The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: The Biggest Sports Day in Two Decades

Episode Date: January 11, 2024

Bill Belichick. Nick Saban. Pete Carroll. Stephen A. Smith vs. Jason Whitlock. Pat McAfee and Aaron Rodgers. Steph Curry. Charles Barkley. So. Much. More. What will make 'Dan's Top 5 Sports Stories From Yesterday?' Once we find out the Top 5 list, Dan dives into the intricacies of the Stephen A.-Whitlock story, his relationship with each of them, and what Stephen A. told Dan when they spoke on the phone before Stephen A.'s show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. This is the Don Levertar Show with this 2-GOTS Podcast. This is the day I have to serve the Richard Simmons punishment. Is that what you're doing? You guys couldn't get me a less cheap costume than this so that the headband would work correctly and it wouldn't look like I've got a ton of surface area on my forehead. I mean that's the point. No, the point is it's supposed to fit snugly so that this can look like I so that it... No, we pride ourselves on the accuracy. So that's the Richardson. Yeah. He had a lot of a lot of surface area.

All right. Yeah. No, that's so far so good. Yeah. Yeah. Like this day was scheduled long in advance. Can't help the news cycle. The news cycle makes this show, I believe, one of the most newsworthy sports days we've had here in two decades.

We called everyone in Lucy is sick. Lucy's been off for two weeks sick. She had to rush in to get in today to talk about all the things that are happening. I don't feel good, but I'm here, Dan, for you. Thank you, Lucy. Just remember that. Thank you for playing. Playing tough.

Jessica is wearing some sort of smock back there that I think is a grid of death punishment But I was told is not a grid of death punishment. She just she just wants to be fashionable the shale curtain It's Sabin's face Dan young Sabin. He looks great. He's very young. That's not Alabama saving That's not I think it's early Alabama Sabin. All right. I don't know how many stories I mean would you say there are that would lead a normal show today? How many stories are competing to lead a show on an average sports news day? Five. I think they're more than that. More than five? Yes. I think they're more I think they're more than five. Yes, I think there are more, I think there are more than five. I think that there might be 10. Well, let's do this.

How about this? I will give you my top five sports news stories of the night. I see that Mike is on the phone with Bob Ryan who's having a lot of trouble with his zoom and his driving and he's at doctor's office. And this promise is to be pretty complicated talking to Bob Ryan as he drives on the zoom. You're trying to get Bob Ryan on the zoom. Yeah, I have him I have him on a car phone like from the 90s a big one. One of the big bricks with the with the cord on it. Yeah

All right. Yes, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do I'm gonna do a tough five Let me get my let me get some notes together here to see if I because there's just there's just too much all right Well, I was gonna ask you if you had to pick you've got to pick one story from the last 24 hours That is the biggest most interesting talk story Jessica, what do you think you'd pick is your college football bias gonna show here not, Dan, I'm flight tracking. There is a schedule flight out of Pesca, Lucida Athens in a couple hours. Wheels up. How much? Greece? Wow, who's there? How much studying of flight tracking are you doing? There's a, the coaching carousel today is the craziest coaching carousel we've ever had in football. It's got to be correct

It has to be there cannot be a coaching carousel that is more fun and bigger than today But I'm honestly not sure If the coaching carousel I need to be careful here because these shorts are really short and if I get up to More like dips and tell the music so I'm to be careful here because these shorts are really short and if I get up to two, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, two, two, two, two, two, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, two, two, two, two, two, three, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, two, two, two, two, two, three, two, five, two, five, two, three, two,

two, two, two, two, three, two, five, two, five, two, two, two, two, three, two, three, two, five, two, five, two, two, two, two, three, two, three, two, three, two, five, two, five, two, two, two, three, two, three, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, two, three, two, three, two, three, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, two, three, two, three, two, three, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, five, two, two, three, two, three, two, three, two, five, two, five, two, two, two, three, two, three, two, three, two, three, four, four, five, two,

two, three, two, three, two, four, five, two, two, four, five, two, two, three, two, three, two, three, four, five, two, five, two, three, four, five, two, two, three, four, five, two, two, three, two, three, four, Bill Bella check out in New England. That's number five. Yes. Is this because we had time to prepare ourselves for this story potentially? It's because of how much happened. Oh.

