FIFA's Corruption Rises To A New Level | Hour 3

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Dan Le Batard Show
Episode: FIFA's Corruption Rises To A New Level | Hour 3
Date: July 28, 2026
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Theme: An exploration of systemic corruption in sports—highlighting breaking news about FIFA's privatization efforts, the influence of money and power on sports governance, and the parallels between sports and broader societal trends in shamelessness and rule-bending.

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Dan Le Batard and his panel dive into the latest and most egregious example of corruption in global sports: a developing scandal at FIFA involving president Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors. The show debates what this means for the "fabric" of sport, how money undermines rules in both sports and society, and why fans and insiders seem increasingly powerless or resigned. In between, the conversation touches on NBA superstars and perceptions of team stacking, the economics of fame, and the illusion of rules in the age of mega-wealth and political shamelessness.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. "Stacking Teams" in the NBA and the GOAT Debate

[02:16–07:29]

• Charles Barkley’s Criticism of LeBron James

  • Barkley argues LeBron “stacks” his teams wherever he goes.
  • Panel dissects whether LeBron truly orchestrated stacked rosters, using examples from his tenures in Miami, Cleveland, LA, and now Philadelphia.
  • Dan Le Batard: “They're stacked because he exists on them. ... Maybe Bosh and Wade get to an NBA Finals, maybe they win one, but that’s the only team in that bunch that does the winning without LeBron.” (03:40)

• Double Standards in Attributing ‘Stacking'

  • Players like Michael Jordan, Steph Curry, and Jalen Brunson are discussed in relation to team construction and public perception of loyalty vs. “recruiting.”
  • Greg Cody: “We don’t say that Michael Jordan played with stacked teams, even though he had another top 50 player on his team.” (05:31)
  • Debate: Are criticisms of LeBron fair or a symptom of nitpicking an all-time great?
  • Admiration for players who win with "less stacked" teams (e.g., Dirk, Kawhi, Brunson, Jokic).

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2. Fame, Free Meals, and New York City Protagonists

[08:19–12:37]

• Jalen Brunson’s Rockstar Status in New York

  • Descriptions of the local NBA hero experience—in contrast to lesser-known pros like Michael Porter Jr.
  • Brunson’s life as a beloved, virtually untouchable celebrity, with humorous vignettes about never paying for meals (“he’s made for life in New York” (09:58)).

• The Social Rituals of Comped Celebrity Meals

  • The panel riffs on etiquette, tips, and whether super-rich stars should still pay.
  • Guest Analyst (on comped meals): “He has so much money, he should have to pay for everything. ... He’s rich, doesn’t have to pay.” (09:47-09:56)
  • Jon: “When a restaurant gives me a free meal ... Generally, I say to the chef, thank you very much, but I insist on paying. That’s what you gotta do. That’s the play.” (12:00)

• Comedic Sidebars

  • Digressions into “who shot John,” nuts vs. beans, and Yiddish slang—showcasing the show’s typical locker-room banter and cultural riffs.

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3. FIFA Scandal: Selling the World Cup to Private Investors

[21:13–24:29]

• Breaking News

  • [21:13]: Dan introduces Martin Ziegler’s exclusive that FIFA president Infantino is discussing selling stakes in the World Cup to private equity, with investors linked to the Trump administration (Josh Kushner, minority owner of Miami Heat).
  • Dan Le Batard: “FIFA is famously not for profit, although nobody believes that. … This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross.” (22:19)

• UEFA and the Broader Football Community Respond

  • UEFA’s statement: Selling governance and the “soul” of football would be an egregious breach.

• FIFA’s Shady History

  • Reference to past FIFA ticketing scandals (e.g., federations reselling tickets against regulations).
  • Mike Ryan: “Johnny Sacher [Infantino] is doing an unbelievable heat check right now and turning FIFA to private equity investors. … This goes against the very fabric of the game.” (23:39)

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4. The Illusion of Rules: Money and Power in Sports & Society

[24:29–39:08]

• Money’s Triumph: Owners, Rules, and Fear

  • Dan Le Batard, Greg Cody, Stugotz debate how extreme wealth enables actors (Ballmer in the NBA, Trump in politics, Infantino in FIFA) to flout rules.
  • NBA analogy: Why owners fear challenging Steve Ballmer (alleged salary cap violations) because extreme wealth can bend the system or make rules unenforceable.
  • “Can you have so much money that … the rules are just an illusion …?” (25:16–25:37)

• Parallel to US Politics and Trump

  • Stugotz: “We are in an age right now where money wins so shamelessly that it doesn’t matter what you think a fabric of a game is supposed to be.” (24:29)
  • Dan: “Donald Trump has made more money in these last two years as president than he did in his entire 60 years in business. And we can do nothing about it.” (33:22)
  • Recurring theme: America’s "golden age of corruption" and the public's resignation/exhaustion.

• Rule of Law as an Illusion

  • “Rules can’t be an illusion, not in America, not in sport. ... But if you can throw enough money at the idea, the rules just don’t apply to you.” (32:51–33:22)
  • Real-world examples: NBA salary cap, FIFA revenue sharing, presidential conflicts of interest, and land deals.

