The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: I Don't Think It's Complicated

Episode Date: July 25, 2025

What do YOU think Jonathan Zaslow did that made Izzy say. "there's something about you I'm very attracted to right now?" Today's cast: Mike, Zaslow, Chris, Billy, Israel, and Jeremy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No Frills delivers. Get groceries delivered to your door from No Frills with PC Express. Shop online and get $15 in PC Optimum Points on your first five orders. Shop now at NoFrills.ca. This is the Dan LeBattor Show with the StuGuts Podcast. Happy Friday everybody. Let's go around the horn. We got Billy, we got Izzy, we got Jeremy, we got Roy, we got Chris Cody, we got Jonathan Zaslow, and we got me here on this Friday rocking with you. Happy birthday, 10DayTony.

He's not in right now. We begin with the breaking news that we had to end the postgame show yesterday with an icon of professional wrestling, really an American pop culture icon, a global icon in Hulk Hogan and his passing. I found this one tricky to eulogize, and we talked through that a little bit yesterday, and I have some remorse. I know I mentioned that you're not your worst moment, but let's get into why this one's a little complicated.

I don't think it's complicated. You don't think it's complicated? No, like I think it's all out there. We know, I don't think it's tricky to understand how to handle Hulk Hogan's death. We know that there is an incredible, like there is good where he brought us a lot of joy if you're a child to the 80s like myself. And then it's okay, he was also really shitty

to black people, you know, the last 15 years. Like this is not complicated. Not just the last 15 years would be my guess. 15 years. Like, this is not complicated. What's complicated? Not just the last 15 years would be my guess. 15 years. No, but that we heard about. That we heard about. Yeah, that we heard about.

Okay, so like, he had the N-word controversy, and look, this was not, like, this was super racist. This was, he was taped in his home, something to the effect of, I would not let Brooke date a racial slur. Now he could have bounced back from that and I think he largely did. Look, there's a guy that gave the keynote speech, one of the keynote speeches at the RNC. He's a huge brand and he's made several appearances since his controversy, but a lot of what followed him after that, because he could apologize, have a sincere apology,

and slowly work his way back into the good graces of people. There was an incident in which Vince McMahon tried to get him back in the locker room's good graces. He addressed the locker room, and any black superstar that was in that locker room came away more upset with Hulk Hogan because Hulk Hogan! Because the rumors were that the lesson that he kind of learned from that whole controversy

is be careful around phones and cameras guys. That was really like the take off. It is good advice! The New Day came away really insulted by him. Shelton Benjamin, who was in that locker room at the same time, said he was completely done with him. Now, Hulk Hogan made several appearances on WWE. Vince McMahon was smart about putting him in good spots the last time we saw Hulk Hogan.

And I think part of what happened, so many years removed from that controversy, Zazz, was he never really had a public reckoning. He never had the good apology, he never really publicly capitulated when it was, it's a pretty easy one to do. And he finally had his reckoning in Los Angeles and people were super vocal and it is sad that the biggest superstar in the history of the business, his final act in front of a packed house, was getting booed out of the building. But I guess the saddest part is he totally deserved it. This is the part that's frustrating if you grew up a huge fan of Hulk Hogan like myself. He was a really big deal to me as a kid of the 80s, where, okay, so you have someone who you really, really liked or you really, really loved, and then you find out, wow,

they did or they said something shitty. Sometimes it's unforgivable, the shitty thing that they do. Like, did you kill someone? Did you rape someone? It's unforgivable. There's no coming back from it. The OJ scenario. Correct.

Although, I don't know, he kinda had a little comeback, right? People did, I mess with Twitter videos. Who, Ray Lewis or OJ Simpson? That's a good one. Scenario correct although. I don't know he kind of had like a little comeback right people did I? Missed the Twitter videos who Ray Lewis or OJ Simpson. That's a good one, but the worst part about it is What what he said is? Forgivable and he chose not to go down that path yep like he chose to never have a moment Well, but he can get in front and say, wow. It is forgivable. For most people.

I understand. He can make an effort to change. He could say, it's a terrible line of thinking. I need to be better as a person. I'm going to make an effort to change. It is forgivable. 100%. And he wants to be forgiven.

The Myers-Leonard path. But he, right. No, but that's true. That's a good one. Kyle Larson. I'm being genuine when I say that. Kyle Larson is my favorite NASCAR driver. He became my favorite NASCAR driver.

