The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 1: The Living Artifact

Episode Date: April 16, 2024

LeBron James is still goin' at it, huh? We give Greg Cote a new nickname before listening to Mike Tyson run. Then, we pay proper tribute to legendary Yankees broadcast John Sterling as he announces his retirement. Plus, our Iowa Correspondent Lucy Rohden joins the show to discuss her night at the WNBA Draft and dive into all the most interesting aspects of the night that was! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. Six months, 82 games, and finally the postseason is here. First up, the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. For this, the rules are simple. Win to get in. Eight teams battle to earn their playoff spot in a win or go home style tournament that is bound to be full of highlights, excitement, and drama. There's no better way to set the tone for the playoffs than this.

So make sure you don't miss the action. Watch TNT's coverage of the SoFi NBA play in tournament on April 16th and 19th on TNT, TruTV, and Max. Greatest duo's trading cards have arrived at Tim's with two hockey icons on every TV and Max. I saw stugots that LeBron James has put off to the side his barbershop YouTube production because I've told you before the media is shaking and crumbling everywhere and LeBron James is got a spaceship that's his own media creation, not unlike what Peyton Manning is doing with Omaha Productions. Barbershop gets a collection of guests

to sit down with LeBron that I don't think any show in America could get it to sit in one place to talk about things. And so he's doing that as one of his side projects while going straight to the top of the podcast game when he associates with JJ Reddick because he's going to use his remaining media power as strongly as he can and

he's still relevant and tonight he plays an interesting basketball game against the Pelicans team that people are ready for Zion Williamson to be something physically special and take the league from LeBron. People are waiting for the young people, whether it's Zion or Brunson or Donchich or Anthony Edwards, they're waiting for the young people to come get Steph Curry and LeBron out of here and they've still got better odds than the Knicks

to win the championship. That's infuriating by the way. I mean the Knicks had a good season, a 50 win season. They're the two seed in the East. Really the only good team in the East is the Boston Celtics and no one believes in the New York Knickerbockers. It drives me crazy. Greeny said that the Lakers should lose tonight on purpose.

Sit Anthony Davis and LeBron James just to avoid having to play the Nuggets in the first round. And then leave it up to chance against potentially Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Friday night. I would. You would. Oh yeah, I'd tank it. You'd lose on purpose.

Well, accidentally on purpose. You know how that goes. You gotta give it a good faith effort. What you do is you start all your stars, and then Anthony Davis just, look at this, I tweak, I tweaked my hammy. Cause that never happens. The John Say Porter.

Oh no, my eyes. Yeah, and then there's a miracle recovery. The hamstring is great for the next one. But a one game scenario of Steph and LeBron, oh, that would be great. I mean, good for the NBA. You know the NBA is rooting for the L one. But a one game scenario of Steph and LeBron, oh, that would be great. I mean, good for the NBA. Yes. You know the NBA is rooting for the Lakers to win tonight

and then the Warriors to win twice, right? Because you need the Lakers up against the Nuggets and the Warriors up against the Thunder. That's the best for ratings. And still won't do a women's basketball number. That's right. Will it do even half of a women's basketball number? Even half, because WNBA Championship round ends up doubling the Masters.

Well, no, the women's basketball title game, which did just under 19 million viewers, that's what they did. The final round of Augusta did 9.8 million viewers. That's insane. It really is. I'm seeing last year's six play-in tournament games average 2.8 million viewers. That's insane. It really is. Yeah. I'm seeing last year's six play-in tournament games

averaged 2.6 million viewers. To explain to people how fractured the landscape is, Curb Your Enthusiasm did 1.1 million for its season finale, one of the greatest shows ever, one of the greatest runs ever. 1.1 million people were watching that finale uh... to get a lot of people around the television for a single thing isn't something that

happens very often anymore and it has now happened pretty seismically for uh... for women's basketball college and pro but the thing that I wanted to bring up with Greg Cody here, because he came in with some road rage, and he just took out Sampson, and I feel like the group here is not supportive of the David Sampson endeavor,

and that there has been some mockery in the shadows of David Sampson touring, I can't believe he's touring the country. I mean, you just mocked him with that sentence. I just can't, I know, I think it's brave. I laugh when I'm saying it because of how ridiculous it is. I can't help but laugh because I think it's absurd that he would take on the challenge of as a solo show, touring.

