Hour 1: Best Back In My Day

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: Best Back In My Day
Date: August 25, 2025
Summary by Podcast Summarizer

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Episode Overview

Broadcast from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Greg Cody, and guests deliver their signature blend of irreverent sports conversation, pop-culture commentary, and Miami-centric talk. This hour focuses heavily on NFL power dynamics—especially the Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones—media narratives, the unique (and humorous) perils of sports officiating, and the cultural nostalgia of "Back in My Day" bits.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones, and Big Cowboys Drama (01:43–12:01)

NFL player empowerment and the Cowboys’ locker room tension:

• Stugotz spotlights the situation between Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and star linebacker Micah Parsons, who has openly clashed with management—paralleling larger trends of player empowerment in pro sports.
  • "Micah Parsons is the biggest star on that team... He's got his own power, his own podcast, and now he fights with management." —Stugotz (02:19)
• Greg Cody frames Jones’ handling of Parsons as "just Jerry Jones being Jerry," emphasizing Jones’ focus on attention over practical resolution. (03:23)
• Dan reviews history: star players holding out for contracts isn’t new in Dallas and in the league, referencing Michael Irvin, Ezekiel Elliott, and others. (07:15)
• The group debates whether this annual contract standoff is a real threat or just business as usual, ultimately agreeing it’s a familiar soap opera with Jerry usually caving.

On the Netflix Cowboys documentary:

• Stugotz and Dan both critique the new Netflix documentary covering the team’s 1990s dynasty, blasting it as sanitized and “formulaic,” lacking any real new detail or honesty about Jerry’s flaws. (05:42–08:03)
  • "Jerry Jones told the story he wanted to tell... He had nothing to do with [the Herschel Walker trade]. And he's still out here with the petty grievances of trying to tell his own story." —Stugotz (06:39)
• They discuss the nature of nostalgia media and how “Old Men Tell Stories” sells, but often at the cost of truth.
  • "You only get the participation in the documentary if they can make money on it, and they'll give you access and in turn, their own truth." —Dan Le Batard (09:40)
• Discussion of how Jerry’s need for validation stems from never achieving true football respect outside Jimmy Johnson’s shadow.
  • "He can have all the money in the world. The hole will never be filled for him unless he can do it without Jimmy Johnson." —Stugotz (11:08)

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2. Andrew Luck's New Role and Athlete-to-Administrator Debate (14:55–22:40)

Should star athletes jump to high-power administrator roles?

• After Stanford’s football loss to Hawaii, Dan questions why we assume Andrew Luck—a smart ex-quarterback—will succeed overseeing Stanford’s football program. (14:55)
  • "Just because he was a smart quarterback, does that mean he’s qualified to run a major athletic department?" —Dan Le Batard (15:58)
• Greg Cody bluntly answers, "Nothing on his resume indicated he would be a great general manager... He's good at football, that's fine." (15:58)
• Dan points out that the Luck family’s deep Stanford ties and relationships with donors make the hire less surprising, suggesting raising money is often the central qualification for such jobs. (16:40, 21:12)
• Stugotz and Greg discuss the increasing complexity of managing a major program in a changing NIL/portal era—suggesting that even experienced administrators struggle, so expectations for Luck should be tempered. (20:20–20:52)
  • "The college football realm is more complicated, more difficult, more multifaceted than ever." —Greg Cody (20:32)
• The group ultimately agrees the job is largely about fundraising and relationships now, not traditional “managing skills,” and Luck may have enough credibility to fill that need.

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3. Greg Cody's “Back in My Day” — Cruise Ship Edition (26:20–28:20)

A comedic nostalgia rant about cruises, modern excess, and simple pleasures:

• Greg laments the transformation of cruise ship culture from relaxation to adrenaline-pumping chaos:
  • "I didn't sign up for a thrill ride. I want to relax on my cruise, get my money's worth on the drink card, and doze on the deck in a chaise lounge." —Greg Cody (26:52)
• Complains about activities like bungee jumping and gyms, longing instead for “an open buffet and bar every 25 feet. Make cruise ships dull again.”
• Segment concludes with the announcement of the “suey” voting for Best Back In My Day.
  • "That's it. C’mon. I think that one's got a good chance." —Stugotz (28:20)
• Running joke: Greg is accused of recycling old material, with Dan asking if he has a fresh rant.
  • "Do you have a fresh one this week?" —Dan Le Batard (28:45)
  • "I do not." —Greg Cody (28:47)

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4. Sports Officiating: “Stay Alive Brian!” and the Plight of the Umpire (33:10–38:02)

Hilarious and excruciating breakdown of a Little League umpire suffering three groin shots in one game:

• Dan and Stugotz recount the video, emphasizing the universality of slapstick humor—getting hit in the groin and falling down.
  • "Somebody falling down—always funny. Somebody hit in the groin—always funny. Combine the two, you’ve got gold." —Stugotz (37:17)
• They play and replay the audio of the umpire’s reactions, rating the increasing pain and audience reaction.
• Running gags:
  • Repeated calls for the audio isolation: "I want to hear the three of them, and I want to hear them in order..." —Stugotz (36:02)
  • “Way to stay alive, Brian.” —Unidentified coach/umpire (36:30)
• Comparison to classic sports photography, joking that the photo of this umpire “could top Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston.” (38:17)
• Concludes with lament about the dangers (and pay) of little-league umpiring: "I'm getting $12 for doing this Little League. I've got to get a real job." —Greg Cody (38:02)

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5. Fat Baseball Player Discourse — “Big Sugar” and Representation (41:02–42:52)

