The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 1: The Somber Ayo

Episode Date: February 29, 2024

We listen to a clip from the latest episode of All the Smoke where they interview Pat McAfee, and McAfee has some thoughts on Dan and "new media." Dan stakes his claim as Pro-McAfee. Then, Stan Van Gundy is here to alternate between answering our political questions and basketball questions as we range from Mitch McConnell to a debate between the greatness of Tyrese Haliburton vs. Carmelo Anthony as scorers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe Kings Network. This is the Don Lebatore Show with the Stugatz Podcast. By now, I'm assuming on a random Thursday in February, February 29th, I was told I didn't understand what you guys were doing with leap years and Halliburton where you were talking about I need to wish him a happy birthday. Hold on a second. Let me get that because happy birthday to him. I don't care.

Good luck. It's his sixth birthday and I don't know why more people aren't talking about this in the NBA. They're talking about that, you know, that inflatable car man outside in San Antonio. A six year old all star like Tyrese Halliburton scoring like that. Scoring like that. Same age as my daughter leap year. I don't understand the math on that. So you guys will help me. He's just not actually six years old, but this is an extra day and what are you doing with your extra day? Are there any good leap year? Are there any good leap day leap year jokes? Everyone's joke is I wish we had it off, huh?

We should be home sleeping today. No, we should it's it's ridiculous. This is an extra day of labor We're not being paid extra. I'm curious where he generally celebrates. You think he does the 28th or the first wow Let's ask him. You guys, okay, yeah. So you think every year he's confused about when it is that his birthday should be because the- I would do the 28th. That's probably just whatever has a better weekend, right?

Like if it's- That's true. If women- I mean, we all do that. Friday versus Thursday. Yeah, exactly. So it's just whichever is closer to the weekend would be my imagination. Like if your guy's birthday falls on a Wednesday We're going to dinner Wednesday night. Do you guys wait until Friday?

I mean my wife's birthday is this weekend, so I've planned us a day or it's on Monday So I've planned us a day for Saturday gonna do dinner on her a pre day I got you three birthday over the weekend. Yeah more convoluted than these things need to be me making things come the whole thing just just the whole thing unnecessary I want to play some sound here for the audience because as we continue to roll out over the next couple of years our partnership with Rachel Nichols with Steven Jackson with Matt Barnes and with all the smoke with really Even though Mike Ryan we can all get along even though Mike Ryan is boycotting Paul Pierce, he is not a part of the, uh, Ray Jean Rondo and the collective of people who were besieged, like interacting in our worlds over the course of, uh, the next couple of years. In fairness, I've made my feelings known. Our partners know where I stand and I'll just

recuse myself of any truth. Uh, okay. Fair enough. But regardless, we are in business with all the smoke. Stephen Jackson did a South Beach session. The most vulnerable I've ever heard him and I've interviewed him a lot over the years. That was really good. Not blown smoke. That was really good. You and Stephen Jackson. Well, I, he, look, one of the things you guys make fun of me of being the grief eater on South Beach sessions, but one of the things my brother encouraged me to do, and others who care about me encouraged, have encouraged me to do, is use that space to talk to, to talk to men about hard things that men don't talk about, like, oh my god, you're crawling around on your hands and knees because people die around you.

And the grief is interminableable and you don't function right after it. And so how are you supposed to just get on with your life? Just talking about it. We did not jump on you for hard men because we love you pal. You got to get yourself up to. We got you. You got away with it. We didn't say anything. Okay. Thank you for allowing me that liberty. Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to age with grace. But here's one of the things, here's one of the things about aging with Grace

that I have not done very well. I've never heard of respectfully before. I wanted to be respectful. Sombra. Hey, yo, that was crazy. Yeah. Like did it while tapping his chest and pointing up to the sky.

It should have been, it should have been prayerful. Thank you. What is it? Is it because it's the graveyard of my brother's feelings? It was close, yeah. It was close to that. So I wanted to make sure. One of the things my brother told me before he went.

Wait a minute. What is that? There was a little trump in that. What's he doing here? What he said, he said a lot of things. It's hard to remember them all. The best things. Really?

Talk about hard things with men. Hey, yo! Don't lose a plot, Steven Jackson, let's go. Hard guy, you opening yourself up. Yeah, so I would urge everybody to enjoy many of the things that our content partners are creating. They've got a new interview. I did one recently with them on all the smoke. They asked me about Pat McAfee and I answered there and Pat McAfee

was on all the smoke now. And this has come out today. And there are a lot of things that were said here, but I don't know the totality of what was said. They've told me that we have like seven or eight clips. I don't want to play all of those, but I'd like to hear some of what he had to say. Talk to Dan LeBertard about this, about athletes kind of coming into space and not necessarily cutting the line. He's talking some shit on me.

Hazy. Yeah. Oh, get him. That's our guy. Well, we love to get. Yeah. When I saw you sign with him, I was certainly asking some questions. This guy over here, this guy over here, I think it Ryan is his name or something. Ryan. Yeah.

Yeah. He, I thought you guys could have made it alone. Like I thought you guys. is his name. Ryan. Yeah. Yeah. He, uh, I thought you guys could have made it alone. Like I thought you guys. I know. So we're by ourselves. We partner within the build out the fast channel. Love it. Yeah.

So that's the idea. And I like Dan. I got respect for Dan. I watched the deal that him and Skipper did with draft kings and that greatly affected my deal with fandom. So I got a lot of respect, but a lot of these older sports media folks aren't the biggest fan of me. Uh-huh. Uh, and they've certainly made that known

We've had so we've had well, you know what? I right because a lot of them wanted to do what you're doing now on DSP Yeah, they weren't allowed to is what they want to loud you think I was allowed to though Like that's the whole part of you had the ball you had I'm gonna say Bob You have the confidence in yourself to be able to get it done without worrying about what other people gonna say I think it didn't happen for them because they came in more like, well, I want to do this. You said I'm doing this instead. I want to do this. That's a big difference. Hey, I'm a ass-hole to those shoots too. Like they do not like me.

I fully support Pat McAfee. His story is amazing. His charisma is amazing. I'm sitting there watching guys, you know, I'm watching wrestling and I'm watching the center of WrestleMania and I'm seeing the guy conquer sports and rush to the head of the line. I understand why he thinks that some old media would not like what he is doing, but I am a full supporter of him taking over this space in a way that's given a whole bunch of athletes, man, Dwayne wades now in the podcast game. Shaquille O'Neal, like they've realized that he's given these people permission because they're looking at the punter, making all of the money, owning all this stuff and, and changing the game. Let me hear some more

sound. I don't have anything bad to say about Pat McAfee. Let me hear some more sound. I don't have anything bad to say about Pat McAfee. Let me hear some more sound. Except for that one time. I was honored and pumped to get the ass to come on to this show. Appreciate it. You know, like I am a big fan. So I can't wait to see what you guys do and keep going.

And shout out to Metalark for seeing what everybody else has seen and giving you guys some real, like a safety net to go get it. Cause it's awesome. And that's basically what they did. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what they did. You deserve it.

You guys deserve it all. Thank you. With that being said, I think you wear tank tops. I think you start, you know. Coming over, snake skins. I was about to say some snake skins. I'm with the boots. I got FTC jackets and snake skins.

Give me some boots. My guy said he had his drug dealer outfit on with some snake skins. That's the call. Just, yeah. I mean, Stan looks hilarious. Right. I mean, you looking phenomenal right now. What is this one time, Mike, that you speak of that I've talked shit about?

Pat, well, I think, I think Pat has a very good memory. And I think he's motivated by doubt because I think his work ethic across a couple of different industries is pretty unparalleled. I do know of an awful announcing story that kind of seized on you being surprised that he hasn't made a bigger impact on college game day. And you never know what motivates people. Maybe that's at the heart of it.

I think largely on the balance of things, we are very pro Pat McAfee for all the reasons. I do find it interesting that you were kind of labeled as old media, I guess, because you're just older. And I think part of the stuff that surprised me with the Simmons, Pat McAfee thing is Simmons all of a sudden became guy that was classified as old media. I'm like, really a digital pioneer. But this is, this is, this is the thing, right? Cause I met, actually I will tell you that at this dinner, look man, at this dinner with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, these guys have done a lot of business in their lives, right? Like they, they got, they've got crews of

people who protect the economies of 17 years in the league, the both of them. And they've built a brand and Mac, if he's right when he says to them, you guys could have done this on your own, probably if you can get some investors to put up a good amount of money. And they're like, no, but we want to partner here. Like they, those guys, I've got a meaningful picture to a meaningful picture my wife took of Stephen Jackson, like holding my head and telling me that he's got my back

because I believe in what those guys are doing. I think it showed in that clip. I think it definitely showed in that clip because they were quick to defend everything that was there and why they partnered with us. I thought that was pretty cool. I think Pat is pretty incredible and I think it's really difficult to keep that charisma and that appeal and drive shows like that. I think Pat's awesome. I understand why he's lumped in his new media because his roots are very grass roots movement, but he's taken it to the ESPN platform

and we've kind of made new media versus old media and the guy that's new media has ESPN one as a platform. It's just a little confusing to me how you become old media I guess by being a little bit older. Okay, but yeah, no, but it's not just that though. Yeah. You have old media roots, like newspaper. It's also journalism and journalism, you know, and whatever we represented at ESPN that he replaced, like in, in, yeah, like that, that stuff is interesting to me. It's one of the reasons I talk about the industry so much. But what I would

tell you is I couldn't support JJ Reddick more Shannon Sharper or these people who are coming for the space, because of course the athletes are going to come for the journalists and they're going to be better at competition. And they're going to have more fame. And I welcome all of it into the space because there's plenty of money here for everybody, for everybody who gets into the content game and does it well for everybody to eat. But I also, I understand why I'm being lumped in with that because, because the athlete, Dreymond Green is talking to DeMar DeRosin now about not wanting to go to therapy.

Dreymond Green, who's going to do all of these things in this space with his brand and maybe make more money after his career than during it because he's realized, yeah, the athletes can play the new media game without any journalists. I can talk, Chris Paul can talk to Paul to to Dwayne Wade and Chris Paul just give up a story. Yeah, I could have been in Miami. All I needed was the number and that story is only existing there because of the access that those guys have. And they've all realized, wait a minute, the punter did it, but the punter story is the ballsy is he leaves his career at the height of that builds it, builds it himself. Everyone says

no to him. He does it his way. And he ends up with the F you power to say, I don't have bosses anymore. And he doesn't, because he doesn't, he's leasing to Pitara and he's leasing to Iger and he doesn't need them because in this age, if you have your own audience, these people need you. You do not need them. I think it surprises a lot of those top line athletes though. You have to have a certain work ethic. All the smoke has that work ethic. A lot of people just assume I can turn on the mics and dominate in this field and you have to have the tenacity, the work ethic of a Pat McAfee, which I said earlier was pretty unparalleled,

you don't really notice, you certainly notice when an athlete succeeds in building out a new media venture. You don't really talk about when a Duncan Robinson podcast goes away. And in this athlete led media space, there's a lot of projects that just go away. And they don't go away because in most cases,

a person just has something else to keep them busy. They go away because they they don't go away because in most cases, a person just has something else to keep them busy. They go away because they realize it's hard. It's very difficult. Oh, but you've got Travis Kelsey saying it's the hardest job in the world. Travis Kelsey. This is what I would tell you though about Pat McAfee. He got such a head start on everybody on realizing what it is to build his own thing. But if all of these people think they can do that, double flips off a turnbuckle at WrestleMania? A million dollars in several different industries. Are you like kidding me? Like no, you can't all just come into the space and chase down the punter. That's not gonna happen.

Hey folks, it's Mike Ryan. Now, you've had the distinct privilege of knowing me for close to 18 years. And you know that I've changed. A lot of my personal life has changed. I've changed as a professional. I am a parent now. My level of involvement in my favorite college football program has also changed. But one thing that hasn't changed for me is my favorite beer. You know when it's real with me. I think you do anyways. And you know how much's real with me. I think you do anyways, and you know how much I love Miller Lite. I've loved it forever, really. It's my favorite beer of all time,

and it made all the great moments in my life all that much better. And when Miller Lite came aboard on our show, I was super stoked about it because I believed in the product. Because every time I take a sip of Miller Lite, I look around and I think, yeah, this was the right call. Times change.

People like me can change, but you can always enjoy the great taste of Miller Lite. Tastes like Miller Time. To get Miller Lite delivered right to your door, visit MillerLite.com slash Dan. We can try to find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer. Celebrate responsibly Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 Galleries per 12 ounces.

Don Lebatard and this is the one you'll hear that if you hear anywhere else you're not gonna hear it okay? Stugats here it is number two wait what? wait say that again please put that on the pole

this is the Don Lebatard show with the Stugat Those papers you hear banging on a desk or an old coach still out on the road, still following basketball teams around and I insist our job, we have a job here, shipping container, we have one job here today with our old, old friends, Stan Van Gundy still huffing and puffing around the country, chasing bouncing basketballs. It is to make him laugh for the next 24 minutes or so. Uh, we must make this human being laugh. Are you going to help me? Is the group going to help me on this? We are here, Dan. Oh. I don't feel like you're here. I don't feel like you're with me, okay?

We need to do this with Stan. You can't get so used to Stan Van Gundy making appearances here that you arrive and he arrives and you've got this kind of indifference on you. Look at you guys. Will you show some enthusiasm for Stan being here? Please.

Woo! Yeah, Stan. Build, we Stan Stan. It used to be such a big deal when he came around here. Back when he was running franchises and not just talking about the games. Can only dial it up so much man. Okay you guys are tired. It's fine. You got nothing.

If I'm just back here going, whoo Stan! Yeah I know. Okay so fine fine. Okay. Now it's been revealed. Now you've shown people too much behind the curtain. We were never enthusiastic when Stan Van Cundey came around here. It was always feigned enthusiasm. He'd always talk about his politics, his liberal politics. He is friends with my favorite step state representative on Eskimani. Oh, he's trying. Look, can you imagine what stands life has been recently as he's deeply cared about doing politics on the ground in Florida and all around him. He gets overrun by corruption and sewage, dumber and dumber by the day.

Some of it gun wielding. That is for sure. Honestly, it is nice to see you at least for me. I wanna talk politics with you because you have tried for the last 10 years. And before that really, but you've tried to be a progressive decent human being and all around you, politics trample you. Forward 30.

It's tough in this state. There's no question. And I think the real challenge for progressives in this state is to not get beaten down in Florida and to keep showing up and keep trying to make a difference because you don't get a lot of positive reinforcement in terms of electoral results. Do you get, I will talk basketball with him in a second.

It's been too long since I've seen him. It makes me happy to see your face. And I, and I do, I have like, I don't want to normalize what LeBron is doing, that we can go this far into the show without talking about the oldest dude in the league. They're coming back from 21 against a Clippers team that can win the championship hitting seven threes and doing it at that age. It's just insane. Like I don't, I, there's not a really a precedent for it. So I want to talk to you insane. Like I don't, I, there's not a really a precedent for it. So I want to talk to you about that part, but I, I am curious before we get started. So Mitch McConnell is now leaving and you know, I want to make jokes about, he'll spend

the next, you know, 4,000 years resting comfortably wherever it is that he rests. In a turtle shell. But yeah, he's been like, he, he has been a been a plague and yet somehow, somehow more reasonable than what's coming. Like somehow he has been an evil plague for decades, but he's not okay with insurrections. He was fine with subverting hundreds of years of precedent to not even bring Merrick Garland to a vote on the Supreme Court. He was fine with that, with stealing a seat on the Supreme Court. But you are right in that.

The one thing I think that we know about today's Republican Party is it's only going to get worse. It's not going to get better. So if you didn't like Kevin McCarthy, great. It brought you Mike Johnson, who not only is far more regressive, but also far more incompetent. I mean, this guy's just a clown. Um, and then so from Mitch McConnell, who knows where we go, but you can just count on it being worse.

That's good landing spot for Patty Mills. That's how we should do it. I should ask, let's do it that way. I'll ask him one serious question and you ask him, what's a good landing spot for Patty Mills. Let it, let's, because we do need some bass. I need an answer. Yeah. What is it? A good land. I don't know. I don't know what Patty's got left in the tank. I haven't seen him this year. Well, he just got released by the Hawks and I know he's not going to buy into the team defensive concept of Eric's bull strip, but I kind of want to stash him just to keep him away from the other teams in the East because you know, if he goes through one of

those other contenders, he's got to kill Miami. Well, the one thing with the Patty Mills is, you know, he's going to come in firing and he's going to light it up and he'll give you an effort defensively. I'm not so sure that he wouldn't fit with Miami. Certainly not gonna be a great defender But he'll give you an effort. He's not like what are we doing? What are we doing? That's a thoughtful answer It's all about fit I mean he did he he's of an expert he breathes basketball Why'd you interrupt him? He hasn't watched Patty Mills. He's saying, what's he doing?

Like, why you ask me about it? I haven't watched him because he hasn't played on what's a very bad Atlanta team. So. Do you think Trey Young's social media reaction to his injury was a bit much considering? It's just a pinky. Come on.

I didn't see his social media reaction. Mike, you have to think about it. He's holding out the pinky. Putting first Corinthians up there. I mean,, is a pinky. Oh, well, I think a biblical quotation for a, for a basketball injury is a bit much. Yeah. So regardless of what the quotation was, 40, 30,

Stan, what LeBron did last night, it's the biggest comeback, fourth quarter comeback of his career. That clipper steam is good. Paul George did not play and, but that clipper's team has dominated LeBron's era of basketball over there. They beat up the Lakers every time they play. You have no precedent for what we're witnessing from him at this age, right? No, it's incredible. I mean, the guy's still averaging 25 points a game. You know, it's, it's a lowest scoring season of his career, but that alone is amazing that you can be averaging 25 in your 21st year, and that's the lowest you've scored

in, you know, forever. I mean, what he's doing is incredible. I mean, the only huge drop off with LeBron is at the defensive end of the floor. And he's gone from being a defensive player or the year guy to being a guy. If, if you're on the other team, you target him now. And, and I'm not meaning to be negative on LeBron. That's the only drop off offensively.

He's still as good as anybody in the league. You're actually just saying all you're doing is giving voice to the human aging process, right? Because when I watch LeBron play, he is still obviously very strong, but he is and cannot be as fast. And in order to play defense, you have to be able to move laterally. So you're saying he's a defensive liability that he's being targeted. Yeah, I mean look here's the thing too It goes beyond just the lack of lateral quickness. I mean at his age 21 years in the league Like you've also he's carrying such a huge offensive load You got to find places to rest, you know, he's playing a lot of minutes and everything else

in places to rest. You know, he's playing a lot of minutes and everything else. He's not 100% healthy. He's got to get some time to rest and his rest is on the defensive end. And usually, look, he's smart. So he keeps himself out of bad situations for the large part.

And they've been able to find matchups where it's tough for people to target him in the playoffs. It could become a little bit more of an issue. But again, that's sort of nitpicking when you're talking about a guy LeBron's agent, what he's getting done on the offensive end of the floor. Dan took a sports question unexpectedly. So I guess I have to follow the formula. Should I be concerned as someone that is not a conservative,

that there have been a lot of Republican leadership positions that have had changeover, where, I don't know how you feel about this, but most people within those parties would say, these are voices of reason. Even Mitch McConnell, during January 6th, was looked to as a voice of reason when everything was going on. You have these people stepping aside and being replaced by more MAGA conservatives. How troubling is that for the election?

Well, look, I think the whole thing is troubling in that we have had numerous people who have just foregone their previous principles and beliefs. And people I maybe didn't even believe, agree with politically anyway, but they've just foregone those beliefs and are just totally subservient to Donald Trump. I mean, the amazing lack of self-respect on the part of leaders,

I shouldn't even use the word leaders. Prominent people in that party is amazing. I mean, at least the fanatic was an intelligent, thoughtful, conservative. She just gave it all up, said, you know what, I'm gonna chase power. I'll do whatever Donald Trump wants. I'll back him on anything.

I'll say the election results were fraudulent. I mean, it's really amazing. I, you know, the control he has gained over supposedly intelligent people. I wanna ask another politics question. Sports, I have to stick another politics question. Sports. I have to stick to sports. We can, I mean, you always have to stick to sports.

Although you can take political question and then I can go back to it. Right, we just kind of, as you know, go ahead and ask the sports question and then I'll go to a politics question. A serpentine draft. Tyrese Halliburton turned six today, being a leap day baby.

I've been hugely impressed with his offense. I'm sure people have found holes in his game, but in terms of natural scores, where do you rank him in the league? The history of six year olds. Yeah, well, he's the best six year old ever, probably. Look, he's, I, I love Tyrese Halliburton. You know, people have started to see more of him this year, but if you, you know, the last couple of years, he's averaged over 20 into playoffs. He's been their second best player. You know, he was better than James Harden was

in the playoffs last year. Look, this guy's just really, really good. He, one of the fastest guys in the league, in the end, and is a 40% three point shooter, who has adapted to be in a full-time point guard better than anyone could have expected, doesn't turn the ball over. I thought he'd really struggle with that this year.

The playmaking part of it, he has not. He's not a great defender, but he has gotten better at that in. Yeah, he's one of the best young point guards in the league. And certainly the best six year old hold on a second though. I want to ask a politics question. We've only got a minute left here. We'll go to a break after that. But did I see a gleam in Mike Ryan's eye that I rarely see, which is his hatred for mellow. Was there a mellow conversation that just burst out back there?

I was saying, I think over time, you know, Tyrese Halliburton can end up being considered a better scorer than Mello. And then Tony and I, because we both know ball, got into, well, yeah, I can see that he can work a little bit more on the low block. And he's like, yeah, Mello's mid-range game, but I'm like, also as a defender, that's a shot that I want being taken.

The Mello mid-ranger as opposed to whatever Tyrese Halliburton can come up with. He's got to work on his back to the basket moves. I think he's very good getting into the lane. I think he's very good shooting. The thing is Mellow had that bully ball. We could take it out of the block, give you that one two spin and then hit you with a fadeway. That was 34% clip. Okay. Maybe if only one day we can get a basketball expert to tell us what he thinks about what you guys are arguing about while the basketball expert is talking. I'm right here, Dan.

You asked him about basketball, and then he gave you the answer, and while he was answering, you went to a basketball conversation. I actually like that. I actually like that. I appreciate that. All right. We're going to come back with more of it next. Don Lebatard.

The Good Colorado team. They're theending Champs. Go sit in the penalty box. What happened there? Stugats. Defending Champs. Go sit in the penalty box. What happened there?

Excellent. This is the Lebatar show with the Stugats. Alright Stan, answer the question that they're asking right there. Mellow or Halliburton, who you got for all time? Is Halliburton going to be, when it's done, a better scorer than Carmelo Anthony? What? What? He said so definitively.

Is he going to be a better player than Mellow was? Well, he's going to be more well rounded. Yeah. But but he's not going to be a better score. And neither one of Halliburton hasn't shown that he's any more willing to defend than than Carmelo was politics question. I can ask a politics question. Go for it. I was comfortable there. Like, you didn't want to you didn't want to sit the mellow stands. I think this a politics question. Go for it. He was a little uncomfortable there.

Like he didn't want to sit the mellow stands. I think this is something he's not uncomfortable. Well, I think Carmelo, no, quite honestly, I'm not uncomfortable. Carmelo is an underrated guy. I mean, that guy was as good a scorer as we've had in the league. I mean, he's there with Kevin Durant, any of those guys, he could score on anybody. as we've had in the league. I mean, he's there with Kevin Durant, any of those guys,

he could score on anybody. And he was absolutely fabulous late in games. Like he made a lot of clutch shots. He just, because he wasn't part of a lot of deep playoff runs, I don't think he got the recognition for that part of his game. But yeah, Carmelo was a damn good offense. He just hung on to like a previous era,

maybe for a little too long because if the game gravitated more towards the international game where you could rightfully argue that Carmelo Anthony is the greatest US men's international of all time, then we're now we're cooking with gas, St. Van Gundy. Well, yeah, I don't know about that either though, but, um, but look, I have a lot of respect for Carmelo Anthony. I mean, he was, he was one of the few guys you're playing against him. If I was coaching against him late in the game, you've got to come double team him because you're getting into those last shot type situations, Carmelo was going to come through

virtually all the time. That guy was a great, great player. What about Shane Gillis Alexander? Come on. I knew I smelled the Mellow on you. I knew I smelled it from over here. Stan, let me ask you about what's happening all around you because you talk about it matter of factly. But as I've mentioned to the audience for years now, uh, you've been doing the work in your community. You've actually poured many, many hours into not wanting political power, just wanting to make sure things are fair and decent and not unreasonable. It seems to me that you're living in a vastly more unreasonable time now than

you were even eight years ago when you started this and I'm wondering from your perspective like how do you not feel hopeless and helpless? Well, I do a lot of times. To be quite honest, I mean, the last go round 2022, we had, I thought, a lot of good local candidates for the state house and state senate in Florida. Women candidates, we hosted a fundraiser for them. We put a lot of money into the campaigns of those women.

I thought they were outstanding. Other than the previously mentioned Anna Escamani, we couldn't get a win. It's discouraging especially when you're mentioned, Anna Escamani, but we couldn't get a win. And it's discouraging, especially when you're running against people that are just really bad, not only bad representatives, but in my opinion, just their values are bad and they don't care about people. And to lose those elections,

it's discouraging, it is. But also on top of that, I would thank you, it almost as exasperating that the conversation, it's not even just that you're losing the fights or feel like you're losing the fights. It's also that the discourse keeps getting dumber, like empirically, nonsensically dumber. I mean, look, we're banning books. We pulled, in Florida, we have two districts, at least, that, for review, pulled the dictionary off bookshelves in schools.

Like, it's hard to get more ridiculous than what we're doing. We're pulling classics off the bookshelves in schools like it's hard to get more ridiculous Than what we're doing. We're pulling classics off the bookshelves. We're we're pulling dictionary. I mean, it's It's insanity and now we've got this social media law that's gonna pass and quite honestly It's not just the Republicans only seven Democrats ended up voting against it. I don't know what's going on, but this state, for someone like me anyway, is heading further and further away from the things I value all the time. And it is discouraging. And I wish I could say I see the end in sight but I don't.

You're right, it's getting worse, not better. Stan, who's the team that you're looking at that could be a dark horse? Obviously, there's a lot of great contenders now. There's a lot of young teams up on the top in the Western Conference. Who's the team that you look at and be like, that team could be a problem come playoff time? Well, there's a lot of teams that could be, so I don't really know. I mean, the dark course are the dark courses, I guess, would be the teams that would come from down in the standings. So last year, we had Miami get to the finals coming through the play in.

The Lakers came through the play in to get to the Western Conference finals. I mean, both of those teams and Golden State, I guess could be considered dark courses at this point. Look, nothing really would surprise me in the West. You look at the first round, normally if you get a one eight or a two seven series, like those are gonna be pretty big upsets. There's not one matchup that will come in the,

in the West in the first round, no result that I would consider an upset. So I don't know who to even consider a dark horse out there. I mean, like you, you're Oklahoma city or Minnesota, two teams who have really made big jumps. And in the first round, you could be playing like, teams like Golden State with Steph Curry and all of their,

you know, Steph Curry with all of their experience or the Lakers with LeBron and AD, that could be your first round opponent. I mean, it's crazy what's going on out there. You know, you always worry about Miami and the East, but look, Boston's so, so much better than everyone. This is one of the few years, to me, if Boston doesn't win the championship,

I'm going to be shocked. I mean, I just think they're light years better than everyone else. There it is. We've been wandering the earth, a dry, dry earth. Look, I've been looking for politics. I've been looking for laughs. And then what do I get? Hot take.

There it is. Stan Van Gundy giving it to you. Thank you, Stan. I've got a number of different questions here that I want to get to though. Not all of them. Basketball related. Were you indignant about Wendy's price surging because they canceled it. They said they, that the feedback was so bad that Wendy's was gouging people. I know you used to love your fast food here. The Wendy Wendy's is delicious enough that I might be willing to forsake certain principles, including you gouge your customers in exchange for continuing to eat Wendy's. But I was pissed off at him about this.

Yeah. Not so much with me, whatever they charge, I'll pay. Okay. So there you go. So you, your principles fall in his principles fall into yeah, I love Wendy's burgers I can get better ice cream than the frosty it's not You are so you are were in fairness to Wendy's. In fairness to Wendy's, they did have to clear up. People thought because of the dynamic pricing thing, it meant it goes both ways up and down. Wendy's clarified that said, no, the sur, it's not surge pricing. It's a dynamic price board that's digital with rebates, you know, when you have a surplus and also at least they have the transparency

in the age of inflation to say, yeah, we're going to raise the prices or at least that was assumed. They never actually said that. I'm defending Wendy. Okay. That's okay. Thank you for doing that. Not Wemby, Wendy. That is right. But I want to be offended on behalf of everybody. Like Stan is an aficionado of fast food for him to say that the Wendy's fry is no good, like come on, you know what, Stan? It's not an elite fry, he's not wrong. In comparison to other fries.

Stan, listen, I say this. They make a good burger though. They make a good burger. Double sack, you kidding me? My God. They make a good burger. Stan, let's look at this video together. You tell me, you went viral again

because this clip every once in a while during March Madness surges and, uh, this was, what was this? Was this Fordham? Was this, what was the end of this? Four years ago. This was the first time in Virginia. All right. So it's Furman three or four years ago. Let me see what we've got here. Oh no. Okay. I thought you took our last year. No, this was last year's where they have the, the turnover. This is the form in Virginia. Yeah.

I feel like Harlan disrespected you there. He didn't trust you to stay out of the moment. Oh, yeah. Well, Kevin does that a lot. Um, that's just, you know, he wants to, he wants us to let the crowd, um, noise in and it was a great moment, a great call by Kevin. First, uh, March Madness game I had done. So we had four that day, that's the first one. That's the first one. It was my first one and it was incredible and it's still amazing to me. That was a senior point guard

who'd been part of a national championship team who just put the ball up for grabs. It was incredible. I identify always with the pain of coaches more than the joy. And so while it was a great moment for Furman, I just really felt for Tony Bennett, like you've got the game in control there and your senior point guard just decides to throw it up for grabs. I mean it's it was an amazing. Moment but it really was fun for firm and they're actually making a documentary on their season from last year just three weeks ago I. Did an interview with them when I was up here in New York the last time I think Amazon is putting it out. the last time I think Amazon is putting it out in the next month or so. I can't believe, let me look at his picture again, put his picture up on the screen frozen. That is a guy, look at him.

He's haunted on behalf of Tony Bennett and look at him, the disgust. He's still saying senior point cut. He, Tony, you did everything you could and I see you here. I selfish Stan Van Gundy who sees everything through the coach's prism. You're going to get your heart broken because your kid was an idiot. And that is shock and a compassion for Tony Bennett. You're not even enjoying that. Look at you. You're suffering. You're shocked. Well, I wasn't really suffering because I did enjoy it for Furman, but but I was shocked not much shocks me But not only was it a senior point guard

But key a Clark like his calling card is this is a smart point guard and he is I mean that guy is a smart player that's what he's all about, smart and disciplined and in that moment I don't know what happened but he just threw the ball up for grabs and then JP Pogize who hadn't made a three and had been struggling shooting the ball even through their conference tournament, knocks down the biggest shot. I said to him the next day, uh, Ferman's in Greenville, South Carolina. And I said, you know, I, I was talking to him after their practice the next day. And I said, I just want to spend one day in Greenville, South Carolina as JP Pagee.

So that's it. Just one day. Stan, thank you for joining us from a Denver hotel toilet. We appreciate it. It's the first time Toilet a New York City toilet. Thank you Stan Van Gundy first ever appearance on the show from a New York City toilet. Thank you Stan All right guys. Thank you Hey folks, it's Mike Ryan. Now you've had the distinct privilege of knowing me for close 18 years. And, uh, you know that I've changed a lot of my personal life has changed.

I've changed, uh, as a professional. I am a parent now. Uh, my level of involvement in my favorite college football program has also changed, but one thing that hasn't changed for me is my favorite beer. You know, when it's real with me. I think you do anyways, and you know how much I love Miller Lite. I've loved it forever, really. It's my favorite beer of all time, and it made all the great moments in my life all that much better. And when Miller Lite came aboard on our show, I was super stoked about it because I believed in the product. Because

every time I take a sip of Miller Lite, I look and I think yeah this was the right call. Times change. People like me can change but you can always enjoy the great taste of Miller Lite. Tastes like Miller time. To get Miller Lite delivered right to your door visit MillerLite.com slash Dan. We can try to find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer. Celebrate responsibly Miller Brewing Company Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories per 12 ounces.