KC BABY!! Watch Coach Beard himself Brendan Hunt and Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet live onstage with Rog and other special guests in Kansas City during the next stop in our FC To Shining Sea Live Show Tour! We preview the USMNT’s pivotal clash with Uruguay, relive England’s dramatic victory over Slovakia, and toast the amazing locals of Kansas City.
2024 FC To Shining Sea Live Show Tour is presented by Michelob Ultra.
Check out our previous live show in Los Angeles here: https://youtu.be/QD_6BBM_i7E
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[Music] w [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Kansas City oh it is so good to be back in your loving arms in this Magical Kingdom which is the Beating Heart of America you do know that in the rest of the world everyone refers to Paris as the Kansas City of Europe right I want to tell if you only remember one thing from tonight I love your city I really really do if I die I want this to be on my Tombstone I truly believe this is the very best of our nation the most secure pocket of our realm where we store the best barbecue to be found on this entire planet and if there are other planets on those two last month I was here and my dreams are still filled with meat sweats from Joe’s and Arthur Bryant as a late great Anthony bouran once said barbecue may not be the road to World Peace but it’s a start [Applause] also this city everyone you meet is just so bloody nice it’s genuinely amazing it’s so you just bump into someone they are guaranteed to be the loveliest most caring warmest wonderful human being you’ve ever met there’s just a joyousness in the air here it lingers like the smell of burnt ends the people make this place everyone here loves living here I went to to to Town Topic Burger I think you can do a bit better for Town Topic Burger I went at 3:00 a.m. for a double cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake and where I’m from New York City I’ll go and get a burger at 3:00 a.m. but believe me I’m taking my nun chackers with me but here in Kansas it was the most Bliss out chilled uplifting experience and it made me love your City all the more as does the fact that this city is proper football you can’t really tell the modern story of the city without the intertwining of the game we love from the nasl to the indoor leagues and the mighty whiz now Sporting Kansas City I’ve got so much respect for the tiny cauldron that you play in it is a National Treasure and don’t get me started on your KC current sorry let me get that right you’re record breaking 17 games without a loss canza City current oh by the way tail has taken over this town I was here three weeks ago and I almost got run over by not one but three trams with KC current players on the side of them and it was almost an honor KC baby I mean this vibrant culture that you have created is why the United States Men’s National Team is coming here tomorrow night to its most defensible position 76,000 capacity Arrowhead [Applause] Stadium let’s be honest the shock defeat against Panama last Monday it was not so Bueno but for a Do or Die game against Uruguay to save our Cooper America dreams there’s no place I’d rather be than right here which is why I want to raise my third first michelo ulture of the day oh to this incredible moment in time which bonds all of us the men’s World Cup is just 711 days away but who’s counting eight games will be played in this very City our young men’s Squad will please God’s will be on their hero’s journey and if they are tomorrow night’s game at Arrowhead will be the part of the movie where the hero appears to be on the precipice of the cliff appears to be on death’s door only need to Snap Back to Life Light The Undertaker Meme and save the day as Christian pic himself put it after that game against Panama we got to go and play the best game of our lives and that’s it that’s the approach for the players for the fans we know cuz you are them I mean urgu one of the best teams in the world are in our backyard to paraphrase tyry and Lannister there’s brave men knocking at our door let’s go and beat [Applause] them and tonight we’re going to break all of it down we’re going to dig deeper into the United States we’re going to relive the Eur England live holy [Applause] crap by the way I am more American than kid than Kenny Powers now so I don’t give a crap about England but I will say they stared into the abyss tonight and they heard a nation of tabloid readers scream back i’ surviv to tell the tale we’re going to go and tell tales of the coopa to come we’re going to sa for This truly unique City and to do it we’ve got an amazing bever of guests starting with the Molasses to my brown sugar an OG football fan in this nation the man who many believe is still the best coaching mind America’s ever produced even though the character he played is fictional he’s the star he’s the co-creator of Ted lasso it’s my friend let’s have a big Kansas City welcome for Mr [Applause] Brendon hello every one thank you for having us again in your wonderful wonderful City it’s a pleasure every time oh Raj you’re embarrassing me you’re embarrassing me in front of my Midwestern friends Raj that was my seventh first Melo ulture of the day oh Brenny I’m propping up with my camarina here Brenny Brenny Brenny brny it’s so bloody good to see you Rog just real quick you um you’ve really taken to calling me breny uh lately and um I’m flattered and you’re someone who I will let do that um I find Brenny to be so um I don’t know for lack of a better word emasculating a nickname that literally it’s a joke nickname between me and my fiance where like if I’m in trouble or if she needs something she’ll be like Brenny and U like uhoh here it comes but now you do it and somehow I find it delightful but no one else is allowed to call me breny these two people that’s it stop what have I di what have I done what have you done can I just tell you I only call it you cuz it’s what Paxton calls his brother well that’s that’s different that’s cute they’ve seen each other’s penises I mean they grew up together it’s fine and so is she but not you unless tonight’s the night I am so confused in every regard and I’m going to move on to keep this one family friendly um but Brendan hunt which sounds very formal my wife only calls me Roger when I’m in trouble so that is so like Orcs for me but 24 hours out from Tim ree against Louis Suarez from Christian politic against Ronald Aro how how would you describe the level of frenzy and calm in The Hun’s head um goly um it is as uh calm and yet percolating like a um a freshly cut and Sauced pulled pork sandwich um and that’s called pandering to the Audience by the way that’s absolutely panding to the audience like it’s all there it’s all there but it can go any different direction bite your arm off for a pull pork sandwich right now it’s very easy to distract me from the football but you have quite a relationship with this city it’s a special bond that you have I know you’re here regularly for the Magnificent Thunder gong yes uh yes I have uh I have oted uh a great love for Kansas City just by by Dent of hanging out with uh with Jason zus who um I’ve come down here for every year like uh I’m sure more of you know uh big slick um big old charity thing that happens in summer uh the sort of a young but growing cousin is thundergong we do it every November at the Uptown and um it’s like a rock and roll comedy event to benefit uh step of Faith uh which is a charity that benefits um amputees and helps them buy prosthetic limbs which are insanely expensive in fact literally talking to Matt beasler downstairs I now know that um a prosthetic limb costs twice what Matt beasler was paid his rookie year at Sporting KC um so uh remember us in uh in November it’s at the Uptown and it’s always a good time God bless and thank you Kansas City for supporting Thunder gong and Steps of Faith the way you have and for those who don’t know what Thunder gong is let’s just give you a little bit of a [Music] taste oh Brenny guests there’s cool guests at Thunder look at that by the way that is the most b52s thing that ever B52 so I haven’t been here for that and by the way we know why it’s called called Thunder gong when you wear those pants Brendan how and that’s why he’s allowed to call me Brenny how would you describe This Magnificent City in your own words um gosh yeah I’m still I don’t quite have enough data to do with any decisiveness but I will say everyone I meet um has frankly a like that quality that I find in Chicagoans and in londoners um of being uh immediately witty and immediately unstressed and and witty to a high level of uh intelligence and reference level um I have always felt immediately uh at home here um so yeah even at a Royals game I was at the Royals game today and folks I’m a socks fan and yet Royals had a good old time at the Royals game today so I love being here every time I come tell them who you met who’ I meet oh well you’ve opened up a can of can of worms here uh so I met uh uh you guys know this guy George Brett yeah okay you know who doesn’t know George Brett is Brett Goldstein um despite the fact that um in the in the you open up a can of worms Roger but we’re going to go for it in in the uh the season one Ted lasso writers room before Brett Goldin had become Roy Kent and when we’re all getting to know each other like in writers room you just like talk about weird stuff that comes up and of course as will happen with any uh group that has you know more than six men in it at some point over the course of four months someone goes hey you ever see the YouTube video where George Brett talks about [ __ ] his pants in Vegas [Applause] and and we watched that several times cut two years later Brett Goldstein now a uh double M winning super successful standup um is is going on tour and I know he’s coming to Kansas City and I buy him a present that I had waned to buy him since we first watched that first video back in the writer room which is a Royals Jersey with a five Brett on the back and I was like Brett here you go enjoy your present when you go to Kansas City if you come out and you do the [ __ ] Jamie tart with your back to the onions with the Bret on it you’ll be a king there or put it under your black t-shirt that you insist on wearing and rip it off and it’ll be there now he did not do that but today um uh yesterday the Royals called cuz they knew I was coming they’re being very uh uh generous with their hosting and me and my family and like would you like to throw out the first pitch and this puts me at a Crossroads at a socks fan but due to my aformentioned love of Kansas City and the attempt to close a a loop of a joke I was like I will do it on one condition if you give me a Royals Jersey that has a five and says Goldstein they agreed throughout the first pitch and by the way I didn’t practice cuz it only find out yesterday and I didn’t have a lot of focus because I’m literally looking at my phone as I’m standing on the you know the gravel next to the Royals Dugout as Jude Bellingham scores the equalizer for England and like and now throwing up the first pitch okay all right we’re good all right go ahead anyway I bounced it in the Batters box and I deserve that but more importantly later on in the owner Suite thanks to the generosity of Mr Eric ston Street who you’ll meet later I meet George Brett and we take a picture of the five Goldstein Jersey and immediately send it to Brett Goldstein