Hour 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo's Chicken Problem (feat. Joe Posnanski)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – Hour 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo's Chicken Problem (feat. Joe Posnanski)
Release Date: April 28, 2025

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1. Introduction

In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, host Dan LeBatard and co-host Stugotz delve into a range of topics spanning sports predictions, media integrity, and an intriguing investigation into Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo's notorious love for chicken. Special guest Joe Posnanski, a seasoned sportswriter, joins the conversation to provide expert insights on the Cleveland Browns' draft strategies and their ongoing struggles.

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2. Joe Posnanski on Cleveland Browns' Draft Strategy

Timestamp: 00:52 – 08:15

Dan LeBatard introduces Joe Posnanski as one of the best sports writers with a prolific career spanning eight books and four decades. The primary discussion centers around Joe's bold prediction regarding the Cleveland Browns selecting Shedeur Sanders in the upcoming draft.

Key Points:

• Browns' Quarterback Dilemma: Joe criticizes the Browns' history of poor quarterback selections, highlighting their apparent disregard for talent like Shedeur Sanders.

• Prediction Breakdown: Joe explains his reasoning for predicting Shedeur's selection despite the Browns' track record.

• Defeatist Attitude: The conversation underscores a shared pessimism about the Browns' ability to make successful draft choices, regardless of the players they select.

Notable Quotes:

• Joe Posnanski:
  "[...] it's the perfect Brown setup. As Bill James wrote me this morning."
  [08:15]

• Stugotz:
  "I always believe that whatever is the worst case scenario, that's what's going to happen with the Browns."
  [02:24]

• Joe Posnanski:
  "At no point has anything worked out for the Browns and in my entire life and, and certainly not since they came back."
  [05:10]

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3. Eugenio Suarez's Four-Home Run Game

Timestamp: 10:14 – 12:35

The hosts pivot to baseball, celebrating Eugenio Suarez's remarkable achievement of hitting four home runs in a single game, adding his name to an exclusive list that includes legends like Willie Mays and Lou Gehrig.

Key Points:

• Historic Feat: Recognition of Suarez joining the elite group of players who have achieved this milestone.

• Player Analysis: Discussion on Suarez's potential to become a household name and possibly reach career milestones like 500 home runs.

Notable Quotes:

• Joe Posnanski:
  "It's a beautiful list that, for one day anybody can be like a legend in the game."
  [11:43]

• Stugotz:
  "You guys didn't hear, but it's nominated for a different episode."
  [31:47]

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4. Media Integrity and CBS Sunday Morning Segment

Timestamp: 31:22 – 36:34

A significant portion of the episode critiques the state of modern journalism, focusing on CBS Sunday Morning and the resignation of its executive producer, Bill Owens. The discussion highlights the tension between journalistic integrity and corporate control.

Key Points:

• Bill Owens' Resignation: Analysis of Owens stepping down due to Paramount's interference amidst its merger plans.

• Impact on Journalism: Concerns about the erosion of independent journalism as corporate interests overshadow editorial decisions.

• 60 Minutes Reference: The hosts draw parallels with 60 Minutes, lamenting the decline in trust and impartiality in mainstream media.

Notable Quotes:

• Stugotz:
  "When the Last minute of 60 minutes ends with what I'm about to play for you, you should be a little bit concerned..."
  [32:10]

• Greg Cody:
  "That was pretty damning."
  [34:31]

• Joe Posnanski:
  "I think it's the biggest fiasco in sports right now, but I also think it is the number one curse because it goes all the way back to before I was born."
  [10:14]

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5. Giannis Antetokounmpo's Chicken Problem

Timestamp: 23:07 – 31:22

The centerpiece of the episode is an investigative segment exploring Giannis Antetokounmpo's profound affinity for chicken and its rumored impact on his performance and promotional activities.

Key Points:

• Chicken Obsession: Detailed accounts of Giannis's love for various chicken products, including appearances with chicken wings and tweets about favorite chicken spots.

• Analytical Approach: Introduction of terms like "Chicken Eligible Shots (CE)" and "Chicken Conversion Rate (CCR)" to quantify Giannis's success in triggering chicken giveaways through missed free throws.

• Findings: The analysis suggests an unusually high CCR of 80%, implying Giannis may inadvertently or intentionally contribute to fan promotions involving free chicken.

