September 3, 2025 • 43 mins
This week, Bill and Alex welcome the Alerus Center’s Anna Rosburg to discuss what fans need to know before attending UND Football’s 2025 home opener this Saturday night (1:01). Then, the conversation shifts to the week that was for UND Fall sports, highlighted by NoDak’s near upset against #17 Kansas State in Eric Schmidt’s head coaching debut (10:54). On the B-side (28:15), there’s more sadness regarding instant replay and optimism in Red Sox Nation.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the Bill Shafes Podcast, presented by Mid
Coast Sports. Another fall sports season is finally here, and
Mid Coast Sports has it covered like no one else.
This fall. Tune in for live coverage of college football
in the Dakota's including Fighting Hawks football broadcasts both home
and away, as well as un d volleyball and soccer,
and so much more. Watch on Mid Coast Sports and
(00:20):
streaming on Mid Coast Sports. Plus. This is how we
do sports, and this is the Bill Shapes Podcast. Welcome
to another edition of the Bill Shafes Podcast. We are
taping this on a Tuesday morning, the second of September.
Alex Seiner, Phil Shaves a special guest that we're going
to introduce in a moment. Bill Happy posts Labor Day,
(00:40):
Happy September to you.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yes, it feels like fall, Alex, it feels like fall.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
The weather's feeling that way. Football is back. We get
our first taste of college football this weekend. A lot
of exciting stuff to discuss from North Dakota's trip to Manhattan, soccer, volleyball,
cross country all under way. We'll all get to those
things in just a little bit. But first, as you mentioned,
we do have a special guest on the program today.
We're excited to bring on board. She has been the
general manager of the Aleis Center and a part of
(01:08):
that group since twenty seventeen. She and her team have
a big week with the home opener for you Indi
football coming up on Saturday, September the sixth. She is
Anna Rosberg and she joins us this morning, and how
are you Hey, I'm great, How are you good? Doing great?
Thanks so much for taking since imon being with us today.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
It is an exciting week here with football and we're
looking forward to the Potato Bowl.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
It's gonna be a busy week.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Anna, Well, welcome. Your team does such a good job
with the Aleayras Center in all the facets to it,
so we'll get right into it. Just a layup question
for you. Give me some of the stuff that's going
on there, because there's a lot of great stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Sure, yeah, thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
We've got you know, football this week, of course, so
we'll be seeing lots of you this week, Bill and
your team, and we're looking forward to that. But we've
also got our conference center run of grand opening too,
so all summer after you and D commencement, we've been
working on a twelve week renovation project where we gutted
all twelve meeting rooms at all five ballrooms.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So we're cutting the ribbon on that space and opening
that this week as well.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
So nothing like a Potato Bowl week to do all
of it at once, So we're looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
That's exciting. A lot of new in the building coming through.
There are some new things that fans will experience when
they entered the building on Saturday again a six o'clock
kick against Portland State the Potato Bowl this year here
at theolaris what should fans expect? They might be a
little bit different for the twenty twenty five season than
what we've seen in the past.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Sure, yeah, I mean I think obviously we all know
that there's such good momentum going into the season with
our new head coach, so we're really looking forward to
that as well. But from a fan standpoint, besides you
know the electricity I think we always get at the
first home game, fans will be experiencing a cash list venue.
And we use quotation marks when we say cash lists
because we will always have some sort of way to
(02:57):
accommodate our guests, but in general, we're seeing most of
our fans use credit cards anyway, so we would encourage
everybody to read the.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Note before you go.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
We work on that with Bill's team to make sure
that all the details you know, for a seamless experience
from the alare center side of things, as well as
you and the athletics side, just so that fans can
be prepared for what time doors open, making sure that
they have a debit or credit card or Apple Pay
that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yeah, so Anna, that's a good one. I mean I
would assume, yeah, you probably have the statistics as far
as cash versus credit, and if you go to a
number of venues throughout the country, you've seen this, so
to introduce this it must help. I would assume processing,
customer service, those types of things.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Yeah, you're exactly right.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I think we've talked about this and you have a
unique position that you said on our Event Center commission
as well, So you've.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Heard about this for several years.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
We've talked about it internally that the industry trend is
for venues and stadiums is to go cash lists. It
really increases your speed of service to get our guests
through those lines. We want to get them back into
their seats so they can watch all of the action
for the fighting Hawks. And so if we can move
those lines quicker, get people through more efficiently. There's also
a lot of data out there in the industry that
(04:14):
supports that people are spending more money, which is important.
We have obviously a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers and
grand forks, and trying to drive that bottom line is
important as well. And so yeah, that's kind of the
reasons why we're doing it. We took a few years
to really evaluate the percentage of who was using cash
and who was using cards and then make sure that
(04:34):
our network could support it. That was a big project
for us here as well. We networked in the entire
building a couple of years ago. Two million dollar project
for us, just to make sure.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
That we were ready.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
And I think now from this standpoint, from a technology standpoint,
so that guest has a smooth experience, we're ready to
do that this year. And I keep saying cashless with
the quotation, of course, because if somebody gets in line
and they don't know, they haven't heard, we will have
a place to accommodate them first season.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
You know, and I kind of liken it to digital
ticketing to some degree. You know it's going to take
a little bit, but once you do it, the advantages
are tremendous, I know, just being able to push tickets
to somebody in a quick, quick way. So I know
our fan base has been accustomed to that over the
last few years. So I would assume that they've been
(05:23):
at other venues too that have had this situation occur.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Absolutely, And I think about like the twenty seventeen season bill,
when we came in and we were rolling out security protocols,
so everybody walked through a metal detector, you know, that pinotometer.
That first game of how are we going to get
twelve thousand fans into the building and they're divesting their
cell phones into a basket and walking through and you know,
we had a bag policy. We were really loose about
(05:48):
that too. Just let's make sure we're educating, let's be
fan friendly, Let's do things in a soft rollout so
that you know, we don't totally upset the Apple car.
We want people to come and enjoy their time here.
From tailgating and tilgate, you know, all the way through
the game. And obviously this this first home openers will
be really exciting with everything your team has planned out
in the parking lots before and after, So you know,
(06:10):
I think we'll accommodate guests and we'll always have somewhere
to accept cash at all of our permanent locations and
also to exchange gash for a pre loaded card with
whatever denomination you know they want to put on there.
So we're not going to not sell a hot dog,
We're not going to not sell a beer. We're certainly
going to be customer focused, but we do think in
the long run it'll be a good thing for all
of us.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Obviously with your close relationship with und you know, there
are a number of big football games coming up. What
else should fans be looking forward to that's coming to
the Alaris Center, And let's zoom out a little bit
beyond fighting Hawks. What are you pumped about for this
coming year for the Alaris?
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Yeah, I mean, we've got lots of concerts coming up
this fall, so we're really excited for that.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
We've got Cole Swindel with Priscilla Block that will.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Be on September twenty seventh, so nice little country tour
coming through the market for us. We've got Hailstorm and
Lindsay Sterling so rock show and like this really amazing
violent and that will be you know, kind of filling
checking the box on something a little bit more alternative
and active rock.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
And then of course, you know.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
We've got GABRIELI Glacias Fluffy as he's known as, coming
through for a comedy tour at the end of October,
and then we even have a Mercy Meet Christian show
on October thirtieth, So really just trying to have some diversity,
and then we're gonna throw it back to Styx and
lover Boy in November, so you know, trying to have
something for everybody here at the Alaias Center. If they're
(07:29):
not into Fighting Hawks football, which they should be, we
have else for them as well. So hopefully people spend
a lot of time here with us this quarter.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Hey, and a last one from me, and we really
do appreciate you joining us today. Is anything different when
we do this like a six o'clock game to some degree,
does it present any challenges or anything that anyone should
be aware of, because I think I do think us
doing it one time a year makes some sense, but
from your standpoint, anything challenging.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Uh, you know, I actually I love it. I think
our team loves it. The energy is so.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Unique fall in the evening and that first game. I
think that's so fun to do the six o'clock I
always tell fans, let's mix in a water. It's a
long day out there and tailgate village, so you know,
that's maybe a challenge that we see. We try to
put some free water stations out in the student tailgates.
Obviously record at ten days this year, so hopefully really
(08:22):
big student section.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Really big numbers.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So just making sure that people are enjoying responsibly since
lots open at eleven am and it's a long day.
But I just think the energy out there and the
lots is amazing when it's at six o'clock game and
you're getting that full tailgating experience. And then obviously with
Slam Obama be going to be there in the parking
lots and the fireworks after the show. You know, we
just we love the six o'clock Obviously, we all your
(08:46):
team and my team, we all work longer hours those days.
But I think it's fun, right Like it's I think
it brings a new energy and really looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
We appreciate everything your team does, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yeah, and you guys too.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
I mean, it's a great partnership and we're really thinking
we're looking for that w They're always great at home
and our new coaches is gonna rocke it, so we're excited.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Yeah, fantastic, love that optimism. I think that that's shared
on this podcast and certainly from our listeners as well.
