England Bottles It, Messi vs. Spain & the Future of the USMNT With Stu Holden, Plus Life Advice

Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon News.

“Still a blue coffee is more than just great coffee. It's coffee with a purpose.”

Introducing we brew to rescue. A nationwide campaign using proceeds from our new ready-to-drink cans to help fund 1,000 pet adoptions this year. Every can, you crack open, helps a real pet find a real home. Simple as that, made with 100% Colombian coffee each 11 ounce can deliver smooth, drinkable energy with a boost of protein,

available in espresso cafe mocha and espresso sweet cream. Built for mornings, long days, and everything in between. Drink cell blue fuel your day, then help save a pet's life. You can follow our progress in real time, throughout the campaign, by watching the adoption tracker on our site.

Grab yours now at StowblueCoffee.com, Amazon and select retailers nationwide. The Rhyber Silla Show is presented by Drath Kings. We are going deep on the World Cup's two-holding the voice of the final

you heard of England's incredible collapse against Argentina.

We'll go over that. We'll also talk about the US men's team and I'll ask him that soccer question. So a good 40-plus minutes with Stu Holden and a longer life advice. The cup is down to its final matches. One trophy, one champion, and Drath Kings has you covered for every single one. The Drath Kings app is now available in all 50 states and includes all markets,

bringing the game straight to your fingertips wherever you are from Florida to Texas to California. You're in on the excitement at the speed of sports. Follow every clash, every final whistle, every stopish time moment with everything on the line. Sweat the biggest matches in the world of real time with a seamless experience built for the world's biggest stage. No matter where you're watching,

you're always connected and in the game with one app.

New Drath Kings customer, sign up with the code Ryan, spend five bucks to get 200 in rewards within 21 days. That's code Ryan, RYEN, in partnership with Drath Kings, but crown is yours. Bet with DK Sportsbook, gambling problem call 1-800-Gambler, 1-800-my-reset, Connecticut call 888-789-77777 or visit ccpg.org. On behalf of Boothill Casino & Kansas,

that tax pass through may apply in Illinois, 21 and over, Voiding Canada. Event contract trading with Drath Kings predictions involves risk of loss, availability varies, Bet to get bonus bets that expire in seven days, trade to get $50 in predictions dollars that expire in one year, issued every seven days via click-to-claim for 21 days, one non-withdrawable reward redeemable.

Predictions offer void in New York, and July 19th, terms at dkng.co/audio. He is a voice, one of the voices, but he kind of feels like the voice of the world cup as we get ready for the final with Argentina's incredible comeback when he gets England, to Stu Holden, who joins us here on the show. It's great to see and I can't tell you

how much we've appreciated your work, which I'll probably say again at the end.

“Hey, this has been a dream honestly for me, man, and all of us here at Fox Sports is kind of”

aware of been thinking about this moment for eight years, and then it's here, you're calling a world cup in your home country, the US games were electric until they weren't. That was one of the hardest games I had ever had to call, honestly, the game against Belgium, and then now thinking about a world cup final on Sundays, going to be pretty insane in New York and just the energy. I mean, the numbers have been crazy. It's just been so fun to see people in this

country, they really consume the game the way we have for many years and fall in love with it. I think new fans, we've made a lot of new fans, so the hope is they stay in the tent here, and as we go forward. Yeah, no question. It's been a lot of fun seeing guys just be this excited about a sport that I know even personally in the past, but I don't know when it changed, maybe it was like 2018 when I went like, okay, I think I'm all the way in on this. So look,

I want to get to a bunch of different topics, but we have to start with with Argentina's come back there. Let's start on the other side. I had a friend who was in a pub in London as that was happening, and he was like, you think you think you've experienced the life, by the way. What happened to England? I think honestly, they shook hands with the ghosts of the past,

“and Argentina, you have to give them credit as much as the England collapse happened, but Argentina”

have this way of creating an environment with their fans and their players and their aura. I mean, that is the definition of aura what you saw there was just the world's greatest player and a team with a commitment that we're not going to lose, and then you had an English team that a lot of

these players have never been here before. This was a World Cup semi final, but the biggest mistake

that is being rehashed and talked about all over was the one that you saw England made when they

not to lose as opposed to playing to win, and by doing so and making a sub, taking off an attacking player, putting on a defensive player, not with five minutes to go. This was with 20 minutes to go. To say, "All right, we've got our goal like that's it. We're going to bat down the hatches, we're going to defend, we're going to try to hold off the world's greatest player, and the defending champions in a World Cup semi final." And then you saw what happened. It just

“it sets the tone to your team that this is the only way we can win this game. As opposed to saying,”

"You know what? Let's be brave. Let's stay. Let's still have an outlet in transition. Let's

try to hurt Argentina." But by having no attacking firepower, it allowed Argentina basically to put

nine ten players around England's boss, a box and just cross after cross after shot after shot, hitting post and post, and then you could just feel the English players just, you know, guys that were six feet taller, all of a sudden five foot five, and the goal came, and then once, I said this is somebody else last night too. I could not believe that when the first goal went in, that England weren't just like, "All right, we can see it. It's it's game on again. It was like,

let's hold on for dear life again and get to extra time." And then when one's Argentina saw that, it was like a wounded animal that Argentina were just waiting to kill. And then they decided, you know, should we wait for extra time? No, let's just go chop the head off now, and they just went

for it. They got that second goal and it was, I haven't felt in a long time. I've done a lot of

Argentine games. I've seen this before, but that inevitability that you were just everybody was just like the goal was coming. It's just a matter of when, and then the goal came, and Messi did his thing. It was English fans, man. It's the hope that kills you. It could have been six-one with better luck. I mean, it was just a blitz, and you're watching it, and you know, again, that the part of me understanding the sport more and more. It's like, okay, I understand

like having the lead and then playing a little safer, but I want to ask you about the first goal by Fernandez, the one that makes it one-one. I was, you know, learning, like, even the terms of okay on the Argentine corners, they like to play it short, right? So they don't throw something into the box, and I was trying to figure out, like, what is the advantage of this? Like, what is the advantage of, like, playing it short instead of just maybe just anything that leads to a

header that just puts you in a better situation by having the ball closer? And the one Fernandez gets

this first touch. He's so clear. Like, no one's even checking him. Yeah. And it's this strike where

it's like, you know, the reason those of us that watch and go, like, how come they don't shoot more? It's like, do you realize how hard it is to, like, get clear of all of these bodies, find the shooting

“lane, plant your foot, and then feel like you can put anything on it. Like, that's what all these”

guys are searching for, and it's why not as many shots don't happen for the guy that doesn't stand in this happening. But playing it short for Argentina, considering that's something that they do on top of England, just everybody back, like, what it vanished is that give Argentina playing it that way, which also maybe just a part of, like, hey, we can get messy the ball back here, too, instead of throwing something right at the goal. Yes. You just nailed it. That last line. It's

getting messy the ball back. If you actually look at the two teams in the final Spain in Argentina, both of them play short corners, maybe 85, 90% of the time. Spanish teams, club teams, international teams in general. They just think, look, we have a better advantage when we have the ball. We feel more dangerous with the ball at our feet as opposed to hooking one in, hoping that, you know, we can get our guys free. Neither of these teams are particularly tall as opposed to if you

watch that Norway England game. There's barely a Norwegian on the field. It's under 62. And so they think, look, let's just put the ball in the box. We've got some big dudes that'll attack the ball. And so whereas messy in Argentina, if you look at that play, too, that is just once again messy and the aura and the fear that he injects into a team, even at 39 years old. Number eight for England, Elliott Anderson, 23 year old kid had a great game on that play. He is standing next to Enzo Fernandez.

But then the ball goes out to messy and they've already got two guys on messy. But he thinks I got to come help. Like, this is this is messy. We give him too much time. So he comes over and the messy just dishes it to Fernandez takes his first touches. You said fires a beautiful shot at the

“goal and then the balls in. And he's got a good shot from distance. I think actually the corner”

came because of his shot that was tipped over. And so that's sometimes when you've got so many guys in front of the goal, you've got to keep teams honest by shooting and shooting and shooting to make them come out and to try to challenge you. And then England, more a little bit late, they rotate. And that was the goal that really broke their back. If they get through another, you know, a couple minutes, maybe they hold on. But I still don't think they were going to do it.