• In a digression on baseball “body types,” the crew celebrates Cincinnati Reds pitcher Zach “Big Sugar” Maxwell for his old-school build:
  • "Look at this guy. He's got a belly on him... 6'6", 275 pounds, and hits 102 miles an hour on the radar gun.” —Greg Cody & Dan Le Batard (41:26–42:08)
• Discusses Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh (“The Dumper”) and the shifting standards of athletic bodies in pro baseball.
  • “Are we doing chubby there? It’s like Schwarber—it’s not chubby, it’s just thick.” —Stugotz (42:18)
• Joyful banter about what constitutes being “in shape” for pro athletes versus civilians.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Jerry Jones:
  "He wants to be responsible for the football success, the attention, the circus—not worth eight episodes. It was fat by four episodes..." —Stugotz (06:31)
• On Andrew Luck:
  "Just because he was a smart quarterback, does that mean he’s qualified to run a major athletic department?" —Dan Le Batard (15:58)
• On modern cruising:
  "I don't want to compete. I want to relax on my cruise, get my money's worth on the drink card and doze on the deck in a chaise lounge..." —Greg Cody (26:52)
• On the umpire saga:
  "Somebody falling down—always funny. Somebody hit in the groin—always funny. Combine the two, you’ve got gold." —Stugotz (37:17) "Way to stay alive, Brian." —(Unidentified, possibly the ump) (36:30)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Micah Parsons & Cowboys Power Dynamic: 01:43–12:01
• Cowboys Documentary Critique: 05:42–11:08
• Andrew Luck/Stanford Administrator Debate: 14:55–22:40
• Best “Back in My Day”—Cruise Ships: 26:20–28:20
• Little League Umpire Groin Saga: 33:10–38:02
• “Big Sugar” and Baseball Body Types: 41:02–42:52

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Final Thoughts / Episode Tone

The hour seamlessly weaves together classic Le Batard show elements: deep dives into league politics and owner egos, sharp media criticism, nostalgia-soaked comedy bits, and juvenile delight in slapstick sports moments. The tone is equal parts skeptical, playful, and warm—with self-deprecating humor and in-jokes about recycled material, “text buddy” relationships, and the absurdities of modern sports media.

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For fans of the show, this episode is a quintessential blend of sports analysis and comedic storytelling—full of both insightful debate and the kind of infectious silliness that sets Le Batard’s crew apart.

Transcript

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[Stugats]

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[Stugats]

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[Stugats]

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[Greg Cody]

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[Greg Cody]

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[Stugats]

I know we talk about leadership as if we know what a football coach is supposed to do in the managing of people and egos. But when I bring up the Mike McDaniel Tyreek Hill thing or let's bring it to America's Team here and the Dallas Cowboys, where you have a coach who hasn't done anything. He's got a name that his father made famous, a coach that hasn't done in the league what Micah Parsons has done in the league. And these people are not to be trifled with when it comes to respect and disrespect. You saw the sound we played of Shaquille o' Neal saying what happens? He wants to fight Pat Riley and Pat Riley has to trade him the next day. So what do you do if you're the Dallas Cowboys, if you're in charge of Micah Parsons, when one of the things that keeps happening here, Micah Parsons, is the Biggest star on that team. I mean, we can say Dak Prescott, we could say CD Lamb. But as a personality that represents what the Cowboys have passed represented. He's got his own power, his own podcast, and now he fights with management. Jerry Jones loves to make spectacle of these things, but he's disrespected now an important player who now disrespects. Back in the modern age of football, players can now make requests and demands of trades that you that unthought of five years ago. The idea of somebody's going to go up against the culture of the power with I either request or demand a trade maybe 10 years ago. It's just not a I know there are holdouts, but it's not a normal thing to have players all over the league requesting or demanding trades, especially players of this kind of value.

[Greg Cody]

This is a classic Jerry Jones misplay for the sake of attention. In my opinion. Micah Parsons is not just a really good defensive player. He's one of the best in the league. He's on a Hall of Fame track for all pros in his first four seasons. I mean, this guy is extraordinary. I don't think he's the biggest star on the team. He's certainly the best player on the team. He's going to get his money and they need to give it to him. And the hassle they're putting him through where he's dissatisfied, he's asking for a trade. This is just Jerry Jones being Jerry.

[Stugats]

Put it on the poll at lebaton show. Biggest Cowboys star, CD Lamb, Dak Prescott or Micah Parson.

[Dan LeBatard]

I should clarify, like it's been since the late 90s that start players have been demanding trades. Eli Manning did it before he even entered the league, bled so on down. So this is pretty normal in the league. It's not necessarily normal for someone to come out the gates. Usually this is in the public a little bit longer than it was for Mike of Parsons where he just came out and demanded a trade. But it's not a failed attempt at getting attention. If you think that's solely the reason for this, then he's gotten the attention. Greg, and we've seen this before. I have a hard time working myself up in terms of having genuine interest in this story because we've seen a lot of Cowboys holdouts play out in the public space. The first take talks about it ad nauseum and then what inevitably happens is Jerry Jones caves, gives in the big contract and it usually aligns itself with kickoff of the all right, but let.

[Stugats]

Me Let me make a correction to your correction. Because the quarterbacks have had the power to do it. They're the only ones who have had the power.

[Dan LeBatard]

Carl Pickens, Randy Moss, Deion Sanders. It goes on and on. This is not uncommon in the NFL.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, I mean, I sort of agree with Mike, but I also think that Jerry Jones right now cannot afford what is happening with Micah Parsons. He has to get him sewn up with a big contract because Jerry Jones. Imagine the frustration he's going to feel and the short leash Brian Schottenheimer has. As far as I'm concerned, Schottenheimer is one and done with this team. If they don't make the playoffs, I don't think he's back for a second season. You've got Philadelphia, the best team in the league right now in that division. You've got an up and coming Washington with Jaden Daniels. Dallas is a low third right now in that division. And. And Schottenheimer has to win right now or he's out. And part of that is you have to have Micah Parsons on your.