And then I found out about an N-word controversy that he had on a stream during COVID. And I found out he served a suspension. He was super apologetic. He started a foundation. He did good work with it. He was really sorry. He's moved on from it.

It can be forgivable if you make an effort and he chose. Zero effort. He was like, nah, I don't really need to be forgiven for it. Which means? He sucks. Yep. As a person, no doubt. But let's talk about the character, the immortal Hulk Hogan, which meant something to people.

Well, you kind of knew from the very beginning when he was, I am a real American. I used to have issues with that. I was like, what the hell is that supposed to mean? I kind of knew as like a 10 year old. Firing for the rights of Whiteman. Rick Derringer also passed away a couple months ago too, the guy that made that iconic song, which was actually not made for Hulk Hogan.

It was made for a tag team that Barry Windham was in. True story. But Hulk Hogan, complicated legacy, no doubt, but pretty irrefutable. The biggest star in the history of wrestling, right? Like, we'll concede that. You could hate Hulk Hogan up and down. You could maybe venture and posit, like, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

I don't think wrestling was ever bigger in terms of pop culture, like everybody in school talking about it, but I mean the 80s. Oh, he was the first one, like WWF at the time, that was ushering itself or crossing over into the mainstream. WrestleMania 1, of course, rockin' wrestling,

yet the collaboration with MTV. Hulk Hogan was appearing on the late night talk shows, okay? We all remember him choking out Richard Belzer, which led to a major lawsuit. Crazy That's right, that was crazy. Which led to a major lawsuit. All right, but Hulk, and Hulk. Thunder lips. Hulk Hogan was in movies, you know, Rocky III,

No Holds Barred, a truly awful movie. The Nanny. And Suburban Commando. Suburban Commando. But, and I don't know, I don't know that, like wrestling may not be what it is today, if not for Hulk Hogan. I don't think Hulk Hogan survives today be what it is today if not for Hulk Hogan I don't think Hulk Hogan survives today if he's in his prime today strictly because Mike Ryan would point out his hair loss

Yeah, it was mr. Nanny not the nanny. Sorry Dressers of wrestler the camera back on me, please. My arms are so shiny. It's crazy Like sliding all over the table here. I'm not complaining, I enjoy it. Hockey with your elbows. Just make sure you see it. That's how you're paying tribute to Hogan. But like what, dude, no. So again, what is complicated about the way to talk?

I don't think it's complicated. Well, I think if you're too, he was awesome. I think if you go too far of just wanting to celebrate, I think, no, I'm not saying, we're doing a good job of saying both sides. Can we really, no, I'm not saying, we're doing a good job of saying both sides. Can we really, like, what Zaslow said, that he is really shitty to black people, and never apologizes to.

Let's not put that to the side, and then talk about the good things. I don't think anyone's talking about the good things about him, I think there's plenty of good things to talk about, the characters he portrayed, this is like, it could be both. It could be, like he did bring a lot of smiles. He entertained several folks.

I think every child has good memories of Hoke Hogan. Go ahead, Roy. It's not complicated when you separate the art from the artist. Yeah, it's not complicated. Talking about the person is also easy. He's a racist, so go ahead. Bye.

See you later. Yeah, yeah. And again, I think the biggest issue that most people had from him, we identified the locker room incident where everybody left more mad with him. It's really crazy, like why couldn't he just apologize? He never gave. Because he sucked.

Yeah, he sucked as a person. Like he was a bad guy. Even if he didn't mean it, why couldn't he apologize? It's weird, very weird. It's weird. But there are a couple reasons why I don't know if Hulk Hogan could make it today. The hairline, as you identified as one,

one of the best promos of all, guys of all time, if not the, in terms of quotable, iconic, getting able to move units and get you to go to a town. There was no wrestler, and there never will be a professional wrestler, who connected and understood the pro wrestling audience the way he did. That is great. That is right on the money. I think maybe the rock and stone-cold Steve Austin have an argument there, but I think it's clear in a way, Hulk Hogan. But the main reason why I

don't think Hulk Hogan would make it today is I put together a top five list. I put together a couple top five lists, is I put together a top five list I put together a couple top five lists But I put together a top five list of his best matches of all time That's that's that's tough man. You can get three easily I don't know how you get to five man. It was it was tough. I do as tough as it was I do have an Oli so here are the top five Hulk Hogan professional wrestling matches. OLI, Low Key, one of my favorite matches of all time because of the selling from Shawn Michaels.

