Has The Stanley Cup Been BETTER Than The NBA Finals? | Hour 1

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Has The Stanley Cup Been BETTER Than The NBA Finals? | Hour 1"

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz — June 8, 2026

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Main Theme

The episode offers a lively, humorous, and wide-ranging conversation about the comparative excitement of the Stanley Cup Final versus the NBA Finals, interwoven with personal stories, pop-culture tangents, broadcaster tributes, and the show’s signature irreverence. The panel reflects on thrilling recent hockey and basketball games, tells colorful anecdotes, grapples with loss in the sports community, and pokes fun at each other’s obsessions and quirks.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Stanley Cup vs. NBA Finals: Which Is More Thrilling?

• The group kicks off with passionate, astonished reactions to the ongoing Stanley Cup Final, with a particular focus on improbable comebacks and chaos in Vegas vs. Carolina.
• Chris Cote and Mike Ryan highlight how Vegas coughed up a historic four-goal lead in the third period but still managed to win [00:23-01:06].
  • Quote (Chris Cote, 00:23): “How do the Vegas Golden Knights go up four goals, cough up a four goal lead in the third period, which has never happened before... and still win that game if momentum means anything?”
  • Quote (Stugotz, 00:58): “The puck was kicked in off the back of the skate of the Carolina goalie. That’s how Vegas won. Like they shouldn’t have won the game.”
• Discussion of iconic moments — Braden McNabb gets “hospitalized immediately” after a puck to the face, yet heroically returns [01:23-01:47].
  • Quote (Mike Ryan, 01:23): “You have iconic moments... Braden McNabb took a puck directly to the face... heroic performance in game three.”

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2. Mitch Marner’s Redemption Arc & Toronto’s Heartbreak

• Mike Ryan and Stugotz dig into Mitch Marner’s transformation from Toronto scapegoat to possible Conn Smythe winner for Vegas [02:28-03:13].
  • Quote (Mike Ryan, 02:38): “Mitch Marner doing an incredible thing right now... Mitch Marner was the scapegoat for a loser franchise... and has been un-frickin-real, Dan.”
  • The group marvels at Marner’s decision to leave Toronto (after being doxxed by angry fans) and how it’s “swinging NHL history.”
  • “Mitches” having a pop-culture moment is joked about [03:28-03:37].

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3. Comparing Player Redemption Stories in Both Leagues

• Parallels drawn between Marner’s narrative and NBA figures like Mike Brown and Karl-Anthony Towns “rewriting everything” about themselves [04:15], leading to debate about who really carries baggage in their respective sports.
  • Quote (Mike Ryan, 04:28): “Karl-Anthony Towns... is made fun of for a lot of different reasons. And now he’s going to be like an all time New York legend if he keeps doing it this way.”
• Insights into coaching/goaltending storylines, and further humor injected with analogies (McNabb’s battered face = “Chris Farley in Dirty Work” [05:14]).

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4. Broadcasters: The Magic of Mike Breen and the Loss of Stacy King

• A reflective segment on great broadcasting:
  • Mike Breen’s neutrality and skill as both Knicks and national broadcaster is lauded [09:12-10:49].
    • Quote (Chris Cote, 09:27): “No one’s doing that to Breen [accusing of bias].”
    • Quote (Mike Ryan, 10:28): “If you listen to Breen do local broadcasts, he doesn’t sound like a homer... his style is very down the middle.”
  • The rare chemistry among NBA broadcaster trios is discussed, with praise for Tim Legler and skepticism about Richard Jefferson [09:27].
• Tributes to recently deceased broadcaster Stacy King and NBA coach Rick Adelman [15:55-18:36].
  • Quote (Mike Ryan, 17:46): “Stacy King was a friend of mine. Wonderful man, great positive energy... stayed after games to meet Bulls fans. It sucks to see all of this happen.”
  • Quote (Chris Cote, 17:55): “Not just not an old man, but also an electrical current, a vibrant personality. … It punches you in the face.”

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5. Tangents and Memorable Moments

a) Bar Stories & Charles Barkley

• Banter about how celebrities like Barkley dominate social scenes; Barkley’s generosity and barroom presence [07:02-08:52].
  • Quote (Mike Ryan, 07:33): “He throws elbows. If you try to pay around him, he will throw. He will throw. He almost took my head off.”

b) Cold Tubs with Stone Cold Steve Austin

• The group plays a hilarious Stone Cold Steve Austin cold plunge video for comic relief [26:37-27:24].
  • Stone Cold (26:37): “God damn, mother— oh. 15 seconds… I am freezing my ass off... I’m gonna make three minutes. But it’s a cold son of a bitch.”
• Discussion of health benefits and skepticism around cold tubs [27:24-27:44].

c) Wrestling, Shillelaghs, and Wild Backstage Promos

• A wrestling detour: Stone Cold wrestling with a cat (“Poncho!”), infamous “shillelagh” weapon discussion, and Juice Robinson’s over-the-top promo [19:25-24:38].
  • Juice Robinson, in legendary promo (22:02): “If you ever come after me again with your daddy’s little wooden sex toy, I’m gonna take it and I’m gonna whittle it down so thin that it’s gonna fit right up your urethra… watch it burn all the way up your urinary tract. … There’s no cure to herpagonacephalitis!”

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6. Baseball’s Emotional Highs and Parenting Lows

• Discussion of challenges and rules in MLB and NBA: Frustration with instant replay/challenge systems, particularly using up challenges too early—should baseball or basketball model each other’s usage? [29:14-30:46].
  • Quote (Dan, 29:14): “I hate the fact that the umpire and the whole game can be swung on... we’re still not getting either the technology or the system right.”
• Ballpark parenting: Video of dad dangling his kid over a railing for a souvenir baseball sparks debate [35:16-36:52].
  • Roy: “To me, this is just safe. This is just a play on for me. Barely good enough here.”

