Podcasts about NASL

Growing up in the 70's, soccer was barely a footnote when it came to the sports culture here in the States. The North American Soccer League was trying to compete with the other leagues, but the game just didn't have the appeal that it does in much of the world. It lacked the star power that other sports had. Until…   In 1975, the New York Cosmos signed Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the Brazilian superstar known across the globe simply as… Pele. That's right, Pele was coming to America… North America, NYC, The Big Apple… and with it, soccer was about to experience a boom in the U.S. Michael Lewis was just a young sports reporter looking to get a beat covering one of the four sports he grew up loving… Baseball, football, basketball, and hockey… Soccer wasn't on that list. Not even close. But the young scribe was given a shot to cover the Rochester Lancers of the NASL… and his career and life were never the same. Over 50 years later, he's written 9 books on the sport, including Soccer for Dummies and Alive and Kicking: The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers.  That opportunity to cover the NASL allowed Michael to get a firsthand look at what he calls the biggest “BANG” for soccer in the United States: the arrival of Pele. He tells us how the global sensation arrived with no ego as an ambassador to the sport that saw him win 3 World Cups for Brazil in 1958, 1962, and 1970. He went from the pinnacle of the sport to a fledgling league, and did everything he could to bring attention to the sport he was famous for playing… Famous everywhere except maybe in the States…. But that was about to change. Pele was a man of the people, and that was apparent everywhere he went. He would talk with the guys in the kitchen of the restaurant as he was about to be introduced at his inaugural press conference in America. He would sign autographs for hours and give the jersey off his back to fellow players. In 1977, he led the Cosmos to the Soccer Bowl, winning in the quarterfinals in front of almost 78,000 fans at Giants Stadium before winning the Soccer Bowl in Oregon three weeks later. After the match, Brazilian journalists on hand to cover their famous countrymen carried him on their shoulders and paraded him around the locker room in jubilation at the conclusion of the superstar's incredible career. Michael Lewis was in that locker room and says almost 50 years later it's still the most amazing postgame celebration he's ever witnessed. Next summer, Lewis will cover his 14th World Cup… and when the finals of that tournament are played at Met Life Stadium, right where Giants Stadium used to stand, his career will have come full circle to when a young reporter was given a beat he didn't really want… and set him on a course that changed his life and gave him the opportunity to cover the greatest player and ambassador the sport has ever known… Pele. Listen wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review if you wish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Club legend Dennis Tueart is the latest guest in the hotseat on the Official Man City Podcast… A hugely popular winger who played for the Blues from March 1974 to 1978 and re-joined the Club in 1980 for another four years with City. He also became a director at Maine Road for several years and he discusses both his playing days and life in the boardroom during the podcast. With everything from his initial signing to his departure and life with New York Cosmos in the NASL, this is an unmissable interview from one of our best-loved forwards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live and direct from Pottsdam, it's the one-and-only Karl-Heinz Granitza — the prolific German striker who became the face of the North American Soccer League's iconic Chicago Sting -- and a transformative figure in American soccer during his seven outdoor seasons across the late 1970s & early 1980s.   A 2003 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee and one of the NASL's all-time leading scorers, Granitza opens up about his remarkable journey from West Berlin to the Windy City -- where his powerful left foot, fiery personality, and unshakable will to win helped ignite a soccer revolution in the US. Granitza shares the challenges of joining the Sting in 1978, a year that began with a record-setting 10-game losing streak, only to pivot dramatically under mid-season replacement coach Willy Roy. With a new influx of German talent and a renewed sense of purpose, Granitza led a cultural and competitive shift that culminated in one of the most exciting eras in Chicago pro sports history. Among the stops: the tension-filled triumph of the NASL's 1981 Soccer Bowl championship match, where the Sting edged the star-studded New York Cosmos in a nail-biting, scoreless encounter that culminated in a dramatic tie-breaking shootout. Granitza recounts the euphoric aftermath: Chicago's first major pro sports championship in nearly two decades, a ticker-tape parade attended by over 100,000 fans, and the moment he realized that soccer had finally taken root in America's heartland. We dive into Granitza's reputation as both a clutch performer and a demanding teammate; with humor and honesty, he reflects on his passionate leadership style — his perfectionism, on-field outbursts, and deep loyalty to teammates like Arno Steffenhagen, Ingo Peter, and Pato Margetic. We also explore Granitza's dominance in the 1980s indoor game (for both the NASL and MISL versions of the Sting, as well as the American Indoor Soccer Association's Chicago Power), his record-setting scoring streaks, and his perspective on the bittersweet demise of the NASL -- especially the (often overlooked) legacy it still provides today's American soccer landscape. + + +   SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable "Good Seats" Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106 SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 Yinzylvania (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): https://yinzylvania.com/GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE 417 Helmets (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://417helmets.com/?wpam_id=3 FIND AND FOLLOW: Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/

Willy Roy is a US Soccer Legend. Inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame in 89', Willy's path, experiences, and other passions (including Wrestling) are incredible. A class act that gave back to the game as the coach at Northern Illinois University after his playing days, he now watches as his son carry's the baton in his hometown of Chicago! #nasl #usmnt #soccer #german #chicago #stlstars #patmcbride Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doug Cress is the mastermind/OZ behind the wickedly popular Facebook Group: "1970's Soccer USA" With over 30,000 followers, Doug regularly posts pictures, clips, and vids featuring the true OG's of soccer in America. With a focus on the domestic players from the NASL & MISL, there is no shortage of "stache's" and "mullet's" on top of COPA's!!! Give the page a follow, and don't forget to LIKE REVIEW FOLLOW OR SHARE the show!!! #nasl #misl #ussoccer #legends #stlouis #dougcress #facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eight years ago, a 19 year old Jimmy Filerman had his first experience in the US Open Cup as a player for the South Florida Surf in USL League Two. A team of mostly amateur players in their schools' offseasons came together to face Miami FC, who at the time was spending big money to put together a competitive roster in the NASL with Manager Alessandro Nesta (of Italian National Team Fame). The team of kids tied the game in the 76' before Miami put the go-ahead goal away in the 80'. It was the type of game that makes this tournament so special. It gives young players the opportunity to test themselves against seasoned professionals. It puts David up against Goliath in a winner-take-all one match battle. It gives players that have given their youth to the game an experience they won't forget. Lastly, it is truly the only open thing that exists in our world of soccer with a closed pyramid. Jimmy would return back to Old Dominion for two more seasons after that and end his college career in 2019. Despite Covid doing its best to kill off parts of the fragile US Soccer Lower Leagues, he found a home in Detroit City in 2020 and 2021. He was part of those DCFC teams that completely dominated NISA. With Covid putting a pause on the Open Cup due to travel restrictions, there were no opportunities for him to play the tournament while playing for the club. But 2021 would take Filerman down to Greenville Triumph for his first experience playing in the professional ranks of USL. It was here that he'd see US Open Cup action for the second time. Greenville triumphed (dad joke) over Oakland Roots for a first round cupset and that set up a home game for them against MLS' Charlotte FC. The 4,000 person capacity stadium witnessed their 3rd Division squad take Charlotte to extra time where they eventually succumbed 2-1. “They subbed in guys like Christian Fuchs” says Jimmy on the pod. “Just being on the field with guys you grew up watching, and those big entities where you know how much money they're bringing in and how much money has gone into the roster is just different.” After a broken leg ended his time at Greenville, Jimmy joined up with the Maryland Bobcats in 2023 and was part of a roster that took down the Ocean City Nor'easters on a last second winner before succumbing on the road to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on a cold, wet night along the Monongahela River. Fast forward to Jimmy in 2025 and a lot has changed. The 19 year old kid that admittedly loved him some College is now a 28 year old man that has had a lasting career in the 3rd and 4th divisions of the US Soccer Pyramid. A lot has happened in those eight years. Things have come full circle for Jimmy as he returned to the Open Cup as an amateur 8 years after being there with South Florida Surf. Jimmy linked back up with his DC United Academy running mate, Lucas Mendes, who is the creative force and visionary behind Virginia Dream FC. For those that do not know, the Dream have been quickly building up accommodates as one of the best Amateur sides in the country. The club won the NPSL Mid-Atlantic last year, the Spring and Fall 2024 UPSL Seasons, and the 2024 Virginia Super Soccer League. Then they qualified for the 2025 US Open Cup by beating Alexandria Reds and the Aegean Hawks FC of the United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA). The Dream came into City Stadium with a chip on their shoulders. A squad full of players that had been there before and players that know they should still be there (special shout out to Elijah Amo who absolutely needs a call from a pro side…). After an 8' minute penalty kick was calmly slotted into the corner by former Bobcat Nicolas Likulia, it was clear Richmond was in for a fight from the pesky amateur side. After a banger from the Kickers' James Vaughn drew them equal in the 36', the Dream held on to head into the locker room at 1-1. After taking some abuse in front of their goal at the end of the first half, the Dream became the aggressors and put home two more goals. One from Suchecki in the 53' and another from former Bobcat Mike Akinkoye in the 61'. With the lead in hand and the armband on, Jimmy came alive and showed he still has what it takes to compete on this level. Making tackles and shouting instructions. The cupset was on. When the final whistle blew, it was the Dream marching on to the next round of the 2025 US Open Cup. On Wednesday, April 2nd, the Dream head to Segra Field to take on its next Goliath; the USL Championships' Loudoun United. While it will be another uphill battle, I wouldn't count them out.

Join Joe in this inspiring episode of The Authority Company Podcast as he sits down with Ciarán McArdle author of The Soccer of Success: How the Beautiful Game Can Help You Achieve Goals in Business and Life. Dive into the dynamic intersection of soccer, entrepreneurship, and productivity. McArdle shares how lessons from the pitch—like the "90-minute mindset" and the "hat trick of success" (plan, perform, recover)—can transform your approach to business and personal growth. Explore the evolving landscape of U.S. soccer, from the NASL's star-studded era to MLS's rising influence, and discover why homegrown talent and strategic investments could propel soccer into America's "big five" sports. The conversation also highlights the legendary underdog story of Leicester City's Premier League triumph, underscoring the power of teamwork and resilience. Whether you're a soccer fanatic, a business leader, or someone seeking actionable strategies to boost productivity, this episode delivers game-changing insights.As the Co-founder and CEO of XL Soccer World, CIARÁN MCARDLE has built his entire business around soccer. XL Soccer World operates ten sports facilities along the East Coast with millions of annual visitors. The company's travel branch, XL Travel, has taken thousands of teams around the world to some of the most impressive pitches on the planet. The company was recently purchased by SoFive, a City Football Group company. In his latest project, Ciaran has launched XL Academy, a fully licensed school for gifted young soccer players seeking a future in the game.Winner of “CEO of the Year” from the Orland Business Journal, Ciaran is also on the board of Coaches across Continents, an organization that has reached more than 49 million young people across hundreds of countries.  

