The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: The "Sucky" All-Star Game

Episode Date: February 20, 2024

TODAY'S CAST: Dan, Greg, Chris, Jeremy, Mike, and Tony. It's Greg Cote Tuesday, and as the Hee Haw Three's stardom continues to rise, Greg can't talk about anything but himself (including his new merch store). Then, the NBA All-Star Game was a disaster, so the crew needs to try to find a way to fix it. Plus, Stugotz's latest grift, the Florida Panthers are the best team in the NHL, and the uber-talented Inter Miami. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe Kings Network. This is the Don Lebatore Show with the Stugatz Podcast. That has to be as angry as America has ever been at an exhibition game, right? Of any kind. The tie ball game in the All-Star game in baseball, maybe because of the sacrilege of Bud Selig allowed an exhibition game to end in a tie. I cannot believe it is Tuesday and I am still feeling the rage of a whole bunch of reporting and anger because now it's being reported by Sam Amick that those players want to be paid to play for all-star game,

that they're talking in private about wanting to be paid. And you've got a real crossroads between the people who cover the sports, the people who love this sport and how angry they're getting. Bob Ryan, David Aldridge, because they're not doing you the courtesy of carrying the way burden Jordan would have the way magic would have a 400 point all star game. Absolutely ridiculous. It feathered areas. It feathers my long time argument that we should abolish all our game. We'll get all our key. We'll get there. Oh, what? Sucky. The Pro Bowl,

the NHL All Star game can't decide what to even call itself. Baseball is terrible. The NFL might be worthy. The, the, the Pro Bowl is one of the, the, the, one of the few things the NFL does just please, please. I know you're, uh, you're resplendent off the peacocking fame of being the lead singer for He Hall three. We'll get to your takes in a second because there's been a weekend of nothing, but getting mad at the all-star game and enjoying and, and in the dunk contest and enjoying. Hey, it was fun. Steph and Sabrina and that did the big rating. But before we get to that, Greg Cody has told me a couple of things here.

Still got some billy or off this week. God bless football has been brought to its knees. They deserve the week off. It's been earned. Greg Cody is here and this is what he just told me. No lie. Sitting in Stugatz's seat. He says, I've got to write something this week. I don't have a back in my day. I've got to write something for Stugatz's book for free. It's longer than what he wrote and I read what he wrote and I'm not sure he wrote it. The final grift is, because I got mine, I got to write my forward that he asked me to ask Michael Wilbond to write for him. And then Wilbond rejected it and so now I've got to do it.

He's got a bunch of people writing more for his book than he's written for his book. His book is already on sale. That's crazy. And I don't think he's written much. I think he's getting everyone else like Andre Dawson to write things. What's Andre Dawson writing? Being a Hall of Fame funeral director? Which there aren't many.

I mean, he's a one man club there. Top five. He's a gag. Sorry, I didn't mean to derail you. My voice is very low today. Shuffler! I don't know why. It's naturally low.

I'm an octave lower than normal. Go on. Who are you saying? Isn't it lower than me? Is it been the singing? Did your voice get tougher? I think maybe. A high dollar woman

in a low cut dress. God never wanted me to have a woman like that, I guess. Yeah, it's all gone to his head. The P.F.P.I. gala was last night. And again, I don't think we have a greater, I do not think that we have a greater grift that we've pulled, even more than the Stugatz book. Where can you get it? Is it Stugatz? Stugatz.Bootz.com, yeah. Stugatz.Bootz.com. What was it? StugatzottBooks.com, yeah. StuGott'sBook.com. What was it? StuGott'sBook.com.

There we are. StuGott'sBook.com is where you buy the book. But the greatest grift we have is the Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody, the star vehicle for Greg Cody, began this week the way I've never heard a podcast begin before. You tell me if this is something that you can imagine Another podcast anywhere in the podcast fear has started this way Sorry, so that's an actual sneeze that begins the Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody

Sorry, it's actually a cold open the sneeze that like the sneeze happens in the episode, but we take it and start the episode with it. It's like, you know, creative, little podcast producing there. I've sneezed almost 100,000 times. That's some made up stat. No, no, I keep track. And this, to my knowledge, is the first time that my sneeze has literally been the word achoo.

