USFL Week 2 + XFL Week 10: What Did We Learn?

Well, happy playoff Monday here for some of the teams, some of the teams in the XFL. We'll talk about it today USFL Week two. Exciting stuff coming down the way I have with me today A Eve sad, It's okay, sad, Pat Rapino representing his Saint Louis BattleHawks, Pat checking in with you, welfare check, Pat? How are you doing? I'm okay? Because the speculation tweets are beginning with A J. McCarron putting out his tweet about wanting to play with that man next year. You think AJ back

in the XFL. I mean, I mean, I think he'll The cool thing about AJ, and we've talked about this in nauseum, is that the world is at his feet, so he doesn't have like if I'm him, I kind of wait till that middle of training camp. Okay, like like when the Viking said Teddy Bridgewater get hurt. You know what I mean, Like, let me choose the NFL team I want to go to you kind of like pull on the Dell Beckham there. I like that. I'll choose. I'll tell you which teams I'll want to play. Don't call me,

I'll call you that that's good. Well we're here today. We have everyone checking in. Chris who got Matt here? Exciting times. I was very rowdy on Twitter last night, very exciting, and I don't I don't like going to the press box for the C Dragons games. That like being in the field for that. I will officially be in DC and our nation's capital next weekend. I have I bought a standing room only ticket in the Beer Snake area when the tickets went on sale. Listeners Seth helped me out with

the code and then I waited. I have my flight purchased on Miles last night, so we are locked in pat exciting times. We'll talk about the Saint Louis over it all. But C Dragons in the North Championship game against the DC Defenders. Do we even have a chance? Um? I mean, I mean yeah, because here here, here's something I saw last night, Matt Sexton, friend of the show, going in for the touchdown? Right what happened? Because I think it was a gentleman's name is a Kelvin

Night. I forget, I forget Kelvin right? Does that sound right? So he obviously, you know, the points thing kind of got figured out, you know, they got their columns guys on the sideline saying hey, we're good, and he still, you know, did the reverse Dan bbding Don bbting from the Super Bowl on leon Let. So to me, that says enough about the team that you know, they definitely have a chance. And you know, we saw it with the Generals last year in the USFL

that you know, nine and one doesn't mean anything. But I do think Von Hutches and Reggie Marlow are way better team than because obviously last year with the Stars, you know, it was just getting case Cook is getting into his group. So there are similarities or you know, but nine and one doesn't mean anything, and that sound cliche any givens under or Saturday. In this case, I didn't like that. I didn't like Matthew Saxony and Friend

of the Show. I mean Matthew was kind of flexing on Cialla coming in there. I don't obviously we didn't hear the broadcast with d and you know, also a friend of the shum sure he had some is that the XFL rule now that you can't like fumble it into the end so ridiculous. That should have been a touchback. We were all screaming about that very very exciting times there. You know, I still don't know. I know Brian Stole said out the email about why the battlet Hawks are eliminated. I don't still

was it really good? Really come down to one point was that do you do you understand how the playoffs worked? I do. My problem is this, I think every time I think I understand, a new thing comes out, so like maybe maybe this is my slow brain or anything. Because I'm getting it, I'm breathing it. And then I have five other people who are texting me or messaging me who are like the casual BattleHawks fans, like, so what's going on? And I'm taking you know, what Mike says,

what other people on Twitter says. Then Brian sends something out and they're like, well ESPN said this, and I'm like, well, I don't, I don't, I don't. I don't know at this point, like I don't. I'm gonna be honest, let's wait, wait till the game's over. But my girlfriend brought up a really good point and she was at work, you know, talking to people, and people were talking about the XFL Saint Louis and they're like, so, why aren't they getting in and

she's like, well, what do you mean. She's like, it's a tiebreaker, but what what are you talking about? So it deterred a lot of casual people to where it's like, you know, you know, we live, breathe, you know, make a little bit of money from doing this all that good stuff. Where it's some dude who just got done working fifty six hours a week, you know, building roofs. Is like, dude, this team seven and three, why are they not in the playoffs?

Like this, this is stupid And I think it could have turned off a lot of people too to the I wanst say absurdity, but just the move, like the very fluidity of the playoffs situation. Yeah, I mean we're still like we're still having Jared the Chaire Max, like we're still talking about like we didn't and I you know, I had the producer Max Sex in me and I told Mike because that, Yeah, I had people dmment like I've been drinking reading there since two o'clock, Like I'm not a guy

about this right now, right now. You know. Obviously when they announced it in the stadium, you know, it was good, it was good. It was excited. Uh, the South a little bit more locked up. Are you pleased to see or Arling back again with Houston is out of the matchup in the South? I mean, I mean, third times the charm for Arlington. If Arlington won, it wouldn't surprise me at this point. You get to the point, you know, Louis Perez like they were

running kind of a stale offense yesterday. You know, don't show too much. Obviously Brandon didn't play yesterday. Um, I mean, based off the playoff structure, that's just the way it is. There's a lot of things in life that aren't fair, and you know, being a Saint Louis BattleHawks fan today is not fair despite what you're doing. Um, but you know it kind of sucks, you know, but the team does look better with Perez obviously, you know, davidon Smith didn't play and whatnot. So it

could be a good game, it could be a blowout. I'm I think everyone's tuned into the North Division. You know, we'll watch the South Division. But I think I like, as far as a ratings perspective, if they had a major drop off in ratings from the Houston Arlington game, that would not surprise me, especially what there's you know, six games next week. If that was number six on the slate of spring football, that would not surprise me. Well, yeah, so it's gonna be so the Saturday

game here and I can I can pull this up. We got Renegades at Houston at seven pm Eastern ESPN two, and then obviously the Seattle game DCM on the ESPM proper there. But I could see I could see that being love well. I wish we could go live tomorrow. I've seen the prelims for the USFL of weekend numbers. I think it's gonna be fun tomorrow. I think if we could have done that. Max has a comment here. You know, it almost could be Saint Louis not getting in, Like we

could fix this next year. You might have to be the sacrificial lamb where the BATTLEHA fans are so outraged that they do get rid of the divisional playoff and they do you know, the division winners and then the top you know, top two points whatever after that to get in. Would you like to see? I know, Andy and I've been kind of harping about this for

weeks. Sea changed XFL playoffs whatever next year. I mean that that would that would be good for this year, but we don't do we know if it'll be good for next year, you know, I mean, like I mean, I don't want to say case by case basis, but I think you know what happens next year if someone else gets screwed, you know,

Like I don't, I don't know what the fix is. Like right now, it's easy for me to get on my soapbox and be like Saint Louis should be in you know, like this is nonsense, but like, you know, what if you know there are a bunch of teams, Like what if the next tier of teams all went five and five? You know,

like what are we doing here? You know, then we have to do this whole tiebreaker again versus like you know, Saint Louis goes five and five last year with all five of their wins come into division, and then Seattle went five and five and all five you know, they just beat up on the South. Like I mean, we're gonna run into problems. I think maybe a little bit more education and clarification on the tiebreakers could be good.

But like what Max is saying isn't outrageous. I just don't think there's a perfect scenario in this, you know, I think you're gonna hurt someone's feelings somewhere. Well, because I saw that I was pulling this up here at like this uh this Jake guy whatever on Twitter, you know, he is like this is a travesty the Holy Alli. It's like because no, no sub five hundred team has ever won the division. Like, I mean,

this happens in the NFL. It happened, well, I should command there's two seasons ago, you know, when they when the NFCS that it happens. I don't think it's a I don't think it's a bad look. I think it's just it's the numbers and that's the way it worked out. Like, I don't think this is a a staying on the league, that there's something you know that that the BattleHawks are and then and that you know potentially

that the rent against whatever. IMA Just think that's nonsense. I think that's something that people are picking on just to kind of you know, pick on

the XFL. Yeah, I mean, I mean it's it's definitely a possibility in in an eighteen league and that like I think he tweeted that, like that's something I'll give credence to, you know, but I mean right now in the USFL, there I think there might be a you know, a sub a sub five hundred team making it because the starters don't look as good as you know, I was teaming into that game a show the star zone look that good and Coucas has clearly hurt, like he's gonna he's gonna keep

playing, but he's not one hundred percent. So you know, there's no Brian Scott, the case Coocas drop the drop off. You know, there's case Coocas is some guy we haven't really heard off and badly, so like we might be dealing with this in about seven weeks in the in the USFL. So it's pretty I mean, I don't know they're tiebreakers. Maybe they're