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5. Cultural Exhaustion and Resignation

[38:03–39:58]

• The "Flood the Zone" Strategy

  • Dan: “Your head is spinning every day because there is a Watergate level scandal every day. ... If they happen in an isolated fashion, they would topple presidencies, but there is literally something every day.” (38:05)

• Public Fatigue = Corruption Wins

  • Jon: "It’s just so dense that I’m smiling because I don’t really want to go there. It’s exhausting.” (39:12)
  • The hosts conclude that the relentless pace of corruption and scandal has left the public and insiders resigned, disempowered, and incredulous.

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Notable Quotes

• Dan Le Batard (03:40):
  "They're stacked because he exists on them. ... Maybe Bosh and Wade get to an NBA Finals, maybe they win one, but that’s the only team in that bunch that does the winning without LeBron."

• Greg Cody (05:31):
  "We don’t say that Michael Jordan played with stacked teams even though he had another top 50 player on his team."

• Dan Le Batard (22:19):
  "FIFA is famously not-for-profit, although nobody believes that. ... This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously. ... The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade."

• Mike Ryan (23:39):
  "Johnny Sacher is doing an unbelievable heat check right now and turning FIFA to private equity investors. This goes against the very fabric of the game."

• Stugotz (24:29):
  "We are in an age right now where money wins so shamelessly that it doesn’t matter what you think a fabric of a game is supposed to be."

• Dan Le Batard (33:22):
  "Donald Trump has made more money in these last two years as president than he did in his entire 60 years in business. And we can do nothing about it. ... Here in the United States, we're just grown accustomed that this corruption goes unchecked."

• Dan Le Batard (39:28):
  "There's something new and we're just resigned to—well, you just gotta get away with it, I guess."

• Stugotz (36:59):
  "We have never had this degree of shamelessness and this degree of corruption. ... I didn't realize that shamelessness was the trick, to get all of these things around people in a way that just can't be stopped, that your rules simply don't matter."

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Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | | ---------------------------------- | ----------- | | Barkley LeBron “stacked” criticism | 02:16–07:29 | | New York NBA stardom (Brunson) | 08:19–12:37 | | FIFA scandal news breaks | 21:13–24:29 | | Money, rules, ownership in sports | 24:29–39:08 | | Exhaustion & resignation | 38:03–39:58 | | Quotable moment wrap-up | 39:28–40:17 |

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Tone and Style

The discussion maintains The Le Batard Show's trademark blend of irreverence, keen cultural observation, and exasperated wit. There’s a strong undercurrent of frustration with the current "shamelessness" at the highest levels of sport and government, mixed with comic relief, pop culture references, and the banter that makes the show unique.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is essential listening for fans of sports, politics, and media skepticism. You'll leave with a nuanced understanding of the latest FIFA scandal, a sharp analysis of how power distorts sport and society, and plenty of sharp, memorable one-liners. The real headline: the rules, as we thought we understood them, are only as strong as the willingness of the powerful to bother observing them.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

Howdy, folks.

[Mike Ryan]

It's Mike Ryan.

[Dan Le Batard]

You know, the Levitard show and Miller Lite go way back pretty much.

[Mike Ryan]

I want to say, like 95% of

[Dan Le Batard]

our existence, we've been partnered with Miller

[Mike Ryan]

Lite and we believe in Miller Lite. They believe in us. It's great to have a partner with a product you truly love. That's me with Miller Lite. I love Miller Lite, always have. In fact, I consider myself a bit of a Miller Time mvp.

[Dan Le Batard]

The the friend who says they've got it.

[Mike Ryan]

I'll pick the spot, I'll throw the cooler in the trunk, bring some Miller Lite, and suddenly what was supposed to be a couple of hours turns into a whole afternoon. That's me, the Miller Time mvp. And it's great for summer. Hangs. Cools the body down. That beautiful white can. Not much better than an ice cold Miller Lite because it's brewed for taste with simple ingredients. Clean, refreshing, and easy to drink in the Miami heat. An all American summer starts with an all American beer, Miller lite. 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.

[Greg Cody]

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[Stugotz]

An army hung on her every word.

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[Show Announcer]

You are listening to the Dan Lebatar show in partnership with the DraftKings Sports App, now live in all 50 states.

[Stugotz]

Some thoughts from you on what Charles Barkley said about LeBron James. We were discussing yesterday, one of the things he said, which is that he'd be willing to make LeBron the greatest basketball player ever if LeBron wins two titles with Philadelphia. But he's always critical of LeBron because of some of the roster decisions that LeBron makes. So let's listen to him here.

[Show Announcer]

The number one knock on LeBron for

[Greg Cody]

older guys like myself has always been, yo, man, you always stacking your team. He stacked it in Miami, he stacked it in Cleveland, he stacked it in L. A. Now he's stacking it in Philly. So that to me, I'm gonna still have the same criticism I've Always had.

[Stugotz]

How did he stack his teams in Cleveland and L. A? Like, what. What did he do to stack the teams?

[Guest Analyst]

Oh, he. He only agreed to go to Cleveland because of the talent that they had acquired and, you know, then move the number one over Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love. So, like, he went there because they had a lot of good players, and I don't think that's necessarily the case in la for sure.

