The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: Odd Cat or Strange Bird?

Episode Date: October 23, 2024

Today's cast: Dan, Stugotz, Chris, Billy, Mike, and Roy. Stugotz is full of energy after a splashy NFL trade, but for whatever reason, the crew wants to discuss a hypothetical QB trade of Matt Stafford for Sam Darnold because of a rumor on an aggregation account on X. Then, Billy missed his opportunity to become a millionaire after video has revealed he was inches away from obtaining the Shohei Ohtani 50-50 home run ball. Plus, Yankees GM Brian Cashman says the Astros didn't win in his personal record book and Jared Goff is the best QB is the NFL. Also, Michael S. "Mike on a Mobile" Schmidt of the New York Times joins the show to share info on Donald Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly saying Trump is a fascist, but instead, he discusses his love of Mad Dog Russo, the Astros cheating scandal, and "Steinbrenner Duty." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Shadow show. Shadow show. Shadow show. Shadow show. show shadow show shadow in it. Stugats, there are any number of ways where I have noticed that Chris is becoming his father. Mm-hmm. Chris Cody, I've known Chris Cody legitimately since he's like five years old, I'm going to say.

He was, I'm, say he was I'm around there and to see him now come into the office and just say Missoula is an odd cat and and totally accurate like excellent right excellent analysis but this is where he's like he's his father and then I ask a follow-up like oh really elaborate and that's all he had yep he didn't have anything else about it and I feel like it's how we all feel about Missoula except for Celtics fans yeah where where you're like you're kiss the court guy and when they ask you about did you meet the royal family you make it about you know Jesus and and Mary you go super religious when you know that's not what they were asking

you. What are you laughing about? Because I said his, because Missoula's quote was, the real royal family, and it made Roy laugh out loud. So Roy, you're laughing, Roy, you're just learning that Missoula did this when he was asked, did you meet the royal family? And then he acted totally confused. And then he said, well, how could I have met the royal family when it's Jesus and Mary and you're just hearing this yes

it's the first time I've heard this yes he is an unusual cat and odd cat you know what I'm you're right yeah that is a fine I feel like you're good but is he an odd cat or a strange bird oh Oh, yeah, you know what? Great question. Yeah, that's a good question there. Put it on the poll. I like strange bird. Poll, poll question.

Put it on the poll at Levitard Show, Juju. Missoula, odd cat or strange bird? Because what I'm here to tell you, and this part should horrify you, he's gonna be Red Arbak. He's a fish out of water, how about that? Oh, wow. This is the Don Leventor Show with the Stugats 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. Stugatz is a little high energy today for a Wednesday because the NFL trade stuff has begun happening. Stugatz is very excited for DeAndre Hopkins. Oh, I mean, how could you not be excited for d andre hopkins i gotta be honest with

you did i like it better but it she's we're doing it without a wide receiver okay but what what were your d andre hopkins thoughts because you this is you're excited because all of a sudden max cross be is with the raiders and he's saying i'm i'm silver and black i don't want to go anywhere but everybody wants to trade for him because of course you want to pass Russia there are rumors out there of Stafford to the Viking oh I don't know how real that is huh but we are headed toward three straight weeks of election talk yeah on this show well we control that we could talk about the NFL trade

How about this? How about we already capitulate because it doesn't look like it's gonna break our way and we just try to endure ourselves to the right What is the PTO policy again? Michael Schmidt joining us at the World Series October Michael Jack Schmitz That's not the Michael Schmidt that's joining us. What? The guy who, yeah, he's a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. I want to talk about Donald Trump being quoted in the Atlantic through anonymous sources of he wishes he had Hitler's generals. Really?

There was a couple things that I saw yesterday that weren't great, but welcome our oblivion. Like the next? So the only saving grace that we have in the last, in the next three weeks is that the NFL is going to be trading players. It's literally all I have right now. And the trade deadline is on election day itself. Organically, I've become a big Baker stand. Therefore, I support the Tampa Bay Bucks. Monday night was really rough.

If one thing can break my way on November 5th, it's Cooper Cup to Tampa. Is there a trade that could steal the headlines from the election on election day? Like a deadline deal? That Stafford for Darnold thing I saw is pretty crazy. That would be bigger, Dan. I would exchange more text about that. Sam Darn. That would be bigger, Dan. I would. I would exchange more text about that.

