The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Best of DLS: Zaslow Travels to South Bend

Episode Date: December 29, 2025

As we turn our attention away from Christmas and 2026 approaches, it is time to take one last look back at the best DLS moments of 2025. We kick off this week's recap of the year with one of the best stories Zaslow has ever told us: how he ended up traveling to South Bend by bus. Also in this hour: an argument about how impressive Shohei Ohtani actually is and Tony's Top 5 from Pitbull Stadium at FIU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All right, kicking things off with Smyranoff, the official vodka sponsor of the NFL and the number of vodka in the world. Chris Cody, you're here. Smyranoff! Wow, you're on the money with Smyranoff. Chris, you know what goes great with Smyranoff? Yes, but I'm really talking about game day fit. The style's got to match the vibe. Smearnoff!

All right, here's the deal. Game day is everything. And that's exactly why your fit has to match the occasion. Smearov. Starting this December, Smyranoff is giving fans 21 and over the chance to score limited edition Smyranoff commission. Merchandise from some of today's top. creators, including Kayla Jones, Gavin Matthew, and Alelele Mae. Here's the kicker. One lucky fan will take home the grand prize. A trip to the biggest game

of the off season. Plus, one fan will win Alele May's one-of-one game day jacket. The merch will be dropped on select dates from December to January, 21, and it's all courtesy of what brand? That's right, Chris. Fans, 21 and over can head to Smyranoff Socialists to learn how to sign up, and don't forget to grab a bottle of Smyrnav vodka, number 21 at your local retail. Smyrath. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff.

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See official rules at program website. Coming off a losing fantasy week, that means you're one week closer to losing your league. That's stressful, which can lead to nighttime teeth grinding. Dentech wants to prevent teeth grinding and has raised the fantasy stakes with a once-in-a-lifetime punishment. Keep an eye out for the ultimate fantasy football punishment reveal

at the NFL Pro Bowl or on Dentec.com slash ultimate punishment. If you're still feeling fantasy stress, try a Dentech nighttime dental guard to protect your teeth. Available at all major retailers. Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right? Don't place parleyes on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is one when it hasn't hit triple zero.

Always drink your Yeagermeister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion. Everything else? Everything else. Wearing clean underwear every day. Well, that's just a personal decision. Brushing your teeth.

Obviously smart, but not a rule. Never pee pee on an electric fence. Okay, maybe there are two rules. But the one that is 100% that I insist on completely, Yeagermeister must be drank ice cold. Or don't drink it at all. Damn, that's cold. Exactly.

You're finally starting to get it. Drink responsibly. Yeagermeister liqueur, 35% alcohol by volume, imported by mass Yeagermeister U.S., White Plains, New York. This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast. Okay, so this week we're doing something a little bit different. Chris, hey, man. Week two, we are back.

Fresh content, not pre-taped. We did this this week. We are not. We're not pre-taped. We're not pre-taped at all. We're here on the 29th. That's the day it is right now as we record this. Gurr. Okay. We're wearing the same clothes we wore for all the pre and pre-tosses last week. They don't know that. They don't know that. It's audio only. Cut that part then. You didn't need to expose that to everyone. Cut that part. We've been wearing the same clothes for a week. Synergy. Chris, here's where we're at. This week we're going to air some of the best episodes from this past year. I crowd sour. on this one. I'm being honest. I outsourced my work to the fans of the show on Twitter. I put out like, hey, what were some of your favorite episodes of the year? And what I compiled here are basically the ones that showed up the most. Please tell me Thai food is somewhere in here.

Thai food is somewhere in here. That's actually today. How about that? This guy gets it. Who would have thought? Who would have thought? So today you're going to hear two different hours. We're just going to tell you about that here. And then like next hour, you're not going to get a little intro from us. You're just going to hear it here. So you're going to get two hours. First, you're going to get Zaslo's story of his travels to South Bend. Dude took a train. I don't mean. Spoiler alert. Spoiler alert. He's pathetic. And then the second episode, how about the first time my man ever said, Typhoon. It's a drop now forever. It's going to be a part of this show for the next 20 years. So that's what you got today. By the way, Zazlo's

wife at the holiday party revealed that he is like a child when it comes to eating Thai food. That doesn't surprise me at all. Like he doesn't eat any, like it's just like he gets like fried rice. How do you think that guy has got his soda drinker's body? Fried rice and orange chicken, which is not Thai food. So Zaslo day. Let's get to it. No matter what is happening around the Miami Dolphin season, this show will still party around Dolphins football. We will create a fun and happy atmosphere. at the gates of hell as the apocalypse engulfs the football team by getting an entire block and sectioning it off, wearing costumes, my kink, I can finally admit it, right around Halloween, we're going to do this watch party.

We don't do a lot of this. Greg Cody, are you coming? Are you coming to the Kendall watch party? Are you holding out? Is there an appearance fee involved? No, I would do it for free if I do end up going, but I am scheduled to be at that game. but my knee situation complicates it. That's right around the time of my surgery.

