The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: What Was His (World) War (II)?

Episode Date: May 22, 2024

David Samson is here to take a victory lap over NBA TV rights news and to discuss Jaden Rashada's lawsuit, the potential of Billy Napier being fired for cause, his surprise over the amount of Jets primetime games, and to hear Tony's surprise over Ted Williams stats. Then, the Florida Panthers are betting favorites. How do Chris and Mike feel about their team headed into Game 1 tonight? Plus, the Top 5 Sports Moments for a Loser. (Spoiler alert: Taylor is the loser.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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, fat face and the habitual liar. Forgive me for a second here as I try to get caught up on reading breaking news.

Sports Business Journal is reporting that the NBA, ooh, this stinks, will formalize new deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon this week. NBC will air Basketball Night in America on Sunday nights after the NFL season, and this means that next season will be the last for TNT and inside the NBA. So the best sports studio show there's ever been. Charles Barkley won another Emmy last night as he always does as part of that show, it would appear that one of the most popular shows in the history of television, not just sports television, it's the most popular studio show

in the history of sports television, but it ends, right David? How does it get saved? It means next season will be the last, not this season, you'll get one more year of it, but is there anything that rescues that? David Sampson with us, Nothing Personal is the name of the podcast. He talks about other things other than business, but he is an authority on business stuff,

better coverage of business than I've seen anywhere in the sports media field where it gets covered very poorly. Explain to me what all of this means, David, and if there's any avenue for saving the show that all of us seem to love. Well you love the people not the show and so the question is do any of the new networks who have rights to show basketball games will they try to hire Shaq Kenny and Charles and will Ernie follow up on

his promise not to leave Turner and the thought is that he likes his life he doesn't necessarily want to leave Atlanta could the thought is that he likes his life. He doesn't necessarily want to leave Atlanta. Could the show continue in Atlanta just for a different network? Is there studio space is any of that possible? The answer is yes. So I think it's way too early to say inside the NBA is done because it's like saying David Letterman changed when he went from NBC to CBS.

It was still the David Letterman show. He just couldn't call it the top 10, but I believe that that studio show could still exist. Alright this is an interesting conversation to have and Mike you've worked a lot in the production of things all the guys on that show say that Ernie Johnson is the most important chemical most people would not argue that they'd argue that Charles Barkley is the most important but those guys do need to love and respect enough someone to allow him to reign them in and they do trust earning that way do you believe a host is that important to

that show that if earning decides to stay at tnt the other guys will do it with someone on one hundred percent he's he's the straw that stirs a drink over there because you have a lot of talents primarily in Shaq and Charles even before Shaq arrived there they kind of freelance it's very improvisational and that's what kind of is the draw to that show and you need someone there to just keep the show moving along but it's also credit to the producers that helped build this show

that's really like no other. But I will say that I think they're going to be fine. We were talking about that Amazon certainly has disposable income and they don't have shoulder programming. ESPN, they've tried for 20 years to replicate their formula. They have an NBC presently. I know that they have studio talents in their employ, but they don't necessarily have an NBA studio show yet. So you have three destinations that would love to microwave the studio leader, a perennial Emmy favorite when it comes to studio shows. I think if I'm Amazon, what I do is I ask Turner,

what do you want for the Atlanta studio space? We bring everybody back. Basically Turner is now Amazon and you just wipe your hands of it, everybody's happy. Am I not the only one that thinks that Ernie is just playing the negotiating game? Everyone, because he's so fundamentally decent, everyone's just taking him at his word. I think he's just playing the game here. I think Ernie's not leaving. I think those guys won't leave Ernie. I think Ernie will leave for the right number if he's with his guys. Like I think he's just playing the game

right here. Ernie Johnson came out and said I'm not leaving Turner. I think he's just playing the game right here. Ernie Johnson came out and said, I'm not leaving Turner. I think that's just, that's negotiating. I think, cause he's so- I think you're forgetting a few things about Ernie and don't forget in the past when Ernie was sick, there's just a lot of things that would indicate that I don't think that Ernie would need to play that card publicly. And as far as leverage goes, they've got all the leverage.

