Latest / The 3-0 Take / Behind the Revival of Backyard Sports | Lindsay Barnett, CEO of Playground Productions

Transcript

Behind the Revival of Backyard Sports | Lindsay Barnett, CEO of Playground Productions · The 3-0 Take

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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Three O Tape, where we talk
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all things Major League Baseball.
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Here's Kyle Corwin and Nate Reyes.
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It all starts. Right now.
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All right, so we are here with Lindsay Barnett, Founder and CEO
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of Playground Productions. But more importantly, I would
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say the main reason I can continue living my childhood
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dream with backyard baseball and really all of the sports.
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Lindsay, appreciate you hopping all with us.
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Thank you guys for having me and thrilled to bring back Backyard
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for you guys. Yeah.
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So I I have to ask how? How does this even come about?
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Like who? Who has the idea to not only
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bring this back, but to be crazy enough to actually pull it off?
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Yeah, I that's the, the second part is really the, the
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definition of what this hall is. It's like, who is the craziest
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person to to do this? And it just happened to be me,
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but I was actually a elementary school teacher in COVID trying
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to find good content to recommend to my students.
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And I went back to my favorite every game, which was the
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backyard sports franchise, backyard baseball, backyard
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football. And the games were nowhere to be
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found. Like you couldn't play them.
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They it was like it never happened.
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And so that crazy teacher then went on a wild goose chase and I
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wound up 1st just starting in in normal search.
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Couldn't find anything. Wound up hiring a private
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investigator, tracking the rights down and then getting the
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rights after like 2 1/2 years of the process.
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So crazy is probably the right word.
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That's so cool. So Lindsay, for I know we kind
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of chatted about this when we met in person in Atlanta during
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the All Star week. But for us, like Kyle and I, our
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roots go way back. Like we grew up playing Little
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League together. I was over at his house all
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summer, every summer playing backyard baseball on his on his
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big clunky desktop computer. And it's like such a full circle
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thing for us for it to like to now come back together again as
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adults. We're starting this podcast back
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in 2018 and now all of a sudden we're hanging out at this
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private brunch and meeting people that are revitalizing a
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game that we enjoyed so much as a kid.
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So First off, thank you from us from me for bringing this back.
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Talk me through. Take me back to your childhood.
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Like what? What was you said that you are
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obviously ended backyard sports as a kid.
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So like what what was that like for you?
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What were you doing? I mean, I was just a super
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sporty little girl. I mean, I was growing up in
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Chicago during the 90s where everybody thought they could be
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like Mike. And despite, you know, I'm, I'm
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barely the shoes. In the background, everybody.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's no reason why those
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shoes are there. And I I have a sign Jordan
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jersey over there. Like it's very deep in my, in my
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DNA of like a love of sports and this kind of imagination around
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what sports can do. And so when I was five years
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old, my parents got me backyard baseball 1997.
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And it was the first game. And actually, I think the only
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game I've ever seen that had boys and girls on the bench.
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And so, and the girls were also good players and that just
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really like made me a baseball fan.
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I, I fell in love with baseball. I learned the rules, I played
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T-ball, then I played baseball and then softball.
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But then I started to play all of the different backyard games
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and I wound up playing on the Coed flag football team in my
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community. And that was really all because
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of these games. And you know, I, I'm saying
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like, oh, I played backyard football, but I also then played
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in my own backyard, backyard football or backyard football.
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So it really went beyond the screen for me and and was a huge
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part of my childhood. Kind of going off that, do you
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see the backyard sports franchise as a, as a tool, as a
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vehicle in engaging kids in sports, but also bringing them
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back to sports? Because as we know, certain
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sports at times, baseball included, they'll have their
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UPS, their downs, they'll have their lulls and, and kids sort
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of, you know, especially in today's day and age where you
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can literally do anything with your time.
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Do you feel do you feel as though the Backyard Sports
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franchise has a has an effect in bringing kids back towards the
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center of sports and and enabling them to enjoy it again?
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Absolutely. And I think there is, it's not
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surprising to me that when I go to cool events like All Star, I
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meet you guys and I can spot a backyard kid grown up anywhere.
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Like there's just a certain vibe and personality of who a
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backyard kid grows up to be. And it really is like the
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celebration of a joy of the game and like this appreciation of
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the sport that goes beyond even just the professional level that
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goes and makes it fun. And that's what I think a lot of
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sports are are missing in the youth space is just that joy.
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Like not every kid is going to grow up.
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I certainly when I was playing flag football was not going to
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grow up to be in the NFL. But I I loved it and I played
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and had a great time and now play fantasy football and, and
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watch on TV and root for my teams.
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And, you know, that kind of stuff I think has come from this
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game. I mean, that wouldn't have been
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a football in particular would not have been a sport that my
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parents would have like directed me at.
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You know, my, my dad was a professional tennis player.
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That was probably the direction that we would have, we would
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have been going in. But I was like basketball,
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Michael Jordan, baseball, backyard baseball, 1997,
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football, backyard football, 1999.
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I'm ready. Pablo Sanchez, Keisha Phillips,
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they can do it. So can I.
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So I mean, I feel like that was kind of the the vibe of of what
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really inspired a lot of what I did as a kid.
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You brought up a really good point and I want to build off of
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that. Was seeing the only game where
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you're seeing boys and girls in the game where obviously us as
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kids, like especially our generation, I feel like we're
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growing up outside. It's like we're just trying to
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fill the field, right? Like we don't care if if it's
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girls, if it's sisters, if it's like, you know what I mean let's
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just get a full team going against a full team.
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So talk to me a little bit about some of what that means to you
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and, and kind of how much pressure you feel like you're
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taking on yourself of saying like I, I want to reintroduce
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this again and bring this back for those little girls out there
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that are interested in sports, you want to be a part of this
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well. And it's, it's even beyond just
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like the, the gender split of having 15 boys and 15 girls.
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But like we have our best pitcher in baseball is in a
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wheelchair. And we have had so many people
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from the the wheelchair community who are playing in,
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you know, the the Paralympics who reach out and are like,
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that's the only character that I saw that was that good.
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And when you think of just the representation, like it really
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matters. And I think as a kid, you see
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it, and you see so many different types of kids on that
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bench, and you think you can do it.
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And now, you know, it's not even just like lip service.
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Now we actually meet those adults who are like, yeah, I saw
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Kenny Kawaguchi in a wheelchair and he was playing as a pitcher
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because he could stay on the mound and just throw and throw
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absolute, you know, fireballs. But like, that mattered to a lot
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of people. And that's how I felt about
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seeing, you know, 1 is how I felt about seeing Keisha
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Phillips is, like one of the greatest hitters in the game.
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Like, she's a must have on your team.
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And it didn't matter if she was a girl or not.
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She's just great. That brings up something else
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too, because so I had AI had like a PlayStation 4 that was
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sitting in my office and it was that dust all over it hadn't
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touched it for years. I, you just eventually grew up
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and, and you know, you kind of lose the, the, the desire to
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play it, especially when you get married.
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And so we have this trip coming up for Atlanta and Kyle and I
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are like, how do we like, maybe we streamed a game.
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So he's like, why don't we play MVPO 5?
