Photo: Justin Nuoffer
Forward Madison FC announced Thursday that Chicago-area native and fan favorite Eric Leonard would be returning for a fourth season, a development which is bound to delight many of the Madison faithful. Leonard’s hard-tackling, high intensity, dogged defending style has earned him multiple plaudits in his first three seasons with the Flamingos, most recently winning Team of the Week honors in September 2021. I sat down with Eric last night to reminisce a bit about the past few seasons, what it’s like to return for a fourth season having been at the club from the very beginning, and his goals for 2022. The following is unabridged/uncut, edited just slightly for grammar.
New Dogma Zine: I’m just going to go ahead and hit record. Alright. You’re the first guy that we’re getting back that’s been here from the start. I reached out to Matt a couple weeks ago and asked him to let me know as soon as we are going to announce a returning player who’s been here since year one, and I still haven’t heard anything [laughs]. It’s almost as if he’s busy building a team or something. Anyway. I found out today and immediately I was like, “Well, I’ve gotta message Eric and see what’s going on.”
Eric Leonard: See, they told me I had to keep it on the DL, and I actually didn’t even know the announcement is tomorrow. That’s why I couldn’t tell you when you messaged me a couple weeks ago, because I was like, “I have no idea if they’re announcing me today or tomorrow.” But yeah, man, I mean, I’m absolutely stoked. You know I’ve been here since day one. And it’s just so cool to see what this club has done over the past three years, that I just decided I’m not going anywhere. I want to stay. You know what I mean? And then obviously with the turnover of a new coach, it took some time to see what was going to happen. But after just one conversation with Matt, I’m fully bought into his ideas of what he wants to do with this team. I mean, you think back, the highest we’ve gotten was fourth in year one — that first year, when we made playoffs — but that’s it. We haven’t made playoffs since. And I mean, I’m hungry to do that.
NDZ: Yeah. And it seems, at least from Matt’s perspective, like that’s the plan. There doesn’t seem like a lot of middle ground when I talk to him. He’s just like, “Yeah, we’re going to the playoffs. Don’t worry about it.”
EL: Well, I mean, look at the staff he hired, right? So Neil’s obviously been here, and he knows the lay of the land, which is helpful. But you’ve got Matt and now you’ve hired John Pascarella, and both his and Matt’s CV, I mean, they’ve coached at the highest level, which is exciting for a League One team. Not putting down League One teams, but to have that much technical staff experience, that says a lot that this club is like, “Okay, you know what? Enough joking around. We’re going to win a championship.”
NDZ: From your perspective, what was it that won you over exactly to Matt’s philosophy?
EL: From the first year I’ve been here, I’ve always wanted to move up (to the Championship or MLS). But the little star, the asterisk in that was this: I told myself I just want to get better every year. So regardless if that takes me up or I’m staying in League One, I just want to get better. And one of the first conversations I had with Matt was him telling me, “Hey, I’m just going to be blunt with you. You’ve been here for 3 years. That means nothing to me. From day one, you’re going to have to earn your spot.” So right now, everyone is on a level playing field.
And I just laughed when he said that because I don’t think there’s been a time period throughout this club, whether or not the fans see it or not, that I’ve felt consistent like, “okay, this is my guaranteed spot for this game, this game, this game.” It’s one of those things where I have to go in and earn it every weekend. Matt was like basically, “Nothing new here. Part of my coaching philosophy is it’s going to be changed from the other years. Sorry, but you’re going to have to earn your spot. Everyone is on a level playing field.” And that’s one thing that hit me hard from the beginning, because you can tell this guy is competitive, but he’s serious. It’s no BS. And they want to come out and make an impact in this league.
NDZ: I found it refreshing that no one’s going to have their spot just because they’ve got seniority. When I talked with Matt on the day that he was announced as the new coach, the thing that he kept saying over and over again was team first mentality, team first mentality. And everybody’s got to buy into that, otherwise this whole thing doesn’t work. What does that mean for you? When he talks about a team first mentality, is that something that you find attractive? I don’t want to talk too much about Matt, just because this interview is about you. But you’re coming into a team, your third coach that you’ll be dealing with in four years at this club. What excites you about Matt’s philiosphy and his idealistic approach to building a team?