And we really appreciate you taking since time. Best of
luck to you and the Alera Center team as you
kick off the football season this weekend and then for
another great year ahead at the Hilaris.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Thank you guys so much for having me. I have
a good day.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Thanks against Anna Rosberg for taking time this morning at
the start of a very busy week for her crew
at the Alera Center. I think you, un d is
very lucky to have people like Anna, like Jody Hodgson
at the RIA, to work with people who just have
so much experience in that world of facilities, to get
the partner along with and make the game the experience
so special for our fans and for the teams as well.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Though.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, the city of Grand Forks and specifically you know,
the city council who oversees the Aleris Center. They've done
a great job bringing in the oak Field group and
Anna is a part of that team. And the thing
that we get with that Alex is the fact that
they have so many venues across the country that we're
(10:06):
able to get i'll call it industry standard type stuff
that's going on, always on the cutting edge of what
is happening. And you know, obviously she and her team,
you know, is she's her job is to get folks,
you know, utilizing that facility, and with us being a
primary tenant and there in the fall, you know, she
(10:29):
does an amazing job trying to work around our schedule
for sure, and so you know we need to be
of course incredibly flexible, be great teammates for the City
of Grand Works because you want, you want that facility
utilized as much as you can.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Well, it will be utilized this weekends in a great
way full of Kelly Green again a big oh as
you mentioned Potato Bowl of course, a former Big Sky
rival Portland State come into town. We should probably just
start there with football because it was a massive weekend
football kicking thing off against number sevent seen FBS Kansas
State in Manhattan. Obviously a bill you were there. What
(11:05):
a tremendous night. The only thing missing, of course, was
was just the victory at the ends. But you couldn't
ask really outside of the win, for a better start
or a better performance against a top quality power forward
team on the road. Eric Smith and his squad should
be incredibly proud of their effort on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, I think they were, Alex, There's no doubt about it.
I guess I've been lucky enough to be in many
of these types of games. I've just you know, been
around FCS football for a long period of time. I
was around it when it was still one double A,
and so you know, you go into those games and
you know you're going to be challenged. Obviously you're on
the road many many times. It might be their first
(11:48):
home game of the year, like it was in Manhattan,
and obviously them coming off a loss the week before,
they were you know, we had their full attention, and
so you know, you say all that, you just got to,
you know, stay in the game. You just got to
give yourself a chance in the second half. And obviously
that's what we did. You know, leading at halftime gives
(12:09):
you a chance to give you a shot in the
second half. Now you get to that point and and
truly it's just like every other game. You know, you're
going to be really disappointed if you don't find a
way to win the game. And you know, obviously, as
as coach Smith so eloquently put, you know, we went
down there to win the game. I mean, we didn't
(12:30):
go down there just to have folks say, you know,
great job, you know you played well. I you know,
we're kind of in a binary way, right It's it's
it's zero or one, and unfortunately it's still with zero.
But I think a lot to like about what is
maybe ahead of us. But you know, we're gonna get
a Portland State team, Alex that comes in and it's
(12:52):
it's easy to look at what's happened the first two
weeks and start thinking, well, this one will be a
cruise control match. I've had too much experience with Portland State.
I know what's coming into the Aleri Center at six
o'clock at night, and we're gonna need that place rocking
to give us a chance because I think Portland State's
(13:12):
gonna look at this game is like, we're gonna get
our season on a track, and that's that's a dangerous
team that's coming into Grand Forks.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Yeah, we'll talk a bit about what the Vikes will
bring again. They're coming off a couple of tough defeats,
including a sixty nine nothing loss to BYU. I believe
Bruce Barnham called the BYU quarterback a centaur after that game.
I'm not sure what that means in football parlance, but they, yes,
will be very motivated to restart their season and try
and get things going. But yes, for North Dakota, like
(13:43):
you said, I believe it was a Bubbashwaggard quote that
the scoreboard tells you how you feel. And the end
the final scoreboard read thirty eight thirty five instead of
thirty five to thirty one, which it was until the
last minute of the game. But there were so many
positive things and I thought, maybe the most impressive thing
of the night, and you referenced it, Bill, North Dakota
was leading at the half. It had been a really
(14:03):
strong first half. There were even some things that could
have gone even better. A couple of interceptions that bounced
off hands and went the wrong way you and the
warsn't even getting the benefit of the bounces, and they
were still leading the contest. And then Kansas State sort
of took control in that third quarter and they score
a couple of touchdowns, forced a couple three and outs,
and it felt like things had shifted a little bit,
(14:24):
and like, Okay, the ranked team from the FBS is
probably gonna be able to see this thing out. But
the fact that you and d fought their way back
and retook the lead, that was really impressive. Like that
showed that mental fortitude, that fight to say, yeah, we're
not done just yet. We do have more to play for,
we have more to give, and give again, give up
everybody on both sides of the football. A ton of
(14:46):
credit for the defense stepping up when it looked like
maybe they'd run out of gas, for the offense to
keep moving the football. Jer Kaminski played great in his
first collegiate start, So you're sidled with a couple of
rushing touchdowns, just a lot of really good contributions across
the way. But I think it's that fight that I
think people will really respect and look back on that
game and remember, like, hey, this this team could have
just packed it in and say, hey, it's not our night.
(15:07):
We gave it a good half. This is just a
better team, but they didn't. That's going to bode well
for this year.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah, I think so. I mean, I I can tell
you that it was, you know, incredibly quiet as you
might imagine post game. And that's right, I mean, because
you know, once you get into it, once you get
into it, you want to get it done and and unfortunately,
you know, they made one more play than us, and
so you kind of tip the cap and you know,
(15:34):
the way life goes now. You know, interestingly, we're big
Wildcats fans. We want them to win as many games
as they can, you know, moving forward. So so yeah,
so that leaves you know, everything there, you know, in
the little apple, and now you move forward and really
you start picking up your FCS play and you know,
every every week's its own. We're going to have to
(15:56):
you know, you know, take care of business and you know,
kind of a work on some of the things that
maybe didn't work out for us. You know, on Saturday
night when we play, you know, it's going to be
an interesting Portland State team. I think they're going to
come in here with an edge.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
I would think so too. Yeah, it does sit up
for a great environment in the Elyrius. We talked about
it with Anna. A night game is a little bit
different six o'clock. Even though it looks the same indoors,
because it's in a dome, it feels different. And we've
seen that over the years since you've gone to this
model of trying to have one night game. There's just
a little extra juice for whatever reason. I think it
obviously helps that it is the first game of the season.
(16:32):
I think it's going to be an electric night against
Portland State, and like you said, you got to come
to play. It's not just showing up and winning the
football game, but it could really set the stage for
a really strong first month, a really strong non conference
with the likes of a road game against Montana, homecoming
against Valparaso, and then Valley play to start right after.
It's a big game on Saturday because it's the next
game and it's the first one at home this.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Year, that's right. And of course you know you've got
all the festivities around Potato Bowl, and you know that's
something that was born and back in nineteen sixty six,
when you know it's kind of a cool, cool deal
with Idaho State and back then Len Marty was the
athletic director and Marv Helling was the assistant football coach.
Jerry Olsen Lee Bonet all had a hand in making
(17:16):
this happen. And you know, anything that lasts that long, Alex,
you know it's going to be fifty nine years old
this year is kind of a cool deal. So we
look forward to all those festivities that occur. But you know,
the main I guess entree so to speak, kicks off
at six o'clock on Saturday night.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
On a week that will feature a French fry feed. Yes,
that is good to say that the main on tree
will be Saturday night. So looking forward to the football
game and getting things kicked off for the home portion
of the season again, get out and support that team
in person and experience everything that comes with a big
night college football game, A great atmosphere coming your way
at the elis this weekend. Football not the only team,
of course, that was off and running. We saw volleyball
(17:59):
kick off their season country as well. Some exciting stuff
happening around the rest of the fall. Sports Bill Volleyball
of course, was home. You were busy this weekend, I'm
hosting an invitational, a lot of action going on. A
tough five set defeat to Saint Mary's and then a
three to zero loss at Temple. Is what is what
was presented on the first weekend of the year. What
did you see from a volleyball team on the opening weekends.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah, so watched a good portion of the Friday night
game when we landed in Manhattan. So yeah, just one
of those you know, we fought back to get it
to five, and unfortunately they just had more juice than
us in that fifth set. You got to get off
to a quick start. In that fifth set, obviously it
goes to fifteen, so it's always important to get off
(18:43):
to a really quick start. And then Sunday and this
was something that and I give both coaches from NDSU
and und a lot of credit bringing some teams in
and so some of these teams had matches down in Fargo,
somewhere in Grand Forks, and you know, that's a great
collaboration between those two programs to be able to do
that to get some home games. But Temple was all
(19:05):
over us. I'll tell you what. It felt like, they
were just one pass ahead. Of us that match. So
I haven't been able to debrief with coach Tupac at
this point in time, but you know, I'm sure, like
anything else, like Coach Schmidt, there's probably you know, a
corrections meeting that's occurring, and get ready. And they were
on the road and last year returning West Virginia came
(19:28):
here last year and returning matches in Big twelve territory.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Yeah, out in Morgantown coming up this week as the
VII ball squabble head out to the mountains. Yet West
Virginia coming up on the fourth and minutes cop and
State Liberty and then more home matches as well the
following weekend. And you mentioned that opportunity to get a
few more. Usually it was in the old days, a
couple of years ago, it would just be the und Classic.
You'd just get two home matches really for your entire
(19:55):
non conference almost and everything else was on the road.