They don't need to leak leverage. They don't need to play that leverage publicly. They know that the networks need them. Barkley knows it, Shaq knows it, Kenny knows it, and Ernie knows it. The people who generally use PR for leverage are those who don't have it. But he doesn't need to leave Turner per se.

He says he doesn't wanna leave Turner. Okay, you give him a carve out for baseball and all the other Turner things that you're a part of. And when you say you don't wanna leave Turner, what you're really saying is you don't wanna leave your life. You don't wanna leave the comforts of home. So you just make that the Mecca for wherever Amazon or NBC

or even ESPN decides to have their tent pole studio show. I think as attractive as the MBA deal is, now you have a whole world of possibilities with the The standard when it comes to sports coverage in Turner and I think they're looking at it as they're a free agent, too And it may need to be renamed It's possible we don't know does Turner own inside the NBA quote-unquote in which case you just rename it It really is based on the people and in terms terms of replacing Ernie, you find another conductor and it sounds like it's impossible.

There would be no way to replace him. But I assure you, everybody, we're all replaceable. And so I don't worry. They're not going to not have Barkley and Shaq and Kenny do a show because Ernie won't do it or they can't come to an agreement. Much like if Charles decides that he can't come to an agreement, the show will Charles decides that he can't come to an agreement,

the show will go on with somebody else. If you think Adam Lefkoe's not gonna jump at that opportunity, you're insane. Right. I should tell the audience and Chris Cody though that in my history in the media, there are very few people that I would believe more when they're saying something publicly than Ernie Johnson.

It's not just that he's a decent person. It's that he prides himself on being fundamentally honest. Just what his agent wants you to think. Chris, he doesn't need the leverage. I mean, still, you always need more leverage. I'm just saying, if he ends up in another network, you guys are all going to know. But what you're saying is not an impossible thing

for ESPN, NBC, or Amazon to overcome. They can hear that note and say, okay, what we'll present to you is your life stays as is. And guess what? Here's a little pay bump. So I think that there's a very logical path here for us to keep getting what we know now as inside the NBA, which also, by the way, is probably up for negotiation too. You can license that name or what have you. If I were to bet

on it, I think that you're just going to see it move places. Which way would you bet, David? That it will not be called inside the NBA, but that those guys will find a home somewhere else and it will be with a different conductor, not Ernie. That would be my bet. And I think that people are going to act all surprised today. And if you listen to the sporting class with Skipper and Pablo or any nothing personal, we've known that Turner wasn't going to re up. We've known it for over a year when David Zaslav forgets sitting courtside and Nick Kat. That's all a bunch of crap. No one cares.

He cautioned the analysts on Wall Street. We don't need the NBA and we're not going to lose money because the shareholders really don't care about the NBA or inside the NBA or Barclay or Ernie. They care about EPS. They care about shareholder value and appreciation. And he cautioned the street that Turner was not going to get the deal. So I'm not surprised at all.

David, would you do me a favor? I've been wanting to debut a new segment here where someone takes a victory lap for something they've said and then comes back to the microphone winded because they've physically taken an actual victory lap. The sporting class and the fact that you guys got it right on what it is would happen here.

Do you wanna take around your apartment a quick victory lap right now and come back and we will talk about this Jaden Rashada story. He has to be winded? Yeah, just take a couple of- He runs marathons. Take a couple of victories. I'm not gonna get winded doing that.

I may get schvitzy, but not winded. All right, can you just do something that represents the debut of the victory lap segment as I explain to the audience what's happening with Jaden Rashada where he is suing Billy Napier for $ million dollars, that's not around your department? He's running in place, yeah. Yeah, it's not, okay, actually, well,

should we do it that way? It's not a lap. All right, should we do it that way? It's a marathon run. It's an ISO cam, maybe with somebody else. Either way, it's not going great. Okay, that's fine. I'm surprised he's wearing pants.

