Hour 1: Amin's Week Long Observations

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Episode: Hour 1: Amin's Week Long Observations
Release Date: April 17, 2025

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1. Introduction to the Episode

In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, the hosts dive deep into a variety of sports-related topics, ranging from the challenges of multi-role athletes in professional sports to the retirement of ESPN legend Lee Corso. The conversation is dynamic, filled with sharp humor, insightful analysis, and candid opinions from hosts Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Amin Elhassan, Greg Cody, Roy Bellamy, and guests like Chris Cote and Jeremy Tache.

2. Nico Harrison and the Challenges of Dual Roles in Football

Timestamp: 02:02 - 05:03

The primary focus of the episode revolves around Nico Harrison, an executive in the Dallas management, and his controversial approach to managing Travis Hunter, a star player attempting to play both offense and defense in football.

• Dan Le Batard introduces Nico Harrison as a "villainous executive character" who symbolizes management incompetence. He criticizes Harrison for attempting to stretch Hunter too thin, comparing him to failed attempts in other sports where dual roles were unsustainable.

  Dan Le Batard (02:02): "Nico Harrison becomes a figure for a symbol, an avatar for management incompetence."

• Amin Elhassan expresses skepticism about Hunter's ability to succeed in the professional league with dual roles, emphasizing the increased workload and lack of personal time.

  Amin Elhassan (04:08): "If you don't allow me to work more than anyone else, game over. I quit."

• Stugotz draws parallels to the NBA, highlighting how similar ambitions often lead to burnout and decreased performance, using player-coach dynamics as an example.

  Stugotz (04:13): "That's my favorite part about all this is that like we're all pretending that these teams are going to say no, you've got to pick one."

• The discussion touches upon the unrealistic expectations set by multi-sport athletes like Shohei Ohtani and Deion Sanders, questioning whether Travis Hunter can realistically replicate their success in a single sport.

  Amin Elhassan (07:22): "Isn't that why we don't see more Shohei Ohtani? Like, either you're a pitcher or you're a hitter."

3. The Reality of Professional Sports vs. College Athletics

Timestamp: 05:03 - 10:30

The hosts delve into the differences between college athletics and professional sports, using Travis Hunter's situation as a case study.

• Stugotz emphasizes that the pro level demands are exponentially higher, with more extensive playbooks, constant physical strain, and higher stakes.

  Stugotz (05:03): "Forget about the physical part, Daniel. All the homework, all the playbooks, all the video, all of that stuff. It's so much work."

• Roy Bellamy echoes the sentiment, arguing that specialization is crucial in professional sports and that attempting to perform dual roles is untenable.

  Roy Bellamy (06:53): "You can't split yourself, right? And that's the thing. If you're going to be a wide receiver, you need to be committed to being the best wide receiver you can be."

• The conversation highlights that while Travis Hunter thrived in a college environment by managing dual roles, the professional arena's intensified competition and specialization make such feats nearly impossible.

  Dan Le Batard (07:14): "Does he have a 12-year-old understanding of what professional football is?"

4. Lee Corso's Departure from ESPN

Timestamp: 19:05 - 20:24

Shifting gears, the hosts address the impending retirement of Lee Corso, a staple of ESPN's college football coverage.

• Greg Cody announces Corso's final headgear pick, marking the end of an era with Corso's departure on August 30th.

  Greg Cody (19:30): "Will make his final headgear pick on college game day on Saturday, week one, August 30th."

• Dan Le Batard praises ESPN's handling of Corso's aging gracefully, drawing parallels to dealing with aging parents and the delicate balance of honoring legacy while allowing for personal care.

  Dan Le Batard (20:09): "The way ESPN and Disney has handled with grace, with great, great grace, the aging of Dick Vital and Lee Corso... to change all around him quickly and protect him with love on television."

• Stugotz humorously contrasts Corso with a Cane Corso, adding levity to the serious announcement.

  Stugotz (20:29): "Chris, would you rather be able to talk to Lee Corso or a Cane Corso?"

5. Weekend Observations and Sports Commentary

Timestamp: 27:00 - 35:19

In the latter part of the episode, the hosts engage in their "Weekend Observations" segment, where they provide humorous and critical takes on recent sports events.

• Stugotz critiques the NBA postseason setup, mocking the generic team slogans and the predictability of certain team performances.

  Stugotz (27:00): "After a season in which everyone criticized it for having too many threes and too many missed games by Starz, the NBA Postseason is back."

• Dan Le Batard and Stugotz discuss the Miami Heat's performance and Mark Cuban's management of the Dallas Mavericks, with sharp jabs at ownership decisions and team dynamics.

  Stugotz (30:07): "Hey, Mark Cuban, if you didn't want the Mavericks to trade Luka, maybe you shouldn't have sold the team."

• The segment also touches upon player dynamics, coaching decisions, and the often turbulent relationships between players and management.

  Stugotz (36:01): "Mike Boonholzer signed a 5-year, $50 million dollar deal, then was fired after a single year."

6. Show Interactions and Humor

Timestamp: 35:19 - End**

Throughout the episode, the hosts engage in playful banter, light-hearted jokes, and humorous exchanges that reflect their camaraderie and rapport.

• Stugotz attempts to introduce comedy segments, leading to humorous exchanges about performance and content creation.

  Stugotz (36:02): "Hey, Mike Bunholzer. You should coach more like Steve Kerr."

