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Apply as promised. Here's Bart Hi, Bart Martin. All right, so what's the mug lems? Let me is okay, So let's see who right now? With the topics that we normally discuss, what song from the soundtrack would best describe, Say, what's going on with Canada soccer?
Master of the house, always ceiling, cheating and being otherwise unscrupulous while putting off a mirage of being nice and warm and welcoming.
I couldn't resist uh and uh in the in the in the topic of Oh my gosh, I'm completely shocked and stunned the investigation that came out, the findings that came out yesterday let's start here the findings that came out from the investigation inside Canada Soccer and the the.
Calls coming from inside the house.
I mean, not a surprise, but I think the the levels I think are are what now that they have been put put out in paper form, Yeah, Bed Priestman and Lombardi and Jasmine Mander, they are I guess the equivalent of now show caused penalties And it looks like the the window might be closing in on John Herdman now as well.
Well, that's I think the biggest piece of this puzzle. If you want to, you know, for lack of a better word, find the kingpin, find the mafia boss. It's John Herdman. But we all know that to get to that person, you have to knock down all the tiles below him. And I think that's kind of the stage that we're in right now. Because if you think that Bev Priestman was doing this because she just thought of it on her own, you know, I don't think that's accurate.
I think she learned it from somebody and assumed that that was as his comments have poor trade. She learned this from someone who just acted like this was normal and everyone did it when the fact is, no, people aren't flying drones over practices to get footage of teams that you should be. I mean, Saint Kits and EVAs don't need a drone to figure out how.
To be I was gonna say, you know, why, why why you running drones apparently on Saint Kitts and nevs.
I mean, well, you know, John, because they have players that are danger I don't know, I don't know.
If you were trying, I know like that.
And that's kind of the problem here is when you look at all that Canada Soccer has accomplished of the last four years, you know, since twenty nineteen, will give him that, it does take away from those accomplishments the players have achieved on the field, and that, despite what John Hernman wants to talk about, is the real crime here is he has clouded all of their wonderful achievements. I mean, winning a gold medal, you know, is fantastic.
Pretending you won your little fake CONCA CAF trophy is great, you know. I guess drone regulations are stricter in guitar, otherwise they would have, I don't know, done something at the World Cup in twenty twenty two. But that is something that when you look at sporting merit, I'm sorry, it's just inappropriate. It's an excusable and you deserve to be punished and not be a part of the sport much longer to be just frank it.
You know.
The candas Soccer wrote the separate finding identified potential violations of the Federation's Code of Conduct of ethics involving John Herdman.
So Herdman not interviewed.
And this was the thing that we went into yesterday when we were circling back over the Rick westthead piece at TSN is that that John Herdman said, and we played the SoundBite from July where he's like, you know, I'm more than happy to you know, to discuss what's going on. And then all of a sudden, as the investigation was happening for four months, they tried to track down John Hrdman.
And you know it's like, man, I just I got it.
I got a thing, you know, for four months, I got a thing. I can't do it. I'm coaching Toronto FC. Things busy, and so said he was gonna help, but then scheduling issues, I believe was how it was phrased where John Herdman was not able to discuss what was going on in the Sonya Reagen Bogan investigation. I can't necessarily say I'm surprised by it, but you know, literally, yeah,
I'll help you out. But then four months of bringing you up, it's like, Penny Sheldon, you know, I mean legitimately that's where we are here with this, and it was like, you know, we'd like to get your point of view, but then the more that you end up talking, it would be the more that you might end up incriminating yourself. The whole thing about self incrimination by not answering questions. John Herdman ends up taking a de facto fifth here all of it.
I do hope that eventually they're able to get to him, because again, this seems very much like he's the king pen of all of us and needs to be investigated and punished appropriately.
Yeah. So, so I guess now that I finally found it in the.
Board Penny Sheldon, Penny Sheldon, Penny.
For there you go.
See, That's what it was like for four months trying to track down John Hurt. Yeah, and uh, it does cast a shadow over everything that they have accomplished regardless, and it was mentioned in the report that there were elements that were not seen that that in in the investigation, and in all in the the testimony that was given in the in the investigation.
