WEBVTT 00:00:04.750 --> 00:00:10.630 You're listening to Raising Anchor on 990 WBOB. 00:00:18.030 --> 00:00:20.670 Welcome to the Raising Anchor Soccer Show with 00:00:20.670 --> 00:00:23.750 Matt Entrickett and Jason Carey. Your home for 00:00:23.750 --> 00:00:26.370 news, analysis, and everything Rhode Island FC. 00:00:27.210 --> 00:00:29.550 Each week they take you inside the locker room, 00:00:29.890 --> 00:00:32.109 inside the tactics, and inside the storyline 00:00:32.109 --> 00:00:38.170 shaping R -I -F -C. Here's Matt and Jason. Rhode 00:00:38.170 --> 00:00:40.969 Island FC gets set to take on Birmingham Legion 00:00:40.969 --> 00:00:43.869 on the road this weekend. What reinforcements 00:00:43.869 --> 00:00:46.369 are on the way for the Amber and Blue and can 00:00:46.369 --> 00:00:49.229 they extend their win streak to three games for 00:00:49.229 --> 00:00:53.600 the first time ever since 2024 or? Does the team 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:55.979 down in Magic City with Jay Heaps look to repeat 00:00:55.979 --> 00:00:58.840 their earlier success in just one of two wins 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:01.759 on the season against Rhode Island F .C.? We've 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:04.180 got your preview for that match. A lot of news 00:01:04.180 --> 00:01:06.420 around the league to talk about, including secret 00:01:06.420 --> 00:01:09.659 or maybe not so secret entrepreneurs and investors 00:01:09.659 --> 00:01:12.760 inside Rhode Island F .C. now revealed to the 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:14.840 masses. But before we get anywhere in all of 00:01:14.840 --> 00:01:17.480 that, first got to join Jason Carey, co -host 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:19.219 with the most. How are you doing, my friend? 00:01:19.939 --> 00:01:22.519 Excited. There is a lot to talk about tonight. 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:26.239 a lot so so for those that normally expect the 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:28.099 uh 60 minute format throw that out the window 00:01:28.099 --> 00:01:30.159 prepare for two parts part of it on your drive 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:31.920 into work and then the other part on the way 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:34.319 home because there is a lot to talk about and 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:37.459 of course for such a stacked occasion we've got 00:01:37.459 --> 00:01:40.099 to bring the big guns into the show and i can't 00:01:40.099 --> 00:01:43.239 think of anyone better than fresh off of his 00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:46.200 local world cup broadcast coverage your favorite 00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:49.659 rc play -by -play shot caller and self -proclaimed 00:01:49.659 --> 00:01:53.069 steak king enthusiast The one and only Tom Quinlan 00:01:53.069 --> 00:01:55.329 rejoining the show. Tom, how have you been, my 00:01:55.329 --> 00:01:59.489 friend? This has been my favorite week since 00:01:59.489 --> 00:02:02.349 covering Rhode Island FC, since it all started, 00:02:02.629 --> 00:02:05.489 since it all started. This might be up there. 00:02:06.170 --> 00:02:08.870 Well, getting to the US L Cup finals is probably 00:02:08.870 --> 00:02:11.610 the number one week. This is easily number two 00:02:11.610 --> 00:02:14.169 for a myriad of reasons outside of what the BS 00:02:14.169 --> 00:02:16.569 we've had to deal with today that we won. We 00:02:16.569 --> 00:02:20.389 won this one today, boys. We're gonna get into 00:02:20.389 --> 00:02:22.669 so much in this programming, but we do have to 00:02:22.669 --> 00:02:25.110 start with the chaos, with the controversy, as 00:02:25.110 --> 00:02:27.689 Tom just alluded to, or maybe the lack thereof, 00:02:27.750 --> 00:02:29.669 because if you've been following this club for 00:02:29.669 --> 00:02:31.889 long enough, a lot of what's been transpiring 00:02:31.889 --> 00:02:34.930 over the last 24 hours really hasn't been new 00:02:34.930 --> 00:02:37.650 news to the ever faithful, especially the listeners 00:02:37.650 --> 00:02:41.360 of this particular show. And listen, I'm glad 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:43.280 that Rhode Island FC made its way to the top 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:45.539 of the sports news cycle in the last 24 hours. 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:48.080 Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with the 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:50.460 performances on the pitch. So let's get right 00:02:50.460 --> 00:02:52.139 into this. And for those that haven't been living 00:02:52.139 --> 00:02:54.560 under a rock, Jason, what's the gist of what's 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:56.259 been happening in these last 24 hours? Yeah, 00:02:56.419 --> 00:03:00.680 so the TLDR here, NBA superstar and Clippers 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:03.460 small forward Kawhi Leonard has been identified 00:03:03.460 --> 00:03:06.199 as a previously undisclosed minority investor 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:08.680 in Rhode Island FC in Centerville Bank Stadium. 00:03:08.969 --> 00:03:11.930 Based on reporting from Pablo Torres Finds Out 00:03:11.930 --> 00:03:15.750 Podcast and additional stories provided by WPRI 00:03:15.750 --> 00:03:18.909 12, the reporting frames the narrative that Rhode 00:03:18.909 --> 00:03:22.689 Island FC investment did not emerge in isolation, 00:03:22.870 --> 00:03:25.210 but emerged as part of an already existing NBA 00:03:25.210 --> 00:03:28.590 investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented 00:03:28.590 --> 00:03:32.330 the salary cap. The report further infers that 00:03:32.330 --> 00:03:34.789 state officials, specifically Governor Dan McKee, 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:37.500 may have had some direct knowledge or involvement 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:40.379 in the ownership and potential money laundering. 00:03:40.979 --> 00:03:43.219 I guess Kawhi Leonard is our Secret Santa this 00:03:43.219 --> 00:03:48.159 year. Or was it the white Yankee gifts, the secret 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:51.000 swaps? Listen, Tom, we brought you on specifically 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:53.199 because if there's someone better when it comes 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:56.199 to bridging the gap between Rhode Island FC and 00:03:56.199 --> 00:03:58.680 all things politics in Rhode Island, it has to 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:01.990 be you. So make this make sense for the uninitiated 00:04:01.990 --> 00:04:04.590 and why the hell are we sitting here tonight 00:04:04.590 --> 00:04:08.129 talking about an NBA small forward that is on 00:04:08.129 --> 00:04:11.530 the other side of the country? Yeah, so here's 00:04:11.530 --> 00:04:13.729 the way I look at this. I think the simplest 00:04:13.729 --> 00:04:17.509 way to boil this story down is that Brett Johnson 00:04:17.509 --> 00:04:22.569 has a lot of connections and Brett Johnson has 00:04:22.569 --> 00:04:27.930 worked his rear end off to bring in, I'll keep 00:04:27.930 --> 00:04:33.790 it clean for you guys, to bring in as many investors 00:04:33.790 --> 00:04:36.550 from as many corners of the country as possible 00:04:36.550 --> 00:04:41.189 to make this work, to make Rhode Island FC a 00:04:41.189 --> 00:04:44.449 successful franchise, not for the short term, 00:04:44.709 --> 00:04:48.730 but the long term. And from what I've gathered, 00:04:49.009 --> 00:04:55.860 and I think the key things here is that As Jason 00:04:55.860 --> 00:05:00.800 brought up before, reporting for Pablo Torre 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:05.480 was made to make it seem like this Kawhi Leonard 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:09.000 deal is tied up in the NBA investigation into 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:11.360 how maybe the Clippers circumvented the salary 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:16.500 cap. The little small fine print and the devil's 00:05:16.500 --> 00:05:21.220 always in the details, the investment came pre... 00:05:21.480 --> 00:05:25.620 Whatever Kawhi Leonard got involved in with Steve 00:05:25.620 --> 00:05:29.000 Ballmer and this aspiration thing this Tom Tom 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.379 it was only eight days So when there's only eight 00:05:31.379 --> 00:05:33.800 days between two deals clearly there has to be 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:35.839 an established link everything has to be connected 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:38.220 in this world There's only six degrees of separation 00:05:38.220 --> 00:05:41.279 from Kevin Bacon Well, and this is where I appreciate 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:43.779 having an owner. And granted, let me just get 00:05:43.779 --> 00:05:45.699 this out there right now. I am the play by play 00:05:45.699 --> 00:05:48.160 announcer for Rhode Island FC. So technically 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:50.060 I do get paid by the club. So you're not going 00:05:50.060 --> 00:05:52.360 to get me on here tonight to bash the club, which 00:05:52.360 --> 00:05:55.259 by the way, if I felt like there was something 00:05:55.259 --> 00:05:59.160 that could force me to have to be objective, 00:05:59.319 --> 00:06:01.480 I wouldn't be on here. I don't think there's 00:06:01.480 --> 00:06:04.160 any there there here. And Brett Johnson has been 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:08.139 very transparent about his connections to Kawhi 00:06:08.139 --> 00:06:11.240 Leonard and his uncle, which I think is being 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:14.660 lost in the sauce here in this entire story that's 00:06:14.660 --> 00:06:19.019 being curated by PRI and Pablotori reports. So 00:06:19.019 --> 00:06:25.259 this deal, whatever Brett Johnson's coordination 00:06:25.259 --> 00:06:27.939 is with Kawhi Leonard to get him to be an investor 00:06:27.939 --> 00:06:31.899 here with Rhode Island FC is completely separate. 00:06:32.060 --> 00:06:34.819 of Steve Ballmer, the Los Angeles Clippers. This 00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:36.959 is a personal relationship that Brett Johnson 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:40.620 has with Kawhi Leonard's uncle, who is also his 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:44.759 agent, and Kawhi himself. So this feels like 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:47.860 this has, and this is coming out of Kawhi's money. 00:06:47.939 --> 00:06:51.300 This isn't about giving Kawhi money to get him 00:06:51.300 --> 00:06:53.819 onto a board somewhere. It's, no, no, no, no, 00:06:53.819 --> 00:06:56.759 no, no. Kawhi invested into Rhode Island FC. 00:06:57.290 --> 00:07:00.029 used however much money he has in the bank to 00:07:00.029 --> 00:07:01.910 be, and now we don't know how much money it is. 00:07:01.930 --> 00:07:04.209 And to be honest, I had no idea Kauai Linder 00:07:04.209 --> 00:07:06.149 was an investor. I never really dug into it. 00:07:06.149 --> 00:07:08.029 I didn't care about the investors. You know why? 00:07:08.209 --> 00:07:10.769 The thing got done. And all I cared about was 00:07:10.769 --> 00:07:13.069 just moving forward and moving forward and making 00:07:13.069 --> 00:07:17.509 this thing successful for the future. For me 00:07:17.509 --> 00:07:19.829 and my role with this team, it doesn't matter 00:07:19.829 --> 00:07:22.410 who the investors are. Now I'll get into the 00:07:22.410 --> 00:07:25.069 investor part of it and why maybe this story 00:07:25.069 --> 00:07:28.620 matters in a minute, but Long story short, Kawhi 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:31.000 Leonard is one of the secret investors in Rhode 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:34.180 Island F .C. with Brett Johnson and making this 00:07:34.180 --> 00:07:40.139 thing work long term. And that's about it, in 00:07:40.139 --> 00:07:43.620 my opinion. There's nothing else there. So I 00:07:43.620 --> 00:07:46.040 want to talk about the investment. We can get 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:48.439 to that and that's separate. But on the surface, 00:07:48.540 --> 00:07:50.620 with Kawhi Leonard being an investor, there is 00:07:50.620 --> 00:07:53.439 nothing more there than Brett Johnson has a relationship 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:56.420 with the family. The uncle was able to talk to 00:07:56.420 --> 00:07:58.240 Kawhi, and they were able to convince him, hey, 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:00.060 you want to get in on this thing. And you know 00:08:00.060 --> 00:08:02.339 what? You don't even need to have your name out 00:08:02.339 --> 00:08:04.480 there. It's going to be good long term because 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:06.899 it's not just a stadium, but there's also affordable 00:08:06.899 --> 00:08:09.139 housing involved in this as well. And this will 00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:12.639 come back being a good thing for you. I appreciate 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:16.199 that Tom called this a nothing there there situation. 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:19.420 We need to get a there there sponsorship from 00:08:19.420 --> 00:08:23.000 that burger place and put this in. The Kauai 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:25.879 Leonard nothing burger? Why not, right? They're 00:08:25.879 --> 00:08:27.860 there free marketing, Brett Johnson make it happen. 00:08:28.259 --> 00:08:30.120 We're going to talk about the investment stuff 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:31.600 in a little bit because I have some firsthand 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:35.100 knowledge, both having conversations with the 00:08:35.100 --> 00:08:37.740 club today and then also just previous experiences 00:08:37.740 --> 00:08:40.600 in the past with Brett Johnson back in Los Angeles. 00:08:40.940 --> 00:08:43.059 But before we go there, want to just also quickly 00:08:43.059 --> 00:08:45.200 run down the facts because what I don't want 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:47.059 is as we we're going to move around a lot tonight, 00:08:47.139 --> 00:08:48.980 I have a feeling. So I just want to I want to 00:08:48.980 --> 00:08:51.820 establish a baseline of what we know. and dispel 00:08:51.820 --> 00:08:54.259 some of the notions that have been wildly, and 00:08:54.259 --> 00:08:56.740 I mean wildly tossed out there, some true Pepe 00:08:56.740 --> 00:08:59.639 Silva kind of conspiracy theories, and we'll 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:01.740 go from there. So one, to Tom's point, we know 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:03.399 that Kawhi Leonard invested in the club. We'll 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:06.200 talk about the amount that he invested and the 00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:08.220 relationship of that investment in a bit. We 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:10.379 know that Governor Dan McKee went to a Clippers 00:09:10.379 --> 00:09:13.419 game with Brett Johnson back in October of 2025. 00:09:14.380 --> 00:09:17.539 where this whole thing skews for me is the A 00:09:17.539 --> 00:09:20.840 to Z between connecting those dots and Establishing 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:23.620 it against the other things going on with Kwai 00:09:23.620 --> 00:09:25.940 Leonard with the Clippers organization and the 00:09:25.940 --> 00:09:28.980 pending NBA investigation around potential salary 00:09:28.980 --> 00:09:32.159 cap navigation For me the whole thing that we're 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:33.860 gonna try to talk about tonight and you know 00:09:33.860 --> 00:09:35.500 the chat if there's something that you guys want 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:37.740 asked Throw it in there, but the real questions 00:09:37.740 --> 00:09:41.399 here are based on Pablo Torres reporting based 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:47.190 on WPRIs reporting Is there an effort to somehow 00:09:47.190 --> 00:09:50.929 convince or infer to listeners and to viewers 00:09:50.929 --> 00:09:54.710 and to their audiences that Steve Ballmer and 00:09:54.710 --> 00:09:57.669 Brett Johnson are somehow in cahoots to help 00:09:57.669 --> 00:10:00.830 navigate this salary cap dilemma because of the 00:10:00.830 --> 00:10:03.470 previous fallouts with their aspiration deal 00:10:03.470 --> 00:10:05.009 and all the things that are surrounding that 00:10:05.009 --> 00:10:07.669 within the Clippers organization in an effort 00:10:07.669 --> 00:10:11.690 to continue to compensate Leonard? Or is it something 00:10:11.690 --> 00:10:14.210 else? which inferred the other part of it being 00:10:14.210 --> 00:10:17.789 Governor McKee's inclusion in this because he 00:10:17.789 --> 00:10:20.269 either wrong time, wrong place, or it's just 00:10:20.269 --> 00:10:23.289 an actual coincidence, went to a basketball game 00:10:23.289 --> 00:10:25.370 and then invited Brett Johnson to that game. 00:10:25.529 --> 00:10:28.350 But because he bought his tickets through a Spanish 00:10:28.350 --> 00:10:32.090 marketing agency known as 380 AMK, which has 00:10:32.090 --> 00:10:35.389 direct ties to Visit Rwanda, the Clippers' next 00:10:35.389 --> 00:10:38.230 jersey sponsor, that somehow this is all Illuminati 00:10:38.230 --> 00:10:41.090 -confirmed triangles. And before we go any further, 00:10:41.419 --> 00:10:44.080 I wanna, we were told multiple times today, Tom, 00:10:44.179 --> 00:10:46.600 don't bring this up. Don't give this any flowers. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:48.980 Don't give this any attention. But the idea that 00:10:48.980 --> 00:10:52.559 people are, there's so many far -fetched conspiracy 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:54.899 theories out there. There were people online 00:10:54.899 --> 00:10:57.899 today insinuating that Rhode Island of Sea was 00:10:57.899 --> 00:11:00.440 a part of a complex bribe scandal by the Visit 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:04.399 Rwanda Tourist Foundation to bribe Georgia Quizera 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:08.269 into playing for Rwanda. so that they could qualify 00:11:08.269 --> 00:11:10.950 for the 2026 World Cup. However, and Jason, I 00:11:10.950 --> 00:11:12.230 see your confusion because I know you don't know 00:11:12.230 --> 00:11:14.470 about this yet. They're saying they're saying 00:11:14.470 --> 00:11:17.610 we want to visit Rwanda, bribe Joe Jaya in October 00:11:17.610 --> 00:11:20.990 of 2025 to play for the Rwandan national team 00:11:20.990 --> 00:11:23.429 when he'd already been playing with the Rwandan 00:11:23.429 --> 00:11:26.250 national team since 2024. Like you ever need 00:11:26.250 --> 00:11:28.289 to bribe any player to represent their home country. 00:11:28.289 --> 00:11:30.850 Yeah. Who needs to be bribed to represent like 00:11:30.850 --> 00:11:33.009 that's such a huge honor for a soccer player 00:11:33.009 --> 00:11:36.370 like you. I'm just telling you, this is the depths 00:11:36.370 --> 00:11:38.909 we are going to go into on tonight's show about 00:11:38.909 --> 00:11:42.409 the craziness and just the sheer ludicrousness 00:11:42.409 --> 00:11:45.149 of what's happened here. So Tom, I wanted to 00:11:45.149 --> 00:11:46.549 put those facts in because I want to make sure 00:11:46.549 --> 00:11:48.909 in case we want to maneuver around that. Where 00:11:48.909 --> 00:11:51.210 do you want to pick up on this? Do you want to 00:11:51.210 --> 00:11:56.289 start with the actual Kawhi Leonard investment 00:11:56.289 --> 00:11:58.610 piece? Do you want to go? OK, let's start there. 00:11:58.629 --> 00:12:02.110 So what we do know is that we've learned that 00:12:02.110 --> 00:12:06.440 it was a very small investment in comparison 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:08.720 to some of the municipal owners and some of the 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.220 very large ownership stakes that have been put 00:12:11.220 --> 00:12:13.440 into Rhode Island FC, we know that Kawhi Leonard 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:15.600 does not have a major stake in Rhode Island FC. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.360 And then we also know that whatever that number 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:22.580 is, that it is $12. It is infinitesimal to the 00:12:22.580 --> 00:12:25.580 fact that Kawhi Leonard has over $300 million 00:12:25.580 --> 00:12:28.200 in assets that he can play around with however 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:31.019 he sees fit. Like even if he invested a million 00:12:31.019 --> 00:12:32.779 dollars into the club, and I am not saying that's 00:12:32.779 --> 00:12:35.559 what he did, But even if he had, that is still 00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:38.320 less than 1 % of his total net worth invested 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:40.440 into a club. And when you start talking about 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:42.740 all this money to navigate salary cap, which 00:12:42.740 --> 00:12:44.279 was like something to the tune of $10 million, 00:12:44.700 --> 00:12:46.840 and you had to start three -card monting and 00:12:46.840 --> 00:12:48.960 shuffling it across multiple companies, multiple 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:52.320 business ventures, the idea that we parked this 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:55.080 substantial investment, this substantial windfall 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:58.620 in roster salary cap relief into Rhode Island 00:12:58.620 --> 00:13:01.759 of Sea, it's ludicrous. It's insane that that's 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:03.200 even a notion that we have to start talking about. 00:13:03.660 --> 00:13:07.159 Yeah, so it's a great place to start is yesterday, 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:11.940 right? Yesterday, we get the real big bombshell. 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:14.100 I mean, it is a bombshell. Kawhi Leonard is a 00:13:14.100 --> 00:13:16.360 secret investor in Rhode Island SC. That, in 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:19.460 itself, is big news. And I think it's great news. 