UFL 2025 Week 8 Results + Reactions!!!

Well here we are back here. Happy UFL Week eight. Let me bring in John Lewis here. We're back tuesday. How that we got We were going to do one last week and I said maybe, and then you were traveling and then we were working, and then we did not do it. But we're back here today. Someone I think it was on Twitter stead I like the schedule better in the last two weeks.

Wait, buddy, that's not very then they're not watching right now out right.

Now we're back here.

We were talking already ahead of time John's pilgrimage to Saint Louis.

We'll talk through all of that stuff. We have, Mike Mitchell.

We have all the TV ratings, we have everything else, we have all the attendance, all of those things. We're even gonna talk about Dustin and Roll retros and all of that. I have exciting things to talk through all that. But John, how are you?

It's been two weeks.

You were out of town for Mother's Day, right, and then we were gonna do it and then I just got lazy last week.

Sorry, So how are you doing here?

I'm doing good.

I mean we've had like two really good weeks of football here now, I know, you know, the next two weeks might not matter a lot because the playoffs are set, but I'm optimistic about what we might see these next two weeks because it's going to be a challenge for you know, these players want to get taped. These coaches are going to try to help them. I mean, we we might see some quarterbacks that we never thought we would see all season, so there's there's still things for

We yeah, not allowed to mean in the next couple of weeks.

We joked, I really feel like I'm pretty caught up right now on UFL for some weeks, like I've been traveling and whatever. And even last week when I knew we were in the show, we were joking. Dorothy comes downstairs and I'm watching and texting you in the group chat, and she's like, well, I thought I think we were doing the show. I'm like one theory, like I still joy blocking the games. I'm like texting it's really you. It's really like texting you. I need to get you

We'll get through all that stuff. So anyway, like and subscribe.

You know, we we had a people upset and like I came up. We made someone mad and then they pulled a bunch of subs. They said the stream fell off. But here we are.

I think I think we're doing our best.

John, before we get started, like and subscribe, now, I did want to tell this story. Like and subscribe, give us up to four thousand subscribers. John has his code jls P role retros, right, So we're gonna do that because I finally got and I'm going to pick it up Friday.

But I got my I texted John this though.

I got my custom made Randy Land Randy Rose ran a jersey for the Maritors courtesy of help with.

Dust In the world retros. So this is the front here.

You can see kind of the it's the guy that we do him kind of does a mishmash of you see the world series logo on there. I kind of sourced all this stuff, but you see that green M and e there source from a Team Mexico replica that Dustin kind of helped me.

Basically just sold me. The sold me the jerseys without the letter or the letters without the jersey. So I thought that was pretty cool. John, what do you think of this?

Armand is not it's not jealous, But Jim Mullen gave me the thumbs up.

Far Han just gave me a laugh. So what do you make of this?

I like it.

I mean, especially if you're into, like, you know, kidnapping notes, it looks awesome. But no, I love I'll have all the different letters and the way you got it laid out. I think that's really cool.

Yeah, it's cool.

So anyway, so I used John's code that you know JLS over there on Dustin can't make you this, but he can help you source. But you can buy jerseys through there and then we're gonna give to y. See it's all connected. Subscribe, give it thumbs up, use John's code, do all that stuff. Yeah, Pat checking in here. Yeah, lots of officiating. And I was about it was last week. I think I was about ready to charge the TV and then we didn't do the show.

But I was like very upset with the Mike.

Prayer and all that, very upset with Dean Blandino and everything else. So we'll get to all of that stuff. Good games here this weekend. We had the split squad Saturday, but overall really exciting games. I thought the Saturday game was awesome. Trigger warning for Seahawks fans For the Sunday game. I texted John as he was traveling back from Saint Louis for that one with Louis Brez's pass, What did you make it? I mean, I thought it was great.

I mean, it was a great game. Yeah, you gave me the fair warning there, the trigger warning because I came back and I started to watch the game.

After we got back from Saint Louis. My wife had had.

Enough of UFL football, so she sent me to the basement to watch the game.

But yeah, I was like, I it was just shocking to me.

I mean, as and if you if you guys watched and educating, if you don't, you should, like Pat really broke it down. I mean simply, that's not something that you see from Louis Perez and you just can't do that and win games.

And I don't know.

If it was miscommunication, if it was he was, you know, just called his own number decide what to do.

I just don't know. I was shocked.

But leading up to that, it was an incredible game still, I mean, it was still an incredible game, and just what a wild way to finish. And it was a lot like you know, with Saint Louis and Birmingham, It's like, that's not what you expected. We thought it would be a defensive game. There was some huge plays from Birmingham and then they ended up losing on a fumble.

It was just it was a wild weekend.

Yeah.

May may or may not surprise you, but I tend to be very vocal sometimes watching games.

It's very.

I have a clip of her that it's not safe for any bride.

But I when Louis Perez through that, I had just come upstairs. I was finishing that, you know, I was finishing my ride. I got the game my laptop and I literally just set it down on the I mean island to go get coffee, and I screamed out loud. She literally came in, she goes, what is happening? I just it was really wild, really exciting. Because we can get to all of that stuff. Let's do first off, because we have a comment here Mike's talking about TV ratings, Let's do all of that.

First off, how do I do? Did I?

Here we go?

I of course I got rid of the one and then we'll do that. But here we go.

So, first off TV ratings, we had the Friday game yesterday, and then everything else came out with that five seventy three for Friday split window on Fox, the five ninety one, and then nine to seventy three ABC for that the Sunday game. Mike's comment was just ABC really killing Foxes ratings this year. I have lots of thoughts about that, But what's your thoughts?

Well, my thought is Fox has got to figure out if this Friday night thing, They've got to figure out what the flex is now. I know there were a lot of fans that would be upset, but he knew at least a week ahead of time, or even longer than that, Saint Louis Birmingham is going to be a better game than you know, Memphis San Antonio as far as matchups go. I mean, that game actually ended up being an incredible game, went to overtime, it was crazy.

And I think it was true.

