The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: Cheaters Never Prosper

Episode Date: April 24, 2024

Today's cast: Dan, Jonathan Zaslow, Chris, Billy, Jeremy, Jessica, Roy, and Tony. Dan says it felt like he could "taste his heart" with how nervous he was during the Panthers OT victory last night, but did Roy experience ANY fear? Then, the tension of the show is boiling over our Heat talk the last couple of days and Chris Cote SEES BOTH SIDES!!!! Zaslow sounds off on Mike Ryan (and it summons Jeremy from out of nowhere) before taking a torch to the show platforming Paul Pierce later today. Plus, David Samson is here to discuss the London marathon, Zaslow's issues with Paul Pierce, the refs performing worse in the Playoffs, Pablo Torre, and Baby Reindeer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Stay tuned because you'll hear more about DraftKings and all it has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings, the crown is yours. Playoffs started last night. They started last night. And overtime hockey against that team, my mouth tastes like my heart. My heart was in my mouth last night.

Overtime hockey is terrifying. The whole thing. But not for the Panthers against that team. No, but against that team, I'm scared of Stamkos. He hit Bobrovsky in the face with a shot and knocked the straps off his mask. I believe the Panthers have won 11 in a row overtime playoff games.

Not scary for the Panthers. That's where they're most comfortable. They've been fun the last couple of years in overtime. But before we get to that, I have to address the tension that's in the room. Jessica walked in today not knowing how to feel because of the awkwardness at the end of yesterday's show where Jeremy is arguing passionately on behalf of heat stuff

and annoying everybody, but kind of right, and Mike Ryan is arguing passionately on the other extreme. Annoying everyone, kind of right. everyone and kind of right and so Jessica walked in a little bit shell shocked today that's accurate they're both annoying but they both made good points I think and I also am I saw Ryan Cortez going after Mike Ryan which I think is a point in Mike Ryan's favor I so I'm not really sure what to do with all this I'm hoping maybe Zaslow can give us some help as someone who's totally neutral on Miami's cover. The CEO of CNN will not be helping us today,

but Zaslow will be. Close enough. A rough start. It is close enough, but I was going to sort of introduce him as the idea of, so you've got all of this emotional frenzy around the heat. Let's bring in a voice of reason, one of the biggest heat homers of my entire lifetime. got all of this emotional frenzy around the Heat, let's bring in a voice of reason, one

of the biggest Heat homers of my entire lifetime, one of the people who was born in the fire of I've loved the Heat since Eric Reid started broadcasting for them, and I'm grateful for the last 15 years of Heat basketball because they're your favorite thing. I should tell the audience that Zaslow is a radio legend in South Florida and no one, I don't think, in radio down here is more closely associated with that team than he is. But you're not fair and reasonable about these things. How do you feel about Mike Ryan?

Mike Ryan was getting attacked at the Panther game yesterday because he called Jimmy Washer, Jimmy Butler washed Jimmy Washer okay that was worse from Dan we know his stance now Jimmy Butler is washed and then he'd say to people well I said washed comparatively which is just what he did which all in the clip but come on but Cody also said you got to dynamite the team and then he said dynamite it strategically which is not the way you dynamite it's not the way you dynamite a team so who's right here's as though were one

game in i don't believe anyone's got that the heat having a real chance of any kind i don't hear anybody anymore saying for a second that all something can be figured out here so that the miami heat can win the series most people do not believe the Heat will win A single game what well that's not I could tell you I'm guaranteeing you right now They will not get swept all right put that down. I'll go on the record

They are not getting swept put it down put it down mark it down mark it down That's on the record on the record they didn't go. I didn't go off the record. They're on the record sometimes You gotta go on the record. I am on the record They are not getting swept now I did put out on Twitter because you know you got to go off the record, they're on the record. Sometimes you gotta go on the record. I am on the record. They are not getting swept. Now I did put out on Twitter, cause you know you gotta go on the record and I put out my picks. I did have the Heat winning in four, all right?

That's obviously out the window. Do with that what you will. But they're not gonna get swept this series. I'm very down on Mike Ryan, I gotta be honest. I'm very down on him because, and you know what? I feel a little bit bad because he's not here like to defend himself, so I feel like I'm, you know, I'm talking behind his back because and and you know what I feel a little bit bad because he's not here like to defend himself So I feel like I'm you know, I'm talking behind his back, but it's whatever I mean he I mean we're a big show