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:22.120 I don't see, and you're hearing about it, you 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:24.200 hear Kawhi Leonard, you hear Pablo Torre involved, 00:13:24.340 --> 00:13:26.320 you go, my first initial thought when I saw this 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:28.659 at 4 a .m. this morning was, oh my God, what's 00:13:28.659 --> 00:13:31.840 going on here? Then, as I read deeper into it, 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:35.980 I'm going, Wait, what is going on here? Because 00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:41.100 what I took away from it was there was nothing 00:13:41.100 --> 00:13:46.159 here outside of the fact that Kawhi Leonard has 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:48.840 some type of, and his family has some type of 00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:51.500 relationship with Brett Johnson. And Brett Johnson, 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:58.059 who in 2022, 2022, 2023 was making a heavy push 00:13:58.059 --> 00:14:01.440 to find as many investors as possible. to be 00:14:01.440 --> 00:14:04.419 able to make this thing work, was able to tap 00:14:04.419 --> 00:14:07.240 into his network outside of Rhode Island, outside 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:10.340 of the soccer world, and into his California 00:14:10.340 --> 00:14:14.039 connections to make this possible. And Kawhi 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:17.120 Leonard, I don't even remember when he got, when 00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:20.080 he signed with the Clippers, and that's irrelevant, 00:14:20.340 --> 00:14:25.080 sort of, in my opinion. But he was able to... 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:28.799 find a pathway to get him to put some money into 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:35.879 this thing. Then it becomes an issue because 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:40.220 Pablo Torre has a stick up his butt for Kawhi 00:14:40.220 --> 00:14:47.570 Leonard, 2019. Thank you, Nate. For the last 00:14:47.570 --> 00:14:50.629 year, you know, Poppletory's been working on 00:14:50.629 --> 00:14:53.309 this story with how maybe possibly Steve Ballmer 00:14:53.309 --> 00:14:55.470 and the Clippers are circumventing the MBA salary 00:14:55.470 --> 00:14:57.389 cap and trying to find different ways to pay 00:14:57.389 --> 00:15:02.610 off Kawhi Leonard. It seemed like, okay, how 00:15:02.610 --> 00:15:06.169 are we tied into this? And then you find out, 00:15:06.509 --> 00:15:09.610 okay. Maybe it's just Kawhi Leonard's a secret 00:15:09.610 --> 00:15:12.129 investor. He was convinced to join this thing 00:15:12.129 --> 00:15:15.669 with Rhode Island FC. And that's about it. If 00:15:15.669 --> 00:15:17.370 you know anything about Kawhi Leonard, in my 00:15:17.370 --> 00:15:19.750 opinion, you know, I was, I heard Eli Sherman 00:15:19.750 --> 00:15:22.590 on, uh, with Tara Granahan on WPRO today talking 00:15:22.590 --> 00:15:25.169 about how there's a lot of celebrity owners in, 00:15:25.169 --> 00:15:27.590 in USL championship who, you know, have no problem 00:15:27.590 --> 00:15:29.710 putting their name out there. If you follow sports, 00:15:29.870 --> 00:15:31.230 what's the one thing you know about Kawhi Leonard? 00:15:31.809 --> 00:15:37.190 He's a private. Quiet. Reserved guy that doesn't 00:15:37.190 --> 00:15:40.049 let anybody into his personal life and that's 00:15:40.049 --> 00:15:44.070 his choice and his choice and his Probably demand 00:15:44.070 --> 00:15:45.929 to Brett Johnson was listen. I'll give you money 00:15:45.929 --> 00:15:48.129 to help you, you know push forward this thing 00:15:48.129 --> 00:15:49.990 I like the idea of what you're doing with the 00:15:49.990 --> 00:15:51.490 stadium. I like the idea of what you're doing 00:15:51.490 --> 00:15:55.289 with affordable housing to revitalize a ethnic 00:15:55.289 --> 00:16:00.289 community In in a state in this country keep 00:16:00.289 --> 00:16:02.940 me out of it, but here's the money for it That's 00:16:02.940 --> 00:16:05.419 really at the end of the day of what we've learned 00:16:05.419 --> 00:16:08.580 today before we got to you know, the new reporting 00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:11.940 from WPRI tonight That's the conclusion and really 00:16:11.940 --> 00:16:15.759 that's the full story in my opinion But is that 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:18.860 a story because like I've had conversations So 00:16:18.860 --> 00:16:20.860 it's a story from the standpoint not to cut you 00:16:20.860 --> 00:16:23.720 off, but it's a story from the standpoint of 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:26.340 and I was talking to somebody that I worked with 00:16:26.340 --> 00:16:31.100 about this earlier and they said that it's a 00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:34.110 story because of the public money that's involved 00:16:34.110 --> 00:16:37.990 no matter if it's a private company or not the 00:16:37.990 --> 00:16:43.129 public should be aware of who their money is 00:16:43.129 --> 00:16:46.750 being used by but that's the thing the money 00:16:46.750 --> 00:16:49.669 that was used for the infrastructure has already 00:16:49.669 --> 00:16:52.470 been spent whether or not that's additionally 00:16:52.470 --> 00:16:55.690 been Sidelined or attributed to these additional 00:16:55.690 --> 00:16:57.909 investors or if the capital that they raised 00:16:57.909 --> 00:17:00.370 from that group is being spent towards operational 00:17:00.370 --> 00:17:03.610 costs There's no point in this where like there 00:17:03.610 --> 00:17:05.809 was something that's been held back in reserve 00:17:05.809 --> 00:17:08.170 to be committed to Kawhi Leonard that should 00:17:08.170 --> 00:17:10.769 something go south Kawhi Leonard has an exit 00:17:10.769 --> 00:17:13.410 strategy has a golden parachute to leave Rhode 00:17:13.410 --> 00:17:16.089 Island FC as an investment before anybody else 00:17:16.089 --> 00:17:19.349 and even if that does matter it doesn't at the 00:17:19.349 --> 00:17:22.130 end of the day because No club that works as 00:17:22.130 --> 00:17:24.970 a for -profit organization is, one, required 00:17:24.970 --> 00:17:27.609 to list their investments or their investors 00:17:27.609 --> 00:17:31.089 or their board. And two, it's none of our business 00:17:31.089 --> 00:17:33.829 because it's not. Tom, if you were investing... 00:17:33.829 --> 00:17:36.930 I agree with all that fully. I guess what I'm 00:17:36.930 --> 00:17:40.130 trying to say is that from the new standpoint 00:17:40.130 --> 00:17:44.410 is that, and this is not applicable to Brett 00:17:44.410 --> 00:17:46.910 Johnson, Rhode Island FC, Fortuitous Partners, 00:17:47.109 --> 00:17:50.089 Tidewater Landing Group. It's the fact that If 00:17:50.089 --> 00:17:52.809 you're dealing with people who are giving you 00:17:52.809 --> 00:17:56.390 money, the public should know, okay, John Gotti 00:17:56.390 --> 00:17:59.390 is not an investor. Al Capone is not an investor. 00:18:00.769 --> 00:18:04.250 I agree. If this was an ethically compromised 00:18:04.250 --> 00:18:07.769 investor, we should know about it. Correct. What's 00:18:07.769 --> 00:18:10.529 wrong with Kawhi Leonard? That he only got 27 00:18:10.529 --> 00:18:12.970 points on average per game last season, and that's 00:18:12.970 --> 00:18:14.789 just not good. What are we doing here? What are 00:18:14.789 --> 00:18:17.049 we doing here? You're going to get people, and 00:18:17.049 --> 00:18:19.859 I've seen it already from the news angle, Well, 00:18:19.980 --> 00:18:22.140 Quietliner's got $300 million. Why did you need 00:18:22.140 --> 00:18:26.640 public money to go build the stadium? And that's 00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:29.640 a straw man's argument, in my opinion. I love 00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:31.960 this comment from Bob Donald in the chat. What 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:34.480 a scandal. A man who values privacy over attention 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:37.400 and self -promotion contributes to the construction 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:40.180 of a magnificent new stadium in Pawtucket. That's 00:18:40.180 --> 00:18:43.180 the real story. And we will talk about the spin 00:18:43.180 --> 00:18:46.559 on this in a bit. But Jason, I want to ask you, 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:49.710 what is it our business that a player a celebrity 00:18:49.710 --> 00:18:52.710 has to invest in sure we've heard that celebrities 00:18:52.710 --> 00:18:55.309 in the past have announce their ownership of 00:18:55.309 --> 00:18:57.789 things, it happens all the time. Why is it such 00:18:57.789 --> 00:19:00.490 a controversy suddenly when one celebrity chooses 00:19:00.490 --> 00:19:02.230 not to? I wouldn't be surprised if there's three 00:19:02.230 --> 00:19:04.630 more celebrities on Brett Johnson's roster who 00:19:04.630 --> 00:19:06.650 have invested in this club. We joke all the time 00:19:06.650 --> 00:19:09.289 about Ed Sheeran and his Ipswich Town connection 00:19:09.289 --> 00:19:11.470 because of that ownership group. I wouldn't be 00:19:11.470 --> 00:19:13.390 surprised if Ed Sheeran said, hey, here's $60 00:19:13.390 --> 00:19:15.809 ,000. Have a good laugh, Americans. I hope you 00:19:15.809 --> 00:19:17.529 do well in the soccer thing you got going on 00:19:17.529 --> 00:19:20.750 over there. Why is this a big deal? I think it 00:19:20.750 --> 00:19:24.150 has to, it's more of a news story from the NBA 00:19:24.150 --> 00:19:27.130 perspective because Kawhi Leonard has the investigation 00:19:27.130 --> 00:19:29.809 into him, right? They're coming out from that 00:19:29.809 --> 00:19:33.250 angle and then they're dragging RAFC along with 00:19:33.250 --> 00:19:35.910 them. Okay, but Rhode Island of Sea hasn't been 00:19:35.910 --> 00:19:38.630 narrative spoke speaking wise. They haven't been 00:19:38.630 --> 00:19:41.069 projected as the victim. They've been projected 00:19:41.069 --> 00:19:43.809 here as an accomplice. So then why is that happening? 00:19:43.890 --> 00:19:46.210 That's the thing is that they're drawing conclusions. 00:19:46.309 --> 00:19:48.890 They're saying, well, this guy is under investigation. 00:19:49.109 --> 00:19:53.950 So any and all investments that he did are involved. 00:19:54.349 --> 00:19:56.470 And so part of it has to do with the timing. 00:19:56.990 --> 00:20:00.049 So according to reporting, LLCs with names tied 00:20:00.049 --> 00:20:02.769 to Rhode Island FC were formed around the time 00:20:02.769 --> 00:20:05.269 of Leonard's contract negotiations. Coincidence. 00:20:06.390 --> 00:20:10.529 So they're using that to say that whether or 00:20:10.529 --> 00:20:12.829 not this is... I mean, they're making ties here 00:20:12.829 --> 00:20:15.019 because it could be a coincidence. or there could 00:20:15.019 --> 00:20:17.140 be some connection. But what happened to doing 00:20:17.140 --> 00:20:19.960 investigations completely and getting everything 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:22.519 you needed before you reported on a story? This 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:25.900 feels so incomplete. So the problem is, where 00:20:25.900 --> 00:20:29.119 is the smoking gun? Right? Somehow, you know 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:32.259 what, I can't say it on my radio show is, you 00:20:32.259 --> 00:20:34.859 know, is is like you joke about early is Steve 00:20:34.859 --> 00:20:37.980 bomber and an invested partner. And he somehow 00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:40.559 gave a part of the ownership of this club to. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:43.740 Real fast, real fast. That was alluded to and 00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:46.059 heavily implied like that was the second shoe 00:20:46.059 --> 00:20:47.500 to drop today was that we were going to learn 00:20:47.500 --> 00:20:49.500 that Steve Ballmer was the angel investor and 00:20:49.500 --> 00:20:51.700 the guardian that got the funding across the 00:20:51.700 --> 00:20:53.299 finish line. Tom, I want to jump back to you 00:20:53.299 --> 00:20:55.619 because you had a really good and insightful 00:20:55.619 --> 00:20:58.940 why not about that. It didn't come to pan out 00:20:58.940 --> 00:21:01.700 to be true, but like also that would have been 00:21:01.700 --> 00:21:03.200 a lot of fun to know the 10th richest man in 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:04.900 the world was like saying, hey, I want to invest 00:21:04.900 --> 00:21:06.849 in the state of Rhode Island. Not only is it 00:21:06.849 --> 00:21:08.490 the 10th richest man wanting to invest in the 00:21:08.490 --> 00:21:10.910 state of Rhode Island, Brett Johnson has connections 00:21:10.910 --> 00:21:13.210 so far up he can go to Steve Ballmer and say, 00:21:13.390 --> 00:21:15.529 hey, I have something that's really good. That's 00:21:15.529 --> 00:21:18.369 just not a stadium, but something that's revitalizing 00:21:18.369 --> 00:21:21.589 the community and helping people in a time where 00:21:21.589 --> 00:21:25.009 housing is hard to come by in an affordability 00:21:25.009 --> 00:21:28.170 standpoint. And your investment could give people. 00:21:28.619 --> 00:21:32.700 a chance for a decent living. Um, obviously that 00:21:32.700 --> 00:21:34.980 didn't come to pass. Does Brett Johnson know 00:21:34.980 --> 00:21:37.839 Steve Ballmer? We don't know because the reporting 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:42.099 that a little bit, but even so, the fact that 00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:44.420 there's no connection to Steve Ballmer and Brett 00:21:44.420 --> 00:21:47.220 Johnson in this story should tell you right away. 00:21:47.460 --> 00:21:50.980 This has nothing to do with what's going on with 00:21:50.980 --> 00:21:54.759 Kawhi Leonard. and Steve Ballmer and the Clippers 00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:57.500 and the NBA investigation right now. The fact 00:21:57.500 --> 00:21:59.579 that that connection, in my opinion, has not 00:21:59.579 --> 00:22:03.799 been made in the last 24 hours here, says to 00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:11.039 me, this is nothing to do with what's going on 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:15.460 separately in the NBA. This is just Brett has 00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:18.880 California connections in the sports world that 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:22.359 are... connected to Kawhi Leonard. And by the 00:22:22.359 --> 00:22:25.880 way, probably don't have anything to do with 00:22:25.880 --> 00:22:28.720 the Clippers, Steve Ballmer. And it goes back 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:31.759 to who Brett knows up in Canada, which we'll 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:35.740 get to in a minute. I think this is also funny 00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:38.859 from not to disparage something that I love and 00:22:38.859 --> 00:22:41.460 spend a lot of time invested in, but the idea 00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:45.460 that salary cap was circumvented by giving a 00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:48.440 player who was asking for ownership groups of 00:22:49.339 --> 00:22:53.019 million dollar billion dollar like machines like 00:22:53.019 --> 00:22:55.900 NBA teams. Well, here's a we've got this division 00:22:55.900 --> 00:23:01.220 division two soccer team. So I agree with that. 00:23:01.220 --> 00:23:02.859 And that's why the money and the numbers don't 00:23:02.859 --> 00:23:05.940 add up. And I feel like if if Pablo Torre had 00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:08.420 asked us had asked Tom Quinlan about something 00:23:08.420 --> 00:23:11.099 other than Eli Sherman's take on this, you'd 00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:12.319 find out some things because I would have been 00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:14.539 very forthcoming. And just to go back to the 00:23:14.539 --> 00:23:17.019 Balmer Johnson connection. And I don't know this. 00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:21.039 I'm making a very educated guess here. But Brett 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:23.599 Johnson was at one point the CEO of Targus, which 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:26.480 supplies computer, third, like computer third 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:29.480 party parts, equipment, accessories. Steve Bummer 00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:31.660 at one point was the head of Microsoft. So at 00:23:31.660 --> 00:23:33.619 some point from a tech space, they probably shook 00:23:33.619 --> 00:23:35.440 hands at a convention. And that could have been 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:38.500 the start of a blossoming crime fraudulent family 00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:39.799 where they were going to do all these terrible 00:23:39.799 --> 00:23:42.440 things 20 to 30 years later. But even if that 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:46.779 wasn't, it's just so crazy to Jason's point to 00:23:46.779 --> 00:23:50.099 think that this is how we move money around in 00:23:50.099 --> 00:23:52.839 today's world as we invest in division two soccer 00:23:52.839 --> 00:23:56.900 teams as a way to skirt or circumnavigate NBA 00:23:56.900 --> 00:23:59.880 cap salaries. The important thing here is that 00:23:59.880 --> 00:24:02.299 Bomber is not connected to this thing. That's 00:24:02.299 --> 00:24:05.940 why that's got to be highlighted more here. What 00:24:05.940 --> 00:24:09.519 we found out tonight says to me, this goes back 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:12.319 to whoever Brett knows in Canada, not who Brett 00:24:12.319 --> 00:24:15.299 knows in Los Angeles, not who Brett knows in 00:24:15.299 --> 00:24:18.619 California, but it goes back to the investment 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:24.859 groups or group or person in Canada who possibly 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:28.339 made this connection with Brett and Kawhi Leonard 00:24:28.339 --> 00:24:31.680 and his uncle and everything. Steve Ballmer is 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:34.940 completely irrelevant in this conversation. When 00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:38.500 we're talking about, um, how Kauai Len, in my 00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:41.160 opinion, how Kauai Leonard became an investor 00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:44.160 with Rhode Island FC. There is nothing that I've 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:46.059 seen, and I haven't listened to the whole Poblatory 00:24:46.059 --> 00:24:49.619 episode. I've watched both, uh, WPRI pieces in 00:24:49.619 --> 00:24:52.339 fall. Um, I just know all of it. There's, there's 00:24:52.339 --> 00:24:54.619 nothing there. There's nothing there with that. 00:24:54.779 --> 00:24:58.579 So to me, what that says is, okay. Take Ballmer 00:24:58.579 --> 00:25:04.140 out of it, take the MBA out of it, take the tree 00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:06.420 planting group out of it, take the investigation 00:25:06.420 --> 00:25:08.839 that Pavel Torey was initially doing in the Kawhi 00:25:08.839 --> 00:25:11.160 Leonard out of it. This is completely separate 00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:14.980 of all of that. And that needs to be said first 00:25:14.980 --> 00:25:18.859 and foremost because that's... That's the key 00:25:18.859 --> 00:25:23.259 here that I think was left out in Pablo's reporting 00:25:23.259 --> 00:25:26.059 and in WPRI's reporting. I think that's important 00:25:26.059 --> 00:25:31.259 because this should absolve any nefarious dealings 00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:34.220 that people may think have gone on here with 00:25:34.220 --> 00:25:37.240 Rhode Island FC and Kawhi Leonard. But when you 00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:40.019 think about the secret Canadian relationship, 00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:42.660 and surprise everyone, it's not Ryan Reynolds 00:25:42.660 --> 00:25:45.279 trying to own more soccer outside of his native 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:48.720 country. It's this double part got you again 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:52.900 of WPI reporting secondarily to like put the 00:25:52.900 --> 00:25:55.640 nail in the coffin that Canadian hedge fund manager 00:25:55.640 --> 00:25:58.119 Whitney George helps guarantee the funding with 00:25:58.119 --> 00:26:01.599 a substantial stake inside RFC to get the stadium 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:04.059 across the finish line. I go and read this and 00:26:04.059 --> 00:26:06.460 I'm expecting this scandal. I'm expecting this 00:26:06.460 --> 00:26:10.299 controversy. A hedge fund guy with a 40 billion 00:26:10.299 --> 00:26:12.930 dollar portfolio. invested to make sure that 00:26:12.930 --> 00:26:14.670 Rhode Island had a professional soccer team. 00:26:15.109 --> 00:26:17.390 Where's the got you? Where again, to Jason's 00:26:17.390 --> 00:26:19.289 question, where's the smoking gun in that time? 00:26:19.410 --> 00:26:21.190 Because it sounds like he's diversifying his 00:26:21.190 --> 00:26:24.849 portfolio to me. Exactly. And granted, Rhode 00:26:24.849 --> 00:26:26.910 Island FC has got to pay off this stadium. You 00:26:26.910 --> 00:26:28.450 know, there's a lot there when it comes back 00:26:28.450 --> 00:26:30.470 to paying off the bonds and everything and buy 00:26:30.470 --> 00:26:32.569 all accounts, by the way, this thing is going 00:26:32.569 --> 00:26:35.089 to get paid off because people are attending 00:26:35.089 --> 00:26:37.569 the games. Rhode Island FC is making money on 00:26:37.569 --> 00:26:39.430 the merchandise. I don't have the official numbers 00:26:39.430 --> 00:26:42.069 in front of me, but if they were in the red, 00:26:42.549 --> 00:26:44.589 you would see more signs of that and you would 00:26:44.589 --> 00:26:46.869 have heard more signs of that tonight. All you 00:26:46.869 --> 00:26:50.000 heard is that what Rhode Island FC has left to 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:52.200 pay off on the stadium to pay back the bonds 00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:54.660 and the loans that they were given to be able 00:26:54.660 --> 00:26:56.920 to get this thing done. Yeah, are there some 00:26:56.920 --> 00:26:58.539 things that, you know, financially that we don't 00:26:58.539 --> 00:27:00.720 know about that you can be critical of? Sure. 