The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: "World Rawr IV: Lightning Ain't Shit"

Episode Date: April 22, 2025

You'll never be my rat. Today's cast: Dan, Zaslow, Chris, Billy, Jessica, Mike, and Roy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow in shadow show shadow in it shadow in it Stugat is out with a toothache that's Zaslow playing the Stugat's role of adjusting his microphone noisily as soon as he sits down. It's really the Greg Cody role. Yeah getting

comfortable very quickly. Greg Cody also not here today because he's busy with draft coverage. He's reading reading Athlants and seeing what Mel Kuyper says so that he can make all of his exacto pics. But this criticism from yesterday, Lebatard show has never showed its stupidity more than in Monday's local hour when scolding a New York Jew about food and having the son of a prominent local attorney question the necessity of notaries. Your mother being a partner in a law firm as you sat here and argued against notaries and then incurred the wrath, Chris, of the notary community,

you were getting some stern talking tos on the internet about the importance of notaries. Yeah, the least surprising thing ever, Yeti is a notary. My dad's producer. He was quick to tell me that. It's just, I don't feel like I dismissed it as, I just was like, people that do it think they're super important. And I don't really like the vibe

that people that are notaries, they like to tell you that they're notaries. You know, I realize it has value. I, super serious, all the people sending me links to videos, hey, watch this video and then tell me notaries are not important. You know the fraud that it fights in this country? Back off, all right?

It's not that important. I do think there's a self-importance that comes with people who are qualified notaries. I'd love to tell you. Did they notarize their complaints? No, so I don't even know where it came from. I've never had a person walk up to me and say, I'm a notary.

You're a secret notary. People are notaries and you just don't even know where it came from. I've never had a person walk up to me and say I'm a notary You're a secret notary people are notaries and you just don't know they're notaries Who are these people you see people walking around with shirts that says notary they wear crowns Like what are you even talking about? I'm just talking about when it comes up people love to say it if they are What was the first part of the complaint that was sent to you? scolding a New York Jew about food. No, before that. Has never showed its stupidity more. That's not true.

It took a while to set up that joke, Jess. Well, you didn't start with the beginning of the sentence. My fault, yes, of course, my fault, I get it. Yes, I get it. I'm used to blaming you, but yes, my fault. I don't remember Monday's local hour, scolding a New York June. Yeah, I'm trying to figure out who that was.

What is that? What did we, I don't have any recollection. Not the best way to start, incidentally, after four one-goal games in hockey, two in overtime, one decided by a Vechkin. That's a pretty good hockey night. What a night. A lot of people talking about Kawhi today, but that hockey night? Hockey did its thing last night, man. I don't know why you guys aren't afraid of Večkin. I don't know why you guys think this is going to be an Uberdo offense that's going to be in the

playoffs. I got to get there first, right? Right now the series price on most sports books is minus 110, minus 110. This is a total pick-em series going on right now. The two teams that made it to the Stanley Cup last year appear to have some challenges in front of them. I believe that just about everything right now should be Pick'em in hockey. Just make it all Pick'em. This is the Don Leventor Show with the StuGuts podcast. Zaslow is weirdly confident about the Miami Heat winning game two. I believe that the best rooting interest for the Miami Heat, the remainder of the playoffs, is oh Detroit can win that series and

New York is afraid of games at home. They have played games at home this year. This team is not as lovable as the previous one and it starts to tighten up at home. They've lost a lot of 20 point games at home. And Detroit would like to announce its presence with authority, 17 straight years, not doing anything in the playoffs, 15 straight games they'd

lost, they've gone they've gone to the postseason four straight times and gotten swept. That's nuts but let's get to last night and is this Sean McDonough calling the Ovechkin goal in the best possible way that you could call an Ovechkin goal? Well there are few things that Ovechkin goal in the best possible way that you could call an Ovechkin goal. There are a few things that Ovechkin hasn't done, not many, but he's never scored an overtime game-winning goal in the playoffs. Really interesting here he's on the shooting spot on the left wing. The Canadians have Demidov and Lionel on the ice of rookie and a player not known for his defensive play.

The puck is free! And a great chance for Poveglia! Ovechkin scores! Now he has that playoff overtime goal! What else can he do? Washington wins 3-2. 15 seconds between him saying Ovechkin has never done that at the age of 39. The one thing he's never done! Oh, he just did it!