The way you described messy and something I finally started figuring out with him, it is a lot like Steph Curry's gravity that we talk about in basketball, where Steph off the ball doesn't

point line here. Like, how did you do that? And so like, because we're all freaked out every time this guy moves because we're just in the instinct and seeing some of the slow replays, it's like two are on messy and messy keeps it alive in a way that just nobody else does. And then there's another kind of just going like, I got to get over there. So the other thing that I've noticed with messy two is it feels like he keeps these attacks going longer. Like in the face of everybody else loses

the ball. It appears like there's another step where it's like, I'm actually going to, you think you have me cut off, but I still have a move. I still haven't out to either, you know, it doesn't

“even necessarily needs to be a shot. That's what I find so fascinating about him is that it seems”

like he keeps the attack going longer than anything else that you'll see out there. I think that's a great point. The stuff analogies in comparison is really good because one of the things I noticed a lot with stuff is he's constantly playing in triangles, right? And basketball, you're

you're moving, you're you're shifting. But one of the things Steph Curry does well that I always

talk about with messy is he moves you to a position that he wants you in to then move to the next position. So it's not like I saw an English pundit saying, why didn't England just manmarked messy? Why didn't they just say to one guy at the end, look, you're only job right now is to stay with Leonardo Messi. Do you think people have been trying that for 25 years? Yeah, right? As I go people say, we're just going to get physical with Steph. You're like, okay. Yeah, great,

go get physical with them. Go get physical with Leonardo Messi because you know what? If you go manmark him, he's going to go stand on the touch line and he's just going to wait and he's going to make you just feel uncomfortable that you're just standing there with him. He probably have a little conversation with you. How's the family? How are the kids? Everybody good bang. And then he's gone. Like that's he gets the ball. He moves you. It's it's impossible to mark him. It really is because

as you said, he's that the longer the attacks go and he keeps moving and he's just popping the ball to the right to the left is because he's just he's waiting for that that space to develop.

He's playing the game at a slower speed than anybody else. I always used to say the the more you

move up in in levels and your ability is a player for the game to slow down for you is what makes the elite elite is that they can see the game at a different speed and feel it. And I felt that my first time going to the English Premier League. My first month there was like I was playing the game on six feet. It was crazy. Things were moving so fast around me. But once I got my footing, I started to now see and feel the game and understand the rhythm and and that's when I then

“had success and I think for Messi he just is he's playing a different game than everybody else. He”

truly is and that he's he is like a chess player moving you to then take advantage of you on the other spaces. And so the the stuff one is great, the Jordan. I don't know if you've seen this meme of or the the conversation he had with Bellingham. Did you see this? I did one of the best coldest sports clips I've ever seen. Jude Bellingham is talking to Leonardo Messi about a clip that happened or a moment or something that happened in the game. And Messi didn't like what Bellingham said

to that. Yeah. He just looked at me and he's like okay like you're really going to make me through this. Fine. You just remember you asked for this and then he did what he did. He's 39 years old,

right. He's 39 years old. It's it's it's amazing. So the way they position him too on that on that

right side granted in the second half. Like he is he is also like going through his own conditioning maintenance like his own energy maintenance because it it'll look like he's not involved or he'll even tell his teammates like keep it up on that side. Like keep it on the list side. So it's he kind of picking and choosing when he is able to exert his energy at 39 years old like going I don't need to have the ball every time. Me having it at the specific times is actually going to

make these possessions that much better than me having the ball and running like crazy. Yeah. I actually think the coach Lina Scoloni deserves a ton of credit for how he's been able to find a a system and a balance and a group of players that they fight for Messi. Okay. We know that like that this a lot of their motivation is driven by wanting to win Messi the first world cup and now it's about the second world cup. But look, consider it's not that he doesn't defend you. I saw

him yesterday really defending in a way that Argentina needed him. But they understand that there's things that the team needs to do to allow Messi to do the things that he can do to be special. England, you know, they don't play that way. You need 11 guys dialed in Spain. The star is the collective. Let me know you're all as a star. But he's only as big of a star as the team is the star. For Messi and Argentina, he is still the star. But and he doesn't hang out on the right until he

“needs to. And that's why I think I was saying at a point on the broadcast where England”

were starting to retreat deeper. And I said, okay, now it's like for Messi. Okay, now I, okay, where's this space for me? There's nothing centrally. I'm going to go out to the right-hand side. You guys

I'm going to get you the guy. You guys the ball where you need. I'm going to be less of a

goal scoring threat. But now I'm going to be the creator, the conductor, the assist guy. His 12

“World Cup assists. That's more than anybody in history. As well as his, I think it's 2021 goals now or”

something he has in his World Cup career. And it's just he doesn't need to score the goals as much as he can then create the goals. But he's still being that threat. And he just has the different tools and his bag of what is needed. But yeah, that's that's a recognition of like I can't be an impact here. So I'm just going to go out to the right side now. You guys get me the ball and I'll make stuff happen as much as like we said on the goal. Even if I, I'm not going to be the guy playing

the pass or scoring the goal, I've got three guys covering me. Somebody has to be open at that point. Yeah, it's, it's, it's a very difficult sport to be like, hey, you're the best and now make it happen. And yet you just felt inevitable because of their attack and obviously waiting. That's a great point because England did that against Mexico. Uh, when they were down a man and they had to hold on for 20 minutes against Mexico in the ass. That's difficult. That is really difficult. But think

“about how, how easy they made that look. Every cross that came in, they headed it out.”

Mexico didn't really look a threat in that point. That was a similar situation, except by the way, they had 11 men instead of a 10 against Argentina. But every time Messi was on the ball, he looked dangerous. So there's a difference. You have Mexico attacking and then you have Argentina and then you have Messi. And that was just, that, that, that, it's so hard for me to explain to people constantly. Why this guy is so special and what makes him, there's a freeze frame I posted on on X, where

Messi is closing, crossing that ball with his right foot. And you would have said in that moment, hey, England, you're in a pretty good position right now. You have four eyes across. There's only one arts in time at the back post. And you have a six foot seven guy, a six foot four guy, and a six foot three defender attacking that ball. It goes two inches over John Stone's head and right on the head of the Latarra Martinez and he heads it in. That's, that's greatness.

“Yeah, um, I guess I, I could, I could talk about Messi more. I guess I have a little more thought here”

because I, I need it kind of explaining to me, him taking out France and then if you were to take out Spain. So this is like all time stuff. But is, is there anything else? Is this just all resume padding for his greatness and how he is perceived in the game? Or does this, because we know in the Jordan LeBron thing, there are no converts. Like, I don't think there's anything that anyone, I mean, obviously Jordan is going to come back and play, but if like LeBron wins a ring next

year, I don't know that anybody goes, oh, I'm going to flip because we're very stubborn and you don't want to think that you were wrong about your guy. But what is, is anything new on the table here for Messi? Is there, is there, 30 been over for a while? I don't know. How do you, is it just like to keep stamping the stamp of approval again and again? Like, we had, this is a perfect conversation that we had on the plane last night as we're heading up here in New York and there's a group of us.

And somebody started the conversation, well, if Messi wins another world cup, does that? And everybody was like, stop. He's already the greatest, but he wins another one. It's, it's even more the greatest and it becomes even harder for someone else. I would say, though, if he does win the

second world cup and goes back to back, it does make it much harder for killing in Bapay, who already

has a world cup that he won at 19, who already has a world cup goals that are going to be pushing and probably will break Messi's record that is a rental, not an ownership because in Bapay's 27 years old, who have in Bapay plays, let's say, two more world cups for a friend's team that most likely will compete for those world cups. He has the opportunity and, you know, he fell short against Spain. So if he'd won his second right now, there would have been an opportunity for

then in Bapay to win a third and potentially even a fourth, where you would have been saying, hey, man, I know Messi was Messi, but in Bapay's, in Bapay's got three world cups. Like, you'd have to give in Bapay room in the conversation for the greatest of all time. So there is still the threat that in Bapay could still catch Messi on world cups, but as far as for my eyes and what I've seen and just the way he does it with the brilliance and the genius that he just possesses within the game,

I've never seen anything better. I didn't see Maradona play in in person, but a lot of

Argentines and people that grew up in that area will say to you, look, Maradona was as good if not better than Messi, but as far as what I have ever seen, like my kids are going to come to the final, I want my kids to see Messi play in person in a world cup final, so they can say later in their life, hey, I saw the greatest player of all time play the game. You know, that, like I saw Jordan play

to see Jordan play in that moment and I saw a guy, like I talked to Steve Nash, I'm sure you

probably know from the South Bay and Nash is one of my best friends and he always says Jordan's

the best ever and it will never change for him. And he's doing a podcast with the guy in the conversation. Yeah, now he's doing a podcast with the bronze, so he might not say that as much publicly, I'm loving just out of him, but these are the conversations that we love in sports, but yeah, I just don't if Messi wins the second game all of it, it's easy, he's untouchable. Whether you're grinding over a three-footer or squeezing in nine after work, what you wear matters.

Adidas is built for performance with a peril and footwear designed to help you move freely, state comfortable and play your best from the first T to the final put. Looking for your go-to on the course gear, check out the ultimate 365+ collection. Need something that transition

seamlessly from the course to the rest of your day, beyond the course has you covered.

