Bill Chaves Pod_EP 159

This week, Bill and Alex are joined by UND Softball Head Coach Jordan Stevens to discuss the grand opening of Albrecht Field, the new state-of-the-art on-campus softball facility that will debut Saturday, September 21 at 7pm (1:12). The guys then look ahead to this week’s Summit League meetings and glance back over an impressive two-week stretch for Fighting Hawks football, volleyball, cross country and more (26:20). On the B-Side (44:10), the validity of polls comes into question, and Bill delights in the Steelers’ early season success.  

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the Bill Shaves Podcast, presented by Mid
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Tune in for live coverage of the Missouri Valley Football Conference,
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(00:21):
Sports and streaming on Mid Coast Sports. Plus. This is
how we do sports, and this is the Bill Shaves Podcast.
Welcome to another edition of the Bill Shaves Podcast. We're
taping this on a Monday, bill the sixteenth of September,
getting a jump start on the week ahead with a
lot of big stuff going on. How are things, Bill Shaves?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Things are good, Alex. Good to see as always. Yeah,
no Monday, because I've got to go to Sue Falls
for Summer League fall meetings, and so that's going to
be taking up the middle of the week. So we
figured let's knock out our bi weekly pod here on
a Monday and we'll get it at out early in
the week. And I think we have a special guest

(01:03):
because we need to get it out early in the
week so that people can maybe arrange their calendar.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
A big event coming up this weekend. In the world
of U and D athletics, not very often do you
get a chance to christen a new stadium, a new arena,
a new venue. And that's what's going to happen this
week on campus for the first time. You and D
softball is essentially coming home and it's a bit of
process that has come around pretty quick, and it's really
exciting that it's here on this Saturday, is the new

(01:30):
grand opening of all brecked Field to talk all about that,
of course, who better than the leader of you and
the softball Jordan Stevens, getting set to enter his tenth
season in charge of the program. Jordan, First off, thanks
for being with us. There's got to be a lot
of excitement in your world right now knowing this is
coming right around the bends, a.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Lot of excitement, a lot of nervousness going going into
this week ahead for us. But I mean, it's just
absolutely amazing that this has come together and come together
so fast, and that we're going to be able to
host the softball game on UND's campus for the first time.

Speaker 4 (02:03):
This weekend. It's just an amazing feeling.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Take us inside the locker room, Jordan. As far as
the team itself, I mean, there's just got to be
a level of excitement. I mean truly, right, I mean
at the end of the day, I mean Apollo Field,
and thank you for what Apollo was able to provide
us over the course of time and years. But you know,
to be able to really be on campus has to
be so exciting.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
I mean very much so. Yes, and Apollo served the
program well for for the years that it played a
part in our program. But I mean our team, you
can just see it every day, just a just a
huge source of pride stepping out on that facility and
knowing what we have now in our program. You know,

(02:49):
there's not that that we weren't smiling at practice before,
but I mean just walking in onto the field every
day and knowing that we get to train and compete
now what is the top notch facilities not only in
our region, but for our level of softball around the country.
I think it just makes everybody happy. You know, it's
just a renewed energy, a renewed source of pride for

(03:12):
our program, and we're just excited to get people out there.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
We're getting a lot of let's call it, walk by
fans as well, or at least folks that become interested
in what's going on.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, a lot of passer by traffic, which is kind
of cool. You know, the opening out and right field
allows for that, and that's awesome because you know, with
the big event with the French Fry feed over at
University Park, we had a lot of people walking by.
We actually had some people come up into the stands
and watch us practice. We've had we've had you in DPD,

(03:44):
We've had Grand Forks PD pull up and.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
Just watch from the side of the road. Like it's
been awesome. It's just been great.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
It's been you know, and we've been very welcoming to
everybody that's come in and just wanted to take a
look at it because we're just so proud of it.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
Yeah, and those are great anecdotes of how softball now
is a little more in the top of everyone's minds,
even though the season itself really won't start till the spring.
Just the fact you're going to be right there over
the Memorial Overpass, like you're there in Memorial Village in
the middle in the heart of where everything is going on.
It's exciting. We'll talk more about some of the specifics,
but you mentioned in the press release that came on

(04:16):
a while back about the unveiling of this stadium that
this is a process that was just an idea not
that long ago, and it's come to fruition so quickly.
First off, Jordan, how did this idea of bringing softball
to campus come about? And how have you been able
to get the pieces put together in such a short
period of time.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
I probably didn't have too much to do with it,
I mean, but it was I mean, it was always
a pipe dream, right like you always kind of hope
and dream like, wow, I think the field would look
really cool here, Like wow, what a great thing for
our program if we could get on campus. And then,
you know, just by happenstance, and somebody that was really
engaged in making softball better here for the University of

(04:59):
North Dakota came out across our president at a fall
ball game might have been the first ball ball game
that that he attended and just had an idea and
you know, with his obviously with his kind donation or
the entire family should just his entire family's donation and
love for softball made it happen so fast, and it

(05:22):
all the building around campus has been popping up so fast,
and everything just looks Christine and it's beautiful. And this
thing just happened so so fast. But we're thankful for that.

Speaker 4 (05:33):
But yeah, I don't.

Speaker 3 (05:34):
I mean, I was happy to be involved in some
of the planning aspects of it, But I mean without
the donors and our school admin and our and our
athletics admins, it wouldn't have won, wouldn't have happened. But
two for sure wouldn't have happened as fast as it's
gone up, you.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Know, Alex Uh, you know, let me add on to that,
because Jordan absolutely is correct in everything that he says.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
Certainly, the city played a huge role in this as well.
Our developers played a huge role, you know, und alums
that without all of our you know, really, without all
of Grand Forks being all in on this, this doesn't happen.
It really doesn't. I mean it need. It took everybody.

(06:18):
And it's like, once you did get the all bricks
willing to make a sizable donation to make this happen,
there were still other dominoes that had to fall, and
you know, I kind of look ahead to maybe let's
pretend not in the next year, maybe eighteen months from now,

(06:40):
when everything is done in this corridor of campus, it's
going to be just amazing. I mean just amazing. And
to be across the thoroughfare University Drive thoroughfare where you've
got sororities on the other side, I mean, you're just
in the heart of campus and I feel like, you know,

(07:01):
for all of our programs, all of them want to
feel that heartbeat, and so you know, I think it's
just going to be a tremendous opportunity for for us.
But that's kind of the reason why you have athletics too, right,
to draw people in. As Jordan said, I mean, we
want people to be connected to the university. So it
gives you that opportunity.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
Bill kind of touched on some of the things that
will be noticeable right away, just that tangible impact. Jordan,
what do you think this new field, all brickfield will
have the impact that we will make on your program
and on softball in the state of North Dakota in general.

