good. I'm with both of you, guys. 105 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:17.160 I do wish that maybe there had been some sort 106 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:24.000 of knockout stage. Maybe probably might have gone roughly the 107 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:26.560 same way as the group stage. But that's where the 108 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:29.759 pressure gets cooked cranked up, is in the knockout rounds. 109 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:33.279 That's where you know, the games matter more than they 110 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:35.279 do in the group stage and it's winner go home. 111 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:39.720 I think having that level of pressure cooker type experience 112 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:44.399 is nothing but a good thing going into and again 113 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:46.399 this is this is the U seventeens. I mean I 114 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:48.160 refere you seventeen games all the time. 115 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:52.000 So sorry, how many of the teams that you referee 116 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:54.759 could have beat the US Virgin Islands? Like, let's let's 117 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:55.319 be really. 118 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:01.319 Like regular weekend tournament to Mike Rose, maybe not a 119 00:07:01.319 --> 00:07:04.839 whole lot, but you get to events like President's Cup 120 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:08.759 and Regionals and Nationals. Yeah, I think there are any 121 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:10.800 any number of them. Probably not too. 122 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:13.959 That was my unfortunate thought the whole time was like, man, 123 00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:16.319 I've some of the e CNL teams that I get, 124 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:27.279 you know, some of the NAL teams. The Yeah, anyway, 125 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:29.839 we got the job done. That's what matters. The women 126 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:35.759 will have their U seventeen qualifiers coming up in April? 127 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:37.879 Did I get that right? 128 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:38.600 Yeah? 129 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:41.879 And up March thirty, first start April. It starts in April, 130 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:47.560 so that'll be a hopefully a summer Lily, I don't 131 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:51.319 want to say dismissive, but guaranteed path to the World Cup. 132 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:55.959 That would be great. That is done. So let's that 133 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:59.319 has done. So let's move on to what we actually 134 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:05.040 came here to talk about. The United Soccer League announced 135 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:08.279 last week right before Valentine's Day, they were showing some 136 00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:10.040 love to the soccer world that they are going to 137 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:14.319 take a quote bold step forward with the launch of 138 00:08:14.360 --> 00:08:20.000 a Division one professional men's league. First off Division one. 139 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:22.199 Obviously they have a League one. What does that mean? Well, 140 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:25.079 Division one is what MLS is, right, it is what 141 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:28.199 the English Premier League is. It is what La Liga is, 142 00:08:28.199 --> 00:08:31.439 It's what lega MK says. It's basically the designation that 143 00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:34.720 US Soccer gives to the quote top flight league. 144 00:08:34.840 --> 00:08:35.000 Right. 145 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:37.559 There are standards you have to meet. We will talk 146 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:40.919 about those in a bit, but in theory, it's the 147 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:45.840 league that's at the top of the pyramid. US Soccer 148 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:48.320 only has one of those right now, it is MLS. 149 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:51.080 There have been others that have tried in the past, 150 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:57.519 including an ASL well Air Quotes tried tried to form 151 00:08:57.879 --> 00:09:04.159 a Division one pessional league and for many different reasons, 152 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:08.360 were unable to do that. Obviously, the most recent example 153 00:09:08.440 --> 00:09:11.919 of NASL went to court over this because they claimed 154 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:16.399 that US Soccer and MLS formed a monopoly structure that 155 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:20.120 only allowed MLS to have Division one status because of 156 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:24.879 those professional league standards, and the court basically told NASL 157 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:27.440 that didn't try hard enough. And while that may or 158 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:32.639 may not be true, it's mostly true. The reality is 159 00:09:32.679 --> 00:09:37.360 that they do have standards that you have to meet 160 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:40.159 to meet to become a Division one league because we 161 00:09:40.200 --> 00:09:46.320 do not have promotion and relegation. US Soccer League's plans 162 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:49.840 are to launch this league in twenty twenty seven eight, which, 163 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:54.600 if you're counting at home, is two to three years away, 164 00:09:55.159 --> 00:09:58.440 and that is going to be kind of the focus 165 00:09:58.519 --> 00:10:02.799 of our conversation tonight is can they pull it off? Because, 166 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:06.159 as I mentioned, others have tried in the past, MLS, 167 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:11.960 let's be roll honest, almost didn't do it for the 168 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:13.919 first couple of years. I mean, it took a while 169 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:17.039 for MLS to become solvent and to become profitable and 170 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:22.519 to become legitimate. There is obviously an upharel bat battle 171 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:26.120 for USL. But I'll first start and then I'll put 172 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:28.240 this to you all as the actual question. But I 173 00:10:28.279 --> 00:10:30.720 will say the question is why are they doing this? 174 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:34.320 And they gave us the answer of they're bringing the 175 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:38.159 highest level of soccer to more communities, elevating the sport 176 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:41.960 and taking another step towards aligning with the global game, 177 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:45.799 providing more opportunities. That is the subhead of their press release. 