1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News. 2 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:13,239 Speaker 2: Welcome back to the DAL. 3 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 3: I'm Jason Kelly alongside my partner and co host Alex Rodriguez. 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 3: All right, first of all we should point out is 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 3: sometimes the case you and I think, are like ten 6 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 3: miles apart. I'm in Miami Beach, you're in Coral Gables. 7 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 3: But you know the this is the life we've chosen. 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 3: I was speaking today at the I Connections conference. You 9 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 3: and I got to visit yesterday. You're grinding. It's a 10 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 3: very busy time. I've said, it's very nice to be 11 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 3: in Miami. I'm not happy about going back to New York. 12 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 3: So I kind of get it. I get while you're 13 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 3: down here. This makes a lot of sense to me. Dude, 14 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 3: it does make a lot of sense. 15 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 4: And last night I got to just tell you this 16 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 4: is what happens when you're fifty. I got home my 17 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 4: youngest daughter Ella, when I came home from the office. 18 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 4: Ever seeing you, I went home and I tried to 19 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,319 Speaker 4: put her over my shoulder like if she was four 20 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 4: years old. And of course my back is all jacked 21 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 4: up today. So that's the latest from the rod Veguez. 22 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 2: No, come on, you gotta be careful. You got to 23 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 2: be careful of that. 24 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 3: You're you know, you're not You're not a man in 25 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 3: his athletic prime, I'm sorry to say. 26 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 2: All Right. 27 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 3: So, one of the things that actually did came up 28 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 3: when we were visiting was this idea of what's about 29 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 3: to hit this country, which is the World Cup. And 30 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 3: coming up on today's show, we have Roger Bennett, who 31 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 3: is truly the perfect person to talked about this. He's 32 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 3: co founder and CEO of Men in Blazers. And the big, big, 33 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 3: big question for him, the you know, multi billion dollar question, 34 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 3: is is this going to be the thing the moment 35 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 3: for soccer in America. 36 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 2: It's like one hundred Super Bowls. 37 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 3: And yet I feel like people like you need to 38 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 3: be one over. 39 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 2: Is that fair? 40 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 4: I think that's very fair. And I'm in a town 41 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 4: that has already been won over. I can tell you 42 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 4: that because Miami is the team pot. What you have 43 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 4: here with Jorjemas and Backham bringing him MESSI the championship. 44 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 2: Miami is a city of champions. 45 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 4: I know it when it's a football season because you 46 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 4: go around bars and at nine am they are packed 47 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 4: and they're drinking and most of them are drunk. 48 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 2: So I think it has legs. 49 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 4: But I want to hear from Roger exactly why this 50 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 4: is going to work domestically like it works in Miami. 51 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, and he's got a new book out which is 52 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 3: a great sort of framing device, and he takes basically 53 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 3: most of his life, or certainly his life as a 54 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 3: football soccer fan and marks it by these World Cups, 55 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 3: and so he has some really interesting perspective on nineteen 56 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 3: ninety four was the last time that. 57 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 2: The World Cup was here in the United States. 58 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 3: It obviously launched Major League Soccer MLS, which is, you know, 59 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 3: essentially the fifth league by most accounts in here in 60 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 3: the United States and North America, but it still does 61 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 3: not have either the state power or the growth of 62 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 3: the NBA or even the WNBA. But you know, this 63 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 3: should be by all accounts, one of the biggest sports 64 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 3: businesses in the country in the United States, and it's 65 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 3: just not. And I don't know, I don't know whether 66 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 3: it's going to get there. There are huge, huge questions 67 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 3: around the World Cup, as you know. 68 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 2: And hopefully for him it explodes in America. 69 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 4: But it has tremendous potential and unlock tremendous resources for 70 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 4: the future. 