I'm going to try to actually make that event if I can. It's a Miller Light Watch Party, October 30th. It's a week from this upcoming Thursday at the Flanagan's in Kendall, Southwith, 88th Street, and Kendall Drive, $1,500 costume contest. The whole crew will be out there. Come check it out. Southweth. We will section off a block, and it's going to be fun.

We will make it fun. The thing that I just heard, and I will, We wish we had this audio, and I wish we were secretly recording Tony because I can't believe it happened. He's at FIU Stadium, and he actually said into a hot mic sort of muttering to himself, the house I could have built if they had let me, if they had just let me. Now, the only information we have on Tony's FIU career is he tried out as a walk on one time. They didn't even give him a football. He was just throwing air passes, and then he went home, and they never gave him his real chance.

but can you guys please explain to me who overheard that and why it is that he was muttering that into the microphone when he was off air? I heard it, and it's just as Tony as it can be. The least surprising thing I've ever heard. Who was the coach at the time? It was Christopal. Was it Cristobal?

Classic poor coaching decision by Mario Cristobo. Was Cristobo? Your coach when you walked on? No, Dan, it was not Mario Cristobal, so I would have walked on around 2013-14. I think that's when they were in kind of Lux. Cristobal had just left, and before Butch Davis, I want to say. So it was kind of somewhere in between.

Was it? Long Kruger? Was it Isaiah Thomas? Might have been Long Krueger. No, Turner. Ron Turner. I think I made him an NBA coach. Ron Turner. Coach it like Oklahoma. Yeah, Long Kruger, I don't think it was. But I think it was Ron Turner.

But yeah, Dan, I did say because I have to test the mic when I go to things. I get Ron and Lon's confused all the time. I'm sorry, Tony. I miss that. I didn't understand why he was employing the Illinois basketball coach at FIU. But this isn't... We hired an Illinois football coach. FIU basketball and football are a bit of a way station here for minor league football under the University of Miami.

And Tony tried out without a football with an air football. And he could have built that. Is that Pitbull Stadium? Dan, I am right now in the Pit Bull Stadium, the Bowls of Pit Bull Stadium walking into one of the tunnels here. And if you can see right over my left shoulder right here, that's actually where I was. was when I was trying out. So about midfield, maybe the 45-yard line, they had a fake under center like this. And I was ready to call my plays and I was ready to call my stuff. Three-step drop. Okay, boom. We're throwing. All right, give me a five-steper. Okay. One, two, three, four,

five, bounce, bounce, throw. But Tony, do you know, do you know why they, did they not have enough footballs? Like, how many guys were out there and why wouldn't they just have brought out like a dozen footballs that everyone could have reused. Yeah, or at least a nurse ball. See, that's a great point, Dan. Yeah, no, that would have been a great point. They actually had tennis balls that they were using for the wide receivers and the DBs, which I could have thrown the tennis ball.

But the information that I was given as to why they didn't have footballs for us to try out was because that would have actually taken away practice time and some sort of NCAA bylaws that if they would have brought out footballs for the walk-ons, they would have actually lost a day of practice with the real team, which I didn't feel really great when they said that to me. I was like, well, we're trying to make the real team, aren't we? And he's like, yeah, but you know. And then I was like, he's like, all right, five step talk.

I was like, all right, here. Tony's top five is presented by Smyranoff, the official vodka sponsor of the National Football League. Smyranoff, please drink responsibly. The Smyranoff Company, New York, New York, Vaca, 40% alcohol by volume. I like the idea of Tony arguing with the coach why he can't have a real ball. It was a quick argument because he's like, yeah, the real team. And then he said five step drop. And then I just went back like a robot and started doing it.

doing five-step drops. Quick question, had they used not a real football, like maybe a nerve football or maybe one is like that Nickelodeon ball we have behind us here? Does that count as practice or no? No, I think it's got to be pig skin, right? I think if it's pig skin, then they can get docked. But if it was foam, if it was maybe some sort of animal skin that wasn't pig, maybe we could have used it.

But again, that's 10 years in the past, Dan. It could have been the house that I built. Tony says he's loaded today. Top five, too many O-LIs. get through this. Let's start with the first OLLI, Tony's top five observations from the NFL weekend. We'll bang out through the OLLI really quick. Michael McCorkel Jones keeps getting it done, Dano. Thank you. I was waiting for that. Appreciate it. That's MacGone. Second OLA, Braves Revenge game. Yeah, Michael McCorkel Jones. McCorkel.

I'm going to ask this one to the class. Ask Trey McBride who he'd rather have at QB. Did you guys see the stats with him and Kyler Murray versus him and Jacoby Brissette? Do you guys know that stat or no? Brissette targets him so much. And throws touchdowns to him. Imagine that. You have a really good tight end.

