A Robed Jorge Sedano On Where LeBron Will Play Next Season | Hour 1

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz Episode: A Robed Jorge Sedano On Where LeBron Will Play Next Season | Hour 1 Date: May 14, 2026

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Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz features lively debates on South Florida sports and pop culture, intense speculation about LeBron James's NBA future, the curious psychology of sports broadcasters, Draymond Green's fit as a TV analyst, and the rapid rise of autonomous vehicles. Guest analysts, including a robed Jorge Sedano, Greg Cody, Tony Zaslow, Mike Ryan and David Samson, provide their characteristic mix of candor, satire, and informed commentary, anchored by Dan’s irreverent hosting style.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. The Great Robe Debate (02:11–05:13)

• The segment opens with humor as various show personalities discuss the authenticity of robe-wearing, poking fun at those who wear t-shirts underneath.
  • Mike Ryan: “[Sedano is] a robe pioneer… You cannot wear a T-shirt under the robe. That's asinine.” (02:11)
  • Greg Cody and Tony Zaslow debate the logic of never having worn a robe while being meticulous about hygiene, like traveling with a soap dish.
  • The vibe is light, with visual gags on robe appearances and a running joke about who's “authentically robed.”
  • Memorable banter:
    • “Zaslow looks like Ric Flair now… somehow looks more like a cuck.” (03:36)

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II. Sedano on LeBron’s Lakers Future & NBA Friction (05:13–08:17)

• Jorge Sedano delivers a deep analysis of LeBron James’s NBA situation, referencing recent reports of LeBron being irritated by perceived slights from Lakers management.
  • On the 'game ball' drama:
    • “It was just the culmination of what he felt were numerous slights... to not even acknowledge him... pissed him off, clearly.” (05:13)
  • Prediction: Sedano expects LeBron to stay with the Lakers, though it depends on management’s commitments and willingness for roster improvement.
    • “I still think he ends up with the Lakers... Him going elsewhere becomes complicated... The Lakers will have to come correct.” (06:10)
  • Details LeBron’s leadership and the complicated dynamic as an external superstar vs. a homegrown Laker like Kobe Bryant.
  • Lays out the uphill battle for the Lakers to compete against OKC and San Antonio, even if the All-Star trio returns.
  • Quote: “He delivered a championship for a franchise who in their six year stretch prior... was the worst franchise in the NBA by record. So he deserves some level of respect there that he's never really gotten.” (09:00)

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III. Miami Heat & Giannis Rumors, Dwyane Wade's “Patience” and Fan Impatience (10:39–13:26)

• Discussion pivots to the Miami Heat and rumors of a Giannis pursuit, juxtaposed with Dwyane Wade urging patience.
  • Bam Adebayo (clip): “Pat, Andy, Mickey, they gonna do what they gonna do... But they're not just going to strike because you as a fan is impatient...They've been in the final seven times since I was drafted.” (11:26)
  • Sedano debates the Heat’s options if Boston offers Jalen Brown, suggesting Boston becomes the favorite for Giannis if that happens.
  • Greg Cody: “Heat fans are spoiled... a generation... grew up not understanding what it was like to watch Ronnie Cycley and Steve Smith and Glenn Rice make the playoffs and get blasted and us be excited about that.” (12:09)

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IV. The Sports Comedy Conundrum (17:43–21:28)

• David Samson explores the rarity of genuine humor in sports broadcasting.
  • Quote: "It's easier to be dramatic than it is to be funny... There's all sorts of reasons people come to those with a voice in sports and very, very way down the list is funny… It’s a very fine line to walk.” (18:32)
  • Mike Ryan: “There are very few sports broadcasters... with a reputation of being funny... You'd think sports would be a perfect lane for that.”
  • They dissect why cleverness is more common than outright comedy, referencing Bill Walton, John Madden, and others.

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V. Draymond Green and the Future of NBA TV Personalities (21:28–29:17)

• Panelists debate Draymond's polarizing impact as a broadcaster and nuances in replacing Charles Barkley on ‘Inside the NBA’.
  • David Samson: “He is potentially the most overrated voice on television… his demands for money are too high and his insights are too low.” (21:38)
  • Mike Ryan: “You can't be following Charles Barkley and be a cheap imitation of Charles Barkley, who's not funny. All you are is outspoken.” (23:30)
  • Discussion of likability versus entertainment value in TV roles, with references to Stephen A. Smith, Shaq, and the unique success formula of ‘Inside the NBA’.
  • Quote: “Draymond is a character to himself. And Draymond Green will, in the NBA Finals, take a dump... in the middle of the court, and that's what he's gonna do on television.” (27:28)
  • Panel consensus: Even if Draymond is successful elsewhere, there’s skepticism about him being the anchor in Barkley’s place.