What would Taylor Swift's Fortnight Challenge look like in podcast form?  That's what today's episode is all about - 14 different topics recorded at different times to form one long episode (likely our longest ever!). Part 1 - Challenge Intro and Spotify Stats Part 2 - Addressing the LA Sports Idiots Part 3 - Driving Through Slippery Winter Conditions Part 4 - Dead Poets Society Article Part 5 - UFL Fan Opinions Part 6 - Heather's New Year's Card Part 7 - 3,000 Hit Club Members Not in Cooperstown Part 8 - Naturist Quiz Part 9 - Kansas City Chess Scene Article Part 10 - NASL v. USSF Lawsuit Verdict (It's Not Good) Part 11 - James Woodrow In Memoriam Part 12 - App Nebula Quiz and Results (That I'm Not Paying For) Part 13 - Conference Alignments Among Kansas City Area High Schools (Is Blue Valley in the Sunflower League?) Part 14 - Possible Future Streetcar/Rail Transit Routes in the Kansas City Metro Area

United Soccer League is planning a move to Division One where they have potential to rival Major League Soccer. We welcome former NASL Director of Communications and Beyond the 90' creator Kartik Krishnaiyer to discuss the NASL lawsuit and USL's big plans.

We're positively kvelling over the brand new anthology from this week's guest Eric Gouldsberry - "Our Life and Times with the Earthquakes" - which vividly (and lovingly) portrays the thrilling early days of the original San Jose Earthquakes franchise (1974-84) of the old North American Soccer League, and the transformative impact it brought to the Bay Area's fast-growing Santa Clara Valley. Through his personal journey as a devoted fan and with never-before-seen images captured by his father - "official unofficial" team photographer Ray Gouldsberry - Eric brings to life the magic of a team that ignited an untapped soccer fan base in the South Bay and helped define the 1970s-era pro version of the "beautiful game" in America. We explore the club's ingenious marketing tactics, pioneering players, eclectic fans, and the various highs and lows of the original Earthquakes both on and off the field - all set against the meteoric rise and ultimate collapse of the enigmatic NASL. It's all here: cozy Spartan Stadium, its painted field, cheer instigator (and Episode 7 guest) "Krazy" George, the "Shakers," indoors at the Cow Palace - plus, the little-known origin story of 1978's expansion Oakland Stompers and the intense-but-brief rivalry that time forgot! + + +   SUPPORT THE SHOW:  Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable "Good Seats" Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106 SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS) https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2   BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "Our Life and Times With the Earthquakes: Images and Memories from the Glory Days of San Jose's Original Pro Soccer Team": https://amzn.to/4i2YVmI FIND AND FOLLOW: Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/

Where do Dallas Tornado (1967–68) Rank in the Table of Greatness?The Dallas Tornado's 1967–68 world tour is one of the most extraordinary stories in football history. Backed by the visionary Lamar Hunt, the team embarked on a grueling global journey to promote soccer in the U.S., facing extreme challenges along the way—from visa issues to terrorist threats. Graham and Jamie dive into the team's formation, the leadership of coach Bob Kap, and the unforgettable experiences that shaped the players during this unprecedented adventure. But how does their story rank among football's greatest underdog tales?In this episode:⚽ The founding of Dallas Tornado and Lamar Hunt's vision for American soccer 

Tim Twellman. This Riverview Garden native grew up in an incredibly athletic, multi-sport driven family. A bloodline from his father, through himself and his siblings, and down to his own children… pro sports has always been part of the conversation. Tim talks about his path, the NASL, Taylor's experiences, and his new passion Choose it Right, a platform helping kids achieve the next level of their athletic careers! Let's Go!!! CHOOSE IT RIGHT LINK! https://www.chooseitright.com/soccerdadpod/smart-college-report #collegerecruiting #collegesoccer #twellman #stlouis #soccer #nasl

On episode 115 of the NISA Today FC podcast, NISA announces its plans to play a 2025 season and targets April as the start of its season. I share my thoughts on that and catch you up on the latest league news. NISA Nation has also started announcing some of its expansion clubs and regions, so I'll chat about this and share my final thoughts on the NASL vs. USSF/MLS lawsuit and more. Enjoy the Show!Disclaimer: I work for the NISA league as its broadcast production supervisor.

What the hell NASL?  Das Gerichtsverfahren NASL vs USSF wurde endlich aufgerollt und de Anhörungen fanden statt. Anne hat sich die Zeit genommen, um die wichtigsten Argumente beider Seiten aufzudröseln und berichtet. Wulf vergleicht die Liga dann passenderweise mit der NISA. Ein fragwürdiges Erdmännchen  Dennis Erdmann ist mal wieder negativ aufgefallen, Anne berichtet über seine Äußerungen, während sich Wulf sämtliche Beleidigungen verkneifen muss. Anschließend reden sie über die Probleme der Aussagen und fassen zwei spannende USL Transfers zusammen. Der neue alte Open Cup  Der US Open Cup 2025 wird bald starten und es gibt einige Änderungen oder Verbesserungen. Wie diese aussehen, was sie davon halten und ...Du möchtest deinen Podcast auch kostenlos hosten und damit Geld verdienen? Dann schaue auf www.kostenlos-hosten.de und informiere dich. Dort erhältst du alle Informationen zu unseren kostenlosen Podcast-Hosting-Angeboten. kostenlos-hosten.de ist ein Produkt der Podcastbude.Gern unterstützen wir dich bei deiner Podcast-Produktion.

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse recap the USMNT weekend abroad. Jedi Robinson stays hot and is on track to take down the EPL defenders assist record. Brenden Aaronson and Josh Sargent both scored big goals in the Championship. Mark McKenzie got the start and scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Toulouse. Tim Weah also recorded an assist off a long shot in Juventus' home win against Empoli. The Americans are set to face off in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase, which kicks off next week. Finally, January transfers drop in at the deadline with a deal nearing for MLS star Cucho Hernandez. (6:58) In #AskAlexi the guys answer questions on transfer fees and possible plans for 2026 if the MLS switched to the European calendar. They end the show discussing the U.S. Soccer Federation and MLS winning their lawsuit over NASL. (30:36) USMNT Abroad (6:58) UEFA Champions League knockout phase (22:53) January transfer window round-up (24:57) #AskAlexi (30:36) One for the Road: U.S. Soccer and MLS win lawsuit (44:36) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the Morning Espresso on the SDH Network, all the soccer news you need to know for Tuesday, Feb. 4. What's the latest on Emmanuel Latte Lath, Cucho Hernandez off to La Liga, Lorenzo Insigne said no to going to La Liga, Jack McGlynn to Houston, NASL lawsuit failure, and more in this edition.

This episode is part of our Snowed In 2025 miniseries. The long-awaited lawsuit filed by the North American Soccer League (NASL) against the US Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer is about to go to trial (at least at the time this was recorded).  Soccer Wars has reached the courtroom. (Update: This will be an early release episode for Season 9 because the lawsuit has reached a verdict.  We will follow up as part of our upcoming Fortnight Challenge episode.)

Send us a textBall Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, discuss learnings from CITY's opening two preseason matches, roster-building changes, the US Open Cup, MLS' defense in the NASL lawsuit, and a ton more!Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)! Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!Hoffmann Brothers is the 2025 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you... Seoul Juice is the official drink of Ball Watching and made with three clean simple ingredients: water, organic lemon juice, and Korean pear juice. Get yours at Dierbergs, Sams Club, or online at seouljuice.com. Use code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout for 20% off all online orders!Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

Welcome back, the Morning Espresso is brewed and ready to start your Friday, January 24th.Reports yesterday indicated that Miguel Almiron's potential arrival in Atlanta was becoming imminent. Conflicting interpretations of Newcastle manager Eddie Howe's comments this morning are creating some confusion, as is a winter storm that is creating chaos in Newcastle's travel plans to Southampton. Middlesbrough want to get a deal done for Emmanuel Latte Lath quickly, if a deal gets done for him, and they might have their replacement lined up as of early this morning. I gave my thoughts on the lawsuit in New York between the former NASL and USSF/MLS. Considering my time working with the Atlanta Silverbacks here in Atlanta, I think I have a pretty decent frame of reference on the league and its chances for success. Silly season updates from Europe and South America include Liverpool, Newell's Old Boys, and more.MLS spending in this transfer window is currently 4th in the world and the impending Atlanta deals could push them to 2nd behind the Premier League. Cruz Azul's manager went to the airport to leave for his next job at Porto, but the club threatened him with a breach of contract claim, but he said the deal was done between the clubs and welcome to the silliest of silly seasons. Back Monday for more Morning Espresso.--- Jason

Joshua and Nathan talk about Matthew Hoppe being on trial with the Whitecaps in Marbella, Brian White's first USMNT goal, Canada MNT rumours, Vancouver Rise making more signings, the circus that is Tottenham, Chelsea winning again, some crazy UCL results and more!TIMESTAMPS:1:03- Matthew Hoppe on trial with Whitecaps, Brian White scores first goal for USMNT5:50- Neymar to Chicago Fire dead, Don Garber provided testimony on Tuesday over the NASL trial against MLS and US Soccer9:47- Vancouver Rise sign more players15:16- Kadin Chung returns to Pacific, Ben Fisk retires and joins Vancouver FC front office, Forge loading up21:21- Nathan Saliba has Eintract Frankfurt, David scores again, Buchanan loan to Ajax?26:08- Spurs lose again, injury crisis, is Nathan finally #LevyOut?33:15- Chelsea beat Wolves, why Josh doesn't want Garnacho45:49- Wild UCL results, Man City in hot water, Dortmund fire Nuri Sahin55:30- Josh talks about his Botchford Project experience Twitter:@JoshuaRey00@Ndurec@TerminalCityFCBlueSky: @joshuarey.bsky.social  @ndurec.bsky.social  @terminalcityfc.bsky.social Instagram:@TerminalCityFCPodcastYoutube:TerminalCityFC     

