Are you telling me that for the first time in the history of this show, we allowed Gerald, we allowed Trey to pick his walk up song, and he actually picked the song that we used to make fun of him.
That is correct. That's really weird. Hello Trey, Happy Wednesday?
How are you happy Wednesday? Spence?
So I gave you the gave you I'm good.
I gave you the opportunity to pick your walk up song and you go with limpiskit anyway?
I mean, Barbie, it for me to ruin a bit?
Well is it a bit? Or is it now just a real thing?
Because I do believe you said on this radio program the olymp biscuit got you through your second divorce?
That was the first divorce. But yes, thank you, I did say that once.
Who got you through your second divorce?
Rihanna?
Do you have somebody on deck that will get you through your third? Hey, I'm not one to talk, man to talk.
Hopefully there is not a third.
Okay, all right, just don't get me married.
The very loving and healthy relationship that I am in now prospers for the remainder of my days on this earth.
How does she feel about is the golf that you play?
I think it depends on time and place, and she also prefers I play golf with others not named Sensor check it.
That's hurtful. And as a fan of mine. And if you're listening, don't listen to him. You know what, Trey, Before we get to the RSL stuff, You've been in the ecosystem in the world of professional sports for you know, thirty thirty five years. I am stunned that the head basketball coach you're your favorite basketball team was relieved of his duties three with three games left in the season.
You're plugged into that Denver Nugget ecosystem once upon a time, you're an intern down there's what's the reaction been after a decade of really high level basketball to Michael Malone losing his job?
I mean, my my personal reaction feels like I'm still mourning this loss. It makes absolutely zero sense. It is devastating on a number of levels. I think the fan basees reaction, the Denver media reaction is one of shock, partly because he's less than two years removed from winning a championship, and look, that does not make him unique amongst recent NBA championship coaches, but he has two years left on his contract. The Kronkys are so cheap that they are not known to pay people not to work
for them. Look, I do think the GM deserve to be fired more than the coach, partly because of the lack of effective roster building around the greatest player in the NBA and in the world. But the Kronkis deserves some of that blame too. They didn't exactly give him part blaunch to go surround Joker with shooting and defense and maybe some veterans. It's a team without a middle class. They have four max contracts and a bunch of rookies
that are on guaranteed deals. They should be on two ways, and it's it's been it's been broken for a little bit. The word is that there was a power struggle and the two guys made each other so miserable that it affected everybody else. And that's why the Kranti's got rid of both of them. But man, I'll always love Michael Malone, not just because he's like my dad's doppelganger. But this
one hurts, man, and I don't. I mean, I guess we'll find out how they respond tonight against Sacramento, and if they can figure out a way to stay out of the play in and not continue to implode over the course of the next month.
Shout out to Gerald Fitzgerald the second the Deuce. May he rest in peace. Good drop in there today, Treg. Before I ask you the next question, do you agree to drop any biases that you have?
I mean, I feel like I generally bring an unfiltered, unbiased view in all of our interactions on air.
Off allow me to repeat.
Before I ask you this next question, do you agree to drop any biases you have?
Yes, I will drop the ones that don't exist.
Who is the MVP in Pro basketball this year?
It should be Nicola Yoki?
All right, all right, all right?
You know what, I gave him a chance?
Yes? Do that? Do that?
They're a lottery team without him, and they're gonna win the championship with him?
All right?
Okay?
Chance?
And you did just.
Say they're going to win the championship with him? Did you just say that?
Okay, a little book.
Okay, all right, gave him a chance. We wanted to give our guy a chance. But now we got to move on. All right, Trey, you know you're a pro here you're good with this, So I'm just gonna ask you questions here. And look, it's been reported by Sportco and others in the Tribune that there is this iminent shift in ownership with the club, and and of course I know you need to be careful with what you discussed, and so you handle this the way you need to
handle it. But what I'm gonna ask is I swear man, And you know, every week it's either Kurt, it's Jason, it's Pablo, it's Tony, it's whoever that you guys allow us to interview on the show. And it's been the same thing, man for months and months and months, where it's like, Okay, we want to get two players across the line. Pablo hopped on like three weeks ago, he
said we're four or five days away. Then it's Kurt, and then Kurt yesterday said yeah, we think we're going to get one for sure, and we hope to get two. But it did not sound all that optimistic. So I'll start with what sort of, if any delay or distraction has the impending ownership transition cause for the guys trying to get this stuff done.
