Season 2 Episode 1 Dustin Wilson AFC Mobile

Transcript

Speaker: Welcome to Season 2, Episode 1 of No Pyro, No Podcast, our Armada fancast where we talk all things Jacksonville Armada.

Speaker: I'm Daniel Dad Johnson, and joining me is... Derek.

Speaker: Uh, does this... check, check, does this mic still work?

Speaker: Um, I think we had to dust some stuff off.

Speaker: Yeah, it's been a minute.

Speaker: It's been a little while.

Speaker: Um, weeks?

Speaker: Months, maybe?

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: Eh, months.

Speaker: I feel like our last, uh...

Speaker: Episode was about a month and a half ago.

Speaker: Yeah, because right around the holidays, I think, we took a little... Life got busy.

Speaker: Yeah, life did get busy.

Speaker: So we've got a special guest today.

Speaker: I guess a figure of Armada past, would you say?

Speaker: No, I would say a Gulf Coast icon.

Speaker: More so Everyone that Has really followed the Gulf Coast Conference the last few years Since the Armada has really Had a team in the First team in the NPSL Over the last three years Everyone knows this guy If you've been around the Gulf Coast He's definitely probably The Everyone's favorite guy and if You don't like him Something's wrong with you

Speaker: Okay, so we're going to jump onto that now.

Speaker: And so here we go.

Speaker: And joining us now is Dustin Wilson from AFC Mobile.

Speaker: And we also have a special guest, Stephen from Lower League of the USA.

Speaker: Never heard of him.

Speaker: Hey.

Speaker: Who are these guys?

Speaker: All right, episode's over.

Speaker: Just kidding.

Speaker: I mean, it's fair.

Speaker: We got to all the interesting parts.

Speaker: Yeah, which you guys actually just had a... Lordly Get USA actually did just interview recently for their website.

Speaker: So that was pretty cool to have you guys both on here.

Speaker: So, Dustin, you're an AFC Mobile supporter.

Speaker: You guys have been around for a minute.

Speaker: We kind of got introduced to you guys coming out of COVID in 2001 when the Armada and AFC Mobile joined the newly formed Gulf Coast Conference and the NPSL.

Speaker: how long were you a mobile fan before that year?

Speaker: How did it come about?

Speaker: What, what drove you to soccer there?

Speaker: Well, been around soccer my whole life, played it here, there, everywhere.

Speaker: I have some anecdotal fun stories about playing with refugees in Europe when I was, my dad was stationed over there.

Speaker: So coming back to being an adult, moved to mobile and there was no soccer.

Speaker: So I'm,

Speaker: started coaching again i've always loved that and uh the really funny story about it is afc mobile kind of unofficially officially quote unquote started as a u6 team playing for mobile city rec um and one of their very very first games was against my u16 playing for mobile city rec and i think they beat us like 93 to 2 maybe jesus um i

Speaker: I bet those two were spectacular goals.

Speaker: I know match fixing.

Speaker: To be honest.

Speaker: But I met Patrick Dungan that day, one of the founding guys of AFC Mobile.

Speaker: And we hit it off because I think we were the only coaches or parents.

Speaker: And we were full head to toe kit.

Speaker: He had an LA Galaxy and I had a Seattle Sounders kit.

Speaker: And we were fast friends and just got involved with him from there.

Speaker: Okay.

Speaker: So you said you moved around quite a bit military, and you're actually from the Washington area, right?

Speaker: That's how you're a Sounders fan?

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: I was born in Tacoma.

Speaker: Dad was American military.

Speaker: He grew up in Canada.

Speaker: We lived all around the world.

Speaker: I think I got 49 states, 11 countries.

Speaker: I mean, it's just – it was a ridiculously fun way to grow up.

Speaker: What's the last state?

Speaker: I got to get to North Dakota.

Speaker: No, no, no.

Speaker: There's no reason to go to North Dakota ever in your life.

Speaker: They literally say why.

Speaker: The only reason I want to go is to cross it off the list.

Speaker: So if you go to North Dakota, and sorry for if anyone is a North Dakota listener.

Speaker: Yeah, I'm sorry for you.

Speaker: Go from flying to Minneapolis, cross the state line, check it off, go back across to Minnesota, or do the same thing from the Montana side.

Speaker: Oh, yeah.

Speaker: Yeah, no, actually, when I moved in here, I drove in such a way that I was going to hit it, and then I snapped an axle on my truck in Wyoming, Gillette, Wyoming, and...

Speaker: Missed it by about three hours.

Speaker: And I almost like, you almost saw a grown man just crying like, God, I could have done this eight years ago.

Speaker: I believe it.

Speaker: Like, so my dad, both my parents were active duty Air Force.

Speaker: My dad was stationed in North Dakota at Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Speaker: There's nothing.

Speaker: Yeah, no.

Speaker: There was a Dairy Queen and that was it.

Speaker: That was our highlight for the week.

Speaker: Yeah, so that was like the town I grew up in, in Washington.

Speaker: It was middle of nowhere, not much going on other than being a military town.

Speaker: But at least Seattle was like an hour away and Tacoma was like 45 minutes away from, you know, there was something to go do if we were tired of the bowling alley.

Speaker: Okay.

Speaker: Oh, wow.

Speaker: That definitely screams military base.

Speaker: Oh, God, yeah.

Speaker: That's going to be Stephen's life in the next few years.

Speaker: We don't even get a bowling alley.

Speaker: Well, you're Navy.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: Oh, yeah.

Speaker: We're not Air Force.

Speaker: Air Force, Dustin?

Speaker: Army.

Speaker: Okay.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: So we, you know.

Speaker: especially when we lived in Germany it was like oh oh okay today is the the day we can go to the pool that's cool that's funny so um what year were you did you start um what year was it that you started following the AFC uh you know since I yeah I'm gonna I'm gonna love being an owner here for a second one I don't know what year we actually started but

Speaker: Again, I started following them and being at least fringe involved since the very get-go.

Speaker: So seven years ago, I think it was, eight years ago.

Speaker: So what league were they in before joining the Gulf Coast League?

Speaker: So we were in the GCPL.

Speaker: And that's where the very first official, I think that was 2017.

Speaker: And that was the first competitive team for the first team.

Speaker: And then played there for 2017.

Speaker: 17, 2018, 2019, and then moved to the NPSL, obviously, with the whole COVID thing in there.