Kyler Murray's like, you know what? I'd rather not throw touchdown to him. I'd rather throw touchdowns to Michael Wilson. But Jacoby Reset's like, man, this guy's really good. Let me throw him the ball in the end zone, which is usually a good thing when you have a guy who's 6, 5 and runs a 4-6. But alas. All right. Second, last O-L-I. Jags, just when I think I'm in, they push me back out of me.

They're not serious people. Dan, do you want to say the text that you told me on? You text me privately when that game started? Yeah, sure. I just said, I have just bet the Jags, and I know I'm going to regret it. Like, I know the game had not started. Instantaneously down 21-0. Because, yeah, because I believe.

in them athletically, but they're not serious people. What do you mean by that? Insane, Dan. I'll tell you, no, I'll tell you, thank you for asking the question. I'll tell you what I mean by that. What I mean by that is the Jags, every good play that they had in yesterday's game was undone by a penalty. So they had, at one point the announcer said,

and the 11th and 12th penalty of this game, wipe out a third and seven sacks for the Jags. Again, the Rams are playing three tight ends and one wide receipts. three tight ends and one wide receiver when I'm telling you that Stafford and DeBonte Adams beat the Jags by themselves by just standing there watching them implode they're not serious people like Matthew Stafford is doing no look passes in the Super Bowl because he knows exactly where to throw the ball that's three inches Brian Thomas you hit him and hit them in the face mask

Trevor Lawrence cannot be trusted to do anything but Buck and Bronco like a Clydesdale they're fools there I said it they're fools they exhibit the behaviors of a fool yes they're not fools just act like I don't know you haven't been watching the jacks that closely then all right last O'll I oh shit here come the Chiefs Dan I think we were wrong who so wrong wow so Rishorekes makes a big difference yeah yeah he's good yeah he's good pretty good yeah and that precision thing all right where you can throw it to one guy seven times and every time it's going to be open.

Yeah, it makes everybody a little bit better. Yeah. All right, we'll get into the top five now. Except Baker. Number five. Baker doesn't need anybody. Baker doesn't need precision with anybody. Get somebody off the couch.

You'll catch a touchdown with Baker. Only if we could teach that to Trevor Lawrence, who is still, again, throwing touchdowns to nobody, but throwing the ball to Parker, Washington of all people. Anyways, we'll get off to number five here. The Eagles are going to be all right. Eagles are going to be all right, Dan. Remember I said that. Jalen Hertz had the best game. Still too good to the team on both sides. Jalen Hertz had the best game non-Drake Mae division that was had by any quarterback in the league yesterday.

And is it not funny to you guys the way these guys now treat four downs? God almighty, they've gone in the other direction. Now these guys are throwing deep on fourth and one all over the place because it's a calculated advantage because everybody's selling out to stop the yard. It's crazy. Dan, I will say this, though. Brian Flores, for as much flack as we gave him here in Miami, has figured out the tush push.

I don't know if you guys have talked about it yet. I was getting here to the field. Okay, you line up a guy just on the floor, just in front of the line of scrimmage. Don't let him be on a three-point stance or five-point. Just lay him down horizontally on the floor so the guys can't get underneath him. It's probably the greatest way to stop the tush push. I wonder if people are going to use that going forward against Philly or not. I think the next movie, you stack defensive tackles on top of each other,

lying on top of each other Wow Just like up Like I have four guys It's so funny Yeah This way Yeah

I like that You build a wall Yes Shout to Stan Van Gundy You're screwed if they do play action But Or if they go wide Or they throw to AJ Brown

We're trying to stop The push guys Come on What are we doing here? They throw up phaging A.J. Brown against the corner who's six inches shorter. Number four, the Cowboys aren't dead yet. Keep an eye on them. I know their defense isn't great, but keep an eye on the Cowboys. Keep an eye on them, Dano.

Tony, their defense is so bad. Keep an eye on him. What happened to Trayvon Diggs where he got hurt at his house and is in concussion protocol? What is that supposed to be? An accident in his home. When Back Prescott is healthy, that team is a good. That team is always a 12-win team. Now, they may not make it to 12 wins, but when he is healthy, they win. We got to get used to that. Bingo. Bingo. Number three, through three quarters, I was getting ready to vehemently defend the top five intriguing teams list I did

earlier this season where Dan laughed at my giant selection and called it garbage. Then in the fourth quarter, Denver scored 33 points, and I realized I still won the take because I'm a pro Bo Nix guy. Not being Take a Cannibal Dan, that's the best part of my job. Bo Nix, 33 points, two rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Jackson Dart Interception was an

absolute backbreaker, and then the Giants kicker missed the extra point. I could have kicked the extra point with a bad leg and made it, maybe. No, no. How's that lawsuit going, by the way? I would have pushed it wide right. I'm actually in talks with your wife to see what's going on here. To figure out how I can sue the company. You need her support?