[Stugats]

But what do you do though? Like he's lying on the table during the game. What do you do if you're the coach? He says he's going to meet with him. He says he's going to ask him questions. But when you start with the back and forth on disrespect in public and it's part of your owner's blueprint, I want to get back. Have any of you seen the Cowboys documentary on Netflix? Because I did something with it that I've never done in my life on a documentary before. I got seven eighths of the way through it and gave up on it at the end because it was so formulaic about how NFL Films thing they were doing it, how they were going and covering games from 30 years ago to do this the way that Jerry Jones wanted done and as opposed to the true way to do it. Like the real way to do it where you're not just covering Michael Irvin's infidelity, but you're also covering Jerry Jones's public missteps on this front. But Jerry Jones told the story he wanted to tell. Where he still wants the credit for Herschel Walker trade. He had nothing to do with. Nothing to do with. And he's still out here with the petty grievances of trying to tell his own story because he's trying to attach himself to all these things in the most jock sniffer of ways. He wants to be responsible for the football success the attention, the circus that was not worth eight episodes. It was fat by four episodes because they told no further story on past details and did the least possible amount you could do with those particular people on camera.

[Dan LeBatard]

Five instances in which there have been star players for the Dallas Cowboys that have held out only to sign a big time extension just days before the season started. And that's not even counting examples like Dak Prescott, which Jerry made a whole big deal of wanting to announce the day one of the season, but Tyreek Hill had the nerve to go ahead and get arrested and take it out of the headlines. We have a holdout from Michael Irvin in 1992, held out during training camp, signed days before the regular season started. Ezekiel Elliott had one, Zach Martin had two of them. CD Lamb had one in 2024. This all follows the formula. Big spectacle for cable TV to chew on these things. Jerry Jones inevitably caves to your point.

[Greg Cody]

If Jerry Jones is the de facto producer of your documentary on the Cowboys, you, you know, it's going to be sugarcoated.

[Stugats]

You know, I was just, I was just so bummed by it because my expectations were so high because I know how rich that story is. But they added so few new details that hadn't been in Jeff Perlman's book. And we're just stealing from Jeff Perlman's book without giving him any of the credit for it. It was also rushed because they had to get it out before football season. And Jerry Jones insists on being the center of an eight part story when all they're doing is covering things from 30 years ago. And yeah, you can do the nostalgia of that. People will eat that up. But you're. Again, I asked the group here because it doesn't seem like most people care what's happening to the truth in exchange for access, because all this was, was, look, we can get George Bush to do it because Jerry Jones asked him. We could get Rupert Murdoch to do it because Jerry Jones asked it. We could get Roger Goodell to do it because Jerry Jones is telling people, go tell my story. Tell them how important I am to this entire thing, the league, the show, the, the team. When I don't actually do anything other than try and take the credit from Jimmie Johnson.

[Greg Cody]

And the parallel between this documentary and Micah Parsons is that it's all about Jerry. All right? He has spent an entire career from the Jimmy Johnson signing to Micah Parsons demanding the attention that feeds his ego. And for 30 years now, his team hasn't been super relevant beyond its America's Team title. But yet here he goes. Still, I like to think that at one point, Jerry Jones and Micah Parsons have had a conversation that went, micah, we're gonna sign you, you're gonna get your money. Let's just have some fun with this. I wouldn't put that beyond Jerry Jones.

[Dan LeBatard]

I understand what you're lamenting, Dan, but that's just the way it's been. You only get the participation in the documentary if they can make money on it, and they'll give you access and in turn, their own truth. You said earlier, get me Avery Johnson's dad and his older brother. They're more likely to start their own podcast and give them your truth, as opposed to you actually getting them to answer questions truthfully.

[Stugats]

All right, so let me ask you these questions about this documentary, because I imagine it'll be very popular. And the nostalgia stuff works. Old Men Tell Stories is something that can reach across demographics, because with one age group, you're reliving glory days, and with another age group, you're just giving them an entertaining history lesson. So they spent six episodes on 30 years ago because it's the last time they did anything. And the hole in Jerry Jones's heart that must exist because he's roaming the earth for 30 years. And, yeah, he won with Barry Switzer, but Barry Switzer won with Jimmy's players. The rest of the time, the only way he can be Jimmy's equal is to fight with him. It's the only way other. Like, he'll never have the respect that Jimmie Johnson has. Where Michael Irvin is saying in the documentary, I would have played after my paralysis thing if it had been Jimmy, but I wasn't going to do it for Chan Gailey.

[Dan LeBatard]

Equal in terms of achievement in the game. Yeah, he's probably going to be chasing that Jimmy ghost for a long time, but they are not equal in terms of relevancy. Jimmy Johnson's retired. Jerry Jones is the first topic on first.

[Stugats]

I get it. But that hole never gets filled. You can make all the noise in the off season. You can get all the attention in the off season. The hole will never be filled. He built that. You didn't. And you're still making documentaries, trying to get the last word, where you get all your powerful friends to go out there and do your bidding. And you won the money. You did win the money, but you will. They're talking at the end of that. When I checked out on that, it's the Jones family of nepotism talking about, man, we got to do this before dad dies. Like that. You don't understand what this means to him. This is Kobe winning without Shaq like Jerry Jones will. He can have all the money in the world. All the money. That hole will never be filled for him unless he can do it without Jimmie Johnson.

