FiredUp Network
Thursday, September 5: Time Out KC
What's going on? Hey, welcome into the fired up network. It's time out Kansas City back at it. Last week we just did a little bit of a football preview. We're joined by Ian Valentino and our fired up networks analytics expert on football. Alex Campbell joined by Chris the playmaker Stimson from Hot 103 Jams. And Chris, you were here in Kansas City for the week. I was enjoying London. We went and saw Fulham beat Lester City and the EPL from Craven Cottage. We'll talk about that a little bit and compare it to our two home soccer sides. And then was at Wembley Stadium covering all elite wrestling's all in. We'll be talking about that more on wrestling spotlight and we'll also preview all out the companion pay-per-view that's taking place this Saturday in Chicago. But I wanted to get back to Kansas City sports because it was an eventful week. While I was gone, I was getting the updates as we were going. The Royals went on the best run of the season actually and got to the point that when I was landing at KCI, they were in a tie for first place in the division after taking three or four from the Guardians. But now it was the best of times. It was the worst of times. They've dropped six in a row and are currently as we are filming losing again to the Guardians. Can the Royals pull out of this spin? Ooh, I think they can. But it just seems like the spirits has just been lost since Benny got hurt when he took that piece to the wrist. It's just bad luck. Maybe I was thinking now that you say that. I guess we needed you in town. That's what we needed. I don't know. Maybe that's what it was. They were playing great while I was gone. As soon as I got back, maybe I need to go back to London. I don't know because they seem to be pulling it together and made a couple of really good pickups too. Even afterwards, picking up Robbie Grossman and Tommy Pham, I would have been happy if they traded for Tommy Pham at the deadline. Instead, they got them for nothing. Got them on a waiver jump by the Cardinals who were the team that traded for them. Then they just said, "Now, we're not going to make it. Let's cut some expenses." He's a good acquisition. One, he is a trained martial artist. If things turn ugly, you want them on your side. Friday, just ask Kyle Schorber. He is a good on-base percentage outfielder. Somebody needed all year. We saw what he did last year with the Diamondbacks. If anybody was paying attention to the Diamondbacks run in a major league baseball playoff last year. I think that's a solid pickup. You'll be good real as well and pick them up. Even though I guess he got injured from what I saw, he's been injured as well. I'm not sure what's going on with that. He's surprisingly old too. I didn't realize he was 40 years old. I did not know that either. He didn't factor, so he didn't start all later. We need those bats to come back around though. I think that's going to be the biggest deal now, especially because it looks like we're still getting good pitching during part of losing streak is just we couldn't hit. Especially when it lost some to Houston. It was one that they gave up in the ninth inning where Altumik has like, "Oh my goodness." We need hitting back with the Royals and hopefully with some of those additions that you mentioned that we'll get some kind of help because we're definitely going to need it with Bobby Witt and Salve. You don't want to just start walking to him and say, "Everybody else beat us." So we definitely need that getting to come around. Well, the young has been a great pickup and hopefully we'll see Hunter Renfro come back. It was just a mild hamstring folder thinking he's going to be ready to come back as soon as the 10 days are up. He's been turning it on. So you add him in, that helps him. He can play first base too. He's been running around a little bit. He has. He's been fine. So second half MJ is here, which is the best MJ so far. He's turned it on in the second half both years. They need to kind of figure that out, get him cyst and throughout the season because he does have the potential. You understand why you stick with the guy because he is only a couple of years removed from leading the minor leagues and home rods. When you take a look at power and offense across the league this year, it's been down everywhere. So that kind of potential on a guy who, I mean, we've both been able to spend time in the clubhouse and see him. I mean, he's a really hard guy to root against. Super nice guy. Works hard. Happy to see everybody. Takes your lame. Signs all the autographs. I mean, there's nobody on the royals. If you have a negative opinion of pro athletes, go and hang out by the field early on a royals game and stay there late because those guys get there early. They sign the autographs. They