The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Postgame Show: Peyton Hillis

Episode Date: August 6, 2025

The gang finishes up the show with a discussion of whether video game covers matter after Matthew Tkachuk was named the cover athlete for NHL 26. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I don't understand what the big deal is being on a cover. Matthew Coochuk is on the cover. Jad's Chisholm was on a cover. People, they do like a release party for the cover. Did I miss something that it's a big nod to the Panthers? It's a huge deal to be a cover athlete. And down here in South Florida, historically, haven't had many cover athletes on video games for your teams. We've had John Bambeesbrook in the 90s, jazz aforemen,

D. Wade had one. Why do I remember Ricky Williams on a cover? Did D. Wade have one? That was NFL Street 2, but it was like an animated Ricky Williams, I think. Which one did Dwayne Wade? I think he was on an NBA live. He was back in the day. Tim Hardaway had an NBA live.

It was like a 2K. Like D. Wade was also on the cover of NBA Live like two years ago, like Legends Edition, where he was in like the Miami Vice. LeBron was on the cover of 14 or 15. Tim Hardaway was on the cover of NBA Live 19. But what I'm saying is it hasn't happened much. NBA Live 06. By the year for it, by the way.

By then the franchise was dying. You know, it's... You've named more of these covers, Mike. He means NBA Live. Okay. Not the Miami Heat franchise. But that's still not many. It seems like a lot.

No, it's really not. You've named like a dozen covers. No, it's really not. How many covers are there per year? Across all the major sports. Yes. I can't remember a dolphin having one. Like, there's four major sports, which means four new video games every year over the course of 30 years I've highlighted.

Well, there also used to be like NFL Blitz, and there used to be like NFL fever on Xbox. And then ESPN had an NFL game for a while. So, like there was a time there was like four versions of the same game every year. Gold standards, like the EA's and the 2Ks. We've had Tim Hardaway, John Van B'sbrook, Jazz Chisham on the show. That's up there with a name brand. Does Antoine Walker count if he was a Celtic? No, he doesn't.

You've got to be wearing the uniform. So only the second Florida Panther ever to grace a video game cover. Matthew Kachuk now joining John Van Biesbrook. That's close to 30 years over there. So this is a really cool moment. But the math is, I think, that there's 30 franchises. There'd be one every 30 years. Can we, we're getting bogged down.

The reason I'm bogged down is people act like when Jazz Chisholm got it, it became a thing. Like he in his mind became a star I think that's why you're bothered by it Because jazz is probably I would say off the top of my head Maybe the least deserving cover athlete That I can remember And I think you're just harping on.

People were mad when he got it And he's like big on social Outside of Miami if you were mad That jazz is on the cover Because they're kind of like And that's where I'm getting at Is anyone upset that the cover athlete There's been some bad ones

There was one year where they went to a vote And who was the white running back who won it Surprisingly a white guy Peyton Hillis That was a big moment I was a Browns fan at the time. That was super, you get super pumped up when your guy is on the cover. Telling you, it's a big deal.

I made him super famous. They bought the jazz video game just because jazz was on the cover. David, if one of your Marlin players were on it, you would have. We loved it when they were on the cover of SI. We loved it. So what's the disconnect here? We even framed when you were on the cover of Inside Sports. We'd keep that.

That was a magazine that used to exist. You thought that was cool. So why is it weird that fans think it's cool when one of their players is on a cover of a game? I was asking whether he was the most deserving Panther. Oh, this might be the most deserving cover. I mean, he could have gotten the cover after getting traded and losing in the cup finals. He couldn't got the cover after winning the first when he got the cover after winning the second one, which I don't know.

I guess that means maybe he wasn't as people didn't like him as much before, but now he's pretty much the face of the league. After four nations, he's the face of American hockey. After Mick overrated. He's Canadian, though. Yes. You guys were talking at the same time and you didn't hear each other. Oh. Thank you.

You both made very good points, though. was correcting himself and it timed out it happens guys back to green dildos it shouldn't happen now as we're finishing what should be happening is we should be talking separately so we can hear are you saying that kachuk is the most famous american hockey player who plays today i think so yeah i think he's the most famous who's second place yes i think i think most famous it's less of a debate when it is than it is like best austin matthews is in there is in that conversation you have Quinn Hughes, too. It's difficult to say. I mean, Austin Matthews is perceived to be the better player quite easily. There's a wide golf there. But in terms of fame, and I think this is another

notch for Matthew Kachuk. Matthew Kachuk, when he came here to this market, he was excited to come to Florida. Not a lot of people were excited to come to Florida. This was viewed as a place where you'd go retire. And it immediately jumped off the young man. How much he wanted this for the market, how much he didn't shy away from being media friendly. He welcomed being the face of Panthers hockey. And there may be better players on this team. In fact, there are better players on this team than Matthew Kachuk. But there isn't a more important player in the history of the franchise in terms of turning its fortunes around. He brought a new attitude, a new direction for the franchise. And it's cool to just see this as he's adorning this cover with the Stanley

cup overhead. That's a really cool moment for South Florida hockey, which is always looking for respect abroad and domestically because we're always considered a joke. Well, this is another thing that kind of legitimizes a franchise. I think we've passed that. You've got the lightning dynasty. Now you're in the Panthers dynasty. Florida hockey is undoubtedly, it is the best state for hockey in the entire country. I would argue in the entire hemisphere because Canadian, they haven't won anything. Last time the Canadian, last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was a couple decades ago. This franchise has forced the issue with their success. Typically, if they made it to a Stanley Cup final, they'd be asked, hey, do the winner classic. Florida's been good now for a few

years. It took, they're finally participating in their first winner classic this upcoming December, or January. I mean, so they've become so undeniable. that you can't keep them out of these things anymore. Covers Winter Classics. Where is the Winter Classic? Oh, you're jerking.