11-16-23 Hour 1

An historic day in Capital Region sports historyNew York vs Boston vs everyone else fansLevack LIVE from NYC

Episode Transcript

(00:06):
A little Rihanna, a little KanyeWest, Yee lean off this Thursday edition
of Levaking Guys one more times.We open with a classic from re Read
and Yee on this Thursday because inrare fashion, the first voice you hear

(00:26):
today is my voice, guys onLavak and guys. Usually you hear Lavak
leaving this thing off. But weopen with that theme of all the lights
because my partner, the dulcet tonesof one Jeffrey Allen Levak is not in
studio the GT Toys, Studio Toyswith the zin go on support our friends
over GT Toys. He's not instudio today. He's not a We don't

(00:48):
think he's going to be a partof today's show, but he could because
truly, today, on a Thursday, in the middle of November in twenty
twenty three, might be a fullcircle moment for Capitol Region sports fans.
Think about what the last six monthshave been and it's fun to have this
conversation, not stressful, not meanor depressing or disappointing that six months has

(01:15):
been an odd time in the CapitolRegion sports history. Because think about what's
happening today. On November sixteen,twenty twenty three, the Capital Region,
a professional sports team is being representedin the Big Apple in New York City
in Times Square as the Arena FootballLeague is back. Now, look as

(01:38):
somebody who didn't grow up in theCapitol Region, I will fully admit I
didn't understand the impact in the historyof arena football when I moved here to
the five to one to eight fromCentral New York, I thought, Okay,
that's pretty cool. Hey, backin the nineties, the Albany Firebirds
were a big deal. They hada game on national television, they won
the championship. Oh, that seemslike a really cool thing. I got

(01:59):
to be one of the few luckyand fortunate media members from the ground floor
of this is coming back in thetwenty ten decade. Albany is going to
get a team back in the AlbanyEmpire. They're gonna have this being a
team that knows how to do itin a city that has a following,
and we all together watched it cometogether. The Albany Empire the new version

(02:23):
of a successful arena football league ina successful arena football franchise. Now,
whether it was part of the ArenaFootball League the last time the confetti fell,
and it was Albany and Capitol Regionssports fans celebrating a championship, or
it was that odd time in COVIDin the bankruptcy and then the team coming
back and winning the NAL and being, as I like to call it,

(02:45):
the Lineal indoor football champion. Thentwenty twenty three came. That's right,
you can look at your calendar rightnow. It still says twenty twenty three.
From the last six months of mygot Levak being president to an All
Pro wide receiver named Antonio Brown comeinto town and people celebrating because his father

(03:07):
a legend and touchdown Eddie Brown.The connection, the money, the marketing,
the social media buzz, the clipgoing viral of highlights from Empire players,
and what could be the future ofthis city when it comes to being
the face of indoor football. Myoh my, how things have changed over
the last six months. If forsome reason you've been under a rock,

(03:30):
or you've been somewhere with Aaron Rodgersin a dark chamber, the thing didn't
work out with Antonio Brown, farless because of anything involving Levac or the
owner Mike Corda or then team presidentMatt Woods or any damon anything, Tom
and as anybody you can find andgive people clicks on what happened involving to

(03:51):
Antonio Brown the past few months.But it ended and the NAL teams broke
apart, including the Orlando Predators andmore. And now we sit here in
mid November with the Arena Football Leagueback. Let me say that one more
time, the Arena Football League back, a league that has history, new
owners, new members, new executiveboard and more. That it's not just

(04:15):
four teams like we've seen recently.It's not just six teams. Which look,
it was into our football and ifyou were a young fan, you
might have not noticed who came tothe home of the way games go.
Look at some of the cities thathave been added since the Arena Football League
was rumored to be coming back.More and more and more, not just
cities, but big time markets havebeen added. Philadelphia's in the mix.

(04:42):
Teams that maybe you didn't think we'regonna be in the mix are back from
states like Minnesota and Georgia and more. And right now at WOFX nine to
eighty, we've got the schedule up. Just moments ago, we've got to
release. I could run through theschedule. I might save it. I'll

(05:02):
shoot my buddy Levaka texts here beforethe end of the hour and see if
he'll give us more information on what'sgoing on. But I want Capital region
sports fans to understand the significance oftoday because we could have opened today's show
talking about the Jets. And I'msure we'll get to the Jets a little
bit later, but the Jets stinkright now. I could have opened today's
show talking about the New York Giants. Giant fan, you also stink right

(05:24):
now, And we got a wholeshow coming up on Friday. We'll talk
football. We got a whole Sundayshow. We hope you joined US eleven
to one at Rivers Casino Reserve.This is look. I could have given
you a million, hell a billiondollars to tell me, guys, when
you and Levac go back to terrestrialradio on May one, twenty twenty three,
in six and a half months,what do you think that show one

(05:46):
week before Thanksgiving is going to betalking about. I would have told you
the Jets, Giants, and Bill'sbattling for a division championship. What the
seeding is gonna look like. IsJosh Allen an MVP candidate. Is Aaron
Rodgers gonna actually do this and getthe Jets of the Super Bowl? Is
Brian's Abo one of the best youngcoaches in the history of the NFL.
That would have been my prediction onwhat we were talking about on this show.