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That's the game, you know, on Xbox that we grew up playing at
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his house, right? And he's like, well, I don't
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want to travel with the giant Xbox.
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So I was like, what if I went and got like those old school,
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really thin PlayStation twos? So I go and I go to this little
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thrift shop and I find all these classic games and sure enough,
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we have backyard baseball. And I was like, I'm snagging
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that. But I was like, I need to kind
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of get the cobwebs, you know, and dust off here.
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So I turn it on. My wife comes in and I'm showing
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her I'm like, babe, this is the game that like Kyle and I grew
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up playing like this is you get to experience a lot of what this
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is like. And so she's looking through the
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roster and she's seeing it. My wife is an RBT.
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She works for kids on the spectrum.
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And I don't know if there was any intentionality with this,
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but I was it. I think it's a mirror Amir Khan
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that has the the headphones. And she was like.
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Any any chance that he he's autistic?
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And I was like, babe, I don't think that was the intent, but
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you bring up such a good point that it's like it's more
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inclusive to anybody can play this game.
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And like, again, anybody filling out this roster in our backyard,
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come play, sorry. Achmed, that's the.
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Achmed. Achmed.
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Yeah, but. Funnily enough, Achmed's
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character is just a super music fan.
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But when you look at it today, because it means something
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different now, right? Like your your wife is looking
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at it as maybe those are noise cancelling headphones for US in
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the 90s, those were, you know, maybe Walkman era headphones.
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Nobody had the little like in ears.
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But to me, it doesn't matter as long as people watch and they
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see something or feel something. And that's what we've
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overwhelmingly felt is that, you know, people are coming to this
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game, some new kids are coming to this game and like
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gravitating towards specific characters that, you know, might
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do a funny dance. I mean we have one kid, Marquis
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Dubois, who is wears no shoes and whatever old country.
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Boy, great. Old country boy New Orleans.
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And it's so funny because people, little kids who are
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playing it, when he pitches on the mound, he he dabs like the
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dance, like the dab. And they're like, Oh my gosh, he
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knows how to emode. And I'm like, yeah, I think that
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has nothing to do with what was created that way.
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But it's just so funny to see like how they're interpreting
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different parts of it. They're like he's so ahead of
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its time and like he's. Been around for like 20 years.
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I don't know he is. Right, He is out of the time.
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Well, well, kind of going off of that point is something I wanted
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to ask you, Lindsay is obvious. I mean, just listening to Nate
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and I talk about how obviously how much we love backyard
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baseball and and really all the the sports within the franchise.
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And Nate even said it nostalgia. That's a word that comes to mind
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anytime you talk about this game.
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I have to imagine for you as sort of the leading force behind
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this, that has to be a major motivator in terms of the kids
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that are coming to this game now for the first time.
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Like you said, where it's like is, is the, is one of the goals
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that you have trying to make this game and, and, you know,
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market it and, and really open it up to these kids in a way
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that when they're our age, looking back, they're going man,
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those were some of the the best days of my childhood is when I
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was able to play backyard baseball, which was brought back
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by you and your team. Thank.
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You. Yeah.
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So I, I really have been thinking about it.
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And the way that the whole team has thought about it is really
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like Mario Kart. You know, Mario Kart is a game
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for the whole family, one that kids can play, adults can play.
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You can play it socially, You could play it if you've never
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played a racing game before. You don't have to know how to
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drive to be able to play it. And that's how we think about
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the backyard sports games. They are pick up and play.
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It's easy. You can play something very,
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very simple. You can play on T-ball mode.
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You can play on hard mode. You can invent your own rules.
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You can pick the best players, the worst players, and we're
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finding that people are coming to it just for the comedy and
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the joy versus just like, oh, I must have the best team and the
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highest, you know, this, that and the other thing, like
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they're coming to it for a very specific kind of fun.
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And I think that is what I'm most interested in as we expand
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the franchises, you know, how can we bring joy back to to the
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game? Because I, as a kid growing up
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in the 90s and 2000s, feel like that was a time where there was
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a real spirit of play. There was a an excitement and a
14:02
joy to be a kid. And unfortunately, I feel like
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so many games now are making kids adults faster and even just
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like the landscape of of the Internet.
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And this I love because it's actually these incredible
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millennials who love the game, stamp it as like, it's cool,
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it's fun, it's funny, and it inspires all the the kids to be
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like, oh wait, like my favorite athlete likes that game.
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I should check it out too. And then they're having this
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like, real thread of just having fun.
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And we're seeing that a ton. And I'm really so grateful for
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all of the athletes who have just organically talked about
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how much they love this game because it means a lot is who
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are like looking up to them and finding a good wholesome game to
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play. I'm glad you brought that out
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because in, in all of the content that I've seen with like
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these gamers that are streaming it on Twitch and things like
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that, I'll, I'll just pop in when it pops up on my feet.
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I'm just like, let me, let me just like get a, let me see if I
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can sort of take myself back and be like, all right, am I sort of
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saying, am I commentating this game the way I would have been
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as a kid? And you're right.
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It's it's, there's such a purity to it, even in today's gaming
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world. Where like you?
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Said so many of these kids, some of these games are are pushing
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these kids so much faster along and further along where this
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game sort of it it it strips, it strips all that away.
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We're not trying to upgrade skins.
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We're not trying to, you know, do we're not trying to we're not
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spending like actual money to to, to buy a better back.
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Yeah, things like that. So that you bring up a great
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point that that's something that I think has always stood out
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about this, this game and the fact that that's still something
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that that appeals to the kids and the gamers even today is
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something that I feel like it's really cool to see.
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And the craziest part is it worked.
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Like it's one thing for us to think like, oh, this game still
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holds up for us as millennials, but we're if you go on Apple,
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we're backyard Baseball 2001 and backyard Baseball 1997 are the
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number one and two family games on the F.
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Like that's so cool to me because it's saying like kids
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are playing this now and they're having the same joy that we had.
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And you know, it was it was really fun to see.
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Dude perfect had a has a gaming channel and they went on and
16:36
played. We didn't know that they were
16:38
doing this as such a fun surprise because of course, like
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they grew up playing these games and they're on Massive.
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Platform, yeah. Like they're playing it on the
16:47
mat on this massive gaming platform and all these kids are
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discovering how much fun it is. Because when you watch someone
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you look up to and you know, like one of the dudes from Dude
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Perfect. And they're not just playing the
17:02
game, but having so much fun. And I think for a lot of
17:07
millennials who play, you know, some people are parents or, or I
17:12
was a former teacher and, you know, aunts, uncles, whatever it
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might be. If you see what kids Little
17:17
League looks like, it is so funny to watch like everybody
17:21
run or the tropical. And that's how the dude perfect
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guys were reacting to it was like, Oh my gosh.
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Like it's right there. So yeah, it's been really fun.
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That's so cool. Talk to me about we got to meet
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some of your other team members in in Atlanta.
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Talk to me about what it's what it's been like building this
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team and like full on revitalizing this thing and and
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getting after it. Yeah, the team has been
17:47
everything. It's it honestly has been like
17:49
drafting players to, you know, the melon heads or the wombats.
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That's that's what it feels like.