Explore the latest golf apparel and footwear from [email protected]/4playpod. Let's spend a couple of minutes here on the losing side of this. Just because the French team is loaded, it's like, look at all of these options and it just felt like such a flat performance. So I know a typical like TV producer question is kind of like, was that more about who Spain is

“or what France wasn't for a day, but what was your takeaway from that result?”

I think what Spain did was exploit the French weaknesses that we really hadn't seen exposed in any point and maybe it even for them surprised them. They've beaten beaten twice previously by Spain in the last few major tournaments. It was not like Spain were an unknown quantity, but I think

this French team had a confidence in Anora and the way that gone through the tournament was like

barely breaking a sweat other than the 100 degrees temperatures that they were playing in across the eastern part of the United States. But they were exposed by a Spanish team where, like I said, that they are a well-oiled machine. I say about Spain, we talk about tactics and what formation are you going to play? They have an identity that is cultural and they don't care. You know what they're going to do. You can scout Spain all you want, but until you face that in that

way, it's hard to explain because everything is so connected at every different part of the field and they have so many guys that are comfortable with the ball. They're, they're often starts with their defense. So even when you think you've got to reprieve and you've got the ball for five minutes, boom, they, they're the recovery time. I think in that game was 11 seconds versus for France. It was at like 28 seconds. So that's telling you that every time France lost the ball,

it took about at least 30 seconds to even touch it again. It's demoralizing, even for the best players in the world. And you know how you make the best players on offense, not a factor in the game.

“You make them defend. And that's what Spain did really well. So I think what the the curious part”

for me is what's going to happen in the final is with Argentina, can they find a way to do what France couldn't? Which France said their game plan was like we're going to high press Spain. And then they started a high press and they realized like their gas after 10 minutes and they couldn't touch the ball. So I'm interested of Argentina can do that over the course of 90 minutes against Spain. Now in 85, 90 degrees in New Jersey where it's going to be hot and humid,

I think it favors the team that keeps the ball longer. And that's, so there'll be a lot of inquests in France. They just were completely, they had their worst day in the, in the worst moment. But I'm trying to think could they have done anything differently? No, I just think that Spanish team had their number. And the way they played was was not, France would have had to change everything they had done in the group stage to be effective. And I just, I don't think that's something

they wanted to do. I love that that reversal number that you just share with the stuff like getting the book. Because again, Belgium for the US men's team that that number felt like it was five minutes. Which I do want to spend some time with it. Because like I'll look at, I'll look at the game summary stuff, you know, and like even the game yesterday, Argentina's like 538 accurate passes. Yeah, you just go. That's like, and I'll look at that passing number two sometimes you're like,

you have 300 more accurate passes than the opponent in the game, like, because I've kicked this around about the style of play in the US thing. And you said you're at the Turkey imagine,

“you must have liked what you'd, what you'd seen from the US team at a different point. But would”

you have been okay had we then gotten to the, you know, the game against Belgium and we'd said, okay the only way we can beat this team is to play a little bit more defensive. Or are you a guy that's like, I guess what I'm asking is, are you a guy that wants to see our teams play a certain style and be aggressive and be that or you just don't care how but you want to see his win? Well, I don't know that I'm answering this from a position of any value. The thing that jumped

on that episode where, you know, for years, it just felt like, hey, so we don't have any guys

“like make place. We don't have any guys. And I think that's what was so much fun about this run.”

Even if it still ends in the round of 16, it's like clearly there are playmakers now at the front

for the US men's national team that I just don't, I'd never felt like you had that depth and

there was even substitutions where it's like, oh, this guy's coming in like he can potentially make a play here and maybe it was like one guy in the past. So the style of play when we had Lala's on, it's like, you know, it feels a bit like we're throwing the baby out with a bath water because we pivoted from great goal-tending or goal-keeping and defense and I'm like, all right, yeah, you know, I get it. But I think this is a hell of a lot more exciting despite I think,

I think, look, I don't want to say casuals but the round of 16 exit and saying it's all the same to me drove me crazy, which is why I did that monologue last week and why I had to hell with a lot more fun watching this run than any of the other runs. Yeah, so that's an interesting point because I said about a year before this was World Cup that I felt to play against the elite opposition, we're still not in a place to play that way to win and I felt that we probably would

have to play more like, you know, the Netherlands tried against Morocco or more of the risk of verse-type strategy to maybe still plan the counterattack when it came to the best teams in the world because I don't think we could have played the way we did in the group stage against Spain, Argentina, France, even Belgium, and expect to win. We're just not quite there yet, but I did say to Mauricio Puchitino's credit, like if he had played the way we had in the group stage and then

gotten to the knockout stage and just said, we're going offensive now, he would have been destroyed, he would have been destroyed because unless we had won, unless we had won, if we'd won,

“then people would have said, well, that's what you needed to do. And so I think that was,”

I found myself in the group stage thinking, man, how wrong was I? Like these, the way we're playing so much fun. This is exciting. We're scoring four goals. We're doing this. This is the way we need to excite this country about our sport and then it was like bang against Belgium and that was the reminder again to me that we're just, I know we had an off-chain. We don't need to rehash all of that and the guys look scared and the balligan thing and the FIFA thing, but it just, it felt like we,

you know what, we felt like actually, we felt like what I saw from England in the in the 65th minute. And when they scored, it was like, oh crap, we're actually here. Like we were there against Belgium and it was like, man, we're around a 16 home game Seattle, the world's watching

45 million people are watching this game like, what do we do? We shrink. And that's what the English did.

They're their mentalities. It's crazy. Man, sports have this way of of exerting pressure and under these in the in the in the biggest moments that that make you feel so much smaller than you are.

“And that's why Argentina, even with five minutes to go, they're, they're down a goal.”

Messi puffs his chest up. I don't think he ever believed for a minute. That was going to be his last World Cup game in his career. And that's just, that's experience, that's culture, that's a aura, that's mentality. That's, that's, that's something you can't teach. You know, that's, that's just, that's in the blood. And that's, that comes from years and years of being there. That's why there's only eight teams that have ever, one, the World Cup in history.

Yeah, that's a crazy reminder of, of that one. England, more than you know, I mean, the only thing I can say is a certainty about your sport is it feels like everybody just wants to coach fired every single time. But then it's been an explaining me a little bit more. It's like actually with a World Cup like one to be four years like you're not necessarily wrong to change the voice in the build-up to it. It's not like you're supposed to keep the guy the entire time. But I,

I do think, especially here in the States, it's, I just put the laugh at some of my soccer friends and be like, you guys think every coach you ever have sucks all of the time. So I want to get to post you here a second. But if we, if we talk about England, I don't, I mean, how do you not do something different? Yeah, by the way, first of all, thank you for that. And defending coaches in different moments because I think they become the easy target. And I can already hear my

pal Lexi loss in the back of my head saying, oh, poor coaches, you know, they get paid six million

dollars a year and a coach, these teams, that's part of the job. Look, I understand that we're in a results-based business. And you live and die by those decisions. And I think a lot of the conversation in England right now is that's why two cool was hired. In the same way that Pochitino was hired. That's why you paid six million dollars not to win the group stage to win the round a 16-game. So to get us to a quarter final. And that's, that ends up becoming the definition of

success versus failure in these situations. And from England's perspective, they've been to a semi-final

situations instead of being brave, they went negative. And they went defensive. And so I think once

the dust settles, it's very hard in this business that I know we're all paid a lot of money to have

“hot takes and opinions and it's not fun to sit on the fence in many ways. But I think in the biggest”

moment Thomas Twinkle got the biggest decision wrong. But I think even he felt that the situation of he felt a group of players and he saw the looks in their eyes in the hydration break of potentially fear. And so I think he's saying, look like I've got to try to give my team something right now that gives them confidence. And maybe that is defending. And maybe that is putting another center back in because you know what? It's worked the last two games and it's

worked against Norway, it worked against Mexico and it can work again. And it didn't work. And so they got in another five minutes in the six minutes of extra time. We didn't say that was the best coaching performance we've ever seen. They looked phenomenal against Argentina for 60 minutes until

“they didn't. So I think that I would be okay if I'm English having another cycle for Thomas Twinkle.”

He's lost. I think it was maybe one game in charge since being England manager and that was that game right there. Other than that he's been virtually flawless with the group of players that are good but not great. You know we, the Bellingham and Kane are great players, world-class players. The rest of those guys around there, they're very good players because they play in the English primarily. They have this, I think sometimes a little bit of false sense of just how good they are.

