Greg Cote Thrusts In Dan Le Batard's Face | Hour 3

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Greg Cote Thrusts In Dan Le Batard's Face | Hour 3

Date: May 27, 2026
Summary by Podcast Summarizer

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Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and their regular crew dive into a characteristically lively—and at times contentious—Hour 3. The group traverses NFL optimism for the Dolphins, a viral baseball crotch-chop controversy, debates over sportsmanship lines, and breakdowns of NBA playoff battles. Expect plenty of laughs, pop-culture crossovers, and direct, sometimes absurd, debates. The tone remains comedic, irreverent, and rapidly shifting among sports, culture, and self-deprecation.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Miami Dolphins Optimism and NFL Talk

(Starts ~01:18)

• Greg Cote’s “Homer” optimism:
  • Cote asserts the bar is set too low at 4.5 wins for the Dolphins, expressing that they’ll outdo Vegas’s expectations.
  • Quote: “The bar is too low for the Dolphins. Malik Willis is good. They have five or six really good defenders.” (Greg Cote, 01:37)
• Mike Ryan and Dan question if Chris Bell is already healthy after an ACL tear.
  • Viral video of Chris Bell at OTAs sparks debate—real or AI fakery? Multiple hosts recall Bell torching the University of Miami last year.

2. Knicks NBA Playoffs Stat and Adam Silver Jokes

(Starts ~04:55)

• Dan shares a Stat of the Day: Knicks are the 8th NBA team to outscore postseason opponents by 175+ points in the first 14 games—past 7 all won the title.
• Impression of NBA commissioner:
  • Dan jokes Adam Silver always “looks like the guy in the American Gothic painting… only thing missing there is the pitchfork.” (Dan Le Batard, 05:02)

3. The Milwaukee Brewers' Abner Uribe Crotch-Chop Incident

(Main segment, ~06:42 – 28:24)

• Background: After striking out Alec Burleson, Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe performed three WWE-style crotch chops toward the opponent’s dugout.
• Brewer’s manager Pat Murphy called it “embarrassing” and unprofessional.
• Dan and the crew fiercely debate if such displays of personality are “good, bad, or ugly” for professional sports.

Positions and Exchanges:

• Dan’s Take:
  • Wants more emotion and fun in baseball.
  • “Quit treating it like it has to be something that's not entertainment and soaked in some sort of religious sacrament.” (Dan Le Batard, 08:36)
  • "People need to stop being so precious about their sportsmanship when it comes to fun and games. Raise your own kids! Don't ask Abner Uribe to do it for you." (Dan Le Batard, 11:22)
• Greg Cody:
  • Negative on overt vulgarity: "No, it’s vulgar." (Greg Cody, 10:04)
  • Later: "He should be fined and suspended. If not by his team, then by MLB." (Greg Cody, 20:46)
• Mike Ryan:
  • Conflicted: Wants players to have fun but not cross into direct taunting:
  • “I'm no prude. That's bad… If you start doing that, you're gonna get your ass kicked.” (Mike Ryan, 11:37, 12:10)
• Trista:
  • Wrestling fan, but notes, “In sports if another opponent tells you to suck it, it’s gonna be a brawl.” (Trista, 10:24)
• Juju:
  • Points out double standards and outdated unwritten rules:
  • “Maybe that's the problem with baseball is that it's puritanical and has too many unwritten rules and written rules.” (Juju, 11:58)
• Debate over 'where the line is' for sportsmanship.
  • Many back-and-forths about trash talk in NBA vs. MLB, wrestling references (DX), and degrees of disrespect.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “It’s not going to be tolerated. That’s all there is to it.” (Pat Murphy, via Dan, 08:45)
• “Let me just go back a second… you guys enjoyed the World Baseball Classic… you enjoyed the personality, you enjoyed the flair. You thought it was a lot more fun… Where is the line?” (Dan Le Batard, 17:40)
• “The line is telling someone else to suck it.” (Mike Ryan, 17:49)
• Debate reaches a climax with:
  • “It is vulgar. I'm not saying it's not vulgar, but…” (Dan Le Batard, 25:44)
  • “I want my entertainment… I want fun and games, and I want it to all be entertainment and content, and you guys can make the lines for yourself.” (Dan Le Batard, 25:45)

4. Vulgar Celebrations in Other Sports and “Where’s the Line?”

• Several layer-by-layer debates:
  • Is a bat flip mild or extreme disrespect?
  • Would “pulling down pants and helicoptering it” be acceptable? (Trista, 29:56; Mike, 30:04)
  • “You’re fine with every player being allowed to do that in any sport?” — Cody pushes Dan. (Greg Cody, 27:15)

5. Comedic/Meta Moments About Race, Stereotypes, and Crossing Lines

• Various “inner racist monologue” bits between Zaslow and the group.
  • “I, Jonathan Zaslow, am a noted racist. Hate all minorities. That's me.” (Jonathan Zaslow, 41:11) (deliberately over-the-top, satirical, and self-deprecating as a commentary on uncomfortable radio tropes.)
• Ridiculing themselves for discomfort with stereotypes and coded language in sports commentary.