I think the two discussions are actually unrelated. Okay, Okay, I could be wrong, but I don't believe one has affected the other. I do have the fortune of being around Pablo, Kurt, Jason, Tony, John Kimball quite regularly, and the striker issue is something that we collectively have been
working on for multiple months. And I, you know, I don't think anybody has ever been disingenuous with you when they've described our pursuit of multiple players every day from December fifteenth, when we traded for Elias Manoel December twentieth, actually to Kurt being on with you yesterday. I think, you know, Kurt did describe it, or maybe it was Pablo last week, that there are an immense number of needles to thread to get these deals done. And I
do think multiple junctures. We've thought we were very very close, and for different reasons. Either, Like Kurt said yesterday, we control one out of the three remain relationships to getting these deals done. And I still think we're close. I still think, like Kurt told you yesterday, that we'll get at least one, probably two could be more guys across the line by April twenty third. And it's you know, look,
it's probably later then we wanted. Ideally we would have gotten our DP striker in the door prior to Conca Calf, but that clearly didn't happen, and the key is now to get it done before April twenty third, so we have whoever we add for twenty something games as opposed to you know, the end of the summer window, and I think there's only nine league games remaining in September or October.
All right, let's bottom line this, because you know, I have a unique prism with which I tried to do this show, understanding inner workings of front offices in a way that I don't think mostsels do. And I'm just saying that because I do get the complication and watching Garth for years masterfully quite frankly in a lot of ways traverse spaces that seemed really tough. I understand why there are hold ups. I understand why these things aren't easy.
But Colorado, Atlanta, Toronto, Seattle, Chicago, San Diego, over the past week ten days have been able to get transfers and trades across the line.
And it just sounds like we have a lot of.
Excuses from RSL as to why you guys have been have been unable to get this done. So if we remove the ownership conversation from the equation, what gives man?
Because the decisions for you know, Anddress was last year, Chicho before the season, Matt Crooks before the season, and Anderson juliocho like you guys moved on from a lot of talented attacking pieces, and you did not expedite the process by having something in place unless the Elias kid was the solution that didn't go the way you had planned because apparently he didn't want to live here the contract stuff or whatever. So I'm just gonna bottom line it.
Why the delay? Why is this taking so long?
Yeah, Look, I think it's a number of things. Elias was supposed to be the Anderson Julio replacement. I think he took more issue with being traded period out of New York than anything having to do with our club or our community. But that's neither here nor there. I think Look, Pablo is very particular about who fits in that locker room. I think Kurt and Jason and Tony
would tell you that. Last August when we brought in Dominic Marchuk and Lachlan Brook and Diego gonsolves that that was some of the buying in anticipation of losing perhaps a Crooks or Julio or whoever you know, So it's not the timing doesn't always line up for who's replacing who. And then again there are excuses that have to do
with the immigration process. There's always agents that say, hey, I can deliver this guy to you for this amount of money, and then at the eleventh hour they say, hey, where's the two hundred and fifty grand that I get to put in my pocket? And that often kills deals. So there's a lot of scenarios. I agree with you, it all sounds like excuses. You know as well as anybody. Everybody in this building is a fan, and everybody in this building wants RSL to be the best it can
be and the deepest it can be. I think we feel like we've got a really good core young group. But you know, Forster and Piehl, who we think will have successful professional careers, they need some mentorship, and so I think that's what you're going to see when these deals do get across the line, even if it's a month or two months later than the we all would have desired. There there is something, and I think Pablo
has said this to you on multiple occasions. There's something about a deadline that inspires people to get deals done despite the efforts to try to be two months, eight weeks, six weeks whatever ahead of the curve.
Reference everyone in that building being a fan of the club. Follow up, do you think that you think too much like a fan?
I've been accused of that inta that only means my heart's in the right place.
Okay, all right, so let's bottom line this.
Our guy Tommy Boger today with a name that was dropped earlier, he is a DP as a Ski Slovakian international Robert Buznick.
I don't know, man, That's the best I got.
And then Matthew Doyle with MLS dot com outlined a bunch of different options.
Three I believe are all domestic players.
Kurt actually did let something slide yesterday which he never does, and that is he is trying to acclimate to European time when he's making his phone calls, which indicates maybe our guy Tommy Scoops is onto something. Can you shed some light on these rumors and do you have a timeline for oursel fans to expect these reinforcements to land on the ground.
I don't have a timeline whin they'll land on the ground, simply because getting work pieces and green cards and all that stuff is more difficult now than it has been in the previous four plus years. Clearly, everybody in MLS and at RSL is working tirelessly to get them on the ground. Bozenek is a name obviously we've been linked with my understanding, he's Hurt's got five, six, seven irons in the fire. It almost kind of feels like maybe
the first two that get done get across the line. Clearly, the domestic options could be expedited just because if they're already in the league means they already have the right work visa and it's a much more simple process of relocating them and their family and integrating them into our system international players, and clearly Kurt has international targets based on his comments to you yesterday. It's just, you know,
it's a few more moving pieces. But with the April twenty third deadline, I think we'll try to have people signed, sealed, and maybe not quite delivered by the deadline, because it could take who knows how long to get the visa, to get the international transfer certificate in some of the other paperwork that happens federation to federation when a guy changes countries.
So all of the reports are all these guys are nines, right, So I would imagine the number one target is striker. Are there secondary targets that play in different spots?
Yeah? I think, you know, talking to Pablo Kurt both publicly and privately, I think you know, nine that can also play on the wing is a good thing, and nine that can also play underneath as a ten. And I think you know, we feel like between Dominic Marchuk Ripel,
Jesus Brea that those guys can play multiple positions. Tyler Wolf, we've seen playing multiple positions, so, you know, versatility so that we can stay true to our game model, but evolved as a particular ninety minute period may dictate, is a good thing. Got you know, I think Pablo just wants guys he can plug and play, and then it's figuring out the combinations and who gaels well with who and who can mentor who else and keep it rolling.
One of the interesting things.
You know, I think all of the attention on the lack of attacking prowess has distracted from the fact that RSL is second worst in the West and goals allowed to you know, it's not just scoring those you guys have allowed eleven and that is second to only the Galaxy.
Wait, it's actually Kansas City is lab twelve.
So are there issues defensively that we haven't really discussed because all the attention has been on the lack of you know, juice in the attack.
Yeah, I heard you address this with Kurt yesterday. I think that number might be a little artificially inflated by a horrible four nothing season opening loss at San Jose when we were still in the middle of Conca calf and kind of going, you know, swapping elevens, and then you know, we did give up two of the three goals against San Diego happened in stoppage time when we were pressing forward. So I still think it's a small
sample size. You know, I'm biased, clearly, But if you look at Rafael Cabral's performance, he and Justin Glad are the only two to have played every single minute of all seven MLS games this year. I wouldn't blame either one of them, you know, for some of the concessions, So I think that sample size as we play more games. You know, again, it's not out of the realm of possibility that we do give up another three or four spot with seven of our next ten games on the road.
But I'm encouraged because the best two road campaigns in our twenty year history have been the last two. So I think. I think the mentality that Pablo has instilled in this group has us poised for success even when we're not at home, despite you know, some of the early season stumbles we've had.
Last thing here, you know, you're a guy that's out of front row seat to this Diego Luna story and this journey and this career arc that even at the age of twenty one has been very, very remarkable, and a big week for our guy over the past couple of weeks, the Utah Male Athlete of the Year was given to Diego Luna and grabs a brace against the gall And you know, I actually was, I guess I'll say relieved. I mean, look, I know the deal.
I get it.
Developmental Club, what did Jason say. We don't write checks for ten million dollar players. We find young players, develop them and sell them for ten mil all right, fine, it still is counter to everything that I've been trained to learn about how to do this stuff. And I'm sure that there is a price that will motivate you guys to say yes as it pertains to Diego. And Diego himself on my show last year when I asked him about his goals, he wants to play in Europe.
He wants to prove that he can play with the best players in the world.
It just would be.
Really, really tough, man, to watch that kid go elsewhere, because he is He's as special as anyone I think we've had in maybe that includes Hobbyer. I don't know, how would you articulate watching this kid grow into the player in person that he is today.
Yeah, it's so inspiring, man. Seen a guy that came here is a very quiet, introverted, maybe even nervous, you know, nineteen year old. Then he has the self awareness to take care of his mental health, to go get a job at a coffee shop to improve his social skills. He ends up becoming a father. He takes the U twenty team down to Argentina and grows, you know, on
the youth international stage. He comes back, secures a starting job at RSL, it's been amazing and now, as we've seen in the last what three four months, his star is rising with a new US national team senior team set up under a legendary coach in Mauricio Puctino. He put that Olympic rejection from last June July into his back pocket responded, was named All Star in MLS, the youngest All Star in RSL history and one of the I think three youngest in MLS history. I watched him
at that awards ceremony Friday night. He's got a dozen family and friends in from California and Texas. The kid was grinning ear to ear for four hours, just glowing, so excited to be able to kind of have that
time with his family. Apple Slash MLS had a documentary crew kind of following him around Friday and Saturday, so that was just a lot extra with the family, the camera crew, and I watched him get up in the middle of that dinner and take pieces of cake from the banquet style setup that we've all seen before over to the camera crew, and I'm just like, what a cool guy, you know, just a real human being and a person in a moment that could have easily. He
made it all about him. He's taking care of those around him, and it just struck me, like, what an amazing person. And look, he doesn't love doing all the media stuff that we ask him to do, but he understands that that awareness is not just good for him,
it's good for our club. And to your point, look, I don't understand why we don't have multiple clubs lining up with ten twelve million dollar offers for him right now, but it feels like, hopefully he is a pillar of this club at least through the end of next Summer's World Cup, where I think now we expect him to be one of the bright shining stars for the US national team. Cab Ramos the other day, Poachattino Dunny. Everybody agrees he's the kind of guy that the US men's
national team needs. And he's a different archetype, he's a different paradigm. He's not Christian Poliitic, he's not Tyler Adams, he's not any of these guys from this so called Golden generation. And it's because he's willing to take risks, and he's dynamic and he's unpredictable and we need to enjoy him for whatever time we have. But it just feels to me like he's going to be around for a little bit, a little while, and he's still going to have all these opportunities that he wants to pursue
in Europe or wherever. And I think he just he's in a really good place right now where he takes it one day at a time and he's loving life and we all get to try to maybe benefit from it a little bit, but at least enjoy it as a group that cares about this kid on and off the field.
Watch watching Diego, you know, show this selfless side of him where he clearly thinks of others besides himself and he likes to take care of the people around him. Did it make you question your existence of cheap dopamine chasing and selfish pursuits as it pertains to the way you've elected to live your life?
No, I mean I think about all those times at Bonavilla or Mountaine where I'm helping you find your ball, Like that is as selfless as I as I get at times, and you know, it does inspire me to be more Diego Luna, Like when I'm dealing.
With you, do you feel like you'd like to take the opportunity before I set you loose to offer a public apology for the way you've treated me over the past twenty five years.
I think you made me do this last year, so I'll just say this is my annual apology to you for things that I am unaware, blissfully unaware of how I've offended you. But I do appreciate all you do for me and the opportunity that the drive with Spence Checkets and Porter Larsen, who is the greatest producer to ever put up with you, although I did see JP Chunga today so they're co greatest. Why this show is amazing and I'm happy to be a part of it.
I will begrudgingly accept your apology and again encourage you to do better moving forwards, right, because I'm a guy that believes in action and not words.
You know, I strive to do better, even like Nicola Jokic.
All right, thanks, Buddy Chatsu, All right.
To Trey Fitzgerald, RSL rumored to be bringing in a striker coding. According to Tom Bogert, RSL in advanced talks for a DP forward, he's a Slovakian international. I believe it's Robert Bosnik. Don't quobe no idea not writing on Slovakian soccer tape these days,