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Dan Le Batard
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Tony Reali
Eastern this is the Dan Levator show.
Stugotz
With the ST Podcast.
Dan Le Batard
Happy New Year everyone. And now the holiday blues set in. Jeremy I'm instantly sad on this day. It's just like all the holidays were so fun. Christmas, New Year's and now we're just like we're to the new year. And I know it's like happy but there's just like a sadness to the end of the holidays for me.
Mike Ryan
I get more sad tomorrow but I'm still not the happiest today. And so in turn, you know what I think we need a dose of what? Tony Reali's energy.
Dan Le Batard
That's some happiness now.
Mike Ryan
That's what we're going to bring.
Dan Le Batard
See, now you're happy again.
Mike Ryan
You're about to hear some of that. So remember Reali marching through the streets of Miami, talking to people, just being everything that Tony Reali is as happy.
Dan Le Batard
As anyone has ever been on this show.
Roy
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
He was so happy to be here. And what a wonderful kind. Just ball of energy.
Billy
The best. The best.
Mike Ryan
And so we're gonna. We're gonna do two things today. We're gonna start with that because great, happy, awesome. And then we're gonna show you maybe the most angry I've ever seen anyone on the show ever, which is your dad being absolutely enraged when you took his laptop from him and exposed where he was gonna have the Dolphins in his preseason rankings.
Tony Reali
Well, didn't.
Dan Le Batard
I don't think, like, you know, I don't want to spoil the segment, but I don't actually even reveal it. I just threatened to reveal it. I have the laptop. I'm like, I'm just.
Mike Ryan
Everyone's heard this already.
Zaslow
This.
Mike Ryan
This has already happened. It's fine.
Dan Le Batard
I'm not defending myself, but like, yeah, I mean, my dad was being a little sensitive, but judge for yourself.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, judge for yourself, everybody. Happy New Year. Enjoy. The dichotomy of the Dan Levitar show.
Dan Le Batard
Dichotomy.
Mike Ryan
I know what that means, but Roy doesn't. Could you explain it to him?
Stugotz
I should tell people because I do know, Stugatz, that we've gotten to such rarefied air with the trades. That Kevin Durant still in play with suitors is something that will garner a lot of attention beyond where we talk about Devers and Bane. Devers and Bane are players with a future. Kevin Durant is a player with a past, however, playing for a one year contract and extension at his age. I know everyone has looked at what happened in Phoenix and because we were even talking about the last embers of Steph and Jimmy and LeBron last year. Kevin Durant didn't even make the playoffs. And so people are doing something now to Kevin Durant that they ought not do. Because Kevin Durant will be able to hit that jumper until he is 60. Kevin Durant still is a player even at his age, 15 time All Star. When you talk about 26 points a game, six rebounds, four assists, one block, and this stat, over 40% from three, over 50% from two, that's just him and Jokic, only two players in the league can do that. Where it's like, I will give you efficient scoring. Still, you can say what you want about his age. You can say what you want about his defense. Don't tell me that somebody can't use that for a year.
Jason
Well, someone can use it for a year, or two years, for that matter. He's a great scorer. No one has ever, ever said otherwise. You have to factor in the age. He's 37 years old. What makes it strange is why a team, if he wants to win NBA championships, why the Heat would remain on the list? I understand the Rockets, the Spurs, that's the team I would choose. If you could take Wembanyama and go win him a title, that's going to change a lot of people's opinions about you moving forward. So I'm just confused as to why the Heat is so high on his list.
Stugotz
Well, Durant would be telling you. I'm guessing that that's previous flirtations with them. I've told you the story before of Eric Spoelstra explaining, Pat Riley explaining to Kevin Durant before he chose to go to Golden State. If you come here, we think Oklahoma City's been using you inefficiently. We think that you can, with some support, be better than you are right now. If we stretch the floor and get positionless basketball and have guys shooting threes. And Kevin Durant was like, great idea. I'll do that in Golden State. And that's where they lost him the first time. They've liked each other back and forth for a long time. He has respect for the organization. And whether you believe it or not, this would be Durant signaling to everyone that he knows it's toward the end of his career and he thinks he could win here. He can. He thinks he could win here with bam. That's what he's not signaling. I just want one, one last contract with the cheat with the teams he's choosing because he wanted to be on New York, wanted to be in the game for Durant, and Durant was like, nah or no. It went the other way there, didn't it?
Roy
No, no, no. They made an offer. The Shams reported that the Knicks had an offer to acquire Kevin Durant at the deadline. Also, would it be foolish to. To say that. I think we're all assuming. All right, that's. It's this Heat roster. We trade picks for Kevin Durant and we're done. That can't just be the plan. I. I think they're A little further away from just adding Kevin Durant and being seriously considered in the Eastern Conference.
Stugotz
One would assume there's a plan. Would they're not.
Roy
I mean, usually I don't think it's just that Miami needs to do something. We know what the ceiling is and I don't think it's a sustainable business model to be like, let's get in as a 10 seed and find fight our way through the plate and get hot at the right time. I think that's proven to maybe be a mistake.
Zaslow
I think there's a few things here. Kevin Durant probably has a relationship with Eric Spra for their time at Team usa. That stuff's important. Durant and bam, from what I understand, they are close friends as well. There's that. And we don't know a ton about Kevin Durant personally. He's been in this league forever and we don't know anything about him personally other than basketball is his whole life. And that person with that personality that aligns with what the Miami Heat are about. So he probably looks at that and says, yeah, that works for me. And the fact that the Heat stugots are even in this, when you look at the other teams who are A better right now and B, have a ton more assets to offer, that to me signals Durant's first choice is the Heat. The fact that the Heater even in the mix here, to me must mean that his first choice is Miami.
Billy
Mark Stein reported this morning, by the way, that the Suns are not committed to necessarily sending him to one of those teams. So, like they could consider it. That's nice. That's where you want to go. But if it doesn't make sense for us, you're not going there.