It ended up being one of the higher rated games and actually peaked at over a million. So I mean that you had that many eyeballs, I think that's that that's just great. And I don't understand the split broadcast window. I don't know if anybody's figured that out, if there's a reason for that, but that doesn't make sense to me.

When I can explain all that, okay, hit me, I would love to know.

Well, yeah, so, first of you, I did like the mic spin of like again I joke with my you know, it was like the highest rated game of the season.

And then we also had some Yeah that's fine.

So I look at the Fox Friday thing, that's its own thing, right, that's it, that's separate one. And then we have the split game thing that's issue too, and then we have the Fox first ABC thing. I think it's wild a that the the normal Fox games with ABC is being hurt so bad, like because this is all like this is Fox's brainchild, right, like, Hey.

We're going to start the USFL and bring this.

In and do all this, and then meanwhile, you know ABC, you know ESPN's doing a lot of that heavy lifting, and then they get these ABC and now we can talk about the NB you know that movie. Uh uh that then moving the game to ABC for to the NBA, which I bet is why that game peaked At the end of the ratings, Mike Mitchell and the UFL and brass That's why. And this is why I peaked at the end and not the beginning, is because it was leading into the NBA pregum. But they got to figure

Uh.

For the split window, I will say I saw I think it was Zach with newsroom posted the map. It showed Texas and then whether it would have been Texas and Michigan right for the or what, Yeah, it would have been like there was only two. It was a very limited split window. Mostly everyone got this Nat Lewis game. I saw the map, and then the reason why Fox does that.

Is so they can say, we'll see we had two games.

They had two Fox games on two different games got Maine Fox slots, even though one only got shown in five percent of the country.

That's why they do that.

I don't know that that helps build a league. At my I mean you can pad your staffs. I guess, so you still got five hundred ninety one thousand that you pulled put out on Nielsen. So I mean to me, I don't know, but I will say the people that actually watch both those games, but I mean pretty decent.

Yeah, who is pat saying?

And the comments are on fire. There's a new option that I can like show this, like show the comments I think live as they come in. I don't trust that. I don't trust.

I get it. Well, they are really heating up here. You're right, but no.

But anyway, so for that regard, but I will say.

I I would take the ABC Sunday rating with a grain of salt because of that. Because of that peak, we had a doula on here. The NBA countdown lead in the reason for the game was over. So you know, it is what it is and you're not going to quibble over any of that. The USFL did that right season two when they let in the indie Indy car ask I don't know.

When Kentucky derby NBC Kentucky.

Yeah, it blew up and they were like, we had like a million, one point five million viewers.

Oh it had I think it had too million million, it was huge.

They lead in for that and that's what you need to do, but they don't.

I mean, you know, we're talking here and we'll move on here.

But uh, you know, there's a lot of comments like why are they on this slot or why are John We can't even schedule the home games in our playoffs where we want to have them, so like you know what I mean, And I'm not saying that for slight I mean, I you know, I mean, I try it.

It's the same with me.

Like I could probably ask to interview a lot of people on the show, and then there's a lot of people that will probably say no because like you you know, but you're just where you are and league you got to kind of know you're picking or any other big takeaway.

I don't want to do like an hour on.

This, but anything else because we don't normally have the full the full picture there. But oh yeah, I'd be super happy with the ABC but Fox two of the issues there from.

That Friday Night is still rough.

Yeah, they got to work on that, it is, and you know, eventually, I think, you know, I think there will be a twenty twenty six season. I think there's gonna be some maybe some wholesale changes here. And if they continue to do the Fox Friday Night, I can't imagine that Fox doesn't say, Okay, we want to flex at least a few of these games after maybe Week five or something like that.

Here's the question. So I guess, yes, we are.

Technically we've confirmed the twenty six season, right, they sent out there there you can buy season tickets now, right, you can pre buy season tickets for twenty six And then I have another news item. But does that change your life at all? Or is that just status quo?

Uh No, I mean, you can take deposits and sell season tickets, but are I mean, are we really thinking that there's going to be a team in Houston or in Memphis next year? I mean, I don't know. I mean that you're going to get that deposit back. I don't know how that works. I you know, I would love I hope there is. I mean, but they've got they got to they gotta fix some things there. But no, I mean the short answer is that it really doesn't.

Well and no, I mean the reason I ask, and I don't mean to be facetious, but I do.

Sometimes we get these news stories like.

You know, Specialists, you know, Specialist showcase announced for next year, and it's like, well, there you go, like, you know, whatever can so you know that that might change your lot. I don't you know, it might make you feel better. That's why I'm asking. I was bought into. You know, I got my dragons, what was it? I guess I got my dragons money back when COVID happened, right, And then I think for my Sea dragons, I think we had paid in for the next year, and I think we got our money back.

I'm trying to remember. I couldn't.

It was right at that line where like we were committed, you know, it happened, right. I feel like we paid our money and it was quickly refunded or we didn't.

It was right before we paid it.

I mean I hope it doesn't get to that point, but you got to. You gotta think the UFL's already have has been having some talks behind the scenes, and we haven't heard a lot about expansion either.

So the other quick story and Pat I think had tweeted it with some of the work that Pat does with his school for coaching. But the UFL is doing these like offseason local I had the list. I don't know if they I was seeing if I could bring it up on like the computer. I just got the email. I don't think we have a let me see if I can do that, but I just think it's cool to kind of be do more outreach that way and kind of brings more any thoughts on that.

I want to see if I can pull that up real quest.

Yeah, I think that's great.

It gets the UFL out in the community, and places like Memphis have been getting out in the community and you're seeing a lot more of that. Talking to some people still like in Birmingham and some other markets that the marketing there, the outreaches that there, but these but there are a lot of markets that are doing this and I love seeing Yeah, this, I love seeing the UFL do this in their markets. That's really that's really.

Cool one hundred percent. And just because I've been on here in a couple of weeks, this is great. You have all the locations here, we're doing one you know, in every city, hosted by the teams. You know, let's get some of the players out to be involved in that. And then also I just got another email from the

Of these stories every week. So there's two teams that are doing that, So that's great.