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:04.059 Do I know about them? No. But what I can say 00:27:04.059 --> 00:27:06.119 is if it was a bigger issue, it would be more 00:27:06.119 --> 00:27:08.559 in the front pages, considering also that we're 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:11.700 in an election season. And Helena Foulkes, who's 00:27:11.700 --> 00:27:13.880 running against Governor Dan McKee in the Democratic 00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:16.079 gubernatorial primary, is looking for every little 00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:19.349 edge that she can get. If she had something on 00:27:19.349 --> 00:27:23.630 how this Rhode Island FC thing is failing, she 00:27:23.630 --> 00:27:26.089 would go with it. But guess what? There's nothing 00:27:26.089 --> 00:27:29.190 there. And to this story, this is more of a Governor 00:27:29.190 --> 00:27:31.990 Dan McKee story and what he was doing out in 00:27:31.990 --> 00:27:33.990 Los Angeles and how he got to the game and everything 00:27:33.990 --> 00:27:36.549 than it is about Kawhi Leonard's investment. 00:27:36.670 --> 00:27:40.349 As to Whitney George tonight, great. Brett Johnson 00:27:40.349 --> 00:27:43.170 knows a lot of people who have a lot of money. 00:27:43.529 --> 00:27:47.990 That in itself is a unbelievable thing that should 00:27:47.990 --> 00:27:50.210 make you sleep good at night if you're a Rhode 00:27:50.210 --> 00:27:53.130 Island FC fan. Brett Johnson knows people with 00:27:53.130 --> 00:27:56.250 deep pockets that he's able to convince and show 00:27:56.250 --> 00:27:58.569 that this is a worthwhile investment and people 00:27:58.569 --> 00:28:03.349 will believe in it. So not only do you have name 00:28:03.349 --> 00:28:07.089 value of people that are signing up for this 00:28:07.089 --> 00:28:10.940 thing, but people who have deep pockets as well 00:28:10.940 --> 00:28:13.839 who trust Brett to do the right thing with their 00:28:13.839 --> 00:28:18.700 money, with their investment. That's it. From 00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:22.119 a Rhode Island FC standpoint, that's it. There's 00:28:22.119 --> 00:28:24.559 nothing else to this story, in my opinion. Again, 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:29.259 there's still an outstanding balance to pay back 00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:31.779 the state and the city of Pawtucket on the stadium, 00:28:32.420 --> 00:28:36.700 sure. But outside of that, what else are we talking 00:28:36.700 --> 00:28:39.500 about here with Kawhi Leonard? And Whitney George 00:28:39.500 --> 00:28:41.960 passed this point. Guess what? Rhode Island FC 00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:44.559 is in the rear view mirror with this story now. 00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:47.759 Now it's all a focus on what Governor Dan McKee 00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:50.299 was doing out in Los Angeles, how he got those 00:28:50.299 --> 00:28:54.160 tickets to the game, and what else happened out 00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:56.579 in California. Other than that, Brett Johnson's 00:28:56.579 --> 00:29:00.359 taken out of this thing. Kawhi Leonard technically 00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:01.920 could be taken out of this thing. And Rhode Island 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:05.500 FC, in my opinion, is not a victim or an accomplice. 00:29:05.660 --> 00:29:09.420 They're just a layer to what Pablo Torres trying 00:29:09.420 --> 00:29:11.559 to tell people about what's happening with Kawhi 00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:14.500 Leonard This feels like when Will Smith slapped 00:29:14.500 --> 00:29:16.740 Chris Rock and it was like keep my wife's name 00:29:16.740 --> 00:29:19.220 out of your mouth That's kind of how I feel about 00:29:19.220 --> 00:29:21.059 these reporting levels right now I just want 00:29:21.059 --> 00:29:21.980 to be like, you know what you want to go after 00:29:21.980 --> 00:29:25.220 the governor fine But keep Rhode Island FC out 00:29:25.220 --> 00:29:27.960 of your dirty mouths right now because again 00:29:27.960 --> 00:29:30.339 it all it all just you can say it was pressed 00:29:30.339 --> 00:29:31.839 You could say it was bad press, but like at the 00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:33.849 end of the day Yeah, great. It's great. People 00:29:33.849 --> 00:29:35.490 are talking about Rhode Island FC, but where's 00:29:35.490 --> 00:29:38.150 the connotation? We read in the USL subreddits 00:29:38.150 --> 00:29:39.990 today, like, is this a negative impact now on 00:29:39.990 --> 00:29:42.190 the league, especially when they dragged former 00:29:42.190 --> 00:29:45.890 RFC president, now president of operations, and 00:29:45.890 --> 00:29:48.670 what is it, Academy product at USL headquarters, 00:29:48.849 --> 00:29:50.490 and Brett Louie, that he dragged him through 00:29:50.490 --> 00:29:52.990 it too. Like, there's a lot to still be inferred. 00:29:53.349 --> 00:29:56.049 Like, mud has been slung into the face of Rhode 00:29:56.049 --> 00:29:58.589 Island FC. And Jason, it makes me think, like, 00:29:59.329 --> 00:30:01.769 Well, yeah, so what is the point of this, right? 00:30:01.930 --> 00:30:04.289 So they they mentioned housing and at the end 00:30:04.289 --> 00:30:07.529 like a one who falls it's already in from Rhode 00:30:07.529 --> 00:30:09.710 Island Anyone who's followed the story in Rhode 00:30:09.710 --> 00:30:12.029 Island knows all about it There was reports about 00:30:12.029 --> 00:30:14.470 earlier about the progress of that. But like 00:30:14.470 --> 00:30:17.609 is this just being is this just a hit piece? 00:30:17.990 --> 00:30:20.089 Like something weaponized against the governor. 00:30:20.089 --> 00:30:22.630 Yes, and that our FC is just getting dragged 00:30:22.630 --> 00:30:24.789 through the mud along with it and then somehow 00:30:24.789 --> 00:30:28.609 it's tied to Kawhi Leonard and maybe his like 00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:32.019 crazy uncle who invests in everything for him. 00:30:32.220 --> 00:30:34.759 I tell you right now if Governor Damanke doesn't 00:30:34.759 --> 00:30:39.400 produce the what is it the 8 a .m. K Receipt 00:30:39.400 --> 00:30:41.819 in the next like 48 hours. There's probably gonna 00:30:41.819 --> 00:30:44.720 be some problem Governor Damanke's on my radio 00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:46.980 show tomorrow. I'm gonna bring the receipt or 00:30:46.980 --> 00:30:50.460 don't come on He's gonna have to answer for this. 00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:53.759 But again I think for us tonight here on this 00:30:53.759 --> 00:30:56.480 show, and this is my stance, and this is even 00:30:56.480 --> 00:30:59.259 me taking myself out as a play -by -play announcer 00:30:59.259 --> 00:31:03.180 who represents Rhode Island FC on the air. There 00:31:03.180 --> 00:31:06.799 is nothing here with Rhode Island FC outside 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:10.079 of the fact you have Kawhi Leonard, who's a secret 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:13.039 investor, who in order to get Kawhi Leonard to 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:16.019 invest, probably said, again, pure speculation. 00:31:16.940 --> 00:31:20.299 I'm a quiet guy. I'm a reserved guy. I want nothing. 00:31:20.539 --> 00:31:23.839 that attaches my name to this publicly. As long 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:28.059 as you can abide by that, here you go. And to 00:31:28.059 --> 00:31:31.299 me, the story about Rhode Island FC ends tonight. 00:31:33.079 --> 00:31:37.559 And quite frankly, if I was WPRI, I would have 00:31:37.559 --> 00:31:41.440 put Whitney George on last night as the private 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:43.640 investor for Mr. Big. And then I would have dropped 00:31:43.640 --> 00:31:48.220 the bombshell on Kawhi Leonard tonight. Can we 00:31:48.220 --> 00:31:51.779 talk about how I really wanted Mr. Big in this 00:31:51.779 --> 00:31:54.119 investment story to be the actual Mr. Big from 00:31:54.119 --> 00:31:57.400 Sex and the City. I didn't ever watch the show, 00:31:57.599 --> 00:32:00.779 but I mean, everyone knows who Mr. Big is. I 00:32:00.779 --> 00:32:03.599 don't know the actor's name, unfortunately. I'll 00:32:03.599 --> 00:32:05.279 be honest, I'm saying I didn't know who Mr. Big 00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:07.400 and Mr. Sex and the City was, so I had no idea. 00:32:08.579 --> 00:32:11.039 I never watched it. That's on me. I'm probably 00:32:11.039 --> 00:32:13.799 a bad guy for that. We need to get a Mr. Big 00:32:13.799 --> 00:32:17.559 Sex and the City Tifo in Defiance and then have... 00:32:17.240 --> 00:32:20.119 George Whitney's name underneath it instead by 00:32:20.119 --> 00:32:22.759 the way catching up in the chat Pataka Jay writes 00:32:22.759 --> 00:32:25.319 in we need to have a kawaii Leonard bobblehead 00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:29.940 night absolutely Rhode Island FC we know you 00:32:29.940 --> 00:32:32.980 listen We know you talk to us all the time. Please 00:32:32.980 --> 00:32:35.299 lean into it tomorrow announce it final game 00:32:35.299 --> 00:32:38.839 of the year It's the cats out of the bag. Just 00:32:38.839 --> 00:32:42.779 just do a kawaii Leonard theme tonight Forget 00:32:42.779 --> 00:32:45.839 investing in Taylor Swift. I don't get the whole 00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:49.940 LeBron James, J .J. Williams meme thing. We have 00:32:49.940 --> 00:32:51.519 Bad Bunny at the next home game. Don't worry. 00:32:52.099 --> 00:32:53.940 Bad Bunny. And now guess what? We have Kawhi 00:32:53.940 --> 00:32:57.519 Leonard. And for us here, I think it's great. 00:32:58.059 --> 00:33:01.799 Again, personally, you know, unless there's another 00:33:01.799 --> 00:33:04.119 shoe to drop here. And I don't just looking at 00:33:04.119 --> 00:33:05.880 the facts the way they are. It doesn't look like 00:33:05.880 --> 00:33:10.019 it. It's great that Brett Johnson has so many 00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:13.460 different connections to be able to find people 00:33:13.460 --> 00:33:16.180 to make sure this thing got done. So if anybody 00:33:16.180 --> 00:33:19.500 ever questioned Brett's long -term investment 00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:22.940 in Rhode Island and how serious fortuitous partners 00:33:22.940 --> 00:33:28.680 was to reimagine That whole area of Pawtucket, 00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:32.220 you got your answer in the last 24 hours between 00:33:32.220 --> 00:33:35.740 these two stories with how aggressive our owner 00:33:35.740 --> 00:33:38.460 was to make sure the funding got over the finish 00:33:38.460 --> 00:33:41.700 line and not just got over the finish line, but 00:33:41.700 --> 00:33:45.799 got serious investors involved that would make 00:33:45.799 --> 00:33:48.960 people say, wow, I need to take this Rhode Island 00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:52.190 FC club seriously. So then I'm going to ask a 00:33:52.190 --> 00:33:54.089 difficult question for you. This is going to 00:33:54.089 --> 00:33:55.589 be treacherous waters that you're going to have 00:33:55.589 --> 00:33:58.069 to navigate, do the best that you can. And then 00:33:58.069 --> 00:34:00.509 Jason, I will pick up the slack and do the interpretation 00:34:00.509 --> 00:34:03.329 of what you said in a peaceful way. But one of 00:34:03.329 --> 00:34:05.309 the things that has bugged me through this entire 00:34:05.309 --> 00:34:10.710 story is the fact that WPRI has not really felt 00:34:10.710 --> 00:34:12.550 like an ally. I don't care about public story. 00:34:12.550 --> 00:34:14.510 He doesn't know this club. He's he's not put 00:34:14.510 --> 00:34:16.570 any of the legwork in he's just embarrassing 00:34:16.570 --> 00:34:19.159 public story was embarrassing. but but he but 00:34:19.159 --> 00:34:21.559 he is like many of the people we saw and we're 00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:24.539 I I have literally arthritis today from the amount 00:34:24.539 --> 00:34:27.559 of uh comments and replies like someone told 00:34:27.559 --> 00:34:30.340 me is is raising anchor unhinged have they gone 00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:32.280 they gone mental because they're just replying 00:34:32.280 --> 00:34:34.500 to everything I felt like we had to make sure 00:34:34.500 --> 00:34:36.739 also paid which is oh yeah we're totally I checked 00:34:36.739 --> 00:34:38.880 my bank account yeah I'm not I don't know if 00:34:38.880 --> 00:34:42.860 the payments haven't gone through you're defending 00:34:42.860 --> 00:34:45.780 the wall today today defending the wall today 00:34:45.780 --> 00:34:48.199 you're getting up there and defending this club 00:34:48.199 --> 00:34:52.400 because you know that this thing is not a money 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:55.570 laundering scheme it's not you know We're not 00:34:55.570 --> 00:34:58.309 still playing in Byrne Stadium in year three. 00:34:58.630 --> 00:35:01.389 We spent one year in Smithfield. Our stadium 00:35:01.389 --> 00:35:04.110 got done and we had the investment group and 00:35:04.110 --> 00:35:07.150 the ownership group that worked their rear ends 00:35:07.150 --> 00:35:10.210 off to make sure that we are a respectable club 00:35:10.210 --> 00:35:13.809 that is a model franchise for the USL championship. 00:35:14.050 --> 00:35:18.150 So that's why. You, me, and a lot of other people 00:35:18.150 --> 00:35:21.329 felt it necessary to go as hard as we did today 00:35:21.329 --> 00:35:24.269 to tell the real story about what's happening 00:35:24.269 --> 00:35:28.090 with this club because America is not getting 00:35:28.090 --> 00:35:30.769 it right now. They're kind of confused and a 00:35:30.769 --> 00:35:32.670 lot of people are looking at Pablo Torre today 00:35:32.670 --> 00:35:35.750 and going, what is this thing? That's the real 00:35:35.750 --> 00:35:38.289 story. And we are the ones that actually are 00:35:38.289 --> 00:35:40.630 on the front lines with this thing. We talk to 00:35:40.630 --> 00:35:42.889 the people involved. A lot of us know how to 00:35:42.889 --> 00:35:46.909 sniff out BS when it comes to sports teams and 00:35:46.909 --> 00:35:48.809 people involved and whatever. And again, if I 00:35:48.809 --> 00:35:51.530 felt like there was something that would preclude 00:35:51.530 --> 00:35:53.449 me from coming on here tonight, I wouldn't do 00:35:53.449 --> 00:36:02.349 this. I feel obligated to do this because I've 00:36:02.349 --> 00:36:06.119 had the transparent the opportunities to have 00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:08.480 these people be transparent with me on air to 00:36:08.480 --> 00:36:10.610 tell me about what's happening. They're saying 00:36:10.610 --> 00:36:12.829 it publicly what's happening and the full story 00:36:12.829 --> 00:36:16.170 is not being told. As for WPRI's angle, why... 00:36:16.170 --> 00:36:16.949 Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on, hold on, hold 00:36:16.949 --> 00:36:18.849 on. Wait, wait, wait. I want to ask you a specific 00:36:18.849 --> 00:36:21.309 question about WPRI. So don't get... Let me ask 00:36:21.309 --> 00:36:23.690 the question first. And before I do that, I also 00:36:23.690 --> 00:36:25.869 want to reference back to not getting paid. We 00:36:25.869 --> 00:36:28.650 so don't get paid for this work that we do covering 00:36:28.650 --> 00:36:31.070 this club that we didn't even get cocaine bobbleheads. 00:36:31.809 --> 00:36:34.230 And Tom, you had the audacity to multiple times 00:36:34.230 --> 00:36:36.789 today... rub that in our face with that image 00:36:36.789 --> 00:36:38.849 of you holding your cocaine bobblehead. So I 00:36:38.849 --> 00:36:41.210 love that's a meme. I just want everyone to know, 00:36:41.349 --> 00:36:45.050 like we are so not paid that the club has not 00:36:45.050 --> 00:36:47.869 even found a way to give us. We are cocaine bobbleheadless. 00:36:47.889 --> 00:36:50.130 So if any fans out there that took like 10 that 00:36:50.130 --> 00:36:54.289 night want to talk some numbers, I've got a investment 00:36:54.289 --> 00:36:57.110 in Division two soccer club that I can help you 00:36:57.110 --> 00:36:59.329 navigate. But anyways, the question I have for 00:36:59.329 --> 00:37:02.090 you, because I want to specifically. Word this 00:37:02.090 --> 00:37:04.030 correctly so that you can give the best possible 00:37:04.030 --> 00:37:08.309 answer As I was reading through this and I guess 00:37:08.309 --> 00:37:10.869 my bias slipped out my defense of this club has 00:37:10.869 --> 00:37:12.550 slipped out all day Like you said defend the 00:37:12.550 --> 00:37:16.010 wall, but it irks me continuously over the last 00:37:16.010 --> 00:37:18.710 24 -hour news cycle, everything coming out of 00:37:18.710 --> 00:37:21.949 Rhode Island local media were worded in such 00:37:21.949 --> 00:37:25.550 negative connotations across the entire landscape 00:37:25.550 --> 00:37:28.710 of their posting, their written reports, their 00:37:28.710 --> 00:37:32.090 video shorts. It was things like secret investor, 00:37:32.610 --> 00:37:35.650 long hidden investor, quietly embedding themselves, 00:37:36.289 --> 00:37:39.309 controversial state. When do we get Rhode Island 00:37:39.309 --> 00:37:44.199 media over this circus of hating on this club 00:37:44.199 --> 00:37:47.260 to the point that they want this like Self -fulfilling 00:37:47.260 --> 00:37:50.099 prophecy of this investment to fail because they 00:37:50.099 --> 00:37:52.760 keep punching down on it. They keep making it 00:37:52.760 --> 00:37:56.059 a joke They keep they keep insulting it and when 00:37:56.059 --> 00:37:58.900 do we see a victory lap for Brett Johnson for 00:37:58.900 --> 00:38:00.679 Rhode Island FC for Centerville Bank Stadium? 00:38:00.940 --> 00:38:03.820 When does that happen because right now? All 00:38:03.820 --> 00:38:06.340 of them are clowns and I see Ted Nessie all the 00:38:06.340 --> 00:38:08.400 time. I've never said hi to him I see him all 00:38:08.400 --> 00:38:10.219 the time in my coffee shop and I think tomorrow's 00:38:10.219 --> 00:38:12.780 the time I finally go you're a clown if you're 00:38:12.780 --> 00:38:15.059 going to continue to insult something where so 00:38:15.059 --> 00:38:17.119 many people are invested, so many people have 00:38:17.119 --> 00:38:18.960 faith, and so many people want this to succeed, 00:38:19.239 --> 00:38:21.940 and in your position of influence, all you ever 00:38:21.940 --> 00:38:25.219 do is just crap on this. Make this make sense. 00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:27.119 And from your angle and from your perspective, 00:38:27.639 --> 00:38:31.320 explain to me when Rhode Island media stops screwing 00:38:31.320 --> 00:38:34.570 around with Rhode Island FC. So this is this 00:38:34.570 --> 00:38:38.010 is PTSD for Rhode Island media because of Kurt 00:38:38.010 --> 00:38:42.250 Schilling 38 studios and I was decades ago I 00:38:42.250 --> 00:38:44.869 understand and here's so here's here's where 00:38:44.869 --> 00:38:46.590 the angle I think they're coming from and I want 00:38:46.590 --> 00:38:51.590 to give some grace to WPRI You know working in 00:38:51.590 --> 00:38:56.230 the news industry here What people like WPRI? 00:38:56.570 --> 00:39:00.150 and some people that I work with at WPRO are 00:39:00.150 --> 00:39:04.809 looking for is a deeper analysis on the financials 00:39:04.809 --> 00:39:08.210 because they want to know that the tax dollars 00:39:08.210 --> 00:39:12.130 that are being spent on Rhode Island FC are being 00:39:12.130 --> 00:39:16.710 met. And Rhode Island FC has really no obligation 00:39:16.710 --> 00:39:24.559 to share a lot of this stuff. And I think because 00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:27.440 there's a lot of outstanding questions on who 00:39:27.440 --> 00:39:30.440 else is involved with this thing that, you know, 00:39:30.659 --> 00:39:34.679 we all love. You're going to have some people 00:39:34.679 --> 00:39:38.099 that their job is not to care about soccer. Their 00:39:38.099 --> 00:39:40.400 job is not to care about Kano Smith and the players 00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:42.860 that he's bringing in and how many people are 00:39:42.860 --> 00:39:45.079 coming in the Centerville Bank Stadium. All they 00:39:45.079 --> 00:39:48.050 care about is Who's invested in this thing? And 00:39:48.050 --> 00:39:50.690 how are the tax dollars going to be reimbursed 00:39:50.690 --> 00:39:52.889 to the state of Rhode Island? But does this feel 00:39:52.889 --> 00:39:54.889 like watchdog reporting still? Because at the 00:39:54.889 --> 00:39:57.010 beginning, I was like, yeah, hold the people 00:39:57.010 --> 00:39:59.269 accountable. The stadium's now got taxpayer dollars. 00:39:59.550 --> 00:40:01.349 It doesn't feel like that anymore. It feels like 00:40:01.349 --> 00:40:03.570 every time there is some sort of success, like 00:40:03.570 --> 00:40:05.710 Rhode Island of Seattle sellout, but they owe 00:40:05.710 --> 00:40:07.989 a hundred million dollars in a high yield payment 00:40:07.989 --> 00:40:09.730 that Pawtucket's going to be screwed for 30 years. 