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Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

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Speaker 1: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and

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Speaker 1: Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: Top of the morning.

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Speaker 3: To you, this is the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network.

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Speaker 3: And uh, well I'm Dale Lolly and he is Matt o' williamson.

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Speaker 3: And uh you don't have to Lolly sounds Irish enough, Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 3: could be.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's British mind. Yeah, don't tell anybody that.

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Speaker 2: There's all sorts of mixed in there.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. Anyways, lots of news notes super Bowl to get

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Speaker 3: to all kinds of fun stuff today. Yeah's going on

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Speaker 3: a lot going on around the league. A little bit

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Speaker 3: later in the show, we'll talk with with some people

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Speaker 3: involved with NFL Ireland and all that fun stuff. We

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Speaker 3: got huh Michael from the Steelers Irish podcast joining us

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Speaker 3: here in the next segment. But it's finally official, the

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Speaker 3: Steelers going to Ireland.

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Speaker 2: Yeah that's pretty cool, right And obviously there's serious roots

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Speaker 2: there with ownership and all that. I mean, that's like

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Speaker 2: the home base overseas. But I can't wait to see

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Speaker 2: what the environment's like and the Steeler Nation output. I mean,

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Speaker 2: how many have come from over here to go over there.

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Speaker 2: How many flock from every nook and cranny of Europe

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Speaker 2: to go.

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Speaker 3: I mean, that's gonna be great. It's gonna be Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I was actually there in ninety seven when the Steelers

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Speaker 3: played at Croke Park in the same venue and played

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Speaker 3: the Bears there in a preseason game, and it was

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Speaker 3: a lot of fun.

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Speaker 4: Bad.

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Speaker 2: It's an extended road trip, to say the least. The

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Speaker 2: game wasn't bad either, but yeah, yeah, right, but the adventure,

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Speaker 2: I'm sure it was a good time.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: The good venue for it and all that too.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, great venue, historic venue.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I wrote about that on Steelers Dot. You can go

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Speaker 3: check that out. Just all the history there at Croke Park.

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Speaker 3: I mean they've been using that facility for sporting events

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Speaker 3: since the late well really the eighteen.

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Speaker 2: Eighties, Okay, it's been that long. Yeah wow.

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Speaker 3: And it's you know, the home to the Gaelic Athletic Association.

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Speaker 3: They're you know, their they're Gaelic football and it you know,

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Speaker 3: it's Croke Park. Yeah, yeah, you know. They have a

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Speaker 3: great museum there you can check out. Takes you through

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Speaker 3: all the stuff with Bloody Sunday. If you don't know

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Speaker 3: about that you need to check that out and read

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Speaker 3: up on that. But uh yeah, if you if you've

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Speaker 3: seen the movie Michael Collins, you might get some tie

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Speaker 3: ins there.

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Speaker 2: You two had a little song about it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, but yeah, just an interesting place, an interesting venue,

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Speaker 3: and it.

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Speaker 2: Just yeah, the whole thing. It's pretty cool, right, It's.

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Speaker 3: It's outstanding and people should be excited about this if

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Speaker 3: you get the opportunity to go of which suggest you do.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I say, if you're on the fence, I mean,

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Speaker 2: you don't get many of these opportunities in the lifetime

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Speaker 2: as a fan, I would say, hit it up as

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Speaker 2: best you can.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, And you know the International Games and I've been

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Speaker 3: to a bunch of them, Mexico City and Barcelona and

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Speaker 3: just you know, all throughout the games, including the London game.

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Speaker 3: And I can tell you that, like it's a different feel.

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Speaker 2: Oh I've heard.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I still get. I've done this for a long time.

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Speaker 3: I've covered over I don't know, I I counted it's

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Speaker 3: like six hundred and fifty plus Steeler games over the years.

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Speaker 3: And one of the moments that I remember most from

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Speaker 3: from a Steeler game was in London in twenty thirteen

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Speaker 3: when they played the national they played the national anthem

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Speaker 3: in the United States National anthem, and then they played

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Speaker 3: God Saved the Queen after that, and the entire stadium

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Speaker 3: is singing it. Yeah, and the hair stands up in

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Speaker 3: the back of your neck. It's like, wow, this is

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Speaker 3: really different.

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Speaker 2: They a little different than we were around here. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: And I know people that have been international games and

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Speaker 2: like you'll see Falcons and Bears and Seahawks jerseys. They're

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Speaker 2: just NFL fans and they don't get the c NFL,

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Speaker 2: so they don't care what teams they are, you know, like, yeah,

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Speaker 2: my buddy, big deal, right, I mean it's times a thousand.

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Speaker 2: But growing up in Pittsburgh, people would go to Cleveland

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Speaker 2: just to see an NBA game. They didn't carry what's playing.

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Speaker 2: It was the closest one. But it's, you know, times

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Speaker 2: a thousand because this is the league and it's overseas

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Speaker 2: and it's so rare. That's I'm pretty psyched for it.

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Speaker 2: I think it's a big announce.

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Speaker 3: Speaking of that, we did that my I think I

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Speaker 3: was maybe a sophomore junior in high school. I can't

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Speaker 3: remember which year it was, Yeah, but it was Doctor

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Speaker 3: j is last season and six.

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Speaker 2: Ers are in town.

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Speaker 3: H coach got my My high school basketball coach got

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Speaker 3: us the tickets. We're taking the whole He's taking the

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Speaker 3: whole team up. We're gonna go watch Doctor J playing

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Speaker 3: his last season. We drive to Cleveland, we get there.

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Speaker 3: Doctor J's taking the night off.

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Speaker 2: So after that happened, a lot of people want to

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Speaker 2: go see Lebron over the years.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it happened. Though it ended up being an interest

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Speaker 3: in game because Andrew Tony with the player and World

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Speaker 3: b Free was later free. They both scored forty. They

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Speaker 3: were guarding it or not guarding each other, just going

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Speaker 3: back and forth. You hit a basket, I hit a basket.

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Speaker 3: You hit a basket. I hit a basket.

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Speaker 2: It was Julius wasn't in uniform, but he still was

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Speaker 2: something worse the end.

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Speaker 3: I'm sure you guys ever saw an NBA game anyway.

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Speaker 3: I mean, like, but I was the same way though.

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Speaker 3: I was a Detroit Pistons fan even back then. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: and I remember I bought a Pistons banner at the

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Speaker 3: souvenirs stand. You couldn't get that in Clarion County where

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Speaker 3: I grew.

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Speaker 2: Up, right right right like that, just get it online, right.

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Speaker 3: So I bought one and I waived at the entire game.

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Speaker 2: And there'll be some Jags fan in Ireland doing the

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Speaker 2: exact same thing, right, Yeah, yeah, of course.

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Speaker 3: You just enjoy the game because that was the first

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Speaker 3: NBA game I'd ever been to, you know, And.

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Speaker 2: Your point about like the singing and the fan interaction

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Speaker 2: is remarkable stuff. I'm in there.

