Martin Gramatica, Rowdies Road Trips & Remembering Bill Edwards

(Music) The rowdies run here, the rowdies run there, they kick them all around. The rowdies run here, the rowdies run there, then they call them the ground. All the rowdies, the rowdies, the rowdies are looking in the grass. When the rowdies play soccer, there's a sight to be home. That's where there'd be devils with magic robots. You'll land your cheerierly from your seat. When they kick with their hands instead of their feet. All the rowdies, the rowdies run there, they kick them all around. (Music) Welcome back to the Tampa Bay Routes Podcast. Tampa Bay Routes get another hard-earned road point over the weekend, drawing 0-0 at Pittsburgh. But before we dive into the game and dive into all things to catch you up with the Tampa Bay Routes, we wanted to acknowledge the passing of previous owner Bill Edwards. He obviously, I didn't know him as well, but the print that he left on outlaying and really just the rowdies organization in terms of moving them forward was massive. And I think that you see that around the stadium and you hear that when people talk about him. I know Jake, you spent time with him as the owner? So my experience with Bill Edwards was actually as independent media. So I came to work with the rowdies after he sold to the raise. But yeah, through my experience, just as someone covering the team, it was very apparent to me that how much he cared about the rowdies and Tampa Bay and St. Pete. He just wanted to bring this club to another level. And I think the way he came in and just sort of invested time, energy, passion, money. A lot of money. You can't, a lot of people say they're going to do things. He actually took a checkbook out and wrote checks and put his money where his mouth was. I mean, outling stadium is a home for the rowdies, I think, because of Bill Edwards. And he did, he put the seats, the midfield seats, with Bill Edwards. The broadcast booth is Bill Edwards. He did a lot of things to invest in the club. Yeah, yeah. So if you don't really know the timeline of things, he purchased the team from the original owners at the end of the 2013 season. And that 2014 season definitely injected some money into the club. But spent most of that year negotiating with the city to take over the stadium. And then so the off season between the 2014 and 2015 season, really massive, massive work done in the stadium. And I remember being there at the home opener 2015 season and just walking in the complete 180 difference it was from the year before to that year. It felt like a home for the rowdies. Like it felt like, oh, this is the rowdy stadium. This isn't a former spring training facility that's been left in a disuse for a few years. This felt like a proper soccer stadium for the Tampa Bay rowdies. And like that is, at the end of the day, so much of that credit goes to Bill Edwards. I mean, Joe Cole is not a rowdy. If it's not Bill Edwards, he brought in big names. He spent money on players. You know, I don't think Georgie's here. If it's not for Bill Edwards and what he was willing to do in terms of putting money up for players and to get big names here. So I mean, the impact that Bill Edwards has on this club, it's something that's so long standing. I mean, the one story that I hear all the time is the broadcast booth because I'm up there because Bill Edwards, you know, they said, you know, most teams do this off site. Yeah, they pay the money to have it off site. That's still the case. Most teams still do that. They do that still. And that's the only reason there's a broadcast booth because the legend goes that Bill Edwards is like, we're not doing that. We're going to outfit this place to get our own booth going to get our own broadcast going and really produce our own things. You're talking about equipment. You're talking about setting up a room. You're talking about all the things that go into getting a production going on television, which is not something that a lot of USL clubs want to invest in. But that was one of the main things that he really was a driver of. And that's one of the things that, you know, we still get the benefit of controlling our own broadcast, which is huge when you're talking about trying to be the voice of a team. I've worked in the booths in Vista. There's nothing wrong with the booths in Vista, but you don't get the same experience as you do in the broadcast booth. I mean, the field got flipped. The field got flipped when Bill Edwards took over, turned it into more of a soccer stadium. The midfield seats. That was Bill Edwards. The big name players was Bill Edwards. And, you know, even like I remember briefly, the MLS to Tampa campaign, like that was Bill Edwards. MLS to St. Pete, sorry. For Bill Edwards to say, I would have to say MLS to St. Pete because he was a big, big champion of St. Pete. Well, we'll edit that part out. But no, I mean, so like his impact was massive. And obviously, you know, for him to pass, it's something that it's a sad thing for I think for every rowdy's fan, because I think the people that have stuck with the team for as long as they have know exactly the impact that he did. Yeah, and then also, I mean, you can't really, you can't say enough about just the way he left the club better than what he founded it. Like that's what you want to do as anyone who comes to work for the team, play for the team, coach for the team, own the team. You want to leave it better than what you found it. And there's passion, right? I think that that's the main thing with sports owners too. It's like, you know, some people buy sports teams just to say they buy sports teams. They're not heavily invested in what it is and like how they can transform it. And the passion that Bill Edwards had for his NBA Ratties, I think everybody knew it because you could see it written on his face. And every time I saw him, he was wearing a rowdy scarf. And it really didn't matter where I saw him. He was just always rocking a rowdy scarf. So I think it was something he was really proud of. He loved just seeing him walking around on Game Bay as an outline. He loved it. He loved the energy, the excitement that the fans brought. Also, it shouldn't mention that he's the guy who spirited the Ratties move to USL. That doesn't happen without him. It saves the team. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah, I mean, you saw what happened with any SL unfortunately. But yeah, I think we've all seen creates stability in the USL over the last decade with the Ratties. And also, I mean, credit to him goes to finding local ownership that was stable for the Ratties to continue with. For the Ratties to continue on and carry on the success that he had sort of brought to the team with the race. Yeah, I mean, so rest in peace, Bill Edwards. Thank you for all the contributions that you made to the club. I know the fans appreciate it. The players appreciate it. The people that work for Bill Edwards appreciate everything that's been done. And I think the best way that we could try to continue on his legacy is keep trying to build off of trying to grow the club. The way that he wanted the club to grow. And, you know, we don't have the money to invest in it, me and Jake. But, you know, investing our time. Time and energy for sure we have. Yeah, our time, our energy and our passion for the club is the best way that you can carry that on. I think if you're a fan listening as well, I mean, that's the best way that we could try to honor his legacy and what he did for St.P. and what he did for the Tampa Bay Ratties. So, you know, rest in peace blood words. And I'm sure the fans will take a moment to recognize Bill. I know I've seen them talking about it over the last week. But the race also recognized him over the weekend at their home stand. So I'm sure the fans will have a little support for Bill this weekend. Yeah, so little bit of a somber note to start the podcast, but obviously it was something that we had to address because he was so pivotal with the Tampa Bay Ratties. But now we'll shift focus to the game over the weekend, 00 draw away at Pittsburgh. We talked last week about how difficult that is as a place to play, where Pittsburgh's out in the standings and everything that they're fighting for. But they get the 00 draw. You'll take a point. I will say that team that starts with a C that we never talk about got a couple big wins. So they're getting a little closer in the standings, but you go on the road, you take a point. And I think that that's something that you can hang your hat on and get yourself back to outling stadium ready to go for this weekend. Yeah, I think Pittsburgh in my mind is a place to always take a point. It was like, it was a point. But I mean, I mean, in my opinion, elite defensive performance from front to back, everybody really gave it their full effort just to limit Pittsburgh's transition, transitional attack. Another game without allowing a shot on goal. So Jamali Wake, it's on the clean sheet team gets a clean sheet at the 11 clean sheets in the season, leading league in that area. So that's great to see a little disappointing. Obviously not to put the ball on the back of that, but I think some good chances were created. And at the end of the day, like, I know not to bring up the power rankings, but I was just about to bring up the power rankings. So bring them up. The roadies dropped to six in the power ranks this week. Fair enough. Some teams are doing very well. So the power rankings, if you're a fan who has mad about that, send your layers of Nicholas Merritt, the USL just kidding Nicholas. But that's really just about a barrage of where teams are in their current form. It's not just about last week's results. It's about the last weeks, the results before that before that is about like the form of the team over the last few weeks, really. And yeah, we haven't scored a goal in two weeks. That's going to hurt she in the power rankings. But at the end of the day, still number one in the player shield race, used to conference standings. And also, it's we played Detroit and Pittsburgh on the road. Those are two of the toughest places, anywhere to score goals. And I don't care who you are. So I think that exactly what the power rank is to your point, they also got to keep it interesting. You can't just let you have one team. You can just have one or two teams sitting on top the entire season based off of where they are in the standings. Not too cues, Nicholas, those intentionally stirring debate. Yeah, we all know you we all know you got to get the engagement up on the social post. We know that game. We know that game. But no, I think it's fitting, right? You don't score goals at the same time. You drop what would have been six points, right? So you drop those types of points. And then at the same time, it's it is what it is with the power rankings. But I think you go to Pittsburgh. You take the point. Obviously, like if it was coming off the back end of a point versus Detroit, everyone would feel a little bit better about it. Now what we talked about last week as well. We have a lot of home games coming up. And this is where the Tampa Bay Ratties start to really cement themselves where they are in the standings. They have a great opportunity this weekend against Brooklyn, Brooklyn a team new to the league not doing so hot this season. I'm not going to talk smack about Brooklyn because I don't have any ill will. said team, but they're not doing too great in the standings and it's a team that you'd expect their bodies to come home, get their back in the scoring form, get themselves three points, and kind of see if they can get themselves out the power rankings drafted up by the USO with a good result over the weekend. Yeah, for sure. Brooklyn, as like you said, a team that struggled, I think it's a tough thing to come into this league as a brand new club and just be thrown out there and try to get results, consistent results. But they have a lot of individual talent, Tommy McNamara, former Los player, who was a player for Dom back in the day in the PDL at the New Jersey Ironman. Don't quote me on that. But one of the PDL teams up in the Northeast, yeah, Dom