So even if it were a shock, it would still be a number five for you. Um, yeah, it's not really a shock. No, I'm saying we're saying hype that it was not a point. It would climb. It would climb a little bit. Like if it just out of the blue. Right, but we kind of knew it was coming, right? Like, you know what? I should do all I, because I should It was time. It was time. It would climb a little bit. Like if it just out of the blue. Right. But we kind of knew it was coming, right?

Like, you know what? I should do OLI because I should do OLI. Let me do OLI. This is my bad. I'm not very good at the top five list. OLI Pete Carroll out in Seattle. I'm so happy you mentioned this. This is a forgotten.

You have Sabin retiring. A one championship. Uh, don't give away the little. Oh, let me just argue for the merits of the peak. Carol store without mentioning other names though. We just mentioned Bella check. All right. So you have Bella check who's one super bulls.

You have Sabin who's one college football championships. You have one coach that's done both of those things. And he's not in your top five. I'm sorry. It's not a top five worthy thing given everything that's happened. Had he been outright fired as opposed to reassigned with that of change? It looks like he was outright fired. He's reassigned. He's sounded like a guy that was outright fired. He's outright reassigned. It's East Coast bias. Raebles are not going to make this list because we talked about it yesterday. It happened at the end

of what was happening yesterday. So he's not going to even be on the list. But that was an update on the story. You wanted roster control. Um, yeah, that can't make it today. roster control can't make it today. So also number five, because I'm bad at this. I've got I need another five. Steven A Smith goes after Jason Whitlock. I'm unfamiliar. You haven't heard the story? No. Okay. Maybe we'll get get to it later. Also number five, Nick Saban retires. Okay. Keep Carol one one in the pros and in college. Doing the college football playoff era. Legend in two games like his P.E. Kirkland. Also number five, Charles Barkley tells Gail king that he would punch air and rogers in the face

uh... these are tied these are all these are all number five and she tried to protect them a little bit and he's like no no no let me be clear i would punch him directly in the face yeah you've mentioned uh... you you mentioned the day it is with pete carol i believe it was fair faucet who died on the day that Michael Jackson died. That's, that is unfortunate. And I, I can't keep up with the, the speed of the news over the last 24 hours. Some of this stuff happened when people were sleeping.

I can't believe that this is all five. Also number five, Pat McAfee fires Aaron Rogers. Was that like five e very misleading? Yeah, I didn't fire him. What happened? It's a hell of a way to spin an end of a term. Yeah. He only appears during the season. The season is over.

Hence, he's not going to appear anymore. Has nothing to do with what he said. Yeah, we fired Tim Kirkchin after the fall classic. Yeah, we sure did. We kicked his ass at a curb. Number four, Steph Curry suggests roster changes with the Warriors. That's ahead of Sabin. What right there with Sabin

A and Whitlock? I had no idea this happened. You said roster control wasn't on this list. So what's that about? roster control for Vrable. Steph Curry's a superstar. For a player's different. Yeah. Order. Steph Curry. Mike Vrable has road playoff wins at New England and at Baltimore. Vrable to Alabama. How about that? You guys. No flights on the schedule though.

No. No. Not an actual Tuscaloosa. I checked. He's driving. You guys believe that I've got the order wrong here? Yes. Yeah, that's a little. Well, you don't even know what I've got. I think you're the rest of the list. You're gonna go to the rest.