different, maybe they have a better system. Well maybe maybe they're just like we should start Maybe because of what the XFL happened, they're starting the prep for it a little bit like, oh, let's let's not be that guy type thing, you know. So yeah, I think it was also just hard that it was so convoluted last week with the ESPN broadcast and bringing Dan on and then this week, like I think that was the problem. I know, that Mike has been on the phone, you know, talking to

the league and fingering that out. It's it's that there was so much excuse me, confusion. It wasn't it was such a in the minutia thing, and like I had Dean on the show, and I know Dean like talking about it. But it's it's such a thing that it's over. People SAIDs. I just think it is, you know, and it will work unless

you're the hardcore of the hardcore spring football fan. You're not, you know whatever, And even if you are, like you're still you still can't just look at them like a text message from someone you have to like, for me, like I'm a pretty visual guy, Like I have to write it down and like, you know, it's like if I'm getting these texas and I'm at dinner, I'm not working, Like I don't have my notepad in my back pocket, like you know, and if people are asking me,

they want a simple answer, like so are we winning or are we not? Like what's going on? Guy? Like, and you know, I felt bad I couldn't provide a text message worth of explanations to people. And but like I don't I don't pooplue the league for this, you know, it's it's out of all the things to get like on the high horse about like the spring football wars. This this situation is like the least of my

concerns. It sucks, like obviously, you know, I can't go to a game next week, I can't cover a game, you know, but overall, like this is kind of a least of my worries at this point. Uh, well, and we're gonna talk USFL in here. I want to talk san Antonio not making it. It does feel like the animosity right

now is adding all time high. It's very very interesting. Uh. We were in the chat yesterday and even people asking about, you know what, what is the USFL, what are the breakers you know met with you know, like harassment of you don't know about this. It's a it's a really weird time. I guess I'm glad. I wish I could go live tomorrow to talk about the radiance. We have to work, but it really it's interesting right now. The world the woman, Yeah, I mean it's it's

it's you know, a similar So it's parallel of the society. If if you don't like, you know, this thing, you're against that thing and I mean, I don't know, like I you know, it's it's it's trying to go back like to who started it, you know, and I don't even know who started. You know. It's kind of like the hat fields of the McCoy's, right, like who actually who fired the first shot?

Like because in my mind, in my mind, there's two things that I think started this whole thing of animosity, and like I think it was the Rod Woodson thing. I think kind of ruffled a lot of feathers. I don't I don't want to put the blame on Rod Woodson because I think I really don't want to put the blame on anyone. I think the Rod

Woodson thing kind of irked a lot of people in the USFL. And then I think there was I think I can pin it to like one or two people on Twitter who were very anti USFL and like, you know, I

don't want to say they started it. But then it's like, you know, it kind of kicked back real hard, which is like natural society, right, Like if you're one way for so long, and you're you go so far one way, then people are like, well I don't really like this, so I'm gonna go the exact opposite, and then everyone's like, oh my god, how is you know this going on? You know? So, I mean at this point, I covered both leagues, you know, I don't. I don't think of by some people say I'm biased to

the BattleHawks because there's a team in my in my location. Um, I mean that makes sense, you know, if you really think about it. But in the end, I'm going to cover both leagues. I literally put out videos for both, like both leagues, cover both leagues. I've actually real in more USFL articles this year than I have XFL articles. So I mean, I'm going to cover both leagues, and I hope both leagues are here to stay because in the end, what is it, eight hundred jobs

per league? So if you celebrate that, yeah, Mike is right, controversy does great cash. But if you celebrate one of these leagues failing, you're essentially cheering the fact that eight hundred people are out of employment. You know, well, and not only not only the players, you know staff and you know, social media and kind of all this kind of stuff. Uh wa, say you're here, I chat, I was two out of

them. What did you think it came down to? Mister automatic Romo where they san Antonio not making the field goal one field goal away from you know, our boy Jay's team being in there. What did you make san Antonio just being on the outside looking them. I mean, they had plenty of opportunity. It's it's like you can you can kind of look back on every team that they were within one score of a couple of games. Obviously starting it off in the season with that that BattleHawks win. You know, we

all we all champion Saint Louis and I definitely will as well. But I mean we played to the level of our opponent multiple times, Like you know that DC, even our first DC game, granted AJ threw a pick that that first pick, you know, that was a pick six, Like if

that guy stays on his feet, I think it was Gary Jennings. Um, I think it was Gary Jennings. If he stays on his feet, that's a nine yard game, you know, And that that pick six, now there's a reverse on that score, and then like you know, it just it just kind of see, you know, Seattle, we came out flat. That second DC game was our like really the only one that felt like we didn't have a chance in But I mean, you could talk about it to any team like San Antonio should have one. Um, I kind

of And I was the same Max. Yeah, like he I think he lost his NFL job with that kick. And it's unfortunate because of how good he was for the majority of the year. And you know, I don't have his stats in front of me, but like I remember, every time there was a new like fifty yard fifty yard field goal, it was John Parker Romo and whatnot. It was between him and Matt McCree and for a

while or two of the better kickers in the in the XFL. So Hines Warden made a lot, uh a lot of great strides as a coach, because let's be honest, he was a rookie coach. I think if we can go back, he wouldn't. I wouldn't, and I was very vocal about this. I'm a read Senet Homer, um, you know Fellow reads the United type thing. But you know they went with Cone and Cone really only had two good games, Like yesterday, he played pretty decent, but

they couldn't get into the end zone. Cavin Balage getting hurt. I mean that Brahmas team And granted we don't really know what they're gonna look like next year, but I'd like to see him get another quarterback. And that's nothing against Cone, but there was a lack of development and it felt like he was very stagnant and that offense really only moved with Red Cinnett and then he

broke his foot. So I'm I mean, when because there are three and seven Arlington's four and six, like that margin of victory, isn't that or that margin of error for them, like to get them into the playoffs? But in the end, like I'm Arlington Air quote was the better team in the South on paper, So I'm glad they, you know, are getting to play this Saturday. Yeah, I mean it really I'm trying to think,

like I guess at the end of the world it comes down. I'm happy it would It would have been nice to have obviously St. Louis in here. I think Seattle is fine. DENIZI is one of the faces of

the league. I know mccarn's been fighting for that as well, But you know, do you think that having Denci in that position beating out aj just in terms of like a pr and like we're able to talk about Ben now, is that a is that a fine step down from AJ, who has kind of really got a lot of the focal uh you know view just this

season, Hey, look at this guy choosing the league and everything. Well it's not only AJ, it's the whole team, right like because of you know, obviously with everything with Conky, So for them to bring a championship to the city, you could have ran with that storyline. They filled the stadium, like you know, they're over I think they averaged what thirty four thousand for every game and whatnot. They were the champions of the league.

And as far as attendance, the Hakim Butler stories great. You know, Darius Shephard was one of the most dynamic players in the league. And he's also a Missouri, a Missouri guy. There was a lot of local kids there as well. That made made this you know, team a lot more lovable and with all the comebacks and everything in the wackiness. But I think

that was a great story. I know, you know, a lot of people and Rick talked about it last week about the Bend Nucci is m and you know, I don't want to talk I don't want to talk negative about bend Nucci. You know, like he seems like a decent enough guy. But I know, Red, you're right behind the bench. When I was at the BattleHawks game, I took, you know, some friends and my girlfriend. Did June Jones go up to him at all? In between?