There were things that were shot that weren't seen.
And so nevertheless, you're still going to have that that Paul and the gray cloud over the entire thing, regardless of how much was seen and how much was done.
Yeah, I think again this is just he does have a point where this takes away from the accomplishments of the player. I know we ran that sound bite a lot, but he's the one who did it.
So yes, all right, So soccer for us PO d's one oh two is out, and I want to have a discussion with you about Jamaica and the United States, but I don't want to steal away from soccer for us PO D one oh two. I guess it would be soccer for us PO d C I I I think is how I think that's I think?
Are we doing it? Good?
Lord John?
We don't need to get back into Latin.
Roman then Roman numerals. That's where we are.
So Jamaica and the United States with a with a roster that as you as you look at it, when you look at these these selections that were made by Mauricio Pochettino from thirty thousand feet, what do you think about this this grouping here?
Well, I think injuries are still kind of plaguing the roster. Obviously, no Balligan, no dat. And while we have been accustomed to Sergino Dusk not being a part of the team because of his injury being for quite a long time, that doesn't mean that it's not affecting down roster spots. I think specifically, when you look at some of the depth players who are either on this roster or not called in, you can see how that how injuries have
affected the roster. For example, he only brought two true fullbacks, Joe Scali and Jedi Robinson. Now they've been a part of camp for you know, this team for a long time. I don't think anyone doubts especially Joe Scally's ability to play soccer. They obviously we see Jedi being a very useful tool no matter who the coaches for this team, but having no backups behind them is not super indicative
of great depth. And I think, you know, Pochettino looked at it and said, well, I'd rather just bring in an extra fullback. Maybe he can play left or right back. So, for example, Austin Trusty is kind of that dude who we know that despite being on the Premier League's worst ever defensive team ever in the history of the Premier League ever, you know he did play left back on occasion at Sheffield. And you also have players like Tim Rieim who can kind of play more of a left
sider center back slash left back. And you have Mark McKenzie and Chris Richards who are a little bit more two footed. So I think that is where we see some of the depth issues explained. We also have guys like Wester McKinnon and Unice Mussa who could probably play
right back of need, especially Unice Musa. And then you move up the field to the winger depth, and you know you do not have a guy like Kevin Peretz who's healthy, who has been starting and playing a lot in the Bundesliga, and so when you kind of have to not when you can include those guys and you have to move down the depth chart, you're stuck with a guy like Cad Cowell who run fast, run through
wall but not necessarily good with ball. And a guy like Alex Sandejas who has struggled to show that he's a good soccer player on the field despite always being ready for a fight, which is important for these CONCACAF matches.
Yeah, what about the idea of dual nationals? And you know, as something that Greg Berhalter in the past administration was chasing after was the idea of you know, hey, let's always be BC Crewton always, yeah's be Cruton.
Yeah.
So now you're looking at another group heading into twenty six. What kind of crutin needs to be done when it comes to dual nationals to bring them in as a part of this whole discussion.
Well, I think his quotes weren't necessarily taken out of context because I think he gave the context. I think people weren't applying the context of yes, we're recruiting, but you know, different than maybe Kurby smart at Uga showing them the fastest cars that they can drive into wherever they feel like they are allowed to do and get with zero punishment. Sorry Georgia fans.
But we do have to.
You know, it's not total college football recruitment where you're bringing out the McDonald's bags or you're you know, doing one hundred dollars handshakes. It is though important, and I think this is his point is we're going to show you what we have, We're going to tell you what
we see for your future with this team. But at the end of the day, you're the play for the US and not just Oh, I want to play for a team that may be hosting a World Cup, but I want to play for the United States of America. I want to play for the badge on my shirt. And I think that's a good point. And I don't think that's different than what we saw under Burhalter's regime, and he was very effective at getting very good players
to commit. There's a lot made of losing some battles with you know, dual Nationals on the Mexico side and that side of the border. Getting a lot of the dual nationals we kind of looked at, but when you look at the grand scheme of things, a lot of those guys aren't doing anything right now.
And I think that is a testament.
To Burhalter and his ability to say be real with the player right say this is where we see you in your development. This is where we see you right now with the senior national team, with the youth national teams. A lot of those guys didn't like that reality check, right, But then you have Mexico promising them I don't know a Ferrari and you know, automatic start in the World Cup.
It seemed like that's where they are right now. I would think nout right.
There ain't no transfer portal like that in coge CAF transfer.
And so I think that's it's just a continuation. It's saying, look, we're going to tell you how we feel. We're going to show you our plan. We're going to give you our evaluation of you and you within this program. That's up to you. Because if they don't like that, then they are shopping around. Does that make sense? If it now, if you're truly interested, you say, hey, look I am interested.
Obviously you have to be convinced a little bit, because if you have several nationalities to play for, you do have to do your homework and your twoe diligence as a professional soccer player. But you know, it's no similar than if you are a major player who's getting courted by several clubs. You have to pick the club that you feel most aligned with and where you feel like
you fit in best. And I think that was Pochaccina's kind of point is if you don't feel like you fit in here, then that's on you and we're not going to like force it on you.
Yeah.
And so now as a part of the discussion, you have Conka Calf Nations.
League, very very busy, very very very busy.
We got some nations leaguing today.
Yeah. Yeah.
Jamaica in the US is at eight o'clock tonight. We'll get into that one in just a second. The rest of the rundown, by the way, on Paramount Plus for those of you that may partake in the Paramount plusy version of things.
Also on Peacock, Yes, okay with Spanish language, Yes.
Maulsarat and Saint Vincent and the Grindines is at three, Sat Kits and Navis. We do not know if Cuba has been spying on them getting ready for this matchup at six o'clock. They man have the budget for it. Balaize in French Giana is at eight. Bonn Air in l Salvador is it eight, and Costa Rica and Panama is at nine.
If I'm not mistaken, A fun little battle there.
Yes, isn't bon Air the club that has the thirty nine year old keeper that.
Needs to go probably to the Excel or the Double XL Jersey. If I'm not mistake, Yes.
I'm like ninety percent sure you are correct that as bon Air.
Oh man. But this is the fun part.
When this is the problem set John, I need to move to island in the Caribbean and I can probably you probably could a caliber soccer player.
Again, you probably could, man, that'd be pretty good.
So as we build to discussing Jamaica and the US, Costa Rica Panama tonight, I know you're looking forward to that one.
Well, that is going to be a battle, right, Those are obviously two teams that I think have flipped places in the CONCA cap hierarchy. Costa Rica used to be the always the fourth team and a lot of times the third team. Canada's kind of really taken over the third team. But you know, when you look at teams outside of North America, Costa Rica historically has been the most successful and dangerous to US and Mexico. Panama's kind of tookn that over with you know, a coach that
kind of has revolutionized how they play. An outsider, I might add, you know, someone who's not Spanish speaking, someone who's not even from Latin America, and Thomas Christensen's kind of revolutionized how they play because it's not it's not defensive the way that a lot of people think that it's defensive. You know what I'm saying. It is not a bunker parked the bus. Now, they will do that, as any good team in CONCACAF will and should, but they are looking to try to hit you in the attack,
and they've got some decent players. And I think again Costa Rica, if you want to talk about the man in the mirror, I think Panama saw Costa Rica as a model they could adopt. And I think those two teams right now obviously are geographically proximate, but I think also from a program stage standpoint, they are approximate as well.
Legitimately, what are you looking for tonight in the matchup with US and Jamaica goals?
Yes, we talked about this actually on the episode one or two. Is Kingston is a place despite them calling at the office, it's a place where we've had a lot of success and not just wins and draws, but scoring goals. I made this point. If you score two goals down there, I think you have to whether whatever the result is right, you feel very confident coming back home to Saint Louis on Monday, and I think that's
the overall goal. Here is still in the Pochattino early stages of his regime, is how do we get more balls in the net, How do we create more chances? How do we get our strikers more touches on the ball, specifically inside the penalty area. That is for me, the biggest thing tonight is creating more goal scoring chances. And then to follow up on that, you got to put the goal scoring chances.
Away right now, juice boxes have the US on the road even money at a plus one hundred the ninety minute draws a plus two twenty two in the composite Jamaica to win outright as a plus two eighty two tonight.
Look, I think a draw is a fantastic result. But as again we talked about on the pod, there is a difference between playing for a draw, which seems to have been the stratug of a lot of US teams in the past, versus playing for a win and understanding
that a draw is still possible. Again, for me, going out to try to score goals means you're trying to play to win, right, You're actively trying to create goals, as opposed to passively trying to create goals where you're just hoping you catch one on the break that ain't gonna fly. And John, I do want to take us back to a year ago. Yes, there's a certain individual who's not on the team because he's hurt, who decided to he was dissatisfied with the referee call. I don't
blame him. It was a shady referee call and punted a ball. I think from Trinidad to Tobago.
Are you referring to this particular moment.
I'm getting you set them on your tom and I'll kid you know, one of those straightforward.
So how you do that?
Man? But the man portige and not send me.
And there you go when andres contour contour and the booth are laughing.
I mean it was it was as a neutral. I'm sure it would have been funny, you know, and the rest contour not necessarily a neutral. But you know he's not as invested as I am anyway, I want to go back to that game, because the US did try to take it to Trinidad. Right. This was coming off the heels of a big win at home and they ended up obviously losing that game in Trinidad. But the reason that they still were able to advance is because before Serginio Desk did his whatever you want to call that.
Fourth down coffin corners. Yeah, he is combustion.
Yet the US was playing pretty well and that is the type of mentality you have to take into this game. Obviously no offense to Trinidad, but Jamaica a different level of quality than Trinidad and Tobago.
But there is.
Definitely an opportunity for the US. You saw this back in the World Cup qualifying in the twenty twenty two cycle. You get an early goal right or a goal before Jamaica can score, and that is going to be super important to not just this game, but the overall tie. Go down there, score goals. You're going to feel comfortable coming back home.
Travel score result Mosarat favored in home at a plus one twenty to Cuba a road favored at a minus one twenty two. Ye bon Air is a plus sixteen to fifty underdog as El Salvador comes to visit it at minus one thousand, but he is a plus one oh six hosting French Guiana. Costa Rica is a plus one forty five hosting Panama, who's a plus two oh six.
Year draw is a plus one ninety six. Tomorrow you end up with League B League A playoffs including Canada who's playing Sir and Am and Puerto Rico and Aruba. That's tomorrow, and it comes to Nations League. Uh one, more reffing thing that I wanted to get into before we get into Memphis nine oh one, and Nino Taurus from Gold TV starts the Power Hour coming up at about twenty minutes. David Coot and I want to man and UEFA has now opened an investigation into suspended Premier
League referee David Coot. Now and this is a video once again published by the Three Letter Paper overseas, so take the information at your own peril, allegedly showing him snorting a white powder while on duty at Euro twenty twenty four, initially stood down by PGMOL, the refereing body for English football, Monday after the first video was posted,
which showed him making disparaging remarks. I love how this is phrased by Dale Johnson at the Four Letter for making disparaging remarks about Jurguen Klop and apparently, if I remember correctly, I was corrected where the word that was used rhymes with punt and he and a friend of his who is a former professional cricketer were not fans of Liverpool in general. So then UEFA followed suit on Monday removed Coot from UEFA Nations League fixtures where he
was due to act as a VAR. The Three Letter paper claims the new video published on Wednesday, which has not been verified by the Four Letter Network, was filmed by Coot and shared to a friend on WhatsApp. It was allegedly taken at the YUEFA appointed hotel on July sixth, the day after his final appointment at Euro twenty twenty four. Support VAR for Portugal and France. Statement issued by YUEFA on Thursday confirmed an investigation for a potential by aolace
of its regulations that has begun. PGMOL Wednesday confirmed it was aware of the second video published and then PGMOL came out with a statement, this is a fine kittle of fish as the kids say.
Yeah, I did want to say this, and this is not defense of him, but look, there are coaches who just clash with your either your refereeing style or your own personality, you know, personality, right, that that is valid, right, those things need to be expressed to your assigning person, whoever that is, you know, at whatever level. Sometimes you don't have a say in the matter, right, I have a coach particularly that I just look, he and I don't we don't jive. Yeah, you know, he doesn't like
my referering style. I don't like him as a human being. But you also have to put that aside and do your job as a professional. Now, it is a little different when you're getting you know, at the professional professional level, where you're dealing with some exaggerated and heightened personalities. I think is fair to say. But regardless, this is this seems like something that should have been communicated to PGMOL and that assigning body to say, look, I don't want
to referee this team. Now. Is that always possible? Now it's just not. But that does that should have been communicated because this is you cannot in any way, shape or form say this, especially on a recorded device.
So now make sure this doesn't get out right. This can't get out right.
Okay, ah yeah, yeah, yea. You can't. You can't post this video.
We're recording a video.
You can't. You can't post this thing. No, no, no, we would know. We would never, of course never. Then the other topic that you wanted to bring the table was the topic that took over the tail end of the show yesterday, Memphis nine oh one is no more.
And like I said, we have reached out to Memphis nine oh one in the front office to see if anyone wishes to discuss the situation, the timetables, and how all of this came to pass where Memphis nine oh one will no longer exist as of yesterday and they will not play in any form in twenty twenty five. Santa Barbara Sky now will go to USL Championship in twenty twenty six instead of USL League One in twenty
twenty six. So you wanted to bring Memphis nine oh one to the table, So I'm gonna let you bring the entry point in and here.
Well, first I want to shout out a friend of the podcast, Lawrence Dockery, who covers Memphis nine o one for Bluff City Media and through the nine oh one podcast. He is also John in the same boat, like, this is a guy who has covered this team extensively since its inception, and same as you, he's not getting any information out of the front office. Normally, I would be very upset with the front office over that because we
kind of need information. But I understand why they don't really have information to give because they gave it in the statement they gave and what seems to be the reality, and this is kind of what I want to discuss, is Memphis nine to one wanted to get a stadium,
that stadium. Unfortunately that plan did not go through right. USL, especially at the championship level, has made it very clear that its teams need to have not necessarily their own stadium, right, but a stadium, a soccer stadium, very specifically that they have some controlling interest stuff, and I think that's you know, you look at Santa Barbara Sky, like, obviously they're going to be playing on one of the more famous college, if not the most famous college soccer stadium out there.
But you also look at some other teams, for example, New Mexico United, they have plans in the work to build a new stadium. Union Omaha hopefully getting a new stadium. So there are a lot of teams that are still playing in baseball stadiums in USL has basically said that can't be a thing anymore. And the problem is, I agree with USL and principle right playing soccer in a baseball stadium is not a legitimate solution. But let's just
run down. I don't know how much you got into it yesterday, but I do want to run through the timeline because I think the reality is in Memphis nine to one fans should feel very hard done by what happened that the state and local government. Right, So twenty twenty two they come out with this plan the city Memphis then two it was six hundred and fifty million dollars was the original plan for a city wide kind of
stadium upgrade and renovation. So this would have probably included AutoZone Park where nine on one and the Red Birds currently play Redbirds Redbirds.
Sure that's good to me, minor.
League baseball team. This also included FedEx Forum and apparently the sponsor is Simmons Bank, Liberty Bawl, the Liberty Ball sponsor.
Yeah, what you.
What you were discussing is what was referred to as the Liberty Park Plan, if I remember right.
So nine o one came out with this Liberty Park Plan, which was going to basically tear down a coliseum that was there that is no longer useful or functional or even.
At work Bill Mid South Coliseum for those of us that remember Championship Wrestling from Memphis.
Yes, right, So the plan was tear that down, built a soccer stadium there, right, ten is thousand, and that was part of this big package. Now, the city understood that okay, well we can put some of the bill and teams were going to have to put some of the bill, but we need to go to the state.
And so they went to the.
State last year asking for three hundred and fifty million. They got it. That sounds awesome. Nine on one's going, hey, this is fantastic. Three hundred and fifty million, though unfortunately, so basically they were going to get three hundred and fifty million from the state. The city's going to put up three hundred million, six hundred and fifty million dollars total. Right, Well, then the Memphis Gridsley stepped in.