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It's like a perfect team that is not just great at what they do,
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but also loves and truly is passionate about this brand.
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And the first person that that joined the team was Chris
18:06
Waters, who you guys met. He joined with like tons of
18:10
animation experience and he the first time he he saw these
18:15
characters because he did not grow up with them.
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He was like, Oh my gosh, there's so much storytelling to be done
18:23
with these characters. I can't wait to to like unlock
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those stories. And it just really kick started
18:31
so much for us. We might have some fun things in
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animation that you'll be able to see.
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And of course, just making sure that the animation in all the
18:41
games is captured because it is a huge part of like how a kid
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walks up the plate or how kid, you know, celebrates or is mad
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or all those things he's got such a good eye for.
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And the rest of the team is really filled with a lot of
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entrepreneurs and people who just really believe and have a
18:59
vision for how to grow this. But we have an incredible
19:03
partner with with Megacat, who's our game developer, and they've
19:07
been helping us do what our team is definitely not smart enough
19:10
to do, which is reverse engineer and CD-ROM hack these.
19:15
I just know the buzzwords. I can't tell you anything more
19:18
than that. But they've really been able to
19:21
bring those games back because we don't have any source code.
19:24
Well, I think I, I think we talked about this in Atlanta and
19:28
it's that I in in the time that I've been playing this since it
19:32
was available for download, I have looked at this game with
19:36
such a critical eye, looking for like even a pixel out of place
19:42
from how I remember it. And I have yet and I'm not, I
19:45
truly, I'm not blowing smoke. I truly have not found a
19:50
difference from the game the way it is now to how it was when I
19:54
was playing as a kid. I don't know.
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Don't know how they're doing it, but it is it is.
19:58
It is incredible. It's.
20:00
It's amazing because they're, you know, without source code.
20:04
I'll, I'll like say it in the way that I know how to say it,
20:06
but without source code, there's a lot of limitations for what we
20:09
can do. Like we can't very easily, you
20:12
know, make changes to the game. You can't go like, oh, swap out
20:15
this stat or that stat. We can't do those things.
20:19
But there have been like, glitches and bugs that they've
20:23
been able to improve on and make the game even better than it was
20:28
back then. And that to me is like crazy.
20:30
I don't know how they do it, but they are able to do it.
20:33
And, you know, but sometimes it's funny.
20:35
Like there are just things that existed in 1997 or 2001 or
20:41
whatever that you're like, yeah, it's just the way it is here.
20:47
So. So.
20:49
Cool. Yeah, the next it is.
20:53
For for those unfamiliar with this story and and no need to
20:56
like necessarily reveal who's there, but we're at a pretty
21:00
exclusive event and Kyle and I are kind of rubbing shoulders
21:03
with with impressive people and having impressive conversations
21:07
that all have their own fingerprints on on the game we
21:11
love. And next thing you know, you and
21:15
and a six foot what, 4-6 foot 5 Chris walks in and there's Pablo
21:20
Sanchez on the shirt and we were like beelining to you guys.
21:24
So like, these are cool conversations, but let's go talk
21:28
to these people real quick. It was so cool to see walking
21:32
around. Chris and I are like so funny
21:34
when we walk in because he's he's like a huge man and but
21:39
like with the big giant smile on his face and Pablo Sanchez on
21:42
his shirt always. And so, you know, I think we
21:47
love going to those things because it's like we have two
21:50
experiences. We either have really fun people
21:52
like you guys who walk up and like have something exciting to
21:56
share and guy get to do things this or we have really fun fans
22:00
walk up to us and have no idea that we're a part of this
22:05
relaunch. And we get to like have kind of
22:08
an undercover boss moment where you know, kids will bring
22:12
something up or or even adults will bring stuff up.
22:14
I mean, we got stopped by we we felt like we were repping like
22:19
just a celebrity on our on our chest.
22:22
Like Pablo Sanchez is there and we know him.
22:26
That's. A.
22:27
That's a generational icon. If they're ever.
22:29
I mean, if they're ever true. I believe the greatest quote
22:34
beyond it, the greatest athlete of all time.
22:37
The true GOAT. Because who else can play all of
22:40
the sports at that level? It's not just baseball, it's
22:44
football, it's soccer, it's basketball, it's hockey, it's
22:47
skateboarding. This kid can do it all.
22:50
And this little belly poking out, that's right, that's.
22:54
Where the power's from? And also is bilingual for those
22:58
that you know, knew the knew the secret of the old school games,
23:02
the old space bar, yeah, that kind of thing.
23:05
If they knew. If they knew.
23:09
Wild that Pablo again, so ahead of its time to have a character
23:15
that primarily speaks Spanish and is still just like the
23:20
greatest, speaks the language of baseball and sports and that's
23:24
what matters. I mean, truth be told, I
23:27
wouldn't be surprised if his walk up song laid the groundwork
23:32
for just the elite walk up songs closer entrances that we have in
23:38
today's game. I would, I wouldn't be surprised
23:40
because yeah, I feel like the time, the time frame, the.
23:45
Schedule. Just Speaking of that, I'm
23:48
waiting for some of the pros to ask us.
23:52
I'm like, ask us to use Pablo Sanchez walk up song.
23:56
I'm like waiting for the moment because I want to know who it
23:59
is. And I just think like, you know,
24:02
you're at the World Series and somebody walks.
24:05
Up. Goat like they're hitting a
24:08
Homer. Why have I not consider that
24:11
until just now? Like I hadn't even considered.
24:12
I was like, surely they probably wouldn't be able to, but you're
24:15
literally just like, somebody please.
24:18
Use this, I'll give you the rights to be able.
24:21
To you, my goodness. Call.
24:23
US genius. I just I'm like, so I really
24:28
call this the the power of Pablo.
24:31
I don't know what it is, but sorry also that the sun has
24:34
fully gone down through this interview but it's still the
24:37
cool. Chicago side Yeah, skyline.
24:40
Behind this? Yeah, 5 throughout, but we call
24:43
it the power of Pablo because whatever.
24:47
Celebrity athlete and I think even a lot of people who are
24:52
playing recreationally in their own like softball and baseball
24:55
leagues uses or wears something of Pablo.
24:58
They like get this magic vibe and last year players weekend,
25:03
Bobby Whitt, Junior Newsday, Pablo Sanchez bats and he was
25:10
the only player to use it. It was for Pablo Sanchez's
25:13
birthday. And when that bat comes, he hits
25:17
a Homer. I think it was like 421 or 31
25:22
feet and absolutely destroyed it.
25:26
And that was that was what kind of kicked it off and then it
25:30
kept rolling. Baker Mayfield wore a Pablo
25:33
Sanchez jersey and for in during one of his games before and
25:37
during the tunnel scored five touchdowns.
25:40
I think it's the most in his career.
25:42
Like it just feels like it keeps happening where somebody some
25:46
say. Coincidence.
25:48
The. Pablo Bump.
25:50
Pablo went to the Mets game. We had a mascot the Mets
25:53
couldn't lose after he tied crazy.
25:56
Hot. Street.
25:58
It's it's it's a truly wild thing.
