The Group Chat Episode 13: The Royal Podcast

the eighth get a divorce? Well, we have like eight wives. Yeah, that's that's look slightly different. I don't think they ever were officially divorced. That he killed He killed a lot of them. Yeah, we have all of this and so much more on this week's the Group Chat. You've been added to the group Chat with your friends Caroline, can Max Sensen, and Will Brian. Well, we're not quite in London yet, but it sounds like it. I love it in London. We're heading to London this week and it's

gonna be a ton of fun. My second trip over there with the NFL. It's going to be completely different, though. I don't think I'm gonna be able to pull from any experience because each of these trips are so different. But your Panthers are taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers second time around. Um in London, that's casual. Just a short little road trip over there. Yeah, just a quick, little little flight. We're gonna get to that and what we're excited about about that trip, what we hope to

see and experience while we are over there. Let's first talk about this Panthers team with a winning record, thank goodness, to make that flight seem a little more enjoyable to take on this Tampa Bay buccaneer seeing that, I know they want this game back. This is one that they really felt like they let slip away. And you know, I wasn't really prepared, I guess for that first round in Week two, Cam Newton was the quarterback then. I

mean a lot for this team has changed. So let's talk about this past week with the Jacksonville Jaguars, things that we like, what they've built on since the last time that they played this Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. And I'm going to first start with the most obvious, and that is yes, Christian McCaffrey should be the m v P. Great. Can we move on to the next topic, now, Yeah, if the season ended today, I mean, is there anybody else even in consideration? Who? Who? Who? Could? I mean

just because of the quarterback? I mean, I know we

had a bad game against the Colts. Yeah, I mean I think with what I mean obviously, the fact that they haven't had Cam and they've had to rely on Christians so much, I think just only strengthens his case, right, I mean, he's and he's so everybody pretty much knows going into these games, Like if you're a defensive coordinator playing the Panthers, you're number one objective, the number one thing you're putting on the board in front of your team is we're gonna we're gonna try to stop Christian

McAffrey and make Kyli and be this right. Well, teams haven't been able to really do it, which I think just for Tampa Bay, which is which is what makes it makes an interesting rematch. That was but of course that was Cam Newton. As Caroline mentioned under center. Uh, I mean, it's just we're running out of ways to describe Christians dominance. Everyone from Leonard four Net to Todd Gurley across the league or just heaping praise. Uh, this

is we're watching something very very special right now. I mean with the season this guy's having, He's on pace right now to set a new single season record for scrimmage yards. I know it's early, but this is just this is becoming almost insane, right I mean, like what you were on the sideline? What what are you What are you thinking when you see him flipping over two dudes landing in the end zone. It was just laying there with his arms like I wanted a snow angel

really bad. I wanted him to just start flapping like a snow angel. But I've said this for the time that I got here. Just seeing Christian at practice was eye opening to me. I've I watched Frank Gore practice, but that was like at the end of his career and he, you know, he got to take some days off. He wasn't really running around. But as far as like a great back, completely different. But I was around Frank

Gore for a couple of years, a great back. But Christian McCaffrey, he's a lot younger number one, but they just play different. He's so explosive and he never takes a snap off. And that's not just in the game, that's in practice. He is explosive in every single rep that he gets. And I was blown away by that watching him the first couple of practices. So now to continue to be blown away weeks later, months later, after watching him every single day, it's it is truly unbelievable.

I thought a really funny part was Eric Reid and Trey Boston were sitting on the sidelines and they we're going back and forth of like, man, like, that's a that's a great player. He's not just good, that's a great player. And they were having such hilarious commentary about how good Christian McCaffrey is. And then you asked the guys in the locker room afterwards, and you know, it's

m v P and is he Thor's brother? And all of these crazy things that sound crazy, but because of the way that he's playing, there actually genuine questions like is he Thor's brother? Like is there something unnatural about this guy? Because I mean, what's going He actually plans red because he has this cut on his elbow that will not heal, never heal. He actually does bleed red. So we can confirm that, but yeah, it really is just an amazing season that he's having considering that he

has to have this kind of season. I think that's I mean, like you're saying defensive coordinators just saying this is the guy to stop the offense. Is scheming to get him the ball. Everyone knows it. And he's like, all right, well that's cute. And I want to throw out a name that hasn't been mentioned with any of this, but John Matsko, because this week going into it, you know you have you finally, you know, you get Greg Little in it left tackle. He's doing well, and then

