Latest / The Irish Steelers Podcast / Raising the bar in Ireland with the first Steelers Flag Football National Final!

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Raising the bar in Ireland with the first Steelers Flag Football National Final! · The Irish Steelers Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: As an official airline partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aerlingus
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: is flying Steelers Nation even closer to the action. The
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Irish airline aer Lingus has launched a brand new NonStop
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  Speaker 1: route between Dublin and Pittsburgh. So whether you're heading to
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: steel City for game day or crossing the Atlantic for
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: that Irish adventure you've always dreamed about flying, there has
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  Speaker 1: never been easier. Book now at aerlingus dot com. Here
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: we go, Steelers.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Hey, folks, how are we doing. When you hear my
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  Speaker 2: voice on this podcast, you know we're getting a little
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: bit closer to the NFL season and for football coming back.
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: You're very, very welcome in to the Irish Steelers Podcast
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  Speaker 2: presented by Erlingus Michael MCCREADI here as we're about five
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: to six weeks, probably seven or eight if I'm going
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: to be fair, I just wanted to happen right now
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: away from Steelers training camp in the Trope obviously training
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: camp many camp Ota is all going on, and appreciate
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  Speaker 2: you taking the time to tune in and listen joining
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  Speaker 2: us today. We've got a couple of fantastic guests, but
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: we're here really very very quickly against breakdown what has
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: been going on and probably the biggest news since the
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  Speaker 2: NFL draft four Staters fans comes in two big batches.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: In the first one with the Steelers playing and will
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  Speaker 2: play sorry in the very very first NFL game in
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  Speaker 2: Paris regular season game at the end of October this
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  Speaker 2: year against the new Ordans Saines. After the schedule dropped,
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  Speaker 2: really really interesting schedule. Looking forward to breaking that down
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: and giving our little predictions over the next few weeks
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: and after that there obviously over the last few weeks,
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: Arn Rodgers confirming that he will return to the Pittsburgh
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: Steelers and confirming two reporters in his press conference that
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  Speaker 2: he expects this to be his final season, so with
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  Speaker 2: a Hall of Fame worthy career, he will end it
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  Speaker 2: in Pittsburgh, which is going to be very very cool
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  Speaker 2: to see exactly what he can do on the field. Obviously,
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  Speaker 2: he's a guy that's very very close to a lot
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  Speaker 2: of fans. Hearts in the fact that he played in
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  Speaker 2: the first ever NFL game in Dublin for the Steels
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  Speaker 2: and obviously done an awful lot last season as well.
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  Speaker 2: And it's been just under nine months since the Stadlers
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  Speaker 2: made history in that iconic game in Croke Park and
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  Speaker 2: they became one of the first ever NFL teams to
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  Speaker 2: play a regular season game in Ireland, the first designated
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  Speaker 2: team to play a regular season game in Ireland. Then
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  Speaker 2: last week they added another slice of history to that
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  Speaker 2: chapter in cland Tarf which is funnily enough, I think
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  Speaker 2: it's two point one kilometers away from Croke Park Stadium
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  Speaker 2: if Google Maps has it correct for me.
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  Speaker 3: The first ever Staelers Flag Football Final.
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  Speaker 2: You may have seen on social media over the last
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  Speaker 2: few weeks and months that there were regional qualifiers held
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  Speaker 2: for different primary schools in Belfast, in Dublin and in Cork,
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  Speaker 2: and we then had representatives last week from Ulster, conduct
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  Speaker 2: Munster and Leinster taking part in the big day with
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  Speaker 2: since Marnick's Portmarnock National School being crying the champions, the
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  Speaker 2: first ever champions of the twenty twenty six Steers Flag
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  Speaker 2: Football National Finals and perhaps to them if you may
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  Speaker 2: have been following their journey, especially around the time of
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  Speaker 2: the Super Bowl when they won their tournament in Ireland
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  Speaker 2: for NFL Flag and then we're the first ever school
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  Speaker 2: to represent Ireland at an international NFL Flag championship, So
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  Speaker 2: props to them. We're very very proud of them and
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  Speaker 2: great to see not just them do so well at
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  Speaker 2: the Stagers competition but for all schools as well. So
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  Speaker 2: well done to them. And it was really really cool
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  Speaker 2: and I'm sure a lot of people have seen it
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  Speaker 2: on social media over the last week or two to
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  Speaker 2: see former Staters players started Batch and of course our
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  Speaker 2: promotes take to Ireland, come to Dublin and enjoy themselves,
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  Speaker 2: but not just that there to actually grow the game,
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  Speaker 2: show kids what it's like to play football and really
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  Speaker 2: get young boys young girls engrossed in flag football. And
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  Speaker 2: on this week's podcast we are really mainly focused on that. There,
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  Speaker 2: we are going to hear from our first guests on
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  Speaker 2: some of the current happenings around the team, and we're
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  Speaker 2: also going to hear a little bit of Irish folklore
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  Speaker 2: from our second guests as well. So firstly today on
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  Speaker 2: the Irish Theaters Podcast presented by Erlingus, we are going
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  Speaker 2: to be joined by former Stater quarterback and two times
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  Speaker 2: to Move World champion Charlie Batch as we look ahead
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  Speaker 2: to the season coming up, and we also look back
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  Speaker 2: at what was a memorable week in Ireland. We are
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  Speaker 2: delighted to have Charlie Bass join us on the Irisheries
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  Speaker 2: podcast and Charlie, you're always very welcome. I believe you're
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  Speaker 2: the first person this calendar year to appear in this
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  Speaker 2: podcast twice, so thank you for taking the time to
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  Speaker 2: talk to us. How are you doing.
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  Speaker 4: I'm doing well.
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  Speaker 5: The guy had a great trip out in Ireland and
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  Speaker 5: now back in the States, trying to get adjusted to
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  Speaker 5: our tam zone here, which has been a challenge over
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  Speaker 5: the last couple of days, but it was well worth it.
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  Speaker 2: We're gonna hear from Arthur on this podcast and a
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  Speaker 2: bit as well. And do you know what, like the
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  Speaker 2: Staders have obviously done so much over the last few years,
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  Speaker 2: but I from a distance last week Charlie had a
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  Speaker 2: chance to look at what you guys did and there
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  Speaker 2: was a real sense of genuine love and admiriine for
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  Speaker 2: being over there, not just on the field, but and
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  Speaker 2: also different things that you guys got to do. If
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  Speaker 2: we start off in the football field, you obviously have
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  Speaker 2: remained in football after your playing days and even as
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  Speaker 2: we talk now you're at different camps as well. What
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  Speaker 2: was it like, you know, going across the Pond and
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  Speaker 2: seeing that a little bit differently and just in terms
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  Speaker 2: of like a generation that's learning the sport for the
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  Speaker 2: first time.
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  Speaker 4: It was truly amazing.
