WEBVTT - Sebastian Lletget / Excalibur 0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:05.920 Welcome to the Sports Bubble, a production of I Heart 0:00:05.960 --> 0:00:14.160 Radio Entree Fork Media. My name is Jensen Carp and 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:17.279 I'm a sports fan and I'm just as into jersey swaps. 0:00:17.480 --> 0:00:19.080 If you don't know what I'm talking about, well then 0:00:19.079 --> 0:00:21.200 you don't watch games long enough because at the way 0:00:21.239 --> 0:00:24.079 way end, two players from opposing teams seen mostly in 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:27.560 the NBA and NFL will exchange jerseys, probably to hang 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:29.360 in their game room and show off. During an episode 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.040 of MTV Cribs in two thousand two, I mean, Dwyane 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:34.640 Wade exchange jerseys with someone after every game during his 0:00:34.720 --> 0:00:37.320 final season, and Brandon Marshall claims we have traded like 0:00:37.360 --> 0:00:40.280 two hundred for his collection. But new COVID rules in 0:00:40.280 --> 0:00:42.240 the NFL say that this is one of the many 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:44.760 things that has to go in the upcoming year. So 0:00:44.960 --> 0:00:47.279 let's get this straight. Dudes could run at each other 0:00:47.280 --> 0:00:50.559 at full speed, slam into one another with spit flying everywhere, 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:53.680 but as far as passing each other a piece of clothing, no, 0:00:54.240 --> 0:00:57.320 that's where we draw the line. Dude. None of this 0:00:57.400 --> 0:01:00.080 makes sense, which is why I'm still interviewing athlete to 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:03.720 sports ind suprofessionals today for my fiftieth episode finding out 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:06.600 how they're doing during this very weird time because someone 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:09.640 has to. This is the Sports Bubble with Jensen Cart. 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:16.039 The MLS is back, and if you didn't know that, well, 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:18.800 the league named their return games in Orlando, Florida. The 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:21.559 MLS is Back Tournament. And if you heard our recent 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:24.200 episode with Bradley Wright Phillips, you know that most players 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:27.600 aren't exactly excited with this attempt at normalcy. So with 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:30.240 the tournament starting this week and now with two teams 0:01:30.280 --> 0:01:32.600 removed for positive tests, I want to check in with 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:35.640 another player, this time Sebastian Lagette from the rival l 0:01:35.680 --> 0:01:38.640 A Galaxy, currently hunkered down in a hotel room, only 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:40.959 leaving the confines of his bed and scratch pad when 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:43.559 it's time to practice or play. He started his career 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:46.560 at seventeen after being scouted by west Ham United, then 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:48.560 playing a few years with them in the Premier League 0:01:48.560 --> 0:01:51.280 and experience that involved him getting mono and seeing a 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:53.520 whole lot of intensity as a team. He then signed 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:55.480 to the Galaxy and joined Major League Soccer in two 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:58.120 thousand fifteen and has become one of the most reliable 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:00.800 and marketable elements of the squad. He's also a U 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:03.760 S national team midfielder who's played all over the globe. 0:02:04.000 --> 0:02:06.880 But inside a Disney World bubble, well that's a new one. 0:02:07.360 --> 0:02:09.520 In this episode, I speak to Sebastian about the latest 0:02:09.560 --> 0:02:11.840 at the Happiest Place on Earth, the racism he saw 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:14.160 on the sport Overseas, and we play a game where 0:02:14.200 --> 0:02:16.040 we see if he actually knows the song titles from 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:19.320 his girlfriend, singer and actress Becky g It's a contest 0:02:19.360 --> 0:02:21.239 that can either make or break the bond of love. 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:24.240 And in another installment of Pandemic, I talked to my friend, 0:02:24.320 --> 0:02:27.320 a e W announcer ex Caliber, a man already in 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:29.800 a mask every day, to see how the virus and 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:33.760 wrestling industries outing of sexual abusers has affected his experience 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:36.359 at work. Games are in full effect now, so it's 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:50.120 time we go into the sports bubble from sebast leg 0:02:50.880 --> 0:02:56.960 to accept press one. Hello Sebastian, Hi, how's it going man? 0:02:57.000 --> 0:02:59.240 I know you're busy, so I appreciate you getting on 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:01.519 the phone with me today. No no, no, no, say no. 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:04.359 Thanks for having me man, It's good to speak to you. Good. Well, 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:07.440 I'm very excited. I know you were currently in Orlando 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:09.880 getting ready for the MLS is Back tournament that kicks 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:13.240 off technically tonight. Fingers crossed. How how long have you 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:16.240 been in Florida now? So yeah, well we got in 0:03:16.320 --> 0:03:19.360 on Monday. I've I've lost track of days so far, Harry, 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:21.079 I mean even in the short time that I've been here. 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:25.079 But I believe it's Wednesday, uh time, I'm not mistaking 0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:27.560 and uh yeah, and I mean it's yeah, you know, 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:30.640 it's been. It's been very very interesting. I mean, unfortunately 0:03:30.639 --> 0:03:33.040 our training kidding got called off because of thunder and 0:03:33.120 --> 0:03:35.640 lightning and the strong rain, so that was kind of 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:38.080 a weird. Obviously has nothing to do with COVID, but 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:40.640 you know, I guess just where we are that as 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:43.000 far as locations, but it's you know, the rooms have 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:45.520 been okay. That the hotel obviously, I mean the fact 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:47.440 that they got this all together in the short amount 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:51.000 of time is obviously pretty impressive. But yeah, it's uh, 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:53.080 I guess I'll find out more as the days come. 0:03:53.280 --> 0:03:55.920 I will tell you to Like, it's so crazy that 0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:57.800 you now have to put up with thunder and lightning 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:00.960 after COVID. I mean it's like when will when will 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:04.320 any of these sports catch a break. Yeahible, So tell 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:08.920 me about traveling to Orlando. What was that like on Monday? 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:10.720 How did you get there? How did they make sure 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:13.400 that you got from the airport to the hotel safely? 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:16.400 If you can explain that process. Yeah, I mean as 0:04:16.440 --> 0:04:19.680 far as our administrators back uh, you know, him organizing 0:04:19.720 --> 0:04:22.240 and being kind of our our go to leader, as 0:04:22.279 --> 0:04:25.039 far as like you know, organizing everything, telling us you know, 0:04:25.040 --> 0:04:27.640 where to go, all following on the protocols. You know, 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:30.839 it was fairly simple. And especially for us, you know, 0:04:30.880 --> 0:04:33.279 as athletes, we we don't do well with all the 0:04:33.320 --> 0:04:36.560 complicated processes, so it was very simplified for us. And 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:38.960 you know, it wasn't it wasn't too bad. The flight 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:42.800 was was okay, you know, movie feel private and and 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:45.400 and it was nice. Everything else up to that point, obviously, 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:48.440 I think the most unsettling part was just knowing that 0:04:48.640 --> 0:04:52.120 they're unfortunite. There is cases that have been coming up 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:54.320 positive in the bubble, you know. I think that was 0:04:54.360 --> 0:04:56.680 the most you know, coming into the hotel and it's 0:04:56.720 --> 0:04:59.320 just very like like what are we walking into? You know, 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:02.640 and you know, as of now on and the nobody's 0:05:02.680 --> 0:05:05.919 tested positive, and so I guess that that's a that 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:09.440 is a positive in a way. Um, but just getting yeah, 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:11.839 from from there, playing onto the bus and just getting 0:05:11.880 --> 0:05:14.080 us here, I mean it was kind of like you ordinary, 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:17.560 ordinary way of just you know, when we play as 0:05:17.560 --> 0:05:20.920 a visiting team to another uh in another city. You know, 0:05:21.279 --> 0:05:23.680 they're kind of like a regular protocol in that sense. 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:26.400 But again, I guess just the most unsiddening part was 0:05:26.520 --> 0:05:30.800 just knowing that you're kind of walking into some uncertain territory. Yeah, 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:33.320 and and they appear to be doing a lot right, 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:35.440 But like you said, the FC Dallas had to pull 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:37.880 out of the tournament for eleven positive tests. You know, 0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:40.360 that's supposedly before the bubble. And then we heard now 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:43.360 Nashville and the Chicago game for opening night was postponed. 