I might make an appearance over there. Yeah. A lot of people won't touch this case, Dano, because of your name around the city. But I finally found an attorney who I think knows you enough to make something happen. So I'm very excited about that. I need your support. Exactly right. Number two.

Going to continue to beat the drum on this, but the Colts are the most complete team in football. So that's an interesting thing. happen, huh? Like, it can't even be denied right now. In terms of efficiencies marching down the field, they'll put 38 on anybody in a way that's a bit different than the way Kansas City does it, right? Because they've got the great, they're still using the great running back. Nobody needs one of those anymore, but they've got one that's better than all the rest. And Tyler Warren, who's a really good rookie tight end, Michael Pittman, the ghost of Michael Pittman, all of a sudden catching balls all over the field. They've got

19 guys that can just go out and get a 55-yard bomb. The Colts are exciting, and defense, Manorumo's got the defense playing really well, Dano. They are the most efficient offense this century when it comes to points per drive. I saw that. No, but beyond that, I remind you that a couple of weeks ago, Zaslow over here was telling us Harbo is the greatest coach there's ever been because the Chargers had two good games of defense. All right.

No, but the Colts can do that against anybody. He was right back then. I was talking about what they were at that moment. Can't be late with an opinion, Dan. Have we had a younger ghost of than Michael Pittman? Why was he a ghost? Because he hurt his ankle? I mean, for years, I didn't do anything.

He hurt his back, heard his ankle. He was all over the place getting hurt in the injured reserve and whatnot. And then all of a sudden, he's just catching passes from everywhere from Danny Dimes. Crazy. Yalen hurt. Whoops. Good one, Greg. Thank you.

All right, Dano. Number one, we can only save this for the hometown team. Dan, I'm going to give you a couple of letters, and I want you to see what they stand for. Okay, you ready? Yep. All right, one of the M's in Mike McDaniel stands for? Oh, are you going to insult him? Moron?

Miserable. Oh, I'm sorry. So we're playing Spanish in Cuba. I didn't realize you were doing that. We are. We are playing Spanish. Okay, a Mento. Muto.

Yeah, that's good. Do you know what the C in Chris Greer stands for, Dan? Come a Mieda Yeah All right, Dano I thought I was going to be Chris Greer stands for Come Mietta

Ooh that's another one All right but you trapped me I don't want to call these people It's calling it's calling Chris Greer I didn't say it you did I didn't say you did I didn't say you trapped me He exhibits the behaviors

Of someone who eats shit Yes that's correct Sticking with the With the shit sandwich here The M and Miami Dolphins stands for Mieda. Mahong. Ah, Mahong, another, a synonym for Mieda. Just a singular piece.

Yes, one turd. Just a singular piece of shit. It's not even a pile of it. It's just a single turd. That's right. A. Mahon. Just one single. Set apart from the others, one lonely turn.

Patrick Mahon. That was a good one. Dude, Greg's on his game today. Unleashed. Dan, what does the T and Tua stand for? Oh, for the love of God, Tony. Tremenda. Tremenda Mietta.

Tremendta. A tremendous turd. That's right. A collection of tremendous turds, Dan. A collection of tremendous turds is correct. Exhibits the behavior of a collection of tremendous turds. All right, these are all important distinctions. You're doing important work, Tony.

Thank you for your help. Thank you. He is making the distinction. I've got one last one. Okay. I thought that was number one. Oh, good. I've got one last one. No, no, no.

That's a continuation. Last one, we'll save it for the boss. One of the E's in Stephen Ross stands for what, Dan? No same. You've got to think about this one. Got to think about this one. Think about what he's doing, where he sees his team right now. One of the E's in Stephen Ross stands for, you ready?

Yep. He's encoho now, Dan. He's in Coho now. That's what he is. He's in Coho now with the team. That's right. He has lost his... And coho now with the team, Dan.

It's, uh, he, so how do I translate in Cojona? He's without, he's so upset that he's without balls. Yeah, his balls fell off from how upset he is. De Pinga. Manchina? No, well, okay. I didn't think we could descend further than turds, but thank you, Tony, for taking us. I liked that one. Uh, thank you. Thank you. Uh, the awkward. Limpia casa, Dan. We got to get rid of these cucaras in the house. It's over.

Clean house for the orphans. The entire thing is. That's right. I don't know. know why, Greg, I don't know why your son just shouted sing binga into the sky, trying to get in on the merriment and the fun. What does Zinn give you? Not just smoke-free nicotine satisfaction, but real freedom. Freedom to do what you love and choose your rewards. With Zinn rewards, you can redeem points for premium tech, outdoor gear, and gift cards to your

favorite retailers. Find your Zin and keep finding rewards that fit your lifestyle at Zinn.com. Warning, this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right? Don't place parlays on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is one when it hasn't hit triple zero. Always drink your Yeagermeister ice cold.

That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion. Everything else? Everything else. Wearing clean underwear every day. Well, that's just a personal decision. Brushing your teeth. Obviously smart, but not a rule.

