Nostalgia Pop

Neil Barrett: Welcome, welcome, welcome to the run out. I am Neil Barrett. He is Brandon Hooton. We have got a ton to talk about. The PLL just wrapped up the penultimate weekend of the 26, 2016, 2026 regular season that saw the Cannons pull off a sweep during their homecoming weekend. The defending champion, Atlas secure the number one pick, and the WLL's inaugural championship is set. But before we get into all of that, man, Brennan, how you doing? @HootSportsMedia: doing great. Just traveling all weekend, so today was a rough day back at work, a little tired. definitely had two two coff two cup of coffee times a day for sure. Neil Barrett: For you. @HootSportsMedia: But yeah, weekend was good. didn't get to watch too much lacrosse, but enough. Watched the junior game on the plane. That was awesome. first time doing that. Neil Barrett: The junior games were fun. @HootSportsMedia: And it also was like actually really entertaining, so that was kinda cool. I missed the twelve U, unfortunately, but I saw the fourteen U, so that was nice. And yeah. Came back with more cards in my mailbox, so it was a good weekend. Neil Barrett: Nice, nice. the 12U game was fun. Those kids are such little like bobbleheads. @HootSportsMedia: Ha ha. Neil Barrett: It's also so funny to me every time every time you see a kid shoot that like you see the arc. You know, like you're so @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah. Neil Barrett: used to watching like high level NCAA and PLL stuff, and it's just like a straight line, you know, a bullet right to the to the net, and those kids shoot and it's just like Phew. But but no, they were fun. And why am I totally blank? Who called the U12 game? I know Brett Dobson did the U14 game. I can't remember who did the U12 game. it was Tom Schreiber. Tom Schreiber did it. I'm pretty sure. Yeah, @HootSportsMedia: did he really? That's nice. Neil Barrett: I'm pretty sure it was someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure it was Tom Schreiber that did it. I turned it on after it started. And so I couldn't figure out who it was. I was like, who is this? And then at one point they said Tom Schreiber. I'm like nearly positive. so yeah, those were fun. definitely worth, you know, checking out if you're at work, if you're like me and you can you can throw something on a second screen, like throw it up. they were fun and entertaining. Those kids. I think I think those games are fun to watch because you watch them and like you remember that lacrosse is a game, like it's fun. It it doesn't have to be serio that being said, we're about to, you know, talk about it very seriously. So what what better way to kick off the show, right? let's let's start with the MLL weekend, throwback weekend in Boston. Before we get started talking about the games, we saw the jerseys on the field, the uniforms on the field. What'd you think? @HootSportsMedia: was I I really like the Outlaws ones way better on field than I did. in the release. Neil Barrett: I t I told you. @HootSportsMedia: they I saw they released the the legend edition to buy. They got me. Ladies and gentlemen, we got Neil Barrett: My my question is, how long is that gonna take? Cause I I ordered I ordered a a Chad Palumbo Hounds jersey, but I also ordered the LA Riptide, you know, throwback shirt and a thing of cards. And literally before right before you hopped on here, I got an email that said my shirt and the cards had shipped. And I was like, man, how long is it gonna take for me to get this jersey though? @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Well, I don't know. What's funny is I was gonna order a Dylan Ward rib tie jersey and I just I forgot and I used my discount and so I like, I'm not gonna get it. And then I had that thought of like, this might take a while anyway. So Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: but yeah, so I I did like better on field. I hope the ones that were actually shipping have the orange collar like they had on field 'cause thought that that looked really good. Boston's I still felt the same way. It just it it's really plain. they look like the University of Cornell. Or Cornell University, however you say it. Like I just you know. and that Neil Barrett: I think they look like Boston University. They literally said Boston on Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: That that too. I mean that's it's not a knock on them by any means, but it's just one of those like yeah. the Riptide I thought were fine. I would've liked to see the the full color version, but you know, the white was was fine. I actually really liked the lizards. I know a lot of people were kinda felt like they were playing, but I thought they were cool. It was I will say it was confusing trying to watch some of the games and remind yourself who was who at times. just be like, Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Wait, who who was on this team and like what Especially when I turned one game on, I forget which one it was, like halfway through, and I was like, Wha who who am I watching here? But anyway, the hounds I thought were okay. I'm not a huge on that color scheme, but like the jersey themselves I thought was nice. The helmet by far the best helmet I've ever seen, I think. who am I missing? Bayhawks was looked good. Still want bigger wings on the shoulder, but helmets were awesome. yeah and Utah wore the y normal stuff, so nothing there. Am I missing someone? Neil Barrett: Philly but they weren't they weren't on the Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Philly I guess didn't play, yeah, so that would have been awesome. But yeah, overall I I actually really enjoyed the on field product. Neil Barrett: Yeah, and they'll Philly will wear theirs this coming weekend if for at least one game. I don't know if they'll wear them for both or whatever, but at least one game they'll wear them this coming weekend. So we'll we'll talk about them when we see them on the field. I'm I'm in some agreement with you. Boston, I think, on the field, I think it sort of like I thought about that uniform when the original Boston Cannons wore them in the MLL in twenty nineteen. They're very plain and in a manner of speaking kind of boring. But you see them on the field, you're like, okay, yeah, I mean, it's not too bad. It's not terrible. They're they're at least clean. I do think they look a little bit like a Boston or or like you said, i a Cornell. not a not a bad comparison there and maybe that's the the the better way to say it is that they do f feel very collegiate, @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: which was Is not bad necessarily, but you know, not as fun as the other ones do. My bigger thing with that one was like I just don't understand why we're throwing back to twenty nineteen. The PLL existed. Like I I don't know. Felt weird. like I said, I I think I may have said this last week. I think they just wanted a red jersey. I think I think the cannons @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Which I'm on board with actually. I I think that'd be nice as like a tertiary or even primary jersey for them. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Well and I I think the I think the Cannons have a navy and a white and they wanted to do a red jersey that was gonna be different and what you know, people would buy and and that is the only I believe that is the only red jersey that the Boston Cannons ever wore. so I I think that's ultimately @HootSportsMedia: Did didn't they have one in champ series? I know it's not like L L but did they they did, right yeah. Neil Barrett: Yes, yes, yes. To be yes, I w I meant I meant the original the ML Boston @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Neil Barrett: cannons. But yeah, you're right. The the PL c cannons have worn they've worn in champ series. They've also had some throwbacks, the like the they had a mesh one that was red. That might be it. I think they've done red in the championship the champship champs series at least once, if not twice. and then and then they did the again, at least one of the throwback mesh jerseys was red as well. @HootSportsMedia: They need a red helmet. Neil Barrett: Yeah, I that was one of the things I understand why you went with a silver, because that's what they wore with that uniform back in 2019. But it did feel a little funky that they were like them and the outlaws were the only teams that didn't get a a new helmet for this weekend. My understanding, obviously we haven't seen it. My understanding is that the the Water Dogs barrage will be wearing orange helmets, so they'll have their own helmet as well. @HootSportsMedia: That'd be cool. Neil Barrett: and I wouldn't be hugely surprised. The rumor is that the archers are going to wear their throwback uniforms at some point this season. and I wouldn't be hugely surprised to see them wearing a throwback helmet as well, which would mean that literally the only two teams that didn't wear a special helmet were the cannons and the outlaws. I think it would have been cooler and probably would have helped that. that collegiate feel, maybe a little bit. If they had done a a red helmet, that could have been really cool. but, you know, it is what it is. I'm with you. I thought the and I said this last week, I thought the outlaws did one of the better conversion jobs of trying to take kind of the idea of what that original jersey was and fitting it onto the template of the Nike jersey. And then seeing it on the field, I I even my my few kind of issues with it, they didn't necessarily go away, but you notice them a lot less. I'm kind of annoyed that with that pattern, those all of those MLL jerseys were, you know, full like sleeve stripe, like all the way down. And I was kind of annoyed that they didn't do more of that of what the outlaws did, where the sleeves were a different color from the body to kind of accentuate that shoulder stripe thing. I couldn't believe more teams didn't do that. But yeah, the the outlaws were were great. Those were those were my second favorite. the Hounds for me were incredible. The I loved that blue. it was not a like perfect one-to-one match of what the Hounds blue had been. this one was a bit more vibrant and and I don't know. I just I loved it. Like you said, that gold helmet. N making what was an old go just a plain old gold helmet, and turning that into a chrome helmet, like just elevated that thing through the roof. that yeah. @HootSportsMedia: It made it look more gold to me. Like I w when I saw Michael Harrison posting some photos from the old one and that w like it was Neil Barrett: Mm-hmm. @HootSportsMedia: still gold but it was almost like a brownish kind of gold. This felt like it was like, you know, gold bar like gold, which was cool. Neil Barrett: Yeah, they actually changed that. The when they first switched from the like old school template, kind of like what like the I don't know if you've saw the ones that the Riptide were based off of, if you saw the like the original @HootSportsMedia: Uh-huh. Neil Barrett: MLO jerseys, at one point basically every MLL team had that template. and the Hounds were one of them that had that thing. And then when they switched to the to the like varsity stripe. pattern on the shoulder. They're the first year they had those like mustardy kind of green gold letters. And they yeah, they looked terrible. And so then they switched to white letters. and I I liked that they did a little bit more of a Vegas gold instead of trying to do that like puke green gold. That was gross. And then because of that gold then you went with that chrome it just it worked so much better. Those were by far my favorite Did you see the guy on Twitter that told me that he had the the the hounds at six? He was like, Yeah, they were probably my least favorite. And I was like, What what? @HootSportsMedia: Like full uniform wise or helmet wise? Neil Barrett: He was going full uniform. If I remember correctly off the top of my head, he had I think he had the riptide number one, I think. @HootSportsMedia: I don't have them at one, but I might be in a similar boat if we're actually ranking. Neil Barrett: You just you just talked up the the whatever we're gonna call hounds chaos. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, but but but you gotta think outlaws, lizards, bayhawks are all ahead of them. Neil Barrett: The lizards was terrible. I don't understand @HootSportsMedia: No, it was good. Neil Barrett: how anybody liked that thing. That thing looked @HootSportsMedia: I mean the shoulders I don't my goodness. Sorry, this video started playing. I didn't love like the full white shoulder as much, but like but the the green Neil Barrett: That that's the part that killed me. That @HootSportsMedia: was fine aside from Trevor Baptiste's helmet. Neil Barrett: Trevor Baptiste helmet was bad and it it really kills me because warrior made lizards helmets. Like I know you can make that green. You did it already. Like I don't understand what happened there. the the the white is what really killed it. And I I understand what they were going for, basing it off of those, those like 2014-ish lizards jerseys. I just don't think it worked. it was way too that that yoke up here. I forgot I'm this is a different this has a different like pattern to it. that yoke up there was way too big, especially if you saw it from like above and sort of to the back. Like it went all the way down and like was like basically touching the nameplate. It was so weird looking. And to be fair, I personally I know lots of people like that 2014 look. I didn't I didn't really like that 2014 look to begin with. I'd rather have that like the one right after it, the 2016, that actually had like the the lizard print in the stripe, and then it was much more just like black and green. the helmets were nice, except I didn't love that snake skin or the the lizard skin things. but mostly because it didn't, it didn't feel like it matched. If it if they had done it like green or whatever, I think that would have been cool. The riptide. @HootSportsMedia: I think a brighter green on that would have been nice, but I still liked the the creativity of it as opposed to just like a green stripe. Neil Barrett: I'm I'm with you there. I liked the idea of it. I just think it it kne it wasn't quite color matched well enough. it felt like it came from a different helmet, but @HootSportsMedia: Well Neil Barrett: the idea was there. @HootSportsMedia: and I'm also looking at this now in one promo shot you can see a lizard like kind of faded behind the number, but when you look at the actual like media day shots, it's very difficult to see. Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: So now I'm not totally sure how I feel about that. Also, is it gray Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: or is it black? Neil Barrett: What? @HootSportsMedia: The jersey. It looked black on Neil Barrett: It's black. @HootSportsMedia: field, but then in this one shot it looks like charcoal grey. Anyway, continue. Neil Barrett: It's black. but Yeah, I I just didn't think it it worked as well. And then the the riptide, I think had so much potential and it wasn't bad. I liked what they did. And it and it's more of a one-to-one. I just think I think that they rather than going for a straight one to one, I think that they should have flipped instead of doing the black up top, which again is is a one to one. That's what was there, flip that with the teal. And make the the shoulders teal. and then also I would have put a a teal on the helmet. That la riptide Pro 7 helmet is like the holy grail of MLL helmets for anyone who was around during that time. Like that is the best ML helmet of all time. And I feel like they stripped back a lot of it. Now, the Pro Seven had a had a visor decal on it. And typically we don't do visor decals anymore. Like those are not looked upon very well. But it's such a part, it's such a large part of that iconic Pro Seven look that I think they needed it on this one. I think that helmet really needed more teal on it. The uniform as a whole needed more teal on it, like you said. I think it would have been great if they went with a teal jersey. which reminds me, I wanna I forg I totally forgot. I wanted to look up and see if we could figure out which weekend they were supposed to do throwback weekend on based on like the jerseys. Cause clearly they had it planned where one team would be in white and one team would be in a color. and then obviously because it got moved, that got switched around because you know, the Archers and and Chaos ended up both wearing blue uniforms to play each other. So I was wondering if we could @HootSportsMedia: That would have been so awesome. Neil Barrett: figure out what'd you say? @HootSportsMedia: That would have been so awesome. Neil Barrett: The blue on blue. @HootSportsMedia: I wanted that so bad. Neil Barrett: man. I w I would've it would have been so funny if they didn't figure it out until like warmups and they're like, wait, wait. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: What the other thing we'll move off of the uniforms because we did kind of talk about them last week. the other thing I did want to talk about though was did you see Dan Orestias tweet about the success of DML O weekend? @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah. Neil Barrett: I I'm wondering it what you think that will signal to the PL about the MLS. @HootSportsMedia: I I don't think it had any I'm not gonna say anything, I guess. I don't think it had as much to do with the ML part of it, as much as Boston. Just because and someone that was there can correct me if I'm wrong. But like the other weekends, like we've been talking about, there hasn't been like the newest merch available that, you know, was being worn on field. Neil Barrett: That's true. @HootSportsMedia: So from that standpoint, unless they had some already, you know, pre made, and available, like I don't think that was driving sales, unless they were you know, including like online sales maybe, in like that overall number, which I could see that happening 'cause people seeing Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah, I wondered where that @HootSportsMedia: the games and then saying, I want to buy that jersey, like that makes sense to me. But I just think Boston's a good lacrosse town and I think they were excited and I I feel like this was a a a later weekend for them, was it not? Or w or maybe last year they did Neil Barrett: No, it was @HootSportsMedia: it the last weekend too, huh? Neil Barrett: It's usually that like first weekend in October, in August. so @HootSportsMedia: Okay. Neil Barrett: technically it was about a week earlier last year, although @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: although I say that, but I think it was like August fifth last year. So it wasn't even a week, it was, you know, a few days or whatever. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. No you're right. For some reason in my head this was like a an a later start this year for them. Neil Barrett: I will say the year before that, I feel like it was maybe in the middle of the season. Like I think I went in like a like early July or something. I don't remember, maybe late July, something. I I I don't remember, but it it was definitely that first weekend in August last year. but I'm with you. I won I wondered how much of that was taking into consideration online sales. And then I just wondered, like maybe they did have. some merch, some of the throwback march, maybe the hats and the t-shirts @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, it's possible. Neil Barrett: at least, if not the jerseys. but also I @HootSportsMedia: Especially after Indigenous Weekend, you know, had maybe they learned from it and were like, Hey, we actually have to have stuff like on site as opposed to just saying go get it online because I'll be honest, like if I'm at that one of those weekends, I'm much more inclined to buy it if it's there than to go leave the event, go online and then order it. 'Cause like we're talking about earlier, how long is that gonna take to get to me? Now I have time to kind of second get not saying you wanna sucker people into buying, you know, impulse buying, but that's Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: what merchandising is. Like, you know, you're you feel the FOMO of like, it's there, I don't wanna miss out on it as opposed to like if I get home and I'm like, maybe I don't need another jersey. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah, no, I I'm with you. And the other thought I had too was like The nostalgia of it won't necessarily continue. You know, like all these people are like, they just need to bring back the MLL teams, which I don't think they should do, but I think that people don't think about the fact that there's a nostalgia pop. And yeah, we all rush out and buy, you know, the the I'm seriously considered, even though I literally just sat there and said I didn't. necessarily like it, I'm seriously considering buying that Kyle Harrison LA Rip Tide jersey because I didn't get a Kyle Harrison rip tie jersey the first time. So like you s you give me a K eighteen jersey, give me a give me a pride jersey next year. Give me give me hell, give me the K eighteen Denver Outlaws jersey. I will I will buy all of them. But that doesn't translate to you know fandom or anything. It's the nostalgia pop. It's the it's the thing. It's it's a one-time thing. It's not a it's not a recurring thing that's gonna like continue to happen. You know what d like does that make sense what I'm what I'm trying to say here? Like @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Yeah. Neil Barrett: this idea that they should just change all of the MLL teams you know all of the PLL teams to ML teams and move like that's not I don't think that's going to help in the long run. You know so I I I think it's cool. one of the things that I really, really liked this this week, and I think that the ML or the PLL showed that they can do is when they really try, I think they they can push the ever-living crap out of things. And I think they did such a good job. They were releasing full every single day last week, they released a full MLL game and an MLL highlight. on YouTube. That was incredible. they got all kind not they got n I don't think that they asked for this to happen or anything, but like the the again the nostalgia pop of it all got all of these old MLL players looking through their old pictures and sharing those and sharing stories and everything. And again this goes back to that won't continue to happen. You know, if if All of the the teams that were there this weekend are suddenly all of the PLL teams, that will eventually start to die out over, and then those teams have to start building and they'll be in more or less the same place they were, if not back a step, because all those young kids who weren't alive for the MLL don't have MLL references, but are you know chaos fans or or whatever team fans, they're not gonna be like, yeah, I gotta go get that Charlotte Hounds jersey. They don't know anything about the hounds. I mean, they might they might want to get it because it's cool looking, like like we talked about the color combo was great or whatever. But you know, I I do but all that being said, like I said, they can when they push things, they do such a good job. And it's part of the reason why I think this season has felt so uneven, and I I guess is the way to to put it of like, you know. And Indigenous Heritage Weekend just didn't feel the same as it has in previous years. The all-star game didn't feel the same as it has in previous years. Opening weekend, opening weekend did not feel like opening weekend at all. Now, part of that is because they did training camp a week earlier. but again, all the going back to it, when they when they push something, they will push it and do they do such a good job. when they are like focused. And