talk to fans. They throw balls in the stands and they stay late and they'll sign every autograph for everybody that's waiting in the tunnel led by arguably the best player in baseball Bobby Whit. He's usually the last guy to get into the clubhouse because he's signing autographs for kids and he's telling everybody thanks for coming. A humble superstar. Yeah, including the media, he thanked me for coming and supporting him a couple times. Well, I'm kind of working. I mean, you don't have to thank me, but okay. No, we've got you could say we have two of the nicest superstars in baseball with and Salvador Perez. Oh, yeah, because I did see the crazy story while I was flying that Salvador saw some kids playing with the ball in the backyard to say, Hey, I'll go hop in the game in a state and play a couple of games with the neighborhood kids, which is awesome. That that's just great. That shows the love for the game. And I think that kind of explains why he's still performing at the level he is and making changes in his game for the better, which is very unusual in baseball. Yeah. Generally speaking, once you're, you know, the outline that Dayton Moore said once you've had 1500 at bats, that's pretty much who you are. Well, Salvador had 1500 at bats years ago and his plate discipline is better now than it's ever been. Yes. Yes. Future Hall of Famer. No doubt for me. Oh, absolutely Hall of Famer. If he ain't doubts, we don't have them now. And it's glad that he's still in the Royals uniform, and he was not traded last season to go to attendance. He actually contended right here in Kansas City, which is what we all wanted. So that's a great look to see in the tough day of A.L. Central. I never thought I would say that, Gerald. At this time of the year, we got four teams trying to battle to get into playoffs because even Detroit has been coming up these last few weeks on the Williams Street. So yeah, it's going to be tough for the Royals. Yeah. Yeah, I think it's going to be a good division for a while because the Royals are set up for success, moving forward. They have a very low payroll going forward, and you have a lot of young established pieces, including picking up a few with Lissick Earthsig and Lucas Earthsig and I kind of Harvey's going to be a good piece for next year. Maybe not this year with the the back strain, but he is a good piece to add to the bull and into the bullpen next year. Yeah. Get a healthy Michael Massey. Maybe you move Salvador to first base full time next year and you can extend his career a little bit and that even helps if any past Latino outlet him, DH, most of the time, or rotate him. You can kind of extend that line up out. The Guardians, you know, we're going to be good. They're consistent. They've become the Oakland A's really Billy Bean moneyball team. That's kind of what the Guardians have become. They haven't won at all, but man, they're consistently good. They're right up the bottom. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Well run franchise. They're going to be good and Detroit seems to be getting the pieces in place. The Tigers were the team that most analysts said, hey, this is the rebuild that's ready to go. They got the scoop ball. They got a lot of good young players. These guys are ready. They're going to contend. The royals just passed them up a little bit this year, but you got those four teams. They're going to be right there and then my God, the white socks are horrible. The white socks are pacing to be the worst team in modern baseball history, tying or passing the record of the 1962 expansion Mets who were so bad, the expansion rules were changed to make teams be competitive. The only other team with the worst record, I didn't even remember this and I used to do sports talk in Cleveland. It was a Cleveland team from like the beginning of the 19th century, so that doesn't really count. I mean, the white socks are just so awful. It's unbelievable. Ron's door. I was going to say now people can't be happy with Ron's door for Chicago right now, how the white socks and the bulls are looking. Oh God, no. And think about this, the best player on the white socks team is Nikki Lopez. And I don't think you can even argue for anybody else. And if your best player is Nikki Lopez, Nikki Lopez is a nice guy. He's an okay player, but if you're best players, Nikki Lopez, you're really, really bad. And I know he's not getting to contract some of those other white socks players and getting like been attendee and others. So that's really being a good move by a fortunate for the royals that they did not keep them because he is, he's done. Moving on from the royals, let's talk about the beautiful game here, sporting Kansas City. They still have a chance to win a championship. Even though this semi-final Lamar Hunt US Open Cup