Yep, they wanted money to renovate the FedEx Forum.
And the billionaires who own FedEx and FedEx Forum decided they needed more money from the city or they were going to leave. And of course, the city doesn't want to lose its only legitimate professional sports franchise. No offense
nine to one. We all understand that an NBA franchise is a little different than a USL soccer franchise, and that took up basically two thirds of the money and the end of what this pack is was going to do, right, So you had two hundred fifty million sure ish now going to FedEx Forum, thirty one hundred million going to Liberty Bowl, right none for the nine oh one stadium over at Liberty Park.
That was from what I understand, that was the first line item to go because Memphis wanted money to renovate the Forum, the University of Memphis wanted money to renovate the Liberty Bowl, and the Redbirds wanted money to renovate AutoZone Parks.
But then nine oh ones idea ended up being correct. So basically what.
Happened is existing stadiums got preference, which unfortunately, I understand, right building a brand new stadium, especially when you look at some of the costs of some of these USL stadiums. Louisville is at sixty five million, Spokane thirty seven point nine million, Colorado Springs forty two million. That's a decent chunk if you're looking around, let's just say fifty million dollars. That is a good chunk of money just for a stadium, right, which I guess, which may or not be able to
be used by more than just the soccer team. You know, obviously they probably would have with Liberty Parks specifically being there for those who don't know, on the same basically the same swash of the land as Liberty Bowl. John, Have you been to the Liberty Bowl?
Yes, I have.
Your thoughts.
When you are at the very top of the Liberty Bowl and you are shooting from on top of the press box. It is very bare bones. It is a bare bones facility. It is basically a lot of concrete and steel.
It is a lot of concrete.
Yeah, and there are not a whole lot of modern amenities, shall we say, when it comes to entertaining a fan that would be interested in going to see something in Liberty Bowl proper, it is about as bare bones it gets, and it has been as bare bones as it gets as far back as I can remember.
Yep.
So it was something that definitely needed to be brought into the twenty first century when it comes to being a facility of the twentieth century, to be quite a hoest, that is absolutely true, I will grant you that. Yeah, when I'm shooting, when I was shooting a Liberty Bowl, I think it was Stanford and Michigan State, and I was with our crew and we were on top of the press box and we were in a very very
northern section of that stadium. It was it was a challenge, and it was not weather friendly and it was and it wasn't and still is very very now a very very tab a slot b vanilla ish. Hey, it's a facility, it's a stadium.
There.
There are millions of stadiums on this planet and the Liberty Bowl is one of them.
And ultimately, the renovations are putting lipstick on a pick. I mean, I think they have some plans to kind of renovate the lower bowl to be a little bit more comfortable, not concrete, you know. But the problem is, John, as you've seen from that stadium, a soccer field cannot cannot fit in that stadium, and if it any attempts to make a soccer field fit in that stadium would
reduce the capacity significantly. Now I don't think the University of Memphis needs that capacity because lord knows, they're not selling out the Liberty Ball, which is, you know, a fairly sizable stadium. So that is kind of the whole problem here, right is, Right now, Memphis nine to one has nowhere to go. They don't have a stadium solution, and USL has quietly mandated that teams you to have their own stadium, if not be in a soccer stadium
in which they have some control. Right and John, I think the problem is I understand and agree with USL's overall assessment. If we want to be seen as a legitimate league by twenty twenty six, we can't be playing in baseball stadiums where we're removing the pitcher's mound to play soccer game. It's just not conducive. I mean, they're two totally different sports. The problem is, and this is
where I think. I know USL probably made this known to them, but it didn't seem like they were willing to give them any sort of benefit to come up with the plan B that I don't think there's a great plan be available in Memphis. A lot of people have pointed to, you know, the Micro Rhodes Complex, which is outside of the city. A lot of people have also talked about, you know, partnering with the university to carew to kind of create a better and bigger stadium,
and those just aren't legitimate options. It sucks that Memphis is the one who's going to lose out on all this because Albuquerque getting they have plans for a stadium, Omaha plans for a stadium. You know, obviously Cashman is not a baseball stadium in the way that we think of it, and it perfectly fits sosideccer Field, and hopefully
new ownership will actually make something of that stadium. But you have I mean, you look at Super League right, you had a lot of brand new cletmen and all of them minus Brooklyn, have their own if not have a stadium to play on that does an actual soccer stadium fit for professional use yep, maybe outside of Dallas Trinity, but we can talk about the cotton ball situation.
