WEBVTT 00:00:09.070 --> 00:00:12.669 Welcome to Good News York. It is Wednesday. No, 00:00:12.769 --> 00:00:14.230 it's Thursday. What am I talking about? It's 00:00:14.230 --> 00:00:17.170 Thursday. I'm Mike Brindisi Good News York sponsored 00:00:17.170 --> 00:00:20.050 by ads on the go get ads on the go comm I'm very 00:00:20.050 --> 00:00:22.690 excited because I am joined by one of my favorite 00:00:22.690 --> 00:00:25.250 people and One of our favorite guests we've ever 00:00:25.250 --> 00:00:28.910 had GM of the Syracuse Mets. Yeah, Jason S'morel. 00:00:28.910 --> 00:00:32.990 Let's go. Let's go This is my guy. This is my 00:00:32.990 --> 00:00:37.189 guy The reason you're my guy is for many reasons. 00:00:38.490 --> 00:00:42.509 Oh, you can leave it. The first time I met you, 00:00:42.590 --> 00:00:44.789 we had come to shoot some footage at the game. 00:00:44.869 --> 00:00:47.530 Opening day. Opening day, which was awesome. 00:00:48.549 --> 00:00:51.109 And I'm walking around with Matt, and I said, 00:00:51.509 --> 00:00:53.549 yeah, he goes, I got to introduce you to the 00:00:53.549 --> 00:00:56.630 GM. And I said, yeah, I can't wait to meet him. 00:00:56.869 --> 00:00:59.009 You know, I'm nervous, but that'd be great. And 00:00:59.009 --> 00:01:00.789 I'm looking around, and he says, oh, there he 00:01:00.789 --> 00:01:03.380 is. And I look around, and I said, where? He 00:01:03.380 --> 00:01:05.859 pointed, and there you were with a big flappy 00:01:05.859 --> 00:01:09.439 hat on, screaming and hugging people and shaking 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:12.159 people's hands. And I was like, that's the GM? 00:01:12.299 --> 00:01:16.000 He said, yeah. I said, I love this. And it's 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.260 been a love affair ever since. Listen, we brought 00:01:19.260 --> 00:01:22.079 you in for a couple things. But let's talk baseball 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:23.480 real quick first. We'll get that out of the way. 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:25.659 Your first place Syracuse Mets. That's where 00:01:25.659 --> 00:01:27.959 I want to go. Yes. I just wanted you to be able 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:29.920 to say. I love saying it. Say it one more time. 00:01:29.959 --> 00:01:32.400 First place Syracuse Mets. First place Syracuse 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.900 Mets. Second half of the season, you guys are 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:38.280 tied for not only first place, but for the best 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:41.540 record in all of the minor leagues, my man, 30 00:01:41.540 --> 00:01:44.000 and 11. We've been on a heater. Yeah. Yeah, so 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:47.140 it's just kind of, you know, it's the way it 00:01:47.140 --> 00:01:48.739 works in minor league baseball. You just kind 00:01:48.739 --> 00:01:51.299 of catch lightning in a bottle. And we had a 00:01:51.299 --> 00:01:53.760 great nucleus in the first half, but it just 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:56.140 has all come together. Really, the end of the 00:01:56.140 --> 00:01:58.280 first half, and obviously for this whole second 00:01:58.280 --> 00:02:00.760 half, just come together with the prospects and 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:02.700 the veterans and the pitching and the hitting. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:06.140 Yeah. And it's awesome. And it's not slowing 00:02:06.140 --> 00:02:09.400 down. No. And in fact, you guys just called up 00:02:09.400 --> 00:02:12.280 three guys, three young players. Was it Jet Williams, 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:14.780 Jonah Tong, and Carson Bange? Did I say that 00:02:14.780 --> 00:02:16.520 right, Bange? We haven't figured out how to pronounce 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:18.400 his last name yet. We're not sure if it's Benj 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:20.719 or Bengi. I hope it's Bang, because that, you 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:22.120 know, bang, bang. I think it's Benj. We could 00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:23.740 do a lot with that. It could be. I don't know 00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:25.620 what it is. Benj. And then we also, there's another 00:02:25.620 --> 00:02:28.379 one. There's a fourth one. Oh, sorry. Benj, Tong, 00:02:28.780 --> 00:02:33.580 Jet Williams, and... Oh, Ryan Clifford. Ryan 00:02:33.580 --> 00:02:36.139 Clifford, shout out. Sorry, Ryan. I didn't mean 00:02:36.139 --> 00:02:39.000 to leave you off the list. These guys, you think 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:43.159 they got the goods to go get the big call to 00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:45.259 the big show? Eventually. We're going to find 00:02:45.259 --> 00:02:48.759 out. That's a big jump from double A to triple 00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:51.639 A. It is. And that's a big jump from triple A 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:54.819 to the majors. And then the trick seems to be 00:02:54.819 --> 00:02:57.819 staying in the majors. A lot of guys can get 00:02:57.819 --> 00:02:59.780 to the majors, but it's staying in the majors. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:02.360 You look at the guy like, Luis Angel Acuna and 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:05.719 he's he's back with us. He's a major leaguer, 00:03:05.819 --> 00:03:07.900 you know, but this is they want him to play So 00:03:07.900 --> 00:03:10.460 he's here because he's got kind of he there's 00:03:10.460 --> 00:03:12.740 a roadblock for him at the Mets right now So 00:03:12.740 --> 00:03:14.319 he's with us because they need to keep him sharp. 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:16.560 They need to keep him playing So in addition 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:19.319 to you know, I think right now we have well, 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:22.539 they just called McLean up Okay, he's gonna pitch 00:03:22.539 --> 00:03:26.800 Saturday for the Mets. So before we had six of 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:29.800 the top ten and eight of the top 20 so we're 00:03:29.800 --> 00:03:35.000 probably five of the top 10 and seven of the 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:37.120 top 20 prospects in the Mets organization are 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:39.800 with us. And that is a tip of the cap to the 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:42.520 organization as a whole because if you're, you 00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:44.219 know, if the major league team's kicking ass 00:03:44.219 --> 00:03:45.919 and then the minor league teams are kicking ass, 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:47.699 that means you got a great farm system. Yeah. 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:50.240 And clearly you guys have done really great with 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:52.300 that. You know, and that was Baltimore a couple 00:03:52.300 --> 00:03:53.860 years ago for the last couple years. Sure. It's 00:03:53.860 --> 00:03:56.080 been, Norfolk has been awesome and the Orioles 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:58.680 have been great, so. It's a testament to David 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:00.699 Stern and the Mets and the baseball department 00:04:00.699 --> 00:04:02.620 and they've been drafting well and developing 00:04:02.620 --> 00:04:04.560 well Which is what our guys do our you know, 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:09.500 Dick Scott JP are in sebia and our coaches AJ 00:04:09.500 --> 00:04:13.099 Sanger our pitching coach and Rick our hitting 00:04:13.099 --> 00:04:16.459 coach Their job is to develop players to figure 00:04:16.459 --> 00:04:19.699 out how to take you from good to great and how 00:04:19.699 --> 00:04:25.079 to keep that mental focus and and keep advancing 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:27.790 so they say That guy's ready, and it's time to 00:04:27.790 --> 00:04:30.009 go to the Mets. Go to the show, as they say. 00:04:30.069 --> 00:04:32.790 That's right. And everything's better at the 00:04:32.790 --> 00:04:35.110 ballpark when the Mets are winning. Whether it's 00:04:35.110 --> 00:04:38.410 AAA, major leagues, winning breeds, happiness, 00:04:38.569 --> 00:04:42.189 sales. Winning is fun. It's great. Because we've 00:04:42.189 --> 00:04:46.029 had a lot of losing. And we have fun. And these 00:04:46.029 --> 00:04:47.769 things are out of our control. We talked about 00:04:47.769 --> 00:04:49.470 this the last time I was there. We can't control 00:04:49.470 --> 00:04:51.050 the play in the field. We can't control the weather. 