Before we talk about Kawhi entering the chat, surely Mike, Roy, and Zaslow ate up and slathered all over their chests some hockey last night. I mean, what a sport. Like, what do you even say? The best. What a sport. It's what do you even say? The best. What a sport. It's what, the third day of the Stanley Cup playoffs? The Panthers still haven't played yet.

Right, right, right. The main events tonight, by the way. But four games yesterday, all decided by one goal. Two of them in overtime. One of them was an Ovechkin winner. I don't understand how he's still doing that. And another one was a 4-nothing game late in the second period where Edmonton comes back and ties the game at five with under a minute to go only to be answered by the

winner from LA 20 seconds later. What a sport. Terrible defense by the olders, terrible puck management, terrible goal tending, they somehow almost won that game. And that goal from McDavid to Tidy, I don't even know how it got in past the goalie. How did it go in the net? You asked a couple of good questions, Avetskin, how is that all possible at 39? Jessica Billy, World Roar 4, are you guys in? What?

This is the fourth time we've done this bet. Yeah, World Roar 4. Yeah, this is the fourth straight time. The this bit. Yeah, World Raw, fourth. Yeah. Yeah, this is the fourth straight time. The Panthers? That the Panthers and the Lightning. You were not familiar with the Panthers and the Lightning tonight?

You haven't, the show always calls this playoff-yured. I thought that we were past the Lightning. I thought that we were better than the Lightning and we didn't give the Lightning any mind. This is loser mentality. No, no, no, last year's shirt was World War III. Yeah. Our group chat has a good feeling about this one.

The lightning aren't shit to me. I'm just gonna come right out and tell you right now. We have surpassed the lightning. They're not a formidable foe. They're a joke. I don't take them seriously at all. Strike me by lightning. I don't care.

Nothing's gonna happen to me. Lightning are soft. I don't think, I'm not giving them any mind. I'm not paying attention to them this series on to the next round That is terrible analysis. However, I do believe it's the analysis of Roy Mike and Zaslow as well. Absolutely. I agree with you Billy I've been saying that all year I mean I I'm I'm on the same level as Billy as far as the lightning don't mean shit to me All right, stunning, stunning that you guys would be uniform in this.

But this is going, like, I think it's gonna be hard as hell. No. Like every single game starting tonight, I'm gonna have anxiety for 60 minutes. You guys are really disrespectful. You guys are disrespectful of things accomplished in the past, just generally.

Yeah, I don't live in the past, I live in the present. Lightning ain't shit. I mean, I would fear them in a hockey series. I would love to wear that shirt I just walk into the building lightning ain't shit. This is going seven Like I know you guys are trying to be tough, but this feels like a seven game series It feels like a difficult series. I mean the series prices all reflect that and While Florida may be top to bottom more talented than they were last year they still got 88 he didn't have the greatest series last time these two

teams played in the playoffs and Florida's gonna be getting some guys back but some guys that haven't played in a while some hugely important guys like Matthew Kachuk and Aaron Ekblad what are you guys expecting from Ekblad given that you guys know now that he was terrible during a time when no one suspected anything from him other than expectations to be better, and then he was great, and then he was popped for PEDs? Right, so I saw him have a career resurgence,

and shortly thereafter, he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. I imagine that performance enhancing drug thing got cleared up during the suspension and he's probably not on that stuff anymore. I hope he still is, cause he's been playing great. Yeah, so I don't know,

and you keep in mind he had a longer layoff, same thing with Matthew Kachuk. There's new players on the team, new lines that are gonna get formed. So we'll see, I do think it's gonna be a tougher, longer series. I think it's gonna be a blessing for them. Kachuk with the time off, Eckblad with the time off.

Three straight years they're trying to get to the Stanley Cup final. Essentially three straight years they're trying to play like an extra 20 plus games than the regular season. And we saw the way both of them, by the way, broke down in the Stanley Cup final two years ago. And now for each of them to have a couple of months off before the playoffs, I think it's gonna be a benefit.

I really do. Roy, who are they gonna have March on with? They're probably gonna have him on the third line. I was hoping that he would be on the second line, but they're probably gonna put him on the third. What do you think, with Lundell and Listeranen? Yeah. Put him on that third.