that's what this week showed. let's move over to talking about the actual games now. We start Friday night. Boston beat Maryland 14 to 12 in overtime. I before we talk about the game. When I I was this close to tweeting when Boston posted their their score graphic at the end of the game and they won 14 to 12, and me being like, I w I was this close to being like, it was an overtime game. You won 13 to 12. Like, what are you talking? I forgot that it or like I it didn't it didn't compute in my brain that Marcus Holman had hit from behind the line. And so it was thus 14 to 12. But Marcus Holman has now hit six two-pointers this season. That is the most single season two-pointers in his entire career, which is crazy. He seems to be getting excuse me, better with age, which Is wild. that final play, obviously, Embick Carroll just lost his mind. I I don't know what was going on there. I I tried to give him just a little bit of the a benefit of the doubt, and with the idea, I was I keep watching it and I'm like, I kind of feel like maybe he thinks that you know he's where he drops the ball. He's running in a straight line back to the goal. And I'm I think maybe he was thinking that they they couldn't shoot through him to get to the goal. And one of the things that Marcus Holman does when he picks up that ball is he runs like four or five yards up the field to increase his angle and get around Emmett Carroll. And I so I want to give Emmett the Carroll like that much grace that maybe that's what he thought. But also He's he's jogging. And even if that was my thought, I feel like I'd still be looking around because even if Marcus Holman doesn't do that, he could pass to the top of the the two-point line real easily. And that guy could shoot. So like I I still feel like I'd be looking around, but @HootSportsMedia: Well, it's also kinda crazy that he's allowed to pick it up and then walk a few extra steps away from where he picked it up and then the whistle's blown. Especially when you think about how many times you've seen the ball go out of bounds and a guy picks it up like a few yards away and the refs like, Nope, nope, you gotta come back over here to the full corner So, from that standpoint, you know, yeah. Neil Barrett: I will say in the in the PLO, they they often let that go. They do often let that go. @HootSportsMedia: Sure, sure. Neil Barrett: But I but I will agree with you. I bumped on that in the moment. It would have been one thing if he picked up the ball, they blew the whistle, and then he he started moving. @HootSportsMedia: Right, right. Neil Barrett: But he basically picks up the ball and is moving at the same time. I don't even know. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: I don't I don't even know. Did they blow the whistle? @HootSportsMedia: I think they did. 'Cause I think he put it up to the ref, like, I have it, and then they blew it. But also like from the the standpoint of Emmett Carroll maybe thinking, you know, he can't shoot through Where Marcus picks it up, he that's an even more insane angle that maybe he is thinking, you know, he can't but also you gotta have some game awareness. You know it's gonna be a quick restart, Neil Barrett: One hundred percent. One hundred percent. @HootSportsMedia: even if what we're saying is true and he should have just picked it up standing still, it's still a fast restart and you gotta be paying attention, so Also as a as a whip snake picker that week last week, going three for four and that's how you lose that game was just heartbreaking. So Neil Barrett: I you know, I did actually that reminds me, I mean I I totally forgot to put this note down. I wanted to ask you about your fantasy team and how you did this weekend. @HootSportsMedia: Set the league on fire, dude. I think I don't know if I'm gonna be able Neil Barrett: while you're doing that, I'll pull up I'll pull up mine. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know if they save the the teams. Neil Barrett: They do if you if you if up at the top, if you there's a drop down box and you can go back weeks. @HootSportsMedia: okay, okay. Yeah, I had three players with fifty or more points. One of them had sixty-three. Shout out to Mick Meakin. Mick Elroy, fifty three points. Aiden Carroll, fifty-one points. Brandon O'Neal, forty four points. Brian Kelly, I had Jake Taylor in there. I switched him out last minute for Brian Kelly, who had twenty five points. Ajax got me a solid ten. It's alright. And Sam English with a whopping negative two points. For a grand total of two hundred and forty four point five points. So Neil Barrett: I meanwhile Sorry, I gotta go, I gotta go back. Meanwhile, I had fifty two points total. Total. I had two guys get more than ten points. Liam Intamin finished with negative three, which to be fair, I should have known that was a bad pick. Trevor Baptiste had 10, Will Donovan had two, Mick Kelly had 10, Jackson Iker had four, Chris Kavanaugh had 12. @HootSportsMedia: Wait, how did McKelly only have ten? Did you have him in game two? Neil Barrett: I had him in game two. Yeah. Yep. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I was laughing because obviously last week my whole team combined had forty nine points. And then in one game I Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: had two players that topped that by themselves. Neil Barrett: I was getting ready to say we we we flipped because the the previous week I had Michael Sowers had sixty-four, Adam Potcher had forty-eight, and Blaze Reardon had forty-nine. So those @HootSportsMedia: Holy cow. Neil Barrett: three players alone, I don't think I'd had I don't think I'd ever had a week where my team scored more than 160 points. And last week those three players alone scored more than 160 points. So and then this week I had 54. And I was like, Are you are you kidding me, dude? @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Well and and this week I was building my team today. It's gonna be even harder because y two teams don't play. I think two teams don't play. And like most of the players I pick Neil Barrett: Yeah. No three. @HootSportsMedia: are on yeah, most most of the players I pick are on those teams. So I was going through today and I'm like, my goodness, this is gonna be awful. So and and I am in the championship in the Rough Riders League, so hoping for good things this week. Neil Barrett: I didn't I didn't start playing until too late. So I can't I I the only league I'm the only league I'm in is like the big PLL @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: one. So there's no there's no championship. But but yeah, just just a brutal, brutal I mean is that it ain't been a good season, like let's not let's not get too carried away. @HootSportsMedia: no. My themes have been awful, so Neil Barrett: But but a brutal week. I I've I haven't had one that bad. So I I'm wondering, because the whip snakes were in the driver's seat for most of this game, a large majority of this game. And ultimately they went into overtime where, you know, it can be a a kind of a toss-up n under the best of conditions. But then obviously, you know, they had they had just a insane play to ultimately lose that game. But obviously Boston is one of the better teams in this league. I'm wondering what odds you're giving the whip snakes to win it all at this point. Cause cause they're good, but not like really good, but capable. So I'm just wondering what what kind of odds you are giving them. @HootSportsMedia: Not much. I I don't think they're getting past Philly. Recency recency bias especially won't let me put up there. So you c you you can't be up two in the final minute of the game and then have a four goal swing in two minutes basically. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: So and I mean they I mean think about the back to back devastating losses from them. You you gave up that what was it like up seven against the outlaws two weeks ago and lose that. Sorry. You know, they have a lot of great players. I Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: think when they're clicking, like Rob Pennell was a a no show and that's not a knock on him. He just didn't have to do anything. Like p Patra and Aiden Carroll just did everything. So from that standpoint, like they have a ton of talent. That doesn't really matter who's going off 'cause they have so many guys, but Like you said, they're good. They're good. Could they go on a run? Sure. But at some point there's gonna be a loss like this, or like last week, basically, where it's just like, how did you lose that? Like, you know, and and that's unfortunately, even a team like Boston, who is is making a late season push, I I don't wouldn't say they're the favorites, but it's like you can't even get past Boston. How are you gonna get past the true championship favorites? I just don't see it. Neil Barrett: Well, match up differently. W so so give me a number though. What's what is the number percent that you would give them to win? @HootSportsMedia: To win the championship. Neil Barrett: I did not prepare you for this at all. Twenty okay. @HootSportsMedia: Twenty percent. Twenty percent. Neil Barrett: Twenty's not horrible. I mean what w what odds what odds are you @HootSportsMedia: I mean, I I don't th I don't think ask your question. Neil Barrett: Yeah. I @HootSportsMedia: Ask your question. Neil Barrett: was gonna say I was gonna say what odds would you give to like the water dogs? @HootSportsMedia: eighty. Neil Barrett: A ED. That's a lot. @HootSportsMedia: Right now, right? I mean, ask me again in two weeks, then this could be twenty percent for them too. I don't The downside to them is like now their mid real their midfield room is kinda thin and young. Neil Barrett: Well we'll we'll talk about that in a second. @HootSportsMedia: And their goalie stuff, like we'll see what that how at that ends up. But I just think the other teams are just kind of too up and down, I think Utah at this stage probably gives them the best run. Also depends on health, obviously. but to me they seem like the best team in the league. So Neil Barrett: All right. Speaking of Utah, the Archers beat the Chaos 13 to 12. they look they looked good on the field. The chaos. They're still not @HootSportsMedia: They did, they did. Neil Barrett: they're still not officially out of the playoffs. They have, I believe, a one percent chance after this game to make the playoffs. It will take It will take what, the water is it the water dogs that have to lose both of their games? @HootSportsMedia: I have no idea. Neil Barrett: no, 'cause the water dogs are in the east. @HootSportsMedia: They probably need the woods to lose against us this week. Neil Barrett: Yeah, they wouldn't need they'd r they would need the woods to lose. @HootSportsMedia: Arch archers are done. Neil Barrett: I don't know. I think Dan Arestia tweeted out what it would take. I don't remember what it was off the top of my head, but anyway, The with that win, the Archers obviously secured their spot in the playoffs. there's still a potential that they won't be the number one seed. but as of right now they are. I'm wondering if this game worried you about the archers at all. That chaos roster is decimated, especially on the defensive end. Blaze was below 50% in this game. only Ross Scott, Teddy Malone, and Chad Palumbo had multiple points in this game. Where has Owen Hilts been? Dude's been a non-factor basically all season. And yet this game was tied with less than two minutes left. and the Archers only got away with a one-point victory. to be somewhat fair to the Archers, I I think they were up a decent amount, a couple a handful of goals, and then maybe kind of. took their foot off the gas a little bit, which let the chaos back in. But you know, it's still the chaos, which who have not been very good. And I don't think they were very good in this game. And they still just kind of barely eked it out. So it does it does it worry you at all for the archers heading into the