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7. Other Fun, Odd, and Reflective Side Bits

• Popcorn shaming: Viral backlash against one guest’s method of combining nachos, Doritos, and popcorn at the movies [40:01-41:42].
• Language jokes: Struggles to speak clearly after a week of partying with Barkley [05:57-06:20], leading to mock-serious talk about “words to avoid on a Monday.”
• Cultural references: Recap of the Vanilla Ice/Hollywood legend of being dangled by Suge Knight; clarification on internet rumors [36:59-38:47].
  • “That is bad business, but it’s also effective business.”
• Rodeo confusion: The team dissects the phrase “not my first rodeo,” with confusion about whether it refers to riders or fans [39:08-40:09].

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• [00:23] Chris Cote: “How do the Vegas Golden Knights go up four goals, cough up a four goal lead in the third period... and still win?”
• [01:23] Mike Ryan: “You have iconic moments. What Braden McNabb is doing... takes a puck directly to the face. Hospitalized immediately. Heroic performance.”
• [02:38] Mike Ryan: “Mitch Marner... was the scapegoat for a loser franchise in the postseason. ... He has been un freaking real, Dan.”
• [09:27] Chris Cote: “Mike Breen... It is unbelievably rare for somebody to be in the position Breen is where he’s the Knicks announcer and he’s not being accused of bias by anybody.”
• [17:46] Mike Ryan: “Stacy King was a friend of mine. ... You could hear it in his broadcast, his excitement to call the games. ... It hits doubly hard when it’s someone like Stacey who’s not an old man. Stacey’s in his 50s.”
• [26:37] Stone Cold Steve Austin (video): “God damn mother—oh... I am freezing my ass off. ... But it’s a cold son of a bitch.”
• [22:02] Juice Robinson (wrestling promo): “If you ever come after me again with your daddy’s little wooden sex toy, I’m gonna... whittle it down... fit right up your urethra... watch it burn all the way up your urinary tract. ... There’s no cure to herpagonacephalitis!”
• [35:16] Stugotz/Roy: (on dangling a kid for a home run ball) “He falls about 10ft to the warning track. ... This is just safe. This is just a play on for me.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Stanley Cup/Marner Segment: 00:13–04:15
• Player Redemption Stories & Hockey/Basketball Comparison: 04:15–05:35
• Charles Barkley Barroom Stories: 06:07–08:52
• Mike Breen & NBA Broadcast Conversation: 09:12–10:49
• Stacy King Tribute: 15:55–18:36
• Wrestling, Shillelagh, Juice Robinson Promo: 19:35–24:38
• Cold Tub with Stone Cold Steve Austin: 26:37–27:24
• Baseball/Replay Challenge Frustration: 29:14–30:46
• Dads Dangling Kids for Foul Balls: 35:16–36:52
• Popcorn/Nacho Movie Debate: 40:01–41:42

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Language & Tone

The episode blends laughter, sarcasm, sudden earnestness, and affectionate jabs, all hallmarks of the Dan Le Batard brand. Podcasts fans can expect:

• Playful, knowledgeable sports debate
• Personal storytelling
• Quick pivots between pathos and punchlines
• Frequent “put it on the poll” bits
• Wrestling-style bombast—literally and stylistically
• The show’s hallmark: blending deep sports nerdery with the absurdities of everyday life

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For Newcomers & Regular Listeners Alike

This episode is a microcosm of what the show does best: passionate analysis of pivotal sports moments, appreciation (and critique) of sports culture and media, and digressions that reveal as much about the panel as they do the news. With punchy recaps, heartfelt tributes, and the occasional wrestling promo involving shillelaghs and herpagonacephalitis, you'll walk away both entertained and unexpectedly better informed.

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Stugotz]

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

[Chris Cote]

Holy shit. The Stanley Cup Final.

[Mike Ryan]

This is the United States of Tortorella.

[Dan LeBatard]

So good.

[Chris Cote]

How did it become that? How did it become the United States of Tortorella?

[Mike Ryan]

How.

[Chris Cote]

How do the Vegas Golden Knights go up four goals, cough up a four goal lead in the third period, which has never happened before. A team has never before cost up a four goal lead in a third period and then lost the game? They didn't lose the game. Vegas didn't lose the game. What happened to momentum? How does Vegas win that game if momentum means anything? Put it on the poll at LeBatard show. How the hell does Vegas win that game if momentum means anything? Because that is a gut punch. If you're Carolina, you had to feel like you were ordained to win that game. Once you come back from four goals

[Stugotz]

down, the puck was kicked in off the back of the skate of the Carolina goalie. That's how Vegas won. Like they shouldn't have won the game.

[Mike Ryan]

There have been, I think multiple two goal comebacks throughout this series. Every game I think is featured.

[Stugotz]

Game one, Carolina was up to nothing. Vegas came back in one. Game two, Vegas up to nothing in the third. Carolina came back in one and, and this one here, four goal lead.

[Mike Ryan]

But Vegas still most dangerous lead in sports. I guess if it's a four goal lead, that's extra dangerous. Yeah, it's been an unbelievable series. You have iconic moments. What Braden McNabb is doing, not like anyone ever doubted that he was going to play right away. Took a puck directly to the face, directly to the face. Hospitalized immediately. Heroic performance in game three, you know, bad.

[Stugotz]

That hurts, Dan. You take a puck right to the nose.

[Chris Cote]

Well, this is as far as I can tell, the only thing that Tortorella has done is made sure that all the Vegas players take pucks to the nose. And also freezes out the media. Roy, correct me if I have this wrong. I really thought that the only way that Vegas would win this series is if the games were low scoring.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah, me too. I knew it was going to be close and I was right as far as the road dog is concerned because they covered in all three games. But I thought it was going to be low scoring, good goaltending, good defense was wrong on that, Dan.

[Stugotz]

They scored the four goals to tie it in the third period. And like, well, the three goals, first three goals were in a span of 39 seconds. 39 seconds. They scored three goals to make it a one goal game.

[Dan LeBatard]

We almost forget the fact that Mitch Marner had a hat trick.

[Stugotz]

He's going to win Conn Smythe if Vegas wins.

[Mike Ryan]

Absolutely.

[Dan LeBatard]

He leads everybody in points and goals.

