Hour 1: College Football Playoff Reaction? College Football Playoff Reaction!

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Episode: Hour 1: College Football Playoff Reaction
Release Date: January 6, 2025
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Greg Cody, Mike Ryan, Dominique Foxworth, Chris Cody, Shannon Sharpe

---

1. Opening Discussion: Breaking Down the Miami Heat-Jimmy Butler Situation

Timestamp: 01:11 - 02:40

The episode kicks off with Greg Cody addressing the abrupt end of the relationship between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. The hosts express disappointment over Butler's recent suspension and trade demands, highlighting a decline in his on-court performance and attitude.

Jimmy Butler: "Jimmy Butler's got a trade he's demanding doesn't wanna play for Horsepo for seven games. Now he's out, he's suspended."
(01:27)

Greg Cody echoes the sentiment, emphasizing Butler's diminished role and questioning how the team can recover from his erratic behavior.

Greg Cody: "Can you get your joy back here on the court?"
(01:34)

2. College Football Playoff (CFP) Reactions: Teams and System Critique

Timestamp: 02:40 - 05:58

The conversation transitions to the College Football Playoff, with the hosts analyzing the selection and performance of teams like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, and Arizona State. There's a critical view of how the expanded playoff system may have favored certain teams unfairly.

Greg Cody: "I don't understand how North Carolina was in a bowl game. They had allowed 52 points at the half at home to James Madison."
(02:40)

Dan Le Batard highlights the confusion surrounding team performances and playoff selections, questioning the consistency of seeding.

Dan Le Batard: "Isn't it amazing to watch all of these geniuses, like even LaFleur, have problems with time management?"
(03:24)

3. Expanded Playoff System: Benefits and Flaws

Timestamp: 05:03 - 09:02

The hosts debate the merits and shortcomings of the expanded playoff system. Mike Ryan and Greg Cody discuss the challenges of seeding and the potential exclusion of deserving teams like Notre Dame despite strong performances.

Greg Cody: "When you look at Notre Dame and Ohio State, they seem to be the best teams. Correct. Ohio State more than Notre Dame."
(04:29)

Dominique Foxworth and Dan Le Batard explore how the playoff system may not adequately account for late-season upsets and the overall strength of conferences.

Dan Le Batard: "There's no way to create a seeding that accounts for the fact that the best team in the country once again crapped the bed in the last week of the regular season against their rival."
(05:31)

4. Media Personalities and Fan Engagement in College Football

Timestamp: 10:32 - 15:00

Chris Cody raises concerns about the increasing cynicism among college football media personalities, suggesting that their negativity is alienating fans and dampening the sport's spirit.

Chris Cody: "College football media personalities have gotten more and more surly... Isn't this the fun sport?"
(11:26)

The discussion includes examples like Shannon Sharpe's confrontation with Kirk Herbstreet, illustrating the tension between media figures and fan expectations.

Shannon Sharpe: "If we're gonna be on the same team... don't do that."
(13:09)

5. Personal Anecdotes: Experiences at the Sugar Bowl and Aftermath of an Attack

Timestamp: 34:00 - 37:31

Dan Le Batard shares a personal story about attending the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, where he and his team experienced the traumatic aftermath of the New Year's Day attack. The hosts express their empathy for the victims and the lasting impact of such events on their lives.

Dan Le Batard: "I just feel really, really lucky that we weren't on Bourbon Street when the attack happened... It was just a horrific thing."
(34:13)

6. Dominique Foxworth's Live Show Expansion

Timestamp: 16:41 - 32:18

Dominique Foxworth discusses his growing media presence, including live shows and upcoming events featuring notable personalities like Dan Graziano and Bomani Jones. The hosts support his endeavors and promote his upcoming live event in Manhattan.

Dominique Foxworth: "It's January 15th. It's in Manhattan at the Whitby theater... It's going to fun."
(17:13)

7. NFL Player Performance and Records

Timestamp: 21:30 - 28:07

The conversation shifts to NFL topics, including Bryce Young's impressive comeback and Baker Mayfield's outstanding performances. The hosts debate the validity of records and the treatment of players based on off-field actions.

Dominique Foxworth: "The Bryce Young turnaround has been the most incredible thing. Comeback player of the year, probably in my view."
(21:46)

8. Coaching Changes and Team Dynamics

Timestamp: 30:08 - 31:44

Gerard Mayo's firing from the Texans sparks a discussion on coaching stability and team culture. The hosts critique Mayo's impact and speculate on future coaching hires, emphasizing the need for leaders who positively influence team dynamics.

Dominique Foxworth: "He's not the guy that I want to defend. It is unfair to give one a guy one year head coaching and assume that he can get the job done."
(30:16)

9. Closing Remarks and Additional Content

Timestamp: 32:29 - 41:15

The episode wraps up with lighter banter about various topics, including NFL commercials, team trivia, and personal anecdotes. The hosts emphasize the importance of enjoying the sport while acknowledging its complexities.

