Latest / WCHS Network Podcasts / Let's Talk with Carl Lee - Sports and Society: Challenges and Opportunities in West Virginia

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Let's Talk with Carl Lee - Sports and Society: Challenges and Opportunities in West Virginia · WCHS Network Podcasts

0:01
Yeah, you gotta work. You gotta work. Cry sign is mine gotta
0:13
show everybody is my time here? You gotta work. Cry sin another mind
0:19
whom taga die? Day line, don't tell you gotta work. Let the
0:23
conversation begin. This is Let's Talk with your host, Carl Lee. Hello,
0:29
ladies and gentlemen, This is Carl Ley with Let's Talk. And I
0:32
have my host, Hollis Lewis with me today, and it's and it's gonna
0:39
be just me and him. We're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna,
0:43
we're gonna touch on a couple of different topics and hopefully, hopefully all of
0:52
them, but perhaps maybe only you know one of them may catch your attention
0:57
and and hold you and and make you at least have a thought process in
1:03
in in what we're talking about. And and the first one, the first
1:07
conversation, Hollis I want to throw at you, is I think everybody has
1:11
heard about the shooting that was in Dunbar down by Shawnee Park. And to
1:23
me, one of the interesting components about that was it something that I never
1:29
really thought about. I never really thought that something like that, and it
1:34
wasn't at Shanny Park, but Yeah, we need to make that clear.
1:38
It wasn't. It wasn't it was near the shooting was it was near,
1:42
it was. It was actually what we know as going into the bottom or
1:46
west Dunbar. And but but you could hear it. It was close enough
1:52
that you could hear the shots. And and good thing good The good news
1:59
is they do as far as my knowledge, I think they do have the
2:02
folks who were involved with it. But I can't. I can't. To
2:10
me, I can't fathom, like myself being in the park and let's say
2:15
even with my son or my grandson and hearing that and trying to figure out,
2:20
now what to do. You know, we see this on on television
2:23
and we hear about it. But man, there were a lot of people
2:30
that that were in the park, that was on the fields and all of
2:37
that. The panic that had to have happened, Like, I can't,
2:43
I can't imagine. Yeah, I think, you know, it's very unfortunate
2:46
that that happened. I think that, you know, and again we're saying
2:51
that, you know, it wasn't necessarily at Shiney Park. He was in
2:54
close proximity. It's across the street there, but you know, either way,
2:58
bullets can ring out, and you know, anything could have happened,
3:00
you know, if some if shots were fired in that direction because of the
3:05
proximity and the number of people that are at Shawnee on any one of those
3:09
given travel sports Sundays. Uh, you know, I think you know when
3:15
we it's one of those things in which, you know, West Dunbar is
3:22
a historic community and we want to make sure that you know, our folks
3:29
understand sort of what's happening in the Shaanee and what's the consequences of things like
3:34
this. You know, that's that's because it's because a lot of people you
3:38
know that just live in dumbar citizens, taxpayers, they had nothing to do
3:42
with this. They'll be demonized or at least the community that from will be
3:46
demonized because of things like this. And I hope that, you know,
3:50
because I know the county, I believe they're going to have so maybe so
3:53
strategic planning about not only preventing things like this, but also having various escape
4:00
routes and different things of that nature, emergency planning for if an incident were
4:05
to arise like this at the actual park. So I hope that that community
4:11
was Dunbar can be a part of those talks and we can sort of remedy
4:15
this situation without demonizing the whole community. And I get I get. I
4:19
get your point too of the demonizing of it. And you know to to
4:26
me and and again I'll start by saying, I was I was a golfer
4:30
at Shane Park when it was a golf course. So I was absolutely thinking,
4:35
no way they should put this, this should happen. They need to
4:40
leave it at golf course, D D D D. But but but but
4:43
legitimately, now when you see it, you can't help but say, man,
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this is this is a good thing, and this is one of those
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kind of good things, great things that you don't want any of that kind
4:59
of you don't want that stigma hanging around you when when someone's calling you and
5:04
saying, hey, we'd like to book this for a tournament here, you
5:09
don't, you don't, you don't want that, and like this is going
5:12
to be you know, in addition to the Shaanie Sports Complex, once the
5:16
sports complex is built, downtown and formerly town Center Mall area, these are
5:21
economic goal mindes, These are economic drivers that are gonna be here for generations.
5:28
So I think that you know, those things have to be protected and
5:33
we can't be naive about that. But I would also like to see again
5:38
the people of in the community of West dald Mar be able to take advantage
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of some of those economic drivers and hopefully those things can supersede any other mindsets
5:49
that are around there and people will kind of know better not to, you
5:51
know, do certain things in that area. Yes, and I was gonna
5:55
that that was gonna be my question. Like when you say, you know,
5:59
step in and try to say something to kind of keep or prevent these
6:02
types of things happening, you know, is that a Is that a community
6:06
meeting? You know? Is that is that like hey, you know somebody
6:11
somebody sitting a group of folks down and saying, you know, look,
6:15
we don't want we don't want these types of things, and we don't need
6:18
these types of things happening. We need to be focused. And if you
6:20
hear about something, you need to say something about it, you know,
6:24
before it happens or anything. And again we don't know. I don't know
6:29
what initiated the ship, I don't know what transpired. I don't know what
6:32
the details. Again, that's why I want to be very careful not to
6:35
demonize that community, you know, then you got to pay the consequences.
6:43
But far as the community, what what I want to see is the community
6:47
come together and maybe figure out a way in which they can benefit off of
6:54
Shani as well, and it be a community driven initiative. And then and
6:58
they're not forced to be to comply to anything that they're not ready to do.
7:02
Right And and again to your point about not trying to demonize the community,
7:09
because to me, I personally have never felt like like I used to
7:15
go to church you know in that communityson, Yes, And it never it
7:25
never dawned on me. I never looked at it that way, you know.