(06:10):
I would have probably guessed eight monthsago that the NAL and the Indoor
Football League had combined to create theArena Football League. But no, the
Giants stink, the Jets are alittle bit better, the Bills have not
played this bad in a long time, and the Arena Football League is back
at Almney is one of the marqueeteams that has featured, and their schedule

(06:31):
features cities including Philadelphia. Minnesota's technicallya state, I mean they are state
rad Minnesota, Nashville Billings heading outto one of the Dakotas, Iowa.
This is incredible what's happening today?Then it went from will arena football are

(06:54):
indoor football? And I know coachWare is gonna give me grief because I
know he'll explain as this year goeson the difference between indoor football and arena
football of how that comes together andwhat the true differences are to today,
the Campital region being spotlighted in TimesSquare with the release of Arena Football,
with twenty plus teams scheduled to beback in twenty twenty four. Another most

(07:18):
important thing people want to talk aboutis dates and times and all that stuff.
All that information will continue to comeout the East Division. The East
Division which is listed is Philadelphia andAlbany and Minnesota and Nashville. And how
that's gonna happen. Wow, it'scome full circle the negativity. This will

(07:42):
never work again. Antonio Brown's ruinedit. I'll never go to another game.
But it's a whole new era today. Now there's gonna be two sides
where you can take on this.For Capital Resisports, there's two ways you
can go. You can go overhere in negative land and fire up a
comment on face Book and say thisis gonna fill the already relocators. You

(08:05):
could be that guy. I seehim every single time. I've seen it,
every single time since the Empire cameback, since the Firebirds were announced.
I see him. And if youwant to have that attitude, okay,
that's how you want to go throughlife, negative rooting against your businesses.
To succeed locally, loosing a potentialteam and then just giving up on

(08:28):
any other team for the future.It's a bizarre way to live life.
And I've said it multiple times before. No other New York market has an
attitude like that. Buffalo doesn't treatteams like that, Syracuse, Rochester,
Ithaca, Courtland, gen You.Nobody else acts like that, but the
Almany wants to. So you couldbe that negative person and fire off the

(08:48):
social media comment and start trashing theFirebirds right now, or you can be
what I hope is going to bethe next few months and understand what's happening
right now that the Almedy Firebirds areback as a franchise. The executives who
have run this team have won championshipsbefore. The players that are on this

(09:11):
roster already are some of the bestarena football players in the country. And
then all of a sudden, whenthey play Philadelphia, when they play Nashville,
when they play Iowa, when theytake the road trips, when they
are talked about across the country,that this team that's going to take the
field this spring is representing you,a Capitol region sports fan that you get

(09:33):
to root for a local team ona professional level that's going to be new
and exciting, indifferent. We talka lot on the show about hope.
That if the team is struggling andyou hope for hope for the future,
whether it's a young prospect, whetherit's a draft pick, that something gets
you excited for the future, thatyou're just not going to give up on
this. What else do you wantthe Firebirds to give you right now?

(09:56):
If you've been negative about the Empirein the past, Tonio Brown and all
that stuff, okay, you couldhave that tag. But if you just
want to be stubborn and I can'tchange your opinion, then just go.
But think about what's happened over thelast six months and where we sit today
that if you wanted to trash AntonioBrown and trash name are gone. There's

(10:16):
no more Antonio Brown. If youdidn't like whatever reason, the Empire because
you were such a die hard Firebirdfan and you didn't want another team even
in Albany, the Empire's not hereeither. If you didn't like that there
were six teams or four teams,you wanted more competition, that's gone too.
It's giving you everything you want rightnow. A national overall look at

(10:39):
arena football. The name Arena football, the franchise that's the most popular,
and wan championships, an ownership groupthat knows what it's doing, is one
championships, players that are veterans whohave had success in this sport. And
now New York City's featuring the CampbelalRegion today down in the Big Apple.
This is everything a campel To regionsports end would want. Now, I

(11:00):
know there's one other thing. Ididn't say that. I say this is
everything. You can't put a regionsports in what But there is one big
thing and that's still winning. Youknow, we can have all this HYPERROUDI
it's always the question that's hovered aroundthe Empire over the last few or five
years of Hey, so like whatif they're not winning? What if they

(11:22):
just go five hundred? Are thefans still are going to come out?
Has the bar been set so highinvolving Albany Arena Football from the number one
seed when the Empire came back toa championship, When the Empire came back
to COVID to back to back championships, So three of the four years they've
won a title. The other yearthey did it was year one where they're

