The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: Nude In The Name Of Leadership (feat. Nick Wright)

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

"America is under threat-" Nick Wright is the best in the business and after being gifted chocolates and a hammer, he's ready to dish out takes on topics across the NFL and demand a 'thank you' from Josh Allen. Also, Mike goes apoplectic on Dan for his reputational assassination of the legend that is Mario Cristobal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Medcan. Live well for life. Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. 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. 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. Grateful for Nick Wright's time. He's very busy. He's got a very popular television show. And what is he smiling about?

Because what do you? You're just always, the intros are always so kind. And then I leave the interview, you know, usually mad at you. And so it's just a nice emotional roller coaster. But thank you for having me on, Dan. Happy New Year. I've got some chocolates from you guys and a hammer. I literally just got it this morning.

It was a New Year's President. It's January 14th, but I appreciate it all the same. Thank you. Let's speed him up. I want to get as much sports stuff from him because it's going crazy out there. And he's the best going right now at Sports Opinion. Let's begin with the legacy of Aaron Rogers. Tom Brady has won a playoff game more recently than Aaron Rogers.

Yeah, listen, I think that when you are one of the, the four most talented players in the history of your position, and you end up, you know, around, I don't know, the ninth or tenth best player in the history of your position, it is a compliment to say you underachieved. And I think you saw on the back, during his final, what is likely his final game in the NFL, some of the stuff that made him not that guy in the biggest spots

where he was making it clear to, the entire world. Mistakes were made, but they were not my mistakes wearing his disgust on his face. And also, D.K. Metcalf drops a pass, so he ices him out of the game plan for a couple of hours. It's odd to be one of the 10 greatest players in the history of your sport at your position and still have underachieved, but I think that's what he did. Is that quick enough? Yes, bang, bang, bang. It's a good start. It's a good start. No, I don't want, I want you to give me what you got and I don't think I'm going to have very many follow-ups, but we want to bang through this as fast as we can here and give as much nutrients as we possibly can. So Mike Tomlin's

career postseason record is 8 and 11, a 421 winning percentage. It's 23 out of 25 coaches with at least 15 playoff games. Since 2011, he's 3 and 10 in the playoffs, and he's lost to Tebow and Blake Bordles. Tomlin, give me what you got. I would analogize it to if bunch of people like left your show and then like you had a big coaching tree and then they all failed and then it was people were like sad and levitard what's he doing when in reality it's a compliment it's they only got that platform because of the high tide raising boats I I think Mike Tomlin got and I don't know where they can you buy Emmys on eBay now I think they got to the playoffs

with less than playoff caliber teams because of Tomlin's inherent excellence at getting the most, you know, juice from the squeeze. And then once the playoffs begun and you played actual good teams, they got clocked repeatedly. With that said, he's not blameless because I do think over the last half decade the priority shifted from winning Super Bowl 7 to guaranteeing you had the best chance to not be below 5. 500. In 2019, at the tail end of Big Ben, he got hurt three games into the year. They're 0 and 3, and they trade a first round pick for who? Miami's Minka Fitzpatrick. That year, not only was Burrow and Herbert at the top of the draft, but Jordan. We've lost your audio, Nick. We've lost your audio there. What never happened to me. That's blame Jeremy. That couldn't be me. That has to be on your guys end. Okay. We like accountability.

Did you guys? You're back. We just lost the last, the very, the last couple of sentences of what you said. Very quickly, sorry, don't count this against my time. 2019, they trade away their first round pick to add Minka Fitzpatrick, even though Big Ben's out for the year because they want to find a way to get to eight wins. They do. They don't have a first round pick when Burrow Herbert at the top of the draft, Jordan Love at the tail end of round one,

a team that had a quarterback but looked ahead. Jalen Hertz, the beginning of round two, a team that had just signed Carson Went. And then even this past year, when you sign, a 41-year-old quarterback, you know that's not a long-term plan. Fine, so be it. But in the first round, and I'm not a huge Jackson Dart or Tyler Shuck guy, but they don't draft a quarterback there. Instead, they drafted D-Lineman. It felt like near the end they were prioritizing high floor rather than high ceiling, and I think that got in his way. But I think he is a great, great head coach. And I also think he's likely going to be a colleague of mine at Fox.