No, I think these youth are great because that one thing that separates to me, that separates the UFL from a lot of leagues is it's accessible. And these kinds of camps, you know, these are hands on, These are kids that get to go there, and then it's not going to completely break the bank if you want to take your kids to one of the games. Now the tickets prices are a little bit higher, but you can, you know, you can still go to a game and

This is all. This is all a win win situation.

We had one comment here, We'll do y uh, We'll do attendance and then we'll move on. Need more memes and bigger in between the teams. I will stay And I agree with this where Mike Mitchell and we were talking even in our group chat this week that uh, I can't remember.

It was a big McLendon had.

A completion for a touchdown and you know, the caption was like my nay, and Mike was like, this is such an impressive like could we please like it? Just it found very lame kind of Twitter posting. And I would agree because I think that Fox and them have taken over a lot of this this year. So we know that Leo with the BattleHawks, I don't believe it's with the league anymore. We knew Jay friend of the you know, uh, friend of the show and medium or whatever.

Well, it just felt like last year the Brahmas and BattleHawks were two of the biggest trash talkers certainly on Instagram that I saw, and it was it was really

It's free.

Oh, I think it's great.

I mean, I think it's it's uh, it's I've said this before. The UFL is far closer to the CFL than they would like to.

Admit, and that I mean that in a great way of the CFL engaging.

I mean, the CFL does such a great job, especially at post COVID and kind of ramping it back up, but rolling out into the communities and do it. I mean, I have notifications on for the Lions just because I know Matt and it's my team, and I mean they're always out somewhere at some bar doing the show where they're at some you.

Know, the cheerleaders or the thing or the like. It's just you need to do that.

One quick comment here, de Marcus had the Fox podcast could use some juice boxing jes got I was just.

Gonna make a joner.

I totally agree.

I texted John, I've been making fun of sam Acha the last couple of weeks on the broadcast. Yeah, this weekend, right, he's in the ESPN. I I don't really, I don't. I don't see like network, Like I just kind of turned on the TV and I like, whatever it's on, So whatever Sam's on. But he looked like he was in the Nation of Domination, and so I tweeted, I said, sam Acho is personally keeping Spencer Gifts in business in twenty twenty five, and I didn't realize that he followed me,

Ye, you lost a follower.

It was worth it, though, Well, I can tell you one thing, Gus Johnson would have been a thousand times better than what we heard from Tam Brando on that game.

It is like, God bless him.

I think tam Brando probably did USFL games back in the eighties, but that that was not it.

Just real quick here as we're twenty minutes, Sam, We're doing good though, any thoughts, attendance figures, I just to say it came out.

I just want to make sure we touch dc Uh. That was rough.

It was, I mean we talk all this that the cherry, you know, the just did versus whatever. I will just say I've been in Audifield twice for XFL games and then I've obviously watched a lot of on my TV, and that was the least amount of people I've ever seen them there.

That was a very poor showing for.

The Yeah, you know when they're showing those wide shots, especially where the beer Snake is. I don't know if you've heard about the beer Snake, but they've got.

A thing there.

Wait, this might be something new for you. Uh, but yeah, that that did look pretty empty.

You know.

I was at Saint Louis. I don't know that it was thirty thousand, but there was an awfully good crowd there, especially considering the bad weather that it hit, you know, the night before and everything that was going on in Saint Louis. And I think that there probably would have probably would have been thirty thousand people there for that game because that was huge.

It was just funny because even in the it's allid was that the way that Logan Bill was at Like I can't remember I saw Lugan Bill was at the DC game.

Okay, So they were.

Talking and he's like, he goes, yeah, you know the beers. Yeah, of course, like everyone knows the beer Snake. He's like, yeah, you know, they're really kind of lack and they really they're postures like they need to hold it back, like because it was kind of getting sloppy. I go even there over it, Like I'm overholding this beer snake for four hours, Like I'm over it. Could you imagine like that's my seat, that's what I do.

I don't know, well, you know, you know, I mean it went to it really quickly, like that's that's their cash cow, that's the low that's the low hanging fruit on this. But you know, I'm not gonna beat them up too bad because the casual who watches this for the first time is going to see that for the first time and they're going to be like, hey, what is this.

That's kind of cool.

So I know, for us again, we're the Sikos who watched every down, so we've seen it before.

Had had no one ever stacked a beer cup inside another beer cup in the continue this line before DC played in the XFL and twenty.

They never did that in Madrid or like Barcelona. They never like.

Men in college, I don't know, I mean, did.

They do that in Tablasso?

Like I'm just really maybe they will see maybe maybe DC is going to start something and people will say, where did the bear snake originate? And like the DC defenders And let me tell you about the UFL, you know, like where Jehovah's witnesses here.

Let you have time to talk about the UFL.

You know, the university. You know what is it?

A fan at the University of Washington created the wave and I hate them to this day. Did you know that the wave at UW? It's like, but that's credited as.

That was that? Who was it? Bill Parcells?

It was one of the NFL coaches back in the eighties who just absolutely hated that and talked about it all the time.

I hate it.

Here we go the day it's new, but you can't bring in the cups? All right, Uh, let's go into all this stuff. I think we've done any of that stuff. Where is my standings here?

Do I have that?

Sure?

Do all that? All right?

So we kind of have things locked down. We'll do the games here. D C was able to lock down. Well I guess not right, not home field, but we were hosting it in Saint Louis.

What do you make I guess what do you make of that?

What do you make of neither first place team being able to host in their conference?

Well, you know it does because it's you know, it feels like the UFL had even said like they knew this was a possibility. So why why did this? Why is this still a possibility, and why did this happen. I think they were trying to maybe avoid the worst like they did last year. If you'll remember Birmingham and Michigan played at Birmingham last year, it was for home field advantage. But once again Michigan they weren't able. They wouldn't have been able to play at Ford Field, but

Suit ready and we'll play. So he's fine with it.