00:40:09.909 --> 00:40:12.769 We can't ever get a win. When does that go away? 00:40:13.079 --> 00:40:15.340 It goes I think it goes away when all the money 00:40:15.340 --> 00:40:18.079 gets paid back and people start seeing actually 00:40:18.079 --> 00:40:21.179 I you know what I take that back I think when 00:40:21.179 --> 00:40:27.320 people start seeing the the the construction 00:40:27.320 --> 00:40:29.679 on the pedestrian bit bridge and the affordable 00:40:29.679 --> 00:40:31.920 housing Which is something that Brad Johnson 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:34.800 talked to me about that you're gonna see people 00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:37.920 fall back And here's why because we already in 00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:41.329 my opinion. We've already shut them up once with 00:40:41.329 --> 00:40:43.130 the fact that the stadium got built and the team 00:40:43.130 --> 00:40:46.170 is still here. Okay, that's already two wins 00:40:46.170 --> 00:40:48.150 in our pocket. But they didn't shut up. They 00:40:48.150 --> 00:40:50.289 just took a pause. And now when they have to 00:40:50.289 --> 00:40:51.929 report on it, they remind us of the thing they 00:40:51.929 --> 00:40:54.530 reported on four years ago. Right. And I think 00:40:54.530 --> 00:40:58.250 the you know, once we get to the point where 00:40:58.250 --> 00:41:02.400 fortuitous partners meets its obligation on phase 00:41:02.400 --> 00:41:04.579 two and phase three of the project, which again, 00:41:04.659 --> 00:41:07.139 if you go back and watch my interview on the 00:41:07.139 --> 00:41:09.860 WJR YouTube page with Brett Johnson two weeks 00:41:09.860 --> 00:41:12.719 ago about phase two and phase three of this project, 00:41:13.039 --> 00:41:14.519 they're like, well, you know, you got the stadium, 00:41:14.579 --> 00:41:17.360 that's all they really care about. And, you know, 00:41:17.460 --> 00:41:20.119 quite frankly, that's not it. This is not where 00:41:20.119 --> 00:41:24.360 it ends for fortuitous partners. It's kind of 00:41:24.360 --> 00:41:26.079 like... all right well you know they got this 00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:28.400 going on so you know they got their soccer stadium 00:41:28.400 --> 00:41:29.840 you know they got all their money from the state 00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:31.719 you know that this is all they must care about 00:41:31.719 --> 00:41:36.260 now and you know from that standpoint i think 00:41:36.260 --> 00:41:38.940 they're looking for you know they're holding 00:41:38.940 --> 00:41:41.940 this team accountable you know okay you're not 00:41:41.940 --> 00:41:44.219 just going to build the stadium now and and bail 00:41:44.219 --> 00:41:46.039 out on the affordable housing that you promised 00:41:46.039 --> 00:41:50.179 right and and i think that that's kind of like 00:41:50.179 --> 00:41:54.079 the thing that They've got their nose to the 00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:57.940 grindstone on and because again, there's so much 00:41:57.940 --> 00:42:00.519 Unanswered questions and again for me. I don't 00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:02.840 care about it because guess what? I got my team. 00:42:02.920 --> 00:42:06.420 I got my stadium You know, I don't I really don't 00:42:06.420 --> 00:42:08.059 care who the other investors are if you want 00:42:08.059 --> 00:42:10.280 to be part of this thing great Nice to meet you. 00:42:10.340 --> 00:42:12.980 Hope you enjoy Rhode Island. Have a co -hawk 00:42:12.980 --> 00:42:18.500 Other than that You know That's what they're 00:42:18.500 --> 00:42:20.199 looking for. They want to know who the investors 00:42:20.199 --> 00:42:23.840 are and they want to know that the commitments 00:42:23.840 --> 00:42:30.219 that were made to revitalizing that part of Pawtucket 00:42:30.219 --> 00:42:34.519 are met. And again, this is where I think, you 00:42:34.519 --> 00:42:38.139 know, Pablo fell short of doing his actual award 00:42:38.139 --> 00:42:41.400 -winning reporting. Not looking into my interview 00:42:41.400 --> 00:42:45.469 with Brett Johnson was a big Mistake on their 00:42:45.469 --> 00:42:47.909 end because he gave it to you. He told you that 00:42:47.909 --> 00:42:51.110 coming in 2027 We're starting phase two of this 00:42:51.110 --> 00:42:53.429 project and we're gonna have a pedestrian bridge 00:42:53.429 --> 00:42:55.929 and we're gonna meet our obligation of building 00:42:55.929 --> 00:42:58.070 affordable housing and then in phase three We're 00:42:58.070 --> 00:43:01.219 gonna build more affordable housing Tom, I saw 00:43:01.219 --> 00:43:05.159 fans today of both the shows and the team defending 00:43:05.159 --> 00:43:08.340 people that were making those accusations with 00:43:08.340 --> 00:43:11.840 the links from credible sources about the pending 00:43:11.840 --> 00:43:14.320 development and the approvals from the local 00:43:14.320 --> 00:43:17.059 committees to get these housing projects underway. 00:43:17.860 --> 00:43:21.280 It took five seconds, and even Eli Sherman, knowing 00:43:21.280 --> 00:43:23.239 where this was going to go, the direction I'm 00:43:23.239 --> 00:43:25.679 sure, he got a proofreading session of this, 00:43:26.000 --> 00:43:27.539 of at least what they planned to talk about. 00:43:28.349 --> 00:43:30.670 What are we doing here? Again, this is why it 00:43:30.670 --> 00:43:34.449 feels like the RI media is out to sabotage this 00:43:34.449 --> 00:43:36.989 club, this project in its entirety because here 00:43:36.989 --> 00:43:39.590 we are saying, oh yeah, all that stuff's gonna 00:43:39.590 --> 00:43:41.489 come, but we're never gonna give anyone the credit 00:43:41.489 --> 00:43:43.449 and we're gonna continue to lambast this because 00:43:43.449 --> 00:43:45.949 we didn't like it to begin with, but we'll begrudgingly 00:43:45.949 --> 00:43:48.289 deal with it. Well, listen, we have a very cynical 00:43:48.289 --> 00:43:51.030 media base here, plain and simple. We have a 00:43:51.030 --> 00:43:53.989 very cynical media base that because of so many 00:43:53.989 --> 00:43:58.420 other failures outside, of Rhode Island FC that 00:43:58.420 --> 00:44:00.519 have occurred in the past. Again, I go back to 00:44:00.519 --> 00:44:06.099 38 Studios. The failures in, you know, some people 00:44:06.099 --> 00:44:08.619 would talk, if some people watching understand 00:44:08.619 --> 00:44:10.699 what the Fang Tower was that was supposed to 00:44:10.699 --> 00:44:12.920 be built in Providence from this Miami investor 00:44:12.920 --> 00:44:17.329 back in 2018. You know, a lot of different things 00:44:17.329 --> 00:44:19.809 that passed through the Rhode Island State House. 00:44:19.969 --> 00:44:21.670 I mean, all the corruption that happened with 00:44:21.670 --> 00:44:23.449 Buddy Cianci, the former mayor of Providence, 00:44:23.510 --> 00:44:25.190 all the corruption that happened with the former 00:44:25.190 --> 00:44:28.070 speaker of the House, Gordon Fox. You know, a 00:44:28.070 --> 00:44:32.150 lot of this is what I said before, PTSD for people 00:44:32.150 --> 00:44:36.349 in this area that, oh, here comes another flash 00:44:36.349 --> 00:44:38.409 in the pan that's just going to take our money 00:44:38.409 --> 00:44:41.170 and put us more in debt. And quite frankly, again, 00:44:41.510 --> 00:44:44.000 this has been the opposite. of what the past 00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:47.800 has been here in Rhode Island. I asked AI Tools 00:44:47.800 --> 00:44:49.980 if Eli Sherman has ever said a positive thing 00:44:49.980 --> 00:44:52.940 about Rhode Island FC. It said that he has never. 00:44:53.039 --> 00:44:55.360 It did defend that as a reporter and an investigator, 00:44:55.440 --> 00:44:59.099 it's not his job to, but I did use AI. Which 00:44:59.099 --> 00:45:02.159 I would agree. Listen, their job is to go out 00:45:02.159 --> 00:45:05.019 there and hunt and do stories. Fine. But there's 00:45:05.019 --> 00:45:06.980 also another side of the story that needs to 00:45:06.980 --> 00:45:10.610 be told where you know, for two of his partners 00:45:10.610 --> 00:45:16.050 and Brett should and Dan Krober and Peter Baptista, 00:45:17.150 --> 00:45:19.050 you know, the really the leads on this project, 00:45:19.190 --> 00:45:22.210 Dan and Pete, because as Brett said to me, and 00:45:22.210 --> 00:45:25.469 George and George. Well, but in terms of just 00:45:25.469 --> 00:45:27.849 like face to face through the project. Now we 00:45:27.849 --> 00:45:29.789 have to add George to every single conversation. 00:45:30.090 --> 00:45:31.690 I've got a list of my favorite Whitney's I want 00:45:31.690 --> 00:45:33.489 to go through tonight, as well as my favorite 00:45:33.489 --> 00:45:35.289 Canadians of all time. And George Whitney is 00:45:35.289 --> 00:45:40.980 now surpassed. Brett, the hitman heart. It's 00:45:40.980 --> 00:45:43.780 it's it's not these reporters jobs to play cheerleader 00:45:43.780 --> 00:45:46.280 for Rhode Island FC. It's my job I don't need 00:45:46.280 --> 00:45:48.960 them to but they don't have to kick they also 00:45:48.960 --> 00:45:51.559 have to tell the other side of the story of what 00:45:51.559 --> 00:45:55.659 they are doing and I don't think they're reporting 00:45:55.659 --> 00:45:59.639 in their Narratives that they're trying to build 00:45:59.639 --> 00:46:02.760 allow for wiggle room for Rhode Island FC to 00:46:02.760 --> 00:46:06.059 be able to tell What else is happening? They 00:46:06.059 --> 00:46:08.940 have an agenda You know, we have this, this, 00:46:08.980 --> 00:46:11.159 this, and this, and we're only focusing on this. 00:46:11.219 --> 00:46:14.639 We don't care about what you have to say necessarily 00:46:14.639 --> 00:46:19.400 when it comes to, you know, other things happening. 00:46:19.519 --> 00:46:22.980 We're focused on X, but I found interesting in 00:46:22.980 --> 00:46:26.420 the W what the differences between the WPRI piece 00:46:26.420 --> 00:46:30.260 and the public Tori piece is that, um, you know, 00:46:30.380 --> 00:46:32.880 public Tori focused on affordable housing. It 00:46:32.880 --> 00:46:35.800 was interesting to me that WPRI didn't even touch 00:46:35.800 --> 00:46:39.889 that. part of it maybe because they know Brett's 00:46:39.889 --> 00:46:43.769 meeting his obligation to build this stuff and 00:46:43.769 --> 00:46:46.150 build the pedestrian bridge so all they care 00:46:46.150 --> 00:46:50.510 about is focusing on the secret investors and 00:46:50.510 --> 00:46:53.570 Again, that's really all that you've gotten out 00:46:53.570 --> 00:46:56.130 of the last 24 hours from channel 12 This is 00:46:56.130 --> 00:46:58.969 not me trying to slam Tim White and and Eli Sherman. 00:46:58.969 --> 00:47:01.550 No, I'll do that. That's fine This is but but 00:47:01.550 --> 00:47:03.639 it's the reality of the situation they're not 00:47:03.639 --> 00:47:06.719 going into the other sectors of where Rhode Island 00:47:06.719 --> 00:47:09.719 FC is meeting what they... Tom, Tom, their only 00:47:09.719 --> 00:47:12.719 questions that were used in their reporting and 00:47:12.719 --> 00:47:16.260 in the Poblatory hit piece was to Brett Johnson 00:47:16.260 --> 00:47:18.500 catching him in a completely unrelated thing 00:47:18.500 --> 00:47:21.000 after they didn't respond. Hey, is Kawhi Leonard 00:47:21.000 --> 00:47:23.480 an investor? And Brett Johnson didn't even delay 00:47:23.480 --> 00:47:26.219 in answering and then asking Governor Dan McKee 00:47:26.219 --> 00:47:29.059 where he was on October 23rd, 2025 at 9 p .m. 00:47:29.199 --> 00:47:32.000 Eastern Time. Like, like, and I granted, I know 00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:34.190 there's a lot more to it. I'm a journalist. I 00:47:34.190 --> 00:47:35.769 study journalism. I know how that all works. 00:47:35.789 --> 00:47:38.349 You do a lot of legwork to get very small things. 00:47:38.349 --> 00:47:39.809 And then when you want to make it to print or 00:47:39.809 --> 00:47:42.530 to radio, you get 30 seconds, you get two sentences. 00:47:42.530 --> 00:47:45.429 I get that. But like, they could have done other 00:47:45.429 --> 00:47:47.050 work. Once they said this, they could have gone 00:47:47.050 --> 00:47:48.769 to the club and like, hey, we are going to launch 00:47:48.769 --> 00:47:51.489 with this. Do you want to double down on this? 00:47:51.530 --> 00:47:53.510 Do you want another seat at the table to talk 00:47:53.510 --> 00:47:55.989 before we report on this? You know, we both know 00:47:55.989 --> 00:47:57.670 they didn't do that. We both know they did not 00:47:57.670 --> 00:48:01.750 do that. I think I think they I think they know 00:48:02.320 --> 00:48:05.219 the other stuff and they're focusing primarily 00:48:05.219 --> 00:48:07.699 on who are the private investors that we don't 00:48:07.699 --> 00:48:11.000 know about and Who is the guy that fronted 20 00:48:11.000 --> 00:48:13.079 million dollars to Brett and that's really all 00:48:13.079 --> 00:48:17.420 they cared about And and again, you know, they're 00:48:17.420 --> 00:48:20.099 not talking about how this thing is moving forward. 00:48:20.699 --> 00:48:24.000 It's Where we are in the past and I don't think 00:48:24.000 --> 00:48:28.099 that's fair to this club uh from that standpoint 00:48:28.099 --> 00:48:30.800 because it never gave a full picture of what's 00:48:30.800 --> 00:48:33.820 really happening in totality with fortuitous 00:48:33.820 --> 00:48:37.619 partners which is um you know much more which 00:48:37.619 --> 00:48:41.019 is progressing much more than i think a lot of 00:48:41.019 --> 00:48:43.360 the people that are naysayers would like to admit 00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:46.900 yeah i i want two things out of this one i want 00:48:46.900 --> 00:48:49.119 kawaii lennard to do the ribbon cutting on the 00:48:49.119 --> 00:48:51.079 first affordable housing building that's completed 00:48:51.079 --> 00:48:54.179 needs to be out here cut that ribbon And then 00:48:54.179 --> 00:48:57.280 we'll just send that as a nice framed metal plated 00:48:57.280 --> 00:49:00.559 picture to Pablo Torre. I want Don Grebian to 00:49:00.559 --> 00:49:04.500 give Kawhi Leonard a damn key to the city. I 00:49:04.500 --> 00:49:07.659 want a Kawhi Leonard night. I want Kawhi Leonard 00:49:07.659 --> 00:49:11.420 jerseys in the stadium. I am now the leader of 00:49:11.420 --> 00:49:14.320 the Rhode Island Kawhi Leonard fan club because 00:49:14.320 --> 00:49:18.059 all I learned in the last 24 hours is Kawhi Leonard 00:49:18.059 --> 00:49:20.079 believed in the vision that Brett Johnson was 00:49:20.079 --> 00:49:22.820 selling him and he was willing to invest into 00:49:22.820 --> 00:49:26.519 this thing. And you know what? I'm so proud of 00:49:26.519 --> 00:49:30.559 this club that they have been able to sell Rhode 00:49:30.559 --> 00:49:34.400 Island in an era where other people and politicians 00:49:34.400 --> 00:49:37.599 cannot sell Rhode Island. And Brett Johnson did 00:49:37.599 --> 00:49:39.920 it. And that's what makes him great. And that's 00:49:39.920 --> 00:49:42.800 what makes this project great. If only the media 00:49:42.800 --> 00:49:45.900 knew how to say that story that way and not the 00:49:45.900 --> 00:49:48.179 way they did with investors. If you invest in 00:49:48.179 --> 00:49:52.179 Rhode Island. From a biased angle. No, no. Listen. 00:49:52.360 --> 00:49:54.280 You could have done this one of two ways. Again, 00:49:54.280 --> 00:49:56.460 I did this for a while. I got paid at one point 00:49:56.460 --> 00:49:58.079 to do this. You could have written the story 00:49:58.079 --> 00:50:02.059 as famous NBA superstar, you know, small forward 00:50:02.059 --> 00:50:04.980 invests in Rhode Island infrastructure and entertainment 00:50:04.980 --> 00:50:06.699 in the state of Rhode Island. Or you could have 00:50:06.699 --> 00:50:11.159 been secret suspicious investor from an NBA league 00:50:11.159 --> 00:50:14.940 scandal chooses maybe to put money in our state. 00:50:15.940 --> 00:50:19.320 But that but that's the thing where, you know, 00:50:19.380 --> 00:50:22.170 it goes back to Kawhi's personality. This being 00:50:22.170 --> 00:50:24.550 a secret thing that's nothing to do with it tom 00:50:24.550 --> 00:50:27.710 but in a sense it does in a sense replace that 00:50:27.710 --> 00:50:29.929 replace that with the word instead of kawaii 00:50:29.929 --> 00:50:32.610 leonard replace that name with jason carrey and 00:50:32.610 --> 00:50:35.590 try that again yeah but but but jason carrey 00:50:35.590 --> 00:50:38.369 does an average 27 .9 won an mba title you don't 00:50:38.369 --> 00:50:40.769 know that you don't know that you don't know 00:50:40.769 --> 00:50:42.710 his rec league you don't know what he's putting 00:50:42.710 --> 00:50:47.239 up in rec league okay but but but Kawhi Leonard 00:50:47.239 --> 00:50:50.820 being a secret investor here matches up to me 00:50:50.820 --> 00:50:53.380 with the personality and the person we know that's 00:50:53.380 --> 00:50:56.539 consistent with who Kawhi Leonard is publicly. 00:50:57.320 --> 00:51:00.880 Publicly, Kawhi Leonard is very short -winded. 00:51:01.099 --> 00:51:04.139 He's very private and secretive, you know, about 00:51:04.139 --> 00:51:06.880 what he does with his life outside of the NBA. 00:51:07.639 --> 00:51:11.340 And he was convinced to move forward with this 00:51:11.340 --> 00:51:13.079 thing in a certain type of way. And again, he 00:51:13.079 --> 00:51:15.519 just didn't want his name on it. And that's, 00:51:15.519 --> 00:51:17.619 and that's consistent with what we know about 00:51:17.619 --> 00:51:20.079 Kawhi Leonard. None of that's a shock to me now. 00:51:20.360 --> 00:51:22.340 Now that I know the story and now that I have 00:51:22.340 --> 00:51:24.840 a better grasp of what's happening here, this 00:51:24.840 --> 00:51:28.500 is not a, this is not a bombshell. The only bombshell 00:51:28.500 --> 00:51:31.320 here is that, oh my God, we have one of the 10 00:51:31.320 --> 00:51:35.599 best NBA players arguably in the league involved 00:51:35.599 --> 00:51:40.000 in our USL Championship club and the thing that 00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:41.980 came out of this, this is a great day for Rhode 00:51:41.980 --> 00:51:44.099 Island FC. Like this has been a great week and 00:51:44.099 --> 00:51:46.159 this is kind of topped it off with everything 00:51:46.159 --> 00:51:48.940 because now you should sleep good at, you should 00:51:48.940 --> 00:51:51.239 sleep comfortably at night knowing that people 00:51:51.239 --> 00:51:53.780 are protecting this thing for the long term. 00:51:54.800 --> 00:51:59.880 Rhode Island FC has now become the most recognized 00:51:59.880 --> 00:52:05.000 club in USL Championship in just 24 hours and 00:52:05.079 --> 00:52:10.840 and by all accounts, the most stable club in 00:52:10.840 --> 00:52:13.980 USL Championship in the last 24 hours and is 00:52:13.980 --> 00:52:17.219 setting an example for future teams coming in 00:52:17.219 --> 00:52:20.400 that, hey, if you want to play with us in this 00:52:20.400 --> 00:52:23.539 league, you better have people with deep pockets 00:52:23.539 --> 00:52:27.460 to come in and support this. because we don't 00:52:27.460 --> 00:52:29.739 want fly -by night clubs. We want people that 00:52:29.739 --> 00:52:32.760 are getting serious money investment to be able 00:52:32.760 --> 00:52:36.579 to stay around 10, 20, 30, 40 years, 40 years 00:52:36.579 --> 00:52:38.639 down the road. You know, when you look around 00:52:38.639 --> 00:52:40.820 Centerville Bank Stadium, what do you see? At 00:52:40.820 --> 00:52:43.260 the end zones of each side of the stadium, you 00:52:43.260 --> 00:52:46.760 see a lot of steel structures that are ready 00:52:46.760 --> 00:52:49.199 to be built up for expansion for this stadium. 00:52:50.420 --> 00:52:54.989 So, you know, They already know they need the 00:52:54.989 --> 00:52:58.010 capital to be able to expand this stadium for 00:52:58.010 --> 00:53:01.190 when we go to Pro -Rel in 2027, 2028 or whatever. 00:53:03.289 --> 00:53:05.989 And it's an example for everybody else coming 00:53:05.989 --> 00:53:08.090 into this league moving forward, even for current 00:53:08.090 --> 00:53:11.349 owners like, hey, we're getting serious money 00:53:11.349 --> 00:53:13.909 people involved in this. And not even just serious 00:53:13.909 --> 00:53:17.010 money people, we're getting serious names affiliated 00:53:17.010 --> 00:53:21.250 with this thing. So. Yeah, are there some outstanding 00:53:21.250 --> 00:53:23.030 issues that you could be critical of for Rhode 00:53:23.030 --> 00:53:25.030 Island FC? Sure. But you could say that for every 00:53:25.030 --> 00:53:27.650 sports club that is existing in America today. 00:53:29.230 --> 00:53:31.510 The stability, I feel so much better about the 00:53:31.510 --> 00:53:33.289 stability of this club moving forward in the 00:53:33.289 --> 00:53:38.090 past 24 hours than I did after Tuesday night. 00:53:38.170 --> 00:53:40.030 And not that I was worried after Tuesday night, 00:53:40.030 --> 00:53:44.329 but I feel so much more relief today knowing 00:53:44.329 --> 00:53:47.989 that Brett has the ability to reach out to these 00:53:47.989 --> 00:53:50.739 people. to protect the future of Rhode Island 00:53:50.739 --> 00:53:52.880 FC moving forward, that we don't end up like 00:53:52.880 --> 00:53:58.619 the Paw Sox. So now that we know Kawhi Leonard 00:53:58.619 --> 00:54:01.460 is a secret investor, what's our wishlist for 00:54:01.460 --> 00:54:04.679 other secret investors? Who are we hoping that 00:54:04.679 --> 00:54:09.059 we find out one day as investors? Bon Jovi. Tomorrow. 00:54:09.800 --> 00:54:12.199 Taylor Swift, because it would just be so poetically 00:54:12.199 --> 00:54:14.480 perfect that she would be like, yeah, I spent 00:54:14.480 --> 00:54:16.239 three hours in Rhode Island one time at my house 00:54:16.239 --> 00:54:19.280 and I just dropped. $600 ,000 by accident out 00:54:19.280 --> 00:54:21.619 of my purse at Central Bank Stadium. So I let 00:54:21.619 --> 00:54:24.480 him keep it. If Travis and Taylor want to invest 00:54:24.480 --> 00:54:26.599 in the Rhode Island FC, welcome. Let's give you 00:54:26.599 --> 00:54:29.300 a nice white kit. Let's give you a blue kit. 00:54:29.659 --> 00:54:31.920 Let's set you up in the club sections, whatever 00:54:31.920 --> 00:54:35.179 you need. It would be great. You know what? It 00:54:35.179 --> 00:54:37.519 should say to other people now, now that this 00:54:37.519 --> 00:54:39.079 reporting is out there and really there's going 00:54:39.079 --> 00:54:41.639 to be no blowback on Brett or the club, in my 00:54:41.639 --> 00:54:46.119 opinion. This is a safe place to invest. I can 00:54:46.119 --> 00:54:49.119 invest my money here. If Kawhi Leonard can invest 00:54:49.119 --> 00:54:52.079 his money here and a guy with $40 billion in 00:54:52.079 --> 00:54:54.400 his investment portfolio can invest in here, 00:54:55.039 --> 00:54:57.960 then you know what? Maybe me as a mega millionaire, 00:54:57.960 --> 00:55:01.079 I can invest in here too. And Jay Leno is a great 00:55:01.079 --> 00:55:04.679 call. Jay Leno is a good call. Jason, who would 00:55:04.679 --> 00:55:07.179 you have as a secret investor into Rhode Island? 00:55:08.420 --> 00:55:11.900 I would love for some like aging European soccer 00:55:11.900 --> 00:55:14.320 star where we maybe do the kind of like drogba 00:55:14.320 --> 00:55:16.820 thing where they also like... play for half a 00:55:16.820 --> 00:55:18.820 season and just score a few goals. But that would 00:55:18.820 --> 00:55:20.460 be secret because they just show up and then 00:55:20.460 --> 00:55:23.760 maybe maybe they've already bought into it. It's 00:55:23.760 --> 00:55:27.460 like their retirement plan. So here's an interesting 00:55:27.460 --> 00:55:31.039 thing. CVS at one point, I know there was conversations 00:55:31.039 --> 00:55:32.760 if they would invest in the club, whether it 00:55:32.760 --> 00:55:34.280 was stadium ownership rights, I think that was 00:55:34.280 --> 00:55:36.480 always going to Centerville Bank Stadium. But 00:55:36.480 --> 00:55:39.420 CVS Pharmacy notoriously into soccer. Now they're 00:55:39.420 --> 00:55:42.139 in the women's game a lot. I wanted desperately. 00:55:42.429 --> 00:55:45.789 to see if CVS had any relationship into the club 00:55:45.789 --> 00:55:47.349 from even if they just owned a suite, because 00:55:47.349 --> 00:55:49.570 then I was going to try to tie that back to Helena 00:55:49.570 --> 00:55:52.110 folks from her time running CVS and be like, 00:55:52.110 --> 00:55:54.449 we have an investor already. It's Helena folks. 00:55:54.510 --> 00:55:56.610 And then just stir the pot. Tom, I just wanted 00:55:56.610 --> 00:56:00.090 to stir the election season pot. Well, let's 00:56:00.090 --> 00:56:02.829 stir the election season pot a little bit here. 00:56:02.909 --> 00:56:06.789 Go back to when McKee was the tie breaking vote 00:56:06.789 --> 00:56:10.400 on the. Oh, I know this story. on the Commerce 00:56:10.400 --> 00:56:14.320 Association. Guess whose brother sits on the 00:56:14.320 --> 00:56:17.980 board that voted on whether or not we approved 00:56:17.980 --> 00:56:20.320 the Rhode Island FC Stadium. We were always getting 00:56:20.320 --> 00:56:22.920 this thing. Question for the audience here, Tom. 00:56:22.920 --> 00:56:25.519 Would you be saying maybe that Helena Foulkes' 00:56:25.780 --> 00:56:28.639 brother was the one that voted against RAFC happening? 