UFL 2025 Season Preview: Everything You NEED to Know Before Kickoff!

Well, John, we may have to readjust that countdown intro music. I'm like falling asleep here.

That's not what I remember from the good old stream Yard archives.

Well, John and I were just joking. I said, I we don't do this ever. So I think it's been sixty five days since we podcast.

So I come on stream Yard.

Everything's different, but truly because I do listen to my cracking podcast, and they had started using that. Oh maybe they've gone in and tweet because I everyone uses the default just like right, I go, wow, there really were no I guess Streamyard decided all of that.

Well, we are back here.

Jenna's checking in, everyone saying hi, John, we are here the week of the UFL kickoff Monday.

This week.

We'll get to all of that. Paraffina will be stopping by soon. John's on here today, making time during his workday.

Whoa, here we are week.

Of week of kickoff.

John.

Let's just check in, say hi, how are you? And then we'll kind of set the scene here.

I'm good man, I'm excited about this week. You know, it's finally here. It feels like we've been talking about it forever. I have some concerns about Friday night that we'll talk about. But I'm really looking forward to what this season holds. You know, we've talked before about if this is a make or break season.

I think I was.

I was on that.

I was kind of on that train that this is a make a break season. But I also think it's maybe it's more of a pivotal season. And I think, and what I mean by that is, let you know, maybe if you know this season is, you know, the equal ratings and equal ticket sales and everything, then that's not necessarily a bad sign. I know they want to see growth, but you know, as as they say, we'll take it one week at a time and see what goes on here.

Yeah, so normally we would be generally I go live kind of the day of the game, or we'll kind of do all that stuff the Friday. This year makes it challenging MLB Opening Day, isn't that? So this is kind of that this year. John and I are doing the best we can. That's probably we have Monday this week. John and I's goal is weekly recaps following the games this week or excuse me, games this season. Maybe Tuesdays we can get Mike's ratings in there. We'll figure that out, but we're doing the.

Best we can. Pat's been traveling for work.

I was gone to I was at spring training, and then I was out in Minneapolis and then Toronto. Watched some fun hockey games, got to go see some other stuff and kind of participate, and that I think kind us some meet and greets with some of the podcasts we listen to, which I always think.

It's exciting to kind of be on the other side of that.

But anyway, so this is the best we're doing. Pala, come on here. So we're going to run down the Barlow stuff. We'll talk through all the Labor Strive stuff. We are going to preview the games. Pat was going to write an article surprising cuts and things from the UFL. We'll talk to the website here and all that, so we'll get to all the football stuff. But like and subscribe when we get to four thousand subscribers. We are giving away a couple Royal retros at custom jerseys. We've

Do you want to give them that?

I know you're above that, but I will say if you go to Royal Retros and you put in code JLSS at checkout, you get ten percent off your order. So thanks for the plug.

Yeah, well, no support John.

John's going to be on here all season his channel, John Lewis Sports and then Pat with analyze and educate. We're all part of all football digests. We haven't had a stream since that. Hope everyone's enjoying that. That's been a little bit more of my speed right now. Traveling kind of being able to log in and manage the site as opposed to go in live. John, do you feel like, Okay, we're weak of kickoff here a hype level.

I'm seeing a lot of March madness.

I will talk through the DC Defender stuff, But how are you feeling right now? Because we haven't done a podcast in too much because they're really like there's things to talk about, But like, are John and I going to sit down for an hour to dice?

You know?

Obviously now the week of kickoff, I think we're here, But it's been weird that way it's been. I have felt very not knowing kind of as a fan. I haven't done this much on the media side this year. What have you made it of kind of the preseason?

Well, yeah, there's you know, it's been. There's been little drips and drabs of news and that you know, tends to happen because there's just not a lot happening. You know, we get some some social media content through training camp, those kinds of things. I mean, the big news drops and we'll talk about it. You know, Reggie Barlow leaving UH DC Defenders to go to Tennessee State. Uh, there was some surprising cuts. You mentioned Pat's doing an article.

Yeah, just a quick note here Alex's Football buck Club. That's Rick here. Checking in websites great, Yeah, check out the website, allfootball dot Com. A little less news, a little bit more like the news happens. And then we have opinions and commentary on that. We have CFL stuff we'll be ramping up. I know Anthony is really kind of backbuilding a lot of that on his own. Tremendous sort from Anthony Miller there on that Pat's episodes go live there automatically when they go up, so this, John's

This is what we've built it.

To so far.

We have some premium articles on there as well, trying to build that membership, which has been pretty I mean, website self suspicion, so like it should be good that way in terms of pam for stuff.

But anyway, it's been exciting. Check out All Football signed up.

Mike's got some stuff Greg breaking down you know, UFO word books. Normally I would have plugged a lot more of that, but we we haven't had a chance to do that. Denzel's putting something in the chat here. I'm going to look at that in a minute, John, do you feel like the I guess let's start here, Let's get your immediate reactions to the DC Reggie Barlow stuff,

I can't think it was yesterday.

I've been running around that weekend thoughts to that here and then let me check out something else.

Well, what I thought about it was I was very surprised. It's understandable. I don't know what his contract situation is with Tennessee State yet. I do know that Eddie George was making four hundred thousand dollars a year with another one hundred thousand dollars incentive claws at there are clauses, so what.

The timing is terrible?

Anthony Miller has a really good article up on All Football Digest right now about you know how this can work into the favor of some other assistant coaches that that maybe they you know, we've heard, like you know, Jared Horton and with aj Smith, like we thought they might be given a chance to be head coaches in some capacity or another. So with Shannon Harris stepping up, stepping up to be the interim head coach, I think that is you know, that's interesting and you don't want.

To see Sean I've got more here, hang on.

So I'm not going to say I don't want to see coach defections right now, but I have a feeling something's breaking right now.

Yeah, Jans Larson here, Why isn't that can this stepping away from the show butes for multiple sources, two coaches now week of a week of the season. John, you have been on and involved. Candidly speaking, I haven't done this much of the media surrogate at this time, just time wise and everything else. John, you've been a part of a lot of the showboat stuff. Have you had any chance to interview a head coach or Jared Well, what do you make of this?