thank you Kansas City I can’t baby you know who did see the video of George Brett crapping himself in Vegas Brett goldstein’s parents they watched it look like we’re going to call us son Brett in homage it’s like Olivia Newton John Travolta George Brett Goldstein It just fits it’s Cosmic it’s beautiful um Brendan we’re poised to break down the Euros we’re going to go deep on the Copa and the United States Pathway to Glory but first as is the way football’s all about making memories together win or lose it’s the joy it’s the connectivity um so let’s mark this moment on our feet Kansas City bear up let’s be having you photographer Drew will join us let’s make a memory together everyone beers up respect a photographer wearing an exx [Applause] Jersey see when they see the picture later it’ll seem like a very quick moment that happened organically it’s going to be great brenon Roger zud muros as Angela Merkel or David Hasselhoff would say and let’s start inan cersion did you like that I’ve been actually reading a book that’s called Derek Ray for beginners we’re we’re going to get into a round of 16 game the ballads will be written about England 2 Slovakia one God lot of Slovakian fans here tonight where were you when you were I mean I mean a friend and I had come here last year we like let’s talk about Slovakian football would you want be like yes we’re coming down to the Madrid theater um who saw this coming Brandon enter England fairfiled dull insipid impotent football over three games um former Legends in podcasts scathing almost the podcast a bigger opponent than the dudes facing them on the field um National scapegoat Gareth Southgate makes one change in comes 19-year-old cobby Mayu I’ve had him on I’ve had him on the show and he like is so unbothered by everything um in he comes facing 48th in the world Slovakia who are utterly pressure three for them this was a delicious free hit one they relished with a Fearless Collective game plan to Su Cup England pick their chances on the counter and on 25 minutes this [Applause] happened somewhere in Slovakia tonight they’re stopping the game at that moment like in North career they don’t show anything that happens after they con see but that was 20y old 30-year-old journeyman Striker Ivan shr which sounds like the kind of name you’d come up with in the Ted lasso writers room with a clinical Hogan’s Heroes writers room maybe but yeah I mean he essentially T the English social fabric he didn’t just score what the Roy Hudson’s Brendon what happened there I’m sorry what what what happened like what happened yeah oh the score there yeah Ian how did you understand that moment or were you too busy practicing your pitching watch no no I we had not got in the car yet I’m watching this moment um it’s just like England CU you come into this thinking like you know what England need they just need to get into The Knockout rounds and they just going to need to feel the pressure and they’re going to show who they are nope nope Here Comes Slovakia scoring first um and uh bless the guy for not going down on Gay’s pressure there cuz if he goes down there which he had you know probably right to do in in the VAR age uh that’s a red card and a penalty or it would have been a second yellow for gay more importantly because they they avoid the triple jeopardy you know um but by just scoring one goal and leaving 11 men on the field he made a key strategic error I mean it was amazing we were watching Men drown with the nation watching them and booing them rather than trying to save them I mean England looked like essentially the presid presential debate of international football teams it it was it was it was like humanly humanly devastating to watch them I couldn’t watch it was like just so humanly appalling um and at half timee I spoke to my family in England um my dad is really really really ill so like there’s a tiny part of me that is rooting for England to do okay so that he feels happiness um he said to me he said he I actually texted you this my dad said 1349 the Black Death 1066 the Norman Conquest 1776 losing America I know all you all you Slovakian football fans love love that moment you do you do when we lost America but my dad said this ranks up there I mean he put the and it was only 40 minutes in and you know I don’t like to be hyperbolic brenon my dad doesn’t either um foden scored needlessly offside Harry Kane weed over and over um by the way English journalist Jack Lang captured the scent of this man flailing I read this to Brendan backstage he tweeted Kane looks like he’s running through treal and his legs are also made of treal and there’s treal in his lungs and in his eyes and in his soul and he’s waiting he’s really trying but it’s just all treal and you can’t really tell where the treal ends and Cane begins and it took 66 agonizing feckless minutes just for G Southgate to bring in a substitute it was like watching a manager paralyze Shell Shock the World watching and we hit 90 minutes England had still I think zero shots on target they were waiting for Brendan to bloody well pitch the ball so they could leap into action I think um I mean by the way can we just say we talked about this the other night to take Bellingham fooden sacka and Harry Kane and make this ball of whatever George Brett did in Vegas it it it is almost performance art Brendan it’s like sullying football in a way that only Salt Bay truly understands it’s as if cuz like I’m no sculptor so I’ll put this down into simpler terms that I would have understand from the children it’s like when you start with four beautiful separately colored cans of Play-Doh and you’re going to make a beautiful fort with distinct you know uh rooms uh belonging to the different colors and then and then what’ you make son I made a pile of brown Play-Doh that is what gar Southgate has done up to this point or so it seems going into the 90th minute yes brexit means brexit was the tweet that we had prepared for the final whistle this was a genuinely a horrible performance but then another quote from my dad my dad has always said in better days he always said it only takes a second to score a goal there’s always hope American fans and in the 90th minute plus five 10 seconds to go in the game 30 really but I’m being hyperbolic this happened [Music] [Applause] [Music] okay that’s too much that’s too much this is like I mean cuz like for those who didn’t see Bellingham had stopped doing his trade Mark celebration and Harry Kane fanboyed his way up to him like will you do it again so I can do it with you like he’s about to say can I have your shirt we’re we’re teammates uh Harry we can do that in the locker room no now an amazing amazing goal amazing goal and you you got to love every time you see an overhead um uh but also shout out to again Mark gahi for the assist because it may be his last Act of the tournament because he’s missing the next game he’ll be back for the final Brendan but I’m getting ahead of I’ve read the script that was a n if you’re listening along at home that was a 95th minute overhead kick equalizer which was followed a crap you not by Jude Bellingham mouthing who else at the cameras which is by the way I was bored English I’m not now but I was I looked at that I was like where’s his insecurity and self-loathing like there an operation you can get as an English person to get but he’s also right he’s also correct right who else yeah who bloody else and Jack Gish was at home being like [Laughter] me by the way can we just marvel together as American SLS Slovakian fans Landon Donovan was commentating on that goal while J Bellingham delivered in Landon Donovan time and Landon Donovan was sitting alongside seran dark who repressed the urge to scream you could not write a script like this go go England which really doesn’t have quite the same ring about it does it bon no no not quite by the way about that all that self-loathing we have that in the midwest just so you know like we had that here too yeah I know but England trademark they just couldn’t afford a lawyer to sue you brexit means brexit um by the way it would get worse for Slovakia 52 seconds into extra time cometh the hour cometh the cane [Applause] go look at that look at that Harry Kane has scored hundreds of goals and still hasn’t figured out a knee slide it’s a butt slide like you you’ve had time bro get this get this going you know it’s like I once interviewed Harry Kane and I asked him the greatest Strikers in the world have the skill to make it look because if they have the power to make the ball come to them which he did right there right with Ivan Tony’s brilliant flick and Harry Kane just that’s to me that’s like a layup that Harry Kane can then dunk so I said greatest record in the world have and Harry Kane looked at me and he goes I said how’ you do it Harry and he looked at me and he goes I don’t know really I thought I thought about I thought that that tonight when I watched that um but I also thought God bless Harry Kan who did not lose his head when all those around him were losing theirs and blaming it on him um in that second what a narrative flip Carri Harry Kane suddenly a national hero Gareth Southgate suddenly a genius football teaches you one thing in life it really does and I think it’s a very important lesson it will make a fool out of all of us we all know nothing Brendan football’s amazing you can fume for 90 minutes you can walk throw beer cans at Gareth Southgate at the end of the game like a complete [ __ ] then three minutes of magical football three bloody minutes and you are suddenly Walking on Sunshine like Katrina and the waves making memories you will never forget it is it is the insanity of it just get so mad we get so very mad and that anger is so Justified and then a complete turnaround can happen um may I sign by about Harry Kane real quick because you’ve alluded basically to his bless his heart mild simpleness I think um uh we’re shooting we’re shooting Ted lasso season 1 um uh a uh a NFL team team who many of you will probably boo but let’s save it for your you know Slovakian rivalry with Slovenia um uh but the Bears will play in the Raiders we go there very excited they’re playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium um I full disclosure I’m I’m an Arsenal fan fine we go to the game um and uh you guys are fickle and weird I love it um um it’s at T H Stadium it’s the first NFL game that they are hosting ever and um Harry Kane comes out to do the ceremonial coin toss Harry Kane is a huge NFL fan it’s in his home stadium Harry Kane perhaps was not told that these NFL games that happen in London are mostly attended by Germans um Germans and other Europeans uh who are all fans of other countries besides England and other clubs beside Tottenham and they make up about 80% of the stadium here at this game where again Harry Kane’s home stadium and the other sport he loves and he flips a coin and is lustily booed in his very own stadium and he has a look on his face that that seem to suggest I don’t know [Laughter] [Applause] really bless his beautiful beautiful heart and by the way since he’s gone to Munich and there’s not a lot of people I could say this about since he’s gone to Bayern Munich I I like him much more and that was what that moment when he flipped the coin and got booed and he said who are these fans and they said they’re mostly German Harry that’s and he’s said oh that’s where the NFL’s from I’m going to move there I think I think you’ve just got to the bottom