Sorry, that can't be true. Achoo, I never sneeze. He said, he was surprised by the sound that came out of his own body. Hey, uh, hachoo. Then it was a classically cartoon. Old school. Sneeze. It's your classic sneeze right there.

But he says he's never sneezed that way before. Hachoo. So that is the first recorded captured sneeze ever of Greg Cody that was that cartoonish way. Sorry. Looney Tunes quality right there. It's crazy. I mean, back in my day, that's how sneezes sounded, but I don't personally do that, but I learned one other thing.

For fun, I googled the word achu to see if it was like in the dictionary, it's an actual word or it's just a sound, what is it? And it turns out there is an acronym called achu, A-C-H-O-O, about sneezing. And the acronym stands for autosomal dominant compelling heliophomic outburst But chew About sneezing how weird is that Greg was not lying about the amount of times that he's sneezed the average person According to a number of different sites sneezes four times per day So if you take 69 years old times 365 days times four,

you get 100,704. That seems four days. Four days. I support my band mates. Thank you. I'll tell you, he all three sticks together, but he's right. And I'm a little under 100,000.

Jeremy's right that you're right. Yeah, that's right. I'm not a serial sne sneezer like some people. Some people sneeze and then automatically they sneeze like six more times in a row. You're one and done. Er, I'm like one or two. I'm one. Another thing I do is I stifle about 40% of my sneezes.

Where Alison Turner once told me that if you start saying applesauce when you have to sneeze, that can help fight off a sneeze. Is that right? I just stifle it physically. Like you stifle fix. Oh, okay. Yeah. You know, put it on the poll, please at LeBertsRD show. Have you ever stifled the sneeze by saying the word Apple sauce? I also think this will be interesting. We will learn something about our audience. Cause I learned this the other day with Roy. I've known him for 20 years. He's a five time sneezer. I learned it the other day with Roy. I've known him for 20 years. He's a five time sneezer.

I learned it the other day. If he sneezes once, he's sneezing five times. And so I want to ask the audience this question, four sneezes a day for you over or under for you. Because I would think most of us would might say we don't sneeze four times a day, but we probably get sick. We probably do seven or eight. So it's averaging out for those times. Like, I feel like it's more like two or three on average. But I also want to ask the audience,

are you someone who can just sneeze once? Is everyone here a one-sneezer or are you a multiple-sneezer? No, no, I got to keep sneezing. Yeah. I'm usually a duo-sneezer. I'm back-to-back Jack. And then that's it. Like the third sneeze, very, very rare with me

So the joke Greg Cody was making to derail the show is that yes, Andre Dawson is Hall of Fame baseball player and yes He's also a funeral director Stugatz and a book he has not yet written had the audacity of calling Andre Dawson who he only met once at my wedding and audacity of calling Andre Dawson, who he only met once at my wedding and saying to him, I need you to write a chapter of the book in rebuttal to, I don't think you should have won the MVP. I don't think that the MVP should ever be on a last place team. Do you think Stu gots when he was figuring out the chapters he was going to write? He's like, who can I get a hold of to like, I feel like he wouldn't have written. You've got two guys figuring out the chapters. He's going to write an Andre Dawson chapter only happens if Stu gots thinks he can get Andre Dawson

to write a rebuttal. Yeah. Absolutely. I've got to though, because Greg Cody and I now is if we don't have enough to do while he's off, I have to write something for this book that now has a deadline. And I cannot tell you how much it genuinely delights me that that book not yet written is already on bestseller lists ahead of everybody else's books. Number one, number one pre-ordered, even though I'm telling the audience, this sounds like a grift to me. I'm warning the audience, but I think this book is going to get done because what that website is, is not that a book is done, it's that a book deal is done, which means he's gotten the

advance, which he's already spent. And so now we've got to finish the book for it. So no cut for you? Like, how does this work? It's still got to offering money to people? Not to me. Mike Ryan, why are you looking at me this way? What? I'm just watching you do play-by-play on the latest script. Yes I agree with everything that you're saying That's amazing money for sure. That's why he's not here this week. He is actively spending that money What is your chapter about?