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VI. The Rise of Driverless Cars & Tech Anxiety (34:27–39:33)

• Segment on the adoption of autonomous vehicles, the surge of Waymo, and implications for jobs, insurance, and liability.
  • Mike Ryan: “Driverless cars are far better drivers – not a little bit better, far better drivers than all the other drivers out there.” (35:21)
  • David Samson: Predicts massive growth in autonomous vehicles: “It's going to multiply, Dan. It's going to be 100,000 within four years.” (36:28)
  • Skepticism about pilotless planes and concerns about job loss and the “walls closing in on humans.”
  • Legal angle: Product liability will alter insurance/litigation as software replaces human error.
  • David Samson: “For Steven Ross to say that we're not able to host the super bowl is just wrong... He's holding world class events.” (39:54)

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VII. Random Nuggets: Contract Clauses, Narcissists & TV Entrances (32:17–44:36)

• The hosts geek out over legal wrangling behind NFL contracts (Le’Veon Moss hypothetical), and the protection teams have if a player instantly retires.
• Samson reviews the movie ‘You’re Dating a Narcissist’, panning it: “Just be a narcissist. And it's okay to date one too.” (41:59)
• Entire crew jokes about self-awareness, narcissism and morality.
• Memorable moment:
  • Mike Ryan marvels at the “dancing entrances” on the Jennifer Hudson show, suggesting a future Le Batard show “robe” entrance. (44:04)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Mike Ryan (on Sedano's robe): “You are not wearing a shirt under that robe as opposed to all these other half assers out here.” (02:11)
• Jorge Sedano (on Lakers-LeBron tension): “To not even acknowledge him… pissed him off, clearly.” (05:13)
• Greg Cody (on LeBron’s value): “He delivered a championship for a franchise who... was the worst franchise in the NBA by record.” (09:00)
• Bam Adebayo (on Heat fandom): “They're not just going to strike because you as a fan is impatient and you want them to strike.” (11:26)
• David Samson (on sports humor): “It’s easier to be dramatic than it is to be funny.” (18:32)
• David Samson (on Draymond): “His demands for money are too high and his insights are too low.” (21:38)
• Mike Ryan (on replacements): “You can't be following Charles Barkley and be a cheap imitation… All you are is outspoken.” (23:30)
• Mike Ryan (driverless cars): “Just seeing them multiply in Miami, these driverless cars are far better drivers. Far better. Not a little bit better.” (35:21)
• David Samson (on events in Miami): “For Steven Ross to say... we’re not able to host the Super Bowl is just wrong.” (39:54)
• David Samson (on narcissists): “Just be a narcissist. And it's okay to date one too.” (41:59)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Robes & banter: 02:11–05:13
• LeBron/Lakers speculation: 05:13–08:17
• Heat/Giannis, fan patience: 10:39–13:26
• Sports humor vs. analysis: 17:43–21:28
• Draymond debate: 21:28–29:17
• Autonomous vehicles/future: 34:27–39:33
• Contract hypotheticals: 32:17–34:27
• Movie review, narcissism: 41:03–42:33
• Jennifer Hudson show bit: 44:04–44:36

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Tone & Style

• Playful, sarcastic, and self-aware; the conversation bounces between sports analysis and absurdist humor.
• Signature banter, inside jokes, and roast-style putdowns keep the vibe loose even when insights are incisive.
• Celebrity guest bits (Bam Adebayo), recurring poll suggestions, and local Miami flavor ground the national sports talk.

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Summary:
This hour blends NBA rumor-mongering with media criticism and technological futurism—all while the crew riffs on the authenticity of wearing robes. Sedano’s NBA insights, especially on LeBron and the Lakers, drive the sports focus, while debates about the future of sports TV, likability, and humor in broadcasting offer a behind-the scenes peek at media evolution. The show concludes with classic Le Batard tangents, from the liability of driverless cars to the quirks of pop culture talk shows.

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

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[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan LeBatard show with the Stugats Podcast.

[David Samson]

This episode of the Dan Lebatard show is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours Chris Cody.

[Mike Ryan]

I salute you for being authentic. You are a real one sir. You are not wearing a shirt under that robe as opposed to all these other half assers out here. These these robentidos told us you're not you can't wear a T shirt under the robe. That's asinine. You got to wear the robe or don't wear the robe. You can't wear a T shirt under the robe.

[Dan LeBatard]

You know what's Asinine. A line six deep. To take off the shirt to put on the robe for a show.

[Mike Ryan]

Sedano is with us now. He's a robe pioneer. I don't know how embarrassed he was grabbing the money involved with wearing a robe and doing a mother's day special. Welcome, Sedano. Not embarrassed at all. A proud robe wearer in public, even though you looked patently ridiculous.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes.

[Greg Cody]

And I loved every second of it. I knew it would go. I knew it would be something that everybody would latch onto. And you know what? They. The company I got paid by got a lot of people that wanted to go to their spa.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, well, you're throwing that in my face. You still looked ridiculous. And Zaslo has never worn a robe, so. Yes, there's going to be a big reveal here. Yeah, he has never worn a robe.

[David Samson]

He's going shirtless.

[Mike Ryan]

He's doing. I doubt it. You guys are half assers. You guys are notorious half assers when it comes to both Pulitzer winning and the wearing robes.

[Dan LeBatard]

Here it is.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, here he is. Coming in. He's coming in. To find out what your thoughts are on.

[Dan LeBatard]

Pull up a chair.

[Mike Ryan]

On where it is.

[Greg Cody]

Zazzle looks like Ric Flair now all

[Dan LeBatard]

of a sudden, somehow looks more like a cuck.

[Mike Ryan]

Greg the Hammer Valentine. He looks like Rick. No Flair.

[Dan LeBatard]

Wait, so wait a second.

[Greg Cody]

Answer this. Zaslow is a man who carries around a soap dish when he travels, but yet has never worn a robe. I don't understand that.

[Mike Ryan]

You can explain yourself if you.

[Tony Zaslow]

What did he say?

[David Samson]

Soap dish.

[Mike Ryan]

Soap dish.

[Tony Zaslow]

Yeah. I had my soap dish with me this weekend in Orlando.

[Mike Ryan]

But why would you carry a soap dish? And then.