• Dan Le Batard navigates through the chaos with humor, addressing the unpredictability of live shows and interactions among the hosts.

  Dan Le Batard (36:47): "It's vulnerable. I'm sorry."

7. Closing Remarks and Sponsorships

Timestamp: 37:48 - End**

The episode concludes with sponsored segments promoting BetterHelp and GameTime, emphasizing mental health and ticketing services respectively. These segments are seamlessly integrated into the conversation, maintaining the show's flow while highlighting valuable services for listeners.

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Key Takeaways:

• Management and Athlete Roles: The episode critically examines the pitfalls of demanding dual roles from athletes in professional sports, using Nico Harrison and Travis Hunter as primary examples.
• Professional vs. College Sports: There's a clear emphasis on the heightened demands and specialization required in professional leagues compared to college athletics.
• Legacy and Transition: The retirement of sports personalities like Lee Corso is handled with respect and humor, showcasing the hosts' ability to balance seriousness with levity.
• Humor and Banter: The show's strength lies in its engaging and humorous interactions, making complex sports discussions entertaining.

Notable Quotes:

• Dan Le Batard (02:02): "Nico Harrison becomes a figure for a symbol, an avatar for management incompetence."
• Amin Elhassan (04:08): "If you don't allow me to work more than anyone else, game over. I quit."
• Stugotz (20:29): "Chris, would you rather be able to talk to Lee Corso or a Cane Corso?"
• Stugotz (30:07): "Hey, Mark Cuban, if you didn't want the Mavericks to trade Luka, maybe you shouldn't have sold the team."

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This episode offers a blend of insightful sports analysis, candid critiques of management decisions, and the hosts' signature humor, making it a compelling listen for sports enthusiasts and casual fans alike.

Transcript

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[Stugotz]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugotz]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo. This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Greg Cody]

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[Dan Le Batard]

I wanted to talk about Nico Harrison. And we'll get to that in a second because we've been a little late to this story. He is a fascinating figure somehow. Just we haven't had one like this, really. A villainous executive character. He doesn't know what he's doing. Let's all laugh at him and then figure out how Dallas management explains worse and worse as they try to something that cannot be explained. Nico Harrison becomes a figure for a symbol, an avatar for management incompetence. There's the suit who takes the blame when he ruins everything. Doesn't understand the emotion business, is an idiot and coldly tries to explain it and can't because he doesn't understand Luke and those people had a relationship that you have to respect that. Did you guys not see what happened to that super league cuz Europe actually respects its like things that thing fell apart because you can't just come over here and buy everything rich people. That's not how it works. Like the Luca relationship is not supposed to be something with your super Maxi. You're super maxi Max. Whatever. You're not supposed to be able to just come in and buy that relationship because you don't care for it. Like it's why it was so confusing. So we'll get to that in a second. We got to get to Mad Dog as well because Zaz is telling me I got to play some Mad Dog sound.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh man. It will not disappoint.

[Dan Le Batard]

I have not. I have not heard but I wanted to get a means perspective on as an executive and and somebod from basketball specifically watching Travis Hunter come over to football with what I'm assuming we're all going to believe is an empty threat. But it's just a wild thing to say entering the league, telling your future employer, a league that has proven to be fairly conservative in terms of giving people like you that the power you presently want, which is to strut into the league as the Deion Sanders thing and say, hey, who do I work for here? I don't work for you. If you don't play me both positions, offense and defense, whether you think it's right or not, with me as an asset, I choose I'll quit on the spot. Now it's like I want to say it's an empty threat, but God, I hope it's not an empty threat.

[Amin Elhassan]

If you don't allow me to work more than anyone else, game over. I quit.

[Stugotz]

That's my favorite part about all this is that like we're all pretending that these teams are going to say no, you've got to pick one. And I'm just waiting for the team to draft. Yeah, go ahead. And then like after a week of OTAs, he's like, Jesus Christ, this is a lot harder than I. Can I just pick one? No, no. You said you were Gonna quit. You gotta do two. And then run him ragged all summer long. By the time we get to camp, he'll be begging to play one position and it'll be special teams. He doesn't even wanna do anything else.

[Dan Le Batard]

What an interesting way to look at it. And probably doesn't really explain how we lovers of sport could explain to you, well, wait a minute. If he could do it in college, why couldn't he do it in the pros? And you're saying it. It'll run him too ragged. Because it'll be just way too much. All of it's too much. But he doesn't think it is, Dan.

[Stugotz]

This is. This happens to us in the NBA all the time, where their players were like, they don't run any plays for me, man. What was the play? Why don't you give me the ball? I'll do. And finally the coaches will be like, you know what? All right, clear out for him. Give him the ball, and then force feed him for a quarter. And then when that player realizes, like, shit, this is hard, like creating against a defense that's waiting for me and no one's helping me. And never mind. I get it. I like my role. It's a lot easier to just cut and make layups. Same thing here. You could talk about what you want. And trust me, when I hear language like that, I'll quit and all that. That doesn't sound like, to me, the player. That sounds like people around the place, man. You know what you should do, man? You should tell them you quit. And then on the. All the people hyping him up like, yeah, yeah, it'd be so great for your brand, dude. If you play both, you'd be the first guy like, yeah, yeah, I could do it. I did do it in college. And then you find out everyone here was elite in college. Everyone here is great at their job. And it's not just the physical demands. But, I mean, we'll talk to Hawk tomorrow and ask him about it. How much? I talked to Hawk about this last Friday. I said, how much? How many meetings did you guys have? He said, we had a team meeting, and then we had the offense meeting, and then we had wide receivers meeting, and then we had the special teams meeting. Now double all that shit for this kid. Forget about the physical part, Daniel. All the homework, all the playbooks, all the video, all the, like, all of that stuff. It's so much work. And then you realize, wait a second. I don't get to hang out with my girlfriend who wants to be a brand too, and wants me to support her and the things she wants to do. I don't get to hang out with my friends. I'm basically all day long doing homework and that. Add on to that the physical demands of Jesus. I'm exhausted. I'm getting hit all the time. There's a reason why nobody does it. It's not because we're too conservative. It's because it's too much to ask of one person. But he'll find out the hard way.