of where the hell they moved to by Munich he’s said I think the Dallas Cowboys play in Shela fun fact the actual NFL Europe League that existed for a while they had a team in Barcelona and Amsterdam and I think glas go by the time it closed it had six teams and five of them were in Germany true fact and do you know who ran the NFL Europe Donald Garver I did not know this there you are I don’t know what to tell you h a great success of an NFL Extravaganza and now he’s running MLS so I mean I’m not here to rag on Don Garber the way that some of you slovenians are just going to love doing um but so essentially the NFL went or MLS went like we need someone who’s like good at running a sport but has been to Europe yep it was it was either him or Todd Burley and they like Don’s PowerPoint because it was like Barcelona dragons um can we move back to this game for one quick second no I let’s go through the names of all the uh the NFL Europe team Scottish Claymores Amsterdam Admirals the Ry fire or as dere Ray calls it Ry fire that’s all I got there’s more though K on let’s get out of this quickly by the way Tottenham hotsa had a striker Clive Allen who was the kicker for the London team he was Harry Kane before he was Harry Kane I don’t know really look I want to raise my camarina oh the most awarded tequila uh in TOA AIA and I’m not just pandering to all you mad Slovakian bastards I kind of an you’re terrifying um but Slovakia can depart I I think they depart with two things number one the agony of knowing that they were seconds seconds away from making National History a quarter final the goal scorer schran um I love that his name I do I love his name maybe with Mr and Mrs Goldstein had another baby they call it schan Goldstein which I just ad door but he said something heartbreaking he said we certainly have nothing to be angry about we’ll deal with it but maybe we’ll regret it for the rest of our lives those are two kind of extreme those are kind of two PA I think that’s what Robert Frost meant when he said two roads diverge in a wood maybe we won’t give a crap maybe we’ll just like all become dark the pressed and it will become like the worst sliding doors remake of all time um but that’s the power of football and I do believe you slovakians can leave with your heads Held High um and I’ll say American fans if there’s any here tonight I do I watch Slovakia I really do as a collective with discipline and focus and organization and a real sense of discipline and fearlessness I look at them with admiration um about that performance that we can learn from um just wonderful but England Brendan Buton it what do you make of it all for England national team um as as as very [ __ ] as particularly the last two games had been for England um I still subscribe to the notion that you know talent’s going to get you pretty far and they remain incredibly deep and Incredibly talented uh did not think that they were going to lose today even when they were down one nothing and um I think Switzerland is in trouble uh and someone just scoffed like switching them to [ __ ] power what are you talking about England not going to beat Switzerland that’s my Slovakian accent uh Switzerland been very good though I’m not going to Side Bar we wasted too much time already NFL Europe um but I think this is pro is likely a springboard for at least another round or two for England please God please God not that I care because I’m in America now but um I do wonder where the Joy’s gone for England this team 2018 2020 that unicorn tinged optimism and wonder the feeling that everything was possible um I don’t know if it is um the English must now play with a tactically Savvy and quite deeply organized in clinical and ruthless Swiss um W the slovakians find Su humor very funny I’m learning a lot by the way tonight I’m learning more about Slovakia than than the last time I learned this much about Slovakia I was having dinner with Derek Ray um but I’ve got to say Brendan I do love the theory that we cooked up on Tuesday on our show where we said that England are going to win this thing but like every time they play without any convincing football at all the nation is going to tell them afterwards just how crap they really are and the of it is football is finally going to come home only to be be booed and told its total shite which is perhaps the most English thing that ever englished but if you only take one lesson from this whole thing this whole game this 120 minutes of insanity it’s this never ever leave a game too early learn from these English fans who exited the premises on the 90th minute first of all I think the second guy was uh was Dean Smith not the basketball coach the the other one I forget which relegated team he’s been fan of most recently FC the first guy um he was not only vaping but his Vape was the size of one of [Laughter] these good God man by the way that the the first guy looked like my body double I just want to be honest about that but gfop at TG Outlaw tweeted us those two men will be the first to say they were at the most incredible game they’ve ever seen and failed to mention that they left early by the way it’s possibly the most English thing ever to be pissed off for 90 minutes filled with self-loathing fuming and then to get the chance to go again it’s perfect to hate to hate to Hate again let’s talk about the other game very quickly Spain for Georgia W Georgia fans in the house quick sidebar um a little bit of Ted lasso BTS um there’s a character on the on season three of our program named Zava and um if you were to play sorry can we just say there’s a character called Zava thank you um Slovakian if you play the uh the uh Richmond on EA Sports or whatever they’re calling FIFA now uh you’ll learn that Zava is from Poland because the actor who plays him has polish Roots but in fact um the name Zava comes from a buddy of mine n named Dava who after season 1 said to me wouldn’t it be great if uh you know starting season two you you had like an Eastern European player named Dava and I had that in my head and we had to name him Zava because no one else liked the room the name Dava for some reason but Dava my friend fellow burner New Yorker photographer is from Georgia and so I have looked at Georgia with Keen Keen interest um in Zava shaped form and here they came playing new tournament favorite Spain oh I didn’t say that story was going to go anywhere it’s just a fun fact just a long fun fact s used to play for the r fire um Spain who had not so much as conceded a game this is foreshadowing is that what you call it in the writers room foreshadowing mostly we just look at videos of George Brett taking a actually well that’s what I don’t know how you say that in Spanish but that’s what happened actually George Brett taking a is called five [Applause] shadowing all of fame um I always get booed at least once in these shows by the way and that I’m going to shoot for two this time we’ll see how it goes Carry On Let’s Hear for Brett sa [Applause] haen SE uh 74th in the world by the way Georgia Portugal Slayers they were playing again another team free of expectation hungry to take on another Iberian peninsul power two teams met in qual if Ying Spain wood aggregate 10 to so we all watch with lazy eyes but this been the euros and the Euro being very very drunk 18th minute Georgia showed Spain they were ready for the SEC [Applause] and this is great and glorious leader Kim Jong-un signing off North Korean television oh by the way if you’re listening at home that was St and Bennett with the goal making an impostor syndrome one Spain nil that was Georgia’s very first attack I mean till panics stunning Cross by kabazi sorry Derek Ray I just effed that up by the way Derek Ray is the first person in history who doesn’t give a crap about football but uses football just so he can say kabad if as if he was like born there right in Georgia poor Spanish Defender LEL Mand I mean just a nightmare into his own net how about them dogs in that moment what did you think was going to happen uh well you think if they can get through to halftime then that’s going to make Spanish players nervous did they make it to halftime Raj I’m going to spoiler alert you that’s called the lead and George they conjured exactly zero shots on goal in that first half was somehow ahead the goalkeeper Mad Dash V standing on his head until Brendan thank you 38th minute and Ham on ham on [Applause] [Music] Roder bloody H the percentage of goals that Ry scores to important goals is almost one to one so patient so clinical God Brendan why is there no romance in football I mean we better hope there is come tomorrow I mean golly there’s still romance Raj come on call me Brenny some more second half oneway traffic or say say in Spain oneway Auto Pista 52 minutes piece of teenage kicks magic linum m 16 years old 11 bloody months an Exquisite assist de Touch of a tender lover Fabian Ruiz prodded home then my 75th minute we need to look at this 21y old Nico Williams called [Applause] game stunning lightning football Brendan it was like the srer familiar in terms of its uniqueness Spain singular in this tournament um always love a ciga Familia um reference because you know what it implies it implies that their Masterpiece is yet [Applause] unfinished can we just thank Comedy Bang Bang for brendon’s ability to improv cuz that is effing genius and it leaves us on the cliffhanger would have a for Spain march on I just want to say we’re going to talk about the Cooper in a second but here’s what I love about this Spain watching them propelled by this young effervescent Nico Williams laminal both sons of immigrants Nico from Ghana yamal is Root in Equatorial Guinea and Morocco symbols of a brave new face of Spain a nation that’s a mix of cultures all the better for it which is honestly when football is at its greatest it’s it’s a mirror to the nation reflecting it to the world Spain versus Germany this Friday I mean this is Pablo Picasso Gad derby um Brendan two powerhouses enter one powerhouse leaves Comedy Bang Bang please help me out here Pablo Picassa Gua Derby I mean the come for George Brett skidmark stay for the art references this is fantastic it’s going to be a great it’s I mean that’s that’s the kind of game we watch the Euros for I cannot wait for that that’ll be proper God bless who who do we think uh make noise if you think Spain will beat Germany make noise if you think Germany will beat Spain how many of you think America’s going to win the Euros God bless this country that’s called a pivot cuz it’s now time to talk about the real deal the pure uncut wonder that is the Cooper oh which is the bastard offspring of combow and coner CF Mexico got eliminated before the tournament it was always Mexico man that that long seated Mexico Slovakian rivalry is finally paying off I’ve been watering it nursing it knowing that someday you’ll be shouted back at me in Kansas City glorious oh my God shed a tear for Christo Fernandez Christo Fernandez lovely man deserves better have you I’ve never understood this maybe Derek Ray will know Bry why did the slovakians hate the Mexicans so so it’s like Brighton and Crystal Palace it’s just like unfathomable but I’m sure there’s a reason I mean the Cooper is like a dog fight played by prison rules with pool qes and homemade shivs and after the trauma of our loss to Panama we now face Uruguay who in the group stage have looked essentially like a varsity team warming up by devouring JVS they’ve got A plus seven goal