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:44.880 I mean, I'm not saying that you have to walk 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:47.200 around in like a hazmat suit, but you guys are 0:05:47.240 --> 0:05:51.000 definitely are there things you're doing to be careful. I 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:53.919 think personally a lot of us, you know, I know 0:05:53.960 --> 0:05:55.479 a lot of guys are on the league, you know, 0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:58.240 through national team, through you know, guys I've played with 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:00.280 and and we were all I think in the very 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:03.120 very beginning when it was greenlit you know that this 0:06:03.200 --> 0:06:06.520 was happening. We're very excited and working like, oh, you know, 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:08.279 at least we're gonna have each other and we can't 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:13.320 hang around, and I think now we're moving forward. We're like, dude, 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:16.800 like stayed, You're sitting in your room, don't you know? 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:19.680 I like, I love you, but like it's just you 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:23.320 just don't know. I guess the problem is the incubation 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:26.000 period that even if you haven't you don't even really know, 0:06:26.600 --> 0:06:29.240 you know, before you even have any symptoms. So that 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:31.280 I think that's the main problem, you know, is that 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:34.760 we we we all could or someone could have it, 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:38.520 but they're not showing absolutely anything and and they're probably 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:42.039 coming up negative because it's just the way the virus works. 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:45.000 So it's like that, you know, that's the part that 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:47.119 really sucks. You know, it's not even what we thought 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:50.400 it was. It could be off the field. So that's um, 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.480 you know that that's definitely a downer. How often are 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:57.760 you guys being tested now? So when we got here immediately, uh, 0:06:57.760 --> 0:07:00.880 and then we were quarantined until the next day and 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:03.640 then had like a mid day testing again. So then 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:07.120 after that, you after you come up negative twice. You'll 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:09.120 then be able to kind of walk around the hotel 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:11.440 and and sort of just kind of do your own 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:13.640 thing and be a little bit more free, even though 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:15.720 I don't think I think anybody ever even did that, 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:18.920 but you have the access to and I believe we're 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:21.000 getting tested tomorrow, So I think it's every other day. 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:23.080 I'm kind of learning as I go, to be honest 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:24.760 with you, because I think it's yeah, you know, there's 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.160 a lot of that. There's nothing really set in stone. Well, 0:07:27.160 --> 0:07:28.720 you kind of mentioned that you guys are in the 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:32.160 Swan and Dolphin Hotel a Disney World. Uh is it 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:34.280 just all players? Are you just walking around and when 0:07:34.280 --> 0:07:37.680 you get back you just it's pretty much all you guys. Yeah, yeah, 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:39.360 I guess, I mean, yeah, I guess that's nice. It 0:07:39.360 --> 0:07:41.080 seems that, you know, there is a lot of space, 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:43.040 because yeah, it is us, and I think for the 0:07:43.040 --> 0:07:45.080 most part, everybody is kind of in the room anyways. 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:46.720 There's not even a lot of people in sight. To 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:48.160 be honest with you, it's not it's not like what 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:50.480 you'd think, you know everybody because I think keeping their 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:52.440 distance for now, Yeah, what are you doing when you're 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:54.400 not playing or practicing, Like are you just in your 0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:56.880 room on your phone and well, I mean yeah, I 0:07:56.880 --> 0:07:59.040 mean today with the thunder and then the light being 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:01.280 you know, kind of cancer kind of through our our 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.600 schedule a little bit off. We just had lunch. There's 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:05.640 a little bit of a like a coffee bar here 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:07.800 that a couple of my teammates just went to. So 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:09.800 we had you know, we had a coffee there, you know, 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.440 a little bit of normality. I guess doing our best. 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:14.520 But I mean, for the most part, you don't like, 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:16.280 you don't much. I mean we have a little lounges, 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:18.600 you know, but you can only get so much a thing. 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:24.800 Pong Sebastian. I'm gonna be honest, this sounds terrible. It on. 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:28.520 I can't, I can't get this. Yeah, it's tough, man. 0:08:28.560 --> 0:08:30.520 I mean I think we've all gone to the point 0:08:30.760 --> 0:08:32.520 or we've gone over the point of like, okay, you 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:34.559 know we're gonna be away from our families. I think 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:37.160 at this point. Yeah, it's it's it's just we know 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:39.240 we're gonna be here for a while. If if you know, 0:08:39.400 --> 0:08:42.079 even if you do, uh, you know, go on to 0:08:42.120 --> 0:08:44.440 the next round and things like that. At the tournament, 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:47.440 so we're prepared to like be here for a while. 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:50.320 But it's you're right, it's it's I don't think it's 0:08:50.360 --> 0:08:52.000 gonna be easy at all. I think it's gonna be 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:53.800 far from easy. I think it's gonna maybe, you know, 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:56.560 even just me the first day year, being in the 0:08:56.679 --> 0:08:58.920 in the room just kind of like for for hours. 0:08:59.080 --> 0:09:01.080 You know, I'm not not like, you know, taking a break, 0:09:01.080 --> 0:09:02.760 going to hang out with some of the guys. It 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:04.720 was like hours just in the room. You're just like, 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:07.200 oh man, this is there's gonna be a mental grind. 0:09:07.400 --> 0:09:09.199 You know, this is gonna be uh, there's gonna be 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:11.280 a grind nun not only physically on the field, but 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:14.240 definitely a mental one. Yeah. I guarantee you every player 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:16.840 is gonna at some point ask each other. You catch 0:09:16.880 --> 0:09:19.640 anything new on Netflix. I mean you're gonna start hitting 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.200 that cycle, right, Yeah, you're gonna you're gonna have to 0:09:22.200 --> 0:09:26.600 resort the Yeah. I mean, I luckily, luckily, luckily have 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:28.800 a hobby of doing arts, so I like kind of 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:30.800 do my own thing in that sense, and I love 0:09:30.840 --> 0:09:32.680 doing that, so I kind of have that, you know, 0:09:32.720 --> 0:09:35.600 I don't I guess don't look just the technology in 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:37.480 a way thankfully. I mean I've kind of had to 0:09:37.520 --> 0:09:40.080 force myself because it's really easy obviously to all of us, 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:43.080 as we all know, so, but yeah, no, no, it is. 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:44.920 I mean again, there's only so much you can do. 0:09:45.040 --> 0:09:47.640 It's it's crazy. You're gonna have a whole solo show 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:51.800 done by the end of this thing. Oh man, It's yeah, 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:54.000 well we'll see, we'll see what comes out of this. 0:09:54.200 --> 0:09:56.000 Are you drawing or you bring paints and everything? What 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:57.839 are you doing now? And now I want to know? Yeah, 0:09:57.920 --> 0:10:00.400 I love Yeah, I love to draw, man. I love joint. 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:02.640 I've always loved it. But I've also I got back 0:10:02.679 --> 0:10:04.920 into it during the quarantine, you know, staying at I'm 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:07.160 I was like, I mean it's kind of like here 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:08.880 where you're just like, oh, you know, you kind of 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:10.839 have to think about some things to keep your mind 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:13.559 busy and and to stimulate, you know, but not only 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:15.839 with technology. I'm like, there's obviously that's an easy go 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:18.640 to for anybody, but I just you know, take a 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:21.080 break from it. It's always nice, you know. Yeah, well, 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:23.920 I you know, first couple of days it went viral 0:10:24.040 --> 0:10:26.480 with the food with MLS and a couple of people rebelling. 