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  Speaker 5: And it started out on the first inaugural flight from
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  Speaker 5: Pittsburgh to Devlin, so of course there was a lot
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  Speaker 5: of celebration that was happening on our end, and then
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  Speaker 5: as we transferred over the pond they get over to Ireland. Man,
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  Speaker 5: they welcomed us with open arms, and from the moment
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  Speaker 5: that we actually landed, it felt like you were in
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  Speaker 5: Steelers Country because so many people were excited to to
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  Speaker 5: welcome us to the country, but at the same time
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  Speaker 5: eager to learn American football. And one thing that you
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  Speaker 5: can see the great citizens of Ireland, they really did
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  Speaker 5: their homework and learning the American game. And what was
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  Speaker 5: impressive to me was the fact that the football lingo
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  Speaker 5: that we use over here all the time, the kids
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  Speaker 5: were now talking in football lingo. So it was really
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  Speaker 5: cool to see it in just the way that they
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  Speaker 5: were willing to learn and they wanted to go out
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  Speaker 5: there and play, and it was truly amazing to watch
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  Speaker 5: all of those great athletes on the football field.
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  Speaker 2: If you think of where the league has went at
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  Speaker 2: Charlie since your time in the league to now not
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  Speaker 2: growth internationally, and you've really hit the nail on the
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  Speaker 2: head there with the way that kids are talking and
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  Speaker 2: the parts of the game that they're learning and developing
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  Speaker 2: very very quickly. It makes you think what's going to
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  Speaker 2: be like in ten to fifteen years time, because it
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  Speaker 2: really genuinely does feel like with what the Seelers are
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  Speaker 2: doing here with this flag football tournament, but also like
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  Speaker 2: obviously the next Olympic Games flag football it's becoming a
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  Speaker 2: huge It genuinely feels like there's real momentum to make
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  Speaker 2: this a global sport.
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  Speaker 5: And I agree with you on that, and I think
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  Speaker 5: the one thing that gets everybody excited is the fact
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  Speaker 5: that now you actually can compete in the Olympics in
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  Speaker 5: flag football, something that was unheard of ten years ago.
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  Speaker 4: Now here we are and just talking to some of.
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  Speaker 5: Those young ladies that were a part of it, we
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  Speaker 5: were telling them what happens over in the States and
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  Speaker 5: right now people can actually earn scholarships to play flag
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  Speaker 5: football at the university. So of course their ears perked
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  Speaker 5: up and they were like really, and then they you know,
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  Speaker 5: they got excited because they could say, wait a minute,
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  Speaker 5: you mean you know, now I'm playing co ed, but actually,
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  Speaker 5: can you compete against the ladies whenever we get to
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  Speaker 5: that opportunity, assuming that more ladies are actually able to
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  Speaker 5: participate in the sports. So when you hear that and
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  Speaker 5: you see it, and you see everything that's going on
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  Speaker 5: and the excitement is there, you have to credit everyone.
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  Speaker 4: Who is a part of it.
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  Speaker 5: Of course, the NFL is at the initial stages of this,
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  Speaker 5: but people on the other side have to embrace this.
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  Speaker 5: And that's one beautiful thing that Ireland has done because
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  Speaker 5: the students truly embraced it.
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  Speaker 2: The champions on the day were Sint Marnark's School from Marnark,
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  Speaker 2: and I'm giving them a shot out across every other
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  Speaker 2: school as well. I hope all the kids I'm teachers
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  Speaker 2: are listening to them, but I'm giving them a shot
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  Speaker 2: out because I spoke to Max, who's one of the
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  Speaker 2: students in the school and Charles and he was saying
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  Speaker 2: how it was so cool to meet over you and Arthur,
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  Speaker 2: and he said, quote, it was really cool to meet
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  Speaker 2: two people who have played with the Steelers for so long.
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  Speaker 2: It was cool spend the day with them and get
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  Speaker 2: their autograph. It was class I'm that's a school, Charlie
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  Speaker 2: that's obviously played at the Flag Football Championships at the
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  Speaker 2: Super Bowl. So then I have that experience and they
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  Speaker 2: get to meet you guys as well. I feel like
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  Speaker 2: meeting you guys better, you know.
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  Speaker 4: I mean it really for us.
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  Speaker 5: I got more joy out of it probably than they did,
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  Speaker 5: because number one, we're talking about it. You know, their
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  Speaker 5: academics making sure that they're doing what they need to
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  Speaker 5: do in the classroom, which they were, but now having
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  Speaker 5: other options because of course we know what the what
• 8:39
  Speaker 5: football looks like over there. So when they talk about
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  Speaker 5: American football, these are things that they just continue to grow.
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  Speaker 5: They wanted to learn how to have a better grip,
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  Speaker 5: throw tighter spiral the distance, and just understanding that, hey,
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  Speaker 5: you have to use your legs when you're throwing passes
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  Speaker 5: down the field and you could just see them just
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  Speaker 5: like Okay, now it makes sense because a lot of
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  Speaker 5: them we're just doing pure athleticism. But then now you
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  Speaker 5: start adding the details of actually how you throw a football.
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  Speaker 4: Then from Mary you just see.
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  Speaker 5: The smile kind of going like, oh, this is how
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  Speaker 5: you're supposed to spend this football and put a spiral
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  Speaker 5: on it. So again that's just something if you don't
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  Speaker 5: know and you don't know the questions to ask. But
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  Speaker 5: yet you have professional players that are coming in to
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  Speaker 5: help teach it. Those are the things that are going
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  Speaker 5: to get excited. And you also have to credit you know,
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  Speaker 5: we're talking a lot about the students, but you have
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  Speaker 5: to credit the coaches that we're willing to take this
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  Speaker 5: initiative on to say, you wonder what I'm gonna teach
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  Speaker 5: them a new sport and let's see how receptive of
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  Speaker 5: the students are.
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  Speaker 4: And they truly were.
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  Speaker 5: And it's just something that I just put the smile
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  Speaker 5: on my face because it's one thing to talk about it,
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  Speaker 5: but to see it in person, it is truly different.
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  Speaker 2: And you see it in person, By god, you brought
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  Speaker 2: the weaverwey from my friend. I mean in terms of
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  Speaker 2: the football as one aspect. But talk to us about
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: the few days in Ireland. One was that your first
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: time Charlie in Ireland or in Europe or I guess
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: also as well, you guys, every time I pick up
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  Speaker 2: my phone, you guys, we're doing something else, like you
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  Speaker 2: were busy, but it looked like it looked like you
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: were having great crack, never mind working in that sense.
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  Speaker 5: Yeah, it was, and I think for me it was
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  Speaker 5: my second time in Europe. I've been so I've been
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  Speaker 5: over in Europe. We were at Paris back in twenty eighteen,
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  Speaker 5: but very first time in Ireland. Of course I couldn't
• 10:15
  Speaker 5: make it last year because schedule conflicts, but I man,
• 10:19
  Speaker 5: I was upset that I wasn't able to be there
• 10:20
  Speaker 5: because I know it's fantastic, but this was the next
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  Speaker 5: best opportunity to go over with my wife Latasha and
• 10:27
  Speaker 5: to be able to just spend some time over in Ireland.
