Hour 1: An Hour Of Mystery-Solving

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 1: An Hour Of Mystery-Solving

Date: March 23, 2026
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Theme:

This lively episode is all about unraveling mysteries—literal and figurative. Dan, Stugotz, and the crew dive into tales from their comically disastrous street hockey tournament experience, dissect a strange and unsolved situation with former NFL star Christian Wilkins, and riff on pop-culture oddities, like the ever-shifting lineup of the Pussycat Dolls. As always, sports, culture, and inside jokes collide in a uniquely Le Batardian hour.

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Street Hockey Misadventures

[01:32-13:18]

Setting the Scene

• The team recounts joining a street hockey tournament at the Florida Panthers Arena. Crew members like Chris, Roy, Ethan, Gabe, and Rose formed the Dan Le Batard Show team.
• Most of the group had little-to-no hockey experience, except for goalie David Druk and Gabe.

"Hockey is very hard to play." – Chris Cote [02:31]

Hilarity and Hardship

• The team quickly realized the physical toll: “Two minutes into the first game, I'm so tired, I can't even breathe.” – Chris Cote [03:51]
• Frequent “line changes” became comic moments. “We were all looking to get off the [rink].” – Jon Weiner [04:16]
• Chris and others describe the exhaustion, minor injuries, and rudimentary strategy—basically, firing the puck down the rink and hoping for the best.
• Their first game was a “respectable” 5-2 loss, with the other team dominating possession. Jon scored on a lucky half-court shot, “I was so tired, I didn’t even celebrate.” [05:21]
• Their second game ended in a 10-0 mercy rule defeat, against a team that "ended up winning it all." [08:51]

Notable Moment:

“You led the tournament in people who are on the sidelines saying, ‘I don't want to go back in.’” – Stugotz [10:10]

The Aftermath

• The team “forfeited” their scheduled third game, choosing food and recovery over more humiliation. [10:46]
• Meta humor surfaces about being recognized (or not) as show personalities and the embarrassment factor.

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Mystery: The Christian Wilkins NFL Saga

[14:15–28:12]

The Situation

• Dan introduces a confounding NFL story: Christian Wilkins—former first-round pick, top defensive tackle, still in his prime, signed and suddenly cut by the Raiders, now out of football for a year and a half, with only mysterious and unconfirmed rumors about why.

“There’s nothing wrong with his body, but the details on why he’s not playing football not only elude me, they're not being reported by anybody.” – Stugotz [14:52]

Facts and Speculation

• The crew reviews what's (rarely) reported:
  • Story goes: Wilkins kissed a teammate on the head, making the player uncomfortable, leading to an HR complaint.
  • Raiders gave other reasons—rehab work ethic, injury doubts—but all know something strange happened.
  • Multiple sources indicate it was a "playful incident," but the teammate filed an official complaint.
• Discussion on NFL culture—“I've never heard, never heard of it, of a player going to HR on another player.” – Stugotz [21:41]
• The group riffs on what’s “fair” to talk about when facts are murky and speculation swirls.
• They debate issues of changing workplace norms, the process of going to HR, and how unspoken lines in locker rooms may be shifting.

Insightful Exchanges

“I don’t know if you can describe it as an ‘advance’... but it clearly made people uncomfortable... We just know that it made people uncomfortable, and maybe the talent isn’t worth [the trouble].” – Mike Ryan [20:03]

“Given the sensitivity of the topic, there’s liabilities… Even for people reporting on the story.” – Dan Le Batard [27:45]

• The show ultimately concludes the NFL, agents, and reporters all know more than the public, but won’t/can’t publicly clarify the story. [27:09-28:12]
• They liken the mystery to the way other sensitive NFL or sports stories get handled behind closed doors, with the public left guessing.

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Mystery 2: The Pussycat Dolls Reunion

[29:48–34:58]

Setup

• The team sidetracks to pop-culture mystery: The Pussycat Dolls—why is the new touring lineup missing most previous members?
• Mike explains the origin: They started as a Vegas dance troupe and eventually became a pop group with Nicole Scherzinger as the only true household name.

Memorable Moment:

“Name one [Doll] that’s not Nicole Scherzinger.” – Dan Le Batard [30:36]
“I can’t, I can’t.” – Mike Ryan [30:37]

• The segment peaks with the Today Show clip, where the current Dolls awkwardly dodge the question about their ever-shifting group membership.

“Because there's probably some conflict there, I would imagine.” – Stugotz [33:47]

• The crew riffs on confusion between “Pussycat Dolls” and “Pussy Riot,” with classic Le Batard bumbling and offbeat banter.

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March Madness & Basketball Coaching Decisions

[35:00–41:20]

Tournament Talk

• Dan praises the drama of early-round NCAA tournament games, bemoaning how the action slows on the weekend.
• They discuss wild game endings, specifically Iowa’s last-second corner three to beat Florida—a play Dan calls “a great play” [36:31] and others criticize for Florida’s defensive coaching.

Basketball Coaching Frustrations

• Amin (Zas) and Dan critique college coaching: too much “yelling and riling up,” frequent strategic mistakes compared to pro ball.

“A lot of times they're not really that good coaches, dude.” – Dan Le Batard [37:38]

• The crew debates the difference between missing shots and playing well, and the idea that tournament pressure reveals program strength or fragility (experience vs. choking under pressure).

Ray Allen Parable

• Dan brings up NBA legend Ray Allen’s tale of practicing last-second threes while lying down, as a metaphor for being prepared in chaotic moments [40:34].