matchup was very similar to the quarter final with a never ending rain delay, two and a half hours of rain delay. So that's, that's kind of the formula, I think, for the US Open Cup this year for sporting. Get a lead, ride out the two and a half hour rain delay, and then finish the game off. They beat the indie 11. They advanced to the finals. Is this sporting's best last chance to bring a trophy home this year? Yes, big, emphatic. Yes, go for it. This is the one that you could actually get that you know you can get your hands. It's going to be a good one. I cannot wait to see the battles going to happen between them and L.A.M.C. I cannot wait to check it out. But yes, this is the one that they want to get. And you want to get it because Lamar Hunt's name is on there. And we know how many times four years he was hoping on the wall. Yes, yes, yes. So they'll get in history. They'll become the first team to win it five times. Yes. So yeah, and they did qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League next year too. Yes, huge, that's huge as well. That's huge as well. So this is the one you want to get. And you know, for me, it's going to take it serious too, Gerald, because you know they always taking the US Open Cup serious. So let that be a lesson. So that lease cup. I don't know how you felt about the lease cup, Gerald, but the US Open Cups are always being a main cup. Yes. Well, I think they took the Leaks Cup seriously too. Yes. I guess. I mean, that match up against Columbus. I know they tried to do something different. They tried different lineups. They had a little bit of a different formation going, but the end result was the same. I mean, it was afforded nothing beat down. And the only chance they had at golf was a bicycle kick by Daniel Chalaway, which was a beautiful shot, but right to the goalkeeper. And that was it. They just got absolutely dominated. And Columbus may well be the best team in the league again this year. And you just see the golf in between the two teams. And you know, that's why there's been a recurring theme this year that Sporting Kansas City is going to have a major rebuild during the off season. The teams even leaned into it. Mike Burns, the new technical director, when they picked up their one acquisition in the transfer window, talked about changes coming and they're going to need to make some because they just don't have the explosiveness. And there's some games that it just falls away from them. They don't don't have it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And sometimes you're like, okay, the offense is on, but the defense isn't vice versa. The defense is on office and isn't really need that extra consistency. I like that we've been playing the younger players this year though. Jake Davis, once again, another took another step from what he took last season up to this season. So I do like some of the steps that they're taking. But yes, in order to actually, if you want to compete for the MLS Cup, they're definitely going to have to make some real serious changes. Well, what's going on with the roster? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, Jake Davis and Stephen Afrifa have been pleasant takeaways from the season. The question is, have they been too pleasant to takeaways and other leagues are going to be looking at them to scoop them up in the off season. Hopefully, hopefully they get to maintain their young stars for a little bit. Yeah, Afrifa got the call up to Canada from what I saw recently. So he's on the international window. I don't know if you were shocked. I was shocked when I saw the news on Katie Pierre going to Belgium. I was not expecting that at all. But that's a good look. That means people are looking at your players. So that's a good thing. But like you say, and the bad thing is some of those players, we could have used this season maybe to step up a little bit more. But yeah, that's what happens when some of your players show and you actually get some of those younger players on the field. And maybe that's what Peter was doing. He was hot because he knew people are looking at them. But yeah, I would like to see more of the Vargas next year. I would like to see more of, I like Castellanos, what he's brought. I like to see more of some of these other younger players come through and get more minutes to see what they can do. And then they should be more healthy for next season coming in. So I think that'll be a big boost to help as well. So yeah, yeah. But finish the season out strong. You never know what the rest of this MLS season can do. If they, I don't know what that outside, you can tell me what the outside shot is now for them to make the playoffs. But yeah, they need to pick up one. Yeah, they need to pick up nine points. So obviously your cleanest path is the US Open