But I think he did this as he said, I hated for the fans because you know, the fans are the ones who are coming out there and you know, you feel like you want to be playing for something like obviously you want to be playing for a playoff spot, but also what how about the extra juice that it gives to like, well, if we do this and we get some help or we you know, went out, then we're going to have home field advantage. And you're just you're hamstrung when you when you begin. So no, I

It's it's really hard. And I was just reading before we came on here.

Right, the NFL is they're doing all their voting for their flag football, and I think even their owners are voting to get rid of the you know, you automatically get the home field advantage if you win your division, which I think is horrible. And I I'm split.

I'm with you.

I hate this because you know it it makes a mockery of the entire right like idea.

Of playing and what do we do with standings and everything else? But like does it?

I think the Saint Louis DC one matters more to me the Birmingham Michigan one. You're getting on a plane anyway and flying like, I don't does six thousand in Michigan like six thousand in Michigan, I don't. That to me doesn't matter as much.

Yeah, I know, I think it.

I think it affects the XFL Conference much more because you those are the two strongest home field advantages that you have in the entire league.

So that, yeah, to me, it's.

Like that that takes away a little bit of this. It takes away some of the seriousness of this league. Uh, if that makes sense, I think it hurts the brand a little bit. I don't know that again, the casual viewers out there who will be watching the playoffs, I seriously doubt the broadcasts are really going to go into well, it should have been this, but because you know, they're having the rodeo or whatever's happening, they couldn't play there.

And that that That's kind of where I'm at, Like, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

I think it's bad. And you said, I feel bad for the fans.

And if you lived in you know, yeah, if you lived in Outfield, you know, if you if you lived in a Field, if you lived in DC, like remember when Baker Mayfield like lived at the Browns stadium.

I loved those commercials. Is that protective?

That was though?

That Yeah, that was when he was played for the Browns and he was progressive. It was, yeah, and it was it was on some insurance.

Commerce all stay protect your house at Baker That might have been it anyway, but.

Yeah, no, I mean so I feel bad that way. You know the players. Yeah, it's totally bush league.

But it's like, like I said, you're getting on you already have ag mccerran making fun of getting on the same plane with guys Like does it matter if you're playing it.

I don't know, it is what it is. I would be upset, but I got it.

Well, you think about it too.

If you're a season ticket holder, like and you're supposed to get, like, you know, first DIBs on tickets, Well.

Wait a minute.

What's the incentive for me to buy season tickets if I know that my team couldn't get home field advantage but I'm not going to be able to see them, so that I mean to me that that's one thing that would bother me.

You know if I lived in one of those communities.

Well not only that, but I mean you can pre buy in theory, pre buy your season tickets for next year if potentially your team was here and potentially they come.

Back and they make it to the playoffs.

And yeah, I mean anyway, all right, so let's uh, let's see all this we have the Friday night game. Speaking of all that brom is here going down, I saw a lot of them like aj Smith tweeting on Twitter like he's really gone crazy here just with obviously him not on the team anymore and everything and showboats and coming down to overtime, a lot of back and forth that what did.

You make we only will do a deep dive? We got a half power? What'd you make it? This one?

What I really liked is those are two teams have nothing to play for, like other than individual you know, trying to get as we said before, trying to get tape, and you're playing for pride. And to see that, you know what they that to me like that was that was really cool to see those two teams like still continue to give it their all. And you know, I don't think any of these guys are gonna be quitters

I'm gonna move on.

But I just really liked what we saw with this game. It was an entertaining game and nothing on the line, but man, that was fun.

It's just hard.

It's hard with the ten week season to have these teams out with two weeks.

It's just it's really hard. And the CFL gets brutal like the last.

Because I mean, the CFLs what did they do twenty one eighteen games twenty one.

Weeks through, Like it's just the last couple of weeks.

Unless it really matters for one of the team, it's just brutal to watch. So I certainly feel about that way and just I mean just the brahmas. I just feel like the players just totally got hose and it's just a really unfortunate situation this year.

I feel like at least Memphis has had.

Uh you know, we've at least had like fun talking about Dresser winning. So I can't remember the last time like we enjoyed talking about the Brahmas.

Yeah, no, that's a good point. And you know, both these teams said a lot of turmoil and coaching changes and they've gone through quarterbacks and everything else. But yeah, you're right, it was that was that was a fun game. I'm I'm interested to see what interested to see what happens in the last two weeks with a lot of these teams.

There was I think past specifically, but a lot of us with Kevin Hogan playing for the Brahmas not maybe giving other people a chance or you have something you know you're talking here the next couple of weeks, Like in terms of the Brahma's game plan on this, do you think that was weird that Kevin Hogan saw so much of the game time.

Well, I'm very reluctant to talk bad about Kevin Hogan because I know Pat's watching and I don't want him to block my number because I want my wife to love me as much as he loves Kevin Hogan. But yeah, you're right, you're starting to take your I think you're taking reps away from guys who have a future. That's why I think we might see a lot more, a lot of different quarterbacks here.

I was, and the Troy Williams thinks surprised me too.

It's like maybe they felt like dresser Win had enough they wanted to give Troy Williams, you know, an opportunity here. So uh but yeah, I think I think we're gonna see a lot of different players, different skill position players especially, you know, get in there last couple of weeks.

Do you think that coach has done enough Jim Turner here with the show notes to kind of stick around next year?

Do you think he would?

I mean, we're I'm just trying to get one more question here about this game before we move on.

But do you feel like he's invested? Like what do you send to this? Is he done? See?

I could hit me like, well, I mean, I could see that, but you know, I don't know. I don't I don't haven't talked to him, so I don't know. I don't know what's going on behind the scenes in Memphis, if there will be a Memphis team next year. On the surface, though I would love to see him come back in some capacity, whether it's a head coach or you know, maybe he just he's like, you know, I'm going to be a position coach. I want to work

Just looking at this and I'm just I'm just such a loss for both of these teams. I like the Brahmas, and we've had so much with the attendance and the season, and they still have home games because they were you know, they were backloaded.

They have more because of March madness, and like, right, it's really tough to be.