So welcome to the team, Mike. You use the phrase toward the end, and I've gathered from your commentary, although I haven't heard you say it plainly, that you think Lamar Jackson is toward the end, that whatever it is that is going on with Lamar Jackson, we've seen his best play, and it's no longer prime Lamar Jackson that we're ever going to see again. Do I have you? Am I misrepresenting you? You're not misrepresenting me. Toward the end is maybe further than I would go. But do I think Lamar Jackson is likely to ever reach the peaks he has already reached? No. Do I think that a Lamar Jackson, I know he has these gaudy passing numbers, and the numbers are the numbers.

But do I believe, having watched the NFL, that some of Lamar Jackson's efficiency and excellence passing the ball is a byproduct of teams being so afraid correctly, what he can do running the ball. And therefore, if moving forward, he's more like he was this year than in previous years where he's simply not a real threat as a runner, he's going to see more complex, more difficult passing game looks,

and that could hurt his productivity. You also add to the fact that he has missed at least a quarter of the season, in three of the last five years, you also add to the fact that he wants, understandable, a top of market brand new, fully guaranteed $60 plus million a year deal. I think their best chance to win a Super Bowl was January of 2024 hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game, and they might have done it, but Justin Tucker demanded to get warmed up in Kelsey and Mahomes' practice era. and it's all been downhill from there.

Hey Nick, this is a bit off subject, but I'm wondering how hard you're working behind the scenes to finagle an invitation to Travis and Taylor's wedding. Not working behind the scenes on that at all. I would imagine our mutual friend, Adam Lefco, will be invited. I've always been tried to be very clear about this. I am friendly with Travis. I love Travis as a football player. a football player and I also think he's the greatest tight end ever but Travis and I do not have the extent of our personal relationship is in the past we had had an annual meeting in mid-February

in Kansas City at a parade that was always held and then we'd go get drunk afterwards that's the extent of it so I don't think I'm in the wedding party circle now if Patrick we're getting married I think maybe I'd get invitation but Patrick has been married for a long time as a beautiful family, wonderful wife and children. Put it on the poll, please. Best Tight End ever, Kelsey or Grunk at Lebitard Show. Explain to me what's going on with OKC and the Spurs. Well, listen, I think that it would have been a five-alarm fire for OKC had they lost last night. They didn't.

And Shay stabilized. And I think that that is a unique matchup for OKC because OKC is a unique matchup for OKC because OKC is a lot of inherent advantages over most of the excellent teams in the league but one of them is because of their youth and their depth they can just send wave after wave of excellent defender at you that's going to wear you down and by midway through the third quarter most teams are like ah next game's probably going to be easier because of the the wimby chet rivalry that wimby has created out of thin air there can only be one super tall skinny guy um they they play with an edge and they have the youth in the depth to where they are not going to wear down.

I need to see Wimby play, you know, 50 games-ish in a row to where I have confidence that they are a real contender. But that is a, that is the first tough matchup that OKC has. But I just remind everyone, five of the last six champions, midway through or early on in the year they were defending their title, everyone thought that team's obviously repeating. And not only did none repeat, none got back to the finals, none got back to the conference finals, and the only one that's even been back to a conference finals, forget the year after at any point post-championship run is, of course, the championship we don't count LeBron James is in the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers.