Greg Little goes in the concussion protocol. Dennis Daily like, are are you kidding me? Like, who knows what this offensive line was going to have with Darry Williams over at right guard? Your Pro Bowl? You know, right guard has been sitting out, and these holes were big. I mean there were some places where like Christian was untouched. Now obviously he ran twenty one point nine miles. We're in the open field, no one's going to catch him, but nobody touched him. He just went right up the middle.

And this is nothing. It's nothing against Reggie Bonafon but like Reggie gets in there and then touchdown happens, and I think so I think at a certain point you gotta say, well, this offensive line, what are these guys doing up front to create these running lanes? But like you said, it was you could drive a truck through some of these. That's what GBR said after the games.

He kind of joked to me, like, we're actually really happy Reggie also had a big run, so that people will know that, like, we are creating some really big lanes as an offensive line, and you never hear I mean, GBR was perfect to say that, because you never hear anything from the offensive line. They're very, very very team first. But gr was like, hey, dang it, we're creating these holes and we're happy that Reggie got off. Hey do you guys know sidebar how fast you could run? Like

what what could you top out? I actually did this in high school. Did you run down the street with like one of those speed limit signs like the office. I've actually done this, d I did this once in high school. I had my mom drive beside me while I ran fifteen miles. Prower, thank you. And then it's a really scientific method. And then one of my former co workers. His phenometer on his car was broken, so he had an app on his phone, because there's an

app for everything. So one night, after you know, dinner and a couple of beverages, we decided to hold this phenometer app in our and run with the phone and see how fast it would clock us. It was like fifteen point three, So it seems pretty good, I thought. So. I mean when I see these guys like six miles Prower and more, Oh my god, I mean that's not that much like if you know, maybe if I trained, I mean, I mean, how how long do you have

to is it just? Yeah? It was not eighty four yards, but right you know, it was enough for me to be out of breath. Yeah, I mean it takes a little bit of time to really get up to tap speed. I mean we could we could do some math here in clack out, like a hundred yard like a meter sprint. You lost me at math? Okay, yeah, I think I don't think. I mean rather than like in our hand that we could do some math here. You lost me there. But we can be boring again. We can we can

get back to football. Though. It really has been impressive. What I mean two d and eighty five yards. Rushing yards doesn't happen when you're offensive line isn't doing what they're supposed to do. So, I mean, you're you're five weeks in, it's been five different combinations on that offensive line, and they're they're getting it done. That it really is.

You're right, John Masco, he got the game ball. Yeah, yeah, I mean there was something there were fourteen yards away from a franchise record, and as Will pointed out, they did it with a rookie making his first started left tackle and without Trade Turner at right guard, their Pro

Bowl guard. I mean, that's that says a lot about about what Masco did upfront with those guys, and of course the oldignman, while they did make a point to say, especially g v R that look, you know clearly there were some holes open to there, also be the first to tell you that they're blocking for the MVP of the league right now. I mean, I think that's the thing coming out of this locker room. You rarely come out of an NFL rocking room, and you just don't

see this often. The players are in awe of somebody because these guys are all elite athletes. You know, like they've all, you know, coming from college programs where they've been around five star recruise. You get to the NFL. Everybody here is good, everybody here belongs. But what Christians doing is sort of everyone is like seriously, like in disbelief.