also coach Matt Fries, goalkeeper. But yeah, a lot of individual talent, they're just, they're playing to stay alive at this point. This isn't a limited game, a limited nation game for them, basically. And for us, it's a game where we can potentially clinch a playoff spot and become the first team to clinch a playoff spot after missing out on the playoff last year. That's a huge deal. And the first week of September, there's still a lot of games to be played, there's still a lot of points to be had. So if you're willing to, if you're able to clinch a playoff spot after September fifth, then you know that season's going pretty well and you're in a good spot. So good opportunity for the 10 Bay Rattles over the weekend. I know that, you know, you're going to look at the schedule and say this should be three points. I think that we both confidently consider and say that this should be three points that Rattles should get and need to get if they're going to continue their race to clinch that home field. One for the first playoff game, but hopefully for the entirety of the playoffs because that's the position that they're sitting themselves in now. I know El Paso and New Mexico are making a little bit of, make a little bit of noise out West and some teams out West are starting to pick up and we talked about the team that starts with the C, you know, they got a couple of big wins over the weekend. So anytime you don't get wins, the race gets a little bit tighter, but I think that that's also what makes it more exciting as a fan and as somebody that wants to support the team. So September 5th, 1st Brooklyn, big game, need to get three points. And then off the field, September 11th, we have the stair climb, which is something that, you know, we've been talking and ramping up a little bit more around the offices. It's a big community event that we do for the 9/11 stair climb. I know that I think that the signups were higher at this point this year than they were at this point last year. So people are starting to get invested and people are starting to get fired up about that. And then they hit the road, but then we'll be back home again for Hispanic Heritage Night. So that's on September 19th. So home games coming up, opportunities to get three points for the team. And I think, you know, as somebody, or as two people that have just been sitting here watching this team the entire time, you couldn't ask for a better spot to be in. Like coming off of a loss in a draw, you get zero points. You get one point in the span of two weeks and you're still sitting in first place. And with a couple points where you could still drop some points and still be sitting in first place. As a fan of the team, you really can't ask for much more than where they're sitting at this point in the season. Yeah, for sure. We've already talked about Charleston, they're probably the biggest threat to us in the standings in terms of the player shield and the Eastern Conference number one seed. But sitting here today at the start of September, they're ready to control their fate for everything. Like if they went out, they win everything. That's it. You can't ask for more than. Because New Mexico, there was two or three month on Beaton Street, came to an end in San Antonio, against San Antonio this past weekend. So that means they've dropped points in the standings, obviously, and their max points is lower than our max points. So I mean, at the end of the day, they're ready to control their fate for everything. Yeah, you can't ask for much more than that. You really can ask for much more than that. So big tests over the weekend, Brooklyn, and then we'll be ready for that one. Hopefully to get three points, come back home for a spade of carrot his night in a couple weeks. And then we're home for October for three out of four. Yeah. So there's a lot of opportunity. There's a lot of chances to get yourself down to Alling Stadium, and then hopefully, hopefully after September 5th game, we're celebrating the playoffs, and then hopefully not that soon after, we're celebrating the fact that we get to host a playoff game, which would be very exciting to get Playoff Soccer back at Alling Stadium. And everybody knows that there's just something different in the air at Alling when it's to playoffs. And it's not so hot, which would be nice. Yeah, nice little crisp fall air. Yeah, there you go. For some fall, some fall, Playoff Soccer at Alling Stadium would hit the spot. I think. It's been a few years, so yeah. Yeah, that would feel good. So big test this weekend, hopefully the team gets three points, 9/11 stare climb, back home, the 19th, for Hispanic Heritage Night, all that. Of course, you can get everything on campus or rowdysocker.com, sorry, I can't talk today. You can get on rowdysocker.com, trying to think internally, are there other things that we need to mention internally that we have going on? Just obviously the Saturdays community here last night as well, so nice little shout out for our first responders, educators in our region. I know the players are doing a little visits this week. I have a couple, do a little tour of a fire station today, and then tomorrow, dropping off some coffee and donuts to some people over at Orlando Health and at the St.P.P. U.D., just showing our appreciation of a head of Saturdays community here last night. Yeah, it's awesome. And then yesterday everybody got to go on a boat. Yeah, we didn't. We didn't. But yeah, we did. But like all the players and a couple of the people from the social team got to go hang on on boats. Yeah, shout out to Freedom Boat Club, a new partner for the rowdysocker. Making that happen for the majority of the roster. And there's a lot of guys who are into fishing and boating, so I'm sure they had a little fun. I heard they didn't catch much, though. So I don't know how good they are at fishing. The jury's still out on how good these guys are at fishing. So that's what we have coming up. We have an awesome guest today. So we're going to have Martin Grimatican here with the Bucks starting up and his ties to Socker and the St.P.P. community, going to figure out those types of things, and obviously both of his sons play for USF. I'm very interested to know how he convinced his sons to stay so local, especially because Nico was very heavily recruited and could have gone to a lot of different places. So I think that the family dynamic and really the culture of Argentinian family is on full display when you talk about the Grimaticas, so that'll be a fun conversation. One of the things I wanted to bring to you, Jake, because you have traveled in the USL quite a bit, and we've talked about Detroit, we've talked about Pittsburgh. What are your five favorite road trips that you've been on, or you could throw into one that you're dying to get to, that you've heard good rumblings of when you're talking about USL trips? Gotcha. Yeah, let me just pull out my list here. I don't want to miss speak. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, I was going to start actually with the caveat that I haven't traveled with the team this year, not so much last year, but there's a couple three that I've heard good things about that I would love to make the trip for Rhode Island. Yeah, that stadium looks nice. I've heard great things about the game day experience that they put on for their fans. That's one I would definitely love to make one day New Mexico, either at their current place or their eventual soccer stadium that they're building for their team. I've heard the environment there is pretty great. They get really good behind the team, and then Sacramento seems like a great, great environment for that team as well. West Coast trip, I haven't been on one of those a while. Honestly, I was looking over my list, and if they were still in the league, San Diego would be my number one. Yeah, that would be great. That's the best trip I've ever been on. San Diego was a great city, absolutely insane environment, just vibes wise. They played at University of San Diego Soccer Stadium, I don't know if you're familiar for that. I've been to La Jolla, which I think is very close to San Diego. Yeah, so that's all I know about San Diego. It's like a really cool field that's built into the bottom of mountain, not mountain, but giant hills and stuff like that, so you have to walk half of my house from the locker room. It took me a while to walk. I'll pill both ways. Yeah, a lot of hills, but a really cool intimate setting for that, and just a great city that I loved a whole bunch, but those are ones that I haven't been on and want to be on in San Diego one I miss. Yeah, sure. That's fair. Yeah, but in terms of ones that are still around, I think Louisville, amazing stadium also has to make my list because it is arguably the site of the Rattles most important win in the USL when we upset them in the 2020 Eastern Conference Final. That was the year they opened that stadium, so we got to spoil that and their season little early, so that was nice. Yeah, and then to trade, unbelievable atmosphere, fans get behind their team like no one else, but I have to move them down my list because the field is so rough. I mean, it's cool how the fans are right on top of you. It's like, it definitely creates a unique thing that you just don't get anywhere else in this league, but also the field is so rough, and like every player I talk to, they just talk about-- They feel the stuff. Yeah, so looking forward to them opening up their new stadium in a little bit on the ground on that this year, so exciting times for them, but yeah, I Detroit and then Colorado Springs. Okay. I've been there. I'm into that one. Yeah. Yeah, great stadium. Yeah, really great stadium. It's a cool little place, Colorado Springs. It's kind of like what I similar to St. Pete, like a big city that feels small, and they're the only pro team in the area, so they own that town, so it's really cool how like just how really enthusiastic those fans are and how much they support that team. It's a really cool obviously stadium that I think is a great example of what this league can be in terms of fan experience. And Pittsburgh, I think, is like the number one outside of Allang in terms of backdrop setting. I was going to say Pittsburgh looks awesome. It does. Yeah. It's a great place to like just go and experience like they it feels like a great it's a great sports down obviously. Right. So like they support all their teams, but like there's just there's something very cool about like it's a bit like Detroit and since like the fans are pretty close to the to the field. And like just the backdrop is pretty cool of like the you get like the riverboat going around. You get the downtown right behind them. So yeah, that's a pretty cool spot for sure It was cool when they were so excited to ask them all the questions about this stadium and like where it was located and whatnot I mean it's right across the river from Hinesfield from from baseball stadium So like I love when cities group everything. This is not don't take this any type of way I love when cities group everything so you kind of know like this is the part of town where the sports are happening And then like everybody kind of gravitates towards that part of town and for Pittsburgh to have their stadium right across the river From everything else going on. I mean it just connects everything and I'd I would stand on this Hill all the time that I think all all sports teams in the city should be color coordinated Like I love that they're just you just know when you see black and yellow. It's like Pittsburgh Yeah, we'll have to have debate about which Tampa team gets the gets the choice I know I wonder who would get the choice Because you I mean obviously the bucks in the lightning are the two top dogs You have two with shades of blue, right? Yeah, so you gravitate towards that. Yeah, but I mean the bucks aren't gonna Rattles are more blue in the past. There you go. So I guess maybe straight the numbers and go up against the bucks and try to get them to switch over to the sun The sun of blue Maybe we're making a strong case. We're making a strong case But then you have a USF in the roudies. I could