Gaardsy in for Bump! Pierre Noujaim! - Bumper to Bumper 7/6/26 Hour One

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Finally arrived as a legitimate soccer nation.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Welcome in.

Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's the cake Show edition of Bumper to Bumper Guardzy
in today. Brett blakemore here as well. Pierre Newsrom from
Fox nine Sports is going to join in about thirty minutes.
Mike Trudell from Lakers dot Com and a bunch of
other things out in LA to talk World Cup in
Lebron at four thirty, and Johnny Athletic, the Monday Regular
will join at five thirty. The brat Shawn Brian Kafan
text line as always his six four six eight six,

(00:24):
so you can hit it early and often might take
some talkbacks today, so we'll dust that off three to
six thirty, and you can always tweet me at Guardzy
as well.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hope everybody had a great Fourth of July.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
If you were in the metro area and you didn't
get rained out, congratulations. I was in Wisconsin, Oh, good
for me, and it was nothing but sunny skies and
fireworks as far as the eye could see. Sounds like
some cities and some towns here in the metro had
some issues. My hometown would be Dinah. According to Greg
Sweedburg couldn't do the fireworks because someone left him outside

(00:54):
and it rained and they got too wet. Seems like
an own goal. And I don't even know if it's true,
but a sweat or tweets it. I believe it. Welcome, inn,
good to be here. Have we arrived as a soccer nation?
Does it have anything to do with tonight's match seven
o'clock in Seattle against Belgium with a trip to the
quarterfinals on the line. The winner of this match takes

(01:15):
on Portugal and Spain, and if the US wins, they
advance farther than they have in like twenty years and
only for the second time. And we've never done anything
remotely close to what we've done so far this World
Cup in terms of match wins in the group play,
may be advancing to the quarters the whole deal. It
has nothing to do with any of that, Brett. The

(01:36):
fact that we are on the right side of a
controversial FIFA decision. Doesn't that strike you as a long
time suffering United States men's national team soccer fan. Doesn't
that seem to you to be the signal that we
have officially arrived as a legit soccer force, that we
are now the bad guys we are now the evil Empire.

(01:57):
We are taking the slings and arrows from everybody. And
if you've missed it, the red card has been rescinded
or suspended, is what they said. So I don't know
if my new guy flow good vibe with them ball again.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
I don't know if at some.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Point he's gonna have to sit out an international match
because of the red card that he got in the
last round. But everybody's mad about this except Americans, and
there's even some Americans who are mad about it that
don't love fair play. But I feel like this is
a sign we have finally arrived. Belgium is bitter. They
didn't understand that they didn't technically file an appeal, but

(02:32):
they wanted some clarification, so then FIFA opened up an appeal.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
The appeal was denied. He's going to play.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
It was a shocking turn of events, as like a
lot of Minnesota sports fans, I was refreshing Johnny Athletics
Twitter handle every five minutes to see if we could
get a Lebron James update. More on that as the
show goes along, including even in the next segment. But
it's just funny to me that we have arrived. Now

(02:59):
I feel like and there are two camps. Well there's
actually three, and maybe you could add a couple more
because I know Brett blakemore. You were on the air
for worst case scenario when all of this went down,
as the rest of us were minding our own business
trying to find what's going on with Lebron and we
get the word that Balligan is in you will play
tonight against Belgium. The one camp is this is wrong,

(03:22):
this is terrible. Here here goes FIFA again, just making
it up as they go along. One call from President
Trump the what award did he win? The FIFA Medal
of Freedom and something like that. Yeah, President Trump, which,
by the way, good for the president. If this is
how the game is played, if this is how we

(03:43):
roll in the World Cup, the crown jewel of this sport.
If all it takes is a couple of phone calls
and a little bit of pressure to say the host
nation needs all their guys, feel like we've been a
pretty good host. People are coming in from all over
the world. They seem to like what America is about
right now. They're having fun with our unlimited refills and
costco SI. This is everybody's you know, people strangers are

(04:03):
picking up strangers to give them rides back from matches
in Foxborough, like everything seems to be going well.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
Good on the president to say, are you gonna.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
Take a look at this, because you can, even though
we were told a couple of days ago, and you
had told us, there's really not a formal appeals process.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
There's one by law.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
That basically says FIFA can do whatever it wants. If
FIFA decides that they want to make a change, despite
all the different committees and everything else, FIFA can just say, yeah,
you're right, we're going to do it different. We're going
to make a change. And that's what they did. So
there are people that are in the camp of this
is wrong, this is terrible. Here's FIFA added again the
most corrupt organization in the history of sports.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Again exposing its corruption.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
Then there's the camp that says, well, this is writing
or wrong, This isn't wrong, this is righting the wrong.
That was the red card in the first place. I
think I know which one you. I think I know
which way you're going to lean, and I'll let you
respond in a second. This is this never should have
in a red card, they use the wrong var protocols.

(05:04):
You're not supposed to do slow motion. It's too punitive anyway,
which I actually agree with, and it's something I want
to talk to Pierre about, who's a big soccer guy,
and Mike Trudell, who's a former college soccer player as well,
that it seemed to me that if you're gonna sit
a guy not only for the rest of that match,
which happened again last night with England and Mexico right
England was down to ten, I'm so locked in if

(05:27):
you're gonna sit a guy and then he's gonna have
to sit out another match, like there should.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Be very little gray area. There should be very.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
Little if it's gonna be that punitive and the bleep
in World Cup where the next one's not until twenty thirty,
like it should be. There shouldn't be a lot of debate.
And there was so much debate to me about that
red card. So there's those people that are saying this
is just correcting what was an incorrect decision, and I
think it is riding or wrong, and I still think

(05:55):
it's probably wrong. I think it's the worst of all worlds.
By the way, I'm not losing any sleep over it.
I don't like there are some some people have actually
written that whatever happens now the US, they're in a
no win situation because if they win tonight against Belgium,
this win will forever be tainted by the corruption that

(06:16):
is FIFA. Like, does anybody care about that? In all honesty?
Like I don't.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
I don't. Maybe I have no morals. Maybe I've lost
the high ground.