It'll get back to okay good. All right He he comes off like an ingrate he does he comes off sounding like an ingrate We're not exactly long suffering Miami Heat fans Okay, well, we're not the the? Well, we're not the Sacramento Kings. We're not the LA Clippers, who have never even been to a conference final in the last five, do you understand that the last five years, this has been the second best stretch

in the history of the organization? That's not an opinion, that's a fact. The last five years have been the second best stretch in the history of the organization topped only by the LeBron year that's right 2011 to 14 is the only stretch it's been marked down Tony marked it down it's been marked down down Zaz I mean you're quoting me accurately yeah yeah he not getting so I mean I threw in like a guarantee there but yeah you sound more

like Mike Ryan's impression of you than you sound like you to me is this the first time that I've been here that she's been here too because I liked I like Jessica's I'm glad that she's here but I feel like this is the first time that she's been here to make a statement right she's only been in the presence of the fakes as low and you do sound more like my right Mike Ryan's impersonation of you then how I remember you sounding were you indignant as Jeremy Jeremy just popped in? He wasn't working. He wasn't here when the show started. You just said Zazzle made me float in here. It felt incredible I was whispering sweet nothing's into your ear out there. This was sensual for me

Yeah, what what what do you want to say to the people here the tension? This is the tension that I have and You guys have to understand the homerism that we're talking about in Zaslow. Zaslow just saw that Paul Pierce is on the show today and just like Mike Ryan, he said, I'm boycotting that, I'm not doing that. He's thrilled to be on the show with us. Billy, what are you laughing at?

We have a bunch of cowards, let's say. I needed help. A bunch of people that talk bad about Paul Pierce and as soon as Paul's around, no one wants to talk to him. I mean, I don't, yeah, why would I want to talk to him? I'll never talk legend of the game NBA champion. No, no, no, Tony. Those are solid You did not a lady you've never been so efficient with your words If I like I don't know what time he's coming on I know I will not be in here why not

Because I have no interest in ever talking to him! Why? There is no scenario in my life that I would talk to Paul Pierce. This is what is. What if you were dying and you needed him to live? He doesn't have family members? Where do I come into the picture if he's dying? Where's the... family and friends! No, you're dying. You're dying.

And he can help. You're dying. You need help. You fell in a well. You're at the bottom of a well dying We're somehow in like 1950s America and it's on Paul Rather die than have him save your life As are we locked in here, can you just double-check my work here? Let me see heat not getting swept Guaranteed I need help as you can see the other guaranteed is spelled differently. Okay spelled with a different Jeremy help me with that. I have a difficulty That's on the record right there. I have difficulty with the word guaranteed. Yeah spelling it. So I had Jess help me

We're good, man. I feel good about that. No, that's a lame rallying call We're not gonna get swept. I guarantee it. Okay, but well that's only because everybody thinks we're gonna lose by 30 I mean Kendrick Perkins the other day I'm beef with Kendrick Perkins by the way Kendrick Perkins the other day goes on television if the heat Shoot a hundred percent from the field and a hundred percent from three. They're still getting swept by the way That's redundant because if you're a hundred percent from the field you're also a hundred percent from three, they're still getting swept. By the way, that's redundant, because if you're 100% from the field, you're also 100% from three, gotta point that out. Everybody thinks the Heat are getting swept.

So yeah, you know what, I'm gonna come back and say I guarantee you they're not gonna get swept. Okay, this is where I need everyone to settle down, though, because he comes in aggressively, and he can do Stugats better than Stugats, because Zaslow still cares. And he can bring substantive passion to what we're doing but this is the tension that I have that's a very real one for me and I

now say it legitimately walking the streets because some people who love the Heat and have loved them for a long time have used this show to follow the Heat for a long time and have certain expectations for it locally and they get mad at me that a the show goes as negative as it does on the stubborn entitlement of we deserve better than this when not many have had better than this but but also and this part is a problem for me because the national audience is good and sick of how much we talk about the heat we do it about fifty times more than we should as a national show and here's the other problem i run into those local heat fans expect me to not platform brian scalabrini the way i don't expect cam

and mace to platform o.j. simpson they do they're doing that to me on Brian Scalabrini and Paul Pierce for that matter. Why are you bringing on the enemy? I guarantee you they won't have him on again. Not rest in peace, Dan, but damn, rest in something. I'm saying the idea of not platforming Scalabrini because he's a Celtic who calls the heat dirty, That's an unreasonable standard that you're trying to set for me, Miami, that I will not have set for me. I mean, we did bring on a local regional broadcaster

for one of the teams in this Heat Celtic series, and it was the one who said, Spoh called for a code red. Like, that's what we're deciding to do. But Zasso's here today for a whole show. And we had the Scalabrini interview book before he even said that, although I would've asked. Semantics. Like that's what we're deciding to do. Let's ask those here today for a whole show. And we had the Scalabrini interview book before even said that, although I would have asked for it.

Semantics. It's not semantics, it's facts. It's not semantics. You feel how about what Mike Ryan is throwing into the atmosphere when he says he invented heat twitter and everything that comes after it is a pale imitation. Because if you're going to get spoiled, you know what's going to do it. I've been talking about this.

