The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: "Insights" Into Excellence

Episode Date: October 29, 2025

"You ever heard anybody say 'did you see last night's episode of NCIS?'" NBC and Amazon Prime are the future because they're avoiding the distant past and feeling like the future by telling you abo...ut the recent past as opposed to predicting the future from the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Now streaming on Paramount Plus is the epic return of Mayor of Kingstown. Warden? You know who I am. Starring Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner. I swear in these walls. Emmy Award winner Edie Falco. You're an ex-con who ran this place for years. And now, now you can't do that. And BAFTA award winner Lenny James.
Starting point is 00:00:20 You're about to have a plague of outsiders descend on your town. Let me tell you this. It's going to be consequences. Mayor of Kingstown, new season now streaming on Paramount Plus. Welcome to the big suey, presented by Draft Kings. Why are you listening to this show? The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan Lebitard podcast. I'm sorry, I'm not going to apologize for that.
Starting point is 00:00:43 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 habit. Bet you a liar. This episode of the Dan Levitart show is presented by Draft Kings. Draft Kings, the crown is yours.
Starting point is 00:01:06 We are on the Draft Kings Network Monday through Friday, 11 to 2 p.m. You can also catch us on YouTube, obviously, Samsung TV Plus, the Roku channel, Vizio, watch-free plus, and there are many, many more. Peacock, NBC Sports Now, that's Monday through Friday, 12 to 3, and also Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Sirius XM Channel 85 as well. continuing to add more and more networking possibilities. What are you shaking your head about? I mean...
Starting point is 00:01:36 Wow, look at us, man. We're everywhere. Hey, number one podcasts on Apple this morning when I checked. That is, I think we should get imaging for that. That we are number one on Wednesday mornings when you checked. That's right. Number one sports podcast. I saw something driving to the airport the other day. Someone's going to have to help me with this.
Starting point is 00:01:53 There was a billboard. And I think the podcast's name was only in Miami. I'm not sure. The billboard said, number one podcast in Miami. me. And I'm like, that can't be right. Because that's me. Us. I know you think it's you, but it's us.
Starting point is 00:02:07 I was doing Dan Levitart. I know you were. I know you were doing Dan Levitart. Don't do another penalty, all right? You've done so much. But that can't be right. How can you say you're the number one podcast in Miami when you're not? I mean, you can say whatever you want.
Starting point is 00:02:21 Thank you, Zas. Oh, that's false advertising. No, it's not. Have you seen? You can do that. You aware of what's going on in the world right now? So everybody can just lie to your face? No rules.
Starting point is 00:02:32 Presses are down 600%. Okay, so no rules. You can just say whatever you want. I mean, I see CBS all the time. They say NCIS is the number one watch show in the country. I don't know anyone who watches that show. Well, but wait a minute. Dan, have you ever heard a single person say, did you see this week's episode of NCIS?
Starting point is 00:02:47 It's a good question. I always assume it's old white people in the Midwest. That's, I mean, that's what Yellowstone was doing. It's their slogan, CBS. Put it on the poll at Levitard show. Should CBS's slogan be? old white people in the Midwest. Yes or no. The things that I wanted to talk to you guys about today before we get started in earnest, one of them is Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan talking,
Starting point is 00:03:16 this has been received how because a pre-taped interview that Mike Tariko did before the season that is going to run all season and be insights into excellence and is just old guy saying in my day, I played all the minutes. I think it's been received pretty positively. Well, this is just Michael Jordan getting applause for an opinion. Amina is shaking his head, no. I don't know what you guys are doing. The segment is called Insights into Excellence, not Insights into Oh, my elbow hurts.
Starting point is 00:03:50 I need to sit down for two weeks. Excellence. He is excellence, and he's giving us his insights into it. That's it. That's the segment. What are you guys surging for? More and better. Better than Michael Jordan? Look, I can understand one and more. Better than Michael George. I did better.
Starting point is 00:04:10 And also, more, you know what they say? You leave them one and more. This is show business, kid. Wake up. I don't want more of this. What? You're lying. Not more of this. You're lying. No, more of this I don't want. More of a taped interview. Moking a taped interview all season is not what I want. Would you feel better about it? if he had different clothes on, and it seemed like a different day. Yeah, that would help.
Starting point is 00:04:32 I probably would. If you change the locale once in a while, you know what? It's an excellent production note by you. Yes, that would help so that I'm like, so that later in this season, when they're giving me the last drivel that they haven't already given me, generally speaking, when someone sits down with Michael
Starting point is 00:04:48 Jordan or anyone for an hour, what you get is the three best minutes. Here, you're going to get the whole hour. You're going to get everything he and Tariko talked about, spliced out over time so that by the finals, there's nothing left but Michael Jordan giving you clichés because they had to give you the best stuff early. So here's Michael Jordan giving you the most predictable position possible about load management. Everyone's going to applaud this.
