The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: Questionable Jerseys & Chair Yoga + Taylor Twellman

Episode Date: August 14, 2023

Mike is wearing a questionable jersey today and Billy has started doing chair yoga. The Big10 is going to Vegas for their championship game amid an awkward situation in Iowa. Plus, AppleTV & MLS' Taylor Twellman joins the show to discuss the Leagues Cup and the Women's World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. Welcome to the big suite! Presented by Giraffe King. Why are you listening to this show? The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan Levitard 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 that 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, that face and the habitual liar. So, in my time away, I enjoyed not being dragged in the comments on social media. That was a nice vacation.

And sometimes they're helpful, sometimes they're hurtful. They've been helpful today in pointing out that really curious decision by me to wear the raised jersey. I didn't think that one through. It's definitely a choice. No, it wasn't. It wasn't. that one through. It's definitely a choice. No, it wasn't. It wasn't. It was a choice. The choice was I need shirts that are a little bit boxy here because of my current frame.

Right. And, uh, raise, it feels like an odd, I am not saying anything in solidarity with what's going on with Wander Franco. I am just happy Dan's not here so I don't have to formulate that much of an opinion on it. I saw all the, uh, you're just wearing a that much of an opinion on it. I saw all the... You're just wearing a shirt, right? That's it.

Yeah, but I'm wearing a shirt on like the worst day to wear the shirt. I feel bad that I put myself through this. I play myself. I don't have a lot on the Wander Franco stuff. The internet, if you search Wander Franco, you can get down to the bottom of it. It is a ledge and there is some pretty incriminating photos on the Wander Franco stuff. The internet, if you search Wander Franco, you can get down to the bottom of it. It is a ledge and there is some pretty incriminating photos on the internet that he was grooming a 14-year-old and

what started as Twitter, well, it's not Twitter anymore, X in your window and social media. Here say appears to be a legit media here say appears appears to be a legit controversy now as it's prompted in investigation wander Franco not playing in the meantime and a terrible day for me to be wearing this shirt. But just to be clear you're not supporting the rays in any in any way. It's a way fat. I'm just fat. Yes. Folks I'm just fat. Not supporting the rays. It's just a black shirt that you had in your closet and you're like, hey, black shirt today Yeah, first the adification got to wear the black shirt black baseball jersey boxy came back from Greece

In actual Greece not the country and I Pick the wrong shirt and what they can't see are the 11s you got on those green guys salute the you said you stepped out Hey, yes, there's key. That's as flexible as I can. I think I need to look into Cherioga. Yeah, do some Cherioga. Cherioga. Right real quick. Oh, what Cherioga looked like was just BP warm-ups. It just looked like stretching out the fingers. Show us some moves, Billy. You're in a chair right now. Well, okay. So we did, uh, what do we do? Yes, Jay? I don't remember my teacher's name right. Tell you, but we did some of some of these hand things and then we did one That was like this even over to the side

Yeah, and then we did some where we were up here. We went all the way down You breathe then you breathe down. You get to the floor. Oh, yeah Well, it was it was only a 10 minute cheer yoga class You know, I mean? I didn't do like a 60 minute class. I'm into this. Thank you. Yeah, I think this is the most efficient way to do this.

I think this is great. It's a nice feeling. It's not old. It's a lot. It's a lot. Go do stuff. It's enough to be able to casual. You do this not really to get in shape.

You do this for the social capital of being able to say in conversations I've recently gotten into yoga. No, I didn't even intend to share that with you guys today, but we ended up there. So here we are. You know what? I could have done it nothing last night or I could have done it, Cher yoga. Exactly. And I did Cher yoga. You can't be like, oh, Mike, you should go work out, but then Billy's like, oh, I did

Cher yoga and well, not like that. I'm not judging. I'm not judging. Not you. We discovered Cher yoga. But Mike works out though. That's the caveat. Mike goes goes to the gym and how's that working out for him? It's not a caveat. I'm He's wearing a race jersey and I'm gonna be depressed There's a take-o's epic. There's a other way. There's a other way. There's a shame being an exercise. Shameing our colleagues. Thank you.