[Greg Cody]

And the whole. The crater has only gotten bigger because for the first time in a long time, Dallas is third in a four team division. There are two teams clearly better than him and that hasn't been the case in a while.

[Dan LeBatard]

Put your feet in the machine now because that is a storyline that is even more pronounced. Thank you to this propaganda that makes us very clear on his mortality. As a guy that fought stage four cancer and conquered it over a ten year battle. This is what he needs to conquer before he leaves this earth. America's team. Hey Tony. Hey Mike. Hey man. Summer's almost ending, man. I can't wait. There's no way. There's no way I am excited about cooler temperatures, but down here in South Florida, that just means slightly less boiling hot. It's been a pretty incredible summer. We've had a parade down here. We've grown our family down here at Meadowlark Media. A lot of exciting things, a lot of memorable benchmarks. And along the way, at almost every step, I've been tailed by that beautiful white can of Miller Lite. Oh, that beautiful white can or the brown bottle. You can do it on draft.

[Stugats]

Draft is crisp.

[Dan LeBatard]

There's been so many great special times and each time I've decided to make those special times a Miller time. Whether it's a long weekend like one we got coming up, or a full on vacation, it is a perfect time to get the crew back together. This year marks 50 years of Miller time. 50 years of great taste, great friends and unforgettable memories. Miller Lite great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Cheers to 50 years of Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Stugats]

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[Dan LeBatard]

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[Greg Cody]

Back in my day, there is actually.

[Dan LeBatard]

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

[Stugats]

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

[Greg Cody]

Shut my Hope layer. Okay, here it is. Sorry, adultery.

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm waiting for this one.

[Greg Cody]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Stugats]

Let me ask you guys this question off of the college football of the weekend. Stanford loses the to Hawaii. And it got me to thinking about Andrew Luck in the position of overseer of Stanford football. All of us look at that and say, sure, that makes sense. Your father was an administrator. You would go right to the front of the line, works hard and grab the top of the power at, at Stanford. And that would be something that would matter to you education wise, symbol wise. You left the sport early. What an amazing thing for Andrew Luck. Why would he be good at that job? Just in terms of qualifications? I think we all assume he'd be good at that job. But what about leading a team down the field would make you a good administrator? That would make you be able to lead the finances of a program because you're over budget over here in this part of the athletic program. I asked the question, thinking he'll probably be good at the job, but only because he was smart as a quarterback, not because I think he's actually got qualifications that would lead to being a manager in this particular setting.

[Greg Cody]

I would say the short answer is nothing. Nothing on his resume indicated he would be a great general manager of a major college program. He knows ball, okay? He's good at football, that's fine. And I say this not because he lost his opener, but he's already made one monumental mistake when he names the coach and interim coach. You don't do that in college football, okay? All the, all the recruits are going, what interim coach? I don't know if I'm signing with somebody. I don't know if he's going to be here next year.

[Stugats]

So a lot of the recruits.

[Greg Cody]

No, you name him the coach and then you fire him if you have.

[Stugats]

It's going to take a minute. Look, it's going to take them more than a year. And I understand that decision. I'm just asking what it is that we're extending to Andrew Luck that we don't necessarily extend to everybody just because he was a smart quarterback.

[Dan LeBatard]

If you think that that family doesn't have deep ties to some of the biggest fundraisers in Stanford, you're fooling yourself. No one has a deeper understanding of Stanford athletics and arguably Andrew Luck and has great relationships with all the money. There's that he needs to. And on top of that, he knows ball. He did it at a high level. He knows what that looks like. He played under Jim Harbaugh when they were clicking on all cylinders. I'd say he's plenty qualified. And he has his dad to lean on and his dad was an uber successful administrator in the sport. I actually think it's a pretty natural selection.

[Greg Cody]

He also has a bachelor's degree in architectural design. Boom. Good for him. And a master's in education. Look, he may turn out great. And I also think that the Andrew Luck name has a little bit of nobility attached to it because he's the rare athlete who got out on top.

[Stugats]

It's not a little bit of nobility. There are very few. Very noble. There are very few athletes in the history of Stanford that would matter to Stanford the way that Andrew Luck does. And Mike's not wrong when he says, well, he's close to the donors. That's what makes him qualified.

[Greg Cody]

And that's important. I understand the hiring. I just don't know that the name is going to make him great at a job.

[Stugats]

I'm not even. I'm not. Again, I want to preface all of this by saying to when they hired him, just immediately assumed. Yes, that makes perfect sense. I also assume it's going to take a minute, but Stanford losing to Hawaii, like in terms of, in terms of a start when, when Frank Reich is your coach as an interim because you just need, you need something that's a bandage. Somebody who doesn't have aspirations beyond this one year of trying to get Andrew Luck to help build this bridge. But you guys don't understand how much he has to learn here, right?

[Greg Cody]

He, Frank Reich also took the job because they fired their coach, Troy Taylor in late March, which is very late.

[Stugats]

In the coaching, you know, hiring process.

[Greg Cody]

Because of the fact that he had investigations into mistreatment of employees. So this was a band aid from the beginning, not just for Andrew Luck. Just we need to kind of get.

[Stugats]

On to the next season.

[Greg Cody]

And Frank is not our long term goal here or solution, but he's going.

[Stugats]

To navigate us while we get this set up.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's not an easy job that he took Over. Sanford is twisting in the wind, really struggling with the modern age of college athletics. Look where they're playing in the acc. They travel more than any other team. There's loads of reasons why there's. They're struggling. They. They had a terrible time in the portal since it ever was a thing. It's a long road ahead.