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Notable Quotes

[with Speaker and Timestamps]

• “You can't play if you can't breathe.” – Chris Cote [04:49]
• “You led the tournament in people who are on the sidelines saying, ‘I don't want to go back in.’” – Stugotz [10:10]
• “There’s nothing wrong with his body, but the details on why he’s not playing football not only elude me, they're not being reported by anybody.” – Stugotz [14:52]
• “Given the sensitivity of the topic, there’s liabilities… Even for people reporting on the story.” – Dan Le Batard [27:45]
• **“Name one [Doll] that’s not Nicole Scherzinger.” – Dan Le Batard [30:36]
  “I can’t, I can’t.” – Mike Ryan [30:37]
• “A lot of times they're not really that good coaches, dude.” – Dan Le Batard [37:38]

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Timeline of Key Segments

• [01:32] – Street hockey tournament begins
• [03:51] – Chris Cote hits exhaustion, team humor about subs
• [05:06] – First game score/recap
• [08:51] – Second game, “mercy rule," end of team’s day
• [14:15] – Christian Wilkins NFL saga begins
• [21:41] – NFL locker room culture/HR discussion
• [27:45] – Why reporters are silent on the Wilkins story
• [29:48] – Pussycat Dolls segment begins
• [36:05] – March Madness buzzer-beaters and coaching critique
• [40:34] – Ray Allen practice anecdote

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Tone & Style

True to the show's DNA, the conversation is comedic, candid, and at times, thoughtfully frustrated—often self-deprecating, with a heavy dose of skepticism about institutional behavior (in both sports and media). The panel’s chemistry shines in both playful roasting and honest, nuanced analysis.

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Summary

This hour is peak Dan Le Batard Show: a farcical tale of failed athletic exploits, a serious attempt at sports mystery journalism, pop-culture detours, and passionate basketball philosophizing. The “mystery-solving” moniker couldn’t be more apt—every story opens more questions than answers, and the crew’s collective speculation is as entertaining as the facts themselves.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Chris Cote]

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[Stugotz]

That's a great attitude.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugotz]

You sound insane.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugotz]

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[Chris Cote]

Well, clones aren't real, dummy.

[Stugotz]

And time machines are super grounded in reality.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Stugotz]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Stugotz]

Or matcha.

[Mike Ryan]

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[Alice]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Alice]

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[Stugotz]

This is the Dan LeBatard show with the Stugats podcast.

[Jon Weiner]

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

[Stugotz]

Whoa.

[Zas]

Little slide step.

[Stugotz]

Zaz, why are you so sore? What's the matter with you? I see you hobbling around.

[Chris Cote]

God, Dan, I am so sore.

[Stugotz]

I just mentioned that.

[Jon Weiner]

Yeah, he just said that.

[Mike Ryan]

He's setting it up for the audience

[Jon Weiner]

who just started listening. It's okay if you're just joining it.

[Chris Cote]

I am hobbling around this whole morning, Dan, because Saturday, like the.

[Jon Weiner]

Chris, Chris, Chris. Long pause.

[Dan Le Batard]

Pause. Yours on Saturday.

[Chris Cote]

On Saturday morning, your. Your employees, me included, we signed up and we. We played in a street hockey tournament at the Florida Panthers arena on Saturday.

[Stugotz]

Who played?

[Chris Cote]

Me, Chris, Roy, Ethan.

[Zas]

Real ragtag group.

[Jon Weiner]

We had Gabe, who was a ringer out there. Sneaky, good hockey player.

[Chris Cote]

Rose.

[Zas]

Useless.

[Stugotz]

Whoa, wait a minute.

[Zas]

She'll adm. Are you saying she didn't rise to the occasion?

[Chris Cote]

And let me tell you something. Hockey is very hard to play.

[Stugotz]

David Druk was on goal, too.

[Chris Cote]

Hockey was that. It's very hard.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, that's your first mistake right there.

[Chris Cote]

No, no, he was a stud. He plays. He plays ice hockey. Goalie. For real, right?

[Jon Weiner]

We have two players that had hockey experience. Dworking goal And Gabe.

[Dan Le Batard]

But is it dwarf? Kind of like, you want a bigger guy.

[Jon Weiner]

You don't know puck man. I saw the score of the last game. Plays aren't fat.

[Zas]

They needed something else in.

[Chris Cote]

The goalies are fat, Dan. It's. It's three on three, and each team has a goalie.

[Stugotz]

But were the rest of you just, like, you've got to know how to skate, like.

[Jon Weiner]

No, no, no.

[Dan Le Batard]

Street hockey.

[Jon Weiner]

Street hockey. They're in shoes.

[Chris Cote]

You're in street hockey.

[Jon Weiner]

That's what made us think we had a chance.

[Chris Cote]

Street hockey.

[Dan Le Batard]

Street hockey meant, like, guys had, like, bandanas and chains and.

[Stugotz]

I'm sorry I missed the street part of this.

[Chris Cote]

So, like, Dwark is in every go for all the teams were, like, real goalies. The pads, everything, like, geared up, looking like Sergey Bobrovsky out there.

[Jon Weiner]

It was a ball, by the way. Yeah, but not a puck.

[Chris Cote]

But there and the. A regular street hockey. Hockey ball, dude.

[Jon Weiner]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like you don't know there's a regulation street hockey ball.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah.

[Jon Weiner]

Doesn't bounce. Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, really?

[Chris Cote]

And the other teams we played for were definitely all, like, real ice hockey.

[Jon Weiner]

That was the annoying part.

[Chris Cote]

You know, they. They knew what they were doing. And if I could tell you, Dan, two minutes into the first game, I'm so tired, I can't even breathe.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, you bent over the whole.

[Chris Cote]

Oh, yeah.

[Jon Weiner]

We came out of the gates a little hot, and we all were winded way too quick.

[Chris Cote]

I'm. You know, we're changing on the fly. You don't have to wait for the whistle. Open the door.

[Dan Le Batard]

Come on. I got to run.

[Jon Weiner]

Out came a thing of, like, zaz, commit for me. No, no, I'm not ready yet. Yeah.

[Chris Cote]

Oh, yeah. I had to wave.

[Jon Weiner]

We were all looking to get off the.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Chris Cote]

I had to wave wall.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wait, the. The sub was waving off.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

I was literally like, yeah. Hey, you got to come out, and the guy will wave off.

