WEBVTT - The Group Chat Episode 25: Full Circle 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:02.320 Hey guys. This week on the group Chat, we are 0:00:02.440 --> 0:00:06.720 recapping the last four days, not only for the Carolina Panthers, 0:00:07.080 --> 0:00:10.240 but for Charlotte. Starting with that bold claim I made 0:00:10.280 --> 0:00:12.800 about that game against the Seahawks that turned out to 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:17.119 not be that crazy, Caroline, and correct me if I'm wrong. 0:00:17.280 --> 0:00:19.919 Said that this was a game that the Panthers hadn't 0:00:20.000 --> 0:00:23.960 really no business being competitive in, and yet you felt 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:27.120 they were going to, uh make it, make a game 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:30.200 of it? Right? Is that accurate? I may have hinted 0:00:30.200 --> 0:00:31.760 even towards the fact that this is one that they 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:34.960 had no business winning or being in, and they gave 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:37.840 themselves a chance in the fourth quarter. We then get 0:00:37.880 --> 0:00:42.680 into the big news about football, not football, but football. 0:00:43.000 --> 0:00:46.360 I don't understand European soccer. I didn't understand this idea 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:48.960 that you're in this league and then you stopped playing 0:00:49.680 --> 0:00:52.240 for your team to go play in a different league, 0:00:53.159 --> 0:00:55.440 and then come back and play your league four days later, 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:57.320 and then some of your players have to leave to 0:00:57.320 --> 0:00:59.280 go play for a different team, and then they're back, 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:02.360 and I just felt stupid. We have that in so 0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:15.160 much more on this week's the group Chat. You've been 0:01:15.200 --> 0:01:18.440 added to the group Chat with your friends Caroline can, 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:23.640 Max Sensen, and Will Brian. It's been a busy few 0:01:23.640 --> 0:01:27.160 weeks for the virtual group chat that we are in 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:30.080 right now, but also for our real group chat that 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:33.120 we have that sometimes we put producer Matt in and 0:01:33.160 --> 0:01:35.920 sometimes we don't, so he has no idea what we're 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:38.119 going to talk about. Because this one we kept Matt out. 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:40.800 I'm just kidding. I'm done picking on producer Matt. That's 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:43.479 my New Year's resolution. So you still have a couple 0:01:43.520 --> 0:01:45.319 more weeks. I still have a couple of more weeks, 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:48.240 but I think, like all good habits and habits, they 0:01:48.240 --> 0:01:52.560 take time to actually become a thing. So just know 0:01:52.760 --> 0:01:54.680 that for the next few weeks, I'm gonna start setting 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:57.920 the habit of not picking on producer Matt. Matt was 0:01:57.960 --> 0:01:59.720 in the group chat. He just lost his phone, so 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:05.240 we and I almost believed you a second. I was like, you, 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:10.960 why have I not heard this time? I met his 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:15.840 lovely fiance and that just made him right with me, 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:18.079 and I was like, she's fantastic. I can't make fun 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:20.440 of you anymore. Well, you met her at Target for 0:02:20.480 --> 0:02:23.160 five seconds. I'm glad you were able to determine she's fantastic, 0:02:23.200 --> 0:02:29.000 but she made a heck of an impression. Yeah, you 0:02:29.120 --> 0:02:33.520 can't say, well, this is on the internet, Matt. She 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:37.000 keeps you straight, she organizes your place. Apparently, she helps 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:41.520 you find things that you lose, which God bless her, 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:44.000 unless unless I can get Harold to do it first, 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:49.040 and then yeah, unless Harold can go back. I'm trying 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:52.240 to be nice, Matt, and you're really not helping. So 0:02:52.320 --> 0:02:53.880 over these next few weeks, that's going to be my 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:56.520 New Year's resolution. I'm sure we will do a podcast 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:59.480 of full year's resolution, so hang tight, but there's a 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:02.480 little preview of what mine is. But for our group 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:05.239 chat this week, we're just going to recap what happened 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:09.760 in our actual group chat because there are a lot 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:13.600 of things that happened over the last four days. We 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:16.840 can go four days for just Charlotte in general. That 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:24.840 