KC Current Podcast: Angie & Chris Long

Dani Welniak welcomes KC Current Co-Founders and Co-Owners Angie and Chris Long for the first episode of the KC Current Podcast to discuss the opening of KC Current Studios, Current Landing, and the past, present and future of KC Current.

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Dani Welniak 0:00

Alright, everyone, welcome into the first episode of the KC Current Podcast. I'm Dani Welniak, your host, and you've got to kick it off with the two visionaries behind the Kansas City Current, Angie Long, Chris Long, co-owners, co-founders of the Kansas City Current. Guys, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. This is gonna be great.

Chris Long 0:21

This is awesome.

Angie Long 0:22

So fun, thank you.

Dani Welniak 0:23

Look, I get a chance to talk to you guys all the time, but the fans, the viewers, they don't really get a chance to have these one-on-one conversations with you. So we're gonna get to the root of what defines Angie and Chris Long. So we'll start off with Current Kicks. Right to the root, right to what everybody wants to know. No, I'm just kidding. But Current Kicks. What would you guys describe, Angie and Chris Long? Or how would you? I know hard hunters right off the top, you guys.

Chris Long 0:54

Oh gosh. I don't know. Loyal, fun, um, I hope people think smart. Yeah.

Angie Long 1:03

Entrepreneurial, competitive, uh, demanding excellence.

Dani Welniak 1:07

I like that. Those are great because we talk at the Kansas City Current, we have a vision, right? There's a mantra that we walk in every day and we say we want to be the best women's football club in the world. I think that's a little bit evolved. We want to be the best football club in the world, period. A little bit biased. I think we are. So, you know, there's that. But how do you guys come up with a vision like that? And why do you believe that that sets the tone for everyone else within the Kansas City current?

Chris Long 1:33

Well, I mean, I think I don't think you could achieve greatness and do so over generations without having a goal that is that clear, but also that ambitious. Because if you're truly trying to differentiate a city, a club, and do so on an international basis, it it has to be something that everyone could point to. It has to be something that when you think of raising the bar, you can't go any higher than that.

Dani Welniak 2:00

Right, that's very true. Um in the first segment, we like to take a little bit of a look back on how we got here. So this year has been a whirlwind because we have done so much. Can you take us through just over the past year? I mean, people know the origin story of the Kansas City Current, but take us back through like what's happened over the past year. What are some of the things that you guys are really proud of?

Angie Long 2:24

I mean, we we were just going through this and it's kind of we're like, oh, no wonder we're tired. Like it's been like it's been an amazing year, but it's been a crazy year. We um bought the club in Denmark, we bought Kerr, uh, and then we won the league, and we're about to go to Denmark to play in our first Champions League. Um we launched an academy in Brazil. We launched the first uh division to, you know, sort of second team for an NWSL team and have really been investing in that. And then even from a facilities perspective, um we built an a performance center to that was actually bigger than the size of our original entire training center. Um we built a stadium in Riverside for our second team to play in, to host other events. We put in another four fields, bringing our total number of fields to let's see, two, four, seven grass pitches and five turf pitches. Yeah.

Chris Long 3:34

We're developing the riverfront further between multifamily users.

Angie Long 3:37

As you can see where we're sitting right here.

Chris Long 3:40

Retail, um, you know, we're obviously bringing even more on board here in the coming 12 to 18 months. Uh we've uh announced plans to expand the stadium within only two years from you know eleven thousand five hundred to eighteen thousand plus in seats. Um we brought a hotel online in Riverside right by the training complex. Um it's been it's been a crazy year, and some sometimes you can feel like uh maybe seven years in one, uh, but feel like we're we're on the right track. And when you think about that vision, um it can't take any less than this to get there.