Speaker 1 (06:24):
But given that this is apparently how the game is
played at this level, that different decisions can be made
for various times for really no reason whatsoever other than
that's the way the wind blew and that's what FIFA decided.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
I think.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
If I'm Belgium, I'm absolutely annoyed. I'm completely bitter this.
If this flip, I mean, just think about it. When
Jamal Murray think about this, Dan to do Sam Mitchell
think about this? Jamal Murray throws a heat bag, Dan
gets no suspension. We were all pissed about that. Right
should have been suspended. Everybody knew he wasn't going to
be suspended, but we were annoyed when bin Yama probably

(06:59):
could have been gasped for another game after he threw
the vicious selbo at now Charlotte Hornet nasried, and that
was intentional, and that was very intentional, but he didn't
get the suspension, and what were woose fans? We were
annoyed right that he could just come back, and even
more so that he came back as like this sympathetic hero,

(07:19):
according to the NBC broadcast crew, like overcoming this this
adversity that was literally one hundred percent self inflicted.

Speaker 2 (07:26):
So I get it, I get to bitterness. I'm I'm
fine with him playing.

Speaker 1 (07:30):
I thought it was a joke that I don't like
the whole red card concept. I know you got to
protect people, and I know there's got to be a
player safety part of it. And I know I'm I
can't even call myself a casual soccer fan, as you
know very well, I'm a complete newbie. But I'm just
thinking about it in my head. That something can be
that punitive, that can be that hotly debated, doesn't make

(07:52):
a lot of sense to me. And I know they've
played this game for centuries and I've literally just learned
about it and have actually taken the time to care
about and I think has been fun about this world
Cup is we all have hot takes now, even though
we can't even name five players on the team.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
So that's to me.

Speaker 1 (08:08):
The silver lining of this whole thing is that I
think we can call ourselves a legitimate soccer country now
because most of the commentary that isn't coming from America
is outraged by this. This is what only happen if
it's the If we weren't the host country, it wouldn't
have happened. Would have happened at President Trump didn't make
a call. This is a joke. You can find it
online if you really you don't even have to look

(08:31):
that hard. But I feel like we finally arrived. Congratulations Brett.
I know it's been a long time coming for you
and all your fans.

Speaker 3 (08:36):
I mean, I think to answer your question, if we've
arrived as a soccer country, the biggest sign is that
Justin Gardon went seven minutes straight to open the show
talking about soccer monologue that is as good.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
As it possible. Pretty much off the top of my
head too. This is all institutional knowledge now after the
last three weeks.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
It's fantastic. Yeah, shocking. I'm in the second camp now.
The way that it happened. Question, Here's what I know,
here's what I've read, and if new information comes out,
I'll change my opinion accordingly. But here's what FIFA says that, yeah,
they received a call from the president, but it was
out of their hands because there's some mysterious independent committee

(09:15):
that wasn't even influenced by them at all, who were
already looking at it, who were saying, yeah, it's probably
not a red card.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Now everything I like.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
When this red card happened, and then the overturn, there's
a lot of dooms crawling in the Blakemore House. I
believe that there was a lot of I want to
hear everyone's reactions, and pretty much everyone that was not
of Bosnian descent said yeah, probably not a red card,
or the English people would say it was a bit harsh.

Speaker 2 (09:39):
Bruce Arena is that his name, Well, he's a person,
Bruce Arena. Yeah, he's our old coach, right, he says,
easy red card? He said, no problem is that former
coach bitterness? It could be. I think that's wrong.

Speaker 1 (09:50):
Nanny Lagos, I think said we kicked it around the
room and yeah, we weren't really sure.

Speaker 3 (09:55):
Everyone on the broadcasts, including Terrynrie AND's a lot of
times saying it not a red card. So and he
wasn't even looking at the defense like it just there
was nothing in it. For me, I didn't think it
was a red. I think it was a yellow. It's
one of those unfortunate but they came together. Wasn't like
it wasn't a sliding tackle that was risky going into it.

Speaker 2 (10:15):
They go, uh, oh.

Speaker 3 (10:17):
Night, It was nothing like that. So that was more
of a red card to me. So the point is
is that most people are not unless you're of your
Posnian descent or Belgium descent, most people are not mad.
They're like, well, it got overturned because it probably wasn't
a red It was the way of which that had
happened because the president got involved. From what I've read

(10:38):
is that the president, while he did call Infantino, I
think his name is the head of FIFA, ye, there
was already the independent on their own committee who are
already reviewing it anyways, and then pushed it through that
it probably wasn't a red card, it didn't deserve the suspension.
So and guess what we're watching the TV right now Spain, Portugal.

(10:58):
Christianl Ronaldo same thing before the penalty, before the tournament started,
he had a red card and they suspended it because
he's Ronaldo. So I just don't I don't think the
presidents call.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
Actually I don't know.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
I'll change my opinion if said new information comes out
from what I understand, that's not what made it happen,
and the committee was already doing it anyway.

Speaker 1 (11:17):
How do we feel his rubes hit the bratch on
Brian Camfean text line six four six eighty six.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
Has a wrong been righted? Is this wrong?

Speaker 1 (11:23):
Do we feel vindicated as a soccer nation? Should we
feel guilty tonight? As some have suggested watching our brave
young men out on the pitch at lumen Field in Seattle,
Low clouds.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
Hit the talk back as well.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
We'll try to service those as the afternoon goes along.
Hit the text line. You can tweet me at Guardsey
as well. At the bottom of the hour, my buddy
Peter newsman from Fox nine Fox nine Sports is.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
Going to join for a while. We'll get to St.