Warriors fans and Patriots fans must be super obnoxious. Alabama fans must be super obnoxious because you get to a certain place where you just expect winning. You deserve winning. You get used to it. And next thing you know, you're running Belichick out the door or Calipari you're running him out the door because you deserve to be top 10 every single year the Heat have been a part of the national conversation for 15 straight years it's unusual in that sport when

you have turnover. I don't think Mike represents most of the Heat fans the way that he feels about this right now I don't I feel represents most of the Heat fans the way that he feels about this right now I don't I feel like most Heat fans are more along the lines of they're pretty like like the energy We were just in the finals last year I think most Heat fans grasp that because it does come off like being an ingrate that you're so angry When they've been in the finals two of the last five years I don't I don't know about the whole inventing Heat Twitter stuff, right? That's above my pay grade.

But I don't think that most I don't think most Heat fans are on Mike's side. I don't think they feel that way. I don't think that most of them are ungrateful. I had the best I had a top two or three fan experience last postseason and they didn't even win. So for me right now, like I'm obviously disappointed. Most disappointed because they're hurt. But even if they were healthy

and they lost in the first round, the joy that they gave me last post season, it means something to me as a fan. And I don't lose sight of that. I think I agree with Zazz. I think this is kind of like politics, where you have Mike Ryan on one extreme, you have Jeremy on another extreme,

but most people live in this middle space of, this has been pretty cool what he'd have done in the last five years. So cool. But it's also, you can also say it's not good enough because they've been in a play in the last two years. So it's like, it's okay to just be in the middle. Like I wanna start shouting,

like usually everyone on the extremes is shouting, I see both sides! We're okay, we're not that bad. Also Dan is reading anonymous lists on the show about BAM. I don't know where you stand on that, Zaz, but Dan shouldn't get a little bit of blame in choosing an extreme side in this argument. Stoking fires. I was reporting something.

I was reporting an anonymous source who said- On BAM? Yeah, that he would take 13 centers over BAM in the NBA and then I asked for them to be named because how am I getting blamed? What am I getting blamed for? Reporting? For asking somebody for information?

I have not. I've been blamed here for carrying water for the heat. I've been blamed for just always believing in Pat Riley because that's the wrong thing to do. Like and I do believe that these people deserve criticism. They'd be the first to tell you that they've set the standard where they with that eight seeds aren't good enough. I imagine Pat Riley is made crazy by just Jimmy Butler in general. What he does to media day, the fact that he's not playing all 82 games.

I imagine that he's made crazy by what today's game is. He made, he wanted Kareem and Mourning and Ewing to get the least efficient shot by just elbowing you in the face and turning you into Hamburger. So I imagine everything he's watching right now is something that he's looking at and I'm like, I wish that this were different,

but he's at the end of his life. Whoa. He's killed Pat Riley. He's at the end of his career and his life doing this. Both of those are gonna end at the same time. He's never leaving. He's gonna be in the seat ten years after he's gone The heat will continue to use with that mythology ten years after he's gone

They might do with him what Cuba did with Fidel Castro. Whoa, we're Fidel Castro We're getting into politics dead for years and nobody knew it and his brother was running the country It's gonna be like weekend at Bernie's style. It's possible But I don't think that's factually true. I don't gonna be like Weekend at Bernie style? It's possible. But I air. I don't think that's factually true. I don't think he was dead for years. Weekend at Bernie's? No, it's true.

No, Weekend at Bernie's is also not factually. That was a documentary. What is factually true? How'd they have a second Weekend at Bernie's? How? What is factually true on Fidel, Billy, since you're so interested in accuracy at all times? Well, I mean, we have a responsibility to tell the truth. Yeah, but he was dead for years and his brother was running the country

That's correct that it put it up on the board erase heat not Fidel was on the record Fidel was down putting this on the record It's a new record Fidel was dead for years and his brother was running the record. Fidel was down putting this on the record. It's a new record Fidel was dead for years And his brother was running the country. He was on the record. Yeah, I'm putting it on the record Anonymous NFL source sent me a list Dan of 15 quarterbacks. They'd rather take instead of two But this is not my list this is an anonymous NFL source sent me this list Oh, no, I just don't know you have not proven to have those anonymous

Anonymous NFL sources is not something I associate with you does anyone associate put it on the pole at LeBata So does anyone associate anonymous NFL sources with Jessica? I could see it. You don't think I have anonymous I'm not saying that you don't have them. I'm saying that before this moment, there was no argument on- Well, I'm not gonna tell you who they are. We pretend Mike Ryan's a reporter. Why can't Jess be a reporter?

Because Mike Ryan's not pretending, and Jessica has been a reporter more than Mike Ryan. Jessica came up through print journalism. And now I'm just someone who reads anonymous sources lists out loud without saying that they're my list, but you can agree or disagree, but it's not my list in anonymous NFL sources. But I don't believe you is what I'm saying.