Awesome to see them getting a few more opportunities to
play at home now thanks to that partnership with NDSU
and some really clever scheduling on you and Jesse's part.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Yeah, I think so, And I'm gonna I'll give that
to Chad Karthauser and Jesse and Chad. Chad's kind of
you know, the secret saucepee behind our scheduling to some degree,
and he does a great job. And every every year
is its own on the scheduling side. But if you
get can get it, kind of get ahead of it,
and if we can offer the opportunity to come and
(20:27):
get some matches and it's just an hour away, I mean,
so you can get far worse situations around the country
so to speak. So so this one is actually very enticing.
So I do appreciate that both coaches in programs work together.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Cross country also got underway this past weekend. Didn't have
to travel far to see at Ray Richards.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
No could could have run to it.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Yeah, some of those kids maybe did. The men's and
women's team both swept their titles at Ray Richards. It
was Jaden Keeler and Alexia Milanovitch winning the women's and
men's respectively. The men. To me, this is crazy. It's
a six k and the top five finishers on the
men's side all finished within six tenths of a second
of each other. You talk about a tight pack and
(21:12):
sticking together and staying on pace. It's pretty good for
Tom Scott's group. I think there's some really obviously hard
to tell of course when you're really running on your
home course against your teammates, but good times, good start.
Feels like that bodes well for two programs that I
think people have I expectations for this year.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
I did, I absolutely, Alex. I was able to catch
up with both coach Scott and coach veron camp. Coach
Scott was doing the press conference last week and ahead
of the Ron Pinn Classic, and you know, he said, hey,
this gets us going for the year. It puts the
uniform on, keeps us here in Grand four, sleeping your
(21:50):
own bed and in as much as anything, it just
it's a really good kickoff for us to kind of
get going. And yeah, so it's worked out very very well.
So that was and now now it all really begins,
right and as you being the trackster, you know, you're
just always kind of looking ahead to that Summit League
meet and so you're making sure that you've got yourself
(22:12):
I guess tapered correctly to make sure that you feel
as good as you can when those championships occur.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
And those will take place two months from yesterday November.
The first in Omaha is the semi the cross Country
Championships this year, not a ton of competition between now
and then, but there is one this coming weekends at
Morehead The Dragon Twilight will take place just down the road,
and then it's the roy Greach and Minneapolis in a
couple of weeks as things continue to ramp up. But
good opportunity this weekend, like you said, for that group,
(22:39):
just to continue building with an eye towards the big
meats that are lying ahead later in the fall. Women
soccer got underway a couple of weeks ago. Henrik Sone's
team now five and one a strong non conference season.
Continuing down South, they picked up a five nothing win
against Jackson State before falling to Nichols two to one.
(23:00):
I felt like that Nickels game. I mean, shots were
eleven to two on target, twenty eight to five in total,
but a penalty kick in the first half seemed to
change things a little bit in that contest, and you
and you just couldn't get the goal in so late
as they fall in their first one of the season.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yeah. I texted back and forth with Henrik and I
said this to him the only thing I could think of.
I just don't want to see expected goal stata because
my guess is we're probably not going to be It's
not going to be awesome for us when we look
at that to some degree. In some ways it is.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
In some ways it is. It probably like four to
like point two or something like that.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
But here we are and so but yeah, I mean
in that game, we've seen that, and obviously there's so
many people, there's so many similarities and so many folks
that can connect the dots with the sport of hockey
as well. Sometimes the puck just doesn't go in the net.
It doesn't mean that you're not getting chances, and we
(24:00):
got our chances. It's just that we couldn't put it away.
So yeah, So we come back this week and we've
got one at home and one on the road.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Yes, a big opportunity against U see Santa Barbara. That's
Thursday at three o'clock at Bronson Field, and then it's
a big road swing. The next two weeks before conference
play kickoff include a trip to Iowa State on the seventh,
a trip to Boise State on the eleventh, a trip
to Idaho State on the fourteenth, So three big matches
against pretty good opposition on the road following that, U
see Santa Barbara match, So big opportunity this weekend, try
(24:31):
and get one and then hit the road and see
what you can do before some league play begins at
home on the twenty fifth against the very good Denver team.
Positive signs though again this is one of the best
starts in Division one program history for North Dakota. On
the women's soccer side, they were five and zero before
that lost to Nicols. Clean sheets and goals at the
other end, it's a good combination. I got to think
(24:52):
that that group of young women, the coaching staff feel
really good about the work they've done so far.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah, I think so, But I think in talking with Henrik,
I think he's he just knows there's so much more
that has to be done. And yeah, I mean the
results are are great for sure, but you're right kind
of going into the teeth of the schedule now as.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Well, they'll learn a lot about themselves over the next
couple of weeks as they'll really prepare themselves. So what
should be a difficult summer league this year. A lot
of really good teams with a lot of talent in
that conference, a great chance to continue building towards that
coming up at the end of the month.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
No doubt.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
In terms of UND on field activity, I believe that's
about it.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I think.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I know softball has got some fall stuff going on.
There a few other things happening. Anything else will you
want to chat about from a North Dakota or an
NCAA perspective.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yeah, nothing from the NCAA side, But I will say
school started last week, and congratulations to everybody on campus,
and you know, major shout out to you know, doctor
Armacust and everyone on Eric Link, Provost Link who was
a guest on Bill James podcast at one point in
(26:02):
Janelle Kilgore, who handles all of the connectivity with student
enrollment and those types of things. But to have the
highest enrollment ever at UND and the highest amount of
freshmen here on campus. Ever, those are some heady numbers.
So good things happening on campus. Can't can't rest on
(26:23):
your laurels, though, you got to kind of figure out
what's next. So we represent the institution as best as
we can.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
From my perspective, when you hear prospective student athletes talk
about the U and D experience. I mean, we've seen
this a lot. When you know, either guys for the
hockey team commit or women's basketball players commit or whatever.
We've had a lot of that recently, and some of
the quotes all come back to like, this is a
special place, Like once I stepped on campus, I knew
this was home. Obviously, this is a place that attracts people,
(26:51):
and you can see that, and obviously with the numbers
speak for themselves, but hearing some of those individual stories
of kids who just felt like, Yeah, this is I
don't even want to look at another school once I
come to Grant Forks, this is where I want to be.
That just speaks again to the type of people who
are helping lead the way and making those experiences positive.
And then just the young men and women that are
(27:12):
coming and the caliber of people who are coming and
the way that they've added to that community aspect and
that family feel around campus and how the community has
embraced that. It does just feel like, I don't know,
it's a really it's a perfect storm right now on campus.
That doesn't happen everywhere, you don't We do not have
record enrollments at other places across the country. This is
it not like there are I think our education is
(27:36):
doing okay, but also I don't want people to sort
of think like, oh, well, yeah, of course, it's what's
the big deal? This is really special and really unique
that this campus is thriving the way it is, and
there are a lot of different reasons for that, but
it's awesome to see. And we just wish again everyone
to have a fantastic semester and just to keep that
momentum building.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
As you say, Bill, well, we'll said Alex, and you know,
we'll we'll wrap the we'll wrap the A side up
with it's it's teammates like Anna Rosberg in her team,
and it's the city council, and it's everybody pulling in
the same direction, right, You got to pull the rope
in the same direction, and you can feel that. And
it's not just on campus, it's in the community as well.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah, excellent, well said well we well, as we do
on this podcast. Now close the book on the A side,
the important side, and flip over to the lighter side,
the B side of the record, to discuss a couple
of things. You've got a few things on your minds today, Bill,
As we transition to the world of video assistant referee
and instant replay one of one of your favorite topics.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
So I could, I could regurgitate a number of things
that I heard over the weekend, and they're all just
different ways of saying the same thing that you know,
when you talk about technology, it still takes a human
to run the technology. And I think that's the problem
that we're in. And you know, every weekend and you
(28:58):
and I are pretty heavy into European soccer and certainly
English Premier League, and if the English Premier League on
and when I say this a weekly basis, has issues,
it really doesn't bode well for guys like me in
seats like me trying to do the same thing when
(29:18):
that's what are they just spent alex and just in
the transfer market alone, you know, I.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Mean billions, literally billions.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Billions, And so we're talking it's it's if they if
they're struggling to get it right, then I don't know
what chance we have in this regard. And so I
don't want to sound any alarm bells off, but it's
just really challenging right now. And I thought, so there's
(29:48):
a manager of Fulham playing a rival Chelsea. They were
an underdog. They ended up scoring first. Went to check
it out and they kind of kept going all the
way back, kind of like an off side in hockey,
like a blue line off side. You keep going back
(30:09):
back back, back, back back back, And there was kind
of a play at midfield that hmm, seemed like a
good play to me. I mean, if that's a foul,
that seems crazy. It seems in the call on the
field was goal. And so what we've done is re
referee it. And it's not a zero or one or
(30:30):
one hundred to zero. It's re refereeing. And that's I
think the issue, Like what who is the actual official?
It's probably the person looking at var So, the manager,
Marco Silva, he just said, good on him. I believe
he said this. I'm trusting. Someone's point is doesn't really
(30:55):
want I'm sorry anymore. He just wants, you know, var
that whole group to just send them a box of macaroons.
Just just give me a box of macaroons. Then I
know they're sorry. It didn't work out in our favor,
but it is crazy, Alex, really where we.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Are, Yeah, I would agree with you, And this was
a situation where like you said, the context of it,
Fulham and Chelsea are both from London, but they really
are operating under different auspices. I mean, Chelsea is a
multi time Premier League, European champion, all the money in
the world, Todd Bowley, ClearLight capital. They they are in
(31:34):
a different stratosphere on the playing field financially than Fulham.