Mike, what do you make of this as the business of all of this changes and I'm watching stuff that I don't understand where a quarterback is suing his head coach, which is hysterical? Well, I think this is a very funny story. And if you wanna get into the weeds about it, if you're Florida and you're presently unhappy with your head football coach,

this may open the door for being able to fire him with cause. I think everything's on the table there. But I'm really happy that this lawsuit came to light just so we can finally publicly reveal the fact that Florida's collective paid John Ruiz to avoid litigation. Everyone thought that Miami left that Rashada pursuit with egg on their face. No one knew the details in that. No, they didn't lose any money. In fact, they made money on that proposition as a sort of front end settlement, it would appear. I love the detail of Jadam Rashad, who is now presently a Georgia Bulldog. He was an Arizona state sun devil prior to him

asking Kirby Smart for permission to sue Billy Napier. And Kirby Smart running a finger through that beautiful air of his and going, yeah, you go right ahead. Throw that place in even more chaos. There's a lot of damning texts out there from people that ran their collective that this whole Rashada thing and the reason why they attempted to overpay and immediately regretted it was because Miami was in their heads.

Like those freaks down in Miami can't stand them. This was all, this was more about getting at Miami and sopping John Ruiz at the time or the perception of John Ruiz, who if you to talk about victory laps he's having himself one right now that's fine I think it was all about the the boogeyman that was Miami and it scared him into doing something stupid and they immediately regretted it and also I feel bad for the kid they broke a deal it would appear allegedly at least that's what the lawsuit alleges so So no winners here outside of Miami.

David, what can you tell me was interesting about the Jaden Rashada story? 142. I asked you a question that wasn't about your heart rate or anything else. Oh, sorry. And then you ran a lap. I normally would know my heart rate after a run. So I needed to take my heart rate.

What was your question? I was not listening. Jaden Rashada, any interesting thoughts about how things are changing in college sport? I think I covered this on this morning's nothing personal, and I'd love to give you a taste of it. I believe the college athletes need to form a union. I believe this is the start of a union. It has to be regulated because this lawsuit is just the beginning of Pandora's box that's been opened.

And the way you deal with it is with contracts. You deal with it within a four corners of an agreement and you deal with it with people having to fulfill what they are saying they're going to do. And in college sports, the joke's over. They're all free agents, they're all employees, and they should all be unionized. That's stuff to organize though. And if you look at what's happening right now in Washington,

DC, the powers that be are kind of taking advantage of this, trying to very quickly, under the cover of darkness, agree to a rev share agreement that they're going to quickly try to turn around and have codified by Congress and hold against these student athletes that don't necessarily have a say in this matter, David. Yeah, true, but that's part of a settlement. That's part of a much bigger $2.7 billion settlement where like one and a half billion dollars is going

to former players, which is way better than getting your Heisman back. It's totally shocking to me. It would be like Andre Dawson trying to get money because all these crappy players get more than he does or a good basketball player bringing, you know, John Conkack in and saying, give me money. So that is a major settlement. Part of which is the going forward revenue sharing that you're talking about. And I get rid of all of it. And I would go to straight free agency in college.

Samson stay there. Tony, go ahead and look up how musty the John Konkak reference is. John Konkak, I believe, got fewer than $5 million. I smile, though. It might have been fewer than $10 million. We're gonna come back with David Samson after this. Since the dawn of mankind,

we've cooked our food over an open flame and debated the best way to grill. One thing not up for debate, grilling and beer always go together. And not just any beer will do. Whether you barbecue Texas style or celebrate Wednesday with burgers and dogs, you need a beer that tastes great and is less filling, so you have more room for food. You need Miller Lite. As you guys may or may not know, I'm a pretty decent cook, especially behind the barbecue.

So when I start the fire for my smoker on a hot day, really, the only thing that I have to worry about is what wood I'm a pretty decent cook especially behind the barbecue. So when I start the fire for my smoker on a hot day Really? The only thing that I have to worry about is what wood I'm gonna use. The easiest decision for me is what I'll be drinking That's a nice ice cold can of Miller Lite. Oh and by the way, here's a pro tip It really goes well with brisket. Miller Lite keeps it simple, Undebatable quality and tastes as great as your barbecue. A perfect companion for grill masters across America. With the Miller Lite in hand, grilling doesn't just taste great, it tastes like Miller time. To get Miller Lite delivered right at your door, visit MillerLite.com slash Dan. Or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories per 12 ounces. Don Lebatard. Go pee-pee. Stugats! Go peepee! This is the Don Lebatard show with the Stugats!