Dan Le Batard: "I can guarantee you that's a yes... It was a really exciting time."
(33:44)

---

Notable Quotes:

• Greg Cody on North Carolina's Bowl Game Appearance:

  "They had allowed 52 points at the half at home to James Madison."
  (02:40)

• Shannon Sharpe Confronting Kirk Herbstreet:

  "If we're gonna be on the same team... don't do that."
  (13:09)

• Dan Le Batard on the College Football Atmosphere:

  "Why are we not liking the sport that we cover? Why can't we, at least, take a step back and be like, wow, that was cool."
  (05:58)

• Dominique Foxworth on Player Performance and Records:

  "The Bryce Young turnaround has been the most incredible thing. Comeback player of the year, probably in my view."
  (21:46)

Conclusion

In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, the hosts delve deep into the intricacies of the College Football Playoff system, offering critical perspectives on team selections and playoff dynamics. Alongside, they touch upon significant NFL player performances, coaching changes, and personal experiences that shape their viewpoints. The blend of sports analysis, personal anecdotes, and candid discussions provides a comprehensive look into the current state of college football and its broader impact.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

You're listening to Giraffkings Network.

[Stugotz]

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[Jessica]

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[Dominique Foxworth]

This is the Dan Levator show with.

[Mike Ryan]

The Stu Guts podcast. This is a clear cut end to the Butler Heat relationship.

[Shannon Sharpe]

This relationship has been over.

[Greg Cody]

I want to get my joy back.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I'm happy here off the court, but I want to be back to somewhat dominant.

[Greg Cody]

Can you get your joy back here on the court?

[Dominique Foxworth]

Probably not.

[Jimmy Butler]

Jimmy Butler's got a trade he's demanding doesn't wanna play for Horsepo for seven games. Now he's out, he's suspended. Vibes are at an all time low though. We can't forget when Jimmy made the Heat of finals team. He's become a menace. Riley's gotten way too up for his shit. Jimmy Buckets ain't just gonna stand there in the corner and y'all, he's 35 no, he ain't getting any younger. He's lost a couple steps no longer alpha or a killer Best reveal the situation that you caught up. He's done this almost everywhere else that he's been. How can we be surprised that he's doing it again? Now we can test the market for an old malcontent to wanna talk or think about all of the money that we spended Says he'd pay for Atlanta, just not the heat maybe even for Toronto, just not the heat. Send his ass to Indiana, just not the heat could even trade him to Utah, just not the heat could get his joy back in Denver Just not the heat could sell his coffee as a clipper Just not the heat maybe a buck or a blazer Just not the heat he says he'll play anywhere Just not the he.

[Greg Cody]

That'S a good song. That's a good song. The original is a good song. And that song is good. I have spent too much time Stugatz not talking about college football and everything that's happened over the last 10 days. I've got so many thoughts. I imagine you guys have a ton of thoughts. I don't understand how North Carolina was in a bowl game. They had allowed 52 points at the half at home to James Madison. Like you cannot.

[Mike Ryan]

Everyone makes a bowl game.

[Greg Cody]

Everyone does. Yeah, La Tech got in at 5 and 7. Yes, a lot of crap out there, but holy shit, that Pittsburgh Toledo game carried me for like three days.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's always amazing when you find out how many college football coaches don't really know the new overtime rules in real time.

[Greg Cody]

Isn't it amazing to watch all of these geniuses, like even LaFleur, have problems with time management? They called a timeout yesterday to kick a 55 yard field goal in just horrible. Freezing. That was freezing water bottles that were liquid at one point. And then you just open them and they become ice. And the play at the end, Green Bay, while playing its starters and having starters hurt, loses to Chicago on dueling 50 yard field goals. And you're trying to figure out which of these teams is going to screw up the end of the game more.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good for the Bears. I like that the they asked DJ Moore about it if, you know, like this was this. Are you guys happy about this? Like, was this really the best thing? He's like, yeah, screw the Packers. He said with the F word. But I censored it for you, Dan.

[Greg Cody]

Thank you. I appreciate all of that. The college football Stugach among Beamer and Bielema fighting over the dumbest thing possible about. When you look at Notre Dame winning, Ohio State winning, I think most of us would argue that Notre Dame and Ohio State seem to be the best teams. Correct. Ohio State more than Notre Dame.

[Mike Ryan]

I think Notre Dame has been. It's amazing they lost in Northern Illinois, but I think Notre Dame has been, you know, certainly one of the top four teams in the country. What I learned about this playoff is we had so much time to figure this thing out. And what we came up with is we're going to give Boise and Arizona State by weeks and let them sit around and get healthy and get Rested and then they come out and they, and they get blown out. It's been a disaster. Arizona State.

[Greg Cody]

Arizona State did not get blown.

[Dan Le Batard]

Boise didn't get blown out. That was a good game.

[Chris Cody]

I thought it's been to your point, like they've already said, like it seems like that's being changed immediately. The whole bye week thing.

[Mike Ryan]

Right.

[Chris Cody]

Like we're going to get all that's guaranteed to those teams now are just playoff position, but they're going to totally.

[Dan Le Batard]

Reevaluate the buys, which then everyone's going to complain about when they realize it means Notre Dame can get a buy without playing in a conference championship game.

[Mike Ryan]

But Mike, you agree, like after watching this thing play out and there's four teams left, that there were five teams worthy of being in the playoffs this year, right?

[Chris Cody]

Well, but, but that's a, that's a feather in the cap for the expanded playoff. And is it not? Because right now everybody's picking Ohio State. Ohio State would be on the outside looking in.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think that's a different conversation. I also think when it comes to Ohio State, they obviously look like they're by far the best team in the country right now after the Rose bowl, like, they just add and the Tennessee game, they've just looked so good in the playoffs. But I don't think there's a way to create a seating that accounts for the fact that the best team in the country once again crapped the bed in the last week of the regular season against their rival. That's just a thing that, like, you can't account for when you're seeding a playoff tournament.