Like, I think he's crazy. And the clips look entertaining, like he's engaging with the audience I'm not criticizing any of it because it sounds terrifying at wineries He's got an alliance with City winery and may I say just as a gratuitous plug if you don't mind on the latest Greg Cody Show podcast out now We sent special correspondent yeti Blanc Wow to Atlanta to cover Wow We sent special correspondent Yeti Blanc to Atlanta to cover a David Sampson live show from City Winery. So hear all about that on my podcast.

I'm not Pablo Torre. I don't like unearth great artifacts. No, you are. You are the great artifact. Thank you. Every week. Every Monday morning, dropping at 7 a.m. Yeah, unlike Pablo Torre, who has to rummage around in your garage to get the artifacts right here

This show is a hosted by one ladies and gentlemen a living artifact. We don't have to search for I mean I want that to be my new nickname living art should be the first name art second name effect Because You you have been mocking this. You just mocked it. No. You came in with road rage.

What do you mean no? You talking about the Vineyard or Arbiter's Hall of Fame? Both. Both. Yes, somewhat. You've got your friends. It's not a vineyard, it's a winery. It's not a winery.

Okay, winery, whatever. I got winery, vineyard, you know. I mean, I feel like he's okay there. He's playing vineyards? David Sampson is. They're pretty different. David Sampson is playing vineyards. That's right, he's stomping grapes while he does his show. That's pretty interesting.

Ow, ow, ow. Remember that episode of I Love Lucy where they were stomping grapes, Greg? Yes, I do. Good one. Oh, that was fantastic. Which was your favorite I Love Lucy? That one, Vita Mita Vegamin, or was it the one with the conveyor belt? The conveyor belt.

Classic episode, Stan. That's what I was saying. Remember that? Desi Arnaz really put Cubans on the map, did he not? You know what? I was like, I'm going to go with the conveyor belt? The conveyor belt. Classic episode, Stan. Remember that? Desi Arnaz really put Cubans on the map, did he not? You know what, we gotta bring back black and white TV.

I agree with you. I mean, it's just so perfect for certain shows, certain scenes. Classic living artifacts, I mean. Good job, Art. I appreciate you, Billy, throwing it into my wheelhouse, old Cuban powerhouse, Desi Arnaz. Yeah, yeah. Was a- Tropicana club, Art. I appreciate you, Billy, throwing it into my wheelhouse. Old Cuban powerhouse, Desi Arnaz, was a- Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. Tropicana club, baby. Built the original Hollywood. Mamalu. Off of Lucille Ball, built studios. I saw a documentary on them the other day that I couldn't believe how powerful they became as a Hollywood couple.

So thank you for throwing that in my lap, as well as the grape lady, because this is one of our original Hall of Fame sounds. Somebody on live morning television, crushing grapes with her bare feet, and then falling on the ground and harming herself. Vineyard tours, seminars, arts and crafts. It's a lot of fun, a whole day.

Stop. Oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, It's a lot of fun, a whole day. Stop! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!

Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!

Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh dear. I think she's actually hurt. No, I think she is. Yeah, she's hurt. She took a hard fall. Sounded like she was faking it. She was not. She broke ribs.

The last time this came up, somebody again accused her of faking it. No, clearly not. It was my dad and then Jess made the joke, you know what it's like to hear a woman faking it. I don't wanna. Oh yeah. That was good. That was last week.

You don't remember, it was last week. It was good. It was great. Good line by Jess. Mm-hmm. Congrats. And then you were like, I'm married, Jess. Of course I know that, Jess.

Oh yeah, right. Yeah, that was good. Remember? Yeah. Good episode, yeah. Oh my god. LA. Greg would love to do an episode

where he just gets misty and nostalgic about the last episode he did. It is his wheelhouse critiquing his own art right artifact I'm a busy man you know I do them I do an episode they recede in the rearview I'm on to different projects all kind of things percolating going on left right and center traveling the country coast to coast yeah coast we'll get to where what he was doing in LA, I can't wait to talk about that. Greg Cody hitting Hollywood to do Jimmy Buffett.

