 Yes, we're here, and yes, we're back again, Bob Lorenz, Ian Joy with you. We're going to start with, I think we're going to call it Breaking News. Ian, do you like that, did it, did it, did it, did it, did it? Ian Joy, Breaking News, standing by, live outside Los Angeles. Give us some, did you like that? We would like to do our jobs properly if we weren't breaking news and sports, Bob. Yeah, it's quite interesting because we've had this topic of discussion going on for quite a while. Ian, you have obviously been working together for over a month already, and we've been eagerly waiting news of when a sport will return. Which sport's going to return first? And it looks like we could see some soccer returning pretty quickly. Of course, that's my line of work, it's where I focus on dearly. And the German Soccer League is getting pretty close to kicking the ball again. They are having a meeting this week. They've then got to provide plans to the Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany and also the Health Department with what their plans are exactly. But they have set in stone that they want to start in the second week of May. So May 9th weekend, they want to start playing soccer once again over in Germany. Now, Bob, they've handled it pretty well over in Germany. The way they've taken care of COVID-19, very quickly they got on top of it. They flattened the curve very quickly. And of course, all the different states are in different, I would say, positions of dealing with this. But they've all got to come together. And this week we should find out where they're at, what they're thinking. But it's pretty certain in my mind that in May at some point, might not be May 9th, it might be the weekend after. But in May at some point, we shall see some live sport and it looks like it's going to be German soccer. Well, it looks like they're probably going to have to figure out where to play, you know, outside the hotspots, that sort of thing. How do they build a schedule? What is that first game like? That to me, Ian, is the template, right? Does everything go smoothly? Do they socially distance? Assuming, right, there's not going to be any fans at the stadium. This is going to be kind of the new normal for a while. Yeah, absolutely. And there's a lot of rules and regulations that's going to go into it before a ball even rolls. You know, there's no doubt that they're going to have to test. Right now they're testing players in practice. So teams are already back practicing again. They're in small groups at the moment. They started off with groups of two and one coach. Then they're moving up to groups of four with one coach, which is where they're at right now. And pretty soon, I think next week, you're going to start to see full contact. And because of that, they have to test these players. So they're testing these players three times a week right now, which is pretty high number. And also, in a situation like this, it tells you where Germany is at with dealing with COVID-19 that they can provide these types of numbers for testing. So yeah, the testing is very important. And of course, whenever you're playing a game and there's going to be competitive action with one another, you know, players are sweating. Players are bumming into each other's absolute contact when you're playing soccer. So you have to always be testing and making sure that whenever you're putting players out onto the field, they are free from this virus. Now, there is going to be a limitation on, you know, broadcasting, you know, how many people can be inside the stadium. As you mentioned, there'll be absolutely no spectators, but there will be a maximum of 250 people in the stadium at one time if it does get approved. So they're playing very cautious with this, but it is, for me, it's a good sign, Bob. We're starting to see people making waves. Sports been talked about again. It's very much in the headlines. You know, people are active. They're desperate to see their live sports and it's taking nothing away from what's happening with this virus because we're still very much in the thick of it and we have to be careful and cautious, but Germany seems to be doing it pretty right. So hopefully we'll see live sports soon. Doesn't it feel like this conversation we're having that whatever that first game is, or let's say the German soccer league plays five or six get matches that the other sports leagues around the world are gonna learn a lot from what happens. Just the daily protocol of how many times they're tested, morning, afternoon, evening, before a match, after a match. There's gonna be so much to learn from just one or two games. Yeah, massively because you are watching very closely and figuring out your own plans. You know, there's no doubt that if we look at American sports, you know, where they're at in their season, where they're at in their thinking, how they're gonna finish season, how they're gonna start a season. They're always going to be looking at other sports and other countries and how they're dealing with this. I think the Germans always want to try be first. I think they're also trying to protect financially their franchises, which is very, very important to the existence of certain teams, but also it's a sign for other clubs and other franchises and sports around the world to say if we can do it and it works correctly and the way we think it's going to work, then other sports, no doubt, around the world will try to follow suit. They can learn from that. Now, if, for example, Bob, you go into the first two or three weeks of a game and a player catches the virus, what happens then? That's the question point for me. Now, they're talking about testing 20,000 tests over an eight-week period just to test players and making sure that everybody who's inside that stadium is absolutely virus-free. So I think that's a great ballpark figure, but when we look at US sports, where they are in their season, trying to get a season underway is going