Speaker 1 (11:45):
Pierre's problems as well as talk about the soccer match
tonight against Belgium. As a great soccer mind, Mike Trudell
at the bottom of the four o'clock hour and Johnny
Athletic with the latest on Lebron at five point thirty.
When we come back, though, we will pivot to Lebron
the last week that was Lebron another fourth of July.
Speaking of doom scrolling, looking at a lake, looking at
your phone. What's Lebron gonna do? Is it going to

(12:07):
be a gut punch? We discussed all of it. When
we come back, justin guard In for Berrera.

Speaker 3 (12:35):
You can say plugged into everything kf AN sports updates,
take a giveaways, show highlights, and more. You can follow
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Speaker 2 (13:01):
Growing up to me the fourth of July, bro of
Blake Moore.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
It used to be about cabins and family, fireworks and parades, reflection, decompressing.

Speaker 2 (13:17):
Road trips.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
You've been all over right, Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
I didn't go. One time.

Speaker 1 (13:22):
My family went to Mount Rushmore for some fireworks, which
I can't imagine a better scene than Mount Rushmore. I
know the Creasol's just spent a whole week in Deadwood,
South Dakota. Oh, good for them, must be nice to
be rich. We're happy for you. John, great speaker. By
the way, I had John Criesel speak in his early
days as a public speaker to the high school basketball
team I was coaching. It was unbelievable. So whatever people

(13:44):
are paying to have John Creesel come and speak, it's
money well spent.

Speaker 3 (13:47):
I can see the meat sauce gift of someone jumping
in the money as.

Speaker 1 (13:50):
We he Donald Duck, Yeah, Donald Duck counting his money,
the diving board, going into money, and I just you
have so many good memories. At least I do, and
I think most of us do. A lot of us
do about just the Fourth of July traditions and what
they mean.

Speaker 2 (14:03):
And this was obviously really big one.

Speaker 1 (14:05):
It's our two hundred and fiftieth anniversary as a country
seventeen seventy six. We've seen all of those deals all
over town. Everybody's trying to do their best pun around
our independence from Britain. And something happened last decade or so.
I'm not saying all that stuff is out the window
for the Fourth of July. It's still kind of there

(14:29):
but for me, and I don't know how others feel,
and I'd love some feedback on this Fourth of July
has essentially become I'm just going to stare at my
phone and see where Lebron James is going. Oh, the
Wolves made a trade for Rudy Gobert. I'm going to
listen to every single podcast and read everything piece about

(14:49):
that in the next seventy two hours because I've gotten
to get my fix. I've got to figure it out.
Maybe it all started twelve years ago, or was it. No,
it's fourteen years ago when Paris and Suitor, the Scatriots
landed in Minneapolis, and we've told the story a number
of times. We talked about it last week that I
was on my way out to Excelsia with my family.

(15:11):
I was probably listening to the fans. Somebody broke in
or something happened. Maybe it was a tweet that Zach
Parizi and Ryan Suitor were coming to Minnesota, and I
looked at my family. My parents were with me, my
wife was with me, and said, we better make this
a quick lunch because we got to go to work.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
That was fourth of July. That's fourth of July for
me now.

Speaker 1 (15:29):
I even texted Johnny Athletic, who again himself was trying
to enjoy a Fourth of July holiday in northern Minnesota
with his family, watching his son and one of his
son's friends do what kids do in the lake, but
all the while checking in on what's happening in this
case with Lebron James. It's to me the new Fourth

(15:51):
of July tradition, if you want to expand it out.

Speaker 2 (15:55):
I was waiting for Dylan Larkin rumors. I was looking
for Dylan larkinsteam.

Speaker 1 (15:59):
There's no such thing is a holiday moratorium now unless
the principles involved say that. And I listened to a
podcast today, the Rich Paul Max Kellerman podcast, Rich Paul,
Lebron's agent, that dropped a little bit earlier this morning,
and Rich Paul basically said, I let Lebron have the
Fourth of July week. I I didn't even bother, I
didn't even talk to him again, Is that true?

Speaker 2 (16:19):
Is it not? Who knows? But that's what it was
for me.

Speaker 1 (16:24):
And I even told Johnny Athletic, I said, I'm getting
your updates from my brothers in law as we're all
here as a family. Tried to enjoy the Fourth of
July holiday. But I don't know if it's a good
edition or a bad edition. But to me, Brett, it
feels different than the simpler times of Fourth of July's
of my youth.

Speaker 3 (16:45):
So what you're saying is the NFL gave us back
our August, but the NHL and the NBA took away
our July free Yeah.

Speaker 1 (16:52):
Yeah, and I'll raise my hand. I'm guilty. My son
said this the other day. I don't know if it
was after the Jalen Brown trade or the La Yellow trade,
whatever it was, he said, this is kind of as
fun as the season. I said, buddy, this is better
than the season. I think then the regular season. This stuff,
to me is more fun. Who's going here? Which trade

(17:15):
is happening? What's this package going to be? Does Johnny
like that package? Is this free agent going to go somewhere?
I've always loved it, and it's gotten a little weird.
It's got a little different with the second Apron making
trades in some ways more complicated, in some ways underwhelming.
I think we've had both of those examples here in
the last week. But yeah, I watched the whiteboard video.

(17:36):
The now infamous Rich Paul Max Kellerman whiteboard video.

Speaker 2 (17:40):
I watched it. I listened to the whole podcast.

Speaker 1 (17:43):
I got the breakdowns of I think there were ten
teams that Rich Paul listed on the whiteboard.

Speaker 2 (17:49):
And if you did enjoy your Fourth of.