Speaker 3 (07:33):
Well, I mean it's already started making an impact, and
I'll just start with our with our current student athletes. Again,
having a top notch facility to train in will only
help us. You know, I've gotten so many, so many
compliments and so many emails and text messages from all
over the place of some of my coaching friends and
cohorts that like, this is unbelievable for you guys. What

(07:56):
an amazing thing that you guys have going there now,
really a shot in the arm. And we've started to
see this in the recruiting trail already where kids just
want to be a part of it. That's like, this
is so exciting that you guys have this going on,
and we want to be a part of the either
team one or maybe Team two from the new class
that's getting recruited. We've just seen tremendous support from around

(08:17):
the country, the softball community and you know Grand Forks community,
like the high schools are excited, the club ball teams
are excited.

Speaker 4 (08:25):
You know.

Speaker 3 (08:25):
I think they're all hoping to get a piece of
seeing it in action and maybe getting an opportunity to
play on it at some point. But I can't believe
the amount of people that have just reached out and said,
you know, what a huge boost of energy for you
indie softball.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well, that's awesome. It'll all kick off this Saturday, September
the twenty first. Doors will open at six o'clock. There'll
be a ton of events around this, lots of great
opening ceremony type feel, the product the road is going
to be there. There'll be great stuff for the kids
to come enjoy. First pitch at seven o'clock as you
take on Northwest Missouri State in the first game of
a seven game false stretch that will run through the
middle of October. It's going to be an awesome day.

(09:04):
So much has gone into this fields and into this moment.
Does it feel for you like this is really happening?
You are starting play games there beginning this weekend. What
is that feeling like?

Speaker 3 (09:14):
Jordan's It feels like it's come very fast. But yeah,
I mean, the whole day is going to be an experience,
and we're hoping that we have a lot of fans
over at the Allera Center for a football team early
in the day, and then we hope that they come
over and hit our tailgate right after that game is
over and they continue to cheer and support for our program.

(09:36):
But it's a day full of activities, and I said,
at some point I'm going to need a cot in
the office here, because that day is going to be long,
and it's going to be exhausting, and it's going to
be full of energy and full of fun, but we're
going to anapse at some point through there.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
Well, I'll tell you I'll be the administrator here. He
so I'll wear my dark hat of the administration. You know,
you look at dates we would have loved to have
been just like maybe just that's it. That's the only
thing going on that day. It's just almost impossible on
a calendar to be able to accommodate that. So I

(10:13):
think we made a decision as best as we could.
You know, San Diego, that was kind of a one
off game that we're playing. It's a calendar where you
can play twelve games in a year, and so we
wanted to play an extra home game, and it just
worked out that San Diego accommodated us. We don't have
to go back next year. But they had required us

(10:34):
to play, and I say required, they asked us as
part of the requirement of signing a contract to play
at one o'clock. Perfect. So this way, this provided us
an opportunity in September to kind of do this, So
it'd be a long day, but it will be a fun.

Speaker 4 (10:48):
Day for sure. First night game too.

Speaker 1 (10:51):
Yeah, all these firsts, it's amazing. Just why not do
them all at the same time. So, as you mentioned,
this is game one of seven in this schedule, and
you've done this for a couple of years of getting
some opportunity to get on the field in fall before
the thing really gets going in February in the springtime,
what are some of the main objectives you'd like to
achieve As you look at this team and who you've
got coming back, what do you want to see from

(11:12):
the ladies during this stretch in the fall.

Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yeah, I mean kind of always from our fall is
we just we want to give so many people opportunities
to go out and perform and try to do their
best and try to impress the coaching staff. But this
year a little bit different than years in the past, Like, yes,
we want to still use it for what fallball is,
but want to we want to welcome people into UNB
softball and we want to go out with our new

(11:35):
field and impress and play well.

Speaker 4 (11:39):
So we've got a little bit of extra on the.

Speaker 3 (11:40):
Table for us this fall, because this is where we
have an opportunity for a lot of people when it's
seventy five degrees out that could come and watch us.
And so that's cool, and we hope, we hope they
do come watch us, and we want to put a
quality product on the field still while using fallball what
it's for and in development. But I feel like we
have a really big opportunity here to bring people into

(12:03):
UNB softball, and we want to make the most of it.

Speaker 2 (12:07):
I'll bring you behind the curtain, Alex. I had Jordan
in my office last week, and I'll say, really, always
in the fall, right, non championship segment of your season,
it really isn't about the wins and the losses really
at that point in time, really it is about trying
to get as many reps if you will. But you know,

(12:27):
of course, I mean, we're all competitors, right and you're
you're christening a new field, so I guarantee our team
will be amped up for it to some degree. But
in the bigger picture, the bigger scope of life right now,
you know, it really is about giving an opportunity to
our team, and you know, My guess is Northwest Missouri
states pretty good. Like they're they're they're they're a pretty

(12:48):
good program. So at the end of the day, you know,
I mean, I'm not getting caught up in the wins
and losses on Saturday. That's all I'll say. Others might,
but you know, I think you're striving for the spur
and making sure that you get to the place you
want to get to.

Speaker 4 (13:03):
Yeah, we certainly didn't pick a flout for game one.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
No, no, We'll get you out on this. The field
itself is great and if you want to read all
about it, you can go to Fighting Hawks dot com.
There's a great rundown with pictures of what this field
is going to be all about, seating for five hundred
left field party fence, Like, a lot of great stuff
going on there. Jordan, what are some of the things
that you see in this field that are just different
that really have you excited? Maybe give us, give us

(13:26):
from your eyes what we should be excited about.

Speaker 3 (13:28):
For all reckfields, I'll tell you what. Like it's so unique.
And again the All Recks, they've been at every game,
every game, So I think there's a little piece of
every field that we've loved and enjoyed throughout.

Speaker 4 (13:44):
Their journey in all rechfield.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
You know, we've got the party deck out in left field,
which we're hoping is a great game environment. I went
out there a couple of times, Like the view from
that left field, those left field stands out there unbelievable,
but we want that to be a great time. The
scoreboard's bigger than most, like, that's impressive. We've got the

(14:09):
viewing area out out in right field. We've got patios
close to the dugout, which is going to be awesome.
Those are the biggest dugouts you're going to see in
Division ones up ball, and it's very roomy. Heated dugouts awesome,
almost like game changer right there. To have to have
heated dugouts, lights like that's awesome. Be able to play

(14:34):
night games if we want to. It's also helped us
for practice. I mean we haven't had a huge opportunity
to use them yet, but just to allow our young
ladies to stay in class and have a full class
day and be able to utilize that amenity in the
fall has helped us tremendously already. You know, the chair
back seating, like there's just so many things that have

(14:55):
gone into this and I can honestly say, like there's
not a detail that's been missed, been a stone left
unturned there. They've done a tremendous job in setting this
field up, like so much to even the width of
the netting so that it's not you don't have to
squint too hard to see through it when you're watching,
Like they haven't missed anything, and it truly has shown

(15:17):
up on the field.