[Stugats]

The reason I bring some of this up, and again I'm saying I too, jumped to the same conclusion, but I see Tom Brady come over, okay. And immediately insult because he's the owner and he's used to power. Wayne Rooney and all of his players with the criticism they don't work hard enough. He gets there. He's Tom Brady. Like, what, What? When I say Andrew Locke has credentials in Stanford, yes, Tom Brady has all of the credentials. But we keep putting them in jobs that are at the very top of where other people have to train all their lives to get those spots. And they learn certain things on their way to the top of that. I think we underestimate how. How hard this job has become and how hard it is to do for Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Andrew Luck, any of it. Because when. When you take away the rules and the money just starts flowing in from every avenue. I love that Andrew Luck would choose a degree of difficulty, challenge. Like, I need to stay motivated with some sort of sports work effort that doesn't ruin my body for my child. Like, I, I like the nobility of all of that. And I don't have a better candidate that job. But he's got no training for it.

[Greg Cody]

Right?

[Stugats]

Like, you can say he played at Stanford and you can say he can play in the NFL, but he's got no training for the position because it's a. It's a position we've invented five years ago because nobody knows what the hell is happening right now.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. And now the. The college football realm is more complicated, more difficult, more multifaceted than it's ever been. Likability factor through the roof with Aaron. Andrew, look, we're all rooting for him, but will he succeed in what Mike rightly says is a very tough situation? You know, I wouldn't bet on it.

[Dan LeBatard]

There are administrators that are ads right now that have administrative experience. But, Dan, I'd venture to say that not a lot of people have experience for what college athletics is right now. It's a amorphous thing that you have no idea where it's actually headed. You know, what the NCAA wants to have. You don't know what's going to get challenged in court. I think you've often said athletic directors thoroughly unimpressive as a breed. What is their main job? Raise money. Andrew Luck can do that.

[Stugats]

Raise money and solve problems.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes. I think he's also the rare administrator that can help a coach walk into a living room and talk. An athlete, any athlete, not just in football, to come to our school building, building a beautiful thing in Palo Alto.

[Stugats]

I should probably also mention that in their first game, Stanford lost to Hawaii's kicker, who is from Japan, and learned how to kick on YouTube. Figured out how to kick on YouTube and figured out how to get a scholarship and kick game winning field goal against Andrew Luck after learning how to kick on YouTube. But Andrew Luck could have had, you.

[Dan LeBatard]

Know, the job for six years and that still would have happened.

[Stugats]

So what difference does that make? Sense? Correct. That's one nihilistic viewpoint. Anything in sports can happen with anybody in charge. But in Andrew Luck's first game, Andrew Luck had again, a Hawaii team that most of us just associate with losing every time in that spot. Unless sometimes the team has had some flight issues getting over to Hawaii and they're at home. It can be problematic.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's hard to come out of the TC Ching athletic complex alive.

[Stugats]

But Stanford. The expectations for Stanford are substantively higher in football than they are for Hawaii.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. Smart school, though. Good GPAs. Got to give him credit.

[Stugats]

Andrew Luck would be what the athletes that Stanford claims are John Elway and Tiger Woods. Right. And Andrew Luck is somewhere in that stratosphere with those people. A history of both academics and athletics.

[Dan LeBatard]

Katie Ledecky.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, there you go, I hope. Yeah. Boom.

[Dan LeBatard]

Who's an ally.

[Stugats]

Congratulations, Mike. I don't think that that should have been an outer thought. I think that should have remained an inner thought. Boom. Jim Plunkett. Richard Sherman.

[Dan LeBatard]

ACC legend Katie Ledecky.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, Katie.

[Stugats]

We'll get to the SUI for best. Back in my day. I wonder who will be the winner of that category. The Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody features also Mario Cristobal this week as Greg Co does his annual interview with the coach. Did you get uproarious laughter? Did you slap his back and throw your head back laughing? Because there's no pressure on him. And just. It's grand to be Mario Crystal pressure on him. Well, I just. I just don't assume that you and Mario Cristobal, like, I. I don't assume that you just had roaring laughter because he's in a real relaxed space. Notre Dame.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, he's not in a relaxed space. I mean, we didn't Talk to him on game week. We talked to him a few days ago, so he was sort of relaxed. We had. We had some laughs.

[Stugats]

There was some genuine connection there.

[Greg Cody]

Like, it seemed like Mario was excited.

[Stugats]

To see my dad, which was fun.

[Greg Cody]

If. If there's anything to tune in for.

[Stugats]

Tune in for my dad asking what.

[Greg Cody]

Is the longest first question in podcast history? I had to jump in twice and say, get to the question.

[Stugats]

What happened? He does this thing. And you know, Dan, sometimes you can do this thing where it's like, I'm trying to. Like I'm trying to set up everything.

[Greg Cody]

And it's just three minutes in. I'm like, let the man speak.

[Stugats]

We only have 12 minutes with him.

[Greg Cody]

No, we had about 25 minutes with him. But your point is well taken. I'm glad you interrupted me, but it was a good conversation, Mario. And. And I go back a long way.

[Stugats]

That's what got your dad into this. Exactly. He's like, oh, he's delighted to see me. Oh, I know your brother. I've known you for years. And then he's breaking down like the first three season.

[Greg Cody]

This first season, this happened. And then last, it's just like, get to the question. Proper introduction. I'm a professional, but it was nice. Mario and I have become text buddies.

[Dan LeBatard]

Wow.

[Greg Cody]

We have a good relationship. It's all good. It's all good. But I encourage people. That's a big guest for my podcast. I'm proud to have him. Great interview. I encourage people to listen to make.

