The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: BANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (feat. Chris Wittyngham)

Episode Date: March 13, 2025

"I felt great until I came on this show." This Local Hour gets 4.5 out of 5 slurps. Today's cast: Dan, Amin, Chris, Jeremy, Jessica, and Mike. 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. I mean, uh, the Shadow Show is going on right now while you're getting makeup and

that's the spirit of the shadow show I just want you to know that we're on the air because you were yammering as if you didn't know that things had started around here and we've got a chaotic situation this morning because in an overcrowded Miami there's been a number of accidents and so a few people have not been able to get in. The pirate ship is in battered waters right now. And Jeremy, the entire time, is running in and out of the room in a panic, singing a song at the top of his lungs that no one else is singing with him.

That's right. Yeah, it's great. I'm really excited to get this one to you guys at some point, but that's kind of the environment here. Most mornings, I'm showing up after taking about an hour and 45 minutes to drive in, like this morning. I left my house at 635, I got here at 825, and then I'm running back and forth between studios trying to sing songs. God bless football's happening in the other studio. I had to come into studio A, I had to tell our director to stop testing audio because I needed to

sing from several different distances from a microphone. Yeah. So, I mean, that's the kind of professionalism he's bringing to work in the morning while you don't know that we're on air because you're yammering with the dress, the makeup artist. I wouldn't call it a lack of professionalism. No one said, all right, we're on air in three. Well, they were saying that in my headset.

You were wearing headsets as well. No, he didn't. I don't think your headphones were on. He did do something very considerate this morning though. He did laundry for everybody. Like there's these blankets and jackets that people use because the studio fluctuates a little bit, but sometimes it's very cold.

And Amin made the observation like, no one's washed these things in several years. Ever. Not just not all the human secretions that have been on all those things but also willow just going around rubbing her ass on everything and you guys wrapping yourself I think that's a bit incriminating to willow she's not here to defend herself just got a surrogate. Jess had me jealous last night, and I have not said this of the Knicks in 15 years,

but Jess got to experience one of the most joyous things, which is to be awoken by the double bang. This West Coast trip is killing me. At what age did you guys check out on West Coast games because you couldn't make it through regular season you know a Tuesday night 1030 to 130 even if it means Bridges is gonna hit a ridiculous game winner to beat Portland? I think after I had a child it's just West Coast trips where we're out. It's Willow. I mean I

also like picked a terrible time to leave a bar two nights ago, because the Panthers lost to the Bruins. I was at the hockey bar, and the very next game was the Pacers-Bucks. And I saw the Pacers were managing the end of the game. I'm like, all right, I'm gonna leave. I left right before the Halliburton four-point play. Oh, man. Yeah, it's just miscalculation on that part.

I don't know ball. It's turned, look, it's accurate. I'm not an NBA fan. I'm a Miami Heat fan. It just is what it is. And if the Miami Heat aren't good, I'll say bad things about the sport that I won't know ball. It's turned, look, it's accurate. I'm not an NBA fan, I'm a Miami Heat fan. It just is what it is. And if the Miami Heat aren't good, I'll say bad things about the sport that I won't watch

and it probably infuriates people that actually know ball. That being said, I'm seven for my last seven betting in the association without having watched a second of it. Well, he still doesn't know what to do with Rudy Gobert. I mean, help me out because look, I'm ready to admit, I don't know ball anymore. I used to, I used to know a lot of Ball.

Now, don't know Ball. Is Rudy Gobert good or bad? He's good situationally. Or I should say, that's about, he's bad situationally. No. Thanks for clearing all that up. Hey, hey, hey, hey. That is the kind of expertise that you can get nowhere else.

How did you not clear that up for him? Because what Mike says is strange. expertise that you can get nowhere else. How did you not clear that up for him? Because what Mike says is strange. And at the crux of like Ken Denver beat Minnesota, Rudy Gobert stands in the way, except when the playoffs start and then the matchups make it so he can't play anymore. Unless they match up against the greatest player

maybe in the history of the game, and then he doesn't come off the court. He helps Minnesota a lot as he helped Minnesota last night. So situationally bad, but situationally if that is against a defending NBA champion with the best player maybe we've ever seen, situationally good, very confused by Rudy Gobert. Denver's not defending.

No, I mean last year when they eliminated them. I know ball, you don't. Yeah. This is the Don Leventor Show with the Stoogats Podcast. Fun basketball night last night, and I came in today and I say to Jessica, what is the age that someone starts checking out on West Coast games during the regular season because whatever, you got to work in the morning and it's hard sometimes on Tuesday night to stay up till one in the morning so that you could watch Bridges beat Portland at the buzzer with a bad shot,

good shot, bad shot, like I don't love that shot but it went in and so in the middle of the night the Knicks win and this is the most interesting Knicks team there's been in 20 years, right? Yeah, I mean. We're the third consecutive year of saying that. Well, but it's gotten better. Yeah, every year.

Each year it's gotten better. So it's the most interesting Knicks team since last season. Okay, but no, but in the middle of the night, Mike Breen produces his ninth double bang. A record ninth double bang for bridges, and the Knicks woke you up last night, Jessica. You can't make it through even a regular. Well, Mike Green woke me up.

With a bang? I watched all of the Thunder Celtics game, which was a great game, which hopefully we will talk about after this. But then, you know, Knicks are on a West Coast road trip. Jalen Brunson's still out. They're gonna reevaluate his ankle in a week. So Deuce McBride's been starting at the point.

