The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Red, White, and Blue... and Kit Drip? The 2026 World Cup Jersey Draft ft. Mike Ryan Ruiz!

Episode Date: July 3, 2026

America is about to blow out 250 candles, and while the rest of us are ready for the NFL season to kick off, Mike Ryan Ruiz is crashing the show with his eyes glued to the pitch! Mike has gone all in on the 2026 World Cup, and he’s bringing that big global energy to the studio for a very special segment: The 2026 Drip Drill World Cup Draft. We’re selecting and ranking the absolute best jerseys (or kits, if you're fancy) from the tournament. NFL, take notice. There are some bangers in soccer. But don't panic, football fans—there's plenty of NFL chatter alongside the people's game. And deep thoughts on Pepé Le Pew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2026. Sam Darnold is a Super Bowl-winning QB, and the Indiana Hoosers are the best college football team in all the land, and the Knickerbockers are the champs of the whole NBA. And the U.S. soccer team is relevant? Don't get me wrong, I mean, Phil Mickelson's still a scumbag, so not everything in the world is upside down right now, but still. And now, the weirdest thing yet, the Boston Celtics just traded the 2024 finals MVP to their arch rival. for the shriveled remains of Paul George? Is this going to go down in sports history as worse than the Vikings trading for Hersha Walker? How about the Browns trading for Deshawn Watson on purpose? I think we can already say it's worse than 2025's nominee for worst trade ever.

The Cowboys dealing Micah Parsons to the Packers, Kenny Clark and Quinn and Williams. And in the draft, Malachi Lawrence and a couple of DBs. So less than a year later, it feels closer to win-win. So we'll have to see on this Jalen Brown deal. But in the meantime, Mike Ryan, who's upcoming in just a second here, says the upcoming England-Mexico game is the biggest event in the history of sport. I don't know. Does that deserve a red card? Like bigger than Ali Frazier or Montana v. Marino?

Let's talk about it with him. And you, right now. Start the show! Mike Ryan. Hey, badder, batter. Hey, badder, badder. This is a new game we play here on the show. What the Seltz got for Jalen Brown.

or what the Browns got in letting Baker Mayfield go in favor of Deshawn Watson. How soon? Whoa. The Celtics may have just made one of the worst trades in history, but I'd still prefer that than what the Browns got in return. That's one of the few examples that you can point to, especially in the modern era, and say that deal was worse. All right.

Hi, and hello, and all that to my fellow football Americans. Welcome to Football America, presented as ever by our pals over at Draft King Sports, now available in 50 states. And I counted them up. I went one by one. That is all of the states in these United States, these United States. Now on to the round of 16 in football America. We're going to yap about that in just a second. Meantime. Drop us a line in the comments on YouTube and Spotify and Apple. Subscribe. Tell your friends, unless you hate the show, then tell your enemies. Either way, welcome. to episode 71. And hello to Gino Fentes, Buddy Bedowski, out and about as we speak.

According to Mike Ryan, and we'll get into some NFL stuff here in a second as well. But according to Mike Ryan, the biggest event in the history of sport is England v. Mexico in Mexico City next week. How are you, Mike Ryan? And defend yourself here. I think it's going to be the most dramatic theatrical event of our sporting lives. Now, it's not going to be the biggest sporting event. That'll be reserved for the final. I'm talking about hyped in advance up. Yeah. Yeah, the final for this World Cup is going to surpass whatever this is.

But in terms of the storylines going into it, the weight of both badges for Mexico, they lifted a curse, their first knockout round victory in 40 years for England. it's always about getting to the final, adding a star to that shirt. Their intestinal fortitude constantly questioned. They just had a huge gut check victory over DR Congo, but they did that in Atlanta at noon against a nation. That was a bit of a Cinderella. Can you go into Azteca Stadium where I believe Mexico is 117 with 17 draws and only two losses in their competitive history in Azteca?

I don't know about the deep history, but it is relevant that they haven't lost there in how long. Yeah, they don't. I mean, but they haven't lost in many moons in a big game now. Gino very helpfully. Where's the other guy? Gino very helpfully, 77, 17 and 2. Top of the dome for Gino. That's incredible.

That's their competitive record in Azteca. They've had several friendlies. They just flatly don't lose there. And the reason why they don't lose there is the hostility and the elements, the altitude, the lack of sleep that the opponents get when they're in town. This is the single biggest hurdle England has ever had to clear in this tournament, and if England do so. Ever had to clear?

Boy, we're into the hyperbole, ain't you this week? No, no. There is nothing that is going to test mind, body, and spirit quite like this Sunday evening matchup between Mexico and England. And if England do survive this and advance, I like them to win the whole thing. because the only thing that's been holding England back has been that mental toughness, that mental strength. Can you put the boogey men to bed? It's kind of like the bills and the chiefs. Can you beat the chiefs when it counts? This is the book on you. You need to beat the chiefs to be able to get

to where you're actually going, Buffalo. Can you do it? That's what's happening with England. This is a huge test for them, and I cannot wait for it. It's going to be dramatic. It's going to be absolute scenes in Azteca. Well, and in the meantime, there are two sides to what's going on in these United States, in sharp relief with in our nation's capital and the big state fair and the lack of attendance there. I find, consider me won over by this World Cup, the ubiquitous recurring cutaways to Americans in the stands of every stripe. I mean, people, brown people who, and then cut away to the people playing on the team speaking with accents and the different walks of life.

that they've come from to be on the U.S. men's soccer team and all of that. I think it's all added up to grand stuff. And I am anxious and patriotically so, looking forward to this game against Belgium. We'll get your pick on that in just a second. First of all, let me say this, dynamite stuff for Mike Ryan, Dan Lebitard, Zaslow, and the crew on Thursday's LeBotard show reacting to the aforementioned Wild Trade. I mean, I just, I can't get over how bizarre it is. and there's got to be something we don't know.