[Tony Zaslow]

Because I want to clean myself in the shower.

[Greg Cody]

But.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, but you can do that without a soap dish there.

[Tony Zaslow]

So I should just have a bar of soap just clanking around in the bag getting everything dirty? Why would I do that?

[Dan LeBatard]

We're not the hotel soap they provide.

[Tony Zaslow]

No, no, no.

[Mike Ryan]

We're not criticizing your. Not exactly criticizing your traveling soap dish. We are pairing that against the general inconsistency of being someone who travels with a soap dish but draws the line that I will not wear a robe.

[Greg Cody]

No, no, no.

[Tony Zaslow]

This isn't a line. It's not like I refute. I'm wearing a robe right now. It's very nice. I had just never worn a robe before.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm glad that we could at all times here, pioneer. I see that David Sampson just went. I saw that he just went to get his own robe. Thank you. Thank you.

[Greg Cody]

There we go.

[Mike Ryan]

Sampson for Participating in the game. We will let you go in a second, George, but I did want to get your thoughts on where you think LeBron is going to end up next year and what you thought of the McMenamin LeBron being bothered by JJ Redick getting a game ball from Pelinka.

[Greg Cody]

So, look, I. Let's start with the latter, right? I can understand his level of frustration because while that was the thing that drew everyone's attention, I think it was just the culmination of what he felt were numerous slights going into that where he felt like once they got Luca, it was like, all right, LeBron, see you later. Thanks. You know, and there was probably a new. A number of instances where he felt that way, and it just culminated in that one. It would be the example of, you know, you guys have different shows, right, on your network, right? It would be the example of this show celebrating, I don't know, let's just say use a number. For example, it's 50,000th show, right? But yet you. You didn't get, like, some sort of recognition for it. You would recognize, you know, a means basketball show for its 200th show. You know what I mean? As opposed to your 50,000th show. He literally became the guy who played the most games in NBA history at that point. So to not even acknowledge him, I think, let alone forget about the game ball, to not have any acknowledgment, I think pissed him off, clearly. And it was just kind of the last. The cherry on top of the whole situation to that point. I still think he ends up with the Lakers, Dan, because I just think him going elsewhere becomes complicated. Now, the Lakers will have to come correct in the sense of, I think they still have to pay him close to what his current salary is if they're going to ask him to take a pay cut, which to my understanding, he is amenable to. It has to be for a real reason, for, hey, you got to show me a plan as to who you're bringing in that's going to help us get over the top and try to beat these two behemoths in front of us in Oklahoma City and San Antonio, potentially. So I think it's that. But I think ultimately the Lakers are in their best position if all three guys are back. I know it's a small sample size, but they were 16 and 2 in March. When those three guys figured it out, and LeBron, who made sure to let us know, he became the third option, and he had never become a third option. But he did it willingly as a willing participant. I think that part of it he made sure to acknowledge while also acknowledging that he brought them out of the doldrums and restored was the word. He used this great franchise to the places they needed to be, which was win championships. So he said, you know, he could do whatever they need him to do. I do think that's their best path. They would still have money left over as long as LeBron takes a reasonable pay cut and Austin Reaves doesn't get the max to add players to the mix that they have already. But I just don't see a real path for them to beat those teams without a little luck, to be honest with you. Even if they do have all three back or even if they remade the whole roster, there's just not teams in my opinion that are ready to beat OKC and potentially even San Antonio without some good fortune going their way.

[Dan LeBatard]

George, I want to credit you because you said championships, plural. So thank you for attributing the proper respect to the in season tournament.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, if I said championships and that was my fault, but the tournament was not what I referred to. I was referring to the bubble championship where they beat the Heat. So sorry, Singular.

[Mike Ryan]

I talk about the Heat.

[Greg Cody]

Am I only here to talk about the Lakers?

[Mike Ryan]

What the hell, you're an L A guy. I will get to that in a second. You are an L A guy. But they're accusing LeBron of being petty here and I just think he's being human. And also, even though he is plenty over covered, I do think he's underappreciated. I think it's fair to say that even though he's appreciated plenty, I understand how he arrives at and they're not quite treating me with the respect I deserve here.

[Greg Cody]

So Dan, let's put it this way. And you know, those last couple years of Kobe were not good, okay? I mean he was a different player, he was older, his achilles had torn, etc. Etc. I believe Kobe's last year might have been the worst season in LA Lakers history in regards to their record. But after KOBE, Prior to LeBron's arrival in 2018, the summer of 2018, they went through a stretch of where they went 43 and 121. Okay? He went there to a team that I was stunned he went there at the time, I don't remember how you guys felt, but they had nobody. They had a bunch of rookies, they had Lonzo Ball, they had Brandon Ingram, they had, you know, Julius Randall I believe was still There they had a bunch of kids at that stage. And you may recall Christmas Day, he tore his groin and they were the 4 seed, even with all those kids in the Western Conference, because he was still peak LeBron at that time, he delivered a championship for a franchise who in their six year stretch prior to his arrival was the worst franchise in the NBA by record. Okay? So he deserves some level of respect there that he's never really gotten. And I think a lot of that, and we can go into a deep dive about this, is he's not Kobe, okay? He was not the homegrown talent. He was the mercenary. But here's the thing. Is he really the mercenary still? He's been there longer than any other spot. He's been in one stint. So I think it's just this weird, complicated thing with LeBron, whether it's Kobe, and I'm not talking about just the fans. I'm talking about maybe even internally within the franchise structure as well.

[Mike Ryan]

But there aren't a lot of precedents for Kobe, for anyone getting the kind of love that Kobe got from that franchise, even though he made a giant stink at one point about wanting very loudly to be traded. And it just gets totally erased. You wanted to talk about the Heat? The reports are, you'll be very excited about this, that the Heat are first in line for Giannis. They are first in line. And I want to play for Serano. What it is the perspective that Dwyane Wade, a patient Dwyane Wade brought, and if it's fair for Tony to say, shut up, Dwyane Wade. You're a Jazz.

[Dan LeBatard]

Whoa. I did not say shut up.

[Greg Cody]

You did.

[Mike Ryan]

You said, I don't want to hear from him.

[Dan LeBatard]

I said I didn't want to hear.

[Mike Ryan]

You said you don't want him to talk. It's the same as shut up without saying shut up. And Dwyane Wade is preaching patience here, and Tony has dismissed him as a Jazz man.

[Bam Adebayo]

Man, listen, Pat, Andy, Mickey, they gonna do what they gonna do, Nick. They don't listen. If they see an opportunity, I know they will. They're gonna strike, bro. That's what they do. But they're not just going to strike because you as a fan is impatient and you want them to strike. They've been in the final seven times since I was drafted. They're fine, bro.

[Dan LeBatard]

You're right.

[Bam Adebayo]

But we want them to strike. We won't.

[Mike Ryan]

Bam.

[Bam Adebayo]

We want these guys to get the help that we feel like they need to be able to compete in the east because you see it open. You see opportunity, right? You see opportunity. But they not striking for no reason. Just because we. You want them to. Not even we.

[Tony Zaslow]

You.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm impatient.

[Bam Adebayo]

You.

[Mike Ryan]

That guy is a great plant based hype man. What do you have there for us?

[Greg Cody]

You're right. You're right. You're right, Dan. But he's right. But I would also say that if. Yes, fans should be patient. Heat fans are spoiled. A generation of Heat fans grew up not understanding what it was like to watch Ronnie Cycley and Steve Smith and Glenn Rice make the playoffs and get blasted and us be excited about that.

[Dan LeBatard]

Right?

[Greg Cody]

It's a different generation of fans. Mike Ryan is the poster child for them where he's always upset about everything that happens to them. They literally were in the finals three years ago and they're very upset. They're always upset. And I love you, Mike, but it is true, like you were a bit spoiled and that's fine. That's the, that's the bar they've set. I do believe that if they, if they have the assets, they will find a player that they feel they can land that's better than Bam. Now, is it going to be Giannis? I don't know. You know, Dan, I happen to think that if Boston gets in the mix and they serve up Jalen Brown, Giannis will probably be in Boston. That's my guess. But if Boston doesn't serve up Jaylen Brown, then I think that he'd have as good a chance as anybody.

[Dan LeBatard]

You.

[Mike Ryan]

Right. Thank you. Thank you. So now you too, though, are a bit of a robe fraud here. I see the T shirt under there. I'm going to. I'm going to get rid of you now and go to somebody who's more authentically robed. David Sampson has, has committed to the cause and is wearing nothing underneath the robe he came on. Yeah.

[Dan LeBatard]

Like a dolphin.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. Put it on the poll. At LeBatard show. Does Dave Sampson have a shaved chest like a dolphin? Yes or no? At Lebata show.

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[Dan LeBatard]

promotions in Netflix are bringing you a blockbuster MMA event with a triple header of fan favorite fighters on Saturday, May 16th 16th. This marks Netflix's first ever MMA fight and it's going to be massive. In the main event, she returns to the Octagon. Ronda Rousey returns to shake up the world of combat sports, stepping back into the cage for the first time in nearly a decade to take on fellow women's MMA pioneer Gina Carano. Plus, combat sports icon Nate Diaz faces off against Platinum Mike Perry, two of the toughest, most relentless fighters going head to head. Plus, the big man is back. Francis Ngannou, widely regarded as the hardest puncher in MMA history, takes on Felipe Linz in a heavyweight showdown. You will not want to miss five rounds, five minutes each. One chance to leave it all in the cage. Don't miss it. Watch Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano live only on Netflix. Saturday, May 16th at 9pm Eastern, 6pm Pacific.

Chris Cody 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.

[David Samson]

Oh, when you open that with the can though and you one of the

[Dan LeBatard]

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.

[Mike Ryan]

I have goosebumps thinking about the first sip.

[Dan LeBatard]

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.

[David Samson]

Ah, that golden color.

[Dan LeBatard]

Just 96 calories and 3.2 carbs. The original light beer since 1975 and it still hits different I love you, Miller Lite. 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.

[David Samson]

Don LeBatard Go Pee Pee Stugats Go pee pee.

[Greg Cody]

This is the Don lebatar Show with the Stugats.

[Mike Ryan]

Samson A conversation we've been having around here this week, and I'm curious if you have a theory on this, even though I haven't warned you that this question is coming. So it requires a little bit of thought. Do you have any theory as to why it is more sports content doesn't try to take the lane of being funny, that there are very few sports broadcasters that anyone would mention that have the historical reputation of that person is funny. That's a funny person. It seems like sports would be a perfect lane for somebody to decide, you know what? The thing I'm going to try to do is be funnier than others because I'm not competing against anybody. There's no one here in this particular lane. Do you have a theory on that for me?