Yeah? So I mean that sells you something in my opinion. So I mean, there's there's a very big family aspect, Like it seems like de Nucci's kind of like a loaner in this you know that air quote. This league might be beneath him, you know, because when in the press conference when he was walking up, he was like how many yards did I throw for? And they were like x x y z And He's like without rushing guards. He's like, they're like x y z's all right, So I

broke three hundred, that's all that matters. And I'm like, okay, I mean your team just blew us out. But whatever, So I do. It is weird. That's actually interesting to bring it up. Just I do very different dynamics on the on the St. Louis. And I don't know if that's like if if Beck is kind of instilling that and he's with aj Has let's a different coach, and you know, he's kind of doing

his own thing and we're watching and he kind of seems grumpy. And I know Seattle was playing with heavy hearts kind of yesterday was all the Chris Smith and everything, and they did the moment of Silence for him, which was great. But it does very different dynamics between the Seattle team in between the Saint Louis team. I think that's interesting. I mean, I think there's a lot more and this might come off as a negative, Like you have

Di Nucci, you have Lindsay, you have Gordon. You have a couple of guys who are just like their their goals are clear, you know what I mean, Like this is I'm just new this to get to the next level, while you have Aj who's like, yeah, man, I could kind of just you know, go through the Like he had three NFL workouts Peru. I think Aaron Wilson is a guy who always posts the NFL workouts

he had, Like I counted three of his workouts for NFL teams. So I mean, I mean, like we talked about earlier in the show, like it's AJ's world world just living in it as far as his next contract, So I mean, Denucci had a couple of NFL workouts. I saw it last year, but in the end, like you know, he's still establishing himself and everything like that. Well, AJ's like, you know, and he's talked about multiple times. I think they showed it on player fifty

four. Is a different is another coach. You know, he was like, I want to use the word grilling Ryan Willis, but like he's like, Okay, if this option doesn't here, this is the thing an X Y and Z Hey, Bruce is just kind of chilling in the back, just like, yep, that's what you got to do. So I don't know. Indian Houston got in, you know, so that that's good too. You know, we get to see more way Phillips well, and I thought I have a question here for you. But yeah, Wade almost getting

taken out on the on the sidelines. I saw that very you know how mummy ask back in something with the Houston something with the Texas sidelines. They're not the Heason but the Texas sides. We have a question here. It ties talking you know, Becks the players coach. His press conferences are promotional. Made me what was Beck's post kind of knowing they won, but it wasn't in their hands. What you know, like it was up to sale.

What was becked like post game on the Saturday game against that Orlando So I wasn't at the game, so everything I got the second the second hand, um from people who were there. And I think he's a realist when it comes down to it, you know, it's like, yeah, it's great, we've won. I think he knows, Okay, we didn't take care of business for Seattle. Like if if they obviously beat Seattle, we're not really having this conversation, you know. So I mean he's a realists.

He's been in the locker room, He's been on some good teams, he's been on some bad teams. He's been around the league. Um, these guys gravitate to him. He's an amazing like like just a nice, nice guy. Like there's I can't say anything negative about him. He first time head coach. You know this is only a second coaching opportunity. Um, the poor guy last night was like feverishly eating. You know, it was kind of a I kept like shining shining the camera on him and he

just had this look of dread. And it's not so much that and obviously they want to win a championship, but in my mind it was now I can't, like I'm losing this group of guys, like the special group of dudes. And he's been vocal about like and I know when you talk to him, he was like, yeah, you know, if all my guys leave next year, like I won it as a coach, right, they all went to the NFL and all that goofy stuff. But like he loves

this team. He was being a part of this team. He loves the men in this locker room, like he loves all his staff, and like, you know, it's it's kind of like your you know, your first your first hurrah. It's like nothing will ever be as special as that first season. Bringing it back, feeling the energy, all that goofy stuff. I agree with that, and I think, you know, and I think the hub kind of instills out as well, and we're all in that.

I want to talk because obviously we didn't see the broadcast. What what were they they were? They were showing them like him and aj or whatever they were back in Arlington, because I saw Stoops was at the Arlington game as well, and they had uh, you know, Troy Aikman, and they said what were they showing back during the game? Um? Like during so during the Arlington game, he was in the booth. Yeah, Um, he was just you know, doing this thing. AJ was on the sideline

when I think Mateo Durant and they were all at a restaurant. They had a live feed on them, and he was just kind of like, you know, looking and then each as the game was going over, he kind of looked a little bit more. I hate to say this, but like dead inside and like the face and like they would show it after a touchdown or they would show it when they were driving, and he just kind of

looked displeased. And then you get like, like so I started on like the third time they did it, I started looking in the background of like the other players and staff, and the energy was getting sucked out of that restaurant and it was just, I mean, it was just unfortunate. That's the only thing you can say about it. Like, I mean, this

guy, you know, put his heart and soul and then everything. You know, AJ put his heart and soul and then everything all those guys, you know, you have a keen butler, you know, like his journey dming back. You have so many different of these guys and he and something that doesn't really get talked a lot is you have a lot of his guys and Dave Boeller, the d the DPP, like those are guys that Becca has known for you know, almost four years from the San Diego Fleet.

So you had those guys like Don the Kicker is a San Diego Fleet guy, a couple of the linemen, you know, Tiny Tupo, Travis Feney, like there was a lot of retreads that these so bec has known these guys for years. And then there's the Iowa State connection like Mike Rose, Kim Butler, Willie Harvey, all these guys Iowa State guys that he's connected to you because of his son, and and it's just kind of a you know, it's it's over, like regardless of anything, you know, but

the thing is it can't be. Don't be sad that it's over. Be happy that it happened, you know, kind of like the Kirk ben Kurt situation. You know, we're seeing a lot of comments still about the playoffor and I want to talk to kind of the usfl of it all as well here just because I think that it was an interesting weekend for them, we're still seeing you know, we're adding two more teams, make sure they get

expand. The problem to me is, I don't want it to be like the Academy Awards, where like now we have ten Best Picture nominations and like everybody gets in, and we have the CFL where everyone but like the you know, you have to be really terrible in the CFL not to make a playoff team. I think I think there needs to be something earned. I like the idea of that maybe the division winners and then two and three play and then you do a bye week in there, but then you're then still

six of eight teams are making the playoffs. I think I think this is a fine format, but I could see them working on figuring it out next year because it's I don't know, people seem displeased. I mean, four teams is enough. I'll I'll be a little bit more open to six teams

if if we obviously expand. I'm pretty anti expansion for both these leagues because until you get like actual owners and like you know, all that stuff where it's like some guy in Vegas owns the Vipers, so if he wants to make his team better, he'll pay you know, Tom Brady five million dollars, X, Y and Z, like like, let's let's get these people living here, Let's get these people established, Let's get like, you know, maybe not AJ's the best six sample, but you know, let's say

Gary Jennings wants to be here, Like, let's get him in Saint Louis to a four year contract kind of how like in the eighties, the USFL was going for it, and then we can talk expansion. In my personal opinion, I'm okay with the ten game season. I think that, you know, ten games is good, you know, regardless of if there was

one spring league, eight spring leagues, whatever, it's just enough. Because ultimately, until you can pay these guys competitive NFL wages, there's no there's no point, like, there's no point let these guys, you know, go. Obviously, you might like Chris Smith rest in Peace was a decent example because he was thirty two years old, and that guy can make like a practice squad salary because that's kind of where he was at in his career.

Great, we've accomplished that, But like the expansion talk to me, which obviously leads into a little bit of the playoff talk is a little bit irresponsible at this point. And while it sounds great, especially with the USFL because you know they have god knows how many franchises and trademarks, it sounds good. And even to the XFL because you can air quote bring back the Birmingham Bolts and you know, the LA Extreme or the LA Wildcats. It's

just to me, like, let's let's both these ladies. Let's let's get some continuity. Let's get some you know, let's let's prove that we're not going away in three years. I agree, I think, and we've even in the chat here comments Vegas, we leave, they're already selling the season tickets next year in Vegas. I think we're locked in the cashman field. Maybe they do some work on the field in the off season, but I think they're locked in there. I think that you can fill that. I

see people they need to move to bigger, bigger venues in Vegas. I'm like that we need to we need to fill, We need to fill what we have here. Uh Max has a comment here, and then I do want to talk to USFL. We have what did you what did you make of the XFL players voting not to unionize this last week. They have the vote on Wednesday. I heard that some of the pulling location sins were switched last minute. The players weren't able to get it. What do you make

of them not wanting to want voting? That's hard not to I mean, I mean, I think right now it comes with a little bit of we don't know the specifics right there, So like for me to make a comment, anyone to make a comment on it, I think it's borderline that irresponsible. Um, I will say this that they work. It's not that they're anti union or or whatnot. It's that they didn't want the union with the steel steel Workers. So I mean, how many people said no, Like,

how many people said no to that? But they still want a union? Yes, Andy, I don't want a San Diego franchise, not yet. But how many people said no to the steel Workers union but actually said yes to you know, John Smith's union or the NFLPA, which was brought up a couple of times. So I mean they're beyond them, you know, like for making the decision of not just I don't want to say blindly following and whatnot, because but they're you know, there's a really like in

