Final Jersey Picks and Wrap Up

This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a fifty page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online makes sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responssees set upp required compatibility and availability varies eighteen plus Our roll batteries the same That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever. Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracl. Is there any other battery with power boost ingredients inside? No, just Duracl. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different And Messi only trusts doerselves. twenty twenty six, Sam Darnold is a Super Bowl winningQB and the Indiana Hoosers are the best college football team in all the land. and the Kickerbockers are the champs of the whole NBA. And the US soccer team is relevant. Don't get me wrong. I mean, Phil Michkelson' still a scumback, so not everything in the world is upside down right now, but still And now the weirdest thing yet, the Boston Celtics just traded the twenty twenty four finals MVP to their arch rival for the shriveled remains of Paul George, is this going to go down in sports history as worse than the Vikings trading for Herscha Walker? How about the Browns trading for Deeshaun Watson on purpose? I think we can already say it's worse than twenty twenty five's nominee for worst trade ever. The cowboys dealing Micah Parsons to the Packers Kenny Clark and Quinin Williams in the draft, Malachi Lawrence in a couple of DB. So less than a year later, it feels closer to win win. So we'll have to see on this Jalen Brown deal. But in the meantime, Mike Ryan, who's upcoming in just a second here says the upcoming England Mexico game is the biggest event in the history of sport I don't know. Does that deserve a red card like bigigger than Ali Frasier or Montana V. Marino? Let's talk about it with them And you right now. Start the show All right, Mike Ryan. Hey batter Batter. Hey bad or batter. This is a new game we play here on the show. What the Celtts got for Jayalen Brown or what the Browns got in letting Baker Mayfield go in favor of De Seaun Watson. How soon Wh the Celtics may have just made one of the worst trades in history, but I'd still prefer that than what the Browns got in return. That's one of the few examples that you can point to, especially in the modern era and say that that deal was worse All right, Hi, hello and all that to my fellow football Americans. Welcome to Football America presented as ever by our pals over at Draft King Sports. now available in fifty states and I counted them up. I went one by one. That is all of the states in these United States, these United States, now on to the round of sixteen in football America. We're going to yap about that in just a second meantime. Drop us a line in the comments on YouTube and Spotify and Apple, subscribe, tellell your friends unless you hate the show, then tell your enemies. either way, welcome to episode seventy one And hello to Gina Fuentez, Buddy Badowsky out and about as we speak, acccording to Mike Ryan And we'll get into some NFL stuff here in a second as well. But according to Mike Griind, the biggest event in the history of sports is England v Mexico in Mexico City next week. How are you, Mike, Ryan and defend yourself here. I think it's going to be the most dramatic theatrical event of our sporting Allivves. Now, it's not going to be the biggest sporting event that willll be reserved final. talk about hyped in advance up. Yeah Yeah the final for this World Cup is going to surpass whatever this is, but in terms of The storylines going into it. the weight of both Badges For Mexico, they lifted a curse, their first knockout round victory in forty years for England. It's always about getting to the final, adding a start to that shirt their intestinal fortitude constantly questioned. They've just had a huge gut check victory over DR Congo But they did that. in Atlanta at noon against a nation that was a bit of a cinderella Can you go into Aztecca Stadium where I believe Mexico is one hundred and seventeen With seventeen draws and only two losses in their competitive history as I don't I don't know about the deep history, but it is relevant that they haven't lost their in they don't lose How long? Yeah I don't I mean but they haven't lost in many moons big gam. Geno very helpfully. Where's the other guy? Gino very helpfully. seventy seven, seventeen and two. topop of the dome for Gino. That's incredible. That's their competitive record in ESteECca. They've had several friendlies. They don' they just flatly don't lose there. And the reason why they don't lose there is the hostility And the elements, the altitude, the lack of sleep that the opponents get when they're in town. This is the single biggest hurdle England has ever had to clear in this tournament and if England do so E had to clear boy we're into the hyperbolee No no There is nothing that is going to test mind, body and spirit quite like this Sunday evening Match up between Mexico and England and if England do survive this and advance. I like them to win the whole thing because the only thing that's been holding England back has been that mental toughness, that mental strength. Can you put the boogey men to bed? It's kind of like the bills and the chiefs. Can you beat the chiefs when it counts? This is the book on you. You need to beat the chiefs to be able to get to where you're actually going Buffalo. Can you do it? That's what's happening with England This is a huge test for them and I cannot wait for it. It's going to be dramatic. It's going to be absolute scenes in Aztecca Well, and in the meantime, there are two sides to what's going on in these United States in sharp relief with in our nation's capital and the the big state fair and the lack of attendance there. I find consider me one over by this World Cup. biquitous recurring cutaways to Americans in the standance of every stripe. I mean people brown people, people who and then cutaw away to the people playing on the team speaking with accents and the different walks of life that theyave count come from to be on the US men's soccer team and all of that. I think it's all added up to grand stuff And I am anxious and patriotically so looking forward to this game against Belgium. We'll get your pick on that just a second. First of all, let me say this Dynamite stuff for Mike Ryan, Dan Lebittard, Zazlow in the crew on Thursday's Leotard show reacting to the aforementioned wild trade. I mean, I just I can't get over how bizarre it is And there's there's got to be something we don't know. is the only thing I can is the only thing I can come up with at this point because it is a bizarre giveaway