The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: Billboards Decide Championships

Episode Date: June 18, 2024

Today's cast: Dan, Stugotz, Greg Cote, Chris, Billy, Mike, and Roy. The Boston Celtics won their first Championship in 16 years last night, so we're forced to start in the only place we can: Greg Cote's mustache and Mike Ryan's fury that Dan wants to put up McOverrated billboards in Edmonton. Then, the crew finally discusses the Celtics overwhelming dominance en route to their title including why Al Horford should have won the sentimental MVP, Mike's remaining questions about Jayson Tatum, the Celtics decision to party in Miami, and how the Boston media manipulated the Blazers into gifting the Celtics Jrue Holiday. As you can tell, this show is not bitter AT ALL about the Celtics victory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to DraftKings Network. This is the Don LeVittor Show with the StuGuts Podcast. Today's episode is sponsored by DraftKings. Stay tuned because you'll hear more about DraftKings and all it has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings, the crown is yours. The great Greg Cody mustache experiment has begun after learning last week that mustaches were back in.

He is in baseball and elsewhere. I thought all of those mustaches in baseball were ironic. Greg Cody said, I want to grow a mustache. It's gonna be hard for me and we are one weekend and it is looking pathetic. Yeah my wife says that it's it's mustache like on the outside. Yes. But in the middle right under my nose it's like it's not even growing. It's growing from the outside in. I know. It's weird. Why does your voice sound that way? Are you tired growing. It's growing from the outside in I know it's weird Yeah, why does your why does your voice sound that way? Are you tired from the playoff run from the Panthers being on the cusp of winning the only real trophy in sports that matter?

Yes Yes on both counts. It is the only real Trophy that matters and yes, I'm a little tired. I'm under the weather. I'm battling for the show I I have a cold. I have bronchitis. I went to a walk-in emergency clinic yesterday and got a bunch of penicillin. So I'm fighting through it. I knew that I didn't want to miss this show, but I knew that I could not miss game five tonight when they raised the Stanley Cup. So I had to take extreme measures. So I'm jacking up

penicillin right now. Jacking it. Put it on the pole please, J I had to take extreme measures, so I'm jacking up penicillin right now. Jacking it! Put it on the poll please, Juju, at LeBattard Show. Can we all agree that the Stanley Cup trophy is the only noble trophy in sports to be won? Roy, you made a face when Greg Cody said, when the Panthers win the Cup, and this leads me to an argument I've been having off air with both Chris Cody and Mike Ryan, who I believe to be cowards.

We have the ability to put up billboards in Edmonton. We got a rare, Mike doesn't agree that it's rare, but we were given an offer by billboard salesmen saying that we could get something up last night Mike Ryan legitimately threatened to quit the company and Chris Cody doesn't want the burden of this series being decided somehow by billboards we put up in Edmonton like they are running so scared up 3-1 running so scared of being on the wrong end of this joke because they're terrified of jinxing what's happening around here. I'm not, this is devoid of tone.

Please explain to me what's so funny about putting up billboards saying that the Panthers won before they actually won. No, it's saying Greg Cody was right before he's actually right when he's got the most wrong opinion I've ever heard in the history of this show. That's debatable. It's not, I, okay, you find it funny and I guess it's subjective. I don't find that funny. I do. And then again, my face on a billboard is just like a dream come

They're gonna think that we bought it up 3o, and we're just idiots That's right. It makes us the joke is now on us if we win joke on them We lose Joe not Chris the jokes already on us because your dad is infuriated Canada with a dumb opinion No, because if we win he can say he's right even though. He's clearly not it's amazing. It's with a dumb opinion? No, because if we win, he can say he's right, even though he's clearly not. It's amazing. It's not a dumb opinion, but as the star of the billboard, if the Cats win tonight, and I don't care what score they... I don't care if they win 5-4, and McOva rated scores three goals.