6. NBA Playoff Analysis: Wembanyama & SGA Under Pressure

(Starts ~32:56)

• San Antonio vs. OKC:
  • Discussion on Wembanyama’s postseason struggles and need to bounce back.
  • “If he has the same performance tomorrow as he had last night, it will be a long off season for him.” (Trista, 33:00)
  • “The ass being weighed of Wemby is a giant ask. If you want to be a champion, you have to go through the team that has the championship and is known as a dirty team…” (Dan Le Batard, 36:57)
• Physical Toll:
  • Noting fatigue, increased minutes, and impact of grown man defense by OKC’s Lou Dort and others.
• Love for backup players: Dan: “I hate to say this, but I love Cornette. I do… You give him the ball, he just dunks.” (Dan Le Batard, 39:49)

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Notable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• "The bar is too low for the Dolphins. Malik Willis is good… They have five or six really good defenders."
  — Greg Cote (01:37)
• "You have heard from our show that Adam Silver looks like the guy in the American Gothic painting. And now… the only thing missing there is the pitchfork."
  — Dan Le Batard (05:02)
• "I always want more of this. I always want more fun and games. Quit treating it like it has to be something that's not entertainment and soaked in some sort of religious sacrament."
  — Dan Le Batard (08:36)
• "It's vulgar."
  — Greg Cote (10:04)
• "In sports if another opponent tells you to suck it, it’s gonna be a brawl."
  — Trista (10:24)
• "Maybe that's the problem with baseball is that it's puritanical and has too many unwritten rules and written rules."
  — Juju (11:58)
• "If you start doing that, you're gonna get your ass kicked." — Mike Ryan (12:10)
• "If my daughter turns to me and says 'papa, what is that?', I don't want to be put in that position."
  — Mike Ryan (28:18)
• "I want my entertainment… I want fun and games, and I want it to all be entertainment and content…" — Dan Le Batard (25:45)
• "If he's on the court, the Spurs are plus 50. When he's not on the court, OKC is plus 46." — Dan Le Batard (38:41)
• "That's me telling you f you three different ways than if someone, you know, when you're driving… someone on the sidewalk doing this to you, you might get out of your car."
  — Mike Ryan (18:10)

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Memorable Moments & Running Gags

• DX/WWE crotch chop demonstration: Multiple hosts mime the controversial gesture in the studio, debating the "three-pump" rule and why it's more accepted in wrestling than baseball.
• "Who gets to decide what sportsmanship is?" Dan repeatedly challenges his co-hosts' and sports culture’s moving goalposts.
• Jokes about inappropriate NBA jersey numbers and euphemisms for crass celebrations.
• Meta-satire: Over-the-top "inner monologue" racist character bit, mocked for its absurdity and self-examination of how sports radio tiptoes around stereotypes.

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NBA Playoffs: Analysis Recap

• Wembanyama struggles: Is fatigue setting in? Is physical defense the cause? The panel expects a bounce back but acknowledges growing pains.
• OKC vs. Spurs: Focus on defensive physicality, turnover creation, and how postseason play exposes even superstars.

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Conclusion

This hour epitomizes Le Batard & Friends: sharp insight, comedic irreverence, and a willingness to interrogate the “rules” of sports and society—often by pushing them hard. The major through-line is the shifting boundary of acceptable sportsmanship, with baseball’s conservatism as the foil for modern, personality-driven culture. If you missed this episode, you missed a hilarious and heated debate about crotch chops, sportsmanship, and the ever-present tension between tradition and entertainment in sports.

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[End of summary]

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Jonathan Zaslow]

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[Dan LeBatard]

the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast. Greg Cody just said Homer Cody made an appearance in May. Just muttered before the microphones went on. Dolphins are going to be better than people think.

[Greg Cody]

Yes. Part of that is that the bar is so low. The over under is 4.5 wins. I think they're going to beat that. They are. The early betting odds I've seen have them favored in one game out of 17 in Week 12 against the jets at home. They're going to be right now they're a one and a half, barely a favorite at home against the Jets. The bar is too low for the Dolphins. Malik Willis is good. They have five or six really good defenders.

[Trista]

Yeah. What's the line? Week one.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I mean talk to me.

[Dan LeBatard]

Big game.

[Trista]

The Raiders. I think Raiders Tone setter.

[Greg Cody]

I think Raiders are favored by three. The Home Field Advantage Classic.

[Juju]

Why did you say 4.5 like that?

[Greg Cody]

Well, because that, you know, the over under on wins is always usually.

[Juju]

No, you said it like you had never said that out loud before. It's like four and a half wins. Is the. It's not four point.

[Zas]

No.

[Juju]

And then you just said one and a half like literally just three seconds later.

[Trista]

There's an inconsistency here.

[Greg Cody]

Synonyms for each other. 4 1/2 4.5. They're saying the same thing.

[Unidentified Female]

Your brain beating them.

[Greg Cody]

Exactly. Thank you. Sorry. Brain beating me.

[Mike Ryan]

I was distracted. I couldn't do the voice myself because I just saw this video of Malik Willis hitting Chris Bell deep. And I'm making sure it's not AI because that cannot be the same Chris Bell. It just can't. I tore his ACL in like November. There's no way.

[Dan LeBatard]

He's great. You and I talked about this when he played against the University of Miami. The University of Miami could not cover him. Like he's. He's great if he's healthy. Like he wasn't healthy the last part of the season. I didn't think he'd be healthy by now.

[Trista]

Are you sure it's real?

[Mike Ryan]

I'm trying to make sure. Maybe this person, maybe there's another Chris Bell. I don't understand that. I mean, certainly the dude catching the deep ball looks a lot like Chris Bell because that's something he would do.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's not Kristen Bell, is it?

[Mike Ryan]

It's Chris Bell.

[Dan LeBatard]

I mean, he's going to be their number one receiver.

[Mike Ryan]

If he's healthy, it's a steal. I mean, if he's already at OTAs from an ACL, this cannot be real. He's like top five college football player I saw last season. Pons Mendoza, Indiana had some great players.

[Dan LeBatard]

I thought he was a first round pick before he got hurt.

[Mike Ryan]

He destroyed Miami. I mean, he couldn't do anything against this guy.

[Trista]

Dan, I'm. I'm looking at this highlight that he's talking about. I mean, he burns whoever's guarding him and catches a deep ball for a touchdown.

[Mike Ryan]

His ACL in November.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The Dolphins do have a historically bad cornerback room.

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, that's what it should say on the back of the jersey. Whoever's guarding him. Instead of names, it should just be whoever's guarding him.

[Mike Ryan]

I think the important thing here is we knew what Malik Willis was entering Miami. We knew he was mobile, and we knew if he could do one thing with his arm, it's throw a deep ball. And we were all wondering who could be that deep ball threat now that waddle is gone. 22 atwell. I guess he's caught some deep balls, but can you really count on two 2atwell to be a consistent threat? Now another Louisville receiver, if he's right, Chris Bell could be good. But the reason why he was available when he was was because he tore his ACL in November. If he's already at OTAs catching deep balls from Malik Willis, now, you should be encouraged if you're a Miami Dolphin fan because you have some personnel around the quarterback that can flash his best traits.

[Juju]

4.5 wins.

[Dan LeBatard]

Give me again, please, the stat of the day music so I can again give a New York Knicks stat. Start of the day, start of the day it is your start of the day Start of the day, Start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day, Start of the day it is your start of the day Start of the day Start of the day it is the start of the day this is from Tommy Beer. The Knicks are the eighth team in NBA history to outscore their opponents by more than 175 points through the first 14 games of a postseason. Each of the previous seven teams went on to win the championship. They have real belief in New York. You have heard from ZSAs that Adam Silver is a nothing. You have heard from our show that Adam Silver looks like the guy in the American Gothic painting. And now you can look at the screen during an NBA telecast of Adam Silver with his wife. And the only thing missing there is the pitchfork because it really does look like the American Gothic painting that is famous.

[Mike Ryan]

Wait a second. This looks like Tua. And that looks like Tyreek Hill. God damn it. Dolphin Twitter.

[Dan LeBatard]

You got fooled again, Mike.

[Mike Ryan]

They're so small on this video.

[Trista]

One's a lefty.

[Dan LeBatard]

Is there a shark on the practice field swimming in shallow water?

[Mike Ryan]

I'll pay the fine.

[Dan LeBatard]

I want to get to this story.

[Trista]

Is a lefty.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Greg Cody would never get saved by that.

[Trista]

So disappointing.

[Greg Cody]

Never get fooled by that. How gullible do you have to be? Sorry, Mike.

[Dan LeBatard]

I want to get to this story involving the Milwaukee brewers, you guys. And we celebrated the World Baseball Classic for being a great deal more fun than regular baseball. We were making fun of the fact that the guys who were playing in the exceptionally Latin World Baseball Classic went with such flair during that playing that when they got sent to spring training, we were making the joke that they had been incarcerated, sent back to prison after freedom, where they have to go back to the American repressions emotionally around baseball. So if you did not see this story involving the Milwaukee brewers, their manager Pat Murphy is mad at the unusually named Hispanic reliever Abner Uribe. And I honestly didn't know we were making Abner's in my culture. Put it on the poll at Lebatard show. Are there any Hispanic Abners? Because here he is. There is one. And his manager is mad at him because did you guys see what it is that he did during this game against the Cardinal Cardinals. The brewers are very good. They're very athletic. They beat the Cardinals up six to nothing. Abner Doubleday. And he's not Hispanic. I want to learn. Gotta wanna earn back in the day. Abner Uribe. You think it's Abner Dubledia? Something Greg would do. Come on, give me a break. Abner Uribe. I read about this, right? And I thought to myself, okay, yeah, baseball manager getting mad at young guys, showing emotion. And then I read the sentence. This is just a great paragraph. You ready? Uribe got Alec Burlson on a called third strike with two outs and runners on first and second in the eighth, the only inning he pitched. Uribe then made three WWE style crotch chops while facing the Cardinals dugout. Three of them, not one, not two, but three. And his pitching motion made it so that when he did his follow through, his back was to the Cardinals dugout. So he had to turn around and do the crotch chops. And here's what Murphy said after the game. I don't know what got over him. I mean, he's been an emotional guy, but that kind of thing, that's just not how we do things. I was embarrassed by it. Why are we doing it? It's a six nothing game. What are we doing there? I love the kid. Believe me, I love the kid. There's so much good in the kid. He's been so great for us in so many ways. But that's unaccept. So whatever's going on, you can't tolerate that for his teammates and for everything. It's not going to be tolerated. That's all there is to it. What are your thoughts there? Because I always want more of this. I always want more fun and games. If it's quit, quit treating it like it has to be something that's not entertainment and soaked in some sort of religious sacrament.

[Greg Cody]

I am honored that a baseball manager in the major leagues would adopt one of my catchphrases and work that kind of thing into his diatribe.

[Dan LeBatard]

He looked like Kenny Powers. This looked like something out of a spoof of sports from the Mexican League.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, it's bad.

[Trista]

I'm into the celebrating also. But like, you can't be okay with what he did?

[Greg Cody]

No, it's vulgar.

[Trista]

It's ridiculous.

[Dan LeBatard]

I am okay with it. I like entertainment with my entertainment.

[Trista]

He's telling the opposing team while doing the motions. He's telling them to suck it.

[Dan LeBatard]

That's right.

[Juju]

He didn't actually do that. Didn't actually say the suck.

[Dan LeBatard]

No.

[Trista]

That's what that means.

[Juju]

That's not what he said has to go with it. The DX there was.

[Dan LeBatard]

You love wrestling.