(11:43):
an expansion team. True, andwe're the number one seed. How high
are the expectations? Now, that'sintriguing, that's not scary. That's not
something you don't want to dive into. If you live in the Capital region
and you've got relatives it might bevisiting over the next few weeks, and
you want to brag to them saying, hey, have you heard about the

(12:05):
Arena Football League? You know,like Albany's got the best arena football team?
Right? No, wait what andyou give them all those stats.
Hey, it's coming back this April, this mayth is June. You want
to go to a game, youwant to see something different, you want
to see a style of football you'veever seen before. All that can be
true. Man, I'm thrilled fortoday because I saw it. You saw

(12:26):
it, you heard it, youwatched it, you listen to it.
The chaos, the drama every singleday with a goofy video and people not
getting paid and the Gazette and theTimes Union feature and stories about the negativity.
And now six months later, notsix years later, not three years
later, not a deck six monthslater, we sit here on a Thursday

(12:54):
and the Firebirds are back. AreWena football is back. The capital region
is focused. The team gets readyto kick off if the schedule has been
released, the players are there,the coaches show is sent. It feels
like it hasn't missed a beat.Now, I'm giving my guy Levec a
lot of credit today. And Iwould have done the same thing if he
was sitting in that chair that I'mlooking at a cross in the studio,
I would have said the same thing. And I don't even know if I'm

(13:15):
gonna have enough time to give himthirteen or fourteen minutes over the phone to
give him that type of term.He loves the flowers on the phone today
of what's happened. Look, he'sin a team president role. He'll say,
there's a lot left to go beforekickoff. But when we look back
on the calendar in twenty twenty three, we're gonna say what days stood out
to you? And hell, Iget to see it on our digital signe

(13:37):
of Oh, this is when AntonioBrown made a headline. This is when
the Empire were back in the news. Empire fans and indoor football fans AFL
fans, I see your passion digitallyall the time. When I see our
podcast numbers, I see our streamingnumbers, I'm excited to see today's They
want to show those to the bossesof how well this is done. And
this is just day one of thenext era of college indoor professional Capital Region

(14:05):
football improving you all being this weekend'sa one win away from going back to
the FCS playoffs. Union got pickedas an at large team to represent Division
three, which is I hope peopleunderstand how difficult that is to get an
at large bid out of the LibertyLeague. They did it, and now
the Firebirds are back. What anawesome date is And if you want to

(14:26):
see more Agan the Firebirds on socialmedia, follow them. Looking forward to
building that relationship with them. Celebratingtoday what it means that Ding Dong the
Witch's Dad. A new era ishere. Antonio Brown is no more in
the Capitol whereon gets back to focusingon hopefully winning some championships this upcoming season.
We'll have more on the way foryou, for sure. If you
want to connect and be a partof the show, you want to sound
off, you can let your opinionbe known. You can connect with me

(14:48):
on Twitter today at Tom Guys tmgowas easy. The iHeart app is always
open to you, so who knows, bimbe We'll pull a clip from the
iHeart app, just hit that microphone. That talkback feature will let your opinion
be her on our talkback feature onthe iHeart app as well. But before
we had to break, we gottatell you about our friends over at USX
Past Control, Thanksgiving, Christmas.I got a sock party coming up,

(15:11):
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is USX Past Control. You gotmore Levan guys on the way. You're
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(21:11):
with you today. We'll find outif Ulavak's gonna make an appearance here in
the next half hour or so.The text has gone through. Hey,
if you want to join us atthree p forty five, we'll find out
who's right. I told him onyesterday's show. I said, you know
you're not gonna be on the show. Oh, guys, I don't want
to. Oh just say you don'twant me on. You're kinda busy.
You got some stuff going on,So we'll find out. We'll get more

(21:33):
news from the Big Apple again.If you missed the news, you missed
the top of the show today,the Almady Firebirds featured in Times Square today.
Arena Football officially back in the fiveone eight. If you needed any
more confirmation, how about a niceold signing bill board in the City that
Never sleeps today and the official ArenaFootball League schedules out You want to check
that out, It's right now upon Twitter at WOFX nin. I got

(21:57):
this tweet today from our guy Danshout out to Boston Dan, and he
pointed this tweet out to me,and it's had me thinking about this all
day long, the difference we canlook at between New York sports fan Boston
sports fan. Will we covered someNew England sports a little bit later when
our guy Britty Farcus Shen's own Iwas always like to say, we'll be

(22:18):
joining the show New York sports fan, Boston sports fan, and maybe any
other sports fan. And what Imean by it is this, let's start
with the Jets, because the Jetsmake it so much easier to figure out.
We've been battling back and forth allfall along about two things. One,
Zach Wilson and why he is playingstill because he's been awful, terrible,

(22:44):
not good, can't score. Weget it. We've done to Zach
Wilson. We've played that note afew times. And Aaron Rodgers, the
idea that he's even coming back,I'm not evenna do it, because I'm
sure this will be one of manytimes. He did it a few times
this week already. But think NewYork wants one of those guys to be
the guy, and that's Aaron Rodgers. But New York has already given up