Cup win one. And they still got tough games coming up, right? Yeah. Yeah, the Red Bulls. They need nine points minimum. You almost need to win out. Probably can't lose at all. I think the list may be one match. Yeah, and you don't win with that. Yeah. No, no, because then you're, you know, you're going to be the last team to qualify. So it definitely didn't work out the way we thought the season would, you know, with, we were there at the opener and thought, Hey, this is good. We're played so much better than like, yeah, yeah. And then it, all that happened is the long losing streak just took place a little bit later, as opposed to right out of the box, because we ended up at the exact same point, maybe a week or two behind. But now you're kind of kind of getting it in. And you know what, sporting has been consistently good. And even last year with the long losing streak, they made it to the semifinals. So they've been a consistently good top of the table team for a decade. Yeah. That's hard to do because at some point, you do need to hit the reset button and rebuild. And or you need to do, I was, like I said, I was in London, and we saw Fulham go and just dominate Lester City at Craven Cottage. It really wasn't even much of a game. They beat them down. And a dominant performance in front of a sell out crowd of about 25,000 really neat atmosphere, especially when you consider that stadium of 25,000 is only 1.8 miles on the map away from Chelsea Stadium. It's, it's really crazy that you have all those major stadiums right on top of each other. But because when you think about it, that is really the only high, high intensity pro league in the country. So we have multiple teams in every city too. It's just they're playing different sports, but Fulham after a dominant performance and a better than expected start to the season and a one-nil loss against Tottenham, they went and added three players at high salaries, about nine million pound apiece during that last week of the transfer window. So I mean, they were winning and they dropped what about 40 million dollars of salary like that. So at some point, you can't do that in the MLS because your salary cap is significantly lower. Whereas in the EPL, it doesn't exist. But you also can't have designated player slots open. And I don't know what to do with Polito. You got one more year of them. Alan Polito can't be your highest paid player. That's not going to work. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The thing I'm interested in is what would they do with the front line because you talking about Alan Polito, Johnny Russell. We know he's a club legend for the years he's been here. But do you start backing him up a little bit to where, you know, saying when you're looking at a free food, when you're looking at Vargas, I'm shallowy. Even shallowy hasn't had a year that he's probably had in previous years either. Now a lot of injuries. He's finally looking in good form now. But it took until, it took until what? Two thirds of the season are over. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Polito, to be fair, Polito's looked good as a ten as essentially a attacking midfielder. And Jake Davis has looked really good as a midfielder. So I mean, you got pieces, but Polito's days as an impact striker seem to be over. He just doesn't look quick enough anymore. No, no, no. It seems like Willie, you're going to pin on him for more goals. Depends on what you do with shallowy and Russell and Eric Tommy, you know, he's going to provide an attack as well. So I think that's what you're looking for in 2025 for next year. So you feel good going in. They have plenty of salary flexibility. Yeah. The ownership, the elikes have said, hey, we're spending the money. We're going to get it done. So I think next year is going to be a really promising year. And you can't be too hard on sporting considering the success they've had and the consistent winning they've had over the last decade. I mean, that is true. That is true. That is one thing we can't question over there. You're right. Now, if we take a look at our other professional soccer team, the Kansas City current last time we got to see, I got to see him play before I went out of town. They won the Women's Cup championship and they want it relatively effortlessly. They only have the game against Athletic Homodra. That was a tight game. It was one now, but they pretty much controlled it. Then they came in and they did kind of what I was saying Fulham did. They've made a host of moves traded for new centerbacks, signed Alana Cook, the former US national team player to a four-year contract, reumpt, Ali Wheeler to a four-year contract, added one of the best nicknames I've seen in sports to Hilda, the breadwinner, who was notable because she made, if you ever watch Morning