be like no It's really good in yellow so yeah, but I don't know that you're getting the bucks to move for anybody So yeah, we'll forget that out But but no, just interested because obviously like you know your history of the USL and your knowledge of the stadiums and things like that Like I used to do something I spoke on this podcast earlier like I used to do someone else sitting on the benches of MLS games Where I would rate literally the bench like what was the entire bench experience like I had a whole grading scale criteria like Proximity to the fans view ability to see the entire field from my seat on the bench come from the seats So like I go through a whole grading system of the benches and like how I thought that that would register and like how that you know Vibed as a bench player Eventually didn't get anywhere because people are like you probably shouldn't put that out there You're like writing about how great the benches are how bad the benches are in random stadiums But I'm always interested to see people's in stadium experiences. So interesting to hear about but so for the 10 Bay Ratties We already covered it but big game this week and hoping to get three points keep ourselves on top of the standings and then the 9/11 Stair climb is the other event that we're hosting an out-of-laying that'll be in two weeks and then we're back home in the 19th For Hispanic Heritage night for hopefully another big three points that ones against Birmingham and then just get ready for October Like we're talking about it internally already. There's gonna be a ton of home games There's gonna be a ton of fun stuff going on around out-of-laying stadium So when you look at your calendar when you look at your Saturdays on your family calendar on your calendar of social events Just make a little note make a little note because there's potential for out-of-laying to be pretty busy during the month of October Especially and then maybe even a little bit past October too, but we're not gonna get too far ahead of ourselves Yeah, fingers crossed fingers crossed for that one So we're gonna have Martian Gromatic on the podcast very excited about that one the bucks are obviously starting up We're gonna talk about a soccer background I'm gonna bring in USF somehow. We'll we'll check all the boxes because he's like mr. Tampa across the board with football and football Which is something that I just love because that's also what I love is football and football So fun conversation coming up and then Jake do we miss anything? I think we're good good. Yeah, all right rest in peace to Bill Edwards We'll do our best to honor you with passion Energy enthusiasm and then three points three points on the weekend So interview coming up next so if you guys enjoy or remember grab everything at Rowdy soccer.com All right as promised martian Gromatic the first Super Bowl winner on the tip of the Podcast ball the only one we're gonna have man. Thank you for joining us. I appreciate that well There's a lot more soccer fans now that play football so you might get another one There's a little bit more crossover now, which is like something that I think for me I'm like I'm the exact opposite of you. I think I was a football guy first Okay, then I went to soccer, but now I like both of them and now you were I think were you a soccer guy first? Yes, I mean from being from Argentina I didn't even know football existed till I moved to the States. I had no clue it existed So when we landed in Miami, I thought I was watching rugby with shoulder pads and It's funny you say that I just did a podcast with a rugby guy from Argentina He was a captain. He's been like he's like an icon and we're joking I said and he was joking that you guys got aware of that protection I said I couldn't play football or rugby without protection. Yeah, I'm a kicker, man Right. I'm not debating the toughness here. I'm not a land backer or a guy that gets hit all the time So yeah, you're not trying to have those types of those types of conversations when you're kicking the ball No, I'm a soccer player. That's what I tell him. I'm said. I'm a soccer player that kicks field So that you guys can fight about who's tougher, you know pads. No pads. Yeah, was there ever a moment in NFL game Where you're like I got a slight tackle this guy I did actually I did I did a Desmond Howard okay, no way yeah, I'm Detroit The problem is he was much faster than I thought yeah, I missed and took out my guy that was about to tackle it So you went for the red car. You went for the red car and ended up taking out I played forward and midfiel that wasn't dirty You know, I wasn't one of the I was I thought it's a center back I would have timed it perfect But I was like just a little bit late and man I took out Brian Kale I feel bad Brian, but he almost had him yeah, and then I was son. I'm coming in slight tackling and Is it cleats up or did you keep him down? No, I wanted to take him out completely I did I did hit him with my kicking leg, which is the molded okay I had a six foot on the left that's if I wanted to be dirty I would have gone with my left. Yeah, so is that more Planting on the left foot more important than the right one. You're ever still a little bit more free swinging right for traction So I always like really long spikes like I didn't want my plan for the move so like even Raymond James Where the grass is almost perfect like a golf course I sometimes had the three quarter inch in the back the lap back to made it a little shorter in the front Because then that you can't run it's a very uncomfortable run But always a molded on the right foot. I never could kick with molded on my left foot. Did you wear did you wear soccer cleats when you're kicking? Copa's yeah, you're classics. Oh, yeah, this the class. Yeah, that's my kids were with me when my I wanted my daughter to wear Copa's she's like well all the girls make fun of me. They say the referee shoes. I go. They don't know anything So my boys warm and they stood there where I'm not a kicker the luckily USF is in a Dita school So they get they get the free but they don't make them like copes anymore, man Like at least the original ones. No, they don't trust me. They go sort of about 10 pair a year Where I could wear one the soles would wear out before you had to replace them. Yeah, well like anything now That made like a use right that's so funny We had one I had a one goalie coach that until the time I was 14 He would only we were only allowed to wear black Puma King classics nice those are the only cleats were allowed to wear and he Worked I found out later that he worked at the soccer story that sold from the black Puma Kings And I think you got good. Hey, at least he kept it traditional But I made a rule I coached the boys my boys the whole time and my rule on the team from day one was blackleets I don't care what brand just I don't want them like the purple the green. Yeah, I think that's ridiculous They look like clowns playing soccer. That's my opinion, right? So I said blackleets the parents loved it because they only had it by one pair But every time messy change his color or Ronaldo they were like all the other kids had like seven pair my players only had one So the parents loved it. You're like Nike indeed is worse nightmare because they're changing out the colorways every six months Yeah, the kids exactly. I'm like no no chance But now I've gotten a little softer according to my boys because I coach my daughter now. She's she's 14 So I only allow black white or blue because we're at TVU so the dark blue so I said I gave them at least more options Yeah, so I might leave away for the dollar. Well my my boys think I'm getting soft to my daughter. So they're upset that I and now they're still wearing black that Copa. Yeah, it's it's a good look. That's daddy's girl. You be a little softer Yeah, yeah, she's but she does football. She does soccer. She does all the things as well So she's like you're getting that much softer on her compared to the boys. No, no listen when it comes to coaching Yeah, I'm not soft on any of them When it comes to daddy, then she is my favorite. I don't tell the boys that All right, well, at least that they already know that I could be learning anything though. They know they they tell me every day Oh my gosh, that's too funny. That's too funny And I have so many things I so many different things I want to talk to you about because I feel like we in a weird way Have a lot of crossover with the USF football soccer all this different things I think that one of the things I'm most interested in is when I move back home I heard your name pop up in so many different soccer circles Then I was just it just really peaked my curiosity how going from obviously that's your background But going from obviously your history with the bucks being known as a kicker for the bucks superpo champion all these different things How were you able to transition into that soccer space and it seems like it was kind of seamless for you? Were you were like was the question is like how such a nice guy could be hated by the soccer community? Is that what the question was? Who's coached in teams like oh martine? I'm like grammatica and like that kept happening and so many different stops So I'm like, oh, he's he's making himself known in the soccer community I love I grew up playing soccer. You know I grew up in Argentina. So soccer is my passion at and my daughter placed like football They were interviewing her on TV and she said my dad doesn't help me at all I with football because he was just a kicker. So that tells you right there that Soccer is my background. Is she pretty much letting everybody know he doesn't think about football only soccer, but I just love it and I've evolved as a coach now because I started with Nico. Nico's 20 now I started with him when he was young and I went transition from basically retiring from the NFL to coaching So I'm coaching three to five year olds like I've you know Bill Bellicic and I think I slowly calm down a little bit But at the time you I didn't know any better. You know, I'm used to like ultra competitive You and we learned that when you when you played at a professional level you you played to try to win a Super Bowl Everything you do in your life is competitive and at the top top notch and I guess when you're coaching three to five Girls you got it. He's not a little John Groot and three and five girls. Oh, man. That's that yeah, I try to like people ask me like what What's style are you more like Dungee or like Groot? And I said there's I combination of both but as soon as the whistle blows I'd become Groot Chucky 2.0 or 3.0 like I hate referees because they're not very nice to me. No, I'm just kidding They never make the right call, but no, it's just like I love I love being out there and one of the things I tell the kids I'm not doing it to put it on my resume you know like I've already accomplished what I need to do in the sports Now I just want to get back to them and and show them that how you compete because that's one of things I think it's lost in this world in youth is how to compete yes We're teaching them the proper technique to shoot a ball or head of all or but how do you compete because if we go for a job And you're the best better keeper you're going to get the job and I'm going to go home and like what could I have done better or I could say poor me that didn't pick me so I want these kids to realize look you got to be accountable and hold yourself accountable but compete the I think the art of competition has been lost and I feel like Pochettino brought it back a little bit for the national team I don't know if we saw as we just kick back a few guys before in the past somebody kicked our guys they're like I'm sorry they want to get a messy autograph like no when you put a step of the foot on the field you're not a fan of messy anymore you're competing against them after the game yeah you could be a nice nice as you want to but I feel like that's what was missing in this country when it comes to soccer and sports in general I'm glad you brought up who to Tino because I felt like that was something that I felt like for me I felt like he was