If the Cats win in five games and once again McDavid and McJesus is 0 for career on Stanley Cups that billboard works and I endorse it. I don't I won't pay for it But I do endorse it. We agree with you. The billboard works in the event that they win. They have to win. Yeah, I think it's a bizarre cell phone if you put them up before and you you laugh and feel like you're getting one over at people not getting the nuance Yeah, we we look dumb. We have to win. We look also we make the organization look classless and I don't like that He cares. No, my what? We've been making fun of sports for 20 years and now this is the one we're serious on

Yes is the one that it's very important that we be serious on. In Mike's defense and Chris's defense, I understand. Like they're about to win a Stanley Cup. They don't want shenanigans getting in the way. You wouldn't be doing this for the Heat. They don't want it. You wouldn't be doing this for the Heat because you have more respect for it.

You cannot deny that. That is not true. I did billboards. After something and there was a beef. Like you don't jinx something before it happens I didn't take a shot if you don't get punched in the mouth early bird gets the worm on billboards Everybody knows that if you don't do it tonight You're setting yourself up for McAfee doing it tomorrow before you and then we're just copycats

With me exactly. I think I think very possible Pat McAfee puts up a billboard with Greg Cody that says Greg Cody was right then at the bottom the Pat McAfee show and that's what We're opening ourselves up to if we don't do this right now I want to open ourselves up to every possibility here including being on the wrong end of the joke Would you do this if it was the Dolphins? I would do this if this scenario presented itself where Greg Cody had a ridiculous opinion, I tried to do it with the bills, Billy ran for the hills on that one too.

Well, no, that's not exactly true. They didn't wanna take our money in Buffalo, which I think if we're in the billboard mood, I think Greg, I think in Buffalo, we should put up a billboard that says, the Dolphins will win the Super Bowl, quotes Greg Cody, and just put that up before week one. You know what I

will write in a column just to justify that billboard. Okay is that how we do columns now? Yeah I'm for sale. I'd like to just really allow everyone to absorb the sheer absurdity okay because I've never been superstitious in my life, the sheer absurdity that you guys think us paying for a billboard will have a result that will be poor for you because we put up a billboard. Like, no. No, no, just take, just side swipe superstitions in sports.

Like, oh, everyone's stupid for having superstitions in sports. Everyone's got a lucky spot. Everyone's got a closeout jersey. This is something that is routine with sports. And you thumbing your nose at God because you think it's funny to put up a billboard saying Greg was right when he's been wrong and he still hasn't been proven right, even in the most utopian of scenarios.

It's not funny and it's tempting fate. I don't understand this. You guys bought tickets to go to the game tonight. Because you want to watch the Panthers win the Stanley Cup. Would you not be jinxing the Panthers by buying tickets to go watch them win? No. I've been in that building for several close out games. But you've been at a bar every other game this playoff run. No, not every other game. No. What are you talking about?

It's so cute that grown people believe in jinxing. Please stop. Just rogue games. He's just gravitating to you to be an ally and you're an anarchist that doesn't care at all about this. Please stop. I'm actually rooting against the Panthers tonight. You don't say.

Of course you are. Really. I want them off tomorrow. You're game seven. No shock there. I think you're off regardless. I want to be off. We have a company holiday tomorrow.

Happy Juneteenth. And Everybody has a company holiday tomorrow, happy Juneteenth. Everybody has a company holiday tomorrow. Well, not every company has, no, I don't think that. Well, they're racist. I don't think that that's correct, that every company celebrates Juneteenth. Is that so? I actually would ask all of you this question.

Does any other country other than ours celebrate Father's Day? Yes. Why wouldn't we? So Father's Day is that date in other countries as well? It's not an American commercial holiday. It's everywhere. Father's Day is something that's celebrated all over the world? I never considered it. I never even thought about it. I'm looking it up right now. I would think not. My wife spoke to her dad in Cuba

and they were talking about Father's Day, so yes. It seems to be a thing in Mexico as well. Okay, so Cuba and Mexico, but- We don't get the day off for that. No, Juneteenth is a federal holiday. That's why we're off. Father's Day is celebrated in over 110 countries around the world.

Okay. Wow. Just not necessarily on the same day. But we started it. I'm with Dan. We do it best. USA. Howdy folks, it's Mike Ryan. It is hot.