Speaker 4 (15:18):
It's awesome.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
Well, the all bricks are engineers at heart, and at
the end of the day, not only have they been
able to be at every game that we've played, and
as you know, our team plays in a lot of
great venues throughout the spring, and so have seen a
lot of stadiums, and like you said, there's nuances that

(15:40):
I think as you start uncovering them, you're going to
be like, wow, Wow, what a thoughtful idea, you know,
I mean, and Alex and I when we always flip
on the B side, we talk about the Red Sox,
But the Red Sox you know that stadium was born
in nineteen twelve. Well, the last tickets that are always
on sale our right field because they're actually facing center

(16:01):
field and not home plate, and so so everything was
really thought through. Even if you're standing, everything is focused
into kind of home plate in the pitcher's mound. So
there's just a lot of different pieces to it, and
I we're excited about it. It's gonna be awesome. And then
when Memorial Village too ends up getting done, some of

(16:22):
the amenities they have going on, you know, not to
mention a rooftop pool that's supposedly a three hundred and
sixty five day pool that's above the left field party deck, and.

Speaker 3 (16:32):
So so I don't even know what all that means.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
It feels a little San Francisco giant ish to some degree.
I mean, I don't know what that all looks like.
But I think there's a lot of opportunities here.

Speaker 1 (16:46):
So what Bill is saying, if I can aggregate this
all brick Field better than Fenway and have an mccobby cove.

Speaker 2 (16:55):
I think I said that.

Speaker 1 (16:56):
I think that just is that what I got from that.

Speaker 2 (16:59):
Yeah, yeah, thank you for the aggregation. I really do
appreciate it. I'm looking to make headlines. So Tom Miller,
Abby Sharp, Bratch, Losman, if you got there, just put
it right out there.

Speaker 1 (17:09):
Oh, I love it well, Jordan. We're super excited to
see you guys open things up this Saturday again. Garret
stampin at six, first pitch at seven. It's going to
be a tremendous night in the start of a really
special time for un D softball. Congrats on the opening
of all Brickfield.

Speaker 4 (17:22):
And enjoy Thank you so much, Thanks Jordan.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
Fantastic to have Jordan Stevens and elated, excited Jordan Stevens
ahead of what is really a seminal moment in un
D softball program history. A chance to come into a
new facility which is phenomenal, state of the art, a
complete game changer for softball in this part of the world.
It's going to be exciting this weekend and I really
hope folks can come out and enjoy this. I feel

(17:47):
like it's going to be a great crowded, the weather
should be great for me, a perfect night. Can't wait,
can't wait to see how it all shakes out.

Speaker 2 (17:53):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I think I think it
was right to do it in the fall, of course.
I mean, you don't know what You're going to be
a mixed bag, so to speak, probably in the spring.
But but and again, I know we talked about this
before it but we probably should underscore it again. The
opportunity to play more games in the spring is going

(18:13):
to have, you know, an ability for us to not
solely be on the road is huge. I mean, if
we and again I don't want to jump ahead right now,
but if you if you think about our volleyball program
right now, our football program, playing some home home matches
and being in their own bed makes a big difference,
makes a huge difference. And you know, so I think

(18:36):
in the spring, you know, you can confidently then say, hey,
you know what, we're going to play home games because
we can move snow and do those types of things.
But the heated environment on both dugouts, Alex, that's a
big deal. That's a huge, huge deal.

Speaker 1 (18:52):
There have been a lot of days in March and
April when you and I have been out at Apollo
and the umpires had the temperature gauge out, and because
there's there were those moments where it has to be
above a certain temperature to actually play the game. And
the fact that now some of those things will be
able to be avoided because of things like that, the

(19:13):
turf field, the heated dugouts, et cetera. There were so
many weekends that you just didn't know if you were
going to play a home game or not. And now
at least there still will be some of that, of course,
like things will still happen, but you've just really increased
your chances. And to your point, by the way, about
how the importance of playing at home. If you look
at our three fall sports teams right now, football, soccer,

(19:33):
women's volleyble, there are combining ten and one at home. Yep,
that's there's a huge advantage to playing inside Grand Forks
versus being on the road.

Speaker 2 (19:41):
No doubt. And then you know, you can talk about
this as well, but the ability to have a press
box and to be able to have equipment that can
potentially be protected, not to mention the actual humans doing
the games and those types of things, but the reality
of it is it's a big big deal between games.

(20:01):
I mean, to be able to have access, real legitimate
access to go across the street at times, like you
think about it when we finally open up, you know,
when everything gets done over here, you're gonna be able
to just go across the street kind of warm up
if that's needed, and that's it's just a huge, huge deal. So,

(20:22):
you know, thank you again, thank you to everybody that
made this happen, because I mean this, I know how much.
Obviously the donation meant a great deal, but there were
so many other pieces of the puzzle that had to
happen as well in this timeframe as well. It just
Jordan said, it feels like it happened in warp speed.

Speaker 1 (20:44):
Well, there were conversations about this. It feels like but
maybe just like two years ago that this was kind
of a whisper and then all of a sudden, the
you know, Davie likes to alreight make that donation. You
have that public private partnership in conjunction with everything happening
in Memorial Village and spades are going in the ground,
and now this facility is ready to open. It's just
awesome to see when the motivation is there and the

(21:05):
finances are there and the desire is there to get
something like this done, it can happen in a quick
time frame. So it's going to make a huge difference
for that program starting this weekend as they host the
first of seven home games this fall.

Speaker 2 (21:18):
It'll be awesome.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
Oh so again, Doors open at six on Saturday, September
the twenty first, first pitch right around seven o'clock after
various opening ceremonies. But it's going to be awesome. Glitter
tattoos and cookies and the band is going to play
in the whole nine yards. It's going to be really special,
So be sure to get out and support the opener.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
Absolutely want everybody there.

Speaker 1 (21:39):
That sort of caps off what will be a pretty
busy week around you and the athletics, busy week for
you as well. You mentioned you're going to be heading
down to suit Falls for sum League meetings coming up
early in the week. What do you expect, by the way,
from the latest coming together of the of the minds
of the Summit.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
As we all know, and we've had a lot of
experience with Commissioner Fenton both you know, initial in the
hockey world and now in the Summit League. And if
there's one thing Josh is he's prepared and so the
meetings will be fruitful, there's no doubt about that. But
the reality of it is always getting together figuring out

(22:15):
the current landscape that we're in makes a big difference.
You know, I had a conversation or I should say
had an opportunity, the speaking opportunity. Last week, we were
recognizing donors that had provided endowments to student athletes, and
I just kind of went backwards a little bit and
just you know, indicated, Hey, you know, when the NCAA

(22:39):
started in nineteen five oh six, for a lot of
years it was one division, then it became a university
college division. Then in like about nineteen seventy three, for
about fifty years we saw the Division one, two, and
three model and so but really since twenty twenty one,

(23:00):
when we did not pass nil legislation in regards to
the NCAA, I think we're kind of in this middle
period right now where we're trying to figure out the
next iteration of Division I athletics. But we're in this
weird time frame where every time we get together, we're
just almost comparing notes about where do we think things

(23:24):
are going to go and the reality of it, Alex
and we know this is that there's so many lawsuits
right now that the courts are deciding, you know, some
of our fate at this point. But we've got to
figure out what's next. And I think we're going to
need some help at some stage of the game from Congress.
We're going to need the courts to make some decisions
and we're gonna have to help ourselves. So you know,

(23:46):
that's probably the broader conversation. There'll be some scheduling conversations,
There'll be all of that stuff that always happens that
you have to kind of get together twice a year
to make sure that you're on the same page. But
I think that's going to be the bull to this
meeting this week.

Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yeah, so interesting and it comes at a unique time too,
because just a couple of days ago we saw another
big shifs with trying to pack what the Pacific Coast
Conference to have whatever number you want to put there,
add now the six pack, now the six pack, adding
Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Fresno State
from the Mountain West, and that'll of course have domino
effects on what else happens. So it's just it's interesting.

(24:24):
I am yes, best of luck as you discuss with
your fellow ads what's going on. I'll be curious to
get your take from John Shamwell at South Dakota about
the situation with the whipping cough incident at Portland State
it was tough. Yeah, just things you just don't think
you're going to have happened to you. It's not nineteen

(24:46):
thirty seven, it's it's twenty twenty four.

Speaker 4 (24:49):
But you never know.

Speaker 2 (24:49):
I know, I you know, that one's an interesting one.
We should probably stop on that one for a second,
because you know, any of us are susceptible to having
something like this happen. But what's really really tricky in
a sport like that. I don't think there's any chance
of making that up. I mean, they're just first of all,
you'd have to figure out do you align bye weeks

(25:10):
to some degree? And then what you're gonna fly back
out to Portland, You're gonna meet in the middle, where
are they playing in Salt Lake? What are they doing?
So at the end of the day, that's a tough one,
and so you kind of lose, you lose a Division
one opportunity at that stage. So yeah, I when I
saw that one, it was like I read it and
I went ooh that that one is really difficult. And

(25:32):
then you feel like you feel for anybody that loses
the opportunity, especially in that sport though, right, I mean,
you only get if you're in a year like we
are this year. Because there's a lot of Saturdays, or
there's one more Saturday in the calendar, you can play
one more game if you so choose, If you so choose,
sometimes you know you still only play eleven and not
the twelve. But at the end of the day, you know,

(25:54):
I just I think you just lose the opportunity. It's
a no contest.

Speaker 1 (25:58):
It's a bummer, especially because the USD made the trip
that they were in Portland ready to play out home
and then things got put off. But that is, as
they say life. Things happened sometimes and the great ones adjust.
The South Dakota football team ended up working on Needle
Point in the hotel lobby with a group of ladies
that were there for some kind of knitting convention. So
they made the most of it and now they'll come

(26:19):
back and begin the next phase of their season. So
because that game did not take place, that meant that
und Idaho State was the only Big Sky Missouri Valley
Challenge game left on the schedule, and this year, essentially
North Dakota carried the mail there for the Valley. They
were only three games, and you won two of the
three and earned another win in the books. Let's just

(26:42):
talk about those two Big Sky games that Dakota had
over the last two weeks since our last pod. Pretty
impressive performance from Bubba Schwager and this football team to
come from behind to defeat Montana two weeks ago. And
then so, really, did you talk about putting on a
show against Idaho State thirty nothing at one point in
the second quarter and really clicking on all three phases

(27:04):
as an impressive pair of victories for und over a
couple of pretty good Big Sky teams over the last
two weeks.

Speaker 2 (27:10):
Alex, I don't think, you know, I'd have to recollect,
but I don't think I've ever seen a team hold
the ball basically for twenty six of thirty six thirty
minutes in the second half. And that was impressive. It
really was. And and I know, you know, the term
complimentary football gets kind of tossed around a little bit,
but at the end of the day, once you had

(27:32):
the ability to be on the sideline as the defense,
but then to come back in and then get the
other team off three and out, you know, three straight times,
you know, and then to start the game this week
and then stack some three and outs again, gives you
a chance. It gives you a chance. And I would
say this no small feat. Our fans do a tremendous

(27:57):
job helping. That's what I'll say. And you know, and
you know we go down to ames, you know, we
have to deal with you know, silent counts and do
all those types of things. Well, if you're going to
play at home, it's awesome to have our fans behind
us and make it a little bit difficult on the opposition.
And it's a big deal if it's first and fifteen, right,

(28:19):
I mean, when you're behind the sticks like that, I
think the playbook gets a little bit different from an
offensive standpoint, I.

Speaker 1 (28:26):
Would say, so.

Speaker 4 (28:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:27):
I think certainly on this past Saturday against the Bengals,
thirteen penalties against ISU, and I think ten or eleven
of those were pre snap just movement communication penalties, and
that was the Alea Center making a big impact. And
we saw that certainly in the second half against Montana
as well. Just the noise level of whatever it was,
eleven thy five hundred in the building made a massive impact.

(28:48):
It was that was the loudest, one of the loudest
moments I think I've experienced inside that facility in nine years,
like just that place was really alive, and you just
hope again in this stretch where you've got two more
home game still before you have to go on the road,
if they can just keep building that momentum, it's it's
going to be another one of those years where they're
going to be really hard to beat inside that facility.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
Yeah, I think Paul Rolston said that. He said it
at our fan lunch and he was hosting, and he said,
and I think it's fair. Really where you need the
fans is really first down, right first and second down,
because you're right, you get those you get those penalties
early early in the in the drive. You know, now

(29:32):
all of a sudden they're starting to have to throw
the ball. All of a sudden, you get coming off
the edge, and you've got hurries. There's a lot of
things happening at that point in time. I think coach
went Fire has the ability to dial up some other
things that that generally if it's if it's second and three,
all of a sudden, now you're kind of on your
heels a little bit wondering are they going to kind

(29:53):
of run the ball or are they going to take
a shot. You just have no idea. So yeah, it's huge,
and we knew going into the year. I mean, obviously
we knew it was going to be a challenge in aimes.
They're good. They're good team. I mean they are obviously.
They beat Iowa the next week after that, so that
was a good win for them. They'll be good this year.
And then we thought that game would help us though

(30:15):
for Montana, knowing it was going to be a difficult game,
and we found a way to win. And now you
have to keep stacking after that though, because here's what
we do know. Montana's going to win some games this year.