We will talk. Hollywood? He's right. You gotta say it like that. Hollywood? The Hollywood Bowl. Yeah. What a venue. We'll get to it in a second. Great venue.

Oh my God, love it. Greg, I want you to guess. I'm gonna play some sound for you here. close your eyes because I think they might accompany it with Video right now, but just close your eyes and listen to this sound and tell me what you think this sound is Let's play it for him again Sounded like a rhinoceros being impaled by another rhinoceros. That's my guess. That is exactly right.

It's Mike Tyson sprinting. That is what Jake Paul wants to fight. That's terrifying. It sounds like that even though it's 57. This is what roils in the soul of Mike Tyson. Wow. The devil? Seriously.

Like a bulldog, man. They're going to fill a 90,000 seat stadium for that fight? Yes. Jake Paul is going to fight that. I don't think that wise. People think it's going to be sad. And maybe Mike Tyson only has 90 seconds. But if the 90 seconds is that, I think that that's bad.

90 seconds of that! The ravenous, the ravenous, uh, greed, anger, hunger of Mike Tyson. The thing that's hard for me, and I believe Mike Tyson is a betting underdog, the thing that is very hard for me is, I remember Mike Tyson's last fights at 40. He didn't want to fight anymore. He was fighting because he needed the money for the taxes. And he was terrible and slow against other professional fighters who were not 27, 28 or whatever Jake Paul is. So people think it's going to be sad, but I think it's going to be this. And so if I tell you, this is Jake Paul's face being eaten.

Sounds like you're standing in an old pickup truck. But I want to believe that Mike Tyson does, this is the thing Mike Tyson makes me believe in the power of old people. If you just have a ravenous greed about you a hunger for fighting

you too can still be alive alive at 57. Vital at 57. Are those human words underneath that garble? Come on, start! I can't get the word! It is so much less menacing when you just make it an old truck. It does, that's a good call though.

It needs to be raged. You're right, it's gotta be Mike Tyson mythology if I'm just trying to turn a key over. Roy's right though. Six months, 82 games, and finally the postseason is here. First up, the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. For this the rules are simple, win to get in. Eight teams battle to earn their playoff spot in a winner go home style tournament that is bound to be full of highlights excitement and drama there's no better

way to set the tone for the playoffs than this so make sure you don't miss the action watch TNT's coverage of the so-fi NBA play in tournament on April 16th and 19th on TNT true TV and, and Max. Don Lebatard. Yeah, very nice. Max, if someone told you, you couldn't have a Corvette. Stugats. I'm a grown ass man who's not filthy rich. I can't afford a Lamborghini. Well, I probably can, but that's beside the point.

Hey! Wow! Wow! This is the Don Lebatard Show with the Stugats. I would like to celebrate when we talk here about artifacts and we talk about things in sports that are going to be of a time that I'm not totally sure are going to pass on to another age or generation of people who are going to have respect for artifacts from the past. John Sterling, Yankee broadcasting legend, has been broadcasting for 60 years and yesterday retired abruptly, effective immediately and people worried for his health.

And John Sterling was like, no, just tired. Just the baseball season is insane. I saw that we had a Toronto game on the schedule. I'm older and there are some old-timey baseball guys. Fellow Ramirez down here was into his nineties traveling with the baseball team. The baseball schedule is an insanity and John Sterling is a bona fide legend when you broadcast that long Stu gots, but it's not in the perfectly pristine broadcasting case where vince scully exists from a bygone age ernie harwell

all-time broadcaster who raises your granddad your dad and you on baseball on the radio when america when people were you know top hats to the game is soon because baseball is our most historic sport vince gully dies and he takes that with him john sterling retires at the beginning of the yankee season whether in first

place he's seen a lot of bad baseballs to god he's called over five thousand yankee games and he has done some funny things that are mistakes that would happen to anybody who's broadcasting for three and a half hours a game, every game, and is on game 120 and is 77 years old and the Yankees are in fourth place. And this is Dante Bichette's kid that's playing for the Blue Jays and you're mixing up his name.