(23:07):
on Zach Wilson, and I don'tblame him because he hasn't been good.
New York gave up on Daniel Jonesbefore he even took a snap, and
hell, I'm in a part ofthat group. Daniel Jones wasn't that a
top four quarterback in the ACC,but he was the second best quarterback in
all of college football. That wasDave Gettelman's rationale for drafting the former Duke

(23:29):
Blue Devil so high, so manyNFL drafts ago. But New York Sportsman
is quick to criticize and wants achange because the expectation is always to win,
and there are a lot of teamsin New York who have won the
Giants have won multiple Super Bowls.We know what the Yankees have done.
Hell, the Islanders had an alltime great dynasty in hockey history. There

(23:52):
been other franchises that haven't won.And maybe if I haven't listed your name,
you're not on the list. Thatfelt like a teacher thing, very
much like if I haven't called yourname, you have to improve. Feels
like you guys just got cut froma local high school team. With that
reference by me, what New York'sexpectation is to win and they have one,
but very quick criticize. What Iknow it's about. Dan's tweet is

(24:15):
that Boston isn't like that. Bostonwants something changed now Now. I don't
like it, now, now changeit, change it, even if it's
good, Even if it's good now, doing this is a job for most
of my adult life. I putthis in a little different category. There's
one part of me that feels likethere's a little bit of theater to it.

(24:37):
There's a little bit of I know, in the Boston market, it's
very competitive in the sports talk worldwith legendary stations that the most outrageous thing
that I can say will be thething that someone talks about it's gonna be
less about box scores and more aboutbig headlines. Oh, the Red Sox
can't break the curse? Fire GradyLittle? Why because he left Pedro in

(25:03):
the Hall of Famer. Okay,I guess whoever wins the Red Sox a
World Series, we have a statuehe will be a legend in Boston forever.
Didn't they fire Terry Francona because ofthat whole controversy with chicken and beer
and everything else. How often havethe Red Sox managers who actually won World
Series in the history of the franchisegot to go out on their own terms.

(25:27):
Think about how wild of a statement. That is the most cursed franchise
in my life not named the ChicagoCubs. I can't tell you a manager
who left on his own terms evenwhen they won the World Series. Same
they had with Madden in Chicago.So automatically, New England wants change,

(25:48):
They want things different. They don'twant it to and Tom Brady was feeling
heat his final few seasons in NewEngland. New England Patriot fan was done
with Brady. He got old itwas time to move on. He wasn't
the play Tampa Bay took him,and I was very happy with that decision
as a Buccaneer fan because I gotsome Super Bowl gear out of it and
join it as a fan. Butthen I thought about anything else involved in

(26:11):
the Patriots now with Bill Belichick,that Patriot fan is done with Belichick has
to get moved. And then itwas this Joe Giza via Boston Dan on
Twitter quote. Greg Popovich led theSpurs to five NBA championships, the last

(26:33):
championship coming in twenty fourteen. He'shad six straight losing seasons and right now
San Antonio's three and eight? Doeshe get the same kind of heat that
Bill Belichick's getting and I'm just notaware of it. It's a fantastic point.
Greg Popovich, like Bill Belichick,can be argued as the greatest coaching

(26:56):
his profession ever. We could makea list of your best coaches ever in
best NFL coaches, but for thesake of this conversation, let's just both
say their number one. What's thedifference? What is the difference? Think
about this, like I've been rallyingthat the biggest difference for the Patriots in
comparison to other teams who build dynastiesas money. We saw it with the

(27:18):
ninety eight Bulls a little crosspor comparison, like always do on this type of
discussion, that they spent a tonof money on Jordan. Jordan was making
more on that team than the entireBulls team roster combined. Jordan was so
valuable to the NBA that when hewere retired in ninety eight, the league
went to a lockout in ninety nineto figure out contracts. So the Patriots
never had that as an excuse.But Popovich and the Spurs stunk. I

(27:44):
don't even want to call San Antonioa smaller market that they're just grateful they
had Popovich. They're still passionate sportsfans at San Antonio. They won multiple
championships with pop Do you think whenthey stunk like San Antonio fans were like,
well, at least we wanted ninetynine, at least we wanted them
in two thousands. The Popovitch thingcan be cited back to Kawhi Leonard a

(28:07):
lot. They had a plan forthe future in San Antonio and then the
claw turned into something else and SanAntonio's future was off. But never once
have I heard until today anyone questionedwhether or not Greg Popovich should be fired
as the Spurs head coach. I'veheard people say he might step aside.

(28:29):
I know there were the things offthe court that were happening in his personal
life and family, and more sothere was talks that Popovich might step away.
Hell, let's not forget that Popovichin similar fashion to Bill Belichick as
a managerial mind. How many youngersports fans remember that the reason Greg Popovitch
is the head coach of the SanAntonio Spurs is because he hired himself for
the job after they got Tim duncango look at up younger sports fans.