to again, to your arch rival, but make sure you're always checking them out five days a week on the LeBotard show and A legitimately great soccer show and I texted him on the side to let them know that he has he has my stamp of approval. Morally abhorrent. makeake sure you're tracking that one down And and and then also drip drill. We've got some World Cup edition drip drill coming up here. It's Mike Ryan to give you a proper introduction. And I'll follow up with this. Hey, bad. or bad Hey, b or batter I've enjoyed the headwar. I talk about the cutaways to the people enjoying the games and I've been struck that Nations seem to have, I don't know if they're official hats, but it seems like the people of various nations are tethered to one style of hats. So which headwear would you less want to have to wear for the rest of your life. You have to wear this every day for the rest of your life. a fz like the Moroccan people do. or a bret Fz because at least the bret covers your head. You can keep warm during the winter, you can keep it out of the sun. John Travolta has shown us that you can actually pull that off and make it look really, really cool. I mean, spectacularly cool. Whereas a Fz It's really only reserved for the people of that nation and and villains in Indiana Jones movies or mumbling sidekicks or Conniving little monkeys that help you steal bread U when you're a street rat, it's not it's not a good look. No one's been able to pull it off Geannie, didn't Jenie wear a fz of some sort Jieent, howll say you? whichich is the better headwear or the worse headar? I was referring to poo. Yeah, I know. I know you're referring to a poo. I think the genie actually did want to wear one. Yeah. The genenie came out was. maybe it imbuues you with magical powers. I like it. I like Morocco. I've learned, this is what it's yielded for me is to some degree. I didn't really know much about Morocco before this tournament began, but now I've been reading up on it I do think it's a little weird that so many of the Moroccan players are from the Netherlands, but let's not get bogged down with that. The biggest event in the history of sport is upcoming Is it bigger? According to you, MikeBrian Nan Ally, Fraser in ' seventy one, we weren't around for that, but that was much hyped Yeah, this is bigger than Ali Frazier. And I think Dave, I don't know if you've ever traveled abroad during a World Cup. I'm not even talking about being in a host nation. just being in another country while the World Cup is going on And you have to understand it's not like that for Lions Vikings week fifteen where you can be in the streets of India, pull over to a bar and walk in and see scores of people locked in on a sporting event. And I'm not just saying Mexico England. I'm saying like Jordan versus Algeria They are dialed. Every athlete that steps onto a World Cup pitch, whether it be the group stages or knockout rounds is being watched by the entire globe. It is the single biggest television event. There is nothing that is more viewed in the history of our world then right now and Dave, it's not even something that we can get accurate numbers for. Allegedly thirty million people were watching a group saage match earlier this week when you combine English and Spanish language in just this country Do you know the sicko that is just watch you're probably the one. the guy that's watching the game alone in their home. This is such a communal thing and I know American say know to for the record. I took the kids out because I wanted them to experience exactly what you're describing. So we went out and had some wings and gathered around and they were legit struck by especially my ten year old daughter was especially sort of surprised and spooked by in the moment when they reacted to the first goal that was called back after twenty seconds for offses. I mean she was frightened for a second. What just happened? Why are all these grown up people shouting in unison about something? It was a cool moment. Yeah. I loved seeing that. I hear you. And It's also though, the weird thing with, you know, big time sports is to some degree, the tail wags the dog because the U. S tates most of it except for the most popular sport and the US is intent The major leeagues are intent on spreading the good word about their sports. clearly, look at what the NFL does and the NBA and otherwise. Let me just tell you A big one in my lifetime that I remember when I was a little kid. For some reason, Larry Holmes versus Jerry Cooney was a super big deal. Do you No, you're too young to remember. Do I remember Larry Holes? I just missed that It was with in hindsight, why was that such a big deal? Larry Holmes was a good fighter. Jerry Cooney was a bum. He was white. I think that's why people had the great White hope they wanted to make that into something Super Bowl nineteen, the two week run up of Montana and how great those niners were against the Penom Dan Marino. That was a big deal in the moment. They made commercials before The game was actually played. I think it was a Diet Pepsiat or something like that. I think Weirdly in this millennium The title games loom more significant than the Super Bowls have even with and ike I think like When the Seahawks with Russ were playing the nineers with C those those had a feel to them that transcended even the Super Bowl that followed it. Brady V. Peyton showdowns in title games. Cowboys V nineers in the early nineties Maybe more so Th even the Patriots in a seven because nobody thought that Eli's Giants had a shot against the undefeated Patriots. Anything else that even comes close to the large S of this World Cup? You're absutely say that these games are more significant than any World Cup event that we've seen up until this point I would say that you're bang on about the Super Bowls where the championship games you have the embedded rivalries Josh Allen and his quest to conquer the chiefs, I think is the most compelling storyline in that league and has been for quite some time. and that's just something that doesn't happen in the Super Bowl. I do think the rematch between Eli and Brady probably had the most juice of what you're talking about because you already had the matchup once before. you have the manning surname and you had the huge New York market. thoseose two teams said even in the undefeated season on the way to that Super Bowl in which they lost. there was a great memorable game against the Giants. So there was a little bit the rare cross conference rivalry, but it's not something that is afforded to us often in the Super Bowls Yeah, you thought well, maybe the packers could take down these Patriots if everything breaks right. But when when the when the giants