178 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:51.360 But Lawrence, maybe you have a better answer of why 179 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:52.360 is USLL doing this? 180 00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:54.799 I don't. 181 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:56.639 I don't. I don't know that I do have a 182 00:10:56.679 --> 00:11:02.320 better answer, because it's it doesn't make any sense to me. 183 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:07.279 It's it's just there's there's there's there's no reason to 184 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:11.360 do this. There's just not and and we'll touch on 185 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:12.840 I don't want to want to blow the whole show 186 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:16.480 here in the first fifteen minutes, but I mean, I 187 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:20.559 guess nominally you want to take the game to more places, 188 00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:24.799 which on the surface is a good thing. I don't 189 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:28.320 know what in your existing league structure is preventing you 190 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:31.759 from doing that right now instead of waiting until two 191 00:11:31.799 --> 00:11:37.039 thy twenty whatever. One of the I have. I have 192 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:40.720 a litany of concerns. I have a host of questions. 193 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:48.159 And like every new startup league whatever, you can go 194 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:51.320 back and watch any number of sports docks on Netflix. 195 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:54.360 One of the biggest concern right now should be they're 196 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:57.279 not giving themselves nearly enough runway to get this off 197 00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:00.639 the ground. I mean you're talking, I mean, you got 198 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:03.159 the World Cup here next year, and you want to 199 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:05.720 launch a new league the year after that. 200 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:06.639 That is. 201 00:12:08.360 --> 00:12:10.559 I think that's that's a recipe for disaster. I think 202 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:14.720 this might end up going the way of the old, 203 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:18.600 the original XFL, where they gave themselves no time to 204 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:21.639 do anything and it was a success for a day 205 00:12:22.519 --> 00:12:24.120 and then and then it imploded. 206 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:24.480 So I. 207 00:12:26.679 --> 00:12:29.120 My gut tells me this is what they think they 208 00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:32.120 need to do to capitalize on the World Cup being 209 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:36.200 in the United States, and it is my belief, in 210 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:41.279 my opinion, that it is folly because there's already like 211 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:46.679 they would be much better served stabilizing what they have 212 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:51.600 and bettering their existing product than trying to add to 213 00:12:51.639 --> 00:12:56.840 it and essentially newter some of the best things that 214 00:12:56.879 --> 00:12:57.519 they have going. 215 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:02.279 That's a great point that Thomas, you and I have 216 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:05.759 talked about this. It very clearly seems like the why 217 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:12.000 is to capitalize on the World Cup. But isn't it 218 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:16.759 fair to say, well, you can still you know, put 219 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:19.879 soccer in more communities and capitalize on the excitement of 220 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:25.320 the World Cup while just having Division two and three teams. 221 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:29.679 You can, I mean, and I think the model is 222 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:32.639 challenging because they have to again we'll get into it, well, 223 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:36.759 you have to meet certain minimum requirements for for uh, 224 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:40.440 you know, Division one status, and I think that's I 225 00:13:40.440 --> 00:13:43.159 think that's where they're going to fall short. I don't 226 00:13:43.159 --> 00:13:45.360 know if an exception for a period of time, but 227 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:48.120 you know, to Lawrence's point, they are they're very much 228 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.960 rushing into this. I mean, you can't. It's not like, oh, 229 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:52.879 we've got to do it now. Because I think they 230 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:55.919 have a unique brand. I think I think they are 231 00:13:56.320 --> 00:14:00.960 properly set up to go to promotion relegation in terms 232 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:03.919 of just how it's set up. I mean, yes, they 233 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:06.519 don't have huge stadiums from for most of these sorts 234 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:08.919 of things, but like it is unique, a unique product, 235 00:14:09.080 --> 00:14:12.039 and it's more accessible than MLS in a lot of 236 00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:12.720 ways to be able. 237 00:14:12.600 --> 00:14:17.000 To watch the matches. Right, So like like take that uniqueness. 238 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:19.080 I understand it's maybe a money grab a little bit, 239 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:23.960 but you know, learn from the NASL. You know, they 240 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:24.799 could not do it. 241 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:27.279 They had eight years, you know, when they came back 242 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:31.159 in twenty eleven, and they weren't able to really hold 243 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:35.480 it and you know, MLS is growing, it still growing 244 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:38.960 very rapidly with you know, their teams, and I. 245 00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:42.440 Think I think there may be ulterior motives. 