Because you're old, let's celebrate John Sterling correctly as somebody who was a legend, is a legend, and was humanly a broadcasting voice for a time, a place, and a team. And the best hit in the air, to deep left it is high. Hit as far, hit as high, it's a grand slam. Nandi Maticar,! That ball should travel far! Giancarlo! Gio Ascella!

The most happy fella! Oh, he's the most happy fella! Over the high wall and into the monster seats! Romy! My homie! There's a drive, deep left center field. It is high. Not as far. That is gone. It's Gleyber day. Gleyber. Torres powered one into the last row of the monster seats in left center. And like a good Gleyber, Torres is there. Here is Judge. Here's the

Torres is there. Here is Judge. Here's the 2-2. Swung on and hit in the air to deep left. That ball is gone! A Judgian blast. All rise. Here comes the Judge. Here's the 2-1 to Gardner. Swung on, hit in the air to deep right. That ball is high. It is far. It is gone. Let the guardie party begin. And they're on their feet. The pitch swung on it high in the air. Deep down the Loftia line. It is gonna be gone! He's done it! A long high drive down the Loftia line. Just there for a three run home run. Alex Rodriguez has made Major League Baseball history the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs.

And Avon from A-Rod. Not as many mistakes in there as I would have liked to have heard. I wanted to build him up before, because I know what you wanted to do here. He's so good though. He was different. He was ahead of his time in terms of being different.

He called every single one of Derek Geter's a bat. All right, but wait a minute. He would also sort of on home run calls, throw his arms over his head and shake them back and forth so his home run calls would be more jowly and he also made some excellent mistakes where are the mistakes because that's very nice of you very respectful of you too just give uh... john sterling a battle what genuflect here on behalf of his

broadcasting career by playing the good ones what about the shitty what's fire is judge and the breaking ball is that in the. Man, the breaking ball is hitting the air to deep left. That ball is high. It is far. It is gone. Unfortunately, that was a replay of the home run, but it was a good replay. Please tell me you have more of those because there are many.

Here's the 1-0. Swung on, there it goes. Deep left center. That ball is high. That is far. That is gone. Caught. At the wall. Caught by Tapia. Oh I thought that was gone. Oh wow. Give me one more. The pitch to Duffy is grounded to short Deedee feels and throws the first in time ballgame over Yankees win the Yankees win and Masahiro Tanaka pitches a complete game shutout and a beauty the Sun will come out Tanaka Bet your come out. Tanaka.

Bet your bottom dollar with Tanaka. The sun will shine. Anyway, Tanaka. It's just a complete game shutout. What the hell was that? Ha ha ha ha ha ha. All right, now we have one more mistake one. Hit it. Swung on.

There it goes! Deep left and it's high. That is far. that is gone number 62 to set the new American League record. Aaron Judge hits his 60 second all the Yankees out of the dugout to greet him. Just think of it. Three Yankee right fielders. The Babe hitting 60 and 27. The Jolly Roger hitting 61 and 61. And now Aaron Judge hits his 62nd home run. The most home runs any American

leaguer has hit in a single season. And the American League has been alive for a hundred and twenty years this is Judgment Day case closed now we did all that can we just play him getting hit with a foul ball because I feel like that's what all this was for. It's my favorite clip in probably the history of baseball. Now the three-two swung on, a pop foul back here. Ow! Ow! Ow!

It really hit me, I didn't know it was coming back that far. So once again, it'll be a three-two. And Holmes ready to deal. A ground ball to third. Donaldson squares, the first in time ball game over Yankees win Yankees win is you know that foul ball actually hit me it kind of glanced off my forehead So I took one for the team

He stayed in the booth I'm a little far ahead. So, I John Sterling called 30% of all remember a different time in my life and in Yankee baseball history. John Sterling called 30% of all Yankee games ever played. Wow. I mean. That's a lot of games. Do you think the TikTok generation is gonna have any understanding of a radio broadcaster mattering to a region on behalf of a team?