It's the only thing I can come up with at this point because it is a bizarre giveaway. Again, to your arch rival, but make sure you're always checking them out five days a week on the Levitart show and a legitimately great soccer show. And I texted him on the side to let him know that he has my stamp approval. Morally abhorrent. Make sure you're tracking that one down.

And then also drip drill. We've got some World Cup edition drip drill coming up here. It's Mike Ryan to give you a proper introduction. And I'll follow up with this. Hey, bad or badder. Hey, badder, badder. I've enjoyed the headwear. I talk about the cutaways to the people enjoying the games.

And I've been struck that nations seem to have, I don't know if they're official hats, but it seems like the people of various nations are tethered to one style of hats. So which headware would you last, want to have to wear for the rest of your life. You have to wear this every day for the rest of your life. A fez, like the Moroccan people do, or a beret. Fez, because at least the beret covers your head. You can keep worn during the winter. You can keep it out of the sun. John Travolta has shown us that you can actually pull that off

and make it look really, really cool. I mean, spectacularly cool. Whereas a fez, it's really only reserved for the people of that nation and villains in Indiana Jones movies or bumbling sidekicks or conniving little little monkeys that help you steal bread when you're a street rat. It's not a good look. No one's been able to pull it off. Jeannie. Didn't Jeannie wear a fez of some sort? Gino Fuentes. How say you? Which is the better headwear or the worst head? I was referring to. Apu. Yeah, I know. I know you're referring to Hupu. I think the genie actually did want to wear one. Yeah. The genie came out. So maybe it imbues you with magical powers. I like it. I like Morocco. I've learned

this is what it's yielded for me is to some degree. I didn't really know much about Morocco before this tournament began, but now I've been reading up on it. I do think it's a little weird that so many of the Moroccan players are from the Netherlands, but let's not get bogged down with that. The biggest event in the history of sport is upcoming. Is it bigger, according to you, Mike Ryan, than Ali Frazier in 71? We weren't around for that, but that was much hyped. Yeah, this is bigger than Ali Frazier. I think, Dave, I don't know if you've ever traveled abroad during a World Cup. I'm not even talking about being in a host nation, just being in another country while the World Cup is going on. And you have to understand. It's not like that

for Lions Vikings, Week 15, where you can be in the streets of India, pull over to a bar and walk in and see scores of people locked in on a sporting event. And I'm not just saying Mexico, England. I'm saying like Jordan versus Algeria, they are dialed. Every athlete that steps onto a World Cup pitch, whether it be the group stages or knockout rounds, is being watched by the entire globe. It is the single biggest television event. is nothing that is more viewed in the history of our world than right now.

And, Dave, it's not even something that we can get accurate numbers for. Allegedly 30 million people were watching a group stage match earlier this week when you combine English and Spanish language in just this country. But do you know the sicko that is just watching? You're probably the one. The guy that's watching the game alone in their home. This is such a communal thing. And I know American football is the same way.

No, no. No, no. For the record, I took the kids out because I wanted them to experience exactly what you're describing. So we went out and had some wings and gathered around, and they were legit struck by, especially my 10-year-old daughter, was especially sort of surprised and spooked by in the moment when they reacted to the first goal that was called back after 20 seconds for off-size. I mean, she was frightened for a second. What just happened? Why are all these grown-up people shouting in unison about something?

It was a cool moment. Yeah, I loved seeing that. I hear you. And it's also, though, the weird thing with, you know, big-time sports is, to some degree, the tail wags the dog. Because the U.S. dictates most of it except for the most popular sport. And the U.S.'s intent, the major leagues are intent on spreading the good word about their sports. Clearly, look at what the NFL does and the NBA and otherwise. Let me just tell you.

a big one in my lifetime that I remember when I was a little kid. For some reason, Larry Holmes versus Jerry Cooney was a super big deal. Do you know? You're too young to remember. Do I remember Larry Holmes? I just missed that. It was a way, but it was super. In hindsight, why was that such a big deal? Larry Holmes was a good fighter. Jerry Cooney was a bum. He was white. I think that's why people had the Great White Hope.

They wanted to make that into something. Super Bowl 19, the two-week run-up of Montana and how great those Niners were against the phenom Dan Marino. That was a big deal in the moment. They made commercials before the game was actually played. I think it was a Diet Pepsi ad or something like that. I think weirdly, in this millennium, the title games loom more significant than the Super Bowls have, even with, like, I think like when the Seahawks with Russ were playing the

Niners with Cap, those had a feel to them that transcended even the Super Bowl that followed it, Brady v. Payton showdowns in title games, Cowboys v. Niners in the early 90s. Maybe more so than even the Patriots in Ot 7 because nobody thought that Eli's Giants had a shot against the undefeated Patriots. Anything else that even comes close to the largesse of this World Cup? You're absolutely right. And would you say that these games are more significant than any World Cup event that we've seen up until this point? I would say that you're bang on about the Super Bowl. where the championship games, you have the embedded rivalries.