Starting point is 00:05:14 Play as much as Michael Jordan does. I never wanted to miss a game because it was an opportunity to prove. It was something that I felt like the fans are there that watch me play. I want to impress that guy way up on top who probably worked his ass off to get a ticket or to get money to buy the ticket. You really cared about the guy who sat in the top deck at the palace in Auburn Hills to watch you when you came to Detroit? Yeah, because I know he's probably yelling at me. I want to shut him up. He's calling all kinds of names. I definitely want to shut him up. You have a duty that if they're wanting to see you and as an entertainer, I want to show, right? So if the guys are coming to watch me and play, I don't want to miss that opportunity. Now, I have,
Starting point is 00:05:55 physically, if I can't do it, then I can't do it. But physically, if I can do it, and I just don't feel like doing it, that's a whole different lens. You want more and better than that? He just told you that the guy in the back row of the Palson-Alvern Hills worked hard, hard for his money to buy that ticket. And so he owes him a duty to go out there and shut him the hell up because he's still Michael Jordan.
Starting point is 00:06:21 I love that. And he holds grudges. I love it when I go to a concert and they're like, hey, we see you up. There, yeah! Has everybody in the 300-level doing? Dan, Michael Jordan was 40 years old in his last year. He played in all 82 games for a bad Wizards team. He's allowed to talk like this.
Starting point is 00:06:38 You look at it stats. He played 82 games every year. Zaz, and you know what happened in that last season? The Wizards led the league in road attendance. In road attendance, right? The number one team, not Shaq and Kobe Lakers, not Alan Ivers, and Sixers, not the Knicks who have a million Nick fans in every
Starting point is 00:06:59 city. The number one road attraction that season was the Washington Wizards. You know why? Rip Hamilton. Because the best player ever was retiring. Because you knew Michael Jordan was going to play. Because he's going to play and he was devoted to giving everyone in that arena
Starting point is 00:07:15 insights into excellence. I did enjoy him pivoting from the softer if someone worked hard and paid their money to watch me play, I want to entertain that person. And then when Tariko asked the follow-up, he's like, and shut that person up. What I actually wanted to do is, I didn't want to hear anything from up there anymore because he's fueled by rage still. That's a great job by Mike Tariko.
Starting point is 00:07:38 This is a good job in humanizing someone who's a part of NBA lore, right, who has built up a certain era of mystery around him. And it helps the entire segment because when he speaks, it has gravity has weight to it because of who he is. He, Tariko, identifies, hey, this is a, this is something that humanizes you. This is something that has you thinking about the common man. Let me stay here and further ingratiate you to our audience. Amazing job. Two straight weeks where he's appeared to be human and then he pulled the rug and showed us, I'm still Michael Jordan. And I love that, right? I love it. I don't want to. Fake. Clicay, no cliche. I don't want to get to know my heroes. Let him just be
Starting point is 00:08:21 a mythological character. But the other thing, Dan, which I think he's doing a great job of and NBC's doing a great job of, is it's not what, I guess, and I love the T&T guys, but the T&T brand of nostalgia which is, everything sucks, we're better, these guys who do better. He never puts it in the context of right now.
Starting point is 00:08:36 He just says, why did you play all those games? Because I felt like I had to. Not like none like these soft guys. He just said, because I had to in the same way where he said, would you want to play if you could still He said, man, I wish I could take a pill and come back and put on the shorts and play again so that I can measure myself against what other people consider greatness.
Starting point is 00:08:56 Again, on the surface, it sounds like he just wants to play again, guys. He's a good analyst. Yeah, he wants to compete. But reality underneath is he's letting you know, amen. I want to see. You think I think this is good? What other people consider greatness. Exactly.
Starting point is 00:09:12 As Jayadande eloquently said, that is the pregame layup line of shade for Michael Jordan. I think we're in a place where saturating the market with coverage is a good thing for the NBA. People were starved. Peacock and Amazon are doing a great job. They're doing a fantastic job. And look, ESPN is upgraded by bringing in the Turner guys. I mean, the rest of their coverage could learn a little bit from that. But it also kind of shines a light on how bad NBA coverage has been over the last 20 years.