26:03
Pablo kicked off the season doing the Cubs con and then the
26:07
Cubs like went right into first place for the first half of the
26:10
season. And I don't know, you just need
26:12
a little Pablo magic in in your life.
26:15
Well, I mean, I saw you guys went to you were at the Pirates
26:18
game. I mean, there's no fix in the
26:20
Pirates. I mean, that is even even back
26:25
even as great as backyard baseball.
26:26
There's no disrespect to the Pirates, but I don't even know
26:28
if backyard baseball could say as Pirates, Which by the way,
26:32
now that I'm thinking of it, it, this takes me back to like, like
26:36
Nate said, we started doing this in 2018 and there's certain
26:39
takes that all shit, like I forget 95% of the things I say,
26:42
but there's a, there's a few takes that I latch on to that I,
26:46
you know, I just sprinkle in in episodes as as we go along.
26:49
One of the first takes I remember sharing it was like
26:54
episode 5 or something. Please.
26:56
Don't go back and listen, yeah? You don't need to go and listen.
26:59
It's a it's a mess. It's a mess.
27:01
No, it may not even be up, who knows.
27:03
But one of my we somehow got on the topic of talking about PNC
27:06
Park and I said how? I mean, at the time, obviously
27:11
backyard baseball isn't, you know, backyard sports aren't
27:14
back yet. But in in my simplistic brain
27:17
I'm thinking how is Backyard Baseball not got made a deal
27:23
with the Pirates to rename PNC Park Steel Stadium and I stand
27:29
by that take. What a great take.
27:33
Talk about a crossover. And that is an incredible take.
27:37
OK, first of all that feel free. To use it and I, I, I, I
27:42
relinquish that to you, go for it like.
27:44
I'm going to call the Pirates and tell them that.
27:46
But no, it was honestly like one of the greatest.
27:49
It was one of like the greatest professional nights of my life.
27:53
They let me throw the first pitch.
27:54
There it was. They gave up 20,000 T-shirts
27:58
that had like their players with Pablo and Stephanie.
28:01
It was like skins as a as a backyardified kid.
28:04
And then they had on the Jumbotron.
28:08
Every single player who walked up was backyardified, cartooned,
28:13
and so they like put their faces on all the entire roster and
28:17
then they played like various kids songs during it.
28:23
And then for the other team, they played like the the like
28:26
Lowell Downer music from backyard, which was so and like
28:31
foul balls and everything. So it was really just an
28:34
incredible night. But nobody said anything about
28:38
Steel Stadium and that is an unbelievable take and I.
28:43
Mean rename it for a day even if it's not full time, just rename
28:46
it for a day and and my my dreams will be made.
28:48
So that's I. Hope they have us back and that
28:50
will be the number one thing that I say let's do a steel
28:54
stadium, backyard baseball takeover.
28:56
What a cool stadium, I love it. I know the Dream Stadium too
29:01
well. I mean, you just said that that
29:03
was one of like the coolest things you've done
29:04
professionally. Walk us through like some of the
29:07
experiences you've gotten to go through and people you've gotten
29:10
to meet and and maybe some starstruck moments you've had
29:13
during this process. I mean, it's it's when you think
29:17
about the millennials who grew up with this, like all these
29:21
athletes who are kind of between 27 and 37.
29:24
And sometimes it surprises us when they're younger.
29:27
But I mean, the amount of cool athletes who have reached out to
29:31
say that they're fans or, or they want to, they want to be
29:34
cartooned into a character or they want to, you know, can they
29:37
be in a game? Like that kind of stuff is just
29:40
so unbelievable. And yeah, I mean, there's a lot
29:44
of pinch me moments, but you know, that's what happens when
29:48
you get to work with Pablo Sanchez.
29:50
Like people want to buy him and but yeah, I mean, we had a lot
29:54
of cool things. I think Jalen Brunson, he went
29:58
on his podcast and he was repping Pablo and Backyard.
30:02
We we had no idea that that was going to happen.
30:05
The Kelsey's went on their pod talking about how Backyard was
30:09
there. Baseball and football were their
30:11
favorite games as kids. That was actually more exciting
30:15
after the fact, not during. I had not closed on the deal
30:20
yet. And so it was very stressful
30:22
when they brought that up. But then it turned out to be
30:25
really fun after. And yeah, I've just gotten to
30:28
meet tons of people and, you know, going to, I got to go to
30:31
the the World Series last year and got to go to All Star for
30:36
basketball and All Star for baseball and just Super Bowl for
30:41
football. I mean, I sometimes I'm like,
30:43
what is what is life? Yeah.
30:45
Everyone listening and talking to you right now is very
30:47
jealous, so keep it up. I'm like this my life, am I
30:52
dreaming? Like I'm like wake up from this
30:55
thing. But yeah, it's been really cool
30:56
and I think as many cool people as as we've gotten to meet and
31:01
cool experiences that our team has gotten to have, there's also
31:06
just the like genuine fan experience of like going and
31:11
interacting and playing these games with kids.
31:14
We went to the Special Olympics big event in in Chicago and we
31:19
had a bunch of our iPads set up and, and some Nintendo Switches.
31:25
And we have all these kids come over and, and actually a lot of
31:28
adults too. And it was so rewarding to be
31:32
able to get to see the Special Olympics community, especially
31:36
the adults and the adult athletes in their program
31:39
getting to play sports game that they actually could play.
31:43
And that was accessible and and that was overwhelmingly and what
31:47
we heard was, you know, oh, you know, some games are this game
31:52
is too hard for me or this game is too hard.
31:53
And I was like, give it a try. I think you'll you'll enjoy it.
31:56
And we we couldn't get people to leave our station.
31:59
And those are the moments that actually make it the most
32:02
rewarding. Well, I mean, even Justin
32:06
talking to you and, and learning more about your team, it's, it's
32:10
very safe to say that, you know, I think, I think the, the simple
32:15
fact of you trying to bring this, this back and obviously
32:19
succeeding and doing that you've, you've, like I said,
32:23
made the dreams of just so many people.
32:25
So it's, I just feel like it's very selfless, but for you
32:28
personally, and you can be, you can be a little selfish.
32:30
Have you had, has there been a like, oh shoot, like I've made
32:35
it kind of moment in, in, in, in all this?
32:39
Well, I mean, I think honestly, being asked and invited to throw
32:43
the first pitch was like an incredible thing.
32:46
I did not have that on my my bingo card.
32:50
And that was really cool because my my mom and dad and my grandpa
32:56
and a lot of my family like came out to see that and, and get to
33:00
have that moment. And I think that just was why,
33:04
you know, that was so much more exciting.
33:06
Was like it was kind of a celebration of the it's only
33:08
been one year since since backyard has been, you know,
33:12
this is all this has happened and, you know, just to really
33:16
celebrate how much hard work has gone into the year.
33:19
And yeah, I think that to me is like, why that that really
33:24
sticks out. I OK, so I know there's limited
33:29
things you're allowed to say, but I do want to get into what's
33:35
down the road, what's what's coming up for you guys?
33:38
And and it's kind of a A2 part question on of what you're
33:42
excited about, but also we're seeing.
33:45
So it's not just I don't know, I think we're the best generation.