Is Fulham get the goal, they get the early goal
to go up and for them to have that stripped
away because yes, I mean a very questionable decision from
well earlier in the play. It really I heard it
referenced as a skill move. I think the two Robbies
were talking about this, Robbie Mustow and Robbie Earl. The
(31:59):
Fulham feel that really just catch takes the ball on
and turns and sort of there's a Chelsea defender alongside
him and he just kind of spins around him and
sort of bumps into him in the process. But the
Fulham player has the ball. Like realistically, most people would
look at that and say that is absolutely not a foul.
So for someone to go back and take a goal
off the board because of not even a fifty to
(32:21):
fifty call is so harsh and then Chelsea would go
on to win the match to nil, of course, and
just to add insult to injury, and we were just
discussing if that call is not made, if the goal
is allowed to stand as it was called on the field,
who knows what happens in that match. It's just too
bad that this is the same this is the same
drum beat over and over again, that we just continue
(32:43):
to reofficiate and you're taking the whistle out of the
person on the field, basically out there out of their mouth.
The control is is now back at Stockley Park of
someone who's just watching this on a replay. It's tough.
It's a tough one.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
It is a tough one. And you know, you could
just see the air go out of Fulham and it
really never recovered and so that's that's just difficult. And
I don't know, you know, And again I've talked to
Paul Ralston about this a number of times. I think Paul,
if Paul would have his way and he was, you
know whatever for a day, he would just say, let's
just abandon, let's just abort. Let's just abort, because at
(33:17):
the end of the day, I'm not sure it is
tough when you get the apology that it was an
incorrect call on the actual video assisted replay. What's worse?
That's worse.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
That one's pretty bad. Yeah, that one's pretty bad. The
fact that they got it right on the fields and
then it was stripped away incorrectly. That's a tough one
to take, especially for a team like again like Fulham,
trying to earn a big victory over a team that
they aspire to be, that they're looking up to at
the table that they're trying to knock off. What would
that have done for their season? Potentially if you beat
(33:53):
Chelsea or you draw against Chelsea early like that, and
then so you get you get a box of macarons.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
That's it. It's a box of macaroons. So that's it. Anyways,
I that's crazy. But on a brighter note, our Red
Sox are making making a run here, I mean, Alex,
there's a chance. As we record this on Tuesday, the second,
they're just two and a half games behind the Blue Jays.
That's as close as they've been in a long long time.
(34:23):
Could be who knows, maybe back in mayish somewhere in
that range.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
They have the best record in baseball. I think since
July first post also break, there was just like a
slight dip, but since then they've really again right of
the ship and are playing great baseball. Now the Yankees
have played well also, so they they have now kind
of entered the fray and those two are right next
to each other behind Toronto. But it's it's gonna make
for a really exciting September. I just I'm legitimately excited
(34:52):
to see what happens over the next couple of weeks
and what they can do. And we've we've talked at length.
It doesn't feel like a championship caliber roster, but you
never know. If you can make the postseason and you
get the right pitching matchup and you can bats get hot,
et cetera. You just never know. The best team doesn't
always win the baseball.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
We'll see, But you know, here's what I would say.
I would agree with you relative to maybe some of
the better teams we've seen the Red Sox have over
the last fifteen to twenty years, I agree with that,
But they're playing the teams that are in the league
this year, and I'm not sure the AL or even
the NL. It feels like everyone's got their holes, so
(35:30):
to speak. I'm not sure there's one team I look
at and go, wow. Now you could say the Brewers.
They've had a heck of a run, they really have,
you know, but until the Brewers, and they've been amazing
regular season you know season team, but really until they
probably make it to the World Series. You kind of
like you're kind of looking at can they make it through?
(35:53):
Can they make it through the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (35:55):
I would love to see the Brewers in the World
Series if we're talking about Except with the Brewers. Things
have gone really well for the Red Sox over the
next two months. But it's just fun to have them
relevant again and playing good baseball and making things interesting
down the stretch. So I love the Trevor story home
run the other day off the glove, off the pesky pole,
and it took them a while to figure that out.
Like it just goes to show family has been around
(36:17):
since nineteen oh one. I don't know how many times
that's happens, right, Like you still see something new almost
you never know what you're gonna get when you come
to the ballpark.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Let's say that, so let's tie up the B side
right now, let's just tie it up back to video
replay and that particular play. There's a difference between objective
versus subjective, and so what we're talking about is there
was a subjectivity of someone, a human making a determination
(36:48):
that there was a foul on the play. I believe
it was pretty objective that that ball did hit the
pesky pole, which ultimately would be a home run. So
so I'm okay with that. I mean, if you said
to me, that's the differential between using technology and not
(37:09):
using technology. But once you introduce someone else in a
sense re refereeing, that might be the differential.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
This is tennis. We have us open going on right now,
in or out we've done this, we always go back
to that. I think when you can have right when
replay allows you to see something clearer, did the ball
hit the pole or did it hit the wall, or
what happens here? Like you said, and it leads to
the black or white decision of in or out, yes
(37:38):
or no. That's way different than oh I this angle
changes my opinion on what I think happens versus what
I what actually happened, What did I see? I think
there's a there's a there's a big difference between those.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Things we've seen. We've seen if you look at the
green Monster, sometimes balls that just inch over and there's
like a ledge there. Sometimes that ball hits the ledge,
and I think, if you're first looking at it, did
it scrape off the top tippity top of the monster
or did it hit that ledge? Hard to tell with
the naked eye at times. So that to me, those
(38:12):
are absolute reasons to use the technology. Last one I
have for and this actually came from my wife, who's
former college soccer player. But you know, I, as she
likes to say, I don't understand what off sides is anymore.
And her opinion, I said, well, what would you do?
Because I had said, well, maybe you need space between
(38:35):
the folks, like if someone's ahead, you need to see daylight.
And because right now, if someone grew their fingernail a
little longer, that might be the reason why you're offside.
She said, what about your feet if that person's foot
is offside, because you're normally running and you probably have
(38:56):
an advantage if your foot is ahead of the defense.
And so I don't know even if that's been a
conversation at some point in time, but I thought, not
a bad thought, not.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
A bad thought, because now you get like the well,
my elbow was beyond when they draw the lines, and
like that's enough. And like you said, what is the
point of the rule. It's to prevent the attacking player
from having an additional advantage over the defender. And I
don't know if you're having your elbow beyond the defender
makes that much of a difference. But yeah, if your
feeer behinds, that would kind of stand to reason that
(39:30):
maybe you don't have quite the edge that you would
versus your forehead or whatever else is drifted offside. That's
not about Liz. I like it. I'm not opposed to that.
Not a bad idea, it's not.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
A bad thought. But again then we're back to well,
you're trying to make it objective. So then if you
can kind of look at it from an angle and
then draw the line, if you will, then you would know.
But right now, it is so interesting to me some
of the celebrations and goals that are taken away in
(40:03):
a sense, I'm not sure it had anything to do
in a sense with the location of someone's I don't know,
left shoulder.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
It does take away, right, I think that's the one
thing like you don't want it. You want things to
be right, but you also don't want to take away
the spirit of the game and the joy that comes
with In the case of soccer scoring a goal, which
does not happen all that often, it's really hard to
It's not easy to score. So if we have a
rule in place that doesn't really do much in terms
(40:34):
of helping the game along, making it more attractive, making
it fairer, et cetera, and then what are we doing?
Maybe we should just adjust.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
So I'll finish with this one. Please finish you with
this because what did you just say? It's really hard
to score in soccer? You know what's really hard, Alex
after playing seventy one minutes not having a shot or
a corner.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Was the Spurs this weekend though?
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Yeah? Yeah, I mean you know, but it was heading
into an international break, so we all know what we do.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
But when that happens, all the momentum was going to
be killed no matter what, one way or the other.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
Our minds were not in North London on Saturday, so
but hey, I don't think we're going to go thirty
eight now?
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Well now you're not. So that's been that's been confirmed.
But you know, hey, Man City, great win. Sometimes tough
to follow up from something like that, so we'll see.
But good I think good, good return. Three matches in
good signs for the Thomas Frank era. We'll see if
we can keep it rolling on the other side of
the international break that's coming up, the inevitable international breakout.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Will be okay after the international break, it's it's just
the before, it's the before we struggle.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Oh man, Well, well, unfortunately tough tough note to end
on for Tottenham Hotsburg going into this particular window. But
you brought in was it shabby Simmons from the Bundesliga.
Nice nice little coup. Other teams wanted him, Chelsea, Arsenal, etcetera.
So congratulations filling in that James Madison sized hole in
your midfield and we'll see what he can do.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Good addition, apparently he's twenty two, he's had a lot
of experience. I think he's ready to go. This might
be a good fit for.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Him, yeah, I think so. It's a good move. It's
a good move.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
Yeah, So we'll see how it goes. That's right. Well,
I appreciate you, Alex as.
Speaker 1 (42:17):
Always, No you too, built No. Congrats on a good
start to the fall semester for you in this North
Dakota group, and excited again for all the home events
that are coming. I'm beginning this weekend with football at
six o'clock. Get out to the Hilarius and enjoy that
one against Portland State in the fifty ninth Annual Potato
Bowl in Grand Fork. So on behalf of Bill Shaves
and a Rosberg our guest from the Ailera Center. I'm
(42:37):
Alex Hynder. Thanks again to Paul Ralston and Alex Socker
Johnson on the back ends. Thank you for listening. We'll
talk to you again next time in two short weeks.
You're listening to the Bill Shafes Podcast, presented by Mid
Coast Sports. Another fall sports season is finally here, and
Mid Coast Sports has it covered like no one else.
This fall. Tune in for live coverage of college football
in the Dakota's including Fighting Hawks football broadcasts both home
and away, as well as un d volleyball and soccer,
and so much more. Watch on Mid Coast Sports and
(00:20):
streaming on Mid Coast Sports. Plus. This is how we
do sports, and this is the Bill Shapes Podcast. Welcome
to another edition of the Bill Shafes Podcast. We are
taping this on a Tuesday morning, the second of September.
Alex Seiner, Phil Shaves a special guest that we're going
to introduce in a moment. Bill Happy posts Labor Day,
(00:40):
Happy September to you.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yes, it feels like fall, Alex, it feels like fall.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
The weather's feeling that way. Football is back. We get
our first taste of college football this weekend. A lot
of exciting stuff to discuss from North Dakota's trip to Manhattan, soccer, volleyball,
cross country all under way. We'll all get to those
things in just a little bit. But first, as you mentioned,
we do have a special guest on the program today.
We're excited to bring on board. She has been the
general manager of the Aleis Center and a part of
(01:08):
that group since twenty seventeen. She and her team have
a big week with the home opener for you Indi
football coming up on Saturday, September the sixth. She is
Anna Rosberg and she joins us this morning, and how
are you Hey, I'm great, How are you good? Doing great?
Thanks so much for taking since imon being with us today.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
It is an exciting week here with football and we're
looking forward to the Potato Bowl.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
It's gonna be a busy week.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Anna, Well, welcome. Your team does such a good job
with the Aleayras Center in all the facets to it,
so we'll get right into it. Just a layup question
for you. Give me some of the stuff that's going
on there, because there's a lot of great stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Sure, yeah, thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
We've got you know, football this week, of course, so
we'll be seeing lots of you this week, Bill and
your team, and we're looking forward to that. But we've
also got our conference center run of grand opening too,
so all summer after you and D commencement, we've been
working on a twelve week renovation project where we gutted
all twelve meeting rooms at all five ballrooms.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So we're cutting the ribbon on that space and opening
that this week as well.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
So nothing like a Potato Bowl week to do all
of it at once, So we're looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
That's exciting. A lot of new in the building coming through.
There are some new things that fans will experience when
they entered the building on Saturday again a six o'clock
kick against Portland State the Potato Bowl this year here
at theolaris what should fans expect? They might be a
little bit different for the twenty twenty five season than
what we've seen in the past.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Sure, yeah, I mean I think obviously we all know
that there's such good momentum going into the season with
our new head coach, so we're really looking forward to
that as well. But from a fan standpoint, besides you
know the electricity I think we always get at the
first home game, fans will be experiencing a cash list venue.
And we use quotation marks when we say cash lists
because we will always have some sort of way to
(02:57):
accommodate our guests, but in general, we're seeing most of
our fans use credit cards anyway, so we would encourage
everybody to read the.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Note before you go.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
We work on that with Bill's team to make sure
that all the details you know, for a seamless experience
from the alare center side of things, as well as
you and the athletics side, just so that fans can
be prepared for what time doors open, making sure that
they have a debit or credit card or Apple Pay
that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yeah, so Anna, that's a good one. I mean I
would assume, yeah, you probably have the statistics as far
as cash versus credit, and if you go to a
number of venues throughout the country, you've seen this, so
to introduce this it must help. I would assume processing,
customer service, those types of things.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Yeah, you're exactly right.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I think we've talked about this and you have a
unique position that you said on our Event Center commission
as well, So you've.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Heard about this for several years.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
We've talked about it internally that the industry trend is
for venues and stadiums is to go cash lists. It
really increases your speed of service to get our guests
through those lines. We want to get them back into
their seats so they can watch all of the action
for the fighting Hawks. And so if we can move
those lines quicker, get people through more efficiently. There's also
a lot of data out there in the industry that
(04:14):
supports that people are spending more money, which is important.
We have obviously a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers and
grand forks, and trying to drive that bottom line is
important as well. And so yeah, that's kind of the
reasons why we're doing it. We took a few years
to really evaluate the percentage of who was using cash
and who was using cards and then make sure that
(04:34):
our network could support it. That was a big project
for us here as well. We networked in the entire
building a couple of years ago. Two million dollar project
for us, just to make sure.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
That we were ready.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
And I think now from this standpoint, from a technology standpoint,
so that guest has a smooth experience, we're ready to
do that this year. And I keep saying cashless with
the quotation, of course, because if somebody gets in line
and they don't know, they haven't heard, we will have
a place to accommodate them first season.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
You know, and I kind of liken it to digital
ticketing to some degree. You know it's going to take
a little bit, but once you do it, the advantages
are tremendous, I know, just being able to push tickets
to somebody in a quick, quick way. So I know
our fan base has been accustomed to that over the
last few years. So I would assume that they've been
(05:23):
at other venues too that have had this situation occur.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Absolutely, And I think about like the twenty seventeen season bill,
when we came in and we were rolling out security protocols,
so everybody walked through a metal detector, you know, that pinotometer.
That first game of how are we going to get
twelve thousand fans into the building and they're divesting their
cell phones into a basket and walking through and you know,
we had a bag policy. We were really loose about
(05:48):
that too. Just let's make sure we're educating, let's be
fan friendly, Let's do things in a soft rollout so
that you know, we don't totally upset the Apple car.
We want people to come and enjoy their time here.
From tailgating and tilgate, you know, all the way through
the game. And obviously this this first home openers will
be really exciting with everything your team has planned out
in the parking lots before and after, So you know,
(06:10):
I think we'll accommodate guests and we'll always have somewhere
to accept cash at all of our permanent locations and
also to exchange gash for a pre loaded card with
whatever denomination you know they want to put on there.
So we're not going to not sell a hot dog,
We're not going to not sell a beer. We're certainly
going to be customer focused, but we do think in
the long run it'll be a good thing for all
of us.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Obviously with your close relationship with und you know, there
are a number of big football games coming up. What
else should fans be looking forward to that's coming to
the Alaris Center, And let's zoom out a little bit
beyond fighting Hawks. What are you pumped about for this
coming year for the Alaris?
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Yeah, I mean, we've got lots of concerts coming up
this fall, so we're really excited for that.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
We've got Cole Swindel with Priscilla Block that will.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Be on September twenty seventh, so nice little country tour
coming through the market for us. We've got Hailstorm and
Lindsay Sterling so rock show and like this really amazing
violent and that will be you know, kind of filling
checking the box on something a little bit more alternative
and active rock.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
And then of course, you know.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
We've got GABRIELI Glacias Fluffy as he's known as, coming
through for a comedy tour at the end of October,
and then we even have a Mercy Meet Christian show
on October thirtieth, So really just trying to have some diversity,
and then we're gonna throw it back to Styx and
lover Boy in November, so you know, trying to have
something for everybody here at the Alaias Center. If they're
(07:29):
not into Fighting Hawks football, which they should be, we
have else for them as well. So hopefully people spend
a lot of time here with us this quarter.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Hey, and a last one from me, and we really
do appreciate you joining us today. Is anything different when
we do this like a six o'clock game to some degree,
does it present any challenges or anything that anyone should
be aware of, because I think I do think us
doing it one time a year makes some sense, but
from your standpoint, anything challenging.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Uh, you know, I actually I love it. I think
our team loves it. The energy is so.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Unique fall in the evening and that first game. I
think that's so fun to do the six o'clock I
always tell fans, let's mix in a water. It's a
long day out there and tailgate village, so you know,
that's maybe a challenge that we see. We try to
put some free water stations out in the student tailgates.
Obviously record at ten days this year, so hopefully really
(08:22):
big student section.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Really big numbers.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So just making sure that people are enjoying responsibly since
lots open at eleven am and it's a long day.
But I just think the energy out there and the
lots is amazing when it's at six o'clock game and
you're getting that full tailgating experience. And then obviously with
Slam Obama be going to be there in the parking
lots and the fireworks after the show. You know, we
just we love the six o'clock Obviously, we all your
(08:46):
team and my team, we all work longer hours those days.
But I think it's fun, right Like it's I think
it brings a new energy and really looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
We appreciate everything your team does, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yeah, and you guys too.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
I mean, it's a great partnership and we're really thinking
we're looking for that w They're always great at home
and our new coaches is gonna rocke it, so we're excited.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Yeah, fantastic, love that optimism. I think that that's shared
on this podcast and certainly from our listeners as well.