Josh Allen and his quest to conquer the Chiefs, I think, is the most compelling storyline in that league. And has been for quite some time. And that's just something that doesn't happen in the Super Bowl. I do think the rematch between Eli and Brady probably had the most juice of what you're talking about because you already had the matchup once before. You have the Manning surname. You had the huge New York market. those two teams had, even in the undefeated season on the way to that Super Bowl in which they lost,

there was a great memorable game against the Giants. So there was a little bit of the rare cross-conference rivalry, but it's not something that is afforded to us often in the Super Bowls. Yeah, you thought, well, maybe the Packers could take down these Patriots if everything breaks right. But when the Giants, when you're like, well, that's that. I mean, they're going undefeated. And so it was a revelation when they didn't, but you didn't anticipate that in the run-up to that game. The other one that might strike, might get your attention a little bit,

even though you were too young in the moment. The 1987 Fiesta Bowl, Vinnie Testaverty and the you guys all coming out in their fatigued, getting off the plane, people took a hardcore negative posture against those canes and rooted for Penn State. And as it turns out in hindsight, Joe Paterno squad had some of it, some secret issues of its own. That was a big deal. Going into game 7 in 2016, when LeBron was trying to rally the calves from down 3-1 against the 73-win Dubs was a big one.

And the other one I think people forget is when Tyson was out of the joint and he had his first real fight against Evander Holyfield. That's when he bit his ear. But how does this compare with, let's say, as a novice to the beautiful game, Mike Ryan? How does any game upcoming in North America compare with? let's say even the most recent big one, the 2022 Argentina v. France five. Yeah, I'm so happy. That's where I was going to go. To me, the greatest sporting spectacle I've ever seen the greatest match, the greatest final I've ever seen is Argentina versus France. I think that's the greatest game ever played. You had Messi the storyline around him,

all the weight of the ghost that he is chasing, the fact that he needed a World Cup to cement his legacy, and you had Mbapé being absolutely dynamite, already trying to come for all of Leo Messi's stuff right there. And they were both phenomenal, not just in that entire tournament, but in that match in particular, if I can show an alien coming to Earth and said, this is what sports is on this planet. This is the best that we got. In my lifetime, it's Argentina, France. There was also the, what was it, the hand of God goal?

That was a mass of inflection point, right? Yeah, I would not want to show that to the aliens because then. This is cheating. No, I know, but the matchup was significant too, right? Yeah, England, Argentina. One of the many haunting losses for England, one of the many ghosts they need to conquer on Sunday in Azteca. Was that in Azteca?

I believe so. That was Mexico 86. Look at that. The circle is now complete, and now we can move on to drip drill. Hey, batter, batter. Mike Ryan and also Gino. Which is a worse, a badder rep for your nation? Speedy Gonzalez.

I mean, some negative overtones there. Or Mr. Bean. Oh, can I go Pepe Lepeot? Yeah, that one's pretty bad. Pepe Lepeot? He didn't survive me too. It's true. He got me too.

He's never come back from it. He has never come back from it. Him and James Franco, apparently the only one, ones that have suffered. And, you know, they finally got Weinstein. But Pepe Lepeot, he hasn't gotten any work. Did he have a substance abuse problem? Because you would think if you're a coxman on the level of Pepe Lepeue, you would be able to distinguish between your fellow skunks and felines, right? He didn't care. That's what I think that's why. That's a level of his derangement. That's how twisted he was. That's how badly he needed to seek help. Good answer.

Good answer. All right. So I mentioned drip drill, me and Mike Ryan, clearly fashionistas. That goes without saying if you have one working eyeball. We usually turn our gaze to football uniforms, but the World Cup is here. It's football, America, and all of that. So it's a World Cup edition. And we're going to do a little draft here. Mike Ryan, he loves them soccer kits, is what they're called. Are you one of these people who does the thing where you pretend you're English when you talk about soccer? Brilliant. That. Like, do you do all that? Like Chris Whittingham? No. Or do you stay American? No, I like calling it a jersey and a shirt. I think the kit is reserved for the whole ensemble, right? I don't call...

You do use the proper vernacular, which is not something a lot of Americans do. Shirt, jersey? I don't mind mixing it up. I'm proud. I'm not one of these... I'm not one of these self-hating Americans, at least when it comes to soccer. I'm proud of our soccer culture. I call it soccer.

I understand why we got it wrong. It seems very dumb. Whatever, we call it soccer. I like that our chance are dumb. Yeah, USA! USA! Defense! I believe that we can win. All right, that one's stupid.

You got us there. But I do... But I do think that we should be proud of our culture. I think far too often we've tried to aspire to be, you know, this facsimile of the Premier League prototype. And that's just not for us. That's just not who we are. Let's stop pretending. Let's embrace who we are.

And hopefully we have a good soccer team around us. Well, isn't that the crux of a lot of the conversation ongoing in society right now is of what is the society and what is the United States, what does it represent culturally, and all of that. And in my mind, it always has been a blend of all of those things. I always say, and I mean this in a positive way, there is, the U.S. has at worst the second best version of every nation's food available on the big blue marble, right? Like we do at worst we have the second best Italian food. We definitely have the second best Chinese food, right?

Yeah, great take. Great take. Thank you. But what we do have that unique is like barbecue and jazz and American football. Those are our distinguishing features that I think we hold up above all others, right? Stock car racing. Stock car racing. No.

No one does left turns better than we do. I do want to ask you this. Then we'll do the draft. Do we have Randy here? Social Randy is going to join. for the for the drip drill draft because he fancies the soccer kits as well the jerseys do we have him here for the draft if we don't yet then let me first ask you this mike um i you talk about the americans and our view of these things a lot of us a high percentage of us are just

dipping our toes into these waters i have been struck by the american attitude that we mid-tournament because one of our guys got red carded then now the rules should be changed how say you're like what what a well this is a that's outrageous. So then change the rule before they play Belgium and make it so that the guy can play in this game. It's very American point of view. But how say you on this whole red card controversy per se? So I'm not going to, I'm going to embrace my American and say, look, they're not wrong in saying it's unjust. It is? It's not wrong to say that that that red card is unjust. Now, I shouldn't have done it seemed, I'm sorry to have to interrupt because I'm a dummy.