And I think what you had they gotten to the final, I would have had them losing Spain. And that's the nature of this business. So we can get to approach, you know, in a little bit. But from England it's like, okay, you're going to have another coach and you're going to

“judge him on the same standards in the same way. But I think it comes down to like, is the money”

worth it? When you look at the two teams that will be in the final, we're coached by Spanish and Argentine coaches that were unheralded that coach their U21 teams and then we're promoted to the senior team in a way that you didn't go out and get the big name foreign coach. A foreign coach

has never won a World Cup with a national team. It has always been a coach from that country.

That's kind of a crazy stat to think about. Because dedication means delivering only the very best war has had committed to craft since 1905. Okay, so Pochatino then, what do you think happens? I really liked Marisa Pochatino and the time I got to know him and see him and the thing I liked the most about him was that he was challenging these players and our culture quite frankly here

in the United States to invest more emotionally in the national team and have a deeper connection with the players and the coaches and the people. I love that part. I do think that when it came through the biggest moment for him, look, it is still your job as a coach to prepare your players the most for that moment. But I did watch a group of players that even in that moment Marisa Pochatino can't run out there in the state of Virginia does. Hey, man, you're 12 yards from your goal.

Head the ball out of play. Don't let the ball bounce. That's not coaching. That is players that had fear. But still, I didn't see anything as that game went on. That he had opportunities to really influence the game and say, look, they're bypassing our pressure. Let's play in a way where now we're not high pressing. We're sitting a little bit deeper. We're letting Belgium come up the field. And now we're going to play a little bit more

transitional counter attack. And so I think he was out coached in a big game as well. So it's not that I wouldn't be okay with Marisa Pochatino continuing. I'd like to see him continue.

But are you getting the value for the $6 million that you could get versus

a coach that has been in our system that has coached our youth national teams or is an American coach and understands the American identity. So it's not that he doesn't understand the American identity. I just think, okay, we're going to give him four more years. What are we getting for that? I'd like to see him have more of an influence potentially on some of the youth national teams

I was thinking about this morning before I came on your show. We talked about youth development. I haven't seen this idea kicked around yet with our youth national teams. Why don't we do a residency program? Much like a think about a semester abroad. If you're a student in college, you go to do a semester abroad in Spain, Argentina, England. Why don't we take our best youth 16 youth 15 youth 17 players because we don't get tested at the same levels in the same

environments that you do abroad. Let's go take those group of players to let them live for a year and play against English academies, English-used national teams, Spanish academies, whoever it is in Europe. Let's get these guys different games and different environments as opposed to being the best 18, 19 players in the United States and playing against teams the same team as the Conqueror teams, the Panama, the whoever. Let's take those guys out. Let's go pay your US soccer.

Go put the $2 million there. Let's go house these guys there. Let them get beat up,

roughed up, tested the very highest levels against the best players. I bet the result from that would be much better than what you see with us winning Conqueror for every other year or playing

“against Mexico. I don't know. It's the first time I thought about that this morning. I think”

that that would be something that would really interest me that I would present to US soccer right now with a plan of let's go do that. I think that would have more benefits for our use development than anything you could do it even a younger age. That'll ask you the question I've asked every guy that comes from your world and I've been told that I'm wrong about this. I saw tweet the other day that basically was looking at messy going for every one of you the things

of all of our football basketball and every other sport. All of these guys played soccer that we'd be more of a force. I look at it as just a math thing of like if you had soccer being the priority for every athlete growing up, you would eventually have a better mental national team. But again, I'm told that I'm wrong. I hate the messy argument because it's like no one's going to go after Jalen Brunson wins an NBA championship. No general manager is talking to me going,

"You know what I want to do? I want to get real small and I want to get real slow for a bird." You know, like Jalen Brunson is a freak. He's his tough as they come, his footwork is impeccable.

“I mean, he did everything you put like watching that go on. That's what I want to do.”

So yes, messy is 5/7 and is doing this at 39 years old and it's incredible. But it's also like

I've been talked out of the the 6/4 and 6/5 NBA guys running around there. But yeah, that's the question. If soccer were a priority for American athletes in a way that it is in so many other parts of the world, how much better do you think we would be? Yeah, so this conversation went full pendulum between France, where people were watching France that was the main talking point was wow. Look how athletic they are, look how skilled they are.

I was on the field for the warmups in that French game against Spain. Those dudes are like double my size. Okay, I mean, they are just freak athletes and they are posing and they had aura and then they came up against Spain, who have a bunch of dudes that are 5/10, 5/11. And so then the conversation went to, well, that's culture, that's football. That is how you almost combat the argument of having our best athletes is when you then come up

against and that would be what I would present to you is that Spanish team, where when I go to Spain and I'm there quite frequently, I'm part owner of a Spanish team at Mallorca. The streets are flooded with every kid. I mean, there's there's courtyards the way their cities are built that have restaurants around them. They eat dinner at 10 p.m. that the families are drinking wine and all the kids are out there, just plain soccer. There's balls everywhere. That's all they do. So it's not that

soccer needs to be the number one sport that every kid picks. It has to be the sport of the streets. In our country. And it has to be the sport where you have the Jalen Brunsons, who was an unherialed prospect. Sure, you know, his dad was like basketball and pushed him in different ways. But he was

always told from a young age. He was too small. He's not big enough. He's not tough enough.

It developed a mentality for him that I think you see in his play and that he's, he's unfazed under pressure. He wants the big shot. He's going to fight. He had a, I'm going to get to the top

“no matter what type of feel. And that's what you get from the kids in Spain and Argentina from the”

streets is they are competing against every other kid in their neighborhood that all wants to do what they want to do, which is be a professional soccer player. And they're constantly with a ball

So I don't think soccer will be that way in the United States until it is the sport of the streets. And I'm walking out here in New York right now for a coffee after this. And I see kids playing

“soccer everywhere. That's, that's, that's what it's got to be. And you just need access for these”

kids to play this sport. We don't have that. By the way, excellent choice with my

orca, like you're not, you're not messing around. I'm always through there, man. If you ever want,

I got you. I've been, I've been. I went, I did a whole, like, I kind of did. Obviously, start in Paulman, then you work your way around. But I went up to, uh, I'll cut you a bay there. Oh, I'll cut you in the northeast of the island. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was pretty funny. They could just talk about kids playing soccer. I mistakenly, because I was just traveling by myself and like doing it all last minute. I ended up standing at a resort that was all families.

And so in the beginning, I was kind of like, why is there a train, like with kids? And then there was pony rides. And then there was kids pool calisthenics. And then when I went out to get dinner, there was a magic show outside. And then I was surprised that when I checked in, there were the front desk going, like, it's just you. And I went, yeah. Yeah. So you're on a Disney cruise, man.

That's the problem. But no, I rented a boat there. And I, I ended up over at that, that sink, it's a fall to sink. Well, now I'm using a French pronunciation. But, uh, there was a private beach hit the boat. Look, my, my whole point is, is my orca is one of the few international places that I've gone where I could go. Yeah, you could actually like live here, even though it's an island. Oh, yeah, yeah. It's just, it has every planet. If I get fired from, if I get fired from my job, I'm there tomorrow.

Perfect segue, because I do have two quick questions. I imagine because you're on the call, you can't pick the game or do you not care? It's because some guys, I mean, I give my analysis in a way that, yeah, I, I think spans the favorite, but I guess it's kind of like how to spain when it has spain loose. Yeah, I was curious. Is that the, the betting odds that spains the favorite? I figured, I figured. They would be the favorite in my mind if, if I was thinking how this game would, would shake out.

And it's funny when I was analyzing the England Argentina game, I talked to myself into England. And I felt like if it was a football, if it was a soccer game, meaning like, you know, it was a free-flowing type of game I thought England would win. But if it was, if it was emotional and,

“and it was intensity and it was a fight and then it was going to be Argentina. And that's what it was.”

That's what it ended. It was a soccer game for 60 minutes and then it was Argentina for the last part. So I feel the same way about this final. Honestly, I think, I think spain, we all know, we're going to have the ball. That's not, you don't need me to tell you that. You could, you could do that based on your eyes and watching the last couple of games. But yeah, this is an Argentine team that is going to make it the most uncomfortable for spain that they have ever been. And they can pick

their moments where they can defend deep. They can defend cross as well. And not going to get drawn out of their shape the way that France did. This is an Argentine team that plays with a real intensity to their play that Spain will not have felt. So what I will say is the team that scores the

first goal is the team that wins. You're not going to see a situation where England score first

and lose. Spain is a very hard team to come from behind against because they just, they keep the ball and they demoralize you. They don't stop playing at all. But if Argentina score first, completely ruined Spain's identity and it forces them into a way that they now have to play with desperation and play a little bit more direct and and if frustrates them. So I do think the heat will be a factor. The last two games are played indoors. The games cannot have the same type of

intensity. Unfortunately, I wish we were going to see another game like we saw in England and in Argentina there because that was awesome. That game was played at 150 miles an hour. So Spain will be the team that will just control how that game is going to go. If they want it to be fast, it'll be fast as they want to slow that it will be slow. And I do have Spain edging Argentina, even though Messi's there, man. I just think it's one step too far playing against the way that's

Spain plays a team. Okay, Final thought here. I met you over 10 years ago. The ESPN just threw you right in the mix. You had to meet every one of us and do a thousand different things. And then

I listen to the calls. You're incredible. I think the the best instincts that you have that

you know when to lay out, which is really hard. I think for people to talk for a little bit. Yeah.