Summer Slam 2005, Shawn Michaels versus Hulk Hogan. Hulk Hogan famously did not wanna do jobs for anybody. He did not wanna lose in the ring. And the plan was for Shawn to get over on one for it to be a Trilogy and hokkogen ultimately to go over hokkogen didn't want to give Sean one of them so after months of frustration trying to book this match and get some offense and Shawn Michaels just takes a huge dump on the entire thing and over sells the entire match like like completely ridiculous Yeah, it gets punched in the face

and does like three back rolls. Like Ric Flair style? Yeah, no. Stand up, stand up, stand up. No, no, no, no, no. So watch Clive. Watch Clive. I do wanna watch, I'm intrigued by it now.

Shawn Michaels just rebels against the entire construct and decides, you know what, screw you, I'm gonna oversell and make this a circus. Like Hogan must've just been mother effing him the whole match, right? Like what are you, you're making me look like an idiot. Hogan is confused in the match. You can see it on his face at Shawn Michaels' selling.

Shawn Michaels is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time and that match really sticks out. All right, number five. Perhaps not the greatest in-ring competition, no doubt. Not the most entertaining match, but certainly one of the most important matches in pro wrestling history, Wrestlemania 3 against Andre the Giant is number five. Is it one move?

That's where I became a fan, a lifelong fan of pro wrestling. I was six years old. It's the most important moment. It's a terrible match. All right. It really is. The fact that it's number five on your best Hogan matches shows you. It's a terrible match, alright? It really is. Like, the fact that it's number five on your best Hogan matches shows you. It's a terrible match. But it's the most important match, and it's the biggest moment in the history of pro wrestling.

Hulk Hogan, body slamming Andre, 90,000 plus Pontiac Silverdome. I was six years old. I couldn't wait. Like, I don't... I see these pictures, like these promos for Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. I don't know what this, like I'm six years old. I don't know what this is, this pro wrestling, but this is for me. Like I like this. Terms of sports moments that change you, it's that and then the Kachuk trade, or what do we?

Yeah, yeah, and then probably- The Bron coming maybe. Shaq arriving. I mean, he came in on the big diesel truck, he had the water gun. I mean, he came in on the big diesel truck, he had the water gun. I mean, the body slam on Andre the Giant, and it was reputed, he'd never been body slammed, he'd never been beaten.

That was all Vincenzo's man. Neither true. No, no, he'd been body slammed and beaten several times over. I mean, it was a true passing of the torch. I mean, Andre the Giant putting over Hulk Hogan. No, it was great booking, it was a great build, and people left there happy. And it's basically a one

move match but it's an iconic match for several it really got wrestling into another stratosphere and got it to where it is today. Probably I don't know if it if that match doesn't deliver and people don't leave that building happy I don't know where wrestling is today. Folks, nothing says summer like long days, clutch plays, and firing off a few bets on the game. All with DraftKings Sportsbook. Never bet baseball before? Hey, it's easy. Pick a guy to go yard, hammer some live odds mid-game, or just ride with your squad and hope for the best. No spreadsheets, just vibes and dingers. Here is something special for first-timers, new DraftKings customers. Bet $5 and get 150 in-bonus bets instantly.

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You want answers? I want the truth! Ah, you can't handle the truth! This is The Dan LeVatar Show with the Stugats! Let's go to number 4. This one's actually a fun match and a pretty good real life rivalry because they had sued each other, you left WWF, they had their personal beef, so the build to this was fun, and the payoff was good too. The good street fight, WrestleMania 19 against Vince McMahon.

Safeco Field. I mean, they put their bodies on the line, they tapped into some extreme rules, it was fun. Match against the chairmans in your top five of all time. It shows you how bad this dude was in the ring. He was not a good wrestler. I told you, getting to five is tough with him. Yeah.

Number three, now we get into some genuinely good matches, good storytelling in the ring, and this was, in terms of build, my favorite Hulk Hogan build for a payoff. And you gotta, there's something on this list, like, Hulk Hogan is a big game player, because they're all WrestleMania matches from here on out. There was one OLI on SummerSlam,

but the rest of the list, all WrestleMania matches. WrestleMania V, Mega Powers Glide, Macho Man Randy Savage versus Hulk Hogan. It's lost in his eyes. Oh, Elizabeth. Fighting over Miss Elizabeth. Macho Man Randy Savage, one of the few people that can match Hulk Hogan's crazy on the mic,

performance enhancers no doubt in several respects. Macho Man was a beloved babyface, formed the Mega Powers, they break up, lust in your eyes over Miss Elizabeth. A year long storyline, a full year, it ended up being more than a year, but up to that point, a year long storyline, it's a truly great match.

