Sebastian Lletget / Excalibur

in their game room and show off. During an episode of MTV Cribs in two thousand two, I mean, Dwyane Wade exchange jerseys with someone after every game during his final season, and Brandon Marshall claims we have traded like two hundred for his collection. But new COVID rules in the NFL say that this is one of the many things that has to go in the upcoming year. So

let's get this straight. Dudes could run at each other at full speed, slam into one another with spit flying everywhere, but as far as passing each other a piece of clothing, no, that's where we draw the line. Dude. None of this makes sense, which is why I'm still interviewing athlete to sports ind suprofessionals today for my fiftieth episode finding out how they're doing during this very weird time because someone has to. This is the Sports Bubble with Jensen Cart.

The MLS is back, and if you didn't know that, well, the league named their return games in Orlando, Florida. The MLS is Back Tournament. And if you heard our recent episode with Bradley Wright Phillips, you know that most players

aren't exactly excited with this attempt at normalcy. So with the tournament starting this week and now with two teams removed for positive tests, I want to check in with another player, this time Sebastian Lagette from the rival l A Galaxy, currently hunkered down in a hotel room, only leaving the confines of his bed and scratch pad when

it's time to practice or play. He started his career at seventeen after being scouted by west Ham United, then playing a few years with them in the Premier League and experience that involved him getting mono and seeing a whole lot of intensity as a team. He then signed to the Galaxy and joined Major League Soccer in two thousand fifteen and has become one of the most reliable and marketable elements of the squad. He's also a U S national team midfielder who's played all over the globe.

But inside a Disney World bubble, well that's a new one. In this episode, I speak to Sebastian about the latest at the Happiest Place on Earth, the racism he saw on the sport Overseas, and we play a game where we see if he actually knows the song titles from his girlfriend, singer and actress Becky g It's a contest that can either make or break the bond of love.

And in another installment of Pandemic, I talked to my friend, a e W announcer ex Caliber, a man already in a mask every day, to see how the virus and wrestling industries outing of sexual abusers has affected his experience at work. Games are in full effect now, so it's time we go into the sports bubble from sebast leg to accept press one. Hello Sebastian, Hi, how's it going man? I know you're busy, so I appreciate you getting on the phone with me today. No no, no, no, say no.

Thanks for having me man, It's good to speak to you. Good. Well, I'm very excited. I know you were currently in Orlando getting ready for the MLS is Back tournament that kicks off technically tonight. Fingers crossed. How how long have you been in Florida now? So yeah, well we got in on Monday. I've I've lost track of days so far, Harry, I mean even in the short time that I've been here. But I believe it's Wednesday, uh time, I'm not mistaking and uh yeah, and I mean it's yeah, you know,

it's been. It's been very very interesting. I mean, unfortunately our training kidding got called off because of thunder and lightning and the strong rain, so that was kind of a weird. Obviously has nothing to do with COVID, but you know, I guess just where we are that as far as locations, but it's you know, the rooms have been okay. That the hotel obviously, I mean the fact that they got this all together in the short amount

of time is obviously pretty impressive. But yeah, it's uh, I guess I'll find out more as the days come. I will tell you to Like, it's so crazy that you now have to put up with thunder and lightning after COVID. I mean it's like when will when will any of these sports catch a break. Yeahible, So tell me about traveling to Orlando. What was that like on Monday? How did you get there? How did they make sure that you got from the airport to the hotel safely?

If you can explain that process. Yeah, I mean as far as our administrators back uh, you know, him organizing and being kind of our our go to leader, as far as like you know, organizing everything, telling us you know, where to go, all following on the protocols. You know, it was fairly simple. And especially for us, you know, as athletes, we we don't do well with all the complicated processes, so it was very simplified for us. And

you know, it wasn't it wasn't too bad. The flight was was okay, you know, movie feel private and and and it was nice. Everything else up to that point, obviously, I think the most unsettling part was just knowing that they're unfortunite. There is cases that have been coming up positive in the bubble, you know. I think that was the most you know, coming into the hotel and it's

just very like like what are we walking into? You know, and you know, as of now on and the nobody's tested positive, and so I guess that that's a that is a positive in a way. Um, but just getting yeah, from from there, playing onto the bus and just getting us here, I mean it was kind of like you ordinary, ordinary way of just you know, when we play as a visiting team to another uh in another city. You know, they're kind of like a regular protocol in that sense.

But again, I guess just the most unsiddening part was just knowing that you're kind of walking into some uncertain territory. Yeah, and and they appear to be doing a lot right, But like you said, the FC Dallas had to pull out of the tournament for eleven positive tests. You know, that's supposedly before the bubble. And then we heard now Nashville and the Chicago game for opening night was postponed. I mean, I'm not saying that you have to walk around in like a hazmat suit, but you guys are

definitely are there things you're doing to be careful. I think personally a lot of us, you know, I know a lot of guys are on the league, you know, through national team, through you know, guys I've played with and and we were all I think in the very very beginning when it was greenlit you know that this was happening. We're very excited and working like, oh, you know, at least we're gonna have each other and we can't

hang around, and I think now we're moving forward. We're like, dude, like stayed, You're sitting in your room, don't you know? I like, I love you, but like it's just you just don't know. I guess the problem is the incubation period that even if you haven't you don't even really know,