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Speaker 3: But when we went over, Mike Pursuda and Dan Quinnland

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Speaker 3: went to a soccer match. I decided to do something

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Speaker 3: a little bit different and me and another guy went

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Speaker 3: and walked down to the Tower of London and went

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Speaker 3: did all that stuff. They went to a soccer match

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Speaker 3: and they said it was unbelievable. I bet the atmosphere.

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Speaker 3: Yeah right, it's just a different.

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Speaker 2: The way they see the game. Like we're different, right for.

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Speaker 3: Those soccer matches in England. You can't just sit wherever

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Speaker 3: you want. Oh really, okay, Like the one team's fans

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Speaker 3: sit on one side of the stadium, the other teams sit

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Speaker 3: on the other side. And if like there are bars

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Speaker 3: around the the or pubs as it were, around the stadium,

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Speaker 3: and this one's supports this team and that one supports

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Speaker 3: and you don't wind in any other team's.

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Speaker 2: Jersey wearing red when you should be wearing green or whatever.

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Speaker 2: You don't just go get a pint wherever.

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Speaker 3: Now, Ireland's a little bit different and I did talk

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Speaker 3: to the you know, the spokesperson for the Gaelic Athletic

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Speaker 3: Association and Crook Park and you said they.

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Speaker 2: Don't do that in Ireland in terms of half the

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Speaker 2: side seating.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, they just everything's intermixed because you know, Croke Park

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Speaker 3: hosts so many games over the course of the year

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Speaker 3: and they, like the Gaelic Athletic Association, is all amateurs.

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Speaker 2: You explained this to me, but I'm sure our listeners

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Speaker 2: don't understand this.

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Speaker 3: These guys don't get paid. They just play, right. Yeah, Now,

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Speaker 3: if you've ever watched Gaelic football, it's not for the

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Speaker 3: faint of heart, right, It's like a cross between rugby

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Speaker 3: and and football football.

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Speaker 2: They are like an Australian rules type of thing or

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Speaker 2: something like that.

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Speaker 3: And these guys beat the crap at each other.

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Speaker 2: They have pad some helmets on. No, No, I didn't

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Speaker 2: think so, right. I mean, they take a beating.

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Speaker 3: They take a beating, but then they go back the

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Speaker 3: next day. They're at their day job, you know. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: so they have regular jobs and but but it's such

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Speaker 3: a the fandom there. You play for the town that

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Speaker 3: you grew up in.

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Speaker 2: And maybe someone buys you a beer at the pub

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Speaker 2: and that's yeah, that's your payment.

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Speaker 3: And they may give them a stipend for travel and

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Speaker 3: stuff like that, because you know, you get.

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Speaker 2: To travel out of your pocket.

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Speaker 3: But like, if let's say you get a job in Dublin,

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Speaker 3: which is the biggest city, but you're from county whatever.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, the other side of the country, you might still

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Speaker 2: drive back that's where you play at that. Yeah, so there,

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Speaker 2: So it would be like in the NFL, every player

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Speaker 2: from from Pittsburgh or this area, or western Pennsylvania or

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Speaker 2: you know, parts of Ohio and West Virginia. They would

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Speaker 2: all play for Pittsburgh and they wouldn't be able to

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Speaker 2: go play anywhere unless you unless your job moved, like

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Speaker 2: you get moved to Belfast or something like that.

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Speaker 3: That would that would be different.

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Speaker 2: And I assume these players don't get traded.

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Speaker 3: And no, they play. You play because there's a lot

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Speaker 3: of pride involved with that. It's civic pride.

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Speaker 2: Okay, interesting, I mean, you don't see that around here, right,

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Speaker 2: I mean, it's just tradition, and I'm sure's generations and

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Speaker 2: generations of this is our team. You know, maybe you're

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Speaker 2: a chronic winner or a chronic loser or whatever, you know.

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Speaker 3: As he explained to me, like for for a lot

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Speaker 3: of these, if you're in a little area or when

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Speaker 3: you know, one of the smaller towns or whatever, the

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Speaker 3: football pitch is like the community center, the town center. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 3: and everybody hangs out there and they just play football,

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Speaker 3: you know.

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Speaker 2: And then you said there's tons of pubs all around, yeah,

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Speaker 2: places to be and there's always people in that area,

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Speaker 2: you know, right, Yeah, so it sounds cool and a

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Speaker 2: lot of it's wackable and stuff too, And you're right, no,

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Speaker 2: it's good. Pretty it's a big deal. It's a huge ago.

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Speaker 2: And yeah, it's a huge deal.

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Speaker 3: It's the first game, first regular season game on Irish soil.

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Speaker 3: We'll see who the who the Steelers opponent will be.

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Speaker 3: I mean, you can kind of narrow some things down.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I know there's a lot of teams not eligible, right,

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Speaker 2: you can eliminate.

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Speaker 3: Right, Well, they don't typically, but.

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Speaker 2: To me, someone on the schedule, we know that, right,

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Speaker 2: it's not gonna be a division game.

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Speaker 3: It's not gonna be a division game. They typically don't

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Speaker 3: do that, although they have done it. That's occasion. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: that's not it's not something that they usually do.

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Speaker 2: And then that's frowned on. You want that home home, yeah, you.

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Speaker 3: Want the division game so meaningful. But then you look

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Speaker 3: at some of the other opponents. Cleveland's already scheduled for

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Speaker 3: the host an overseas game, okay, as are the Dolphins,

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Speaker 3: and there was somebody else on the Steelers schedule. I

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Speaker 3: can't remember it off the top of my head, but

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Speaker 3: three of them are already scheduled.

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Speaker 2: You're not gonna do two. You can eliminate those guys, obviously,

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Speaker 2: and I think this is a Steeler home game, right yeah. Okay,

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Speaker 2: So when you.

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Speaker 3: Start narrowing things down, I think you're looking at Green Bay, Okay,

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Speaker 3: you're looking at Minnesota, and you're looking at Seattle.

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Speaker 2: Those are the options. But that's a haul for Seattle. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: but they gotta do at some point. Okay, Well, all

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Speaker 2: those would draw great crowds. Yeah, so that would be

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Speaker 2: probably the way. Yeah. Yeah, But so it's opening week, right,

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Speaker 2: it's week one.

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Speaker 3: No, it's not necessarily Week one.

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Speaker 2: Okay, I was thinking because the Brazil the Eagles Packers

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Speaker 2: Brazil game was week one. I thought for some reason that.

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Speaker 3: Was because the travel of the travel travels. No, it

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Speaker 3: could be that week one Friday game. That would be awesome.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that'd be cool, but we don't know what we have,

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Speaker 2: no idea.

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Speaker 3: We won't know until the schedule comes. You know. That

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Speaker 3: would be one way if it were to be Seattle,

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Speaker 3: to kind of alleviate.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, but you don't want give them a week two by.

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Speaker 3: What wouldn't be a week two buy because the game

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Speaker 3: was on Friday, if you remember.

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Speaker 2: Oh, okay, okay, you would have a building, you.

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Speaker 3: Would have some time to get back to the West coast.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that wouldn't be bad. That makes some sense.

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Speaker 2: I mean at least the travel on the way there

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Speaker 2: would be easier for them. Yeah for everybody. Yeah, I

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Speaker 2: mean it's not an easy road trip for any but I.