I mean, at least Memphis I got a little bit of a thumb up, But maybe you don't. I mean, just to put a pin in both these teams, do you feel like you have any motivation or fam I just it feels like it's pretty mild both these teams moving forward, both football wise and off the field.

Yeah, I meant a wonder. I mean, I think I think Memphis is on the fence. I mean, as far as as a franchise goes, you know, you know, they they it felt like they were doing everything right getting out in the community. As I've said several times, I mean I saw it, and you know, there there was a hardcore group of fans, but it's you know, it's it's too small. And but as far as San Antonio goes, I think if that team had been better, we would have seen the kind of turnout that we've seen before.

Yeah, I feel I don't know, malaise is that the right word?

Is out of no.

I think I think that's fair.

Yeah, I and just in general with some of these teams.

And we were even talking before on you know, just time text earlier today about you know, it's real hot right now here and just you know, kind of the space and fring football and everything, and I think it's really I mean, it's twenty five, it's gonna be six yeah, next season is gonna be six years since twenty twenty. Like I do feel like you're running the course on some of these teams or franchises.

I don't know.

I mean when it's a comin for another time, but I just don't I don't know how you even like if I worked in San Antonio, Like I don't even know how do I send an email out like please please be excited about our.

Team next year, please come to a game that I mean, I mean that in.

All seriously, I just it's so hard Memphis too, but it's it's pretty ch it.

Is and you know, it was just interesting in Saint Louis, like the local Fox station does a thirty minute pregame show, you know, from it was like from eleven thirty eastern to noon before kickoff. You knew the battle Hawks were playing there, like you know, and I'm not trying to cause there's but Saint Louis is such an outlier. But I do think that there are things to be learned from that. And I have to think that some of these these you know, other teams and general managers and

I don't know, It's really it's really hard to me for like some of these markets.

I look at ahead here because I just want to it's like about it anymore because I'm just like God, I just till this.

I want to talk through this with the Saint louis Is. Speaking of value, the pregame, John was in Saint Louis. Uh, super fan here. No one doubt him for being the super fan of the UFL, for going out to the games. So this was I don't think we'll do too much on the other doubleheader that we didn't get to see a ton of, right, did Houston?

I can't even remember the Houston. Yeah, Michigan won now of course.

Yeah, yeah, so we'll we'll we'll touch on that in a quick second. But you were in attendance for this and I watched every snap of this game.

This was an exciting one.

Uh. First up, general thoughts, because then I have a very pointed question for you.

You know, I think there's legitimate concern for Max dug and a quarterback, and you know, again, how do you bet against Skip Holtz? You know, I know it's not going to be popular to give him and you know, a Coach of the Year award because he's won three straight championships and all that, but what he has done this year with what feels like seventy three different quarterbacks, it's just it's incredible. And then you know Jmar comes in off the street. He's had two really good games.

Was just the you know, there was the fumble at the end. That was a great defensive play. That's the thing.

But you know, obviously the atmosphere it was it was fun. Even though it might not have been thirty thousand people, it's just such a fun place. It's there were they even had even sold tickets up in the four hundred sections up top.

It was really cool. It's it was fun. And those were two.

It was worthy when you see like what this might have been a UFL championship preview. Uh, these were two really good teams and it came down to one play.

Here's my question, Uh do well actually have a couple? But does do the BattleHawks.

Win this game?

If anyone previous to Jmr Smith this quarterback in the stiance.

I mean, I don't know that that would have changed a whole lot. I mean I understand that you know your offense is going to go through your quarterback, but I don't know that it would have changed a whole lot. I just like, like, are you're saying like if like Alex Magoo had played.

Yeah, I mean it struck me a lot that JMR was running for his life a lot, right, And I'm looking down here on the stats and you had you know, Skips yelling at JMR on the sidelines and not being He's like, well, you can't throw a screen pass, you can't play, and so to me and I'm I'm, you know, super excited that the BattleHawks won and this is your both your teams, and I'm sure you were just going crazy because it's like this is like John's super Bowl and oh well, and and let us make sure we

I mean, there was a lot of like stuff. I don't want to kind of wash over that.

But it felt to me like JMR just wasn't I mean, I know he had the three times, it just it didn't feel like you were beating Jamar that. I'm just curious to me, there's an asterisk there because the battle Hawks beat the Stallions with JMAR, with Skip yell and they have not known what was going on.

Well, I think a lot of that is, you know, Skip and JMR have been together for quite a while, so I think a lot of that is. Those are just two very competitive people. And you know, he knows Skip Holtz knows he can talk to Jmar that way. And it's not gonna be Jmr is not going to a shell. He's gonna he's gonna listen to it and

Might be over.

They had some big plays, they had some explosive plays. I mean, I'll give them, I'll give them that. But Saint Louis's defense did tighten up quite a bit. And but I honestly, I don't know that, you know, I don't I'm not sure that that a different quarterback, either on either side would have made a difference.

I think it would have. We would have seen that and it would have come down to the wire.

We had a couple of comments here, Pat says, crowd gets two hundred yards sixty five yards rushing. That's very likely mar is the only quarterback they could have won with worse others.

Uh, there you go.

I I just I let's just say this. You know, I might not lay the Stallions that much just because of like everything just in my life.

It's the last how many years they existed.

Imagine like just like use your head, like imagine why read might not like the stiance and then imagine like then Jamar comes back, and then then he gets like all the publicity like on that team that I also don't like, and then like he's sitting there like I just I'm like very annoyed, and he's got the megamind brain like I'm just very annoyed.

You I'm just trying to poke holes. I'm trying to poke holes.

I get it. You you you need to work through this.

Every I have.

I mean, you are a known hater.

We know that for a fact, that you're a known hater of the XFL, the USFL, the Birmingham Stallions.

I mean, we can go on and.

On, but no, I just to me, and there are a lot of people out there and probably some people that are watching this that think that if Birmingham wins again, it's bad for the league. Uh, I don't share that opinion. I think that if you you can, you're working in a spring league that has ten games a season, that has eight teams, and you can build a dynasty that quickly. I mean, to me, I think that's more headline grabbing

Uh. Now, I'm going to put something on the screen here, John and I. This is all abdual, So this is not this is not read secret account to see Saint Louis show up to the game and when the tornado went through their community and Birmingham can attend the game because the church.

