The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 1: What's Up, Doggy?

Episode Date: May 9, 2024

Okay. Enough of that Knicks talk. We're a Miami show and always will be. Zaslow, Chris, and Roy discuss the Panthers game from last night with some more detail including Zaslow's anxiety and old takes..., Witty's worst take of all-time, and Juan Pierre banging the drum pregame. Then, Rohan Nadkarni spoke with Jimmy Butler over the weekend and wrote an article for GQ about the experience, and he discusses Jimmy's future in Miami, why the Heat should extend him, and what being a "needle mover" actually means. Plus, a deep-cut Thursday Thunder, Zaslow is a real person who actually exists, and does the movie Airplane hold up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. Folks, Mother's Day is around the corner and let me talk to you about 1-800 flowers. I can't wait every year to tradition. I send stuff to my mother, my mother-in-law, and my wife because they are three amazing moms. They're better than all your moms out there. You think you have good moms? No, I have good moms in my life. I'm just kidding, this was a little harsh.
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Starting point is 00:01:21 Trademarks owned by Becle, SAB, the CV. Copyright 2024. Proximo. Jersey City, New Jersey. Please drink responsibly. This is the Don LeBattor Show with the Stugatz Podcast. I have denied and Stugatz and WFAT have denied Zaslow, Roy, and Chris Cody their rightful earned place to celebrate some 6-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. I will welcome in Rohan Natkarni, formerly of Sports Illustrated, who's now doing for
Starting point is 00:01:56 GQ Sports, the Jimmy Butler article from the weekend at the Miami Grand Prix with some quotes about him loving Miami and wanting to stay in Miami. We will get to him in a second. But go ahead, Chris and Zaslow and Roy, the floor is yours after Juan Pierre banged the drum last night. JP. And then your team blows out the Bruins in what was a desperate important game
Starting point is 00:02:20 and looks more like the team you've seen all year because they're annoying and gritty and everyone else. We're just better than them. Everyone else in hockey hates the Panthers because of how they play. We're just better than them. Last night was literally how the Panthers have played the entire season. I didn't recognize that team from game one. Our defense was terrible.
Starting point is 00:02:39 And even last night when we were down 1-0, and I'm a disaster during Panther playoff games. I am. I'm on the verge of vomit the entire 60 minutes. But even after the first period yesterday when we were down 1-0, I'm like, We totally outplayed them. I feel totally fine. We're going to be fine. And then we kick their ass. Like, last night was so much closer to, I believe, what this series is going to look like. I don't think it's a long series. I think we're gonna win both games in Boston,
Starting point is 00:03:08 and we're gonna finish this thing out in game five in Sunrise. Madison Square Garden, how about Amon and Bank Arena? Did you see last night? Paul's popping. Well, the best thing that Paul Maurice could have done was change the lineups in the second period, putting the lines in the blender,
Starting point is 00:03:21 because that lineup that he brought out there in game one. Get back to what works, come on. Bread and butter. Get back to what works. He tried to change it up the first game in this series yeah it didn't work he said that and that lineup came out at the end of game five of the first round and it worked then it did not work for four periods during this series and we still have Bennett and Lomborg in the holster then it's gonna be back one of these games didn't you trade Barkov the last time you were in the studio? Yo, don't worry about that.
Starting point is 00:03:47 A year ago. Yo, don't worry about that. How's it end? I repented, I was sitting in this seat a year ago, I've been very honest and upfront about that. Look, sports talk shows, they love being right. Most of them like being right at the expense of their team suffering
Starting point is 00:04:00 because they want to be right. I'd rather be wrong, and I was dead wrong, and my team ends up benefiting from it I'm very sorry Sasha. I love you so much. I love Sergey Bobrovsky I told him to get the hell out of my city and I also called Paul Maurice the murderer of fun I've never had more fun in my life one year ago. You did that's right Murder of fun put it on the pole. Please that leviton show is Paul Maurice the murderer murder of fun he's not though he's not everybody was wrong about that last season I'm okay wrong I'm okay with being wrong can we put that in the bowl are you okay
Starting point is 00:04:32 with being wrong no one is not a strength for sports opening definitely not I think witty's take on the Panthers was still worse though right oh look with his empty stats get the hell out of here. The man has a hundred point score every single season. He said that was the worst trait in the history. I love him so much. You see like the camera was on him and he's talking to the other bench there and Pasunov,
Starting point is 00:04:58 oh please coach, can I please fight, can I fight Matthew Kachuk? I already told you what Pasunov can do if he wants to fight somebody. Hubertou would never. But Kachuk, oh my, and Kachuk doesn't fight. Why are you threatening to fight hockey players? Like what's the winner? I'll fight him too. Because we're in the mix here. Yeah, we're in this thing. Sounds like me and Cindy Crosby. Oh god, Roy. Don't bring Cindy Crosby. Chris came in very confident today.