Thanks. Like that's how, why are you judging my list? I mean, Steph Curry, forgive me, forgive me. Suggesting roster changes on something that's dynastic. And now, more than Bella check and Sabin on. Again, it's some bigger than Pete Carroll. It's not? No, Pete Carroll won a championship in college and in the pro. If

you told me Steph Curry asked for roster changes, meaning Dremon and Clay got to go, then yes, that's a huge story. But if we're talking about Moses Moody and Jonathan Kaminga, yeah, not a story. Okay. So it's my list. No, it's got to go point. Yeah. Number three, he would highsmith career high versus the thunder. Dan embarrassment of riches for the Miami Heat. Ignore the score from last night. Heywood Highsmith is great. Ignore the fourth quarter.

I have no problems with this one. Number two, big game for the Florida Panthers tonight. It's 90's. Yeah. Anytime ANZ Copatar comes to town, you could throw the records right out. ANZ Copatar and them boys coming in. Very good road team. Very good road team.

They stink at home, but on the road, there is good as a Florida Panthers are. There are a super human team on the road, but the Florida Panthers are as hot as they've ever been as a franchise. Roy, Keen's coming off of the overtime, Lawson Tapper, and the Panthers get their first home game off of a long road trip. So it should be a good game. Greatest road trip in the history of the franchise. Yeah, hard to say.

So hard press to find a better one. Tell me more. Four games in a row, goal scored for Matthew Kachak. He is, look to switch to. Wait a minute, that was my number one. That was my number one. That was my number one. Kachak, the hat trick, flip the smatcher hat trick, and a period Matthew Kachak is back. That was my number one. That was my number one. You can check the truth. You can check the truth.

The hat trick flipped. That's the magic hat trick. In a period, Matthew, you can check his back. That was my number one. I think this might be the best for a Panther C.Mever. And I know we said that a lot recently,

but this time I mean it. I meant it. You know what's weird is I meant it all the previous times, but they found a way as a franchise to keep getting better. And this same, I know we can run out.

You know what you're, I'm about Sam Ryanhardt. Is he gonna get knee landed money? It seems like they've perfected the Marie system. It took him like a year. So to really figured out they're playing it now. They figured it out. It can't be Paul ball. They play with a pocket. If you know, that's great. Paul ball is great. If you can only bring one back Montor or Ryan heart. Who are you going? I'm going Montor. I'm focusing on your defense though.

Yeah, but that's tough. That's tough. I am not going to forget who Brandon Montor was. That last run. Okay. Okay. I got a lot of tape on Sam Ryan Hart. And we got to give credit to Barkey because Barkey has made Sam Ryan Hart into a heart trophy. Potential finalists. This is crazy. He is the perfect line made for barcov. Let me go around the room since there were so many objections to my top five list and you guys think I got it all wrong. Let me go around the room. I want all of you to pick a single story. You're only allowed to pick one. What was the biggest story in the last the biggest talk story in the last 24 hours? The reason that all these people are here today

because they want to hear from me after getting very tired, very tired of hearing me talk about all the ESPN stuff, but there are a couple of stories here that I believe I am uniquely informed on. I've got my choice, but it ain't the stuff happening at ESPN at all, but I think that's the talking point today. I want to go around the room. Jeremy, what is, you can only pick one. Oh, I didn't even mention Tiger Woods firing Nike. We didn't fire them. Again, that's the end of a term. You're confusing the end of a term with a firing. And if someone were to fire someone in that scenario, it wouldn't be Tiger. That's just so they can pay more money

to Dan landing to stay, right? I don't want to talk to Jeremy about this. I made a bad decision. I mean, what was your point? No, I didn't even, you're just about this. I made a bad decision. I mean, what was your problem? You're just getting scared. No, because I know what your bias is. I'll come back to you, but I've got a decent guess what you're going to go with because your bias is absolute and it's bothersome. It's annoying. I mean, what is you see F upsetting number three Kansas, Dan? It was amazing. I'm going to go sit in Kansas City. Oh, cool. No, not Kansas City. Well, they're in Lawrence. Oh, man, Lawrence, Kansas.