I'm questioning your sourcing. You think I'm lying? I'm questioning my integrity. Well, I question your integrity, Dan, because you won't tell us who made the BamAM at a bio list It was Stan you can question my integrity But I have literally done journalism longer than you've been alive Now you're doing an age thing. Oh, no It's true though you are much much older than it is

Thank You Bane is that pain I'm just trying to get us out of this You are much, much older than me. It is, and wiser. She's also older. And wiser. Thank you, Bane. Was that Bane? Who was that? Number one, Lamar Jackson. I'm just trying to get us out of this, man. Who was that? You should check and make sure

that the record is accurate. Yeah. Number two, Patrick Mahomes. I just don't believe that you have a source on this that you contacted over the evening. You think I've never talked to an NFL source before? I believe you're making up this entire list and I believe you're damaging

to credibility in journalism, yes. Unlike your list, which was anonymous, that had Nerketsch as a better center than BAM. Wow, crazy. But I actually talked to somebody. Number seven, Kyler Murray. But you didn't talk to anybody. How do you know that?

Because I think you're making this up. How do we know you talk to somebody? Because I'm a credible reporter who has previously quoted anonymous sources on information that has been accurate on this show. You have not done that with an NFL insider. I have done it. Maybe not on this show because I'm not a journalist anymore and maybe you're not either because you're granting anonymity to people that are breaking news about BAM out of bio in this market, Dan. And number 13 is Will Levis.

Not breaking news. It's a terrible list. I mean, it's broke for me. It's better than yesterday's list. My list on BAM was pretty bad too, but again, not my list. Well, not my list either. But I believe yours is your list.

That's the thing. That's the problem with what you're doing right now. And it's a problem in American media in general. It's a distrust that the American media has for journalism in general is I believe you're actually making that list up. Just doing the Trump tactic. I get it.

Calling it fake news. It's fine. But journalism doesn't usually do that. That's not something that actually happens within journalism. It's a good defense mechanism. It's almost working. Hey, everybody. It's Mike. And typically, I record these Miller light spots in the studio. But I requested that I specifically record this one from my home office because I

got a window and I'm looking outside at those beautiful fishtail palms knowing that in just a few seconds I'm gonna go out there. I'm gonna crack open a can of Miller Lite because while sitting outside by my fish tail palms is usually a good time, I like to take it up a notch and make it a Miller time. That's right, you crack that puppy open and you don't have to think about what you're drinking for a darn second. A lot has changed over the years, including my backyard. Lots of landscaping being done right now.

But the one thing that hasn't changed is the undebatable quality of Miller Lite. You don't have to choose what quality is the best. Miller Lite has great taste and it's less filling. Tastes like Miller-tot. To get Miller Lite delivered right to your door, visit MillerLite.com slash Dan, or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer.

Celebrate responsibly, Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories per 12 ounces, fewer cows and carbs than premium regular beer. Dan Leventhal. All these high-paid analysts, I don't wanna mention names, TNT, ESPM, you know, oh yeah, they are dead, they cannot, they're not going to make it, you know, oh yeah, they're dead. They're not going to make it, you know.

Even if they win in, if they lose in Miami. I need to calm you down. That's right, they lose in Miami, they don't got a chance in Boston. Oh, they are going to have their ass, you know what, in Boston, you know. Stugats. They were wrong, they were, are they going to lose a job?

No, are they going to get a cutting pay? No, what are they going to do a job? No. Are they going to get a cutting-pane? No. What are they going to do? Keep predicting what is the obvious. They are going to say, oh, the nuggets are going to win. Oh, Denver, the altitude. And you know what? The heat are going to win it all. This is the Don LeVatar Show with the Stugats. Roy, what was your level of enthusiasm yesterday and your level of fear in that overtime? I had no fear going overtime because the Panthers don't lose in overtime. That's how I felt.

Roy, I think you're full of shit too. No, no, no. I think you're full of shit too. You always say I want all the smoke. I'm never afraid of anybody. What? And then swept by the by the lightning. I wasn't afraid I mean, I don't does anyone believe Roy's bravado. Did anybody believe your list? It's a fair point. I mean I list Reported, okay. Well, okay

Somebody else's list by the way. Yeah, not that you need two sources to report something I can tell you that was were in the second period because Sam Bennett went down and he was doing so well defensively against lightning so he went down and then the second period happened and the Panthers couldn't establish what they wanted that happened in the first period because apparently the entries got stuffed and then that happened in the first period because apparently the entries got stuffed and then it took a huge save from Sergey Bobrovsky and even that didn't motivate the Panthers

for the rest of the second period. It's one of the best moments of my life, that save. That save, overall, that game, the goalie play in that game was probably the best I've ever seen in a playoff game. That can't be right. That was a classic game that day. Both full-tenders, both full-tenders.