It's pretty crazy?

This I don't I don't understand. I mean, you never know, like what what situations are, what it could be, but uh, yeah, this is this is surprising. I have been in on you know, a few of the Memphis preseason availabilities. Talked with Ken wizen Hunt about you know, all kinds of different things, and he just seemed very you know, excited about trying to turn Memphis around. And he's been out in the community and you know and talked about all the community events.

So I don't know what the story behind.

This is, but this is this is tough because, as James points out in this tweet, he's the head coach and also the offensive coordinator. This is tough for a team that was really trying to turn things around this year. I have not gotten anything of official yet for Memphis, but I'm keeping an eye on it.

Here.

Let's bring Pat on. I think he is a guy out here, Pat pat clean shaven here.

Let me get get let me get this here for a minute so we can see paths beautiful face on her back.

Uh.

You know this won't be breaking news all day. This will be a little bit more of the preview and everything. But Pat man pretty surprising here. Two coaches, We'll get your thoughts on DC. But what do you what do you make your Memphis is coming down?

So literally, I just get out of a meeting just you know, gotta gotta check out the twitter.

X whatever we call it, and I see this and and.

I'm a venture capitalist, right, But then there's memes on the Instagram that always go late stage capitalism because of late stage capitalism.

Personal opinion, don't really agree agree with that, but in this stage the meme is fitting. No bueno.

I I don't know what's going on with coach Whiz. I don't you know, just like John, I'm on a couple of these Memphis show boats calls, but man, I I just form Memphis just not not great, not great. And obviously you have a little bit of a lack of transparency because you know, you got David Davis. David Davis is obviously like not in camp, gets cut and then we're all like and they're like, oh no, it's fine,

Way they cut this guy.

Yeah, but you're right that that was all that I thought was, you know the issue there, and you're in, Yeah, what DJP just said, they're just giving AFL vibes and that that's not a good thing.

Well, and here's my question. I guess for both the it's different sides here.

So the DC obviously more of a fan favorite team there, right and a little bit more of a culture didn't succeed as much last year. But DC they have an expectation, Okay, we want to have this team come in and compete and all that stuff. Memphis, on the other hand, has kind of been a dumpster fire since the expansion or relocation whatever here. Okay, we're going to bring in a new head coach oc kind of all that build this.

I I want to say, I want to say Memphis, because I am very blessed that I have a connection to Reggie Barlow that and not like a person like I know people who are in his circle. So it's not that I knew that Reggie was going to leave. I had an understanding that job offers have been extended to Reggie and he was looking for the right fit money.

I mean, is TJ Vin, are you gonna be the OC now?

Like?

I don't think he's ever called plays even that gain and nothing against him. You learn when your feet are thrown to the fire. But there's a lot of concern there for a team that really hasn't had much success going back to its days as the Tampa Bay Bandits.

One real quick joke here, John, and then we'll get to you on this.

I just before I forget to make this joke, I Reggie Barlow updated his profile photo today. I said, I ready, that's way too soon, way too soon, Reggie.

I mean, like you brother, like read the room here. But this is what I like.

Obviously this is spring football, right John, And we joke about all this. But to me, and I was reading James's article kind of in the background here to see if there was any more details. It says he's stepping away, could be up to most of the season or part of the season stepping away versus the the Reggie Barlow stand down. But like this still is just horrible optics.

Well, Pat brings up a good point at springball here, and I think you know, with the transfer portal in college sports, now you're recruiting all you're recruiting your own players all the time, and I think that if there were you know a lot of players tend to be on the fence, uh in any sport, in college sports, when their coach steps away, you know, he Eddie George might take some players with him.

It happens.

I mean, anyone who's watching March Madness, you're seeing some of these you know, new coaches who roll into the scene and they're having a run because they brought players from their you know, previous stop with them. Because of the transfer portal, you can just you know, you can play the next year. But so I think that's probably a big part of it is they they wanted to hire him and get him you know, in Nashville as soon as possible, because that's you know, that's what you're

Now.

I know the bar was low.

They only won a couple of games last year, but it felt like they were putting everything kind of in place to like, you know, like be a little better this year and they get out in the community. It's just this to me could like really just kind of wreak havoc on a already kind of struggling franchise and fan base.

Pat, how do you think and then we'll transition here continuing on how do you think UFL management is in their mindset here today with both of these here in the span of seventy two hours.

I think they're wishing they had a little bit of a time machine and just get it the Friday get kick off.

You know good? I mean, what is it? There's some sort of.

Saying, I'm I make it's you know, just kind of good football.

Oh, character is you're a genius.

If you're rich, you're you know, you're weird if you're poor, or something like that.

If we go on the.

Field and the football play is great, less.

People will talk about it.

I think they just they're just hoping to get the Friday kick it off, and then everyone starts like saying like you know, you know, Kumbaya and all that stuff, you know, and they do that, and they're like, hey, man, yeah, we've had some you know, hiccups along the way, but that was a pretty good game on Friday, you know, you know I and I I it just it sucks, man, Like this is this all just kind of sucks because you get a guy like Ken Wizenhunt who's at the

It's interesting when you read the release here the quote from Darryl Johnson is it's a joint quote with with Russ Brandon and Daryl Johnson said, if and when Ken wes Quinn Ken wizen Hunt is ready to return to the UFL family, we will welcome him with open arms. So it sounds like there's something a little bit more behind the scenes that that's happening there with him personally. It does say for personal reasons.

So the UFL family, not the Memphis show Boats family.

Well, I mean, I don't I like your conspiracy theory there. Maybe there's something going on there, but I just, you know, I hope for for him. And there's some bio information I hope everything is okay with Ken wizen Hunt because he seems like again like you said, he's he's a guy who is uh. I thought he was going to come in there use that experience to kind of turn things around, and that that's a tough blow for UH.

For for Memphis and the fans. Did they announce ye, Jim Turner, Yes, the line coach?

Right?

Yeah?

Is that that was that from James's tweet? Or is that this is?

This is in the release here it says Brandon and Johnson have named offensive line coach Jim Turner. So it's interesting that it that it was the CEO and the uh.

The way I had it the way on my street.

Yeah, you can see.