w, you're like, wow, that's that. I mean, they're going undefeated. And so it was a revelation when they didn't, But you didn't anticipate that in the run up to that game. The other one that might might strike might get your attention a little bit, even though you were too young for in the moment. The nineteen eighty seven fiestible Vinny Testaverdi and the you guys all coming out in their fatigue getting off the plane people took a hardcore negative posture against those cananes and rooted for Penn State. And as it turns out in hindsight, Joe Perno squad had some of it some secret issues of its own. That was a big deal. The going into game seven In twenty sixteen when LeBron was trying to rally the cals from down three one against the seventy three win dubs was a big one. And the other one I think people forget is when Tyson was out of the joint and he had his first real fight against avander Hool offield. That's when he bit his ear. But how does this compare with let's say as a novice to the beautiful game, Mike Ryan How does any game upcoming in North America? C comppare with, let's say even the most recent big one, the twenty twenty two Argentina V France final. Yeah. I'm so happy That's where I was going to go. To me, the greatest sporting spectacle I've ever seen, the greatest match, the greatest final I've ever seen is Argentina versus France. I think that's the greatest game ever played. You had messy the storyline around him Alough the weight of the ghost that he is chasing, the fact that he needed a World Cup to cement his legacy and you had him Bap a being absolutely dynamite already trying to come for all of Leomessi right there chance to Yeah and they were bothenomenal, not just in that entire tournament, but in that match in particular. if I can show an alien coming to Earth and said, this is what sports is on this planet. This is the best that we got In my lifetime, it's Argentina, France There was also the what was it the Hand of God goal? That was a a marath of. I would not want to point right Yeah I would not want to show that to the aliens because then's cheating. Yeah I know but the match upp was significant too, right? Yeah, England Argentina One of the many haunting losses for for England, one of the many ghosts they need to conquer on Sunday in Aztecca Was that in Nstaka I think I believe so. that was M eighty six Oh Look at that. The circle is now complete and now we can move on to drip drill. Hey, batter, batter Mike Ryan and also Gino Which is a a worse, a b rep for your nation. Speedy Gonzalees I' had pretty some negative overtones there, or Mr. Bean Who Can I go Ppee L Pu Yeah, that one's pretty bad Pepppe L Pieu. he he didn't survive me too That's true. He got me too. He's never come back from it. He has never come back from it. H and James Franco, apparently the only ones that have suffered. and you know, they finally got Weinstein, but Pepe LePu, he hasn't gotten any work. Did he have a substance abuse problem? Because you would think if you're a cocksman on the level of Ppe Lap Pu, you would be able to distinguish between your fellow skunks and felines, right He didn't care. That's that That's what I think that That's the level of his arrangement. That's how twisted he was. That's how badly he needed to seek help Good answer. Good answer. All right, so I mentioned Drip dririll, me and Mike Ryan, clearly fashionistas that goes without saying if you if you have one working eyeball. We usually turn our gays to football uniforms, but the World Cup is here. It's football, America and all of that. So it's a World Cup edition and we're going to do a little draft here. Mike Ryan He loves them soccer kits is what they're called. Are you one of these people who does the thing where you pretend you're English when you talk about soccer? Brilliant that Like, do you do all that? I'm like Chris Wittningham No. No American. No, I like calling it a jersey and a shirt. I think the kit is reserved for the whole ensembleble Right? I don't You do use the proper vernacular, which is not something a lot of Americans do. Sure Jersey. But I don't mind mixing it up. I'm proud. I'm not one of these. I'm not one of these self hating Americans at least when it comes to soccer. I am proud of our soccer culture. I call it soccer. I understand why we got it wrong. It seems very dumb. whatever. we call it soccer I like that our chance are dumb Yeah, USA USA def fense. I The I believe that we can win. all right, that one stupid. You got us there. But I easy. But I do think that we should be proud of our of our culture. I think far too often we've tried to aspire to be, you know this facsimile of the Premier League prototype and that's just not for us. that that's just not who we are. Let's stop pretending. let's embrace who we are And hopefully we have a good soccer team around Well isn't that the cruust of a lot of the conversation ongoing in society right now is that of what is the society and what is the United States? What does it represent culturally and all of that. And in my mind, it always has been a blend of all of those things. I always say and I mean this in a positive way There is the US has at worst the second best version of every nation's food available on the Big Blue Marble, right Like We at wor we the second best Italian food We definitely have the second best Chinese food, right Yeah. And great Great take. Thank you. But what we do have that's unique is like barbecue and jazz and American football. thoseose are our distinguishing features that I think we hold up above all others, right? St entertainment stock car racing No one does left turns better than we do I do want to ask you this. then we'll do the draft. Do we have Randy here? Social Randy is going to join for for the drip drill draft because he fancies the soccer kits as well. the jerseys. Do we have him here for the draft? If we don't yet, then let me first ask you this, Mike Pam You talk about the Americans and our view of these things. a lot of us, a high percentage of us are just dipping our toes into these waters. I have been struck by the American attitude that we mid tournament because one of our guys got red carted that now the rules should be changed How say like what what Well this is that's outrageous. Well so then change the rule before they play Belgium and make it so that u so that the guy can play in this game. It's very American point of view, But how say you on this whole Rd card controversy per se. So I'm not going to I'm going to embrace my American and and say look, they're not wrong in saying it's unjust that but I It's not wrong to say that that red card is unjust. nowt have done It seems I'm sorry I have to interrupt because I'm a dummy What I didn't