Wait a minute. Just slow down. It can't be the thing last night. Preserve the moment is the best thing I've ever seen. Now I will say that that's fun playoff hockey. That's the reason people love playoff hockey. Let me show a picture here from last night. You tell me how this is not a goal.

Bobrovski, your great goaltender, has his back to the puck right there. It looks super impulsive. It looks like it's not even real. This looks fake that this was not a goal. That game is two to two, and the next goal was going to end up winning that game because of how good these two goalies are.

How is that not a goal? When Bobrovsky, physically, you're about as out of position there as you can geographically be in that photograph and not have it be a goal. If Matt Dunbar got us the part correctly, because that's on his backhand, or it was a one-touch backhand that he shot there, if he got it that correctly, that would've been a goal.

Like, if he had more patience, that would've been a goal. No, I think if Bobrovsky wasn't alive, that'd be a goal. Well, that too. Like if you had as much patience as Carter Verhege did on that overtime goal, then that wouldn't have been a goal. There were so many scoring chances in that third period. Oh my god. Unbelievable night.

Like, I'm telling you, Dan, I know it sounds prisoner of the moment, but Vasileski was fantastic too. It really was, that was just a great fun game. Chris, Vasileski has been that for them throughout the run of their dynasty That is a champion goaltender at the height of his powers the Panthers score on him They've been really good against in the last couple seasons They weren't the last time that Roy wanted all the smoke from this team in the postseason and they immediately got swept. Yep That's right. I saw a lot of smoke. I'm not scared of them. I'm not scared of them either

I've been calling for them all year long. Yeah. I hate them. Absolutely. It's so easy to not be scared of 2-0. You guys are so full of shit on up 1-0 getting going into overtime. When a series can swing like that. How do you imagine LeBron slept? You don't beat Denver nine straight times. You got a three pointer like that after playing in your driveway with Bryce and telling them you're the goat that's what you do you have the wide open of wide open shots with 12 seconds left of a tie game that whole series is right there for you to go home against the champions you know how hard it is to beat that team and that's LeBron that's LeBron and you guys are telling me that the difference between 1-1 and 2-0 in an overtime isn't something go to Tampa 1-1? Go to Tampa? You're so full of shit, Roy. I was.

I could have split in Tampa, Dan. You're so full of shit, Roy. I'll admit it, Dan. I was terrified during overtime. So full of shit. Is Andy telling the truth today? Again, I was more... I am always. I was more worried in the second period than I was in overtime.

I'm fully confident in this team in overtime. I'm on the verge of projectile vomit the last 40 minutes of that game last night. You're nuts you weren't nervous. I was so nervous. I watched the entire overtime in horror. In horror. Well I'm a crazy person. No Roy, what you're saying, this doesn't take any inventory of the history and emotion of what you're trying to knock out of the playoffs. Like you have no respect. You're having no- I have no respect!

You are someone who loves hockey. It doesn't make you less of a fan. To not be afraid of championship, something that can win in the hockey playoffs consistently? You're nuts! Like how do you, that's exactly what, that goaltender is exactly what you fear. That's what ends the greatest teams in hockey.

That's how upsets happen in hockey. Dan, the Lightning are a lesser team than what they were. Like, I am fully confident in this Panthers team to get through this series. Like, not even in five. Backhand top shelf beats for Fazalovski. There is a calming element of sitting in the press box as well. Like, if Roy's out there drinking a couple of beers, hanging out in the middle of the fans,

that would have been a little bit of a different experience I imagine than sitting next to the rest of the crew in the media. This is the problem though. I have never once, just like I haven't heard Jessica summon an anonymous NFL source before on this show, I've never heard once Roy admit publicly to fear of any kind. He's always wearing this mask of bravado, your mama. Like that's what he's always doing. So he's never once at that microphone admitted fear of anything. My source just texted me by the way Dan, JJ McCarthy number 16. Whoa! What? To a sliding back to 17. Wow. I don't like the source. I almost got into a fight in the parking lot with an old guy

after the Panthers game last night. Like an actual fist fight? No, no, no, no, just altercation. So we're leaving the parking lot. I found the one lane, because that stadium is very good for exiting the parking lot. It's such a good parking lot. There's a lot of different exits.

It's usually smooth sailing, but I found this one nook where we found ourselves in the standard every other car thing There's two lines verge merging into one every other car. I'm seeing 20 cars go every other car. Everyone's being nice There's one guy Older white dude with his wife in the car hops up on the curb and thinks he's gonna skip like eight people He's in like a truck He's in like a truck like an SUV and you can see, like an SUV, and you can see his wife yelling at him. And during it, all of a sudden,

I'm pulling up and he gets by me. And the car in front of me decides, we're gonna block this guy. So we block him. So all of a sudden, this guy who thought he was skipping everybody is getting passed by everyone. So now he's rolling down his window like, come on, let me go!