[Chris Cote]

I was on the other side it. And Chris. Yo, Zaza. I go, no, no, no, I'm not ready.

[Jon Weiner]

I mean, when I would go out, I would just walk away from the board. So there was no option. There was, like, word.

[Stugotz]

Chris, you guys are so. You guys are the opposite of the pitcher who refuses to come out of the game when the manager.

[Jon Weiner]

That's right.

[Stugotz]

To pull him.

[Jon Weiner]

I mean, granted, you guys are in

[Stugotz]

the bullpen as the pitcher who refuses to go into the game because he's.

[Chris Cote]

I couldn't breathe. Dan.

[Stugotz]

To wind it.

[Chris Cote]

You can't play if you can't breathe.

[Jon Weiner]

You guys play two Games. You guys play two games.

[Chris Cote]

The first game, okay, the score was respectable. We lost five to two. But if I could tell you the other team had the puck 99.9.

[Jon Weiner]

And that's putting it lightly.

[Chris Cote]

Like we never actually had the puck. We had moments where we shot the puck down to the other end of

[Stugotz]

the floor like twice.

[Jon Weiner]

It went in, I scored, he scored, I scored our goal. I, it was a half court shot. I tried to clear. I found it on my stick and

[Chris Cote]

just flung it soft.

[Stugotz]

Goal.

[Jon Weiner]

And I really just went and I was so tired, I didn't even celebrate.

[Chris Cote]

It just rolled past the dude's leg. Like he must not have thought it was going to reach him.

[Dan Le Batard]

Was this like a mighty Duck situation where you had the clap bomb or whatever?

[Jon Weiner]

Well, you weren't allowed to slap shot past.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah, you could. Waist down, waist down, you know. And then the. Now I, I, I took a puck off the forearm at one because I

[Jon Weiner]

was playing, my right hand is broken. I wore a puck to the hand at one point.

[Chris Cote]

My hand, I'm playing defense. So like I'm kind of standing in front of dwar, you know, like I'm trying to make sure no one gets him. But these teams, they're, they're lining up for, for these big shots.

[Jon Weiner]

Ethan, come in here and show us your bruise.

[Chris Cote]

I'm in the lineup. Fire here. I mean, I took a puck to the arm, I'm trying not to catch a stick to the mouth, you know, like. And then you're up against the boards and you're fighting against guys.

[Dan Le Batard]

They checking.

[Chris Cote]

No, no, no checking. But like you are battling for the puck against the boards and it's, it's really physical. Ethan took one right under the nipple.

[Dan Le Batard]

No one wants to see that.

[Chris Cote]

He took a puck right into the nipple. Chris Cody, he fell at one point. His knee was bleeding everywhere. Yeah, he fell down you six. So that was a, at one point

[Jon Weiner]

I felt my legs were just like, I'm done running. You ever had that thing where you're running and all of a sudden you just like done, like as if you're going downstairs, your legs are just like. Look, we've been doing this for about a half hour now and I'm done.

[Chris Cote]

So you could keep running. I'm not.

[Jon Weiner]

So then I just went down.

[Dan Le Batard]

How'd the other goal get scored?

[Chris Cote]

Oh, oh.

[Jon Weiner]

Inexplicably funny, you ask. A great pass I had. Luckily I found the ball with, in our own, in our own tape to tape and I, I, actually Gabe was

[Chris Cote]

cherry picking a little bit Gabe was cherry picking.

[Jon Weiner]

I flung it down to Gabe and Gabe did a nice. Gabe was our only.

[Chris Cote]

Really a beautiful goal game scored.

[Jon Weiner]

I got a nice pass from the ref who was definitely judging us.

[Chris Cote]

We realized at this point that we're never going to score unless we cherry pick and maybe we get lucky. Flinging the puck to the other end of the floor.

[Dan Le Batard]

Tony, they did the Vivec four on five.

[Jon Weiner]

The first game we lost four to 25252.

[Mike Ryan]

And he.

[Jon Weiner]

I think it was four. Whatever. In my mind it'll always be four with the POS. Like he. He said it 100% of the.

[Chris Cote]

It was never had the puck.

[Jon Weiner]

The Idea only lost 5 to 2 was one of the more incredible feats in the history of hockey.

[Stugotz]

Oo Cinco. Saying when he played Real Madrid he couldn't like touch.

[Chris Cote]

We never. There was never a point where one of us passed to the other. We never.

[Jon Weiner]

It was always holy.

[Dan Le Batard]

I have it.

[Chris Cote]

Dump it down.

[Jon Weiner]

Yeah, you're on me.

[Chris Cote]

It was all happening so fast. So after the first game we felt good. We. We were ready to quit. After the first game, everyone was dead.

[Jon Weiner]

Dwar looked dead.

[Chris Cote]

I've never seen Chris so red in the face. Like what we're every day.

[Jon Weiner]

No, but like, dude, it was like seven.

[Chris Cote]

We were so tired.

[Jon Weiner]

I didn't see my wife. We were playing that game at like 9:30. At about 4pm I saw my wife for the first time. She's like, why are you so red? I was still red.

[Chris Cote]

So the next.

[Stugotz]

I would have thought she said that upon meeting you.

[Jon Weiner]

Yeah.

[Chris Cote]

So the next game was at 10:30. All right. We get out there, we see the team that we're playing. This team.

[Jon Weiner]

Oh my God.

[Chris Cote]

They got gear. Bunch of tryhard from the knees to the toes. They got metal shin guards.

[Dan Le Batard]

The Iceland team.

[Chris Cote]

And I'm like, holy. Are you kidding me? And so some of the puck luck

[Jon Weiner]

we had in the first game.

[Stugotz]

What was the score of that one?

[Dan Le Batard]

That's.

[Jon Weiner]

Let's just like second game it balanced out.

[Stugotz]

Wait, wait. Put on mercy ruled. Put it on the poll. Put on the poll. Juju, are you embarrassed when you say the score of the game was

[Jon Weiner]

what is the Mercy? It was 10 nothing. The second game was 10 nothing.