Dani Welniak 4:18

No, and there's no stopping, there's no sign of stopping as well. Like you guys just keep going, and the vision is so clear, and there's so much that's on the horizon, too. And Angie, you mentioned we're sitting right here in River's Edge, overlooking the Missouri River, which is again the origin of the Current's name. What does it mean to be here now that the the studio will be coming open soon? We'll talk about that in a second. KC Current Studios. But that we have a we have a riverfront development. We have Current Landing here. What is that how what has that been like for you guys?

Angie Long 4:48

Look, I'm I'm from Kansas, Chris is not from Kansas City, he's an adopted Kansas City and I'm from Kansas City, and the riverfront wasn't wasn't a thing. You know, I mean you go back to the history, it's the reason Kansas City exists. This is as far west as you could get by river, and then you would get out and get in your covered wagon and keep going west. But this is the whole reason Kansas City exists, and yet we turned our back on the river for decades and decades and decades. And and growing up here, you know, I say it was a you almost couldn't even walk down by it at all. It was dangerous, it was a dumping ground. And when I say dangerous, just because you even just to walk on it, like there was nothing, there was nothing here. And um this is the third longest river in the world. You look at all of the great cities that have their river as the center point of their city, and we were missing that. So to be sitting here as a part of being what has changed it to be a destination now and something that the whole city is proud of is it's incredible.

Chris Long 5:53

As an adopted thing, we'll have to figure out what the definition of that is, as I've been here a long time, but um naturalized? Naturalized, thank you. Sounds good. Think about creating a new neighborhood on the waterfront with lots of energy, master planned, new concepts, obviously sports anchored, um, bringing another crown jewel to this area for people to obviously live, work, and play, but also for people to visit, right? I mean, that's special to have the progress now manifest itself. It's visible. People could see we're sitting in it. I mean, I don't know. Uh when you think about that entrepreneurial journey, you know, sometimes it's very much a rendering and then it's reality. We're getting closer to that reality, and people are gonna love it.

Dani Welniak 6:46

Yeah, and you mentioned that there was nothing out here before CPKC Stadium came here pretty much. I so vividly remember you guys scaling the rocks for groundbreaking when we broke ground on the stadium, but the boat arrived, you guys got off the boat, you climbed the rocks, we had an incredible groundbreaking. Just like in my brain, I think back to that moment and think of like how cool that was. That it wasn't just a moment in time, right? It was a whole event. And we connected the river to the stadium, to the groundbreaking, to the community.

Angie Long 7:22

It was actually really important for us to arrive by boat because you know, you use the word visionary, and like I can see things in my head. And I can see what they're gonna look like years ahead. But a lot of people need to actually see it. I thought it was important for people to see us on a boat, on the river, arriving by boat. Because that part of the vision doesn't actually exist in reality yet, right? We're looking out of the river. There's not a there, there is a lot of um barge traffic normally, but there's not people and passenger traffic, and activating the riverfront for recreation and even transportation to our stadium is something that is a is a big priority for us, and it makes so much sense.

Chris Long 8:05

One of the things I love about that exact moment, that exact story, was the backdrop that we often don't get to tell. And I feel like this backdrop shows you the demand that people have to want to get back on the water. So we came up with the idea, let's arrive by boat. And you know, initially we asked a couple people, well, how do we get a boat? Right. People were like, oh no, there's not a lot of boats we're able to get around here. And within no time, we got introduced-

Angie Long 8:32

The first people say you can't get there by boat, yes you can. Like, we're gonna figure it out, yes you can.

Dani Welniak 8:35

And made it happen.

Angie Long 8:36

Yeah.

Chris Long 8:36

And so we we we get a boat, we find someone who's gonna actually drive it, it's gonna take pick us up at Caw Point, kind of take us down. Yeah, that was uh first of all an amazing thing. Um second was well, then what do you do? Because you need a temporary dock. And at the time, Massman Construction, Henry Massman's firm, was doing the Broadway Bridge. Yeah. And they had temporary docks everywhere. And for this is incredible, for no charge. Brilliant. He went and moved the dock that was working on the Broadway Bridge with all of their machinery, everything there, got it cleaned off, they brought it down, parked it right outside the stadium because they wanted to show too, as did the boat owner.