Speaker 1 (17:51):
July and we're completely unplugged and you missed exactly what
we're talking about at some point, I think it was
Friday on the fourth, maybe it was the third on Thursday,
or vice versa. The second was Thursday, Friday was the third.
Rich Paul allegedly this is his claim, brought in the
whiteboard from his office, with the breakdowns of all the

(18:13):
teams that are Lebron James is considering the seventy six ers,
the Cavaliers, the Heat, the Nuggets, the Warriors, and your
Minnesota Timberwolves.

Speaker 4 (18:24):
That is a nice package.

Speaker 1 (18:27):
And I got to give Max Kellerman credit, even though
he talks too much as the host of a podcast.
And maybe I'm doing that right now, and when news
gets in here, maybe I'll talk over him. But Rich
Paul's giving you all the details. I don't care what
you think about any of them. I want you to
ask the questions and let Rich Paul give as many
secrets as he's willing to give. But I'm I'm fascinated

(18:47):
by how this is going to end, because what does
history tell us, Brett. Does history tell us that Lebron
James is going to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves next year?

Speaker 2 (18:56):
No? No, it does not.

Speaker 1 (18:58):
And I don't know what the percentage is, hundred and
fifteen percent. But for every and friends of mine have
texted me about this, for every single story that has
been written, Johnny Athletic one of them, Sam Quinn CBS
Sports that's making the rounds now in Wolves Twitter of
someone saying, you know, Lebron could go back to Cleveland

(19:18):
and put a nice bow in his career. He could
go to Miami and do that whole thing again. But
he should go he should go to Minnesota. The more
that's happening, the more hopeful we're all getting. Yet we
all know where this is going to go. At this point,

(19:38):
I'm just hoping he doesn't go to Denver. That would
be That's the one that would just crush me. I
can deal with Philly, I can deal with the Calves,
I can deal with Miami, I can deal with the Warriors.
I like the Steph Angle obviously if he comes here,
I mean I might take my shirt off, like Max, Yeah,
shut it down. If he comes here, that's a reason
not to hopefully did hear it? But if he goes

(19:58):
to Denver, I mean, that's just going to be devastating.
But doesn't it feel like that, like, because I'm sure
you can feel it, you know, all of us, everybody,
everybody's intent is up about this. Everybody's fired up about
this possibility. And the longer it goes and the more
people say, you know, where he should go, Minnesota, because
it's just occurring to people that this is actually a
really good fit for a million different reasons on the court,

(20:22):
off the court, mentoring position of need, power forward, give
us forty games and stay home in December, we don't care.
Come here for the playoffs and help Anton Wamelo. It's
going to be I mean, it's going to be just
a gut punch because their people have been given just
enough hope that it can actually happen.

Speaker 3 (20:41):
I mean, I watched the Max Kellerman clip of basically
he's saying, that's where they should go, that's what you
should do.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yeah, just go to me.

Speaker 3 (20:46):
That's the most interesting one and it's probably the best
basketball one. Look, yeah, he can fit in and he
can fit in anywhere. It's not in a show Hal
Tommy situation. He can go anywhere he wants. It just
makes so much basketball sense. And I don't know if
the and then you get the Johnny. They're ramping up

(21:07):
and their pitch is good. Go do something that no
one's ever done. You want to end the goat debate.
Come to Minnesota where we have like three banners and
none of them have to do with winning on the
wolf side, link side is chock full, there's championship Hall
of Famers. Yeah, they need smaller banners to fit more.
But that's their pitch, right, And you're right, they're ramping up.

(21:28):
That was the one that got everybody going. That's what
I woke up to in nesh Curl, Wisconsin with my
brothers in law saying, did you.

Speaker 2 (21:35):
See Johnny's piece.

Speaker 1 (21:37):
They're ramping up and I'm you know, sleeping on a couch,
you know, looking for my coffee. No spotted cows because
I'm not a sheep. I don't just drink that because
I'm over in Wisconsin. Kevin Falness and but that's what
we did for the next thirty six hours is just
kick around Lebron content and go, is this gonna happen?
It's gonna be bad when it doesn't happen. Man, If
it happens, it's gonna be unbelievable. But when it doesn't

(21:59):
have it's gonna be rough. It's gonna be rough. We'll
ask the news what he thinks about that. But I
wanted to get back to the soccer conversation with one
of the three people in my life that actually follows
the game. I'm basically talking to all of them today,
Brett Blake Moore, Mike Trudell, and Pierre Newsham, my buddy
from Fox nine Sports, who's about to be a father
That might come up in the conversation as well.

Speaker 2 (22:20):
He hangs with me for a while after this.

Speaker 5 (22:21):
In One Night, One Stage One Epic Band, My Chemical
Romance at target Field August twenty fourth, and grab your
tickets before they're gone.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
Tell Agtails DAYKFE dot Com, Qubret Calendar, all.

Speaker 1 (23:01):
Right, welcome Back, Cake Show Edition A Bumper to Bumfer
Guardsian for Barrero Today. Mike Trudell from Lakers dot Com,
Great Soccer Mind, Great Lebron Mind.

Speaker 2 (23:10):
Great Lonzo ballmind.

Speaker 1 (23:12):
So maybe we'll get some Ball family steam and speculation
from Trudell in about an hour, and of course, Johnny
Athletic makes his weekly appearance at five thirty. Bret Blake
Morris here top five to five. We've got it all
and I got him on the calendar, Thank god, because
at any given moment, and I'm hoping it happens in
the next hour, his beloved wife may go into labor

(23:33):
and welcome their first child into the world. He's pure
newsroom from Fox nine Sports Hype, Pierre, great to be back.
Thank you for having me, buddy.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
Are we that much on the clock? The do date
is July twentieth.

Speaker 4 (23:45):
I was told by the doctor we're not gonna make
it to that date. It's gonna happen before then. So
it really could happen at any moment. I don't know
if it'll happen within the next hour. That would make
for quite a story. Yeah, but it's if it's not
by the end of this week, it's going to be
next week.

Speaker 2 (24:01):
I think, where's your phone? Is your phone?

Speaker 1 (24:03):
It's in my back pocket. No, you can't do that.
You got to have your phone out. I didn't want
it buzzing. Yeah, it's fine, that's fine.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
Here.

Speaker 1 (24:09):
It's July. We're good. It's July. There's no big Vikings
game to talk about that. There is a big World
Cup match tonight. Yeah, and you're like Brett. Brett and
I were. Brett was joking with me before the show.
I used to when we would do shows, I would
give him and this isn't like a clever bit or
even a new bit, because I think Dan Patrick does

(24:31):
it too.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
I would let him.

Speaker 1 (24:33):
I'd give him sixty seconds for soccer. Okay, like during
the top five ye five, we were talking about the Wolves,
wild it wins, the Vikings, the Links, whatever, and I say,
all right, Brett, you got sixty seconds for soccer and
most of the time we've cut you off even before that, right, yeah, yeah,
so you'd have the timer related yes, yeah, Well then
I think had to be the stipulation, like we don't.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
Need we don't need all right, we don't need you know, the.

Speaker 1 (24:56):
Champions, we don't need any of that. So I guess
what has it been like that you're one of the
cooler kids. Now you can go around because you are
like a you bought the soccer ipo, like you're like
a Bill Gates of this.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
Stock I'm selling high. What's that like for you?

Speaker 1 (25:11):
Is a guy who played the game I think still
plays every once in a while, right, I was.

Speaker 4 (25:16):
Playing last year, and then I played for almost a
full year, and then I realized I'm over forty years
old now and these kids are running circles around me.
So I gave that up. But it's I think I've
been telling people left and right. I think this tournament
has been an absolute home run, not just for the
game in this country, but for the country itself.

Speaker 2 (25:40):
Just I think you.

Speaker 4 (25:41):
Even commentator said something to me about the two Scottish
guys I bumped into a couple of weeks ago that
We're out at PV Plaza and these two Scottish guys
just come up to me start talking. I turned to
our camera guy, Jared, I said, Jared, give me the
microphone right now.

Speaker 2 (25:54):
We have to interview these guys. This is too good.

Speaker 4 (25:57):
And they're going on and on about their travel in
the United States and how they haven't had to pay
for a single drink the entire time, and how much
they've absolutely loved the experience. I think everybody has been
eating those stories up left and right.

Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (26:11):
Since the tournament has started, I think everything has been
absolutely fabulous, and I would even include today's news in
that this is not going to bring me down. This
is not going to bring me down. It's not Why
would it? Why exactly why would it?

Speaker 1 (26:27):
So do you think, well, here in my opinion, I'm
assuming this is right for me personally. It all changed
in the first half of the Paraguay game. Yeah, oh yeah,
Paraguay mats like because the whole build up to the
and we would talk about it that enough said, and
I'm kind of bored with it, and I'm like, well,
every story I read is it's going to cost five

(26:48):
thousand dollars just to take the train from New York
to night Life.

Speaker 2 (26:51):
Right. Bots have bought all the tickets.

Speaker 1 (26:53):
FIFA's completely mangled this, like they've mangled everything. It's another
greed situation where the common person since getting priced out
of all this.

Speaker 2 (27:01):
I'n't heard one story about all of that.

Speaker 1 (27:04):
Now, there's been some seat geek issues or sub hub
issues with people not being able to get the tickets
that are fulfilled. Right, But the fact that I watched that,
so I'm watching it out of patriotic and work duty.
That Friday night against Paraguay good enough for me, and
I'm like, holy hell yeah, Like, what is happening here
these dudes?

Speaker 2 (27:24):
This is different.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
I don't know if it's going to last a match
or not, but I remember waking up on that Saturday
and being like, it's got to be just so fulfilling
for soccer fans to have had that experience. And now
now you're in it. Now, let's see where this thing goes.
And they haven't stopped.

Speaker 4 (27:38):
It's funny that you say that, and I'm curious to
know what Brett thinks about this as well. But I
remember when they unveiled the roster, I thought to myself, Okay,
like it's this team will probably be fine. It'll be
get out of the group stage, and if you know,
they do anything after that, fine whatever. I don't really
expect them to compete at a super high level. I
wasn't overly optimistic about the roster when I saw it initially,

(28:00):
but you said it perfectly. In that first half against Paraguay,
I had the exact same reaction as you. I thought
to myself, WHOA, I was not expecting this against a
team like Paraguay. You saw what they did to France
the other Actually you probably didn't see what they did
to France the other day. No, I've heard people talk
you about it, but they I mean, they're a team
that tries to bottle you up, and they're more than
happy to play the zero zero game or try to

(28:20):
sneak a goal and win you won zero, maybe even
go to penalties. And the USA completely dismantled them in
that first half, which was very surprising. And you go
back to Paraguay's game since then, they looked nothing like
that game against the United States. So I think it's
been absolutely tremendous.

Speaker 2 (28:36):
And you know, I.

Speaker 4 (28:40):
Tread lightly here. I really don't try to make anything political.
But one thing in my mind that I always thought
was funny. Whenever I would hear President Trump tell people
we're the hottest country in the world right now, in
my mind, I was like, that sounds great, that's cool.
I live in this career. I don't know what that means.
I don't know how exactly how you measure that. But
if I had a bottle it up and paint a

(29:01):
picture of maybe what he's trying to mean. In the
last couple of weeks during the World Cup, I kind
of feel like it looks like this, like this is
makes us the hottest country in the world with everybody
enjoying it out here. And please please don't call fox
s nine. I'm not endorsing anybody for political office.