the NFL, you want to unionize. There are some union there are some unions that I think are great. There are some unions that I think take advantage of the situation whatever it is. But in the end, like you know, these guys are making informed decisions. Especially a lot of these guys were in the NFL and they saw the NFLPA like what it was and whatnot. So I don't think they're making ill advised decisions. I don't think people

ever thought about unionizing until the USFL did it. So I think that's kind of why the Steelworkers union kind of you know, benefited on it. But it is like, you know, we don't we don't know the details. And for us to get up here and make like they're like, oh they're dumb or all they're smart? Is is it irresponsible? Now? The polling situation and that's an issue obviously because I feel like you can just do it and the team facilities, but I mean, we don't we don't know if

that's one hundred per true or not. You know, people, Yeah, I'm a I'm a big proponent that players are smart and kind of know know what they're gonna do, right, And I think that they Kenneth and them came into the USFL situation last year and said, we have to fix this now, like we have to get what you know. Again, I'm not living in the hotels and doing all that, but they said, we need

to deal with this and now. And like I said, it could be they want to figure out something different with the steelworkers they do with LPA or whatever. But uh, they've been through this, they know what's going on, and so I think that them, I would trust them at this point. I would trust the players. They're wanting to do what they do best. Obviously, if anything comes out, we'll talk about it. But yeah,

I was surprised. I mean I just kind of figure out they did with the USFL, they're going to do it here and maybe they're like a bigger And that was my general general like knee jerk reaction, um, especially because we did see the positives of what happened to USFL and whatnot. So, you know what, Kenneth being there, it definitely in my mind, you know, but he hasn't come out of me the statement himself, so you know that might tell you something something about it, you know, I'm

great. I think he just got surgery or something like that, so maybe maybe his benefits are working pretty good right now, so he's not got anything to complain about. But I mean until like, I'm curious to see what Kenneth has to say when he kind of gets his bearings under him and whatnot. Yeah, I mean, I reached out to Ryan and obviously he's been on the show with Kenneth, and I think if there's things and Ryan knows that he can obviously, if there's messages they want to get out, they

can do it with me as well. Something we're seeing still expansion talk everything in the chat. I watched as much of the US about this weekend as I could. Obviously we were at the game last night, so I didn't see the Stars, you know, our our team so surprising loss to the Panthers in there. I did watch the basically all of the New Jersey General's Pittsburgh Mullers game. What to me, like the hub is not working right now. I we we had down attendance. I don't know when we're allowed

to talk about the Birmingham attendance on Saturday. I saw the prelimbs for that. Obviously the Breakers game, I daver were more people on the field for St. Louis than there was in the stands for the Breakers game. What are your thoughts on the USFL here week two? Um, from a gameplay perspective, I mean, the Maulers are going to Mueller. I was talking to someone about, like, oh, what should I do for my power

rankings? You know, the show Boats obviously only scored two points, and I was like, well, you have to keep the Mullers last, because I mean it's just, you know, there's continuity here of the last several, like the last twelve games, you know, of them have been just subpar quarterback play and you're you're, you're, you're going through the list of Kyle Laalaa, Joshua Badly, Roland Rivers, now James Morgan, and Troy Williams. But I mean, can we can we put a halt on the

Brady White experience? Um? It's two folds on Birmingham. I talked about it on your I've really about it. I think they retained like sixty something percent of their roster from twenty twenty two going into camp. Maybe it's a little less because I know they cut some guys and whatnot, but we saw how good they were last year. They shouldn't surprise anyone, granted the show Boats. I don't you know, the Brady White experience has not been a good time. And I don't know if you know this free, but he

went to Memphis and he coaches amphis so obviously that needs him. Like that means he needs to be the quarterback. And they gave Ryan Willis two series and like you know, they removing the ball decent at one point and with Alex Collins and then kind of just died. I'm a big Vinnie Popolli guy, but Vinnie Popolli shouldn't be your number one option at wide receiver, especially when you have both Cyrus Mitchell. If this is surprising you about how good

this Alex McGoo is, you haven't been paying attention. Like this guy is crazy athletic. He's made plays all over the field last year when he had the opportunity. Obviously, Jamark Smith last year, you know, did nothing to lose his job. It was an injury, just says Mago Magoo. Did nothing to lose his job last year. It was an injury in Week one. Um, but um, you know the Sounions are the team to

beat the cream of the crop. Uh, you know, the Panthers look way better, which we've talked about than nauseum like cover the Panthers, and you know, it's good to kind of see everything. A lot of people, you know, were knocking QB play in last night's game, but I'm like, it was raining pretty decently. The people were slipping and if you look at Kokus and josh Love, they're double clutching the football to get that additional grip on it. So that's why the routes are off, but like

they're making the right reads and that's to me more important. And that's what I was telling someone who's a Panthers fan, like you know, Love didn't play that well. I was like, well, he's playing in the rain, he's double clutching the ball. You know, his receivers were slipping, but he was making the correct read. Like I think I saw three ill advised passes from Joshua that what had nothing to do with like, you know,

the elements. Um, I'm a little disappointed. The Canton game looked pretty okay during the day, you know, for what it For what it was, I'm very curious to see what Ford Field is like next week. I mean, like per ticket Master and everything. It's gonna look pretty good. I mean. And also the Lions being good in the NFL kind of keeps football on people's mind in Detroit, and you know they are they are

returning and whatnot, so we'll see. I mean, the quarterback player for the Mullers has been trash um. You know, per Cup looks okay, but in the end, he wasn't a star, and he wasn't a star in the CFL, you know, so, but he's he's already mid tier, you know. And DeAndre Johnson, my biggest thing has been like, okay, you're the guy. Now you're gonna have to throw the ball like like more in ten yards and you know he's not getting his feet set.

He's looking a little jittery because I watched the Muller's game pretty in dept yesterday and it doesn't seem for on Pittsburgh side, like they are so wishy washy as far as as far as um, like, okay, you get a series. You know, it goes back to that mantra, if you got two quarterbacks, you got uh yeah, you know you got none. And I've seen some things in the chat right now, talking about talking about Canton, you know, like they should just do a Canton team. In my

personal opinion, I think Canton will be a transitionary hub. Yeah, you know, like so they're able to get the breakers in the New Orleans. They find the spot for Pittsburgh, but they don't find the spot for Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Um, we'll go to Canton, you know, and that

that that makes as much sense to me as it can be. You know, I think they're Discovery, and I think they thought, hey, we got you know, seventeen thousand whatever in there for the championship game, and we can you know, if we get there was not there was not a lot of people. I think I think the whole hub should be againdon just because I think then you have the Pro Football Hall of Fame and all that. I don't know, I just I and I don't want to be I

don't want to be the I'm already the homer. I don't want to be the homer in here. But they get a lot of comments weave in in the chire. Something is not working with the USFL this season, and I don't know if it is just in comparison to the XFL. Right now, and the games are meaning more because we're in Week ten and you know, we have crowds and it's a sell on DC and we're cutting. But it's something something doesn't seem to work. I don't know if it's just more glaring

this year than it was last year. To me, it's it's kind of the same. Like I said that the Mahler's game yesterday, I'm like, it's three three at half, Like it's really hard to really hard to start Monday watching this game and it's not and it's not a good three three. It's not like you know, there, you know, James Morgan is throwing the deep ball and the defensive back makes a great play or like you know they're they're at the goal line and you know they're just they're just move,

you know, you know, just great defense. It was sloppy play, you know, it was you know and even if okay, we can talk about oh there were sacks here and there, but they weren't good sacks. They weren't the defensive end going for a good rip move and like putting some good skill sets together. It was the quarterback lost his first option and it is just like, oh my god, where's the rest of the play going. So it's you know, you know, these guys are still high level

athletes. If if you're in if you're in the pocket for six seconds, someone's going to be in your face. Um, I mean the uh, what's the gap? The gap disparity between the USFL is a little bit is a little bit concerning to me as far as with the play coming down like that. That really bothers me. Um, maybe the show Boats get it together with another team. I mean, the Gamblers showed some life this week, but I'm still not on team Kenji Bihar like throwing three interceptions and whatnot.