Like that, this ends with this crop of broadcasters, right? Where somebody is handed down that the sport is handed down to you as a child from a parent or grandparent who was also listening to this person locally in the car as you grew up that dies with this crop of broadcasters right yeah are you including like Eric Reid with this crop of broadcasters bo? Yeah are you including like Eric Reid with this crop of broadcasters? Boog? I'm talking about a radio baseball broadcaster somebody who exists most people listening to this have no idea what John Sterling looks like he is not a televised product he is somebody who has existed in the

traveling circus of the baseball economy going from place to place to broadcast on radio something to people back home who cannot see it. That voice gets ingrained in a region, a people gets passed down to families. And what I'm asking you is does it die now because it's a very specific thing It's not look man verne Lundquist got a real nice sendoff at the Masters most broadcasters aren't gonna get that hey We really appreciated you you were good About a time about a craft and the what you mean to me is something you mean to me in my family I can say verne Lundquist I can say John sterling and it means something i do have a few local broadcasters when you mention eric reid he has been doing heat televised broadcast since the very beginning yes he will be such a broadcaster

uh... locally but there is i don't think anything like the regional baseball announcer who does it from your grandparents age who grandfathers in uh's in Joe Buck as a broadcaster. You still have Bob Euker doing it. I mean, you do. Yeah, you do. Yeah. But and on he's of that generation radio television. Yes, Bob Euker. Oh, no, I'm sorry. I don't mean to say that John Sterling is the last of them. I'm just saying that these guys Yes, that there will never be anything like

this. Again, what I'm talking about the specific sports connection that's will never be anything like this again. What I'm talking about, the specific sports connection that's gonna get lost, because who the hell's gonna listen to Tinney games on the radio? Well, the young people will get old and then they'll be the old people. And they'll have the TikTokers to pass down. Yeah, we'll pass down TikTokers, the people who are recapping the game in 60 seconds.

Are you passing down Kyle Seeloff to your kids? I'd love to do that. We'll see, Loff. Oh boy. I mean, you didn Seeloff to your kids? I'd love to do that. We'll see, Loff. Oh boy. I mean, you didn't have to do that. You didn't have to do that. God, why?

Why does he choose to be bad joke guy? Like, who makes that as a career choice? Everyone has a thing. No, but what? It's not funny. He's aggressively not funny. It works for me. Aggressively not funny.

The living artifact. That's right. Art-ifact. You're right, he's not funny, did. Aggressively not funny! Why are we rewarding that? Well, he's not a quitter. We're not.

Yeah, he's going to keep trying. You just put him in the box. You banished him. Why does he think that's a wise career choice? Let me make this show not funny aggressively. It helps the rest of us. That should be a t-shirt. What? Aggressively not funny with his face on it. Kyle Se Loth shirt. Particular audience for that one, I would say. Yeah, that's true. Team store. Greg Cody.

Yes. I want to get that t-shirt in my merch store before a Leviton show does. Aggressively not funny. That'll be my face on it. We'll Sea Loth. Art effect. You should have an Art of Fact shirt where you're

dressed like an archaeologist. That's not bad. Like Indiana Jones? What are archaeologists dressed like? You know, like Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones, yeah. A Panama hat of sorts. I don't feel like they actually dress like that.

A monocle, lots of pockets. I don't feel like they actually dress like that. Oh, they do? Really? The good ones do. Oh, he's the only one? The good ones do. He's the greatest of all time.

All the photos in the museums of the archaeologists have them dressed like that. If you don't dress like that, you're a fraud as an archaeologist and a failure. That's correct. Put it on the poll, Jujuat Lebatard show. Do archaeologists all dress like Indiana Jones, the good ones, with a whip? Don Lebatard. You don't remember the idea? I was probably like, that kind of thing. Something? Okay, no. The home run call was, that kind of swing swing that kind of thing. Stugats. Oh it's a good call. Thank you. And plus it doesn't matter who's hitting it like you're not tailing it to a particular name you know all that jazz you know you don't gotta do that. Oh that would be a great call. That kind of swing that kind of thing. This is the Don LeBathard Show with the Stugats. Lucy Rodin, Iowa correspondent.

She was there last night. Juju was there, but we couldn't get him. Juju's flying back, but they were at the WNBA draft. Stugats and Greg Cody are talking during the break, and they're saying, we're like everyone. We tuned in for the first five minutes and then we checked out. The ratings are gonna be a monster in the first five minutes and then they're gonna decline because they always find the negative. The two of them. That's right. Lucy Rodin was there though, Stu Gantz. In fairness, she didn't tune in to the NBA draft. They did. No, I actually did. I pulled up YouTube TV on my phone

because I couldn't see what the like images they were showing So I helped the viewership numbers. You're welcome. Billy says it was weird. Billy says the broadcast was weird. That's a misrepresentation Of what I said, I did say it was weird But I said that I thought that it was weird that the television broadcast was broadcast throughout the entire venue And that there was no clock alerting me when the next pick was gonna happen. So it all felt more of like a show than a draft because conveniently every time they finished their analysis the next pick was in.

So it didn't feel like an NFL draft per se. I said it felt more like a show. Defend me Lucy please, I say I hate women. Well I think that's because they didn't take 45 minutes with their picks and that's why it didn't feel like the NFL draft to you. But I like that pomp and circumstance, I like thinking there's things going on behind the scenes

that aren't actually going on, it's just a bunch of old men at NFL facilities not wanting to go home, having free food, eating that and just wasting every precious second that they have, I like to think that there's actually action behind the scenes, you know? There was a lot of action behind the scenes. There were things going on. People move in about fans there.

I liked like I liked it was like pretty fast paced because there's nothing that bothers me more than watching a draft and like the first overall pick. You don't need to take any time with that. You should have it figured out. It should be decided. Mm hmm. I was watching last night, Lucy, and I thought Marquesha Davis You don't need to take any time with that. You should have it figured out. It should be decided. I was watching last night, Lucy, and I thought Marquesha Davis at 11 for the Liberty was a reach. What says you? I think that was one of the picks that was the most interesting and honestly the one that kind of made me the saddest in the sense because the draft was in Brooklyn. All the Liberty

fans were chanting, we want Nika, we want Nika, and then did not draft her. So it was just kind of an odd moment. I didn't expect her to go that high, but I feel like there were a lot of things, like I didn't expect Kate Martin to go as high as she did. I thought that Camila Cardoso would go a little bit lower, but I felt like everything seemed pretty similar

to what we've seen in mock drafts. Very nice. Lucy, the only reason I'm applauding you, yes, I'm applauding that you baited Lucy into serious draft analysis by saying something that I'm assuming you just ripped off from the internet. What? I'm assuming you don't have any watch. You watched the entire first round.

I'm telling you, Laila Lacan, the point guard from France, she's fantastic. She might turn out to be better than Caitlin Clark. How about that? Lucy, what were the highlights from last night and what will Juju and you be returning with? The highlights, I think, one, the fashion was really, really cool.

And that's always my favorite part of events like this. Everyone looked so good. Angel Reese literally looked like a goddess. It was I just love seeing all these athletes dressed up with all their makeup on their hair done. It was cool to see a sold out crowd and fans like the setup was kind of odd, but to have fans outside waiting for the buses to to come and like have the players come out. It was really cool. It's the first time the WBA draft has had an event of this size

and it kind of showed just because the logistics were a little crazy, but to just see all these people so passionate. So many people were outside of the venue that did not have tickets. They just wanted to be there to see these women and that was very cool. Also, when Kaitlyn and Kate got drafted, that was so cool. Lucy, did you feel like you were a part of a cultural moment and movement? Like, are you feeling like the sport is shifting the constructs of what people are going to watch? Absolutely, and the one moment that like stuck out to me is we were doing fan interviews

and this woman had an Iowa hat on and I was like, oh my god, did you go to Iowa? Are you from Iowa? And she was like, no, I went to Texas. I'm just an Iowa bandwagon fan. The moment there is an Iowa bandwagon fan, we know something has changed. Everything in the world is different. That's never been done before. Lucy, you mentioned fashion and your favorite player wore an outfit that cost as much as a brand new car.

I'd like you to critique Caitlin Clark in Prada. Caitlin Clark wearing Prada, that was the first time Prada had ever dressed anyone for a draft. NBA, WNBA. I thought she looked phenomenal. I thought, hey, she's got money now, spend it. She probably didn't spend anything. Prada wanted to dress her. She looked phenomenal. I thought, hey, she's got money now, spend it. She probably didn't spend anything, probably wanted to dress her. She looked beautiful. All the women looked so good. She looked very cool. I loved the glasses. What do you make of some of the numbers around the salaries, Lucy, and just the history? We were talking a little bit about earlier in the show about what a struggle it has been for the WNBA to get to this point through Brittany Greiner having to go through Russian hell because the salaries aren't

right in this sport. Can you take me through the economics of how it is Caitlin Clark could make $76,000 in her rookie deal the first year and people would look at that and point out that she would qualify for low-income housing in san francisco based just on salary and that when you see the tweet and you see the numbers mapped out it's so disheartening to see but this is not anything that's new i think that now more people are paying attention to the w

they're realizing well if they're not making money here i think the thing that's important to note, especially with this draft class coming in, this is the most talked about draft class pretty much ever, especially in name recognition. So the NIL endorsements that these athletes had are not going to leave now that they are not in college. So Caitlin, Angel, Camilla, they'll still make money in the WNBA outside of their actual salary. But I think something that's important to notice is now people, they'll still make money in the WNBA outside of their actual salary.

But I think something that's important to notice is now people, they're seeing how low the salaries are. They're watching the draft. They're watching this game. So you had at 1.24 million people watching the national championship game. The way salaries rise, the way that things improve for the WNBA, you can charter flights and you have more resources, is by negotiating a higher TV deal and that is what's in the future for them. Well that's where we are right now though.

This is the part that I want out in front of the lights, Stugatz, because when you talk about everyone in sports just sort of being at this oil well being, wait a minute, holy shit! well-being wait a minute holy shit at the exact perfect time of the streaming wars need these live sports content you have birthed in front of us yesterday they've got a made for television event all of a sudden the people care about because it's a night at the party it's fashion it's uh... it's the league celebrating itself

were you emotional at any point in the middle of this Lucy? Because I don't know if that can happen to you at a gala as well. They can. You're gonna be so disappointed I didn't cry. I did not cry. What? I told, I know, I don't know what it was. I did not cry. If Caitlin had cried, I would have cried,

but she did not cry, so I held it together. There was always the most, there was like, there was emotions in the sense of like, every once in a while when we go, especially to these women's sporting events, like I will just sit there and it always hit me for a second that like all of these people are here supporting women, which is not something,

unfortunately, that we see very often to, and like, especially like, I love seeing women support women, and that's what we should do, and that's awesome, but when you see a man wearing a Liberty jersey, that just makes you feel so good to see so much outward support for women. So I did not cry, I did feel all of the emotions, and honestly, me not crying, I'm shocked.

I don't know, I should probably go to a doctor or something. Well, what do you make of the conversation, though, around Caitlin Clark Clark where it appears that when you talk about women supporting women, you get some critiques of her that people are viewing as overly harsh on her prospects. So explain to me or walk me through the conversation happening around Caitlin Clark where even though she's been graceful at every turn, people will point out point out hey the sport was something that had really special players before you got here. It's one of the sport had very very special players before

Caitlin got here I think that the whole like wow these WNBA alum are you know like just talking crap about Caitlin I don't think that's an accurate statement Diana Taurasi talks crap about Caitlyn. I don't think that's an accurate statement. Diana Tarassi talks crap about everybody. This is not new information. This is who she is and it's why we love her. So her being like, yeah, Caitlyn's gonna struggle, which like, I'm not gonna say Caitlyn's going to struggle. There will be an adjustment period.