Which is, do you know there's a Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, the border town? Only blue blood in the state there. Go sit in Lawrence, Kansas City. I went to Kansas City the entire time. I thought I was in Missouri. I was in Kansas.

What? What? Is MCI the airport I should have been looking for? Imagine I'm in my car driving to a chiefs game and I saw a sign that said welcome to Missouri. I was like, well, where the hell was I? Chris Cody's worried booked a flight to the wrong day for the chiefs game. MCI. All right.

We're good. Dan, if I may go next, I think the biggest story is the Miami men's basketball team. Last night losing at home to the worst team in the ACC, the Louisville Cardinals. That is a hugely under reported story happening right now in sports. basketball team last night losing at home to the worst team in the ACC, the Louisville Cardinals. That is a hugely under reported story happening right now in sports. Last night was a worst night of my life. It was a worst night of my life. I don't leave you.

Tough night to be a blue blood in college basketball. Tennessee gets upset. The last couple of nights in college basketball been crazy. I cannot believe my blue blood in Miami, Hurricane's lost to a football school. The Dan Levitard show with Stugots is sponsored by Better Help. Around New Year's we get obsessed with how to change ourselves instead of just expanding on what we're already doing right. Therapy can be helpful for personal growth, managing mental health challenges, improving

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name is Kenley Jansen. He has blamed his region. DCC down lebatars show with his two gods. He's ended by Draft King's fantasy sports. Check out what Draft King's has to offer this season with code Dan because life's more fun when you're in on the action. Draft King's, the crown is yours. Gambling problem called Winnie hundred damper. Asian eligibility restrictions apply. Forever prohibitive.

See DraftKings.com for details. I see what everyone's doing here, Dan. They're being all zany. They're going off board. Something like, you know, I'll clearly take top. I would like serious. I was being serious. I couldn't choose Ernguy, so I went with Miami and Louisville. I got you, Dan.

I would like serious. It's Lopez falling to the Cyclones in the second round. How do the Cyclones have the best two back quarters on the planet? How did that work out? Manu and Lopez on the same roster. Now I know you're thinking the sport has changed in front court We should emphasize that but no no no no not when you have an opportunity to take Lopez Straight from the best country Dan. All right. The back row is behaving as the back row does I now want serious answers Douglas one number one. What are the warriors doing? the back row is behaving as the back row does. I now want serious answers to my question. What are the warriors doing? I want Lucy, you follow me. You're the only one around here,

willing because you're newer to actually take suggestions. Well, first, I can't live a came in for this. Wow. Seems seems like a bad decision on what a day. Jam packed. We haven't talked about Caitlin Clark selling out Mackey Arena last night. We're at the best shot that didn't count. It was so beautiful. Sold out. They average 4,000 people to game 14,000 last night for my girl. I gave the stat and passing the other day that since 2020, Caitlin Clark Clark has, she's got 10 40 point games and Iowa football has four. That's amazing. It's a low bar. So it is Iowa football has four. That's amazing. That's a low bar.

So it is, but it's still kind of amazing. So no one's going to be serious about this. Roy, what would be- That was very serious. What would be- What would be talking about? Roy, give Dan what he needs here. Yeah, absolutely.

It's Alexander Barcliffe, not being voted into the All-Sogging by the fans. He greases. So how does that work? They each automatically put one representative from the team and then there's a fan vote. That's right. Well, that's bullshit.

Where is Zany Crew? So, okay, but Vosky, however, he's gonna be in also a game. Bob is going. Yeah, but so. So we got, we got Bob and Rhino. Okay. Well, that's a little bit better.

Do you think Chuck is playing himself into it? No, no, no, no. That's too late. That's an embarrassment of riches. I don't suppose Mike would have a serious suggestion. It's be Carol. Be clearly. He means that.

I mean, you want to talk about all these other coaches. A guy that won in Belicex sport, be Belicex by the way, and a guy that won in Sabin sport, only one out of those two that's being talked about right now. He's the only one that's gotten both. both yeah and he looks like he got forced out he's he sounds like a man that still wants a coach I'd be really curious play the carousel music again because a lot of people I'm it we're in love with my thoughts can't take this we're in love with leadership he did it a different way he was ahead of his time and even though he was the oldest head coach in the NFL he aged with grace because his style

Really appealed to the current player Me neither the Seahawks just miss out on the playoffs. Are you? Who are you to tell me that the Seahawks under delivered on expectations this year? Would you say head coach? Would you say that something culturally has changed in football, something perhaps that we might not understand about power dynamics, when Carol, Vrayble, and Bella Check are all out when I think all of us would say, no matter who your fan base if he's fireable. Vrable has spoiled his fan base if he is fireable. So there are other power dynamics at work. Do you take from yesterday's news,

which I would believe to be one of the biggest sports news days ever when it comes to coaching surprises and changes? Do you think there's something happening culturally in the league that would make that also, or it's just a coincidence, and to happy coincidence that we get all this content? I mean, aging does exist. It was a bit hell of a run for that guy. But, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, power struggle too. Like, Bella check, let's be clear on what happened. The people had better results. I thought, I thought,

I thought, Vrayble over delivered on this year. Sabin's the only one like choosing to retire. It sounds like of all of the options, including Pete Carroll. I gotta tell you that deserved to be in the top five. What was the biggest surprise from all of them? Pete Carroll, Vrayble, and Sabin. What's the biggest surprise where you're yesterday

going, Vrayble? Sabin. I'm to say it's Lopez falling for the Cyclones. I think the Sabin retirement has been rumored for the last two seasons. Pretty, I feel like we even talked about on the show when they were struggling at the beginning of the season. Like, this is going to be a guy. So I don't know, that's a prize by it, to be honest. I haven't looked around. I haven't checked the research, but I've got to assume that Sabin and Bella check doing that on the same day,

that's never happened before. Two coaches of that kind of greatness, stepping away from their stability. So different days, and we think that's with intention, because you got to clear out the the news cycle for Bill Bella check, but it did happen the same day in that Pete Carroll. Okay. Within 24 hours, the sit within the same 24 hours, Sabin and Bella check.

And Carol, there's just no way that that kind of legendary leadership on the same day is. Are you doing a bit where you're leaving Pete Carroll off of this because there's a vent diagram and Pete Carroll sits at the middle of it. I actually changed my answer. Pete Carroll did actually shock me and I feel like it shocked him because if he had known and kind of planned ahead, they would have each chosen a different day, right? Like there's no way Pete Carroll wants to be leaving Seattle the same day, Sabin's retiring. Can America take a lesson from what happened in the last 24 hours with football coaching?

Old people, really old, over 70 something, retire. What's going on with getting Bob Ryan on the Zoom mic speaking of that? Oh wow. He's like, he was trying to explain to me. He's like, I told you already, I'm only on my phone. I can't do Zoom. I'm like, no, Zoom is our onboarding system. You can treat it like a phone call.

He's like, all right, so you call me. I'm like, I can't die loud. Bob, Bob, you're just gonna have to trust me on this one. Click this button that I'm sending to you and you're good. He's like, send it to this other number. No, no, this has gotta work, but boy, I'm enjoying the ride. Mac Brown just heard Chris Cody and was like, what the f***? What should I do on a day like today about who our first guest should be?

Because we've got a bunch of guests today and normally we clear out a lot of guests on the biggest of news days. Adnan and Samson coming up in an hour. Not kidding, I cancel it. Well, but what about everyone else we have? Did you cancel the UFO guy? No, no, no, there was a jellyfish flying over Iraq. That's a real line. What?

There's video of this. We got video, we'll show it, and we'll talk to Jeremy Corbell about it. Aliens are here, and I told you, they're coming from our oceans. Jamal Hill is gonna join us at some point and I mean, what do you think is interesting about the power dynamics of everything happening?

