The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 2: You Are Who You Are (feat. Nick Wright)

Episode Date: June 18, 2025

We share a moment of kind earnestness with Tony Reali and Nick Wright. We also hear from Roy & Chris outside of the Elb- The Elb- Oh, we'll hear from them eventually. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Intuit TurboTax Business, new from TurboTax Canada. Some regional exclusions apply. Learn more at TurboTax.ca slash business tax. This is the Don LeBattor Show with the StuGuts podcast. The Stanley Cup is where it belongs, near the quarter deck by Ben and Jerry's, near Rock Bar on Los Olas. Everyone knows it. It stays there. South Florida owns the Stanley Cup. Zazzalow's about to leave because he's very wanted

by ESPN radio, even though right now, last night, he said a bunch of things on, what is it, the show? Game Night? Game Night, they called him and he had things to say and he doesn't remember any of them. No, not really. Before we bring in Nick Wright here and Tony Reale to carry us as Billy Gill Wild Willy Wednesday continues, Chris and Roy have arrived at the Elbow Room, the rightful home of the

Stanley Cup, two-time defending champions. I'm not confident in either our audio or our video. Roy, take it away. We are live here at the elbow Because it froze immediately and we will go back to you who's that behind you Roy who is that? Okay, he's frozen to Roy. We'll get back to you shortly if there's time We will get a lot. Thank you for the live people good live. Keep up the good work from the elbow room. We bring in Nick right now. Thank you. We will go back to you at some point. That's a tough one. You sent him out there. Yes. Yes, I sent him out there. All right. But all right. Is it unfrozen? Roy, go ahead. Try again. We have already seen Matt Dika Chuck, Evan Rodriguez, and Anton Lundell lift the cup from the balcony here.

It is a wild scene as Chris Cody is jumping behind me. I don't know who that white dude was that was behind me earlier with the green shirt, but it seemed like he was drunk. Well that narrows it down. The white dude in the green shirt who is drunk. That's not everyone there in the land of a thousand Chris Codys. The trophy has been broken? It's been broken?

Not that I've seen yet. Okay, not good reporting. No, it been broken. It's been broken. Not that I've seen yet. Okay, not good reporting. No, it is broken. Only in two places. I literally just got hit. Okay, alright. We'll come back to you in a second. We'll come back. See, go get near the trophy. They've broken it. The top of it's broken and the bottom of it is dented.

Thank you for being on. One of 12 Stanley Cubs. Is it? Really? Chris Cody, excellent work. You left behind all of the prep for Nick Wright. Let's go out to Nick Wright for real quick here. Well, not quick. It's never quick with Nick Wright. He will take over the proceedings here shortly, I would imagine. Nick, are you ready to go? Who are you talking to? You were in the preview and now you're here. I don't hear you guys.

Now I do. Hi Dan, how are you? Good to see you. I was at when I couldn't hear, I was having to keep myself occupied. I was reading the latest glowing Pablo Torre profile in the New York magazine. You guys signed a $50 million deal.

I can't even get a front office sports article about it and more legacy media being like Hey, this guy sure is nosy. It's really unbelievable. How are you? So Pablo is featured in in a very prestigious publication I had not heard this New York magazine and what as you could guess it took one two three four 13 words before the Peabody's were mentioned It took one, two, three, four, five, 13 words before the P bodies were mentioned. And so that was good. By the way, but speaking of featured,

I did think it was nice that Pablo kind of, cause I didn't like Pablo and Bill feuding. I thought it was nice that he went on the pod with Bill and stood his ground to his credit, didn't back down. And if people didn't hear it, we did a kind of super cut of it for him so they could hear the 90 minutes Pablo and we're at a 60 minutes Pablo

and Bill Spent hashing it out to podcast legends. Go play it for us if you could. Murrow and Peabody, Peabody's Peabody nominated. Everett R. Murrow award, Peabody award nominated. Peabody, Everett R. Murrow, Peabody's Peabody, Peabody award nominated. Peabody, Peabody's Peabody, Peabody award nominated Peabody. Everdarmurrow Peabody. Peabody award nominated Peabody. Peabody.