Angie Long 9:21

This is why he's naturalized Kansas Citian and because like of how much people in this city support.

Dani Welniak 9:28

This community, really. It's amazing.

Angie Long 9:29

They're so special, and like that's that's a story.

Chris Long 9:32

They made it happen. We could not do that without the community embracing it.

Dani Welniak 9:35

Right, and there's a lot of moments like that. Like you talked about all of the things that have happened over the past year. Do you have a story that specifically sticks out in your mind? Maybe not that one, but maybe another groundbreaking, or maybe another visionary moment, or even with Kerr coming online. Are is there a story that maybe our fans haven't heard before that really sticks out to you?

Angie Long 9:55

One that sticks out in my mind is you know, here we are, it's the middle of COVID, and like normal people, we buy a soccer team in the middle of a pandemic, and you know, we're we're we have no time. For those of you who don't know the story, it's a really long story, but I'll share this part of it. We had absolutely no time. We got this team mid-December, and we had to start play. Preseason started in mid-January. So the minute we get the team, we get a call from Kathy Nelson and the Sports Commission, and they had had, I don't even remember where it was in downtown or on the plaza, that they had lined up all the flags of all the professional teams, and she said, we've added a flag for you. I mean, that the ink is not even dry on our signature of getting this team in Kansas City, and immediately like we're welcomed in as one of the professional teams in the city. And uh that so that sticks in my mind is like just immediate support.

Dani Welniak 10:49

Yeah. Just gives me goosebumps because like that, and then the opening of CPKC Stadium. I've heard the story multiple times, but I don't know if many of our fans are have. What was that moment like for you guys? And being able to see all of those fans come in and now recognize that a lot of these kids will grow up in a world where they know that women deserve stadiums.

Chris Long 11:12

The story I remember most from that was um the 1985ers that came to that match. We obviously profile them on a digital basis throughout the stadium. Um they had tears in their eyes. And these are women who are obviously trailblazers, um, had accomplished so much in their athletic careers, uh, have accomplished so much off the pitch as well. And for them, the gravity of that moment brought them to tears. Uh, and they weren't the only ones. And I think that really caused it to hit home for us about what infrastructure means in a lot of ways. It's inspirational. But when that infrastructure is devoted to something that is that important and people grasp the moment the way they should, it's hard to pay.

Angie Long 12:00

I mean, I think for us we felt this, I I at least felt this huge sense of obligation to do it right. Okay. You know, to make sure that we opened this stadium with excellence and everything we had, you know dreamed it would be, promised our community that it would be, you know, promised our organization that it would be. And it opened and it was amazing. And but but you're you're we were hosting, right? The whole time we're we're we're living this moment, but we're also we're the hosts of it. At the end of the night, there was another person crying. I could not find Chris Long. And I finally find him he's sitting outside of the suite in a chair with just like a couple, like a little bit of tears in his eyes, I think just soaking in the magnitude of um of what we've done.

Chris Long 12:46

And I I as we talk through this, to be remiss, I mean, we had so many partners. Um, you know, the construction, the engineering, the I mean, I can go down the list, obviously, all of our front office, all of the stadium staff, I mean, everybody was pulling on the same, uh pulling toward the same objective, which was that March 16th, 2024 opener. And to finish that game, it wasn't just me that had tears. I mean, everybody was sheer joy. We did it. We got it here, record time, and not only do we get it in record time, this is a model internationally for everyone else to look at when they think about the proper way to run a women's sports team.

Dani Welniak 13:32

For sure. And you're not done yet. We're not done yet. There's still so much more to do, and I think it's inspired so many. From Jason Sadecas to Holly Rowe, we saw her going to social media. So cool, but like from even the smallest girl or little boy to even like celebrities like that. What's the nicest thing or the coolest thing that anybody's told you about the impact that the Kansas City Current and your vision is making?