EL: For me it’s an easy one. At the end of the day, you can have all the talent in the world — and I think anyone could take a look at us last year — we had talent. I mean, it was pretty obvious when we played on the field. You’ve got these technically-proficient guys like Aaron Molloy, Josiel Nunez, J.C. Banks, those were probably some of our highest-level players the past 3 seasons. But there were times last season where it’s like, okay, 88th minute goals, 92nd minute goals. Who’s going to bust their ass to make sure that we don’t give up this goal? Not one person but collectively. And I think for me, I’m excited about this year. It’s a different excitement because if someone’s going to come in and preach team mentality first, then I’m going to be like, okay, I can get behind that. But I’m curious to see, do you really mean that?
Because in League One, you’re not going to win games based on personnel. You’re going to win games based on if you’re willing to run and you’re willing to work hard. And if we can get a team of 23 guys who are bought into this team mentality, then you’ve sold me. I mean, from Connor Tobin in year one, and I’ve obviously tried to learn a lot from him to bring the leadership perspective because I am reaching the age (26 years old) where I’ve been in the team for a while. I want to continue to bring my leadership perspective on the field too. That spark is the main reason teams win games at this level — if you can get just a little bit more out of the player next to you, even if he’s starting in front of you, right? And I think that was the biggest difference I saw this past year for me personally, really working to help my teammates be better.
I’ve come in, I’ve played the six role for the past two years. And then you’ve got an Irish six coming in. Magnificent. So it’s like, okay, do you use this opportunity to piss off and do whatever you want? Or are you going to work and make each other better? And those first five, six games of the season, we were incredible because me and Aaron were battling each other, ripping each other’s jerseys in training. And at the end of the day, he ended up getting that spot and I transitioned into another spot, right? And that’s the competition behind the game [smiles]. That’s how you make a team better. It’s not just 12 players. It’s the whole entire team.
NDZ: You mentioned leadership. There are sections of the fan base, people I’ve talked to over the past couple of months especially, who think that you should be picked or should go for captaincy at this club. A, is that something that you would welcome? And B, what would that mean to you?
EL: I mean, I think for any player, just that title alone means the world, just because you’re representing not only the club, but you’re representing your city. That’s how I view it. Obviously it’s, like I said, it would be something I would absolutely love to do. But for me, I’m trying to be the most humble person, once again, following from someone like Connor — throw away the caption or title — are the guys going to buy into what I want to bring to this team? So if I were given that option, and I’ve talked with some of the guys about this — Phil Breno being one — it is something where I definitely, if Matt sees that in me, would put team above all else, as you’ve known me to already do these past three years.
But it’s something where if I’m given that role, how can I get guys to not only just buy into this team, myself, and what I bring to this team, but how can I get guys to buy into themselves? And I think that’s a big thing in this league. We’re going to have a bunch of new guys. This is not the first year we’ve had turnover. We’re bringing in a new roster every year. And the difference is, is can we get those guys to buy into each other and into their own game. So, yeah, I mean, obviously that would be fantastic. But you know what? Forget the title. What can we do to get 11 guys to win the game?
NDZ: So for you, it’s not really about having a title or having a specific set role. It’s like, I want to do whatever it takes to help the team.
EL: It’s like, okay, Eric gets the captain’s armband, now he’s willing to work for the team? My personality and the way I play soccer, unfortunately, is not going to change whether I’m the captain. And there’s been times Connor’s not played in a friendly or whatever. And I’ve been given the armband. It’s one of those things you can’t think any differently, right? Obviously it is an honor, and it’s something to be proud of, and it’s something that you work hard for. But at the end of the day, your play shouldn’t change. It’s about getting the guys not only to believe in you, but in what we’re trying to do as a team.
NDZ: From the guys that have been announced so far this year, who are you most looking forward to playing with or getting back together with?
EL: I mean, me and Phil have always been close, so I’m excited for Phil to be back. I really am. And then you’ve got the likes of Justin and ‘quez (Christian Enriquez). You saw some of their production last year. Young guys, but they have potential and they’re hungry. They’re not looking for the stereotypical fame of an 8 or a 10. It’s, “put me on the field, whenever I’m on the field for how long, I want to score.” But I will tell you, some of these new guys they’ve announced, and I’m not even going to say names because I kind of forgot the names, but the guy they announced today, impressive resume, right? Coming from Sacramento. Can play in the midfield six, eight, and plays right back. I mean, versatility. So that’s massive. And then a goal scorer, who’s 46 goals for a top class college, and then you’re playing at arguably the top Championship team. That’s the type of stuff that we want to see and I’m sure you, as fans, want to see. That gets you going for the games.