“And you've you've mastered that. And I'll never forget like talking to Chris Fowler about like”

one of the few times like Fowler was having a hard time with me. And he talked about his place and sports and whether it's a national championship or college football, Wimbledon or whatever. He was like, I want to be a part of history. And I've made this joke to the audience that's already heard it pressure to you. It's like you start hearing somebody talk like that. You're like, maybe I need bigger goals. But you are going to be a part of history. I mean, have you allowed it to sink in? Maybe it's

not something you can think about in the moment. And I'm not trying to make it a roaring macaroid question where it's like, hey, in a hundred years. But yeah, that's different in that whatever result we have on Sunday, like your voice will be heard from for decades if not longer after

that over the years, you know, like when we were doing at ESPN over 10, 12 years ago, I think back to even the work I did at the beginning to now. I mean, that's 12 years later. I've been in media having retired early that I found something that I I love doing so much. I feel an adrenaline rush that is as close as it you could probably ever get to actually playing the game. And when I played the game, nothing will ever compare to that. But I'm telling you, when I when I called my first

final in 2018, getting that count from 10 to 0 before we were on air, you know, you have the butterflies

and you have this adrenaline rush and it always reminds me that I care. And I care, but I understand

“I think over the years that this is not about me. This is about the game and this is about the”

action on the field and my voice will be a part of history. But my job, I think and why I hope to have this career for a long time is that I don't want to be the story. I want to be a part of the story. And my boss, I thought David Neo always summed it up really well to me. He said, your job is is to add to the biggest moments in a way that doesn't take away from those moments, but enhances the moments. And sometimes the greatest thing you can do is not say anything at all.

And I I'm always reminded by that. I'm not trying to force stuff in, not trying to have catch phrases to try to, you know, be on the highlight clip that's played in the feature of the coming week. It's just to speak with an emotion and a compassion and an energy that I think

can match the moment. And I don't know if I always do it right, you know, I try to do my best.

And I think about when I'm analyzing these moments that yeah, I got to get in. I've got to get out. I don't want to be talking over celebrations. You always hear me lay out when the goal goes in. I'm not going to talk for a minute. I just think that nothing is better than those crowd signs and the things that the field mics pick up. So as we head into a final on Sunday, I don't feel nervous. I don't feel pressure. I actually am thankfully at a point where I just

feel excitement. Like, I can't wait for this game, especially because I've already in my prep. I see these games unfold sometimes. And when they go the way you think they're going to go. It's a nice, it's a nice zone to be. And I felt that last night that was the friend's paying game was a little bit harder because the game, I thought France would make more of a game. And they didn't. So you're kind of reacting. And there was a flat atmosphere. Last, like yesterday,

was just that's one that I'll remember for a long time. And I hope that the fan in the final is the same way. Instincts are great. I think you're special at it, man. So it's been a blast.

And I appreciate that. I appreciate that. You know, I love, obviously it's always nice to hear

that from people like you that I respect. And I enjoy it. I can tell you enjoy what you do too.

“So that, I think that's, that's always the most important part.”

Awesome, man. Can't wait for Sunday. Thank you. Thanks, Ryan. Yeah, see you, man. I don't usually get excited about loyalty programs. They promise big rewards. Then it's like, you actually have to eat 50 sandwiches to get one free. Who has time for 50 sandwiches? But here's the thing, the shell fuel rewards program is actually super practical. You're already getting gas. You're already grab and take out. You're already buying snacks. You definitely didn't need

but absolutely deserve with shell fuel rewards. You just get rewarded for that and not in a fake point. You'll never use way. It's actual savings on gas. And the savings stack. So it's not like one sad little discount. It's you fill up your eat. You shop and it all piles up and real savings at the pump. Joining takes less than three minutes in the shell app. And you'll save on every fill after that. I'm saving right now. I love it. Literally every single one joined the shell fuel

“rewards program and save. You want details? Five. I drive a Ferrari. 355 KBLA. What's up?”

I have a ridiculous house in the South fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine. I'm best of all kids. I am liquid. So now you know what's possible. Let me tell you what's required. Life advice. Life advice are [email protected]. Kyle and Surrey here. We're going to ban Halen's shirt going on. They're calling me is a lucky brand Chevy. Just like classic Chevy from my day market. Still cycling through the new stuff. Remember when I bought the banner of

the 1984 van Halen cover with the baby smoking the cigarettes and I put it up in one of the old bedrooms that we taped in. And I just did it. I hung it in the back because I wanted to be like why does this guy have this? And then when they would do the ringer pods they added them down so they would edit out the van Halen thing. And I was like, can they just crop you? Yeah. Are they blurred? What are they doing? They cropped it out. Like they started noticeably cropping it out.

And I was like damn it. That's hard. Yeah. That was like peak kidding college shoes. Like I don't know what to hang on my wall. Here's a jersey. You know, here's a random poster that I got. You know, you start throwing stuff up on there with tape and pins that don't match. Good times.

And really I just would need it stuff to cover space. I had a champ Ali Broncos orange.

“Don't know why. No, not. I just always don't know how to chop Ali with the man. I didn't”

walk you out of Broncos stuff. But I just always knew he was the man. It was like just the fact

feel like champ Ali hasn't crudely high approval rating. I love champ Ali. And I don't know if you're engaged. But you can't believe it. Fuck a name, too. Yeah. It was awesome. Yeah. Like who has up? Who's ever been on a debate show where you saw the guy sitting in the other seat going like actually? I mean, maybe it happened now because you can't get to any of that. And you're rocking that sick you. So you got that at the US open? Yep. Yeah. That is a nice lid. Yeah. You know, it's kind

of like one of those like war, you know, war veteran hats. So I'm wondering if something to call me out for some stolen value here. But now this is, yeah. I don't see like a year on it or anything. So that's good. No way. There is a 226. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Obviously it's the style. But yes. So I don't know. Didn't know it was next time you're bored in a flight. You might have somebody stand up and off

“you either first. You just see the stay out of the VFW where in that. That would be incredible.”

But you know, I heard you can actually go to the VFW. No, I mean, I didn't want. It's not on the top of my list, but I love old guys and stories. And I watched a bar rescue of a VFW that was just like in shampels. And it's like you can exactly imagine why it's sort of a volunteer sort of deal over there. But I learned that you could just walk into your VFW and like pay for a couple beers. You didn't know that I would know. I thought it was like, I thought it was like a, you know, don't go in there. If you don't

got, you know, I would win or Montana years ago. Start playing video poker. They were like, excuse me. I could use a little cash on a fusion. I get to tell you another travel log. Your travel log is incredible. The PICIFC VFW travel log. I didn't know that you didn't know this.

No, that's crazy to me. I just assumed it was a club I would never be in unless I made a

career change, you know. But knowing how much you are going to love that atmosphere. I'm afraid that become my new product group. It's going to be your thing. Yeah. So I don't know. I don't know how to do the final show. But he's everyone just kind of understands that you're one of the guys. And you've got a month off. Yeah, dude. This is, this will be good. I'll report back. If I make it over there. You're going to love it.

I'm not afraid. You're going to love it too much. Yeah. Yeah. Friends are going to go like, hey, we want to go out. There's a couple single friends who are going to be in the end expecting me. I told him I'd ready to be in God Saturday. I got to go. Speaking of, we got a quick though like that you was open. That was that was through my guy. Do you guys get to the use open? Well, Kyle was supposed to go, but he had something going on.

So I went with Maddie and yeah, hooked us up. Yeah. I mean, I put this all about maybe getting like getting the big guy a little ball marker something. Uh, there was not. I do have a like, yeah, some extras if you want. If I don't know if they're your style. But you're actually the best. That's actually a dick. My bad. No, though. The guy did. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I did try to get you to go. You're hard now.

During the NBA playoffs or whatever we were doing, the NBA finals. Like, when it was it was like, yeah, you did. You would have been miserable because it had a great time. It was tough to get to genococcus out there out my mouth. Well, it would have been, it just would have been tough. It would have been tough to do that. But, you know what? I don't really want to have. I just want to say it.