Hold on, guys. This takes precedent. Show the video of the jellyfish in the air. Let's see the jellyfish. Look at that. That's a throne. No, it's no. It's unidentified. Look at that thermal. Let's see the jellyfish. Look at that. That's a throne. No, it's no, it's unidentified. Look at that's thermal. It's changing colors. It's a draw with a bag on

it. No, it's not a drone with a bag on it. Those are dogs in the background right there. The military couldn't lock in on this target. That's a thermal right there. You see a changing colors right there. A bag doesn't change colors. As Kansas was number three in the nation. What? a drone can absolutely change. I got to be honest. I've got to do this to have different heat patterns coming out of it. This could be a camera smudge. It feels like the beginning of a Katy Perry song.

Do you ever feel like a jellyfish floating through the sky, dirty, racky freedom? That is clearly and obviously a drone. And Mike says that it can't change colors. It can fly and spy on people and go anywhere in the world undetected, but it can't change colors. That's what you're maybe you're a camera smudge. Maybe. I'm pretty sure. I want to win. When it first came up, I did think it was a camera. So Jeremy will when he joins us, when he joins us today, because we got to talk about the story today,

Jeremy Corbell, there is apparently video, now this is not the video of this thing settling over body of water, and within a half second, dipping into the ocean, only to re-emerge, and disappear in the sky just as quickly as it appeared. It's crazy, and our military didn't have an answer for what they saw that night. And he will have, Corbell will have all the answers.

And we're gonna play that video later, because that video comes to us courtesy of Jeremy Corbell. Okay, because what's happening here, have you seen the huge numbers that are alien feed is doing out here while it sort of tries to study what's happening at Bayside where there were, you know, 50 police officers chasing eight-foot aliens the other day? I fully believe that this video that Jeremy Corbell has provided of this unidentified jellyfish

was put out there to distract us from the news of Pete Carroll getting let go from Seattle. Is it Corbell like the cheap champagne? Yep. It's a sort of the cave though. Oh, sorry. Almost a nice cream too. Corbell, you guys really peedered out there. You guys had so much. Peter Carroll down.

Good stuff. Honestly, my quads are on fire. My junk hurts. Don't let me. Tard. So I think Larry Fitzgeralds on the green right there. Spulg me. Don't let me. I think Larry Fitzgerald's on the green right there. Spugatz. That's Alfonso Rivera.

Oh, how do you think that Larry Fitzgerald's party? The sun. The sun. The sun. To be fair. To be fair. Alfonso Rivera has a great ass. This is the Don't let our show with the Spugatz.

This is the Daler Batar Show with Estoo Gats. I know what a lot of you are here for today and we will get to it shortly, but since I have your attention for the moment, I just want to report of a story. This is probably not going to get a lot of attention, but a federal court order has directed the U.S. marshals to seize all of Miami City Commissioner Joe Corroyo's possessions, including his coconut grove home and other properties months after the Commissioner lost a multi-million-dollar civil lawsuit. And I just want to take this moment to salute Billy Corbin, all the work he has done chasing this person around because now that the press had in his set,

I can say it, Joe Corolla is a piece of shit. If he's within a mile of where you are, you need to cover up yourself and protect your soul. Soul. Yes. And it's a good thing that he's under this heat because he has run Miami for way too long and it's annoying.

I have not heard much of the Stephen A Smith sound, but people... I know when something happens at ESPN because of what happens to my phone. Every time something happens at ESPN, and that's a power move. Like, McAfee set the bar, oh, you can say things now. And Stephen A's like, I might make less than McAfee, but I don't have less power than McAfee. And he just did what he wanted to yesterday. And I mean, I don't know what you think the biggest talk story from yesterday was all of them.

You can select from all of them, which one would you select? I think realistically, it's probably Sabin retiring because it's so unexpected, but personally for me, the Whitlock, Stephen A Smith rant was exhilarating. As that was the most interesting thing to me, but if you're talking about what's going to get the biggest interest, what are most people interested about? It's Sabin.