I am commenting on Stugots saying that the 2003 fiesta bowl was a scam because of the controversy of officiating play saying that the 2003 festival was a scam because of the controversial officiating play and that the Miami Hurricanes are the true champion from that season. Fireworks went off. You were saying you he's arguing that the the the Miami Hurricanes should get that championship and you've got you've got to make the argument. You're the heel argument he gets the easy argument you get the anti-Miami argument.

I mean, I don't want to give away too much of his book, which hasn't been written yet and is already for sale and is probably outselling the pride of a lion. But I had the choice of which, whether I was going to rebut or whether I was going to agree. And yesterday, instead of writing a new back in my day, I was busy helping

write Stugatz's book for free. So that's why I don't have a back row. Mike Ryan, can you please celebrate from the back row where it feels like you've been demoted? Can you please celebrate for me which one feels better to you as a creative, funny enterprise that Stugatz would have a bestselling book he has not yet written and is getting us to write for him on the promise through these microphones that we will, and they trust us and not him. Or Greg Cody starring as lead singer of He Haught 3. What about me sitting in this chair? And, and wait a minute.

There's more to this. And now being genuinely disruptive, his son has told me he's begun full Diva and he's talking about touring. He's talking about missing shows so that he can tour and oh I got another good one one more good one this weekend he asked me hey he ha three I own the rights to that right like who do I need to check with anybody and I say I just text him back hey check with Bimmel RCOO and he's like ship sailed already selling the merch yeah the merch store we special He-Haul 3 outlet in our merch store. I can never remember the website name or how to direct your own website. Yeah. What

is it, Christopher? Okay. Really good. That's good promotion. Yeah. I have a staff that Chris is looking for right now. I got it off top of my head. It's he-ha.thegredcoteeshow.com. Right. He-ha 3.thegredcoteeshow. It's actually He-ha Jeremy. He-ha 3 thing to answer your question. Okay. I searched both. And the merch is just flying off the show. It's actually he ha, Jeremy. He ha three thing to answer your question. Okay. I searched both. And the merch is just flying off the show. I thought it would just be like a, a cool little thing that we would do for the people on live attendance for Las Vegas.

Don't keep in it. That's right. But Greg decided to apply this whimsical backstory to it with timelines that totally ignore the, the fellow ages. I'm all about whimsy No, you're all about commerce and and this you did like what's the point of asking my permission on something if you're gonna Do it before I've responded. Well, you didn't respond in time. I know you're busy, but I gave you like two days You didn't respond. I'll go ahead and give you approval. It's yours. Thank you I mean we but it was introduced from the Greg Cody lore. Your first act though, as post Vegas,

is to cheapen what it is you guys have done. Your first act is to immediately sell out. No, no. Do I get to cut, Greg? The real issue here is Yeti now who's dipped a toe into the Lebatard show world is terrified of upsetting the Lebatard. Like me and my dad are just kind of like,

put it up there, who gives a shit? Right. And Yeti's like, Jenny is gonna get mad at me if we do this because there's gonna be money involved Yeah, you guys can have your own merch and there can be officially licensed But party f.com forgetting you're forgetting something that he has not yet negotiated with a member of he all three because now He started a commerce that where he's gonna take all the dollars, which is why I told him to check with our COO Yeah, if I if I can him to check with our COO. Yeah, if I can get a cut, then I'm totally team Greg here.

If I could get a picture with a shirt, with a picture of my face on it, that's a little unlike this company, I would really love that, Greg. You know, as with most super groups, naturally the front man is going to get the bear share. Totally fair. The pie, but you know're we're thinking of giving the other halls Jeremy and Yeti a 20% cut so I

think that's 20% total for them or each you know that's that's to be determined Greg this is why I told you that if I was right if I was what commerce I wouldn't be writing a chapter of Stu Godson's book free this is why I told you to check with our cheap Operating officer. Yeah of metal art. Yeah, yet. He was doing that on my behalf. Yeah, but you went and sold the shirts anyway Well, we didn't hear back in time. We reached out. That's how that works. You said a deadline on me I'm too busy writing Stu gots his book. You're setting a deadline on me I didn't because I reached out within 24 hours. Like you, you...