Starting point is 00:05:20 In fact, so confident that when he said hi to Mad Dog. We don't have to do this. It was. Look I have so. In fact, so confident that when he said hi to Mad Dog, it was incredible. We don't have to do this. Look, I have so much. I have heard this. The oddest to low in the history of a lows. I have struggled with a lot of things, if we're being honest.
Starting point is 00:05:32 But I've struggled to, the greeting of guests before they go on air, I have not perfected yet. Because you want to sound natural, you want to sound relaxed. So this was natural for you? Well, I asked Video to get this for me because of how awkward it seemed right before we went on the air And I wish we had started this way. Let's listen to the host
Starting point is 00:05:52 Really just welcoming you into our home Chris Cody. What's up doggy? I Don't know what I don't know where Next time we have them on you just say doggy. That's a doggy That's just hello. How you do my robot never? Roy's got it. It's John Wayne. There's definitely some moseying going on as you approach doggy What's up doggy? What's up doggy? God, I cannot listen to that. I want I want you guys to imagine in an old West saloon, Chris Russo is at the piano as Chris Cody walks in.
Starting point is 00:06:30 What's up, doggy? Got a toothpick in his mouth. He's wearing boots, there's sawdust on the floor. Followed it up by asking for a whiskey. What's up, doggy? All right, we can stop. It sounds like there should be like a little banjo playing. What's up, doggy? All right, we can stop. It sounds like there should be like a little banjo playing. What's up, doggy? Juan Pierre last night bangs the drum, a 90s Marlin.
Starting point is 00:06:54 Look at the smile on Roy's face. Gets the crowd fired up. And he was great at it. I've criticized others. You know, Marino was terrible at it last season, but JP brought it. Juan Pierre is a guy that will make you smile every time you see him, right? I don criticized others. You know, Marino was terrible at it last season, but JP brought it. Juan Pierre's the guy that will make you smile every time you see him, right? I don't smile.
Starting point is 00:07:09 Put it on the poll, please, Juju. All my lips. Does Juan Pierre make all your lips smile when he appears? Can we just analyze for a second, I believe, making this a little more macro for the audience. Let's just say, hypothetically, that they're not paying attention to any Panthers hockey. They're paying attention to hockey in general, and they know that over the last two years, Boston was better last year as a one seed, and then in a seven game series, Florida beats
Starting point is 00:07:38 them as an eight seed. Then they play five times this season and Boston wins every time And and then you get to a place where the first game is five one and the second game is six one and you're saying Florida's just the better down. Okay. I understand that you're saying they have more more And that you guys believe that they are that's correct over the regular season They had and again, they had one more point than the Bruins and the Bruins beat them all five times. They played this year so if I put overtime if I put any Playoff series in front of you that you're not paying attention to and I say to you one of the games went five one this way And the other one went six one this way and then the homers appeared and said the second game was the more representative one
Starting point is 00:08:23 The first one doesn't count at all it doesn't matter The second game is truer you guys would dismiss that person saying you're ignorant. You haven't been watching this team all year Yeah, but what I would say also is the Panthers were off for a week before that game won The Panthers also played their worst offensive game that maybe I've seen this year Probably the worst game of his career. And, and so if I'm going to weigh the two games, the way that we played last night was so much closer to what we've looked like the entire season.
Starting point is 00:09:01 That game one is not at all what we've looked like the entire season. And matter of fact, you go to the entire first round series for Boston against Toronto, I mean, they couldn't score against Toronto. And all I'm hearing going into the game last night is how Swamen this, Swamen that, riding a hot goalie, Brickwall ran his ass early in the third period. All this talk about Swamen and the Panthers can't solve him and he hasn't given up more than two goals in a game this postseason Now oh we got a goalie situation in Boston now. We got a problem. I'm sorry the Panthers in control right now You know what? I'm not sorry Panthers are in control right now. How do we feel about the FU Boston chance going in the arena?
Starting point is 00:09:39 I don't know. I felt a little mean to me. It's fine. I don't like it. It's fine crass Yeah, I mean we're saying we weren't saying FU we were little mean to me. It's fine. I don't like it. It's fine. Crass. Yeah, I mean, we weren't saying F you, we were saying the word, Dan. And there's children there, I don't know, I didn't like it. They were doing the same thing in Madison Square Garden last night. Yes, they were. I didn't like that either.
Starting point is 00:09:52 There weren't any kids there though. So you were just, you think it's too coarse that we don't need? I was just in it, I'm like, look, we're up six one, like Zazz says, I think this is gonna be, I don't think we're gonna struggle in this series too much. It just felt a little beneath us. So there was fighting going on on the ice.
Starting point is 00:10:08 You were upset about the words. That's right. Well, we're used to that though. We're used to the fighting on the ice. Did you apologize and take it back one second later? Yeah, really stupid to apologize to that because I wasn't sorry at all. I'm not gonna apologize for that.