[Roy Bellamy]

You can't split yourself, right? And that's the thing. Like, if you're going to be a wide receiver, you need to be committed to being the best wide receiver you can be. If you're committed to being a cornerback, you have to be at the cornerback's meeting and the DB's meeting and do all the things you got to do. Hawk said it the other day, you cannot split yourself and try to input all that information and then on top of that, go out on the field and then practice on one side and then practice on the other. You're just running back and forth, back and forth. You can't do it.

[Amin Elhassan]

Isn't that why we don't see more shoot Shohei Ohtani? Like, either you're a pitcher or you're a hitter. Like you can't do both. You need to dedicate full time.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, but the part that I simply don't understand in the examination of this is there would appear to be a disconnect between however it is that Travis Hunter thinks football playing is. That would make him the best at all the things that he tries. And now in the Deion Sanders household, I don't know if any of you watch the Deion reality series, like what Deion has done to get to the top of a salary bigger than Bill Belichick's in college sports is he took an athlete, a couple of athletes so supreme his son, the lesser of them, and he built a college football team the hardest way through black colleges. When everyone told him, you can't do it, can't do it, can't do it. He conquered college football, told Travis Hunter he was gonna do it. Travis Hunter was the number one recruit in the land. Now Travis Hunter gets to the league and you guys are saying the. You're analyzing this is because of what his path is with whatever the business of doing football with Deion Sanders was. Because Deion Sanders thinks it's easy and because for Travis Hunter, it has been easy. Travis Hunter thinks that what the pros are is not Something much harder than what he has already done. And he has the confidence that he, that whatever, just whatever we imagine just studied to be. These guys, hey, they're all at military schools. They're going 40 hours a day. They're in both playbooks. You got to know the next opponent, you got to know both sides. No human being can do it. Deion did it, Dion did do it. But you cannot do it. You will not do it. You will not work harder. You will fail in three weeks. Why would you know that and he doesn't? Does he have a 12 year old understanding of what professional football is?

[Stugotz]

When you say Deion did it, Deon did two sports, right. Which I would argue probably is easier because at least there are different seasons and you can, you can, you can kind of zero in. When I'm playing baseball, I'm in baseball mode. When I'm playing football, I'm in football mode, right. Versus when I'm playing wide receiver versus db, which changes from possession to possession and the, the, the need to be great at that. The other thing also is how many plays do they have in baseball? Let's be real. How much homework are you doing in baseball as far as like learning play? Like maybe pitch.

[Greg Cody]

You're studying a pitcher's like what he throws on first pitch, second pitches.

[Chris Cote]

Scanner reports.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, yeah, but like we're not talk. It's not football level.

[Jeremy Tache]

There's a lot of film watching of yourself to improve at your own individual level. And before a specific matchup against a pitcher, you're watching and seeing what their sequencing is. But because they play every day, it's not the same, same amount of film work as it would be in something like the NFL. But, but to your point about playing two different sports being something that's beneficial, you could actually argue Shohei Ohtani is essentially doing that. Hitting a baseball and playing a position as a hitter is a completely different thing from being a pitcher. Where Travis Hunter having to play on both sides of the ball in football in that individual game with the type of effort that that requires it, it is a more strenuous thing.

[Stugotz]

There's another part of this that we kind of been glossing over and it's my fault because I said forget about the physical. But also they don't hit you in baseball, they hit you. Every possession of football, you're getting hit. Not. Okay, get it? You're hit by a ball every once in a while. Right. How often do guys get hit by a ball, Roy, in a game?

[Chris Cote]

On average? Seldomly not on Purpose often. But sometimes they lose control.

[Greg Cody]

Somebody who gets hit by a pitch a lot will get hit 12 times a season.

[Amin Elhassan]

The answer is not often.

[Stugotz]

Right? 12 times a season. A season, right. How many times you getting physically hit in a football game if you're out there? 12 times in the first half. Right. So first quarter. In the first quarter.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like, forgive me for this. Can you guys please look up for me who led? Because Craig Biggio would like to have a word. Getting hit with a baseball seems horrific. Horrific. Getting hit by baseball.

[Stugotz]

You know what's more horrific?

[Dan Le Batard]

And so when you guys say, ah, 12 times a year, oh, my God, no, no, please, no foul tips. None of that stuff. That ball moves fast and it's very hard. But go look up some numbers on Don Baylor. I go look up some numbers on hit by pitch. Don't tell me that's not physical. I'd be terrified to stand in and try and see somebody throw 100 miles an hour at me.

[Stugotz]

Dan, let me ask you a question. Would you rather get hit by a pitch by Shohei Ohtani, or would you rather get hit by Miles Turner?