(28:55):
So no heat on Popovich, Butthe moment Bill Belichick has a band and
we're struggling post Tom Brady, NewEngland sports fan and Boston sports fan wants
him fired. Gone. Who caresabout the Super Bowls? You want?
You can't win with Macaroni Jones thoughtabout this the other day too with Matt

(29:15):
Campbell. If you're listening to ourguy, Colin Cowherd ahead of us,
Cowherd had Joe clatt On, Ithink it's the best thing we do here
on Fox Sports twenty five nine toninety that's not on from three to five.
It's that weekly interview with Joe Klett, the College Football Insider, and
Joe Clett mentioned that Matt Campbell's agreat example of this, that Matt Campbell
for these coaches that are at smallerschools cashing when they can cash in,
and if they don't, they don'tget talked about it anymore. Campbell was

(29:38):
the can't miss coach at Iowa State, and now people don't even mentioned him
in these conversations with Texas A andM and other openings in Mississippi State.
It's crazy to think how different thingsare when you look market to market to
market. I saw an article todayon Barrett's Sports Media. I'll give him
a shot outcause I know he's aHudson Valley Poughkeepsie guy. So out to

(30:00):
Jason Barrett. I believe he actuallyused to work in this building for our
sisters Staction Picks. At one point. Jason had a conversation up today about
how down in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburghlocals think Mike Tomlin's overrated. Who,
like nobody else thinks that nobody elsethinks Mike Tomlin's overrated unless you're a Pittsburgh

(30:22):
fan that I want to say sufferedwith Mike Tomlin, but maybe your suffering's
far different, or you were justgoing for the pop on a morning show
in Pittsburgh. Nobody thinks that.Nobody in San Antonio thinks Popovi it should
go. But in Boston and NewYork, whether it's loud, whether it's

(30:44):
headlines, whether it's easy content,however we want to frame it, there
is a different world when it comesto these markets. The Bill Belichick thing
blows me away. Like Diana Rasidi, I don't want to pick on Diana
Receiding today, but she works forI believe for the Athletic Now. Diana
Residing was one of many reporters nowto hop on this that Belichick's gonna get
traded. I'm not even doubting that, or Belichick's gonna part The season's not

(31:07):
over. The Patriots and Bill Belichickplan on partying ways at the end of
the season. They got eight weeksleft, like the Raiders. Dumb McDaniels,
he's gone. I just mentioned thecoaches in college that are gone.
If you think it's gonna end,and why not end it now? Because
things aren't gonna get better for NewEngland, New England and New York.
Next week is the battle for CalebWilliams. There's a chance that Bill Belichick's

(31:30):
gonna get the quarterback that he wantsin New England. Now, whether people
should trust Belichick's judgment on traffick atquarterback, as I mentioned yesterday, I
think should be a realistic conversation.Garoppolo was good at a time, but
he was the backup for a longtime. Would Garoppolo have been the next
Brady? He helped the Niners getto a Super Bowl, but Garoppolo and
he signed with San Francisco. Wasit because of the belief in Bill Belichick

(31:52):
that the Niners made him the highestpaid quarterback at that time in the history
of the NFL? Or is heactually that good? I'm not saying Garoppolo
should have been close to being thehighest paid quarterback in the history of the
NFL, but maybe Belichick's rubb gothim there, so it would have been
Groppolo leading Patriots. Does Belichick dosomething wild and not draft Caleb Williams or

(32:15):
Drake Bannge just all of a suddenfires off a pick for Jaden Daniels Shador
Sanders, Does something that nobody likeKuiper mcshae or any of these mock draft
guys want. It's possible, butto think that now it's over for New
England because Macaroni Jones can't play,and that the Boston media wants him gone,
it frustrates me as both a sportsfan and a sports host, because

(32:40):
what happens with the dude after Belichick? This guy won multiple Super Bowls,
arguably the greatest coach ever. Didhe ever have a chance to succeed in
Boston? Whoever follows Belichick? Whatabout the guy who followed Britty? Oh,
we're watching that happen right now,that mac Jones isn't very good and
everyone wants to do a third stringernow never be on the roster. What

(33:02):
happens to the coach post World Serieschampionship in the Reds? Like, oh,
we saw that happen? Like NewYork and Boston are so different because
New York expects to win and Bostonexpects a change as soon as possible,
And maybe those two markets stand ontheir owns when it comes to these things
that we're talking about today, changing, wanting something different, wanting something else.