And they're playing Portland, who's not great, but they're not terrible either, and West Coast game, 10 o'clock start. I fell asleep probably at 10.15, and woke up to the overtime double bang on that three point shot. Man, was it exactly like that, so jarring. Man, was it exactly like that, so jarring. Yeah, I mean, where are you on this?

Because that was the less interesting game of the night, because watching OKC go into Boston, for some reason, it's one of the rare regular season ones that feels like it matters when you're watching it, and you're like, no, Boston kind, it matters to Boston to win this, and it's interesting that all they're doing is shooting all threes and if they make more of them, they'll beat OKC and if they take that many in every game,

you're gonna get the game totally distorted. Yeah, nine of 46 from three. But they also got to the free throw line almost twice as much as Oklahoma City did. So I think from Boston's perspective, they're saying we took the shots we want, we got to the places we want, we just couldn't execute. And then also, they couldn't stop Shea.

And that's, you know, the idea going into the game, there was no Jalen Williams for Oklahoma City, there was no Port Zingas for Boston. So both of these teams were missing key pieces. But the game plan with the Thunder is get the ball out of Shea's hands and make one of these other guys prove it in terms of bringing it up and creating offense.

And usually the other guy they're saying that of is Jaylen Williams, who's an all-star this year for a good reason, but he's not out there last night. So now you're trying to play through Chet and Hartenstein and other guys are bringing the ball up and it didn't really matter. And this is a very possible finals preview, Dan. We could be watching Thunder Celtics in, what is that, three months from now? The existence of the Celtics is the only thing

that makes people believe that Cleveland will not be in the finals. That Cleveland, are you still practicing your bang back there? He's got a good bang. Bang! That's just cool. You gotta do a there? He's got a good bang. Bang! That's just, you gotta do a double though. It was a double bang last night. Yes, well, you're red faced.

It's a nuclear shade of red that you are. And I would say though that you're going from your feet and I feel you grabbing it from under the chair. Like, and it's coming out of the right side of your mouth. Bang! Yeah. You know what, there's a pain in Mike Breen's bangs, and he's nailed it.

There's a pain in the bang! It's like strained a little bit. Almost crying. Bang! Yeah. Like your toes are digging into the ground when you're doing it. That's gonna get annoying.

You gotta be careful with that, all right? Use some judgment there. It's good, but it's also, you pace yourself. My heart's fluttering a little bit, because it's a little bit like, you know, I'm in shock still from waking up last night, so this is making me kind of go back into the flutter zone.

This is the doctor with the hammer hitting your knee. Exactly, I'm like, ah! Or perhaps choppers for a Vietnam vet. She got PTSD. Dum dum dum dum dum dum. I mean, Mike checked back in with the NBA last night but I ask you which is the bigger story just in terms of in the weeds in basketball in the places that you find more interesting that the Knicks would win at the buzzer on that shot by Bridges or the Bridges, a key piece, a key third piece,

you know, who a lot of capital was invested in. This guy has to be good for us to be championship good. He says before the game that his minutes are too high and that Thibodeau, feeding into the narrative of Thibodeau, he'll run your knees into the ground. He'll run Derek Grose his career into the ground He'll play everybody too many minutes Bridges feeds that and it's an interesting messenger for a number of reasons But one of the reasons is he leads the league in minutes and he never misses a game So if he's telling you hey off my body I need I need some load management even though I'm a guy who's out there every single time

Which is the bigger story, the dramatic one or the one that's gonna create narrative around Thibodeau again? Dan, do you know who McKell-Bridge has hit that shot against? I do not. Okay, that's why you're asking that question. They play the Blazers. The Blazers who have been playing a lot better.

I'll give them a great credit. I also shout out to Chauncey Billups who coaches this team and not Detroit, who's done a great job after a lot of people wrote him off. Having said all that, that pales, pales in comparison to the Bridges comment because Tibbs responded yesterday via James Edwards of the Athletic, quote, we never had a conversation about it. The facts are the facts. Jalen is 20th or 21st in average minutes. Kat is below that.

Your wings play more. They're matched up against primary players. This right here is the first fracture I have seen in about two and a half years. In terms of all along, guys have been, whatever Tim says, they back them up, they back them up, they back them up. And now it's the first time we got a guy saying,

I don't know, right? The original quote, this is according to Stefan Bondi of the New York Post, sometimes it's not fun on the body, our bench guys can come in and we don't need to play 48 minutes. It helps just keeping fresh bodies out. That's what-

All right, can I have though a macro conversation? Thibodeau is known, like there are very few coaches that are known for this. He's gonna run your dudes into the ground. Like it's- He plays his guys. And what he'll say and what this is echoed by everybody from this coaching tree right Stan Van

Gundy Jeff Van Gundy all these guys right Michael Malone is another one where that what they'll say is yeah I play my best players because you play to win the game. In my lifetime in basketball no one is more associated I mean it was Dusty Baker with arms in baseball but my father refers to him as the butcher because he looks like a butcher, but a lot of people accuse him more than any other coach of he's gonna wreck your knees because you're just gonna play a ton of minutes, like that's a reputational thing.

And now this part was the interesting part to me. New York fell in love with that team the last couple of years and it's heart and it's grit and it's's now it's Kat and it's what we've got to reduce the minutes and Bridges, Bridges goes for a bunch of picks and now he's talking about minutes. Do you understand? Hart's still there by the way, thank God. Yeah, but they fell in love. But Grit's gone, he's in Minnesota now, Dante.