[Tony]

Remember, the first year, they were terrible, and then they made the trade for Anthony Davis.

[Guest Analyst]

Right. So I don't think that's necessarily true in la.

[Jon]

It's a weird criticism, even if it were true. I mean, especially now at his age. What's wrong with trying to surround himself with enough talent with the idea of winning another championship? Why are we criticizing him?

[Stugotz]

Well, it is what Charles did at the end of his career when he joined Drexler and Elijah won like that. That's what Charles did. But is it a.

[Greg Cody]

Do you guys think it's a fair criticism? Like, he stacks his teams. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love is a stacked team.

[Stugotz]

Anthony, the goal, I thought, is to

[Jesse]

have a good team.

[Guest Analyst]

It's fair.

[Dan Le Batard]

They're stacked because he exists on them. I mean, maybe Bosh and Wade get to an NBA Finals, maybe they win one, but that's the only team in that bunch that does the winning without LeBron. I think, in terms of stacking the

[Jon]

deck, I also think it's legit that he wants to win. Become the first person to win a championship with four different teams. That's a big deal. And I think maybe if it's real close at the end toward Philly and Miami, maybe that's the deciding factor. I've already done that in Miami. I want to do it now in an even bigger market where they haven't won A championship since 1983. That makes me a new kind of hero.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, Charles admitted that if LeBron wins the next two, then he's the goat.

[Jon]

And.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. And it's not because he's doing Philly. It's because he's doing it in his mid-40s. This is crazy.

[Stugotz]

This one is interesting to me, though, because we tend to admire, while we spend a whole lot of time talking about the importance of team, the sacrifices that have to be made in the name of team, even though your company and your workplace, my guess is you're not quite as sacrificial in the name of team as you'd like your athletes to be. And so what ends up happening is we admire Dirk or Kawhi or Jalen Brunson, when they have what appears to be a less stacked team than the rest of the league and they win anyway, we give them a respect that is more outsized. I don't see the reason to criticize just about anything about the career of LeBron James. It's been almost universally majestic the entire, entire time, and I think people are nitpicking with them. But the way Jalen Brunson won this

[Greg Cody]

year, which is still with the best three point shooting big man there's ever been, but it's viewed as you average 30 a game, you scored 45 in the clincher, everyone was trying to stop you. And that's what we admire the most. We don't say that Michael Jordan played with stacked teams even though he had another top 50 player on his team. And when he won 72 games, Dennis Rodman was also on that team and Coach was too. Right? Like that. Those are. Those are stacked teams.

[Dan Le Batard]

But is Jokic in that class too, of players that you just listed?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, Jokic is in the class of

[Stugotz]

feeling like he did it by himself, even though it's Jamal Murray and Jamal Murray's not Scott.

[Guest Analyst]

Not a single other All Star on the team when he did it.

[Stugotz]

Well, Jamal Murray made the All Star Game for the first time this year.

[Jon]

Right.

[Stugotz]

Otherwise, he never made an All Star Game. One of the things, though, that I

[Greg Cody]

understand, when people are looking at LeBron

[Stugotz]

James, what it is that they do

[Greg Cody]

is you don't hold this against Michael Jordan because they simply drafted Pippen, they got Rodman in free agency. But you don't hold that against Michael Jordan either, because he did it on the team that he was on. And you're okay if management goes out and gets the great players. You're less okay if the player becomes management. If the player says, I'm the ecosystem around which I'm going to lure people to Cleveland. Nobody chooses Cleveland. Nobody. Nobody chooses Cleveland in free agency. Like, that's not. That's not where people want to live. But we give him no credit for the idea that he has the gravitational. Gravitational pull of not just being the guy who's at the center of player empowerment, but player empowerment. That makes him management. I'm going to build my own team. I'm going to. I'm going to do it myself without needing Phil Jackson or Pat Riley to do it for me. In fact, the lesson I'm going to take from Pat Riley in Miami is that I'm going to go somewhere else and be Pat Riley.

[Guest Analyst]

We like when the star Stays, the star stays, and others come to him. The star was loyal to the team, and the team eventually did the things to get the star. The better players that were totally good. Like, that's why no one ever gives Steph Curry any type of crap. For Durant joining now Grant, I know they won before and after, but Durant came to the Warriors, Curry was there, and he won there.

[Stugotz]

That one's interesting, though, because Durant gets the criticism for that and Curry gets none of it.

[Guest Analyst]

Yep, because that was. Because Corey was already there. That's it. He didn't leave to go win somewhere else. He stayed where he.

[Greg Cody]

But he stacked his team.

[Guest Analyst]

But. But it's his team. His team.

[Tony]

Yeah, but they drafted Klay Thompson. They drafted Draymond Green. To what you were saying, they only added one guy.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, but the guy is one of the greatest scorers in the history. One guy, though.

[Kenny]

Only one guy.

[Greg Cody]

Let's look at what Jalen Brunson's life right now is in New York, because

[Stugotz]

he really does own New York in a way that's unusual. It's not just that the Knicks are the favorite team, but he's also the lovable little guy. So when it's raining in New York,

[Greg Cody]

a bunch of people just put umbrellas over Jalen Brunson's head, wherever it is that he goes. He doesn't have to carry his own umbrella.