It was more like 48. I keep track. You know, you're not great about responding to texts. Greg, let's be honest. You're not... You're not... You're not. Staying up late, hanging out with friends, yelling at the game on TV, you do a lot over a big weekend. So when it's time to start another big week, celebrate Hydration Monday with Liquid IV. When I was out on the road doing my little college football series, I had the time of my life, but let me tell you, I was moving, I was grooving, I did not have time to stop and get a water, so I used the Liquid IV sugar-free lemon lime packs. I think that's the best flavor. Just put it in my little water bottle, shake it up, didn't have to worry. I was hydrated for the rest of the day, the whole weekend, I was absolutely good to go.

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or get 20% off your first order when you go to liquidiv.com and use code DAN at checkout. That's 20% off your first order when you shop superior hydration today using promo code DAN at liquidiv.com. Don Lebatard! It's been a lovely A lovely cruise. Oh man, that's my outro. That's, you know, as my casket is being lowered. Jesus. You know, I'll have been cremated a week before, but we'll do the casket thing just for show. And as my casket is being lowered.

Wait a minute. Well, we'll do it. Empty casket? Yeah, it'll close. You know, just for show. Well, what's the redundancy there? You know, I mean, we're gonna put on a public display. Yeah, naturally.

Stugats! What do you do with the ashes? You know, it's... You're doing a lovely cruise. Exactly. Maybe we'll throw them over, my wife will throw them overboard. I would assume... And she's necking with her new husband.

This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats! Yeah. Why are you asking permission for something and then not waiting for permission? You know, there's a statute of limitations there. You don't decide that? I think I do. You don't decide? You... for a company? Okay, here's the thing. I... and I know applying... You think you decide that for Men-O-Lard? Yeah, I think that the... this may be an oxymoron associating the phrase,

He-Ha-3 with the phrase, intellectual property. But that's exactly what it is. He haw three is my intellectual property because the phrase would not exist if not for me. You know the he haw three were formed in the in the six days. Uncle Dick says that's not your phrase yet you guys stole it. The Uncle Dick has accused that of not being your property that it comes from mid-80s radio. You're forgetting about the Badaip too. Yeah, Uncle Dick is laying claim to the Badaip But the he-haul three is mine. It's my intellectual property and it exists because of me I'm very proud of that and it's on a shirt now in my shirt have our faces on it though Greg

You 20% We might have to negotiate. You can't Well Dan, you should say that. I mean, you guys sell our likenesses and we don't get any cut of that. No, but everyone here is salaried. I'm not.

There you go. Well, whose fault is that? I'm not salaried either. I mean, I've tried. Jeremy's. Whose fault is that? Is that my fault that he's not salaried? By the way, speaking of Uncle Dick

on the current Greg Cody show, which dropped yesterday. Enough about Jeremy's contract situation. Yeah, it's fine. We're going to treat the he-haw too. Can I get a contract with you, Greg? Absolutely. No, you'll get your share. But on my latest podcast, Uncle Dick finally reveals the truth about the great coffee can

incident of 1969. Did find an issue in perusing your merch shop. The image that you're using to put on your merch was snapped by Metalark. That is not your property. That is our photo. So you can still put up merch. You're just going to have to pull that,

because that is our image. OK, let's give Metaladowluck a cut. Tomato, tomato. Mike, why are you laughing back there? This is your new role. You're laughing. This is your stuff to now manage. If you're climbing up in the company, this is...

I added it to my list. Also Get Jeremy Salary does now on there. Aren't you... Thanks, Mike. Make a movie. Aren't you talent, recruitment? Aren't you basically... Talent development?

Yep. Developing us a ton of talent development? Yep. T.D. developing us. A ton of talent right now. Huge, huge talent. Big talented folks. Chris Cody. I want to get, I want to, I do want to get to the Panthers. Okay. Because Hey, thank God. I saw it. I saw last night that Ottawa wanted Tampa and Tampa is broken now. Yeah. Panthers broke Tampa. Panthers have broken Tampa?