Starting point is 00:09:40 I mean, you have an apples-to-apples comparison with Eudanus Haslam right now. And he's just totally been unlocked by Amazon. Amazon. He's really good. And it really, someone with like, thinks a little bit like a producer, makes me really disappointed in what the NBA producers have done over at ESPN, wasting talents like this because you watch you, Don is Hazem on Amazon. You're like, wow, ESPN could have used this guy. This was a frustration of both David Stern and Adam Silver that ESPN could never get right. Never mind that you can't be inside the NBA. Nobody can be inside the NBA. But they could never actually get right the thing that you're talking about, which is just simply,
Starting point is 00:10:18 for example, unlocking Eudanus Haslam. I enjoyed Janus against Brunson and the Knicks so much last night, and it was different. It felt different than what I'm used to with my broadcast, and usually, most things are so familiar in sports than when something's different, there's almost an initial visceral reaction to, I don't like that better. It's too different. I noticed the difference in the broadcast and I appreciated last night specifically just on a random Tuesday night, Janice and Brunson watching the end of the game
Starting point is 00:10:54 and it feeling different than all the other broadcasts I've been watching for 20 years. Yeah, I mean, there's a couple of things. I told Mike before the show it is production because I remember going to do SportsCenter and when you're about to do SportsCenter, they say, hey, we need you for the 9 o'clock show, your hits around 9.30, be there by 915.
Starting point is 00:11:13 You're in the green room. Now, when I'm in the green room and they're NFL guys, the producers will come downstairs and sit with these guys for up to 30 minutes sometimes. Watching film. Oh, should we use this clip? What about this? What are you seeing in this cover tube?
Starting point is 00:11:28 Like, actual analysis that they're trying to produce for the segment. For me and for other NBA analysts, it's not just me. It was Tim Legler. It was everyone else who did NBA. You just get a bunch of really wrote questions about, hey what do you think the Knicks need to do to get over it like it was just no no investment in it
Starting point is 00:11:47 and it goes back to dan the i've talked about this before the thumb of the commissioner roger goddell is on ESPN's ass to get to get their stuff but so silver and stern one too no no still stern was yes silver hasn't been not not in the way the direct and blunt way the NFL and the old NBA was and i think that's a big reason why the new people came in and they're like, oh, dad wants it this way. He's not gonna like make a big show about it, but we kind of got the vibes of the way they feel about ESPN. They wanted to be done a certain way.
Starting point is 00:12:23 And the curious thing about it is the two networks are doing it in different ways. As we said, NBC, play nostalgia, right? But not a nostalgia of this thing stinks. It's just like, hey, this is cool. This is all part of the same tapestry. So Bob Costas doing monologues for both of those games, last time, immediately up the value, immediately.
Starting point is 00:12:43 It went from just, okay, there's a game on to, ooh, oh my God, what are the stakes here? The Knicks and the Bucks and the Bucks? Whoa, they were big, both good in the 70s, and now they're good again, and, like, it sets everything up for you. Man, it's weird. I learned last night that the Warriors have the third most titles behind Boston and L.A. Like, I know that conceptually, but it, like, it shocked me hearing Costa say that, but that's what those things are for to drum up those emotions.
Starting point is 00:13:10 while Amazon is like, we're going into the future. The court lights up under them. And Taylor Rooks is over there in the corner and there's a circle around there. And they're doing it a different way. Not better, not where it's just different, but they're all a higher production value and a higher level of care from the production than the predecessors. It's such a great point that Amazon feels like it's moving into the future. Like you're watching these guys break down the game.
Starting point is 00:13:36 And so what's great about it is when you have, it's Blake Griffin who adds his fun personality to it and Dirk and Steve Nash and Eudonis Haslam and these guys who have a taste of what the previous era of basketball was but can explain to you how basketball is changing with not just X's and O's that you're watching on the screen and you know you're seeing people circle stuff on the screen and break things down the way that at the best of moments on ESPN they've done with Tim Legler it's not a film breakdown in that way it's them standing on a physical court with shadows underneath them as they set up what a team's offense looks like. And to see these guys not pitted against each other in some sort of debate where they're
Starting point is 00:14:19 talking about what's going to happen with Janus's future in a game that doesn't even involve Janus, they're actually just breaking down the game. So when you go into that game or you come back from halftime, you actually have a better understanding of what you're watching. And when you can watch something and feel informed, that's when it's the most. most fun to be able to watch. Oh, the football season. Cruel beast.
Starting point is 00:14:45 Sometimes it gives. Sometimes it rips away. Sometimes you got good times. Sometimes you got bad times. But one thing that'll always lift your spirit is making it Miller time. Because game day just hits different with Miller light in your hand. 50 years of great taste, simple ingredients, and an iconic golden color that you can spot from across the room. It's a real eye catcher, folks.
Starting point is 00:15:09 And here's the kicker, just 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. The original light beer since 1975, and still hitting different five decades later. So, whatever your game day looks like, remember Miller Time is always a good time. Miller Lite, great taste, 96 calories. Go to Miller Lite.com slash Dan to 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,
Starting point is 00:15:39 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Mike Ryan here want to talk to you about the official ticketing partner of the Dan Lebitard show, Game Time. That's right. The Game Time app gives the advantage back to fans. It's a hack for unlocking amazing tickets and experiences in just a few taps. It's incredibly easy to use. I use it often. And the game time guarantee means that you can trust you'll get 100% authentic tickets on time and at the best price.