even understand what it was. they both reached with their foot for the ball and his landed on the guy's ankle. That's like that obviously not deliberate But that's not the standard of the rule. It's it's hard to explain unless you've actually put on like some of these cleats and exactly like it is to a degree reckless. Now it's not intention should matter when we're discussing and parsing whether or not he should have been sent off because it's highly punitive. He's got to be not just kicked out of that game, but the very next game. But if you've ever gotten stepped on during a competitive soccer match With studs, you're essentially wearing a sock. That's how thin these cleats are. It's very dangerous. It can seriously hurt you. I don't know if you got to see Malik Tilman who got stepped on during that match, but his his foot was bleeding It cut through the not just the cleat, but the sock and it cut his skin. It's a very dangerous sport in that respect when you go studs Studs is very reckless. Now that wasn't exactly studs up. Messy got away with it. There's inconsenies was worse. Yeah, I agree to, But there's inconsistencies in how all sports are officiated. And I do think that there's been a lot of people that are American football fans that are somehow looking down on soccer. Yes, soccer has it's inconsistencies and hypocrisies and problems with officiating, but let's not pretend like People arent getting kicked out of football games because of a targeting call that we still cannot get right. I'm a university of Miami fan. You're iniana B, b a great one. the if you get charged with a targeting penalty, you miss the next you don't just get kicked out of the current game, which is really horrible I mean really swings games But then the next go ahead with your point about the you exactly. The Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes, maybe that goes a little differently if Xavier Lucas is available and wasn't kicked out of the first half because of something that happened in a previous game that was along the lines, right? We do this all the time. Yeah, VAR. That's stupid offside. you come on. We're talking about a toenail. What kind of advantages is that Well, there's plenty of NFL Sundays in which I'm trying to figure out if a toenail went out of bounds on a dude seventy yard touchdown run or if a football went out of bounds on a fumble or not. did it h where did it hop over the pile on? We have all these weird things and football American football is the dumbest of all the sports when it comes to officiating because we're just putting a ball where we think it should go Well, but you know what's it makes me think of the the kid who learned to burn tree by watching his old man whichich is a weird blind spot that the old man didn't see that one coming. Like where did you learn about this? Like you're holding your own box that has your weed in it, pop. Like that's where I learned it. That's where I get it from. But anyho, either way. Did American sports and specifically the quarterbacks because I find it off putting The the the the histionics, the physical histionics of that u that pass rush here touched me and now I must flail about And then you just brought up that soccer players roll around and, you know, that it's pretty well known there rolling around. And I think a lot of American viewers look at that and say that guy's faking But what you're getting at is something I have now come around on. They're actually hurt. When they're roll how what would you say the percentages of guys because some of them do pop right back up. They're looking for a call. But then a fair percentage of the time, I think like, man, that guy just got kicked in the shins with a cleat. That's probably legitimately hurtic probably down It really it really does hurt. But I think that u Global soccer in particular, this competition has been very good about theyve put rules in place. There's been a lot less diving and embellishing. I think that's. There hass been more diving in the NBA. There is certainly more diving when it comes to, you know, roughing the passer and Josh Allen trying to curry favor with the officials. I think there's far anybody that tells you the problem their problem with soccer is that there's too much diving has not cared to watch World Cup soccer in particular in a very long time. There is far less of it in the sport. There's far more of it in basketball Right. And if you watch the playoffs in the NBA, you know that's true. If you watch quarterbacks, if you look for receivers looking for PI to get called, all that stuff is worse. I do think It is though, we learned it by watching you soccer kind of effect or maybe not. No dout place no somewhere there.. Hey batter, batter until we have Randy, another one for you real quick here. You have to for the rest of your life go around in one of these two. a sombrero or a kilt. Jilt Just because no, I live in South Florida There are plenty of days that I wish I had zero pants on. So that one seems liberating I don't know rules down in Miami. You can go pantseless if you want, Gino? U, what was it? was it was the kilt or what Or or the Sbrea Kil wears a Sombrea, right? No. I mean, I go with the kilt as well. The Sombrea looks ridiculous. Also proven for social functions, there are, you know, a high end events that you can wear a kilt to that are socially acceptable. L you can be like this is formal wear in parts of the world. So you can get away with wearing a kilt whereas, you know, you meet the quueen You can't have a somebberre on. No, no, no okay Yeah. All right. You make some good points there. All right. let's let's start this draft, shall we. We' going to draft the best kits of World Cup twenty twenty six and Mike Ryan You have the floor with the first overall pick here. First overall pick to me is easy. I purchased this as soon as I saw this. I think I had bedsheets that look just like this jersey growing up. But the Japanese A kit with the multicolor stries here. The collar matching the addidas piping so well Adidas knocked it out of the frreickaking part with this World Cup set. Japan has a great home set, but this one is special, a cream colored, rainbow inspired and that crest that Japanese crest is so beautiful, so big over the heart there pres so well with the wrapping on the sleeves and the collar. just a dynamite jersey. For my money, one of the greatest soccer jerseys on the international side ever created. This one is a ten out of ten This may work out for you. and much like you said on Thursday's Lbotar show, The Celtics may win fifty games, maybe they win the NBA titles.'t It doesn't mean that this makes a ton of sense, the Jayen Brown deal on face, especially the your Arch