I don't know if Terry Wilson is any better. But regardless, like the gap, the disparity between some of these teams, because we can knock on Orlando and I think Orlando gets more hate because of Terrell Buckley more than

everything else because he's kind of a living meme. But in the end, like in the end, like the Guardians were very fun to watch and competitive and outside of their offensive line play, which is the biggest thing, you know, they had decent quarterback play with like Paxson Lynch Quinny Dormandy put up some good games. Like even the Saturday he had a good game, you know, he regrets for two weeks came back and we're not getting that with

the Mullers, you know. And I know there's like Twitter debates of like who would win the Mullers or the Guardians, and like the Guardians like yes, I mean like they would just their receivers are so much better, you know, when Ruben Fosters playing pretty good than Boogie Roberts has been doing pretty decent as well. He looks Bookie Roberts actually looks way better this year, you know, than he did last year. And it's like those are only two players, dudes, Like, you know, we haven't tie here.

And I noticed this early on with the XBL that it did seem like and I don't know if it's ESPN, if it has a wider reach or we know that Fox we're where we're protecting the USFL like don't you know we can control everything, But it does seem like I'm seeing many many more viral you know, and everyone's sharing stuff from the XBL than the USFL. Are you

do you disagree? Agree? What do you think? I mean? What do you what do you expect though, Like ESPN air quote the worldwide leader in sports, Like, um, I mean, you're gonna share these videos and more people I think follow ESPN or NFL on ESPN than they do,

uh, than they do with Fox and whatnot. But I mean that remains to be seen because now we're in like like we're it's I feel like it's not fair to talk about this because now we have ten weeks of stories players, you know, like like maybe it's shame on us because we didn't do our due diligence to like really keep tracks on the track on this for the first week two and three or one two and three weeks because of like what

were the analytics of that? Right? So, like you know, now everyone's like, Okay, the XFL is around right now, that's great. Oh there's another football league, the USFL. So it's like I don't see anyone, but like I don't see anybody talking about the USFL. Yeah, I mean I don't think they. I don't think they will until the XFL is over, because but then then is it. I mean there's a three three half game suddenly become more watchable without the XFL. Like that's my question.

It's like, yeah, we had Andrew Buckleton last week from Awful Announcing. You know, we're talking like, okay, it does the USFL get a thirty percent bump here after the XML goes out there? I don't know, because like I wouldn't. That was a horrendous game yesterday. I can't, like five minutes we're talking with that with because Prucop's wife in the stands, I'm like, what are we doing here? I don't know if that that becomes more watchable when the XFL goes away goes away. I mean,

I have no idea. I mean I think I've said it in the group chat, like Week five will be the biggest indicator of where this league goes.

Like you should get a bump, right, like just by like attrition, like even if you know the games are on at the same time whatever, but you should get a bump at least a couple hundred, hundreds of thousands of people like just because they're like, well, football is on, because I mean that's who you're catering to, right, You're catering to the dude or you know, the dude who's going to the bar, you know after working and building his roof, and you're like you know, I'm gonna

take take my girlfriend, my wife out to dinner and we're gonna watch this game. You know, Like that's really who you're catering to. You're not catering to like us on Twitter because we're gonna watch no matter what because it's air quote our job and you know, like we're supposed to and like we need to know what's going on. So it's it's like, how are they going to attract the casual viewer and like and that's the challenge for both leagues

right there. That's the challenge for like any sport you know, coming in the main stream. But honestly, like, I have no idea. I don't think the USFL is going anywhere, you know. I think I think Fox has a five year plan that they're ready to go kill the war with

and uh, you know, we'll see what happens. But yeah, no, they need to figure something out as far as with these this quarterback play and whatnot and the candle cannibalization of the ratings and whatnot, because they're gonna have to deal with this every year for three what you know, for three to four weeks. Well to me, and it hurts, it hurts the momentum getting off right, because I don't think you know, I don't like

you said. I think we're going to see some growth, but I don't think it's just going to spike overnight with the X about Max has a comment here and then aj I've started comment. We want to talk about. I think the USFL exacts expected the interest in the league to be more what it was in the early weeks instead of it looks like the interest was about where it was at the end of last season. Yeah, I don't see. There was nothing in the USFL off season save for a meaningless college draft.

I'm sorry, did anything you know? Okay, we relocated the show boat six months ago. Okay, we're doing that. Like there was nothing that that you're ever going to get that spiking and going into year two? Yeah, I mean that's I mean, what is there, Like what is their goal? Like what is the reality for for for them? Like what numbers are they like, Okay, this is good, this is sustainable? Like are they going to be banking on more like Commante Turbans, like you know

they kind of promoted. Are they going to be looking for investors like the Fred Smith of Memphis? Are they going like what, like what is their business model? Because I like and I can throw that question at the XFL as well, you know, like like what is the goal? Like what is okay to them? Like do they want to pay these guys at some point three million dollars a year? Do they want to continue the path there on? Or they you know, is the Rock going to just keep putting

out black Adam movies to like fund this? You know what I mean? Like he's like, oh man, like, okay, we're going into the red Yeah, I guess I'll make Moana too, you know what I mean? Like that is like there's not a set of goals in my opinion, other than like, excuse me, there's a set of goals, but like

what is the expectation? What is the what is your actual Like Okay, we need to make X amount of dollars, we need to put X amount of people in the stands, like like obviously, and I asked the question.

I asked this question and I didn't get an answer, was like what is the expectation for the non hub teams like and that, and like do you are you factoring that into your budgets or you just kind of like, hey, Man, we get two thousand people, like, that's a win if we can get like a little bit more transparency on that, like are you good when not caring about any of these other teams? Like you know,

are we focused? Are we riding and dying on the stallions, the show boats and the Panthers And that's a very like very uh you know, concerning thing for me right now. Well, and we'll see Detroit next week. And I think Detroit is going to show up. But Canton did not look good. Memphis looked good last week. I think the numbers were inflated. I think there was thirty thousand people there. I'm sorry, Kurt Man, but Birmingham looked really bad. Looks really bad, looks really bad.

I go, So we like and that's and I know it's Birmingham, and I know it's the smallest city, Like that is your hub. That is if anybody in the world knows the US and L exists, is the people in Birmingham. You have the champions here at the season one champions like the rate that was a very part out Saturday night and I know that was it Shanias and there something was playing down the way like there was a Rodeo,

there was a Roadsdale and there was a new Gas Stages company. But at some point, like I just don't understand, like that's your hub, Like that's your base. If you can't fill Birmingham, I think you got a problem. Yeah, And like I just want to know if they're okay with that, like if you're if you're if you're good with that, like if you're like, we do not care about attendance. We are making our money, and we were paying our coaches, and we were doing X and we

were doing why and all the all all the checks are going through. That's fine. Like I don't care, like you know, I mean, like

if you are okay with that, but like what is the goal? And that's a little bit like don't like a little bit skittish to me on like where we're at moving forward, because I like, while I do think the x val doesn't have the most you know, transparent bowl, I think this is a little you know this there's a little bit of showmanship on aspects they are still in their city, you know, while attendance in some places aren't, you know, as I think Saint Louis has messed up the attendance metric

of like, you know, maybe if last year, if Saint Louis didn't exist, and he told me fifteen thousand people went to the Sea Dragons a spring football game, and Seattle fifteen thousand people, I'd be like, oh, that's really good. And now you're like, well, Saint Louis at thirty three thousand and you're like, well, see, Yattle is better than Saint Louis, Like shouldn't they have more? You know what I mean?

Like the Saint Louis thing has messed up my metric of what is a good attendance for a spring football game, especially going there too, like like I don't have the appropriate dancer. Well, and I said, we'll see when the USNR ratings come out tomorrow, because that's the things that we don't care

about attendance. We only care about ratings. And ratings were down over last year, and they were down last week, and I don't care whenever Fox PR wants to span the four percent increase, like ratings were down and that whatever you did it to yourself. You had the sibelcast and everything else, and that's you know, whatever else last year. But I'll see. I think it's going to be I think ratings tomorrow are going to be very,

very interesting. And the four percent thing kind of irks me, right because we'll put it into like two different perspectives. In my mind, if I told you I was running back and I had fifteen hundred yards my first season and my second season I had two thousand yards but we played six more games, was I had better running back? You know what I mean? Like like you know, you know you're robbing Peter. It was a robbing Peter,

the pay Paul type thing. Like in my mind, I think it's better if if let's say so they hit seven forty, right, and like what it was, like seven forty was the average. If my whole metric was like between eight fifty and six seventy, I'm wayed better with that than Okay, we had four million and then twenty six people watch that like yeah,

we're up four percent. Yeah, but like the disparity is not where you should be, Like I would rather be within one hundred thousand of that seven hundred and like that seven hundred average, where like, okay, we're pertaining a good base. You know you could you could, you can, you could do a decent job if you got seven hundred thousand people watching every game, you know, like a true average rather than like, you know,

four million to one thousand type thing like that. That to me is like because now you're just like you're grabbing your eyeballs, but you're not keeping them. And that's and and that's and that's where I like I kind kind of been like like, okay, like yeah, four percent raise, but why was anyone watching other products? So because honestly, the Mullers are like and granted it's not a coach in the sidelines or season behind the scenes.