246 00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:44.639 Personally, I don't know if they're trying to try to 247 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:46.759 align with the MLS in some way and trying to 248 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:47.840 partner with them a little bit. 249 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:50.360 I think there's an opportunity there, but I just don't know. 250 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:54.799 If it's just trying to, you know, trying to capitalize 251 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:57.399 on that World Cup, because if you were going to 252 00:14:57.480 --> 00:14:59.679 do that, you should have started four years ago. 253 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:03.480 Yeah, And just to be clear, I don't think trying 254 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:05.799 to capitalize on hosting a home World Cup is a 255 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:10.120 bad idea at all. I think everything that's basically been 256 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:12.320 now that I don't have a team to cover on 257 00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:15.480 a regular basis, a professional team. I still got the 258 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:19.399 University of Memphis Go Tigers. But essentially, like the last 259 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:21.840 four podcasts I've done for the Not on One Soccer 260 00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:25.200 podcast have all been how do you capitalize on a 261 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:28.759 home World Cup in the United States? So USL should 262 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:33.159 absolutely be doing something. I just don't think this is it, 263 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:35.080 and I as a matter of fact, I think this 264 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:38.080 is not it, and I just when this news broke. 265 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:40.679 Last Thursday, I did an episode of the nine to 266 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:42.600 one Soccer podcast which went up today. You can go 267 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:45.080 check it out on Twitter at not one Soccer Pod 268 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:46.039 atl dot nine three. 269 00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:46.799 Uh. 270 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:49.519 But that I was a little kind of just firing 271 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:52.279 from the hip on that one, since you know, the 272 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:57.600 details were still emerging. But yes, try to capitalize on 273 00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:02.159 a home World Cup, just not by launching a new league. 274 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:07.480 It needs to be solidifying and stabilizing what you already have, 275 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:10.080 because let's be real, there's been a lot of tumult 276 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:13.799 and up evil in the teams just within the USL Championship. 277 00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:15.960 That's I was involved in that league for six years. 278 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:18.480 In that time, there were a lot of teams that 279 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:23.159 that were there that are now dead, most recently San 280 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:26.240 Diego Oil, Real, Grand Valley and my beloved Memphis nine 281 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:31.200 on ONEFC dead. And I don't know how creating a 282 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:36.559 new league solves these problems that are very real, Thomas. 283 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:39.879 You just got a USL team in your state, Portland, 284 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:47.519 Heart's Pine their USL League one. They're going to be 285 00:16:47.559 --> 00:16:51.000 starting this year. They have had a great start. That 286 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:57.679 to me is the great distinguishing factor of the USL 287 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:00.360 system is and it's part of this press release, part 288 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:03.360 of their kind of mission. They they talk about the 289 00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:09.880 deep community ties and quote bringing professional soccer to more markets, 290 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:11.599 including mid sized cities. 291 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:12.039 Right. 292 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:19.119 Obviously Major League Soccer MLS is targeting major metropolis, right, 293 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:21.880 that's kind of their thought process because they want to 294 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:26.519 grab the biggest markets in the country. So if USL 295 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:31.119 right now for the most part is grabbing and bringing 296 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:38.440 soccer into those tertiary, secondary and tertiary markets, is do 297 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:41.119 you do you think that that is? 298 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:43.799 I don't. 299 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:45.880 I Like I'm moving from the why because I just 300 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:48.079 want to ask you personally, as someone who's kind of 301 00:17:48.119 --> 00:17:52.079 in that realm, like, is that something that is going 302 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:54.640 to make you want to support Hearts of Pine more 303 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:58.559 if they could possibly be in the USL Premiership or 304 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:01.440 whatever they call it two years time? 305 00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:02.079 Right? 306 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:03.759 I mean I think it's you know, I think it's 307 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:06.599 a logistical challenge. I mean, I think there's there's there's 308 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:09.000 interest in that. But I mean to the largest point, 309 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.480 I think it's I don't know the exact number, so 310 00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:15.160 you know, but there's over thirty teams in the USL 311 00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:19.319 that since twenty eleven that that that have coming on, right, 312 00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:22.880 So and you know, some some last season. Some you know, 313 00:18:23.079 --> 00:18:25.640 the longest is what seven or eight seasons, and so 314 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:28.200 they don't last all that long. So they get the 315 00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:31.359 quick hit and the interest, but how that they're not 316 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:37.599 sustaining that fan base for whatever reason. And so to 317 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:39.720 say we're going to try to do this again, you're 318 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:42.279 gonna get a first couple of years, you're gonna get 319 00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:44.839 some hits, you know, I imagine in Portland is a 320 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:49.319 huge you know, in Portland, Maine, there's huge interest in 321 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:51.079 this right now. But I want to see what it 322 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.400 looks like in four years, right I want to see 323 00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:56.039 what that interest if it remains, because you know, we 324 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:59.240 have minor league sports teams in the area. We've got 325 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.799 you know, hockey, baseball, basketball type teams, and you know, 326 00:19:02.839 --> 00:19:05.039 the draw is inconsistent. 327 00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:07.960 They're not crazy draws on that. So how are you 328 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:11.680 going to build that fan base in that way? 329 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:15.960 You're gonna from a sustainability perspective, right, because there's only 330 00:19:16.119 --> 00:19:20.400 so much time, so much money, and so many people 331 00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:22.279 that are going to come to these sorts of things 332 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:25.160 on a long term basis. So I think that's where 333 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:28.160 the market struggles. 334 00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:31.920 I mean, how you know, look at the mls. 335 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:35.799 They had the most attendance last year, but that's because 336 00:19:35.799 --> 00:19:39.079 of Messy, right, So when you look at these things, 337 00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:42.559 how is it sustainable. I don't know what their market 338 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:49.559 strategy is to help build that, but I think, you know, again, 339 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:51.880 they would be interested in it, but for how long 340 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:52.400 I don't know. 341 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:54.279 I just don't think that. 342 00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:58.160 I don't think that we have the population to support 343 00:19:58.920 --> 00:19:59.920 something of that nature. 344 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:00.920 I would love to see it. 345 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:04.200 I mean, there was a group in Maine that's tried, 346 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:07.119 that had tried. Their vision was to have a USL 347 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:10.559 you know, lower level teams within thirty minutes of each other, 348 00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:12.119 so you sentially you could go to a game whenever 349 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:14.960 you wanted, you'd have it at these local stadiums. I 350 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:16.920 love the concept of that, right, if there was a 351 00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:18.920 game on a night and like, hey, let's go. I 352 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:20.400 mean I go to as many high school games as 353 00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:22.880 I can because I want to be around soccer. But 354 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:26.599 that's me and logistically, if it makes sense and the 355 00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:29.440 time's right, I'll go to the I'll go to the games. 356 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:31.599 But I don't know how that it's going to be 357 00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:36.720 long term for any of these markets. I mean, some 358 00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:39.160 are more sustainable, don't it look at Lawrence's market. I mean, 359 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:42.079 I that's shocking, like I mean shocking. 360 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:45.960 I mean they started out gangbusters. The first year, I 361 00:20:45.960 --> 00:20:47.400 think not I want to see his attendance was like 362 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:51.039 sixty eight hundred people a game, and then by twenty 363 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:53.720 twenty four it was down to I have the number 364 00:20:53.799 --> 00:20:56.440 right here in front of me, it was twenty eight 365 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:00.000 to seventy four. And there's there's a lot of reasons 366 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:02.519 for that, and I've kind of beaten that horse to 367 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:06.000 death on my show, but that a lot of the 368 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:08.880 problems that nine on NFC had are not unique to 369 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:13.599 nine on ONEFC within the USL Championship, and I would 370 00:21:13.640 --> 00:21:17.440 imagine also not unique when you even get down to 371 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:22.359 USL League one and USL League two. So it's it's 372 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:25.759 again it comes back to there's a lot of instability. 373 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:27.799 There's still a lot of question marks. A lot of 374 00:21:27.799 --> 00:21:30.160 these teams are getting by by the skin of their 375 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:35.440 ass on a yearly basis, and I think the league, 376 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:38.200 be it the Championship, League one, League two, would be 377 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:43.000 much better served if the emphasis was on stabilizing and 378 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:47.559 bettering what already exists than trying to pull something out 379 00:21:47.559 --> 00:21:48.799 of your ass in a year and a half. 380 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:56.680 Let's talk about those professional league standards and really the 381 00:21:57.359 --> 00:22:01.039 meat of what has to be accomplished. Because to be USL, 382 00:22:01.559 --> 00:22:04.880 both championship in League one meet professional league standards because 383 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:06.799 they are pros and most of them are blanket like, 384 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:10.160 you have to do certain things. There are certain things 385 00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:13.079 that a Division one league needs to achieve. One of 386 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:16.039 those is they need to have twelve teams to start 387 00:22:16.440 --> 00:22:18.839 and fourteen total teams by year three. This is for 388 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:23.559 the men's side. Seventy five percent of the league must 389 00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:27.519 be in the US. I don't think this is going 390 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:30.599 to be trying to reach Canada or any other country, 391 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:32.440 so I don't think we need to worry about that. 392 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:34.880 But also seventy five percent of the league needs to 393 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:39.039 be in a metro statistical area of a million plus. 394 00:22:39.960 --> 00:22:47.200 Now I will say there are twelve non MLS msas 395 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:53.559 of a million plus there are. Does that still mean 396 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:55.759 that it's a viable community. I don't know that's to 397 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:56.480 be to be done. 398 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:01.079 That's that's where the USL Championship already is right in 399 00:23:01.160 --> 00:23:03.839 right and the biggest cities that MLS isn't. 400 00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:07.720 In the next thing, and this is the real crux 401 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:10.119