Stugotz
Well, this is where the Lillard thing was the crossroads on player empowerment, where the Ishpias of the world guys go, please go listen to what Pablo Torre finds out did on Ishbia and just do a little reading about what now runs the Phoenix Suns. How impetuous it is, how meddlesome in basketball matters it is and how big a swing and a miss the whole Kevin Durant thing was in Phoenix, where they're now stuck with Bradley beach as well.
Jason
Is there audio or do I really need to read?
Stugotz
Like you can do both. There is audio on Pablo Torrey finds out though he's not reading anything. That's a quick download on just the competition between him and Dan Gilbert in the mortgage industry and in basketball. But Ishba, Ishba is rich guy toy embarrassed came out, did The Stevie Cohen thing of don't care about taxes or, or whether I'm going to make any friends here. I'm here to win. And there was no bigger calamity in the sport than that one last year and that it happened to Kevin Durant's feet. Probably not the way he wants to end his career with the, with the added disgrace of whatever was happening in the shadows there that he wasn't being informed of one 15 time All Star, not unlike three time All Star Devers or Divers.
Jason
Right? Tomato, tomato, Billy.
Stugotz
I've been, I've been remiss and I'm sorry. Welcome back from vacation.
Roy
Thanks.
Stugotz
But I've been remiss because I gone here for a couple of hours. Whenever you come back from vacation, you always come resplendent with sort of a bag full of vacation stories, observations from vacation. You had time to think. You weren't on the treadmill all the time. You went places, you discovered things and so you usually come back with something. I haven't gone to you for two hours on any of your vacation meanderings.
Billy
There's a lot of people in today. Tony Reality spreading positivity. Zaz is here. The Panthers are doing their thing. Breaking news moments ago. Darren Revelle puts out after a year absence. Joey Chestnut will be back to Nathan's famous hot dog contest this year. I mean, things are happening in the world right now.
Jason
Joey Chestnut is back.
Billy
Who would have thought? We thought it was impossible. We thought we'd never see him again, Dan, after last year he signed that deal with the vegan dogs or whatever it was, and they banned him from the competition. And then what happened? We all tuned in on July 4th and we saw the hot dog eating contest and honestly, it was kind of a joke, if we're going to be honest with you. They didn't come anywhere near Joey Chestnut's record. Joey Chestnut then did something on Netflix with Kobayashi that no one watched. And they said, you know what, we got to bring him back, Jack. And now guess what? He's back. God bless America.
Stugotz
Well, but the last part that you said did something on Netflix, no one watched. That was where hot dog eating as a competition was about to soar into the sky with the brands, the individual brands of Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi. And then the whole sport fell apart because nobody wanted to watch unless it was on fourth of July. No one watched either y at a specific time. There's nothing else in sports going on. If you want to gorge yourself on hot dogs in the middle of the day, none of Us are working. Okay, but we don't want to watch this at any other time.
Billy
I think if I'm probably misremembering this, but I was watching the hot dog eating contest on the 4th of July, and it felt like they were, like, 10 short of the record or 20 short. Like it wasn't even close to what Chestnut was doing. And then the Netflix thing happened against Kobayashi, and I think everyone just didn't know it was on or forgot. Like, it was a whole thing. When the news came out, it was like, wow, this is huge. And then the day of. I remember looking for it. I'm like, is that today? And I couldn't find it. And then the next day, I was like, yeah, it was yesterday, but we didn't know what time it was. Like, on Labor Day or something. It was just like. No one cares about Labor Day if we're gonna be honest. Right, Daz, you care about Labor Day?
Zaslow
Haven't given it a lot of thought. Back in a few minutes. I'll think about it.
Billy
Fourth of July. You care about the Fourth of July?
Stugotz
Put it on the poll at LeBatuch. I don't know how we got to do you care about Labor Day? From me asking you about your vacation meanderings, but I am assuming we're gonna get there at some point.
Billy
Well, I'm just, you know, breaking news. We have to address the news as it comes out. Yeah, we can get.
Zaslow
I'm ready.
Dan Le Batard
I thought about it, by the way.
Billy
Yeah.
Roy
Big holiday. You care or not a big.
Stugotz
Not a big holiday.
Jason
Which one?
Stugotz
Wait a minute. Hold on a minute.
Jason
Imaging.
Stugotz
Hold on. We don't have imaging for this yet. We should. Right now. He's a judge, He's a doctor.
Jason
Big holiday.
Billy
Prejudice.
Stugotz
He's a journalist. Well, a doctor. Doctor with prejudice.
Zaslow
No, no. You never want to be prejudice when you're a doctor.
Stugotz
So what do you. What are the job titles you now have, along with producer for our little production here?
Zaslow
Judge, doctor, journalist.
Roy
I don't think it's ever dressed up. The imaging is provided by Zaz, with the suspense being whether something is correct.
Zaslow
So what's the question again?
Roy
Labor Day, big holiday or not a big holiday? Yeah.
Zaslow
Labor Day falls on a Monday.
Dan Le Batard
Yep.
Zaslow
September.
Jason
Yeah.
Zaslow
Football season.
Jason
Please, please.
Zaslow
Not a big day. Not a big day.
Billy
Not a big day.
Stugotz
You love that.
Roy
Monday off.
Stugotz
That's it.
Jason
It's over.
Tony Reali
But Miami, Notre Dame, the 94. We are labor.
Billy
There's no arguing.
Jason
Listen, he's saying, you take the day off, enjoy your day, but it's not a big holiday.
Stugotz
Hold on a second. Hold on. I've been told. I've been told that we now have video from Tony Reali. These are the remains of his career post ESPN. He was a Titan. 25 years entertaining people, and now he's in the parking garage wearing some sort of costume, entering the studio. Tony, we go live to Tony Reali now. What do you have?