71 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, and it's it's interesting too to think about the 72 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 3: trajectory of the sport because owing to the success of 73 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 3: the women's national team, the US women's national team, the 74 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 3: NWSL has actually been a very successful, you know, fast 75 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 3: growing league on the women's side. MLS has been slow 76 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 3: to catch up, even though you know there are a 77 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 3: couple billion dollar franchises. The reality is, and this is 78 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 3: another topic for Roger, the power of the best players 79 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 3: is very strong. And the best players tend to play 80 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 3: at least in their primes in Europe, in South America 81 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 3: and in other places and not here in the United States. 82 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 2: So what's it going to take to unlock it? So 83 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: lots to come coming up on the deal. Roger Bennett 84 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 2: so excited to have with this. 85 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 3: Roger Bennett, he is the founder and CEO of men 86 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 3: in Blazers Media Network. And I have to say, a 87 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 3: voice that has been in my ears for many years. 88 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,559 Speaker 3: I fully confess, Roger, I have been to a couple 89 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 3: Golden Blazers Awards. I'm a huge fan. You've got a 90 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 3: new book. It's called We Are the World Cup. It 91 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 3: is a love letter to the sport which I know 92 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 3: is how you've described it, and it really is such 93 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 3: a great moment, especially for my partner Alex, to hear 94 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 3: from you what we are about. 95 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 2: To see in the Added States. Again. Anyway, welcome to 96 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 2: the show. 97 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me. It's great to 98 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: be with you guys. 99 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 3: All right, So I'm going to ask the question that 100 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 3: I know is on Alex's minding, is on my mind 101 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 3: as as a fan of this game. Is this going 102 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 3: to be the moment where the business of football takes 103 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 3: root in this country? 104 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: Oh, it's already happened, is the honest truth. The economist 105 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: just came out with a study and shut your ears 106 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: for one moment, a rod because soccer football has just 107 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: taken over from baseball as the country's third most popular sport. 108 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 1: Obviously the NFL, a giant, the NBA. Oh, it's so 109 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 1: dominant in every single regard, but soccer. Ten percent of 110 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: Americans currently say it's their favorite sport. When I asked, 111 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: surpassing baseball nine percent. You almost had it all, baby. 112 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,600 Speaker 2: Wow, Roger, You're you're hitting me right in the heart 113 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 2: right where hers Right after that, A nice guest. 114 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: Here, I am coming on your show and just like 115 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 1: making myself putting my feet up on ya sofa. Look, 116 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,119 Speaker 1: I mean, it's been a remarkable journey. It's not been easy. 117 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: The World Cup, the Men's World Cup was here in 118 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety four, which is when I moved here. It 119 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 1: was meant to make America a football loving nation almost overnight. 120 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: Instead it's taken you know, over twenty five years, World 121 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: Cup to World Cup, the cable television moving to streaming. 122 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,839 Speaker 1: Every streamer needed a niche sport that everyone would pay 123 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: money for. They all found football was devoted, passionate. It 124 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: was it so suddenly Americans could follow along with football 125 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: as close to Manchester United or Liverpool, from Los Angeles 126 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 1: or Minneapolis, as if they lived in the same zip 127 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: code as the Stadia. The Internet made it so close. 128 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: I remember nineteen ninety four. I'll tell you this. My 129 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,720 Speaker 1: team were in a game Everton, a massive game. It 130 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 1: was not on television in Chicago, three hundred and sixty 131 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 1: five channels, None of them gave a crap In America. 132 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 1: I had to vote my dad and he held the 133 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: phone against the in Liverpool, old school style. And now 134 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 1: this whole world has changed. This young incredibly Hispanic, but 135 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: also you know, a Premier League, Champions League audience to 136 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: rise of women's football. Are women are kicking ass and 137 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: taking names in the World champions All of these things 138 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: have come together to answer your question. We are a 139 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: proper football loving nation and the World Cup will just 140 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: put us over the top. 141 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 2: All right, So I hear what you're saying, and I believe. 142 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: You benefit. 143 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 3: Having said that, And listen, we've had a lot of 144 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 3: people on this show from the NWSL, specifically the women's 145 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 3: game to your point wherej has I think captured the 146 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 3: imagination makes a very powerful way Major League soccer has 147 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 3: bumped along. And yet from a zeitgeist perspective, and I 148 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 3: know businesses aren't measured in zeitgeist, but and I am 149 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 3: very interested here the point that you're making on the numbers. 