Joe on MSNBC, they work with Forbes for the 30 under 30 women impactful women in the world. Hilda was on that. The breadwinner was 30 women under 30 making an impact in the world. She is a international superstar. You add her along with Temla, along with DeBina, along with Bia, who should be coming back soon. Is it a case that they took that loss to Orlando a little bit more to Hart than they led on? Because that was their only loss and you could easily question the last loss before the international very class home game. You could easily say, "Hey, the referee in that game was horrible. You had no control. The game was falling apart. It wasn't your fault. You guys played well enough to win." But they seemed to have said, "Hey, we're not good enough. We don't want to just win. We want to crush this." So let's go and put the panel down. Got a former US national team player to international attacking superstars because I forgot to mention Jericho. Yes. You can bring the walls of Jericho down now too. Do you think Flocko and the management just looked at and said, "Hey, we're not quite good enough. We need more impact and we're willing to take a small step back because we're making the playoffs. Take a small step back. Let's get recituated. Let's figure out our system, get everybody acclimated. And then when it's the final stretch on, we're just going to dominate." I agree with that. And the reason why I agree with that is just because, like you say, I think they're playing with house money from beginning. I didn't expect them to be in third or fourth place at this time of the year when they begin the season start. So to be where they are right now, I think it's great. I just think the Olympic break came at the wrong time. I think when they're moving and grooving, even though their Orlando loss did hurt, I can only imagine their next game out would have been, "Okay, we got to show something." You know, as upset they were, they would have took it out on the next opponent. So it just so happened, they got the summer league cup that went through with them, which they're going to be in the championship game for that. And they had a tournament, but I just think the Olympic break probably came at the wrong time league-wise as far as NWSL. But I think they'll be fine. I think they'll be fine because Orlando's beautiful. They had chances to beat them. So it wasn't like Orlando just came through and beat them down. So yeah, and even the recent loss of this past weekend with North Carolina courage, another rain delay. Yeah, sporting Kansas City-like torrential downpour, which just isn't fair. They were on big CB Ash national TV prime time week end viewing, and they got bumped to cbsports.com. Yes, yes, yes, yes. So I can't really blame much on that, but I think they'll be fine. It's just like you say now, it's about, "Okay, what is our best looking lineup going to be heading into the playoffs? And who could we possibly be facing?" But right now Orlando is going to be a tough test. I'm glad the North Carolina game was good test as well since they're one of the best defenses in the league. So that was a good look. That's something they'll probably be seeing in the playoffs as well to that type of defense. So yeah, I think they'll be fine though. You can't be too upset when you lose 2-1 in a torrential downpour to a team that had only given up three goals all year ago and into the game at home. Yeah, that is a good defense. That's probably part of what they were looking at too, and saying, "Okay, hey, we lost Gabriel to the ACL. We need to lock down this defense." And I didn't even mention the Amalt, the goalkeeper. We added a goalkeeper as well. So they have a two-headed monster, a goalkeeper now. It really did shock me the aggressiveness and the roster rebuild they did. I mean, it's admirable because I don't think too many teams do that. I think a lot of teams will say, "Hey, we're okay. We're good. We're in the playoffs. We got this. We're good." I mean, that could pick up on me big. That's going to be a big pick up. I take some pride to say, "Hey, you know what? We're not good enough. Let's go." Yeah, yeah. Yeah, to get one of the best defenders in the league is great. That's a real great look. So it'll be interesting to see play-out time with what this is going to look like. And we can... And we can take some favors here. We need to see it. Come on, Kerry, let's go. Let's go. Like before Thanksgiving, and maybe we can tie in a little wrestling spotlight with NWSL, and they can play some music from Chris Jericho's band Ponzi, and it can come out to Judas in my mind. I don't know if Jericho is a Chris Jericho fan, but it would be great if he launched it. You've got to eat a public relationship. See if they bite on that. I like that. We've got to ask Danny while they act. Yeah. Survivor Series, we think, "Come on, let's go." Judas in my mind as the Kansas City current runs out to the field. Make it the song of the summer. Well, we should be having our friend Alex joining here any minute. Let's say, coming soon, "Chief's not letting the roster editions pass them by either. They welcome back a great edition and a guy that I figured as soon as he became available, he was coming here, and was the person that ran Caderias Tony, finally out of town. It's a returning." Juju, Smith, Schuster. There he is. There he is. I snapped him right there on the desk. Got a bobble here to Juju. Okay. There he is. I think that's a great acquisition because the one-week spot on the team all last year was the wide receiver. You had Justin Watson out of position as the number two receiver basically. Rushy Rice who came on strong at the end. Yeah. And that was pretty much it. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. McCall Hardman kind of there. He would contribute a little bit. I mean, did what McCall Hardman's always done. Kind of gadget plays. He's good on the runs as long as he doesn't get hit too hard. Sky Moore was bad. Took a big step backwards and Caderias Tony was quite possibly the single worst offensive player in the national football league last year. Had the lowest average per catch in the NFL. Yeah. Yeah. The fact he was still in the training camp roster amazed me. I thought the minute that the playoffs is over, he would. Yeah. Well, he has those abilities that you can't teach, right? You can't teach fast. You can't teach abasiveness. He has them. It just seems like he has absolutely no clue of where to be on the field and just doesn't have that commitment to get better. Looks like he's going to get one more shot with the Seattle Seahawks. They're taking a look. But man, after after three shots, I think you're pretty much done. Yeah. Yeah. And you know, my red flag, I was going to say my red flag at the top was the Giants giving up on them after one year. It was like, Oh, they already give it and they need a receiver. So if they needed a receiver on them, it was like, OK, but you know, Andy's always, I'll take a flyer because we'll see what you can do. And you know, like I said, he helped out one play helps him out. And so he did that. So in the way the tray works out, but in a way, yeah, it's still worked out. I mean, yeah, it just didn't work out for him. Arguably, you don't want to super ball without him because he was a cake contributor. But yeah, he definitely never looked up to the potential. And it's it's crazy because I was a high first round draft pick. Yeah, it just shows that that positions definitely a position that isn't a guarantee. So we're trying it again. Xavier Worthy, I think, has already done more as a wide receiver to make you feel confident that he can get the job done. Yeah, just in the little bit of preseason that he had. So far this preseason, he's been the second highest ranked receiver in the league, only following Malik neighbors out of the rookies. So you got to feel confident with him. And he's not going to be under all that pressure now because he's not counted on as being the guy. You'll get Hollywood brownback probably with two. You have Juju Smith, Schuster now you have for she rise who we're going to have all year long thanks to Jerry Jones attorney getting this continued until whenever I mean it's going to get continued until doomsday. So that helps. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no receiving room has changed. Because like you said, now you got those top four receivers adding in with Travis is still going to be Travis. So you still have to keep the eyes out on him. I think the offense is going to be booming again. And no mistake that pick up two in the running back game as well. So I'm definitely like what they're doing over there. Yeah. Yeah, who was a third down especially. Yeah, terrific receiving running back last year. So maybe an upgrade on jerk McKinnon getting a little bit younger, a little bit stronger because jerk McKinnon was a weapon. And, you know, understandably there's questions revolving Clyde Edwards layer. And I get it. I mean, he was he was involved in a shooting in high school. He was right there on the stage center during the shooting at the rally. I get it that it's it's disturbing and it's hard. Yeah. Yeah, I hope he's okay. Seriously. Yeah, yeah. Because I mean, it makes me question whether it's normal that I'm not more upset and I don't get more worried about it because I was involved in a in a shooting back when I was a TV reporter in Cleveland and had a had a drug dealer hold a bullet hold a gun right to my face while I was trying to do a a report about drug dealing in a inner city apartment complex. The only thing I really thought I was after doing his man that wasn't smart and turned around and ran out of there because I was able to tell the guy, Hey, man, you don't want to shoot me. I got kind of microphone and we're live or on the air. It's on ABC. Come on, of course, live, it was just on tape, but he went forward and got out of there. So I mean, I can understand the how that how that can hit you and wish the best for Clyde Edwards a layer. I mean, he is a the guy with a ton of potential. And I think his best role is as that receiving running back because that's what he that's what he was at Louisiana. That's what got him into the NFL. So hopefully we see him contributing throughout the year as well. Yeah, it's just the story of you never know what somebody is going through outside of what's going on in football. Like we talk a lot about what they're doing on the field and we think they're supposed to be superhuman and just find out some things in the background, especially like you said, coming from Louisiana, dealing with some of the deaths that he dealt with in his life back then and survivors survivors remorse. Yeah, yeah, that's got to be big on him. So I'll definitely send thoughts and prayers out to him and hopefully he'll be okay. And I'm sure to achieve nearby side as well. I know that I know they take care of their own. So yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, he's been a been a part of the team for four years. This is year five. I mean, we definitely would like to see, definitely like to see him contribute and going to be a long season. So yeah, I'm not going to be there until week five, it looks like out for at least the first four weeks, first four weeks. One other receiver who I think is going to be a big impact. It's the tight end, the rookie, Jared Wiley. I think we'll see a lot from him, the TCU tight end, the guy with the vacuum cleaner hands. That's going to be great to see when you're down there at the end zone. That's what Patrick needs. More weapons out here in the field, man, my word, God, wait, yeah, yeah, I picked a friend VP. So I think he's going to get MVP again. Yeah, yeah, it's going to be a great season for him. Well, it's just you and me, we're having weather delays in beautiful Massachusetts, where, so let's get the pickin here. We got the Chiefs opening up the season against the Baltimore Ravens. It's the kickoff game coming up on NBC, Thursday night, Sunday night football on Thursday. How do you feel about this rematch from last year's playoffs, the Chiefs against the Ravens, an AFC Championship game to start your year off, man, and it's going to be a good one. You know, Lamar and the Ravens are going to be hungry after what happened in that championship game. I saw that Lamar put on some weight. He thought he was not big enough last season. He felt like you need to put on some more weight, but he still says he's fast and all that. I say that doesn't matter. You know, however, how fast you are. What you going to do with the ball in the air is going to be the biggest questions that receiver court has been better. They definitely upgraded that part of the room. Interesting to see how Mark Andrews is going to be feeling coming to the season after his incident that he had in offseason with the car crash to see how that plays out. But we're talking to Arrowhead, the first game of the season, everybody's already been talking about for the last two or three weeks, making plans on being there, making plans on the tailgating, better get there early. If you try to tailgate and learn the rules before you go out there. Yeah, I know more walking into the parking lot before they open the gates. No, no, not at all. So I think it's going to be a big game. It's going to come down to which defense is ready. I think, in my opinion, which defense is going to be ready to play Thursday night. And I think the Chiefs are definitely going to be ready. It's a home game. The fans are going to pick them up. I think the Chiefs are in for our first victory of the season. Yeah, I agree. I'm going to pick the Chiefs too, because really last year, minus Travis Kelsey, minus Chris Jones, who will both be there in contributing, the Chiefs beat the Lions. Hederius Tony lost. Hederius Tony out or here. If all Hederius did was, if you just told him, Hey, man, you're playing volleyball, spike the ball when it comes to you. They went, he popped the ball up. He set the ball instead of spike it. If he were to spike the ball, Chiefs went no problem done. Hederius Tony lost the game. The Chiefs were, yes, no more Hederius Tony. He's the Seahawks problem. Chris Jones is playing this game. He would not be in the seat. He would be out to field this game. So yes, yes, yes. I'm looking, I'm thinking 27 20. I can see that. Yeah. I mean, Chris Jones could paraphrase Tony Stark from Civil War. What's going to