[Trista]

I do love wrestling. And I also understand in sports if another opponent tells you to suck it, it's gonna be a brawl.

[Juju]

And be did it all the time. I didn't hear you going on and on about it.

[Trista]

No, no. But you know what? When Embiid was doing it, he's doing it, like, at the crowd, you know, He's. He wasn't doing it in an opponent's face. You can't do that.

[Mike Ryan]

That's very crass.

[Dan LeBatard]

You can do it. He did do it.

[Mike Ryan]

Clutch my pearls.

[Dan LeBatard]

Don't ask me where they're hiding the WWE movement. I understand that it's not professional sports, per se. You being against this, you're saying you cannot do it. He's not gonna be fined for it, right? Like, it's not. Is it against the rules?

[Mike Ryan]

He has to be.

[Trista]

It's a vulgar thing.

[Mike Ryan]

That is not good sportsmanship. That is crazy.

[Dan LeBatard]

I understand that it's not good.

[Mike Ryan]

Are you mocking me?

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm not.

[Mike Ryan]

No, no, dude, I'm right there with you. He's directly. Suck it to somebody else.

[Trista]

Wild.

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm not arguing that it's sportsmanship. I'm arguing that people need to be so stop being so precious about their sportsmanship when it comes to fun and games. Raise your own kids. Don't ask Abner Uribe to do it for you.

[Mike Ryan]

Dan. I'm no prude. That's bad.

[Dan LeBatard]

There is bad.

[Mike Ryan]

There is sportsmanship. We teach in sports. And it's fine if that's the gambit. If the sport is trying to shock you. If this is the XFL in the 90s, I get it. Fine. It's ingrained in the fabric of what you're trying to do. That's not in the fabric of baseball. That's not what you teach your kids. I can't believe I sound like this.

[Juju]

Maybe that's the problem with baseball is that it's puritanical and has too many unwritten rules and written rules.

[Mike Ryan]

There isn't one of the four majors. You can't do that in any sport. That's allowed.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Because if you start doing that, you're gonna get your ass kicked. And you cannot punish a dude for kicking someone else's ass when the other dude is telling him in the field of play to suck his dick.

[Dan LeBatard]

He didn't say.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, he did. What do you think DX was doing?

[Dan LeBatard]

He didn't say it. It's not said. He did not say it counts.

[Mike Ryan]

Everyone knows, every child of the attitude era knows that the double X crotch chop is always when followed by Michaels,

[Trista]

did the crotch chop suck it very obvious what he was telling you to do. Dan.

[Mike Ryan]

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

[Greg Cody]

I know it well.

[Tony]

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

[Mike Ryan]

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

[Tony]

It has that effect on people.

[Mike Ryan]

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

[Greg Cody]

Cuervo, baby.

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[Dan LeBatard]

Don LeBatard is there. Back in my day.

[Greg Cody]

There is, actually.

[Mike Ryan]

Were you not gonna tell anyone? Wait a minute, you guys. Guys, it's a Tuesday. Stugats.

[Dan LeBatard]

Here's your guy, Greg Cody with Back in My Day.

[Greg Cody]

Okay, here it is. Sorry. Adultery

[Mike Ryan]

for this one.

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugach. Well, let's look at this for a second. Embiid was fined for doing it. I do want to get into the conversation of who gets to decide what sportsmanship is, because I'm not saying it is good sportsmanship. It's not good sportsmanship. Who did invent it, though? Pete Webber, the bowler. Can you just play for me a clip of Pete Weber, the bowler who used to do it? I think. I don't know if this is the right one or not.

[Trista]

A clip. Play the clip.

[Dan LeBatard]

Okay, so that is.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, that's a crotch chop. That's a crotch chop. That's your conventional crotch chop. Not the X.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Cross the arms.

[Trista]

It's the same thing. Same thing.

[Unidentified Female]

Does it make it right?

[Mike Ryan]

And he also did the RVD thing.

[Trista]

Who do you think you are?

[Mike Ryan]

I am. Yeah. This is all, you know, birthed by the Attitude Era, both WWE and ecw. He's combining the things. Dan, you were asking who invented it. That was the clique. One fateful night in Madison Square Garden where they decided to break kayfabe. And after a match in Madison Square Garden in a cage match, X Pac Diesel, Razor Ramon and the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels all formed their Wolf Pack sign. And subsequent.

[Trista]

It's like this. You do this, Dan. You put the thumb against the middle and the ring finger. And you have the pinky and the first finger up that right there. That's that's too sweet.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, but you expect that out of wwe. You don't expect that out of Major League Baseball. I got my 8 year old granddaughter at the game and she says, what's he doing? What am I supposed to say?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Steady Saying she loves wrestling. You can say it's a wrestling.

[Dan LeBatard]

Where is the line on. You guys enjoyed the World Baseball Classic. You enjoyed the personality, you enjoyed the flair. You thought it was a lot more fun than the national pastime. Where is the line?

[Mike Ryan]

The line is telling someone else to suck it.

[Dan LeBatard]

They didn't say. Abner did not say that.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, look, look behind my finger. I'm giving you the middle finger right now.

[Greg Cody]

Yes.

[Mike Ryan]

What is that supposed to say to you?

[Dan LeBatard]

You're not saying.

[Mike Ryan]

What is this saying to you?

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes, that's right.

[Mike Ryan]

That is a uniform.

[Dan LeBatard]

Look at it now.

[Mike Ryan]

Now I'll add a little slap into the elbow, right?

[Trista]

Yep.

[Mike Ryan]

And I'll do this right.

[Greg Cody]

That's exactly what he did.

[Mike Ryan]

All right.

[Greg Cody]

Yes.

