The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: YOU DON'T WANT ANALYSIS!!!!!!!

Episode Date: April 5, 2024

News broke during the break that Norby Williamson is OUT at ESPN. Dan breaks down the power dynamics shifting from producers to talent and how this move reflects a growing divide. Then, do you trust the Heat, Lakers, or Warriors to turn it on and make a postseason run this time around? Plus, it's time to talk Women's College Basketball with Final Four matchups coming up tonight! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. 29 years later, Cuervo is still going strong. Family owned from the start, same family, same land. Now's a good time to enjoy Cuervo. The tequila that invented tequila. Go to Cuervo.com to shop tequila or visit a store near you. Cuervo, now's a good time. Trademarks owned by Becle, S-A-B, the CV. Copyright 2024, Proximo.

Jersey City, New Jersey, please drink responsibly. Introducing Tim's new savory pinwheels. the perfect flaky and flavorful snack for those on the go, like me, who's recording this while snacking. Delicious. Try the roasted red pepper and Swiss or caramelized onion and Parmesan pinwheels only at Tim's. At participating restaurants in Canada for a limited time. Welcome to the Big Sui, presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show?

The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan LeBattard podcast. I'm sorry, I'm not going to apologize for that. In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging. I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries if they're just there. That hasn't happened to you guys? I've done it. And now here's the marching man to nowhere, fat face and the habitual liar. There are a number of things that I want to get to but you guys just delivered a bit of sports media news that might be

interesting in certain small circles which is the executive vice president who has been running ESPN for a long time quietly called out by Pat McAfee, Norby Williamson. It is being reported by his personal lackey in the media, Andrew Marchant of the New York Post, a bottom feeder who gets most of his information from Norby Williamson. What'll he do now at e s p n that norby williamson is quitting yes p n which means pat mcafee is celebrating today because he is clearly wrestled control of the place a place that has been run by norby williamson and producers for a long time uh...'s wrestled the place away from somebody

that Pat McAfee called a rat, and you will get very little disagreement from many of the people who have worked for and around Norby Williamson that Pat McAfee's information was incorrect. Andrew Marchand works for the athletic now, so that will be $10 for me. $10 fine.

How does this work? Is Norby Sports Media Talk? Because I have imaging for this. Yeah, Sports Media Talk, yes. Do you get annoyed every time Dan Levitard pontificates about the sports media industry? Well, too bad motherf*****. He knows he don't give a damn about what he's gonna say. It's time for sports media talk today.

It's a five dollar fine, it's not a ten dollar fine. Oh, okay. Inflationary times is when we live in Ryan Glassbeagle of the New York Post. Reports that Norby did not quit, that there was a difference in visions that were not aligned with ESPN's long-term strategy. And Burke Magnus, the new president of ESPN content from a year ago, made the decision to part ways with the season.

Woo, that's McAfee's guy. Burke Magnus. McAfee went out of his way. Shouted it out, shouted him out. He celebrated Bert. So what does that mean? Is that mutual? Burke Magnus made the decision to part ways with the seasoned executive that's The rare parting ways where one person made the decision strong name by the way Burke Magnus

That's a guy that makes decisions. Oh my god Put it on the pole stronger, Burt or Norby? Burt, Burt, not Burt. Burt, Burt. Burt. Austin Burt. Burt, Burt. Two last names. Burt, not a strong name.

Burt, strong as shit. That is two last names. Two last names, yeah. Burt Magnus. Magnus is also like, that's, it sounds like something from the movies. He's a power losser. It's world's strongest man, is what Magnus is.

Or a hit man of some sort. Yeah. It's true. Watch out, Magnus is coming, a hitman of some sort. Yeah. It's true. Watch out Magnus is coming, you're like oh shit. Get Magnus on this. Exactly. And then Magnus is driving, he's wearing all black and sunglasses even though it's nighttime, and he's driving like a Camaro or whatever, and then brrrrr.

He's chasing James Bond. And it's like Magnus, and then okay, okay, and then he hangs up, and that's it, that's all, he never has to say anything. Go for Magnus. Go for Magnus, there you go, and then he hangs up. And that's it, that's all, he never has to say anything. Go for Magnus. Go for Magnus, there you go. That's how he answers. Does anyone care about this stuff? Does anyone care?

Well, you know I do. Well, I know that sports media people do, but when I ask you about power and control, I've told you before that ESPN is a production company. It's run by producers. It's not run by the talent, it's never been run by the talent and everything stays on the tracks.

That's not mine, that is a means. That is $5 for a mean, that's not my computer, that is a means computer. I don't know, do you carry cash? Are you still in old time? Look at you, you carry cash. You and me might be the only two people here carrying cash I don't know that's grosser than licking your fingers I got cash right here. Oh

Just having to be changed though. I Asked the question sincerely when the inner workings. This is the reason I asked the question Okay, because people keep telling me right and left that i'm talking about things that our audience doesn't care about when it comes to the sports media but every time i do the numbers jump up by a lot because people outside of our audience really want to the dirt on the insides of what happens at the s p and so much so that many of these people, like Marchand, can make an entire career out of just reporting on sports media information.

Every time you say Marchand, I think of Marchand Lynch. And I have him kinda just like, Norby's out, like just in there as he's popping Skittles. If Marchand Lynch was on the media, being him as a breaking news reporter would be terrific. He was great in Bottoms. Oh amazing at bottom might be the best football movie I've ever watched a good point football adjacent I think it's a football movie you guys should watch it it ends on a football field Marshawn Lynch as an

information guy I like that I'd like him just delivering the news however it is that he'd like to say it because he's... but I asked the question sincerely. I know we're interested in it but I wonder if the public at large is interested in how ESPN is run. It is the worldwide leader and for many years quietly this person's name was not known when, I is the worldwide leader, and for many years quietly this person's name was not known when, I've told you before, this person was the person who was defending what seemed to be a lot of times at ESPN the most important thing, which is do not let any of the people who are in front of the cameras or with microphones set a precedent

other people can then have the power to use against the company so when dan patrick wants a television in his office in the biggest show in america around sports with keith alberman they're like you can have a television your office before doing the eleven p m sports center because then keith alberman what everyone wants to do TV which is the dumbest approach ever. Thank you, the TV thing I never understood. And now they all, last time I was in here

it's like they all kind of have TVs in their offices now. You know why? Part of it is because now TVs cost like 100 bucks, those small monitors. Oh, was this when TVs were like, oh, okay. Yes, there was like a big box. No, it's Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann. It was called The Big Show, It was like the biggest show.

Well, by the way, he didn't like it that they called it the big show because, again, it made them a brand. And he didn't want any brand to be above ESPN. But this is instructive to me. The biggest thing at ESPN was that Sports Center built the whole thing and don't contaminate it and corrupt it. It's what got Michelle, I'm sorry michael smith and jamal gone is that

wait a minute we're not ready for this revolution the thing that needs to be protected is the sports center brand but the part to me that's interesting about what just happened today is do you guys realize that pat mcafee and steven a smith have now some sort of unprecedented power in the history of the place to call out an executive by name who runs the place and

shortly thereafter the executive is gone. That's real and substantive shift of brand power. That's ESPN saying, conceding as iger is talking to Shareholders about what espn's digital plan is in the future What i've told you that's most interesting about the pat mcafee deal He blew up a four-year 120 million dollar deal to take this one at espn and everyone thinks it's going to fail But they're letting him do whatever he wants they're all a little bit afraid of him and he's not afraid of anybody I don't have any like dog in this fight I never

worked at ESPN with you guys but I'm just wondering if you're a little jealous you weren't the one to do the I'm gonna say this man there is something to when you're going, cause I've been through this now twice at two different places where you're going through something and you're like, how does everyone not see that he's the problem? And then you leave and then shortly thereafter, oh yeah, that guy's the problem, that's what I was saying for years,

but everyone looked at me like I was crazy, this happened to me with the Sons and it happened with ESPN with Norby and it's just like part of it Jessica's like you're about like about time, but then there's another part of it I wasn't even listening when I was saying this shit, but what is Jessica asking? Am I jealous of what the amount of power?

Not the amount of power that the idea that, when you butted heads with this individual, there was not this sort of reaction of like, wait a second, this is one of our brightest talents, and an incredible creator, and this guy is a guy who tells people to not, or stick to sports or whatever, why are we siding with the other guy? I blame myself for not realizing what McAfee realized, which is when you have the power of the president

behind you, in that case it was John Skipper when I had it. In this case, McAfee has Pataro and Iger, that that would create a fearlessness that you can then trample just about anybody who's wronging you because you have the backing of the most powerful people in the place. I wasn't quite smart enough to see that I could have created a great deal more unrest, but I also wasn't trying to get anyone fired and at the end one skipper leaves and norby is in charge i no longer have that power to do much of anything because it went right back to being a production

company skipper was trying to rattle all that he'd demoted he'd demoted norby norby lost a big off he's in thePN lifer and he lost it to a person who was a bit of a cardboard cutout. Like it wasn't an impressive person that he lost it to and then somehow made his way back up in the business. But for him to be run off as a lifer at ESPN, like this is a crushing loss for him that your last public act was to basically

get totally undressed by Pat McAfee, who ends up winning today because the only reason people know your name is because he called you a rat and a few months later, he's more powerful than ever and you're now gone. The Dan Libertard Show with Stu Gotts is sponsored by BetterHelp. It's time for a self check-in. How's your social battery doing right now? Is it drained or is it bursting with energy? Similar to how a battery stores energy before eventually running out,

individuals with a social battery may feel a need to recharge or withdrawal from social situations after a certain amount of time. It can be easy to ignore our social battery and spread ourselves thin, especially with work or social gatherings. What's the right amount of socializing for you? How do you recharge? Maybe you thrive around people or maybe you need some time alone. Therapy can give you the self-awareness to build a social life that

doesn't drain your battery. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist and switch therapist at any time for no additional charge. Find your social sweet spot with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com slash DLB today to get 10% off your first month.

That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash DLB. Don LeBretard. Number three, Chick-fil-A waffle fries. Yeah, we can get mine. Love it. I mean. Nah, I think it's an overrated fry. You guys go ketchup or Chick-fil-A waffle fries. Yeah, we can get mine. Love it. Nah, I think it's an overrated fry. You guys go ketchup or Chick-fil-A sauce? When you have the Chick-fil-A fry.

Polynesian sauce. Polynesian, that's my brother right there. Good call. You're my brother. Stugats. Oh my God. What a weird interaction. White guys!

What, what, what, what, what? Wow. This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats. I mean I do want your expertise on something because over the course of this year a couple of different times I've said to you off microphone, hey the Lakers and the Warriors that stuff's all done. The league has changed hands toward the young people and the things that we've covered about the Warriors and the Lakers for the last eight years. They're

no longer so. The league has been taken away from them and you have not been willing because you respect champions so much because you respect basketball veteran so much because you respect the playoff basketball is different you've never been willing to say to me that the Warriors and the Lakers are indeed done now we head toward the postseason the Lakers and the Warriors are playing better LeBron is saying we've got to be smart about the end of the season I don't care about seating all that matters is being healthy league has a crisis as it relates to load management the clippers don't care what the season looks like

is kawaii going to be healthy in the playoffs is what matters but i think most people listening to this especially heat fans are expecting jimmy butler and the Miami Heat to turn some magical thing on because they did it last year and did something That is damn near unprecedented in the sport to ask for it to be recreated Makes me feel like the Heat are less likely to be able to summon some turn it on in the playoffs Then the Lakers and Warriors. I don't believe any of them are going to do it. But you respect playoff experience and the way the game changes more than I do.

So help me get through that thicket of who I should believe in here because I don't believe in any of them. Right. So I always say that talent wins, right? But you can close that gap and maybe even overtake talent with experience. And an inexperienced, talented team ultimately will falter to a team that is more experienced,

however, probably not as talented. So bearing that in mind and looking at the Western Conference standings, knowing that two out of the three top three seeds are going to be teams that are fairly light on experience. OKC in Minnesota, you doubt. The thing that I don't doubt is Denver. Denver has for two years has been better than all of these teams we're talking about. And they are. And so, you know, you asked a question about out of the Lakers and the Warriors and the Heat, which do you

expect or give the most kind of leeway to to be the one that overcomes it? And you kind of said, well, you know, it's kind of felt like the Heat because the Heat did it last year. I think you could argue the Lakers did it last year too. If we look at it, they both lost to the same team. The Heat managed to get one game off of them. The Lakers did not. So in terms of like experiences, the Heat and the Lakers both started in the play-in, both went on runs, beating teams that were less experienced than them, and then got to a place where they had to play someone who

was the best team with the best player and both got annihilated in that regard. So I would say that first of all it's not that big of a gap between what the Lakers did and what the Heat did and then second of all I would say that the thing that the Heat don't have that the Lakers and the Warriors both do have is what we've experienced over the last like I said six to eight weeks of watching heat basketball, which is you guys execute. You play hard, you defend, you're smart,

you're the best coach in league, all that stuff. But at some point in NBA playoff basketball, or NBA basketball in general, you kinda just need someone who's like, F everything, I'm so talented, I can make this happen. I can will this game to happen and the Warriors have Steph Curry and the Lakers have LeBron James and the Heat have Jimmy Butler but Jimmy Butler of those three guys is the guy that is

like doesn't do it every single night right or doesn't do it every time out and what we've done is we've actually given him up ton of credit of saying is because he doesn't choose to right that's the it's amazing last night would have been a good time for him to choose to any other player in the league who has this kind of inconsistent pattern we don't give them the benefit of the doubt we say all men i got to do You can't count on him.

Jimmy's the only one where we're like, well, it was a choice. He chose not to do it. He chose not to do it. And maybe it has been. And maybe it still continues to be. But the reality is, and this comes for everybody, elite players, when they start to fall off, they rarely fall off a cliff. What it looks like is he's great one night

and he's not great the other night. And it's like, is it a choice? Was last night a choice by Jimmy Butler? Or is he starting to lose it? Is he starting to roll down the hill maybe? Is he starting to roll down the hill because Jeremy brought this up during the break, he couldn't post up Kyle Lowry

and I don't think that was because he chose not to. Kyle Lowry literally turned to the Heat bench, flexed his arms several times. I'm too strong. You can't do that to me. And then he proceeded to never try to post him up again. Is this all because like Jimmy will then have like a 45-point game in the playoffs,

and Heat fans will be like, see? We told you, Jimmy's trying tonight. But then he'll do that until he can't. Exactly, and again, I'm not saying unequivocally, this is the beginning of the end of Jimmy Butler, I'm just saying in general, when you see a guy- If it was, this is what it would look like. Exactly, that star players who are great one night and not great the next night,

or don't step up the next night, it's not because they're choosing I'm a chill tonight it's usually because that's how the end starts to look I'm hot tonight I'm not hot the next night it's fair to ask these questions considering the scoring output recently from Jimmy if you look like last night they were plus 10 with him on the floor yeah right and his defense was really solid, but his lack of aggressiveness in terms of scoring was surprising.

And you've seen it all regular season long where he's not really searching for contact at the rim in the way that we've seen him do it in the playoffs. And so that's sort of the question that you have, right? Is like, is he saving his body for the postseason? We were asking these same questions last year, to be honest, in the final couple of weeks of the season as they were fighting for play-in position

in a similar spot. So it's one of those, I think, for everybody, particularly Heat fans and the people who cover the Heat, it's like, we're gonna have to see him not do it in the playoffs before deciding, hey, this is, how this is gonna go. Last time I saw him in the playoffs, he was not doing it in the playoffs against Denver. This is alarming because Amin has been out in front and spot on with his Jimmy takes

throughout the years. Remember before we had Jimmy, we were skeptical and he was like, he's a dude. And now before we're ready for him to be done, Amin's kind of telling us. So I'm a little scared here that Amin might be right. I have a lot on what he just said okay Shaq said when he dubbed himself the big Aristotle and made the jump from underachiever to champion an MVP he called himself the big Aristotle because he said you are what you consistently do and that is exactly how a superstar ages where you can't even tell watching it's the same body and you can convince yourself well

fouls hurt and I wouldn't want to try and get 16 of them during an NBA regular season game When LeBron is telling you I don't care about seeding. I care about health So they are that near the rim is where it hurts to play basketball the most. It's hardest to get stuff there and you fought look man and beat has gotten very good at falling down and his body is breaking apart. Because it's harder to be stronger than all of those people. But one of the things that Amin is saying that makes me laugh at the idea that you are trusting a person because very often

he puts 45 point games up in the playoffs that you weren't expecting. You are trusting a person who people in that league say, was it, it was Josh Hart who said, Jimmy goes on these side crusades that include him being on a horse. I've never seen this before in Miami in the place where it is that he is which is Jimmy Butler physically on a horse in

Miami traffic. This is not Davey. He's in a cowboy hat. He's a country music fan who fancies himself a bit of a cowboy and I've seen him around town on a motorized bike. He enjoys the outdoors here. He enjoys his fame. He enjoys being seen. But I thought to myself, this has to be a commercial for something, right?

He's not going to work on a horse through Miami traffic, right? This isn't just Jimmy hanging around on the side with one of his side crusades. What is this? I mean, it's Jimmy being Jimmy. Like that, that's kinda how he behaves. I was gonna say, are we sure it's Jimmy?

But who else could get away with doing this? Like only someone like Jimmy could get away with doing this. Who else? Who else could it be? I don't know, I saw a video the other day that was going viral of some woman who brought a bed into like the intersection yes brickel and was like taking pictures on it in the middle of traffic and I was like

What what what's going on here? It was early that day though I'm gonna tell you something Miami leads the league in like weird shit that you'll see in the street People doing weird shit for for social for clout for clicks. Yeah I mean I will ask the question when when it comes to Jimmy and the Heat, if he just hits that three at the end of the game last night, right, he had a decent look, he hits that three at the end of the game, the Heat win, they basically close out the Sixers

from being able to catch them. Now, obviously, they're in a play-in situation where they're probably gonna end up in the play-in. He hits that three, he leads the team in scoring, they beat the 76ers in what was a crazy game that they had no business in being in. They're getting healthy at the right time, Tyler Hero travels with the team.

Are we even having this conversation? And it's not to say that we shouldn't, but is one shot going to sort of determine how we feel? So the positivity would have been overwhelming because the team has been playing better recently. Their defense, and this is what will carry them their Defense the last couple of months has been either best in the league or close to best in the number four in the league Rating even after being horrendous to start the year

They've been stellar defensively and if he hits that shot then people just say well He made it when it counts But I got a shout out Ethan Skolnick on this one because he told me Look at Jimmy's numbers against the top ten defenses in the league. He struggled. He has struggled against Tough defense. That's right. And again, I don't think that's a choice That's that most guys though like don't most guys eat against bad and do yeah, absolutely I always say any season numbers whether it's a team or an individual is built on the corpses of I always say any season numbers whether it's a team or an individual is built on the corpses of

Batty of deploying Detroit and Washington and and teams like that blazers and the blazers right but also, this is the guy that is anointed as when it matters when it counts or when that's your brand and But when it matters and when it counts you struggle consistently all year long And I don't think that's been the case for him in years past. Here's my thing, I don't think anybody is above questioning. I'm not here to tell you, Chris, oh, Jimmy's done, this is it, this is how it ends, right? I'm just saying, I don't know if this is a choice.

That's what I'm asking that question. Now, he may come when the playoffs start and game one has a crazy game one like he did against Milwaukee and they go on a great run. Sure, but that doesn't change the fact that you can't do it every night, can you? Heat, Bucs, first round. Oh my God. And the Bucs.

What if it's the same exact route? It might be. It might very well be Bucs, Nicks, Celtics. See you there. No shot. We do it again. Okay. Get the tape ready. That's what we said last year. Yup. Who's the number one pick this year? Christ. Dan Lebatard. Amino Hasson. Stugats. Amino Hasson.

This is the Dan Lebatard show with the Stugats. with the Stugats! To a means point, incidentally, on the TV screen right now is Ime Udoka saying of his Houston Rockets who were playing at home last night against the Warriors who finished them, Ime Udoka called his players soft and not ready and deer in headlights and we weren't ready for the moment. Heat Rockets tonight. The Rockets have been very good for a while and Golden State dragged them last night in their own building when a lot of people were saying, oh, you don't want to see the Rockets

in the playoffs. Look at hot at the right time in keeping what it is that Amin is saying that things are about to change. And one of the things that will change is that Eric Spolster will have seven games against a single team to figure out a number of different things about that single team. Well, he's gotta get out of the play-in first.

Which they barely did last year, which a lot of people forget. Because a lot of people forget that with four minutes left in what would have ended their season, they were down at home against a bad Bulls team before then beating Yanis. I just don't think they can do that again. I don't think they have the wherewithal to do all of that,

even though I trust this team, I trust its management, I just think that the top end of what's happening in basketball is too good for the bottom end of these playin' games this year. The Bucs are also worse than they were last year. The Bucs are, that is correct. But so are the Heat. No, but I mean, if we're gonna talk about

where the Heat are and where they stand in comparison to last season, the Celtics are the only runaway dominant team in the East. If you look at the rest of the East, the Bucs are struggling, the Cavs are struggling, the Knicks, the Magic. It's like, no matter who you end up getting in that first round, you have a puncher's chance.

I think it's disgusting that we've talked about the NBA for this long when this is one of the best college basketball weekends of the year. And last night, I watched our buddy, Krim Abdul- Abdul Jabbar in the NIT championship game. So good the end of that game was so good. Dan it was devastating Indiana State lost to Seton Hall and the Seton Hall coach after the game literally went up to our buddy Robbie lifted his chin up and said hey keep your

chin up literally lifted his chin up. Come on. He's our friend. Don't fat shame him. His nickname is Cream Abdul-Jabbar. You think I'm fat shaming him? I don't think that's a fat thing. I think that's a white thing. I don't think it's because he likes heavy cream in his coffee. Although he probably does. Yikes.

Anywho, it was electric. Unfortunately, Indiana State, my sycamores, they lost, which was a bummer. But tonight we have a big matchup. Lucy's in Cleveland right now for the final four. She had COVID last week, Tony. She wasn't able to go to Albany. Yeah, well, it spans a week.

Yeah, like she was sick last week and now she's feeling better, I assume. She has been testing, she has been testing, and I trust her that she is now testing negative. Yes, people still test. Oh, sorry, you heard that? Yes, COVID still sucks. I had it somewhat recently.

Lucy actually, early in the week, told us about it. I don't recommend COVID, it's still got hands in 2024. Exactly, so Lucy will be in Cleveland. The Iowa-UConn game is the late game, nine o'clock. So that means it's gonna tip off at like nine fricking 30. Yeah. Because- Prime time. The networks at like nine fricking 30 because the networks, the networks, they hate telling us what time a game will actually start and the South Carolina NC State games

right before it so it's probably gonna be a little buffer. I'm gonna say this, I said this yesterday before the show and I got frowned and I got called a Jeremy joker for saying this but it's not a joke, it's not a joke. If Yukon beats Iowa, and Paige Becker has a big game, she needs to go in that post game and say, from now on, call me Paige Betters. Because I'm better than her.

Did you make that joke yesterday? I didn't make that joke. He made it off air. It's such a bad joke, why would you say that? I'm not doing it, he's been doing it. We all told you it wasn't funny. I'm not trying to be funny. What is this?

You're not trying to be funny? I'm not trying to tell you a joke. I'm actually serious. I think Paige Becker's ought to call herself Paige Better's if she wins on me. I think that's great. See, I don't like your allies. Paige Becker's is like, every time she is asked any question about like herself or sports or anything,

she always has the smartest answer. She's probably the last player that I'd ever be like, yeah, she's the one who's gonna say, I'm Paige Becker now. That's why. Like she's literally asked- You gotta zag. In the Final Four press conference, something about next year, are you gonna be the Caitlin Clark, are you gonna be the focal point

of women's basketball? And she was like, I hope not, because there's like a lot of good players and I hope we can spread our attention across all of the great players in women's basketball. And everyone was like, this girl gets it. This is what she said, I don't need. You gotta want the attention of your hair.

I said, I don't need to be Caitlin Clark because I'm Paige Betters. Again, you're doing that. I'm betters, I'm betters than her. Okay, we got it. Cause Paige Buckets is dumb. Her name isn't Paige bookers. Her name's Paige Becker So that's why better better. That's good analysis. I'm really excited. I'm really excited for the game Yukon has like no healthy players and if they get in foul trouble

It could get ugly and actually the way that I've been gauging My bracket this year is like based off of Notre Dame this year, because Notre Dame was a Sweet 16 team. They're very good. They have one of the best players in the country, and Hannah Hidalgo, ACC Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year. And Notre Dame has played three of the four teams in this final four. And they beat UConn at UConn on a long night. OK, Mike, relax, Mike.

OK, this is the Mike Mike. The difference between me and Mike is that Notre Dame is actually a pretty good measuring stick because they're very good at basketball. They're very close to being in the elite age. Blue bloods? If it weren't for Hannah Hedoggle's nose ring, that's a whole other story. We don't have to get into that.

But anyways, they beat NC State in the ACC Championship game, but they lost to them early in the season. NC State held them to like 43 points. But they played South Carolina all the way back at the beginning of the season, if you remember, in Paris, and South Carolina beat them by like 30 points. So, I mean, it was way back, that was a long time ago,

it was like six months ago, but I've got South Carolina still, but UConn, I'm like, eh, Notre Dame beat them at home, I don't know. Yep. Sorry, Dan, UConn, like, it was shaky for them. Because of the injuries, because like, if they, like, the Notre Dame game at UConn, it was shaky for them. Because of the injuries. Because the Notre Dame game at UConn, they got in foul trouble and Notre Dame

had some really good matchups in the third and fourth quarter because of it. And they were able to dominate basically in the third quarter and win the game. And something like that happens tonight. And it almost happened against USC earlier this week. They had a couple players with four fouls. It's dicey because they've had like the worst injury luck,

I think, of almost any team you can imagine. So many players with season-ending injuries this year that they're playing with like seven players basically every night. And that it's just, it's tough. Will Geno learn from Kim Mulkey's sins? Let me analyze this for a second because yesterday- We're doing college basketball. No I want to talk about college basketball,

but I also want to talk about Jessica's frustration from yesterday where she is saying that some of the college basketball coverage of women's basketball is dumb and hot-takey and she is right. Well, this is what I was just going to say. She's breaking down a pretty fun weekend and your response The guy who came in here yesterday and said Kim Mulkey is terrible doesn't know what she's doing clearly a college coach I could fix everything there in a day. She's just someone who yells people as she hasn't won anything She she yells at people to make them better as opposed to scheming you fixed everything about the game after watching it for a half hour

I just really am enjoying that her analysis is that this analysis stinks, and your rebuttal a day later with time to think about it is what if I made Paige Becker's Paige better? Well, hold on, hold on. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm gonna defend you for a second because I think something got a little misconstrued yesterday which happens when like the social team I'm not blaming them but they put out like a 40 second clip and there's a little bit of context missing I don't mind like dumb hot take like who's the goat is Caitlin Clark the

goat that is like not what I was talking about I was talking about. I was talking about like, Osu! Bird! The overt racism and sexism in a lot of the coverage that I've seen on mainstream shows. I'm not talking about like, oh is Cheryl Miller the goat? Is Kaylin Clark? That's fine. Like that is what we do with men's sports. I feel like we got kind of caught up

in a couple different conversations happening at once. I appreciate your lukewarm support of it. Paige Betters is fine. I like that does not your lukewarm support of it. Page betters is fine. I'm not upset about it. It's a bad joke, that's all I'm saying. It's not a joke. Why does everyone keep calling it a bad joke? I'm being serious.

You're trying to do word play and it's just not, it's bad word play. I'll tell you what, I bet you the New York Post will disagree that back page will say page betters tomorrow night, or tomorrow morning. But then. And everyone's always like, the New York Post is the funniest newspaper on earth.

You come up with some good ass puns and get on the back of the New York Post and then you talk to me. That's the job that I was always meant to do, is I should just be the guy who writes the back page of the New York Post. You walk around the city, you see people on the subway holding up,

you're like, that's my boy. First take is great at it. In the TV game? The lower third, yep, they do a good job. But then I have to stick up for myself even more than Jessica's lukewarm defense. That was a hot pocket straight out of the oven. Hot defense, by the way.

On Tuesday, the day after the game, I broke down for the first half of the first segment of the show, basketball analysis about how they were guarding they were going under they're going under no hedging and no hedging and no blitzing no switching personnel and all that stuff do not tell me that my analysis yesterday no I'm talking to Dan okay okay do not Dan it's your fault do not tell me that my analysis was that Kim Mulkey just yells. That wasn't my analysis.

My analysis was actually very X's and O's rooted. A stoop defensive analysis for him. Thank you. My counter to your analysis though, how do you defend Caitlin Clark? We will see in the next two games. We talked about it. If Gino and Don Staley, especially Don Staley, who's one of the best coaches in women's basketball history and like an

All-star defender if she can't figure it out then like maybe when you hit nine threes from 30 feet out It's just hard to defend that I mean is now gonna show us with a broken back 45-year-old body You've gotten up to show how to defend Yes, please blitzer go ahead on the field thing. That was crushed This is great. So now Tony and Amin are both going to defend the lead athletes like Caitlin Clark 30 feet from the basket Okay, all right first of all let's not be dumbasses. I'm not saying oh I could go to King Clark I'm not saying, oh, I could guard Kade Clark. I'm saying- That's not the dumbest.

That is such a hate place to start. Understand, understand that me and Tony are proxies for the actual athletes playing, right? This is how they were guarded. So that's the screen right there, right? Right? Tony does not think he's a proxy by the way. Tony for sure thinks he could guard Clayton Clark.

Oh, Clark. Clark. Clark. Tony will be the big Who is guarding the screener? Imagine Caitlin Clark zooming past the screen right here. I'm trying to guard her This is now. This is what Iowa did. Can you, cut my fucking microphone off. Dan Levittor! The man of the Dolby is the best defender in college basketball. She's averaging five steals a game.

How are we making this about Notre Dame? She's so quick and so fast. She's just snatched that ball. She just snatched it. Dan demands, Dan demands, Dan demands that we have smarter analysis. I try to give them smarter analysis. He's like, cut his microphone off. Oh, what is he doing? Oh, he's standing up and try to show us

Really affect your fingers. Okay, so ridiculous. All you want is a clown show. You don't want analysis You don't want education you guys wanted to put on red clown noses and big colorful wigs That's what I'll do for you guys and know anybody ever talked to me about how we're not analyzing this And you better watch out for extra when Olivia Miles is bad Oh, why does anyone know how to cover the game? No one's doing this better than us