Yeah. Are you kidding me? That's the last he got pulled this game. How are we not celebrating this? Is it because it's not the post season? Because we've been trying to slay that giant for five years. For five years. Yes, and it depends on what happens

in the Eastern Conference. There's an opportunity for the Panthers to actually slay the dragon, depending on how the playoff matchups work out. But if the Panthers are first in the Eastern conference, we won't see that as a first round matchup in all likelihood. The Panthers beat the, the Tampa Bay lightning was it nine to two? Yes. Nine to two. They beat them by a touchdown. And this is a game that saw the Panthers score nine unanswered Tampa base scored

the first goal in approximately 40 seconds. No one in the NHL in the year 2024 has more points than Matthew Kitchuck. And we knew that he would ascend and he started slow. We knew that he would ascend towards this second half of the season, but he's ascending to best player in the league status. It's him and McDavid since the calendar turned to 2024. He's been a monster. This team is so aggressive. They mastered Paul ball. We told you that a couple of weeks ago. Their forecheck is so oppressive that it's a high press that just does not give a broth. He is having his best season as a Florida

Panther. Ryan hard. It's actually hit a bit of a dry spell. Uh, he's not scoring goals the way that we've grown accustomed to, but that's okay because there's people there to pick up the slack. This Florida Panther team right now is playing the best hockey and franchise history. It's not just that, right? It's yes, you can say that. And that's startling enough. It, uh, you can make the argument that they feel like the best team in the league, that they can beat anybody, that it's obvious. And when I sped, when I cite Tampa, the only reason the sport matters in Florida is because of how it matters in Tampa, because they created a, a juggernaut

and it kept getting in the way of the panthers. The part of this story that I find most staggering and I don't have a lot of precedent for what I'm about to say. I remember us being squeamish about the best offensive team in Panther history being dismantled by playoff hockey. The best offensive team in one of the best in hockey history. And then they said, we're gonna change it and they made florida panthers hockey with that trade blowing up something that was the best offensive thing we'd seen like just a

total counterculture move against anything that anyone does in sports you go back the next year with the same guys know they said immediately not good enough we're gonna overhaul this and give us a minute because once we master playoff hockey We'll play it all season long and now they've got a team that nobody wants to face not the Bruins not anybody and it's It's crazy to think that they can make them up They they can make hockey matter in this town this way By being better than everybody and and they're building a hockey They're fan base now starting to get a bit of a reputation

as unpleasant, kind of reflecting the identity of the team. There's videos of Panthers that made Panthers fans that made the trip up to Tampa shutting down the concourses and being and leaning into this really get under your skin type of mentality that the coaches preached and everyone has acted out on and to your point, and it took a while. This is a team that was an eight seed last year and got lucky to get into the playoffs.

But now, especially in this stretch where Chris Cody, correct me if I'm wrong, they're one away from tying the NHL record for consecutive road wins. Yeah. They've won 11 in a row on the road. They're doing this against the, the, the cream of the crop. They're beating Vegas. They're beating Colorado. They're beating Boston. This, this team right now, you'd almost want the playoffs to start right now because they'd be entering as a total house of fire. It's also important to note, I think that in this sports market, this crazy sports market, where the dolphins just finished the season, the most exciting season they've had in 35 years. The messy Lionel Messi is about to begin his first full season with Inter Miami. The Panthers are the best team in town by a lot. It's not even close.

And every string that Zito is pulling is working out. Ekman Larson has just rolled in here and is probably their second best defenseman. I heard Ed Jovenosky compare Gustav forestling to Lindstrom on the last broadcast, call them a top five defense man and entering the season, Montor and egg, led had all the headlines. They are, they are not only developing the talent that they have on the roster. They are, they've got a really great eye for talent. And I think the biggest, the biggest sign of that is seeing some of the guys that they've had to like go for cap reasons guys like Owen tippet go to other teams and become huge stars. I'm, I'm all in on the Panthers as well, but Whittingham said the other day,

I got to fight through here. I got some flooding in my throat. I'm not going to cough. Whittingham said that the MLS, the inter-Miami's teams, no, no, I think I did out Chris. No, no, I pushed through Frankie Patrano, another guy that the MLS, the inter Miami's teams, no, no, I think I pushed through. Frankie Patrano, another guy that the Panthers had to let go for cap reasons, go to other teams, becomes among their best players. They've just got a spectacular eye for talent. But Witte said yesterday, I heard Witte say that ML, that inter Miami's team is the most talented team in MLS history. Well, Greg Cody, I'm just, I'm pushing back on him saying it's the best team in town. Greg Cody saying it is for Messi championship or bust and Mike Ryan agrees. And there's not even time to talk about it in this segment.