[Jesse]

It's just six different umbrellas.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, just anyone with an umbrella is shielding their beloved golden child from the rainbow. But also, let's play this video of the difference between being a Brooklyn Net in New York and being Jalen Brunson in New York. Here's Michael Porter Jr. Trying to get into the club in New York, and he's got to tell people, look, I'm Michael Porter Jr.

[Stugotz]

I play for the. The. The Brooklyn Nets. I'm trying to get into the club.

[Jesse]

Look at him. He's, like, clearly waiting at a line, giving his name on Michael Porter.

[Jon]

Yep.

[Stugotz]

Am I on your list? I'm Brooklyn Nets.

[Greg Cody]

And then Michael Porter with a P.

[Stugotz]

And then what spills behind him is,

[Greg Cody]

here comes Jalen Brunson with all of the.

[Dan Le Batard]

I didn't see that coming.

[Jesse]

Porter Jr. Does get in right behind him, but just that little, like, hey, yeah, that's.

[Jon]

Why did he have to show ID Porter?

[Greg Cody]

What do you guys think?

[Stugotz]

Jalen Brunson's life is right now? Good in. In New York City life?

[Greg Cody]

He doesn't. He's not going to have to buy

[Stugotz]

a drink or a meal the rest of the way that's bullshit, though.

[Guest Analyst]

Like, he. He has so much money, he should have to pay for everything. Like, I understand he doesn't pay because he's king of New York. He should always have to pay.

[Tony]

Relax, Mondoni.

[Guest Analyst]

He's rich, doesn't have to pay.

[Jon]

And he's made for life in New York, too. That one moment in the finals, he doesn't have to do anything else. He doesn't have to win again. He doesn't have to continue to be that level of star. He is made in New York.

[Guest Analyst]

Do you think he has to be careful, like, when he goes because. Yeah, he's not going to have to pay. So is he careful about what he orders where he doesn't want to be a Schnur? You know, where it's like, oh, I'll have the lobster and she'll have, you know, the finest meats. Like, he doesn't want cuz he knows he's getting comped. Is he trying to be polite?

[Greg Cody]

Oh, but I don't think he knows he's getting comped.

[Stugotz]

Well, I don't think that that is an offense.

[Greg Cody]

If they don't tell you beforehand that they're comping the meal, but they just comp the meal afterwards. You're ordering the way you would order if you were trying to be most extravagant. But you can assume the meal's being comped, but they're not telling you in front that the meal is being right.

[Guest Analyst]

Right.

[Kenny]

Zaslow, was that Yiddish?

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Show Announcer]

Schnur.

[Jesse]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Guest Analyst]

It's Yiddish for like someone who is, you know, you're ungrateful. You ask and you ask and you ask. You take, you take, you take.

[Jesse]

I think you guys are off on this. I don't think he's ordering at all. I think it's just the owner coming out. We're gonna bring. We got you. We're gonna bring out a bunch of our best stuff for you. You don't have to worry about the menu.

[Stugotz]

What if he has some allergies? What if he has some.

[Tony]

You think an elite athlete has allergies

[Jesse]

like that when he'll say, all right, I have a shellfish.

[Greg Cody]

I mean, Tom Brady, famously not an allergy.

[Tony]

Not an allergy, just said he didn't like nightshades.

[Stugotz]

Tom Brady, I'm guessing, would not like you ordering for him. And I think in general, athletes are going to have some control stuff that makes them predisposed to not want someone else to pick their preferences for them.

[Greg Cody]

I think they're more likely to have some Control. Control stuff there.

[Stugotz]

Than the. Than the rest of.

[Tony]

The chef is going to bring you to the table and bring what. What he feels is the best of his ability. You're gonna be like, no, I don't like shellfish. Sorry, weenie.

[Jon]

I don't want a chef to order for me. What am I, a child?

[Tony]

Why are you going to his restaurant then?

[Jon]

I've been to pick what I like. Bring me a lobster. Bring me a filet mignon.

[Jesse]

I've been to a restaurant with you where someone brings you out a bunch of stuff.

[Stugotz]

And I mean.

[Jon]

And that's not my preference. That's not my preference. Not only that, when a restaurant gives me a free meal, it happens a lot. I don't want to brag. Generally. I say to the chef, thank you very much, but I insist on paying. That's what you gotta do. That's the play. That's the play.

[Show Announcer]

That is not a thing that happens.

[Jon]

That's the play.

[Show Announcer]

We just lied. No, no, no. I never want to pay money. No, that's not something I do pay money for things very cheap. Not a free meal.

[Jon]

It's an old wife still. Me being very ch.

[Show Announcer]

Who shot John?

[Jon]

I'm the opposite.

[Dan Le Batard]

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

[Tony]

I know it.

[Mike Ryan]

Well.

[Tony]

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

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. You usually take all the credit for it, but it's because Tony usually walks in with Cuervo.

[Tony]

Walking like this.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cuervo is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night.

[Tony]

It has that effect on people.

[Show Announcer]

It does.

[Dan Le Batard]

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 standing up, hootin and hollerin'.

[Mike Ryan]

Keep it Cuervo.