be different this time? Well, this time, I'll be wearing a different suit instead of a Tom Ford. He'll be in this uniform. He won't be in a suit. I think you were, I think you were hoodie, whatever, he's going to be in the uniform. He's going to be on the field contributing to be in the most dominant defensive lineman in the league, especially since Aaron Donald's gone. Well, let's go ahead and roll into weekly champions and we'll let our friend, LaWera Loca, Taya Valkyrie, bring that to you. Hey, what's up, guys? This is Taya Valkyrie, LaWera Loca, and you are watching wrestling squad lines. Chris, who's your champion of the week? This might be a first, Joe, but I'm going to crown you the champion, man. You actually got to go to London. You got to see AEW all in. You caught the Fulham Leicester City match. You got to do some great things this past week. So you, my friend, are my tip you, man, because you got to live out of the dream that us and others. Very nice. Yeah. Well, in here with that, I'm going to give mine to, I'm going to cross channels here. I'm going to give it to the CEO of a professional wrestling for Sadie's Monet. She has been on, she's going to be on three pay-per-view events in three weeks. AEW all in, new Japan wrestling capital, Collision and AEW all out. I got a chance to ask her a question about the impact she's made as the CEO of AEW in London. Here's what she said, Mercedes, Gerald Bentley with wrestling spotlight. Is your role as the CEO, how much do you feel you've elevated the women's division in AEW? I mean, I definitely helped put women's wrestling on the map top to bottom in every single company that I stepped in. Ever since I've joined AEW, the women's division has just been flourishing to a whole new heights, a whole new level. And I feel like the women here are, I'm sorry, the storylines are just way better than the men. As you saw before, Mariah Mae, our new champion, her versus Tony this whole year has just been so captivating. And watching them really made me choose AEW because of this women's division. Like I've said, many times AEW is the place to be. Why? Because of the women here. So ever since I've been here, it just shows you that money changes everything. And we're going to keep on showing the whole world why we are the best at what we do. Oh, okay. There you go. Mercedes Monet and now money changes everything. And maybe that will come up for our runner up weekly champion. Just because I think it's a great nickname. Hilda, the Brad winner. I love it. The Brad winner everything. She can bring home, bring home the Brad, make the money change everything for the Kansas City is. She got warmed up against North Carolina. So against Utah, it's time to bring home the Brad. I love it. I love it. The CEO of the Brad winner. I love it. Yeah, a couple of good nicknames. And I wanted to reference back too because a couple, I think it was a couple of months ago, asked about, Hey, what's going to be the song of the summer? And finally, it took until just the last two weeks. The wannabe remix Cardi B. Glowrella, Megan, the stallion, reached the number one spot. Wow. Wow. So we called it here a couple of months ago and it finally hit it. You know, that gets plenty of play on how it'll three jails. That is Bob. Yes. That is not like us. A million dollar baby. That's what I'm going to think. Yeah. And I'm sure that's that secondary demographic that we're pulling on the fired up network. The R&B music demo coming over to launch some sports talk on true TV plus the best place to get the fired up network or wrestling spotlight. And you can download that app anywhere you get your apps. It's even on Chromecast now on Roku, on Google, Play and in the Apple App Store. So go ahead and download that so you can check the channels out. And Chris, where can people find you? Oh, find me at having no three jams three to seven, Monday through Thursday, three to six on Friday's. Hopping no three jams is the app. KPRS.com is the website. And of course, playmaker 316 on Instagram and Twitter. If you want to follow me there as well. And hot 103.3. Don't forget to slam the Z on the jam. That's right. That's right. Don't forget it, baby. We'll be back here cranking up as you're going to arrowhead to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Baltimore Ravens. The season kicks off. It's finally here. And we're talking championship round for sporting Kansas City in the US open cup. The Kansas City current cruising to the playoffs, the royals four games up in the playoffs right now. So everything's winning in Kansas City. And we didn't even talk about our college football teams all in the top 25 and all getting dominant wins. There's plenty of stuff to follow. We'll see you here next week on Time out Kansas City. Thanks for joining us here on the firetop.