[Greg Cody]

But it's crazy when Michigan, though, beats Alabama like that. I did find interesting watching the coverage of, oh, Boise State's a fraud, but Tennessee's not. Boise State shouldn't be in the playoffs, but Alabama loses and everybody. And Georgia loses and Texas barely wins and oh, look, it's the Big Ten that's playing the best football in the country this year. Look at what just Oregon's got track starts. Oh, yeah. Get out of here. Like, you can't stay on the field. You're not physical enough. I didn't have it being like that. Stugots. When Michigan went and beat Ohio State, I stopped believing in the idea that Ohio State could run with all of these SEC teams. But those SEC teams, I think that the on field takeaway is it not that. Okay, I guess Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan are better than I thought they were and you're not going to be able to make the Argument that the best in the SEC is better than them.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean on God bless football. Talking to Lucy who covers college football here for, for Meadowlock Media. She's been telling us that Penn State is legit good all season. That if it were a 14 playoff, Penn State would likely be one of the teams that was selected to a four team playoff.

[Chris Cody]

And yet if you watch a playoff games like I don't think they're playing particularly well. As ridiculous as it may seem, that home field advantage was the entirety of the reason why they won against smu. SMU blew several opportunities to take control of that game. Boise State also blew some opportunities there. I think my takeaway and I'm so glad we missed that first week of reaction because it was asinine. Oh, this is why you don't put Indiana in there. People as if they were actually holding onto that, as if that were any sort of take entering the CFP that you don't put Indiana in there. No one had that take. And Kirk Herbstreak goes on TV armchair quarterbacking the situation and everyone, everyone does the same thing, pounds a table for the sec. But then the week afterwards we realized, oh, we should have cooled on that. But I think taking anything that we've seen from the bowl games, Alabama against Michigan, what we saw from South Carolina, who didn't even know who Illinois players had been saying, like they actually thought we were Syracuse. They had no idea who they were playing. These are exhibitions. There's opt outs everywhere. I don't, I don't believe in using a bowl game as credence to, to support a take. They don't really matter. They're just these funky things that exist with bastardized versions of teams. So I'm not down with that. But I think the takeaway here should be CFP got it right. They ended up getting it right. Once Clemson won that game, they got it right. And here we have a scenario in which everyone is the odds on favorite is Ohio State to win this championship. And that's not something that would have been around had they not expanded these things.

[Greg Cody]

I got to tell you that the last two years of what I've seen so far Stugarts with both Michigan and Ohio State, it's hard not to come away with oh wait, that's better than the top of the sec. Like that happened kind of quick that I thought it was Georgia, Alabama, I thought it was Clemson, that it feels like that one happened a lot. Happened a little quicker than I was ready for. The idea that physical Northeastern football is something that beats the Mississippi offense.

[Mike Ryan]

And the one SEC team that's in the Final four is Tech Texas.

[Dan Le Batard]

The Big Ten's been a big deal for a while. Michigan won the national championship last year. So I'm confused about these takes Michigan had to beat Alabama to get to the national championship.

[Mike Ryan]

No, but Dan is saying, I think the general consensus is the top of the SEC is better than the top of the Big Ten. And that's been. I mean, that's been blown away, this.

[Greg Cody]

This Big Ten, because I would just say that Ohio State has been in this class with Clemson and Alabama and Georgia. They've been competing with them.

[Mike Ryan]

The ones that consisted.

[Greg Cody]

Ones that haven't have been Michigan and Penn State. And Michigan was. Was last year.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, Michigan's made the playoff multiple times before they won the national championship. So I disagree with that take if you want to. Maybe. Maybe the top of the SEC has been better than the Big Ten, you could argue. But I really think that, like, a lot of that is because of Nick Saban and his. His tenure at Alabama. More so than, like, if you took, like, the top five and compared it to the top five or something like that. I. There's probably data that's out there that I could look into, but I do think, like, yeah, Indiana. Indiana beat Michigan this year, so they should absolutely be considered the top of the Big Ten with Ohio State and Penn State and Oregon, the teams that made the playoff. But yeah, it was a weird, weird season for the sec, but an SEC team could still win the national championship because Texas is still in there. So I don't know.

[Chris Cody]

There's just nothing that pisses me off more after a college football playoff game than, say, see, that team lost, so they shouldn't have been in there.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's right when all the. When all the favorites with the home sites are winning. Like, that's sort of the point is that, like, the better teams get easier matches, matchups. Like, that's how the, you know, that's how tournaments work with seating and brackets. Like, I agree with you. And it was very frustrating. That whole weekend was so annoying because I was at the Notre Dame Indiana game, and it was by far. Maybe not by far, but it was the best college football atmosphere, game experience of maybe my life. Like, it was so much fun. I had an absolute blast. And then to get home that night and hear everyone blasting this game when it's like, the first time we've ever had a college football playoff game at a home site and everyone's, like, just taking a big dump On Indiana, I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are we not. Why don't we like the sport that we cover? Why can't we, like, at least take a step back and be like, wow, that was cool. Oh, it's, you know, Indiana's not there yet, but this is a great season for them.

[Chris Cody]

I would like to seize on that and ask Dan, have you noticed what's been going on with college football media personalities? Because they've gotten more and more surly and they seem to have turned against the fan base that helped get the ratings to where they're at. It's almost as if they welcomed in Nick Saban as an elder statesman and they're all just trying to impress Nick Saban with how such a hard ass they can be and how. I really think Kirk Herb street came away forever changed by that exchange that he had with FSU fans. And he's just made a projection across all of college football fandom. Isn't this the fun sport? Isn't this the one that we all gather around and say, like, this is school pride. This is. This is cool stuff. You turn on college game day and everyone's telling you, what's wrong with this? Guys, you're the one that came up with the CFP idea. Why are you shitting on it one week into this whole expanded thing? Can we have some fun here?