We kick off our 16th season from the Joe Goldstein Studio with Mike Battista and Daniel Rebain. Inside this Episode: -A redo at the striker position for New York, who is in, who is out since the final whistle blew at MLS Cup -A look at the 2025 starting lineup -Jurgen Klopp's arrival at RB Global -New MLS Roster Rules -MLS Preseason Schedule -10th anniversary of RBNY 2 -NASL v US Soccer & MLS Lawsuit -Your Emails

It's a holiday gift-wrapped conversation with American soccer pioneer and US National Soccer Hall of Famer Johnny Moore - whose professional career as a player and coach across the original versions of both the North American Soccer League (San Jose Earthquakes, Oakland Stompers), and Major Indoor Soccer League (Detroit Lightning, San Francisco Fog, Phoenix Inferno & a one-game/one-goal stint with the Kansas City Comets), and as General Manager of the original Major League Soccer incarnation of the 'Quakes (formerly Clash, now Houston Dynamo) - is the stuff of legend. Also: the "outlaw" 1969 Oakland/California Clippers; San Francisco's infamous Cow Palace; the mid-70s US Men's National Team; the real origin story of the NASL 35-yard line (and Shootout); and how Mexico's Club America almost became another Chivas USA. + + +  SUPPORT THE SHOW:  Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable "Good Seats" Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106 SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS) https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats Yinzylvania (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): https://yinzylvania.com/GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "Soccer Fever: A Year With the San Jose Earthquakes" (1977): https://amzn.to/3BTrNy1   FIND AND FOLLOW: Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable

It's been 50 years since Admiral took the football world by storm with the first of their range of kits that have become icons, from Leeds  to West Ham,  Coventry to Queen's Park,  Spurs to Saudi and  the NASL to Hearts. There's a magnificent new book out to celebrate half a century of reinventing football fashion. Theo Hamburger and John Devlin join Steven Scragg and Dave Bowler to revel in some of the most remarkable kits ever to adorn a monolithic centre-half.

Werner Roth began his soccer career in American at a time when there was no top flight domestic professional league. Roth began his career with the German American-Hungarians and would remain with New York clubs for the duration of his career. He became a member of the storied New York Cosmos during their glory years in the 1970's. Roth was also part of the US National Team from 1972-75. He joined the show to discuss his ascension through the ranks an into the North American Soccer League. Roth also shares what it was like to play with Pelé. Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America. Visit our website for more information: ⁠⁠FoundingFutbol.com Subscribe to Founding Futbol on your platform of choice. Host: Kent Malmros Guest: Werner Roth (Former NASL and USMNT Player) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[By popular request, an archive re-release from August 2018, featuring our extraordinary conversation with one of the central figures of the original North American Soccer League - from its chaotic formation in 1968 to its untimely demise in 1985.] + + + Soccer America columnist (and Episode #6 guest) Paul Gardner summed up this week's National Soccer Hall of Fame guest in his May 2015 commentary: “The debt owed by American soccer to Clive Toye is a vast one. It is not too much of an exaggeration to say, flatly, that without Toye's blind faith in the sport in the 1970s, pro soccer in the USA would have withered and died. Yes, Phil Woosnam and Lamar Hunt and Bob Hermann were there too. But in those unpromising years it was Toye's voice -- it came in a steady flow of ridiculously optimistic press releases and grandiose plans for a future that few others even dared to ponder -- that called loudest. “The New York Cosmos general manager credited with turning that league's fortunes around when he signed Pele to a contract in 1975. Toye, who was born in England and came to the United States in 1967 at the age of 33, was president of three North American Soccer League teams – the Cosmos, Chicago Sting and Toronto Blizzard – and general manager of the [original National Professional Soccer League and subsequent NASL] Baltimore Bays.  [He] was an official of the NASL in helping it through its crisis year of 1969 and in its final months in 1985 – and helped to found the third American Soccer League in 1988. “There has always been the spirit of a showman in Toye, and surely it was that spirit that enabled Toye to overlook the virtual collapse of the old North American Soccer League and to see instead a glittering future for the sport in the USA, even to declare to anyone who was listening -- and not many were in those days -- the preposterous notion that the USA should begin preparing to stage the World Cup. “And when the NASL, by the skin of its teeth and by the mad devotion of Toye et al., did survive, it was Toye who gave the reborn league its glittering image with his invention of the Cosmos, with his canny maneuvering and dealing, who brought Pele and Beckenbauer to New York.  Showmanship indeed.” Toye (A Kick in the Grass: The Slow Rise and Quick Demise of the NASL; Anywhere in the World) joins host Tim Hanlon for a lyrical and anecdote-filled journey through the pro league that he helped create, later put to rest, and which ultimately shored up the long-term foundation of the “beautiful game” in America. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: "Good Seats" Show & Defunct Team Merch:  http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable BUY/READ EARLY & OFTEN:  A Kick in the Grass: The Slow Rise and Quick Demise of the NASL (2006): https://amzn.to/3Ln1KAt Anywhere in the World (2015): https://amzn.to/3Y3TD3A SPONSOR THANKS: Royal Retros (promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 Old School Shirts.com (promo code: GOODSEATS) https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats   FIND & FOLLOW: Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable

Most US and Canadian domestic soccer fans are certain that the second incarnation of the North American Soccer League (2011-17) officially met its untimely demise in early 2018, just a few months after the first-year San Francisco Deltas beat the New York Cosmos in the 2017 Soccer Bowl - and amidst a seemingly desperate/last-minute antitrust lawsuit alleging collusion between US Soccer and Major League Soccer to keep the league down.   While the NASL hasn't played another game since, the lawsuit - largely ideated and funded by spurned billionaire/Cosmos owner Rocco Commisso - is still very much alive, and now officially headed to trial beginning January 6th of next year.    At issue: whether the governing body of soccer in the US and/or its officially designated top-tier professional league conspired to exclude the NASL from Division I-sanctioned play, and schemed to monopolize the market for men's pro soccer.   At stake: the future direction, competitive landscape and legal structure of American professional soccer.   We get a full primer on the history, rationale and likely outcomes of this stealthily persistent case, with UCLA law school professor, sports/soccer legal expert (and 1970s-era ASL Cleveland Cobras fan) Steven Bank - whose influential Twitter/X feed is an essential follow on all things law + soccer.    + + +   SUPPORT THE SHOW: "Good Seats" Show & Defunct Team Merch:  http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable   SPONSOR THANKS: Royal Retros (promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 Old School Shirts.com (promo code: GOODSEATS) https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats   FIND & FOLLOW: Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable

Mike Woitalla, Executive Editor of Soccer America, joins Kevin and Dave to review the USMNT's recent performance. They analyze the team's lackluster game against Colombia and the friendly match against Brazil. The discussion also includes predictions on the significance of the 2024 Copa América for Coach Gregg Berhalter.With decades of soccer journalism experience, Mike brings deep insights into game highlights, player transfers, and referee decisions. Additionally, he's an active volunteer coach, referee, and photographer with SWB Oakland, contributing to the sport from youth leagues to the professional level.Kevin highlights the tactical adjustments needed for the USMNT to compete effectively on the global stage, emphasizing the importance of a solid defensive strategy and creative midfield play. Dave counters with a focus on improving player development programs within the US, suggesting a long-term approach to cultivate homegrown talent capable of succeeding internationally.Mike and the hosts delve into the potential impact of upcoming international fixtures and tournaments, providing a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities awaiting the USMNT. Their conversation underscores the critical role of strategic planning and consistent performance in elevating the team's global standing.

Ted Westervelt, known as @soccerreform on social media, is a prominent advocate for promotion and relegation in U.S. soccer. Born in Elgin, Illinois, he attended Scattergood Friends School and Earlham College. Westervelt's passion for soccer has made him a leading voice in the #ProRelForUSA movement, which seeks to implement a promotion and relegation system in American soccer.The discussion explores the challenges and opportunities of promotion and relegation, focusing on the impact of closed leagues, the NFL owner's possible influence, and missed opportunities in women's soccer. It also highlights the potential for growth in the USL and other lower divisions and considers the historical significance of older soccer clubs.Kevin and Dave also cover the weeks hottest stories in the world of global soccer, including Kevin's recent travel experiences in Asia, recent promotion and relegation in Premier leagues, and players like Cristiano Ronaldo selling out to play in the Saudi League. The episode ends with a hilarious edition of "Getting to Know You."  So come celebrate the Beautiful Game on this week's edition of Over the Ball.

We celebrate the 94th birthday of legendary Soccer America columnist Paul Gardner (The Simplest Game: The Intelligent Fan's Guide to the World of Soccer; Soccer Talk: Paul Gardner on Soccer) with this special archive re-release (and our 6th-ever episode!) from 2017. The universally acknowledged "dean" of American soccer writers waxes nostalgic on his unlikely journey from fledgling British pharmacist to the States' most persistently influential commentator on the "beautiful game."  Gardner: Recounts the chaotic formation of the modern professional game in the U.S. during the 1960s; Recalls how ambitious sports entrepreneurs like the International Soccer League's Bill Cox, and greedy corporate owners like the United Soccer Association's Madison Square Garden were quickly chagrined by the machinations of soccer's international governing body; Describes how a complex Welsh-born, player-turned-NASL-commissioner curiously nudged him into national TV game commentating; Remembers when he first recognized pro soccer had finally “arrived” in America (ironically, while out of the country); and Suggests that a revised U.S. corporate tax code may have helped hasten the demise of an already-wobbly NASL as the 1980s beckoned. + + +   SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable "Good Seats" Merch: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY   SPONSOR THANKS: Old School Shirts.com (promo code: GOODSEATS) https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats Royal Retros (promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2   BUY/READ EARLY & OFTEN: The Simplest Game: The Intelligent Fan's Guide to the World of Soccer (1996): https://amzn.to/3yhjJFc Soccer Talk: Paul Gardner on Soccer (1999): https://amzn.to/44AoHsV   FIND & FOLLOW: Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable

Perry Van der Beck was one of the first rising young stars in American soccer. Drafted out of high school by the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1978, Perry joined a team that would go on to play in the Soccer Bowl -- the NASL's championship game -- his first two years. Perry quickly emerged as a key talent for US Soccer, specifically approaching the 1980 Olympic Games. As a key part of the US Men's Olympic team, he experienced the frustration of missing out on an opportunity to play for his country when the US boycotted the games. He joined Founding Futbol to talk about his journey to the NASL from high school, as well as his time as part of the National Team and Team America. Perry also provided insight on the challenging times that American soccer faced in the 1980s. Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America. Extra Time is an additional weekly episode that shares reactions and reflections from the chapters, and brings additional guests into the fold.  Visit our website for more information: ⁠FoundingFutbol.com. Email us at kent@foundingfutbol.com Host: Kent Malmros Guest: Perry Van der Beck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 'Caps celebrate its 50th year anniversary this weekend, so we welcome club legend Carl Valentine onto the pod. Some great stories from the NASL days, winning the Soccer Bowl, and just how great a footy city Vancouver is these days!GET IN!Fubotv is home to The Premier League in Canada. Don't miss a second of the action! Subscribe at: fubotv.com/footyprimePresenters: James Sharman, Craig Forrest, Jimmy Brennan, Amy Walsh & Dan WongThe Camby: Jeff Cole, VO and Editor/ProducerThis podcast has content that may use words and share tales that offend, please feel free to use your best discretion.Parental discretion is advisedwearefootyprime.comX @footy_primeTikTok @FootyPrimePodcastYoutube @FootyPrimePodcastIG FootyPrimeIGFacebook Footy Prime The PodcastEmail footyprimepodcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the North American Soccer League folded in 1984, many of the league's top American players moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League. Some, in fact, moved with their franchises, who also found a new home as part of the indoor game. One such club was the San Diego Sockers. Their star defender, Kevin Crow, had achieved All-Star status in the NASL and then became five-time Defender of the Year in the MISL. Crow joined Founding Futbol to talk about his journey through four leagues with one franchise. He sheds light on how he managed the challenges of a down era in US Soccer, talks about the differences between the indoor and outdoor game, and recounts how focused on his transition away from the game, while he was still playing.  Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America. Extra Time is an additional weekly episode that shares reactions and reflections from the chapters, and brings additional guests into the fold.  Visit our website for more information: ⁠FoundingFutbol.com. Email us at kent@foundinguftbol.com Host: Kent Malmros Guest: Kevin Crow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In questa puntata:- Focus: ci facciamo un viaggio alle Hawaii con Alessandro Acquistapace- Update: facciamo il punto sulla CONCACAF Champions League e sulla Champions africana

Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America. Before there was Beckham or Messi coming to America to play for Major League Soccer Franchises, there was Pelé and his stint with the New York Cosmos. From 1975-1977 the world's most recognized footballer spent the twilight of his career helping this country fall in love with the beautiful game.  His time playing in the North American Soccer League (NASL) provided a blueprint for what success could look like for the sport in this country. It boosted the NASL to previously unseen heights. Unfortunately, Pelé's (second) retirement also showed the continued vulnerability of America's top flight professional league. This episode explores the many layers of his time in New York and it's long-term impact on the game in the US. Our guest on this episode is Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis; he has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. He also was the soccer columnist for the New York Daily News for 22 years. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island, New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists and United Soccer Coaches (formerly National Soccer Coaches Association of America), is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written nine books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. He is also a member of four Halls of Fame, including the Eastern New York Soccer Hall and Long Island Soccer Football League Soccer Hall. Visit our website for more information: ⁠⁠FoundingFutbol.com Host: Kent Malmros Guest: Micahel Lewis (Writer) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manny Gonzalez is back in his 3rd season for the Maryland Bobcats. Manny has been in the professional game in the US for a while at this point. Manny has played professionally in the NASL, USL-Championship, and NISA and brings us through his journey from South Florida to Maryland. We also talk about some a fun Open Cup run where Manny talks about his club taking down 2 MLS sides on a deep run.  Manny is an essential part of the Bobcats project and brings professionalism as a seasoned veteran and has the unique ability to be a deep lying playmaker with the club. 

In the annals of American soccer history, few names evoke as much reverence and admiration as Rick Davis. A true legend of the sport, Davis left an indelible mark on the landscape of American soccer during his tenure with the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League (NASL). With a blend of skill, tenacity, and leadership, Davis emerged as a beacon of excellence, captivating fans and inspiring future generations of players.Get ready for an electrifying episode of the Over The Ball podcast as we welcome none other than American soccer icon, Rick Davis, as he joins Kevin and Dave and delves into his unparalleled journey through the world of soccer, reminiscing about his illustrious career with the New York Cosmos in the NASL and his enduring impact on the sport in the United States.

Tony Messenger, a St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist and a huge soccer fan, joins St. Louis City SC beat writer Tom Timmermann and co-host Beth O'Malley for a chat about the Open Cup, City's lineup decisions and a few trips down memory lane to the NASL. Messenger won a Pulitzer Prize (not for his work on soccer coverage, but for columns) in 2019.  Questions? Comments? Kudos? Contact us: Tom Timmermann, ttimmermann@post-dispatch.com and Beth O'Malley, bomalley@post-dispatch.com Read more about City SC here.

It's a "retcon" special this week, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the most colorful and persistent franchises in American pro soccer history - with a return visit from Episode 40 guest Gary Singh (The Unforgettable San Jose Earthquakes: Momentous Stories On & Off the Field). As one of four West Coast expansion teams (along with the Los Angeles Aztecs, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps) added for the North American Soccer League's breakthrough 1974 season, the original San Jose Earthquakes were an immediate hit both on the field (finishing second in an all-new Western Division, led by league-leading scorer [and Episode 35 guest] Paul Child) - and in the stands, where they averaged 15,000+ fans a game to a less-than-modern Spartan Stadium, more than double the league average at the time.  Though never regular championship contenders, the ‘Quakes cultivated a rabidly loyal fan base that became the envy of clubs across the league – until the NASL's ultimate demise ten years later.  Fragments of the club soldiered on semi-professionally in the following years, but the appellation (along with some of the previous cast) returned in earnest in 1999, when the management of San Jose's struggling (and unpopularly named) Major League Soccer “Clash” sought to rekindle some of the original NASL team's magic; by 2001, the second iteration of the Earthquakes were contending for and winning MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield titles.    However, stymied by an inability to construct a soccer-specific stadium in the area, owner-operator Anschutz Entertainment Group pulled up stakes and relocated the club to Houston (Dynamo) for 2006 – taking further championships with them.  Nonplussed San Jose fans revolted – and a new “expansion” franchise was quickly announced by MLS officials, with plenty of structural caveats that ensure today's now-third incarnation of the ‘Quakes rightfully retains all of its accumulated heritage and rich legacy. + + +     SPONSOR THANKS: Old School Shirts (promo code: GOODSEATS):  https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats     BUY/READ EARLY & OFTEN: The Unforgettable San Jose Earthquakes: Momentous Stories On & Off the Field (2024): https://amzn.to/48oMwEc The San Jose Earthquakes: A Seismic Soccer Legacy (2015): https://amzn.to/42ZNkOL   FIND & FOLLOW: Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill Instagram (+ Threads): https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable

Legendary Chicago Sting Coach, Willy Roy, joins the boys on OTB to discuss Coach Roy's transition from player to coach, the demise of the NASL, and the Chicago Sting's historic win over the Cosmos in the 1981 Soccer Bowl. Dave and Kevin celebrate the Coach's National Soccer Hall of Fame induction in 1989 and his NASL Coach of the Year honors in 1981. The boys also dig into Daryl Dike's injury, Gio Reyna's performance for Nottingham Forest, alongside USMNT teammate Matt Turner, and Brazil's surprise failure to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. The mics are a buzzing on this week's episode of Over The Ball.

In Episode 138, Lincoln Phillips, Trinidad & Tobago Goalkeeper of the Century, USC Hall of Famer, Former Head Coach of Howard University, Author of Goalkeeping:The Last Line of Defense, The First Line of Attack, husband, father, and grandfather, talks with Phil and Paul about lessons learned during his journey from Trinidad & Tobago Goalkeeper to professional soccer in the US to Howard University Head Coach and beyond, a movie being made about his incredible life, the importance of hard work, adaptability, and empowering players to lead, how captains need to be on-field coaches, his views on controversial goalkeeper topics, great stories and defining moments in his life, an incredible story of friendship that transcended the game and society during a difficult time in the US, the need for more creativity in American soccer, and much more. Specifically, Coach Phillips discusses: ·      His personal story, including how he grew his passion for soccer, leadership, and coaching, and how a kid from Trinidad & Tobago who was “terrible at everything” ended up being a player-coach in early years of the NASL and a legendary coach at Howard University (4:40) ·      His personal why and life purpose and how he is living it out today (13:33) ·      His coaching background (16:39) ·      The story behind his book, Goalkeeping:The Last Line of Defense, The First Line of Attack, and some invaluable goalkeeping tips from a legend (22:33) ·      How we can teach keepers to be better at 1 v 1's (28:11) ·      The importance of keepers being coached with the team, not off to the side (30:49) ·      Corner kicks – defenders on posts or no defenders on posts? (31:57) ·      Why American soccer coaches need to start questioning things and thinking for themselves (37:06) ·      Life and leadership lessons he learned playing the great position of goalkeeper (42:24) ·      His defining moment in his soccer career and what he learned from it (47:39) ·      His most influential coaches and how he is using the lessons learned from them in his life today (53:36) ·      His thoughts, good and bad, about the current state of US Soccer (1:00:12) ·      How he is using lessons learned from the beautiful game in his marriage and parenting (1:06:08) ·      His recommendations (1:09:26) ·      A sneak peek into the movie being made about Coach Phillips (definitely will want to listen to the end) (1:13:48) Resources and Links from this Episode ·      Soccer Goalkeeping:The Last Line of Defense, The First Line of Attack, Lincoln Phillips ·      Video of the Episode ·      HSEL Facebook Group   ·      Warrior Way Soccer ·      Providence World (Donations to HSEL Podcast) ·      Coaching the Bigger Game Program ·      Phil's email for DISC Training ·      Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game's Analytics Revolution, Ryan O'Hanlon Article about the upcoming movie about Coach Phillips and the 1971 Howard University team, “Rising Above”