you know, before you even have any symptoms. So that I think that's the main problem, you know, is that we we we all could or someone could have it, but they're not showing absolutely anything and and they're probably coming up negative because it's just the way the virus works. So it's like that, you know, that's the part that really sucks. You know, it's not even what we thought it was. It could be off the field. So that's um, you know that that's definitely a downer. How often are

you guys being tested now? So when we got here immediately, uh, and then we were quarantined until the next day and then had like a mid day testing again. So then

after that, you after you come up negative twice. You'll then be able to kind of walk around the hotel and and sort of just kind of do your own thing and be a little bit more free, even though I don't think I think anybody ever even did that, but you have the access to and I believe we're getting tested tomorrow, So I think it's every other day. I'm kind of learning as I go, to be honest with you, because I think it's yeah, you know, there's

a lot of that. There's nothing really set in stone. Well, you kind of mentioned that you guys are in the Swan and Dolphin Hotel a Disney World. Uh is it just all players? Are you just walking around and when you get back you just it's pretty much all you guys. Yeah, yeah, I guess, I mean, yeah, I guess that's nice. It seems that, you know, there is a lot of space, because yeah, it is us, and I think for the most part, everybody is kind of in the room anyways.

There's not even a lot of people in sight. To be honest with you, it's not it's not like what you'd think, you know everybody because I think keeping their distance for now, Yeah, what are you doing when you're not playing or practicing, Like are you just in your room on your phone and well, I mean yeah, I mean today with the thunder and then the light being you know, kind of cancer kind of through our our

schedule a little bit off. We just had lunch. There's a little bit of a like a coffee bar here that a couple of my teammates just went to. So we had you know, we had a coffee there, you know, a little bit of normality. I guess doing our best. But I mean, for the most part, you don't like, you don't much. I mean we have a little lounges, you know, but you can only get so much a thing. Pong Sebastian. I'm gonna be honest, this sounds terrible. It on.

I can't, I can't get this. Yeah, it's tough, man. I mean I think we've all gone to the point or we've gone over the point of like, okay, you know we're gonna be away from our families. I think at this point. Yeah, it's it's it's just we know we're gonna be here for a while. If if you know, even if you do, uh, you know, go on to the next round and things like that. At the tournament, so we're prepared to like be here for a while. But it's you're right, it's it's I don't think it's

gonna be easy at all. I think it's gonna be far from easy. I think it's gonna maybe, you know, even just me the first day year, being in the in the room just kind of like for for hours. You know, I'm not not like, you know, taking a break, going to hang out with some of the guys. It was like hours just in the room. You're just like, oh man, this is there's gonna be a mental grind. You know, this is gonna be uh, there's gonna be a grind nun not only physically on the field, but

definitely a mental one. Yeah. I guarantee you every player is gonna at some point ask each other. You catch anything new on Netflix. I mean you're gonna start hitting that cycle, right, Yeah, you're gonna you're gonna have to resort the Yeah. I mean, I luckily, luckily, luckily have a hobby of doing arts, so I like kind of do my own thing in that sense, and I love doing that, so I kind of have that, you know, I don't I guess don't look just the technology in

a way thankfully. I mean I've kind of had to force myself because it's really easy obviously to all of us, as we all know, so, but yeah, no, no, it is. I mean again, there's only so much you can do. It's it's crazy. You're gonna have a whole solo show done by the end of this thing. Oh man, It's yeah, well we'll see, we'll see what comes out of this. Are you drawing or you bring paints and everything? What are you doing now? And now I want to know? Yeah,

I love Yeah, I love to draw, man. I love joint. I've always loved it. But I've also I got back into it during the quarantine, you know, staying at I'm I was like, I mean it's kind of like here where you're just like, oh, you know, you kind of have to think about some things to keep your mind busy and and to stimulate, you know, but not only with technology. I'm like, there's obviously that's an easy go to for anybody, but I just you know, take a

break from it. It's always nice, you know. Yeah, well, I you know, first couple of days it went viral with the food with MLS and a couple of people rebelling. I just want you to let me know, has the has the food gotten better? You don't wait, it has I know, Yeah, I'm not sure it's people one of the later teams to come in. So, yeah, you're right. I didn't see that part of things personally, so I can't say to that. But it hasn't been that bad. Yeah, that part has been okay. Yeah, so yeah, we we

We haven't had too too bead of an experience. A step above airplane, step above everybody. I think, you know what, I'm a big fan of salmon, and the same has been and the same has been pretty good. But I can't hate too much. I can't too much. That's why I like to hear. Okay, So with all this in mind, and with you know, a couple of players, teammates such

not showing up, did you ever contemplate not not going? Ah? Well, I mean if you spoke to my girlfriend answer that, oh my god, she's my She was serious that we were so people were doing this. But I mean me again, I I do miss the game. Do I think that this is right? It's tough, you know, it's I'm in the middle. I think where most players are, you know, it's is it the safest, Probably not. But do I love the sport and do I want to get back

to playing, of course, you know what I mean. So it's you're kind of I'm in the middle, you know. It's and and again, I think everybody is in a different situation. You know, someone like like Bella, you know, who has you know, his wife is pregnant. And we have a couple of guys on our team that's that have had a similar situation. So it is tough. People who have families are leaving, you know. I'm I'm technically

