The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: Pat Riley Made Dan Lose Sleep

Episode Date: January 8, 2025

Today's cast: Dan, Stugotz, Chris, Amin, Billy, Jeremy, and Roy. Billy has decided to be helpful to the show today as he is trapped inside an inflatable dinosaur costume, and you can imagine how well that goes. Before we get to his chaos, Dan feels bad -- so bad in fact that he lost sleep last night -- about how he discussed Pat Riley earlier this week, and it sounds like he may have gotten a call from the mafia down the street despite his claims that he didn't. As such, he tries to rebuild the image of Pat Riley that we have been tarnishing over the last few days in a way that makes even Jeremy seem critical. Dan's Riley revival leads Billy to the idea to build a statue of The Godfather and put it on the roof of The Elser. Plus, Dan called Tom Brady washed back in 2014, and Chris Cote has the sound to prove it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. This is the Don LeBattor Show with the Stoogats Podcast. A deep, dark secret in the shadows of our very popularly received oral history is that the secret best producer that this show has ever had has been in disguise for many, many years. Billy Gill always hiding in the shadows to do the important things that make our show the funny thing that it used to be back in its prime. And Billy Gill today has done me the favor. For many years, he has simply been somebody

who's been against me, rolling grenades and anarchist. I agree, Billy. And I haven't been able to get him to serve many of these grid of death penalties over the years because somehow he's got all the power over me and somehow he doesn't have to suffer any penalties. I'm the commissioner. Or wear any costumes,

and I'm in costumes 10 times as often as he is. Well, you like it, I mean. Yeah, it's a kink. And finally, today Billy is paying a punishment, and it delights me. It's the correct way to produce this show. So thank you, Billy Gill, for quietly in the shadows. It's not getting enough notice in the oral history.

Billy Gill, secret producer of all the good things that have happened around here, thank you for finally doing something that is meant to aid me as opposed to working against me. Good work, Billy. What is the punishment you are serving today? What is that? I have no idea.

I'm dressed like a dinosaur. I came in and they said, you gotta dress like a dinosaur today. And I said, you know what? Dan needs this. I'm gonna be a dinosaur today. I don't even know which team lost. Dan needs this. Dan needs a dinosaur today. I'm gonna be a dinosaur today. I don't even know which team lost. Thank God.

Dan needs this. Dan needs a dinosaur today, I'm gonna be a dinosaur. All right, Billy, this is what I need from you today, okay? If you could at any point before we get to the post game. I need from you today to go viral with a super serious take of some sort that is shocking and just really resonates and is given while you're wearing that costume. Tell me what guests I got to get you in order to get the proper amount of fame and

awkwardness around it, but can you promise me that you will say something today with the attempt or everything today with the attempt to get you in costume to go viral? I guess. If that's what you need, Dan. It is what I need. You're talking about the Gulf of America? What are we doing? Well, yes, right? Okay, let's not talk about the fires in California right now.

Let's not talk about the Gulf of America right now. Beautiful name. This is a serious thing I wanna discuss with you guys because I have had trouble the last couple of days and I'm a little bit embarrassed To say this honestly, I really am More than a little bit embarrassed I Feel bad about Criticizing Pat Riley. Okay, and I'm gonna explain to you something that's happening here that

and I'm going to explain to you something that's happening here that we work across from an arena that represents the single most successful sports story my city, our city, the only city I've ever loved has been. It is excellence that stole the town from the Dolphins and put the standard at a place where it is it's not good enough to get age in the butler we expect to have three jimmy butler's that we expected all the time because that's what you did the first time in two thousand and ten that's where the standard is i can't even imagine what it is to be a patriot's fan today like they must be punching

themselves in the face about what this team looks like firing a coach after what it is they've known as excellence but so I really admire the people across the street on how they do business more than I've ever admired anything in sports in the history of this city and more than I've admired anything in the history of business in this city because i know how shitty this city is at supporting things and i know how excellent you have to be over a sustained period to steal the city from the miami dolphins you gotta call huh i mean but it sounds like no i will tell

you this is what i will tell you i understand why you would come by that opinion this is what actually happened okay and i will tell you this is what i will tell you i understand why you would come by that opinion this is what actually happened okay and i will tell you the truth on this i did not get a call i've been having trouble sleeping the last three nights for a number of different reasons okay riley's one of them uh... the godfather is not one of the day even though that is a crime family and even though he is the Godfather and that nickname is earned.