• 10:30
  Speaker 5: And the way the schedule was all put together, you know,
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  Speaker 5: we were over there for the flag football, but yet
• 10:35
  Speaker 5: understanding the culture that's over there, and of course football
• 10:38
  Speaker 5: is the main sport of being Having a jersey swap
• 10:41
  Speaker 5: with the Sky that was something that was excited with
• 10:44
  Speaker 5: a couple of their players.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: That was very cool. That was very cool. I'm not
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: gonna lie. I seeing that one was like, oh my god,
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: because that was one of the venues where one of
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: the teams for the Dublin Gum Tree and in the
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: National Sports Campus. The Seders have done comps there before,
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: you guys had a bit of a wheel of a
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: time meeting those guys, like they're like celebrities over here
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  Speaker 2: big time.
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  Speaker 4: Oh they really are.
• 11:02
  Speaker 5: And you know, of course the weather worked out because
• 11:05
  Speaker 5: you know, this space was not available to rent because
• 11:08
  Speaker 5: it was already taken.
• 11:09
  Speaker 4: But again, the weather was very cooperative.
• 11:12
  Speaker 5: It was then it was seventy five, and of course
• 11:14
  Speaker 5: everybody's reactions over there was like, you sure picked a
• 11:16
  Speaker 5: great time to come over here, because the weather's never
• 11:18
  Speaker 5: like this. I said, well, I don't have any other
• 11:21
  Speaker 5: thing to compare it to. This is great weather and
• 11:23
  Speaker 5: we're going to now utilize over the next three days
• 11:25
  Speaker 5: and to be able to go outside to put the
• 11:28
  Speaker 5: flag football on, actually attend I attended the Sky game
• 11:32
  Speaker 5: on Thursday night while we were out there, so they
• 11:36
  Speaker 5: actually won, so of course the stadium was rocking. But
• 11:38
  Speaker 5: just to kind of see the way that they react
• 11:41
  Speaker 5: and the fans react watching that game in person, that
• 11:43
  Speaker 5: was special.
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: I think.
• 11:44
  Speaker 4: I tell you one thing that.
• 11:47
  Speaker 5: Intrigued me a lot, and I didn't know much about
• 11:49
  Speaker 5: it at all prior to this was understanding hurling and
• 11:53
  Speaker 5: we actually went over to sixty five hurles and they've
• 11:56
  Speaker 5: actually customized a hurle and we were able to go
• 11:59
  Speaker 5: through and you know created that stick. It is a stick,
• 12:04
  Speaker 5: paddle whatever, that's your exactly proper term.
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: What is it?
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: Sliver?
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: So like yeah, okay, yeah, so.
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  Speaker 5: We were able to do that, so to learn that
• 12:14
  Speaker 5: and actually be able to now bring that back home.
• 12:16
  Speaker 5: Everybody's looking at me when I came to the Pittsburgh
• 12:18
  Speaker 5: airport and they're like.
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: What is that?
• 12:20
  Speaker 4: That says a hurling And now I know, but like
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: this is a sliver.
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: I know so many people that have went back to
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: the stat and I'll not name who it is, but
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: I know a former Steelers player well known that got
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: a hurling stick. Well we'll just call it hurling stick.
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: But once they get I think, you know, once it
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: goes to the airport, it's like, hold on here, it's
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: not going on. That's in your hand luggage is not
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: getting onto the plane, so it has to go in
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: your hand luggage or sorry, it has to go into
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: your luggage, is going onto the storage facildly like it
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: looks really cool because you guys really got a bit
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: of a sort of a fast pieced view of what
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: life is like over here, which is really really awesome.
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: I think for you as well, trying to imagine it
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: so well or one se NFL season starts, whether you're
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: working in terms of a player or whoever, especially in
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: your kis is not on the media side, it's so
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: difficult to actually set that time across and you know,
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: go and experience that. So it's awesome. I'm glad you
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: got to go to that Ireland guitar game as well.
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: Arthur Dawes talk about his love for spice bags in
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: this podcast, so I do. Before I talked about parous
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: and different things, was there a certain type of food
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: that you enjoyed over here first time or was there
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: anything that made you go, wow, I love that or
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: we need this in Pittsburgh.
• 13:31
  Speaker 5: Well, of course the Steelers bar that we went to,
• 13:33
  Speaker 5: we went to Kennedy, So Kennedy's yeah, yeah, check that.
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: Check the bar out there.
• 13:38
  Speaker 5: And of course while you're over there, you have to
• 13:40
  Speaker 5: try a Guinness and not much of a beer drinker there,
• 13:43
  Speaker 5: but of course everybody's like nope, you have to wait
• 13:45
  Speaker 5: for it to settle and try and it was the
• 13:48
  Speaker 5: you know, I tried to be four over here, but
• 13:50
  Speaker 5: it was not the same. It was a different taste
• 13:51
  Speaker 5: that was over there. That was actually a drink that
• 13:53
  Speaker 5: I enjoyed. I was like, wow, okay, I could actually
• 13:55
  Speaker 5: drink this on the regular being over there.
• 13:59
  Speaker 4: We shoot me.
• 13:59
  Speaker 5: But I think the place we did go to the
• 14:03
  Speaker 5: I think we I think I guess duck. If I'm
• 14:05
  Speaker 5: not mistaken, I'll be going to a restaurant. So I
• 14:07
  Speaker 5: ended up getting some duck there. But of course everything
• 14:09
  Speaker 5: else was phenomenal on the menu in food was fantastic.
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: Everybody stay tuned for our first love of spice bags.
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: So it's funny you mentioned obviously for people listening as well.
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: A lot more to come on this, but Charlie mentions
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: there the bar Kennedy's Steelers Station, the Big Steelers Action,
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: Jack and O. It's really really cool. Charlie. First off,
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: thank you for coming on during the Menia week, which
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: was Super Bowl week, and we appreciate you coming on
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: talking because there was still news dropping that week. A
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: couple of things have changed and it'll be cool to
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: get your reaction to it for international fans on the
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: Steels podcast since then. First off, you mentioned about being
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: a second time in Europe. The Steelers are going to
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: Paris later on this year. One how's your French? And
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: two do you want to go? And I guess three,
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: I'm not gonna lie as somebody that had the chance
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: to watch the Steeters on our on the road last
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: year to jump on the plan for one nor is great.
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: I think honestly, I think it'd be a great weekend
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: because it's the first give, it's the first game Trotte
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: in the city. It's always going to be up there,
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: it is.