Sam Darnold trade would be bigger. But if you thought Stugatz was merely excited about that, he's also excited because there is some nostalgia in play today. He saw the Griffys on the court last night, and Stugatz just got excited about being able to talk about a time. Now, unfortunately, also Fernando Valenzuela died. And now, unfortunately also Fernando Valenzuela died and hey Mike

Fernando Valenzuela died and Stu gots wants to talk about that as well because it conjures Dodgers Yankees 1981 for him. You never really see QB one for QB one trades But in Matthew Stafford's case, you'd see it twice with him. Wow is Darnold QBB1? Because it should have been JJ McCarthy, but he got hurt. But you're right. I guess you're right. And he was going to serve the season QB1. Yeah, you're right. Well, you guys say that, but I was saying yesterday

that Sam Darnold could go into the home playoff game after the bye, 17 and 0. And I think he's losing it home to the 49ers. I'm just I'm just letting you know that that's something that I would bet right now is what would have happened if they hadn't lost last weekend and we're still 6 and 0. I will not believe that Sam Darnold can win a Super Bowl. We were throwing dirt on the San Francisco 49er grave yesterday. All right we'll see what happens when they're like a six and a half point underdog with Christian McCaffrey coming Cisco 49er Grave yesterday. All right, we'll see what happens when there's

like a six and a half point underdog with Christian McCaffrey coming back. Well, from whatever he did in Germany. Oh yeah, I don't trust that. Whatever the turbo charge is. But before we get to any of that stuff, Stu Gotz, the reason, and I'm sorry I didn't do this earlier because Billy Gill, you know he can be pretty private, right?

Pretty secretive. Yep, me? Yeah, we don't know you you hide in the shadows some we don't know a lot about hmm. I'm here I'm an open book. He's a mystery. I mean feel free to ask I'm about to because I'm surprised that you didn't tell us about this and it was revealed in a news story to me I thought metal arc media should have been informed at some point that uh... that i don't know if you saw this to god's but the show heyo tani ball went for the fifty fifty ball here marlin stadium one point for four point three nine

million dollars and the only controversy around it is that there is an eighteen-year-old alleged eighteen-year-old in a lawsuit uh... trying to get the ball saying the ball was stolen from him and when I say alleged eighteen-year-old is because Billy's been hiding that he was at the middle of that fight at that game to get that baseball and it was taken from him and now he's holding up look at all of this look at the video here of the ball being fought for yeah and you will see that Billy has video proof that we're just releasing exclusively now look at him fighting for that ball

He had the ball billy had it billy had the ball. He look he's got it right there and And the ball gets taken from him, and that's like that's not a legal possession that you're on your back there that There's a guy also upside down pinned down by a chair there that there's a guy also upside down pinned down by a chair I mean, why did I let it go? Billy just to be like, okay, it's yours You got a bite the person or something right you do what does a bite cost in a lawsuit? Not five million dollars. I wouldn't think how many people were at that game? That's just a value bet, Stu Gott, going there in the event that you might get

that home run ball, that a lotto ticket's gonna fall out of the sky in a baseball that's worth more than any baseball ever is gonna be in your hands and then you're gonna let it go because someone wants it more than you do. I think all the people you're seeing in that video, that was the attendance at the game. They were all sitting in that section rooting,

you know, for a chance to get the Ohtani ball. Look at that guy's stomach. I did not get enough of the guy who was not involved in this at all. He didn't end up with the ball. His feet are up in the air. He really got taken out. His right arm is pinned by a chair. But he's got a smile. I mean, he is. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this mess. It would only be funny if there was like a discarded wheelchair somewhere nearby. Because he does seem happy and delighted to be at what was a scrum. He's in the mix. It's a scrum. It was a scrum, but it was a scrum among people.

Look, you've seen at minor league stadiums, like they'll put a helicopter over the field and then fart 500 singles on your single A team. These nine people, including Billy, were fighting over $4.39 million. This is like the ultimate cash grab. And that guy at the end of it just got- He jumps over a railing. Look at him, he's in the alternate cash grab, and that guy at the end of it just got. He jumps over a railing.

Look at him, he's in the chair. He somehow goes through the back of the chair and ends up underneath it with his right arm pinned under the chair and a grin on his face the entire time. But look how close his hand is. His hand is reaching, it's pinned, but he's like, no.