Speaker 1 (30:28):
They did this past weekends. Yeah, that's they certainly took
out some of their frustration on poor Morehead State this weekends.
But that's you're right. I think the win over the
Grizz is going to look really good come November. I
mean already looks good, pretty good. They're number four in
the country, the Rainy MCS runners up. But that's going
to continue to look like a great victory. And then
same thing. I don't state again. I know they had

(30:48):
a tough day at the office, but that's a much
better Bengal team. I think than they showed. And for
North Dakota, now you play at San Diego this coming
week at home, who is two and zero and does
have a big sky win on their ledger over Cal Paul.
I think it was their first win over a scholarship
team in a handful of seasons. They have more pick
sixes than anybody else in the country, So a pretty
opportunistic defense that you and d will face. But a

(31:10):
good sest this week and then Murray State coming in
the next week to start Missouri Valley Conference play. There's
just again that such a great momentum factor going with
this program. One of the cool things I thought about
the game this past weekend against Idaho State. We'd seen
this North courtA team run the football effectively and play
the defense. Like those two things we sort of knew.
The passing game was sort of the one unknown to

(31:32):
this point. I think Bobby Halke even said it in
his postgame press conference the previous week. I still don't
know if they can throw the football. We just we
couldn't stop the running game, so they didn't even they
never went away from that. We saw Simon Rumfell put
it up in the air. I think thirty five times
on Saturday, and you know, one or two he'd like
to have back, but for the most part, proved they
can move the football down the field. Got a couple

(31:53):
of explosive plays to Bob Belquist that was really good.
I think just for other teams to see we can't
stick eight nine guys in the box because they do
have the ability to hurt us over the top.

Speaker 2 (32:04):
Now, well, I think this so Simon hasn't literally played
much game football in about four years, and I think
this what do they always say, like Septembers, especially in
the NFL, is kind of figuring yourself out to some degree.

(32:25):
I think every week is just going to be just this,
you know, Yan and Yang of what teams may do
against him in some way, shape or form. So I
just think you're going to continue to see him grow
each week. And yeah, I yeah, that's right. If that's
gonna happen, then we have to figure out, you know,

(32:46):
it's through the rotation, second or third time, you're gonna
have to figure out where where they're allowing us to
have success. And I think we did a pretty good job.
Certainly our wide receivers I thought blocked extremely well this
past week. Freed up some stuff and it kind of
was that short passing game was kind of the de
facto running game.

Speaker 1 (33:05):
You can see Isaac Frickty transitioning to that instead of
just going up the middle with gavit Z Barth or
Isaiah Smith on first down. There was more of that
incorporation of finding guys on quick slants or bubble screens, etc.
And it was really effective. I mean, they moved the
ball really well and defensively, forcing four turnovers made a
big difference, you know, converting one directly into a ninety

(33:26):
two yard interception Batezer and then having a couple other
strip sacks that led quickly to touchdowns or field goals.
It was just wild to see them put up the
points they did. It was the most first half points
since transitioning to D one against another D one opponent,
fifty two, the most points ever scored against the Big
Sky opponent for North Dakota. It was a good day.

(33:47):
It was a good day at the office, and now
again two more home games on though before the trip
to Fargo. A great chance to just keep improving, keep
taking steps forward and then seeing where you stand after
a couple of weeks. It's exciting to see where this
team can do.

Speaker 2 (34:00):
And we do know this. San Diego is a pretty
seasoned program and they've done a nice job at the
FDFCS level. And you know, I I say this loosely,
and I do think there's this concept of non scholarship football,
and I'm a little you know, I'd say yes, but
I would say that sure, they're gonna have some pretty

(34:24):
good players coming into the Aleria Center. And I this
just in. There's a lot of players in the vicinity
that they reside, and so I would say, we have
our we'll have our work cut out for us. They've
won a couple playoff games as well. I know they
went on the road and be Nau. They went on
the road and be cal Poly one year, so they're
no stranger to the playoffs. They understand it. So, you

(34:46):
know what, we need the Aleri Center rocking, not only
this weekend but next weekend to take nothing for granted,
there's each week's its own, So you know what, the
more we can rock the Alarius.

Speaker 1 (34:57):
The better last thing on this build. What is it
to for our fans who are curious who they're facing
this weekend?

Speaker 2 (35:04):
Yeah, I so Terrrero is something that I don't even
think I know how about that?

Speaker 1 (35:11):
Sorry to be candid. I had to look it up
as well. I did not know what a teruro was.
It's a bullfighter, a bullfighter.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
Oh sure, yeah, I guess I makes sense. Now makes sense? Yeah,
I like it. Well, you know what the pod is honest.
If we don't know something, we're not afraid to say
we don't know.

Speaker 1 (35:32):
That's the honesty you're gonna get here with the Bill
Shapps Podcast. We're not gonna pull punches.

Speaker 2 (35:36):
Oh no, it's transparent.

Speaker 1 (35:39):
You and the football has had a great stretch here
in September at home you Indie volleyball, same story. North
Dakota was home for five games in a row over
the course of the last two weekends. They go four
and one during that five game homestand wins over Evansville
and Belmont's and Western Illinois they beat West Virginia. Just
some really quality wins the last couple of weeks for

(35:59):
this young fighting Hawks team that just seems to be
clicking on all cylinders right now. What have you seen
with Jesse qubox crew lately?

Speaker 2 (36:06):
Yeah, you know, I thought this past week was excellent
in a sense of I know, football kind of got
a little bit of a there was a little bit
of a narrative out there, how how are you going
to follow up the Montana second half? And we followed
it up with a pretty good first half and then
the you know, how are you going to follow up
the West Virginia win on Thursday and Friday? And yeah,

(36:27):
I thought our team is kind of almost measuring themselves
against themselves and trying to play at a certain standard.
So that's kind of what I'm seeing. I thought coach
Tupac made a pretty good statement at the fan luncheon
on Friday, which, by the way, we had an awesome

(36:48):
crowd there. Holy cow, kudos to everyone that came out.
But you know, the way we play, it's kind of
like not with one traditional setter, we kind of have
two to that set. But they also do a lot
of other things too, and so it really is a
tough team to play against because you don't know where
it's going to come from. So when we're in rhythm

(37:10):
and we're rolling, I'll tell you what pretty fun team
to watch, and you know, it could be really difficult
because it's almost like, I'm not sure other teams see
what you know like an offense that we have. From
a volleyball standpoint.