It is damp. It is summer. And it's the perfect time for grilling outside over an open flame or charcoal grill or propane. I'm not really sure. I'm not really all that manly. I think you guys couldn't tell. But once a year I'll bring out that brush and I'll scrub down the grill and I'll make myself a

nice meaty feast. And you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm doing so with a Miller Lite in my hand. Because Miller Lite keeps it simple. Undebatable quality. Tastes as great as your barbecue. It's a beer that strips away everything you don't need and holds on to what matters most. The light beer with the most taste, less filling and only 96 calories. A perfect companion for grill masters all across America or people like me who grill maybe once a summer. But take a sip of that Miller Lite and realize that no matter what, it's going to be a good day. With Miller Lite in your hand, grilling doesn't just taste great, it tastes like Miller time. To get Miller Lite delivered right to your

door, visit MillerLite.com slash Dan where you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer celebrate responsibly Miller Brewing Company Milwaukee Wisconsin 96 calories per 12 ounces. Don LeBretard! He has been great he's made great hires I said all we've said all this great everything you're saying it's all been said. Okay, you gotta understand one thing. Stugats. Me maximum. That's right. Until I say it, it hasn't been said. Boom. Okay, understand that. You're the mayor. Until I say it, it hasn't been said. Me maximum. Me maximum. Me maximum. This is the Don LeVatar Show with the Stugats. star show with the Stugats. I do want to get to what the Celtics did Stugats because...

Won. Yes, they won and not only did they win though, they did what Tom Brady did which is they beat the respect out of everybody whether you want to give it or not. Here are some of the stats. They had an NBA record 10 30 point wins. They had an NBA record 3 50 point wins. They had an NBA record 17 25 point wins. They had more 30 point lead 17 than they had 10 point deficits all season, 16.

They won or tied the season series with every team in the league except Denver. God, I would have liked to have seen them have to get past Denver. They won the Eastern Conference by 14 games. It's the largest margin in 50 years. They averaged 1.22 points per possession. That's the best offense in NBA history. Their longest losing streak this season was two games. They clinched a playoff spot 17 days before any other team. They never trailed in a playoff series. They allowed the fewest free throws in NBA history and now

Jason Tatum has won a title at an earlier age than michael jordan lebron james shak steph curry kevin durant it's a little bit hard to argue you can hate if you want you could say injuries and they never had to beat anything better than a four seed but the and you can complain about well they won all their games easily and the three they lost in the playoffs they got blown out in all of them But it's all nitpick. This is Statistically empirically whether you want to believe it or not one of the best NBA teams we've ever seen and one of the reasons It's confusing or hard to make them that Stu gots. It's just because they perfected the modern game

They that is not the best offense I've ever seen It's just the best offense when you've got three pointers involved in a league that's taking 40 of them per team a game. It's a well-built roster. They've done a great job. Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum are fantastic. Jalen Brown winning the MVP is an absolute joke. He had no business winning the finals MVP. That should have went to Al Horford. Everyone knows that. It was a great night. I mean, the Celtics historically, Dan, are an overwhelming team, a great team, and because of who

they played to get to the NBA Finals and win in the NBA Finals, I feel like they're not going to get the credit that they deserve, but they have been great all year. This one I never know about, right? The credit they deserve. It says forever that they're champions and we all think right now that this is starting they're still young Tatum Tatum has had an amazing career for someone who is 26 years old but to Stu got his point. I really do believe that they gave the finals MVP last

night only because it's sponsored. They had to give it to somebody that cannot give it to somebody who in the last game goes seven four twenty three and two for nine from three but they couldn't give it to tater because he was eleven four twenty four and one for seven from three it was a shit game to watch but they strangle you that team doesn't allow free throws and they defend threes

very well and what you saw last night is they had to give somebody the finals MVP and so I say we should put an asterisk this year on the finals MVP and we should sponsor the asterisk we should we should because we can't take it away right we can't they have to give it out because it's a sponsored award yeah right I mean in my personal record books do gotsbook.com IGotsBook.com, I can take it away, but we can't take it away. You're right. Nobody can take it away. So the best that we can do is get an asterisk and sponsor that, right? So let's make sure to do that please over the course of the show because I don't

think that Jalen Brown did anything in that series other than wear a uniform for the team that happened to win it like we could I Could have easily given that to drew holiday last night included. Yes. You have to give it to Al Horford I mean the man was drafted before a day before the iPhone was released. I mean, yeah And there's old Tito Orford cheering for his son. It was great. What a great moment. Yeah, if you're going on sentimentality, Al Horford is certifiably the Finals MVP. There's no question about it.