It's probably a coaching thing with schemes, but it's not a coaching thing as far as like these guys are jokes of men, Like this is a respectable group of men doing a good job trying to do and like, you know, there's not the outside nonsense of what we saw at the Mueller's last year of like Kirby Wilson, like Benchi badly for no reason, Like it's just some of these guys aren't as good as the other guys, and like that's football, that's sports. But you know, like if they're not, it's

not fun to watch. The USFL has not I thought the Showboats game last week it was I felt the same with last year. I thought the kickoff was good, good energy, and then it's just something missing there. Like I said, I don't always like the XFL's personality, and I think that, you know, they carry themselves too seriously or they do whatever sometimes. But to me, the USFL has has no personality. And we have James collins Worth there that kind of sounds like Chris or watching and we got what

was his name, Michael h a seahawk guy Robinson. Yeah, and like Mike, I didn't think he was great last year. I don't know if he's any better this year. Like it just feels I don't know, something feels a ride there. And maybe it's just because the XFL games meant more this weekend. But oh yeah, JJ's reminded me well. And then we'll get out of here pretty soon in an hour. He wants to know who has the better quarterbacks because this will hortail back into because I want to talk

about Bend Nicia before we get out of here. USFL or X Who has a better quarterbacks? Right now? It's the XFL, Like like there's two metrics, so this people are gonna poo poo me for this, and that's fine because you know, obviously I don't know ball, but U but uh, I mean I cover when I do, Like I have spreadsheets. I

have way more spreadsheets about this stuff than I care to admit. But when I cover like the XFL quarterbacks, the USFL quarterbacks, and if you guys don't know, I cover the quarterback rankings on my YouTube channel analyzes an Educate. But there's two factors I throw this in there. I throw in um pass attempts at the NFL, and I throw in income earned at the NFL. And then last year, the USFL going in the season one had I

think eighteen million dollars earned like like all their guys. This year it was like six. Now, I didn't factor in MBTs like income from the CFL, and I didn't factor in procups income from the CFL, so you're like, Okay, maybe that's a little bit closer or whatever. The XFL had like I think thirty thirty eight million dollars earned by their quarterbacks and like it was inflated because of aj and Paxson Lynch. Okay, they accounted for like

twenty eight and then you had you know, banker. Even Louis Sperez had a decent amount. Slower's got like two million dollars, Plitz got a little bit of signing bonus money go down the list. So there's definitely well and

then people might combat me with like, Okay, that doesn't matter. Well to an extent, it does because now you have guys that even if you're the fourth string in training camp him, you're still there, especially if some of these guys are around, you know, like being the like Reed Sinette was around Tom Brady, he was around, Mike McDaniel, he was around, he was around you know, Jalen Hurts, Carson I think he was

there with Carson Wentz. But if now you know he's been around quarterbacks to learn from these guys and like being these systems and like that stuff matters. And yeah, um Max, I think d Nucci's like in the almost two million U because he did play it three years and active, but stay on track, like that stuff matters, like you know, outside of in my mind, you have Carson Strong a couple of tea, a cup of tea.

James Morgan has been around a couple of teams. Obviously, you know, case Kukis has been like on six different teams, including a CFL team, But like MBT is the class of the class there, like between him and Alex McGoo, I think is one of the top earners as well. Like like we love Jamar Smith, but he had fifteen minutes with the Patriots and then another twenty minutes with the tie Cats. Like the NFL experience, even if they were just like going to be camp bodies, they're still going

running the scout team, you know, and that matters to me. And you know, the more practice squads, the more training camps, the more preseason games you're part of, all that stuff matters in the long run of the quarterback player, especially now because some of these three and four year guys for twenty twenty udfas, they didn't get a real training camp, they didn't

get real workouts because of COVID and everything like that. So now it's like it's like there's even they're all, you know, a year behind, and not just for quarterbacks but everyone. So short answer to the X Y Joe's like, hes, yeah, you know, President Nuitie mccarin town. But then there's a big drop off half the quarterbacks. Yeah, I mean, I mean there's yeah, like yeah, man, only half of the league, Only only half of the league has good quarterbacks. Yeah, well have

I have you heard of the NFL? Like have you seen Week fifteen? The Week eighteen in the NFL? You know, then gonna this is another ran. Sixty eight guys started last year at the quarterback position in the NFL. That was more than COVID year when they were like, oh you saw

someone who you thought had COVID. Yeah, man, you're out for a week, like like there wasn't any COVID reserve really last year, you know, you had illness whatever, So all that nonsense, like these leagues need to figure like need to you know, be around to be like you know, Tammy might go from like the third string to you know, you know,

fourth string to the Heineke situation. Granted the COVID thing kind of maybe regress that, but these guys are getting hurt, you know, and there's a lot of controversy as far as like what's going on with the practices and like are they you know, should they go harder in practice because when they go to the games or bobbies Ready, I don't that's not my job to care about, Like from a media standpoint, but in the end, like they you know, half of the league is a good quarterbacks, Like that's

not a bad number. Like no matter who you who who what, like what league it is? Max says, here interesting some of the guys that passed on the XFL to go to the USFL. And then you know, still are you know, ask Brian Willis about that. I mean, I mean Max, like and you know, like your feedback on this, to be fair, a keel glass and David's cheek did have a good a good

chance of starting because Zach's because Zach Smith was there. And then this yeah, yeah, like you know, he follows it up like MBT comes to New Orleans like, who are you going to bench? You know, like, are you gonna bench MBT over a keel glass and uh in David's cheek? You know, it kind of sucks because this is kind of a red shirt year for them as long as MBT space healthy. But he's put together two good games. In my mind, he's a top two quarterback in the

league. You know, Magoo is playing out of his mind, Josh Love, you know, playing really well. You know, pruke up is that kind of that line of demarcation, like if your quarterback is worse than pruke up, you would bench him. If he's better than you're a good type thing. So my boy, my boy, Chris here checking in the section one thirty five. We're in Seattle, Chris enjoying that. I want to talk about the playoffs before we get out of here. We're talking CONNECTIVEL players

go right to the USFL. They're under contract, right, they under contracts. Now, if you give a shameless plug buy Mike Mitchell on Twitter, we'll we'll be able to answer all those questions. Because like the playoffs scenario, I've you know, when Mike talked about it, someone was it on your show that they were talking about it. I believe like the release of

the contracts and whatnot, I've seen it. I've seen it. Yeah, it's this whole I think, the contract and who's with the USFL and how many years and the L my understanding that both leagues you have to it's it out for the NFL, and that is it, right, So I mean, I know there are players who are trying to like figure it out, you know, because but I think that would be a pretty cool thing to see, like these guys bounced between the XFL and the USFL, just the

like one obviously, you know. More, if they're signing you to the USFL, they think you can help their team, so that would raise the competition level. And that's not the XFL versus USFL like war like, don't take it as that. That's just reality. If a coach wants to sign any player, it's because they think they will help the team. Like,

don't don't, don't get on your high horse about that Twitter. But um, I mean, I mean, I'd like to see it, you know if especially guys who were like that, like third string receiver, you know, who put up some numbers, like let's see what they can do. But yeah, I have anything here, max is you know. And I didn't want I didn't want to make a big deal about this, but you know, chairwoman Danny Garcia of the XFL does not follow me and Mike Mitchell

on Twitter. I was first, I was first first, but I will say and then Mike put it out, so, uh, Mike Mitchell got mentioned by XFL today and this rounds out kind of my comment. Here is I do and this is my hope. I think, you know, we're getting through XFL and like it's I've talked with people at the league and even doing stuff with Dean last week, and like we're getting through everything now.