[Stugotz]

Such a disaster for Toronto.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, I need one of those cash on the DraftKingsports app. Let me tell you, Mitch Marner doing an incredible thing right now. Just like Mike Brown and Carl Anthony Towns are changing the narrative around their careers. Mitch Marner was the scapegoat for a loser franchise in the postseason. The Toronto Maple Leafs. Everybody's ire was directed to Mitch Marner who's one of the best two way players in the game. He has been un freaking real, Dan.

[Stugotz]

He's from Toronto and they ran him out of town and his first year gone. He's probably going to. He might win the Stanley Cup. It's two. One might win the Stanley cup. And if they do, he's probably going to win. Cod smite.

[Mike Ryan]

And it was an acquisition that as it looks right now with Vegas up to one in the series did swing NHL history because it wasn't widely reported. But Mitch Marner had a decision to make this off season and Carolina was in that hunt and he decided to pick Vegas.

[Roy]

Mitches are having a moment right now. Mitchell Robinson.

[Chris Cote]

Mitch Johnson put it on the poll at LeBatard show. I don't think he goes by Mitch Robinson. Are Mitches having a moment right now?

[Dan LeBatard]

And it was a fairly easy decision for Mitch Marner to leave Toronto. They doxed his home address after they lost to Florida. They doxed his home address. Obviously he's not going to stay there.

[Chris Cote]

I do understand why you did that Mitch thing, but I don't think Mitch Johnson is having any kind of moment right now. Unless it's a bad moment.

[Tony]

He's coaching his way to the NBA Finals.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm trying.

[Don LeBatard]

I'm trying my best.

[Mike Ryan]

I come in. What do you want me to do?

Yeah, this isn't going a long way to debunk that whole main character syndrome that the Toronto Maple Leafs fans have. But I get it. I did not want to enjoy this Stanley cup final. I don't like either of these themes but this is just un frickin real

[Chris Cote]

when you say that Karl Anthony Towns and Mike Brown have a chance to rewrite everything that has been said about them. Is there any reason you're not throwing Mikhail Bridges in there? Is there a particular.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, it's not like that. Like Mikel Bridges hasn't Been a total joke the way that Karl Anthony Townsends town's number one pick, Carl Anthony Townsend is made fun of for a lot of different reasons. And now he's going to be like an all time New York legend if he keeps doing it this way. Mikhail Bridges, I don't think people think of him like that. Mitch Marner certainly is in that tier for that sport. Mitch Mourner is forever a punchline. But yeah, you got. You got the quintessential hockey things going right now. You got a hot goalie coming in there. It seems as though Fred Anderson is going to be out for Carolina. You cannot throw him out there after that. That performance and that spark over there. You have the Braden McNabb thing. And Braden McNabb looks like Chris Farley in Dirty Work after his nose got bit off. I don't know if you've seen his nose, but he looks Saigon War.

But by the way, Mike, you say people don't think about Mikhail Bridges. You should go outside the garden, see those T shirts and say F them pics. Yeah, that's a really. They chant that all day. F those pics. F those.

I mean, I would say. I was saying like the basketball world in New York, like, like Landry Shamet. It can be Mayor Shamet.

That's a fact.

[Stugotz]

Did you say it's chamette?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. Shalamet.

[Tony]

Shame.

[Chris Cote]

I can hear the weekend of partying with Charles Barkley on a means tongue.

[Stugotz]

Oh, really?

[Mike Ryan]

That's the phrasing, please.

[Chris Cote]

I can hear it. I can hear your. You are heavy mouthed. Your words are not coming out crisp. What did you do with Barkley in San Antonio when there is nothing to do in San Antonio?

[Mike Ryan]

Irrevocable. The.

[Chris Cote]

There, there it is. Yeah, he's struggling like it's.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, I never go to that word. Yeah, I don't trust myself. Linoleum is also a tricky one, especially on a Monday.

[Roy]

You don't go to that word.

[Chris Cote]

Well, not after you've been partying with Charles Barkley for a week and I'm commenting on your partying and you can't get the words out because Your tongue weighs 400 pounds.

[Mike Ryan]

We should come up with a list of words to avoid on a Monday.

Irrevocable Wasn't hard. The hard part was in destruction, which is the second word.

[Chris Cote]

Words are just the problem today for me. And if you. He's not quite slurring, but he's having trouble getting any of the words out. Without stumbles, speed, blocks and obstacles.

[Stugotz]

What do you do when you're out with Barkley. Like, do you talk basketball? What do you talk about?

[Mike Ryan]

We talk basketball sometimes. A lot of times it's just Charles making fun of people.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, but how do you contribute to the conversation?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, like, by making jokes and then talking basketball.

[Chris Cote]

Ordering more drinks and that too.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. We walked into a bar one time. He saw us, and he immediately yells to the bartender, get the Schlitz malt liquor ready and the Pabst Blue Ribbon. Here come these guys.

[Stugotz]

Then I want to be a guy who goes into a bar who could just yell across the room to the bartender what I want to drink. I'll never be that guy. That guy seems fun. Just yell things to the bartender, and he comes right over instead. I'm the guy who goes to the bar, and I'm sitting there like an asshole, waiting, like, 10 minutes for. To make eye contact, only to ignore me.

[Mike Ryan]

Do you do a little lean? Do you have your card in your hand and you got the cash in hand?

[Stugotz]

Little lean, yeah.

[Roy]

Of course, with Barclay, you do the thing where you pull the wallet out like you're gonna pay. But we're letting Barclay pay this right?

[Mike Ryan]

He throws elbows. If you try to pay around him, he will throw. He will throw. He almost took my head off. Like, just literally just. And I had to duck out of the way and say, what the hell

[Don LeBatard]

are you doing over there?

[Mike Ryan]

I was like, just wanted to get.

[Chris Cote]

He buys all the drinks. You just said the word asshole. It reminded me of an unfortunate thing I saw this morning. Driving in the Metro Rail has advertising on the side of it, and somebody decided. I don't know who this is a slogan for, but the saying was access to the whole something. Access to the whole something. And then when the doors open and close because of how it's written and where the S's are, it just says asshole when the door's open. Like, because of whatever. Their marketing is a really bad job by whoever it is that decided to put those S's and that hole in the same sentence so that when the doors open, all of a sudden, you just have the word asshole on the side of your Metro Rail.