[Dan LeBatard]

A break season for the Canes.

[Greg Cody]

Greg? Yes. When you say text buddies, like, you text him good luck before the game or like, good night some nights. What's the last thing you text? It's journalism related. I asked for something and blah, blah, blah. I don't want to go into details, but, you know.

[Stugats]

Shadowy curtain over everything he's doing there. He volunteered. We become tax buddies. But then he shut it down.

[Greg Cody]

Okay. It sounds more business than like buddies, honestly. Just like, if you need something from him, you text it. That's a one way.

[Stugats]

Give him like a good restaurant. Yeah. Hey, happy birthday.

[Greg Cody]

Text.

[Stugats]

Nothing like that.

[Greg Cody]

I had a new.

[Stugats]

I went to this new restaurant. You should check it out.

[Dan LeBatard]

Do you have to disclose to your readers and listeners now that you. You are now friends with Mario Cristobal?

[Greg Cody]

No, I wouldn't call it friends.

[Stugats]

Text buddies is what he said.

[Greg Cody]

We don't socialize.

[Stugats]

Did you tell Mario Cristobal that he's 1 in 6 versus ranked opponents at Miami?

[Greg Cody]

That did not come up. Actually, that did not come up. And that's why we get Mario on our show.

[Stugats]

No, I'm kidding.

[Greg Cody]

It was a good interview. I'm very proud of the conversation.

[Stugats]

The Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody, also back in my day is a staple of his. It is out in book form where you can find what is largely recycled material now that he doesn't do any fresh stuff anymore. Here is the suey category. Greg Cody's best back in my day.

[Greg Cody]

And now the suey nominees for best back in my day. Cruise ships. It's all about the the action and excitement. Now you see any of these ads? Just watching them makes me exhausted. People dive bombing feet from first down, terrifying vertical water flumes, bungee jumping out over the ocean, surfing simulators, tidal waves, indoor skydiving, scaling a rock, zip lines. What am I in a marine boot camp? I didn't sign up for a thrill ride. I don't want to compete. I want to relax on my cruise, get my money's worth on the drink card and doze on the deck in a chaise lounge with a dog eared paperback on my lap. Preferably pride of a lion. Can't even do that nowadays. The decks are a raucous boulevard with serpentining conga, lines of dancers and Carmen Miranda hats and ping pong tables. Tell me the genius who thought that up. A ping pong ball weighs less than a tenth of an ounce versus gale force ocean wind. You can't relax anymore on a cruise deck because the ship has jogging trails. As health nuts who forgot they were on vacation are huffing it past constantly checking their smartwatch to see if they're on pace. On pace for what? To be a more fit corpse. And why are there gyms on cruise ships in the first place? It's an oxymoron. It's like having a cocktail lounge in a synagogue. I don't need a gym to work out. I'm doing 12 ounce curls with a Miller Light bottle. You won't catch Greg Cody doing anything more strenuous on a cruise than playing a couple of holes of mini golf, watching my wife lose at bingo, getting annoyed during some trivia contest or praying at the roulette wheel. One other thing. It's not a Broadway or a Cirque du Soleil. I'm on a big slow boat. I don't need a concert or a show production. Just give me an open buffet and a bar every 25ft. Make cruise ships dull again. I'm Greg Cody and that's how it was back in my day.

[Stugats]

That's it. Come on. No one you did one fresh one and it's I believe and I've heard all that material going to vote for. I think that one's got a good chance.

[Greg Cody]

I don't know.

[Stugats]

That's ridiculous. No, you guys aren't respecting you can vote for Best back in my day@lebizard af.com thank you. I was thinking, how long is this? How long is this category? And then I realized he hasn't done any fresh ones.

[Dan LeBatard]

Do you have a fresh one this week?

[Greg Cody]

I do not. You know, with all the sui. Yeah, with all the SUI stuff I've been doing extracurricular activities, who's got time for a new Back in my day? Eczema isn't always obvious, but it's real. And so is the relief from Ebglis.

[Stugats]

After an initial dosing phase, about 4 in 10 people taking EBGLIS achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks. And most of those people maintained skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing. EBGLIS Lebricizumab, LBKZ, a 250 milligram per 2 milliliter injection, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12.

[Dan LeBatard]

Years of age and older who weigh.

[Stugats]

At least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. Eglis can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you are allergic to Ebglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Ebglis. Before starting Epglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection searching for real relief.

[Greg Cody]

Ask your doctor about epglis and visit epgliss.lilly.com or call 1-800-lilyrx or 1-800-545-5979. This episode is brought to you by State Farm.

[Dan LeBatard]

Life gets easier with great assists and State Farm is here to dish one your way.

[Greg Cody]

Get in touch over the phone or.

[Dan LeBatard]

On the app to get the teammate you need.

[Greg Cody]

State Farm with the assist Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Dan LeBatard]

Coverage options are selected by the customer. Customer availability and eligibility vary by state.

[Stugats]

This episode is brought to you by Amazon. Sometimes the most painful part of getting sick is the getting better part, waiting on hold for an appointment, sitting in crowded waiting rooms, standing in line at the pharmacy. That's painful. Amazon One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy remove those painful parts of getting better with things like 247 virtual visits and prescriptions delivered to your door thanks to Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical Healthcare just got less painful.

[Greg Cody]

Don LeBatard My wife says this is a sexy voice. It really is. Yeah, I'm hard. Thank you. Wow.

[Dan LeBatard]

Stugats.

[Greg Cody]

So am I, actually. I don't know why. This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

[Stugats]

I've got a couple of other things that I want to get to from the weekend, but let's gearhead it first. Go get the Richard gear. Gear head so that we can have a fluid transition. Transmission fluid. Let's transition.