the perfect hire for US soccer at the perfect time and I'm very happy that they're bringing him back because I think that he's establishing a little bit of that culture that was lacking from US soccer oh get along with the skills and everything like that but when you bring somebody over from Argentina and it's like this is a guy that has done it this is a guy that has always coached the best players in the world for me him implementing him in the US soccer was it was huge and I think they're keeping him around is even bigger because I think now that he has a full cycle he's going to actually be able to do what he wants to do with the team I think so too and I always nothing against the European coaches but they're very excellent with Xs and O's and the thing is we need a grit you know we need a culture culture and grit our players I feel didn't have grit when I remember I think it was in Panama where there was a rainstorm or something and they were giving them a piggyback ride to crossover to go to practice you know like they didn't want to get their feet wet I'm like you get him in there but then we lost I think it was a trade-at they weren't wearing copus they weren't wearing they were wearing like the $5,000 piece but they didn't want to get those the Louis Vuitton cleats I'd say no but the the point is like that like that would never happen in South America you get your feet where you go play but and and I think that's what Puchotino is going to bring to the table and I think that's what he brought that like you said the culture the we're gonna believe we can beat anybody not just okay they're a better we're just gonna we're gonna be happy with a result or happy that we compete in when you get to a world cup level and then I'm disappointed in some of the players that didn't want to play like like politicians the kid seems like a great kid which I feel bad say anything about him but you look at a guy like Messi that would do anything to wear that Argentina jersey like you would have to chop his legs off before he would miss a friendly and then they're like oh I got to sit back and rest right you have the rest of your life the rest right I love it Carly Lloyd went after him a little bit because like I'm we got my ankles her sore and I can rest it now I'm like what are you talking about man like I remember my little 90 he would give his own cortisol shots because the doctors wouldn't want to they had shot him up so much that he wouldn't go in and he just stuck the needle in his leg shot it up and played right that's what we are missing and I hope that we get it with Puchotino there was one of those interviews it was I don't know if you watch the HBO documentary but I was kind of on the fence right because the results coming into the world cup were very very mixed and it looked like they couldn't figure out a rhythm with them and there was just one of the locker interviews I think they had just lost a game or something and he was pretty much exactly to your point he was chewing about and saying every time you put on this jersey it means everything to you and it's like and until that's the case it doesn't matter who you're playing doesn't matter the friendly until that's the case like we're not going to accomplish anything and right there I was sold on them because I'm like that's what that's for me that's what US soccer needed because it kind of felt like friendlies and games versus countries that they felt they were better than they weren't really representing themselves in the but with the best foot forward and for soccer in this country as you know we got a lot of growing to do and we got a lot of things that we got a lot of things that we have to win for people to really buy into it so when you start establishing that culture that's like let's step one of hopefully what's going to be progressing and you have excellent players and one of that was the kind of disappointed left Pena out because that praying with a broken nose and blood everywhere and I'm thinking that's what you need I don't care if he's there's 10 guys better than him right but just having him in the locker and I feel like it might have been one of those where the veterans were like we don't want this young kid out shining us because he got it all the commercial when he took advantage of an opportunity when this our stars didn't want to play right I was like a gold cup or a cup or a cup right so he took advantage of it I feel like that's where if you can in my opinion if you look at one negative about budgetino not bringing him I would have brought him regardless who had to leave out because his heart alone I think would elevate the whole team yeah big culture guy so talk about coming over to Miami what what age did you get over to America nine for your nine so were you playing soccer the entire time that you're in Miami as well and then so you start obviously I'm assuming you play in Argentina because everybody plays in Argentina would have a choice yeah yeah so it's your soccer or soccer right right so then you come over in Miami you're playing soccer in Miami how long could you play soccer until you decided okay I got to start kicking the footballs well so we we played soccer my whole life and it kept playing we moved to a small town near Fort Myers LaBelle which was a traditional American little town where they played basketball baseball in football there was no soccer team so I would have to travel to Fort Myers and play it all through that coast you know with Naples yeah you know Cape Coral and my school always asked me look you're a soccer player we don't have any soccer players in the school can you kick a football I said you know what I'm a soccer player no interest whatsoever and for three years I said no no and in my my class base were like kind of getting mad at me you know the football guy you did help me with football yeah because they had an offensive lineman or I think I actually had time was a fullback a big fullback kicking with their toe so it wasn't very good right yeah no I'm like no I'm a soccer player and then finally my senior year I said you know I'll just go ahead and help the school out let me kick it was only eight ten games and then I'll go back to the playing soccer and after the first practice we have we had a restaurant they coach comes to the restaurant side this kid's gonna go to college he's gonna go to the pro he's the best thing we were seen and it's not that we were that good is that they were that bad I look back at radio go opportunities well no they were bad bad at kicking oh god you okay so I I mean I look at my technique and the way I kicked and I'm like how did I ever make it because it was awful we were just soccer players kicking it to the upper like an extra point I would kick a one-step kick okay and then then I would gauge how far the kick was I had no idea the yardage and then I would just say okay two and a half step three steps you know depending on the distance and it wasn't until I got to college where luckily Bill Snyder his son Sean he was our kicking coach or he was trying to get in the league didn't work out for him so he came back and and then he took me under his wing he said look you have to hit a 60 yard of the same way as you kick an extra point it has to be the same technique that way you don't modify anything that ball ball always fly straight so he basically taught me the art of kicking because I had no clue I was just kicking a soccer ball to the uprights and you were just kicking so you just kicked one year in high school yes and then Kansas State comes calling well it took a while that I was lucky that you know Jim Levitt yeah the coach at U.S.F. and U.S.F. he recruited me but he didn't know idea he would drive through our town to recruit he would go from Fort Myers to mockly clueless and we're all the talent was and he would then even know we had a high school luckily I kicked for a scout in Naples that kind of helps kids you know get noticed back then I was sending VHS tapes to every school one like like now they go in the portal I can see all your kicks and nobody would call back a couple of schools would say well he's too raw so there's no scholarship you can walk on obviously I couldn't afford to walk on Notre Dame offered me and because they're kicked they had three guys that had backed out so I was like their fourth option and I accepted but then I was like I'm gonna flunk out so quick I don't know today so I was very I was very stressed about this year's this year aware I don't know I knew I knew I'm sure like I said and I don't want my kids to hear this but education was not my strength and or school was not my strength and when I kicked for the scout and and then coach Levitt calls say look we just played our spring game so I signed really late and our kicker couldn't kick it in the end zone we're looking for a guy that can kick it in the end zone I took a visit to Kansas State which you know they're not allowed to work you out because you know the college rules were legit like they're not like now do whatever and they've been a million airbag that well they're like bring your cleats I'm like what do you mean it's not supposed to kick now you're just gonna go and hang out with the kickers and punters so they had me go in the stadium and kick and they had cameras everywhere I can I found this out later you know that they just want to see if I could kick it in the end zone and I left Kansas State with a scholarship in my hand and got home signed and send it right back because I knew like you know I was afraid of the the academic side of Notre Dame and it worked out and it happened to be the right choice by accident because I really didn't know football that much most people like how would you not go to Notre Dame over Kansas State and the five years that I was at Kansas State we had much more success in Notre Dame at that time right you know so we went to a lot the ball game every year we we competed almost we big 12 championship we had a chance to go to the national championship we lost the big 12 championship so we we had a lot of success there with Coach Snyder but but yes it was by accident that I ended up at Kansas State because I didn't know the difference he's a legend too you fight for legend oh he's yeah he's one of the he's like one of the most historical coaches in college football he's well in Manhattan he's a god yeah coach Snyder he retired the program went downhill quick and then he came back and fixed it again so for the second time and I'm happy to be working with with Sean we're back now after 30 years you know he took me on his wing now he's he's working at homestay we're doing an academy similar to like like IMG Academy SPH oh for kicking oh no no so a whole sports academy okay how nice and then Sean's running the football side so I'm be working closely with him okay what's the name of it SPH okay homestead Florida okay awesome yeah that's a look into that that's awesome man so I'm curious as well like you you're obviously from Argentina Miami what was the experience like did you get did you get up to Notre Dame like did you go to South Bend to watch a game no no you didn't see any college football games at all it's just like I'm going to the spring I'm signing I'm going to see this whole experience like yeah I know I just knew the academic side that it was very difficult and then also Lou Holtz would grab you by the helmet and like you know smack you around so like man that little guy smack around I'm not really like that too much now it so when you when you go there and then you meet Bill Snyder and he immediately you feel the comfort and he makes you feel at home you know like and he's been like a father figure you know till this day and then Sean luckily for me came on his coaching staff and took me under swing like an older brother I'm the oldest of three so he was my older brother that really helped me through you know college football and he's the one that called the time out for me to attempt the 65 yard of my senior because if not we're up by like four 40 points. It wasn't a popular kick because it was great for me, but then Coach Knight didn't rub it in a little bit. Right. Well, the other coach was upset at Coach Knight, but Coach Knight is like, look, I'm giving a kid a chance. He doesn't in practice all the time. I want to give him a chance to do it in a game. Sean was aware enough to call the time out. If not, I would have never attempted it. So I think Sean, for that kick every day, you know, because he's the one that I wasn't even ready. I thought we were going to go into the locker room and half time was over. And then he calls the time out and we attend the 65 yard. So that's all thanks to Sean. How much during your time as you're transitioning from soccer to football, you see it a lot now. There are a lot of people now. We had Josh Lambo on earlier. He's a buddy of mine. We talked about his story. Were there a lot of people doing that at your time? Are you kind of like one of the first people to transition over from literally just playing soccer? I think I can kick this football and kick it pretty well. Yeah, I'm not sure. I think a lot of the kickers started a little bit younger. Yeah. And there were more kickers that hadn't played that much soccer. Right. Now you look at every kicker has a history of soccer, whether it's high school level or college at times. Look at Brad Arbery. He has incredible stories. Awesome. I mean, the guy just make a minimum in the MLS and then he said, I was a kicker in the week. And in his soul, you watch in his soul effortless. Right. It feels like he's just not even swinging his leg and the ball just explodes over. It's like it's the most impressive thing I've ever seen. Like I'm because you can see when guys go after it. Like I'm 5/8, 160 pounds soak and wet. So I had to go after it hard. Like when you're watching me kick, you're like, this guy put every ounce behind that. You watch him kick and it's like just like a feather backhand. You're nice and smooth and a ball just explodes off his foot, but it's so cool to see. But there's a lot more guys. And now with social media, I think they can see they follow soccer. Like soccer has become so much more popular today than it was, you know, 20, 30 years ago, where primarily is on all the time. So I think the guys transition and they can see that there's a better opportunity at times to go with football than soccer. And you know, for better college, better scholarships, I've had about four or five of my soccer players that transition over the kick and then played at the high level. Obviously, my two kids did it. Did you always know was that always going to be the plan for your kids? Was that always the the always the idea they wanted to follow in your footsteps or were they a little bit more focused on soccer? They knew football was the was the path. No, Niko, my oldest was always soccer soccer. 100% soccer and then converted wanting to start kicking and I said, sophomore, he just like wanted to be a soccer player soccer. And then I've said, all right, you know, when you have all this youth soccer drama, you know, yeah, yeah, I think he kind of got fit open. We try to keep ourselves out of that as we try to put our hands up to that. I know it's just ridiculous, but I'm part of it. I mean, I coach. I see it. But so he's like, I know, let me try kicking and then, but Gaston or JR are middle one. He hated soccer. I forced him to play just to stay fit. And I said, look, as soon as you can play middle school football, you can switch over to football and never touch a soccer ball. Again, if you don't want to, but till then you're going to play soccer just to stay in shape. And then he start playing middle school football. He played receiver safety. They did it all. And then I said, the older they got and the bigger and stronger, the older opponents got, he said, I'm just going to kick it. I'm just going to resort back to this. I'll go back to kick in. So was it hard? Was it hard to convince them to stay at USF or do they know they always want to stay close to home? No, I mean, I'm sure there were plenty of opportunities. Niko, Niko, you know, obviously when he had a chance, maybe we'd go to Florida, but the Florida kind of, a lot of times when they dragged it, then he hit the game winner. Well, that's what they gave you. Niko wins the kicking competition in their camp with a six-year order. And I'm watching. I thought it was 55. I said, oh, he barely made it. And he's like, no, it was 60. I said, well, USF hasn't offered you anything. Florida hasn't offered you anything. And then Florida comes and says, you know, we're going on vacation now. The coach is in two weeks. We'll give you a call, which we don't know if it's going to be a scholarship or a preferred walk on. Like, we're not waiting two weeks. You know, you just want to sign right away. And then as soon as he post that, that pit, you know, the video of him kicking that six-year out of Florida, he gets a call from Goliath. So they say, we got a full ride for you because they were kind of obviously, we as parents would prefer for him to stay close to home. As I'm driving to the floor, I said, look, if we'd have been to USF, you already been there. So our drives felt far, you know. And then Gaston had an offer to go to Texas, which we took a trip to North Carolina and chose to go to USF to work with his brother and just, you know, stay home. I mean, that's one of the things we're like as parents with my wife, we're proud that they chose to stay home because most kids at 18, they're like, so you later, mom and dad, I want to go have fun. These kids are so locked in. And at the end of the day, whether they make it or not, we're proud of their work ethic and how locked in they are to try to make it to the pros. If they make it great, if they don't, they can't regret any of their hard work because they've put everything into it. And they're putting everything into it at to this day. Awesome. And it was funny. It was, I won't give out any, like, I won't give out any knowledge of location, but I was playing golf one day. And I saw your son after he hit the, after he hit the game when he feel go to Florida. And I'm like, I'm in my USF pool. I'm proud of USF guy. We beat Florida. I'm talking to back to everybody that I know that went to Gainesville or everyone that attends, they went to Florida and stayed there. Right, right, right. There's a lot of those too. And I'm just saying, I'm watching them kick it. I'm like, man, it's just hit the game winner and like two days later, he's out here just in the backyard practicing kicking into a net. I'm like, this is like, this guy's got a doubt in the right way. So you gotta be really proud of that. That they, well, I always say they took the, the work I think is from their mom. You know, when she played tennis at USF. Yeah. And as a tennis player, you got to motivate yourself. Yeah. There's nobody there. And you're not letting anybody down by yourself if you, if you would tennis. So you have to learn to motivate yourself as a kicker, very similar, like a keeper. That's why I get along with a lot of the keepers because we, it's very similar. Right. You can make 10 saves. You give up an easy goal. You're like, oh, the keeper costs us a game. Well, you forgot about the 10 saves and we kick in the same way. You may make four or five kicks. You miss a game winner. And I want to kick across the game. So I feel like that's what we can relate. But you got to, you have to motivate yourself because you're doing a lot of outside training on your own where the other guys are doing, you know, team stuff where you're just doing a lot of your own training. What's the, what's the foundation? Because I know for me, like for a goalkeeper, you had your other goalkeepers and then you had the goalkeeper coach, but you're also competing with those goalkeepers at the same time. So you're kind of relying on the people that you're competing with to be your support system. What does that look like for a kicker? Is it, is it punner, special teams coach, long snapper? Are those like your guys or is there like more of a group around you as you're training and getting ready for things? No, it's your punner and your long snapper because in the pros, you know, there's only one kicker. Right. There's no backup. So like because you can have a great relationship with the keeper that you're competing against. You can be really good friends by the end of the day when you step foot on the field or in the practice field. Like, look, I'm here to compete. Right. Go hard. You're going to make me better. I'm going to make you better in the pros in the NFL. There's no, I'm going to make you better because either you're employed or unemployed. So that's where it's very difficult because you have to motivate yourself to make every kick. And the last time you can get complacent of knowing that there's no backup. But with NFL, being a backup means you're unemployed. So that's where there's a lot of pressure knowing that I look. If I miss a few kicks, they're not going to put me on the bench again. My confidence back. They're going to cut you and then you're going to have to find a job somewhere else. And there's always people, there's always people kicking. I learned that from Leo. There's always people kicking at random, at random places at all times ready to just like take a roster spot. Always. And I remember like when I was out of football trying to get back in, it was like the, the same crew. You know, we traveled to the country. It was like, we show up to a triad. I knew you were going to be here. So we all kind of got to know each other a little bit. And then every now and then we'd get lucky and one of us stays. Like I remember, I always say that with Robbie Gould, when he signed with Chicago, I was coming off an injury. And I said, I want to go to the trial anyway. It's just get my name back out. And he was killed. Well, I'm like, there's no way I can compete with this guy. My leg's not ready. But then look at the career he had. But so that he was part of that traveling circus. It was a cut on. The only triad that I went to that I was kind of weird was when I went to Dallas. I was the only kicker there. And they had an arena football kicker there. That's it. Just the two of us. And I'm thinking, that's kind of weird. Usually they have four or five guys. And it's because they wanted me there. They're like, if I made it, if I kicked well, I was signing. If I did, they were going to keep Vanderjack. So there was no other option besides keeping or signing me or keeping Vanderjack. So that was the only time where I didn't go there where there's five or six kickers. What's that like? What's that like pressure wise? Are you, are you like going to kick off with these guys? Like is it literally like we're going to snap? We're going to line these balls up. You're going to kick this amount of fuel goals and whoever makes the most is probably going to get the job on that given day. Yeah. But pretty much it is. Yeah. It's crazy because like you could have a bad day and you're done. Right. And there's times where when you're not signed with the team, you're not really motivated at times to like go out and kick every single day. I'll do it tomorrow. And if you're not ready, then you waste an opportunity. I remember, I got a call from Houston and I just hadn't been kicking. You know, just I'm like, nobody's going to call. And I was going to get a call and I'm like, I'm not ready. And I was horrible. And I'm like, I'll never, that'll never happen again. Right. So then I'd always stayed ready. And luckily after my second, I looked or surgery, then I just kind of always stayed ready. Just just a way for that call because after, you know, missing one. And that was Joe Marciano, who was my coach here. And was probably, he's probably like fired up to get out there. Right. And then I go up there and it can't make a kick. And he's like, man, what happened to you? So that, but that taught me a good lesson. I never did not be ready. You know, do you take all these lessons that you've learned? Like obviously, like you've learned so many different lessons and it's a different sport. But do you, is that something that you try to take with your coaching with you at every single level that you're going to? These different lessons that you've learned when you're trying