[Greg Cody]

All right. We can have some fun in a moment with Dominic.

[Dan Le Batard]

Can we just have some fun?

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, close games are fun. Blowouts are not.

[Greg Cody]

I want to have fun.

[Dan Le Batard]

I had a blast at that blowout.

[Greg Cody]

Since you made it nice to Kirk.

[Stugotz]

Ben died.

[Greg Cody]

Kirk, Herb street. Let's have some fun with playing the Shannon Sharpe sound, going after Kirk Herbstreet, because Kirk Herbstreet was watching Ohio State and he said, let's see what first take has to say about Ryan Day now. And then Shannon Sharp just went on and straight out threatened Kirk Herb street on first take.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Even though I'm going to let it slide, I'm going to be a good teammate, I'm gonna let it slide. Everybody's at ESPN because had you not taken the route you taking, I would have lit they ass up. But I'm gonna let it slide. You know what, guys? Congratulations, Ohio State. You won the game. But hey, if we're gonna be on the same team, if we're gonna work for the same network, don't do that.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Kirk.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Chris Fowler, I promise you, if you ever mention anything, any platform that I'm on again and talking about, I wonder what they gonna say in negativity. I promise you. ESPN ain't got enough bosses to keep me off y'all for what I'm gonna say, so I'm gonna let y'all slide today. I'm gonna turn it over to Dio before I get myself in trouble. But don't play with me. Go ahead, Dio.

[Stugotz]

De I gotta follow.

[Greg Cody]

Not the best spot to put Dominique in. Shannon Sharpe is really good at television. And Kirk, please say something else, Please.

[Mike Ryan]

Because the next one's not going to slide. Please.

[Greg Cody]

I'm imploring you to say something else, folks.

[Jessica]

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[Dan Le Batard]

What is Dax?

[Greg Cody]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I've been looking for my phone.

[Greg Cody]

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[Roy Bellamy]

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[Chris Cody]

All of them.

[Greg Cody]

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[Dominique Foxworth]

That's a great offer.

[Greg Cody]

I know. Sell Sell. Track your car's value with Carvana Value Tracker.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Today.

[Roy Bellamy]

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[Jessica]

Cheaters never prosper.

[Greg Cody]

Stugats. I ain't cheating.

[Dominique Foxworth]

This is the Don Lebatar show with the Stugats.

[Greg Cody]

Dominique, welcome. I'm very excited for you. You're doing live shows now. The Dominique Foxworth show is expanding. It's a. You're a giant empire now, and you're doing a live show this week. And, and I heard stugats. How do you think this one's gonna go? That one of the featured events is Dan Graziano doing trivia against Bomani Jones.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, wow. Bomani's gonna. He's gonna.

[Greg Cody]

Graziano's good.

[Mike Ryan]

Bomani's better.

[Greg Cody]

Who's the favorite here? Dominique. Dominique.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I mean, I think. I think even Bomani would. Would admit that Graziano is the favorite. So, like this, this was born out of a couple years ago. I. I created like a. A trivia show for Bomani on his show, and then we started doing it on get up. And Bomani always texts me the answers when Graziano's answering it. But Graziano, I think even Bomani would. Would admit that Graziano is the favorite. But you never know. It depends on the questions for sure.

[Greg Cody]

What else are you doing? And tell us more about the event, please, because I was very excited.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Thanks for having me on. It's January 15th. It's in Manhattan at the Whitby theater. Graz will be there. Bomani will be there. Kevin Clark, Jason Goff. Who else? Himbo's coming. Oh, Green is going to come. Green is going to show up. I don't know what we're going to have him do, but he's going to show up. So get your tickets. 35. We got alcohol. It should be fun. I Did my promo stuff. Now let's talk about the Panthers, guys.

[Greg Cody]

The Florida Panthers?

[Dominique Foxworth]

Yeah, the Florida pants. Like, I've been listening to the show. It's so sad. The Dolphins make you sad. The Heat make you sad. The Marlins make you sad. Panthers are good, right, Roy? Absolutely. Panther talk. Defending champion Florida Panthers.

[Greg Cody]

Yes, they're the best team, Dominique. I'm glad you brought Roy into the discussion, Dominique, because I want to ask you how rare it is to give yourself a haircut and cut part of your eyebrow off. Because this is something that apparently has happened to Roy. Let's focus in on Roy's face here. Thanks, Dan. Well, what happened? Do I have this right or do I not have this right? Have you indeed accidentally shaved part of your eyebrow?

[Dominique Foxworth]

I believe I may have shaved a little portion of my eyebrow right around here.

[Stugotz]

Trying to cut hat helps with my own story.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Ooh. But it works, though. That shit look good. I like it, Roy.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think Roy was sweating.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I might have to give me a little cut in my eyebrow. How you pull that off? You know, just accidentally sliding the. The clippers towards the eyebrow. I mean, it does look kind of good. I gotta be honest.

[Stugotz]

Thank you.

[Greg Cody]

Thank you. But how often does this happen? Explain to me, please, how rare an event this would be, not just for Roy, but for any human being that has grace around their head.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Yeah, I've never cut my eyebrows by mistake. Also. Yeah, I don't know Roy. I want to focus on how good it looks. And Barkov, Right? What about that guy? He's good. Juju.