I have not heard from Riley. It concerns me more than if I had. Allow me to make that clear again, okay? The best sports history business I have seen in this city is the crime family across the street run by the Godfather. Miami is the city I'm talking about. Has a certain criminal element. The crime syndicate across the street is run by a mafia boss. We've been calling the Godfather for 15 years and the guys, the people who have gotten here recently, been calling the godfather for fifteen years and the guys the people have gotten here recently

lips with their criticism are awfully comfortable telling pat riley doesn't know what he's doing his job as the head of the crime family the godfather and i don't think it's wise for me to be doing that or mike well mike man here's the thing though all right the what happened to me is i was thinking about this right i told you the other day it was one of the great

honors of my journalism lifetime to have a specifics the specifics of you don't haslam and mike miller say come on the o. g. podcast we want to talk to you and then afterward have a have you don this of all people say to me man i really like that a guy i've covered since high school who as a member of that crime family family muscle for that crime family can tell you that the soul of that crime family is that when you don this mother's she dies and he's at her death bed the last time he sees her smile is when he tells her

not going to denver for twelve million more i'm gonna stay with the godfather and when she dies the whole heat contingent heads to Liberty City and they help him grieve, okay? Pat Riley, I will tell you now, is somebody throughout my life who has been there in meaningful grieving moments, pushing me to be better, okay? As a person I've found deep and I have also helped him

through some difficult things. That's all you're doing here for him. I mean, full circle, I mean. All right, so. That's what a friend does for another friend, Dan. Riley did it for you, you're doing it for Riley. You can criticize, it's okay, you can take it. No, but more than that, more than that, okay?

Because they listen to this show across the street. This crime family, run by the Godfather, listens to this show across the street. They're listening to it live now. It plays in their building. They talk about me or? I don't know, I'm just telling you. Hello, Heat Staff.

Hey, Lorenzo, send us just telling you. Hello, Heat Staff. Hey Lorenzo, send us some free merch. It does? Yeah, we are the programming over there. The Heat, watch this. I gotta watch what I say. Well, this is something that- You're fine. You definitely don't have to watch what you say.

You got all the talking points out there. I was even handed yesterday. Oh yeah. This is the part that's uncomfortable for me to admit and this is the part I I genuinely need some therapy from the group on to walk me through this because I know the Jimmy Butler stuff is interesting And I genuinely asked the question of you guys and the audience So where is the correct line on me being properly fair also critical and acknowledging that you've got fifty years of expertise on something that all of us would defer to a saying that's more excellent at what they do then we

are at what we do and while they were entitled to the criticism i'm not going to say i know how to do that job better than pat riley has done it and so i can be a critic but this is the part that becomes complicated tim donovan the public relations director for thirty years who is served at pat riley's knee like this is the maximum soldier he is you don is on the business side

of being a pat riley guy tim donovan was with Pat Riley at the New York Knicks and came down it moved his life down here for the godfather He's a made man. Yes Thank you. Okay, you used a few words to say exactly what I was trying to say Tim Donovan Okay, I'm not even gonna tell some of the stories here. Okay, but my friends are afraid of Tim Donovan But let me go another step here. The bald guy in security who ran over there to try to end the Rockets fight, and David, you've lost a step.

You used to get there with your toes and knock everybody out before the thing started. You're right, he used to get there quicker. He has a name, huh? He's always just been the bald guy to me. He big-timed me at a M.A.S.A. event. I don't like knowing his name. He's just been the bald guy to me. He big-timed me at a Masha event.

I don't like knowing his name. Please give people more information here because this is one of the more mysterious figures in the history of this mafia family. Just, I want people to know why I'm afraid right now of some of the things that I've done. I've already told you that this bald guy who's lost a step, that in the locker room one time

he sidled up next to me and put a finger in my elbow in a way that paralyzed the right side of my body and it still hurt three days later and nobody saw that he did it. Put a finger in your elbow. How? He put it in here and he grabbed me so hard with whatever it is his finger is made of that the right side of my body was paralyzed but nobody saw it or noticed.

I was in a room full of media people. He did it on the sly. That's what he does. That's correct. You pressure pointed you? Yes. He hurt so much. You don't even know what's happening.

Three days later it still hurt. Nobody saw it. He did it. I was in a room full of media witnesses. He was just saying hello. It was unbelievable. It was a warning, a clear and obvious warning. Roy?

Yes? The Panthers in hockey is tough. The Panthers in hockey are not a crime family. Yeah, but the champions. It's honestly, when you said that you admire the Heat more than anyone in this market, like ever, and it made me think of what are the things in this market that you would admire?

