Fade The Field Ep. 13

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another edition of the Faded Field Podcast. I am Coach Jean Clemens, joined as always by my guy Chris James at CJ Florida 9. Whichever way it goes, I never can tell depending upon how this thing is going to pop out. But I'm really excited. We've got our one of our one of our two young interns. Intern Zack, he is joining us. Welcome to the show, intern Zack. Yes, he is off editing duties and he is on the show. Um, shout out to Zach. Zach's been doing a great job um, you know, with with all of our stuff um, behind the scenes as we've been trying to get out stuff to you. You've seen his work on the YouTube channel. You've seen his work on on Instagram and wherever else that you you see us going. if he's been doing a great job, especially um editing down a lot of a lot of the spitting statistician Jay Martinez's stuff. Um he's been doing a great job on that. He also he also does a little moonlighting as a playbyplay um little league baseball announcer. And how's that going? How how has that been? Uh that's honestly been really fun. I've been doing it actually for four years now. Uh, I started in eighth grade just like when the president of the little league in my city like he bought this sound system and he's like, "Hey, let's try this out." And so I was like one of the first ones. I was like, "Oh, I I want to do that." Like, "Hey, could I take off this next game?" I was just like I think it was my first year like out of the little league. So I was like, "Oh, I know most of these kids anyway." And it was fun. Like ever since I've just been announcing like, "Oh, what happened in the play? Who's up to bat? Like starting lineups, Anthem, stuff like that." So it's been amazing. That's a That's awesome. Um, so you're like the voice of What's the What's the What's the Little League um league? What's the league? Someville. Somerville Little League. Okay. So, you are the voice of the Somerville Little League. Like that's that's pretty cool. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Absolutely. Um CJ, we we've been we've been seeing we've been seeing like people get closer and closer to opening up training camp. Um a lot of excitement. One of the things that I've heard, right, and we'll talk a little bit more about the Saints later, but some things that I've heard that's been bothering me. Do you think that Jordan Tyson has a chance to kind of be neck andneck with Chris Live this quickly out the gate or do you think it's going to take a little bit of time for him to kind of get where he where where a lot of people think his talent can take him? I think it's going to take some time and it's not based on his talent. There's an acclamation process that comes unless you're the dedicated number one. A lot of times they'll force feed you balls if you're that true ex. Think of Carnell Tate over there in Tennessee. Olivia will still function as that go-to guy early on because he's the safety net for a young quarterback in Tyler Shuck. But he now gets a more naturalized move to that Z receiver and flanker. He's able to operate off the line. Tyson can take that press coverage away. I actually think that that helps the offense evolve in the proper manner instead of forcing Chris Lobby to do as much as he had to do last year. Yeah. I just I just think it's weird that people think Tyson's just going to be able to jump onto the field and all of a sudden like, you know, um Tyler Shut's gonna forget about the guy that essentially got him a starting job last year. It's going to be hard for him to go off that. So, I would tell people whatever you're thinking about as your projections for Jordan Tyson and and what he might do as a rookie, just be a little calmer on on some of these numbers, some of these projections that we're seeing. um either via through fantasy or through people who are trying to put his his yards and touchdown totals out there. We got some interesting um topics today. I want to start away from football though. I want to get into our first topic of the day right now. It is the topic dour. Where will LeBron play? I think it's really interesting too um fellas because a lot of people have been talking about like, oh, he needs to make a decision. Oh, I can't believe he's taking too much time. Oh, look at the ego on this guy. I think it's funny because I've listened to all of these same people talk about some, oh, he's watched. Oh, he's not this anymore. He has to accept being the third option. He has to do all of these things. Yet, if that's the case, then why is everybody waiting on him? Why would you be waiting on If he wasn't that great, then why are people out here Why are players out here giving their own testimonials about why they would want to play with LeBron James? I think it's interesting, but I I think it was just recently reported and that and who knows how how accurate these reports are, but um