What, I didn't even understand what I was. They both reached with their foot for the ball and his landed on the guy's ankle. That's like, obviously not deliberate, but that's not the standard of the rule. It's, it's hard to explain unless you've actually put on like some of these cleats and exactly like it is to a degree reckless. Now it's not, intention should matter when we're discussing and parsing whether or not he should have been sent off because it's highly punitive. He's got to be not just kicked out of that game, but the very next game. But if you've ever gotten stepped on during a competitive soccer match with studs, you're essentially wearing a sock. That's how thin these cleats are. It's very dangerous. It can seriously hurt you. I don't know if you got to see

Malik Tillman, who got stepped on during that match, but his foot was bleeding. It cut through not just the cleat, but the sock, and it cut his skin. It's, it's a lot. It's a very dangerous sport in that respect when you go studs. Studs is very reckless. Now, that wasn't exactly studs up. Messy got away with it. There's inconsistencies. I thought Messies was worse. Yeah, I agree too. But there's inconsistencies in how all sports are officiated. And I do think that there's been a lot of people that are American football fans that are somehow looking down on soccer. Yes, soccer has its inconsistencies and hypocrisies and problems with officiating. But let's not pretend like people aren't getting kicked out of football games because of a targeting call that we still cannot get right.

I'm a university of Miami fan. You're Indiana. Badder, a great one. If you get charged with a targeting penalty, you miss the next, you don't just get kicked out of the current game, which is really horrible. I mean, really swings games. But then the next, go ahead with your point about the you, exactly. The Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes, maybe that goes a little differently. Xavier Lucas is available and wasn't kicked out of the first half because of something that

happened in a previous game that was along the lines, right? We do this all the time. Yeah, VAR, that's stupid offside. Come on, we're talking about a toenail. What kind of advantages is that? Well, there's plenty of NFL Sundays in which I'm trying to figure out if a toenail went out of bounds on a dude 70-yard touchdown run, or if a football went out of bounds on a fumble or not, where did it hop over the pile on? We have all these weird things and football, American football, is the dumbest of all the sports when it comes to officiating because we're just putting a ball where we think it should go. Well, but you know what's, it makes me think of the kid who learned to burn tree by watching his old man, which a weird blind spot that the old man didn't see that one coming.

Like, where did you learn about this? Like, you're holding your own box that has your weed in it, pop. Like, that's where I learned it. That's where I get it from. But anywho, either way. did American sports and specifically the quarterbacks, because I find it off-putting, the historiotics, the physical histrionics of that pass rusher touched me, and now I must flail about.

And then you just brought up that soccer players roll around, and it's pretty well-known, the rolling around. And I think a lot of American viewers look at that and say, that guy's faking. But what you're getting at is something I have. now come around on. They're actually hurt. What would you say the percentages of guys? Because some of them do pop right back up. They're looking for a call. But then a fair percentage of the time, I think like, man, that guy just got kicked in the shins with a cleat. That is probably

legitimately hurt. Metallic. It really does hurt. But I think that global soccer in particular, this competition has been very good about they've put rules in place. There's been a lot less diving and embellishing. I think that's right. There is. has been more diving in the NBA. There is certainly more diving when it comes to, you know, roughing the passer and Josh Allen trying to curry favor with the officials. I think there's far, anybody that tells you, their problem with soccer is that there's too much diving, has not cared to watch World Cup soccer in particular in a very long time. There is far less of it in the sport. There's far more of it in basketball. Right. And if you watch the playoffs in the NBA,

you know that's true. If you watch quarterbacks, if you look for receivers looking for PI to get called. All that stuff is worse. I do think it is, though, we learned it by watching you soccer kind of effect, or maybe not. No doubt. I place the way somewhere there. Hey, bad or batter, until we have Randy, another one for you real quick here. You have to, for the rest of your life, go around in one of these two, a sombrero or a

kilt? Kilt? Just because I, no, I live in South Florida. There were plenty of days that I wish I had zero pants on. So that one seems liberating. I have no rules down in Miami. You could go pantsless if you want. Gino?

What was it? It was the kilt or what? Or the sombrera. Kilt or sombrero? Nobody actually wears a sombrera, right? No, I mean, I go with the kilt as well. The sombrero looks ridiculous. Also, proven for social functions, there are, you know, a high-end event so you can wear a

kilt to that are socially acceptable. Like you can be like this is formal wear in parts of the world. So you can get away with wearing a kilt, whereas, you know, you meet the queen. You can't have a sombrero. No. No. No. Okay. Yeah. All right. You make some good points there. All right. Let's let's start this draft, shall we? We're going to draft the best kits of World Cup 2026. And Mike Ryan, you have the floor with the first overall pick here. First overall pick to me is easy. I purchased this as soon as I saw this. I think I had bed sheets that looked just like this jersey growing up. But the Japanese away kit with the multicolored right here. Yeah, I love that. The collar matching the Adidas piping so well. Adidas knocked it out of the freaking park

with this World Cup set. Japan has a great home set, but this one is special. A cream-colored, rainbow-inspired, and that crest, that Japanese crest is so beautiful. so big over the heart there, pairs so well with the wrapping on the sleeves and the collar, just a dynamite jersey. For my money, one of the greatest soccer jerseys on the international side ever created. This one is a 10 out of 10. This may work out for you. And much like you said on Thursday's Lebitard show, the Celtics may win 50 games, maybe they win the NBA titles.