33:50
I'm just going to be honest, we're, we're, we're just in this
33:53
tweener of like understanding that, that youth that's just, we
33:58
wish we could tap into it again. And we're obviously experiencing
34:02
this growth in technology. But I mean, Kyle and I joke
34:06
about he went to a game the other day with a digital camera,
34:10
which are they're now going for a couple $100 because people are
34:14
trying to like grasp that nostalgia, grasp that
34:19
originality. So can you talk to me about
34:22
what's next for you guys? And how do you make sure that
34:26
you're still able to tap into what made it great in the first
34:30
place? Yeah, well, I think I'm highly
34:35
inspired by the the 90s and 2000s and my own childhood
34:41
that's been a lot of the kind of like what was done right and
34:45
why, why did I have such a great childhood and what could we
34:49
provide to kids and and adults today that, you know, they're
34:54
missing? And a lot of that is just this
34:58
like comedy, you know, when we show this to to the kids, like
35:03
they are loving the the humor of the game.
35:06
And I think that's a lot of what's missing from from games
35:09
right now is they're so serious. Like you become a professional
35:14
at that sport. And so for us, I think there's a
35:18
very limited and few, you know, there's a few people in the
35:22
world who get to grow up and be like the, you know, a
35:25
professional athlete, but everybody can play in their
35:28
backyard and be the star and have that moment.
35:32
And so we're really trying to create that again with our
35:35
storytelling. And we're a full like coming
35:39
through this year, we're going to have released 6 retro titles,
35:44
Backyard Baseball 97, Soccer 98, Football 99, Basketball O1,
35:51
Baseball O1 and Hockey O2 are all coming back.
35:55
And then we have a brand new game that's going to come out
35:58
next year. And everything that you love
36:02
about the retro titles, you we're going to have everything
36:06
and more in, in the new game. So I'm really excited about
36:11
that. And then like I said before, you
36:13
know, we we bring in great people like Chris Waters, who's
36:16
a specialist in animation. And maybe there's things you'll
36:20
be able to see and, and maybe you'll be able to take some
36:23
items and be able to play in your own backyard too.
36:26
So it's really multimedia company.
36:32
I don't want to pry, I don't want to spoil any surprises,
36:36
but. Slayers, we're just going to
36:38
keep. Working her down.
36:39
I'll start chipping away. How can I?
36:43
How? What's the best way to phrase
36:45
this? The kids today that are watching
36:50
the players on their device, I can't even say screens because I
36:54
mean tablets, phones, whatever it is that they're watching on
36:58
those players. Is there going to be a way that
37:04
they connect with the players that they're watching with what
37:11
you guys are maybe working on? You can't maybe can't confirm or
37:15
deny, but is that I'll just ask you this, is that something that
37:19
you would like to do moving forward so.
37:22
I think that a really important part of all of the games has
37:27
been having the core cast of characters like those 30 kids
37:32
that you love and then Sunny Day and whoever her Co host is
37:36
depending on the sport. But then there has been a real
37:40
love of like getting to see stars from whatever sport it is,
37:44
whether it's, you know, you guys are baseball guys.
37:47
So you probably had a like a person that you really loved who
37:51
showed up on the backyard bench and that is a part of the game.
37:55
Like that's a really fun element of, of backyard that we want to
37:59
celebrate. We don't want to take away from,
38:02
you know, our characters. So it's really special to be
38:04
invited and included into the backyard universe.
38:08
And so we're, we're really intentional about who we're
38:11
inviting in and you know who in the why it will, it won't be a
38:17
situation in which like an entire league shows up because,
38:21
you know, it's different and, and you want kids to be able to
38:24
relate, just like how I related as as a girl and, and was
38:28
getting to see like, wait, there are girls like me who are also
38:32
playing in this, Like that's very important to the backyard.
38:35
So I think it's safe to say yes, I want that to to be in the
38:41
universe. The only reason I ask and and no
38:46
pressure, you know, if that if that ends up being part of the
38:49
future plans down the road. But who like you said with the
38:52
intentionality and the choices you guys make, there is some
38:55
pressure there because going back to O1, if Marty Cordova was
39:03
not in backyard baseball 2001, I can guarantee you I'm never
39:07
remembering or saying that name ever again.
39:10
So again, no pressure, but these are going to be, you know, like
39:15
I said, if this is something you guys, if there's something you
39:18
guys move forward with and future plans should that
39:21
opportunity come, the people that you put in there, these are
39:25
the these are names that these kids are going to remember.
39:28
Yeah, it, it matters a lot. And I think also like part of
39:31
what we're thinking about too is like we have we're it's a cool
39:36
thing to be able to have two fan bases, like really this
39:40
millennial original fan base and then like an entire fan base of
39:44
kids. And so, you know, we're also
39:47
really conscious to make sure that our choices serve both
39:51
groups and that there's something for everyone in in the
39:54
backyard universe. So we're very thoughtful about
39:58
it. Yeah.
39:59
I would be curious, did you guys have a particular pro in any, in
40:04
any of the games that you were like, yes, that's my guy or
40:08
girl. Well, I.
40:10
Mean for me it the truth be told, could not have worked out
40:14
any better because all time favorite player from for me is
40:17
Cal Ripken. So having him be the cover
40:19
athlete, I mean that I was like, this is this is peak.
40:23
I don't know. I I think everything else is
40:25
downhill from this point. And this is back in 2001.
40:28
Like I don't I don't know if it gets better than this.
40:29
So I mean, that was that was awesome for me for sure.
40:33
Yeah, that was. And it was so great to be able
40:35
to get him back to be on our cover again this this time
40:40
around. Like I was obviously buying it a
40:43
different way, but like he posted it out on his on
40:48
Facebook. And I was like, Oh my gosh.
40:51
Cal Ripken Junior, the guy who I played and saw on the cover of
40:54
my CD, is now reposting art that we made of him and just wild.
41:05
I mean, it feels like a cop out answer, but Keisha was like,
41:10
it's just it's it's hard to to pass up.
41:13
It's hard to pass up Keisha. She's in the middle of your
41:15
lineup. And it's like, I mean, she drops
41:18
tanks. Like what?
41:19
What? I can't pass her up.
41:21
Yeah. I I totally got it.
41:24
Yeah. I mean, I think that to me, it
41:27
depends. Like I'm a Chicago girl.
41:30
So like, like to me, Sammy Sosa being on that on that roster in
41:35
2001, I was like, Oh my gosh, give me all the backyard kids
41:39
and Sammy Sosa on my team. I was just like so hyped.
41:44
And then I remember that year, like asking my dad to if we
41:48
could go to a Cubs game. And I really had never asked him
41:52
that before. But I had fallen in love with
41:55
baseball and like real MLB baseball because I was like, I
42:00
know all the pros and I know who's playing.
42:02
I know the other team, when they come to town because of this
42:05
game, I'd be like that guy's on my team where that guy's really
42:08
good pitcher, that guy is good catcher or whatever it is.
42:14
Well, I think you'll be pleased to know like, you know the the
42:19
classic example, like when you're bored, you're just like
42:21
reading nutrition facts or whatever, just whatever you can
42:23
find around. You're like, I got nothing else
42:25
to do honestly, since since O one came out and was available
42:30
for download, my go to if I'm like I've got like 2 minutes
42:34
here to spare. I got nothing else to do.