[Stugotz]

Why won't he just take my drink order? He has to see me, right?

[Chris Cote]

Not the way he would see Barkley. You understand that Barkley walks into a room, and he's usually the most famous and important person in there. So in my experience, and I imagine this was a means experience, over the entirety of the week, whenever Charles walks into a place, it's his party, his tab, and everyone knows he's there. He's been used to it being like that for about 45 years.

[Mike Ryan]

He also got really introspective. This was his first NBA Finals, covering the entire Finals, you know, halftime and post game and stuff. So him and Ernie Johnson were, like, uncommonly, like, very moved by this opportunity. And it kind of took me aback. I said, you guys are titans of the industry, but for them, this is a big deal. It's their first Finals ever.

[Chris Cote]

ESPN is going through another round of layoffs this summer. And I wanted to ask you guys about the broadcast and how great Mike Breen has been on the broadcast, because I don't know who's going to get laid off.

[Stugotz]

Not Mike Breen.

[Chris Cote]

Not really.

[Mike Ryan]

I thought you might.

[Chris Cote]

The reason I'm thinking about it, though, is because his team is Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler. And I really like Tim Legler in almost any form. I catch him anywhere. Richard Jefferson less so. But that broadcast team makes me think. And it's not like we didn't learn this at espn. They don't actually know how to put people together in order to make the right combinations. They hit it with Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and Breen, but that's a difficult thing to do to get the right combinations of three people. But Breen has done an extraordinary job. It is unbelievably rare for somebody to be in the position. Breen is where he's the Knicks announcer and he's not being accused of bias by anybody. And that's always in play whenever a broadcaster's there, even if the broadcaster's not biased. Joe Buck will tell you he's perpetually being hit with. He's biased even though he's not. No one's doing that to Breen.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, I think part of it is also, if you listen to Breen, do local broadcasts, he doesn't sound like a homer when he's doing the Knicks broadcast. So when he gets to a national level, that's why I think his style is very down the middle and very unbiased as is. So he doesn't get those allegations, because he doesn't even get those allegations when he's doing Nick games.

[Stugotz]

As a Knick broadcaster, what you're saying is correct, but that's not how the average sports fan who watches these games thinks. Like you. You hear what you want to hear. So it's surprising to me that you still have these casual, you know, regular NBA fans who aren't saying, oh, you see, he wants the Knicks to win. You hear that even though we know it's bullshit.

[Mike Ryan]

But the funny thing is, as is, I don't know how many people know that he's the Knicks local broadcaster because he does so many national games for ESPN and abc. I don't think someone would imagine that someone who's on national TV that much has time to also call local games.

[Tony]

So my style sort of changes depending on what time of year it is. Once we get to the summer here in South Florida, it's unbearably hot. I really, I call it oppressively hot, which means I'm constantly sweating. And it changes how I get dressed because you got about 12 seconds before you start regretting your outfit choices. So lately I've really been trying to keep it a little more simple. Light, breathable, comfortable, but still looking put together because that's what I care about. And that's why I keep going back to Quint's. Their European linen shirts and pants are perfect for the summer and they start at just 34 bucks. Their tees are soft, they're easy to wear. They've got lightweight cotton sweaters for the random nights where the AC is sort of freezing everywhere you go. And everything at Quint's is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands because they work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. I picked up one of their European linen shirts in a sky blue color. I've actually even worn it on the show and it's become one of those shirts that I keep reaching for without even thinking about it. So you should elevate your summer wardrobe and go to quint.comdan for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com dan for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com dan traveling used to mean I

[Dan LeBatard]

completely abandoned every good habit I had. Sleep gone, nutrition terrible. Next thing you know, I'm in an airport eating chips for breakfast while trying to convince myself that this is somehow part of a Stanley cup playoff diet. That's why Caciava travel packs have become part of my routine this summer. They make it ridiculously easy to stay consistent when you're on the go. I just throw a couple packs in my bag and I'm set. Just quick, all in one. Nutrition wherever the day takes me. And honestly, I feel the difference. Caciaba is packed with plant based protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, greens, probiotics, electrolytes and more. I've had better energy during the day, and I don't feel like I'm trying to recover from terrible travel eating decisions afterward. Plus, it tastes good. Chocolate, vanilla, matcha, coconut, acai. They've got options. I have chocolate and vanilla. I take one scoop of chocolate, one scoop of vanilla, mix them together. Boom. Delicious. No artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, no fillers, no nonsense. Take your daily ritual with you. Go to kachava.com and use code DAN for 15% off your first order. That's Kachava K A C H A V A.com code-A N. Tony, you know

[Mike Ryan]

that moment at a party or at a tailgate where everything just sort of clicks?

[Tony]

I know it well.

[Mike Ryan]

It's usually when I show up, everybody goes crazy. Yeah. You usually take all the credit for it, but it's because Tony usually walks in with Cuervo. Walking like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cuervo is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night. It has that effect on people. It does. You usually take the credit for it, but again, it's the Cuervo effect. It's like that moment in a big game where everyone in the crowd just starts standing up, hootin and hollering, keep it Cuervo.

[Tony]

Keep it cuervo, baby.

[Don LeBatard]

Don LeBatard.

[Mike Ryan]

It's not my favorite rejoin. Context needs to be applied for a joke.

[Tony]

And thought the context was applied.

[Dan LeBatard]

We.

[Mike Ryan]

We'd like to rip that out of context. I was going for a thing, and you're gonna. I have a family.

[Chris Cote]

You're gonna pretend here that you don't love Matthew Tkachuk more than you love anybody you've ever loved.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't love Matthew Tkachuk more than my daughter.

[Don LeBatard]

Stugats.

[Mike Ryan]

Now. It's pretty damn close.

[Don LeBatard]

This is the Dan lebatar show with the Stugats.