[Greg Cody]

Go put it on the pole, please. Have you ever shaved part of your eyebrow by mistake?

[Stugotz]

I think Roy went to, like, a.

[Greg Cody]

Brow bar or something.

[Stugotz]

Like, Roy was trying to give him some eyebrows, some shape, and then he wasn't sure how it came out, so he said, hey, guys, just, you know, my eyebrows look different. I may have accidentally shaved off a piece. Just looking for some compliments. And now he knows this worked.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I guess I gotta do the other eyebrow now.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, you stopped after one.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Just do one. I like it. It's the imbalance. It's unpredictable. It looks good. I'm a fan. Remember?

[Dan Le Batard]

Sisters, not twins. Eyebrows.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Okay, sisters.

[Greg Cody]

Gotcha, Dominique. Name a second. Florida Panther trivia.

[Mike Ryan]

Chuck, third.

[Dominique Foxworth]

You trying to play me?

[Greg Cody]

You trying to play me, Dan?

[Dominique Foxworth]

Trying to play me? You get yourself a nice little shirt with. But you got your first shirt in your life with buttons on it. And you want to be a smart ass because you now you're Mr. Big Man. I got buttons. Look at me.

[Greg Cody]

I Can wear two shirts at one time. That's what I was doing. He got me. He did. I came in today. Look at me. I got buttons. Nobody's got as many buttons as me.

[Dominique Foxworth]

That's exactly first day back at school from the break. I'm gonna wear all the stuff my wife bought me for Christmas. Christmas, look, I'm a. I'm a layer. Two shirts. Look at me. I just hold up on layer.

[Greg Cody]

It's coming through. It's 40 degrees this week. It's coming through to South Florida. Genuine winter, coldest days.

[Mike Ryan]

140 in the studio.

[Dan Le Batard]

Horrible.

[Dominique Foxworth]

It is so hot.

[Greg Cody]

Smells like sewage.

[Dan Le Batard]

Just sewage soup.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I'm in the middle of a snowstorm here, so you guys need to stop complaining.

[Dan Le Batard]

I would trade you in a heartbeat. Right now.

[Greg Cody]

Let's talk some football things. I've got a number of them to get to with you. But if Andy Dalton doesn't get into a car accident, is Bryce Young still a starting quarterback in the NFL ever again?

[Dominique Foxworth]

Hell no. Probably not. Maybe he gets another chance somewhere else down the road. But this Bryce Young turnaround has been the most incredible thing. Like he would. It's almost inexplicable. Like, I see what's happening here, but we always feel like, at least for me, once you get an idea the range of what a quarterback can be, he's not just going to blow the roof like this. If he started his career the way he's playing right now, we'd be talking about him as if he was one of the second Cummins, like the future of the league. The stuff that he's doing now is really incredible. Comeback player of the year, probably in my view. I'm a big Bryce guy. He's. He's fun. He's doing no look passes and celebrating on everybody in very Steph Curry fashion. I appreciate this comeback story that is Bryce Young. And I mean, it's always kind of the case is we forget the little events that change the way that changed history for us. But yeah, it's always something like that. I guess it's not always a car accident for Andy Dalton, but it's always some random occurrence that puts somebody in the spotlight.

[Mike Ryan]

The Chiefs are scared of Joe Burrow. Do you agree? I mean, come on, man.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Stu Guts.

[Jessica]

Minor penalty.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Two minutes for Chiefs talk. No. Scared of. He's not. He's not. Does anybody know if Stu knows about how the playoffs work?

[Greg Cody]

I want to ask you a sort of broader question that I don't think people are talking about today. Do you think that we can make the extrapolation with desean Watson, who was at one point a top five quarterback. Best Texans teams we've ever seen are with desean Watson as a top five quarterback. Do you make a link between everything he went through and a short circuiting confidence that made him go from a top five quarterback to a bad quarterback? That everything that happened to him derailed his play? Everything did everything he did. I should say, not everything that happened to him.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Yeah, I mean, I'm comfortable with making, like, general psychoanalysis sometimes, but this is so specific. It's hard to say he had injuries also, but I can't imagine that having all of those things that you have done come back and be like the main storyline of your life. I can't imagine that's an easy burden to carry. Whether it is or not, whether it's warranted, and it's part of his responsibility for the things that he's done and decisions that he's made. That has to be tough. It weighs on every single person that would go through that would put themselves through something like that. I do find, though, incredibly interesting that they never paid Baker Mayfield, which I like to go back on that argument because I said they should have paid him. And now he's the best quarterback right now, playing in football. Like I know Mike is off of. Yeah, I got a little carried away. Not the best in football. That was as an exaggeration. He's the best Browns quarterback that. That they've had in a long time. And I know Mike is off of the Browns, but you got to enjoy the way Baker's playing right now. Right.

[Chris Cody]

I become a Bucks fan because of it. I love it. I love it. I love watching Baker play. I quite honestly, I think he made one of the greatest throws in NFL history to McMillan. That catch and throw was unbelievable. And the TV broadcast angle does it. No joke.

[Greg Cody]

It was so great. And right after. Right, right after. Wasn't there a penalty right before that?

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, McMillan. Yeah. He said he mimicked a gun, which you can't do, by the way. After they scored the touchdown, they fired cannons, but he.

[Greg Cody]

He just did a first down. What he said he was doing was first down, not a gun. And then they penalized.