But are they the most talented team in MLS history? Is Woody right on that terms of accomplishments? Yeah. Maybe form that's a, that's a tougher. Old, right. It depends on how, how highly you rate Louis Suarez, who I think has been offside according to Taylor Twelman, 24 times during this preseason. We're not going to lead the league in defense. I don't feel like with rate Louis Suarez, who I think has been offside according to Taylor Twelman 24 times during this preseason. We're not going to lead the league in defense. I don't feel like with Messi and Suarez field.

No, with Alba Buscad, so they're going to be slower. And I still don't think the roster is fully compliant with MLS rules. Season starts in two days. Okay. Very good. That's nice. We got messy. We'll figure it out.

Sounds like things could get messy. Whoa. We got messy we'll figure it out Technicality Sounds like things could get messy Woah I think that's a lie. I don't think that's it. I don't think that is evident. Salute to that boy. It suggests camouflage. It suggests that Juju has no idea what we're talking about. And now it's just Googling it. Stugots.

I'm not Googling it. My grandma stayed in the country. I watched the Braves. I watched Colombo. I watched Matlock. I watched Andy Griffin. You go to the pit of the bus, Dan, take your way into the pin of the box. You tell him Juju. How you mean a liar?

You tell him Juju. Mat, they used to. This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugas. Mike Ryan wants to get us all fired up for Senators Panthers right here because basketball, the All-Star game, it's a slow time in sports. We got really unreasonably mad. We all did. We got unreasonably mad at the All-Star game.

How do we do this? It's been 20 years with the All-Star game. Has it mattered? Now everybody wants it to matter. It's background television. Yokey just trying to dunk. He can't dunk. He's nine feet tall. He can't dunk. Luca's trying to dunk. He can't dunk. He's nine-thousand-thog, can't dunk.

Lukas six-eight, he can't dunk. Who cares? Did you see Yolkic complain to Tony Brothers when Bam threw the inbounds pass off his back and then did a pull-up three? Did Yolkic not know that that was legal? Like, he was berating Tony Brothers down the floor because that happened to him. I would like to point out to the audience, okay, that the all star game, whatever all star game you prefer only exists because during the time of three channels in America,

when your sports teams can only be seen nationally, maybe the occasional Saturday before cable television, it was a big deal to have all the stars gathered in one place for a game, but now we see them all the time everywhere, all over your social media. I get every night in the league, our attention to Spanish change. It's no longer the time of, of bird and magic. You need 10 things. The all star game can be one of them and it's going to feel like zoes summer groove, but because they don't want to be there. Like they'd rather not be working over the weekend

They know you've got all the access to them, but it's not a special thing anymore Like they don't have to get rid of it because the guys don't care They shouldn't care about it anymore like it's it's an artifact from a bygone age. It's not needed anymore It's just getting in the red in the way of the rest. They'd like this, the middle of the season. I will say this. They all want to be on the all-star team. That matters to them. That part matters. Not to Jimmy Butler. Playing. The only person that cares less about the regular season in the NBA than I do. Well, I don't think that's fair to do to him at the moment, right? No, but it's been fair to do to him for the last three seasons. He's campaigns campaigned for people not to vote for him. I think that's true.

I mean, it's a funny joke. He's making a funny joke of all of it, right? Wearing a wig to media day and just making it known everywhere. Yes. I am now a little bit more though, because like being the eight seed doing as the eight seed, I know you did it last season, but that's just making it really hard on yourself. Seven right now. If you really want to impress your spouse though during this NBA All-Star game every year, do it next year. Set your alarm to do this. About midway through the second quarter, predict. Be like, I'm going to go to Twitter right now. Bob Ryan has tweeted about this. And then I went to Twitter and I showed my wife the tweet. She was impressed.

Your wife knows who Bob Ryan is. She was like, oh classic Bob. Once again, these NBA stars are showing no respect for the game It's another Dunkerama and 3.4. It's not a single hand in anyone's face I'll see how TCM is doing. See you next year. What a waste of time Adam. You must do something. It's embarrassing for your sport I heard her classic movie. That's what that is. He really frustrated. I mean he wants a new TV deal He's got he's got stars. He says he's got an unhappiness problem in his league that the players aren't happy enough And and and you understand a lot of them talking about mental illness, even wondering about playing during this time, wondering about it since the bubble, all of this feeling like heavy.