Never pee-pee on an electric fence. Okay, maybe there are two rules. But the one that is 100% that I insist on completely, Yeagermeister must be drank ice cold. Or don't drink it at all. Damn, that's cold. Exactly. You're finally starting to get it.

Drink responsibly. Yeagermeister liqueur 35% alcohol by volume imported by mass Yeagermeister U.S. White Plains, New York. Don Lebertard. John, can you rate my Al Pacino from that billiard scene? in Carlito's way, if I do it for you? I think it's pretty good. Yeah.

Stugats. You think you big time? But you're going to die. Big Tom! That is my infamous scale of one to ten. That's a 7.6. Solid. Good job, that's a suey nominee right there.

This is the Dan Levitars. show with Estugats. I did want to talk for a second because I've rambled on this. I'm being told Tony has one more thing. Really quick, really quick. Dan, tomorrow, behind me, by city situation at FIU Stadium, the FIU Pantor's Paws up, are playing

Kennesaw State right here 7 p.m. at Pitbull Field. They may invite me to be on the field here. I don't know. That's what I've been heard from my boy Darren who's letting me know, giving me a thumbs up. I don't know. Okay, so thank you. I'm glad we went back to you on that.

Honorary captain. Okay, so yes. Honorary the captain, by the way. Seems like it was probably contingent on him getting that last line out there. That's what Axis at Pitbull Stadium causes. What gives you that suspicion, Mike? Was it that how smoothly he threw it just in? One more thing. What does the F&FIU stand for, Tony?

After I've given you in Coho Navo, it's the last one more thing. I forgot the more important one more thing, which is why I got access to this stadium that I could have built if my error passes a million years ago hadn't violated N-TAA practice rules. The I and FIU stands for I gotta get this one in, boys. Worry with those practice throws, Tony, I don't want you to get hurt out there.

By the way, really quick, there's one more thing. There's one more thing. Really quick, I promise you, I promise. It's really quick. Look what I discovered back here, Danny. Swivel the camera really quick. This goes back to last week we were talking about this. Here you go, hold on, hold on.

Can you guys tell me what that looks like right there? That seems to be a goal post, right? That looks to be a goal post right here. and where the kid was on people come in that was such a still shit so wait so heavy oh wow look at that toys

okay so it's not that 4,000 pound look at that fuel gold post look at that weight distribution you boys just learned look at that

Tony Collada who finds out Tony Collada who finds out a new podcast where you want me to pick them both up he exposes that looks like a dollar store field go post thank you for doing this Tony

good work Asinine conversation last week. Good work, Tony. We appreciate the help. I don't think. Could the bigger schools have, you know, bigger ones? Heavier ones? FCS goalposts, is that what you're saying?

What are we doing? How do you imagine the triads are for the bigger school where the kid goes out who throws air passes there? Like, do you realize how far from the very fringes of football Tony was throwing walk-on air passes in a stadium where he couldn't even get footballs? The big schools do air passes, but you wear full pads, everything, in full contact. He could have built that house though. So I want to talk to you though

guys about the I've rambled a bit on the subject but the precision of football right because I do get fascinated by the idea that Devante Adams who I didn't think was a number one wide receiver has dedicated his life over the last 15 years to

I will run exactly 14.3 yards on this route. I'm going to practice it and I'm going to keep practicing it's not going to be 15.3 yards. It's not going to be 13.3 yards. On Devante Adams you were right at the time. That's what I'm saying. Can't be late with an opinion, Dan. He was bad. He had a lot of drops his first season, but the idea that athletes of this caliber would dedicate themselves to staying atop money by being as precise as the Rams demand you must.

McVeigh's ahead of the game. Got to stay ahead of the game. Two, it can get stripped down to nothing that fast. McDaniel, too. He was first to, I'm the next Belichick. I can have any broadcasting job. I'm smarter than everyone else. I'll do it if I've got Whitworth. I'll do it if I've got girly. I'll do it if I've got golf. I'll do it if I've got Stafford. I'll do it if I have no wide receivers yesterday. And I'm going to London and playing at 6 a.m. for my fans. And I'm going to drag Jacksonville that has all the number one picks in their offense. Because I'm a better organization, because I'm the Rams and I will be feared by everyone in the playoffs. Because the military school we run on numbers and precision, just get Puka's hands open.

It doesn't have to be the rest of him, just where his hands are. You can't be sloppy against that. When Brian Flores is working his way back into the league because a discrimination lawsuit is laughed at as everything he told you about the organization comes unraveling. And he's devising, how do I stop that play that Jason Kelsey is arguing for as that team wins 20 of 21 because there's a play that can't be stopped? No, Flores, let me see if I can figure out how to stop it. These are military schools. There are giant economies that are studying all day and night to how do we. beat the Eagles and you fall behind like that. The precision of the Rams is a tribute to excellence

and Stafford, I will add, because Stafford survived everything that the Lions were organizationally. Got out and I'm telling you, if he plays them in the playoffs, he's going to beat him. And I'm telling you that if he played for that team right now, he's the one who could go get Mahomes because they figured out at the top of the game that if you're healthy and precise, Drew Breeze was trying to beat them. They've got a precision that is so crazy. that Jacksonville, with Travis Hunter out there, they're just slinging it. So Devante Adams has never had that kind of game. And Stafford hasn't either.