So the two people who are fighting over the 4.39 million, and if it had been dual possession, they would have had to split it. That one hand in the corner was bronze medalist on getting to that. Greg Cody is right, to be the bronze medalist is always a failure because look that pathetic hand just reaching out trying to get the two people trying to grab the knee or the

ankle of one of the two people who have the four point three nine million dollars that guy should get a hundred K for effort he should I should honestly yes if I would have if I got the full four point three I'm giving that guy a hundred K I said it trying to reach with the fingers, look at that. Ah. Yeah. I think the story was the guy that ended up with the ball wasn't even really aware of the severity of the ball. Like didn't know like this is so impactful. Didn't know he was at a game where baseball history

was gonna be set, but ended up with the ball. I believe was the story. The announced attendance here, I'm looking back at like the game notes, was 17,560. It was packed. The upper deck wasn't full, there were a lot of Dodgers fans, it was a weird start time, it was like a five o'clock start, four o'clock start in the afternoon, 440,

something like that. So, you think about it, 17,500, right, is the announced attendance. And you're also going to a game where you need him to hit two home runs and steal a base. Well, and he hit it to the opposite field, right? So like, you remove what? Like 60% at least, it wasn't 40% of the crowd.

So you're thinking there's probably 10,000 people of that. But that was smart of you to situate yourself there. Like you did all of that math too in order to get that close to the baseball. I was just trying to, you know, have some fun, hang out with the boys as I do out at the hangout, whatever it's called under there, formerly known as the Cleveland Air,

where that's where the ball landed up. What do they call it now? It used to be the Cleveland Air? I'll get back to you on that. Okay, so. Yeah, we were just hanging out, we were just looking for a good time, you know, a little recess.

I see a sign that says recess. I think it's called recess. Recess something or other, yeah. We were just there, hanging with the boys, and things happen. I can't talk about this any further. I've been advised. All right, I don't know how it is

that this ended up happening. It's an odd name for a bar, recess. It is. Why? Like, recess implies kids. Yeah. School, yes. Oh, it's like a break. Break would be better than recess.

The break? Break for kids. Yeah, it's a break. Break would be better than recess. The break. Break for kids. I have no opinions on it. I was thinking about this, and that's probably the closest I'll ever get to being a millionaire, right? There's still a shot. Like actually though,

because like you win a lottery and your odds are not one in 17,500 of becoming a multi-millionaire. That was it, I missed it. I should have fought more. Well, but you are right to do some of this math on there are only a few places the home runs can go, so it's not one of 17,000 aren't your odds. Really, the odds are, does he hit it to center, left,

or right, and I would assume that left would be the least likely from the left-handed side and that's why there are fewer people there but really this lottery ticket could have been like split from you know it's the odds could have been somewhere around one in five hundred wouldn't you say or one in a thousand um no I probably like one in, I don't know. What are we factoring in? Just the amount of people who are sitting in that section. Billy, where the home runs go and the odds

that 17,000 people aren't gonna be sitting just behind those fences. Well, he sprays it pretty much all over the place. So like, because he's batting left-handed, you assume, let me go into like right field, upper deck right field around there He hit two into right field He happened to hit the one that was most valuable opposite field into the you know left center left field over there

It's probably like one in 3000 realistically that you would catch that ball and the going rates you got how do you feel about a baseball going for? 4.39 million more than any baseball has ever gone for? You can't tell me the numbers don't matter in the sport when that happens. Well, it depends what someone wants to pay for it. That's the value, right? If someone's willing to pay that much money, which I would not for a baseball, then that's

the value of the ball. That's the most valuable baseball to be sold in baseball history because I don't feel like that's the most valuable ball to be hit in baseball history, do you? What would be? I mean, either Aaron's home run or Bonds' home run to break Aaron's record or one of the McGuire's so-so home runs, something like that, I guess. I heard on the Big Dog show this morning that before this ball, the most expensive ball ever sold was McGuire's 70th

For like three points something that makes more sense to me It does because at the time that ball felt like the most important ball in the history of baseball It did at the time to save baseball. It saved baseball that ball Yeah Well, yes steroids absolutely saved baseball and then they changed the way played, and now they all hit the ball as if they're on steroids, every one of them. Maris family is still getting invited though. Yeah. That's odd.

