July 22, 2020 • 42 mins
The first sports league in the United States to return to “normalcy” was the NWSL – no small feat accomplished without the brave women who first experienced it like Utah Royals FC star Kelley O’Hara. The two-time FIFA World Cup champion talks about the “summer camp” vibe of the Challenge Cup, the social landscape of America, and if the internet trolls she’s dealt with in her life and career still allow her to think this world can be saved. They also get into why there’s really no good soccer movies (seriously, Hollywood, what gives!). Then, Jensen talks to former WBC super welterweight champion and current DAZN boxing analyst, Sergio Mora, about entering the bubble to cover the fight between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Samuel Vargas this week and why legends like Mike Tyson should stay retired. This episode and series supports FeedingAmerica.org. For more of The Sports Bubble, visit treefort.fm/the-sports-bubble
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to the Sports Bubble, a production of I Heart
Radio Entree Fork Media. My name is Jensen carp and
I'm a sports fan. And yes, it appears our wildest
dreams have come true. And by some grace of God
and the protection of forcing grown adults to stay in
a hotel room with little to no contact with their
loved ones, we are about to see major professional sports return.
(00:26):
We've lost some big names to personal decisions and positive tests,
and we've already seen home run balls just slowly trickled
down the stands without anyone trying to take it home.
So it's all happening. But I still wonder, just because
they're playing, is it the sport we know and love.
I'm not sure. I've spoken to one person on this
podcast who knows what they're in for and how this
will all play out. Only time will tell, and for once,
(00:46):
I'm going to stay optimistic. But I'm still interviewing athletes
and sports industry professionals to find out what they're doing
during this very weird time because someone has to. This
is the Sports Bubble with Jensen Carton. The first sport
to return to quote unquote normalcy was NWSL, the national
Women's Soccer League like a test balloon sent out to
(01:07):
check win conditions. The sporting world watched intensely as the
league began the Challenge Cup, a tournament in Utah, not
only signaling a restart, but also a way to test
plans for other sports to avoid a total COVID breakdown.
Things may have started off rocky with the Orlando Pride
dropping out due to positive tests, but things do seem
back on track with the semi final team set earlier
this week. But much has been said about the mental
(01:28):
toll of the nws L bubble and the women who
first experienced it. So I spoke to Kelly O'Hara of
the Utah Royals just as the tournament started to see
how everything was being handled. The two thousand nine Herman
Trophy winner signaling college soccer's top player, is also a
two time FIFA World Cup champion in two thousand fifteen
and two thousand nineteen and a two thousand twelve gold medalist,
angling to do it again in Tokyo whenever those games
(01:50):
actually take place. But for this interview we focus on
her summer camp, the bubble of the Challenge Cup, and
what the return has felt. Like for her. We also
touch on the social landscape of America and if the
internet rolls she faced after kissing her girlfriend after a
World Cup victory still allow her to think this world
can be saved, and we get into some kind of
bad soccer movies. Then, in another installment of Pandemic, I
(02:11):
talked to former w BC Super Welterweight champion and current
Zone boxing analysts Sergio Mora about his upcoming return to
the mic amongst sweat and blood and other things I've
been wildly terrified of since March. It's that time again,
so let's follow some pros into the sports bubble. All
(02:36):
from Kelly O'Hara to accept Press one. Hello Kelly, Hi Junan,
how are you. I'm good. This is a first for
the show. I don't even know what to do with myself.
You're You're the first athlete I'm talking to who is
back at their sport. This seems like I should have
confetti and streamers for you. Wow, that's exciting. I know, well,
(02:58):
first first moved back. It's pretty crazy. You are currently
in Utah, which is the hometown of your Royal club,
partaking in the Challenge Cup. You were the first league
to pick playback up. Tell me. I know this is
a loaded question, but how has it been so far?
It's definitely been interesting. It's a you're you're kind of
an uncharted territory, so interesting would be the way I woulds.
(03:22):
I'm not going to lie to you. I'm going to
tell you I've spoken to athletes I don't know now
three times a week for months. You are much further
along the line than most that I speak to. But
I cannot tell you I have talked to one athlete
who is enthusiastic. I can't. I would be a lie.
Everyone everyone feels I'm gonna listen, I'm gonna be the
most pestimistic interviewer you've you've had. I I'm weirded out
(03:43):
by all you guys doing sports. I'm not gonna lie,
but I I don't know. Everyone's sort of like, yeah,
we're doing it. Yeah, I mean, people are assets. I
think it probably stems from, well, first of all, you
haven't talked to any athletes that's been that. They don't
have their perspect stive of like being back playing, having
that enjoyment of actually participating. They're just like grinding alone
(04:07):
um by themselves. So that I can. I can understand
that because I wouldn't say that I wasn't I wasn't
enthusiastic like back in Quarantine, because I actually found Quarantine
to be quite nice. Yes, but but I've really I've
also really enjoying thing back. I I mean, I love
(04:28):
playing offer, so um, it's nice to be back on
the field and like there's a lot of hoops you
have to jump through and things you have to do,
and and it's not normal in anything, but when you're
on the field, it feels like you're back, it's normal.
You know that is that is the one thing that
is consistent with before COVID, which is like playing the
sport isn't different. And I finally joined that, So yeah,
(04:51):
I kind'm enthusiastic. I know, I understand that the setup
is obviously not the fun part of playing sports. No one,
no one gets excited for the p's and ques of
how you're going to stay safe, which which I wanted
to get into. Is there a way you could run
down how traveling there took place, making sure you stayed
safe and travel to the hotel, getting to where you
players are staying. Did did they go out of their way?
(05:12):
To make sure you're kind of in a bit of
the bubble. Yeah, So the way it worked was there
we was slez um and I'll get to the travel,
but there's phases of how teams could get back to
team training. So they had individual training and then small
group training, and then I could start team training after
people had been tested were negative and you could move
(05:32):
into the team training. And so I was in DC
because that's where I to my off season and or
like live outside of playing for Utah. So I flew
back to Utah because the tournament is being held here
um beginning of June, and I flew alone because I
was just coming by myself and I was coming into market,
not necessarily at the tournament, so it was kind of
(05:54):
it's kind of like coming back into So I flew
the national team flew me back because we're paid by
the Master team, so they have control over that. And
it was weird because you're just you're on a flight,
you're wearing a mask, and people are socially distant on
the plane, which is great. I actually felt fine traveling
(06:15):
and felt pretty safe and comfortable and wasn't that worried.
But obviously you go out into the world. You explored yourself.
But in my in my opinion, if you go to
the grocery store, you could expose yourself the same way
if you um, you know, are an airport, that sort
of thing, and as long as you take your expressions
to fine. And so, yeah, I flew back the beginning
of June, and so we've been here, we've been training.
(06:37):
And then other teams that flew into the bubble to
start um tournament mode, they all took starter flights from
their market um because they all had tests negative before
they got on the flight and then they were tested
they brought here. So there were a lot of precautions
taken and like making sure that whoever was coming into
(06:59):
the bubble was negative and healthy and wasn't bringing anything
in right. And then for us as a you Talk team,
we're not actually staying in a hotel. We were put
up in an apartment by our club and we thankfully
get to stay and then during the tournament, but we
are only so when bubble mode started, which is when
(07:20):
teams got here. We are only allowed to be at
our apartment or at the facility UM or at you know,
the stadium playing. So that's been that's been a little
weird because prior to the tournament, bubble mode starting, you
could go out and get a coffee, you know, to go,
you could go grocery shopping. Obviously you're all very cautious
and larning masks and trying to pick all the cautions.
(07:41):
But yeah, that's kind of the rundown on that. Yeah,
I mean, I hear that makes sense. Does it feel
like adult summer camp? I mean, do you guys all
hang out in the bubble? I mean, it's so weird
to be a grown athlete, a well paid grown athlete.
You're an Olympian gold medalist, you're a World Cup winner,
and now I of not letting you go get coffee.
(08:02):
I mean, I was one of the people when we
were harming, all the conversations of what is it gonna
look like? How are we going to ensure safety for everyone?
I was when people was like, if people go and
get groceries and the ring the mask, so they don't
you know, they go get a coffee to go, and
they do purpose I pick up with stuff. I'm like,
that should be fine to staying in your car um
you know, interacting and my understanding of the virus is
(08:23):
like you're at the most risk if you're an intimate
conversation for a long period of time without a mask,
so you can obed to get it other ways, but
that's the highest risk. So for me, I was like,
I think we should be able to do this thing.
It obviously got shut down and so it is a
bit weird, but you kind of just had to like
mentally prepare yourself for that. UM as a team. The
(08:45):
way our protocols are set up, because I know some leaks,
they're different. You're not allowed to interact with other teams,
so we'll be in passing UM, but you're not really
supposed to like stop chat. That's the thing obviously people
do from like a distance, so it's no interaction between
team Dave like hanging out. But within your team you're
allowed to take some time. So it does kind of
(09:06):
feel like summer camp because we have a food delivered
to UM to our apartment, so we go to a
specific place to pick it up every evening or like
lunch days off opert thing. So I bought a tide
Ee kit um, so I plan on having a tide
I party at trum point. Yes, I like to hear
that um, we got we got cornhole. We got corn holes.
That's kind of be fun. This is Camp Kelly. This
(09:28):
is Camp Kelly. I've been doing enough Jewish sleepaway camps.
You're you're living at Camp has Kramer. This is You're
You're basically my childhood. Yeah no, and I mean I'm
a kid at heart, So I'm fine, Like I'm just
you know, I get split soccer, I get to hang
out with my teammates and yeah, so it is what
it is. You make the best every situation, right, Yes, well,
I'm very excited to hear about the Utah movie Night.