[Roy Bellamy]

Miles Garrett.

[Stugotz]

Miles Garrett. Miles Turner is also. I wouldn't want to get hit.

[Roy Bellamy]

I don't want to get hit by him either.

[Dan Le Batard]

But. No, but he's having trouble going between the sports. He's trying to dance between basketball, football.

[Roy Bellamy]

It's up for the miles. That's what it was. It was a mile northeast.

[Dan Le Batard]

It can be tough. It's a good question, though. I mean, the physical nature of what it is that we're talking about, though. I'm actually interested in the mechanics of Travis Hunter's mind here because it strikes me that he's so confident, so arrogant with arrogance that's earned, right? We can't. We can't say it's not earned like him and Dion. And they just conquered college football for all the money and got Dion a bigger contract than Belichick. Like, they won the biggest bet the.

[Stugotz]

Biggest way, and they were 13 and 12.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah.

[Stugotz]

I don't know. Last two years, like, what they conquered. OK, they got paid. All right. A lot of people got paid.

[Roy Bellamy]

A lot of terrible, though. They were terrible two years.

[Amin Elhassan]

I don't think they want a ball game.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wait a minute, guys. So they were the worst program, and then he made them matter, which is all that matters. Like, okay, yeah, and they weren't that good. And they've got two top picks. But Travis Hunter believes he built all that. Can he not take credit for saying, yes, I was the best?

[Stugotz]

Sure.

[Dan Le Batard]

And when he says I can do both, why is his understanding so limited that we can see? Travis, this is way too hard. You're going to want, you're not going to want to do it in nine days. You're not going to have a life. It's not possible to do full time on both sides.

[Stugotz]

Dan, I'll give you a great example as far as the difference between the pros and college, because you can do things in college. We had a saying when I worked in the league, which is everyone's got a scrapbook like I was. Yeah, look around. Everyone here was all time leading scorer, all time something right. The other night I'm in Golden State in San Francisco watching Warriors vs. Grizzlies. And that was a good game. It was a good game. Zach Eady gets a one on one in the block against Quinton Post, a name no one had heard of six months ago. And he couldn't even take advantage of that. And I said, I turned to the guy next to me, I said, a year ago this guy was the player of the year in college basketball. And they were saying, I can't believe he's not in the conversation for number one. And all of us who are in the pro level are like, yeah, cuz this shit ain't like that over there. It's a different ball game when you get to the pros. And that's what we're talking about here. Travis Hunter did help make Colorado from a laughing stock to a mediocre team. Right? He did win Heisman. Right. He did play both sides. He was excellent and he is an excellent prospect should he choose to be one or the other. Either way, I think he's going to be great at the next level. But there is a cap to how great you can be. And that cap is. I play against everybody who was great. Everyone out there was great. And so I go back to my question. Would you rather get hit by a pitch by Shohei Ohtani or would you rather get hit by Miles Garrett? And by the way, hit by a pitch by Shohei Ohtani. That might happen. Maximum. Maximum. Shohei just doesn't like your ass. Twice in a game. Twice in a game. That's the maximum. Miles Garrett can do that shit all day long.

[Amin Elhassan]

Why doesn't Shohei Ohtani like my ass?

[Chris Cote]

All right, I guess I got some numbers on hip hop pitches. The current active leader is stalling Marte with 161 so far in his career single season record. Huey Jennings back in 1896. The Modern is how much The Huey Jennings. Huey Jennings had 51.

[Greg Cody]

Love a good. Like when you're like scanning your eyes on a website.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

A little filler noise.

[Dan Le Batard]

When the whole show is resting on your neck like this helmet, big fat white face and you've got it and you've got a chin strap on and, and you ran in here and you're like. And you're like, Dan, we were late on Mad Dog and victory lap and weekend obs and game time this segment. Yeah.

[Chris Cote]

Ron Hunt, the modern leader with 50 in 1971. Career leader is Huey Jennings, 287. Craig Biggio with 285.

[Jeremy Tache]

Anthony Rizzo, the all time leader for left handed hitters.

[Dan Le Batard]

So Jeremy pitch clock is around the corner here and I'm looking forward. I decided yesterday after that time with Kirkjen that I'm going to do that. What I would like to do here is with Zaslow tomorrow night. I want to have all the stakes around Zaslow watching this game for all.

[Amin Elhassan]

The stakes is that we're doing.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, yeah. We're going to figure it out, right? I. I look as content it has not worked. But we're going to figure out an all or nothing consequence to Zasla will either work here for free during the hockey playoffs or he will not get any of these tickets. Like however it is we're doing that, we're reverse engineering it because I'm telling you, he will not have these tickets if he does not bet. Win whatever this bet is.

[Amin Elhassan]

All right, so tomorrow night, Tony, you got the board there? You have the driver's board.

[Roy Bellamy]

I'm looking at it.

[Amin Elhassan]

Give it to me again.

[Dan Le Batard]

I want Joe. So this is what I'm telling you, Tony, this must happen. Okay? There has to be a game tomorrow night that our fan base cares about enough to watch a Heat game when they are sick of our show caring about the Heat. This is where the last embers of all the Heat shit goes to die. Zaslow says, no, it's not. It's a freight train. Jeremy says, I'm willing to believe Andrew Wiggins. Greg Cody is seconds away now, no longer with a flap over his belly button from saying Andrew Wiggins. A home run for Jimmy Butler and then they'll lose to Cleveland in four games. But if they beat Atlanta. But if we're going to believe in something, I'm going to make you guys bet for it in a way that will make Zaslo work for free or not at all around here during the hockey playoffs and we'll have consequences. Or he'll have the night of his life and three great fun months.