to implement with the youth? And I also want to talk to you about your experience in indoor soccer as well. Like, is that something that you've just tried to carry with you? And, and that's your style of coaching? Yes. And I was fortunate to be coached by some great coaches. It doesn't matter the sport. That's what I tell the kids. And because a lot of times I was judged early on like soccer coaching, he's a football player, but I grew up playing soccer. Like that, that, that he's a football player. I, that was my job, you know, like my passion. What I love to do was play soccer and watch soccer. And like, if you're watching something at home, it's usually a soccer game. You know, so that's, so, but I, yes, the, the organization like, like Coach Dungey, where our practice is run, you know, you, you can always take that. And then obviously on the mental side, you know, how to treat a player, you know, there are, and I'm, like I said, I was a little bit more energetic than Coach Dungey, but Coach Dungey was type, the type of coach that he was like a father figure in a way where you didn't want to let him down. So he, just with his look, you would feel so bad if you made a mistake. So I disappoint him. Exactly. And then you have Groot, that was the opposite. Just kind of one of those broad, right, you know, but it's great motivator. And the one of the things I say about Coach Groot is that, like the Saturday night speech were a waste of time because we have to go to bed to play on Sunday. And he's ready, he has us ready to run through a wall on Saturday night, but I'm like, I gotta go to bed now. But he's so good and he motivates you so good and he says the right things at the right time. So it's just different styles and I took a little bit of every moment the coaches that I've had to try to mold my coaching style. - Which one was harder? 'Cause I know for goalkeepers, there's so many similarities. I think about those kicking on time. Some coaches leave goalkeepers alone. Like don't even talk to 'em, don't even have anything to do with 'em, but other ones are like very much in your business or like what are those going on, how you're feeling all the time. Which style did you like more as a kicker? And I guess like which one between the two Dungy or Groot and was easier for you to work with for those reasons? - Well the head coaches usually leave the kickers alone. - They just leave them alone. - Yeah, you have a special teams coach. And my first years with the Bugs was Coach Marciano which at the time I wanted to fight him every practice. But he, because he wanted to get the best out of me. So he pushed me every practice and we had a punter that was a veteran, Mark Royals, and then he was a veteran. So he didn't mess with him, he just messed with a young guy. So he made my life miserable from Monday through Saturday. But on Sunday he was my biggest fan, and he was there for anything I needed. So when I got to a game, it felt easy. Because I've ever gone through so much crap during the week that when I got to the game, it's like I've seen it all. And that was his coaching style. And he just wanted to get the best out of me. And I appreciate it now at the time. And like, man, I'm ready to punch this guy. Like it's like half the time he was doing stuff like that. - Was he just chirping you or like making you like pressing kicking situations that are like extremely challenging or what? - All kinds of things. One, I remember and I always tell the Stokas, I'm like, this is crazy. And he always wanted to have the peanut gallery laughing. You know, so he would tell them what he was about to do to me that way he could, he would have a crowd. We were coming up practice, I have my cleats on. So I have a six stud, you know, and I'm old then. And I'm just coming out and he's like, I come with me. We had to go to the waiter room. I said, let me go change shoes, like, no, no, let's go now. So he gets on, turns on the treadmill and we go a minute on, a minute off flip flop and back and forth. And I'm like, what is going on? I'm in my cleats on a treadmill and then he's a runner. He was used to out and run. So he would run for days. I'm like, this is gonna be a long, long afternoon, but I'm like, and in my mind, I'm like, I'm not losing to this old man, so no chance. So we're back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, we did it for an hour. Okay, then he gets off, he gets off the treadmill, hits off and walks away and goes to his office. And I'm steaming, then on top of that, we're in the locked room. So all the guys are like coming by laughing, like, look at that, a rookie kicker running in his cleats, you know, and then the equipment guys come on, start laughing. He pretty much had people, and I'm like, man, I'm ready to just fight this guy. So I run into his office like, well, I can't, I don't know if I can say what I really said to him in your podcast, but I said a lot and then he just looked at me. I just want to see if you were a competitor. That's it, and then just shut the door. I'm like, I don't know what I'm gonna say to that. I don't know what I'm gonna say, but I'm like, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't know if I can kick tomorrow, but you weren't gonna beat me in that treadmill that day. - Oh, man. - But that type of stuff, like mental stuff, you know, like where he took you over the, he wanted to see like one time where he had to make 20 extra points in a row in the arena goal post, which it's difficult, you know. And you have to hit it perfect. And usually when I got to 18 or 19, he would tell Royals to like move the ball and I'd miss. I'm like, I start over. I kicked about 100 balls and I'm ready to kill this guy. But I didn't catch on that he was giving the signal to Royals to give me a bad hold. I just wasn't paying attention. - Right. - So I think Royals for that one every time. - Yeah, seriously, seriously, seriously. - So what do you want to do? The courage to tell me to do something. - Exactly, exactly. So yeah, stuff like that where like he just wanted to see if I could like mentally handle it, because you're drafting a rookie. You know, you don't know what you're getting. I mean, college is a lot different than the pro. So he had to like test me like that. So I appreciate it now. - From like the mental house standpoint of kicking, is it like, I mean, I kind of, again, like I kind of related to goal keeping awareness. Like you're in your own world, you're kind of like, you're always like kind of self-talking yourself through different things in terms of the mental health. How important was that from the kicking aspect? Because like you might go the entire game and only do a couple extra points. The next thing you know, you got to kick a 50 yard game winner and you haven't really been engaged with the game too much. Is that one of the most difficult things about the kicking job? - I think it could be if you get distracted easy. Like for me, I watched the game. That's how I stayed engaged in the game. So even if I wasn't going in the game, I'm watching the game. When we're on defense, you kind of relax a little bit more because you're thinking, you're not gonna go in. That's when you may be on title shoot. 'Cause you know, we're in real tight shoot. So you gotta let your feet breathe at times. So that's when I kind of, now once we get the ball and offense, you start preparing. Once we hit the 50, now I go to the net and start warming up. So I had that routine where I'm watching the plays, but I also warming up and doing my thing in my mind. And the nice thing is guys know to leave the kickers alone. It's rare that you see a guy coming over to talk to you. They just, for the, during the week, they'll mess with you all week. But once this game day, they leave you alone and let you do your thing. 'Cause the mental side is more important than the physical side when it comes to kicking. So they know to leave you alone. - Yeah, they want you to make the kicks too. So that's what I'm saying. - I wanna make the kicks too. Can you imagine letting, you know, you're the kicker and you let these guys down by missing a kick, it's not fun to go in the locker room after they've, you know, and two hours or four hours worth of like colliding with the opponent and you're the kicker that misses the game. I wonder if it's not fun to go in that locker room, so. - Oh, man, I can only imagine, man, I can only imagine. So what is it, what is it really about? I wanna bring it back to soccer a little bit. So what is it about soccer? I had, I had, so Josh Lambo was the same, same story as you, like he never, but he never, he said that he never wanted to learn football. - I know, Josh, you know, he never learned football. He was like, I never took the time to learn football 'cause I just love soccer and like, I wanted to, I waited for the coach to tell me, it was my turn to play my version of soccer. That's how we put it. Were you the same way or did you actually start to learn the game? Did you do broadcasts since you had to know the game more than most? But like, did you take the time to really learn the game or was it like, I'm kickin' and that's what I do? - Well, the thing is the reason why most kickers can't learn the game is because when they're an offensive and defensive meetings, we're doing our stuff. We're going to the way room or, you know, stretching or ice tub, so it's not like you're in the meetings. The only thing you can learn as a kicker in if you really want to is the special team side of it. You know, but other than that, we're not in those meetings. You're in the team meeting and then you break off into individual meetings. So did I learn the game? Yes, because when you play for 10 years, you're going to eventually pick stuff up, but it's not like I could be an offensive coordinator and be comfortable with it or defense coordinator. You know, I know Tampa too, because we became very popular because of Tampa too, right? Don't ask me where these guys need to go. Now because of broadcasting, I had to learn it more. And then I always rely on my daughter to teach me all the routes. - That's why your daughter's not relying on you to teach you the game. - No, she's helping me with our broadcasts. You know, to give me all the routes and what they're called and you know, how many yards and went, so yeah. But yeah, you're so focused and locked in on your job that it's hard to learn everything else. - Right. What is it about the game of soccer that it's kind of stuck with, do you think? Is it just the passion that you've had all along or is there been experiences throughout the time that you've been growing up that soccer was really something that stood out for you as like this is my game and this is like really my passion and my love? - Well, like you said, in Argentina, the first thing they put in your crib is a soccer jersey and a ball. So I mean, we don't have a choice, but to grow up with soccer and that's in our blood. That, for me, that's, I just love the game, love watching the game, love coaching and love being around it, but throughout the years, even when I played for the bugs, my off season, I would go train with, at the time was Hillsbury United which is Tampa United, there was a U15 team and I would go, Jeremy Hall was on that team. - Oh, yeah, that was my team. - Oh, there you go, there you go. So I would go and train with them in the whole off season and then we'd play on some co-ed leagues 'cause they were a little bit easier than if you played all men, you know, the world cup, they wanted to take you out so we played some co-ed leagues just to stay fit, but I just wanted to go out and play soccer in the off season. That was basically my training. I don't know if the team would like that or love that, but it wasn't as strict as it is now 'cause I know my boys trained every single day. Now that they're paying the players, it's a full-time job. We had a little bit of an off season and even when I was in college, I would come home the whole summer and play immensely. You know, I had a coach of mine in four miles, I would just like, soon as I got done with my college, you know, I didn't do any summer school ever, I would just come home and