Tony Reali
Yes, Dan. Positivity is what I have. Dan, feels like there's not enough positivity in this control room right now. You don't even respect Labor Day. All right, so what we're bringing in here is a bounce house. Dan, we're gonna get bouncy up in your space right now.
Stugotz
No.
Roy
What is this?
Stugotz
Okay, where is he going right now? This is a good idea. This seems like a bad idea.
Jason
I love a good bounce house.
Stugotz
Doesn't seem like a good idea.
Billy
Okay, why do we own a bounce house?
Stugotz
Gonna put a bounce house. It is. This is reality's entrance.
Billy
Fighting. Guys, I saw in storage some bit.
Dan Le Batard
With Tony that we.
Tony Reali
Positivity. Yes.
Stugotz
Oh, it's nice.
Tony Reali
I haven't seen you come over here.
Stugotz
Okay, this is a. This is the big entrance for reali. Did the guy dunk on you, or did he not dunk on you?
Tony Reali
We have video.
Stugotz
Okay, we will. Okay. All right. So you have your own private video because the video here didn't work.
Tony Reali
Yeah, yeah, we made it work.
Zaslow
All right.
Stugotz
Okay. But he has the video.
Jason
He's sending it to our video team.
Stugotz
What are you doing?
Billy
You're gonna find an outlet.
Tony Reali
What are we doing here? Bouncy house, by definition, must bounce, Dan.
Stugotz
Okay, so you're just gonna come in here and bouncy house it. That is positivity. Put it on the poll at LeBatard show. Does a bounce house make you feel more positive? Yes or no? Roy, why are you looking around as if you're not in control of your own show?
Roy
I'm not. Because they couldn't find an electrical outlet out in the office. He had to go inside the studio.
Tony Reali
To plug it up.
Stugotz
I think it's because Reali is actively trying to play make a mess the way that Billy makes. Likes to make a mess of things. So he's brought him a bounce. Where'd you get a bounce?
Jason
Why do we have. It's a bounce house.
Tony Reali
Yeah, well, I couldn't find any Panthers fans out in the street, but I couldn't find a guy who was giving me a bouncy house for rent.
Billy
True Miami experience.
Tony Reali
50 bucks an hour, right?
Stugotz
So you bought a bounce house out there while you rented it while. While trying to find. While trying to find Panther fans out there and only finding Big Mac from the carport. Okay, this is very loud, right?
Jason
I had no idea who Marsham was to me.
Zaslow
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Billy
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Dan Le Batard
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Jason
Don leightning Panthers, what do you think.
Zaslow
Sts look at this face while I tell this to you, okay? Cuz I don't want there to be any kind of confusion. You look me right in the eye. Panthers going to take that ass, man. This is the D Levitar show with the stuff.
Stugotz
Okay. This is not respectful enough. This seems like something Tony Reali is doing because he's hopeful that the bounce house will press against me and it doesn't work if it just inflates behind me.
Billy
That one looks like it has like a rock wall back of it or something. That's good.
Stugotz
Helpful.
Billy
Oh, that's a water one, Dan. I'm looking at that. That is a water cannon on it. Yeah.
Stugotz
I don't know why that's a good one. Did you just use metal arc expense account money to rent a bounce house? Oh, no.
Billy
Yeah.
Stugotz
Oh, no, don't break things.
Billy
That's.
Stugotz
Oh, now you've got rose.
Billy
Careful, there's a pen up there that might fall at any point.
Stugotz
Oh, yeah, a pen.
Billy
Yeah. If you look above you, there's a pen that's lodged into the mystery crate.
Stugotz
The mystery crate?
Billy
Yeah. We were celebrating something. We were. I think we were ranking our top 10 podcasters. There's a blue pen that's just sticking out of the ceiling. Look over. Look over to your right a little bit, Dan. It's just sticking down a little bit. Yeah, it got lodged up in the ceiling above your head. We're worried that it's gonna fall on you one day mid show and you're gonna wonder where it came.
Stugotz
I'm glad that I now have the. Have the story.
Jason
Now we'll fall in the bounce house.
Billy
It's because we're doing blind ranking as a podcast host and Mad Dog came out. But I heard you giving away my number one. Yeah. So he had to go down to number six.
Stugotz
It is for positivity. We need this in these difficult times. I would say that Reali bringing fun and positivity to the proceedings, even though this seems dangerous, like at this point.
Roy
Worried about the lights.
Stugotz
Well, I don't think the bounce house is going to be like. I think reality is going to actually break things here.
Tony Reali
All right.
Stugotz
Okay.
Jason
But yeah, be positive. It's working out fine.
Stugotz
Okay. But I don't. Why did you decide to put a bounce house in here, Reali? I don't understand how that doesn't.
Tony Reali
Like a bounty house.
Billy
Yeah.
Tony Reali
Would you like a bounty house at your party?
Stugotz
Put it on the pole at Levittard show. Does your party get made better by a bounce house? Does every party get made better by a bounce house? Billy, in your. In your travels, did you have any hotel room observations? Was there anything in the hotel rooms or outside of the hotel rooms that you. That you happened upon?
Tony Reali
No.
Billy
I found out I didn't know. This is probably dumb of me. I found out you couldn't just stream things wherever you want, whenever you want. Like there's different Netflix in different countries and there's different. Like I wanted and I know they're, I think, a partner of ours. Peacock. I had a show I wanted to watch on Peacock. I found out unavailable outside of the United States, which really threw a wrench in my plan. It's gonna be my. My evening viewing habits. After the children went to sleep, I couldn't reali.
Stugotz
Sit here.
Dan Le Batard
Sit here.
Tony Reali
I brought this in for a reason. I'm sitting here.
Stugotz
Okay, but it's not inflated. You didn't succeed. What happened? Why did you stop?
Roy
There was no bounce there.
Stugotz
Why did you stop? And why doesn't a bounce house only works if it's stays inflated?