My hope is, now we're getting through this, we can start engaging a little bit more with you know, the content creators, you know, with people you know like this, Mike's a reporter that's no different than NFL network, you know, showing or ESPN showing schefter's tweet and so and so got you know, traded to the Ravens or whatever. Like Mike as a reporter,

Mike covers the league. I think it's phenomenal, Like it makes you feel bigger than it is when you're able to show other people and and it that what that as of that builds up Mike, Joe, you know there's all positives there. What what do you what did you make of that?

And Mike his playoffs scenario is getting talked about the next I mean, if you don't know who Mike Mitchell at this point is like you're and unless you know, I'm not gonna harass you, Like you know, you don't know what the New Orleans Breakers are, but but if you know, if you don't know who Mike Mitchell is like in reality, obviously buy Mike Mitchell on Twitter. He's he's he's so plugged into this. I think he's admitted like he's he's so old that he was, you know, covering the the AFL

in the sixties. But no, he's been he's been an og USFL guy covered the XFL one point zero UFL you know, probably the Spring leg.

The amount of work he does, like good work, and this is gonna sound a little, you know, bland, but the amount of good work he does to not just to get the information out, but for the leagues, for the two like for the players, for the coaches, like this guy's this guy's in it, you know, and I hate to you know, sometimes we take advantage of it, you know, because it's like how like, well, I don't need to know this because Mike does right,

like Michael figure out. But like the amount of like like yeah, you know, like I'm I'm drinking a rain beer. Everyone go to Mike Mitchell about about questions today. But I mean he's, you know, and he he's he's he's he's a nobs type of guy, you know, and he's you know, these are the facts to deal with it. If you can't deal with it, that's that's a that's a U problem. Yeah, Mike Mitchell is the Adam Schefter of spring football. And you know something that gets

lost in it is his love for the CFL. You know, yeah, what's up? And yeah, I mean Mike is Mike is in a euphoric you know, you know, pleasure zone with all this going on. You

know, So I mean it's it's it's a great thing to see. But h I mean we're off TANGI yeah, no, it would be cool, um, you know, because you know, I've been very you know, not to come off as selfish, but like I've been, I've been tracking a lot of the quarterback records and you know, there was no mention of that outside of the one tweet that you sent me for Bleacher Report and then Pro Football Talk wrote a story about AJ mccaron, but they don't mention Bend

Nucci in it, like Benda Nucci broke Tommy Maddox's yards record. So it's kind of like, I know, you saw my tweet, like it was like almost like thirty thousand impressions, you know, just because you saw the AJ one. Did you did you actually do the research and look it up, you know, like that's an issue I have, Like, you know, Benda Nucci is still an air quote sexy name. Like you couldn't even

like look up his like thing. You know, like it literally takes like it took me ten minutes to like put the correlation, like, oh, he's staring for a lot of yards, like and you know, I have the whole list of like active quarterbacks like the passing ranking since post two thousand, especially with the USFL. Now I'm getting ready of the right articles about this for the eight franchises. I'm gonna do like a quarterback spotlight from the

eighties. I just thought it was the funny comment. And now according to four or five years of ultrails huntway, they'll think Mike Mitchell is anti us Vell. There's no change in their plans. Yeah, I mean, like I don't I don't want to come off as like worl and harassing people, but like stop stop, stop, stop, you guys are gonna stop because like in the end, you're gonna like find someone who, like I don't know, he knows how to use the Internet and has access to like my

thing was my thing was this? It was yesterday and then we'll get out of here seeing that promise. Uh, you had someone tweeting about the USFL like why why are why are the breakers? Like why are they not in New Orleans? Like what's going on? And you could have had someone gone there go hey, you know this is the new League and like it's Fox and they're trying to save money and they're working towards that and we have expansion. Instead, you have a bunch of people man's laneing in the comments like

would you even know bro get out of here? I'm like I would. And then if I was that guy, like I would never watch the USFL ever again, thank you very much for saving my time on that I was. Yeah, if I was that guy, I would to be so penny depending on how much time he has. I would go to whatever street he lives on, you know, so he's in New Orleans, so you know, downtown of Bourbon Street, and I would go to every bar and I would turn on the XFL on every bar. We mean, hey, I

will give you ten dollars if you put this game on. Just don't change it to inflate the ratings, just because that has definitely done that last year where I you know, we were at we were at you know, some vacation place and I went to like seven bars and just turned on the USFL on every channel and it had different like I was definitely boosting views, and I was like for the brand. And it's like when you go I used to go in like the Apple Store and like subscribe to people's YouTube channels or

whatever. Going down all the fund and that I have a question. Didn't need a lot more Saturday Pro Football and then we'll talk. We'll get out of here. Said x had a very very very successful season Disney Network back he making lots of TV money, kept the teams closer to trouble with your thoughts, Um, I mean I think xevel's got to be thrilled right now. I think I think they gotta be thrilled. We're gonna do the championship game. DC sold out. I hope they sell out this week. I

think tickets look pretty good for that. I don't know Houston. I think that's going to be tougher, but I think they'll have a good show in there. Like grade the XFL here going into the playoff games, and I would say, I would say, B like you know, like to give it an a would be excusing some of the blindness. I think in the early part we had some issues, especially Like one thing I do like about

the USFL is their transactions are very transparent. Um you know, it's just on Twitter, Like how were we finding out players players were announcing they were getting signed or like you know, scrolling through the transaction page like that training camp period was very frustrating for me as far as doing cuts and everything like that. Um, there were so you know, the cashman Field thing.

I don't the cashman Field is not a positive in my mind. Um you know, I'm a little I'm a little skeeved by this playoff thing because I think and and this is me taking my bias as a Saint Louis guy out of it, I mean, coming out your cave there, ubl um. But uh, I'm a little schewed by it. I just wish there was a little bit more like transparency and and just because I didn't know, you know, what was going on as far as you know, it was a

very fluid situation. Something I think they could have did a little bit more is embracing kind of the two thousand and one numbers I get like the connotation, but like no one has a problem with Tommy Maddox from from the XFL in two thousand and one or like Jeff Brown or whatever, like they have a problem with Vince and NBC and that's fine, but like, you know, some a little bit of the Vegas correlation for you know, the outlaws

and he hate me. I thought would have been cool. That's something, and like that is one of my favorite things about like the USFL is like now that like they got all the lawsuits behind them, like they brought some of the stallions back for Week one, Like you know, I think it's cool that like now there's like fluidity and I would have liked to seat at it with the two thousand and one you know, like a J. McCarron just threw more touchdowns and Tommy Maddox did and all that stuff like that would

have been cool to me. And I don't know what the reasoning is. You know, it's not as public as like the lawsuit was with like the eighties USFL to like twenty and twenty two, but like incorporating some more two thousand and one stuff would have been cool. Yeah, I know, we have Paul Reats on last week he's the USFL historian over the our sports central. I don't that that doesn't do a lot for me, seeing like the herschel Walker highlights on the US and on Twitter or whatever. But it's fine.

I mean, it is what it is like when they come out and say this is the touchdown in Memphis in forty years. I don't it doesn't. But I didn't live through that time. So maybe maybe if I lived

through that time, I would be a lot more excited about that. I like it from a historical, like statistical point of view, and I think, you know, so like like right now, obviously they played more games in the eighties in the USFO, right like they played you know, eighteen game seasons times three, you know, thirty fifty four games, right,

so it would take our quarterbacks five years to get to that point. But like how cool you know you you put the you put the this the graphic of you know, Chuck Chuck Fishina who was the Baltimore Stars guy against Case Cooks if he were across like the career passing like because now now, in

my opinion, it shows like fluidity and transparency and whatnot. Not transparency, It shows like length and culture of it because now it's like, well, you know, it's not season because I hate when they say season two, like it's not a TV show, it's the twenty twenty three season. I think XFL three point zero is appropriate because there has been breaks and iterations and changes, but it's not season two, Like I find that really cringe,

you know, especially with the lawsuit done. This is the fifth season of the USFL, Like, like, I get it, but you know, it's a big accomplishment to have a spring football league. But like, you know, don't don't be doing the meme where like you're in third place losing, you know, when the first place second place, Like I don't like guys, like the season two thing is just too cringe for me. The twenty twenty three like I never refer to it as season two in my articles,

like going into the twenty twenty three season. As we look to the twenty twenty three season, like established, you guys are established? Do it? Act like it? I see? I completely disagree, and that's really funny. I I don't think Brian Woods and be a friend of the show. I don't think. I don't think Brian Woods buying similar trademarks entitles them today. I don't, I don't and I I whatever. I don't know if that's a controversial take or not, but I would I would much rather

the USFL to do its own thing right now. And I'm probably wrong, and everyone's watching it for nostalgia, but to me, it's been messy from the start. It hinders it, it gets convoluted and all that. And like, I don't care about the Memphis show boats, like you could call them anything and play it back like I don't, I don't care. But again, I did not live through that time, so I'm probably not the

one that asks. But do you agree with me as far as like the continuity, as far as like the brand the branding of like case cook is all time leader in in AH in passing yards for the startups. I don't I think this. I think USFL. This isn't something I do. I think, and I probably the XFL as well. It's different. I get's totally different. It's like staff and what was the level of talent back then?