NDZ: That’s definitely something I feel like people are looking for this next season; more exciting football.
EL: And it’s like, you can bring back the same players. But what’s going to be new this year? What’s going to be different that’s going to change us? And when you need a core, absolutely. It’s also though exciting to see what else you can get that’s new.
NDZ: So speaking of changing things up for new things, what do you want to see different this year? Maybe I could rephrase that. What’s Eric Leonard’s goal for the 2022 season?
EL: I mean, bottom line, I want to make playoffs. And I know it’s the joke, it’s like, “Oh, what do you want to do?” You want to win a championship. Just give me the playoffs, just get me the playoffs. Because I don’t care if you’re the first or the last seed, but you get to playoffs, that’s where things can happen. And it doesn’t matter how you did up until that point in the season. Now everyone’s on a level playing field. I mean, look at our last year. We beat Union Omaha, who was the top ranked team. We beat Chattanooga, the top ranked team at the time. It doesn’t matter at that point. For me, I want to make playoffs. Secondly, personally, I’m a defensive man at heart. I’ve played that position. But I’ll be honest with you, I think my best position is anywhere on the field I’m defending 1v1.
In a 3-5-2 which is what we largely played last season, I think one of my best positions is that right center back, just because I’m able to isolate myself with some of the best forwards in this league. And am I going to let them get by me? And I like to think that’s what my strong suits are. But I also don’t want to get rid of the defensive mid opportunities with breaking up plays. Because when Aaron (Molloy) went forward and broke up plays and stuff like that, sometimes we would get countered because there wouldn’t be someone to help him.
NDZ: So you fashion yourself a more mobile center half who can go doggedly into challenges and chase down strikers and strip the ball from them and distribute.
EL: Right. Accolades have never meant much to me. I mean, even going back to college and not getting drafted into the MLS. I thought 2021 was one of my best years on the field because I noticed the difference in my play from the beginning to the end of the season. For a center back, it’s like, all right, is he just kicking it longer? Is he actually distributing it? Is he breaking lines? So I really want to notice that personal improvement again this year, but to a greater extent to where it’s impacting the team and propelling us forward.
But then it’s also, on the counter side, once we get to the 75th minute mark in a game, what am I going to do personally, to make sure that we don’t put ourselves in the hole? That’s the biggest one. Because I can’t tell you how many nights of sleep I lost over it, but those goals, it’s like, what the hell can we do to make sure that doesn’t happen? Because it is so frustrating to bust your ass for 90 minutes and to give up a goal at the end of the game. It’s the worst feeling ever. So personally, whether it’s captain, not captain, leader, whatever on the field, I want to have an impact in preventing that. And whether that’s grabbing Phil and getting in his face, like “we’ve got to sort this out right now,” whatever that looks like — I want that to change.
NDZ: I think a lot of fans would be happy if that gets sorted out. It’s demoralizing, right? Like you said, you’re busting your ass for 90 minutes and then conceding late. And you can only control what you can control if you’re playing defense. And you could be like, “Alright, Ryan, or whoever, go score a goal so that we can at least dig ourselves out of this.” And I know it’s a team game, but you’re always only ever going to be kicking yourself for the mistakes that you personally make or that people around you make.
Where is your favorite place to go play away and least favorite place to go play away?
EL: I think my favorite place to play, and unfortunately we’re not going to play there anymore was the Inter Miami stadium. In terms of just thinking you’re a professional, the stadium doesn’t get better than that. And also to add the North Texas stadium in FC Dallas, it’s just those are the kind of stadiums that you dream to play in. I absolutely hate Union Omaha’s stadium. I hate playing there. The fact it’s like half a field, and they get away with the pitch being so tiny when they have more room to work with. It reminds me of Lansing, same sort of deal. It’s a baseball field, the grass changes from one part of the pitch to the next, that drives players insane.
I also like playing in Richmond because they have actual atmosphere. I mean, you guys set yourself apart in the league with being loud and having a great atmosphere. I think players the league over would argue there’s no comparison, even rivalling Championship and MLS clubs. You can hear everything on the pitch in Richmond. And they’ve done a better job than most other League 1 clubs in that regard. It’s the most competitive environment next to Madison.