Billy
I think our company has bounce houses, but not extension cords is the issue.
Stugotz
Welcome. I want to hear the story of how that is an entrance. It is an entrance, but it.
Tony Reali
Yeah, well, I mean, we had a fancy apartment. I mean, I'm not running out of air for you guys. I'm here all week, baby.
Stugotz
He is all week. We are excited to have him, Mike. Though I will say at the beginning, I was sort of disappointed you came in here, you hugged Roy, he told you he was tired. Mike, soon after you left, said that your positivity and your peppiness was a little too much for him on a Monday morning.
Tony Reali
That's okay.
Chris Cody
That's okay.
Stugotz
And Stugatz also said that's a lot for a Monday.
Jason
I did not say that. Mike said that. I said if there was a masterclass to be given in small talk, Tony would teach the master class.
Stugotz
He did say that. He did say that. But Mike grew tired of the small talk, hearing it for the third time with the third person. You just spreading compliments, calling you phony.
Billy
But Tony.
Tony Reali
So you didn't feel it was genuine is what you're telling me.
Roy
I just couldn't match that energy on a Monday morning.
Tony Reali
Okay. You'll get there, though.
Roy
You're hell bent on making sure it's.
Tony Reali
A marathon, not a sprint. Although it always is a sprint for me when I did long races. Always try to take the lead. Those first 100, 200, 300. It's the best thing in the world.
Jason
The turkey trout. Five miles. I did it every Thanksgiving.
Tony Reali
Yeah, but nobody remembers really where you finish if you don't win it. But if you're in the lead, those first 100, 200, everybody noticed. Services.
Jason
Yeah, it's great.
Tony Reali
Yeah, it's good stuff.
Jason
You're right.
Stugotz
Why are you agreeing with a turkey trot as if you're a turkey trot expert? I've told you, I've never done a turkey trot. Nobody. Hold on a second. Hold on.
Jason
Every year, all right? I do it every year.
Tony Reali
What am I doing? What are you doing?
Jason
Perhaps every year was a stretch, okay? But the last time I did it, Tony is right. I sprinted. I was the leader after like 100 yards.
Tony Reali
Yeah. Recommended to everybody. I like your monitors here. I feel like I'm an NHL coach looking up at the.
Stugotz
Oh, yeah. Real. He's a runner. Reality. Did you run in South Florida? It's too hot.
Tony Reali
I just got in. I was surfing in Malibu. I went to zero. See every Point Break. Five Foot Walls at Zero.
Jason
We've never seen it.
Tony Reali
I've seen Three Foot Walls.
Zaslow
What's this movie you speak of?
Tony Reali
Yes, of course. So I just got back, so I didn't get a run in yet, but I'm sure they got to work out in the.
Stugotz
The wheelhouse of Mike Ryan and Stugats, who have been waiting for a guest.
Tony Reali
So we sit down and do Point Break and others. You know what, guys? I mean, we're here all week. Let's get it. Let's get around the popcorn. Let's go. Let's go. We'll do movies. We'll have. We'll have a game segment. Around the Popcorn.
Jason
All right?
Tony Reali
We got parents here. Let's go around the Baby Bjorn.
Roy
This is going to be all right.
Tony Reali
Around the Baby Bjorn.
Stugotz
Around the Bjorn.
Tony Reali
You got Ron McGill in house.
Roy
Dan, you got a guy who's been.
Tony Reali
Hosting around the Horns. Yeah, I know. This is what he told me. This is what he told me. This is not your show. Sit back, man.
Roy
He's not used to the back seat.
Tony Reali
No, no. Around the horns with Ron McGill, though. Come on. Kudo or Oryx, who you got? That's what I want.
Jason
I like it.
Tony Reali
He came up with me. Mike, come on. Now.
Stugotz
It says Tony's Takeover. Nobody told me they were doing Tony's Takeover. That explains why there's a.
Dan Le Batard
That's.
Tony Reali
I like that. That's a great pose.
Stugotz
Okay, but why. Why. Why was there a bounce house we.
Billy
Buy a bounce house just for that.
Stugotz
I don't know what that was.
Tony Reali
One hour rental. It's okay.
Roy
Target.
Tony Reali
Yeah.
Stugotz
No one.
Tony Reali
That's beautiful. I like it.
Stugotz
I take that home. I saw on David Sampson show, he's got scrolling across the bottom, an infomercial number. That makes it look like graphically worse number. It's so great. The whole thing looks like qvc. David Sampson giving you sports opinions with a QVC font. But this is what's happening here, Mike. I can't wrangle the giant personality of 23 years a star daily on ESPN. He has his own show. He's not a team player.
Tony Reali
I got nothing to do, guys. I got nothing to do.
Roy
I don't think you can listen to us even.
Tony Reali
Oh, I hear every word you're saying. It's active listening, though. It's. You know, I've wordy Page on one side and Bill Plaschke on this side. Doinks and Dinks and Binks. I take it all in.
Jason
David Cohen to the Jays was a great deadline acquisition. That is a good one.
Stugotz
That is a good one. That is a good one.
Tony Reali
That's an all doing that. We were, well, Brad Marshall, Sabathia.
Stugotz
Yes.
Tony Reali
We were talking about Randy Johnson to the Astros, 10 and 1.
Stugotz
We didn't do Randy Johnson, but we were talking about how they're all in baseball. We're talking about how. So when you get one in hockey or you get Rasheed Wallace. We did Rasheed Wallace in basketball. How many others are there in basketball? Somebody. God almighty. There are many of those, right? You guys tell me every year, George Hill. And it's never George Hill.
Jason
George Hill.
Stugotz
Relax. It has never been George Hill.
Tony Reali
Baseball was the one that had trade deadline. NFL didn't have trades for 50 years.
Stugotz
It felt like they insist on making it George Hill. George Hill. Did he win a championship somewhere? Did he win one? Did he get one somewhere?