Speaker: Yeah, that's a strange time.

Speaker: That year, the season was canceled, and the next year, I don't know about you guys, but our first two home games, there was zero attendance, so we actually had to go on the road to be able to watch our soccer team for the first time in two years.

Speaker: I remember that.

Speaker: I remember watching y'all.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: And I felt bad, you know, because it was just such everything around COVID was so messed up.

Speaker: And, and, and everybody was, you know, that phrase, the new normal, we didn't know.

Speaker: And, um, thankfully, you know, the, the ownership at the time of AFC mobile did a very good job putting together pieces and keeping everything as close as they could, um, you know, to, to kind of get us through that.

Speaker: It was definitely challenging though.

Speaker: So you guys make the jump into the NPSL, um,

Speaker: Did you guys have high expectations of like you guys were going to come in, play a larger region of teams?

Speaker: And did you think you're going to find instant success?

Speaker: You know, speaking from the fans perspective, because I was still helping Keith Kaufman do the Causeway Rebellion, the supporters group at that time.

Speaker: And, you know, as a fan, we made the announcement.

Speaker: And of course, a couple of us were more on the inside loops.

Speaker: We kind of knew.

Speaker: But then we didn't know what teams we were playing.

Speaker: And I remember that first announcement going out and I was like, oh, Jacksonville.

Speaker: Oh, God, New Orleans.

Speaker: Oh, shit.

Speaker: Those are real teams.

Speaker: You know, because being a lower league soccer nerd, you hear stories about the jesters and the silverbacks and the rowdies and you guys in Jacksonville and how these are just pipeline feeder teams for the pros and how good everybody was.

Speaker: I knew we were way out of class, but I think that my little pineapple heart way down there was like, ah, we got this.

Speaker: This will be fine.

Speaker: Yeah, but you guys also had that first year, Port City, which was right around the corner.

Speaker: You had Pensacola, which wasn't too far away.

Speaker: Hattiesburg, which no one knew anything about what they would be up at Southern States.

Speaker: I think that's what kind of made us have a little bit of confidence.

Speaker: We knew Tallahassee.

Speaker: Shout out to the boys over there and ladies out there.

Speaker: Just amazing group.

Speaker: And so we knew Port City, not our best friend, but maybe our best frenemy from the GCPL.

Speaker: And we had a lot of ties to Pensacola between the coaching staff and some of the players.

Speaker: So we felt confident that we'd be somewhere maybe in the top three, top four.

Speaker: But it was interesting.

Speaker: It was a good experience, a lot of learning.

Speaker: And from a fan's perspective, I mean, the quality of the teams was off the charts.

Speaker: Yeah, I know that I made that first game away to play you guys, and we lost 1-0.

Speaker: But I felt like we dominated that game.

Speaker: We just couldn't put the ball on target.

Speaker: But what I was impressed about was...

Speaker: you guys actually had support in the city for the team.

Speaker: Steven and Dan can attest to this.

Speaker: Two years prior, three years prior, we were in the Sunshine Conference, and we'd go down to South Florida to go play, whether it's Naples or Storm FC or Boca Raton, Miami United.

Speaker: There wasn't much support.

Speaker: in the Sunshine Conference outside of us.

Speaker: Steven?

Speaker: Dan?

Speaker: Yeah, not even, like, what was it, Miami FC that was with us then?

Speaker: Yeah, Miami FC was a really good team.

Speaker: Having professionals.

Speaker: And stacked.

Speaker: And there was maybe, like, 200 people at the game.

Speaker: But, like, there was really, for our experience at NPS at that point, Mobile definitely stuck out to us for having support.

Speaker: You know, and I think it was the right group of people fueled by the right group of owners with AFC at the time because we were all just soccer nerds.

Speaker: And we get together Saturday mornings at one of the local bars here and we just watch soccer.

Speaker: And, you know, you got your teams and whatnot and it's mostly prim.

Speaker: But at some point, you know, you got a third tier English team on and everybody just kind of arbitrarily picks sides because it's soccer.

Speaker: And we just like watching soccer, like playing soccer and

Speaker: Keith Kaufman, he's still a dear friend of mine, working hard behind the scenes to create this experience that was very much like a European football experience with fans chanting and songs.

Speaker: And we took a lot of cues off of Chattanooga's Galen Riley when he was running the Chattahooligans.

Speaker: We took a lot of cues off them, and they were great partners and supportive of us, too.

Speaker: So we really had a roadmap laid out for us of how to do that part, and it was just off to the races.

Speaker: Yeah, and you guys have more of a—I think you guys are like an altar group or anything, more of like a family-type supporters group.

Speaker: But you have your own vibe and culture that is very different than the other teams in the Gulf Coast Conference.

Speaker: You guys decided to do costumes when we first met you.

Speaker: I remember you guys approached us with a pineapple.

Speaker: I flipped you upside down.

Speaker: I was like, who are these guys?

Speaker: I have lots of friends and we make jokes about upside down pineapples.

Speaker: So I was like, okay, let's make things awkward.

Speaker: Honestly, yeah, we did.

Speaker: We just wanted to have fun.

Speaker: We wanted to be our own brand and be our own people and

Speaker: I think, again, one of the things that some of the guys that kind of led the causeway at the beginning, Keith Kaufman and Michael Shotata, and those guys were just go out there and be your fan.

Speaker: Be the guy that people remember.

Speaker: And the players really took to it.

Speaker: We did Vikings and Pirates the first couple years and did the whole makeup and the thing.

Speaker: And the players really responded to it.

Speaker: They loved looking up in the stands and just seeing us go wild.

Speaker: And then I think...

Speaker: We were on a kind of a conference Zoom call one night in the off season.

Speaker: And one of the she had Layla Hawkman, Alonzo Hawkman, now Stewart, I guess.

Speaker: Hi, Layla.

Speaker: I remembered all your names.

Speaker: She and I maybe were not exactly sober and we were joking around with, well, what should we do next year?

Speaker: And I think she suggested like a fruit salad.

Speaker: And I may have been really not in my right mind.

Speaker: And I went on Amazon.

Speaker: I'm like, that was a great idea.

Speaker: And like four days later, I had a pineapple costume complete with hat, gloves, shoes, the whole nine yards.

Speaker: And I was like, who could forget a guy running around in 115 degree heat in a polyester pineapple suit from China?

Speaker: So the pineapple was born there.

Speaker: So you don't know this about me, but these guys do.

