Hello, everybody and welcome to the Total Soccer show.

My name is Taylor Rockwell, and I am very excited to be here with you to discuss all things Major League Soccer with my friend and yours, the one and only.

Returning from sick leave, returning for shore leave?

I don't really know how it works when you've been on a boat, Joe Lowry.

How you doing, my friend? Was on boat and no longer on boat? I think that's the terminology that they used back in the day when boats were more within than they are now. Basically word for word. Taylor, I'm great. I miss being on the show last week. It was fun to be back yesterday for weekend review, but I would be lying if I said that this wasn't the episode every week that I look forward to the most. I am stoked to be back. Is it because it's the thing you know the most about, it's the thing because you feel like there's the most different things to talk about? What is it that you enjoy so much about these shows? I just like covering MLS the most, to be honest. And I guess sort of that is because I know the most about it. I think we like doing things that we think we're best at as people. If you're doing something that you're not very good at, probably you don't like it very much. I think that's just a principle of how things go. But also, I just think MLS is a fascinating subject. I think there's more intrigue in all sorts of weird, bizarre ways.

There's more slapping hand on forehead, sort of, than there are covering a lot of other things around

soccer world. So, I don't know, for all those reasons, I enjoy it very much. I'm just going to take

us immediately off on a tangent, Joe. Love it. It's something I'm sure we have discussed at various points in the history of doing this show, you and I. But I think, like, it came up recently when Graham was giving his hot take that he feels like MLS is poised to become a dominant league. I forget what his timeline was. But I had thought similar things. Graham, Don Garber Roughness? Yes, exactly. Yes.

He's going to shave the top of his head and then run for MLS Commissioner.

We'll see how it goes.

I would vote for Graham for commissioner.

But, like, I was thinking the same thing when I was talking about the Buddhist League and how dominant Byron have become and the French League and how PSG are very dominant

and how it seems to be the case more and more with European football and that there is

maybe an argument for relative parity, if that's what we end up with with Major League Soccer,

and just more opportunity for more different looks, more different teams, whatever it might be.

I do start to think that there are like more selling points than I tend to give

MLS credit for. What are like the biggest ones for you with all that said? What are the reasons

you find yourself enjoying major league soccer? How would you sell it to people who are

soccer casuals, MLS curious? Yeah, I think atmospheres of games if you're able to go to games

and maybe that game is not at

Audi Field featuring DC United these days.

I think most stadiums are a strong selling point.

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