FiredUp Network
Friday, August 9: Time Out KC
Welcome in to Time Out Kansas City this week. We're adjusting the schedule a little bit because we wanted to wait until after the summer familial cup, summer finals was played with the Kansas City current advancing and sporting Kansas City. Back then to the knockout stage of the league's cup. We're joined by Steve from the paint the wall podcast to kind of break it down because it's a lot of soccer. So we've got our resident football expert and he's even wearing a football jersey from the other type of football getting ready the national football league kicks off this Saturday. Steve of course you can see him on the paint the wall podcast featured on the fired up network as well. Best way to see the fired up network is to download that true TV plus app available anywhere you get your apps. Hey Steve thanks for joining us again frequent contributor. And you know it was a busy week in soccer. What was your initial reaction from the two Kansas City sides. Well, pretty happy and excited about one and pretty not happy and excited about the other, I guess. I mean, to your point we still advanced I knew we knew we knew sporting was advancing going into the game it was really just who they were going to play and which seed I guess I think they're seated. They were going to get so that it was kind of a it was a bummer to have to now go to Columbus and play the play the crew but you know we got to advance either way I think that's given the way the season's going that's that's probably still a good thing. Yeah, I think it's safe to say and imagine you agree with me this is still the best that sportings played all year because to look at is a good team. And their payroll is twenty five million dollars higher than sportings. Yeah, I knew League of X paid more I didn't know it was that much more. Yeah, yeah and they finished third last year. Of course, League of X just started their season this year that's kind of the perk of this tournament as we get them at the very beginning of their season they get us almost towards the end of ours so you know you never really know what you're going to get with the League of X teams but in this case we got a pretty decent one I would say. Yeah, how much better is League of Maxi than MLS I mean just for casual viewers that really aren't into the weeds of international soccer. They're our closest international league and a lot of people watch the EPL where would they rank between MLS and EPL. Honestly I would say they're pretty close to MLS. They're not maybe a little bit above us but not not that much. A lot of our competitions like League's Cup and Champions Cup and stuff like that. I mean we fare pretty well against not just sporting we being MLS. I think we do we do just fine against in those competitions it doesn't it doesn't really feel like it's one sided. Maybe the all-star game seems to be but yeah other than that I don't really I don't really view it as really that much different I think they're they're really on just about the same. Maybe a little higher but just about the same level as we are. Is that somewhere where MLS has kind of closed a gap that was bigger over the time. Yeah for sure and I think you know probably a lot of that's from bringing kind of bringing that talent over we've had a lot of league and make these Polito being a perfect example. That we've brought over into this and I think there's still a there's still a pay gap but I mean there's a pay gap in between MLS teams so that's not that's not really anything all that new. I don't know if you're here either so I think it I think that it's a pretty comparable thing but it's definitely improved over the last several years for sure. Yeah I mean they they hung in there it was definitely a close game and save a willy agata airmail over the crossbars on an open scoring opportunity as evident by sportings expected goals at 1.98 to close to Luca at 1.89. And goal expected it should have been a 2 2 draw. I did want to take a look at the goal sporting scored because I think this is a key. Contribution a key accomplishment of the season no matter what happens the rest of the way. Watch this from Steven at free. Free for this in space. That's a brilliant equalizer. Steven at free for. Pulls right out of the end of the first half. Ready to add one. We're starting to see more and more youngster understands just how special he can be. What a moment this is free for us had a couple of quality moments in this first half like this. That was just a beautiful goal and he's been really stepping it up he's living up now to what we were told he was doing in preseason I mean we interviewed him all the way back in the preseason. And we're told hey you're going to see him contribute this year he is now. I guess my question is how much of an answer how much foundational pieces are. Steven a free for Jake Davis. Will you gotta. And just returning Logan and Debbie. Yeah those four in particular I think are very foundational I don't expect them to be going anywhere. Agata has you know he started off kind of slow but really just come on hot with scoring goals and. Polito seems to be not doing that at the moment so it's nice to it's nice to have a backup plan. Which is the primary plan now I guess so. And then they coming back I think is going to be a huge addition. At that left back spot that's been kind of week all season. It seems like a lot of goals kind of come from that area or at least build the build up before a goal starts there so. We got a lot of issues on our back line but. It's not going to solve all of our problems but. It definitely is a key as long as he stays healthy and