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And then of course I worked at Shawnee. I ran Shawnee Park for
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three or four years, and and the community, you know, they had
7:38
the basketball, they had, you know, they had I mean, it's
7:41
always been And and again I'm gonna give a shout out to to Sean Forte
7:46
Cuddy because he's always been over the active into the community, trying to do
7:53
something. And I think he's he sits on top of that as as as
7:59
a person who's really trying to make this community and the community its youth inspire
8:07
them to become and be something, you know, and I think and I
8:11
think that's the that's the downfall of the shooting, you know, that's the
8:16
other end of the shoot. It overshadows just all it's overshadows all the good
8:20
things that are happening, right, Yes, And I think that's one of
8:24
them. And I'm glad you said that, because I think that's my overall
8:28
point. You know, something did happen it. You know, it's one
8:31
of those things in which you can't let it slide. It's affecting business right
8:35
right, and you know, and those things are fair points, but we
8:39
can't let just that single incident overshadow a lot of good that's happening in that
8:45
community. And like I said from the beginning, I just want and not
8:48
to just to put it on one person, but just the community a whole
8:52
has to come together. And it's not just for West Dunbars, for any
8:54
community. Right just community is rallying around, is rallying around and making trying
9:00
to figure out a path to you know, not only provide a safe environment
9:05
for people in that community, but also trying to figure out a way to
9:09
you know, to safely and and and partner and be beneficial with you know,
9:15
the economic force that is Shawnee Park. And I just want to and
9:20
I hope that when the county and officials from Shawnee Park, when they have
9:24
these strategic meetings, that West Dunbar representatives of such can be invited into those
9:30
spaces just to figure out how we can all work together in order to make
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sure that something like that doesn't happen again. Because and again I think that
9:39
you must include the community and Alreacessarily, things happen all the time with the
9:43
community, and I understand that, but I'm making the case that I think
9:48
you have to bring people from that community who love that community, because part
9:56
of the role that you're going to play, to me is that you have
10:01
to invest in this community. I like that. Yeah, you have to
10:05
kind of like you're you're set up and you're structured there, you're making money
10:09
there. There has to be a penny or two invested into the community so
10:16
that they can feel like they're part of this. Yeah. But and I
10:20
agree with you one hundred percent there, But I also think the onus is
10:24
on the community too, yes, to invest in themselves to take advantage of
10:28
set opportunity because it just like we were just we talked about prior to the
10:31
to the show, we were talking about taking advantages of opportunities that come your
10:35
way. And this is a major opportunity and you got to figure out a
10:39
way. And again I don't know that I mean that would just be for
10:41
that community decide, but you gotta figure out a way to take advantage of
10:46
kind of what's right there. However that can be done. And again,
10:50
and I think that, you know, one path is like like you said,
10:54
having a seat at the table, and then the other path is you
10:56
know, just huddling amongst yourself and going out that methodology. And you know,
11:03
like I said, just speaking of like sports and business, we had
11:05
the cyclists UH Olympic Trials here in Charleston this past weekend and some of those
11:13
riders would go on to represent the us UH in the in the Olympics in
11:20
Paris. And I think that, you know, Charleston canall county. It's
11:24
turning into like, you know, a sports hub for a sports tourism and
11:28
business. It amazes me when I found out that that they were hosting that
11:33
Charleston was hosting that, my first thought was why, you know, like
11:39
how how did that get how did that get set up? Now with that
11:43
being said, you know, I'm a bike rider and I just started getting
11:48
my bike back out and rode yesterday, and you know, try to ride
11:52
as much as I can. I enjoy it, but I can't even imagine
12:00
the speed, the technique, the thought process, the management of of of
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all of that. That that's professional. They were flying and and and what
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and like I said, a lot of people were captivated by the speed.
12:16
I was captivated about them going up them big hills and mountains on a bike,
12:20
just gliding up those steep hills. You're talking about, gliding up Warts
12:24
Avenue, South Hills, Green Brie, you know, on your way to
12:28
the airport, just going up those hills and just being able to have it
12:31
afforded two to do that several times in a circuit. So, I mean,
12:37
what was it? Do you know? What was the what was the
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what was the left of the I'm not sure the lift. There were multiple
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routes, so like each day, there were multiple routes on any given day
12:48
because you had a depending on the distance, so you had some middle distance,
12:52
some long distance. There was one loop where it was kind of just
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going around town. Around downtown. Those were the short distance speeds guys.
12:58
So just like in sprinting, you have your distance little distance speed. So
13:05
and I just think stuff like that is just awesome for the for the city,
13:09
for the state that we can you know, we just have the capacity
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to host stuff like that. And I know a lot of times on this
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show we talk about that intersection of community, sports and business, and I
13:20
think we're seeing it at the highest level, you know. I think I
13:24
think this particular event, whether you're a bike rider or not, I think
13:35
shows up as West Virginia, as Charleston, downtown Charleston hosting something of that
13:46
magnitude that has that kind of relevance of the potential of being in the Olympics.
13:54
Yeah, and you're and you're qualifying here or at least maybe part of
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the qualifying maybe part of part of it is here. That's that's it.
14:03
Yeah, just think of like because we've never in my lifetime. In my
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lifetime, I don't know, don't remember and blame some of this to maybe
14:13
on my brain, but I don't remember any event specifically that could be attached
14:18
to That's a good point quality qualifying for an Olympic Games. Well, well,
14:26
I will say a couple of years ago they had the Junior Olympic boxing
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here. Okay, so yeah, that was here for about two or three
14:33
years. Yes, I do remember that, But other than that, I'm
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not I'm not really sure of any other No track and field, No track
14:41
and field, I would doubt. I don't know if we had the facilities
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for that. Yeah, exactly, but yeah, I mean it's it's really
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big, and it's like I said, I just think it speaks volumes.
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You know, shout out to MARYK. Goodwin, her administration and just every
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you know, Ben s Lango, just everybody who who thinks in that manner,
14:58
because I think that you know, you know, sitting at a legislative
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citaty level, when we talk about you know, bringing improving the quality of
15:09
life, when you talk about bringing business, when you talk about just the
15:11
general upgrade of how people view the city and the state, those are pieces
15:18
that we can bring in to show people that we have the capacity to do
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this. I know, we've hosted the Basketball Tournament, that popular event in
15:28
the summer, which I think is gonna come back here and it's been here
15:31
and willing. We've hosted a strong man the Junior Olympics. So those are
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things and you know what I'm saying, And I guess that's just part of
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like we again, we beat this subject to death when we talk ab our
15:41
parents in transf and blah blahlah blah. But I think that's just part of
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sort of the sports mentality now because you know, and we'll talk about a
15:48
pretty amazing case here at a minute, but when we talk about that intersection
15:54
of sports and business, sports that you know, at all levels, it's
15:58
really becoming you know, business well and to that and to that point when
16:03
you know, when you start talking about youth sports, you know, you're
16:07
talking about fielding a team of young kids, Helmets, shoulder pads, pants,
16:14
practice gear, all of that travel, all of that that that requires
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that that's that's in itself is a business. Yeah, that's true. I
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mean, I know, I know we treated as a business as part of
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as part of the city of South Charleston. You know, it's in our
16:30
city budget to to to fund youth sports. Now, everybody hasn't done that.