Peabody. Everdarmurrow word. Murrow and Peabody. That's Bill Simmons and Pablo Torre. Why didn't you like to see them fighting? Well, you know, here's the thing. I don't, I know that, you know, that's a good question, Dan. That's his catchphrase. Don't take the here's the thing, I know that, you know. That's a good question, Dan. That's his catchphrase.

Don't take the here's the thing. That's his transition is here's the thing. It's his pompous broadcasting bridge. So I guess in theory I could, I wouldn't have minded seeing them fighting, but I actually like both of those people. I know that you might be like, Nick, you like Pablo? I do like Pablo. I have the, I imagine I have the relationship with Pablo

that Pablo has with Larsa Pippen, where like I don't have anything against him. I'm kind of fascinated by him. I don't totally understand the, you know, the big deal, but there's no ill will and so and Simmons is obviously a legend in the industry and so I didn't want to see them fighting over Bill Belichick so I was glad they squashed it. You don't understand what big deal. I don't understand why there has been again I'll

just say what I said this is really just a defense of the LeBatard show. I if you weren't watching your guys show the day you announced your latest partnership with your friends and my friends at DraftKings, I don't know if anyone knows about it. Meanwhile, you could have been on an around the world 180 day cruise and you are still, you're inundated with updates on you know the

world according to Garp via Pablo Tori it's just it's just a weird media diet as far as what the people think is relevant and what's not and I just thought you guys going out on your own doing a thing like where's that profile where's where's the where's Chris Cody was right about Connor McDavid? Where's that profile? Where's where's Roy? Basking in the glory of a two-time champion in South Florida. Where's that profile? That's all I'm just asking for a more you know a kind of distribution of the glowing pieces That's all.

Maybe it's jealousy for me. Let me see what else I have to read here. This is the Washington Post. Let me see what this is. Oh wait, oh that's good. Yeah, you got a big article there where you're wearing something nice. That was good.

Oh look, who's on the front of that? Yeah, that's you. Oh no, that's the Capitals. Sorry, I thought it was the Panthers at first, but no, that's me. But that's fine. But it's not the New York Magazine to tell you that much, not the Atlantic.

Tony, do you have a defense of your boy Pablo Torre because- Nick Wright, Tony Riali here, my man. Oh, it's Riali! Yes it is. Oh, I didn't know you were here! I'm right here, man. Oh, can I take it all back? No!

Oh my god, I've never talked to Riali. I'm so excited to talk to Riali. I just want to say- And now he's gonna think I'm an ass. No, I think you are who you are, but I would say it's possible you're online a little too much This is advice. I would impart. I mean it just it's just a little bit too much. That's all that's all I I mean you're keeping up with the the amount of mentions of people in certain publications Well, no, but this is egregious. Hold on what Billy put on here for me

Please and stop watching the television of another show when you're in need. Play for me again the sound that Nick played of the Bill Simmons podcast. Murrow and Peabody. Peabody's Peabody nominated. Everett R. Murrow award. Peabody award nominated.

Peabody. I'll give Nick credit for this. This is a good bit. Peabody. Peabody award nominated. Peabody. Peabody. Peabody.

Everett R. Mur Everett our Murrow word No, this is a good hat. I give him five points for Nick Wright plus five We have it on the day things. Yeah, can I break the fourth wall or whatever? It's called. Can I have a moment moment of earnestness? Yes, that's I want to talk very earnest about how much yeah, but kind earnestness. Um Because I've wanted to talk to Tony Reale my entire life. And we've only ever, no, we are doing it. Gosh darn it. We've only ever DMed. And I did 10 minutes.