00:56:29.199 --> 00:56:32.059 Yes, and guess what if Helena folks was gonna 00:56:32.059 --> 00:56:34.280 be the next governor of Rhode Island Helena folks 00:56:34.280 --> 00:56:36.420 his brother would have voted for this thing the 00:56:36.420 --> 00:56:39.059 only reason why Helena folks is But brother voted 00:56:39.059 --> 00:56:41.119 against it was because McKee was involved if 00:56:41.119 --> 00:56:43.460 her sister was involved in it I can guarantee 00:56:43.460 --> 00:56:46.829 you Helena folks would have moved forward with 00:56:46.829 --> 00:56:48.730 this, no matter who was going to be the governor, 00:56:48.909 --> 00:56:51.170 whether it was going to be Helena or McKee back 00:56:51.170 --> 00:56:53.969 in 2022, this stadium was moving forward. And 00:56:53.969 --> 00:56:55.710 here's another reason why Helena would have moved 00:56:55.710 --> 00:56:59.190 forward with this entire Rhode Island FC project. 00:56:59.630 --> 00:57:03.730 Helena would not have made her best friend, Gina 00:57:03.730 --> 00:57:10.050 Raimondo, look bad with Brett Johnson and not. 00:57:10.110 --> 00:57:13.210 approved this stadium project. Helena would have 00:57:13.210 --> 00:57:16.769 approved it as well because of the tight relationship 00:57:16.769 --> 00:57:20.989 Helena and Gina have together as well. Gina made 00:57:20.989 --> 00:57:24.710 the outreach to Brett. Gina recruited Brett to 00:57:24.710 --> 00:57:27.690 come here to Rhode Island after the Paw Sox left, 00:57:27.889 --> 00:57:29.789 and with Nick Mattiello, the former Speaker of 00:57:29.789 --> 00:57:32.070 the House in Rhode Island, put together a deal 00:57:32.070 --> 00:57:35.610 that made it possible that Brett Johnson could 00:57:35.610 --> 00:57:39.840 invest in this state, Helena would have not embarrassed 00:57:39.840 --> 00:57:47.380 Gina by denying this stadium. And that's going 00:57:47.380 --> 00:57:50.119 to be the little fly in the ointment here for 00:57:50.119 --> 00:57:54.119 Ms. Foulkes. Which is why she's not going against 00:57:54.119 --> 00:57:56.380 this thing, I think. Because of how tight she 00:57:56.380 --> 00:57:59.119 knows Gina is with Brett and how tight Helena 00:57:59.119 --> 00:58:03.460 is with Gina. 235 episodes before we just become 00:58:03.460 --> 00:58:05.340 a political podcast. We knew it was always going 00:58:05.340 --> 00:58:07.840 to be a Tom show when that happened. But getting 00:58:07.840 --> 00:58:10.099 caught up in the chat here, I do want to say 00:58:10.099 --> 00:58:12.619 we don't need our own Chicharito because as fans 00:58:12.619 --> 00:58:15.519 of the LA Galaxy, I watched Chicharito take our 00:58:15.519 --> 00:58:18.400 club into nothingness. So we need something better 00:58:18.400 --> 00:58:22.940 than a 40 year old Chicharito. aging euro stars 00:58:22.940 --> 00:58:24.960 might not be it but maybe they will i don't know 00:58:24.960 --> 00:58:27.599 uh listen we probably should talk about the rest 00:58:27.599 --> 00:58:30.119 of the stuff we need to talk about so you know 00:58:30.119 --> 00:58:32.179 tom is there any is there any lingering thoughts 00:58:32.179 --> 00:58:33.340 is there anything you're remembering through 00:58:33.340 --> 00:58:35.940 the battles that you had all day on twitter is 00:58:35.940 --> 00:58:37.699 there because i i even just remember one just 00:58:37.699 --> 00:58:41.019 now someone posted that uh brett johnson went 00:58:41.019 --> 00:58:45.179 in and stole posox money to force them to wuster 00:58:45.179 --> 00:58:48.699 and then became a soccer nation here in Pawtucket 00:58:48.699 --> 00:58:50.920 instead, not realizing the timelines that the 00:58:50.920 --> 00:58:52.960 Possex had already moved before Brett Johnson 00:58:52.960 --> 00:58:55.599 ever got the USL franchise license. Because again, 00:58:55.880 --> 00:58:58.400 everyone's an expert on our club and our town 00:58:58.400 --> 00:59:01.460 right now. Is there any lingering comments, thoughts 00:59:01.460 --> 00:59:03.340 that you want to take this to before we wrap 00:59:03.340 --> 00:59:06.639 it up? I think we need to two things. A, put 00:59:06.639 --> 00:59:09.179 a rubber stamp on the fact that this Kawhi Leonard, 00:59:09.940 --> 00:59:13.199 Adam Silver, Steve Ballmer, Clippers connection 00:59:13.199 --> 00:59:16.099 to Rhode Island FC. is completely out the window 00:59:16.099 --> 00:59:19.119 tonight because of the Canadian way. Wait, wait, 00:59:19.219 --> 00:59:21.139 wait. If Steve Ballmer somehow gets on the show, 00:59:21.199 --> 00:59:23.300 though, you still have to shave your head. Yes, 00:59:23.500 --> 00:59:26.559 I will. If Steve Ballmer somehow comes involved 00:59:26.559 --> 00:59:28.559 with Rhode Island FC, I will come on the show. 00:59:28.780 --> 00:59:31.360 I go to I will go to either Matt or Jason's house 00:59:31.360 --> 00:59:33.639 and I will let them shave my head. That's how 00:59:33.639 --> 00:59:35.460 I find a Steve Ballmer. It won't be that Steve 00:59:35.460 --> 00:59:37.019 Ballmer, but I'm going to find a Steve Ballmer. 00:59:37.219 --> 00:59:39.880 That head will be shaved. So to go back to my 00:59:39.880 --> 00:59:45.170 original point, the idea that Rhode Island FC 00:59:45.170 --> 00:59:47.389 is connected to the investigation into Kawhi 00:59:47.389 --> 00:59:49.190 Leonard, Steve Ballmer and the Clippers completely 00:59:49.190 --> 00:59:51.690 goes out the window because tonight when we found 00:59:51.690 --> 00:59:54.289 out that Steve Ballmer's name in the last 24 00:59:54.289 --> 00:59:56.389 hours has not been mentioned once when we talk 00:59:56.389 --> 00:59:59.730 about this club completely absolves Rhode Island 00:59:59.730 --> 01:00:01.929 FC being part of any type of money laundering 01:00:01.929 --> 01:00:04.429 scheme with the Clippers and Steve Ballmer. That's 01:00:04.429 --> 01:00:07.610 point one. Point number two. The idea that affordable 01:00:07.610 --> 01:00:10.449 housing is not being built is a complete fabrication 01:00:10.449 --> 01:00:13.570 because Brett Johnson is on camera saying that 01:00:13.570 --> 01:00:16.829 phase two of the project with the pedestrian 01:00:16.829 --> 01:00:21.170 bridge and the affordable housing units is going 01:00:21.170 --> 01:00:24.179 to break ground at some point in 2027. And at 01:00:24.179 --> 01:00:25.860 some point I'm going to have Dan Krober on with 01:00:25.860 --> 01:00:28.119 me on channel 10 to kind of talk about phase 01:00:28.119 --> 01:00:29.780 two and phase three of that project. I don't 01:00:29.780 --> 01:00:32.059 know when, but at some point I will have them 01:00:32.059 --> 01:00:34.760 because Brett told me on camera, go ask them 01:00:34.760 --> 01:00:37.300 about it, but we are breaking ground in 2027. 01:00:38.179 --> 01:00:41.500 So for those, so those two points need to be 01:00:41.500 --> 01:00:44.579 stressed when people, if you're challenged, if 01:00:44.579 --> 01:00:46.280 you're out there listening right now or watching 01:00:46.280 --> 01:00:49.219 right now or listening at a later date. And somebody 01:00:49.219 --> 01:00:51.000 says to you, oh wow, I can't believe they made 01:00:51.000 --> 01:00:52.800 all this promise for affordable housing and they 01:00:52.800 --> 01:00:55.219 didn't follow through. Show them my interview 01:00:55.219 --> 01:00:57.420 with Brett Johnson when he said, we're moving 01:00:57.420 --> 01:00:59.420 forward with phase two of this project and we're 01:00:59.420 --> 01:01:01.300 going to have affordable housing. I'm committed 01:01:01.300 --> 01:01:03.179 to affordable housing moving forward. And this 01:01:03.179 --> 01:01:07.639 was never just about the stadium. I agree on 01:01:07.639 --> 01:01:09.739 all points. The only thing I would add to it 01:01:09.739 --> 01:01:12.780 is that we just need to stay constantly vigilant 01:01:12.780 --> 01:01:16.019 and defend this team, defend this city, defend 01:01:16.019 --> 01:01:19.099 this wall. when situations like this come about. 01:01:19.400 --> 01:01:22.019 I was insanely impressed today with all of the 01:01:22.019 --> 01:01:25.139 people who rose to the occasion and I was a little 01:01:25.139 --> 01:01:27.739 disappointed in the local media, but that's my 01:01:27.739 --> 01:01:30.920 opinion on this. Our people didn't back down 01:01:30.920 --> 01:01:33.480 today. Our people didn't back down today because 01:01:33.480 --> 01:01:37.139 our people know the people involved with this 01:01:37.139 --> 01:01:40.320 club and the commitment to making this thing 01:01:40.320 --> 01:01:44.400 the pride of Rhode Island. It's a shame that 01:01:44.400 --> 01:01:46.929 this was all done from the guys of reporting 01:01:46.929 --> 01:01:49.170 and journalism because Rhode Island FC can't 01:01:49.170 --> 01:01:51.710 hit anyone with like a slander or a libel because 01:01:51.710 --> 01:01:54.070 they didn't actually make any accusations. They 01:01:54.070 --> 01:01:56.949 just said things and did the Tucker Carlson infer. 01:01:57.010 --> 01:01:58.710 Like, what does that make you think? How do you 01:01:58.710 --> 01:02:01.690 feel about that? Did you? The people that they 01:02:01.690 --> 01:02:03.889 questioned on the street saying Kawhi Leonard 01:02:03.889 --> 01:02:06.469 is the owner of Rhode Island FC. You know, what 01:02:06.469 --> 01:02:08.070 do you think about that? And people are like, 01:02:08.090 --> 01:02:11.409 what? So now you've only brought more interest 01:02:11.409 --> 01:02:15.119 to Rhode Island FC. Thank you, Tim White. Thank 01:02:15.119 --> 01:02:18.300 you, Eli Sherman. You're bringing more awareness 01:02:18.300 --> 01:02:22.219 to how cool and how great this thing really is. 01:02:22.360 --> 01:02:25.179 Thank you. Do not thank those people on my show, 01:02:25.480 --> 01:02:28.380 sir. Do not do that. But also, that's fair. I 01:02:28.380 --> 01:02:31.679 will say this in final pieces to it. I really 01:02:31.679 --> 01:02:33.380 think, Brett, I know you're listening. Dan, I 01:02:33.380 --> 01:02:35.340 know you're listening. Tom, Nate, I know you're 01:02:35.340 --> 01:02:38.380 all listening. Get on this as fast as possible. 01:02:38.719 --> 01:02:41.019 The cat's out of the bag. Give us everything 01:02:41.019 --> 01:02:42.980 Kawhi Leonard, you possibly can do by the end 01:02:42.980 --> 01:02:45.119 of the season and just ride this gravy train. 01:02:45.139 --> 01:02:47.320 You might as well. You might as well lean into 01:02:47.320 --> 01:02:51.659 the the what is it? The the curve and just go 01:02:51.659 --> 01:02:53.980 for it, right? Lean into the stick and just go 01:02:53.980 --> 01:02:56.000 skid. Yeah, steer into the skid. I guess the 01:02:56.000 --> 01:02:59.159 only thing here is that if it's true, like I 01:02:59.159 --> 01:03:01.559 hashtag not NBA podcast, I don't follow it that 01:03:01.559 --> 01:03:05.039 much. I know is we would say hashtag not an NBA 01:03:05.039 --> 01:03:09.690 show. If it's true that he is a. Quiet kind of 01:03:09.690 --> 01:03:12.030 reserved person. I mean maybe like at this point. 01:03:12.070 --> 01:03:14.610 He's like, well it is what it is It's out there, 01:03:14.829 --> 01:03:17.130 but he might not want that right? He might not 01:03:17.130 --> 01:03:19.050 want the likeness. He might want not want the 01:03:19.050 --> 01:03:21.789 attention I mean, I mean they should still like 01:03:21.789 --> 01:03:26.789 Hey now that's out Hey, buddy, come on. All right. 01:03:26.849 --> 01:03:29.429 Well, that is that part of the segment Listen 01:03:29.429 --> 01:03:31.190 tom at any point that you want to bow out. You 01:03:31.190 --> 01:03:33.070 said you were in for the long haul tonight We'll 01:03:33.070 --> 01:03:35.070 see we'll see how long you can actually go buddy 01:03:35.070 --> 01:03:36.630 mister. I don't I don't want to ruin the flow 01:03:36.630 --> 01:03:38.269 of your show I'll let you guys do the rest of 01:03:38.269 --> 01:03:40.170 your show the way you normally do it. I I feel 01:03:40.170 --> 01:03:43.869 bad that I got all Fucked up here tonight. So, 01:03:43.989 --> 01:03:46.449 you know, um, i'll you know bow out and just 01:03:46.449 --> 01:03:48.969 say i'm My only thoughts on the current state 01:03:48.969 --> 01:03:50.710 of the club is that this has been my favorite 01:03:50.710 --> 01:03:53.510 week covering this team Considering that now 01:03:53.510 --> 01:03:56.070 we can say one of our own has been low into an 01:03:56.070 --> 01:03:59.909 MLS side. We got redemption and we finally beat 01:03:59.909 --> 01:04:04.030 those SOBs down there in Pittsburgh. And we're 01:04:04.030 --> 01:04:05.590 going to get redemption this weekend against 01:04:05.590 --> 01:04:08.809 Birmingham. And we have a lot of stability moving 01:04:08.809 --> 01:04:12.929 forward. And I'm so proud of you guys. And I'm 01:04:12.929 --> 01:04:20.349 so happy to know you two because we really show, 01:04:20.389 --> 01:04:23.670 you know, you know that this is there's more 01:04:23.670 --> 01:04:26.750 to the story and and people came together when 01:04:26.750 --> 01:04:30.349 people tried to take us out so um thank you for 01:04:30.349 --> 01:04:32.630 letting me you know opine on a lot of this stuff 01:04:32.630 --> 01:04:36.010 tonight um and i and i'm just so excited for 01:04:36.010 --> 01:04:38.409 the future this what these last 24 hours should 01:04:38.409 --> 01:04:41.590 show you you know taking the key out of it take 01:04:41.590 --> 01:04:44.190 grabbing out of it you should be so excited and 01:04:44.190 --> 01:04:46.510 so you know thrilled that you have an owner in 01:04:46.510 --> 01:04:53.059 brett johnson that has such a you know a deep 01:04:53.059 --> 01:04:55.579 commitment to this club and to this state that 01:04:55.579 --> 01:04:57.980 we have something special here for generations 01:04:57.980 --> 01:05:01.820 to come. So thank you. Agreed. Tom Quinlan, where 01:05:01.820 --> 01:05:03.360 can people find you before they go? I'm sure 01:05:03.360 --> 01:05:04.980 everyone listening knows you already, but where 01:05:04.980 --> 01:05:07.519 can people find you? So we do the broadcasts 01:05:07.519 --> 01:05:09.360 on 790 The Score. I'm the play -by -play announcer 01:05:09.360 --> 01:05:12.280 for Rhode Island FC. We usually start right at 01:05:12.280 --> 01:05:17.360 kickoff for... away games usually start about 01:05:17.360 --> 01:05:20.400 five minutes before You know during home games. 01:05:20.639 --> 01:05:23.059 So follow me on Twitter at Tommy from an underscore 01:05:23.059 --> 01:05:27.559 IV for all that and You know, I I love this club. 01:05:27.559 --> 01:05:31.079 I love you guys and Just let's listen. Let's 01:05:31.079 --> 01:05:33.559 keep rolling here boys. We have that's all that's 01:05:33.559 --> 01:05:35.539 that's really all I've taken away from the last 01:05:35.539 --> 01:05:40.000 24 hours train keeps moving Defend the wall Defend 01:05:40.000 --> 01:05:41.840 the wall. That's Tom Quillen everyone. We'll 01:05:41.840 --> 01:05:46.739 see you soon. Tom. I love you. Thanks Tom All 01:05:46.739 --> 01:05:49.500 right. Now back to the regular show. Leave it 01:05:49.500 --> 01:05:52.539 to Tom to drop some cussing into our show. It's 01:05:52.539 --> 01:05:55.559 happened, what, three times in 235 episodes? 01:05:55.619 --> 01:05:58.179 So we'll probably edit that out. Yeah, I can't, 01:05:58.179 --> 01:06:00.320 you know. Maybe we won't because it's going to 01:06:00.320 --> 01:06:02.320 be such a long episode. I won't have time to 01:06:02.320 --> 01:06:04.860 pull it back. So we're going to go back through 01:06:04.860 --> 01:06:07.280 now the regular show that we had planned before 01:06:07.280 --> 01:06:10.099 any of this dropped earlier today. So for those 01:06:10.099 --> 01:06:13.480 of you that are listening... I'm sorry if you 01:06:13.480 --> 01:06:14.639 stayed this long and didn't want to hear it. 01:06:14.659 --> 01:06:16.199 And if you didn't, I don't care. I'm not cutting 01:06:16.199 --> 01:06:17.780 this up into two parts. You're getting a two 01:06:17.780 --> 01:06:21.079 hour show. So let's reset and let's start here, 01:06:21.199 --> 01:06:23.059 Jason, with the news we thought we were opening 01:06:23.059 --> 01:06:27.179 with. And that was that the game is gone. Reports 01:06:27.179 --> 01:06:29.559 here from the athletic, the new company that 01:06:29.559 --> 01:06:32.159 we were going to be calling FIFA Forward Enterprises 01:06:32.159 --> 01:06:35.920 or FFE was going to have FIFA prepared to sell 01:06:35.920 --> 01:06:39.619 up to 21%. are what we would call four point 01:06:39.619 --> 01:06:43.280 two billion dollars into the governing body of 01:06:43.280 --> 01:06:46.480 the World Cup, allowing a majority of retained 01:06:46.480 --> 01:06:50.139 control. What are we doing here, Jason? Is the 01:06:50.139 --> 01:06:52.860 is FIFA for sale? I didn't think that's how governing 01:06:52.860 --> 01:06:55.980 bodies worked. Oh, man. I mean, the the corruption 01:06:55.980 --> 01:06:58.780 train just went full steam ahead as soon as the 01:06:58.780 --> 01:07:01.519 World Cup's over, didn't it? I mean, it's you 01:07:01.519 --> 01:07:03.360 know, let's just take our beloved tournament 01:07:03.360 --> 01:07:05.960 to private equity and let's just get a watered 01:07:05.960 --> 01:07:08.889 down tournament like Late -stage capitalism strike 01:07:08.889 --> 01:07:11.010 again. Like let's all celebrate in the streets. 01:07:11.090 --> 01:07:14.550 Am I right? I these are the things that cause 01:07:14.550 --> 01:07:17.929 Riots and revolutions you'd think that the you 01:07:17.929 --> 01:07:19.909 think that the leaders of this world especially 01:07:19.909 --> 01:07:22.349 this free world would know better Zlatan had 01:07:22.349 --> 01:07:24.769 a scathing conversation about it today. I was 01:07:24.769 --> 01:07:28.429 really enjoying it luckily cooler heads prevailed 01:07:28.570 --> 01:07:32.090 UEFA and CONCACAF already out in support or lack 01:07:32.090 --> 01:07:34.889 thereof I should say of this initiative of this 01:07:34.889 --> 01:07:37.769 establishment of giving every country a 20 or 01:07:37.769 --> 01:07:40.730 40 million dollar gift to lose their rights forever 01:07:40.730 --> 01:07:43.530 in FIFA management of the World Cup and it's 01:07:43.530 --> 01:07:46.010 you know qualifying and its other entities it's 01:07:46.010 --> 01:07:48.210 good to see that these groups are coming out 01:07:48.210 --> 01:07:50.659 against this But how do we get Infantino out 01:07:50.659 --> 01:07:52.519 now at this point? And how do we make sure this 01:07:52.519 --> 01:07:55.039 never happens again? I think Infantino spent 01:07:55.039 --> 01:07:57.179 a little bit too much time in America. I think 01:07:57.179 --> 01:07:59.840 he learned from a certain other person, like 01:07:59.840 --> 01:08:02.300 a playbook where you just tell them exactly what 01:08:02.300 --> 01:08:05.300 you're going to do and this be completely openly 01:08:05.300 --> 01:08:07.179 corrupt. And there's no repercussions for it. 01:08:07.179 --> 01:08:10.900 Like, what are they going to do? OK, it's over. 01:08:11.000 --> 01:08:12.960 At least we think it will be because with UEFA 01:08:12.960 --> 01:08:15.179 standing strong, usually the rest of the dominoes 01:08:15.179 --> 01:08:17.479 in terms of the confederations without UEFA, 01:08:17.479 --> 01:08:20.420 there is no There's no world cup. I mean granted 01:08:20.420 --> 01:08:22.859 common ball, but like they're just gonna wait 01:08:22.859 --> 01:08:25.020 and like side They're like they're like switzerland 01:08:25.020 --> 01:08:27.060 even though switzerland the uef when they already 01:08:27.060 --> 01:08:29.319 did a vote I guess that's the first time switzerland 01:08:29.319 --> 01:08:31.939 has ever had to make a vote in something Interesting. 01:08:32.039 --> 01:08:34.380 I just don't want to ask this question now because 01:08:34.380 --> 01:08:37.199 this will I think forever tarnish the legacy 01:08:37.199 --> 01:08:40.220 of infantino Is he worse than bladder yet? Or 01:08:40.220 --> 01:08:42.539 does he have a lot more corruption before he 01:08:42.539 --> 01:08:45.560 had set bladder territory? I think They're pretty 01:08:45.560 --> 01:08:48.220 close right there. Like if we had a Mount Rushmore 01:08:48.220 --> 01:08:52.039 of corrupt FIFA, they're just, they're neck and 01:08:52.039 --> 01:08:53.119 neck right next to each other. Would it just 01:08:53.119 --> 01:08:55.119 be the two of them twice for now until we get 01:08:55.119 --> 01:08:56.979 two more corrupt FIFA leaders at some point? 01:08:57.180 --> 01:08:58.619 Or are there? There's some more. What was that 01:08:58.619 --> 01:09:02.479 guy from? Was it Jack something? Or Chuck Jack 01:09:02.479 --> 01:09:05.039 or something like that? There was some guy. I 01:09:05.039 --> 01:09:09.680 mean, yeah, you know, if there was some sort 01:09:09.680 --> 01:09:12.520 of different organ. you know, organization may 01:09:12.520 --> 01:09:14.039 be in our government. I would assume the FBI 01:09:14.039 --> 01:09:18.699 would be all over this. Um, you know, well, it 01:09:18.699 --> 01:09:21.760 remains to be seen what's happening, you know, 01:09:21.819 --> 01:09:25.859 to, to quote the infamous Taylor twelman. What 01:09:25.859 --> 01:09:29.380 are we doing here guys? Like what, what is this? 01:09:29.380 --> 01:09:32.510 Spoiler alert. Infantino. probably almost became 01:09:32.510 --> 01:09:34.329 the secret investor for Rhode Island of Sea. 01:09:34.489 --> 01:09:36.770 Good thing Brett Johnson has an excellent judge 01:09:36.770 --> 01:09:39.289 of character when it comes to these types of 01:09:39.289 --> 01:09:42.090 things. Going further into this, moving on in 01:09:42.090 --> 01:09:46.270 other news, back to the USL here, a new technology 01:09:46.270 --> 01:09:50.350 emerging for USL in trial now. football video 01:09:50.350 --> 01:09:53.130 support enters the USL here. It was announced 01:09:53.130 --> 01:09:55.989 earlier today that the USL plans to become the 01:09:55.989 --> 01:09:57.750 first professional competition in the United 01:09:57.750 --> 01:10:00.529 States to implement this technology, and they're 01:10:00.529 --> 01:10:02.250 going to implement it during the final stages 01:10:02.250 --> 01:10:06.050 of the 2026 Prinks Tires USL Cup, and then the 01:10:06.050 --> 01:10:08.189 interleague competition. Of course, they want 01:10:08.189 --> 01:10:11.090 to be really clear in saying this is not VAR. 01:10:12.649 --> 01:10:15.489 That being said, This technology is designed 01:10:15.489 --> 01:10:18.329 in lieu of all of the necessary cameras of how 01:10:18.329 --> 01:10:23.350 VAR works to provide a different version of analysis 01:10:23.350 --> 01:10:26.630 and secondary reffing and understanding of what's 01:10:26.630 --> 01:10:29.050 going on on the pitch when it comes to those 01:10:29.050 --> 01:10:31.050 key match decisions. And the really critical 01:10:31.050 --> 01:10:34.310 thing here is that what it can cover, because 01:10:34.310 --> 01:10:36.229 I think people are saying, oh, game's gone again 01:10:36.229 --> 01:10:38.449 because a lot of people don't like VAR, right? 