It's not nice. It's just not nice.

It It's true though, And here's what I'll say that that storm, you know, all kidding aside, that tornado was it was devastated. Uh, you know a lot of the area and certain people there, and still you had and there was a moment of silence at the game and

But it is.

But Abdul has a point when Birmingham, I think a lot of people like to go to Sunday school and church. Don't schedule those games. I remember going to the USFL games down there in twenty twenty two when you got you know, you got the game Saturday and Sunday. They put the stallions on at night and it was you know, the low the place was packed. But then you go to the Sunday noon game or whatever time that was, and there's nobody there. I was one of about fifty

We got a comment here at your friend Gregory new slash read this the Stallions John from Michigan to show the photo that he texted to me over the week.

Well, of course, of course I gotn't pulled.

That's what I was doing here John and Gregory out here outside. We saw Gregory at the championship game last year Stallions. He's got the three, he wants the four anyway, Gregory was checking there.

Yes, we got you, Gregory. I was very excited.

John texted me that he said he was having the seven numbers.

Did you have fun so you got recognized? I mean that's exciting.

Well, I mean, greg he knew I was going to be there.

That was It's not like I wasn't don't have to qualify John, So no, it was. Uh it was funny last year when I went, there was a guy he he I think he put in my YouTube comments later he's like, I thought I saw you at the game.

I thought you were there.

It's like, come on, man, that my wife would have actually been impressed that someone would have recognized me at the Saint Louis battle Ized game.

But no, it was cool.

And here's the thing.

The Saint Louis fans, some of them were giving greg some grief and he went along with it and he and it was great and most of them were like they were cool with it, and you know, it was like to see a Birmingham guy in the Birmingham Stallion's sweatshirt show up. But it was a cool atmosphere. I thought everybody. Everybody was was cool about it, even though he took some grief, but he Cook called with him.

It's funny because I knew Gregory when he said hi. But I will get the occasional like we'll be like when we were in Arlington. I'll get the egage like hey, read what's going on? And Dorothy would be like who was to I'm like, no idea, So you know, I mean, you know, it's like I just you know, my god, oh or or oh it's x P Y seven to two whatever on Twitter, you know, like you know all this stuff. One comment just from David because this is true.

It kind of in that market, it does.

And again, you know, being down there last year and well I've been down there the last three years. If you didn't know that the Birmingham Stallions were playing at Protective stadium. You're not gonna find out anywhere else. Now, they did have a billboard up. It was one of those you know that rotated things. It wasn't a permanent

Any other thoughts I had one, I have a couple of comments I'll throw any other thoughts.

On the game itself.

How do I hide of that of the current anything else from Saint Louis and Birmingham?

The game?

Yeah, I think, you know, for Saint Louis and Pat Pat Pat put it the right way this is it was kind of funny what he says about Max Duggan's throwing motion. It's like it's the wind up and the pitch and it's like you you know it, you know what's coming, because it's like it's almost I'm not going to compare him to Tebow.

I wouldn't do him that way because I think he's a better quarterback.

But it's just it the there's a motion there that he's got to work on and I know you're jmar hater, but I mean two hundred sixty two yards and three touchdowns against a very good defense was pretty good.

It's good. I'm excited. I mean i'd be I'd be happy. I mean, I'm like, I'm out, you know, I'm I'm Switzerland at this point. So I haven't really interested.

Did you catch any of the split game in your in your rewatch or.

I did not?

I have not yet watched it, And then like, I do want I kind of want to see it, but Bryce Perkins didn't play, so I was like, well, I don't you know, and then it was a you know, thirty to twelve games or eighteen or whatever it was. So I was like, eh, although, my god, I just I just seen the light.

I didn't realize Jayleen McLain that threw fifty passes.

That's why I was didn't either, So I was just gonna ask me.

You know, no one else knew it either, apparently.

Well, because I get I saw and that's why it's not I know that I think it was DeMarcus. I think I had retweeted on on there that you know both games are on the app. I mean, I get why well, I told you why they do it at the top of the show. But anyway, I just we don't need to do a whole deep dive on best.

That's a lot. That's like a CFL style.

Yeah, I will go back and watch. This might be my treadmill watch in the morning.

Okay, okay, there you Danny Atlan's on fire if he was all fan.

So this was a game.

I mean, this was this was a game, and this came down to it and I get to you know, we talked off the top and because I knew John was driving back, so I text him a bunch of stuff and I said, you know, you enjoy all this when.

You get back. I don't know if you did it or not. You can maybe enjoy it or consume it.

But I mean, far lesser stakes and not at the not at the goal line. But that was that just brought back the Seahawks there, but the least at least throwing that pass.

In the interception.

I thought, Oh, I just I was I don't know if I remember where I was when that happened.

I mean the Seahawks game I was watching that. Maybe you do, But anyway, what'd you make of the game?

Well, I'd really rather not talk about the Seahawks. Thank you too soon. But yeah, I mean, you know, what a great game. It was again one of those that comes down to the wire. But that was just very un Luis like, uh, you know, to do that, and it probably will not show up in a new version of this which by the way, is still available. I just wonder, if you know, I still got to wonder if if this might be it for him?

Uh if you? If you?

But I just finished this book, by the way, I don't know how many times that I that he said, like this might be it for me, Like, and.

You're welcome.

I just wanted to make sure you got on there big enough.

There we go. How's that?

But he just I mean, he does have a great story, but there's and and it's all in there. But it's like, after after reading that book, I'm thinking, and then this happens this year, and then this happens in this game, like he might go into coaching after this. I mean, still he's a Hall of Famer, there's no question in my mind. But yeah, but what a game. And again, let's not overlook the DC Defenders, because I mean this team,

Mm hmmm.