I mean, Macho was just so good. It's a truly great match much. I mean macho was just so good It's a great match classic build number two this might actually be There are two of my first memories my parents divorced when I was two I have a memory of my dad living in the house and me sitting behind his rocky rocking chair My second memory is looking at a full-page ad for WrestleMania 6 Hulk Hogan versus the Ultimate Warrior in Toronto. This match delivered and those are two dudes that cannot work. Champion versus champion, title for title.

It's the ultimate challenge, it's WrestleMania. Who's that? That was Vince McMahon. Another great person. Man, I thought I grew up a wrestling fan and then I hear you two talk about it. I'm like, I was behind. Some real scumbags in wrestling, I think is what we're finding out here.

Oh yeah. What? What happened with the rocking chair? Yeah. It's my memory. I have a memory of my dad sipping out of a coffee mug that my abuela wanna still has somewhere that says, Michael, he was reading the newspaper.

You were how old? I had to have been two because my parents divorced when I was two. I had to have been two. that my abuela wanna still has somewhere that says Michael, he was reading the newspaper. You were how old? I had to have been two, because my parents divorced when I was two. I had to have been. You have a memory from two years ago? So do I. What?

Yep, I tell people this all the time. And that's why I was curious with Mike, because there's just one image of me sitting on like a rolled up rug. If it was a rocking chair, I'd be like, that's weird. You both have rocking chair things. It was me sitting on a rolled up rug. If it was a rocking chair, I'd be like, that's weird, you both have rocking chairs. It was me sitting on a rolled up rug and the room was empty and to my left

was an entire mirrored wall. So I saw like the picture of myself on that thing and to my right was a thing of windows. And I like remember, I don't know, some point in my childhood or maybe adolescence, I asked my mom about that image, and she was like, yeah, that sounds like the first house when we moved in here, when we moved in South Florida

after you were born. All right, I want everybody's first memory. All right, so get to work on that. We'll get to everybody's first memory in a little bit. And then, number one, this one is obvious. This one is easy. Ironically enough, the top two matches in Hulk Hogan's career both happened at WrestleMania in Toronto, WrestleMania 18. Icon versus The Rock versus

Hulk Hogan. And this is a legit, incredible match. Some good stuff in the ring, The Rock kind of carries them a little bit, but the storytelling and the way that the crowd, it was a weird double turn. The Rock came in as a babyface, Hogan came back to the WWF as several years removed, comes back as Hollywood Hogan, the NWO is pretty much DOA and the Toronto crowd just decided, screw your plans, we have an affinity for Hulk Hogan, the Hulkster, and we're gonna get behind him and the crowd starts cheering for Hulk Hogan in the match. It's electric. Both ultimate showmen know how to read the crowd. The face-off in the middle of the ring

as everyone in Sky Dome is going bonkers. If you watch one Hulk Hogan match, it has to be this one. It's one of the great moments in the history of pro wrestling. It's one of the great crowds in the history of pro wrestling. I remember watching it. I think I was 21 years old, WrestleMania 18.

I remember watching it. And all right, the match is starting and this is Hollywood Hulk Hogan. He's a real piece of shit in the ring and outside the ring. I mean, he drove a semi truck into the Rock's car the week before. He literally tried to kill Rock, all right? So obviously I'm rooting for the Rock.

And you would think that that's gonna be the case. And then they lock up to start the match and Hogan throws Rock into the turnbuckle and he does his not Hollywood Hogan poses he does his Hulk Hogan poses and Hulk Hogan had not been in a WWE ring in like eight years and this is Sky Dome in Toronto and he's doing the Hulk poses and the crowd is going bananas and I'm watching I'm like whoa I'm cheering for Hulk Hogan now that's Hulk Hogan that's not Hollywood Hulk Hogan and and the way the story goes like they weren't expecting that to be the case and Hulk actually says to Rock in the middle early on in the match when they see

the crowd reaction Hulk says do you want me to fix this? And Rock says, yes. And Hogan kind of takes control of the match and they kind of flip sides. One of them's gonna be the baby face and the other one's gonna be the heel. Jonathan Dazzle, I have never been more impressed by you. I don't know if it's how you did your hair this morning, but there's something about you I'm very attracted to right now.