• 15:11
  Speaker 5: And this is why it was important to actually have
• 15:14
  Speaker 5: that first flight over on aer Lingus to give you
• 15:16
  Speaker 5: that direct flight and give you a lot more options
• 15:19
  Speaker 5: once you're in Ireland and when people are just like wow,
• 15:21
  Speaker 5: and I'm to explain to them kind of the process,
• 15:24
  Speaker 5: especially on the way back where you're actually able to
• 15:26
  Speaker 5: go through customs on the Dublin side. So once you
• 15:29
  Speaker 5: arrive in Pittsford, all you do is you get to
• 15:31
  Speaker 5: the gate as if it's domestic and go right down
• 15:33
  Speaker 5: the bagag claim without having to go through customs again.
• 15:36
  Speaker 5: That was spectacular. So whoever's idea that was, kudos to
• 15:39
  Speaker 5: you to be able to put that together. But as
• 15:42
  Speaker 5: it relates to you know, Paris and having the opportunity
• 15:45
  Speaker 5: for Steelers fans to go over that way.
• 15:48
  Speaker 4: That is going to be an option to be able
• 15:50
  Speaker 4: to pull that together.
• 15:51
  Speaker 5: So yes, that's something I'm gonna look forward to in
• 15:53
  Speaker 5: that particular perspective, looking.
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: Forward to seeing the stud de front is going to
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: be iconic and on the on that. Just in terms
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: of what Charlie said there folks listening, then pre clearance.
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: Believe me from somebody from Ireland, pre clearance is a
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: god sent And I'll leave it there. I'm actually going
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: on one of those direct flights to Pittsburgh next month,
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: so hopefully see the trope Charlie and not there, but
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: I'm excited to get on that plane. It's going to
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: be a lot easier than que up and certainly come
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: to Dublin first and see the crack who knows. I mean,
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: imagine we got the team over for a few days
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: before and probably not going to happen in the NFL season,
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: but we'll see Charlie. The biggest sort of development outside
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: of that, and there has been a couple of developments
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: this week that we'll touch on to finish in a
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: little second. But you know, Aaron Rodgers coming back. I
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: feel like we all sort of expected it came after
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: the draft. I guess two parts of that there. What
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: did it mean like for you to have the draft
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: in Pittsburgh because it was incredible? And then secondly to
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: see Aaron Rodgers come back for one final rodio as
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: we call it, and he plays a consecutive international game
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: and he's going to a team which is definitely a contender.
• 16:56
  Speaker 5: Yeah, and I agree with you on that, And I
• 16:57
  Speaker 5: think you know, when you look at everything that kind
• 16:59
  Speaker 5: of try inspired that way the draft man, you have
• 17:02
  Speaker 5: the credit Dann Rooney.
• 17:03
  Speaker 4: I mean, he did a fantastic job.
• 17:05
  Speaker 5: Of leading the tassage and getting everybody a part of it,
• 17:08
  Speaker 5: which one was a vision a couple of years ago
• 17:10
  Speaker 5: to finally come to Fruition and to see everybody embrace
• 17:14
  Speaker 5: it around her over eight hundred thousand people, which set
• 17:16
  Speaker 5: a record, which is phenomenal. So kudos to everybody who
• 17:20
  Speaker 5: was involved in just that week of the draft. Had
• 17:22
  Speaker 5: twenty three different events that I had to do throughout
• 17:25
  Speaker 5: the course, so we were busy throughout my wife Latasha
• 17:28
  Speaker 5: and I in and then as you kind of get
• 17:31
  Speaker 5: to that point of everybody's excited about what was happening,
• 17:33
  Speaker 5: and again then we get the announcement of Aaron Rodgers
• 17:36
  Speaker 5: coming back, so you know, people were excited about it.
• 17:39
  Speaker 5: You know, we had that majority of it was excited,
• 17:41
  Speaker 5: but some of them wanted to see the young guy
• 17:44
  Speaker 5: potentially get the opportunity. And of course now they added
• 17:46
  Speaker 5: the second guy along with Will Howard and Drew Aller,
• 17:49
  Speaker 5: but Aaron Rodgers. This is just letting you know that
• 17:52
  Speaker 5: the Steelers truly believe that they feel like they are contender.
• 17:55
  Speaker 5: They have the defense, they solidified the quarterback position. Aaron
• 17:58
  Speaker 5: wanted to be here and the Steelers wanted him to
• 18:00
  Speaker 5: be here. So add a couple of weapons down that
• 18:02
  Speaker 5: offensive side of the ball, a great offensive man with
• 18:05
  Speaker 5: Mike McCarthy.
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: If they can score some points, and that's.
• 18:08
  Speaker 5: What Mike McCarthy is known for. Him and Aaron Rodgers
• 18:11
  Speaker 5: have worked together for thirteen years, so he does have
• 18:14
  Speaker 5: a PhD in his Mike McCarthy offense. With those weapons,
• 18:18
  Speaker 5: if they score some points, I think the Steelers will
• 18:20
  Speaker 5: make some noise in this offseason, which will be Steelers
• 18:24
  Speaker 5: Nation excited around the country.
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: The best part of it the draft for me was
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: and you mentioned don zem there, because yeah, he'd done
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: so much. I remember seeing in Green Bay when he
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: was planning the year before. The red carpet was very cool.
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: As somebody not from Pittsburgh, I'm just to look around
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: me at the city and to see on the other
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: side of the river to see the citium, and then
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: it was just it was honestly, people like yourself and
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: everybody involved with the team done a phenomenal job and
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: it was for me as exciting as a Super Bowl.
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: So I loved it. I love what you're saying about Rodgers.
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: I genuinely feel, and I'm sure people listen to this
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: Chartie will say. We could probably talk about this for
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: the next two or three years, I guess, just to
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: finish up before we let you gos. Obviously a lot
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: of news coming out world walk six or seven weeks
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: away from camp and the trope hopping, and you mentioned
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: coach McCarthy. There we see some news I think it
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: was yesterday with Nick Herbig and getting an extension over
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: I think clear four years coming into that there. It
• 19:15
  Speaker 2: feels like the team is just making those steps at
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: the right time. And you've sort of answered it a
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: little bit in the last question, Charlie, but it's definitely
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: an exciting time to be a Steelers fine and certainly
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: for yourself working the nuts sphere, it's an exciting time.