[Tony]

Keep it Cuervo, baby.

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[Mike Ryan]

Howdy folks, it's Mike Ryan.

[Dan Le Batard]

You know, the Levitard show and Miller Lite go way back pretty much.

[Mike Ryan]

I want to say like 95% of

[Dan Le Batard]

our existence we've been partnered with Miller

[Mike Ryan]

Lite and we believe in Miller Lite. They believe in us. It's great to have a partner with a product you truly love. That's me with Miller Lite. I love Miller Lite, always have. In fact, I consider myself a bit of a Miller Time mvp.

[Dan Le Batard]

The friend who says they've got it.

[Mike Ryan]

I'll pick the spot, I'll throw the cooler in the trunk, bring some Miller Lite, and suddenly what was supposed to be a couple of hours turns into a whole afternoon. That's me, the Miller Time mvp. And it's great for summer. Hangs cools the body down that beautiful white can. Not much better than an ice cold Miller Light because it's brewed for taste with simple ingredients. Clean, refreshing and easy to drink in the Miami heat. An all American summer starts with an all American beer, Miller lite. 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 down

[Guest Analyst]

Levitar can't trade Marino.

[Greg Cody]

Nice hat.

[Guest Analyst]

Nice hat. It's what he's most known for. It's like I'm holding on to it.

[Show Announcer]

Great, Cody.

[Guest Analyst]

Nice nine and two. But it's Marino. And then the next time we saw Marino, after Greg Hoodie trade him, he threw for five touchdowns and he was Dan the man on the COVID Sport Jones traded. You can't trade Marino.

[Jon]

Nice head.

[Show Announcer]

This is the D. Levatar show.

[Greg Cody]

I still don't understand when, why or how who Shot John is used.

[Jon]

Call up my wife.

[Greg Cody]

She'll. She'll explain it to you in the car.

[Jesse]

On the way to a restaurant.

[Jon]

In the car on the way to a restaurant.

[Jesse]

It's like the family can't agree. And my dad was just be like, guys, I don't want to play who Shot John?

[Jon]

Because it gets to a ridiculous point. It's frustrating for me. And those three words generally silence and cause the conversation to veer in a direction, sharply in a direction that I prefer.

[Show Announcer]

Who's John?

[Stugotz]

That's the question I have. Who is John? Why did someone shoot him?

[Jon]

It's a generic name. You know, it's not a specific person.

[Stugotz]

Why did someone shoot him?

[Jon]

Because he was upsetting them so much, you know, I'm in the car with John. I'm going. We're going to go to Alice's restaurant and Bernie Parmalee, and we're. We're headed to the restaurant, and at the last minute, John says, or if you prefer, we'll go to the House of Nuts. And I say, no, we're going to Alice's restaurant. And then he insists, the House of Nuts is great. Haven't you heard who Shot John? Let's go. Come on. Forget about it. We're going to Alice's restaurant. Arlo Guthrie, 1960. I mean, it's. It's a place we go to.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. How often?

[Jon]

It depends on the kind of nut I'm interested in. You know, I love a sizable one. I love Brazil nuts. Yeah.

[Tony]

Good fans.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good fans.

[Guest Analyst]

Really good fans.

[Dan Le Batard]

Brazilian nut.

[Jon]

Well, it's a good nut as well. Legume or is that a bean? I think that's a bean.

[Dan Le Batard]

It is a bean.

[Jon]

Although nuts and beans are in the same family, I think.

[Dan Le Batard]

What are some of your other favorite ethnic nuts?

[Stugotz]

Put it in the.

[Jon]

Put it on the all nuts. I love pistachios, but I insist on shelling them myself. Oh, yeah, you give me a bag of pistachios that have already been shelled, I'm a turn it back.

[Tony]

That's right.

[Jesse]

Thank you.

[Stugotz]

Put it on the poll, please. Are nuts and beans in the same family? I don't believe that they are in the same family. And also put it on the poll at Lebatard Show. Will you eat pistachios if someone else has taken off the shelves for you?

[Tony]

Zaz, you know what?

[Guest Analyst]

That good nut insists on paying.

[Stugotz]

I don't believe him either.

[Jesse]

What a whopper.

[Show Announcer]

Okay, but just say things Sometimes imagine

[Stugotz]

how to please get close to the mic.

[Jon]

If you're Jalen Brunson, how to grow your legend even further. You become known as the super celebrity who owns New York City. But when the finest restaurant wants to pay for your meal, you say, chef, really, really appreciate that. I'm going to insist on paying.

[Guest Analyst]

Nah, you just leave an awesome tip. You just leave an awesome tip.

[Jon]

Well, that's the other alternative. You know, instead of using the leaving the same 8, 10%, you know, you're actually going to leave maybe a $20 bill.

[Show Announcer]

Oh, you pay. You pay. And then you turn to your wife and you say, what, do we break a window? What do we break a window? And then I said, what do we break a window?

[Jon]

That's the kind of place where you can spend more than 100 bucks for a steak, right? I mean, I've spent $80 in my market down here for a restaurant.

[Show Announcer]

$15 tip on that.

[Stugotz]

I want to ask.