Speaker 1 (29:16):
But that's just you know, that's just one of the
things that popped in my head with seeing how much
fun everybody has had yeah here in the country for
the tournament. Well, I mean this isn't controversial. Sports are
a uniter, Yeah, no doubt.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
You see the.

Speaker 1 (29:28):
Scene of whatever match it what must have been the
Bosnian match, yeah, after and just the amount of people
that all look different, of all different ages, that all
know country roads.

Speaker 2 (29:42):
Now that's become our thing. How do we feel about that? Yeah? Great? Quick, good?

Speaker 1 (29:46):
Sorry, right, never thought i'd be heave crying by myself
to country Roads, but I was. But sports are the uniter,
and that's we've covered sports forever.

Speaker 2 (29:55):
And that's always my favorite part.

Speaker 1 (29:56):
When like a team like the Gopher women's basketball team,
like when Williams Reina had a eleven thousand people in
there and the place was crazy, or go for football
and they have big wins Timberwolves, like and you just
I love just looking around and seeing everybody happy. Yes,
and that's what it feels like with this World Cup team. Now,
when the World Cup is over, I'm sure we'll all
go back to hating each other again, probably, but that's

(30:17):
what it does. Show you what's possible when you can
find something to unite around.

Speaker 2 (30:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (30:22):
Oh absolutely, and we saw that you I think I
heard you mentioned actually on the driving here, there was
a story out in New England about a German soccer fan, yeah,
who was given a ride from the stadium.

Speaker 2 (30:31):
Didn't have a ride.

Speaker 1 (30:31):
He was just walking along the street apparently, and someone
said where you're going and he started crying.

Speaker 2 (30:36):
He's in tears.

Speaker 4 (30:37):
He's in tears by by the hospitality and the generosity
of other people. I think it's made for a great story.
And you know, as far as today's news goes, listen this,
this is obviously, it's unprecedented. Obviously, Belgium absolutely has a gripe,
there's no question about in my mind, and the fact
that their appeal was dismissed so quickly surprised me a

(30:59):
little bit as well. But you know, if I had
one individual come up to me and say this is
now tainted for me, And I said, why, I know
why the team didn't do anything?

Speaker 2 (31:10):
Now I don't. I think Brett said it perfectly.

Speaker 4 (31:13):
I don't know how much the president's phone call really
has to do with how much sway he really has.

Speaker 2 (31:20):
Now I don't.

Speaker 4 (31:21):
I also thought it was funny hearing him talk about
how you know he is so knowledgeable about sports, but
then two seconds later he said, I didn't even know,
like you could be suspended for the red card.

Speaker 1 (31:30):
Yeah, so I'm not putting like I'm glad the President
called that's probably what you should do.

Speaker 2 (31:35):
I don't really think it had a whole lot of time.
I don't. I don't think so either.

Speaker 4 (31:40):
And so this when I see people online who put
these words by their name, saying I'm now actively rooting
against the United States. Just two days ago, when you
were probably a person that agreed that that red card
was delivered poorly, it was a wrong decision, we were
everybody was absolutely in Unison thinking it was an.

Speaker 2 (32:00):
Improper delivery of a red card.

Speaker 4 (32:02):
But today, because Trump's name is attached to it, now
you're actively rooting for the team to lose.

Speaker 2 (32:07):
What is wrong with you? What's wrong with you? Miserable?
Of course they do. Of course they do.

Speaker 3 (32:13):
My thing too that I was just thinking about is
let's say the roles were reversed. Let's say it was
a Doku who plays for Belgium's probably the best player, right,
if that happened, I would it be annoyed? Yeah, but
I would say, if we can't beat Belgium at full
strength and we don't deserve to go any further.

Speaker 2 (32:29):
Yeah and I And that's the reality.

Speaker 3 (32:30):
So them getting all mad about it and sending in
like sixteen different statements about it just goes to show that, like,
you know, they're really.

Speaker 1 (32:40):
Dan says, it depends on whose ox is being gord, correct.
I mean you say that in the comfort of Control
Room B right now, you'd be so heated up, you'd
be so mad, you'd be so annoyed. Who's who's the guy,
Jamie Ben He wasn't suspended. I'm sure you were pissed
about that, right in the Minnesota Wild game in the Minnesota.

Speaker 2 (32:56):
Wild Series is not the right guy? Guess what? We
beat him?

Speaker 1 (32:59):
Well, but I'm sure you were a little hot. I'm
sure you're a little hot that you know he didn't
even get fined or whatever. Going back two months ago.
All right, so as a fan of the game, yeah,
because we've been waiting for this. You know, the ninety
four World Cup. Do you remember that?

Speaker 2 (33:14):
Of course? Okay, I do.

Speaker 1 (33:15):
I remember nothing about it, not surprising what didn't really care.
I do remember a decent amount of things.

Speaker 2 (33:21):
It was a lot. I was a little tike back then,
but I do remember a lot of it. Yes.

Speaker 1 (33:25):
So the theory back then was this is going to
be the thing, yeah, that brings soccer to the forefront
of the US. And I was just listening to Bill
Simmons on my way in today and he said, and
we said that for the next twenty five years.

Speaker 2 (33:37):
Yeah, we waited for that. Yes.

Speaker 1 (33:39):
I don't know if I'm being prisoner of the moment news,
but I feel like this run really could be not
that it's going to overtake football, the American football, but
I feel like it could be more of a thing.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
Is that too romantic? Am I making too much of
this moment? I don't think so.

Speaker 4 (33:58):
I look at it with cautious optimism, I guess because
and the reason why I say that, I just had
this conversation with Manny Lagos. Just the other day, I
said to him, I said, I was when I was ten,
I was told NonStop that just wait thirty years, the
United States is going to absolutely dominate the world in soccer.

Speaker 2 (34:16):
Just wait thirty years.