You have borne for this exact segment right here. This guy made fun of me earlier in the week for going to a Backstreet Boys concert, and he's sitting here reciting every storyline in the history of wrestling. This is great theater. Do you watch them over and over again, or is this just like, do you remember it from the moment?

This is the only Hulk Hogan match that I think you can rewatch. Well, I've seen this one many times, and I've seen one WrestleMania Six against Warrior many, many times as well. Top two. Many, many times. Yeah. You times, and I've seen one WrestleMania Six against Warrior many, many times as well. Top two, you know? Many, many times. Yeah.

Like you sit down and re-watch the whole WrestleMania, just like, you know what, I wanna see the Hulk and Warrior today. No, no, it's just a match. No, not the whole thing, not the whole thing. That WrestleMania is really funny because there were matches that had to follow that, and the crowd was dead. Yeah. Absolutely dead.

It's a tremendous, if you're a fan, it's such a great a great great experience that match It's honestly one of the top ten matches of all time. It's it's like the one Really really good match from a technical and storytelling and just a crowd the crowds this yeah, no Mike Can you say this one out? I want more is that Because it didn't have it didn't have a title and back then it it was like, oh, well, WrestleMania, the world title has to be the main event. It was a mistake. No one knew that the crowd was going to react to that the way that they did.

And it is what is most remembered. It was a pretty good WrestleMania, mostly because of that match, but that match really sticks. WrestleMania 6? No, WrestleMania 6 was the most important warrior. Israel's smitten with me right now. Look, I'm very confident. I got to tell you. I got two words for you, he says, go on.

Yesterday was such a weird day for me, right? Because I'm doing ESPN radio yesterday, and the news of Hogan's passing breaks like five minutes before we're going on the air. And I'm probably, I don't know, to my horn, you horn, but I'm probably the guy that you want on ESPN Radio when Hulk Hogan passes away, so that was a great coincidence. I've waited my whole life for this moment. And that's right, and for, you know, if you would've told nine-year-old Jonathan Zaslow,

you're gonna be the one who all breaks the news about Hulk Hogan on ESPN. Like that's crazy. Wow, that is wild. That's crazy. So I was sad yesterday because this, if you're a child of the eighties, and this is gonna happen as we get older, our childhood heroes are going to pass away.

And this was kind of like the first one of those for me. And so it's kind of a weird experience. Billy, what was your first ever memory? I don't know. Like, I don't have this catalog of memories like you guys do, like, back to your youth. You don't have a first memory? You don't have, like, a memory that you

can pull from when you were a child that you could say, like, I guess approximately that might be my first memory? Do you remember your first day of school? Let's work backwards. No. I mean, I played T-ball. I remember hitting two grand slams in a T-ball game. Oh, that's gotta be it. That's gotta be the way I don't know if that's my first memory

Yeah, I mean it was a second year of t-ball over the fence or a bad news bear line no no it's t-ball There's no fence. He bonds the line. It was basically you just keep running and the kids are just throwing it So it's bad news bear style. Yeah. Yeah, look at me This is a little string bean. You look like I can hit a ball over a fence now get out of here Jeremy What was your first memory? I think cuz I'm trying to go back to as far as I can I think it's watching Mark McGuire hit like a 550-foot home run at then Pro Player Stadium in 1999 Memories back here baseball. No, I'm about to do the same thing.

Oh my God. Being at the first Marlins game ever, 93, I'd be six. So that's a memory and then I remember falling off of those little red and yellow toy cars you had as a kid. I was climbing on top of it and I fell on to my- Oh, the yellow hood, the red body. Yeah, the yellow hood, the exact car. I fell off, I was climbing on top of it

and I fell onto my parents' Chattahoochee and cut my forehead or something. What parents like Chattahoochee and like cut my forehead or something What's a Chattahoochee? I thought it was a river What's a Chattahoochee? It gets hotter than a Hoochie Coochie. I'm telling I think there's a my dad used to call it that What's it? What is it? It's like little like pebble rocks Like I think your dad just made a name for it really. I'm gonna look this up Chattahoochee rock. Yeah, so it's a rock It's just like a bunch of little it's like a'm on this, I'm gonna look this up. Chattahoochee Rock. Yeah. So it's a rock? It's just like a bunch of little, it's like a ground. It's like gravel.