And I haven't seen that since cam in fifteen, when it was a sort of this is like this is almost like a magic that he's making and they're like, we can't really explain to you why this is happening, but this guy is just special. And I think that's the same sort of feeling I'm getting right now with Christian. He's these guys feel confident because they're going down to the field with the guy that they know is the best guy in the field there, and that gives you

a bit of a lift. There was a moment, I think it was in the first half where he just got a passing the flat and he just kind of paused and then made a defender just completely miss, like out of bounds, and the way the stadium was like waiting to react. I mean, it felt like like a pickup basketball game, you know. It felt like Rucker Park where it's just like Kevin Durant doing his thing, and

that that's rare. I think someone's like, oh my god, Christians just gonna break someone's ankles or make someone look stupid, like that's rare in the NFL, I think, And that's kind of the fever pitch of what he is now. The Jags linebackers Quincy Williams and Miles Jack, we're chasing ghosts all day. It was I have I have not seen a four quarter performance like that where those guys were literally I mean it was Duke one way the other. They were trying and prepare for the move. He was

going to set them up with. It didn't matter what they were doing. A Christian was just he was almost untouchable at times. Scary. Who said this, But when he flipped over, the guys like they ran into it. The defenders ran into it, like I can't remember who pointed that out to me. It was on Twitter, but I was like, yeah, that's actually fantastic. I didn't even like the guy up top, Brandon Todd shooting the game. Got some amazing photos of that too. These guys, yeah, they

just collide. It was really awesome. Let's give the defense some love too, because they're continuing to prove that even though they're down KK and Dante at the moment, two very big starters for them. That's okay. And Gardner Minshew is a good quarterback. He gave him he is a good quarterback. I believe Panthers Bill said he was a booker. He was a slippery, little little book little booger. I believe that's what or something like that, some some kind

of like weird. And then of course Mario's quote about how he was chasing them and then his mustache went one way and he went the other and he chased after the mustache. Oh my gosh, it was really funny. After in the locker room, I mean, Jery McCoy and Bruce Irvan were both like, man, when when did these guys get so good? These little little guys, When did

they get so good? When did this happen? Like and it's true, I mean, you're getting some quarterbacks that don't fit the bill the like, hey, this is your NFL prototypical quarterback garnerment. She fits out. I remember seeing him run in pregame and the only reason I knew that he was an NFL quarterback is because of the mustache. I was like oh that must be government show. He doesn't look like an involved quarterback. It looks like the guy fielding punts, you know, Oh gosh, like working for

the work Easy equipment. He's the equipment guy. Yeah, very very crazy what he's been able to do with this opportunity. But the defense they took advantage of it, and I thought this was a great game where you hear Jerry McCoy all the time and the defense say, we have a lot left on the table. There's more we want to get done. Well, they finally score on defense. They get the scoop and score Brian Burns um taking into the house, which I thought was really really fun to see,

especially a rookie that has been as disruptive. It's not like, you know, someone that doesn't get as many snaps or hasn't been as disruptive makes that playoff. It was really really cool that Brian Burns was the one. Yeah, I thought it was really really cool how Mario Addison obliterated former Panther Andrew Norwell to make that happen. Norwal is great because he normal comes out of the tunnel every time and he like does this. He's a scary man.

I mean he just the beard, the hair. He's six ft seven pounds and he like walks kind of like he's his ogre, like he tries to like get you. So I saw him coming out of the tunnel and I was like, oh God, here's normal. What what what sounds? He just grunts, you know, it's just like, yeah, he

spits a little bit. It just like tries to look as disgusting and mean as possible, and Mario of course dealt with it in practice a lot um so to see, they lined up Mario inside on that play and he just like stabs Norwell and drives him back a good seven yards into Menshew and that's how the ball pops out and then burns. Is just Johnny on the spot picks it up and scores. But uh, there was a lot made of Norwell when he left here, became the

highest paid guard in the NFL at the time. That was a moment that he is not going to enjoy watching in the film review. Mario is though, Mario Mario, So, I tweeted the video of that about five minutes later at session Mario Addison, He's like, yo, Max and you sent me that video. Uh yeah, it was It was a very impressive another impressive defensive our performance out there. I also thought Eric Reid had a fantastic game. He

was all over the field. Here's the thing. Here's the thing about the defense though, well, and I'm right on the start, right, this is the first time they've allowed five yards in a game in one so like some big plays, right, we got the defensive touchdown from Burns, saw the strip sack late from Burns in the clutch situation. Of course they had that Minshew had the mixed up with a fullback where they dropped it. Another fumble that Carolinas they look capitalize on. But on the whole of

