 Welcome to another edition of Yes We're Here and I have a different partner today, it's Ian Joy who does our NYCFC games on the Yes Network and Ian this must be an absolute joy for you that you have to work with Bob Lorenz who you've done this with the last three times. It is a joy, any opportunity I get to be able to share a broadcast with you Michael as you know having been a guest on your show already that was one of the joys of my own life. I do love Bob and I do miss Bob every time I go to sleep at night I'm thinking about Bob so to wake up this morning and get a message from you that was pretty nice. So you go to bed sleeping thinking Bob that is really stunning, that's great. Is a hero of my Michael what can I say? You have three kids how's this going with staying at home, are you home schooling? Yeah it is yeah you know yourself Michael it's not easy with the kids trying to get them into somewhat of a routine and keep them in a routine beforehand the first five or six days they thought it was vacation. Dad's home we're enjoying ourselves we're eating what we want there's some take out food involved and it feels like Christmas right but the last I think what ten days now we've started to get into a routine we're doing I'll be some home schooling with them they're working out they're doing some exercises with us so I'm keeping them gone I'm keeping that brain stimulated I think it's very important to be able to do that for the children to give them somewhat of a reality check that this is not a vacation this is serious but at the same time dad's home and how often do we get to say that as sports broadcasters we're always traveling or we're in the studio so it's actually quite nice it's a bit of a blessing in disguise to spend that quality time with the kids how about you you enjoying the time with the kids? I really am you know a lot of this is going to sound weird but you know a lot of people are complaining about having to stay home and I don't want it to be corny but you know the people that are in this house or the people I love and I want to spend the most time with yeah I'd like to go to a dinner with my wife or a movie but the fact that I'm stuck at home with people that I love my wife and the kids you know it's not the worst thing in the world and you know we're lucky enough that we live in a house so there's some room to get around I do feel for people that are in apartments that must not be easy. Yeah I was saying not to my wife as well we're very fortunate because we have a nice space we have a nice yard where the kids can go out and spend some time and they haven't been out into a restaurant for a while they haven't been even in the car for a while Michael they've just been stuck in the house but they're handling it really well but for us we're so used to being on the road and doing our thing broadcasting being at events being at games I was thinking about you yesterday because it being open in day I just wonder how that was for you because that must have been a strange feeling not being ready to go on opening day there's no baseball. I think I've done okay with this I've had my bouts of anxiety and you know been down a little bit but yesterday I was really blue it really hit me because you know I was supposed to be in the boot the cabin yard to the Yankees and the Orioles and I haven't even told anybody this but you know just to have a sense of normalcy all the people that were going to be on the crew are producer Bill Boland all the guys in the truck and the guys in the truck and everybody that was going to do the game Bill Boland sent out a rundown as if we were going to do the game exactly when we would have received it so just to wow it was a good thing but it was also a little bit of you know a little bit of a depressing thing because that was where we were supposed to be but again you know if you're healthy at this point and you're staying away from the virus I guess you have to consider yourself lucky and fortunate and just cross your fingers and the work will return someday when we get through this. Yeah and I look forward to that when it does happen but you touch on a great point now Mike I think that's so important for people to recognize you know we do also live a human life we do also have a human brain and there is some difficulties that come with not being able to do our job and a lot of people don't recognize it it's we don't do the job for fame and for money we do it because it's a passion and it's what you're you're born to do so when someone says to you hey you can't do this it's very difficult mentally to be able to to deal with that and I worry about a lot of people and I know New York is especially one of the biggest areas that's been hit right now and you know mentally how people are dealing with that not being able to live their regular lives not being able to work out properly like they're used to or go to their job difficult times but I hope everybody is is looking after their loved ones making smart choices and I know you are too with your family as well so keep your head up baseball will be back very soon and I'll tell you what the group of people that I've a lot of my life are athletes and athletes are so driven by by schedule this is what we do on this time is what we do at that time and I have an opportunity to talk to any of them except for Aaron Boone yesterday and you can see that the absence of that game yesterday just ripped something away from you I'm sure that you've gone through it and the NYC FC players are going through it yeah the MLS players are really struggling right now because they went through preseason when you go through preseason as a soccer player you're going through six eight weeks