I was like, I was like, what the heck does okay?

Yeah, Jim turn So it says it. So it's interesting it wasn't the GM, it was the the league has named their head coach.

There.

Well, and this is gets to this and well, I want to transition to the labor strife here, Philip. I see your question. We'll talk opening weekend here in a little bit. I have it started. This is why and well to the labor strife. You know, when you have players, like we're going to sit out or whatever we leverage? Do you have two head coaches just walked out of the building the week up and and and obviously, like we said, we're presuming that Ken's situation is different, right,

And then I do want to look we'll look matchups and talk actual teams here, I promise.

Man.

Literally, I get out of this meeting at like eleven fifty seven, and I think I might have said the word leverage about twenty seven thousand times. Leverage, leverage, leverage. People like guys and gals in do not understand when they are not in positions of power. And I'm going to come off like a corporate hill a little bit. When you are not in a position of power, you do not have say. And this is the thing is

This wasn't Matt McGloin going out there or Landry Gilbers.

Statistically, AJ has been the best quarterback outside of Magoo's twenty twenty three, which you can technically argue in this league, and he had the brand. When you don't have let you don't have power realistically, And I think John you said this, you could get twenty four more quarterbacks and we're all still watching. There's plenty of other guys out there, and maybe would the quality of play go down a

It just it felt weird to me.

And then John, I'll toss you we're and I was really the day it all came out, and I want to talk a little bit more about the optics of

What do you do?

Like it? Just? I think the truth lies there somewhere in the middle between, you know, the giving the players everything they want and then this thing with the fans. But it just seemed weird to It felt like a heel turned that way, like, well, now the players are the bad guys, like f the players, I want football

So who am I to tell anyone what to do that way? John? What did you make of that? Yeah?

I think well, first of all, Pat, you brought up Quentin Dormandy, which leads me to we talked about like the top ten players, and I said, Lynn Bowden and Quentin Dormandy, we're gonna be in the top ten players before the end of the year, So please delete that video.

That'd be great.

But Pat brings up a good point about you know, we don't know what exactly what the what the profit and loss here is and what Pat and I had have conversations and read you and I have had these conversations too, is when you have a company, it's not you know, for Fox and Disney, this whole thing is a rounding era. They're they don't care about losing you know, you know, a whole ton of money.

Uh.

They don't want the headache of this though, if it if it came to that, if it came to some kind of player action where they walked out or something, because they could just say, you know enough, Yeah, it's it sucks, but listen, we're gonna have to move on and do something else. Especially when you have some something like Redbird Capital involved. They're not involved to lose money. They're involved, you know, you try to go for the long run here and and and try to make some money.

And why is the league not given that to you?

Yeah?

I see a comment hear about Dormandy and the child unless you were on the field with him. I mean, he was absolved of everything back last you know, with it with the rule books and all that stuff.

So I hate that.

I hate that too, where you it's someone like a Pro Football Talk or whatever that the reports stuff last year, and then when that's all gets cleaned up, they never you know, no one ever sees the the correction as much as the original accusation.

And then you you know, then you have this ball it that way. Pat has this helped?

Obviously, the UFL has been in the in the spotlight here the last couple of weeks, I think more than it would have been.

But when all you're getting.

Is national coverage from Fox Office Sports and Mike Flourio talking about.

How the league is going under?

Is that helpful, pat, because this is I see this now being a thing. Last year we couldn't do anything because it was the late merger and all that, and I see this now, well, we had this labor strife and we had all these players streatening to walk out, and then we had like what were we supposed to do? Even though you know, players blogging out two weeks here doesn't have anything to do with the last six months.

I think we'll find out on Friday.

I think we'll find out based off the year long metrics of of of the viewership and everything like that. I think we'll find out in attendance and whatnot. But I think, you know what is it? All press is good press or something like that. So, I mean people are talking about it.

You know.

It's like when people comment on a YouTube video that dislike it, you still watched engagement, Yeah, I mean, keep boosting that algorithm, cheach, you know. I I think I think it's I think we'll find out on Friday, And.

I mean maybe battle Hawks.

Stallions or battle Hawk's Renegades might have been a little bit better.

Obviously we don't know what like availability is.

But I mean, I mean I think I just once we get more data, I think we'll understand more about like kind of the temperature check of everything going on and how many people are going to be engaged. I don't know if it's like the echo chamber of social media, but I did see a bunch of accounts that I never followed before, like after the super Bowl that we're like, man, and the super Bowl was terrible, can't wait for the UFL.

So I don't know if that was like the way it was last year.

I thought the super Bowl and twenty three going into twenty four was a lot better. But I mean that's another conversation in itself personally of like how do we ride the engagement, especially from like a bad super Bowl to like football starve people while avoiding March madness, you know. Like, so it's a lot of minutia that I think we'll have data for in a couple In a couple of.

Days, I'll get my shots at thoughts. If I could talk after John here, John go ahead.

Uh no, I mean I agree with all that. I think that you know, we need to see some numbers here after the first week. We need to see like this is this is going to be a bit of a barometer of success for this first weekend. Although I'm almost willing to throw it out. That said, I mean, I'll talk on both sides of my mouth here. I'm almost willing to throw it out because, as you guys mentioned, and we're going against march madness.

That's why I wish I know.

That there are there are reasons for the way that they start these and the dates they start these. I really wish they would have waited at least a week to start to start the league. So you might be competing with the Elite eight or the Final four, but you would still like you can work your way in there with you know, the four games, so especially with a Friday night game. So that's but yeah, I think

I'll be curious here.

And Greg Parks has a great article up right now in All Football Digest if you want to check out kind of comparing the college football ratings on Friday with basketball and football and kind of what to expect from the UFL.

I'm a little scared.

I am one of the camp that the February start is the premiere time to do it.

I think you get lost in a lot of this now.

I think the UFL did better last season than we thought and doing this similar weekend, but you're fighting against MLB opening weekend. That's a little bit deluded now, just because they do like the Tokyo Series and all that the week before, but it's still opening for you know, ninety percent of the fan base. I just think it's hard in the March Mountains.

I don't like that. Pat any other thoughts on kind of.