[Chris Cote]

Speaking of broadcasters, I should mention Stacy King, famous Bulls broadcaster, famous Bull, died fairly shockingly at the age of 59 here. And I. Whether Benetti did this or not on the Peacock NBC broadcast. But he was supposed to. The Bulls had asked in an homage to what it is Benetti had done for us, for Benetti to. During the Sunday night game. Because Bonnetti used to work with the Bulls to drop in Stacy King catchphrases into the Peacock and NBC broadcast. I have to check with Benetti to see if he actually went ahead and did that. But he was going to do that. Stacy King, beloved in Chicago, beloved as a broadcaster. Roy, we have one more Benetti sound. Benetti did one more free catchphrase out of Nowhere that we have not played. A day later, after our charity event for Booge Schombi, can you play the sound of Jason Benetti sneaking in another Greg Cody catchphrase over the weekend?

[Tony]

Tigers offense has started to cook here in Tampa.

[Stugotz]

They're going to leave going, what, we

[Mike Ryan]

break a window on the way out of here?

It's Dan. You know, Stacy King was a friend of mine. He was just a wonderful man. A very great positive energy about him. You could hear it in his broadcast, his excitement to call the games. He was awesome. He stayed after games many times to meet and greet Bulls fans, whether at home or on the road, and just chop it up. And him and Adam Amin, one of my favorite local broadcast teams. It's tough, you know, Last week, Rick Adelman passed away. And I've got a little speech that I always do whenever we lose someone in basketball, we talk about how basketball is a very young Sport, right? It's 80 years old, and the NBA is about 80 years old. And so that means many of the great people who built this game, whether it was coaching, whether it was on the floor, whether it's broadcasting, telling the stories, they're still among us. And so that. That's cool, but that. The flip side is that is we're going to lose a lot of these people over the years, and we're going to see them, see him leave us, basically. And so I was in Denver during the Finals, Heat, Nuggets, and they gave the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award to Rick Adelman. I said, okay, let me. Let me show up, you know, Again, I never worked with Rick Adelman, but we worked against them a lot, you know, and our playbook was a bunch of Rick Adelman, Sacramento place. And when he walked in, I started crying because he looked so old. And I said, wait a second. This. When did that happen? Not old like gray hair or old wrinkles. Old like, oh, he's kind of almost frail, a frail old man. And it just. It sucks to see all of this happen. But it hits doubly hard when it's someone like Stacey who's not an old man. Stacey's in his 50s.

[Chris Cote]

Not just not an old man, but also an electrical current, is a vibrant personality. Like, this man had an outsized sort of cartoonish love of life that you could hear in the broadcast. And basically anytime he was interviewed, and obviously he's very close to my age. And so whenever it is that something like that happens, it punches you in the face. And doubly so when it's a vibrant Energetic personality. I've always thought of Rick Adelman as not quite that right. Rick Adelman in some form, has been an old man almost the entire time I knew him. Even when he was a rookie coach, he felt like he was a bit of an old man. Stacy King, I think of as a young man.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, absolutely. And just to have to get that news yesterday I was doing radio, and then it was like literally five minutes after we got radio, I got that news and it hit me hard. It hit me hard several times yesterday where I just think about every time I'm at a Bulls game. He'd always be there and would chop it up with me and talk and stuff. And I'm not gonna get to do that with my friend anymore.

[Chris Cote]

Let's lighten it up a little bit by getting back to my beloved Knicks, the epicenter of the sports world.

[Mike Ryan]

No, no. All right, time out. Yeah, time out. Good call. It's been a lot. All right, just breathe easy. All right, we'll get back to the Knicks. Plenty of time. Let's give the audience some variety. Let's speak to the people, the large swath of our audience that probably hates the New York Knicks and everything that's going on here.

[Chris Cote]

All right, by doing what? By talking about what?

[Mike Ryan]

Wrestling?

[Stugotz]

Oh, yes.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah. What about the people who hate wrestling?

[Mike Ryan]

Well, then I think they're gonna like these videos, too.

[Stugotz]

If you hate wrestling, get a life. Come on.

[Mike Ryan]

I know it's an incredible theater, but. Theater? Yeah, theater. That's what happened in La Noche de los Grandes. Let's talk about Stone Cold Sea Boston, one of the all time goats. Now, we like his reaction videos. He's got one of those incredible recognizable voices. Dan, would you like to see a video of Stone Cold Steve Austin trying to wrangle his cat Poncho on his ranch?

[Chris Cote]

Of course, you've come to Brokersko Ranch.

[Don LeBatard]

It's bedtime out here rounding up the cats. There he is. Ponche. Come here, Punchy. Bedtime. Come here, buddy. Punchy. Come here, Poncho.

[Chris Cote]

That's not how.

[Don LeBatard]

Poncho. Punchy. Poncho.

[Chris Cote]

That's not how cat works. That's a real fundamental misunderstanding of cat.

[Mike Ryan]

You had to get in on the MFER right there with your cat expertise. Cat guy. Big cat guy. One more time for some cold Steve Austin trying to wrangle a catch.

[Chris Cote]

For the audio audience. That is a cat that was sitting, staring at him from a distance. And when he shouts poncho, it's because the cat is just leaving.

[Don LeBatard]

You little mother

[Mike Ryan]

I could watch that man do anything. So cold. Steve Austin is just one of those guys. I want him in just mundane, run of the mill situations. And I find it deeply entertaining. And that's not really wrestling, right? That. That's just a guy.

[Don LeBatard]

Bad joke.

[Stugotz]

No, that's wrestling.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, well, let me show you wrestling. Dan, do you know what happens after you get attacked in the ring by a foreign object? You get pretty mad, and then you go to the backstage and you talk about it. I want to tell you about Juice Robinson from All Elite Wrestling. And he got attacked by Fit Finley's son, who with a shillelagh.

[Stugotz]

You know about that shillelagh?

[Chris Cote]

The former president of the University of Miami, Donna Shillelagh. I don't know what a shillelagh is. I legitimately don't.

[Mike Ryan]

Most people don't. And because of wrestling, I have discovered that a shillelagh is like a wooden club with a rounded edge.

It's a big Irish weapon.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, like an Irish guy uses it in a fight.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, Juice Robinson was really upset about this shillelagh being used, and he decided to vow vengeance upon his assailant in a very detailed way.