that it's kind of down to three teams and all three are on the West Coast. I mean, excuse me, on the East Coast that it's down to the home his hometown team or the his first team, whatever you want to call it, the Cleveland Cavaliers. um his second team in the Miami Heat or the Wildcard, which is the Philadelphia 76ers. I'm gonna tell you, and I I'll just go right out the gate. To me, if he's making a basketball decision, it makes perfect sense for him to go to Miami because he can offer the thing that the other two premier players don't offer and that is elite level playmaking. Um, it allows him to be essentially for the first time in his career, not the de facto point guard, the point guard. like he can just be the the [clears throat] big 69 270lb point guard and he won't have to he won't have to exert himself so much on defense because those two other star players are elite level defenders as well. I think that helps um from a from a basketball standpoint. I think Philadelphia is not as great of a fit because there's going to be a lot of people that need the ball in their hands. Jaylen Brown needs the ball in his hands. We already know who's there. Um and then I think that would in a in a way in a way it would kind of stunt the growth of um um VJ Edgecom. Yeah. And and so I look at that and go that's not there. And I'm just tired. I don't want to see him in Cleveland. I have no real legitimate good reason other than I don't like their team, but like I I just don't want to see him in Cleveland. Zach, what do you think about it? Um, well, you know, Dne actually uh put out a video on this and especially talking about the 76ers, uh, he's like, "Oh, well, he's already won the championship with Cleveland. He won it with Miami a couple of times, right?" So, a big thing there was like, does he want to potentially go for a fourth championship ring with a different team to be the first superstar to do that with another team? So, you know, there's the always the question of will he go to Philadelphia and will they try to make a like deep playoff run potentially try to be this champion team championship team this season uh with, you know, they just got Brown from the from the Celtics. So, like I know you were talking about how like there's a lot of people that would give the ball to them, but uh like it could be good to have depth to give guys rest so that they can always be like healthy in a group to kind of make that playoff run and see like how far they can go because you know if he wants if he wants that fourth fourth team with the ring like he could always do that. We'll see what happens. Yeah. And Philadelphia trading at 11% CJ. So that's not a bad place to to hedge your, you know, to hedge your your your your investment. Yeah. So if he wanted to make the play for the championship, he should have gone in the c center of the country at the very bottom and gone to San Antonio. That's a easy W. Cancel the season. But with Philly, if you had a healthy Joel Embiid, it would make sense for him to go there strictly on the the basis of now you have everything you need. I think it stunts the growth of those young guys and them acclimating to Jaylen Brown. think they know that Joel Embiid's body is not going to hold up. From a basketball standpoint, to your point, Gene, it makes a lot of sense from a basketball standpoint for him to go to Miami and play that big number one position to have Devon Mitchell be the two who defends the opposite point guard so LeBron doesn't have to do that. They need to get another shooter in there at the three to figure out how that goes and they can bring guys off the bench to fill in. But an interesting point that was brought up by my cousin in a discussion, we're going back and forth, had a lot of family in town this weekend. The Cleveland play would be both for basketball because they'd be a competitive team, but maybe LeBron is angling towards ownership and mending fences with Dan Gilbert in that community. If LeBron is trying to just figure that portion out with it, that could be the place that he ends up. So, this almost feels like the golden boot where there were two front runners for it that were true competitors, Mbappé and Messi. And Mbappé is was the guy. But I say you put your money on Miami. I think it makes more sense over there personally from every angle except that ownership angle if you believe in that being a play. Yeah, 38% um Cleveland is trading at right now 36%. Miami again, Golden State still third at trading at 15%. I don't know if that's still in play. It would be interested. I'd love to watch it. Um and then Philadelphia, I think they could I think LeBron could figure it out in Philadelphia. like he's the best he's probably the best at basketball Rubik's cube I've ever seen cuz he fills in so many different you know spots sack but I just think from a plugandplay perspective he makes so much sense in Miami based off that and and they've