just with my girlfriend and things like that. So it's I guess it's a little bit easier for me to just you know, go all right, I'm just gonna go to Lando, do my job, and then I'll see you in a month, you know. But for other guys, it's it's a little bit different. I don't I don't think you have it much easier that you have to decide between. No,

it's still it's hard in a different way. Yeah, you're deciding between a quarantine with singer actress Becky g or hanging out at a coffee bar with one of your teammates. I don't think you have a much all right, Uh yeah, man, I know it's so tough to well. The MLS has tried to sort of involve steaks with money prizes and later tournament births and such. But now that you're there and you've talked to your teammates, were winning this tournament

actually means something to you guys? Is winning it as much as just getting back out there. I mean again, I think we're all we were all, especially in the beginning, very excited that this was another opportunity to you know, to win something, to compete again, to come together and and just play and you know, maybe hope that we can continue some sort of league after after this tournament, even though chances are it's not looking you know, it

doesn't look bright. But I think it's an opportunity for us to win. And I think that, you know, we're definitely excited about that part, you know what I mean. So, I mean, for me on an individual standpoint, it's I think it'll be good. You know. Again, it's just like as it's the safest, you know, I don't know, you know that. I think that's just kind of that's the little cloud that's kind of hanging over us. You know

pun intended. Well today you have it no matter who wins, though you did get to do this awesome Back to the Future promo video in a DeLorean is Marty McFly So I consider you to be the real winner. Whose idea was making that video? Oh man our um Brendan Hannon, Yeah, he is awesome with those ideas. He is, he's been, he's been great. Yeah, he called me out. It's funny because I watched We're in Quarantine stage and I was

watching it. Just so happens that two days before he text me, I watched all three as like a marathon, all three of the movies, and I remember that game during the movie, you know, just like like like a kid, like I wonder what it's like actually like being in the car. Yeah, I'm I'm sure as we all did and do what. He texts you that I was over the moon, dude. It was Yeah, it was crazy. I was like, oh, this is pretty cool. I was excited

for that. Yeah, well worth it just for that. For I did want to know with players on the bench having to wear masks. I played soccer as a kid and it was like such an intense sport, you know, Uh, as far as running, and I mean, can you catch your breath if you have to put on a mask immediately when you get on the sideline? Yeah, I know it's tough. I mean even just walking around with it. I think you do get used to it, like I I you know, I compared to when I first started

wearing the mask. Uh, you know, even just whenever you go out to the grocery store or whatever. It's it's just taking getting used to. I can only imagine. I mean at first I thought we were gonna have to play in them, and I was like, this is I mean, this is too much. I mean, there there's probably no chance, especially in this in this Orlando weather, and there's absolutely zero, you know, unless you just want us all walking around on the field just no hunched over her, hands on knees.

But I mean, as far as the bench, I think if you're set, if you sat down, I don't think it will be too much of an issue. But if you have to start jogging and you know, or or when you immediately get off the field and you're out of breath, I mean, I'm I'm sure it'll be tough. So again, yeah, we're definitely not going to play under the most ideal scenario. Yeah, and you mentioned Carlos Villa out for for l A f C. Will the rivalry game against the Galaxy, Well, that's still you know, is

that still going to be what it usually is? Is Is it's still going to have that intensity. I mean, I think when it comes down to it, I think when we're when we when kickoff happens and we all look at each other, and you know, on the other side of that that line is is that badge? And and of course it'll most least for me because I've taken

part in so many of the rivalry games. I think it will will surface, you know, that tension and and you know, any chance to be the L A C will will always be a chance I want to take, you know. But but again, yeah, even I mean whoever plays, you know, it shouldn't matter that Carlos plays or not. You I mean, it's it's about a team thing and and this is an opportunity for us, but you know, so we have to take it, you know, especially for our fans, for people watching back com. It's only right

that we that we give it all. You know. I did talk to someone playing in the women's tournament now, and she said that there was some sound for televised. I mean, do you know if they're going to be piping in anything audience wise? That's a good question. I I don't nobody said anything to me personally, but I'm assuming just I know, the games in in the in the Premier League, you know, I think you have the option. I think for us maybe just considering how or where

the games are going to be played. You know, it's just I mean, it's obviously gonna be an at stadium, not you know, not not much around us. You know, we're the people know we're in Orlando. I don't know, I would assume that that. I think they would put on put on some noise, just because I think unless people want to hear, you know, maybe the screaming it's more intimate. It depends on the viewer, you know what I mean, what type of experience if you want. It's

funny you brought up the Premier League. You you played there at such a young age, and some of your progress was actually kind of hurt because of Mono, because of a virus. Yeah, no, I know, I tesn't forget about that. It's crazy. Did you feel those effects later in your life. Like I know a lot of people are nervous about that with with coronavirus, that it's not just the few months that you have it that you're gonna do you steal, Do you like feel any of

the effects. Yeah, I mean that's the problem, right, I mean I already I haven't really even thought of that, Like you're actually, yeah, you've actually reminded me. I didn't even know that could even be like a you know, something that that carries on with you, you know, But with COVID, I mean, we don't know like that, we