16:38
Everybody hasn't gone that far. But even for the coaches who volunteer,
16:44
they're out there, you know, knocking on doors, trying to find money.
16:48
But they find that money every year. So so let me ask you
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this. And like I said, and in addition that I forgot to mention
16:56
that they're having a major college basketball event of Green Briar and they had the
17:00
training camps here. They had the forty nine ers, I believe the Commanders
17:04
that Browns here, two or three in the Saints we're here. That's what
17:08
it was. The Saints were here. So just in the valley, what
17:12
sport event would you like to see? I got mine? Which one would
17:15
you like to see? I got too? Oh and see working without any
17:22
without any we're not assuming that we are assuming that the facility is available for
17:29
it. We're saying, but the facilities that we got now, oh and
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and yeah, what we have now just in the valley, anywhere in the
17:37
valley, what could you see possibly working a major sporting event? See,
17:42
I would I would like see I think a basketball a professional basketball game being
17:55
played here. That's what mine was. I couldn't because I think that's the
17:57
only one that we could potentially because you could have it at the Civic Center.
18:02
Yes, and I could see a preseason game, you know. And
18:06
I'm saying, like players the preseason game, expedition, exhibition. I could
18:12
see maybe the Calves and maybe we could get the Wizards or the Hornets.
18:18
I'm just thinking somebody in close proximity. See I could see you could when
18:22
we when we talk about it that way, I could see a preseason game
18:27
or what we used to call scrimmage. Yeah, Cleveland and Cincinnati playing,
18:33
maybe at Marshall Stadium, maybe at wv U. You know what I'm saying,
18:37
Like just the scrimmage. You're talking about, just the preseason game,
18:40
not even a preseason game. Sometimes what happens is you end up just scrimmaging
18:44
a team in your well, they kind of do that at the Green Brown,
18:47
right, yes, yeah, well, and I guess, but I'd
18:52
like it to be somewhere somewhere like right here in the valley because what I
18:56
love for kids to see that who play football is just even a even in
19:06
a practice, you know, even in just a scrimmage, how these guys
19:10
play and how casual it is to have that talent. You know what I'm
19:15
saying, Like you, these guys are playing and they you know me,
19:22
and you could be laughing going back you going back to your huddle. I'm
19:26
going back to mind. We could be laughing we didn't said something funny and
19:29
then walk right back up to the line of scrimmage and then play at the
19:33
highest level. See I would like to see. And actually that's a good
19:37
idea. That would be something to see. Like if you could possibly even
19:41
like if there was a situation where you could have maybe two teams at the
19:44
Greenbrier and they could have a scrimmage at WVU or Marshall that I think that
19:48
would be awesome. I would like to see that. I would like to
19:52
see. I think we could do an exhibition basketball game NBA and w NBA.
19:56
Yes, I think we could do both. And I would like to
20:00
see maybe a professional baseball game as well at the Power Park scrimmage, you
20:03
know, exhibition. I think we could get, you know, possibly the
20:07
Reds and the Pirates. That would be the easiest one. I think the
20:10
ones in the Pirates, you know what I'm saying. Power Park or Dirty
20:14
Bird Park, whichever one it is now. So I would like to see
20:18
those events. I could see maybe some uh like maybe a professional boxing you
20:22
know what I mean. I think those sort of things. I think it's
20:26
possible that could work, and it's feasible, and I think we would have
20:30
the facilities to carry you see, And I think what people think about is
20:33
like they like, well, yeah, but there's going to be you know,
20:37
two hundred thousand people at the game, right, Okay, But it's
20:42
like anything else. If you sell out, you sell out. If you
20:45
miss it, you miss it. And to me, I would I think
20:48
I think that would change the dynamics of kids seeing seeing those that that that
20:57
level of talent, because I think you got to see it to really understand
21:03
what it is and where you where you are and where you want to go.
21:07
Yeah. I don't know, man, I just think, you know,
21:10
like I said, I just think where we're going as far as sports
21:14
tourism being, you know, the city, the state being, the county
21:18
being invested in the business of sports. I mean I see it going higher
21:22
and higher and higher, and I think that, you know, I think
21:23
we could scale to one of those events, particularly if we had other things,
21:27
because I think what they do a good job of putting other things around
21:30
it, Like when you talk about the the cycling event that happened this past
21:34
weekend, they had festivals downtown, so they had other stuff kind of around
21:38
it to make sure that you know, people came out. So yeah,
21:42
I think we could do something like that, and you know, we and
21:48
when we fight over you know, not you and I, but you know
21:52
where the state championships are gonna be? Yeah, you know, and I
21:57
could I could see their being you know, some mumbling in where these types
22:03
of events could be posted. But the catch, the reason why that you
22:08
don't have to really worry about that is is it doesn't matter where those are
22:12
you people people are gonna go. You don't care because right now people are
22:17
driving flying to places to see their their NBA team, their their their NFL
22:22
team, They're they're they're doing that specifically just to get one game in a
22:27
year. You know. Oh man, they're playing in d C. We're
22:32
gonna drive to DC and watch them play. You know. So I don't
22:36
think. I don't think it. I don't think it bothers. It doesn't
22:40
bother me of even really who the team would even be. Yeah, I
22:47
don't. I think that's kind. I don't think. I think if you
22:49
had an NFL, like you said, a scrimmage, a live practice,
22:55
so to speak, because if you you brought it to WV. Marshall lately
22:57
possibly even the South also maybe can host you if you brought that somewhere,
23:02
people gonna show up, I think, and just to have the opportunity to
23:04
watch him practice for a day. Yeah, because I think people show up
23:08
at the Green Brows. Yeah, that's hointially the easiest place to think.