[Chris Cody]

But he did like a shotgun type of first.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Yeah. First down. You can't first down with two fingers. That's the thing. That's the. Yeah, just foul. But yeah, that was a really good throw, but you guys obviously ain't watching. Joe Milton, if you think that. That Baker Mayfield's throw was the best Throw of the weekend because Joe Milton had two throws in that game that were absurd. I think he threw the best or the fastest pass in the league this year.

[Greg Cody]

He was terrible at Tennessee. Terrible.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, but I could do that throw with an orange so he can.

[Greg Cody]

He's got a giant arm. And I think the big, the best play he had yesterday was called back on a penalty. I thought the, the rollout to the left where, where he, that was called back, wasn't it the one into the end zone there where he rolled out to his left and spun out.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I don't remember exactly what, which one you're talking about, but he had another rollout that I think counted where he hit a guy in the middle field. Ridiculous pass. Then he had one to the left. That was the fastest throw in this year. Joe Milton is probably not very good at football, but he had a really good day and that was fun. Having a good day.

[Greg Cody]

What were your thoughts on Saquon Barkley? People are talking about him not breaking Eric Dickerson's record, but he failed to break Eric Dickerson's record. That's a 16 game record. It's not a 17 game record.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Like you're one of those guys then.

[Greg Cody]

Well, I'm just saying you got to do it in the same number of games.

[Dominique Foxworth]

You don't. You don't.

[Jessica]

You don't.

[Mike Ryan]

You kind of do. I mean, you, you have.

[Dominique Foxworth]

You don't.

[Greg Cody]

What do you mean you don't?

[Dominique Foxworth]

It's a season record. They extend the season, the record changes. Like no one points to Eric Dickerson and says that, that the Juice still has the record because he did it in 14 games. Like if they extend the season, it becomes a season record. I don't fall into this trap.

[Greg Cody]

But I'm smart. But I'm saying two shirt Dan is.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Too smart for that.

[Greg Cody]

No, it's got to be the same. O.J. simpson has to own the record because that's the fastest that anyone's done it in 14 games. And that's what the season was it. If, if you gave O.J. simpson three more games. What are you talking about there? It's not the same.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I don't. I think O.J. simpson is not allowed to have any records anymore. I think that we decided that O.J. simpson's behavior off the field means that we have to pretend that he wasn't the best running back in NFL history.

[Mike Ryan]

But at the time that Dickerson was breaking that record, don't you think O.J. was telling someone, Hey, I did it in 14 games?

[Dominique Foxworth]

Probably and who cares? It's a new record. You know what like this is. I do a lot of old man things now because I'm an old man, but I got pulled into an ancient running back rabbit hole a couple days ago when we were having this conversation and Herschel Walker was absurd. Like, there's so many running backs that we don't see anymore because we've devalued a position that if you watch their highlights, like we all know Barry Sanders. Just watch 15 minutes of Herschel Walker playing football or OJ Simpson playing football do that. Young people who are not cool enough to wear two shirts like me and Dan watch some old football. You appreciate it.

[Chris Cody]

It's Ambassador Walker to you.

[Dan Le Batard]

Talk about Georgia football, though.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I just want to talk about Kachuk Barkov, who. So when is, I mean, I assume the new Dan attire is motivated by his beautiful wife. When's Abby gonna get you right? Still, come on, man, it's time to up your game.

[Mike Ryan]

There's no getting me right, Dominique? We're well past that point. She stuck with me. I am what I need a change in, man.

[Dominique Foxworth]

All you need is a second shirt. That's all you need, buddy.

[Greg Cody]

Is that it, Dominique? Last thing before I get you out of here. That Giants Colts game last week was more interesting than anything that happened yesterday. The idea that the Giants and the Colts would play a football game, the Giants would ruin their chances of getting a number one pick and the Colts would have their season ended. Because that's what happens when you go to the backup quarterbacks, like that game and yesterday's game for that matter. You can't lose that draft status on one of these regular season games. At the end of a, of a season when you're firing your code, don't play Joe Milton.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I mean, yeah, I, I, I, I get it. I'm staunchly opposed to, to losing intentionally, as you guys know, and as Dan likes to mischaracterize me all the time about when it comes to the, the Dolphins. But if you're, if you're bad at football, you're bad at football. Being extra bad at football, is it going to make you good? Like, playing for draft status is gross to me generally. And I think we have this extended season. You're going to send me into a long rant that's probably pretty boring. I'm going to self edit myself and, and point out the fact that if teams stink, they deserve to stink and they shouldn't be rewarded with high draft picks generally. I hate that as a concept. We should eliminate the draft and only have free agency where you can use money to negotiate and we can still have a fun show. You can announce your what team you're signing with out of college and they can pay you however much they want to pay you to get you come. I generally hate the idea that there's ever any incentive to be bad. It sucks. Don't reward the guys who suck.

[Mike Ryan]

Dominique, what'd you make of Gerard Mayo being fired after just one season? It seems like he was a bridge to Mike Vrabel, which seems really unfair.