Hey everyone, it's Mike Ryan. So I'm hearing that you still haven't entered the DraftKings Weekend Observation presented by Miller Lite Prediction Pool. Let me ask you, what exactly are you waiting for? You don't want to guess how many times two gods might swear in this segment? There are so many things that are on the table for you to play along with us Just go to DraftKings.com and make your prediction and then listen weekend observations presented by Miller Lite on October 29th and check your scores You and a friend can win a trip to Miami to hang out with us at playing against for Thursday night football watch party on

November 21st and also you get to see a taping of the show and you get to see first-hand what the shipping container made smell like So don't wait anymore. Just calm on down and enter this contest at TrapKings.com. Play for a free shot to win thanks to our friends at Miller Lite. Must be 21 plus to enter. Eligibility restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. See TrapKings.com for details. Don LeBretard. Kiss me where you bruise me. Taste me on that fleshy part.

Really? Yeah. Really. Taste me on that fleshy part. Taste me, not touch me. Taste me on that fleshy part. Wow. Wow, Bruce.

On that stugatz. I'm talking about the clitoris. I'm talking about the clitoris, yes I am. Now we're out here riffing. And I'm gonna try to find it if I can. Okay, wonderful rendition. This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats. Speaking of the Yankees, I want to play for you some sound here because Stugats,

I had not seen this from the angle that brian cashman sees it uh... mad dog asprine cashman uh... the most appropriately named general manager in the history of general managers uh... the yankees have spent so much money and not gotten to where they are right now for victories from in a while and mad dog ask cashman a question and he took it to a place I wasn't expecting

but it's how history gets rewritten in silly ways that get forgetful give me your thoughts here finally getting back and winning a pennant after 15 year I don't want to say drought that's not fair but you understand what I'm saying with a gap how about winning a pennant how does that mean to Let me hear. It means a lot and I hate the 15-year thing because it doesn't it completely forgets and discounts that that some other organization cheated us when we were all the way in the end you know if you knew what was going on I don't think they would be advancing at that during that time thing I think we would have been advancing so I hate that

15-year thing because I don't think it accurately reflects history He has a personal record book I like that it's totally fair which organization is he talking about? It's such a fair thing to say but the record books will only show Astros forever like even if you put asterisks on it You can't take away the fact that cashman's gonna go to the grave being bitter about that risks on it you can't take away the fact that cash was going to go to the grave being bitter about that like you think that that's not something that you get over when and i got caught cheating what we lose anyway what

they cheated that's not as i'd like to have the mister mcmahon documentary on netflix that uh... bill simmons and his team did uh... at least in part because of how uh... ever present the thread was throughout the tapestry of, yeah, Vince McMahon as a human being is like, you absolutely cheat to win. All that matters is that you win.

Like, absolutely cheat. I'm going to cheat and I'm going to win. If you're not cheating, you're not trying, Dan. And it's a source of a great many immoralities throughout the fabric of America. Michael Schmidt will join us later in the show. and it's a source of a great many immoralities throughout the fabric of America. Michael Schmidt will join us later in the show. October.

To talk about, I don't want to normalize the stuff going on with Adolf Schittler, like I don't. I don't want to just make jokes around here about sports over the next three weeks because we're scared, right? Everybody, I don't even, like whichever side you're on, you're scared, right? Everybody's just bouncing against each other, scared on what's gonna happen in three weeks,

either way, like wherever it is you are. Going back to resignation, which is where I occupied for most of the year, and then I kind of worked myself up after the candidates changed to think that I had a shot, so now I'm just gonna go back to seeing if we can hang on for the next four years. All right, so you're going to just put your expectations at medium so that you're less

disappointed. It's a good management technique. It's the way to do it. Those were the worst four years of my life in terms of like daily triggers. There would always be something on the internet that President Trump did that would kind of really affect my day. So I'm trying to manage my expectations and hope that the American foundations of democracy are strong enough to withhold another four years It's so much more overt and desperate than it was then because we are and this part is hugely uncomfortable and also obvious