Starting point is 00:10:23 You're finding, you're very, you're amped up. You're emotional, you're crazed. It's my drugs. These playoff games, Zander, I'm a drug, I'm a fiend for it. The anxiety I feel during these games, I'm on drugs. I want to be high all the time. You're crazed and you came in here a great deal hotter in volume than you did the last time that you were here that you are
Starting point is 00:10:46 It's clearly that playoff. It's clear that playoff hockey is sort of soaked into everything A year ago. Yo, but I already told you Enough bringing that up. I already told you I was wrong and i'm glad that I was wrong about it I repented for that. I was wrong. Stop bringing up. It's not for ready Let me see the jalen ramsey video last night because this is always a cool thing that happens locally when all the sports teams start gathering around because they want to be near some of the action that's heightened stakes. Let's see Jalen Ramsey last night at the Panther How you f***ing about? 5-1! F***ing monster! Yeah!
Starting point is 00:11:37 I'm gonna go home and look. Everybody clean out. Clean out they sweepers. They need to go on home somewhere. Those losers. Get your ass home. What is second place to coolest sound in sports than a prolonged goal horn at home? Like what finishes in second place to a sound that will move you and will escalate however it is that you're already feeling about your team? Crack of a bat for a home run. Longhorn followed by Mamba number five. Oh, what a night.
Starting point is 00:12:06 Oh. Oh. Folks, Mother's Day is around the corner and let me talk to you about 1-800 flowers. I can't wait every year to tradition. I send stuff to my mother, my mother-in-law, and my wife, because they are three amazing moms. They're better than all your moms out there.
Starting point is 00:12:21 You think you have good moms? No, I have good moms in my life. I'm just kidding, this was a little harsh. I'm sure you guys all have good moms too. From your mom to the mother of your children and all the moms in between, this Mother's Day, give back to the ones that have given you everything.
Starting point is 00:12:33 1-800-FLOWERS helps you celebrate all amazing moms from homemade bouquets, sweet treats, gourmet food, and one-of-a-kind gifts ordered easily and delivered fresh. For a limited time, you can save up to 40% off Mother's Day best sellers at 1800flowers.com slash Dan. Don't wait, order today and save up to 40% at 1800flowers.com slash Dan. Dan Libertard.
Starting point is 00:12:55 Our Panther group chat, we're confident against the lightning. This is a different team. You're a Panther group chat though. No, I think, no, but dude, you're so wrong on that. We've been terrified of this team Forever and I think there's a different energy where the Panthers they want the lightning Stugats I want t-shirts made for this Panther run what could be this Panther run our Panther group chat
Starting point is 00:13:21 We're not afraid of the lightning. That's a tagline for world R3 This is the Dunn-Levatar show with the Stugats world. Rawr three. This is the Dunn Lebatar show with the StuGats. Rohan, you've been very patient back there. Oh, yeah. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for writing the article in GQ Sports about Jimmy Butler. Welcome to the show. What is the synopsis for people who no longer read? Yeah, I drank some coffee with Jimmy Butler. He was really enjoying himself. How is the coffee? I think it's great. Shout out to his personal barista Rodney. Rodney?
Starting point is 00:13:57 That guy's Whitman. Rodney. Talking about Rodney? How many did you drink? I had three coffees totaling six shots of espresso before lunch. I was sweating, truly sweating my ass off the entire time. Jimmy Butler was like at eight cappuccinos though
Starting point is 00:14:13 before noon, which was truly absurd. Yeah, he just drank a lot of coffee. I got to follow him around, hang out with him at F1, and then at the very end, just asked him a little bit about his Basswell career. Just a little of coffee. I got to follow him around, hang out with him at F1, and then at the very end, just asked him a little bit about his basketball career. Just a little bit, though. Just a little bit.
Starting point is 00:14:30 That was after he roasted you for being sweaty. Yes, that's after the first thing he did when he saw me was, why are you sweating like that? Before even shaking my hand or anything, he's like, why are you sweating like that? And why were you? Listen, I don't get chauffeured in golf carts from my car to the paddock area.
Starting point is 00:14:46 I don't get the Jimmy Butler treatment. You were roughing it like a journalist. Exactly. OK, that's not true because I actually was walking through the paddock and I saw Jimmy Butler. And I was like, oh, it's Jimmy Butler. And then right next to him is Rohan. And I was like, Ro, what's up?
Starting point is 00:15:01 And he gave me a hug and was like, hey, good to see you. I got to go. Big time, he didn't even introduce me to Jimmy. Kept walking with Jimmy. It was a little sweaty. I have an image to maintain. I just, I don't. Had no time for me.
