The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: Greg Cote Explains Journalism

Episode Date: June 21, 2024

The madness continues as we barrel ever closer to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers. Zaslow has left and the dust is slowly settling on the feud between Mike Ryan and Greg Cote, but now Dan and Mike begin taking jabs at each other. It's a 12-round battle on the show today, only interrupted by Dan taking a detour to discuss the rumored details of Stephen A. Smith's contract offer from ESPN. Before we head into the battle of our lives tonight in Edmonton, Greg Cote makes sure to explain to the crew what journalism is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to DraftKings Network. Welcome to the Big Sui, presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show? The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan LeBattard podcast. I'm sorry, I'm not going to apologize for that. In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging. I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries

if they're just there. That hasn't happened to you guys? I've done it. And now, here's the marching man to nowhere, fat face and the habitual liar. Pull a little pallet cleanser here to separate us from the tension here. Like it's sort of audio sage. I want Chris Mad Dog Russo mispronouncing something.

Do you have anywhere back there Mad Dog Russo trying to pronounce Condoleezza Rice? The four or five things that I picked up that were interesting that I relate to you. Number one, Candela Sir Rice, you know, formerly of the Bush administration. Thank you. I need a little sorbet here. I need something just to soften the mood. Zaslow has left in true disgust. He just stormed out of here. He hit the microphone as he left, like he punched the microphone as he left, and he took the chair with him, I'm assuming, to just throw it into the bay. He's had enough of Greg Cody. Greg Cody's been

giggling to himself here while coughing and giggling. You've been giggling throughout the break. Are you okay? Like, what's happening? Everything is great. I'm reveling in- You have bronchitis. Yeah, no, I don't feel great, but everything else is great. I'm reveling in- You have bronchitis. Yeah, no, I don't feel great, but everything else is great. It's another day in paradise down here. And I'm reveling in the idea that I am having renewed appreciation for my perspective, for how I see sports in the overall.

And I don't want to be Zaslow and Mike Ryan about any team. I just don't want to be Zaslow and Mike Ryan about any team I just don't want to be now that doesn't mean that I'm not rooting for the best story that I want to write and in this case that is a Panthers Stanley Cup I would that's you rooting because the best story I could admit this as a Panthers fan the best story for hockey would be McDavid coming back from down 3-0. Right, but I'm not a national hockey writer. I'm a Miami Herald columnist. And I'm not a fan of a team. I'm a fan of people who read my columns, okay? And the column they want to read is not biggest collapse since 1942. The column they want to read is what a feel-good

story. Slaying the dragon to lift the first Stanley Cup in the 30 season history of this franchise. That's what I want to write because I like to write good stories. And so am I a Panthers fan? No. And I think I proved it by not being afraid of superstition and jinx and avoiding writing what I thought about McDavid, which is that he needs to win a Stanley Cup to live up to all this hype and until he does, he's overrated.

I still believe that and I don't care if I'm alone on that island, but I do prefer to write a Panthers Stanley Cup winning call. What's happening with you because during the break you seem to stand in judgment of people who are not Journalists like you you were dismissive of Roy and Mike and Chris as fans. They're fans. They're not Journalists that's what you were doing. Okay, and and I think I owe an apology to Roy I think Roy would consider himself a journalist Roy is not somebody wearing a Panthers Jersey in the press box I have respect for Roy as an independent journalist. Christopher's not. Zaslow, who

was wearing a Sam Bennett shirt in here, is not and doesn't pretend to be. Mike obviously is not and doesn't pretend to be. That's fine. But you know I like the perspective of being able to see sports in this place. Jeremy pretends to be a journalist. Yeah, I do. Jeremy pretends to be a journalist. I do pretend to be a journalist. Is Jeremy a journalist, Dad?

It's complicated, right? No, no, no. Jeremy, I asked my dad. It's complicated. Look, he's paid to cover the Heat, right? I am, and technically the Panthers and the Marlins. Okay, if you are paid to cover those teams... You don't want to call them a journalist though. Well, what I'm saying is, if you're paid to cover those teams, you're paid to be pro those teams, right? It doesn't mean you can't.