Uh, this this was this I David, I see your comments in the chat. We'll do David's comments at the end he screened. But I forgot about the injury reports. We can do about Mike Nolan well Panthers, Well, we'll do that. But no, I mean, this was like the Tamu game. I mean, this felt like you Prime Tamu running around and I mean, this is, like you said, it's probably the last time the Louis press is that we're going to play football against especially probably with s

Blame that.

I mean, I don't want to put the whole game down to that, but do you have any thoughts on just yeah that.

Well, I mean Louis Perez did throw was say what are we looking at here? Three hundred and sixty yards and a couple of touchdowns and the yeah, I mean the the that one interception that was tough, but it's still I mean, I don't know how you hang a loss on you know, he wasn't out there playing safety, so he's not out there playing corner. Uh, you don't that loss, you can't. You cannot hang on him on that one.

But yeah, but.

Jordan Tommy, like he's just he is such he is so fun to watch and it feels like he there might be a little you know, he was one of those kind of eleventh hour guys you didn't know if he was going to come back or not, you know sometimes and it feels like there's a joy with him now, like he's he seems to be like, you know, really enjoying the play and a certainly the team. So it's it's just fun to watch him and fun to watch DC.

So David does Funny Com says, I know, he says he has a lot of good comments.

He said, you have to buy the Caper back to see how it ends. There he got out of me the.

But yeah, I mean I'm just continually impressed with DC here all the turma this year and Shannis Harris, you know, really never faltering and kind of getting these guys and you know here they are primed too to have a deep as deep a run as you can have kind of in the playoffs here in the UFL just with the one who can the gamp run.

But I mean, they look really good.

They look good, and you know, we're well, you know, they lose their head coach, then they lose their defensive coordinator and it flt like well that that would have been really easy for that team and that staff to just say, you know, it's this is not going to be our year. Let's just let's all look, you know,

It might be worth a few dollars.

I wanted to make sure I was looking on here to see if I had any other tweets. I know, Pat, I'm just seeing here, I retweeted Pat, how this Tamu and UH and louis kind of I think because he had an article out on football as well, kind of talking about Uh, you know, just kind of them playing against each other for that, I guess. Let me thoughts on them moving to the NBA game at the end

Have any thoughts on the that the what was it? Minute? Was it like a minute ten left?

Yeah? It was something. Yeah.

Because I'm watching, I see on my DVR that it's about to run out.

I'm like, what happened here? And I did.

I had to go to YouTube to watch, you know, the the actually the highlight. I never got to see it like you know, from the broadcast. But hey, listen, the UFL had its Heidi game. It got on, you know, I think it was on maybe Pro Football Talk had it on, So of course NBC is going to take a swipe at ABC or whatever. But it was I thought that or ESPN or whatever it was. But anyway, so yeah, it was a it was a bad move, you understand it. But my god, it was an It

That wasn't.

It was pregame show.

But we know, I guess we know where the ratings are and we know where this falls into the the tier of importance for Disney and ABC.

Yeah, it just it was like when the USFL was it two years ago? They got pulled for because Hardy Knight Live was starting or they needed to get the local news and before Sennel or I can't remember what the order was, but they got they got bumped on a Saturday, right.

I do remember the the original the original XFL, Yeah, had Jennifer Lopez was was the was the host and it was a big deal and Lord Michaels was about to lose his mind. And there's actually I mean it was it was bad because the game. I think the game was either it was just a long game or it went to overtime and it and they were it was it was bad. That was that was a scene. And then of course people were making fun of how hew this this flagship show just got just got busted

I had and I think, oh, maybe it was I had texted it to you. I think I wanted to talk about it was the Mike Pereira stuff in this game, right, you remind me on that.

Okay, you were.

Telling me about the catch? Was it not a catch?

I did so, well, it just there's just to me this the officiating is just broken in the UFL, and

They're like, oh, yeah, that guy held over there.

And then this week they're like, oh, Anthony Beck, like you're so dumb, like that was second down, like why would you have in charge? And then they had that yeah, the receiver caught the ball right the sidelines and they they're like, ah, that kind of looks like a catch, and Mike Prayer is like, no, that's not a catch, like no, way, like not way too close to review right, And then I think it was stupid or whoever it was through the flag.

And then they're like oh, shoot, okay, I got to look at this. Wow, I guess it is a catch.

I'm like, so then should we be challenging Like he didn't even bother to review it. Like in the the announcers are like that looks like a catch and Mike goes, no, it's not a catch, and then they challenge it and they looked at it like now like what is the point of having him be like the review guy.

Yeah, well yeah, and he I do remember him saying that, and you'd given me the heads up on it, and he's like, oh that, you know, wouldn't that's that's too close, you know, wouldn't even bother reviewing that until oh I get okay, I guess we are. Does it correct me if I'm wrong here, and I'm sure the comments will too.

It's absolutely changed, because I remember last year and we talked about it on the show. Whoever was on that week that I think it was Saint Louis and d C. I think it was them still and it was uh back challenged something.

It was a big run or they had something.

He goes there had someone had to be holding there, someone had to be holding, and so then they challenge it and they're like, oh, yeah, the guy did. But then you had last week, you know Luis's uh, you know, touching on it pulled back because oh, well we should have called that and we didn't. And then we I'm remembering all this now, and then we had the Dean Plandino blow the play call mid play because they were reviewing the play and they go, oh, we have the whistle go off before the staff.

No you didn't.

He was five yards down the field rushing and then you blew the plate like you can't. What do they talk about in the NFL, like oh they got the playoff, Like whoo oh that was crazy, you know, like luckily they got that playoff because that would have been overturned.

I just hated that. I just think that it's a mess.

And yes, you went from you can find anything and then it was too powerful and then like Dean missed something, so now he's stopping the game to look at stuff, and then I doesn't want to look at anything.

And there's way you can't have.

I don't think you can have a Mike Pereira and a Dean Landino and they're different personality types, both trying to run this league.

Officiating.