[Amin Elhassan]

Night, sir. Night, sir.

[Dan Le Batard]

Correct.

[Roy Bellamy]

I think the caveat here and the grab for content, is doing a live stream with ZAZLOW on our YouTube channel, where all of a sudden, it's Zazlo at the Zazlow mansion. Of course. Ready to watch the game?

[Dan Le Batard]

Why not here?

[Roy Bellamy]

I mean, depends. I didn't want to take him all the way from the Zazzle mansion back down.

[Amin Elhassan]

I have a car.

[Roy Bellamy]

Cooper City rattlesnake.

[Dan Le Batard]

Look where it's at. Look. When, when, when is this game?

[Amin Elhassan]

Tomorrow.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, how do we get Zaz to sit in this studio for however long it has to be for the night of his life for you? What you guys are not understanding is that if we put these actual stakes on it, this is going to be the biggest game of Z.

[Amin Elhassan]

It really will be. And I was at all the games of the NBA Finals.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like to have him be able to sit in the middle of huge stakes. Can we get this picture, please, of Zazzle? Who betrayed you?

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, Sedano. Like a rat. What a weasel move by sedano. After Game 5 in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat went down three games to two. Brutal game, terrible loss at home. I was never more down until, of course, in 2023, Derrick White, game six. That right there was the lowest point, maybe of my life. But at the time in 2012, I was despondent after the Heat loss, that game because, of course, you know, the blueprints on the line, and we're about to go. That's not the picture right there. I mean, that's mean.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, that's not.

[Amin Elhassan]

I'm not the kid from. What is that? Is that. No, no, no. That's not me.

[Tony Collins]

All right?

[Amin Elhassan]

No one. No one would ever say that that's me, but I. Sedano, he snapped a picture of me after the game where I'm sitting underneath the bowels in, like, a media room.

[Dan Le Batard]

We will find that picture, and we've shown it before, so.

[Amin Elhassan]

Dirty move.

[Dan Le Batard]

It was a betrayal. Look, there have been a couple of betrayals today, all right? Zazzle just found out for the first time that we stole his bit.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Amin Elhassan]

And finally.

[Dan Le Batard]

And we don't execute it well, and nobody does their punishments. And now the I do a floor.

[Amin Elhassan]

Gymnastics floor routine in a leotard.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's good.

[Greg Cody]

Ah, the breaking news. It never stops. Adam Schefter tweets.

[Roy Bellamy]

That was no enthusiasm there.

[Greg Cody]

What happened?

[Dan Le Batard]

That was so boring.

[Greg Cody]

DraftKings, the Crown is yours.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

We are back.

[Dan Le Batard]

What just happened to him?

[Greg Cody]

This Is actually not the happiest story ever. That's why.

[Dan Le Batard]

Is it your heavy. Okay, Is it your heavy tongue?

[Greg Cody]

Is it that's getting into serious journalists. No, no one died. Yeah, because you're gonna hear the name and think me.

[Roy Bellamy]

Whoa.

[Dan Le Batard]

No.

[Greg Cody]

Lee Corso, the legendary ESPN broadcaster.

[Amin Elhassan]

Come on.

[Greg Cody]

Will make his final headgear pick on college game day on Saturday, week one, August 30th. All right, so we're not going to get the full season of a goodbye, but we're gonna. Week one, we will say goodbye to Lee Corso.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's all right.

[Greg Cody]

Pretty exciting because he's had a. I, I, I think I'm happy for him. I've, like, been stressed out the last few years watching him on television, so I'm happy now that we can celebrate him and send him off and hopefully he'll still be around. I, I just, like, they need to have to keep the visual of him around, even if he's not on air as much.

[Stugotz]

Chris, would you rather be able to talk to Lee Corso or a Cane Corso?

[Dan Le Batard]

I gotta be honest with you guys. It is for people who say that corporations do not care and that corporations can be cold. The way ESPN and Disney has handled with grace, with great, great grace, the aging of Dick Vital and Lee Corso, who were never mascots and were great and are great for the brand. Seeing them get old on television and fight back from illness for that particular show, popular, popular show. To change all around him quickly and protect him with love on television as the Internet was mean to Grandpa's slurring. And man, oh, man, what great care to be able to allow Lee Corso. Because nobody wants to take the car keys away, right? I can't get my dad to stop driving. I'm like, dad, don't go anywhere anymore. You're 80 years old. Stop driving anywhere. Yeah, he wants to keep working.

[Greg Cody]

Mike has wrote on Twitter this could, could this be in Miami? Because doesn't Florida Miami play Week 1?

[Amin Elhassan]

I think it's going to be in Columbus. I think it's going to be Texas, Ohio State.

[Jeremy Tache]

That makes a lot more sense than Florida Miami.

[Dan Le Batard]

What? Inside info. As ESPN Radio insider Jonathan Zaslow reports. Chris, is that what you just did? You just defer to Zaslow because Zaslo works for espn?

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, I. And I travel for college football season.

[Dan Le Batard]

But you don't own a coat and you've never been anywhere in the world.

