The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: You Gotta Be Schmidtin' Me

Episode Date: April 23, 2025

What body part does Greg Cote take pride in? Are the Panthers better than last year? Should Dan have worn his Panthers jersey tucked in as an homage to Michael Wilbon? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 four-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, have 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. Now's a good time to remember where Tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented Tequila. Cuervo. What are you doing here?

Cuervo. Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up. Well, I do know that to be true, but even during ad reads, like... Cuervo. I think he could lay out, especially for one of our great partners. Sweet, delicious Cuervo. Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion. Cuervo. So, enjoyo is stay true to its roots the same family the same land the same passion Cuervo

So enjoy the tequila that started it all Cuervo Cuervo the tequila that invented tequila Please drink responsibly Cuervo Shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow in it shadow in it. Greg Cody we have missed you around here you haven't been here for a couple of weeks after getting that flap that awning removed from your belly button. Did you see what I just saw in the other room as Roy gets makeup and I was told that our biggest makeup aficionados at Metal Arch Media are Mike Ryan and David Sampson that they're the ones that most enjoy a good pampering and makeup but I was shocked to see moments ago

Mike Ryan getting his elbows lubricated by Jess. He was getting lotions put on his elbows that seemed extravagant to me. I don't care what my elbows look like. I've never raised them and looked at them in the mirror. I could have, I think I've got handsome elbows, but who cares about what an elbow looks like? I mean, you're hiding them right now for someone who's so proud of their elbows. I'm not proud, but I just, and had never been one to take pride in that particular body part. All right, so you're saying you've never seen your elbows?

I don't know what they look like. What body part do you take pride in? We don't want to get too personal. Uh... Oh, Anthony Edwards over here. I don't know how to answer that question. I have beautiful feet. I used to be a foot model. You don't have beautiful feet. You've got talons. You don't know how to answer that question. I have beautiful feet. I used to be a foot model. You've got talents

You don't have beautiful feet back You know how tired you are with this line it's two lines that you have together What's that I have beautiful feet never ends that thought I? Used to be a foot model has been coming after that for 30 years what he says every time you don't have beautiful feet And that's a tired old line, get a new one. Okay, it's the truth, I happen to be proud of it. I don't know if there's any other professional foot. You were not a foot model.

I used to be! What year? In college age. Greg. You know. What were you doing as a foot model? It was, I was in a couple of magazine ads. The before?

Sandals were big back then. I remember doing an ad for a sandal. You could ask my wife that. She, you know, I'm not making anything. Everybody thinks I make stuff up. You know, I say I was in a major motion picture. I didn't. How much were you paid to be a foot model?

I think it was 75 bucks or something. that's a golden age of foot modeling well you know is a magazine ad or a newspaper ad or something you know you go they shoot your foot for one hour and they give you a bunch of money and it would seem like a bunch of money at the time and then you're you go away and you forget about it for 40 years. But elbows, I just never think of my elbow, never look at my elbow, never consider my elbow. What delineates between a great looking elbow

and a below average looking elbow? I have no idea. Was this for an ad for toenail fungus ointment? It would be now, to your point. Elbows get dry, to answer your question. And if you don't lotion them up, they can get kind of... Exactly. The problem is no one really thinks of their elbows, which is why Jesse, our makeup artist,

will give Mike a nice little rub of the elbow. I saw Mike this morning get more... It ain't just me. No, it's not. A lot of people subscribing to the full service elbow. I'm Aquafort up right now, all right? This morning I saw Mike get more insecure than I've ever seen Mike get insecure in his whole life

because Jesse knows all of his weaknesses and she knows everything that makes him feel insecure. And she peeled some dry skin off of his ear and he was mortified. And then she said, Mike, did you piss yourself? And he looked down and he was mortified and then she said, Mike did you piss yourself? And he looked down and there was a wet spot on his shirt and lower groin area and he walked out of the room with his tail tucked between his legs like I've never seen in my life.

And now we're talking about it on the show. Thank you guys. Did you? Did you piss yourself? Yeah man, I pissed myself. It's a great segment we got here. Nothing wrong with that. This is the Dan Leventor Show with the Stugatz Podcast. Stugatz out again with a toothache. I'm pretty sure he's gonna miss the draft tomorrow night as part of the award-winning God Bless Football's coverage of the draft with a toothache.

That is early for that advertisement to come up on our show. It says with Stugats, Dan Lebatard show with Stugats, but neither Dan Lebatard nor Stugats. Well, maybe Stugats will be there, I don't know. But at present, he has a toothache and can't make it greg says this is his hell week because uh... the draft has produced already a couple of anonymous quotes okay no boy yeah that the head coach was quoted by diana russini is saying there

are no robert dineros in this draft i don't think young people know what that means that robert and i have there are no other that that is an old coach with saying that there are no great players in this draft is not going to stop us from covering the holy hell out of this draft but uh... should or sanders is now getting smeared anonymously even louder then uh... before and nfl assistant coach according to Tom Pellicero quote

the worst formal interview I've ever been in in my life he's so entitled he takes unnecessary sacks he never plays on time he has horrible body language he blames teammates but the biggest thing is he's not that good this is the famous guy in the draft and this is the famous thing that happens this time of year every time to usually somebody who looks a lot like Shador Sanders when the This is the famous guy in the draft and this is the famous thing that happens this time of year every time to usually somebody who looks a lot like chador sanders when the anonymous quotes come flying from the people who still admire robert de niro as a marquee movie star the old coaches are speaking anonymously i hate this one of the many reasons i hate this time of year

well if if marv levy and don shuler were still alive, the reference would have been, there are no Laurence Olivier's in this draft. So we have moved forward on that. Progress. But it's a terrible draft for quarterbacks. I've been saying that and I sound like a curmudgeon. I sound like I'm anti-Camm Ward, but he'd be the fourth or fifth best guy if it was a year ago.

He's the luckiest man on earth right now. Maybe last year's was just really good. This year's is not good. We had field Yates. Maybe this one's average in last year's was great. We had field Yates on our podcast, The Great Cody Show, and he talked a lot about the draft and the quarterback, and he totally agrees with me. Shadour Sanders will be lucky to go ninth to New Orleans. After that, he could really, really tumble in the first round uh... i'm at i hate anonymous quotes as someone who's in journalism and and occasionally he uses an anonymous quote i really

really hate them because the reader has every uh... bit of entitlement to think is that a made-up quote is he just making that shit up because it's possible to do that you know in journalism so if if if you're anonymously quoting somebody I take it with a grain of salt Okay So before before we get too deep into the NFL draft and we're not going to do a lot of this today because Stan

Van Gundy is going to be on with us David Sampson is going to be on with us I do want to talk to Chris Mike and Roy about something that I found disorienting last night I don't know if Jess checked in with the hockey game. She was at a lovely party that I was invited to very late, too late to get to, late enough to make me wonder whether I was actually wanted there. I don't know.

Wow. But we'll get into that with Jess in a minute. If I may. I get a lot of these from you. A lot of these very late invites where I'm supposed to mobilize and find myself in South Beach, like, at, you know, an hour before.

I don't blame this on Jess. I don't even know if it was a surprise party or I don't blame this on Jess. I just got late notice to the party and it seemed like a lot of work people were at the party. If I may, there was notice of the party in Slack that you didn't see. Okay.

Slack. That's me slacking. Our communication is slacking. Well, not in this case. It was in Slack. The reason I wanted to ask Chris, Roy, and Mike this is because I am still 30 years in this market. I still walk in today with a level of legitimate confusion

about how much progress has been made in this market in hockey. When I'm coming in today and I'm like, what do you mean the Florida Panthers played a no problem, easy playoff game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. I'm not that's not normalized enough for me yet to understand that the playoffs begin with oh Kachuk rested that's what that looks like when it's not him trying

to play as a torso the last two postseason. Him rest it Nate Schmidt you gotta be Schmidt me get out of here Nate Schmidt, you got to be Schmidt me. Get out of here. Nate Schmidt, two goals. I'm not, I'm not yet under, I'm not yet in a place where I get that this is the best hockey team in the world. It's strange. I mean, they beat them in five games last year on their way to a Stanley cup. Their second straight Stanley cup appearance in the final. So I mean, I'm, I understand what you're saying because Tampa was so dynastic but this is I mean Florida's already had like a 3-year run. No but it's but it's not just that it's still Vasileski like it's still. He was

the second best 88 on the ice. But I'm saying that's still that goalie like I've seen that snuff out a blueprint by getting hot in the playoffs like I understand that you guys are looking at me where you've been but it's i expect tampa to turn into something else in the playoffs i don't expect the panthers to do it they did it last year but but to your point i think if tampa wins game two six to two nobody's surprised at least i'm not if this if this series goes seven games nobody's surprised i would be games are close i would write dot the

hockey playoffs have started and the teams are close and the games are close but i would not put too much emphasis on the fact that they won game one easily because i think it's going to be okay but but if can i do this though please they went on the road in the place where they made championships in hockey and Florida matter and made it look easy like no that that's that's a that's a the Gulf between the Celtics in the heat now from when they were closed and the Gulf between the Lightning and the Panthers now in terms of the attitude you guys have of like yeah we expected that I don't go into that expecting that.

Well, one, everybody except for Aaron Echlad returned to the ice. So the Panthers, they can basically run five lines out there right now as far as their force is concerned. And two, you can beat Andre Vasilevsky by creating traffic. The first two goals that they had would be a deflection because he couldn't really see the puck And he couldn't adjust to Sam Bennett bunting it in what a pass what a pass from Samus Gavish. Oh my god

How do you do that a waist-high? Pass and he's using his stick to put it in that that's unbelievable guys can say to me. That's how you beat Vasilevsky I've seen him beat the Panthers. I've seen the most overwhelming offense I had ever seen in the Panthers. I've seen the most overwhelming offense I had ever seen in a Panthers uniform snuffed out by that person. So you can tell me the way he can be beat. That's like three years ago though. That was a whole completely different style.

That was a different Panther team. Florida actually did quite well against Vasileski last season. I'm always going to have that PTSD so I'm with you, but I don't think you're allowed to be surprised by it anymore. Maybe what you're doing is 30 years in this market covering this team, understanding that this is such an outlier on their timeline as a franchise as a whole that any kind of success still is bewildering, but at a certain point when it comes to these two teams, we have to realize that the dynamic has shifted some. That being said, Tampa has home ice in this series

for a reason. Not anymore. Well, not anymore. But Tampa retooled their roster. They got rid of Sergechev, they got rid of Stamkos, they brought in Gensel, they have more guys playing the best hockey of their careers right now after that reshaping of their roster.

So this is still gonna be a long series, I think. My biggest takeaway from last night was John Cooper seemed panicked. That challenge was a bad challenge. It cost him another goal. It just kinda seemed like he felt, three, one, I have to challenge this. I don't even know if it's gonna work,

but it's just, I'm desperate right now. And that was just, that was good to see. I love John Cooper. That interview, they ask him, why'd you challenge that? He's like, ah, these things go. Were you mad at Kachuk for the mistake early? Did you get mad at him? After a three point game, I don't think anybody was.

Yeah, but look, they're power play merchants. You have to stay out of the box. When Florida's had success against Tampa in the playoffs, it's because they played disciplined hockey. But last night, those two teams weren't even remotely close. Forsling was doing the same things to Kucherov that he'd been doing his entire career. That guy has Kucherov in absolute hell.

I think for me the biggest surprise, outside of Nate Schmidt playing a good hockey game and scoring two goals randomly, was how sharp Matthew Kachuk looked. That goal that he had in the crease where he just had Vasilevsky having no idea where he was gonna go. That kind of problem.

He could have deeped 14 more times. It was incredible. He stood there just going back and forth. And he had so much room in front of him. I think that's the thing. Tampa's gonna have to, they'll have a day to adjust and I imagine they'll have a different defensive effort, but they were a bit of a nightmare with those passing lanes.

The thing that I'm saying though is, easy on the road. The amount of excellence that the Panthers are presently giving us ranks historically now over three years with any of the best of what we've had in this market. You guys are flippin' about what Tampa was and like it was a long time ago, and understand things age quickly but in the state of Florida that has made hockey matter because its excellence is now what the Panthers are

looking to embark on. They've just started this part of the journey but going on the road and beating that team, goalie that franchise like I'm I'm still not I will not shrug that off having seen Pavel Bury have great seasons and then get swept in the playoffs not win a single playoff game because it's hard to win on the road or at home or anywhere in the hockey playoffs these games are all closed that one wasn't but but this is not a flash in the pan that the Panthers have been really good for four years This is qualifies now as sustained excellence. They have a great GM a great coach elite players

But but to the point I made earlier about this probably going to be a seven game series Tampa Bay is really really good. They led the NHL in goal scoring They led the Eastern Conference in giving up the fewest goals. Their goals differential was the best in the league by a lot. This is a really good team. Last night to me showed the impact of Matthew Kachuk. You can say that the heart of this team is Alexander Barkov. Say whatever you want. The heart of this team is Matthew Kachuk. He's the spirit. He's the spark, and man did that show us up. Mike Ryan the last couple of post-seasons has been talking about banged up, banged up,

somebody's banged up, banged up. In that sport, we know that these have been the body part remains of Kachuk by the end of these seasons because of whatever he gets ground down to, however many surgeries and needles and ridiculousness he has to endure to just get on the ice. Him not playing for two months, I can't even imagine how much his body has recovered, but it looked like it last night. I just looked it up.

Outside of the Vegas series in the final two seasons ago, the Panthers have won the first road playoff game of every series. So this is honestly what they do. They go on the road, they shock a team, and then they'll give one at home and kind of even it out. But the Panthers have started series on the road fantastically.

Did you guys feel a statement shivering up and down the coast of Florida? Is that what you guys felt last night? Statement game. A statement shivering up and down the coast, was it felt along the whole coastline? Did it get to Canada, the statement? I think the statement is top to bottom,

this is the deepest Florida Panther team that we've seen in a while. Roy's absolutely right, they can go five lines deep. You guys are saying they're deeper than last year. You're saying they're better than last year is what you're saying. No, I'm not saying that they're better than last year. I'm just flatly saying they're deeper. I mean, we'll see. Florida last year was a nightmare to play with. Can they ratchet up

that kind of intensity? They have a more flair type of wingers this year than last year. Last year they had some goons, especially on that fourth line. This year your fourth line is Evan Rodriguez and Jesper Bocquist, which is insane to me. Your third liner has, Brad Marshon's a third liner and he's by far the worst forward of that three. Uh oh. Here we are again. I don't think he was good.

I don't think he was good. You were still yelling about this before the show. I gotta talk to you. If Brad Marshon's name wasn't Brad Marshon and it was say for example, AJ Greer, we'd be wondering why does this guy get so much playing time? It's just odd.

He's a veteran. It's just odd to do it. He had a couple bad plays last night, and he had a play that created a goal, and it's like you're dismissing that play. No, I saw the shot near post that created the goal that was actually created by Lusty, and then Schmidt just cleaned it up.

It just seems unnecessary to do this after last night. No, it's just it's a whole thing. Like he's going to get opportunities because he's playing with good players. And I don't think his output would be better than Jesper, for example. Or Evan Rodriguez. Evan Rodriguez led the Stanley Cup final in goals, and he's a fourth liner on this team right now. My whole thing with Brad Marshawn is he's just not the same player.

And if his name wasn't show, you've probably known your boy has undergone a little bit of a body transformation and I gotta tell you 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, have 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. This partnership, it's real, it's documented. For almost 20 years Miller Light has been a partner of The Day on Levitard Show with

Stu Gotts, and now Miller Light is celebrating its 50th anniversary. I've had so many great moments with Miller Light, so many great activations, so many great events presented by Miller Light, a great partner. Cheers to them. Cheers to 50 incredible years. And for you at home, you know that Miller time always means a good time. From game night to parties with friends or a special anniversary, celebrating important occasions means more moments with the coolest people in your life. Cheers to 50 years of Miller Lite, the great tasting light beer, for people who love beer since 1975. Now's a perfect time to celebrate legendary stories with friends, family, and a great tasting light beer. It's Miller time. Miller Lite, great taste, 96 calories. Go to MillerLite.com

slash Dan and find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly, Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Folks, the NBA 82 game grind is done, and now the real fun begins. The NBA playoffs are here, and it's time for all the high stakes drama, clutch moments and jaw dropping plays. If you're looking to make the playoffs even more exciting, DraftKings Sportsbook has you covered as an official sports betting partner of the NBA. Make it a playoff run to remember with DraftKings. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code DAN.

That's code DAN for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets when you bet just $5. Only on DraftKings. The crown is yours. Gambler in New York call 877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPE-NY 467369. In Connecticut help is available for problem gambling call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boothill Casino in Resorting Kansas, 21 and over, age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Voight in Ontario, new customers only, bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance for additional terms and responsible gaming resources see DKNG.co slash audio. Don LeBretard. Mike Ryan's in there and he's the one with a baby. He's the one who's got to like worry about what the future is. And Mike Ryan bet on DraftKings because Mike Ryan bet on us.

This is the bet you're afraid of doubling down on? Putting up a billboard in Edmonton? Stugats! I care more about Matthew Kachuk than I do my daughter. This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats! Mike's getting a bit out of control in general on Marchand. It's a little bit messy. But he's also

at the high end of, oh, I got a squad in a sport that I like, it's physical. And so he comes in here this morning and he's been doing this for a minute. He turns on his music. And I don't think anybody here was ready at 8 a.m. for whatever it is that that was, I heard some Pearl Jam, but the rest of you wake differently

than the rest, there are different wakeups here, right? So that music was aggressive for 8 a.m., was it not? ["Land of the Moon"] It's too early to be listening to Eddie Vedder. ["Land of the Moon"] You can always tell Mike's mood by the music that you get when you walk in. In general, I like the music, but there are some days

I'm like, oh, we're in a mood today. Well, that's a hockey song. That's a hockey sound. Well, what was today? Look, different people receive music different ways. I will tell you that clubhouses are temperamental places. I have seen Albert Bell take a bat to a thermostat because he wanted the temperature where he wanted it,

and other people wanted it. Nah, that's Albert Bell, though. No, but Jose leaned. I've seen him throw like a hunting knife across the locker room and embedded self in a wall because he didn't like the clubhouse music. He wanted Latin music and there were like schisms in their locker room.

Well, I've got, Ricky's got 20 year in this clubhouse and part of his process artistically before the show is dating back to when he would do the prep in his studio would be to just play music the entire time. Are you referring to yourself in the third person? Oh, that does not sound great. That's what Ricky does. In terms of choosing the music around here,

I'm asking the group, I have not taken the temperature of the group. I was asking because the music hit me in the side of the face and I was looking around the room and I generally don't tend to hear music very much for whatever the reason is. But the rest of the room I'm looking around the room and i'm i don't i generally don't tend to hear music very much for whatever the reason is but the rest of the room i'm looking around and i couldn't tell how everybody else was receiving that music but this morning it hit me aggressively and so

i'm asking you how did it feel this morning to you uh... it wasn't playing when i walked in but i i i like pearl jam i'd love any better i respect them uh... and like i say it has to fit the mood it has to be if we're talking about the Panthers coming off a big Wind that's a song that fits the mood Okay, cuz it did feel like a hockey it did feel a little it felt like after a game one hockey playoff When in here, and I wasn't ready for it in the morning. Hmm angry confidence is how I would describe it I'm just seeing Pearl Jam tomorrow, so I wanted to listen to some

I'm just seeing Pearl Jam tomorrow, so I wanted to listen to some Pearl Jam. Can we go back to dancing? You don't hear music. What do you mean by that? Yeah, what's going on there? I very often get lost in my thoughts, and so I tune out music or tune out sounds. It just sounds in general.

And so, yeah. I'm sorry about that. But look, we've had plenty of show moments by ratcheting up the vibe here before. Like, when we have a segment that goes viral occasionally of us doing cafecito shots because we're playing Daft Punk's one more time because the vibes at Friday morning we're really cooking I like it when people respond to the music I also know that when I'm not here people really

aren't playing the music because my Bluetooth connects to it right away so afford me that that's part of my process please I like that no I like that we need somebody to set the vibe in here. I would love a song that or music that is anti-vibe. You know, just once in my life I want to walk into a clubhouse, a sports clubhouse and hear Adele, for example. You know, just something that isn't stereotypical. Hello! Yeah, yeah. We do that all the time over here. Yeah? Like, yeah, I'm very moody. And what kind of vibe is that setting though,

if you're playing Adele? The thing that I would ask about my aesthetic and my vibe at this late age in life when I'm walking in and I'm telling Roy, Mike and Chris and like, yeah, no, Dan, they're champions and then we expect to be champions because we're the Panthers and we're champions and we're going to walk around like we're champions and I'm supposed to get used to, oh yeah, you just beat, you just dropped up a half a dozen goals on the raid on Tampa Bay Lightning and I come in here and because I know what the next three months are about to feel like for us in terms of a ransacking we've got to pace ourselves your son has been heavy tongued and we just got started like he can't he hasn't been able to speak all

week because he because he because he watched a heat playing game and and so I need to pace ourselves because what you guys are telling me and what the Panthers are saying to me in a statement that felt across the coast and into Canada's, nah we still got the best team down here. We're gonna do what Tampa did where they add bodies late in the season and ours is going to be Kachak. But Mike Ryan's got to pace himself. It can't you can't open with Queens of the Stone Age. You got to you got to build up to that. You can't you can't start. That was a good poll by Dan. Unexpected. Guys, I just played Pearl Jam. It was given to fly. Like it's a very soft song. Yeah, like sometimes I'm with you. I'll be listening to death metal occasionally, but today it's I am pacing myself

In fact, you're the one putting the carpet for the horse. I still think there's gonna be very long series There's enough heavy metal and and hard rock to last the entire playoffs We don't want to have to worry about running out of that, but I I agree with Mike It's gonna go seven games Tampa might win the next game 6-2 I totally reject the idea that it's the Panthers who made the statement last night they're the reigning champion it's the other team everybody on ESPN picked the lightning hold on a sec we're the hot no wait a minute everybody picked the lightning it wasn't just in the game it's in the

series it's to get to the final no no no no but Greg is saying if you win a championship you can't make a statement like you never have to make a statement, right? Greg like not the statement has been made not you won the yes That's exactly right. And when I say the onus was on Tampa Bay to make that statement Tampa It was home. They scored the most goals this season. It was on them to say hey, you're coming into our house now champions Watch who's who's better tonight. And they fell flat. That was excellent trash talk by you.

Quite the promo. They fell flat, but it doesn't mean that the series is gonna be like this. It ain't. At what age are you and I too old to be into our house? You're coming into our house. Yeah, well, you're too old to say that. I can still get away with it

because I've got the street cred. My dad is right. Although they ended up winning 6-2, I buckled an imaginary seatbelt when it was 1-1 in the first period. Like, this is gonna be a scary series. Like, I'm not getting overly confident because- Roy's not gonna do scared.

I blame John Cooper for this being a blowout last night. I think if John Cooper doesn't challenge that goal, I think it's a closer game, and I'm still worried about this series. I was not happy about that penalty that Matt Dikachuk took because that's not a playoff penalty. No, you need that. That was a weak roughing call.

Chucky's back, first period, Kucherov, you lay the wood on him. You take the penalty and you kill the penalty like they did. No, they gave up a goal. They cost him a goal. It was still a good penalty. But keep in mind, that was a terrible penalty call by the referee. Terrible penalty.

I'm not gonna be that guy. It's fine, you gotta be careful. It's what Chucky does. What are we doing here? Like we still owe Kuturov a little something. There's a receipt coming his way. All right, I don't like this. It's what Chucky does, there's a receipt coming his way.

Yeah, Kuturov was dirty. In our house, we're one game in. And then, look, we have annoyed the holy hell out of America with Heat Talk the last 15 years. We're gonna slide effortlessly into tune out content of flexing our house. I'm still worried about a close series But you just saw a champion a

Hockey champion about to promise us three months What are we looking at three months two months of what Greg Cody's beginning today with what he's calling hell week Because he's got he's got the nfl draft have you guys not seen the last couple of years the battering that greg cody is taking that what the difference the before and after photo on what he looks like by the time we get to june when when hockey has ransacked him and basketball has ransacked him what is the glasshouse

why is today why is this week hell week for you? Well this week in particular because NFL draft which isn't happening a week from now Heat playoffs, which probably won't be still happening a week from now. That could be a sweep But Panthers are in for a long run. Okay, so it's Hell Week now because I'm juggling three things. Having said that, it's also a delightful week because my favorite thing in life is to be able to bitch and moan and complain about things that I love, right? So that's what I can do this week only, okay? The journalist in me can say, wow, I am so blessed to be living in this city where there's so much going on i have great you know to great team one great team in the playoffs

one lucky to be there nfl draft dolphins draft in thirteen who are they gonna pick a local guy going number one uh... camp ward absolutely luckiest man on earth camp ward uh... but i also like to complain about it because i'm too old to do this shit you know that's part of me so i love both sides. Let me let me examine this for a second because I do believe that America's greatest pastime right now is complaining. I think it's the greatest sport. Yeah, it's beautiful I put it on the pole at Levitard show and racism underway is well, it's all in the same. It's in the same

complaining and racism It takes all of us. It's all the same. Complaining and racism. All in the same movement. It takes all of us. All of us are complaining about it. Took some of them. That's not about racism. That's just about complaining on the NFL helmet. It takes all of us. Look, I believe we are no more united as a people

as we are around let's just all complain about everything. It is the great sport. But when he says that this is the only week that he has where it's something he absolutely loves and he's allowed to complain about it, that is the dissent of the American sports media as it ages. That is exactly how it is.

You cover sports, kind of hating it, kind of complaining about it, and also while celebrating it. Because the content machine can't be all pure. Like the amount of excess that this NFL draft has now become, where it really is the intersection of, you love college football, you miss it. You love pro football, you miss it.

You're bored by baseball and MMA and basketball? You just sitting around waiting for football to get back? All right, we're gonna throw in the middle of the NBA playoffs, this giant thing, in the middle of the NHL playoffs, an event where we're just transactions. And America's going to eat every bit of it up. A wildly entertaining simulcast all over the place,

a spectacle, like to see sports become, that this night become like second to the Super Bowl outside of games is a nutty evolution. I've always, like over the last few years, it took a couple of like deeper runs, especially with the Panthers getting good in hockey, that helped, but it's not the Super Bowl for me, it's certainly not March Madness for me because the games don't actually live up. To me, this is the best time on the sports

calendar. You have both playoffs starting their first rounds, you have four game nights in both leagues going off, you have the NFL draft. Hell, you got Talladega going on this week. You just had WrestleMania. You're coming off the Masters. Like this like month of sports to me is why I love it so much. You have big time European soccer games, all of it all happening at the same time. Messy. We haven't even talked about messy. Yes. I was about to say, oh, by the way, we have the most famous athlete in the world leading Inter Miami into the semi-finals of what would be their biggest trophy. So what a wonderful time, to Mike's point. It's just terrific.

But I can complain because I'm working too hard, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, but I love it. Sort of. Be glad when it's over. But I love it now. It's been a lovely cruise. It really is. Over the next couple of months, He's gonna take a battering

He begins with surgery. All right, he's tumbling out of surgery. He's been out for two weeks This chair is gonna take a battering still gots is out with a toothache You've seen Zaslow's been battered over the last couple of weeks Where's your status as I was gonna be around for the next couple of months? What's your what is your status with him in your rivalry? I don't consider it to be a rivalry. I mean You know, I don't know is he still wearing backward caps. I I haven't kept track. He is okay He's still doing that Greg is Don Draper right now. He's saying I don't think about him at all

Yeah, not a big fan of middle-aged men wearing backward caps, but I love that. Yeah, he wearing backward caps but he i love that yeah he's great and you know you love that um... and do you know i mean i'm i respect his place in this market been down here a long time leaning into a life uh... longer than i have and uh... we just replay the last few seconds he said i love him dances do you love him you said no

well i mean i he he he he doesn't love him no i i don't because I don't know him that well You know I know him casually say you love him. You know I'm a nice person Well do more shows together and you guys can do you like him build some camaraderie. I think the only I think the only thing in their relationship that brings them apart is you Dan yeah, yeah shit stir like you Yeah, yeah shit stir like you love Zaslow has privately mocks my dad for years doing it He's like, you know, even like when we're all on the same topic. He'll still like inject, you know, the audience hates this shit That sucks

Zaslow can can mock me although I don't care if behind my back Zaslow can can mock me although. I don't care if behind my back. He gives you a snarky call about a column I've just written that he didn't like could care less. It's a grain of sand on the beachhead. That is me What a bar The part you you guys say that I'm shit-stirring here, okay? But the part that is unsaid, and I can swear to you, Greg's never said to me anything about Zaslow that is negative. But I know that Greg doesn't respect Zaslow as a journalist because the print guys don't love the way the radio guys do business.

And this is a print guy. So without even asking, Greg, I know how he feels about the entity that is sports radio Zaslow. Understood. But you did ask him. I will say this. If you're looking at me saying, yeah, I'm a journalist while you're wearing a Panthers jersey, it doesn't necessarily fly.

I do think, and Dan's guilty of this, I think everybody is, like people tend to confuse journalists and insiders or personalities. Like, even though I own, for example, excuse me, I own a Cannes media company. We do a fair amount of, come on today, one o'clock, go to the show with Dean Money and Peter Rees,

check it out, Official Keynes Inside Subscript. We do a fair amount of journalism, really good journalism. I don't think there's anybody that covers the Miami hurricanes top to bottom better than us. But I, myself, am not a journalist. I vet things through journalism means, especially when I get involved in some of that story,

but I never pretended. I didn't go to journalism school. I don't have the bona fides. I'm an insider, I guess. And I apply those rules, but I think all too often, we lump people into journalism, and also people are way too comfortable calling themselves journalists when they're not.

I think that is an earned title. It's like calling myself a doctor just because I bandaged somebody up one time. I think that there's a procedure that you go through. Yeah. No, you're right. It's a gray area now where it didn't used to be. You are absolutely a Keynes insider. Zaslow may be an expert on the Panthers. I'm just saying if you tout your expertise while wearing a Panthers jersey, what you are is not impartial. That's what you are. And you don't respect that.

I respect it less from a journalism standpoint. Right? Like, so Mike's a Panthers fan. Like he went to school. He's a columnist in this market for a long time. Like, I get that. It's like, it might be a bygone era. All right, look, speaking of journalists,

Jessica, I wanted to ask you about this because- I'm not a journalist either. Well, you've done, mm. But I do know who Edward R. Murrow is, unlike your son, Greg. Yeah, wow. Did you know that your son didn't know and still doesn't know?

I'm sure he didn't look it up when he got home Either that your son doesn't know who Edward I know Edward R Murrow was the mentor of Walter Cronkite my son He doesn't know who's Walter Cronkite is oh, yeah, we are Broca that's what he has no in that same vase that same thing journalist terrible news Walter Cronkite Those guys are close no, I'm from the great operation Okay Jessica I do think you have both studied and worked as a journalist, but the thing

that I wanted to ask you guys, because Kevin Clark, it has been great delight to go from speaking at Michelle Kaufman's University of Miami class where Kevin Clark is, to watching Kevin Clark today get to be on Paul Feinbaum, and he's going to enrage all of Paul Feinbaum's audience because he's gonna be aggressively Miami, and that has never happened on the Feinbaum show. And Kevin Clark, you know what of him, Jessica? Are you guys friendly away from work? Yes, we're friends.

These Photoshop's of Kevin Clark as Paul Feinbaum that I'm seeing neither look like Kevin Clark nor Paul Finebomb. And I would like, maybe, like we need more journalists, we need more people proficient in photo shop to be working in this field because these are very poorly done. Greg Cody, that's a $5 fine.

Your phone is not functioning correctly. Please pay the fine bucket. When you hold it below the table, none of us know what you're doing. That's good. your phone is not functioning correctly, please pay the fine bucket. When you hold it below the table, none of us know what you're doing. That's good. So sloppy work by you. I expect this to continue to get worse.

What are you guys expecting from Kevin Clark on Fine Bomb? He's gonna represent Miami, correct? Oh yeah, I know parts of the audience get annoyed when I hijack this show with Cain's takes. Buckle up. Because Kevin is going to his spouse. All sorts of anti-SEC things too. He's gonna take advantage of his audience there.

I'm so excited to watch Kevin do this. And I know Kevin relishes this opportunity. This is a holy grail assignment for Kevin Clark. Is he gonna be able to, from inside the machine, troll Finebom's audience by being a professional wrestling heel in costume as an actual journalist slash insider? Because he's Kevin Clark. He's gonna give his takes which are very pro Miami, but the way that he does things, it's

so matter of fact that and dry that I'm going to really enjoy him doing that to an SEC heavy audience. But here again getting back to what we were talking about a minute ago if he's going on there for the express purpose of cheerleading the Miami Hurricanes yet you just refer to him as a journalist? Kevin Clarke is a journalist. He's not going there for that purpose. So a journalist by however you define journalists. Kevin Clark is a journalist. Okay so he's allowed to just blatantly cheerlead for Miami. Excuse me, do you not watch Mike Greenberg giving speeches to Northwestern football or Mike Wilbon giving speeches to Northwestern football or J.A. Adonde giving speeches to

Northwestern football? Okay it's one thing though for Will Bond to be a Chicagoan who's a Bulls fan, okay? I grew up a Dolphins fan, but today in my journalism clothes, I don't cheerlead the Dolphins. I try to be fair. You're a homer. Whoa, come on. I think it's part of what's baked in as a local columnist. You're supposed to give an impartial view.

A fair view. But you do kind of, it's all through the prism of like, we're in this together, we're rooting for this. When FAU makes it to the final four, people know that you have a relationship with that school, you wear it. I think school ties, even though, I mean, Stephen A. Smith is the biggest Knicks fan on television,

when it comes to university pride, that stuff has long since been accepted. We understand this bias. It hasn't. There is a lot of journalists that I've worked with that would tell you that that's not true at all. And if you have any sort of allegiance to your alma mater anywhere, that's super unprofessional.

And I don't necessarily disagree, but I think there's context for it. If you're someone hosting an entertainment show that's different than if you're writing an investigative piece or if you're working in a market where you're supposed to have impartiality. That's not what a lot of our jobs are anymore. I think that's really how sports media has changed a lot in the last 10 years and now if you're following a reporter you probably follow them on social media. You might know more about them than you did 20, 30 years ago. And it's harder to hide when you do have those biases. So personally, I think that it's better to just wear it

because your audience knows a lot about you now. And there are very few jobs left where you can be just someone who writes for a living and is not part of social media and is not someone that becomes a public figure. And I think that that's really a huge flaw in media now, but unfortunately that's kind of where we are. I feel like I have the exact crossroads for you

on where all of these things intersected because Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon were doing print journalism on television for several years. But it became clear that as they did shows every day, oh, Wilbon's in love with Michael Jordan and Wilbon's just in the tank for all things Chicago. And then I think it all came crumbling down when Wilbon went to throw out the first pitch in a Cubs

jersey with the jersey tucked into his jeans and we all said that's where journalism died right there. The local sports columnist went national, became an entertainer, is singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game and next thing you know I'm banging on a drum in a Panthers game because all these guys did was lead. I'd also say like opinion columnists are sort of a separate category Greg people read your column because they want to hear your opinion and your opinion is informed by Your feelings about the Dolphins that you can't really separate from the you know the reporting that you do before you write your column So I think that there's a little bit of a different situation there for opinion column

I agree with you and and to Mike's point what he said earlier column so I think that there's a little bit of a different situation there for opinion columnists. I agree with you and to Mike's point what he said earlier, I don't think I cheerlead any team. I don't think I'm a homer for the Dolphins or any team but I root for my community. I write for readers, not for teams. Is it better for me? Is it better for business? Do my columns read more when I'm writing about a great team

on a great run? Yes. Okay, would I mind the Panthers being back in the Stanley Cup final? Hell no. And a lot of it segues into performance art as well, particularly on my podcast and on this show. When I write and then say and then make a whole big point of, McDavid is overrated, okay, Am I for real? Am I serious about that? Or am I just joking? Is that performance art? I like the idea that people aren't quite sure, okay?

Now, me saying McDavid is overrated in the middle of all that probably came off as me being a Panthers homer. I live with that. I'm not banging a drum at a game. That's just a side effect. It probably did. It's a side effect.

That doesn't mean that's what it is. Yeah. You really enjoyed that attention though. Like as it's nice to dance along the nobility of journalism and every once in a while you stick your beak in the final and just say, McDavid's overrated and make yourself the center of the story, which isn't exactly journalism.

Well, it's not all about nobility though. It's about fun too. Especially with me more than I dare say most real illness. Yes You're the most fun put it on the pole at the show is Greg Cody the most fun of the columnist on second thought You should have tucked in your shirt like the jersey when you did the bang of the drum You should have tucked it in you can't do that with a hockey jersey. No, but show respect for exactly You can't do that with a hockey jersey. To show respect for Wilbong. Exactly.

As a nod to Wilbong. Homage. Get out of here. I want to track back to something that Jess said because it's such a bygone era here in the United States. But I was wrong. There are impartial journalists. I know Bruce Feldman went to Miami, but you can't tell really from his reporting all that

much. He might have an inside scoop on Chris Ball here and there, but it is disguised at the top line. But also this is very American. When I think to following European football journalists or even like studio personalities, the player analysts, you understand that they have a pledge to their to their badge because of who they played for. But the impartial analyst, you have to go, you have to do some serious digging to find

out who they, which clubs they support. And I actually appreciate that. And we have kind of lost our way here. I would say it's sort of like outlet to outlet though. Like the New York times has a really strict policy on any of the reporters commenting on politics and the Washington post is similar in that way.

And you know, that's different than the athletic. It's different obviously than, you obviously than ESPN for certain people. I think for some of their reporters, they probably do have some sort of policy in place where they don't want them to share what they like, what they root for, anything like that. They want them just to do basic reporting. But I think the best of both worlds for us

is if you can be entertaining while also have a little bit of a reporting thread or at least not spread misinformation and that's obviously a hard needle to thread because the more serious reporting you want to do sometimes the less fun it is but I think you kind of are trying to strike a balance and I think our show at least tries to do that. melted provolone, fresh veggies, all on a perfectly toasted French bread. Good God does that sound delicious. Or the toasted roast beef and cheddar, premium roast beef, melty cheddar, creamy horseradish sauce, crispy fried onions, fresh veggies, golden toasted French bread. It just keeps getting better.

And the toasted ultimate Italian salami, capicola, smoked ham, applewood smoked bacon, melted provolone, shredded parmesan, fresh veggies toasted to perfection. Or take your favorite Jimmy John classics like the number 9 Italian nightclub or the number 11 country club and get them toasted. Order now at jimmyjohns.com on the Jimmy John's app or stop by your local Jimmy John's today. Hey you in the audience, it's Mike. You've been a fan of this show hopefully for a long, and you know how much Miller Lite means to me. This partnership, it's real. It's documented. For almost 20 years, Miller Lite has been a partner of The Dan Leventard Show with Stu

Gotts, and now Miller Lite is celebrating its 50th anniversary. I've had so many great moments with Miller Lite, so many great activations, so many great events presented by Miller Lite, a great partner. Cheers to them. Cheers to 50 incredible years. And for you at home, you know that Miller time always means a good time. From game night to parties with friends or a special anniversary, celebrating important occasions means more moments with the coolest people in your life. Cheers to 50 years of Miller Lite, the great-tasting light beer for people who loved beer since

1975. Now's a perfect time to celebrate legendary stories with friends, family, and a great tasting light beer. It's Miller Time. Miller Light. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to MillerLight.com slash Dan and find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.