is really interesting and exciting and um not exciting the 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:31.440 football side of things, although although the football it's exciting 0:03:31.520 --> 0:03:36.160 the football, we're still we're getting there. Am I going 0:03:36.200 --> 0:03:37.440 to say it? Are you guys going to say it 0:03:37.440 --> 0:03:40.360 about the football? I think Max should say it? Well, 0:03:40.400 --> 0:03:43.120 are we gonna give you credit? Is that what you're saying, Okay, 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:44.960 that's where she wants us to go. Oh wait, the 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:49.000 football or the football football football football. Yeah, I'll give 0:03:49.000 --> 0:03:53.160 her credit because I was the one that was Yeah, 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:55.440 it was your face that was kind of saying something 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:58.400 very different than what Caroline was saying. Last week's episode, 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:02.000 Caroline and correct me if I'm wrong, said that this 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:04.520 was a game that the Panthers hadn't really no business 0:04:05.160 --> 0:04:08.400 being competitive in, and yet you felt they were going to, 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:11.320 uh make it, make a game of it? Right? Is 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:14.600 that accurate? I may have hinted even towards the fact 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:16.440 that this is one that they had no business winning 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:19.560 or being in, and they gave themselves a chance in 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:23.479 the fourth quarter. And I gotta say, early on, I 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:26.839 thought you were going to be very wrong. Um, Seattle 0:04:26.920 --> 0:04:29.680 came out and scored three touchdowns on three possessions, and 0:04:29.680 --> 0:04:32.719 it was like, oh boy, it looked really easy. Yeah, 0:04:32.760 --> 0:04:35.000 they Seattle made it look very easy. But to Peri 0:04:35.040 --> 0:04:39.039 Fuel and that Panthers teams credit, they stuck with it 0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:41.440 in a situation where you could easily have seen them 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:44.360 kind of just sort of packing it in. But yeah, 0:04:44.440 --> 0:04:46.520 I mean it was a six point game late with 0:04:46.600 --> 0:04:48.400 a chance to get a stop on third and eleven, 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:50.360 you get the ball back with a chance to win. Unfortunately, 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.720 it couldn't get that stop. Seattle salted it away. But yeah, look, 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:56.160 I said this is somebody earlier. If the Panthers were 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:58.640 a nine win team and they lost by six to 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:01.839 a ten win Seattle team, you would say, yeah, I 0:05:01.880 --> 0:05:05.440 mean it's really good Seahawks team. You lose one session 0:05:05.440 --> 0:05:08.320 games to them. Yeah. So with with this Panthers team 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:10.360 and where they're at right now, to play that way 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:11.800 against Seattle, I thought it was one of the better 0:05:11.880 --> 0:05:14.240 games collectively that the Panthers have played in a while. 0:05:14.560 --> 0:05:17.479 And they stuck to the run when they were down 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:21.520 thirteen and then down and I thought that that showed 0:05:21.680 --> 0:05:24.760 a commitment to we know what we're good at and 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:26.760 the defense. You are gonna have to get a couple 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:30.720 stops because we're not gonna go and just go throw 0:05:30.760 --> 0:05:33.960 the ball every week. They're not gonna be successful doing that. 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:36.120 They knew that, like the bread and butter of this 0:05:36.160 --> 0:05:37.800 team is to be able to establish the run and 0:05:37.800 --> 0:05:40.080 then throw off of the run. And they did that 0:05:40.080 --> 0:05:41.560 for the most part. And we're able to control the 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:43.200 ball a little bit in the second half score In 0:05:43.200 --> 0:05:45.159 the second half, the bread and butter of this team 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:48.800 is Christian McCaffrey, So like, run or throw him the 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:51.560 ball anyway possible, even if he has to throw the ball. 0:05:51.560 --> 0:05:54.320 It was over one but still um and yeah, he 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:57.480 goes over two thousand scrimmage yards and has another hundred 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:00.320 and seventy five yards from scrimmage and that's just like 0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:02.880 a normal Sunday for him. But you're right, I mean, 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:04.599 just allowing him to be a big part of the 0:06:04.640 --> 0:06:07.680 game and on defense if they're not getting stops, like 0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:10.159 you're crossing your fingers. Takeaway had