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Speaker 3: Mean they're they're playing games in Berlin this year, they're

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Speaker 3: playing games in Madrid, multiple games in London.

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Speaker 2: I knew Australia is on the horizon. That's too.

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Speaker 3: Is that next twenty twenty six?

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Speaker 2: Okay? I wasn't sure if it was twenty six or

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Speaker 2: twenty seven.

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Speaker 3: And that may end up being a similar situation where

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Speaker 3: you just say, hey, we're going to make that the

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Speaker 3: opening Friday game.

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Speaker 2: That's a hall.

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Speaker 3: That's a hall for no matter who's going.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, right, right right. I wonder if those a gonna

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Speaker 2: be West Coast teams.

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Speaker 3: You're crossing the timeline and everything.

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Speaker 2: M wow. I mean it's amazing though, how much the

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Speaker 2: game has expanded worldwide in a decade.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's what I mean. I understand, you know,

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Speaker 3: if you're a Dealer season ticket holder and you're like, well,

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Speaker 3: I can't go to that game. Yeah, yeah, but you're

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Speaker 3: still getting eight home games, you know, and plus the preseason.

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Speaker 3: It's and it's a cool opportunity.

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Speaker 2: It doesn't happen every year to the season ticket holders.

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Speaker 4: You know.

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Speaker 2: This is a unique thing.

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Speaker 3: I mean, is it any different than if you're a

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Speaker 3: season ticket holder and you just decide, hey, we're going

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Speaker 3: to go to the game in LA, We're going to

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Speaker 3: go to the game in Vegas?

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Speaker 2: Yeah?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, not all that different.

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Speaker 2: I don't even know how it works. I don't know

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Speaker 2: if you do. But does a Steeler season ticket holder

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Speaker 2: have an inside path to getting they will have.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, they'll have opportunities that others don't. Daniel Rooney talked

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Speaker 3: about that today on the conference call with it with

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Speaker 3: the league and was asked, you know about that kind

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Speaker 3: of stuff, and yeah, yeah, you know, he's the Steelers

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Speaker 3: director of business Development of strategy, and he said, yeah,

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Speaker 3: the season ticket holders will get an opportunity.

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Speaker 2: Okay, obviously some kind of advantage over Joe blow fan.

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Speaker 3: Yeah and so, but really, I mean again, an eighty

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Speaker 3: thousand seat state team over there to fill up.

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Speaker 2: I'm sure it fell significant. Ye. Yeah, Yeah, that's cool.

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Speaker 2: It's one of the neater things I've heard in a while.

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Speaker 3: Even if you just go over and just hang out

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Speaker 3: for the.

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Speaker 2: Week, I'm sure you could have a good time.

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Speaker 3: You can have.

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Speaker 2: Sure the pubs it would be quite all right. It'll

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Speaker 2: be probably a lot of black and gold infiltrating. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: no doubt about it. Packers would really represent.

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Speaker 3: Packers would fill it up too, I mean they would.

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Speaker 3: It would be overflow. Yeah, I remember that, you know

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Speaker 3: that that's Steeler super Bowl against the Packers in twenty ten.

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Speaker 3: Was it was fifty to fifty.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, they're one of the few fan bases. I'm sure

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Speaker 2: they can hang yeah, yeah, Vikings, I bet would be

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Speaker 2: pretty passionate too.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so yeah, they may not like the Vikings. And

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Speaker 3: the Dublin was founded by the Vikings, I might.

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Speaker 2: Add, Oh was it they were a pretty busy group.

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Speaker 3: Yeah they got around a little bit.

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Speaker 2: Yeah they did. Yeah, it was it was.

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Speaker 3: A Viking outpost.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, they spread their seat a little bit. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I know your history.

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Speaker 2: I'm okay, I'm like you. I'm must not as old

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Speaker 2: as you.

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Speaker 3: I read a lot of it. I read a lot,

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Speaker 3: but yeah, so Kroik Park, Steelers Dublin.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's cool, really cool, really cool.

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Speaker 3: We're gonna get to a break here. When we return,

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Speaker 3: we'll be talking to Michael McQuaid of Steelers Ireland podcast

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Speaker 3: and he is our I guess, would be our counterpart

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Speaker 3: in Ireland.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I've been on his show. I think you have too,

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Speaker 2: I think.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, we both we've both done that show in

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Speaker 3: the past. And uh yeah, see what the Irish reaction is.

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Speaker 3: I think I think he's at the super Bowl, is

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Speaker 3: I believe?

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Speaker 2: So cool?

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Speaker 3: Okay, their podcast is down at the super Bowl Radio.

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Speaker 2: Ever quite popular. Yeah, you should check it out.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, they do quite well and it's just kind

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Speaker 3: of shows you how how much in tune with the

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Speaker 3: NFL game the Irish people are. I mean they have

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Speaker 3: a dedicated Steelers podcast.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean I remember just being a guest on

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Speaker 2: it and I'm like, what are the kind of questions

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Speaker 2: they're gonna ask me? I mean it was just like

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Speaker 2: being on any show around here. I mean, they knew

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Speaker 2: their stuff. I mean they're playing too much single high.

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Speaker 2: I was like, oh, okay, here we go, all right right,

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Speaker 2: yeah we can handle that.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, But let's get to a break. He is

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Speaker 3: Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to the

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Speaker 3: Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network.

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Speaker 4: Matt.

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Speaker 3: Now, I'll be back with more right after this.

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Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

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Speaker 1: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and

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Speaker 1: Gold car Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 3: And welcome back. I am Dale Lolly. He is the

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Speaker 3: Matt Williamson and we're pleased to be joined on the

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Speaker 3: Justin Miller hot Line. Bye. Michael McQuaid of NFL Ireland

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Speaker 3: and more importantly, Steelers Ireland podcast. Michael, how are you're

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Speaker 3: at the Super Bowl right?

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Speaker 4: I am currently speaking to you live on Radio Row.

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Speaker 4: It's a pleasure to join you guys.

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Speaker 2: Good stuff, glad to have you. Here's thatt atmosphere like right.

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Speaker 4: Now, it's actually winding down a little. I think Tom

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Speaker 4: Hayward's just the way home there is. His desk has

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Speaker 4: been up, but it's been it's been a busy few days, guys. Yesterday,

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Speaker 4: I've honestly in four years of doing this, I've never

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Speaker 4: seen anything like it. It was so busy. But you

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Speaker 4: know what these of the days you lived for in

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Speaker 4: the sports world, And I'll tell you what you certainly

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Speaker 4: lived for days like today when you when you hear

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Speaker 4: the Steers are coming to Ireland.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a that's a big deal. And and this

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Speaker 3: has been one that's been in the works for a

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Speaker 3: while now, and I know you've been on top of

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Speaker 3: this the entire way. What's this going to mean for Ireland,

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Speaker 3: for Dublin, for football fans in in Ireland.