I want him on that second. Why do you want a guy with one goal on the second line? I just want to see what it looks like to him Oh, Bennett Chuckie that line Mike come on Mike You want him on the third line because then Tampa Bay you don't worry so much about Matchups if you're Paul Maurice because you got three lines now that the other teams like damn I don't want to face those guys and you keep in your back pocket moving him into that second line You can always do that. Yes one thing. your back pocket moving him into that second line. You can always do that, yes. One thing I'm curious.

I just want to see him on the same line, those three. One thing I'm really curious to see is Kuturov had another outstanding season. Book on him, though, is he's a power play merchant. Florida really neutralized Kuturov last year. He was very frustrated. Well, that's their thing. Every series that they win, it's, oh, they

neutralize Dricidal. Oh, they neutralize Kucherov put Aaron all these guys they're saying they knew Trava Was Savannah Jad? That was not an English sentence you just said I don't know what the No that there were but he there were some Z's in the verb there Mike. I thought you wanted Marshand on the train line right out of town. Not the second line, not the third line. I thought you wanted him on whatever a line is that takes him away from your hockey team. Look, he hasn't been good as a Florida Panther.

He just hasn't. Oh, I disagree. I don't think so. He hasn't been good. There's still time. He hasn't been good. He's not a better player than Mackey. He's not.

He's a proper third liner on merit, maybe. I totally disagree. I think he's been very good. You're only counting it by him scoring two goals. All right. I mean, you know, give him a little bit of time to mix his way in with the team. He's been super active. Like we're getting shots on goal here. How about the passing? The place that he set up. We got very good. We got activity for days. Like Brad Morrishand. I like that's been a lot of the analysis. Brad Moore Sean brings activity to this floor has been great on that on that

I feel like more activity is something you don't like he's not as good as skater as he once was I feel like he's certainly not the type of offensive threat that he was certainly not even last year He's got a really stupid face, and I don't like him one bit Oh there it is so like if we want to scratch his, we can scratch his ass and we can get Greer in there because I like Greer more. It's not gonna get scratched. Greer? Yeah.

Even Greer likes Marshawn more. No, Greer doesn't like Marshawn more. No one likes Brad Marshawn. He's our rat now. No, he's not my rat. He's our rat. Do something. Do something in the playoff.

Do something and then maybe you could possibly be some of my my friends rat, but you'll never be my rat. I'll ask you this then, let me ask you this then. How many minutes into tonight's game, the first game, this is why they got him, alright, is starting tonight, not random regular season game number 75, they got him for starting tonight. So how many minutes into tonight's game do you see him behind the net in a scuffle? Doing dirty rat stuff and you're cheering it because he's our rat now. We got it's common We have plenty of people that do that anymore now. They got another one

I think Mike walks one. I think Mike walks this back by game four I think he sees four games of playoff Marshawn and he's just like alright. I like them. Yeah, so You you want the Panthers to scratch Brad Marshon for a fourth line forward. Yes. Yeah. Yes, I want to scratch your third line forward for a fourth line forward that I think is a better player

because Brad Marshon's not a good hockey player anymore. He had 24 goals this year. 24. He didn't score like that for Florida. He's not a good player, guys. I don't know what to tell you I don't I don't like him and on top of being a bad hockey player. He's a worse person. Oh my god Alright, I need this I need this to get under control because the hockey playoffs haven't even started for the Panthers yet

No ready. No. Well, wait a minute. Just hold on a second Okay, because our Angel our t-shirt department's moving too slow because angel sent me this morning pop the campaign on the new york next t-shirt from a few days ago the campaign pop the campaign but they've lost since then so the timing on that isn't great angel right now lightning in shit and i don't fear being struck by lightning.

I wanna see them in the t-shirt shop before the end of the show today because I can't believe what you guys are doing, how disrespectful it is to a team in Florida that taught you how to win by beating your head in and changing your entire blueprint. Please, they haven't taught me anything. I'd love for them to be in the t-shirt show

in the next five minutes. The problem is this, series is gonna be over by the time you get that. This thing they haven't taught me anything. I'd love for them to be in the t-shirt show in the next five minutes. The problem is this, series is gonna be over by the time you get that. This thing's gonna be fast and furious. I'm telling you, four, maybe five, maximum. This is not going along, this series. Mark my words. Sadzlo, do you wanna hear yourself

trying to say the word neutralized among a bunch of hockey names that you were scared of pronouncing? Yeah. They knew Trava was a banajad. I don't remember saying that. That is how it happened. That is the word.

That's not dubbed. You dubbed that. That's not dubbed. That is how you said. That's not real. That is how you said neutralized. Let's hear that again. They knew Trava was a banajad.

I am a prof, I'm on national radio. I'm a professional broadcaster. We just heard it. We heard it together. I would never say it like that. I'm a professional broadcaster. We heard it together. I would never say it like that. All of us reacted that way. They knew Trava was Zabana Jad.

Jessica, why are you making a face at Zaslow saying I'm on national radio? Because she feels bad that I'm being taken advantage like that because it's not real. I was actually just thinking about the time I saw Zabana Jad on the LIRR. Ah, yeah. Trava was Zabana Jad. With Capo Caco. It is a great sentence that has neutralized as a verb in the middle of it and it's not said correctly.

He bailed like Stugats halfway through the word. They knew Trava was a banajad. Billy, it's good to have you back. Are you feeling okay? What is the story with the draft this weekend and Stugats in Tennessee? He left yesterday early with a toothache and I'm afraid it's going to take him out and I don't know how much confidence you have that he will be showing up for the draft in Tennessee with you.

Well the read I have says this Thursday night join Billy, Mikey A and Andrew Hawkins live from the Draft King Sports and Social Nashville. 128 Second Avenue North. Livestream begins at 8pm Eastern 7pm Central on the Levitard show YouTube channel presented by Smyrnaf we do game days police are responsible the smear of company New York New York So it appears though Andrew Hawkins is coming and not stugat so you can join us in Nashville Upgrade say hi and watch us on YouTube for the draft Thursday. Whoa Chris Cody Chris Cody show some respect What do you mean upgrade?

He is to Andrew Hawkins. That's not an upgrade. I mean, from a football analysis standpoint, maybe not. It is not an upgrade, except from a will probably show up standpoint. Well, it's certainly in the looks department and quickness. Man, I have been taken aback by how much the ladies like Andrew Hawkins. Like just, no, no, I Man, I have been taken aback by how much the ladies like Andrew

Hawkins. Like just, no, no, I know, I know he's nice to look at, but how much he's nice to look at has taken me aback. People are behaving around him the way they behave around Method Man. It's a little... He's much better looking than Method Man. Like, come on, what are we even doing here? Well, you... You think Method Man is better looking than Andrew Hawkins? Put it on the poll. You sound old. Put it on the poll at Le even doing here? Well, you. You think Method Man is better looking than Andrew Hawkins? Put it on the poll. You sound old. Put it on the poll, at Levitard Show.

Okay, and you sound male. At Levitard Show. Ouch, Burn. No, I'm just, I'm saying that your opinion here, it will not line up with the internet, I assure you. Method Man is, the internet in 2025 is swooning over Method Man? Every time he appears on an awards show,

yes is the answer to your question. And it's quick and easy and it happens every single time he appears in public. Not that quick. At LeBittard Show. What awards is he up for? Does he still do anything? Put it on the poll, At LeBittard Show, yes. He's still in Wu-Tang.

He's an actor. And he does, yes. You's still in Wu Tang. He's an actor. And he does, yes. You're being, you've come back very hot and heavy here after a few days off. You've taken out. Just being a man. The lightning and you've taken out Method Man. Very dismissive.

Yeah. No, I mean, respectfully to Method Man. Not respectfully. How so? It was disrespectful. I'm agreeing with Billy. It was a random poll to be like, Andrew Haw he's as good-looking as like if you would have said fill in the blank here I wouldn't have gone to method man and fine I'm

saying to you the reason that I'm pulling out method man is because the reaction to Andrew Hawkins every time he appears on our show reminds me of the reaction to method man anytime he appears on our show or anywhere because he creates a great deal of longing and lechery from the internet. I'm not making that up. No, you're absolutely right, Dan. I'm signing with you on this one.

That is not a random pool, Chris. It sounds like Andrew Ogans is not that good looking. That's where we are on things right now, and I'm okay with it, but it does also sound like he has healthier teeth than Stu Gottatz who again yesterday complained of a tooth a toothache while eating crunchy bacon and complained of a toothache while smoking cigarettes that happened both times yesterday. I'm still envisioning that one lone tooth smoking its own cigarettes. I would say in the 20 year history of this program that Stugats has had maybe 25

root cronals. Well this one looks like it's going to take him out for the whole week. Hey folks it's Mike Ryan and if you're watching our show you've probably known your boy has undergone a little bit of a body transformation and I gotta tell ya Peloton has helped me on my fitness journey. It got the ball rolling for me because I watch my wife on the Peloton, she takes all these great classes, she has her favorite instructors, I listen to the music, I'm a big music guy, gets me fired up, makes me want to take part in this fitness phenomenon known as Peloton. Peloton offers a variety of challenging classes. From 4 week strength building classes to running, cycling, and everything in between.

Peloton will help you achieve your goals and maybe you'll have some fun along the way. I know I have. It's backed by thousands of members whose lives have been changed. Be part of that group. Telling you I'm better for it. Having it in my office. Sometimes I can put on the baseball game. Sometimes I can put on a soccer match, some other times I'm totally locked in on an emo playlist.

Find your push. Find your power with Peloton at OnePeloton.com. Hey you in the audience, it's Mike. You've been a fan of this show hopefully for a long time, and you know how much Miller Light means to me. It's Mike. You've been a fan of this show, hopefully for a long time, and you know how much MillerLite means to me. This partnership, it's real. It's documented.

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Our group chat has a pretty good feeling about this one. This is the Don Lebatard show with the Stugats. ["The New York Times"] I wanna talk to you guys a little bit about what happened in basketball last night because it was really nice to see Kawhi Leonard play like that and remind you oh he's better than Jimmy Butler and younger and younger So he goes 15 for 19 He beats the world's greatest player in their building Shaquille O'Neal had too much olive oil last night and

Ran off the set penguin ran off the set a seven foot penguin or ran off the set To go to the bathroom because he just, live television, he confused all of the people on the set by just, we've all seen that run. That's funny because I had my YouTube TV set up where I had three games on, so I didn't have the sound on that one, but I saw them replaying this video of him

and I'm like, he has the poop. I didn't even need sound. I'm like, yep, he's scaring away the poop. Ernie shouted, maximum professional, I don't like his gait because it was clear to everybody on television that he had to go to the bathroom, also clear, some advice that Charles Barkley gave a camera directly last night.

Nico Harrison, stop giving press conferences. Such good advice. I like though how he preference prefaced it with I Like you a lot. You're my friend and then he tells everybody But the same time is telling him you need to stop being stupid. That's right and good advice. That's what friends do Usually more privately than that Often more privately than that But here here is the commentary after Nico Harrison has given a press conference in which he said he knew there would be backlash on Luka, but he didn't know how much backlash.

He knew that the city had a relationship with Luka, but he didn't know how close the relationship actually was or how much it would hurt. He underestimated it. So he had an open door press conference after he had the closed-door press conference i don't understand the the press conference strategy at all but no press conferences okay so so you're your journalist i'm not on dopey can you help me understand because i have that question to how last week do you have a close session you hand pick which media members are allowed to come to the close session no video no recorders and then yesterday Everyone's invited everyone can record so like literally from a journalistic standpoint

What what is the thought process there? All right, let me take you through some of this because when you say Journalistically, I believe this is a bunch of people who are in over their head, who are getting just dragged by a public relations problem that they don't have the ability to solve because you don't want to put the owner, you don't want to put the owner's nepotism in front of cameras, so this is your face. This is your new Mark Cuban. Mark Cuban used to handle all this face and voice stuff

for you, it didn't even matter who the coach was. And so now you've got a guy that mark cuban higher but mark cuban is distancing himself from doing all the public facing stuff on this because now he is simply a receptacle for all of the bad stuff they don't want ownership around this stuff so let's start with nico harrison and what it is that he had to say yesterday in the open door press conference as opposed to the closed door press conference. I didn't know that Luka was important to the fan base.

I didn't quite know it to what level. But really the way we looked at it is, you know, if you're putting a team on the floor that's Kyrie, Clay, PJ, Anthony Davis, and Lively, we feel that's a championship caliber team, and we would have been winning at a high level, and that would have quieted some of the outrage. And so unfortunately, we weren't able to do that. One of the things he said that we didn't even air

is just flatly, I think I've done a good job, which you just can't give Piranha that kind of meat right now. You cannot keep this story out there every time you speak because we need to feed on something and any sentence you say we will take. It's why Charles Barkley's given him good advice. Zaslow, your thoughts here? Yeah, I, I think it's interesting that Cuban has completely, in my opinion, has completely skated on all of

this. If you want to blame Nico Harrison, fine, deserves all the blame. You want to blame new ownership, fine, deserve all the blame. But how does Mark Cuban get to just be the former owner who sits there and is so distraught with what's happened to his franchise while then also going and checking his bank account where he sold the team for five billion dollars To these people so let's start there if you have an NBA team for sale. There's no shortage of buyers I mean that that's a sign of prestige in this country if you own a an NBA franchise He decided to sell to these people these These people with no care for basketball. It's a business that's, hey, they could do what they want.

But he chose to sell it to them. He chose to go with the highest bidder. That to me doesn't feel like someone. A group that is questionable incidentally. Like a group that you don't even have to do much in the way of background checks to be like, oh, those people, you don't want to be selling anything to those people. But he went with the highest possible bidder, which is his right, as a businessman.

But if I'm a Mavs fan, I don't love that. I'd rather you make sure that you hand over what you've helped build for the last 20 plus years to someone who's going to continue to caretake that franchise in the city. He did not do that. He took the highest bidder. Again, his right. The second part, he hired Nico Harrison. The new ownership didn't hire Nico Harrison.

He hired the guy who didn't know how popular Luka Donchich is. And Mark Cuban gets to just sit there all distraught. I can't believe what's happened to my beloved franchise How does Cuban skate through all of this? It's a good question. We'll attack it in a second Here's Barclay saying Nico Harrison. You're my friend. I love you. Shut the hell up. Listen, man, I Consider you a friend of mine Nico Harrison, I consider you a friend of mine. I wish you nothing but the best I thought you did a good job last year with the Mavs

and obviously whatever happened this year didn't work out. Man, don't do no more press conferences. Like, I don't even know what you're doing. I really don't. Like, I got sympathy and love for you, but I have zero idea what you're trying to do. This war is over, brother. You're taking the L. I hope you over, brother. You go take, you taking the L.

I hope you keep your job. I hope that team get healthy, but man, don't do anymore interviews. So there was a closed door meeting last week where it was, there was not supposed to be any sort of like video or audio recording, but apparently it was like so bizarre that they were, reporters that were invited

were eventually able to write From their transcript and report on it And then this I believe the most recent press conference where he was on camera was like the end of the season one So that was why they were two different But the first one I think like a lot of reporters were saying was just kind of weird and unnecessary Why was the first one needed if he's gonna do his end of the year press conference? Probably troll it more. Yeah to like I don't know There was some really bad answers in that one a gauge on what what he was gonna be asked in this one

I guess the gauge was not sure was it Kalashaw that that that asked him man It was Tim McMahon about the timeline real dumb. Yeah, and he's like I'm just trying to use your logic here on extending your timeline. You had a championship team Meanwhile, this team was a Western Conference champion last year. They don't make it out of the play-in this year. Yet, no one in their right mind would describe that as a good job. All right, let's discuss this from this angle, right? Because what the Mavericks are articulating through their shamed face and voice right now is we know we

have a PR calamity we don't know how to handle the PR calamity how many PR calamities have there been in the league right now this year that are like this one because I'm guessing Memphis has its PR calamity but it's not this it's not at the core of your customer base a detonation that has shocked the entirety of the sport after a finals appearance and introduced us to a storyline character that keeps giving us chum in the water because we can keep revisiting the shock from months ago in the sport,

the traffic's in drama and storylines. Yeah, and just to add more context, so Tim Cato, who's worked in the Dallas market as like a NBA reporter for a long time, I used to work with him at SB Nation. He wrote, at the end, I didn't feel it was that transparent. That's the thing that stood the most out. If you're gonna do it in this way,

if you're gonna have just a very select number of media members, you're not gonna film it, you're not gonna televise it. At this point, why not be more transparent about the exact workings of the thing? If you're just gonna say the same thing over and over again, defense wins championships when the defense was a top 10 defense after the trade deadline last season,

that defense helped them get to the NBA finals. So basically, even the reporters were not sure exactly why they went about the PR in this way, but to Dan's point, this is obviously a catastrophe, and so they're not handling it well. This requires a crisis management team, not a PR department, not the people who normally do business for you. This requires somebody from the outside to help new ownership with a strategy that isn't Nico trying to control the local press by saying hey lock that

door and don't bring your camera phones in here. I think I do see the value in that in that the questions that were asked the the the journalists were trying to follow Nico's logic in ways that if it's your end of the year press or cameras are out there you have your your duty is to your readers and ask the most pressing question. You can actually have a conversation. This one they were like, okay, the trade happened. This was your logic. Now we have a more representative sample. How are we doing according to your plan right now?

I thought they extended them a lot and maybe that was the intention behind it. And he just kept repeating defense with championships. Yeah, confused by his own moves. You could have said that he was doing a really bad job before they traded Luca. There were just three games over 500 on the heels of a NBA Finals appearance with some glaring needs and they didn't address it. They didn't try to get better. In fact, they traded the most popular player in

franchise. Not history, but close. Okay, but I will also say that by giving press conference, in which he simply gives you honesty, I knew we had a relationship with Luca. I didn't know it was this. Well, we all kind of found out that at the same time. Like I know we all know that there was a relationship with Luca, but the reason that this is a PR calamity, calamity is because you have new ownership that cannot be trusted in front of microphones to care about the team correctly. They already told you what they think of it. When they made the move, nobody understands. And so there are no right answers to give in a press conference. So stop talking. Like there's no right answer. All of your answers, wrong.

You could bring the press in and try and control the narrative by saying, hey, nobody writes anything about this. We're gonna bully you. Because in 2025, powerful people can bully the media. So come in this room, you don't write anything, and we're gonna see if we can change this narrative by giving you all this off the record.

No, you can't use any of this. I've been in a hundred of those where they call you in and they're trying to control how it is that they get their messaging out. You cannot allow this man to keep speaking on behalf of your team. You need to put him away. That last press conference,

Riley talks like two or three times a year. That and the coach has got to be out there all the time. Part of the coach's job is go out there and take that beating. Meet with the press twice a day and go be face and voice for our team in difficult times. It's sort of written into the contract. You're contractually obligated to speak on behalf of our team. They got to get this guy out of public. Well that's why I love Zaz's point about Mark Cuban who still has an ownership stake. He just sold a majority stake and remember they kind of greased the rails for the new ownership group by That's why I love Zazz's point about Mark Cuban, who still has an ownership stake. He just sold a majority stake.

And remember, they kind of greased the rails for the new ownership group by putting everybody at ease. Don't worry, Mark is still going to be involved in the day-to-day activities, the team, and he's still going to be a part of this ownership group. And then, I guess, slowly, the public image divested. But this was actually pretty quick. And in terms of people with good public relations appeal that could speak to the fans and what Luca meant to that market, Mark should kind of be out there

unless it's the plan from the ownership group that has a majority stake saying we don't want you around this at all. But I feel like Cuban can have actually, yeah, he could have helped. He's already done it a couple of times where he's given his own interviews in different places, but all he does is back away from it. He's not helping them. He's making done it a couple of times where he's given his own interviews in different places but all he does is back away from it. He's not helping them. He's making it worse. He looks great by comparison. Mark Cuban is actively making this worse for them by saying, I would have never done that.

That's not helpful. No, not helpful at all. And he sits there behind the basket, head in hands, shaking his head when the crowd's chanting fire Nico as if, oh my God, this is so terrible what they've done to my team. Well, you kind of got the ball rolling. And I can kind of understand that if he were say a former coach that someone decided to let go,

but he sold this team for a record profit. It was totally his call. So I don't think you get to be like, sorry guys, it wasn't really my call here. I'm so sorry. Like this wasn't inadvertently your call. I guess the point that I'm making is if an ownership group that loves the Dallas Mavericks,

loves the Mavericks, and was gonna continue to do everything right by the Mavericks, if they offered Cuban a dollar less, I don't think he sells it to them. I think he takes the highest offer. Maybe a dollar, maybe a dollar, maybe a dollar. Billy, you are staring daggers into the side of Zazz's face. No, I mean, Mark Cuban's full of shit.

Let's be real, come on. He also, by the way, thought he was gonna run the basketball thing and then the NBA was like, nah, that's not how this works. So he's kind of like a bitter ex who still has enough to just be around to cause problems for everyone. Well, he's also like, in Tim Marchman's story, or the ESPN story, he said that Cuban was completely pushed out of basketball operations. So now he's saying that he has nothing to do with

this. He's being honest, which is what you're saying you want from Nico, but when you actually are getting honesty from him, you're saying you don't want it. Understandable though that he was pushed out of basketball ops, because he sold the team. from Nico, but when you actually are getting honesty from him, you're saying you don't want it. Understandable though, that he was pushed out of basketball ops, cause he sold the team. I never understand that, when like people sell the team or executives are like part of former administration, like I was pushed out, it's like, that's how this works.

Like they gave you billions of dollars to get, like if you sell your house, you can't just stay living in a room of the house, because you used to live in this house It doesn't work like that. They gave you the money now go away Yeah, but this is a house that has like multiple people that own a stake in it It's not a house owned by a single homeowner. That's the difference I would I would have Mark Cuban live in an efficiency Like best case like he can live it in a detached efficiency. Maybe one of those like things

That's definitely not legal where you like turn a shed in the backyard. You put like an air conditioning unit and then you spray like some foam or whatever. Like yeah this is safe. That's where Mark Cuban can live quietly. Which NBA team is the equivalent of the efficiency? Like that's who he has to now go run. This is the situation and Jessica has it exactly right. This is a bunch of rich people who own the same vacation home and now have the same dates they want. And Mark Cuban used to and always had first rights to I get the home whenever I want it.

Someone else has moved in, he's in a guest room. He's in the cottage out back. He doesn't get the master bedroom anymore. That's a man who got used to having the master bedroom and is now saying, oh, I never built the house or the master bedroom i never had anything to do with this as he tried to live in the house with a less less of an ownership stake but

the same power he told us right that that was public he said he was going to be running the franchise and it wasn't ended up not being true. It wasn't possible. But I think that more apt comparison is that he bought the house and then he hired a contractor to make a bunch of updates to it. But that contractor wasn't very good at his job. And then when he left and the house fell apart, he was like, I, I would have never made those decisions, but you're the one that put the person in place that made them. So to your point, yes, like I think there's plenty of blame to go around. Before we go any further on the drama of this story, just for a moment, the games last night, okay, because it wasn't just Clippers Denver. New York is in some peril here after getting very loud.

I think they're in trouble. After getting very loud after game one and being very loud for the last couple of years after a Pistons like run over the last 20 years. The Knicks are grateful for the existence of the Pistons because their playoff histories in the last 20 years kind of similar. The Knicks didn't do anything until they got Jalen Brunson and man did New York fall in love with Jalen Brunson and then they New York fall in love with Jalen Brunson and then they started started tinkering with his team and they brought in one of the top five most talented Knicks we've ever seen just physically talented and I'm not sure how much New York loves him and I know they don't love him when he ain't

scoring any points and a half and so the Pistons and I don't know Jessica how much of this you were watching because your man Lee Man is a Knicks fan, but I'd be scared if I were the Knicks because I saw what the Pistons did in a regular season game there. I saw what Cade Cunningham did in Madison Square Garden and I've got a pretty good feeling about what Cade Cunningham wants to be and he will be it the moment he beats new york like whatever it is the cape can it cutting him imagines himself to be as a star in this league that isn't shack saying i don't watch the pistons i don't know

anything about the peasants i don't have to pay attention to the peasants detroit pistons twitter account last night is sending to a mix account you shouldn't be taken seriously because the Detroit Pistons are feeling themselves. At this point if you're a Knicks fan I'm curious if you'd rather just lose the series to Detroit and then maybe some real change will happen in the offseason. I don't know what that change will be but clearly

this team you went big it's not you're not near Cleveland or Boston Or do you at least want to beat the Pistons and then lose miserably to the Celtics? I'm not sure which is better at this point. But losing at MSG in game two like that was pretty bad for this team. And it's been sort of apparent for at least the second half of the season that the additions that the Knicks made

were not going to really move the needle on this being a championship competition. Bridges is unpopular and and one of the things that I see happening there to New York is they don't trust their basketball team. They trusted the one they trusted Hartnstein and Gritt and and Josh Hart will dive on the floor they don't trust this that this is not something that they identify with. I was on the ESPN trade thing with Taylor this morning how do we keep Kat but get Dante back but maybe get rid of Bridges and maybe we need a few more picks I don't know how

we do that I don't know why I'm saying we I'm not even a Knicks fan but I do miss Dante and he would have been helpful on this team. They gave up five unprotected picks for Mikel Bridges. This is what makes Heat fans happy. This is the greatest thing that Heat fans can feel. Five, five. That's crazy. That crowd was so excited yesterday. They make the comeback, they tie the game,

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