rival I worry. that you are like a fantasy football draffter. who fanciied something from afar. Do you think that Gino was about to take this Japan kit jersey away from you. I don't think he would have I'm not so much worried Look, I just have my board. It's a three man hand and especially when you're picking a top of it, like I don't need to I know that it's going to snink back to me well later. So I'm going best player available here. I have purchased this jersey. I love this jersey. I put my money where my mouth is. This is one of the greatest jerse' ever made I'm just asking questions. All right, Gino, you're up next. in the kit draft Okay The first time I saw this jersey, I was like, I gotta have it. I'm gonna buy it. I don't care if I get it after they're eliminated The Norway homeome jersey is the coolest thing in this competition to me. It's got the Norway flag design on the right there. You see their crest looks beautiful with just over the flag as well. And it's if you look closely in the in the blue cross There's this design there that like I hear goes back to like wooden car like wooden carvings and Scandinavian culture that I didn't even notice when I picked this. but it's so cool. I think it's my personal favorite jersey in all of the world. I think the coolest part about this jersey isn't on the front. It's on the back. Everyone loves the font. that Viking Nordic inspired font that they have in the back with the name plates has been really stellar to look at Is Hen the breakout star on American shhores? It seems like he's really popped. I've heard him compared to Gross the uh the The Nordic Gron. I think earlier I think Eling Halan came in a huge star. But in terms of casual observers that maybe aren't familiar without, you know, I mean, certainly they're familiar with Messi and Ronaldo, but are looking for the next one. Andba's style of play is inspiring, but so is Halan and he is a crazy athlete His straight line speed is amazing, but he just looks so Interesting put it mildly. this guy is hugely athletic and he looks like an alien. He is terrifying coming at you you've got the ball if you' a defender and you see this guy coming at you full speed, what do you do? Big strrong fast incredible in the air. He and now for Norway, I don't know if you notice this. he's playing defense too. He cleared two balls off the line He's going end to end. This guy is he is one of the top ten athletes on the planet. As you mention or insinuated at least, he is unhandsome, which adds to the the effect that he's way bigger than all the other soccer players out there. All, do we have Randy or no Yes. All right. Social Randy is here. didn look at him. We wear a soccer kit. That's right. ot his mustache looks like a civil warar reenactor. I love that Iax shirt. I have one myself. greatreat beautiful jersey that he's got. I see that that's the most popular jersey going around or kit going around right now. I saw a few of those in the bar yesterday Yeah, I got a little got Ryan Grabenberirch on the back. figured it was okay to wear now because he can't hurt me anymore. He's out of the tournament. But ye, one thing just to that. got a lot of you got a lot of laughs from soccery. That was a soccer game. I didn't know On the Holland thing about being a star. he's been a star for a while now, but I will say His antics on social media and I think a lot of it plays into his look too. For at least I in the division of my wife. He is the breakout star of the World Cup. She thinks he is one of the funniest people that she's ever encountered. And I have a bunch of random people who aren't big soccer fans hitting me up being like, Yo have you heard of this guy? This guy's unbelievable and he looks like a Viking. And so at least on that end of it, I think the answer is yes I feel like is this right to say because I don't feel like you're inherently under pressure if you're on the US team except that it's in the United States and all of that. I feel like if they lose, you know, three, nothing to Belgium, people say, Hey, good tournament for for the American guys, right. So but but thats said. I also feel like maybe the most pressure on one person is policic. Is that fair? Randy and Mike Goodhead, Randy I think I think the most pressure is not anybody on the United States team. I think I think if they lost three zero, it would be a Oh man, I can't believe that we had all this hype and then we just got smoked by Belgium when it felt like Oh this would be a satisfying result if they if they don't get past the round of sixteen Mike I would be disappointed at this point when you apply the context of how they looked and the fact that Belgium hasn't looked great. But I think if you're looking for individual people carrying the most pressure A huge weight went off of Messi's shoulders because he won the thing, but there's always going to be that pressure. If he wins a second one, what does that mean for all time? especially someone like me who firmly believes he's the greatest of all time. But the most pressure is on Cristiano Ronaldo because that cements his legacy. justust being a part of a team. It doesn't have to be the best player on his team. But if he somehow makes meaningful contributions, that goes a long way because he's a guy who's seen Messi's lead increase on him and also he's got the added pressure of this guy can screw it up for his nation in ways that really align with Messi and Harry Kain, who rose the occasion against DR Congo Being the captain of England and all that entails having to be the man, his incredible performance against DR Congo. he is he is carrying a lot of pressure All right, Randy, take it away. giveive us the third kit in the drip drill World Cup twenty six draft I'm going France away, the statue of Liberty. jerseys. This is I think just a Almost completely perfect for the moment. One, it looks stunning on the field, but two, just the details of it. I think the red pops so good that on the mintish green blue U and even the accents. So like even the badge here It's the color of bronze but if you get it really close, it's even like corroding and it's not just a perfect thing. It's corroding away as if you know how it actually functions, right? and how the the statute of Liberty comes to take that takeake that color, but just with the we're in America, It's, you know, France's gift to America and right now France on the field feels like a gift to Americans with how they're playing. And it's just, I think I think it's just There's no there's no detail. That's not even the inside we've got. It says liberty. our differences unite us on the back. It's just the perfect kit for the perfect moment I agree one hundred percent. I purchased this one. It's