They fell in love with Hart and Stein and then he's gone and all the things Hart and Stein represented and now this team is something different. It's got more talent, more expectations, but it's harder to love if it's going to become between about what Thibodeau used to coach up and now what's objectionable to the new guys. So this is the fun part of this, right, is Tibbs rightly states, hey, my main guys are playing less average minutes than a lot of the other stars in the league.

But when you start looking at combinations, Dan, that's where it gets interesting. For example, the most played lineup in the NBA this season, number one, are the Knicks, Carl Anthony Towns, Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Ananobe. 885 minutes played. The next highest one are the Timberwolves, Conley, Gobert, Randall, Edwards, McDaniels, 551.

That's more than 300 more minutes. And then number three is Sacramento at 431 with their lineup, and then Houston 422. So you see it's like, there's a gap, a massive gap. The gap between two and one in and of itself would be in the top 10. Like those 300 plus minutes would be top 10 in lineups played if it were a lineup itself.

Bridges is such an interesting messenger, don't you think? I mean, when the voice on that is, no, I play more minutes than anybody and I play every single game. And nobody in the league does that. And I mean when when Embiid's body breaks down in Philadelphia when all of these guys know that their economies and in New York you've now got the economy built around three stars and the team that they fell in love with Brunson and grit and all those things. Brunson took a

discount all the things you love but the bodies like they're playing a lot of minutes and I want to know what you do with the messenger Well, I think it's interesting because another guy who said the opposite not now I believe it was last season was Josh Hart Josh Hart actually leads not only the team in minutes The league in minutes played Josh Hart not only leads the league in minutes played, but plays a lot of out of position basketball. He's playing against power forwards at sometimes centers, right? So the guy playing the hardest minutes in the league is also playing the most minutes in the league. And last year he was, he was supportive of all of this.

There is something to me, it's like, oh, the new guy came in and said, wait, what are we doing here? Versus the guys who had been there who are kind of entrenched in that mentality uh... i'd adjust it's interesting to me i i don't know if it means anything that mckell bridges is the messenger or or maybe we're all taking a quote out of context is that could happen to where he's being asked specifically about something in part of his answer does say those words but then if you extrapolate just those words it sounds like he's complaining when he's really not. I appreciate it especially

with Amina and all the love that the Association is getting but are you guys not aware that this is March this this is March and you guys were watching the pros when Callan Stanford played an ACC tournament men's basketball game in Charlotte. Let me tell you something. How could you watch anything else? Mike, we did this yesterday, where we talked about Sissoko for Cal fasting,

and Bayheim had some kind of insensitive remarks or whatever, and it took me legit, like a strong 40 minutes to figure out, why is Bayheim calling a Cal game? Why is it, what is this ACC Network logo? I could not put two and two together. It is the most ridiculous in basketball because in college football, you get used to cross country trips.

Like Miami-Cal being a conference game is weird, but the notion of Miami playing Cal isn't all that weird. A ACC conference tournament in ACC country with Cal and Stanford, I was locked in. I mean, we literally just had USC and UCLA play for the Big Ten Championship on Sunday in Indiana. It's incredible. It's absurd.

I was locked in on Indiana last night as well as two sub-500 basketball teams went to double OT on Peacock, locked in on the cock, was watching USC Rutgers. Woof! Shout out to the cock. I liked his better, locked in on the cock or, that's better.

Keep it locked on the cock. Okay, you're doing something here. I've got to tell you. That one was just loud. Well, it's not just loud. Your microphones picked that up. I didn't get the signal that the bang was coming. So all the audience probably heard was, baa!

The way that he does it, though, you don't understand. It's like he's stomping on the ground, and there's a little Popeye in it, a lot of lumberjack thick. And Breen is a bit of a statue. Breen is a statuesque broadcaster. His bang is all pipes. It's all pipes. Yours, it feels like it's got rage instead of broadcasting range.

Bang! There it is. Here you go. That was good. Got it back now. The pain has to be a part of it. Bang! There you go.

That's your do-re-mi right there. Yeah, you can't disassociate from the pain. You gotta be there. But Mike, I have a suggestion, and Jess, I want you do-re-mi right there. Yeah, you can't disassociate from the pain. You gotta be there. But Mike, I have a suggestion, and Jess, I want you to weigh in on this as well. We have 40 teams in the Big Ten. We have Hawaii in the ACC. Let's change these names.

Why are we married to these names? The IP. Just, well, I mean, the Pac-10, 8, 12? It was a Pac-12 with two teams in it. And then it was, before that was a Pac-10, before that was a Pac-8, like what? Well, I have good news for you, I mean the pack 10, 8, 12. It was a pack 12 with two teams in it. And then it was before that was a pack 10, before that was a pack eight, like. Well, I have good news for you, Amin. In five years when it only costs $75 million

to leave the ACC, there probably will be two differently named conferences that all the teams are in. Provided we make it five years. That's a good point. So what is happening throughout the sport? I ask you this because this was curious last night. Coleman Hawkins, this was the most expensive player in the portal. After Kansas loses here, he appears broken and

a lot of people are talking about the pressures of money with this clip. As you hear, this seems a little early for this kind of uh... the the the pressure hasn't yet ratcheted up to where it might be but when you throw money into the equation and when you make them professionals some of this stuff lands hard on kids uh... you know skids newt maturing into expectations these guys have experienced some of the things I've experienced.