[Trista]

There's a lot going on there.

[Mike Ryan]

That's me telling you f you three different ways than if someone, you know, when you're driving around in your convertible, someone on the sidewalk doing this to you, you might get out of your car.

[Greg Cody]

Right.

[Unidentified Female]

I think we're onto something here. I think taunting should be mandatory. Moving forward and deal with it. Deal with your emotions. Yes. When the pitcher strikes you out, he's gonna give you a little suck it. And you have to watch it.

[Dan LeBatard]

Let me just go back a second because I remember Trista said that I was being precious about the way that Kevin Durant and Tyler Herro were actually saying to each other. And you guys were like, what? It's just trash talk. What's the big deal? It's just trash talk. Now this is the line. I just want to be clear. When I put it in the center of baseball, that's where the line is. Even though in the middle, we just talked about Draymond Green is threatening to kill people's dirty ass kids.

[Mike Ryan]

And like, maybe some microphone might have picked it up somewhere on the Internet. But when Tyler Herro and Kevin Durant are going at one another, they're covering their mouth or they're putting their hands on their knees and they're saying that stuff like, okay, that's all right. But you're not just doing that to the other person, which might be cause for fighting. You're showing up the other person inside of a stadium in front of his teammates. That's a disgrace.

[Juju]

This is asinine. Like, truly, the line Moving and the goal post changing. I don't like it. I think there's something about baseball that makes people turn into the men that yell at clout.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Can I just do a quick. Dan mentioned the Draymond Green issue. We do have a correction from that story I need to insert here. It's not the lady's kids that were the dirty ass kids. It's her and her sister as kids. Does that change anything when he mentions dirty ass kids? It's not her case.

[Dan LeBatard]

Doesn't know that.

[Trista]

How the hell would he know that?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's an important distinction. Because the dirty ass kids were referencing.

[Dan LeBatard]

Your father's laughing at you and he couldn't get a thought out without coughing earlier. And he's had an epically bad day.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And he's very changing things.

[Dan LeBatard]

He's looking. How does it change things?

[Mike Ryan]

Nothing.

[Dan LeBatard]

Draymond didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know that those weren't his dirty ass kids.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's true. He didn't know.

[Greg Cody]

Okay.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

But now that we know.

[Greg Cody]

In this case, though, Abner's gesture on the mound does not fly in any sport other than WWE and bowling. It does not fly in football. It does not fly in the NBA or in hockey or anywhere else. He should be fined and suspended.

[Juju]

We just saw it.

[Greg Cody]

He should be fined and suspended. If not by his team, then by mlb.

[Mike Ryan]

If one of the Cyclones did that, I'd suspend them.

[Dan LeBatard]

You guys have.

[Greg Cody]

That's well said.

[Dan LeBatard]

Some of you.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Some of you hear that in.

[Dan LeBatard]

Have had kids fairly recently.

[Mike Ryan]

Can you imagine that is in who wears number 69? And yes, he means it that way.

[Dan LeBatard]

Can you imagine a beautiful baby coming into the world and you decide, you know what? Rest of his life you're going to go through it with the name Abner. That's what we're going to do around here. I'm going to be a loving parent to my child and I'm going to make him go through the rest of his life with Abner as the name. I suppose Adolf is worse, but Abner is pretty bad. Abner Abner is like at the top of my list of you can't. You can't. Just a tragic mistake by Juju. Just an unbelievably funny, innocent mistake. That's also terrible. And he should be fined and suspended.

[Greg Cody]

Quick parenthetical. The NBA has banned the number 69. You cannot wear that number in the NBA.

[Dan LeBatard]

Is that right?

[Trista]

Yes. There's certain. Yeah. Certain numbers you can't wear.

[Dan LeBatard]

That's.

[Juju]

I've seen Players in the. Whether that's the NBA or the WNBA that do the what? If you can't do this, you can't do the.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

You're gonna have those players for the audio audience.

[Dan LeBatard]

You're gonna have to elaborate for the audio audience what it is that you're doing there.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I saw you and I still don't know.

[Juju]

You put your V's up.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Okay.

[Dan LeBatard]

There was a tongue in there.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I got it.

[Trista]

You can't order. You can't, like, go to NBA store and order the custom. Like, you could pick whatever number. You could put a name. There are certain names and numbers that they won't let you customize, and you cannot use the numbers.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

What other numbers besides 69? I don't know.

[Greg Cody]

The last.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm on it.

[Greg Cody]

The last player who requested number 69 and was denied.

[Trista]

Rodman Scott.

[Greg Cody]

Dennis Rodman. Yeah. And that's going back, what, 25.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Someone's had to have asked since then.

[Greg Cody]

That's not what I read.

[Dan LeBatard]

Okay, Greg, I want to ask this question honestly. Okay. Because, Greg, I think there's a generational gulf here. We'll see. Good for the Vegas Knights.

[Greg Cody]

Good for the Vegas Knights. Making three finals in nine years. What's wrong with complimenting that?

[Dan LeBatard]

I want to actually ask you guys to make the line for me on this. Okay? We all enjoyed the World Baseball Classic. Don't be sarcastic here. Just follow me down the line of. I understand why many people would say, and I understand the majority of people would say, yes, that's over the line. I don't want my kids seeing a reliever turn around from where it is he was facing and go straight to the dugout with three crotch chops. But when you say sportsmanship, who gets to decide what that is? Because at the World Baseball Classic, I saw a whole bunch of Latin players playing a Latin style. That wasn't sportsmanship. When you take it over to spring training and the way that Americans play baseball, which is different. So where is the line on a tipping point of what is the disrespect that you are willing to tolerate under the name of. This is all supposed to be entertainment. This is all supposed to be fun and games and trash talk. You're good with when you're calling a player a and everything else in trash talking basketball or in football, you guys are totally good with that. And I'm sitting there saying that's pretty disrespectful. If that happened in the street, a

[Zas]

lot of people would fight.