can get back to. You know sporting fit that turn that sporting fans love as long as you can stay sporting fit then. I think that's going to be the really key one but but even going forward those four are absolutely foundational for sure. Which is a good takeaway from the season no matter how it ends because. At some point on a league that you know salaries aren't issue. If you can develop young players that can start at key positions. You can control their salary for a long time that makes it a lot easier to be competitive. Yeah for sure and then we'll see if we sign anybody with this. This window closes here as possibly they are. Yeah I've heard there were supposed to be one that they were just about done with all the stuff. All the agreements and all that stuff and then Peter had said there's a potential second depending on. Roster availability which I thought Johnny's getting transferred out was going to be the answer to that roster availability but. So far nothing's come through yet but I still I think there's another week left I believe in the window I think it's the 14th but. I don't remember exactly. Now we're talking about the back line because yeah that has been the issue even the goal that made it to one it was a free run. First player got in Melia gets a save and the second player runs free to the goal of nobody chasing him. Who would you play across the back four. You're Peter Vermez you're in charge could you line up back there for sporting of the guys that are on the team now. Yeah probably Jake on the right. Assuming that I have a midfielder that I'm not still dealing with midfielder problems so we'll see if Rade I ends up still being injured. But if he's not actually injured and we have a midfield kind of back then I would say Jake back it right. I would put Recero and Castellanos in the center. They seem to be our strongest options. And then Nadembe on the left if he's back full strength assuming that he's full strength. Until then probably probably still eyeballs starting until until Nadembe is ready to go 90. Yeah I think I had a great Castellanos has been the most physically impressive I think of the center defenders. And Rosaro's been active I mean he's the big reason why they're still going in the US Open Cup. Yeah for sure. Like let's get one more up close look at sporting and here what Peter Vermez had to say about this performance how he felt about the game. Had a question asking about you know did you feel okay how did the game go. They lose two to one to to Luca play pretty well. You did you're right the early chance by Willie in the second half. Big chance he's just got to smash it home and he knows we talked about him and I and I know where he's coming from but he's got to smash that home and he you know it's it's it's different now they got to really open up. And I think that we had the changes to come on to really then strike the other way. But I thought the vibe from our team was very good all night. We moved the ball well and I think we created very good chances and I thought we defended well within the game. So I thought good performance just unfortunate. Yeah little disappointed in the fact that you know we whether we have to go and play whoever that does it was more about us winning the game but we performed well. Well and there we go. And I mean really. I don't think you can really say a lot more than that because it was a. Yeah it was a it was an okay effort. I mean they didn't get embarrassed they they hung in there they had a chance and you know. Yeah I think about advancing over the career though right. No yeah no I think we did enough against to Luca that we should have been able to at least get it tied and get it get it to PKs which give me 10 million and penalty kicks any day of the week so. I think we could have done enough but you know Willie just puts that one over the bar. It's kind of that's kind of his crutch he seems he he has a lot of those misses. But I mean our alternative is palito which like I talked about on our podcast this week. Palito wouldn't have even been there to take that shot because he's always been out of position lately so. It's like I'll still take our striker being in that spot and being there to potentially put that on goal versus make that cross and there's nobody there which is what we were at the beginning of the season so. You know I'll take I'll deal with the misses because he's at least there and able to give us the chance to score so. Just unfortunately doesn't slot that one home but. Like said advance anyway so. Yeah I mean they go through there in the final 32 going to the site of quite possibly their worst effort of the year though against Columbus that was just an uncompetitive game. They got they got beat down so hopefully they can play better and at least continue to pull some momentum back to the regular season. They need to almost win out to make the playoffs. And really right now kind of all chips in on the US Open Cup. That's coming up again on the 27th taking on the India 11. Have you done some more research on the India 11 outside of knowing they're from Indianapolis. Not really they are playing right now though I'm pretty sure. I think I saw on. Yeah I think I saw I got a random Facebook notification. That India 11 is playing right now and I'm like I don't why am I getting this. So I believe they're playing a game right now but I still haven't done a whole lot of research into them but. I think ultimately it's going to just like every other game it's not so much about the team we're playing it's going to come down to how well we play. So. Sure it's more do we show up and can we execute and can you know. Can I got