• 19:29
  Speaker 5: It is, and this is something that a lot of people,
• 19:31
  Speaker 5: you know, kind of you know, kind of putting us
• 19:34
  Speaker 5: to the side, the Steelers team because they said, like, Okay,
• 19:38
  Speaker 5: maybe you're going to replicate what happened last year. But again,
• 19:40
  Speaker 5: it's a change, and that's kind of where you want
• 19:42
  Speaker 5: to be. You want to be under the radar a
• 19:44
  Speaker 5: little bit, not many people talking about you. But that's
• 19:46
  Speaker 5: why it's important to now focus. They finish up these
• 19:49
  Speaker 5: OTAs here shortly, but when they prepare for La Trobe
• 19:52
  Speaker 5: and get ready for this regular season, you know, now
• 19:54
  Speaker 5: the intensity is going to pick up. And also understanding
• 19:57
  Speaker 5: why you are here and if you are a part
• 19:58
  Speaker 5: of Steelers Nation, the only goal that matters is hoisting
• 20:02
  Speaker 5: that Lombardi Trophy. And this is why they go to
• 20:05
  Speaker 5: La Trobe every single year. They've been doing SOCO I
• 20:07
  Speaker 5: think over sixty years now, and I think when you
• 20:10
  Speaker 5: look at everything that's transpiring the Super Bowl teams, and
• 20:13
  Speaker 5: I've been a part of two of the six Super
• 20:15
  Speaker 5: Bowl teams, it all started in Latrobe. That's why the
• 20:18
  Speaker 5: fans get excited. That's why the player get excited. Or
• 20:20
  Speaker 5: Aaron Rodgers wasn't he was truly excited. He's like, this
• 20:23
  Speaker 5: is not a cliche. I enjoy going to La Trobe
• 20:26
  Speaker 5: and going away because a lot of teams got away
• 20:29
  Speaker 5: from that. And when you have that team bonding that's
• 20:31
  Speaker 5: going on, understanding the goal at hand, when you accomplish it, man,
• 20:35
  Speaker 5: everybody is happy. Hopefully this team can give us something
• 20:38
  Speaker 5: to be excited about come February of twenty twenty seven
• 20:42
  Speaker 5: and hoisting that Lombardi Trophy and being Super Bowl champions.
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: You're speaking it or preaching it to the choir. My mom, Charnie,
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: thank you so much for coming on and I look
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: forward myself to go into La Trope in a few weeks.
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: Hopefully look forward to seeing you at some point the season. Mother,
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: it's Latrobe in Pittsburgh or in Paris. Think you to
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: both yourself, Arthur, and of course for the organization for
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: not just coming over again, but really you know, making
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: it very very clear about the seeds genuine intentions for
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: the Island of Ireland and flag football and other aspects
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: as well. We do appreciate it and as an NFL fan,
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: first and foremost it's not something that I've seen a
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: million miles off at all ten years ago, so it
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: does mean an awful lot. We hope you had a
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: good time and as you're well aware of that direct flight,
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: you're welcome back anytime. Thank you so much Charlie for
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: joining us.
• 21:25
  Speaker 4: I appreciate it, thank you for having me.
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: Thank you very much to Charlie for coming on. And
• 21:29
  Speaker 2: we're not done yet. Charlie was not by himself last week,
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: not by a long shot. Numerous people from the Staters
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: were there, including Don Rooney with the team as well.
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: But we've also this week fantastic guest ahead of US
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: Senior Night, we get Arthur Motes, who joins his former
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: Steelers linebacker great, great career in the NFL, and honestly,
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: hopefully you can sense just how great of a guy
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: he is through this audio injury, because he is just
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: such a gentleman and it was an honor to speak
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: to him. And that's welcome Arthur to the Irish Theaters
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: Podcast presented by Ironingus. All Right, we're back on a
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: Staters close close to training camp, getting you know, closer
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: to those times in the trow back on the podcast Grinding.
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: Second guest this week a guy who is a former
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: linebacker for the Pittsburgh Staters among different things as well,
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: we're gonna talk about his career and a guy that
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: was on the Ameraldo last week. Delighted to welcome Arthur
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: Motes into the podcast and Arthur falls you.
• 22:25
  Speaker 6: You're very very welcome. How are you doing, man, I'm
• 22:28
  Speaker 6: doing amazing. I'm back home, missing Ireland though, missing the
• 22:32
  Speaker 6: awesome people. A little upset that I didn't get to
• 22:35
  Speaker 6: see you in person out there, but I'll settle for this,
• 22:38
  Speaker 6: you know, virtual meeting in person.
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: It's it's definitely on me. So I ran into Charlie
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: at the Super Bowl and I did. I had no
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: idea that you guys were coming over like a couple
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: of months later, So it's on me. And I was
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: joking off off camera there now that you certainly brought
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: the weather with you last week. And I think anybody
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: in Ireland is listening to this podcast are for will
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: think these guys did not see what Ireland's trigging like
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: with whoever. But like Loka, We're we'll talk through the
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: week of South, probably more in depth, but just generally
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: our fort like was that your first time in Ireland?
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: Was I'm presumably with your first time in Europe and
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: what was your fault of the week of South Yeah.
• 23:17
  Speaker 6: Man, so it was definitely my first time in Ireland,
• 23:19
  Speaker 6: first time in Europe.
• 23:21
  Speaker 3: It was amazing.
• 23:22
  Speaker 6: It was a lot of crack, all right, a lot
• 23:25
  Speaker 6: of crack out there, and man, from start to finish,
• 23:29
  Speaker 6: flight was amazing. Shout out to er lingus. They did
• 23:31
  Speaker 6: an awesome job bringing me and my family over and
• 23:34
  Speaker 6: from there, from the time we landed, I just felt
• 23:37
  Speaker 6: like everybody was awesome.
• 23:40
  Speaker 3: I personally loved the access.
• 23:41
  Speaker 6: I love to hear and make it feel as if
• 23:44
  Speaker 6: I'm in a new place, a new country, and every
• 23:47
  Speaker 6: accent even how when you first started talking like.
• 23:50
  Speaker 3: Oh, I love it.
• 23:50
  Speaker 6: I feel like I'm back in Ireland again, Like let's go,
• 23:53
  Speaker 6: Like I loved that.
• 23:55
  Speaker 3: But then I also loved just how walkable everything was. Man.
• 23:58
  Speaker 6: We're obviously staying downtown Dublin and it was just cool
• 24:01
  Speaker 6: to be able to go to a Danbinos, to be
• 24:04
  Speaker 6: able to go find, you know, a spice bag or
• 24:07
  Speaker 6: multiple spice bags.
• 24:08
  Speaker 3: They definitely became like my little favorite treat out there.
• 24:11
  Speaker 6: Shout out to Spice bags, right, but just getting immersed
• 24:14
  Speaker 6: with the culture and just seeing the locals and just
• 24:16
  Speaker 6: feeling the energy.
• 24:18
  Speaker 3: For me, I love that.
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: This is go. I love this, this is going in
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: the different times in here, Like you mentioned spice spokes,
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: were you surprised at the food, like just generally in
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: terms of cone, Like for me, if I go anywhere
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: a month, it's never to seeing like obviously the food
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: do you guys have is grip, but I could moment
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: it's like I'm home, spice spokes are grip, But like,
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: what was that whole experience?
• 24:39
  Speaker 6: Like, oh man, food wise, listen me, my wife and
• 24:42
  Speaker 6: my children, we have been raving about the food there
• 24:45
  Speaker 6: because we felt like the number one the quality of it.
• 24:48
  Speaker 3: It felt good.
• 24:49
  Speaker 6: It didn't feel you know, a lot heavy, greasy and
• 24:51
  Speaker 6: stuff like that were eating. It's just like, oh after
• 24:53
  Speaker 6: we spoke light and felt nourishing. And I think the
• 24:57
  Speaker 6: other cool part was this. Obviously, as a first time
• 25:00
  Speaker 6: guy visiting Ireland, the thing that most people were saying
• 25:04
  Speaker 6: was all, you gotta get fetch your chips because that's
• 25:06
  Speaker 6: what you do as a tourists, and then you get
• 25:08
  Speaker 6: there and they're like, yeah, you could do that, but
• 25:10
  Speaker 6: we actually locally, we go to this spot right here,
• 25:13
  Speaker 6: We go to this spot right here. So for me,
• 25:15
  Speaker 6: I really enjoyed being able to just tap into some
• 25:18
  Speaker 6: of those local places where oh I felt like I
• 25:21
  Speaker 6: know a little song thing here, and then to be
• 25:22
  Speaker 6: able to even say that at the football camp, or
• 25:25
  Speaker 6: to say different references to different local foods and things
• 25:29
  Speaker 6: like that when you were talking to other people.
• 25:32
  Speaker 3: For me, just made me feel a little bit better.
• 25:34
  Speaker 6: And I also thought that the locals are interacted with.
• 25:38
  Speaker 6: It brought a little bit of the closest because it
• 25:39
  Speaker 6: showed that I wasn't just here to bring what I
• 25:43
  Speaker 6: know and only what I know.
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: No, I was here to obviously.
• 25:46
  Speaker 6: Expand the game of football and you know, hosted the
• 25:49
  Speaker 6: Flag Football.
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: Tournament, but it was also to get the education on
• 25:52
  Speaker 3: a new.
• 25:53
  Speaker 6: Culture man, learn it, immerse myself in it, and really
• 25:56
  Speaker 6: enjoy it.
• 25:57
  Speaker 3: And that was what I really tried to focus on.
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: And I feel like we're so to do that definitely.
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: I know throughout your NFL career, wherever you've been, you've
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: really liked to, you know, to give back, and it
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: must be such a fulfilling opportunity to do that once
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: you've retired but obviously you have more time to do
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: that now. I guess on that sort of topic, when
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: you go to this first ever Staters Flag Football National Final,
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: were you surprised at maybe the level of skill that
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: the kids had in terms of you know, if they
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: obviously play you ge like football, hurl and soccer for example,
• 26:33
  Speaker 2: were you surprised at how easy to find that to
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: sort of be transferable? And what did you think at
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: the event itself? And we'll maybe talk about the champions
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: in the next question.
• 26:42
  Speaker 6: Yeah, So for me as a whole, I love the event.
• 26:45
  Speaker 6: We talk about the talent that was there. It was
• 26:47
  Speaker 6: actually a ton of talent, and I was back and
• 26:51
  Speaker 6: forth right because you didn't.
• 26:53
  Speaker 3: Know what to expect.
• 26:54
  Speaker 6: I host football camps in the States a lot, and
• 26:58
  Speaker 6: you just see so much from talent from understanding. But
• 27:02
  Speaker 6: the one thing that stays consistent is they're passionate about
• 27:05
  Speaker 6: the game. And we always say, man, if you're passionate
• 27:07
  Speaker 6: and you're eager, we can teach you this thing because
• 27:09
  Speaker 6: it is a ton of fun. So that was the
• 27:12
  Speaker 6: first thing that jumped off. Man, how was just passionate
• 27:14
  Speaker 6: about football, American football and just having fun.
• 27:18
  Speaker 3: The students were out there. Then from there.
• 27:22
  Speaker 6: The coach the player in me, oh, you instantly get
• 27:25
  Speaker 6: into well, look if you can play hurling, if you
• 27:28
  Speaker 6: can play rugby, if you can play soccer, oh, you
• 27:31
  Speaker 6: could definitely play flag football because a lotteral movement, the
• 27:34
  Speaker 6: short area of quickness to communicating with others, the offense, defense,
• 27:38
  Speaker 6: the fast paced transitions, all of those things carry over.
• 27:42
  Speaker 6: So that's why when we were out there at the camp,
• 27:44
  Speaker 6: we were trying to also let the students know that
• 27:46
  Speaker 6: you can do both. This isn't something that has to
• 27:50
  Speaker 6: take over Gaelic football or Gaelic games or anything like that.
• 27:54
  Speaker 3: We're not here to take over.
• 27:55
  Speaker 6: We're here to compliment, and flag football can compliment your
• 27:59
  Speaker 6: skill development and all of those other games as well.
• 28:02
  Speaker 6: So to me, that was the thing that, you know,
• 28:05
  Speaker 6: kind of stood out. And then from there to actually
• 28:08
  Speaker 6: see somebody used to this guys and girls, because it
• 28:12
  Speaker 6: was some girls over there and I'm like, yeah, you
• 28:14
  Speaker 6: you're the.
• 28:14
  Speaker 3: Best person in this game and it's not close right now.
• 28:17
  Speaker 6: That was very impressive because once again, this is a
• 28:21
  Speaker 6: game that I grew up playing since I was four
• 28:23
  Speaker 6: years old in the States, and you just don't know
• 28:26
  Speaker 6: the reach you don't know how far it truly expands.
• 28:30
  Speaker 6: So to be in another country for the first time
• 28:33
  Speaker 6: and to see that level of understanding, that level of
• 28:36
  Speaker 6: passion for a game that I've been playing since a kid,
• 28:39
  Speaker 6: that are really warmed my heart to really open my
• 28:41
  Speaker 6: eyes to just how big this game has become.
• 28:44
  Speaker 2: You've made such a good point there, something I've not
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: I don't think I ever spoke about it on the
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: podcast or even Retten the back before, because when you're
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: younger here on the ide of the isardend, I do
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: find that if you're good at sports, sometimes you do
• 28:56
  Speaker 2: hop to choose between a football or rugby or so
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: and you really do have to maybe let the over
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: ones going and focus on that. And that's probably what's
• 29:04
  Speaker 2: so good about flag football, where the kids can come
• 29:06
  Speaker 2: in and they can do it and it's at that
• 29:08
  Speaker 2: level at the moment, which is great and for anybody listening.
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: And we sort of talked about it in the first
• 29:11
  Speaker 2: part of the podcast. Ten schools qualified after twenty four
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: teams competed in Dublin, Belfast and Quirk and Arthur. I
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: had the chance to go to the one in Belfast,
• 29:21
  Speaker 2: and I have to give a qui obviously a shout
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: out to every kid that played, but I know for
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: a fact a lot of the kids that played that
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: came from the North that came down were actually on
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: half term so they were on vacation that week, so
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: they wanted to play that much and meet you guys
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: that they literally came on their holidays and done that.
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: So I think when you see the images and sort
• 29:43
  Speaker 2: of you know, you hear because we spoke to some
• 29:45
  Speaker 2: of the kids and you hear how excited they are
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: far and it's awesome. And Arthur the champions Marnock's in
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: Port Marnick, for anybody's not aware of that, they represented
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: Ireland at the Super Bowl for the International Flag Tournament
• 30:00
  Speaker 2: and they now win this they have I mean, look,
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: I know every team out, but they have some ballers
• 30:04
  Speaker 2: and they've been playing ore for a little bit like
• 30:06
  Speaker 2: a few months longer I think than the they're like
• 30:09
  Speaker 2: a really really cool example of if you keep going,
• 30:11
  Speaker 2: like the siege really is yours, isn't it?
• 30:15
  Speaker 3: Absolutely? And we're really surprised me too with that.
• 30:17
  Speaker 6: Saint Martk's team was how in depth they were offensively
• 30:22
  Speaker 6: and defensively coaching it.
• 30:24
  Speaker 3: It wasn't just.
• 30:25
  Speaker 6: Go out here and run this play because I said,
• 30:27
  Speaker 6: or just draw something up in the dirt. It was
• 30:29
  Speaker 6: very strategic. It was like, man, we're gonna call these players.
• 30:31
  Speaker 6: We have different name for them, we got different adjustments
• 30:33
  Speaker 6: for them, but we're setting up this and that was
• 30:36
  Speaker 6: one of the rare times where I got to see
• 30:38
  Speaker 6: somebody have a strategic approach to flag football and it
• 30:45
  Speaker 6: showed in terms of why they were one of the
• 30:47
  Speaker 6: most successful teams out there and why they've been one
• 30:49
  Speaker 6: of the most successful teams in front in terms of
• 30:51
  Speaker 6: flag football.
• 30:52
  Speaker 3: You know, since it's been.
• 30:53
  Speaker 6: Becoming a sport and becoming bigger in the country.
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: You missed the opportunity to play for the Staters in
• 31:01
  Speaker 2: London by around the year, so you're with the Bills
• 31:04
  Speaker 2: and going to the stats. It's probably not something you
• 31:07
  Speaker 2: think about when you're playing because you're very much in
• 31:09
  Speaker 2: your career and in your zone. So a two part
• 31:11
  Speaker 2: question for me. You know, you look at different guys
• 31:14
  Speaker 2: and you look at where their careers go to. One,
• 31:18
  Speaker 2: what was it like to be a part of the
• 31:20
  Speaker 2: Pittsburgh States organization and you obviously still are but in
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: a playing capacity. And two, in terms of that they're
• 31:27
  Speaker 2: like how surprised or excited that you to see the
• 31:29
  Speaker 2: game grow to the point where, like, I mean, there's
• 31:32
  Speaker 2: I was actually speaking to my family last night, but
• 31:34
  Speaker 2: there's literally a stretch in September, October, November. I'm going
• 31:37
  Speaker 2: to a game every weekend, which is incredible. But for
• 31:40
  Speaker 2: players it's a really cool opportunity as well.
• 31:43
  Speaker 6: Now, without a doubt, I mean, I think of it
• 31:45
  Speaker 6: both ways, right, whenever you're talking about just how big
• 31:48
  Speaker 6: this game has grown, Yes, the fact that they're going
• 31:51
  Speaker 6: to be playing starting next year, ten games in ten
• 31:54
  Speaker 6: different countries, that's mind blowing to me to be able
• 31:59
  Speaker 6: to just see that type of growth, to ability to
• 32:01
  Speaker 6: see this expansion, because it's, like I said, something that
• 32:04
  Speaker 6: I love is something that has opened up so many
• 32:06
  Speaker 6: doors and avenues for me, right, So it's allowed me
• 32:10
  Speaker 6: these different opportunities. So for me, man, that is definitely
• 32:13
  Speaker 6: something that I'm always just mind blown by. But the
• 32:18
  Speaker 6: other part of this thing, man, in terms of you know,
• 32:20
  Speaker 6: when I was playing actively for the Steelers, man, it's
• 32:23
  Speaker 6: the dream come true. I'm a guy that traditionally grew
• 32:26
  Speaker 6: up playing defense. I love to stop people. My whole
• 32:29
  Speaker 6: mindset is, Man, if you think you're the best person
• 32:32
  Speaker 6: that could scorn anybody. I want to meet you because
• 32:34
  Speaker 6: I think I could stop you. People are just wired
• 32:37
  Speaker 6: that way, and growing up the Pittsburgh Steelers historically were
• 32:41
  Speaker 6: known for having great defenses, the ones that are gonna
• 32:45
  Speaker 6: slam the door on your face, the ones that, hey,
• 32:46
  Speaker 6: you think you're going to get one hundred yards, No,
• 32:48
  Speaker 6: not even close. Like I love the end or physical
• 32:52
  Speaker 6: So my whole career, my whole adolescence, not a Steelers fan,
• 32:57
  Speaker 6: but as a defender, you always viewed if you're a
• 33:01
  Speaker 6: great defender, if you can play for that team, you
• 33:05
  Speaker 6: are validated career wise. There is never a debate because
• 33:09
  Speaker 6: that is where those type of guys play. So they
• 33:12
  Speaker 6: get that opportunity to come sign here, play for coach
• 33:14
  Speaker 6: Salmon for four years, have some legendary teammates Ben Broethlisberger,
• 33:18
  Speaker 6: Troy Paulo, Malu, Cam Hayward and company. Right just to
• 33:22
  Speaker 6: go on, It's like man Dick lebo as a coach,
• 33:26
  Speaker 6: the amount of success and wins, I literally felt like
• 33:29
  Speaker 6: I was living on a dream. It's still times where
• 33:32
  Speaker 6: I have to pinch myself because it's like, yo, it's
• 33:34
  Speaker 6: now way this actually happened, and then even as a
• 33:38
  Speaker 6: retired stealer to still be able to represent the organization
• 33:41
  Speaker 6: to come out on you know, a historic moment on
• 33:44
  Speaker 6: the first flight direct flight from Pittsburgh to Ireland with
• 33:48
  Speaker 6: er Lingus. That part is just so surreal, so full circle,
• 33:52
  Speaker 6: and that's why I was really appreeschedive of it. I
• 33:54
  Speaker 6: mean you can see I'm even rocking my Ireland merch
• 33:57
  Speaker 6: Ireland book of Kel's T shirt because like, man, it's
• 34:01
  Speaker 6: just it's crazy to have these opportunities allst them from
• 34:05
  Speaker 6: a game that you were playing as a little kid
• 34:07
  Speaker 6: in the backyard.
• 34:09
  Speaker 2: I feel like we gotta start ringing the bell and
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: get you, not just to hopefully a future game in Ireland,
• 34:13
  Speaker 2: but maybe this game in parslater on this year against
• 34:17
  Speaker 2: let me see what I can do, Like, let's see
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: the crack. It's it's sort of funny you mentioned there
• 34:22
  Speaker 2: about the defense and the and the identity of that team,
• 34:25
  Speaker 2: then having the opportunity to play for them. You in
• 34:29
  Speaker 2: your period with the team, obviously one playoff games, You've
• 34:32
  Speaker 2: played with some huge players in that defense. What's it
• 34:35
  Speaker 2: like when it's third down? Their streaming is left at
• 34:38
  Speaker 2: Akasher Stadium maybe you're dying be four or five or
• 34:41
  Speaker 2: down by or down by a touchdown and everyone's singing
• 34:45
  Speaker 2: round a great it's minus twenty degrees and everyone's going mentally,
• 34:49
  Speaker 2: what's that like? As a guy, that's like, you know,
• 34:51
  Speaker 2: in a.
• 34:51
  Speaker 3: Uniform, listen, it is my favorite place to be. You
• 34:58
  Speaker 3: control everything right there. You live for those moments and
• 35:02
  Speaker 3: don't let you actually be. On the Renegade video, I
• 35:06
  Speaker 3: have my face up there.
• 35:07
  Speaker 6: At one point it was like, oh so now you
• 35:09
  Speaker 6: feel even more energy, even more passion, because this is
• 35:13
  Speaker 6: a moment when we're playing Renegade in the stadium. We
• 35:16
  Speaker 6: need a stop, We need something to happen, We need
• 35:20
  Speaker 6: something for the people and to be able to be
• 35:23
  Speaker 6: one of the people to deliver a moment, to go
• 35:26
  Speaker 6: out there and make a big play, to get a turnover,
• 35:28
  Speaker 6: anything like that.
• 35:29
  Speaker 3: Man, that is what you do.
• 35:32
  Speaker 6: That is what you play this game for for those
• 35:34
  Speaker 6: moments because you want to be You know, a person
• 35:36
  Speaker 6: is remembered when when it's all said and that you
• 35:38
  Speaker 6: want them to go back and remember you fondly remember
• 35:41
  Speaker 6: how you made them feel because of what you did
• 35:44
  Speaker 6: on that field. And you know, Renegade is one of
• 35:47
  Speaker 6: those things that a lot of people amongst those nation
• 35:50
  Speaker 6: we just got some very awesome memories surrounding that. When
• 35:54
  Speaker 6: that song plays, usually something great is gonna happen for us.
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: Just finally are for Its sounds like you got to
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: get back here very soon. It sounds like you're really
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: accustomed to the crack. Is what you say? And what's
• 36:07
  Speaker 2: been your favorite moment? And like, I'm presuming a spice
• 36:09
  Speaker 2: black is right up there and you have to get
• 36:10
  Speaker 2: back Trimoria.
• 36:12
  Speaker 3: So that is one of those moments that I absolutely loved.
• 36:16
  Speaker 6: We took a tour of hope, but just how you said, man,
• 36:19
  Speaker 6: that was also awesome. Go I said, all puffin, all right,
• 36:22
  Speaker 6: I never seen a puffing mofore. I saw puffins for
• 36:24
  Speaker 6: the first time my life. Okay, it's pretty damn cool.
• 36:27
  Speaker 6: But if I had to pick a favorite moment for me, man,
• 36:31
  Speaker 6: it would have to have been the flag football final
• 36:34
  Speaker 6: for me. I love football, and I love to have
• 36:37
  Speaker 6: fun and to be out.
• 36:39
  Speaker 3: There in this field with fifth and sixth class students.
• 36:42
  Speaker 3: I have sour Patch kids.
• 36:44
  Speaker 6: Socks on and them going crazy because they know these
• 36:48
  Speaker 6: socks and we're talking about candy and just having that
• 36:50
  Speaker 6: moment and bonding while playing football and teaching the game.
• 36:54
  Speaker 6: To me, it was just one of those full circle moments.
• 36:56
  Speaker 6: So that to me had to be my favorite moment.
• 36:59
  Speaker 6: And there were a lot of awesome homents on this trip, oh,
• 37:02
  Speaker 6: a lot of awesome moments, but that.
• 37:03
  Speaker 3: One, honestly like it takes the cake for me.
• 37:07
  Speaker 2: I love it. I love it. Man. Here, I'll tell
• 37:08
  Speaker 2: you what You're welcome back here anytime. I haven't even
• 37:11
  Speaker 2: met you in personal right, and I feel from talking
• 37:14
  Speaker 2: for fifteen minutes, we could probably sit and do this
• 37:17
  Speaker 2: for four or five hours and double das big time man,
• 37:21
  Speaker 2: big time Arthur, Germy Margat, thank you so much for
• 37:23
  Speaker 2: coming on and hopefully get over here soon again. And
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: when you do, please bring the weather with you because
• 37:28
  Speaker 2: it's really right now.
• 37:29
  Speaker 4: So thank you.
• 37:29
  Speaker 6: Look, look, when I come back, I got to do
• 37:31
  Speaker 6: a couple of things, all right. We got to meet
• 37:33
  Speaker 6: in person, definitely, I gotta get into the spice bag,
• 37:36
  Speaker 6: and I gotta find my way to a locked Okay,
• 37:38
  Speaker 6: I'm first.
• 37:39
  Speaker 3: I got lock ins out there, all right. So a bit,
• 37:42
  Speaker 3: a bit.
• 37:44
  Speaker 2: Massive thanks to Charlie, massive thanks to Arthur, and you know,
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: as I said at the start of this podcast, we're
• 37:49
  Speaker 2: getting closer to the NFL season and do you know what,
• 37:51
  Speaker 2: before anybody goes well, it's not there yet. We staid
• 37:53
  Speaker 2: with the all Ireland and all the play lords ladies.
• 37:56
  Speaker 2: We're in June, June, July, preseason coming out in August.
• 38:00
  Speaker 2: Preseason schedule dropping this week, folks, Get on it, get
• 38:03
  Speaker 2: back on it at Steelers Ireland, on x, on Instagram
• 38:07
  Speaker 2: and on tech Talk. We want your thoughts. We want
• 38:09
  Speaker 2: to know your thoughts ahead of the new season. We
• 38:11
  Speaker 2: want to know if you're going to go to this
• 38:13
  Speaker 2: game in Parus, the Steelers against the Steints. Let us know.
• 38:16
  Speaker 2: We'll be back next week and we're looking forward to
• 38:18
  Speaker 2: hearing your thoughts and your stories ahead of this new season.
• 38:21
  Speaker 2: For night, Thanks so much for listening. I'd be Michael
• 38:23
  Speaker 2: Lookquid and we'll talk to you soon. On the Irish
• 38:25
  Speaker 2: Theaters podcast presented by Erlingus.
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: As an official airline partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Airlingus
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: is flying Steelers Nation even closer to the action. The
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: Irish airline air Lingus has launched a brand new NonStop
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: route between Dublin and Pittsburgh, so whether you're heading to
• 38:48
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• 38:57
  Speaker 1: we go, Steelers