difference after two games even Darwin nunz kind of knows where the goal is he’s on fire um by way dwin Nunes he’s on on fire your defense is terrified chaos God has scored in seven straight games 15 time copa win fifth in the world that’s the team we need to beat to get out the group stages in the tournament that we are hosting giving me straight Brenny how are you feeling um I am feeling stupidly [Applause] comfortable is that like your cover version of Comfortably Numb yeah cuz like I want to I want to feel it I want to feel my stupidity to be numb to it would be silly a reason why I love you is you are the most optimistic man in the world you are here you’re here to watch the game you are here to watch what um I am here because I’ve had this on the calendar for a very long ass time and I was also in Atlanta for the Panama game I will spare you the details but sh but suffice to say I have never had more struggle to get to a soccer game in time than it was getting to Atlanta for USA Panama and on the way there I’m like I’m doing this for USA Panama Jesus and and um it’s turned out was a pretty eventful game and almost worth it and and and we’re we’re going to get into it now but I will say the events of that game I am undeterred tomorrow’s game has been on the calendar and thus in the hearts of our players for a very long ass time and tomorrow is going to be at the very least memorable and let’s go oh I love that I love that and I love you we’re all clapping Google Calendar at the end of the day and I love that but I’ve got to say I’m trying to rationalize a lot of emotion right now which has never been my strong suit if I’m being honest but I’m trying to tell myself our mission has not changed as a nation we always knew this team was going to have to come into this tournament our Jen’s Eagles their big test would be facing a big nation in a big game that was in win I think we kind of thought it would be the round of 16 against Brazil or Colombia but it’s come early and in a way the challenge has remained exactly what we thought it would and to dig deeper on the US men’s national team’s an earring journey to Glory trademark Kansas City let’s welcome our first guest a native a HomeTown hero a graduate of Blue Valley West High School go Jaguars in oand park let’s get this straight there’s more of you here from Slovakia tonight the north it’s amazing I love America 30 miles Southwest of downtown after being drafted eth in the 2009 MLS super draft number eight seven pick was for the uh the Rin fire he spent a Dozen Years with sport in Kansas City made 294 appearances scored three bloody times he won one MLS Cup three US Open cups made 47 appearances for our beautiful national team by the way I love this he’s he’s scored once in a 2018 World Cup qualifying game on the very same day his first kid was born he’s an amazing human being Kansas City please be upstanding for the very first Kanza native to feature in a men’s World Cup he’s one of your own it’s Mr Matt beasler [Applause] do you speak Slovakian no oh it’s going to be a long night for Matt beasler all right I’ll translate would you want to translate yeah I’ll give it a shot I do want to say something real quick this is Off Script uh we were down in the green room watching some soccer in real time uh Mexico just got eliminated from cop America now it’s official now it’s real so hey even if the worst case scenario happens tomorrow Mexico got kicked out before we did all of this is hanging over us is that the one thing you need to understand it could always be worse we could be Mexico fans Matt beasler You Beautiful human being it’s incredible to be with you I want to say I loved watching you as a player you were such an incredible as Shard day once sang Smooth Operator she was singing about Matt beasa she was you were a leader on that field I mean I remember when you were first called up to the US national team August 2012 by you urgen Kinsman um you made nearly half a century worth of appearances you were left footed Center back you were so cultured you played in the coopa centenario in 2016 you actually started in that quarterfinal win over Ecuador are there any ecuadorians here tonight are there any slovakians here tonight America’s Amazing by the way at the time you called it a once in a life time experience but here we are we’re back in the Copa we’re coming to Kansas City tomorrow night what’s this tournament like can you give us a sense from your own memories Matt yes I I I participated in the 2016 cop America and for us it was a chance to play different teams you know I think we get into a rhythm of playing a lot of the cona teams and it’s a certain style and you know it’s it’s conaf I don’t have to say anything more it’s cona cap and so as a player how would you describe that style Matt how much time you got dep what level of karate did you achieve in your dojo are you a black belt yeah no I’m not yeah but but I think it’s a as a player you want to play against different teams you want to against you want to play against some of the best teams in the world so it’s exciting to to play against South America because they have some of the best teams in the world and it’s a different style out of the dojo onto the football field I mean let’s talk about this this Copa this team we sit here at a time of challenge um after the Panama game which Brendan was at and you played in another time of challenge you played in and I don’t know if this is too soon you will tell me no doubt Slovakian fans Trinidad and Tobago to USA one and I only raise it CU I know it’s sensitive for Slovakian fans 1776 [Applause] Slovakia I mean that game I raise it because you played in a game where like you’re all American you’re running around in an American Jersey and you’re like fight or flight like you guys are trying your best and you can’t believe that the team are going down in this fashion what does it feel like to experience that you know just like that that time of challenge what do you all when you watched the game this week against Panama did you have like a flashback to those moments yeah uh well first of all I didn’t realize we were going to be talking about Trinidad tonight um we gotay on the ridad T AI Ray can we have a word with him it’s too late too late it’s out there he’s already asked um you know I now that I’m not playing anymore and I get to I I get to think about what it was like to play and have all these experiences I I I I truly am blessed because I had such a wide range of emotions throughout my career and I get to sit here and and tell people like look I’ve had the highest of highs I’ve been on the field to qualify my nation into a World Cup uh but I’ve also had the lowest of lows and and so in some ways that strengthens me and because I’m still here you know and it and it doesn’t phase me like I I was on the field in Trinidad and it was awful uh the thing I can remember about that game is trying to process everything afterwards in the locker room uh we were all stunned but when you get back into the locker room and you start having interactions with your teammates everybody’s in a different phase of their career and their life and so I remember seeing Christian psic who was the youngest player on the team he was in tears because I think for him he had this dream of making it to his first ever World Cup and he wasn’t able to get that chance but right next to me on the other side was Tim Howard who was also in tears who maybe had just played his last ever National Team game and so in in everything in between that and so the range of emotion and different stages of people careers um that was my last National Team game too so you’re trying to process is this it am I ever going to get a chance is this the way that I’m going to go out and uh nothing can prepare you for those emotions you just have to go through it and here I am well that that is a positive difference thank you between between what the guys have gone through in that Panama game uh versus uh in that game that I I thought we weren’t going to talk about um is these guys do know they have a next chance they have they have that chance tomorrow they have had all week to think about it and uh and to prepare so let us let us hope that that is Meaningful I mean by the way a young Tim re was watching the Trinidad and Tobago gate and say I’m just 57 but I have a dream yeah I’m I hope his middle name I can’t believe I haven’t thought of this before but is his middle name David is he Tim dam is he Tim dream or is his middle name Charlie n forget it going be other thing with that ponytail I’m thinking Charlie hey let’s move on okay his middle name is breny um by the way you mentioned Chris Christian polia you did play with him he was on the field with you that night he cried on the field he was a kid then a teenager he scored even in defeat that night what do you see in him now I mean you played with many of the greats you played with Clint Dempsey you played with Landon Donovan the big dogs how does Christian compare is he the best Outfield player we’ve ever produced in the entire history was was was John Quincy Adams lesser than Christian politic is what I guess I’m asking is he the best ever right now Outfield PL H I’m not ready to say that yet I’m I’m an old guy so I I think he he’s well on his way uh certainly but uh I remember Christian coming in and right away you you recognize that he had something different uh for me as a Defender you know even in practice if you’re going 1 V one against somebody you’re trying not to look stupid and there’s some guys where you feel more comfortable than other but he was a guy that made you feel uncomfortable and what I would have to do when I would go up against him is I would basically just have to back off and just give him some extra space because I didn’t know if he was going to go left or right I think that’s one of the best things that Christian has in his game is his balance and he can go left or right just as well as anybody and so as a Defender you’re basically guessing is he going to go left is he going to go right I don’t know I can’t really tell he doesn’t have any tells in his first like two or or three steps his acceleration is is rapid and so he can get around guys with ease did you ever feel like you had no choice but to run up behind him and swing your left leg like a bat and chop him down mid run cuz you’re just so sad and desperate that’s all you have in your toolbox I’m sorry again I was there and I’m very bitter very very bitter I’ve been in that position a lot when he’s dribbled past me but uh to answer your question no I did not reach out and kick him thank you thank you that that question did not even deserve an answer and you’re a gentleman thank you very much I appreciate that I feel like I’m in the C procedural and Brendan Hunter is going to shout out objection overruled and would draw his own question but I do admire you so much I really do Matt because you don’t want to anoint him as the best Outfield player ever because you know that Graham zzi is going to text you when you leave the state can we hear it for gram zie [Music] amazing amazing man by the way Panama I was in your Stadium when gram zzi broke your heart you callous bastards um can we talk about this moment this squad this team um there’s so much incredible Pride that we all share in the fact that this is the first time that our starting 11 um as I said earlier yes not even in like Abraham Lincoln’s time we didn’t have this and like Jefferson