playoffs? @HootSportsMedia: No, 'cause sometimes games just go this way. And they got the win and it's gonna give them a first round buy. Most likely. I'm more concerned with the month off they're gonna have than I am this game. Because truthfully it doesn't matter what happened in this game, have lost by fifty. You know, and as long as you have that first round buy, it's like, you're off for a month and now you have to come back and win two in a row. So good for chaos, you know. They moral victories, but That's about all I have to say. Neil Barrett: I I well, I got I got a question, but we'll we'll ask it later. the other big note from this game, which also was not from the game itself, but Tom Schreiber was at practice and practicing with the Archers on Thursday night. I would imagine that if he's practicing with them this week, like you said, in a month, he might be playing for them in in the playoffs. So I I was joking in our group chat and was like, you know, Jackson was all excited 'cause cause Tom was practicing and I was like, no, no, this is unfair. You don't get to be the number one seed and bring back Tom Schreiber for the playoffs. obviously that would be a huge get for them. Although you never know. Could totally disrupt things the way that they've been playing. So who knows? We'll see, I guess. But obviously I I think Win, loser, draw, I it's always gonna be good to see Tom Schreiber back on the field from injury. So let's move over to Saturday, where we saw yeah, Saturday, right? It was Friday and Saturday, right? Okay. I said it and I was like, wait, was it Saturday and Sunday? Okay. Saturday, first game, saw your Denver Outlaws beat the Atlas 14 to 9 with that loss, the Atlas secure. The number one pick in the 2027 PLL draft. I don't even know that I have a question here. Some something about this Atlas team feels different, the struggles that they're having. Right now, obviously, they lost Gavin Adler, they lost Jeff Teat. Nothing about this team has been settled pretty much all season. Connor Schellenberger's had injuries, Trevor Baptiste has had injuries. The only thing that's been very good all season is Brian Costabile. Pretty much everyone else has been terrible. Liam Interman looks like he's taking a step back. Matt Traynor looks like he's taken a step back. but I think the more telling thing right now is it it feels like like they don't like each other, honestly. some of these some of these post-game press conferences with them are like. Brutal to sit through. Like it just feels like they don't like each other. There's been a lot of questions lately about whether or not Coach Pressler will be back. not even in a in a we're gonna fire him kind of way. Like, sure, they haven't been very good this season, but they won a championship last year. Like he's not being fired. It Chris Bates literally won a championship, was the worst team in the league last year, got the number one pick, and now once again. You know, the archers are at the top of the league again. So no one's getting fired for one year, but there's been some serious questions about whether he wants to be back and whether or not he might be leaving on his own. We'll focus on on coaching Highland Park down in Texas. and so yeah, the something about their struggles just feels different than than what I think we all thought they might struggle with coming into the season. with that number one pick though, I'm wondering. Who would be your number one pick if if we put you in charge of the Atlas, who would be your number one pick? Not you, not necessarily your favorite player or the best player or whatever. and and obviously with the understanding that we don't fully had understand who will and won't be available in this draft. But in fact, maybe, maybe that's the the real question is what are you looking for if if you're in charge of the atlas from this number one? @HootSportsMedia: Jeff T. Neil Barrett: You're looking for Jeff Teat, who you already have. @HootSportsMedia: They need that man more than anyone else in this draft. no, Neil Barrett: Listen. @HootSportsMedia: I would I would go B V B in the draft. If if I'm Neil Barrett: You know @HootSportsMedia: the Atlas. Neil Barrett: Yeah. you know, there was there's been a lot of talk lately, because I I think a lot of people, especially kids, teenagers, however old they are, on social media who don't, I think, comprehend five or five, they don't understand what's happening in NCAA. And so there was there was a lot of talk when they secured that number one pick of like, we're getting Sean Light, blah blah blah, all this stuff. And it it just got me thinking. I'm not sure Sean Light's the number one pick, even if he is fully healthy. I I'm not saying he @HootSportsMedia: He is for the outlaws. For obvious reasons. Neil Barrett: I just I can't with you. @HootSportsMedia: We want guys with hardware on this team. Neil Barrett: sure. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. People are gonna listen to this be like I can't believe the strong lights better than insert whatever defenseman's coming out. Neil Barrett: Well, I just my my thing is just like I don't I don't know like i is Sean Light better than B V B? His his year last year, he didn't have B V B to to be judged against. And I'm not saying he @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I think the injury might might sway people though. Neil Barrett: Sure, but if BvB plays all next year healthy without without @HootSportsMedia: Sure, sure. Neil Barrett: an injury, like I I think that that could swing back the other way. obviously that remains to be seen. We'll we'll see what happens, but but I also got to thinking about like, you know, by this time next year. Is that necessarily gonna be the case? I don't I don't know. Not and certainly @HootSportsMedia: Either which way, they need a defender. Like that's clear. Neil Barrett: Yeah. So okay. Yes. Yeah, I think I think it's pretty clear it it needs to be it needs to be a poll and it it it needs to be one presumably one of Sean White or BVB, though by the end of next season that could there could be another name that has inserted itself. As of right now, and things could potentially change, although I think they're unlikely to, as of right now, the Carolina Chaos would have the number two pick. I think that's a more interesting conversation because like you said, it's pretty obvious the Atlas need a poll. What do the Carolina Chaos need? A lot. @HootSportsMedia: problem I don't think what they need they can get from the draft necessarily. Like I think they need a bona fide number one on offense. I'm gonna leave it at offense, not necessarily attack because I don't I think they have some midis that you know are really good. They can be really good I should say, but like every like most other teams in the league you look at and you're like, okay, that guy can go get you a bucket. Some teams have two or three guys that you know that guy can get you a bucket, whereas the chaos there are times where it just seems like they need a a goal and who are we going to? Like we, you know the the one I th I Neil Barrett: Chad Palumbo. That's it. @HootSportsMedia: well that's a that's fair. I like Chad Palambo in that situation. But like I think it was this weekend where Steven Brooks said, at the end of the game, like Knoblock, go get us a goal and they turn the ball over like immediately. And it's like and it's like, okay, so you Neil Barrett: Immediately yes. @HootSportsMedia: you can't even get get it to your star player to go get you a goal because you're throwing the ball away. So that's where it's like Neil Barrett: And it @HootSportsMedia: you just need more mature maturity overall probably and and someone just be like like like to me, that should be Owen Hilts. And that he's just had a down year, unfortunately. that's not to say that you can't go into the the draft and find a stud. I mean we've seen plenty of rookies, you know, ball out, but Neil Barrett: Well, @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. Neil Barrett: the thing I got to looking at was, you know, Dom Petramala is really high on people's lists, but he's kind of like an Owen Hilts. Like he's seen more as a finisher. Not that he can't create a shot similarly to Owen Hilts, who can create a shot. but that it it's just not been their strength. Owen Hilts did a pretty decent job of it last year, but this year it feels like he's back to what I at At least I I won't put it on anyone else. At least what I was expecting him to be, more of that like Will Manny kind of off ball finisher. and so like Dom's not the guy that you want to bring in. Ideally, I think you'd want Owen Duffy, but with five or five, i i he should still be at UNC, I'd I'd imagine. Now, if they win a national championship this year, maybe he he forgoes a fifth year. we were talking about that before the show that th there might be some guys that that don't do that. but yeah, I mean, the one thing I'd say is that there hasn't as of as of right here, right now, there hasn't felt like a lot of guys that could fill that role. Like you said, a a number one kind of guy. I think I do think Chad Palumbo is is that guy. He's been so clutch for them scoring tying goals and and winning goals and stuff. Late, but being a midfielder a midfielder I think is a problem. he's not always on the field, for one. and then, you know, I he doesn't I don't think that they treat him like a number one, which might work to his benefit. but it does feel like they need a number one. I would say a number one on attack, but You know, if if Tom Schreiber was coming out, like maybe, yeah, maybe that guy that can be your guy. and I just don't know. @HootSportsMedia: plus I think they also need another they need a lot of other pieces, I think too, that you're not gonna take as your number two pick. Right? But like I love Justin Ignacio, but if he's gonna play like he did this year, they probably need some competition in a camp. Do they need a poll? Like what was I mean, I know Rabette got injured and has been out for a little bit, but like has he or Newman Ben what we've expected from them this year? From that standpoint, it's like could they go and get like they're good in net, obviously, with both their starter and their backup, but there's just a couple other pieces that I'm like, they probably are a few pieces away from truly competing for a championship. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah, I d I would agree that it a poll isn't out of the question. Especially because remember, remember Levi Levi Virch was drafted last year. We thought and and I thought he played pretty well. I thought he worked him his way into being in that conversation. And then they got rid of him in the offseason. I think that happened before Steven Brooks was hired. I think. @HootSportsMedia: Don't fully remember. Neil Barrett: I don't remember either. I I could be wrong on that, but I I feel like it was before. so I you know, I don't know. I I obviously Jack Roulette win healthy will be the number one pull for them. I think Jared Newman has played fairly well this year. although I think his his position is always a little bit up in the air. it feels like every year everyone's like, yeah, he they gotta get rid of him and then they no one ever even attempts to move him. So @HootSportsMedia: I'm not even saying they have to get rid of him for the record. I'm just thinking when Neil Barrett: No, no no no. And I'm not and I'm not either. @HootSportsMedia: I'm just thinking assuming you know, assuming these these polls do come out and you're like, they're a stud, like would it be a reach to take at two? You know, I I'd have to look at who's coming out the following year as well. And this is where five for five gets crazy because I I'm not in tune right now with who's coming out this year, depending on who's coming out next year, 'cause if they feel like they can just wait another if they truly feel like, Hey, we're probably a couple of pieces away anyway, we can wait a year on a poll. Let's try to get a a good attackman or something. Like by Neil Barrett: Well, @HootSportsMedia: all means. Neil Barrett: here's the thing. I'm looking at Adam Adam Lamberti's post five for five. These would be the guys that have to come out. They will, they will have exhausted all of their eligibility under any rule set. They have to come out. The only offensive player in his top ten, I take it back. There's two of them. no, wait, sorry. There's there's several of them. There's four. They're just all at the bottom. Don Petramala is number one, but again, more of a finisher. I I look at his stats. I think last year he had something like, don't quote me on this, but it was something like 65-ish points, and like 55 of them were goals. so he is he is that more like gunslinging finisher type than that number one kind of creator. it would be great to have him and Owen Hilts if you had someone that could play attack. Now, now. @HootSportsMedia: I have someone in mind. Neil Barrett: Interesting thought just popped in my head. I wonder if it's the same thought. Asher Nolton is sitting there with no team. @HootSportsMedia: no. I said that a few weeks ago though, for the record, but no, I was thinking that guy that's down there in the others to watch category on his list. The only pure attackman on that Neil Barrett: You the @HootSportsMedia: list. Neil Barrett: Cody Molowski? @HootSportsMedia: I kid, I kid. Neil Barrett: Here here's the only thing I'd say about that is I I gotta imagine he'd be he'd be available in that second round. now, I say that. I'm w I'm not looking at team need. So maybe wouldn't be. @HootSportsMedia: Sure. I don't know, how many second round picks do the Outlaws have? Neil Barrett: I don't know, do you @HootSportsMedia: I don't know, maybe they could trade up for him though. Too soon? Probably too soon. Neil Barrett: Are we are we making an Evan Plunkett joke? @HootSportsMedia: Yep, we absolutely are. Anyway, Neil Barrett: Okay. All right. Fair enough. Fair enough. @HootSportsMedia: yes, I I think Ash Renulton would be a good signing. still though, he's more of a distributor. So you would need guys like Owen Hilts and others to really ramp it up as a finisher, which could work. Neil Barrett: Well that's what that's what I'm saying. Sign Asher Nolton, get Dom Petramala. Wait, is he wait, he's a lefty too. Never mind. I was thinking if you could if you could if I was thinking he was righty, and I was thinking if you could have him on on the right side, Asher Nolton at X, and Owen Hilts on the left, like that'd be pretty dangerous. But him and Owen Hilts are both lefties, so that wouldn't work as well. But then the other the other offensive players that he has in this top ten are all midfielders. Not not that they shouldn't necessarily take a a midfielder with the chaos, because again, apart from Chad Palumbo, I'm not sure that you would feel super confident about any of their midfielders. but it just feels like like they really need that that number one guy at attack. that being said, I love Max Sloat. @HootSportsMedia: Shocker. Guest. Neil Barrett: I almost I almost swore at you. You cannot be like, yo, they should draft Cody Mulowski and then be like, shocker, he likes the Duke guy. Aww. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. I can and I will Neil Barrett: This guy. And I will. so yeah, anyway, all of this to say, it's gonna be real I feel like I feel like next year is gonna be a lot of like who who's going number one and who's going number two. Again, I I think number one is going to be a battle between strong light and BvB. and so one of the bigger questions might be who's who's going number two to the chaos. because it it definitely feels like they're gonna need some help on that offensive end. one thing I I will say we talk about we talk about Sean Light, who's probably going back to Notre Dame. I I think that's the the general assumption at this point. And then we talk about BVB. And and I know he's a Duke guy, and I'm not trying to be a homer. I'm not saying this because I think it. I'm saying this because I have heard this repeated several times recently. Charlie Johnson could make some noise. I I'm not especially with with BBB's injury history, I think is one of the big points is that if if an injury is going to cause a slip, that Charlie Johnson could end up being that guy next year that goes. But Let's move over to the final game of the weekend that saw Boston beat California 12 to 9. I'm not even gonna lie to you, I don't even remember this game. I know I watched it. I saw the LA Riptide uniforms. I know that I watched this game. I don't I don't remember anything about this game except for one thing, and that is Dylan Ward being pulled from this game after he picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second quarter and did not return. And nobody really knew why. Ryan Crotdock ended up finishing out the entire rest of the game. but yeah. Interesting note as we head into the playoffs that Dylan Ward was pulled from a game for relatively no reason. I don't know I don't know what happened that got that penalty, but I I can't imagine it was something that caused him to miss the rest of the game. So That was a weird one. but I know you were traveling. I don't I don't know if you did you get to watch this one? @HootSportsMedia: I mean I I checked in on it once or twice, but I was doing some other things, so the Saturday was a bit a bit tough. Neil Barrett: It it really wasn't Boston was leading for most of the game, usually by several goal like it was never really that much of a question, so @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I mean i you know Finn no disrespect to Finn Thompson, but he was their leading scorer. He's played what two games. So Neil Barrett: Something like that, yeah. @HootSportsMedia: you know, the woods early on I think they looked looked awfully dangerous and have just kinda slowly retreated back into the woods, pun intended. Yeah, that that's what I Neil Barrett: That was terrible. @HootSportsMedia: have to say. That was awesome, by the way. That was great. If there are any like middle aged dads Neil Barrett: it's okay. @HootSportsMedia: listening to this, they're gonna laugh hard at that one. Neil Barrett: Listen, that's all that's all that listens to this podcast. Middle aged dads. @HootSportsMedia: They're gonna love it. I know our audience. They're gonna love it. They're gonna love it. Neil Barrett: I guess we'll see. We'll see. If you enjoyed Brandon's comment or pun leave a comment, how about that? @HootSportsMedia: Down in the comments. Yep. Yep. Every positive comment gets a heart from me. Neil Barrett: normally I we we talk about roster moves at the end. I'm gonna go ahead and talk about it here to set up our conversation about the final weekend. I'm gonna run through them real quick and then we'll kind of talk about them as we talk about the final weekend. Jared Bernhardt and Pat Kavanaugh were placed on the IR. Both I believe were both were retroactive. I believe both were retroactive to the same date, July twenty-seventh, I believe. they needed to do this because they have not played the last two weeks. So if they if they if they didn't put them on the IR and left them off their roster, anyone could have gone in and made a claim on them. So by putting them on the IR, it protects them without them having to roster injured players. So that is why those two were placed on IR. The fact that it's retroactive to July 27th is important because by being put on IR, you have to be. On IR for three weeks. By doing it retroactively, they will have been on IR for three weeks by the time the playoffs get started. So that was necessary. for the Water Dogs, Jack Hanna was placed on the IR, not retroactively, just starting today. apparently he broke his foot in the game, is what they said. Matt DeLuca was activated, which is going to lead to an interesting conversation that we'll get to when we start talking about the games about. what they're gonna do with the goalies. And then they signed Dox Aiken. Dox Aiken was playing football this spring, although what was it? He only played what one game. I think that team only played one game and then had to fold. and he's actually been available for like a month and no one signed him until today. Officially today, although I think Dan reported that it was happening four or five days ago. The whip snakes picked up Mikey Baim from the player pool. From a player pool? I don't remember. either way, they signed him @HootSportsMedia: No, from the woods, roster. Neil Barrett: from the Woods roster. Okay. So that means they gotta play him this week then. Okay. All right. And then Cole Williams signed with the Atlas, which is interesting one because I believe Dan reported that the Outlaws were gonna sign him. and then @HootSportsMedia: He said they were trying to sign him to be fair to him. Which Neil Barrett: Trying to sign them. Okay. Okay. @HootSportsMedia: I thought was interesting when he t tweeted that 'cause I'm like, what do you mean trying? Like are is there really a bidding war? You know what I mean? Like Neil Barrett: You either sign or you don't. @HootSportsMedia: but maybe there really was, I don't know. Neil Barrett: Yeah. so it was officially announced that he's signed with the Atlas. What I found interesting was he signed through the twenty twenty-seven season. So it kind of feels like maybe this is more of a move about next year because the Atlas are already out of the playoffs. They're they're going to play this weekend. They're going to play one game this weekend, and then and then their season's over. So interesting move. but They did it. So anyway, with that out of the way, now let's look ahead to the final weekend of the regular season in Philadelphia this weekend. before we talk about the games, this schedule is so dumb. Three teams are not playing this weekend. which is insane. The season should start with everyone playing, the season should end with everyone playing. if If all of the teams were playing, I I think there might still be some playoff positions that were up for grabs, which would make this final weekend way more interesting. The other thing, obviously the WLL championship being this weekend causes some scheduling issues, but we literally just saw every single PLL team play and a special game be played in Columbus last week. So The idea that you couldn't do a weekend where every single PLL team played and the WLL played would be is just not true. but the other thought that I had was this is really screwing Brett Dobson because that MVP vote is going to be what have you done lately? And the last thing that people are going to see before they vote is Brett Dobson not playing. And Michael Sowers and CJ Kirst playing twice. It is very likely, if not almost probable, that one or both of them is going to have at least 10 points this weekend. You think that's gonna h hold up against Brett Dobson, who was great again this past weekend. We didn't we didn't talk about his specific stats, but was great again this weekend and is one of, if not the biggest factor in why the Archers are at the top of the league right now. Well, I don't know if they're officially top of the league. The Water Dogs, I think, are technically ahead of them, but towards the top of the league this year. So it really feels like we have screwed the pooch on this whole thing all year. @HootSportsMedia: Sure. Yeah, I don't I think the scheduling's been bad all year, so I'm not gonna go over it again, Also weird it's a Saturday Sunday this weekend for some reason. but yeah, we're seeing game one of two of the Outlaws Redwoods because they're gonna play again in the playoffs in a few weeks, so you know, take that as you will. one of these games for Philly doesn't matter. So interesting. And WLL championship. should be should be fun as well. So interesting that they don't have like a long break as opposed to some of these teams do, but cool nonetheless. Neil Barrett: Do you so the Alice