It doesn't mean that this makes a ton of sense. the Jalen Brown deal on face, especially the arch rival. I worry that you are like a fantasy football drafter who fancied something from afar. Do you think that Gino was about to take this Japan kit jersey away from you? I don't think he would have. I'm not so much worried. Look, I just have my board. It's a three-man drive. And especially when you're picking a top of it, like I don't need to, I know that it's going to stink back to me well later. So I'm going best player available here. I have purchased this jersey. I love this jersey.

I put my money where my mouth is. This is one of the greatest jerseys ever made. I'm just asking questions. All right, Gino, you're up next in the kit draft. Okay. The first time I saw this jersey, I was like, I got to have it. I'm going to buy it. I don't care if I get it after they're eliminated.

The Norway home jersey is the coolest thing in this competition to me. It's got the Norway flag design on the right there. You see their crest looks beautiful. with just over the flag as well. And if you look closely in the blue cross, there's this design there that, like, I hear it goes back to like wooden carvings in Scandinavian culture that I didn't even notice

when I picked this. But it's so cool. I think it's my personal favorite jersey in all of the world. I think the coolest part about this jersey isn't even on the front. It's on the back. Everyone loves the font. That Viking Nordic-inspired font

that they have in the back with the nameplates has been really stellar to look at. Is Hall and the breakout star on American shores. It seems like he's really popped. I've heard him compared to gronk, the Nordic gronk. I think early, I think Erling Halan came in a huge star, but in terms of casual observers that maybe aren't familiar without, you know, I mean, certainly they're familiar with Messi and Ronaldo, but are looking for the next one. Mbapé's style of play is inspiring,

but so is Halan, and he is a crazy athlete. His straight line speed is amazing, but he just looks so interesting to put it mildly. This guy is hugely athletic and he looks like an alien. He is terrifying coming at you. If you've got the ball, if you're a defender and you see this guy coming at you full speed, what do you do? Big, strong, fast, incredible in the air. And now for Norway, I don't know if you've noticed this, he's playing defense too.

He cleared two balls off the line. He's going end to end. This guy is, he is one of the top 10 athletes on the planet. But as you mentioned, or insinuated at least, he is unhandsome, which adds to the effect that he's way bigger than all the other soccer players out there. Art, do we have Randy or no? Yes. All right. Social Randy is here.

How are we doing? How are we doing? He's wearing a soccer kit. That's right. Got his mustache. Looks like a Civil War reenactor. I love that Iax shirt. I have one myself.

Great, beautiful jersey that he's got on. I see that. That's the most popular jersey going around. or kit going around right now. I saw a few of those in the bar yesterday. Yeah, I got a little, got Ryan Gravenberg on the back, figured it was okay to wear now because he can't hurt me anymore. He's out of the tournament. But yeah, one thing, just to that hollins. You got a lot of laughs from soccer, Pia. That was a soccer game. I didn't get it. On the Holland thing about being a star, he's been a star for a while now, but I will say his

antics on social media, and I think a lot of it plays into his looks too. For at least, I in the division of my wife. He is the breakout star of the World Cup. She thinks he is one of the funniest people that she's ever encountered. And I have a bunch of random people who aren't big soccer fans hitting me up being like, yo, have you heard of this guy? This guy's unbelievable. And he looks like a Viking.

And so at least on that end of it, I think the answer is yes. I feel like, is this right to say? Because I don't feel like you're inherently under pressure if you're on the U.S. team, except that it's in the United States and all of that. I feel like if they lose, you know, 3-0 to Belgium, people will say, hey, good tournament for the American guys, right? So, but that's it. I also feel like maybe the most pressure on one person is politic. Is that fair?

Randy and Mike? Good, Randy. I think the most pressure is not anybody on the United States team. I think if they lost 3-0, it would be a, oh, man, I can't believe that we had all this hype and then we just got smoked by Belgium when it felt like there's a real. So this wouldn't be a satisfying result if they don't get past the round of 16, Mike? I would be disappointed at this point when you apply the context of how they looked and the fact that Belgium hasn't looked great. But I think if you're looking for individual people

carrying the most pressure, a huge weight went off of Messi's shoulders because he won the thing, but there's always going to be that pressure. If he wins a second one, what does that mean for all time, especially someone like me who firmly believes he's the greatest of all time? But the most pressure is on Cristiano Ronaldo because that cements his legacy, just being a part of a team. He doesn't have to be the best player on his team, but if he somehow makes meaningful contributions, that goes a long way because he's a guy who's seen Messi's lead increase on him. And also, he's got the added pressure of, this guy can screw it up for his nation in ways that don't really align with Messi.

And Harry Kane, who rose to the occasion against D.R. Congo, being the captain of England and all that entails having to be the man, his incredible performance against D.R. Congo, he is carrying a lot of pressure. All right, Randy, take it away. Give us the third kit in the drip drill World Cup 26th draft. I'm going France away, the statue of Liberty jerseys. This is, I think, just a almost completely perfect for the moment. One, it looks stunning on the field, but two, just the details of it.

I think the red pops so good on that, on the mintish green, blue. And even the accent, so like even the badge here, it's the color of bronze, but if you get it really close, it's even like corroding. And it's not just a perfect thing. It's corroding away as if, you know, how it actually functions, right, and how the Statue of Liberty comes to take that color. but just with the, we're in America, it's, you know, France's gift to America. And right now, France on the field feels like a gift to Americans with how they're playing.