[Jon]

I'm a big tipper, you guys, how

[Stugotz]

I'm supposed to feel about something that just happened to me in New York? Okay? I like the. I like a certain mezcal, and it's not particularly expensive. It generally runs me from about 38 to $45 a bottle. Not all that expensive as far as these things go. And my hotel, I could have gotten it ordered to the room. And I'm asking. My wife is asking me, how much do you think it costs? How much do you think it costs? And I'm like, I don't know. What's the markup going to be here? $200. And she's like, nope, higher. And I'm like, 250. And we did this eight times, and I never got it right. It was $650 on the markup. And I'm like, that's. That's not saying the same.

[Greg Cody]

Yes, for the same. It's the same. It's the same bottle.

[Stugotz]

It's not.

[Greg Cody]

It's not a special bottle. It's basically a markup of more than 10 times on a bottle.

[Stugotz]

Does that seem reasonable to you guys,

[Greg Cody]

even by inflated room service standards?

[Tony]

You didn't pay for it, right?

[Greg Cody]

No, I did not pay for it. That's a fact.

[Jesse]

I wouldn't have sent my assistant to the liquor store.

[Greg Cody]

I wouldn't have paid for it for half that much. I wouldn't have paid. Like, that's just making sure.

[Jon]

That's a man of principle.

[Greg Cody]

That's lunacy, though. Like, what is that? What. Explain to me how it is with a straight face. That I don't think that bottle service in the greatest of the Miami clubs or the most expensive of the Miami clubs is going to have a markup like that where you're. You're talking about 20 times. You're 20 times what that would normally cost.

[Jon]

No, it's. It's crazy. And I don't think it's just New York City. When we were in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at the hotel bar, I order a glass of champagne to bring up to the room because that's what the wife wants. And you know how small a flute of champagne is. And it was like $45. That. That's a lot to me. You know, I don't want to be the guy who says, ah, no, that's fine. You know,

[Dan Le Batard]

there's a huge FIFA story that is breaking right now. It actually has a tie to the Miami Heat. Yep. So an exclusive from Martin Ziegler.

[Mike Ryan]

Exclusive.

[Dan Le Batard]

FIFA's president, Johnny Infantino is planning to sell stakes in the World cup to private investors under a scheme that could potentially earn him tens of millions of pounds. Investor discussions held with people close to the Trump administration. And he continues to add. FIFA has now confirmed to the Times this Infantino plan is under discussion with Josh Kushner as proposed lead investor.

[Greg Cody]

It's interesting what just happened there.

[Stugotz]

I'm gonna let people see behind the scenes here on the dangers of doing a live program. Mike Ryan just went in my mind rogue on the breaking news sound, which I asked from Roy and the Roy.

[Greg Cody]

The reason I asked Roy for the

[Stugotz]

breaking news sound is because I wanted

[Greg Cody]

to report exclusively that Colin Cowherd has tweeted out. The horror genre has lost me. Has to be at least remotely believable. That's the news I was gonna break off of the breaking news sound.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, we both simultaneously said we have hu.

[Jesse]

Both big stories.

[Dan Le Batard]

I should have. Yeah, I should have taken a step back. Yours was bigger. FIFA is famously not for profit, although nobody believes that. And this is Johnny Sachert's flying a little too close to the sun. He's pissed off a lot of the European powers in UEFA. And UEFA has already come out with a very strong statement on this. UEFA statement says because this crosses a line, that this crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football association. So should every stakeholder leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments, and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade, especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. Now Part of the ticket scandal that rocked the FIFA World cup, that didn't end up mattering because revenue was crazy and everybody was happy. And Johnny, I was super happy with it. And all that was famously previous scandals sepplatter. All the football associations get paid the same amount of money when it comes to a revenue share. So it doesn't matter if England is this huge moneymaker for FIFA. They get the same as San Marino.

[Mike Ryan]

Right.

[Dan Le Batard]

And San Marino's vote counts the same as England's vote. So one of the things that was uncovered through investigative journalism was allegedly football associations were getting allotments of tickets that they are not allowed to sell. That goes against bylaws, but through proxies they were selling. And that's why the ticketing market was an absolute mess. And the secondary market, which FIFA also had an investment in, because they had their own resale market, was the way that it was. Johnny Sacher is doing an unbelievable heat check right now and turning FIFA to private equity investors. This is. This goes against the very fabric of the game. And this is going to be one hell of a heat check from Infantino.

[Stugotz]

Well, when you say goes against the fabric of the game, I want to go back to what it is that I was saying earlier, because I keep wanting to put this in front of you because of how disorienting I find it. We are in an age right now where money wins so shamelessly that it doesn't matter what you think a fabric of a game is supposed to be. I want to go back to this Ballmer story and the idea that other owners would be afraid of punishing him for something that we can all agree, if true, would go against the fabric of the game. Right? Let me ask you guys the question. What do you think they're afraid of?

[Greg Cody]

It's not just his money. It's not just Ballmer's money, although he's

[Stugotz]

much wealthier than all of them.

[Greg Cody]

It's what he can do to the construct of their sport when he's alleged to have done something. Fabric of the game, you don't care about the salary cap. Can you have so much money that not only the rules don't matter? The idea of rules is just an illusion that you have so much money that you don't have to respect.