And we really appreciate you taking since time. Best of
luck to you and the Alera Center team as you
kick off the football season this weekend and then for
another great year ahead at the Hilaris.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Thank you guys so much for having me. I have
a good day.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Thanks against Anna Rosberg for taking time this morning at
the start of a very busy week for her crew
at the Alera Center. I think you, un d is
very lucky to have people like Anna, like Jody Hodgson
at the RIA, to work with people who just have
so much experience in that world of facilities, to get
the partner along with and make the game the experience
so special for our fans and for the teams as well.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Though.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, the city of Grand Forks and specifically you know,
the city council who oversees the Aleris Center. They've done
a great job bringing in the oak Field group and
Anna is a part of that team. And the thing
that we get with that Alex is the fact that
they have so many venues across the country that we're
(10:06):
able to get i'll call it industry standard type stuff
that's going on, always on the cutting edge of what
is happening. And you know, obviously she and her team,
you know, is she's her job is to get folks,
you know, utilizing that facility, and with us being a
primary tenant and there in the fall, you know, she
(10:29):
does an amazing job trying to work around our schedule
for sure, and so you know we need to be
of course incredibly flexible, be great teammates for the City
of Grand Works because you want, you want that facility
utilized as much as you can.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Well, it will be utilized this weekends in a great
way full of Kelly Green again a big oh as
you mentioned Potato Bowl of course, a former Big Sky
rival Portland State come into town. We should probably just
start there with football because it was a massive weekend
football kicking thing off against number sevent seen FBS Kansas
State in Manhattan. Obviously a bill you were there. What
(11:05):
a tremendous night. The only thing missing, of course, was
was just the victory at the ends. But you couldn't
ask really outside of the win, for a better start
or a better performance against a top quality power forward
team on the road. Eric Smith and his squad should
be incredibly proud of their effort on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, I think they were, Alex, There's no doubt about it.
I guess I've been lucky enough to be in many
of these types of games. I've just you know, been
around FCS football for a long period of time. I
was around it when it was still one double A,
and so you know, you go into those games and
you know you're going to be challenged. Obviously you're on
the road many many times. It might be their first
(11:48):
home game of the year, like it was in Manhattan,
and obviously them coming off a loss the week before,
they were you know, we had their full attention, and
so you know, you say all that, you just got to,
you know, stay in the game. You just got to
give yourself a chance in the second half. And obviously
that's what we did. You know, leading at halftime gives
(12:09):
you a chance to give you a shot in the
second half. Now you get to that point and and
truly it's just like every other game. You know, you're
going to be really disappointed if you don't find a
way to win the game. And you know, obviously, as
as coach Smith so eloquently put, you know, we went
down there to win the game. I mean, we didn't
(12:30):
go down there just to have folks say, you know,
great job, you know you played well. I you know,
we're kind of in a binary way, right It's it's
it's zero or one, and unfortunately it's still with zero.
But I think a lot to like about what is
maybe ahead of us. But you know, we're gonna get
a Portland State team, Alex that comes in and it's
(12:52):
it's easy to look at what's happened the first two
weeks and start thinking, well, this one will be a
cruise control match. I've had too much experience with Portland State.
I know what's coming into the Aleri Center at six
o'clock at night, and we're gonna need that place rocking
to give us a chance because I think Portland State's
(13:12):
gonna look at this game is like, we're gonna get
our season on a track, and that's that's a dangerous
team that's coming into Grand Forks.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Yeah, we'll talk a bit about what the Vikes will
bring again. They're coming off a couple of tough defeats,
including a sixty nine nothing loss to BYU. I believe
Bruce Barnham called the BYU quarterback a centaur after that game.
I'm not sure what that means in football parlance, but they, yes,
will be very motivated to restart their season and try
and get things going. But yes, for North Dakota, like
(13:43):
you said, I believe it was a Bubbashwaggard quote that
the scoreboard tells you how you feel. And the end
the final scoreboard read thirty eight thirty five instead of
thirty five to thirty one, which it was until the
last minute of the game. But there were so many
positive things and I thought, maybe the most impressive thing
of the night, and you referenced it, Bill, North Dakota
was leading at the half. It had been a really
(14:03):
strong first half. There were even some things that could
have gone even better. A couple of interceptions that bounced
off hands and went the wrong way you and the
warsn't even getting the benefit of the bounces, and they
were still leading the contest. And then Kansas State sort
of took control in that third quarter and they score
a couple of touchdowns, forced a couple three and outs,
and it felt like things had shifted a little bit,
(14:24):
and like, Okay, the ranked team from the FBS is
probably gonna be able to see this thing out. But
the fact that you and d fought their way back
and retook the lead, that was really impressive. Like that
showed that mental fortitude, that fight to say, yeah, we're
not done just yet. We do have more to play for,
we have more to give, and give again, give up
everybody on both sides of the football. A ton of
(14:46):
credit for the defense stepping up when it looked like
maybe they'd run out of gas, for the offense to
keep moving the football. Jer Kaminski played great in his
first collegiate start, So you're sidled with a couple of
rushing touchdowns, just a lot of really good contributions across
the way. But I think it's that fight that I
think people will really respect and look back on that
game and remember, like, hey, this this team could have
just packed it in and say, hey, it's not our night.
(15:07):
We gave it a good half. This is just a
better team, but they didn't. That's going to bode well
for this year.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah, I think so. I mean, I I can tell
you that it was, you know, incredibly quiet as you
might imagine post game. And that's right, I mean, because
you know, once you get into it, once you get
into it, you want to get it done and and unfortunately,
you know, they made one more play than us, and
so you kind of tip the cap and you know,
(15:34):
the way life goes now. You know, interestingly, we're big
Wildcats fans. We want them to win as many games
as they can, you know, moving forward. So so yeah,
so that leaves you know, everything there, you know, in
the little apple, and now you move forward and really
you start picking up your FCS play and you know,
every every week's its own. We're going to have to
(15:56):
you know, you know, take care of business and you know,
kind of a work on some of the things that
maybe didn't work out for us. You know, on Saturday
night when we play, you know, it's going to be
an interesting Portland State team. I think they're going to
come in here with an edge.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
I would think so too. Yeah, it does sit up
for a great environment in the Elyrius. We talked about
it with Anna. A night game is a little bit
different six o'clock. Even though it looks the same indoors,
because it's in a dome, it feels different. And we've
seen that over the years since you've gone to this
model of trying to have one night game. There's just
a little extra juice for whatever reason. I think it
obviously helps that it is the first game of the season.
(16:32):
I think it's going to be an electric night against
Portland State, and like you said, you got to come
to play. It's not just showing up and winning the
football game, but it could really set the stage for
a really strong first month, a really strong non conference
with the likes of a road game against Montana, homecoming
against Valparaso, and then Valley play to start right after.
It's a big game on Saturday because it's the next
game and it's the first one at home this.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Year, that's right. And of course you know you've got
all the festivities around Potato Bowl, and you know that's
something that was born and back in nineteen sixty six,
when you know it's kind of a cool, cool deal
with Idaho State and back then Len Marty was the
athletic director and Marv Helling was the assistant football coach.
Jerry Olsen Lee Bonet all had a hand in making
(17:16):
this happen. And you know, anything that lasts that long, Alex,
you know it's going to be fifty nine years old
this year is kind of a cool deal. So we
look forward to all those festivities that occur. But you know,
the main I guess entree so to speak, kicks off
at six o'clock on Saturday night.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
On a week that will feature a French fry feed. Yes,
that is good to say that the main on tree
will be Saturday night. So looking forward to the football
game and getting things kicked off for the home portion
of the season again, get out and support that team
in person and experience everything that comes with a big
night college football game, A great atmosphere coming your way
at the elis this weekend. Football not the only team,
of course, that was off and running. We saw volleyball
(17:59):
kick off their season country as well. Some exciting stuff
happening around the rest of the fall. Sports Bill Volleyball
of course, was home. You were busy this weekend, I'm
hosting an invitational, a lot of action going on. A
tough five set defeat to Saint Mary's and then a
three to zero loss at Temple. Is what is what
was presented on the first weekend of the year. What
did you see from a volleyball team on the opening weekends.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah, so watched a good portion of the Friday night
game when we landed in Manhattan. So yeah, just one
of those you know, we fought back to get it
to five, and unfortunately they just had more juice than
us in that fifth set. You got to get off
to a quick start. In that fifth set, obviously it
goes to fifteen, so it's always important to get off
(18:43):
to a really quick start. And then Sunday and this
was something that and I give both coaches from NDSU
and und a lot of credit bringing some teams in
and so some of these teams had matches down in Fargo,
somewhere in Grand Forks, and you know, that's a great
collaboration between those two programs to be able to do
that to get some home games. But Temple was all
(19:05):
over us. I'll tell you what. It felt like, they
were just one pass ahead. Of us that match. So
I haven't been able to debrief with coach Tupac at
this point in time, but you know, I'm sure, like
anything else, like Coach Schmidt, there's probably you know, a
corrections meeting that's occurring, and get ready. And they were
on the road and last year returning West Virginia came
(19:28):
here last year and returning matches in Big twelve territory.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Yeah, out in Morgantown coming up this week as the
VII ball squabble head out to the mountains. Yet West
Virginia coming up on the fourth and minutes cop and
State Liberty and then more home matches as well the
following weekend. And you mentioned that opportunity to get a
few more. Usually it was in the old days, a
couple of years ago, it would just be the und Classic.
You'd just get two home matches really for your entire
(19:55):
non conference almost and everything else was on the road.
Awesome to see them getting a few more opportunities to
play at home now thanks to that partnership with NDSU
and some really clever scheduling on you and Jesse's part.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Yeah, I think so, And I'm gonna I'll give that
to Chad Karthauser and Jesse and Chad. Chad's kind of
you know, the secret saucepee behind our scheduling to some degree,
and he does a great job. And every every year
is its own on the scheduling side. But if you
get can get it, kind of get ahead of it,
and if we can offer the opportunity to come and
(20:27):
get some matches and it's just an hour away, I mean,
so you can get far worse situations around the country
so to speak. So so this one is actually very enticing.