[Dan LeBatard]

But it's okay in NBA for players to Talk to each other this way.

[Mike Ryan]

I think the problem is showing someone up with vulgarity. I think I'm fine with the World Baseball Classic again, kind of like the XFL in the 90s. Ingrained in the fiber of that competition is you can go a little extra and bat flips and looking at your own dugout and showing the pitcher up a little bit, that's fine. But a crotch chop and a middle finger, like, that's a little too far.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Like, stand up.

[Mike Ryan]

Stand up and do a crotch chop directly in Dan's face.

[Trista]

Yeah, yeah. Really mean it.

[Mike Ryan]

Like, I want you, Dan. Look at it.

[Trista]

You got it.

[Mike Ryan]

Look at it.

[Trista]

Get close again.

[Mike Ryan]

I want you to look at this.

[Trista]

Look at Dan.

[Dan LeBatard]

How much fun are you having right now? Look at you.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I need another angle of that.

[Mike Ryan]

Does that not make you feel some type of way?

[Dan LeBatard]

I was a route.

[Greg Cody]

So was I.

[Mike Ryan]

That's a type of way.

[Juju]

Isn't vulgar like that's what it was between Tyler Hero and Kevin Durant. Ass is less vulgar than the crotch chop.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, but the kids can't hear it, right?

[Greg Cody]

They're saying it's happening. They're saying it to each other. In this case, I am shocked that you don't think that's vulgar and should be penalized. And you ask who draws that line?

[Dan LeBatard]

Wait a minute.

[Greg Cody]

The team manager does. The commissioner of the league does.

[Dan LeBatard]

Old people. Yes, I know.

[Greg Cody]

Okay, fine.

[Dan LeBatard]

Old people in power make it. Yes, I know. They're the ones who make the rules. Yes, I'm well aware of that.

[Greg Cody]

And there should be no rules.

[Dan LeBatard]

It is vulgar. I'm not saying it's not vulgar, but

[Greg Cody]

it's okay with you.

[Dan LeBatard]

I obviously have a more lenient line than most people on this. I want my entertainment. So if you want to find that disrespectful, find it disrespectful and retaliate. I want that. I want fun and games, and I want it to all be entertainment and content, and you guys can make the lines for yourself. But when you guys talk about some of this stuff, the bat flip is disrespectful. Like this, in that spot. It's not to me.

[Trista]

It shouldn't be that.

[Dan LeBatard]

No, but. Yeah, but wait a minute. Where's the line you say if he

[Mike Ryan]

takes a bat and starts cranking it? No, that's too much.

[Dan LeBatard]

No, but wait a minute. We all have different lines here. Because Zaslow sitting here saying, it shouldn't be, and for my entire life, the bat flip is disrespectful. You don't show up the opponent that way. That's not how I think. I want that line moved. I want it to the extremes. I want people.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm with you. I'm moving the line too. And I stopped short. It sucked. My bleep.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, the bat flip is mild disrespect. So is the slow home run trot, but that's mild disrespect. What we're speaking of is vulgar, and obviously that it should not be allowed in sports. And Levitard, you're playing both sides here. You're saying it's vulgar, but you're saying you're okay with it. Pick a side.

[Dan LeBatard]

No, that's not both sides.

[Juju]

Whoa, Greg, you've never been into anything

[Greg Cody]

vulgar, so you're fine with that? You're fine with every player being allowed to do that in any sport.

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm not a prude about these things.

[Greg Cody]

You're fine with it, so you're okay

[Trista]

with anything and everything?

[Zas]

No.

[Greg Cody]

You're okay with that gesture being commonplace in sports.

[Trista]

Can you show us again the gesture? Because I wasn't sure.

[Greg Cody]

I think once is enough.

[Dan LeBatard]

He's winded. He's winded from doing the gesture.

[Greg Cody]

Right?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

This is how the Giants celebrate. Like every game. They're outfield, they meet it, they're doing

[Trista]

it with each other.

[Mike Ryan]

That's two pumps. That's why there's the three pump rule, you guys.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Happens here.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

He knocked one down with the pump.

[Trista]

Whoa.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh, wow.

[Greg Cody]

See, I wouldn't allow that either.

[Mike Ryan]

You understand why they pivoted, though? The last time I saw these guys, they were grinding their wieners on one.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah, they did a three way.

[Mike Ryan]

And I think rightfully like, okay, that's a little bit too much dry humping. Like all the outfield just dry humping each other's wieners. That's a little too crass.

[Greg Cody]

Where's the leadership on that team? The manager should be going, hey, guys, outfielders, never again.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Where's Bruce Bochy's big ass head?

[Dan LeBatard]

The manager is 33 years old. He's younger than those players.

[Mike Ryan]

Here's the line. If my daughter turns to me and says, papa, what is that? I don't want to be put in that position.

[Greg Cody]

Thank you, Papa.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

You thought this was your run club era. Turns out it was more of a thinking about run club era. The good news, Someone's marathon training is about to start. Sell your workout gear on Depop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. They get their race day fit and you get a payout for trying. Someone on Depop wants what you've got.

[Mike Ryan]

Start selling now, Depop.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Where taste recognizes taste.

[Dan LeBatard]

Don LeBatard.

[Greg Cody]

Quiet, man.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes.