a nice sort of 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:13.840 takeaway b and I finally got one and had two 0:06:13.839 --> 0:06:16.920 others that looked to be takeaways until they weren't. And 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:20.880 those scenes like huge plays in the game to me, Um, 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:25.680 Joel mccoybeing offside take away strip sack, Yeah, I mean, 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:28.400 that's that's it right there. And then and then sound 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:32.560 the runner being down on the five being it was 0:06:32.600 --> 0:06:37.520 Bruce Irvan, did you did you touched the bottom of 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:42.159 the cleats? Another one of those it was it was 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:45.159 It was heartbreaking because of those moments, but I thought 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:48.599 Trey Boston put it best after the game he's not surprised, 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:51.080 and that's a little bit how it felt on the 0:06:51.120 --> 0:06:56.599 sidelines when things would happen. Frustrating, absolutely. I thought Gerald 0:06:56.640 --> 0:07:00.200 McCoy very much put his emotion on his sleeve, was 0:07:00.240 --> 0:07:04.440 trying to be an emotional outward leader. I think he's 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:06.680 always been a leader for that defense, but this was 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:09.240 one of the games where he was not shy about 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:13.600 walking around really frustrated, getting the guys together, yelling and 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:17.000 allowing guys to yell back at him. I thought he 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:20.040 kept the energy for the defense where it needed to be. 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:23.920 Him and Luke were very much, you know, frantic almost 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:26.600 walking around on the sidelines, trying to keep guys engaged. 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:31.840 But it wasn't surprising when things happened. Yeah, that's kind 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:33.200 of that's the kind of stuff that happens to a 0:07:33.240 --> 0:07:35.160 team that's lost six games in a row. Well, and 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:37.920 that's just like though, that's just what keeps happening. Perry 0:07:37.960 --> 0:07:40.320 Fuel said before the game, all all week leading up 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:42.120 to the game, it was about confidence, and he was 0:07:42.240 --> 0:07:45.360 very candid about the Seahawks team is very confident. We're 0:07:45.360 --> 0:07:47.320 just not a very confident football team right here at 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:49.760 the Panthers. So I asked him going into the tunnel 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:52.680 heading they just finished warm ups and I said, coach, 0:07:52.760 --> 0:07:55.640 last minute thoughts, what's the you talked about confidence. How 0:07:55.680 --> 0:07:58.280 do you feel your team is right now? He said, 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:00.360 I feel like they're confident in what we're trying to do. 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:05.280 But it's about that keeping the constant that sustained confidence 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:07.280 is what he said is the big deal. Because you 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:09.720 mentioned it's it's a you know, a call here, and 0:08:09.800 --> 0:08:12.080 offsides here, a pick here, all of these things that 0:08:12.120 --> 0:08:16.120 are self inflicting wounds. It seems that this team continues 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:18.960 to fall into But can you sustain that confidence where 0:08:18.960 --> 0:08:20.720 in the fourth quarter you're giving yourself a shot. I 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:22.640 thought they did that. I thought that was nice to see. 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:26.560 It's still hurts and there's no moral victories, so we 0:08:26.640 --> 0:08:29.800 can you know, who raw about? Good job, you made 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:32.320 it a game in the fourth that that's embarrassing that 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:34.560 that's what you know? We can who raw around. I 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:37.000 think the team obviously they said that after the game. 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:41.160 Yeah you don't count moral victories, um, but they kept 0:08:41.240 --> 0:08:42.760 fighting in it. And if you're going to look for 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:46.160 the silver lining, which we love, that's the silver lining 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:48.040 that we're looking. I think there's someone to be said 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:51.720 for that too. I mean, um, especially again against a 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:53.920 team that is really good in Seattle, that number one 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:56.520 team in the NFC. I think people wanted to see 0:08:56.520 --> 0:08:59.240 this Panther's team be competitive. You know, people don't necessarily 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:01.960 