don't have those answers. So that's like it's kind of like the most unsettling poor two where it's like I don't know if there's the stats because okay, I I know, you know, maybe guys that get it aren't going to die, but it's like what happened later, Like will their lung

capacity be affected? Will you know, well they have sences later that I think people that have you know, obviously I checked the news and stuff that you know, guys have been our people have been interviewed and they have under a hundred days plus of symptoms and you're just like, but I'd be one of those people, you know, I don't you don't know, Yeah, okay, there could be a hundred people that you know asymptomatic. But then there's that one where it's like it's really really bad. So it's

so much up in the air. That's why you know it's a tough one now, it really is. Uh. Well, the big signing uh during the off season for the Galaxy and MLS in general was Javier Hernandez, who was only able to play two games of MLS before the work stopped. Is it difficult for him to get situated with his new teammates because of all this? Like, do

you think it's it's much more difficult? Well, I think it's not ideal, But I think he's done all that he can and that you know, he's done everything that's been asked of him, and you know, he's I think he's been a good addition, you know, on and off the field. And again he hasn't really had any real chance to kind of deal with everybody. I mean, the game on Tuesday will be our first game you know since we played Vancouver at home back in back in March.

You know, it's like like and then we haven't even played a friendly against anybody. We only played against ourselves in you know, we haven't even really got to ninety minutes yet. So it's like, you know, in that sense of course, we we absolutely want to do our best in this and there's no excuses. But again, the preparation,

it's not your ordinary preseason. How did you stay? Yeah, oh my god, Yeah, it was very limited resources, especially in the beginning because obviously you're very scared at that point, because you know, when when the day at a home order kind of came in California, you're just like, oh my god, like what is going to happen. So even even just kind of doing things in the street was

like a stretch, you know. But as time went on and people started to kind of, you know, really follow the protocols and it felt a little bit safer just lea people outside, I resorted to just running on the street. It was it was crazy, man, I mean it kind of went back to the basics. You didn't really have a choice, you know. So yeah, you know, one thing for sure, we'll never forget this time. You know, know what we brought up the happy signing of Javier Hernandez.

I have to ask because people want to know, has anyone heard from Latan since since he left, you know what, To be honest with you, no, no, not at all. I mean that once he that good one. I didn't even say goodbye to us, but he, uh once he whatever posted something on Instagram. I think that was it. Yeah, that was that. Yeah, that was well. I mean that's just you know, that's just him. Yeah, he's not a chill dude. This is an interesting character for sure. Not chill.

On your social media, you've been very vocal with your support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the horrific after the horrific killing of George Floyd, and MLS has been encouraging any players to make a statement. But I was I was super disappointed to see the league call off the national anthem, citing it's because fans aren't going to be there and it wasn't needed. Do you think it's it's that or do you think it's them avoiding the kneeling dilemma? I mean, yeah, this is the first

that I hear of this. I didn't even know. Uh, you know, I think we're gonna have a meeting about this, you know, just to be ready for anything that, so I guess we're not doing the national anthem. I definitely believe strongly, you know, in what's happening in the movement of Black Lives Matter. So it's in any way that I can support my you know, my brothers and sisters that are black. I mean, I'm gonna do it. You know.

If kneeling is the way to do that, then that's something that's that I will exercise, you know what I mean. But again, I'm not sure where their head was with all this, but yeah, you know, I'm definitely in support of anything that would definitely, you know, make their voices louder. Yeah. Man, you're from San Francisco. You're the heart of protesting diverse man. Yeah, I know, the heart of her. I know. Man. Yeah, it's you know, it's definitely a shame of what's happening.

But if you know, we definitely all have to just we have to be change, man. You know, if we want to see it, we have to be it, and in any way we can, you know, even even just seeing a couple of the guys put out MLS as black I think yesterday they released it. I think it's a foundation or an organization that a lot of the black players in this league have put together, and I

think it's awesome. You know, one of my good friends, Sean Johnson, I think it is one of the one of the leaders in it, and you know, I commend him for doing that. You know, it's it's I think it's inspired a lot of people just to really, you know, realize that they have a voice. I think it's great. Yeah, and at a very young age, like we said, you you had some stops at the Premier League, moving to Europe and your teens. We know, racial issues have played

the sport. There was that something you noticed. I mean, it's such a I guess an integral time of your life. Yeah, totally. I I I've heard coaches say some some brutal things, you know, I'm not going to say who or what they said, but it's it's been there. And again it's because I'm I'm wide and or my skin color is not it's not black. I've been able to you know whatever, Like you hear it, but you don't have to really

deal with it, you know. I think that's important part of the conversation is that we all have to deal with it. You know, at this point, We're an important part of the conversation now, you know, we've always have been, but I think now it's like you have to wake up, Well, what can soccer do in general to be better when it comes to diversity or a racial divide. Is there something that you see in the sport as far as outreach?

Obviously you said the MLS is black movement. Yeah, no, I I think I think just keep you know, building a platform and just getting everybody involved, you know, especially I think a big one is fans really supporting black players and they shouldn't walked into a field or go on social media and ever be scared of, you know, getting racially abused. And there's so many ways of doing that and I and I think for fans, I think

that's a huge part of it, especially in Europe. You know, I've seen a lot of players getting you know, racially slurred, and I mean it's it's incredible, you know, it's like that that should never ever happen. So I think if we just keep pushing the message you know, black, white, Hispanic, I think that's the most important thing that we can do,

you know, just keep the message alive. Just because because un Floyd it's very unfortunate we happened at George Floyd, but of course life goes on, but we have to keep them that message alive. You know, when he changed and and it's unfortunate what happened, but we yeah, and and and it shows up everywhere where, this police brutality, racially slurred and you know, from from your own friends or from visiting fans. You know, it's like it's everywhere.

It's a government, it's we just had to we gotta speak clud man, we gotta speak cloud well, well said h. So let's end with something stupid. I uh, we brought up your girlfriend earlier. You've been with Becky G, singer for four years. I want to see how well you know her. I'm going to mention a song title, and you tell me if it's an actual Becky G song or if it's something I just made up. Alright, Okay, here we go. The first one, Loving So Hard? Is that a real Becky G title or something I just

made up? I think that's made up? Oh, Sebastian, Sebastian, I am sorry, that is a true Becky G title. Oh God, she's gonna kill me. All right, We're oh for one, how old. Listen. I'm not here to tell you the age. I'm here to tell if it's a real song or not. All right, here we go. Number two is hold Me Tight, hold Me tonight? Is that a real Becky g song or something I just made up? Okay? That that can be? Okay, that is? You got that one. You're one for one? That is? That is something I

made up? And listen, if any pop stars are listening, they could definitely steal the title. Thank you, hold Me tonight. That's not bad, Okay. The next one is CC yes, yes, yes, yes, that is definitely her song. That was good. You threw me off there? Alright? Good to to one? Uh, total cambio. Is that a real title? Yes? I love that song. Yeah, that was like when she first started thinking. Then, yes, very very first. So good. We're on a roll. Here we we started slow. Here's the here's the next one,

Plata plata plata. I wish it was though. It was great. I'm gonna I'm gonna thank you. Alright, Alright, here's another one, break a Sweat, Oh, absolutely, okay, Break a Sweat is a hit. Yeah, I remember I remember that one. That was Yeah, that was been one of Younger did for sure. Yeah that was a hit. All right, LaVita Loca are getting great. That is absolutely great song, though I think it is differentist Ricky Martin, well, congratulations, you did very well.

You got you got six right. I thought we were in yeah, oh you big time. I thought we were in trouble when you missed the first one. My god. All right, well, very good job. Please as a favor, stay safe, be healthy. There we are all rooting you on, not only for the win. I think that most of the sports world is rooting you on to show either we can do this or we can't. But the truth is we just want you guys to be safe. I

really appreciate it. Thank you for having me on. After this, I check in with former wrestler and a e W commentator, Excalibur. Right now, Feeding America is working tirelessly to ensure our most vulnerable populations, like students who were out of school, the elderly individuals whose jobs are impacted, and low income families continue to have access to food and other needed

resources during the COVID nineteen pandemic. The Feeding America Food Bank Network is committed to serving communities and people facing hunger in America and their greatest need is donations and support of local food banks. This podcast is committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from the show to Feeding America, and we hope that you can join us in this effort to find out how you can help Feeding America dot org backslash covid nineteen. Now here's my

conversation with a e WS Excalibur. Well, Excalibur, thank you for talking to me normally. We've been friends for a bunch of years and we are NBA text friends. So I first want to check in with you and see if you're at all excited for what is shaping up to be a very weird NBA tournament. Does this even get you the same feeling as when we text during

normal playoffs? Not really. It's it's exciting to have basketball back, but you know, to have six games a day played in succession to kind of keep track of as a little a little weird. But you know, I mean, I guess we'll see how it is once we actually get into it, and considering we're still like a decent amount away from it, and guys are dropping excuse the expression, but dropping like flies either out of the league purely out of an opt out or because they're getting sick.

None of this stuff, to me feels like an actual trophy at the end. Oh yeah, this is I mean it's everybody's well not everybody, but there's been a lot of talk about like this is this will be the asterisk season of all asterisk seasons, and I think that's completely true, you know, I mean, the same things happened with baseball, Like guys are guys are saying like, no way, I'm gonna play this year, and so it's gonna be it's gonna be really interesting to see what sports look

like for the next six six eight months. Yeah, well, the last six eight months we have been inundated with pro wrestling. We I guess we never would have predicted that at the end of the world it would be just cockroaches and pro wrestling. You have had sort of a I guess you have to fill me in because we we texted a bit, but it's hard to keep track of when you're on, when you're off. You you

took some time off and then now you're back. Correct. Yes, for basically the month of March, I didn't travel prior, you know, prior to that. For those I don't know, UM part of a e W Dynamite, all Elite Wrestling Dynamite, which is every Wednesday, eight seven Central on TNT, and it was a weekly touring show. And for the month of March, right before the State of Georgia shut everything down, our crew taped five weeks of television in a eighteen

hour period. Is going on. I can't I mean, as someone who has made an hour of television over a few days, I can't fathom what that was like. So I was not there for that, but that was the first show that I didn't travel for, and it turned out I missed five shows by not traveling for one show. But by by all accounts, it was it was very hectic. It was very you know, it's very tough because you know, wrestling,