[Chris Cote]

Mercy ruled.

[Jon Weiner]

But.

[Dan Le Batard]

How does he spell it?

[Chris Cote]

But they were toying with us, that team.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, we got video.

[Jon Weiner]

That team ended up winning it.

[Chris Cote]

Oh, did they?

[Jon Weiner]

The team that beat us 10 nothing won the whole. So that made us.

[Dan Le Batard]

What are we seeing here? What is this video of?

[Chris Cote]

This is us.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, but like, is it a moment?

[Jon Weiner]

This is a B roll. We're going to have a package. There were way too many F bombs this morning in our package that we put together, so they're still tightening it up. We will have a package to show the audience probably tomorrow.

[Stugotz]

No, it'll be. It'll be at the end of this hour. We're going to allow the audience to see how terrible you guys.

[Chris Cote]

Look at us.

[Jon Weiner]

Look at us out here.

[Chris Cote]

I'm so tired.

[Jon Weiner]

This is the first game, by the way. This is the one we competed.

[Dan Le Batard]

These other teams who. What were they representing? You guys representing Dan?

[Jon Weiner]

Anyone can sign up.

[Chris Cote]

They were like real ice hockey teams,

[Jon Weiner]

like beer leagues, you know, you could

[Dan Le Batard]

tell these people, they know who you guys were.

[Chris Cote]

We were in Dan Levitar show shirts.

[Jon Weiner]

Embarrassing. No, we had some people over here watching, knowing who we were. A few people being like, are you guys. Because, like, we had cameras. So they're like you guys with a show or something.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah, like, I'm miked up during the game, you know, and that might be

[Dan Le Batard]

worse than them knowing it was fun, bonding.

[Jon Weiner]

I feel like everyone out there, we had a good time.

[Chris Cote]

I did have a good time.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dan, am I right on that? It's worse that they didn't know who they were. They're like, who are these, Jack.

[Jon Weiner]

No, some people did. Some people did. Jerk.

[Stugotz]

I would say no, I'm going to answer this question in its entirety. I would want people to know who you guys were until you started playing that way, at which point I would be celebrating that no one knew who you were. Representing us with great soreness and asking out of the game. And basically, you led the tournament in people who are on the sidelines saying, I don't want to go back in. That is not.

[Jon Weiner]

Roy was out there taking guys out.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, I got slashed in the back of my calves twice in that game.

[Chris Cote]

Here's the thing. Okay, so we lost the second game. Mercy ruled 10 nothing. All right. Every team, though, is guaranteed. Every team is scheduled for three games. Yeah, we all went home forfeited.

[Jon Weiner]

Yeah, some. Some people had to leave to go work. Some people are. Goalie were wanting to go to the hospital.

[Stugotz]

Well, I'm kidding. I think. I think ESPN is trying to kill Zaz. I heard every time I was in my car this week, it was Friday night. It was Saturday afternoon. Every time.

[Jon Weiner]

Every time.

[Chris Cote]

Afternoon to.

[Dan Le Batard]

Every.

[Stugotz]

Every time I was in my car, it was Zaz. And I'm like, is this. Is this taped? Is this. They play 24 hours. He was just on the ESPN radio replaced by ZAZ Radio. It's just ZAZ on all the time. Put it on the poll. Should ESPN Radio change its name to ZAZ Radio at LeBatard Show?

[Dan Le Batard]

We don't have to put that. Think that one over. Why his association with us?

[Stugotz]

I saw we got aggregated. I didn't see we got aggregated. So I don't know what my inner monologue is talking about. I did you a favor. It's a whole thing. I'll talk to you later. Hey, Roy.

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[Jon Weiner]

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[Mike Ryan]

You know that energy shift when the game gets good and everybody all together in unison knows to stand up on their feet?

[Stugotz]

Oh, absolutely.

[Mike Ryan]

Mike.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, delicious.

[Mike Ryan]

It's the signal that says, we're not checking the time anymore, pal. It's when small talk turns into stories. Cuervo, man. It's that high five. A random stranger effect. That's right. The game is popping. You're hugging people you never met before. That's the kind of energy that Cuervo brings. It's so smooth, so delicious. That's the Cuervo effect. Keep it Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugotz]

I do.

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[Stugotz]

for details Don LeBatard While there's nothing official and conversations are still ongoing, was

[Chris Cote]

that a fake shifter? Because it was.

[Jon Weiner]

It was pretty good.

[Chris Cote]

It was excellent.

[Jon Weiner]

I feel like there's legs.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Stugotz]

Tried at the beginning and then I lost confidence in it.

[Jon Weiner]

It was good.

[Chris Cote]

It was good.

[Jon Weiner]

You got this.

[Stugotz]

Nothing official.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Stugotz]

Conversations are still ongoing. Stugats it is trending towards Nick Sirianni remaining the head coach of the Eagles.

[Chris Cote]

This is the Dan lebatar Show with the Stugats.

[Stugotz]

The question I wanted to ask the group because I have not in, in my recollection seen a story quite like the one involving Christian Wilkins. Christian Wilkins was an excellent player for the Miami Dolphins. He was a first round pick. He was very good at what he did and made that defense better than it had been in a while. And he signed a big contract with the Raiders. And then something weird happened in the locker room and he hasn't had a job since. This is a player out of Clemson who's still very young. There's nothing wrong with his body, but the details on why he's not playing football not only elude me, they're not being reported by anybody. It's just, hey, something weird happened in the locker room and one of the things I've seen unconfirmed is that he did. He, he kissed a player on the head. Correct. Like, isn't that, isn't that like one of the things that's being thrown around, a mystery that doesn't have very much explanation for why a first round pick who's a very good run stuffer, who's very good at creating pressure up the middle, hasn't had a job for more than a year and a half, was just let go by the Raiders and then hasn't been in football since. What are the details here that are facts?

[Jon Weiner]

Yeah.