Like I know UM in like the 90s and 80, like early 2000s. UM early 2000s, have in the 80s What have you admired in this market? Like you don't have a lot of I'm not saying you shouldn't admire the heat But I started getting made sad by the other lack of options or things you could be at my we surries Not striking out a lot. Maybe bonifacio that opening day that cycle You mean to tell me the last five seasons for the Florida Panthers you haven't admired at all lids isn't even selling panther stuff down here it's impossible to find you should admire what Bill Zito is doing the Panthers

owners name is Vinny Viola yes sir that's pretty close to me in the mafia okay there's pretty close to being the mafia name and there's pretty close to being the mafia when you don't as Haslam's your muscle and the bald guy just He made me surrender in the locker room and no one saw it But yes that bald guy who does have a name David, right? He is somebody who's got a mysterious figure around the entirety of his aura But Tim Donovan who again is one of these Riley mafia soldiers I will probably betray a confidence here by by telling you that that Tim Donovan

that he benefits greatly from the Riley associations of being able to dress well because Riley's garment people have been famous since Showtime. And this is a person who I love. And he's in charge of right now an empire that is going through an unprecedented turbulence. They don't have ever in their history Shaq came down here and when it was time for Shaq to go Shaq didn't leave with the power LeBron left with a lot of the power but it didn't cripple the franchise the franchise believes in the Belichick way of whatever this is how

excellence is made LeBron you don't make it for us we make it for you and in that earned arrogance I'm hesitant to criticize people not cuz I'm afraid of them cuz I respect them because I love them I don't wanna pile on right and Riley gets the ending he deserves like what the way Riley wishes for this to end with spow and charge or whatever they deserve that this is at this is a tribute for running a business well in a

very difficult market for thirty or forty years i'm assigning that grace that doesn't have a critics heart in it though like the the critic will tell you breathe fire all you'll get all the clicks for saying for just saying all even levitard says r says Riley's washed when I'm not saying that and I would never say that. Why did you say that?

It's disrespectful to say that. I can't believe you said that. I can't believe you said that. He spent two days saying it. Yeah. Weird. I didn't say it, Lorenzo. Send me some shirts.

Dan, I am with you. There is no, and I said this yesterday and I'll say it again. There is absolutely no reason to criticize Pat Riley. Since 2007, they have been to the NBA finals seven times. They've won three NBA titles. So what if he's missed out on all the big free agents and he hasn't been able to execute a trade for a superstar? I mean, look at all the stuff he has given us.

And so what that it was Dwayne Wade who got LeBron and Bosch to come here and not Pat Riley. None of that matters. Riley was president while that was going down, while that was going on. that's not just Dwayne Wade who got LeBron and Bosch to come here and not Pat Riley. None of that matters. Riley was president while that was going down while that was going on and so he deserves our support

and listen, Jimmy Butler was a bad player when he got to Miami. Tobias Harris was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers over Jimmy Butler. He was not bad. And what did Riley do with Jimmy Butler? Bad player. What did he do? He was a bad player. the six-year run in his career under Pat Riley. He owes Pat Riley a thank you. Pat Riley does not deserve what Jimmy Butler is doing to him. Correct. Pat Riley went out there and got him Jay Crowder, I'll remind you, and Andre Guadala. So like this thought process that he didn't get him any stars

is just absurd. So we're with you, Dan. Thank you, Pat. Thank you, Pat. So what if he drove Shaq out of town? Thank you, Pat. So what if he drove away LeBron James? Thank you, Pat. So what if he burned that bridge with Dwyane Wade and then had to go out there and repair it himself and then build him the ugliest statue we've ever seen? Thank you, Pat. Thank you, Pat. This is a great chant, and I think we should... Thank you, Pat. I think. This is a great chant, and I think we should.

Thank you, Pat. I think that is a much better way. Send us merch. Thank you, Pat. Let's make, okay, excellent. Billy, thank you for pulling. Thank you, Pat. Yes.

I was inspired by Pat, that's why I did that. You know what? Thank you, Pat. You know what, you got it. Yes. Let's now, right now, sell merch. Let's zig when others are zagging Everybody wants to burn Pat Riley down. Let's sell merch with Pat Riley on it. No, no, no

We want them to thank you Pat. Yeah, no, but let's also let's also thank you Pat merch here go the other way This is the most criticized Pat Riley has ever been in this town There because because this town is spoiled. The standard is in, no, it's Eastern Conference finals. Like that's where you, you just, you gotta be one of the final four teams all the time and now at the end you don't look like you're closer

than that, you've fallen behind. That's not good enough. If you don't look like one of the top four teams, that's not what the standard is, you've failed. It's noisy. I don't want to add to that any more than I already have. So is there a thank you Pat angle to this? Because as far as Stugatz has gone on this, Jeremy, even you were making sour faces at Stugatz saying that Pat Riley is above criticism.

Because I don't think he is. I'm just not comfortable being the messenger on being the viral one. Look, even Lebatard said. Rainbow Shines. That's it. That's correct. That is absolutely correct. Riley has done a tremendous job during Jimmy Butler's tenure, but I think it's fair to look at this situation as it's blown up, knowing the risk that he took

going into this season of keeping Jimmy Butler around when you knew he wanted an extension, and say, hey, if you were gonna play it this way, maybe you should have traded him this off season, maybe this, maybe that. Playing it out this way and trying to acquire more and hoping that the season would go the right way

and that him playing more games would help elevate you in the East makes sense. Like it was a strategy that I probably would have taken too. Can't believe you said that about Riley. I can understand people having questions. It's okay to have questions. It's just, the criticism is so nuanced. It's not as simple.