I shame your exercise. Shameing anybody. It's a clear had an odd department. Billy and glad you said that because Mike I am concerned about you in oz.m.p. Yeah, well, I am reading a story right now today, this morning out of the New York Post, where someone was saying I was suicidal on O's epic. Yeah, that's the far end of some bad, I mean, look, every prescription inside of it. I'm not certain it's worth it, to be honest with you. Well, I mean, you're a good-looking guy, you're fine.

Like, people get, you know, you get fatter as you get older. It's just the way life works. I appreciate it, but I should have gained... I'm experienced. You're sure you're gonna gain 30 pounds in the time that I've been on this. It just doesn't compute in one of where I put my mind to it.

I do lose weight. I understand I've gotten yet a year older, but no, this is a legitimate side effect that I'm undergoing. And it's been worth it, by the way. Talk to your doctor, but if you go undergo the clinical depression and anxiety that I had and I tried years to avoid it and I never got the solution that I needed. Alexa Pro has been a wonder drug for me. That's just me, but it also comes with side effects like most things do.

And the unfortunate one is one that I can live with but when I run my head up against a wall and try to lose the weight that I've gained on it, I consulted a doctor and this was the choice that I landed on, it was epic. And I like to also point out that you get a lot of slack online but they don't see you behind the microphone or outside of it. I had a great bout of depression whenever I first came aboard with you guys and you were one of the only people to reach out and help me deal with that. So I salute you for trying and I always got your bad brother.

Well, I appreciate that, you, you. But for on air purposes, I'm just the vain asshole. Okay. So let's just keep it that way. Screw you for revealing that. I tried to look at your quality. Yeah, no, we don't do that. We don't do that I want to just reveal bad qualities and then lament why people hate me

That's just my my thing. You call them dicks Mike. That's why they hate you. I think I can't say that Sorry, I think it's it's I don't have a thing and I wanted to make it my thing what up dicks? You know all the great broadcasts make questionable jerseys your thing You know, all the great broadcasts. You can make questionable jerseys your thing. Quack. Yeah. That's a real bad job, that amazing. John Rocker tomorrow, what are you thinking?

There I have a band jersey section in my closet. It's just jerseys that I can never wear again. I do, but you could just give them away or throw away. I'm gonna just give away a Dishonel Watson Texan jersey. Yes, yes, yes, I gave away my spacey and space hoodie. What am I gonna give away your fandom? Dude give away the jersey like give a cleat Keller speedo or something. I have I have so when the Antonio Brown thing was funny For the Raiders you know, there was a brief window at time where it was funny. Really, really small window.

The small, very tight window. Yeah, 72 hours. Like a Nathan Rourke dart of a tight window. It's like, just when he burnt his feet. Yes. On hot like turf. Before we got into anything else. It was cryo.

There was a helmet. Oh yeah, that's right. The helmet thing, there was a brief window there where it was hilarious. And I went to an auction site and I got an autographed Raiders Antonio Brown Jersey. Thinking that this is gonna be a great gag jersey

and it's still in the wrapping. So I think raised for the time being, probably should be relegated to that part of the closet. This is in no way a stance on what's going on with the raise. It is more a stance on my physical body type right now. That is all this is. And I'm an open book and I'm just being honest with you. I picked this jersey because it's black and I'm fat. I know that. Well, yeah. Well, thank you. I will take you on this journey with me. We got to Cher yoga because I wanted to ask you about cold showers being a quick fix. And I've seen the free thinker movement tell me all the great benefits to cold plunges.

So much so that I started getting IG ads for cold plunges. And I was always told that going from hot cold hot cold is bad for you, but this. That's even missed by the way. No, that's for Pyrex dishes. I think for people, I think it's okay. Yeah, I think it's also for your dessert dinner from just horrible bosses. It's also not the free thinker movement.

It's more just like science. So. Okay, you're playing right into Sario type so you would have- I'm just telling you. I'm just telling you. The free thinker movement is just science. It's something that a free thinker would say.