[Chris Cote]

A year after he signed the huge deal with the Raiders, they Cut him right before the season started. Now, he was dealing with an injury, but still they cut him because apparently something happened with a player in the locker room, which we're all kind of assuming. He may have kissed him or tried to kiss him, and it made the player uncomfortable. The player went to hr and Christian Wilkins then ended up being cut. The Raiders, of course, were never going to cop to that being the reason why they cut him. But everybody knows that something strange happened in the locker room. He obviously sat out the remainder of the season. He still doesn't have a job. And, you know, I saw the other day, it was the end of last week. Jordan Ronan, who covers the Giants for ESPN NFL Nation, because apparently his name was mentioned. Maybe the Giants would be a team that Christian Wilkins and. And Jordan said something to the effect of something happened in that Raiders locker room. Quote, that's going to be hard to come back from, end quote. And, and, and. And here we are. It's like no one really knows. Like, Adam Schepter's kind of beat around the bush about it as well, but he's. Yeah, like, I, I think his career's

[Dan Le Batard]

over, but I. I don't know because, you know, I'm assuming Dan's bringing it up because his name has come up a lot. Yeah, the Vikings, the Giants, the Patriots. Like, there seem to be teams that are considering.

[Chris Cote]

His agent came out in response to that on Friday. His agent then came out. I think it's David Mulaguetta. His agent came out and said 26 teams have reached out.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay. All right, all right.

[Mike Ryan]

Everybody wants.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, relax, David. What's his last shefter's reporting from his name? His agent is named

[Stugotz]

Mula Guetta.

[Mike Ryan]

That's fabulous. Moolah.

[Stugotz]

Best name in sports other than Yankees GM Brian Cashman.

[Zas]

The reporting from back in July when it happened, it said Christian Wilkins was released. He kissed a fellow player on the head. The teammate took offense to it. They said that it wasn't the sole reason for him being cut because they didn't like the way that he had been rehabbing his injury.

[Chris Cote]

Right. Of course, that's. The Raiders are gonna say.

[Zas]

And he had like $35 million guaranteed remaining. And there was a source that had told ESPN that it was a playful incident, but ob.

[Dan Le Batard]

The.

[Zas]

The teammate didn't take it that way. Filed complaints with hr and then they ended up here where the Raiders didn't make any more comments after.

[Chris Cote]

It has to be multiple incidents like this. There. There just has to be. Look, and there have been Pictures, like even when he was with the Dolphins, like there's post game. We've seen where he is kissing a player, like on the forehead. You know, he's really excited after the game. And he's done some kind of. He's done some weird stuff too.

[Stugotz]

But hold on a second. Like, I want to, I want to ask what's fair here, all right? Because when have a mysterious circumstance that doesn't have explanation and doesn't have details on it coming from the team that did have an openly gay player in the NFL, Carl Nassib played for them and they had some sacks and then he was let go kind of quietly. And when that is one of the details, kiss the player on the head and then everybody gets weirded out. They go to human resources. What's fair to talk about here? When you have something that is a mystery that is uncommon in football, where a first round pick who's in his prime and is useful to people can't get a job in the league for a year and a half and. And the only detail we have is weird locker room behavior that suggests, because it is suggesting it, that a player was made uncomfortable by an advance from Christian Wilkins. Like, that's. That's what the suggestion is. It's what's in the murkiness of the mystery. I'm asking what's fair because I don't know what's fair.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, I think. I mean, I don't know if you can describe it as in advance.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know, like very clearly made people uncomfortable. I think that's safe enough. But we don't know how serious Wilkins was about it. We don't know how it was perceived. We just know that it made people uncomfortable. And maybe the talent isn't worth.

[Stugotz]

But I don't think. I don't think it makes you uncomfortable enough to go to human resources in a sport where they don't do that like, that the huddle doesn't go to human resources.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I mean, well, okay, so there's a couple of things here. Number one, like Mike said, I don't think in advance. I don't. I'll be honest, I don't think anyone in a locker room would do that, regardless of orientation, because it's just that there's a code and it's a workplace.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, but first round picks don't get waived without explanations and banned from the sport.

[Dan Le Batard]

Y. So you say, well, what happened? And it sounds like a pattern of behavior. I think we've all had the friend that like Plays around in a way that's like, yo man, that's not cool. But he still does it. And so maybe that's part of it, but then the other part, Dan, you say, why would they go to hr? I wonder if that's the. Almost like a defense mechanism for the person making the complaint. Like typically in a different era we would have handled this differently. But we're in a different era and I gotta cover my back and my agents tell me, you know what, go talk to hr. Do it basically the right way, do it by the book. Cuz as we begin to have more of these corporate America value systems in a place where the values are very different, the locker room, you've gotta protect yourself. If I'm gonna complain about it, I can't say, ew, he doing this. Cuz then now I turn into the bad guy. So I do it the right way by going to hr.

[Stugotz]

I have never heard, never heard of it, of a player going to HR on another player.

[Dan Le Batard]

But that's my point, Dan. It's like it's. It speaks to the era we're in now, right? 15 years ago.

[Stugotz]

Does it speak to the era? Does it speak? Because to me, in the absence of details and the mystery of what we're talking about, this is a good player.

[Mike Ryan]

Also you're not supposed to hear about it when a player goes hr like you're saying something like I've never heard it. We're not supposed to be entitled to hearing that stuff. I imagine it's happened a lot and that stuff is successfully kept internal.

[Dan Le Batard]

I imagine. No, it doesn't happen a lot. But like I said, I think you're right.

[Mike Ryan]

More routinely, a lot was an exaggeration. I'm saying that it's happened and the fact that we're hearing about it actually says to sometimes that the system is not holding place.

[Stugotz]

But I would argue. And again, my information might be dated and amin your information might be dated, but. But the authority figures in the locker room are the coaches. It ain't hr.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm just speaking to like when someone does approach HR in these settings, you're not supposed to find out about it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes, yes. Although it happens. Right, but then what I'm saying to you is you are kind of operating on a dated system in terms of. If it were any other type of, of hey behavior that we don't tolerate around here, then yes, the internal polices itself. And you say the coaches. I would take it a step further. I would say no, it's usually someone in the locker Room, the locker room, leaders first.