It's not just black and white. It's not nuanced. I have an idea. Oh Lord. He's new to this game. I think we need to prove to the world that this show values Pat Riley more than anyone else. So here's what I'm thinking. You hear that, Ethan Skolnick?

Yeah, Ethan. Here's what I'm thinking. We're the Pat Show. The Lakers, so the he, what do they do? They name their court after Pat Riley, right? Except for the first like, whatever that end season tournament, they forgot to put his name on the court and then they fixed that. And then the Lakers announced that they were going to build a statue for Pat Riley, I think,

right? Didn't the Lakers do that? Yeah, these were these were lovely legacy moments. In fact, can you video I we never got to that weeks ago, but I would like to I would like to get to the Lakers moving Pat Riley by telling him they were going to build a statue and South Beach Sessions will cover how moved he was by having a court named after him. But yes, he's getting legacy stuff that usually only comes

with the eulogies. I think we need to build him a statue first or bigger. We need to do something to be the first ones to honor him better than just putting his name on the floor where people step on it, which is borderline disrespectful. That is a great idea. You know what? Not enough.

Can they stop us from putting our own statue on their land across the street? No, no, our land. They're not getting our statue. It's our statue. They're not gonna take our statue and make it seem, this is a situation like where, for example, someone gives you a present for Christmas

and then you say, I don't like this. Does anyone want this present? That's not what we're doing. We're not giving away our statue so they get credit for it. We're building our own statue and it's gonna be staring down the building. I propose that we make a statue of Pat Riley

that is taller than the American Airlines arena. Or we put it on the roof of the Elser so it's looking down at the AAA saying, I built you, I'm above you. Let's do that, find me the budget for it. Let's see if we get the city ordinances. Jeremy, you don't have a job anymore, sorry. That's okay.

How was I the one carrying water for this organization? By the way, you guys have talked about me for the last two years, this is insane. We turned it on you. I want to do this, Billy. Find me what the budget for this is. I want to see what we can do about putting across the street a statue that more honors Pat Wiley. Not across the street on the roof of the Elsa

overlooking the arena. Looking down at the arena. Pointing also, pointing at the arena saying, you're nothing without me. I'm the godfather and then all those rings on right yeah yeah that's yes of course you're pointing you see all the rings and here's the good thing the fact that it's on this building that's I don't know like 50 stories tall or something it

doesn't have to be that accurate because no one can see it from up close because you can't just access it so it just has to look kind of like someone that's pointing at the building Billy I want to make it that people think like a friend and they should this is what I'm telling you we don't want that I'd say rising executive at metal art dinosaur you are a rising executive at metal art this is what I'm telling you find me the budget for that to wreck to. Find me the budget for that. Find out what kind of city licenses we have to get. We don't ask, we apologize.

All right, fine. Just ramp it after. Just find out, just make a quick check somewhere about what liabilities are. And I will give you a substantive budget as part of our 20 year anniversary celebration in order to make that statue at the top of the building that points down at Pat Riley,

but lifts him up and honors him up because it's a statue forever. I would have been fired for that T-Rex executive line. You know what? He's right though. If I move, everything may lose its air and break. You want an inflatable dinosaur, you're going to have to stay put. The Day on the Batard Show with Stu Gotz is sponsored by BetterHelp.

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T-mobile.com slash which Apple intelligence requires ios 18.1 or later Don libertard go ahead Billy ask him your question is gymnastic gymnastics pop prop Possibly bad. Oh wow Wow two guts. I got some phlegm in my mouth. Yeah, it's okay. Yeah Oh, wow, Wow, two guts. I got some phlegm in my mouth. Yeah, it's okay. Yeah gymnastics possibly corrupt this is the done libertar show with a stooge ads I wish to tell everyone here that I've got a problem beyond everything we just mentioned with what's happening across the street with the Miami Heat.

In that, Pat Riley is on South Beach Sessions this week, and I told soft-talking Matt Coogler, who left the Craig Ferguson show to have the world's dumpiest office here at metal art media coogs i told billy gill's good friend coogs that south beach sessions probably shouldn't put pat riley out this week because people will expect me to ask him about jimmy butler and we did this interview five or six weeks uh... and so people will think i'm doing a soft uh...

biographical interview which i will say i was trying to do with someone i admire doing what might be the last interview we do together after someone uh... it he doesn't do many interviews he doesn't he he only talks two or three times a year anymore anywhere he used to come on the show all the time you say he's doing less uh... for many years now he's doing less this uh... it's just about this is this

is really my conundrum okay i've it's it's just a simply human conundrum okay after seeing pat riley show up at the memorial surprised me by showing up at the memorial for my brother okay this is a man whose legacy I do not want to tarnish in this town or anywhere by adding my voice as noise to we know better than he does like I get why we do it right I'm not saying that it's unfair for sports to do it, but because of where it is this relationship is personal, I have trouble with the objectivities I'm trying to aspire to. That's why we're building a statue, roof of the Elser, pointing somewhere

in the vicinity of the arena, but not at the arena, but staring down at the arena. Looking down is the key part. Right. For those of you who don't know, Dan has a legit, this is a friendship that he has with Pat Riley. It's not one of those relationships where I say, hey, everyone's my friend over at ESPN. Dan has a real relationship and friendship that has gone on for a decade and a half, two decades nearly with Pat Riley. So, I understand your conundrum. I understand what it is you're dealing with.

But I think Pat would understand, he's been doing this forever, Dan. He understands the criticism, does he not? Yes, Stugance, here's the thing, okay? Yes, of course, of course. Look, my relationships with Stan Van Gundy and Pat Riley began, I would say, Jimmy Johnson as well, contentious. Like, I'm writing things that they don't like, and over time, Jimmy Johnson as well, contentious, like I'm writing things

that they don't like and over time they learn to respect it and over time a relationship grows from there, wherever it is that it grows. But no, I've been very critical of Pat Riley and print and my standards not higher than his. He understands that the game is you win the championship or everyone gets to say you're a loser. He's fine with that. He made the standard. He set it. Like he wins the second championship with the Lakers and guarantees a three-peat

because he knows he's got Kareem. Different time though, different place. 78 years old and I keep telling you, man, Stu Gotz, it's hard to do what ESPN does with Lee Corso and Dick Vitale holding their hand at the very end and letting them dictate some of the terms because they've earned it and i don't mean to turn pat riley into a mascot no much the opposite this in this sport is the most respected thing and he's hanging on to a way of doing it

that ain't no longer the way because lebron james and all that power took the sport away and now you got load management and Joel Embiid and everything that's happening in the sport and he's telling his superstar that you won't be traded and then a few days later oh yeah you will be traded and now his superstar is saying and there are teams I won't go to and Pat Riley might try to spite him here somewhere by sending him trying to send him somewhere and he can't send him anywhere because Jimmy Butler is gonna dictate the terms at the end. But he's been to the NBA finals twice in the last five years.

Like, we're talking like the game has passed Pat Riley by. Well, but I'd like a spot of nuance or degrees between those things, right? Between passed and by, fair criticism, and also don't disrespect this, don't disrespect these people like I know Spoh has had some really bad moments this season he has but he didn't forget how to coach like the game's ever evolving he helped ever

evolve it positionless basketball and now the Celtics are better at all of those things and I forgive them I understand why you wouldn't i forgive them for not having seen that coming but i mean you come in here you respect very few things in the world your disrespectful so not introduction i gotta be off you are the animals guys uh... happy new anus to you and me

uh... please help help soothe me as I walk back early in the week criticism sort of afraid of the crime family across the street all right so a couple of questions number one Dan you said in this segment we're not gonna like I'm not gonna be the guy who criticizes Pat Riley or or calls him what by calling him washed like you don't feel comfortable doing that but you felt comfortable calling Tom Brady washed before he won like three more Super Bowls yeah right so why is there a difference between a very successful player and a very successful

executive in that regard for you thank you for asking for a distinction that would seem to catch me in a hypocrisy I didn't call Tom Brady washed I said that you did you said it was over he's won four Super Bowl since he owns the Raiders He's gonna steal Vrabel away from the Raiders, from the Patriots. Sorry. You said? I never said Tom Brady was wash. I said, no, this is what happens to me around here. I can't look at you. All the time, I said that it's unbelievable that what I'm about to say got reduced to,

you said Tom Brady is washed, because this was the criticism of Tom Brady. I said all quarterbacks throughout history, if you get to that age, the drop is precipitous. Numerically, it's empirical, it is factual. All quarterbacks decline at that age. There is no reversing how that happens. But you wouldn't notice it in the uniform because the arm strength is going to look the same and so the only way that would be perceptible is on the deep ball and here are Tom Brady's numbers on the deep ball. They are not

good. It is close to the end for Tom Brady After that he won all the Super Bowls And I was I was wrong throwing deep balls I was wrong about everything after that in a way that still makes the graphic amazing when I'm looking at it And he's put up on the screen as a three hundred seventy five million dollar broadcaster who's terrible and it says seven times super bowl champion under his name he was better after you said that i said that's correct that is correct what is absolutely so before you know what the tom brady

you are totally right i don't know what that was but you are you are totally right. I don't know what that was, but you are you are totally right on it's as wrong as I've ever been on anything to even provide math that he might be in decline. I simply never said he was washed. I'm saying that it's what like when you're looking at it, it's not something that you can decipher to the human eye when a quarterback is fading still got all talk myself into Aaron Rodgers what he looked like in six of the last eight games of the season right but you can't tell with that kind of greatness it's not that overt where you're like the guy runs out there same uniform same name

different uniform but looks the same i can't see when a quarterback was one of the best ever is in decline and that you can see either because he defied all the math uh... isn't it fun when you say something that logically makes sense but then is completely disproven by one of the greatest performances ever but people hold it up as an example that you need it that doesn't know anything what is the fairest criticism of the miami heat you've been very critical of

bam out of bio bam out of bio has been terrible this year i'm asking how much flexibility do you have with an organization for not knowing fast enough that their three guys in the ceiling on their three guys would not be good enough if jimmy butler waiver none of it would be good enough if Jimmy Butler wasn't surpassed as he aged by the acquisition of a player better than Jimmy Butler. So this is what I would say Dan, first of all nobody's perfect like there's a part of this where I'm sensing a lot of anger and outrage and like guys the job's hard right? Who's a guy that we all look at right now is perhaps the best general manager in the NBA

Sam Presti right Oh Sam Presti that late James Harden go because he wanted to pay Serge Baca Sam Presti who didn't trade Kevin Durant when he had a chance to let him walk for nothing like they all Everyone's got farts on their resume. There's nobody here pristine put it on the pole Please juju does everyone have farts on their resume damn We completely glossed over the fact that Billy was big-time by the bald guy I mean let me get back to it at a mass event. Let me get back to it. I remember now So what you were there for that it was there of course. I was there Wow I'm the one that told him big time

So the next part of this is something you said the other day, which was, this is the biggest mess in Heat history. And I would say Shaq threatening to punch Pat Riley, slightly bigger mess because of who it was and because of physically who it was and because it was physical as opposed to sniping at each other through press conferences to me that's that's the pinnacle of the biggest mess in heat history in terms of Player and Pat Riley clothes. No, forgive me. I was just saying publicly. I wasn't saying privately look look, wait a minute Let me let me be clear on something on something else people might not know

This environment that what is across the street is a military school for millionaires where they surgically go from station to station getting the right medicine and science so they can be masked maximum backs basketball machines what is across the street is a factory for how do these people get better at this and then you these people get better at this and then you see them get better at this. Like that's a, it's a weird thing. When I'm telling you, I can't tell that Tom Brady is getting worse, but I can tell,

oh, where's pretty good, how'd that happen? Whoa, how did that happen? Like this team, this place over here knows how to make basketball players better. And so Dan, to that point, I will give you a positive that you said. You said this team, by and large, is a team of overachievers,

which is suspiciously similar to something I said during the conference finals in 2023 when I said, the Boston Celtics are clearly more talented. That the Heat have to do everything right to win, but they do and that's why they want and will manso and everybody else got mad as how could you say they're more talent and so called out by name i'm just saying that i i a will i love you will not know what i'm not you guys i i i i i i i i i i i

i don't know let alone i'm so i don't know i'm not going to say on the front end because on the front end is what i'm saying is right what i said right was back then and I'm doing a little bit of a victory trot not a lap a victory trot Victory trot I like that. I don't want to do this. We have a victory lap today. We do have one. Okay You're gonna make me go run. Okay, but but my point is you were right Dan as I was two years ago this team By and large what they built was a team of overachievers.

The other thing that you said that was correct was, and a lot of people have lost that plot, when Jimmy Butler was acquired, you guys are like, why are we giving Jimmy Butler da da da da? And this is just gonna keep us middle of the road. I said, no, Jimmy Butler makes you significantly better. He is a superstar, but if you want other superstars, you you have to start with one and he's the one that you got and so it was always About getting someone else not getting someone getting Jimmy help

Getting someone that Jimmy could help now along the way there were some flirtations Maybe Van Etobayo is the guy and Jimmy helps him right maybe Damien Lillard comes Maybe Kevin Draak comes. All the deals that don't happen, ladies and gentlemen, there are eight billion deals a year that every team goes through, where you almost, but you don't, and it's not anyone's fault other than this is a human business.

I'm dealing with other general managers, I'm dealing with agents and I'm dealing with players. When I was in Phoenix, hell, we thought we were gonna get Kevin Garnett We literally Kevin Garnett is literally at a party all-star weekend in Las Vegas in 2007 Going over plays with us about how he's going to fit in into our offense and then You know Sean Marion's agent makes a hard

Bargain with Danny ain't any, I can't do this deal. Our deal dies. Kevin McHale, his good buddy, says, well, what about us? And next thing you know, they do a one-on-one deal as opposed to a three-team deal. This happens all the time. There are eight million examples of this. And finally, when you think about,

oh, Jimmy Butler did this in a press conference and it's so embarrassing. You know what else is embarrassing? Jimmy Butler did this in a press conference and it's so embarrassing. You know what else is embarrassing? When Kobe Bryant stood in a parking lot talking to a 15 year old on a flip phone telling him I need to get traded because they wouldn't trade and to buy them for Jason Kidd. That happened. That happened.

You are talking about public and private, okay? Just to be clear, this is a notoriously private organization right it's not an airport information that a lot of information comes out on so amin is giving you their shack story the things that happen behind the scenes in this factory i'm talking about where they make hardin players is filled and this is a feature not

bug with conflict. Those people have been toughened, Jimmy Butler has been toughened by an environment where the conflict is not avoided. The conflict is part of what it is that sharpens the tools and so yes Shaq had to be held outside by security when he was let go because it had escalated to Shaq know you don't have the power here your traded in shack was used to having the power now shacks outside like a lot of people are with security because you can't just go back and get your things the arguments of a lot of morning think about what i'm about to say here

were pat riley and a lot of morning would tell you yes all onto morning fueled by rage would tell pat riley to his face yelling and screaming threatening to get physical bleep you and pat riley would say it right back and pat riley's principal was it's fine for all the bleep views teach me something teach me something when we're doing that you think that place got good at sharpening basketball players because it's gentle?

And so a prideful man, Pat Riley, who built that environment has just been embarrassed in public, a private organization by Jimmy Butler, by the player taking the power from the organization the way that's been happening for 14 years since LeBron did it first for Miami. Well, we talked about this on Basketball Illuminati this weekend, I did the timeline of Jimmy Butler,

of who he is starting from Juco, all the way here. And at every step, there's a point where it's like, Jimmy Butler says, I need to get compensated, and the compensation doesn't happen, and he's like, what the hell with this place right? In Chicago he went from playing three minutes a game his rookie year to 82 games the next year to starting to most improved player and being their best player in four years and they didn't offer him that extension so he had to play and then get a restricted free agency thing.

He had to wait for his money, and that obviously didn't sit well. And then they fire Tibbs and they bring in Fred Hoyberg, and that doesn't work out. He gets sent to Minnesota, he helps revive Minnesota, but when it's time to pay him, they're like, ah, I don't know, and so he says, get me out of here. He goes to Philly, when it's time to pay him,

they say, ah, Tobias Harris. And so he comes, get me out of here. He goes to Philly when it's time to pay him. He says, ah, to buy his Harris. And so he comes here. He comes here, he gets paid. He gets an extension, he gets paid again. His deal's almost up. This is Jimmy Butler. And I don't say that begrudgingly about him. I'm just saying, he hasn't been duplicitous in any way.

So for Pat Riley to kind of think, well I'll just challenge him and it'll be fine, which is kind of like what Tom Thibodeau thought in Minnesota, it's like, well Jimmy's my guy, he's fine. Once we start playing, he'll be fine. He's a little upset now, he's like, no, the guy wants his money, pay him his money. And that's what Jeremy said the other day day which is if he had gotten an extension

none of this would be an issue. We'd be talking about can we get a little better or whatever? We wouldn't be talking about Jimmy Butler wants to play anywhere else. This is all about him wanting his money I'm gonna say this for a second time. I'm not gonna say it again We have glossed over Billy being big-time by ball guy heat security. Billy, what the hell happened? I mean, I don't know that this is the right forum for this. I don't wanna cause any rifts. Dan's gonna lose sleep over with the heat security guard cause it's gonna get back to him.

He's gonna say, what did Dan say about me now? And then he's gonna poke him in the elbow again. It's gonna be a whole thing. But if you must ask, and I must tell you, it was at the last mosque that we had with the big stage. You remember that one? Where it was in Wynwood, I think? So I noticed off to the side, the security guard,

the bald security guard was just off the stage where we were and he was hanging out by the stairs. So I felt kind of bad. I was like, why is this guy just hanging out by the stairs. So I felt kind of bad. I was like, why is this guy just hanging out by the stairs? There's this big crowd of people. I wanted him to feel welcome, so I was trying to be a good host. So I was on the stage and I walked over to him

and I said, hey, good to see you. Thanks for coming out. Because I've been told that he's a big fan of the show. So I thought it'd be nice to just say, hey, thanks for coming out, whatever, so it's not just some guy hanging out by a stairwell, right? So he shakes my hand very nicely, and then I walk away and I go back on the stage

to do whatever we were doing. And then a report got to me that he then turned to the person next to him and said, who the bleep was that guy? Yeah, he's terrifying and I don't know why. I wasn't terrified, I thought he was a dick he was one of the fans Get back to him come on He's crazy Those fans of the show that says they're a fan of the show and then says I love the show with poppy

It's like yeah, that show doesn't exist anymore classic. That's what it sounds like Well, if if you think my criticism is bad We need to call poppy but poppy's got some thoughts on on the dolphins and the heat and and the private phone calls I've had with poppy have been he he would speak for the fan bases of the dolphins in the heat in a way that's less compromised than me he too is fed up not just with the godfather he's fed up with spo too well he's been fed up not just with the Godfather. He's fed up with Spoh too. Well he's been fed up with Spoh for a decade. Oh boy.

No, but it's worse than it's ever been. Really? Yes, it is. How? Please call my father, okay? I wish to call my father and get to the bottom of this. The phone calls I've had privately during the holidays with my father are the most poisonous sports phone calls

I've ever heard and my parents almost got divorced during the Shaq finals because my father spent nothing but the entire season complaining about Shaq missing free throws. My father wanted to fight Shaq the way that Shaq wanted to fight Riley. My father is the most spoiled of Heat fans. He told me he's been with the Heat all along. He's been with them since bandwagon fans. Can you be a bandwagon fan if you've been complaining since 2006? I feel like he's lost that. It's 18 years of complaints. That's a typical Miami bandwagon fan. All he's done is care enough to complain.

He's checked out on the whole season because they're $500 because he's spoiled, and they don't do him the service of filling his media potato chips bag full, and he goes to the owner of the bandwagon and says, I'm going to go to the store and get a bag full of potato chips. he's done is care enough to complain. He's checked out on the whole season because they're 500 because he's spoiled and they don't do him the service of filling his media potato chips bag full and he goes to the owner of the team and tells them that they're cheap with their media potato chip bags.

We just closed the loop on Billy's awkward interaction at Moss Miami. Let's close the loop on Dan's Tom Brady take. I have a clip here. Oh wow. From September. Excellent. 30th, 2014, 11 years ago.

There is no way I'm saying he's washed. I'm pretty certain the Dolphins beat the Patriots like 33 to 20. And Dan said it right after that. Let's let the clips speak for itself. For the last two years, I've been saying, with much resistance, by the way, as they go to the AFC Championship game last year and go 12 and 4

That Tom Brady is washed Wow Wow Wow there it is 2000 and whoa I told you 16 yeah, so doesn't 14 Wow You had it first Dan cross decades That Tom Brady is washed I Legitimately cannot tell if the is

That was even said by me ever never mind AI Have I said it that way is that my voice that Tom Brady is washed is in decline that Chris Chris Chris Chris that's what you spent the whole hour doing who was that guy saying in decline Chris Chris it's gonna hurt him for days Chris and I also heard a stray sound while I was trying to do the show that was something Tom Brady related, because that's what you were, that's the joke you've been editing for 60 minutes.

That's how you've decided to do your job as executive producer today. I think we're losing, we're losing the plot here. Dan said it. We heard it. I extended the clock by 10 minutes so we could cook some more on dinosaur Billy. I have an update on the statue situation. So really, I reached out to someone here who would know and I said, do we have roof access? And they said, I don't know.

That's the latest. All right. Some of the things I'd like to do over the coming days. I don't believe we use this building well enough we've got rock climbing we've got basketball we've got world pools we've got the top of this building in a statue we're gonna build to point down at the arena greg cody i want any world pool tomorrow

world pool cody because i believe he'll be braver than nick saban who's not brave enough in a commercial to be in a whirlpool without a shirt And you guys are telling me it's about age and son Greg Cody's very old. He's very unhealthy Greg Cody will sit in a hot tub I'm guessing with his shirt off because he's not afraid to be a coward who goes into the whirlpool with a shirt on the way Nick Saban is as he's the protector of college football, but isn't brave enough to take a shirt off So help me do that tomorrow. What's cold out? Do we want Greg out there in the elements? He's not feeling well

He's gonna get out. He's gonna be wet and then he's gonna get like it's it's I mean, it's borderline I think it'd be lovely out there. It's a hot tub. It is a hot tub and it is Glorious it is massive. First of all, it's one of the biggest hot tubs I've ever but you have to get out of the hot tub at some it's L shaped Yeah, but no this is look man the amenities here. This is a luxury hotel. It is like that's it that That hot tub is not is nobody's punishment That's not no matter what the weather is that I would imagine Greg Cody would love to do the show from over there And the door is right by the hot tub you You get out and like, you just literally just run

right inside and you're fine. So I don't think it's an issue. I do wonder though, are you pronouncing it whorl-de-pool with a D in there? No, whorl, whorl. Whorl, that's worried. Thank you, I appreciate it. That's a good correction by you.

Since Dan said that thing about Brady, Brady threw 290 touchdowns at 78 interceptions. That Tom Brady is washed. The Day on the Batard Show with Stu Gotz is sponsored by BetterHelp. Every January feels like a fresh start. 365 blank pages, just waiting for your story to be written. In 2025, maybe you're ready for a plot twist,

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