a beauty for all the reasons and the story behind it. I'm gonna hopefully they're wearing these on july fourth. I'm going to that match in Philadelphia, which was supposed to be Germany, France. So no one was more upset about how that PK shootout went than me. But what if Paraguay wins? I mean what because I'm taking my daughter. The the way that I'm seing it to my daughter is Killian Iba is going to just destroy this world this World Cup record for goals and I want you to be able to say that you saw him in the flash. So I hope either goes nuts or we saw how disruptive that goalkeeper can be in and the penalty kick out. What if Parag Paraguay wins it's a single biggest upset in the history of the world It's a ridiculous question be. It's a single biggest upset in the history of the world Nike hasn't had a lot of nice moments. So far two Nike jerseys have come off. I feel like Adidas kind of took their lunch money, but they did really, really spectacularly well with the last two that we've discussed The new LinkedIn hiring pro can't undo your last hire. The human postponer. They were the master of O phrase. I'll circle back on that. But three months later, you were the one doing all their work and wondering how big that circle is But LinkedIn Hiring Pro can take the hiring load off your plate by automating the hiring busyw from the initial job post to scheduling interviews Hire write the first time with LinkedIn Hiring Pro. Post a free job today at LinkedIn d. com flash quality Hey, batter batter Would you rather be a German soccer fan right now or which would be worse to be a German soccer fan or a fan of Senegal? given the way they blew it. The Senegal. Senegal That hurs worse. Yeah. Yeah. I think that the talent wasn't up to snuff for for Germany going in. they'll always have the Oh it was I just assumed they're a powerhouse who Yeah they they are in final four. Losing a potterw is hugely embarrassing but to a Sentegal fans are going to need therapy. Yeah, they're never coming back from. There's no coming back from a loss like that. Wha, too much soccer, too much football. I got to get back to my comfort zone. I'm getting in the Delorean and you guys are all in the trunk. We're traveling to the NFL season twenty twenty six a little ahead a couple of months in between week one and week two. Did you guys see that game down in Houston? The Texans knocked off Josh Allen and the bills twenty seven to twenty one upcoming now a big one for the buuffalo Bills, Mike Ryan. They host the Detroit Lions on Thursday night football a big one. The bills are laying three as they unveil the new joint house. say you I'm appreciating the platform for me to just brag and say, I'm going to this one too. I'm going to the Highmark stadium debut, Thursday night football, Lions Bills. Dave, I'm going to a bachelor party in Portland immediately following this and that's got to be basically hair of the dog. There is nothing in terms of intake that is going to match this Thursday night High markark stadium. The bills roll, especially after that disappointing defeat at the hands of CJ Sroud. What a bounce backack for the young man Well last week, we got to look the first game obviously is always the reigning Super Bowl champ and what that Super Bowl champ usually does is win and so the Seahawks did against the team that they' vanquished in the Super Bowl. The Patriots twenty seven to twenty three. Now the Patriots go back to Foxborough to play the one and know Pittsburgh steelers who barely survive the Atlanta Falcons on the banks of the three rivers Patriots laying four and a half. Mike Rrian. how say you I like the Patriots here. I'd like the off season that they've had nothing Yeah, the great great off season that they had. No distractions is low key Low key seems like there's no distractions in that building The main thing is the main thing. So bunch. Yeah, yeah. Patriots keep a rolling. Nhing nothing really to talk about. You know, I do and we're right at the halfway point of the calendar year and at the end of every year when I do the Shehecky awards, the one award no one wants to win is the Sonic award so named because it went to the city of Seattle, the sports town. the year that Kevin Durant and the Sonics not only left, but they left to go to Oklahoma suchuch a slap in the face Seattle and you know, the Mariners were bad and so on And now I give the sports toown whose fans suffered the most in the past year. I think halfway through twenty twenty six, it's Boston sports fans. They lose that Super Bowl. then on the heels of that the vable stuff. The Red Sox stink, the Celtics disappointed and then traded away Jalen Brown and the Bruins are neither here nor there really Is there a worse sports toown right now than that Tougher than the country is Senegal All right, taken away round two. back to the kit draft All right, I'm going to do a potentially controversial move here and I am taking a jersey that was not worn in the World Cup U It is their away kit, but I'm going to go Kuraow away which we didn't end up getting to see. because they only played three games and in all of those matches they wore The Royal Blue However I mean, I' about this. You're picking the white one this is like all the jerseys are white. What is this? This is not This is a Los Angeles l White This is not white. It's' yellow Butter buttery. Well we've got creamy than he is white, but still you get you take my point. G. This is a buttery jersey It is buttery. It's got the accents, you know, the bright colors that you see when you go down in the Caribbean, it's just muchuch like the France jersey, it's just clean, it's classy We've got the accents are perfect and It's really a big shame that we didn't get to see them wear it U I don't even know if if they had advanced if they would have worn it in the next game However, it was on the docket and it was I'm going to back myself up here with They could have wore it Because it is there a w jersey All right, Geno Fuentees, you're up next. Also. I know you're still reeling from what happened in week one in Vegas the Dlphins w, which you're kind of rooting against right? You want them to really be the worst team in the league this year. amm I right about that or were you happy to see Malik Willis and the boys get out there, move out to or go out to Sin City and take down Fernando's debut I'm happy because it means they won't go windless And distinct possibility looking at this roster that they could be really bad this year. they but still might be really bad this year. Okay. There's some optimism going going into it. I mean the O line Looks like it could be one of the stronger parts of the team, but only because the rest of the team is so bad They did a