Covering them for the regional broadcast, you're saying. Like covering them for ballet sports, where it is the home broadcast and that crew. Right. Yeah, we are paid to have a bit of a slant toward the team that we're covering, just as, by the way, you are in your columns to an extent. You're rooting for the Panthers to win tonight because it supports a positive column. You're saying Jeremy's not a journalist? I'm saying, I wrote a column saying the Panthers need to make big change, or the Heat need

to make big changes because you're never going to win a championship if Jimmy Butler is your best player. Jeremy can't do that. He would not be able to say that. Well, I wouldn't do that because it's wrong, but that's a separate conversation. Fine. And I'm not saying all of my opinions are right, but I wrote that. You couldn't say that.

You're saying he can't be critical of the team, therefore he can't be a journalist. He's not as objective as you are who's been a homer about the Dolphins since 1972 you get to be a journalist and a fan you're like I can be a journalist but I want all the teams to win down here I have not been a homer about the Dolphins oh my can we stop this I don't I don't okay I know no that that what are we doing that's a little too close to the bone I get as much email criticizing me for being too rough on the Dolphins so I'm not gonna I'm not let that slide this is what I will say to the audience because there there has been a

disconnect from the Panthers fans in this room and in this town about what this show's responsibility is to this audience because we've been a local show for 20 years proudly a local show for 20 years I'm a journalist or was a journalist allegedly at the middle of all of that but this show had a regional identity and was projecting Miami to the nation at large and now as we do it with one of the biggest podcasts in the history of sports podcasts as we do it I'm getting a whole lot of audience that's siding with Greg Cody in this last hour of tension that doesn't like

the way the whole room has ganged up on Greg Cody people are taking Greg Cody's side because they believe this show is acting inconsistently and hypocritically as it usually behaves around sports which is if a team is in danger of losing a three o lead anywhere in sports the rest of us would be laughing with echoing laughter if this was happening to any fan base except this one but in this particular case we've got mike calling uh... uh... greg cody an idiot twice and a pal three times because uh... because he's in the tank for the panthers and greg cody the audience is siding with greg cody saying well he's at least trying to be some semblance of uh... not irrational fan the funny part is is that last year you

guys laughed in my face as the heat were blowing a three o'lead because i was painted as the sole homer despite the fact that everybody in this room are actively fans of the Miami Heat it was funny because hey let's let's laugh at Jeremy as this is blown now this room is sort of taking the other side because there's a passionate fandom that's here this is a group of people who are rooting for something to happen that's never happened to them before. And so, as there are things that we all do as fans that, you know, playing the jinxes or things like that, we're not exactly excited on the local side of it

to be having the show that represents South Florida sort of turn against some of those things and laugh because, hey, nationally, that would be happening. But look at Mike. Mike is in the back there and I don't know if he's in a state of pouting, I don't know what he's doing, I don't know how close he is to quitting, I don't know how close he is to getting fired,

all of this gets fixed if the Panthers win. His mood, but it makes sense that he would be scared and it would make sense that he's lashing out everywhere he can lash out because it's scary time. Like if you care this much and that guy is on the other side and you're going to Edmonton, it's scary time. So realize that, it's a hard time for us right now. We're all acting emotional right now.

What happened is I've obviously been too much today. I'm not exactly proud of how the show's gone, and I'm literally just putting myself in a proverbial penalty box because I don't like it, and I feel like I got played. Like, Dan pulled all the right strings. He got the entertainment. Again with me?

No, it's not, Greg is not the bad guy. He's not. He's not, and you've successfully pulled the wool over his eyes. So he feels like you're an ally in this just because the proximity of the rooms? No. Like this is all you're doing. I am an ally, but I'm not going to accept what you keep doing to me. Okay? So the last time you were the Panther game, game five, and you got your heart crushed and you're down four, two, you keep texting me from the game game, hey I got a lot of fans here just passing along the message just want to

be a messenger. A lot of fans here saying hey Levitard, f*** you. That's Mike Ryan telling me that all the fans are coming up to him and saying that. Last night I'm at dinner. Guy comes up to me pulls me by the arm and says no Dan you're right I love your show. You tell Mike Ryan, fuck you. Cool. Yeah, congrats on having the star fucker, Dan. Those fuck yous cancel out, though. Do they?

You had multiple? No, he got six of them. I had a half dozen. He got six of them. Some dude that happened to be in the same restaurant as Dan is like, hey, I'm a big fan. I like you. No, he went out of his way to be like, send this to Mike Ryan.

He asked that I personally deliver the message, so I really am just the messenger. You know what I'm most frustrated about? Because if they lose this game, I'm gonna have a Monday, not just a horrible weekend, but I'm going to have to spend a lot of money because tickets are sold out on the primary market

and I only have one place to turn to, Dan, the Game Time app. The Game Time app, which honestly there should be a loyalty rewards program for how much I've been on there throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs and I'm going to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Sunday. Thanks so much, Game Time app. That could be a very depressing one and I could really read into the lyrics of Under the Bridge or we can just talk about California the entire time, celebrating a title.

Your move, Florida Panthers today. But if you're in the Edmonton area, or if you're hoping for a game seven, just so you can witness someone lift the cup, go to the Game Time app, download it, create an account, use the code DAN, that is D-A-N. For $20 off your first purchase, terms apply. Last minute tickets, lowest price

guaranteed. You get to see what your seat looks like from there. And amazing customer service. If you, for whatever reason, find a better deal out there on the market, GameTime will match it up to 110%. And it's easy to get them matching it. Thank you so much, GameTime, for your support. In keeping with the guarantee that I am giving you that the Panthers will win this cup they deserve in a sport that this year was magnificent because of how good all the teams were slaying each other. The Panthers will win the title one of the next two games in overtime. I'm sorry to do that to you.

I'm sorry to do that to you but these games are going to be... Look, Messier said before game five, he's like, you're going to see the single best performance at the same time from both of these teams for the first time. And we did. The Panthers started slow but you saw at the end they were battering Edmonton. You got the best of both and that one McDavid won I believe that the Panthers will win one of those three because you're looking at the next two games and it's maximum effort maximum motivation it's not about any bulletin board material all these

broken bodies know what they had to overcome in that sport. The ten teams, the dozen teams that had a hundred points to get to this point earned it. They're broken physically. God knows how many needles these people have to take at this point in the year just to get on the ice because they're lunatics. This sport is run by crazy people. They're going to win the cup. You're just gonna have to endure overtime.

I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry that you're gonna have to be shit running down your leg in overtime because of how fast that sport moves and one thing can wreck you. And then you're gonna say, isn't this fun? It is fun. It's the best. The last week has been terrible.

I genuinely, you gotta text for me at 4.15 a.m. Just like game four, I could not sleep. I didn't see it actually. I texted you, look, timestamp, 4.15. I crushed a 5 a.m. German Peloton this morning because I needed to do something with my. Are you okay? My mind's racing, no, I'm not okay.

I got played by Dan, I've been doing this for 20 years and I mine's racing? No, I'm not okay. Like, look, I got played by Dan. I've been doing this for 20 years and I told him the entire time, I did not want to go along with this and here I am taking my Rolex off like I'm Rick F***ing Flair. So I texted Mike at 11, just left a restaurant where someone asked me to make sure

to tell you no F*** you. And then at 421 a.m., lost in all this is the fact that I've saved your ass. Can't imagine the shit you'd be getting if you actually put them up when you wanted to and the results went the way they have. Late dinner by you. I'm still tempted to do it, honestly. I'm not rooting for them to lose tonight, but to have the weekend to think about it,

like I want to double down before game seven. He's the bad guy, Greg. Look what he's doing to you right now. He is the villain. I believe in the team. I believe in the team. He believes in the team. No, he believes in an anarchy he believes in daily I believe in the team more than I believe in your jinx and making you The clown in his circus. Why can't you see this dude? We all see it I

You don't have to tell me the role I play in this studio and his hand in it I play in this studio and his hand in it okay my Greg Cody show merch store is not selling McOval rated t-shirts and capitalizing on it they won the next three games after we did that that can't be blamed as a jinx they want they went up 3o look he's trying to stop you because you're getting there on your own Greg you're getting there on your own your shop didn't try to sell on your own. Your shop didn't try to sell it. Your shop didn't try to capitalize on your take, which, you know, the hockey media's poked holes in, which is fine, whatever. You've defended yourself, but you're not trying to monetize it. He is. He's the one trying to put your face on billboards, not you. You, what is your opinion? What is your honest

opinion of these billboards? What is your honest opinion? My honest opinion is that they should not be put up until the Panthers win the same cup same same That's where my passion comes. I said that last Tuesday, and he's not he's not listening No, because the national audience wants me to put him up It's a show the national audience wants me to put South Florida And why people are telling me to relay fUs to you is you've never done this. You've never made us a joke. It's not just like the jinxing stuff

is you're actively trying to embarrass people that like this franchise. No I'm not. Yes you are. No I am not. Okay. I'm okay with taking us being the subject of the joke. Egg on the face.

Tell me this is coming together for you like the end of a Saw movie, Greg. Like he's, no I'm not, we're laying out a pretty good case. We risk the maximum thing, me enduring, echoing national laughter that stays with me locally for years. But I believe in the team.

I'm willing to make the bet on behalf of the team. No, what we risk is you putting up billboards before game three and in oil country. I believe in them team. I'm willing to make the bet on behalf of the team. No, what we risk is you putting up billboards before game three and in oil country. I believe in them more than you do. In oil country where the airport welcomes you with a baggage claim, it's just a myriad of like mannequin oilers. Like what you risk is pissing off the entire fan base, the entire Edmonton Oil Organization, pissing off hockey for saying base, the entire Edmonton Oilers organization,

pissing off hockey for saying, how dare you do this, this is so classless. You make that barn an insane asylum tonight. I don't need to explain this. I can't do it today, it would have to wait to the weekend. I can't do it today, it has to wait. This is the best my tone has been, I think I laid out a good case,

I think we're all effectively being played by day in LeBattard And he's a true villain that barn is gonna be an insane asylum with or without billboards. Everyone's calling it a barn now I love it. I mean come on now, you know Economic David is gonna be great with or without being called Mcover rated help. It doesn't help I'm going to I'm going to move off of this subject for a moment, but ask you what does the phrase egg on the face, why do people get egg on the face? Because I don't know the origins of that. Obviously someone would be throwing eggs for some reason. I don't know if it's at a Renaissance fair or where, but the bet that I'd be making, Mike, is maximum

stakes. It uh... it is an inside joke for our audience uh... that believes in the team you say it's not that i'm i'm believing in the team over jinx i'm believing in how good they are and it does risk that team it does risk my belief being betrayed in a way that embarrasses me and lasts for a while and stings. But at the moment, I've got two games to win one

and I've got the better team. Okay. I mean, I think most people know what's happening here and he can rationalize it all he wants. He's good with words. He's manipulated Greg. As your resident theater guy, just off the top of my head,

I believe this dates back to the late 1800s, early 1900s in theater, when people were throwing rotten vegetables or eggs at performers. And so you ended up with egg on your face. All right. Just off the top of my head. I'd rather have rotten vegetables

than egg thrown at me, personally. Poochie. Not me. At least the egg shatters. A zucchini would hurt, right? But it's like, yeah, it's still rotten. I feel like if it's rotten, it's softened a little. It is softened. The egg is just a solid object.

It's yucky, it's going to hurt. If it's a rotten avocado, it's going to be pretty soft. But there's a pit. Yeah, but it's got a pit in it. Yeah, but you're not going to feel the pit. Oh, I think it would have been soft. What would be the rotten vegetable that is, well, the egg's not gonna feel the pit. Oh, I think you would if it's soft What would be the vegetable the rotten vegetable that is it? What would well the eggs not a vegetable? So it's rotten eggs. It's rotten eggs and rotten vegetables. The eggs are thrown in as a protein because

I mean you need a Etymology is the number one diversionary tactic from Dan Levetard Like a heart from hell and you're just going along with it, man. It's a riveting conversation. Oh, etymology. Oh, what is the origin of that? That's a great point. You know what?

You know what? I have another one of those tools in my bag that is less easy to spot, but can you play that music real quick in terms of a diversionary technique that I use at all times to get out of all situations? Because I just think we've talked about this enough. It's not because I actually want to avoid it. Because honest to God, I would do this pregame show for the next several hours. Like I'd be happy to just sit here talking to you guys about this game for many hours,

but I do have another diversionary technique. Play for me please, the sound of the sports media gas bags that nobody wants to hear me talk about the sports media because there's a sports media story that is just breaking now that I do believe is super interesting. Do you get annoyed every time Dan Levitard

pontificates about the sports media industry? Well, too bad, mother- He knows he don't give a damn about what he's gonna say. It's time for sports media talk today. So I have told you, and Juju has reprimanded me on this because he has said, man, Dan, nobody wants to hear about how much money media people are making. A lot of people are struggling out there. They don't want to hear about Stephen A. Smith's contract demands, but I happen to

find interesting that in our time, the person who is at the top of our profession is now being offered, reportedly ESPN the highest salary in the history of the company for a talent. It used to be for John Gruden at $6.5 million, but the explosion of everything that's happened has made everyone realize, oh, all these talents are super undervalued, even though everyone listening to this would say it's ridiculous for anybody to be making the kind of money doing this nonsense that people can make ESPN has offered Stephen a Smith the highest contract in the history of the company putting him ahead of Joe buck Who is now the highest paid employee who doesn't have to do as much as Stephen a Smith?

Stephen a Smith is reportedly countering with that's not enough 18 million dollars is not enough i want twenty five million dollars that's what's being report twenty five million dollars a year and power by the way it's not going to just be money he's going to want power and a bunch of other things because he is the modern-day howard cosel whether you like it or not and beyond sports he's got conquering ambitions because he is casting a wide net going on fox making sure the audience is as large as it can be as he heads into the leverage of Negotiations because he can do this for more than 18 million dollars a year on his own. He doesn't need ESPN You know how I know that Chris Cody's worth 25 million dollars a year Like what what what we've been paid the last four with the last three years a lot more work that goes into it

And the fourth one like our thing is worth what Stephen A Smith is asking for what we've been paid the last three years. And a lot more work that goes into it. And the fourth one, like our thing is worth what Stephen A. Smith is asking for. So what do you think? I think he deserves it. It's a ridiculous thing to say. It is because he's the entirety of that network. Their entire daytime programming strategy is around him.

This is, yeah, you're right, this is another one of your diversionary tactics. But game on. I gotcha. Yeah, you got me. I gotcha. But he is the straw that serves their drink. Yeah, you're right, this is another one of your diversionary tactics, but game on. I gotcha. Yeah, you got me. I gotcha. But he is the straw that serves their drink. He sets a table for all the rights that they have, unless it's the Stanley Cup.

So what I would do, if I'm ESPN, is I would pay him $10 million for every sport he can actually cover. Because the daytime programming on a game that they have, their coverage was Mike Greenberg asking you, Donnis Haslam, what he thought about tonight. This country is headed in to a World Cup in 2026. What the **** do you think is going to be happening on that show?

What do you think is going to be happening on that show? Because it's more likely to be Dak Prescott than it is to be about the World Cup. That show is limited. It is very limited and it does what it's limited at exceptionally well. The greatest daytime sports show ever. Because he is the greatest sports talent ever. But it is very frustrating. And it works against ESPN's overall best interests.

I understand college football makes a lot of money. I understand pro football makes a lot of money. I understand the NBA makes a lot of money. And they haven't exactly a lot of money. I understand the NBA makes a lot of money. And they haven't exactly figured out how to make a lot of money elsewhere, except just putting the game on. But they should take a note from what's worked well with Stephen A. Smith. If you have engaging, great, talented personalities that can speak with a wealth of knowledge, they can get you interested in games.

They can get you interested to watch that. ESPN is wonderful at producing these packages that'll make you care about stuff. They do it every college game day. I just wish that they weren't just a two-note entity. ESPN is an excellent sports partner for the reasons that Mike Ryan is stating that all day long there are infomercials with credible personalities just getting you to the next games and increasing your addiction to all of the things but Mike is also right in his criticism that those morning shows have been abysmal covering hockey because the people on those shows don't know what they are talking about baseball well but

what has happened with hockey and the ratings with the esp and now engaged has been an explosion of people realizing how wonderful these playoffs actually are because elsewhere on the network they are better partners to hockey than they are to baseball by a lot the baseball people are dying at the esp yet because they clearly do not care about the sport but they care about hockey more and uh... believe in the future of hockey more and spend as if they believe in the future of hockey more but the morning shows aren't equipped to talk about this well they just like he is equipped and you're seeing I genuinely think that the rise in interest in

hockey which is up 61% over the entire continent here over last year it's a different series and whatnot and it was cable television. But it is up, and I think that is really because of visibility. Because guys are going on main ESPN, because Barstool Sports is aggregating, because shows like ours, because of our platform and because of what's happening locally,

is you're seeing an increase in the base. And they can do that. Pat showed you what he can do with the NHL. Stephen H. shows you what he can do with the NFL and Dak Prescott and all that. The NBA. The NBA, certainly, even though that's kind of leveling off, but they're going to get a ton of money. I just wish they did it for the other sports because sports are great. Look what sports has done to us. This, if we win, will be remembered as a great time in our lives or the worst. Hey folks, it's Mike Ryan. I'm talking to you all the time about game time. Well, which comes as no surprise to you that I've basically been living the worst. Game Time. One of the things that I love so much about this app is the all in pricing feature.

You just click that little feature on the top right of your app and it shows you all the prices upfront. No surprise fees at checkout. You also get to see seat views. You get a panoramic view from your seat on the app before you buy. Lowest price guarantee. Game Time will credit you 110% of the difference and their customer service folks is second to none. So please take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. That's what I do. Download the Game Time app, create an account, use code Dan for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.

Again, create an account and redeem code D-A-N for $20 off your first purchase. Download Game Time today. Last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed. An action packed fight card is taken over Las Vegas for UFC 303 Alex Beheda versus Yuri Prohaska 2 in the main event. And then we've got T-City Brian Ortega versus Diego Lopez in the co-main event. Jump in on all the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sports betting partner of the UFC. And speaking of amazing, if you're new to DraftKings Sportsbook the official sports betting partner of the UFC. And speaking of amazing if you're new to DraftKings listen up new customers bet just five bucks

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This is the bet you're afraid of doubling down on? Putting up a billboard in Edmonton? Stugats! I care more about Matthew Kachuck than I do my daughter. This is the Don LeBathardt Show with the Stugats! ["The Stugats!" theme music plays.] If you're just joining us, you have missed Mike Bryan calling Greg Cody an idiot twice

Greg Cody pal three times and Also, you've missed Greg Cody come pretty close to saying Dan Marino is overrated and that Jeremy Tesche isn't a journalist It's been an eventful morning. It's been aggressive the Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody We're all in a bad place. Wait till there's a game set up. No, Dan, stop. Well, they might win an overtime tonight, so you don't have to worry about it.

You guys will have a good weekend, and you can stop worrying about everything, even though I think the worry is what makes it so goddamn great. Like it really does, it makes it more special, but some people don't agree with that. Zaslow did leave in genuine disgust. He's going to be on ESPN Radio at noon. I don't know if he's got any more for Greg Cody. He might have some more for Greg Cody. He'll be on ESPN Radio at noon.

Greg, how do you think all of that went with Zaslow? His disgust and his disdain are legitimate. He has been for many years texting me when you've written some column that says the Marlins should get Otani. He always sends me those columns that have a headline of yours that's a little bit obvious. How was your time with Zaslow? What is your general appraisal of how things have gone here today? I don't have a problem with Zaslow because he's not pretending what he is or isn't. He was wearing a Sam Bennett shirt. He's obviously a Homer, Panthers fan and that's fine. He's respectful of me.

He's never called me an idiot to my face. I have no problem with Zaslow. I don't know what you're doing with this dismissive fan fan thing right now. Like I get what you're doing. You're trying to, I'm a journalist, you all are fans. I like. There isn't, I'm better than you in the journalism. But you've seen how Stephen A walks into the arena, right? Like given that we're, yes.

Well, he's not a journalist. The journalist often thinks he is better than the, he or she is better than the fan, correct. And holding up one of the dumbest hockey takes in a long time is just, it's just a rich juxtaposition of like looking down at fans while giving that take. My own son doesn't know it and so I'm gonna remind him, me saying Conor McDavid is overrated was predicated

100% on the fact that he's never won a Stanley Cup. If the unthinkable happens and he's the one raising the Stanley Cup, he will have caught up in his ninth year to expectations and hype. Okay? One of the reasons though I would argue that, one of the reasons though I would argue that one of the many reasons I would argue that that is not The greatest of takes is that Connor McDavid will be no better of a player if he? Loses tonight than if he wins the next two games like he that's a Stu gots take to say hey

He's overrated show me your rings in a box, but you as a journalist Greg Greg, should be able to dive deeper into what Connor McDavid is able to do on the ice and have that impact regardless of his team's success. If he scores six goals tonight and loses seven-six, he will be no less of a player because he did not win the championship. Sure. And Dan Marino is no less of a player because he never won a Super Bowl. That's not the way history judges sports and athletes. But journalists should help us untangle the nuance in history.

That's their job. It's fans who don't do that. I think, I believe... He's explaining to you how to be a journalist, Greg. Yeah, I understand. Falling into his trap. Come on, man. I understand that.

He's right there, right in front of your eyes. Look, that's a very good point. I understand that he's right there right in front of our eyes look That's a very good point Dan lebatard used to be a journalist. He's not anymore He's a professional yodeler now. That's right Now you distracted me. Oh, no. No, I believe in the macro of that historical weight given to championships I believe in the macro of that historical weight given to championships. I believe in it. But you don't disagree with my assessment that I just said. You do understand how silly it is to say that McDavid is overrated if he scores six goals tonight, loses seven six,

and therefore does not have a championship. Okay. No, no. I still stand by my opinion. The challenge tonight we should issue as a South Florida show. We've talked plenty of McDavid. The challenge is for who PK Subban said is the best defensive forward in the league, a guy that should have the Selke Award to himself for the next eight years or so. Sasha Barkov, the captain that has been throughout this,

he's been here throughout this entire identity crisis of this franchise. That is the challenge. It is clear to novice hockey fans how good 97 is, to how special he is, the attributes in skating that you've never seen before in your entire life. The challenge is on the best defensive forward going right now to stop that. The challenge is on Gustav Forsling who's the greatest waiver claim in the history of the sport. Let me say that again. Gustav Forsling greatest waiver claim in the history of the sport and I

don't think it's particularly close. Went from stop to stop. People quit on him. He finds his way here, develops himself into the plus minus points leader in the league with one of the best plus minuses in the history of the NHL. The league's been around for a long time. They have an opportunity to do something that no opposing team has ever done in Edmonton and that's lift Lord Stanley. The Oilers have only been in the NHL since 1980. Since then they are tied for the most Stanley Cup championships. This is the Boston Celtics of our lifetimes in that sport. They had 99. They had the greatest player. They traded them. They won another.

They've been on hard times just like we have. It's to go in that insane asylum today made even more crazy by coverage and calling out players and the fact that they were down written off left for dead 3-0 they're going to be insane but I've also watched that team plenty and if you score first that bill then gets the entire air taken out of it and that is a monumental challenge and that is what journalists will be writing their articles about but for as great as 97 is Sasha Barkov needs to meet it. You say that and I would stop you on this and I would say I'm good with Barkov and McDavid

playing to a push on wherever it is that greatness resides and I would like Reinhardt to score a goal in front of the net or for Hagee to do something or the waves of Panthers that I have watched over the course of this season win the game in the third period because Barkov has played McDavid to a tie or Barkov has played McDavid to, I'm a little less good than you because you're an immortal and it's okay that I'm a little less good than you.

Look at, let me show you my nine other friends here. I'm the captain of this team. We traded for some of these because we were playing a different kind of hockey before and I could use something from some of these other Panthers that have been a little quiet this series. Matthew Kachuck, welcome to the series. Amazing play, way to lead.

That is the exact effort that we need tonight. Paul Maurice, there is so much on the line for him. He could be one of the sport's greatest losers. He could be one of the sport's greatest losers if he fails to win this cup. It'll be remembered as such, like yeah, of course. Oh yeah, I told you yesterday, 1942, that's not a real year. No one's ever actually come back from 3-0 down.

And I gotta live it back to back years. Ted Williams left baseball. Ted Williams left baseball that year to become a fighter pilot. Do you know how, in a war, there was a world war going on. I wanna celebrate tonight with my friends that have been there throughout this entire journey. I wanna throw alcohol all over the bar.

I wanna go to the Grove after. I want to have a pool party on Saturday. I want to sing Red Hot Chili Peppers at a concert on Sunday. I don't want to be here dressed like Sting rationalizing throughout the entire weekend. Well same pressure on us. We got one game on our home ice and if I told you that before the series you'd take it. No, I wouldn't No, I would anything could happen in a game Now they're both gonna be playing tight saying no, I don't want to be doing that. I've had my suffering I've embarrassed myself on this show and I'm done

Please guys. I'm begging you right now. I'm gonna be wearing a Rhino like ski cap today because I'm a be wearing a Rhino ski cap today because I'm a goof about this stuff. I need it in the worst way. Please, oh please, oh please, I'm desperate for this. Just make the effort, meet the moment, and I'm pretty sure this team will win. I hope.

Anything can happen in any game. Why do we only say that for game seven? Such a good point. Such a dumb saying. And they always say, there's the two best words in sports. That'll be the worst two words. God. Unless you win, then it's the best two words retroactively.

There's no game seven if we win. Lord Stanley is the best two words in sports. You guys know a Stanley Cup final's never gone to overtime in a game seven. Put it on the poll. Oh my God, why would you say that out loud? At LeBittard's show. Jinks, take it back. You don't believe in the jinx, that's okay.

This isn't about jinx, we've amplified that. This is about credibility and the plight of the Panther fan, which is similar to the plight of the actual Florida Panther. We are few. They have written us off for dead. Endangered. We need this. We need this. We need this to actually ring eternal.

We need this for credibility. I don't want to be a joke. I don't want to be remembered for this show. I hate it. Best two words in sports, put it on the poll at LeBatard Show. Game seven or Lord Stanley because I think you're going to lose there. I think people are going show, game seven or Lord Stanley because I think you're gonna lose there. I think people are gonna choose game seven. I do want though to, the people who were gathered tonight in Sunrise around the arena, in the arena because it'll be full watching this.

There is this wonderful region of South Florida that has cared about this franchise, this hockey team for a long time And this is the best obviously that it has ever felt what they're headed into tonight though I cannot I cannot overstate this part of it when Mike talks about the history of the Edmonton Oilers Okay, Canada cares deeply about hockey and the Edmonton Oilers as a franchise played it better more hockey and the Edmonton Oilers as a franchise played it better more dynastically than anyone in the last 50 years. Now I may have my time wrong on some of this stuff I think I got some of the World War timing wrong on Ted Williams but when Edmonton was great at hockey Edmonton as a town became known

throughout North America. Even as we headed into this series, there were plenty of South Floridians asking, where's Edmonton, where the Oilers play? Is it in Texas? Where's Edmonton? Oilers, where are the Oilers? Edmonton is known, I don't even know what I'd say is second place on, what do you associate Edmonton with?

It's 80s hockey. Like, what else, what is second place on what? When the regional hockey islanders and oilers is that that was the 80s when the regional identity stuff makes a play in sports Edmonton as a region is going to be hellfire for its team tonight because this stuff's been passed down from grandpappy. because this stuff's been passed down from grandpappy. Like, hey, this is what our town is. We did three shows trying to find a singular Panther fan. You step out of your front door, it hits you in the face over there. Every home in Edmonton has some sort of identity it links to this hockey team

because it's how that city gets shown to the world for 50 years and they haven't won in hockey and now they've got the best player and they're on the cusp of coming back from down 3-0. I just looked up what is Edmonton known for? The West Edmonton Mall. So it turns out where both of these teams are from are known for malls, Sawgrass Mills

and West Edmonton Mall, amazing. Except here here what surrounds us is alligators in swamp there it's every child is a hockey fan from birth that's right every single child from birth everybody who is in that building has put that has had that put in the crib since a child that you're in edmonton oiler that's who they got to take it from that's why it's so cool you gotta go up there and you gotta take it from the best player in the country that invented the sport and in a city that identifies with the sport it's the hardest leaping thing and it's going to go to overtime come on boys and there's never been a game seven

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