They don't go on sentimentality. They tend to go by play on the court. But in the absence of play on the court worthy of a Finals MVP, maybe we should go on sentimentality. I'd have voted for Tatum and and by the way one stat you didn't mention last night Jason Tatum surpassed Kobe Bryant for the most career playoff points at age 26 or younger. This is a young man it's one more reason for Heat fans down here to be a little bit dejected because this is a team that is built to like be really really good and you can argue certifiably that they did have an easy path but they're also a

great team they were great all season what a richly deserved championship congratulations Boston they are going weird that you would do that that way that you would we don't do enough of that Dan we try to tear a team down tell them to do it again, you know? No, and yeah, and we're from, in Miami people hate Celtics. Mostly they hate Boston fans, okay? I've never rooted for or against fans, I don't care.

This is a likable team. From Al Horford, to me all the players are likable. Drew Holliday is a great guy guy for Singus was a great signing They've done everything right the Celtics to build what they have your Lawrence mass roots are showing I am a native Massachusetts and Ian what do you get? Massachusetts? I don't even know what they're called. No idea Yeah, you'd think a native would know that well, I'm from Lawrence, which nobody admits if I were from Boston You know that'd be different but Lawrence is a Bostonian yeah right Lawrence is about 30 miles west of

Boston and it's not a place you brag about being from no offense Lawrence if you're from Lawrence believe me I grew up on Lawton's hot dogs my mother worked at Marum knitting mill right across from the Merrimack River. I know Lawrence and I'm from there and believe me, my roots are in Massachusetts, thank God my dad moved the family down here looking for work. But still, I love me some Massachusetts. Didn't you and Uncle Dick try to buy Lawton's dogs?

We looked into it, yeah, and it literally fell into the Merrimack River before we could buy it. But that's a sad story. Lucky for you guys. The worst would have fallen after you bought it. That's right, that's true. Bup, bup, bup. You okay?

I was gonna say blessing in disguise, but it sounds like it's a blessing in the river. Yep, mm-hmm. Yeah, people listening to my voice from the area know all about Lawton's hot dogs, believe me. I believe they boil them in oil. I think that's how they cook them. Oil. Yeah, with the top slit bun

that's really popular in New England. My mouth's watering. Anyway. That is the first time Greg Cody has ever addressed the correct camera when talking to a group of people from Lawrence as if they're gathered around their television today to see if they could drink the Miami tears after the

Celtics have won two gods the Celtics are coming down here to party They have a team flight at noon coming down here to get drunk for three days I think if the Panthers do indeed win the title I don't know if I jinxed them by saying they might win it tonight that they should go and Go to Boston after the game and celebrate celebrate with white people Get a team flight for Kachak and Barkov you want to go spend some time with Bostonians or

Massachusetts first they have to go to quarterdeck with Bostonians or Massachusetts? First they have to go to quarter-deck. Yes, 1929. I like the idea of the winning team celebrating in the opposing team city actually. Go to Dallas or if you're the Panthers go to Edmonton. I legitimately don't know if Boston is coming here because the party's better here or because of how funny it is to do this on the Heat's turf. After the last five years. After the last five years, those two teams have been fighting at the top of the conference and now only one of them forever gets to win. Massachusetts is a weird state.

I think the bars and the clubs close at like one o'clock. So if you want to party there, you can't do it too late. You come to Miami, it's a smart play by them. It is, and you do it right in front You come to Miami. It's a smart play by them. It is. And you do it right in front of the fan base that hates you the most. Put it on the poll, Juju, at LeBattard Show. Are the Celtics coming to Miami because one option is the party is better there or because the Miami Heat play there?