Starting point is 00:15:12 I don't wanna be sea mingling with the normal media folk. With our show. Yeah, exactly. Rodney. There it is. He's got his personal barista. Yes, Rodney's there working in the big-faced coffee truck Which was on site in the VIP area of this f1 race. So Jimmy want there to hang out. Oh
Starting point is 00:15:32 God, can we go back to what's up doggy? So he wants to stay in Miami Towards the end of the day I I asked Jimmy, I said, is the plan still to retire in a Miami Heat journey? You know, I did a story with him before the season, that's what he said. I said, is that still the plan? And he said, yes, for sure.
Starting point is 00:15:57 You know, no, is that, that's no equivocation, right? That's not with equivocation, that's, yeah. Unequivocally said said yes, for sure, I wanna stay in Miami. And then went on to say that he loves Miami, he feels like the city's embraced him, the team's embraced him, and that his motivation is to bring a championship back to the city.
Starting point is 00:16:15 What's up, Rodney? Anything else that you took from this because you were spending the weekend with him before Pat Riley says, if you're not playing, how about you shut your mouth? Yes, I mean, I think what I took away, from this because you were spending the weekend with him before Pat Riley says, if you're not playing, how about you shut your mouth? Yes, I mean, I think what I took away, in addition to the basketball stuff,
Starting point is 00:16:30 is how much he seems comfortable. You see a lot of famous people milling around that paddock at the F1 races, and they're all in their little bubbles kind of moving from VIP area to VIP area as quickly as possible, whereas Jimmy's like, stopping with people, they're asking about basketball, they're asking about coffee,
Starting point is 00:16:48 he's stopping to take photos, he's goofing around a lot. I think he seems very comfortable in that environment. Rodney. And you think what of what happened with Pat Riley? I don't imagine that that lands particularly well. I'm sure it's not fun. I think what I make of it is that there's a lot of frustration. I think there's a lot of frustration, obviously from the organization, about how the season ended
Starting point is 00:17:18 and just how the season went. You know, the Heat, we know to get too nerdy about it, but they're like one of three or four teams all year that only had Two lineups that played over 100 minutes together. I think it was an incredibly frustrating season For everyone involved and I think jimmy butler likely feels the same way, you know He wanted to be out there in the first round. I know the comments he made made a stir but You know what he said to me was we can't go out like that You know I don't think he enjoys losing to boston in five games and I don't imagine Of all people pat reilly enjoys losing to Boston in five games and I don't imagine of all people Pat Riley
Starting point is 00:17:45 enjoys losing to Boston in the manner that they did so What I make of it is just kind of a lingering frustration of how this whole year went I do think it's kind of funny the way that a lot of media that isn't around the heat often has Perceived what Riley said Every not only does he do it every postseason, but he does it privately too. He does it privately, he does it publicly, and particularly with Jimmy Butler. The thing that Jimmy has said that he loves about the Miami Heat is that Spoh and Riley are as insane and competitive as he is. This is nothing new from year to year. Remember when they had the big argument in 22 on the court and and Spolstra said to him
Starting point is 00:18:26 I knew you were a crazy mother-effer as they're being separated, you know. Exactly. Like unless you're super sensitive You're you're gonna come back and you're gonna take it as a challenge He told Goran Dragic that he sucked right after he traded for him. Like Jimmy loves I think the parts that he didn't like about being in Minnesota was the rest of the team was soft. Like he was the only one who was crazy about it. LeBron did not take it as a challenge. LeBron left. That's right. He's a different guy than Jimmy.
Starting point is 00:18:49 That's right. He was sensitive about it. And Jimmy, I think appreciates, I think he likes the confrontation. I think he likes the uneasiness that can be, that could surround this situation. We've seen it. Like I think he respects it.
Starting point is 00:19:03 I think he respects it. I would argue that most athletes when they end up in other environments are a bit surprised about how brittle people are to correction, to criticism, to confrontation. Those three things I think I, every time I talk to athletes about them entering new workspaces, they think everyone's
Starting point is 00:19:26 soft because the language is aggressive and Ray Allen and others have said of the heat, just don't be in your feelings. Your feelings don't matter on anything. You care deeply about playing basketball 20 years of your life and now Spoh says you get six minutes tonight. Don't get in your feelings about it. He's got to make difficult decisions about who gets to play and who doesn't get to play the thing that I will tell you though that you might be underestimating even if
Starting point is 00:19:52 that conference a confrontation is private is the combination of now we're talking about money we're throwing what people are bargaining privately and publicly about what he's worth in his old age and he is a proud man and you've just escalated a furnace of conversation around him and his money and told him to shut his mouth. Saying that privately and saying that publicly are two different things just because the circumstances have changed. Now we're arguing and negotiating about money.
Starting point is 00:20:24 It's not I'm already under contract, I'm secure here and I know what my finances are guaranteed. I'm telling you that that extra step, if you guys are telling me that Jimmy's good with that, I'm telling you that people can get into their feelings when it's not the huddle and now we're at the bank deposits. But you think Jimmy's hurt? Because I'm kind of with Zazz though. I think he's garage on this. I'm just saying it can be received differently by a proud adult male once you're now making the business in public and That business in public has some things that can be turned into
Starting point is 00:20:53 You know can turn into public criticism and negotiating and Disrespect if you are in your feelings, you know how people say all the time in sports, they say, it's not personal, it's not personal, it's just business. And all the time I see people get their feelings hurt because two people have different definitions of what personal feels like when there's money involved. Listen, that's totally fair.
Starting point is 00:21:18 And obviously, look, I was with Jimmy before these comments happened. I can't personally imagine that- Speak for him, Rohan. Yes, I personally just can't imagine imagine speak for him Rohan yes I personally just can't imagine that they would make him do a total 180 you know I've seen some people speculate oh he's gonna demand a trade and things like that I would be completely floored if something like that were to happen or as
Starting point is 00:21:37 a result of this I also personally think that look it's like you guys have mentioned it's not the first time Pat Riley has used that end of year press conference to send a message to his players in a very public fashion and he kind of does it in a way when he knows they're going out the door. I think that that's been, you could say, a hallmark of his career in some ways, challenging people publicly. I do also think, I want to put this out there, I think the heat would be, I think it would be crazy for them not to extend Jimmy Butler. I think people have already very quickly forgotten where this franchise was in the three or four years
Starting point is 00:22:11 before he got there, that in between period, between LeBron and him leaving versus what happened before Jimmy Butler got there. I tried to ask Pat Riley about that. I tried to ask him, I was like, do you think you guys exceeded your expectations, Jimmy Butler, I asked him this last August, and I don't think he's willing to go that far because he has high expectations for Jimmy. He said that's what happens when you sign a star player, but
Starting point is 00:22:32 I would argue that no superstar quote unquote in the NBA has done more with less than Jimmy Butler has in the last five years. And there's always conversation about do we extend him? When I look at the rest of the East that has upgraded significantly in the last few years and there's always conversation about do we extend him? When I look at the rest of the East that has upgraded significantly in the last few years and it feels like the Heat have not done that for Jimmy despite how far he's taken. I think Jimmy and this Heat team has maxed out. I think it's okay if the Heat move on from Jimmy Butler.
Starting point is 00:22:57 I'm good with that and I think Riley's good with that. Do you? Another reason why I'm skeptical of that is Riley knows that this is a star-driven league and and I think he at the At the at the end of the day knows what it was like when they didn't have a star I mean he told Dan about what it was like when you know Hassan Whiteside and Dion Waiters were the team leaders and you saw how if he thinks he's frustrated now You can all remember how frustrated he was then
Starting point is 00:23:22 There are very few players in the NBA that move the needle, very few. Jimmy Butler's proven now in multiple playoffs that he can be a guy who moves the needle. And if you have that player, and Pat Riley's shown in his history as an executive of a coach, he does whatever he can to hold onto that player for as long as possible.
Starting point is 00:23:41 Riley indeed called Jimmy Butler the biggest needle mover on the team. But I mean, to Rohan's point, do you know who was there during that in-between period? Rodney. Can we get some information on where this needle is? Give me the needle. The needle that gets moved is where?
Starting point is 00:23:57 Which needle do you think of when they're- It's like a meter, right? It's a sound needle? It's like the New York Times election meter. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like a gas meter. It's like empty, full. It's not a needle? It's like the New York Times election meter. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like a gas meter. It's like empty, full. It's not a Richter scale.
Starting point is 00:24:09 Are we all imagining the same? But are we all imagining the same needle? Are all of us, visually, all of us? It's a semicircle, and it's moving left to right. So like, on the far left is like, there's no fans coming to the game. And then the needle moves, and it's like, the fans are there, they're 30 minutes late
Starting point is 00:24:26 and they're leaving 10 minutes early. It's more like the sound meter, you know when you're like, all right, let's go clap your hands. That thing goes up regardless. Yeah, it's not very accurate. It does, but this thing that we're all imagining that is the same instrument,
Starting point is 00:24:38 does it have a name for all of us? Does it look the same? Is it the same color? This needle that you have Jimmy Butler moving, it's it when you say it's a gas tank is that we're all imagining the same needle and I'm asking you again that particular need or will imagining what does that actually measure I think it measures can this team actually win a championship at the end no I mean the actual instrument No, I mean the actual instrument. The actual instrument.
Starting point is 00:25:04 I mean, I like yours better, I think. But for you, it's a championship needle. It's can it get all the way over into the red where the champion, it's gotten very close. It's gotten very close, but it hasn't gotten there. Correct. And it was nowhere close when Hassan Whiteside was like the highest played player on the Heat. That was, the needle was like defunct.