[Jon Weiner]

The vets, right?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, the vets. And then if it goes beyond players, then you talk about coaches or the general manager. But given it seems like again, we're all just guessing here, maybe that's irresponsible,

[Stugotz]

but I'm starting with what's fair here because we are guessing. But the mystery, the mystery sort of of puts you in a position where you guess because there's, there's very little precedent for this kind of thing that doesn't have any information afterward. This is a good player. It's a player anybody in the league would want. To me, it's not absurd that 26 teams would be interested.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think you can say that when no one in the league wants it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Look, this is what I'm going to say. Based on the limited information, it seems to be behavior that's inappropriate that some might consider had to have been multiple times, multiple times that some might consider to be of a sexual orientation issue, right? Given that 10 years ago, 15 years ago, maybe they full metal jacket him, right? Like beat him up in the locker, in the, in the showers, right? Ten years ago, maybe the team, the coach suspends a guy, whatever. Now I can see a player being like, I got a problem with this. But if I react the way traditionally

[Chris Cote]

we've reacted, then you may be hate.

[Dan Le Batard]

Now I'm the bad guy, it's a hate crime, I'm homophobic, I'm all these things. So the recourse now is not we police ourselves. The recourse is especially if I have advisors, like an agent, like someone who's an adult who isn't in the locker room. You gotta say, do it by the book. The complainant, you go to HR and I'm like, I'd like to complain about this. And that's how you do it. In order to create the paper trail. Not because that's how I handle things, but because I am protecting myself from any allegations that might come my way. If I express my displeasure in any

[Jon Weiner]

other fashion and talent wise, like if there was other teams that wanted him, they would have gone and gotten him, right? There's been terrible things swept under the

[Zas]

rug and people have still played for

[Stugotz]

years and years and years. Guys, In July of 2025, this person signed $110 million contract with $85 million guaranteed. Cuz there were several suitors for his services. A year later, a year later he can't play. Nobody wants him. A year later, after getting 80 plus million guaranteed. No, man, come on, like what are you guys talking about?

[Jon Weiner]

Good decision by Greer, letting him go, hiring back.

[Dan Le Batard]

So. So what. What if. What if he saw. What if he gets picked up this offseason? What if it was a year he didn't play and then he gets picked up? Then what are we supposed to do with that? I don't.

[Chris Cote]

Number one, I don't think he's going to. But number two, does it not make sense for him or his agent Mulugetta to come out with some type of statement like, why can't they push back against this narrative that is seemingly keeping him out of the sport?

[Dan Le Batard]

So that's the other part of this. That's the. This is what was my man. That was a coach here before Brian Flores. Brian Flores, right. Like, it's like you might have a right. You can whistleblow. That will 100% guarantee you'll never have a job again. Not because of what he did or didn't do, but because teams typically look at. If you are. If you break the sanctity of the thing basically by pointing fingers or whatever, then it's like, how can I ever trust you? It's not even. It could have been anything. It's like, remember Richie Incognito was the guy that he was.

[Chris Cote]

Jonathan Martin.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jonathan Martin. Right. Jonathan Martin doesn't have what happened here, but it's like he never ended up anywhere again. Because I'm not gonna bring a guy in here who's gonna trust you, basically.

[Stugotz]

The thing about this, though, that. That is multiple layers of this are confounding to me, but nobody seems to know reporting it, but all the teams seem to know.

[Chris Cote]

I think some of the reporters know and they don't want to say it. They're beating around it like, oh, it's going to come out one day. And it's like I just said here, Jordan Ronan said what he did is going to be tough to come back from. That sounds like Jordan knows.

[Mike Ryan]

I bet my life that this is not a secret in NFL circles. And what we're seeing play out is because people are working with way more knowledge than we are here, just talking about it.

[Stugotz]

That's correct. But I'm not used to information being protected by reporters when there's a mystery. Like, it's one thing to have your information insiders be bought and paid for, but when something's a mystery like this, I'm not used to a communal gathering of reporters deciding together that they're not gonna report something that has news value. Just mobilize Pablo. That's what we paid for.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think, Dan, the thing you gotta keep in mind is, again, given the sensitivity of the topic, there's liabilities involved. Even for people reporting on the story. You can't just flippantly put it out there. Because I'm assuming when we say everyone knows in that circle, they know, but they don't have the corroborating or the two independent sources for me to be able to go public with that. But I'm like, Mike, I don't doubt that. Schefter and Rapaport and all these people probably know.

[Alice]

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[Stugotz]

Go girls.

[Alice]

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[Stugotz]

Don Levitard. We're gonna win. Stadts. We're gonna win. They're annoying.

[Jon Weiner]

An old reference.

[Stugotz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats. Let's segue here to something that happened on more morning television here involving the Pussycat Dolls.

[Dan Le Batard]

What?

[Stugotz]

Yes, they're. I don't know if you're familiar. They're backjacked. Well, sort of. Some. Some of them are back. Jack, how many. How many members were there of the original Pussycat Dolls?

[Dan Le Batard]

17.

[Stugotz]

Were there twice as many members of the original Pussycat Dolls as the ones being interviewed on the Today show?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, there were. There were far more. There were really not that many that Sang. It was a collective. A lot of dancers back there, you know, and really Nicole was a standout star.

[Dan Le Batard]

Name one. That's not Nicole Scherzinger.

[Mike Ryan]

I can't, I can't. But the ones doing this tour, this reunion tour, there's three of them.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wait, Nicole Scherzinger is not one.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, she is.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes she is. But like, I think the most obvious question would be if you are indeed someone that would be inclined to be super pumped up about the Pussycat Dolls reunion would be alright, where's the other girl? You'd be prepared for that.