NDZ. I would agree on that at least for the places that I’ve been. I like going to Richmond because some of us have friends that live there and so that’s part of it. The other part I like is that their fans are proper football fans: salty, regardless of whether they win or lose.
EL: They’re still upset one way or another. But I guess as a soccer supporter, you want to see that emotion.
NDZ: It’s much better than big, empty MLS stadiums, even if those are nice to play in.
EL: Or top level championship teams that get a hundred people to come out.
NDZ: Who are you looking forward to playing against this upcoming season? I mean, we’ve got two new teams in the league. Fuego and Northern Colorado, which we were joking the other day, we’re like, “No one knows exactly where this stadium is. You’re probably going to have to charter a helicopter into some glacial crater up in the Rockies.”
EL: Remember Eamon Zayed? He played for Chattanooga. I think I marked him a couple times with J.C. Banks when he was a player. He’s the head of NoCo, and I think that one is going to be the most interesting just because I’d be curious to see how myself personally and the rest of the guys adjust to the elevation change, right? I think Chattanooga, I remember it to this day, I played my worst 45 minutes of my life against Chattanooga in 2019. We ended up tying the game. It was like my third game in the season, and I ended up getting subbed at half, thankfully. I just couldn’t breathe. It was just one of those things with the heat, the environment. So I’d be curious to see, going back, was it a mental thing. Fuego, in California, I want to go there. Is that our new Miami? Is that the new Inter Miami? Are they going to have a nice stadium? I don’t know.
NDZ: It sounds like they’re playing in a minor league baseball team stadium.
EL: Oh, great. So another Lansing or another Union Omaha.
NDZ: It sounds like it. But hey, you’ll have mountains on both sides, which will look cool.
EL: Sure, sure. Get the Instagram photos.
NDZ: Right? Hopefully their pitch isn’t as narrow as Omaha’s. They do that on purpose too.
EL: They 100% do. The game is so fast at Union Omaha because there’s nowhere to play and you can’t-
NDZ: It’s all transition, right?
EL: It’s 100% transition. We used to do that before the games, the last two years. All we would do in training is focus on transition and counter attacking because that’s how you train for them.
NDZ: I’ve heard differing stories of that last away game in 2021 against Omaha. And what happened there? What lit the fire in you guys’ belly to go out there and just-
EL: Annihilate them?
NDZ: Yeah. Push them around — top of the league Union Omaha — for 90 minutes.
EL: I’ll be honest with you. We had some fun conversations before the game. And I think at that point in the season, we didn’t really know what was going on in terms of … I mean, as a player, you always think, is this my last contract? Is this going to be the last time I step on the field? So I think that was great because a lot of people who had egos, who are salty, that hadn’t been playing for whatever part of the season, it was like, you know what? Forget it for this game. Whoever’s on the field, you’re just going to go out and bust your ass.
And I think that was different. I mean, I go back and watch the games, but I think you could tell just the difference in the energy. I mean, I’ve seen, I’ll go on Twitter sometimes after games because I can’t sleep, and I’ll see like, wow, Madison, a little slow, what happened here? But I saw a lot of stuff: The energy was different. You guys came out strong, et cetera. So for me, it was just the vibe felt different in the locker room.
NDZ: It was like you guys came out with a chip on your shoulder.
EL: Yeah. Wait, at this point, we were the underdogs, but let’s go prove something.
NDZ: It was dominant. It was my favorite game of last season, by far.
EL: Absolutely.
NDZ: I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as hard at a goal as Josiah’s chip.
EL: I don’t think I’ve laughed harder after a game. We were rewatching that goal and were like, “I can’t believe it.” With his weak foot too. Talk about a slept-on goal-scorer.
NDZ: And the celebration too was all time. Running through their technical area right in front of their bench, falling over.
EL: And their coach was being held back by the assistant because he was so pissed.
NDZ: Mims always looks like he’s going to explode or cry.
EL: One or the other, explode or cry. Exactly.
NDZ: What does it mean to you to be coming back for a fourth season?
EL: At the end of the day, Madison’s my home. There aren’t many people who can say they’ve started a professional career and played four years for the same club. Regardless if people say it, the honest truth is that there’s no loyalty in the professional world. You can be friends with the fans, friends with the coaching staff, but to be able to have the opportunity to play in my adopted hometown where I live and now I’m here, for the next year, two years — however long it is — is just something I cherish because it feels like family. And I also have the opportunity to have my real family come to those games.