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:28.320 I just want you to let me know, has the 0:10:28.400 --> 0:10:30.920 has the food gotten better? You don't wait, it has 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:33.960 I know, Yeah, I'm not sure it's people one of 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:36.840 the later teams to come in. So, yeah, you're right. 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:39.360 I didn't see that part of things personally, so I 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:42.520 can't say to that. But it hasn't been that bad. Yeah, 0:10:42.559 --> 0:10:45.839 that part has been okay. Yeah, so yeah, we we 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:48.080 We haven't had too too bead of an experience. A 0:10:48.080 --> 0:10:52.360 step above airplane, step above everybody. I think, you know what, 0:10:53.160 --> 0:10:54.840 I'm a big fan of salmon, and the same has 0:10:54.880 --> 0:10:57.000 been and the same has been pretty good. But I 0:10:57.000 --> 0:10:58.960 can't hate too much. I can't too much. That's why 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:01.400 I like to hear. Okay, So with all this in mind, 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:04.400 and with you know, a couple of players, teammates such 0:11:04.440 --> 0:11:08.720 not showing up, did you ever contemplate not not going? Ah? Well, 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:10.760 I mean if you spoke to my girlfriend answer that, 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:13.440 oh my god, she's my She was serious that we 0:11:13.440 --> 0:11:19.280 were so people were doing this. But I mean me again, 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:22.360 I I do miss the game. Do I think that 0:11:23.080 --> 0:11:26.199 this is right? It's tough, you know, it's I'm in 0:11:26.240 --> 0:11:28.320 the middle. I think where most players are, you know, 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:31.960 it's is it the safest, Probably not. But do I 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:33.400 love the sport and do I want to get back 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:35.120 to playing, of course, you know what I mean. So 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:38.040 it's you're kind of I'm in the middle, you know. 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:41.520 It's and and again, I think everybody is in a 0:11:41.520 --> 0:11:44.760 different situation. You know, someone like like Bella, you know, 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:47.760 who has you know, his wife is pregnant. And we 0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:49.760 have a couple of guys on our team that's that 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:52.520 have had a similar situation. So it is tough. People 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:56.679 who have families are leaving, you know. I'm I'm technically 0:11:56.920 --> 0:11:59.520 just with my girlfriend and things like that. So it's 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:01.320 I guess it's a little bit easier for me to 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:03.800 just you know, go all right, I'm just gonna go 0:12:03.880 --> 0:12:05.640 to Lando, do my job, and then I'll see you 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:08.040 in a month, you know. But for other guys, it's 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:10.199 it's a little bit different. I don't I don't think 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:13.240 you have it much easier that you have to decide between. No, 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:15.440 it's still it's hard in a different way. Yeah, you're 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:18.480 deciding between a quarantine with singer actress Becky g or 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:20.760 hanging out at a coffee bar with one of your teammates. 0:12:21.080 --> 0:12:24.480 I don't think you have a much all right, Uh yeah, man, 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:27.280 I know it's so tough to well. The MLS has 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:30.280 tried to sort of involve steaks with money prizes and 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:32.800 later tournament births and such. But now that you're there 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:35.040 and you've talked to your teammates, were winning this tournament 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:37.600 actually means something to you guys? Is winning it as 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:39.840 much as just getting back out there. I mean again, 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:43.320 I think we're all we were all, especially in the beginning, 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:46.360 very excited that this was another opportunity to you know, 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:49.680 to win something, to compete again, to come together and 0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:52.160 and just play and you know, maybe hope that we 0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:56.280 can continue some sort of league after after this tournament, 0:12:56.800 --> 0:13:00.319 even though chances are it's not looking you know, it 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:04.160 doesn't look bright. But I think it's an opportunity for 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:07.360 us to win. And I think that, you know, we're 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:09.319 definitely excited about that part, you know what I mean. So, 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:13.480 I mean, for me on an individual standpoint, it's I 0:13:13.520 --> 0:13:15.920 think it'll be good. You know. Again, it's just like 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:18.480 as it's the safest, you know, I don't know, you 0:13:18.520 --> 0:13:20.280 know that. I think that's just kind of that's the 0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:22.800 little cloud that's kind of hanging over us. You know 0:13:22.840 --> 0:13:26.040 pun intended. Well today you have it no matter who wins, 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:27.880 though you did get to do this awesome Back to 0:13:27.920 --> 0:13:30.800 the Future promo video in a DeLorean is Marty McFly 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:33.360 So I consider you to be the real winner. Whose 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:38.920 idea was making that video? Oh man our um Brendan Hannon, Yeah, 0:13:38.960 --> 0:13:42.040 he is awesome with those ideas. He is, he's been, 0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:44.480 he's been great. Yeah, he called me out. It's funny 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:47.800 because I watched We're in Quarantine stage and I was 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:51.400 watching it. Just so happens that two days before he 0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:54.080 text me, I watched all three as like a marathon, 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:57.199 all three of the movies, and I remember that game 0:13:57.280 --> 0:13:59.520 during the movie, you know, just like like like a kid, 0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:01.760 like I wonder what it's like actually like being in 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:03.840 the car. Yeah, I'm I'm sure as we all did 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:06.680 and do what. He texts you that I was over 0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:09.080 the moon, dude. It was Yeah, it was crazy. I 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:11.120 was like, oh, this is pretty cool. I was excited 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:12.920 for that. Yeah, well worth it just for that. For 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:15.720 I did want to know with players on the bench 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:18.640 having to wear masks. I played soccer as a kid 0:14:18.760 --> 0:14:22.520 and it was like such an intense sport, you know, Uh, 0:14:22.560 --> 0:14:26.040 as far as running, and I mean, can you catch 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:27.680 your breath if you have to put on a mask 0:14:27.760 --> 0:14:30.360 immediately when you get on the sideline? Yeah, I know 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:32.200 it's tough. I mean even just walking around with it. 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:33.840 I think you do get used to it, like I 0:14:34.240 --> 0:14:36.560 I you know, I compared to when I first started 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:39.440 wearing the mask. Uh, you know, even just whenever you 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:43.080 go out to the grocery store or whatever. It's it's 0:14:43.080 --> 0:14:45.080 just taking getting used to. I can only imagine. I 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:46.560 mean at first I thought we were gonna have to 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:48.320 play in them, and I was like, this is I mean, 0:14:48.360 --> 0:14:50.440 this is too much. I mean, there there's probably no chance, 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:55.720 especially in this in this Orlando weather, and there's absolutely zero, 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:57.560 you know, unless you just want us all walking around 0:14:57.560 --> 0:15:00.960 on the field just no hunched over her, hands on knees. 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:03.240 But I mean, as far as the bench, I think 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:05.000 if you're set, if you sat down, I don't think 0:15:05.040 --> 0:15:06.400 it will be too much of an issue. But if 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:08.800 you have to start jogging and you know, or or 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:10.800 when you immediately get off the field and you're out 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:13.040 of breath, I mean, I'm I'm sure it'll be tough. 