150 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 3: What is the devotion that translates into economics that needs 151 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 3: to happen for. 152 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 2: It to go even higher? Maybe I'll put it that way. 153 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: God bless, I mean, I can say part of the 154 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: story of my book, which is the rise of the 155 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: World Cup as this incredible global platform that's visible from 156 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: out of space. You know, it's a solar eclipse that 157 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: it strikes the entire planet for the entirety of the 158 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 1: tournament simultaneously. But Americans love the best when it comes 159 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: to the best football. The thing that is complicated. You know, 160 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: a rod played in the best baseball league in the world. 161 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: If you want to watch the best basketball league's right here, 162 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: the NBA, the NFL. There is nothing that wildly compares. 163 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: And the best football is played in England in the 164 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: Premier League, the Champions League, the European Tournament. Americans have 165 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: fallen in love with that thrule. 166 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 2: We've just released it. 167 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: We just released the study of American fandom in the 168 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: United States for football. It is different to English fandom, 169 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: where if you love the game, you go to every match. 170 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: You know you sit by the same people every week. 171 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 1: The man who swears as soon as your team goes 172 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: ahead one nil, the woman who starts to suck on 173 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: her knuckles when the team goes down one nill. Same people. 174 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: You don't know their names, You've been sitting by them 175 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: for twenty five years. Here in America, it is a 176 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: solitary pursuit by and large. You watch seven am, you 177 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,199 Speaker 1: watch four am in the West Coast in your pajamas 178 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: with a coffee. There at some point becomes a beer. 179 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: But we found out twenty seven percent of the American 180 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: fans are going over to England once a year to 181 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,559 Speaker 1: watch their Premier League team with Chelsea be at Liverpool, 182 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: be at Manchester United. They are devoted and the incredible thing. 183 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 1: JJ Watt is a regular on our show. Let me 184 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 1: use him as an example. So this is a man 185 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: who came on our show the first time, stuffed himself 186 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: into a Chelsea jersey. God bless him. 187 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 2: It was great. 188 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: He was interested, he's married to a footballer, he said, 189 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: all the great stuff. And then he called me up. 190 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: He said I'd like to come on again about two 191 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,079 Speaker 1: months later and I was like, you know, we kind 192 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: of did our bits. I don't know and he goes, no, no, no, 193 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: trust me, trust me. I mean I've gone down this 194 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: YouTube wormhole like I know my stuff. And he came 195 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: on and it was incredible. His mind wrapped around what 196 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: he'd studied was like, it was like a beautiful mind. 197 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: And then a couple of months later he texted me, 198 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: he goes, I'm going to buy a Premier League team. 199 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: I was like, don't do it. He goes, I've done it. 200 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: He brought Burnley, this north of England, this duel, old 201 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: authentic club he brought into the ownership. You know, we 202 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: go over to games. He is like beloved there and 203 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 1: I realized this. I mean, ay, Rod, you've been to games, 204 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 1: You've seen the number of American owners. I'm sure to 205 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: be candid. There's been a number of offers over the 206 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: a Rod Dalflow desk saying hey, buy into this ownership, 207 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: buy into that ownership, Come into this Premier League ownership, 208 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: Come into this Italian football ownership. The Premier League right now, 209 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: of which JJ Watt is an owner, is majority owned 210 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 1: by United States owners. That is mind blowing. We own 211 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 1: the gay Americans own the game. And for JJ Wat, 212 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: I do believe this, this child of Wisconsin who grew 213 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: up playing hockey and grid iron football, When he is 214 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: as devoted to Premier League football as he is, and 215 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: man knows his stuff like he knows scouting details at 216 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: a great level, I realized we've made it, like this 217 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: thing is so real. When we have JJ Watt, we 218 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: have everybody. 