to slot that goal home that we need him to or is he going to put it over the bar I think it's going to come more down to how we perform and what we do versus is in the 11 going to show up and beat us kind of thing. I'd agree with that. Let's go over to the other side of the city. The Kansas City current there in position to get a championship lockdown but we're going to wait a while to advance with the semi final win in the summer familial cup. And of course in the tradition the summer familial cup will be decided on October 25. Because it's you know summer somewhere. Yeah I'm sure it has to do with international breaks and everything but. Yeah, we spent way too much time talking about this on our podcast today about I don't understand why there's a, because they don't go back in WSL doesn't pick back up until August 23rd so there's like two weeks. I'm like why are they not just finishing this tournament now. And also why did it go straight to semi finals why do we have 20 teams competing for four spots like you could easily have one more round and still fit it in before the 23rd. Didn't make any sense to me I'm sure there's a reasoning but I don't know why we're waiting till October for this final, but who knows. And you know something else that I think needs to move forward. Daniel Sperry and I asked at each of the games of the tournament that were played at CPAC Stadium. Hey, wouldn't it be good if some of these games were played in, you know, Mexico, because LIGA MX women's side only started in 2017. You know I had asked hey how much better are the men's LIGA MX teams than MLS. Well, the opposite question. How much better are the NWSL teams than the LIGA MX teams because it wasn't even competitive I mean the current just rolled through. Yeah, I agree. Yeah. Yeah, it's definitely and of course we're talking about Kansas City which is also the top of our league, the top of NWSL so there was probably I didn't pay too much attention to that cup other than Kansas City current so there was probably a LIGA MX teams that held with some NWSL mate or help maybe they lost still but maybe they held with them I have no idea but yeah I think it's just was. Tigris was the best and they were a little bit more competitive they added down to two one at one point and then to be in the up hunched and go three about 30 seconds after Tim B scored for Tigris, Tim B of course, remember the South African national team and a former and WSL player. So there is a little crossover back and forth between the legs. Yeah, I mean I think that what you can't like you said they just started in 2017 so they're a new a new league so there's not a whole lot that you can expect from it I assume there's probably not a whole lot of money being transferred around down there either. Probably similar to NWSL I assume NWSL has more money because they're kind of the premier women's league so I'm sure it'll get it'll get closer just like it did with MLS and LIGA MX he's it'll get closer I'm sure. Sure. Well and let me ask you on the current side. We asked about foundational young players for sporting. Foundational young players for the current Claire Hutton scores her first professional goal in that game against Tigris, Ellie Wheeler scored Michelle Cooper sets up multiple opportunities had a goal taken away on the off sides. Lauren who you're going to see in the women's gold medal game playing for Brazil are those four young players foundational pieces for the current moving forward. Yeah for sure. I think that they're going to just like the ones we mentioned with with sporting they're definitely going to be going to be integral with us going for as long as we can maintain them and they don't get pulled away. You know money wise by other leagues but sure but I don't I don't see any reason why they would want to leave Kansas City because they're getting you know getting playing time they're going to get developed. They're playing some of the best some of the best competition that there is and they're on a good team so you know why leave if you don't have to you know if they don't force you out might as well stay. There hasn't been a lot of movement to other league to Claire LaVonier she left to go back to France though so I think that was more of a going home and honestly. She wasn't playing that much he went from a starter to a backup and honestly her minutes had been declining throughout the season so. Yeah seems like a fairly good move and she was a great contributor for him for a couple years but. Yeah you're going to have some turnover and reload if you're going to set top of the table. Yeah for sure that'd be the only thing I would think I would be worried about with some of those younger players is if you know if we are if we establish a culture where we bring in these like. High level players and keep competing some of these younger lower level players are not lower level but younger players are you know they're going to get sick of sitting on the bench eventually and. Probably another in WSL team is going to sign them to come over and. You know be a starter on their team somebody at the bottom probably at the bottom of the table would rather have them as a starter so we may run into that a bit but. I mean that's that's going to happen anywhere that's hard to yeah well that's hard to go against you know. That's a good problem to have. Yeah that's true that's like you're still sitting on top that's okay. Yeah it's always good when you see Byron Pringle running around at wide receiver for somebody here to Marcus Robinson playing wide receiver somewhere. It's okay. Yeah that's very cool. I'll take Hollywood Brown I think we'll be okay. Yeah