at the end of the day, it's performance. But there's still injuries, there's still things that you know, variables that happened, and you know, somebody got their their nose broken, and then episode three had to be completely rewritten and you know, you know, and but we had to just keep going. And so by all accounts was a very surreal experience. But then to just be sitting there and have nothing

to do for the next month. Um was also surreal in and of itself and watching watching the show that I had been a part of since we started last October from you know, from the sidelines kind of gone without me. Was you know that there was a lot of mixed feelings there. Yeah, I'm sure all that stuff was happening so fast. I mean there were there was there testing with those wrestlers or was it just like,

let's get this done. So that was March, I guess March April, and so that was kind of right right when people were starting to figure out like what, you know, what was going on and and so like there was no tests available to our crew at that point, and so it was more just like if you you know, if you have a cough, if you have the sniffles

or whatever, just just stay home. And you know, there was no Thus far, we have not had anybody gets sick by by being at any of our shows, and so that is yeah, that's you know, nobody has always transmitted anything. And our medical crew, you know, personally speaking, I don't think there's anything I could feel safe about without vaccine out there. But the way our medical crew handles. Everything makes me and I think everybody we all feel

pretty comfortable what we do go. And so since you weren't there that tape day where you guys did five weeks or whatever it is, now you're back with no true audience. Is that what it is? Who who's in the audience now? So basically we have the wrestlers that are not wrestling on the episode are sitting at ringside and a e W is owned by the Khan family.

The Kan family also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars, and so we are we are recording our shows in the Daily's place Amphitheater, which is adjacent to the football stadium in Jacksonville. And so the Jags kind of employ these friends and family, Uh, they fill out the rest of the crowd. There's basically about fifty people that are that are kind of in the audience and they're they're all they're all spaced out.

And so the way it works is that if you are coming backstage, if you are coming into contact with an employee, whether you are a wrestler, lighting guy, a pyro guy, a rigor or catering or security guard or whatever, you get tested. Um, you get a blood test and then temperature check every day that that you're coming into the building, if you are sitting in the crowd, they are kept apart from everybody else there in kind of like the upper bowl area and those people they do

health surveys and temperature checks. So great, What a weird world. I mean, it's funny, Like the irony of you performing now in front of fifty people is how I met you at the w G in Resita. You're now on television with the same thing. But it has been a long time since, say a christ Erico has wrestled in front of fifty people. Uh, what is what is his reaction to this? Does? Everyone does? Everyone like it? Nobody's

happy about it. But I think this is just this is the reality, and there's there's absolutely nothing to be done. It's so much better to be wrestling in front of fifty people than it is no people. The first week that massive taping in Georgia, we were in Jacksonville and we did it with absolutely no crowd. And it is bizarre that, you know, as as an announcer, I could hear my voice echoing around the building. It's brutal. You hear every thought in the audience, like, it's just a

terrible feeling. I I know this as someone who did stand up for many years where there was pretty much three or four people there, So I I feel your pain. I do also want to ask, like with a e W. It's funny because you guys had started the television show, not that I mean, what was it five six months before the coronavirus? Maybe it was October two was the first episode. Yeah, So what's it been like building an audience?

You guys have still been able to keep good numbers, but now amongst coronavirus and COVID and audibles you never would have predicted you still have to go out there every week and make a TV show. What has it been like sort of working through it? That's been I

think the toughest aspect from a growth standpoint. You know, we've been able to hold steady, but a big part of the growth is the touring business and turning on new fans, getting people, you know, to come down that they might not know who we are, but they know wrestling is coming and so they're gonna come check us out. And right before the quarantine and everything happened, that was going to be our new York, New Jersey debut. We had sold out the Prudential Center where the Jersey Devil

New Jersey Devil's play. That was going to be a very big, very meaningful swing for us, and you know, the summer had a lot of very big plans and so this was going to be our big growth push. And so now instead of growing, we've actually we've been kind of fighting to maint pine the level that we were at, which UM, I think the conventional wisdom before the quarantine happened was that there will be no other sports,

people will flock to wrestling. UM, as it turns out there were no sports, and people were flocking to news shows because they didn't know what was happening, and we're scared and wanted to know what was going on. And so we we've kind of have this this core audience that you know, can fluctuate by a hundred thousand, hundred fifty thousand viewers in either direction on a given week.

But we've found that, you know, like there was a NASCAR event and that drew off some people, but the protests, you know, when the coronavirus briefings would happen, you know, those kind of days were actually more consequential in terms of people people tuning out. And so I think there's you know, and people are starved for entertainment and they are starved for live events, live sports. But I think there's more fear and uncertainty that over elms that need

for for something new. Yeah, it's weird, and this is I guess maybe a Tony con question, but maybe you know, it's like Vince McMahon and his w W E business for so long has been a live event company. You know, like they obviously make a ton of money going around the world. They tour more dates than most casual fans would ever even imagine. Was Tony and a e W was the idea always to be on the road that much?