Chris Long 14:00

You know, sometimes I have a hard time hearing and digesting when those comments come because I sort of hear them, but then I think about all the things we have yet to do. Um, so I feel like I that one's I gotta take a moment to kind of dig deep in this brain of mine to ferret one out. Um maybe I'll let Angie start.

Angie Long 14:17

Uh I there's almost too many to recount, but um you know, once uh especially when a woman pulled me aside and said, I want to let you know I'm new to the community. And going to one of your matches was one of the first things that made me feel welcome in this town. And you know, so those kind of two to another person who said, uh, I have a 21-year-old child with some special needs that works for you, and you have changed his life.

Chris Long 14:48

We got this was we got stopped uh on a Saturday. A car pulled the window down and said that um his work is.

Angie Long 14:56

It's those little things, you know, almost more than the than the phantom. It's watching Croix Bethune give her shoes away.

Chris Long 15:04

Wow.

Angie Long 15:05

Her cleats away at the end of a match to a little girl, and then the thread that follows throughout the week of you know what that meant to that little girl. And I think I feel like okay, had we not built something of this class, we wouldn't have had the fans, you know, we might not have attracted a player of the caliber like Croix. I mean, if the NWSL was what the NWSL or prior leagues had been, you know, 15 years ago, I just don't think you have the environment that creates those moments that change people's lives.

Dani Welniak 15:39

And and it's the magnitude and also sometimes it's the quantity, the amount of people who will approach us within the KC Current organization and just say what an impact the CPKC Stadium has made. And now with the Current Landing coming online, that will also be the case.

Chris Long 15:56

I gotta I if I could add one, just thinking along the lines of Croix Bethune, who's an incredible, incredible leader, similar kind of uh concept. Three weeks ago, um, I had a mother come up uh to talk about her daughter, and she said, My daughter attended her first match. Um couldn't believe that this was purpose-built for women's team. Um did not have much confidence, did not want to play sports, and that this had a massive impact, and now she wants to play sports. So the fact that you have the players who are obviously amazing, you have the venue to showcase the players, and oh by the way, they own it. If I'm coming into the stadium, that should be the norm. And if it's gonna make that kind of impact, I mean, geez, that's that's that's generational.

Dani Welniak 16:42

For sure. And now getting an opportunity too. I want to talk about KC Current Studios. Yes. And the fact that that'll come online on Monday, and we'll have a big grand opening with Melissa Etheridge having the Current Session-

Angie Long 16:57

Amazing amazing partner and friend of the club. She's the best.

Dani Welniak 16:58

Absolutely amazing. And it'll influence the next generation, too, of not just you know, now female athletes, but also broadcasters. So, the vision behind KC Current Studios, your thought process, what kind of impact do you want it to make?

Angie Long 17:12

Yeah, I mean, I think, boy, we've learned a lot in the last you know, five years of being involved in a sports team and um our world of finance, which is obviously hugely important as investors, but to learn businesses, you know, of marketing and content. And I content is is is a big one, and I think it's a it's a place where we-

Chris Long 17:36

And we have the best content team. I'm gonna throw it because-

Dani Welniak 17:39

Forsure yeah. The best content team.

Chris Long 17:41

The best content team.

Angie Long 17:41

100%. But in general, there's not enough content for female athletes and and women's sports. I mean, our lead-in at the moment is five minutes. And so you you start to think about well, how do you do all of the proper storytelling around everything, you know, with the players, with the organization that you that you would get for the top men's sports. So the you know, the vision is a little bit, and like just to back up, I have a very special place in my heart for Good Morning America, because when we won the national championship with rugby, no one picked up our story, right? So we just all got on the train, went to New York City, wore uniforms and our medals, and stood in front of Good Morning America and hoped they'd pick us up, right? But that like this is a little bit the vision of this broadcast studio is Good Morning America Meach College Game Day, right? Where there's, because I think it to me it was really important, people are outside looking in at the storytelling and content being produced about you know players and women's sports and the organization, and then inside looking out, you have the backdrop of the stadium. So that sort of set the location. We're so lucky to be able to have that location, and I just think it's a great human interest thing as you're walking there along the river, you get your cup of coffee and your breakfast, you go see what's happening in the broadcast studio. It's just it's part of an urban community environment that that we want to create, and we just we didn't have the spaces and we didn't have the the calendar or the environment to create the right venue for the storytelling, and now I think we really do.

Dani Welniak 19:17

So you're saying we're gonna see the next little Angie Long outside of KC Current Studios with her sign?

Angie Long 19:23

Absolutely let's go. Somebody's rugby team is gonna win the league championship in Open Park and they're gonna be holding a sign and we'll show them.

Dani Welniak 19:31

Yeah, I I absolutely cannot wait. And I think that, especially coming from a broadcast background myself, it's super impactful to know that people are investing and women are investing in the next generation of broadcasters too, in places that have been primarily male-dominated, and getting a chance to showcase players like Croix Bethune or Temwa Chawinga or players that haven't been able to have that spotlight or that storytelling is gonna make waves for the entire league and also for women's sports in general. So I'm so thrilled. I cannot wait. Like I'm like a kid in a candy store, cannot wait to get that open on Monday. So, are you guys, what are you looking forward to about that? Are you? I mean, Melissa Etheridge has obviously been a great partner, but.

Angie Long 20:17

I mean what a partner to help us open it. Yeah, really.

Dani Welniak 20:18

So, as we talk about KC Current Studios opening on Monday, August 3rd, and the big grand opening and the ribbon cutting, there's so much more than just that day. There's gonna be so much beyond that, and how we're producing and putting things together and just telling stories. There are three rooms in there that I think are specifically of note. There's the photo room, there's the broadcast studio, and then there's the podcast room, which all have their own identities. Why do you feel like it's special that not only are we activating, there it is.

Angie Long 20:50

There's the horn, on queue. There must be a goal somewhere.

Dani Welniak 20:54

There's a goal, it's match day. Um, but as we talk about match day and the excitement around that and how we will utilize KC Current Studios, yeah, the vision behind that. Can you talk about what you would like to see from that and how you would like to see it unfold?

Angie Long 21:11

Yeah, and so it's a little bit Dani, the pressure is on.

Dani Welniak 21:13

Okay, great. Let's go. Game on. I love it.

Angie Long 21:15

You know, we we we do have this vision of it being active all the time and it it being a draw. So I think we need to put together the content that makes it a draw. And not not just right before the match, but the hours leading up to the match, um, the day before, the day after. When we talk about podcasts, like we want to be able to be talking about this team and adding interesting layers of content for our fans to hear. Yeah. I think the the podcast room is an opportunity to tell our story, to talk about the team, to talk about the to to get on there and listen to Coach, right? Like there's a lot of voices that that you don't get to hear, and we hope our players will will utilize it as well. Um so it's it's It's been, I would say, a massive team effort on obviously your part, on the content team's part, on the production side's part to bring it to life.

Dani Welniak 22:10

For sure. And between the content team and the production team, and between the comms team, there's so many different things and avenues that we can utilize this broadcast studio for and utilize KC Current Studios for. You talked about the storytelling aspect. Look, we're in here right now having this conversation and telling stories that most people have never heard before. So when you talk about even getting coach an opportunity to speak or.

Angie Long 22:34

Armas, you're on the spot.

Dani Welniak 22:35

Armas, let's go! We're doing lots of teasing here today, so you know what? Hopefully, as people tune in, help us keep our promises. Um, but also like we want people to be a part of the team with us. Like we've invited the community from day one. So for them to be, for lack of a better term, the armchair quarterbacks with us to help us break down match days and game days and what's to follow. And then also the Good Morning America story.

Angie Long 23:02

Yeah.

Dani Welniak 23:03

We want little girls and little boys and families to come out and be a part of the game day atmosphere and to be able to see some of their favorite analysts or talent or players or coaches in that atmosphere and also giving them a platform to showcase what this city's all about. What the Kansas City Currents all about.

Angie Long 23:23

We have such a story that's worth telling.

Dani Welniak 23:24

Yeah.

Angie Long 23:25

And we just need the backdrop and the setting to do so.

Dani Welniak 23:27

And that's what KC Current Studios will be. And tada, if you guys haven't seen the logo, also this is the first time you get a chance to see the logo. And it is fire. So, also tease, come on out. The grand opening will be on August 3rd. You guys gotta check it out. We're gonna let the fans come in for a little bit, see everything, peek behind the curtain. Um, and then of course Melissa Etheridge is gonna do her thing and have a few songs for us. So there's that. Awesome. Okay, so I did mention Temwa Chawinga. I do want to pick your brains a little bit. Two-time MVP, two-time Golden Boot winner.

Angie Long 24:01

Two goals last night.

Dani Welniak 24:02

Two goals, you know, in WAFCON. No big deal. Taking down the previous champ. Um having a player of that caliber and having players that stand out on a stage like that. Do you guys have any fun stories like with Temwa, with other players that maybe most people don't know about?

Angie Long 24:23

Hmm, anything that we can tell?

Chris Long 24:26

I I don't know if this is a secret to her because it shouldn't shouldn't be viewed as such, but just, I mean, she is the most incredible person off the pitch. And when you think about her demeanor, the how she's soft spoken, it's really amazing when you think about she's I think she's the best player in the world, and she's not gonna be the one to tell you about it. In fact, she's gonna tell you the opposite. She doesn't tell you when when we talk to her, we congratulate her all the time because she's always accomplishing these amazing things. And she will say, This that is my job. Yeah, my job is to score goals.

Angie Long 25:02

Thank you thank you for giving me the opportunity. Um, my job is to score goals. If I can't score the goal, my job is to give the ball to my teammates so we can get the three points. I mean, very humble, very she's amazing.

Chris Long 25:17

And she'll literally say thank you, thank you for providing me with all of this you know, environment and opportunity. And we're like, well, thank you.

Dani Welniak 25:26

Thanks for joining us.

Angie Long 25:27

Oh my gosh, yeah. Yeah, you're amazing.

Dani Welniak 25:30

Yeah, she's she is so phenomenal, has been so great to work with, and also just so everybody's aware, did not know English until she came over here and had to learn it. So, what you guys are seeing now in terms of the storytelling piece of it, just a phenomenal human, incredibly intelligent, and as you can tell, a phenomenal athlete that draws people back for game after game. Like the atmosphere at CPKC Stadium draws you back. Temwa Chawinga's play draws you back.

Angie Long 25:56

For sure.

Chris Long 25:56

One of the things also most remarkable about Temwa is the rate of development as well.

Dani Welniak 26:02

Yeah, that's a good point.

Chris Long 26:03

Is she's just getting, I mean, the the best is yet to come, and that's hard to kind of say in the context, right, of the MVP, reigning MVP, and obviously Golden Boot winner, but so many things she continues to do at higher and higher levels of excellence.

Dani Welniak 26:16

Yeah.

Chris Long 26:17

That's that's a testament to her and how hard she works.

Dani Welniak 26:19

For sure. And we we talk about her, like she's obviously an African player. We talk about all of these different players that have an opportunity to come over, play with the Current or with the NWSL. But I also think it's important to take note of all the things that have happened over the past year, all the things that you guys have done with acquiring HB Kerr, with KC Current 2 coming online. I think there's a lot of times that people don't really realize what the multi-club model looks like or what the right way to do that is. So, how are you guys approaching that and what is the message to fans all across the globe for your vision behind growing the brand that way?

Angie Long 26:58

That that's a great question because there are, you know, multi-club model doesn't what mean one thing.

Dani Welniak 27:03

Right.

Angie Long 27:03

I think many organizations do it very, very differently. You know, for us, our our first other club uh was was Denmark, and that for us is is a big play to get into Champions League, compete, and put ourselves on stage with the best European clubs. It's also one thing that's important for us is to be in places where we can have impact, and we have a great partnership with that city and that area, and I think we're really able to impact the town and the community there, and are well on our way to being the best team in Scandinavia, which which is very fun. I think it's a it is a global sport. We are looking all across the globe. You don't have to look too much further than Brazil to see some of I mean, besides the Americans, I would argue the Brazilians have had the most impact on our league as you know as a country. Maybe Africa as a continent, maybe, but the Brazilians have been excellent in our league for a long time. And and yet we're the first women's club to open an academy in Brazil. The first in South America, actually, um, for another professional club. And so that is really fun, and we just see tremendous amount of talent. So when we think about putting all of the pieces together, by the way, there's there's other areas of the world that we are, shall we say, exploring now as we as we continue to build this out. But we're we're really picky about where we go. Again, in in E2, where we are in Brazil, we have a fantastic partnership with the city. And I just think it's a lot easier to have impact when you when you do have the right the right partnerships. But you know, for us it's about the the play on the field, building the right model, having you know, having multiple different places to develop players. Player development is a is a huge one for us, as you see in the you know, our second team. And now we you know we have the second team, we have the Denmark team, we have a Brazil Academy, we have the Kansas City Current, things to come. And along the stages of development, different people may need different things at different times. And I think that development extends beyond just players, but also into staff. Um you know, you you you you mentioned you're excited about the opportunity to grow more young people in broadcast.

Dani Welniak 29:29

Yeah.

Angie Long 29:29

And we think of all these clubs as a way to, you know, it have better opportunities for our coaching staff or any parts of our staff.

Dani Welniak 29:38

Yeah. And it's not just that you're doing it, it's that it's already been successful in the short amount of time. I mean, KC Current Two just clinched the WPSL championship, incurred the double, like between development and also doing this, like it's not being done half-heartedly.

Chris Long 29:54

I mean I think the the blueprint, right? I mean, invest in the community, invest in people, invest in infrastructure. Um, I know, a sub-bullet of that is certainly invest in youth. And I you know, I think that we are doing something really special in all those. It takes the right people around the table. I mean, I look and I'm so proud of the people that we have in Denmark. I'm so proud of the people that we have now in Brazil. Of course, I you know, wax poetically about our team here around the team with the Kansas City Current. Um so as long as I think we we continue to find those amazing people with shared vision and again invest in people, community facilities, it's gonna be a powerful model.

Dani Welniak 30:32

For sure. And we're seeing that, which is so cool to see that some of the benefits are already being reaped from what you've sown. So, okay, I have a couple hot questions. I'm gonna come in hot. Are you ready for this?

Chris Long 30:48

Not sure.

Dani Welniak 30:48

Okay.

Angie Long 30:48

Depends on what they are.

Dani Welniak 30:50

I don't think I don't think people know that you guys like you're not just owners, like they know that you're owners, you're co-founders, but I don't think they recognize that you're like fans. Like you guys are fanatics when you guys are out there in your special spot. You have a special spot, right? People know the special spot.

Chris Long 31:04

Oh, it's good.

Dani Welniak 31:05

Yeah, okay, right outside of the their suite, right there like-

Chris Long 31:07

It's our good luck spot.

Dani Welniak 31:09

The good luck spot, okay. That's the name for it. So when you guys are looking for them on the broadcast, you know where to find them. The good luck spot. So when you guys aren't there, just saying, got to be.

Angie Long 31:18

So I mean, sometimes it's okay to stray, and then other times you gotta get right back to that special spot. Get back to the spot.

Chris Long 31:23

Change the mojo sometimes.

Dani Welniak 31:24

So, with you guys being fans and you just like embracing the moment and embracing every step of it, three hot questions for you. Okay, favorite moment in KC Current history?

Angie Long 31:36

Ooh.