yeah exactly. Just one more soccer question because it's extremely timely. The US men's national team. They did better than I thought they would I was at that game where they played Japan at Children's Mercy Park. They looked bad. They advanced to the knockout stage lost but they made it which is better than US teams have done in the past. True. And they kind of had their hands tied in putting that team together because of the MLS being in season because of the national team playing in the COPA they couldn't really put the best foot forward. To borrow a soccer cliche they kind of played on the back foot with that roster. And the women's team as we are filming this. They are advancing to the gold medal round but it hasn't been the traditional domination that you'd expect from the US women's national team. And the domination that was already diminishing that really pushed Blackout out of the job because people complained they weren't offensive minded enough. And you look the current they're going to break every offensive record in the WSL. So I think that's proof the issue wasn't Blackout's coaching. The issue with the women's soccer team not being as dominant is everybody's trying now. Yeah, yeah it's the competition that we're going up against is definitely a lot. A lot stronger and a lot you know they're sick of watching the US win everything I assume so that makes it a lot harder but they are still at least this Olympics were able to get it done and get to the gold medal match. Of course we get Brazil so you know I'd rather play any other team in the world including at least half the men's teams. But we get Brazil as dead so we'll give that a shot I guess and I don't know. Hopefully Marta doesn't decide she really wants to go out on top and takes this game into her own hands but it'll be a tough one that's for sure. Well on the bright side for the US national team. No Bia, no de Bienia because de Bienia didn't make the team because she's been dealing with injuries and Bia is out with an injury right now. Otherwise you would have had three Kansas City current players on the Brazilian team taken on the US national team. Yeah which would have been cool and painful all at the same time so especially end up losing then I'd be like well I'm happy for them but. Yeah hang. So either way Kansas City can get a win either the US team wins or we can cheer on the currents Lauren. Yeah we're probably going to factor into the game at defense but then I think the US can win this one I think they'll pull this one out. Yeah. Well yeah it'll be a tough one but it'll be a game to watch for sure. Yeah should be great game. Let's go over to the Chiefs because I don't know how much rugby you've launched I know I've launched virtually none. Sure. Hot topic nationally. Can Luis race is a met make the jump from rugby to be in a running back in the national football league. Why not you know. Why not I've seen a few videos of him from camp. Not having a good time it looked like a couple of them trying to do some blocking drills and just getting flattened but but they were I think the videos that I saw were from his first day doing that so. Very new stuff so I haven't seen a whole lot since then but I mean if you're gonna if you're gonna make that jump there's no better coach to do it under than Andy Reid so. And you got the best quarterback you got the best tight end you got a bunch of really good linemen you got a wide receiver core that's beefed up now so if you're going to do it you might as well. Come play on the best team in league you know. Well and I think he'll benefit from maybe having the best special teams coach in league and Dave toe because yeah I think if he makes it that's where he makes it because what little I've seen in rugby it seems to translate directly over to the new kick off for all. Yeah, yeah I would not be surprised to see him on see him on kick returns and it probably have some success doing it I would assume. Because to your point like you said the rugby does kind of seem to lend itself to that kind of stuff. Perfect example are women's rugby team with that miraculous last second run, which was basically a kick rather than catching the kick but it lengthwise is basically a kick return so. Yeah. Well and he was clocked at one point running 24 miles an hour, which would put him even with the fastest man in the NFL. Last year, so he's got the explosive speed. Yeah, it'll be interesting to watch. Besides that one else has jumped out with you on the chief set. I kind of say wide receivers is the thing to watch. Yeah wide receivers have been I know they've been getting a lot of a lot of flak on online because they're sharing a lot of videos of Xavier worthy and Hollywood Brown catching nice passes deep passes but they're going up against like coaches or they're not going full speed or whatever and I don't care it's still there the speed's still there. Patrick's still throwing a 60 yards in the air and dropping it perfectly in a bread basket so. Which I don't think anybody had any question that he could do that it's more are they going to catch it when he does it and apparently they are so. Yeah I think those two to me have been the most exciting thing. That and Kingsley Suamataia he has been I think he's going to be the starting left tackle I really do. Oh I agree. Yeah, I've gotten to a couple training camp sessions he's been in there with the ones the whole time and yeah he seems to be relaxed and the attitude seems to be like hey I got this and has confidence that he's exuding. Yeah, which I mean you like to see that right you don't want to see guys stumbling around head down like they're totally lost. Yeah, especially at it. Yeah, especially when it comes from new draft picks that are in their first training camp they've already got that confidence and feel like and are showing that they have the talent to do it like that's. That's just Brett beach killing a draft again so. Yeah. And the disappointing pick from last year Felix and DK and zombie he seems to be pulling it together he's had a great camp too. Yeah, yeah that's another one that that has seemed to be a lot better and that's exciting because we're, you know, going to need it plus you can always use pass rush so. Yeah that makes Charles imagine it looks close. Yeah. So, yeah I think they're, I think they're going to be in a good position I'm looking forward to the first exhibition game it's coming up Saturday. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which segs us into another topic of conversation going with the Chiefs. The Jacksonville Jaguars. A long talked about is being the team most likely to leave to London because of the shared ownership. Tony and shotgun own the Jaguars. They also own Fulham and the EPL. The Jaguars usually do a two game residency in London every year. But they are not leaving Jacksonville. The Jaguar stadium is getting remodeled for a second time this time to the tune of 1.6 billion dollars. Thank. And for our sister channel wrestling spotlight. That's good news for all the elite wrestling too because they'll have some more events there maybe that's your US stadium show at the new Jacksonville stadium. But. Fun. Does Clark go and say hey Tony. What are you getting in that new stadium because you know I want one of those. Yeah, I don't know it depends I guess they're there citizens voted yes then I guess so you know that's something that we were not able to do. Yeah, I think it was just a city council vote. It wasn't even a public vote. It was just. Well, there was a vote similar to the one in Jacksonville that has happened and was a positive. That's the Kansas star bonds. The chiefs made a little bit of news of training camps saying we want a decision on the stadium within six months now about five months in a week. Do you see any chance that Missouri. In the midst of an election season. With turnover going on in state government. And the county government really not even participating but actually kind of actively undermining the negotiation. I think there's any chance Missouri gets something workable in the next five months in a week or are we looking at the Kansas City Kansas chief. If they're smart, they will. I don't know why they would just let the chiefs walk from Missouri to Kansas. They're going to lose a ton of money on that way more than was coming in from the, then we'd be coming in from the tax that didn't pass so they're going to lose so much money on that I think it'd be crazy for them not to try to put something together but you're right there's a lot of other stuff going on a ton of factors that play into that. I don't know I guess I lean towards thinking yes they'll get something at least put out. Will it be good enough who knows but I mean I surely got to think they're going to at least make an effort to keep them they're not just going to let them walk. I'm thinking I'm feeling good right about now if I'm John Sherman because if I'm Missouri I wouldn't want to be the state that loses the Rams, the Chiefs and the Royals. Yep. With then a decade. That's not a good luck. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, I don't know I mean I personally I don't care where they put the state if they want to put it in Kansas it doesn't honestly having everything out of the legends having all the stadiums all in one area. Kind of sounds cool to me, but. Absolutely. Yeah, like having all that stuff out there doesn't sound bad to me but. You know I also I you know airhead obviously holds a special place in my heart too so I would love to not leave that stadium or at least not leave that area but. If if the state if Missouri's not going to get behind it. You know go where the money is I don't blame you at all you might as well. Everybody else does so you might as well. Yeah I mean and they're not leaving the metro area because it's 15 minute from where I'm sitting 15 minutes that way. Oh nice so pretty you'll be able to hear Tom Rock chops from there. Almost it's down one street and then I have to turn left and go three accents. So that's pretty close. Yeah, just a word of warning to potential Kansas City Kansas Chiefs fans. If laws aren't changed. Don't bring your recreational marijuana with the end of Kansas. Yeah, yeah sports gambling illegal in Missouri legal in Kansas. Yeah, recreational marijuana legal in Missouri illegal in Kansas and they do do. Stings in Boston game day so yeah plus state lines in the word of felony. Mm hmm. He's still a federal crime so they don't mess around all the water. You don't want to get that. Yeah, so kind of crazy crazy things you get with a split jurisdiction. City. Yeah, for sure. But yeah, I think it'll be 20, 20, 20, 30. Probably is when a new stadium would go up so it's a ways off. It takes a long time to build those. Yeah, that's true. Because when the royals were talking about. Hurrying up and fast tracking the stadium. I was told point blank. By a anonymous source with familiarity to building stadiums. No matter what we did, we couldn't get going until after. CPK. Stadium was complete because. It's the same workers. Yeah, yeah. There's only so many people that can work in those facilities and. Yeah, they're tied up doing that. So there is some sense of urgency because the Titans are building a new stadium and. It's not that far away. So there's a