42:36
I'll I'm taking Big Mac to Ekman Acres and just letting Mr.
42:42
Clanky lay it in there. And I'm just I'm here, I'm
42:47
trying to get it to 600 feet every pitch.
42:49
But you know, that's that's how I've been passing time as of
42:52
late. Is one really a fun thing to do
42:56
those kind of like a make your own Home Run Derby kind of kind
43:00
of vibe? We actually did that at the at
43:04
the Cubs convention. We had one cub and then we had
43:09
all these these kids playing against them and a bunch of Cubs
43:13
rotated in and out. They were supposed to be there
43:15
for like 15 minute intervals and we could not get them to to
43:20
leave. They would be like staying there
43:21
for an hour because they realized that the kids were
43:24
hitting farther than them and they were like locking in like
43:27
don't talk to me. I have to like, you know, do
43:29
exactly what you're doing. I'm like trying to beat that 600
43:33
footer. And we did wind up having like a
43:36
whole group of kids that that beat all of their Cubs.
43:40
And it was just like such a fun thing of like, it's an even
43:43
playing field right now. And like, these kids have been
43:46
here for 10 hours this weekend. And you just came in like
43:50
they've learned a couple tricks and, you know, so it's.
43:54
I'm so glad that you're able to do that.
43:57
Yeah. It's definitely been my, I mean,
43:59
I'm obviously biased, but every time I'm watching TV now, I'm
44:03
like, OK, well, I'm, I'm going to just have the TV on in the
44:06
background and I'm just going to roll through some of these
44:09
games, especially the games that haven't come out yet.
44:13
Oh, that's so true. That's got to be fun.
44:16
That's such a nice perk, Yeah. I'm like I have to play test I'm
44:21
working. You know to see.
44:23
If it everything works properly and so.
44:27
That's so cool. Well, we got football right
44:29
around the corner. So you guys are you guys are
44:32
getting going in in that area obviously.
44:34
So it's, I mean, we're not quite sure when this is going to be
44:39
dropped yet, but we're I think we're pretty safe to say it'll
44:42
be in football season so. Football officially is out on
44:46
September 9th and which we were intentional.
44:50
We were like, let's do it the Tuesday after the first week.
44:54
We're like everybody's back in baseball mode and everybody's
44:58
going to want something to do on the one non football day.
45:02
So play some backyard football during that Tuesday and
45:05
Wednesday and then you'll, you'll be hooked.
45:08
And I, I genuinely love this backyard football game so much.
45:14
And it was funny. I was just talking with our our
45:17
social media manager and he's been playing and he was visiting
45:23
his his mom for Labor Day weekend and she's like, stop
45:26
playing video games on the couch and he's like, I'm working, I
45:31
have to play the paper now and what a.
45:34
Dream. He's like, it's the greatest
45:37
job. I just get to play that.
45:39
Holy cow. And I'm like, yeah, are you
45:43
working all day? Like maybe you go and do some
45:45
other work too. We have more things for you to
45:47
do. He's like just a.
45:48
Little R and DI have to. Play I have to record screen
45:52
record this great touchdown celebration little the power ups
45:57
are every time a power up pops up, start recording Hocus pocus
46:01
little Sonic boom. That take.
46:04
Oh my goodness, that takes you back.
46:07
Yeah. Oh man.
46:09
So ahead of its time. I mean, obviously in baseball,
46:12
you know, there's the fireball pitches and the the slow MO
46:16
freeze the thing. Yeah.
46:19
But now you get I love the the football power ups, like they're
46:26
just so iconic and the the commentator is like the leapfrog
46:32
and chameleon play like that kid just hopped up downfield, you
46:38
know? It's so cheesy.
46:41
I love it, it's so good. I'm glad you brought the power
46:46
up because obviously, I mean, we could, I could talk back air
46:48
baseball literally for the rest of my life, but don't want to,
46:51
don't want to, don't want to keep you too long.
46:52
So Nate, unless you got anything else for Lindsay, I got some
46:56
sort of some some rapid fire quick hitters here for Lindsay.
47:01
All. Right.
47:01
Well, you mentioned power up, so let's start with that.
47:04
If, and I'm gonna tread lightly here because I don't want to
47:07
maybe spoil something. So let's just pretend let's
47:09
pretend nothing. This this is completely
47:12
separate. This is just me asking you if
47:15
you had to design your own power up.
47:19
Have you have have you thought about this?
47:21
Are you are you all spitballing this around the office?
47:23
Like what is what is a power up that you know Lindsay would want
47:27
to see in a game like this? I.
47:28
Mean, I feel like there's some some sort of like invisible type
47:34
of power up where you know, like a character could just like make
47:40
themselves invisible. It would work in any sport.
47:43
If you're like rounding bases in, you know, you'd be like
47:47
where is the player if you were in football, like you're running
47:51
down. Nobody knows where the running
47:53
back is. If you're whatever it is like
47:56
it's a pretty good power up skill.
47:58
So I feel like that would be that would be my choice, but I
48:04
like. That I like that that's.
48:05
For sure. Who and I know, I know this
48:10
conversation's been had around the office.
48:11
Who is, in your opinion, who is the modern day Pablo Sanchez?
48:18
I mean, he's one of one like I. Respect it.
48:24
I respect it. You're right.
48:26
I would give you an answer. I could give you an answer for
48:29
any other player, but for Pablo, that's that's your favorite
48:34
athlete's favorite athlete. That's.
48:36
That's a bar. That's a bar, Lindsay.
48:38
Like. I mean, you like obviously I'm
48:43
from Chicago. I've got my Jordan sneakers
48:45
here. I love Michael Jordan, but like
48:48
Pablo can can be the best basketball player, baseball
48:52
player and football player. You know, Michael, we did the
48:56
two sports that's. That's valid.
48:58
That's very valid. That's valid.
49:01
Well, fortunately I had another name queued up because I thought
49:05
I felt like you might say that Pete Wheeler, who is who is
49:09
baseball's modern day Pete Wheeler.
49:12
This is so easy. Pete Crow Armstrong PCA is the
49:16
modern day P Wheeler in my opinion.
49:18
Just someone who plays fast, runs those bases, steals those
49:22
bases. I just feel like he is embodying
49:26
and studying Pete Wheeler and I I mean, even in the name, at
49:32
least in baseball, that's who I'd pick.
49:34
That's fair. That's fair.
49:35
Yeah. In in.
49:37
Football, I would go like probably like Tyree kill like
49:41
someone super fast that like speeding through everything and
49:46
you're like what? Where did that come from?
49:49
I like that, pro or not, who is again through through the the
49:56
the scope of baseball. Who in your opinion, is the one
50:01
player that gets slept on Slash you know, doesn't get the the
50:04
respect they deserve? In the game.
50:08
In the game. OK, so I am going to go with
50:12
Amir Khan because I'll tell well there's 2 Maria Luna and Amir
50:18
Khan both I think are really slept down.
50:21
Maria. 'S quick, isn't she?