And they played all these different games roles like you're the stat guy and not the one of the crusher dram Like I, yeah, I have a hard time of like, uh, yeah, I think it's something. I think it's there. I think they should be completely separate, but I certainly appreciate the history of it and everyone that you're there. Maybe I'm maybe I'm a tell tell me the chat and my wrong, Jared says, USFL serious

finality, Jesus, God, God forbid. Man, Like, you know, I hope both of these leagues last for you know, until I don't

feel like covering football anymore. Man Like. Like that's the thing too, is like I know I know some guys, not not players, but coaches who they coach, you know, the like Jonathan Timeback is a perfect example, you know what I mean, Like he does his own thing in the fall coaches four months and then he's like and then he's like, dude, I just made one hundred and fifty grand this year, you know what I mean. Like, I don't know what the coaches get paid in the XFL

or USFL obviously not one hundred and fifty grand. But it's a good it's a good side the hustle for them that, you know, continue to do what they love. But um, you know, like it's a good side hustle to what they do and you know, supplement their income and continue to

do what they love. Like being an NFL coach has a lot of demands, Like you could still be a pro coach and see these dudes, uh, you know, continue to progress and you know, like you know, Beck Beck is going to be on the sidelines watching the Sun play or being doing the Jets radio next. You know, so he's got he's got the best of both worlds. And you know, Mike Riley gets to bring his kid to be on the sidelines or his grandson, which I think is kind

of cool. Like a lot of people think that's plain. But my dad was a firefighter. He used to take me to work. So take that for word. It's worked. Well, that might be work. I didn't go this is going this is the Canton and famle. Yeah, it's warmer, it's definitely warmer. Yeah. I did like that we had that we had to cut the pre cops pregnant life sitting out there in the freezing called

in Canton. I did like that. If if the other league did done someone someone would be very vocal about, you know, Danny Garcia hating women. Yeah, well this is like this is kind of my thing. Here and need a lot of football. You're right to compare the eighties big money, like it's not cringe, but like, yeah, they're they're paying. It's it's the economy of scale and everything is. It's just it's really different.

But you had independent owners. So if I bought the show Boats and I had my budget was eleven million dollars, I could go to whatever player's house and be like, I would give you ten million dollars play for me, and you know he'd probably say yeah, because one I am awesome and too too, like you know, I'm giving him ten million dollars like they could like all these all those teams were independently owned. You know, it was haves and have and have nots for the league in the eighties. We

have I think I think we're mixed niture. I think it's I think we're Some are saying we should talk, you know, some are saying that should should Then I think it's good. All right, we're gonna get out of here soon. Pat do do my cel C Dragons? Do we have a chance against DC this weekend? I mean, of course you're in the You're in the Northern Division playoffs. You know what I mean, um, I mean you can't you can't count out you can't count out any of these teams

obviously any given Sunday type thing. Um, I'm slightly this is gonna sound weird. I'm more intrigued to see the Renegades Roughnecks game because I want to see the Louis Perez offense in full force and obviously Brandon starting. But I

might not. I don't want to say turn that game off, like it'll be odd, but I might tune out of that game from like from like an actually watching it after the first quarter to where the C Dragons game, I'm gonna be like in depth the whole time, like I'm you know, just just because it's you know, there's a little bit of probably not really on my end, but the league's end animosity towards the C Dragons right now, like the Defenders obviously a groom with the crop, but you know,

we know that it's gonna be sold out, and you know, how's Tayama gonna do, Like you know, like they just released Requi Armstead, their backup running back. So I'm very curious to see what's going on with that. I mean, Denuci's hitting his stride. Uh, you know, Abram Smith has like he I think in week eight he was at seven hundred and

seventeen yard seventeen yards. I think he finished the league the year and like you know, seven to sixty or something, still the leading rusher of the league, but like he had three opportunities, you know, kind of average one hundred yards a game and go for a thousand. So very curious to see what they got going on. They've expanded Dieri King's role a little bit, um so that's kind of cool. But are they going to ride and die with Tamo? Yeah? I think I think yeah, I think they

go back to Tamoo. I think that that. Yeah, I mean you have to And and the gentleman Benjamin Terrek put it up as well, it's like it's really hard to it's really hard to be the team three times in a row. Like that's that's that's the comment right there for me, Like you you know, yeah, it's it's like eventually, you know, and

I was talking to someone like about that during during the year. It's like, yeah, you want to lose that second game like in the season, because you know, if you're gonna play them in the in the playoffs. You want to see what you did wrong and everything like that. So that's my opinion. It might not be popular, but then like what do you get better at? You know, you learn more from a loss than you

do from a win. Well, we're gonna get out of here. I appreciate Pat spending over the hour today here on here, I appreciate it. I will be in DC for the championship game. I'm flying in Saturday. If yeah, I'm staying near the stadium, so if people are around, or we can hang out Sunday whatever, but hit me up on Twitter. I'll be I'll be sitting in the bar so we're drinking, probably watching the watching the Saturday night game, and then um, yeah I should be in.

That should be good to be able to watch the Saturday Saturday night game and they'd be there for Sunday. So stay hi at Pat. You know, obviously check out Pat's YouTube. Pat, you know, analyze and educate just a lot more like real football talk. I mean, I think we always do a little bit more of the business of football on here in Pat. Anything else you want to say about your YouTube channel. Now I'm doing

my quarterback rankings. That's kind of my big thing. I have some interviews that I'm doing as well, um, you know, and I did an interview with Clint Sig of the Gamblers, Mike Glass of the of the excuse me of the Alouettes, and then Terry Myrick of the Panthers. Um. I got some guests lined up for after the season. Um, you know,

nothing, nothing, you know. My My thing is is I like to be in a person, which person with them, So you know that's kind of my thing, you know, pop his in in and then just kind of go with these guys, you know, because obviously I'm sponsored by Zinn. But yeah, you know, I got some interviews coming up, quarterback rankings coming out tomorrow for the USFL and xfl um and then you can

find me on fl QB talk, which is ironic. At this point, you might need a new handle, Pat, You might need a new handle at this point, I do, honestly, I don't know how to change it. It just changed it to like bearded path or something. I think you would get. I think you get a lot more attraction if it was. I think you should change your handle at some point. Yeah, I mean I think I need to. I don't know. We can we can make a pole and uh we can make a pole and see it get you

know, uh hijacked. But uh yeah, I mean NFL QUB talk as of today and uh you know, analyze and educate for the YouTube. So you know, as always read, thank you for having me come on the show. You know, Andy is obviously doing God's work out there. Yeah, I guess I didn't preface out off the top. I'm so sorry Andy traveling. I'm that horrible. I was too tired this morning. I was very tired after we had many reindeers yesterday at the game. But Andy,

my partner in crime for our show, I feel so terrible. Now I have a show with that. Andy, my partner in crime, is traveling. Andy, I think was doing some basketball parties down in Arizona and now is headed to Japan. Andy will be back for the championship game. We will be live in San Antonio. Still figure out the location for that, but we will be doing that. Make sure you like and subscribe. Hit the like button on this given the way at this point two tickets maybe to

the USFL Championship game. Didn't quite hit the thirty five hundred in the XFL season, but whenever that comes about, you'll get two tickets of your choice, so appreciate everyone's support. With that, we will get out of here. And yeah, it should be a good games next weekend, so we'll see you guys. SIMP