Tony, please give me the stats that Ted Williams had around being a fighter pilot. The stats that he had before and after having to go fly fighter jets in World War II. So Dan, in 41 and 42, which are the years right before the war, he had 37 home runs, 135 hits. He batted 406 in 41. 135 RBI. No, runs. Excuse me, he had 135 runs. He had 120 RBIs, batted 406.

Dude, he had an incredible season and then he had another season in 42 of 137 RBI's batted 356 His on base person. Why are you laughing? Tony reading stats is like you reading Yeah, I don't know just I didn't know if his confidence was leading The year he's reading right now is right before he went away to war for three years. The big war of 43, everyone knows about it. And then he came back in 46 and had outstanding numbers.

I love our show mentioning that Ted Williams is a pretty good ball player. Tony, go sit in the penalty box for reading numbers the way that Chris Cody reads words. You want me to read numbers? There's 837 numbers in this stat line and you want me to read everything perfect? You are boring me and reading poorly. You want me to read numbers? There's 837 numbers in this stat line and you want me to read everything perfect? You're boring me and reading poorly. You asked for it. Now here's the problem. He went to baseball reference. You can never go there. It's a rookie mistake. You have to go to ESPN.com. You got to go somewhere else. Reference has too many rows. I'm agreeing with you. I'm just trying to help you out for the future.

David, if Paul Skeen throws a ball, his arm falls off of his body, they hit the ball, his arm hits the warning track, but the ball never does, and it bounces over the wall. Is it a home run or a ground rule double? Or an out, because it's still attached to a defender's hand and was flying from. It's a home run, because the ball never hits the ground. It never left his hand.

It never left his hand. It's a balk. But it doesn't matter. The ball, it becomes, the arm becomes an extension of the ball. Well then it would be a ground rule double. Yes. No, but it doesn't, oh, hold on.

Yes. Think about it. Think about it. Don't be so quick. That's why you think you have the answer. Billy changes the question. I am okay to be wrong, and I love that. It is the ground rule double,

because the arm and the ball become the same thing. Billy, nailed it. I don't believe that, I don't believe that arm is part of the ball become the same thing. Ily nailed it. I don't believe that arm is part of the ball is a thing in this sport. Luckily. But I think you guys have a flawed premise on this. There's lack of foresight on a scenario where this could happen.

There are a number of things that I want to talk to David Sampson about. I'm sorry, Dan. Are you saying that Paul Skeen's because he throws so hard that his arm will just come off and then someone will hit the arm as though, and it'll go all the way to the warning track? That's right.

Like an arm that's attached? We were talking about Dave Dervicki, yes. We were also worried if you hit the hand instead of the ball, then does it become the rare pitcher's interference? That too, that too. Hadn't considered that. I hadn't considered much of this.

We didn't know whether it would just be a balk and the whole play would be nullified. Do you have any more questions about this ground-shaking Rashada thing? I do, David, say, look, the University of Florida not getting the results that they want from this head coach. Say you're a disappointed UF administrator. Are you seeing this lawsuit and while you publicly have to defend your head coach, you got this in your back pocket and you're checking

with legal to see if you could maybe get out from this contract with cause? Because you think that part of his contract would be for cause that he can't make a misrepresentationation to a player I don't know what to think because I've never been encountered with this scenario so I'm asking you with your legal background and if they're not particularly happy with Billy Napier is there an avenue here for their for the University of Florida to explore possibly firing Billy Napier with cause maybe down the line maybe after they lose the first two games of the season, I don't know.

They're still fighting with Gruden, right? So cause is such a major thing to prove cause. There are provisions in every contract that you sign, how you get terminated for cause, and being sued is not one of them because anybody can be sued at any time. Man, I would have been fired 50 times for cause if it's just about being sued.