Speaker 1 (37:27):
It has been neat to see some of the box
scores come through, and it does feel like there are
different ladies who are really contributing. It's not just kind
of been the same two or three names. They've had
a lot of depth against some of the new kids,
like Calla Cooper, who's had a great start to wear
freshman season. I mean, we've talked about this before, but
some of the girls who have been on the team
for a couple of years who are now stepping into
a bigger role, like Carolyne Delo Santos Lugo, who was

(37:49):
on the team last year but was behind Marissa Stockman
in those middle positions and now she's stepping into that role.
It's great success. And Katie Revere is playing a bigger
role this year. It's going to be fun to see
how they fair. Really when some league play gets going,
which is, by the way, just ten days away. They've
only got one more road weekends coming up in Green Bay.
They'll play Chicago State, They'll play the Gophers of Minnesota

(38:10):
and Green Bay this next weekend, and then it's on
the road for some league play at Omaha and Kansas City,
So two really tough tests coming up. Obviously Omaha and
Casey both teams that were in that big clump of
teams that were tied for the regular season championship, and
then the Mavericks won the postseason tournament. So those games
coming up on the twenty sixth and twenty eighth on
the road. But this is a team who, it feels

(38:32):
like right now are in great position to keep building
and growing and do something special. So it was cool
to see so many people come out and support them
in their time in Grand Forks, and they're gonna be
back here before too long for some home matches in
some league play when October hits.

Speaker 2 (38:44):
Well, Alex, we saw last year, what was it? It
was a four way tie, right, How many times do
you see a four way tie for first? Crazy?

Speaker 4 (38:52):
Never?

Speaker 1 (38:52):
How about never?

Speaker 2 (38:54):
Maybe? Never? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (38:55):
Well maybe once, maybe, maybe once, I suppose, yeah, maybe
maybe on a rare occasion, but not in this this long.
I mean, like when you're playing that amount of games
and you still have that many teams, just a lot
of good teams in this league. There's a lot of show.

Speaker 2 (39:09):
Yeah, yeah, that group I think, yeah, I think our
our team is feeling good, but again it needs to
continue to to uh to continue to get better, and
this will be a great challenge for him and to
be able to play a team like Minnesota would be
will be really good for us, really good for us.

Speaker 1 (39:28):
Yeah, best of elect to volleyball. As you said, they
hit the road to take on three good teams in
Green Bay this coming weekends. Soccer is in the midst
of that non conference to conference transition. They just finished
up their last non conference game last night out in
California against North Through. It's tough defeat, early, early goal
in the first half and they couldn't quite come back
from that. But they'll enter conference play at four four
and two four victories, all coming at home. They will

(39:51):
start on the road to kick off some league play
against Earl Roberts and Denvers. Again that that's the easiest
place is to go to go to to Tulsa and
to go to du which has been kind of the
class of the league the last handful of seasons. But
a lot of positive signs still through the non conference
for Chris Logan and company.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
Yeah, you know, I think that the challenge with that
particular spot is that you only have. It feels like
the conference season just whips by because it's not around robin,
so you're one and done against everybody, and so you're
trying to get a result literally every time out. It'd
be one thing if you're like you know, basketball's and

(40:27):
you're kind of early January and you're still trying to
feel yourself out and you get to play that team
again sometime in late February. Not the case here in soccer. So, like,
the one thing I like about the soccer schedule is
we almost get a little bit of a opportunity to
kind of a seven to nine day window right now

(40:48):
to kind of regroup from the non conference slate to
the conference slate, maybe throw out some of the things
we didn't like we were doing, and maybe trying to
focus in on the things we need to get better at.

Speaker 1 (40:59):
Yeah, there is that Star delineation because they'll have that,
it'll be eleven days between matches. Some of that will
be travel of course, getting back today from California, then
getting down to Tulsa, but great opportunity, Yeah, to revisit
what's been working. Give the ladies a little opportunity to
recover after a busy stretch a lot of road trips
recently and then get ready to go for to really
push through in the summer league. Should be a great

(41:20):
opportunity coming up against two really good teams the next
time they take the field. A next home match for
you and the soccer by the way, not till October.
So October the sixth against North Dakota State just around
the corner, so that'll be on a Sunday, right after
hockey opens up their season on the fifth. So a
lot of good stuff coming when you bu the calendar
for sure.

Speaker 2 (41:37):
And after the football teams in Fargo.

Speaker 1 (41:40):
That is a good point. Yes, yes, absolutely so, Big
Endyasu weekends October the fifth and sixth for football and
for soccer cross country. By the way, we just talked
about the home successes of the three teams. Where you
have a scoreboard and there are points, et cetera. Cross country,
same story, they're still unbeaten and meets in North Dakota.
The men and women both won the Ron Pen Invite

(42:01):
in Grand Forks to kick off the season. They both
won an invitation to at Minnesota Morehead the Dragon Invite
this past weekends. Some really good performances, a lot of prs,
both on the men's and women's side. I saw on
the women's side the top nine were either current fighting
Hawks you and the Runners who are competing unattached because
of their red shirting this year, or former U and
D student athletes that have graduated but still wanted to

(42:24):
throw their name in the good things happening with that
program and now they'll really get tested. We talked about
playing the Gophers, and volleyball North Dakota will go to
the Twin Cities area and take on a lot of
big ten talent at the Vreydriac Invite this weekend. They're
a great chance just to see really where you're at
against some of the best runners in the Upper Midwest.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
Yeah, you know, you know it better than I do, Alex.
But you know, it always is hard to figure out
what cross countries like doing because they always have it
over a course of a schedule, right like as far
as how how hard you're going to press yourself and
then not. So just that's interesting how it goes. But yeah,
I think so far, I think coach Scott's been excited

(43:05):
about what's happening with the team. So we'll see. I
know this is a big weekend, no doubt.

Speaker 1 (43:11):
Great opportunity this Saturday at the Roy Griac. They go
to Brookings by the Way, and then in two weeks
after that, and then it's down to Texas in late October,
and then it's the Summa League Championships in Vermilion at
the started November, So really just three more opportunities before
you vuy for as title coming up just a little
over a month and a half away. So best of
luck to our I always said harriers again that's our

(43:32):
favorite new term to qualify our cross country runners. But
Tom Scott and the crew, best of luck in the
Twin Cities coming up this weekend hockey by the way,
even though the first game is still a couple of
weeks away. NCCHC Media Day was this past Thursday in
the Twin Cities. We saw und picked second in the
preseason poll, Cameron Berg and Jake Levanovich picked to the

(43:52):
preseason All Conference team. You and these personal Media day
will take place in about nine days on the twenty fifth.
Just it's fun that we're starting to build toward opening
puck drop against august stanat the evening of October the fifth, Phil.

Speaker 2 (44:05):
Let me get your impressions on this. This is kind
of a quasi b side topic. So if we're kind
of heading towards the end of a and we're heading,
we can flip to be head. You feel that way.

Speaker 1 (44:16):
I feel that way.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
Okay, I feel that way too, So you know, let's
talk polls for a second. I think they're great because
they stir conversation, they provide content, they do some things
that I think are awesome, you know, and I'm thinking
more of on the national level national polls. I would

(44:38):
here's what I would wish. This is if I was
ruler for the day. Is if I'm voting and I'm
not quite sure what I'm voting on early on in
the year, I'm more than willing to make some drastic
changes in my poll from say week one to week

(44:58):
two or week two to week three. I feel like
there's pollsters that are stubborn and think that you know what,
I had it right at the beginning and come hecker
high water. I am not going to change in that regard.
So that one's you said the word poll in it.