And I hit him with, I rolled down my window, cheaters never prosper Just a stupid line. He goes I ain't cheating It was so funny like I said that I did Cheaters never prosper and you will sit here buddy, and then the next person behind me let him in so I was pissed But I was so he prospered not on my watch Cheaters never prosper and he goes I ain't cheating cuz it's true It's true don LeBattard go peepee two guts go peepee

This is the Don LeBattard show with the Stu Gats I have told you before, I will continue to tell you, David Sampson is working very hard on Nothing Personal, the podcast, a daily slalom course of subject matter that I don't believe a lot of other people are attacking. So Nothing Personal is something you should check out. He is joining us now from somebody's grandmother's house in London. Is that where you are, London? No, I'm in Paris at a hotel. This is the background. This is where I've been doing nothing personal from this week. And yeah, I was in London this weekend, Dan, so you were close. And so why are you in Paris and London?

I ran a marathon. I ran the London Marathon. Well, I tried to run. I finished the London Marathon Sunday and then came over to Paris through the tunnel for a couple days before I come back for Monday. Did you train for it? No, I do. I used to train so hard I would never miss a training run. And then I did the seven marathons deal and I thought I could just run a marathon without training. So I didn't earn the starting

line. I got to the starting line. The first 18 miles were great. And then I just collapsed at mile 18, pulled over to the side of the street. My legs didn't move and I was emotional because I thought I couldn't finish. And I just decided to try to keep going and I ended up doing the last 8.2 miles but it was, I don't suggest doing marathons without training. Have you never finished a marathon before? Well I quit the Berlin Marathon last year and I, so I was worried I was going to quit again and I don't ever want to be a quitter and I hated that feeling.

I still think about it. It's been a year and a half, and I think about it pretty much every day that I had a chance to do a Berlin Marathon and I quit. I literally, at mile 12 of that one, there was a train, like the two over the subway, that I saw was the line. Everything was in German.

I didn't know where I was, but it was the subway line back to my hotel, and I ran from the course, and I ran over the stanchion and went right into the subway. It was horrible. I'll never do that again. I believe you ran the London Marathon with Zidane Ochara who ran the Boston Marathon six days before that.

Like can you believe a six foot nine person like that running two marathons within a week? There's a bunch of people who did that, who did Boston Monday and then London Sunday. Those are two of the six major marathons. The other four being Tokyo and Berlin and Chicago and Boston and New York. And I'd like to do all six. I've only done four. Zaslow, before we go any further here with David Sampson,

what are your general feelings about David Sampson and the fact that he's on our show? I like David Samson. I've only met David a few times. He's always been nice to me. I got no problem with David Samson. I know he's very polarizing and I know he probably cares very much about my opinion of him. So I like David Samson. Yeah, he got us a stadium here. He got us a ballpark. I'm grateful for that. If you fell in a well and David Samson were there to help you, would you accept his help? Absolutely, okay, if Paul Pierce were the only one there. I'd say hey go get David Sampson

So Zazz have you spent any time with Paul Pierce? I will never do that in my life No, no, but have you actually met him is what I'm asking I mean, I've been in the same building as him many times no basketball arena with 20,000 people doesn't count Have you actually spoken with him before? No, if he were in front of me and wanted to talk to me, I'd say no, I have nothing to do with you. So let me just tell you that Paul Pierce happens to be one of the funniest, nicest guys you will ever meet. Good for him.

I'll never meet him. No, no, you could meet him. I thought he's coming on the show today. I will not be in this. I will walk out. He's leaving like Mike Ryan. There's some bagels there. I'll go make myself a bagel and cream. You're going to take a break and stand on principle and not participate. Are you going to get a pay cut for not doing the segment?

Pay cut? I didn't know that was pay and fall, period. Welcome, Zasla. You stand for nothing, David. You'll fall for anything, you know? You need an agent. You know what I would do? Matter of fact, if I were, like if it was mandatory that I had to be in the same room with Paul Pierce, you know what I would do? I would wear not one, I would wear both of my championship rings from the Miami Heat

so that he and everybody else sees I have twice as many championship rings as he does. That's what I would do. And I love that. If I had to be in the room with him which i want if you got him smoke them what part of you not understanding about this samson because you do have a disconnect when it comes i think this is something that played you as an executive between the customers fandom and where it is and how it is that you do business

i'd i'd look at says and i find this funny and unreasonable and also it makes sense that that pays for the whole economy of everything you and i do that people care that way but that but but says is not a fan today he is on the other side of microphone where his job is to get information out of paul pierce that will be interesting to the audience it's not to be i don't view anytime between nine eleven live on youtube that will be interesting to the audience. It's not to be, I don't view any time