He's a legend in his retiring. Yeah, not playing games. When I heard this went down, I saw it leaks. I wanted to get advanced copies of what Stephen A Smith was going to do. And then I saw the whole thing and you did not disappoint. Well, this is this is what I told you because Mike, I told you this yesterday. You guys won't believe this, but it's the absolute truth. What I'm about to tell you and we're gonna play some of these clips now

and I'm gonna be hearing some of them for the very first time. Really? Yes. How did you contain yourself from like a style? Well, I was a little bit... Because I want to react to them in real time because I I kind of know all of this story. Okay. I know all of this and I know all of it What I'm saying right now is not made up at all at two o'clock yesterday I get a phone call and I pick up my phone and I'm not kidding you when I tell you that what was conjured for me because the person

on the other end wasn't really listening to me. He was just, it felt like prowling around a cage like a tiger, like ready to do something. And it was Stephen A. Smith and this is what he said to me. I'm not dare you order Mexican from me. I'm not kidding when I say this. This is what he said. Like, I could tell he's steaming. I've known him for 30 years.

I could tell he's steaming and he's not listening to me. Like, I'm talking to him and he's getting ready for his show. And wherever it is he goes in his head to get ready for this show to talk about a guy he is purposely not talked about for many, many years who has accused him of being a plant like Kevin Hart because now everybody wants the cat Williams interview in the clicks. All these guys wanted. So Jason Whitlock accuses Stephen A Smith of being a plant like Kevin Hart.

I think that's where they started. I'm going to guess that's where they started with a very shitty thing. He also said he always does. He also said he lied a bunch in his book. There's a lot of things with like a Smith. There's a plant like Kevin Hart. He always has this green on his face when he's talking because he feels like, oh, I know so much

that you guys haven't noticed. He's a plant like Kevin Hart. You guys good with lock? It's not, but that's how. No, cadence, cadence and delivery. That's on the money. I can't do his voice, but he does this thing where everyone knows you average one and a half points. That's not a math major.

Oh, God. It is, it's truly one of the more annoying deliveries there is out there. It all gives off sadness to me. And at the time I watch wit lock these days, I just, I get sad. Which is often? No, I mean, I just see the clips. I'm just saying I see the clips. Well, but hold on,

because I do not want to spend this time ripping Whitlock and I do. I know. I know. I know. Well, let's even do it for us. No, no, I'm going to give you the whole story. I'm going to, at some point here today,

I have not talked about any of this stuff, any of it for many, many years. And I'm going to talk about some of it today, but I don't think you're gonna hear. I don't want to disparage with like plenty of people are doing that. I want to tell you the real story. Like you guys are gonna do high drinks and stuff

and I understand it, but I have what is the real and actual story. And it starts yesterday with Stephen A. Smith calling me and I'm telling you, he's not really, I don't feel like he's listening to me when I'm talking to him. And then at the end of the phone call, what he says is buckle up and then hangs up.

Oh shit. Wow. If he had of a cigarette and he butted it out like, I was talking to him on the phone. I was not facing him. You could hear him. And he was a lion and a cage just sort of. He had, he's purposely not talked about this person.

Man, I mean, but real quick, he did say that in his rant. He said, I called my pastor and I called my closest friends. Which was hilarious. Yeah, we have we have that clip. Let's go ahead and fire it up because this is how he, uh, he set up what he was about to do. Jason Whitlock. I said that name. It's not a name I've uttered. I normally don't do that, but it's necessary to do now. I've had enough of that fat bastard, that piece of shit. And I want to make sure that before I go to break, I want anyone out there who watches

me, anyone out there who knows me, anyone out there, no matter what you think of me. I want you to remember, I never talk about him, I never talk about my colleagues. I don't do that. This is a first, but it's necessary. And when I say don't talk about, I mean mean don't talk about them literally. I don't Get in on them Like I'm about to do now

I literally called my pastor and Asked for his forgiveness and understanding in advance because he's not going to recognize the person he's about to hear. I did the same when I emailed the bosses at ESPN. This is my podcast. I own and operate this. I do what I want on this podcast, but it doesn't mean that I still don't harbor a responsibility to at least give my daytime employers a heads up as to what I'm about to do. My sisters, my nieces and nephews, my boys in the industry, everybody that I can reach out to in time has been warned.