Just fly. I've heard that the cold plunges and the cold showers. It does something to your vagus nerve, which reminded me that the Big Ten Championship game may move to Las Vegas. Well done. That was smooth. That is Big Ten Country.

Resident Big Ten expert. No, the same way, not really. Resident Big Ten expert, Lucy. Do you have a Vegas nerve, Lucy? No, like the nerve that makes you want to go to Vegas. Oh my god. Not the one that we all have. No, you can do 36 hours in Vegas, but once you get to hour 37, you have to leave. Would you travel to the to the depends if you're out there. By the way, same rule applies to the Atlanta airport. Yeah. Well, I will never make it. And one, I will never make it and one I what should not go to Vegas right now

That is very bad timing given yeah as someone that just displayed really bad timing It's terrible timing to announce is yeah, it's like hey, we're gonna go play our conversation with ship and Vegas By the way all of I was offensive players are betting the under on their own games Why because they were a practice? And then they saw the playbook and And then they realized, under is are the way to go. It's an odd choice. It's weird. I mean, I get it.

You want to include the new Western members of the conference. But I think the announcement, like it's not an official announcement. But right now might not be the best time. A lot of people haven't put it together, but I have been putting it together for people. How many in your lifetime? Because they've done away with divisions, how many Iowa Big Ten championships in Vegas do you think you'll actually get to experience?

Zero. Like, you're taking the under. You're taking the zero. Getting rid of divisions hurts Iowa the most probably, right? Were they in leaders or legends? We were a legend, I believe. Those were great times, by the way. Legends and leaders were awesome,

and I really think we should bring that back. But the big 10 moving the championship game is kind of a slap in the face to like its core fan base, right? Because like Indy was kind of like the iconic spot for it for so long that it was essentially located place in a like pretty good place to visit for a game. Has there ever been, it's not big. Has there ever been a good big 10 title game? What is so expensive to go to last Vegas? I will, I will last one last minute, and it was good for everyone else, but not for me. But the big 10 title game is usually flat track against someone that's headed to the play.

Well, the big 10 is boring. I mean, outside of a couple of teams, no, it's boring. Not anymore. Not anymore. Dude, when is the last big 10 game you watch? I have no Ohio State and Michigan. Where were they playing that game?

You, USC, UCLA. Okay. USC, UCLA. That's the only big 10 game you watch then I don't know, like you should have an overinflated sense of how good the big tennis is. The big house, the horseshoe, I know them all. It's the big 10.

It's boring, you know. I can't randal. I mean, it's a regional thing and i generally avoided the big ten because the the style of play is not super appealing and there always seems to be a bigger game but they've it's it's impossible to ignore now because of the teams that they brought in and that fallout boy to an issue so damn catchy yeah and you have to kind of pay attention to the big ten at this point

because we're at a place in the sport where you have to conference is pretty much that's it and the big 10 is one of them and you just have to Embrace it and you know what's to I think if you watch I Think if you watch you would have a good time in the sense of like wow This is this is weird and really uncomfortable to watch and it's so funny and I think you would love it You don't know joy like seeing your team win seven to three, but not scoring a touchdown. You don't know that feel. Seven three the hard way. I don't have an allegiance to any sort of college team. It's the world.

You were where that had after after the path thing went down. I was. Yes. I was very excited. They were one and no went to nationally last year. They were. See only game they won. Don Lebert hard.

Mike Marty shot in Heimer past the way. Still got. I don't sound so. I just say that. Yeah. I was. I was. say that? I was very excited I was not excited I was not excited

I was not excited I was really pointing out that a browns legend has been pulled on and we had a guy he's been shot and he's been pulled on and maybe the greatest

coach that ever went a super bowl okay wait a minute let's just everybody, let's settle down. Let's all settle down. This is the Dan Lebatar show with the Stugats. You know him as the lead analyst for MLS season pass on Apple TV.

He's got a new podcast offside with Taylor Twillman. And from recent IG posts, I can verify that he does not skip back day. Is that, do you have a roar at home? Yeah, I just said the, I sit the bathtub for about two hours a day and I just row. That's all I do. Just row.