And they've got no wide receivers. Remember before the season started, we weren't sure. Like, it felt like Stafford wasn't going to play this year. That wasn't that long ago. He's the fourth best quarterback in the league, right? After Alan, Mahomes, and a healthy Jackson. I want to talk, though. I want to get back to talking about the idea, though, of when we're doing this stuff

that we're watching happen with Belich. where you see how quickly someone can get stripped of genius. The quarter, McVeigh cut bait on golf so fast. Nobody cuts bait that quickly on like, nope, let's go get staffer. We were just a Super Bowl team. People hold on to their jobs. They're afraid. But if you're in your early 30s and you're actually smarter than everyone else,

you're not pretending all the time. And you get the right quarterback with which all you have to do is, yep, Matt, I'll support you everywhere. Just keep being that precise, please. meet me at precision, keep throwing the ball there and there and there every time. No look passes. Mahomes did that yesterday. You saw Mahomes did the no look pass because he's feeling comfortable again.

And Rice is pointing to him like this. The miles that these men run in feet that get Dion Sanders amputated toes, like in precision of, no, we'll do it 14.3 yards. 14.3 yards. All right, Dan. That's a little too much. In smoking Dion Sanders' toes. and if you say they just need Pooka's hands open for a fourth time this show,

we're stopping you. Penalty box. I probably deserve it. I just can't believe that there's a machine that's more precise than all the others in that game. Like, we marvel and value all this stuff, and then Baker Mayfield gets out there, and we can't explain how it is that he got to, how he got to 35 points when none of his receivers are there. Compare it to what we just happened in Miami, which was a Ferrari with a spark plug that went wrong. Like, you, a fragile thing that if a leg breaks, you're done.

You're finished. Historically so. Yeah, but accuracy was supposed to be to his strength. And it is. He has the, going into yesterday, he had the best red zone passer rating in the league. His completion percentage was like second best in the league. So accuracy, you mentioned precision. Accuracy is supposed to be his forte.

So theoretically, Mike McDaniels agrees with McVeigh, he just can't pull it off like McVeigh does. Yeah, but it's not just the accuracy with two of these days anymore. Like, and I know Xavier and Howard said this after week number one, but it really does appear if the first option in the first second of the ball being snapped is not there, it is panic time. I agree with that. I agree with that.

And plus, his lack of a running option is just extreme to the point where he's one dimensional in a way that hardly any other quarterbacks are. It doesn't even make sense to me when you're talking about that was number one in the league in passing. The second option and third option were there because he was getting rid of the ball faster than everyone else was faster than Tom Brady ever did. Before we go in any further,

I've got a couple of things that I'm remiss on. One, I've failed today. That it is a couple of hours into the show, and I've not mentioned that in a baseball game, unlike anyone I have ever witnessed and whoever it is that saw Babe Ruth play does not have the story to tell that we do if we're not numb to these things.

The idea that Shohei Otani hit three home runs in a playoff game to clinch a World Series birth, one of them out of the stadium, and also struck out 10 men throwing a ball 100 miles an hour, makes him an extraterrestrial that has never existed on Earth before, and that game is the single best playoff game a player has ever played, Babe Ruth included. Like, there is no getting around. We saw that by leaps and bounds, the most amazing athletic feat of the, weekend was Shohei Otani and there is no close second place. There will never be a close second. Only 12 hitters ever had hit three homers in a postseason game. Only 26 pitchers ever had

recorded 10 strikeouts and two hits or less and no runs in both season starts. He did both. I mean, he's the only pitcher they're letting hit nowadays though. So how is anyone else supposed to do it? It's a it is superhero athleticism. It is stuff you will tell people about 100 years from now and they will not believe it existed. Time out. Chris, what did you just say? What in the world? What other pitchers are hitting in today's baseball? That's why?

Because they're not allowed to. Oh, man, if you get, Max Scherz was like, if you put me at a plate, man, I'll take one yard. That's what you're just saying? I'm just saying one pitcher is currently hitting these days. They should let more pitchers hit? Did you hear the numbers I just said? You're not wrong. What are we doing?

Don Lebertard. My algorithm on Instagram is dance, all boobs. Stugats. It's a good algorithm. This is the Don Levitard. Elevatar show with the Stugats. I mean, I'm not saying any other pitcher would be Otani, but half of the Major League pitchers hit 488 in high school, right?