It's funny. It should start a trend. I think the Florida Panthers should go to Edmonton to have their parade. That's a good idea. Isn't that what Stugance just said? Yes, Steve Martin. Were you not listening? Did he? He's sitting right across from me.

I didn't hear that. It's okay. Yeah. And he grabbed your drink? He was sitting right across from you. What did he say exactly? Let me roll tape. Let me hear what he said. If I missed it, I'm sorry. You just said it. OK.

Well, it's worth reiterating. Yeah, me maximum type thing. It's worth reiterating. Yes, thank you. I said it. Now it is. I appreciate it. Thank you.

With last night's performance, though, Jason Tatum, who Greg Cote would have voted for MVP, and I saw at least three or four people that voted Voted Jason Tatum for MVP with last night's performance He finally pulled ahead of Patrick Ewing for the second worst field goal percentage in NBA Finals history On a scale of 1 to 10 how happy was Jason Tatum for Jalen Brown winning the MVP? Oh wow For it's a good question. I agree. Four. Ty.

Michael Pena on Twitter writes, Jason Tatum officially becomes the sixth champion in history to lead his team in playoff points, rebounds, and assists. He joins LeBron, Bird, Jokic, Hakim, and Duncan. MVP. and Duncan MVP that with a sub 40% from the from the field and under 40% from a three point land. I think he was 10 for what 37 this finals. I think it's right to have questions about Jason Tatum still but to me it's not even a debate considering the last two most valuable players in the series that they've played in have gone to Jalen Brown.

Jalen Brown's very clearly, I think, they're number one now. I think with Tatum, what's interesting is the guy never had one of those moments late in the game where he had to do something, hit a big shot. He was never, the team wasn't pressed like that really throughout the entire postseason. But he did check off some boxes.

They got it done in a closeout game. It was impressive. They blew that team out. And he drove to the rim a lot. He did, and dished the ball a lot. He was not just chucking threes, although he shot a lot of threes, but he was going to the rim a lot,

and he was distributing the ball a lot. And that was impressive to see. All while shooting Wursen JR Smith. I get it. The lament that his percentages are low will obviously be something that just drifts out to sea. Nobody cares. Except Mike.

I think that there's a discussion in that you can still have the questions about Jason Tatum because he wasn't their most valuable player. And people can parse that because he wasn't particularly awesome. I think we all wanted to see Jason Tatum be the guy, not just in the NBA finals, but throughout the postseason. And he wasn't, if you want a nitpick, but yeah, he checked the biggest box and that franchise checked the biggest box.

And it was a war of attrition for them. They made a gutsy move in the off season credit to them and they were pretty healthy but they had to deal with a big injury in Kristaps Porzingis. They ran through the entire postseason like a hot knife through body. They ran through the entire league all season. Clearly the best team all season. I wonder if this is the start of something close to a dynasty or a dynasty. I don't know how, like, the last six seasons, which was shocking to me, the NBA has had a different champion every single year. That's not the norm in the NBA, but it feels like this team is just getting started.

Okay, no, well, A, I don't want to do that with you because, A, we do that too quickly. Right. That's a two A's. I just did two A's. I did, because this is going to be, this is going gonna have, before we get back to the asterisk, I'm gonna have like a bunch of A's and B's here, okay? Boston billboard, is this a dynasty? Then maybe you jinx them, and then it's not a dynasty.

Well yeah, I just love the idea that billboards decide championships. I'm gonna start putting them up all over the place because this is a superstition that's clearly infallible. No, I'm the silly one for saying, hey, it's not a good idea to put up we are the champions before we are actually champions. That's good, Bill.

No? Yeah, no, sue me. I get it. We're just all having fun here and I'm the guy standing in the way because of my superstition that's so stupid because I don't wanna be taking a victory lap before there's actually a victory.

That's my bad guy. I stand with you, Mike. You're just afraid of being the joke, that's all. I understand. We are a joke. It's a self-own. I know. Here's a joke that someone from our fan base has to explain to you. See why it's funny, even though we're not champions? I don't like it. It's self-own. I know.