And that’s been the joke these last four years. My parents are always coming to the games, fans know who they are and have gotten to know them a bit at this point. But it’s because of that we feel so welcome, and they along with my friends are making the effort to come to watch me play. So I’m so excited to be back. After the end of the 2021 season, I was waiting for the coach to be signed right away, just to figure out if it would be someone I’d want to come back and play for. And that’s why I’m just so excited to be back. I think there’s a lot of room for growth here at this club, and I think we have the right people in charge to help us get there, if that makes sense.
NDZ: It seems like this club means a lot to you. I mean, you and Carley got engaged on the pitch. What was that like?
EL: It was awesome. So fun. I was actually planning on doing it at our last 2021 home game, but I didn’t want any of the attention on me, because that’s not what it was about. Carley and I both share soccer as a passion. She actually played at Breese in college for Edgewood for four years. So that stadium has a lot of sentimental meaning for us.
For this next year, I’m excited because I’m actually hoping to have an even bigger role in the community. Soccer is one thing for me, but the community piece is just as big in lower division professional soccer. I mean you have to go out and you have to make a difference in the community — that’s how your team gets noticed, and that’s how you continue to succeed. And I think that just between talking with Conor Caloia and Matt and Neil, there’s going to be some roles this year that I’m really looking forward to in terms of making even more of an impact in the community. I’m beyond excited.
NDZ: What would it mean to you to bring a trophy home to Madison?
EL: I don’t even know if there are words to say it because spending four years at the same club, at what point do you now owe the people of Madison something, right? The fans are at every single game when we’re getting crushed and when we’re doing well, there in the rain, whatever weather, waiting through delays, traveling to away games. At what point is it like, “You know what? We’re no longer doing this because Eric wants to win a championship and add it to his CV, but we owe it to the city of Madison.” And honestly, that’s the chip on my shoulder this year.
I’m looking forward to having a lot of friendships with these guys on the team, but I will be honest with you. There’s an underlying edge that I feel, almost like a fire. And I always play pissed off, but it’s to the next level now. At one point or another, we’re going to have to step up and do something for you guys. And that’s how I treat this year. How are we going to respond this season after two hard years of COVID, and what are we going to do for this community? Hopefully that’s a championship.
NDZ: What do you want fans to know about you maybe that they don’t? What are you passionate about outside of soccer?
EL: Something that I haven’t talked about a lot with fans lately, but I am passionate about my faith, it was a big part of growing up and my family. I’d say that’s a big one for me. Also, my musical side of things. I mean, I love playing the piano. That’s something I’ve done for so long. And it’s a big stress-reliever that I used to do a lot, whether it’s in school or wherever, just when I’m not playing soccer, I love playing the piano. And then the last thing I would say is I always try to stay busy. And this is the tough part because I try to keep my soccer world soccer-only, but I’m also trying to plan things for when I’m done playing.
When I retire at the age of 40 [smiles], I want to make sure that I have the next part of my life going. And that’s why I’ve tried to finish school and I just finished my master’s degree because I want to live and work in Madison full time after I retire from playing. But I also want to start something — I don’t know what that is yet, but I’ve been talking with my dad about it for the last three, four years. Some sort of charitable foundation, something in Madison, just to give back everything that this city and its people have given to me.
Not many people know I went to the invite trial for Forward Madison. And I know you know that. But I went in 2018 and I ended up getting a contract on the December 15th, I still remember the date. And without Peter (Wilt) and Daryl (Shore) giving me that opportunity, I wouldn’t be here. And it’s funny, plenty of people say for professional players and clubs that tryouts don’t work, combines don’t work. But I was an open invite player, I got that contract and now I’m still here. And I think that’s such a cool thing to say that for younger players too, in the community, it doesn’t matter what level you come from.
NDZ: Are you classically trained pianist? Did you take lessons growing up?
EL: Yeah. I’ve played at a handful of weddings and I played at church for 12, 14 years. I’ve played at my school at recitals and concerts. That’s something I keep on the side, just because it’s more like, that’s what I enjoy doing, right? I’m not doing it to play for others. More like it’s a stress reliever. Soccer’s a taxing, grinding sport. Super mental and physical; it takes a lot out of you.
NDZ: What kind of stuff do you like playing on piano?