Very form-fitting golf polos. I must, you're a pretty good golfer from what I hear. Where it has gotten around that Taylor Twelman is actually one of the better celeb golfers. Yeah, we don't want to tell a lot of people that though because there's a thing called sandbagging and it works in your favor so the more people that know michael that blows my cover at a boy uh... what's the handicap you're trying to out there with

like the fake and so now so now it's just to get a follow-up because i i've done this to friends where i tell them like a fifteen and really like a ten and then i sandbag and i went a lot of money. You know, I was on Bradie. I play as a zero, but the screw is probably a plus two, Stugat Jesus. Now he's really good. The obliques just come from playing golf. He's a monster off the tee. Taylor, there is a lot to get into with you right now with the world of soccer. And of course, Emma Les, the least cup has been brilliant. We have keepers doing magic tricks during a penalty kicks.

We have accusation. That seems illegal. I don't know. All right, let's talk about this. What do you mean magic tricks? There is a keeper, Fortigres, El Patron, that had a whole routine built out for PKs. He was mimeing and I don't know where he got the yarn, but it appeared he had at least six yards of yarn in his mouth.

And he pulled it out before a PK. He also pretended to do like a DIY roadside check. I think on the final PK that ended up doing him in what's been your favorite, there have been many. There's been, I mean, it's been bonkers from the, we have to put out a public apology because we've likened MLS media to Hitler's proper gandas to accusations at the entire contest is rigged, the competition is rigged, that's a Martino talent people

basically shut up, you agreed to this. It and you have messy, making his debut in the, in the country all at the same time. It's been a wonderful tournament. We're down to the semi finals. I am already missing it. Yeah, it's crazy, isn't it? Honestly, when you think about it, and you guys know this better than anyone, is that when it comes to rivalries, you can't make it up. You can't create things out of nothing. It's US versus Mexico. It's Liga Mekis versus Major League Soccer. That's always there. That's at the root of it.

And you needed something to jumpstart this. Now it's always going to be there at the national team level. And even when I played which wasn't that long ago, Major League Soccer franchises were aspiring to be as good as Liga Mekis clubs. Well now they're there, right? And so then on top of that, you throw gasoline on the fire in the name of Messi, that jump starts the world's attention onto this tournament.

Then you have the mimes of the goalkeepers, you then have League of Mekke's blaming the referees and VAR, which by the way, it was a correct decision. Yet, may have taken a little bit longer than all of us wanted it to, but it's animosity. It's anxiety. It's the way this is working. And honestly, I've loved every second of it, Mike.

Because of that, you cannot manufacture something out of this rivalry. It's there. It's innately there. Both leagues respect each other, but both leagues want to beat the absolute snot out of each other. And we've got that. You got 152 goals in the group stage. And then in the round of 32, 50% of the games went to a penalty kick shootout. It's had drama from the opening day, but the opening day had messy and that storybook free kick against Cruz Azul. And he's taking this to a whole nother level.

It's made for TV competition and I think it already has more cash, Shay, than the prestigious, I use air quotes for that. Conca Caff Champion's like because I think production value has a lot to do with it, social currency has a lot to do with it. But Leagues Cup, it's certainly gonna be around for a while but I can't help but feel like,iga Mekis negotiated a bad deal here. Because it does seem like a tough break, we have these wonderful pictures that get aggregated

every 10 weeks about Monoray Stadium, and you have legendary venues inside of Liga Mekis, and yet we don't get that atmosphere. I do hope it's something that gets revisited. Liga Mekis, I know you're working closely with MLS and you're a part of the Apple broadcast, but it does seem like it's an unfair deal that gets revisited. Liga Mecky's, I know you're working closely with him at less and you're a part of the Apple broadcast, but it does seem like it's an unfair deal that they agreed to. Yeah, I mean, they agreed to it. I also think this is a partnership for years to come.