It's time for me to dress as, I'm only gonna do it once, because this bastard is worse less than a damn cockroach. He wanted my attention. He's got it. Oh, man. Jason, what's up? And how cool is it?

You're one of his boys in the industry. That's cool that I would like for it to be when I call him this morning or text him this morning and say, hey, I'm going to get your pastor as a guest. I want to do a postman with him. That's why he's the goat, guys. And he said, absolutely not. You're not going to do that. Or actually, what he says, my pastor would not do that.

I have known Stephen A. Smith for 30 years. And that right there, that person that you see in front of you, and I could see where Whitlock would get this confused, that person is the most sophisticated person I have ever seen as a minority, navigate the labyrinth of power, the way you must to get all of these clown people who are running sports television in general to give you the power you need. But now, because McAfee has set the template, and because Stephen A Smith, in 18 months, is a free agent, and he's making $7 million a year less than McAfee while being worth to that network, I think, in terms of what they've built there more than McAfee.

He's doing on his own podcast the things that will get him the power and the clicks in leverage to tell the espn you either pay me or i'm going to build my own thing i don't think people know that he has as his agent the guy who was john skipper dspn before john skipper his agent is Shapiro the guy who was the president of espPN who then ran six flags for Daniel Snyder. And what they're building is the future of all these guys are going to fight in this

space, Bill Simmons, all these guys with the power, whether it's Whitlock or Simmons or Colin Cowherd or, well, Skip Bayless is now losing all the numbers because he lost Shannen Sharp. All these guys at the top of the food chain are waiting for the entire media to crumble so they could stand as their own brand. And Stephen A is going to have the choice. Can I keep using ESPN as an infomercial or can I have my own podcast where that right there can't happen on ESPN.

It simply can't. That, that, the way that he delivered all of that is not something that can happen on mainstream television. Dan, let me ask you a question. You, you said a couple of times now it, because of what Mac if he did, Stephen A. feels empowered to do this. Do you think that's the case?

Or is it just a case of Whitlock said another thing about him and he's just said enough? Like if Mac if he hadn't had his whole thing with Norby over the last week, don't you think Stephen, he still would have done that? Okay, fair enough. This is what I would say to you

about what these dynamics are, okay? And I have, man, I mean, I ran into these people because I could not abide them being my boss. This is Stephen A. He is respectful to his bosses. Stephen A is the only person at that company who called me when I was in the immigration

brown kids and cages at the border controversy, fighting the company on something and said to me, calls me and says, then you can't go against the company. He's the only one who had the balls to do it. No one else would say that to me. It became a whole bunch of whispered conversations. And so I do believe he's just getting stronger.

So fine, it might not be McAfee is the impetus. And no, clearly his hatred of Whitlock is the impetus. That's just real and strong. Whitlock's book review, where he calls him a plant, was the impetus for all. I know, but, but, man, Bomanie has never spoken about Whitlock. And I'm not gonna him a plant was the impetus for I know but but man Bomanie has never spoken about with luck and I'm not gonna speak for Bomanie, okay? But there is a dangerous thing with people who are powerful and black going after each other in public That's part of why cat Williams got all those clicks and part of why people are arguing

Shanna Sharp you need to be more of a journalist there. And Kent Williams is tearing down every powerful black column, comment. Like, one thing that I know, Stephen A Smith got wrong, he says that Jason Whitlock sent me to go talk to him. No, he did not. No, he did not. But I'm gonna explain all of that

and place some more clips about this, place some more clips about this next because there's a lot of rich and interesting stuff here about how power works, how politics works, how race works, and how sports work.