[Amin Elhassan]

I am. I may have to do a little shopping this time.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay. No, wait a minute. You're not ready to be a star of any sort. Look what becomes a star. Look at what becomes a star at espn right here. A total homer. Betrayed by Sedano.

[Amin Elhassan]

Weasel move by Sedano.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, so this is. When was this? Oh, this is the blueprint on the.

[Amin Elhassan]

Line game right before.

[Dan Le Batard]

So listen to me. Do you understand the stakes of Pearl Jam tomorrow night?

[Stugotz]

This.

[Dan Le Batard]

This night, Zazzle. You'd be watching the face of the Miami Heat. Do you not understand the moment we have as art? Jonathan Zaslow would say to you, mike Ryan says, I invented Heat Twitter. Zaslow would like a word that is a claim. Zaslo would like a word. Zaslo. What? Zaslo would tell you he invented Heat Twitter as much as Mike Ryan invented Heat Twitter. Like, I don't think Zazzle would make such a bold claim, but he wouldn't say that. That Mike Ryan is more entitled to it than he is.

[Amin Elhassan]

I mean, look, I was. I was doing the Heat fan thing when no one was. It was all Dolphins down here. All right? Everyone on the air loves the Dolphins or played for the Dolphins. I'm like, yo, step aside, Miami Heat. That's where it's at. And then they traded for Shaq, and away we go.

[Roy Bellamy]

The Dan Levitard show with Stugots is sponsored by Better Help. Life gets busy. Boy, do I know that. And your mind carries it all. But just like your body needs care, so does your mental health. Therapy is an investment in clarity, in peace, in you. Let's talk numbers really quick. Traditional in person therapy costs anywhere from 100 to 250 bucks per session, which adds up fast. With BetterHelp online therapy, you can save an average of up to 50% per session. With BetterHelp, you pay a flat fee for weekly sessions, saving you big on cost and time. Therapy should feel accessible, not like a luxury. With online therapy, you get quality care at a price that makes sense and can help you with anything from anxiety to everyday stress. Your mental health is worth it. And now it's within reach. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. And it's super convenient. You can join a session with the click of a button, helping you fit therapy into your busy life. Plus switch therapists at any time. Your well being is worth it. Visit betterhelp.com DLB today to get 10% off your first month. That's better help. H e l p.com DLB if you're.

[Tony Collins]

A pet parent like me, you know about Chewy. When they say they have everything you need to keep your pet happy and healthy. They're not messing around. Food, toys, prescriptions. Whatever you need, they got it. Plus they can deliver it right to your door to keep Dopey happy. Chewy offers over 100,000 products from the brands my pets love at prices I love too. Food, treats, toys, beds. You name it, they've got it. To keep Izzy healthy, Chewy has got me covered with pet prescriptions, insurance, telehealth, vet visits, and even vet clinics rolling out nationwide. My favorite feature? Autoship. I never run out of essentials like food or litter and I can update or cancel any. So no guilt trips from Dopey and Izzy. Everything ships right to your door in just one to two days. Oh, and Chewy isn't just for dogs and cats. They've got birds, fish, reptiles and more covered too. Chewy has everything you need to keep your pet happy and healthy. And right now you can save $20 on your first order and get free shipping by going to chewy.comDan that's chewy.comDan to save $20 on your first order with free shipping. Chewy.comDan minimum purchase required. New customers only. Terms and conditions apply. See site for complete details.

[Mike Ryan]

Howdy folks. It's Mike Ryan here to remind you that Game Time is the official ticketing partner of the Dan LeBatard show with Stu Gotz. As you know, I talk about Game Time plenty on the show because I use it plenty and the weather is warming up. It is a perfect time to take family or friends, a whole lot of folks take them to a ball game. But before you do, why don't you check out the GameTime app? Why? Because GameTime makes getting tickets even faster and easier. Prices on the gametime app actually go down the closer it gets a first pitch with killer last minute deals, all in prices, views from your seat, and the lowest price guarantee, GameTime takes the guesswork out of buying MLB tickets. What if you're one of those fans that likes to travel the nation and go to all these different ballparks? Sometimes you don't know what you're getting yourself into. You're not familiar well those panoramic seat views on the app. They certainly help almost as much as that all in Pricing tab to make sure there are no surprises at checkout. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code DAN for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code dan for $20 off. Download the Gametime app today. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Don Lebatard, you're getting started on the breakfast flan.

[Stugotz]

Oh, man, I've been singing a song to myself all morning long. Breakfast Flats. Have you never heard the breakfast flow?

[Mike Ryan]

Hit me with it.

[Stugotz]

Okay. I wish I had some breakfast flick and I found a breakfast like that.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stuff. I mean, I want to do weekend observations with you. Can you do them for us instead of Stugatz? I don't know where Stugats was this week. Did he forget to do the weekend observations?

[Stugotz]

Well, someone forgot to tell me, but I think I can come up with some off top of my head real quick.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay.

[Amin Elhassan]

Kevin Garnett had like 26 points that night. Oh my God.

[Roy Bellamy]

He was a dog.

[Amin Elhassan]

Haunted me in my sleep.

[Dan Le Batard]

It is time for. I mean, to share his game notes. No one in the media will tell you what happened better than my boy.

[Stugotz]

I mean, weekend observations.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hold on a second. I mean, this is gonna be hard to do with the. With the buttons and whatnot.

