The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: The Not-So-Little Drummer Boy

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

Dolfan Danny Le Batard, a.k.a. Ham Reinhart, a.k.a. Aaron Ekblob, a.k.a. Ryan Lomburger, is ready for his region-wide cheerleading tour. Today's cast: Dan, Greg, Chris, Billy, Jessica, and Mike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Shadow show. Shadow show. Shadow show. Shadow in it. Shadow in it. Go ahead, Craig. Ha ha. Homer, Dan.

Oh, do I delight. Do I delight in this. The number of times you have called me a Homer over the years. Never again, the next time you call me a Homer, and it will slip, I want them to cue up the video of you in a cheerleader outfit holding a drum, literally cheerleading for the Florida Panthers. Where's your pom-pom today? Where's your skirt?

Pom-poms. No, it's pom-pom. There are cheerleaders that don't wear skirts. I know. Is it pom-poms? Yeah. One of the 90s. It's pom-poms?

No, it's pom-poms, I thought. I thought it was pom-pom. It's P-O-M-P-O-N. I could be wrong. Here we go. I could be wrong. I've always thought it was pom-poms This is quite literally the first time in my 40 years that I've heard pom-poms. Okay, look it up. Okay. Well, thank you Oh, okay. Hang on

Wikipedia pom-pom also spelled pom-pom It's an either-or situation Is crazy Believe everyone was right that where pompano comes from, Greg? You know, I'm not sure, but it's a good question by you. I've never thought of that. It's really not a good question.

Like Boca Raton. It's almost the worst question he could have asked. Yeah. That's what we used to say when I went to FAU. Boca right on. Rats mouth. And you know it. And you do know it. And you know it. But anyway, getting back to you as a cheerleader, there have been positive reviews. I was looking at a variety of the trade magazine today, and I think the headline was something like,

Lebatard takes boffo turn at cat skin or something like that. You know those variety headlines are always weird But you know you beat the drum pretty well I thought a little fast on the pace a little fast on the pace at one point It looked like you were about to faint I would have paid to see that but you know overall It's something you got to eat now. It's something you got to live with you know you wear it on your shoulders Like a big you're like an ox with a big yoke now. You got a the yoke of having been a Panther cheerleader on your shoulders. It's invisible. You feel it and the rest of us see it. That's it.

This is the Dan LeBattor Show with the StuGuts Podcast. Let's go, Let's go, Let's go, Let's go, Let's go, Let's go, Let's go, Let's go, Let's go, Let's go,

Let's go, Let's go, Let's go, Let's go, Go ahead Greg. Well I'm going to break news. I don't think, I hope you don't mind me revealing this, but this is just the beginning of a Levitard cheerleader tour of South Florida. This coming football season, old Dolphins, remember Dolphins Denny? Dolphins Danny. He's gonna be beating a drum on the sideline at

Dolphin Games. He's gonna take a turn as a Heat dancer. He's gonna wear the the Miami Marlins fish head. He's just you know this is a new lane for Dan and I think you know he's he's going all in. I got to give him that. you know he's cheerleader Dan and it's just something we gotta get used to. I did look at the Heat schedule and saw that Hispanic Heritage Night is this week in the giving way bucket hats and and the thought did go through my mind will Cuban-American some say Cuban-born Dan Levitard be there for Hispanic Heritage Night for the Heat giving way bucket hats? That's a good question, I think so. I don't enjoy what you're presently doing.

Dolphan Danny is presently on the screen if you have never seen him. Dolphan Danny. He's really insulting me by calling me Dolphan Danny. I thought I was picturing the other guy that's known. He wears more of like the full uniform the shoulder pads That's what I was mad. I'm a yama man. Maybe no, that's yama yama is the University of Miami Yeah, a guy with pom poms on his shoulders

He had a mustache and a hard hat. Yeah, the dolphin in it. What's his name? You know, I don't know her name when Dan said dolphin Denny. I was like, oh, that's the guy they're gonna put up That's for sure. I'd never seen that guy in the orange before before Well, that's old-school dolphins right there. That's pathetic though They put that back up again so people can see like this is one of the worst mascots in the history of mascotting But beloved for a time in South Florida because he was leathery He he was sunburned and he was enthusiastic and he was a good mascot for that for the team But he's him but he was actually him he was ridiculous Mike dick because that looks like it looks like a Donald Trump Photoshop he was a ridiculous person no and

He was a legend we like everyone looked like Mike dick in the 90s rest his soul He passed away years ago, um you did kiss still with that. Dolphin Danny. No, I meant Dolphin Danny. I mean, Danny. Superimposed Dan's face. He looks like, under that hat. He looks like cowboy Bob Orton there. Um, the, we also had find Yamayama, please, if you want to go through ridiculous mascots in South Florida history. Yamayama, man. Do you, Mike, are you even too young to remember Yamayama at the University of Miami? I don't think I get the reference Yamayama man.