play soccer for him. So, I was always playing and I always felt that I kicked better when I played soccer. If not, I got too stiff and too robotic. And my style wasn't like the robotic, like three back, two over. I took an angle and I just kicked. So I needed to play soccer to stay limber. - Was it with, did you know Tony, Phidia? Is that the connection? - In, for, for Hillsborough. - Yes, yeah, yeah. And then, Havier. - Yeah, Havier, man. Good guy. - Well, well, you're confident. - Yeah, I might have just missed you because I was playing up, I was playing up an age group, and then once we got to high school, I did one year high school playing up. - Okay. - And then, and then once I realized that that was like the team in the town that was like, if you're gonna play a stage group, this is where you play for, I moved over to there. So I must have just missed you. - That's cool. - That was a group of guys. - Yeah, Joey, his son. His son was on that team, and then obviously a German, I mean, he had a career in Crisbleberg. - He's coached in each coach in the US. - The 20s team now. - Yeah, he saw a good job. Yeah. - I mean, you could see it then. He was the one who's next level. - He was at another level. Like, you could just see it. This kid's gonna go far, and I'm so happy that he had such a great career. - I'm telling you man, soccer in Tampa is as small as possible worlds. So what was your experience like doing underwear? How was that experience like? Could you keep it as PC as possible if you need to? - No, that was like minor league baseball. You know, you're on the boss. - Yeah, everything that could go wrong logistically went wrong. Including the owner that didn't want to pay anybody. - Yeah. - Those are tough to start. Those are tough in those leagues that pop up though. You know what I mean? Get all the things out in. - No, it is. But when he's taking money, you know, and not paying the players, that's when they started bothering me. - Okay, I didn't know all that. - Yeah, when you talk to some of the guys who just wasn't. But the environment and the product was incredible. - I went to a couple of games. This was awesome. - Oh, I loved it. I loved it. It was so much fun. I got a blue card for one, so I didn't even know what that meant. (laughing) I was going on here. And we got better every game too. And that's why I really frustrated everybody because we get to the final weekend. We have to win both games with them. [BLANK_AUDIO] women to get in the playoffs which is like 18 I think it was but four teams go to the playoffs. We end up winning every game we needed to to get the playoffs and then he cancels the playoffs because he runs out of money. And then it's just one of those things that kind of frustrates you on the logistic side, the business side of it. And when you have people running leagues that aren't sports people, that's the problem because he knew these kids would have played for free. When you played that kind of semi-pro because it was considered pro but it really wasn't you want to play for the championship. We would have all gone to wherever that stadium, wherever he found the stadium, we would all driven ourselves to go play. Yeah. Especially since we want to beat all the Brazilians from Orlando. That kicked our butt all year and we're like we got him the last game. We were ready. We came in there with someone man now but it was cool. It was an awesome experience. I got to know a lot of young men and women that I hadn't met that competed till the end and friendships now that we've created. And I see them having kids now and their families and how they've grown up. And one of our kids that I coached for five six years and used played for us. Now he's playing in Europe. Oh no. That's awesome. So it's really cool to see these kids evolve. But it was an awesome experience. The England center, the environment there was so cool. I just wasn't run right on the business side. Yeah. It was so much fun to go to those games. I wish it would still do it. It was a lot of fun. It was a good time. So as you're watching soccer in America kind of transform a little bit and I'll get you out here quickly. But like as you're kind of watching I can let these things go on for like three hours if I really just like let loose. But so as you're watching soccer I played with so many Argentinian players and it seems like there's more Argentinian players that are coming from over from Argentina and playing in the different leagues, playing in the United States now as somebody that you know is obviously from that country, very proud of your country. Do you track? Do you follow the Argentinian players that are coming over here? And then and really like what do you think it is about the US? It's been kind of more of a home for some of these players because I played with guys that were on the Argentinian national team that played in Major League Soccer which like 10 years ago that's unheard of. So I'm just curious like what's your viewpoint on that? Well I think Argentinians we grew up with a passion for soccer that doesn't I don't think it's match anywhere in the world. You saw it from how the fans traveled to Qatar and out to the United States that just that that's that's when you go in any place that you go in Argentina that the first conversation soccer or who's your favorite team or who's your favorite player like and then you start talking about everything else but the first thing is so that's in our blood. I mean that's 100% in our blood and I think you know I obviously if the MLS is good enough for Messi then a lot of guys are like how can I not go there? Yeah and I think that's opened up the door to a lot of not just Argentinians but a lot of you know big time stars. I mean the grease been going to Orlando just guys like that were like 10 years ago you would have seen that. I mean Valorama was probably the biggest thing we had here with the mutiny and then when Beckham opened the door but Beckham yes he was a different star but it was not messy you know it's not like having a messy come to the MLS so but Beckham did I think kind of kickstart that kind of superstar wanting but at the time they were coming to retire right. Oh I have two years left in their career but look at Messi now at 39 what he did in the world cup so he's not here just to retire and just take a paycheck and just enjoy the beach you know he's here to compete and I think that's where younger players see that off it's good enough for Messi I want to go try it. I think that's a cool thing about US soccer too is is you know I was playing for some teams where we had some young Argentinian players coming over in their young 20s which is that that's you weren't ever seen that before right so it's like I think that's kind of speak levels obviously we talked about Puchatino what he's bringing over but I think that the game in the US like how have you seen the game of soccer evolved from your viewpoint because before I mean like you said it was a retirement league for guys right but now people are coming over here and they're coming out of pivotal age in their career where they're getting games they're getting experienced looking to get sold to bigger clubs coming to the US first so how's the game kind of evolving your eyes here in the States well that's that's a great point you're making because a lot of times you're not from Argentina you're jumping to Europe right it was crazy when some of these guys signed I'm like whoa weren't this guy or Mexico because Mexico paid well two back in the day so it was either Mexico or Europe no taxes either right so but now now they're coming here they're creating a name they're coming early and then they're being sold I know I'm their own he's prepared why but still he he came in the young man I tell my mother I mean he's now in Europe but he came to Atlanta United and we were like why would he come so young he's on the national team and all of a sudden I you know he just takes off but and that the competition has gotten better you can see the back in the day you watch the game you probably fell asleep it was very boring I remember watching Valarama tried you know give you ten assists and only one would go in because the rest of them would be in the bay you know just you didn't have a lot to work with now you're seeing the Americans players get better but also the the you know foreigners that are coming in are making the Americans better as well and it's just a fun I we watch the MLS I mean I watch it more than I do sometimes European soccer I enjoy it and then you get to know the players and I think that's that's what's helped you know the and now we're competing and beating the Mexican League right where before if there was any MLS team playing a Mexican team there's no chance now you look at Conca Calf like we're I feel like we're the leaders in Conca Calf and the cool thing about that too is like there's kind of like a trickle down from that right so it's like the higher the better like the more players that are coming over that's the better than all the leagues get because like even on the rowdies now we have guys that when I was playing MLS like this guy should be an MLS like I'm watching him and I'm like this guy should be an MLS that I'm not you know what I mean like there's there's a higher level across the board now for U.S. soccer and I think that that starts with people coming in and recognizing that you could build yourself a little bit here in the U.S. now with this game which I think and U.S.L. is on a great job too yeah and after they do promotion and relegation that's going to be another excitement if that's you know keep seeing spicy exactly because that's and that's that's where a lot sometimes some of the South American countries lost that flare because they've taken that out in some countries and it just doesn't sit right you know because you want to compete whether to stay or to go you know at every level so I think that U.S. has actually helped as well because then you can have a player that maybe it's not astounded for the MLS yeah and develop and then eventually they're make the MLS so you end up going to Europe right and you've seen a lot some kids go from U.S.L. to Europe yeah they've been selling a lot more they've been selling a lot more players lately which is awesome what uh so what was your coolest I followed you around a little bit during the World Cup was your coolest World Cup experience from this last one that just happened oh well we we went to the Miami they went in the game in Miami okay we were happened you know the boys only have that fourth of July week and all so we were going to go we'd like to get away so we're like the last two years we've gone to Miami for the week for go to the beach relax a little bit and happened to the Argentine I was playing uh Cape Verna yeah uh and we're like we got to go yeah and I'm working with the SPH and they're like well we have some tickets and then we ended up taking the whole family and it was it was cool for them to be at the stadium chant the songs they see it from doing them on TV they they don't see it from you know they they've never we've gone to Copa America but to go to the World Cup to say you got to watch Missy in a World Cup um I never got to watch my daughter in a World Cup game live so now my kids can say they got to watch the greatest of all time in a World Cup so that was the cool experience they could be able to go with the whole family were you surprised at the run that they went on mate well I mean we have us very solid team yeah I was surprised on how well Messy did I mean just yeah because you know and not to say anything about about the MLS he's 39 I don't care I feel like the MLS helped him because he didn't tax his body so much you know so he was able to get a little more break that if he was playing in Europe every three days and you know Champions League and all this his body would have been shot by the time he got to the World Cup where being in the MLS he was able to you know save his legs a little bit and then when he got there every and now looking back and seeing what what was going on with his dad and he promised that I'm gonna make it to the finals for you you know so