[Juice Robinson]

David Finley, I swear, if you ever come after me again with your daddy's little wooden sex toy, I'm gonna take it and I'm gonna whittle it down so thin that it's gonna fit right up your urethra. That's right. Then I'm gonna take Clark's Strike Anywhere match and I'm gonna light the tip and watch it burn all the way up your urinary tract. So that way, every time you take a piss from here on out, it's gonna feel like you got herperganocephalitis. And guess what, you son of a bitch? There's no cure to herpagonocephalitis.

[Chris Cote]

That is funny for a number of reasons, but for the audio audience, his face keeps getting closer to the camera until you see only his left eye.

[Mike Ryan]

I really enjoy any speech like that. That includes. That's right. To confirm what he just said. And guess what?

[Chris Cote]

Put it on the poll at Lebatard show. Do you know what a shillelagh is? Because before you just showed it to me and before you just told me, I had no earthly understanding of what a shillelagh is. I did not know it was a weapon. Zas. Was this an area of expertise for you? Did you know what a shillelagh was?

[Stugotz]

Stan? I watch wrestling. I know what a shillelagh is okay,

[Chris Cote]

but a shillelagh is not a common wrestling tool.

[Stugotz]

Is for an Irish fighter. You ever heard that? You ever heard of Seamus?

[Chris Cote]

I have. I thought when I first time I saw Seamus, I was like, that guy has to be one of the guys who loses all the time. But I was told, nope, he is not. He is a muscular red headed guy who is the king of the gingers. I did not know that. I thought just based on the looks of him that he had to be somebody who was losing all the time.

[Roy]

Checks.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. I can say with confidence I've never heard a backstage promo quite like that.

There was a marvel character named Black Tom Cassidy and he had a shillelagh. I remember this.

[Chris Cote]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Mike Ryan]

I like the Donna shillelagh joke.

Solid joke. Let's play the promo one more time because there's so many details in there that I would just like to catch on. Because he talks about David Finley and his tag team partner, Clark. So he threatens both of the assailants here.

[Juice Robinson]

David Finley. I swear, if you ever come after me again with your daddy's little wooden sex toy, I'm gonna take it and I'm gonna whittle it down so thin that it's gonna fit right up your urethra. That's right. Then I'm gonna take Clark's strike anywhere. Imagine I'm gonna light the tip and watch it burn all the way up your urinary tract. So that way every time you take a piss from here on out, it's gonna feel like you got her for gonocephalitis. And guess what, you son of a. There's no cure to herpiconocephalitis.

[Chris Cote]

I will tell the audio audience again when the promo begins. You can see the entirety of his face. By the end of it, you can only see his left eye. And he does the holy Trinity. A real trifecta of using the phrases whittle it down, urethra and urinary tract before he even gets to Hapawada Fatah Fatagotta.

[Mike Ryan]

Perfagynocephalitis.

[Tony]

How do you spell that?

[Chris Cote]

Whatever that is. I don't even know what that is. But there's no cure. Just so that you know. Be clear on that.

[Mike Ryan]

We all learn that together.

[Chris Cote]

There is no cure for that.

[Stugotz]

He actually called it a urinary track. Like as if you run on it,

[Juice Robinson]

you're in a track.

[Mike Ryan]

You son of a bitch.

[Chris Cote]

They are presently searching in the back room for the Stone Cold Steve Austin getting into a cold tub, which I believe is our most legendary stone cold Steve Austin sound. We don't have anything better than that in the stone cold Steve Austin files. So whenever it is you guys find it, just interrupt whatever I'm saying. Even if we're talking about Stacy King or Rick Adelman or something that's somber, just interrupt whatever it is that you guys find it and simply play the stone cold Steve Austin getting into a cold tub so that we can enjoy that together again. I want to get to something from baseball. There were a couple of things from baseball I wanted to talk about. First of all, the Marlins took two out of three from my beloved Rays. And in one of them, you had the dramatics at the end of the game where you have Tyler Zuberg trying to get his first save for the Marlins. And he's got to do it by going through Junior Caminero with the bases loaded up, one run and a three two count. Okay? So you have a situation where you're facing one of the best hitters in baseball, maybe the best bat speed anywhere in baseball, and he knows you have to throw a strike and he struck him out. But one of the things that happened during the at bat that I'm never going to get used to and bothers me. The announcers say when Junior Caminero could have challenged a pitch and turned

[Don LeBatard]

God Damn mother. Oh. 15 seconds. Watch this. Anti inflammatory. Supposed to get you endorphins going or some. I am freezing my ass off. I don't do real well with the cold weather. And this is my first cold plunge. And for them people that go out there and do them polarized plunge things crazy. Starting to get a little numb to it. I'm gonna make three minutes. But it's a cold. Son of a bitch.

[Chris Cote]

Everyone says that. I talk to who does cold tubs say that it is life changing in terms of how it helps your health to start a day that way by just making all the blood cells rush to the places that need it in your body because it thinks it's freezing.

[Don LeBatard]

Ha ha ha.

[Tony]

Talking to Tony a lot.

[Mike Ryan]

Herphogenocephalitis. Summer always hits different once the big game starts stacking up. Now you've got finals games on every other night, baseball's rolling all week, racing on the weekends, and suddenly everybody's looking for an excuse to get together. The other night a buddy texted me, we've got the game on, come through. I figured I'd stop by for maybe an hour. That was optimistic. Next thing you know, everybody's locked into the game and we're all part of the coaching staff. Somebody's yelling at the ref, somebody else is suddenly an expert on pitch strategy, and nobody's even pretending they're leaving early anymore. It's one of those nights where you take a sip of Miller Lite, look around and realize, yeah, this is exactly what summer is supposed to be. That's why Miller Lite is always part of these nights for me. It's clean, refreshing, easy to drink when it's hot outside, and perfect for long nights hanging with friends, watching games. 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.

[Chris Cote]

Don LeBatard what is the worst part of the life?

[Don LeBatard]

Stewgats

[Tony]

the worst part of the life of what?

[Don LeBatard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugach.