[David Samson]

Yeah, shut up and dribble. It's hard to be funny. That's why I have such great respect for comedic actors from Jim Carrey on down, because it's easier to be dramatic than it is to be funny. And the risk you take in sports if you try to be funny is you get embarrassed. You're not appealing to the analytic crowd. You're not appealing to the people who want you to give them information that they're going to use to their economic benefit. There's all sorts of reasons people come to those with a voice in sports and very, very way down the list is funny. And so people generally don't want to try it. I happen to agree that being funny is different than clever. I like clever better than funny because if you're really clever, it can be funny, and if you're silly, it can be funny. But it can be taken wrong because it can then be looked at as stupidity and I don't want that. So it's a very fine line to walk.

[Mike Ryan]

It is. And there's some risk involved. But if I say what's harder? Go to the trough and try and be smarter than everyone else who's also trying to be smarter than everyone else, or go over here where no one's trying it and see if you can be better at that. Where no one's trying, no one is associated. Even the names they gave me where they're like Bill Walton. Bill Walton wasn't trying to be funny. Bill Walton was just being Bill Walton. John Madden wasn't trying to be funny, he was just being John Madden. John Gruden wasn't trying to be funny. You can make the argument Bobby Euchre was trying to be funny, but there aren't many in this lane. And I think it's harder to be smarter. I think it's harder to go to the trough where everyone is discussing the sports things of the day and coming up with something different than anyone else is saying. I think the degree of difficulty is harder on that than just being funny.

[David Samson]

Yeah. There's two different things you're talking about on air analysts versus on air talent and a show like yours. And they're both equally difficult. And I maintain that the audience is not necessarily looking. Madden became and John Madden, obviously I love John Madden as a coach, a broadcaster, not even as a game gamer guy, which is how people know him now. He became a caricature at the end where he'd be going the boom whap zop and he'd get the telestrator out. And when it was just genuine John Madden, I thought it was funny. But when you try to live up to the character that you've created, then all of a sudden you've crossed the line into, oh, that's not as funny or clever. So it really is hard to maintain and to have a long career. It's easier to have a long career when you're down the middle and you are delivering the goods for people. Look at Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler. They're not funny. They try to be clever and they're not. But they call games as the number one play by play with Mike Breen on Disney. So you know the way to get to the top. If you're an agent telling your client what to do, it ain't to be funny.

[Tony Zaslow]

David, this conversation kind of came on the heels of Draymond Green's appearance last week on Inside the NBA. What did you make of that? And and his future possibly in that role.

[David Samson]

He is potentially the most overrated voice on television or on podcasting. He here's what you don't do. Don't create something because you think that you're going to have a controversial take, and then all of a sudden you get attention because you're going to Charles Barkley and talking about him in Houston. You don't know the first thing about what he was like. And you're trying to act like you're on the inside and that you know things that are going on. It's just funny because executives are looking and saying, we got to give him a shot because we think he's popular, but at the end of the day, we're going to find out that he's not going to work as hard. His demands for money are too high and his insights are too low. And when you put those three things together, you end up getting your microphone taken away. That's what I think of Draymond Green.

[Mike Ryan]

Video team, please clip that so that it can arrive on Draymond Green's doorstep without any context that he's wearing a robe as he says this, so that Draymond Green cannot understand why this person he's never heard of, who's wearing a robe, is having this strong criticism.

[Dan LeBatard]

I don't think that clip and us playing it and these takes are bad for Draymond Green. Dan had the take that's like, that guarantees that he won't get the job. No, I actually go the other way because he is making you feel something, and that show is kind of lacking in that department, especially this season. He's a lightning rod. I think you'll find the beats and the rhythms of the comedy over there. He's a different personality, but Kendrick Perkins has made a nice career for himself by just being willing to say stuff, polarizing stuff. Some of the stuff is asinine. And Draymond Green has a lot more gravitas than Kendrick Perkins. I think he's going to have a long career in me.

[Tony Zaslow]

I think you say that like it's wrestling, where it's okay to boo the guy out the building. If you hate him, you're going to tune in, you're going to go to the event, and booing the person is good. I think you have to have people enjoying your appearance on television to be on television.

[Mike Ryan]

Mike is paraphrasing me incorrectly, though. I think he's got a long career in sports media. I don't think he's got a long career on that show. He's deboer. You can't be following. You can't be following Charles Barkley and be a cheap imitation of Charles Barkley, who's not funny. All you are is outspoken. You're not somebody that people like.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah, I don't think he's following Charles Barkley. I don't believe Charles Barkley for a second. Every time he says he's gonna retire. And I don't think he's a natural replacement for Charles Barkley. I actually don't think there's a replacement for Charles Barkley. I think that show is best served. Whatever transition that they do is to have their core four and bring somebody on like Draymond, not remove a cast member, but have them embedded there so they're more familiar to the audience.

[Mike Ryan]

I think you underestimate how important likability is on television because.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes, but I also know how being unlikable helps. Stephen A. Smith does that.

[Tony Zaslow]

Not that show, but Stephen A's entertaining. Even if he's unlikable, he's entertaining. Have you seen anything from Draymond on Team? It's like, whoa, I am entertained by this.

[Dan LeBatard]

I don't think you have to be likable to be on tv. Dan was on TV for a very long time.

[David Samson]

Dan, you know that you said earlier in your show, it's not. It's about whether you're liked or not liked. You just can't have apathy. You called it indifference, I believe, in the. In the first hour. So basically, you've changed from one hour to the next of what your view is.