I really wanted to come in and impact the program. I'm sorry for crying, but it hurts. I really wanted to come in and impact the program. You know, some of the stuff, the outcome, obviously wasn't what we wanted. But, you know, if someone asked me if I regret coming here, I'd tell them, you know, I don't regret being on my team, the coaching staff, the people I met, and my heart just breaks for them because like I said, they just haven't experienced some of the things I experienced in my career. But I say it through for the fans

because I feel like I let a lot of people down. I feel like I did a poor job. I've let people talk about me and affect my play. And I was having it all year and I wish I could just go back and block out everything not for myself but for the team so we could have had a more successful year. But I mean, this is a learning lesson for me And I wish the best for the future of this program. Brutally honest, too honest. Yeah, you don't have to, kid, where's the PR person?

Where's, like, yo, you don't have to spill your guts about. Oh, we're not gonna do this. No, I'm not blaming the kid, I'm blaming the PR person. You gotta step in. To protect him from himself. Yeah, man. I kinda get where he's coming from. But how could you watch that clip?

I mean, I guess you could watch that clip and think where's PR, but empathy is all I felt. Bang. Yeah, bang. Yeah, I did not immediately go to where is PR. When I said brutally honest, too honest, is he's sharing his vulnerability with the same people who are making him vulnerable.

And so the exchange is an unpleasant one when it comes with expectations and he's just giving you, he's spilling his guts on, I care so much about this and I feel like I've let everyone down. It's an interesting, like, last five minutes that we've had on this show, because all this stuff is born out of NIL and conference realignment and the open awareness of what the business of college sports is. What it was, and now that we've pulled the curtain back,

you have crazy conference realignment matchups of Cal Sanford and Charlotte. You have a highly paid college athlete saying that the criticism got to him because, you know, he's young. You go to college to prepare for your professional life and that's understandable that he's having a difficult time with that.

For me, it brings a lot of interesting scenarios to the table that we've never talked about. But the college athletic story that I wanna talk about most was in college baseball. Did you guys see, I'm sure you guys were all locked into Kansas, Minnesota. Oh man, couldn't keep my eyes off it. You know where that game was played?

Yeah. In the Minnesota Vikings Cavernous football stadium, the brand new stadium that Minnesota has built for itself. There was a college baseball game between Kansas and Minnesota. No one was there. No one was there. And Kansas went. No one was there. No one was there in Kansas. When I watch on TV. Back to back to back to back to back to back home runs. Yes, five of them. Five, five bangs. Five, five pings off the bat rattling through an

empty football stadium, I don't know who's paying for this, how does this make sense, why are we doing this, who asked for this? You gotta throw one high and in after the fourth home run. Oh yeah, at that point. You cannot allow a fifth home run in that spot. That's the line? We all agree on this, look, after the fourth one, no.

Some people would say after the second. Right, so I'm making it a very liberal thing here. After the fourth one, you cannot throw a fastball. You cannot throw anything in the strike zone. That's ridiculous. It's a totally empty stadium. So the only sound you're hearing in the stadium is ping, ping ping ping

There's legitimately no one there. No one is there there isn't like there's a Smattering of applause for like the fifth consecutive home run that's going on. You know who hit the third one, right? Craig council son. I knew it was gonna be someone son. I had a feeling But you didn't express it. Well because I let her she did the right amount of pregnant pause before she delivered the line. Dan I have in front of me a top five top five three-man lineups by minutes played in the NBA this season. That's what you've been working on while this other one is just going bang bang bang all over the place. Bang!

Professionalism. So, there are no OLIs. Number five, OG Ananovi, Josh Hart, and Mikhail Bridges. Number four, OG Ananovi, Josh Hart, and Jalen Brunson. Number three, Carl Townes, Josh Hart, Mikhail Bridges. Number two, Ogi Ananoby, Mikhail Bridges, and Jalen Brunson. And the number one most played three man rotation in the entire NBA.

Bam out of bounds, no, psych, it's Josh Hart, Mikhail Bridges, and Jalen Brunson. Had to go in there for a second. Okay, so what is the point, the larger point that you made so artfully there is they play a lot. Right, and when they get to the playoffs and lose to Cleveland, people will say it's because the tires fell off at the thing.

I don't think that's why they'll lose to Cleveland. They're just not, what? They won'll lose to Cleveland. They're just not What they won't lose to Cleveland will be Cleveland. They won't see Cleveland I don't think they'll lose in the playoffs because they play a lot of minutes in the regular season I think they're just not a fully their team yet. You know who they play in the first round projected. No Detroit basketball that would be so funny if Cade Cunningham walks into Madison Square Garden and says It's me cuz I've not seen this I mean Laugh at the Knicks. I mean is as Wyatt has been around for a long time. No, no, no I've not wait a minute

You're you're predicting now that this Knicks team, that it's gonna fall apart and it's not gonna feel the way the last, the last two seasons were feel good at the end. You're predicting that this team is going to disappoint? Well, I don't think they're gonna disappoint because I think they're achieving exactly what they're supposed to achieve. But the reality is, they're almost certainly

gonna be the three seed. Boston is certainly gonna be the two seed. So, New York sees probably Detroit, maybe Indiana, maybe Milwaukee in the first round. All three of those teams have given them problems. And then if you beat them, then you get to see the Boston Celtics who have ransacked them, ransacked them, right?

They have not even looked close to competitive with Boston. It's going to feel for Nick fans way more disappointing. Last year, gritty seven game series lost to the Pacers, right, the year before that, gritty lost to the Heat, right, like all the clawing and all that. This one is gonna feel like, oh, we got smacked around. It wasn't even close. After they made some major moves in the off season.