Pat McBride is yet another incredible soccer legend from the STL, that happens to be an even better human! From his early CYC days, through multiple national championships at SLU and SIUE as player & coach, to his record breaking NASL career, and his passion... running the bench for the MISL legendary squad - St. Louis Steamers!!! Enjoy #soccer #nasl #usmnt #ussoccerhof #ncaa #slumenssoccer #siue

Summary In this episode of That Annuity Show, Bobby Samuelson, President of Life Innovators, discusses the current state of the annuity market and the challenges and opportunities it presents. He highlights the entry of new companies into the market and the different strategies they employ. Bobby also discusses the role of proprietary indices in annuities and the need for innovation in product development. He emphasizes the importance of technology in enabling advisors to tell the annuity story more effectively. Overall, Bobby provides insights into the changing dynamics of the annuity market and the evolving expectations of customers. Takeaways New companies are entering the annuity market, with many focusing on multi-year guarantee annuities (MYGAs) as an entry point. The annuity market is highly competitive, and companies need to differentiate themselves through innovation in product development. Proprietary indices have played a significant role in the annuity market, but there is a need for more innovation and a focus on the underlying product structure. The annuity market faces challenges in attracting and retaining customers, and companies need to adapt to changing customer expectations and preferences. Technology can play a crucial role in enabling advisors to sell annuities more effectively and reach new markets. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Focus of Bobby Samuelson 03:45 New Entrants in the Annuity Market 07:43 Competition and Innovation in the Annuity Market 13:42 The Role of Proprietary Indices in Annuities 20:31 Challenges and Opportunities in the Annuity Market 27:12 Changing Customer Expectations in the Annuity Market 30:44 The Role of Technology in the Annuity Market 35:37 Conclusion and Closing Remarks Paul Tyler (00:03.644) Hi, this is Paul Tyler and welcome to another episode of That Annuity Show. Tisa, good to see you. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (00:09.89) Good to see you, Paul. Good morning, everyone. Paul Tyler (00:11.708) Yeah, we're having a lot of fun at work these days.  Paul Tyler (00:29.411) Ramsey Atlanta is like, I don't want to know. I'm not sure I want to know what Atlanta is like. Ramsey Smith (00:32.292) It's sunny. It's chilly, but it is bright sunny day. Can't complain. Paul Tyler (00:36.464) Okay. All right. Bobby, hey, listen, first of all, thanks for coming back. It's always good, you know, when guests, we have guests on once and they say yes to coming back. It's been a couple years, but we are lucky and fortunate to have Bobby Samuelson, President of Life Innovators, on our show. And Bobby, hey, just tell, it brings up the speed, you know, tell us, you know, what's your focus these days? Bobby (00:36.797) Same in Charlotte. Bobby (00:50.781) See you back. Bobby (01:02.789) Yeah, sure. So I've been doing, um, obviously worked at midlife Bright House for a few years. Less than 2017 started up a newsletter that I actually had done prior to going to Bright House. So I still do that called the life product review. That's, you know, three to 4,000 words every week on what's going on in the life insurance side of the world. Um, and then we also started up an annuity product development company. And so basically we serve as an outsourced chief product officer to small and midsize insurance companies. And so a lot of these newer entrants getting into the space. can't hire product talent, can't find product talent. And so they use us as their chief product officer effectively. And then we've also picked up, I'd say a few kind of insurance companies that are either doing other types of products and want to get into annuities or maybe are already doing annuities, but haven't done for example, an FIA or a RYLA or even a VA and they hire us to help them build those products. And then along the way with that, we kind of realized that wait a second, we're doing, you know the life product review, can we do something? on kind of what's going on in the competitive landscape on the annuity side of the world. And so we started a newsletter called the annuity edge. And that is basically a weekly digest of, you know, everything going on in the competitive side of the annuity world. And so we, we scan, we look at all the filings that come through the States and the compact, we look at all the stuff that comes through competitive scan. We look at stuff that comes through, you know, the various rate providers, plus the conversations we have with carriers. And we basically write all that up and sort of a, a narrative kind of format to try to tell the story of. What's going on every week in annuities. And, you know, look, we've had, we've had plenty to write about. Like there's tons of stuff having, it feels like every week there's something going on. New products, significant rate changes. We usually do like a market update every week because the rates have been changing so much. We also run every week a weekly index spotlight. So we go on and take, you know, there's 180, uh, engineered indexes. That's what we call them engineered indexes in the market. We take one every week and sort of dissect it. Talk about. why it worked well over a certain period of time, why it probably didn't work well in 2022, how it looks like the index is calibrated kind of going forward, and try to again, kind of tell the story. And so in our view, there's so many places in annuities where you can get rates, and there's places where you can get, you know, flyers, and there's places where you can get kind of raw materials, but our job is to craft all that into a story so that people can sort of digest it. And so we got six people on the Life Innovators team, we all kind of chip in different. Bobby (03:22.221) sections of the annuity edge. So I'd say most of what we've been working on these days, besides just product development, it's just cranking out that annuity edge, two or 3000 words every week on what's going on in the, in the, in the annuity market. And it's been, like I said, no shortage of things to write about. In fact, Nassau is going to be featured in next week's edition. The new income writer you guys released. Yes, we were just ripping it apart yesterday and we're going to write a little bit. So I'll probably, I'll send you a little draft before you, before we release that. So. Paul Tyler (03:45.44) Good. Paul Tyler (03:49.672) Oh, oh, tremendous. Well, yeah, first of all, thank you. And we, you know, we talk a little bit about the launch and kind of where this is headed. I'll lead off because wow, are there a lot of threads to pull in what you just talked about, but let's sort of talk about MyGa's new entrance. Like if I just stuck there, you know, and kind of look back at 2023. Man, do we have a lot of new entrants coming in here. I think, no, I think my guess, and it's not just about my guess, I think this was an easy entry point for new companies. You think we're going to see new names, a lot of new names this year, or will we see those new names now expanding into the FIA space? Bobby (04:15.31) Oh yeah. Bobby (04:31.973) Yeah, both. Um, you know, when we talk to companies that are not in our business, that are looking to get in our business, I'd say there's, you know, two or three different playbooks that they're all kind of executing on. Some of them are, are more asset oriented. Some are more operational oriented. They actually really want to run an insurance company. They like the insurance company economics, which, which makes sense to others are more liability oriented, they're trying to figure out, okay, if I take these assets on, for example, you know, longevity, mortality, morbidity, sort of the health. metrics side of the world, or even interest rate risk. Um, maybe they think they can do better with it. And so every, every new entrance has sort of a different angle on, on what they want to do in the insurance space. But for most of these companies, MYGAs is sort of seen as the natural entry point. And it's just such a commoditized market. If you come in with a hot rate, no one's going to, you know, people don't need to have like a 30 year relationship with an insurance company to sell a MYGAs product. You can kind of get in, sell a MYGAs, um, you know, call it a day. And so I think that's, that's. Ramsey Smith (05:26.348) Hmm. Bobby (05:30.481) the appeal of the market. I think it's also the danger of the market because it is so commoditized. So some of these companies have a hot rate and then all of a sudden it can flip to the other direction. And they end up kind of feeling the case usurped by other companies that get in the space. And so every company doesn't say most companies don't view my guy as their permanent strategy. They view it to your point as sort of like, get in, get the new business operations and tech kind of get the skids greased on that. And then once we get the get, get our Business sorted out, then we can start to pivot over to the real prize, which is, which is FIA and there's a variety of reasons why companies view that as the real prize. Uh, that pivot is really, really hard. So the joke that I make to insurance companies when they ask me about sort of how long do we need to wait until we go sell FIA, I said, well, listen, let me give you an example. So I can go out to this track in the school across the street from my house and I can, and I can run a 400. Okay. And you can run a 402. Okay. Neither of us are going to be in the Olympics. So even though we're doing the same activity as Olympians, we're not doing it to the same degree. So if you want to make the jump from my get an FAA, that's like you go into the track, my gets going to the track and running a pretty quick lab, selling up, you know, $8 billion a year of FIA is like being in the Olympics. And so every company comes in and says, Oh, well, we'll just going to do some my, and then we're going to sell a billion dollars of FAA. And it's like, yeah, that's like literally me going to the track and then trying out for the Olympics. Like that is a much harder, longer process. You know, then people think, so I think there is a little bit of realism now in the market on how hard it is to make that pivot from my God to FIA. That being said, when we get calls every week or an hour week, every month from some company that's either not in this business or it's kind of parallel ancillary to this business, looking to get into the space, buying a shell company, you know, buying one of the many companies that are on the block right now. And so I do think we will see more entrance getting in. Um, and I think that's generally a good thing. I mean, annuities are. Effectively a financial product. So more companies in more competitive rates, more competitive environments, probably pretty good for customers. Is it going to be great for all these companies and their own economics? That's to some degree a separate question. Like I think, I think the jury is still out on whether or not it's this playbook can be repeated over and over and over again, but, but there are plenty of companies out there trying to give it a shot and I think, I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. Ramsey Smith (07:43.616) So let me ask you this, and I've had the similar observation. I mean, my view is that the annuity market, MYGAs and FIAs, it's a pretty established market. It's very competitive. Leadership in the market sort of rotates as different companies decide they really wanna focus on it. So in some ways, it's a vibrant market, especially in the last couple of years, but it's, I guess, in sort of blue ocean, red ocean terms. Bobby (08:13.281) Yeah, it's red. Yeah. Ramsey Smith (08:13.32) Right? It's a place where there's already a lot of people. Yeah, it's very red. So I've been surprised as I talked to sort of aspirational players, I've been surprised at how many of them want to jump into this space. And I'm just wondering why you think that is, why they aren't looking for greener pastures. Bobby (08:33.957) think there's an established playbook, honestly set down by a theme that this can work. And by the way, I think NASAL is becoming another kind of proof point of if you stick with it long enough and you kind of are consistent enough, you can build a real franchise, you know, in this space, even though to your point, Ramsey, it's total red ocean. And so what I hear a lot of times, and this is kind of a joke, but it's not really a joke, is every time we talk to one of these guys and maybe you have the same experience. Ramsey Smith (08:44.405) Yeah. Bobby (09:00.945) They all say, well, yeah, but we do a great job managing assets. We're kind of better than everybody else and we've got some special stuff. And so there is, I think there's also a little bit of this. Maybe you call it arrogance, maybe call it optimism. Maybe you call it, you know, realist them that they've had a great track record. Some of these, especially as asset managers come in and sort of say, yeah, but we've got the secret sauce and our secret sauce works really well with, you know, annuity liability, uh, structures. And so, you know, we've got the raw materials and what we really need to do is just kind of package it up and cook the meal. And then everybody, all the diners are going to love it. And I think, and so I think everybody kind of has a view that they've got some sort of special ingredient that they're going to sprinkle into the, to the meal to make it work, but to your point, I mean, it's very much red ocean and that's why we, I try to communicate that to all of our prospective clients that this is really, really hard. And a lot of times I feel like I'm kind of the guy raining on everybody's parade in this conversation because everyone gets excited about the opportunity to be the next to theme. And my point is, yeah, but a theme was here 10 years before you were, and the world looked completely different back then replicating that playbook is going to take another 10 years. And so don't expect to show up and have success overnight. And by the way, you say you have special sauce. Everyone I talked to says they have special sauce. If they didn't think they had special sauce, they wouldn't be buying a life insurance company and trying to get into the space, because to your point, it is heavily commoditized. Ramsey Smith (10:13.862) Mm. Bobby (10:19.497) Over time, we'll find out who really has the right playbook. And by the way, I think it's a lot more than what most of these asset managers and private equity firms think they think we've got great raw materials, we're going to cook a great meal. Well, in order to do that, you've got to have a great chef. And what that means, and you know, Paul, from your vantage point is you got to have great distribution relationships. You've got to have compelling product. You've got to have a great marketing story. You've got to have great systems and processes. Your new business needs to be flawless. Your agent portal needs to be good. Your client portal needs to be good. There's branding. corporate story ratings. Like when you really think about