(45:18):
I don't want to say it triggered me, but it
feels like a trigger.

Speaker 1 (45:21):
Well, this is coming on a day when the latest
FCS National Football Poll came out and had Montana one
spot ahead of North Dakota, I'm assuming that maybe some
of the underlying current perhaps.

Speaker 2 (45:34):
You know what, really, because because Montana's at our place
on the road, so I can argue in a best
of seven that they would beat us, or they would
beat us in Missoula. So I'm not even concerned about
that as much as I am. And I've seen it
enough in the FCS world for sure. Let's face it,

(45:54):
no one knows, generally speaking, outside of maybe one, two
or three teams you feel pretty good about on an
annual basis. And I've been in the FCS world a
long long time, So at the end of the day,
I've seen enough where schools come out of nowhere and

(46:15):
all of a sudden they're at the top of the polls.
You know why, because they're really good that year, and
so just what you did the year before, I get
it probably dictates where you are early on in the poll.
But the problem is it can influence thoughts with folks
if you're not willing to be open and say, you

(46:38):
know what, maybe I missed or maybe I didn't know
enough about a certain team. Yeah, there was a lot
of question marks for us coming in. We had a
new quarterback, new offensive line, a lot of changes on defense.
But after the course of time, now you can say, well,
they're playing at home too, got it. That's fair. But
at the end of the day, I just don't know. Pollsters,

(46:58):
and I use that term in air quotes are open
to making some wide ranging decisions.

Speaker 1 (47:04):
It's almost like these people are, as you said, either
kind of stubborn or really have a tough time admitting
when they're wrong. I feel like that's kind of a
common trait amongst the people that are pulled for this,
Like media people don't love admitting that their takes were incorrect.
I feel like this is a thing like you really
cling to those most of your reputation is based on

(47:25):
like knowing everything right, Like that's why you go on
a radio show or you have a column, and how
you generate buzz or interest. Is that Like you need
to listen to what I'm saying because I'm correct, and
to come out and say, well, I had I had
stsu one in the country, but I've not loved what
I've seen. Maybe Idaho, based on what they've done, is
better if you were the person who was like, no,

(47:46):
the Jacks are going to repete. It's really hard to
come off that when there isn't necessarily like enough maybe
quote unquote tangible evidence to prove yourself wrong, like I'm
gonna stick to this until this is the hill I'm
going to die on. In some of these polls or
for some of these people, I wonder how there might
be some apathy of just like I I watched these games,

(48:07):
I care about this league. I don't know what else
is going on around the rest of the country. I
feel like that's almost the problem more often than not.

Speaker 2 (48:13):
Well, I this used to be a bigger deal back
in the day with FBS, where teams had to like
you had to be perfect if you came out from
in the twenties or out of the poll up, but
if you started at the top, you almost had a
mulligain because you'd only go down so much and then

(48:35):
go back up. I just like we're at a point
like we play in a playoff, so at the end
of the day, I'm not so worried about that. I'm
just like, we could be open. I think you could
be open to being have a lot of fluctuations to me,
in the month of September seems like that would be
the month where you would say, oh, got it all right,

(48:56):
you know what, there's a guy in there's a guy
in the program for four years. He can play, you
know what, he's pretty good, and so it just it's
fascinating to me. So the pods just questioning, that's all.

Speaker 1 (49:11):
The days of I just don't get worked up over
those things.

Speaker 2 (49:16):
But let me challenge you there. Hockey has a statistical
formula that provides teams to go in. There is an element,
there's a human element element when you're talking at larges,
and I would say people are human and if they
keep being told this is happening, I'm just saying, and
I'm on the Regional Advisory Committee. I don't worry about

(49:37):
whatever others are saying, pundits or whatever. I'm looking at
it from my viewpoint as to what I think is
occurring at that stage of the game. I know what
I'm doing. I'm not sure what everyone's doing.

Speaker 1 (49:54):
That's interesting because you do get anchored. And that is
one of those things when you see a number next
to the name of a school in a poll and
as you say, yeah, for college football. This is we're
not doing this based on a formula. This is still
people in our room deciding these sorts of things. There's
the potential you can get persuaded, well, this seems been
a top twenty five team all year. Yeah, yes, but

(50:15):
they only have six wins. Well, yes, but people clearly
think they're good. Like you can have that conversation.

Speaker 2 (50:19):
Well, and the other thing is all right, last thing,
but this is a good This is to me, it's
a good conversation. I look at it this way too,
Like just because someone's ahead of somebody, like even in
mid October, doesn't mean though another school's tough. Part of
their schedules coming up, and they could actually they could

(50:40):
both be winning. But the more impressive wins for one
team is later on versus earlier on. Yet I can
never jump that team because that team had their most
impressive wins earlier on. I'm saying, like, those things make
a difference on the at large side. So an I

(51:00):
throw that out there, and I don't know how necessarily
to fix it. It's human nature, right, It's it's however
it goes. But you know, maybe people will think about
it at some point, or maybe they'll just completely dismiss it.

Speaker 1 (51:14):
It's interesting, polls, opinions. People make mistakes. No one's perfect,
that's right. I would love I would love to transition
from that to like an instant replay conversation, but we're
not going to go there today because we don't have time.
We have to talk about your Pittsburgh Steelers. I wanted
to make sure we get this in the two and
L Pittsburgh Steelers. What are your thoughts on the start
to this season for the team from Pittsburgh bell.

Speaker 2 (51:35):
So and again, I know this will be a quick
B side, but I would say this really impressive to
win back to back road games, and I would stay
right there because you know, it's it's really hard to
win in the NFL period, and to open up in Atlanta,

(51:57):
which supposedly was going to be kind of a darling
to some degree, that was, you know, and they kind
of play ugly ball, the Steelers, like they're gonna put
you in the mud and they're gonna make it really hard.
Now they you know, kind of played a rookie quarterback
who has a lot of starts, by the way, under
his belt. It's not like he had one or two
years in college. I mean it has had a lot
of starts and went to Denver where they never played

(52:19):
well in Denver, but probably caught him at the right time.
And and so, hey, you can only ask to win games,
that's it. And so you know, and then they're lucky.
They're just lucky that somehow the Ravens lost that game
against the Raiders. I don't know how, but they did.
And then the Bengals lost to the Chiefs, and so
you're two games in and you're up two games kind

(52:40):
of gives you a shot. I mean, statistically, I think
if you go back in time, two and oh teams
give yourself a chance. Oh and two teams make it
really hard. So I think I heard three of twenty
one teams since the seventeen game schedule occurred made the
playoffs at oh and two.

Speaker 1 (53:00):
And then the Bengals are one of those.

Speaker 2 (53:01):
Last year Bengals one of them.