Okay, we'll put him up in a second. I do know the other guy that you guys were talking about with the pompons and the dolphin on the hat and the mustache. Everybody did look like Mike Ditka in the 90s. Put it on the poll at Levitar Show. Did everyone look like Mike Ditka in the 90s? I regret to inform you that the chat is calling you the not so little drummer boy.

You didn't regret to inform me that. You delighted in informing me of that. Also, Ham Reinhart. Also, Sergey Slabrovsky. I do have some notes. As a season ticket holder, that's right, look at me, Louie, I see a lot of these drummers. I feel like I can critique this better than most.

And you were awkward before and after, but your drumming was great, I really gotta say. The drumming itself, the rhythm, the pace, was fine. Chad says it was a good job, surprisingly good from Matthew Kachunk. I mean, you know, your smile beforehand, the wave to the crowd, the thrusting of the arms afterwards, awkward, but that's you, man, you know your smile beforehand the wave to the crowd the Thrusting of the arms afterwards awkward, but that's you man. You're awkward

Aaron Ek blob That's good by the way happy fat Tuesday But seriously that's all I got happy Greg Greg you got the room rolling. You can't just, you can't keep going. You gotta stop and go, that's all I got. I got that one joke. You got, yes, Happy Fat Tuesday, and then you just throw the show right back to me.

Let it breathe. Also, you should try breathing during the drumming. My dad's right, your face was super red. Yeah, what happened? A little fast. Didn't you think he was just a touch too fast? I think it's hard with the live crowd to figure that out exactly right. You wanna be a little ahead of the crowd

and that part he nailed. I'm telling you. You know what I would have paid to say? Remember a few weeks ago on the golf course you had me hit an exploding golf ball? Yes. I would have paid. An exploding drum?

I would have paid to have an exploding drum where the first time he beat it the drumstick went right through it because it was made out of like paper tissue. That would have been good. That would have been great. He probably would have injured his arm. Totally worth it. If I may just echo Chris's sentiment, I was really worried about this.

I thought you were going to embarrass yourself, maybe drop the stick. Embarrass us. Be socially awkward and totally botch the cadence of it. I am so proud of you. This is a top three drummer that the Panthers have ever brought in. Yes, you were a little fast, but you almost have to be because you're in an arena and the chants lag a little bit.

You were great. The energy that you brought to it was phenomenal. The hockey chat blew up. You did a really good job. And most importantly, I faded the Panthers when I learned that you were doing the drum because I thought this is gonna be a disaster. You knocked it out the park and the Panthers won

a great game. You might be invited back. You're in the Pantheon now. They told me, well, I'll get to some of the stories from last night. I definitely heard someone's phone go off. I didn't. That's your phone, Greg?

No, my phone's off. His phone's off. That's fine. Was that coming from your iPad. His phone's off. That's a fine. Was that coming from your iPad? His phone's on, I can see it from right here. Like, come on, man. Is that Greg's phone? No, I'm sure.

I lie unraveled. Come on, Greg. I'm turning it off right now. No, you gotta pay the fine. I will pay the fine. You gotta pay the fine, you now know how to do it. Yeah, Dolph and Danny. I regret to inform you that they are now calling you,

what was it, Mike, Eric Eckflab? Yeah, Eric Eckflab. Nailed it. Yeah. Yeah. How does it feel knowing that you got Mike's hockey group chat's approval, Dan? That includes Ethan out there. Ryan Lomburger. All right, please. It's not good.