(09:50):
How much you guys being tested? So during um, the
preseason bit, when everyone was in their respective market, we
were getting tested once and we and one would probably
argue like we probably should have gotten tested more often
than that, but once a week, and then once the
tournament started, we get tested after every single game day.
(10:12):
So basically it's the way so that you can know
going into the next game is everybody negative. So I've
probably had Svenary test fun fun. That's that that that
definitely that that definitely ruins the summer camp analogy. You
had me right till then have Yeah, have you had
it done. I had the mouth swab, not you guys
(10:32):
are probably having a more intense one or a blood test. Yeah,
so when you came into market, you bought the nose
swab for being if you actively had the virus, and
then the blood test week for the antibody. So you
got both in the beginning um and then moving forward
and just had no slob. And the nose swob is
they can if you have an incum swab, it can
(10:54):
is genuinely the worst feeling I've ever felt. And somebody
told me before and they were like, oh, it's just uncomfortable.
So I went My worst one was the first one
that I got, and I I couldn't believe it. I
was I was shocked. I thought my nose was ding. Unreal.
This is not you're you're not selling the pessimistic interviewer here. Uh.
(11:14):
Your teammate Kristen Press opted out of playing, as did
some of your World Cup years. Did you ever contemplate
staying home? Um, I was live, I said, I didn't
think about it. I mean, I think everyone when I
first heard of the of this idea basically what that
was just in shocked because in that time, during that moment,
(11:36):
we were all at home, no one. You know, you're
training on your own. You have no idea what the
world is going to look like in a month to
two months. So this idea of trying to put together
a tournament just seems very crazy. But then once I,
you know, started to understand how much thought they had
put into it, I felt more comfortable. And for me,
(11:57):
I I want to play soccer like I I you know,
I probably only have a couple of years left in
my career, and I felt confident in knowing that they
were going to ensure as much as they possibly could
for my safety. And then also it's on me to
do that as well. Um, and that you know, just
being being in DC on my own, I could be
(12:18):
at risk as well. So you know, it would be
lying to say that I didn't think, oh, like, it
would be so much easier you stay home. But but
then in my in my mind that we didn't. Right now, obviously,
is it difficult to adjust to someone like Christen setting
it out because you guys aren't able to really have
your traditional practices before to get acquainted to the team
without her, like you know, with people missing like was
(12:39):
it is it hard to adjust well, you know, because
we had the brand new we have a brand new staff. Um.
One of our coaches, she was more she wasn't an
officially in assistant coach. I don't know about the next
year or last year. But so we have a brand new,
basically brandw coaching staff, and we had a lot of
new players come in. We have rookies, were people we
(13:00):
picked out, picked up from overseas that your Americans playing
overseas and that you know, are now playing a reach.
And we had a lot of players. We had a
couple of players retired, so we kind of came into
this and as like a brand new team in one
of which person hadn't been here yet. So in terms
of for um, you know, not coming I don't think
it affected us in a way of like it has
(13:22):
been very different if it was the middle of the season.
You know we've been working together, um and then this happened.
But we kind of all walked into this brand new.
It's kind of nice, like it was a good I mean,
you could look at it both sides. You'd be like, oh,
it would be nice to have the history and the
chemistry plate stuff, but we don't have that. Some of
(13:43):
us do. So we're just all trying to learn as
quickly as possible and create that cocusion in in a
short couple of weeks, which crazy think about, but you know, again,
trying to do our best. You have done the unthinkable.
You've played without fans. I assume you hear everyone for
mccough to a to a giggle. I mean, I I
(14:03):
am trying to wonder what is it like hearing everything
while you're playing. So I actually haven't played yet because
I have a little quad issue, but I've been in
the stadium and it is very odd because when you
watch it on TV or online, you and kind of
like the e p L games in the Bundesliga they
pump in on the stream, they have noise and I
(14:27):
don't know if they're pumping it in live in some
of the stadium in Europe, but like in ours, there's
no noise except for the benches hearing um, you know,
the people sitting out hearing. So it is very odd,
but it's actually quite helpful because you can get your
message across to other people. Like I feel like I
can scream from the from the stands and give some
(14:49):
instruction to somebody and they can't actually hearing me as
opposed to if there are stands that would be the case. Yeah.
I mean, I've never heard of a better job for
jock jams than this. This is a this is the
time to I would love that. I love other than
the Gary Glitter song, which we have to cancel, but
everything else totally fine to play. Um. I asked this
(15:10):
of all the athletes going back, and it is a
very loaded question. That's your warning. But do you guys
want to win? This? Is? This? Is this a tournament
that's going to mean something. I am the type of
person who wants to win, even like Torondo's and practice
and little small by the game, So yeah, I want
to win. I enjoyed playing soccer, but at the end
of the day, I'm a competitor and I'm not going
out there just to like pick it. I'm going out
(15:32):
there to win. So I definitely do yeah, and I
think I think everybody does because people will look back there.
You want the maybe Built Challenge Cup like what a
wild time? But yeah, but you know it's a thing.
You're only as good as your last game, so might
as well win. Yeah. Well that leads U to the
Tokyo Olympics. You are a gold medalist in the past,
you've been to the games before, you were set to
be a veteran on this team. Does the postponement throw
(15:54):
a total wrench into your training? Does it? You've been
there before, so you know what it's like to have
a set date and to to really work towards that
that data has been pushed, the goalposts have been moved.
What does it mean to you? To be honest, it
was kind of a relief when they announced it finally
that it was going to get postponed. My stress was
over them choosing to cancel it all together because I
(16:15):
had heard that the way Olympics were allotted, you own,
the host city, only had the year too actually get
the game completed. Um. So I thought that they were
going to cancel um, which I would that would have
been a really big bummer because you know, there's only
been a couple of times, maybe one time in history
(16:37):
where they've been they've been canceled. So when I found
out that they were postponed, to me, it was a relief. One.
It's not canceled to pay there's still you know, there's
still possibility to win a gold medal next year and
too you kind of it kind of allowed you to
like take a breass and not stress over being quarantine
and trying to stay super fit and ready, because whenever
(17:00):
think first happened, I kind of looked at it as O,
we're gonna I was thinking we'll be back in like
a couple of weeks, and so I was hitting it
hard for two weeks straight, like training, trying to keep
games fit because we were going right into preseason and
I was kind of at a peaking point. So once
they were canceled and once I kind of fully crasped
what was going on, um, I was able to take
(17:21):
a step back and kind of to a little bit
and and sort out how I wanted to approach my
training for the next couple of months, knowing that the
Olympics were no longer on the table. Yeah, and I
guess you've been to the Olympics before. As someone who
watches from his couch eating potato chips, I am always
nervous hearing those stories about like Olympic village and the
viruses and dating apps and all the things that happened
(17:43):
even in normal years. Do you we have to assume
that this thing is going to have locked doors. It's
gonna be even crazier than the apartment bubble you're living in. Yeah,
I mean it's only it's not even like a full
year away. Yeah, no, for sure. I mean I try
to be a hopeful person. So my hope is that
we have a complete handle. I mean, I don't think
(18:04):
the Olympics goes forward unless the entire world has a
handle on COVID. Yeah, So for me, it's definitely going
to be heightened precautions that probably didn't exist in the
last games that I went to. But I can't imagine
that they would actually have the games if what is
happening right now, you know, can trends upwards. But my
(18:26):
hope is that we could have under control those of vaccine,
and as a global community, we have this thing lockdown
and and then you can have the games and have
the village as it typically Yeah. No, I appreciate your hopefulness.
You would you you you should take over for my therapist.
I definitely want to have that more. I wanted to
(18:48):
touch on the worldwide awakening that has went on after
the murder of George Floyd and how it's shaping and
affecting the sports world. What changes have you seen in
the tournament so far? Yeah, I mean, obviously, we've as
a league and the players Association has wanted to bring
a lot awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement and
just the racial injustice and systemic racism in this country
(19:11):
and the problems that the black community faces. So as players,
people have been kneeling, we've all been learning the Black
Lives Matter shirts. R vans um. I would like to
see us as a play association figure out something together
across teams that we could do beyond the tournament. So
I'm hopeful that we can do something bigger. Yeah, and
(19:31):
you face your fair share of internet rolls and real
life discrimination clearly as a member of the LGBT community,
and after kissing your partner on television, do you do
you think as someone who has seen the garbage that
is a lot of the response from people who aren't
like you and I do do you think we can
still turn this around? Do you think that these kind
of things in soccer, in the sports that we love
(19:51):
are are are helping the cause. I think that people
who come from a genuine place are helping the cause.
I don't think internet roles help anything or anyone. But
you also I think that humans have to realize that
people behind computer screens you just can't you can't worry
about them. Yeah, I mean, especially with the things that
(20:13):
have been going on these last few months with equal rights,
which I spoke I spoke to Julie Foudy recently, and
I just can't get over the mind like, I can't
get over even the mind state that gets you to
the point of being like, you know, women more popular
in soccer bring more attention, but let's pay them less,
baby Like. It's just the creepiest thought process. Yeah, you
know it is, But that's just part of the world
(20:35):
we live in, and you just have to keep fighting
a good fight. You are starting a podcast, You're getting
into the podcast game. I, as you know, I'm the
keeper of all podcasts, so I have to be alerted
via written note. So I appreciate you sending that to me.
What made you want to start a podcast? So with
j WS just from the Sports UM, I rejoined our
(20:55):
conversation with one of the founders, Hayley Rosen, back in
the fall, and it was for her to try to
get me on board as an advisor and throughout that conversation,
I was kind of asking her, like where do you
see this going, Like what are your goals for this?