nice job running the ball. That much was clear, but I don't know how stout that Raiders' defense is. We'll see what they look like in week two. All right, back to the kid draft I am a huge USA fan, and being a huge USA fan means that you hate Mexico. However giving respect Where it is due. This jersey, this home jersey there, particularly in this World Cup with that Piedre del Sol in the background, that design. lookook at that thing. It's got Aztec roots in it. It's just really, really cool look and even their crest looks good on this one. I usually don't like their kit, but this one, this one spoke to me. Yeah, this Mexican team has just grown on me all togetherether. I think I hate Canada more as an international rival inside of North America now This jersey is going to be one that is going to be invented shops for decades to come. It is an incredible jersey to go along with a host nation and the upgrade that they meant that they made to their crest tremendous All right, Hey batter batter, Mike Ryan, you've been you've been banned from the United States and you have to live the rest of your days in North America Badatter batter. You you have to do it in Canada or Mexico Cool Wow, that's that's really tough. I really like Quebec City and I really like Montreal. Vancouver, I always heard that it was super clean, wasn't clean. In fact now V dirty. I've been Vancouver as well. Drug problem. drrug problems worst of them as well. Yeah, yeah I had to step over a lot of lame bodies when I was in Canada. You're also having to factor in like weather. I mean, it's going to be probably way hotter for the rest of your life in Mexico, but it's going to be way up in Canada. I think that's a misnomer. I think the matches that I went to in Mexico and when I'm there in May and I was there a couple of weeks ago Nighttime like sixty degrees. It was beautiful. Yeah, aroundround the Yucatan, I got to worry about hurricanes and sometimes it gets really hot. But no there there's there's valleys, there's mountain ranges. G me Mexico. I get I would love to live in the town of Tequila It'd be great if I had to spin a wheel and it had like it had twelve Mexican city locations and twelve randomly ordered. likeike you don't know which one might be Vancouver, but it might also be Hamilton. We don't know Let's I'm changingoose jw. I'm changing because I'm going quality of life. a huge part about my quality of life is I love NHL hockey and I've been down in Mexico when the Stanley Cup fininals going on And I couldn't find any place that could show it I got to be able to watch my hockey and I know that won't be an issue in Canada Yeah, a lot of you'll become steeped in CFL in the blink of an eye. All right, Mike Mike Ryan, the floor is yours. All right, so I got a snake pick here, right? I go back to back and look, I was really nervous as this draft snake back to me that I wasn't going to get the Colombian home jersey. anotherother jersey anotherother jersey that I own the fine details, the butterfly that is within the stitching id incredible the Caliente pink that is on the stripes. I love these addidas white stripes that are going wide stripes that are going down the shoulders and the pant legs, the piping that Adidas came out with is beautiful. Now there are so many creative things that the full ensemble that Columbia goes, sometometimes a blue shorts, sometometimes a white shorts,' the red sockx, there's so many different pairings that go wonderfully with this jersey. It's iconic. The butterfly print is immaculate. the breathability, the wide stripes. I love this Colombian kit. That's why I'm going over even though I'm a proud American. I'm taking this with my second round picking for my third round pick We're going to go with the stripes, the Waldo edition U S home kit, the waving flag, which was a big swing Right? A big swing. usually you have those lines those horizontal lines say stay flat. I think it was a tremendous upgrade to have this appear like a flag in the weel I was skeptical going in because I was aware this was the jersey and I didn't know how it would look out there on the field Nay the pitch But consider me won over by it. I think this is the first one where I disagree with you with because as you can see I chose the away jersey. That's my preferred choice another thing that I can see is one of the horrible missteps that Nike made on the shoulder where they just spent too much money printing this and it has a mistake. You see where it bunches up here on the shoulders? That is not the way that it is supposed to happen You got like nightmare before Christmas shoulders going on over there and it's because Nike screwed up and they couldn't do a recall. So that's one of the reasons why I don't like it and it's diluted a little bit by the stripe pattern here. I also love the name plates and the number font that are on this US jersey and the fact that the back is wide open for it. The white shorts in particular another people that are more partial to the Navy blues with this pairing I like the white shorts with this. I think they look great and also they look fast. Now that may be because we are super fast. probablyably the fastest we've ever been, but man, we look Beautifully quick wearing these things I thought because of my empathy when Mike started talking, Gino, I thought the target of his words was about to be your nipples or something. I was like, Well, the other problem we have here. That was my issue with a statue of Liberty jersey. if I'm being completely honest, the niips don't look great in it. I sayay stay away from overhead lightning Randy. Stay away from overhead Columbia thing. The Columbia thing is also that like what struck me is there are a lot of teams that have that green shorts with the gold jersey thing R am I Well, that's not Colbia. They got the blue shorts with the gold Jersey thing. So don't disrespect. But I was going to take the Colombia Jersey because I was basically issued one as part of my family. My wife's dad one and got everybody the same Columbia Jersey and just That's what we all wear when Columbia's playing at the house. Um So you snipe me there, but am I up Y up ye. o. All right. All right, so this one, this is funny because I love it Argentina's awayay jersey is beautiful. It's just got this design on it. got and I hear from one of my Argentinine friends that this is what a lot of the streets look like, the buses, the bicycles, the aesthetic of Buenos Aires. What he also said was is that the people hate this jersey because they're the champions and they feel like everyone should just deal with them wearing the obbi Celesti stripes. Like that is like the only jert they ever want to wear. They don't like that, awayay jersey, I