Yeah, I will say I still like this officiating and the openness of it and with the mics and everything better than any other league. I'll take it. I'll take it every time. And I know sometimes Mike Peer, Mike Pierre tries to be uh, he tries to be up. He tries to be a personality sometimes, and that's fine. I mean, that's okay, but I I do like it. But I understand what you're saying. I think they need to be a little bit more. Yeah, they They've got to be a little bit more consistent there.

Let me check.

I just got to be sure.

He's always like, look let me check here.

No, I like, but I do like the way that that they do the officiating and it's open and you hear you know, and you hear you hear the officials talk to each other, which is great. I mean I always there was one of the games and he's and one of the officials. She said like, uh, you know, and he was doing all this mess or he's doing all this business, and I was.

Like, you know, he's no.

She said, he's playing with this his yes, oh yeah, grabbing his crotch and all this business. And so it's like that's how officials talk to each other. If you've ever been down on the on any level, you hear him talking to each other like that.

So that's kind of cool.

But yeah, I think they're going to try to They need to be a little bit more consistent in it.

You just to me and I am also just to round this out, Sam Schwartzey and has talked a lot about this, and I think he even brought it up a couple of weeks. You know, we always have this talk with the challenges and it's Wendy, I hope you can hear me. Okay, but he said in the original EXF you know, their original plan for twenty twenty was they would just review everything, right, so the coaches, because he's like, I don't want my coaches how to worry

The challenges, Like what do you mean?

Like, what do you mean I lost both of my challenges. You guys were wrong twice. I told you twice, and now I'm screwed.

Yo, And uh that might have been the play where the official said that's a UFL rule.

Yeah, it's like you have I think it's like the word, but you just need to decide it, because yes you can't because it was. It's it's just it's not the same rule, it's not the same deployment. And I think that what I think happened is I think they got screwed on some of these whatever and now they're like, we really have to keep.

An eye on all this stuff.

Well, you know, you can't talk about training your officials, and like we promote all these guys to the NFL and then also like having this kind of stuff anyway, that's just it.

It's a work in progress, but it's a great It's it's great in theory. Uh you know, sometimes you just it's all in the execution sometimes. But I'll still take it over you know, the whatever, you know, the Ivory Tower that some of the NFL officials are in.

Last comment for me today because we'll get out of here. David had this. I just wanted to make sure we talked about the depth chart just super.

Quick on this.

Yeah, because there was all they they didn't have the right quarterbacks listed, you know, for Michigan that he was listed as probable and kind of probable, right I.

And and what's your thoughts and then all show.

Yeah, I mean I think this was gamesmanship. But but David brings up a very good point. Gamesmanship is one thing people are put bunny on these games, and as he points out rightfully, so they're partners with underdog. Not to mention, I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but ESPN talks a lot about the over under and other prop bets and things like that. So yeah, I

Yeah, I just to me, I don't know if I need to still have it up or not.

I just like it just annoys me because and this is what I tweeted. Whoever someone had tweeted out like one of the fantasy guys. Jake's one of the guys I've had on that runs the fancy stuff, and yeah, he was complaining in and I just said it just they're so unaware. They're just so unaware of how gambling and sports betty works. And I said, if they high it, not me, I don't know anything about I don't on it, like I don't.

I can't bet on sports because I get too upset. Like I can't. I just I will never bet.

I'm with you. I'm with you.

You don't need to worry about it because I'll blow a gasket. But you need to if you hired someone for six figures and just said all you need to do is like you are in charge of the fantasy and gambling for the UFL and these injured reports like you would see ten times full. They don't understand this whole because what the hell would I ever bet on any of this stuff?

Now?

I mean it's weak.

I mean I would get if this was week one and all these coaches week one, like we know we could be a competition by week eight. There's no excuse why you can't. And I would be pissed if I had money on the game. Yeah, Jake, thank you, Yeah, Jake, I would just yeah, I'll give credit. He was the one that tweeted.

I can't remember he though, but he's a good fanswer guy.

Yeah.

No, I think that that's right, that that turns people off, and it's not fair. It's not fair to people, you know, if it's you know, you and me betting five dollars or somebody else laying a lot more on it, I think that's something that they will probably look at. And yeah, I mean I'm not trying to question, you know, like Mike Nolan being a cheater or something, but no, if that's if that was the case, where he there was some games and ship then that just can't happen.

I bet the conversation would go like this, Uh Darryl or Russ whoever would be like, why do we care?

And they would move.

Like, yeah, I don't think he's cheap. I just think they don't. I don't think they get it. It was the same thing that the first year, and we would have to beg them to post the injury.

Or the practice, the injury reports for the practice.

Yeah, and I remember I think it was even Sam Shaddy, you know, on his thing on Sam Shady, like he tweeted one of them. I think it was last year and they got mad, They're like, well, you can't share these, and he's like, but you're you know, you're you're sending them out to the media members. And then we're not a lot like because even the first year, I was like should I be posting these?

They just don't get it.

But like you you were all football people, Like you're all football people, you're all NFL people, Like how do you not understand the importance of like on time injury report and like they're gonna come out Monday, once you're Friday or whenever you say, like, you're NFL people.

How is that even a question? Like it's an injury report?

Oh wait, I mean remember we used to get them at three morning.

I mean you can get them or or uh they tweeted out Sunday's transaction or Saturday these transactions on Sunday.

They go there was no transactions yesterday. What what.

It's still a work in progress.

Read I'm getting upset. I should get on anything else, John, anything else.

I think you need to end this right now.

Like and subscribe, give them some jails, royal retros, remember all that stuff, like and subscribe, give the thumb stuff on here, appreciate everyone. Well, I think I'm good. Now for a couple of weeks, we'll see what John's doing.

Maybe we'll be.

About you know, we'll try to do it. We'll get all that stuff and then should be exciting John. Anything else you want to talk about.

No, I appreciate it, and uh, you know it's all. It's I'm glad to be back. I think you know there's still there are things to talk about. We can get excited about these things.

It's good.

I had a great time.

Like I said to her, He's like, why are you watching this game because I want to talk to my friends, like that's all I was doing. She's like, oh yeah, well she comes downstairs because what happened is I set

But anyway, all right, we're getting out here. We'll see you guys.