The time of year, and then I'll pull up the schedule and we can talk kind of battle hawks for ROUGHNECKX.

Yeah, I personally lean. I didn't like.

I didn't dislike in theory the USFL timeline on except forty games in Birmingham isn't fun, which obviously it would be five, and then you can put those games at night.

It'd be a little bit cooler.

I didn't dislike it because now you kind of create your own like threshold. But in my optimal, perfect world, I do like February sixteenth or whatever the date is, to start the week after the Super Bowl. People, especially if they don't like, you know, Chiefs playing they can go into that. My biggest like argument for the for the for the earlier start was always rookie mini camps and getting those guys in the rookie mini camps because it creates content, it creates awareness to the NFL teams,

That's what Michael hug Away I'm sorry read, but that's what Michael Hugues always said, who was the commissioner of the previous UFL. He always said spring football will never work, and that's why he ended up. One of the reasons that he left as commissioner because they wanted to move in the spring. A lot of people might not remember, but the other UFL that played in the mid two thousands and lasted actually for a few seasons, they played

And that's what he said.

It was about getting these players in the cycle of the NFL because everybody knows that's where they want to go.

Yeah, I had I was going to pull up here, just the kind of the TV ratings and everything as we transition into the Friday night.

I found this from Mike Mitchell back last year.

On the Saturday one point one A, so that was the midday Saturday. They kickoff game on on ABC right or on excuse me on Fox, and then this year it will be on the ABC or no excuse me on Fox Friday Night. They did it back and forth with that with the championship That's where I was confused with that, and then the one point three nine hundred thousand on Sunday for that. You know, throw your estimations if you want, and they're kind of weird, thinking, John, where do you see that?

Friday?

I was pulling up Greg's article on you on All Football and we were talking. You know, it's kind of in the in the million range one point four in there. It's there's certainly a floor there you want to hit. In terms of the UFL, have you seen like have we I haven't been in a position to see any like UFL on Friday night commercials rolling out here? Have we seen any promotion or what are your thoughts on the Friday and then we'll talk about the game.

Well, like I said, I've kind of been involved in March madness, so I haven't watched a lot of you know, a lot of Fox, so I don't know, but you know, showing what you know, Greg Parks had there, I really feel like, uh, it's I mean, and certainly they'll beat you know, there was like a Providence Saint John's basketball game there that went up against college football playoffs, which is like six hundred thousand or something like that. I just I really do think that they can match or

Be that's on that and then I'll respund their comment will go the game.

I mean, yeah, I have no idea what to expect as far as as far as.

Like ratings and whatnot.

I'm I care, I care less about the ratings and more about the people in the stands right now. I don't know if that's the correct mentality to have. But I mean, if if they're pulling three million viewers, let's say arbitrary number, and six people are in the stands, doesn't matter.

You know, like three million come back?

Yeah, I mean like yeah, I mean like I'd like to get a one point five. I mean, I hope that you have the Saint Louis metro area is going to be a little bit engaged, you know. And I mean it is Fox and everything like that. I I've never been great at ratings and whatnot. I just I care. And once again, I'm not sure if this is the correct metric. I care more about butts in the seats versus how many people are putting it on passively.

Yet you know, at a Buffalo Wild.

Wings, Mike's DM and me he's driving. He goes, I wish I could call into the show right now, I said, Mike. I know Mike's running around doing aarons. It's okay, Like I just one quick thing on here. We did have a question, you know, and we talked about this all the time. Do you think the man stay not having West Coast teams have this country?

Do you? I'm the same way.

I mean, I was even at I was at the Mariners opening. We do like a fan fest, run the basis and everything yesterday and of course I went, but you know, and like we're talking with our baseball podcasts there because we listen and they're all like, you know, it's all I did Creator Economy and they're like, so like, what do you do again. I'm like, well, we used to have a team here, but we don't now. And then we kind of do you know, and they're like,

Because anyone I meet on a daily basis doesn't have a.

Team that lives anywhere near them, So it's it's a really hard sell for me that way.

Yeah, I really thought and read I think you brought it up last year. One sign of success for this league would to have been to expand this year, even if it was two teams. I know they have kind

I mean not even close.

Yeah, Pat, we have peeve on both sideses. Yeah, people need to be in attendance. That's a look good for television, agreed.

Yeah, I mean I mean yeah, we all heard that way.

Yeah, we all heard the other side.

Yeah.

I mean it's just like it's also for like the the players, dude. Like I mean, I coached you know, an AIA football and like, you know, granted, our stadium is really awesome because it can make make it look a lot bigger than it really is. But like you know, you have some teams that have stands that are so big and it's like two thousand people there in ten thousand,

Uh, the DC, the Yeah, Audi Stadium, Audifield, wherever you want to call it.

It's the best place to see anything. Ever. I would love to be able to Yeah, okay, cause the Mariners do. I do a.

Capital swing and then we can also see something here in the spring. I don't know a couple of comments here, and I want to talk about the BattleHawks and kind of camp and all that stuff. One quick thing, ratings. It is going to be tough. It is WrestleMania season. WrestleMania is off a Fox. Obviously, the UFL has taken that over, but I will be at WrestleMania Vegas.

I think about that.

So I do think that that is bringing a lot of that leon here at football versus forgetting about football mainstream fans at all. It's all March madness, and they just real quick. And this isn't throwing reels and heels under the bus at all. I just this is just at its expansion. They put out a press release totally. But that's why when we do stuff like that, you

I wonder if developments will affect that. I think you need. I think all Darryl.

Needs is like a hangnail or like a stub toe and be like, you know what, Like I got too much on my plate right now.

We got to way to get until next year.

Like, I think there really needs to be ideal situations for the UFL to kind of move forward.

John, any thoughts on that or ELSEO, I'm gonna pull up the schedule.

No, I would I would agree with all that and I think that again, to show success, to show that you're doing things, and to show that this is financially stable, you don't want to expand. If it's going to you know, it's going to kill you. We've seen too many spring leagues die because of that. But I would like to see two more teams next year, and I would hope that that's what we do see, assuming this league happens next year.

Let me go in super quick.