Please, I implore you, because I have not checked in on any of this, because it was actually, it was a delightfully silly night, but I do feel totally compromised in a way that makes Greg Cody's criticisms be totally fair. I've given, I don't know how you guys felt yesterday about having Sean McGill, Ron McGill's son around, because we have tasked him with trying to put together quickly, because

we have some problems with Nimble around here, quickly, in 24 hours, something that celebrates or looks at last night in a way that is actually showing where it is that I'm compromised in the places that journalism has changed, where i look like a fool up there doing that but also chris and roya and billy and mike and jessica like go well jessica and i i just go understands the journalism of this so she's like we haven't been a journalist a while go do that thing but that would have embarrassed me what at one point in my life and it wouldn't have been very long ago when you say

haven't written anything in six years, I've written the forward to two books. Two very popular books, but I've sold my soul to this thing, clearly. That's not journalism. Not at all. Is Stephen King a journalist? Yeah. Where's the jersey?

What'd you do with the jersey? Why aren't you wearing it today? Yeah, you should be. Well, that's the only time in my life I've ever worn a jersey. You look good in it. I'm so happy that you showed up on time. How early in that game did you leave?

Yeah, did he make it to the second period? Did you see that third period was electric? Over under his second period. No, listen, so I insisted that my wife who has not been to that height, like keep in mind, I'm going to that game, okay? I've been there five or six times over the last few years, but I'm going to that height. Like keep in mind, I'm going to that game, okay? I've been there five or six times over the last few years, but I'm going to that game with my wife to show her, to show

like a new fan. No, you're really going to love this. Wait till you see what it feels like when the Panthers score a goal, okay? So I wasn't going to leave. Barkov scores two last night. It was a great game. It was a great game It's top of the food chain and again, you push Tampa Bay's face in it where you're like now we've passed you and Your goalie is great and our goalie is better and at the end of the game seven tenths of a second left They're hitting the post on a shot that should have been in it should have gone in it would like it's fun to watch those teams Play hockey right, but you caught that on TV because you were no longer there I left after the first goal

Why did you why why was it? Why would you leave early? Yeah, joy a night out. It's an honor. It's an open bar in that Panther bar Yeah, who got the tickets? We didn't even talk It's an open bar in that Panther bar. Yeah, who got the tickets? We didn't even tell him who got the tickets. OK, we can get to the details in a second, but Ron McGill's kid is going to produce something for us that tackles some of the conundrum in this.

But I'm fine with you continuing to go down the path of questioning how stupid all of this is. Look at this. This is the most unflattering photo I've ever taken, and I've taken a few. Like, go ahead and close up on that. You are selling yourself short. You've taken way worse photos.

That's actually, that counts as a good one these days. They're calling you Carter Verhangry. I thought the most awkward part for you was the wave to the crowd beforehand. You had these eyes on you. You were looking at like a sandwich or something. Yeah. What's the deal with the McGills?

There's Ron and Rhonda, which is basically the same name. And then they name their child Sean, which is the same as Ron with an S. It's Rita. It's Rita. Oh, Rita. OK, never mind. If it was Rhonda, that would be wild.

I thought it was Rhonda. So I didn't understand. Beach Boys song, Help Me Rita. That's right. Help me, Rita. Help, help. Craig's right about that. You're right in my heart. Ba da da da da da da.

What? Minor penalty, two minutes stumbling. Get the road, Jess. You can't call Rita Rhonda. I call her Mrs. McGill because I'm respectful. As the centerpiece of your joke that falls apart as soon as her name's not Rita. Don't worry he's gonna get one wrong in like a couple minutes he'll get him back. So Greg are you disappointed because he gave away his journalistic integrity and then only stayed for a period? Is that? It's like you didn't even get the full game out of it right and yeah, like like he he exposed himself as a cheerleader and Then proved to be a bad one by not even saying for the entire game if you're gonna go all in go all in

Right, like I nobody who's ever banged that drum not even Jack Nicklaus has dared leave before the game was over I don't think you know that yeah, well I Have it on on good authority. It's the first time I've seen one leave early Yeah I've been in the Panther bar with such luminaries before and they're always there in their jersey Proud to be there and rep the team and see the victory through. Oh look listen Just so everybody knows here and like all the secret pockets that Miami has in cool places, the Miami Heat were trendsetters in a club town of like putting lounges in their facility.

What the Panthers have in their speakeasy for 30 people is the best thing I've ever seen in South Florida in terms of having taste and class. I have never seen anything like that. We've thrown live in nightclubs and stuff, but we've not done something like that. Like South Florida does not have that kind of class in its sports arenas. So what they, no, when they honor you, they do it correctly.

Like, we'll make fun of this today, we'll make fun of me, but it is a pleasure to see how it is that those people turned into champions. Like, that has been, so I'm taking my wife, this is 30 years, we've been, we covered the first game of this team together. To see it as a champion that's organized is something that's disorienting. Like to see them run correctly by management, have class, to be able to do things

correctly, make the right trades, it's disorienting to go out to a swamp in the Everglades, okay? Because it's impossible how much to go out to a swamp in the Everglades okay because it's impossible how much if Canada saw where this place was it you think messy's funny playing in a in a in a in a dumpster in Fort Lauderdale like I mean it's only a couple years old no but I'm saying you think that's funny the idea that this exists here like if Canada knew that it's called sawgrass because that's how air boats travel through there. Like that is so far out west that my childhood has no recollection of anything being there

other than dangerous. A champion lives there. Yeah, I mean look out the back of the Edmonton Arena too. Ain't much right home about there either. I'm just saying what this thing has built that has confidence after 30 years like yeah there was there was something to being able to share with my wife the sound of a first goal and also we left soon thereafter. I will say there the the Panthers and other things have shown me but the Panthers are a

great local example of what instituting a culture means, if provided that that culture is positive, having worked for the previous ownership group, and I know I was there throughout a lockout and whatnot, but a night and day difference between cultures. I mean, the ownership group has West Point ties, it's pretty regimented. They have done everything first class and well

and it's trickled down to the front office and onto the ice and they're reigning champions. And they've also been very smart as a franchise to align themselves with Fort Lauderdale to build their whole training facility there to align with a bigger city because let's face it they would rather be playing in downtown Fort Lauderdale than in Sunrise, but as it is, it's sort of the best of both. They are Broward's team, proudly, and I think the last four or five years,

they've been as good as any team in hockey. Bill Zito has had a master class in how to build a roster, other than an aging goalkeeper that they're gonna have to figure out how to replace. He was pretty good last night. I mean's still great Spencer Knight by the way looked tremendous in his Blackhawks debut but what's Cody doing he's coming out he's the reigning champion like what are you doing right what are you doing to be better he was better than Vasileski last night that's no small feat you're right because Tampa's got I think the best goalkeeping in the

league right what are you doing to Bobrovsky like why are you retiring I agree with my dad of all the players they have under contract, he's their best player that's coming up for a new deal semi-soon in like a year or two. Yeah, he's in his mid-30s now, but it's a tough. We also wrote him off like two seasons ago. Yeah, that's true. Oh, did I hate him two years ago?

Very true. Then he got hot at the right time. Barkov, too. The two of you were terrible to Barkov, too. No, Barkov was terrible to us in that postseason, but yeah, now he's an all-time legend of the franchise, probably the franchise's greatest player. Dan, did you have the smoked Old Fashioned?

I had it as a mezcal, yeah. I didn't, I didn't. For my money, the best one in South Florida. I didn't do that with whiskey, yeah, because whiskey will, brown liquor will give me terrible sweats and I will look worse than here. But when I'm telling you about class in a place, right, and this is where I can be bought as a cheerleader, but in my history of going to when the Dolphins Open live because they

want to be the cool thing, or the heater opening nightclubs in their arena before that's a popular thing to do, to have a speak-easy that is that private for 30 people where you're transported into the past. I invited Cody to come with me last night. He declined. For all the mocking he's doing of me only lasting two periods, he declined the VIP tickets of this experience. I offered it to him. He can't be bothered even though it's just a few feet from his house. The people here in Dade will not make it out There Michael go there sometimes, but that's a Broward like the people will not travel from here to there

The the the folks from metal arc who showed up last night are people who live in Broward It's too much of a hike for people in Dade. It's three hours. It's closer than Stu gots his house Everyone always is like I can't do that. It's like, Stu Gotts does it a lot. Very convenient to my house. Not that often. That's fair. I know what you're trying to do. The Lakers probably deserve credit

for inventing clubs in arenas. But anybody can really gain access to hide these days at the American Airlines Arena, which you had is for VIPs only. I was going to say, I've never been in the speakeasy. Yeah, got to know somebody or be somebody. So this is what you're walking into right because what what I'm saying it's one thing for a champion to just be a champion and then you know you're

walking into class. You remember in football when the debartalos were running the sport and it felt like they were a little bit classier than everybody else. Like they were, they did a lot of nice things for their players. They spent an inordinate amount of money, and San Francisco was viewed as winning championships and also doing it with class,

and having sort of like a mafia crime family feel to... I think you're just doing an Italian thing. I'm not, but no, this was... Carmen policy did look like a boss. No, look, thank you. Please, Carmen policy and DiBartolo, put them up here and tell me if I'm doing Italian mafia or if they were actually mafia.