or whatever um have we ever had a starting 11 from our nation who all played in the top five leagues in Europe yet we find ourselves in this moment of Challenge on the verge I even even want to say Hercules Gomez Tau me this horrible word grouped which is like so violating it’s unbelievable especially out of his mouth how do you understand when you watch this team so many incredible individual talents the challenge that we face in this moment can you explain it to us sure uh you know I think that there’s there’s no denying how talented we are uh I’m excited now that I’m a fan uh I think it is a it’s a very bright future I think there’s a lot of work to be done I think that uh we’re too inconsistent right now game to game Camp to Camp tournament to tournament there’s too many Es and flows so for me I I need to see more consistency but the one thing that that I’d like to bring up that I don’t think gets talked about as much is that there’s a lot of talk about where the players are playing we got guys playing all over Europe we’ve got guys playing at the top teams I think that is great right and I’m not sitting here saying that that doesn’t matter but I think we need to look at it further and and look at what is everybody’s role on those teams and I think right now we have a lot of people playing over in Europe and playing at top clubs but they all have the same role on the team they are be they are supporting players right they’re young they don’t have a lot of leadership they maybe don’t have as much responsibility and they are supporting when I experienced the teams that I was on in the national team we did not have players that were playing in Europe we did not have players that were playing on top teams and we took a lot of sh for that but the but what we did have was the roles that we all had on our teams were were positions of power of responsibility of accountability of captains I go through the roster that we had and again there was a lot of MLS MLS players but you could go down the roster myself captain sporting Kyle Beckerman was Captain of Real Salt Lake Michael Bradley was the captain Clint dimsey uh Tim Howard I could go down the listya B doya is captain of of of Philly and so uh you know talent-wise the teams wise yeah I don’t think it Stacks up but again I think the the role that you have at your club team that is the team that you’re there every single day that is your life that is what makes you and I think we need to see more people growing into these roles uh being captains being leaders taking that weight and bringing it from their club team to the national team because again I think right now at the club level the club teams are great the names are great but we there’s too many supporting players does that make sense so a Bravo B what I’m hearing is is if we’re going to have guys in Europe more of them should play at Everton like take the responsibility please please please look let’s look at Tim re right now okay Tim re is the oldest player on the team but what qualities does he bring to the team right now he’s the captain of Fulham he’s the captain of his club team so he brings leadership qualities every single day to his club team and I guarantee that he brings those same qualities to the locker room in the US now yeah he’s a great player he deserves to be there but I think a lot of the reasons that he’s there is because the leadership yeah attributes that he has this is fascinating to me because like we we hear about this conversation about yay it’s so good the guys are in Europe all the time because of um you know the guys who they’re going up against in training you know and the high level just around the whole periphery of their experience but I’ve never heard about this through the prism of having less responsibility that’s very interesting Everton had Anthony Robinson and he left us come back Anthony come back to us daddy um can we talk about Greg berhalter because I know that you know him Slovakia stop it Slovakia I know it hurts to be eliminated now hold on now Greg should not have told that guy to get a red card in the 20th minute that’s bad that’s bad coaching that’s on him that’s on him too soon I mean I know you know him so I am fascinated knowing him I mean we know that the players love him that’s why he got rehired it was a players’s choice we know that a number of the fans have doubts which they make very very manifest um in terms of right now what the question is is this the gentleman to propel this team to the next level we dream of but M of the human beings here you’re the human being that knows us so can you tell him about Greg Balter as a manager in your own words sure uh I’ve never I’ve never been coached by bur halter I’ve never been in the locker room with bur halter but I do know him I knew I know him well enough to uh have a good sense of of who he is as a coach he’s very detailed oriented he’s very intense uh he he’s very passionate about being successful uh I think that he uh obviously connects with his players uh that is clear right the players love him and again I’m not in the locker room so I don’t know exactly how he does that I’m actually curious to know how he does that you know is it is it texting with players is it having one-on ones is it visiting them at their clubs he does something to connect with his players to get them to buy in um but I think tactically he’s in a bit of a a predicament because I think naturally he’s very Hands-On in the way that he wants to coach his teams uh they want to be very meticulous about how they play and how they build out and they want to go over a lot of details and I don’t know if that’s the right approach for national teams I think it’s very difficult to do that um again I I’ve I think you have to have the right balance right it’s it’s balance like you can’t go into a national team game without talking any tactics because then you’re going to feel unprepared and that’s not a good feeling jur clintsman tried that for many I didn’t say I didn’t say who well no that was his methodology I’m not going to tell by the way Yan Clinton was a man who said when you take a penalty don’t think about where you’re going to put it because if you don’t know then the goalkeeper won either which by the way I thought about a lot but like genuinely when you carry that through to to finish my thought on bur halter again I I think he he uh the the team from what I can see the players believe in what he’s doing and that is the most important part and and so until I see differently I I I I can get behind the direction that they’re going um but again I I think that he’s got to find the right balance of hey look for two days we’ve talked about tactics this is the day of the game I want you to go out there and and play with your heart and be physical and run past your guy that you’re playing against and win your 1 V one battle because we’re Americans and that’s what we do and [Applause] I tell you we need to get that man who rips the telephone books apart again we get back I’m serious when you play against teams in conaf or even from South America I don’t even care who you play against they fear playing against Americans because they know they’re going to be in for a long night and so what I would do again I would focus on the tactics leading up to the game but I would make sure I remind teams to to say like like look sometimes tax tactics don’t matter and we’re going to pressure the team and we’re going to go and we’re going to go and we’re going to go and the goal may not come in the 25th minute but I can guarantee by the 70th minute they’re going to be so tired of the Americans not giving up and being in their face that they’re going to start getting you know they’re going the spaces are start going to open up and they’re going to start making mistakes and we’re going to start pumping in goals and we’re going to win the [Applause] game oh my God we need we need that Brad Pit speech and they will fear the American I love this essentially what you’re saying is Greg if you’re listening just put on Shawn D’s tracksuit tell you L the St it with that fancy football crap and just F crap up you know what do you expect tomorrow both of you I mean genuinely we are here in Kansas City we’re playing Marcelo B El’s Uruguay aluco is suspended but his bucket will Coach the team from the sideline and we fear the bucket We Fear the bucket yeah not as bad as George bread fears the bucket but yeah for sure uh had no idea how much mileage I was going to get out of that tonight anywh who um I I I truly believe that um much like Portugal in 2002 Uruguay is going to be surprised by the intensity of what they’re going to come up against tomorrow and something we didn’t even have in 2002 will be a incredibly Pro USA crowd and this is something I found in Atlanta at the Panama game we’ve talked a long time or if you probably heard a long time and I know you have experienced you know the US is the only country in the world who plays their home games with away crowds and yet last night or the that last game in Panama that was a majority us crowd in a stadium that holds 60,000 people and I have a good feeling that Kansas City is going to turn up tomorrow and give the same so I am optimistic about tomorrow but I defer to the far smarter man than me I mean tell us how it is I I don’t even know where we are anymore by the way you’re a Slovakian crowd here tonight can you found it in your hearts to cheer for the United States tomorrow at Arrowhead Stadium here’s the question I mean what I found Most Fascinating about watching Greg Balter teams is that ultimately in conquer CAF we may be have spent a lot of time trying to replicate Barcelona 2008 2009 era which is I think what you’re saying here and I think it’s like our inferiority as American soccer we try we don’t just try and win but we try and think what other people think about us which in International Football you don’t give a crap it’s just about winning like pragmatic football and when this team have had their best results under Greg burh halter it’s where we play that gritty reactive fighting football against Brazil 10 days ago I love you look at you you’re likeing raptures and I adore it I feel this is the closest I’ve ever felt to being like Joel aost watching Matt beasler In This Moment by the way watching us play England in the bloody World Cup again we didn’t try and like we weren’t dazzling England with our disco moves we were just like okay we’re going to f you up we’re not afraid of you come at us bro we’ll choose our moments it’s a dog fight out there dog so what do you expect tomorrow what should we be doing what do you hope for in your heart of American Hearts I I expect we’re going to show up and I think we’re going to win the game I just I I think that our backs are against the wall and we laid an egg the last game against Panama uh and I just don’t see you know American teams I I don’t think we lay an egg two games in a row especially at home here’s what I want to know seriously from the booth of you United States has won in big tournaments this actually pisses me off I’m going to be candid it’s going to get a bit dark for one moment before it gets light again America since 1990 we’ve won one massive bloody game in major Global tournaments and we won it against Mexico in the World Cup it’s like the confederations cup means nothing to you Raj carry on carry [Laughter] on oh shny Infantino bring it back just so we can like prove Brendan’s point that it was an