He begs these players to play all week. Give me some effort in the game. And Anthony Edwards says, I'm going to shoot left handed. And the answer is what Luca was doing was pure insanity. I mean, he was doing full court shots with Seven minutes left. Lillard hit one by the way all butter No one's passing no one's calling Look if Carl Anthony towns takes twice as many shots as everyone else you don't have an all-star. Can you take 40 shots?

35 shots. I enjoyed the part where Giochic and Luca were like going down the court without bat I think we should eliminate dribbling from the All-Star game Just be able to carry the ball just get past it just travel night and day But is anyone is anyone else confused by how mad everyone is about this? Who cares does it matter to you? You didn't even watch probably I did watch I did watch on the second screen It was the second most disappointing But I forgot except slow sports time. We need detective was worse, but I mean we Complaining about all-star games does work

It does you say that this is the angriest people have been at an exhibition. No, no not at all MLB all-star game brought about change the NFL Pro Bowl had a at all and they'll be all star game brought about change. The NFL pro bowl had a disastrous broadcast where ratings were down and everyone was complaining and they decided we're going to scrap the game entirely. So complaining about all star games has been proven to actually work and bring about change in what way. Now what's the change you're going to see Mike? Like what do you want to see different about what the NBA does? Oh, I don't know what the answer is there. I you're going to tell Luca to care more. You're going to tell Anthony Edwards. Hey, don't, don't threaten

to shoot with your left. I mean, when you have players, we've also never had all stars quite like Jovic and Luca who just flatly don't care. I got an idea. We get the best, the all defensive team halfway through a season and we put them on one side of the all star game. So it's like the five best defenders in the NBA. And then we put all the good offensive players. I'm just spitballing here, Tony. I'm trying to fix the problem. I thank you.

I said, I think you said Joe and you meant Joe. Good. Now he's right. I think the only way to save the all star game format is to really flip it. And we're all of a sudden guys are competing in other sports. Okay. Hear me out. Oh, NBA players, NBA players, the question are involved in a sports. Okay. Hear me out. NBA players, NBA players are

involved in a home run derby. Okay. No, nobody. Baseball players. No, but look, this is, this is the way you do it. This is the way you do it. This is how the NFL did it. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Throwing a starting contest. It's a terrible idea. It's not a bad idea. Sneezing contest. Can you sneeze on Q or stifling a sneeze contest? Yeah. I don't, I don't know how you force what, what made Steph and Sabrina pop out from this weekend was it felt like something was legitimately on the line there and people were trying their best because it meant more and That was cool. Yeah. Just watching her test him and having him have to like,

that seemed like a good amount of pressure that was on Steph shooting. It was one of the better results because I was trying to figure out like what, like how do you win if you're Steph Curry here? And I think he found a way to win by putting up the highest score. And Inescu would have had what

tie Damian Lillard at 26, she shot lights out. So I think that that was the best possible scenario. And I don't know how you make any Smith. I don't know how you manufacture some of these. I like the notion of one-on-ones, but players just aren't, I would love to tap into that kind of competitive mentality that you saw pop up there during Sabrina versus Steph. But even if you say, all right, let's do one on ones and try to crown a best player that way. Players won't necessarily buy in. You thought that if you had SAR power in the slam dunk contest, that would help. And then Jaylen Brown had one of the worst routines we'd ever seen. That was so bad. I don't know how he gets a higher

score for jumping over a five foot guy in a chair than Haka's gets for dunking over Shaq. Boston bias. I think a nice like three on three king of the court would be really cool. You can get your guys one on one. No, not the. How about a game of knockout? Well, you will get them.