[Dan Le Batard]

Who names that I can't name.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, but.

[Jon Weiner]

But I'm not a hard hitting question.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not a Pussycat Dolls fan. But if I were, I would know more names, all right? And I would know like the number of people missing and I'd be prepared, you know, for some sort of answer on this.

[Chris Cote]

Can I just ask really quick? I don't care if I sound stupid, whatever.

[Dan Le Batard]

Can.

[Chris Cote]

I don't really know who they are. Like, what is their deal? They're a music group.

[Stugotz]

Yes.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, they were. Look, so like the Pussycat Dolls were like this thing that gained in popularity that existed before a pop sensation. The pop group basically took existing branding, popularized it and had some songs.

[Dan Le Batard]

What? Don't you wish your girlfriend.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah, but that's Pussy Cat Dolls.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, but the notion the Pussycat Dolls existed before, like Nicole Schultzinger became before they were a music group, you would go to Vegas and the Pussycat Dolls would be there.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wait, they're just like, oh, wow, now I'm learning stuff. Wait, they were just kind of icing

[Jon Weiner]

up my buttons, baby.

[Chris Cote]

Are they controversial?

[Mike Ryan]

It was opportune.

[Dan Le Batard]

It was not until now. Apparently.

[Mike Ryan]

It was something that was already established and they just took like these studio voices and they're like, hey, we have a branding thing for you. Just slap some Pussycat Dolls.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're saying like basically like Jabberwockies all of a sudden had a music career.

[Mike Ryan]

That's what I'm saying.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wow.

[Chris Cote]

I didn't know that they were a

[Zas]

dance ensemble in Vegas. Founded in 1995 is what it says. The suggestion of Jimmy Iovine. Because of course, Jimmy Iovine, they decided to take the group mainstream and their choreographer worked with several other people to get some voices. And then all of a sudden, boom. 2004. Shall We Dance? The film, not to be confused with

[Jon Weiner]

Josie and the Pussycats, totally different.

[Chris Cote]

I think that's what I'm thinking of. They're controversial, right?

[Mike Ryan]

They're a cartoon how could they be controversial? All right, anyways, let's get to this.

[Stugotz]

Hold on a minute. How do you spell mula gesture?

[Chris Cote]

M, U, L, U, G, H, E,

[Dan Le Batard]

T, A, O. I was A. M, O, O, L, A. Yeah. E, T, T, A.

[Chris Cote]

Good.

[Stugotz]

Let's listen to the sound for a question. The Pussycat all should have been prepared

[Dan Le Batard]

for after they found out that you guys were coming back as a trio, not as the original group. How. How did you arrive at that decision?

[Chris Cote]

Well, I mean, listen, we are just. We are like.

[Alice]

We are so as women today. I mean, it has been an ever changing lineup. And, you know, this is what it looks like now in 2026. And you never know what comes next. And I think ultimately we've got to protect our piece. And when something like the Pussycat Dolls has so much history, we have ruptured in the past.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, so, Nicole, we gotta get you. You can't be the leader.

[Jon Weiner]

It was really just Nicole. The other woman did fine.

[Stugotz]

No, no, she choked. And her friend tried to bail her out. She froze. Because they don't want to tell you the truth about why it is the other women aren't involved. Like, they don't want to come out and say why it's only the three of them. Because there's probably some conflict there, I would imagine.

[Dan Le Batard]

So now we got two mysteries. Christian Wilkins and the Pussycat Dolls.

[Stugotz]

This is the bigger one.

[Mike Ryan]

And I happen to know, like, they're right about it being an ever changing lineup. Because there was one girl that I knew that I went to elementary school with. She was a Pussycat doll for like three minutes. Like, the.

[Chris Cote]

The.

[Mike Ryan]

The only ones that mattered were, like, essentially three of them.

[Chris Cote]

Well informed.

[Dan Le Batard]

Was it those three?

[Mike Ryan]

It was like Menudo.

[Stugotz]

How do you happen to know this? Why. Why do you give me the whole image?

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, my God.

[Jon Weiner]

He knows. He happens to know. Come, everyone.

[Mike Ryan]

It's a no.

[Jon Weiner]

Come and listen.

[Mike Ryan]

There was like a.

[Jon Weiner]

He happens to know.

[Chris Cote]

Well informed.

[Mike Ryan]

There's a Heat dancer that I went to school with. She was a Pussycat doll for a hot.

[Jon Weiner]

So why.

[Zas]

Nice. Zaz, you were thinking of Pussy Riot.

[State Farm Advertiser]

Yes.

[Chris Cote]

They're controversial, right?

[Jon Weiner]

There you go.

[Stugotz]

There you go.

[Chris Cote]

Pussy Riot.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's. That's. So your brain seized on one word.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, that's the Brian.

[Chris Cote]

Well, I got a good algorithm, you know what I'm saying?

[Zas]

Jesus Christ.

[Stugotz]

From among the things this weekend. And I just love Thursday or Friday. Thursday and Friday are so cracky with March Madness. It's crazy how they give you this adrenaline rush. Intravenously of just monster action all over the place that Saturday and Sunday go too slow compared to Thursday and Friday, it slows down. I want that to be basketball all the time, because you've just got action all over the place. And if you're playing that many games, inevitably, mathematically, some are gonna be decided at the buzzer with insanity. Like the, the way that Kentucky won its first round game absurdly to save its season with a, with a half court shot. That was my favorite moment of the tournament. But the play that Iowa put together with 8.9 seconds left to take out Florida to get that look when they're down two to get a wide open three from the corner.

[Jon Weiner]

I feel like they just left the guy open.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, he was opening the corner.

[Jon Weiner]

They ran a trap, you know, but

[Stugotz]

the full court trial. I know, but they also had to know that that's the play that was coming. They're going to throw it to their point guard and do the, you know. Who was it? It was the Drew kid that did that. When one was Drew. Yeah, Bryce Drew did that with. Yeah, but that was like four seconds left. It wasn't, it wasn't.