[Mike Ryan]

That show is the one I'm talking about. Draymond Green is going to have whatever media career he wants. It's just not going to be on that show. And I think think that reason highlighted it for everyone. While he'll get the reps and he'll get the chances to see if he can get better at it. One of the things he has to get better at is not taking himself so seriously. And I don't think he's ever going to get any better at that, because he's at war with.

[Dan LeBatard]

Everybody got better at it.

[David Samson]

I mean, it takes you producing. Sorry, Dan, you're producing that show. You got to look for the replacements already. These guys, we've spent days criticizing the fact that they're so bad for basketball that Shaq and Kenny and Barkley, they don't like today's NBA. There are hardly ambassadors to the product. So, of course, you don't think that the Disney people are saying that, you know, we better start thinking about because these guys cost a hell of a lot of money. We're going to need someone better on that show. And of course, the show will be different. But they're always looking for the next talent, aren't you?

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, they're looking for the next talent, but all of those guys are over 50. Mike's not wrong that Shaq took himself more seriously than he does now. But Shaq has a playful side I've never seen from Draymond Green because he's always fighting with everybody.

[Dan LeBatard]

I think it takes time. Look like we wrote off Tom Brady and then Tom Brady found his rhythm. Draymond Green still has a full time job. He's only doing this occasionally. You're talking about a show that took Shaq, one of the biggest personalities in the history of the game, several seasons to finally catch on with the audience and with the chemistry of that show.

[Mike Ryan]

But the thing that I would add to that is everybody there was helping Shaq. Did it seem to you like Charles was helping Draymond there? Cause he could have. He softened. He softens all of that if Charles merely laughs.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah, it was a bad moment, and it was a moment that is probably the most talked about moment this season on that show. And I think people will pay attention to those social metrics, and I think they'll look at Draymond Green and say, this is a prospect worth developing.

[Tony Zaslow]

I would also add in regards to Shaq, like, okay, there are definitely people who didn't like Shaq, but the grand majority of people throughout Shaq's career, he was beloved. Like, he was a beloved athlete.

[Dan LeBatard]

I don't think it's so terrible for Draymond Green. I understand the context of the conversation that we're having, but I don't think it's such a bad thing that he is literally at the center of the most talked about moment in that show.

[Mike Ryan]

Agreed. The distinction that I'm making and will continue to make is, yes, if the currency is to be talked about, if that's the currency, yes, Draymond does that. Draymond will have a successful career in broadcasting. You can't be the guy who shows up to the best party in sports and takes a shit in the living room.

[Dan LeBatard]

But that's what Draymond does. That's who he is. Like, we have to stop thinking that he is the logical replacement for Charles Barkley. There is none. Draymond is a character to himself. And Draymond Green will, in the NBA Finals, take a dump on the. In the middle of the court, and that's what he's gonna do on television.

[Mike Ryan]

That show has a reputation unlike any in the history of sports, and it has the reputation of being a party. Draymond doesn't just. And so if you're gonna make that shift, you're gonna be changing that show a hell of a lot. If what you stick in the middle of it isn't a complimentary piece that has to fit in and cause occasional sparks, but has to carry it. Because once Charles Barkley is gone, you can say Draymond's not the one replacing him. But at some point, Charles Barkley is going to be replaced, whether you believe him or not, on retirement. And I don't. I don't know about you guys, but that show doesn't feel to me quite the same as it used to, even though every. Everything about it is the same as it's always been, except it's on a different network and it doesn't feel the same as it used to. Why is that? Why?

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, it's hard to age. I'm sorry, David. I think Shaq probably slides into the natural replacement for Charles, and at least he doesn't have this direct comparison. And Draymond can be. Draymond. Draymond. Draymond can be the surly guy that occasionally rattles the cage and you get angry at. Maybe that show is probably missing someone to get angry at. Maybe that's the kind of energy that the show could use.

[Tony Zaslow]

I'll tell you. I also do not believe the show is what it was. I can't quite put my finger on it, But I also think, like, I'm at the place now where when Charles is done, I think the show's done done. I don't think the show continues past Charles.

[David Samson]

The show continues. The show always goes on, Zaz. They just changed the characters. So, no, they're not going to get rid of a post game. They're in the beginning of a long media deal. Inside the NBA as an entity continues. It will long live long past Barkley and Shaq and Kenny and ej, I'm sorry to say, because the show goes on. The reason why you don't like it as much, Zaz, I would tell you, I think, think is that it comes first year new channel. You're not exactly sure when it's on. There's no specific.

[Tony Zaslow]

I never know when it's on you.

[David Samson]

And that's a problem. And also, you just. There was drama associated with it. There was complaining, there was questioning, and so it's like it's lost its innocence. And anytime an entity loses its innocence, it loses that charm a little bit, which loses the likability. And I think that's what you're feeling.

[Dan LeBatard]

Tony, you know that moment at a party or at a tailgate where everything just sort of clicks?

I know it well. It's usually when I show up, everybody goes crazy.

Yeah. You usually take all the credit for it, but it's because Tony usually walks in with Cuervo. I walk in like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cuervo is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night.

It has that effect on people.

It does. You usually take the credit for it, but again, it's the Cuervo effect. It's like that moment in a big game where everyone in the crowd just starts, start standing up, hooting and hollering. Keep it Cuervo.

Keep it cuervo, baby.

[Tony Zaslow]

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[David Samson]

LeBatard Tae Tas Stugats Tae Tas this is the Dan LeBatar show with the Stugats.