the game, Jacksonville's offense kind of had their way. You know dj Chart hundred sixty four yards on eight catches. That dude that's had stuck in my head the whole game. Yeah, he was always and they couldn't find an answer for him. And men shoot three seventy four yards two touchdowns. I mean,

they were getting beat over the top. I thought that's where you saw the Dante jackson would have been really nice to have in this game because they were and that that's what coach Rivera said at halftime was that's what we're getting beat up. We're doing all of these things like keep the momentum on our side, we're making some place. We're getting beat over the top by Gardner

Minshew who And I think that's the interesting point. When you get these quarterbacks and are not your starters, they're not the franchise, they're not you know, they have these things about them that you're not really prepared for. And I thought that's what that was. Yeah, Ron, and mid after the game, he was disappointed with the coverage breakdowns. He just felt like that was that was something that

didn't expect coming into the game. Thought they were weren't really where they needed to be in some cases, like you know, Russ cockrolls like a fingertip away from tipping the pass. And but that's that's a difference in this game, you know sometimes and you give Mention a lot of credit. I thought he put the ball on the money time

and time again. They didn't really have an answer for him until they could get to him, and that those were the big moments late in the game we saw Brian Burns get to him and and obviously down at the end, the defensive frustration was really starting to build because it was like, are they going to allow this game to end or are we just going to continue to see Jackson closer and closer to the Eventually it's gonna be hill Mary like and that the best, the

absolute best quote. Yeah, after the game, I saw Luke in the locker room and I was like, because he has this competition with t D obviously now is playing out West for the Chargers about their stats each week, and I was like, man, you didn't want to get that pick to add it to your state. You would have had one on t D. And he was like, man, I just wanted to go home. And you look at the way Luke reacted to that, and everyone was like, it's a smart play, you know you don't want to

risk in it. It was like, I get it that that wasn't the point though. The frustration in his swat was just literally like I'm so done with this, Please be that want just to end. I really kind of would have loved that, Like when I saw that that, he was like, I was just ready to go home. And then you know that he could have had an interception there and all this, I'm like I kind of would have loved and it would not have been on brand for Luke. But catch the ball and then like

just need it. Just like catch the ball, get the interception, go to your knee, or like dramatically hop out of bounds, like just do something to like, hey, I got the stat but now I'm just gonna hop out of bound somewhere to go home. Like that would have not been losing. He just would have grabbed it and then just taking it into the locker room like it. Just just walked off the field like tries to tackle him, I'm gonna take this home with me. We're down, just starts jogging off.

There's nobody there. That was Everyone's feeling in the entire stadium was oh, thank God, Like yes, it was exhausting. Mario had the legal hands to the face when the it was absolutely was the off size was real, but no, Mario had him like right on the car. It was not hands in the face. And even the review like no. A couple of plays before that, Trey Boston nearly had Dan James Barry Berry dracks picking. It was like, seriously,

what is happening? I mean it was like that Jackson wounds up, I don't know where we're that like twenty four yard Lyne. Yeah it was. It was just like a legitimate play. It was. But it feels very on brand, right doesn't that feel like so on brand for the Panthers Cardiac hats man. You know, Jake Delme's in the building, it's Jacksonville. Of course it's going to be a twenty yard play at the end. I'm just glad it wasn't raining,

That's all I gotta say. It was so it had brain in the forecast at the beginning of the week and then we talked about as monsoon game and I was like, I know, no, just no, don't do it. It It was a beautiful day for football. But I thought I was also fitting that they took on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who really could be the home team in London permanently

because they play there every single year. Their owner is very open about the fact that, you know, would love to have a franchise there and the growth in the UK with football, and that's actually who when I would have there seen with the Colts, we played the Jacksonville Jaguars um did not win. So I'm really looking to go over there and I'd like to leave with a one in one record get five hundred in the UK if the Panthers can do that for me, and I like.