it, yes, ingredients are a big piece of the puzzle, but the actual construction of the meal is where a lot of these firms, I think, kind of miss the importance of that. And so they come in thinking, well, I've got great raw ingredients. I'm going to be, even though it's Red Ocean, I'll make it work. Not realizing I've got to assemble a team to make this work. And that's where I think the jury's still out on some of these firms is do they have the staying power so that over the next 10 years, they'll figure out how to really come in. Kind of build that persistent business. Some will and some won't. And by the way, I mean, we've seen some fantastic examples of where this has worked recently. Like I would throw a speed out there. A speed is a great example of a company that kind of came out of nowhere and has built a brand and has fantastic processes, like they're sticking around very clearly. Um, I'd say, you know, I've Dex this is sort of showing signs of that too. Other firms are much more transactional and those are different paths, right? Those are different. They're making different choices. Paul Tyler (11:22.761) Yeah. Bobby (11:44.061) I think we're going to see that again, play out over the next few years and how that, how that stuff works out. Paul Tyler (11:49.784) Yeah, I've heard really good things about the speed of what Lew's doing there. I think it's a real interesting company. I think I saw it in some of our stats. I think they did like two billion dollars of sales or something last year. It's impressive. Yeah, Bobby, thanks for the high praise. It's hard. This business is a... It's a hard business. Now, I've had the opportunity to do this twice. Once with F&G when we rebrand, bought it from Old Mutual, took it to a certain point. team there has done a spectacular job taking it to the next level. Got the opportunity with TISA to do it a second time. And I think to your point, where are you starting from and when are you starting from it? Right? Like the starting point with F&G, you know, in 2011 was very different than, you know, Phoenix in 2016. And the market's changed, right? The distribution environment has changed. The product has changed a lot. Bobby (12:21.201) Yeah, they have. Paul Tyler (12:48.156) I do think the one thing that, you know, what remains constant, that's always a good opportunity, is to your point, it's persistence and consistency is incredibly valuable in this marketplace. Big splash, high rates, yeah. So, if we shift gears to product, maybe for a few minutes, you mentioned your focus on proprietary indices are a lot. We have a lot. We have quite a few in Bobby (13:00.217) Yep. Yeah, I completely agree. Paul Tyler (13:18.108) I would say the bloom came off the rose in the pandemic when we saw incredibly high volatility and then we started to see high rates, which allowed companies, yes, on the MYGAs side to offer high rates, but then also on the FII side, all of a sudden we could offer much higher participation rates on conventional indices like the S&P 500. Where are we headed this year? Bobby (13:42.349) Yeah, we, uh, we, as a firm draw a distinction between product development and index development. And those are two totally different things. Um, and so we, as a firm don't do much in the index space. We, we write about them. We watch them, but when our clients say, Hey, what indexes do you guys like? We go, we don't, whoa, whoa. That's not our business. You can put any index you want to into your FIA. And if you pick one that is optimized for back tests and is not going to work well in the future, that's. Kind of on you, right? We're not, we're not. So, so I think from our point of view, we're trying to be more agnostic. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people were not agnostic. I think there was a big story coming in really 2015 and kind of beyond, maybe even going back to 2012, this, this narrative that these indexes were going to completely change the economics of the product, illustrations, you know, kind of seemed to back that up when you got FIAs illustrating the top FIA right now illustrates at 33%. So when you think about a, a principal protected non-registered product, yes, that's real Ramsey. non-registered product illustrating at 33% returns. That is telling, we are very far away at that point from the traditional FIA story of downside protection, upside potential fixed income alternative. We have now stretched somewhere deep into this idea that FIA can be an equity replacement with no risk. And I think the FIA world effectively levered up on that concept. because of the illustration regulations and because of all the money to be made in those indexes and because advisors were looking for a new story to tell. There was a lot of reason. It wasn't just one cause where all these calls kind of lined up. And of course the banks and asset managers are more than happy to, to supply what is effectively an infinite number of indexes into the market. I mean, the joke I always make on stage is we've got 180 there in FIA and IUL products, what is the possible number of indexes that could be made? And the answer is what's infinite. You can create an infinite number of indexes. And so this is just a very small subset. The subset, by the way, that illustrates well and the back test well, and that, and that carriers felt like had a good enough story to put in there, put in their products. So I think, I think we as an industry levered up really hard on that. Um, and it worked great in a low rate environment because you could show the high par rates, even though people didn't realize, yeah, you get a higher par rate on an index that has very low intrinsic equity participation. And so the effective result is actually very similar to if you just got a true par rate on the S and P, but it was sort of gussied up and other, you know, the fixed income sleeve was adding some. Bobby (16:06.565) some alpha on the illustration. Like you kind of, your Sharpe ratio looks really high on these things. So anyway, we levered up on that. Yeah. 2020 was an issue for sure, but most indexes were actually positive in 2020. So at least, at least they sort of showed, okay, not compared to the West, where the S and P was, but they sort of showed, okay, 2022 to me was the year where everything sort of fell apart because all these indexes, most of them had pushed into long duration, fixed income that got crushed and then the equity component crap got crushed, you know, 21 comes around S and P has an amazing year. I'm sorry. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (16:17.422) Thank you. Bobby (16:35.729) 2023 comes around, S&P has an amazing year, but these indexes lag. Why is that? Well, because the way that it happened was you had a few stocks in the S&P that drove the return and a lot of these indexes were either multi-asset indexes or calibrated towards low volatility or maybe even equal market cap weighted exposure to equities, but that didn't work in 23. And, and at the same time we had rates going up for most of the year and most of them were allocated there and so they get crushed and so to me, 23, 23 is actually the year of like disillusionment. 2022 is everything went down and so did these indexes. Oh, well, 2023 is like. Wait a second. You know, we were supposed to have a great year this year and we didn't. Why, why did that happen? So what I've seen this year is all the, all the banks and as a managers have been coming out with kind of next generation concepts that don't use long duration fixed income and have higher volatility targets or use volatility overlays for their, I mean, sorry, use the duration overlays for the fixed income sleep. Like they're trying to sort of, or they just get out of fixed income all together and just use cash. They're trying to sort of say, it's sort of like when my kids don't apologize, even though they're effectively apologizing. Okay. So it's like an effective apology of saying, we're sorry for all this stuff we gave you in the past, we're going to fix it in the future with this new variant, solving the problem of 2023 or 2022, you know, for 2024 and beyond. Okay. Well, that just means there's gonna be new problems that these new indexes aren't contemplating that will show up in the future. And so from a product standpoint, you know, if you were to say what, you know, what was innovative over the last 10 years, so much of it revolved around those indexes. And That I think what we're seeing is that was not innovation that was reshuffling and creating new trade-offs that now are showing their teeth. And people are going to your point, Paul, like, well, why don't I just go back to the simple stuff like SMP 500 or like you guys have a NASDAQ sleeve, like why not just go back to a NASDAQ. Let's go back to the basics. And what's interesting is for a lot of the new indexes that we track, a lot of those indexes are going back to simpler structures. I was looking at one yesterday that. The old version of it used to be sort of a long duration fixed income equity allocation. Now it's just pure equities and cash. So effectively all it is just a par rate on the S and P 500 stylized as an excess return index with a decrement on it as something different. Well, all that is, it's just exposure to the S and P with potentially a slightly more stable, you know, par rates. And so anyway, that being said, like. Ramsey Smith (18:40.512) Mm-hmm. Bobby (18:53.573) I think that's not innovation. I think where we need to go as an industry is, okay, what does the chassis of the future look like? And I think that's where it's really, really hard. So one of the things we tell customers, our name is Life Innovators. Theoretically, that means we should do innovative stuff. We have built some really innovative products. They have had trouble selling in the market because at the end of the day, most people who sell annuities just want to drop a ticket and move on. They don't want to explain, they don't want to learn something new, they don't want to go figure out a new story, they just want to do what they've been doing and drop the ticket and move on. So I think... Part of the reason indexes were so attractive as an innovation substitute was it didn't require the advisors to change their story at all. But real innovation requires a little bit of work. And so I think where's the blue ocean kind of back to your comment, Ramsey, like it is an innovative products, but the challenge in our business is agents and IMOs don't want innovative products. They say they do, but they're actually don't because it messes with the system and the system works really well. And so. You know, like give me innovation on the very fine little edges. Give me innovation that makes it illustrate better. Give me innovation that pays me more comp, but don't give me innovation that actually forces me to change my story and educate advisors because that takes time, energy and effort, and I'd rather just keep dropping tickets and move on. And I think that's a little bit of the challenge here is like the blue ocean's hard to get because everybody's making so much money in the red ocean and they don't really want to go shift over to the new stuff. So that's a little bit of where I think we're at a break point is like we, the world has changed. Our products need to change too. That is not just index development, it's product development. And yet that's the hardest thing, frankly, this industry has to do. And it takes a long time for that to work. Ramsey Smith (20:31.784) Yeah, you know, I think that, sorry, Tisa, let me just, I wanna, I'll come back. But this, in my view, this ultimately mirrors some of the same things you see in the mutual fund industry, right? Like, you know, active versus passive, versus passive funds, thematic funds. At the end of the day, like, the storytelling part of it is just part of the ethos of... Tisa Rabun-Marshall (20:32.063) Yep. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (20:36.462) Sure. Ramsey Smith (20:58.844) of personal finance, I would argue even institutional at times, certainly personal finance. And so I think that, I think it's not unique to this industry. I think you see it sort of, you know, across the board. I would ask, you know, so what do some of these, what do some of these chassis of the future look like? So what is it that, what are some of the things you suggested that you think are a better solution but are a little bit early because people need to... Because the people that sell them need to better understand how they work. Bobby (21:30.277) Yeah, great question. And by the way, I completely agree. I love the active versus passive analogy for engineered indexes versus like the S and P 500. And I actually make the joke that these engineered indexes aren't even active. They're algorithmic, right? You set them up and then you're hands off. So at least with an active manager, they can change their strategy along the way, as long as they stay within the fund mandate, but these indexes, like you set it up in 2011 or 2012, you can't go in and change the index rules. You got to create a new version of it, but you can't go in and like, Ramsey Smith (21:39.132) Yeah. Bobby (22:00.005) So it's sort of, it's almost like a different category, but I totally agree. It's it's we've got ebbs and flows on that product chassis, you know, they're tricky because we have these defined categories in the industry. So let me give you one that I think is kind of interesting that we've seen more of, uh, this sort of idea that you can do is across between a my go and an FIA. And this idea of like a, we, we haven't got a good analogy on this. Everyone's calling a mafia, right? Like a multi-year FIA, multi-year guarantee FIA, make FIA. No one knows what to call it. Ramsey Smith (22:06.613) Yeah. Ramsey Smith (22:27.649) Alright. Bobby (22:28.297) But if you think about it, it's a logical concept. So for example, what is a my go? My go is a marketing term for a fixed deferred annuity with guarantee option periods. Okay, well, what do you call an FIA product that has, for example, a five year or seven year or even a 10 year guarantee on the cap level? That's a my go. It's a multi-year guarantee annuity. We're just guaranteeing the cap. We're not guaranteeing a return, we're guaranteeing the cap. So that's an interesting concept. You can't do that when interest rates are super low, the yield isn't there for it. With. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (22:28.462) Thanks for watching! Ramsey Smith (22:48.748) Hmm. Bobby (22:56.133) The current environment, you can get away with that. We see more and more companies doing things like that or combining sort of base guarantees with some sort of guaranteed index exposure on top. American Life has done this, Ibexas has done this. We feel the companies out there that have kind of done this. That's a category that sort of fits between. On the variable side, think about like a contingent deferred annuity. CDAs have been the next big thing for years. And there's all the logic in the world for why CDAs make sense, right? You can have separately managed accounts when you can layer a guarantee on top of it. Like if you describe that to an RAA, they would all say, I'd rather have a CDA than to talk about variable annuities. And yet CDAs never go anywhere because it's a change in process. There are some new rules built around it. Like, and people don't ultimately want to make the, yes, you're going to say something. Ramsey Smith (23:43.268) Oh, well, I'm going to say that that's a battle over who owns the assets. Right. So if it's a, if it's a CDA, then the RRA keeps the assets. If, if it's not a CDA, then the carrier has the assets and, you know, just. Yeah. So this chair has company does. And so, and, and my, you know, my only, I like conceptually, I like the CDA, but from a risk management perspective, I mean, you're, you're selling, you're just selling pure tail risk. Right. And, and, and so. Bobby (23:47.288) Yeah. Bobby (23:53.921) Insurance company, yeah, totally agree. Ramsey Smith (24:12.454) I like it less from a risk management perspective. Just my two cents. Bobby (24:14.777) It's, you know, it's interesting. We have a client who's done, yeah, we've done clients who've done CDA or has done a CDA and I say, if you do it right, the pricing actually looks a lot like a VA. It's not, it's not, it's not as much of a crop. There's not as much of just tail as you think, cause you can actually set up some structures on the, on the fund. Um, and, and also if he has a lot of cross-pollination between like the M&E, the fund expenses and the rider fee, whereas you have to be very explicit with that on the CDA. But to your point, it's a different structure. It's a different owner. It's kind of a different ownership mentality. Ramsey Smith (24:28.529) Yeah. Ramsey Smith (24:37.347) Yeah. Bobby (24:42.673) So I say that's one, you know, RYLA versus VA, we're seeing blurred lines there too, like equitable, huge in the RYLA space, where they are now adding RYLA funds to some of their traditional VA contracts. Like, again, why do we have a separate category for RYLA? Really all that is just a subset of variable annuities. So those are the sorts of things there. And then on the income side, you've got all these ideas of like, how do you get work-side income type products? How do you get sort of the built-in defined income features inside of group plans? Like... That whole world is trying to get traction. There's all sorts of issues there. I'll give you one that's personal for me. We built an FIA product that effectively has a lot of the characteristics of a RYLA, but it's a non-registered product. And so it's an FIA that allows you to have downside exposure without piercing principle. We call it a FYLA, right? It's kind of a joke, because it's not really a category either, but it's somewhere between an FIA and a RYLA. There's no trade-offs. Paul Tyler (25:33.088) Hmm. Bobby (25:37.893) So if you're a producer and you want to sell, you know, 0% floors, just like a normal FIA, you can do it. If you want to have negative floors, you can have access. So it's a technological advancement in that it gives you all the features and benefits of an FIA with some of the features and benefits of a RYLA with no trade-offs. And yet people are choking on the fact that it's just a little bit slightly different than a normal FIA product. And it's like, Yes, but it gives you this ability to have these annual reviews with clients where you can talk about risk appetite and you can allow, you know, clients who've had great gains can put some of that at risk, get way more upside and allows you to look more and more like equities over time. Like it opens up this incredible conversation from a planning standpoint customers and in terms of real returns, we have two academic papers showing that these outperform FIAs all day every day because of the larger risk exposure does not matter. Agents who get it love it. Most agents are like it, this, this is a little bit different. Ramsey Smith (26:11.052) Mm-hmm. Bobby (26:33.853) And I'm a busy over here selling like my normal FIA with this, you know, index that I like talking about. And so like, don't, don't bother me with any different. I'm, I'm busy. I'm happy to do what I'm doing. And that's, I think the challenge in this space is there are clear. Chassis improvements we can make. Um, and again, I even argue this NASL income writer you guys came out with. It allows us sort of higher upfront with a lesson to tail. Like that's a chassis improvement. North American control X chassis improvement allows multiple income streams all at once. Whether advisors care about it is completely a separate question. And whether they're going to take time to learn about it. Again, completely separate question. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (27:12.534) Thanks, Bobby. I want to go back. So let me just say, I like this restaurant analogy that you were playing with, special sauce and the meals and all of that. So I kind of want to go back to that a little bit where you're talking about new entrants into the market and why they were coming in and what they think they can offer. There's no special sauce. We're innovatish who are not really innovating. And talk a little bit about the customer. So I'm going to call the customer the diner, right? And can you talk a little bit about what you're seeing changing there? We've talked about what's constant and what's maybe not changing, but I'm curious what you've seen, maybe what you're advising your clients on. If it's not going to be product-based, what are their expectations? Are they looking for the line cook to become the personal chef? Where are you seeing this shift in what the diners, the customers, investors are looking for from these carriers outside of product? Bobby (28:04.205) Yeah, great, great question. Um, great question. So, so who is the customer? I think is always the operative question here. And I'd love to say that people buying the annuities of the customers, but y'all know that's not the case, right? The customers are the advisors who are selling this stuff. And then, and then in a lot of ways, kind of, and especially in our world, right? The IMO channel, it's, it's the upline on what's the IMO and, and they're the ones who are really kind of consuming, if you will, the meals we're creating. And I want to be clear too, I'm a believer in product innovation. And I do think that's a piece of the puzzle, but it's, it's the way you build long-term market share, not short-term market share. So, so I think there is always and always must be an innovative product angle to what you're doing, not because you're going to sell a lot of it out of the gate, but because over the next 10 years, Paul, to your point on persistency and consistency in the business and stickiness, that's how you build long-term stickiness, but you can't, you can't expect mass adoption, you know, on, on day one. So what do they, what do they want? What they, what I think they want. So increasingly it's changing a little bit. What I think they want is they want simple processes. Like we, as speed is just a great example of this. They have a fantastic new business process and their advisors who just love doing. Working with the speed of because of the process. And so I think, I think simplification of the process is part of it. Um, I think it's a big piece of it. I think, I think a corporate story matters too. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (29:20.203) easily. Bobby (29:26.181) You know, feeling like they're connected to the company, feeling like there are people there that they like, like this is a thing today, a relationship business that matters and that counts for a lot. Um, and then I think they are looking for stories to tell in terms of product to fill niches that they may not fill. Today are kind of around the edges. Um, but look, that's not, that leaves a lot of open turf that I think is grabbed by the incumbents. And so that's why, even though yes, the top five are always trading share, the top five are pretty stable. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (29:32.59) Thank you. Bobby (29:56.633) Right. In the FIA world, it's, it's kind of a theme, Allianz American equity. Like, you know, those companies stay up there kind of for a re Sam and like, they stay up there for a reason, which is they've already got the mind share on all the, like all the main dishes are covered. We're, we're dabbling in the appetizers, the desserts and the cocktails, but, but they're sort of cooking the main dishes. And I think that's a little bit of where, you know, for a lot of companies, they kind of realize where they are in the meal. Um, and recognizing that going in and trying to say, like, don't sell Allianz is, is very, very difficult. versus having something that tells a nice story for the customers where Allianz is not a fit. And that's where I think most of these companies were kind of trying to say, okay, how do I work kind of work around some of this stuff? Yeah, competing heads up against Allianz and Athene is just exceedingly difficult, especially Athene these days, it's almost impossible, frankly. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (30:31.523) Thank you. Yeah, around that. Paul Tyler (30:44.004) Yeah. Well, Bobby, I know we're kind of close to the top of the time. We will not do this topic justice, but technology. And first of all, thank you so much for coming out to our Retar Tech event, April 8th through 10th in Las Vegas. This will be great. Great to see you in person and have you on our panel talking more about this. So people listening want to hear more about it, come out to Las Vegas, join us in person. We'll do a couple of shows out there live as well. We'll have to get people involved. So you mentioned process with Aspida. Now, where does technology fit in this process? Now, I'm not going to go deep into our product because I also want to make it easy for our compliance department, not to have to review this stuff, but we're doing something different. You kind of said that. Now, how do you get agents to do something different, make it real easy? I would say we've got a three-prong strategy here on the tech side. So we've got an interesting partnership with Life Yield. He's been sort of managing this where You've got an advisor who's more of a financial planner. We've got a tool where our product kind of plugs right in. You know, Sheryl Moore saw it. She really liked it. The other end, we've got these retirement checks. Like I can email you a check to Bobby Samuelson, show you viscerally, here are two checks you'll get. Higher amount on this date, lower amount on this date. And we've got something in the middle, which is a generative AI platform. Ties and I are having just a fun time working it through our risk management department, but... which will help you look, you're going to do a lot of emails and content. How do you position this and super easily sell a product? Where do you see tech fitting here? You know, for again, our looking, I'm going to look at our customers as agents for this conversation. Bobby (32:25.949) Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, what you just described are ways to help them tell the story more efficiently and more effectively. And I think that's a big piece of it. I think for a lot of companies though, it's just literally not screwing up the application process. Like, don't ever complicate it. It's having good EAP, it's having good reporting, it's having a way for them to go check in on a case status, it's having a way for them to see what's going on with the 1035 exchange. It's a lot of blocking and tackling, and that's where I think a lot of companies kind of. Like you got to get that stuff right first before you can do all the things you guys are talking about. Um, but that being said, yeah, I do. I am a big believer that tech is a part of the enablement process here. On the flip side of that, a lot of these agents are 55, 60 years old. Their clients are 55, 60, 65 years old. Like tech, you know, you gotta, you gotta kind of do tech on their terms. And I think that's a little bit of the dance here is like, how do you create tech that is attracted to them and that they can get their arms around without over, overburdening them to some degree. Um, With some of this stuff, what gets me excited too, is thinking about new markets for our products. And I see this on the annuity side and the life side too, like how does tech get you to new markets? And I think that's the part of the industry is just now starting to kind of figure, figure out. Um, and it is not traditional advisors. It's, it's younger advisors. And look, younger advisors do business differently than older advisors. When I talk to younger advisors, most of them have, you know, virtual practices that unimaginable to advisors that are 60 plus years old. to think about that back when they were in their thirties. And so there's just a very different feel for younger advisors. And I don't think most of those advisors are working with on the annuity side, annuity customers yet, right? Like if you're 35 years of working with people your own age, there's some exceptions to that. That's where we see, so on the life side, I see a lot more of this sort of tech sort of integration and enablement going on because it's younger customer, younger advisor that's coming for annuities. It's just going to be a few years out. And I think. The investments you guys are making and other companies are making is laying the groundwork for that going forward. I mean, if we pin our hopes on independence, insurance only agents, selling annuities forever, that is a kind of in the old school way, that is a shrinking market. It'll always be there, but it's a shrinking market. These are great products. These do fantastic things for families and for people. We need to get the story out. We can't be wedded to distribution that works a certain way. We've got to broaden that. I think. Bobby (34:45.285) You can't do that without thinking about tech enablement. Um, and so that does get me excited as a product guy. It's not really in my wheelhouse as much, but it does spur some interesting questions about, okay, if we know innovation kind of hits the wall, sometimes with traditional advisors. If you switch to more tech enabled, can you do things in product that used to be kind of unimaginable, but we'll work in these new environments. And I've got a couple of clients where that's exactly the market strategy is use tech with different products that would not fly in the normal space. Ramsey Smith (34:53.812) Hmm. Bobby (35:12.601) But will fly when you kind of go after new distribution, new customers, new advisors, new technology, and you can tell that story effectively. And we're seeing that, yeah, that works. Like they don't come in with preconceived notions. And when they come in without the preconceived notions, they're willing to hear new ideas and tell those new stories. And it's, it's very cool to see that kind of stick with some of these folks in a way that would not happen with traditional advisors. Paul Tyler (35:37.904) Bobby, this was tremendous. Hey, listen, we're at time. Thanks so much for coming. Ramsey, thank you. Tisa, Tisa. And I think we lost Bruno, unfortunately. I think the internet just did not cooperate with us. Blame it on the snow and the cold here. So we'll get him back next time. But hey, thanks so much. Hey, listen, and if you like this show, share it with your friends and be sure to tune in again next week for another... Ramsey Smith (35:46.176) Pleasure as always. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (35:49.45) Thanks, Bobby Yeah. Tisa Rabun-Marshall (35:55.71) Mm-hmm. Paul Tyler (36:04.849) episode of That Annuity Show. Thanks so much! Bobby (36:08.23) guys.  