No, go read about DiBartolo's crimes. I know, policy was with the Browns when they relaunched. I'm well aware. Okay, go read all of what that was. The Panthers, what I'm walking into in that speakeasy, that's just the classes already there, right? Like, I've been treated well at any number of places that I go in South Florida, but in this place, I was treated well when they opened the door. It's what everybody gets there. And so, like, we just don't have a lot of places like that

in South Florida and it's a speakeasy cause it's hidden. I do think you're probably reading too much into them treating you like you were the guests of honor. Because you were, you were the guests of honor. And I'm just saying if I'm traveling down from 300 level I'm not going to get the same experience. But we do have the JMo bar. Oh, love the JMo.

Do they have giant ice cubes at that bar? Because I'm assuming the speakeasy's got, you're having a giant ice cube in your old fashion. I imagine those ice cubes at the speakeas are like the Panthers logo. Those ice cubes, I love giant ice cubes. I do too. The wine selection at that bar.

Everything tastes better with a giant ice cube. You ask for a Cabernet and they give you something that's older than you. It's crazy. We got a very different experience where the Pantherther said, you guys are welcome to come as well in exchange for $37 and you can sit in the nosebleeds. So it was a very different experience. I think that it's plus fees and parking and you can sit up there and you will not look

at us directly in the eyes. And no giant ice cubes. This is a message from sponsor Intuit Turbo Taxax. Taxes was dealing with piles of paperwork and frustrating forms, and then waiting and wondering and worrying if you were going to get any money back. Now, Taxes is easily uploading your forms to a TurboTax expert who's matched to your unique tax situation, an expert who's

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I talk to you about Miller time all the time, but we're in the winter time right now. And one of my favorite past times is to crack open a Miller light and enjoy myself some Miller time during the winter time, because when there's a brisk chill in the air, it just makes everything right. My friends and I who live down here in South Florida can actually sit outside because it's not super muggy.

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Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Tastes like Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. The Dan Levitard Show with StuGots is sponsored by BetterHelp. Who's in your support system and how have they changed your life? Think about that your favorite leaders, mentors, idols, they don't all have the answers,

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your first month. That's better help. H E L P dot com slash D L B. Don libertar. Our Panther group chat. We're confident against the lighting. This is a different team. You're a Panther group chat. No, I think there's no, but dude, you're, you're so wrong on that. We've been terrified of this team forever. And I think there's a different energy where the Panthers they want the lightning two gods I want t-shirts made for this Panther run what could be this Panther run our Panther group chat We're not afraid of the lightning. That's a tagline for World three this is the done libertar show with the two gods

Libertar Show with the StuGards. I hate that that's how the messaging got to you guys because Cynthia and Roy and Kristin were all with us and it would have been all of us there, but nobody came from here. We would have all been in the Speakeasy and had it to ourselves and we would have just sat there for a while with Shawn Thornton who I met already I saw I meet Sean Thornton like this now what'd you call him no no this you'll find this funny you know you will find all of this funny knowing what you know about Sean Thornton and his entire career you know what it's 20 years he played in the league is a fighter I shake his hand and it is it reminded me of like the way the Heat

people run a military organization over there like Sean Horton, Sean is in charge of revenue Thornton I'm sorry yeah. Thornton not Horty. Sean is in charge of revenue over there because he like knows how to be a champion and knows how to fight and has some sort of military discipline that keeps him in the league 20 years and so I shake his Hand and upon shaking it it was a reflex. I couldn't even help it. I'm like you look like hockey And he stared straight at me and he didn't know whether it was a compliment or an insult and I'm like it It's pretty neutral. You just look like hockey. I think you should be proud of that

I think you you were formed by hockey But he's put in charge of revenue because he knows how to fight? No, he's actually like a really bright guy, and he's been in that role for a very long time as they've turned their old finances around. Yeah, he does look like hockey. That's a good job. I'm wondering how he would absorb that.

What do you look like? Well, this is the thing. Yes, I look like a meatball, but what he took it as, because eventually after a moment where he was trying to decide whether I was complimenting him or insulting him and I was new, I was neither was a reflex. You just look like hockey. He finally said, yeah, I've had my nose broken a lot. But it's because he had a square head. I would not want to punch. Yeah, so he took it as an insult. Probably meant it as an insult. Probably meant it as an insult. I did not mean it. I did not mean it as an insult. I am impressed by people.

The battle scars of hockey are crazy. Mike's sitting here always arguing that the hockey players are tougher than football players. They are. They're the toughest athletes. What they put their bodies through daily to go out there, their lack of complaints, I think that they are the toughest athletes in sport right now.

And it's ingrained in their culture They they say quiet about it Matthew Kachuck is out two months because he dared try to play with something that is you know Just as hurt today as it was then it's a it's a crazy sport. They're really tough guys, by the way It's crazy that Kachuck got hurt in the Four Nations tournament, right? I mean seems like a good argument for having those things not be super competitive so people don't try, so they don't get hurt. Jessica. Wasn't the only one. Charlie McAvoy is going to be out for an extended period of time. Like,

everyone's kind of upset with the training staff, actually. Jessica, I tried to make that argument to these loons who flew up there to drink beer in Canada last week, and they ran me out of the room telling me how important it is to play for your patriotic country and try your very hardest even if you lose uh... you've seen what the top of hockey is the margins are very small there are ten teams is good as the panthers and we assume the panthers will win because we just saw them do it but hockey is funny that way and you can get knocked out the second round

because there are a lot of good teams in hockey i wouldn't want to lose to uh... could talk for the second half of the season worth it worth it totally worth it and i before club well worth it if you give you close the deal you didn't so now was it worth it like you win the four nations it's definitely worth it now

i think it's a debate i think that's one of the more iconic moments in American hockey, going up to Montreal, beating them and the tone was set by the two brothers fighting inside of five seconds of one another. That's like, in terms of marketability, those siblings are gonna be in tons of commercials. I think it was a great moment for the sport. Matthew Kachuck went on the Tonight Show a week later.

Yeah, I think it was great for the game. That tournament was great for the game. That tournament was great for the game. And the fact that one of our best players got hurt during it, look, it's going to happen. And I'm happy that he went all out for it as someone that paid hard earned money to go up there and support the US hockey team. I'm glad that the effort matched the investment. Yeah, that was a big, the Four Nations was a big part of the NHL just absolutely having a moment. Now you've got Ovechkin chasing Gretzky. You just had the stadium series game that drew 95,000 people to Ohio Stadium. It's a big time for NHL hockey for sure. Oh, but I wanted to ask you, Dan,

Dolph and Danny. Transition. When you were in the Speakeasy, were there any actual stars there other than a former player? Sean Thornton. Why didn't you go? Why didn't I go? It's ten minutes from your home and I gave you four hours notice. But he would have been alone with Sean Thornton for two hours after you left. He wouldn't have been alone. We were there with our with Cynthia and Roy and... If my wife who is a hockey fan could have made it I would have possibly gone with her. Oh, there you go.

Yeah. You know, I don't want to leave her alone. It's Rhonda's fault. That's rich. What? You're leaning on, I didn't want to leave my wife. Ah, you know, I'm a hubby. Hubby hubby.

Yeah. How about hubby hubby? No, I considered going. What, did you take it as a personal insult that I didn't go watch you wearing a cheerleader How about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, how about, You did the best you could. By the way, are you missing something? Oh, here it is, your integrity. What is meant to represent my integrity? What did you just pull? Oh, okay, I thought you actually picked something up and put it there. It took a physical form to me. picked something up and put it there. No, you can't see integrity.