You got a lot of hats like you got you come back from Montana wherever you go. You always have

“that you have. So I think you're on the hats front. I was a meteorologist. I was like, I'll”

let you from Serruti. Yeah. Yeah. You probably don't even have a place to put it. No. I sick U.S. Open. Yes. That's the repaying of the favor of getting me. Basically, what have had a better. Yeah. Yeah. Doing you a favor. That was like, you knew you're getting good. Well, for the records, you know, it was like, hey, you guys want to go. This wasn't like a, you know, I think I may have been forwarded in an email from Ryan. I don't know.

There was like, hey, he forwarded me from Kyle and Ryan want to go. I don't think this was just like this is tiptoe. I don't like to like what happened to all the Arizona gear. And they were like, Steve. No, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not. That's unfair. That's unfair. That's unfair. I must deal with helmets out of the, uh, out of the closet. That's the helmet. What? The silo and canal was over. It actually wants for silo was over. The helmet. It's free for all.

The helmet rush was on. Guys started going like, I can't tell it's a couple of shocker. Can I take any couple? Yeah. Like he took the UNC when he was recruited by UNC and almost went there.

I'm going to bring this box into the studio for some reason or like, uh, like, I just set my gym bag down in the corner. Like, is that something you just walk out with? If somebody sees you with like, you know, your fingers and four face masks, as you're walking out already. You try to, you know, try to at least put up a front that you're not being a thief. There was a million helmets. Okay. So it was getting a full of locations too.

Still like, everybody was given them to us and then it like somebody had them in their office. And then that was too much. So then we came up with like a locker system that was locked.

And so that that was stand on. Right. But then TV would come down like we would always have the new

a shit because everybody loved Van Pelt and I, you know, but obviously more Van Pelt than me, both the schools were like, I can't, I got more. I could say you said, I'd say exactly the way you said it. Yeah. Exactly exactly the truth. So every school wanted their helmet there because we used to put the helmets out all the time. And then we'd put out like the helmet of a matchup that we recited about. Then we would just start fucking around with the helmets all the time. It was like,

“all these little secret meanings of what we were doing. Right. And Van Pelt was not somebody that was”

going all of these helmets are mocked. Okay. I certainly was not going like all of these helmets from mine. But you had some dudes like looking around and then TV would come down and just take them

to then put them on the TV sick because we always had like the newest additions of everything. And then

helmets be missing and like in classic TV fashion TV just takes care of TV and then they're like, fuck radio guys. And then we go all the time on your like way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way. It's a bit of our helmets. Like, that's where they are. And then you go over to like TV and go, what are you doing? And they were like annoyed with you for being mad at them stealing your ship, which is like the funniest part of the life. It's even a lot of come up here, right? Yeah. Right.

Like, like, maybe a week or so. He's mad. We stole from them. You know, as if it was all like one big team. I remember one time, like somebody from TV came down and stole that like it. And what was it? It was, uh, it was a printer, ink cartridge. And he was like, oh,

is this a 704 one? He's like, yeah, he's like, we need one. And granted, they do. I mean, like,

let's get it up there. And now I remember our office manager being like that thing costs like $1100. She's like so now. It's going to be a couple days. Yeah, it's going to work from now. I need to figure out how I can order another one. I'm praying over to you next week because it can't you just go like TV and say, hey, you took one of ours out of our budget. They're like, no, because I wish. Anyway, there was the TV part of it. You know, definitely should have taken a bunch of the helmets,

“which I think. Yeah, I mean, as I used to remember, they were all on the wall after a while. And I”

wanted you got when he got like, oh, I remember clean all those out for him. We got some ties in that transaction. That was nice. Um, because he didn't want to bring all this stuff home, but he had a lot of hanging up on the walls. But yeah, I think they just got lost. I don't because you did you take you took an LSU one. How many did you take? I took one LSU one. I had an Oregon one already that they had grown one. And then they sent me the chrome one. And I'm looking at it right now because that's

so badass. So thanks to Kenny, up in Eugene. And then I took the Air Force one. The shark one. Yeah. Oh, that's nice. I haven't ever had. Yeah. Yeah. I took this billy beer can from Tommy Alter's desk. It's like one of the only things I have. That's cool. Right. That is cool. That's the best moment of all this thing is the thing. Yeah, that is pretty cool. I thought that got lost at times. I'm happy you have that. Now, this was this was kind of like, I went, I'm not going to be ridiculous about this. And I don't

want all of these helmets anyway, even though I knew it was just going to be lower the flies with things after the fact, which may it be kind of nice. Like, maybe it's cool that there's 20 people

“however they worked on the show. Like, some guys have helmets. I think I remember one guy just as soon as”

I was done, I don't think it was even 24 hours. He walked in, took it, and like left. It was like fuck for so long. Fuck this place. Like, time to just take it. I'm leaving with something. Yeah. Yes, some guys have definitely very, yeah. Like, I'm taking it over. All right. Little memory lane Anyway, if you want to have it, get your hat. No, I count. Oh, yeah. The after the facts gift. I guess I can find one of this. I just grind that. Yeah, you're right. You know, maybe I'm maybe I'm

a dick in this. I felt a side of the mask. It says us open. Nice. Total side don't really quickly speak in a fowler and things of that nature. I just watched the Uncle Shaps video of how he got his purple heart, how I recommend that if you haven't seen that. I actually bookmarked it. So great call. I need to, I need to watch that. Thank you for doing it. I had fun going on with Japs. And our guy, Don. Don's a great name.

Yeah, right. Let's read a couple emails here. Hey, we've had a lot of people come in with a bunch of different emails on the parenting thing. Like, we had our guy there. It was like

I want to kid. I want to kid. I want to kid. You guys got to get on the same page or you're like, fucking up to the other person's like, but in this case, our guy was like, marrying her. So like, they're going to be together. Everything. I'm telling you every email that we've had from parents and it backs up everything that I've heard from all of my friends is that it's as soon as you do it, the biggest regret is that you didn't do it earlier. Not saying everybody's the same

“and that the whole timeline or like, hey, you should be having kids at 20 with absolutely zero stability,”

whatsoever, but I just would share that with the emailer and then to emphasize the point, because it is a constant thing I've heard now for 20 years that all of my friends that have a bunch

of kids are just always saying the same thing. Being like, I actually waited. I wish I hadn't

waited this long. But again, I'm not telling like high school kids to get fucking weird. I'm just saying that I felt weird even saying that. I think I think you are correct. I don't know that I directly feel that way. I think I had my you're already quick on it. No, no, no, we got we got married in what 18 and my daughter was born 22. So we waited a few years. Okay. I was in my mid-30s, I think it was 33. You married for four years. Good for you. Yeah. But you think about the timeline

and you go, okay, when she's going to graduate high school and I'm how old and then college, like, what are we, all right, you just start doing that math and like yeah, obviously, you know, gets gets bullied kind of quick. That's cool when you could think like we're done done at like 55 or something. It's like, dude, I don't even have to think about being an old guy yet. That's awesome. Whereas some guys are like 68. Yeah. All right.

Get a little choked up. All right. I hate, I hate going out.

“Six foot one player comp PJ Tucker for handicap. Well, turning 26 today, I believe.”

Yeah, look at that. Happy birthday. HBD. I don't enjoy going out anymore. Anytime I go

up to the bars of my friends, I always regret it a few years ago. I was much more into it,

but I see this away some time and energy at this point. However, I enjoy socializing and I don't want to be the guy that doesn't get out of his house. Two questions, what's the good compromise? It's been time with my friends without going to the bars. Are my feelings about the going out scene normal feels like most people my age still go out a lot? Yeah. I mean, you're kind of young to want to hang them up this soon. But Kyle. Well, I've got two things off

the bat. Like, are your friends going to be receptable at this age to maybe try to do a boys dinner? Every once in a while, like, the moon is blue and like, I can actually, I'm like, do you want to go to dinner? And we go to have like a nice dinner. Actually, I started doing that when the LA dudes would follow the recital on the roadshow and we'd go somewhere we'd go to like a nice dinner. And then we'd go out the later, but we would have like a nice dinner and whatever,

you know, Salt Lake or Denver or whatever. So like, that was like, that was a nice sports podcast. If I hate this, I hate this juggler thing. Um, you guys came into two of those shows with your hair on fire. Yeah, probably. I'm not giving you shit for it, but I was like thrown off. I'm like, what's happening here? Yeah. Whoever won like they sat in your buddy section, that would have been Denver. And that was for Mike. I didn't pump about that. Yeah. I didn't put them there. I didn't put them there.

I know. But I remember like my friends are texting me like, there's a bunch of people in the section you had set aside for the 20 of us. Like, well, that's wrong. Get them out of there. And they said they said they're with you. They're with the show.

And I went. I was about to do my first like, model log in to live audience, too. So I went.

You know what, just experimented. By the way, the Denver shit, I was sure it could remember the name.

“Do many of you guys remember the name of place? We were at one place. One place was Ophelia. Right?”