And it's thumbing your nose at God. You do not thumb your nose at God. No, Greg says he's overrated. Greg says the God that plays in Edmonton is overrated. The guy that is overrated is leading this series in points and if you're looking to hedge which I am because I'm in long game with this future for the Florida Panthers I'm going to place an emotional hedge on Connor McDavid to win con smite because he might actually win it without winning the cup outrage that's a jinx that's a jinx that's a worse jinx that that's a worse jinx. I'm the cell phone. No because How is it?

When the cons knife I mean I said if the Panthers win He very clearly does not know how the jinx works Oh cuz he said if if if if he doesn't know how the jinx works clearly because he keeps wanting to tempt it if you put The bet on Conor McGregor if if you put that bet in... That would be something. That would be long. I'm sorry, Sid. Oh, yeah. If you put the bet on Conor McDavid to win the Con Smythe, you're not jinxing the Panthers if you do that now? No, you're hedging on your bet, and also he can win even if they lose the series.

We've seen most recently... But he will win if they win the series. Yeah, 100%. So right now you can get the Oilers at plus 700 win if they win the series. Yeah, 100%. Yeah, 100%. So right now you can get the Oilers at plus 700 to come back in the series and win it, or you can get Conor McDavid at plus 700 to win the Con Smythe. If you want to hedge your panther's future, what you do is, well, if the Oilers come back. When they come back. It's going to be McDavid that does it.

Shut up, Billy. So let me bet McDavid to win Con Smythe. That way, there is even a scenario in which they lose Lord Stanley and I can still hedge. I said when so I can jinx them so the Panthers win. Shut up! An action packed fight card is taking over Las Vegas for UFC 303 Alex Beheda vs Yuri Prohaska II in the main event and then we've got T-City Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopez in the co-main event. Jump in on all the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sports betting partner of the UFC.

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See dkng.co.mma for eligibility, deposit restrictions, terms, and responsible gaming resources. Don Lebatard. Cheaters never prosper. Stugats. I ain't cheatin'. This is the Don LebatardAF.com wasn't a jinx when we did it and the Panthers then just won the next three games. You very clearly don't understand because it was.

He's the leading scorer in the series and I tried to stop that and you guys just went ahead with it and hopefully we can survive it. Mike for all the leading scorer in the series stuff you're doing you're thrilled with the way the Panthers are playing against McDavid and you're thrilled with what his output is. You would if I'd given you this before the series started and said he's not gonna to score goals you're going to keep him from scoring goals you would take the stat line from him even though he has more points than anyone in a postseason i would say that if mcdavid was easily the most points in this had the most points in the series which he is presently i would say there's no way

that the panthers are leading three one in this series with an opportunity to close it out at home no i would know i don't I don't, I don't, I think he's been really good. I think he's been pretty dynamite. You wouldn't have taken this all the assists. I think he's had two sub par games. I think maybe you didn't catch it or whatever, but he actually really set up what should have been a game tying goal beautifully behind Bobrovsky through Bobrovsky's legs,

to Ryan McLeod, and Bobrovsky makes the save of the series. Maybe I didn't catch it. I don't think you did, because if we're still gonna be one note about the McDavid overrated stuff. Mike, I'm not one note on the McDavid overrated stuff. Stop doing that to me. I wasn't even here the week Greg Cody said it. I wasn't on this side of the country.

No, you're right. You're totally free from any blame on this whole McOverrated thing. I haven't put up the billboards yet. But you put up the t-shirts and you're trying actively to put up the billboards right now. So I don't, it's funny to me

that you're trying to disassociate yourself from the blame here. Greg's whole point was he's not an all-time great without a Stanley Cup. It doesn't matter how many points or goals or assists or whatever he gets, if he doesn't win the Stanley Cup, it's still the point Greg made was he's not as good without a Stanley Cup. He took a pot shot. It's a pot shot.

No it's not. That's a pot shot. You call him Mick Overrated, that's a pot shot. If there's blame here, I'll take it all on. It doesn't need to go to any place else. True leadership. Because this is me. I have never said Conor McDavid is not a great player. He is.