Join Kevin and Dave on the latest episode of Over The Ball as they chat with the legendary "Soccer Tom" Mulroy. The newly released book, “90 Minutes with the King: How Soccer Saved My Life” is a must-read for all fans, players, and coaches. In this captivating discussion, Tommy takes listeners on a journey through the American soccer scene and shares his passion and dedication for the game. From humble beginnings to playing in the NASL and even guarding Pele himself, Mulroy's stories highlight the crucial role of street soccer in paving the way for today's players and coaches. Listen as Tommy talks about his experience playing against Pele and witnessing his infamous bicycle kick goal, as well as delving into individual ability, sportsmanship, memorable moments, and the pure love of the game.

Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Jesse Marsch pick over the inclusions and exclusions on the first USMNT roster of 2024 and lay out their expectations for the upcoming friendly against Slovenia (04:05). With the Copa America and Olympic Games just around the corner, the guys reveal their picks for which overage players to bring to the latter (22:09). In Americans Abroad news, Daryl Dike made a triumphant return for West Brom, Tim Weah is cracking into the Juventus starting XI, and Christian Pulisic continues to silence the haters (34:58). Brandon Vazquez and Cade Cowell are being linked with moves to two Mexican giants, so should MLS be worried about the pulling power of Liga MX? (49:40) And Jesse pays tribute to Franz Beckenbauer following the Germany and NASL legend's passing. (59:29) Call It What You Want is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Follow the Call It What You Want team on X: @JimmyConrad, @CharlieDavies9, @jessemarsch For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ You can also watch Call It What You Want on the CBS Sports Golazo Network for free on connected TVs and mobile devices through the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV, and on CBSSports.com as well as Paramount+. Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, CONCACAF, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, Brasileiro, Argentine Primera División, AFC Champion League by subscribing to Paramount+ Sign up to the Golazo newsletter, your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the adventure-filled story of how a late-60s-era Scottish top-league footballer helped start the first-ever professional soccer circuit in the then-British colony of Hong Kong - punctuated by an unexpected off-season loan to one of the most forgotten franchises in North American Soccer League history. Derek Currie ("When 'Jesus' Came to Hong Kong: The Remarkable Story of the First European Football Star in Asia") joins us live and direct from his home in Bangkok,Thailand for an anecdote-rich romp through the international pro soccer scene of the 1970s/early 1980s - including his memorable Texas summer of 1976 wearing the "Stars and Stripes" for the NASL's oft-overlooked San Antonio Thunder!   + + +    SPONSOR THANKS: Old School Shirts (promo code: GOODSEATS):  https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats   BUY/READ EARLY & OFTEN: When 'Jesus' Came to Hong Kong: The Remarkable Story of the First European Football Star in Asia (2023): https://amzn.to/3H0snJm   FIND & FOLLOW: Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill Instagram (+ Threads): https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable

Another STL legend sat down to join us and chat all things soccer! Florissant MO's own Larry Hulcer breaks down his journey from the north side, to SLU, to the NASL, USMNT, and our beloved... STL Steamers! A career that placed him in THE largest markets of US Soccer (LA, NY, and STL), also took him around the world, including a private trip to Pele's own personal home on a Cosmos pre-season tour! #nasl #slu #misl #nycosmos #stlsteamers #stlmade

Perry Van der Beck is a true #STL Soccer Legend. Hailing from Florissant, Perry's path was a rocket ship to the #USMNT, #NASL, and more! He was joined by Wiregrass Ranch (Tampa) AD and head Soccer Coach, David Wilson. Perry and Dave talk about the new HS Champions League that is making its way to the Lou next fall! #Soccer #HighSchool #TampaBay #Rowdies

"To our family, (Soccer) it's a style of life, and it's a culture... I think that's how I was raised. This was my only way out, and a way of giving back to my family, and a way of making life better for my family."Herc sat down with Columbus Crew's striker, Christian Ramirez. Fresh off scoring the winning goal against Orlando City. Christian shared memories from his early days playing club soccer, his professional journey from Minnesota in NASL, LAFC, Houston Dynamo, and his expectations before playing with Columbus Crew in the MLS Eastern Conference Final vs. FC Cincinnati. Plus, Herc talks about Chicharito Hernandez's comments about his potential return to Chivas on his Twitch channel.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Download and follow Kickin' It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts! Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies and Mo Edu welcome in CBS Sports colleague and former United States U-20 MYNT head coach Thomas Rongen to talk about his experiences as U.S. Soccer's chief scout. Thomas opens up about his unorthodox approach to coaching, coming to America from the Netherlands, getting posterized by George Best during his NASL playing days, and his regrets about not consoling Clint and Charlie after each of them had suffered a personal tragedy. Then, the tables turn and it's Kate's turn to be interviewed as the guys ask about her career path, love of soccer, and succeeding in a male-dominated industry.  Kickin' It is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Follow the Kickin' It team on Twitter: @CBSSportsGolazo, @kate_abdo, @CharlieDavies9, @MauriceEdu, @clint_dempsey Watch Kickin' It on the CBS Sports Golazo Network, the 24-hour soccer streaming network that is available for free on connected TV and mobile devices through the CBS Sports App and Pluto TV, and on CBSSports.com, as well as Paramount+. For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, CONCACAF Nations League, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, Brasileiro, Argentine Primera División, soccer documentaries and more by subscribing Paramount Plus: https://www.paramountplus.com/home/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices