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Dan Le Batard
Now, at McDonald's, a McDouble is $2.50. So you can get your gym gains on or just get lunch for only $2.50.
Stugotz
Get more value on the under $3 menu. Limited time only. Prices and participation may vary.
Dan Le Batard
Prices may be higher for delivery.
Stugotz
So I am in the company of a man who almost won a Pulitzer Prize by hiring someone who did later win a Pulitzer Prize. So congratulations to Dan Lebatard. I haven't seen Dan for a couple of weeks, so I have all of this hubbub and hoopla about the Pulitzer Prize. I just wonder how Dan feels about it, because, you know, you're. Are you a Pulitzer Prize? Do you get one of those coins? It's like a small gold coin. Do you get one of those?
Dan Le Batard
I don't know. We are in the episode with Pablo, Miamin and Samson. But you do realize everyone who is full time here won a Pulitzer Prize. Everything that we do here funds everything Pablo's doing in New York. So everyone here who is full time and has a percentage of this company is a Pulitzer winner because they're the ones who funded. We are the ones who funded that work. So we didn't do the work. Pablo did the work, but we did the work in allowing the work to be done. So everyone here. I don't feel like you guys realize that you all are Pulitzer winners. Like, that's what happened.
Stugotz
Well, I'm not full time, so we're all Pulitzer winners.
Greg Cody
Just the way you guys would have been highlight champions.
Tony
Yeah, Dan, you were a Battle Court fall champion. You didn't seem to care too much.
Stugotz
Yeah, let's be Pablo.
Eddie
Doesn't really make it seem like I want a Pulitzer Prize, though.
Stugotz
Yeah.
Zaslow
I'd like Pablo to acknowledge my contribution.
Stugotz
Yeah, and mine. As a key.
Tony
Twice a week, Temp Amin's really elbowed anybody else away.
Dan Le Batard
He's unusually proud of it. He flew to Los Angeles as I was flying back, saying, we got to go have drinks. He wanted like, Amin is happier about this than anyone I've seen about this. And Cody is one of the few people I've noticed who cares, because I'm not joking when I say this. When I called Pablo to congratulate him, he had to do to me what I just did to you guys, which is. You realize this is yours too, Dan, Right? Because I didn't do the work. He did the work.
Kurt Signetti
But we.
Dan Le Batard
We did the work that makes all of what Pablo's doing possible. I don't think the people listening to this quite understand the calamity that the media landscape is actually in where that show. It's very hard for anyone in corporate media to actually do that show because of how compromised everyone in corporate media is with all of their partnerships doing truth telling shows. That's going to bother you basically have in all of the five companies that are running America. They don't want to actually make anything interesting. They don't want to make anything that offends anybody.
Stugotz
No, it's a. It's a valuable honor that was won by the Pablo Torre show. I just think that if, if I'm being honest, to say that everyone connected with Meadowlock Media has won a Pulitzer Prize is a bit much.
Dan Le Batard
It's not though. Meadowlark Media is a Pulitzer Prize winning media company and Meadowlark Media is the. That paid for everything Pablo's doing. So wait a minute. So when, when somebody wins something, anything in sports, does the owner get to win something or not?
Stugotz
Let me give you an example. And none of it, none of what I'm saying is belittling this in any way. But to give you an analogy, the Miami Herald has won a lot of Pulitzer prizes. I think 12 or 15 or 18 or something. I've worked for the Miami Herald during all of those Pulitzer Prizes. Does that mean I am a Pulitzer Prize winner?
Dan Le Batard
If the Miami Herald wins a Pulitzer Prize, you work for a company that is a Pulitzer Prize winning company.
Tony
Wait, so is Clay Bennett actually the NBA mvp?
Dan Le Batard
No, he is the champion.
Tony
He funds the operation.
Dan Le Batard
He's the champion owner. He's not the mvp, but he's the champ. You don't win the MVP as a team. It's an individual award. You do win a championship as a team.
Tony
This feels more like an mvp. At least that's the way Pablo is making it seem.
Dan Le Batard
This is the Dan Levator show with
Stugotz
the Stu Guts podcast.
Dan Le Batard
Juju. Put it on the poll, please. Is OKC going to be the first ever sneaky dynasty? The OKC is now in the Western Conference finals again. They swept LeBron. First time LeBron has ever been swept this early in the playoffs. And OKC has now made the Western Conference finals in a third of their seasons. That's nuts, huh?
Zaslow
That's really good.
Dan Le Batard
That's hard to do. And they're not going anywhere for a while because they can go and get a second player and put them next to Shai Gilgeous Alexander and it doesn't even matter who the second player is. They'll just keep putting second players next to him and they will become whatever it is a second player has to become because of how strong they are. And it makes you feel, if you're the Miami Heat, like you're a million miles from the title because of how they're ransacking people. They don't even trail. Like, they've spent very little of the postseason trailing. And I understand that the Lakers are missing a pretty important piece, but to just roll through both of the playoff entities and do it so assuredly that Dylan Brooks is sitting behind. Sitting behind the basket.
Zaslow
I like him.
Dan Le Batard
Blinged out. Oh, you like him now? He's just laughing.
Eddie
No, he's an ultimate player hater.
Zaslow
I like him. Well, I also like him because I think he's a winning player. Like, I think he's proven that in his career. Like, he could be a pest, he's certainly dirty at times. He could be. He could be a huge nuisance, but he's very clearly a winning player.
Stugotz
Right.
Zaslow
And that stuff to me is important. I like Dylan Brooks.
Eddie
Such a change from where he was in Memphis where, like, he couldn't shoot. They cut him out.
Zaslow
Right, because he was terrible for everything.
Stugotz
Yeah, I agree.
Eddie
But he was also not good.
Zaslow
No, they were wrong for blaming him for everything is what I'm saying.
Tony
I agree.
Eddie
But for, for that time where he was, the play into the regular season playoffs, he was shooting like 12%, like he was terrible.
Zaslow
He's a good player now and big time play ahead at the end.
Dan Le Batard
I thought that they got rid of him basically because they thought he was a bad influence on John Moran and also that he couldn't shoot at the time. But I remember at the time that the rockets gave him $80 million. I really thought he was going to have to go play in Turkey or something. I didn't think that he had never mind a winning player or an important starter. I didn't think that he had a legitimate future in the NBA after everything that happened in Memphis. But for him to sit where he sat last night under the basket in very expensive seats, blinged out and just laughing at LeBron as he's on the free throw line, that is just some classic player hating that you do not often see, especially of someone who's a legend. Dylan Brooks is legitimately the only guy in the NBA willing to disrespect LeBron this way. There's no second place on this. And in fact, whatever second place is, is a distant second on a peer mocking LeBron James.
Zaslow
No one would have done that to Michael Jordan.
Greg Cody
I mean, someone did blow in his
Zaslow
ear but there's not a single player would have done that to Michael Jordan. Like Michael Jordan's about to retire and somebody's going to show up disrespectful like that and sit under the basket laughing at him in what could be his final game. You know we really missed out on though, Dan, is if the Lakers would have won last night, the possibility of Dylan Brooks following the Lakers around this series. So he could be there for LeBron's last game.
Dan Le Batard
It is cute.
Greg Cody
You think it's his last game though?
Zaslow
Oh no, I don't.
Dan Le Batard
Nobody thinks that. Regardless, we have a special six part series that we're going to begin airing today. Just sort of talking about the majesty of LeBron because when he says the season was a success, it lands differently with me after a sweep than when Joel Embiid says the season was a success. LeBron James, these stats from Tom Haberstrough. I don't know if you guys have seen the stats on Haberstro, on LeBron James, but. So he's got 232 points after the age of 41. All other 41 year old players in NBA history have a combined 212 points. He's got 73 playoff assists. All other over 41 players have 22 assists all time NBA. I'm assuming all those numbers are for Kareem Abdul Jabbar because obviously it's a bit of a rhetorical trick. Nobody plays NBA basketball until they're 41. Go ahead, give me the third guy you guys think have played basketball until he's 41. I'll give you LeBron and give me a third guy.
Zaslow
Kevin Willis.
Dan Le Batard
He did not play until he was 41. With those short arms. Anybody can, can, can you guys remember anyone playing NBA basketball in their 40s other than those two? Because I'm assuming what Haberstro. This looks like comprehensive research by Haberstro. I think he just looked up Kareem Abdul Jabbar's postseason stats and those are the ones he's using.
Eddie
Did that say Kevin Willis? Yeah, he would play till he was 44.
Zaslow
I know, play it.
Tony
I got Vince Carter, Robert Parish, The
Eddie
Chief, also 43, dominating Vince Carter 43. Dirk at 40.
Dan Le Batard
Kevin Willis played in the NBA until he was 44.
Eddie
This large language model says he played until he was 44.
Zaslow
He had them T Rex arms.
Dan Le Batard
Wait a minute. He also wore leather everywhere. All his suits were leather, some of them red leather. Because the fashionista like Eddie, he was a good player. Not, not at 44. He wasn't go ahead and give me all of Willis's stats. Post 40. Just give me all of the stats he had. Post 40 years old.
Eddie
I'll find that.
Zaslow
But I got it. I got it for you, Hickey.
Eddie
45 years old, oldest player ever.
Stugotz
Kevin Willis retired in 2005 and came back in 2006 and played five games.
Dan Le Batard
Come back, you have it in front of you. You're going to give us some Kevin Willis numbers here in the local hour because those were. Those were heady years for the Miami Heat. When Kevin Willis. When they traded Kevin Willis.
Zaslow
Terrible. Lewis Chappelle, Billy Cunningham. What are you doing in San Antonio at 40 years old? Kevin Willis averaged 4.2 points per game. He appeared in 71 games at 40 years old. How about that?
Stugotz
Wow. Four points, though, right?
Mike
All right.
Zaslow
But that's a guy who played 71 games.
Stugotz
Okay.
Dan Le Batard
It's still crazy. And congratulations as on getting that correct. How do you guys feel about Miami Super Bowls? Because I think the super bowl should almost always be in Miami just because it is such a great tourist city and everyone appreciates the weather and in a way that perhaps they don't when the super bowl is in Minnesota. And Mad Dog is the only person in the world who's saying that that's his favorite super bowl site. How do you feel about everything going on with Dolphins owner Steven Ross and the idea that he would appear to be angling for public funds because he doesn't think that the stadium is up to super bowl, you know, demands at the moment?
Stugotz
I mean, it's up to the demand of F1, and it's up to the demand of professional tennis. The fifth major, the Miami Open in the national championship.
Kurt Signetti
Just here.
Stugotz
The national. Yeah. What is he talking about? It is up to super bowl standards. He's just looking for an influx of money that he's not spending. But I also think that he's got so much else going on and making so much money on ancillary stuff besides the Dolphins that he should. He feels like he's not going to beg at age 86. He's not going to go begging for a Super bowl if the NFL doesn't want to put him in the rotation to its own benefit. He's not groveling. That's the way I look.
Zaslow
Yeah.
Tony
I don't.
Zaslow
I don't think he cares anymore. I think because he has those other things going on. F1, the tennis. The World cup is going to be here. The national championship is clearly in rotation.
Stugotz
He.
Zaslow
He's making so much money from These other events, and they've had a ton of Super Bowls. I don't think he cares about it anymore.
Tony
It's a bummer. I like having the super bowl down here. As a fan, I liked whenever it was in Miami. Even though I'm local, I know that there's a bias attached to that. I think Miami does a great job with it and just come out and say that we have all these other things going on. But, I mean, Dan said definitively he's looking for money. We're left to only assume he's looking for some kind of public handout here because the reasons that they gave us, which I think he kind of co signed with Goodell because Goodell made similar comments about the Cleveland Stadium.
Dan Le Batard
And as he. They always do this. They always try to get strong arm the country and the cities. Everybody wants the super bowl, so they always do stuff like this where they try and get public money by using the super bowl to get it.
Tony
Give me the reason that we have Formula One here and the Miami Open and we're trying to get other events and it just doesn't fit with the calendar because of when Formula One's here and when the Miami opens here. Don't tell me that we don't have the necessary facilities around a pristine sports facility. Do not tell me that we cannot house the temporary hospitality tents because our permanent hospitality structure for Formula One has gotten in the way. El Palacio has been there the entire
Zaslow
40 years, right there.
Tony
Don't all of a sudden tell me that in 2026, that's not enough hotels. You're trying to get some public land for a hotel. Something's got to be up. Because the reason that you're telling me we cannot have a Super bowl down here just simply does not add up. We have made this stadium too nice.
Dan Le Batard
Zaslow brought up El Palacio, which makes me laugh. It is. It's a funny name for a hotel. I used to call it El Palacio's Friendly Neighborhood Crack Den because it isn't quite up to super bowl standards.
Tony
Why they had to rebrand. It's no longer El Palacio Stadium Hotel, Dan.
Dan Le Batard
Well, it is the Stadium hotel, but it's also a decent distance from the hotel. I thought of this the other day as I was driving to the airport because Inter Miami Stadium is so bright, and the hotel that is there would make it really unpleasant on game nights. The amount of light coming into your room, there's simply not enough. There's not enough vision impairment or, you know, light blocking curtains that you can get to block how close the stadium at Inter Miami is to the hotel at the airport.
Tony
I have faith in the curtains.
Stugotz
Seriously.
Tony
Really more, really would be more concerned with the sound of the planes overhead.
Dan Le Batard
That too.
Eddie
That too.
Dan Le Batard
But I'm telling you, I don't. I do not have faith in the blackout curtains at that particular hotel. I think it's a Sheridan. I don't have faith that the stadium lights, they're too close. There's simply no way that it's blocking out all that light.
Eddie
When you book an airport hotel, you know that you're by an airport, so you know you're going to get the planes overhead.
Tony
Like, that's part of every time I go to Vegas. I'm like, how's this curtain going to stand up? And guess what? It always delivers.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, but the, the hotel and airport, or the hotel and the giant stadium lights, they're usually not quite as close to each other as this hotel is with this stadium.
Tony
So that's what they say. Dan, I'm not going to get into this with you. Fine. The curtains don't work at the Sheridan. We'll move on.
Dan Le Batard
I thought as I drove past that, I thought, that's way too close to the stadium lights for that to be something that is comfortable sleeping for anybody involved.
Stugotz
It's way too close to the stadium. It's way too close to the airport. That's what it's way too close to. I don't care about the lights. I care about the noise and jet airliners.
Eddie
Guys, it's an airport hotel. So you stay at the airport and then you go to the hotel. It's right there. That's the point.
Dan Le Batard
That's the convenience of it. Yes, but usually put it on the pole at Lebatard Show. When you get the airport hotel, are you expecting stadium lights on your balcony? Yes or no?
Tony
Hey, Roy, buddy.
Dan Le Batard
Yo.
Tony
You know that energy shift when the game gets good and everybody all together in unison knows to stand up on their feet?
Stugotz
Oh, absolutely.
Mike
Mike.
Stugotz
Yeah.
Tony
You've been at many big time sporting events. You know that moment quite well. That's what it's like when you take your first sip of Cuervo.
Eddie
Oh, delicious.
Tony
It's the signal that says, we're not checking the time anymore, pal. It's when small talk turns into stories. Cuervo, man. It's that high five. A random stranger effect. That's right. The game is popping. You're hugging people you never met before. That's the kind of energy that Cuervo brings. It's so smooth, so delicious. That's the Cuervo effect. Keep it Cuervo.
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Tony
when you come over to my house and we put on the games, I got basketball, I got baseball going on. But what do I lay out for you and the boys for entertainment and drinking Miller Line. Uh huh. Those beautiful white cans or on draft or the bottle if you prefer.
Greg Cody
Oh, when you open that with the can though and you one of the
Tony
best sounds on the planet. You pair that with the right game. You take that first sip, we both look around. It's not a bit.
Greg Cody
I have goosebumps thinking about the first sip.
Tony
We take that first sip, we open it up and we're looking around. There's just that five seconds of almost eerie silence where you're just soaking it all in and you're like man, did we make the right call or what? That's why we reach for Miller Lite. It's clean, refreshing, easy to drink, brewed for taste with simple ingredients that golden color. Just 96 calories and 3.2 carbs. The original light beer since 1975 and it still hits different I love you Miller Light. Cheers to legendary moments with Miller Lite. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.
Dan Le Batard
Don LeBatard this is the quickest it goes.
Mike
Hey, this is the quickest it goes. Stugats, everybody. This is the quickest it goes.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, this is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats. You guys mentioned mj. How does everyone here feel about the fact that as it relates to his involvement with broadcasting and NBC, he's been on all season load management when it comes to working for NBC. They interviewed him for an hour before the season and they never got him again. After publicly shouting to everybody, hey, we've got mj. I'd love to see that contract. Did he just give them an hour of his time and allow them to have all sorts of press releases because he gave them an hour of time before the season and then just used that interview all season.
Zaslow
And unless I'm not remembering it correctly, when they announced their broadcast team, NBC for their first year back with the NBA, they made it sound like Michael Jordan is part of their broadcast team. Like when I saw who's going to be on the broadcast, I was envisioning Michael Jordan is going to be on the desk with them like Gretzky throughout the season.
Dan Le Batard
You thought it would be like Gretzky?
Zaslow
Exactly like that.
Dan Le Batard
Because usually that level of star isn't in broadcasting. Gretzky and Brady are exceptions and they're relatively recent exceptions. I've told you before that ESPN can't get the good broadcasters who are hall of Famer, so they get Emmett Smith and Jerry Rice and Scottie Pippen, the guys who were good at, you know, sports but not good at broadcasting. Generally speaking, the all time hall of Famers will just give you an hour of time before the season and you can use it all season or you will not get the all time hall of Famer.
Zaslow
Everyone was really excited, right, when we heard Michael Jordan is going to be a part of it. No one would have had the reaction that we did if it was a sit down interview.
Dan Le Batard
I asked you guys though, after like six weeks of that where they just kept playing the same interview and you guys were fine with it especially, I mean, as long as you got, you know, the mystical figure to sit down in front of the cameras one time, you guys were all okay with it. Six weeks in.
Tony
I think there has been some sort of pivot on the Michael Jordan deal.
Stugotz
Yeah, yeah.
Tony
But also, Dan, I think you're applying a logic from years ago. Like we're presently in an era where Wayne Gretzky and Tom Brady are there for months on end.
Dan Le Batard
I mentioned that those are the exceptions, but you got to pay $375 million to get one of them. And Gretzky was famously bland as an interview. Both of them were the entirety. In fact, all of these guys are Michael Jordan as well. They're not interesting broadcasters. They're interesting champions, but they're. They're interesting.
Tony
Fox's baseball has Jeter, a Rod and Poppy. Those are faces of an entire baseball generation.
Dan Le Batard
And Pedro too.
Stugotz
I would liken Michael Jordan to Lionel Messi. When Apple TV signed up to. To do mls, I think they probably assumed that that means access to Lionel Messi. They're lucky. They were lucky if they get a 30 second post game interview with Messi and Michael Jordan. If anything, I think it adds to his mistakes. The idea that he's gonna give you one hour and you're gonna use it any way you like, but you're not gonna get a mic in front of me again.
Tony
Greg, I wanna side with you and the local media because they've said this about Messi and they seem really upset that Messi is not pulling his own when it comes to his media veils. Can we be happy with what we got? He won literally the award for best player on the planet while he was wearing an Inter Miami shirt.
Dan Le Batard
I agree.
Tony
He was months removed from his crowning achievement at the World Cup. Like, he has been incredible to date. The single best MLS player ever, just based on form. Still to this day, you can watch Inter Miami against Toronto fc and you can watch Messi bossing a game. We got to be okay with that.
Dan Le Batard
I see your shirt there. You're wearing a Lionel Messi shirt. And I'm offended by the shirt that Zaslow is wearing. Whatever.
Zaslow
I went to school here. Be offended all you want nearby. That's. I don't know how I can. You know what? I'm going to take a picture of the degree that I earn.
Dan Le Batard
No, I don't.
Zaslow
You think I know how to use AI?
Dan Le Batard
I don't have a clue.
Tony
Yeah, that's what someone.
Zaslow
I'm gonna take a picture of the degree I earned from the University of Florida and I'm gonna show it to you. Why are you offended?
Dan Le Batard
You're a proud Miami and. And you're somebody who's a voice for Miami sports. And you're wearing a 2025 National Champions University of Florida Gators basketball shirt.
Stugotz
Whatever Enemy. Enemy shirt.
Zaslow
I'm the best Hurricanes fan you'll ever meet. I went to the University of Florida and I still love the University of Florida.
Dan Le Batard
Put it on the poll at LeBatard show. Is the best University of Miami fan you'll ever meet allowed to be a graduate of the University of Florida?
Zaslow
You know what? You're very comfortable saying these things to my face. I hope the next time you see you, Donna Haslam, you say to his
Dan Le Batard
face, I have said it to him. I'm not going to say to him every time I'm in his face, but I have said it to him that the whole thing is bogus, that you can't go and be playing at the University of Florida and then be the proudest hurricane.
Zaslow
You know what? If I'm on the side of you, Donna Haslam, I'm on the right side.
Tony
He says he made a business decision going to Florida. Did you make a business decision going to Santa Fe?
Zaslow
Sure.
Tony
Sure.
Dan Le Batard
You confirmed it. I just heard it confirmed. You just said sure after he asked you the question.
Zaslow
No. You don't know what I was going to say. I was probably going to say, surely not Santa Fe.
Stugotz
Cc.
Eddie
Don't call me Shirley.
Tony
He just bugs bunnied you, man.
Dan Le Batard
Cc Santa Fe.
Stugotz
Yeah.
Kurt Signetti
Sfcc.
Stugotz
That's Santa Fe Community College. Everybody knows that.
Zaslow
Oh, I wouldn't know.
Dan Le Batard
The idea that the Gators are still Miami's biggest rival. I ask it with a question mark. I don't know if that's accurate or not because they don't play enough in, in the sports. You would wish to have them play at the very top of championship deciding.
Tony
But, but Notre Dame thing is climbing.
Dan Le Batard
What is, what is the list? What. What are the University of Miami's biggest rivals? See, we've. We've had this conversation before about fsu. There's not hatred there with FSU in Miami, there's not really hatred. The players are competitive and they have their own rivalries because they went to, you know, they, they played in Florida in high school. Florida State's not a hated Miami rival. And to be a rival at the top of the rival food chain, you have to be hated. There has to be hatred there. And Florida has residual hatred. It's generations ago. It doesn't feel like there's very much recent to choose from in that rivalry. And yet I'd still put it at the top of the list. Do I have it wrong?
Zaslow
Florida, Notre Dame, fsu.
Tony
I think for the FSU thing, there's a weird mutual respect thing there.
Greg Cody
A Little bit.
Tony
So I think right now you can make a strong case for Notre Dame. Now Miami occupies this weird place in college football in which they have other rivals, but none of those rivals would point to them and say that is our chief rival.
Zaslow
It's the Mad Men elevator.
Tony
Yeah, well, I don't think it's. They don't think about us at all. They think about us plenty, especially if you sample social media. And also Miami hasn't been very relevant over the last 20 years. But with the USC rivalry, rivalry on ice for a little bit here because of scheduling with Notre Dame and usc. Jeremiah loves a hand. Takes all season long thinking about Miami. Every interview he says something about Miami. Ruben Baines composition book where he says Notre Dick in it and the games and the fact that both these teams are super relevant, super good right now you look at that November 7th game, prime time in South Bend. If those teams handle their business going into that, you have game of the century type hype because of everything that happened with the playoff. Miami vs. Notre Dame head to head was a discussion all season long. It's got a lot of Jews.
Dan Le Batard
Here's why the FSU rivalry doesn't have a lot of juice beyond the hatred. Because a Bobby Bowden was very likable and just had a charisma when they were doing the absurd and spending 14 straight seasons in the top five. They had a coach that Miami fans couldn't help but also like and respect. But then the other thing there that makes it less of a rivalry is Miami won all the games. Like you gotta. The other. The opponent has to win some of the memorable games for it to be a rivalry. And Miami was always winning the game. So you get grandfathered in some Florida losses from the 80s like you get they, they. I think Kar's championship season, they lost the first game of the season to Florida. And so you're. You're literally going back 30 years to grab a rivalry because go ahead and try and remember it. Give me all the games recently that Miami and Florida have played that have conjured anything in the form of hatred.
Tony
Hatred.
Zaslow
I mean the one this year was pretty good going into this game.
Tony
I mean the. What the, the week one game at the Swamp, that was a moment that. That's going to be a huge feather in the cap. And even though that that Florida team wasn't very good, you can point to that team wasn't very good because of what Miami did to them. And that was really Mario Cristobal stating it's different from here on out. Cam Ward immediately became a Heisman contender. They've had a couple of good games with nothing teams. Kaderius, Tony, Jeff, Thomas, Muffin. The punt in a. In a great week zero game in or in Orlando.
Stugotz
The.
Dan Le Batard
The game you're talking about, Florida is the introduction to. Oh, Cam Ward's good. Yeah, like Cam Ward.
Tony
And then henceforth Miami shall be if they keep getting this position. Right.
Zaslow
But Otherwise, it was 20 years ago. You had the Sugar Bowl. You had the game in Gainesville after the national championship. You got to go back a while ago.
Stugotz
But it's indisputable that at one time and for a long time, Miami and Florida were the rivals. Now, Florida also had fsu, but it was Miami and Florida.
Dan Le Batard
Can you guys name a third person other than Udonis and Zaslow, who has both allegiances?
Eddie
Because my dad went to University of Florida and the biggest Canes fan hates the Gators.
Zaslow
You're going to tell his father that's
Dan Le Batard
my dad hates the Gators. He hates the Gators. You don't hate the guys.
Zaslow
Okay, well, that's weird.
Dan Le Batard
Wait.
Eddie
Yeah, well, he hates the Gators football team.
Dan Le Batard
His father would not wear a University of Florida 2025 National Champion College basketball
Eddie
would be caught dead in that shirt.
Zaslow
He doesn't support the basketball.
Eddie
Wouldn't be caught dead in a Florida Gator shirt.
Zaslow
Wow.
Eddie
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Tony
Hey, listeners.
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Zaslow
Don LeBatard I've never stepped foot on that campus. If you told me right now your life depends on it. Go to Santa Fe University and just, just, just take a picture.
Dan Le Batard
Stugats.
Zaslow
I would die. I don't know where it is.
Dan Le Batard
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats. You mentioned the national championship game being played in Miami and the Indiana football team that just got done with maybe the best college football season ever and probably the most improbable college football season ever. They went to the White House yesterday, but Fernando Mendoza did not go to the White House. I saw there was a an issue of Esquire magazine that did Mavericks in sports and they had Fernando Mendoza as one of the mavericks. And I'm like, that is the opposite of a maverick. Fernando Mendoza is the very opposite I would choose of a maverick in sports.
Tony
I mean he's not even the maverick on his own team. Signetti more of a maverick than Fernando Mendoza.
Dan Le Batard
I'm not kidding when I say if you tell me, give me all of sports. What's the opposite of a maverick? He's a goose.
Greg Cody
I want to play this game. The opposite of maverick.
Dan Le Batard
I mean, Fernando Mendoza, he's got a LinkedIn.
Tony
Who wrote Mavericks don't have LinkedIn. What publication was this?
Dan Le Batard
Esquire magazine featured like six people. Look up for me who the six were shams. Was one of them a maverick of journalism? There were six people, but they go to the White House yesterday. Everybody but Fernando Mendoza. Signetti is sitting right or standing right next to Trump. And Trump doesn't seem to know it. But let's play the first clip here from Indiana going. And look at the people behind Trump. You tell me, just looking at the people behind Trump. You go ahead and tell me, based on this visual, is this the greatest college football team ever? Standing behind Donald Trump, starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Kurt Signetti
Now, the reason he's not here, he was so nice. He called because he has. Actually, JD Is a big fan of ours. You wouldn't believe it because he didn't show up. I'm not happy, but that's okay. The reason he didn't. Because he's at spring training, right?
Dan Le Batard
Correct.
Kurt Signetti
And I actually said, you really let him. He's got to win. And I think he's going to win pretty early, coach. Right? You think pretty good. Time will tell. He's going to be a good one. A lot of people said they're going to win, but I think he will. No, he's been great. And he said spring training, like his first day or something. I said, you better go there. But he became Indiana's first. Otherwise, if I didn't do that, believe me, I wouldn't have even talked about him. I would have not if. If he was not here for other reasons, like he didn't like Trump or he didn't want to come. I wouldn't even mention him. I'd go through the whole. I'd talk about how great. I wouldn't even mention. Mention the quarterback's name. But he's a great guy, actually.
Dan Le Batard
Yammering knob. Let's listen to the most powerful person in our country and perhaps the most corrupt, not know that Signetti is right next to him.
Kurt Signetti
Kurt. Who's Kurt? Kurt Signetti. Where is Kurt Signetti? Oh, come here. Come here. Kurt Signetti has turned out to be, I believe. I think he's the coach of the last Decade.
Dan Le Batard
This guy leads the league in looking for people who are right next to him.
Tony
Last time it was his wife, Signetti.
Dan Le Batard
His body language cramped up as soon as Trump grabbed him. I am told the President of the United States does not smell good because of that diaper. So you don't want to be too close to him.
Greg Cody
And now. And now we have a clip of Signetti looking for some nil money.
Dan Le Batard
No, we'll let you keep the trophy for an nil country. Then
Kurt Signetti
I'll do that for nil. Boy, oh, boy, did the court screw us up, huh? It's all right. It's. Whatever happened, it seems to be working for you. And you're gonna.
Stugotz
He stayed awake at least. Nil.
Dan Le Batard
It is funny that he goes after sleepy Joe at every turn and he's the one actually falling asleep during meetings.
Stugotz
The narcoleptic president.
Tony
College football just decided, we don't care about your executive order. He did a whole thing, and everyone's like, well, is this a rule now? And everyone just kind of agreed. No. And we just move on.
Kurt Signetti
Nil.
Dan Le Batard
Tony, do you have for me the six mavericks who Esquire featured? And you tell me no one's gonna do better in terms of being the opposite of a maverick than Fernando Mendoza. But give me the list of people that Esquire magazine decided to fe.
Eddie
Profiled? A bunch of people. Fernando Mendoza being top billing. Then we've got Tommy Fleetwood. Is he a maverick? Tommy Fleetwood.
Greg Cody
I'm in on this list.
Stugotz
Long hair, Sabalenka. Also part of it.
Eddie
Marcus Freeman, maverick. Is he a maverick?
Stugotz
Guys?
Eddie
Yes.
Stugotz
No.
Eddie
Eileen Goo.
Stugotz
Maverick. Okay.
Tony
She has a question mark in her last name.
Eddie
Just a maverick question mark. And then Shams is the other maverick.
Dan Le Batard
You guys have no reaction whatsoever to Shams as a maverick?
Zaslow
Why is he a maverick?
Dan Le Batard
Who's goo.
Stugotz
What do they. How did they explain that? I'm serious. With Fernando, it has to be the Cuban American heritage, which. He was the first of that lineage to win a Heisman. But that doesn't.
Dan Le Batard
Doesn't make you a maverick. Just makes you Cuban.
Stugotz
Right.
Dan Le Batard
And his personality type, though, we. We would go if you were doing Esquire magazine. Straight laced issue or, you know, a little bit goofy.
Stugotz
Yeah. Or nerdy.
Dan Le Batard
I went goofy. It's less pejorative. Goofy, I think, is less pejorative than nerdy.
Tony
I think it's more pejorative.
Dan Le Batard
All right, put it on the poll at Lebatard show. Which is more negative, goofy or nerdy?
Tony
Nerdy gives off. I at least have an outside shot at success because of my brain. Whereas I'm a goof. Not a great outlook for me.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, nerdy gives off intelligence. He's a smart guy.
Stugotz
Nerdy's a positive in my opinion.
Dan Le Batard
It's not a positive.
Greg Cody
Definitely not a positive. It's more positive.
Dan Le Batard
It's an insult to call someone a nerd.
Stugotz
I'm an adult nerd. I mean, I grew up a nerd.
Dan Le Batard
Nobody would say you're a nerd.
Stugotz
I grew up a nerd.
Dan Le Batard
Nerds don't wear pinky rings. Okay, but that was 700 years ago.
Stugotz
Okay, fair.
Dan Le Batard
I should have seen you at age 15. What? When horses and carriages were roaming the
Mike
earth came over, we played cards and nothing inappropriate happened.
Dan Le Batard
They played.
Stugotz
Thank you.
Mike
He was 12 years older than me. And it was a normal friendship between me and Paul Radke. My plutonic older male friend Tony is
Dan Le Batard
just learning about Paul Radkey. I wasn't here today. He was out much older.
Mike
12 years, that kind of thing.
Dan Le Batard
That day, you say. You say that day. Paul Radke is a name that is making Greg Cody laugh. Because for a long time we have made fun of Greg Cody about the fact that he was a young boy and a, a boy or a man 12 years older than him would come and play stratomatic with Greg Cody and he says they were just. He says they were just.
Stugotz
Those are good memories. I was about 12 or 14. Ratke was college age or maybe just out, maybe a little bit old.
Dan Le Batard
He was 26, 20 year old.
Mike
Nice firm chest.
Stugotz
Now Ratke was a little heavy. He's my friend. What?
Dan Le Batard
I think he's not heavy. He's my brother. I don't think he's not heavy. He's my friend saying is, it ain't heavy.
Greg Cody
It's my. Whatever my dad says.
Stugotz
I said it to myself on the car today. I said, he ain't heavy. He's my traffic. Because the cars going over the causeway were particularly.
Greg Cody
What Is that number? 28 or so?
Dan Le Batard
I don't know.
Stugotz
I can't remember.
Dan Le Batard
Are you ready to do your catchphrases? I heard there's some controversy around the. It's. It's the Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody. He is counting down his top 50 catchphrases of all time. It has been a successful months long joke. What is the controversy surrounding your catchphrase list? What is the issue?
Zaslow
You.
Stugotz
It's, it's big. The controversy is that based on quality demand, the catchphrase countdown has suddenly increased from a top 50 to a top 60.
Dan Le Batard
What?
Chewy Sponsor
That's.
Stugotz
And it's controversial.
Dan Le Batard
Of course it is. You told us it was a top 50 and we told you. We told you it was. We told you it was something you were making up as you went along and that you weren't going to get the numbers right now you just changed.
Greg Cody
He botched it. It to such a degree that there are so many good ones left that we're just pushing.
Dan Le Batard
I know that was going to happen, though. That's exactly what we were saying.
Mike
Your brain beat me.
Dan Le Batard
How did this happen? What was the ruling? What did the committee get together and decide? How did it happen that it got expanded? Now, no one's going to complain about this because more. More catchphrases is great, but we told you this was going to happen. And we told you this was a sloppy list by you.
Mike
The others, they all learned from me, right?
Greg Cody
No, I looked at all the, the, the, the catchphrases remaining and There was only 14 left, but there were like 20 something good ones.
Stugotz
So I'm like, thank you.
Zaslow
Let's go.
Dan Le Batard
So wait a minute. So how did you do it though? Are there now. Is there now a new list? 50 to 60 or what are you doing?
Greg Cody
Everything that's been said is just like, what was 50 is now 60. There were 14 left and now there's 24.
Dan Le Batard
So we're not in the top 20?
Greg Cody
No, now we're at 23 and 24,
Dan Le Batard
20 of the countdown and now we're at 24.
Greg Cody
I'm telling you, they're bangers, though. They're just bangers.
Tony
There's nobody that's actually upset about this development.
Dan Le Batard
Come on, you've got to honor the list.
Stugotz
I'm telling you.
Greg Cody
I got a peek. I don't know the exact order, but I got a peek of what the top 10 looks like. And it is just banger after.
Stugotz
Yeah, Yeti hated it. He's against it.
Greg Cody
Yeti thinks that we should just make him live with the world he gave.
Zaslow
Should I ask you several times throughout this whole process, have you thought this out? Have you planned out the list? You know that there are 50.
Kurt Signetti
You.
Zaslow
You kept assuring me that you have it all under control.
Mike
Driver comfort is paramount.
Stugotz
Wrong. You know, part of the beauty of me is, is a, you know, a bit of serendipity, a bit of.
Dan Le Batard
You're the kind of guy.
Stugotz
And so the same is true with this list. Okay? Whenever you do a countdown, zas. Bank this information for your future. Whenever you do any sort of a countdown, controversy is good. You want Somebody to say that sucks. That should be lower or that's, wow, I can't believe that's not higher.
Dan Le Batard
So wait, so what used to be 50 is now 60. So we've gotten fraudulent rankings up to now. All the number, all the numerical rankings we've gotten up to now are all wrong.
Greg Cody
He can give you the updated, like number 60. He can give you the update of whatever.
Dan Le Batard
I know, but they're all. Every previous incarnation of this that we have given the American public and internationally has been wrong.
Greg Cody
I would say adjusted more than wrong.
Zaslow
Adjusted maybe to Greg's credit too. I've never heard of a top 60.
Stugotz
Thank you.
Dan Le Batard
Well, how do we know it's not going to end up being 62? Because he's going to think of two more on his way home because he didn't plan any of this out.
Stugotz
Never be 62. It could bump to 65. It would never be a number.
Greg Cody
We would obviously go in fives.
Zaslow
Dan, here's also the thing. This is a big question. Mine. So you, you have left 10 out, which, which is why you are expanding it from 50 to 60. But the 10 that you left out are automatically like, like they're in the top 23. You're saying top 24.
Greg Cody
But I'm telling you, he left bangers out.
Mike
Right?
Greg Cody
This had to be done, guys.
Stugotz
Yeah, it had to be done.
Dan Le Batard
Like he says, again, it doesn't have to be done if you're dealing with a responsible person who plans it at the beginning as opposed to just making everything up as he goes along.
Stugotz
No, listen, and we're in the sports business. We should know this better than anybody. Rankings always change in. When I was born, everybody, everybody agreed. Babe Ruth, greatest player ever. Not so much now.
Mike
Growing up, it was a hot debate. Everyone agreed though. Babe Ruth, that young kid's got a future.
Dan Le Batard
It was an argument back then on sports radio. Tris speaker or Babe Ruth.
Stugotz
That's right. Lou Gehrig was in the in play telegram.
Mike
In your thoughts.
Dan Le Batard
We're gonna get to this list and we're gonna get to Luke Thomas. We're gonna do it in the next hour. Cause we have to give plenty of room here for what is an ever expanding list of, of catchphrases. There's no way, if you had to take a guess, there's no way it's going to stay at 60. Right. They're going to be what's going to happen. He's going to think of one more and then he's got to come up with four bullshit ones. Because he just wants it to be. It's not even a 65. Even a round number. 65 is not a round number. I don't know why you're doing this by five.
Stugotz
Well, 6060s, a beautiful number.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. But you're going to have to add. Put it on the poll. Is 60 a beautiful number? And you're going to have to add. You know this is going to happen. Right. If you've already added 10 since the last time I saw you, Right now
Stugotz
we're committed to 60 for now. And by the way, let the record say Levitard over here was a naysayer. Lebatard never thought I had 50 play a hater.
Zaslow
He's right, you know, 50, I had
Stugotz
60, that kind of thing. Thank you. Thank you.
Mike
We look great today. Look at us. So cute like that old man and up. Up was a movie. It's an animated film. Don't worry about it. Last movie we saw was Swing Vote.
Dan Le Batard
He does. He does look like the old man and up though. The old man and upon.
Mike
Oh, wait, no, no, the Elton John movie. We saw that.
Stugotz
That was all right.
Mike
Yeah, yeah.
Dan Le Batard
The old man and up has a bulbous nose like Cody.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: A Massive Controversy In Greg Cote's Catchphrase Countdown List | Local Hour
Date: May 12, 2026
This Local Hour episode is vintage Le Batard Show, blending banter, sports analysis, and in-studio chaos. Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Greg Cote, and company dive into the Pulitzer buzz around Pablo Torre’s show, the ascendant Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami’s sports event hosting controversies, contrasting sports legends as broadcasters, Miami sports fandom, and the spiraling drama over Greg Cote’s ever-expanding “Top 50” catchphrase countdown. The tone is irreverent, quick-witted, and filled with group ridicule, friendly arguments, and the kind of inside-joke chaos the show’s fans relish.
This episode is a showcase of what the Local Hour does best: mixing genuine sports insight with playful anarchy, poking fun at themselves and each other, while diagnosing the quirks of fandom, media, and Miami’s unique sports culture. The real “massive controversy”—Greg Cote’s shifting catchphrase list—turns into a metaphor for the show itself: hilariously imprecise, joyously improvised, and always more fun for coloring outside the lines.