00:04:51.829 --> 00:04:54.569 But when it all comes together and the... The 00:04:54.569 --> 00:04:57.529 sun is shining and the boys are playing well. 00:04:58.430 --> 00:05:01.149 It feels different going to the park for us as 00:05:01.149 --> 00:05:04.810 staff and for the fans. Absolutely. And for those 00:05:04.810 --> 00:05:07.290 listening or watching that maybe don't understand 00:05:07.290 --> 00:05:08.889 the ins and outs of the minor leagues, I always 00:05:08.889 --> 00:05:11.490 found this fascinating. Is there a way for you 00:05:11.490 --> 00:05:13.149 to kind of decipher? Because there's single A, 00:05:13.230 --> 00:05:15.050 there's double A, there's triple A, right? And 00:05:15.050 --> 00:05:16.329 I think people are under the impression that 00:05:16.329 --> 00:05:18.250 it's like, you're really good in single A, then 00:05:18.250 --> 00:05:19.750 you go to double A, then you go to triple A. 00:05:19.810 --> 00:05:21.550 It doesn't really do that. Sometimes you skip 00:05:21.550 --> 00:05:24.240 over double A, you go to triple A. Is there kind 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:27.860 of a brief summary on how that works a little 00:05:27.860 --> 00:05:30.480 bit? I know there's no real, like, set format. 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:33.660 I don't think there is. I think it's based on 00:05:33.660 --> 00:05:36.959 the play of the player and sometimes maybe the 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:41.339 needs of the major league organization. You know, 00:05:41.339 --> 00:05:44.600 we're here to develop players, so they need the 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:46.560 pitchers to go upstairs. They need the hitters 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.120 and fielders to go upstairs. So when someone's 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:52.079 ready, they're ready, you know? And sometimes 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.860 they... They rush a guy. Sometimes they take 00:05:54.860 --> 00:05:57.459 too long with a guy. Sometimes there's, you know, 00:05:57.579 --> 00:05:59.120 there's a roadblock in front of you. I always, 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:02.339 you know, I always say, who was the shortstop 00:06:02.339 --> 00:06:05.300 in Scranton when, you know, Derek Jeter was playing 00:06:05.300 --> 00:06:07.240 there? He wasn't going anywhere. Right. You know, 00:06:07.420 --> 00:06:09.100 so, you know, some of those guys, and he could 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:11.079 have been that person of those years. There was 00:06:11.079 --> 00:06:12.939 probably a ton of really good shortstops that 00:06:12.939 --> 00:06:15.060 maybe had to get to other organizations or play 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:17.759 another position. Yeah. And I met a guy, Greg 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:22.170 Legg was our old manager in Batavia. and I remember 00:06:22.170 --> 00:06:24.709 seeing his number nine retired at Scranton back 00:06:24.709 --> 00:06:26.970 when they were the Red Barons, wherever they 00:06:26.970 --> 00:06:31.129 were, the Phillies organization. And he was my 00:06:31.129 --> 00:06:33.910 manager, so I met him and I said, Greg, how do 00:06:33.910 --> 00:06:37.009 you get your number retired in Scranton? He says 00:06:37.009 --> 00:06:40.870 you play third base behind Mike Schmidt. Exactly. 00:06:41.180 --> 00:06:43.439 If you're in Scranton forever, then that's how 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:45.220 they retire your number. You get retired just 00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:46.819 because you're there. Yeah, because you're there, 00:06:46.819 --> 00:06:48.680 and he was great. He had to be good, too, but 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:50.660 he was there. There was nowhere for him to go. 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:53.959 Have you ever lost a player because they were 00:06:53.959 --> 00:06:56.600 so good, they got called up, and it was in the 00:06:56.600 --> 00:06:57.980 middle of when they were on a hot streak, and 00:06:57.980 --> 00:07:00.379 you're like, no, please, stay. Oh, happens all 00:07:00.379 --> 00:07:03.019 the time? Yeah. Oh, happens all the time. But 00:07:03.019 --> 00:07:05.199 it is what it is. It's not tough because they're 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:07.920 not our players. They're the New York Mets players. 00:07:07.939 --> 00:07:12.310 That's what we're here for. We're in our 149th 00:07:12.310 --> 00:07:15.250 year of professional minor league baseball in 00:07:15.250 --> 00:07:18.389 Syracuse, and it used to, back in the day, it 00:07:18.389 --> 00:07:21.290 was September 1st call -ups. Everybody locally 00:07:21.290 --> 00:07:24.730 would get upset. I remember in 2014, we were 00:07:24.730 --> 00:07:29.430 in first place as the Syracuse Chiefs. And the 00:07:29.430 --> 00:07:33.230 Nationals called up Stephen Sousa Jr., and Destin 00:07:33.230 --> 00:07:37.209 Hood, and Tyler Moore, and they took six guys 00:07:37.209 --> 00:07:39.170 just before we were gonna go into the playoffs. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:42.100 and everybody was upset, but it was called the 00:07:42.100 --> 00:07:44.120 September 1st call -ups, and they called the 00:07:44.120 --> 00:07:46.800 guys up. Exactly. That's what they're called, 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:49.639 the call -ups. And I always tell the guys, I 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:51.680 hope I never see them again. I hope they leave. 00:07:52.060 --> 00:07:53.879 I hope they go to the big leagues, and I hope 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:57.079 they kill it, and I hope I never see them again. 00:07:57.100 --> 00:07:59.100 Maybe on a rehab, because they're so awesome, 00:07:59.220 --> 00:08:02.160 and still ended up with us. Yeah. I mean, that's 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:03.899 every... I have a performance anxiety over here. 00:08:03.899 --> 00:08:08.279 Oh, you're all right. You got it? You know, that's 00:08:08.279 --> 00:08:10.800 every kid's dream. when you're growing up, is, 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:12.579 you know, you're playing wiffle ball or you're 00:08:12.579 --> 00:08:14.699 playing baseball in the backyard. Yeah. And you 00:08:14.699 --> 00:08:17.259 dream of making... Hitting that home run. ...hitting 00:08:17.259 --> 00:08:20.160 that home run, that walk -off. You've been hitting 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:23.300 a walk -off with this organization, man. I tell 00:08:23.300 --> 00:08:25.220 people all the time, and I'm not just saying 00:08:25.220 --> 00:08:27.000 this because you're in my presence. I think you're 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:28.519 saying it because I'm right here. A little bit. 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:32.779 But it is... We went to the game, and my God, 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:35.100 man. Like, minor league baseball is known to 00:08:35.100 --> 00:08:38.120 be fun anyway. It's got a very fun energy. known 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:41.600 for a lot of promotions going on, but you take 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:44.740 it and you raise the bar. And I'm just gonna 00:08:44.740 --> 00:08:48.120 prove it by every day of the week, okay? You've 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:51.200 got Taco Tuesday. Delicious, nutritious tacos. 