That was Denver, right? I think it was. Well, whatever, they were awesome because they immediately just gave like another little section off to the side for the 20 guys that I had. So there you go. It all worked out. Or Mark. So that was my one thing. I was looking at the right thing. What is going on over here? They traveled a long way. So I'm glad that they shared it out. So it was just the crazy one dad drove. Just that. Yeah, one guy drove from LA to Denver. Just fly free to what I can do.

Life is like uncles, a congressman or something or what was his deal? Yeah, yeah, we don't have to. I don't want anybody to play some years and I'm afraid to fly guys. But I do have to make sure people know he's afraid to fly. And then so that's the one that could you could you I don't know you're saying tricking guys into there.

Or the other thing is like are you just hate going out to a bar or is like, can you find like even in even in times like this where the world cups ending? There will be baseball and stuff like is there something you could center around watching a game like you know. It sounds like 26. Not 56. Well, it sounds like you're not yeah, now the baseball is tough. But like the rest of the year guys.

“You're going. So I mean, what do you want to do activity that's not just drinking right?”

I think I understand what he's saying. He's just tired of the game. He's tired of sitting there and standing there and then everybody's doing it.

The problem is it's like, you're going to want to do more adult things and no one is being critical of you. Like you're aging out of it earlier than a lot of other people would.

The problem is if your friends are all 25, 26, they're probably still out in the wild. Maybe some of girlfriend's likely some don't. They're not going to just want to go to dinner, man. They're going to want to go some other place where they're a woman. And so, if you want to hang out with them, then you're probably going to have to do. I just I always want to emphasize the guys when you have a group of guys friends like do not be in a hurry to shut that down. Unless you have no issue with it whatsoever. He's counting down the minutes till it's done. Then I could say that's probably where he's at, right?

You know, if you end up being the guy in the group that's like, oh, you know, Doug always goes home early. That's better than never going out. Like, I don't think that's better. Like we can't find Doug. It's for AM. Yeah, for that. I just have everybody know like this is this is kind of what my deal is. Like, I don't mind it for a little bit, but I don't want to post up for three hours here and do this stuff. Girls are kind of into that too. Like if you're like kind of like the reserve like mysterious ghost home guy, maybe reads, you know, like that.

That could actually, you know, mentioned women. He might have a girlfriend. He meant anything there.

“Well, that's what I can ask. What do you want to do instead? Like, are you, do you have something else that you'd like to do?”

Like, I mean, for handicap. Got an air hockey table at the house. Nobody ever wants to come over play.

Yeah, yeah, start throwing some house parties then. Man, if you have to come over, I was always house party over far guy anyway.

So like, you know, any time to do that, I'm in theme parties. Yeah, to be clear. I'm not going to walk up a beer pump party for your story around the world to be clear. I'm not trying to set like every, you know, weekly dinners instead of whatever's going on. But like, if you can, if you can just swap one of these blue moon situations instead of a bar and you get to do a thing that you want to do. That might be okay, you know, if you're, and if you're saying maybe you can hang out during the daytime with these guys, where there's way more to do.

Maybe that, like, well, that scratch that it's just like you still get to hang out with them, but it's not just the same plan every time. So I would, I would just say, like, definitely still go and maybe leave early, but maybe try to get a win every once in a while. Maybe it's bowling. Maybe, you know, I don't know what it is. But everyone's in a while. The stars line. It's like, yeah, we haven't been bowling in two years. We'll go. And then we'll go to the bar after and you can go. So like, whatever.

“Look for a small win. That'll probably do a lot for your mental health next time you have to go.”

Is there anything else we're not thinking of? I mean, you know, I get these running club emails. I don't know who signed me up for these. But it wasn't like a thing about running clubs just being sex clubs now, though, I think I read that somewhere. Yeah, I mean, I probably read that in a headline, didn't. Sounds familiar. But I think the, the problem with you is probably at night, right? It's like dudes are getting together at night, where you just kind of have less options. I think. Unless you got like a sick twilight golf course, Niri, I'm not really sure outside of a handful of things what you could do.

So like, a global R3. Overlook, that's somewhere that you can go hang out on a cliff and make a fire like you're fucking 16. I don't really know what else you can do. I don't know about that one, buddy. We got one. Shout out to cow rock. Okay, uh, it's called cow rock. How much I've been up there? What's Kyle doing? Let's go to the fire going. He's stashed the, he's stashed the wood up there for the next time we go. So we don't have to go search for it. He just said a thing to the group threat. Have you guys even tried low and brow?

Still blue coffees, new can lattes are here crafted with 100% Colombian coffee. Each can is a good source of protein and comes in two smooth flavors.

A espresso cafe mocha and a espresso sweet cream and whether you're braving your morning commute or chasing your pop. Stel blue cans are for those always on the go and for those who care.

Stel blue is more than just great coffee. It's about giving back. I named the brand after my rescue dog Stella who inspired our mission to help more dogs find their forever homes. Every purchase supports animal rescue organizations. So when you drink Stel blue, you're not just feeling your day, you're saving a dog's life. Try the new can today taste the difference and make a difference. All new Stel blue coffee can lattes now available at stel blue coffee.com or subscribe on Amazon for 10% off.

Got run a marathon or ran a marathon past tense in 306 we don't even need work on for that one that is that's good. Currently training to run sub three hours in a race this fall also part of the backstory for the email and be a comp javon carger high intensity defense first point. Hey guys long time listener love the show currently a third year lost to a student at the SEC school. I've got really into long distance running over the last two years right a half marathon spring 25 and the aforementioned full and spring 26. I'm signed up for another marathon on October been training for I live with two roommates and don't want her house to smell or to track and mud.

Sure, I finish a run I'll leave my shoes in in souls outside of her front porch for a couple days to air out. I've been doing this since I moved in last year with those issues just grab a shoes to me outside when I need them for a run a rotate between four pairs and run six days a week. So they usually two pairs in the porch at a time was getting ready for my run this morning when I have to grab a pair of shoes used for speed workouts off the porch and soon realize they weren't there but the in souls were when back inside checked all around the house could not find them at this point. I realize there's just nothing worse than when you can't find something in.

You're sort of convincing yourself that it's not gone and then you're doing that. I hate when I do that like you've checked all of this stuff. It is gone. You left the earbuds in Portugal.

Don't even check the fridge. They're not going to be there but it makes you feel better. I guess just open the fridge. Check the mailbox line. It's not going to be there. When back inside checked all around the house this point I realized someone likely grabbed them off the porch. It could not find them being put on sale on eBay. We live about a mile from campus in a moderately safe neighborhood but there's a good amount of homeless people at the gas station and grocery store two blocks away who will walk past our house but are friendly. My assumption is that somebody who needed shoes saw pair sitting out on the porch while passing by and quickly grabbed them. The shoes are pretty easily identifiable. Nike zoom flies six picture below. These are sweet.

These are really nice and these are very very specific running shoe. Anyway, they have a carbon plate so it would be highly unusual for somebody to be wearing them out casually. Think of like a pair of football plates. You're right. Like the build on this thing you just wouldn't be walking around them.

“All right. Meaning that if I saw someone walking around in the area it's likely they're my pair. If I do happen to encounter someone wearing them. How do I handle the situation?”

So this is what the question is. I guess just chalk it up to the game. It started leaving my shoes inside after runs at the person really needs shoes. I have plenty of worn out running shoes that are fine for walking but the lost pair has another 150 plus miles left in them for running. Is a trade appropriate in that situation. If so, how do I approach making it offer? I'm going to just go right to the chase. If someone stole them and is walking around, do you want them back from the person that is desperately in need of sneakers?

Well, the trade thing could be interesting. What are you going to do walk around? How scary are you looking are they?

Yeah, it would be my first question. Is it reasonable if I came in?

I took these and I'm not trying to get the police involved. Just take these and have these back. These are like these mean something to me.

“But how are you going to, I mean, you have to like find that dude in the wild?”

If it's me, I'm charging to the game and also getting a ring camera. Simple as that. I mean, if it was something else, if it's a bike. Okay, maybe I put my, you know, I keep my head on a swivel to see the bike, but like shoes like to rise point. The person that would probably grab those shoes that have like insults next to them that are probably pretty clearly airing out. Instead, if they have 150 miles left in them, they're probably pretty lived in. It's like a weird thing to get the 150, he's going to get the 250.

I think it's a weird, he's going to treat that like a Honda Civic right? I don't know, but I think the kind of person that would grab it unless it's like a shitty college kid, which I guess I could get into the mind of somebody like that.

“But again, I think putting myself in those shoes, no pun intended, I wouldn't be stealing shoes. I'd be looking for something else that I'd want.”