important tournament look it’s almost unfathomable to me we have seen Georgia do it they beat Belgium we’ve seen Slovakia do it we’ve seen Slovenia do it we’ve seen all the sloves do it we’ve seen Iceland in we’ve seen Wales do it in previous tournaments here’s what I want to know seriously guys why never us I mean this seriously why I sound like a Sunderland fan in Sunderland till I die why is it never us looking a massive team in the eye and saying yes we’re going to f you up and we’re actually going to do it are you talking about us or [Applause] England I’m actually asking I didn’t know who you were talking about oh my God why would I care about England M what part of you thinks I care about England genuinely I’m genuinely serious when i pledged allegiance to the flag flag I pledged allegiance to the [Music] flag Matt this is an upper wests side New York City accent Raj May used to have sung the the UK national anthem but they’ve changed that Anthem since then he’s one of ours now so the question stands I just I genuinely I used to say I can’t say anymore I’m more American than Kid Rock So I’ve got a gr zzi poster above my bed M why never the US the United States it’s a it’s a good question I I think that we we play different teams and and I think a lot of the teams that we play We Are Better Than right the conquer teams a lot of World Cup qualifying on paper were better and I think in those games uh instead of trying to play pretty soccer and work the ball around I think we got to go out with a A you know more intensity in be more direct that’s what I saw against Bolivia I I was really pleased the way that we went out against Bolivia I thought that we were going to come out and try and work the ball and pass through them but that’s not what I saw I saw that we came out flying we were hungry we were playing balls in behind we were putting the the other team Under Pressure we were creating set pieces we scored our first goal off of a set piece right the thing about major tournaments all the stats what do they say the uh over 50% of the goals are scored off of set pieces how do you score off set pieces you have to get set pieces to score off set pieces and then you have to hire a new set peace coach yeah so anyways I I think the uh I think that that’s the approach that that we have to take is just be on the front foot and that’s what I’m looking to see and that’s regardless of the opponent okay it’s time this Uruguay test feels like a mission impossible but I’ve watched all of the mission Impossibles on a flight to Kansas City today and I don’t know if you’ve seen them that’s not true we circled [Laughter] I don’t know if you’ve seen those movies but Mr Tom Cruz he always pulls off those Mission Impossibles but he won’t be playing tomorrow so I want to know what gives you both the most hope and then spoiler alert tell us what is going to happen tomorrow both of you put us out of our misery tell us how it’s going to go down Brendan um I will uh defer and repeat this revisit this question at a later time I defer to our wiser guest this just suddenly become Court [Laughter] TV I I think we’re going to put in a great performance again I think we’re going to show up and right from the opening whistle I going I think you’re going to see energy intensity think we’re going to be on the front foot I see us winning the game two Z I love it I also like the fact that uh the the national team has an incredible record here in Kansas City by the way it’s going to be two who’s going to score graem zzi gets the first goal who gets the second josi zardes you are in the face um I think it’s a fascinating Clash this is a US team that’s got a proud Tre record in these games when we’ve got our backs against the war going back to n jurus in World Cup qualifying going back to the World Cup proper against Iran um we also have a tough track record against big teams this is going to be the moment where those two stories Collide we have enough Talent can we summon the idea of football we need I really do believe there’s an incredible gfop krie Brookner who sent me a beautiful email that I’ve thought a lot about it’s from psychologist Rolo May who wrote courage is not the absence of Despair it’s rather the capacity to move ahead in spite of Despair so I just say to a courageous performance a light out Matt Turner showcase a magical flow balagam moment a one-nil victory and then let’s just pray that Panama don’t beat Bolivia 3-0 Matt you are proper Kansas City it’s a joy to be with you um I mean I do believe in every regard we are lucky to have you in our lives the amazing thing is you retired you’re just a couple of months younger than Tim re he’s still playing he’s crushing it Well Done Timmy by the way I wish he could play tomorrow night am I right Kansas City can I just say Matt B’s a Kansas City is lucky to have you everything feels calm rational straightforward around you the World makees sense give it up for the first Kansas native to play in the men’s World Cup Kansas City it’s Matt beasler [Applause] bonus content I just got to do this real quick I’m on stage with you all the last time I was on stage at Power and Light I chug some beers by the way uh I got to get a USA chant okay here we go USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA thank you very much I needed that ladies and gentlemen my oh my God this is one of the greatest nights in Slovakian American relations Ben and now as an encore Matt beasler will perform from Hamilton my shot in its entirety that was great great by way does speaking to Matt make you feel more optimistic about what’s going to go down tomorrow night uh I would but I can’t feel more optimistic than I already do then I’m going to take your Good Vibes I’m going to move them up to 11 um because our next guest will blew us away a little bit deeper in terms of our optimism in this unparalleled sporting culture this joyous city of fountains it’s time to bring to the stage another Kansas City Native Son a favorite of Casey and the nation two time Emy award-winning actor for his role as Cameron Tucker on Modern Family but he’s truly revered among my kids as Juke from The Secret Life of pets a gen who taught the entire nation How To Boldly wear shirt sleeve cuffs Kansas City please be upstanding for a greater am it’s Mr Eric Stone Street [Music] wonderful wonderful we’ve been drinking [Music] hi you’re waving hi how’s everybody doing I would have not had met George Brett today without Eric’s intervention by the way so he’s already made the show better a thank you by the way this feels like this is the beginning of the Eric Stone Street for Kansas City May campaign yes I’m announcing announcing my candidacy wow you guys have you really been drinking up here we don’t treat our guests very well you get one cup yeah I have air can we get Eric Stone Street sorry can we get the May a drink um Eric you were born here in Kansas City you lived in a twostory wood Shingle House 5 Acres you rais pigs cows lived in an adjacent 40 acres when I heard that fact I was like my God life ambition to be one of Eric Stone Street’s cows um I Come From New York where like you can’t turn a corner without bumping into someone so was someone who was born and ra I feel like I’m a deaf person I have to watch your lips as you’re talking cuz I can barely hear you that’s fair enough all right I’m going to watch you so don’t think I’m weird I’m just going to stare at you by the way this is not this is not rude of very extensive my wife speaks to me this way she’s like I can’t understand you it’s not about understanding it’s that too but I can’t hear you that’s fair what I’m saying is Eric what makes Kansas City special the spirit of the city oh man so so many things you know I lived in Los Angeles for 20 whatever years I’ve spent two years in Chicago after leaving Manhattan Kansas Kansas State then I moved to Los Angeles for 20 plus years found some decent success there and then Co hit and I moved back to Kansas City and let me just tell you it’s been an amazing experience retethering myself to this town but more importantly these people uh we love uh the folks in Kansas City so the answer what makes Kansas City special is are the folks the people I always say when someone here at the grocery store asks me how I’m doing it doesn’t mean mean who’s your agent and can I send them one of my scripts it means how you doing which is a real treat um but you know look we love being seen right because we’re not Philadelphia we’re not New York City we’re not Los Angeles and most people associate Sports and you know things like that with those large Market teams and areas so that when something like this the soccer match tomorrow night or the World Cup coming in a couple years this when we have the NFL draft here it makes us so proud because the world is getting exposed to the city we love so we’re very passionate people we wear a tremendous amount of Kansas City stuff um you’re you were uh Brendan was wearing a Kansas City hat today I’m like oh he’s one of us my monarchs strictly monarchs couldn’t do Royals sorry guys Sor yeah anyway uh my my answer is is the people we we we’re good people here so how was that decision like you are a human being that could live anywhere in the world Hollywood y Hollywood yep Hollywood yeah Hollywood what made you decide no I’m going to make myself my wife back here in Kansas City yeah a couple a couple things happened uh Modern Family ended and and then uh the the my my Dad’s health don’t want to bring it bring it down uh but he he started to decline my fiance was traveling back and forth from Kansas City to La for 3 years to make our relationship work then Co happened and I’m like what the am I doing in Kansas City I’m out of here or I mean in la I’m out of here oops um I’m just kidding I actually live in LA Kansas City and all the people bun of holes I’m La all the time baby take me to redo Drive where I can get a $3,000 shirt he rips off a mask and he’s Johnny Damon uh me I’m really sorry that uh monor family got canceled so early and never got a chance you know maybe maybe your next show will be worth a damn yeah love your work oh yeah yeah it was but but a circumstance a collision of circumstances brought me back and um you know I’ll tell you it’s a it’s it’s a beautiful moment that I had with my dad where he was sitting in his chair in Kansas City before he passed away and and he looked at me and he saidwell Eric I sure never thought you’d come back home and I said well Dad I I didn’t think I would either which was the truth it was a profound moment because here I’d had this you know had this career have this career that I was going for that they were so supportive of and I was doing it and it was happening and at the top of you could get you know with the TV show and and now all of a sudden I’m back in Kansas City and can have lunch with my mom mom and dad and be with Lindsay anytime I wanted it was it’s been crazy it’s a it’s it was a gift to have those two years with him that I never in a million years thought I would [Applause] have because I was so self-absorbed in Los Angeles doing cocaine constantly I remember at that time Andy Dick came up to you was like Eric settle down oh oh my God my father is very sick at the moment Eric and you I I realize I am about to go back and move to Liverpool oh and do a lot of Cain yeah but this is not about me it’s about you it is um as a child you played a lot of baseball you an offensive lineman in football track field Shop Port discus you did it all you essentially you invented the the Catalin as an Olympic um you did one golden year of soccer yeah um but nowadays you watch the Chiefs religiously baseball huge Royals fan yep owner Olympic track and field but you’ve been getting into the other football Sporting Kansas City and you’ve attended KC current games can you explain the Eric Stone Street Soccer Evolution well I told uh somebody that works for the show that my biggest memory of playing Youth Soccer was that the coach brought lemon and cucumber to the in the water and I was like this is awesome this is the best tasting water I’ve ever had in my life are we are we no no we know we know well I love it I thought it was a we’re by the way that feel that was the worst break dancing of all time by the way the coach that Eric’s talking about is obviously Peter Peter vermes right Benny I love I love how deep we get to go on this show cuz like usually I would only make a Peter vermes reference among friends but here I can make in front of hundreds of people and they get it this is great uh and and then you know I kind of hung up my my soccer shoes and my shin guards there’s a lot of running around around just a tremendous amount of movement and you ran track yeah oh I threw things in track let’s be clear I picked up heavy things and tried to throw them over there uh uh and then you know I I I uh got into Sporting Kansas City and then this beautiful stadium that Kansas City built the first one in the world for for professional women’s sports professional women’s sports by the way let’s do that that that deserves that yeah we have a thing now you and I every time we see each other we got to we got to if we in the NBA that would be our handshake um but it is amazing I mean this this team this town has birthed the first ever women’s professional solely built purpose-built Stadium for the game it’s beautiful too and and I’m so happy for them and happy for the city and the attention that it’s gotten and you know I love the pageant Tre of sport so it makes sense that when there’s a soccer match on that means something I’m invested I’m going to be there tomorrow night go ug uh USA oh no we went over this over this no God what did I do I knew when you said Kansas City was going to be a problem God damn God damn oh my God by the way I’m in I’m proud proud to be in America oh my God there’s nothing there’s nothing that can piss off a Full House of Slovakian fans more than true are are there really slovakians here oh yeah and the thing is like like you know there’s a big rivalry between any countries who have capital cities with a v in their names so Bratislava mono is just such such a dog fight really is they probably pronounce it Mont Vio but you know you get it you don’t want to talk about can you explain to me I mean you are a co-owner of um of the Kansas City Royals Slovakia Kansas City Royals come on you’re a graduate of Piper High School Kansas City Kansas State University official model motto rule by obeying nature’s laws which always befuddles me um and one of nature’s laws is that there’s no better place in a Kansas City Chief’s tailgate I mean you are a rabid Chiefs fan yeah the US Men’s National Team is about to Ender Chief’s territory tomorrow yeah can you describe a tailgate in this town to a national audience describe the Carnage to someone that has not had the pleasure Eric please yeah well you stop at the grocery store you get Trish of sushi um yeah that TR oh no sorry that’s La sorry sorry sorry that’s that’s a tailgate at a UCLA football game never mind um oo a lot of big UCLA folks here offended uh listen there’s a line to get into the stadium like if there’s a Chiefs game at three the line is at the the stadium opens at 6 and people are tailgating in the line to tailgate like that’s common here so they they show up and get their grills out to wait to get in to light their Grill they got a a line Grill and a tailgate Grill but uh you know it’s incredible All Season too you know uh they have heaters and fire pits and everything like that it’s you know John Madden said it best that arrowhead’s the best smelling stadium in America and you can’t beat it that’s right and I hope tomorrow I hope tomorrow that there’s a a representation of that somehow I’m I’m hoping that Kansas City shows up uh and shows our wonderful Slovakian guests [Laughter] um are there really slovakians here what the several were naturalized during the show all righty [Applause] svitz uh isn’t that the the drink of Slovakia the you know what svitz is I think I think they drink M I think I just what did he say what did he say they’re drinking they happen to be drinking the sponsored beer most likely um but it it’s it’s uh wonderful it’s uh great and I hope we get to experience a tailgate tomorrow when Americans fly in and visit Kansas City for this coopa and This World Cup what do you want them to take away from this experience how do you hope that they leave having viewed your hometown Eric well I hope they leave having a positive experience you know when we played the the Philadelphia Eagles last year here in Arrowhead um yep we had we had beaten them in the Super Bowl and then they had to come back this last year and I spotted two Philadelphia Eagles fans uh on the mezzanine on my way to where we sit at Arrowhead how did you spot them Philadelphia Eagles fans are usually so Bookworm yeah and so he’s not going to name names but it was Rob mckel Henny keep going so I I politely went over to him and I said hey guys has anybody told you to go [ __ ] yourself [Laughter] [Applause] yet and and the guys are like no do you want to be the first I’m like actually no I want to say welcome to Kansas City I hope you have a great time unlike all the Eagles fans at the Super Bowl last year were to me so enjoy our Fair City uh I sure hope you can say [ __ ] on this it’s come up okay all right all right all right uh but I want people to experience the good folks here I want them to experience barbecue uh in the proper way that they can I want them to experience the tailgate I want them to see the diversity of the city the museums we have some really great museums and just know that we uh were a thriving Metropolis with a lot to offer to lots of people and then I want them to get the [ __ ] out of here cuz I’m not bringing traffic from Los Angeles to Kansas [Applause] City oh my God this really is the maral inauguration of Eric Stone Street yeah by the way the museums here are incredible I do want to just say the first world M Museum oh it’s incredible it’s it’s it’s such an unbelievable immersive experience uh I highly recommend going to that BoB Kendrick who runs the Negro League Museum here is a national he’s a national treasure that we are lucky enough to have as a is he here no he’s not I just released a film where I interview BoB Kendrick and everything you’re saying is utterly you’re you’re Deputy may I think you’ll be yeah I mean ultimately the the Negro League Baseball Museum and the first world war museum Kansas City you’re both the nicest group of human beings in the world and you also hold up some of the most important stories about America to America and make us understand them and that’s what I love about your City uh and then I promised you next time you’re here I’m going to be responsible for getting you on a little meat tour I want to take you to a few places that are off the beaten path that have contributed to this um and this too I’m 87% made up of burn ends and I told Eric where I’d been and he was like no he’s said that’s not real barbecue I’m going to say you to real Barbe kue yeah don’t sh quiet I was in Philadelphia one time I was doing a show and I got myself in trouble in many cities when they would ask in Chicago what’s your favorite deep dish pizza and no matter what you say it’s like the wrong answer so I was like if PE quads PE quads is good the you know it’s fine um the answer is Jim’s cheese steaks if you’re from Philadelphia no no no no no so so sure enough in the middle of the thing somebody yells out what’s your favorite cheese steak in Philadelphia and I just said Subway oh my [Applause] God you I mean it was like a chant of like no no oh there’s no right answer who is that guy he’s from Modern Family what was that it was on ABC for a little bit couple episodes oh man Eric what I don’t know I don’t know if we’ve discussed this enough tonight we got quite an important game of football tomorrow in your city 24 hours from now um I don’t want to be hyperbolic I would never be hyperbolic it does feel like a moment U where the future of democracy is on the line and as a search for positive I think about God it’s being played here in Kansas City whom are the Chiefs the Royals the current Sporting KC and Slovakia [Applause] [Music] y as we say in Liverpool get behind the lads you are someone that’s experience every kind of KC Sports tell us what this crowd tomorrow night is going to sound you’re going to be there with Brendan together what’s it going to feel like guys what’s it going to sound like what’s it going to be like during this massive game what’s it going to sound like oh yeah I mean it’s US USA USA us us I mean yeah I mean nothing better than a great USA chant I mean think we’re going to have that I thought you meant like what’s it going to sound like down on the field of like like I don’t know like I’m not going to be that close bro like hey over here and then go [Applause] I think it’s going to be amazing and here’s what I had this Epiphany at the coldest game at the Miami game you know everybody was talking about canceling that game and it was too cold to go out and as I’m sitting there in the stadium I’m looking around and all the people filing in in their parkas and their gloves and everything I got emotional so for the same reason I get emotional at like a parade it’s like look at all these people like showing up to support this thing it’s amazing and I think tomorrow is going to be that kind of a feeling for me as well because here we have this great world thing happening in our city and Kansas City is going to show up and just be amaz amazing and loud and boisterous and people are traveling in from all over like Slovakia coming to the game and and we get that Spotlight put on our great City again and it’s that’s awesome I mean is that what you want me to say I think it’s I can’t wait I can’t wait I love going to Arrowhead for any reason and you know I I don’t even go to concerts at Arrowhead but I’m going to this match you know will this be your first um will this be your first national team match it will be my first national team match can let tell you statistically Eric Stone Street has never seen the US Men’s National Team lose and I’m not going to see him lose tomorrow night or I understand the coach is [Applause] gone Brendan you’re taking him so when don’t you close this beauty close the whole thing not the whole bloody thing not the whole bloody thing just Eric Stone Street just say you’re an inspiration you’re a burst of Joy a and optimism that we need in a time of chaos like this something like that that reminded that in life eventually we all return to where we started we’re all just salmon swimming Upstream breny we Brenan and I know from improv that the way out of a scene is always through the beginning right you always go back to where you started from and that’s what it feels like me coming home to Kansas City is I went off on this journey to find success ESS and I found some and