The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: Are The Florida Panthers The Biggest Thing In Town?

Episode Date: December 18, 2024

Today's Cast: Dan, Stugotz, Greg, Chris, Billy, Mike. Roy is out at Vivo! at the Dolphin Mall for the second day of our 'Roy Drive' collecting unwrapped gifts for children this holiday season. We check in with our Stoic Santa to see how things are going, and Dan announces that he will match all of the toys we collect during the drive. Then, we get into a discussion about how the Florida Panthers are capturing the hearts of fans in South Florida and doing something Dan never thought possible: making people care about regular season hockey. With basketball's ratings dipping and the Miami Heat continuing to fall short of expectations, have the Panthers overtaken them as the second team in Miami? Thankfully, we have Greg Cote here to put this into the proper perspective as one of the most important columnists in South Florida sports history right alongside Dave Hyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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-"Shadow Show." -"Shadow Show." -"Shadow Show." -"Shadow Show." -"Shadow Show." -"Shadowin' it." -"Shadowin' it." Eventually, I want to get to the point Shadow show shadow show shadow shadow shadow in it shadow in it Eventually, I want to get to the point where we start one of these and Greg Cody already has his headset on and is ready to go and we then

Start sharing and spilling secrets to the audience in the shadow show. That's where I want to get eventually But the reason I am excited today right now is because I've got original show right here I got Mike and Billy and I got Chris and we've got Roy we sent him out on remote we got Greg Cody and we got Stu gots like this is the the crew that people love the best from the beginning and over the last few years we've brought on a lot of voices that has made this a very crowded holiday party in a new space that we've already outgrown. So outside the doors, we've got Lucy and Amin and Jeremy because

everyone's here for the holiday party. And I want to know with honest answers from our crew in here, how do you guys just feel about the office holiday party as a construct, as a thought? I'm asking the audiences and I'm asking you this. Like in your workplaces out there, do you enjoy going and then being with the coworkers? Do you have a company where that is something you want to be doing in your free time

or does it become a responsibility and an obligation, everyone rather be home with their families and not have to go to a holiday party what's the honest answer here I wish you were closer you're asking this the day of the holiday party I love holiday parties I like celebrating a year that was even if some places it's difficult it's kind of like hey we made it through it's a time for optimism. I like gathering with folks. I typically don't, we spend a lot of time

with one another here, and we don't spend a lot of time away from the office together. So to be able to have a drink and lighten the mood and listen to some music, exchange some gifts, it's a great time. That sounds lovely. Does everyone experience it that way? Do the people listening to this,

because the reason I ask the question is because I would love to be building a company where people get together at the holiday party and it is a rip roaring affair where everyone's got their arms around each other because they love working together so much. That would be wonderful. Yeah, dream on.

No, I'm just kidding. It's just a joke. It's not a joke, though. You're not joking. Yeah, dream on. No, I'm just kidding. It's just a joke. It's not a joke, though. You're not joking. You're not joking. I could dream on and that dream will never come true for me. I think the holiday party has a bad rap. I think at a lot of companies, big companies especially, the holiday party is sort of an

obligatory thing that's dreaded. In this case, you know, it's a fairly small crowd. The only weird thing about today is that right after the show we have like a white elephant gift exchange and then hours later we reconvene for the party. So the logistics of that make it a little difficult but I'm looking forward to it. It's really, it ends up being two holiday obligations

on a work day. That's right. Right. I feel like it's really just a chance for the employees to assess how well are you taking care of us? Oh, this is where the holiday party is. Oh, there's an open bar. Oh, the food is included.

My wife swung last night. That's what employees are doing. They're assessing, they're looking around. Do we know what ours is? I'd like to know whether ours is gonna be an open bar. I don't know as we sit here. So you're judging. It's like a state of the company, basically basically right? But I do love the location it would be a

location that I'd probably be at tonight regardless because there's a huge Panther game on and this is my favorite bar to watch hockey. The wild? Kaprizov. Peril the thrill Kaprizov. Take the over one and a half points every game this guy should be the hard trophy winner. An unbelievable player that we're not gonna get to see in the Four Nations Cup because he's Russian. I'm going to be serious when I say this. War crimes. Stu Gotz came in here today and with Cody,

they commiserated and Stu Gotz arrived at the conclusion that the holiday party should be closer to him at Landlovers, he wants it. He's mad that we're doing this. Something in Broward, to him at Landlovers. He wants it. He's mad that we're doing- Something in Broward, plantation, Landlovers, lefties, billies, anywhere. You had your run with Primetime Media Group. We had plenty of Broward days.

It's the holidays, a time for peace, for love, for presence. And do I have one for you? It's Poppy's 50 Shades of Christmas. You're welcome. At the touch of the leather, I quiver and gasp. He walks around me again, trailing the crop around the middle of my body.

He has a small groove or carvings. I'm going to put this sh** you. His fingers trail between my buttocks. The spreading oil. Instantly the plug starts to vibrate. Down there. It feels alien. Fool. Forbidden. But oh so good. As my body explodes I'm nothing but sensation everywhere. This way, he murmurs. And abruptly, he's... He leans over, releases my hands, and pulls me up right so I'm practically sitting on him.

Thank you, Papi. See, Greg, that's how it's done. Deliciously, slowly, again and again. Es suficiente, Papi. All right, time to start the show. This is the John Leavatar Show with the Stugats. Do me the favor please video of putting a camera, training it on the other room there so I can see who is gathering here for the holiday party because I just saw a whole lot of people out there.

We've got Lucy out there, we've got Jeremy out there, Izzy is out there, so we've got a lot of people we can use today at our disposal. Roy, Roy is at Dolphin Mall, he is Santa Roy, it is a Roy drive. He is, I don't know how he would feel about me. Put him up on the screen too, video. I can see here in the preview that Roy is there.

Yes, there he is. And so I'm excited to see, I wanna call him Stoic Santa, but Roy doesn't want me to make him mirthless. So help me help Roy as he gathers at Dolphin Mall. I am promising right now as we escalate this toy drive, I am promising everyone that I will match the number of toys given by all of our audience here. I will match.

So you're gonna buy the exact same toys? No, I'm just gonna make a quick estimate and then I'm gonna get the amount of money that I need to make that quick estimate, double the amount of toys that we're giving. When's the last time you were in a toy aisle? I'd love to go toy shopping with you. Yeah, that'd be fun.

You know what? We could do that. We could do that and make content out of it. You and me doubling the output of the audience at toy shopping, let's do that. We'll have Billy get roped in. Yeah, it's my last day this year, so. Get that done today.

It was your idea. It was your idea. It was your idea. You should have said you'd go next year. No, no, no, I said I'd love for you to do it. No, you said you'd love to go shopping with me. Yeah, I would, in theory. No, you should do it, Dan. Instead of writing a check, anybody can write a check.

You need to be hands-on, in the toy store, picking out every gift. Find some Bogos. Yes, for every Taka toy that is brought to the toy know to the toy drive you need to go find the talk a toy I like that scavenger hunt where you match toy for toy the exact same toy and your charity box is not done until you found The exact same toys. I see the delight in stugat stirring to life and giving me work and expenses Yes, I know you just I see it just a general enthusiasm of getting me to do more work to get more money spent. I see it on you. It delights you.

It's really just you and a toy store. Right. Yeah. That's not what's happening here. What is going to happen is I'm telling the audience, I can't false promise this, there are rules to this. I'm telling the audience that if the audience stuns us with coming to Corner Coffee Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. here at

the Elcer through tomorrow or if they go out to Vivo at the Dolphin Mall a mall where you can buy toys I'm saying that whatever your generosity is you have the ability to hurt me here with what I'm offering you have the ability to make me have to buy thousands and thousands of dollars in toys if the audience and i fear our audience is support if our audiences that do that the labyrinth degree of difficulty of having to attend a m to noon on a tuesday wednesday or thursday show up at dolphin mall or at the parking lot of a flanagan's that is closed and bombard us at the last minute with toys

because I've hastily organized a toy drive that the company is not equipped to handle at the moment, and the company would have preferred not to have this the week before the holidays when everyone is mailing it in. Everyone is done this week, no one is trying this week. You've got your foot on the gas. And I'm like, toy drive, we gotta make kids happy it's urgent Greg Cody is here in

one of the best holiday sweaters I have ever seen amazing my books in the way here yeah back in my day well done new book is getting in the way of my sweater it's a Miller Lite sweater we love Miller Lite a little too much. That's not true. We like it responsibly. I gotta learn the art of that. I actually like that as a, look for all the beer commercials that there are, Greg Cody is a Miller Lite spokesman saying I like Miller Lite a little too much is a great. No it's not. Please stop. Responsibly. Thank you Mike. Thank you, Mike.

You can have both. You can love a sponsor so much that you over love a sponsor. Not with this sponsor. Figuratively. Please stop. Yes. Greg Cody is trying to bring back the phrase maniac. We think that the phrase maniac has just all but expired.

It has. It's a phrase from my ute, and I credit, I don't know if anybody out there old like me remembers Mad Magazine and Alfred E. Newman, that was one of their catchphrases was maniac. It was very popular in the 60s. If someone was acting crazy and you wanted to criticize them but in a funny way, you are a maniac You're acting like a maniac people don't say that anymore. I want to bring it back. I like groovy Jack. Okay, Billy Why are you laughing? Are you laughing because Greg Cody Tuesday has gotten off to a limp or an uproarious start?

I you know, it's just he's kind of taking a little bit to get into his groove, but we'll get there. I'm mailing it in like you said before. Come on, Greg. You're mailing it. Somebody give me a stamp, it's almost Christmas. What am I doing working here? I'm in a Christmas sweater. I should be Christmas partying right now.

You're doing two obligatory Christmas parties today. Two obligations that everyone has gathered around for. Put it on the poll, please,uju, at LeBotard Show. Do you like the company office party? Yes or no? Do you like go, and then also put on the poll at LeBotard Show, company office party, time of great enthusiasm and dreams,

or horrible obligation? I just, because I don't know, I don't, you, look, look, God bless football has taking a beating this football season They've carried us. They have worked hard. They're flying coast to coast. They are trying to make money My body hurts. Yeah, it's two gods is claiming that his body feels like an NFL players does at the end of the season worse They're killing themselves for you to make more and more content We're the biggest content machine that there is, just belching out content every day.

And billions do God's, do God bless football, and they're tired, they're exhausted. I don't wanna speak for them, but I don't know that they want the general mirth of two office parties today. Well, I'll also say this for the people who like God bless football, and for those that hate it too, doesn't matter.

Gonna be dark the next couple weeks on this show. God Bless Football will not because it's a playoff time for college sports and for the NFL. So you're still gonna be getting your Mondays and Fridays episodes for God Bless Football. We're not gonna abandon you here, height of football season. And also you can vote for us at SportsPodcastGroup.com

if you'd like best football podcasts. We're up against the Kelseys, and we're up against Mina, and we're up against a number of people, so please vote for us, because we have stiff competition last year. And last year, we love you guys, but you failed us. We didn't even medal last year, so I don't wanna blame you. Like, Dan's blaming you guys

if the kids don't get toys this year, but if you want us to win, you're gonna have to vote for us, and if you want those kids to have a nice Christmas, you have to donate toys, because Dan's not donating a damn thing, unless you donate. That's how it works. Match or nothing.

I am going to double whatever it is that the audience produces here, and we're gonna be doing it for the next couple of days. Today and tomorrow, it's at Dolphin Mall. It's 11401 Northwest 12th Street, and it's from 10 a.m. to noon, although he's already out there. Chris, can I go to Roy at Dolphin mall and it is he okay if you asked him if I make him a stoic clause?

Let's ask him Dan. I'm not asking all right. Thank you Roy. How are you doing out there? You look like you're filled with mirth. It is nice to see the backdrop is very professional You're giving off Christmas spirit in your eyes. How is everything out there? Oh, ho, ho mo foes. Everything is all right right now. Just waiting for everybody to show up with their new and unwrapped toys here at Vivo at Dolphin mall. I've already getting started with this bluey plus doll and this football for the kids. All right. Thank you. We're looking for athletic balls and equipment,

dolls and Barbies, remote controlled cars, Nerf toys, board games, play food, tea sets, jewelry, craft kits, cologne, perfume, building toys, Legos. The mall is right there. A cologne just falls out of the sky. It really does. Yeah, it's weird.

It really does. Every time it stops me as well. It does. It is. The perfume and cologne is strange. I don't understand why that's in there, but it's in there. High schoolers. Gift cards, right. They're not just little kids. They're not just toddlers.

They're often forgotten when it comes to these things. Christmas comes for all. Right, because we forget. That's the real stink of the holidays, that you often forget the teenager because you're busy buying toys for the kids. It's heartbreaking. Everyone wants a cute little one and I have the 13-year-old let me say this though the 13 year old the teenagers they forget about you They stop caring about the holidays and family they go through a phase I'm telling you they'll come back in their 20s their mid 20s perhaps, but they don't care Well, I was they don't want to be at the holiday thing with the family. They don't care about you. They just want cash, right? He rolled through that, Mike. He rolled through the fact that you were talking

about kids who don't have parents, and he weighed it so. Teens are teens, it doesn't matter, Dan. Parents are no parents. They're all the same. What age group do you buy gifts for Stugat, since there's obviously like void in the middle that you don't need to buy for?

You know, usually before the age of 12, and then I start buying them again after the age of 21. So 13 to 20. They don't care about me, I don't care about them. Okay, so we are buying perfume in Colombia. Happy holidays, everyone. We have, by the way, two established authors here. Maybe we could donate some books to the cause.

What do we think? It's worse than perfume. Gift of literature. It's worse than perfume. You know what, let's do that. I'll get my publisher right on that. I have a box of books, but I ain't giving anyway. I'll tell you that.

Yeah, so Billy, for the holidays, he's not gonna lift a finger for you or anybody else. He's gonna keep his book sales. I have found, Chris, this is a good question to ask your mom. I'm going to guess that your father is one, that we could document that your father is one of the least charitable people

in the history of finances. Oh, wow. No, because he's all about taking for the holidays. It's not about giving. Like, it's not, have you bought any Christmas gifts? I, yes. I have not not you know five years ago yesterday i've got a great great great great great great

how late are you on your christmas shopping what kind of spree is this going to be that's just gonna grab some perfume at the end i'm always late uh... on my christmas shopping let's put it this way i'm haunting amazon right now and the first thing i look at is not the product of the price unlike is it going to be delivered before christmas if it says you'll deliver it prime delivery whatever it's called if i can get it tomorrow i'll buy anything you know i'll buy anything it just depends on the delivery date

i'm a little behind on my shopping but i'm feeling good i'm buying gifts they're showing up on you came in here saying it's a Christmas sprint, I'm behind. You came in here saying that, and now- I'm a little behind. No, but because you've been boxed in on being a taker for the holidays. You're not a giver, you're a taker.

If you could do it, you'd just get gifts and not give a single one. No, that's not true, I enjoy gift giving. I really do, and I'm a champion rapper. The gift, I make a gift look better than it is by my wrapping acumen. That part is true, he's a great rapper. That gift, I make a gift look better than it is by my wrapping acumen. That part is true. He's a great rapper. That is a stunner. So you enhance a bad gift by wrapping it well?

Example, in the White Elephant sale, we're about to have later today, my gift will stand out because of the wrapping. That's all I'm going to say. Hey DraftKings fans, are you ready to elevate your game day snacking experience? This college football season, we're feeling the cheesiest with Cheez-It. That's right, delicious Cheez-It crackers not only satisfy your snack cravings for game day excitement, but they're also amplifying your football watching experience with a new daily fantasy sports game. Best of all, since Cheez-It is made with 100% real cheese, the game is 100% free to play with a chance of winning real cash. Be sure to carefully select your favorite

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I heard that as a woman faking pain. I didn't think that sounded real. I really didn't, you know. It was not fake. It was in no way fake. You can spot a woman faking it. Stugatz. Yes, I can, Jess.

Expert. I've been married 40 years. This is the Don LeBattard Show with the Stugatz. I find it rare to be friends with somebody with his two guards. I find it rare to be friends with somebody for 40 years and delightfully discover something about him I did not know. I am just learning, what a gift I am getting right now to learn that it has been confirmed by his son,

Greg Cody is an expert rapper. I would have never had you being that. I would have never guessed that. The key is the cut and the crease. The scissor work has to be pristine and perfectly aligned. The creases have to be sharp. as little tape scotch tape as possible Put an appropriate bow on just about every gift except a stocking stuffer you bow I don't bow I bow now bows are a waste I'm a big bower and and it has to fit it has to fit You know it gave the colors have to coordinate the bow and the and the wrapping and there's an art to it

I love wrapping more than I love giving or getting gifts. I love the wrapping process. Greg, when it comes to the cut, are you one that does multiple cuts? Are you the type that cuts once and then does the slide across the paper? That's a tough art to master. Okay, because if it snags.

If it snags and it rips, it just ruins everything. The scissor has to be And and why is it always plural? I'm only holding one pair of scissors. It's weird. Yeah I asked myself that all the time, but if it's not a particularly sharp scissor, you're screwed. I disagree I think it's more on the paper. The quality of paper is the easier slide Yeah, that good wrapping paper that good thick wrapping paper, that'll slide much better than that crap. That's true, that's fair.

That's fair comment. I could give a seminar on gift wrapping. I really could. Go for it. How do you feel about gift bags? I'm against them. Really? Yeah. That's the easy way out. You're cutting corners.

Honestly. You're cutting corners. I admit it. My gift for the white elephant today is in a gift bag. I kind of want to go out there and see if I can identify Greg's gift just based on the wrapping. Well, if I may with you guys, I think I've got an idea here

that you guys can maybe help me with, because I like Greg's idea of giving a seminar on gift wrapping. I would love to put him in another room with Jeremy and have him give that seminar while actually watching him wrap a gift. I have in my car, my wife sent a toy in today, a lovely unicorn, that we can have him wrap

so that we can see what it is that looks like, even though we're looking for unwrapped toys. You gotta match that one, right? Yes, I've gotta match that one as well. The exact same unicorn. I'm not doing it that way. I'm gonna just make a joke. This is what I'm telling you.

Not really a match. This is what I'm telling you so that I'm not false advertising. I will generally estimate what the toys are worth and then buy that amount of toys in a shopping spree with Billy and we will give all of those toys over to branches, fl. org if you

want to give for yourself uh... the thing that i want to do with cody is have him wrap a gift here and show us get him and get in the scissors he needs get him the gift wrapping he needs like a master class yes i'm surprised and delighted by this so we will get to it over the course of the show there a number of other things that i want to get to and roy is one of those things at dolphin mall because uh... while i will not continue to bombard you with uh... with the information on the

toy drive for the next three days i do want to get your attention here by dressing up our employees at santa claus whether they like it or not uh... roy are you ok with this being called a Roy Drive? Today is not a toy drive it's a Roy Drive. It makes a lot of sense Dan I appreciate you using my name. Okay so thank you. It rhymes so well. It's just one letter off. Thank you. Are you okay also Roy? Are you okay Roy also with me calling you Stoic is stoic Santa okay by you sure okay excellent that's good so you can see Roy at dolphin mall and all of that holiday enthusiasm can pour over you and the malls right there you can go buy a gift

and then it you're gonna hurt me if if South Florida does what I think it's capable of which is somebody with great wealth just shows up and buys a bunch of buy a gift and then you're gonna hurt me if South Florida does what I think it's capable of which is somebody with great wealth just shows up and buys a bunch of toys and now you're gonna hurt me because if several people do that then I'm gonna be in tens of thousands of dollars and I'm in over my head and I'm drowning. What do you think this is? McAfee? You think I could throw $100,000 at people for kicking field goals?

I don't pay the guests a million dollars here to ask me about my VAC status. You should make the kids kick a 30 yard field goal to get a toy. Oh. Save money. Right, get all the toys. Yeah. Yes.

Dan, if you were to guess, where would you think you would acquire that giant bluey that's next to Roy? Where would you go to match that one? You know, Billy, I do appreciate how meticulous you are on this one. I'm telling you right now, I'm not matching it toy for toy.

You have to. Imagine you play a game of memory, right? And you're just like, well, that's a card that matches another card. Like no, you need to match the things on the card. Okay, then what I will add. Batch the fours with the fours. Okay, so this is what I'm telling you.

As you and StuGots try to box me into more money and more work, this is what I'm gonna tell you. Right, so. Be charitable, Dan. You're right, I'm gonna tell you. Right, so you're right. You're right though, you're right. You're absolutely right. I have been swayed. And so now your assignment as our employee is to list and detail all of those toys, what they are,

and then help me find someone to go out and buy those toys with my money. Well, we have a bluey and a football so far, so. I'm on it. I'm all caught up. And a unicorn. You keep a running tab in the back room. You keep a running tab of all the stuff we have.

Football looks suspiciously familiar to the one Tony had yesterday, too. Roy, we'll come back to you in a second. I appreciate your Panther jersey. I appreciate that you're wearing it. We're're gonna talk about panthers and some local stuff here because some of the sports stuff going on uh... is interesting one you've got and and let me go through this for a second because greg kody's all

excited because if the dolphins beat the niners their playoff chances skyrocket to twelve percent uh... so so So Cody's excited about that. Mike Ryan has come in here and said, Dan, I'm not gonna let you off the hook on the Heat. Dan, you cannot let the Heat off the hook for what is presently happening with the Miami Heat. And in the middle of that, the Panthers continue to be just awesome.

Just awesome fun. And did something that I don't believe, I don't believe has happened in South Florida's sports lifetime. You've got us caring deeply about regular season hockey games. Like you got us caring when they go play in Winnipeg or when they're playing in Edmonton because now you're developing some allegiances to the storylines. You've watched previous playoff run and now you know the players from the other team. Like there's something, South Florida's getting caught up in something, the exact way that a sports fan base has to be built around winning.

Well, it's the perfect time for the Panthers to be good in this market, because the rest of the professional teams are dreadful. They're getting all of our attention, and they deserve it. They won the Stanley Cup. They're the best team in hockey. They've been good for four years now. But the fact that the Dolphins are mediocre, the Marlins are lousy, this is a great time for that organization and the right time

for that organization. You said care deeply, and certainly in pockets, people care deeply. But I'm not one of those Panther fans that gets super defensive. We're building. There are plenty of reasons why this was a struggling hockey market, mostly on ownership after they

moved into the new building. This is the first sustained run of excellence from this franchise ever. They've had outliers, a little flash in the pans, one cup appearance in 1996, didn't do much with that momentum, moved to a new place. They had one year where they win the Catlantic

and then they kind of disappear and fall off. So this team with its young core. 25 years with no playoff success, like not even winning, like 25, you got that 96 run and then you got a quarter century of not you'll get to the playoffs with pavel burry whatever but you're never winning a game you're never winning a series i i think look this franchise had it built on the momentum of 96 we'd probably see something a little bit closer to tampa which is just one of the best hockey towns

in the country but that's not our story and people want to make fun one of the best hockey towns in the country. But that's not our story. And people want to make fun of the parade while it's raining. I look at that and it warms my heart because of where this franchise was. We are so far beyond where we were and we're still building. And I think another cup run will just keep building on that success. And Roy, I'm curious your opinion, not just because you're wearing a Pantherthers jersey and you love hockey and you have the hockey show but you've been there through the lean years and this team with its stars because it's been a pretty transient franchise it's not often that you have guys stick through several years guys like Barkov who've been here

who've grown into men who's he's still a young man but he's been here over a decade. A guy that wants the sardom, that wants a platform, wants to grow the game like Matthew Kachuk. These guys are building a connection with this town in ways that hockey teams only did in 1996 for a fleeting moment. Yeah you're absolutely right and the one thing that you pointed out is they never really signed players to long-term extensions And that's what they're doing now They have built a core and I said maybe three or four years ago that this team will actually win a cup in the next five Years, I got laughed out of the studio and they managed to make two cup runs

So to see this team be this successful right now yeah, I think that this community can actually build around this team and become bigger fans in obviously the Mullins and right now maybe even the Dolphins. It's a weird way to judge this. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, maybe even the Dolphins. No, that's not never get carried away. It's a football town. Look, it's still difficult to walk into a sports bar in at least Miami Dade County and find the TV on a

Panther game. It's becoming more commonplace. You don't have to ask for it as much. I occasionally go into sports bars and they have the sound on for huge games. I think it's building and a little bit of self-awareness. There's no way hockey ever matches the NFL in this town. But it did in Tampa and they built on success over there. So it's not impossible in this state, but just as a market demographically, Tampa is much different than the Tri County area down here. That's a bit of a pipe dream,

but certainly challenge the Miami Heat in terms of local interests. Mike, you got here before I did by a year, I would say. I would say that in your reduced fan width that the Panthers last year in just your consumption was the first time in your lifetime maybe, maybe 96, where the Panthers had run the heat out of your purview. Yeah, other than the two years before that too. Because I'd argue that right now,

okay, so three years you've got? Yeah, like three years, like the Barkov-Hubertau team that really started, oh, these guys have been around for a while, they're building. So you're going to tell me now that those Panther teams to you were something you were watching with more interest passion

Then and and so the Derek White shot at the buzzer with the Celtics and the Heat you're gonna tell me that Panthers Feelings overrode those heat feeling when that was happening the Panthers had been eliminated from their bubble But I would say that yeah like dating back to three years ago the Panthers if they were on at the same time the Panthers Would would get the sound we're going on an Olympiad ago, the Panthers, if they were on at the same time, the Panthers would get the sound. We're going on an Olympiad now where the Panthers have usurped the Miami Heat, in my opinion, and the Miami Heat have had two, well, two real deep runs, two finals appearances in that time, but the Panthers have also had

two finals appearances. I just love the team, I love the connection with it, I love the sport. I think if you compare them in direct comparison with one another, they're going in opposite directions. The Miami Heat and the Florida Panthers. Okay, but can I, when I talk about, look, Greg Cody is the most historic sports columnist now that we have going in town. Living, yes. Living, yes. Only in terms of stature locally as a journalism legend, Greg Cody finishes I think second to only Edwin Pope

in this town, maybe he's running neck and neck with Dave Hyde. On columnist greatness, I don't know where he put himself on this list, but when it comes to what's happening in this town right now, two columnists are calling for the firing of Chris Greer with the dolphins. I don't know, you can correct me.

That still means something to me when newspapers do that. And I don't recall a time in South Florida history when two columnists were willing to do that at the same time since going back to jimmy johnson and don shula at the very end when they've hired and i were doing it but i think i have it right when i say it's unusual for our market to call for the firing of a leader so that's happening with the dolphins early on for you know really confused started running this bit in 2017.

I'm not saying that you don't. I'm not. You know what? You know what? All right, listen to me. I'm not gonna have you sit here with a straight face and tell me that you cared about the Panthers more when Bam Adebayo was blocking Jason Tatum out at the rim.

You have had some of your heat allegiances beaten out of you by the Celtics the last few years. No doubt, when he blocked Jason Tatum at the rim, that was Miami versus Boston, and Florida was out of the NHL playoffs in their bubble. No doubt, I was more of a heat guy then, I guess, but in the years that followed, keep in mind, that was a while ago.

No, but the reason, the only reason I'm bringing all of this up, Mike, is because this is exactly the only thing a team can do in this market, like a hockey team, to wrestle the city away from the incumbent in sports. We don't support four and five things at the same time down here. So if you want to wrestle the town away, do it with regular season games that matter. I'm watching basketball games. I don't care when the Heat are losing to the Pistons by a point.

Yeah, I don't think they've wrestled the town away. I still think hockey down here, in Miami-Dade County especially, it still has a way to go to even catch this fledgling Miami Heat incarnation across the street. It's still got a way to go, but I'm super fine with that. I'm super cool with this really exciting time down here locally where you get to build on something

and you bring more and more people to the tent, more and more people get introduced to the sport. There is nothing like playoff hockey. And I think optically too, you see the ratings for the NBA, they're down. The NBA has a problem. My chief problem with the NBA, I'll wear it, is that I don't like this Miami Heat team. Hey listeners, it's Mike. Game Time is focused on togetherness this holiday season.

That means when you bring people together at live events, the experience is just that much better and it is the perfect gift. Game Time has this wonderful new feature that can help you for your holiday shopping season called Game Time Picks. It makes getting tickets for live events even easier. With Game Time Picks, it helps make curation easier to save more on sports, concerts, comedy, theater, and more. And you got all in pricing.

No surprises at checkout. With the push of a button, you toggle that and you see all the prices up front. It's got wonderful features like all in pricing, no surprises at checkout, with a push of a button, you toggle that and you see all the prices up front. It's got wonderful features like all in pricing, you toggle that feature and you see the total up front, no surprise fees at checkout, panoramic seat views, know exactly what you're getting into, not everybody has that, lowest price guarantee and nobody can touch Game Time's ticket coverage. Your purchase is covered with the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Sure, I could tell you winter's coming, or that it brings cool dry air, but you already

knew that. What you might not know is that Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash is made with millions of moisturizing micro-moisture droplets to keep your skin silky soft for 24 hours. Plus it's paraben and sulfate free. No matter how dry your skin feels, Dove has you covered. Buy Dove Body Wash today at your local retailer or visit Dove.ca to learn more and order online. Don Lebatard! You don't remember the idea for a home run call?

I was probably like, that kind of thing! Something? Okay, no. The home run call was, that kind of swing, that kind of thing! Stugatz! Oh, it's a good call. Thank you. And plus, it doesn't matter who's hitting it, like you're not tailing it to a particular name. Correct. You know, all that jazz, you know, you don't gotta do that. You just do a generic call.

Oh, that would be a great call. That kinda swing, that kinda thing! This is the Don LeBathard Show with the Stugats! I don't watch the other games either. I'm not at all interested. There was a cup yesterday. Didn't give a sink. With hockey, I'm watching everything.

I'm staying up late. I want to see Jets avalanche. I love the sport. The product is flatly better. The NBA really needs to address the product because everyone can acknowledge it's not going in the right direction. In Mike's defense, he has been telling me this for years, like years. So, Dan, if you

look at the Panther run, you can go back to 21-22. That's the year they had the most points in the league. They lost in the playoffs. That's really when it started. So, this is now, we're on the fourth season of a great hockey run, and I would say if the Panthers win another Stanley Cup, let's say this year. Oh, no, just make another run. Just make another run. No, you gotta win some cups. Exactly. Let's say this year. Oh no, just make another run. Just make another run. No, you gotta win some cups. No, exactly right. You gotta stack the cups.

I'm sure we'll win it again though. You gotta stack cups. Get the biting cup that amount and then that. If they win another cup, finish your thought. I'm sorry I interrupted you. You were cooking. I do think there's an opportunity for the Panthers to kind of take over this town.

They're never gonna be as popular as the Dolphins, but I can envision a day if they stack cups where they're more popular, people care more about them than the heat alright and so you saying that to me my purview life long south floridian is crazy it's crazy understand so they they before we get to the excellence of all of this because uh... there the thing

That's a fine he has a checklist he forgot the check yeah I love how he's holding it below the table as if we didn't all hear it and it didn't stop the show Sorry, I apologize Damn, I can't be perfect. Who was it? You're right. Yes, it was my doctor. I got an appointment tomorrow They always get I get a robocall reminding me about an appointment like it's not on my calendar I got gonna forget. Mm-hmm continue because you've never canceled the doctor's appointment before huh? I Canceled this one. It was Tuesday and they snuck me in Friday

Today's Wednesday everybody we keep seeming to forget that You were cooking Dan, I'm sorry. Go ahead, continue, go back to the stove. Flip those jacks. Flip those jacks. I like that as the new take, the new way that I enter the room to have a take. I flip those jacks.

Can you guys put on the screen for me in the corner, please? Mike mentioned a parade, and it just made me think of the single best parade that I believe Metal Arch Media has ever had. It was Greg Cody's Miami Dade Panthers win the championship. Connor McDavid is overrated parade that he did here with us. And yeah, it just makes me happy.

Look at Greg how happy he is. You don't see the crowd because they're just off camera. People were lined up for miles. That was right after the Panthers won the cup. That was our parade in the streets of downtown Miami. So when I say to you guys that it's unusual because this has been Broward's team, okay, like it's hard to get all the ethnicities. I mean, I can say to you guys that it's unusual because this has been Broward's team, okay?

Like, it's hard to get all the ethnicities. I mean, I don't know. Tony and Billy still don't care about the Panthers, right? I shouldn't speak about Billy as if he's not here. I mean, there is a cultural disconnect between Hispanic Miami Dade and hockey. It's just not, you know, they're more geared to baseball and football and even basketball down here. Hockey, they've never had a reason to care.

And thankfully this franchise is giving them a reason to care. Just, you know, they are most certainly Broward's team and they lean into that footprint. Hopefully one day they can revitalize an area because their stadium is kind of out there near the Everglades a little bit, but it's not impossible. Look, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been a really successful franchise. They have two Super Bowls in the last 25 years. They're often in the playoffs. If you go to Tampa, the flags hanging outside people's homes are blue and white. That is a hockey town.

Mike, this is what I'm telling you. What I can't believe I've witnessed over the last five years is a management leadership that turns from the best offensive team in the sport during the regular season to realizing immediately, oh, that don't work in the playoffs. Got to do that, rip it up. I would have gone with that for a couple more years and I would have died at the feet of the lightning and given them the state because I would not have been bold enough to make the move that brings Kachuk and stability to town. I would not have had the foresight to know that Paul Maurice would become the winningest coach in Panther history already, already. That would just, think about that for a second. Low bar, I mean.

I know, but still, but still, to see this team be this kind of excellent and to have it be in the middle where the other things that need to happen in your town around sports have to happen so that you can grab a town the way Tampa does, the opportunity is right here. And I just didn't think in my sports lifetime I would ever see a time where hockey could be that thing in both of these markets even as Dade County yawns largely about the Panthers but they're making us I think care about regular season games in a way I haven't felt before because I've got I live

around bars and stuff I hear what's happening around me hockey is doing something in Dade County I've not seen before. Well one of the things that I think will be huge for their growth because I'm sure they have all sorts of meetings and they bust open the books and they realize we have so much room for growth in Miami-Dade County. How do we get there? The reports are accurate. There is a winter classic coming to South Florida coming to Lone Depot Park next season. That potentially might pit a lot of the fans out there might suggest it's going to be Florida against one of its main rivals.

It'd be great if it were the Tampa Bay Lightning because you get to draw from that market too. That is a huge moment in time. If this Panther organization can keep that momentum going and it crescendos with this huge event down the street over there at Marlins Park, that'd be really cool because that's the first time hockey has come to Miami-Dade County since I left.

I feel like we're over-complicating this. People like the Panthers and watch the Panthers because they've been good the past years and they just won the championship. If you're good, people care. Yeah, exactly right. You're good and you don't blow up your team. People care and they're going to watch because they want you to keep winning. None of the other teams have actually really been super close. The heat went to the finals but like no one actually you know they were gonna win the finals that year thank you for being a voice of reason because you're absolutely right but you understand how to my tinny sports ear I would totally be surprised by local sports excellence I've covered like barely local honestly I'll go anywhere to find it.

It's been so long since. It's barely local. The Dolphins have been bad for a really long time. You guys did it. But people still watch the sport. They're not checking out on the Dolphins. People, like you listen to local sports talk radio, people are irate because they care. Why? Because the product is really good. So I do think that there is a small faction of hockey fans out here that will support the team through thick and thin, like I have, like Chris has, like Roy has, but like you have. But people need to be clued into the fact

that this sport is just terrific to watch. They need to be brought into the tent, they need to go into a bar where the sound is on and people are locked in and you're living and dying as a puck crosses a blue line every half second it feels like and your season is hanging on the edge of a blade it's incredible there's nothing like it it's infectious you guys are proving the point for football though like you guys just said it every other team around here if they were bad the previous season the ratings might not be great the next year the dolphins rated like people are watching

the dolphins even if they were one in 15 the year before. It's always gonna be a football town. And I said that 10 years ago when the big three heat were a thing. It's always gonna be a football town. I do think the Panthers have the chance to be the second biggest pro team in the market. For five years now, kids have grown up

with the Panthers just being great. That's stunning. My daughter loves the Panthers. My daughter's the only team she talks about down here. But also you have season tickets. You control what your children like. That's how you build fandom though. This is a stunning commentary

from long time veteran columnist Greg Cody in a town where columnists are calling for firings. Greg Cody has proclaimed the Panthers have a chance right now to be the second best team in the market. Hey folks it's Mike Ryan the holiday season is upon us Christmas is coming next week so what are you doing for it? I imagine you're gonna have some family over how do you entertain the family? How do you keep everybody happy? Well I know one easy way. Make your holiday time Miller time. Bring out a nice silver platter of that beautiful white can or bottle, whatever your preference.

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Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Celebrate responsibly, Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Fewer calories and carbs than premium regular beer. Hey listeners, it's Mike. Game time is focused on togetherness this holiday season. That means, when you bring people together at live events, the experience is just that much better and it is the perfect gift.

Game Time has this wonderful new feature that can help you for your holiday shopping season called Game Time Picks. It makes getting tickets for live events even easier. With Game Time Picks, it helps make curation easier to save more on sports, concerts, comedy, theater, and more. And you got all-in pricing. No surprises at checkout. With the push of a button, you toggle that and you see all the prices up front. It's got wonderful features like all-in pricing. You toggle that feature and you see the total up front. No surprise fees at checkout. Panoramic seat views. Know exactly what you're getting into. Not everybody has that. Lowest price guarantee and nobody can touch Game Time's ticket

coverage. Your purchase is covered with the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code DAN for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code DAN for $20 off. Download Game Time today. What time is it?

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