(33:27):
That's what the new York market lookslike one other thing on the New
York Park. By the way,it's God's filing in for Leavak and Goz.
Yeah, I like how I setthat up? Just gaz in for
Goz today here on Fox Sports ninetyfive nine to nine eighty. Uh.
Let's continue that Jet conversation here though? Does it still confuse everybody that Trevor
Simeon is not the quarterback this week? I get if you don't want Tim

(33:49):
Boyle is the quarterback and why he'son the roster. I haven't heard a
good answer from anybody yet, butwhy did they sign Trevor Simeon if he's
not gonna play? Ever? It'samazing to think about what Zach Wilson can
do to keep his job now.Zach Wilson was fine in the most recent
game for the Jets. It didn'tblow the game, It wasn't the worst

(34:13):
part of the game. It didn'twin. But what's it gonna take.
It's amazing to think about that thatwe're gonna look back two or three years
from now and just be questioning still, why did the Jets not bench Zach
Wilson. You probably where you workhalf somebody like this, though, what's

(34:36):
it gonna take to get fired?What is this person who I work with
every single day going to have todo to no longer work here? Now
the working world, especially for biggercompanies. Hell, I'm sure this is
happening for medium companies. Whether it'sthe service industry, whether it's sales department,
whether it's the education world. Thingshave changed post COVID. People have

(34:59):
become independent business owners, people haveset their own hours, have gone on
their own ways to create income,where always working for the man is no
longer a thing post COVID. Butno matter what you do, you have
to have somebody you work with whereyou question every day, how is this
person still employed? You do knowthe answer though, Well, it's gonna

(35:22):
take a long time to fill thatposition. Well, if they don't do
it, then somebody else is gonnahave to do it. And we just
can't because we have so many fewpeople here or the boss's nephew or niece.
So what's the answer for Zack Wilson. Oh, he was a first
round pick. I mean we've seenfirst round picks get bench. We literally
just talked about Mac Jones. Thatcan't be it that Aaron Rodgers's ego would

(35:45):
be hurt if Trevor Simon ever tookthe field and was good. Doesn't Rodgers
allegedly want to come back and playSimeon can help you in a few more
games. It still doesn't make senseof why Zach Wilson hasn't hit the bench.
I'm waiting for a report to comeout. Is any Jet fan actually
thinking that Wilson should continue to play, because now the Jets aren't even in

(36:07):
the conversation for another pick. Andthen I don't think that the goal is
to get a quarterback. Like,they're not gonna get a quarterback. They're
not gonna pull at Jordan Love.They can't because Rogers would have a fit
about that too. Imagine if theJets did do that in the second round,
they drafted a somebody Penix that's sundWe probably wont get to the second
round, but hey, this isour future. No longer Zach HiT's Penix.

(36:32):
Oh Man, when Rogers have ameltdown like he's sort of did in
Green Bay, at least reported bythe way, he might not have been
wrong about that meltdown about how poorJordan Love has looked early on The question
still sits out there. How isZack Wilson on the field. He's starting.

(36:52):
Get ready Zach Wilson, more ofthat jet fans coming up and what
the future could be for him goingforward for this team. It is Levack
and guys here on Fox Sports ninetyfive eighty. I got my day started
today with an orange slice thanks toour friends at C four. Look at
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(37:14):
that you need. Maybe you're hittingthat long road trip, maybe you're heading
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We give our picks. Lavac giveshis picks. He's still in the lead.
I'm very bitter about that that chargerlyon over that would have hit me

(38:15):
a fourteen parlay if I put itin there. But Lavack's in the lead.
I'm competing Quinning can tear our friendsfrom picks one oh six as well.
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on social media so you get ashout out as well, and who knows,
maybe a win some money roll withour picks this football season. Will
Levac answer this call? Will?Will we be going to New York City
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(40:29):
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(41:55):
apply. It's Lavak and Goze onninety five nine Fox. That's Radio.
We go to the elevation. Tenthousand phone lines live in Times Square.
An historic day for Capitol Region sports. Not just the co host of Levack
and Guys, the team president ofthe Alby Firebirds, Jeff Levak joins us.

(42:19):
Hello, my friend, Hey,you know, it's nice to be
in here having a blast. We'rein the w Hotel, which is I'm
pretty sure I wouldn't be allowed hereif I wasn't representing the Firebirds, and
just listen to the commissioner, LeeHudton, Trevelle Gaines, Brian Foote,
who is the head of Humble,which is the tech partner for the AFL,
and I can proudly tell you thatthe season, the league, everything

(42:44):
begins in Albany and we will kickoff the season April twenty seventh. The
NFL Draft will end and the AlbanyFirebirds just march to another championship will begin
right then and there whoa, whoa, whoa, look at this. Weanta
WOFX exclusive here the first time somebodylocally has dropped this. So that is

(43:06):
a Saturday the twenty seventh. Thatmeans you're not just saying the Firebirds,
You're saying the whole league. That'sgame one, Yes, yes, and
again the so because we have arelationship with the NFL, the AFL has
a relationship with the NFL. Thedraft ends and we start right then.
So when the you know, thefinal pick, you know, mister irrelevant
gets picked, and then mister irrelevant, Darius Prince goes and scores a touchdown