50:22
Yes, but both of them have a secret stat boost so that I'm
50:27
going to, you know, spit a little game here.
50:28
But if Amir and Achmed are on the same team, Amir's stats
50:33
boost up so. Good.
50:36
His brother and Maria Luna put her on a pink jersey uniform and
50:42
she'll be playing like Pablo. Oh, all right.
50:48
Real game right there. That's impressive.
50:51
Well, you, you bring that, you bring that up and not to put you
50:54
on the spot, but I've, I, I can assume that maybe you've thought
50:57
about this. Do you have like if somebody
50:59
said what is your go to line up slash batting order?
51:05
Like do you have that queued up? And again, not to put you on the
51:07
spot if you don't, but like do you because I because I think.
51:11
I. Probably do, but OK, well I mean
51:14
if you if you want to share it, you can sure.
51:17
I mean are we talking 2001 or are we talking 9797?
51:21
OG maybe? I mean, it's, it's up to you.
51:25
Do you have one for both? Because I mean, you don't, you
51:29
don't need to share both. But my personally and I, I may
51:32
have alluded or said it earlier, but 01 Oh.
51:38
I'll just show you my my actual my actual lineup.
51:43
So this is my team for 97. Look at that how we can just top
51:48
that right up. That's.
51:49
Crazy. Look at that.
51:51
So I was with the Little Giants. I think that's literally my
51:57
squad. It's.
52:00
Incredible squad. So you know what people are
52:03
probably going to, you know, be mad about is like who's your
52:06
pitcher? I I put Pablo on the mound.
52:10
I know that's. Controversial What's?
52:13
A controversial take, but I think he doesn't have this high
52:16
of stamina. But I put him on the mound and
52:18
when he runs out, I replace him with Pete.
52:21
I feel like they can can do a great game.
52:23
Somebody like Kenny or Angela, they can can really hold it down
52:28
for longer, but Angela's really slow and running and you know,
52:33
Kenny doesn't bat as well. So I, I, I go with power
52:37
hitters. So that's the the lineup that
52:40
I'm rocking with and actually. Now that I look at it, I think
52:45
that's my squad. 8 out of nine. I think I go Angela instead of
52:49
Tony, but I have a Del Vecchio on the team so it's basically
52:52
the same I. Understand that that's, you
52:54
know, I think you have to have one Del Vecchio on the team.
52:58
I feel like I don't know, I go back to like my childhood.
53:02
I, I don't know, I as a like a 7 year old girl.
53:05
I just thought Tony was so cool. So I, I just had to go right
53:09
back to OK. Now this is my, my little
53:16
monsters. So this is my my team I'm
53:23
playing with. I did make myself into a
53:25
character, so that's not right there.
53:30
Oh, I thought, I thought I was looking at a Weber sister there
53:32
for a second. OK, that's.
53:37
And then I put, of course, Chicago, I put Sammy Sosa, I put
53:41
Jeter in it shortstop. And then Kenny Lofton because I
53:46
like to start Pete Wheeler. And.
53:48
Kenny Lofton back-to-back so we can get some inside.
53:51
The Parkers really kicks off the innings strong.
53:57
I love. That wow.
54:00
You brought a good. Question inside.
54:02
Look, you. Brought up a good question Kyle
54:03
though, like what what is the like?
54:06
What's your, what's the spot for Pablo?
54:08
Because I put Pablo in center. I love having Pablo in center.
54:13
Sure, I. Think, I think Kyle Casey, you
54:17
put them at short, don't you? No, I mean being a socks guy no
54:21
more was holding down for me at short.
54:25
Oh my, I feel like I'm putting he might be like my left
54:33
fielder. No, that I think it's where, I
54:35
think it's where I got Keisha I. Put Keisha behind the dish.
54:39
Oh, no. You know what?
54:40
I think you're right. Yeah.
54:41
Yeah, I think she's behind the dish, right?
54:43
Yeah, probably second. I feel like I got him at 2nd.
54:46
That's fair. I mean a little.
54:48
Versatile, but don't want to run them ragged.
54:50
You know, 19. 97 Pablo is tougher in the field than 2001.
54:56
He's got some more fielding power.
55:00
So yeah, it's it's definitely like a, you know, a fun, fun
55:04
managerial game. This is the part as a millennial
55:07
that like all the millennial fans are like way harder core
55:10
about like we got to like change this up, strategize here and
55:15
there and all the kids are just learning for the first time,
55:19
like about the truth, the true power of Keisha or like the
55:22
speed of Pete can. I OK this reminds me I I have to
55:27
ask this question because I've literally had this question
55:30
since I was a kid and I haven't been able to find an answer.
55:34
Is was it inherently harder to hit in the OG backyard baseball?
55:40
Because I swear, and maybe it's just in my head, but I swear
55:45
2001 backyard baseball offense seemed to be a lot easier to
55:49
come by. And I know like the pros are in
55:51
there, but I feel like just generally I'm like am I going
55:54
crazy or am I just bad with the OG version 90?
55:57
7 is harder. It is like a harder game and I
56:02
think that has been like the biggest learning of millennials
56:06
going back and playing. They're like, wait a second, I
56:08
am not as good as this at this game.
56:11
I thought I was. And no, it's absolutely true.
56:15
Like it is harder, but once you get the hang of it, it just
56:20
depends on once you get that timing right.
56:22
Because the way that it was designed was every character has
56:26
their own timing, their own like swing timing.
56:30
And so you actually like it's a little bit different for each
56:33
person. So you got to like get it down
56:35
right. And then I think, you know,
56:38
obviously there's more pros and different there's, there's 61
56:41
players to pick from. So some of the timing is more
56:44
similar with them than the 30 uniques.
56:48
That checks out because I stroke I.
56:50
Stroke. That was a really good question.
56:54
Because I thought I was going crazy and I'm like, I got to get
56:56
to, I mean, if there's one person would know, Lindsay would
56:58
know. I got to get to the bottom of
56:59
that. So I'm I'm glad you could clear
57:00
that up for me. I think it's, it's funny too to
57:03
see like what people gravitate towards if they like 97 or 2001
57:07
better. And I, I, it's such a mixed bag.
57:12
And like even the kids playing like some of them gravitate.
57:15
So like all the, all the kid players from, from the backyard
57:20
community and some of them are like, Oh no, I want all pros on
57:24
my team. But yeah, just like totally
57:26
depends. And I think it's also
57:28
revitalized some of these characters or some of the pros
57:32
like now these kids are learning about like history of sports,
57:36
which is awesome. And I'm I'm excited with with
57:39
backyard football. That's going to be the case with
57:43
some of it. I mean, Travis, Kelsey and Jason
57:46
talked about on their their podcast, like Jerry Rice's
57:49
touchdown dance is taking out a record book and like writing a
57:54
new record in. And if you look at the records
57:57
today, they're all Jerry Rice. And like, kids are going to
58:02
learn that now, like this guy is so good and like that's.
58:07
Such a good point. Such.
58:09
A good point because you're going to reintroduce some like
58:12
legends to kids that didn't get to grow up watching.
58:15
That's so true. That's so cool.