219 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 4: You know, a couple of years ago I went to 220 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 4: London and I went to my first game ever Chelsea, 221 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 4: and I've never. 222 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 2: Seen anything like it. I got to tell you. 223 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 4: It was awesome and it reminded me of one the 224 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:47,040 Speaker 4: Yankees when we used to play the Red Sox. 225 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,959 Speaker 2: Right, But that's about it. Now. 226 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 4: I'm here in Miami, and Miami is a city of 227 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 4: champions and stars, and we have two of the biggest 228 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 4: in Beckham, David Beckham and MESSI who just brought the 229 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 4: title to Miami. So I see what it and I 230 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 4: see all the bars that you know early in the 231 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,679 Speaker 4: morning watching Premier Football here, I see what is done 232 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 4: in Miami. How do you get that to all the 233 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 4: other forty nine states and all the other markets in America? 234 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: So number one, you went to Chelsea, you watched the game. 235 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: I saw Photogo. I remember you met Romolu Lukakuh, you 236 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 1: met Lord and Savior Christian Polisic, God bless and you 237 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,839 Speaker 1: said it was like the Red Sox and the Yankees. 238 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: The Liverpool ownership is the Red Sox ownership. And one 239 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 1: of the things that turned them on to football was 240 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: that they learned they looked at the Liverpool Dale Flow 241 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:37,719 Speaker 1: came to the Liverpool when they brought it was very 242 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,680 Speaker 1: close to bankruptcy and they tell the story of how 243 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: they looked at the deal flow and they saw that 244 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: when Liverpool played Manchester United, which was then the biggest 245 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: rivalry game, over six hundred million people around the world 246 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: tune in for that game, and they said they turn 247 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 1: around to their advice and said, what six hundred million, 248 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: which dwarfs the Super Bowl two hundred million. They're like, what, 249 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:03,319 Speaker 1: that's for a regular season game twice a year guaranteed. 250 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:04,839 Speaker 2: And they were like, we're in. 251 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: And they also like, by the way, that when you 252 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: sell a Boston Red Sox, hat the Brewers owners getting 253 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: some of that money. Then they asked, when we sell 254 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: a Liverpool Jersey, how much do we keep and they 255 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,719 Speaker 1: were told all of it and they're like, oh, we're in. 256 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: So there is that economic There is that economic incentive. 257 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: I mean again, guys, look ninety four, right before the 258 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: World Cup. Here Jack Cook quarterback to Congressman. He took 259 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 1: to the floor of Congress and he said, we need 260 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:34,319 Speaker 1: to tell Americans that young Americans, that football is where 261 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: you rush with it and throw it and catch it, 262 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: and not where you kick it. And he said one 263 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:43,719 Speaker 1: is American capitalism and the other is European socialism. We 264 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: said it with disgusted, like when I moved here, Americans 265 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: hated hated football a rod. Really, they didn't just not 266 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: like it, they actively hated it. I think there was 267 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: a study done before the ninety four World Cup. I 268 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: write about it in my book, and that they were 269 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: asked their most popular sports. Soccer came seventieth. I think 270 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: tractor pulling came sixty ninth. And so we were nowhere. 271 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: And the honest answer to your question is it has changed. 272 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: It is in all of those states. It's just young. 273 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 1: The audience is so young that you know, our audience 274 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: is eighteen to twenty four. They've grown up playing FIFA 275 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: EA sports FIFA. It used to be called EAFC in 276 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: doorroom after doorroom. They've fallen in love with the minute shite, 277 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 1: the players, the playing styles, the star Wars CANTEENA of 278 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: European football. The streamers have connected them to actually watching 279 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: the game live. The Internet has connected them to trades, transfers, injuries, 280 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: as close to the teams as if they live there. 281 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: The audience is already there. The numbers are unbelievable. The 282 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: Premier League is that the NBC are driving. It's such 283 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: a valuable property commercially. Legua MX. The numbers for the 284 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: Mexican League in this nation are one of the startlingly 285 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: underreported ratings in sports television. So the honest tree to 286 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 1: was ninety four. I agree with you for your question. 287 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: Soccer here was like Space the captain Kirk a rod 288 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: It was the final Frontier. But Americans own the teams. 289 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: Young Americans are watching the game. The level of knowledge, passion, authenticity, 290 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: it is here already and on network. The men in 291 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 1: Blazer's media network, which is covering the thing twenty four 292 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: to seven. From a media perspective, is it's really just 293 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: a symbol of the fact that the United States really 294 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: is a proper footballing nation in the way it is 295 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: in the rest of the world. 296 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 4: If you were an investment banker and for an audience, 297 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 4: I think will be very interested in this answer you have, 298 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 4: how would you pitch me if Chelsea or Liverpool's in 299 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 4: the market, why would we want to be investors Jason 300 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 4: and I into these two teams? 301 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: Good lord, I mean, you'd probably want to become a 302 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: Chelsea in it because you'd be taking something off the 303 00:15:55,240 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: Dodgers owner, which would probably really you've been ripping a 304 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: bable out of Todd. That would be my simple pitch 305 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: you know what I know, I love time there you go, 306 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: then that simple and Liverpool God blessed Tom Werner John 307 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: Henry have done. 308 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 2: An unbelievable job. 309 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: I mean, really, from an American perspective, American owners either 310 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: come in and destroy wherever they've brought over there because 311 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 1: they don't know what they don't know. 312 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 2: You know. 313 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: Ultimately, the American POV is pretty fascinating, and there is 314 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: a flood of American owners coming over, not just in 315 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: the Premier League a rod, but you know, American owners 316 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: are everywhere, equity investors. As we're speaking, Ryan Reynolds and 317 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: Rob Max Rex and are playing football and winning. They're 318 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: going they they've taken them from the equivalent of Single 319 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: A baseball. They're taking them all away because this promotion 320 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: and relegation and you can move up, you know, the 321 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: poor Tucket Red Sox can get all the way up 322 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: into the major leagues. And so they're doing a remarkable 323 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 1: I mean, it's really an unprecedented kind of almost don't 324 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: like to be hyperbolic, but it's like watching the Odyssey 325 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: lived out written by Homer in real time what they're 326 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: doing over there at Wrecksham. And I think the American mentality, 327 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: the American sense and this is not one hundred percent 328 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: true from an English perspective, but the Americans look at 329 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: these you know, our sports are franchises. They're entertainment. I 330 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: mean you know this because you I mean you own 331 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: over here. They're really entertainment platforms. Is when you're in 332 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: your meetings, you're thinking about these things being entertainment platforms. 333 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: In England football is working class. Its roots are deep, 334 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 1: they're authentic teams in the city and I think the 335 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:39,120 Speaker 1: American investor looks at them, has really undeveloped assets, even 336 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,719 Speaker 1: the big teams. The biggest tension, to tell you more 337 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: than you want to know, in elite football is between 338 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: the hyper local and the hyper global. In the taking Liverpool, 339 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 1: who have such it's impossible to separate the city of 340 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: Liverpool from the football club Liverpool. The two are indivisible. 341 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: It's a major part of the club's identity. That identity 342 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:00,880 Speaker 1: is working class, that they travel to the games home 343 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,639 Speaker 1: and away. It defines everything. And at the same time 344 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: there's huge untapped markets all over the world and projecting 345 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: the club as a brand to those markets and commercializing it. 346 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: That's what the American investment banker is looking at and 347 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: the only thing they need to do is that dance 348 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: to not piss off the locals who loved the club 349 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:22,919 Speaker 1: and failed. You know, you speak to the sophisticated American owners. 350 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: They learned very quickly that I'll will say, we're just stewards, 351 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: we're not really owners. Doing that dance is the dance 352 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:30,879 Speaker 1: that I think the investment bankers will be advising you. 353 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 4: Rather as you're talking and Jason, you'll relate with this 354 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 4: is that it reminded me what George Stammer did in 355 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,679 Speaker 4: nineteen seventy three when he bought from CBS and sitting 356 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 4: right in the Bronx and it was a franchise that 357 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 4: wasn't doing well. And they, you see Tom Ricketts years later, 358 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:49,200 Speaker 4: do that with the Cubs in the middle of a 359 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 4: neighborhood where the biggest star is not only the brand 360 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 4: of the Cubs, but is the stadium in which they're playing, 361 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 4: Wrigley Field, and then of course a very similar store. 362 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 4: No one's done a better than John Henry, Tom Warner, 363 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 4: Sam Kennedy, Fenway Park. It is an American monument and 364 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 4: what they've done there, unfortunately to my pleasure, they have 365 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,560 Speaker 4: four championships and took a couple away from US in 366 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,400 Speaker 4: New York. So I totally get it when you put 367 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 4: those two comparisons. 368 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: So most of the bankers will say, and again I 369 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: have to say, I understand the English perspective. Then you 370 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: know they find it furious. And the American as you know, 371 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 1: they look at the tickets like, oh my god, these 372 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: tickets are nothing. You sit at MSG, you expect to 373 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 1: pay fifteen twenty k to v courtside. How are these 374 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,199 Speaker 1: English football tickets one hundred? They raised the tickets a 375 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: couple of pounds in England and there's a riot, really 376 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 1: and so navigating the authentic, the working classroots of football. 377 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: But that's ultimately why the American investors are all in there. 378 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: They look at even the biggest clubs are like, my lord, 379 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: if you look at them as what they are, which 380 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: is authentic traditional football clubs that represent the city, that's 381 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,439 Speaker 1: kind of where they are. The American look to them 382 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 1: and just as like, oh my god, entertainment platform twenty 383 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: four to seven, piping commercial brand property and all say 384 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: sellable streams direct into the heart of a global fan base. 385 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: The American owners are trying to all say, I mean, 386 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: by the way, you're in an arms race, so they 387 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: kind of have to at this point. They're all competing 388 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:19,959 Speaker 1: with each other against nation states, all saying you know, Qatar, 389 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:23,920 Speaker 1: Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, they all have their teams. That's 390 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,880 Speaker 1: the kind of dance to pull the push of modern football. 391 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:41,679 Speaker 3: This takes us to a really interesting place. I've been 392 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 3: fortunate enough to go to some English Premier League games. 393 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,960 Speaker 3: I have very passionate supporters in my life, especially of 394 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 3: Chelsea and Fulham and Arsenal and man you when Everton 395 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 3: and others, and I feel their passion for those clubs. 396 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,919 Speaker 3: Those clubs are not in the United States, and so 397 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 3: what I hear you saying is in the same way 398 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 3: that the Yankees, just. 399 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 2: To really play to our audience of one here. 400 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 3: Have transcended globally and you can go anywhere in the 401 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 3: world and see a Yankees, a Yankee hat, or a 402 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:22,479 Speaker 3: Yankee jersey. But you can similarly see a Chelsea kit, 403 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 3: an Arsenal kit, many different jerseys. Correct of European clubs, 404 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:33,400 Speaker 3: do you think there's a moment where LAFC and YCFC 405 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 3: some of the other clubs here that especially in the 406 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 3: MLS will break through in a way that to Alex 407 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 3: to go way back to something earlier, Alex said earlier 408 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 3: that inter Miami has done that, are there is that 409 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 3: possible for other MLS squads? 410 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: So it's a great question. I remember having an argument 411 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 1: with someone, one of the broadcaster is about fifteen years 412 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: ago where he was like, you know, what do you 413 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 1: think the American kid's gonna wear? 414 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:00,040 Speaker 2: Are they going to wear. 415 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: A Chelsea jersey or a Bayern Munich jersey or if 416 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: they live in Houston, or are they gonna wear a 417 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:10,440 Speaker 1: Houston Dynamo jersey? And I said, of course they're gonna 418 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 1: wear Chelsea jersey. Americans love the best. We win, we 419 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: win things, and they're winners. It's no wrong They're gonna 420 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,679 Speaker 1: wear their local jersey. They're gonna And I was like, 421 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: I don't know what to say to this person other 422 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:25,639 Speaker 1: than like this is this is ridiculous. Americans love the best. 423 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 2: And what's happen. MLS is growing. 