Trump wherever he is on the stage of delirium that would is on the stage of delirium that would infect anybody if for a long time now, no matter how nuts they are, they're being pounded with the idea that your choices are you could be king of America by knocking down democracy and changing all the rules on how all of this is done or you can die in prison. Are you going to keep pressing the gas on all the stuff that used to make this so will better hidden clown car but now turns it into a monster truck and you don't know which direction is going to go in and very few people are willing to drive it this guy just trampled chris christy and

a whole bunch of people bunch of losers in the republican party with a with a monster truck and the only other one willing to drive it because it'll either blow up in your face or you'll have all the power is Elon Musk. He's the other one who's willing to drive the monster truck but it's more overt like wherever it is that Dennis Quaid is doing the Reagan movies that get 18% from the critics but 98% from Rotten Tomatoes because there's a movement on the internet to change how you look at everything you're seeing where you can't believe anything you're gonna get ball sacked every day I'm gonna get ball sacked so we're not saving this for Schmidt huh Michael Jack

did you know that Cooper Cup once held Zach Levine to four points in a high school basketball quarterfinal I don't believe it no that's what he told Matthew Stafford on a podcast really yeah I was watching that while Dan was talking. Stafford to the Vikings? Stafford to the Vikings? What about it? I can't entertain that. You can't do that to Sam Darnold. Yeah. Why not? He's played so well. He's played very well. Yeah, he really has. Played very well. Can't do that. Hey, Stafford won a Super Bowl, but we were talking in the bullpen. Goff is a nice little extra juice kind of play for NFL MVP. He's been really good this year. Is it possible that the team that, you know, didn't win the Super

Bowl, Stafford won a Super Bowl, and usually that's the ultimate, okay, they won that trade. Just one. The Lions won the war. The war's not over and I'd be careful with that terminology in general. Well, I mean. Stafford. I mean, yeah, we've done a great job staying away from rhetoric so far in this segment.

Stafford to the Lions would be interesting, I'm sorry, Stafford to the Vikings would be interesting for a number of different reasons, but what you're saying about Jared Goff, over the last month, he's been the best quarterback statistically you will ever see in terms of completion percentage and passer rating. When they do the metrics on how he's played

over the last four months, the list is one of one on who's played the way he has statistically for the last month over the last year over the last four weeks but it's also his numbers against pressure are insane like pressure supposed to be the thing that changes everything but they're doing the to a model of get everything out fast he's mastered it the number of reps that they have with a lot of skilled position talent from a lot of losing for many years and a coach in man Campbell that we mocked down here Jared Goff has reinvented himself for that guy's not quarterback whisperer that guys bite your kneecaps Jared Goff has

turned into a quarterback that is for former first-round pick and Also, the system around him is perfect and he appears to have mastered it if the thing that would normally torpedo him Which is interceptions? What are those numbers against pressure like those numbers against pressure or something? You do not see ever statistically Stu got nobody's that good against pressure It was especially impressive this past week against the Vikings, who get pressure better than anybody. Against Flores, yes.

The first drive, you kind of saw them get to him, and then they made the adjustments, and then they were moving the ball in the Vikings the rest of the game. Ben Johnson's a really good offensive coordinator. They have a ton of weapons. Jameson Williams is now going to serve a two-game suspension for PEDs. That one tracked, given what I've seen from him so far this season, rare the occasion where I see something like that. I'm like, yeah, even though this guy's real thin,

this one makes sense because he's just got an extra gear once he gets going in the open field. What you guys just did on not fair to Sam Darnold, like in a cutthroat league where you get better if you can get better, the Vikings feel like they're pretty close to being Super Bowl ready. But do they feel like they could do it with Sam Tornow? But at this age in their careers, Dan,

I would concede that Matthew Stafford's probably an upgrade right now, and if all things are even, gives you a better chance to win a Super Bowl, but all things aren't even. He would have to go into a new system. You disrupt an offense that's kind of humming right now, and I don't know the locker room dynamics. I think Matthew Stafford's pretty well liked, but I don't know Sam Darnold's leadership qualities.

I don't know what that does to the locker room. I think it's way too risky, and Stafford isn't that much better than Darnold is. Okay, and you say that, and I would say to to you and what is also risky is tomlin taking a foreign to team and changing quarterbacks because he's in charge and he knows what better looks like better than we know what better looks like and when you say stafford is an upgrade what i say to you is man stafford look like one of the best quarterbacks in the league when cooper cup and book in the core are healthy but all what would he look like with Justin Jefferson you think? Because Sam Darnold hasn't looked good anywhere until he's had Justin Jefferson,

who appears to be the kind of game changer that gets number one wide receivers to distort the entire pay scale because they're more valuable than everybody else. If you're asking the question, would Stafford give the Vikings a better chance of winning the Super Bowl this year than Sam Darnold? It's pretty hard to say no, Mike. I think Stafford would give them a better chance. You want to go all in on this year. I don't think that that's a roster construction. But you have JJ next year.