expect to win, but like, show, show me something. And 0:09:02.000 --> 0:09:04.439 I think that's what this team did. And for a 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:06.440 segment of the fan base that wants the best draft 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:09.400 pick possible, then there was kind of a like best 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:11.840 case scenario for you, and that you saw a Panther's 0:09:11.840 --> 0:09:14.800 team fight to the bitter end against a good Seahawks 0:09:14.840 --> 0:09:17.400 team and they didn't come out on the winning end, 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:20.600 which again to each their own from a fan perspective, 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:23.280 So you have that too. And the Falcons, if you're 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:25.280 really keeping stock of the draft situation, they got a 0:09:25.280 --> 0:09:28.160 big win in San Francisco, so now they've which is 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:30.839 just jumped this have jumped ahead of Atlanta now in 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:34.360 the draft order. So that's unfortunately, that's the reality of 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:37.200 where this season is. You're looking at the draft order 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:39.320 at this point. You wouldn't want to be in this situation. 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:41.679 You want to be looking at playoffs scenarios, but that's 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:44.120 where this team is. If I worked for the Falcons. 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:45.960 I would have said the same thing going into that game, 0:09:46.040 --> 0:09:48.960 a game they have no business winning, and they end 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:52.800 up beating him. Unbelievable. I didn't believe the score when 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:54.440 I saw it. Did you guys go back and have 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:56.520 to look at the score again. Well, so, right as 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:59.400 I was leaving the press box, the game was like ending. 0:09:59.720 --> 0:10:01.160 So was on the TV, and there was like a 0:10:01.160 --> 0:10:03.400 bunch of like some Seattle media guys were there, watched 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:05.280 every and of course it's big for them too with 0:10:05.320 --> 0:10:08.400 the division um, so everyone was just kind of tuned 0:10:08.400 --> 0:10:11.200 in and and so we were watching those final few moments. 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:18.000 The catch that wasn't by Hooper was ridiculous. It was like, 0:10:18.120 --> 0:10:20.160 I don't know if you guys saw this is before 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:24.839 the Julio catch. He made this incredible like juggling catch 0:10:24.960 --> 0:10:27.920 and the ball was like balancing on his foot between 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:30.120 that and the ground, and they went to review it 0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:32.240 and that gets They ultimately reviewed and said it was 0:10:32.280 --> 0:10:34.320 an incomplete pass, but it kind of looked at first 0:10:34.320 --> 0:10:36.520 glance like he kept it on his like shoe lace. 0:10:37.120 --> 0:10:39.839 And then you have the Julio play where you know, right, 0:10:39.960 --> 0:10:43.280 you know, Inches gets crushed and is able to get across. 0:10:43.320 --> 0:10:45.760 So I mean I felt this that Falcons team was 0:10:45.760 --> 0:10:48.040 way more talented than the record indicates for a while. 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:51.040 And now they're beating some teams and obviously the Saints 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:53.520 they gave trouble and in both meetings and got one 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:58.959 on them. So yeah, I mean entirely, entirely shots. I mean, 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:02.600 I don't know, Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, I give those 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:06.680 guys a chance. And San Francisco they felt the full 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:09.640 force of it in that one. It is crazy football. Well, 0:11:09.720 --> 0:11:18.880 let's now talk about football, different kind of sport here, football, 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:23.720 because this I don't care if you're a soccer fan 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:27.560 or not. You've heard about this just because you're a 0:11:27.559 --> 0:11:32.080 Panther fan, because the same man that owns the Carolina 0:11:32.120 --> 0:11:36.280 Panthers is bringing a new sport to Charlotte and I'm 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:38.120 excited about it. Although I don't think anyone is more 0:11:38.160 --> 0:11:42.040 excited at this table than Max, be honest, I am. 