And she brought up that say, would really love to
do podcast. So I casually said, like, oh, you know,
I love podcasts that I've always thought about maybe like
(21:19):
I would maybe want to host one one day, and
she was really and so that kind of started the
ball rolling in that bringing me on board to host,
because it was for them that was they were trying
to figure out who would be a good host and
having the ability as an like that athlete currently playing,
to have conversations with other athletes. Um, I feel like
(21:40):
there's a there's this chance for vulnerability and to kind
of share experiences and and for me, the biggest reason
I wanted to do the podcast, which is like taking
me out of my comfort zone completely because I've never
done anything like it. I know how important visibility is
and getting voices heard and being able to tell your story,
(22:02):
and like, for me, I love hearing people's stories. I
would rather read an article profile than like a long book.
So I jumped at that opportunity because I'm like, if
I want to be if I want to see women's
sports increase. I have to. I can't just talk about it.
I can't complain about it. I need to see something
about it. And for me, this is doing something about it. Yeah,
(22:24):
it's very active. Who would be your your goal guest?
Who is who's the dream guest? You can open up
the whole entire celebrity sports world. Who who's the get? Well,
We've already interviewed a handful of people, and some of
them would be on my my dream list. So I'm
I'm thankful that people have already come on and and
showed their stories. I would love we have we have
(22:47):
a we have a list. I should like to pull
it up because um, it's a good one. I mean
Serena Williams would be amazing, very good. Yes, yes, um,
I think that would probably be the just because I
love that who she is, what she's done. Yeah, for sure,
all right, very good. I I was thinking along those lines.
(23:07):
So I I think it's always weird because like for me,
if someone was like, who's the main get you want
for the sports bubble, I'm always like I think too inwardly,
I'm like, oh, Taco Fall would be amazing, Like I like,
clearly people want to hear from Taco Fall. But all
I want to do is be friends with Taco Fall,
Like that's my whole goal and mostly everything I do.
So I appreciate you looking to listeners, I'm thinking, just
(23:28):
who can I have, like, you know, a movie night with?
Oh yeah, that's fair, I am. I'm very selfish, But
let's talk movies. I just kind of glimpsed on on
on your U talk experience right now, maybe being able
to watch with some teammates. There's a lot of talk
during Pandemic about Last Dance, the Ken Griffe Jr. Doc.
It got me thinking about soccer movies. There just aren't
(23:50):
enough at all in my opinion. And there's an upcoming
Netflix scripted movie about the ninety nine World Cup team.
We have to wait for that. So I wanted to
go through some soccer movies my childhood, from growing up,
and you kind of tell me what you think about
them as a professional player. Will grade them on one
to five goals, five being best, and if it's a
red card if you've never seen it, okay, alright, is
(24:12):
going to be bad. Because I'm not a movie person.
It's okay, I mean, listen, I I've only seen a
couple of these, so that's almost I'm almost asking for
your help from what you've heard. Okay, One, I feel
like a red Cards all right, here we go, bend
it like Beckham, whoa the Kira Knightley Bollywood feeling bend
it like Beckham gets a one? Why is that? Probably
(24:33):
because I watched it so long ago and it was
just no, no soccer movie has ever been able to
accurately portray soccer being played in in a good way.
It doesn't ever look good, I agree. It mostly cuts
to their legs and it's like a completely different person.
And then the person getting stepovers in the middle of
(24:54):
the field. Love stepovers in a movie love stepovers, which
gets us to our next one, the Ninete and Dy
two classic Ladybugs. It is with Rodney Dangerfield and the
late Jonathan brand is also Jack Henry. This is a
movie that is the you know, the quintessential guy on
a girl's team whatever the flip. But do you remember
this one at all? I think I did see this.
I feel like I did, but it was probably so
(25:16):
long ago. But I also think I really liked it,
So I'm going to give it four oh four. Okay,
very good. That one has a lot of cut to
different people's legs. It's like it'll be a white girl,
then it cuts in it's like a Puerto Rican dude
with like great quads. All right, The Big Green it's
from Steve Gutenberg plays a deputy. It's kind of one
of those bad news bears, ragtag group of soccer kids
from Texas. Oh yeah that one. Um, that was that
(25:42):
a soccer movie? I thought was it is a soccer
movie that the big kid with the red hair from
sand lots the goalie. He's like the cover. I've definitely
definitely doing this. Um that gets sick. Oh whoa that is?
I mean bed it like Beckham is garbage. Well, it's
just like I it's funny because I'm like it was
(26:03):
I thought The Big Green was about football, but then
I just googled Big Green movie. I'm like, oh yeah,
I definitely do that. It's the best one because it's
kind of like Mighty Ducks. For the first soccer it
is clearly Mighty Ducks. Same here's one that's the same
plot as Ladybugs. And you're talking to someone who might
even give this ten goals. So I'm warning you in advance.
The two thousand six movie She's the Man with Amanda
Binds and Channing Table. You're gonna bring that up. I
(26:25):
would give it. I would give ten goals to it's
so good. God bless her performance in it. It's so funny.
I laugh. I laugh even just thinking about it. Okay,
everyone please go watch She's the Man, all right? Uh?
Shaolin Soccer two thousand one, Stephen Chow movie. You ever
see it? Red Cards from Red Cards? See this one's
crazy because it's like a kung fu movie, but instead
(26:46):
of kung fu, they're doing soccer. It's bonkers looking. I mean,
none of it's real, but it's still nuts. Yeah, alright,
I've never heard of it, all right? Possibly? Uh a tournament?
Watch okay. Kicking and Screaming two thousand five with Will
Ferrell Bert Duval seen it? No, I actually haven't seen it,
but I think it's pretty good because both fellows really good.
(27:06):
So I'll give it four goals without even without even
seeing it. You know, both incredible reviewer. Is there anything
I'm missing? Is there a soccer movie that you love
that I just didn't put on this list? No, I
don't think so there's not enough any of Hollywood is listening.
Make a soccer movie. Kelly, thank you for talking to me.
Please stay safe, say within the bubble. Have a great
(27:27):
time at summer camp, and I hope to talk to
you soon. Okay, I'll let you know how my Tide
I go after this. I talked about the upcoming fight
between Ortiz Junior and Vargas with Boxer and the Zone
analysts Sergio Mora. Right now, Feeding America is working tirelessly
to ensure our most vulnerable populations, like students who were
(27:47):
out of school, the elderly individuals whose jobs are impacted,
and low income families continue to have access to food
and other needed resources during the COVID nineteen pandemic. The
Feeding America Food Bank Network is committed to serving communities
and people facing hunger in America, and their greatest need
is donations and support of local food banks. This podcast
is committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from
(28:08):
the show to Feeding America, and we hope that you
can join us in this effort to find out how
you can help. But Feeding America dot org backslash COVID nineteen.
Now here's my conversation with Boxer and the Zone analysts
Sergio Mora from Sergio the Man Think More to accept
(28:35):
Press One. Well, I've seen a bunch of your interviews recently.
I've seen that you've been pretty strictly quarantining. Is this
upcoming fight, Is this going to be your first time
amongst a group of people? Yeah, but you know what's
gonna be a limited group of people because the protocol
is pretty pretty strict. I've been getting females from the
California Commission and from Golden Bullying from the Zone, and
(28:59):
we're going to have to going to a bubble on Wednesday,
stay in the room, get tested and right it and
if we get clear, we test negative, then we're allowed
to go into certain designated areas I think of for
eating and in one sort of production, and then back
to your room. So it's gonna be it's gonna be
a bubble, just like the NBA. Yeah, I mean I
(29:20):
was hoping you've been quarantining in Mana Bello. I don't
think you live there anymore, but I my my whole
family is from there. My mom graduated from Whittier. Oh god,
you know, I grew up in East l a write
a block away from one though from on the board
of Garfield and Whittier. I guess where I grew rober
mom lived there, a family lived there. But I haven't
stayed a fifteen years or I miss it. Well, shout
(29:41):
out to guard knows my my favorite restaurant, probably of
all time. That's right, Oh man, it's I think it's
out of business. I don't even want to. I don't
even want to. No, no, no, no, no, no, it's
still there. It's still there. Thank God. Well, like you said,
this next Friday, the Zone is returning. Boxing is back
with a huge fight a member of the promising future
of boxing, the undefeated Virgil Ortiz June. You're taking on Vargas.
(30:04):
You will be calling the action are truthfully? Are you
excited to get back to work? Absolutely? I mean well,
from the fact that I've been quarantining with a two
year old little girl and a five year old little boy, right,
I can't wait to get out of that one to
get back to work. And three, of course, then I
want to see live action boxing. MANA just be stuck
in home taking care of kids. I want to feel
(30:26):
that a drilling of to stop from back into my
body and want some action. Yeah, I have a I
have a one year old, so I know I know
what quarantining with basically a toddler infant is. Like, I
assume you're going to be seeing as much spit and
blood as you've seen even at home this next week, Sam, poop,
don't forget the poop and poop exactly. Some fighters, you
never know. Boxing is one of those kind of sports
(30:47):
that you just never know how it's going to happen. Again,
like when we first started talking COVID and getting near
each other. It's like contact sports, you know, golf and tennis,
those things are sort of easily solved. But with so
much close this in boxing, what precautions are going to
go on for the actual fighters to keep everyone safe. Well,
from what I know so far that they send me,
we gotta stay in our rooms. Once we're clear negatives,
(31:10):
they let us go to a certain designated area, which
is the production or I guess for the fighters training,
maybe they need to use the fitness center to look
a couple of extra pounds or they're going to be
allowed to do that certain hours. And I'm pretty sure
there's gonna be hand sanit tizing and masks everywhere. That's
what it said in the email. Um uh, I think
(31:31):
those are those are the only things they can do.