Yeah, gravel, pebbles, you know. I'm learning something. Yeah, and I fell, and I have to text my mom how old I was for that. That might have been before Marlin, but those are my two first memories. Falling off the red car and bleeding and being like rushed inside,

and then Marlin's first game ever, 93. And for those skeptics who say you probably just looked at a photograph of when you were two years old. That's what I would say. No, we went through the entire house. Nobody's taking a photograph of just blank room with the baby sitting in the middle of it now.

Yeah, that's what photographs were. Back in the day, you just like, we have eight of these. Like, let's just take it, then we divide. It's not crazy to think. I had a cousin that told me, or that used to say he remembered being born. I was like, OK, so people just lie. Like, that's what I got.

Just liars. You just remember sitting down on a thing and looking in a mirror? I think you saw a photograph. Israel, you think it's unreasonable for someone to see a baby sitting in a room and say, let's take a picture? In, let's say, what? This is maybe 1980, 1979. My parents moving stuff around, let's say, what was it, maybe 1980, 1979,

my parents moving stuff around, you're gonna say, hey, stop, honey, let me go get the disposable camera, which my family did not have disposable cameras sitting around, my dad was not a techie. Like, if you go through our old family photos, there's not a ton, not a ton, especially not of me. Not a ton of pictures. Definitely didn't see a photo.

Maybe you were doing something cute right before, and then they took the photo, and you no longer were doing something cute, so it and then they took the photo, and you no longer were doing something cute, so it's just like the after-cute photo. Then why couldn't we find the photo? Went through every single family photo we've ever had. Couldn't find it, I'm telling you.

I believe you, Izzy. I believe you're my friend. I'm with Zazz. You're full of shit. I'm skeptical. Yeah. Zazz thinks you're a liar. Zazz likes Hulk Hogan.

Yeah, he is a notable fan of racists. That's unfair. He did say, not a big deal. Totally fair. I did not not a big deal totally fair I did not say you did not say how dare you how long did it take you on ESPN radio to get to that part? The racism yeah, oh no well That's why I said I don't think it's complicated to discuss this like I got to it right away, okay good You know I think that's important though

I just think if you do ten minutes before you get to it. I do think it's a little one. No, no, no. Can I buck up against, like, it's not complicated when, like, inside of your first three sentences, you're talking about how the dude sent an N-word and never really gave a formal apology? I think that's a tricky one. Right, that's the part that's a little weird, because you're just like, this is so simple,

why are there anybody, it's like, you did some terrible things. I think, no, but, but, but. It seems easy to me. But why, yeah, why is that complicated? Like, you. Well, it depends. Did you announce it this way? No, did racist Hulk Hogan die that ate something, something?

I think the question is, the debate is, how much do you want to praise a guy that is that? That's a tricky point. That's exactly the thing. Right, but he's saying that's not complicated, and that is complicated. I think you just, you do both. I don't think it's hard.

You could talk about the joy that this person brought you as a child And then you also it's also very okay to then talk about why? Black people especially did not like this man for the last 15 20 years And how shitty it is that he could have just showed a little bit of remorse somewhere And he never did and as a, he got booed out the building earlier this year and then tried to blame it on, uh, you know, he went on the McAfee show like a few weeks later and then tried to, ah, you know, it's very political. No, it's not like there are other pro wrestlers who are right wing, who

support Donald Trump and they don't get booed out the building when they appear. Maybe that had something to do with it, but it's because of things that you've said in the past and you chose not to acknowledge it. The Undertaker was on that very same card, came out to a Kid Rock song. I mean, the guy wears nine-line shirts. Undertaker loves Trump. Loves him, and he got a huge ovation there.

And I think really the most frustrating sad part and the one that is probably most damning on his character is that there was a large part of that wrestling audience that was ready to forgive him. You listen to people that were in that locker room, particularly the black wrestlers, they were there, they were going to hear him out. Now Vince McMahon told them to be there but he did so poorly that they doubled down and they were like to hell with this guy listen brothers listen brother brothers right there for you don lebatard my algorithm on instagram is dance all boobs This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats. Roy, what's your first memory?