Starting point is 00:16:07 Plus fees are always included So what you see is what you pay They're not tricking you folks Zone deals, favorites Painteramic seat views The low price guarantee They're on parallel ticket coverage Which means your purchase is covered
Starting point is 00:16:22 With the most flexible customer service policy In the ticketing industry I can go on and on Take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with GameTime Download the GameTime app Create an account and use code Dan For $20 off your first purchase Terms apply, again, create an account, and redeem code D-A-N for $20 off.
Starting point is 00:16:43 Swipe, tap, Ticket, go. Download the GameTime app today. Don Lebertard. While I was gone, a third Zagaki was born, and I think I heard, correct me if I'm wrong here. Jeremy trying to partake in a fourth Zagaki, and I am here for a future where I am surrounded by a chorus of clucking Zagaki. Stugats. You know what it means when you have four Zagaki?
Starting point is 00:17:07 He's dead. You don't have one. This is the Dan Lebatar show with the Stugats. What Jeremy is describing, ladies and gentlemen, is a lot of broadcasts. They want to go to predictive. Who's going to win? Who's going to do this? Who's going to do that?
Starting point is 00:17:29 Predicted. Tell the future. Tell me what's going to happen. When the customer, a lot of time, doesn't even understand what just happened. Exactly. And so those guys are taking the time and say, this is what's happening. Not just this is the play, Jeremy, but also them telling you the options, right? When Eudonis is saying, when I get here, I'm going to roll really hard because this might be my only opportunity as a role player to get the ball.
Starting point is 00:17:51 They're not going to call a place for me, right? Where Steve's telling you, I'm reading where the defender's going. If he's going under, then I'm going to take a step back and now I've got the shot. But if they try to lock and trail, I'm going to go this way. It is explaining and teaching people basketball rather than trying to predict the future. That part. That part is huge because you have analysts, you have all this new blood, guys that aren't too far removed from the game. And while TNT was the industry gold standard, they have a cast that is largely filled with guys that haven't played in 25 plus years. You know, Shaq's a guy that was most recently retired.
Starting point is 00:18:26 We haven't seen Shaq since the 20 teens. There was an evolution in the game that wasn't unlike baseball. There was a huge analytical shift to the entire sport, and you didn't have guys, God bless Kenny Smith. You didn't have guys that could actually explain what was happening in the nuances of the game, and you don't realize that you start for it until you start getting those options. Mike, you know what's weird? It's not that they couldn't or didn't know how. And I can speak very confidently.
Starting point is 00:18:57 this is about Shaq, maybe not Charles, probably not okay, but definitely with Shaq. He understood the new way of playing. I tell the story all the time. The year the Warriors won their first title, 2014-15, I saw him in Phoenix, and he said to me, who do you think is going to win it all? So who do you think is going to win all, Bigfellarly? He said, no one's beating them light-skinned boys out of Golden State. That's what he said to me.
Starting point is 00:19:17 He said, they're going to, this was like in January or February, he said this. So, and now on TV, everyone would be like, Shaq says, you shoot too many threes, give it to the big man. But in reality, Shaq's like, no, that's how basketball is played. And then he pulls out his phone. He shows me his son Sharif, who at the time was a sophomore in high school, 6-9, everything he was doing was perimeter shooting through. He's like, I'm teaching him everything facing the basket because the way I played doesn't apply anymore. He knew this.
Starting point is 00:19:44 But when Shaq goes on air, he feels a responsibility to defend his era and the way we did it was better. And Charles, I think, actually feels that way. And Kenny, you know, Kenny gives his analysis, but he's not going to push back too hard. on the other two and that's how you get a broadcast that says everything now stinks and everything the way we did it was so much better can you guys look up for me uh when it was that uh kenny joined charles and i i want to go through the evolution of that pretty sure Kenny was first so uh yes so forgive me ernie and charles end up joining what was ernie and Kenny, correct? It was Ernie and Kenny, and then they add Charles, and then
Starting point is 00:20:25 many years later they add Shaq, and Shaq, even though he's a mumbler, he's an entertainer, Shaq ends up fitting in a way that doesn't disrupt that show too much. But the thing that I wanted to talk to you guys about, because I've seen three of these guys locally, now
Starting point is 00:20:41 try and make this change, we're talking about in Udonis Haslam, Dwayne Wade, and Jason Taylor. Okay, the three of them and their playing careers and are now searching for the thing that they want to do next and they pour themselves with the same intensity that they poured themselves into being great the previous 20 years at sports they're like i want to do this as a broadcaster now and
Starting point is 00:21:08 be great at it jason taylor goes to ESPN realizes after a year nope not for me don't want to do this i don't even remember jason taylor don't want to fly up here stand on a spot and get these silly questions that are not entertaining to me, not interesting to me. I'm not going to become a great broadcaster here. Shane Batier, same sort of thing, struggled with it, trying to find their voice after retiring, but really pouring themselves into the same work ethic that they applied to sports. They're now applying to what is the realization, oh, I've got the rest of my life to live. So Jason Taylor says, nope, I'm going to coaching, and now is going to be a head coach somewhere, is doing it the hardest way. You never see a Hall of Fame coach deciding to be a
Starting point is 00:21:49 defensive line coach on a college team. That's not a normal thing. So Jason Taylor has chosen his path. Duane Wade, broadcasting, eh. He liked it, did some of it, but has bigger power moves in play. The interesting one to me is Udana's Haslam because he has been unlocked by Amazon. And when I saw him on first take in a suit, right? In a suit and tie, I was like, eh, that doesn't feel like Udonis Haslam.
Starting point is 00:22:16 suit and tie all buttoned up and like playing within confines and he was limited trying to do first take did his best but now clearly has the space and is super serious about being good at it so he is going to be good at it and is already leaps and bounds better than he was 18 months ago he's excellent and I know he's not only a local legend but he's a friend of the show but can we call him a fraud already you Donis has him because you remember his last season We had him on the show.
Starting point is 00:22:47 We asked him, so what's X? You're going to do media? He's like, oh, he acted like we spat in his face to say dual media. And now all of a sudden the guy loves a camera, loves a microphone. You just called Shaq a fraud. No, I didn't. I did. I did not call Shaq a fraud.
Starting point is 00:23:03 You said that on television he was saying, you got to play my way. But in private, he was saying those light skin boys are going to win the championship. You said that. You said that. You said that. I didn't say the word fraud. I don't think anything he was doing was fraud. I think Shaq feels a responsibility.
Starting point is 00:23:18 That is the definition of fraudulism. Let's say one thing behind the scenes and the opposite thing on television. Sometimes you've got to do the right thing in one place and the right thing somewhere else. It's different things that can both be right, Dan. Those both can't be right. Yes again. Classic damn, put him words in your mouth. Don't let them do it.
Starting point is 00:23:35 Those things can't be both right. Either you play the way Shaq does or you play the way the Warriors do. You can't play both of those ways. Those are two different ways of playing. You called him a showman, not a fraud. Cleaning up what you asked before. Inside the NBA began in 89. Ernie Johnson started hosting in 90. Kenny Smith joined him in 98, Barkley in 2000, Shaq in 2011. You've seen on television the growth of that show. And adding Shaq was the ingredient that was most turbulent possibilities. And they navigated it and became an even better show because of the size and weight of everything that Shaq is doing. and how often it seems like while Charles and him are fighting,
Starting point is 00:24:19 they also love each other, but they might also come to blows over arguing about things the way that brothers and friends do. It's a pretty balls move adding shack because the show was already considered all-time great. And then they're just adding Shaq in there. That's a move. It took a minute.
Starting point is 00:24:39 Well, yeah, he wasn't great the first year. No, he wasn't like he was serious and I think... It was a lot of mumbling. It was good production. I'm sure the other guys on the cast were like, let's lean into this friction. Let's lean into you being a goof because when you do things, it's funnier than when anybody else does things. And then he found his role. But it did take a – I would say it took a couple of seasons.
Starting point is 00:25:00 By the way, Shaq had to have joined after 2011. He was still in the NBA at that point, like a couple years after that. But okay, yeah. The fourth seat was kind of – they tried a lot of – they tried Magic, if you remember. Before Magic with the ESPN, he was on that. Was Chris Weber on? Chris Weber was on that as well. You know, they try different names
Starting point is 00:25:17 They've had Magic Johnson at one point Reggie Miller Yeah, Steve Warren as well He was really good I thought he brought a lot of props This time I'll penalize myself Yeah, get out of there No, that's okay
Starting point is 00:25:27 You don't have to penalize yourself I'll do it Wow Minor penalty Two minutes for verbal diarrhea And you can You can get an extra penalty here as well minor penalty two minutes for not listening to the show
Starting point is 00:25:47 but then ultimately what we're talking about with all of this is the power of production and that people believe all I need is names just saw some names on and that's it and it'll be awesome everyone's going to watch that's been ESPN's approach to doing countdown for years whether it was Bill Simmons at one point
Starting point is 00:26:13 whether it was Magic Johnson I remember having a conversation with a ESPN producer when I was on my rocket ship going to the moon sports station's going great the jump is going great highly questionable is going great
Starting point is 00:26:26 everyone loves to me and I'm like so when do you think I'll get to be on countdown you know maybe it's like a day where everyone wanted the day off or whatever I'm not a regular but just one time and the producer who's a friend said never and I said what I was so shocked by how blunt and straightforward
Starting point is 00:26:41 and my producer said, I had to fight, fight to get Jalen Rose on and to get Tracy McGrady on and Chaunty Billups on because they said, oh, well, these guys aren't Hall of Famers, right? And other than Chaunty, they haven't won championships. Had to fight, fight, and those guys are good, right? But Scotty Pippen was a green light the whole way because Scott Vibbon's six rings.
Starting point is 00:27:07 It doesn't matter if he doesn't say a single thing that's interesting and in sight. was terrible he's scotty pippin that's an okay what's chauncey up to these days uh he was terrible he was really bad scotty pippin uh amine will tell you i don't know what can be told about pablo and what you're doing for tomorrow's episode of pablo troy finds up but since zaz is asking about uh what's chancy billups up to these days you guys are going to update in a way that's exclusive and uh pablo is dominating this space uh this is going to be a pod that has a lot of a Again, thorough information no one else has, correct?
Starting point is 00:27:44 Yes. So, again, we started investigating this with a July episode back. It was about Malik Beasley, but it was a lot about this peripheral characters here. Right before that announcement happened, as I told you the other day, the earlier that week, we knew these indictments were coming. We knew who was getting indicted, right? So we actually were supposed to record that week and then ended up getting postponed because we knew Cash Patel was going to do his dog. pony show. And so we ended up recording it at a later date. And so tomorrow, the fruits of our labors, which is going to be a deep dive in the connective tissue, the connective tissue that is
Starting point is 00:28:24 going to bring the light how all of these different cases, whether it's Chante Porter, whether it's Terry Rozier, whether it's Chauncey Billups, whether it's Damon Jones. They're all connected. They feel disparate, but they all have a connection point. And that's what we're going to go in depth on. I urge you also to listen to Pablo Tori finds out where John Skipper and David Samson do the latest episode of the sporting class. A lot of really good information there. David Samson and John Skipper cover sports business with Pablo better than I've heard on any sports podcast. So Pablo Tori finds out it dropped it like two o'clock in the morning that one for the insomniacs out there. And tomorrow's episode is another one where he's got
Starting point is 00:29:07 more terrain that he is covering with Amin and others that just others have not been able to do. Pablo is lapping the NBA media when it comes to a lot of his coverage. Because Dan, we're not chasing tidbits of information or factoids of things that are about to happen. What we're chasing is tangible evidence, documents, testimony, evidence that even provided by some people unwittingly. That's what the hallmark of the reporting has been, at least on the things that I've worked on with Pablo. And every time, there's stuff that I know going in, and there's always stuff that I get shocked and surprised by. And guess what? Tomorrow, I'm shocked and surprised by something.
Starting point is 00:29:51 And there is a Miami reference in it. So stay tuned. Pablo Tori finds out tomorrow at noon is when that one is dropping. We'll have Pablo on to talk about it. Don Lebertard. What is the worst part of the life? Stugats. The worst part of the life of what?
Starting point is 00:30:11 This is the Dan Levitar show with the Stugats. We were talking before about Amazon and how futuristic it is. We're trying to keep up with Amazon by taking tape-recorded calls from listeners. That's how we try to keep up in the future with Amazon. Amazon. The telephone numbers 305-486-GOTS. 305-486-4689. It's the Boost Mobile hot take line. And it's presented by Boost Mobile, the newest 5G network in the country. You guys are such fat, slob, indoor kids, that Andrew Luck riding a bike to work is totally unbelievable to all of you. We as a human society, we breathe too much. Cornhole. No thanks.
Starting point is 00:31:05 Dave Damashch has made me hate the Pittsburgh accent, more than the Boston accent. Jeremy looks like the kind of guy who brings his own helmet when he goes to rent a segue. You know, based on his recent poker losses plus the NBA investigation, you guys should probably just refer to Nick Wright as the fish going forward. Adam Silver looks like an end zone pylon. Alex Rodriguez looks like a bronze statue of Alex Rodriguez. Anyone who chooses blue raspbears, their favorite jolly ranch or flavor, needs to figure things out better. Jonathan Taylor sounds like a forefather.
Starting point is 00:31:43 Does Jonathan Zaslow look like a magical thumb that grants wishes? There's not one deep pass out there, da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-no-one to hear our prayer. Two-a-two-two-a-two-you-can throw the deep, but won't somebody help us chase the dolphins curse away? Two or two or two You can't throw the deep ball Won't somebody help A chase the dolphins curse away Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
Starting point is 00:32:27 We could have edited out the last 25 seconds of that and not lost very much. Put it on the poll at Lebitard show. Cornhole, no thanks. Yes or no? Who says that? And also does A-Rod look like a bronze statue of A-Rod? Spot on. I'm looking forward to the documentary that's coming out at the beginning of November, HBO Max, Alex versus A-Rod.