already signed Tim Hardaway Junior so there's a little shooting but then you just go and find another one of these guys who hey bro we don't need you to do anything else come in here get at that three-point line and make sure these people can't collapse off of us like turn your like like go out and make a a hund00 million because you were playing with LeBron James and he got you seven open three-point looks every single every single game. I think it would work out pretty well for him. The Duncan Robinson method. Abs. Absolutely. Let's go on to the next one. And now like a team after my own heart. Like I always tell people like since like I've been in I've been in this business now for a long time. I I just because I love sports. I end up not rooting as hard for my team quote unquote as I used to. But if you had to hold me down, I'm still a Buccaneers fan. And um unfortunately it's been a little bit problematic in the NFC South, but the Buccaneers coming off of a full coaching change outside of the head coach. Go figure. Um it's nine wins. Where are they at in the nine win season? And and what are we expecting from them within this nine- win season? Hey y'all, hold on one second. All right. Yeah, you know, the Buccaneers are are are my team, if you hold me down to it. Um, they're coming off of what I would say is a disappointing season. They just seem to deteriorate down the stretch, but a lot of optimism um this year for what this team can be. Um the the the number total for them right now is at 8 and a half. Um CJ, when you hear that number, are you thinking the Bucks are going to win nine games or are you thinking that there's a possibility that this is the end for the regime because it's going to be a disastrous season? So my this is the largest variance and win index of a reasonable team that I have because the Bucks are right at about 8.02. I have him going six and 11 and there's another team in this division who could have that record as well, but I'm going to six and 11 and the reason being is they have a softer opening to their schedule than the end. The end of their schedule was treacherous. Okay, so they need to open up with a three-1 record or something like that. But I believe that they'll be a two and two team early on. You know, losing to Cincinnati and Minnesota, maybe getting that W over Green Bay because it's at home and Cleveland. They have Dallas on the schedule. They have at Chicago. They come out of the buy. They go to Detroit. They have the Chargers. The Ravens in Baltimore. Uh they have the Rams. They end the season in New Orleans, which could be a real game for him. You had a Ring of Honor guy walk out the door this year, Mike Evans. You have a guy who's aging in Chris Godwin, who is still an effective receiver, but he's not that guy anymore. And you have a weird confluence of youth and older veterans on the defense. So, if they're going to have a down year, I think it's this one. and it kind of gives them a hard reset. They can get things back in order, but they'll be fun to watch this year. And I clearly don't think they're a bad team since the wins index is just over eight wins. Yeah, the the win index is is is just over eight wins. Um, a lot of lines you can find them um at eight. Again, like I said, it's trading on Koshi right now. Um, the the the forecast is 8 and a half. Over at the Seven Oracles, our our projections have them at 8.4. So, it would be a low play, a low investment for um for you just going off of us. And I agree with you, CJ. I just don't see this team being able to find a lot of wins outside of their division, and their division knows them better than anyone else, right? So, um I think it'll be difficult. I think this is the the fullon Baker Mayfield regresses back to the Baker Mayfield we know and love we know and love or know and hate depending upon you know what you want to say about him. Um and so I agree with you there. Um Zack, what do you think about the Buccaneers and and their opportunity to get to nine wins this year? Yeah. Uh, you know, I'm not sure that much, but you know, they you said CJ that they have a easy opening to the schedule. Uh, but I think coming back into this new season right away, I feel like, uh, it's easy if they're like not completely together, especially with the fully new coaching staff, uh, if they like struggle to find that first win even, uh, even if it's against those softer opponents. And then I don't know with Baker Mayfield in there, we'll see where he goes. But like you never know how many like if they're going to need kind of a reset season like you talked about if even they introduce a new uh rookie or backup uh in some position even at quarterback. And I don't know, I feel like it's kind of going to be tough for them to string wings wins together to get past that eight and a half line. Uh, so I think I think I'm with both of you guys with probably taking the under, but we'll see. Is it Is this