now I’m back to where it all began and it feels phenomenal Eric Stone Street Ladies and Gentlemen Eric Stone Street bending your next May Eric Stone Street holy sh granny what a night what a night what a human being by the way when he said we all end up where we began you all know you’re going to be deported to Slovakia very shortly so enjoy it well you count Lads um Eric is not our only guest tonight oh my God what did I just say Eric’s not the only guest tonight who knows his way around the face paint which he’s going to be putting on tomorrow the red white and blue of the United States because as I mentioned earlier I was here three weeks ago doing a live show for the KC current and I was telling the the the story of this team the world’s first Stadium purpose built for a women’s team and one of the pictures we popped up on this screen was this fan the teal man I I think the Avatar movies are so great they’re so [Laughter] great honestly I looked at that photo and it filled me with joy optimism enthusiasm belief that anything is possible and I want to say at the time we need this it’s a joy to bring to the stage to close this show with fanatical Zeal Kansas City please be up standing for another one of your own it’s Richard Harper your te man te man real man to [Applause] man I hugged him before and it took me about an hour to get all the tinsel off my shirt you’ll find it 3 months later can I just say they say never meet your Heroes Brendan I mean up close like are you are you are you airbrushing it like the blending is really really amazing uh no I just slap a ton of paint on there and call it good well done well Goddamn done Richard you are a singular wondrous human being I mean one it Vis of your being can just like make me want to run through walls which is why I wanted you to come up here today and we just heard Eric Stone Street’s origin story tell us the moment you first looked in the mirror and thought you know what I’m going to unleash my alter ego and become the teal man you know what I’ll just start off with a couple of things in the in the past of just being silly and being a goofball uh and just kind of combining everything together uh I used to be a music teacher a band instructor and for uh the Christmas parades they used to put lights and tensil on their instruments and some kids would be a little nervous about doing it looking silly and I was like well if you feel silly let me look like the biggest idiot out there so I decided to do a big old glitter beard for that uh and then uh coming to Ken city was like man I got to find something to do Royals are cool now I don’t want to do that for the Royals that’s that’s a lot of sitting and that’s a lot of I’m going to sweat all that Glitter off so I was like well the current there’s an idea and it was just real fun to one day go you know let let’s get some uh teal paint let’s slap that on let’s get the glitter going and let’s have a good time and I think we’ve all been having a good time haven’t we Richard I don’t know if you know and this Slovakian crowd don’t care but the United States are in a do or die situe tomorrow night fans in Kansas City are going to be a very important part of the proceedings Brendan will be there Eric Stone Street will be there can you tell us what would we feel what were you when you sit there in that packed out I mean you sit in the KC current stadium bellowing for your undefeated team with several thousand of your fellow Kansas cians what’s it going to feel like in the arrowhead tomorrow night I mean uh it’s going to be electric it I don’t think it can beat that 11,500 uh capacity crowd that we get every game at the current Stadium but uh no I mean it’s going to be electric we’re going to show them what Midwest Sports are about and I I’m excited to see the crowd get riled up God bless I’ve got to tell you it warms my heart to spend time with you knowing that we’re all rooting for the same thing there’s a chant in Lola banland the casy baby chant can you just end proceedings tonight explain it to the audience at home and then I think it’s a fitting way to to end to end this evening together yeah it’s I think it’s something that LOL la really helped bring together and uh it’s a big cheer we do to start every game uh so what I’ll do is uh I’ll uh I’ll let you know we’ll say one two three and then oh we already know you’re all so good um and we’ll all say casy baby sound like something we can do together all right here we go you ready no you’re not are you ready thank you all right here we go on me one two 3 K that’s right Richard I got to tell you that noise is the sound of light emerging from the darkness you are a special bloke all that’s good about American fandom you thrilled me the image of you meeting you tonight is honestly the joy of my trip to Kansas it’s the act of consciously making memories together which I hope you’re all going to tomorrow night Kansas City please be upstanding for your teal man Mr Richard Harper [Applause] [Laughter] [Applause] brny God bless that is a man that leaves an impression wherever he goes we have reveled in a true Gem of a sports Town we’ve taken a 12-hour break from the meat sweats to which I’m going to return in about half hour I’ll meet you all at Town Topic Burger um tomorrow our gents play Uruguay that embodiment of football in chaos 75,000 fans will be there th000 Americans 74,000 [Applause] slovakians speak to the team imagine they’re listening to you on the bus ride to Arrowhead Stadium tomorrow Brendan what’s the pregame hype speech you would want our gents to hear I guess I mean now just have to speak from from what my current experience is here assuming I got here to Kansas City and then I flew back to where they were and I got on that bus and then I came back put them on the bus I would tell them hey guys Kansas City didn’t start out great for me I got to the Airbnb and you know sometimes you go to Airbnb and like the remote control is just missing and it was and I couldn’t find it and then when I finally found it I turn it on it’s like some kind of crazy ass cable package where I can’t find anything and like the remote doesn’t even really work now it was oddly I didn’t know this existed but it was on the FIFA Channel apparently there’s a FIFA Channel but hey I don’t need to watch the Croatia Brazil game from 2022 again so that’s fine put that away that’s fine getting back into it because I’m just now I’m reving in the Kansas City of it and the US MNT of it because let us not forget yes went bad after that red card in Atlanta but there was fight after that there was fight notably ferin balagan had the best game he’s ever had for this team and you already know the fight you’re going to get from the guys who’ve been there longer polistic McKenna whatsoever Etc and here’s the thing beyond all that we are in Kansas City and I know for a fact that there’s a win and Vibe going on here because I know the Royals won their last game and I know sporting won their last game I know the current won their last game and I hear tell the Kansas City Chiefs won their last game as well so maybe that winning Vibe this city revives will keep on going because here’s one more thing when I turned on that TV this morning it was still the FIFA Channel and you know why and this is absolutely true John O’Brien’s face was on my television this morning because they were showing that at the exact moment I turned the TV on they were showing footage of the US beating Portugal 3 to2 in 2002 the last time we had to play such a highly ranked team and all of that speaks to me and says it’s going to be one hell of a game tomorrow and we just might shock the world world and that’ll be because of Kanas godamn City so let’s go play the goddamn game # [Applause] believe us us [Applause] Space Mountain baby okay let me try and translate this into your language if Slovakia can be Italy anything’s possible right so dream big things Kansas City really dream blood big things this is our time this is our turn I truly believe it also I’m praying Uruguay are going to rest most of their starters not that it matters do you think this is you think there’s like an equivalent in Monto video tonight where they’re like on stage we like we fear the United States God I hope that is true I thought you were going to tell me you couldn’t find the remote control and when you flicked it on you put Fox on and you just found the bass fishing look our show’s almost done but the night is not we will be retiring to John’s Big Deck 928 W and Dot Street going to meet you we’ll raise a glass with you um but I want to raise my last Cameran of the night to you I want to say Brenda it it improves my life to spend time with you laughing with you you brought your partner Shannon here tonight which has been the joy of my week to be candid I’ve Loved shoving my face full of sweet sweet sweet Kansas City Barbecue I love this city of cities and tomorrow I can’t wait to watch the United States RAR into Marcelo Biel’s Uruguay and please Lord the C America knockout rounds are still reachable let us not doubt the size of the task but let’s approach it with hope and belief in American glory to a day we draw closer together to a day we can put arm around each other and our loved ones can we celebrate the way football binds us together as Community City to city across this great nation had a letter from gfo P Jordan Williams who wrote me this he said he hopes someone and I’m guessing it’s Tyler Adams because he’s the US player most likely to read Shakespeare am I right yep Yeah Tim rean second yeah I think so he he’s going to read the Epic Soliloquy from Henry V which I think Tyler thinks is is a play about tiar on re the F and I quote this line Tyler say this to the lads before you go out this story shall the good man teach his son and Cooper America shall n Go by from this day to the end of the world but we in it shall be remembered we few we happy few we Band of Brothers for he today that sheds blood with me shall be my brother to America one last toast to Brendan bloody hunt incredible human being incredible and cuz he won’t do it himself to Roger Bennett most importantly to Kansas City what’s a city in Slovakia Bry love Slovakia always have that’s it Charlotte we’re coming to you next July 9th night before the Copa America semifinal of the Bank of America Stadium the US will be in that one Sam muis is coming with me Dean Smith whom I love Carolina Panthers defensive end Derek Brown proper football tickets available now New York come and have a drink with us on July the eth um Kansas City just want to say thank you from Brendan and myself for for Eric Stone Street for Matt beasler for the tail man I just want you to know you are one of my favorite cities in the entire United States now come and have a point with us huge huge love and if I may to uh to a local boy who is not with us this summer it’s a damn shame but uh Shaunie miones Grant Wall Grant Wall ladies and gentlemen never forget if anything should teach you to not take a second for granted to make memories while you can to Revel in every football match as if it’s your last and just save her look left look right the company that we’re in ultimately that’s what’s important America huge love for me Big Love thanks for having us courage go go USA [Applause] [Music] [Applause]
6 Comments
Rog you’re too nice to give stage
Let me know if you need a new audio engineer.
What is this
Town topic is fucking fantastic!!!
What venue is this at?
The George Brett story!!!