Which is why, enjoy the regular season and the double bangs while you can have them. And Jessica brings up a great point, right? The major moves of which the guy who's complaining about playing too much is the guy they gave up five first round picks for, right? And that's why, when everyone's like, the power of friendship and these guys are

with the Villanova, it's the boys back together again. You don't overpay for a Corolla. It's a great car, it's reliable, it's got great gas efficiency. It is going to last forever. The parts, if it breaks down, are relatively cheap. But you don't pay $100,000 for it, even if you know it has gold bricks in the back.

How much aluminum's in it? Just saying, we're headed that. Is that a tough, apologize? It's a tariff joke. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. It's a tariff joke. Thanks, Mike. Bang!

I can't do it the same way. Okay. That was like a ghost. No, that was like a bang. That was like a bang. Yeah, that went off. That's for ought to. That was just a good,

it was a good spot for a bang. The, of the two games- A ghost hit a three-pointer? I was hoping Chris would meet me there, guys. He's saying one thing. The Dan LeBittard Show with StuGuts is sponsored by BetterHelp. Life gets busy and your mind carries it all.

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Oh, it's good to see everybody despite the fact that everyone appears to hate me. Stugats. Yeah. I love you, Woody. But that's on you. I don't know you that well. Love you. Yeah, they said that you both suck ass and were bitten in the ass.

So those are both things that you were accused of during this. You're roughing up my ass situation. Ass. This is the Don Lebatard show with the Stugats. Of the two games, Jessica, the first one was more interesting to you, but your boyfriend is very enthused, Leman is very enthused about the Knicks. And so you're getting roped into more Knicks games

than you'd care to be roped into, correct? I would, yes, one more Knicks game is one too many. No, I've been on the Knicks bandwagon for the last couple years just because the Bulls are disappointing, so at least it's something. What else you got? At least it's something in the NBA for me to cheer on. But otherwise it's been a very toxic, very toxic week in our house. You have Aaron Rodgers choosing, supposedly, between the Giants and the Steelers. Neither of us want him.

It's very, very toxic. Every time there's an update, we read it to each other like it's an obituary. Adam Schefter is so pissy right now at Aaron Rodgers. He's so mad at him. I mean, it's, what day is it, Thursday? It's Thursday and all it's like, we get a weird picture of him on the beach

Apparently he's the aflac picture blanket Oh, and also still not trusting Bluetooth, but by the way the blanket that had he given to me I would have laundered like the other blankets in here. No, that's sweet of you We get a weird picture of him on the beach Apparently he's like considering retirement again or the Giants or the Steelers. And now Russell Wilson's visiting with the Browns, which tells me that he's not happy and the Steelers aren't happy with that, which we kind of already knew. Kenny Pickett got traded to the Browns, which is also very funny because it may be the second year in a row that Kenny

Pickett starting job in the NFL gets usurped by Russell Wilson. So that's a storyline to look out for, But everyone, it's like musical chairs right now and no one really wants Aaron Rodgers to sit on their chair, at least not for the amount of money that I think he wants. But you may end up at some point without a quarterback to sit in your chair

because there's very few starting quarterbacks left out there. I don't know where Russell Wilson goes if Aaron Rodgers ends up in Pittsburgh. And I do like to think of the best stealer offense I have seen most recently does have Ben Roethlisberger doing nothing but throwing five-yard slants, running the football, playing defense, just holding the football. Those are the best stealer teams.

And if he's just going to throw slants to DK Metcalf five yards at a time with limited offense ball like you can feel it fitting, but I didn't realize we had reached the blanket on the beach Contemplating photos stage of the Aaron Rodgers Attention free agents. I'm here. I'm available Yeah, we've been we've been arguing like all week in our house Like I've been saying like well I mean if if he goes to the Giants he doesn't have to move he can stay in the same house He's been living in and he doesn't have to change his commute and then Lee's like yeah

But if he goes to Pittsburgh he can pass to DK Metcalf I'm like but Malik neighbors, and we've just been arguing back for like you take him know you take them you guys are advocating It's like fantasy football. He's much better for your team Anyway, I like look at your squad you need that guy Then you talk about contemplating on the beach with a blanket wrapped around you that was Jeremy Tashay last night we're at heat clippers and Just despondent the sadness Shrouding that place right now the heat look directionless and then midway through like the third quarter I looked at Jeremy and I said, you know what

the crazy thing is? As bad as everything has been, this feels like one of the darkest times in Heat history. There is a strong chance they end up winning the division. It's really amazing. It's one of the most remarkable. I thought that the chase for the 10 seed in the Eastern Conference was the most interesting chase. No, it's the chase for that division,

because you have the heat with a real possibility, a team that's lost several games in a row that looks despondent, that can't beat anybody good and can't beat anybody bad, and yet, they might very well win that division, and hang a banner for a Southeast division championship? I think they kinda need to win a game here. I mean, the last three, so they lose at home

against Chicago, they lose at home against Charlotte, and then they lose last night. Abogdanovich tore him up. Abogdanovich. Oh, Zubats. Oh my God. Oh my, he was one, if you only watched basketball for the first time last night,

you would think Zubats is one of the greatest centers that's ever played the game of basketball. Dan, Kel Alware didn't start the second half. Like, smell it, like, midway through the game, he was just like, no, because it was so clear. I told Jeremy, I said, years from now, Kel Alware might be like a two-time defensive player of the year, and it-time All-Star or whatever

and he's gonna think back at, man, there was this dude who played in the league named Evita Zubats, he gave me work. Every possible way you could think of, spin moves and jump hooks and dunks and lobs and everything and Killelware looked terrified, like he was playing against Shaq, he's like, I don't know what to do.