It took a physical form to me. I actually saw you put something there. That was better than Adrian Brody's performance in Brutal House. Maybe he could be a movie star. Maybe as well, if I'm there, to fall for the joke, hook, line, and sinker, because I was looking, what's he doing? Is this going to be comedy? Compa' and comedy executed? i was looking what you're doing is this going to be comedy competent comedy executed integrity thank you

so i would think that you would want to come see that up close though so that you could laugh in person because you and i have been covering sports in this market for thirty years jimmy johnson's retiring here that was announced yesterday finally after they teased us at the Super Bowl and we wondered about it for a while. And we've seen what sports has become in this town. You and I, aligned journalistically throughout, had a chance to celebrate me at the top of a Champions Den in a speakeasy. And I invited you to the party

and you declined. It's 10 minutes from your house. What were you doing? Well, it's probably more than, it's probably like 20 minutes in, in fairness, particularly if it's early rush hour on a weekday. What was I doing? I was living my life. You know, I was, I was, you know, I don't trail in the perfume of celebrity. You know, I was living a normal man's life. I was in my backyard getting ready for bulk pickup, which is Thursday. Got a big beautiful pile out on my swale. You know, I'm doing regular guy things.

I'm a man of the people. I always say that. You speak easy. You know, had you told me it was a speak easy with an open bar, I might have gone. You know, I might have gone you know i might have gone but uh... i told your wife it was maximum v i p she couldn't go so i invited you and your son

well now i'm hearing different it could your wife not make it even if she was invited she could not no she because i'm with you i have if i'm going to a work thing after hours i'd like to bring liman i want to just come by myself well i think they were fighting christen at one point, Chris and Greg were fighting over the second ticket because I invited her lean and I made her make a choice and she chose Greg who declined to come.

Well, what happened to Chris because he didn't go either way? Well, I thought Chris was going on his own tickets and I wasn't sure what was happening there and I think he gave away his tickets because he thought he was going to get the ticket with Greg. How is communicating about tickets this difficult among like four people? I was traveling back from vacation so I gave my tickets away before I knew about the dance

stuff. Like last week I was like I don't want to go to the game so I didn't have tickets and then I heard oh there's two tickets who's going and then all of a sudden my dad and my mom were going and then they weren't and, there's two tickets, who's going? And then all of a sudden, my dad and my mom were going, and then they weren't, and I got back from vacation. But yesterday, I heard your father speak into his phone, speak easy, into his phone, no sweet, period. He texted to you, no sweet,

and that was you two checking out, well, if we don't get the VIP treatment, then we're not going. And then I gave you the VIP i p treatment and your family was fighting over it and she chose you to go and you decline and where where what after the speak easy once the game starts where would i have been seated there that you want to see him there from seats there they're good seats from the speak easy

you know all well the seats in the speech is there never been like i said as well there was confusion here because when I left the studio I was I was I told your wife the reason your wife was going and wanted to go is because I told her this will be maximum VIP Maximum VIP right that's what I told your wife And so she knew and that's why Chris wanted to go and this was after you had texted no sweet period and now I'm telling you sweet Swet this is the good stuff right here. Yeah, and you said no. Thank you. I've got a man stuff to do

Well had it been a 730 or 8 o'clock start. I might have gone I made a quick call to the Panthers saying hey any way you can delay the start of the game by a power They wouldn't do it. They were very uncooperative and did the same thing Yeah, why would Greg go to a Panther speakeasy when he was around when we had real speakeasies back in the day? I remember well, just after prohibition, those things bloomed like a flower all over the country.

I don't know if the rest of you are as disoriented to see excellence rise up there. Mike, you worked for them from the beginning, man. You know that there are so many skeletons, they're digging up from 30 years of bad management. Like it's hard to explain to the country, how to the continent, how close this thing was to falling apart because the business of it

was handled so poorly. Was constantly banished about as a team that was gonna relocate. Probably the worst ownership group in professional major sports down here in South Florida, and that's saying a lot. Yeah, night and day difference. Thank God for Vinny Viola and his team.

They all have West Point ties over there, and this whole organization top down got regimented and disciplined and had to rebuild and dig themselves out of not just with the community, but with local businesses too. Michael Yormark had a lot of shady sponsorship deals. Oh, Yormark.

Gave a lot of added value, set terrible precedent. And it was very difficult for the Florida Panthers to price out sponsorships, given what Michael Yormark had given away so flippantly. So from a business standpoint, they even had a tougher road to cross than they did on the ice. And they had plenty of road to cross

when it came to the hockey operation side. But yeah, it's a great story. And they've built a young nucleus that should really for generations make an impact because they're aiming for their third consecutive Stanley Cup final. They still have a youngish core. They've had guys, which is insane to say because Barkov has been here for a decade, but he's now entering the prime of his career. They have a marketable face