[Stugotz]

Weekend observations. I've never done this before, so that's my fault. And it's brought to you by Middle of light. Dan. After a season in which everyone criticized it for having too many threes and too many missed games by Starz, the NBA Postseason is back. 20,000 seats, same color T shirt draped over each one and a generic team slogan on it like it's our time or we bleed. Insert color here. Postseen basketball gooseies. What happened there? Honestly, enough of the complaining about three pointers from downtown. Behind the arc. Bang. Jimmy Butler 38 points, seven boards, six dimes. Playoff. Jimmy. I miss him. Mikhail Bridges starting and fouling six seconds into a game to leave and preserve his games played streak. The rare time people are complaining about Tibbs playing a starter. Too many minutes. A few minutes. What happened there?

[Dan Le Batard]

That is an asterisk, though. That's ameen. Are you willing to put an asterisk on it?

[Stugotz]

I'm willing to put asterisks on this performance by me. In my personal record book, you should have to play a quarter. Aminohassenbook.com coming soon. Anthony Davis was a perfect five zero against the Monte Sabonis this year. You know what that means. He's got his number. As long as the Clippers are playing basketball, Nick Batum will be stepping around.

[Amin Elhassan]

Still in the league.

[Stugotz]

Thunder.

[Roy Bellamy]

He's a Clipper.

[Dan Le Batard]

How is that possible?

[Stugotz]

Thunder do it in the playoffs. Klay Thompson turning back the clock. You Know what the T in Thompson stands for?

[Dan Le Batard]

Turning back the clock. Yeah.

[Stugotz]

Good job, Dano. I'm not saying it'll happen, but just for a moment, can we all close our eyes and imagine the victory lap Nico Harrison would take if the Mavs win the championship?

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, can we do victory lap? Don't we have to do victory lap?

[Greg Cody]

We'll do it later.

[Stugotz]

We'll do it later.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, but you just mentioned a victory lap. Nico Harrison.

[Stugotz]

My bad.

[Greg Cody]

Nico's not here, so.

[Stugotz]

Hey, Mark Cuban, if you didn't want the Mavericks to trade Luka, maybe you shouldn't have sold the team. I mean, how about that? The guy sells the team, and then he's always like, oh, I want.

[Greg Cody]

Don't trade him.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes. It's not my fault. Well, yeah. I mean, yeah, you sold the team. Keep the team.

[Amin Elhassan]

Sold the team to people who don't care about basketball.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's right. Like, that's. Whose fault? Whose fault would it be?

[Stugotz]

It's Mark Cuban's fault. Steph Curry was having a rough shooting night. Until he wasn't.

[Dan Le Batard]

Can I. Can I just go back for a second? Because I know we've talked a lot about Nico and everyone is concerned with Nico, but does Mark Cuban went to Shark Tank, has made great wealth. Is there any kind of prison for him in caring about that team as much as he does? Having all the wealth in the world that you can have and. And got out at the right time and everything else, but also. Oh, my God, at the end, that something. I actually cared. They. They. They sucked the soul right out of it in a way that actually hurt the billionaire.

[Stugotz]

Got three more pages of this, Dano.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, no.

[Stugotz]

Gotta get to it. Santino's waiting. Steph Curry is having a rough shooting night. Until he wasn't greatest shooter ever. Someone please tell Buddy Heald. No player in the history of the NBA has benefited more from having one teammate more than Draymond Green did with Steph Curry. Without Steph Curry, Draymond Green is Luke Harangodi.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hold on a second.

[Stugotz]

I didn't write this.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hold on.

[Stugotz]

Can I. Draymond, I didn't write this.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. I need to stop everything here because the train has gotten away from Roy Bellamy. I can no longer put Amin Alhassan in the position that he is presently in, where Andrew Santino is staring at him. Amin knows it. A comedian, a professional comedian is here, and Amin is workshopping some of Stugatz's work for the first time. I will not do that to Amin as a performer allow our sloppiness to be something that makes Amin be out here feeling like he's performing comedy One liners for Andrew Santino.

[Stugotz]

Got a bomb, Dan. That's part of the job. That is true. Gotta learn how to bomb. All right. Cray Young and the Hawks steamrolled by the Magic, bringing us one step closer to the inevitable Cavs vs Hawks NBA TV series. People in sports and entertainment that connote getting steamrolled. Oli Press, Taylor. Bam. Out of bio.

[Greg Cody]

Damn.

[Stugotz]

Number five, David Blatt. Number four, Smush Parker. Number three, Rascal Flats. Number two, David Farrer, the Bulldozer. And at number one, the 1970s Denver Broncos Orange Crush. Don't look now, but here come the Reds. Speaking of Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat just beat the Chicago Bulls in the play in for the third straight year. Three Pete Bulls. You think the playheart is your ally? You merely adopted the play and the Heat were molded in it.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's right.

[Stugotz]

You know what happened to the Bulls? Lights got too bright. Heat fans celebrating a play in win like an NBA title. This used to be a proud franchise.

[Amin Elhassan]

How dare you, P.J.

[Stugotz]

P.J. Tucker. Nick. That's all I got. Really, Dan, you know what the L in light the beam stands for? Losers.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, there we go. There we go.