a situation, CJ, where you might be able to play it under? Play it under the total and then within the first four weeks, if they get off to a bad start, like sell and go under another to like and reinvest under another total, if you get what I'm saying? No, 100%. I think that's the play right now. I I take the under and you can actually probably get it at a good value because since they do have a softer start if they go three and one to start the season and you took them under nine wins, okay, that valuation goes down and down and down. People won't believe that there's no way that they'll have that they won't achieve a winning record. So, I double down at that point because the schedule gets brutal down the stretch for the Bucks even if they do come out firing at 3-1. So under under nine wins is at 57%. Un um under eight plus or no on eight plus wins, excuse me, is at 42%. So if you're like if you're on board with with CJ and you're saying hey I think this is a six win six and a half seven win team then going under eight and then it gets off to say if they get off to a one and three start you know and now you have equity in there that you might feel like oh they're not going to get past six wins. you sell that, you drop it in and go under like under seven um under seven wins or over five and a half, over six wins, you know, like you can you can play with the line right there. And I think that's the beautiful thing about prediction markets that's different from your normal um sports betting is because you can, you know, almost day trade the, you know, the wins, the win totals for these teams and week by week look at the way the market is is setting up and decide I want to get out now or I want to add in more. I want to, you know, reinvest here. I don't want to reinvest there. And there's different moves that you can make. So, um, interesting to watch. another another NFC team that we want to take a look at and heading down to CJ's neck of the woods in New Orleans, the Hud that nation. um the Saints and and essentially the same win total, you know, essentially the same win total as the um as the Buccaneers, eight wins. I can tell you that over at the Seven Oracles, our model doesn't like it at all. They haven't projected for 7.7 wins. Um obviously a low investment and and and being in that wins total. Um I tend to I tend to agree. I think a lot of people put the the rocket ship pointed up on the Saints this year, Zack. I feel like a lot of people put that on them based off of a second half of really really bad um opponents in 2025 and and what they're projecting a guy like Tyler Shup to be able to do in year two. I just think people are putting the cart before the horse. Like I just don't see this team being that level of good where they're fighting for a winning season this coming year. I think that they'll they'll probably struggle. They'll be somewhere around a seven- win team. CJ, what do you what do you think about that? So, in the [snorts] last segment, I even mentioned it. These two teams can flip-flop the records and I wouldn't see any difference because their win index is the exact same 8.03. Uh I have the Saints going eight and nine. And it's just interesting. I I think that they can go six and 11 as well and I would not see that as an oddity. To your point, they had a easier schedule down the stretch. Their defense did start to play better and I do believe in their coaching staff more than anything that has to do with the guy under center. They're in an advantageous situation for a young team, young quarterback, young coaching staff because they have to lose those first two games. If they win either of them, which is at Detroit, at Baltimore, then they're cooking with grease because they're supposed to lose those. I think they'll be put in situations that stress the entire team. So, they'll be on a fast track to figure out things down the stretch and unlike the Bucks, they have an easier end to the season when they do get things figured out than the beginning. I I really think it's a good time for them to really kind of get punched in the mouth and figure things out. So, I I would go with the plus side for right now and then figure it out from there. Or in fact, I'd even take it after they go 0 and2 and get a plus on, let's say, six or seven wins. Zack, do you do you have any any thoughts here on on the Saints? Just matter of fact, looking at those first two games that um that CJ just pointed out um that is that is at Buff I'm sorry, not at Buffalo, but um at Detroit um at Detroit and then at Baltimore or against Baltimore? At Baltimore at Baltimore. So, you're talking about two road games out the out the gate versus two teams who should be pissed about the way in which their 2025 ended coming in with something to prove a new coaching staff in Baltimore um a new offensive coordinator in in in Detroit. like do you think that that's a game that they could possibly come in like they could possibly leave 0 and2 and now you're there's a there's an opportunity for them to run off more in the back end or do you think that's something that might crush them going forward? Uh honestly, I think coming in uh with those two games, tough games on the road, I think obviously those teams are going to be really fighting for every minute of that game and laying hits early. But um like just starting off 0 and2 like that, I obviously see that happening. And you know, I think I think starting off like that isn't the worst for them because they know that it's like these two teams that have had like disappointing seasons a couple couple years in a row like been fighting in the playoffs the last couple of years. Um so especially with the easier back half, I think I feel like they should be able to recover um and get a couple games up there, but like the eight and a half line is still still kind of tough for them. But I think I think they'll be able to get up there. So, take it easy. CJ, how would you play this if you're if you think they're eight and nine win team? I'm sorry, eight and nine record team. How are you looking to play this if you were looking to wager? So, we'll win nine games. I don't trust it. So, if I was forced to bet right now, I would take a no on the nine games. Now, I would actually wait until, you know, maybe I make that bet right now. Those first two weeks are going to dictate a lot for their season. If they go the expected 0 and2, you can probably end up hedging on that win total and you can bet the over on a softer win total. So on seven, maybe even down to six. If they go one and one, you might still be able to get some good catches, seven or eight wins and make your money because again down the stretch they have a pretty easy schedule and that's when I expect things to get rolling for that young team. Do is there any world where you think a win versus Baltimore or Detroit can could be actually a detriment to them where where it's almost fool's goal like oh we really think we're good now and now you over play or maybe the maybe there's pressure now that's put on that shouldn't be applied and now people start feeling that pressure. I think if they were to start off two and know there's a chance for that to happen. I I think there's a really good chance because they're still figuring things out on their O line and their Dline is still decimated that they can beat Detroit at Detroit to open the season. I think there's a 1% chance if that that they can beat Baltimore at Baltimore in game week two. Yeah, I think Baltimore runs rough shot over that defense. Correct. I don't think and I'm a Saints fan. Yeah, I I don't I don't think that that's a I think Baltimore it's always interesting because you don't know what type of Detroit defense you're going to get, right? you don't know what type of Detroit defense you're going to get. So, that's always that's always problematic. Um, but you know, in Baltimore, you're probably going to get some Derrick Henry and you're going to get a supercharged Lamar Jackson out here trying to like let y'all remember that if you said that he was the 70 whatever best player in the NFL, whatever it is, something terrible after he was number two last year, like, you know, something's something's wrong there. I don't know. I I want to slightly pivot for just 10 seconds. Of course, there is no way that I trust that calculation and whatever they're doing over there. The players aren't voting on this. This all narrative driven. They take in the ballots. Those aren't accurate. You ask any NFL defensive player where they think Lamar Jackson is and if they see outside the top 20, they're lying to you. Yeah. I I have a I have a a strange feeling that not everybody votes. And And not only does not everybody vote, I don't think it's close. Like I think that maybe they're getting 35% of the votes. Like and that 35% are a bunch of the haters. Like just a bunch of absolute positive haters. And I think that depend every year depending upon who votes or how many people vote, you see the swings in the where people are ranked based off that. But I I always tell people that I think it's with it's in the injury where you see how good a player really is, right? Like because everybody's on the wins above replacement, right? Well, we know what it looks like when Lamar Jackson goes out. So, I don't understand how we could sit there and see him out of the game and go, "Oh, yeah. No, that's the same thing." Like, he doesn't matter at all. It It makes no sense to me. I know we just we just kind of went off the rails. We'll bring it back. Um, let's go to this last one as we as as we as we finish up as we move to college basketball. Yeah. And I know I said college basketball, but I meant college football because I'm blamed it. You know, that's what happens. Um, Zack, be careful. Don't don't be like me. Don't be worried about it. Um, intern Zack, do you know about LSU? That's all I want to know. Do you know anything about LSU? I college football. I know. I've seen them on a couple of those bowl games that I've been watching the last couple years, but that's about all I can tell you. So, so intern Zach, I'm just going to tell you this. I'm going to tell you this. When you finish up your senior year and you're getting ready to go off into your collegiate experience, wherever that is, you need to make sure that you make a trip down to Old Baton Rouge for a LSU game. But not just any LSU game. CJ, a night game. A LSU night game. Make sure you get there bright and early in the morning to see the spectacle of what happens on a a southern like highlevel college football town's campus, right? Because you won't see it. You live in like you live in a place where they don't value college football the same way that they value college football in the South. Mhm. So, um, but you go down there and I promise you, my young, my young Padawan, [laughter] it will change your life forever. You might actually come home and tell your parents, "Hey, I'm transferred." Yeah. I'm just going to tell you that if if I could if we could impart no other wisdom on you is to take your ass down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for a night game to watch LSU. It is the greatest spectacle in all of college sports. And there's there's a ton of great spectacles like go down go down to Alabama. Go down to Old Miss. You go down to Miss. We're not going, but you go to Old Miss and and and you know, be dressed in your Sears sucker suit and all that other stuff. I mean, it's just it's phenomenal. But LSU at night, you should go check it out. CJ, are they winning 10 games? I saw we lane Kippton's there. They paid a lot of money for Levit. They paid a lot of money for Jordan Seat to steal him from coach Prime. They they paid a lot of money for the defensive end. Um um Prince Princewell Princeell uh you know the the the outside linebacker edge rusher who transferred from Nebraska to Old Miss and now he's at LSU. They they've got some of the the top recruits in all the nation. Are they winning 10 games underneath Lane Keifin as currently constructed? Because there are two factors that come into this. There's the Lane Keifin factor and there's still the LSU factor. And I know that sounds weird for me to say it like that. They're a 10- win team on the nose. And looking at how their schedule lines up, I think that there's a better chance than not, and I'm saying this as a Louisianian, that they lose that Old Miss game because I think it means more to Miss than it means to LSU. at Miss and then the game I think they lose where they're going to be feeling themselves. They have a byee before the Alabama game. I think they beat Alabama, but I think they wear themselves out, start feeling themselves, and then they get could get rolled by Texas the next week because it's just the week after. It's a home game. You're feeling good about yourself. Even if they get past Miss, they they tend to stumble. They could lose at Tennessee and either Texas or Alabama. So, they're a 10- win team to me, but I still think it's good money to put down on them to win a national championship and Sam Levit to win the Heisman Trophy because it's good value for both right now. And I think they do it with a 10 and2 record getting in and going to the playoff. Yeah. I I don't think there I don't see a world where they don't win 10 wins. With with with Lane Keifin, who a lot of people like to joke and rag on and all that, but is still one of the best one of the best collegiate brains there is out there. But then you add to him Charlie Weiss Jr., right? Like and and that combination of Lane Keifin and Weiss together um since FAU has done nothing but produce like phenomenal offensive performances. They've got a they've got a first round pick tight end just sitting there waiting to happen. six 67 240 lb monster who can't block a lick but is big and absolutely hard for anyone to cover. They have and I am not lying to you. They have six wide receivers who all have NFL caliber talent that are all and I'm not talking about young ones. They're they've got guys who transferred in that are going to be the fourth and fifth wide receiver who might have a chance to to make a team in the NFL just because they have tremendous athletic gifts. Their offensive line is going to take some time to jail, but that's what you have Sam Levit for. He has just enough athleticism to get you out of out of trouble and get the ball into the hands of those guys. And then their defense has an elite level quarterback, an elite level safety, an elite level linebacker, and an elite level pass rusher. They have a dude at every single level of of defense. They just got to bring that whole thing together. That's all they got to bring. And they've got to keep the egos in check because that's going to be big. But that's what Lane Keifin's job is. Hey, let's keep these egos in check. If they win less than 10 games, it will be a disappointment. Right now, on nine plus wins, yes on nine plus wins is trading at 52%. Yes, on 10 plus wins is trading at 37% and that is where I would look to take advantage of it because I'm going to I'm going to bank on the 10 wins. I'm going to bank on and I'm going to do this. If they come out the gate and lose a game early, I'm gonna double down on the 10 wins because it'll probably drop to something like 22 18% at that point. I'm going to double down and drop and drop more investment into it because they're going to get it right and once they get it right, they just have too much talent for for things to implode. Like, I just don't see that happening. So, you already said it. You said they have six NFL caliber wide receivers since 2000. Okay, this is a stat that's just true. If you start 10 games at wide receiver at LSU, you have 86% chance to play in the NFL. That's a fact. Wow. That's crazy. That's insane. Number two. Crazy. 10 wins being at that valuation right now is stealing money. And I would do what Jean said and wait for that miss game. If they lose it on that Sunday, I'm putting a bunch of money on it because they're not losing two more in the regular season. It's just not going to happen. Lane Keifin is not my my guy as far as a hang, but I have to respect his offensive acumen. He's one of the few coaches that I've rightfully seen due to Steph Curry. When he shoots a shot and turns around, Lane calls a play, he already knows it's a touchdown. He's throwing a hands up for a reason. That's how good he is at scheming on offense. Yeah. I don't want to hang out with him because he's going he's going to drive he's going to dry the rivers up. I don't need the rivers to be dried up. Like you [laughter] look, he knows you know what I'm talking about. Like I like why is this kept? By the way, ladies and gentlemen, just so we'll take you behind the um the veil a little bit. Zack, you're here, so you have to hear this. You know, CJ and I um spent quite a bit of time in Tampa, Florida. And if you know anything about Tampa, Florida, you know, I have been out with Lane Kein. He is not the hang. [laughter] He is not the hang. I'm sorry. Um and and he probably doesn't remember cuz why why would he why would he? Um but you know there just certain people that not going to be the hang but what he does he does extremely well and he understands how to game plan and and scheme up a defense. He knows how to find your weak points. If he could do that at Old Miss, there is no way he's not doing this at LSU. I'm not saying that he wins championships because I think at some point you got to get lucky a little bit, right? Um but 10 wins, that's the that's the floor. 10 wins is the floor. If LSU don't win 10 10 games, Lane Kein is instantly on the hot seat. Like that's how crazy it's going to be. Now, they can't get rid of him because they already played Ryan Kelly a billion dollars and then they just paid Lane Kein a billion dollars. So, they're going to have to put up with him for a couple years. but he will be like public enemy number one if they come out there and win nine games this year. LSU will have something that they haven't had traditionally. It's been a play great defense, reasonable offense. It's going to feel a lot like 2019 from an offensive standpoint. Yes, even with Sam who is nowhere near as good as Joe Burrow, but is still a good quarterback in college. It's going to be it's going to be it's going to be bombs away because they have a bunch of 6 foot2 plus wide receivers and a a monster at tight end to just throw the ball all over the place. So, I'm telling you, people don't even re recognize how much talent that's there that will get overlooked because there's so much talent. Like, that's that's crazy. Zack, um you're a soccer player. What was your what was your thought about the about the World Cup and how it ended? Were you rooting you rooting for you know the the Spain or were you rooting for the um the the col I mean Argentina? Yeah, I was I was going for Spain because just cuz I didn't want to see Argentina go back to back but like I've always been a Messi fan. Uh, and it was hard to see like all the like allegations of like, oh, FIFA's like like using Messi and Argentina as their puppet just to get views. And it was hard with all the stuff like that FIFA put in this year. Like I know they put more teams which is kind of good for everyone, but like hydration break is like killing me. Um, terrible. Like so I that's the tough thing to see but I wish it could just like go back to like just this playing football and like Spain Spain against Argentina and it like really should have been a good game and you know it was it was kind of dominant from Spain. So that was kind of cool to watch. But defense wins championships. I mean that's pretty much what it comes down to, right? Spain