I like this matchup. I like the the attitude that the Panthers have right now, the fact that they wanted that game back, and we're going to preview that. We're actually gonna do what bonus group chat while we're in London. So we're going to preview that game later on. It'll be on Saturday, look for it. We're gonna have some special guests. We're gonna have a lot of special guests on that one. So get excited. I'm about an additional group chat. But let's first just we're on in London.

I'm excited about that. Yeah, let's talk. Can we talk about we were talking about pre show? Yeah, we're having a good conversation. Here was telling us about how she loves the royals, and I don't know about you will, but I don't understand these types of people. Why there's so much interest, Like do you care? I don't. Apparently my mom did. Yeah, I didn't surprise me because she named me after one of them. Yeah, oh you are

named after a royal, that's why. But I mean I know that, I know that name, but like that's why, and that wasn't like a fan I mean, it was a family name too, but she, you know, she liked it. He was born like a year to for me, so alright, So yeah, Caroline, you get up early the Royal Weddings. I remember waking up for Kate and Williams, like very very early. It was before school and my mom, I mean I think we had to wake up at like

two or two or three. And we woke up and Mom made tea and we had biscuits and we watched the Royal Wedding. My uncle now lives in London, and so he actually left London when it was the Royal Wedding because it was so crazy and hectic and all these people were coming in and he lives he lives like twenty minutes from downtown and he was like I had to leave for it, but that would have been my dream to just like I don't know, I'm not really big with the crowd. So I enjoyed watching it

on TV. But I've seen every documentary that is, like on Netflix or Amazon or anything. I've watched, you know, the Queen. I did check that out. King's speech. Have you seen that I've seen Kings speech. Yes, I am one of those people that is highly obsessed with the Royal family. Megan markle go girl. Yeah, you know, a big fan. I'm a big fan. I just think it's

like such a different world. It's you can't even like fathom what it's like to be in that type of Yeah, it's like not a it's not real, right, Like it's not you're not like a real person. Different. I think about how interesting it was when she married into the royal family. All these people that tuned into this for football are like, are you kidding me? But when she became a member of the royal family, she had to

give up, you know, her Instagram. This is actually before they were ever married, Like, she had to give up her Instagram, had to give up her Twitter. The government seized all of those things and so she doesn't even own them anymore. So I think, like that whole thing is so fascinating that she's she is obviously more famous now than she ever was, but there's this bit of mystery about and that's why she has like people are like,

what are you know, what is she doing now? How you know when she was dating celebrities, they could find out everything. But now she's with the royal family, do you think like some of it the you know, the traditions are kind of the more rays, like you can't touch the queen and all these like that's what makes

the Royal family the royal family. So it's actually and I think there's a really good um episode of The Crown that is about Margaret, who is the younger sister of the queen, and she's getting her portrait done for her like coming of age most things, you know, her announcement to society, and the portrait is very just exactly what you think of when you think of a royal portrait in front of like this backdrop, and she's all made up and she is saying in there, I don't

like that. This is not me. So then her future husband is the photographer. He takes this very where she looks nude and and you can see her whole shoulder. She actually gets that turned into the newspaper and she and and then the royal family is just like, what are you doing? This is not us because there is this in the royal photo shoot. The mother says, there's this is what people expect. They want the industry, they

don't want to know. They this is what makes us us is the facade and that this is perfect and so yeah, I mean that's what you have to like buy into. I think that's why people are so obsessed because you can't know everything. So it's like, what are

they doing? What's it like buying closed doors? And that's why William and Harry are so interesting because they are more outward and there there they are the younger generation because just like two generations ago, you couldn't get a divorce, and then if you like then Princess Diana they get a divorce, and now Harry is marrying a divorcee. It

was to generate like that's just two generations. His royal family has had to change so much and it's because of like these two seven didn't carry the eighth get a divorce there. Well that yeah, that's that's slightly different. I don't think they ever were officially divorced. Yeah, yeah, there's a lot. There's just it's so fascinating. We'll go back to your welcome to the group where we just talked about the royal family. But I don't expect to see any of them, although the last time that I