Like pitchers in high school were probably the best hitter on their team as well. Who's the pitcher? Wait, Jeremy, what did you hit? Who's the pitcher that's being held back right now? Who could be hitting? Okay, you guys need to stop doing this because you're really minimizing the level of expertise that it's taking present day to hit a baseball.

Like, pitchers can no longer do that. No, Otani is a unicorn. And look, by some metrics, he's having a bad postseason in that he's hitting like 208 or something. But he's got five home runs and two pitching victories. There's been nobody to like him. There's got to be a pitcher right now. That's like, let me get to maybe he's coach.

that could help 12 hitters ever with three homers in a postseason game 12 hitters that were just hitters have ever hit three home runs in a post one of them went out of the stadium i have not seen that there before i haven't seen for i i don't maybe that happens all the time now that he plays there no they put a marker out in right field for kyle schwarber's homer in an earlier round this postseason because nobody hits the ball that far and he hit it like 30 feet further as he struck out 10 guys in a game It is absurd beyond absurd and that you guys would make it a conversation of I want to see Chris Hammond hit more. What a pull. I swear I was going to say Mike Hampton. He won bad. I also had Chris Hammond in my holster. He wasn't bad. Mike Hampton right now is sitting somewhere saying, hey, give me 600 bats.

Damn right. He could hit. I can't believe you just pulled Chris Hammond. You're looking at my brain. Yeah, pinch hitter in the World Series. Oh. You don't think there's any pictures. I know I'm obviously

Oh, Tani's great. There's got to be some pitchers out there. Like, coach, let me get an A-B. But this is the part. This is the only part. I understand that this is the part that frustrates me. I would say just in general, wherever it is, that language barrier and baseball and foreignness

makes someone not the star they should be because in the sport of Mike Trout, somebody who hits and pitches, what he just did, is so Ruthian, so superher. heroic. The people who appreciate baseball understand that no other human being who has ever lived has that collection of talents in his body. It's the kind of game he just had if we sent a major leaguer to play against sixth graders where I'll hit three home runs and one of them

will be further than any of the sixth graders have ever seen. He's playing against all other major leaguers. They can't hit him at 100 miles an hour and he hits the ball further than I've ever seen it hit. And he only started pitching again in the middle of this season. He had not pitched in over a year. Dan, I kind of need CSI baseball to take a look at the Anaheim Angels or Los Angeles Angels or California Angels or whatever angels they were. Like you guys had Trout and Shoah at the same time.

And you were horseshit? And Pooleuos. How did that happen? How is that possible? And Rendon. They paid $250 million for him too. And then they had no pitching is how it happened. I think you could put every major league pitcher

in a high school game right now against one of the better high school pitchers and not one of them would have the game Shohei Otani just did in the MLB post season. It's lunas. It's total, what that man just did, like what I was beginning to say is, I wish the American media knew how to cover this person in a way that would grant him the stardom

that would make him a bigger thing beyond over the land. But this is no problem in Japan, obviously, right? They recognize the history of the game. Hell, the game grew as the cultures shared it. And what has been birthed is the single greatest baseball player that has ever existed, someone whom would make Babe Ruth pale in his shadow. And the playoff game he just had is something they will talk about 100 years from now. How much is he making this year?

$2 million. That is hilarious. They go value. That's crazy. But there is one measure by which Babe Ruth continues to be the most talented player ever, and let me give it to you. And you think I'm setting this up for a joke. I'm not. This is the truth.

Early in the 20th century, baseball players used to work during the offseason to make extra income. Babe Ruth worked during the offseason singing on a vaudeville stage. So I want to see Otani do that. Okay? He's got you there, Dan. Gotcha. Can we look that up, see if it's factual, how much Babe Ruth earned singing in a vaudeville show in the offseason to make extra coin? A lot of players did it because they were trading on their name.

They were celebrities, so people would go to the vaudeville show. They'd be shows, and there's the great Babe Ruth before television, cable, or the internet, influencers of their day. Kind of like how every athlete has a podcast now, the 1920s. Yeah. Yes, Babe Ruth did sing in vaudeville during tours in the 1920s. He performed a variety of acts that included singing, telling jokes, and even trying his hands at mind reading. These performances were part of his postseason tours and were popular attractions due to his celebrity status. Boo-ya!

Being Babe Ruth, boo-ya was not allowed back then. Yeah, that would have had you sat in a different section. Boo-ya. I don't know why you would then do it more. I don't even know what that means. I got a thing. Do it again. That's a three-facts, Jack, from the Greg Co.

show by the way that fact on babe ruth i'm there for you people i'm there for the other thing that i'm remorseful about today is that i have not gotten to a zaslo's travel story oh my god that mike ryan embargoed from me early the show what are you saying oh yeah about i want to hear it you don't know anything about it no two people know about this story and mike ryan embargoed the story i've never had such trouble getting a story i wanted it neither one of them would give it to me what happened all right dan well you know how i travel with the spian college football camp This weekend, I was in South Bend, Notre Dame, USC, fun game.