There will be a learning curve. She's playing at a different level, the highest level. Like she's not going to most, I hope she does, but I doubt that she's not going to most, I hope she does, but I doubt that she's going to drop 40 a game like she was doing late in the tournament for Iowa when she gets to the W. There's going to be an adjustment curve

and that's what people have been pointing out. There have been a few instances where I'm like, you know what, maybe you shouldn't have said that. I didn't really like it. But when it comes to like Diana Tarassi, please, that's what she does all the time. Sue Bird, they were calling the Iowa UConn game their UConn alum.

Like, you don't come to me for unbiased Iowa opinions. Like, people were just being ridiculous. Lucy, I'm jumping in. I'm becoming a fan of the WNBA this season. I need a team, okay? The fever, what do you mean? I know, but I feel like that's the easy one. I feel like that one, I feel like I'll get-

Well, that's the one I want you to pick. Okay. You asked me. Here's your answer. All right, I mean, I'll get. Well that's the one I want you to pick. Okay. You asked me. That's the one I'm pickin'. Here's your answer. All right, I mean I'll consider them. I was thinking Chicago Sky, I mean they had the two top early picks last night.

The roster must not be that great if they got those two picks but I don't know, if it wasn't Indiana, give me a couple other teams for people that are looking for teams that might be fun ones to follow. I would go, well if you just wanna win, go Aces. They're the most dominant team can't do that a mile You don't want to do that I I feel like people criticize if you go in like I did this with Premier League a few years ago with soccer like you

Can't take the Chelsea's of the man United you got to take a team in that like an underdog Story to believe in not a front-runner Cameron Brink was one of my favorite players in the draft. So rooting for the Sparks would be very fun. That's a program that has a lot of history. It's kind of been a rough couple years. That would be a team that could be fun to root for. But I don't know if you want to go LA or mainstream.

What about Sky? The Liberty is crazy fun, but that's also been like, yeah, go to Sky. Sounds like you've decided. Angel Reese is amazing to root for. Yeah, I'm trying to help him. And then you asked me a question and you already knew the answer.

He seems like he just wants to follow the sky here, Lucy. I don't know why he's asking you for your advice. That is where I'm leaning. And I love that for you, do it. Yes, it is. I love Angel Reese. I love Camila Cardoso. That was such a good draft.

I'm happy for them. Great draft. Do they have anyone else though? Well, they're drafting kind of a lot early. It's actually just two people on that team. Yeah, that's it. That's the entire roster. It's just Camilla and Angel versus the world.

Lot of pressure though on Indiana fever head coach Christy Sides, right? Because they have Caitlin Clark, they also got Mackenzie Forbes, and they stole Mackenzie Forbes in the third round. Ton of pressure. She has to win now, right? Yeah, Stu, you took the words right out of my mouth.

I can't, you were such a WNBA expert. I don't know what we're doing about you here. That's why he is the expert that he is. I need to explain to everyone here that Lucy Rodin is climbing up the charts here in the media. She has gotten very popular. Now she's got a new collaborative project between Metal Arch Media and the Draft Kings Network. It's standalone program. in the media she has gotten very popular now she's got a new collaborative project between

metal art media and the draft kings network it's stand-alone program it's going to make its on air debut june seventh eight p m eastern on the draft kings network and it is a hash tag good follow show on socials i g x and tick tock hash tag good follow show all lucey tell me about this project that you're collaborating on. So DraftKings and Metal Arc has hired a bunch of amazing women to come together

and create a women's sports show by women for women, but it's not the typical women's sports show in the sense like it's cool, it's culture, it's fashion, it's sports, it's all the things that we love about sports and women's sports combined into a show on the DraftKings Network, but follow us on social now. We're on Instagram. That's where I posted the fit check yesterday.

They're doing great work. They're highlighting sports and coverage that needs to be covered. So please follow or you're dead to me. The coverage that needs to be covered. How's that for good follow show? It's the coverage that needs to be covered. Lucy Rodin is climbing up Show? It's the coverage that needs to be covered. Lucy Rodin is climbing up with thoughts like that.

If you want to be covered, she'll cover you. She's covered in coverage. You are well covered. Lucy Rodin, Iowa correspondent.