So what we see in 2023, I don't know what we're gonna see in 2024, let alone 2025, right? So you've got the FIFA Club World Cup coming, you've got Copa America coming, then you've got the World Cup. So the next three summers are convoluted in different ways, but this is a partnership. I would be stunned if this thing doesn't evolve,

but League of Mekis presidents complaining about it now, all I'm gonna say is you agreed to the deal. Tatum Arty, the manager of Inter Miami, he said the same thing. They as much as Major League Soccer want to tap into the League of M Miami, he said the same thing. They as much as Major League soccer want to tap into the league at Mecky's group. League at Mecky's want to tap into the fan bases for their clubs here in the United States. So it's not as if this is 70% one way 30% the other, but I would be stunned if this doesn't evolve because I honestly believe

that now with jeopardy on the line, you've got the largest prize money ever, three conca-caf champions, cup places on the line in the last two games, and ultimately winning a trophy. I think now, League of Meks and their presidents look at and say, hold on a minute, we don't want to lose this thing. We've only got one team in the final four. Let's revisit this so it's more, you know, you play it our place, we played your place. Even more so, Mike, you could give the Mexican clubs their own home bases in the United

States for worst case scenario. And that would help their travel. This thing will evolve, but this thing is blown up a lot faster than a lot of us thought it would. Taylor, Australia and France, great issue that you've ever seen. The top top two from me. That didn't involve yarn. That didn't involve yarn.

Yeah, it was so good because of the drama in between each penalty taken. We saw some good penalties. We saw some bad penalties. But the fact that Australia's two got took it to France and got to that point when all of us thought there's no way France loses this game, let alone there's no way they don't win this game by multiple goals. And here we are talking about one of the greatest shootouts in men or women's history in Australia now, advances.

It was awesome. It's going to be, I feel like it would shock the world if Australia pulled it off, but I also feel like the world is probably outside of the other three countries rooting for australia is that how big of an upset would it be if australia pulls us off massive massive upset massive just because of what you just said i think naturally we could all find reasons for england the wind for spain the wind who is my favorite going into this tournament and for those

you listening and watching unbelievable article about how the Barcelona women's team did exactly what the Barcelona amended to develop players and guess what, they're ultimately going to be a final, they're still my favorite in this. But yes, the sentimental pick here, the long shot is Australia. It's in their backyard and certain, you know what I'm saying, like the whole thing is lined up for them.

Stugots, they are 100% for the English, the Swedish and the Spanish. It's their respective countries. Everybody else would love to see Australia pull this off. We've got the semi-finals coming up in the league's cup. And while the perception is that inner Miami and Messy are just running through this league, he league. His team has been in jeopardy. He needed a world of an own goal and a dramatic flare in Dallas to win his lone road game. And playing at Philadelphia is a really, what I'm trying to argue is here is not a given

that we get the dream final of Monterey versus inner Miami. That would make everybody salivate. What do you make out of one of the controversies that stem from this is that the allegations of price gouging going on with Philadelphia. This is a new competition that even seasoned ticket alters have to buy additional tickets to, and that pricing is being based on demand. However, if this kind of price increase would have happened and say, Europe, supporters

would have ransacked the offices. We're talking about incredible. We're all too accustomed to capitalism to capitalism things here in the country where keep in mind you're shut down the super league what do you make of these uh... price increases and is it fair to actually come down on franchises like philadelphia wallets interesting back in front of mistaken food alphia louder supporters first

to first shot at the tickets and they were not going to move this game there were reports online that they were looking at the length to play the game at the lake. No way. No way. This thing's going to be played at Subaru Park with the bridge, the Delaware River and Chester, Pennsylvania. They want this. They've earned this and quite honestly. Why would you move? They've only lost one in the last 23, 24 games at home. It will be a home field advantage. I look forward to the atmosphere because Philadelphia throws snowballs at Santa and I want messy to come out of the locker room and I want to hear booze. I want to hear the real, real Philadelphia