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:47.360 I mean, yeah, I'm a soccer or football fan. Like 0:11:47.400 --> 0:11:49.800 I'm curious to see what you guys think about all this, 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:53.360 because yeah, like I European soccer is kind of become 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:56.400 like a big I become a bit of a I 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:59.800 don't know, super fan. Here's how I describe it, you 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:02.520 know how like there's the fan base in China for 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:06.520 the NBA and they like love watching like Lebron and 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:11.360 you know Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry. Like that's me 0:12:12.280 --> 0:12:15.720 as an American watching European soccer, Like I love watching 0:12:15.760 --> 0:12:19.600 like the big clubs, the big players. Um. And yeah, 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:22.480 MLS is sort of, you know, kind of taking on 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:25.439 this upward trajectory where it's got a lot of growth 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:28.160 and it's really looking to push and become like a 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:33.079 real big contender among American pro sports. So yes, I'm interested. 0:12:33.160 --> 0:12:35.320 I'm very curiously what kind of talent they'll bring in. 0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:38.320 I'm curious for people like you, And this is really 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:40.040 who they want to market too, is like how can 0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:42.480 we get people who maybe aren't the biggest soccer fans, 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:46.880 maybe don't care about the World Cup that much or 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:49.920 follow the Champions League or have really any interest in 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:52.320 the game. How can we get them to the stadium 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.440 and have them care about this new team that's come 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:56.319 to town. So what do you guys think? I I 0:12:56.720 --> 0:13:01.120 think part of it will be all met this. I 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:04.800 think growing up, I I watched college soccer for my 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:07.960 friends at college. I watched the World Cup for the 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:11.400 US because that's what you do. But I don't I 0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:14.959 didn't understand. I don't understand European soccer. I didn't understand 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:17.120 this idea that you're in this league and then you 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:20.360 stop playing for your team to go play in a 0:13:20.480 --> 0:13:23.720 different league, and then come back and play your league 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:25.760 four days later, and then some of your players have 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:27.640 to leave to go play for a different team, and 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:31.480 then they're back. And I just felt stupid because I'm like, no, 0:13:32.440 --> 0:13:34.360 the Panthers play the Falcons. We're not going to go 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:37.880 off and play Europe you know, on Tuesday, or we're 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:39.680 not gonna get a two week break during our by 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:43.079 to like go play the Ryan Fire of the European 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:45.760 It just it felt weird, So I didn't so I 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:49.920 felt stupid. So I think there's a matter of like, Okay, 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:52.920 let's let's try to understand what this is and what 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:55.440 we're pulling for and where these players are coming from 0:13:55.480 --> 0:13:57.760 and who they are, and you know what happens for 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:01.280 two weeks in April or or June and and then 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:04.080 established this kind of I mean, the NFL, let's be real, 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:07.599 there's a culture's a fan culture that's a little bit stagnant, 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:10.640 or maybe that's not the right word. It just it's 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:12.760 a little bit you can't stand up because people will 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:15.040 yell at you. You know, you're not gonna do cheers 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:18.040 the entire game. You're not gonna have huge flags in 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:22.080 the stands. It's a completely different culture in in soccer. 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:24.840 I think that's exciting to see, hey, come in and 0:14:24.880 --> 0:14:28.040 build this yourselves. I think that's what's cool. Well, I'm 0:14:28.080 --> 0:14:31.680 interested in the the atmosphere and the experience of game 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:35.040 day because of what I've seen from AFAR in Atlanta. 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:38.560 It's been really cool, even when we were there playing 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:42.120 the Falcons, to walk around that stadium and see just 0:14:42.240 --> 0:14:46.920 how built out and impressive and amazing their locker room was, 0:14:47.240 --> 0:14:50.480 and and where they walked out, and it made me 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:52.600 kind of perk off and be like, oh, well this, 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:59.240 I mean, this really is as equally you know, cool 0:14:59.440 --> 0:15:01.360 as the NF felt. Maybe if that, if that's even 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:05.280 the world, I'm interested what I would say, like, so, so, 0:15:05.360 --> 0:15:07.480 I love, as I just explained, I love watching the 0:15:07.520 --> 0:15:10.440 best players play. But I think the other great thing 0:15:10.440 --> 0:15:13.520 about soccer is the pageantry of the game. Itself and 0:15:13.600 --> 0:15:16.120 you don't have to know who's playing to get caught 0:15:16.200 --> 0:15:18.920 up in that. Like if you watch big soccer matches 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:23.080 with big time atmospheres, this the singing in the crowd, 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:27.360 the banners, there's just a certain energy to it, and 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:29.640 that's something that carries on throughout the course of the game. 0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:32.560 You know, like there's no stoppages and play. It's just 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:37.400 kind of this constant kind of buzz. And Atlanta, as 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:40.320 you said, has really captured that um And if you 0:15:40.360 --> 0:15:43.600 just see any images or video from their like big games, 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:46.760 it's like blown away by it. It really looks different 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:49.680 than anything that you really ever see in American sports. 0:15:49.680 --> 0:15:52.280 And so that's why I don't necessarily want to say 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:54.160 they're imitating what you see in Europe, but they kind 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:56.360 of are. I think that's what MLS is trying to do, 0:15:56.560 --> 0:15:59.640 is everyone looks at what you see in England and 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:02.360 it'll lee and Spain, and it's like, how can we 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:04.240 kind of do our own twist on that here? And 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:07.200 I think that's what's really exciting is the opportunity to 0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:09.240 have that here in Charlotte. Is something like that kind 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:11.240 of atmosphere where you just kind of look around or 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:15.480 in awe of kind of your surroundings. And I think 0:16:15.520 --> 0:16:18.680 that's what makes soccer the quote unquote beautiful game. In 0:16:18.720 --> 0:16:20.800 addition to what you see on the field, is also 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:23.360 the way that the fans really kind of interact with 0:16:23.440 --> 0:16:26.440 the game from start to finish. Well, I got into 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:30.120 minor league hockey a couple of years ago, thank you. 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:32.680 I cannot tell you a single player that played on 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:36.280 the team. They were a farm team of the black Hawks, 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:39.480 but I didn't really care about that either. What's what's 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:43.600 the name of the team, Indie Fuel, Indianapolis, they were 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:47.000 the Indie Fuel. I went to a game just they 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:50.240 did some promotion working with the Colts, and so we 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:52.560 ended up getting tickets, and so a girlfriend and I went. 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:55.040 We had a blast. I ended up buying You could 0:16:55.040 --> 0:17:00.040 buy season tickets for fifteen dollars, so I did. And 0:17:00.040 --> 0:17:03.520 and you know, you can go and and just what 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:06.160 you're saying of the buzz and the the no stoppage 0:17:06.160 --> 0:17:09.080 in the game, and there's music playing and they're doing 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:12.240 a promotion in this section. There was so much to 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:14.680 take in and it did feel like an NBA game. 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:16.119 I feel like when you go to an NBA game, 0:17:16.200 --> 0:17:18.520 unless you're very invested in what is happening on the 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:21.800 on the court, you don't really have to pay attention 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:23.960 to the court because of all the other things that 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:27.000 are going on. I'm not sure if that's exactly how 0:17:27.040 --> 0:17:30.359 soccer is, but I think the way that soccer is growing, 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:32.639 the World Cup, the women's national team, all of this 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:37.080 buzz just around the sport makes it super exciting for Charlotte. 0:17:37.240 --> 0:17:40.720 And David Tepper made a great point. There's no summer 0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:44.399 sport here in town. There is the baseball team, and 0:17:44.440 --> 0:17:47.879 that's every other night. It seems there's something there, but 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:51.399 as far as a a major league pro sport, there's 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:53.560 there's not one here. You have the n b A, 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:56.399 you have you know football, and now let's add a 0:17:56.440 --> 0:17:59.720 pro soccer team. I think that's really exciting because it's 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:02.680 hard to to get super invested in the baseball games 0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:05.640 because those guys turn over so much. So you can 0:18:05.720 --> 0:18:08.960 build some fandom around the player, around the team that 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:10.760 they're going to be here for a long time because 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:14.240 a lot of those affiliates too. For minor league baseball, 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:16.680 they will change affiliates every now and then their farm team. 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:18.960 You know that all of a sudden they'll become the 0:18:19.000 --> 0:18:21.159 Braves or you know, whatever you want it to be. 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:23.560 So I'm excited. I think it's it's gonna be really 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:25.720 cool for Charlotte to see how it can grow the 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:28.320 city and grow the fantom And the fact that the 0:18:28.400 --> 0:18:31.200 soccer games that I've already been played here at Bank 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:34.280 of America Stadium, I've been really impressive. Yeah, I think 0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:37.240 it's I think it's very well positioned to just immediately 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:39.199 have a team come in there and start playing games. 0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:41.879 I think this is an area and well maybe you 0:18:41.880 --> 0:18:43.159 can speak to this more than I can have the 0:18:43.200 --> 0:18:47.840 country that produces really good soccer talent the college programs 0:18:47.840 --> 0:18:51.520 in this area. Um, I think there's a general interest 0:18:51.560 --> 0:18:54.440 in the game. Some people will say soccer is boring. 0:18:54.480 --> 0:18:56.840 I hear that a lot. You know, not enough goals scored. 0:18:57.240 --> 0:18:59.560 But it's a simple game, you know, it's not like 0:18:59.600 --> 0:19:02.840 it's a proplicated. Everybody can go to the game and understand, 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:04.800 you know, maybe there's only be a couple of goals scored, 0:19:04.840 --> 0:19:07.080 but it's the build up to those goals that makes 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:11.000 the ultimate celebration of them awesome. I think, uh, and look, 0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:15.720 everybody loves a winner, so if the team wins, I think, 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:18.680 then you've got really something potentially special. And I think 0:19:18.720 --> 0:19:21.879 that's what Atlanta did was it wasn't just like here's 0:19:21.880 --> 0:19:23.879 this cool new thing you can come check out. It 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:26.560 was like, here's this cool new thing you can check out, 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:27.960 and well, by the way, we're gonna win a bunch 0:19:27.960 --> 0:19:30.240 of games. And that's I think what kind of got 0:19:30.240 --> 0:19:33.800 the snowball really rolling for them. And so we are 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:36.359 everyone is in particularly the three of us, are gonna 0:19:36.359 --> 0:19:37.880 be waiting to see who the Panthers are gonna hire 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:40.600 as their head coach. Who is the MLS team going 0:19:40.640 --> 0:19:42.280 to hire as their head coach? And that's like the 0:19:42.320 --> 0:19:44.960 first real big shoot a drop to figure out, Okay, 0:19:45.000 --> 0:19:46.679 are they're going to get somebody who can bring in 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:49.280 top talent, They're gonna be able to attract players who 0:19:49.320 --> 0:19:51.840 want to come play here, and then can they do 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:54.439 what Atlanta did, which is not just have a great 0:19:54.520 --> 0:19:58.119 kind of promotional product, but also on the field be 0:19:58.240 --> 0:20:02.040 really competitive. Because Atlanta won the whole thing, then the 0:20:02.080 --> 0:20:05.520 snap of finger, it's seen and surely Dave Tepper, with 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:07.679 how much he likes to win, win, win, would like 0:20:07.720 --> 0:20:10.080 to do the same. Yeah, I mean exactly. I mean, 0:20:10.200 --> 0:20:12.960 if anyone knows anything about the makeup of David Tepper 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:15.760 is that he's he's in this to win this. And 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:17.640 I like what you said about kind of this area 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:20.439 of the country because in Major League Soccer, you know 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:22.239 there there's there's kind of you know, you have your 0:20:22.240 --> 0:20:23.920 club teams, you have your teams that are that are 0:20:23.920 --> 0:20:26.080 feeding and this is a place where, you know, right 0:20:26.160 --> 0:20:28.159