[Dominique Foxworth]

It does seem unfair, but you got to pick your battles. And Jarrod Mayo has a track record that makes it hard for me to defend and it makes it very difficult. Difficult for me to say that I would want him to be the quarterback of my team. And it's not even the on field stuff that I care about as much as it's the way that he's handled the team through the media. I think that we understand now. While Bill Belichick would always say on to Cincinnati because Gerard Mayo, I think did some damage to the psyche of the team and the culture of the team by just what he was saying. And so he's not the guy that I want to defend. It is unfair to give one a guy one year head coaching and assume that he can get the job done and get as good as you want him to be. But I think they're going to move on or no, I know they're going to move on. And it seems like with Rabel, like it feels like they already have a plan set up and in place. And Rabel's a good coach, but I can't wait. Who do you think is going to be the charade hire? I mean, the charade interview. Who's it? Who's up? Tell them I'm available. You need a black guy to show up and chit chat, Holla at me. I'll come up to New England. I ain't been there in couple years.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dominique, at least wait till Monday, right? Like doing it yesterday just felt so disrespectful.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Let the man enjoy his win. He ain't had many of them. Like it was 20 minutes after the game.

[Mike Ryan]

It's the win that got him fired though, I think.

[Dominique Foxworth]

I mean, it does. It does kind of feel like that. That's part of it. But fight a man the next morning, geez, let him sleep good that night. Let him go home and be the big man.

[Greg Cody]

Where can people get tickets to what it is that you're doing? Tell People, again, on your way out, Dominique, please. We're very excited for Domini and his growing show. The Dominique Foxworth show has gotten very popular on ESPN and now he's traveling, touring. He's coming to New York. Give the people the details on your way out, please.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Yeah, you can go toxworth24 on Twitter. I put a link up right there. The URL is too long to spell it out. You guys wouldn't know anything about that, but you can go there and click it and buy the tickets. $35. It's going to be fun. Drinks, guests, meet and greet.

[Jessica]

Meet and greets.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Oh yeah, we're doing meet and greet for at 6:30. I want to thank you guys for coming up and being guests on this show because you're my friends and you care about me. Thanks to all of you.

[Greg Cody]

Thank you Dominique. Good seeing you again. Let us veer quickly. Stugats to something I have taken too long to get to. There are a number of football things worth talking about. I love those Titans uniforms. We wasted them, those Oiler uniforms on the Titans. And I, I, I know Tom Brady stinks as a broadcaster, but I laugh every single time. They just put up the graphic seven time super bowl champion under his name.

[Mike Ryan]

It just sits there.

[Greg Cody]

It's just, it's an asinine thing to read about about somebody. Like, it's not like I've forgotten, but when you see it written that way, so what the champion. Okay, so he didn't just make it seven times, he won seven times. That's a thing that happened one with the bucks. Yes. Yeah. So I want to get to some football stuff. But getting back to college football. Em, additionally, Jessica has careened all over the place over the last two weeks on something that began as I can't believe how lucky I am. I get to go watch a special Notre Dame team play meaningful national games. It's not something we've felt for a while that Notre Dame might be one of the very best teams in the country.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, Notre Dame might be the best team in the country. We felt like a couple of years ago maybe they were a team that could win a national. This is a team that probably should, should win the national championship.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay. Yes, they, Notre Dame's been a very good football team for the probably the last decade and a half, but they haven't won meaningful postseason games. I would say they've been solid. They've had 11, 12 win seasons. They've played in a lot of New Year's, six games. They've played in multiple playoff games, but they haven't won any of them. So, yes, like, the. The Sugar bowl was a huge moment for Notre Dame to finally win one of these games with a team that has been playing excellently for the last 12 weeks. And, yeah, it was. It was really exciting to go from Indiana, coming to South Bend, going to the tailgate there, having a great time. And then Lee and I decided, let's go to New Orleans for New Year's Eve and go to the Sugar Bowl. And then, obviously, we woke up on New Year's Day and just, like, I've honestly felt pretty shitty since Wednesday morning. I feel, like, super, super lucky that we weren't on Bourbon street when the attack happened. But we were there all day on New Year's Eve. And waking up Wednesday to, like, a hundred texts from loved ones asking if we were okay, it's just like, a really jarring feeling. So I just. I feel really, really lucky, obviously. And, like, just. I'm glad we were okay. But it's a horrible situation. I posted on my Instagram story yesterday a link to some sites that are, you know, you can donate money to, to help some of the victims. So I'll repost that today. But, yeah, it was just like an awful, awful, awful situation. And I just feel terrible for all the victims and all the families and everyone who's impacted by the attack on New Year's Day morning. It was just truly, like, a. Just a horrific thing.

[Greg Cody]

The transition is awkward to how fun the trip was at the start. Stugatz, because. Have you actually ever stayed at the Golick home? I know this has been a source of tension between you and Jessica. Cause she's seems to have made her way into the Golick family, the Notre Dame family, in a way that is a little bit closer than how you've tried to make your way into their home.

[Mike Ryan]

I haven't. I have asked several times, and several times they have said no. And so I am insanely jealous of Jess that she has access that I don't have to. The Golick family drives me crazy, to be honest with you, because I love that family.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I'm sure they would have let you stay there if you went to the playoff game in South Bend.

[Mike Ryan]

No, no, no, no.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, it turns out they just let anyone into their house because I got back from the game at, like, one in the morning. This was December 20th, after Notre Dame beat Indiana. And I walked into the kitchen and I saw Kyle Rudolph and another former ND player, like, sitting at their counter, and Mike And Mike were nowhere to be found. And there's someone with his back to me. And he turns and he's like, hey, I'm Shane. And I was like, oh, it's the Shane Gillis. Cause he was on game day. He was the guest picker that day. And he made fun of. Yes. The Oklahoma. Oklahoma Thunder. Yeah. Shane Gillis Alexander. He was just like sitting there and introduced himself to me. And his manager Becky was there. Very nice woman, Dan. Don't worry. I told him. I was like, hey, my boss is a big fan of all comedians. He thinks you're a modern day philosopher if you ever want to come on the Lebatard Show. Standing invite. So we exchanged information with his manager. So I did some networking for you. So don't say I didn't work at all the last two weeks. Okay. South beach sessions may be coming soon. He said he was a. That's a great. Actually, do you pay for Comfort plus upgrades? Because that flight, it was not full, so I upgraded.