sports fan show up. I think you get that. I really do. Now the question you asked, I don't know how to answer that because if I'm in the same boat and someone says to me, hey, you're going to make X number of dollars more because messy is in your stadium. Mike, I don't know how to answer that as a human. I really don't know how to answer that. I feel for inner Miami supporters. I do, but I don't know how to answer that because I don't know if I was put in the same situation, I would make a different decision. Well, aggregators tend to point out that season ticket for Byron Munich and Manchester City,

those are $500. And single games are going for $500. It is a bit of a different situation when you have these soccer specific stadiums here in the States being capped in the early 20s. You would have, like, these are ticket prices at a premium and I think that's largely absent from the conversation. I do wanna talk to you, Saudi Arabia and MLS Twitter, there's a little rivalry brewing already.

And Saudi Arabia, if we're just talking about social media metrics, they just close on day more. $99 million is a transfer fee. Not a lot of takers for day more. Barcelona can get in the mix all they want, but it's too hard for them to actually register. Yeah. We played this was really the only place that he would go.

MLS's window, close, and that's not an MLS window where they can play fast and loose with the rules. It's a FIFA window. Sorry, Rabia in the prime position. However, couldn't help but notice it's a two year deal with Neymar. That seems calculated, Taylor Twelman. And we know that Ronaldo is there, but all though at the very crux of his do it break up his nancy break up with his representation was the decision to

go to saudi over sporting canes of city are we two years away from these mega stars close to their primes of their careers like namor is close enough to the prime of his career doing what messy did and that's using the united states over sari arabia yeah i mean first off namar got three hundred eighty million dollars over two years that so he he has to take that

because if no one else once in western europe and he can't come to majorly soccer in the present time why would you not do that now from what i've gathered over the last 24 hours, the three-year deal was on the table. He took two years. I don't find that ironic. When's the World Cup coming here?

2026. So I would be stunned because name are once the play in Major League Soccer. He wants to play in the United States. I would be stunned quite honestly if he doesn't use that year before the World Cup, at least a half of season to play himself into that. So wouldn't surprise me whatsoever. What

Ronaldo does? I don't know that. But Michael Stugots, you guys are gonna love this. I set it on Apple TV during the All-Star game against Arsenal. You know what the next All-Star game I would do? Saudi Arabia All-Stars versus Major League Soccer All-Stars. And I would put it in the Rose Bowl. I would put it in the Rose Bowl and have messy versus Ronaldo. That one last time, if you don't get it, I would tap into this because it is a real interesting topic

among the both leagues and how they're going about their business. Messi's lit MLS on fire. You now have younger players here in Major League Soccer versus the older players in Saudi Arabia. But both leagues are now on the radar of the world market that they weren't six, eight, 12 months ago. I would play into the messy Ronaldo thing in two seconds.

I don't know if you see Ronaldo here. I would be shocked if you don't see Neymar here in two seasons. Well, that's the economy around Messi. He said it's changed the conversation to where MLS is now being linked and I hated the reporting that that was being done around in Bope and it was so buddy awful awful even the messy thing like it was like inner Miami was third or fourth of line when quite honestly and even my conversations were Jorge Moss when we made that public it was Barcelona or Major League Soccer Saudi Arabia really wasn't part of the landscape and get the reporting was Saudi Arabia won Barcelona to

Turkey three China four Major League Soccer five when none of that was true. Yeah, but it is a real thing and it's not just a real thing to Saudi fans and MLS fans real Ferdinand actually had quotes interesting quotes saying, what makes the US so great? And he was making the morality play, which I thought it was interesting that he dipped his toes into those waters. Taylor, enjoying your coverage for MLS season pass on Apple TV. Your podcast conversation, you just mentioned with Horay Moss,

I thought was really revelatory down to the Cavani revelation that he made that they essentially had to deal in place Looking forward to seeing what you have on deck with that podcast make sure to check it out and please more IG stories From a view from the back and I know what I what I say. I know how that sounds But trust me the killer jabs and the obliques with the form fitting golf bullows. It's working for you Bell it's really working for you. Stoo gots. Don't anyone my handicap otherwise you're dead. I will, I promise you. Just don't use it against me.