was Spain didn't let anybody score. Yeah. You know, they the commentators saying it just just about every minute like Spain plays their defense by keeping the ball. Like they keep possession, they pass it around and like Argentina did not have the ball at all. You saw they had no shots until like literally extra time. They had zero shots. It was really wicked. It felt like the soccer version of the Super Bowl, the last one, Philly versus the Chiefs. That's what it felt like. Yeah. Yeah. Except Except there was no offensive. Like I will say this, my one disappointment with Spain and he gets a pass because they won it all is everybody told me that Yamal was supposed to be a breakout star. He wasn't a breakout star. He was he was he had some good promise, but not a breakout star. I mean, I played high school football against guys who were his age, so I'm okay with him not having been a breakout star in this one. The fact that he was he looked like he should be on the field with those grown men who were excellent means that the next World Cup can Christmas. Well, [laughter] and I'm and I'm inclined to agree with you, right? But we said that about Neymar and it never ever happened for Neymar. Valid, right? We said that about him and it never happened for him. We said that about Ronaldo. Well, not us, but the people because Ronaldo's been around so so long that like people said that about Ronaldo and it never happened for Ronaldo. Um, but the the thing that Yamal has working for him is that he has a free chip. Like he didn't really have to do much to win this chip. Like but he's got a free chip. So he doesn't have the pressure of you have to win a chip for the country, right? That's true. He already has one. So I think that'll allow him to play freer. He He's great. Like he is phenomenal um at his club team. I'm just surprised that it didn't [snorts] translate over especially in a World Cup. I This is the This is the most scoring I ever remember in a World Cup. Like outside of anybody that paid that played against Spain except Except for Spain actually. The thing with them is they're honestly they played so conservative the whole tournament like you saw in the group stage like that game they tied zero against K Verde like so much of what they did with the ball was honestly disappointing because they played so laterally instead of like direct like to the striker like inside the box they were they didn't put crosses in really and I think that kind of limited opportunities for guys like Lamin like on the wing to be more creative with it and like make something happen. So, I think that could be a part of like where like didn't come out so strongly and like like he only had the one goal this World Cup. But I think that's just kind of how uh Spain had their team set up to play this year was like we're just going to keep the ball and wait and wait and wait. And so that's why like they didn't score the most goals. Like you have France scoring tons of goals. You have Argentina always with two three goals. Um England scored a ton of goals. Yeah, that's right. You know, like so, so already the 20 the 2030 World Cup um futures are already out. Spain is trading at 17%. Um [laughter] I'll throw something on that. Matter of fact, Spain is at 17%, France is at 12%, which by the way is scary is scary because now you're going to get Mbappé in his prime prime. Dembal Dumbbal in his prime prime. Um who's the who's the um the the winger? He's the best assist man in in in the world. Oh. Yes. O in his prime prime. Like those guys are going to be at the best that they will ever be outside of injury. They'll be that in 2030. That's true. Um and and that'll be interesting. That'll be interesting. By the way, um 20 2030. Um CJ, I'm planning to um celebrate my birthday in somewhere in that cuz I think it's Spain, Portugal, and Morocco who have the next one in 2030. Just saying. I'm just saying. Start [laughter] putting the start putting the buckets away, the the um the the savings buckets away. I plan to be over there for my for my birthday when I hit when I hit 50 over there. I'm that's that's where I plan to be at. All right. So, yeah, I'm just saying. Um, hey, listen, intern Zack, we appreciate you joining us, man. It is fantastic. Congratulations. Your first pod out the way. Intern Zack, get those, you know what I'm saying? Get those reels done. Make sure you on. No, I'm just kidding. Um, CJ, we always appreciate it. Um, and every one of you out there, make sure you go out there, like, subscribe, all the things. Follow um um follow CJ at CJF Florida9. Follow me at Jean Clemens. Zack, where can they follow you at on your socials? Uh Instagram, Zack Swingo. Okay, Zack Swingo. Zack Swingo all over the place because he's going to have everything. But definitely on Instagram, hit him up, Zack Swingo. Until next time, that is the Fade to Field podcast, the Seven Oracles production. Y'all take it easy. Thanks guys.