At least the stadium.
And while that and it and it gives the Cotton Bowl Stadium Authority another tenant, and it gives it more dates and so and the.
Soccer field fits in the and in the Cotton Bowl, and that is That's to Harry's point. The question is would have dropping down to League one bit a better option? And I don't think so. I think that's the problem we're seeing is this is not a USL championship mandate. This is a pretty strong mandate up and down the League one and championship board. Is I don't think they
could have dropped down to League one and have been OK. Yeah, yes, again, Omaha is having to get us find a way to make a soccer stadium, you know.
And you know they are and you know they they play either at un O or they play at Warner Park and Papalan and then well and Harry mentions the second team back as well, and then in League one and like I said, we'll get into this discussion with Kaylor also and that'll be a plater later today too. The situation with Northern Colorado at four rivers right, which which is a completely different idea of problem, but it is a it is a facility where you you play
and you had a successful on the field team. And I mean there's some there's some folks in the USL that have to really look at the not just the vetting process to get in, but the vetting process for future plans.
If your initial thought is to.
Be in stadium a correct, then what you're playing down the road to be in something soccer specific and yeah, so yeah, and well and.
Derek they have multi they have multiple homes.
Uh, they have a plan for a new stadium. Yeah, Dylan Butler Estates is being created yet.
Yeah, it's still it is still undersized mine.
Yeah, but is too little for Yeah.
Yeah, but so they they're they're getting the live work play multifaceted.
Uh.
You know, if you wanna if you want to stay, if you want to get a condo and Dylan Butler Estates, you can do that. If you want to stay at the Dylan Butler Estates and suites, you'll be able to do that. And maybe they'll be like the Hardware maybe like the the hard Rock Hotel at SkyDome where you can sit there and if you've got a good you know, you can stay in the three bedroom suite that Dylan Butler Suits and and uh, you know, restaurant processes and
things like that. But no, there there is a plan, Dylan Butler estates is being created that ny C s C still have to want. But the thing is, Derek, and if you think about it, at the end of the day, number one media market in the country, city football group, tied to a large TV partner, all those kinds of things, You're not gonna sit there. You're gonna sit there and give NYC.
Yeah, you'll get there always.
We're gonna give NYC a lot of leeways, the same way you've given Miami leeway with a Rector stadium.
Yeah.
So that's the USL is just not willing to Here's the other thing, and this is where I'm going to I'm not criticizing nine on one, but the reality is also USL is not going to give you the Lee way when it's a baseball stadium where you draw less than three thousand people. Again, and that is the unfortunate reality for nine oh one fans.
As while they have a very.
Strong core group of supporters, you know, part of that is ownership not funding the organization well enough. Basically, a lot of the Redbird staff also serves as one staff. And there that whether you know this or not, John Minor league baseball teams are also understaffed in their front office.
You have an understaff front office.
Doing the work of two front offices. Because the same ownership group basically owns both. You have a couple of extra owners on one side and the other. But and that's the thing is that that ownership group, you could call them cheap, but they're just not as wealthy and deep as some others, and so they don't really have the capital to put forth for a new stadium either. They couldn't go buy the land, then demolish Mid South and build, you know, again a fifteen million dollars stadium.
I mean, maybe they could, but I think that would.
Be and then very too much.
And then there's the appearances of if you went to Mike Rose and you sold out.
That yeah, you're talking what to twenty five hundred.
Yeah, so, and then I know that there was part of the plan was to I think an alternative was to expand Mike Rose twenty to get four thousand or five thousand.
You know, is that enough? Is the question?
You know?
Now that is comparable to some I mean, high Mark is forty two hundred. I don't think not Santa Barbara, a couple of the color the California teams.