Speaker: You're one and two with the Armada.

Speaker: I had my own little get-up software to the games.

Speaker: There's actually pictures on the internet that are very, very frightening to children.

Speaker: More so than normal.

Speaker: Derek's frightening to children just as he is.

Speaker: Normally I put a paper bag over my head.

Speaker: It cures everything.

Speaker: I got a face for radio.

Speaker: It was extremely over the top.

Speaker: I was...

Speaker: big like okay like supporters group what's something naval related and the first thing came to my mind was like davy jones locker right so like squid mask and i was like looking around stuff and i found this um it was like a leather uh a davy jones one that was like really cool and it was like a couple hundred bucks but i was like i live in jacksville florida i will freaking die if

Speaker: So I found this little cheap little $15 crochet squid mask, and I bought it.

Speaker: And it actually breathed very well.

Speaker: And so I didn't really get hot.

Speaker: And it wore anchor suit from head to toe, socks included, everything down to the underwear pretty much.

Speaker: And then I also dressed up as Popeye.

Speaker: It was...

Speaker: There's evidence of me wearing a lot of costumes.

Speaker: So me personally, I love it.

Speaker: I love how you guys are yourselves.

Speaker: You guys have your own vibe.

Speaker: And that's what it's about is creating your own culture, in my opinion.

Speaker: So, and we got our own culture, but it's not going to be the same as what you guys want to do.

Speaker: And same with Tallahassee or New Orleans or even...

Speaker: Everyone's favorite group in the conference.

Speaker: What's her name?

Speaker: Southern State Soccer Club.

Speaker: I don't know if you guys heard of them.

Speaker: You know what I'm going to say.

Speaker: Fuck those guys.

Speaker: Way to jump in the podcast, Dan.

Speaker: Only 15 minutes in.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: I deliver quality, not quantity.

Speaker: So what was, Dustin, what was your favorite away day?

Speaker: What was your favorite away day?

Speaker: Because you actually, you and your supporters group are one of the few groups that actually traveled regularly as a supporter.

Speaker: Yeah, and

Speaker: I think our first year in the MCL, I actually made every match.

Speaker: Um, it was because I, it was so important to me to meet everybody and meet them on their home turf.

Speaker: And, uh, we have had, I think the best away day possible was, uh, our last, our first, very first season, last game, go over to port city.

Speaker: Um, we're over, we had nothing to live for, nothing to play for, uh, except pride.

Speaker: And, um,

Speaker: one of the things a lot of folks don't know one of our actual cosmic rebellion supporters is a ref jamie ward um and he was one of the linesmen that night and so we all had to be quiet about that but we were crazy and uh i mean every call and jamie's ethics are outstanding he's one of those guys you never question a thing he does um but it came down to maybe the last i don't know 45 seconds and we held on in one

Speaker: And one of our, one of the owners, Patrick jumped over the fence, not realizing it was about 15 feet down from the standing, the seating onto the pitch and broke a rib.

Speaker: And we just went wild.

Speaker: Worth it.

Speaker: Everybody lost it.

Speaker: And we stormed the field.

Speaker: Like we just won a national championship and all the players at Gulfport were just looking at us like we were crackheads.

Speaker: And we were, I mean, it was, but it was the whole bus ride home was chanting, cheering, singing, singing,

Speaker: We hugged all the players when they got off the bus.

Speaker: It was just magic for us.

Speaker: I know that feeling.

Speaker: The first year and a half of us as a professional team, we actually didn't win an away game at all.

Speaker: It was about, what, 20-some games, right, guys?

Speaker: Somewhere around there.

Speaker: And the best we could do was muster up a draw.

Speaker: We were god-awful in the NPSL at the start.

Speaker: So when we finally got that hump...

Speaker: Like it just nothing, nothing but celebration.

Speaker: Like, so I get that, like that moment of like, we don't have to be the best team, but we're the best team tonight.

Speaker: Like, let's, let's go.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: And I think that game for us too, that you, I can't believe how well you just described that feeling.

Speaker: I think that kind of set in our minds that, yeah, we don't need them in.

Speaker: These are just our boys and they're on the pitch for us.

Speaker: Um,

Speaker: And we were going to do whatever we could to support them through thick, thin, or otherwise.

Speaker: So since you mentioned that you did pineapple, Dan and me have a very – we're very passionate about something.

Speaker: Does pineapple belong on pizza?

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: Oh, hell no.

Speaker: Thank you for joining us.

Speaker: Actually, as the pineapple, I go into the stands at halftime and I will sign cans of pineapple for the kids and do pictures and stuff.

Speaker: And on every single can of pineapple, I write, I do not belong on pizza.

Speaker: And then I sign a big pineapple signature.

Speaker: And I have to make the kids promise they will not make a pizza.

Speaker: That is actually... I love pineapple on pizza.

Speaker: Especially meat lover, throw pineapple on it.

Speaker: I love it.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: But that is hilarious to me that you're doing that with the kids.

Speaker: This is why you're such a well-liked guy, man.

Speaker: I don't know.

Speaker: My opinion has changed.

Speaker: We have a banter page in the Gulf Coast.

Speaker: And it's primarily filled with Armada supporters, Mobile, Tallahassee, a couple guys over at New Orleans, like one guy from Pensacola, and I think like two people from Southern State snuck in there at the end.

Speaker: But it's, hands down, Dustin's the one guy everybody loves.

Speaker: There shall be no slander of the pineapple.

Speaker: Yeah, but it's unanimous that everyone likes you.

Speaker: You're, like, such a good guy overall.

Speaker: Like, the kids love you, the other supporters, even though, like, we want to be rivals, and, like, our group is, like, full of, um, young, angry ultras.

Speaker: Um, we hate everyone.

Speaker: It's like a 90s goth kid.

Speaker: What would not be tolerated is the slander of the pineapple.

Speaker: Yeah, like, it's just, you're just, like, why are you such a likable guy?

Speaker: God, I don't know.

Speaker: I just, I think it's, I think it's easier to make friends.

Speaker: And it's really hard not to give the pineapple, the guy that maybe slightly inebriated guy in a pineapple suit, a hug when he's like, hi, I think it's a beard.

Speaker: You know, I just, it's a soccer to me is not about hate.

Speaker: And I know I'm getting into some weird, like next level FIFA shit about, you know, racism and all that, but it isn't, it transcends everything.

Speaker: transcends borders, sex, race, sexual preference, any of that kind of stuff.

Speaker: So why should it do that at a supporter's level?

Speaker: And we can hate each other.

Speaker: That's very true.

Speaker: Funny enough, that came up in conversation last night.

Speaker: We had a Section 904 board meeting last night, and we were just talking at the end.

Speaker: We were just talking about stuff, and we were talking about away days.

Speaker: All of us can get out of whatever our mode of transport is.

Speaker: There can be a group of 10 of us going to a bar, going to a restaurant, and people are probably going to wonder,

Speaker: Why are they all together?

Speaker: Yeah, how did this group come about?

Speaker: Yeah, look at this odd mix of people, whether it be age, whether it be gender, whether it be race, whatever the case may be.

Speaker: It's the one thing that brings us all together.

Speaker: Like, for example, when we went to, we were playing Pensacola way, was it two years ago, where they were playing in Foley, Alabama?

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: We ended up at this, what was that bar's name?

Speaker: It was called the Scuttlebutt Pub.

Speaker: Scuttlebutt Pub.

Speaker: And there was literally like 20 of us there.

Speaker: It's like, what, five plus hours away from Jacksonville that we all made the trip, but like,

Speaker: We got a very diverse group of people, like, across all levels of diverse, as diverse can be.

Speaker: And I guarantee you that place, just, like, the looks of, like, what in the hell?

Speaker: Like, just what came in here?

Speaker: Like, how?

Speaker: Like, not, like, more of, like, more of just, like,

Speaker: That's just a very weird, large group.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: And it's I mean, you guys, when I came out to y'all were amazing hosts.

Speaker: I mean, it was I did the turn and burn because I literally had to pick up my kids the next day.

Speaker: That was a long drive.

Speaker: Oh, and especially after y'all kicked our ass so hard.

Speaker: That was the game you guys had eight players, right?

Speaker: And you had to borrow some of our youth academy guys?

Speaker: No, that wasn't that one.

Speaker: That was the first time we went out.

Speaker: That was the previous home game.

Speaker: Will Block, Blake had us.

Speaker: He was our keeper.

Speaker: And he had us, I think, even or just down one at the half.

Speaker: And then y'all figured it out and put five past him with it.

Speaker: 30 minutes.

Speaker: I mean, it was quick.

Speaker: It was a merciful death blow.

Speaker: But I don't think a single one of your folks didn't say, hey, I've got a bed.

Speaker: You shouldn't drive all the way back.

Speaker: Please come stay here.

Speaker: I mean, I had an offer for a hotel.

Speaker: And it's just that's the kind of stuff that transcends the kind of stuff on the field.

Speaker: And that's what it's about.

Speaker: So you just treat people the way you want to be treated.

Speaker: Awesome.

Speaker: So true.

Speaker: So Mobile in 2023 takes a hiatus.

Speaker: Yes.

Speaker: What happened?

Speaker: So this is where I actually come in.

Speaker: Just before then, I come in as an owner.

Speaker: I was fortunate enough to buy a share in the team.

Speaker: And for about six months prior to that, I was kind of getting my feet wet on the ownership side.

Speaker: And what had really happened, you know, kind of laying our cards on the table is that

Speaker: COVID just messed everything up.

Speaker: We had housing issues and we had some player issues.

Speaker: We were hosting a lot of internationals.

Speaker: And what had happened that previous year is that the internationals that we had, we had three and then a whole bunch of other college kids coming in.

Speaker: Um, they needed housing obviously, and we put them up and then we lost that housing.

Speaker: Had a really good deal on the housing.

Speaker: And then they said at the very last second, no, no, no, no.

Speaker: So we wound up actually having to pay for an Airbnb basically for some of these guys for the entire season, which was about $15,000 that we really hadn't planned on.

Speaker: Um, and to their credit, the board at the time did every single thing they could to keep the team alive, um, made it through that season.

Speaker: went through a big coaching change.

Speaker: Losing Steve was a lot of upheaval.

Speaker: I won't go into the details on that, but it was a lot of turmoil and a lot of player turmoil.

Speaker: Steve was expansive.

Speaker: He was our academy director as well.

Speaker: So by the time we settled it all up, we really just didn't have a ton of cash left in the tank.

Speaker: Then COVID hits.

Speaker: We come back for another year and it's

Speaker: the wheels just fell off because everything was more expensive.

Speaker: Everything had to be done differently.

Speaker: Our main title sponsor didn't quite come through the way it was supposed to.

Speaker: We had one guy responsible for, I think, three different of his companies, welched out on paying it.

Speaker: So again, credit cards and hope and some season ticket sales, we made it through that season.

Speaker: And then we just decided kind of as we got towards last year, there was no way we could put a team out and we were going to look worse if we made it two or three games in and just ran ahead.

Speaker: So for the best interest of the club and to do the right thing, not trying to get a gold star for altruism or anything, but to do the right thing and pay off our debt, pay off the loan, pay off some of the credit card debt that we incurred.

Speaker: We just decided to focus on the Academy, use what little tiny bits of actual profit we get from our Academy to help pay off that debt, try to put everything in better footing, better standing, and then go forward from there, which,

Speaker: we've been lucky enough to now get to this point where we're, we're back.

Speaker: So, so will AFC mobile be on the field in 2024?

Speaker: As of right now, I'm about to sign a deal with a, for use of a stadium here.

Speaker: Just very, I mean, it's like three seconds from the mobile city border.

Speaker: So it's in Chickasaw, Alabama.

Speaker: We are coming back to play.

Speaker: We will be in the GCPL again.

Speaker: You know, and again,

Speaker: We're grateful for that opportunity.

Speaker: The GCPL has done a glow up in the last couple of years and we're, there's no ego whatsoever in me saying that we are incredibly grateful and incredibly fortunate to be asked, invited to come back.

Speaker: It's a great fit for us and we are just really excited to take the pitch again.

Speaker: So you guys, go ahead, Steven.

Speaker: That was interesting what you just said.

Speaker: You guys aren't going to play at the lip next year then?

Speaker: Um, all credit to the lip for being a good partner when, when we started.

Speaker: Um, but they've had, I think some things happen where they're not able to keep our rates the same.

Speaker: Um, and so the new rates that they were asking for are honestly, in my opinion, very fair for what, what they're,

Speaker: what they have, they have a beautiful facility, gorgeous, gorgeous stadium.

Speaker: You know, you guys have been there.

Speaker: It's a nice place.

Speaker: I think their ask is a little high this year and we're more interested in the health, the financial health of the club to keep it long-term.

Speaker: And our new deal is very team friendly, very growth friendly.

Speaker: And we found, we think the best possible partner we could going forward.

Speaker: I can't just credit you guys enough for how you were able to turn it around from when you guys were struggling financially to be able to come back on the pitch as early as this year.

Speaker: That's quite an incredible work that you guys have done.

Speaker: I appreciate hearing that.

Speaker: And it's a big credit to a couple of the folks behind the scenes.

Speaker: Um, memo Lombra, uh, he's a former player of ours turned owner now turned president of the board.

Speaker: Um,

Speaker: And a lot of the longstanding guys that are kind of still got us to this point, you know, they've moved on in life or had some new challenges, but their work and their behind the scenes has been key.

Speaker: Michael Lynch has just been kind of a do everything kind of guy for us.

Speaker: And he is just every phone call we need to make, he's willing to make it.

Speaker: So we just wanted to play again.

Speaker: We missed it.

Speaker: And as a fan, you know, it sucks not having any soccer in area to go to.

Speaker: So you mentioned not too long ago, one of your biggest costs was the fact that you had non-local players and you have to house those players.

Speaker: With you guys moving to this new league, the GCPL, will you have more of a local vibe?

Speaker: Are you still trying to have a larger geographical footprint from players to pull from?

Speaker: What's your guys' strategy with that?

Speaker: Really, honestly, I mean, I'd love to tell you that it's, well, this is on the paper and this is the plan and the 10-year comeback and all this good stuff, but it's really just let's play.

Speaker: And we know that we're going to struggle with some, the talent pool in Mobile is diluted a little bit just due to the number of teams in the area.

Speaker: We have Union 10 still in the area.

Speaker: And a lot of these kids, we don't have a men's D1 program in the area, which thins out some of the colleges we can draw from.

Speaker: Obviously we have Spring Hill and Mobile, University of Mobile, which are incredibly talented players, but they kind of also go, they get recruited to bigger teams too.

Speaker: So I think this year is really just a focus on some of our Academy graduates.

Speaker: Hopefully we'll come back to play for us and give the kids a shot, you know,

Speaker: If you don't develop the youth and the talent, where else are they going to get it?

Speaker: And it holds true to our be a beacon of soccer, be a community soccer program, and kind of unite soccer in Mobile.

Speaker: So are you able to – do you think you're still going to have the same type of draw with you guys moving to the stadium just outside of Mobile?

Speaker: You know, not being from Mobile, I will tell you that Mobile surprises me a lot in very good ways.

Speaker: It's got its issues, but I would love to say that we'll have the 1,500 people back in that stadium that we had year two in the GCPL, but I honestly don't think so.

Speaker: I think we have to earn the trust of the public again.

Speaker: I think we got to earn the trust of some of our fans, some of them.

Speaker: rightly so, were very deeply hurt that we took a year off because we didn't involve the fans in that decision.

Speaker: And there's a group of about 100 to 200 people that we probably should have at least kind of clued them into what was going on.

Speaker: So we made some mistakes.

Speaker: We did what was best, but I think we got to earn their trust again.

Speaker: And I think putting on a quality product with really quality local players and getting back to that first season where, you know, yeah, we won one match, but God, we all had fun.

Speaker: So this makes me think of like the Armada story a lot.

Speaker: Like we, our first game, we had 16,000 people at a professional game.

Speaker: First year we had 7,800 when we were Division II soccer.

Speaker: And then the last year that we were pro, we averaged about 4,500 people when we moved stadiums.

Speaker: And then the team kind of, like the league imploded.

Speaker: we had to move down to the NPSL fully amateur team.

Speaker: That first year we played at Patton Park, which... Great little small venue in the neighborhood.

Speaker: I like the place, but in terms of support, we went from having thousands a game to, like, 50.

Speaker: So I know that struggle of, like...

Speaker: You got to earn that trust back in.

Speaker: Honestly, that 2001 season coming out of COVID, first few games at home were like 200 people for us.

Speaker: If it wasn't for that next year and like the run that we had within 14 straight, like...

Speaker: the community started showing up because the team was winning, the team was performing, like, just... It was all grassroots, it felt like, and all of a sudden, at the end of the year, it's 2,000 people coming in.

Speaker: So, it can happen, just...

Speaker: We're hopeful.

Speaker: Just kind of stick with it.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: And I think that's it.

Speaker: And I think especially kind of changing focus to be a little more local branded and trying to develop talent.

Speaker: And of course we have some fantastic former players that are still a match fit and they're ready to go.

Speaker: And we're going to definitely see what we can do to get them back.

Speaker: But I think that's just it is, is you got to go through that process and some, you know, some folks got to go through it more than others.

Speaker: So this is just paying a little dues maybe, but also I,

Speaker: Yeah, just earning their trust back and showing them it's a quality product and it's worth supporting.

Speaker: Have you guys announced season tickets yet or is that still a little early for you guys?

Speaker: It's still a little early just because we're shaking out a couple more things.

Speaker: Just trying to set our coach.

Speaker: We've got a couple options on the table.

Speaker: We're not quite sure what we're going to wind up doing with that.

Speaker: And then from there, we've got packages in place.

Speaker: We're looking for a couple more sponsors.

Speaker: Once we get that set, I think we're good to go.

Speaker: Nice.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: You guys got any more soccer questions for Dustin?

Speaker: I'm kind of about to switch gears on them.

Speaker: I'll jump in for a moment.

Speaker: So the NPSL ran a fan-based award every year for the support of the year.

Speaker: And I will have to say this after meeting you personally, well before you guys were part of NPSL,

Speaker: And then continuing to get to know you as well as the Cosby Rebellion, you were robbed of that award and the risk on you.

Speaker: I appreciate hearing that.

Speaker: And I was the cool guy.

Speaker: I was like, that doesn't really matter to me.

Speaker: And being up for it three times in a row.

Speaker: And then people who had won it before, like Galen Riley at Chattanooga.

Speaker: I looked up in awe.

Speaker: He's leading the chant with 10,000 fans, some of those matches, and he got that.

Speaker: I was like, there's no way.

Speaker: But it was disappointing to not take one of those home.

Speaker: I will be very honest to say that.

Speaker: I'll be honest.

Speaker: I don't think they had this award back in 2018 when we were in the Sunshine Conference.

Speaker: Steven actually, we called him the Wayday King.

Speaker: Because we were in a conference of, I think, 19.

Speaker: So we had like 16 games, I think it was, in the sunshine.

Speaker: He made every single away day in that season.

Speaker: I don't know how I did it.

Speaker: I was broke, and I still managed to make those games.

Speaker: We even went down on a Wednesday game down to Miami United from Jacksonville.

Speaker: I got off of work.

Speaker: And we deadheaded back and everything.

Speaker: And I had to sleep the whole way because I had to be at work at like 6 in the morning.

Speaker: And getting back to Jacksonville before, and like it's – we know that struggle of we don't want to spend the money on a hotel.

Speaker: Let's just get the hell back.

Speaker: And like it just – like there was another trip down to Miami FC where my buddy James and I and Mama J –

Speaker: We're driving the highway two in the morning and all of a sudden the car is driving past us the wrong way on the highway.

Speaker: Like those road trips really make for some like core memories of life.

Speaker: Oh, God.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: God.

Speaker: I took my girls to see Tallahassee.

Speaker: I think the third year.

Speaker: And we're coming back and we're in Ponce de Leon, Florida.

Speaker: And the girl is like two in the morning and the girl's like, dad, just give up.

Speaker: Let's get a hotel.

Speaker: And my oldest bless her heart.

Speaker: She's like, Oh, I will stay up with you.

Speaker: And maybe made it like another two miles before she was just conked out.

Speaker: And I'm just like, well, that's funny.

Speaker: You just got to find someone to hit the road trip that you can split the driving with.

Speaker: You know, and a lot of times, again, credit, I'm wearing dual hats here of Causeway and ownership.

Speaker: When it was just Causeway, man, Rob and Drew and Keith and Michael and Michael Linder, I mean, these guys, they're road warriors.

Speaker: And Luke and Layla have almost as many miles.

Speaker: We actually, for funsies, started keeping a track sheet on miles.

Speaker: And I wish I'd actually afforded it to myself because it's on my work computer.

Speaker: But there's Luke and Layla and Stephanie and Jamie.

Speaker: There's some of us that combined had well over 10,000 miles in a year.

Speaker: And it was just a riot.

Speaker: I mean, it was just fun.

Speaker: You know, two years ago, was it two, three years ago when we had the 14 or was it eight teams?

Speaker: So we had 14 games in the Gulf Coast Conference.

Speaker: The only one I missed was Port City Away.

Speaker: But that was because it was a Thursday game before New Orleans.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: It was some of those trips like New Orleans, a seven and a half long hours.

Speaker: Oh, yeah.

Speaker: And then you got to drive through across that bridge and tunnel and Mobile and Southern.

Speaker: Yeah, it's a seven and a half hour.

Speaker: So we get it.

Speaker: We get it.

Speaker: New Orleans is only like three hours.

Speaker: There's a certain level of pride badge, though, that you get from making all these trips, though, right?

Speaker: Oh, God, yeah.

Speaker: And again, one of the things I'll treasure forever, I mean, it is on my trophy shelf, and not that there's many of them on there, but I got a perfect attendance award made to me that season by Rob Risch, one of our Cosway guys.

Speaker: And it's this gorgeous little wood plaque with a pineapple and the azalea logo.

Speaker: And, you know, I look back and I was like,

Speaker: Oh, all that money, man.

Speaker: I probably could have bought a new car.

Speaker: But, you know, you sound like Steven in 2017, 2018.

Speaker: Like, he made such bad decisions that you're going to soccer games.

Speaker: He had to, like, join the military to get out of it.

Speaker: I'm still making my decisions today.

Speaker: That's awesome.

Speaker: Yeah, but like you said, you are making core memories, and you're making friends.

Speaker: And, you know, I count myself extraordinarily lucky to now have actual soccer friends from Washington to Iowa to Arkansas down here along the whole Gulf Coast.

Speaker: You know, it's amazing.

Speaker: It's been an absolute trip.

Speaker: All right.

Speaker: He brought up Washington.

Speaker: I'm doing the pivot.

Speaker: I don't get to.

Speaker: I don't get the chance to ask someone much about Pac-12 football because we're an SEC country.

Speaker: I'm a Pac-12 guy.

Speaker: Go UCLA Bruins.

Speaker: I know.

Speaker: You and I have gone little tit for tat here and there the past couple years about it.

Speaker: And I'm like, I can't piss you off too much because it's like, well, shit, it's another Pac-12 guy in the area.

Speaker: You can't shit on the Bruins that much.

Speaker: Well, at least you can because one of the reasons why they're down for the Pac-12 is –

Speaker: Yeah, they are one of the biggest reasons.

Speaker: They were like the first domino, which is absolutely depressing that the school that I love did that.

Speaker: The school that Jackie Robinson went to, and Bill Walton.

Speaker: Jackie joined her curse.

Speaker: The Huskies held in there, I think, as long as they could, but I think they saw the writing on the wall like, oh, shit.

Speaker: How was...

Speaker: You guys have had a pretty good last two years.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: And the whole conference has had a last two good years, but no one paid attention to it last year.

Speaker: But they finally did this year because of how the conference started.

Speaker: How bittersweet was it for you this year?

Speaker: You know, I really thought we could beat Michigan.

Speaker: Dude, I had money on it.

Speaker: They were my pick before the season started was Washington to win it all.

Speaker: Well, yeah, and I think you nailed it as a Pac-12 guy, and I love the dogs.

Speaker: But they looked good three years ago.

Speaker: They looked great last year, and then this year was just holy crap.

Speaker: I haven't seen anything like that since I was a kid in 91.

Speaker: And coming off an 0-4 season, it was nice to see.

Speaker: So someone on this call was telling me, oh yeah, Washington's not going to do it.

Speaker: What about Caleb Williams down in USC?

Speaker: And I was like, who?

Speaker: Like, clearly you're not watching the same games I am.

Speaker: You're going to bed after your Florida Gators play.

Speaker: And you're not watching the games.

Speaker: Like, I nailed it.

Speaker: I was like, the best teams is going to be Washington.

Speaker: And then I thought it was going to be Oregon State, then Oregon, and then Utah.

Speaker: But I thought Cam Rising was playing, though.

Speaker: So, yeah.