So I do appreciate that both coaches in programs work together.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Cross country also got underway this past weekend. Didn't have
to travel far to see at Ray Richards.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
No could could have run to it.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Yeah, some of those kids maybe did. The men's and
women's team both swept their titles at Ray Richards. It
was Jaden Keeler and Alexia Milanovitch winning the women's and
men's respectively. The men. To me, this is crazy. It's
a six k and the top five finishers on the
men's side all finished within six tenths of a second
of each other. You talk about a tight pack and
(21:12):
sticking together and staying on pace. It's pretty good for
Tom Scott's group. I think there's some really obviously hard
to tell of course when you're really running on your
home course against your teammates, but good times, good start.
Feels like that bodes well for two programs that I
think people have I expectations for this year.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
I did, I absolutely, Alex. I was able to catch
up with both coach Scott and coach veron camp. Coach
Scott was doing the press conference last week and ahead
of the Ron Pinn Classic, and you know, he said, hey,
this gets us going for the year. It puts the
uniform on, keeps us here in Grand four, sleeping your
(21:50):
own bed and in as much as anything, it just
it's a really good kickoff for us to kind of
get going. And yeah, so it's worked out very very well.
So that was and now now it all really begins,
right and as you being the trackster, you know, you're
just always kind of looking ahead to that Summit League
meet and so you're making sure that you've got yourself
(22:12):
I guess tapered correctly to make sure that you feel
as good as you can when those championships occur.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
And those will take place two months from yesterday November.
The first in Omaha is the semi the cross Country
Championships this year, not a ton of competition between now
and then, but there is one this coming weekends at
Morehead The Dragon Twilight will take place just down the road,
and then it's the roy Greach and Minneapolis in a
couple of weeks as things continue to ramp up. But
good opportunity this weekend, like you said, for that group,
(22:39):
just to continue building with an eye towards the big
meats that are lying ahead later in the fall. Women
soccer got underway a couple of weeks ago. Henrik Sone's
team now five and one a strong non conference season.
Continuing down South, they picked up a five nothing win
against Jackson State before falling to Nichols two to one.
(23:00):
I felt like that Nickels game. I mean, shots were
eleven to two on target, twenty eight to five in total,
but a penalty kick in the first half seemed to
change things a little bit in that contest, and you
and you just couldn't get the goal in so late
as they fall in their first one of the season.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yeah. I texted back and forth with Henrik and I
said this to him the only thing I could think of.
I just don't want to see expected goal stata because
my guess is we're probably not going to be It's
not going to be awesome for us when we look
at that to some degree. In some ways it is.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
In some ways it is. It probably like four to
like point two or something like that.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
But here we are and so but yeah, I mean
in that game, we've seen that, and obviously there's so
many people, there's so many similarities and so many folks
that can connect the dots with the sport of hockey
as well. Sometimes the puck just doesn't go in the net.
It doesn't mean that you're not getting chances, and we
(24:00):
got our chances. It's just that we couldn't put it away.
So yeah, So we come back this week and we've
got one at home and one on the road.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Yes, a big opportunity against U see Santa Barbara. That's
Thursday at three o'clock at Bronson Field, and then it's
a big road swing. The next two weeks before conference
play kickoff include a trip to Iowa State on the seventh,
a trip to Boise State on the eleventh, a trip
to Idaho State on the fourteenth, So three big matches
against pretty good opposition on the road following that, U
see Santa Barbara match, So big opportunity this weekend, try
(24:31):
and get one and then hit the road and see
what you can do before some league play begins at
home on the twenty fifth against the very good Denver team.
Positive signs though again this is one of the best
starts in Division one program history for North Dakota. On
the women's soccer side, they were five and zero before
that lost to Nicols. Clean sheets and goals at the
other end, it's a good combination. I got to think
(24:52):
that that group of young women, the coaching staff feel
really good about the work they've done so far.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah, I think so, But I think in talking with Henrik,
I think he's he just knows there's so much more
that has to be done. And yeah, I mean the
results are are great for sure, but you're right kind
of going into the teeth of the schedule now as.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Well, they'll learn a lot about themselves over the next
couple of weeks as they'll really prepare themselves. So what
should be a difficult summer league this year. A lot
of really good teams with a lot of talent in
that conference, a great chance to continue building towards that
coming up at the end of the month.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
No doubt.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
In terms of UND on field activity, I believe that's
about it.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I think.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I know softball has got some fall stuff going on.
There a few other things happening. Anything else will you
want to chat about from a North Dakota or an
NCAA perspective.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yeah, nothing from the NCAA side, But I will say
school started last week, and congratulations to everybody on campus,
and you know, major shout out to you know, doctor
Armacust and everyone on Eric Link, Provost Link who was
a guest on Bill James podcast at one point in
(26:02):
Janelle Kilgore, who handles all of the connectivity with student
enrollment and those types of things. But to have the
highest enrollment ever at UND and the highest amount of
freshmen here on campus. Ever, those are some heady numbers.
So good things happening on campus. Can't can't rest on
(26:23):
your laurels, though, you got to kind of figure out
what's next. So we represent the institution as best as
we can.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
From my perspective, when you hear prospective student athletes talk
about the U and D experience. I mean, we've seen
this a lot. When you know, either guys for the
hockey team commit or women's basketball players commit or whatever.
We've had a lot of that recently, and some of
the quotes all come back to like, this is a
special place, Like once I stepped on campus, I knew
this was home. Obviously, this is a place that attracts people,
(26:51):
and you can see that, and obviously with the numbers
speak for themselves, but hearing some of those individual stories
of kids who just felt like, Yeah, this is I
don't even want to look at another school once I
come to Grant Forks, this is where I want to be.
That just speaks again to the type of people who
are helping lead the way and making those experiences positive.
And then just the young men and women that are
(27:12):
coming and the caliber of people who are coming and
the way that they've added to that community aspect and
that family feel around campus and how the community has
embraced that. It does just feel like, I don't know,
it's a really it's a perfect storm right now on campus.
That doesn't happen everywhere, you don't We do not have
record enrollments at other places across the country. This is
it not like there are I think our education is
(27:36):
doing okay, but also I don't want people to sort
of think like, oh, well, yeah, of course, it's what's
the big deal? This is really special and really unique
that this campus is thriving the way it is, and
there are a lot of different reasons for that, but
it's awesome to see. And we just wish again everyone
to have a fantastic semester and just to keep that
momentum building.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
As you say, Bill, well, we'll said Alex, and you know,
we'll we'll wrap the we'll wrap the A side up
with it's it's teammates like Anna Rosberg in her team,
and it's the city council, and it's everybody pulling in
the same direction, right, You got to pull the rope
in the same direction, and you can feel that. And
it's not just on campus, it's in the community as well.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah, excellent, well said well we well, as we do
on this podcast. Now close the book on the A side,
the important side, and flip over to the lighter side,
the B side of the record, to discuss a couple
of things. You've got a few things on your minds today, Bill,
As we transition to the world of video assistant referee
and instant replay one of one of your favorite topics.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
So I could, I could regurgitate a number of things
that I heard over the weekend, and they're all just
different ways of saying the same thing that you know,
when you talk about technology, it still takes a human
to run the technology. And I think that's the problem
that we're in. And you know, every weekend and you
(28:58):
and I are pretty heavy into European soccer and certainly
English Premier League, and if the English Premier League on
and when I say this a weekly basis, has issues,
it really doesn't bode well for guys like me in
seats like me trying to do the same thing when
(29:18):
that's what are they just spent alex and just in
the transfer market alone, you know, I.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Mean billions, literally billions.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Billions, And so we're talking it's it's if they if
they're struggling to get it right, then I don't know
what chance we have in this regard. And so I
don't want to sound any alarm bells off, but it's
just really challenging right now. And I thought, so there's
(29:48):
a manager of Fulham playing a rival Chelsea. They were
an underdog. They ended up scoring first. Went to check
it out and they kind of kept going all the
way back, kind of like an off side in hockey,
like a blue line off side. You keep going back
(30:09):
back back, back, back back back, And there was kind
of a play at midfield that hmm, seemed like a
good play to me. I mean, if that's a foul,
that seems crazy. It seems in the call on the
field was goal. And so what we've done is re
referee it. And it's not a zero or one or
(30:30):
one hundred to zero. It's re refereeing. And that's I
think the issue, Like what who is the actual official?
It's probably the person looking at var So, the manager,
Marco Silva, he just said, good on him. I believe
he said this. I'm trusting. Someone's point is doesn't really
(30:55):
want I'm sorry anymore. He just wants, you know, var
that whole group to just send them a box of macaroons.
Just just give me a box of macaroons. Then I
know they're sorry. It didn't work out in our favor,
but it is crazy, Alex, really where we.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Are, Yeah, I would agree with you, And this was
a situation where like you said, the context of it,
Fulham and Chelsea are both from London, but they really
are operating under different auspices. I mean, Chelsea is a
multi time Premier League, European champion, all the money in
the world, Todd Bowley, ClearLight capital. They they are in
(31:34):
a different stratosphere on the playing field financially than Fulham.