424 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: Remember MLS is given the European League's like one hundred 425 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: and forty hundred and fifty year head start. It is 426 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: remarkable how MLS is growing in a in a thirty 427 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,479 Speaker 1: year Sprint. So what's fascinating. Number one, You're right, and 428 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:46,120 Speaker 1: I do need for your listenership to just reinforce how massive, 429 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: just how massive these global brands are. And again, the 430 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,400 Speaker 1: only statistic I can think of is the Super Bowl 431 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: is are everything in the United States, and it's like 432 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: two hundred million people watch it. The World Cup final 433 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: one point five billion people tune in for that bad boy. 434 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: Like the levels, the levels to this game, the levels 435 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: to the Chelsea logo, the levels to the Barcelona, the 436 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: Real Madrid logo, the Arsenal's It is a global brand. 437 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 1: I mean, Joel Embiid loves to play basketball. Joel Embiid 438 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: comes on our show, he would much rather talk about 439 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: Arsenal and Real Madrid. That's his and he's not alone. 440 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: They are massive, enormous, global giants. And what's been fascinating 441 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 1: to me to watch And you mentioned a may Rod earlier, 442 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: Sir David Beckham, as I feel legally bound to call it. 443 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 1: And Lionel Messi, who I mean, it's a demi god 444 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 1: at this point, a demi god. He wears jats, so 445 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 1: we all wear jats. What they've done into Miami is unbelievable. 446 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 1: When I am back in England. 447 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 2: Number one. 448 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 1: When I fly back from the United States on a 449 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: Thursday or a Friday, that plane will be full of 450 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: Americans going to Premier League games wearing their football jerseys. 451 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 1: But now what is fascinating is because of the lux. 452 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,360 Speaker 1: I think it's it is Beckham plus Messi plus your 453 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: city a rod Miami, like there's a there's an exotic 454 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,120 Speaker 1: nature to that city. I mean, it's just a it's 455 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:17,199 Speaker 1: just a aspirational brand globally. And the beautiful and the 456 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: beautiful brand work they've done to be candid, the distinctive 457 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: pink jersey, the branding they've done that's really captured it. 458 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: You will now see in England. You will see kids 459 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,919 Speaker 1: playing in Into Miami. I've never seen it before, but 460 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 1: you'll see Into Miami jerseys on a field with kids 461 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 1: wearing Paris and Jaman Manchester City barcelon of the work. 462 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 1: So it's the first time I've ever seen it, and 463 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: I hope it's like a glimpse of the future. 464 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 3: Well, and to that point, just to put a button 465 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 3: on that, Roger, what you said holds true there, which 466 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:51,960 Speaker 3: is Americans love the best. Messi's the best like and 467 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:55,880 Speaker 3: that's it, like case clothes. That's why they're wearing the jersey, right. 468 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean he is. He is the best by 469 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,919 Speaker 1: some levels. What he can do. I mean, it's like 470 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: watching a little ewok capable of doing like just transcendent 471 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: athleticism capped off with his World Cup win after four failures. 472 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 1: I mean, I mean, ay, Rod, you and you know 473 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: that winning tenacity failure or that that link of that 474 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: hero's journey where he capped it off by winning the 475 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: World Cup. A game where when you lose a World 476 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 1: Cup final, I mean, I write about this in the book, 477 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: half the players on the field become irrelevant, and then 478 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: half the players on the field become utterly immortal in 479 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: their nation's history, woven in forever. And that's what he became. 480 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 2: In that movement in Miami. 481 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 1: You have a demi god walking amongst men, and it's 482 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: really incredible to see America embrace him in the way 483 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 1: the rest of the world does. 484 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 4: And there's a lot of messy that feels like bird 485 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 4: like he was a magician. 486 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 2: You don't know how he did it, but he was 487 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 2: just like the best. 488 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:51,639 Speaker 4: But I will say this and I'll share the story 489 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 4: a real quick one I was down in Italy and 490 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,920 Speaker 4: I got the gravity of football. When I was down 491 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 4: in South Italy. The taxi driver says to me. 492 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:03,360 Speaker 2: I said, how big is Maradonna? 