[Dan LeBatard]

Transmission fluid. Is that a thing? Yes.

[Greg Cody]

Yes, it is.

[Dan LeBatard]

Left turns, baby. Gearhead is presented by nascar. For all the latest insights and storylines and to find out where and when you can watch, visit nascar. Guys, it was a night race at Daytona, the world's most famous race track. And it was the last race of the regular season. And the storyline here was Alex Bowman, the 48 car, much malignant. Hedrick Motorsports. You have all the resources in the world. Why aren't you better? You hold the last playoff spot. You need a good performance here to clinch your way into the playoffs. Crashes out very early in the race. Now he needs a repeat winner or he is.

[Stugats]

Oli.

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, thankfully, thanks to the closest finish with a top four in NASCAR history. That's right. Four cars within 4. 9 milliseconds of one another.

[Greg Cody]

0.

[Dan LeBatard]

4. 9 milliseconds.

[Greg Cody]

That sounds close.

[Stugats]

So the photo finish isn't even helping you. You're like, you're. How the hell you're doing this? You're doing this technologically, electronically.

[Dan LeBatard]

Ryan Blaney came from Mars to win that race. He was 12th with two laps to go with the next gen cars. You really don't see this, but you had him and Cole Custer kind of partner up. One was towing the other and they just blazed their way to the front of the pack. And he kept Alex Bowman in the playoffs. Playoffs starting out this week. Really exciting season for NASCAR so far. Really happy that Ryan Blaney, the worst part of the life is no longer losing and having hard luck. He had a really great race there.

[Stugats]

What is the worst part of the life? I'm waiting for the rest of that. Are we still in the silence? I thought that we were still in the silence. The awkward.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Stugats]

Wrecking yeah, there's that, too. That is a good answer. No bad questions, only bad answers. Other than that one bad question. One of the things that I feared. You guys know that I was a youth league umpire. What? My career ended one time when I made a T ball kid cry while he was sliding into third base because my outside was so dramatically flamboyant. But I hated being behind home plate umpiring because. And I don't. I think this is one of the great underrated, dangerous things in sports, being in and around the batter's box on foul tips and stuff that are going 100 miles an hour. And I was always afraid of my junk. I never owned a cup of any kind in my youth, nor did I know to do so. And so the. The umpire. I mean, what. What do Cuban parents know about cups? Like. Like. I don't know. I. But as an umpire, I was scared of what this one umpire got. This is just unbelievably bad luck. This is, over the course of a full game, really bad luck for this umpire, who, for people not watching, seems like an older guy. I'm putting him at, like, my dad's age, okay? And this is a dangerous spot. And this is what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of this for the catcher. I'm afraid of this for the umpire. But let's just go through this guy getting hit three times down there.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, that was the first one.

[Stugats]

Yeah, that's. Now we cut to later in the game. The undercarriage. Oh, that's straight on. That's not even foul tip. That's just a bad cat. He's struggling. That's just a bad cat. Well, that one didn't even go in the. Takes a step. I mean, that. And now the third one.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, my God, that will knock his arm.

[Dan LeBatard]

Sees there that one. He felt the podcast audience. We're watching an umpire get hit in.

[Greg Cody]

The dick over and over.

[Stugats]

And the third one, he fell to the ground into the field. All right, you got to isolate those sounds for me.

[Dan LeBatard]

The third one is. Look for the arm twitch before we relive the sounds. Guys, can you just get that third.

[Greg Cody]

One back up there?

[Stugats]

That's highly questionable. All right. For the audio audience, the umpire going down as if a sack of potatoes had been dropped from a helicopter. All right, we got the third one here. Here we go. Umpire going down on the third one in a way that we could all imagine.

[Greg Cody]

Laying in the field, and he.

[Stugats]

Never got up behind home plate. He did get up. He was not buried there. That did not turn. That did not end his life. But can I hear the escalating sounds one after another?

[Greg Cody]

Okay. Oh, my God.

[Stugats]

I wanna. I wanna hear the three of them, and I wanna hear him in order, and I wanna hear him isolated so that we could just see this escalation. But on the third one, he does give up. His body is lifeless behind home plate. And it came with the sound you'd expect. My favorite is this one where afterwards, you hear a little coaching. No one's worried about the umpire. Way to stay alive, Brian.

[Greg Cody]

May have been the umpire.

[Dan LeBatard]

May have been the umpire. Maybe the umpire's named Brian.

[Greg Cody]

You don't know Brian. Yeah, stay alive, Brian.

[Stugats]

That's the second one, but the third one is the worst of these. You can't play it enough over the rest of. Of the show there. Does it sound like he's a poor guy? Because this is universally funny. This is almost like the original joke, is it not? This is. The things that are universally funny are somebody falling down. This has two of them. This has two of them. Because at the end, he gives you the punctuation. But always funny. Somebody falling down, Always funny. Somebody hit. Being hit in the groin. You combine the two of them, and you've got gold. And then, of course, the original joke, the fart. There may have been one of those, too.

[Greg Cody]

He's got to have a cup like you. He wasn't wearing a cup.

[Stugats]

It sounds.

[Greg Cody]

No, it.

[Stugats]

But it sounds like. It sounds like he does have a cup. It does sound like that. It sounds like it's made of cardboard as well. But it sounds like that is hitting something that is not human flesh.

[Greg Cody]

I just love the third one so much.

[Stugats]

I mean, the third one is great for a number of reasons, but one of them is. Yeah, well, but it's just both arms judging, jutting out, like, where he's like, really? He knows at this point the cosmos are playing a joke on him. Once he gets hit with the third time, and then he just quits. He quits on. He quits on the game. He quits on dignity.