And it's just, I think, I think it's just there's no, there's no detail that's not even the inside we've got. It says Liberty, our differences unite us on the back. It's just the perfect kit for the perfect moment. I agree. 100%. I purchased this one. It's a beauty for all the reasons and the story behind it. I'm going to, hopefully they're wearing these. on July 4th. I'm going to that match in Philadelphia, which it was supposed to be Germany, France, so no one was more upset about how that PK shootout went than me.

But what if Paraguay wins? I mean, because I'm taking my daughter. The way that I'm selling it to my daughter is Kiliin Mbapé is going to just destroy this World Cup record for goals, and I want you to be able to say that you saw him in the flesh. So I hope he either goes nuts, or we saw how disruptive that goalkeeper can be in the penalty kick shootout. What if Paraguay wins? It's a single biggest upset in the history of the World Cup. It's a ridiculous question, but they just be Germany. It's a single biggest upset in the history of the World Cup. Nike hasn't had a lot of nice moments.

So far, two Nike jerseys have come off. I feel like Adidas kind of took their lunch money, but they did really, really spectacularly well with the last two that we've discussed. Hey, bad or badder? Would you rather be a German soccer fan right now, or which would be worse to be? A German soccer fan or a fan of Senegal, given the way they blew it? Senegal. That hurts worse? Yeah.

Yeah, I think the talent wasn't up to snuff for Germany going in. They'll always have the way to... Oh, I just assumed they're a powerhouse who expected to the final four. Losing to Paraguay is hugely embarrassing, but to have a two-goal fans are going to need therapy. Yeah, they're never coming back from that. There's no coming back from a loss like that. Whoa, too much soccer, too much football. I got to get back to my comfort zone.

I'm getting in the DeLorean and you guys are all in the trunk. We're traveling to the NFL season, 2026, a little ahead a couple of months in between week one and week two. Did you guys see that game down in Houston? The Texans knocked off Josh Allen and the Bills. 27 to 21. Upcoming now, a big one for the Buffalo Bills. Mike Ryan, they host the Detroit Lions on Thursday night football. A big one.

The Bills are laying three as they unveil the new joint house, say you. I'm appreciating the platform for me to just brag and say, I'm going to this one too. I'm going to the Highmark Stadium debut, Thursday night football, Lions, Bills. Dave, I'm going to a bachelor party in Portland, immediately following this, and that's going to be basically hair of the dog. There is nothing in terms of intake that is going to match this Thursday night. A high mark stadium. The bills roll, especially after that disappointing defeat at the hands of C.J.

Stroud, what a bounceback for the young man. Well, last week we got to look. The first game, obviously, is always the reigning Super Bowl champ, and what that Super Bowl champ usually does is win, and so the Seahawks did against the team that they vanquished in the Super Bowl. The Patriots 27 to 23. Now the Patriots go back to Foxborough to play the 1-0 Pittsburgh Steelers who barely survived the Atlanta Falcons on the banks of the three rivers. Patriots laying four and a half.

Mike Ryan, how say you? I like the Patriots here. I'd like the offseason that they've had nothing. You do. Yeah, great, great offseason that they had. No distractions. Nice and low-key. Low-key seems like there's no distractions in that building.

The main thing is the main thing. So, yeah, yeah. Patriots keep it rolling. nothing really to talk about. You know, I do, and we're right at the halfway point of the calendar year, and at the end of every year when I do the Shecky Awards, the one award no one wants to win is the Sonic Award so named because it went to the city of Seattle, the Sportstown,

the year that Kevin Durant and the Sonics not only left, but they left to go to Oklahoma. Such a slap in the face, Seattle. And, you know, the Mariners were bad and so on. And now I give the Sports Town whose fans suffered the most in the past year. I think halfway through 2026, it's Boston sports fans. They lose that Super Bowl. Then on the heels of that, the Vrable stuff, the Red Sox stink.

The Celtics disappointed and then traded away Jalen Brown. And the Bruins are neither here nor there really. Is there a worse sports town right now than that one? Tougher than the country is Senegal. All right. taking away round two back to the kit draft all right i'm going to do a potentially controversial move here and i am taking a jersey that was not worn in the world cup um it is their away kit but i'm going to go kira sao away which we didn't end up getting to see because they only played

three games and in all of those matches they wore the royal blue however i mean i don't know about this You're picking the white one. What is this? All the jerseys are white. What is this? This is not white. This is not white. This is not white.

This is not white. It's a creamy yellow. Butter. Buttery. Well, Luke is more creamy than he is white. But still, you get you take my point. This is a buttery jersey. It is buttery.

It's got the accents, you know, the bright colors that you see when you go down in the Caribbean. It's just much like the France jersey, it's just clean. it's classy. We've got the accents are perfect and it's really a big shame that we didn't get to see them wear it. I don't even know if they had advanced, if they would have worn it in the next game. However, it was on the docket and it was, I'm going to back myself up here with they could have wore it because it is their way jersey. All right. Gino Fuentes, you're up next. Also, I know you're still reeling from what happened in week one in Vegas, the dolphins won, which you're kind of rooting against, right? You want them to really be the worst team in the league this year.

Am I right about that? Or were you happy to see Malik Willis and the boys get out there, move out to Sin City, or go out to Sin City and take down Fernando's debut? I'm happy because it means they won't go windless. And it's a distinct possibility looking at this roster that they could be really. bad this year. They still might be really bad this year. Okay. There's some optimism going into it. I mean, the O-line looks like it could be one of the

stronger parts of the team, but only because the rest of the team is so bad. They did a nice job running the ball. That much was clear, but I don't know how stout that Raiders defense is. We'll see what they look like in week two. All right, back to the kit draft. Okay. I am a huge USA fan, and being a huge USA

fan means that you hate Mexico. However, giving respect where it is due, this jersey, this home jersey, particularly in this World Cup, with that Piedre d'Il Sol in the background, that design, look at that thing.