What I mean by overrated is. He's telling you to talk into the microphone like a broadcast professional. Yeah, that he needs a Stanley Cup. And he still might be able to get it. And yeah, to be considered, you're right. To be considered an all-time great, you have to lift that cup over your head.

Thank you. He's gotta do it. But he's still pretty early in his career. He's just entering his prime. He's got plenty of time to do it. And he can totally change this series tonight with another brilliant performance. Yeah, and then another one, and then another one.

Dan Marino thought the same thing. So I mean, I don't know. 1984 and then when did it happen again? He showed up with the tuxedo he was gonna party in and never got to take it out of the dry cleaning bag. That's a jinx. Yeah. I hate magnifying the jinx thing and it's not it's not a dumb thing. People have their superstitions. I don't like to minimize those. Okay, I do think superstitions are silly, but we can argue about that at another time.

If you see a ladder and it's up against a wall. Don't care, just opened an umbrella up in here last week. I just did that. I don't care about that. Really? Yeah, I don't care about that stuff. Crazy, man. The things that I wanted to address

from earlier in the show okay because we keep talking about mcdavid and to me it's with the reason it's funny is because it's one of the stupidest sports arguments i've ever heard the idea that somebody if they don't hold up the cop he can't be considered an all-time great when I'm clearly watching an all-time great.

And Barclay didn't win one, Ted Williams didn't win one, Barry Bonds didn't win one. Those are all-time greats. So you guys doing this, it feels to me like it's a little bit empty. But something else that's happening here is P.K. subban came in here last week and said

the best player in the world is bark off and the reason he's saying that is because he felt that mcdavid has been minimized when bark off is on the ice nobody before nevermind this season no one before this series was saying Barkov's the best player in the world Yeah But PK was saying that because it was a Tuesday PK is called three different players the best players in this series Like he tends to swing. That's how you do it

But I do agree like if Barkov does indeed win a Stanley Cup He all of a sudden gets lifted up into another tier And it's kind of like how Andre Iguodala won a finals MVP in that he just kind of neutralized the best player in the world. Didn't really, just made him inefficient, a little more inefficient. He still was scoring 40 points.

And Conor McDavid has still got the most points in this series by a solid amount. And yeah, the story with Barkov is the tremendous defense that he's playing out there and making a lot of casual hockey fans pay attention to that end of the ice when they never really do. And to PK's point and to what you just said he's a two-time Selke winner he's a 200 foot player as they like to say in hockey and he's a better all-round player than McDavid I don't know if you would agree with that Mike Ryan.

Well that's why Jalen Brown just won finals MVP because Dell scored 88 points last night. Jalen Brown's a better two way player than Jason Tate. I will say you cited a lot of great baseball examples and those are some of the greatest players. Barry Bonds probably the greatest player to ever play the game. But in hockey, there is a huge gulf in all time greats

and the list of best players to never win a Stanley Cup. Like the list is like Luongo and Pierre Terjean. These aren't Ovechkin's of the world. These aren't Jagger's of the world. These aren't Mario Lemieux or Bobby Orr's. My great ones win in that sport. But great ones do win in that sport.

And that does serve your larger point, even though he's got plenty of time. It took Ovechkin long enough. What I was just gonna say about a Vechkin is he was an all-time great before he won it it's the first time I was having this conversation around this thing. If McDavid loses in game seven it if McDavid loses a closed series I'm not gonna hold it against him but let me go let me go back to what it is that Stugatz was saying when he was talking about dynasty because it really does make my head hurt how often after a championship, any championship

in any sport, people end up there when we just saw that the best team that Boston had to beat was a four-seeded Cleveland. That was the highest-seeded team that they had to beat. Well, in part, that's why I'm asking you if you think it's the start of something because the East is so weak. No this is it's not because the East is weak the East was hurt this year Stugat and and and it was a rash of injuries that was a bit startling and I don't know if it has a lot of precedent but the thing that I wanted to ask you as it

relates to what Mike was saying about tatum and percentages because this is the part that i find interesting about this i gave you the stat earlier that tatum has now won a title before lebron at that age michael at that age shack at that age steph at that age to rent at that age do you know how hard it was for them to win those titles tatum was just given one and didn't even have to be good to do it. Now it's going to be made all the easier. I still want to hit him.