Is Fulham get the goal, they get the early goal
to go up and for them to have that stripped
away because yes, I mean a very questionable decision from
well earlier in the play. It really I heard it
referenced as a skill move. I think the two Robbies
were talking about this, Robbie Mustow and Robbie Earl. The
(31:59):
Fulham feel that really just catch takes the ball on
and turns and sort of there's a Chelsea defender alongside
him and he just kind of spins around him and
sort of bumps into him in the process. But the
Fulham player has the ball. Like realistically, most people would
look at that and say that is absolutely not a foul.
So for someone to go back and take a goal
off the board because of not even a fifty to
(32:21):
fifty call is so harsh and then Chelsea would go
on to win the match to nil, of course, and
just to add insult to injury, and we were just
discussing if that call is not made, if the goal
is allowed to stand as it was called on the field,
who knows what happens in that match. It's just too
bad that this is the same this is the same
drum beat over and over again, that we just continue
(32:43):
to reofficiate and you're taking the whistle out of the
person on the field, basically out there out of their mouth.
The control is is now back at Stockley Park of
someone who's just watching this on a replay. It's tough.
It's a tough one.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
It is a tough one. And you know, you could
just see the air go out of Fulham and it
really never recovered and so that's that's just difficult. And
I don't know, you know, And again I've talked to
Paul Ralston about this a number of times. I think Paul,
if Paul would have his way and he was, you
know whatever for a day, he would just say, let's
just abandon, let's just abort. Let's just abort, because at
(33:17):
the end of the day, I'm not sure it is
tough when you get the apology that it was an
incorrect call on the actual video assisted replay. What's worse?
That's worse.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
That one's pretty bad. Yeah, that one's pretty bad. The
fact that they got it right on the fields and
then it was stripped away incorrectly. That's a tough one
to take, especially for a team like again like Fulham,
trying to earn a big victory over a team that
they aspire to be, that they're looking up to at
the table that they're trying to knock off. What would
that have done for their season? Potentially if you beat
(33:53):
Chelsea or you draw against Chelsea early like that, and
then so you get you get a box of macarons.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
That's it. It's a box of macaroons. So that's it. Anyways,
I that's crazy. But on a brighter note, our Red
Sox are making making a run here, I mean, Alex,
there's a chance. As we record this on Tuesday, the second,
they're just two and a half games behind the Blue Jays.
That's as close as they've been in a long long time.
(34:23):
Could be who knows, maybe back in mayish somewhere in
that range.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
They have the best record in baseball. I think since
July first post also break, there was just like a
slight dip, but since then they've really again right of
the ship and are playing great baseball. Now the Yankees
have played well also, so they they have now kind
of entered the fray and those two are right next
to each other behind Toronto. But it's it's gonna make
for a really exciting September. I just I'm legitimately excited
(34:52):
to see what happens over the next couple of weeks
and what they can do. And we've we've talked at length.
It doesn't feel like a championship caliber roster, but you
never know. If you can make the postseason and you
get the right pitching matchup and you can bats get hot,
et cetera. You just never know. The best team doesn't
always win the baseball.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
We'll see, But you know, here's what I would say.
I would agree with you relative to maybe some of
the better teams we've seen the Red Sox have over
the last fifteen to twenty years, I agree with that,
But they're playing the teams that are in the league
this year, and I'm not sure the AL or even
the NL. It feels like everyone's got their holes, so
(35:30):
to speak. I'm not sure there's one team I look
at and go, wow. Now you could say the Brewers.
They've had a heck of a run, they really have,
you know, but until the Brewers, and they've been amazing
regular season you know season team, but really until they
probably make it to the World Series. You kind of
like you're kind of looking at can they make it through?
(35:53):
Can they make it through the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (35:55):
I would love to see the Brewers in the World
Series if we're talking about Except with the Brewers. Things
have gone really well for the Red Sox over the
next two months. But it's just fun to have them
relevant again and playing good baseball and making things interesting
down the stretch. So I love the Trevor story home
run the other day off the glove, off the pesky pole,
and it took them a while to figure that out.
Like it just goes to show family has been around
(36:17):
since nineteen oh one. I don't know how many times
that's happens, right, Like you still see something new almost
you never know what you're gonna get when you come
to the ballpark.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Let's say that, so let's tie up the B side
right now, let's just tie it up back to video
replay and that particular play. There's a difference between objective
versus subjective, and so what we're talking about is there
was a subjectivity of someone, a human making a determination
(36:48):
that there was a foul on the play. I believe
it was pretty objective that that ball did hit the
pesky pole, which ultimately would be a home run. So
so I'm okay with that. I mean, if you said
to me, that's the differential between using technology and not
(37:09):
using technology. But once you introduce someone else in a
sense re refereeing, that might be the differential.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
This is tennis. We have us open going on right now,
in or out we've done this, we always go back
to that. I think when you can have right when
replay allows you to see something clearer, did the ball
hit the pole or did it hit the wall, or
what happens here? Like you said, and it leads to
the black or white decision of in or out, yes
(37:38):
or no. That's way different than oh I this angle
changes my opinion on what I think happens versus what
I what actually happened, What did I see? I think
there's a there's a there's a big difference between those.
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Things we've seen. We've seen if you look at the
green Monster, sometimes balls that just inch over and there's
like a ledge there. Sometimes that ball hits the ledge,
and I think, if you're first looking at it, did
it scrape off the top tippity top of the monster
or did it hit that ledge? Hard to tell with
the naked eye at times. So that to me, those
(38:12):
are absolute reasons to use the technology. Last one I
have for and this actually came from my wife, who's
former college soccer player. But you know, I, as she
likes to say, I don't understand what off sides is anymore.
And her opinion, I said, well, what would you do?
Because I had said, well, maybe you need space between
(38:35):
the folks, like if someone's ahead, you need to see daylight.
And because right now, if someone grew their fingernail a
little longer, that might be the reason why you're offside.
She said, what about your feet if that person's foot
is offside, because you're normally running and you probably have
(38:56):
an advantage if your foot is ahead of the defense.
And so I don't know even if that's been a
conversation at some point in time, but I thought, not
a bad thought, not.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
A bad thought, because now you get like the well,
my elbow was beyond when they draw the lines, and
like that's enough. And like you said, what is the
point of the rule. It's to prevent the attacking player
from having an additional advantage over the defender. And I
don't know if you're having your elbow beyond the defender
makes that much of a difference. But yeah, if your
feeer behinds, that would kind of stand to reason that
(39:30):
maybe you don't have quite the edge that you would
versus your forehead or whatever else is drifted offside. That's
not about Liz. I like it. I'm not opposed to that.
Not a bad idea, it's not.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
A bad thought. But again then we're back to well,
you're trying to make it objective. So then if you
can kind of look at it from an angle and
then draw the line, if you will, then you would know.
But right now, it is so interesting to me some
of the celebrations and goals that are taken away in
(40:03):
a sense, I'm not sure it had anything to do
in a sense with the location of someone's I don't know,
left shoulder.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
It does take away, right, I think that's the one
thing like you don't want it. You want things to
be right, but you also don't want to take away
the spirit of the game and the joy that comes
with In the case of soccer scoring a goal, which
does not happen all that often, it's really hard to
It's not easy to score. So if we have a
rule in place that doesn't really do much in terms
(40:34):
of helping the game along, making it more attractive, making
it fairer, et cetera, and then what are we doing?
Maybe we should just adjust.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
So I'll finish with this one. Please finish you with
this because what did you just say? It's really hard
to score in soccer? You know what's really hard, Alex
after playing seventy one minutes not having a shot or
a corner.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Was the Spurs this weekend though?
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Yeah? Yeah, I mean you know, but it was heading
into an international break, so we all know what we do.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
But when that happens, all the momentum was going to
be killed no matter what, one way or the other.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
Our minds were not in North London on Saturday, so
but hey, I don't think we're going to go thirty
eight now?
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Well now you're not. So that's been that's been confirmed.
But you know, hey, Man City, great win. Sometimes tough
to follow up from something like that, so we'll see.
But good I think good, good return. Three matches in
good signs for the Thomas Frank era. We'll see if
we can keep it rolling on the other side of
the international break that's coming up, the inevitable international breakout.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Will be okay after the international break, it's it's just
the before, it's the before we struggle.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Oh man, Well, well, unfortunately tough tough note to end
on for Tottenham Hotsburg going into this particular window. But
you brought in was it shabby Simmons from the Bundesliga.
Nice nice little coup. Other teams wanted him, Chelsea, Arsenal, etcetera.
So congratulations filling in that James Madison sized hole in
your midfield and we'll see what he can do.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Good addition, apparently he's twenty two, he's had a lot
of experience. I think he's ready to go. This might
be a good fit for.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Him, yeah, I think so. It's a good move. It's
a good move.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
Yeah, So we'll see how it goes. That's right. Well,
I appreciate you, Alex as.
Speaker 1 (42:17):
Always, No you too, built No. Congrats on a good
start to the fall semester for you in this North
Dakota group, and excited again for all the home events
that are coming. I'm beginning this weekend with football at
six o'clock. Get out to the Hilarius and enjoy that
one against Portland State in the fifty ninth Annual Potato
Bowl in Grand Fork. So on behalf of Bill Shaves
and a Rosberg our guest from the Ailera Center. I'm
(42:37):
Alex Hynder. Thanks again to Paul Ralston and Alex Socker
Johnson on the back ends. Thank you for listening. We'll
talk to you again next time in two short weeks.
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