And so then the question is, what was he sued for and what's the result of the lawsuit? If he makes material misrepresentations or somehow shows the university in bad light, not by losing games, that's a provision that's often there that you can't sully your employer and that you can be terminated for cause. So if you guys at Metal Arc would say things on the air about DraftKings or about Skipper or Dan, that it's possible you would

violate your contracts. But in the case of the coach of Florida, this is a lawsuit really about a contract and a broken promise. And we're going to find out exactly what was promised, what was written. And my guess is Florida's gonna wanna settle this and they're not gonna really want any discovery at all. But if you're, say you're AD and this guy's not giving you the results, do you just say we're firing him with cause? Eventually, down the line.

It's not worth it, Mike. Just to kick that can down the road because more money's gonna pump in anyways. At least I don't have to pay this right now. We saw without Golden, there was some, he was fighting over contract money and that took several years. So does it just behoove you?

And I've said behoove a lot, I know that. Does it behoove you to just kick the can down the road and say cause and just move on? It's always a strategy that you think about because you can fire someone for cause. But if you're a smart person doing a contract as an employee, when you are terminated for cause, you have payments that can continue

until it is proven that cause actually existed. And so obviously I don't know what's in the head coach's contract, but what I would do as an AD, if you wanna get rid of your coach, you just go find a booster to finance it. And then you go to the president of the university and say, hey, we're firing the coach,

we're gonna owe him X dollars, we're gonna fight for it, but we've already raised the X dollars from a booster. That's what I would do. It would not be about this lawsuit, though, it would be about performance or something else. What did you make of the NFL choosing the Jets in prime time so much? I just was surprised the way they said it publicly, which is you owed us, Aaron.

You really screwed us last year with four snaps and an injury. We had to show that crap all season that we're going to do it again. Really, he is the story of the NFL in his mind. And somehow the NFL still believes that people care about Aaron Rogers. And what shocks me is that I don't think they do. And it's not just about politics. It's not about the way he meets the media or what he says. It's none of that. It's really about performance and whether or not you think that the Jets are prime time worthy.

And I just don't know that Aaron Rodgers at 40 is a match for that. And if I'm the NFL, I'm certainly not saying, hey, it's a make good for last year's injury. I just found that to be bizarre. Why? I thought it was refreshing. It was honest. They were like, hey, you burned us last year's injury. I just found that to be bizarre. Why? I thought it was refreshing. It was honest. They were like, hey, you burned us last year. You owe us this year. And I do think that's the intrigue, David.

That's why people will watch. They want to see if Rogers could stay healthy. And if he does, can he lead the Jets a perennial loser? Can he lead them to the playoffs this year? I just don't think you ever throw good money after bad. It's a terrible business principle. When you made a mistake, you don't double down on it. You don't invest more into a mistake thinking it'll turn it around when the underlying principles remain the same, which is what caused the mistake. And Aaron

Rogers getting hurt is probable. Aaron Rogers not performing at the old Aaron Rogers level is likely, if not probable. So I just don't't I think it's a very important lesson about throwing good money after bad All right, you're back from the war 1946 he has 176 hits he has a Why are you coming over here? I'm trying to help he batted 342 oh, okay, and then of course won the MVP Can you look at what Dottie Henson did in the in between those areas? But you don't you don't read the right stats when you keep giving us the number of hits though.

Tell me how many HPPs he had. He had 12, or two hit by pitches. No, that's SH's. He had 12 HPPs. What if instead of the ball rolling out of Dottie's hand, her arm just comes off? You see it's the train moves and not the station. That's a good question by Mike. She holds onto the ball but the arm pops off. Dan, before the war of 43 his OPS was 1147.

When he got back from the war his OPS was 1164. I think it's still a drop. The war of 43. He had 343 TBs. Yeah, that's good. All right, I'm sending another voice note to Boog. War, that's a stat. He went to war. Yeah, what was his war? It was two. Three years.

He had World War II. It was number two. And it's just general war. Yeah, what was his war, too? WWII. Back to back champs, by the way. Highest ever. Put it on the poll at LeBretard Show. What would you be prouder of? Winning the Triple Crown or winning the war? What do you think Ted Williams was prouder of?

Scarlett Johansson, David, her fight against artificial intelligence is super interesting. What do you find interesting about it? Oh, this is a big topic. I'm, I'm appreciating that you brought this up. Can you imagine someone, and this is for you, Dan takes your voice, takes your show, takes your own personal IP and uses it to make themselves money, but not pay

you. That's what Stu gots does all the time. So I love where your head's at. So imagine your frustration with Stu gots and he's actually there in person. Imagine if what he did in terms of mailing it in is he not only didn't show up, but only he had a computer generated voice that showed up

that sounded like him, but he still wanted to get paid the same amount of money. What do you think of that? It all sounds like the merch store. It sounds like the future negotiations with Stu Gotz is what it sounds like as soon as he figures out how to teach someone to teach him how to use artificial intelligence.

So here's what happened with Scarlett Johansson. There was a great movie called Her with Joaquin Phoenix and it was ahead of its time from 2013 and she played an artificial intelligence voice that Joaquin Phoenix got into a relationship with, sort of like Lars in the real girl, except it's not a blow up doll. And so Open GPT, chat GPT, Open AI,

they came up with this amazing system with a voice and they wanted Scarlett Johansson to be the voice. She said, you know what, I'll pass. They said no problem. And they released it. And it sounds just like Scarlett Johansson. And it's not, but it sounds like her. So she's suing saying you took my voice when I didn't give you permission. And this is what the strikes were about last year in Hollywood. It was AI was a huge part of it because if you can pay AI, which is a fraction of the cost, if you can get Scarlet for nothing, you get Scarlet for nothing.

And that's extremely scary to everyone out in Hollywood. So she is suing almost on behalf of everybody. And keep in mind, she's the same one who sued based on movies based on movies not being released on the screen going right to streamers. She wanted to get paid money because she owned a gross percentage of a film that was grossing fewer dollars because it was going streaming and the money was not being credited properly. So Scarlett is sort of the fighter for all people. We're out of time, unfortunately, David.

We don't have time to review a movie this week because we hogged all your time talking about other things, but I will tell the people that they should check out Nothing Personal. Every day, he is there for you at 8 a.m. Eastern time doing a live show that is unlike any I've heard anyone doing individually anywhere. He works a lot harder than Stugatz,

even though Stugatz finds that laughable. He is not artificial intelligent. As soon as Stugatz figures out how to get a robot to make artificial stupidity. When we figure that part out, he's gonna get so rich. And he's gonna want to raise. Don Lebatard. World War 3. StuGuts.

We're gonna get that off the ground. World War 3 colon. Our group chat has a pretty good feeling about this one. This is the Don Lebatard Show with the StuGats. Forgive me please if I sound too surprised by what I'm about to say, but I really don't have a reference point in my lifetime living in South Florida for what I'm about to say. Reading the betting odds in hockey

and seeing that the Florida Panthers are a betting favorite that make the Rangers the worst bet among the four teams remaining because they're playing the Florida Panthers. So it's not just that the Panthers are the favorite to win the Stanley Cup where the money is. It's that the Rangers are plus 400 when Dallas is plus 260 and Edmonton is plus 280 because everybody's on Dallas and Edmonton like well I don't know that could that could go any old way but the Panthers are going to beat the Rangers the Rangers are plus 400 when they led the regular season in points is just such a tribute to the money

saying no the way the Panthers play is what wins this time of year. It's not just that they have three players who are playing out of their mind as well as anybody but it's also that they can take the team that's got the most regular season points and make them someone that it's going to cost you to bet on them when at very few times in my life of I seen a team that has the point total is the Rangers having these kinds of betting odds because people are saying that teams not winning the title but that president's Cup then we know this is a curse it is.

But that's not the way the betting money but people people have won I will say curses I will say in terms of predictive analysis, like what you're doing is to lift the cup. When it comes to this series, the Florida Panthers last I checked were between minus 140 and minus 150. The odds makers are treating this series like it's a closed series.

What you're seeing with to lift the cup prices is the books are telling you, if Florida gets into the final, they're favored to win it, whereas it's a tougher road for the Rangers to beat whoever comes out West. I'm just looking specifically, I'm not looking ahead. I think there's a very good series. It's a great series. I'm so scared.

It's a scary proposition when you go up against Igor Shosturkin in a top six the way that New York has, and they got guys coming back to help out their bottom six, and they have six defenders that are all pretty good. It's a, look, they won the president's trophy. They're a great team. You understand what I'm saying, how crazy it is.