like it. I can't believe that their home jersey' so on the board. Yeah. I like this one better. I'm a just me on that one. It's trying a little bit too hard for for for Dave. likeike as I always say, Bob Brummel said, noted fashionista from from the mid twentieth century. The mark of a well dressed man is one whose clothes go unnoticed. I notice that. So therefore I have to reject it. Next up Randy, social Randy here Reeling still, I assume from the chiefs home loss to the Broncos. Denver looks like that was not a fluke season last year. Patrick Mahome some concerns now and everything else. didn't look terrible, but didn't look great against that that mighty defense. twenty four to twenty is as if I have to tell you that, sorry for the reminder. Randy, how say you concern level about these chiefs Not very high, not very high. You're always going to have a couple stumbles coming out. you know, we've got to see Patrick Mahomes. He's just going to work his way back into the season, but You know, they've made some nice moves in the offseason and I think it's just one of those that When you have a guy like that at the helm, you're going to figure things out, and I think he's going to figure things out Loaded division though. once again, the chargers look mighty and their debut are a little underwhelming with their home victory against the Cardinals, but that's how week one goes. you survive in advance. Anyway, I interrupted. Let's close this thing out the three round kit jersey draft. takeake it away Randy Just before I make this pick, on the Argentina away. on the photo, on paper, it doesn't look like You it maybe doesn't super stand out. But I was at Argentina, Algeria And there were an outrageous amount of people wearing this jersey and in person, I was blown away and I almost took it in this draft with this next pick that I'm about to have, but I got taken off of the board. U And so with the final pick I'm going to maybe Maybe zig a little bit here and take Morocco home Now This is the only Puma jersey taken, I think. I don't usually Tnd to like the Buma jerseys in the end. Randy should wear a fez. If any of us should wear a fez, it's Randy. That sure looks likeue sorry And watching this thing I was kind of blown away watching Brazil Morocco at Met Life Stadium on television. It was one of the most aesthetically pleasing matchups I think I've ever seen with Morocco having this deep red the shorts are that just like vibrant green. they almost blend in with blended in with the field And just the detail on the on the cuffs and the neck. they've got the tile work. It's super intricate The badge is right in the center of the jersey, which I don't normally like, but I think it works here And just the how vibrant it looks when they're running around on the field, that red on the contrast of the field, the green, almost blending in, but it is still its own thing entirely. It just looks incredible when they're out there on the field. and I'm happy that it was still on the board, even though I kind of expected it might be I'm surprised some some kits were left available there, but that's not the drill we're doing here. I have to choose now which of you won this draft I have meditated on it as you've unveiled each of your choices Can't say I love The Columbia choice, but overall, I like the other two choices by by Mike Ryan. you are the gold medal winner here. W Thank you trophy. That ugly trophy that for the World Cup champion Top drip driller. and let me tell you something, Dave, you can build out a nice little squad of undrafted free agents here because we left the Germans, the Dutch I mean, I was like Argentine. I love, I mean, I was likeew Jersey is on the board, S. Yeah went to Brazil It's incredible Well, that's iconic because of because of Brazil. But I think Argentina would be nice even if they sucked. That would still be a handsome get up that they're running around there in. U ain a little too busy for me, but Mike Ryan, congratulations on your victory. and Mike Ryan, thank you for making some time for us. Morally ab boreant. when's the next episode go up I think we're going to do a preview episode for the the Monday match upp. So sometime over the weekend, got to lock that down. you know, there's so many World Cup games. I'm traveling on Saturday to one and I'm going to see Argentina. Maybe I'll get to see those away kits on Tuesday. got to see Messi provided he can take care of one of the best stories in this tournament Cabo Verde And then he's off to buuffalo to watch the lions help the bills open up that new joint up there that blessedly does not have a dome What are you doing? All right. And social Randy, we appreciate you jumping in as well and your great work in general In promoting football America, one of the most patriotic football Americans out there. Thank you both for helping us out with our little kit draft here Thank you fellas G Good to talk some pro football as well with those guys Well, there they go, Gino. Let's wrap it up here. We usually start the episode with the player who wore the episode number best as a jersey number. seventy one is it. How say you I feel like we've finally come out of the darkness here with these numbers a little bit now. are gettinges. We got Tony Baslli, if you want to go some some lore there for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Fred Dean, Past R specialist for the Chargers and forty nineers, Walter Jones There was another one. If you want to go current guys, Trent Williams One of the more imposing offensive linmen of the modern day. Jason Peters, another one as well a nine time pro bowl tackle one andrafted Super Bowl Champion. So And I think Larry Allen at the end of his career wore this number. if I'm not mistaken. He's known for seventy three, but seventy one mention the cowboys because that reminds me we as we head out here. I think the stunner of the week to a lot of people was the Cies. I told you, man, Daniels is back. peopleeople may have forgotten about him because he got hurt, but he was obviously rookie of the year and he almost bent history and became the first rookie to get to a Super Bowl twenty four twenty twenty three in Philly. now the Eagles need a big bounce backack. We're looking forward to the approaching football season. We appreciate the football talk. Can't wait to talk more and more football with kickoff approaching in the meantime, enjoy your holiday. Hope you grill up some nice burgers and wieners and burgers and wieners And all the rest of it and enjoy the U. S Playing Belgium Red, white and blue, all the rest of it willll talk to you on the other side of the weekend. until then, thanks so much, my fellow football Americans. It's been a thin slice of heaven.