to be very difficult. I think Major League Soccer's taken a different route towards that. Yeah, we'll talk about baseball in just a minute, but speaking of Major League Soccer, is there a chance we would see, based on what you've heard, some Major League Soccer? Yeah, I mean, again, breaking news, I was speaking to my friend and close friend and colleague that I've worked with, dearly Keith Kostigan, who works for Fox Sports out here in Los Angeles, and he'd been hearing through the great finds from his club that there was a possibility that Major League Soccer would return with small-sided tournaments, similar to what's been spoken about with baseball as well, in areas that are safe inside the United States of America. So you would say there is a whole bunch of soccer teams. They'll pick three different locations, which is safe, which has obviously flattened the curve with this virus. Players want to play, teams want to get back to business, and of course, people want to watch live sports again. I think Major League Soccer is very eager to try and be one of the first sports back in this country, showing live soccer, showing live sports, live events at a location that is safe. I've got a feeling that Major League Soccer are trying to make the small-sided tournament happen, and then in September, when we are getting the feeling that we might be able to get back to some sort of normality, the regular season will begin once again. But we want to see live sports, Bob. We're desperate to see it. So based on what you're saying, if MLS is able to do this, these sort of mini tournaments, it's basically their spring training, right? They sort of get up to speed for what you're talking about for a full season in the fall. Yeah, well, you think pre-season's already happened for Major League Soccer. These guys have already gone through eight weeks of hard work, and then four games into the regular season, there's a suspension, and all of a sudden, you've got back what, eight weeks of fitness levels to catch up on. And that's almost impossible when you're stuck inside an apartment. Let's take New York, for example. There's players who are sitting in one-bedroom apartments in the city. You know, how are they supposed to be able to train properly for a game? It's not gonna happen. These guys have got to get back out onto the training field first and foremost. They've got to get practicing with the team. They've got to get match fitness so that they don't pick up injuries. I think safety is so vitally important when making decisions like this. And I guess it's the same for all sports. What are you hearing from the other sports that are on? I mean, what about baseball? I'm hearing a lot of rumors. Yeah, well, over the past couple of days, we got really what I would say, guardedly good news. As our Jack Curry, as you know, Ian talked to Dr. Anthony Fauci about the possibility of baseball returning. And in essence, he said, is it doable? Yes, again, he was very guarded in his comments. But to our point earlier about empty stadiums, he's thinking maybe June or July, baseball players could come back with that comprehensive testing, pick some sites that are not hot spots, and then play in empty stadiums. But it basically, like these other things you're talking about becomes made for TV so we can enjoy our sports. I think we're going to see a year of change. I think this is going to be a season of change. Now, I don't know what your opinion is as far as baseball is concerned, but I get the feeling with baseball that they're going to have to cut the season in some way. They're going to have to try and figure out for player safety more than anything. You know, injury is so key in sports in general, but in baseball in particular, you have to be very, very careful throwing players in at the deep end. I think you have to be very cautious doing exactly that as well. But getting an opportunity to get teams back practicing and playing so-called friendly games or practice games would be a great start. And doing that in an environment where they're in a state or they're in a place where they know they're safe, the players are safe, they're all together, they're not doing anything other than practice, friendly game, then hotel, and sticking together to try and get through this so that they can provide somewhat of an entertainment for the audience out there that's desperate for life's force. I mean, we're all desperate. Me and you are desperate to get back to work. We are fans, first and foremost, before we're broadcasters, so we want to see live sports. But I think more importantly, it's about trying to deal with this properly to protect our players. You know, that's one of the things we're talking about getting back on the field, but I think of all the ancillary stuff, the life off the field after that. Again, you mentioned, you got to just go back to the hotel or go back to wherever you're at, be sequestered. Do players want to do that? Do they look at it as, hey, we are entertainers too. We're athletes. We want to get back from the field. We're willing to do that. There's so much extra that goes beyond just them on the practice field a couple hours a day. We're playing a game for three or four hours a day. It's all of those different elements combined that make it such a challenge. Oh, massive challenge, but then you have to also throw in what's happening to the professional athletes around the U.S. right now. They're being asked to take a pick up. Rightfully so. I understand that. I respect that. With baseball players, there's a lot of large contracts, but then you've got to think of the smaller contracts. And then you've got to think of the minor leagues. Then you've also got to think of, I guess major league soccer, where the contracts are not that big for the majority of players. They're making a living, but they're being asked to take a pick up. You know, are they okay with going in, practicing, playing games, staying in a hotel, being away from their families to provide entertainment? Listen, first and foremost, I was an athlete. I played professional sports and I did it because I loved it. I didn't do it first and foremost because of the money. I did it because I loved it. So I think these players will do absolutely anything to get back out on the field. I also think in terms of baseball, again, I think as you mentioned, I agree with you, it's going to be a shortened season. It's going to have to be. So let's say the target is a hundred games, you know, fingers crossed, hopeful for that. Again, it's going to be more of a sprint than a marathon. I think players would definitely sign up for that. Just my opinion, but why not? You're not asking them to play 162 games plus playoffs. You're saying, hey, we want to bring this back. We want to hit the ground running. We want to get you paid, get everybody involved as best we can. Back to that sense of normalcy, that would be a way to do it. Just to put you on the spot because I like to put you on the spot, Bob. That's where you live. That's where we see your true passion. You live in on the edge. I love to hear that. What would you do? What would you do with baseball right now? If you're planning baseball, where has it gone between here and the end of the year? Let's just say that between now and the summer, we see the curve flatten and sports can happen once again. What would you do with the season? Games-wise, playoffs, would it be competitive? Would it just be in a friendly game? I think it's going to be competitive. I think, again, you're going to have to cut the amount of games, do massive testing, follow the leads of doctors like Anthony Fauci and what the scientists are saying. But I think over the next couple of months, we're going to learn a lot more about this because if the curve has flattened and things are back to normal, I think baseball does come back in some way, shape or form. Again, I'm the optimist, not the pessimist. So I think it is doable, especially when you're talking about empty stands, social distancing for the players, massive testing. They're going to come up with a template to get it done. If the German soccer league is already thinking that way and they've already got real strong ideas to potentially get back early to mid-May, I've got to think major league baseball officials who think of the same thing. Well, baseball, of course, about to begin their season, then you've got NFL who are sort of lucky with the timing of this, with their season coming at the end of the year, major league soccer at the beginning of their season. For the teams in Europe and the sports in Europe, especially soccer, they're towards the end of their season. So if you think of a 34-game season in Germany, there's only nine games left and they absolutely made it clear that they want to finish their season before concentrating on what can happen the next season. That makes complete sense to me, but I think other sports, including baseball, it's very lucky that they haven't begun their season. It's not that complicated just yet. You just got to try and figure out what can we do with our product, which is so awesome. We want to give live sports to people. We want to entertain people, but we want to make it competitive. We want to make sure that whoever goes out there wins the World Series, deserves it, but we make it fair for everybody that there's a chance. I see a shortened season. I must admit, I thought Jack's interview with Dr. Fauci was incredible, and it gives me a lot of hope. Again, hope and last question for you. Do you feel like you do see that light at the end of the tunnel? Oh, yeah. I think we're getting close. I mean, every day I wake up, I always feel like we're one day closer, and as much as this has been very difficult, it's given an opportunity for a lot of sports to rethink a lot of things that were going wrong within their sports, and now there's a new greater appreciation also from fans, from viewers on television, from us as sports broadcasters, Bob. At times we would go into the studio or we would call a game, and it would just be another day. We just went to the studio and we just turned up, and of course we love it. It's our passion, but there's much more of an appreciation now for what we do for the sports that we love. Ah, man, I cannot wait to have it back, but I'm really hopeful now. I've talked to Jack, I've talked to John Flaherty about this. They're normally the guys that are in studio with me the most, said, okay, what if we were able to start baseball in, let's say, late June or July? What about us? Do we go back to the studio? Could we do a pregame from home? We all raised our hand and said, hey, we have to do it from home, we do it from home. Whatever we need to do to get back to doing what we do and what we love, you're right. Yeah, I think that's the case, and there's always going to be a sacrifice, I think, when you're going through a virus like this, nobody expected this, Bob, we didn't expect this, America didn't expect this, the world didn't expect this, which is why we're in this really awful situation in the first place, but we've got to deal with what the outcome is going to be so that people are safe, so that lives can be saved, making sure that we're disciplined doing the right things, making the right decisions. Having sports back is one thing, making sure that we can give a product to our viewers is something completely different. We will absolutely do that, there's no doubt. We've got so many talented people behind the scenes who don't get to show their face on the camera, who come up with these awesome ideas, who get creative so that we can put a great product out there, but at the end of the day, we need sports to come back to make that happen, and then of course we'll be able to just follow in nicely in behind so that we're faces are back on camera. And you know what I love about talking to you every time? Hope, positivity, enjoy. You know it, buddy. Thank you.