I want to watch him hit game-winning shots too. But the first one was for free. Like he got this one and he didn't have to do the things that all those names I just gave you had to do. He didn't have to suffer it that way. With, let me see you LeBron, throw the ball with five minutes left at home in game six, afraid to post up JJ Barea,

whipping the ball around the court and then going to hiding in your home for two months because everyone saw you disappear when you played like that and your team lost when you played like that. Boston, according to the ringer, has five of the top 50 players in the league. Five of the top 50 players. That starting lineup is what won that for them. That starting lineup is what makes it hard to give a finals MVP to them. But let's not act like that

hasn't happened before. The Celtics with Larry Bird had a great starting five. The San Antonio Spurs with Tim Duncan had David Robinson for a year. I mean, they had great players. They had hall of fame players and Parker and Janobli. All these guys had some help. I must admit Tatum did amplify aspects of his game that made me really take notice. Like, okay, you're, you're shot for whatever reason isn't going the way that you'd like it, but you're doing all the other things necessary to help your team win.

Like Tatum, it's not like Tatum was bad. It's just not what we'd hoped to see. And I think it's safe to say, and this is a loser's lament that you still want to see that, they can laugh directly in our faces as they party in our town. I think it's really rare to finish an NBA finals and talk about the championship team and be undecided about who the MVP should have been and think that really nobody stood out and deserved it but to me that's the ultimate compliment about how good the Celtics are is that and forget

the competition for a minute they can be champions despite not having the one otherworldly, historically memorable series by anybody. That's how good a team they are. From the haters perspective, I see a team that really put together a starting lineup that had five of the 50 best players because of how aggressive they were in the offseason. And I see that the gulf between them and everybody else was that moves and was those moves and health and the most aggressive team did win the the NBA championship and I hope it sends a message to the five of the top 50 players no other team has three has more than three of those players by rest of the East you mean Pat Riley right yes specifically specifically and I mentioned this casually like on Friday but I do think they're obviously going to be taking

their their victory lap and I mean they I mean Boston Celtics media they are Legion they are powerful, they are influential, but I do think them kicking their feet around, angry at the Damien Lillard rumors and making sure that the flames got high enough to which Portland fans were fully indoctrinated, no deals with Miami, the front office was a line, we're not dealing with Miami, as a result they end up getting Drew Holiday and all that stuff. I do think to a degree they deserve some credit for what they did this offseason. You think Derek White goes to the dentist this morning before the flight to Miami or he's just gonna ride out the jacked up grill

for like all week? You're gonna self-medicate. You're gonna get drunk on liquor and Triumph and what Mike just said where he's crediting the Boston media. They're gonna come down here just to listen to Sports Radio. As a team, they're flying down. They're flying down. They're flying down. They're flying down. I'll say it in the Dill, sir. If you're Derrick White, you gotta keep the grill

the way it is for the marketing opportunities that come with it. He's already been immortalized by a T-shirt there. It's a heroic look for a basketball player, so ride that out as long as you can wait until they get a load of defo I mean can we please sponsor the asterisk on Jalen Brown's finals MVP I'd like to figure out how it is that we do this can we can we put up on the screen something that properly celebrates Jalen Brown because we must have a finals MVP sponsored yeah I just I just found out it's behind you. If you want to see the,

the asterisk is sponsored by DraftKings. Uh, hear more about DraftKings and all it has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings, the crown is yours. Uh, it's sponsored by Miller Lite, you know, 96 calories, the best tasting light beer there is out there. Yeah. So this is all the sponsor for the asterisk. Yeah. The asterisk and it's also sponsored by Cuervo, of course. Brought to you, you know, it's a good time to enjoy the tequila that invented tequila. And then of course, game time. Okay, very good. 20% off your first purchase. We love an Asterisk.

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