Starting point is 00:25:28 It was, you know, it needed to be revived. That's where the Marlins needle is right now. Right, but you want the needle to move a little bit more all the way to full and Jimmy can't get there. I think, but you could argue that he could get there with the proper pieces around him, I think would be my argument. But wouldn't one of them have to be better than he is?
Starting point is 00:25:45 Is it the proper pieces, or is it a proper piece brought in, and hey, Donovan Mitchell, you gotta be better than Jimmy, or whoever the proper piece is, we need you to be better than Jimmy, because this decline is gonna have fewer free throws and more three-point attempts,
Starting point is 00:26:00 because that's how players age, and he's entering a dangerous age. I agree the window is short okay we can all agree the window is short the history is not kind to players over 35. Does that player need to be better than Jimmy Butler? I'm not totally sure I think they need to they have to be the perfect fit and that's not easy but you look at around the NBA right now like if you gave Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo and it pains me to say this if you gave Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and it pains me to say this, if you gave Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo,
Starting point is 00:26:27 Derek White, Drew Holliday, and Chris Staps-Risingis, I think Eric Sposter could coach that team to 65 wins, and they'd be a title favorite. If you gave them Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley, and Carl Anthony Towns, I think you're looking at a team that wins 65 games and can compete for a championship. Those aren't your conventional stars. I wouldn't say any of those guys individually are better than Jimmy Butler, but what they are are perfect
Starting point is 00:26:48 fits that amplify what your best players do. But if it's a small window, why extend them when you don't have to? You've already extended him. You don't have to extend them. Listen, you don't have to extend him. That's just how this works. Okay. We can to dance point, we can say it's a business. That is just how this works. Okay. That's how this works. That's just how this works, okay? To Dan's point, we can say it's a business. That is just how this works, okay? That's how this works. That's why Kobe gets a sweetheart deal at the end of his Lakers tenure. That's why LeBron is gonna get a contract
Starting point is 00:27:11 until he's 42 years old. That's why Kirk Cousins got $100 million. That's why Kirk Cousins got $100 million. He's a good quarterback, hold on. Yeah. You extend him. Streetballer's a good basketball player. You extend him because you know the alternative
Starting point is 00:27:22 is Hassan Whiteside. I really would like to get to the point where our video elements work so well with our staff that at some point while Rohan was talking, we panned slowly over to Jeremy and he's like the coach no one can understand in water boy in the stands shirtless and rubbing his nipples with his hands. I love him. I saw that look on your face. Your face, I looked at your face and what I saw
Starting point is 00:27:48 was you shirtless pawing at your chest because you were so happy with every syllable he uttered. Yeah, I fell in love as that happened. Both of you go sit in the penalty box. I think I just became a Heat fan too. Rowan, you're all of you in here. Finally! Finally!
Starting point is 00:28:02 Rowan! Someone listen! All of you out here. I'm happy. We got a're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us.
Starting point is 00:28:10 You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us.
Starting point is 00:28:18 You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. You're all of us. like carrying a weight that gets heavier with time. Whether it's talking to a trusted friend, journaling, or seeking professional help, finding ways to let out your thoughts and feelings can bring relief and help you navigate
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Starting point is 00:28:58 BetterHelp.com slash DLB today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H-E-L-P dot com slash D-L-B. Don LeBattard. Teammates can't shoot from three. Now they're gonna see a different Jimmy. Now he's just, just playing. Nickelback in the locker room and Stugats. They'll play D and show threes
Starting point is 00:29:25 as they chase the Nats for the sixth seed. These five words in his head, scream are we winning games yet? This is the Dunn-Levatar Show with the Stugats. That's right. It's time for Thursday Thunder. That's right. and it is sponsored by DraftKings. Stay tuned because you'll hear more about what DraftKings has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings, the crown is yours.
Starting point is 00:29:54 Tony, what do we got today? This is cooked up by the one and only Juju Gotti. This is a deep cut Thursday Thunder. Deep cut. We're not going to have big names here. We're not going to have big stat lines here. We're going to go in deep cut. Deep Cut, Thursday Thunder. Please jump in. Deep Cut. We're not gonna have big names here. We're not gonna have big stat lines here. We're gonna go in Deep Cut.
Starting point is 00:30:09 Juju's been in the lab cooking up. You mentioned Deep Cut. You mentioned that he's been doing a lot. I just gotta say it. I just gotta say it. Because you're gonna say it. Reemphasize sports radio, WFAT. Because I'm gonna say the names.