[Dan Le Batard]

We're still talking about sports.

[Greg Cody]

I'm talking about all of it. Because that's going around the age I'm talking about.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's what's happening here. And it should be no surprise that the Trump administration is attached to something that is viewed as just a huge breach of it. The Miami Heat ties, by the way. Josh Kushner. Yes. That familiar surname is a minority owner of the Miami Heat. He owns less than 5% of the Miami Heat.

[Stugotz]

The things that are happening throughout America and last week, tonight just did something on cryptocurrency and just the sheer amount of wealth and conflict that Trump and the Trump family is involved in that has increased their wealth. When he was this close to going to prison and needed to win an election in order to stay out of prison and stop all of the prosecuting that was coming his way. When you have someone that brazenly disrespecting all rules of decorum, you realize that

[Greg Cody]

rules don't matter, that there is a

[Stugotz]

level of wealth that you can get to and a level of power that

[Greg Cody]

you can get to where the NBA owners are afraid of, of prosecuting something that would be open and shut case the way that Pablo has proven it. If you believe everything that's being reported as fact, and there's great danger in

[Stugotz]

it not being fact because of what someone like Ballmer can do to someone

[Greg Cody]

like us if we get it wrong.

[Jon]

I also suspect that the NBA owners are being very quiet about Steve Ballmer and the allegations against him because they look in the mirror, mirror and they realize that every owner is cutting corners.

[Stugotz]

Okay, but wait, but wait, but wait a minute. Okay, wait a minute. All right, I keep mentioning this because I'm not naive here, okay?

[Greg Cody]

Every owner can be cutting corners, and

[Stugotz]

few have ever done what is alleged here quite as brazenly as tens of millions of dollars outside of the salary cap alleged for a no show job. But when I ask, I want to

[Greg Cody]

ask you guys the question. What are they afraid of? What are the owners actually afraid of? It's not just the money. What's he going to do with the money that makes them afraid? And what he can do is like, hey, the salary cap's a sham. Like, I don't have to respect this. Why do I have to respect this? And now you've got people being deposed and a commissioner like, what do you mean? You get to make all the rules on something I own? Yeah. It's collectively bargained. Let's try to see what comes up in court. You guys all want to come to court with me? The answer is no. The answer is that they're afraid of what he can do publicly to them with his money. And my question to you continues to be, what can he do to them? What are they afraid? What are they so afraid of. Is it, Is it what, Greg? Saying that, that we're all playing fast and loose with the rules. That if you go to see what the Knicks are doing, it becomes a less charming story because Brunson accepted less money there. What, what did, what did they do there to get Brunson to be able to build out their team? When the Carl Anthony Towns contract is supposed to be too expensive for most teams to take, but they can take it on because Brunson's taking less money. What, What, What's James Dolan afraid of? And the answer is everything. The answer is every. You seeing everything. You're just shaking your head.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's embargoing his thoughts.

[Guest Analyst]

I hear what you're saying. I come from a place though, where, I don't know, like, I'm gonna sound naive. I don't think everyone's cheating. I, I just don't. I, I think they're probably some. Like, I remember Mark Cuban back in the day was like, oh, you know, I don't know if they want everybody snooping around, you know, yes, there are probably some owners, but I don't think it's this league wide rampant thing that everyone's cheating. But I do think that it's a problem that you have the richest owner who clearly did something wrong or allegedly did something wrong here. And the commissioner is obviously in the pocket of said owner because the commissioner works for all the owners. And the firm that they hire to investigate is essentially working for all of the owners because they're paying the firm. Like, I think it's a major issue.

[Jesse]

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[Show Announcer]

offer Dan Levitar this is the quickest it goes. Hey, this is the quickest it goes. Greg Cody, everybody. This is the quickest it goes. Yeah. This is the Dan Levatar Show.

[Tony]

I feel like it's a house of cards, right? You say you're. You're naive maybe, and people aren't cutting corners, but, like, that's how the industry works. If all of a sudden you're in these rooms where there's 30 other owners and you realize, oh, wait a second, this guy's cheating. That guy's cheating.

[Kenny]

This guy's cheating.

[Tony]

That guy's cheating. Why am I not gonna cheat? Or we're gonna get caught? Like, I don't know, discovery and figure it all out. Like, that's what they're worried about, this recovery.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah. And like, Dan, I know you've said in the past where the other owners, they're angry, they are pissed. I don't know. I haven't heard from anyone. Not even anonymous? Not even anonymous owners.

[Greg Cody]

No. But I'm telling You why? The reason isn't because they're not pissed. The reason is because they're afraid of him and his money. Like, they don't want to keep bringing attention to something that will make the idea of rules an illusion. Like, the idea of rules can't be an illusion, not in America, not in sport. Like, it can't be that we can't enforce the rules. And if you take our rules to court, you'll be able to just sort of hide in the shadows because you can just throw money at the idea of I don't have to respect your rules.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's a golden age of corruption in the United States. You can do it with impunity. Donald Trump has made more money in these last two years as president than he did in his entire 60 years in business. And we can do nothing about it. Settlements happen right before Live Nation is supposed to be taken attack. I don't know if you saw this story about a stubhub upper management person that had a side business that was buying up all the tickets to resell, a total monopoly over that. So here in the United States, we're just grown accustomed that this corruption goes unchecked. Which to turn our attention over to FIFA. Horse of a different color. Soccer fans in Europe have a ton of power. They stop Super League.