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Speaker 4: I think it's a culmination of our real journey for

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Speaker 4: Dublin as a city or an event space that can

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Speaker 4: handle large events. But also it's it's really the combination

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Speaker 4: of a journey for the Runey family and the fact

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Speaker 4: that they've got the family from you know, sorry, family

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Speaker 4: heritage from the island of Ireland is just it just

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Speaker 4: adds to that palette we've seen first time with the

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Speaker 4: college football games over here, just how popular I have been.

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Speaker 4: I really think that the game in Ireland with the

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Speaker 4: theaters is going to go to the next level. Like

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Speaker 4: we're really really excited to see what's going to happen,

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Speaker 4: and it's definitely going to be a very very memorable

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Speaker 4: sea months ahead as we get ready to the Black

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Speaker 4: and Goal to NBA double.

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Speaker 2: I'm curious, I mean, just the over the last decade

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Speaker 2: or you know, in the last ten to fifteen years. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: is it the popularity of the NFL in Ireland just

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Speaker 2: grown at a rapid rapid rate.

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Speaker 4: I think. I think there's a number of reasons. I think,

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Speaker 4: you know, when you've got out of technology and the

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Speaker 4: world comes out there closer with technology, keyboard television, increased

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Speaker 4: internet speed, the fact that youg and ized fly pretty

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Speaker 4: much anywhere around the world. I think that's definitely helped.

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Speaker 4: But certainly first time I have seen an explosion of

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Speaker 4: fun interest in the league. And it's funny because you

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Speaker 4: go like the grocery store and you'll see maybe somebody

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Speaker 4: in like a theater's hot or like I've met like

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Speaker 4: Chargers fans in the grocery store before. So people are

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Speaker 4: really they're really into the NFL. And I have found,

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Speaker 4: especially since the Theaters of A nine in twenty twenty

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Speaker 4: three their entry into the market with a global markets programs,

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Speaker 4: that we've seen a real new generation of the theater songs,

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Speaker 4: which I think is absolutely fantastic to see. And it's

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Speaker 4: just it's something that you know, it's something that you

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Speaker 4: want to see, you want to see growing and growing,

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Speaker 4: and certainly it's definitely at a peak level right now,

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Speaker 4: so long May continues.

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Speaker 3: In terms of the venue itself, and I wrote a

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Speaker 3: story on Steelers dot com that came out today about

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Speaker 3: Croke Park. I was there in nineteen ninety seven when

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Speaker 3: the Steelers played at Croke Park against the Bears. This

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Speaker 3: is unlike a lot of the stadiums that you go

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Speaker 3: to in the NFL. Now there are there are some

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Speaker 3: stadiums that have been around for a long time and

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Speaker 3: people think of the you know, lambeau Field has been

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Speaker 3: there forever, or you go to you know, Bears Stampak. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: this in terms of what it what it's been. What

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Speaker 3: it means to the culture is way past that, and

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Speaker 3: it's it's way older than any of those stadiums. Can

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Speaker 3: you just tell us a little bit about Crook Park.

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Speaker 4: I think the one way to describe it to an

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Speaker 4: American or any stateors fan, this things, this pot finish

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Speaker 4: radio show, iconic, the history, how central it is in Dublin,

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Speaker 4: and just how important it is to people, and it

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Speaker 4: really means so much more. You mentioned about being of

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Speaker 4: that game. In nineteen ninety seven, there was part of

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Speaker 4: the stadium renovated in terms of a more modern design,

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Speaker 4: but that is now fully being renovated and we do

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Speaker 4: have the hill which is usually standing for a Gaelic

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Speaker 4: football game, but we expect that to be sitting at

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Speaker 4: around an approximate capacity of around seventy six thousand people.

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Speaker 4: Now the think that I got. I actually had the

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Speaker 4: chance to go to the game on Christmas Day against

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Speaker 4: the Chiefs and guys. I found it quite and I'm

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Speaker 4: being putby serious. It reminded me a little bit of

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Speaker 4: actial stadium because where you have like the stand, the

439
00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,840
Speaker 4: face and towards the city and the hills. That reminds

440
00:19:58,840 --> 00:19:59,919
Speaker 4: me of it of the Hills. So there's a bit

441
00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,439
Speaker 4: a similar design and similar atmosphere to an extent. But

442
00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:05,600
Speaker 4: what I will say to any Stelars fans thinking of

443
00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,360
Speaker 4: going over, I think there's no bad seat in that stadium.

444
00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:12,639
Speaker 4: It's absolutely it's a phenomenal of you. You can see

445
00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,760
Speaker 4: from the larger stands, you can see the skies of Dublin.

446
00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:20,320
Speaker 4: It's an iconic setting. Obviously, not many sports have played

447
00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,520
Speaker 4: there apart from Gaelic sports. And to have this stadium

448
00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:27,040
Speaker 4: for the first regular season NFL game for the Pittsburgh

449
00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:31,600
Speaker 4: Steelers is so special to Irish NFL fans, to the staters,

450
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,679
Speaker 4: but also it's going to be iconic for the stadiums.

451
00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:36,840
Speaker 2: You mentioned a few times that we were talking at

452
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:40,320
Speaker 2: briefly in the first segment, what exactly is Gaelic football.

453
00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,840
Speaker 2: I know it's not equivalent to NFL, but I'm sure

454
00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:44,480
Speaker 2: our listeners don't quite understand.

455
00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:50,000
Speaker 4: Imagine soccer and rugby mixed together. That's a little bit.

456
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,440
Speaker 4: It was like, that's probably the best way I can

457
00:20:52,440 --> 00:21:00,840
Speaker 4: describe it. So popular here. Yeah, it's very very full on.

458
00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,240
Speaker 4: So for example in soccer, where you file someone and

459
00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,919
Speaker 4: it might be a free kick. For example, in Gaelic football,

460
00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:07,879
Speaker 4: anything goes, and we've also got hurling which is a

461
00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:11,080
Speaker 4: six and it's quite similar to the rules. And guys,

462
00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,080
Speaker 4: you know, think of thirty two teams in the in

463
00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,160
Speaker 4: the US for the NFL, we have thirty two counties

464
00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:19,600
Speaker 4: on the end of Irelands, so we actually are our

465
00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,800
Speaker 4: county is our team and it's our pride, is our community.

466
00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:24,840
Speaker 4: And that's why I mean that this is taking it

467
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:26,800
Speaker 4: to a next level. The fact that the Sailers are

468
00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,240
Speaker 4: going to play in such an iconic sperience which means

469
00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:31,840
Speaker 4: so much to so many people, you know, at some

470
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,479
Speaker 4: point in the fall. It's great and a really important

471
00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:38,760
Speaker 4: point for anybody listening. Our main finals in both Gaelic

472
00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:40,800
Speaker 4: football and in hurling, which I mentioned a second ago,

473
00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:43,399
Speaker 4: they take place at the end of July. We are

474
00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:46,119
Speaker 4: looking at a situation where this field will have around

475
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:48,800
Speaker 4: you know, it could be anywhere, you know, months in advance,

476
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:50,560
Speaker 4: where it depends on when the game is going to

477
00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:52,639
Speaker 4: be held obviously, but the field will be in for

478
00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:56,400
Speaker 4: scene condition, which is obviously fantastic as well. For the

479
00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,320
Speaker 4: Sailors players this franchise going out, they're going to be

480
00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,480
Speaker 4: given the best of it. F I'm the turf will

481
00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:03,600
Speaker 4: be setted to their needs as well. And that's really

482
00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,040
Speaker 4: important because sometimes Internashley that doesn't happen just just in

483
00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,359
Speaker 4: regards to the city and sometimes beyond the control of

484
00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,199
Speaker 4: the NFL. So it's really important. And I know and

485
00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:15,800
Speaker 4: hope that you know our guys, this team will really

486
00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:17,639
Speaker 4: be steel comfortable and steel at home there. You know.