[Mike Ryan]

We need your expertise here on something because we were discussing poorly in the local hour what happened with Le'Veon Moss, the running back out of Texas Tech who signed a three year contract with the Dolphins and then a few days later retired. How does the guaranteed Signing bonus work there because we were enjoying thinking about the fictional hypothetical situation of Moss knowing, going into the building, that he was just going there to trick the people involved by signing something, getting out of his, getting his money, waiting for the money to clear, and then keeping the money. How does the guarantee work?

[David Samson]

Work? Yeah, there's provisions in each contract. You have to look at the guarantee provisions. You have to look at the payout of signing bonus. So, for example, I could argue that a signing bonus is earned simply for signing, not for doing anything else. But I can put language in a contract which makes that untrue. And it's almost like an upfront payment that you earn as you perform. So if you draft a kid out of high school, let's say, and that kid doesn't play for you because he does drugs, let's say, you don't have to keep paying the installments of the signing bonus. Let's say if you go in and sign a contract and then do not perform any services, you're not going to get paid out on any of that signing bonus or any of your salaries because you will not be performing your obligations under the contract. If Stephen Ross pays this guy his signing bonus, it will just. It will shock me. So I don't think he's going to see a penny.

[Mike Ryan]

Can you tell me of a time a guy tried to trick you in negotiations with something similarly silly as our hypothetical?

[David Samson]

No, because it gets negotiated so you read it in advance, so, you know, you always think about what could happen. He's not the first guy to not be able to play because he retires, because he doesn't like the game or because he gets hurt. You can plan for all, most all eventualities when you're signing a player to a contract. So I haven't been surprised by any player action. We've had players disappear from the team. We've had players retire or quit, and it just, you know, you move on to the next.

[Mike Ryan]

Tony, can you look up for me, please, how many cars Waymo has? Because I want to know what the future feels like it's going to look like. David, would you ever use a driverless car? Is that something that you would partake in?

[David Samson]

No, I'm too controlling. I have a hard enough time not driving myself everywhere, but no, I. Not now.

[Mike Ryan]

What do you think?

[David Samson]

Let me change my answer, Dan. Can I change my answer?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[David Samson]

Yes, I'm going to have to because Waymos that's how it's going to be. We're going to be getting into planes without Pilots, we're going to be getting in.

[Tony Zaslow]

Not me.

[Dan LeBatard]

Five to ten years.

Me.

[David Samson]

I'm telling you, it's going to happen. And either I'm going to choose to stay at home and be Howard Hughes, which is definitely a possibility. I've got the robe ready to roll right now. Of course, without a shirt and without pants. I don't know if you guys are wearing pants, but if you are, that's a violation, too. I don't like it now, but I know I'm going to have to like it later.

[Mike Ryan]

You guys understandably are afraid of this, and I get it, But I will tell you, just seeing them sort of multiply in Miami, these driverless cars are far better drivers. Far better. Not a little bit better. Far better drivers than all of the other drivers that we have out there.

[Dan LeBatard]

Human driver, super easy to cut off.

[Mike Ryan]

And I am curious what you think the future looks like and how soon it's coming for a day where basically Uber is replaced by the company that has decided, hey, we'll be over, but without having to give a percentage to the driver.

[Dan LeBatard]

Chris is so right. I see them on the road, I'm like, there's a mark. They haven't gotten the Miami driving upgrade.

[Mike Ryan]

Like, oh, little veer over. Oh, you stopped, you idiot.

[Tony Zaslow]

You can easily catch them slipping. When you're getting onto golden glaze, you can cut in. Oh, dude, you know they would.

[Mike Ryan]

They hang so far back.

[Dan LeBatard]

Take it to the cup.

[Mike Ryan]

Yep.

[Dan LeBatard]

What an idiot.

3800 worldwide right now, Dan, for Waymo.

[Mike Ryan]

Wow, that sounds low. Just 3,800 that I would concentrated.

[Dan LeBatard]

Phoenix, San Francisco, Louisiana with expansion in cities like Austin, Atlanta, Miami.

[David Samson]

It's going to multiply, Dan. It's going to be 100,000 within four years.

[Mike Ryan]

Do you think it replaces Uber? The Uber has basically replaced the cab in how much time? How much time did it take for Uber to make the taxi industry something that's so irrelevant that I went into a gas station in L. A to try and get a taxi recently because my phone had died and the person I was talking to didn't know what a taxi was.

[David Samson]

Decade.

[Mike Ryan]

So a decade. A decade. You have not just driverless cars being the majority of cars, but also airplanes being something that don't have pilots. That. That can't be. We can't be.

[David Samson]

If I'm a. If I'm a transport company, let's say FedEx, where there's. Why have. True. If you can have a pilotless plane, bring packages around the country in the world, I'm going To get rid of as many people as I can, because I don't have to worry about hr. I have to worry about benefits. I have to worry about anything. So I think they'll be the start. And because there'll be still human beings on a plane, like flight attendants and people to be in charge. But in theory, there should be way fewer crashes, because the majority of crashes are human error. And so if you eliminate that and we're making fun of the way we drive in Miami, but you cut off a Waymo. Yeah, but the number of accidents that happen in Miami are just out of control because the drivers stink. If you can eliminate that once your kids start driving, Mike, you're going to want driverless cars.

[Dan LeBatard]

So driverless cars. And we're worried about AI slop. But you're talking about jobs being taken away. You're talking about people not being able to move unless it's with autonomous vehicles. Like, it seems like the walls are closing in on humans.

[David Samson]

Put it on the poll. I think I'm getting free.

[Mike Ryan]

Tony at lebaton show. Put it on the poll.

[Dan LeBatard]

I would say the opposite.

[Mike Ryan]

Does it seem like the walls are closing in on all humans? David, what are your thoughts? And just. I'm fascinated by the business decision, the risk and the investment involved. I worry about liability. If I'm starting a company like that, I can't imagine what the insurance is for. I'm going to put these missiles on the street without drivers and take my chances that I've got the technology right. Right off the bat, it's.

[David Samson]

It's a product liability issue, actually. If you think about what a tort lawsuit would be, if there's a Waymo car that gets into an accident or runs over somebody, you're going to sue the company, and then the company is going to sue the manufacturer of the parts and say, hey, this wasn't human error. There's no reason for a jury to decide where the negligence is between people, between sides. This was a machine, and so was the machine built incorrectly. Are the parts, you know, defective? That's what price liability is. So it changes the business and the legal system and the damages, which, in theory, is going to really help you with your costs. The reason why Uber is going to be replaced by Waymo and buy driverless cars is that we're going to demand it as consumers because we're tired of paying so much for Uber because they're giving a percentage to people. We would rather keep that money for ourselves.

[Dan LeBatard]

David, I have a natural distrust of billionaires. I Don't trust Steven Ross when he says Miami can't host any more Super Bowls because they no longer have the facilities or the amenities around the stadium to actually house a Super Bowl. I naturally assume there's some kind of tax grift here. What's happening?

[David Samson]

Yeah. So right now in New York, on Long island, in just a couple of weeks is going to be the US Open, which is a PGA major of major tournament. And what they do in order to host the pga, the US Open, it's insane, the amount of construction, but they do it. They do it every six years, eight years when they host and it's no problem. They figure out the infrastructure, they figure out the temporary tents like the circus coming to town. For Steven Ross to say that we're not able to host the super bowl is just wrong. What he's doing is positioning himself to get funding because there is funding available from the county and from the state in order to host world class events. And to access it, you have to say, hey, but for the funding, we can't host host world class events. So therefore you come out and say, we can't hold world class events. Wow. He's holding world class events. It's so funny to me that no one seems to pick up on it other than Greg Cody, who did a great job yesterday saying, this is absolute horse hockey. And he's right.

[Mike Ryan]

What do you have for us? In the way of a review, I

[David Samson]

watched a movie Dan called you're dating a narcissist. It was not an autobiography. It was a movie with Marisa Tomai and Tomei tome. Damn it. 4, 8, 6, 9. Marisa Tomei, who I love. She's an Oscar winner. Why she agreed to do this movie, I'll never know. It's so bad that I watched it because I will not walk out of a movie. But I was thinking that this is where her career is, that she's forced into some sort of ridiculous vehicle that's supposed to talk to narcissists about what makes them narcissistic. And it only made people look at it and say, I can't be that. There's no, there's nothing that looks remotely like that. And I was expecting better. I wanted some sort of lesson in how not to be one or how to be a better one. And instead I found that it was just crap. So save yourself the time, Dan. Just be a narcissist. And it's okay to date one too.

[Dan LeBatard]

I was looking for tips on how to be a better one. It's A great line.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think you should advise people to be a narcissist or to date a narcissist. It seems like terrible advice for you to give as punctuation on your segment.

[David Samson]

I just think that if, you know, if you know you're a narcissist and you know that you can be a giving narcissist but a selfish one as well. I think there's an opportunity to find a connection with somebody. Now, people would disagree, but. But listen, I've done fine. Put it on the divorce Lebiton.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, I don't know if you've done fine, actually. No, not

[Dan LeBatard]

a Pulitzer do that.

[Mike Ryan]

You are a Pulitzer winner, though. So congratulations on that. Put it on the poll at Lebatard show. Do narcissists know they are narcissists? Yes or no? So self involved and yet not so self aware. Thank you, David. Good talking to you. You, I don't think, I don't know. Do you think that bad people know they're bad people? Just generally speaking?

[Dan LeBatard]

Most of the time evil ones know they're evil. I don't know if bad know they're bad.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not, I'm not sure if self awareness is a trait that I associate with negative characteristics. You think that most people would raise their hand and say, yes, most bad people, you know, would raise their hand, any of them, and say, yes, I'm a bad person. Or more. More than the narcissists, you know that you would clinically identify as narcissists. You think they would, they would cop to it? That they would say, yes, I'm a narcissist, I'm the best.

[Dan LeBatard]

That's what a true narcissist would say. Not only am I, I'm the best you've ever seen, I don't.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know. People would be.

[Dan LeBatard]

Many are saying I'm the smartest, best, most amazing, most humble.

[Mike Ryan]

Can you guys play for me, please? Jaylen Brown entering the Jennifer Hudson show. It's literally the only thing I've seen of the Jennifer Hudson show is the dancing entrances. It's a great idea. I'd like to steal it. Have us in bathrobes greeting next time.

[David Samson]

We have a live guest in Jalen

[Dan LeBatard]

Brown in the tunnel now.

[Mike Ryan]

Jalen Brown is at the show. Take some confidence to do that for that long.

[David Samson]

Man, I would pay a lot of money to watch Dan do this.

[Mike Ryan]

I would pay a lot of money to not have. My God, Dan, you would be.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh, man, that is such a great idea. Oh my God. Seller. PR people.

It's such a long walk. By the way, they're walking like 50 yards. How many have so many people for a show that nobody knows about?

[Mike Ryan]

Put it on the poll at Lebitard show. Have you ever seen any part of the Jennifer Hudson show other than the dancing entrances?