You look at Jefferson, you look at some of their impact players. The Vikings can be in this conversation for years on end, and Sam Darnold is younger than Joe Burrow. So why would I? I understand. Stafford, if he acclimates, it's an upgrade over Sam Darnold this year.

And if you want to just go all in on an NFC, that with the injuries at San Francisco, you feel is more wide open, fine. But I think Minnesota can hang around with Sam Darnold for quite some time. If you have made the decision that Sam Darnold is going to be your quarterback longterm, then you stick with Sam Darnold.

But if you're saying to yourself, I'm going to go to JJ McCarthy next year, then you go with Sam Darnold but if you're saying to yourself I'm gonna go to JJ McCarthy next year then you go with Matthew Stafford this year. Hang around with Sam Darnold a slogan we can live by as there are five good NFL teams and they'll get hurt before the end. But they signed Sam Darnold to one year they know he's not the long-term solution. Well no, Mike just made him one. Mike just made him one. You don't trade for Matt Stafford. Stafford creates a new problem for you because he's signed to a longer term deal and if JJ McCarthy is your guy now, what do you do with him?

Well, here's the funnier part about this. I have no idea if any of this is real because it comes from a rumor from an account that I'm pretty sure was bought by others, but they can't admit it's a football aggregation account that's been bought. So we just talked about this for four minutes and I have no idea if it's real. Yes. Ladies and gentlemen, the NBA is finally back and a new season means new ways to get into the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA who's draining threes from beyond the arc, who's crashing the

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see dkng.co slash bball. The Libertard. I read his lips and it sounded like he was saying what? You wanna fight me now? But I'm telling you, if you look, we can play a game right now. The lips look the same on fight you and failure. Watch my lips. I'm gonna you if you look we can play a game right now the lips look the same on fight you and Failure watch my lips. I'm gonna turn off my mic. No

And I want you guys to tell me I'm saying fight you yeah or failure, okay, yeah, yeah still gods Why are your ideas always so bad for the podcast. It's a great audio. Big swings, great. This is the character you have now. Eat of the mind, guys. Just that. Just with the audio. Here we go, do it again. Fight you. That was fight, yeah.

Maybe you can't tell. Oh my God! We got to the bottom of it. This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats. Jeremy has written in, and it's not because he wants to talk baseball, he says, I'm truly looking forward to ruining all the real progress I've made with the audience over the last several months by being the one person who actually wants to discuss our Nazi wannabe presidential candidate. Down the middle, Chris, is just nodding like Eli Manning

listening to Ed Reed. What goodwill has he built? I don't know. I don't know what he's done over the last month. He thinks he's created goodwill. I don't see it either. I don't, so I think. It's his goodwill, I mean.

Just taking in all the information, still deciding. Yes, okay, so Michael Schmin is with us. I'm. Ah, Tober. I am long on the record of Like you gotta kind of take sides right now. Okay, I mean like we you can't be on the fence He's taking it all in damn. You can't be on the fence this late in the game and Michael Schmidt is doing real journalism out there He's you know, he's won two Pulitzer prizes and he's he comes from sports and he recently interviewed Donald Trump's former chief of staff John Kelly this is three times on the record on tape this

is not AI and let's play this sound here for the people that is the Cashman sound that is not what I need right there yeah that is Michael Jack I would like Michael Jack Schmidt So video when I tell you video before the segment I'm going to the Fascism clip it's not Brian Cashman and it's not a mad dog. I can understand the confusion though Yeah, so this man is a very very big professional here Michael Schmidt. He does good journalism. We do not Let's play the correct sound please. Do you, what do you think? Do you think he's a fascist? Well, I'm looking at the definition of fascism. It's a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist

political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized hypocrisy, militarism, possible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy. So certainly in my experience, those are the types of things that you think will work better in terms of running America. You know what, Louis, I failed you here and I failed Michael Schmidt as well.

You had it right the first time. Let me ask Michael Schmidt, who used to cover the Mets and the Yankees, for his opinion on this sound, please. Give me your thoughts here, of finally getting back and winning a pennant after a 15-year. I don't wanna say drought, that's not fair,

but you understand what I'm saying with a gap. How about winning a pennant? How's that mean to you? Let me hear. It means a lot. And I hate the 15 year thing because it doesn't, it completely forgets and discounts that some other organizations cheated us

when we were all the way in the end. If you knew what was going on, I don't think they would be advancing at that, during that time thing. I think we would have been advancing. So I hate that 15 year thing because I don't think it accurately reflects history. Michael Jack Schmidt, you are October, sir.