[Mike Ryan]

Comfort Plus.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Wow.

[Chris Cody]

All star on the show. That's worth it.

[Dominique Foxworth]

Yes.

[Dan Le Batard]

Anyway, so I didn't get to see college game day that day because I was tailgating. But it turns out he made fun of Nick Saban the entire time.

[Jessica]

You're looking like Indiana Jones.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Chris Cody]

Alabama Jones had me dying.

[Dominique Foxworth]

But some.

[Chris Cody]

Someone finally addressing, yeah, you guys cheated, right? You guys paid. That's why you're so great. You paid. And then everyone's squirming and Nick Saban not playing along with, no, this is a fun show.

[Jessica]

He's like, this is a fun show, right?

[Dan Le Batard]

He brought it up again the next day like he was insanely triggered. And still no one has explained to me why he was wearing the hat. Why was he wearing that hat?

[Greg Cody]

I do not understand the time in my life that felt most like that. And we talked to Jimmy Kimmel about this after it happened was when Jimmy Kimmel went into the booth as a comedian and was like, why are you guys treating this like a cathedral? You got the court jester Kornheiser over here and he gets a football handed to him by Bob Kraft. And all of a sudden everything out here is sacred. So Shane Gillis comes out and says, alabama Jones. And of course, Saban. Of course. Saban's been pontificating from on high on college football while doing all the commercials. One of them in a whirlpool while still wearing a shirt. Shirt. Let's go, Nick. Come on, Nick. You can't be in the whirlpool still wearing a shirt.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wait, the VRBO commercials are really good.

[Chris Cody]

Actually, they're pretty good.

[Dan Le Batard]

Those are good commercials.

[Mike Ryan]

The sun is make me laugh. Yeah.

[Chris Cody]

Especially at that age. And he seems to have a good tan.

[Greg Cody]

So you can't be. Then there's a different commercial that doesn't have you with look, me and Chris Cody can do a whirlpool. Whirlpool shirt for sure. But if you're gonna do the commercial, you can't be. Can't. Can put it on the poll Juju at lebar show. Can you wear the shirt in the whirlpool?

[Mike Ryan]

Do you think Greg Cody is going into a whirlpool with a shirt? Of course you can. Like Greg does it. Nick can do it. It's an old man thing. That's all it is.

[Greg Cody]

I mean, it's a hide your body thing. I think it's not an old man.

[Mike Ryan]

Not in your case.

[Chris Cody]

I think that SGA example on game day is a good example of like why is this show become so surly? And I look at what's happened.

[Mike Ryan]

It's crazy.

[Chris Cody]

You had the FSU thing happening with Herbie and you had Nick Saban come on and I think they deferred to him. Credit to Pat McAfee who I know is pretty polarizing, remains to me to a degree, but especially on that show there was talk that he may not even come back. And I think by just being himself, maybe toning it down a little bit, but by comparison and contrast to the rest of it, he is so welcome. That energy is so needed because it has become a wet blanket of crotchety college football takes that make me feel bad for liking this sport.

[Greg Cody]

I would say that generally across all American sports media you will find an aging cynicism from the people who have covered it for the longest time, especially now that the controls are gone. And I don't know if. Is it true of you of ewers that $6 million is being offered? The reports of $6 million, I've heard $10 million to get ewers away from Texas while he's still there and not go to the draft so you can just have a quarterback next year. Because the University of Miami obviously got Cam Ward cheap. When you see what these things can do to the economy, like, of course the old crusty people aren't going to get comfortable with that when. Now wait a minute. You're mean to tell me that the college kids are going to be making a lot more than I am at covering the sport. That the left tackle for Colorado is going to earn a lot more than me, who's been a gatekeeper who gets to invite people to the Heisman ceremony.

[Stugotz]

He realistically should go back to college, though, for another year, right? Like his draft stock is not where it should be. Like he should take the money and then potentially increase his draft stock over this next year.

[Mike Ryan]

If the number is 10 million, that's more than he'll make in the NFL on a rookie contract.

[Chris Cody]

What are we talking about?

[Greg Cody]

I saw 6 million as the highest.

[Stugotz]

Mario in the game. Need a quarterback.

[Chris Cody]

Quinn Ewers is certainly not going to be playing at Texas next season.

[Dan Le Batard]

I can guarantee you that's a yes.

[Chris Cody]

What a year 2024 was. Happy New Year's, everybody. New Year is this week and some of you are going to be counting down to the new Year with a lot of friends and a lot of family around. That's a lot of pallets. How do you make everybody happy? You make them happy by making New Year's time a Miller Time. It's a beer with taste you know you can depend on that. Won't let anybody down. No games, no gimmicks. Just great beer for people who like beer. In all my favorite moments of 2024, Miller Lite was right there by my side. Responsibly, of course, Miller Lite is brewed for taste. It hits different than other light beers. Simple ingredients like malted barley for rich balanced toffee note flavors and that iconic golden color that we all know when. Love the original light beer since 1975 and still the very best one. Miller Light. 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. Tastes like Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Roy Bellamy]

The day on the Batard show with Stugotz is sponsored by Better Health.

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