[Greg Cody]

You know, I'm a married man. I don't cheat on my wife. Despite that gratuitous line in back in my stugats, I wish you were here. My wife, I really miss her. No, I don't. That's the thing about being married, you know, you're not allowed to say, I don't miss my wife. I've been gone two days. I haven't been gone long enough to miss my wife. I'm sorry. I call her. I'm on the phone with her for 30 seconds. You know, what am I? Hello? All right, all right, we'll see you.

[Mike Ryan]

I.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

All right.

[Greg Cody]

And then, you know, I'm going to see her in two days. I was jumping Charlie. Good.

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the St. Gods. Do you hear yourself?

[Mike Ryan]

I think suck Mike Lee is a mighty fine line to have.

[Zas]

Uh huh.

[Greg Cody]

Yes. It is not what was.

[Dan LeBatard]

Except for Levitar said, not again.

[Greg Cody]

Levatar defending that is.

[Trista]

You okay with anything that isn't words. If it's just motion, like, can he pull his pants down and do helicopter? That's okay.

[Dan LeBatard]

No Zaslow.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, so we're finding your line. No, no, no. We're feeling out the lines.

[Trista]

You know about that helicopter Juju.

[Mike Ryan]

What if he bends down and pulls it between the legs and does like a little trombone gesture?

[Dan LeBatard]

Why did you ask Juju? Why?

[Juju]

Not so bad. It's just. It's fueling the Zaz's low key, like into racism.

[Trista]

A great compliment.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's now positive racism.

[Zas]

I know my voice is on the line. When I start having that barbecue voice makes everybody feel a little awk. I've been doing it for 20 years.

[Trista]

It's my thing.

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm just waiting for the Zaslow monologue, the inner monologue face to make an

[Zas]

appearance to the I love you long time thing that we've been working on. That one's always sad. That one's always popular.

[Dan LeBatard]

Zaz, I really seem to have checkmated you when you said to me feeling like you were making a good point. So you're okay with everything. And I'm like, no, no.

[Zas]

I don't know where the line is. You can make fun of an Italian, but you start doing an Asian voice, everyone starts losing their mind.

[Dan LeBatard]

Who make of the salad it.

[Zas]

Okay with yet the west. Then once we start traveling ease then you become Jamie Vardy.

[Dan LeBatard]

Zaslo, your last couple of days, where you were yesterday, you were like, I don't care about racism.

[Trista]

That is not accurate.

[Zas]

Maybe said Bud.

[Dan LeBatard]

Why did you ask Juju about helicoptering

[Juju]

Juju, you know about that fried chicken.

[Zas]

Oh, no.

[Trista]

Why not?

[Zas]

Oh, no.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay.

[Zas]

Oh no.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh. Oh no.

[Trista]

That was not me.

[Dan LeBatard]

No. I'm sorry. You know what, Trista, I hate to do this to you. I don't even think we don't have an intentional racism.

[Mike Ryan]

So minor penalty, two minutes accidental racism.

[Unidentified Female]

First the doctor, now my sister.

[Dan LeBatard]

That's where the line is right there, Trista. That's where my line is. That's where it is. It's unbelievable. Trista, a little too relaxed there. They have good chemistry. Alley oop after NBA playoff games. Juju and Trista are doing an exceptional job of covering the NBA playoffs. Your thoughts on what's going to happen here? Because everyone seems to feel like the west is where the championship is being decided and San Antonio obviously is in a very shaky spot last night and I don't think Wembanyama is going to get any criticism for a game where they needed him to be great and he put up a playoff stinker that we have not seen from him. Like that was that. That I haven't seen that game from him in very much in the regular season. I haven't seen in a huge spot. He shrunk.

[Trista]

I think it depends what happens tomorrow. You know, like if he's also. If he has the same performance tomorrow as he had last night, be long off season for him. If he's really great tomorrow night, then it's all right. You know, this is a 22 year old, first time ever in the playoffs who had a bad game on the road. Like I think tomorrow depends.

[Greg Cody]

I don't have the stats in front of me but so I'm guessing here, I'm guessing Womenyama has a pretty good track record of bouncing back big from off games. I'm just.

[Dan LeBatard]

He doesn't have very many off games. He's bigger than everybody else and he's better than most of the people he's playing against. Like there are, there aren't a lot of games you can point to where he's been that bad.

[Greg Cody]

Right. But I'm guessing and I'm, I put money on it that Wembanyama has a big bounce back game.

[Dan LeBatard]

The last two games have had something that is wildly disorienting. Shea, Gilgamesh, Alexander and Wembanyama being that bad in two games is being done to them. Right. You have people underestimate this when you have one opponent for seven games and all you're doing is drilling down on the preparation for that one opponent. And game two had the escalation of just. Hartenstein's going to start pulling hair and just playing rugby. It's not even going to be basketball anymore. That escalates over seven games. They know what they're playing for those two teams. You're going to have to take that away from OKC and they're going to go down with Luke Dort back muscles on top of back muscles. Being ultra physical with the thin guy. With the. With the guy. I mean, didn't Stephen A. Smith make the argument earlier in this series that OKC should be happy to have Wembanyama out there because he's so skinny and they can move him around?

[Trista]

I think that was last series against Minnesota. Right? That was. Minnesota should be glad that he's playing, you know.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah, he's.

[Trista]

He's. He's so, so easy to push around.

[Greg Cody]

How'd that work out? I think the series is evidence that we're talking about two pretty great teams here. You know, Wemby and SGA get a disproportionate amount of credit and attention for obvious reasons, but these are good teams. Good enough to occasionally negate those two superstars.

[Dan LeBatard]

He had 15 shots last night.

[Zas]

Night.