Zaslow
You were locked to lose these with George Hill.
Jason
Easter Conference. Yeah.
Stugotz
You say, of course. I don't think he did.
Tony Reali
George Hill won a title. Antonio. The last San Antonio. The last quiet San Antonio year.
Stugotz
I don't know if George Hill's got a title or not, but Mike and Stugats were telling me every year at the trade deadline that George Hill was the missing piece.
Tony Reali
But that is a great logo you got. Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it. I had a little too much color in the outfit, but everything else we're.
Stugotz
Working with, I loved on Reali's website. His glam shots are so good. Like, no, they're so good. Where are we going to find your live stream with Izzy Gutierrez?
Tony Reali
I was hoping you were gonna help with that.
Stugotz
I don't know. But where are we gonna find it? I am our studio and our people are gonna do an around the horn livestream with you.
Tony Reali
And so I had this idea, guys. You know, I like this movie, you know, this Boyhood by Richard Linklater.
Jason
Okay.
Tony Reali
And it's the passage of time in a man. And to see it to me was very emotional. Right. You know what I'm talking about. Yes, yes, yes. So you saw Time shot it over 20 years and you saw somebody grow over 20 years. I want to be able to sit and watch. Why am I looking at pictures of myself doing beefcake things?
Stugotz
Shots are great. The glam thank you video for being so quick with this. You had to be self conscious taking these pictures.
Tony Reali
You notice I don't look at the camera often. That's not my.
Stugotz
No, but look, you've been good at this since I've known you. Stugatz Tony as a lifetime television person. When I saw him at the very beginning of his career, I was just.
Tony Reali
Explaining this to Rosie. Yeah.
Stugotz
That he fell very naturally into. This might not be a natural thing to pose for the camera this way, but I will do it exceptionally well. He did it from a very young. Yeah, we prodigy. Well, we don't. We don't. But appearance and, and give people the laughter so that they can get just the right shade on your face so that you look. So that you ring eternal for kids and people of all ages.
Jason
George Hill has never won a title.
Tony Reali
Oh, big, big L. Damn. Damn, man.
Stugotz
But you feel like he has because every trade deadline. He's a missing piece. Who's never a missing piece.
Tony Reali
Well, Dennis Schroeder is that guy. Now. He's been on. He's been on head half the teams in the NBA.
Stugotz
Am I about to put Brad Marchand in the all time category here? Because. Yeah, 10 goals, 10 assists in 22 games.
Tony Reali
Now he's continuing the final too. I mean, that's, that's, that's, that's everything, right?
Roy
I think we found an answer for greatest deadline acquisition ever.
Jason
Cone.
Roy
No, it was 11 days before the deadline. But. And it was in the NFL and people forget it. But Christian McCaffrey.
Jason
Oh, wow, that's a good one.
Stugotz
That is a good one.
Tony Reali
Did you get the W though?
Stugotz
Do you see what's happening behind you, Mike? Jason can't be controlled anymore. And now he has made this a medium. Mike. Monday, even Though I wanted to go to all of Billy's thoughts, his vacation, travel.
Jason
Here's the question with Maron. Are the Panthers still in the Stanley cup if they don't have Marsh?
Stugotz
Yes.
Jason
How big of a deal is it?
Stugotz
It doesn't matter.
Roy
I love your take on that one.
Stugotz
That's not how those things get remembered.
Zaslow
I don't know. I'm not willing to just shout out yes immediately.
Billy
They had a seven game series earlier.
Tony Reali
There's nothing sadder than a bouncy house without air. I mean, really, you and. And. And this is the place you sometimes occupy in my life. You are. You are the literal bounty. House without air.
Stugotz
Why didn't it stay up? What happened?
Tony Reali
Well, I was worried about blowing out your lights here. That's. I mean, I made a tactical decision there that rather than take down the whole. I wanted a couple hits in your face and I want the jump. I want to take down the studio.
Stugotz
That would have been funny.
Tony Reali
Clear this with you guys.
Stugotz
That would have been.
Tony Reali
It would have been funny for five minutes. Yeah, yeah.
Stugotz
It would have been funny right up until Glass Star Shard started breaking down and we couldn't then broadcast on a medium. Mike Monday. So, Mike, what is happening behind you there with Jason the director, who is going off script and doing whatever he wants with. With the imaging because you were jealous of Billy's Wild Willie Wednesday?
Roy
This is how you're framing it and it's not true. I don't like it.
Stugotz
It's not how I'm framing it. It's how Jason's framing it.
Roy
Jay Ajayi was a good one.
Tony Reali
Really helping.
Stugotz
Oh, in Philadelphia. That was a good one.
Tony Reali
Oh, my goodness. JHI was a good one.
Stugotz
That was eight good touchdowns. And we thought he would run that way forever. And it was just those eight games.
Billy
So is Zazzle going to have to pick which one of his kids he likes the most to go to this game?
Stugotz
How do we do this, Tony?
Tony Reali
What about where we are? Okay. Around the.
Stugotz
Help us with the game show that we're going here because apparently game show Billy is. No, not. This is not around the Bjorn, but it kind of is around the Bjorn.
Tony Reali
Just want to say it.
Stugotz
Billy, what is your idea for how we raise the stakes around Zaslow and put him to a test for one of his children, but also allow him to get tickets to a majestic game for all time? Don Lebatard, the judge.
Tony Reali
Coach.
Stugotz
Sweetie.
Roy
Stugats.
Jason
I should go say hello.
Stugotz
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.
Billy
Okay. How about this. How about a guarantee that you will go to game six or seven? Now here are the options. Game six, you have to choose. Hold on. Game six, you can go, but you have to choose which of your children you love more. And you only get to choose one and you will scar the other one for life. Game seven, you get to take both children so you don't have to admit which one you love more. However, you have to get on a plane and fly internationally as far as you possibly could for a game and you'll be surrounded by people who hate you.