58:18
It's so cool. And I think it's also been
58:20
really cool too of like during COVID we saw this big, you know,
58:25
influx of of like kids collecting baseball cards and
58:28
sports cards again. And I think that's also been
58:32
like fully back. Like.
58:34
Oh, wait, like this card is worth a lot.
58:37
Like this guy's a great player. So people might have some some
58:42
special books. I mean, these Pablo Sanchez
58:44
cards in particular are. My goodness, Yeah.
58:49
That has heat dude. I need one of those for sure.
58:53
I need all this stuff, if we're being honest with you, like I'm
58:55
going to. I'm going to wear a Pablo
58:56
Sanchez T-shirt every day for the rest of life.
58:58
I will. Be sending you guys great.
59:02
Work. I'm so excited.
59:04
I'm so excited that. I can, I can do.
59:07
That's like actually so cool. Is Pablo stuff for everybody?
59:13
Nate, we we need to let Lindsay, you know, enjoy the rest of her
59:17
eating here. So I got one more question.
59:19
Unless you got you got something else.
59:21
I mean, I don't want to step on your toes, Casey.
59:23
I hope you don't ask this question, but what can Kyle and
59:27
I do to get backyarded, even if it's just that picture I want to
59:32
get? Backyardified.
59:33
Yeah. I can make that happen.
59:36
Yeah, I'd love. Them to make that happen for you
59:39
guys. I would love that Great.
59:40
What a great question. Also my most common.
59:44
It's like the most wholesome thing like the pro athletes
59:50
every like that is the first question that they ask is like,
59:53
can you go backyard fine? And I'm like sure.
59:57
Yes. Happen.
59:59
OK, I will get you some cartoons grown.
1:00:01
Men coming up to you like making millions of dollars.
1:00:04
Can I please be backyardified? Well, it's like it's the I.
1:00:09
Love that. I love that it's like the new.
1:00:10
Wheaties box. And I'm like, that's true.
1:00:13
Great point. No, like, I mean, it's so rare
1:00:17
and we're trying to make it even rarer to like be a part of the
1:00:20
backyard world. And so like the people that get
1:00:24
to be backyardified, like it's a big deal.
1:00:27
And we've even been doing it with our, we have like contests
1:00:30
on our social media and fans. Like sometimes we'll be like,
1:00:34
OK, if you win this contest, like you'll get backyardified.
1:00:38
And those are high engagement days.
1:00:42
Oh yeah. You're.
1:00:44
Just jumping right in like this, this is an elite club and you're
1:00:47
just going in there. Hey, can we, can we just jump in
1:00:50
there? You gotta shoot your shot.
1:00:53
That was a great question. What like waited to the end like
1:00:57
what was like it's been? Sitting up there for.
1:01:00
A minute, we'll feel this out and then and then we'll see.
1:01:03
Hey, just hey, let's just we'll call it a fair trade.
1:01:05
You take my steel stadium idea and we'll get back.
1:01:09
We'll get back certified. All right, my last question for
1:01:14
you and you may or may not have thought about this pre 2001
1:01:19
legend. So obviously that initial batch
1:01:21
of pros that we got there that we're able to, you know, be
1:01:24
introduced to. If you could pick an all time
1:01:28
MLB legend to feature in a backyard baseball game,
1:01:31
obviously not included in in one that exists now or that has been
1:01:35
part of a game, who's one person that you would have loved to
1:01:38
have seen in a game. Oh.
1:01:39
That is such a good question. OK, I'm going to first of all,
1:01:44
outside of the MLB, I'm going to pick somebody who I think is
1:01:48
like this is my dream person to to be in the game in the
1:01:52
universe is actually Adam Sandler.
1:01:55
I think he is a backyard. Wow, not even.
1:01:59
A player I just feel like that's a bad like like I said at the
1:02:04
very beginning, when I look at someone I'm like that's a
1:02:06
backyard kid grown up that is Adam Sandler, like playing pick
1:02:10
up with the giant I. Love this, I love this.
1:02:14
That's. My pick like I would want Adam
1:02:17
Sandler in any game, every game if I could.
1:02:21
If I could like, put him in backyard Baseball 97, like he'd
1:02:25
be sitting there next to Pablo. Not like an official sense, but
1:02:29
do you like sit like in the work that you all do?
1:02:32
Do you guys just like backyard defy again, not necessarily that
1:02:35
make it public, but are you guys just like sketching up people
1:02:38
like what would Adam Sandler look like backyard defied with
1:02:40
like this massive? Baggage might have this for like
1:02:43
so many different people that were like this is just like this
1:02:48
person could be in it and like yes, we have thought about this
1:02:52
with a lot of of different people that's.
1:02:55
Hilarious and. That's a great.
1:02:57
Answer I. Know.
1:02:59
Oh my goodness, she. She one up to your question with
1:03:01
a better answer somehow and I. I was not expecting.
1:03:05
That there are people like that's what I think is actually
1:03:09
representative of the backyard world is like, you don't have to
1:03:13
actually be a a pro athlete to be interested.
1:03:16
You don't have to be like funny. And there are so many people
1:03:20
which like, you know, throwing the question back at you.
1:03:24
It's like if you didn't pick a pro athlete, like who would, who
1:03:27
would you want in this world? I know that's put you right on
1:03:31
the spot. You have an answer.
1:03:34
I don't. I'll be honest with you, I don't
1:03:35
know if I can top Adam Sandler. I mean, you know, joking aside,
1:03:40
you you bring up a good point, like, and I'm sure you and your
1:03:42
team have an eye for that is like you can just look at
1:03:44
somebody being in the in the work that you guys are in.
1:03:47
You can just look at somebody be like, yeah, that person just
1:03:50
sort of aligns fits into what we do.
1:03:53
And I mean, Adam, I mean, if you're talking, if you're
1:03:56
talking goofball on the on the athletic field, I mean, that's,
1:04:00
that's your guy there's. A look, there's a feel.
1:04:02
I mean, there are people that like, I don't know, like I,
1:04:06
there's so many that I could imagine, I could imagine Snoop
1:04:09
Dogg in, in a, in this type of like, I could imagine so many
1:04:14
people that like aren't athletes, but like, feel like
1:04:17
they could be in this world of like there's a personality Will
1:04:21
Ferrell, like, you know, I could do this all day long.
1:04:29
That's so cool. Great question.
1:04:31
That's. Awesome.
1:04:33
Well, Lindsey, thank you for for coming on.
1:04:36
Thank you for doing what you're doing.
1:04:37
Seriously. Like I, I'm sure you hear it in
1:04:40
all different places that you're going and, and what you guys are
1:04:43
doing. I think it's just, it's so cool.
1:04:46
And you know, Casey and I are not dads yet, but I can
1:04:50
guarantee it that when that day comes, it's 100% going to be one
1:04:54
of the first games that's being introduced to our kids.
1:04:56
So thank you for what you're doing.
1:04:58
Really appreciate you taking the time.
1:05:01
Thank you. And good news is you don't even
1:05:02
have to be a dad to play it. You can.
1:05:04
It's a good point. They make a good excuse, but
1:05:08
yeah. Excuse.
1:05:10
Yeah, Well, thank you guys so much.
1:05:13
This was so thank. You, Lindsey, appreciate it.