Speaker 4 (34:17):
Yeah, And that's why I think I was pessimistic on
this year's squad. When I saw the roster, I was like,
I don't feel like this year's roster is any different
or any better than what I had seen in previous years.
So why does it feel like the growth talent in
this country has flatlined in the sport when I've been
told constantly that we're just going to keep getting better
and better and better.

Speaker 2 (34:37):
I don't know if it'll.

Speaker 4 (34:39):
Obviously, yes, it won't overtake football. It won't overtake basketball.
In my opinion, I do think that is it still
the number one youth sport played. I think it is up.
If it's not number one, it's close to number one
of the youth sport played in America.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
Because everybody starts and you go out and you play
soccer for a little bit, right, ye.

Speaker 4 (35:00):
Right, So I a deep run will only catapult it
even further. I don't know if we'll ever get to
a point where this team or this country will win
a World Cup, maybe long after I'm gone, but yeah,
I'm with you that. I do think a decent run,
at least a run if they win tonight, getting yourself
to the quarterfinal is something to be proud of.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
It's absolutely something to be proud of.

Speaker 4 (35:24):
So I would say, yes, this would go a long
way towards growing the sport even more.

Speaker 1 (35:28):
What do you think has kept it from being more popular.
I think there's a lot.

Speaker 4 (35:33):
I mean, if I'm being completely honest, I think it's
just a lot of the old guard. I think a
lot of people around this country didn't grow up with
the game. I think that when you have a lot
of people from around the country who are first generation
American like me, who grew up with parents who that
the game was their life, and I think you're having
a little bit more of that because people who immigrate

(35:54):
to this country, they bring soccer with them. Soccer is
the biggest sport in the world outside of the United States,
So why wouldn't I believe that they would bring that
passion with them here to the States and pass that
along to their children. So I think that's also a
growing area where the game is starting to become more popular.
I think it's just a little bit of Hey, we
grew up with baseball and football, and that's fine, and

(36:16):
I love those sports too, Like this doesn't have to
be in either or for me. But I think that's
that's kind of the area where I think you're starting
to see the growth of soccer a little bit.

Speaker 1 (36:25):
This is Pierre Newsroom from Fox nine Fox nine Sports.
He's hanging out in studio with me. I'm guardian for
Barrero today. Brett blakemore here as well. Mike Tdrudell's is
going to join at four thirty to talk a little
bit more World Cup but also some Lebron stuff. Is
a guy who's covered Lebron for his entire NBA career,
certainly his time in Los Angeles.

Speaker 2 (36:43):
So I gleaned from your.

Speaker 1 (36:44):
Comments and we haven't spoken that you thought the red
card initially.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
Was a bad call.

Speaker 4 (36:50):
I do, yes, absolutely, I'll come, I would say, And this,
I think is where the conversation comes in with var.
It's not really meant to be viewed at in like
slow motion like that.

Speaker 1 (36:59):
That's not so how does that happen? That's what I
don't understand. Yeah, in that protocol like in the World Cup.
And sorry to interrupt you, but everybody, so while you're
not supposed to use slow motion, so how is that
even how's that even available?

Speaker 4 (37:10):
It's well, whenever there's a red card issued, you have
to be able to really prove malicious intent or or
a reckless challenge. And to me, when you looked at
this challenge, this was two guys going at it at
the same time and a shoulder to shoulder challenge. If
two guys bump off each other on a shoulder to
shoulder challenge, that's no foul.

Speaker 2 (37:29):
That's no foul call.

Speaker 4 (37:30):
It wasn't exactly a shoulder to shoulder challenge. But the
Bosnian defender comes up behind Balligan, so there's no way
he could even know that he was about to be
pressed up on him. So to assume that he has
the presence of mine to wrap his cleat around the
back of that guy's calf, to rake his calf with
his studs is ludicrous to me. I heard Brett say it,

(37:54):
he probably would have issued him a yellow card. I
don't even know if I would have even gone that far,
to be honest, because it's such a bang bang play.
It's not like the play we saw last night with
England where his studs were completely high. I know he
hit the ball that kind of changed the trajectory of.

Speaker 2 (38:07):
Where his leg landed.

Speaker 4 (38:08):
But even if he doesn't land on the ball, the
way his leg was trajecting his studs being up high
as the way it would have gone right to the
middle of that guy's shin, that's a reckless challenge. I
would give a red card for that every single day.
So I do think it was the wrong call on
the field. I do think it was a wrong review.
So that's why I don't feel all that bad about
the decision today right.

Speaker 1 (38:28):
That What is crazy to me as an outsider is
that something that can be so debatable is that punitive,
and that especially I know it shouldn't technically matter that
the World Cups only every four years, but it's only
every four years, like you're you're you can definitively have

(38:49):
something on the books that says, oh, by the way,
if you get this red, not only are you out
and your team has to grind, which was awesome that
they figured it out England did the same thing last night,
but that.

Speaker 2 (38:59):
You're also off for the next game like this.

Speaker 1 (39:01):
These dudes have worked for literally this tournament since they
were basically your unborn child's age, right, Like a lot
of them have come out of the womb ready to go,
and they've been thinking about this and something that can
be that hotly debated to me is insane. Yeah, well,
it'd always be like that. Is there any movement to
change something like that?

Speaker 4 (39:19):
To be perfectly honest with you, I don't think the
rule needs to be changed. I'm being totally honest. I
think if you're issued this is the only tweak I
may make. If you're issued a straight red, I think
you should be suspended for the next match. If it's
two yellow cards, then I might think about it differently.
I could think about it differently in terms of you
being suspended for the next match. But if you get

(39:40):
a straight red, I don't have an issue with the rule.
I really don't. It just has to be applied consistently obviously,
So I don't really have an issue with the rule.

Speaker 2 (39:49):
I don't.

Speaker 1 (39:50):
So Yeah, that's the other thing I love about it
is that there's a bylaw that basically says FIFA can
just decide like there's no process because it happens they
go on it was dooming gloom or however many hours
immediately after, because originally I was like, how do they
not have some type of appeal for this?

Speaker 4 (40:07):
That's and this is where FIFA has brought it upon.

Speaker 1 (40:09):
Itself, and they kind of do and then but this
one just appears like, Yeah, if FIFA decides they'd like
to make a change, then they're going to make a change.
And that's what we are. And I feel no guilt
about it. I'm not passionate about it either way. It's
certainly not gonna I'm not gonna feel guilty tonight watching it.
I do think I understand why everybody's annoyed that might
not be wearing red, white.

Speaker 2 (40:30):
And blue glasses.

Speaker 1 (40:31):
And I'm sure there is some truth too, if it
wasn't the host country, and if it wasn't if they
didn't feel like it was poorly administered on the field,
But it just seems just I guess it's funny to
learn stuff that you guys have all known for a
really long time, like this is all old news to you,
Like most of us are like, this is what they do. Really,
they can just decide and all this stuff just gets
adjudicated this.

Speaker 3 (40:52):
Way, the US is probably playing Spain in the next
fra house for a second.

Speaker 4 (40:57):
Yeah, yeah, no unless it And this is situation too
where guards I think everybody here has a point, and
there every side of this argument I think has a
point and a fair point, and I will absolutely acknowledge that.

Speaker 2 (41:11):
Now, let's forget about it and let's go out there
and kick their butts.

Speaker 1 (41:13):
And let's talk about that for a couple of minutes
here before we pause, give us and Brett jump in
here too, give us the soccer breakdown of what needs
to happen tonight. Who is Belgium? What's important about Belgium?
What's important for the US tonight?

Speaker 4 (41:27):
Well, I'll say it real quick so I can let
Brett jump in here. One thing I will say about
Belgium is they're a team that around the world. Over
the last eight years or so, they've been a contender.
This year they have been, in my opinion, one of
the more disappointing teams, even though they have reached this stage.
If you go back to their opening game against Egypt,
they should have lost that game. They tied Iran, they
beat up on New Zealand. Who is one of the
worst teams in this tournament, so I'm not really overly

(41:50):
impressed by that. Yes, I'm going to say I was
impressed by them being able to come back late the
way they did against Senegal.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
That's great power to them.

Speaker 4 (41:57):
But even without flow Baligant, the lineup going against this
Belgian team that is aging. By the way, I still
think the US should have been favored, and they are favored.
I still think they should have been favored if Baligan
wasn't eligible to play in this game. So if he
whether he starts or whether he comes off the bench,
I'm of the belief that the United States should win
this game.

Speaker 2 (42:16):
Regardless.

Speaker 3 (42:17):
I do mostly agree it's a battle of what have
you done for me lately? And pedigree because three months
ago the US played Belgium and kind of in a
friendly getting ready for the right, and Belgium trounced US.

Speaker 2 (42:30):
Yes, five to two. It was not good.

Speaker 3 (42:32):
Now they're the jersey matchup was horrible. You couldn't tell
who was who. It was like white versus kind of white.
It made no sense at all, So they didn't. They're
not doing that today. The fans learned, which, by the way,
this game on the fan tonight.

Speaker 2 (42:45):
Good plug. You can listen to it right here.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
To me, it's being more organized in defense, not being
as leaky, and possessing the game. If they when they're
at their best, they're controlling the game, they're deciding they
have the possession and they're running into space and creating
where when they're at their worst is when they're trying
to defend and trying to just hang on for their lives,
which it worked out against Bosnia, but it's not going

(43:09):
to work out against I mean, Doku is class uh
de bruynas is on the back nine, but he's still
very good. So I think they can win. I think
they would have still been favored without Baligan, but it's
a huge boost that we have.

Speaker 2 (43:22):
Oh he's he's bag. He's still producing. He's still producing
though that that's true? Is class soccer code for good? Yes? Yes, okay, yes,
you have to say it that way, you do. I
don't know, like the kids would say, he's gas. That's
what they say. That's what my is?

Speaker 1 (43:42):
That what I'm going to find out here in a
little bit. Who knows what your kid's going to say.
My my younger, my godson was telling us everything that
was gas.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
So we were really learning. Okay.

Speaker 1 (43:52):
While he was refreshing for Lebron updates pretty much all week,
he was telling he was telling us it was gas.
All right, well, good breakdown. Both of you appreciate it.
By the way, Brett, have you washed that polistic jersey?

Speaker 3 (44:03):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (44:03):
Okay, but you got to get your if not now
when No, it's true. Yeah, every time it's a game day.

Speaker 1 (44:12):
I know you're right, it's a match day, a match
day trying to translate Seattle the best spot literally in
the country.

Speaker 2 (44:19):
The match could be tonight, right listen, I mean it
really is. Yeah, it's a great spot.

Speaker 4 (44:23):
One thing I'll say, I know we got to go
to break but like I played the game all my life.
The terminology stuff and even annoys me. Don't call it
a kit. We don't call it a kit here, that's stupid.
Call it a jersey.

Speaker 2 (44:32):
Is this a Pierre's problem? Might be not a full
problem or just a p Yeah, yeah, granted to them.
This is like a yellow card, not a full red.

Speaker 4 (44:42):
Yeah, haveny full reds for us later probably, I'm sure
I can come up with something before you.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
I want to get at least one red card. Peer problem.
We can come up with something, no problem.

Speaker 1 (44:51):
And when we come back, I want to talk a
little bit more soccer, a little bit about Lebron, a
little bit about how your life is going to change
in ways that I cannot even wait for, having known
you for almost a decade. He's Pierre Newsroan from Fox
nine Sports. More with him in the top of the hour.

Speaker 2 (45:05):
Justin guard in for Barrero on the fan from the
one A