between nine and 11 live on YouTube, on the Levitard network, I don't view that you should be a fan, even though you pretend to be and you play characters that are that, at the end of the day, you have an opportunity to speak to- He's not playing a character, he's a fan. He's a fan first, he's always been a fan. Definitely a fan, definitely just being me,

definitely never talking to Paul Pierce because f him cheaters never prosper Such a wouldn't it be great if you met him before you thought that I don't know why you keep wanting me to meet Paul Pierce I have great people in my life. I don't need Paul Pierce It's oh my god Paul Pierce is so funny and so sweet and so nice I got those people in my life none of them are gonna be Paul Pierce. I'm good. I cannot understand the words you're saying because I never knew what it would be like to have no room for something like that in your life

because I have such a vast amount of space for that. And I crave that, that it's shocking to me that you're good. You're like, your tank is full, so you're not willing to meet anybody new. Is that what you're saying? Oh no, no, no, no. It's Pierce specific.

Yeah, I'm absolutely willing to meet new people, but not someone who I actively dislike and who actively dislikes my favorite team and who has been a part of moments that have given me pain. Now granted, we've given him a lot more pain, a lot more pain. I mean, we took that him a lot more pain. A lot more pain. I mean, we took that ass almost every single year that we played them.

And again, I have twice as many championship ranks as he does in his entire career. It's important that we don't forget that. But there is no moment that I'm gonna be sitting on my couch saying, you know what would really fulfill me if I added Paul Pierce to my life? But you only have to add him for 12 and a half minutes. Or I could not add him.

It's 12 and a half minutes where he could convince you that, wait a minute, it was just a character. I was just a player on a team. Well, I'll tell you right now, he could be a big phony. That's nice, David, that you're calling him a big phony. I'll probably side with you on that one. But this right here, this put him right here, all of this here. This is not phony. This is for real I got no interest in Paul and it has two ring of punims

Is there matzah in the office because I sent a memo is it just bagels? It's two rings that he has David I know you're very eager whenever you get the Avenue open to talk about the angles that you you take it but he's got two actual rings he's not using we as you know the way fans do yeah he's got twice as many championship rings as Paul if Paul Pierce and I were in a room together and Dan said hey guys throw your championship rings on the table there would be three there two of them would be. And LeBron would still go to the heat, not the Knicks. David, I don't know whether you've been following

just how bad the refereeing and umpiring crisis is. There is no solace, zero, that Philadelphia gets today, hearing that in the two-minute report, Maxie was fouled by Hart and Brunson, and Nurse was asking for a timeout he should have gotten. So they basically botched everything at the end of that game and the Knicks win and both of the games. The refereeing is having an obvious impact in the NBA where they're trying to get scoring down.

Like the Clippers, to watch that Clippers-Mavs game as good as I know those offensive guys are, to watch everybody on the court miss more shots than they make it was very frustrating because I want to watch Dallas and the Clippers play basketball but there's an officiating edict that seems to be a place in the NBA and everyone's complaining about the officiating this is as old as time is it any worse than it's been you said that. So let's make sure we understand prisoner of the moment. Go back to Pat Riley, whether he's Bernie or not, that's what playoff basketball used to be.

Just like often in playoff baseball, where pitching becomes much more important than your offense, playoff basketball is different. Defense matters. And in terms of refereeing, I've thought about this and I covered this on Nothing Personal. It's very different now because we get the frame by frame on social media.

I don't know if you saw this, if we have this, and I don't wanna give video team more work to do. But the frame- Are you gonna do this again? You're gonna do this again where you call for video and you think they should just have it because it's a thought in your head from seconds ago. Yes.

All right, please stop doing that could you could you do could you do that for me that there hello I'm sorry love you guys the frame by frame shows Brunson grabbing if you go frame by frame there's offensive holding there's defensive holding in the NFL every play and what you ask your umpires and referees to do is to make judgment calls in real time. You don't get the benefit of hindsight, but we do in the media and we as fans. So everyone's losing their mind over the end of the Sixers game and Bede is crying over the Sixers loss. They didn't lose that game because Brunson grabbed Maxie's jersey. They lost that game

because they didn't shoot the ball well enough. That's it. And they didn't stop other than Brunson grabbed Maxie's jersey. They lost that game because they didn't shoot the ball well enough. That's it. And they didn't stop other than Brunson. There's no that's it on reasons they lost the game. There's no one that's it. When the referees are telling you in the two minute report, they got a bunch of shit wrong. Like what about the other 46 minutes?