limited universe of people that can work on them. So it will be the gift that keeps on giving the sports talk here in Kansas City for the next couple of years. No matter what the Chiefs decide in six months. Yeah. Well, joy, it'll give us something to talk about. I guess. Yeah. Something more positive to talk about as we're clipping through our local sports teams. The royals have officially crossed the win total from last year. Yep. They're pacing to win about 88 games. It should put them right on the break of the playoffs. And we can legitimately ask. Have we hit the point where Kansas City. Is home. To the best athlete. The best player in the NFL. And major league baseball at the same time. Yeah, I think. I think for sure. But I've been on that bandwagon for a long time. So it might have been kind of biased for most of the season. But now I think everybody else sees it too. And yeah, Bobby, what junior is saying it there's. I don't. I don't think there's any argument that he's the best. Well, there is. There is argument for other players, but. But I agree and even setting my bias aside still think that we do have the two best players and the two best leagues. In one city, which makes it glorious time to be a Kansas City fan. That's for sure. Yeah. I mean, it's amazing. I think we do too. John Heyman. From Bleacher report. And MLB network. He just said. The American League MVP is a two player race right now. Bobby with junior in the lead. And Aaron judge. Yeah. That's pretty good company. Yeah. I think like Aaron just hits a lot of home runs, but. It's just factor the other side of the ball in and it's got to go to Bobby. But again, I'm. Yeah, defensive speed. True. Yeah. Yeah, that would be amazing because you could potentially have. The MVPs and both sports coming right from Kansas City, which is. It's crazy. I mean, considering there's only been one year. In the team's history where they both. Made it to the playoffs in the same calendar year. 2014. The only time the royals and the chiefs were playoff teams the same year. Yep. And that was the year the chiefs went and got rolled by. The cults after having to bake a late and just kind of collapsed. Yeah. And then the royals. Royals ran deep. They made it to the world series. Yeah. It would be nice to see. The second year. When both teams make it to the playoffs and I think we'll get there. I think the royals will add Jen. I do too. And can they make a world series run? So we get two championships at the same time and two regular season MVPs. Patrick's going to win MVP this year. Yeah. I'll call her. Yeah. Okay. It feels like two years ago when it was like he's going to make a comeback year and win an MVP and he did. It feels like it's going to be the same thing this year. And now he's got all these wide receivers. He's going to make a comeback year and win an MVP. So if we can get Bobby to do it, we'll have both MVPs in. Yeah. In the same city. Like what could be better, you know? And reported by TMZ and entertainment tonight, Taylor Swift going to be spending the break from her and never ending tour in Kansas City for a couple of months. Yeah. Let's just get her a residency at the T-Mobile Arena. Why not? You know, she could do three shows a week there and just live in Kansas City and she'll make plenty of money. Sure. Not that she needs more, but why not? Make as much as you can. Worked for Garth Burbs. He did 17 shows there. Yeah. I'll sign a petition to get her in a residency there. Why not? Hey, just because it was a theme question with sporting and the current. How do you feel about the Royals? Because I think the same thing applies. They actually have some young foundational players. Now, obviously, Bobby, we've been here for a long time. Vinny Pasquin, do you know, he's living up to the potential. He's doing what we thought he would. Gonna easily crush 100 RBIs to 83, 84 right now. And plenty of season ago, he's been hitting. I think he's healthy. Michael Massey has shown that when healthy, he's a consistent hitter. Lucas Ursig, the closer that they traded for from the A's, he got him signed up through 2029. How do you feel about the youth with the Royals, the foundational pieces? Because in a way, obviously, they haven't won a World Series yet, so don't jump on that. Yeah. But after 2015, the Royals window was pretty much closed because everybody was contracted out. They went ahead and they retained Alex Gordon and Salvador, but that was about it. And that team dissipated quickly. This team seems like it's built better to go a long way. They're not in any even remote salary danger going out to 2026, 2027. They can add and they can spend a lot of money and reassign us. I think they may be built for a longer run now than they were then. Yeah, I would agree with that. I will say, I think to tie into the sporting and current question, it's harder to do that in the MLB. There's more turnover and there's more pieces. There's more pieces and there's more of like the whole, what we just did with the trade deadline being like, okay, now it's really about are you. Are you a buyer or seller right now this year? And sometimes that factors in more with baseball than it does with other sports. So, you know, we could lose players like MJ Melendez or Brady Singer or the top two that come to my mind, not this year because it felt like we were more buyers because we're, you know, playoff eligible. But let's say next year, we take just a little bit of a dip, even just a little bit even where it's like, well, we're probably, we might make the playoffs, but probably not. So let's, you know, try to keep this good team we have together. And now we need to trade MJ in order to do that. So I think it's a little harder. But I think, you know, Bobby Whit, obviously he's not going anywhere. Vinny's a good example of some youth that I don't think will go anywhere. Freddy for me is another one for me that I think will be true. Yeah. I think he's, it just seems like he just fits perfectly of like, obviously, Sal, he's not going to be here forever and probably not too much longer, I wouldn't think. So it just feels like Freddy just slots right in. And it's like, cool. We had Salvi for 16 years or whatever we had him. Now we'll have Freddy for me for 15 years. And we won't worry about the catcher spot ever again. So yeah, then he's just a really all around player. Yeah, he is. So I just think with, with MLB, it is a little bit harder because you do have that. You can have one year where you're just a little bit under the playoff line. And now you have to get rid of one or two players to try to make sure you stay in that realm and not fall back to where we have been recently. So, but to your point, yeah, I think it is built. It is built that we might be a few years away. Like in the five or six realm versus with the last run, it was pretty clearly like, well, we got this year in 15 and then maybe 16, but then we're pretty much shot. Yeah. It feels like this one will last a little longer for sure. Well, and I think they are pulling. They're doing what John Sherman said he wanted to do. And they're pulling examples from what he did in Cleveland as the co-owner. And they're trying to build that consistent winner because look at the guardians. They've been near the top of the division now for a decade. Yeah. As a native Clevelander, though, the advantage that the royals have with their build and bust model. The royals did win a World Series. The Indians slash guardians. They haven't gotten it done. That's true. And I could have won. I take the World Series over being consistently in the playoffs. Yeah. Yeah. That's a, I think a question that a lot of here on the radio on like Kansas City Sports radio a lot is like, if you could go back in time and be like, okay, we lose our World Series championship back in 15, but we make the playoffs nine out of the last 10 years. And I haven't heard anybody say, yeah, I would do that. Like, no, I'll keep the world series title. You know, now we're getting closer to a decade. So it's like, okay, we need to, we need to at least make the playoffs at this point. But, but no, I'll take the championship all day, especially with how bad we were leading up to that where it was like, I don't know if we'll ever win a championship in my lifetime, but here we are. Got one. So. Yeah. And they seem to be moving in the right direction. They seem to be putting it together and getting those foundational pieces in place. Really. This one makes a lot more sense. You feel a buildup to being good. More like, I'm here to use a local team, more like sporting when you had Biesler, Roger Espinoza, Graham Zusi. And you say, Hey, these guys are good. We're doing something here. We're moving the right direction. And then you got to watch them for basically a decade. Stick right up near the top of the league. That's a good point. It did like with sporting with that. It was always like, we never doubted if we were going to be good. It was, do we have enough to get it done this year? Or are we going to lose in a conference final or losing a cup or? You know, like we knew we were going to be good. It does feel like that more with the Royals the way they're building this now. It kind of feels like it has more longevity where we might for a few years be like, okay, we're, we know we're going to make the playoffs. Or we at least feel confident we're going to make the playoffs. You know, can we win a division? Can we, can we make a run in the playoffs and not just get there and get embarrassed kind of thing. So. It makes it more exciting to be a Royals fan than we have since. Well, 2014 came out of nowhere. So your point, like you said, 2015 felt. Very different. 2015 was like, okay, we're winning the World Series this year from the get go. But yeah, it feels like we'll have way more consistency for the least. I've got to say five, six years at least. Yeah, I would think so. Because, I mean, there, you made a good point. There is a lot of revisionist history going on in 2014 because at the all star break in 2014, Mike, Miss Docus. His numbers were worse than MJ Melendez's are right now. He had the 190 bad in average and almost no power. People were calling out asking for Ned Jost to get fired and getting ready. The bottom seemed to be dropping out and then light switch hit. And here they go. Yeah. It was a run from the second half of 2014 all the way through to the end of 2015. Yeah. Yeah. There's a different feel. This is a much more consistent build up. Whereas that was just, hey, I think we got it. Let's go. And they basically sacrificed the future for the present. Because you take a look at some of the draft picks as they traded away. Some of the minor lagers, it was all in. Let's go. And then the compounded, if I'm making bad draft picks then after, I mean, yeah, I don't think anybody's got a Christian Cologne autograph Jersey or a Brandon Finnegan. Autograph piece of memorabilia. I mean, they were number one picks called production. Ace of Lacey. I mean, you had some disastrous picks, which just, just very. Although I guess to be fair, Christian Cologne, I'm pretty sure got the game winning hit in the world series. The, or the go ahead. We're running. So Brendan Finnegan played a little bit in the playoffs and they were done. Yeah. And we were looking for Aldeburto. Don't