23:11
So, yeah, I think so, and I think there and I don't
23:15
think there's a lack of people going. Yeah for sure. You know.
23:19
All right, day, gentlemen, We're gonna take a quick break and we'll
23:22
be right back. Follow us on Facebook at Let's Talk Carl Lee. Visit
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24:00
all right, we're back from the break, and and hollis I'm gonna
24:04
I'm gonna try to smoothly transition, okay into from you know, from the
24:12
from the real the realization of trying to have a a major sporting event here
24:22
and now, and and then looking now at the n b A and and
24:29
the small market teams that are now in the playoffs that are you know,
24:37
usually it's a it's a it's a it's a we all know the major teams
24:41
being you know, in the playoffs, but now we have small market Yeah,
24:52
I'm gonna that transition I'm making is to say that small towns, small
24:56
cities, small states can can't produce. Yeah, and I think it's because
25:04
of and again we've talked a bunch of crap about cell phones and internet and
25:08
different things of that nature. But now superstars, like a Greek freak like
25:15
Anthony Edwards, they don't necessarily have to even like if you look at Steph
25:19
Curry Golden State of Guinness in California, but Oakland itself is not The Bay
25:23
Area is not necessarily the hugest marketing they started la Chicago, Boston, Miami
25:30
and further. But in those places, those teams identify the community. Yeah.
25:40
Yeah, yeah, that's a good point. You know that what happens
25:42
when it's a small, small and I think now you as a superstar,
25:48
you could do that. You can you can sort of live that up now
25:52
because now you don't have to. I don't have to if I'm if I'm
25:56
a Greek freak and I don't want to mess the brother's name up or Anthony.
26:00
I don't have to go to La Chicago, New York in order to
26:03
monetize my superstar. Right, I can go. I could just stay in
26:07
this town. I can stay exactly where I'm at. I can stay at
26:08
a Minnesota and I could be the superstar and I could be on every commercial.
26:14
Patrick Mahomes is in Kansas City, right, not a big city,
26:17
a small to medium city. He could stay there. He could be a
26:19
superstar there. So I think, you know that is definitely played a major
26:26
major part in allowing us to have a little bit more diversity amongst who's good
26:32
because I'm a Laker fan, but I don't want to see a Lakers,
26:34
Knicks Laker Boston every year. You know what I'm saying. I want to
26:37
see that. That's the same thing. I feel the same way. I
26:40
don't like the same teams winning over and over. Now if I'm on that
26:44
team, I'm probably sappy, but to watch it, to even hear about
26:51
it, I don't want I don't want the Celtics to win six championships.
26:55
Center ruw. Yeah, I don't want forty nine ers to win six championships,
26:59
center rum because to me, something's wrong with that whole picture. Yeah,
27:03
and I just love, like I said, we got what we got
27:04
Dallas and again, and Dallas isn't necessarily a small city, but it's not
27:08
a blue blood neither. Yeah, it's not a Chicago l A. It's
27:11
not known necessarily at least, you know, being this huge basketball they don't
27:18
have They have a couple of rings, but they don't have, like I
27:21
said, they not have the pedigree of an l A Lake or something to
27:23
that effect. So just have it and I'll be really interested after the you
27:27
know, the series and playoffs and everything is done to kind of look back
27:30
at the numbers to see exactly how those panned out. Because what I because
27:37
I guess the hypothesis that I'm making is that and I think maybe you might
27:41
agree, is that those small community or small cities will maybe be more inclined
27:47
to follow and watch everything and make sure that they're following every single thing,
27:51
as opposed to maybe LA where you have more of a fair weather fans.
27:55
See, I think, I think, and I agree, and I think,
27:57
what what happens? The networks want the big guys in the game because
28:04
because now everybody's so used to hearing the big names, you know, the
28:10
Lakers, you know that, that type of thing. So they're so used
28:14
to hearing that. All of a sudden, now it's my team in my
28:18
hometown or just the state over that I've loved my entire life, and all
28:25
of a sudden they're in the playoffs, and and they're going to be playing
28:30
games five blocks away from where I live. I'm going to one of those
28:36
games, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, and so, and people
28:40
travel anyway, you know, they travel with the team, and there's probably
28:45
there's a I've seen a thousand people wearing a biking something and just everywhere walking
28:53
around and I'm like, you're a biking fan. Yeah, And I'm like,
28:56
okay, you know, so people there are fans of teams no matter
29:02
how big how small the market is, Yeah, that are dying to go
29:07
to a game. Yeah. Man, And like I said, I just
29:08
think, you know, sort of connected to conversations when we talk about these
29:12
small cities, these towns, these medium sized cities and what they're able to
29:17
accomplish and the support that they can give a team, I mean it gives.
29:21
I mean again, maybe not in the near future, but I think
29:23
it sets a town, a city up like Charleston, like West Virginia,
29:30
maybe as a whole the outside chance of maybe maybe it's a team that we
29:36
could host. So maybe it's you know, like we can have those events,
29:38
or maybe, you know, in the distant future, there is a
29:41
possibility that we can have a professional team at I'm not saying NBA in NFL,
29:47
but at some level that's going to compete nationally because we see that if
29:52
you have an ownership group that's vested and committed to winning, committed to you
29:56
know, doing a good job making the right picks, the fans are going
30:00
to follows. There is no question. And what's Fargo, North Dakota.
30:08
I'm gonna I'm going there. I'm actually having a camp in in Fargo,
30:14
and from Minnesota. There's there's there's there's a Viking fan club that is in
30:21
Fargo. You know, So Fargo North Dakota doesn't necessarily have. You know,
30:26
they you get to pick your team because you don't have a team,
30:30
and for whatever the reason is, the Vikings have been that team that they
30:33
have chosen. Yeah, it's it's definitely close. But now you know alumni
30:42
players have tapped into Fargo. You know there's a buddy, there's a guy
30:47
by named Buddy Becker who who does events there specifically because that's a community who
30:53
loves the Vikings but rarely get to see. All right, let me ask
31:00
you something, okay, speaking of that, that's actually a good point that
31:03
you just Mat. I didn't think about this till now when we talk about
31:07
because I know you mentioned this before when you talk about NFL, NBA,
31:11
MLB, do you think maybe that those organizations and teams within that league ought
31:19
to use and possibly even pay their former players to sort of be ambassadors for
31:26
the team and kind of because these you know, y'all could work twenty four
31:30
hours, y'all don't have a season no more. Do you think that's something
31:33
that they need to put more effort into, particularly a league like the WNBA.
31:38
Yes, and I think some do, but it's they don't call it
31:44
that, okay. And I thought it was interesting because we had a we
31:49
had a meeting, a Viking former player meeting to talk about you know,
31:57
things we need, things we wantlah blah blah. And the lady who who
32:05
was running it, who who I thought was running it, Tracy McDonald,
32:08
who is the she's the she's the lady that's over the alumni fairs department.
32:15
You're thinking that she's going to actually run the meeting. Well, the person
32:19
who ran the meeting was John Randall, which was which was interesting but made
32:23
sense to me because she's gonna talk, everybody's gonna list. Everybody loves her.
32:30
She's great for everybody trying to get people's signings and stuff, all that
32:34
kind of stuff she's great for. So they do do this kind of informally.
32:37
I think it's done informally because because like again Johnny was he was just
32:45
there. He was sitting beside her. But you know, I just figured
32:47
he got there sitting down beside her, and you know, everybody else sit
32:52
around the table. But he literally opened the meeting and closed the meeting.
32:59
So and everybody looks to him and I'm talking about you know, there's you
33:01
know, there's you know, Carl Eller was there. I mean, there
33:05
was some of those guys back in the day, great players, like a
33:07
president of the organization. I don't even know. It wasn't really it really
33:12
wasn't. It was what we call the legends. Uh. You know,
33:16
I think everybody calls the former players like legends. I think that's the that's
33:20
the term that we get. And so I think he is head of the
33:24
legends community, gotcha? And so for that, yeah, for the Vikings
33:30
And but I but I but to me, it is to your point is
33:35
he's kind of the spokesperson for the Vikings to us because the reason I say
33:40
this is like, not only did I you know, you sparked it when
33:43
you were talking about it, but it draws me back to a conversation that
33:45
we had previously about, you know, kind of the the trouble that you
33:50
know when we talk about you football and again I don't want to go down
33:52
that road, but when we talk about that and we have the lack of
33:55
participation, and we talked about what you made an excellent point that soccer is
34:00
actually maybe the biggest threat the football and even injuries. Right, So would
34:05
this be something implementing a program like that or a strategy within the various organization
34:10
and maybe league while particularly in the NFL, that they need to have the
34:16
legends actually go to various communities around the country, maybe get a full time
34:22
paid job for it, and actually you know, being ambassaardors of the See
34:27
my my one of my dreams is to get guys like Carl Eller, you
34:35
know, former legends from that era, from that era way back that gets
34:44
that gets your dad, that's gets your granddad's you know, and then bring
34:50
them into to to Charleston, West Virginia, bring them into South Charleston,
34:54
West Virginia, bring them into the state of West Virginia, and let them
35:00
sit and talk about and sign autographs, but for the most part, have
35:05
conversation, talk about their life, what it was, what the sport was
35:09
at that point in time. I think, I think that is what we
35:15
what we need. I think like states that don't have teams and don't have
35:20
access to players former players. Forget players, the current players, they're harder
35:27
to get anyway. Yeah, they got stuff going. But former players that
35:31
you remember. You know, there's gonna be guys. There's gonna be adult
35:36
men that remember me playing. No kids are gonna remember me playing, you
35:40
know, Dads are gonna remember somebody else, you know, as we as
35:46
we guys retiring every day. Yeah, if you tire on to you you
35:50
can get the gambit of your age groups. But if you don't start that,
35:55
you know what I'm saying, Like, if you don't start that,
35:59
you know, it's gonna be hard to get a guy who's making a hundred
36:01
million dollars to come to Charleston, West Virginia just to sit and chit chat
36:06
with somebody. But to my point, though, do you think that's something
36:09
that the NFL needs to emphasis? Yes? I do, Yes, I
36:13
do. I think I think that ambassador thing to I mean to save the
36:19
game to really, I think so. And and again, let's say if
36:23
I'm the if I'm the the only Viking player on this side of the on
36:30
the this side of the East Coast, right, okay, so I'm the
36:32
ambassador of that of this area. So I'm trying to reach out to every
36:38
player possible. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a Viking, really,
36:42
yeah, just just just a lumber player, just an alumni, you know.
36:45
And then but alumni are to they are to branch, they are to
36:50
come together and go to each other's hometown. Everybody's everybody's great in her hometown,
36:57
you know, or great or hate it. But if you get some
36:59
guys to come with you, there's gonna be somebody in that group that you're
37:02
gonna like. You know, somebody's gonna know. That's actually a good point.
37:06
That's what I think is I think is really important because I think WVU
37:10
again, I don't know if it's a concerted effort by WVU as an athletic
37:15
department in school, but I think they do a good job of always promoting
37:19
their you know, former players, the alumni, their legends. You know,
37:22
you'll see these guys all over the state of West Virginia. I know
37:24
Darry Stills he's doing a camp or maybe he already did it in McDowell County,
37:29
you know what I'm saying. So they'll be all over the state.
37:31
And I always thought like, well, it would be cool to like because
37:36
I know maybe if you were if you're in a state that doesn't necessarily have
37:39
a football team, or when it close proximity, it may be a good
37:44
idea for that organization. Team. Hey, we're gonna send a bunch of
37:46
guys here every year, and we're gonna build a fan base up there,
37:49
you know what I mean. I think I think colleges that you you know,
37:52
I think West Virginia and Marshall, you see State, anybody who's had
37:58
any player to to grace a roster and have to be great. He just
38:05
graced a roster. We should be celebrating that, Yeah, you know,
38:09
that should be some celebration. That should be somebody getting those guys together and
38:16
bringing them all back for something. Yeah, you know, I just think
38:21
that it's I think it's important for our youth because I mean, my my
38:27
grandson probably the only reason that he knows that I played football is because he's
38:30
my grandson. And I think that's and I don't think that's I don't think
38:35
that's right. Yeah, I know, we talked about, you know,
38:37
different things of that nature before, and that's I think I think this would
38:40
be maybe a pathway to it, to it, you know what I mean,
38:45
just to get those guys on like a circuit, if you will.
38:47
All right, So we're gonna probably close out the show here on on on
38:53
this particular subject. And I am everybody already knows kind of how I feel
39:01
about it, so I don't necessarily even have to go and waste any time
39:05
to even even to go into what I think about. But apparently Florida,
39:14
the situation that the coach pulls the NIO money that was promised to an athlete
39:23
specifically because where I shouldn't say specifically, but I'll say my assumption is is
39:30
because he isn't turning out to be necessarily what they wanted. He's not gonna
39:37
be starting. Yeah, And so he transferred, and he was, and
39:44
he was he was to get fourteen million dollars. Wow. Okay, So
39:49
he's getting fourteen million dollars, supposedly getting fourteen million million dollars, and then
39:53
all of a sudden, you tell me that I'm not getting it based off
40:00
based off of performance. Now wow, The question becomes if you give me
40:08
a guaranteed contract, Yeah, fourteen million dollars. And the only catch I
40:15
have to that I have is I got to make the roster. I make
40:19
the roster. You only fourteen min you love me fourteen million dollars? Okay?
40:22
And again I'm four nil. But I think that again cases like this
40:29
because he's he's suing far yeah. And the thing is, this may not
40:32
be the last time we see lawsuits We've seen similar situations where guys were given
40:38
Now I'm gonna say not similar, but we seen situations where guys were giving
40:43
money and charged a whole bunch of interests and points and different things of that
40:45
nature. Now we're seeing this situation in which you know, the athlete is
40:51
a legend fraud. It's a federal case. In me, not only is
40:55
he a legend fraud amongst the coach, but also a booster. So again,
41:00
I think this is where a lot of these schools and a lot of
41:05
these coaches are going to get in trouble, particularly when you when you're handing
41:09
out millions upon millions of dollars for somebody who doesn't really have necessarily a track
41:15
record, you know, at this level. And I think that this is
41:21
going to be a case where the NBA A, the na A, n
41:23
C double A, uh, the schools, the president are gonna have to
41:27
set up and create some boundaries with this. Well. And and here think
41:30
about this. I give you a scholarship, I recruit you out of high
41:36
school. I give you a full scholarship. All right, you come in
41:43
and you don't you don't live up to that full scholarship. I don't have
41:46
the ability to to take that scholarship. You have to do something, you
41:54
know, because I'm because I'm projecting that you are this great guy and that's
42:00
why I'm giving you this full scholarship. So that mistake is basically I'm gonna
42:04
say it's on me, right, But I see the nil money as and
42:15
again this is just me looking at it. It's production, is it.
42:20
I think it is. I think my expectation. Now that doesn't mean I'm
42:24
not wrong. See, I didn't put I'm not putting fourteen million dollars on
42:29
a on a on a kid who I don't think is gonna beat you out.
42:36
See, I don't know. To me, it's just these are almost
42:37
like signing bonuses. To me, I don't necessarily I don't know within the
42:42
NFL deal that it's based off. Well, if you don't do X,
42:46
y Z agree. I mean, I'm sure there's parameters like if you don't
42:49
stay in school, da da da da da. But as long as you're
42:52
playing football, you're on the team. This is kind of what we signed
42:53
you too. I would I totally agree if that, if that is the
42:58
contract, And again I don't know if they've gone into the depths of that,
43:04
because I don't know if they were aware of this happening, because again
43:07
you talking about suing the school, suing the coach because and I think we
43:12
were. Maybe the issue just the amount. I guess that's the surprising thing
43:16
to me, Like you're promising. I mean, what coach, to me
43:22
in a right mind, is promising an eighteen year old kids Because we've seen
43:27
is We've seen the recruiting classes where you got two and three quarterbacks, five
43:30
star. You was all that in high school. And it doesn't necessarily translate
43:34
that things happen, right, So why as a coach, to me,
43:37
are you putting fourteen million dollars on the line, because I don't think that's
43:42
insane because here's the thing I'm not offering you. I'm looking at your film,
43:46
I've talked to you, i've sized you up, i've worked you out,
43:51
and I'm thinking, yes, he's worth fourteen million. I'm just saying,
43:59
coach one million. Whatever it is. I'm just saying. My point
44:01
is this, I worked you out, I saw it, and I bought
44:06
it, so I trust myself. So I'm putting that money on you.
44:10
You come to camp, you ain't you you ain't really worked out, you
44:15
ain't done a whole lot of anything, and you show up in camp.
44:19
Now I want to say, I can't give that to you. You already
44:23
gave it to me. I mean, in my mind, I'm thinking that
44:28
you've already given that to me. Because unless there's a clause in the contract
44:35
that says you have to start, and I don't think you sue if you
44:39
if if you're if there's a contract that comes with the nil money, yeah,
44:45
that NILS has to specifically say what I'm expecting from you. So if
44:52
I'm expecting you to start, you ain't got no you ain't got no level
44:55
to you ain't got a level to sue. But now that's what But I
45:00
don't know if that's how I Again, so we're the thing though, we
45:04
don't know because there's no federal guideline, there's no NCAA, God lives.
45:09
Each school East State is kind of just doing what they want to do.
45:13
And I think that's the problem to the point you just made, is it
45:19
the state or is it just the school? It could be the state or
45:21
the school. So for example, in West Virginia, WVU kind of set
45:25
the parameters and the guidelines from which all schools in West Virginia follow in regards
45:31
to NIL. I think state like Virginia, they have a statue that deals
45:37
with NIL. Florida, California, So it really it goes from state to
45:40
state. And that's sort of the problem, because again, I'm not mad
45:45
that the player that the coach don't want the player no more. I'm not
45:47
mad that it didn't work out. But what I'm saying, I'm not even
45:51
mad at you that the school or the coach want the money back. What
45:54
I'm saying is that this ain't like ten thousand, fifty thousand, fourteen million
46:00
dollars. That's life changing money. Yes, you know what I'm saying.
46:04
And if I'm the school president, if i'm maybe the ad was in on
46:07
I don't know, but particularly if I'm an administration and I don't necessarily have
46:13
any what in the heck are you doing paying an eighteen year old? And
46:17
we know that the transition from high school to college is a huge jump.
46:24
It's a huge jump, right, Why are you paying somebody fourteen dollars a
46:31
huge at a quarterback position? Huge jump? And Florida in Florida, so
46:37
you're playing in the se C playing in the next probably the next level from
46:40
the NFL is the closest thing to professional at the college ranks. So we're
46:46
we're starting. I'm saying, I'm saying, give them something. I'm saying,
46:50
maybe even a couple hundred thousand, but fourteen million. Of course you're
46:53
gonna get sued. And I just think that it's agreegious that a coach would
46:58
commit to such something, such an amount. He and I guess. And
47:02
my question, my question to that is you really have to look on your
47:09
roster and check the quarterback situation to confirm that you really need a quarterback because
47:16
you can't. You can't bring one in for fourteen million dollars and then and
47:22
again him not playing. But what I'm asking you, coach, is that
47:27
your feelings about it, aside, if you was a coach at a big
47:30
time college program and this is what it is, you just had to deal
47:32
with it, are you prepared to to pay a seventeen or eighteen year old
47:37
kid fourteen million? No, And that's what I'm saying, I'm looking at.
47:43
Why would it be such an enormous amount. I mean, again,
47:46
I got to meet this kid's lawyer, father or whoever who negotiates making it
47:51
more. He's making more than a majority of NFL. Even if it's fourteen
47:55
over four years in three years, that's still a great amount out of money
48:00
to pay somebody who doesn't who who's who's making a big transition to jump And
48:06
this kid may be then and from what I understand, he got his release
48:08
from Florida. He signed with Arizona State. And this kid may be great.
48:13
And I'm not saying he's not, but I'm just saying I don't.
48:15
I think that we have to get some We had to be common sense about
48:20
this, right, we got to be So he signed Okay. So so
48:22
he signed at Arizona. Yeah, he got his release from Florida and then
48:25
he's his father went to Arizona. So that's what he signed with. Okay,
48:30
So are they off? Does it? Does it say anything? Doesn't
48:34
say far as I'm sure they're kicking in something about I don't know if it's
48:37
close to you know, well the suit if he going somewhere else to shoot
48:44
to me is a is a is a mute? Like you kill that you
48:49
can't have that and go you can't you can't shoe me for fourteen million dollars
48:53
probably more, and you've already and you've already gone and signed somewhere else,
48:58
Well you can, because we're saying that's different. It's like if I get
49:01
unjustly terminated from one company, I go to a next company making more money,
49:05
I still can have a lawsuit against that company, and check and check
49:07
what I'm saying. Though the kids would receive a million dollars on signing day,
49:16
what are we doing? And I ain't and I ain't pocket watching,
49:23
I ain't hating on nobody. I'm not saying I'm saying the kid, all
49:27
these guys, if you're playing for Alabama, Florida, Florida State, wv
49:30
U, whatever you you deserve, you deserve yours, right. But I'm
49:34
saying, as a coach, as an alumni, as a school, as
49:37
a that doesn't make sense because we all know that how you play in high
49:44
school is not necessarily indicative of how it's going to go in college. And
49:47
we know that, you know, we did. We just seen it too
49:52
many times. Unless you're talking about maybe a right excuse me, a left
49:55
tackle, maybe a running back with maybe are maybe smoother transitions. I ain't
50:01
saying easier, but as a quarterback, and you ain't seen that speed and
50:07
that level of complexities of what offenses are and defenses are now. And I'm
50:10
gonna give you a million or signing day. Bro, you're still in high
50:15
school. And again we might have we can't call it collegiate ball, not
50:23
at that level. If I'm making, if I'm making, if let's just
50:28
say it was fourteen million dollars for four years. If I made fourteen million
50:32
dollars in four years, bright, why am I? Why am I gonna
50:38
go play pro? And why am I going to class? Yeah? Why?
50:42
Yeah? I mean I guess it's part of the deal. That's probably
50:45
yeah, And I started to deal. But you know what I'm saying,
50:46
like at that point, life is good. That's what I'm trying to say.
50:51
And I think the lawsuit really stems not necessarily from them. I mean,
50:55
it stems from them cutting the money. But check this out. He
51:00
had a scholarship offered to Miami Hurricanes and they were going to pay him nine
51:06
point five million in nil money, and he turned down that to go to
51:10
Florida, and then Florida pulls the nil money, So now he left with
51:15
nothing. Now he's going to the school. And I don't think that these
51:17
numbers. Our Arizona State probably ain't paying these numbers, although they're probably giving
51:22
him something. And I'm just saying at some point, again, I understand
51:28
every school wants to win, but I'm saying that if you're paying these ig
51:30
normative amount you're messing up the game for everybody. And this is going to
51:35
be results where now you're going to be tied up in litigation and it's just
51:38
going to be it's going to be unaffordable after that. How am I backup
51:43
quarterback with no nil money and he's leaving because they changed his fourteen million or
51:53
they're not giving him fourteen million or whatever the case, whatever the argument is.
51:58
And I wasn't getting anything. How many how many players that team is
52:01
not getting anything? Or or you're the start now, yes, I think
52:07
about that. Now now this and this is where I see where you're going
52:10
now. So now I like I'm the guys got scholarship off from maybe I
52:15
get a couple of little grand I'll take care of something. And I ain't
52:16
really getting nothing can break the way he getting. I don't play worked hard,
52:21
beat him out for the position. Now and this is what I'm saying,
52:25
now, what's my negotiating starting point? Now, I don't beat you.
52:30
I don't beat your guy to put that you was playing fourteen million,
52:32
so I started. Now we're starting at fourteen he's starting at fourteen million.
52:37
You're all to be fourteen million starting. I think I need a little bit
52:42
more. So that's what I'm saying. I think they you know, biting
52:45
in those despite their face, you can't start this. And again, I
52:50
believe in guys are to get some money. I totally and I'm for that,
52:54
But I'm saying that these ignoment and amounts, you're gonna make the game
52:58
where it's not it's just not obtainable. You're gonna be tied up in guys.
53:02
What's guy's gonna hold out? Now? God's gonna sue you? Now,
53:07
God's gonna what's gonna happen? Now? So when we talked earlier today
53:10
about talking about what we're gonna talk about on the show, do you do
53:20
you now see n I l as a problem? Is this the Is this
53:27
the beginning of the end of just uncontrollable throwing money at kids? This has
53:34
to be the beginning and the end. It's the beginning of To me,
53:38
what should be n double A keep n C double A regulations, federal relates,
53:45
federal regulations and the end of the wild wild West because what And to
53:51
me, I'm blaming Florida, your a D, your coaches and and and
53:57
your and the and the boosters for this because you can't let this get too
54:00
much. You can't, this can't happen. You know what I'm saying.
54:04
I believe in having an equitable split. You know, because now you got
54:07
video games, you got a pearl, you got you know, I don't
54:13
even like the coaches. If the coaches are getting shoe their money and that
54:17
ought to go to they are to have a pot for the players in that
54:20
too. I just believe in an equitable split. Do you think there should
54:22
be a max to to to the to the to the five star guy?
54:28
There's a Max I'm a star guy, there's a MAX three star guys.
54:32
I wouldn't necessarily name it do that because what's who who's ranking them? Like?
54:37
What what are these bodies that we could trust to actually rank guys?
54:39
And I think that could create corruption. Well, what I'm saying is that
54:44
it ought to be a starting point when you freshmen, and it can go
54:47
up. It could go up. So it incentivizes you, number one,
54:52
to stay in college because the more you the longer you stay there, the
54:55
longer you're gonna the more money you're gonna make. And if you you make
55:00
the playoffs, you make a bowl game, that's a bump. You get
55:05
defensive player, offensive player to your heisman, that's a bump. You know
55:08
what I'm saying. So I think it ought to be in center based with
55:13
a minimum that you're just more like what they do in the league. Yeah,
55:15
with this amount of money and you got these incentives. Yeah, so
55:19
a freshman, you coming in at this amount, we could either pay you
55:22
this or zero. Sophomore is this or zero juniors? This is our seniors.
55:28
This is zero. So you're gonna make some You're gonna make some money.
55:30
And then also I think it ought to be outside of what the school
55:35
is gonna pay. You tell us what's happening. The schools are paying these
55:37
kids. Then, like I said, if you if you can get a
55:40
Power Aid commercial, Gatoray commercial, then that's on you as long as it
55:44
doesn't interfere with school and you know you're playing and it's ethical. I I
55:53
like it. I like everything that you said, especially like as a freshman,
56:00
this is your this is your max, sophomore, junior, and senior.
56:06
I like that because I think that's that's structure. Yeah, but it
56:13
can't to me, I just don't see it being into a level to where
56:15
it is beyond professional sports. I just don't think it should be that high.
56:22
That's what and that's what I'm saying. And I don't necessarily, I
56:25
mean your problem. I don't know if you can fix that now, though
56:29
I think you can. I think it could be rolled back. But I
56:31
think when you do stuff like what Florida did, they're really they just hurt
56:36
the game to me in general, because now what happens is that, like
56:39
I said, if nothing else, if I'm the starting quarterback of Florida,
56:45
I'm saying, uh, I need those fourteen million that's what you gave or
56:49
buddy, and particularly if I'm winning, think about this. What I'm saying
56:52
is that now guys are not only going to be transferred for maybe a better
56:58
situation or they want to be close on the home, or they don't really
57:00
like the coaches down, They're going to be transferring for better deals because I'm
57:04
if I'm the Florida quarter But let's say that Florida quarterback, whoever's starting issue
57:07
whoever, maybe he's making you know, thirty forty whatever he's making, and
57:12
I'm saying, he's winning games, and he gets them to the playoffs where
57:15
he wins a championship. Now you don't think he's thinking about renegotiating or Pops
57:20
or uncle or somebody. And now if you don't want to renegotiate with me,
57:22
I'm gone, I'm going to somebody. I'd improven I want. Yeah,
57:25
I I do, I do. I've just never really liked it.
57:32
Yeah, but I do believe that players are to get paid. I just
57:36
don't think that it should be just randomly like what you do in the league,
57:40
Like you know, you pay your superstar this, and you know,
57:46
and then all of a sudden you now become the superstar. Is that I
57:51
think it should be a locked in amount as you get to each level.
57:53
I think it should be. And I like what you said that thiping based
57:58
on your classification and then whatever money you make on the side star ads you
58:04
do that long timelight interferes and and those deals got to be circulated through the
58:08
school, so law as it doesn't interfere you make your money on the side,
58:12
but far as what the school gonna pay you, this is what we
58:15
this is what it is, and it'll be across the board. So that
58:17
way it creates some sort of equitable situation for everybody. If you are if
58:22
you as we as we close out the show, I'm gonna say this,
58:25
and you're gonna probably chuckle and have something to say after I say it.
58:30
So if if you're, if you have anything to do with the potential of
58:34
high school in I own money, I think Hollis's idea and concept of structure
58:43
by class with incentive with everything else being incentive based, that is your safest
58:50
way to That is your safest way because the more the more money the community
58:57
has, the more likely they're gonna be able to afford more players and the
59:00
better players in their space. If everybody can can can can pay the same
59:07
flat rate for this particular guy at this particular level and then have some incentives,
59:16
Yeah, I think that's I think that's the fairest way to do it,
59:22
because if you leave it, wow, wild wild West, You're gonna
59:25
it's gonna it's gonna bite you. And you're gonna and the guys are gonna
59:29
be so competitive. Absolutely, like we're gonna see the dogs. Like I
59:31
said, when in the NFL, when guys weren't getting paid a whole whole
59:35
bunch. Uh, you know, pro bo miss something because that was a
59:37
bump in pain. Absolutely, you know what I mean, those off season
59:42
awards, those miss some because that's a bump. Pro Bowl, Pro Bowl
59:45
when I was playing was it was was a ten and you win the game
59:50
ten thousand dollars and that missed something. That miss made something, you know,
59:52
only a hundred maybe one hundred and fifty, that's ten thousand with some
59:55
money. It was meant to be for something. You know what I'm saying,
59:59
Oh, I can do something with this. So I think if you
1:00:02
can credit that sort of situation in college and again get a guy some and
1:00:07
give them space and room where that can you know, those stupid stars can
1:00:09
make that money outside. That's fair. I think that's fair. All right,
1:00:13
ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed the show and we are out.
1:00:15
We'll see you again too. The opinions expressed on this program do not
1:00:21
necessarily reflect the opinions of WVRC Media, it's management, employees, or sponsors.
1:00:27
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