01:10:38.649 --> 01:10:40.090 Some people like it, some people are okay with 01:10:40.090 --> 01:10:42.229 it, but a lot of people still hate it. people 01:10:42.229 --> 01:10:44.210 are fearing that we're moving in the wrong direction 01:10:44.210 --> 01:10:47.189 with this technology. Right now, this new FVS 01:10:47.189 --> 01:10:50.289 system will only be used to provide clear and 01:10:50.289 --> 01:10:53.050 possible, or excuse me, clear and obvious errors 01:10:53.050 --> 01:10:56.710 around serious missed incidents involving goals 01:10:56.710 --> 01:10:59.739 or no goals. penalties or no penalties, direct 01:10:59.739 --> 01:11:02.760 reds, and mistaken identity where a card would 01:11:02.760 --> 01:11:04.859 send off the other player. So not even if it's 01:11:04.859 --> 01:11:06.539 just the yellow card given to the wrong player, 01:11:07.020 --> 01:11:09.079 it's only if that yellow card would result in 01:11:09.079 --> 01:11:11.720 a rejection. So very much similar to VAR, but 01:11:11.720 --> 01:11:13.500 instead the way they're going to use this technology 01:11:13.500 --> 01:11:15.180 is just refs are going to be watching the game 01:11:15.180 --> 01:11:19.039 as a secondary, tertiary kind of backup. and 01:11:19.039 --> 01:11:20.859 making sure that the head ref, the assistant 01:11:20.859 --> 01:11:23.239 refs didn't miss something along the way. There's 01:11:23.239 --> 01:11:25.699 no additional, we're not using fall line technology, 01:11:25.920 --> 01:11:28.079 we're not using goal technology, we're not using 01:11:28.079 --> 01:11:31.300 anything like that. It's just a set of eyes watching 01:11:31.300 --> 01:11:33.939 a screen intently and trying to help assist in 01:11:33.939 --> 01:11:36.659 the head ref making the best possible decisions 01:11:36.659 --> 01:11:40.880 on the pitch. Any thoughts, any concerns about 01:11:40.880 --> 01:11:43.819 this? And is the Pring Stire Cup the right place 01:11:43.819 --> 01:11:46.319 to test run this? I think that's a good place 01:11:46.319 --> 01:11:48.859 to test run it. You always want to try in somewhat 01:11:48.859 --> 01:11:51.680 of a little bit. I don't want to say more low 01:11:51.680 --> 01:11:53.760 stakes in a sense that it doesn't matter, but 01:11:53.760 --> 01:11:57.319 it is always good opportunity to test them in, 01:11:57.319 --> 01:12:01.960 if you will, other competitions. I'm open to 01:12:01.960 --> 01:12:04.420 the idea. Kind of want to see how it's actually 01:12:04.420 --> 01:12:07.600 implemented. So definitely be paying attention 01:12:07.600 --> 01:12:11.180 to this competition as it wraps up to. see if 01:12:11.180 --> 01:12:14.359 we get any instances of it being used, what that 01:12:14.359 --> 01:12:17.840 looks like and if there's like, you know, slowing 01:12:17.840 --> 01:12:20.060 down of the game that everyone kind of hates 01:12:20.060 --> 01:12:23.960 about VAR or like, will the video system all 01:12:23.960 --> 01:12:26.039 of a sudden still get the wrong call? And they're 01:12:26.039 --> 01:12:28.300 like, cool, it's nothing, nothing has changed. 01:12:29.350 --> 01:12:31.829 I mean, it'll be a wait and see. Some people 01:12:31.829 --> 01:12:33.930 argue that these technologies are there to support. 01:12:34.270 --> 01:12:36.930 Some say that it ruins the spirit of the competition 01:12:36.930 --> 01:12:39.510 and others say it makes refs lazy because they 01:12:39.510 --> 01:12:41.850 have this fallback even though when VAR does 01:12:41.850 --> 01:12:43.590 make a challenge, they still have their egos 01:12:43.590 --> 01:12:46.270 bruised and don't go with the decision. I can't 01:12:46.270 --> 01:12:48.529 wait to see it happen. Again, it's in trial. 01:12:48.729 --> 01:12:50.789 I'm sure if this goes well for the rest of the 01:12:50.789 --> 01:12:53.829 season, it will be implemented in its continuation 01:12:53.829 --> 01:12:55.770 into the regular season at both Championship 01:12:55.770 --> 01:12:58.369 and USL One levels. And I'm sure they probably 01:12:58.369 --> 01:13:00.670 need this technology online for what they want 01:13:00.670 --> 01:13:03.489 to do next for their premier aspirations. So 01:13:03.489 --> 01:13:05.449 when you have an ambition like that, you've got 01:13:05.449 --> 01:13:07.229 to get those things in order and it's best to 01:13:07.229 --> 01:13:09.270 trial it now. I think it's a good kind of compromise, 01:13:09.449 --> 01:13:11.210 right? In a sense of like, we're going to become 01:13:11.210 --> 01:13:16.010 D1. Can we maybe far also like let's be honest 01:13:16.010 --> 01:13:18.930 maybe that is an expense a little bit too far 01:13:18.930 --> 01:13:21.550 for the media see what if we try out something 01:13:21.550 --> 01:13:23.989 new if it works out well we can implement that 01:13:23.989 --> 01:13:26.130 too and that kind of adds to the credibility 01:13:26.130 --> 01:13:29.000 of the league if you want to. One of those things 01:13:29.000 --> 01:13:31.560 Kat is asking in there, is there additional refs 01:13:31.560 --> 01:13:35.600 to this or can they go to the screen and do a 01:13:35.600 --> 01:13:39.279 review of this? It is actually supposed to be 01:13:39.279 --> 01:13:42.520 a secondary ref who's monitoring on screens. 01:13:42.779 --> 01:13:45.260 There are camera setups for a ref to go if they 01:13:45.260 --> 01:13:48.619 have confusion or conflicting perspective between 01:13:48.619 --> 01:13:51.140 the line refs and the head ref, but the technology 01:13:51.140 --> 01:13:54.439 is designed basically to provide clear and obvious, 01:13:54.779 --> 01:13:57.920 or not clear and obvious, sorry, clear video 01:13:57.920 --> 01:14:00.180 watching capabilities for a secondary person 01:14:00.180 --> 01:14:02.300 to make that decision. Now the interesting part 01:14:02.300 --> 01:14:04.500 to it is what we've been understood so far is 01:14:04.500 --> 01:14:07.239 also the way a team can request a review and 01:14:07.239 --> 01:14:08.819 that that's one of those things in the trial 01:14:08.819 --> 01:14:11.560 phase where if a referee overturned it they can 01:14:11.560 --> 01:14:14.079 say hey this isn't the right decision. Now I 01:14:14.079 --> 01:14:16.380 don't know to Kat's point if the the refs that 01:14:16.380 --> 01:14:18.439 are being assigned for the Prinks Tire Cup matches 01:14:18.439 --> 01:14:20.800 are in addition to make sure the technology works 01:14:20.800 --> 01:14:23.760 and it's more of like an IT vendor there on site 01:14:23.760 --> 01:14:25.970 that also knows game. Or if this will strictly 01:14:25.970 --> 01:14:28.409 be something on the pitch where they come in, 01:14:28.590 --> 01:14:30.789 they stop the game, they go over and assess it. 01:14:31.130 --> 01:14:32.949 I've heard a combination of the two things. So 01:14:32.949 --> 01:14:35.210 we'll have to get closer to that. But either 01:14:35.210 --> 01:14:37.510 way, even if there's any additional technology 01:14:37.510 --> 01:14:39.789 and whatever this challenge system looks like, 01:14:40.710 --> 01:14:43.170 it will be interesting. And yes, Derek, so that's 01:14:43.170 --> 01:14:44.489 what I'm trying to say. Sorry, I didn't mean 01:14:44.489 --> 01:14:47.199 the extra like. someone say that I met as the 01:14:47.199 --> 01:14:48.539 fourth official there will be another set of 01:14:48.539 --> 01:14:50.880 eyes who can review the technology so I apologize 01:14:50.880 --> 01:14:53.000 for that guys that's where this is going but 01:14:53.000 --> 01:14:54.939 let's move on and let's talk about some good 01:14:54.939 --> 01:14:57.140 news here in the league and that is of course 01:14:57.140 --> 01:15:00.659 the resigning not resigning but the resigning 01:15:00.659 --> 01:15:03.939 because we saw the typo it looks like Koke Vegas 01:15:03.939 --> 01:15:06.020 Amos Shapiro Thompson and Hugo Bacharach have 01:15:06.020 --> 01:15:10.670 all resigned from Rhode Island FC No, despite 01:15:10.670 --> 01:15:14.189 what the typos may say, Rhode Island FC resigns 01:15:14.189 --> 01:15:16.729 goalkeeper Koke Vegas, midfielder Amos Shapiro 01:15:16.729 --> 01:15:20.130 -Thompson and defender or guess midfielder Ugo 01:15:20.130 --> 01:15:23.729 Baccarac. Rhode Island FC announced today that 01:15:23.729 --> 01:15:26.909 it has resigned Koke Vegas, Amos Shapiro -Thompson 01:15:26.909 --> 01:15:30.430 and Ugo Baccarac ahead of the 2027 USL Championship 01:15:30.430 --> 01:15:33.069 season. Vegas and Shapiro Thompson, a pair of 01:15:33.069 --> 01:15:35.170 the club's original signings, will return for 01:15:35.170 --> 01:15:37.430 a fourth season in the Amber and Blue, while 01:15:37.430 --> 01:15:39.750 Bacharach will play his third season in the Ocean 01:15:39.750 --> 01:15:42.149 State. The trio of players are the first to re 01:15:42.149 --> 01:15:45.649 -sign with the club for 2027 and beyond. Gokke, 01:15:45.710 --> 01:15:48.390 Amos and Hugo have been key players for us and 01:15:48.390 --> 01:15:50.130 bringing them back is crucial to maintaining 01:15:50.130 --> 01:15:52.930 our success, said Rhode Island FC head coach 01:15:52.930 --> 01:15:55.529 and general manager Kano Smith. We are excited 01:15:55.529 --> 01:15:58.210 to bring a strong core of players into the 2027 01:15:58.210 --> 01:16:01.060 season. as we continue to build on the club's 01:16:01.060 --> 01:16:03.720 culture. So unlike previous seasons where they've 01:16:03.720 --> 01:16:06.180 hinted at multi -year deals, these all seem like 01:16:06.180 --> 01:16:09.439 they are single -year extensions that bring them 01:16:09.439 --> 01:16:12.680 into the 2028 landscape. Jason, I want to talk 01:16:12.680 --> 01:16:14.460 about Koke Vega separately in a second, but do 01:16:14.460 --> 01:16:16.840 we think that that's intentional to prepare for 01:16:16.840 --> 01:16:19.319 USL Premier in the event that suddenly if we 01:16:19.319 --> 01:16:21.359 go to Division 1 and there's more table stakes 01:16:21.359 --> 01:16:23.680 that are larger than ever that we may need to 01:16:23.680 --> 01:16:26.189 change the composition of this roster? Is that 01:16:26.189 --> 01:16:27.810 intentional by design that they didn't say because 01:16:27.810 --> 01:16:30.149 in the past they have said multi -year? I think 01:16:30.149 --> 01:16:35.250 it's possible. You don't want to kind of like, 01:16:35.250 --> 01:16:38.090 you know, also lose players on free. We also 01:16:38.090 --> 01:16:39.970 just recently saw that one of our players was 01:16:39.970 --> 01:16:42.569 loaned out. And so I think you also take a look 01:16:42.569 --> 01:16:46.130 at your players and think about who are your 01:16:46.130 --> 01:16:49.130 quote unquote most valuable players. If we're 01:16:49.130 --> 01:16:50.909 being honest here, Koke is probably going to 01:16:50.909 --> 01:16:53.289 stay here as he's on the wrong side of 30, right? 01:16:53.350 --> 01:16:55.649 I don't expect a keeper like that to be moving 01:16:55.649 --> 01:17:00.189 to MLS, but you have hugely successful, you know, 01:17:00.289 --> 01:17:03.310 players in Amos and Ugo for us that could be 01:17:03.310 --> 01:17:06.550 viewed as assets to, you know, maybe at some 01:17:06.550 --> 01:17:09.449 point, if not, bolster our squad also be sold 01:17:09.449 --> 01:17:11.869 on for some potential profit in the future. So 01:17:11.869 --> 01:17:13.729 then the real question back to you said a second 01:17:13.729 --> 01:17:16.420 ago, Koke Vegas. He's starting to get long in 01:17:16.420 --> 01:17:18.920 the tooth, getting older. Now granted, a keeper 01:17:18.920 --> 01:17:21.399 can hold on a lot longer. The vitality is there. 01:17:21.840 --> 01:17:23.880 At what point does this become the conversation 01:17:23.880 --> 01:17:26.840 one year too long versus one year too early? 01:17:27.100 --> 01:17:29.380 Because you never want to, as a club, as a head 01:17:29.380 --> 01:17:30.920 coach, as an owner, you never want to hold on 01:17:30.920 --> 01:17:33.720 to a player longer. than you should because of 01:17:33.720 --> 01:17:36.539 the money wasted, the injuries, the lack of performance, 01:17:36.659 --> 01:17:39.520 the dip in performance versus sell them. Even 01:17:39.520 --> 01:17:42.720 if it's a year earlier, you get that value out 01:17:42.720 --> 01:17:45.140 of them. You move on and you start building for 01:17:45.140 --> 01:17:47.359 the next big thing. Again, I don't know where 01:17:47.359 --> 01:17:50.060 Koke fits in that timeline, but when do we start 01:17:50.060 --> 01:17:52.560 asking ourselves? Is it one year too early or 01:17:52.560 --> 01:17:54.579 is it one year too late? No, good question. But 01:17:54.579 --> 01:17:56.739 I don't think he's had any dip in form to make 01:17:56.739 --> 01:18:00.359 us question that. And we've seen very good goalkeepers 01:18:00.359 --> 01:18:03.670 can play till they're pretty much 40. So I at 01:18:03.670 --> 01:18:05.930 this point, like I don't even think there's a 01:18:05.930 --> 01:18:08.770 reason for us to have any concerns for for one 01:18:08.770 --> 01:18:12.390 of two things until he's either hitting 35 or 01:18:12.390 --> 01:18:16.449 we see a massive dip in form. I remember my goalkeeping 01:18:16.449 --> 01:18:20.149 just went right out the window at 35. So I agree. 01:18:20.229 --> 01:18:23.890 Moving on to other news within the RFC universe, 01:18:23.930 --> 01:18:26.489 going into a little bit of alumni updates. Marky 01:18:26.489 --> 01:18:30.380 Barra now. assistant coach. It was released earlier 01:18:30.380 --> 01:18:33.279 this week that the University of Las Vegas men's 01:18:33.279 --> 01:18:35.619 soccer head coach BJ Craig announced the addition 01:18:35.619 --> 01:18:38.680 of Marky Barra from the Las Vegas Lights as an 01:18:38.680 --> 01:18:41.420 assistant coach to his staff. Craig went on to 01:18:41.420 --> 01:18:42.880 say, we're very excited and grateful to have 01:18:42.880 --> 01:18:45.220 Marky Barra join us. Mark is a top player in 01:18:45.220 --> 01:18:47.739 person. He is passionate about the game and coaching, 01:18:47.920 --> 01:18:50.279 has great skill sets and will be another great 01:18:50.279 --> 01:18:53.979 addition to our staff at UNLV. This is confusing 01:18:53.979 --> 01:18:56.079 because he bars joining this rebel program mid 01:18:56.079 --> 01:18:59.159 season and the way The news article listed it. 01:18:59.359 --> 01:19:01.920 It sounded like Ibarra was hanging up his boots. 01:19:02.060 --> 01:19:06.279 It went on to say Ibarra played professionally 01:19:06.279 --> 01:19:09.260 over the course of four years. Most recently 01:19:09.260 --> 01:19:11.500 with like an obituary with his club at the Las 01:19:11.500 --> 01:19:14.199 Vegas Lights. Right. The weird thing is when 01:19:14.199 --> 01:19:16.819 I read it, I was like, well, is Mark Ibarra retiring 01:19:16.819 --> 01:19:18.699 as a player to take this role on? Is he double 01:19:18.699 --> 01:19:20.840 dipping? I go and look at Fop Mob and he played 01:19:20.840 --> 01:19:23.550 90 minutes, five days ago. So. Does this just 01:19:23.550 --> 01:19:25.590 poorly constructed and we expect him to be both 01:19:25.590 --> 01:19:27.850 a player for the lights and then a continued 01:19:27.850 --> 01:19:30.029 coach? Does he have Las Vegas? Does he have like 01:19:30.029 --> 01:19:34.989 a identical twin? Not that I'm aware. Not that 01:19:34.989 --> 01:19:36.649 I'm aware. Maybe he spells it with Mark with 01:19:36.649 --> 01:19:38.970 a K at the end. I don't know. But either way, 01:19:39.109 --> 01:19:41.430 good for Mark and maybe for the lights. It sounds 01:19:41.430 --> 01:19:43.449 like they may have a journeyman for as long as 01:19:43.449 --> 01:19:46.210 Mark wants to continue to play if he's now potentially 01:19:46.210 --> 01:19:48.909 working on his coaching degree and his coaching 01:19:48.909 --> 01:19:51.229 licenses, so to speak, here with the university. 01:19:51.449 --> 01:19:53.550 Oh, yeah, absolutely. It's good for a lot of 01:19:53.550 --> 01:19:56.510 these players to kind of think about, you know, 01:19:56.670 --> 01:20:00.810 post career. How do I like post soccer playing 01:20:00.810 --> 01:20:03.909 career? Like where where do I go next? And to 01:20:03.909 --> 01:20:06.010 have it kind of already lined up that he's going 01:20:06.010 --> 01:20:09.010 to go into coaching. Perfect for him. Yeah. Cat 01:20:09.010 --> 01:20:10.649 and a couple others, I think Derek in there as 01:20:10.649 --> 01:20:13.130 well. Bringing back up, it is the fourth official 01:20:13.130 --> 01:20:15.909 for that video football system. Guys, it's been 01:20:15.909 --> 01:20:17.649 a long day. I'm tired. I'm going to make some 01:20:17.649 --> 01:20:21.529 mistakes. But unlike Pablo Torre and the WPRI 01:20:21.529 --> 01:20:23.989 news team I will accept that I've made a mistake 01:20:23.989 --> 01:20:25.869 and take accountability for it So thank you for 01:20:25.869 --> 01:20:28.710 holding me accountable in the chat Jason a little 01:20:28.710 --> 01:20:31.390 bit news left to go so much more actually I should 01:20:31.390 --> 01:20:36.130 say Maybe you're a firework Yeah, our FC announced 01:20:36.130 --> 01:20:38.850 that their September 19th home match against 01:20:38.850 --> 01:20:42.789 the Miami FC will have a fireworks show following 01:20:42.789 --> 01:20:45.550 the match The only fireworks I'm gonna be seeing 01:20:45.550 --> 01:20:49.029 that night is Fred Durst though The funny thing, 01:20:49.189 --> 01:20:51.369 it's not funny, but I do believe that they are 01:20:51.369 --> 01:20:53.590 doing this one because of the rain out that forced 01:20:53.590 --> 01:20:55.489 some of these other fireworks shows, and also 01:20:55.489 --> 01:20:57.989 maybe in the effort to close the gap on getting 01:20:57.989 --> 01:21:00.529 some additional solids. They know the power that 01:21:00.529 --> 01:21:02.930 fireworks has over Rhode Islanders. Is there 01:21:02.930 --> 01:21:05.130 anything more to that than this simple butts 01:21:05.130 --> 01:21:08.390 and seats transaction? No, absolutely. It's, 01:21:08.470 --> 01:21:10.229 you know, anyone who's been in the state knows 01:21:10.229 --> 01:21:14.319 that it rains on a lot of Saturdays. Apparently 01:21:14.319 --> 01:21:16.439 not the ones where we play away games, but anytime 01:21:16.439 --> 01:21:18.939 we're at home, it's gonna rain So if you're a 01:21:18.939 --> 01:21:20.720 legacy fan in living in Rhode Island, you're 01:21:20.720 --> 01:21:22.439 having the best life possible this summer If 01:21:22.439 --> 01:21:23.920 you're a Rhode Islander see fan living in Rhode 01:21:23.920 --> 01:21:28.000 Island There's room to improve. Yeah. Yeah quick 01:21:28.000 --> 01:21:31.020 shout because we jumped over it You go back rack 01:21:31.020 --> 01:21:34.640 made a team of the week here. Um, but you know 01:21:35.640 --> 01:21:38.199 there's so much news did you know we signed another 01:21:38.199 --> 01:21:42.159 player today yeah and so got the got the bean 01:21:42.159 --> 01:21:44.899 spilled to me uh late last night that alone was 01:21:44.899 --> 01:21:47.300 inbound did not think that this was going to 01:21:47.300 --> 01:21:50.840 happen jason because of the breaking kawaii lennard 01:21:50.840 --> 01:21:52.420 stuff thought hey maybe maybe they're going to 01:21:52.420 --> 01:21:54.020 pause this so they can build this up for another 01:21:54.020 --> 01:21:57.140 day but head coach Conor Smith's like not today. 01:21:57.359 --> 01:21:59.159 I'm not letting any basketball player get in 01:21:59.159 --> 01:22:02.039 my way. If anything more eyes on us might as 01:22:02.039 --> 01:22:05.039 well announce tons of things. So Rhode Island 01:22:05.039 --> 01:22:08.779 FC announced today it has acquired forward Yutaro 01:22:08.779 --> 01:22:12.300 Tsukada from Major League Soccer Organization 01:22:12.300 --> 01:22:15.239 Orlando City SC on loan for the remainder of 01:22:15.239 --> 01:22:18.539 the 2026 season pending league and Federation 01:22:18.539 --> 01:22:22.039 approval the 2024 first round MLS Super draft 01:22:22.039 --> 01:22:24.600 pick joins the club after spending the first 01:22:24.600 --> 01:22:26.960 two seasons of his professional career with Orlando 01:22:26.960 --> 01:22:29.800 and will be available for selection for Saturday's 01:22:29.800 --> 01:22:32.600 game against The Birmingham Legion FC. And there's 01:22:32.600 --> 01:22:34.939 one thing I've learned. Jason Kano Smith. He 01:22:34.939 --> 01:22:38.000 loves Japanese players and he loves the 2024 01:22:38.000 --> 01:22:40.760 MLS Super draft picks because that is where so 01:22:40.760 --> 01:22:43.640 many of these players come from. He actually 01:22:43.640 --> 01:22:45.319 went on to say you Taro is a creative winger 01:22:45.319 --> 01:22:48.359 with an eye for goal and his technical ability 01:22:48.359 --> 01:22:50.960 and pace will help drive or attack forward. This 01:22:50.960 --> 01:22:53.359 creativity will add yet another dimension to 01:22:53.359 --> 01:22:57.369 our squad. Yeah, Utah's professional career began 01:22:57.369 --> 01:23:00.350 when Orlando City SC selected him 25th overall 01:23:00.350 --> 01:23:03.890 in the first round of the 2024 MLS Super draft. 01:23:04.250 --> 01:23:06.890 Sukada signed with the club's MLS Next Pro Reserve 01:23:06.890 --> 01:23:09.829 team Orlando City B, where he made an immediate 01:23:09.829 --> 01:23:12.810 impact in a breakout rookie season. The Tokyo 01:23:12.810 --> 01:23:14.970 Japan native finished third on the team with 01:23:14.970 --> 01:23:18.329 seven goals and second with seven assists in 01:23:18.329 --> 01:23:22.180 22 MLS Next Pro regular season appearances. 20 01:23:22.180 --> 01:23:24.420 of which were starts. The impressive string of 01:23:24.420 --> 01:23:26.760 performance earned him five call -ups to Orlando 01:23:26.760 --> 01:23:29.680 City's first team in 2024, and he eventually 01:23:29.680 --> 01:23:33.340 signed with MLS club for the 2025 season. Although 01:23:33.340 --> 01:23:36.020 an ACL tear did sideline him for the entirety 01:23:36.020 --> 01:23:38.760 of the 2025 season, the winger returned to the 01:23:38.760 --> 01:23:42.840 club in 2026, where he logged 281 goals in six 01:23:42.840 --> 01:23:46.140 appearances. 