Speaker: But yeah.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: I think you, you definitely hit it and across all sports.

Speaker: And cause I do pay attention to some of the other stuff going on.

Speaker: I think the Pac-12 people sleep on them because they're not SEC and they're not big 10.

Speaker: I mean, most of them are big 10.

Speaker: And their games end at two in the morning.

Speaker: And that is even as a rabid Huskies fan.

Speaker: It's like, Oh my God, I got to stay up.

Speaker: How late?

Speaker: What time do you take your nap?

Speaker: If you got the late game?

Speaker: Oh, you got to, I have the late game.

Speaker: I got to take a nap around like four o'clock.

Speaker: I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Speaker: It's like, I'm not going to make it.

Speaker: I'm like, oh man, Papa sitting there with his head down.

Speaker: A beer.

Speaker: And it's just, I'm awake.

Speaker: Dustin, I want to make this little, we're going to pivot back to soccer for a second, just because I thought of the question regarding your team.

Speaker: Um,

Speaker: What are your goals for this season?

Speaker: I know everybody, like the fans are like, we want to win a championship.

Speaker: We want to, we want to do this.

Speaker: We want to do that.

Speaker: But what is the realistic goal for AFC Mobile for the 2024 GCPL season?

Speaker: So I'll be kind enough to give you two answers and one from like the fan perspective and the other from the ownership perspective, um, from a fan's perspective, look, we're just happy to have soccer back.

Speaker: Um, I think the goal would of course to be to win it all.

Speaker: Is that a realistic goal?

Speaker: No, but God, we have to, we have to have hope and, and, uh, in our hearts.

Speaker: And that's kind of that hope that you, you, you just run the table is that one that's always there.

Speaker: Um,

Speaker: From an ownership perspective, what we are striving to do is survive.

Speaker: This first season is just survive.

Speaker: Make connections, make some new sponsors, get the community back involved.

Speaker: We have an awesome partner I can't quite announce yet.

Speaker: And as soon as we can announce that, they're just, they've wholeheartedly embraced us.

Speaker: And we're very, very appreciative for that.

Speaker: But it's going to take a little bit more.

Speaker: It's going to take a little bit more growth, definitely some more money.

Speaker: And we got to find that.

Speaker: But I think the goal is to survive and create sustainability.

Speaker: And once we have that, and I think it will take us a year or two to do that.

Speaker: I think once we have that, we just, we play soccer and we create something that is lasting.

Speaker: And we got to lay those groundstones this first year.

Speaker: Man, that was a perfect response.

Speaker: And I promise you, I don't have any of this repaired because my life is a total shit show this week.

Speaker: So I am literally shooting from the hip, but it's also from the heart.

Speaker: I mean, we just want to, we want to create something that we can take our kids to not just this year, but five years from now.

Speaker: And when that academy, when our U14 player, he gets to, you know, or she gets to, hopefully that's another thing that's in the works.

Speaker: But when, when they get to that 18, 19, 20 year old age and they're back from the summer from playing wherever they're playing,

Speaker: We want them to look to us and be like, oh, that's another opportunity for me.

Speaker: And we want it to be there for them.

Speaker: That's awesome.

Speaker: God, I love this guy too much.

Speaker: Why is he such a good guy?

Speaker: I need to hate him.

Speaker: I mean, I am part Canadian, and I think that plays into it.

Speaker: No, no, no.

Speaker: I forgot.

Speaker: You don't like pineapple on pizza.

Speaker: That's why I'll hear you.

Speaker: That is why.

Speaker: Get the pitchforks.

Speaker: I'm on your side, Dustin.

Speaker: Yeah, I just don't understand how a reasonable, rational person has something like tomato, which is super sweet.

Speaker: Tomato sauce, it's sugary.

Speaker: And then put more sugar on it.

Speaker: You like sweet and sour sauce?

Speaker: No.

Speaker: No, just choose one.

Speaker: You're either sweet or sour.

Speaker: That's, you know.

Speaker: Okay, what about like peanut butter and jelly?

Speaker: Those are two different.

Speaker: No, that is foul.

Speaker: Peanut butter and wheat bread.

Speaker: That's the ticket right there.

Speaker: Oh, my God.

Speaker: Have you ever had peanut butter and jelly wings?

Speaker: I've actually tried those.

Speaker: Yeah, there was a place here locally that did them.

Speaker: And when I ate meat, that was like the thing to go try.

Speaker: And I was like, all right, we'll get a shot.

Speaker: And I was pleasantly surprised that chicken added a whole new component to it.

Speaker: Okay.

Speaker: There is hope for them yet.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: Diversity and acceptance.

Speaker: What else do we got?

Speaker: Anything?

Speaker: Honestly, the questions I wrote down, I finished about like 40 minutes ago.

Speaker: So I've been just winging it ever since.

Speaker: I have a statement.

Speaker: So back in 2018, sorry, 2019, right before I got orders overseas...

Speaker: I happened to go to an AFC Mobile game while you guys were GCPO.

Speaker: I'm pretty sure – I have it written down somewhere, but I'm trying to figure out what team it was.

Speaker: It wasn't Port City, but I think it was your other rival team.

Speaker: God, I kind of remember you being – I think it was a Pensacola game.

Speaker: No, I've been to Pensacola as well.

Speaker: But anyways, I managed to enjoy that game.

Speaker: And I'm trying my best to make it to another one of your games this year before I go back to Europe.

Speaker: So hopefully we can talk more in person too down the road.

Speaker: Yeah, we want to see all you guys.

Speaker: And I know Mobile is a hell of a drive for y'all.

Speaker: And it is our plan still to keep going to a couple of games as we can for our

Speaker: And we really do consider y'all our friends, our friendlies, our friends, and our contacts.

Speaker: We went to Tallahassee last year, about six of us, and you'd have thought we were royalty.

Speaker: They rolled out every red carpet for us.

Speaker: They treated us like kings and queens.

Speaker: We partied with their supporters.

Speaker: And it was just, that's what it was about.

Speaker: The main ones that started it, the Twins, they used to be Armada supporters.

Speaker: Yeah, we were actually joking about that.

Speaker: They used to drive from Tallahassee for the games every home game.

Speaker: Those are the types of passionate folks that we've had.

Speaker: A lot of y'all, too.

Speaker: God.

Speaker: I still proudly have a hat.

Speaker: It was the Gulf Coast Rangers.

Speaker: Sorry.

Speaker: Dustin, consider this.

Speaker: Our first home game will probably be away to Tallahassee if things play out as original.

Speaker: Like the last three years?

Speaker: Mark your calendar.

Speaker: That's going to be a bit of a, I got to spend one half on one side and the other half on the other side.

Speaker: That's fine.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: Just, just finish on our half because we'll probably win.

Speaker: So, Hey, what's the, what, what's like the, how many teams are you going to be in your conference or league?

Speaker: And like, what's the furthest away?

Speaker: Last I heard, it was there's a team in Georgia, and now I'm trying to frantically pull up my map because I forget which city in Georgia it's going to be.

Speaker: Is it Columbus?

Speaker: Is it Soegans?

Speaker: I think that's it, yeah.

Speaker: Okay.

Speaker: That ain't that far.

Speaker: No, it's about a four-and-a-half-hour ride for us, which we'll make work.

Speaker: And then, of course, there's some of the standards, Union 10 or Mobile United or whatever they call themselves these days.

Speaker: They're going to be there.

Speaker: Oh, you'll be in Pensacola.

Speaker: Yeah, I think Pensacola's got a team still.

Speaker: And then, hang on.

Speaker: I'm frantically pulling up my email here.

Speaker: Because they've been there in the Premier League and then League 2 too.

Speaker: I'm surprised I don't know any teams in like Dove, which isn't too far from you guys.

Speaker: Florida Roots, they're going to keep their GCPL team.

Speaker: Pensacola Bay United.

Speaker: They don't quit.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: You know, we all have the one team that just for whatever reason you don't like.

Speaker: And after the way I got treated in their stadium, I fucked those guys.

Speaker: I think your hardest game is Shreveport.

Speaker: I heard... That's actually a decent drive for you guys.

Speaker: Shreveport's about five hours, but I think they're going to wind up with two conferences.

Speaker: And I think a lot of the Louisiana folks are going to be on that side and we'll be on this side.

Speaker: So...

Speaker: Well, I'm going to ask this because Brian's not here.

Speaker: Brian on our thing, he's a big on screen, especially like a wayday screen.

Speaker: What stadium had the best food that you've in the Gulf Coast?

Speaker: Okay, so I'm not even saying this to suck up, but I am mostly vegetarian.

Speaker: I'll eat some fish and stuff here.

Speaker: So it's hard for me to grab a burger and a hot dog at a lot of places.

Speaker: But y'all had popcorn.

Speaker: in Jacksonville.

Speaker: And I don't know why, but maybe it was time or place.

Speaker: Oh, that was a Piscable.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: Okay.

Speaker: Oh my God.

Speaker: And then you had pickles and I'm a fiend for pickles.

Speaker: So I had like a diet Coke, a thing of popcorn, a hot fresh bag of popcorn and a pickle for like five bucks.

Speaker: And I was like, okay, okay.

Speaker: I got this.

Speaker: Um, but as far as outside food, there was a food truck in Pensacola that was really good.

Speaker: Um, God, who else had really good food?

Speaker: Oh, New Orleans.

Speaker: New Orleans has... I mean, they sell beer in their stadium.

Speaker: That's really hard to say no to.

Speaker: We had beer at one of our stadiums last year.

Speaker: So we played at three different venues last year.

Speaker: I'm sure that was fun.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: We had alcohol at one of them.

Speaker: It was a fun time.

Speaker: So...

Speaker: Alcohol is an interesting catalyst, especially if your team's really starting to suck, but it also provides for some cheeky banter.

Speaker: In the years that we played against you guys, I won't name the venue that we were at.

Speaker: We pretty much got away with a lot of different things, including bringing coolers into the stadium.

Speaker: Again, facilities will remain nameless to protect the innocent, but there were a couple where the pineapple's hands fit an amazing amount of things in them.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: Next time we're in person, I'll have to show you that trick because it's amazing what you can fit in those hands.

Speaker: But it deserves a good job.

Speaker: What's going to frisk a pineapple?

Speaker: You know, I had one guy, and I think it was New Orleans, one guy, and the security guard just looked at me and goes, could you put your hands up, I guess?

Speaker: And he was so awkward patting me down.

Speaker: I'm like, bro, I'll just take it off.

Speaker: It's okay.

Speaker: He goes, no, I think you're fine.

Speaker: Just go.

Speaker: That's awesome.

Speaker: Oh, that's awesome.

Speaker: I'm done.

Speaker: We've got plenty of stuff to work with.

Speaker: Yeah, I'm going to do my baby's starting to be like, hey, attention.

Speaker: Well, I am very grateful for the opportunity.

Speaker: We are extremely thankful for you coming on, man, like you.

Speaker: It was a great conversation.

Speaker: I had a ton of fun, and it's stuff like this.

Speaker: It's your show.

Speaker: It's Lower League USA.

Speaker: You guys keep it very fresh.

Speaker: Well, that's Stephen.

Speaker: Stephen's Lower League USA.

Speaker: Oh, I know.

Speaker: It's all of y'all that are contributing to this Lower League stuff that really keeps it fresh and lets it grow in America.

Speaker: And for that, I'm very grateful for everything y'all do.

Speaker: Thank you, even though I still don't agree with your opinion on pineapple and pizza, but hey, we can agree to disagree.

Speaker: But good luck this year, man.

Speaker: Seriously, with everything you guys are trying to build out there.

Speaker: I hope you guys are able to build up enough where we can whoop your guys' behinds again on the field.

Speaker: Congratulations on all your success.

Speaker: I cannot wait to come to a new stadium once it's built.

Speaker: It looks absolutely stunning and really, really looking forward to coming back out there.

Speaker: And I honestly hope we whoop the shit out of you, but I'll take a draw.

Speaker: Challenge accepted.

Speaker: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker: We'll put that one in the book, you know, and as we grow, hey, maybe even a friendly where, you know, lend us a few more of your players.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: I forgot about that.

Speaker: We've tried.

Speaker: I just loved seeing your guys' Twitter and your fan base messaging the DMs to the team.

Speaker: Who's on the bus right now?

Speaker: Take a picture of the bus.

Speaker: The banter page was popping off.

Speaker: The banter page was fun that night.

Speaker: I will say that.

Speaker: Cheers.

Speaker: Thank you so much, guys.

Speaker: Thank you, gentlemen, and best of luck for all of y'all, and we'll talk soon.