Go ahead and tackle whichever one of those you want. All I ever wanted as a kid was to be Mad Dog. I grew up on Mad Dog and it was a really important part of my childhood. Like if I could have taken callers for a living as a sports talk radio host, like I would have done that. I went to the Mad Dog reunion with my friends at Radio City Music Hall. I got to go on Mad Dog Show

when I had this mini biography of John Kelly that came out. You know, I love the guy. I love him to death and he's, um, he said some really nice things about me that I always send to my friends. Even my friends who never pay attention to anything that I do. And, um, uh, you know, Mike and the mad dog. Is that what you meant to hit there? Chris?

That's Michael Jack. That wasn't you meant to hit there, Chris? Michael Jack, that wasn't the question. Yes, it was the question. Well, it was his thoughts on what Cashman said. What he's saying is basically he's a super fan. Like he is somebody, you're talking about, look, Mad Dog's following his immense and what you're alleging right now is

you're among people qualified to identify as his number one fan, correct? Correct, correct. That's where I'm at. That's where I'm at. And I'm sorry I answered the question the wrong way. I could see all your faces being so disappointed. No, I love that. Michael, that answer was so much better than what I wanted and anything you would have said about fascism. But the astros. But the astros also cheated yeah it's it's

um all right so so so uh John Kelly or what do you know no what is yours you you covered the Mets and the Yankees and you're somebody who writes a lot about cheating scandals that I mean the thing that that I think they got that missed in terms of cheating scandals was the seriousness that MLB actually took the Mets disabled list cheating scandal. People didn't think it was a big deal because it was a disabled list and they said everybody did it.

But in reality, Manfred was much more fired up about it than people thought. And they were really digging around to figure out what Steve Cohn knew about it. And if Cohn really knew, you know, they were very skeptical of that and I think that the sports media didn't take it as seriously, certainly as I was being told they were taking it. Also not an answer to the question that I asked you, which is Cashman bringing up cheating there when talking about a 15-year

Yankee drought and everyone just sort of forgetting that they were beaten by an Astros team that was cheating. Look, he's got a point. Like he's got a point. Like, I mean, it's like, you know, you can't sort of look away from it. I mean, it's his best argument. The guy takes a ton of crap here in New York, a ton of crap. And if you look at the record of the best teams

in baseball since 2000, the Yankees have the best record almost by far out of every team in baseball. But every Yankee fan just complains and complains and complains. And as a Mets fan, it's like incredibly infuriating. Like we made the playoffs, that's a huge deal for us. And these Yankee fans who like are in the playoffs every year, except for last year, you know, just going on and on, um, about, about this, my

colleague, uh, Mark Mazzetti, one of my, uh, one of the best reporters at the time, just constantly complaining about these things and all the Yankees have done is had the best record in all of baseball since 2000 and that's like a, you talk about sample size, whatever the nonsense is that these front office guys say, like that's a pretty big sample. The Astros obviously get the reputation as the cheaters, but the Yankees also got caught cheating and that whole investigation was just swept under the rug and then they sealed the documents and never released them. So we never really got to the bottom of what actually was going on with the Yankees in

that time as well Well, that's the whole Apple watch story I wrote the Apple watch story about the Red Sox But then the Yankees get caught with the same thing and MLB kind of you know, you know was able to move past that pretty quickly We never really got a full sense of what was going on with the Apple watch and in this, you know And that kind of stuff, but you know, I guess that's baseball. That's what makes it interesting. Cheating, cheating is part of the game. You're right.

Fernando Valenzuela, time we pass Fernando mania. Yeah. Rest in power. Headed into the World Series. I mean, unfortunate. Is this what, you know, the Dodgers are going to rally behind now, maybe win one for Fernando? I don't know. I just watched the, I just watched every Mets Dodgers game

and it's amazing with Otani leading off, he's constantly up. It's like as if he hits like once every five at bat, like batters, like he's just, every time you turn around, he's up. It's this very, like, I don't know how it is, but every time you turn around, he's at the plate. And it just changes the dynamic of the game.

It took baseball so long to figure out to put the best hitter first. But it completely upended the Mets because once they're getting to the bottom of the lineup they're worried about Otani and then next thing you know he's already on base. I guess it's a timely passing if you take into account the election is right around the corner. He doesn't answer any of the questions we're asking. That's why he's the best in the business. Michael, you're...

We're from Nano Media. No, you're not. You're exceeding expectations somehow. Michael, Jack, you knock it off. Look, first, did you see how we interrupted you? We are not a professional operation around here. I've just been sort of amazed listening to you that you're great at the giving of sports radio because you learn from Mad Dog

But you're not answering any of our questions. You're just giving us your opinions on things This is my chance to play, you know sports talk radio You know, I've been waiting my entire life for this. Okay I used to I used to wake up in the middle of the night When I was a kid and listen to WFAN at like 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. I kept it on all night. So, you know, this is more important to me than anything else that's going on.

Dan, we should let him live out his dream. Yes, Michael, this is what we're going to do, okay? This is what we're going to do. I'm going to let you. We're going to stop for a second, and then we're going to start a new segment, and you're going spot start Michael Schmitz radio show today I'm gonna put you on the spot dog I'm gonna make you do it and I'm gonna make you do what would have been your opening monologue first 30 seconds

What are you shaking your head at me for? We'll just do John Kelly. We'll just do John Well, he ran scared he He ran scared from the spotlight. It was an ambitious idea, Dan. Very ambitious. It's his dream. It's harder than it looks. It's not harder than it looks. You can do it.

Look at this clown car I'm operating here. What do you mean it's harder than it looks? He spit out his coffee. Look at him, what are you talking about? You would be very good at it. You've just proven, but what you're saying is I'm a better guest than a host. You're a better caller than a host.

Yeah, I'm just a caller. I'm Mike Schmidt in New York, that's it. Mike on a mobile. Okay. I've waited my whole life for this. What about the joke that Mike Ryan is making there where he's saying the next three weeks are gonna be a special kind of awful because let's play that

Sound again people because I don't want to just skip back past it This is Donald Trump's former chief of staff John Kelly on the record you what do you think? Do you think he's a fascist? Well, I'm looking at the definition of fascism It's a far-right authoritarian ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized hypocrisy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy. So certainly in my experience, those are the types of things that he thinks will work better in terms of running America.

Is that a valuable Mickey Mantle card behind you? Is it? I think it is. Is that? Wait a minute, how much is that card worth? What is that? This is my stepson's Mike Piazza card. Ah, not the same. These are baseballs that he hit.

Right. And then actually, I'll show you one, I'll actually show you one thing. I do. So my career started at the Times. My first job was doing what was called Steinbrenner duty. And in Steinbrenner duty, I was sent to the Yankee game. I sat in the press box until the eighth inning.

And then I was sent downstairs to stand with the tabloid reporters as Steinbrenner came out to get a quote from Steinbrenner Because it was so important what he had to say and I would stand there and I would get this quote and I would run It back upstairs to the beat writer and that's how my career at the time started That was the first assignment that I had and I took it as seriously as I could and I loved it And I loved it to death in the my the most favorite thing that I had and I took it as seriously as I could and I loved it and I loved it to death. And my most favorite thing that I involved in all of this is when I was a kid, my father and his friend,

Michael Stern were at this fancy steakhouse in New York called Ben Benson's and Steinbrenner was there and they went up and he signed a bill to it, to my sister and I and he said to Molly and Michael, wishes from their Yankee friend George Steinbrenner. And it's just a special thing to me because that's how my career started. My career started waiting outside Yankee Stadium with tabloid reporters getting quotes because we were so afraid at the times about what Steinbrenner would say when he came out and if that was going to be the back page

of one of the tabloids, then we needed to have that quote in our story. Is that flow nays over your other shoulder? Like a celebrity give you that or you just under the weather that time of year? So it's, I have allergies. Way to go, Billy. Way to go, Billy.

You shamed the man into admitting something. Look, you're laughing at me! Well, of course he is! It was comedically perfect. That delivery was perfect. swear in this segment, there are so many things that are on the table for you to play along with us. Just go to DraftKings.com and make your predictions, and then listen to Weekend Observations, presented by Miller Lite, on October 29th. And check your scores! You and a friend can win a trip to Miami to hang out with us at Playin' Against for a Thursday Night Football Watch Party on November 21st. And also, you get to see the taping of the show, and you get to see firsthand what the shipping container may smell like. So, don't wait anymore. Just come on down and enter this contest at DraftKings.com.

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