If I may just pick your brain real quick, I'm happy, I think Jordan Miller's the most underrated basketball player in the history of Miami men's basketball. He was so important to their run. And it's not surprising at all that he's found himself in the NBA after working hard at his game. There's this nice little homecoming with Larenega. He's going to be in the league for a while?

I think he's got a chance to hang around. But by the way, Mike, last night was the first time I ever seen Jim Larenega in person. He's a big guy. Yeah, he's tall. chance to hang around but by the way Mike last night was the first time I ever seen Jim Laranaga in person. It's a big guy. He's tall. He's a big guy. His son's not that big I was I was staggered how large a man. Yes. He's a crane of a man It's like every other person down here you walk into the studio and you're like, Jesus Christ Dan levitard is six five. We have all the tall Hispanics, including Lara Niaga. Boo.

Oh no, that was a bridge too far? Yes, yes, that's where the bridge blows up. I know the association's exciting, but it actually is like kind of a sports equinox for niche sports. You got Indian Wells going on, you've got the players, Chris, the players. Dang.

The players, and you have Champions League going on at the same time. And you've got F1 returning. Christopher Pell's won three straight races. Can I, because you're in here, I want to ask you a soccer question. We had a PK between PSG and Liverpool the other day, and one of the guys who missed for Liverpool was a guy who

Hang on, hang on, Jeremy, what is this? This was not last night. One of the guys who missed for Liverpool was a guy who had never. Whoa, hang on, hang on. Jeremy, what is this? This was not last night. I don't know why we're doing this. That's me feeling good about a good walk-off interview. That's a fist pump for myself. That's incredible. It's a fist pump for the Heat winning the other night?

No, that's a Jeremy, like, man, I killed it there. Yeah. Type of fist pump. I'm allowed to feel good about myself? Who did this? I like how grainy you get. Who took this video? Why does this exist? It good about myself. I like this how great this video Why does this exist? It's green? I am sweating right now. Why did we do this?

Who did this to Jeremy this did this this seems invasive this seems like this shouldn't be pumping to myself So wait wait wait. I'm excited. Oh, he's you know what it's a difficult job. I just know they're now broadcasting these interviews throughout the arena It's a difficult job. I just delivered the news. They're now broadcasting these interviews throughout the arena. Man. This is journalism. Sorkin thinks this is convoluted. You guys thought that I would be most embarrassed

by that time I was licking salt and vinegar chips off of my finger? It's not. It's this. And I can't believe everyone in the studio betrayed me this way. OK. I just delivered the news.

I'm so sorry. I hate you guys. Do you routinely do this? No. Guys, I don so sorry. I hate you routinely do this now. This is no good guys I don't know. I don't know him about this. I'm not shaving him. I'm just curious So here's the reality self after he's done something well Yeah, good job in an interview cheering on the heat cuz he's a Jeremy the homer and a fan actually sent this video Jerobar This was on League Pass This is always watching Jeremy this is my thing. I I haven't I

Don't believe I've fist pump ever in my life earnestly. I played baseball. I was a pitcher It was an that was that was you just retired the side Nailed a putt on the island green But on the island green. He did. He retired the side, but on the strike out, and I think it was a call. Two seam on the outside corner. Jason Day just salvaged par. It was a called strike three, too. That's right.

A check swing. He's walking back to the back. Guys, I'm a competitor. I might not play it here. All right. You guys might not see it, because I'm the song and dance man over here. But at the end of the day, I'm more competitive than probably

anybody in this studio. I'm surprised you didn't hop over the line. That's not true. I'm more competitive than you. I don't think that's true. I'm not competitive. I'll in this studio. I'm surprised you didn't hop over the line. That's not true, I'm more competitive than you. I don't think that's true, I'm more competitive. I'll beat your ass right now, dude. I will not lose a competitive competition. The only person I could picture doing that

other than Jeremy is Witty after a soccer broadcast. Just a little. Well, no, Witty's too cardboard professional. To repress my friend. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Witty would do that at home when no one is looking. No, he, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Witty, Witty would do that at home when no one is looking. No, he wouldn't. Witty would like tell himself, well done.

Yes, that's what would happen. Well done lad. Well done lad. Well done fancy lad. Well done old chap. Or he might clap above his head. All right, Witty. He was talking to me at a bar.

It's one thing if he's on a soccer broadcast, but he's like, oh yeah, I had a good time at the weekend. I hate when he says that. At the weekend? Who you talking to? I heard him on the radio saying that the other day. I texted him, I said, I hate you. Who you talking to? I like to think of Witty as never going to bars, only pubs.

It had to be surreal for him, uh, yesterday to be at the center of a place where- Oh, he's here. Matter of fact, he did ask for ale. Ha ha ha, a pint. Whitty is sitting next to Ray Hudson and there is confusion and weirdness at the top of the sport

and he handled it with grace. That can be a nightmare for people, the confusion of how are we stopping penalty kicks for a moment and seeing if somebody did or didn't double touch a ball and then we get into rule parsing so winning him was in the middle of that we have the audio of uh... of some of the confusion around uh... around this play because winning him just popped up here on uh... on the screen and i believe that he would look down

on Jeremy fist pumping himself after a good interview. Do I have it wrong, Whitty? Yes, you do have it wrong because that was me yesterday for about three hours. From the end of the broadcast to about, I would say, midway through my flight home back to Connecticut, I was either actually fist pumping or watching the video over and over again going, oh, nailed it. Great job. Good job, lad. Good job, lad.

Good job, lad. All right, well, take us through it then, because it's weird to have everyone just milling about, waiting for a result, and I know people in the sport are frustrated with all of the instant replay stuff. Yeah, and it's also one of those where I think there's a real difference between how American sports are administered and how European football is administered because there is no announcement.

There's no announcement. There's no, after further review, our call is whatever. There is no, even the referee didn't do the little TV screen VAR thing yesterday it was just we came back from a replay and He points at both of his legs and then does the wave away thing and I'm supposed to know what that means Having not been on site having not seen any of the the incident We're actually in replay while we kind of are hearing some boos And so I was trying to remember almost what are the moments that that's happened before.

I remember covering a Europa League game last year where there was a free kick and the ball hit the crossbar and hit the crossbar so hard that it came back to the original taker and he played it from there. The team scored a goal and it got ruled out because that is a double kick. You're not allowed to do that, even from a free kick. And so I actually went and read the law on double kicking.

And that is how I remembered that for that moment. And it's one of those where you don't really have a ton of information. You don't have a rules expert in your ear. And you got to figure out in real time the information that the viewer will need to know to process the information. Because if I don't explain that rule or if I don't say this is what they're looking at and all of a sudden the referee's doing this, that's really confusing for the audience. And I actually talked to a few friends yesterday that were watching the game on mute and didn't

know what was going on and still don't really know what happened. And so it was really gratifying to sort of know in the moment and be able to deliver that to the audience. You did very well. It was still mad confusing because VAR over the last few years, a lot of people have claimed it's ruined the game because it slowed it down. It's taken away the emotion of it. If there were ever an instance where you slow the game down to make sure you got the call right, it's in PKs and a knockout fixture in the Champions League, but that's not what happened. There was zero communication. It was very odd. The only reason that I knew that this was even possible

because when it happened live, I was just impressed that Alvarez got it in because he slipped. And this is not the spirit of the rule when it comes to the double touch. He slipped, he barely grazed it. If he did, the replays were not conclusive. You guys did so well.

I mean, Hudson's been around the block and even he was kind of stunned at what happened. We have audio of you guys reacting to it real time. I think when you consider the scenario, guys handled this about as well as you possibly could. That would be a double touch. Let's see. Doesn't really look like it there. Not from that angle. And I think the referee is saying that it is a double kick. It won't count. Are your producers screaming in your headphones?

I'm sure you're looking for all the information. And also, Witty, if you could tell us what happened there, but also what happened afterwards, because there were four different reports that I saw as to how they came to this ruling. And ultimately, the final result is just trust us, bro, which is kind of odd. So walk us through the aftermath

and what's going on in your headphones? Well to be fair my producer didn't say much to me It was only after the game where we signed off he counts me back to the studio I tossed back to the studio and the first thing he said was man. I thought you were wrong about that And I was really scared in real time that you got that wrong, but it was it was definitely almost like a gamble It's one of those where you say it and you're trying to, you're wondering why everyone's standing around. I think that's the biggest thing. And to be fair, having watched the video like a hundred times now, the Real Madrid players, Jude Bellingham most prominently,

is standing there going, dos tocas, dos tocas, which is Spanish for two touches. And so he was standing there kind of saying they had seen that. And I was trying to piece it all together and realistically I was just waiting to see, because again, we don't have the announcements. I was waiting to see what the announcement, what the signal was going to be.

And the referee kind of points to both of his legs and go double touch, wave away, and you're kind of context clue guessing. And for me, the sort of moments of vindication was, so immediately Real Madrid take their third penalty, which was converted by Federico Valverde. And the next, so they show the replay, they come out of it,

and they do that little score bug thing where it has the green squares and the red squares that show converted or not converted. And when the red square came up for the second atleti take, it was like, okay, I got it right, and we're moving on. Now, to answer your second question about what happens after the game, it was kind of theorized that maybe they

have semi-automated off-site technology, and it determines kick points. Meaning there's some kind of way that they figure out when and where the ball was touched. And so they could use that technology, maybe, to figure it out. But according to the people that were on the ground, according to UEFA, they only determined

that it was a double touch from the video. And like you said, Mike, it was incredibly quick to determine something that has been analyzed so granularly since. It was Brazilian TV, actually, that found this one angle, and they kept back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. And you finally see that first initial touch where he gets it, and then he kicks it onto that first initial touch where he gets it and then he kicks it on to the on to that first leg that went

slipping so yeah it's remarkable that they determined it so quickly and then they moved on so quickly it wasn't like oh the atlantic crowd or the atlantic players or the managers started arguing there was no it was just straight on to the third take and you're kind of going I hope I got this right. When you think about these kind of situations where there isn't, as you said, the guy's not mic'd up, there isn't a big announcement, is there a particular reason for that

or is this just the relative European lack of sophistication towards the customer experience, the way our sports here are so geared to being customer engaging and they're over there like, hey, if you didn't figure it out, then you don't watch this sport enough. Yeah, I really think that it is just sort of pigheadedness in my mind.