You guys not like the symbolic sort of cosmos laughing at if you want that game to be good they're saying privately according to sam amic pay us it's not silver asking us it's not requesting it no we don't answer to adam is bob ryan yells adam do something no we we're this weekend's a party for us if ever had to be paid before i I know I'm not, do you not understand though why it is that turns fans off? Like how it is that that's the great divider and then it makes the media criticism even louder

when these guys can't be bothered enough to care about something that they're being celebrated for. We can't honor you enough. How much must we honor you? By giving you millionaire fame and riches in the life everybody wants? And here's a televised weekend at the top of your sports and pop culture. Can you do us the courtesy of caring?

No. They've never had stars like they do now. Yokech and Luca did like try to make them care. They barely care about playoff games in terms of how they approach the game. I know what we saw in the All-Star game is distinctly different, but it's also a personnel issue. We laughed all summer at Yokochi's inability to feel. What's the number that you would give every NBA player for them to care? Is it five? Is

it 10? The part that I'm more interested in, honestly, I'm not even saying there is a money amount. All I'm telling you is what do you think that league is rot in fifteen years of player empowerment they are many years ago they made it about bird magic and they built their sport and everyone got that power and now you can see what's happening on john maran's instagram you know these people they made them all stars their social media activities leaps and bounds

ahead of all other leagues in creating the stories of stardom and this weekend the young ones and this matters this matters the generational the young ones who are taking over the league from the guys who care like stephen labran they're like that it's another week where you're asking me to play basketball and it doesn't matter that much to me i'm already a star how much more of a

star you making me by making me play in this this game that only bob ryan cares about this way although it turns out now all of american media cares about it that way because everyone got pissed off nba players treat all star weekend and the all star game exactly as they should as a frivolous exhibition that means zero they don't want to play defense. Why would we play defense? We just want to run up and down the court and show off. I really do think though that why wouldn't you expect this generation to also have a different relationship with what work looks like?

Are we just reading into one isolated incident though? Because we've just taken out an entire generation. Mike, they've never cared. They have never cared less. What the product that was put on the court on Sunday, this is why people are so offended. The players have never cared less about the honor of it. It was obvious. It's so old. It really just doesn't matter though, right?

Cause this is the way we all can and maybe should be approaching work, right? Like Gen Z says, if you're paying me to be there from nine to five, then I'm gonna be there from nine to five and that's it. And if you want me to work overtime, you're gonna pay me overtime. So for the NBA, why would they approach this any differently?

There's the only thing that matters, right? Is whether or not they're all NBA players during the regular season, cause that ultimately affects their contracts. And that's why you have guys like Tyrese Halliburton coming back early from injury to try to make sure that they're there. But ultimately this doesn't matter.

I know, I believe it was David Aldridge who said that they should basically take $12 million, put it at center court before the game, and say, hey, this is winner take all. So everybody gets a million bucks if they win. And that might make it competitive. But outside of that, there's no real reason for these guys to care about this game. It's like a literal pile of money.

Yeah, literally. Like wrestling, it's above. Yeah, yeah, no, he literally said Michael Buffer should announce. Brought to you by Travis. Clatter match. Why not? Why not?

Why not? We'll put $24 million above the court and optics of that are great. Put it in Las Vegas. That would be great. There's no reason for players to care about this all star game and treat it like work because it's the opposite. It's a respite from work. I got an idea here. I just thought of another good idea. So you put that money at the center

court, this one side of the courts, the, the West side, one side of the courts, the East side, first team, everyone's on the court at one time. All the all stars, first team to score a thousand points wins. But then we have what we have now, which is nobody playing defense. Just wild dunks like like three. I just liked it. Just chaos and like just like, it's not worse than what we saw. Yeah. I'm going to capture the flag with all that money. None of us are buying on your idea. All of us wanted to go with you and we don't understand what you're doing.

It's just a free for all. It's just cash all over the floor. You know, the cash drops on one side once one side scores a thousand how long do you have this game being because they scored? 200 and some up points and 48 thousand points. So you have there's no deep in five hours I'm just like I said guys no bad ideas. I want to get Tony. I mean she's very judgy today I'm not trying to fix it. I don't understand the Nash. I like it Nash and wailing about what needs to be done. Hey, it's a, yeah, man, you know, the next step on this, they're not even going to want to come to the party. If you don't ask him to play basketball and just throw parties in Indianapolis, all it because the best place to be this weekend

was in rainy shitty Indianapolis. Cause the NBA was throwing a big party there that the players didn't care to play it.