It's got Aztec roots in it. It's just really, really cool look. And even their crest looks good on this one. I usually don't like their kit, but this one, this one spoke to me. Yeah, this Mexican team has just grown on me altogether.

I think I hate Canada more as an international rival inside of North America now. This jersey is going to be one that is going to be in vintage shops for decades to come. It is an incredible jersey to go along with a host nation.

And the upgrade that they made to their crest, tremendous. All right. Hey, badder, batter. Mike Ryan, you've been banned from the United States, and you have to live the rest of your days in North America. Bad or batter. You have to do it in Canada or Mexico. Ooh, wow, that's really tough.

I really like Quebec City and I really like Montreal. Vancouver, I always heard that it was super clean. Wasn't clean. In fact, no, very dirty. I've been to Vancouver as well. Drug problem. Drug problem.

The worst of them as well. Yeah, yeah. I had to step over a lot of lame bodies when I was in Canada. You're also having to factor in, like, weather. I mean, it's going to be probably way hotter for the rest of your life in Mexico, but it's going to be way colder up in Canada. I think that's a misnomer. I think the matches that I went to in Mexico,

and when I'm there in May, and I was there a couple of weeks ago, nighttime like 60 degrees. It was beautiful. Yeah, around the Yucatan, I got to worry about. hurricanes and sometimes it gets really hot but now there's there's valleys there's mountain ranges give me me mexico i would love to live in the town of tequila it'd be great if i had to spin a wheel and it had like it had 12 mexican cities locations and 12 randomly ordered like you don't know which one might be vancouver but it might also be hamilton we don't know let's say it might be moose

jaw i'm changing because i'm going quality of life a huge part of my quality of life is I love NHL hockey and I've been down in Mexico when the Stanley Cup finals going on and I couldn't find any place that could show it. I've got to be able to watch my hockey and I know that won't be an issue in Canada. Yeah, a lot of you'll become steeped in CFL in the blink of an eye. All right, Mike Ryan, the floor is yours. All right? So I got a snake pick here, right? I go back to back and look, I was really nervous as this draft snake back to me that I wasn't going to get the Colombian home jersey. Another jersey that. Another jersey that I own the fine details, the butterfly print that is within the stitching, Adidas, incredible,

the Caliente pink that is on the stripes. I love these Adidas white stripes that are going, wide stripes that are going down the shoulders and the pant legs. The piping that Adidas came out with is beautiful. Now there are so many creative things that the full ensemble that Columbia goes, sometimes a blue shorts, sometimes a white shorts, a red socks. There's so many different pairings that go wonderfully with this jersey. It's iconic. The butterfly print. It's a is immaculate, the breathability, the white stripes. I love this Colombian kit. That's why I'm going over, even though I'm a proud American,

I'm taking this with my second round pick. And for my third round pick, we're going to go with the stripes, the Waldo Edition, U.S. home kit, the waving flag, which was a big swing, right? A big swing. Usually you have those horizontal lines stay flat. I think it was a tremendous upgrade to have this appear like a flag in the wind.

I was skeptical. going in because I was aware this was the jersey and I didn't know how it would look out there on the field, nay, the pitch. But consider me one over by it. I think this is the first one where I disagree with you with because as you can see, I chose the away jersey as my preferred choice. Another thing that I can see is one of the horrible missteps that Nike made on the shoulder where they just spent too much money printing this and it has a mistake. You see where it bunches up here on the shoulders? That is not the way that is supposed to happen. You got like a nightmare before Christmas shoulders going on over there.

And it's because Nike screwed up and they couldn't do a recall. So that's one of the reasons why I don't like it. And it's diluted a little bit by the stripe pattern here. I also love the nameplates and the number font that are on this U.S. jersey and the fact that the back is wide open for it. The white shorts in particular, another people that are more partial to the Navy Blues with this pairing. I like the white shorts with this.

I think they look great. And also they look fast. Now that may be because we are super fast, probably the fastest we've ever been, but man, we look beautifully quick wearing these things. I thought, because of my empathy, when Mike started talking, Gino, I thought the target of his words was about to be your nipples or something. I was like, well, the other problem we have here. That was my issue with a Statue of Liberty, Jersey. If I'm being completely honest, the nips don't look great in it. I say away from overhead lighting, Randy.

say away from the overhead thing the Columbia thing is also that like what struck me is there are a lot of teams that have that green shorts with the gold jersey thing right or am i well that's not columbia they got the blue shorts with the gold jersey thing so don't disrespect but i was going to take the columbia jersey because i was basically issued one as part of my family my wife's dad one got everybody the same columbia jersey and just that's what we all wear when columbia is playing at the house um So you snipe me there. But am I up? Am I up next? You're up. You're up. Okay, all right. All right.

So this one, this is funny. Because I love it. Argentina's away jersey is beautiful. It's just got this design on it. And I hear from one of my Argentine friends that this is what a lot of the streets look like. The buses, the bicycles, the aesthetic of Buenos Aires. What he also said was is that the people hate this jersey because they're the champions and they feel like everyone should just deal with them wearing the Obie Celeste stripes.

Like that is like the only jersey they ever want to wear. They don't like the away jersey. I like it. I can't believe that their home jersey is so on the board. Yeah. I like this one better. I'm a mad on that one. It's trying a little bit too hard for Dave.