281 minutes. He did not log 211 01:23:46.140 --> 01:23:47.619 goals. You're tired too. It's fine. Yeah, it's 01:23:47.619 --> 01:23:52.380 been a long, long time. 281 minutes. Imagine 01:23:52.380 --> 01:23:55.460 go if he got 281 goals and six appearances we 01:23:55.460 --> 01:23:58.840 couldn't afford him Yeah, um the teams he did 01:23:58.840 --> 01:24:03.020 that too. Yeah, I Got a you know, of course I 01:24:03.020 --> 01:24:05.579 had to work so not a lot of time to do some research 01:24:05.579 --> 01:24:07.479 on it Don't apologize, but I did watch I did 01:24:07.479 --> 01:24:09.779 watch his highlight reels and he does seem to 01:24:09.779 --> 01:24:14.020 prefer coming from the left So I assume that's 01:24:14.020 --> 01:24:15.920 you know, that's where we're gonna employ him 01:24:15.920 --> 01:24:19.760 So to two things one 14 goals in his in his MLS 01:24:19.760 --> 01:24:23.159 next Pro Season across 20 games is not nothing 01:24:23.159 --> 01:24:25.819 but that was two years ago when you factor in 01:24:25.819 --> 01:24:28.600 his ACL tear second We also know that Kano Smith 01:24:28.600 --> 01:24:31.439 he loves taking wounded warriors into this club 01:24:31.439 --> 01:24:34.460 think about Amish Shapira Thompson off of ACL 01:24:34.460 --> 01:24:37.199 tear and a lot of time missed I think if you 01:24:37.199 --> 01:24:39.460 go back Iraq same thing had knee problems coming 01:24:39.460 --> 01:24:42.319 into it Connor McGlynn had knee problems. We 01:24:42.319 --> 01:24:45.239 inherited a broken JJ Williams That's home for 01:24:45.239 --> 01:24:47.840 the broken in the dam. He it might be it might 01:24:47.840 --> 01:24:51.020 be so my first question is Where do we think 01:24:51.020 --> 01:24:54.039 this player's actual rehabilitation and ceiling 01:24:54.039 --> 01:24:57.439 could be in trying to get eyes back on him to 01:24:57.439 --> 01:25:00.180 reignite his career? Is this is the right move? 01:25:00.180 --> 01:25:02.420 I think from a competition level, it's above 01:25:02.420 --> 01:25:05.880 next pro, it's below MLS. But where do we see 01:25:05.880 --> 01:25:08.460 this guy's ceiling based on the information we 01:25:08.460 --> 01:25:12.380 have at hand? I mean, I feel like this is the 01:25:12.380 --> 01:25:18.640 in kind of the. That zone, like you said, right, 01:25:18.720 --> 01:25:20.779 where he's somewhere in between. I think at this 01:25:20.779 --> 01:25:22.479 point we're taking a chance on that he's good 01:25:22.479 --> 01:25:25.960 enough for this level and that he might prove 01:25:25.960 --> 01:25:28.579 us that he can play at a higher level and make 01:25:28.579 --> 01:25:31.319 that jump back to MLS. I mean it's just alone 01:25:31.319 --> 01:25:34.000 at this point too and in our experiences with 01:25:34.000 --> 01:25:36.420 loans they usually tend to do pretty well and 01:25:36.420 --> 01:25:38.500 we lose them pretty Orlando City recall happening 01:25:38.500 --> 01:25:42.359 in six weeks guys. So I mean if this just kind 01:25:42.359 --> 01:25:45.600 of gets us through a bump while some of our players 01:25:45.600 --> 01:25:49.619 kind of come back to health. Maybe like a Corcoran 01:25:49.619 --> 01:25:52.739 last year if you will. I mean, I don't hate it. 01:25:52.859 --> 01:25:54.479 Okay, but then the other question is we've heard 01:25:54.479 --> 01:25:58.520 Kano say Repeatedly this season that any acquisitions 01:25:58.520 --> 01:26:01.319 he has are to make the squad better where do 01:26:01.319 --> 01:26:03.720 we rate this then especially as a winger a position 01:26:03.720 --> 01:26:07.000 that we thought we had enough of is this a is 01:26:07.000 --> 01:26:10.020 this just simply a gogo peters replacement because 01:26:10.020 --> 01:26:11.979 we didn't have an additional forward attacking 01:26:11.979 --> 01:26:14.420 piece or is this designed to put pressure on 01:26:14.420 --> 01:26:17.199 the likes of leo afonso i mean no if he's on 01:26:17.199 --> 01:26:19.260 the way atkinson reported is injured we don't 01:26:19.260 --> 01:26:22.060 know to or he's unavailable we don't know what 01:26:22.060 --> 01:26:25.079 extent that is right if he's playing on the left 01:26:25.079 --> 01:26:26.939 that's kind of the position that we've been playing 01:26:26.939 --> 01:26:30.229 him i mean maybe this is to challenge him To 01:26:30.229 --> 01:26:33.189 rise to the occasion if you will then do we see 01:26:33.189 --> 01:26:35.550 him? Do we see this player getting sizable minutes 01:26:35.550 --> 01:26:38.369 because again the counterpoint is on Saturday 01:26:38.369 --> 01:26:40.750 as a well he of course we will there only have 01:26:40.750 --> 01:26:43.149 16 players available to dress right now, but 01:26:43.149 --> 01:26:46.550 as alone Do we think that he will get sizable 01:26:46.550 --> 01:26:48.229 minutes because if he doesn't get his minutes? 01:26:48.590 --> 01:26:50.510 Then he's just gonna want to leave the club or 01:26:50.510 --> 01:26:52.550 Orlando's gonna recall him anyways. Yeah. No, 01:26:52.550 --> 01:26:56.109 I I bet he will I Speaking of which I wonder 01:26:56.109 --> 01:27:01.439 if they saw that uh dorsey scored and like that 01:27:01.439 --> 01:27:03.880 oh man oh what if he could have been doing that 01:27:03.880 --> 01:27:05.699 for us but hey listen we're not going to do ad 01:27:05.699 --> 01:27:07.319 breaks tonight because this show is not going 01:27:07.319 --> 01:27:09.720 the way it should have for our sponsor so we're 01:27:09.720 --> 01:27:11.619 just not going to put a sunday show or saturday 01:27:11.619 --> 01:27:13.760 show up for our radio so this is just a podcast 01:27:13.760 --> 01:27:15.479 back tonight guys so we're going to move right 01:27:15.479 --> 01:27:17.060 into the next part back to the good old days 01:27:17.060 --> 01:27:19.840 where we spent just two hours talking just waxing 01:27:19.840 --> 01:27:22.560 poetic about rfc jason bring us up to date with 01:27:22.560 --> 01:27:24.680 the league standings and uh let's go from there 01:27:24.750 --> 01:27:27.970 Yeah. So RFC still in sixth place as the midweek 01:27:27.970 --> 01:27:30.609 matches couldn't affect RFC's table position. 01:27:30.649 --> 01:27:32.930 So we've still got that six, four and five record. 01:27:33.770 --> 01:27:36.550 We've see a Indy 11 traveling to San Antonio 01:27:36.550 --> 01:27:39.789 on Friday here. So they temporarily could jump 01:27:39.789 --> 01:27:42.470 RFC or they, if they're able to get a result, 01:27:43.090 --> 01:27:45.810 but San Antonio is second in the West. So I do, 01:27:45.970 --> 01:27:48.890 I don't see that being an easy match for them. 01:27:49.069 --> 01:27:52.050 Well, we'll kind of figure out on Saturday where 01:27:52.050 --> 01:27:55.529 we're at from there. RFC traveling to Birmingham 01:27:55.529 --> 01:27:57.770 this weekend. So let's take a look at how we 01:27:57.770 --> 01:27:59.810 think they're going to line up this before we 01:27:59.810 --> 01:28:02.449 do that. I cannot not comment again. You said 01:28:02.449 --> 01:28:04.470 it earlier in the show, but Pittsburgh losing 01:28:04.470 --> 01:28:08.869 to FC Tulsa via a Logan Dorsey goal. is just 01:28:08.869 --> 01:28:10.989 the cherry on top of everything else happening 01:28:10.989 --> 01:28:13.449 this week. Jason, they are now two games ahead 01:28:13.449 --> 01:28:16.710 of us, only two points ahead of us. And we could 01:28:16.710 --> 01:28:18.729 really make a jump this weekend, depending on 01:28:18.729 --> 01:28:21.470 how things go, with a win. And I don't, again, 01:28:21.590 --> 01:28:23.010 every time I feel like we get ahead of ourselves, 01:28:23.250 --> 01:28:25.869 it doesn't work out in our favor. But with just 01:28:25.869 --> 01:28:27.689 that one point difference between Pittsburgh 01:28:27.689 --> 01:28:30.550 and Rhode Island, we could jump into fifth place 01:28:30.550 --> 01:28:33.850 and be staring down the sights, looking at our 01:28:33.850 --> 01:28:36.039 first time ever of a home playoff berth. Are 01:28:36.039 --> 01:28:38.239 we ready to dream just yet or do we need to pump 01:28:38.239 --> 01:28:40.260 the brakes a little bit here with based on how 01:28:40.260 --> 01:28:42.460 Birmingham's been their form? They don't look 01:28:42.460 --> 01:28:44.859 like an exceptionally great team, but sometimes 01:28:44.859 --> 01:28:47.739 this spells trap game. Is this a trap game? Oh, 01:28:47.739 --> 01:28:50.140 I hope not. And so speaking of rain, let's let's 01:28:50.140 --> 01:28:52.779 talk about their form here real quick. They recently 01:28:52.779 --> 01:28:55.159 had a game against New Mexico called out due 01:28:55.159 --> 01:28:57.819 to weather conditions. Interesting enough, they 01:28:57.819 --> 01:29:00.000 were not going to play that at protective stadium. 01:29:00.180 --> 01:29:02.779 Instead, it was going to be scheduled at a Donovan 01:29:02.779 --> 01:29:08.020 Valley field. Donovan. Yeah, but that's, I'm 01:29:08.020 --> 01:29:10.220 actually curious. I kind of wish that game would 01:29:10.220 --> 01:29:13.140 have gone through to see if like them playing 01:29:13.140 --> 01:29:15.039 somewhere else could have had a different effect 01:29:15.039 --> 01:29:17.260 on them because every time I've seen a match 01:29:17.260 --> 01:29:19.579 in protective field, it looks like there's maybe 01:29:19.579 --> 01:29:21.420 three people in the state. That's because they're 01:29:21.420 --> 01:29:23.819 all on the nine camera. Yeah, but it's just like, 01:29:24.119 --> 01:29:26.600 it's such a massive stadium. It looks empty. 01:29:26.699 --> 01:29:29.239 There's no way that can do anything for the players 01:29:29.239 --> 01:29:32.470 on the field. I also think by the way that Birmingham 01:29:32.470 --> 01:29:34.449 Legion has to rescheduled like three games at 01:29:34.449 --> 01:29:36.630 a minimum this year because of weather So I don't 01:29:36.630 --> 01:29:38.270 know if I know like one of them really messed 01:29:38.270 --> 01:29:41.130 up the Brinks tires up schedule. I don't know 01:29:41.130 --> 01:29:42.890 how many more games I mean, I'm looking at their 01:29:42.890 --> 01:29:46.010 games in hand and they have they have 16 games 01:29:46.010 --> 01:29:47.609 They've played more matches than us But I don't 01:29:47.609 --> 01:29:49.670 know if that's gonna haunt them with a more stacked 01:29:49.670 --> 01:29:51.189 schedule towards the end of the season like we're 01:29:51.189 --> 01:29:54.829 facing as well Yeah Birmingham Legion also played 01:29:54.829 --> 01:29:57.029 last night against Louisville in a midweek match 01:29:57.029 --> 01:30:00.770 losing 2 -1 And so with that loss they are now 01:30:00.920 --> 01:30:04.819 winless in the last five in the league with three 01:30:04.819 --> 01:30:07.859 draws and two losses. I went back and watched 01:30:07.859 --> 01:30:10.420 the and looked at the highlights and some of 01:30:10.420 --> 01:30:14.199 the stats on the match. Louisville had 29 shots 01:30:14.199 --> 01:30:17.000 against them. They're trying to pretend to be 01:30:17.000 --> 01:30:19.819 the Rhode Island of Sea. I don't know like their 01:30:19.819 --> 01:30:21.899 their goalkeeper was on a tear like Louisville 01:30:21.899 --> 01:30:26.140 should have beat them like eight one. Do you 01:30:26.140 --> 01:30:28.079 know the only other team you talked about their 01:30:28.079 --> 01:30:29.960 record total overall? Do you know the only other 01:30:29.960 --> 01:30:32.220 team that they've actually won against this season? 01:30:34.119 --> 01:30:40.779 Well, I do know they beat us Probably Pittsburgh 01:30:40.779 --> 01:30:43.619 it is Pittsburgh. What is going on here Birmingham 01:30:43.619 --> 01:30:46.800 Legion? What water are you drinking down south? 01:30:47.859 --> 01:30:51.899 Oh So speaking of with those two wins You know, 01:30:51.899 --> 01:30:54.659 we talk about the one against us back on May 01:30:54.659 --> 01:30:57.060 2nd. It's not fun to remind ourselves that we 01:30:57.060 --> 01:30:59.180 fell three to one, a very weird goal. I mean, 01:30:59.359 --> 01:31:00.779 I think the two weirdest games of the season, 01:31:00.779 --> 01:31:03.079 Jason, for us have been that Birmingham home 01:31:03.079 --> 01:31:06.159 game and then the Sacramento Republic away game. 01:31:06.760 --> 01:31:10.159 But we went down so fast losing a goal in the 01:31:10.159 --> 01:31:13.000 fourth minute. We went on to try to equalize 01:31:13.000 --> 01:31:15.579 before just the game got routed. And it was probably 01:31:15.579 --> 01:31:17.699 one of the weirdest showings, like I said, of 01:31:17.699 --> 01:31:20.619 the season. Birmingham did see some success in 01:31:20.619 --> 01:31:22.840 Prinks Cup, but a lot of that was leveraged against 01:31:22.840 --> 01:31:25.539 USL one side. So it's like, how much of that 01:31:25.539 --> 01:31:27.960 teams not caring about the competition or teams 01:31:27.960 --> 01:31:29.500 that like, yeah, we're not going to prioritize 01:31:29.500 --> 01:31:31.840 this. So, you know, they didn't move on in that 01:31:31.840 --> 01:31:35.420 one. I, their form is bad. Their record is terrible. 01:31:35.600 --> 01:31:38.840 Just those two wins. I asked you trap game. Is 01:31:38.840 --> 01:31:41.590 this, you know, Jay Heaps has some kind of Formula 01:31:41.590 --> 01:31:43.850 against kano smith. He knows a little bit about 01:31:43.850 --> 01:31:46.210 the guy from his extensive time with him in new 01:31:46.210 --> 01:31:48.949 england and also kind of time down in Birmingham 01:31:48.949 --> 01:31:51.329 coming back to new england and him like gaining 01:31:51.329 --> 01:31:54.869 his powers back and he just had to Oh, so j heaps 01:31:54.869 --> 01:31:56.630 is only strong against us if he's in the new 01:31:56.630 --> 01:31:58.529 englander. I think it's more than that. I think 01:31:58.529 --> 01:32:01.550 j heaps Became very familiar with kano and his 01:32:01.550 --> 01:32:04.500 approach down at Kano's time with Birmingham, 01:32:04.579 --> 01:32:07.100 you know, we saw Kano never get bested by his 01:32:07.100 --> 01:32:09.439 former mentor and Tommy Sohn, but I think Jay 01:32:09.439 --> 01:32:11.119 Heaps is a little bit different of an animal 01:32:11.119 --> 01:32:14.699 there. I don't know if we take the previous history 01:32:14.699 --> 01:32:17.539 of our time and our success against Birmingham 01:32:17.539 --> 01:32:20.340 Legion and use that as a stepping stone, or if 01:32:20.340 --> 01:32:22.479 we take this most recent loss as like a fresh 01:32:22.479 --> 01:32:24.859 wound and say, never again will this happen to 01:32:24.859 --> 01:32:26.880 us, especially down in Birmingham. And so it's 01:32:26.880 --> 01:32:28.880 crazy that you bring that up when we look at 01:32:28.880 --> 01:32:32.239 our history against Birmingham. Until this year, 01:32:32.420 --> 01:32:34.460 we've absolutely wiped the floor with them. So 01:32:34.460 --> 01:32:36.300 our record here against them is four, one, and 01:32:36.300 --> 01:32:38.640 one. And it wasn't until earlier when they came 01:32:38.640 --> 01:32:40.960 on May 2nd that they actually picked up one win. 01:32:41.359 --> 01:32:44.739 Before that, it was just... You were firmly in 01:32:44.739 --> 01:32:47.340 control. Firmly in control. Yeah. We, you know, 01:32:47.479 --> 01:32:50.239 Zach Haraveau started off the party just scoring 01:32:50.239 --> 01:32:52.680 goals for fun against them in our first visit. 01:32:52.960 --> 01:32:55.789 And then from there, it's just been... you know, 01:32:55.989 --> 01:32:57.810 pretty comfortable for the most part. Zach Harrevo 01:32:57.810 --> 01:32:59.810 feasted against his former team, JJ Williams 01:32:59.810 --> 01:33:02.090 feasted against his former team. No, if you saw 01:33:02.090 --> 01:33:04.010 him getting goals from distance, it's, it has 01:33:04.010 --> 01:33:06.489 been almost a relatively cruise control type 01:33:06.489 --> 01:33:09.510 of matchup. When we've seen this team, Demos 01:33:09.510 --> 01:33:12.090 comes into the picture, rattles our cage a little 01:33:12.090 --> 01:33:14.109 bit. Now here we are in the second season against 01:33:14.109 --> 01:33:16.510 them. What does that mean for Rhode Island FC? 01:33:16.869 --> 01:33:19.229 Hard to say, but when we look at what we're bringing 01:33:19.229 --> 01:33:22.789 down to Birmingham this weekend, I don't know. 01:33:22.810 --> 01:33:24.949 I don't know how we should feel about this getting 01:33:24.949 --> 01:33:27.369 through the availability report as we still understand 01:33:27.369 --> 01:33:30.170 it. Leo Afonso still listed us out. We won't 01:33:30.170 --> 01:33:32.069 know it until closer to the end of the week on 01:33:32.069 --> 01:33:34.369 whether he traveled. Zach Karavos still on the 01:33:34.369 --> 01:33:37.069 mend along with Krifa Yow, Omni Joap, and we're 01:33:37.069 --> 01:33:38.829 just not going to report on Go Go Peters after 01:33:38.829 --> 01:33:41.029 tonight because you guys know he's on the season 01:33:41.029 --> 01:33:43.819 ending injury list. And also, I will never say 01:33:43.819 --> 01:33:45.619 Clay Holstead's name ever again when it comes 01:33:45.619 --> 01:33:48.100 to this report, at least until maybe sometime 01:33:48.100 --> 01:33:51.319 in 2027. We'll see how that goes. Got a few additional 01:33:51.319 --> 01:33:53.140 details about that, by the way. We'll probably 01:33:53.140 --> 01:33:55.560 share it in a future pod when I don't have a 01:33:55.560 --> 01:33:56.899 million things that we got to share about. But 01:33:56.899 --> 01:33:59.460 we'll transpose on the Clay deal a little bit 01:33:59.460 --> 01:34:01.560 more in the near future. Jason, with all these 01:34:01.560 --> 01:34:03.380 injuries, with all this lack of availability, 01:34:04.039 --> 01:34:06.460 we do know that one player on this weekend will 01:34:06.460 --> 01:34:09.699 be available in Sukada. What do we think this 01:34:09.699 --> 01:34:11.970 lineup should look like? Yeah, because of all 01:34:11.970 --> 01:34:14.210 the injuries and not knowing whether or not anyone's 01:34:14.210 --> 01:34:17.390 going to be available, if you will, in that regards, 01:34:17.850 --> 01:34:19.310 we're thinking here, we're probably going to 01:34:19.310 --> 01:34:22.069 use the same lineup that we beat Pittsburgh with 01:34:22.069 --> 01:34:24.890 here. So if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Absolutely. 01:34:25.289 --> 01:34:27.390 Okay. Vegas and net here with a back four of 01:34:27.390 --> 01:34:29.710 Nick Scardina, Grant Stoneman, Frank No Darce 01:34:29.710 --> 01:34:32.310 and Aldair Sanchez. You're holding midfielders 01:34:32.310 --> 01:34:35.470 of AST and Oboe Baccarac with Joe J. Quizera, 01:34:35.529 --> 01:34:38.930 50 Rodriguez and Noah Fuson as your cams or wingers, 01:34:38.930 --> 01:34:42.619 if you will. and JJ Williams up top. You know, 01:34:42.720 --> 01:34:45.039 when it comes to Sukata, we know he'll be available. 01:34:45.199 --> 01:34:47.800 I don't imagine he'll start, but I think assuming 01:34:47.800 --> 01:34:50.279 he's healthy, he'll probably play. Well, where 01:34:50.279 --> 01:34:53.020 do we think Froyo is available? And I said that 01:34:53.020 --> 01:34:55.899 on purpose in terms of availability. Oh, man, 01:34:55.960 --> 01:34:59.300 I I can't wait till someone accidentally typos 01:34:59.300 --> 01:35:01.960 that into like a custom Jersey kit and they just 01:35:01.960 --> 01:35:03.659 end up with maybe it'll be intentional. I don't 01:35:03.659 --> 01:35:07.239 know. I have no updates. I can only infer what 01:35:07.239 --> 01:35:10.369 I know from previous itc transfers that come 01:35:10.369 --> 01:35:12.789 out of that particular region of the country 01:35:12.789 --> 01:35:15.649 because there's good relationship standing between 01:35:15.649 --> 01:35:20.390 the uk europe in large and america i can't imagine 01:35:20.390 --> 01:35:23.369 that unless there was like a major like a lawyer 01:35:23.369 --> 01:35:25.890 failed to dot an i or cross a t that he would 01:35:25.890 --> 01:35:29.189 not already be available after the pending announcement 01:35:29.189 --> 01:35:32.069 uh because those are usually after the process 01:35:32.069 --> 01:35:33.909 order has already begun them on purpose they 01:35:33.909 --> 01:35:35.779 don't want to announce it be like well We'll 01:35:35.779 --> 01:35:37.220 see him in three months when his visa clears 01:35:37.220 --> 01:35:39.420 and they also say pending federation and league 01:35:39.420 --> 01:35:41.699 approval, right? So now it has happened in the 01:35:41.699 --> 01:35:43.939 past like players have got installed in the paperwork. 01:35:43.939 --> 01:35:45.779 I just this isn't a country where I would be 01:35:45.779 --> 01:35:47.560 worried about something like that. Go back to 01:35:47.560 --> 01:35:49.199 the World Cup and like you look at all the countries 01:35:49.199 --> 01:35:51.640 that had harder permits, whether they were working 01:35:51.640 --> 01:35:53.659 or tourist visas. It's a little bit different 01:35:53.659 --> 01:35:55.779 of an animal, depending on the area you're coming 01:35:55.779 --> 01:35:58.760 from. The UK is just not one of them. I expect 01:35:58.760 --> 01:36:01.460 Foyo to be on the bench in this game. I don't 01:36:01.460 --> 01:36:03.380 expect him to make a start. And that will bring 01:36:03.380 --> 01:36:05.680 us up to 18 people that we can field on a game 01:36:05.680 --> 01:36:08.640 day roster. That being said, though, I also wouldn't 01:36:08.640 --> 01:36:11.159 be terribly surprised if we're one more week 01:36:11.159 --> 01:36:14.100 away from seeing him actually dress for a game. 01:36:14.460 --> 01:36:17.100 It's just until we hear it and until someone 01:36:17.100 --> 01:36:19.720 can send a picture and see it, that's just where 01:36:19.720 --> 01:36:22.239 we stand on that one. So but I personally believe 01:36:22.239 --> 01:36:25.460 that we will have Foyo in the mix. Is there anything, 01:36:25.560 --> 01:36:26.880 you know, we said we joked about how if it's 01:36:26.880 --> 01:36:28.420 not broke, don't fix it. Is there anything about 01:36:28.420 --> 01:36:30.989 this lineup? Is there anything that Rhode Island 01:36:30.989 --> 01:36:33.189 should be doing differently on the night against 01:36:33.189 --> 01:36:34.810 Birmingham. Obviously a different type of team, 01:36:34.970 --> 01:36:37.789 different type of play style, but Rhode Island 01:36:37.789 --> 01:36:39.750 looked really good defensively. They got the 01:36:39.750 --> 01:36:41.750 goal they needed on the road. Should they be 01:36:41.750 --> 01:36:43.609 doing anything other than perfecting what they've 01:36:43.609 --> 01:36:45.810 already become really good at? There's only one 01:36:45.810 --> 01:36:47.970 thing that concerned me. We gave Grant Stoneman 01:36:47.970 --> 01:36:50.069 his flowers recently and said, hey, we're sorry. 01:36:50.210 --> 01:36:52.550 You've proved to us in the last few weeks or 01:36:52.550 --> 01:36:55.489 months that you've still got it there after maybe 01:36:55.489 --> 01:36:57.970 a few shaky performances earlier on in the season. 01:36:58.600 --> 01:37:02.279 But we know that Rinaldo DeMous has been a tear 01:37:02.279 --> 01:37:07.739 in our backyards, our back line. Sebastian Trigarthen 01:37:07.739 --> 01:37:11.000 as well did a lot of damage to us against in 01:37:11.000 --> 01:37:14.159 that early match. I would just be very wary of 01:37:14.159 --> 01:37:17.279 our back line, maybe pressing too high, giving 01:37:17.279 --> 01:37:19.380 them opportunity to play in behind us. Because 01:37:19.380 --> 01:37:22.000 we know that we like to press high, we like to 01:37:22.000 --> 01:37:24.739 suffocate, we like to win the ball back, redistribute 01:37:24.739 --> 01:37:27.899 and continue the attack. But that also sets us 01:37:27.899 --> 01:37:31.979 up to be countered and that could be a worry 01:37:31.979 --> 01:37:34.199 for our back line there. So I mentioned just 01:37:34.199 --> 01:37:37.439 J Heaps know the secret code to Kano Smith. Does 01:37:37.439 --> 01:37:39.539 it go the other way now? Has Rhode Island FC 01:37:39.539 --> 01:37:42.439 solved Birmingham in the sense of they know the 01:37:42.439 --> 01:37:44.180 tweaks and the adjustments that they need to 01:37:44.180 --> 01:37:47.399 make in the second edition of these matchups 01:37:47.399 --> 01:37:50.439 and was made the wake up call? The thing that 01:37:50.439 --> 01:37:54.260 I would say about our. About our FC in Kano the 01:37:54.260 --> 01:37:56.340 way that he played like while he will change 01:37:56.340 --> 01:37:58.880 players for matchups. He doesn't have those players 01:37:58.880 --> 01:38:03.720 Yeah, and right now we're so We're so thin that 01:38:03.720 --> 01:38:05.479 he really doesn't have like what is Dwayne Atkinson 01:38:05.479 --> 01:38:08.140 gonna do differently that Leo Afonso or pity 01:38:08.140 --> 01:38:10.699 Rodriguez I know if you saw it with the with 01:38:10.699 --> 01:38:13.760 the exception of a few games right there There 01:38:13.760 --> 01:38:15.720 where there's a few exception a few games where 01:38:15.720 --> 01:38:19.420 it's a like a one -off tactic change our FC kind 01:38:19.420 --> 01:38:21.720 of play their game Right. They, and they, they 01:38:21.720 --> 01:38:23.539 try and do it away. They try and do it at home. 01:38:23.739 --> 01:38:26.119 They do the same thing. The, the one example, 01:38:26.140 --> 01:38:28.340 I think I would use this difference member, the, 01:38:28.340 --> 01:38:31.199 um, open cup against Hartford where we're just 01:38:31.199 --> 01:38:33.340 like, Hey, just have the ball. We know you can't 01:38:33.340 --> 01:38:35.180 do anything. We technically did it again in the, 01:38:35.180 --> 01:38:37.699 in the, in the El Camico. Sometimes, sometimes 01:38:37.699 --> 01:38:39.460 we can't, we can't control that either though. 