Zaslow
Yeah, I'm not into going to game seven, man.
Billy
You'd rather tell your child which one you love more than go to a game seven children?
Zaslow
Yeah, yeah, I'd rather have to choose. I'd rather have to do Sophie's choice with my kids for game six.
Billy
That's how you create, you know, serial killers.
Zaslow
Go to, then go.
Stugotz
I'm not.
Zaslow
My boys wouldn't even want to go to Edmonton. They're not interested in that. No, I don't. I don't like the idea of being around 20,000 people at one time who are rooting for me to be devastated. I don't like the concept of that. I don't want to go to Edmonton.
Stugotz
That's a $5 fine for Tony Reali. What is the sound.
Tony Reali
And the Weather Channel somehow just started popping Happy phone.
Stugotz
Ray Liotta from Goodfellas.
Roy
Yeah.
Tony Reali
So that was the Weather Channel. Sorry about that. That guys.
Zaslow
I would choose game six.
Tony Reali
How old are the children?
Zaslow
16 and 13. Love the Panthers. Love the Panthers.
Tony Reali
Be hard, dad. You might have to sit this one out.
Zaslow
It'd be bad.
Jason
Yeah.
Tony Reali
No, no, I'm saying you don't go, right?
Jason
You drop them off. That's what you do.
Tony Reali
That's a drop off.
Jason
My dad did that for me and my brother islanders.
Roy
He did it.
Jason
I wrote about it.
Roy
Really hadn't even consider.
Tony Reali
Butch Goring was 91. 91 Butch Goring, yeah. All of a sudden I'm not even going to. It's the day after.
Billy
Wait, how about this?
Tony Reali
How about a situation yesterday?
Billy
Two tickets, one for you, one for your favorite child or three tickets, one for each of your child and one for your wife. You stay home, you're out now you're completely. Both your kids get to go.
Tony Reali
You had your day yesterday. I hope you enjoyed it.
Jason
You got the house to yourself.
Billy
Go.
Zaslow
So all you're asking me is do I want my boys to go to the game or I want everyone in my family except me to go to the game.
Stugotz
Yeah.
Tony Reali
Yeah, I think we've decided.
Zaslow
Proposition is that.
Tony Reali
I think. I think we've decided.
Billy
You haven't been able to decide.
Tony Reali
It seems the tribunal.
Stugotz
I would like to more examine the idea that you just readily, the day after Father's Day, slid so easily into the position of not even considering giving both tickets to your boys. Like it wasn't anywhere on your purview.
Tony Reali
16, 13.
Zaslow
I know what I did for this team. I ended my vacation in North Carolina early. I came home, I put the family in the Zaslo Mobile, and we drove straight through.
Stugotz
Okay. Zaslo has wanted, echoing eternal praise for his sacrifice here. And he's not. He doesn't feel. Feel like he's getting it.
Jason
He fired the coach, okay?
Stugotz
He fired the coach one, two years ago. Get over it, Zaslow. What? What praise? Have we not given you enough for what you believe to be a legendary, enduring sacrifice on behalf of your team?
Zaslow
It's not about giving me praise. I just did what any of us would do. We're doing our part for the team. It's not about me. It's about the collective. I did my part. That's what it's about.
Jason
He called Paul Maurice the murderer of.
Zaslow
Fun two years ago. I apologized already.
Jason
There's fun. He murdered it.
Roy
He's allowed to apologize. And for you to acknowledge that, you.
Zaslow
Know, some people, they dig their feet in and they still think Brad Marchand doesn't belong on the team. No, I'm telling you, I was wrong.
Stugotz
What would be your ruling as an around the horn veteran host of people's judging, people's opinions. How egregious is it that Mike Ryan, before the playoffs started when the Panthers acquired Brad Marchand, called him a bad player that he did not want on the team.
Zaslow
He preferred him to be a healthy.
Roy
Scratch every game, rotational winger. And in my defense, you have no idea how good Mackie or Jesper would.
Stugotz
Be playing in terms of all time bad takes on around the horn. How would that one hold up against.
Tony Reali
That'd be in the minus 50s. It wouldn't be Pablo Tortoise.
Roy
I've walked that one territory. I've walked that one back. Yeah, I apologize for that.
Tony Reali
It is not a flip flop. It's just, you know, a renaissance of opinion.
Roy
But everyone is like so insistent that I. That I turn around the other way and say, okay, I like this guy. Now I'm never gonna like him. He's a bad person. I'm not wrong about that. Take, he's a bad person.
Stugotz
Well, but this is so this. But this part to me is always super interesting. And I know I tease.
Roy
It's personal. I don't have to like him.
Tony Reali
This isn't what I'm.
Roy
Personal.
Stugotz
You know how you are with Crosby.
Roy
And we're all just supposed to lay out and say, well, this is rational. That's how I am with Brad Marchand.
Zaslow
But he didn't play for the Panthers.
Roy
Sidney Crosby, I'm entitled to this. Look, you may not know what loyalty is. I care about the name on the front, not the one on the back.
Zaslow
I know you're not telling me that.
Stugotz
Roy.
Billy
Mike, Monday.
Jason
Let's ask Roy, though. Roy, how would you feel about the Panthers getting Sidney Crosby? How would you feel about that?
Roy
I would not be happy, but I.
Billy
Would have to swallow it.
Jason
There you go.
Roy
That's what's happening. I'm swallowing my medicine. Everyone now all of a sudden loves Jason Taylor's over there banging the drum, even though everyone forgets he signed with a joke jets and he was welcomed with open arms because everyone there is wearing a Brad Marchand jersey. So, yeah, come here, you traitor. You're more than welcome here.
Stugotz
Okay, so this one's interesting, though, because I will say, for all the virtue signaling that we and others get accused of in sports, Mike actually gave up his allegiance to the Cleveland Browns because he thought Deshaun Watson was a bad person and literally stopped watching the Browns, stopped caring about the Browns, stopped talking about the Browns.
Jason
Marchand was just a brown Bruin.
Stugotz
Marchand was a Bruin, but also someone who Mike hates. And it made me think, as he said this, I wonder who it's been most difficult in the history of sports for a fan base to come to grips with. Oh, the guy who won me the championship and maybe the mvp. I don't like him so much. Never liked him. And now have to separate all this Feel good from. It feels slightly less good because this guy's doing the winning for me. I don't have a lot of.
Jason
It's not bad.
Roy
That's probably the best one.
Tony Reali
Brett Favre going to Minnesota, getting him a game from the Super Bowl.
Jason
Yeah, but two years with the Jets. Right?
Tony Reali
But still, they played against him for 15. Green Bay, Minnesota.
Stugotz
It's not a lot of times that something like this happens where a fan. What he's articulating. Zaz swallows easily. Mike, you heard Roy say Sidney Crosby, who he hates. I'll swallow it. Mike's swallowing it reluctantly.
Zaslow
I think Rodman with Chicago is probably a good one from those years against The Pistons.
Roy
You had a good one. We were workshopping here. You also said Aroldis Chapman, right.
Zaslow
When he's on the mound in the World Series with the Cubs. They win the World Series. Like, hey, you did some bad things.
Roy
Ben Roethlisberger, too.
Stugotz
That one was a difficult one for Pittsburgh fans and now they miss that. They haven't had as good a quarterback since. And they missed the days of all of Ben Roethlisberger's seven yard slants at the end. Running out of the pocket like a skyscraper with legs.
Jason
They yearn for those days, yes.
Stugotz
Longing desperately for that refrigerator with leg legs to roll out of the pocket and not hurt himself.
Roy
Not sports. But I did. I'm reluctant to admit this.
Zaslow
Go on.
Roy
Ms. O.J. simpson's Twitter contributions.
Stugotz
Put it on the poll at Levittart show. Do you miss O.J. simpson's Twitter contributions? Yes or no?
Jason
Strange.
Stugotz
Do we have any thoughts as a group about Stephen A. Smith getting caught playing solitaire during game four of the finals?
Zaslow
Tony Ford's yours.
Tony Reali
Yeah, I'm going to step away from my. I've been playing my own form of solitaire for a few weeks, so that's enough for me.
Roy
If anyone's shown us they could spin multiple plates over the last few months, it's been Stephen A. He's a man of many hats.
Stugotz
I will say this. You can go ahead and do that and play solitaire and multitask during the game, especially when you're someone who knows what's going to happen already so you don't have to pay attention, but you can't lie about it afterward and say you were just doing it during time out. Like, if you're gonna be the journalist, you gotta be honest about that part. I think.
Roy
Does he? Yeah, I think he's primed for politics, actually. This was also hours removed from first take where Molly was trying to help him. Like, hey, the cameras can see your screen and he wasn't having it there. And then hours later we see his screen to reveal he's playing solitaire during the game.
Stugotz
Okay, but I want to. You've got game five tonight. And the thing that I wanted to talk to you guys about because I did think it's been interesting strategically. Right. Stugach, you don't often hear me ever around here that someone was out coached. Because I don't have what I believe to be the working knowledge of the intricacies of what goes into a game plan, often to know what adjustments were made in the third quarter that I missed. Because all of their scouting reports said that they had to do something defensively different on rotations, and I wasn't paying close enough attention to watch that way.
Jason
Yeah.
Stugotz
Carlisle is out coaching Oklahoma city.
Jason
Well, it's 2 2.
Stugotz
But let me just explain to you what's happening in the game that is. That can't happen. Right. Oklahoma City just won a game that no team ever wins playing that way. Having that many turnovers, that few assists, and having that shooting percentage from 3. Every time that team has been played, that game has been played in playoff history. Every time that team loses, OKC just won it. And the reason I say that Indiana is doing a better job here is because I know OKC is better. But OKC has played three games in this series. Unlike any games they have played this season where they can't get any assists. They're turning the ball over more than they're getting assists. And they've played three of their worst four games. It's happening to them. And the only reason they lost game four is because they went 0 for 8 from three in the fourth quarter. Otherwise they would have beaten OKC. That wasn't done to them. They went 0 for 8 from three. Not because OKC is great at defense at the end, though. They are. But because they just missed eight threes in the fourth quarter. But the reason I say what I say about Carlisle, it's a make or miss league, Daniel, is specifically because when you get the other team to do what you want and they're better than you and you're even in the series, you might out coach the other team and still lose because it's what happened in game four.
Roy
Mark Dagenaul, thank you.
Jason
That's a great one.
Stugotz
It's the spelling that trips tricks me.
Roy
I was trying to help you, but.
Jason
I got a U, L, T. Right.
Stugotz
Thank you. Yes.
Roy
Is it Dagnault?
Tony Reali
Oh, it should be.
Stugotz
Dagnaut is not silent. Yeah. My larger point, though, in that series, two guys, did you see how close Indiana was to being up 3:1?
Jason
They should be up 3:1. They were outscored 31 to 17 in the fourth quarter. And I understand what you're saying about this is not their style. Lack of assists, lack of distributing the basketball. You have to do what you have to do against the opponent. Once you make it to the NBA Finals, if you had to change your game a little bit, you change your game a little bit. And that's what happened. You know, I was happy to see Dan SGA in a big spot, down 2 1. His team facing a 31 deficit to the Pacers. He stepped up in that fourth quarter like one of the all time greats. I needed to see that from him.
Stugotz
Took four steps, one point in the last three minutes from Indiana, one field goal in the last five minutes from Indiana. OKC does some of that. They don't do all of that.
Jason
Also a terrible job by the NBA last night. How do we have Father's Day? We have that fantastic finish of the US Open and then you don't have an NBA game.
Zaslow
It's Father's Day.