[Dan Le Batard]

Balfour was a great play. That was a great play. The up the sideline and he was contested when he made that shot.

[Chris Cote]

Like, I've been wanting to ask you about that play. I mean, because look, everybody knows you're saying it's a great play that Iowa drew up there.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, no, I'm saying Valpo is a great.

[Chris Cote]

No, no, I'm saying Dan is saying it's a great play that Iowa drew up there. Todd golden can't be pressing up two in that spot. Like, because they pressed it allowed, he was able to get open on the transition. Of course, they're not going to give up a layup. So you spray it to the corner. If you just play it heads up like, that's not happening, right?

[Stugotz]

Yeah, but I'm assuming that that's the play call because you know that they're going to press.

[Chris Cote]

Oh, okay. But, but so what I'm saying is, is why were they pressing? They were ahead.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. Why? I don't know. That's a good question.

[Stugotz]

That's a champion coach.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I, I, he blew it. This is again, I go back to college basketball, it's like, you know, this, the stuff that you guys like and the variability and like, oh, I make bets and stuff can happen. This stuff as a basketball guy drives me crazy. Like, why are you doing this? You remember this happened in the, the women's final four Remember when Kim Buli. We're like, yo, Caitlin Clark is shooting every single time.

[Chris Cote]

You just left Van Lith on an island the whole game.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm like, what are you doing? But from a person who watches pro basketball, that's the easiest adjustment ever. But college is a lot of yelling and like, come on. And I gotta rile up the troops. And a lot of times like, they're not really that good coaches, dude. It's the same reason why people say, oh, players are better coming out when they spent like three years in college versus one and done. And I said, well, it depends on which college. Some coaches. Absolutely. So. So Jay Wright. Yeah. If you came out of Villanova three, four years, you're going to be a good player who knows how to play basketball. Some of these other places just running up and down, man, you're not learning anything. You just wasted four years doing whatever. And so I look at that play.

[Chris Cote]

I think Todd golden blew it in that spot.

[Dan Le Batard]

Absolutely.

[Mike Ryan]

To beat a number one, typically you have to play better. Iowa did not play especially well. Their best player was like 0 for 9 from.

[Chris Cote]

I mean, they were up double figures for a lot of spot, but they

[Mike Ryan]

were missing free throws. And then floor Florida. Yes, I understand. Florida clawed back into that game and then took control of it. The way that they ended up losing,

[Chris Cote]

they were up five with eight minutes left.

[Mike Ryan]

Something when you consider the game flow, it really made zero sense. A strange game top to bottom. But Iowa typically has to play better

[Stugotz]

to pull off opposite like that. But Mike, no, I man, I don't like the analysis of Iowa didn't play well when they got down four late and should have caved against the defending champions who were chasing them all game. They should have caved and then they end up winning the game because they don't cave like everyone's always talking about. I mean, championship learning. You've been there before. The team that chokes at the end is the champion. The team that chokes at the end is the team that won all the games last year.

[Mike Ryan]

Apologize that you don't like the analysis.

[Stugotz]

No, but I'm saying that I want missing shots isn't the same as I were playing poorly like I was. I was being in that game. I was leading almost the entirety of that game. Coughing it up at the end and not folding when they were down 4 when it would have been the easiest thing for a champion to put a foot on your neck. And I were returning and then doing that on the last play where I don't know if you Guys saw, but the point guard was exhorting the guy who was in the corner to take it to the rim. No, he was telling him. He was telling him, go. Go to the rim. I gave you the ball. Get the. Go get the gun.

[Jon Weiner]

I saw him go like this. I saw him go, shoot, shoot, shoot. What was he saying? Driver, shoot.

[Stugotz]

Regardless, the savvy to take a step back. Like, I understand that that's reflex and stuff, but that is where you can choke like one of the pussy cat dogs. That was an unfortunate speedball kick save and abuse.

[Zas]

Stouffer's.

[Stugotz]

Let me hear Zaz say it. Let me hear Zaz say it. The way that he like Pussy Ryan.

[Chris Cote]

Whoa. Pussy Ryan. Whoa.

[Dan Le Batard]

I remembered Ray Allen telling the story about the three he hit. He said, we practiced that every single practice the entire year. And not only did they practice it, but, like, what they would do. He said we would all be laying on our backs and they put the ball up to further emphasize the scramble of. I gotta get up, I gotta get to the right spot. And so. So I watched this play a million times. I guarantee they practiced this a million times, right? So there.

[Stugotz]

It looked like it.

[Dan Le Batard]

There was no part of this where it's like, well, this is happening. They knew exactly what was going to happen. The point guard knew who was going to be open. He hit ahead. Had the defense been closer? There was a guy on the far side who was wide open because they're playing halfway through. Zaz is absolutely correct. You're up two. The shot clock's off.

[Stugotz]

Off.

[Dan Le Batard]

Why are we pressing?

[Jon Weiner]

There's no need to full court press if you want to start. The press started at half court. Trap the guy in the corner when

[Stugotz]

he gets to him.

[Mike Ryan]

But.

[Jon Weiner]

But you're letting him go with a full head of steam. You got two defenders behind you, and all of a sudden all you need to do is make one move and spray it out. Like Zaz said, it was the easiest play ever.

[Zas]

Yeah, Zaz, as a guy who went to school in Gainesville, I got to imagine that I went to University of Florida.

[Jon Weiner]

Thank you. Go ahead.

[Stugotz]

Byron Smith is the Prairie View coach. They were down 18 at the half in the first game of the tournament against Florida, and he, midway through the. Just started talking to God.

[Alice]

Coach Florida on an 18 oh run here.

[Dan Le Batard]

What more do you need from your guys to slow this down and get into their game?

[Stugotz]

We need some help from the Lord. They're very good. They're very good. We just got to keep defending, trying to switch our defenses, trying to throw them off, but they've been very efficient. You do have to ask from help from the Lord when the question has in the first half the 18 oh run.