Why is the two minute report so important? I hate the two minute report. It should be a 48 minute report. What's the difference between the last two minutes? That's like saying the umpires, oh you screwed it up in the ninth inning. What about the 3-1 call in the fourth inning? That's just as important. I hate the two minute report. I've always hated the two minute report. Matter of fact, if I'm a sixer fan, I want the two minute report not to confirm anything I was angry about. I agree. Because I just

get more mad now. What are we doing? We're not gonna replay the final. We're not all of a sudden gonna be granted up two games. I hate the last two minute report. It is to me, it's counterproductive. I hate it. I would have voted against that ever being publicized.

I don't think that fans or anybody should get ahold of that. There are reports that happen after every baseball game. You've got Twitter accounts that now go through umpires and rank them and score them of strike ball efficiency. But I don't want any, I view that as dirty laundry under the kimono type stuff. I don't need people to be debating that and me to have an official position on it.

But the way the world is that everybody wants more information, but then when they get it they're angry they have it and they view themselves as being wronged and that's the thing about fan bases so often they just feel wronged all the time instead of grateful for a run that they had as an example they were five with thirty seconds left well let's play uh... some sound here from pablo tori yesterday's getting dragged for this he deserves to getting dragged for this. He deserves to be dragged for this I wish I had dragged him for this. This was Pablo Torre's analysis at the end of that Knicks

Sixers game he's it's just obvious what needs to happen Joel Embiid needs to step up in a big game And it just sounds like a cliche. It sounds like cliche and it's totally true Dan. So yeah, I'm tired I'm just tired of being the prophet of the process. I am. On some level, yes, it's true that Joellenbied is playing her. Joellenbied should not be out there. And yet, this is the exact reason why Joellenbied exists. This is why the process happened, is for moments like this. Pablo should be imprisoned for that take. It's my fault for not calling it out at the time. Joellenbied did everything he did in that game on one leg

And you're asking him to step up. You're asking him to have a big game When he did everything that he did in that game that was truly horseshit analysis And I really erred in not calling that out yesterday That's what you aired and not calling out yesterday that yes That was egregious to say that Joe after that game, now I know he was 12 for 29, you want him to be more efficient, but the way that he's playing, like how much can you, I hate when we skip right past, yeah I know he's injured.

I mean, none of us, but he's always injured. Jeremy missed work on Monday. Jeremy missed, he had the sniffles. I had more than the sniffles, but yeah, I missed work. But I'm just saying like the idea that someone's injured and putting up 30 plus points in an NBA game and carrying that team and no one's yelling about Tobias Harris who's making a ton of money. Well but you know what like Anthony Davis everyone's giving Anthony Davis a lot of crap for having a great three quarters and

then doing nothing in the fourth quarter Joel Embiid is yet to grab a rebound in the fourth quarter this series. Not grab a bunch of rebounds to grab a rebound. That's singular. To grab a rebound in this series in the fourth quarter. Mitchell Robinson's averaging four rebounds in the fourth quarter. He doesn't have one rebound and you know what? The Knicks grabbed one of the biggest rebounds in the history of their franchise right in front of Embiid. Is it a or a? Ah I'm good. A rebound a rebound David, what's the movie you're reviewing for us this week?

Can we talk about baby reindeer? Has anyone in the room seen it? It's excellent I've seen the cover of it, but I actually haven't seen it. It's great You have seen of it but you have to be prepared to be deeply uncomfortable, it crawls into your skin. Don't spoil it, no one's seen it. I haven't spoiled it, I'm just. To say that you're uncomfortable, here's what Baby Reindeer is and why you should watch it.

It's about a stalker, it's about a comedian who is stalked, and it's true, and the writer, the director, and the star is the actual comedian playing himself, which is shocking because he's surrounded by actors. I don't think he's the star, by the way. I think she is. I think this is a breakout role for her. Well, she is gonna win stuff for what she did to Sakura.

It's staggering, her performance. It is so scary, and I don't mean horror scary. It is staggering what can happen in a life her performance, it is so scary. And I don't mean horror scary. It is staggering what can happen in a life when you get stalked. And it's not the normal catfish type of stalking. Totally different. I strongly suggest it.

Now I'm worried about talking more about it because Jessica said, don't spoil it. But I'd like to talk about some things that happen. Well, she said, don't spoil it. And she said it to me saying it's unsettling. It's going to make you uncomfortable. It crawls around in your skin, and the woman, I don't know her name,

I'd never seen her before, is great in it. It's an uncommonly good acting job where she immediately makes you uncomfortable. And episode four is the most uncomfortable episode I would suggest when you watch. It's a very quick seven episode watch. After episode four, you're going to need to take a break. You're going to have to step away because it goes to a place where it's just very difficult

to watch. And then you finish with the last three episodes and the end of the story of baby reindeer. And when they explain what baby reindeer is, because I had no idea why it would be called that, and it's such an important part of the story, that's the part I won't spoil, but it is a show that I strongly suggest everybody watch. David, we will talk to you next week, sir. Okay, thank you.

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