487
00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,760
Speaker 3: Our guest is Michael McQuaid from the Steelers Ireland podcast

488
00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:24,280
Speaker 3: and of course the NFL Ireland. He is at the

489
00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,480
Speaker 3: Super Bowl right now taking in all the sights and

490
00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:32,560
Speaker 3: sounds there. Uh Michael, when, when did or how long

491
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,240
Speaker 3: have you been involved with this? You're not You're not

492
00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,080
Speaker 3: a super old guy. You're not You're not as old

493
00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,800
Speaker 3: as Matt and I let's put it that way. Uh

494
00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:42,680
Speaker 3: when did you first start picking up the NFL? And

495
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:44,200
Speaker 3: and uh, you know watching the sport?

496
00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:45,320
Speaker 2: How are you exposed to it?

497
00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:49,280
Speaker 4: I'll tell you what. A week after Radio Row, I

498
00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:54,160
Speaker 4: feel like a super old guy. I tell you college,

499
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,440
Speaker 4: going to college. I the privilegeable to college in Belfast

500
00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,760
Speaker 4: On obviously with a time difference. So Monday night football

501
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,320
Speaker 4: kicks off over here at like one fifteen am, and

502
00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,200
Speaker 4: obviously I was staying studying, etc. As you can imagine,

503
00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:11,000
Speaker 4: as a very motivated student, and we were watching just

504
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:12,600
Speaker 4: Monday night football, and you know, I just got into

505
00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:14,840
Speaker 4: this in there. I loved it. But going going back

506
00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:16,520
Speaker 4: on that, maybe about the year or two before, the

507
00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,520
Speaker 4: first NFL game I ever watched was in college, a

508
00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,440
Speaker 4: super Bowl between the Saints and the Court, and I

509
00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:25,560
Speaker 4: was hooked from there. And I have to be honestly,

510
00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,600
Speaker 4: when you think about, you know, you go maybe fifteen

511
00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,960
Speaker 4: years there. To think where we are now, it's really special,

512
00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,200
Speaker 4: you know, it's really really important, and we're just honored

513
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,960
Speaker 4: to have something that's obviously so unique and so special

514
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:41,879
Speaker 4: to this franchise as well. Come to our island and

515
00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:44,240
Speaker 4: we promise that we'll put on the best show that

516
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:46,640
Speaker 4: we can for this team and everyone that isn't lucky

517
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,159
Speaker 4: enough to get over here that's watching in Pennsylvania and

518
00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:51,760
Speaker 4: across the US. I know Dublin will put on the

519
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:55,240
Speaker 4: best show. But I've been very fortunate to, you know,

520
00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,440
Speaker 4: work on the NFL, working college football for a number

521
00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,880
Speaker 4: of years now, and then it's an honor it work

522
00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:01,600
Speaker 4: on something like this.

523
00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:04,479
Speaker 2: So it sure seems like the Steelers are popular in

524
00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,440
Speaker 2: Ireland and that makes all the sense in the world.

525
00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:10,360
Speaker 2: But since it's new to the Irish people, since Kansas

526
00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:12,320
Speaker 2: City has had such success and they're in the super

527
00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:15,280
Speaker 2: Bowl every year, is there a real heavy pat Mahomes

528
00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,440
Speaker 2: Kelsey Chiefs crowd too that are new to it.

529
00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,320
Speaker 4: I think you've got that. But you've also got in

530
00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,600
Speaker 4: my making themself sign all night. In my generation, you know,

531
00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:30,119
Speaker 4: the generation before, lots of Staters fans, but then in

532
00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:35,080
Speaker 4: my generation just passed with younger fans New England. Right,

533
00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,159
Speaker 4: people people love a bandwagon, you know people I mean

534
00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:39,720
Speaker 4: if you're the.

535
00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,520
Speaker 3: Time, Yeah, right, they're the ones that are on TV.

536
00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:45,120
Speaker 4: Yeah, when you when you take that and you add

537
00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,239
Speaker 4: in Tom Brady and add in Irish America and New England. Look,

538
00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:49,720
Speaker 4: there's no point in the escape and that we do

539
00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:51,639
Speaker 4: live events with a couple of two or three other

540
00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,560
Speaker 4: people in theaters. You see a lot of Patriots fans,

541
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,000
Speaker 4: but I'm telling you, you see equal amongst the Staters fans.

542
00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,200
Speaker 4: And that's what's the most exciting things from this. Yeah,

543
00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,280
Speaker 4: she got a few cheeses, lots of the Eagles fans

544
00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:06,359
Speaker 4: off the Jets fans, of the Giants fans. Yeah, but

545
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:09,400
Speaker 4: the genuinely little guys. Like we had an event there

546
00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,920
Speaker 4: with the host of sky Sports NFL, which is the

547
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:15,080
Speaker 4: name parrier over here, guy called meid Reynolds, who actually

548
00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:16,680
Speaker 4: done I think it was the forty nine Ers game

549
00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,760
Speaker 4: last year in Week one in Acroshire. He done the

550
00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:22,480
Speaker 4: show from there. He even remarked on the amount of

551
00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:24,960
Speaker 4: staters songs that were there because they know the excitement.

552
00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:26,680
Speaker 4: But also there's a lot of new people just picking

553
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,119
Speaker 4: up the game and they know you can't pick a

554
00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:31,960
Speaker 4: better team. Support you know the history and the team

555
00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,399
Speaker 4: that it is. And also black can good. The great colors.

556
00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:39,680
Speaker 3: Goes well with the green, right, it goes with the green.

557
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,359
Speaker 4: It definitely does. Those those green terrible tiles are gonna

558
00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:45,680
Speaker 4: be waving guys. I think in a few months.

559
00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:47,520
Speaker 3: It's gonna be a lot of fun and we look

560
00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:49,040
Speaker 3: forward to it. We're gonna let you get back to

561
00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:52,160
Speaker 3: your your busy day in New Orleans. Are you actually

562
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,240
Speaker 3: staying for the game or are you you're heading.

563
00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,320
Speaker 4: Back end of the game, go back to Ireland on

564
00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:01,359
Speaker 4: Monday and looking forward to the game on the guys

565
00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:03,119
Speaker 4: that I can't call it, so there's a point not me,

566
00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:08,720
Speaker 4: He's gonna win a well, look, look, I'll keep a

567
00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:11,760
Speaker 4: short and sweet. The city is starting to get really,

568
00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,439
Speaker 4: you know, falling. It's funny because because obviously media roll

569
00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:15,880
Speaker 4: is starting to quiet and die of it. But the staid

570
00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,760
Speaker 4: he's picking up. Give me Philadelphia. I think they're a

571
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:20,280
Speaker 4: better team, guys. I think they are. I've seen the

572
00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:22,720
Speaker 4: play against Dallas just after the game of Christmas, you know,

573
00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:25,600
Speaker 4: for us against Kansas City. I had it up just

574
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,760
Speaker 4: over to Philadelphia after. I think they're the real deal.

575
00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,440
Speaker 4: I think the land of Whole Sleepeat conversation on some day.

576
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:33,399
Speaker 4: I think the time for the dynasty is over for

577
00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:35,280
Speaker 4: now for the Chiefs, and I think a lot of

578
00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,840
Speaker 4: neutral funds over here would definitely welcome out. I've been

579
00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:42,119
Speaker 4: the four Super Bowls. This is my third with the Chiefs.

580
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:43,760
Speaker 4: Definitely different.

581
00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:50,160
Speaker 3: There you go Steelers next year. Yeah, Well, we appreciate

582
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,000
Speaker 3: your time. Michael. He's Michael McQuay. Check him out on

583
00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:56,120
Speaker 3: the on Twitter, at the ex twitters that were at

584
00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:59,760
Speaker 3: at Michael Underscore NFL uh. He does a lot of

585
00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:01,440
Speaker 3: good stuff on there, and you can listen to the

586
00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:05,000
Speaker 3: podcast as Steelers Ireland Podcast. But Michael, we appreciate your time,

587
00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:07,800
Speaker 3: enjoy the game on Sunday, and maybe we'll have a

588
00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:09,480
Speaker 3: point down the road here.

589
00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:12,680
Speaker 4: I have a feeling lot that we're going to shot

590
00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:15,440
Speaker 4: a few times.

591
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:19,480
Speaker 3: Thanks a lot, Michael. Yeah, great stuff, great stuff there

592
00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,879
Speaker 3: for Michael, and uh yeah, I mean I think, you know,

593
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,480
Speaker 3: the the Irish people should be excited about this. On

594
00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:27,720
Speaker 3: a Steeler fans should be excited about this. It's it's

595
00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,400
Speaker 3: a big deal. It is a big the first NFL,

596
00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:34,120
Speaker 3: the first regular season NFL game over there, and uh,

597
00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:39,879
Speaker 3: I mean really there haven't even been that many sporting events.

598
00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:43,119
Speaker 3: As he mentioned, non Gaelic sports are non uh you

599
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,639
Speaker 3: know the Irish traditional Irish sports. Yeah, they haven't really

600
00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,280
Speaker 3: allowed those in that stadium until more recent years. The

601
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:53,600
Speaker 3: you know, the NFL game that was there in ninety

602
00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:58,720
Speaker 3: seven was really I think just a second sporting event

603
00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,080
Speaker 3: that was non Muhammad Al lead boxing boxing match there

604
00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:06,840
Speaker 3: in nineteen seventy two. But for a long time they that.

605
00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:09,720
Speaker 2: Field was only you couldn't use it.

606
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,239
Speaker 3: For anything else. And they've opened it up since they

607
00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:14,800
Speaker 3: did the refurbishing and everything, and I'm interested to see

608
00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:18,159
Speaker 3: it because when we were there in ninety seven, it

609
00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:23,120
Speaker 3: took them twelve years to refurbish the stadium because they

610
00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:28,199
Speaker 3: couldn't shut it down because it holds it hosts up

611
00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,600
Speaker 3: close to one hundred games or one hundred matches per year.

612
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:34,080
Speaker 2: And you even said in the first segment, I mean

613
00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:35,440
Speaker 2: it's kind of the center of the community.

614
00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,240
Speaker 3: Still they don't have another stadium that. They have stadiums

615
00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,240
Speaker 3: that are like fifty thousand seats, but they sell out

616
00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:46,360
Speaker 3: the All Ireland Finals there. Yeah, you can't get tickets.

617
00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:47,280
Speaker 3: It's like the Super Bowl.

618
00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:47,680
Speaker 2: They do it.

619
00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:49,200
Speaker 3: They do two All Ireland Finals.

620
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:51,000
Speaker 2: Said, every seat is a great one and it's you know,

621
00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:51,840
Speaker 2: designed really well.

622
00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,760
Speaker 3: And so they you know, when they're refurbishing the stadium,

623
00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:57,920
Speaker 3: they had to do it one section at a time basically.

624
00:28:57,560 --> 00:28:58,640
Speaker 2: Because they're not shutting the whole thing.

625
00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:00,920
Speaker 3: They're not shutting the whole thing down. Yeah, so it

626
00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:02,920
Speaker 3: took them twelve years to do it. So I'm interested

627
00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:05,000
Speaker 3: to see what it looks like now. And I've seen

628
00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:07,239
Speaker 3: the pictures. It looks great. It looks like a very

629
00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:10,800
Speaker 3: modern stadium. And again, that particular pitch has been home

630
00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,720
Speaker 3: to so much history over the years. I really can't

631
00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:14,320
Speaker 3: wait to get there.

632
00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, I hope a lot of our listeners are looking

633
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,280
Speaker 2: into travel arrangents as we think as we speak to

634
00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:21,880
Speaker 2: get over there. I'm sure it'll be very well represented

635
00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:22,880
Speaker 2: with Black and Gold.

636
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,400
Speaker 3: Absolutely, but let's get through a break. He is Matt Williamson.

637
00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:27,560
Speaker 3: I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to the Drive here

638
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,440
Speaker 3: on the Steelers Audio Network, Matt and I'll be back

639
00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:31,680
Speaker 3: with more right after this.

640
00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:36,160
Speaker 2: At least.

641
00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:39,760
Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

642
00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,000
Speaker 1: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and

643
00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,680
Speaker 1: Gold in Steelers Nation Radio.

644
00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,080
Speaker 3: And we are back. I'm Dale LOLLI he is the

645
00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:54,880
Speaker 3: Matt Williamson and Matt just kind of continuing in the

646
00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:58,160
Speaker 3: conversation we opened yesterday's show with in regards to the

647
00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:06,160
Speaker 3: Steelers quarterback situation. There have been no decisions made regarding

648
00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:09,320
Speaker 3: anything at this point. We're still five weeks out from

649
00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:10,440
Speaker 3: the start of free agency.

650
00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:13,320
Speaker 2: I mean there's still a lot of discussions and you know,

651
00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:15,920
Speaker 2: paths to explore and all that kind of stuff too.

652
00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:17,800
Speaker 2: I know a lot seems to be coming out. Oh

653
00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:21,040
Speaker 2: they're leaning this way, they're leaning that way. I don't know, man,

654
00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:23,800
Speaker 2: I mean, I think it's just gathering all the information,

655
00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:25,160
Speaker 2: having talks and going from.

656
00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,480
Speaker 3: There, Yeah, I do. I do think that there are

657
00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:30,760
Speaker 3: people within the organization and much like when we discuss

658
00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:35,200
Speaker 3: the situation, there's pros and cons of there are pros

659
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,240
Speaker 3: and cons of both of them, and so I understand

660
00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:41,760
Speaker 3: that there would be some discussions or even you know,

661
00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:43,520
Speaker 3: people in this camp, people in that camp.

662
00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:46,400
Speaker 2: Doesn't mean it's just like draft prep, you know, like

663
00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:48,640
Speaker 2: I like Drake May, you like Caleb Williams, whatever it is,

664
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:48,920
Speaker 2: you know.

665
00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:51,360
Speaker 3: Right, But whatever decision that they do make, and we

666
00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:56,840
Speaker 3: do know this last week when Art Rooney spoke, he

667
00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,640
Speaker 3: said his preference would be that they stick with one

668
00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:01,320
Speaker 3: of the two guys that they had on the roster

669
00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:03,920
Speaker 3: this year, right, right, So it carries a little weight

670
00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:05,640
Speaker 3: that carries more weight than anything.

671
00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:09,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean we don't know that's setting stone,

672
00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:10,440
Speaker 2: but his.

673
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:12,280
Speaker 3: Mind could get changed on you know, he could look

674
00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:13,720
Speaker 3: at well, I didn't know this guy was going to

675
00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:14,280
Speaker 3: be available.

676
00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:18,160
Speaker 2: Absolutely, Then you start, you know, turning over every stone.

677
00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,520
Speaker 2: Who's really available? What are our true options? What's pie

678
00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:24,520
Speaker 2: in the sky, what's everybody gonna cost? Oh that sounds great,

679
00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,240
Speaker 2: but he's gonna be two first round picks. Well he's

680
00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:28,240
Speaker 2: not worth that, you know what that. Yeah, it doesn't

681
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,280
Speaker 2: make sense, right, how do you set up the backup situation?

682
00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:32,400
Speaker 2: You know, all that kind of thing.

683
00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:36,400
Speaker 3: But they have not made any definitive, you know, decisions

684
00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:40,640
Speaker 3: about anything, right. Anybody, anybody who tells you that they

685
00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,720
Speaker 3: have is making stuff up or has come to the

686
00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:45,080
Speaker 3: wrong conclusion.

687
00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:47,600
Speaker 2: About stuff, or maybe he's getting misinformation from somewhere.

688
00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:50,080
Speaker 3: And here's what here's what happens. I mean, people talk,

689
00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:52,320
Speaker 3: of course, reporters report things.

690
00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:54,440
Speaker 2: In this time of year, there's a lot of change

691
00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:55,720
Speaker 2: in the league and a lot of people to Super

692
00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:57,840
Speaker 2: Bowl together having a pint.

693
00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,960
Speaker 3: So you talk to somebody here, Oh okay, yeah, you

694
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,640
Speaker 3: know this guy is saying this. Then you talk to

695
00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,720
Speaker 3: somebody else that guy's saying that. And you know, in

696
00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:10,680
Speaker 3: this kind of situation, that is completely understandable because everybody's

697
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:15,760
Speaker 3: gonna if you're within the organization, you don't have the luxury.

698
00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:17,920
Speaker 3: We've sat here and said, well, I could see you know,

699
00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:18,800
Speaker 3: doing it either way.

700
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:20,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, I could make a case for both.

701
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:23,320
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, right they have to come to a decision.

702
00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:25,479
Speaker 3: Yeah right, we don't have to.

703
00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,760
Speaker 2: And there's gonna be a someone making the final decision too,

704
00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:31,920
Speaker 2: you know, I like there could be a lot of opinions,

705
00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,520
Speaker 2: but in the end, someone has to make the final.

706
00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:38,440
Speaker 3: Someone has to make the call. And quite frankly, there's

707
00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:41,560
Speaker 3: one guy within the organization who makes a call on everything.

708
00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:43,640
Speaker 2: Sure sure the team.

709
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,400
Speaker 3: He happens on the team people. When people talk about

710
00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:52,520
Speaker 3: the Steelers' hierarchy, they sometimes get confused on Well, Omar

711
00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,960
Speaker 3: CON's the GM, he's Mike Tomlin's boss. No, he isn't.

712
00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:56,960
Speaker 2: No, he isn't right.

713
00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,560
Speaker 3: They are equals in the in the eyes. They both

714
00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,040
Speaker 3: report to Art Rooney the second and he makes Now

715
00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,640
Speaker 3: they'll come to they'll get together in a room, for example,

716
00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,720
Speaker 3: when they do the draft stuff, they'll come to a conclusion.

717
00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:10,560
Speaker 3: That's why they call it. This is a Steelers pick.

718
00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,400
Speaker 3: This isn't Mike's pick. This isn't Omar's pick. It's a

719
00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:15,160
Speaker 3: Steelers pick.

720
00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:17,520
Speaker 2: Like I would never speak for mister Rooney, but I'm

721
00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,800
Speaker 2: sure he realizes Mike Tomlin knows more football than he does,

722
00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:22,600
Speaker 2: you know, so he listens to all these.

723
00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:26,480
Speaker 3: Opinion come to a consensus. It's it's what his stather did, right,

724
00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:28,920
Speaker 3: you know, It's what Dan Rooney always did. Now he

725
00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:31,480
Speaker 3: will put in his two cents for example, when we

726
00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:34,240
Speaker 3: talked about the Ben Roethlisberger decision, Well, wait a second,

727
00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,720
Speaker 3: why are we had, as Bob Labriola laid out for

728
00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:41,240
Speaker 3: a few weeks ago, we got this this quarterback up here,

729
00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:43,239
Speaker 3: and we're gonna take the guy down here? Why are we?

730
00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:44,120
Speaker 3: Why are we doing that?

731
00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:45,840
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, explain that to me again.

732
00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:48,080
Speaker 3: And then and then they talk about it, you know,

733
00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,320
Speaker 3: but they come to a they come to a consensus

734
00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:50,600
Speaker 3: on it.

735
00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:53,480
Speaker 2: And maybe not those talks probably going on now.

736
00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:56,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, maybe everybody doesn't agree on it, but at the

737
00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:58,040
Speaker 3: end of the day, it's a Steeler's decision.

738
00:33:58,160 --> 00:33:59,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, you get on the train. It's going down the

739
00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:01,840
Speaker 2: track in the way right, And this is the approach.

740
00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:05,680
Speaker 2: So again, I'm sure people have opinions. I'm sure people

741
00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:07,720
Speaker 2: are leaning one way or another, and as they should.

742
00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,800
Speaker 2: I mean, again, to me, it's similar to a draft

743
00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:13,520
Speaker 2: war room. You know, this area of scout from the

744
00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,759
Speaker 2: SEC loves the linebacker from Georgia, the dude, you know,

745
00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,359
Speaker 2: the Big ten scout loves the Michigan guy. And the

746
00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,760
Speaker 2: director of college scouting. That's say, okay, listen to both sides.

747
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,359
Speaker 2: I like the Michigan dude better. We're going that direction. Yeah, yeah,

748
00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:26,360
Speaker 2: similar type of.

749
00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:32,440
Speaker 3: Thing, absolutely, And but for them, there's there's just no

750
00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:34,840
Speaker 3: way that they have made a decision at this point,

751
00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:40,440
Speaker 3: with again almost over a month out, and to close

752
00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,239
Speaker 3: the door on anything because.

753
00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:43,720
Speaker 2: You don't they don't have to make a decision today.

754
00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:45,600
Speaker 3: They don't have to and you don't know what the

755
00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,719
Speaker 3: variables are going to be, So you don't close the

756
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:51,480
Speaker 3: door in anything, because one thing that the Steelers have

757
00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:56,239
Speaker 3: always done, you don't make a decision until you have

758
00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:58,759
Speaker 3: to make a decision. You take your time, you think

759
00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:02,520
Speaker 3: about it, and that way you're not making a rash decision,

760
00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:04,680
Speaker 3: a knee jerk decision on anything.

761
00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,160
Speaker 2: And I don't think that's the case in this situation.

762
00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:09,160
Speaker 2: But I always find it interesting when you start talking

763
00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:12,960
Speaker 2: about free agency in particular, the players have some say

764
00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:13,439
Speaker 2: in this too.

765
00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:16,359
Speaker 3: Right they have to put their is a free agency right.

766
00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:18,399
Speaker 3: It's not only free agency for the teams, it's also

767
00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:19,640
Speaker 3: free agency for the players.

768
00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:22,040
Speaker 2: Right. The Bengals bringing back to Higgins, not if he

769
00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:23,360
Speaker 2: doesn't sign a contract with him.

770
00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:25,040
Speaker 3: Not if he doesn't want to. I may say no,

771
00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:27,879
Speaker 3: I don't want to be the second banana to Jamar Chasen.

772
00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:29,359
Speaker 3: I want to be the guy, right right, I want

773
00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:29,759
Speaker 3: to be the man.

774
00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:31,759
Speaker 2: These guys have some say in it as well, you know,

775
00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,279
Speaker 2: and their agents are be insane if they're not talking

776
00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:34,840
Speaker 2: to other teams.

777
00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:38,840
Speaker 3: Know, I could absolutely understand. For example, if Justin Fields,

778
00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:42,800
Speaker 3: who's twenty five years old going to be twenty six, says,

779
00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:44,920
Speaker 3: you know what, I've never been a free agent before.

780
00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:47,080
Speaker 3: I want to go out. I want to be wined

781
00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:50,640
Speaker 3: and dined and see what this is all about. If

782
00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,320
Speaker 3: I sign here, maybe I never signed anywhere else again,

783
00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:55,800
Speaker 3: and I never go through the free agent process.

784
00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,440
Speaker 2: At least see who calls and what they offer, and

785
00:35:58,719 --> 00:35:59,960
Speaker 2: you know we're the interest level.

786
00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:01,640
Speaker 3: I mean, I used to do that when when I

787
00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:04,680
Speaker 3: was you know, young in my career and people, you know,

788
00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:07,879
Speaker 3: other papers would call and and and all.

789
00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:08,600
Speaker 2: Right, I'm gonna.

790
00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:12,200
Speaker 3: I'll see what they have to offer. And you know,

791
00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:14,800
Speaker 3: I like what I'm doing here. It would have to

792
00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,200
Speaker 3: be an offer that would blow me away to take

793
00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:18,879
Speaker 3: me away from what I'm doing. I love what I'm

794
00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:22,320
Speaker 3: doing here. Uh you know that. But I would always

795
00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:24,319
Speaker 3: then go to my boss and say, hey, look, just

796
00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:28,200
Speaker 3: so you know, I'm they called me. I didn't call them,

797
00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:32,920
Speaker 3: They called me. I'm gonna go listen, you know, because.

798
00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:35,640
Speaker 2: You're doing yourself with the service. If you don't, you keep.

799
00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:37,960
Speaker 3: Your options open. Now, you better be good at your

800
00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:39,720
Speaker 3: job if you're going to take that route.

801
00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:42,680
Speaker 2: And we're not NFL quarterback. I mean, like Wilson and

802
00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:44,480
Speaker 2: Fields are going to have a job somewhere in some

803
00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:47,200
Speaker 2: right we'll be a starter, will be where they want

804
00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:47,839
Speaker 2: to be. Who knows.

805
00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:52,280
Speaker 3: But you always listen because you you also gather information.

806
00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,240
Speaker 3: What are your strengths and weaknesses? What did this person

807
00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:58,640
Speaker 3: see in you that they called you about this this

808
00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:03,879
Speaker 3: particular job. Okay, I'll okay, maybe maybe I'm doing that well,

809
00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:05,919
Speaker 3: maybe I need to work on something else.

810
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:08,520
Speaker 2: You know. Now you got to look at it from

811
00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:09,279
Speaker 2: every angle though.

812
00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:11,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, you just always want to keep your options open.

813
00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:14,080
Speaker 3: And so I understand if a guy wants to go

814
00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:16,399
Speaker 3: out there and test the free agent market, oh yeah,

815
00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:19,319
Speaker 3: any visit. You've never done it before. Right now, Maybe

816
00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:22,279
Speaker 3: Russell Wilson's in a different situation. Maybe he's look saying, goes,

817
00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:24,880
Speaker 3: I just did the free agency thing last year. I

818
00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:25,480
Speaker 3: didn't like it.

819
00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,399
Speaker 2: And then they're in such different parts of their careers too,

820
00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:33,920
Speaker 2: you know, I mean, clearly and sometimes it's a little disheartening,

821
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:35,520
Speaker 2: you know, you don't get the calls, right, I mean,

822
00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:37,480
Speaker 2: all these guys, so I'm gonnahit free agency more in

823
00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:39,239
Speaker 2: five different team will call. I'll pick the one I

824
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:40,680
Speaker 2: like best, or wherever the money's best.

825
00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:41,560
Speaker 3: And then the phone doesn't ring.

826
00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:43,839
Speaker 2: The phone is the ring, and you're sitting there going

827
00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:46,000
Speaker 2: maybe this wasn't the best decision, but it's a risk.

828
00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:49,160
Speaker 3: But you learn things about yourself there. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,

829
00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,319
Speaker 3: it's all part of the equation. But anyways, that's going

830
00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:53,920
Speaker 3: to do stories far from written there. Absolutely, there's again

831
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,719
Speaker 3: more than a month before we get to the when

832
00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:59,920
Speaker 3: decisions really have to be made. The the legal tam

833
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:03,160
Speaker 3: spring period doesn't start until March tenth. Today's February seventh,

834
00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:07,800
Speaker 3: the actual free agency opencoming week. But it's not tomorrow,

835
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:08,799
Speaker 3: it's not next week.

836
00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:10,759
Speaker 2: Not a deadline looming, right, yeah, So.

837
00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:13,240
Speaker 3: There's still a lot of information that needs to be gathered.

838
00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:16,160
Speaker 3: So anyways, that's going to do it. For our number

839
00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:19,280
Speaker 3: one of the drive here on the Steelers Audio Network,

840
00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:21,000
Speaker 3: Matt and Now will be back with our number two

841
00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:22,000
Speaker 3: right after this