493 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 4: Because we just passed the stadium in which he won 494 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 4: the championship, right an old stadium, Yeah, yeah, in Naples. 495 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:13,880 Speaker 4: And he says, you gotta understand, sir. He says, there's Maradonna, 496 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 4: there's God, and then there's my family. 497 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 2: And he was under selling you. 498 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: I mean, by the way Maradonna destroyed the English team 499 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: I supported as a kid. I'm as American as Kenny Powers. 500 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 1: Now I love America, But back when I was a 501 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: kid and I'm watched thing, Maradonna destroyed my English team 502 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty two. He punched the ball into the net. 503 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: It was the most for me as a as a 504 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: sports fan. It was the most searing emotion of my life. 505 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 1: The anger, the injustice, just the he then minutes later 506 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,679 Speaker 1: destroyed the whole team, run through ten men, finished the 507 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 1: most transcending goal I've ever seen. And I now have 508 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: on my wall opposite my broadcast a space, I have 509 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: a signed image that Maradonna signed himself of that moment 510 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 1: of him punching the ball. It mostly because with age, 511 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 1: I've realized that seering memory. You treasure that searing memory 512 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: as much as a joyous one because of its profundity. 513 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 1: And that's what I'll finished by saying, is what the 514 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 1: World Cup gives us. These memories that you know are 515 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: all the more profound because the whole world is experiencing 516 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: them alongside you, making collective, cross generational memories that you 517 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 1: will carry forever. And that's the greatest gift of sport. 518 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,679 Speaker 1: It's the greatest gift of Maradonna. Anyone who watched you 519 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: the plate and key moments deliver with the crucible of 520 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,159 Speaker 1: pressure on your shoulders, nose that you did it. We 521 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:37,640 Speaker 1: just watched it. But it is the memory making which 522 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: is ultimately the power of the sport, and there's nothing 523 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: more powerful than the World Cup. 524 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 3: Well, Roger, it has been raj. I feel like I 525 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,360 Speaker 3: can call you. It has been such a pleasure. I'm 526 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:50,680 Speaker 3: a big fan, and I have a lot of people 527 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,919 Speaker 3: in my life who are who are also very devoted listeners, 528 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 3: and we're very excited for me to get out this conversation. 529 00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:58,680 Speaker 3: I'm going to hold up the book for those watching 530 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 3: on video. We are World Cup. It is a fantastic read. 531 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:04,960 Speaker 3: I came to understand a lot more about the game, 532 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,199 Speaker 3: a lot more about you. It's very it's it's a deeply, 533 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 3: deeply personal book. So congratulations on that. I can't wait 534 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 3: to listen all of your coverage of the World Cup 535 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 3: and uh and and just keep up the keep up 536 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 3: the great work. We didn't get a chance to talk 537 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,199 Speaker 3: about the business of men and Blazers, which is an 538 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 3: incredible feat and of itself. 539 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:22,160 Speaker 2: It's incredible. 540 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,359 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's an incredible time to be covering 541 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: football in this nation. It is. It's as if we're 542 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: like the mel Kiper and Peter Gammonds of what they 543 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,280 Speaker 1: were when I moved to America. But we're doing it 544 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,919 Speaker 1: for football. And it's just the greatest story of my 545 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 1: life to be able to do it. And I wish 546 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,719 Speaker 1: I was a Rod's investment banker who's going to get 547 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: a cool five minutes after we. 548 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:43,720 Speaker 2: Go find league team. 549 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 3: And send Roger Bennettt find your's face anyway, all right, 550 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 3: co really good to be with you. 551 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you, Thank you. 552 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 3: The Deal hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly. This 553 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 3: episode was made by Alexis HoTT and Stacy Wong. Will 554 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 3: Connolly is our video editor and our theme music is made. 555 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 2: By Blake Naples. 556 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 3: Our executive producers are Ashley Zingaro and Amy Keene. Additional 557 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 3: support from Rachel Carnivale, Nick Silva, and Elena Los Angeles. 558 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 3: Thanks so much for listening to the deal. If you 559 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 3: have a minute, subscribe, rate and review our show. It'll 560 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 3: help other listeners find us. I'm Jason Kelly. See you 561 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 3: next week.