was in London. We did have dinner at Kensington Palace. As an organization, we were allowed to go. And are we doing that, Max? I don't think I didn't see that treating. I can't get you. Maybe Caroline, Caroline, Caroline can. It was a fascinating night though. It was very very good. It's beautiful and and then you you have like a cocktail hour beforehand, and this was my very I was

hired in the NFL in in August. We went to London I believe it was November, so two months into this job, and I'm in a cocktail hour and Roger Goodell is there and I was working for the Colts at the time, and the ursay Jim Er says, big rock star. He has all these memorabilion friends with a lot of rock stars, so there's rock stars there. But like, I don't know, I'm overwhelmed just by the fact that I'm in London with the NFL at Kensington Palace at

the time, I was twenty two, somewhere pretty cool. It's just I was so overwhelmed. But it was a really cool experience. And that's why I can't pull from any of that experience because I don't remember. All I remember is that my phone did not work for two days. But you don't realize it's not working because you can get on Wi Fi. So like I was still getting some things. But then like we would be on the bus going to where and all these people would be

like on their phones. I'm like wait, I was just like, where's my phone? And I'm twenty two I need my phone? Like, and you're the person everyone was gonna be asking about how to make sure their phone. Yeah that's why, Well you got my slack. I just I just sent in the entire our digital department a reminder like, hey, you're on Verizon, is really easy. Please go turn your plan on for international. It's gonna be really cool. What are

you looking forward to the most about this trip? Guys? Um, this is gonna be the second game NFL game played at Tottenham, and it sounds like the first one was awesome. Uh, you were at Wembley, correct for that one. Just like this huge, kind of expansive stadium. The Tottenham Stadium is much more intimate and the fans, it sounds like this

is an extremely hot ticket. It's gonna be packed loud, and I'm just excited I'm a Premier League fan myself, so to be in Tottenham's new stadium, which is state of the art, uh, and to see this atmosphere. There's a large Panthers contingent in London which has been waiting a long time for this game. Panthers and the Packers believe the only two or maybe that was that was the third one Panthers in one of the final teams to do this. Um, so they've been waiting a long

time for this. So I'm excited to see the game day environment in Tottenham Stadium for this. I think it's gonna be pretty cool and pretty raucus. Did you see the Charlotte Airport tweeting out pictures last night? They had like all of the international terminals like branded for the Panthers. Was a big set of like flight of Panthers fans

leaving last night. So yeah, I mean, I think just seeing that and you know kind of when you do this week to week, kind of get numb by the brand or numb by it's the same stadium we've been

coming to. It's the same, but you know, like then to see you know, like to go to the the Barrow, the pub at the foot of the London barrow boy or yeah, yeah, and you know, and that just to like to see that be completely branded for the Panthers this week, and you know, I just think it's gonna be really cool to kind of see that with within the London context, I mean, and and walking around like we're gonna try to go do some man on the Street interviews. Just I'm just curious to like see people's

reaction with Christian McCaffrey. You know, like what do they do they know about the Panthers, I mean, and if they do, I think that's kind of cool. Yeah. I think that's like the most fascinating part that I'm looking forward to as well. As the fans are different, and they're just they're extremely passionate and like you're saying, where we get numb to it as employees, Like so do the fans a little bit? You know, coming to the same stadium they expect some things. These fans have no

expectations and they just love to be there. And there is going to be jerseys from every single NFL team. There will be some people in like a you know what Miami Dolphins jersey and a Brown's hat, Like that's how you know, just they they love the NFL. They get really excited for the kickers to go out and special teams. So big week for special somethingtable week, big week for a special team. So I'm excited, and I

think you're right. Well, it is a wake up call, a little bit of get your head out of the sand and realize how big this brand is and how much fun it is. Like this is a game, and and I think it is going to be really fun that that bar. I think it's borrowed Boy and Banker. If anyone's listening and you're wondering, that's like the one of the pubs. I think there's a couple of pubs that are. I think that's that's the main one. I think it's at the foot of the London Bridge on