So in Major League Soccer, they brought in referee announcements starting last year. MLS would be kind of the league that's most progressive in this respect, given that it is kind of an American cultural tradition for the referees to be Mike. So that started last year. And I think it works really well. It certainly helps me from a broadcasting point of view because I can just say, and

now the referee will give his decision and he actually comes on and gives it as opposed to you do this thing, the VAR screen, and then sometimes when they say it's not a foul, the referee will do this, which is raise his right hand from bottom to top and you're kind of like, well what does that mean? And that means play on. That is kind of the referee's signal this, which is raise his right hand from bottom to top, and you're kind of like, what does that mean? And that means play on. That is kind of the referee's signal for play on, but you have to be really in the weeds

to know what that means. If you're a TV viewer, you don't know what that means. I thought play on was too long. Enough of this glorification of all of this. Ray Hudson carried you with a sound. We're talking about, oh, what a majestic winning hand. Able to handle the confusion when Ray Hudson's the star of this clip.

He always is the star. Yes, he's always the star. And you have to be- The ghost is back. You sound and look like a pilot. You sound and look like a helicopter pilot. I would trust you. I would trust you and I would trust that flight

because you handled that in times of crisis and you look over and you're with Ray Hudson and that's as good as your career gets, correct? Totally, totally. I mean, this game, which even independent of all the controversy, if I may bring back an old dude who's with the Broward. God, oh for the love of God.

Yeah, I mean, in the midst of all that controversy, to be able to figure that out. I mean, but even independent of all that, it's a brilliant game. It's one of those that's sort of rich in story. It's the two Madrid teams. They played in the Champions League four times over, I want to say, six years, and Atleti lost all of them.

They've never beaten Real Madrid in the European Cup. They've never won the European Cup, and Real Madrid have won it 15 times. So it's one of those where it's a big sort of narrative game where can Atlati finally do it? They score in the first 30 seconds of the game. They grinding it out. They're defending the entire time. They go to penalties and think, oh, maybe we can finally win this lottery. And instead of actually finally winning it, they have a double kick, which is the most absurd Wow after like one of your finest professional moment Something witty I know what a slurp sounds

Let me tell you something, Witty, I know what a slurp sounds like. Am I eating something? I'm not eating anything. We'll isolate the slurp and embarrass you. Do our best to make sure you never call a World Cup game. And ultimately, Atletico Madrid did get another opportunity to stay in that game. Real Madrid did miss a PK, so it's going to be remembered for that. But one thing I wanted to ask you about was the PK that Vinny took after Mbappe made a move that only Mbappe could make just make something out of nothing takes on two defenders that both have an angle on him cuts it inside forces the the PK how does Mbappe not take that instead they go to Vinny jr who's been subjected to so much racial abuse particularly in that stadium stadium, the moment seems huge, the crowd

is going nuts, he's getting yelled at all sorts of obscenities I can only imagine given the history, and he sales it. What was the decision there to go with Vinny? Well, all three of those guys, Vinny Jr., Mbappe, and Jude Bellingham can all take penalties. And so Vinny actually has a good record over penalties in his career and in this season. I think he's two for two this season at something like 17 for 20, don't quote me on that, over the course of his career. So he's a good penalty taker. And earlier in the season when Mbappe was really struggling to integrate into this Real

Madrid team when he was the big signing and everyone was talking about Mbappe and the fact that he wasn't really fitting in, he was kind of fitting out, he missed a couple of big penalties earlier in the season and he has had these sort of up and down moments. I agree with you, generally the player who wins the penalty in that spot should generally take it, but Vinny has a good record and I'm not surprised that he took it. For me the interesting thing that happened later in the game was basically Anshulati, the manager, took him off because they didn't want to put him in a spot to have to take a penalty late in the game. They took him off in the don't want to put him in a spot to have to take a penalty late in the game.

They took him off in the one hundred and fifteenth minute of the game with only five minutes to go. You're only really making subs at that point for the penalty shootout. And he basically said, I'm not putting you under that spotlight. If someone else misses and we go out, that's fine. I'm not having you be the guy that misses two penalties in one game. We go out of the Champions League and it actually is really good management and in some ways I think that would have been a bigger story if not for the fact that Atleti had this crazy situation happen to them.

Witty, so a couple of days ago PSG versus Liverpool, Liverpool had a guy Curtis Jones miss his PK, a really weird feeble attempt and the broadcast broadcast, if I'm not mistaken, said, this guy's never taken a PK in his life. What is the scenario where a manager says, you know what, I've never seen you do this, but I trust in you in the biggest stage. And also, Chris Cody, did you locate the slurp? I need you to know that you are on the hunt right now

for the slurp. Did you find, you found the slurp? Dang. You found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found,

you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found,

you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found,

you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, you found, going on the show. You can see it in his eyes. They are dead. Frozen in shame and we've probably hurt his career. I'm really glad this is the most embarrassing thing that's happened to anyone regarding a broadcast

in this hour. Give it a fist bump. Put it on the pole, dude. Is this a slurp? It's an obvious slurp. Put it on the pole, Juju. Is this a slurp? It's an obvious slurp! Shwoop!

Shwoop! Shwoop! This, like I said, this is Scooby Doo when he's really happy. Shwoop! Aw, Scoob! Shwoop! I feel worse for Woody

than the Kansas State basketball player now. Oh boy. Shwoop! Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Winningham from the height of broadcasting. Shwoop! I do want an answer to my question. He probably takes him in training. How many slurps did that game get yesterday?

Four and a half out of five slurps. No, it's not all the slurps. You said for three hours, you said you watched it a hundred times. You said you... Like, Winningham, this was you... I felt great, man. I felt great until I came on this show. And a humble you.