Philip was asking about ticket sales, and then I'm going to talk about the games. I promise here I have not done this this year because I do feel like this is somewhat of a fruitful venture to try to do this with the retails. So we're only selling Riot the lower bowl here, so so don't worry about that. Let's just see what like home field there you go, so that gives.

You kind of a good view, if can you.

Guys all see that right? So there is a lot of inventory available. So again, none of that above, it's just the stuff with the blue visitor side obviously less on that not looking gray. Again, I don't think Fox cares. I think they should care. I think that they care more about maintaining that that ratings on Friday night with that any quick reactions, Well.

The I think the concern I was talking about earlier and maybe why there's tickets available right now. The forecast in Houston for Friday is an eighty four percent chance of thunderstorms, potential for heavy rainfall and then scattered thunderstorms that night. So to me, we talked about it before and we joked about you know, I kept saying, they're

I just wonder, I just want, I wonder if they how bad they messed up, if they did becoming the gamble Necks instead of the Roughnecks.

Yep, alien of the family.

I just I just I just wonder.

Yeah, I mean I'd have to dig dig into, uh the metrics and everything like that, but I just you know, hindsight twenty twenty, I just wonder how much that matters.

I think I don't. I think it does matter.

I don't think it's it's it's even if it's just a little bit, you know, we're talking about a sport that is not you know, it's not the NFL. So even if it's a little bit, you know, for them.

That's it's that's huge.

And and you're right, it just I did. I'm sure there was some business decision behind it, but it seemed to me the gamblers had more of uh, I mean, historically certainly, but it just seemed to me like that was just more of a it was kind of to appease both sides.

I kicked back on the historic I talked to Larson about this like two years ago. He was like, well, the gamblers have more historical I was like, name one other person other than Jim Kelly. Yeah, and and and it's it's it's nothing against you, it's nothing against anyone.

It's just yeah, it's Jim Kelly, big deal.

But like I mean, and it's it's it's anyone who says that it's like the gamblers had more historical prowis. It's like Mike Mitchell is seventy years old, bro, Like he remembers it.

That's it.

Hey, listen, I remember that. I remember them.

Yeah, what do you? Yeah? Because you because that's also seventy. I thought you were twenty six.

But like yeah, man, it's like and you know, going back to the alienation part, it's like, dude, they had six thousand people coming to their games or something like that.

You alienate a thousand people, what is that? Like eighteen that's eighteen percent of your market?

Dude, Like businesses shut down because of that.

Homie.

So just real quick, Leon here says, we all know football will be fine, but if a if a tree falls in the forest, this is my point, and we're gonna make John John Lewis is off a Twitter, but we're gonna to make.

Him a burner just so he could get back in our group chat because I said this the other day.

I said, so the Mariners just reveil and keep talking about this, but we just unveiled, Like all what did they do there? All right, they just unveiled all of their stuff. So we have like this new market. You know, we have a new Cup for the season, right like it's a new so the Cup and I go, the Mariners are the anti UFL because the Mariners cannot play baseball at all, but we can like market the baseball

So like if the Mariner's.

Sales staff could merge with that, that would be awesome.

All right, let's go to this.

John, you have been involved, and this will relate to our conversation.

You're going into opening weekend?

Have you felt as though you have been able to get a clear picture? And Pat, this goes for you as well of any of the teams. What's going on?

John?

I know you've been on the show Boats. I know, like I think some of these teams are more clear to us than not. I think Anthony Miller's done a good job with the Renegades. You can look at all of his write ups on football dot Com. Pat, have you with the battle Like you get what I'm saying here? Do we have a clear picture? I guess Pat will start with you. Any thoughts on the battle Hawks here facing Houston?

What do we know?

I mean? I've I know, I've talked to a couple of players.

I think I've only done like one or two media calls, because you know, I have a real job and whatnot. And from what I'm understanding, it's a couple things tight to the chest. I knew some things about Isabella. I knew I know some things about some of the like the movement. As far as the offensive line, I've talked to some players regarding the offensive coordinator situation. Believe it or not, it's actually people are a little bit more a lot more excitement around Phil than normal than well,

Yeh.

Tua comes into the UFL with twelve career NFL sacks, not the craziest number, but way more than anyone on this podcast and in these comments most like so like, my biggest question for Saint Louis is how are the tackles going to hold up? I think they did a good job of And I don't want to say this in jest of moving on from Vidal Alexander, but their tackles are a little bit older.

They're both creeping up on thirty.

I never have been a big fan of Jared Jones's smith's footwork.

I think he's got great hands in great length.

And I didn't think Jowan Bushwell Beattie was improved from twenty three to twenty four and what's that pass rush going to be. Donnie Abraham has done a great job of implementing a NASCAR package in which he's putting his edge rushers in the A gaps and they're taking and they're running what we call a heat front and whatnot, which they're the int Your rushers are a little bit wider.

I love that, but I'm just.

Not sure, like with how much better are we going to be in the past rush. I think the secondary will be fine. I just worry about their trenches a lot more. And I'm glad they're playing Houston because I think they.

Can get away with not being air quote fine tuned.

And I think I'll be a lot more excited for Week two Saint Louis than I will be Week one, because then I'll have an actual expectation for the rest of the season.

John just general thoughts on you know, the return of Houston here and TJ and we've had thoughts on that, and I'm trying to look at rosters and we've been trying to track and I've made jokes too about you know, let's Fox Sports and who's on the There's not a lot of information to hear about this, which I always hope is going to change every training camp, and it's it's hard. I mean, Anthony Miller went to the Renegades practice. I think he said he was the.

Only media there. You can't go, you know, cover if you want to do.

I've seen some local report orders now or some naw you know, like local reporters doing that remote zoom staff. But it feels like it's been hard getting information now.

Yeah, I mean we're seeing a lot of you know, funny videos out of you know, on social media and that kind of thing. But as far as like you know, really going into you know, what personnel looks like, that kind of thing. I did have an opportunity to talk to Chris Peyton Jones and you know with the BattleHawks, and he said he felt like kind of you know, building on what Pat said there, he said he felt like they have been much more competitive in camp this

So so somebody knows something.