[Stugotz]

DeMar DeRozan, Zach Levine. Welcome to Chicago West. Sounds like a show I could stream on Peacock. Like the Dan Lebatar show with Stu Gotz. There you go. Time to wink, right? Death, taxes and Jimmy Goldstein courtside at NBA playoff games. Goldie. Colorado football announced that they will retire Shadour Sanders jersey. You know what they say, Dano? Anytime you lead a team to a 1312 record and win zero bowl games, they have to retire jersey. Especially if your dad is the head coach. Nepotism. I love it. Why don't we retire Shiloh's jersey, too? Shador's. Not even. The top five Colorado football players of the last 40 years. Top five Colorado football players of the last forty years.

[Dan Le Batard]

There aren't gonna be more. They're not gonna be five better than him.

[Stugotz]

Oli. Nate Solder. Mike Pritchard. Daniel Graham, Charles Johnson, Eric Bienami, Michael Westbrook. And the entire offensive line from their 1990 national championship team. Number five, Cordell Stewart. Number four, Travis Hunter. Number three, Alfred Williams. Number two, Darian Hagan. Number one, Rashaun Salaam.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't agree. That's a bad list.

[Stugotz]

Didn't write it bad. Doesn't matter.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, that's. No, it's Not. No. No. I'm not going to move on. That's cheating. You. The last three were not good enough. They're not. None of them are better than Travis Hunter. None of them are better than Travis Hunter.

[Stugotz]

Okay, whatever. Nos gauntlet. If you tell your friends you're going to a bar and they don't tell you that it's trivia night at that bar, are they really your friends? Seriously? Anybody? Give me a heads up. Jesse Fuentes? Anybody? Ethan? Someone let me know. It's trivia night. Warriors and Rockets in the first round. Draymond Green, Dillon Brooks, collision course. What are the odds both of those guys make it through the series without being suspended?

[Jeremy Tache]

Zero.

[Stugotz]

Mike Boonholzer told Bradley Beal he should play more like Jrue Holiday.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's right.

[Stugotz]

Hey, Mike Bunholzer. You should coach more like Steve Kerr. Mike Boonholzer nickname is Bud. Shouldn't his nickname be booed? Mike Boonholzer signed a 5 year, 50 million dollar deal, then was fired after a single year. Meaning he makes another $40 million for doing absolutely nothing for the next four years. Mike Boonholzer. The Stugac is strong in you. Kevin Durant, Coach Killer. You know what the K and KD stands for, Dan? No. Coach Killer.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's not.

[Stugotz]

I didn't.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, that's.

[Stugotz]

I didn't write that one.

[Dan Le Batard]

I understand. I don't know why you're doing it.

[Stugotz]

Right.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm sorry. You have to do them in front of Santino.

[Jeremy Tache]

I wrote it.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's vulnerable. I'm sorry.

[Stugotz]

That's why he's not coming to the Heat. Speaking of kd, Katy Perry Going to Space just announced your set list as a publicity stunt to sell more tickets for your tour. The Stugach is strong in you. Josh Giddey looks like the lead singer of a band that Roy has never heard of. Once you lose Dirk Support. It's over for you in Dallas. Rock bottom. Hey, baseball. Hope you enjoyed a nice couple of weeks, which are torpedo bats. We got it from here. Cassidy Hubbard received a beautiful tribute at the end of Heat Bowls, her final game as she's leaving ESPN for Amazon after 15 years. So from the bottom of our hearts here at Meadowlark Media, congratulations on the amazing run. Tony Collins can't wait to see your work at Amazon. Hella run. Speaking of hell, Art Briles. And those are the week long observations.

[Roy Bellamy]

The Dan LeBatard show with Stu Gotts is sponsored by BetterHelp. Life gets busy, Boy do I know that and your mind carries it all. But just like Your body needs care, so does your mental health. Therapy is an investment in clarity, in peace, in you. Let's talk numbers really quick. Traditional in person therapy can cost anywhere from 100 to 250 bucks per session, which adds up fast. With BetterHelp online therapy you can save an average of up to 50% per session. With BetterHelp you pay a flat fee for weekly sessions, saving you big on cost and time. Therapy should feel accessible, not like a luxury. With online therapy, you get quality care at a price that makes sense and can help you with anything from anxiety to everyday stress. Your mental health is worth it and now it's within reach. With over 30,000 therapist BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, Having served over 5 million people globally and it's super convenient. You can join a session with the click of a button, helping you fit therapy into your busy life plus switch therapists at any time. Your well being is worth it. Visit betterhelp.com DLB today to get 10% off your first month. That's better help. H E L p.com DLB.

[Mike Ryan]

Game time is the official ticketing partner of the Dan LeBatard show with Stu Gotz. I am Mike Ryan and as you know, on this show I am am often touting Game Time because I believe in this product and as a play in tournament begins this week, why don't you head on over to Game Time? As a Miami Heat fan, I've got plenty of great experiences with that play in tournament. A lot of good runs started in this play in tournament. Might be a little frustrated that they're always in the play in tournament, but that's a story for another day. The good news is Game Time makes getting tickets to that play in tournament faster and easier even for hard to get playoff seats. Prices on the GameTime app may actually go down the closer it gets to tip off with killer last minute deals, all in prices, views from your seat, and their lowest price guarantee, GameTime takes the guesswork out of buying NBA playoff tickets. And don't forget about that all in pricing toggling. This feature shows the total up front with no surprise fees at checkout. And GameTime's got its unparalleled ticket coverage. Your purchase is covered with the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code DAN for $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code dan for $20 off. Download the Gametime app today. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed.