The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: Wild Willy Got Hit By A Suburban

Episode Date: May 7, 2025

"No, Dan. Wrestling didn't bring him back. BASKETBALL brought him back." The NBA is good, and the traffic is bad. Today's cast: Dan, Stugotz, Chris, Amin, Billy, and Mike. Learn more about your ad... choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:32 Proximo. Cuervo.com. Please drink responsibly. Cuervo. This is the Don Leventor Show with the StuGuts Podcast. I walk in today. What happened? I mean, I just, I walk in today and I didn't check the schedule. Yeah. And I'm like, oh no, this crew is working today. This is the group that carries us into the future.
Starting point is 00:01:02 It's a solid crew, man. No, no, I'll tell you why it's not a solid crew, OK? Because I know what I'm walking into. First of all, OK, where Mike Ryan and Amin are on basketball, I know Mike Ryan's going to want to get on this bandwagon, and I know Amin's not going to let him. The basketball of the last two nights, oh, those two guys.
Starting point is 00:01:19 You are aware that it's a headphone, not an iPhone. What is happening here? Well, I'll tell you what's happening now. Thank you for asking. I was trying to figure out if I could do today's entire show, just close my eyes and listen to it so that I can hear our show instead of see it because I never cared for anyone to see it. So the reason that I was doing that is because I don't want to work with you guys today.
Starting point is 00:01:42 Oh, wait. Are we doing Don't Look Now? Are we doing Don't Look Now? No wait, are we doing Don't Look Now? Are we doing Don't Look Now? No, we're not doing Don't Look Now. I don't want to do Don't Look Now. They're already strapping down the furniture right there. Okay, great, great. Let's, look, let's, in a contract year with DraftKings,
Starting point is 00:01:56 yeah, let's go into the future and beat everyone else up because Don't Look Now, we're wearing blindfolds and it's sponsored. Yeah look it's limited in scope but the execution has been stellar so anyway so it's not as so this is the reason that I dread today's crew and I want to listen to our old show as people who all bet on each other because we make big bets at draft games we cash them we win them that's how that works for our show. Amin and Mike Ryan, I'm hoping,
Starting point is 00:02:26 are gonna argue about basketball, but the last time that happened, it gets ugly, they're emotional, defensive. You too? Hope people argue? No. No. And walking into the mix is Stu Gott, and he is doing the show that I'm afraid that people who are really old wanna do,
Starting point is 00:02:44 and it's a good show he hates the traffic and so he's coming in here today and i want to do a good show that celebrates basketball not fixes basketball the way mike's trying to be doing for how long and still got to comes in complaining about the traffic is there somebody that likes traffic like who enjoys traffic don't enjoy traffic i have to tell you I have noticed that the construction where the turnpike down here meets 95 they have done some stellar construction work but it causes
Starting point is 00:03:16 problems elsewhere on my route to the to the studios here Dan today's drive two hours plus I can't handle it man I can't I don't mind traffic when I'm not driving If I'm in the backseat like if I'm in an uber and I don't have to be anywhere on time in particular I'll sit in traffic cuz I like messing on my phone. I like people say where are you? I'm not there yet and just as someone else is driving because here you take an elevator. I mean Well, that's not always a case Billy why are you wearing a neck brace traffic see look at look what you would have missed if your eyes were closed I got a car accident yesterday oh wow yeah you okay HIPAA so I'm saying go any further I was told this is I think
Starting point is 00:04:01 those are the rules I don't think I'm allowed to disclose my own medical information. Am I? Investigation pen I got hit by a suburban really. Oh, yeah. Yeah, real not me my car got hit by a suburban If it was me, I'd be in more than it. Well, I thought that this would be a little discreet. So I wasn't no you can see it I wore my my my most zippable hoodie I wore my most zippable hoodie. Well, I am so happy, Billy, that you're here because this was one of the reasons that I was like, oh, this crew today, because Mike and Amin are gonna get too serious about basketball,
Starting point is 00:04:35 and I didn't think you were in today on a Wild Billy Wednesday. Oh, I'm here. Loopy, but here. Well, this disappointed me. Can we get? That he's here? No, no, no. I thought
Starting point is 00:04:46 we were doing Wild Willy Wednesday and then I got in here and Billy wasn't here and I'm like what are we doing not this crew and here comes Stu Gotts two minutes before show time wandering around the studio snorting about traffic. Traffic wasn't great. No. But I decided to stop to get another car and then come in that's why I was a little bit Yeah, I want to point out that Billy looks like George Sadano doing a Christmas game It was strange I just looked up and he looked a bit like a doll like a like I don't know some sort of Espionage doll see this is why you can't have your eyes closed because you're not even talking into the microphone
Starting point is 00:05:20 You can't see the microphone I'm aging Mike listen to me. I'm aging is, you know, I'm going to change this. I'm aging. Mike, listen to me. I'm aging in front of people and I'm trying to hide it. I miss our old audio show. This is a video show now and I like doing video, but I miss our old audio show. And so can I do the show this way? No, no, it's a weird look.
Starting point is 00:05:39 If I could have a camera fixated on any single person in the world yesterday, I'll tell you who I'd pick. And I wish I had this superpower. That every day I could just get a 24 seven feed on one person. And it could be something that I decide at the end of the day, like retroactively. Like this person had the most interesting day
Starting point is 00:05:59 in the world. I would love to be the captain aboard the USS Harry Truman. When that second plane fell into the ocean. They lost another plane on the same warship. Wow. Well the good news is they're not that expensive, right? They're like 12, 13 bucks. I mean, I've gone my entire life,
Starting point is 00:06:20 and I'm sure this has happened before, but I had never heard about it. And I sure as shit had never heard about it in consecutive weeks. I would love to see this person be delivered the news that they lost a second plane off the same aircraft carrier. Who would you pick? Jerry Jones?
Starting point is 00:06:40 I mean, that George Pickens acquisition seems like pretty interesting. I would love to know that. Halliburton is 10 for 11 on shots to tie or take the lead in the last two minutes this year. And they're like weird game winners. They're like four point plays or miss free throws on purpose. They're not even like good looking shots and he's just a killer.
Starting point is 00:06:59 I wish his dad was there for it. I mean please, please take me through the emotion of this. Ernie Johnson, salute to you sir uh... i want to be able to do different basketball analysis then we've been doing ameen because i think even though it's small sample size theater and even though i'm sure i'm sure most basketball fans know uh... not having evan mobley out there changes everything like it it doesn't allow, you're gonna disagree with that.
Starting point is 00:07:28 I mean. It does, but that's not why they lost the game. Like yes, in general, not having Evan Mobley, and by the way, Darius Garland, another All-Star, not having two All-Stars out there, and DeAndre Hunter, who has been their sixth man, basically since the trade deadline, massive before you start the game.
Starting point is 00:07:43 And then that game happened, and they kicking indiana's ass up and down the floor and what happened at the end was you saw and kenny atkinson again shout out to coaches taking accountability says my regret is that i didn't go deeper my bench in the second half in the fourth quarter in particular because we ran out of gas because i should tighten the rotation
Starting point is 00:08:04 and they just took advantage of that. The thing that I find so interesting about all that's happening out here, I mean, because okay, whatever, I mean, Mo blees out, but that was a great regular season team and when Donovan Mitchell scores 48, most teams almost always win unless you're playing against Jokic in the bubble and he's got Jamal Murray but Donovan Mitchell wins that plays that game. Donovan Mitchell did the thing the star has to do at home to save the series. Yes. Like the very thing he's like Cleveland okay we got a one I know everybody says it's Allen and Mobley and Garland no it's not it's me and are you
Starting point is 00:08:39 guys coming but Atkinson are you gonna use Mobley a better way and now that team is on the brink and On the brink after an amazing regular season that made us forget Hey, you know, the Cavs are always the Cavs except when Lebron's not there, right? Like That the Cavs the Cavs for a long time have been the Cavs and now they're a winner Yes, and Indiana's got him buried with one of the most interesting players in the sport. They all, all the others say he's overrated. 10 for 11 on shots to tie or take the lead in the last two minutes this year.
Starting point is 00:09:12 Like everyone's telling me Brunson's clutch and he is because he does it empirically, but that's clutch. Yes, and no, right? So yes, you're right, they have a reputation, but I think they shook that reputation this year I think last night again was a case of one team ran out of gas Sure a short-handed team that was up ran out of gas and both coaches cited the physicality and the ability to defend Aggressively in a way that you can't during the regular season and neither of them complained neither one was like given They got to get hold of this. It's like, hey man, this is the playoffs,
Starting point is 00:09:46 we gotta get around it. Donovan Mitchell did all the things a superstar's supposed to do. The problem is Donovan Mitchell ran out of steam, ran out of gas. And there are two plays in particular where you can kind of see that. One is that offensive rebound that was his,
Starting point is 00:10:01 his basically blockout. And then the other one is when he's basically kind of falling apart right there at the end. You know, he can't even turn up the court without kind of bumping into somebody and collapsing. And so for me, I look at that game as Indiana, excuse me, Cleveland had the perfect game plan, they executed, they ran out of gas indiana took advantage
Starting point is 00:10:26 and then and by the way the thing i wanted to mention i didn't see indiana take up eight hundred three pointers to get that done they took the available shots they were driving lanes again and again and again and they took advantage of that and that's the difference in what happened to boston the other night and what happened indiana last night okay but i've the reason i want to talk about how analysis changes right we just talked the other day about uh... like all our lives we've done man role players on the road
Starting point is 00:10:57 always bad always bad you never get anything from a man buddy healed goes from zero in game six or two always carrying all of them will talk about butler incurred but it's a couple role-player on the road goes nine for eleven from threes so everyone's talking about the game has changed and the threes dominate all in carl and three towns is a million miles away were complaining the celtics are champions but we don't like to watch how they play because all they do is take step back threes that's boring stop perfecting that is joma's will good
Starting point is 00:11:24 goat that's something that perfecting that is james all good goat that's something that happened on our show yesterday so if the game spreads out like that now we hate harden he ruin the game mvp all but never great whatever if we're doing all of the math on indiana cleveland this is how haliburton becomes a star you slay this dragon this way because there the underdogs ernie johnson told us watch this series because the Pacers can beat anybody in the modern age and the thing I wanted to ask all of you we can usually do this with basketball
Starting point is 00:11:53 pretty simply really predictable one two three five one one three four five but get at the end it's going to be the one the two the three it's gonna be the one, the two, the three, and the four, or the one, two, three, and five, and it will get there some way. But last year it was Dallas. They come through the middle, and the Pacers could beat everyone because they have the elements in the modern game. And I'm wondering, I mean, if today, more than any day before, basketball can be less
Starting point is 00:12:21 predictable than it was because the Pacers can make a ton of threes and change everything. But that's my point they didn't make a ton of threes. That's my exact point. They didn't come back because they made a ton of threes. They came back because they upped their defensive intensity and tried to get threes but instead the because Cleveland was rightfully defending three-point lines so well you got Siakam to the rim, you got Halliburton to the rim a couple of times, you got great offensive rebounding, got Miles Turner right in the front of the rim, and then Halliburton hits a three at the end to win the game.
Starting point is 00:12:54 But that wasn't a three point barrage that did them in. That was them playing methodical, good, smart basketball, which is why, Dan, what I said just now, and it's not that Indiana's not a three-point shooting team this is not a philosophical thing but what I said is they're not robots and the problem with Boston is a coach said I gotta shoot a three no you don't have to do that if you've got a one-on-one with Jalen Brunson on an island you don't have to shoot a three I promise you but this so this part's so interesting to me Stugats because do you see what's happening here, right?
Starting point is 00:13:25 For the last two years, no one's really bothered or challenged Boston, and so Mike Ryan is whimpering around here, somebody make Tatum earn it, make him win. Well, the Knicks are doing it. I was going to say, we had general consensus, even when we talked to Juju in the post game. Like, he was, it's fair to question this team and want to see them to do it that's all i want to see the same way i wanted to see Steph Curry do it in the final and be the best player and he and he was and the same way that i just want the NBA to be good in this second and this second round has been really fascinating
Starting point is 00:13:59 they've been really compelling games and this this will get people in. I love Halliburton as a story. Like he literally went into a WWE ring and had a face off with Jalen Brunson. Like he likes being the bad guy. Hell, his dad likes being the bad guy. I know he was a star before. But if he has moments like that in these big upper echelon games and he makes a deeper run it is so great to watch a superstar totally ascend right before your very eyes do he
Starting point is 00:14:30 needs to have moments like that against Boston or against the Knicks you would agree though right yeah Reggie Miller had that moment they made a 30 for 30 over I think Halliburton had one of the we were remember that show that we did a few months back like what a regular season moments that you remember? I remember Halliburton against Milwaukee and winning that game and probably when they had, what was a win probability for Milwaukee? Over 99%.
Starting point is 00:14:55 These are the moments. These are where people become legends. We've seen it in that uniform, to your point. Stugatsch just whispered in my ear and I missed these tickles from him because he just sort of belched out of the side of his mouth, whispered just to me, muttered really, ran out of gas. How about you grab a rebounds? Okay so I mean this part I want you to help me analyze okay please since 1997 teams are three and one thousand six hundred and forty when trailing by seven plus in the final minute of the fourth quarter
Starting point is 00:15:31 overtime the Pacers this postseason have two of those wins okay I'm sorry Amin had no idea about the WWE segment in which Halliburton and Jalen Brunson had a face-to-face showdown i thought he was like doing like allegories or not i mean so this is the problem with you and mike's relationship around basketball and this is where you guys have no chemistry okay uh... halibut and wants to be a star and mike ryan wishes for him to be a star as mike ryan arrives at basketball and says to halibut and hey tell me stories and bring your dad.
Starting point is 00:16:05 And what are you here to say? Ahhhhh. He didn't say that. He said did they miss Evan Mobley? He said they ran out of gas. I'm saying that when you guys argue about basketball you passionately defend that the game's not dying. They haven't changed it too much.
Starting point is 00:16:21 But then Joe Mazzullo's got this Boston boston team right and you're saying they're not robots the only team that is i know orlando played okay against them but the only team that actually challenged boston the lot the the the last year in the playoffs was indian and games indiana could have easily one and may have learned how to do so because holy shit haliburton's a star what's the question i'm not I'm sorry I'm
Starting point is 00:16:45 not trying to be funny I'm confused what you're saying what Mike said earlier and now you're saying that. No I'm saying that when when you and Mike have argued okay in the past Mike Mike gets the basketball here and he hasn't been paying attention all season he says I'm boycotting basketball I don't care I don't care I don't care. I'm just choosing other things over it but. Whatever you look you can always come back. I mean I've been critical of the game but dude I I'm totally good admitting. I'm just choosing other things over it, but. Whatever. Look, you can always come back. I've been critical of the game, but dude, I'm totally good admitting that I'm wrong. These games have been compelling.
Starting point is 00:17:09 I want them to be compelling. Have I lamented too much, probably, for the audience that the game is boring to me? Yeah, but I think it's a proper reaction. All I want to see is better games. I will always admit that I'm wrong when I'm wrong, except when it comes to Paul Pierce and Brad Morchand. Okay, those people suck Okay, no, no, wait, I mean, let me so let me those are the only two. Let me reframe the question for you
Starting point is 00:17:31 Okay, because I believe that Mike Ryan right now is Identifying as because we've been talking about bandwidth bandwidth how much you can care about a particular game You've always cared about basketball. You care about it unreasonably mike has ignored your entire season he doesn't care but he's like who something happened with haliburton dead maybe i'll leave racing taladega for a little while to see if i visit basketball again the last time you guys fought on air you came in defending the purity of basketball stuff and he's over here telling you know more wrestling the
Starting point is 00:18:04 future united fixed as well been he might've been fixing basketball all season you know how do you fix it more wrestling and you're not even paying attention or better games more better games more compelling games more moments like that and that and I think we got it damn it I'm not gonna fight a mean today it's just not gonna happen today is a celebration of sports. The sports last night kicked ass and the NBA is finally coming to the party with good compelling games that aren't blowouts and they had like they had a great series with the Nuggets and
Starting point is 00:18:35 Clippers. I kept my eye on that series. There's a lot going on. Kept an eye. He kept an eye. To me, playoff hockey is the top level. And I don't want to make this a hockey versus basketball thing. But even sports neutrals will admit. I mean, look what happened in game seven between the Jets and the Blues. The President's trophy winners saved their entire season. Saved themselves from embarrassment with 1.6 seconds left. And they ended up winning in overtime.
Starting point is 00:19:01 That is just drama that the NBA very rarely replicates. When the NBA playoffs, when I was growing up, were all about drama. And this year, I think they were delivering. Last night, they most certainly did. Okay. Let me start with a couple of things. Now I'm seeing a clearer place where Dan wanted to go and I see it too now. I apologize, Dan. I wasn't- You now see it? I now see it. Because what I was trying to tell Mike was I'm not saying the intensity was at this level But we had good games all season long right and a lot of the things that Mike was saying back then
Starting point is 00:19:34 Were like falsehoods everyone shoots too many threes. No not everyone shoots too many threes. No No I don't care if my if I if my role players are shooting threes because I want to see my stars do star things That's the way basketball has evolved and I think we can all agree Nobody wants to see the Tyrone Hill 16 foot jumper. That's what got eliminated out of basketball We got I do kind of miss it right so that's The pole Put on the pole at Juju at Leviton show. Do you miss that? What is it?
Starting point is 00:20:09 No, but is it an 18 footer or 12 footer? No, no, it's a 16 footer 16 Yeah, they call it free throw line extended. I just miss him in his cheekbones Come back Tyrone Hill. Do you miss Tyrone Hill? Yeah, you know who else I miss George Hill shoulders Oh great shoulders my point though or one of my points about this game because uh... i i think before before you go before you go to the have to get the because it'll get away if i don't say you said what brought mike back was how the burden fighting in his dad no mike finally said let me see what's happening is basketball games and saw some amazing basketball that
Starting point is 00:20:38 maybe i'm is just too quickly or maybe it is just a playoff and he knows that these games are important versus games about thirty seven in the middle season but either way not wrestling brought him back basketball brought a that's right what's the status this this part subsets suggests this part so interesting amin and i took uh... talked yesterday and i know i mean found it interesting is a best even as a basketball uh... savant
Starting point is 00:21:02 uh... with the month shumpert about like how lebron and all the changes in basketball made it so that now jason tatum can just fire up threes from a million miles away and they sort of streamlined hedge fund efficiency the numbers now say take the threes boston won a championship we're wondering if their coaches any good and indian is here to say that right now on storyline all we know indiana can beat them because they almost did last year when they were ready and this is how you get ready now and then you can ask yourself
Starting point is 00:21:35 hate a dumb guys have you actually been pushed in one of these like it and now we start question a missile have you actually coached one of these now of course boston won a game seven against mi here, and Missoula went from fired to now he's running the sport. The truth wasn't out of bounds. It's still under protest. But I think the close games, the NBA has most certainly, we talked about the diff in Cleveland,
Starting point is 00:22:00 there have been more blowouts quantifiably in that sport. And unfortunately, that also meets in the playoffs. I punt on the regular season because a lot of teams have, you know, players are having their loads managed and all this BS. And you finally get to the point that there are stakes and you hope for close games because those moments where the games are close, the intensity is amplified on the court. Everyone in the arena feels it. It is just different. When the games are close and the games have meaning. Right. And that
Starting point is 00:22:29 actually brings out the wrestling moments because players feed off of that intensity, that tension. That brings those wrestling moments. So they kind of go hand in hand. It's a byproduct of good, intense playoff basketball. And I'm really glad to see that it's arrived. I think what Mike likes about these NBA playoffs it feels like the hockey playoffs. He loves the hockey playoffs we all love the hockey playoffs because anything can happen. In the NBA it's usually chalk that wins but you were staring at conference finals that very well could be a four versus seven seed or four versus a three seed in the East. That never happens.
Starting point is 00:23:05 The NBA has been way more unpredictable lately. Like you rattled through it. Like we usually have these runs. You have what feels like an outlier championship from the Milwaukee Bucks. You have an eight seed in the Miami Heat go to the NBA finals. Like it is as unpredictable as it's ever been
Starting point is 00:23:20 in our lives I mean. See, but yes and also no, not no to the unpredictable, but no to you like it because it's unpredictable you like it because it's been good basketball that's why if Cleveland had pulled that out last night if so still a good game Halliburton hits that shot and then they give it a Mitchell Mitchell just tosses it from 90 feet and it goes in and they win it's still a great game right if Boston had held on against the Knicks won in overtime that's still a great game it right? If Boston had held on against the Knicks one and overtime, that's still a great game. It's not because under
Starting point is 00:23:48 enough. That's, that's honestly like been my on ramp to it is like Boston suffering. I'm like, all right, I remember this drug that's chasing that dragon. That's the taste. Okay. So I thought I was good with money. Turns out I was really good at ignoring it. Like how am I spending this much on delivery or Uber or that one shoe store that I buy too many shoes from? Then I started using Monarch Money and dude it's a financial wake up call. Monarch's not just some budgeting app. It's basically your money command center. Puts everything, accounts, credit cards, investments into one place so you're
Starting point is 00:24:19 not guessing anymore. And listen, I found stuff I didn't even know I was paying for. Since I started using Monarch, I'm tracking my spending, actually saving, and yeah, even having money check-ins with my wife and we're looking at each other and we're like, yeah, okay, we're all good. It makes the hard stuff way easier and over a million households use Monarch. It was named the best budgeting app of 2025 by the Wall Street Journal. So it's not just me hyping up. It's legit. It's real, real deal Holyfield and get control of all of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code Dan at MonarchMoney.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year at MonarchMoney.com with code Dan.
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Starting point is 00:26:58 brands, something I definitely appreciate. Double down on comfort with Tommy John and get 25% off your first order right now at We didn't get to your guys' against the spread. You're right, Dan. I don't have it against the spread because I wasn't prepared for this segment. You need an Ian in your life. You have actively played defense against me today in a way that has rarely been this undercutting. Stugats! Defense wins championships baby, that's show business. This is the Dunn LeBathar show with the Stugats!
Starting point is 00:27:43 This is what I want to talk about though. So what it is. This is so interesting. It honestly is from a real from a business perspective. Like everyone's saying basketball's dying. The ratings are down even though they got you know the monster streaming dollars and it doesn't matter whether ratings are down. They've got the monster streaming dollars.
Starting point is 00:28:03 So it's a thriving business. But what does the NFL do do how does the nfl stay in business no matter what no matter how many justin tuckers no matter how many ravens the ravens made the statement on behalf of the nfl literally made a statement on behalf of justin tuckers like that that's what
Starting point is 00:28:20 that's what happened that lead keeps us addicted on sundays why cuz Because 345, holy shit, these games are good. How do you fix basketball? Holy shit, these games are good. The last two days, amazing basketball and great. And the only thing in the middle of it that was a turd is, oh, come on Celtics, really? You're gonna look like that doing that
Starting point is 00:28:42 and that's how the Knicks are gonna beat you? Like, you guys are gonna play that way. That wasn't a turn though, it was a great game. Now the come up plays a part in why everyone is so excited and people like Mike are salivating, but the reality is it was still a very compelling game. Dan, I would argue, again, going back to you, the ratings are down.
Starting point is 00:29:01 The ratings are down for any number of reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of play. I said this months ago when we had this conversation. The NBA doesn't have a style of play problem. It doesn't have a load management problem. It has a PR problem. We don't do a good job of controlling our destiny in terms of how our game is talked about in the same way that the NFL does, right? We can't change the fact that one 82nd of a season is not as valuable as one 17th of, right? We can't change the fact that 182nd of a season is not as valuable as 117th of a season. We can't, there's nothing we can do to change that.
Starting point is 00:29:31 It's here to stay and it's been here. The reality is how people talk about our game, how we allow our game to be perceived, particularly with the casual market, right? Because the diehards are here. I was telling this to my buddies last night. Oh man, it would be crazy if like Indiana and Minnesota got to the finals. And I'm saying, no, no, it's not. I mean, yes, it'd be crazy for us basketball heads.
Starting point is 00:29:55 We love it. But the reality is as a casuals, the casuals need dependability, reliability, someone I can identify. The best example of this I can give is 2020 I'm watching the NBA finals my kid sits down next to my kid is 10 years old Maybe at the time maybe a little younger and says watches like maybe like three or four possessions. It says where's Klay Thompson? Because in my child's mind at that point there is no such thing as an NBA finals where Klay Thompson isn't out there That's what the casual fan is they turn on the TV and if they see Shane Gilder's Alexander versus Tyrese Hallibur And they're like I don't know these people But like the PR problem for the NBA is largely self-inflicted right because it's not
Starting point is 00:30:36 172nd it's like 30 to 41 72nds of the season that's the problem the fact that you're saying that tells me we have a PR problem because it's not That much it's nowhere near that much But we allow it to be said over and over again and not just by jamoak shows like ours But people who pay for the right to broadcast the games Turner and ESPN did not do a good job of being stewards of the game in the same way. It's not their job, right? It's not their job, right? It's no it's not my job to go to watch the end. No, like you give me a reason to watch it I'm not saying our job. I'm not saying it's the fans job. I'm saying Turner and ESPN have a fiduciary duty to
Starting point is 00:31:17 Talk about the game in a way that is positive and uplifting and give people reasons to watch rather than giving people reasons Not to watch I hear you people reasons not to watch. I hear you, but I kind of like the negativity that I get from Turner. They kind of built their brand on keeping it real. And I don't want to get bogged down and be guilty of perpetuating what you're lamenting right there, Amin, and just talking about how bad the sport is. We're going to agree to disagree on the style of play and the load management. You don't think it's that big of an issue.
Starting point is 00:31:41 I'm sure you have numbers to back it up. For me, perception is reality in that I punted on it. Like it is what it is. When it came to me, it's venturing into baseball territory. And that's a couple of different factors. My team is not good, but my team is not good because of a lot of the reasons that I've already outlined. I want to celebrate basketball because if they bring it like they've brought it over the last week, then there's no issue. They'll fix the sport. I imagine it will take time. Hell, baseball fixed the sport. There are
Starting point is 00:32:09 issues. We've talked about it. Maybe it starts on the defensive end but I want more moments like last night. Give me more moments like last night and I'll be one of the people helping that arrow point in the other direction when it comes to their ratings. So to be clear, we need playoff intensity basketball during regular season? Every night, yeah. Got it. From both teams.
Starting point is 00:32:30 Every night. And every player. No, maybe, well. It would work for me. We need more intensity. We do, we do. We need more intensity in these games. I mean, the regular season, I'm with Mike.
Starting point is 00:32:38 It feels meaningless. We need more intensity. Yeah, but this is how Mike goes conservative as a fan. No, because you're all about, you've been sniffing around with NASCAR We need more intensity. Yeah, but this is how Mike goes conservative as a fan. No, because you're all about, you've been sniffing around with NASCAR and complaining about basketball. Yeah, well, I mean, a fan with. I gravitate to the things that I find compelling.
Starting point is 00:32:54 It's pretty simple. Minnesota is 12 for 76 on three-pointers in their last two games. We are about to talk about style of basketball. The games have to be, what? Don Kang got me into that series. We are about to talk about style of basketball the games have to be that what? Don Kang got me into that series like there are there are storylines there also one of the things that is missed about their approach to the regular season is Rivalries can be born in the regular season if you have certain intense games there I remember growing up and watching like well
Starting point is 00:33:20 Can you imagine if these two teams match up in the playoffs that exists in hockey? watching like well can you imagine if these two teams match up in the playoffs that exists in hockey when the Panthers and the Senators are brawling at unprecedented rates and having a hundred minutes of playoff of penalty minutes you wonder aloud like man can you imagine how intense this would be if they somehow met in the playoffs basketball doesn't really have those moments in the regular season you don't have scuffles so much in the regular season you don't have hatred and vitriol spilling over and I do think that they need to up the intensity. Now that is hard to impose.
Starting point is 00:33:47 The problem with... We need the perfect balance of Dreymon, right? Like more Dreymon being Dreymon but also less Dreymon being Dreymon which is the hard thing and really no one's figured it out particularly Dreymon. The Goldilocks Dreymon? Is that what we need? That is such a good question. Hold on a second. So do we need more of more Dremon? Help me through that again. We need more Dremon being Dremon, but also less Dremon being Dremon. Okay, that's a great poll question.
Starting point is 00:34:14 Do we need more of Dremon being Dremon, but also less of Dremon being Dremon? Needs to pick his spots. It's a tricky line. Okay, Billy, thank you for bailing out the show there. And this is why you are the wonder that you are, sir, and I have great, great remorse that what I worried about when I came in would be so. I'm not dying, just so we're clear.
Starting point is 00:34:33 We don't have to get on the satan. I still don't understand what really happened to your neck. How much pain are you in right now? I had a car accident. I know, but how much pain are you in right now? Well, HIPAA. They gave me medicine, so you know, the medicine helps. And when you're on drugs and you've been hit by a car, it should be Wild Willy Wednesday.
Starting point is 00:34:53 It should be Wild Willy Wednesday. It should not be Ameen and Mike talk about basketball. No, we're in the middle of the NBA playoffs. This isn't like, you know. It was a great night. If we were in October, I would kind of tend to side with you here, but like, this is it, baby, this is what we worked up to here.
Starting point is 00:35:08 Look, that is not the spirit of Wild Willy Wednesday. Where's my music? Where is Wild Willy Wednesday? I've been promised that Billy through all, like Billy is a rising metal arc executive star. Am I? Everyone's a rising star at this company. Have y'all
Starting point is 00:35:25 noticed that? That's the thing. When everyone's a rising everything really no one. Billy's a rising star. Okay and Lil' One's a rising star. So look at what this company has done to him. He comes into work today feeling like he's been hit by a car. No I, why not feeling like that happened but I was in a car. Technically my car was hit by a car but I was in the car. A truck. Also. Suburban. And the thing didn't barely even have a scratch. Technically my car was hit by a car but I was in the car. A truck. Also. Suburban and the thing didn't barely even have a scratch. I saw it, it was honestly the best commercial for a suburban I've ever seen in my entire life.
Starting point is 00:35:52 To my detriment, obviously, because I don't know how much damage a 2013 Hyundai Sonata can take that eventually this is not worth preparing. How are you not right now? And now I'm gonna have to pay for new cars. It's a whole thing. How are you not right now? Bad time to have to pay for new quite a whole thing How are you not right now? Just to get a car. I know
Starting point is 00:36:09 Thank you Wild Willy Wednesday I was you spitting into an aluminum cup as a loogie. It was this is my first Wild Willy Wednesday Oh is it? Oh, see this is what you ruined Wild Willy Wednesdays, that's what happened. It's basically any other day, but we just call it that. I'm beginning to think it becomes Wilder Willy Wednesday specifically because I'm not usually here on Wednesday. This is the whole thing. Does he always wear this?
Starting point is 00:36:37 No, this is what's happening. I get hit every Tuesday. No, no, it's not, it. He feels, actually and metaphorically, for the last four years that metal lark keeps hitting Billy Gill for four years and now he's wearing a neck brace. That feels, get it. Can we give a little props to someone
Starting point is 00:36:56 who has took a lot of abuse for this, but turns out to be pretty prescient? Greg Cody? Yeah. He said, hey man, coming in here is the traffic is what's gonna get him to quit, right? And here's Billy, traffic got him in a neck brace. Traffic is bad, Dan. Your employees are dying because of the traffic. Not yet, but.
Starting point is 00:37:18 On the way. Look man, getting there. Stucco, I mean, poor Stucco. Like that's. Look, it's your time to suffer it. I was driving up to Miami Gardens making dick for money. So, like, we're just on another part of the timeline right now.
Starting point is 00:37:32 How much money is dick for money? You had your time, this is mine. Do you guys realize that the only, like, Stugots and I have made so many, so few verbal deals that have been like, totally kept to completion by Stugots, but honest to God, Stugots, I have made so many, so few verbal deals that have been like totally kept completion by Stugots, but honest to God, Stugots a long time ago, when he and I were at the beginning of this, had the conversation, I'm like, Stugots, eventually this is going to end up at the
Starting point is 00:37:55 beach, like don't keep going that way. No more complaints about traffic the rest of our lives, okay? And we made a deal on the spot, and he never actually complained about the traffic except today he came in really mad about the traffic but the traffic is worse than it's ever been like it's it's just our our bejeweled dumpster of a city that keeps building stuff that's sinking into the ground near the airport and everywhere else Stu gots has been getting stuck in so much traffic that today it took two hours it took me two hours and 52 minutes to get to f1 race that was 20 minutes from my home now I know that I know that's f1. I know that you got lost
Starting point is 00:38:36 There's something how are you not doing an ad for suburban as the guy in a neck brace saying I can vouch for this car Well, because at the moment. They're my adversary They did this to me, but you can make the money back by just saying look how good this suburban is it hit someone's on I was injured and therefore I Endorse this truck and they get the money with an advertisement for how sturdy the truck is because it could survive the crash I don't know money's gonna buy him a new car I mean you understand victim hood like the Menendez brothers parents didn't come out and like you know what our sons really good guys you got you got to pick up on what he's doing by not giving you
Starting point is 00:39:12 much the man's wearing a neck brace he is laying the foundation I don't know how people find my number and reach out to me after an accident but they did yeah I just started reaching out to me don't talk to Chevy if I may advise you don't say another word I'm trying Shout out to an ad our mother way. No, that was such a good line that flew across the sky Sponsor of the Zaslow show Z Zaslow, rising star in the business. I've had so much eye contact with Andujar as I be. Yeah. Oh, at games, right?
Starting point is 00:39:50 Dude, we're just locked in. Every year old. We're just locked in. So hold on. Tell me if I've got this wrong, because people are always making fun of me because I say Miami is, some experience in Miami isn't the experience somewhere else.
Starting point is 00:40:03 This is a nationwide thing, right, where everyone in the nation knows that if a local law firm is like spending giant money on sports advertising, that that law firm in some places like Miami that are corrupt, sometimes the originators of this. You need to be careful here. You better watch out, man.
Starting point is 00:40:21 You going after lawyers? What are you doing? Don't do that. And we are very thankful for their patronage during our pirate fates. And there's only one lawyer that we can go after with impunity. Who?
Starting point is 00:40:35 It's David Sampson. What about Rusty Harden? And his hair piece. David Sampson's gonna be here in a moment. I am a little worried about... in his hair piece. David Sampson's gonna be here in a moment. I am a little worried about... Wild Willy Wednesday. Oh no.
Starting point is 00:40:51 Wild Willy Wednesday.

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