You know, the information is out there, we just don't know, you know, really, I would love to know more, Yes, we know Luis Perez, you know, probably look good in camp. And I you know, I've told you guys. Four of the teams have finally put me on their mailing list. The other four, I you know, and and the league itself, it's like, my it's it's a dust bend. I can't It's like I open my email and it's like tumbleweeds

Yet.

Maybe this week changes that with with the game being on Fox and this is the first week, so maybe we'll start to see some roll out of that this week, I hope. So, I mean the funny videos and camp that's been fine, and it's good to see some social media presence. But you know, I think there's there are some of us out there, and I know we're the sickos, but we would like to know a little bit about, you know, what these teams look like.

I know that they just pushed out the media I think it was the updated media portal today and we had a chance to look into any of that stuff he had that's that improved.

H I looked at it earlier today. There's no there's no video on there. It's a lot you know yet that uh there's some photo well there's a there's a tab for photos. But when you earlier today, when I clicked that, it just took you to the Getty Images

It does and it speaks to and we've always said this them not even necessarily knowing the audience and the people that want to and we'll see here as we approach Friday with injury reports and practice reports and who's playing. And once he starts like, that's the people you are trying to attract it and candidly, I've just given up.

Pat? Is that what you can make of that?

Is it just well, the roughnecks were asked last year, so they're probably gonna lose that. I don't even know how these DraftKings formulate that.

Yeah, I mean I think that's part of it.

I mean I knew for a fact that DraftKings guys aren't getting more info. I think they're just going off the roster and being like, yeah, they're not that good. But I was thinking about this. By the way, is with the coaching turmoil.

Is like C. J. Johnson kind of like air quotes safe because.

It's like it's like, you know, you you have that guy at is that guy at work who's like, I just need to be not the worst guy here. Like, but I like like that's it's kind of just like the Will Smith meme a little bit where he's just like, like, where's everyone else like uf L u f L Daily or UFL Central whatever that is.

Can you make that meme? It's not me? By the way, I've been accused.

I do like that. Yeah, I do, Like I don't know who.

I like that we have kind of our little centael now account.

I love it.

That's how you.

Really know that you're you're doing all that. Just a couple of comments here reels and heels. They're talking about Brahma's doing so I hanging out and I can't. I can do that here showing up the Pear. I love the Pearl in San Antonio. That's a freaking sweet spot. So that would be awesome to get together for that. Yeah, well, that's good. Thoughts on the on the rest of the matchups here, I mean, we don't have super deep die but you know Arlington hosting the Bramas Bramas favorited there.

Is that?

Well? Uh yeah, I do like that.

Uh yeah, it's four o'clock Eastern time, and you know it's on Fox on a Saturday afternoon. You know, Arlington, which is the headquarters of the UFL. You got to hope that, you know, there's a good turnout for that and the optics are there. Yeah, let's see what Brama's three point favorites right now? I mean, again, how do we know? But DraftKings says that's what it is. Yeah, this should be you know, Now, obviously Friday is the

And in the UH and then Sunday, which.

Though that's noon in three o'clock, it is probably the same way I should have had my I'll have to get right now, Okay, So yeah, I mean there are opportunities here. You know, we can plain so much about uh, you know, last year and the year before with the f S ones and the ESPN twos and all that, we don't have.

We don't have a lot of that.

So it's awesome to see on the first week Fox, Fox, ESPN, ESPN.

It's not even on, it's not even showing up on my Fubo right now, I'm trying to see one o'clock. There we go, So one o'clock it's going out, and then what's the Mark Schmand that's on tn T and all that. I'll yeah, so you're going up against yeah, directed regional finals, both those on ESPN. You Yeah, I don't know, they did decent last year going up the head against the Athletics at the Mariners.

John so well, I get it, Like, so Friday Eastern time, So that game Friday is at eight o'clock Eastern. At seven o'clock, you've got on Friday seven eastern time, You've got yeah, you've got you know, you've got actually Ole miss Michigan State, Kentucky, Tennessee. It's in the seven o'clock hour, and then the late games in nine thirty and ten or Michigan, Auburn, Purdue Houston. So you got two number

Pat thoughts Renegades here.

Anthony's had a lot of coverage at PRES and all that I saw. He had some comments this week talking about the development the important is string football, and Mike was going with people just not going out but just you know, trying to build up all of this. How do we feel about the Renegades, How do we feel about Perez. How do you feel about and it feels like we're kind of rolling this out now a third time with that, What do you make of the Reneganes?

I mean, I just talking like all the matchups, believe it or not, I think I think the marquee matchup of UH Saint Louis and Houston is actually the least attractive one.

So I think, Yes, I think everyone.

Kind of not like and I don't say it in disrespect to the league. It's just like the BattleHawks should be Yeah, exactly, Leon. The BattleHawks should win this game. They should win by ten points or more. Yes, and they need to work out all their kings Arlington and San Antonio. Yeah, is exciting because we get to see Kellen Mond and we you know, could see if he's going to be you.

Know, p J.

Walker or is he going to be Aaron Murray.

And I find that really awesome because my biggest complaint about quarterbacks in in pro football in general is get these guys out of Q be purgatory. Kyle Sloter, he was a guy who just practice squad, practice squad, you know, elevation never got the opportunity, did okay with the breakers, you know, was able to latch on for a couple of weeks in the NFL, got another chance with the.

Renegades washed out.

He's good like we had our opportunity, couldn't make the standard. Kellen Mond to me is in that mold. Also with the Louis Presning. He's launching his book I think on the twenty seventh or twenty eighth Thursday night.

Zoom.

I'm on it.

I'm on it.

He's gotten zoom that he's it's the whole event. Yeah.

Oh, I haven't gotten my media invite.

Oh it wasn't a media invite.

I'm yeah, dude, he got it.

Wow.

Wow, it's a it's a it's a book event. Yeah.

So you can buy the book, and I guess he's gonna talk. I would just I did sign up. The sign up was free. You're gonna have to buy book.

I've met.

I think we've had beers with Louis Prez's cousins both and in Choctaw, Texas life there, so I'll take that. I'm happy.

I'm the biggest thing with the Renegades I'm curious about is how do they use Holton Ayler's or Luke Lennon to kind of elongate the effectiveness of Perez and shout out to Daveon Smith big money moves, just showing up when he felt like it.