Jason
How am I not sitting down? Sunday night, 7:00 o', clock, 7:30 Eastern. Watching a little NBA Finals. Game five is a terrible job by the NBA. Terrible to be ashamed of.
Roy
Drop the ball.
Jason
Yep.
Roy
Egregious error.
Stugotz
Sad. Slow holiday. Big holiday or not a big holiday? Father's Day holiday.
Jason
It's a Sunday.
Zaslow
I mean Father's Day, the day for fathers.
Tony Reali
Allegedly.
Zaslow
That's a big day.
Stugotz
Yeah.
Roy
Let's go.
Tony Reali
Big day for all of us. Give me some hope.
Stugotz
So big.
Tony Reali
You don't need to go to a hockey game the next day. You just allow your children to go in your place.
Stugotz
Are we doing this? What are the stakes? What has to happen? It should be. The stakes should be tonight's game. Should it not for the basketball. Just because you want to go to game six. Right. Like what? We've got to. We got to make a game.
Zaslow
I'm all in on OKC tonight.
Stugotz
Yeah, but that's.
Zaslow
Well, what. What am I supposed to do?
Roy
You don't like my pick, you got to give them like an alternate spread.
Jason
You have to. Yes.
Zaslow
Sirius is two.
Roy
Two SGA's over under for points. It's 34 and a half. Something like that.
Zaslow
That could be fun. Okay, that could be fun.
Billy
Let's go there.
Jason
Right over under D.
Stugotz
Is it that tea?
Chris Cody
All right. Kicking things off with Smearn off, the official vodka sponsor of the NFL and the number one vodka in the world. Chris Cody, you're here.
Tony Reali
Sm.
Jason
Wow.
Chris Cody
You're on the money with Smear Off.
Roy
Chris, you know what goes great with Smear Off?
Chris Cody
Yes, but I'm really talking about game day fit. The style's got to match the vibe.
Stugotz
Fair enough.
Chris Cody
All right, here's the deal. Game day is everything. And that's exactly why your fit has to match the occasion. Starting this December smearing off is giving fans 21 and over the chance to score limited edition Smirnoff commission merchandise from some of today's top creators, including Kayla Jones, Gavin, Matthew and Ali May smear enough. Here's the kicker. One lucky fan will take home the grand prize, a trip to the biggest game of the offseason. Plus, one fan will win Al May's one of one game day jacket.
Dan Le Batard
Wow.
Chris Cody
The merch will be dropped on select dates from December to January 21st. And it's all courtesy of what brand. That's right, Chris. Fans 21 and over can head to Smirnoff Socials to learn how to set. Sign up and don't forget to grab a bottle of Smirnoff vodka number 21 at your local retail. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff number 21 vodka distilled from green 40 alcohol by volume the Smirnoff Company New York, NY please do not share with anybody under Legal drinking Hate Smirnoff. No purchase necessary. Must be legal. US resident 21 or older sweepstake starts 12152025 at 12:00am Eastern and ends 1232026 at 11:59:59pm Eastern see official rules at program website.
Episode: Best of DLS: Tony Reali Spreading Joy
Date: January 1, 2026
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
This lively holiday episode features the high-energy presence of Tony Reali, famed ESPN host, who joins Dan, Stugotz, and the crew for a blend of sports debate, personal stories, and a hilarious attempt at bringing literal and metaphorical positivity to the studio. The episode oscillates between joy—especially with Tony’s antics—and classic DLS bickering, all set against the fading glow of the holiday season. Highlights include discussions on the NBA trade scene (especially Kevin Durant), the return of Joey Chestnut, the Panthers’ playoff dilemmas, game show brainstorms, and the enduring awkwardness of sports fan loyalty when a “villain” joins your favorite team.
[01:36 - 03:09]
Notable Quote:
“You’re about to hear some of that…Remember Reali marching through the streets of Miami, talking to people, just being everything that Tony Reali is as happy as anyone has ever been on this show.”
— Mike Ryan [02:09]
[03:22 – 07:44]
Notable Quote:
“Kevin Durant will be able to hit that jumper until he is 60.”
— Stugotz [04:24]
[09:46 – 11:50]
Notable Quote:
“If you want to gorge yourself on hot dogs in the middle of the day, none of us are working. But we don’t want to watch this at any other time.”
— Stugotz [10:52]
[11:32 – 14:27]
Notable Quote:
“Positivity is what I have, Dan. Feels like there’s not enough positivity in this control room right now. You don’t even respect Labor Day.”
— Tony Reali [13:12]
[13:41 – 19:13]
Notable Quote:
“There’s nothing sadder than a bouncy house without air. I mean, really, you and—and this is the place you sometimes occupy in my life. You are the literal bouncy house without air.”
— Tony Reali [28:18]
[20:47 – 21:49]
Notable Quotes:
“If there was a masterclass to be given in small talk, Tony would teach the master class.”
— Jason [21:14]
“You’ll get there, though. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
— Tony Reali [21:37]
[23:14 – 34:37]
Notable Exchanges:
“I’d rather have to do Sophie's Choice with my kids for game six…than go to Edmonton.”
— Zaslow [30:49]
“You might have to sit this one out.”
— Tony Reali [31:39]
[34:06 – 36:15]
Notable Quote:
“It is not a flip flop. It’s just, you know, a renaissance of opinion.”
— Tony Reali [34:24]
[37:31 – 38:14]
[38:29 – 41:33]
This episode encapsulates everything “The Dan Le Batard Show” aims for: insightful yet irreverent sports analysis, a winking look at the weirdness of modern fandom, and a rotating cast of lovable characters, all turned up to eleven with Tony Reali’s infectious joy (and, perhaps, the world’s saddest bounce house). Whether exploring NBA trades, debating the worthiness of Labor Day, or deciding which kid gets the playoff ticket, the show finds the heart and humor at the center of sports culture—and never takes itself too seriously.