Just walking in kindergarten. That's it. Like what? To the school bus? From the school bus? No, into the building. Hello school. Everybody remembers the building. Hello school Everybody remembers your first day of school or no Billy. Do you remember your first day of kindergarten? I don't know Wow, that's unfortunate I remember my first day kindergarten. I remember a day in kindergarten where I peed myself

Yeah, cuz I was very much pants is cool. I'm very much a rules. I was right follow the rules I got there and told us not a that wasn't very that wasn't a very specific rule What was the rule is? Don't interrupt during what was it morning announcements or something? And so we're all in the middle We're all like, you know, what is it a how do you sit with your leg crossed? It's not a crisscross applesauce We're all sitting there crisscross applesauce and I really needed to go. But I'm just like, she said never to interrupt, so I'm just like, she was almost done,

and I was just like, and then when she was done, I was like, I gotta go, I wet my pants, and she's like, why didn't you say anything? I said, you told us not to say anything! And then she, you know, called my mom, and I got some new shorts. Rough first impression. You are 34 years old.

It is, yeah. I think that my first memory, actually, now that I think about it, is a dream that I had when I was a little kid. That doesn't count. I've been told the story, so it's a weird one. You've been told the story about your dream. No, so this is a weird one, because I can remember the dream totally. And the reason it's something I've been told about is it sent my mom down this weird numerology path and spirituality that was very interesting but what it was a little bit I love her

but the I had this dream where and I had it back-to-back nights where I was sleeping in my house and I got up and it was the middle of the night and I walked down the hallway and walking in through the door to the garage was Billy the Marlin. And I end up, yeah, terrifying, right? But I end up like hanging out with Billy the Marlin and we're like, I don't know, we're playing baseball together, whatever.

And then the next night, well yeah, I still am obsessed with baseball, but the next night, I had the same dream, but with this random adult who I did not recognize, but felt like family. And same exact thing, I promise this isn't bad and weird, just let me get there. I promise.

You don't create faces that you don't recognize in your dreams, it's gotta be somebody that you know. Right, so this is weird, right? And then what ends up happening is that a couple of weeks later? My mom was going through an old photo album showing me pictures of her from being a kid whatever and There's a face and I'm like, oh, that's the guy from my dream It was my uncle Maury who died when he was 24 years old Well before I was ever born and And my mom was like, what? And so she called my aunt and was like,

did you ever show Jeremy pictures of Morrie? And no, the answer was no. And so it was this very weird, like what's going on in this kid's head? Anyway, that. Your house is haunted. Could it have been also, you saw a photo of someone and you like, in hindsight, you're like, oh that was him,

but it really wasn't him in the dream. I mean, not to ruin, no, look, I think it doesn't make any sense, right? But I can still vividly remember what both of those dreams looked like in my head now today. That doesn't count. Why did that send your mom down a path of numerology? So it was my, yeah, so here's the interesting one, right? The number 23. Why did that send your mom down a path of numerology?

So it was my, yeah, so here's the interesting one, right? The number 23. No, it's really great, right? Because, so what it was is basically my mom, I don't know who she went to go talk to, but there was some sort of spirituality, something that she was talking to about this, and basically what it ended up being was it was like my birth weight and time I was born and her birthday were all exactly the same. It was like the time I was born was 731.

She's born on July 31st. And there ended up being basically this connection with that to my uncle. I know, I get it. I get all of those things. How are you feeling about this story right now? I'm not feeling great about bringing it up, if I'm being honest, because it's really cool.

It's cool stuff for her, you know? And Uncle Maury. Yeah, and my uncle. I bet he pops up in another dream now. Like today? Because of how insane this conversation is. I'm sweating. Can I ask you a question?

Why did you decide yesterday to share your high school baseball stats on Twitter? Because it said it's a piece of baseball lore about you and so I went ah screw it. I'll brag for a second Thanks, man, I'd like to see this yeah show the show the photo We'll give you time, you know, I figured I'd do it on Twitter instead of on the show every you know every week like Tony Yeah, it led by the way It led to an over I overheard a conversation of Jeremy just being like yeah through four and two shutout You're gonna do it on Twitter instead of on the show every week like Tony. Yeah, happy birthday by the way. It led to an over, I overheard a conversation of Jeremy

just being like, yeah, I threw four, and two shutout innings of like, just breaking down like some game he was doing. That didn't happen. You were talking to GQ about it, I heard it. Nope. He came in, someone said something, and then Jeremy decided, you know what I'm gonna do,

I'm gonna put all of the statistical categories that I led my high school district in, and then I'm gonna name all of the major league baseball players. You were like a big time baseball player in high school? Oh yeah, I was first team all county down here. Is he being serious? No, he was good.