I love that for him.

He's like, hey man, you know I got I got this consulting gig I'm doing.

Probably I can't be there.

Nor will I real real pumped for him to give it another go in the league. But yeah, I'm just curious to see how, you know, because Bob is like the best coach in this league and not from like the wins and loss, but like him and Wade, they're just two bros coaching ball, loving it, and I just, you know, I'm I'm curious to see, in a perfect utopia where the league lasts for ten more years, how do they integrate the next wave of these guys and whatnot to see if like they can actually build a

No, I agree, like this is this is the final chapter of the paperback. When it comes out, this will be Yeah, you know, I thought it was interesting back to the BattleHawks that they posted today, you know, are starting quarterbacks and it was starting quarterbacks. So I don't

I mean you can, you can do it against Houston. I can play quarterbacks, you know what I mean?

There it is Yeah, I think, uh yeah, I think the three here on the on the left of the screen could probably get in there and maybe complete a pass.

Well, so here's my question here, as we like to these last two games and then there I wanted to do that. So this this Stallion's game, this might be a disaster, right because you have Birmingham coming in off the championship game here and then d C. Right, we have no coach, we have no OC. You know, we're we're kind of reeling that way. Uh the Memphis they might have been screwed kind of anyway.

I don't know.

I'm curious what you guys make of those two games where I think Birmingham probably was obviously going to be the favorite anyway, but especially now with the head coach.

But Johnny Eddie thoughts on that, Yeah.

I kind of wish this was switched around because if Michigan Memphis ends up just being an absolutely terrible game in a blowout, it gives you no lead in for the Birmingham and DC. Just from a TV perspective. I mean, again, the people want watching here. We're all sick, so we'll we'll, we'll watch it. It doesn't matter. But yeah, you know, I don't know, we see we see so often with a new coach steps in and you know, the players kind of end up playing for him. Uh So I

Yeah, that's what we're having comments here. Mike ge is chatting in this ye shots see Barlow leave.

I don't know.

Yeah, some of these teams might not have been great anyway, but certainly with all of this, Yeah, it'd be nice if you could have had the Memphis DC.

Kind of the battle of the coach list teams. I would have liked that.

That's on either of these, either of these other bats before we get out here.

I think Memphis the Memphis game, it will be closer than we think. And then because there's talk about a dual QB system, and I think with those two guys getting comfortable, I do think Perkins is way better or excuse me, I say like maybe a gear or two above Ettling. I think either one of those guys obviously wins the game, but with them not being able to get into a system, whether it be are they going every series or are they going every quarter?

And then whichever quarterback.

That they lean towards for that second half or those second set of series and whatnot. That's when I think

He just has to not mess up.

He needs to lean on he needs the lean on his experience in his staff. There might be some issues because I know that they've lost their offensive line coach as well. I don't remember who they replaced it with, but you you have Fred Kais and Greg Williams.

These are two smart, grown men. Use them.

Well.

Here's the question, though, do they have them, though, are they gonna stay on staff?

I don't.

I haven't seen if. Because there's some talk that Reggie Barlow was gonna take some coaches with him.

Man, I so I will I will shoot I will shoot somebody at TACKS message about that because I I have had the privilege of talking to some Tennessee State people, and I will talk to my mentor about that and maybe have a breaking news thing. But I mean, yeah, I just I feel like that decision comes out tomorrow, like now, you know what I mean, Like like I have to look at what Tennessee State's doing springball wise. I was under the understanding that they started already, but you know, you just.

I don't know.

Man, I feel like, if anything, he would have brought Shannon. Shannon's his guy, like he Shannon Harris is his guy.

So it's like like.

He might go ahead, go ahead.

He might leave after the season.

Like it's not it's not a big deal to take a QB coach or OC after springball. There's going to be coaching changes throughout college football after springball because guys, just stuff happens, you know, it's a real reality of situation. I mean, guy from UCLA just went to UTPB within the week ago.

You know, like there's been stuff with our staff as spring.

Ball's going on, you know, and so like you know, and it's gonna continue to change. I believe a year or two ago, our offensive coordinator did spring ball with another college and then came to us.

Like we lost our oc he went to another school.

It happens. So granted's smaller level, but it happens all over the place. And if you go on FootballScoop dot com, job applications are out there every day and it's the greatest website out there.

Yeah.

I was just gonna you know, what do you guys think? Was this Shannon Harris move? Maybe Reggie Barlow saying listen, I'm gonna leave try out this head coaching thing. This could be more of a of a resume builder than you coming, you know with me to Tennessee State.

Yeah, it's certainly not a not a bank account booster, so yes, but get your name on your resume as a head coach of a football team.

Right, Yeah, I mean helped Reggie Barlow, I mean he had been a head coach before, obviously.

I don't think it helped.

I think Reggie personally, I think Reggie Barlow was trying to make the jump from and I don't compare him to be enemy because there are two different human beings from a character standpoint, but I would say Barlow was trying to make the jump from college football coach to associate head coach at the NFL level, with hopes of getting to become a coordinator one day and then eventually, like Barlow, I think will be an NFL coordinator and then a NFL head coach before he leaves this Earth.

I am one confidence on that. If that is what he wants to do.

Seems like he's positioned for that. That's true.

He is in a very good spot to where and he's got some connections to the pro level, played in the NFL. I think he has a Super Bowl ring, and he's got plenty of guys that are yeah that have Barlow.

And I think Mike has told me this. Barlow has had position.

Jobs to him, But I think the associate head coach position job is it not even money wise, but a status wise. That's what he needs to get the coordinator to do his time and then there. But if he crushes at Tennessee State, I mean they play in the o VC wins a couple of those. He could go to a Power four level. Power four guys have come from OVC schools.

Anything else.

I had a couple of comments, I'm gonna pull up here before we get out. Pat's got it out here in.

A few minutes. And then I know, John, you got stuff. Well, it'll be good. This very is.

This is my lunch break right now, So this is what that's good.

I did think it was funny they posted this, you know, the Shannon Harris thing, and it's like just the most generic coach speaking the world, Like I want them to know we're going to be the team that plays.