Starting point is 00:32:53 I would be curious, though, how much he had. control over the content. You'll be able to figure out pretty early on by watching it whether or not he was controlling the content or not. I would recommend to everyone listening to this. I'll actually tell you guys a story that I have not told before that was wildly interesting to watch happen in real time with Arod. Billy Corbyn and Rock Entour, they only make good documentaries. They don't make any other kind. And they went behind the scenes. Have you seen this documentary? Okay, you really should watch it. It was about what a clown show steroids was in baseball when it ran through Ryan Braun and Mani Ramirez and A-Rod and how it was all these strip malls in South
Starting point is 00:33:36 Florida and tanning salons that were just basically fueling these $100 million contracts. And ESPN did this with Billy Corbin and Rock on Tour. They had a documentary about A-Rod, and it's got all the dirt. But A-Rod was an employee. of ESPN at the time. So the documentary just went away. It's no longer on ESPN, no longer going to be made by ESPN just because AROD was an employee at ESPN. And thankfully, they didn't just kill it because they could have just kept it and thrown it in a closet, but they allowed it to get made. Can you guys get me the name of the documentary? It's worth watching. I'm guessing it'll be better. If Arod had any creative control over the one on max,
Starting point is 00:34:24 It will not be as interesting as this one was, which didn't have A-Rod in it, but took you through the dirt of Miami and how, just what a clown show. You guys think this FBI stuff and this NBA investigation stuff is stupid? You should have seen how far behind Major League Baseball was on steroids and how poorly they investigated the stuff that changed their entire sport. Billy Corbyn got into the thicket of that. Get me the name of that documentary. Yeah, screwball. Thank you. And it's just, it's really excellent. and I recommend it to everyone who's listening here. Can you also get me, Chris, the useless sound montage,
Starting point is 00:34:58 because we have gone too long in the week without getting to all of the useless sound from the football weekend, and I want to unleash that on the unsuspecting public. Probably one of the worst experiences I've had in terms of waking up. First, congratulations to the Green Bay Packers on a victorious performance.
Starting point is 00:35:22 You know, Sundays, man, these things you can be humbled, and today was one of those days. You mean, the process is the process. It seemed to be more cosmetic than anything, a tail of two halves right there. Before you can learn how to consistently win, you have to learn how not to lose. I mean, we're all, man. Coaches included. They stuffed us pretty good. They stuff was pretty good up front.
Starting point is 00:35:39 I love Finnish. I preach finish. We have a lot of experience bouncing back from bad plays, to be honest. We were not good on a lot of aspects of football today. This is a good football team. Talking about us that did not play very well today. We know the reality in this league that you can lose. multiple games in the row because of the parody of this league and the good players and the teams and the coaches.
Starting point is 00:35:56 What was your overall message? This is sort of the swag. I think we got to continue to flow over to the next week's game. The way I understood it was it was a Benadryl type situation. Different attitude, different energy, finishing plays. Really, it was more how in terms of how we do things. I don't think he took Benadryl. I don't know what he took. I wasn't very good today. I don't think Fluse thinks he was very good today. Clayton doesn't think he was good, very, very good today.
Starting point is 00:36:20 We made the points when they counted, so the good team win. This is a game of players making plays, you know, especially in crucial times. There's some good moments and some not so good moments. In football, it's always us, all of us. We just simply got to get a lot better in a lot of areas in all areas, but some really specific areas. I think someone needs to step up and lead the group. I have a lot of trust and faith in them, and it didn't work out. I'm not going to get any particulars, though, with it.
Starting point is 00:36:45 A lot of frustration along the sideline, my message to the group is this is one game right here. He was a beast. He was a man possessed. I know the value of being a two-dimensional offense. That field-flipping play on third down, we laid the ball up to him, he made a catch and run. I thought it was a significant component of the texture of the second half. Anytime you win in the National Football League, it's a, you know, it's a good win. Good teams, they look at it, they look in the mirror. Adversity is a good thing.
Starting point is 00:37:08 They did a nice job today, and we did not do a well job today. You know, we just need some guys to step up. I'm not going to sit here and name names. We just need you guys to step up. We can't settle for field goals versus good people. The preparation piece had to be where it needed to be. We will look at this film. We will take it and correct the things that need to be corrected
Starting point is 00:37:22 and write the ship based on the things that we've been doing. I feel like I've heard and seen it all. The outcomes of the game is much different, in my opinion, if all three phases aren't working in concert at that point. I would say that was one of the better team wins that we've had in all three phases. Steel flipping tight plays were significant plays. There were catalysts for drive engineering,
Starting point is 00:37:44 the two touchdown drives or whatever in the third quarter. It seems like by the end of these. last two games you've not been moving wonderfully thank you do you want to race mac jones becoming a secret star in these laughing at his own jokes delighted with his own giggling can your quarterback laugh like that put it on the poll at lebitard show can your quarterback laugh like that not if his name is mccorkel I've got a number of different things to promote here over the next couple of days, but before I do that, did you guys see or read the quotes from Tom Aspinall's dad?