of hardcore training I mean it is very very difficult you're training like an athlete preparing for the olympic they did two months of that and then they came back they started their games they played two regular season games before then the season was suspended and now all of a sudden they don't know when they're going to start that season back up against so it's almost as if they're going to have to go through somewhat of a small preseason again or maybe a repeat of preseason before they get gone so I think it's very difficult for all athletes right now they're used to being able to have an alarm clock wake them up in the morning getting ready for practice getting ready for a game nutrition is also a big thing for that what you're reading and when you don't have a schedule you fall into sometimes some bad habits and that's what happens around the holidays when you're eating and drinking what you want to do so I do worry about athletes all around and especially the soccer players in an mls right now they're they're a little lost no it's it's one of the most frequently asked questions on my radio show Ian is that you know how long will the players need to ramp back up because like like the soccer players they had most of spring training they were about two weeks away from starting they didn't start like they did in the mls and I would say that if they rush it like let's say best case scenario it's two months and they really rush it yeah three weeks I think would be a minimum how about the soccer would that be a minimum or could they do it faster than that no they could do it faster than that right now if they started in April which I think is unlikely it's definitely going to go into May now so it depends when they get clearance for for practice if they can practice two three weeks right now would be good in April and that would be enough for them because they've done the hardcore training they're already at a peak level so they're not going to lose too much fitness unless they're sitting around for six to eight weeks then they would have to do a complete restructure of practice and training and of course you do have to worry about injury as well I mean I guess it works differently for different sports and baseball and if you look at the Yankees of course there was a lot of knocked-up players right who are banged up with injuries and it gives them some time to actually maybe recuperate a little bit more and maybe not miss as much of the season that they were going to miss same thing in soccer there's players who were injured who now have a chance of not missing so many games but I think the most important thing for these players is that they just they miss the camaraderie they miss being with each other they miss the practice field they miss being in the locker room I mean I'm the same I miss being in the booth with like you just mentioned the producer the director camera engineers sound engineers those people are family that that's what we're missing right now but it gives me great hope that we'll be back very soon I'm so excited for it and now just doing these things and getting an opportunity to speak to you with with Bob doing our thing and the other guys at the yes network as well which is something I might not have had a chance to do otherwise you know I'm gonna grab these opportunities to share moments and chat with people like yourself and and learn a little bit and gain some experience so these are little blessings that I'm taking we've always had such a good time and the time that you are on the radio show and today we're having a good time and there's a good rapport between the two of us so I'm wondering is there any way and you love baseball right yes yeah actually any way we could have a full on the enjoy trade where Paul does the soccer for one game and you come in and do the Yankee game what what about that we can talk the flip about that that would be so much fun I would love it I know I still have a lot to learn and I've only really been following baseball since about 2011 and 12 and certainly the history is something that's lacking from me where of course yourself and everybody else who you know were born to love baseball for me it was soccer but the passion I mean it's a great feeling being at a game I love going to games live in person at the stadium I was there for opening day last year at Yankee stadium and for me that was a great feeling with the with the yes network network as well so I'm open to it Michael it would be an absolute honor I'm glad you brought it up I'd love to see how O'Neill would do soccer anyway are you washing your hands because as I keep saying every day I wash my hands more in the last month than I probably have in my entire life so everybody has to wash their hands and obviously listen to what all the scientists are staying and stay home right stay at home make sure you're taking all precaution necessary stay away I think that's the most important thing the grocery store in particular right now you know only my wife or myself are going the kids are staying at home we're making sure we make the right decisions for ourselves and for our loved ones I'm sending out a lot of love to everyone in New York as well because I know they're going through some tough times and I know you're available always on social media my social media at Joy Poly and anyone can help me up I'm very communicative so anytime I'm always there if anybody needs me now I I'm flattered that a lot of people told me that you like my home run called SEA so you want you want to end this yes at home yes we're home with with the SEA I'm going to let you end it I would love it yes we are always here for you and yes we are going home right now SEA!