We'll get to LeBron in a second, but what do you have for Nick Wright's as? The Packers winner, the Bears lose. Oh, okay, sorry, I didn't understand. questions as you had six words you stumbled over two of them but i've translated it um the packers lost calib's sensational and special but that is an unfathomable loss for the packers and it's on a long list a really tough ones i thought that that was the most improbable playoff loss ever given the time and situation obviously the patriots being down 28 to 3 and a super bowl is a bigger thing but just be to have Golden score his first touchdown of the season that way. To go up 11, to have the Bears in

fourth and nine late in that game, I really did think it was almost impossible to lose that game. So I've never seen a game lost like that. So to go back a few years when everyone's golden boy, look at the arm talent. Justin Herbert had his first of what ended up being a trilogy of truly awful playoff games. And by the way, this is one where the first was the worst, meaning it was the least much of a meltdown for Herbert. All he did was below a 27-0 lead and make zero plays. Who knew the sequel? He'd throw more picks in a game that he did in his whole season and in the trilogy one He would simply just be like I'm not throwing the ball and score three points, but I'm remiss In part of that comeback, the Jags had four second-half possessions

scored four touchdowns the Jags had to be perfect every possession The Bears were down 21 to three through a pick had a possession where they gained two yards and allowed a touchdown and still came back and the Packers never turned it over the Packers had the ball eight times after going up 21 to 3 never turned it over and lost I didn't it is I've never seen a comeback like that and I don't think this is year over year sustainable but as far as for the rest of this post season there is something to the fact that

trailing by double digits with five minutes left this season. Every team but the Bears has three wins and 159 losses. And the Bears, trailing by double digits with five minutes or left, have three wins and three losses. For everyone else in the sport, it's a 2% chance of victory. For the Bears, it's a 50-50 shot. They're the only team that can trail by 10 entering the fourth quarter this weekend and feel okay about it.

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gaming ink don lebatard football football football football football football football football football football stugats this is the don lebatar show with the stugats who you got in the nanny you guys I'm going you guys I got you guys I got I had you guys overall miss. There was part of, I was very conflicted. And I actually said this, um, on the TV show. I have personal relationships to Miami. Most notably this show, but really Mike Ryan specifically, because I know he lives and dies with it.

Levitart, I think used to care about the Cains. And then he was like, I'm a big J journalist. I can't care about anything. And then he's like, wait, all the money is in doing Miami heat rants. So maybe I should lean back into the fact that my football. team's good. Did I get the timeline right? I'm not sure. Regardless. So I was rude and a couple of the producers on our TV show are Miami grads, including the world's greatest social media producer Gianna Sanchez who really lives and dies with it. I also wanted Lane Kiffin to it really

to stick to him. I really liked the idea of Ole Miss. He leaves Ole Miss because you can't win a championship there and then they win the championship. So in that game I was conflicted but I like your guys' chances. game I'm not conflicted at all. I like Kurt Signetti and his amazing coaching job and his squad of super senior 27 year olds. However, I like when the U is rolling. I like when Michael Irvin accidentally reveals he has washboard eight-pack abs. I like Ivis. I've never done cocaine, but I imagine I'd like that. So I'm going for the canes. Greg, what do you have for Nick Wright. Hey, Nick, America is under threat of a Denver-Seattle Super Bowl. I wonder if you

see a super team this year. Is there anybody in the NFL that's an extraordinary all-round team? No, listen, the super team decided they'd, you know, take the season off, sadly, and not make their fourth straight Super Bowl. I think Seattle's the best team. But when literally every single person involved in watching or covering the NFL, their biggest concern about your team is, is your quarterback going to melt in a big spot? It feels like that team's never going to be the consensus favorite. Denver, I give Denver credit, they won 14 games.

I don't fully believe in them. I think Buffalo has the superhero. The Rams are the best team, but have had some odd, you know, end of games, losses, and that Panther game, they weren't actually all that impressive. But no, much like 2007, I've told this before, but I'll do it very quickly. 2007, Tom Brady takes the field trying to become the greatest single-season team ever. The 07 Patriots go for his fourth Super Bowl.

They don't win that game. He tears his ACL in 2008, 2024, 25, the exact same scenario for Patrick Mahomes. The 2008 postseason was a weird one. We got the nine-win. Arizona Cardinals playing a Steelers team that nobody thought was really exceptional. I wonder if 2025 is going to be similar in its weirdness. With that said, my Super Bowl pick is not a weird one. It's Rams Bills.

It's the two best quarterbacks in the tournament. Wow, you have Josh Allen going on the road and doing that. Yeah. That's a lot of faith in the best player in the tournament. Agreed. And can I say something about that? You didn't even ask me. I want to say something.

Nor do you care. Whether I say yes or no, you can say something about that. You're going to say it. Yeah, go ahead. This is, and I, this is, this is, this is not a shot as, as much as it is a compliment to myself. These folks that wanted to preemptively lower the stakes for Josh Allen in the wild card game as a way to either ingratiate themselves to the ball knowers or to be, or to, or to, make it clear that no, you know, the only a Neanderthal would think that an all-time great quarterback has pressure on him when he's in the wildcard round in Jacksonville. They actually

were doing Josh Allen a disservice. And those of us that said, he has to find a way to win in this spot, even though the Jags are really good, we're doing him a service. You know why? because the stakes were high, that 40-yard seed to Brandon Cook's trailing in the fourth quarter with two minutes left become an iconic moment in his career. If it doesn't matter if you win or lose, if it's like, well, we all know he's great, so who cares, then that play is meaningless. The fact that three post-seasons in a row, Josh Allen had the ball in his hands down either three or four points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter and two years ago didn't come through team got zero points last year didn't come through team got 17 yards and this year did come through team got a

touchdown and it was such a fade of complete that the analysis was they should have stopped trying to score briefly to give Jacksonville less time that's the way you become a legend is doing legendary moments when the stakes are high so I say all that, say this. You're welcome, Josh Allen, for the pressure. It is a privilege, and this is how you become an all-time great. Not because someone's like their run defense. I got to listen to my guy, Dominique, and others, be like,

have you seen the bills run defense? Guys, they've got the rushing champ, the best offensive line in football, and a top five pass defense, and, oh, yeah, by the way, Josh Allen. They should be awesome. I completely agree. I love watching him in these moments, too, because you know exactly what's coming. calling players. You got to keep it in his hands. And I think, you know, I know you're a chiefs guy and and maybe some of the knock will be, well, he had to wait until guys like Lamar and Burrow and

Mahomes were out of the playoffs to do it. But the point was brought up on CBS that he actually is the reason a lot of those guys aren't in the postseason right now because he beat them in the regular season in huge games in retrospect. Well, so listen, I also think this whole, the pressure's on Josh because that truce. trio is out is bullshit. The pressure's on Josh because Mahomes is out. Joe Burrow, everyone acting like, oh man, got to take advantage of Joe Burrow not being in the playoffs. He's never in the playoffs. He's been in the playoffs twice ever. Like Joe, we should be, the story should be, wow, Joe Burroughs in the playoffs, not, wow, Joe Burroughs not in the playoffs. And Lamar is the one prior to

the winning against Jacksonville. Lamar's. the one at the current starting quarterback in the league, Josh had beaten in the playoffs and he was two and oh against him. Josh was not worried about the Ravens showing up to the playoffs and the Bengals showing up to the playoffs is a surprise to everyone. It is an opportunity because why are we showing robots kicking people? Why wouldn't we? It's in the nuts. Why wouldn't we do that? Why wouldn't we do that? I don't even know what I'm watching. Oh, a guy, the robot has to do what the guy does. He's controlling the robot. How did he get it right away? I was so confused. And then the robot mimics his reaction to getting kicked.

I'm sorry the video team interrupted you with their nonsense. You were saying. No, I'm just saying there, listen, it, there will be no, I also thought that CBS broadcast, I thought they, when they're like, now don't you go say, you're, no, you're good, buddy, you're my guy. Don't you go say that there's an asterisk on this because the chief, nobody is, that nobody puts an asterisk on championships unless LeBron. wins them. We all know that.

There is no NFL champion asteris since the strike season. And I don't even know if that's an asterisk, because if I asked this Emmy winning crew, when were the strike seasons in the NFL, they're going to go 0 for 100. And so when was it? When was it? This is not an Emmy winning crew. I'm an Emmy winning. Okay.

When was it? When was the strike season? The last three years for me. Okay. Well done. He's the host of FS1's first things first. He's got to get out of here. And what's right?

with Nick Wright, the podcast. Thank you, sir. Appreciate the arrogance. Hold on. Hold on. As always. 90 seconds. I know I have a hard out,

but you said we were going to get to something we didn't get to. Throw Mike Ryan on the mic. No pun intended. Hey, Mike Ryan. LeBron James, All-Star at 50. Have you seen him since he let that streak go? He's been really good.

Maybe Zaz was on to something. The streak was holding him down since he's been a top 10 player in the league. See you guys. What's going on there? He's got the hard out. He tells me he's got the hard out. We try and get him out in the heart out. Then he yells.

I had to get a brawn take in. Hey, I got a hard out. But I got a guy. The guy had 31, 10, and 9 last night. Nice little role player. Since he turned 41, he's been great. You guys out here, his slander in his name.

Robin. Mike thinks it's the worst take that you've ever had. He's like to be an ulcer at 50, dude. Okay. Well, here's the thing. It will much like the last time I was on this show or the second of last time, there is a real tough argument strategy of trying.

of trying to prove hypotheticals incorrect. I think we can check the archives to see how that goes for others. Notre Dame should be champs. There is, there, if LeBron is an All-Star every game of his career, I guess we'll never know if he'd be an All-Star. We have to wrap. Five, four, see you guys.

All right. See you later. See you later, Nick. Now, he is a bit of a content machine, so he's allowed us. There are a number of things that I want to get to that he spoke about. But I first want to go to Greg Cody and how poorly at this point in his career he wants to do the things that we have asked him to do. Now, this is an incredibly poor recreation of the Don Bailey Jr., famous iconic billboard that I believe outside of the Copper Tone ad is the second most famous billboard in the history.

Yeah, there you go. But this is what we're trying to recreate. Look at those ebbs. And this is what we have. Let's take my dad now. He's not even on a carpet. No, I don't know what you're doing. I genuinely had no idea what Greg was trying to do.

Greg, you're supposed to be on a carpet and you're supposed to be a little bit looking nude. You just look like you're in repose. Like, what are you doing? You didn't, you got shoes on. You might be nude under that. That's what I think we're going for. You got shoes on. You didn't recreate the waist down.

Keep the shoes on a rug. I don't know what he's doing. We don't know what you're doing, Greg. We're advertising a flooring company. On a couch. Cody flooring. We sell retrograde flooring, mostly linoleum and Chattahoochee. Greg.

Greg, you're saved it with Chattahoochee. Anolium is a tough word. Don't you try it then. I'll stop you. Thank you. You're supposed to be on the carpet, though. You're supposed to be selling. I'm on a carpet.

Talking to the mic. Even there, he does it. I'm on a carpet. Greg, can you do this? You went back to it? Can you do this a little better, please? I'd like to go to you at the end of the segment and have the recreation be a little better than this.

If you don't mind. Get nude. What if I do mind? Gotcha. If you want Keynes talk, I'll be on Kane's Insight. All right. Well, speaking of which, thank you. There's another.

You're talking to Josh Pate and Brooks Austin. I believe we'll go live at 145. Mike started. Yatu Sabi. That was a joke you were supposed to make 20 minutes ago. Yatu Sabi. It's supposed to be in the tone of that kind of thing. Yatu savi.

I'm saying you know it. Oh, is it? I thought it was that kind of thing. Oh, whatever. The pingo You guys are really ruining this whole week for me Sorry, Mike I'm sorry, we haven't done enough you on

We haven't Don Lebertard You owe me everything You owe me everything You have added 10 years to my career This man has You haven't Who the hell are you?

Stugats I am Who the thing? Bullshit Me! You're a rude young man. You're a fool. You're a fool.

I already called you a fool. You can't call me. You're an idiot again. It's a fool of. You're an idiot twice. You're an idiot for dismissing how much I've helped you. This is the Dan Lebatar show with the Stugats. Slow everything down for just a second.

Josh Allen has the most playoff wins, eight, without a Super Bowl appearance in NFL history. That's amazing. Yes, that is amazing. why I said it. I would also please execute for me by the end of this segment. I'd like to go to the visual of Greg doing that a little bit better than he just... He doesn't want to. I got it, and I don't care. How about you do it, Levitart? Not a bad idea, actually. You know what? Not a bad idea. Let's start the next segment. You know what? I'll allow you to boss me around here, okay? Thank you. And I will show you. You love a costume. No, it's not a costume. I'm going to be

nude. And, and that you would think that that would be embarrassing to me, and it will be. But I will do it in the name of leadership to show Greg Cody how it is to help the show, because the show should come first, not Greg Cody. He doesn't understand that. He thinks Greg Cody should always come first. Damn right. So Mike posted this on threads, okay?

Mike Ryan is going to do, I hope Mike Ryan is doing hours and hours of Cain's exclusive content on his platform with D-Money and an assortment of others. tell people, Mike, where it is that if they want more cane stuff, if there's not enough cane stuff here, you have said here on the show this week and it's early. You've said, Bleep Billy Corbyn, you've said that this show is not viewed as pro-Miamy. You've said you're not emotional. This is what you posted on threads. I didn't think anybody would see it because it was on threads. That's immediate defensiveness right there from Mike because I... Yeah, yeah. This was like about four TSL's deep. All right. So this is the quote that Mike Ryan, who says he's not emotional. This is what he put on threads. Didn't think anyone would see it on the public platform of threats. It's threats. Quote, you haven't been tested. Our minds, bodies, and spirits have been in hell since Halloween. You're walking into an asylum. The same folks picking you have been pouring dirt on our grave for two and a half months. We're still standing. We're forged in fire and been fighting for our lives longer than you've mattered. see you in a week. Spot the goddamn ball. All right. I stand by it.

It wasn't as drunk sounding as I feared. You're threatening Indiana. That's right. You're telling them, spot the ball. Spot the ball, please. Inspirational. Spot the ball, please. I think it's being discounted how Miami's had to fight for its life,

has had to fight to prove that they deserve to be in this tournament. And they've been living on that edge and playing with that edge for damn near half a football season. I think it matters. And you want to play against an Alabama team that didn't really belong being there, that lost FSU, and a lame duck Oregon coaching staff that internally is probably pretty mad at the coaches that are leaving because that game playing was shit. Let's go to Miami Garden and spot the goddamn ball. So in the name of game analysis, and there are a couple of other things that I want to get to here, this is a bit of an oversimplification, but not exactly.

Okay, I actually think the hardest games Miami had, and this seems asinine, given that they were a nine and a half point favorite against Ohio State, but because of playing style and circumstance and playing on the road, I actually think that Texas A&M and Ole Miss were more difficult games in terms of style matchups than Ohio State, because Ohio State was going to try and out physical Miami, and I don't believe Miami can be out physical. Now, Miami did play its best game of the season against Ohio State. State. It's what was required, and it's what they summoned. The game they played against Ole Miss after that was a letdown game. They played really, really poorly against Ole Miss. But the only way they lose against Indiana is with turnovers. If they play the game they play against Ohio State, they will drag Indiana if they play. Now, it's their best game of the season, but it's what I'm measuring them against. I'm expecting their best game. And admitted that's a dangerous thing to expect when Mario Cristobal is your coach reputational. Reputationally, expecting Mario Cristoball's team to play the best game in the biggest moment

that doesn't have any of the undisciplined sloppiness in it. What are you talking about? No, you know that's the reputational. Yeah, but you're the ones making the reputation. Reputation. I'm not making the reputation. Miami always gets up for the big games. Always.

Mike, Cristobal. Mario Cristobal teams always get up for the big games. What are you talking about? Mike. What is the big. game. No, no, no, Dan. Reputational. Don't talk to me about something that's made up. What are the big games

that Mario, I am mad now. What are the big, name them. Name them. What are the big games that a Mario Crystal ball team has not shown up for? I am waiting. Okay, now, I am waiting. Okay, all right, Mike, quit being, quit being an asshole. I am waiting. No, no, no, no, quit being. Are you calling me an asshole?

Because I'm calling you out on your bullshit? Answer the question. Spot the goddamn ball. Name a game. Name a game. Name a big game that a Mario Cristobal team has not shown up. Oh, no, no, you don't just make it louder. This is bullshit. You can just lie on the microphone? He's had two months of big games, and the team has shown up.

And you're talking to me about a reputation? Guess who's making the reputation up? Dan Lebitard. Tell me the big game that a Mario Cristobal coach team has not shown up for since he's been at Miami. I double dog, dare you. Leave. I don't know.

Leave because I'm not going to be interrupted again, so just leave. Childish. It is a good rhetorical trick that he's doing. Aren't you supposed to be naked because you already showed your ass? It's a good rhetorical trick, right? Because it's like until this year they didn't earn their way into any big games. So, just by the standards of this show that has evidently made Mario Cristobal's reputation, Jonathan Zaslow proclaimed before a game this season that the hurricanes were back,

the expectations were back that everything was fixed and there would only be disappointment if they did not go undefeated. They lost their next big game against Louisville. It was the next game that they lost after Zaslow said this. Syracuse and Georgia Tech at the end of last season were big games for the conference championship. Right, that's what I would point at. And so they haven't played in that many big games. They beat Ohio State in the big game that they played. Notre Dame to start the season.

And Notre Dame and Texas A&M recently. He has helped erase some of the reputation that he had that I did not give him. I was not the one who gave him that reputation. That's not me doing that. That's me being anti-Maiami, according to him, who posts on threads this morning expecting no one to see it. Spatha Gah, I'm all. Bleep Billy Corbyn. What did he say about the mind's bodies and spirits?

Yeah, well, I'll read it again because he says he's not emotional. I mean, the reputation comes from before he got to Mike. He didn't get that reputation at Miami. And then Georgia Tech. He hasn't actually played in that many big games. But he had before, man, Trista was here before the playoff started and simply shrugging her shoulders and saying, Christopal always loses here. This is not something he's going to win. One of the worst takes in the last few weeks.

So quote from Threads this morning, you haven't been tested. Are you speaking directly to Indiana? Or maybe he's speaking to Signetti or all the... I think he's talking to the defensive coordinator from Indiana. I think he's talking to all the Indiana players who are older than Mike. You haven't been tested. Our minds and bodies and spirits have been in hell since Halloween. You're walking into an asylum.

The same folks picking you have been pouring dirt on our grave for two and a half months. We're still standing. We're forged in fire. And have been fighting for our lives longer than you've mattered. See you in a week. Spot the goddamn fall. You get Ray Lewis to. read that and I get goosebumps.

I'm not going to, like, I know maybe coming from Mike's threads that doesn't mean anything. That he didn't want seen by anybody. But man, hell. That's a good idea. Hell since Halloween. Who can we get to read that? Well, Edron James would have been good. Oh. Let's just invite Cains

here and see who will read it. Just hurry up and get me any kind, get me any Cain right now to read that and we'll see if we can do it better than Mike. We'll see how long it'll take us to get a cane. It's like the lineup and usual suspects where they have to read

what the witness said. Like they all try it. We see who sounds the best. And just going back for a second, Dan, just some clarification that I'm looking for so that I can make sure our HR people know. We have watched one of our employees get changed and you are telling an employee to get naked, but if he doesn't get naked, you're going to get naked from everyone.