Starting point is 00:30:17 It cuts deep. I'm gonna say the names. You're gonna be like, who are those guys? Juju, unlike against the spread. Oh, Lord. Which is terrible because you guys just go off the top of your head juju is pouring over numbers trying to find inefficiencies and trying to give you a smart bet because he makes he feels very bad when he loses people money so he's these legitimately trying all right
Starting point is 00:30:40 we're gonna start in the calves versus Celtics game tonight at 705 Luke cornet over rebounds five and a half What I? Want to place the bet where it's Luke cornet over under times He does the thing where he just jumps up from 15 feet away to try and distract the shooter It looks like NBA 2k when you hit the wrong button. It's so stupid Second leg get a hand in his face from 40 feet away Vegas has him for 16 over under there on the jump the jumping yeah the jumps
Starting point is 00:31:17 Second leg over point five threes for Josh green When he's one Three's for Josh Green I don't know about I don't know about you guys I don't know if you are still thrilled by the way basketball is played these days But watching Indiana and New York just sort of swing it and get wide open threes all game No matter where the defense is it's just it's still confusing to me want to watch basketball played that way It's still confusing to me when I watch basketball played that way Last leg of the parlay over six point five points for Nikhil Alexander Walker Over five and a half rebounds for Luke Cornett over point five threes for Josh Green over six point five points for Nikhil
Starting point is 00:32:06 Alexander Walker deep Deep cut. Deep cut, buddy. Did you guys have any reaction to the news that Max and Disney Plus and Hulu are merging so that your future has something that again, looks like cable in it as we move away from cable? Did anyone have any thoughts there? Because my only initial thought was a totally narcissistic one, which was we did everything we did so that again on Max now we can be with Disney.
Starting point is 00:32:39 How did all of that get maneuvered around? How did that get maneuvered around so that now I am at Disney and we are Disney employee adjacent? Do we get park vouchers now? Yes! Do we get to take those? Yes! I never got those, that'd be awesome.
Starting point is 00:32:55 Many years ago, many, many years ago, this is a true story, the people who invented Pardon the Interruption came down to see what it is that a young hang hungry and ambitious to got and I were doing at the start of a of the radio station and they were thinking about how to televise on Disney what it is that we were doing and they spent about 40 minutes around our show during which Stu gots and I were talking to Jim Brown about having tried to make an ex-girlfriend jealous by posing in Playgirl and they packed up their stuff and left and said that they would not be televising what it is we do.
Starting point is 00:33:34 I'll take it one step further Eric Rydholm was one of those two people that were in the room he fell asleep inside of 12 minutes I mean and I was offended I have to be honest with you. Well he he was offended by you. And that's part of the true story, which is during that show, in the hallway, as they packed up their stuff to leave, they stopped me and having seen Stugatz's behavior, again, the most hustling, ambitious and hungry of Stugatz's, they said to me both of the people who were there. Oh my god He's real It's not that he's playing a character. That's a real thing The only reason I bring this up is this has been the response to Zas low during our shows
Starting point is 00:34:20 When he talks the way that he talks and people wonder is he playing a character? No, he is not. Nope. Nope, that is who he is learning in this market from people like Stugata and Bukshanbi on how to do this. Just throw your maximum vulnerabilities in the air and be who he is. This is not false. This is a real thing that is in front of us today.
Starting point is 00:34:43 And for some reason, he wants to fight the Boston Bruins. It's asinine. He's an adult with kids who are close to grown up and he wants to fight. He thinks it's smart to look into a camera and fight Boston Bruins. If you're not from Boston, let's be honest. Who doesn't want to fight someone from Boston? It's my favorite part of these games now. No one likes anyone from Boston. My behavior during these playoff games in front of my kids, it's the best part of this experience for me. There are two different types of sports fans.
Starting point is 00:35:17 When you're a sports fan growing up and you take it serious, and you're a sports fan as an adult with kids, and you take it serious. It's a completely different experience. And that's why, you know, last postseason and now hopefully this would as well, have been so magical because it is a completely brand new experience and I love,
Starting point is 00:35:37 I already told you it's my drugs, my anxiety during these games. I love- But drugs you take with your kids. Oh yes, I pump, I get in here, the game is this is and my kids come in the room last night go alright everybody This is serious room right now. I announce it right before the road come take drugs with daddy kids come on Yes, everybody put their phones down. This is a serious room. This is serious room Teaching them. Yeah, yeah your kids are gonna remember this for the rest of their lives, by the way, because my strongest memories of my dad growing up
Starting point is 00:36:09 was reacting to the Bush push, reacting to the Steve Bartman catch, reacting to the time that USC scored, I think it was a punt return kickoff, return or whatever for a touchdown, and threw a Christmas ornament at the TV. I was 30 years old. It was one of the memories that you will always remember as a kid.
Starting point is 00:36:32 All the traumatizing moments your dad screams at the TV. The happiest I have ever seen my father was in 1986 in tighty whities, dancing around the living room because that baseball went through the legs of Bill Buck. Oh, what a great time. in 1986, in Tidy Whities, dancing around the living room because that baseball went through the legs of Bill Buckner. Oh, what a great time. I mean. Oh.
Starting point is 00:36:51 It was joyous. My father doesn't really do joy. And again, he was sort of a bare skin rug of body hair and Tidy Whities. And he was dancing around in the living room because the things that you pass down to your family, Chris Cody is here and all of his dolphin allegiances come down like an heirloom through his family
Starting point is 00:37:12 because his mom's crazier than his dad is about the dolphins and his dad is one of the biggest homers in the history of the media. All true. No lies told here. What's more fun, to see your dad have joy over his favorite sports team winning, or to see your dad have misery over his favorite sports team losing? Because I, too, was at the 86 World Series with my dad.
Starting point is 00:37:36 He cracked open a bottle of champagne because at that time, you could bring anything into a stadium. You could bring anything anywhere. You could smoke on an airplane. OK? What? You could. You didn't know could smoke on an airplane, okay? What? You could. You didn't know that?
Starting point is 00:37:46 No, no, no, I knew that, I knew that. I'm saying you brought a bottle of champagne into the stadium? My dad did, yeah. And he opened it to celebrate the Red Sox finally winning the World Series. And then the ball went through the legs. I'll do you one better on-
Starting point is 00:37:59 It's all dad's fault. You can smoke on an airplane. Do you realize that at one point in America, you'd get on an airplane and somebody would be serving prime rib? That was a thing back before peanuts and small seats. Like back in Coach. It would be, I don't know if it would be in Coach.
Starting point is 00:38:13 I can't say to have witnessed this. I've just read the history of the airlines. I've never seen prime rib being cut on an airplane. I was watching an old Seinfeld episode where Jerry was in first class and Elaine was in coach, and Jerry was getting served like a chocolate sundae in first class sitting next to a model. And I was like, man, do people in first,
Starting point is 00:38:35 Dan, do you still get sundaes in first class? I know you got beans on the way home from Vegas. No, it really does depend the first class you're doing. Like American Airlines first class and stuff all you're getting That's better is that you get your your seats a little bit bigger and you get the people The bathroom experience is slightly less horrible because ten people are using the bathroom as opposed to a hundred people And still the hundred are coming in from the back and using it anyway But get mad at that the longer the flights, I don't get mad at that
Starting point is 00:39:07 because I'm trying not to go anywhere in that bathroom. Do they still have the curtain separating them? They do have a curtain, yeah. Yes, a curtain of classism, yes. That's right, I like that. It's highlighted so you can see through it. You're like, I see Dan right there, look at him. I see Dan flagging down the flight attendant like,
Starting point is 00:39:21 they're not supposed to be up here. Yeah, he does that. Is this vegan? The longer the flight and the better the first class, you can get some very good amenities. But again, not prime rib. And I wonder who in our audience doesn't know that there was a time that you could smoke on airplanes.
Starting point is 00:39:41 Because I've been on a plane recently where I saw the old ashtray, and I'm like, this is an old-ass plane, where the ashtray is on my arm rest. And I'm like, good God, this thing's been feeding cancer for 50 years right here. So tempting. As a kid, it was always a thing for me.
Starting point is 00:39:57 We would be able to knock on the cockpit door in flight. They open up the door, you come, you sit down with the pilot. They're arrested for that Yeah, give you a pen an eagle pen I'm practically flying the plane So you and Kareem Abdul Jabbar? Hey, I don't remember a time when you can do that. I don't remember getting in there and getting in
Starting point is 00:40:21 Yeah, okay. Yeah, you walk in with your family, your dad says, hey, can my son come in? Yeah, you get the pin. Yeah, pilot pin. Of course. When did they stop that? I'm guessing 9-11. Might have been 9-11.
Starting point is 00:40:32 Yeah, probably. I mean, it might have been a long time before 9-11. The world changed that day, Dan. Thank you, certainly flight did. Thank you, Stu Gatz, for all your sociological observations there, historic and enduring. Yes, that was giving you an answer, 9-11. Yeah, the world changed that day.
Starting point is 00:40:48 Historic. Airplane. What a movie. Great movie. Excellent movie. Great flick. Does it hold up? I watched it recently.
Starting point is 00:40:56 I mean, there's certainly jokes that I don't think would be in a modern iteration, but you know. Oh, for sure. Some of it's still really funny. 1973 or something. Of course. But jokes per minute, that movie holds the record, does it not?
Starting point is 00:41:09 It is, there are never, in the history of movies, I don't believe, on average, we've done statistical numbers on the Rambo movies, deaths and violence and how historic they are in terms of bloody. Airplane has to be more jokes per second than any movie in the history of movies. When do you want smoking or non-smoking? He says smoking in the tickets on fire Don't call me surely
Starting point is 00:41:36 You guys are just like Dan Forbes backs you up top 10 funniest funniest movies ever. Per laugh per minute. Airplane number one. Number one of all time. Hangover number two. I just, what is that? I gotta think that most movies from the 1970s that are comedy, no way anyone in our audience likes those anymore.
Starting point is 00:41:57 Get me Rex Cramer.

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