Um so designated areas and there there's gonna be time
slots for everyone to go in and get the hands
in a tiping everywhere. Casino is going to be closed
from what I hear, And it's literally it's just work
room room work, right. And you're your former WBC Super
Welterweight champ, You've had major fights in your career, you
(31:53):
are a fan favorite coming out of the Contender, and you,
I would assume, really fed off the fans and the
applause and the audience inside. I mean, did you ever
imagine what it would be like to have big televised
fights with no one there? Matter? And I thought my
situation on the Contender was weird because we only find
in front of production and the production family, and we
were allowed to have five family members on our Contender fights,
(32:16):
so we only had about a hundred max. Very small,
and that felt weird. I never imagined to fight in
front of no crowd, man, I mean, this is just
something that's unpressed in it and it's gonna be weird.
I'm not gonna I'm not gonna lie. I can't tell
you that it's gonna be something I'm looking forward to,
but I'm gonna have to adapt and evolved like everyone else. Yeah,
(32:36):
I mean this is some inside baseball stuff. But I'm
also wondering, like when we start talking about big payday fighters, like,
since so much is dependent on live gate and not
just TV deals and pay per views and stuff, how
will payments happen? Is everyone going to be looking at
a big pay cut? Do you think, Well, there's gonna
be two choices. Either you fight for less money, are
you gonna be inactive and on the shelf, and right
now you know the initial initial I guess consensus to
(33:00):
you know, big fighters are gonna be silved. I mean,
the only one that's really stepping up and saying you're
gonna do with Canela, but Canellos listening an opponent because
the opponents are can many more money. So yeah, if
you know you get selves do or you want to fight,
I think the only one that's pleading by example right
now is the Canelo algorithm. You know, got blessing. But
hopefully you know the rest of the pound for pound
(33:22):
fighters on the list and the top fighters you know
follow suit. Yeah, because you had tweeted this. I saw
this on your account. What a time to stay ready
if you're a fighter. Pandemic opponents are one phone call
away from career high pay days. It's just the idea
that guys like Canello and uh you know, even Triple
G sort of talked about fighting a little bit. I
mean the fact that they won't be able to find
their pay day probably, but as far as smaller fights,
(33:43):
I guess you're right. Like dudes that have been prepped
to be in this position for a long time, if
they feel safe, if they feel ready to take a
payday that's big for them but low for for some superstars,
well then they're ready to go. Usually it's that's the
B side opponents that that get. You know, they get
good fights for about fifty thousand. If they get a
really good fight against uh A opponent Bale, they might
(34:05):
hit six sigures during this time. If you're gonna be
fighting uh A, galab and Carnaro or a top fighter
Demetrius Android or any champion with a belt, I mean,
if you're gonna get a phone call with him a
two week notice and you're in shape, you're gonna get
a six figured check. You know, so it's a hell
of a time to be an opponent. I would be
working out every day, waiting for a phone call. And
(34:26):
you know, if all was on social media tweeting about it,
do exactly what Andy Ruis did the instagramming messages and
direct messaging Eddie Hearn and direct message every pan to
say I'm ready, willing, enable, in shape, blah blah blah whatever.
But us. Yeah, that's another question to bring up. Is
the Zone now has three events in five weeks. Excited
to see all of those? Do you expect these guys
(34:48):
after quarantine and and everything we've been through to be
in shape. We're gonna see sort of the heavy breathing
we are. Are we gonna see the boxers where you
used to or now, well look the boxer are gonna
tell you there in shape and have a boxer myself. Um,
I hate saying former boxer, but as a boxer myself,
Who're just gonna We're gonna talk to talk and then
when we get in there, we're gonna have excuses later.
(35:09):
That's just the way it is, because we're not sharp
to become fight night. Afterwards, they'll say, well, you know,
we're gonna use the pandemic as an excuse. But if
we live start didn't knockout. Yeah, they've been training them
in the back part. I've been doing my thing. We'll
keep that Bravano. So it all depends on how good
the performance was. As your self, fighters are totally These
last few months we've been without any fights. It's been
a major setback for his own. They were expanding into
(35:30):
the US, starting sort of a new business plan ready
to launch. Are they on track? Are you guys on
track to sort of pick up where everything was halted
because of COVID. It's sort of a weird position to
be in as a as a network, and if you're
running a sports serving service and you have no sports
to show, that's gonna be tough. I think it's tough
for for every business. My buddy I, who I just
spoke to about an hour ago, owned the popular bar
(35:53):
in San Francisco, and he's hurting because you know, he's
been in the bar business twenty plus here. So that's
just a small business I've been as big as a
as a sports student service is so much money involved,
of course, it's going to take a big hit. But
with that much money invested, so much time invested, so
much effort invested. I can bet they're gonna double down
after this is over, and doubling down on the big
(36:16):
fights right away. I mean, I've heard rumblings about the
potential fights coming up. I can't I can't ruin the secret,
but I can just say that hot you know, they're
coming back with a bank. We're coming back with a bang.
And I'm sure Top Rank and Golden Boy and everyone
else is gonna want to do the same because after five, six,
seven months of this quarantine, you're gonna want to get
all lies are in you, just like the UFC is doing,
(36:39):
you know, all lives on them right now from Fighting Island.
That's right. And and we talked to Sugary Leonard about
King Ryan a little bit and sort of the superstar
um that's in the future for him. You know, what
do you see for him as far as like some
high level competition in the future. Ryan Garcia has been
doing exactly what he needs to do. He's been moving perfectly.
(36:59):
This step up opponents. It's not his salt that he
knocked him out in under three minutes, but that's that's
what the fighter and the potential superstar is supposed to do.
Not only does he have that following the postal media phone,
but he's taking care of business inside the ring, so
he has it inside and outside the ring. Now. The
only problem is he wants to get paid more money,
and he give me them any more money. This is
(37:20):
where I would think that the lack of experience and
and maybe a maturity kicks in the fact that on
that these unpressed men of times, the money is not there,
the parents aren't to someone who's gonna have to he
ever gonna have to meet in the middle. And I
think if if they can do that, they said, Ryan
Garcia and Golden Board can meet in the middle. Uh,
you know, Golden Board tame a little bit more, not
what Bryan is expecting, but a little bit more than
(37:42):
Ryan Garcia says, Okay, I won't I won't take what
I wanted for, but I'll take that. Let's do it,
and let's just move forward. And that's that's how it
gets going. And I just get the ball moving again.
Keep that movement. I'm going I mean back to back
first on knockout. He he's hot right now, he is
glidening hot right now. Keep it going man. It doesn't
hurt that he looks like he's a boy band either. Yeah,
as an eighteen year old incarnation of Offid Oil. Absolutely,
(38:05):
I feel a swell during boxings downtime, and it's a
very strange I would have never predicted it for the
return of Mike Tyson in pop culture. Now, maybe more
than ever, maybe just during the hangover time. I've seen
him all over the place and he's hinted to a
return to the ring after that video sort of went
viral of him in great shape hitting bags. You tell
me you've been in the ring? You you you you
(38:26):
WinCE when you say former fighter. Could could it happen
at fifty three? Absolutely? Not? No, Absolutely, Mad Mike Tyson,
every other sider that that's thinking about a comeback, especially
in the late forties and early fifties, it's not possible.
You're not You're You're not George Foreman, who was just
a unique peace when it came to one point of power.
(38:48):
You're not Bernard Hopkins who lived the gladi in or
lifestyles and people you know, eighteen years old or pro
whenever you was. You're not both those are unique individuals
that that that just it's it's it's rare, Myke. Tyson
is a great fighter, but you know he didn't live
to Gladdy your lifestyle. He doesn't have that well, he
(39:08):
doesn't have that power like George Forman, but he don't
have the size of George Foreman. So no, no, no, no,
they have no chance. It's just it's got tornisoir negacy
that should just stay retired and and keep the thoughts
of glory, you know, bottled up. I'm all down for
Tyson to just be the Weed podcast guy, trust me.
I just I know that. I know that when there's
(39:30):
pay days out there, which brings me to my next question. Uh,
your pal and everyone's pal, especially at the zone day.
La Hoya says he'll be watching Tyson for his own return.
I can't imagine when the payday pops up for him
and Canelo or you know him and pack Yeah, or
him and McGregor even weirder that anyone is gonna say
no for that kind of money. Like I just, I
(39:51):
guess I don't have a lot of optimism when it
comes to boxing and uh and keeping people away from
the ring. If there's a pay day, no money torn there,
especially during these times um, exactly. Sorry you strying to happen, man,
It's just it's too important even for the guys that
have to line light. Do you see, uh? I know
you guys have some fights to Zone has some fights
(40:12):
in London coming up, and they're all outdoors. Is that
is that sort of the future. Do you think that's
what the Zonne is gonna be looking for in the future?
Outdoor arenas? You know what I heard about that pulsa
uh fight in downtown in the streets. You gotta give
Eddie Hearn some credit for I love that idea. I
love that idea out in the middle of main street.
So something like that, something created a fight Island creative,
(40:35):
Downtown creative or who knows Alcatraza didn't hear any creative.
So I am in supportive and Alcatraz Island boxing match,
I will I that would be great. Well, Sergio, I
wish you all the best and all the luck of
these next few weeks with the Zone. Will. I'll be watching.
The world is hoping for sports to come back and
excited to hear you. Hear you out there again, Thank you, Jensen,
appreciate it. The Sports Bubble is produced and distributed by
(41:05):
tree Fort Media. The show was executive produced by Kelly Garner,
Lisa Ammerman, Matthew Coogler, and me Jensen Carr. Tom Monahan
is our senior audio engineer and sound supervisor, with production
and editing by Jasper Leak additional production help from Tim Shower,
June Rosen, and Haley Mandelberg. Our theme music is composed
by Spilkis. If you've enjoyed what you've heard, please subscribe,
(41:27):
rate us and review us on the I Heart Radio app,
Apple podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts, and please
visit Feeding America dot org if you're able to make
a donation, Any amount makes a difference, and you can
learn more about other ways you can help on their website.
For more information on the Sports Bubble, links to the socials,
and for show transcripts for our hearing impaired listeners, go
to tree Fort dot fm. Be safe and be Well.
(41:53):
The Sports Bubble is a production of I Heart Radio
and tree Fort Media. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,
visit the I Heart Radio a, Apple podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to the Sports Bubble, a production of I Heart
Radio Entree Fork Media. My name is Jensen carp and
I'm a sports fan. And yes, it appears our wildest
dreams have come true. And by some grace of God
and the protection of forcing grown adults to stay in
a hotel room with little to no contact with their
loved ones, we are about to see major professional sports return.
(00:26):
We've lost some big names to personal decisions and positive tests,
and we've already seen home run balls just slowly trickled
down the stands without anyone trying to take it home.
So it's all happening. But I still wonder, just because
they're playing, is it the sport we know and love.
I'm not sure. I've spoken to one person on this
podcast who knows what they're in for and how this
will all play out. Only time will tell, and for once,
(00:46):
I'm going to stay optimistic. But I'm still interviewing athletes
and sports industry professionals to find out what they're doing
during this very weird time because someone has to. This
is the Sports Bubble with Jensen Carton. The first sport
to return to quote unquote normalcy was NWSL, the national
Women's Soccer League like a test balloon sent out to
(01:07):
check win conditions. The sporting world watched intensely as the
league began the Challenge Cup, a tournament in Utah, not
only signaling a restart, but also a way to test
plans for other sports to avoid a total COVID breakdown.
Things may have started off rocky with the Orlando Pride
dropping out due to positive tests, but things do seem
back on track with the semi final team set earlier
this week. But much has been said about the mental
(01:28):
toll of the nws L bubble and the women who
first experienced it. So I spoke to Kelly O'Hara of
the Utah Royals just as the tournament started to see
how everything was being handled. The two thousand nine Herman
Trophy winner signaling college soccer's top player, is also a
two time FIFA World Cup champion in two thousand fifteen
and two thousand nineteen and a two thousand twelve gold medalist,
angling to do it again in Tokyo whenever those games
(01:50):
actually take place. But for this interview we focus on
her summer camp, the bubble of the Challenge Cup, and
what the return has felt. Like for her. We also
touch on the social landscape of America and if the
internet rolls she faced after kissing her girlfriend after a
World Cup victory still allow her to think this world
can be saved, and we get into some kind of
bad soccer movies. Then, in another installment of Pandemic, I
(02:11):
talked to former w BC Super Welterweight champion and current
Zone boxing analysts Sergio Mora about his upcoming return to
the mic amongst sweat and blood and other things I've
been wildly terrified of since March. It's that time again,
so let's follow some pros into the sports bubble. All
(02:36):
from Kelly O'Hara to accept Press one. Hello Kelly, Hi Junan,
how are you. I'm good. This is a first for
the show. I don't even know what to do with myself.
You're You're the first athlete I'm talking to who is
back at their sport. This seems like I should have
confetti and streamers for you. Wow, that's exciting. I know, well,
(02:58):
first first moved back. It's pretty crazy. You are currently
in Utah, which is the hometown of your Royal club,
partaking in the Challenge Cup. You were the first league
to pick playback up. Tell me. I know this is
a loaded question, but how has it been so far?
It's definitely been interesting. It's a you're you're kind of
an uncharted territory, so interesting would be the way I woulds.
(03:22):
I'm not going to lie to you. I'm going to
tell you I've spoken to athletes I don't know now
three times a week for months. You are much further
along the line than most that I speak to. But
I cannot tell you I have talked to one athlete
who is enthusiastic. I can't. I would be a lie.
Everyone everyone feels I'm gonna listen, I'm gonna be the
most pestimistic interviewer you've you've had. I I'm weirded out
(03:43):
by all you guys doing sports. I'm not gonna lie,
but I I don't know. Everyone's sort of like, yeah,
we're doing it. Yeah, I mean, people are assets. I
think it probably stems from, well, first of all, you
haven't talked to any athletes that's been that. They don't
have their perspect stive of like being back playing, having
that enjoyment of actually participating. They're just like grinding alone
(04:07):
um by themselves. So that I can. I can understand
that because I wouldn't say that I wasn't I wasn't
enthusiastic like back in Quarantine, because I actually found Quarantine
to be quite nice. Yes, but but I've really I've
also really enjoying thing back. I I mean, I love
(04:28):
playing offer, so um, it's nice to be back on
the field and like there's a lot of hoops you
have to jump through and things you have to do,
and and it's not normal in anything, but when you're
on the field, it feels like you're back, it's normal.
You know that is that is the one thing that
is consistent with before COVID, which is like playing the
sport isn't different. And I finally joined that, So yeah,
(04:51):
I kind'm enthusiastic. I know, I understand that the setup
is obviously not the fun part of playing sports. No one,
no one gets excited for the p's and ques of
how you're going to stay safe, which which I wanted
to get into. Is there a way you could run
down how traveling there took place, making sure you stayed
safe and travel to the hotel, getting to where you
players are staying. Did did they go out of their way?
(05:12):
To make sure you're kind of in a bit of
the bubble. Yeah, So the way it worked was there
we was slez um and I'll get to the travel,
but there's phases of how teams could get back to
team training. So they had individual training and then small
group training, and then I could start team training after
people had been tested were negative and you could move
(05:32):
into the team training. And so I was in DC
because that's where I to my off season and or
like live outside of playing for Utah. So I flew
back to Utah because the tournament is being held here
um beginning of June, and I flew alone because I
was just coming by myself and I was coming into market,
not necessarily at the tournament, so it was kind of
(05:54):
it's kind of like coming back into So I flew
the national team flew me back because we're paid by
the Master team, so they have control over that. And
it was weird because you're just you're on a flight,
you're wearing a mask, and people are socially distant on
the plane, which is great. I actually felt fine traveling
(06:15):
and felt pretty safe and comfortable and wasn't that worried.
But obviously you go out into the world. You explored yourself.
But in my in my opinion, if you go to
the grocery store, you could expose yourself the same way
if you um, you know, are an airport, that sort
of thing, and as long as you take your expressions
to fine. And so, yeah, I flew back the beginning
of June, and so we've been here, we've been training.
(06:37):
And then other teams that flew into the bubble to
start um tournament mode, they all took starter flights from
their market um because they all had tests negative before
they got on the flight and then they were tested
they brought here. So there were a lot of precautions
taken and like making sure that whoever was coming into
(06:59):
the bubble was negative and healthy and wasn't bringing anything
in right. And then for us as a you Talk team,
we're not actually staying in a hotel. We were put
up in an apartment by our club and we thankfully
get to stay and then during the tournament, but we
are only so when bubble mode started, which is when
(07:20):
teams got here. We are only allowed to be at
our apartment or at the facility UM or at you know,
the stadium playing. So that's been that's been a little
weird because prior to the tournament, bubble mode starting, you
could go out and get a coffee, you know, to go,
you could go grocery shopping. Obviously you're all very cautious
and larning masks and trying to pick all the cautions.
(07:41):
But yeah, that's kind of the rundown on that. Yeah,
I mean, I hear that makes sense. Does it feel
like adult summer camp? I mean, do you guys all
hang out in the bubble? I mean, it's so weird
to be a grown athlete, a well paid grown athlete.
You're an Olympian gold medalist, you're a World Cup winner,
and now I of not letting you go get coffee.
(08:02):
I mean, I was one of the people when we
were harming, all the conversations of what is it gonna
look like? How are we going to ensure safety for everyone?
I was when people was like, if people go and
get groceries and the ring the mask, so they don't
you know, they go get a coffee to go, and
they do purpose I pick up with stuff. I'm like,
that should be fine to staying in your car um
you know, interacting and my understanding of the virus is
(08:23):
like you're at the most risk if you're an intimate
conversation for a long period of time without a mask,
so you can obed to get it other ways, but
that's the highest risk. So for me, I was like,
I think we should be able to do this thing.
It obviously got shut down and so it is a
bit weird, but you kind of just had to like
mentally prepare yourself for that. UM as a team. The
(08:45):
way our protocols are set up, because I know some leaks,
they're different. You're not allowed to interact with other teams,
so we'll be in passing UM, but you're not really
supposed to like stop chat. That's the thing obviously people
do from like a distance, so it's no interaction between
team Dave like hanging out. But within your team you're
allowed to take some time. So it does kind of
(09:06):
feel like summer camp because we have a food delivered
to UM to our apartment, so we go to a
specific place to pick it up every evening or like
lunch days off opert thing. So I bought a tide
Ee kit um, so I plan on having a tide
I party at trum point. Yes, I like to hear
that um, we got we got cornhole. We got corn holes.
That's kind of be fun. This is Camp Kelly. This
(09:28):
is Camp Kelly. I've been doing enough Jewish sleepaway camps.
You're you're living at Camp has Kramer. This is You're
You're basically my childhood. Yeah no, and I mean I'm
a kid at heart, So I'm fine, Like I'm just
you know, I get split soccer, I get to hang
out with my teammates and yeah, so it is what
it is. You make the best every situation, right, Yes, well,
I'm very excited to hear about the Utah movie Night.
(09:50):
How much you guys being tested? So during um, the
preseason bit, when everyone was in their respective market, we
were getting tested once and we and one would probably
argue like we probably should have gotten tested more often
than that, but once a week, and then once the
tournament started, we get tested after every single game day.
(10:12):
So basically it's the way so that you can know
going into the next game is everybody negative. So I've
probably had Svenary test fun fun. That's that that that
definitely that that definitely ruins the summer camp analogy. You
had me right till then have Yeah, have you had
it done. I had the mouth swab, not you guys
(10:32):
are probably having a more intense one or a blood test. Yeah,
so when you came into market, you bought the nose
swab for being if you actively had the virus, and
then the blood test week for the antibody. So you
got both in the beginning um and then moving forward
and just had no slob. And the nose swob is
they can if you have an incum swab, it can
(10:54):
is genuinely the worst feeling I've ever felt. And somebody
told me before and they were like, oh, it's just uncomfortable.
So I went My worst one was the first one
that I got, and I I couldn't believe it. I
was I was shocked. I thought my nose was ding. Unreal.
This is not you're you're not selling the pessimistic interviewer here. Uh.
(11:14):
Your teammate Kristen Press opted out of playing, as did
some of your World Cup years. Did you ever contemplate
staying home? Um, I was live, I said, I didn't
think about it. I mean, I think everyone when I
first heard of the of this idea basically what that
was just in shocked because in that time, during that moment,
(11:36):
we were all at home, no one. You know, you're
training on your own. You have no idea what the
world is going to look like in a month to
two months. So this idea of trying to put together
a tournament just seems very crazy. But then once I,
you know, started to understand how much thought they had
put into it, I felt more comfortable. And for me,
(11:57):
I I want to play soccer like I I you know,
I probably only have a couple of years left in
my career, and I felt confident in knowing that they
were going to ensure as much as they possibly could
for my safety. And then also it's on me to
do that as well. Um, and that you know, just
being being in DC on my own, I could be
(12:18):
at risk as well. So you know, it would be
lying to say that I didn't think, oh, like, it
would be so much easier you stay home. But but
then in my in my mind that we didn't. Right now, obviously,
is it difficult to adjust to someone like Christen setting
it out because you guys aren't able to really have
your traditional practices before to get acquainted to the team
without her, like you know, with people missing like was
(12:39):
it is it hard to adjust well, you know, because
we had the brand new we have a brand new staff. Um.
One of our coaches, she was more she wasn't an
officially in assistant coach. I don't know about the next
year or last year. But so we have a brand new,
basically brandw coaching staff, and we had a lot of
new players come in. We have rookies, were people we
(13:00):
picked out, picked up from overseas that your Americans playing
overseas and that you know, are now playing a reach.
And we had a lot of players. We had a
couple of players retired, so we kind of came into
this and as like a brand new team in one
of which person hadn't been here yet. So in terms
of for um, you know, not coming I don't think
it affected us in a way of like it has
(13:22):
been very different if it was the middle of the season.
You know we've been working together, um and then this happened.
But we kind of all walked into this brand new.
It's kind of nice, like it was a good I mean,
you could look at it both sides. You'd be like, oh,
it would be nice to have the history and the
chemistry plate stuff, but we don't have that. Some of
(13:43):
us do. So we're just all trying to learn as
quickly as possible and create that cocusion in in a
short couple of weeks, which crazy think about, but you know, again,
trying to do our best. You have done the unthinkable.
You've played without fans. I assume you hear everyone for
mccough to a to a giggle. I mean, I I
(14:03):
am trying to wonder what is it like hearing everything
while you're playing. So I actually haven't played yet because
I have a little quad issue, but I've been in
the stadium and it is very odd because when you
watch it on TV or online, you and kind of
like the e p L games in the Bundesliga they
pump in on the stream, they have noise and I
(14:27):
don't know if they're pumping it in live in some
of the stadium in Europe, but like in ours, there's
no noise except for the benches hearing um, you know,
the people sitting out hearing. So it is very odd,
but it's actually quite helpful because you can get your
message across to other people. Like I feel like I
can scream from the from the stands and give some
(14:49):
instruction to somebody and they can't actually hearing me as
opposed to if there are stands that would be the case. Yeah.
I mean, I've never heard of a better job for
jock jams than this. This is a this is the
time to I would love that. I love other than
the Gary Glitter song, which we have to cancel, but
everything else totally fine to play. Um. I asked this
(15:10):
of all the athletes going back, and it is a
very loaded question. That's your warning. But do you guys
want to win? This? Is? This? Is this a tournament
that's going to mean something. I am the type of
person who wants to win, even like Torondo's and practice
and little small by the game, So yeah, I want
to win. I enjoyed playing soccer, but at the end
of the day, I'm a competitor and I'm not going
out there just to like pick it. I'm going out
(15:32):
there to win. So I definitely do yeah, and I
think I think everybody does because people will look back there.
You want the maybe Built Challenge Cup like what a
wild time? But yeah, but you know it's a thing.
You're only as good as your last game, so might
as well win. Yeah. Well that leads U to the
Tokyo Olympics. You are a gold medalist in the past,
you've been to the games before, you were set to
be a veteran on this team. Does the postponement throw
(15:54):
a total wrench into your training? Does it? You've been
there before, so you know what it's like to have
a set date and to to really work towards that
that data has been pushed, the goalposts have been moved.
What does it mean to you? To be honest, it
was kind of a relief when they announced it finally
that it was going to get postponed. My stress was
over them choosing to cancel it all together because I
(16:15):
had heard that the way Olympics were allotted, you own,
the host city, only had the year too actually get
the game completed. Um. So I thought that they were
going to cancel um, which I would that would have
been a really big bummer because you know, there's only
been a couple of times, maybe one time in history
(16:37):
where they've been they've been canceled. So when I found
out that they were postponed, to me, it was a relief. One.
It's not canceled to pay there's still you know, there's
still possibility to win a gold medal next year and
too you kind of it kind of allowed you to
like take a breass and not stress over being quarantine
and trying to stay super fit and ready, because whenever
(17:00):
think first happened, I kind of looked at it as O,
we're gonna I was thinking we'll be back in like
a couple of weeks, and so I was hitting it
hard for two weeks straight, like training, trying to keep
games fit because we were going right into preseason and
I was kind of at a peaking point. So once
they were canceled and once I kind of fully crasped
what was going on, um, I was able to take
(17:21):
a step back and kind of to a little bit
and and sort out how I wanted to approach my
training for the next couple of months, knowing that the
Olympics were no longer on the table. Yeah, and I
guess you've been to the Olympics before. As someone who
watches from his couch eating potato chips, I am always
nervous hearing those stories about like Olympic village and the
viruses and dating apps and all the things that happened
(17:43):
even in normal years. Do you we have to assume
that this thing is going to have locked doors. It's
gonna be even crazier than the apartment bubble you're living in. Yeah,
I mean it's only it's not even like a full
year away. Yeah, no, for sure. I mean I try
to be a hopeful person. So my hope is that
we have a complete handle. I mean, I don't think
(18:04):
the Olympics goes forward unless the entire world has a
handle on COVID. Yeah, So for me, it's definitely going
to be heightened precautions that probably didn't exist in the
last games that I went to. But I can't imagine
that they would actually have the games if what is
happening right now, you know, can trends upwards. But my
(18:26):
hope is that we could have under control those of vaccine,
and as a global community, we have this thing lockdown
and and then you can have the games and have
the village as it typically Yeah. No, I appreciate your hopefulness.
You would you you you should take over for my therapist.
I definitely want to have that more. I wanted to
(18:48):
touch on the worldwide awakening that has went on after
the murder of George Floyd and how it's shaping and
affecting the sports world. What changes have you seen in
the tournament so far? Yeah, I mean, obviously, we've as
a league and the players Association has wanted to bring
a lot awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement and
just the racial injustice and systemic racism in this country
(19:11):
and the problems that the black community faces. So as players,
people have been kneeling, we've all been learning the Black
Lives Matter shirts. R vans um. I would like to
see us as a play association figure out something together
across teams that we could do beyond the tournament. So
I'm hopeful that we can do something bigger. Yeah, and
(19:31):
you face your fair share of internet rolls and real
life discrimination clearly as a member of the LGBT community,
and after kissing your partner on television, do you do
you think as someone who has seen the garbage that
is a lot of the response from people who aren't
like you and I do do you think we can
still turn this around? Do you think that these kind
of things in soccer, in the sports that we love
(19:51):
are are are helping the cause. I think that people
who come from a genuine place are helping the cause.
I don't think internet roles help anything or anyone. But
you also I think that humans have to realize that
people behind computer screens you just can't you can't worry
about them. Yeah, I mean, especially with the things that
(20:13):
have been going on these last few months with equal rights,
which I spoke I spoke to Julie Foudy recently, and
I just can't get over the mind like, I can't
get over even the mind state that gets you to
the point of being like, you know, women more popular
in soccer bring more attention, but let's pay them less,
baby Like. It's just the creepiest thought process. Yeah, you
know it is, But that's just part of the world
(20:35):
we live in, and you just have to keep fighting
a good fight. You are starting a podcast, You're getting
into the podcast game. I, as you know, I'm the
keeper of all podcasts, so I have to be alerted
via written note. So I appreciate you sending that to me.
What made you want to start a podcast? So with
j WS just from the Sports UM, I rejoined our
(20:55):
conversation with one of the founders, Hayley Rosen, back in
the fall, and it was for her to try to
get me on board as an advisor and throughout that conversation,
I was kind of asking her, like where do you
see this going, Like what are your goals for this?
And she brought up that say, would really love to
do podcast. So I casually said, like, oh, you know,
I love podcasts that I've always thought about maybe like
(21:19):
I would maybe want to host one one day, and
she was really and so that kind of started the
ball rolling in that bringing me on board to host,
because it was for them that was they were trying
to figure out who would be a good host and
having the ability as an like that athlete currently playing,
to have conversations with other athletes. Um, I feel like
(21:40):
there's a there's this chance for vulnerability and to kind
of share experiences and and for me, the biggest reason
I wanted to do the podcast, which is like taking
me out of my comfort zone completely because I've never
done anything like it. I know how important visibility is
and getting voices heard and being able to tell your story,
(22:02):
and like, for me, I love hearing people's stories. I
would rather read an article profile than like a long book.