Or was this a TV show? No? I mean there there have been talk about doing live events, untelevised live events here and there, but primarily this this is a TV show. If we're if we're having matches in the ring, they are they are recorded for a purpose. We're not just going to some random town to to just do a match that's never going to see the light of day, right, And so much of a e W is about getting

the best wrestlers from around the world. So I was wondering if you could tell us about what has been going on about travel. You have wrestlers in Mexico, you have wrestlers from Japan that all show up on the television show Weekly. How did that play out with with travel bands? It's been tough. People from Europe or Japan

are just kind of stuck in place. And we'll jump on a zoom call and the first thing everybody in Europe asks is, hey, have you heard anything when when we'll be able to travel back and to Tony and the company's credit. Uh, you know, there's not been a single person that has has lost their job. Everybody has continued to get paid, whether you've been wrestling every week or you've been at home, and so the company has

been very good about that. But the thing is everybody that is involved in wrestling, maybe not everybody, but especially on our roster, is there because they love it and they want to be there, and they want to be you know, performing, they want to be doing these things. And so to just be stuck at home and have no no idea of when you'll be able to come back to work, that has been I know, deeply frustrating

for them, I'm sure. So with these guys missing, I've been able to catch some of the shows, and I've seen some people truly step up in the absence of some of your international superstars. So people like best Friends and Orange, Cassidy and Samy can Vera, like those guys were really coming through during that time. Did they know that was that sort of like a locker room discussion? Uh, you know, we need a couple of wrestlers to pop

up here and really take the spots. Yes, And I don't think at the time anyone realized how important stepping up in that moment would be. I think everybody that was there for that that five week taping and one day, I don't think it registered to anybody that you are going to be the only people that we see on

our programming for the next month. And so there were people that stepped up and stepped into a much more prominent role than they would have been had we had our our full complement of our locker room and you know that those people might have been in much smaller roles at the virus and the quarantine ever happened. Yeah, Like I didn't know who Big Swell was before you guys did that taping for five weeks and now Big

Swells a major female star of the of the show. Yeah, and and the best friends I think benefit from it keepsadian. Also not to say that it wouldn't have happened eventually, but just you know, through circumstances, it happened now, you know. And we mentioned Sammy who has had a bit of controversy come up from an old tape that resurfaced from a podcast where he said something offensive regarding a female wrestler in the w w E and and and you know that that's on the lower scale of what's been

going on in independent wrestling, to be honest. And I spoke of it to Big E about it a few weeks ago. And you have been on the independent circuit for quite some time. You've seen each of these wrestlers come through with p w G one of the most storied independent wrestling federations of all time. It was it shocking to you to see just how many cases, how

many women were stepping up to talk about these things. Um, it was to me absolutely shocking and heartbreaking because PWG, you know, part of the deal is we have the best wrestling, but then also the best locker room. A

big part of it is is chemistry. And if there are guys that are absolutely amazing wrestlers but are just assholes in their day to day life, those guys don't get booked on p w g um And so to know that these guys were good locker room guys but maybe not the best human being that was very difficult to kind of come to grips with. And you know, from my role in pw G I just go to the show, I do the commentary, and then I head home.

I'm not really hanging out socially with a lot of guys, and so I didn't necessarily have that window into it. And so I just kind of knew people from my interactions with them. And who's going to tell you like, oh, I'm you know, I'm I'm I'm a serial killer, you know, or whatever. I have a total garbage cain. Yeah. Yeah. And so having all of that and one by one by one just be revealed to me was it was

really distressing. And obviously I'm not the victim here, and there are there are people that are that were so brave in in coming forward and enduring the slings and arrows of the you know, the Twitter and wrestling community and all that, I can't even imagine that. But just for me personally, I mean, there's you know, people I've known for almost twenty years that you know, of course like oh, yeah, he sleeps around or whatever. But I never thought, you know, I never never thought the worst

beyond that. Yeah, And it's true. You you at PWG had like a similar schedule to a fan. You would drive up early, you'd help out with stuff, and then announced and you drive home to San Diego pretty much right after the show. So I guess, you know, knowing the personal lives of these guys was impossible. Yeah. And there were people that had wrestled for us in the past and the people that I thought I knew very well, and so there was a lot of reflection on my part of of what did I know? When did I

know it? Did it was? There's something that I was that I was seeing but being willfully ignorant of, you know, and I think a lot of a lot of people that are in the wrestling business went through very similar things. And the more we talked about it, the more we all kind of just realized, like, yeah, these guys were hiding something Yeah, And you know, so it's like, it's really frustrating for me because these people have no place

in our business. I know, things have been cleaned up in wrestling from where they were, you know, even ten years ago, but definitely over twenty years ago and thirty years ago, and you know this, this feels like a setback. But hopefully we can use this as a way to to weed these people out and and keep the positive

people in wrestling. Yeah. On this topic, the other side of things, a much more inclusive area of work has been a e w. You guys have went out of your way to sort of show that the kind of good old Boys Wrestling Federation isn't necessarily going to happen under under your watching Tony CON's watch wrestlers like Nila Rose, who is transgender and a champion for the female division of your TV show, as well as really I think

some of the first openly gay wrestlers. Is it something that is very much in everyone's mind to to push that envelope and to make sure that maybe an audience that has been closed off to those things is finally exposed in a positive light in the in wrestling um to some degree, but the way that we do it is just I think we try to be more of

a reflection of kind of an inclusive society. So it's never been acknowledged that Nyla is a is a transgender woman on our television, in our marketing, you know, in our promotion, like she has done interviews where she speaks to that personally, but it's never you know, we've never said that it's our place that we have to push this and we have to use this in order to gain some sort of recognition or notoriety that somebody's gender

or sexual orientation is none of our business. And from Tony to us as announcers, if you are there wrestling in our ring, you're there because you deserve to be, not because it's a quota or anything like that. And from day one, a big push of a w was inclusivity.