Chris Long 31:38

It's I it's gotta that first game, March 16th, 2024. Um, just the power of the moment, and the feelings, the emotions, the infrastructure obviously being what we hoped it would be, and the stadium coming out so well. Um there's so many moments, but that that's just one that's like never ever gonna get diluted up here.

Angie Long 32:19

The goal. I mean, every time we score a goal, it's like my favorite. I love when I love the sound, I love the way the stadium goes wild. I mean, it's it's a huge feels like I'm a little kid again, and I mean almost at a Kansas City Comets game when the lights would go off and the laser show would start, you know. Like we have that moment when you score a goal.

Chris Long 32:20

I do love that because now it's like you drive by the train, you go by the train tracks or whatever, and you hear the train horn, you're like, yeah, we scored.

Dani Welniak 32:25

Even though we are no where near the stadium.

Angie Long 32:28

I know.

Dani Welniak 32:29

I feel like that happens all the time down here on the riverfront, even when we're up here at Current Landing, it's like, whoa, all right, nope not game day. Sorry guys. Back in the moment, back in the moment. But also, you mentioned that you were visual and you talked about goals. Favorite goal in in CPKC Stadium.

Chris Long 32:43

Oh boy, there's been so many good ones. Oh my goodness. Um gosh, I Temwa's header.

Dani Welniak 32:51

That was good.

Angie Long 32:52

Oh, that was.

Chris Long 32:53

Um, you know, the way she the way she positioned herself, the way she fought prior to that, um, you know, the way in which our formation moved. I mean, it was a thing of beauty.

Angie Long 33:06

That was memorable because it might have been her only header goal. Otherwise, her game winning, how many times has Temwa scored the game-winning goal in the moment that was so needed and necessary? Uh it's sort of like growing up a George Brett fan in the 1980s, you know, like he would he would have that hit or that home run when the team needed it. His stats were good always, but when they were needed, his stats were out of and that's Temwa to us. We when it matters, she scores. And so again, I I'm gonna say the Temwa goal, there's so many. The Temwa game-winning goal, there's so many, but those are the moments that just make you a fan for life.

Dani Welniak 33:43

Death, taxes, and Temwa goals. Yeah. Let's go. The inevitables. Okay, last question. Do you have a favorite kit and why?

Chris Long 33:51

Uh Teal. Um, you know, we it's it, we I feel like the Kansas Current owns it. I feel like we shine bright in it.

Angie Long 34:00

It took a it took us a long time too to get that first real teal kit.

Chris Long 34:04

Yeah, it took a while with uh with the just how the kit process works. Um, you know, I'd say I'd say the last thing is is too is is I think the players embrace that kit most, which obviously matters to us. They all love wearing it.

Dani Welniak 34:18

Yeah.

Chris Long 34:18

Um, and then you look at-

Angie Long 34:20

I do really like our new electric kit. Like I think it looks great and it looks great on TV, but um the the the teal kit is special.

Dani Welniak 34:28

Look, the storm kit coming in. I mean, we've got all the meteorologists around here rocking it, so I might be a little bit biased towards that one. But the teal kit, I don't think maybe people know this. The city is literally emblazoned on the teal kit.

Angie Long 34:41

So maybe they don't know this either. We play in red at home for the heartland, right? There's teal everywhere in the stadium, and we represent our home and our heart when when we're at home. But on the road, we take our teal on the road, but we take our city with us because the city is the backdrop of that kit.

Dani Welniak 34:58

For sure. All right, guys, thank you so much for joining me. The first episode officially in the books. Y'all were phenomenal. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Angie Long 34:59

Thank you. Super fun.

Dani Welniak 34:59

And thank you for the vision that you have set for Kansas City. That is the first episode of the KC Current Podcast. Second episode, we're actually gonna bring on Mukul Sharma, our partner at Palmer Square, and he's gonna give us a little bit of an in-depth look at Current Landing and everything that's to come here on the riverfront. So thank you so much for joining us. We'll see you next time on KC Current Podcast.