Speaker 1 (53:03):
But you would much rather be in this situation than
in the opposite.

Speaker 2 (53:08):
I think the Steelers defense is really pretty good.

Speaker 1 (53:11):
I think it's loud bill through two games now, second
fewist in the league.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
In on the road. So at the end of the day,
like it's not like they went two in a row
in Pittsburgh. I mean that's on the road, so I
don't know their offense. Gotta get better, I mean to
really have a shot. But never know, never know.

Speaker 1 (53:27):
Yeah, just thirty one points scored this season. It's only Carolina,
Denver and Atlanta. So ironically, two of the teams you played,
and the Panthers, who might not win a game this year,
those are the only other three who have scored less
than thirty Your thoughts on the Justin Fields experience so far.

Speaker 2 (53:42):
So from what I can gather, moving the balls between
the thirties pretty good. Behind the sticks a lot. I
mean they're they're offensive tackle from Georgia. He had three
fall starts yesterday. Not awesome, not awesome, So talking get
behind the sticks right So at the end of the day,

(54:02):
probably hasn't been put in the best case scenario, but
even in the red zone, not getting sevens, getting threes,
and that's got to change. I mean, that's it in
a nutshell.

Speaker 1 (54:11):
You get the Chargers now this week, the other team
who's kind of the bizarro Steelers a little bit like
they have the exact same formula. Play good defense, run
the football, harbor ball to a to an extent, it'll
be an interesting maybe not a pretty game, but it
will be an interesting game to see who can win
nine to six. That's whatever they're calling Heinz Field these days.

(54:33):
Whatever they're calling three of Her stadium these days.

Speaker 2 (54:35):
It feels like Heines Field to me what it feels.
What is the name of the stadium by the way, accuser, accuser,
I think it's a I think it's an investment company.

Speaker 1 (54:45):
Very good, very very Yeah.

Speaker 2 (54:46):
I believe, I mean, I believe that's accurate. Again, I
was over one today, so I think I've won for two.

Speaker 1 (54:54):
Uh Terrero Fields this weekend. That that, but I didn't
plan on talking about this, but that there was a
great article in The Guardian this past week about just
that the evolution of sports stadium naming rights. Because this
hasn't really affected soccer to a widespread extent, but it's
starting to creep in and the concern. I think the

(55:16):
headline which got me was like welcome to the Amazon Dome,
presented by Anfield or something like that, as if to
say this might not be that far away. I think
the reason why because Manchester United we're floating out the
idea of selling the naming rights to Old Trafford this
last week, and so, I mean it's happened at some
big clubs, obviously Arsenal and Man City, Barcelona. Now it's

(55:39):
the Camp New Spotify Field or whatever, Spotify Camp New,
whatever it is now, whatever stupid thing they're calling it.
But it does sort of bring up the fact that, yes,
in America, we've kind of sold out big time when
it comes to that, and you don't even know what
your home stadium's called anymore, outside of the exception of
Fenway and Wrigley, and there are very few of those
left unfortunately.

Speaker 2 (55:59):
Well, I think a couple things, and then this is
my last thought of the day. I think, if you're
the first one to the salad bar for naming rights,
it'll always somewhat be that name. I mean, back to Heinzfield,
sure kind of feels that way. But Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
because the NFL's there and it's a you know, kind

(56:22):
of the nicest, I guess, most modern stadium in all
of England, so they get a lot of they get
Beyonce concerts, they get a lot of things going on there.
They've also surmised though, the value of the name Tottenham
Hotspur has been increased because of the fact that's the
name of the stadium, because they've been out there trying

(56:45):
to potentially sell it, quote unquote. But I think their
bars really high as far as what they want to do.

Speaker 1 (56:53):
For them when you're marketing to an American audience on
Sundays or these NFL games they're hosting, for them to
hear Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over and over and over again
and it's on the graphic and it's whatever that Yeah, yeah,
that's worth way more than having it be at and
T Field or whatever. Like I think for them where

(57:13):
they're trying to grow their brand, like that's a great example,
and beyond just the nostalgia factor because obviously it's a
new facility. It's not Whiteheart Lane anymore. It's this is
the new, the new thing. But it's it's these clubs
I think have to make that calculus like what is
it worth to sort of take away our brand or
our name or the name of this person that was

(57:34):
so important to the club or the name of the field,
and it's been this way for one hundred and fifty years,
et cetera. Is it worth it to put a few
extra dollars and maybe sign another midfield player or you know,
I mean like that, or help help avoid PSR points
deduction like all that stuff. It's just it was interesting
though to see from from the English perspective. This writer
obviously was British talking about how like it feels icky

(57:57):
to say, hey, I'm going to the Smoothie King tonight
to go watch the Pelicans play, versus I'm going to
the Superdome or I'm going to what else, whatever, those
sorts of things that you used to say.

Speaker 2 (58:10):
But I think, and we could spend all day talking
about this. If you're going to take money from hedge
funds and do some other things, you've already made some
decisions on what you're planning on doing. And so I
don't know. I know this as far as Tottenham's concerned,
And like I said, I because of the stadium they have,

(58:31):
which is just amazing. Actually, the person that leads Tottenham,
he is a business person at heart. If there was
a calculus or an algorithm to be had, he's got it,
and he's at this point he's made a decision right now,
you know what not worth it?

Speaker 1 (58:48):
Yeah, Daniel Levy never never wants to make wild aggressive
forays when it comes to money. So he will have
done the mouth less.

Speaker 2 (58:57):
He will have done the homework, that's for sure. Well,
it's good we didn't talk about the North London darts.

Speaker 1 (59:03):
We just have time today. That's why Bill started with
to talk about the polls. No desire to bring up
a Spurs nil Arsenal one or time to bring up
Liverpool nil Forest one. We didn't have time for it,
so I'm bumped. We'll talk more about Champions League and
Swiss model and Pachettino and things like that in a
future pod. For now we probably need to hit the road.

(59:23):
But a fun Monday pod with you Bill and with
Jordan Stevens. Good times chatting.

Speaker 2 (59:27):
Yeah, I really do appreciate it, Alex, and not like
I said, if you can make it out on Saturday,
it'll be awesome. I'm come out to the football game
and then and then follow it up and come on out.
It'll be great.

Speaker 4 (59:37):
I love it.

Speaker 1 (59:37):
One o'clock kick for football at the Elyrius against San Diego.
Seven o'clock first pitch, North Dakota against Northwest Missouri State
in the opener of all recked Field. They're going to
be fantastic, so enjoy the great week ahead. Fall on
the way officially, it's gonna feel like it pretty soon,
so take advantage of some of these last nice days
before things really start to turn. Thanks again to Jordan Stevens.
As always, thanks to Bill Shaves, Alex Locker Johnson and

(01:00:00):
Paul Rosson are behind the scenes crew. I'm Alex Hyder.
Thank you for listening. We'll talk to you soon.