[Chris Cote]

Caminero. As I was saying, it's three, two count and the bases are loaded and the Rays are down by a run. And the announcer says after Caminero would have challenged a ball that was called a strike, that would have put the count even more in his favor. The announcer said something and I want to get your thoughts on this because I still think this is going to make an appearance during the NBA Finals and I think it's going to be a talking point, as it was a little bit during Oklahoma during the OKC San Antonio series. The idea that in basketball you can use your challenges correctly to correct a couple of times what the refs have got wrong to keep Victor wembuyama out of 20 foul trouble and not have any challenges left for the end of the game. The announcer said during the Camino at bat. That's what you get for using your challenges too early. And I just hate that. I hate the fact that the umpire and the whole game can be swung on. The fact that we're still not getting either the technology or the system right. And you have to, you know, use your challenges correctly or you lose your challenges, because otherwise people would be doing 70 challenges in a game.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, baseball and basketball are different in that respect. Like, I agree with that. In basketball, where there's really nothing unless a guy's about to get in serious foul trouble, you should not be using your challenges in the first half of a game. But in baseball, the Thing that happens in the first, second, third, fourth inning can totally win you the game. You have to use challenges early if the situation calls for it. And yeah, it sucks if then you

[Chris Cote]

can't use them again later when Amin knocks down Mike. Your idea of putting Wembanyama on Brunson more. I didn't think that fatigue, although fatigue would also be one of the factors, would be what I would be worried about. I'd be worried about foul trouble for Wembanyama. Just a couple. Even though he's got a foot on him, the quickness and the way that Brunson can use his body to get fouls, that's what I would worry about. I don't want, if I am the spurs, any circumstance where Wembanyama is in foul trouble. You haven't seen much of that during the playoffs.

[Mike Ryan]

I haven't seen Brunson trying to get his body into Wembanyama either. He tends to keep his distance. And that's another way to stay out of foul trouble is because he can literally be five feet away and still get a hand in his face.

[Chris Cote]

Well, what do you think, Amin? What do you think there? When I immediately think foul trouble, do you think that's not a concern at all. Who are the players? Karl Anthony Towns, if you have him be.

[Mike Ryan]

I'd be more worried about Kat getting Wemby in foul trouble than Brunson. And I know it seems counterintuitive to have the quick guy on the guy that is fatigued, but Wemby is showing us he's fatigued quite literally from the jump. I think this is an accumulation of the entire season. This isn't something that New York is doing. He was very clearly fatigued against OKC2. So if we're just going to have a diminished fatigued Wemby, I think matchup wise. I like what I saw there and I know Brunson's certainly capable of inefficient performances, but that is a very difficult matchup for Jalen Brunson. Wemby can make up a lot of ground, not even moving.

[Chris Cote]

I heard somebody talking and I cannot remember who it was because they are now having to reconfigure some conversations to put Brunson at the top of the sport on best player in the league because when you win, that's what happens for you. You start getting some credit for things like he's the best fourth quarter player in the league and that matters. But I can't remember who was talking about it. But one of the reasons that they were not putting Brunson in an all elite class for his size, given that that size never advances this far as the best player in the postseason. They were deducting points because they said Brunson's not that quick. We're grading on a curve. Obviously he is quick, but for people his size, he does have a bit of Paul Pierce type of game where you're like, I don't totally understand how he's able to do that in that dump truck body, because he's not. Actually. When I look at Castle and Harper, I'm seeing youth and speed and quickness. When I look at Maxi, I see certain quickness. That's not what I see on Brunson.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, this is, this is a body control guy. It's a footwork guy.

[Stugotz]

He has incredible footwork.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. Like he'll create spacing, but it's not necessarily with stuff speed. Which is why I, I'd like to see more of Wemby on Brunson. Just because the other ma, like the other matchups are just killing San Antonio and this one seems to be the one that gets the most results. We saw it in crunch time right where Brunson thrives. We saw Wemby tired as all hell, affect the shot, gather the rebound, and then he made an all time gaff.

I think part of the defense that they did in game two, that they did a much better job of is they pressured Brunson full court, they picked him up full court and then they did a lot of half court traps. As soon as he crosses the mid the timeline, they're trapping him right there. I think that wears Brunson out a lot. It expends a lot of energy and they managed to turn it over. The Knicks don't have really a lot of ball handling guards outside of Brunson and maybe Alvarado, the other guys, McBride and Hart and Bridges, they're just not that good at playing against pressure, particularly against defenses like those spurs guards. But once they get into the half court, Mike. Yeah. I think basically they want Wemby to be playing out in space. If you're, if you're the, the Knicks, you want to draw him out. And that's the other part of Brunson would have to draw him out. And if he's out there, that means the, the offensive rebounding opportunities are there and that means the cutting is also there as well. So those are the reasons beyond fatigue, why I don't think I would want Wemby full time or even most of the Game Gordon Brunson.

[Chris Cote]

The other baseball story that I wanted to get to zaz the outfield behavior of fans. I saw a game last week, Jazz Chisholm hit a 409 foot home run and somebody caught it. It was smoked. Obviously. Somebody caught it in the stands with their bare hand. Would you even go for that?

[Stugotz]

Would you?

[Chris Cote]

So if you were in right field and somebody was hitting a 409 foot screamer, your you would try to catch that with your bare hands?

[Stugotz]

I would try. I would try to get with two hands. I wouldn't try just the one hand because the two hands you kind of try and cup it almost, you know, so it doesn't hurt as much. I try.

[Chris Cote]

So we had something happen in the stands this weekend because I would not try to catch that. Put it on the poll at LeBatard show. Would you try and catch a 409 foot line drive with your bare hand in right field? Yes or no? But Chris, I don't know. You're somebody who I pretty consistently accuse of questionable parenting. And this feels like a situation that you would put your daughter in because you wanted that souvenir. And I think it's extraordinarily bad parenting judgment. But let's play the video and set up the video for people. Chris, tell them what it is that they're about to see.

[Roy]

It's a still shot here. It's at a Reds game. There's a home run ball that's kind of caught at the behind the wall, but basically it's reachable. So a parent, a dad here, you can see him taking his what looks like 11 year old son, 10 year old son, and hanging him upside down, dangling him down the wall to try to grab this ball. And as you can see here, there's a security guard that is not like this. The security guard like, hey, get your son up there. And I would do this with my daughter. I'm assuming this is not from the upper deck. If this becomes an upper deck home run, this is a different ball game.