And so it's not just gender orientation issues. It's also when we were doing live events, we would have sensory rooms for autistic fans to come and they could still come to the building, get the live event experience, but then be in a in a place that they felt safe and felt comfortable, which I mean not not just other wrestling companies, but just other sports they don't necessarily have that. And so the marketing line at the very

beginning was a W is for everyone. Yeah, as someone who watches them week after week, who who are you excited to see back now that you're back on television? What? What? What wrestlers do you think have stepped up? Who's who's next in line for a W I think kept Sabian. He was one of the names that I mentioned that that really kind of stepped up, and he proved that he's he's somebody that can be counted on not just as you know, being there, but also rising to the occasion.

And I think he's got a very very bright future in this business, as well as his fiance Penelope Ford, who you know. I think she would admit that when a EW started she was not among one of the best women on our roster in terms of in ring performance, But over this last few months she's grown as a performer, not not just in her ability, but also in her confidence in herself. And she had an absolutely fantastic match on our July one episode if she challenged for the

Women's World title. I think it was a match that people were you know, the fans were excited for it, but you know, they had their reservations and she and Penelope Ford and Hakarashida absolutely outkicked their coverage in that regard. And so I think those two are are fantastic. I think the Lucher brothers, Ray Phoenix and Pentagon Jr. Who are two real life brothers. They were born in Mexico City.

Phoenix lives in the States and Pentagon Junior lives in Mexico, and they have been traveling for prayer perhaps the last six seven years with each other every single week. They were constantly in each other's presence, and then three months where they couldn't see each other. And so I know when they came back to TV and they're able to travel together and things, you know, started feeling kind of like normal again for them, that was that was really huge.

And so it's like they're there's some of the best in ring performers that we have. But also just you know, on a personal level, it makes me feel good that they get to see each other again. Yeah. Well, and not to bring it down to end it, but lastly, with all these COVID cases popping up and obviously the numbers going on, an incline again, are there zoom calls now trying to figure out if if you guys can keep doing this week after week? Um I'm not involved

in those conversations, but I know they're definitely happening. I think we had Boston in Philadelphia dates rescheduled for later this summer, and we pushed those out until one. And you know, now the show in Jacksonville, especially with you know the cases in Florida skyrocketing, I think everyone is very concerned about that. And I know when the quarantine first started, there was so many conversations about well, what if we can't do a live show, what are we

going to do? And you know, how how do we handle this? And if we don't have new content to put up, what is the thing. And I think those conversations are most likely being revisited, not even right now, probably probably starting weeks ago. And I think there's got to be plans A, B, C, D, E and F there. Yeah, because there's wrestlers. I mean, you know people on staff on screen that are not the age of keep Sabian

and Penelop before. There is Jake the Snake, Roberts and Jim Ross and people who are in the demographic of those who have to be very careful about what they're getting in front of Yes, and you know, and I think part of you know, what a W did in terms of testing and you know, ensuring everyone's safety really makes the older members of our of our staff feel comfortable coming to work. When we arrive in Jacksonville, basically we're blood tested at the hotel, we get our temperature check,

we do all that. But then after after the show is over, we all go back to the hotel. There's food they're waiting for us. You know, it's not a completely closed bubble, but when we're in Jacksonville, we're in as much of a bubble as we possibly can, and that I think goes a long way to providing reassurance to the people that and you know, I mean there are people that are younger people but you know, through

medical conditions or whatever. You know, Like for myself, there's a there's a big history of heart disease in my family and so even though I'm you know, relatively young and healthy, it's still something that's in the back of my mind. So so knowing how the company has has done as much as we can to to make sure everybody is safe that goes you know, goes along way and making me and I think everybody else feel comfortable coming to work right. Well, congrats on being able to

go back to television. We're excited to have your voice back on TV and a w still rolling along and stay safe man, and hopefully we'll get an NBA something some sort of playoff in this tournament or I don't know, as long as Jonas and Lebron are playing, I don't know. I can't even I can't be optimistic about it anymore. It's it's so it's so weird, and especially with guys guys dropping out like you mentioned, I mean almost on a daily basis, It's like, what is this going to

look like? Are we even gonna have enough guys to to feel the twenty team tournament or whatever. I know, the ESPN ticker today was just people testing positive for COVID. I was like, this is not this is not it's not a health channel. Guys. We gotta we gotta work, we gotta figure this out. Well, thank you, brother, and we will talk soon, all right, Thank you many, appreciate it. The Sports Bubble is produced and distributed by Tree Fort Media.

The show was executive produced by Kelly Garner, Lisa Ammerman, Matthew Coogler, and me Jensen Carr. Tom Monahan is our senior audio engineer and sound supervisor, with production and editing by Jasper Leak additional production help from Tim Shower, June Rosen, and Hayley Mandelberg. Our theme music is composed by Spilkus.

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