0:15:13.960 --> 0:15:17.240 So again, yeah, we're definitely not going to play under 0:15:17.280 --> 0:15:21.440 the most ideal scenario. Yeah, and you mentioned Carlos Villa 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:24.320 out for for l A f C. Will the rivalry 0:15:24.360 --> 0:15:27.240 game against the Galaxy, Well, that's still you know, is 0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:28.800 that still going to be what it usually is? Is Is 0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:31.760 it's still going to have that intensity. I mean, I 0:15:31.800 --> 0:15:34.000 think when it comes down to it, I think when 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:36.240 we're when we when kickoff happens and we all look 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.160 at each other, and you know, on the other side 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:40.680 of that that line is is that badge? And and 0:15:40.760 --> 0:15:43.400 of course it'll most least for me because I've taken 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:45.360 part in so many of the rivalry games. I think 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:48.560 it will will surface, you know, that tension and and 0:15:48.840 --> 0:15:50.640 you know, any chance to be the L A C 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:53.280 will will always be a chance I want to take, 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:57.120 you know. But but again, yeah, even I mean whoever plays, 0:15:57.160 --> 0:15:59.760 you know, it shouldn't matter that Carlos plays or not. 0:15:59.840 --> 0:16:02.040 You I mean, it's it's about a team thing and 0:16:02.040 --> 0:16:04.200 and this is an opportunity for us, but you know, 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:07.000 so we have to take it, you know, especially for 0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:09.680 our fans, for people watching back com. It's only right 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:13.280 that we that we give it all. You know. I 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:17.000 did talk to someone playing in the women's tournament now, 0:16:17.040 --> 0:16:19.640 and she said that there was some sound for televised. 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:20.960 I mean, do you know if they're going to be 0:16:20.960 --> 0:16:24.600 piping in anything audience wise? That's a good question. I 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:27.760 I don't nobody said anything to me personally, but I'm 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:31.040 assuming just I know, the games in in the in 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:33.640 the Premier League, you know, I think you have the option. 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:37.320 I think for us maybe just considering how or where 0:16:37.320 --> 0:16:38.840 the games are going to be played. You know, it's 0:16:38.840 --> 0:16:40.760 just I mean, it's obviously gonna be an at stadium, 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:44.280 not you know, not not much around us. You know, 0:16:44.280 --> 0:16:46.800 we're the people know we're in Orlando. I don't know, 0:16:46.880 --> 0:16:49.560 I would assume that that. I think they would put 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:52.760 on put on some noise, just because I think unless 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:55.240 people want to hear, you know, maybe the screaming it's 0:16:55.240 --> 0:16:58.000 more intimate. It depends on the viewer, you know what 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:01.000 I mean, what type of experience if you want. It's 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:03.120 funny you brought up the Premier League. You you played 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:05.880 there at such a young age, and some of your 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:09.800 progress was actually kind of hurt because of Mono, because 0:17:09.800 --> 0:17:12.600 of a virus. Yeah, no, I know, I tesn't forget 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.840 about that. It's crazy. Did you feel those effects later 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:17.480 in your life. Like I know a lot of people 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:19.719 are nervous about that with with coronavirus, that it's not 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:22.280 just the few months that you have it that you're 0:17:22.280 --> 0:17:24.119 gonna do you steal, Do you like feel any of 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:26.399 the effects. Yeah, I mean that's the problem, right, I 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:28.520 mean I already I haven't really even thought of that, 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:31.120 Like you're actually, yeah, you've actually reminded me. I didn't 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:34.199 even know that could even be like a you know, 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:36.400 something that that carries on with you, you know, But 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:38.760 with COVID, I mean, we don't know like that, we 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:41.040 don't have those answers. So that's like it's kind of 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:43.119 like the most unsettling poor two where it's like I 0:17:43.119 --> 0:17:46.479 don't know if there's the stats because okay, I I know, 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:50.720 you know, maybe guys that get it aren't going to die, 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:54.240 but it's like what happened later, Like will their lung 0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:57.480 capacity be affected? Will you know, well they have sences 0:17:57.560 --> 0:18:00.600 later that I think people that have you know, obviously 0:18:00.640 --> 0:18:02.359 I checked the news and stuff that you know, guys 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:04.399 have been our people have been interviewed and they have 0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:07.360 under a hundred days plus of symptoms and you're just like, 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:09.240 but I'd be one of those people, you know, I 0:18:09.240 --> 0:18:11.280 don't you don't know, Yeah, okay, there could be a 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:14.159 hundred people that you know asymptomatic. But then there's that 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:17.600 one where it's like it's really really bad. So it's 0:18:17.640 --> 0:18:19.520 so much up in the air. That's why you know 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:22.520 it's a tough one now, it really is. Uh. Well, 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:24.720 the big signing uh during the off season for the 0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:28.239 Galaxy and MLS in general was Javier Hernandez, who was 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:30.720 only able to play two games of MLS before the 0:18:30.720 --> 0:18:33.120 work stopped. Is it difficult for him to get situated 0:18:33.119 --> 0:18:35.240 with his new teammates because of all this? Like, do 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:38.400 you think it's it's much more difficult? Well, I think 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:40.439 it's not ideal, But I think he's done all that 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:42.880 he can and that you know, he's done everything that's 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:45.840 been asked of him, and you know, he's I think 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.400 he's been a good addition, you know, on and off 0:18:48.440 --> 0:18:50.840 the field. And again he hasn't really had any real 0:18:50.920 --> 0:18:53.560 chance to kind of deal with everybody. I mean, the 0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:57.280 game on Tuesday will be our first game you know 0:18:57.400 --> 0:19:00.880 since we played Vancouver at home back in back in March. 0:19:01.040 --> 0:19:03.320 You know, it's like like and then we haven't even 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:06.080 played a friendly against anybody. We only played against ourselves 0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:08.920 in you know, we haven't even really got to ninety 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:11.560 minutes yet. So it's like, you know, in that sense 0:19:12.080 --> 0:19:14.240 of course, we we absolutely want to do our best 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:17.560 in this and there's no excuses. But again, the preparation, 0:19:18.240 --> 0:19:22.040 it's not your ordinary preseason. How did you stay? Yeah, 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:26.159 oh my god, Yeah, it was very limited resources, especially 0:19:26.200 --> 0:19:28.800 in the beginning because obviously you're very scared at that point, 0:19:29.040 --> 0:19:31.640 because you know, when when the day at a home 0:19:31.720 --> 0:19:34.600 order kind of came in California, you're just like, oh 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:37.360 my god, like what is going to happen. So even 0:19:37.400 --> 0:19:39.840 even just kind of doing things in the street was 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:42.120 like a stretch, you know. But as time went on 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:44.639 and people started to kind of, you know, really follow 0:19:44.640 --> 0:19:47.480 the protocols and it felt a little bit safer just 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:51.119 lea people outside, I resorted to just running on the street. 0:19:52.040 --> 0:19:54.200 It was it was crazy, man, I mean it kind 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:56.520 of went back to the basics. You didn't really have 0:19:56.560 --> 0:19:59.840 a choice, you know. So yeah, you know, one thing 0:20:00.000 --> 0:20:02.320 for sure, we'll never forget this time. You know, know 0:20:02.480 --> 0:20:05.639 what we brought up the happy signing of Javier Hernandez. 0:20:05.680 --> 0:20:07.520 I have to ask because people want to know, has 0:20:07.560 --> 0:20:11.040 anyone heard from Latan since since he left, you know what, 0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:13.040 To be honest with you, no, no, not at all. 0:20:13.119 --> 0:20:15.880 I mean that once he that good one. I didn't 0:20:15.920 --> 0:20:19.119 even say goodbye to us, but he, uh once he 0:20:19.720 --> 0:20:22.640 whatever posted something on Instagram. I think that was it. Yeah, 0:20:22.720 --> 0:20:25.880 that was that. Yeah, that was well. I mean that's 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:28.240 just you know, that's just him. Yeah, he's not a 0:20:28.320 --> 0:20:32.480 chill dude. This is an interesting character for sure. Not chill. 