[Greg Cody]

He's on the ground thinking, I'm getting $12 for doing this Little League. I got to get a real job.

[Stugats]

And then he sounds exactly like Homer Simpson. Yeah.

[Dan LeBatard]

And on the video, the coach just waddling to him.

[Stugats]

Right. Well, you got. You got a coach who's got a substantive belly.

[Dan LeBatard]

Soda bodies on the diamond.

[Stugats]

This is more than a soda body. This is someone who leads with his gut. And he is very much. Couldn't have been less, like, eager he just like, let me go, let me check on an umpire who is prone. And if, if police showed up and put police tape around him would look dead or alive. This is how it would look if he were dead. And then helpful beer belly coach comes out and just sort of steps over the umpire. I could look at that umpire laying like that. I'm going to maintain that's one of the greatest sports photographs ever taken. The one that is presently on our screen. I think before it used to be Muhammad Ali was standing over Cassius Clay on the street Gym. Thank you, Roy. Good correction. I thought that this photograph on Miami beach would never be topped, but I've got it wrong. You put this photograph in front of somebody and asked them what happened here? What do you think happened here? Nobody's answer is, this is the third time in one game that that umpire has got a foul tip.

[Greg Cody]

And he's. Yeah.

[Stugats]

And he's quit because he. Because the Cosmos are clearly against it.

[Dan LeBatard]

This counts as Little League World Series coverage.

[Greg Cody]

The poor pitcher, he's kneeling on the mound thinking, oh, what did I do?

[Stugats]

That's what you do when someone goes.

[Greg Cody]

Down, you take a knee.

[Stugats]

What I'm telling you though, that I was afraid of as a Little League umpire is exactly what I think happened to that umpire on either two or three of the occasions. I can't tell. It's not the foul tip in the dirt, catching the undercarriage, although I was scared of that too. It's just I can't trust a 9 year old catcher to not let that fastball just hit me square. That's not, that's not. Are all of those. Which of those are foul tips? And which is just the catcher whiffed on catching the ball. I don't think those were all foul tips. I think that's just one bad catcher is making it very difficult to do that job for $12 an hour.

[Dan LeBatard]

I mean, you heard the aluminum bat.

[Stugats]

Right on one of them. On, on. I heard a foul tip on one.

[Dan LeBatard]

Of them, but on the tip every single time.

[Stugats]

Like that one.

[Greg Cody]

Roy, that was good.

[Stugats]

Coach sauntering down the baseline. No, that body like you think there'd be a little jog here. No, but it's not. It's Bert Kreischer wandering in with a T shirt that's too tight. And he's just in control of everything. And he just needs the umpire to get over his whimpering and get back out there, rub some dirt on it. Way to stay alive, Brian.

[Greg Cody]

So stay alive, right?

[Stugats]

Would you guys do me the favor please of putting up on the screen, since we are now shaming bodies here, one of the great nicknames now that exists in baseball. I mentioned the other day with Tim Kirchen that I thought that the fat baseball player had gone extinct. And he agreed that the fat baseball player had gone extinct. But Big sugar, Zach Maxwell, a pitcher for the Reds. Look at this guy. He's got a belly on him. And how tall is that person? He is. He is 6, 6, 6 7. He is another one people who throws 100 miles an hour.

[Greg Cody]

That's the best part of it.

[Stugats]

Not just a hunt like 102, 103. The kid throws.

[Dan LeBatard]

Chad.

[Stugats]

Well, I saw somebody the other day, I hit a home run off of 103, 104 mile an hour pitch off of one of these Mason throws. Somebody hit a home. Mason Miller. Yeah, I don't. I don't even know. I don't even understand how people do that. So this, this person throws 102 miles an hour for me. It's the glasses too.

[Greg Cody]

It's the combo of the belly and.

[Stugats]

The glasses that do it for me. If he doesn't have the glasses is.

[Greg Cody]

It's not the same for me. He is 6 foot 6, 275 pounds.

[Dan LeBatard]

And hits 102 miles an hour on the radar gun.

[Greg Cody]

Wow.

[Dan LeBatard]

Big sugar.

[Greg Cody]

And you know what? In the same category, Cal Raleigh just hit his 49th home run. Most ever.

[Stugats]

Most ever for a catcher in a season. That's a dumper.

[Greg Cody]

Are we doing.

[Stugats]

Are we doing. We're doing chubby there because I feel like square more than. It's like Schwarber. It's not. It's not chubby. It's just thick.

[Greg Cody]

Okay, I'll take thick.

[Stugats]

I think we would all be impressed if he took his shirt off with two Cs.

[Greg Cody]

Really?

[Stugats]

You don't think like. What do you think he looks like me?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, maybe. No, take your shirt off. Let me see. We'll start with him and then we'll work backwards.

[Stugats]

You believe that he's out of shape?

[Greg Cody]

I don't believe. I believe he's out of shape. By the pro athlete standard for you and I. Standard? No, I think he's in great shape. But for a pro athlete, I think Cal Raleigh, with all due respect.

[Stugats]

So he's not a 70 year old man, Right?

[Greg Cody]

Right. That's exactly what I'm. Yeah.

[Dan LeBatard]

Now's a good time to remember where Tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila.

[Stugats]

Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

What are you doing here, Cuervo?

[Stugats]

Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out especially for one of our great partners.

[Stugats]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same page passion.

[Stugats]

Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all. Cuervo, Cuervo, the tequila that invented tequila. Proximo Cuervo.com Please drink responsibly.

[Stugats]

Cuervo.