I was a pitcher. Jordan McPherson I think put out his all county athlete picture that I guess he went through the Herald archives to find, and then he was like, and this was a league with this player and that player that are all like major league baseball players now. Yeah, it was Hazers, Lizardo, and Tukitou-San, and Sean Anderson, and they were all

in the same district as me, and I led the county in innings and whip and wins. What was your best pitch? Strike one. His coach was Dusty Baker. My thoughts, while it is impressive, and we'll see the stats at some point here, while it is impressive, and I know this shouldn't be

the place that we went with this, but I remember seeing it, I was like, oh, what happened? Like all these other guys made it to the majors, like, oh no, what happened? I'm there too, just on the broadcast. Yeah, that's true. Good for you. Good flex.

Was there some sort of injury that derailed the career? No, I was five foot nine Jewish and threw 80 miles an hour. Yeah. Why do you look like you played in 1921? I know it's crazy, right? Yeah. If you're not seeing the image, it is something. I think you should bend the brim of that hat a little more.

What school was this? Cypress Bay High School. Good school. Good baseball school, Broward. Good for you. Thanks, man. I was in regular season. Good school.

All right. Now, I'm not the only varsity high school athlete here. 9-0 with a 1-1-5 ERA. Almost all of us are. What'd you do? the only varsity high school athlete. I know with a 115 ERA almost all of us are What'd you do? I played varsity basketball and MB What's that sound Remember laughing about this back in the day The sound was that sorry we have any basketball. We have clips of this do we have your stats? No, but I I have my father saved newspaper clippings where you know when you score

It's it's in the paper. You know is intramurals varsity, okay? How dare you number one and number two I do have I do have video It's a VA. I have a game on VHS. I would have to find it, but I do have it find a VCR Yeah, right. There's a lot of finding We'd have to do like a point guard. What would you do? Didn't have great handles. Okay, but obviously I'm small so a shooting guard. That's right shooting guard Didn't play very much. Let's be honest. Let's be honest did not play a whole lot

I also had a letter in high school but played against say right but played against those Miami high teams Steve Blake you Donis Haslam American at James Jones had to go against you and Steve Blake. I had it. I didn't play you didn't pick him up That wasn't his assignment good high-five. I didn't high-five. Oh, yeah I used to lead the team layup line when we run into the gym I can see that yeah I was the first guy and yet can see that. I was the first guy. And you throw the ball off the backboard. Everyone tips it off the backboard and the last guy dunks. I was obviously the guy who threw it. I can tell by your form that you're good at it.

Just throw it up real nice and slow. Did you walk around with a varsity jacket at the time? No, no. You didn't do that at our school. Really? No, you didn't do that at our school. There wasn't a dame out there, a bell that you gave your jacket to for big dance? No. Sock cop? No. No, we didn't have those either, but you guys will love because this is just, you know, sums me up as it goes.

I was in our school musical as well, and we had a big game. We were all supposed to wear our jerseys on that day, but in the same week of the musical, we were also supposed to wear promotional shirts. So I was walking through our school with my baseball jersey unbuttoned over our Legally Blonde the Musical shirt. Just so you know, right before he said that, Jeremy said to me, you're gonna love this.

I knew he would. Why is he? I didn't love it. I liked it, it was okay, I didn't love it. It's just typical of me, man. I know, I'm just trying to give you guys fodder. That's an awful thing to do. Jeremy, that's actually unexpected of you.

You're gonna love this. Legally Blonde the musical story. Real setup there. Hey man. You're supposed to represent the best of us. I'm trying to get off of the idea of me bragging about my high school stats. So, you know, trying to show some humility.

Izzy, you weren't a high school varsity athlete? I was a high school varsity athlete. I lettered in volleyball for two years. And I had one moment where at Northwestern High School, I had to play middle blocker because one of our middle blockers was hurt and I was a chunky little 5'10 guy, but I got up for a block one time.

It was with such force that after it came off my hands, it bounced to the back wall and broke the glass that protected the fire extinguisher, and man, did my team go nuts. Don't know your own strengths. We lost it in straight sets, but that was a hell of a play. A room of people who peaked at 18.

Yup.