(43:30):
for the Firebirds against I would sayprobably his least favorite team, the Orlando
Predators right there in Albany. Levacjoining us live from Times Square right now.
If you missed the top of theshow, it is the big announcement.
Following at WFX nine eighty you wereretweeted some things along with the Albany
Firebirds that at the Arena Football Leagueis officially back the schedule, the teams,

(43:52):
everything you want. It's a fullcircle moment as we talked about the
insanity of the last six months,but a really cool history moment today.
So for those who might have missedthese details, Levac are the official teams
finalized. We have the number divisions. What are we looking at when you
talking about the structure of the leaguein twenty twenty four, Yeah, we

(44:12):
have there's four divisions. We're inthe East. It's I believe it's sixteen
teams. I'd have to look onmy phone. It was there's so much
going on. Like I said,when I found out that we were the
actual official kickoff with the launch ofthe entire league, I just kind of
I kind of got giddy. Igot excited and I saw our guys as
we're down here, you know,Mike Corda, Richie says, not Andy
Gelser wanting to be here, buthe's holding down everything back in the cap

(44:37):
region. But Dwayne Hollis Damon whereDarius Prince. I just looked over everybody
when we found out we were theyou know, we're the show starter,
and and the fact that we getto go against the Orlando which has been
a rival of ours, and youknow, we helped get them, you
know, to the to the islandof relevancy last year and they, in
our opinion, they didn't do enoughto stay on the island. So we're

(44:57):
looking forward to booting them right backoff right to start the season. We
all just got giddy. It wasjust exciting. You know, I have
the I have the twenty nineteen AFLring with me. I started like holding
it up for everyone to see it, like like Simba, I had it
up in the middle of the room. Ahrel games. The CEO of the
league was like, I'm gonna needto wear that. And he's a big
dude, so he can do whateverhe wants. But yeah, it's just
that was that was the biggest thing, just to know that we're there.

(45:21):
We're going to have two Monday nightgames during the season, and they're both
going to be against the Philadelphia Soul, so that rivalry is back. I
will tell you one one other thing. It is a ten game season.
But because we are all Benny andbecause of what the fan base is meant
through the AFL, the Firebers andeverything else, we're getting six home games.
We're going on the road four times. So MVP Arena will host six

(45:43):
home games starting on April twenty seventh. When we when we let the Predators,
you just remind them where they belongin the old pecking order. What
a great moment to have that happen. To have the AFL have the faith,
the respect, the trust, whateverwords we want to use to talk
about what they've you the Capitol Regionsports fan as over the past few years
in the history of Capitol Region sportsfan when it comes to the Almbedi fire

(46:06):
words so cool that we're talking notjust cities that maybe have started, like
these are big time markets from Philadelphiaas you mentioned, and more states across
the country. For you, likeI want to call it the pomp and
circumstance because I want to get amacho man. Randy Sarah's reference it here.
But how did for you it musthave felt totally different in comparison to
what you've seen over the past fewyears. Like you've been a part of

(46:29):
the NFL in a on field hostingrole, but as a team president,
this is your second different league inthe last three and a half years.
Yeah, and it's you know,just to kind of give you like a
scope of how big this league couldbe and I think will be. You
know, when you've got your commissionerLee Hutting up there speaking in front of
the room, and then you lookacross the room and the head coach for

(46:51):
West Texas is the commission used tobe the commissioner of the NL the league.
He just you won last time,you did a whole season in it.
It's like, huh, well likeyour ponds now, isn't it,
buddy? Like it's it's it is. It's a little onspiring. It's a
little different, and it's one ofthose situations where like, you know,
you you hear Lee hut and go, look, I know who's trying to,

(47:12):
you know, work against us.You know in our world, got
counter program program against us, andI'm coming for you. And it's just
like that's kind of the way Iwant to ride. I like people who
see a challenge. Who see aperson who wants to be your opponent,
size you up and then just goright after you. And that's that's what
this leak is is gonna be.And you know, we're just starting to

(47:32):
make the announcements, so you know, to have Humble involved means that we've
got this this tech partner where itwas. It was really interesting me because
when this, when this broadcastgan onthe website, it was overwhelmed. They
broke the website. Yeah, butthe the founder and the bosses, everybody

(47:53):
from Humble was here. They brokeout free laptops, start hacking away on
their computers and all of a sudden, next thing, you know, it's
work it again. So like youhave a partner in Humble, who's who's
I guess Humble enough to be herewith you to make sure it runs right.
And it was you know, it'sthe CEO, it's the CFO,
it's those people who are sitting theregoing we need to make this right.
We're part of this league. Itwas really cool. And if anything I'm

(48:16):
hearing right now is even remotely true, which I believe it all is,
then the announcements are only going toget bigger from here. So this is
this is the place to be manthe AFL and as we started calling it
on the limo bus down the theAlmney Football League, which we think has
a nice ring to it, Uh, where we're just we're just gonna take
over. And they like invited usto try to talk trash. I'm like,