play the Water Dogs and then the Whips play the Water Dogs, which by the way, Philly plays the first game on both days, which is dumb. give them a break on a back to back, but whatever. two questions about the water dogs. Do the water dogs sweep? @HootSportsMedia: Yep. Neil Barrett: First of all, you think they sweep? I have a feeling that they lose one of them and it's gonna end up being the one that we don't think it's gonna be. Listen, that's the way the PL works. So the second you're like no chance, this team has no chance, they lose. and then like we just talked about, Matt DeLuca is back on the roster. They have a double header this weekend. Sean Byrne has played well. Matt DeLuca has played well. What do you do with the goalie situation in Philly? @HootSportsMedia: Mad Deluca is back holding the iPad. Sean Byrne, this is your team for at least the next two games. Yeah. Neil Barrett: So you'd have sh you'd have Sean Byrne start both of them. assuming he doesn't totally @HootSportsMedia: I mean unless he gets like peppered in the first game, but yeah. I mean Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: he's he's had what three really solid games? Why not ride the hot hand? Neil Barrett: The the one thing I'd say, and and Kyle talked about this in our group chat today. I almost feel like this weekend split them. I'm not I'm I don't care. honestly, I might even give Matt DeLuca the start against Atlas, being the, you know, the lesser of the opponents that they're playing this weekend. Get him back in the cage, get him seeing some rubber, get him back in in kind of the flow so that if you need him down the line, he's not coming in off of what, a month, month and a half of of not playing by the time the the playoffs roll around. but yeah, get get him some time, but then, you know, with the understanding that Sean Byrne will be again, assuming that in his start, he doesn't just get absolutely shelled and and yanked, but assuming that he continues to play, that he's been playing, Sean Byrne will be the starter in game one of the the postseason. I I think there's a lot of wisdom in that, but I also understand I also am one of those people that would often roll with a hot hand. I think there's something about the way that that defense has played in front of Sean Byrne, too, that's different than the way that they play in front of Matt Teleuka. For whatever reason, because this was the same thing that we said last year when Dylan Ward was playing like dog crap. And yet they were winning games. And then Matt De Luca would come in and play fairly well. I mean, he wasn't lighting the league on fire or anything, but he would play fairly well and they would lose. And it it was the same sort of thing last year as this year. There's there's just something about when Sean Byrne is on that field that feels different about that defense and the way it operates than when Matt DeLuca is on the field for again, whatever reason. so I I do kind of feel like it's. @HootSportsMedia: I mean you know you know why they play better in front of Sean Byrne. Where did he go to school? Neil Barrett: Why? Army? Dylan Ward went to Bellerman. @HootSportsMedia: No no no no no. Neil Barrett: So @HootSportsMedia: No no no. He went to army. That dude's a that dude's a seasoned vet. Point intended. Alright. He's out there barking orders. He's out there barking orders. And they're they're like, we gotta fall in line. Neil Barrett: Wait, wait, what the vet part. The vet part. I thought you meant seasoned. @HootSportsMedia: Sir, yes, sir. Alright. Neil Barrett: I thought you meant seasoned was your pun. And I @HootSportsMedia: No no Neil Barrett: was like, wait, what? What's the pun? Vet, I got it. I've got it. @HootSportsMedia: No. All the dads are cracking up right now, all right? Neil Barrett: jeez. The dads. The lax dads. @HootSportsMedia: Yep, yep. And Dylan Ward last year had the dad's strength. Alright, you know, I'm just saying. I'm just saying. Not a coincidence. Neil Barrett: Did he have did he have the dad strength when he went twenty four percent? @HootSportsMedia: you mean when they won the game? That yeah, you see, that's what I thought. That's Neil Barrett: I mean they did win that game, but @HootSportsMedia: what I thought. Neil Barrett: then the other the other question for you, obviously the Outlaws Redwoods game doesn't really matter much because they're gonna play this game, win, loser, draw. They are going to play each other again in the first round of the playoffs. But Is this another Dylan Ward twenty four percent game? @HootSportsMedia: N no, this is Utah has a plus twenty nine score differential and we have plus one. So we would literally have to beat them by twenty nine to surpass them and not play them in the first round. Neil Barrett: I this is this is a dumb question to ask you because you're an Outlaws fan. But is there is there any chance the Redwoods can jump the Outlaws in the standings? They only need to win by five. @HootSportsMedia: They well they need to win by more than five. Neil Barrett: No they don't. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, they're at minus eight right now. Neil Barrett: Yes, but they're playing Denver. So if they win by five, what happens to Denver's score differential? @HootSportsMedia: I see what you're saying. Neil Barrett: Yes. They need they need a ten goal swing in goal differential, which means they need to win by five because they're playing the team that would directly affect them. The question is, can they beat the outlaws by five? Like I said, dumb question to ask the Outlaws fan, I know. At some point you gotta think that they're not gonna be able to to put it together with all the the injuries that they have right. @HootSportsMedia: You mean like they have the last two weeks? Neil Barrett: Yes, they have the last two weeks. That's what I'm saying. At some point you you gotta think that's gonna that's gonna dry up, but @HootSportsMedia: It doesn't no, it not by five goals. Neil Barrett: Have they lost by five goals this season? @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, unfortunately that was still the best team in the league. Didn't realize that was what the Woods were, but sure. Have the Woods Neil Barrett: Hey. @HootSportsMedia: won by five or more this year? Neil Barrett: Yes. @HootSportsMedia: Against I actually don't know I actually don't know the answer, so if they have someone drop a comment because I genuinely have no idea. I'm just talking trash. Neil Barrett: I don't know. I don't. I I really hate that on the PL page I can't sort the schedule by a single team. Like I can't @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: just go look at the Outlaws schedule this year. Like it that drives me crazy. @HootSportsMedia: Either way, Brandon O'Neal's back, so they're not stopping him. They can't stop Dalton Young. Dude's a dog. Graham Bundy apparently wants to come play lacrosse again, so they're not stopping Graham. Alright, Owen McElroy's man came back for his job, so Neil Barrett: Week one, California beat Utah by four. So not five, but that's @HootSportsMedia: Hmm, not five. Neil Barrett: four against @HootSportsMedia: Also, who wins a tiebreaker in that situation? If the if the Woods beat us by four this week, now we're both six and six at the same score differential. Neil Barrett: It wouldn't be the same. @HootSportsMedia: How would it not? Neil Barrett: Five would five would give them one up on you. @HootSportsMedia: That's what I'm saying. If they beat us by four. Neil Barrett: Four I don't I don't think I don't it wouldn't be enough. @HootSportsMedia: Like what is it but it would be tied. Score differential. Neil Barrett: It wouldn't be tied 'cause there's a n it's not the difference is nine right now 'cause they're minus eight. @HootSportsMedia: you're right, you're right. I was looking at their eight and thinking it was eight. Okay. So it really will be one differential. Never mind. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. So if if it's four, yeah, then then you would still go through. If it's five, then they would go through. @HootSportsMedia: That would be kind of funny. Neil Barrett: Listen, if they're up four late in this game, you are gonna be sweating. @HootSportsMedia: I mean it doesn't matter though. Like it that's the funniest part Neil Barrett: It does no, it doesn't. You're right. You're right. It doesn't matter. @HootSportsMedia: is it really doesn't now it would be awful if like all the things aligned for Carolina to jump us. That would be bad. actually they can't jump us, so never mind. Neil Barrett: Yeah, no, they can't. No. Could they they could jump they could jump California, right? Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Anyway, they can jump California. Yeah. Neil Barrett: But it but it would take it takes like a loss by like fourteen goals or something. @HootSportsMedia: Seventeen things? Yeah, I don't know. Neil Barrett: Something. Carol California beat the Atlas twenty one to thirteen in Columbus. @HootSportsMedia: they did do that. They did do that. Neil Barrett: What's funny is they have that, but then they also, where'd it go? They also had like an insane loss this season. Where was it? They lost like twenty one to four or something like I see that. This would be so much easier if there it is. They yeah, they lost to Maryland. That's right. They lost to Maryland twenty to seven. @HootSportsMedia: Yikes, yikes. Neil Barrett: If not for that game, they might be in a decent position to actually jump you. I'm not sure that they can pull off the five points that they would need. but like I said, it does feel like at some point, maybe, maybe that outlaws. I don't even want to call it luck. It's not like they're lucky, but like just this this thing. That being said, we've we talked about it last week. Like maybe there's just a a balance. to the way that this team is operating in like roles and stuff, that that makes this work in a way that it doesn't work when when Pat Kavanaugh and Jared Bernhardt are also on the field. So I don't know. let's move over to the WLL. The California Palms absolutely destroyed the Boston Guard 21 to 9. It was 8-0 before the guard scored. Those eight goals were scored by eight different players. California scored five or more goals in three of the four quarters. Boston only scored more than two goals in one quarter. Marie McCool led all scorers with six points. And the and the craziest part to me was that it wasn't even like the Palms goalies were having to do much of anything combined. They only made 10 saves in this game. So they weren't even really being @HootSportsMedia: And until Moreno had nine of them. Neil Barrett: yes. Well, I I think she played a decent chunk of the game. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Neil Barrett: but but yeah. Two two goalies in this whole game only made ten saves. so it's not even like they were @HootSportsMedia: Which is crazy 'cause 'cause Boston alone with their goalie had sixteen saves. Neil Barrett: Yes. And gave up twenty one goals. So like yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Points, points, points. Neil Barrett: You're well, they didn't have a two point score. @HootSportsMedia: you're right, it was twin Neil Barrett: Yeah, it twenty one goals. Yeah. So @HootSportsMedia: In my head I just assumed there had to be a two in there. My apologies. That's tough. Neil Barrett: Yeah. No. No, yeah. So I mean, just absolutely smoked him. But also, @HootSportsMedia: I mean this one as expected, so Neil Barrett: yes. And also it it it has to be said that Boston had nothing to play for. They had no reason to to to play this game. They were already out of the playoffs. California was all but in the championship game. I think they needed to lose again. It was another one of those numbers we were just talking about. They needed to lose by like thirteen or something in order to not make the championship game. so there there wasn't a lot going on in this game, but we do now officially have the matchup of the Maryland charm versus the California Palms Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN. looking forward to that. crap. Well I was gonna say we were talking couple of weeks ago about the MVP award. Joe Keegan tweeted out earlier today. Brendan Brendan. Bridget Duffy has as many goals as Izzy Skane, as many assists as Emma Lepinto, more ground balls than Allie Kennedy, and as many cause turnovers as Kayla Wood. I think we know who the MVP is going to be. The only thing I was curious about was presumably it's still a regular season award, right? We haven't really heard one way or @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: another. I the only thing I wondered was it's only five games. I have to imagine your MVP is going to come from one of the two teams playing. So maybe they would consider the championship game. Cause also I'm I'm assuming this isn't going to be handed out until the awards show before the championship that you know the PLL has always done. So I I just wondered if they were gonna take that game into consideration. at any point. I again I'm not expecting them to. I just don't know. They haven't really said. Not that I'm expecting you to know the answer. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. We're weird way to spell Rachel Clark there though. But you know. Neil Barrett: You think Rachel Clark's the MVP? @HootSportsMedia: I mean she leads the league in in points. She shot forty-two percent. Neil Barrett: On an O and four team. @HootSportsMedia: It doesn't matter. Better than better than better than Duffy. One percentage less than than actually Humphrey. she only had six turnovers compared to fourteen for Duffy, ten for Humphrey, fifteen for Izzy Skane. She also had two cost turnovers, which is half as many as Duffy. but more than Humphrey, more than Le Pinto, more than Skane, tied for Skane. Neil Barrett: The one thing I'd say, Bridget Duffy, Bridget Duffy especially, is is a mi she's she's almost like a Zach Courier. Like she plays offense, defense, she plays both ends. she's running. I'd expect her to have more turnovers. that being said, I love Rachel Clark and I think she has been incredible. And I think you could argue that she got even better once Charlotte North got out, got hurt. So I'm not at all saying that she shouldn't win it. I would love to see Rachel Clark win it. I just think she's on a 0 4 team that was very not good. you know. @HootSportsMedia: Hey, this is my Brett Dobson. Neil Barrett: Well, the one thing the one thing I have thought about this too was yes, she's on a winless team, but it's a four-game season. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: It's it's not the same thing as going through a 10, 12 game season and being on the worst team in the league. again, especially when someone the the likes of Charlotte North gets hurt, And in this game, like we just talked about, there was nothing for Boston to play for. There was no reason for them to go very hard. you know, if if Charlotte North it doesn't get hurt in that game, there's a there's a chance the guard win that game. If they already have a win, maybe this game becomes much more important. and and you see something different happen. Again, the game that Charlotte North played in was also against the Palms. And I I think it ended 1715, something like that. with Charlotte North missing the entire, I believe, fourth quarter. so maybe not the entire fourth quarter, actually, now that I think about it, because that was when I was going down to Autograph Alley. So it have been the last five or ten minutes. But it definitely sucked the wind out of that game and and changed what was going on. So like I said, you ain't gotta convince me that they should give it to Rachel Clark. I just I just don't think it's gonna happen. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, but I'm gonna be different and take Rachel Clark. Neil Barrett: Hey, I'm for it. I I like that idea. I think it's gonna be Bridget Duffy or potentially Allie Kennedy. I said I said Bridget Duffy's a Zach career. Allie Kennedy is a Zach career. She does everything. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. I'll be down for that. Neil Barrett: she she's incredible. Bridget Duffy is incredible, Rachel Clark is incredible. There's so many incredible players. In fact, we were talking in that in that group chat earlier today. you were at work. I'm not sure that you were in, although maybe you you probably saw it. we want we want WLL expansion. Like that need that needs to happen. I w I would want to see at least four teams make the playoffs and and actually have a bit of a playoff. @HootSportsMedia: That is what a playoff usually is. Neil Barrett: You know what? Make more bad jokes, please. @HootSportsMedia: I'm cracking myself up, therefore this is a great time. That's all that there's Neil Barrett: At least somebody's laughing because poof. @HootSportsMedia: a lot of people laughing right now. Don't worry. Don't you worry. A lot all ten of our viewers or whatever. Yeah, yeah. Shout out to them. Neil Barrett: A lot of people. All five of the millennial dads li listening. @HootSportsMedia: Sorry that Neil's a hater of dad's that age group. He probably Neil Barrett: Michael Harrison is cracking up right now. @HootSportsMedia: is, dude. He probably loved my jokes earlier, my puns. Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Back to back with the puns like I'm Drake, dude. Neil Barrett: Yeah, you you making Drake puns over here? @HootSportsMedia: That was great. this is awesome. Let's move on 'cause I'm gonna keep making jokes. Neil Barrett: I listen, I'm waiting. I'm waiting. Dance, clown, @HootSportsMedia: Go to next topic. Neil Barrett: dance. @HootSportsMedia: I got more I got more in the chamber. Neil Barrett: Who's that we got another topic? @HootSportsMedia: Maybe we don't, I'll save for next week. What a great idea, so we can make laugh again next week. Neil Barrett: We didn't make laugh this week. Let's be real. @HootSportsMedia: you're right, you're right. We do not. I did. That's true. That's true. Neil Barrett: Wow, wow, hater, hater. @HootSportsMedia: They're laughing right now. They're la at that they're laughing at that joke. Neil Barrett: before we get off the the WLL, who who's your championship pick? That's right. That's right. @HootSportsMedia: Actually on second thought I can't root for Neil Barrett: What you got? @HootSportsMedia: a Maryland team. I can't do it. Neil Barrett: That's that's the biggest part. I really, really like Richard Duffy and I really like Allie Kennedy. I can't root for a Maryland team. It's not happening. I mean, I have on a I have @HootSportsMedia: I don't even I don't even have any Neil Barrett: on a poems jersey, but @HootSportsMedia: I don't have anything against Maryland, funny enough, like as a team or state. It's just like I feel like any team from Maryland gets talked up like they're the greatest team ever assembled and I'm just like I can't can't root for that. See, I know Neil Barrett: I do have beef with Maryland. Sorry. @HootSportsMedia: you do, but I I don't I mean I Neil Barrett: Not as a state. Well, I mean kind of as a state in inherit the state inherited the beef. It was it was it was just with the University of Maryland, but the state has inherited the beef. Sorry, you got lumped in. Sorry. Maybe if you had more than one college worth of damn. @HootSportsMedia: These are his words, folks. These are his words. Neil Barrett: I was gonna raise a I there's gonna be some messages. Listen, I stand by it. I stand by it. You know. @HootSportsMedia: That's good. That's good. Neil Barrett: what you got going on this week? @HootSportsMedia: Going golfing on Thursday. Don't know what I'm doing this weekend. Have a low key weekend from as of now. Every time I've said that, something gets scheduled, so we'll see. But let's hope. I need catch up on some sleep, hopefully, and Yeah. That's about it. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Hm. All right. I'm not in my no my usual place as you can tell. I am dog sitting. he's over there. I was gonna show you banjo, but he's sleeping, so can't do that. But I'll be here for the rest of the rest of this week into next week. I don't even know when I'm going home actually. Monday, Tuesday, something. I don't know. Yeah, so I'll be watching the games from here. All three of them. Well, four of them. Sorry. WL O game. Forgot about that one. Yep, that's my week. Not not doing anything else 'cause I'll be sitting here. So if you got any more of them jokes, you send over to me so I can be entertained, okay? @HootSportsMedia: I always do. I always do. Unfortunately you're a hater and don't laugh in the moment, so Neil Barrett: You know what? I can't wait for twenty twenty eight. @HootSportsMedia: I Neil Barrett: I can't wait. @HootSportsMedia: Alright, you did not just go there first and foremost. Secondly, sec Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah, dear. @HootSportsMedia: secondly, that's unfair since you don't have a team. Pick a team. Thirdly Don't make me bring the age conversation we had from the group chat online, alright? Cause that was a funny conversation. The one that we had Neil Barrett: What what which age conversation? Which age conversation? @HootSportsMedia: on on our enlarged group chat with like eleven people. We were talking about all the different things about how you Neil Barrett: In enlarged. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, you know, 'cause like not like our small group chat, it's like the one with everybody in it. And you know, you old heads were talking about all these random drinks you grew up drinking and these bands and you know whatever that weird emo punk thing you were d Neil Barrett: Are we talking about the one where you didn't know what warp tour was? @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah, like what Also you framed that so horribly. Neil Barrett: It's still a thing. @HootSportsMedia: I did not come to you and was like, I don't know what this is. You guys were talking about it in a different chat and I was like, wait, what is this? Like anyone wanna explain? And all of you ignored it and were like, yeah, warped tour, yeah so cool. And then I was like, so no one wants to explain. Neil Barrett: That's because we thought you were joking. @HootSportsMedia: No. Some of us are not fossils, alright? We need some help here. Neil Barrett: Warp Tour is still a thing. It's still happening. @HootSportsMedia: Yes. I guess. I I guess. I Neil Barrett: What do you mean you guess? It is still a thing, it is still happening. @HootSportsMedia: what what drinks you're gonna drink while you go to warped tour? What that radioactive mountain dew you guys are talking about? Neil Barrett: Radioactive mountain. You've never heard of Surge? @HootSportsMedia: No. Neil Barrett: You haven't lived. You haven't lived. It's not my fault. @HootSportsMedia: I've lived. I've just lived I've just lived in a the current generation. Neil Barrett: It's not my fault. It's not my fault that that you missed out on things. @HootSportsMedia: I was dying laughing when when after this con af that after that conversation you were like I hate all of you. Neil Barrett: I do hate all of you. It's not my fault. @HootSportsMedia: I was also la I was also laughing when we brought up Cortland Sutton and I like, I don't know if he knows them and he was like you were like, I watch sports I was just like Neil Barrett: I do. I do watch wars. @HootSportsMedia: I didn't know you were such a diehard Bronco fan. That's awesome to hear though. Neil Barrett: Listen, listen, be prepared. Be prepared because I don't have a reason not to watch sports anymore. @HootSportsMedia: That's fine. That's you ca there's nothing you can say to me that's gonna get me down. All right? Neil Barrett: I was actually just thinking today about like, NBA season's just around the corner. I'm gonna be watching some basketball again this this year. @HootSportsMedia: I don't watch basketball, so Neil Barrett: I watch everything. That's that was what I was saying. @HootSportsMedia: I I I used to watch a lot of it and then like the regular season to me just became like not meaningless, but just like get me to the playoffs and scheduling wise, like half the games start when I'm at work or when I'm doing something, and so I just ki I keep tabs for sure, but like I definitely watch less regular season than than playoffs. Playoffs I'm like sitting I'm to making plans to watch every game. Regular season, I don't know Neil Barrett: At least until Denver loses, right? @HootSportsMedia: Basically. Yeah. And then I basically quit watching the rest of the playoffs. Mostly because there's too much energy invested in those series and by the time they're done I'm like I just I just don't congrats to whoever wins. Unless it's in our division, in which case I hate all of them. but yeah. Neil Barrett: Is that like I hate the group chat? @HootSportsMedia: No, that's like I hate the OKC Thunder. As a fan, if they wanna hire me as a photographer though, I'm available. Neil Barrett: So he says. So he s so he says. @HootSportsMedia: What do you mean so I say? I do. Neil Barrett: The bet the best part of that conversation was at least my favorite part was when we were talking about MySpace. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I see I know about my space. Neil Barrett: You didn't know about the MySpace angles though. @HootSportsMedia: That was an awful photo. That was so bad. I can't believe you put that out there as like a look at this. Neil Barrett: That to be fair, to be to be fair, that photo was not a MySpace angle. Although I'm not gonna say who. Someone else sent me one of their profile photos from MySpace, and it was definitely a MySpace angle. @HootSportsMedia: Dude dude if it was someone in that group chat, I can guess who it was. Neil Barrett: There are there are at least three other people in that group chat who had my spaces, so @HootSportsMedia: Cool. And they were all probably had bad photos, like the one you sent, trying to flex your MySpace. Neil Barrett: That I wasn't trying to flex. I just was saying this was my this was one of my MySpace photos because we were talking about because we were talking about it. @HootSportsMedia: You're like, wow, look how cool I looked. Look at how cool I looked during my warped tour air of MySpace page. That was so cool. Neil Barrett: Listen, if you think I'm embarrassed, share that photo on the internet. Cause I'm not. I'm really not. @HootSportsMedia: That's not my room to do. It's not my room to do. Neil Barrett: I'm really not embarrassed, I promise. I @HootSportsMedia: yeah, no thank you. No thank you. Neil Barrett: there are I I am not embarrassed of having lived my life. I'm not. @HootSportsMedia: I'm not saying you should be. I just thought it was hilarious that you just randomly were like, look at this photo that was a not MySpace MySpace Neil Barrett: And every single @HootSportsMedia: photo. Neil Barrett: every single person with a two in their age went ham on that photo. And every single person with a three or a four in their age was like, yeah, I've got those photos. I'm not worried. @HootSportsMedia: When Jackson was like, That's going in my camera roll, I was like, This is hilarious. This is so good. Neil Barrett: Jackson better set that as his as his background on his phone. That's what I need to see. @HootSportsMedia: He probably already has it. Probably already has it. Yeah. Neil Barrett: Listen, it was a great picture. I don't care. @HootSportsMedia: Hey, hey, that's fun. I'm glad that you enjoy it. I'm glad you guys liked My Space. I literally cannot relate, but Neil Barrett: Listen, it's my it's it's coming back, so you will get to experience it. @HootSportsMedia: I I hope I do. I hope I do. I'll I'll be making a a Neil Barrett: Listen. @HootSportsMedia: wall or whatever you guys call it over there. Neil Barrett: wall, yeah, good good good job. I I'm @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, see? I know a little bit. Neil Barrett: impressed you knew that that vernacular. @HootSportsMedia: I even knew that there was a song on the page. I brought that up. Yeah. Neil Barrett: You d you know what you you did because you a yeah, you did. You asked. I I have no idea what my song was. It changed all the time. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I don't see I'm a little bit cultured. Well you said you changed it every week, so I mean Neil Barrett: Listen, you saw the picture. I was very into music. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I think you still are. I think I think you secretly you just want to go to Warp's tour like every day and Neil Barrett: You know, I actually Warp Tour was really cool when I was like eighteen. I don't like festivals. @HootSportsMedia: Mean either. Neil Barrett: You don't get to see the band's set. You know, like it's not their performance. It's just them on some random stage. They play, you know, s six to eight random songs, usually kind of their top ones, but there's not really like a good set list to it. Sever several of my favorite bands I saw at Warp Tour, and I was like, Yeah, this sucks compared to your real shit. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I I thought warped tour like a skateboarding thing and I like skateboarding. So I like, that's Neil Barrett: Kind of. @HootSportsMedia: kinda cool And Dre was talking about how he was supposed to go and I like, he seems like someone that would like skateboarding So then when you guys were like, No, it's this like music thing, I was just like, these nerds I was like, Get me out of this conversation. Neil Barrett: To be fair, it it is the van's warp tour. And I think it did start as a little bit of kind of both, but then the music side took off. And so when I was going @HootSportsMedia: see if it was a skateboarding thing, I'd be interested. Sign me up. Neil Barrett: in the early 2000s, excuse me, I keep burping. When I was going in the early 2000s, it was I think there was some like extreme sports element, but it was tiny. Like I don't, I don't hardly remember. it at all. And that by that point it was like twelve stages. So @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah. Not for me. Neil Barrett: I mean you don't know 'cause you've never been. @HootSportsMedia: I don't need to know. I don't I don't do concerts in general anyway, so I Neil Barrett: Weak sauce. Whatever. I don't do cards. How about that? What? @HootSportsMedia: Well, that's a lie, but sure. Neil Barrett: Actually, I was I was just talking to someone and was like, Yeah, we were talking about like how the PL cards have just like gone downhill farther and farther. you what? Maybe it was Jackson. anyway. And I was telling him that like I kind of feel like at least at least until I'm done, that first what was it, field side set that was so good and like it was yeah, yeah, @HootSportsMedia: That was just a normal flagship in twenty four. Neil Barrett: yeah. Fieldside's not their flagship, is it? What's their flagship called? I thought that was Fieldside. @HootSportsMedia: No flagship's just flagship. And then field side last year was the first field side. They did Snapshot in twenty three. Neil Barrett: I thought they have a name. @HootSportsMedia: And then they did I think just flagship in twenty four. Then they did field side. in twenty five, flagship in twenty-five, this year's field side, and then they'll be this year's flagship. Neil Barrett: thought they had a I thought they had a name for those. Like I @HootSportsMedia: I mean maybe, I don't know. Neil Barrett: I know it didn't I know you're right it didn't have a name the first year that it came out. @HootSportsMedia: I just call it flagship 'cause that's basically what it was. Neil Barrett: Either way, I'm looking up while I'm doing it. that first that first like flagship set was so good. It was so fun to collect them. You're right. It just says 2025 flagship. You're right. it was so fun to collect them. I think I think you and I have talked about it, but Caitlin and I went and grabbed, I think, four packs apiece, and we were gonna open one at the end of each quarter of the game. We ended up ripping through all of them immediately upon sitting down. And then went back, I think, three more times over the course of the weekend. I think we probably bought like 32 packs all together in that weekend. Should have just bought a box from the from the start, but didn't. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: had so much fun collecting them. And then every successive release since then has gotten worse and worse and worse to the point where I didn't even buy. any of the field side this year. I bought I bought three packs when I was in Charlotte because originally I wanted me and Michael Harrison and the Carolina Reaper to open a pack like on camera, just do it for like social media content. And then I kind of forgot about it and we just never actually did it. So then I opened them later at home. and then when I like I said when I ordered that chat Balumbo Hounds jersey this week, I I was like, you know what? I'll just throw another pack on just for the fun of it. But the that's the only cards I bought out of this set. And I think the previous two sets I've ordered at least one box. and So all that's say, so I was talking to Jackson about it and I was like, you know what? I think I just want to go back I I just wanna stop collecting the cards unless and until they get it back to that point where it was super fun. But I think I just want to stop collecting the cards and just start trying to get like memorabilia, get game worn jerseys or helmets or whatever. Things that are like that's way more fun for me anyway. My favorite cards were always the the relic cards anyway. so just get that kind of stuff because It's just not fun. I feel like I'm spending so much money and getting so little out of it. So @HootSportsMedia: That's fair. Neil Barrett: Anyway, I took I took I took our fun conversation about cards and ruined it, so @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I went to a car show this weekend, so Neil Barrett: What'd you get? @HootSportsMedia: Couple of nice things. No lacrosse, but got me another Colorado Neil Barrett: D @HootSportsMedia: State card, funny enough, in Kansas. So that was cool. Neil Barrett: Dang, that reminds I I can't remember what it was. I just saw Colorado State with something. And I was thinking, I was like, I gotta send that to Brandon. I don't think I ever did. @HootSportsMedia: they just replaced their football field and their basketball court. Neil Barrett: Did they just sign with a a new brand? Okay, maybe I think that's what it was that I saw. Was the that they had signed with a new brand from Under Armour. Okay. @HootSportsMedia: Adidas, yep. Yep, they moved to Adidas. From Under Armour. Yeah, so should be cool. Should be cool. Hopefully. Neil Barrett: Hopefully. We'll see, I guess. Anyway, you got you got a you got a pun to send us out on? @HootSportsMedia: I don't know, I've been pretty punny this episode, so I don't know if I have more in me. Neil Barrett: You punned out? @HootSportsMedia: Just this week. Just this week. Neil Barrett: Well, with that being said, I guess you I guess you guys should all tune back in next week, but that @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: will do it for this week. If you enjoyed the episode, the Lax Lifers Club is where our community lives between episodes. It's a Discord for fans watching lacrosse year round, not just when the WLL championship is on, aka a lifer. The link to join is in the description. Across social media, you can find me at I am Neil Barrett and Brandon at Hoot Sports Media. If you haven't yet, rate and review the show on whatever platform you're listening on. It takes about 30 seconds and it genuinely helps people find us. We'll be back with Brandon's puns next week. So until then, as always, we'll catch you guys in the comments.