No, it was beautiful. Probably bad. It was probably bad. Hold on, let me just tell the audience what it was. I did, it was probably bad podcasting. A 10 minute segment that was essentially a message in a bottle to reality. And it was received and I responded to you. I just hope he sees it. And which he did. And so I, so it is really, I didn't know you were, I apologize, I've been running around this morning. I didn't know you were in studio right now. Well, they needed some positivity around here. So I've been, I've

been kicking it up here and we did it that way I saw you got you let someone dunk on you that was nice. Yeah, but it's great to talk to you It's an honor and I hope to see you Yes, and we'll do that. We'll do it the right way But my point is at some point we can just all log off a little bit that that that's all I want to Problem Tony is I did log off and then I picked up the New York magazine and I'm staring at Pablo again. I did log off.

I guess that's the problem. But again, I just I do this because it's fun and because I've never heard reality say something as unkind as I think you are. I think you are who you are. I think you are who you are is the meanest thing I've ever heard reality. No, no, no, no.

Look, Nick Wright, look, I admire Nick Wright for a lot of reasons, but he doesn't mind getting dirty. You live above the fray. No, that was above the fray. I am who I am, I know who I am. And I think this is only a compliment. Knowing who you are is 95% of life, and I know Nick knows who he is. But it came right after Nick was embarrassed saying, Tony's going to think I'm an ass,

and then you said you are who you are. Maybe there was a slight delay in my- No, I think you are who you are is what he said. All right, well, that's how it came out. I need some street cred. I need to be, let Well, that's okay now. I need some street cred I need to be let me start a public. Yeah, I think exactly right people like media few. Yeah No, I don't understand. I don't understand why people like it. I have no idea why people I don't understand it either It's a very weird thing. It's actually there's a weird

Almost if I had a little more time to parse this out, I could make a smarter point instead of make the lower level point. It's a first cousin of the amount of people who don't really watch regular season NBA, but consume a ton of NBA gossip content podcasts. gossip content podcasts. It's, there are a lot of people who don't necessarily watch the sports talk shows, but really like when people involved in those shows appear to be feuding. I don't really, I don't, again, I didn't have enough time to really put a fine point on it, but that is an odd thing

that definitely exists. I'll give you two points for that. I don't agree with the whole place that the NBA is in, where we overlook what's actual basketball is, and we're just going to talk about feuds, or even worse, where somebody wants to play three months from now, eight months from now, when we're in the middle of the NBA finals. That to me is tiresome. Yeah, what about, yeah, or feuding or media. But just to go back to my appreciation of

Humanity I believe knowing who you are is 95% That's self self fullness, right? And that's what I want to say to you Nick right now you you have a knowledge of who you are as a person I think that's wonderful. You just know what that's very, first of all, that's touching and I appreciate that. I can't imagine what, and I'll self-reveal this, Dan, what's going through Dan's mind because 96 hours ago, I sat with Dan at a tequila bar in Miami and basically told him, yeah, I'm not even comfortable telling anyone

how I feel about anything unless I've had a drink or two. So like, so there's a weird dichotomy of, of I am incredibly open and honest under two circumstances. If I am on, like if I am on air, or if I've got a pop in me, but if I'm just regular day-to-day Nick, just riddled with like angst and anxiety and just like bottled up which again is

not really you know what you guys came here for but I can't help but see dead is salivating over thinking around the morn right now he wants to go around the morn which is a combo morning and a lot of he told you this because he thought this was a great idea this is on working on material with Nick right no that he I told him the more general men who like their vulnerabilities, not the around the morn idea of a show about grief and trivia about Alonzo Mourning. No, I wasn't discussing this with Nick Wright in a tequila bar 70 hours ago. I don't know.

When you knew reality, he was coming to town. That's true. He was not, he didn't front run the idea. My point is, I already know Dan is fascinated by what I would call my foibles, what other would call my deep-seated insecurities. But no, but your willingness to publicly be anxious, I would say I've talked with Tony about this.

I don't look at Tony and see someone who's anxious. I think Tony Reale masks it very well. We talk about it on South Beach Sessions. But I don't look at you, Nick, either, and see anxiety. Do you look at Nick? Do any of you see Nick performing and ever consider that there might be anxiety in there somewhere?

No, no, no. He gives off total confidence. I'm comfortable on the air. I'm comfortable on the air. I'm comfortable on the air, and I'm comfortable. Again, I don't have to get sloshed, but I just need a I just need you know A little lubrication a little mental lubrication slow things down a bit relax a bit

But that's not what people people I don't know what people want, but they probably don't want me to talk about that They want to you talk about LeBron saying rings are overrated. Amen brothers. Okay, somebody said it my Apologies for being a little distracted the Roy video keeps freezing with Chris. I won a Stanley Cup yesterday. Here we are talking about how sad Nick Wright is. I don't trust getting to the video. Billy, do you trust anything about this video with the elbow room? Nah, but we should go to it anyways.

All right, Roy, give us whatever update you got from the elbow room, please. Well, Nate Schmidt has just made it out to the street and decided to celebrate with all the fans over here and they are jumping around right behind me. He's trying to make his way back into the Elbow Room. So, so. Carter Bray Hagee and Sam Reinhardt has, Carter Bray Hagee and Sam Reinhardt has poured beer all out of the cup and onto the fans.

Nice. That's the update from the Elbow Room back to you Dan. Alright thank you. We missed the big Nate Schmidt moment but we almost had it. Instead we were talking about Nick Wright's anxieties Okay. Well, that's your guys fault I'm not blaming you. I'm not blaming you. I'm so happy for Roy I like I don't know there was a part of me true story when this when this was the Stanley Cup final again

I was like, I don't know, man. Florida won last year, and it certainly matters more to Edmonton and Canada as a whole than to South Florida. So I was like, I think I'll probably root for Edmonton. I didn't have a bet on it either way. But then I was like, no, I want the Levitard guys, most notably Roy, to be able to revel in this mini dynasty, so I'm really happy you guys won I'm shocked by it, but I'm really happy you guys won

So that's great. I mean that's really cool. Why the mini well isn't just back-to-back Just a mini dynasty like don't you have the it's what the chiefs have done right? Well chiefs won three out of five and back was the best run Right so yeah, but the I I think if the chief like so let me ask you this Chiefs won three out of five. But back to back was the best run. Right, so yeah, but I think if the Chiefs, so let me ask you this. Did John Elway's Broncos have a dynasty? I don't think so.

Mini dynasty, right? Just having gone to the Stanley Cup the year before winning back to back created dynasty? Cause that's what the Panthers have done here. They've been to three straight and won two of them. So isn't that exactly what the Dolphins did? Wasn't it that exact thing? Didn't they lose a Super Bowl and then go back to back?

So yeah, I mean that adds to it. I'm not trying to, again, I'm not trying to parse dynasty mini. Yes you are. Yes you are. You did it. Don't take it back now. You put a mini in front of it, I found it disrespectful. I asked you a question. Then you start. Mooting for the Don't take it back now. You put a mini in front of it, I found it disrespectful. I asked you, I questioned, then you start-

Mooting for the Oilers and not a dynasty. And then when they push you on your Chiefs, you're like, three, five, three, five, three, five, with Matt. This is like, Cody hates mini. Well, I mean, again, the Chiefs thing is really a seven year run, seven final fours, five Super Bowl appearances, three championships.

The Cats aren't quite approaching that stature yet. But that, you know, that to me is a dynasty Maybe you guys are again, but in hockey didn't a team win like seven in a row once the Montreal Canadians or something like so, I don't know. I don't know the rules in the in hockey Will you cover it because I see all over ESPN. It's all NBA all the time. Will Fox cover it How will you talk about this in your many venues? We have an odd rule on first things first, which is we only talk about hockey if it looks like another sport. So like if a puck's flying through the air and a guy slaps at it, kind of looks like

baseball, we put it in. If there's a fight that looks like boxing, we it in and so we rarely do hockey when it looks like hockey oddly that is a rule Kevin Wilde has established it I'm sorry like it's just the rules I can't cover everything boys but you say it's just the rules it's your show what do you mean it's yeah the rules yeah I mean you're right that you know I'm at least at least a third of the show however when we all have roles on the show right reality can definitely relate to this so like brew is kind of like the conscience and the you know elder statesman of the show I am the you know the opinionist as they say, more so some, you know, some people throw on hot take artists.

And Wilds is the self-appointed leader of the show who kind of guides our topic selection. And so at times I'll fight for something. Will I fight to do a Kachuk McDavid topic? Probably not. Guys, I wanna talk to you about something that I don't think we think about enough on a daily basis. And that's comfort. Specifically when it comes to underwear. Because let's be real, when it's not right, you're going to feel it all day. And that's why I want

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Don LeBretard! Florida claws back from down 2-0 because they were getting their asses handed to them by Toronto to then get lit afire underneath them by their head coach Paul Maurice, who did the thing. Remember how the run was sparked last year? Stugats! He called them a bunch of peas and bees. He did the thing remember how the run spark was spark last year stugats he called him a bunch of peas and bees he did the thing again called him a bunch of peas and bees and then boom five unanswered you win the division this is the done

libertar show with a stugats I want to get Zaslow's thoughts on the Panthers before he has to leave to do I Want to get saslow's thoughts on the Panthers before he has to leave to do big things for ESPN radio, but I argued when Greg Cody had two pinky rings and no wedding ring that he was signaling to all That he is open for business Can you tell me what you've got going on with your pinky ring situation? No, I still have the wedding ring. Not only do I have the wedding ring, hold on. Their wedding ring, you take the wedding ring off, bam, tattoo. So I'm totally covered there.

What I'm signaling to the audience with the pinky ring is you want to make a bet? It's just like a symbol, like I'm open to gamble. Like you walk down the street and someone, it's just like, it's like, you know, it's like, you know how they said Padilla needed to be wearing his US senator pen because then everybody knows it's same type of thing With gamblers you see someone with a yellow gold diamond pinky ring. They're like they'll probably do a parlay here or there That's the issue. Just yeah, that's the issue cuz Greg Cody has a regular set of rings, right?

And we say he's open for business couple of rings on the pinky, no wedding ring means you're a player. I can't believe how fluent Nick just did that because I want to put it on the poll at Levitard Show. Is the pinky ring the international symbol for you want to make a bet? Because- Where I come from, it's something totally different. Oh yeah, where I come from,

it's like I can put a body somewhere. Really? Yeah, but the reality, we come from similar area. This is from my, this is my now past Italian grandfather's ring that was passed down to my dad and passed down to me. But you know what a lot of people did? You know what got a lot of people in the grave where their body had to be disposed of

Making a bet the gambling like that. That's the beginning of that story a lot Different guy with a different pinky ring had to go dispose of it, but it started with the bet Zaslow before you get out of here. Do you want to say anything to Roy? Do you want to give us any last analysis your beloved Panthers a giant family moment today is one of the happiest days of your life Is it not yeah can Roy hear us he can hear us right now, right? We're gonna go to Roy in a second, but as we do that it is one of the happiest days of your life It's yeah last night our favorite little hockey team gave us a forever night. That's what sports are, right? It was a forever night that for the second year in a row, I'm so happy I got to spend it with my boys,

with my father, three generations of Zaslos, for only the second time ever, we got to experience that together. So it was an all time night, and I know Roy can hear us now, my son is somewhere there, Roy, he's 16, he's somewhere there at elbow room. Just, you know, I told him to look for you. is somewhere there Roy he's 16 he's somewhere there at elbow room just you know I told him to look for you I'm hoping how did you tell him to look for

him well I said fine Roy he's black and so I'm hoping that he will find you I mean it's really helpful there shouldn't be hard yeah I mean that crowd in particular let's be honest and just you know I don't want him to be walking around with tequila shots so just keep an eye on Roy Roy How many black people are there? They got counted about five Five or six. Okay. All right, so maybe all right We haven't found Zazzle son yet, but Zazzle here bring out the emotional side of Roy because he's being reporter guy

But Roy, did you hear Nick? Right? Who is that up there? What are they doing? Who are they throwing beer on? Who are those players? Sam Ryan, Sam Reinhardt is throwing beer Magic Kachuck is also throwing beer Chris Cody's jumping around right now. Yes And he's lifting the cup said he'd be perfect there said we needed to send him out there. It was important to send him out there That's what he said Roy tell me emotionally how you feel Nick Wright just got done saying he was happier for you than he was for anybody around here. Well, I appreciate you saying that, Nick, and yes, I am actually happy because I've been following this scene for 31 years and covering it for over a decade now.

And to see this sustainable quality of hockey, like, it's beyond words right now for me. Back to back championships, three straight Stanley Cup finals. They're here to stay right now and I'm incredibly happy. Bennett slapped my hand. That's excellent contribution from you. You said you'd kill it out there and you were over delivering after- Shadow boxing in the back.

Over promising, yes. He's given us nothing from out there. Didn't tell Billy anything about what was needed for the rest of the show But is shadow boxing as a champion Chris Cody doesn't even hear what we're doing. He's not connected to what we're doing in any way Roy he's not helping love. He's getting love though. Not helping you. He's adding to the overall move. He's not helping you Roy He's not he's not doing his job. He is a child of privilege and nepotism You're that right.

You're absolutely right. Okay, thank you. All right. Excellent work. We will check back in with you, but, Zazzle, do you have anything to say to Roy before you go here for the day? We did it, Roy. We did it, man. And you're welcome.

I came home from my vacation. The Panthers won four out of five. Okay, again about you. And you're welcome. I came home from my vacation. The Panthers won four out of five. OK, so again about you. OK, excellent coverage, great punctuation. You made a sacrifice for your team. You ended your vacation early, and that's why they won the game.

You heard about that. Please leave. Please get out of here. That was not useful. Pizzaz, congrats. It was not helpful. Miner penalty, two minutes for adding nothing seasons over

added confidence he brought company he was very confident today that's right he's a champion please leave I don't want to hear can I defend can I defend Chris Cody's contribution to the show? Sure. If I may? Sure. So he did help the show in two ways. One is he may or may not have been the person that made that Pablo Torre super cut, but more importantly, I texted him an hour ago,

is Zazzle wearing a wig? No, what are you talking about? Excuse me? No, what are you talking about? What? Well, I texted him that because I was so disturbed by what I was seeing. And Chris Cody wrote back to me and I'll read it exactly.

No, no, no. I don't. No, that's how he always looks. And I was like, wow. Well, I probably shouldn't mention that while he's in the room. But now that he's left, I feel comfortable. That's an odd look on anybody, to be honest.

Even, you know what? You could put Tony Reale's kindness to the test and see if he can say something nice about that, because that was odd. Well, please don't judge others' looks. Nick, you don't like it when people do this to you. You don't like people who undermine your credibility because they say whatever about how you look.

Zaslow's a lovely human being who's very credible and I don't know why you'd make fun of anything about him. Confidence today was- His confidence was off the charts today. He was really good. You think that's a bad look? You're comfortable judging how other people look? Well, here's what I'm, I know this is the lead up

to you guys throwing your favorite picture of all time. No, no, no, I'm not, I'm not, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no balding, but grown out hair or clothes is fair because those are choices. Judging someone because they have a arachnid style nose is just cruel. I wasn't going to put up any picture there, but let me see the rules again. I'd like to know the rules in 2025 that Nick says is okay for making fun of people. It's facial hair, it's clothes. It's anything that you're choosing. So like if you say Nick, your hair looks ridiculous, grown out. That to me is fair because I'm choosing it. If they're like, Nick, you should.

There it is. See, there you go. So if you look at this picture and you're like, your beard should have been shaved. Fair. If you look at it and say your hair is too long. Fair. If you look at it, you're like, hey, your nose is casting a shadow on your teeth. Unfair. I didn't choose that. But it's your hair. I'm making fun of there.

It's not anything else. I'm only making fun of that. And that guy is like, who's, who's this freak show over here? Not him. He's saying that about me. Um, and so yeah, exactly. And like, if you're like, Hey, hey Nick you have bags under your eyes is a close call because did I choose? Not to get enough sleepers that genetics and so what I'm saying is if you think someone has

If they're bald you can't make fun of that. Nothing do about it if you're like, that's a terrible hairstyle but wait, what if you're I don't know what you think is happening there, but Well, I don't even know how to discuss this there, but, well, I don't even know how to discuss this publicly, because Zaslow's never brought this up on the show before, but if you're somebody who wears a hair piece, then you are making fun of them being bald if they're covering up that insecurity with a hair piece.

We've not talked to Zaslow about it. You could just get better ones. Also just bad one. Okay, so that's the line now? That's the line on, okay, you can get, so, so your choice is a poor one. Okay, so that's the line now. That's the line on okay You can get so so your choice is a poor one But bald you're you're saying bald you don't have a choice on whether or not you're bald right again I'm assuming that's a hairpiece. That's not something I've ever discussed with says that's none of my business I thought this was real. I had no idea. You're the first one to say anything about this actually Nick

You're the first one who's ever brought this up on the show in the hit Have you guys ever heard anyone? He's had a hat on the last couple appearances. We don't talk to him about this. So you're doing something now. We've known Zezla for 20 years, and we've never done to him what you just did. Well, it sounds like I'm his best friend on the staff

then, because somebody needed to say something, because my god. He's awfully comfortable with this, Tony, when you're the king of positivity of making people feel good Nick right it's incredibly well researched though and I love the way he made his argument I'll give him that as far as hair is concerned we go to the dentist we get our teeth cleaned up and veneers put on and sometimes you know I had up nobody I have no problem with someone saying I want to look differently with my head as

much as they want to look differently with their teeth Yeah And also reality is probably I don't know if he's either the best or the worst person to ask about this because he's been One of the three or four best-looking men on sports TV for 20 years Reality's always been there. There's a list for this to you man. You got to get offline you do I mean, what do you mean offline reality really I'm not as online as you think man I just this is how my brain works like lists are oh is that oh my god it's like a mascot with his head off he's shocking he doesn't know where guys you got to get that off

That's like illegal in this you can't be doing that to him He doesn't know he's on to party state that you can't do what we just did there. That's offensive He's arguing with me shaved him into a haircut That's but in all serious good luck Nick in all seriousness because we've got reality around here and reality is someone I've loved for a quarter Century tell the man how it is you feel about him and why it is that you're... Oh, we're not doing this. We're not, we're not... No, nobody wants to hear this.

Why... He just did 10 minutes on Radio Lesbos on me. That was enough. Why he respects who you are. Look, he's an expert in this game. He knows who's good at this stuff and when he gives his respect, it's only because people deserve it. And so allow Nick Wright to give you some flowers here because he's meeting you and he admires you. I've received it.

It's true. So here, so the very end now you know anything I said about Tony Reale in theory up until a few weeks ago could have been self selfish like I'm trying to butter him up to get on the show but now it's totally it's totally you have no worry about that. Here's what I think. I think that the hardest thing in sports, one of the hardest things in sports media is going from someone who was not taken seriously to someone who was taken seriously. And when your introduction to the audience is literally called stat boy, they don't even tell you your name. And it's with two, these two icons of the field.

And then you are asked to take over for one of the sharpest, smartest, I, in my opinion, most talented people in the field in Kellerman. And, and not only do you transition to where you are, you know, you're the host of Around the Horn to Tony Reale's show is Around the Horn. And then transition from that to, Hey, who is the actual, like real heartbeat

of our industry when it comes to kindness, audience interaction with those long threads you did of like, Hey, let's talk about it and those things. And as a non-religious person, myself, someone who was like, Hey, I'm proudly religious and I'm going to wear the ash on my head and I'm going to share the traumas of my family with you. It's a remarkable thing to do. And the fact that you were able to do it with, you probably talked for four and a half minutes a day on the air. It's a 30 minute show.

I can't do anything in less than five minute chunks. And so I just think it's remarkable. And the, so I, it's just very, very rare to go through all those steps and to do it without accumulating a single enemy. And where everyone that I've ever met that I'm like, oh, do you know Tony? They're like, not only do I know Tony,

might be the greatest human being ever. And so I just, that's it. This is, that was beautiful and heartful, and I have come to a place where I'm at, that is a wonderful thing, to have your friends or people in the industry or people that you wanna be friends with say nice things about you is an incredible thing. I love everything about that. We've just spent more time on me than we did the

Stanley Cup champion. Well you receive what he's saying. Look, heartbeat of our industry. Just know that someone's not preparing something, sees you and that's what they think. I'll let it go after that. Be comfortable with receiving the compliment you're receiving. With that said, I do also think that if you and I changed, if everything about us were the same, except you looked like me and I looked like you, I feel like I'd probably at this point be Bob Iger. Yeah, you'd be more successful. I think we would be.

I don't doubt about it. Yes, no doubt about it. No doubt about it. No doubt about it. And I also think, hottest take, and then I'll shut up. I also think part of Tony's undying positivity and general affect is because when you walk around gorgeous your whole life When you when you walk around like people like on Nick you're a little mean sometimes like no shit Yeah, you develop a thicker skin it happens

Roy is now just taking pictures at the elbow room Chris now just taking pictures at the elbow room. Chris is just taking pictures at the elbow room. Roy, who are you taking pictures with out there like you're a champion, sir? Let us bask in the ambient noise please. Well right now the fans have chanced to go to the ocean but Sam Reinhart put the kibosh on that one so I don't think the Stanley Cup is going to the ocean right now Chris somehow got in oh great there we go it is helping us camera he's gonna always got he's gonna just do on his own balcony and we can zoom in Chris on the balcony that's additive how did he get in Roy why did you try to get in?

Are they not letting people in with a camera or what? No, I didn't try to get in. Apparently Chris has a connection here at the elbow room. So, uh, pretty much all for himself. This is about to be the crowning day in the Cody family. Billy, can you give me an appraisal on Chris Cody's job today as the executive producer of our show? He's done the best he can. Has he?

He said Bennett slapped my hand. That was pretty great. Has he? He went out there and he left all his duties behind so that he could go there and be pink with the rest of those pink people. It's Chris. Come on. Okay.

Excellent work. Nick, can you give me your best minute on the NBA finals before you get out of here? A minute, Dan? A minute, a minute on. All right, I got two minutes and 15 seconds, go. Okay, no, so my best minute is this, is the 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder are the first team since the mid-90s Bulls that can go on these 14 to two runs based purely on steals and defense

and then when you add to it the fact that they have these waves and waves of guys and they they very smartly similarly to the Legion of Boom Seahawks are like we're gonna play this level of physical from the opening whistle and we're gonna put the onus on the refs. Are you gonna call 7,000 the first five minutes or are we just gonna set the tempo? They are an incredibly difficult team to beat. They're gonna be deserved champions

all time great single season. With that said, four of the last five teams to win the title the day after they won the title, everyone's been like, well, damn, I guess they're gonna win a bunch of these titles and none of them have made it out around to the next year. So I'm not ready to talk dynasty with them. I am ready to say all time, great single season. And I'm also ready to say, uh, the P the,

the Pacers could have had one of the greatest upsets in NBA history. And the end of third quarter of game four will haunt Pacer fans for the rest of their lives. Sorry, but it's true. How can we look back at the Kawhi Leonard, Paul George of what it is that Oklahoma City benefited from just going all draft picks? Well, the thing on that is, Oklahoma City bottomed out for two years,

which is the maximum that I think is acceptable, but they also had to nail the picks. They had to prioritize getting Shay in that deal when nobody thought he was a future MVP, and they had to take Jalen Williams with the 12th pick. They had to trade up from four to two to get Chet. So they had to actually be very smart about it as well. They also took advantage of the Clippers, which is nice We've got to let him go but what's right with Nick Wright is

Something that you need to check out. He is doing it with his son. It is a personal project It is an intimate project and it is a very cool thing What's right with Nick Wright is part of everything that Colin Cowhert has going on with the volume Nick It is nice to see you again. We will talk to you soon. Thank you, sir. Congrats panther. See you guys man. He's good