[Chris Cote]

Is that netting? Is there netting there? Is that clean? Is that just something that you're gonna drop your son on your head if you don't have a good enough grip on his?

[Stugotz]

Don't drop.

[Roy]

I think if you drop him here, he falls about 10ft to the warning track.

[Stugotz]

Don't drop him.

[Roy]

To me, this is just safe. This is just a play on for me. Barely good enough here. If this is a little higher up, your kid's a little bit more at risk.

[Stugotz]

What?

[Roy]

Roy, he's 10 that kid, well, he's gonna sprain his wrist. Worst case scenario, can fall on his head. Yeah, but he'd break the fall.

[Stugotz]

How do you think that goes down? Like, does the father just grab the. He goes, all right, we're. Here's what's happening. And then he just, like, he starts dangling him. Is there. Is there a pep talk beforehand that if a ball comes near here, this is what we're going to do.

[Roy]

At the start of the game, you say to him, if a ball goes right there, this is our game plan.

[Stugotz]

Okay?

[Roy]

You got to pre plan.

[Chris Cote]

Jeremy, can you look up for me whether the story I'm about to tell is true? Because I don't know if it's mythologizing. I know Vanilla Ice has denied it, but when I see that, when I see a video or a picture of somebody being held from a high place by their ankles, I think of Death Row records. I think of Suge Knight. I think of Suge Knight getting Vanilla Ice to sign something he wanted him to sign by having a person dangle Vanilla Ice from a balcony by his ankles. I don't know what's true there. I mean, you've heard this story.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, I have. Absolutely.

[Chris Cote]

That is bad business, but it's also effective business.

[Mike Ryan]

Good business. He signed the paper.

[Chris Cote]

I mean, it's criminal business, but it is effective business. I wouldn't say it's he didn't drop him business. He did well, but the threat was implied.

[Mike Ryan]

There's no criminality.

[Stugotz]

Did he get the name on the dotted line?

[Chris Cote]

He did, yes.

[Mike Ryan]

All right.

[Stugotz]

Good business.

[Chris Cote]

Okay. But there are certain moralities that usually come with doing good business that you guys are neglecting, reflecting there.

[Tony]

Vanilla Ice says on his own YouTube page that while there was an intense shakedown, he was never physically dangled over the balcony. Also, going back to the Camino strikeout, it was actually the Cedric Mullen strikeout the next night where he struck out looking in a 10 pitch at bat. I've been searching since you mentioned that Cameron Arrow pitch because it was an O2 count with Tyler Zuber, and I

[Stugotz]

was like, I feel like a crazy person.

[Don LeBatard]

Gonna revisit this mother.

[Mike Ryan]

Thanks for clearing that up. It just didn't sit right.

[Tony]

Yeah, I know. I know you were looking for it.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. The reason why believe that story is because in the behind the music, Vanilla Ice was the one that started this whole thing.

[Chris Cote]

When you say shakedown, rarely do you get a visual image that's literally a shakedown. Quite like this one where he was being shaken and the Threat was implied that he would be going down.

[Mike Ryan]

That's a 20 CB thing, right? When they turn you upside down, the bully is so you can get all the money, all the change out of your pockets. Give me your milk money, kid.

[Chris Cote]

I mean, have you looked up or found in any way why it is that you keep saying it's not his first? It's their first rodeo. It's the spurs first rodeo. Why is the rodeo such an amazing thing? Is it because a human being is just on a bull or is there other stuff happening that makes the rodeo an awe inspiring discovery?

[Mike Ryan]

I have to imagine that of all the sporting events that you would do for the first time, the one that might blow your mind a little bit is riding a bull as it's bucking and you're like, what the hell is going on here? So, yeah, it's first rodeo. Like, I don't know, they got the cow out or something.

[Chris Cote]

Okay, so the first rodeo analogy though is for the person riding the bull. It's not for attending as a spectator the rodeo. Because that's how I've always taken it. I've never assumed that a person doing their first rodeo is sitting on the bull for the first time. I thought they were just getting cotton candy at concessions and there were others riding around.

[Mike Ryan]

You had a guy with popcorn like, oh, wow, this is pretty fun. My first rodeo. Whoa.

[Chris Cote]

I was told that Chris Cody was shamed by the Internet for the way that he eats popcorn. Now that you mention popcorn, what happened here? Chris, I'm not familiar with how you eat popcorn. Do you eat popcorn the wrong way?

[Roy]

Well, I just combined a couple treats here. A couple movie theater treats. I went to the movie with my family over the weekend, saw the new Nate Bargatz movie. Don't waste your time, but is that

[Chris Cote]

how you pronounce his last name?

[Mike Ryan]

No.

[Chris Cote]

Okay.

[Roy]

Well, yeah, no, it's just there were some funny moments.

[Stugotz]

But, you know, what movie is this?

[Roy]

It's called the Breadwinner. It's, it's like a family movie. It's, you know, it's not great. Anyway, so I'm at the movie theater.

[Stugotz]

White guys love, love these movie theaters

[Roy]

with the little tables. Oh, the little, little recliner seat the table. So what I did, I got some nachos, as one does, and they have Doritos. Nachos at my movie theater.

[Chris Cote]

Movie theater nachos are terrible.

[Roy]

Well, these are Doritos with just a side of cheese sauce.

[Stugotz]

So what I decided nachos, just Doritos.

[Roy]

What I decided to do was you take a nacho, you dip it. You take a Dorito, you dip it in the cheese, and then you go and you dip it into your popcorn. And you notice here, no mess is created because every piece of popcorn that gets touched by the cheese lifts with the popcorn. So it was just a delightful. A delightful treat. Little salty, little savory. Just delightful. And the Internet did not like it. They were shaming me.

[Chris Cote]

Put it on the poll, please. At LeBatard show, aren't Dorito nachos just Doritos? And also put on the poll, are movie theater nachos always the worst?

[Mike Ryan]

Irrevocable.