(48:37):
have you seen what we've been doingall day? Anybody, Like,
that's why we're here. We wetalked trash and then we and then we
walk that lock. So it's it'sit's pretty incredible. It's gonna be really
exciting, and you know, it'sall inspired. It really is when you
see the people, like everybody inthat room. They may not be the
richest person you've ever met, theymay not be the you know, the

(48:59):
smartest guy you've ever met, butthere are all the people who love football,
who love arena football the most andare going to give it absolutely everything
they got. So this is thebeginning and where there are already there were
people in the room from markets thatare being added next season already. So
when they finally shut the gates onthis year, they still had people trying
to get on the bus. Andso we're going to expand as of next

(49:22):
year of the playoffs and the championshipgame are all going to be neutral locations,
but those neutral locations will be theplaces that next year will be in
the new franchise. I would coveredso much. I would tell you this
not just if you're on the phoneor in person, and actually because you're
my friend, of my co hostand all the great things, but please
share this with Mike and Darius Princeand Aimed and all the people who are

(49:44):
connected to the Firebirds who we letoff the show talking about this today of
what it's been like the last yearand six months, that it's not three
years that it took for Arena Footballto come back to the Capitol Region.
Are a decade plus six months fromwhat six months ago was to where you
guys are today in Times Square withthe Capitol Region, even with everything that

(50:05):
happened out of your guys's control,that the Arena Football League is back,
and they said, we want Albany, we want the Capitol Region to beat
Game one, we want the Firebirdsto report. I hope you guys are
proud because you're making people the CapitalRegion product visited historic day to day.
So please share that message with youguys, and I hope you guys have
a few celebratory drinks on the rideback today, because you guys all deserve

(50:27):
it over what's happened over the lastfew months with you guys. I mean,
I wasn't gonna do it be sentyou insist. I guess we could
pop a few tops. Raz Ourdriver was like, Hey, just so
you guys know, I know whywe're going to the city. I got
champagne ready for the ride back.Yeah. I thought that was pretty cool.
So, yeah, everybody's been greatand it's just, uh, the

(50:47):
one another thing I didn't mention toyou is like, this is the group
that will be a part of runningthe flag football teams for the Olympics.
WOA. So when you see thelike the Arena Football USA instead of what
it speed the AFL dot Com,that's because they already have their eyes set
on arena football, Mexico Arena football, Canada Arena football, you know,

(51:08):
you know, Germany, like whatever, they're it's these are the guys who
have never seen a problem too bigto tackle, and they're gonna and they're
and they're part of bringing the ANFLback and now they're gonna be the next
one, they hand up a trophy. So so we're looking forward to it.
I want to let you go.But before you go, just because
you know, I enjoy stuff likethis when it's random and on location everything

(51:30):
else, can you tell us aboutour friends over at the Integrative Sleep Center
and Bosston Spot. Look before Ido that real quickly, I said that
I was cool, but this isa radio dirt moment that you're gonna have.
So we got to the out herea little bit early. We went
to find the bars. We're walkingout, I hear, hey, Jeff,
and I look up it's Peter Schwartzfrom ws AN here. I like,

(51:50):
everybody's like, how the hell doesthat guy know who you are and
everything? I'm like, dude,you know, I'm kind of a big
deal, I swear, but Iknow he's you know, he's been a
great guy who's been helping helping meout. He worked with with other teams
the past with the Integrated Sleep Center. I mean, I'm gonna recommend as
to everybody because on the ride back, I'm almost positive there's gonna be story.
And that's the worst because it's aseasy as a mouthpiece that you travel
with. I got it. Inmy backpack ready to go, just in

(52:13):
case I started to dose up,which I can't imagine, Like I am
pumped right now. But when Ido go to sleep tonight, mouthpiece keeps
the airway open. Sleep back.He is under control. The snoring is
is as low as it's ever beensince I was a child, and I'm
sleeping so much better, and myhealth is better. Listen, listen,
listen to me ramble right now.It's saying the energy I've got for you
after spending entire day and on limobus with Mike Korda and Darius Prince and

(52:36):
Damon Ware. So if you wantthis kind of boost, if you want
this kind of night sleep, yougotta call five eighty five, six five
sixty eighty five doctor Fred Dreer,and you're in Sleep Center and boss in
Spa. They're helping me sleep better. They're gonna help you sleep better too,
And I believe that will we bebringing back to Sleeper Camp as part
of the Arena Football Experience in theCapitol Region. He is the team president,

(52:57):
he is the co host. Hedoes it all. My guy,
love back. I will see youtomorrow in the GT Toy studio. Toys
of Dizza celebrate and rightfully so tonightwith the ire Bird family. I'll catch
you tomorrow. Man, what anawesome day to day. Glad you got
squeeze a few minutes for us backhere at Fox Sports land Tex. Your
holding down form, you got yourbear all right there, he goes Our
guy Love back four o'clock hours onthe way, Levan Gus, We're here

(53:19):
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