Happy Half Hour Episode 6: MLS Brand Launch

the Charlotte MLS team is going to be named. We we've got the crest, we've got the colors, we've got the name. So so excited to talk about that with both of you. Um. But but first and foremost, everyone doing well. Okay, don't sounds so excited, Miles. You know, no, it was good, you know. I well, I spent the last I spent last week up in Cleveland and got to see my mom for a little bit and was still working up there. But yeah, so it was nice

to be around another human for a little bit. And I'm not so I guess I'm back to my my normal. You know. I got you, I got you. Yeah, good for the soul. Getting to to see parents, no doubt about it, getting to see family, especially in these times. So let's jump right into it. Um. We have learned a lot in the past few days about what training camp is going to look like, what it might look like.

Testing has started, um, especially with the rookies. So Miles, why don't you fill us in on the latest and what we know now about what the NFL and NFL p A have agreed to and and where we still um have room for negotiations. Yeah, so I guess let's just start with what we know about where the Panthers are. So good thing earlier that happened. This that happened earlier this week, all the rest of the Panthers rookie draft

picks signed their contracts. So all those guys from the second to seventh round, you know, the true gross Mattos of the world, Jeremy Chin, etcetera, etcetera. Those guys signed their contracts. So that's good. I think that you know, we already saw Derrick Brown had signed his contract. That was all the way back in May. So that's one thing that that's good for the Panthers. Okay, now, what happens, they have they technically reported yet, I mean yes, kind

of um. But at the same time, at this point, what we know is that with the latest agreement between the NFL and the and the nfl PA, so players need to take to COVID nineteen tests separated by at least seventy two hours, and you have to test negative for each of those things before you can enter the facility.

So the first day at this point, since players have already these rookies have already started to get tested, first day that they would possibly be able to get into the building would be Saturday in order to take their physical. So that's where we are with the Panthers right now. And I think if you look at where the veterans come into play, as they start to get integrated into more things over the course of the next week, then it's going to be the same. You have to get

one test. Basically, what happens is they're going to drive, they drive up to the stadium, they get swabbed, um, and then they drive away, and then you have to get another test basically in the exact same way seventy two hours later. So right now it's basically trying to get into the process of everybody even being possibly able to get into the stadium. Coaches are going through that same process as well, So that's where the Panthers are now.

As we sort of expand that to a league wide view, it's at this point we're not expected to see any preseason games. That's something that the NFL has apparently offered the NFL p A, and that's something that the p A has been pushing for for a long time because, as they put it, there's no health and safety reason that you need to have preseason games, and everything right now should be focused on health and safety. So that's also something that it appears that we are going to see.

I don't believe it is finalized as we're recording this though, at about you know, twelve thirty Eastern time here on Wednesday, July twenty two, So, but I expect that we'll see that finalized um certainly very soon. And also as I'm creating these reports, it looks like they're probably going to be only eighty players in training camp, which is kind of interesting, especially because look in the off season, if ninety players on your roster, that's pretty standard. The Panthers

have eighty eight right now. So flatly, it just means that eight guys are going to lose their jobs without ever being able to be on the field for this coaching staff. And honestly, that's just kind of stinks, um because you never really got to show what you can

do now later on. There are also these rumors that there could be up to sixteen guys on a practice squad um, so that could give you basically a little roster flexibility to up to about seventy one players between fifty three they're on the standard roster, the with this new cb A, you basically have two guys, uh that are more flex players and usually on the offensive line as I understand it, so that gives you kind off and then with the sixteen that would take you up

to seventy one. So I know that's a lot of information and I feel like I was talking for a really long time. That's sort of where we are in terms of what this picture can look like heading into the season, and there still is a lot yet to

be determined. I think he summed it up great. There's a lot of information to go through in a lot of points that are being negotiated, and I thought you did a great job summing it up, and you were talking for a while, but I would have gone on for ten minutes longer, truly trying to get all those points across. So a plus job on that. And then of course one of the big things that I did want to mention that is still being negotiated as the

ramp up process. Um, once testing is over, the n f l p A wants a longer time in terms of strength and conditioning. Um, Myles, you mentioned that the no preseason games, but there is a there is right now, um, a separation in terms of what they want that schedule to look like once we actually get into a real training camp. Um, well, what do you make of all this? Because you know there are still so many unanswered questions.

But it does feel like I remember when we recorded this last week, there was so much we didn't know. It does feel like now the ball is starting to get rolling. We really have some some real answers, more answers on things than not. You know, I think it's it's definitely a fingers crossed scenario. Things feel better this week, you know, hopefully we continue to feel even better next week. You know, I think as guys start to get tested.

You're going to start to see all the reports of you know, X number of of NFL players, you know, test positive. UM. You know that that was the same thing that happened when UM NBA players reported down to UH to the bubble in Orlando. UM. You know, hopefully that that number isn't too big and hopefully everyone's relatively safe within it. But those things are going to start happening.

We're gonna start that. I mean, we all understand this intellectually, but I think the term training camp it just is so out the window. You know, everyone's so used to all right, this week means we're all going down to

spartanburg By. You know, there's the opening night practice. Everyone's got you know, the shelves on and they're going through this and you know then you know, pads come on three days later and you're on the hill and you're watching practice and you know, all we know, we know that that's all gone, but until it starts happening and they're like, wow, this is really not training camp anymore. You know, this is what April was used to be, you know, which is conditioning, it's lifting, it's it's all

of those things in different groups. To try to be somewhat socially distant. You know what we're able to talk about. These things are different. You know, we're not doing necessarily training camp observations or practice reports. Uh, you know, all that's going to be different, so at least for the first little bit um for the first couple of weeks. So it's just it's going to be a shock to the system, but at the same time, hopefully things continue

in a positive direction. The league comes together, the players come together. They there's so many things to figure out. You know, obviously they figured out some where they seem to have right now, but there's there's still a laundry list of details they have to start ironing out before we get to September, and will certainly be you know, keeping an eye on on all of that. I'm sure more news will be coming out within the next few days as they continue these talks and continue to come

to an agreement on certain things. But you know, of course, the health and safety of the players and their families is the most important thing, and so it's it's nice to see that we are getting to a place where the NFL and NFL p A can agree on training measures that the players feel are are safe for them to go back in and start this process. Um so, yeah, absolutely, um So one thing, like, I want to add one

thing off what Will was saying. So basically, as our understanding is right now, with that ramp up period, that would be somewhere in the realm of like ten issue to thicken issue days of practice, and the players want it to be a little bit longer. They want to twenty one days of the ramping up periods. So I think it will probably compromise and will fall somewhere in there. But at this point, it seems like the first time that players will actually really be practicing would be mid August,

so you're talking like August fifteen or seventeen. So that is a significant ramping up period, and they want that because of the experience of going through the two thousand and eleven lockout when players got back on the field after no offseason program, you know, no offseason practices and things like that, and there were a lot of a c L injuries, there were a lot of achilles injuries. And I was talking to Russell King a little bit about this because he's one of the few guys. I mean,

he's going into his eleventh year. He was in the league when that happened, and he said that that's one of the lessons they learned that health and safety has to be paramount, and they need a ramping up period like this in order to really make sure that they're all going to be healthy. So that's that's another important part of where they stand. But I think if they're doing the good thing about being in the building and being able to strain the conditioning is that they can

start to do walkthroughs. So that means that finally they're going to be able to take what they learned in that virtual off season program and put it on the field in some limited capacity, and I think that's going to be paramount for communication between all of the units and really just being able to translate what you learned in a book onto the grass. That's going to be something that's really significant, and the Panthers really are going to need to do that, especially because they have a

new coaching staff. That's a that's a great point and a and a great projection of kind of where will be, Like you said, when we get to that mid August, because as Will said, it's all called training camp, but it feels nothing like a regular training camp. So the great point, great point, miles um in terms of what we can expect over the next few weeks, hopefully if

everything pants out. UM, I want to talk about a new statu that you two are Is it fair to say excited about interested in that's come out from NFL next Gen Stats. Um. It's called expected yards per Carry and it is designed well, your panther stack guy, so so make sure I've got this right. It is designed to isolate a little bit more about a running backs performance, and not only their performance and how much better they

are doing than they are expected to do. And it takes into accounts positions on the field, um, what the line looks like. It's trying to take in a bunch of factors to say, Okay, this is what a running back should do based on the formation, based on what's going on, um, and this is how much better they did than they were expected to do. How how did I do on that? Okay, passable. I'm going to make it. I'm only going to make it way more, way more complicated.

So this is just gonna I'm gonna go fifteen seconds, So I don't like go down my rabbit hole essentially. Essentially the problem with this is that it's hard when all you're seeing is a number. So there's two numbers really involved. Why is again at the expected rushing average? So you take a team over the course of the season, and let's say the Panthers were expected to average four

point four yards per carry. That number is based off of all these factors that go in you know, the um how good the offensive line was, how many times the defense put more men in the box versus less, how many times you know, what different formations, or how many running backs were in the backfield? Are extra blockers, uh,

those sorts of things. But it's just a number, you know, there's it's kind of hard to to really know where that number comes from because that's the number you have, UM, and then the other part of it is then applying

to the running back. So based on that number, you take how many yards did Christian McCaffrey actually get and the yards above expectation is you know the difference between those so UM, I think that the stat was that he was fourth in the NFL and yards above expectations, which means that you know, he got a lot of yards and he was really not expect to do based on uh, you know, all the different factors both on offense and what defenses are trying to do. I mean,

I think it's good that it takes. It takes teams that are trying to establish the run um, you know, put more blockers in their defenses that maybe are are going against a really good passing offense and so they're not putting as many people in the box. So a runner that gets a lot of runs on third and seventeen, if he gets fifteen yards there, like, what does that

really mean? You know, is that like a is that a good stat Is that not a good stat I think it tries to take more of that into account um, and you know more the more data points we have to to argue over, you know, the better for people

like us rights. Absolutely, yeah, I like that. I like this that basically because I think it helps you understand why a running back is good or not good, and it puts into context like things that you think you might see on the field that you you that don't necessarily are that are not necessarily quantifiable, Like I think sometimes you know, runs after contact that can be a little bit misleading. But if you're talking about expecting yards per carry, And I'll just use this example because I

covered the team last year. The Raiders had a guy in Josh Jacobs who some people thought should have been Rookie of the Year over Kyler Murray offense perpe the Year over Kyler Murray, which I mean, I can go back and forth on that. I see the arguments for both. But when you look at Josh Jacobs, his expected yards per carry was so much lower um than what his actual yards per carry were, right so there, and however

they manage they measure it. So if you look at that article, and I think we posted it, both of us have posted it on toy will Um. If you look at that article, you can see exactly why he was that much more effective. And so we were watching him last year and it always seemed like Josh Jacobs was breaking a tackle and making things look better than they really should have looked, or falling to get that extra yard and you know, lowering a shoulder doing things

like that. That's where that value comes in. And it also comes in through somebody like Christian McCaw free, which is part of why I'm so excited to get to see him played this year. Yeah. Absolutely. Um, it's a it's a great list. I would highly recommend everyone reading about it. Um, it's as you said, Josh, so, Christian mcaffrey's fourth. Um, the only guys ahead of him are Josh Jacobs, as you mentioned too, was third, Miles Nick Chubb came in second, and then Derrick Henry was first. UM.

I like it. It's like you said, Well, we're always trying to get more data points. We're always trying to isolate kind of the thing that we see, you know, we're trying to quantify the thing that we see. Um, when we're watching the game, like Wow, how did he do that? Wow he really fought for that. Wow, that was awesome kind of that, And this this stat kind of gives data points to that feeling of of what you see when you watch someone like cmc um. Also,

did you guys read in that article. I just wanted to point this out where they we're talking about, of course, how explosive he is. He registered fifty runs over fifteen plus miles per hour, which is just insane. So I just wanted to point that out. Yeah, that mean is fast. Yeah, he does not get caught in the open fields. No, kidding. That reminds me of that that social distancing video that the Panthers put out a few a few months ago with CMC. I love that one. That's one of my

all time favorites. All Right, we are gonna put football on the back burner for just a minute because we got to talk about the MLS brand launched. Charlotte awarded the franchise, and this is a big moment because it's us. This is going to tie this ship it together. It's gonna be new Charlotte. We're gonna have one big party. Every game you edit a party. Our name is Charlotte Football Club, but we are bigger than one city. We were born expansion team. We don't believe in starting small.

We only know how to go big. So Miles and I found out about it with everyone else earlier today at eleven. But Will, this is something that you and a lot of our co workers have been working on. Have put a lot of heart and soul into a lot of sweat and tears, I would imagine, And now we finally know that the MLS team you're in Charlotte will be the Charlotte Football Club. We've got the blue and black colors we've got the crest with the crown on it. I love that it says minted on the

sides of the crest. I really I love everything about it. I can't wait to get my merch Um so well, I just want to say congratulations to you and all of our other co workers that have worked so hard on this. Thank you, thank you. Yeah. It was um, you know, it was definitely one of those things where you know, just like everything, you know, Covid kind of

threw this off a little bit. Um. I think the initial idea was that this was going to go a little bit earlier in the spring, but um, because of all the things that change with COVID, and then obviously last Friday, UM MLS announcing that they were pushing back,

uh the seasons. Um Or initially it was one that they were going to play first and now it's just so that MLS because you know, they're just now playing twenty team, you know, so they're they're already a little behind schedule, and you know what what COVID has done to kind of all these things. But it's it was it was really great to to kind of see this

going today. It's hard, it's it's really nice to hear from you guys, because you know, when you're kind of in the middle of the forest and you know, sometimes some trees burned down right on top of you, which happened at eight today. Um. You know, it's just it's hard to really kind of to to see to see how everyone else can see it. Um. So that that's been. That's been nice to kind of hear and feel bad. Absolutely, And like I said, I found out with everyone else, Miles,

I have a question for you. Did you try to slip? Did you try to ask anybody like, hey, can you give me a hint? Because I'll admit it, I did no one time, you guys, will you and everybody else who knew it locked it down? Um? And I tried to just like once or twice. I was like, so, what's the what's the deal, what's the latest? I didn't ask well, but I asked a couple of my other coworkers, and there was no there was no chance that I

was going to even get a hint. Miles. Did you do that too or were you just excited to find out with everybody else? I did not. I was excited to find out with everybody else, Like you know, It's It's one of those weird things where if we were in the office, I probably would have had one of those side conversations. But since we're not. I I'm I'm an awkward enough human being anyway, Like trying to do that over virtual interaction just I don't think it would

have gone well for me. You were in the office of Miles, I would have just had to like take every call like back in the bathroom, just because you could have just heard from across the room. It's like, oh, well, can you imagine to talk about soccer again? I just I mean, I didn't, you know, I just had someone would mention if I were working with someone else, they woulday, oh yeah, you know. The brand launched, I was like, how's that going? Like any hints? You know, come on,

you sure you don't want to tell me? Really? I mean it was like for Knox I and I'm very impressed. Um, but it was great to see, you know, I was definitely the kid that went snooping for my Christmas presents, so um, but it was great to see the feel with with everyone else. Um, I gotta admit I am not I've never you know, had a huge Um, what's the word. I've never been a huge soccer fan before, but I am so excited to to jump into this, to now have an MLS team to follow MLS. Um,

will do you have any tips for me? Um, I'd say yes, start with start with. I don't know if I should be saying this, but I've started with the Premier League as of last year, Like I, I I didn't really follow soccer either, and it's been fun, um because I kind of, like so many Americans, adopted a Premier League team and so I've been following them throughout the summer. And that's what's your Premier League team? The Wolves or just Wolves. I don't think it's the where do they play?

All right? This is I shouldn't be I should not be saying this on a public radio or podcast, Public radio, public NPR, in PR. This is in all things considered, Wolves are from Wolverhampton. That's why it's so cool. Literally, you know everyone every other Premier you know, I have these names that are based on like the city or the town that they're in. And there's is just a mascot that's a nickname of Wolverhampton. I like that. I mean, I don't know where but you know, we should find

it out if it's your team. Uh yeah, Miles and I are going to need to take a crash course. Um, but we'll be ready. We'll be ready for that that first game. But I'm I mean, I'm so excited. Are we doing things like do we call it a pitch? Is that? Do we call it that in MLS as well? I think so? Well, are you're I'm making you the

definitive expert. I think we're I think MLS has really kind of adopted the universal soccer um you know language, you know, all the all of the terms I think like the up up the standings or like the table and then like your upcoming games or fick strews instead of like schedule its fixtures instead of we got the kids. Alright, alright, Miles, we got some work to do before. But congratulations to

to everyone involved with the Charlotte Football Club. It's so exciting, so excited for all the fans, um and and that we have our own football club here in Charlotte. Um, all right, well you mentioned mascots. You just said the Wolves in Wolverhampton that you know, very straightforward way uh to name your mascot. But you came up with this week's weird question of the week, and it is in honor of Charlotte Football Club releasing all of their branding

and you know, Washington's football team getting a new name. Um, do you want to ask the question to us? Because I love this question? Yeah, so what is I guess we'll keep it mostly like American pro college sports, Like what do you guys think is the most overused mascot name? And what is an underused one that should be used more? Okay, I'm I'm ready to go. This is I've been waiting my whole life for someone to ask me the question

about what needs to be used more? Okay, So, um, I think proteins are are pretty good about being original, So I really kind of thought more about college teams. I mean, I think Bulldogs are obviously I think they are the most overused, overutilized mascot, but I'm not going to go there. I'm gonna go Owls because they're not the fierce Like why do so many teams want to be the Owls? And that is you know, no shade to to anyone who's listening. If you went to a

school where your mascot is the owl. I'm just curious who's like, Yeah, we're gonna be intimidating, like we are going to be fierce. Let's go owls. I've also heard recently that they're not as smart as people think they are. Um, so I just don't quite I'm gonna go out and get as time. I'm going to fill out and get attacked by an owl next time I'm taking my trash out. It's happening. Um well, no, I mean it's just I get bulldogs. I get you know, what's another one, like

an eagle, a golden eagle something. You know, those are very very common ones. But I just don't get the owl. Like, what's the appeal for everyone? Um? Now, now here if you really want to all of the like the underutilized or like overutilized first and then do underutilized. Okay, alright, so Miles, what's your overutilized? Okay? Uh? First of all, I don't like mascots that much. I mean Surper, Surper and I have not met. Oh he's coming. I hope he comes after you. I was just gonna say, I'm

sure Surper will be all right with me. I have no problem with Surper. I have no problem with Rampage. It was the Rams mascot. You know, we got along just fine. But other than that, man, I I'm not I'm not a mascot fan. I don't like going. I love mascots, especially so you know, the one that's overutilized and underutilized. It's the same thing to me, this Gritty from the Flyers, the Philly Flyers. You've seen this thing. It looks like, do you not disrespect? No, do not

disrespect Pritty? You just would you just went totally in on owls. I'm going to disrespect you over I want at this point, I mean, I understand why the thing is appealing, and you know I'm telling you that I just mascots. They're not I just don't know. Oh my gosh, Gritty is too used and both not us exactly. That is exactly what I think said, yes, and it doesn't make any sense. But that's just the answer I'm going with. Right,

I don't get to talk on the second one. It's so I'm gonna do my overutilized and then it's all Kristen for the rest of it. Um alright, So I'm completely insulting both my own alma mater and teams that I've worked for. And I'm sorry, but I think that all of these various versions of the same animal, like the wildcat, bobcat, catamount, bearcat, cougar. I mean, dare I said panthers a little bit different, but like what, they're

all like the same thing, and they're everywhere. How many wildcats, bobcats, catamounts, bearcats, cougars are they're out there that are all just like these don't exist in this part of the country where this happens to be a mascot. Like when was the last time anyone seen a wildcat and knew how it looked different from a bearcat or a bobcat. I don't know. I will say, I will say my uncle had a stuffed bobcat. It was like taxidermy that would sit at the front of this to his house for years. So

I know exactly when a bobcat looks like. But I don't know what I'm I don't know what I'm revealing there. I don't know what are the by u? What is by you? Whatever? They're whatever? Right? Or he mascot is a cougar, Well that cougar can dance, man, So like that's a different mascot. I'm actually a fan of that mascot too that you know what I would I would like to change my answer. The b y U cougar

is not utilized enough and gritty is utilized too much. Okay, Myles, I just watched you know that video of him dancing to that. I just want to really, I mean, it's like four years old. I just watched it the other day, and I watched it four times in a row. I mean literally three days ago, So I think once a week you just gotta watch it just makes you happy. It's so good. Um, I mean, who hasn't I like that one? Well a lot. That's a really good point.

Now we're going to have to maybe we can have someone on the internet show us the difference between what is a cat amount, what's a bobcat? What's a wildcat? Cougar's our exempt though, um specifically from from the b I U one. All right, here is my here's what I think the world needs more of. In terms of mascots. Are you guys familiar with you see Santa Cruz's mascot, the banana slug. The banana slug is amazing, It's original, It's not fierce, but it's definitely gross and the colors

are awesome. I could not love it more. I think we need more banana slugs out there. More, maybe other kinds of slugs. I don't know all the different types, but you know, are there other fruit slugs? Is there an apple slug? I don't know, but I think that we should all get involved. We need less wildcats, bobcats, owls, bulldogs. We need more slug varieties in the mascot came that's my opinion. Worms. How would you feel about worms? I'll take a worm, I'll take anything. Let's just get some

like random little things, worms, hermit crabs, uh, scorpions. I don't know. I've ran out of steam there. Okay. Also, I know this is an audio podcast, but I'm just looking um at the banana slug and Google images and there's one logo that they have for the banana slug is jacked. He's got tons of muscles. I just anyone, just google it. If you're listening to this, just google. It's not what I was expecting to see. So all right, well, well what's your what's your one that needs to be

more utilized? I think we need more mythical characters like the Wizards, like a like that type of a shant to clear a version of a chicken from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales Coastal Carolina Shop, the Clear. Yes, I thought that was that's a mythical chicken. Well yeah, mythical. Um, yeah, mythical and you know otherwise fictional. I guess mythical fictional? Are we getting into like can we go into any like a Lord of the Rings, like a Harry Potter,

Like could we get the de Mentors somewhere? Yes, the Mentors would be fantastic, like gollums, you know, like a bunch of jobs. But then essentially, I mean gritty is you would consider some sort of a mythical mascot, right, I mean he's not clearly defined animal or being correct, So Miles is out on the I like mythical beings. But but Myles is going to say no to this. Yeah, I'm going to say that this is true. I hate fun all right, Well, I wish I wish to Charlotte

Football Club for the de Mentors. That was the only thing that could have made that reveal slightly better. But um, what an exciting day. Scary though, intimidating. You know, um, what an exciting day for for everyone that's working with the Charlotte Football Club. It's you know, a great week for us that we know a little bit more about training camp and and hopefully this is going to continue safely so that we can get back to football soon. Uh and guys, thanks for doing this, um every week.

Thanks for putting up with me. I guess well we should les get a little credit for putting up with Miles sometimes. UM, I'm just kidding. This is a blast that's going to do it for us this week. Everyone, Thank you so much for listening. We'll see you next week now,