You know how they treat me with the travel. They treat me very well. Matter of fact, sometimes first class is available, like when I flew home yesterday. I sat first class. They treat me very well ESBM on my travel. But I book my travel, okay? I book it through a system.

It's on me. Obviously, they pay for it. I have a certain status, blah, blah, blah. So I'm flying to South Bend on Friday morning, but I have to stop through Chicago, through O'Hare Airport. Okay, fine, I've done that. I've done that.

Okay, I've done. You can't fly straight to South Bend. South Bend is tough from Miami. They have one terminal. There's like six gates. It's really small. It's going to take a couple of places. Do they still call it an international airport, which is my biggest pet people in the world? Because they apparently have one flight that fly, it probably flies the Caribbean, so they get to call themselves an international airport. Anyway, it's a ridiculous place to put a football stadium. I'm flying to South Bend through Chicago. And when I get to Chicago, a very short layover, I'm walking over to my gate. Okay, no big deal. I get to the gate, I sit down, I see on the board there, it says South Bend, and it says the time of the next flight is two hours and 45 minutes. And I'm confused as hell. I'm trying two hours and 45. That's how long it took me to get here from Miami. Two hours, I take out my phone. I open up a map of the United States on my phone. Illinois and Indiana are right next to each other. How can it be two hours and 45 minutes. I send Amber Wilson a text message. Amber, I'm sitting here at my gate. It says two hours and 45 minutes. Is that possible? She says, are you sure you're flying a South Bend? I go,

I think so. She goes, it's not possible. I go, right? I'm really confused. It gets to the point where they're calling the boarding groups. Group one, group two, group three, American Airlines and flying. They get to my group. I'm one of the first people to board. I get, you know, got good status, Greg. I get up, I show my boarding pass on the American Airlines app, they scan it, you're good to go, sir. So I'm walking, and it's one of those deals where you've got to go outside, you know, because

it's a really small airplane. You know, I saw the seating map. It's, you know, two seats on one side. One on the other side. I'm in one of the ones. Yeah. Get my, got a lot of room, all right? Small plane. I'm walking through the terminal gate now. I take the steps downstairs.

There's a bus waiting. for me. It's a bus. Is it taking you to the plane? The bus on the side of the air, of the, on the side of the bus, it says American Airlines. I'm like, okay, cool, shuttle bus. Taking me to my plane.

It's like a minute, no big deal. I get on the bus. I sit in the first seat. It's going to be a quick flight, quick, quick ride, 30 seconds. I sit in the first seat. I don't even take my backpack off. I sit in the first seat immediately behind the driver. People are starting to get on.

They're looking at their phones. They're sitting in a signed seat. Why the fuck are you sitting in an assigned seat on this bus right now? And all of a sudden this woman is standing next to me. She's confused. I'm apparently in her seat. I'm looking around at all these people. She got that good bus seat.

I say to the bus driver, are we taking this bus to South Bend? She goes, yes. I go, now it makes sense. Okay. I'm in the wrong seat. And I get up. I'm in 4C. I get up and I sit down.

I'm so confused. And then, and then moments later, the bus driver. By the way, if you're wondering if there's going to be, you know, drink and snack service,

there's not. But the bus driver, she gets on the PA. Yeah. She gets on the PA and she says, just so everybody knows, this bus is heading to South Bend, some people might be confused.

Oh. I'm sitting on this bus. I can't believe it. You thought it was two airplanes, two little airplanes. Two hours and 45 minutes. You had no idea the second leg of this first class flight was a bus. Put it on the poll at Lebitard show. Can the second leg of your first class flight ever be a bus?

This woman then gets on, we haven't gotten up the, you know, we haven't pulled out yet to leave. She was, we're waiting for the go ahead to pull out. to pull out from the air tower. I'm like, woman, air tower. We're on a bus. Air tower. I mean, you're a seasoned travel veteran. Has anything like this happened to you?

Have I ever taken an American airline bus somewhere or no? I mean, why would anyone book a bus through American Airlines? Why would the bus say American Airlines on it? You're not an airline. You're a bus. And it was just a normal terminal, like one of the gates? Completely normal. How full was this flight?

Oh, the bus was full. Was it a cheap flight? Did you think, wow, this is a cheap flight? I don't know. I don't pay for it, ESPN does. I have no idea. Why would I assume that when I'm booking my air travel through American airlines, that it might be a bus? Was there any turbulence on the drive?

South Bend. South Bend is about a three-hour drive from Chicago Airport, right? So you couldn't just take another small flight anywhere closer to that. The funniest thing was when Zaz started the story, I was going to say, you flew to South Bend? Why didn't you just fly to Chicago and drive from there? I thought there was a different Chicago in another state. That's where I thought we were going. I text Amber Wilson.

I said, you're not going to effing believe this. And then I just wrote, I want to go home.