So I jumped at that opportunity because I'm like, if
I want to be if I want to see women's
sports increase. I have to. I can't just talk about it.
I can't complain about it. I need to see something
about it. And for me, this is doing something about it. Yeah,
(22:24):
it's very active. Who would be your your goal guest?
Who is who's the dream guest? You can open up
the whole entire celebrity sports world. Who who's the get? Well,
We've already interviewed a handful of people, and some of
them would be on my my dream list. So I'm
I'm thankful that people have already come on and and
showed their stories. I would love we have we have
(22:47):
a we have a list. I should like to pull
it up because um, it's a good one. I mean
Serena Williams would be amazing, very good. Yes, yes, um,
I think that would probably be the just because I
love that who she is, what she's done. Yeah, for sure,
all right, very good. I I was thinking along those lines.
(23:07):
So I I think it's always weird because like for me,
if someone was like, who's the main get you want
for the sports bubble, I'm always like I think too inwardly,
I'm like, oh, Taco Fall would be amazing, Like I like,
clearly people want to hear from Taco Fall. But all
I want to do is be friends with Taco Fall,
Like that's my whole goal and mostly everything I do.
So I appreciate you looking to listeners, I'm thinking, just
(23:28):
who can I have, like, you know, a movie night with?
Oh yeah, that's fair, I am. I'm very selfish, But
let's talk movies. I just kind of glimpsed on on
on your U talk experience right now, maybe being able
to watch with some teammates. There's a lot of talk
during Pandemic about Last Dance, the Ken Griffe Jr. Doc.
It got me thinking about soccer movies. There just aren't
(23:50):
enough at all in my opinion. And there's an upcoming
Netflix scripted movie about the ninety nine World Cup team.
We have to wait for that. So I wanted to
go through some soccer movies my childhood, from growing up,
and you kind of tell me what you think about
them as a professional player. Will grade them on one
to five goals, five being best, and if it's a
red card if you've never seen it, okay, alright, is
(24:12):
going to be bad. Because I'm not a movie person.
It's okay, I mean, listen, I I've only seen a
couple of these, so that's almost I'm almost asking for
your help from what you've heard. Okay, One, I feel
like a red Cards all right, here we go, bend
it like Beckham, whoa the Kira Knightley Bollywood feeling bend
it like Beckham gets a one? Why is that? Probably
(24:33):
because I watched it so long ago and it was
just no, no soccer movie has ever been able to
accurately portray soccer being played in in a good way.
It doesn't ever look good, I agree. It mostly cuts
to their legs and it's like a completely different person.
And then the person getting stepovers in the middle of
(24:54):
the field. Love stepovers in a movie love stepovers, which
gets us to our next one, the Ninete and Dy
two classic Ladybugs. It is with Rodney Dangerfield and the
late Jonathan brand is also Jack Henry. This is a
movie that is the you know, the quintessential guy on
a girl's team whatever the flip. But do you remember
this one at all? I think I did see this.
I feel like I did, but it was probably so
(25:16):
long ago. But I also think I really liked it,
So I'm going to give it four oh four. Okay,
very good. That one has a lot of cut to
different people's legs. It's like it'll be a white girl,
then it cuts in it's like a Puerto Rican dude
with like great quads. All right, The Big Green it's
from Steve Gutenberg plays a deputy. It's kind of one
of those bad news bears, ragtag group of soccer kids
from Texas. Oh yeah that one. Um, that was that
(25:42):
a soccer movie? I thought was it is a soccer
movie that the big kid with the red hair from
sand lots the goalie. He's like the cover. I've definitely
definitely doing this. Um that gets sick. Oh whoa that is?
I mean bed it like Beckham is garbage. Well, it's
just like I it's funny because I'm like it was
(26:03):
I thought The Big Green was about football, but then
I just googled Big Green movie. I'm like, oh yeah,
I definitely do that. It's the best one because it's
kind of like Mighty Ducks. For the first soccer it
is clearly Mighty Ducks. Same here's one that's the same
plot as Ladybugs. And you're talking to someone who might
even give this ten goals. So I'm warning you in advance.
The two thousand six movie She's the Man with Amanda
Binds and Channing Table. You're gonna bring that up. I
(26:25):
would give it. I would give ten goals to it's
so good. God bless her performance in it. It's so funny.
I laugh. I laugh even just thinking about it. Okay,
everyone please go watch She's the Man, all right? Uh?
Shaolin Soccer two thousand one, Stephen Chow movie. You ever
see it? Red Cards from Red Cards? See this one's
crazy because it's like a kung fu movie, but instead
(26:46):
of kung fu, they're doing soccer. It's bonkers looking. I mean,
none of it's real, but it's still nuts. Yeah, alright,
I've never heard of it, all right? Possibly? Uh a tournament?
Watch okay. Kicking and Screaming two thousand five with Will
Ferrell Bert Duval seen it? No, I actually haven't seen it,
but I think it's pretty good because both fellows really good.
(27:06):
So I'll give it four goals without even without even
seeing it. You know, both incredible reviewer. Is there anything
I'm missing? Is there a soccer movie that you love
that I just didn't put on this list? No, I
don't think so there's not enough any of Hollywood is listening.
Make a soccer movie. Kelly, thank you for talking to me.
Please stay safe, say within the bubble. Have a great
(27:27):
time at summer camp, and I hope to talk to
you soon. Okay, I'll let you know how my Tide
I go after this. I talked about the upcoming fight
between Ortiz Junior and Vargas with Boxer and the Zone
analysts Sergio Mora. Right now, Feeding America is working tirelessly
to ensure our most vulnerable populations, like students who were
(27:47):
out of school, the elderly individuals whose jobs are impacted,
and low income families continue to have access to food
and other needed resources during the COVID nineteen pandemic. The
Feeding America Food Bank Network is committed to serving communities
and people facing hunger in America, and their greatest need
is donations and support of local food banks. This podcast
is committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from
(28:08):
the show to Feeding America, and we hope that you
can join us in this effort to find out how
you can help. But Feeding America dot org backslash COVID nineteen.
Now here's my conversation with Boxer and the Zone analysts
Sergio Mora from Sergio the Man Think More to accept
(28:35):
Press One. Well, I've seen a bunch of your interviews recently.
I've seen that you've been pretty strictly quarantining. Is this
upcoming fight, Is this going to be your first time
amongst a group of people? Yeah, but you know what's
gonna be a limited group of people because the protocol
is pretty pretty strict. I've been getting females from the
California Commission and from Golden Bullying from the Zone, and
(28:59):
we're going to have to going to a bubble on Wednesday,
stay in the room, get tested and right it and
if we get clear, we test negative, then we're allowed
to go into certain designated areas I think of for
eating and in one sort of production, and then back
to your room. So it's gonna be it's gonna be
a bubble, just like the NBA. Yeah, I mean I
(29:20):
was hoping you've been quarantining in Mana Bello. I don't
think you live there anymore, but I my my whole
family is from there. My mom graduated from Whittier. Oh god,
you know, I grew up in East l a write
a block away from one though from on the board
of Garfield and Whittier. I guess where I grew rober
mom lived there, a family lived there. But I haven't
stayed a fifteen years or I miss it. Well, shout
(29:41):
out to guard knows my my favorite restaurant, probably of
all time. That's right, Oh man, it's I think it's
out of business. I don't even want to. I don't
even want to. No, no, no, no, no, no, it's
still there. It's still there. Thank God. Well, like you said,
this next Friday, the Zone is returning. Boxing is back
with a huge fight a member of the promising future
of boxing, the undefeated Virgil Ortiz June. You're taking on Vargas.
(30:04):
You will be calling the action are truthfully? Are you
excited to get back to work? Absolutely? I mean well,
from the fact that I've been quarantining with a two
year old little girl and a five year old little boy, right,
I can't wait to get out of that one to
get back to work. And three, of course, then I
want to see live action boxing. MANA just be stuck
in home taking care of kids. I want to feel
(30:26):
that a drilling of to stop from back into my
body and want some action. Yeah, I have a I
have a one year old, so I know I know
what quarantining with basically a toddler infant is. Like, I
assume you're going to be seeing as much spit and
blood as you've seen even at home this next week, Sam, poop,
don't forget the poop and poop exactly. Some fighters, you
never know. Boxing is one of those kind of sports
(30:47):
that you just never know how it's going to happen. Again,
like when we first started talking COVID and getting near
each other. It's like contact sports, you know, golf and tennis,
those things are sort of easily solved. But with so
much close this in boxing, what precautions are going to
go on for the actual fighters to keep everyone safe. Well,
from what I know so far that they send me,
we gotta stay in our rooms. Once we're clear negatives,
(31:10):
they let us go to a certain designated area, which
is the production or I guess for the fighters training,
maybe they need to use the fitness center to look
a couple of extra pounds or they're going to be
allowed to do that certain hours. And I'm pretty sure
there's gonna be hand sanit tizing and masks everywhere. That's
what it said in the email. Um uh, I think
(31:31):
those are those are the only things they can do.
Um so designated areas and there there's gonna be time
slots for everyone to go in and get the hands
in a tiping everywhere. Casino is going to be closed
from what I hear, And it's literally it's just work
room room work, right. And you're your former WBC Super
Welterweight champ, You've had major fights in your career, you
(31:53):
are a fan favorite coming out of the Contender, and you,
I would assume, really fed off the fans and the
applause and the audience inside. I mean, did you ever
imagine what it would be like to have big televised
fights with no one there? Matter? And I thought my
situation on the Contender was weird because we only find
in front of production and the production family, and we
were allowed to have five family members on our Contender fights,
(32:16):
so we only had about a hundred max. Very small,
and that felt weird. I never imagined to fight in
front of no crowd, man, I mean, this is just
something that's unpressed in it and it's gonna be weird.
I'm not gonna I'm not gonna lie. I can't tell
you that it's gonna be something I'm looking forward to,
but I'm gonna have to adapt and evolved like everyone else. Yeah,
(32:36):
I mean this is some inside baseball stuff. But I'm
also wondering, like when we start talking about big payday fighters, like,
since so much is dependent on live gate and not
just TV deals and pay per views and stuff, how
will payments happen? Is everyone going to be looking at
a big pay cut? Do you think, Well, there's gonna
be two choices. Either you fight for less money, are
you gonna be inactive and on the shelf, and right
now you know the initial initial I guess consensus to
(33:00):
you know, big fighters are gonna be silved. I mean,
the only one that's really stepping up and saying you're
gonna do with Canela, but Canellos listening an opponent because
the opponents are can many more money. So yeah, if
you know you get selves do or you want to fight,
I think the only one that's pleading by example right
now is the Canelo algorithm. You know, got blessing. But
hopefully you know the rest of the pound for pound
(33:22):
fighters on the list and the top fighters you know
follow suit. Yeah, because you had tweeted this. I saw
this on your account. What a time to stay ready
if you're a fighter. Pandemic opponents are one phone call
away from career high pay days. It's just the idea
that guys like Canello and uh you know, even Triple
G sort of talked about fighting a little bit. I
mean the fact that they won't be able to find
their pay day probably, but as far as smaller fights,
(33:43):
I guess you're right. Like dudes that have been prepped
to be in this position for a long time, if
they feel safe, if they feel ready to take a
payday that's big for them but low for for some superstars,
well then they're ready to go. Usually it's that's the
B side opponents that that get. You know, they get
good fights for about fifty thousand. If they get a
really good fight against uh A opponent Bale, they might
(34:05):
hit six sigures during this time. If you're gonna be
fighting uh A, galab and Carnaro or a top fighter
Demetrius Android or any champion with a belt, I mean,
if you're gonna get a phone call with him a
two week notice and you're in shape, you're gonna get
a six figured check. You know, so it's a hell
of a time to be an opponent. I would be
working out every day, waiting for a phone call. And
(34:26):
you know, if all was on social media tweeting about it,
do exactly what Andy Ruis did the instagramming messages and
direct messaging Eddie Hearn and direct message every pan to
say I'm ready, willing, enable, in shape, blah blah blah whatever.
But us. Yeah, that's another question to bring up. Is
the Zone now has three events in five weeks. Excited
to see all of those? Do you expect these guys
(34:48):
after quarantine and and everything we've been through to be
in shape. We're gonna see sort of the heavy breathing
we are. Are we gonna see the boxers where you
used to or now, well look the boxer are gonna
tell you there in shape and have a boxer myself. Um,
I hate saying former boxer, but as a boxer myself,
Who're just gonna We're gonna talk to talk and then
when we get in there, we're gonna have excuses later.
(35:09):
That's just the way it is, because we're not sharp
to become fight night. Afterwards, they'll say, well, you know,
we're gonna use the pandemic as an excuse. But if
we live start didn't knockout. Yeah, they've been training them
in the back part. I've been doing my thing. We'll
keep that Bravano. So it all depends on how good
the performance was. As your self, fighters are totally These
last few months we've been without any fights. It's been
a major setback for his own. They were expanding into
(35:30):
the US, starting sort of a new business plan ready
to launch. Are they on track? Are you guys on
track to sort of pick up where everything was halted
because of COVID. It's sort of a weird position to
be in as a as a network, and if you're
running a sports serving service and you have no sports
to show, that's gonna be tough. I think it's tough
for for every business. My buddy I, who I just
spoke to about an hour ago, owned the popular bar
(35:53):
in San Francisco, and he's hurting because you know, he's
been in the bar business twenty plus here. So that's
just a small business I've been as big as a
as a sports student service is so much money involved,
of course, it's going to take a big hit. But
with that much money invested, so much time invested, so
much effort invested. I can bet they're gonna double down
after this is over, and doubling down on the big
(36:16):
fights right away. I mean, I've heard rumblings about the
potential fights coming up. I can't I can't ruin the secret,
but I can just say that hot you know, they're
coming back with a bank. We're coming back with a bang.
And I'm sure Top Rank and Golden Boy and everyone
else is gonna want to do the same because after five, six,
seven months of this quarantine, you're gonna want to get
all lies are in you, just like the UFC is doing,
(36:39):
you know, all lives on them right now from Fighting Island.
That's right. And and we talked to Sugary Leonard about
King Ryan a little bit and sort of the superstar
um that's in the future for him. You know, what
do you see for him as far as like some
high level competition in the future. Ryan Garcia has been
doing exactly what he needs to do. He's been moving perfectly.
(36:59):
This step up opponents. It's not his salt that he
knocked him out in under three minutes, but that's that's
what the fighter and the potential superstar is supposed to do.
Not only does he have that following the postal media phone,
but he's taking care of business inside the ring, so
he has it inside and outside the ring. Now. The
only problem is he wants to get paid more money,
and he give me them any more money. This is
(37:20):
where I would think that the lack of experience and
and maybe a maturity kicks in the fact that on
that these unpressed men of times, the money is not there,
the parents aren't to someone who's gonna have to he
ever gonna have to meet in the middle. And I
think if if they can do that, they said, Ryan
Garcia and Golden Board can meet in the middle. Uh,
you know, Golden Board tame a little bit more, not
what Bryan is expecting, but a little bit more than
(37:42):
Ryan Garcia says, Okay, I won't I won't take what
I wanted for, but I'll take that. Let's do it,
and let's just move forward. And that's that's how it
gets going. And I just get the ball moving again.
Keep that movement. I'm going I mean back to back
first on knockout. He he's hot right now, he is
glidening hot right now. Keep it going man. It doesn't
hurt that he looks like he's a boy band either. Yeah,
as an eighteen year old incarnation of Offid Oil. Absolutely,
(38:05):
I feel a swell during boxings downtime, and it's a
very strange I would have never predicted it for the
return of Mike Tyson in pop culture. Now, maybe more
than ever, maybe just during the hangover time. I've seen
him all over the place and he's hinted to a
return to the ring after that video sort of went
viral of him in great shape hitting bags. You tell
me you've been in the ring? You you you you
(38:26):
WinCE when you say former fighter. Could could it happen
at fifty three? Absolutely? Not? No, Absolutely, Mad Mike Tyson,
every other sider that that's thinking about a comeback, especially
in the late forties and early fifties, it's not possible.
You're not You're You're not George Foreman, who was just
a unique peace when it came to one point of power.
(38:48):
You're not Bernard Hopkins who lived the gladi in or
lifestyles and people you know, eighteen years old or pro
whenever you was. You're not both those are unique individuals
that that that just it's it's it's rare, Myke. Tyson
is a great fighter, but you know he didn't live
to Gladdy your lifestyle. He doesn't have that well, he
(39:08):
doesn't have that power like George Forman, but he don't
have the size of George Foreman. So no, no, no, no,
they have no chance. It's just it's got tornisoir negacy
that should just stay retired and and keep the thoughts
of glory, you know, bottled up. I'm all down for
Tyson to just be the Weed podcast guy, trust me.
I just I know that. I know that when there's
(39:30):
pay days out there, which brings me to my next question. Uh,
your pal and everyone's pal, especially at the zone day.
La Hoya says he'll be watching Tyson for his own return.
I can't imagine when the payday pops up for him
and Canelo or you know him and pack Yeah, or
him and McGregor even weirder that anyone is gonna say
no for that kind of money. Like I just, I
(39:51):
guess I don't have a lot of optimism when it
comes to boxing and uh and keeping people away from
the ring. If there's a pay day, no money torn there,
especially during these times um, exactly. Sorry you strying to happen, man,
It's just it's too important even for the guys that
have to line light. Do you see, uh? I know
you guys have some fights to Zone has some fights
(40:12):
in London coming up, and they're all outdoors. Is that
is that sort of the future. Do you think that's
what the Zonne is gonna be looking for in the future?
Outdoor arenas? You know what I heard about that pulsa
uh fight in downtown in the streets. You gotta give
Eddie Hearn some credit for I love that idea. I
love that idea out in the middle of main street.
So something like that, something created a fight Island creative,
(40:35):
Downtown creative or who knows Alcatraza didn't hear any creative.
So I am in supportive and Alcatraz Island boxing match,
I will I that would be great. Well, Sergio, I
wish you all the best and all the luck of
these next few weeks with the Zone. Will. I'll be watching.
The world is hoping for sports to come back and
excited to hear you. Hear you out there again, Thank you, Jensen,
appreciate it. The Sports Bubble is produced and distributed by
(41:05):
tree Fort Media. The show was executive produced by Kelly Garner,
Lisa Ammerman, Matthew Coogler, and me Jensen Carr. Tom Monahan
is our senior audio engineer and sound supervisor, with production
and editing by Jasper Leak additional production help from Tim Shower,
June Rosen, and Haley Mandelberg. Our theme music is composed
by Spilkis. If you've enjoyed what you've heard, please subscribe,
(41:27):
rate us and review us on the I Heart Radio app,
Apple podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts, and please
visit Feeding America dot org if you're able to make
a donation, Any amount makes a difference, and you can
learn more about other ways you can help on their website.
For more information on the Sports Bubble, links to the socials,
and for show transcripts for our hearing impaired listeners, go
to tree Fort dot fm. Be safe and be Well.
(41:53):
The Sports Bubble is a production of I Heart Radio
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