I'll lead the way on this. I'll have to lead the way. Just wanted to make sure. Greg, you can come on in here because you didn't do what we asked you to out there. So you can come right back in here if you want. Now you're even less useful visually than you were before. Do you have anything for us here? What did you think about this exchange between me and Mike Ryan? I tended to agree with Mike, if I'm being perfectly honest. I think Mario gets a bad continuing rap based on the end of the Georgia Tech game two years ago. I don't know what we're focusing on. All that matters is that the Keynes have played must-win games for

about the last couple of months and won all of them. And I think the then-controversial CFP decision to put Miami in over Notre Dame has absolutely been justified with neon flashing. I don't think it's in dispute that Chris Wall gets a bad rap, but that is the reputation.

It might be a bad rap, but that is the reputation. You're the ones making it up. Historically, unless it's Kyle Whittingham, and sure, I heard someone make Syracuse a big game that, I guess that tracks. Georgia Tech wasn't. It was just a loss. But he went to Columbus with O'Reilly.

in big-time matchups against marquee opponents, when people say that team has more talent than you, Miami teams show up. Even if they fall short, Miami teams show up. They don't get played off. The last time this team lost a game by more than seven points was 2023. What has he done to earn this reputation? Because I'm looking at the pro column of the wins and the games that his team show up in. He just won a Fiescible in which you could actually accuse his team of coming out sloppy.

and flat. He wins these games and if he doesn't win the games, he plays within the margins and it's a close one or two possession game at the very end. What is this reputation? Do we follow the sport? Is ESPN doing this? Is this a PTI Mike Wilbon special? Yes. What is the reputation? It's just not rooted in fact. It's not. It's baseless. If anything, his reputation should be the opposite of what is being said. I think that because you are of the program, you are not hearing, surprisingly to me, that Mario Cristobald's coaching has been questioned at every point except until the last three games. It's been consistently questioned until the last three games. And it's not me doing it, Mike. It's me hearing it everywhere.

Like, I said reputationally purposefully there thinking it might soften you some. How'd that go for me? Look, it used to be that you had to go undefeated to make it to the college football playoff, like in the ACC. And so when each of the last few years, you and everyone else around the program have been saying, look at this Miami team, they're more talented than everybody around them, look at the recruiting, look at the recruiting, look at the recruiting. So did we! When you then don't go undefeated and you lose games to teams like Syracuse, when you had an opportunity to potentially make the playoff or even your own conference championship games,

that is something that could be considered not showing up for big games. They've won the last several in a row against great teams. And like if you want to say Mario Chrysabal will occasionally lose the dumb one, I agree. If you want to still poke holes in his game day management, sure. But the reputation of a Mario Cristobal coach team at Miami not showing up for a big game against a marquee opponent, that is not just, oh, wait, let me give you some other evidence. It is flatly, objectively false.

and his reputation should be, this team always shows up for the big ones. You would say that's why it took such offense because it's not just not the truth. It is the exact opposite of what is the truth. It is ignorant to say that. What's funny about what you're saying there, and they did win the last one. But good Lord, if they'd lost the last one, like if they just, if it's a pass interference at the end and they lose, he'd have that reputation right now, right now if they'd lost that one. Yeah.

Happy New Year, everybody. 2026 is already getting off to an incredible start because you want to know how I rang in the new year? It was with a bunch of friends in a Dallas hotel lobby bar ordering a bunch of Miller Lights because that's how you do it. That's how you make special memories. Miller Light has been by my side and many special football memories this year. And hopefully we get to write a few more memories with Miller Light. Some of my most legendary moments have started that exact same way. A buddy's house, a lobby bar.

a game, no big plan. And then you crack open a Miller Lite. You take a sip and you look around and you immediately recognize that you made the right call. Legendary moments start with Miller Light. 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, 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Thank you.