the south side of the Thames. And what's what's interesting about this conversation with we're having is that Ron and his staff are having a very different one. Their conversation is like, how do we keep this as normal and business like as possible, which I think is a real challenge. The Panther has never done this before. I don't know how you felt the Colts handled it when you went out there, but did you feel like they played what

did they play poorly in that game? Because of the factors involved of going out to London, where did you think that You know, it has changed a bit and since so when when we landed, it is gonna be same as far as travel. We went over on a Wednesday night. You're there Thursday, and the trick is to not sleep on Thursday. A lot of guys are gonna me included, are gonna want to sleep on Thursday, but you stay awake all that Thursday to get your body

as quickly on that time zone as possible. But what is different is there used to be a big fan event UM on Regent Street. I think is is what it's called um a Region Street. But and it was huge and players would go to it. And so where the Colts were staying was about an hour and a half outside of London at a resort, and so you you never left the resort. That's where meals were. The practice fields weren't It wasn't even a real football field.

It was just this like open area that I believe they could put like sixty yards on and that was the practice field for two days. The media room was a Greenhouse and they cleared out one side of the Greenhouse and so it was this very long, narrow I mean, gosh, if you didn't have headphones on in the back, you couldn't hear what they were saying. Like everything was off

and they're the big event there for the NFL. Was really tough for the Colts players because it was an hour and a half away, so they I think what the NFL has done now is they're moving teams closer there there. They took away the big fan event. Now there's just these pub locations, so that way the team. I think that was the big thing for these teams is like, hey, look, we're so for going over there, and I think it's great, but this is also a

divisional game Number one is what they've scheduled. This does still count for us. This is not just like a fun exhibition game that we're going over here for, so we need to have the resources to make it as normal as possible. So I think that's what you're seeing now is Okay, we're gonna get you over there, and it's we're gonna give you the freedom to do what

you want. But the players will have some time off on Friday, and I think that's where the team a little bit gets probably a little nervous, just because it's London and you know, families are going. And I remember being in Arizona and we had that extra day off and like I was off on game day, even even us as you know, the staff, we I felt a little bit off because we have that off day to go explore and do everything. This mess with the routine.

Routine is everything in this league. So I'm actually I'm talking a round today and that's what I'm gonna ask him, how how are you doing this? Because this team has not gone so you don't have that to lean on to know. So it is gonna be like it's gonna be really really interesting, and the time difference is real, and if you don't get on it quickly, you're gonna

feel that nine thirty start am start over there. And for you know, just a random small part of this is I think now they've made it more of an emphasis on the home and road team. So Carolina is the road team, and you know Tampa is losing a home game. They're losing you know what would be a game in their stadium in Tampa Bay. So this isn't going to be like a neutral site sort of both teams get equal footing. Like it's going They're gonna make it feel like a Tampa Bay game. There's no Tampa stuff.

After they send the Cannons over to London. That would be that would be interesting their end zone. I would not be surprised if they had something similar, because they did the They did outfit Wimbley in Jags. It was a Jags home game and it was outfitted for Jacksonville. But I am interested to see with it being a smaller environment, they'll hand out like towels probably or or t shirts with Tampa to make it, you know, seem

that way. So it is just it's one of those where we can prepare all we want for it, and you know people have faster. Are you ready for London? I'm like, right is, I'm never gonna be like it's still you know, we're still going over there and working. We're trying to get this great content and you you want to get caught up in the moment realize how cool it is. I don't even know what time our bus leaves, like, I don't know. I just I'm gonna

make it to the plane. I'm gonna make sure my bag gets on the plane and and then you know, just make it back. Just make it to both planes, and do not mess with the gate agents, the border, the border security. Yeah, that was that was like a note in our Yeah, Packett was like, don't joke around here. The answers you provide, don't mess with them. It is.

It's gonna be a really really fun week. And we are adding another group chat because we just feel like too much is going to happen over these next few days that we want to make sure we tell you all about our experience over in the UK. Thank you so much for listening to this week of the group chats. We will talk to you maybe when we have slightly more British accents and we've had some tea and some crapes and just enjoy all the London has to do. I guess we'll talk to you in a few days. Wow.