01:38:39.659 --> 01:38:41.720 If we put, come up against an opponent who was 01:38:41.720 --> 01:38:43.979 maybe just a little bit better at Controlling 01:38:43.979 --> 01:38:46.560 possession than we are it just forces us to play 01:38:46.560 --> 01:38:49.560 that transition style But we know that Kano does 01:38:49.560 --> 01:38:52.600 like to have more possession if possible And 01:38:52.600 --> 01:38:54.359 so he doesn't want to give that away. He believes 01:38:54.359 --> 01:38:56.500 that it gives them opportunities to kind of build 01:38:56.500 --> 01:39:01.180 an attack against us So I don't see us Changing 01:39:01.180 --> 01:39:03.579 anything outside of maybe little tweaks where 01:39:03.579 --> 01:39:06.279 he says hey, we know that these guys can hurt 01:39:06.279 --> 01:39:10.220 us So you need to just be mindful, right? Always 01:39:10.220 --> 01:39:13.229 be checking checking your shoulder for runs, 01:39:13.770 --> 01:39:16.390 maybe, you know, they're still going to try and 01:39:16.390 --> 01:39:18.289 play the same way, but they're probably going 01:39:18.289 --> 01:39:21.689 to be a little more wary of counter attacks. 01:39:21.890 --> 01:39:23.850 They got to watch the transition. I think that's 01:39:23.850 --> 01:39:26.050 spot on. I mean, and if anything, Jay, he was 01:39:26.050 --> 01:39:27.569 going to do more of that, right? Like, can we 01:39:27.569 --> 01:39:29.810 talk? Is what I'm going to play the same strategy 01:39:29.810 --> 01:39:32.090 they played against Birmingham or excuse me, 01:39:32.109 --> 01:39:33.609 against Pittsburgh, or are they going to modify 01:39:33.609 --> 01:39:35.869 a little bit to the stacked approach? But for 01:39:35.869 --> 01:39:37.609 Birmingham, I think the blueprint is pretty obvious. 01:39:37.630 --> 01:39:39.529 They're going to keep doing the same thing until 01:39:39.529 --> 01:39:42.489 that fails them. And right now they have some 01:39:42.489 --> 01:39:44.409 version of success against Rhode Island this 01:39:44.409 --> 01:39:46.909 season. So I do think that, you know, right now 01:39:46.909 --> 01:39:50.350 I still think that the overall historical alignment 01:39:50.350 --> 01:39:53.109 of the series gives the psychological edge to 01:39:53.109 --> 01:39:54.489 Rhode Island, especially with the chip on the 01:39:54.489 --> 01:39:56.670 shoulder of that loss. But I don't think that 01:39:56.670 --> 01:39:58.529 they can rest on their laurels against this Jay 01:39:58.529 --> 01:40:01.029 Heap side getting into it. Now going further 01:40:01.029 --> 01:40:03.649 and talking about the defense itself, you know, 01:40:03.720 --> 01:40:05.460 Right now, the defense is definitely going to 01:40:05.460 --> 01:40:07.319 be carrying this team. We saw it last week in 01:40:07.319 --> 01:40:08.960 Pittsburgh, but we've seen a lot of it. They're 01:40:08.960 --> 01:40:11.439 one of the better defenses in the championship 01:40:11.439 --> 01:40:13.680 this season. We've just been so excited about 01:40:13.680 --> 01:40:15.739 the goals. We need to also give our flowers to 01:40:15.739 --> 01:40:19.260 those players. Do we see the defense keeping 01:40:19.260 --> 01:40:20.979 up with this Birmingham side on the weekend, 01:40:21.119 --> 01:40:25.560 especially with speed like the Mooses against 01:40:25.560 --> 01:40:28.239 maybe players like Stoneman on that? Because 01:40:28.239 --> 01:40:29.880 he's not going to attack wide. He's going to 01:40:29.880 --> 01:40:31.260 attack centrally. We know that we've seen him 01:40:31.260 --> 01:40:35.329 do that. I anticipate a lot of Route 1. Do we 01:40:35.329 --> 01:40:36.930 think that that's going to be a liability on 01:40:36.930 --> 01:40:41.210 the weekend? I mean, defense wins playoff races, 01:40:41.210 --> 01:40:43.770 right? And we've seen this team historically 01:40:43.770 --> 01:40:48.170 be strong at defense. We've had some lapses and 01:40:48.170 --> 01:40:50.390 where we've looked a little shaky, but overall 01:40:50.390 --> 01:40:53.689 this team has been consistently a high performer 01:40:53.689 --> 01:40:56.869 when it comes to defense. By the time this game 01:40:56.869 --> 01:40:59.890 happens, it is going to be August and we know 01:40:59.890 --> 01:41:03.460 that this team loves. A second half of the season, 01:41:03.680 --> 01:41:05.600 kind of like, you know, it doesn't start in August 01:41:05.600 --> 01:41:08.779 though. Don't do that. It starts September 1st, 01:41:08.779 --> 01:41:11.640 maybe the last week of August. When we go back 01:41:11.640 --> 01:41:16.380 to 2024, I mean, maybe last year was a little 01:41:16.380 --> 01:41:20.300 bit later. Like, you know, they just came off 01:41:20.300 --> 01:41:24.020 road win against Pittsburgh. We beat our rival 01:41:24.020 --> 01:41:28.680 to one nil victories. Strong defense. I mean, 01:41:28.739 --> 01:41:31.199 it's a formula that translates well into postseason 01:41:31.199 --> 01:41:34.359 success. 2024 actually kicked off in June. But 01:41:34.359 --> 01:41:37.939 last year. Last year, my friend, it did also 01:41:37.939 --> 01:41:39.899 not really kick off till August 9th. Okay, fine. 01:41:40.239 --> 01:41:41.800 It kicks off in August. You're right. Again, 01:41:41.800 --> 01:41:43.920 I'm wrong again tonight. This is such a tough 01:41:43.920 --> 01:41:47.060 one. Joe in the house saying Wilmeyer will get 01:41:47.060 --> 01:41:49.619 the Hattie on the night. That is a bold prediction. 01:41:49.760 --> 01:41:51.300 Put that into calcium. Let me know how that works 01:41:51.300 --> 01:41:54.500 out for you. Next question here, then. Birmingham 01:41:54.500 --> 01:41:58.500 season overall, we said two wins. Obviously underachieving 01:41:58.500 --> 01:42:00.979 but two wins against respectable teams because 01:42:00.979 --> 01:42:03.159 hey one of them is us buddy Does that make them 01:42:03.159 --> 01:42:06.199 dangerous? Like should we should we be? Anticipating 01:42:06.199 --> 01:42:07.840 that they're kind of in that do -or -die moment 01:42:07.840 --> 01:42:10.760 themselves to beat people in the East to get 01:42:10.760 --> 01:42:12.920 Further up the table and to get back into playoff 01:42:12.920 --> 01:42:15.539 contention I mean when we look at the history 01:42:15.539 --> 01:42:17.819 of at least in the years that we've been covering 01:42:17.819 --> 01:42:21.319 this league Abraham just are inconsistent. It's 01:42:21.319 --> 01:42:24.130 just it's their middle name I, they, they struggled 01:42:24.130 --> 01:42:26.590 to string together consistent results throughout 01:42:26.590 --> 01:42:30.649 each season. So, and I mean that they've not 01:42:30.649 --> 01:42:32.970 been able to build all the momentum. There's 01:42:32.970 --> 01:42:34.850 been lots of player changes. I mean, last year 01:42:34.850 --> 01:42:36.310 we thought that they were going to be a real 01:42:36.310 --> 01:42:38.029 contender, right? They were like the strongest. 01:42:38.310 --> 01:42:39.949 They were the Tampa Bay Routies of last year. 01:42:39.970 --> 01:42:43.409 Yeah. They signed so they signed everyone. Like 01:42:43.409 --> 01:42:44.949 they went out and literally bought everyone and 01:42:44.949 --> 01:42:47.890 we're like, Oh, Hey, what's up? And then of course 01:42:47.890 --> 01:42:50.310 what happened? Yeah. They, they didn't, they 01:42:50.310 --> 01:42:54.899 didn't build all that. So I, I think if our FC 01:42:54.899 --> 01:42:57.779 don't get in their own head if they play strong 01:42:57.779 --> 01:43:00.500 in the back line I I don't think that you know 01:43:00.500 --> 01:43:03.420 Birmingham's gonna come up with too much to really 01:43:03.420 --> 01:43:06.520 spoil our day there. It's so weird. I look at 01:43:06.520 --> 01:43:09.760 their their History of performance and it's like 01:43:09.760 --> 01:43:12.380 they get two draws Almost a win and then you 01:43:12.380 --> 01:43:14.000 see the timelines and like they almost had a 01:43:14.000 --> 01:43:16.659 win and then they lose the game They are very 01:43:16.659 --> 01:43:19.220 inconsistent right now. I I don't know if I would 01:43:19.220 --> 01:43:21.850 say they can't be dangerous i think a team like 01:43:21.850 --> 01:43:24.989 this they can be can play a little a little less 01:43:24.989 --> 01:43:26.949 fearless because there's no pro rel so there's 01:43:26.949 --> 01:43:29.310 no there's no circumstance where they have to 01:43:29.310 --> 01:43:31.710 worry anymore i think they can be dangerous for 01:43:31.710 --> 01:43:34.069 that reason but uh then the final question this 01:43:34.069 --> 01:43:36.710 is to eastern conference teams is this a true 01:43:36.710 --> 01:43:39.409 six point match or because one team is firmly 01:43:39.409 --> 01:43:41.310 cementing themselves rather quickly into the 01:43:41.310 --> 01:43:44.109 basement and one team has aspirations for a home 01:43:44.109 --> 01:43:47.170 playoff berth is Obviously, it's it's movement. 01:43:47.250 --> 01:43:49.289 But is this even do we call this a six point 01:43:49.289 --> 01:43:51.409 match of any kind? Yeah, I mean they're in the 01:43:51.409 --> 01:43:53.289 East they're in the Eastern Conference We saw 01:43:53.289 --> 01:43:55.729 that you know when you turn it on at the right 01:43:55.729 --> 01:43:58.109 time They could mysteriously just all of a sudden 01:43:58.109 --> 01:44:01.329 when their last like six games and all of a sudden 01:44:01.329 --> 01:44:03.890 sneak into eighth place So anything is possible 01:44:03.890 --> 01:44:07.029 to a certain extent here. So I think that all 01:44:07.029 --> 01:44:10.140 of our you know Eastern Conference matchups from 01:44:10.140 --> 01:44:12.220 here on are all six pointers at this point if 01:44:12.220 --> 01:44:14.060 we're especially if we have the ambition to go 01:44:14.060 --> 01:44:17.260 for that fourth place Home spot I think that 01:44:17.260 --> 01:44:19.119 too and plus the fact that the people behind 01:44:19.119 --> 01:44:22.000 us in the stable in the table standings All are 01:44:22.000 --> 01:44:24.159 sitting just one point behind us So we need to 01:44:24.159 --> 01:44:27.600 quickly widen the gap between those but talking 01:44:27.600 --> 01:44:31.140 about the wins talking about that momentum Jason 01:44:31.140 --> 01:44:34.020 Said it at the beginning of the show almost two 01:44:34.020 --> 01:44:36.439 hours ago The Rhode Islanders. He hasn't won 01:44:36.439 --> 01:44:40.420 three consecutive matches since 2024 That's feels 01:44:40.420 --> 01:44:43.380 so weird to say out loud It does I went back 01:44:43.380 --> 01:44:45.420 and looked through all of our matches and the 01:44:45.420 --> 01:44:47.479 last time we we've won three in a row during 01:44:47.479 --> 01:44:50.859 the postseason run in 2024 we knocked out Indy 01:44:50.859 --> 01:44:53.539 Lou and then Charleston to win the Eastern Conference 01:44:53.539 --> 01:44:56.380 final and then before that in the regular league 01:44:56.380 --> 01:44:58.760 season play earned a three game winning streak 01:44:58.760 --> 01:45:01.399 towards the end of September best team Tulsa 01:45:01.399 --> 01:45:04.939 San Antonio in Tampa Bay And I mean if you add 01:45:04.939 --> 01:45:07.439 the two draws that happened with the Charleston 01:45:07.439 --> 01:45:10.039 and Loudon matches between those sandwiches of 01:45:10.039 --> 01:45:13.159 Hatties This team went on a nine game unbeaten 01:45:13.159 --> 01:45:16.739 streak. It's again so far so long ago good old 01:45:16.739 --> 01:45:19.260 days wild It's the best streak they've ever had 01:45:19.260 --> 01:45:21.899 I don't know if Rhode Island see is any any point 01:45:21.899 --> 01:45:25.420 soon going to match that success But it can start 01:45:25.420 --> 01:45:28.979 on this weekend. I don't want to jinx the club 01:45:29.820 --> 01:45:32.380 But this is this is the sign of this team going 01:45:32.380 --> 01:45:35.399 from a good team To a great team is getting three 01:45:35.399 --> 01:45:37.279 in a row and beating opponents that are at the 01:45:37.279 --> 01:45:39.220 bottom of the Eastern Conference Despite the 01:45:39.220 --> 01:45:41.239 fact that we've spent almost the entirety of 01:45:41.239 --> 01:45:43.739 this season's podcast Talking about how they 01:45:43.739 --> 01:45:45.319 fail to show up against teams that are beneath 01:45:45.319 --> 01:45:47.600 them in the standings Is this that moment where 01:45:47.600 --> 01:45:50.220 we flip that switch? Absolutely. This is the 01:45:50.220 --> 01:45:54.340 moment where you know Connell Smith and RFC proved 01:45:54.340 --> 01:45:57.399 the doubters, the haters wrong. They show Kawhi 01:45:57.399 --> 01:45:59.880 Leonard why he invested in this club. Do it for 01:45:59.880 --> 01:46:03.539 Kawhi, everybody. And so speaking of that, then, 01:46:03.619 --> 01:46:06.239 Matt, what what do you think RFC need to do here 01:46:06.239 --> 01:46:08.279 to get all three points this weekend? Listen, 01:46:08.500 --> 01:46:11.159 if you look at what went wrong in the Birmingham 01:46:11.159 --> 01:46:14.119 game, it was what Rhode Island needs to do against 01:46:14.119 --> 01:46:15.760 Birmingham here in this match. They need to set 01:46:15.760 --> 01:46:18.300 the tempo early and silence the 17 fans that 01:46:18.300 --> 01:46:21.109 are going to be at protective stadium. Rhode 01:46:21.109 --> 01:46:23.270 Island FC has demonstrated time and time again 01:46:23.270 --> 01:46:25.149 that they can be one of not only the hottest 01:46:25.149 --> 01:46:26.989 teams in the Eastern Conference, but it comes 01:46:26.989 --> 01:46:30.390 by when they score first. We've seen that time 01:46:30.390 --> 01:46:33.010 and time again. Right first, your last. And once 01:46:33.010 --> 01:46:35.550 they go up, they can organize, they can stay 01:46:35.550 --> 01:46:38.890 compact, they can play the game in a style that 01:46:38.890 --> 01:46:40.989 suits their strengths, especially with these 01:46:40.989 --> 01:46:44.770 injuries and lack of availability. Even if it's 01:46:44.770 --> 01:46:46.789 just a one goal win, we've talked about the smash 01:46:46.789 --> 01:46:50.510 and grab away, do the damage, get out. and live 01:46:50.510 --> 01:46:53.590 to play another day, I think that Rhode Island's 01:46:53.590 --> 01:46:55.909 most important tactic on the night is figuring 01:46:55.909 --> 01:46:58.670 out how to prevent the transition, score first, 01:46:58.689 --> 01:47:00.930 and then just play the way you want, whether 01:47:00.930 --> 01:47:02.569 that's keeping the ball away from Birmingham 01:47:02.569 --> 01:47:06.189 or continuing to do a high press that pins Birmingham 01:47:06.189 --> 01:47:08.710 back. But that first goal has got to come. Otherwise, 01:47:08.850 --> 01:47:11.569 this is going to be a very, very difficult game 01:47:11.569 --> 01:47:13.489 for Rhode Island to get through in all 90 minutes. 01:47:14.189 --> 01:47:16.350 Yeah. RFC is going to need to lean on recent 01:47:16.350 --> 01:47:19.239 history here, but Not becoming too complacent 01:47:19.239 --> 01:47:22.220 here. Um, you know, historically they've had 01:47:22.220 --> 01:47:25.560 Birmingham's number winning four of six meetings 01:47:25.560 --> 01:47:28.319 between the club, but one blemish came earlier 01:47:28.319 --> 01:47:31.000 this season when RFC got handed a three one defeat 01:47:31.000 --> 01:47:34.699 there. So, you know, we can't chase the game. 01:47:34.899 --> 01:47:37.539 We gave up a, been a goal. I think that was our 01:47:37.539 --> 01:47:40.100 fastest ever given upright. The four minutes 01:47:40.100 --> 01:47:42.579 of the season or of the club's history. I don't 01:47:42.579 --> 01:47:45.300 know which, but it's definitely up there. Yeah. 01:47:45.760 --> 01:47:47.800 Yeah. So we're so used to scoring the fastest 01:47:47.800 --> 01:47:50.260 goal. It's weird to have to think about who scored 01:47:50.260 --> 01:47:52.460 the fastest on us, but it's probably them now. 01:47:52.680 --> 01:47:55.000 So we can't chase this game. So we're going to 01:47:55.000 --> 01:47:57.199 need to have patience, right? We don't have to 01:47:57.199 --> 01:48:00.659 score immediately, but we have to keep them off 01:48:00.659 --> 01:48:03.659 of and keep them at arm's distance length here. 01:48:03.859 --> 01:48:05.239 Yeah. And I think that's right. Like if, even 01:48:05.239 --> 01:48:07.260 if it's a nil -nil going into the 65th minute, 01:48:07.560 --> 01:48:09.420 that's still a better position for Rhode Island 01:48:09.420 --> 01:48:11.340 FC to be in. They just have to be the first team 01:48:11.340 --> 01:48:14.920 to score to cause Birmingham to want to try to 01:48:14.920 --> 01:48:17.420 mix things up and change their style of plays, 01:48:17.439 --> 01:48:20.220 change their tactics to claw one back. When that 01:48:20.220 --> 01:48:22.880 goal happens, I don't know. It can be a very 01:48:22.880 --> 01:48:25.399 patient. I mean, we saw that Pittsburgh, it was 01:48:25.399 --> 01:48:28.600 what a 63rd minute goal. Do it again. Give us 01:48:28.600 --> 01:48:31.479 45 minutes of figure it out, play some soccer, 01:48:31.640 --> 01:48:33.539 and then give us a goal and let us, you know, 01:48:33.640 --> 01:48:35.619 laugh our way all the way out of the guild that 01:48:35.619 --> 01:48:38.079 night and enjoy that first three win streak of 01:48:38.079 --> 01:48:39.699 the season. I don't see anything wrong with that. 01:48:40.270 --> 01:48:43.470 Absolutely not looking to the ref assignments 01:48:43.470 --> 01:48:46.989 here head ref here is going to be Carlos Rodriguez 01:48:46.989 --> 01:48:50.470 assistant ref one Seth Martin assistant ref to 01:48:50.470 --> 01:48:54.189 Nick Goyette and fourth official Joshua Belk 01:48:54.189 --> 01:48:56.949 There was so much news that I get derailed and 01:48:56.949 --> 01:48:58.630 did not have a chance to look up the history 01:48:58.630 --> 01:49:01.829 of these refs and just We'll just have Kawhi 01:49:01.829 --> 01:49:03.930 Leonard pay him off if he starts doing something 01:49:03.930 --> 01:49:07.300 wrong because now all of our answers to all of 01:49:07.300 --> 01:49:09.460 our problems are just Kawhi Leonard. So it's 01:49:09.460 --> 01:49:11.500 going to work out perfectly. In Kawhi, we trust. 01:49:12.100 --> 01:49:16.020 In Kawhi, we trust. Now, guys, I don't know how 01:49:16.020 --> 01:49:18.720 to tell you this, guys and gals, but brace yourselves, 01:49:18.739 --> 01:49:20.800 OK? Because this may come as a shock. This game 01:49:20.800 --> 01:49:24.140 is not 730. This game is an 8 p .m. game, everybody. 01:49:24.159 --> 01:49:26.720 You can do that. Apparently you can. Are they 01:49:26.720 --> 01:49:28.600 in the same time zone as us? They are in the 01:49:28.600 --> 01:49:30.500 same time zone as us you made me think for a 01:49:30.500 --> 01:49:32.979 second there, but yes, they are Okay, they better 01:49:32.979 --> 01:49:34.520 be otherwise everything i'm about to say is going 01:49:34.520 --> 01:49:37.399 to be wrong But we are back at the guild with 01:49:37.399 --> 01:49:40.500 defiant 1636 for the official watch party. The 01:49:40.500 --> 01:49:43.500 kickoff is at 8 pm So make sure you come out 01:49:43.500 --> 01:49:46.220 support the boys in amber and blue support defiant 01:49:46.220 --> 01:49:49.420 1636 They've been working hard all summer to 01:49:49.420 --> 01:49:51.939 make sure that you guys are loved supported and 01:49:51.939 --> 01:49:53.960 giving you the best soccer experience inside 01:49:53.960 --> 01:49:56.340 the home stadiums Now give them the best away 01:49:56.340 --> 01:49:58.840 experience as they're at the guild in Pawtucket. 01:49:58.859 --> 01:50:01.439 And it's important to remember that it is the 01:50:01.439 --> 01:50:03.880 guild in Pawtucket, not the guild in Providence, 01:50:03.920 --> 01:50:06.779 which has just opened up and gone from there. 01:50:07.399 --> 01:50:12.340 So anyways, it's been real. It's been fun. It 01:50:12.340 --> 01:50:14.279 has been two hours, Derek. You're absolutely 01:50:14.279 --> 01:50:17.039 right. I am exhausted. Oh, and signing the clay 01:50:17.039 --> 01:50:19.960 banner. Thank you. Thank you, Pawtucketjay. The 01:50:19.960 --> 01:50:22.869 clay holstered banner. Will be at the guild for 01:50:22.869 --> 01:50:25.310 a final signing so that I don't know what happens 01:50:25.310 --> 01:50:26.649 with the next I heard it's getting retired to 01:50:26.649 --> 01:50:28.130 the rafters. I heard we're sending it to clay 01:50:28.130 --> 01:50:31.869 holstead dreaded in the rfc museum Yeah, what's 01:50:31.869 --> 01:50:33.630 it? Whatever. It's fine The point is be there 01:50:33.630 --> 01:50:36.270 to sign that banner and give clay holstead the 01:50:36.270 --> 01:50:39.170 sending off he deserves for the fc dallas legend 01:50:39.170 --> 01:50:42.750 that he will become Jason i'm so tired. My mouth 01:50:42.750 --> 01:50:46.090 hurts In kawaii lennard, we trust get us out 01:50:46.090 --> 01:50:48.609 of here, buddy Thanks everyone for joining us. 01:50:48.609 --> 01:50:52.359 We'll catch you next time Anchor's up. Anchor's 01:50:52.359 --> 01:50:55.939 up. You've been listening to the Raising Anchor 01:50:55.939 --> 01:50:58.619 Soccer Show. You can follow the show on Twitter, 01:50:59.100 --> 01:51:03.539 Reds, Blue Sky, and TikTok at RISC Podcast and 01:51:03.539 --> 01:51:05.899 at Raising Anchor on Instagram and be sure to 01:51:05.899 --> 01:51:08.779 check out and subscribe to Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, 01:51:09.220 --> 01:51:11.680 or wherever you listen by searching for Raising 01:51:11.680 --> 01:51:14.300 Anchor. Make sure to check out all of our coverage 01:51:14.300 --> 01:51:16.840 over at The Blazing Musket for all your New England 01:51:16.840 --> 01:51:21.069 soccer coverage. including RAFC news at theblazingmusket 01:51:21.069 --> 01:51:24.630 .com. Fans, we thank you for listening. We ask 01:51:24.630 --> 01:51:26.409 you to be kind and courteous to your neighbors 01:51:26.409 --> 01:51:28.770 as you leave the show. We thank you for joining 01:51:28.770 --> 01:51:31.409 us and look forward to seeing you again. Until 01:51:31.409 --> 01:51:33.909 then, I'm your main man Juju, and on behalf of 01:51:33.909 --> 01:51:36.590 the Racing Anchor crew, goodbye for now. And 01:51:36.590 --> 01:51:39.489 as always, we are Rhode Island FC.