EL: That’s the best one, isn’t it? When I grew up, it was like, “Hey, Eric, you got to learn the Harry Potter theme, you got to learn The Office theme, etc.” But my mom made me go with a piano teacher because she was like, “You know what? You got to learn the classical stuff. You got to learn stuff that’s challenging because then you can go play whatever you want later.” So I ended up learning a lot of classical music early, like the boring Beethovens, the Mozarts-
NDZ: Chopin and stuff like that.
EL: Exactly. The Bachs. So learning that is what helped my fingers, just the activation of being able to play easier music, even though it seems harder. And that’s when, “Oh, man, you can play this” versus the boring stuff. Because all that stuff is boring. I mean, you’ve heard this stuff. It’s just going up and down the keyboard, whatever it is.
NDZ: Build your fundamentals, and then you can play whatever else you want.
EL: Absolutely, that’s spot on. Yeah. So I would definitely say piano is one.
NDZ: I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so let’s move on to the last question. I did this with Matt when I talked with him. It’s the lightning round, okay? So: what’s your favorite movie, the last song you listened to, and the last book you read?
EL: Easy. I got all three of them.
NDZ: Alright. Go for it.
EL: The Last Samurai is my favorite movie. I’m not sure if you know it or you’ve seen it.
NDZ: The Tom Cruise movie? Yeah.
EL: My dad used to watch it a lot growing up. So I love that movie. It’s just essentially another war hero, work ethic, grinding type movie. I love that stuff. Last song I listened to, and ooh, this is a secret. I don’t think I’ve shared this with anyone. But I listen to the same song before I go out to play. And I time it perfectly. So in our locker room we have a sheet that says what time we go out to warm up, usually 6:11. So at 6:07, I start this song. It’s called Angry Young Man.
I mean, go home, listen to it later. It’s just a song that gets you fired up. It’s by OnCue, Angry Young Man, and that’s been my secret song. My sister knows that, but I don’t really tell many people that. So that’s that. And then the last book I just read was a James Patterson book actually, just so a fictional read. I think it was called The President’s Daughter. She got kidnapped or something like that. So I do like reading, I try to read a lot of non-fiction stuff, but once in a while, it’s nice to rest the brain and just kind of … you know?
NDZ: So that was co-written by Bill Clinton.
EL: You know what’s crazy is I didn’t even realize that until, so I got a recommendation from a buddy at school, and he was like, “Listen, you got to read …” He knows I like James Patterson. So James Patterson is a thriller. I’m all about the thriller books. And I was curious when he sent it over to me. I’m like, wow, wonder how this is going to be. But I think they used his ideas from something that happened with the president’s daughter. And it can’t be based off a true story. There’s no way. But I think James Patterson was the sole writer in that. But yeah, his books for me, the thriller side of things, his and Stephen King’s are another one. I love reading Stephen King books.
NDZ: So you like stuff that gets your adrenaline going. Are you a bit of an adrenaline junkie?
EL: Yeah, a little bit. I always have too much energy. I remember Daryl Shore from year one yelling at me because I ran too much as a six. It’s just stuff like that. I got a lot of energy.
NDZ: You got to get it out.
EL: You got to get it out, man. Absolutely.
NDZ: Well, cool. I will actually let you get back to your Wednesday night, man. I really appreciate the time.
EL: I appreciate you bringing me on. This is awesome. I’m in Florida right now, but I come back this weekend, and I’m excited to start seeing some familiar faces around, so looking forward to pre-season too.
NDZ: Yeah. I’m sure, I know there’s only a small handful of people know that they’re announcing you re-signed tomorrow. And I know everybody that I’ve talked to has been like, “Hell, fucking yeah. Eric Leonard’s coming back.” So people are stoked about it, man.
NDZ: I appreciate it. And once again, you guys don’t think it means something that you guys are here, but it does have an important factor because I can always do or try and find another team or whatever based off of what I want. But at the end of the day, when it’s coaching staff is one thing. But to have a fan base like Madison’s is next to none. And I’m not here to feed your ego, but it really makes a difference playing at Breese Stevens because teams come to us, and then you can see it in their eyes. They’re scared, man. You don’t play in front of that environment all the time. And I’m talking about Championship and I’m talking about League One. So I just, once again, thank you guys for welcoming me back and being there.
NDZ. It’s what we do! Well, hopefully I will see you soon. You take care and enjoy the rest of your night, and yeah, we’ll talk soon.
EL: Sounds good, brother. Appreciate it.
NDZ: Cheers, buddy.