that motivated so a motivated Messy is unstoppable yeah I don't I don't care how old he is and that's to me that's what we can take out as Argentinians how proud we are of what he did with what he was going through most of us you know if we're going through something like that we're like I don't even know if I can play and not only did he play he played he might be a he should have been the the player of the tournament like I don't know how they give it to a spanish guy Noah says no gold no nothing and he gets the trophy I mean that's ridiculous right what a so I think that this conversation is going really well and I don't want you to hate me for asking this question so I'm a representative but I got a lot I got a lot of heat from I got a lot of heat from the Argentinian contingent with the routies do you think the right team won the final oh no no no I want to be Belgium one Belgium should have won they have the right team one that came I want to be welcome back to Argentina no listen there's a lot of speculation there's a lot I'm sure you've seen online all that and I don't believe any of that stuff but like I'm just curious from like the game you don't but maybe it's my someone was my way you know listen there's there's so much money on the line so much I don't know I missy said his legs were shot by time extra game didn't help yeah you know because now that eighth game so every single every single game they played was tight oh yeah I mean the I didn't track the minutes but the extra minutes that they played just from extra time alone in the emotions that go the mental part yes because every game we were scoring in the last minute so it wasn't like you're winning and you know no every game was not every more just any urgent energy to play every single game was crazy up until the final whistle right yes besides the group play which were like oh they have an easy group play but then after that no no I mean as an Argentine I want to say that the right team did not win but I mean the Spain obviously has that group that's been together for a long time yeah so they play pretty much with their ice clothes so it's very difficult to play against but it was just hard to see Argentina not go forward right there's a couple times where you see them with a counter attack and then they turn around play to the right back and I'm like what is going on here so that's where you can think like what's up some mess I have something's off something's off something's off but but at the end of the day you know like as Argentinians we're proud of the run I mean you win one of the you you come in second and another one these guys gave it everything and they gave us an exciting world cup because like to beat England that's something special for Argentina the way they did it the way messy played I mean just everything that had to do with it the way they showed the world how we love people you know like we embraced everybody again You see like the chance they had a Swiss guy in their shoulder. - They took over every city. - They took over every city, but they're grilling out in the streets and feeding people. Like if you went by one of the barbecues, they were gonna give you a piece of meat if you wanted one. It wasn't like this is our grill, you know? So just like the Argentina was able to show their culture, show our culture and how embracing we are to everybody. - Yeah, no, it's awesome, man. I got a couple more Jake, do you got anything? - Not the point. - All right, so I got two. We gotta pause this at some point, but I'll have you on the option to. - I'm happy, I'm good, I'm good. - All right, so I got two questions for you. More aura, when they're in the-- - You took the breath, I'm worried about it. - More aura, more aura when they're in the room. Tom Brady or Messi? - Well, that's a good question, man. I gotta go with Messi. Like Tom Brady's awesome guy. And I got a chance to play with him in the preseason. I was with the Patriots, I got hurt, so I didn't get a chance to play real play with him, but at least preseason, but I'm a soccer guy. Messi is something special. One of the things that I always tell viewers, we spent 20 minutes with him at Raymond James when he came and played that friendly game. I never felt rushed, never felt like he had to go, or like he was, and he had already met my kids in the Copa America, Centenario, and it was kind of asking them questions about football and kicking, and my kids played football. They was telling my boys that, and just like spend 20 minutes when you never felt rushed from the biggest star in the world. - Right. - I'm gotta go with Messi. - That's amazing, that's an awesome story. - Yeah, very cool. - Yeah, no, we have prices. - The pictures, my daughter was so mad at me because I couldn't bring her in the locker room back then. She was a baby, and she always got to meet him, and obviously, you know who my favorite is, so I had to figure it out a way. It's Raymond James, we're getting to the locker room, and they had more security than they act like I'd never been to Raymond James. Come on, man. Luckily, I'm friends with my Chadano, who was coaching the team at the time, so I sent him a message, think, "Hey, we're gonna go say hello," and then it worked out that Messi came out and chatted for a little bit. Then my brother got to meet him, and my niece and nephew too, that they hadn't met him yet, so Sunday I was super fired up about that too. - Yeah, and he took the time and just relaxed and just had a good time with it. - Luckily, their plane was delayed or something. - Right. - But it really was. So he had all the time in the world, and he's like, I mean, I never felt rushed. You know, when you meet a star like that, you just want to get your words in, and shake his hand, maybe get an autograph of a picture, and we're just talking like just a normal person. But that's what everybody says, though. - Right. - When they meet him. Anytime that's, you know, somebody has met him or spent time with him, that's the way he is. That's, in my opinion, that's what makes him even greater. - Right. - What he is off the field. A family, you know, he's always with his wife and kids. He's always at his kids games. You never hear anything in the tabloids. You know, like, that makes him even better and bigger than what he does on the field. - I know, and also like, you just see the videos him walking around my Emmy, and it's just like, you know, he's just like that. - He's just like that. - Nobody's gonna recognize me. - Right. - But how many videos do you see or like people like pulling up next to him, like honking and he'll roll his window down the chat with him, sometimes sign a jersey for him and give it back to him, like, I don't know a lot of guys at that level that do that. - Right, and especially to his life here compared to what it is anywhere else, it's probably so chill. He's like, I could do this all day. He's like, I could have these conversations. I could sign this jersey all day. - And he was on a thousand people mobbing me everywhere I go. - This is perfect. - I know, that's the one thing with the United States that are very respectful to the stars. - Right. - And that's, I think he appreciates that because if you go anywhere, in Argentina, he couldn't do that in Europe, he couldn't do that. So that's where, at least here, you know, people are more respectful when it comes to like the, just start like, for every sport, you know, I'm sure Tom Brady could do the same thing. - Right. - Walk around, maybe a mall or something, maybe I'll get a autograph here and there, but it's not like they're gonna mob him. - Yeah, you should see him on Davis Island. All right, so you should be walking around Davis Island. All right, you're one of five kickers in a penalty kick, World Cup final. 55 yard feel goal, Super Bowl, on the line, which is more pressure. - Oh, man. I know what a 55 yard feels like, but not as Super Bowl, but that, you know, I had short ones in the Super Bowl one by a lot. Ooh, that's, I think the penalty, because now you're representing a country. - Right. - And if you miss that penalty, you probably can't fly back to that country, depending on where you're from. Where, here, at least just a city or a team, you know, that's mad at you, not the whole country. So I would say the penalty in the World Cup would be a little bit more pressure. - Man, a soccer guy threw in through. Soccer guy threw in through. All right, I just gotta ask one last question, how's the Bucks fan? How are we gonna be this year? We're gonna be all right. - Well, are you excited? - I'm excited, I'm excited. You know, and I, signing Vida Veya. - Yeah, huge. - Huge, because he, you know, people don't realize what he means so that defense. - When he unlocks Bane, hopefully. - Well, he unlocks everybody. - Yeah. - Because they have to put two or three on him. So, and then anybody, they can't run in the middle with him there. So that's huge. And then the fact that Baker's probably playing with a chip on his shoulder with his contract deal, I think that's gonna make him even better. When he bet on himself coming to Tampa. - Right, that's when he was at his best. - Right, so I feel like this is gonna be the same year. He's gonna be at his best. Cause he's like, look, he's trying to prove that he wants that money, wants that extra year, whatever the deal is. So, I'm excited. It's, a lot of the young kids that showed really well in the, obviously, precedence is different, but at least we have a, you know, not having Mike Evans could be. But I think that, that receiver room, - Yeah, a lot of talent. - A lot of talent where, you know, where you knew if Mike and Chris were the top two guys, then we had a drop off. Now it's like everybody's pretty good. So I'm excited about this. - I think about Daniels. I like that he got the QVT job. Is that crazy in football to have that be the situation? - It's incredible. But he was the MVP of the first two preseason games. - Oh yeah. - He, like, just his personality was always excited, always happy, like, motivated as teammates. The first few plays were all legs, right? So I'm thinking like, can he throw in the outside? He starts slinging it everywhere. And a lot of the touchdowns that he threw, a couple of the touchdowns were like tight windows. - Right. - So it doesn't matter if you're going against the twos or the threes, the windows are window. And he's threading the needle. So he has the potential to do it. I'm excited for him. I'm telling people, the only bad thing is the J-Hawk. You know, I'm a wildcat. But now we're all buccaneers, so that's why I'm on his side. But no, that was exciting to see. He earned it. And that's, and it's tough to do to earn a job and win a job in the preseason because you only have three games. You know, they're always going to say, well, he didn't go against the starters, but he must have done enough in practice as well to say, okay, he did it in practice, but he also did it in the game. So I'm excited for him. - All right, well, you got me fired up. I was a little nervous about the Bucks this year. I don't know why. I don't know. I just feel a little nervous. But he got me fired up. - I love Baker, man. We have Baker, we had a chance. He's a beast. - All right, well, we'll cut that and send it to his agent. All right, Martin, well, thank you so much for talking to me. - Well, thank you, obviously. Like, anytime you want to get to Rattie's game, I know your schedule's crazy with football and everything, but we got the playoffs coming up. If we went on Saturday, we clinched the playoffs. So we're doing pretty well as well. So hopefully we can get you out to the game here soon. - Oh, no, it's always exciting. I mean, I keep up with them, just like I said, it's so busy, but maybe I'll bring my soccer team. I just started coaching on new team, U15, girls team at TVU. So might be a team bonding deal. - There you go. - Yeah, let us know, man, let us know. Thank you so much for joining us. - Oh, appreciate it, man. - Thank you, yeah, thank you. - Thank you. (upbeat music) ♪ The Ratties run near the Ratties run near the kick of all the round ♪ ♪ All the Ratties, the Ratties ♪ ♪ The rallies are ♪ ♪ My chicken and grass ♪