I don't understand how crazy this must make Canada. Just the idea that this is allowed to happen. Dude, I've been, I've been looking at, because I do do the thing that I kind of worn against, looking at odds as predictive analysis. I've been pinching myself since the Panthers went on that holiday run and started rounding into form. They were the odds on favorite to win the cup.

There was a brief period where Carolina overtook them. Carolina was, I'm surprised the Rangers are here even though the Rangers are the president's trophy winning side because I thought Carolina was going to win that. And even when they made it 3-2 in that series, I thought Carolina Carolina's gonna win game six and find a way to overcome a 3-0 deficit I think New York had they started the postseason 7-0 if you look historically The teams that start 7-0 in the postseason in that sport They make it to the Stanley Cup final generally often winning it. So it's a great matchup. I don't know who wins tonight I think the Panthers win the series

I'm hoping the Panthers win the series. I won't be surprised at all if the Rangers let me ask you and Chris though because I have at every point articulated fear of hockey just being hockey and I was respecting the Franchises that they played in the first and second round and now they face a Monster franchise you're going to have to win road games in a very tough place to play. The Mecca. When I ask you what you've been or are going to be the most afraid of in any of this because

you've mentioned Carolina a few times now when I throw Edmonton in front of you and Dallas in front of you like does this represent the greatest fear for you guys? Because you guys haven't articulated anything in the way of fear until now, and I have feared just about everything. Carolina for me was the team I was afraid of. It didn't really make sense even though, because the Rangers were kind of better this season.

Carolina was that, like they've been the boogeyman for the Panthers other than the sweep. But it wasn't a sweep if you ask pretty much. But just that, so honestly, I kind of wanted the Rangers, but their power play is so scary right now. Yeah, I wanted the Rangers too, but I do think that you can look back at the previous series against Tampa

and maybe hope that that could be some kind of indicator as to how this series goes. I don't want to look ahead. Again, I'm nervous about this series. I think it's tight, the price reflects that. But if they get into a Stanley Cup final against the Dallas Stars, Dallas is the team. Vegas too, who Dallas went to seven with in the first round.

Where I look at that team and I say, that team's probably deeper than Florida. And I don't say that often. Even as much as I respect this New York Ranger team, I think the edge in lines three and four go to Florida. Mike, this postseason has been interesting. Dan mentioned hockey, anything can happen, but really chalk is one out here. You have three of the four best teams in the league still remaining. Yeah, been very surprising that

there was just one game seven in the last round. That's typically not how that goes. Even though playoff hockey is outstanding, we finally started getting some good games. I think it's probably a down year. Look, as much as I say that the NBA postseason isn't my cup of tea, there have been upsets there and now they're starting to get good games. Ice hockey had some good games here in the postseason, but you know, it hasn't. Hockey playoffs are great and this has been so great that we haven't really analyzed that. If you look, if you compare it to previous years, probably a weaker one.

I don't need good games, but I do need close games. Seeing a basketball game going to overtime last night with stakes, and you know, you're breathing a little heavier because you know that what you're watching can echo. It's something that you can remember. Stu Gatz has a top five list for us of... I'm a little confused by it because he's he's purloined it from Taylor. I don't know how he got it. I think it's stolen. I don't think Taylor wants this scene. Oh, he doesn't, but somehow I got my hands on it. And it's stolen. I don't think Taylor wants this scene. Oh, he does it but somehow I got my hands on it And it's a top five list because

Jalen Brown last night that can be something that people remember for a long time in Boston or it can be a nothing I remind you that just last year Derek White made a buzzer beater To make a series that went from 3-0 to 3-3, and no one remembers that because they lost in Boston in game seven. You have to finish it off. You have to finish it. It's weird to say about sports, there are all sorts of moments that seem huge at the time that then get forgotten.

So are these the top five? What have you procured, purloined from Taylor? Taylor's personal top five sports moments that didn't result in anything. It's the lamest top five of all time. It's a good top five. I really like that. Well, I think it's his top five moments

and it just happened that they didn't amount to anything. Like he didn't write this for that. Right, he's had bad moments. I mean, he hasn't had really, really great moments throughout his life. So it's the top five sports moments for a loser. That's right. Yes. Well, for Taylor, tomato, tomato. Well, for it's Taylor made loser. Yes. He's a Taylor made loser. Well, we have to hear the list. He just hasn't won.

Well, the way you've explained it. Okay. I've got a number one. I've got a number one that this better be on this list. Otherwise you can just throw it out. It's his list. I've got a number one from one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time that better be in there. I'm just saying. Is it specific to Taylor?

Yes, it's specific to Taylor. Well, and his experience as a sport fan. Well, he's not a New England Patriots fan, but Jermaine Kurs made an unbelievable grab. The freak. Unbelievable grab. That's not the freak. That's Siobhan Kurs. Siobhan Kurs. Patriots hand but your main curse made an unbelievable grab That's Siobhan curse I Think that I I really want this list to have

Mike Ryan's top one on it, but I will put to juju at lebatard show Are you surprised in any way that Mike Ryan knows his list is better than your list? On whatever it is. This is a lame list, but now that I'm looking at it, I'm thinking about coming up with my own. There's a good list here. It's encouraging everybody to come up with their own.

You're right. Do you have any OLI? I do, yeah. OLI. Quinton Grimes clutch steel on one leg against Jimmy Butler. These are all going to be totally forgotten. Any more OLI? Trading for Tim Tebow. It would be on mine. What a sad life he's had. This was the Jets training? I didn't know he was a Jets fan. Yeah. Number five, Aaron Rodgers running out of the tunnel. Number four, Lynn Sanity.

Number three, Bart Scott saying can't wait. Such a good one coming around on this. They're just sort of gassy New York moment. It's sort of like the city of New York putting a hand to its chest with indigestion and then just epically farting.

Number two. That third quarter running game seven led by Dante Di Vincenzo. He hit that three to cut it to six. It was amazing. New York was electric. Wait a second, we got something here. They cut it to six, they were down 20, they were so close. Number one.

Marcus Page's game tying shot in the national championship before Chris Jenkins won on a buzzer beater seconds later. The shot before the shot. That would have been a better sounder than the fanfare for Taylor's top five. It's a good list. It's a good list. It's a good concept. Mike, does it have your nominee on it or not? It's Jermaine Kirst making that catch in the Super Bowl. It was a juggling catch with a minute left in the Super Bowl and it set up the eventual play, I think it happened like maybe two plays later,

the interception at the goal line, New England wins the Super Bowl, that's a play that gets remembered. But if you've forgotten, and you probably have, this Jermaine Kurs catch in a huge moment for the Seattle Seahawks. Go ahead and watch it. Unreal. Also, Ron Tugnut had an unbelievable performance one

time, I think 70 saves. What? These things get forgotten when you lose. History erases them very quickly, because this was before, did Edelman go crazy after that? And have a ridiculous catch? Edelman had the ridiculous catch against Atlanta. Yeah, the play is, that's remembered from that Super Bowl,

that Kersh made that unreal catch and was obviously not giving the ball to Marshawn Lynch and then Malcolm Butler gets the interception. The last few minutes of that national championship game though that have the top spot or close to the top spot there, it's cruel to have your great moment that quickly erased. And also erased. If you mark his page.

Yes. Or if you remain curious, he's talked about like David Tyree I think, if they go on to win that game. Shouldn't the epic fart that was motivational in game five also be on this list where they cut the tension in the room and everyone saluted the Knicks for being loose and then that just led to diarrhea all over the end of the season. Do we remember the Ray Allen game six winner? If in game seven, remember game seven was a very good game.

Tim Duncan misses the bunny. Ah, the bunny. If the Spurs win that series in seven we don't we don't reflect upon the Ray Allen shot the same way that is correct we probably don't remember the chase down block on Iguodala if Kyrie doesn't make that shot that's the way that works since the dawn of mankind we've cooked our food over and over inflamed and debated the best way to grill. One thing not up for debate, grilling and beer always go together. And not just any beer will do. Whether you barbecue Texas style or celebrate Wednesday with burgers and dogs, you need a beer that tastes great and is less filling, so you have more room for food.

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