and Matthew Kachuk, an American face. Everything about this franchise continues to point up. It's not a flash in the pan and the only thing that's unfortunate is where they're located can't really revitalize an area the way that the arena and the Lightning have revitalized downtown Tampa. If they did that now, if they were having this run in downtown Fort Lauderdale, you would see a real community come together as opposed to just one kind of popping up in the parking lot. Oh no, but no. Yes, you're talking about a larger community and how a sport grows in a market that can make it difficult

as they do the things that Tampa already did and it disorients Canada to see Florida dominates hockey. Because this is like what I was watching last night, all of it. Barkov, two goals. You could tell you're at the top of the sport. It's Monday night. And when you mention community no those people that place is sold out and it shakes and it's proud was loud you got them fired up well that's you did you did that's a that's a big job like game seven was

haunted for the Stanley Cup final as terrifying of a venue as I've ever walked into everyone was scared and then Roberto Luongo goes out there and hypes the crowd up with an epic drum performance. And he kind of could rest a little easy, get into the game a little bit. You set the tone. Man, did this Luongo thing fire me up. Cause I remember being a little skeptical,

Luongo doing it. Roberto Luongo. Oh, I almost broke the drum. Legendary goaltender for the Florida Panthers and now a special advisor to their general manager. Man, goosebumps, bring me back to that night. Do they give you guys like smelling salts before you do it? Cause like you all look kind of insane.

I mean, I'm scared. That doesn't surprise you, right? Dan can't have salt. We have been over this. So you were nervous doesn't surprise you, right? Dan can't have salt, we have been over this. So you were nervous before you did this, right? I told you I didn't wanna do it. Because you thought you were gonna, like all of us, you thought that you were gonna screw it up somehow.

I was going, no, yes, yes. Of course. No, no, but no, that's part of it. But that's only, that's one small part of it. The other part of it that is legitimate for me, man, I turned down two Miami Heat parades, okay? And those people are my legitimate friends. Like the organization, I've been around those people for 30 years, and I turned that down

because I'm not that far in sensibilities from where Greg resides on this. I deserve whatever mockery he's giving me today because this is the end of my career selling out the morsels of journalism that I used to be. That was 11 years ago and 12 years ago. You were an actual journalist back then. Yeah, I could see you turning down the heat parades. It's good you did that. It's hot out there.

Disagree, you should have known you were gonna sell out and sold out and gotten the cool perks. Now it's just you're banging a drum in a Panthers jersey. And you missed the two championship parades. You should have known you were gonna sell out and sold out and gotten the cool perks now It's just you're banging a drum in a panthers Jersey, right? And you missed the two championship parades you should have known he had this hey mezcal Well, that's true. And Sean Thornton Billy's right though. Everyone does seem to be jacked up for this. Let's play Jack Nicholas doing it He's normally in a bed so The TKPXR winner and Rob Belizeca, Chet Nicholson! Bring in the energy. He's normally in a bed, so... He's playing a xylophone.

It's like he's playing a triangle. Tap that drum. He's moving only his wrist. Tapping it. That seems just as loud. It seems just as loud. I don't think there's a Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it.

Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it.

Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it.

Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. Tapping it. I believe all of you would have been more confident than I was doing this every one of you. I don't doubt that Not at all. How we played out. I Don't know. I think we should go get a drum in another room and show I think we should show everybody How because everyone's gonna have their criticisms today. No, we were the only person criticizing you as a Universal praise honestly

Still thinks that you're a journalist. I mean your office you're a journalist your face was awkward but it oh is it yeah you look like you were gonna pass out but like you were doing strenuous activity for you I thought you fainting was a high probability not I thought you were gonna trip on your shoelaces to what Greg said you did the best job you could and we're proud of you I thought you were gonna start crying maybe. Yeah. That would not have surprised me either. You crying. Emotional nightmare. Come on man. Really?

So if when the camera comes up to me, instead of waving, I'm just weeping? Yeah. Yes. I thought that was more likely than what actually happened. Maybe you start interviewing the drum. What was your status? Everglades used to be so lush.

What was love like in the home? Who hit you the hardest? Drum, you look like Drum. Howdy folks, it's Mike Ryan. I talk to you about Miller time all the time, but we're in the wintertime right now and one of my favorite pastimes is to crack open a Miller light and enjoy myself some Miller time during the wintertime because when there's a brisk chill in the air it just makes everything right. My friends and I who live down here in South Florida can actually sit

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