Central Valley, thank you.
Yeah.
Yeah, they have some that are on the smaller end as well. You know, I think Orange County was in a small stadium as well, So it's not like it's not like you had to be in this ten thousand seat stadium. But I do think that the city of Memphis is a city worth building an eight to ten thousand seat stadium because the city of Memphis is a
marquee stadium, a marquee city in their state. Whereas when you're looking at like a Santa Barbara or you know whatever, it's just not I mean, look, unfortunately this kind of happened to San Diego Loyal, and I'm hopeful that this doesn't happen to Oakland roots. They do have stadium plans, whether or not it's you know, for more than a year, who knows, but all with.
The raccoons, for as long as you're you're, you're, You're, no one else is going to be there anymore.
You at this point, I think you just say, can we just tear this down and build a thirty thousand see stadium and shoot, yeah, I mean you get some college bowl game to play there every year, the Oakland Bowl, and then boom there you go.
You know, you get the last you turn it to the Last Dive Bar Bowl or something like that, and do it with the Oakland Coliseum, you know.
Uh yeah. And Harry's like, please require five thousand, which is what you.
Right, and that's that's yeah. I mean again high Mark is not there. They can, but I think they kind of can get grandfathered in. That's understinable. You know, Look, this is going to affect clubs going forward. I'm sure
you'll talk about that with kaylor Is. USL does want to legitimize the league more than it already has, and and and it has a you know, I think the question is are they doing this at the expense of their growth or are they doing this to enable more growth because they've they've created a fairly stable league structure. You know. Unfortunately, we are hearing rumors of one to two teams not coming back next year at least the
USL Championship. But I do think this is something that the league feels that it needs to do to make itself more legitimate as they prepare for twenty twenty six. And this is one of those things where you know, I mean, I just saw another report today that you know, neighborhood in Atlanta is getting a lot of funding to renovate itself. It's going to be at the Georgia State Areas trying to renovate to look a little bit more
like an actual college campus. And you're going to be seeing a lot of these places where, you know, cities where the World Cup WI be hosted is are going to try to hopefully make themselves hospitable for the world. But all these leagues that we have are also trying to make plans to capitalize and the reality is bringing these new soccer fans to a baseball stadium to watch a rectangular field sport on a diamond field sport as not a great viewing audience or not a great viewing experience.
And a rectangular peg in a round hole is that what.
You satangular peg and a diamond shaped hold or whatever it is.
I don't know.
Yeah, So Soccer for us pod will be up later this morning, in this afternoon. So what should folks look at for Soccer for us CII.
Well, yeah, like we just talked about it.
It's all US men's national team versus Jamaica roster and some not predictions, but some kind of metrics for what we feel like we need to get done tonight to be able to then get the job done back home on Monday.
And uh yeah, it's basically all right.
So then we will see you on Monday talking about match one and we'll get you ready for match number two.
Sound like a plan.
Sounds like a plan. I got my tick to the game in Orlando, by the way, so uh did not get in on the bus, So John, I might just carpool down with you and back.
I'm flying down, brother, I'm flying. I got you, lucky, well, I got I got. I got high school playoffs on Friday, so I can't until Saturday.
And yeah, my problem is I've already agreed to referee on Saturday, and then I have to work on Monday, so I can't.
Like, oh suicide run. Yeah, well I have to uh oh abby second bus.
Maybe I'm working from home Monday, but I still have to work Monday, so that's.
Kind of yeah remotely, yeah, yeah, let is that remote?
When a hotel checkout as eleventh.
We get a wife get a like a brick and just carry that with you, or go with the mine does work from Starbucks.
There you go, all.
Right, We will see you Monday, my friend. Thanks for hanging out and thanks for the breakdown and all the things.
Thank you for having me, Thanks everyone for being here. And it feels weird to be here on Thursday. But I'll be here tomorrow if you want me to talk about the game. So, oh, we might schedule was messed up this week, but we might help. Don't tell the boss, but I got you some presents for her.
Okay, so we might have you bat lead off about that. That's fine, all right, So we'll bat lead off tomorrow. See you tomorrow, all right.
Bye off