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:53.740 Wildcat and Wine Slushy Wednesday. Who doesn't 00:08:53.740 --> 00:08:55.659 like a wine slushy? You could pair that with 00:08:55.659 --> 00:08:58.419 We Care Wednesday. You could, and we often do. 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:00.879 And one of, I'm sure, everyone's favorites, Dollar 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:02.779 Thursday. The greatest invention in the history 00:09:02.779 --> 00:09:05.879 of baseball. And Fizzy Friday. And with fireworks. 00:09:06.740 --> 00:09:09.059 With... Fireworks. We like alliteration. But 00:09:09.059 --> 00:09:10.759 that's the week. Let's talk about the weekend. 00:09:11.019 --> 00:09:13.940 Super Saturday? Always a giveaway, always fireworks, 00:09:14.299 --> 00:09:17.039 always a national act. Something is super about 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:20.279 Saturdays. Kids Eat Free Sundays? Maybe the Secret 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:23.179 Best Day. Maybe that's probably the better invention 00:09:23.179 --> 00:09:26.220 than Dollar Thursday, but probably not. The kids 00:09:26.220 --> 00:09:29.080 eat free. They run the bases after the game. 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:31.539 Jeff the Magic Man is there doing his balloon 00:09:31.539 --> 00:09:33.840 artistry and telling jokes and doing magic for 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:36.720 free. Sometimes it's themed up. Last week was 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:39.059 Pirate and Princesses Day. We had princesses 00:09:39.059 --> 00:09:42.019 there. And it's just such a family. It's a day 00:09:42.019 --> 00:09:45.700 game usually. And it's just such a family kind 00:09:45.700 --> 00:09:49.639 of thing that I, why there's not every family 00:09:49.639 --> 00:09:51.919 in the community there, I don't know why. I don't 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.740 know either. And on top of that, for you, for 00:09:54.740 --> 00:09:57.700 the parents, I think it's one Sunday a month, 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:00.179 you got Boozy Brunch. Boozy Brunch. I mean, I 00:10:00.179 --> 00:10:02.220 think that speaks for itself. Sells out every 00:10:02.220 --> 00:10:05.320 time, unlimited. Bottomless mimosas, bottomless 00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:07.500 Bloody Marys. And then we don't just serve hot 00:10:07.500 --> 00:10:09.200 dogs and hamburgers. We have chicken and waffles 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:13.299 and... The speedies. No. What do you think you're 00:10:13.299 --> 00:10:14.940 talking about? The Binghamton Rumble Ponies? 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:16.659 That's what I'm doing. Yeah, we're more salt 00:10:16.659 --> 00:10:18.399 potatoes. What was the thing I had last time 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:21.820 that you told me I had to... Oh, the pierogies. 00:10:22.039 --> 00:10:23.259 Yes. That's what I'm talking about. Pierogi. 00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:27.019 No, as... Pierogi. ...Central New York's 2025 00:10:27.019 --> 00:10:29.860 Poll of the Year. Okay. My job is to make sure 00:10:29.860 --> 00:10:32.000 people like you... Like me. ...stop calling them 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:35.450 pierogies. It's just pierogi. This whole desk 00:10:35.450 --> 00:10:37.490 could be covered with pierogi, and it's just 00:10:37.490 --> 00:10:41.330 pierogi. So it's like deer. If there was more 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:43.669 than one deer, you would still say, there's a 00:10:43.669 --> 00:10:46.590 ton of deer in here. It's like bison. But for 00:10:46.590 --> 00:10:49.860 some reason, the buffalo bisons. Call it a, put 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:51.360 an S on it, I got a problem with that one. Also, 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:53.860 on the way to Buffalo, there's that sign that 00:10:53.860 --> 00:10:57.059 says Buffalo in All America City. Is it All American 00:10:57.059 --> 00:11:00.460 City? I don't think the people in Buffalo understand 00:11:00.460 --> 00:11:03.299 grammar. Well, I don't, okay, you said it, not 00:11:03.299 --> 00:11:07.990 me. Take. Hot take. Usually we trash the Rochester 00:11:07.990 --> 00:11:10.769 Red Wings. Yeah, you know why? Because of Dan 00:11:10.769 --> 00:11:14.350 frickin' Mason that was on my list. Anthony Sprague 00:11:14.350 --> 00:11:17.409 and Mike Bukowski in Buffalo are wonderful people. 00:11:17.529 --> 00:11:19.710 Buffalo's a wonderful city. Let's circle back 00:11:19.710 --> 00:11:21.889 to how horrible Rochester is. Yeah, let's go 00:11:21.889 --> 00:11:23.690 back. And Dan Mason specifically. I wanted to 00:11:23.690 --> 00:11:25.230 give you time. For those of you listening, last 00:11:25.230 --> 00:11:28.669 time we were here, we learned Jason's arch -rival, 00:11:28.830 --> 00:11:32.210 arch -nemesis, is Dan Mason of the Rochester 00:11:32.210 --> 00:11:34.649 Red Wings. Horrible person. Horrible. Red Wing 00:11:34.649 --> 00:11:36.429 or Red Wings? Red Wing. They are the Red Wings, 00:11:36.429 --> 00:11:37.929 yeah. They're the Red Wings, okay. So give me 00:11:37.929 --> 00:11:39.490 an update. At least they understand their grammar. 00:11:39.610 --> 00:11:42.049 Yeah, they do. So let's talk about Dan Mason 00:11:42.049 --> 00:11:43.809 real quick. Anything you want to say to him other 00:11:43.809 --> 00:11:46.769 than... Oh, no, he and I, he knows that he's 00:11:46.769 --> 00:11:48.690 the world's most horrible person. They just inducted 00:11:48.690 --> 00:11:50.129 the world's most horrible person into their Hall 00:11:50.129 --> 00:11:53.090 of Fame for years of service and giving back 00:11:53.090 --> 00:11:55.990 to the community and running a great organization. 00:11:57.830 --> 00:12:00.870 100%, thank you. Why they do this for this guy, 00:12:00.889 --> 00:12:04.059 I don't know why. I don't either. Yeah, raising 00:12:04.059 --> 00:12:09.220 money for charities, making kids happy, blah, 00:12:09.220 --> 00:12:13.519 blah, blah. Helping the community, healing people 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:16.639 who are sick. Right, thank you, whatever. Dan, 00:12:16.980 --> 00:12:19.399 I don't know if you know this, but the Syracuse 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:23.019 Mets are in first place. Oh, and owners of the 00:12:23.019 --> 00:12:27.899 Golden Fork, which is our rival with the Syracuse 00:12:27.899 --> 00:12:31.809 Salt Potatoes v. the Rochester Plates. So we 00:12:31.809 --> 00:12:34.009 won those games and we hold the Golden Fork. 00:12:34.149 --> 00:12:36.129 I believe we're well on our way to the Thruway 00:12:36.129 --> 00:12:38.429 Cup, which we will be coming to Rochester to 00:12:38.429 --> 00:12:41.450 take from your stadium, Dan Mason, world's most 00:12:41.450 --> 00:12:44.250 horrible person. Well, and there it is. You cut 00:12:44.250 --> 00:12:46.450 the promo. What's the Golden Fork and what's 00:12:46.450 --> 00:12:47.730 the Thruway? Is that a real thing or are you 00:12:47.730 --> 00:12:49.529 just making this up? No, no, Golden Fork is the 00:12:49.529 --> 00:12:52.909 largest trophy in professional sports, and it 00:12:52.909 --> 00:12:56.450 is a blood battle on the field between the salt 00:12:56.450 --> 00:13:01.019 potatoes and the plates. They're food. alternative 00:13:01.019 --> 00:13:04.860 identity, and it's a best of three series, and 00:13:04.860 --> 00:13:08.200 we pick specific games, and we won it. That's 00:13:08.200 --> 00:13:10.980 amazing. Swept them. The golden fork, and you 00:13:10.980 --> 00:13:13.879 have... I was in... Oh, it's an eight -foot trophy. 00:13:14.279 --> 00:13:18.200 Really? It's a golden fork made of gold. That's 00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:20.299 phenomenal. Paint on wood. Were you aware of 00:13:20.299 --> 00:13:23.600 this? Danny used to work there. Yeah, you... 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:26.720 Did you...? It's in my office right now. Did 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:28.320 you ever use it to eat? You know how, like, when 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:29.799 you win the Stanley Cup, you drink out of it? 00:13:29.860 --> 00:13:31.919 Do you use the golden fork to eat steak? You'd 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:33.820 be eating brontosaurus burgers with this fork. 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:35.279 It's a big fork. That's all right. You're gonna 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:37.600 need a big pierogi to stab with this fork. You 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:40.200 know what else you could eat with it? Dan Mason. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:43.220 You could eat him alive. He's bite -size. I don't 00:13:43.220 --> 00:13:45.059 know if you could use the fork for him. I've 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:46.980 never met Dan, but, man, when I do, that's gonna 00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:49.139 be awkward. You are going to be very disappointed. 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:52.120 I love you. Because he's such a nice person. 00:13:52.580 --> 00:13:55.240 Jason, he is nice. We're just passing. Jason 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:58.899 Smoral, let's talk about a thing that everyone's 00:13:58.899 --> 00:14:01.539 been talking about. Yes. You have opened up a 00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:04.460 competition to the public. Talk about that. What 00:14:04.460 --> 00:14:07.320 are we doing? We are renaming the Syracuse Mets. 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:10.799 A little community contest. And we've engaged 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:14.679 the community. We have 149 years of being the 00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:17.049 stars. The Chiefs, we started the Chiefs, we 00:14:17.049 --> 00:14:20.850 started the Stars in 1876. And then you started... 00:14:20.850 --> 00:14:24.549 The Chiefs in 1934. You brought this beautiful 00:14:24.549 --> 00:14:27.929 jersey, thank you. That's the 1985 Chiefs. That's 00:14:27.929 --> 00:14:31.049 hot. That is amazing. I am so honored you brought 00:14:31.049 --> 00:14:33.629 this. Danny is like salivating over there. I 00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:35.389 know, he really is. Loves that font, don't you? 00:14:35.629 --> 00:14:39.289 Yes. Yeah? 85, man, that's amazing. So you're... 00:14:39.289 --> 00:14:40.889 We've got the Chiefs, then Sky Chiefs, then back 00:14:40.889 --> 00:14:44.590 to the Chu Chu Chiefs, then the Mets. So next 00:14:44.590 --> 00:14:48.309 year is our 150th year in professional baseball 00:14:48.309 --> 00:14:51.009 in Syracuse, and we just figured it was time 00:14:51.009 --> 00:14:55.549 to go forward with a new identity, to re -engage 00:14:55.549 --> 00:14:58.389 with the community, let them have a say in the 00:14:58.389 --> 00:15:01.950 matter. We love the Mets, and a lot of people 00:15:01.950 --> 00:15:04.110 love us being the Mets. There's a lot of people 00:15:04.110 --> 00:15:06.470 who don't like us being the Mets. So we figure, 00:15:07.009 --> 00:15:09.110 let's let the community get involved. Let's find 00:15:09.110 --> 00:15:10.929 something that identifies with Central New York. 00:15:11.129 --> 00:15:14.190 a lot of salt entries, a lot of snow entries, 00:15:14.649 --> 00:15:19.789 a lot of salt potatoes entries, and hopefully 00:15:19.789 --> 00:15:22.230 at the end of this process, we're gonna have 00:15:22.230 --> 00:15:24.129 a fantastic new identity that we're gonna take 00:15:24.129 --> 00:15:28.190 into our 150th year, 151st year, because this 00:15:28.190 --> 00:15:32.049 is not happening until 2027. So we will celebrate. 00:15:32.269 --> 00:15:35.690 the Mets and all of our former names next year. 00:15:35.830 --> 00:15:37.889 And not to be confused, you will still be affiliated 00:15:37.889 --> 00:15:40.429 with the Mets. Very confusing, but yes, we will 00:15:40.429 --> 00:15:43.250 still be with the Mets. Just not called the Mets. 00:15:43.429 --> 00:15:45.149 How about when we were owned by the Mets and 00:15:45.149 --> 00:15:47.149 we had the Nationals on the field? That was very 00:15:47.149 --> 00:15:48.929 confusing. A little bit, but we were the Chiefs. 00:15:48.929 --> 00:15:50.549 I remember Strasburg was pitching there and I 00:15:50.549 --> 00:15:52.909 remember thinking, wait, I thought they were 00:15:52.909 --> 00:15:54.990 the Mets. No, they're the Nationals. That happens 00:15:54.990 --> 00:15:56.450 in minor league all the time. It happens. It 00:15:56.450 --> 00:15:59.480 happens all the time. Now, that's a very ballsy 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:03.179 move to open up this contest to the public, but 00:16:03.179 --> 00:16:05.580 you're a guy that loves engaging with the public. 00:16:05.940 --> 00:16:08.860 Was this your idea? Was this, like, your brainchild? 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:11.259 I think specifically my idea. We have kind of 00:16:11.259 --> 00:16:14.240 a brain trust over there, and there's a lot of 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.179 good minds over at the... I take... If it works, 00:16:16.259 --> 00:16:18.740 I take credit for it. If it doesn't work, it's 00:16:18.740 --> 00:16:22.080 Katie Stewart's or Brian Pawpick's fault. I blamed 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.320 a lot of things on Danny Tripodi. Well, yeah, 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:29.370 we do here. No, that's fantastic, man. It's doing 00:16:29.370 --> 00:16:31.210 exactly what we thought it was going to do. Well, 00:16:31.210 --> 00:16:33.769 I guess what we hoped it was going to do. It's 00:16:33.769 --> 00:16:37.309 generated a buzz. A lot of times we get to August 00:16:37.309 --> 00:16:39.809 and they stop talking about the Syracuse mess 00:16:39.809 --> 00:16:42.210 because it's time for Syracuse University football. 00:16:42.330 --> 00:16:43.909 It's time for the state fair. It's time for high 00:16:43.909 --> 00:16:47.169 school sports to get back in action. So now, 00:16:47.330 --> 00:16:49.649 with this name change, we thrust ourselves into 00:16:49.649 --> 00:16:52.830 the conversation. Now with the first place Syracuse 00:16:52.830 --> 00:16:56.830 mess, it's hard to ignore us. We're in the news. 00:16:57.289 --> 00:16:59.889 We're being talked about over coffee. We're being 00:16:59.889 --> 00:17:02.490 talked about at the kitchen table. We just had 00:17:02.490 --> 00:17:05.170 a youth baseball camp last week for three days. 00:17:05.390 --> 00:17:07.390 All the little kids were giving me their ideas. 00:17:07.789 --> 00:17:13.190 Not one of them was good. Sorry. Sorry, kids. 00:17:13.210 --> 00:17:17.069 How about the Syracuse Cramp? Stupid kids. And 00:17:17.069 --> 00:17:23.180 some people are mad. They were changing it, and 00:17:23.180 --> 00:17:24.819 some people, a woman came up to me and she's 00:17:24.819 --> 00:17:26.980 like, thank you so much. This is such a great 00:17:26.980 --> 00:17:29.700 idea. So for her, I totally took credit. I was 00:17:29.700 --> 00:17:31.299 like, oh, you're welcome. I did that all myself. 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:32.859 But the one that came up was like, why are you 00:17:32.859 --> 00:17:35.440 changing this? Blame it on Katie. Blame it on 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:38.819 Katie. I told her not to. No, that's great. And 00:17:38.819 --> 00:17:41.460 look, no matter what you do in life, I've learned, 00:17:41.619 --> 00:17:42.779 especially now in social media, there's always 00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:44.500 going to be a group of unhappy people. Sure. 00:17:44.900 --> 00:17:46.819 There's no one name that everyone's going to 00:17:46.819 --> 00:17:49.660 go, that's it. You know what, we're all in unison 00:17:49.660 --> 00:17:51.920 together. That's it. 100%. We love that idea. 00:17:52.299 --> 00:17:54.680 Do you find that now, since the announcement's 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:56.000 been made that you're doing the naming contest, 00:17:56.200 --> 00:17:57.599 like, is it everywhere you go now, people are 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:59.460 like, oh, Jason, I have this idea. Everywhere. 00:17:59.859 --> 00:18:02.279 Yeah. And it's great. Oh, yes. That's what it's 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:04.519 supposed to be. So everyone's got their idea. 00:18:04.619 --> 00:18:07.299 Everyone just sends me in. Everyone, not everyone, 00:18:07.319 --> 00:18:08.599 but a lot of people just put their ideas in. 00:18:08.819 --> 00:18:11.799 A lot of people find it very important to also 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:15.380 attach their AI -generated logo. OK. Yeah, we're 00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:18.059 in that world now where you can... You can use 00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:20.799 AI, so they're gonna give you the logo of the 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:22.480 team and everything. They're giving us everything, 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:25.740 which we're not going to use. No, I wouldn't 00:18:25.740 --> 00:18:27.759 recommend that. And we're not gonna use AI, I 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:29.599 don't think, to make the logo. No, we're not 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:31.119 gonna do that. No, we're not gonna do that. But 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.299 it's so much fun, and we're learning so much 00:18:34.299 --> 00:18:36.319 about Syracuse. We're learning about Central 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:37.859 New York. We're learning more about the salt 00:18:37.859 --> 00:18:39.940 industry. We're learning more about, you know, 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:42.000 the things we invented here, the dental chair, 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:44.410 the serrated knife. Obviously, everyone's favorite, 00:18:44.490 --> 00:18:48.630 the Brannock device. You know, the history of 00:18:48.630 --> 00:18:50.750 Kraus Heinz and the first traffic light. We have 00:18:50.750 --> 00:18:54.009 the upside down traffic light. You know, there's 00:18:54.009 --> 00:18:56.710 so much stuff that they're learning about. Myths 00:18:56.710 --> 00:18:59.730 of lake monsters. Obviously, we're learning more 00:18:59.730 --> 00:19:02.829 and more and more about the low bridges. Listen, 00:19:03.170 --> 00:19:06.289 I'm floored right now because I had no idea. 00:19:06.769 --> 00:19:10.529 The dental chair was invented here? Yes. So the 00:19:10.529 --> 00:19:13.130 thing that has horrified children for years. 00:19:13.130 --> 00:19:16.190 Yes. The torture device was, okay. But you want 00:19:16.190 --> 00:19:18.210 to cut yourself some bread? We invented this 00:19:18.210 --> 00:19:22.210 serrated knife. No way. Way? The Syracuse serrated 00:19:22.210 --> 00:19:24.950 knives? Yeah, maybe. The Syracuse dental chairs? 00:19:25.269 --> 00:19:28.190 Right. All right. You're gonna have a sound effect 00:19:28.190 --> 00:19:29.950 as our guys come to bat. Like seventh inning 00:19:29.950 --> 00:19:33.849 stuff. Or when they get to bat. I actually have 00:19:33.849 --> 00:19:35.589 some names I wanted to run by you. Do you have 00:19:35.589 --> 00:19:37.849 any AI -generated logos that you could accompany 00:19:37.849 --> 00:19:40.150 these with? You do have a logo guy over there. 00:19:40.210 --> 00:19:41.930 I do have a logo guy over there. He's better 00:19:41.930 --> 00:19:44.890 than AI. Well, here's what I did. I thought, 00:19:44.990 --> 00:19:47.730 listen, how am I going to compete with everybody? 00:19:47.970 --> 00:19:50.009 I mean... You simply register like every single 00:19:50.009 --> 00:19:52.589 other person on the planet? Right. But I said... 00:19:52.589 --> 00:19:54.309 There's no competition. It's super easy to do. 00:19:54.329 --> 00:19:57.069 Go to SyracuseMets .com and click on the button 00:19:57.069 --> 00:19:59.430 to register your idea. There it is. I was going 00:19:59.430 --> 00:20:02.410 to ask that too. I thought, listen, Jason's coming 00:20:02.410 --> 00:20:05.470 today. I have a fast track right to the GM. How 00:20:05.470 --> 00:20:07.730 am I going to woo him? And I thought, how about 00:20:07.730 --> 00:20:10.750 you make it about Jason? So I'm going to make 00:20:10.750 --> 00:20:12.829 it nearly impossible for you to say no to these 00:20:12.829 --> 00:20:14.670 names. I'm already saying no in advance. All 00:20:14.670 --> 00:20:17.190 right, well, here's the thing. I'll start with 00:20:17.190 --> 00:20:20.130 the non -Jason. OK. What about the Micron machines, 00:20:20.349 --> 00:20:22.450 right? Oh, I forgot. There's a lot of Microns. 00:20:22.569 --> 00:20:25.130 There's a lot of chip action. Sure. Wait till 00:20:25.130 --> 00:20:27.490 there's a shovel in the ground. OK. But now I'm 00:20:27.490 --> 00:20:30.829 starting to think. Very good Syracuse, true blue. 00:20:30.829 --> 00:20:32.970 We'll wait and see. We know it's gonna happen. 00:20:33.130 --> 00:20:35.690 It's awesome, super awesome. That's actually 00:20:35.690 --> 00:20:38.269 a very smart play. I think that's a very smart 00:20:38.269 --> 00:20:40.869 play. I do love the salt potatoes, but here's 00:20:40.869 --> 00:20:42.450 the thing. Love the salt potatoes, but they're 00:20:42.450 --> 00:20:44.309 their own thing. They are their own thing. How 00:20:44.309 --> 00:20:47.349 about this? What about the Taco Tuesdays? You 00:20:47.349 --> 00:20:49.589 love saying Taco Tuesdays. I love alliteration. 00:20:49.890 --> 00:20:52.250 Now, you did go to Fredonia. Yes. What about 00:20:52.250 --> 00:20:56.250 the Syracuse Fredonia Blue Devils? I think Fredonia 00:20:56.250 --> 00:20:59.160 would have a problem with that. Okay, fine. Uh, 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:03.259 what about the... Oh, here we go, here we go. 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:06.059 The, uh, what is it? Oh, the Syracuse Watertown 00:21:06.059 --> 00:21:08.480 Indians. Because you worked for the Watertown 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:11.539 Indians? Indians has had its time in the sun, 00:21:11.779 --> 00:21:14.319 and, uh, that's also... Right, right, right, 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:16.319 right. We got to be careful of that. The Syracuse 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:20.660 92 Battleship Rugby Team. Oh, Battleship would 00:21:20.660 --> 00:21:23.500 be good for our naval history here in Syracuse. 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.160 The Battleships? Yes. or the Syracuse Cobras, 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:29.279 because that is the Bishop Grimes. It's up for 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:31.059 grabs. That's where you went to high school, 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:34.279 Bishop Grimes. And then last is my favorite, 00:21:35.500 --> 00:21:39.099 the S'moreals. Instead of the Baltimore Orioles, 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:41.779 the Syracuse S'moreals. S'moreals versus the 00:21:41.779 --> 00:21:43.339 Orioles? Who doesn't love that? Kind of like 00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:48.359 your favorite campfire treat. That's right. Those 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:50.559 are fantastic ideas. Yeah, I don't know about 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:53.400 that. But I will say, OK. But I will say this. 00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:58.519 I am intrigued to find out. I was doing research 00:21:58.519 --> 00:22:05.480 on you. I do want to talk about this 92 Battleship 00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:07.440 rugby team. What the hell is that all about? 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:12.000 Oh, the rugby team. So in Fredonia, my mother 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:16.599 sent me a rugby shirt from TJ Maxx. My roommate, 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:19.740 Johnny Murdaka. Johnny crime, because crime doesn't 00:22:19.740 --> 00:22:23.740 pay. He had little alligator arms. Never made 00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:27.319 the bill. Johnny Crime, he played on the rugby 00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:29.339 team. He played in high school. We had a men's 00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:32.880 team in Fredonia, the Black Horse Rugby Club. 00:22:33.019 --> 00:22:34.500 Are we talking about Black Horse or Battleship? 00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:36.859 I think Battleship. You won the 1992 championship. 00:22:36.859 --> 00:22:39.960 I started playing in Fredonia, so I started playing. 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:41.500 I played for a long time. I ended up in Mobile, 00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:44.759 Alabama. One of the best things about rugby is 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:46.500 that wherever you go, you have an immediate band 00:22:46.500 --> 00:22:49.119 of brothers. You just go to the local rugby club, 00:22:49.259 --> 00:22:52.279 and you just show up. I played on the Syracuse 00:22:52.279 --> 00:22:55.500 Chargers. I played on the Barracks Rangers or 00:22:55.500 --> 00:22:56.880 whatever they called them when I was in Watertown. 00:22:57.220 --> 00:22:59.900 And when I went to Mobile to go to the United 00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:02.579 States Sports Academy for my degree in sports 00:23:02.579 --> 00:23:06.059 management, I looked them up and found the Battleship 00:23:06.059 --> 00:23:09.299 Rugby Club and just showed up. And it was a wonderful 00:23:09.299 --> 00:23:11.579 time because you have an immediate band of brothers 00:23:11.579 --> 00:23:13.619 and you go to practice, you stay in shape, you 00:23:13.619 --> 00:23:16.720 play rugby. It's a great game. And they were 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:19.910 a really good rugby team. and we won the 1992 00:23:19.910 --> 00:23:22.710 national championship. The only reason that anybody 00:23:22.710 --> 00:23:27.089 knows this is because Clint Cure was our assistant 00:23:27.089 --> 00:23:28.970 general manager. He was a really good rugby player. 00:23:29.109 --> 00:23:31.069 He would go and travel to Ireland and England 00:23:31.069 --> 00:23:33.930 and go in tournaments. And he just looked like 00:23:33.930 --> 00:23:35.970 he was a good rugby, better rugby player than 00:23:35.970 --> 00:23:38.829 me. You look like a rugby player. So I put that 00:23:38.829 --> 00:23:40.910 in there just so Clint knew that, oh, by the 00:23:40.910 --> 00:23:42.309 way, Clint, oh, because you always talk about 00:23:42.309 --> 00:23:43.650 his rugby. I don't really talk about it that 00:23:43.650 --> 00:23:46.140 much. And I was like. Well, let's just rub it 00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:48.339 in Clint's face. Just out of spite. Yeah. You 00:23:48.339 --> 00:23:50.220 know, because Dan Mason's a horrible person. 00:23:50.420 --> 00:23:53.720 Me, I'm a wonderful person. Out of spite, I played 00:23:53.720 --> 00:23:56.680 on the 1992 national championship team. Division 00:23:56.680 --> 00:23:59.400 two, men's division two, back in the day. And 00:23:59.400 --> 00:24:01.579 it was great. And I still am in touch with those 00:24:01.579 --> 00:24:05.339 guys to today. It's a brotherhood. And do you 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:07.480 still follow rugby at all? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Oh, 00:24:07.900 --> 00:24:10.640 yeah. Brad Bassett will send out that we could 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:16.109 watch the. the world championships on Peacock 00:24:16.109 --> 00:24:17.849 at three o 'clock in the morning or whatever 00:24:17.849 --> 00:24:20.710 it is. I was fascinated. I mean, the Olympics 00:24:20.710 --> 00:24:24.029 was great, but the women's rugby. I love women's 00:24:24.029 --> 00:24:26.450 rugby. I love women's basketball. I just think 00:24:26.450 --> 00:24:30.190 it's a more pure game. I love watching. I was 00:24:30.190 --> 00:24:32.009 hooked on women's basketball before Caitlin Clark, 00:24:32.089 --> 00:24:34.230 but she's got me all locked in. Now you're locked 00:24:34.230 --> 00:24:36.809 in. Now I know. Multiple players on multiple 00:24:36.809 --> 00:24:40.789 teams. I love it. I thought hockey players were 00:24:40.789 --> 00:24:43.349 the toughest athletes on the planet until I watched 00:24:43.349 --> 00:24:46.369 a rugby match. Yeah. Dude, that is... It's football 00:24:46.369 --> 00:24:50.430 without pads. Yeah. It's just wild. Yeah. And 00:24:50.430 --> 00:24:52.990 how does one know they're good at rugby? You 00:24:52.990 --> 00:24:54.630 know what I mean? Like, you grew up playing baseball 00:24:54.630 --> 00:24:56.109 with your friends. You're like, oh, man, I got 00:24:56.109 --> 00:24:58.750 a good arm. How do you know, yeah, I might be 00:24:58.750 --> 00:25:01.089 good at rugby? It's not like a regular... As 00:25:01.089 --> 00:25:02.750 long as you're a good athlete, you're good. And 00:25:02.750 --> 00:25:04.809 then you just have to be just not the brightest 00:25:04.809 --> 00:25:07.089 bulb in the block. Sign me up. So you're gonna 00:25:07.089 --> 00:25:10.859 put yourself in harm's way. But the counterpoint 00:25:10.859 --> 00:25:13.740 to that is you don't have helmets or helmets 00:25:13.740 --> 00:25:15.940 and shoulder pads and it's gonna hurt you just 00:25:15.940 --> 00:25:18.700 as much as it's gonna hurt the other guy or girl. 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:23.799 So you properly tackle and I don't know, you 00:25:23.799 --> 00:25:26.480 get kicked a lot and you get bloody and it just 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:30.220 happens and you just get used to it. And then 00:25:30.220 --> 00:25:32.400 you'll know after a couple of practices and a 00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:34.420 couple of games if you're in it or not. That's 00:25:34.420 --> 00:25:38.440 not for me. Or I'm all in, which I was all in 00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:41.099 right from the get -go. I think my daughter would 00:25:41.099 --> 00:25:42.839 have been a fantastic rugby player. I was always 00:25:42.839 --> 00:25:46.420 encouraging her to do that because she was fit 00:25:46.420 --> 00:25:48.319 fast and ball hungry and all of her other sports. 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:51.319 But the multiple concussions she got just playing 00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:53.299 soccer, I don't think that's going to help her 00:25:53.299 --> 00:25:56.240 playing rugby. Yeah, she would have been good 00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:59.480 though. She's speedy. I was not, however, speedy. 00:25:59.500 --> 00:26:02.039 I played in the pack. I was deceptively fast. 00:26:02.359 --> 00:26:05.180 Deceptively fast. I thought I was fast. Do you 00:26:05.180 --> 00:26:07.279 think rugby players are, like, the toughest athletes 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:09.140 on the planet? They've got to be. They're pretty 00:26:09.140 --> 00:26:11.240 tough. I mess with pretty tough guys out there. 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:14.700 I think all these guys are tough, though. Football 00:26:14.700 --> 00:26:16.140 players are pretty tough. Hockey players are 00:26:16.140 --> 00:26:18.359 pretty tough. Hockey players and rugby players 00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:22.109 seem to be much more simpatico. just kind of 00:26:22.109 --> 00:26:25.730 just beer -drinking dudes. They are tough as 00:26:25.730 --> 00:26:28.809 nails. I had a band years ago, and we played 00:26:28.809 --> 00:26:30.990 at this place called General Clinton's Pub in 00:26:30.990 --> 00:26:33.470 Oneonta. Okay. And we were getting ready to load 00:26:33.470 --> 00:26:36.569 in, and the owner says, uh, guys, yeah, we got 00:26:36.569 --> 00:26:38.869 a rugby team here from the college. They just 00:26:38.869 --> 00:26:41.250 won something. You know, they kind of took over 00:26:41.250 --> 00:26:42.750 the bar, so you're gonna have to wait about an 00:26:42.750 --> 00:26:46.890 hour till you load in. We walked in, and I swear 00:26:46.890 --> 00:26:49.690 to God to you, there had to be... three, four 00:26:49.690 --> 00:26:52.170 inches of beer on the ground that made, like, 00:26:52.210 --> 00:26:54.930 a puddle. And some guy was doing naked stomach 00:26:54.930 --> 00:26:59.250 slides. This was late 90s, early 2000s. And it 00:26:59.250 --> 00:27:01.990 was the... I mean, music was playing, and they're 00:27:01.990 --> 00:27:03.869 cheering. The greatest parties in the world are 00:27:03.869 --> 00:27:05.349 post -game rugby parties. That's where I was 00:27:05.349 --> 00:27:08.519 going. I had never, and I've been to a lot of 00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:10.660 parties, my friend. I had never seen a party 00:27:10.660 --> 00:27:12.880 like this. The songs, the singing. All of it. 00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:14.980 Yeah, they were all clinking glasses and they 00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:17.019 knew the words in there. It's a little bit like 00:27:17.019 --> 00:27:21.220 a German beer hall. Yes. Yes. And my question 00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:24.279 was, does that translate across all of rugby 00:27:24.279 --> 00:27:26.900 or was that maybe an Oneana thing? All of rugby. 00:27:27.160 --> 00:27:30.279 All of rugby from the world class New Zealand 00:27:30.279 --> 00:27:34.829 All Blacks. down to the Oneonta Rugby Club. Whatever 00:27:34.829 --> 00:27:37.130 they are. Yeah. O -R -C. The old... Yorks. After 00:27:37.130 --> 00:27:38.990 the game, after the practice, you go to the bar. 00:27:39.210 --> 00:27:42.349 After the game, you play a game, you shake everybody's 00:27:42.349 --> 00:27:43.990 hand. Sure. And you go and hang out and you party 00:27:43.990 --> 00:27:45.730 with them. That's amazing. And you sing songs 00:27:45.730 --> 00:27:48.130 and it's awesome. The hell's better than that? 00:27:48.130 --> 00:27:49.710 There's nothing better than that. Actually, there 00:27:49.710 --> 00:27:52.769 is. The first place Eudacuce Mets. That's a little 00:27:52.769 --> 00:27:55.390 bit better. Eudacuce Rugby likes to come out 00:27:55.390 --> 00:28:00.450 to historic MBT Bank stadiums, so they must have... 00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:04.200 I'd be a band of teams, either consolidated. 00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:06.319 I go over there, I say hello to them. I kind 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:07.880 of let them do their own thing. They try to recruit 00:28:07.880 --> 00:28:10.359 some new players. I'm assuming the Syracuse Chargers 00:28:10.359 --> 00:28:11.779 are still going. They have a nice little rugby 00:28:11.779 --> 00:28:14.619 pitch over there on the west side of town. Yeah, 00:28:14.660 --> 00:28:17.819 OK. I love it. Yeah. One time, my funny one, 00:28:18.019 --> 00:28:19.279 we were playing with the Chargers. There was 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:21.740 this guy. And I can't remember his name. And 00:28:21.740 --> 00:28:24.579 I met somebody that I shared the story with him 00:28:24.579 --> 00:28:26.099 recently. And he remembered who the guy was. 00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:28.480 And his name was Mike. And we were playing a 00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:30.829 game. And there's a tackle, and he starts screaming, 00:28:31.049 --> 00:28:33.309 and screaming, and screaming, and he's down there. 00:28:33.309 --> 00:28:35.309 He's like, oh my gosh, my gosh, my gosh, my eye, 00:28:35.309 --> 00:28:38.869 my eye. And he comes up, and he has no eyeball 00:28:38.869 --> 00:28:44.869 in his socket. And then he picks it up, and he's 00:28:44.869 --> 00:28:46.829 got an eyeball there, and we're all just standing 00:28:46.829 --> 00:28:50.150 over the top of Roy. And then he just put it 00:28:50.150 --> 00:28:52.470 in his mouth, and then popped it back in his 00:28:52.470 --> 00:28:54.630 eye. I guess he had a fake eye. He would do that 00:28:54.630 --> 00:29:02.960 every once in a while. Oh, that guy was great. 00:29:03.099 --> 00:29:04.980 That guy was great. That was a long time ago, 00:29:05.019 --> 00:29:07.140 but that was great. I had a friend who had one 00:29:07.140 --> 00:29:09.640 eye, and the first time I ever met him, I was 00:29:09.640 --> 00:29:12.940 sitting at a bar, and we were having a conversation, 00:29:12.980 --> 00:29:14.920 and I looked the other way, and when I looked 00:29:14.920 --> 00:29:17.079 back, there was an eyeball in my beard. Oh, I 00:29:17.079 --> 00:29:18.480 think that was a big thing at this guy's game. 00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:20.799 I think that was a big part. At the party, at 00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:22.119 the party. And we were best friends ever since. 00:29:22.119 --> 00:29:23.819 He was probably, like, the vice president of 00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:26.599 some company. Of course. Of course he was. I 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:27.880 thought you meant he really ate his eyeball. 00:29:28.119 --> 00:29:29.960 I really did. Everybody thought he did it. He 00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:31.539 whacked it. It came out. There was blood coming 00:29:31.539 --> 00:29:34.559 down to his face. That's great. That's a huge 00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:36.279 intimidation. And then he just knows. He's like, 00:29:36.299 --> 00:29:38.059 oh, this is the perfect time to do the old eye 00:29:38.059 --> 00:29:41.319 trick. I haven't done this in three years. I 00:29:41.319 --> 00:29:45.000 love that. Well, Jason Smoral of the first place 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:47.339 Syracuse Mets. First place Syracuse Mets. Tell 00:29:47.339 --> 00:29:50.799 us what's coming up other than the naming contest. 00:29:50.940 --> 00:29:52.559 What do you got? Anything you want to plug coming 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:55.019 up? Well, first the contest. You know, go to 00:29:55.019 --> 00:29:57.180 SyracuseMets .com and we have it pinned right 00:29:57.180 --> 00:30:00.039 to our website. You click on that. It'll take 00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:02.440 you to a site. You can register your name. Your 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:04.660 suggestion gives you a little place to add your 00:30:04.660 --> 00:30:06.559 suggestions. We're really not really talking 00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:08.619 about the names that are... that are being submitted, 00:30:08.660 --> 00:30:10.799 because we're going to, at the end of the month, 00:30:10.859 --> 00:30:13.339 which I believe is the 31st, that ends, and then 00:30:13.339 --> 00:30:16.559 we will release 10 names, and then people will 00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:19.299 vote on those 10 names. And then we will release, 00:30:19.380 --> 00:30:21.220 whittle that down to five names, and then people 00:30:21.220 --> 00:30:23.420 will vote on those five names. So you still have 00:30:23.420 --> 00:30:25.900 time to put in your suggestions with good ideas, 00:30:26.339 --> 00:30:29.240 super awesome, still some time to do that. And 00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:32.819 we only have two home stands left. So we play, 00:30:32.859 --> 00:30:35.619 so we only have 12 home games left. We have, 00:30:35.660 --> 00:30:38.710 we're on the road right now, Rochester. Oh, hi, 00:30:38.910 --> 00:30:42.650 Dan Mason. Yeah, hello, Dan Mason. So we're on 00:30:42.650 --> 00:30:44.750 the road, and they're just promoting the fact 00:30:44.750 --> 00:30:46.289 that the Syracuse Mets are there and all the 00:30:46.289 --> 00:30:48.109 prospects. So because there's Mets fans. Mets 00:30:48.109 --> 00:30:50.089 fans are nuts. Yeah. And so there'll be a lot 00:30:50.089 --> 00:30:53.170 of a sea of orange and blue in historic innovative 00:30:53.170 --> 00:30:55.910 field in Rochester. Yeah. So then we come back 00:30:55.910 --> 00:30:59.589 next week. So August 19th through the 24th with 00:30:59.589 --> 00:31:05.720 a Taco Tuesday with a We Care Wednesday. and 00:31:05.720 --> 00:31:07.700 a Wildcat and a Wine Slushy Wednesday. We have 00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:10.640 Dollar Thursday as the Congero State Syracuse, 00:31:10.660 --> 00:31:14.299 our third Latino night. Very nice. Fizzy Friday 00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:18.380 with Fireworks. That one is our eras night, our 00:31:18.380 --> 00:31:20.539 Taylor Swift promotion. Oh my gosh. Where we 00:31:20.539 --> 00:31:22.980 have Taylor Swift friendship bracelet jersey 00:31:22.980 --> 00:31:26.079 giveaways, card set giveaways courtesy of our 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:29.059 friends from Hyundai Cicero with the team photo 00:31:29.059 --> 00:31:33.299 on there. fireworks set to DJ Swifty playing 00:31:33.299 --> 00:31:36.940 Taylor Swift music for the fireworks. And then 00:31:36.940 --> 00:31:42.039 Super Saturday nesting doll giveaway. Oh, it's 00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:43.859 little because it's a salt potato power move 00:31:43.859 --> 00:31:45.960 weekend. OK, so we'll be playing as the salt 00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:48.299 potatoes. And then we have little we have the 00:31:48.299 --> 00:31:51.079 Golden Fork and then Mr. Salt Potato, Mrs. Salt 00:31:51.079 --> 00:31:53.980 Potato, Little Tater Tot. And then it just goes 00:31:53.980 --> 00:31:56.019 down to the nesting dolls. So cool. Thank you 00:31:56.019 --> 00:31:58.579 to our friends from Coca -Cola. Kids eat free 00:31:58.579 --> 00:32:00.640 family Sunday. which is a bark in the park, your 00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:03.019 last chance to bring your dogs. Well, it's $5 00:32:03.019 --> 00:32:04.779 for the dogs. All that money goes back to local 00:32:04.779 --> 00:32:07.579 rescue groups. And then we go have a two -week 00:32:07.579 --> 00:32:09.740 road trip, but we're going to the dreaded Scranton 00:32:09.740 --> 00:32:14.000 rail riders. Ooh, Yankee. Which are right there 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:15.740 neck and neck. We win like crazy. They're winning 00:32:15.740 --> 00:32:17.660 like crazy. Right now, you guys both tied at 00:32:17.660 --> 00:32:21.259 30 and 11. That is going to decide. That's it. 00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:22.720 That's a huge game. That's it. Huge series. There's 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:24.839 six games. That's gonna decide who's going to 00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:27.720 the playoffs or not. Wow. That's my guess. And 00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:30.309 then we have the last... Home Stand, which is 00:32:30.309 --> 00:32:33.730 like September 9th through the 14th. And then 00:32:33.730 --> 00:32:36.089 we pack it all again. Taco Tuesday, another We 00:32:36.089 --> 00:32:38.670 Care Wednesday, where we bring out 10 local nonprofits. 00:32:39.170 --> 00:32:40.809 And hopefully people can go to our website. If 00:32:40.809 --> 00:32:42.029 they feel like coming to a game on Wednesday, 00:32:42.109 --> 00:32:44.309 I'd rather you buy a ticket from one of those 00:32:44.309 --> 00:32:46.630 nonprofits, because $5 of each ticket sold goes 00:32:46.630 --> 00:32:50.190 back to those nonprofits. $1 Thursday, which 00:32:50.190 --> 00:32:53.349 is on 9 -11, so we'll do a remembrance day. It's 00:32:53.349 --> 00:32:55.230 also college night. There's a discount for college 00:32:55.230 --> 00:32:57.549 kids. We'll see how those two things match up 00:32:57.549 --> 00:33:01.779 together. And then it's Irish night. Big night, 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:05.339 green beer, giveaway Irish jerseys. I think we 00:33:05.339 --> 00:33:07.240 spelled, we don't know if we did it correctly, 00:33:07.460 --> 00:33:10.000 but we spelled Syracuse and Gaelic on a green 00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:14.339 jersey. And then Saturday is Italian night. So 00:33:14.339 --> 00:33:16.940 we have bagpipes the other night, and dancing, 00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:19.980 Irish dancing. Italian night with an Italian 00:33:19.980 --> 00:33:22.359 musician coming in. Italian jerseys, which are 00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:26.619 super hot. Fireworks set to Italian music. And 00:33:26.619 --> 00:33:29.579 then we wrap it all up on the last day of the 00:33:29.579 --> 00:33:32.500 season. For us, there's another road trip on 00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:34.700 a Kids Eat Free Family Sunday Fan Appreciation 00:33:34.700 --> 00:33:36.440 Day. There'll be special ticket deals and food 00:33:36.440 --> 00:33:39.079 deals. We need to empty out the freezers. My 00:33:39.079 --> 00:33:42.039 God. Last day is a good day to come. That whole 00:33:42.039 --> 00:33:44.799 rant you just did sounded like the greatest vacation 00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:47.039 resort of all time, but it's not. It's the Syracuse 00:33:47.039 --> 00:33:48.799 Mets. It's just what we do. Nobody does what 00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:51.559 we do. That's what I'm trying to say when we 00:33:51.559 --> 00:33:53.839 opened and I said... You know, minor league baseball 00:33:53.839 --> 00:33:55.599 is known for a lot of fun promotions, but you 00:33:55.599 --> 00:33:57.559 take it to the next level, and I'm not exaggerating. 00:33:57.660 --> 00:34:00.039 There might be a boozy brunch on that last day. 00:34:00.099 --> 00:34:01.799 That might be the best boozy brunch to go to. 00:34:01.859 --> 00:34:03.500 We got to clean out the freezers. You should 00:34:03.500 --> 00:34:05.599 bring your friend over and do eye -eating Thursday. 00:34:05.660 --> 00:34:07.599 He'll pop his eye out, throw it in his mouth. 00:34:07.740 --> 00:34:09.440 Hopefully that guy still lives in Syracuse. He'll 00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:11.599 come to a game. And hopefully he doesn't say 00:34:11.599 --> 00:34:12.880 anything. Hopefully he just comes up to me and 00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:16.280 just takes his eye out. And Dan Mason hate day. 00:34:16.599 --> 00:34:18.619 We got to get that. Why that hasn't started, 00:34:18.699 --> 00:34:21.199 that's your best idea. That's my best idea? That's 00:34:21.199 --> 00:34:23.639 it. We hate Dan Mason Day. 100%. Or you do Dan 00:34:23.639 --> 00:34:25.739 Mason bobbleheads, but make it real ugly. And 00:34:25.739 --> 00:34:27.539 just destroy them. Just, yeah, just smash them. 00:34:27.679 --> 00:34:29.599 Have them look nothing like him. Yeah, nothing. 00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:33.079 Like, absolutely. Just like missing teeth. Yeah. 00:34:33.380 --> 00:34:36.179 Make them like 300 pounds heavier, or whatever 00:34:36.179 --> 00:34:38.699 you can do. I've never done that. He's a big 00:34:38.699 --> 00:34:40.840 Notre Dame guy. We put him in like a... A USC 00:34:40.840 --> 00:34:43.500 jersey. Yeah, or Michigan. Oh, yeah, that'd be 00:34:43.500 --> 00:34:44.860 good. That would be real good. That's actually 00:34:44.860 --> 00:34:46.579 got some legs. That's got some legs? That's got 00:34:46.579 --> 00:34:48.719 some legs. You got some legs, too. Don't downplay 00:34:48.719 --> 00:34:52.179 it. Listen, Jason Smoral of the first place Syracuse 00:34:52.179 --> 00:34:55.420 Mets, you are one of my favorite people, man, 00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:57.639 and thank you for coming. My pleasure. Good luck 00:34:57.639 --> 00:35:00.480 with the naming contest. Good luck with all the 00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:03.079 promotions. Thank you so much for the throwback 00:35:03.079 --> 00:35:05.920 Chiefs jersey. You got one for Matt? Sorry, Danny. 00:35:06.170 --> 00:35:08.750 Um, I really think... Danny will just make himself 00:35:08.750 --> 00:35:10.570 one. He can do it all. He can do it all. We'll 00:35:10.570 --> 00:35:12.269 get a better one. No offense. No, it's fine. 00:35:12.329 --> 00:35:15.929 He deserves it. Jason Smoral, Syracuse Mets, 00:35:16.250 --> 00:35:19.829 thank you so much for your time, and good luck 00:35:19.829 --> 00:35:21.710 with everything, and go Mets. Thank you. Thank 00:35:21.710 --> 00:35:23.250 you guys for spreading the good news in New York. 00:35:23.349 --> 00:35:25.789 We love you. We love you. Mike Brindisi here 00:35:25.789 --> 00:35:28.610 on another edition of Good News York. You heard 00:35:28.610 --> 00:35:32.449 it here first. SyracuseMets .com for all of the 00:35:32.449 --> 00:35:35.110 things we just talked about. And remember... 00:35:35.130 --> 00:35:37.769 We are sponsored by ads on the go get ads on 00:35:37.769 --> 00:35:40.550 the go calm. We will see you next week