Like as I always say, Beau Brummel said, noted fashionista from the mid-20th century. The mark of a well-dressed man is one whose clothes go unnoticed. I noticed that. So therefore I have to reject it. Next up, Randy, social Randy here, reeling still, I assume, from the Chief's home lost to the Broncos. Denver looks like that was not a fluke season last year. Patrick Mahom, some concerns now and everything else. It didn't look terrible, but didn't look great against that mighty defense. 24 to 20, as if I have to tell you that, sorry for the reminder, Randy. How say you concern level about these chiefs? Not very high. Not very high. You're always going to have a couple stumbles coming out. You know, we've got to see Patrick Mahomes. He's just going to work his way back into the season. But, you know, they've made some nice moves in the offseason. And I think it's just one of those that when you have a guy like that at the helm, you're going to figure things out. And I think he's going to figure things out. Boy, loaded division, though. Once again, the Chargers looked mighty. And their debut are a little underwhelming with their home victory against the Cardinals.

But that's how week one goes. You survive in advance. Anyway, I interrupted. Let's close this thing out. The three-round kit jersey draft. Take it away, Randy. Just before I make this pick, on the Argentina away, on the photo, on paper, it doesn't look like, you know, it maybe doesn't super stand out. But I was at Argentina, Algeria, and there were an outrageous amount of people wearing this jersey. And in person, I was blown away, and I almost took it in this draft with this next pick that I'm about to have. but I got taken off of the board. And so with the final pick, I'm going to maybe,

maybe Zig a little bit here and take Morocco home. Now, this is the only Puma jersey taken, I think. I don't usually tend to like the Puma jerseys in the end. Randy should wear a fez. If any of us should wear a fez, it's Randy. That sure looks like a Fess. Continue, sorry.

And watching this, I was kind of blown away watching Brazil Morocco at MetLife Stadium on television. It was one of the most aesthetically pleasing matchups I think I've ever seen. With Morocco having this deep red, the shorts are that just like vibrant green. They almost blend in with, blended in with the field. And just the detail on the, on the cuffs and the neck, they've got the tile work. It's super intricate. The badge is right in the center of the jersey, which I don't normally like, but I think it

works here and just the how vibrant it looks when they're running around on the field that red on the contrast of the field the green almost blending in but it but it is still its own thing entirely it just looks incredible when they're out there on the field and I'm happy that it was still on the board even though I kind of expected it might be I'm surprised some some kits were left available there but that's not the drill we're doing here I have to choose now which of you won this and I have meditated on it as you've unveiled each of your choices. Can't say I love the Columbia choice, but overall, I like the other two choices by Mike Ryan. You are the gold medal winner here.

Wow, thank you. That ugly trophy that for the World Cup champ. Top trip, driller. And let me tell you something, Dave. You can build out a nice little squad of undrafted free agents here because we left the Germans, the Dutch. I mean, even the... I was like Argentine. I love...

I mean, I love the iconic jersey is on the board still. Yeah. No one took Brazil. It's incredible. Well, that's iconic because of Brazil. But I think Argentina would be nice even if they sucked. That would still be a handsome get-up that they're running around they're in. Spain, a little too busy for me.

But Mike Ryan, congratulations on your victory. And Mike Ryan, thank you for making some time for us. Morley, Aborian. When's the next episode go up? I think we're going to do a preview. episode for the Monday matchup. So sometime over the weekend, I've got to lock that

down. There's so many World Cup games. I'm traveling on Saturday to one, and I'm going to see Argentina. Maybe I'll get to see those away kits on Tuesday. I've got to see Messi, provided he can take care of one of the best stories in this tournament, Cabo Verde. And then he's off

to Buffalo to watch the Lions help the bills open up that new joint up there that blessedly does not have a dome on it. What are you doing, Browns? What do you doing? All right. And social, Randy, we appreciate you jumping in as well and your great work in general. In promoting Football America, one of the most patriotic football Americans out there. Thank you both for helping us out with our little kit draft here. Thank you, fellas. Good to talk some pro football as well with those guys.

Well, there they go, Gina. Let's wrap it up here. We usually start the episode with the player who wore the episode number best as a jersey number 71 is it how say you i feel like we've finally come out of the darkness here with these numbers a little bit now we're getting 70 start getting good yes we got tony boselli if you want to go uh the some some lower there for the jacksonville jaguars fred dean past rush specialist for the charges and 49ers walter jones was another one if you want to go our current guys trent williams uh one of the more imposing offensive lineman uh on the modern day Jason Peters, another one as well. Nine-time Pro Bowl tackle went undrafted, Super Bowl champion.

And I think Larry Allen at the end of his career wore this number, if I'm not mistaken. He's known for 73, but 71 he wore right at the end. I'm glad you mentioned the Cowboys, because that reminds me as we head out here. I think the stunner of the week to a lot of people was the commies. I told you, man, Daniels is back. People may have forgotten about him because he got hurt, but he was obviously rookie of the year, and he almost bent history. and became the first rookie to get to a Super Bowl, 24, 21, 23 in Philly.

Now, the Eagles need a big bounce back. We're looking forward to the approaching football season. We appreciate the football talk. Can't wait to talk more and more football with kickoff approaching. In the meantime, enjoy your holiday. Hope you grill up some nice burgers and weaners and burgers and weaners and all the rest of it. And enjoy the U.S. playing Belgium,

red, white and blue, all the rest of it. We'll talk to you on the other side of the weekend. Until then, thanks so much, my fellow football Americans. It's been a thin slice of heaven.