When I saw this, it reminded me of every college basketball media day that I covered in thirty years of television. We're gonna play up tempo this year. We're gonna do but I want the team to know.

I want them to know when we step on the kind of team that we.

Are one hundred percent.

But I will give DC you know, it was probably good to get him, you know, instead of just pictures like get him talking and and here this is your new head coach that's gonna that's gonna be coaching this.

Weekend, so I'll give him credit on that one for sure.

Oh totally.

I did see something about new jerseys coming out here, so I'm gonna see.

If we can get that before we get out.

Uh, pat Any, any thoughts on the Oh yeah, here we go.

No here, let's do this here real quick. So we got under.

Armor here, I'll look through here. Pat Any pouts on engineering coach speak.

Let me get some decent to pull up.

Oh dude, I love generic coach speak.

You know what I always have to do with my kids is I always have to like, you know, it's I always gotta give some generic coach speak where it's like, yeah, man, you gotta drive your hands, keep your leverage and oh yeah man, like keep keeping this fight, you know, and low yeah. I mean my favorite thing is if you play for the name on the front, the.

Name of the back will prosper.

All right, here we go, so let me share this and this this website. But we got it here.

I'm like, can we just like pull up the thing? So we have new under Armour stuff so you can buy like shirts ever. But they now have the jerseys on here, which I think, right fantastic because you get home on the ways of both, which we never got again. I can subscribe, get us up to four thousand subscribers. Dustin and Royal Retros will make you a custom one. I have a Dragons one from twenty twenty. That's awesome. I get complimented out all the time. But anyway, we

He had a one.

I said, well, I'm not going to do that anything else. Before we want to get out of here. Mike did have a comment that he's not seventy but he is.

Where is he?

I had it here. I had Mike's yeah, not seventy yet out there? Yeah, Mike with sarians and DMS in the group chat people very very shocked by that.

So there you go. Anything else before we want to get out of here.

John in the comments, Well, that brings up a good question though that maybe that's why in the release. I mean, I'm speculating here because it's what we do. But in the release it never said that Jim Monos the GM made this, made made this, you know, Jim Turner elevation.

It was it was the league that did it.

I just I just thought that was interesting and that Buell's right that under armour gear looks pretty awesome. Yeah, it looks good, and he's also right about that.

Anyway, I've pad anything else real, No, I just.

You know, really excited to see the Stallions, believe it or not, in the post Potter era. You know, I don't think this is like a legacy thing for Skip. I think, yeah, I'm a pretty big Skip Holtz fan, you know, just the love that his players have for him and whatnot. But I mean, I think my favorite part about the Stallions and a lot of people are like, oh, I'm sick of them winning, and I'm like, but it's

And you know, I'm excited. I'm pumped for that game too.

So I know we didn't talk about Birmingham too much, but I mean they are the standard.

So we did I think our best kind of working through all this stuff. One quick thing on here. Yeah, so we already have the thing, Yo, Leon, who's number one?

You can't do the number one?

Just do just do twenty five, Like just do the year of the thing. If you can't, if you're only doing one number one looks terrible.

But if you do. Look down here it's a pre order.

They'll ship on April eighteenth, which is and again obviously it's not going to ship by the kickoffs this weekend, but like the season's done, I mean that's gonna be and the best, right, So like.

Just just something to think about. I had.

I wrote a horrendous email to WWE Shop about something because I ordered a on seeing the shirt that they canceled, and they said, so it took him, John, it took him three weeks to cancel my order. And then they go, oh, it's sold out. I go, well, everything's gone now and everything's markup and everything's bootleg. I go, okay, so what did I get from buying through the source anyway?

So we have all that on there? Yeah, Boomer says, someone beat the Stallions.

All right, we're gonna get out of here. So Pat's gonna go John and I gonna get out of here. You know, check out Pats Channel, I analyze and educate. All his episodes go on.

All Football, Allfootball dot Com.

And then John's John Willis Sports on there, John and I will look to be back every week at some point after the games. We'll talk through all that and figure out and we might have some special guests and stuff.

But like, this is kind of where we're at now.

If it's too like, if people got too much stuff going on, we do it when it works. If you like it, listen, please like it, subscribe. But I can't stress anymore. I spent four years trying to stress about all this stuff. So that's what we're gonna do. Pat anything from you, and then we'll go to John.

We'll get up no guys.

Obviously, like Reid said, my channel is to analyze and educate. I will probably be doing QB ranking videos, all that goofy stuff I've done for the last couple of years. Should have a showboats player on, might do a little fifteen minute video with them. Personal opinion to those I don't know how many people are watching this have tuned in.

I usually we do pretty well with these type of things.

But very grateful that we're able to continue to do this for twenty twenty five. And obviously, like this might sound a bit crass, but the more engagement, the more videos we do. If people don't like it, you know, we'll still probably do it, but just for Yeah, it's more just like hanging with the homies and type thing. But yeah, guys, you know, continue to get feedback and you know, obviously I think I think, you know, the more feedback we get and worst case he done, the CFL will continue.

To do there a thing.

But you know, we got a prep for when we get this real, right if the QFL is our next niche.

Yeah, Pat and I We're always gonna work for the quality Football league here coming up in twenty twenty five.

Yeah, John, anything else from you.

No, I had, Like I said earlier, shout out to Brian Stall, who's the PR director at Saint Louis, helped me get a you know, one on one with Chris Payton Jones, who has a great story.

If you don't know it, I'm hoping to tell it this week.

And I did not mean to put my handle on there twice, but it is at John Lewis Sports. If if I wants to check it out, and I do some I do some UFL stuff, you know, try to at least weekly and and you know I'll be on here with you read every week.

We'll talk break down the games. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm cautiously optimistic, So I'm looking forward to this weekend and I you know.

I'm pulling for this league. Man.

It is so fun to watch and it's given these players so many chances. So looking forward to it.

Yeah.

I said, we're gonna do what we can in the in the in the way that we.

Can in the time. But I appreciate it.

Check out Anthony's workover on allfootball dot Com and Pat's Got stuff and John's episodes. Everyone's kind of stuff and Mike and crag and should be fun. Give a thumbs up.

I like everything, and we'll see you guys next time. Next