0:20:33.240 --> 0:20:35.679 On your social media, you've been very vocal with your 0:20:35.720 --> 0:20:37.960 support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the horrific 0:20:38.080 --> 0:20:40.879 after the horrific killing of George Floyd, and MLS has 0:20:40.880 --> 0:20:43.439 been encouraging any players to make a statement. But I 0:20:43.480 --> 0:20:46.120 was I was super disappointed to see the league call 0:20:46.200 --> 0:20:49.480 off the national anthem, citing it's because fans aren't going 0:20:49.560 --> 0:20:51.240 to be there and it wasn't needed. Do you think 0:20:51.280 --> 0:20:53.280 it's it's that or do you think it's them avoiding 0:20:53.280 --> 0:20:56.920 the kneeling dilemma? I mean, yeah, this is the first 0:20:57.000 --> 0:21:00.720 that I hear of this. I didn't even know. Uh, 0:21:00.800 --> 0:21:03.280 you know, I think we're gonna have a meeting about this, 0:21:03.560 --> 0:21:05.720 you know, just to be ready for anything that, so 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:08.920 I guess we're not doing the national anthem. I definitely 0:21:08.960 --> 0:21:11.399 believe strongly, you know, in what's happening in the movement 0:21:11.400 --> 0:21:13.399 of Black Lives Matter. So it's in any way that 0:21:13.400 --> 0:21:15.920 I can support my you know, my brothers and sisters 0:21:15.960 --> 0:21:17.960 that are black. I mean, I'm gonna do it. You know. 0:21:18.040 --> 0:21:20.080 If kneeling is the way to do that, then that's 0:21:20.080 --> 0:21:22.240 something that's that I will exercise, you know what I mean. 0:21:22.359 --> 0:21:24.680 But again, I'm not sure where their head was with 0:21:24.720 --> 0:21:27.600 all this, but yeah, you know, I'm definitely in support 0:21:27.600 --> 0:21:31.760 of anything that would definitely, you know, make their voices louder. Yeah. Man, 0:21:31.800 --> 0:21:36.080 you're from San Francisco. You're the heart of protesting diverse man. Yeah, 0:21:36.160 --> 0:21:38.520 I know, the heart of her. I know. Man. Yeah, 0:21:38.720 --> 0:21:42.560 it's you know, it's definitely a shame of what's happening. 0:21:42.600 --> 0:21:45.400 But if you know, we definitely all have to just 0:21:46.480 --> 0:21:48.159 we have to be change, man. You know, if we 0:21:48.200 --> 0:21:49.640 want to see it, we have to be it, and 0:21:49.800 --> 0:21:52.439 in any way we can, you know, even even just 0:21:52.440 --> 0:21:55.600 seeing a couple of the guys put out MLS as 0:21:55.680 --> 0:21:58.440 black I think yesterday they released it. I think it's 0:21:58.480 --> 0:22:01.720 a foundation or an organization that a lot of the 0:22:01.720 --> 0:22:03.480 black players in this league have put together, and I 0:22:03.520 --> 0:22:06.119 think it's awesome. You know, one of my good friends, 0:22:06.160 --> 0:22:08.440 Sean Johnson, I think it is one of the one 0:22:08.440 --> 0:22:10.480 of the leaders in it, and you know, I commend 0:22:10.560 --> 0:22:12.440 him for doing that. You know, it's it's I think 0:22:12.440 --> 0:22:14.600 it's inspired a lot of people just to really, you know, 0:22:14.800 --> 0:22:17.120 realize that they have a voice. I think it's great. Yeah, 0:22:17.160 --> 0:22:18.879 and at a very young age, like we said, you 0:22:18.880 --> 0:22:21.480 you had some stops at the Premier League, moving to 0:22:21.520 --> 0:22:24.760 Europe and your teens. We know, racial issues have played 0:22:24.960 --> 0:22:27.280 the sport. There was that something you noticed. I mean, 0:22:27.280 --> 0:22:30.359 it's such a I guess an integral time of your life. Yeah, totally. 0:22:30.400 --> 0:22:33.240 I I I've heard coaches say some some brutal things, 0:22:33.280 --> 0:22:34.960 you know, I'm not going to say who or what 0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:38.760 they said, but it's it's been there. And again it's 0:22:38.800 --> 0:22:42.600 because I'm I'm wide and or my skin color is 0:22:42.600 --> 0:22:46.280 not it's not black. I've been able to you know whatever, 0:22:46.440 --> 0:22:48.080 Like you hear it, but you don't have to really 0:22:48.119 --> 0:22:50.000 deal with it, you know. I think that's important part 0:22:50.000 --> 0:22:51.880 of the conversation is that we all have to deal 0:22:51.920 --> 0:22:54.840 with it. You know, at this point, We're an important 0:22:54.840 --> 0:22:57.560 part of the conversation now, you know, we've always have been, 0:22:57.760 --> 0:23:00.959 but I think now it's like you have to wake up, Well, 0:23:01.160 --> 0:23:04.040 what can soccer do in general to be better when 0:23:04.080 --> 0:23:06.359 it comes to diversity or a racial divide. Is there 0:23:06.480 --> 0:23:08.560 something that you see in the sport as far as outreach? 0:23:08.600 --> 0:23:11.639 Obviously you said the MLS is black movement. Yeah, no, 0:23:11.760 --> 0:23:14.760 I I think I think just keep you know, building 0:23:14.760 --> 0:23:18.120 a platform and just getting everybody involved, you know, especially 0:23:18.280 --> 0:23:21.280 I think a big one is fans really supporting black 0:23:21.320 --> 0:23:24.320 players and they shouldn't walked into a field or go 0:23:24.400 --> 0:23:27.359 on social media and ever be scared of, you know, 0:23:27.440 --> 0:23:31.160 getting racially abused. And there's so many ways of doing 0:23:31.200 --> 0:23:33.720 that and I and I think for fans, I think 0:23:33.760 --> 0:23:36.000 that's a huge part of it, especially in Europe. You know, 0:23:36.040 --> 0:23:38.960 I've seen a lot of players getting you know, racially slurred, 0:23:39.000 --> 0:23:41.800 and I mean it's it's incredible, you know, it's like 0:23:41.840 --> 0:23:44.680 that that should never ever happen. So I think if 0:23:44.680 --> 0:23:48.600 we just keep pushing the message you know, black, white, Hispanic, 0:23:49.400 --> 0:23:51.280 I think that's the most important thing that we can do, 0:23:51.480 --> 0:23:54.600 you know, just keep the message alive. Just because because 0:23:54.680 --> 0:23:56.840 un Floyd it's very unfortunate we happened at George Floyd, 0:23:56.880 --> 0:24:00.359 but of course life goes on, but we have to 0:24:00.440 --> 0:24:03.240 keep them that message alive. You know, when he changed 0:24:03.320 --> 0:24:06.119 and and it's unfortunate what happened, but we yeah, and 0:24:06.280 --> 0:24:08.680 and and it shows up everywhere where, this police brutality, 0:24:09.200 --> 0:24:12.880 racially slurred and you know, from from your own friends 0:24:12.960 --> 0:24:15.600 or from visiting fans. You know, it's like it's everywhere. 0:24:15.600 --> 0:24:17.680 It's a government, it's we just had to we gotta 0:24:17.680 --> 0:24:20.359 speak clud man, we gotta speak cloud well, well said h. 0:24:20.440 --> 0:24:23.240 So let's end with something stupid. I uh, we brought 0:24:23.320 --> 0:24:26.160 up your girlfriend earlier. You've been with Becky G, singer 0:24:26.200 --> 0:24:28.959 for four years. I want to see how well you 0:24:29.000 --> 0:24:31.720 know her. I'm going to mention a song title, and 0:24:31.760 --> 0:24:33.720 you tell me if it's an actual Becky G song 0:24:33.880 --> 0:24:37.920 or if it's something I just made up. Alright, Okay, 0:24:37.920 --> 0:24:40.560 here we go. The first one, Loving So Hard? Is 0:24:40.560 --> 0:24:42.560 that a real Becky G title or something I just 0:24:42.640 --> 0:24:49.760 made up? I think that's made up? Oh, Sebastian, Sebastian, 0:24:49.840 --> 0:24:53.119 I am sorry, that is a true Becky G title. 0:24:53.240 --> 0:24:55.479 Oh God, she's gonna kill me. All right, We're oh 0:24:55.560 --> 0:24:59.040 for one, how old. Listen. I'm not here to tell 0:24:59.080 --> 0:25:00.399 you the age. I'm here to tell if it's a 0:25:00.400 --> 0:25:03.240 real song or not. All right, here we go. Number 0:25:03.240 --> 0:25:05.760 two is hold Me Tight, hold Me tonight? Is that 0:25:05.800 --> 0:25:07.960 a real Becky g song or something I just made up? Okay? 0:25:08.000 --> 0:25:10.719 That that can be? Okay, that is? You got that one. 0:25:10.760 --> 0:25:12.359 You're one for one? That is? That is something I 0:25:12.400 --> 0:25:14.280 made up? And listen, if any pop stars are listening, 0:25:14.280 --> 0:25:18.119 they could definitely steal the title. Thank you, hold Me tonight. 0:25:18.240 --> 0:25:22.680 That's not bad, Okay. The next one is CC yes, yes, yes, yes, 0:25:22.760 --> 0:25:25.160 that is definitely her song. That was good. You threw 0:25:25.160 --> 0:25:28.760 me off there? Alright? Good to to one? Uh, total cambio. 0:25:29.040 --> 0:25:32.800 Is that a real title? Yes? I love that song. Yeah, 0:25:32.840 --> 0:25:35.000 that was like when she first started thinking. Then, yes, 0:25:35.160 --> 0:25:37.120 very very first. So good. We're on a roll. Here 0:25:37.160 --> 0:25:39.400 we we started slow. Here's the here's the next one, 0:25:39.640 --> 0:25:48.280 Plata plata plata. I wish it was though. It was great. 0:25:48.320 --> 0:25:51.720 I'm gonna I'm gonna thank you. Alright, Alright, here's another one, 0:25:51.840 --> 0:25:55.520 break a Sweat, Oh, absolutely, okay, Break a Sweat is 0:25:55.720 --> 0:25:57.840 a hit. Yeah, I remember I remember that one. That 0:25:57.920 --> 0:26:00.400 was Yeah, that was been one of Younger did for sure. 0:26:00.480 --> 0:26:05.600 Yeah that was a hit. All right, LaVita Loca are 0:26:05.600 --> 0:26:09.120 getting great. That is absolutely great song, though I think 0:26:09.440 --> 0:26:13.640 it is differentist Ricky Martin, well, congratulations, you did very well. 0:26:13.760 --> 0:26:15.760 You got you got six right. I thought we were 0:26:15.760 --> 0:26:17.840 in yeah, oh you big time. I thought we were 0:26:17.880 --> 0:26:20.080 in trouble when you missed the first one. My god. 0:26:20.880 --> 0:26:24.080 All right, well, very good job. Please as a favor, 0:26:24.280 --> 0:26:27.520 stay safe, be healthy. There we are all rooting you on, 0:26:28.320 --> 0:26:30.040 not only for the win. I think that most of 0:26:30.080 --> 0:26:33.359 the sports world is rooting you on to show either 0:26:33.400 --> 0:26:35.080 we can do this or we can't. But the truth 0:26:35.160 --> 0:26:36.600 is we just want you guys to be safe. I 0:26:36.640 --> 0:26:39.400 really appreciate it. Thank you for having me on. After this, 0:26:39.440 --> 0:26:42.960 I check in with former wrestler and a e W commentator, Excalibur. 0:26:47.480 --> 0:26:50.560 Right now, Feeding America is working tirelessly to ensure our 0:26:50.560 --> 0:26:53.439 most vulnerable populations, like students who were out of school, 0:26:53.640 --> 0:26:56.840 the elderly individuals whose jobs are impacted, and low income 0:26:56.880 --> 0:26:59.920 families continue to have access to food and other needed 0:27:00.000 --> 0:27:03.560 resources during the COVID nineteen pandemic. The Feeding America Food 0:27:03.600 --> 0:27:06.359 Bank Network is committed to serving communities and people facing 0:27:06.400 --> 0:27:09.240 hunger in America and their greatest need is donations and 0:27:09.280 --> 0:27:12.439 support of local food banks. This podcast is committed to 0:27:12.480 --> 0:27:14.720 donating a portion of the proceeds from the show to 0:27:14.840 --> 0:27:16.960 Feeding America, and we hope that you can join us 0:27:16.960 --> 0:27:19.280 in this effort to find out how you can help 0:27:19.320 --> 0:27:29.399 Feeding America dot org backslash covid nineteen. Now here's my 0:27:29.480 --> 0:27:33.240 conversation with a e WS Excalibur. Well, Excalibur, thank you 0:27:33.280 --> 0:27:35.960 for talking to me normally. We've been friends for a 0:27:36.000 --> 0:27:38.720 bunch of years and we are NBA text friends. So 0:27:38.760 --> 0:27:40.280 I first want to check in with you and see 0:27:40.280 --> 0:27:42.760 if you're at all excited for what is shaping up 0:27:42.760 --> 0:27:45.920 to be a very weird NBA tournament. Does this even 0:27:45.920 --> 0:27:47.840 get you the same feeling as when we text during 0:27:47.880 --> 0:27:51.840 normal playoffs? Not really. It's it's exciting to have basketball back, 0:27:52.000 --> 0:27:55.160 but you know, to have six games a day played 0:27:55.200 --> 0:27:57.560 in succession to kind of keep track of as a 0:27:57.560 --> 0:27:59.119 little a little weird. But you know, I mean, I 0:27:59.119 --> 0:28:01.560 guess we'll see how it is once we actually get 0:28:01.600 --> 0:28:04.560 into it, and considering we're still like a decent amount 0:28:04.600 --> 0:28:08.320 away from it, and guys are dropping excuse the expression, 0:28:08.320 --> 0:28:10.480 but dropping like flies either out of the league purely 0:28:10.520 --> 0:28:12.760 out of an opt out or because they're getting sick. 0:28:13.119 --> 0:28:15.119 None of this stuff, to me feels like an actual 0:28:15.119 --> 0:28:17.199 trophy at the end. Oh yeah, this is I mean 0:28:17.560 --> 0:28:20.639 it's everybody's well not everybody, but there's been a lot 0:28:20.680 --> 0:28:22.560 of talk about like this is this will be the 0:28:22.640 --> 0:28:25.960 asterisk season of all asterisk seasons, and I think that's 0:28:26.000 --> 0:28:27.960 completely true, you know, I mean, the same things happened 0:28:27.960 --> 0:28:30.359 with baseball, Like guys are guys are saying like, no way, 0:28:30.359 --> 0:28:32.240 I'm gonna play this year, and so it's gonna be 0:28:32.320 --> 0:28:34.840 it's gonna be really interesting to see what sports look 0:28:34.880 --> 0:28:37.640 like for the next six six eight months. Yeah, well, 0:28:37.640 --> 0:28:41.200 the last six eight months we have been inundated with 0:28:41.240 --> 0:28:44.640 pro wrestling. We I guess we never would have predicted 0:28:45.000 --> 0:28:46.400 that at the end of the world it would be 0:28:46.440 --> 0:28:50.040 just cockroaches and pro wrestling. You have had sort of 0:28:50.080 --> 0:28:51.920 a I guess you have to fill me in because 0:28:51.960 --> 0:28:54.120 we we texted a bit, but it's hard to keep 0:28:54.160 --> 0:28:56.479 track of when you're on, when you're off. You you 0:28:56.520 --> 0:28:59.880 took some time off and then now you're back. Correct. Yes, 0:29:00.240 --> 0:29:04.880 for basically the month of March, I didn't travel prior, 0:29:04.960 --> 0:29:07.040 you know, prior to that. For those I don't know, 0:29:07.440 --> 0:29:10.960 UM part of a e W Dynamite, all Elite Wrestling Dynamite, 0:29:10.960 --> 0:29:13.960 which is every Wednesday, eight seven Central on TNT, and 0:29:14.160 --> 0:29:17.840 it was a weekly touring show. And for the month 0:29:17.880 --> 0:29:22.640 of March, right before the State of Georgia shut everything down, 0:29:23.400 --> 0:29:28.840 our crew taped five weeks of television in a eighteen 0:29:28.840 --> 0:29:32.320 hour period. Is going on. I can't I mean, as 0:29:32.360 --> 0:29:35.239 someone who has made an hour of television over a 0:29:35.240 --> 0:29:38.160 few days, I can't fathom what that was like. So 0:29:38.240 --> 0:29:40.160 I was not there for that, but that was the 0:29:40.200 --> 0:29:42.280 first show that I didn't travel for, and it turned 0:29:42.280 --> 0:29:45.280 out I missed five shows by not traveling for one show. 0:29:45.760 --> 0:29:50.040 But by by all accounts, it was it was very hectic. 0:29:50.120 --> 0:29:53.680 It was very you know, it's very tough because you know, wrestling, 0:29:54.240 --> 0:29:55.880 at the end of the day, it's performance. But there's 0:29:55.880 --> 0:29:59.440 still injuries, there's still things that you know, variables that happened, 0:29:59.680 --> 0:30:02.400 and you know, somebody got their their nose broken, and 0:30:02.440 --> 0:30:05.800 then episode three had to be completely rewritten and you know, 0:30:05.880 --> 0:30:07.800 you know, and but we had to just keep going. 0:30:07.840 --> 0:30:10.880 And so by all accounts was a very surreal experience. 0:30:10.920 --> 0:30:13.960 But then to just be sitting there and have nothing 0:30:13.960 --> 0:30:17.120 to do for the next month. Um was also surreal 0:30:17.160 --> 0:30:19.320 in and of itself and watching watching the show that 0:30:19.360 --> 0:30:21.280 I had been a part of since we started last 0:30:21.320 --> 0:30:24.120 October from you know, from the sidelines kind of gone 0:30:24.240 --> 0:30:25.959 without me. Was you know that there was a lot 0:30:26.000 --> 0:30:28.560 of mixed feelings there. Yeah, I'm sure all that stuff 0:30:28.600 --> 0:30:31.640 was happening so fast. I mean there were there was 0:30:31.680 --> 0:30:33.960 there testing with those wrestlers or was it just like, 0:30:34.040 --> 0:30:38.400 let's get this done. So that was March, I guess 0:30:38.400 --> 0:30:40.560 March April, and so that was kind of right right 0:30:40.560 --> 0:30:44.280 when people were starting to figure out like what, you know, 0:30:44.320 --> 0:30:47.000 what was going on and and so like there was 0:30:47.040 --> 0:30:50.200 no tests available to our crew at that point, and 0:30:50.280 --> 0:30:52.440 so it was more just like if you you know, 0:30:52.480 --> 0:30:53.960 if you have a cough, if you have the sniffles 0:30:54.000 --> 0:30:57.320 or whatever, just just stay home. And you know, there 0:30:57.400 --> 0:31:00.840 was no Thus far, we have not had anybody gets 0:31:00.880 --> 0:31:04.760 sick by by being at any of our shows, and 0:31:04.880 --> 0:31:07.360 so that is yeah, that's you know, nobody has always 0:31:07.360 --> 0:31:11.959 transmitted anything. And our medical crew, you know, personally speaking, 0:31:12.000 --> 0:31:14.800 I don't think there's anything I could feel safe about 0:31:14.840 --> 0:31:18.680 without vaccine out there. But the way our medical crew handles. 0:31:18.680 --> 0:31:22.280 Everything makes me and I think everybody we all feel 0:31:22.320 --> 0:31:25.280 pretty comfortable what we do go. And so since you 0:31:25.320 --> 0:31:27.520 weren't there that tape day where you guys did five 0:31:27.600 --> 0:31:30.000 weeks or whatever it is, now you're back with no 0:31:30.320 --> 0:31:32.400 true audience. Is that what it is? Who who's in 0:31:32.400 --> 0:31:36.200 the audience now? So basically we have the wrestlers that 0:31:36.240 --> 0:31:39.920 are not wrestling on the episode are sitting at ringside 0:31:40.160 --> 0:31:45.000 and a e W is owned by the Khan family. 0:31:45.040 --> 0:31:47.840 The Kan family also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars, and so 0:31:47.920 --> 0:31:52.760 we are we are recording our shows in the Daily's 0:31:52.760 --> 0:31:56.160 place Amphitheater, which is adjacent to the football stadium in Jacksonville. 0:31:56.600 --> 0:32:02.200 And so the Jags kind of employ these friends and family, Uh, 0:32:02.240 --> 0:32:06.240 they fill out the rest of the crowd. There's basically 0:32:06.280 --> 0:32:10.000 about fifty people that are that are kind of in 0:32:10.040 --> 0:32:12.080 the audience and they're they're all they're all spaced out. 0:32:12.200 --> 0:32:15.040 And so the way it works is that if you 0:32:15.080 --> 0:32:17.719 are coming backstage, if you are coming into contact with 0:32:17.760 --> 0:32:22.240 an employee, whether you are a wrestler, lighting guy, a 0:32:22.280 --> 0:32:26.640 pyro guy, a rigor or catering or security guard or whatever, 0:32:26.800 --> 0:32:30.240 you get tested. Um, you get a blood test and 0:32:30.280 --> 0:32:34.120 then temperature check every day that that you're coming into 0:32:34.120 --> 0:32:37.600 the building, if you are sitting in the crowd, they 0:32:37.720 --> 0:32:41.840 are kept apart from everybody else there in kind of 0:32:41.880 --> 0:32:45.080 like the upper bowl area and those people they do 0:32:45.240 --> 0:32:49.040 health surveys and temperature checks. So great, What a weird world. 0:32:49.080 --> 0:32:51.800 I mean, it's funny, Like the irony of you performing 0:32:51.800 --> 0:32:53.560 now in front of fifty people is how I met 0:32:53.600 --> 0:32:56.360 you at the w G in Resita. You're now on 0:32:56.400 --> 0:32:58.280 television with the same thing. But it has been a 0:32:58.640 --> 0:33:00.880 long time since, say a christ Erico has wrestled in 0:33:00.920 --> 0:33:04.000 front of fifty people. Uh, what is what is his 0:33:04.080 --> 0:33:07.080 reaction to this? Does? Everyone does? Everyone like it? Nobody's 0:33:07.080 --> 0:33:09.480 happy about it. But I think this is just this 0:33:09.680 --> 0:33:12.200 is the reality, and there's there's absolutely nothing to be done. 0:33:12.600 --> 0:33:15.040 It's so much better to be wrestling in front of 0:33:15.160 --> 0:33:17.840 fifty people than it is no people. The first week 0:33:17.960 --> 0:33:21.480 that massive taping in Georgia, we were in Jacksonville and 0:33:21.800 --> 0:33:25.320 we did it with absolutely no crowd. And it is 0:33:25.960 --> 0:33:30.040 bizarre that, you know, as as an announcer, I could 0:33:30.040 --> 0:33:36.000 hear my voice echoing around the building. It's brutal. You 0:33:36.040 --> 0:33:38.280 hear every thought in the audience, like, it's just a 0:33:38.400 --> 0:33:40.800 terrible feeling. I I know this as someone who did 0:33:40.840 --> 0:33:43.360 stand up for many years where there was pretty much 0:33:43.360 --> 0:33:46.360 three or four people there, So I I feel your pain. 0:33:47.000 --> 0:33:49.640 I do also want to ask, like with a e W. 0:33:49.720 --> 0:33:52.000 It's funny because you guys had started the television show, 0:33:52.120 --> 0:33:55.560 not that I mean, what was it five six months 0:33:55.560 --> 0:33:58.600 before the coronavirus? Maybe it was October two was the 0:33:58.600 --> 0:34:02.080 first episode. Yeah, So what's it been like building an audience? 0:34:02.080 --> 0:34:03.840 You guys have still been able to keep good numbers, 0:34:03.880 --> 0:34:07.400 but now amongst coronavirus and COVID and audibles you never 0:34:07.400 --> 0:34:09.640 would have predicted you still have to go out there 0:34:09.640 --> 0:34:11.680 every week and make a TV show. What has it 0:34:11.760 --> 0:34:14.520 been like sort of working through it? That's been I 0:34:14.520 --> 0:34:18.160 think the toughest aspect from a growth standpoint. You know, 0:34:18.280 --> 0:34:21.160 we've been able to hold steady, but a big part 0:34:21.160 --> 0:34:23.880 of the growth is the touring business and turning on 0:34:24.000 --> 0:34:26.239 new fans, getting people, you know, to come down that 0:34:26.320 --> 0:34:28.319 they might not know who we are, but they know 0:34:28.400 --> 0:34:30.399 wrestling is coming and so they're gonna come check us out. 0:34:31.040 --> 0:34:35.480 And right before the quarantine and everything happened, that was 0:34:35.520 --> 0:34:38.960 going to be our new York, New Jersey debut. We 0:34:39.040 --> 0:34:42.600 had sold out the Prudential Center where the Jersey Devil 0:34:42.680 --> 0:34:45.000 New Jersey Devil's play. That was going to be a 0:34:45.120 --> 0:34:47.640 very big, very meaningful swing for us, and you know, 0:34:47.680 --> 0:34:50.640 the summer had a lot of very big plans and 0:34:50.640 --> 0:34:52.520 so this was going to be our big growth push. 0:34:53.080 --> 0:34:58.080 And so now instead of growing, we've actually we've been 0:34:58.160 --> 0:35:00.920 kind of fighting to maint pine the level that we 0:35:00.920 --> 0:35:04.840 were at, which UM, I think the conventional wisdom before 0:35:04.840 --> 0:35:08.320 the quarantine happened was that there will be no other sports, 0:35:08.400 --> 0:35:11.680 people will flock to wrestling. UM, as it turns out 0:35:12.320 --> 0:35:16.200 there were no sports, and people were flocking to news 0:35:16.200 --> 0:35:18.560 shows because they didn't