It's a weird thing to take. It's a weird thing to get back. So because of what this item is, I certainly, I would, I would not be trying to get this back unless it's a principal thing. And even then, it would have to be something else, and I'd be more jazzed up to get back. But I would get a ring camera and a new pair of shoes. Yeah, maybe invest in like a, some sort of like, lock cage for the outside, then, because yeah, you've got, you've got a secure, you've got a secure situation.

Oh, I get the, you know, he's trying to be respectful. I respect that. I just don't know that you, the person that's stealing these doesn't know that the insults go with them. And it's now going to be walking around. And you're going to have a spare backup, barter pair in a backpack with you.

The hours that you're going to put in for this random thing that's likely never going to happen.

And then looking at the dude that has them going, I now want to wear them after you've been wearing them.

And let's just get in front of it right now. If you send in a follow up email that says, hey, it's his fall for leaving shoes out there. It's also the person's fall who fucking steals. Okay. So don't send the email. Thank you. He has that answer. Yeah.

As you know, eight of those are coming beat up on this guy. Look good. You're the dude. You shouldn't have plans on your porch. Yeah. You're the one that wanted to own something.

Wedding gift etiquette as a gift recipient. Boys, long time listener. First time email or 510 170, no gym stats. I've been slacking since my wedding last month. That's all right, man. People come.

I feel like wedding prep has been a major factor why I never got married.

I would hate those. Hey, we need to talk about I didn't do much. I'm if I'm being honest.

“I think I probably did more than you, but yeah.”

You know, when I came to the registry, I pretty much had nothing to say. Registry, invite list. Invite list is nothing. I just don't. Anyway.

That's what the love is. That's what you're saying. That's why you didn't get married. It's a little bit funny. You know, I figured it out.

Like planning not for me. It's just couldn't imagine. It's just not and say we did. You need to call this guy back. I don't want to.

This is a working. You can keep all the shit. All right.

People will be front office guy sitting and watching that never played past eighth grade.

Love that. I have an odd situation. I'd like the galleries input on. I got married last month. It was a big wedding and we were blessed to receive much more gifts money than we expected.

“The fact is basically made the decision on the situation of being my wife.”

But I'm still interested in your guys. Hey, so the fact that they did so well has helped make the decision that they're still asking us about. I'm 29 in a second tier Midwest city wedding was beginning of June. We cashed all the wedding checks and deposited the cash a couple weeks post wedding. But after we got back from honeymoon, about a week later, received a notice in the mail that one of the checks didn't deposit because of a stop payment that had been put on it.

The check was from one of my close friends. A guy hanging out with several times a month. Sometimes multiple times a week. He was not a groom's man, but he came by my bachelor's trip. So that level of friend.

The check was for $200 and the notice of the bank was clear that a stop payment had been put on. It wasn't insufficient funds or anything like that. He did not have a plus one. So it was a nice gift from a solo guest. I mean, or my wife mentioned anything to him or anyone else.

Check was for $200. And as I said, we did well on the wedding gift department. So we also do well financially ourselves. So 200 isn't make a break. Would you have mentioned something to him in this situation?

I feel like if I was the one that wrote the check and it didn't cash, I would want to know, especially if it's a post friend that I could make it right. Not giving a wedding gift is something I'd be embarrassed about. And if I was the check writer in this scenario. But being the gift recipient in this scenario, there's no way in my opinion to bring this up without something super cheap. POS.

My wife is on board that we just pretended cash and never mentioned it.

What's the etiquette here? Would you mention to your friend or let it go? If you have the same opinion as us on this.

“Is there an amount of money that would make you reach out to the person?”

Thanks to the hours of entertainment. Keep it up. Also shout out Kyle. Oh. I think this comes down to the degree of friendship.

He said really good friend, right? Yeah. Really good friend. Really good friend. I think I wouldn't start with a mean joke.

I would just start with like, you know, just wanted you. Like, I would probably fain the ignorance of that I could see why this check didn't cash. I don't, I don't think I would say, hey, it looks like you put a stop payment on this. I would just say, hey, you know, just doing logistics got everything through from the wedding. It just, it said this one was was no good.

I just want to let you know that's all. I wouldn't, I wouldn't say that I know as much as I know. I would, I would almost say like, I'm helping him out. Like, I don't know if everything's all right with, you know, with your banking system. I don't know people get hacked all the time.

I don't even know if I'd go that deep into it. I would just let him know the base that this didn't, this didn't cash. I'm not going to ask him to rewrite a check. I'm just going to like, just wanted to know. I don't know if your check books are right. Whatever.

I think that's the smart ways to play it off like you're trying to make sure he didn't have fraud to make it against him. It's like, simple. It's that like, hey, man, like this thing popped up when we tried to cash. You're like, are you good? Like, I'm trying to make sure your identity isn't stolen.

Like, something that's that's easy. I personally, I'd want to be told this. Like, I wouldn't want, I'd want, if I gave it to you. I mean, who knows, maybe he did this and he doesn't have a fund. He actually did it though, did he? I can't see his situation where you would do that because that's insane.

But I'd want someone to tell me, so I could write the wrong. Like, I didn't have to give you 200 bucks, right? So I don't think it's weird at all. I would want to know.

If you have no reason to think, like, how, who is he?

Is he one of those guys in your front group that despite the fact you sit, you hang up with them sometimes even twice a week? Is he, does he have this on his resume? It's like, man, he's kind of just shady. You know, because I can think of like a couple guys where I'd go.

“If they did this to me, which again, I think we've established.”

I'm not just worried about that. I would let it go. It's, it's 100% on the individual. It's not the act, right? It is the person who, if I knew that it was one of like two guys that I'm thinking of right now,

go, whatever, I'm not going to say anything. But like, God, that guy's just the worst. Right? Has he ever asked to send you money on Venmo and then you send it back really quick? Has he ever done that before?

Like then maybe he's that type of guy.

Yeah. But I kind of like surries thing of like, when you want to know, because if you don't have any, there's no motive. If there's, if this is just this random thing, and it doesn't make sense, and it doesn't line up with like who he's been as a friend of you,

then I think you can go, hey, this isn't about the 200 bucks. We wanted you to know that there's not payment came in. And it's likely going to make him go, that doesn't even make any sense, and then he calls and it'll be kind of a funny story like later on. Yeah, a couple degrees away, though, from from this friendship,

I probably would let it lie. Yeah, this is like cousin that you're not close with. Uncle probably not. Watch family if she's not going to say anything. I'm not going to say anything.

Uh, coworker probably not. Because I had, this isn't the same thing. I don't know if we told the story before or not, but somebody emailed me, and it was in, it was late, and it was a woman's name, and I thought it was the sister of my friend emailing me saying,

I hope you're going to go to the wedding. I really want you to be there. And I was like, whoa, dude, I'm like, this is a sister emailing me this. I'm like, this is weird.

“And so I was like, yeah, well, I think I'll be there.”

Like, you know, it'll be great to catch up. Like, just super distant and like, what is this email? Like, this isn't making sense. Like, I can't believe this guy's sister's hitting me up. And it wasn't a sister.

It was his wife who had already changed her email to his last name,

and the wife had the same first name as the sister.

And so I didn't want to say anything to anybody. So for a couple weeks, I sat there with the secret. Going, is this wedding going to be weird? Am I happy with this? Am I hooking up?

What's happening? Yeah, like, what's going on with the family? Like, I didn't think I had it like that. And so finally, I say something to the soon to be wife. And she's like, dear kid, that was from me.

I thought I didn't feel great. I actually, I felt awesome. And I was like, great. But then the sister was like, I know it was me a little bit. I was like, why would you even thought I was like, why would I have thought anything different?

I didn't know, I didn't know emails were changing. You know? And the reason why it went, it changed. The reason why I was in the middle of the night is this person had a crazy schedule. It was just up early.

So I think you had a lot on your side there at the time,

“especially the time, the middle of the night is the best thing that I did”

because it's how I felt was like vague and like, oh, okay. Yes, be awesome. Imagine if I'd been like, oh my God, I'm so in. I can't believe you'd like me, too. Yeah.

Would you tell me you're saying it? Right. That would have been, yeah. Like no one can know. What do you mean no one can know you're in the wedding?

What? All right. Oh, that'll do it for the show. We have taped episodes. Each week.

Well, I put together the travel log of travel logs. So that is the plan. We've got the Reagan biography. We also have a book called The Gunfighters. A full Friday feedback and then I think something else that we're doing.

So recruiting stories. That's right. You know, in Kyle's travel log. Then Kyle's travel log, which is going to be a surprise like drop. No announcement.

It's just going to be like a Drake album. Just going to happen. Well, son, Kyle's just giving you content. Thanks, everybody. Talk again soon.

Thanks to Rudy Tom Kevin and Kyle. Ryan, we'll show a partial sports. Thank you.