[Guest Analyst]

In fact, I want that here.

[Dan Le Batard]

In fact, they may actually have the power to stop stop this Paramount Time Warner merger. Big time actors in the UK are calling on the UK government to stop that. We're seeing this happen on the state level too, where you're not just messing with the United States, whose consumer is just broken down by the corruption because it goes unchecked. The rest of the world has power here and I think that's what Infantino is gonna run into.

[Jon]

I think that Ballmer is scary to the NBA because if this thing is litigated and all of a sudden when everything's in court and everything's under oath, the owners have the curtain pulled back and are forced to say things they don't want to reveal about their own business practices about the other owner down there. So I think that's opening a whole Pandora's box that Adam Silver and the owners don't want opened.

[Stugotz]

The cryptocurrency that the president of the United States is more than dabbling in with his family represents by far his greatest business achievements. There are no resume items on Trump's resume that have made him more money than the way that he is using the presidential power to ignore conflict to conflict of interest. To ignore the idea of decorum or that the presidency can't be compromised. I've told you before here, that next door they had. It really is flabbergasting to me that any one of these things that I am mentioning would have ended any other American presidency before this one. Taking an airplane from a foreign nation to become your new airplane. And next door to us, a plot of land has been given to the President of the United States that is among the most valuable plots of land anywhere in the United States, given that Miami has recently passed New York in terms of being the least affordable, the second least affordable place in the United States behind only San Francisco.

[Greg Cody]

A presidential library that's not going to be a library.

[Stugotz]

That's just going to be land that is given to Trump next door by the governor of Florida. We are living in a time where the rules

[Greg Cody]

matter.

[Stugotz]

And if you're shameless enough, you can be above all of the rules.

[Greg Cody]

I don't feel like that's always been so.

[Stugotz]

Even as people listening to this would say, yeah, money wins.

[Greg Cody]

Not like this. Money's never won this way.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jimmy Haslam won this way. Money always wins this way. In sports. Money's winning right now, and we'll see whatever's at the end of this story for the current administration. But money's been winning. They've been selling pardons. Money wins.

[Stugotz]

Not like this, though, Mike. We have never had this degree of shamelessness and this degree of corruption. And I understand that most people listening to this would say, yes, of course, great advantages to money. But I didn't realize that shamelessness was the trick, to get all of this thing, all of these things around people in a way that just can't be stopped, that your rules simply don't matter. That the idea of rule of law and the idea of governance is something that's not possible to enforce once you reach a certain level of money and power.

[Greg Cody]

And in fact, I would think, I would think that no matter how much money you have, you would still be afraid if you were in the position that Donald Trump was in before the election, where you basically have to threaten

[Stugotz]

and topple democracy in order to stay out of prison.

[Greg Cody]

No matter how much money you have and no matter how immune you think you are, I would think you would still be afraid in those instances when

[Stugotz]

the stakes are that kind of high.

[Dan Le Batard]

Flooding the zone has been a very effective strategy, and it was part of the plan. C. Bannon said as much. You don't even. Your head is spinning every day because there is a watergate level scandal every day. We're back at war with Iran. All right, is this a full fledged war? Do we get congressional approval? No, presidents can just do that now. We don't need congressional approval for wars anymore. What happened to the money from Venezuela? Where did any of that stuff go? He doesn't even have to answer those questions. He just deflects. These are all things that if they happen in an isolated fashion, they would topple previous presidencies, but there is literally something every day.

[Greg Cody]

So rules are an illusion now?

[Show Announcer]

No.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I mean, they've always been.

[Tony]

If you have a certain amount of

[Dan Le Batard]

money, they've always been the superhero power. When it comes to this president, this president in particular is. Is the last rung of defense always seemed to be shame and better than anybody that's tried it. And he's had a lot of copycats too, since no one can do it to this level of this president, to the point that, well, damn. I don't really have an answer for that. I don't have an answer for someone that shameless, it seems to me.

[Stugotz]

What are you smiling about, Cody?

[Jesse]

Fern, Diego, lean back.

[Jon]

It's very difficult to wrap your mind around beyond the discussion of Trump and his ethics or lack of. It's just so dense that I'm smiling because I don't really want to go there. It's exhausting.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, that's what they count on. But the thing is, that's what they count on. And it's worked. I'm exhausted by it. I mean, do people even know that you need congressional approval to go to war? Do people even know that anymore? Do people even care to know what happened with all of Venezuela and where that money is going to. Yeah, there's that. No one like, no, we can't. We can't focus on something because it's whack. A mole. There's something new and we're just resigned to. Well, you just gotta get away with it, I guess.

[Stugotz]

Resigned and exhausted so that it seems like Kyle Shanahan's accident has more scrutiny than some of the things that we're talking about. And I really do feel remiss, and I have to apologize to the audience that we ignored the breaking news of Colin Cowherd announcing that the horror genre has lost him.

[Jon]

That's a harsh reality.