know what was happening, and we're 0:35:18.600 --> 0:35:21.319 scared and wanted to know what was going on. And 0:35:21.360 --> 0:35:23.840 so we we've kind of have this this core audience 0:35:24.000 --> 0:35:27.360 that you know, can fluctuate by a hundred thousand, hundred 0:35:27.400 --> 0:35:30.439 fifty thousand viewers in either direction on a given week. 0:35:31.040 --> 0:35:34.520 But we've found that, you know, like there was a 0:35:34.640 --> 0:35:39.239 NASCAR event and that drew off some people, but the protests, 0:35:39.880 --> 0:35:43.440 you know, when the coronavirus briefings would happen, you know, 0:35:43.480 --> 0:35:47.759 those kind of days were actually more consequential in terms 0:35:47.760 --> 0:35:50.240 of people people tuning out. And so I think there's 0:35:50.680 --> 0:35:53.279 you know, and people are starved for entertainment and they 0:35:53.280 --> 0:35:57.080 are starved for live events, live sports. But I think 0:35:57.120 --> 0:36:00.920 there's more fear and uncertainty that over elms that need 0:36:00.960 --> 0:36:03.600 for for something new. Yeah, it's weird, and this is 0:36:03.600 --> 0:36:05.520 I guess maybe a Tony con question, but maybe you know, 0:36:05.600 --> 0:36:07.880 it's like Vince McMahon and his w W E business 0:36:07.920 --> 0:36:10.840 for so long has been a live event company. You know, 0:36:10.920 --> 0:36:13.600 like they obviously make a ton of money going around 0:36:13.640 --> 0:36:16.319 the world. They tour more dates than most casual fans 0:36:16.320 --> 0:36:19.160 would ever even imagine. Was Tony and a e W 0:36:19.400 --> 0:36:21.319 was the idea always to be on the road that much? 0:36:21.400 --> 0:36:23.520 Or was this a TV show? No? I mean there 0:36:23.560 --> 0:36:27.000 there have been talk about doing live events, untelevised live 0:36:27.000 --> 0:36:30.440 events here and there, but primarily this this is a 0:36:30.480 --> 0:36:33.960 TV show. If we're if we're having matches in the ring, 0:36:34.120 --> 0:36:36.719 they are they are recorded for a purpose. We're not 0:36:36.800 --> 0:36:39.920 just going to some random town to to just do 0:36:39.960 --> 0:36:41.920 a match that's never going to see the light of day, right, 0:36:42.040 --> 0:36:44.640 And so much of a e W is about getting 0:36:44.680 --> 0:36:46.520 the best wrestlers from around the world. So I was 0:36:46.520 --> 0:36:48.239 wondering if you could tell us about what has been 0:36:48.239 --> 0:36:51.360 going on about travel. You have wrestlers in Mexico, you 0:36:51.360 --> 0:36:54.640 have wrestlers from Japan that all show up on the 0:36:54.640 --> 0:36:57.160 television show Weekly. How did that play out with with 0:36:57.200 --> 0:37:00.720 travel bands? It's been tough. People from Europe or Japan 0:37:01.040 --> 0:37:03.439 are just kind of stuck in place. And we'll jump 0:37:03.440 --> 0:37:05.719 on a zoom call and the first thing everybody in 0:37:05.760 --> 0:37:08.399 Europe asks is, hey, have you heard anything when when 0:37:08.400 --> 0:37:10.480 we'll be able to travel back and to Tony and 0:37:10.520 --> 0:37:13.880 the company's credit. Uh, you know, there's not been a 0:37:13.960 --> 0:37:17.560 single person that has has lost their job. Everybody has 0:37:17.560 --> 0:37:21.200 continued to get paid, whether you've been wrestling every week 0:37:21.400 --> 0:37:24.040 or you've been at home, and so the company has 0:37:24.080 --> 0:37:27.400 been very good about that. But the thing is everybody 0:37:27.440 --> 0:37:32.400 that is involved in wrestling, maybe not everybody, but especially 0:37:32.480 --> 0:37:34.560 on our roster, is there because they love it and 0:37:34.560 --> 0:37:36.160 they want to be there, and they want to be 0:37:36.320 --> 0:37:38.399 you know, performing, they want to be doing these things. 0:37:38.400 --> 0:37:40.600 And so to just be stuck at home and have 0:37:40.760 --> 0:37:43.759 no no idea of when you'll be able to come 0:37:43.800 --> 0:37:46.960 back to work, that has been I know, deeply frustrating 0:37:47.000 --> 0:37:50.200 for them, I'm sure. So with these guys missing, I've 0:37:50.200 --> 0:37:51.799 been able to catch some of the shows, and I've 0:37:51.800 --> 0:37:54.560 seen some people truly step up in the absence of 0:37:54.920 --> 0:37:58.360 some of your international superstars. So people like best Friends 0:37:58.360 --> 0:38:01.439 and Orange, Cassidy and Samy can Vera, like those guys 0:38:01.520 --> 0:38:04.520 were really coming through during that time. Did they know 0:38:04.640 --> 0:38:08.160 that was that sort of like a locker room discussion? Uh, 0:38:08.200 --> 0:38:10.200 you know, we need a couple of wrestlers to pop 0:38:10.280 --> 0:38:13.000 up here and really take the spots. Yes, And I 0:38:13.040 --> 0:38:18.080 don't think at the time anyone realized how important stepping 0:38:18.160 --> 0:38:21.759 up in that moment would be. I think everybody that 0:38:21.920 --> 0:38:25.520 was there for that that five week taping and one day, 0:38:25.640 --> 0:38:28.040 I don't think it registered to anybody that you are 0:38:28.040 --> 0:38:29.920 going to be the only people that we see on 0:38:29.960 --> 0:38:33.640 our programming for the next month. And so there were 0:38:33.680 --> 0:38:36.279 people that stepped up and stepped into a much more 0:38:36.320 --> 0:38:39.640 prominent role than they would have been had we had 0:38:39.640 --> 0:38:43.160 our our full complement of our locker room and you 0:38:43.160 --> 0:38:45.920 know that those people might have been in much smaller 0:38:46.040 --> 0:38:48.759 roles at the virus and the quarantine ever happened. Yeah, 0:38:48.800 --> 0:38:51.040 Like I didn't know who Big Swell was before you 0:38:51.040 --> 0:38:53.239 guys did that taping for five weeks and now Big 0:38:53.239 --> 0:38:57.400 Swells a major female star of the of the show. Yeah, 0:38:57.480 --> 0:39:00.960 and and the best friends I think benefit from it keepsadian. 0:39:01.120 --> 0:39:04.440 Also not to say that it wouldn't have happened eventually, 0:39:04.680 --> 0:39:08.160 but just you know, through circumstances, it happened now, you know. 0:39:08.760 --> 0:39:10.880 And we mentioned Sammy who has had a bit of 0:39:10.920 --> 0:39:13.839 controversy come up from an old tape that resurfaced from 0:39:13.840 --> 0:39:18.080 a podcast where he said something offensive regarding a female 0:39:18.080 --> 0:39:19.960 wrestler in the w w E and and and you 0:39:20.000 --> 0:39:21.799 know that that's on the lower scale of what's been 0:39:21.840 --> 0:39:24.600 going on in independent wrestling, to be honest. And I 0:39:24.640 --> 0:39:26.480 spoke of it to Big E about it a few 0:39:26.520 --> 0:39:29.240 weeks ago. And you have been on the independent circuit 0:39:29.280 --> 0:39:31.719 for quite some time. You've seen each of these wrestlers 0:39:31.760 --> 0:39:33.480 come through with p w G one of the most 0:39:33.480 --> 0:39:36.920 storied independent wrestling federations of all time. It was it 0:39:37.080 --> 0:39:40.759 shocking to you to see just how many cases, how 0:39:40.760 --> 0:39:44.439 many women were stepping up to talk about these things. Um, 0:39:44.560 --> 0:39:49.200 it was to me absolutely shocking and heartbreaking because PWG, 0:39:49.400 --> 0:39:51.000 you know, part of the deal is we have the 0:39:51.560 --> 0:39:54.719 best wrestling, but then also the best locker room. A 0:39:54.719 --> 0:39:58.160 big part of it is is chemistry. And if there 0:39:58.200 --> 0:40:01.920 are guys that are absolutely amazing wrestlers but are just 0:40:02.320 --> 0:40:04.399 assholes in their day to day life, those guys don't 0:40:04.400 --> 0:40:07.799 get booked on p w g um And so to 0:40:08.040 --> 0:40:13.120 know that these guys were good locker room guys but 0:40:13.200 --> 0:40:17.320 maybe not the best human being that was very difficult 0:40:17.400 --> 0:40:20.799 to kind of come to grips with. And you know, 0:40:20.960 --> 0:40:23.880 from my role in pw G I just go to 0:40:23.920 --> 0:40:26.960 the show, I do the commentary, and then I head home. 0:40:27.000 --> 0:40:29.520 I'm not really hanging out socially with a lot of guys, 0:40:29.600 --> 0:40:33.759 and so I didn't necessarily have that window into it. 0:40:33.920 --> 0:40:36.400 And so I just kind of knew people from my 0:40:36.480 --> 0:40:38.680 interactions with them. And who's going to tell you like, oh, 0:40:38.680 --> 0:40:40.960 I'm you know, I'm I'm I'm a serial killer, you know, 0:40:41.080 --> 0:40:44.640 or whatever. I have a total garbage cain. Yeah. Yeah. 0:40:45.320 --> 0:40:47.799 And so having all of that and one by one 0:40:47.840 --> 0:40:50.279 by one just be revealed to me was it was 0:40:50.320 --> 0:40:54.239 really distressing. And obviously I'm not the victim here, and 0:40:54.280 --> 0:40:56.319 there are there are people that are that were so 0:40:56.400 --> 0:40:59.880 brave in in coming forward and enduring the slings and 0:41:00.080 --> 0:41:03.560 arrows of the you know, the Twitter and wrestling community 0:41:03.640 --> 0:41:06.239 and all that, I can't even imagine that. But just 0:41:06.840 --> 0:41:09.560 for me personally, I mean, there's you know, people I've 0:41:09.600 --> 0:41:12.280 known for almost twenty years that you know, of course 0:41:12.320 --> 0:41:14.439 like oh, yeah, he sleeps around or whatever. But I 0:41:14.520 --> 0:41:17.720 never thought, you know, I never never thought the worst 0:41:17.800 --> 0:41:21.040 beyond that. Yeah, And it's true. You you at PWG 0:41:21.200 --> 0:41:23.359 had like a similar schedule to a fan. You would 0:41:23.640 --> 0:41:26.279 drive up early, you'd help out with stuff, and then 0:41:26.480 --> 0:41:28.839 announced and you drive home to San Diego pretty much 0:41:28.920 --> 0:41:31.480 right after the show. So I guess, you know, knowing 0:41:31.560 --> 0:41:35.560 the personal lives of these guys was impossible. Yeah. And 0:41:36.560 --> 0:41:38.440 there were people that had wrestled for us in the 0:41:38.480 --> 0:41:41.600 past and the people that I thought I knew very well, 0:41:42.280 --> 0:41:45.840 and so there was a lot of reflection on my 0:41:46.000 --> 0:41:48.560 part of of what did I know? When did I 0:41:48.680 --> 0:41:51.360 know it? Did it was? There's something that I was 0:41:51.920 --> 0:41:54.799 that I was seeing but being willfully ignorant of, you know, 0:41:54.800 --> 0:41:57.280 and I think a lot of a lot of people 0:41:57.520 --> 0:42:01.400 that are in the wrestling business went through very similar things. 0:42:01.440 --> 0:42:03.400 And the more we talked about it, the more we 0:42:03.440 --> 0:42:06.879 all kind of just realized, like, yeah, these guys were 0:42:06.920 --> 0:42:10.120 hiding something Yeah, And you know, so it's like, it's 0:42:10.160 --> 0:42:12.680 really frustrating for me because these people have no place 0:42:12.800 --> 0:42:16.040 in our business. I know, things have been cleaned up 0:42:16.040 --> 0:42:19.160 in wrestling from where they were, you know, even ten 0:42:19.239 --> 0:42:21.399 years ago, but definitely over twenty years ago and thirty 0:42:21.480 --> 0:42:24.560 years ago, and you know this, this feels like a setback. 