Starting point is 00:38:30 Because the no contest that ended the UFC fight in a really disappointing fashion, the details have gotten worse. If you saw what it is that we showed you, which was Aspinall with a finger in his eye, knuckle deep in his eye. An eye gouge ended the UFC heavyweight fight and it was hard to watch and now literally
Starting point is 00:38:58 hard to watch is anything that Tom Aspenhall is doing because his father says he's got no vision in his left eye, none, can't see anything out of his left eye and the other one's a little bit gray too and so they
Starting point is 00:39:13 seem super concerned never mind about the career of Tom Aspinall, which would be secondary to the idea of you never go into a UFC fight calculating the dangers and think that blindness is going to end up being what you end up fearing in the hospital afterwards. So those quotes were just, when I read them, I'm like, oh, my God, this guy is such a good champion, such a good fighter, and could not have thought that that fight would end up going that way. the no contest is one kind of disappointing but then to have that where the fear involved with I can't see stuff out of one eye and the other eye's kind of great too
Starting point is 00:39:52 it's just horrifying. That's always one of the things I'm squeamish about in like movies when dudes are fighting and you know usually it's a guy who's being choked and his way to get out of the choking is he then pushes in your eyeballs you know like yeah I always
Starting point is 00:40:08 have to look away at really gross it makes me want to puke Let's advertise a couple of the things that we've got going on this week. Amin was talking about the costume that he will be wearing tomorrow night when we go to the Miller Light watch party. Miami and Baltimore are playing the Thursday night game, and we're really excited about this. When it's a block party, we've never been to Kendall this way. We've never done anything like this this way. We're looking forward to being with our Miami fans in an open space here,
Starting point is 00:40:37 and we're going to have a costume contest, $1,500 to the board. best costume. And also, tomorrow night, we haven't even talked about the World Series yet, that had to feel, feel good for Vlad Guerrero last night, to hit it specifically off of Shohay, to like, okay, big guy, I've hit everything hard this entire postseason. I've got seven home runs. I'm kind of great, too, to take a two-one pitch from Shohay to, when they needed Shoah last night, to stay out of the bullpen, the Blue Jays tie that series. Jeremy, tomorrow night is going to throw a watch party on YouTube with an assortment of guests.
Starting point is 00:41:13 Pitch clock live is basically what you're doing, right? Absolutely. And even better news, it's actually tonight. You don't have to wait. Game 5 is tonight, and we're going to be doing a watch-along on YouTube. Myself, Chris Cody. Ethan's going to have some trivia games ready for us. You might see June Lee. You'll probably see Arm Layton.
Starting point is 00:41:31 You might see Marlins broadcasters. Maybe David Samson. Probably Adnan Verk. These are the answers that we've. gotten from these folks, including, hey, Jane Levy, she'll be there at intermission of damn Yankees because she accidentally bought tickets before she figured out it was going to be Game 5 of the World Series. All those names and more celebrating baseball game 5 tonight as the winner has a 64% chance of winning the entire World Series. It is a genuine World Series, right? This
Starting point is 00:42:00 feels like a more genuine World Series than all the other World Series that have been played before it because you've got an American team, you've got a Canadian team, and you've got stars that are Japanese in it. I know that world championship is often what we say in the NBA, and it is because the world is playing in the NBA. But this is the first world series that feels like a general, this feels most like a world series given that you've got Japan, Canada. Japan and Canada probably care about this more than America does. The moments last night were a Canadian-born Dominican hitting a home. Homer off of a Japanese legend, and then Andres Jimenez, a Venezuelan guy who came through the
Starting point is 00:42:40 Dominican Republic at the New York Mets Academy singling to advance the lead. That's the type of internationality that exists in this World Series. It has been spectacular and it has lived up to anything anyone could have hoped for it as we head into games five. This is why you're the boy toy that Jane Levy loves more than all the other boy toys she had. Thank you so much for taking the time to join me today. For you, boy toy. anything. Oh, the football season. Cruel beast.
Starting point is 00:43:10 Sometimes it gives. Sometimes it rips away. Sometimes you've got good times. Sometimes you got bad times. But one thing that'll always lift your spirit is making it Miller time. Because game day just hits different with Miller light in your hand. 50 years of great taste, simple ingredients, and that iconic golden color that you can spot from across the room. It's a real eye catcher, folks.
Starting point is 00:43:34 And here's the kicker, just 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. The original light beer since 1975, and still hitting different five decades later. So, whatever your game day looks like, remember Miller Time is always a good time. Miller Lite, great taste, 96 calories. Go to Miller Lite.com slash Dan to 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.
Starting point is 00:44:04 and 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.