[Dan LeBatard]

That's not how that works. That's not going to work. That's not the way it can be when you're bigger than everybody.

[Trista]

It is important to point out he was 12 for 12 from the line. So those are obviously not field goal.

[Dan LeBatard]

While Shay Gilgis Alexander was what from the line?

[Trista]

Something similar.

[Unidentified Female]

Shot 17.

[Dan LeBatard]

17 of 18.

[Greg Cody]

Wow. Yeah.

[Dan LeBatard]

So it's not. I mean, it's not similar. One guy is small and got six more free throws. One guy is bigger than everyone else on the court. And you're being asked in a hugely physical series to be more physical.

[Trista]

He was not good. He was not good. There's no way around it. He was not good. And I do wonder. I do wonder. And we'll be able to tell tomorrow night if we're at a point where it's his first time in the postseason. He's never played this many games playing a super physical Thunder team. Are we tired? Because that was a conversation we're having going into game four. After one, Benyama had a serious drop off from game one in games two and game three and then game four, he was out of this world against like, oh, okay. Well, so far in five games. He's only been really good in two of them. Is there some fatigue that is finally setting? It's possible.

[Unidentified Female]

And in fairness, this is the first time in his career that he's gone against these type of grown man defenders back to back to back every night so they have the chance to prepare for his skinny self.

[Dan LeBatard]

I've gotten a lot wrong, but you just articulated what I told you about the double overtime game. In game one, OKC runs 10 deep like, and those were career high minutes for everyone who played on the Spurs. And they're playing every other night like they're, they're playing a lot of basketball at the end of a long season. And you saw what happened to Khan Canippel at the end of the season. He was great all season. And then all of a sudden things get escalated to another place and the ass being weighed of Wemby is a giant ask. It's what you ask of Giants. It's what you ask of eternal Giants. If you want to be a champion, you have to go through the team that has the championship and is known as a dirty team and is known as a style of play that will drag you into the quicksand. They've won the championship. We'll talk about Shay, Gilgeous, Alexander. We'll talk about their offense because we love offense. They win because of what they do defensively that triggers their offense. They are a turnover machine team. Like it's how they win. I, I don't think this is being deconstructed enough because we fall in love with offense and we love mvp. They win because they turn you over. They win because they're really physical, borderline dirty. Lou Dort is out here making Jokic want to fight him on multiple occasions.

[Mike Ryan]

What's so fascinating about this series entering in was that this series seems unfair. Both teams have unfair advantages, one genetically, the other one because they constructed a roster that is sustainable, that has incredible contracts and they are built for what feels like an eternity.

[Trista]

And they have the referees that too.

[Mike Ryan]

They hack the game with their style of play and they hack the way that you can build their roster because Sam Pressy appears to be a demigod at this and we're finding out what's winning at this point in Wemby's career. I mean, yes, you're right. They're sending fresh bodies at Wemby and Caruso was injured. Caruso is the guy that seems to give him the most trouble, oddly enough.

[Trista]

So I don't like playing the minutes police. But for Context. Wembanyama in the first round averaged 28 minutes a game. In the second round, 29 minutes a game. This round, 39.

[Dan LeBatard]

I wondered the other day I gave you those stats, right. Going into last night's game. When Wemby's on the court, The spurs are plus 50. When he's not on the court, OKC is plus 46. And I wonder to myself, can they play him the way that Jimmy Butler and LeBron were being played in the most important moment where you get diminishing results because you can't go 45 minutes. But this is the time of year when. Is the only time of year when we do demand that from the greatest of the greats because it's winning time. And those numbers I just gave you are series deciding, like if he's on the court. Generally last night was minus eight. But if he's on the court, the spurs have been better.

[Unidentified Female]

Yeah. Especially whenever the the OKC Thunder have the option to trot out the two big lineup, the Chat and Hartenstein lineup. I think it should be considered by the spurs to maybe try to too big lineup for them. Maybe have Luke and Wimy so that Luke can absorb some of those blows that just are meant for when.

[Dan LeBatard]

I hate to say this, but I love Cornette. I do. It's. I hate to say it because nobody falls in love with a backup secret sauce. Well, it's just. You give him the ball, he just dunks.

[Zas]

I like him too.

[Dan LeBatard]

You know what I'm here for? Racist inner monologue. Zaz.

[Unidentified Female]

I'm not.

[Juju]

I asked Zaz in the pre show meeting, who do you think the most likable Thunder player is?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Oh, yeah, yeah, it's bad. Wasn't a good look for Zaz anyway.

[Juju]

Who did?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

He just started rattling off? Anyone just started rattling off white.

[Zas]

That is not true.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

He said, Nick calls Collison.

[Juju]

He goes, is Nick Collison still on the T?

[Trista]

I did.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh, yeah, yeah. We got a new toy. Let's see if we can get this one over standard white radio Jew being racist. This one's gonna play. This is how we evolve. Yeah.

[Juju]

He goes Hartenstein. Oh, he's mixed. Never mind.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah, well, he's jerk, not squirrels. That I'm not cool with. After juju's tragic poll question, you're gonna use the phrase standard white radio Jew? Well, technically you did. I repeated you. You were thinking it. I was not thinking it. That's the whole bit.

[Greg Cody]

It was your inner voice that said it.

[Zas]

And this one's mine. I, Jonathan Zaslow, am a noted racist. Hate all minorities. That's me.

[Dan LeBatard]

You know what? I got confused. I gotta be honest. I'm ashamed by this. I thought you notice how I sit

[Zas]

on all the political conversations.

[Dan LeBatard]

I got confused. I thought my inner monologue voice was you trying out your racist zaz inner monologue.