0:42:24.600 --> 0:42:28.640 But hopefully we can use this as a way to 0:42:28.640 --> 0:42:32.040 to weed these people out and and keep the positive 0:42:32.040 --> 0:42:35.600 people in wrestling. Yeah. On this topic, the other side 0:42:35.600 --> 0:42:39.239 of things, a much more inclusive area of work has 0:42:39.280 --> 0:42:41.520 been a e w. You guys have went out of 0:42:41.520 --> 0:42:44.120 your way to sort of show that the kind of 0:42:44.160 --> 0:42:47.759 good old Boys Wrestling Federation isn't necessarily going to happen 0:42:47.880 --> 0:42:50.879 under under your watching Tony CON's watch wrestlers like Nila Rose, 0:42:50.960 --> 0:42:54.680 who is transgender and a champion for the female division 0:42:54.960 --> 0:42:57.560 of your TV show, as well as really I think 0:42:57.600 --> 0:43:00.920 some of the first openly gay wrestlers. Is it something 0:43:01.160 --> 0:43:03.960 that is very much in everyone's mind to to push 0:43:03.960 --> 0:43:06.400 that envelope and to make sure that maybe an audience 0:43:06.400 --> 0:43:08.200 that has been closed off to those things is finally 0:43:08.239 --> 0:43:13.040 exposed in a positive light in the in wrestling um 0:43:13.040 --> 0:43:16.880 to some degree, but the way that we do it 0:43:17.000 --> 0:43:19.799 is just I think we try to be more of 0:43:19.880 --> 0:43:24.440 a reflection of kind of an inclusive society. So it's 0:43:24.520 --> 0:43:29.360 never been acknowledged that Nyla is a is a transgender 0:43:29.400 --> 0:43:32.279 woman on our television, in our marketing, you know, in 0:43:32.280 --> 0:43:36.080 our promotion, like she has done interviews where she speaks 0:43:36.080 --> 0:43:38.799 to that personally, but it's never you know, we've never 0:43:38.840 --> 0:43:40.600 said that it's our place that we have to push 0:43:40.600 --> 0:43:43.760 this and we have to use this in order to 0:43:43.800 --> 0:43:48.600 gain some sort of recognition or notoriety that somebody's gender 0:43:48.880 --> 0:43:52.680 or sexual orientation is none of our business. And from 0:43:52.719 --> 0:43:56.440 Tony to us as announcers, if you are there wrestling 0:43:56.440 --> 0:43:59.000 in our ring, you're there because you deserve to be, 0:43:59.120 --> 0:44:02.640 not because it's a quota or anything like that. And 0:44:03.080 --> 0:44:07.200 from day one, a big push of a w was inclusivity. 0:44:07.239 --> 0:44:11.200 And so it's not just gender orientation issues. It's also 0:44:11.280 --> 0:44:15.960 when we were doing live events, we would have sensory 0:44:16.320 --> 0:44:21.040 rooms for autistic fans to come and they could still 0:44:21.080 --> 0:44:24.160 come to the building, get the live event experience, but 0:44:24.320 --> 0:44:26.880 then be in a in a place that they felt 0:44:26.920 --> 0:44:29.560 safe and felt comfortable, which I mean not not just 0:44:29.640 --> 0:44:33.640 other wrestling companies, but just other sports they don't necessarily 0:44:33.680 --> 0:44:35.960 have that. And so the marketing line at the very 0:44:36.000 --> 0:44:39.200 beginning was a W is for everyone. Yeah, as someone 0:44:39.239 --> 0:44:41.160 who watches them week after week, who who are you 0:44:41.200 --> 0:44:43.640 excited to see back now that you're back on television? What? What? 0:44:43.640 --> 0:44:46.560 What wrestlers do you think have stepped up? Who's who's 0:44:46.600 --> 0:44:49.160 next in line for a W I think kept Sabian. 0:44:49.440 --> 0:44:51.080 He was one of the names that I mentioned that 0:44:51.080 --> 0:44:54.720 that really kind of stepped up, and he proved that 0:44:54.840 --> 0:44:57.879 he's he's somebody that can be counted on not just 0:44:58.080 --> 0:45:02.240 as you know, being there, but also rising to the occasion. 0:45:02.880 --> 0:45:05.920 And I think he's got a very very bright future 0:45:05.920 --> 0:45:09.000 in this business, as well as his fiance Penelope Ford, 0:45:09.040 --> 0:45:12.239 who you know. I think she would admit that when 0:45:12.360 --> 0:45:16.080 a EW started she was not among one of the 0:45:17.000 --> 0:45:21.080 best women on our roster in terms of in ring performance, 0:45:21.560 --> 0:45:25.800 But over this last few months she's grown as a performer, 0:45:25.880 --> 0:45:27.680 not not just in her ability, but also in her 0:45:27.719 --> 0:45:32.000 confidence in herself. And she had an absolutely fantastic match 0:45:32.880 --> 0:45:35.360 on our July one episode if she challenged for the 0:45:35.360 --> 0:45:38.239 Women's World title. I think it was a match that 0:45:38.360 --> 0:45:41.440 people were you know, the fans were excited for it, 0:45:41.480 --> 0:45:43.880 but you know, they had their reservations and she and 0:45:44.040 --> 0:45:49.680 Penelope Ford and Hakarashida absolutely outkicked their coverage in that regard. 0:45:49.920 --> 0:45:53.160 And so I think those two are are fantastic. I 0:45:53.200 --> 0:45:56.399 think the Lucher brothers, Ray Phoenix and Pentagon Jr. Who 0:45:56.440 --> 0:45:59.440 are two real life brothers. They were born in Mexico City. 0:46:00.080 --> 0:46:03.800 Phoenix lives in the States and Pentagon Junior lives in Mexico, 0:46:04.440 --> 0:46:07.080 and they have been traveling for prayer perhaps the last 0:46:07.120 --> 0:46:11.879 six seven years with each other every single week. They 0:46:11.920 --> 0:46:15.840 were constantly in each other's presence, and then three months 0:46:15.960 --> 0:46:18.920 where they couldn't see each other. And so I know 0:46:19.520 --> 0:46:21.880 when they came back to TV and they're able to 0:46:21.920 --> 0:46:24.560 travel together and things, you know, started feeling kind of 0:46:24.600 --> 0:46:28.600 like normal again for them, that was that was really huge. 0:46:28.600 --> 0:46:30.320 And so it's like they're there's some of the best 0:46:30.480 --> 0:46:33.080 in ring performers that we have. But also just you know, 0:46:33.120 --> 0:46:35.640 on a personal level, it makes me feel good that 0:46:35.680 --> 0:46:37.560 they get to see each other again. Yeah. Well, and 0:46:37.600 --> 0:46:39.320 not to bring it down to end it, but lastly, 0:46:39.360 --> 0:46:41.880 with all these COVID cases popping up and obviously the 0:46:41.920 --> 0:46:45.439 numbers going on, an incline again, are there zoom calls 0:46:45.480 --> 0:46:47.400 now trying to figure out if if you guys can 0:46:47.480 --> 0:46:50.759 keep doing this week after week? Um I'm not involved 0:46:50.760 --> 0:46:53.360 in those conversations, but I know they're definitely happening. I 0:46:53.400 --> 0:46:57.320 think we had Boston in Philadelphia dates rescheduled for later 0:46:57.360 --> 0:47:01.280 this summer, and we pushed those out until one. And 0:47:01.800 --> 0:47:04.680 you know, now the show in Jacksonville, especially with you 0:47:04.680 --> 0:47:08.880 know the cases in Florida skyrocketing, I think everyone is 0:47:08.960 --> 0:47:13.480 very concerned about that. And I know when the quarantine 0:47:13.480 --> 0:47:17.440 first started, there was so many conversations about well, what 0:47:17.520 --> 0:47:19.000 if we can't do a live show, what are we 0:47:19.000 --> 0:47:20.840 going to do? And you know, how how do we 0:47:20.920 --> 0:47:23.320 handle this? And if we don't have new content to 0:47:23.360 --> 0:47:27.040 put up, what is the thing. And I think those 0:47:27.080 --> 0:47:30.319 conversations are most likely being revisited, not even right now, 0:47:30.360 --> 0:47:33.359 probably probably starting weeks ago. And I think there's got 0:47:33.360 --> 0:47:37.040 to be plans A, B, C, D, E and F there. Yeah, 0:47:37.040 --> 0:47:39.480 because there's wrestlers. I mean, you know people on staff 0:47:39.560 --> 0:47:42.040 on screen that are not the age of keep Sabian 0:47:42.080 --> 0:47:44.400 and Penelop before. There is Jake the Snake, Roberts and 0:47:44.560 --> 0:47:48.000 Jim Ross and people who are in the demographic of 0:47:48.000 --> 0:47:49.640 those who have to be very careful about what they're 0:47:49.640 --> 0:47:52.440 getting in front of Yes, and you know, and I 0:47:52.480 --> 0:47:57.520 think part of you know, what a W did in 0:47:57.600 --> 0:48:03.080 terms of testing and you know, ensuring everyone's safety really 0:48:03.160 --> 0:48:07.240 makes the older members of our of our staff feel 0:48:07.280 --> 0:48:10.920 comfortable coming to work. When we arrive in Jacksonville, basically 0:48:10.960 --> 0:48:13.399 we're blood tested at the hotel, we get our temperature check, 0:48:13.560 --> 0:48:16.320 we do all that. But then after after the show 0:48:16.400 --> 0:48:18.799 is over, we all go back to the hotel. There's 0:48:18.840 --> 0:48:21.560 food they're waiting for us. You know, it's not a 0:48:21.600 --> 0:48:24.400 completely closed bubble, but when we're in Jacksonville, we're in 0:48:24.640 --> 0:48:27.640 as much of a bubble as we possibly can, and 0:48:28.840 --> 0:48:32.839 that I think goes a long way to providing reassurance 0:48:32.880 --> 0:48:34.560 to the people that and you know, I mean there 0:48:34.560 --> 0:48:37.640 are people that are younger people but you know, through 0:48:37.960 --> 0:48:40.600 medical conditions or whatever. You know, Like for myself, there's 0:48:40.640 --> 0:48:42.480 a there's a big history of heart disease in my 0:48:42.560 --> 0:48:44.560 family and so even though I'm you know, relatively young 0:48:44.600 --> 0:48:46.799 and healthy, it's still something that's in the back of 0:48:46.800 --> 0:48:50.759 my mind. So so knowing how the company has has 0:48:50.800 --> 0:48:52.960 done as much as we can to to make sure 0:48:52.960 --> 0:48:55.600 everybody is safe that goes you know, goes along way 0:48:55.640 --> 0:48:57.960 and making me and I think everybody else feel comfortable 0:48:57.960 --> 0:49:01.120 coming to work right. Well, congrats on being able to 0:49:01.160 --> 0:49:03.160 go back to television. We're excited to have your voice 0:49:03.520 --> 0:49:06.839 back on TV and a w still rolling along and 0:49:07.080 --> 0:49:09.720 stay safe man, and hopefully we'll get an NBA something 0:49:09.880 --> 0:49:11.880 some sort of playoff in this tournament or I don't know, 0:49:11.920 --> 0:49:14.440 as long as Jonas and Lebron are playing, I don't know. 0:49:14.480 --> 0:49:16.400 I can't even I can't be optimistic about it anymore. 0:49:16.960 --> 0:49:19.879 It's it's so it's so weird, and especially with guys 0:49:19.920 --> 0:49:21.840 guys dropping out like you mentioned, I mean almost on 0:49:21.840 --> 0:49:24.120 a daily basis, It's like, what is this going to 0:49:24.200 --> 0:49:26.840 look like? Are we even gonna have enough guys to 0:49:26.840 --> 0:49:29.480 to feel the twenty team tournament or whatever. I know, 0:49:29.560 --> 0:49:33.200 the ESPN ticker today was just people testing positive for COVID. 0:49:33.239 --> 0:49:35.160 I was like, this is not this is not it's 0:49:35.200 --> 0:49:37.080 not a health channel. Guys. We gotta we gotta work, 0:49:37.080 --> 0:49:39.239 we gotta figure this out. Well, thank you, brother, and 0:49:39.239 --> 0:49:41.160 we will talk soon, all right, Thank you many, appreciate it. 0:49:48.760 --> 0:49:51.520 The Sports Bubble is produced and distributed by Tree Fort Media. 0:49:52.040 --> 0:49:55.120 The show was executive produced by Kelly Garner, Lisa Ammerman, 0:49:55.360 --> 0:49:58.920 Matthew Coogler, and me Jensen Carr. Tom Monahan is our 0:49:58.960 --> 0:50:02.600 senior audio engineer and sound supervisor, with production and editing 0:50:02.760 --> 0:50:06.800 by Jasper Leak additional production help from Tim Shower, June Rosen, 0:50:06.920 --> 0:50:10.480 and Hayley Mandelberg. 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