call me Ra, a little Mondecy Jr. To be this day here. And we got a often relief pitcher form. And I think Boston fans would tell you we got the better end of the deal. Yeah. That was a hard one. I was so excited along with everybody else. Like, I was like, man, Mondecy feels like. He felt, it felt the same when Mondecy came around as when Bobby Whit came around, except for Bobby Whit delivered. So, you know, we kind of, we definitely got the better end of that one too. But, you know, it's, it felt the same, but it just never happened. He just kept getting injured. I was so excited to have both. I thought that was going to be a thing. And then he just couldn't stay healthy. And it was like, man, never mind. Just move on. No, my God, when Aldeburto Mondecy Jr. came up, you'd watch him. Yeah. This guy's the best player in baseball because he would have stretches where he just absolutely dominated for a week. Yeah. And then gone for a month. Yep. And that's continued in Boston, except the dominating for a week parts gone now. Yeah, exactly. Well, on that tail of Wo from the Kansas City sports history, the legend of Aldeburto Mondecy Jr. Let's go ahead with, let's go to weekly champions here. And we'll bring in weekly champions with wrestling spotlight. Here's our friend Ty about her. Hey, what's up, guys? This is Ty about when I look at, and you are watching wrestling. And by the way, Ty got robbed in a match against Timeless Tony Storm. I was just going to say, I should go watch one of her matches so that I know who she is. But now that you said that, if she got beat, maybe I don't want to watch her. I don't know. I don't know. Well, she is a legendary Lucha Libre wrestler and a former Canadian ballerina. Lavera Loca, Ty of Alkra. Yeah. Common combination right there, you know. Yeah. Not a lot of Canadian ballerina luchadors out there. You can easily say she's the best one ever. Yeah. So with that, got the wrestling spotlight championship here. Steve, who's your champion of the week? I'm going to give mine to the entire Kansas City current team for being the only soccer team in Kansas City that can get stuff done consistently. So we appreciate that. Plus, they made a final, even though the finals not until, what, three years from now or something like that? Even though it's not for a long time. Yeah, exactly. So, but I'm just going to give it. I know it's kind of a cop out, but I'm going to give it to that whole team because they just, they just deserve it. They continue to deliver. So. I like that one. That's good. And I'll stay at CPKC Stadium, but I'm going to go with head coach, Blacko, a guy who said to the athletic that I had lost my love for the game. He lost the Julia coaching after being forced out of being the US women's national team coach, largely because the concern was they weren't scoring enough. And that he didn't quote unquote understand offense. You can search it in the athletic. It's a great article going in detail about how he went to Macedonia to just get away for a while. Went back to his home in Europe and came back to the current came back home to Kansas City. Where he used to be the comments coach and he coached a previous iteration of the NWSL here in Kansas City. And found his joy for the game back. And obviously knows offense because they are running away and crushing the scoring records. They're going to easily break the all time record for NWSL team goals. They've already beat every record that the current franchise had. The problem was in Flacco. The problem is the rest of the world's trying. And I think now everybody knows that because you can't question that he doesn't know how to coach offense. Yeah. Very true. That's a good one too. Yeah. So a couple of good weekly champions both down there on the riverfront where the current is rising. And both of our beer, hey, we're happy to do a paid product placement for teal rising. A delicious Kansas City beer, the teal rising for the Kansas City current. Of both our burning devolved corporate. Feel free to contact me. I'd be more than happy to provide some product placement. Then we could have a toast with a nice pint of teal rising. That's going to be really hard for me to find in Colorado, but I will do what I can. Well, we'll ship it. Oh, perfect. Yeah, I'm in. We'll ship it and then we can get some sponsorship from CPKC rail yards. We'll just, we'll just ship a case of teal rising to you out there in Colorado. Perfect. That's not going to be a great deal. Yeah. You just have to go to the rail yard and get a, you know, send you like a hundred pack. Worth it. Yeah. Why not? Yeah, why not? With that, we'll wrap it up here. Steve, where can people find you in the paint the wall podcast? Yeah. Paint the wall podcast. We are on Twitter on YouTube. PTW underscore pod is what you can find us on most of those. And here on fire. Up network. Yeah. And you can also tune in and catch us on catch me on wrestling spotlight. We're going to break down summer slam this week. And we're on the road to all in. Going to be heading out to London to Wembley stadium. Historic soccer venue. To be in the stadium during AEW's takeover of the. World famous soccer venue for all in 2024. Where Wembley stadium Steve will become who's house. Swerve's house. I knew that. That was the first thing I thought. Stay tuned to the fired up network for more sports and entertainment and download that true TV app. Pure TV plus app to follow it anywhere. You go mobile device computer TV. True TV plus app 100% free on all of the app platforms. You can also catch us on sports.tv and carbon TV. For Steve I'm Gerald Bentley thanks for joining us here on time out Kansas City.