Notable Quotes:

• Amin Elhassan:
  "His CCR over the last two years. 80%. 80% of the time he's got an opportunity to get you chicken, he comes home with it."
  [29:11]

• Stugotz:
  "You're making an official accusation that he shoots 64% on free throws in the fourth quarter and that it goes down to 20% when it's chicken. That's not a coincidence."
  [30:26]

• Amin Elhassan:
  "When the chicken's on the line, yes. I'm not making an accusation, Dan. I'm asking questions."
  [30:26]

• Dan LeBatard:
  "He didn't ask, let me have that. He just took it nicely."
  [23:40]

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6. Closing Discussions and Reflections

Timestamp: 36:34 – 41:32

The episode concludes with reflections on the future of sports broadcasting and journalism, touching upon the challenges faced by traditional media in maintaining integrity amidst corporate pressures. The hosts express concerns over the influence of money and power on media outlets and the broader implications for democracy and public trust.

Key Points:

• Journalistic Independence: Emphasis on the necessity for media to remain unbiased and free from corporate and political influences.

• Future of Media: Speculation on the sustainability of independent journalism in the face of growing financial and political pressures.

Notable Quotes:

• Stugotz:
  "When you have billionaires buying the Washington Post and stuff like that, it just, it undermines the whole concept because the money talks."
  [36:34]

• Greg Cody:
  "I think it's absolutely newsworthy that they aired that."
  [41:01]

---

7. Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Dan LeBatard and Stugotz engage in lively discussions, blending serious analysis with their characteristic humor. From dissecting the Cleveland Browns' faltering draft strategies with Joe Posnanski to embarking on a whimsical investigation into Giannis Antetokounmpo's love for chicken, the show offers listeners a blend of insightful sports commentary and entertaining banter. The episode also serves as a poignant critique of the current state of media, urging greater accountability and integrity in journalism.

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Note: This summary captures the essence of the episode’s discussions and highlights key moments through selected quotes. For a comprehensive understanding and full context, listeners are encouraged to tune into the complete episode.

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

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

[Stugotz]

Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

What are you doing here? Cuervo?

[Stugotz]

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.

[Stugotz]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

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

[Stugotz]

Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all. Cuervo.

[Stugotz]

Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

The tequila that invented tequila. Proximo Cuervo.com Please drink responsibly Cuervo this.

[Mike Ryan]

Is the Don Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Dan LeBatard]

This episode is presented by Spin Off. We do game days. Please drink responsibly the Spin off company New York, New York.

[Stugotz]

He's one of the best sports writers there's ever been. He's got eight books, 40 years damn near writing sports. He's the co host with Mike Schur of the podcast. His Joe Blogs newsletter is terrific. You could subscribe@joe poznansky.com he also correctly predicted Shador to the Browns and he did this just knowing that the Browns were going to Brown. And I thank you. Joe. Where does this rank in terms of your greatest predictions? You're taking a victory lap today. I'm very happy for you. You correctly predicted the unthinkable. How did you do that?

[Joe Posnanski]

Purely by knowing who the Cleveland Browns are. Right. Like, there's no, I mean, there is no knowledge involved. There was no draft, you know, insider stuff involved. It's just, it's, it's perfect. It's for like, the Browns come into the draft desperately needing a quarterback. They make it very, very clear that they do not want Chador. They take Dylan Gabriel in the third round. That nobody thought he was going to go anywhere near that high made it perfectly clear. I woke up Saturday morning and I'm like, guaranteed, the Browns are going to take Shador today. And like, there's never was even the slightest doubt in my mind.

[Stugotz]

Billy and I are having an argument about this. This doesn't make sense that you would say there's not the slightest doubt in your mind. He is saying this is a good job for Shador. And I'm arguing it's the Browns. There are no good jobs that the Browns have. Your argument is what I think.

[Joe Posnanski]

The argument is that you're. I'm with you. They're no good jobs with the Browns. I think, I mean it's like the Hunger Games, you know, for this year, right? Is. I mean they're going to have, they're going to have, you know, a quarterback they can't cut. They're going to have Joe Flacco, they're going to have Kenny Pickett, they're going to have Kenny Gabriel. Kenny or Gabriel Dillon.

[Stugotz]

Dylan. Gabriel. Yes. That's all right.

[Amin Elhassan]

We got there.

[Stugotz]

We got, we got there. Although. Yes, yes. Dylan, Gabriel, Gabriel. Dylan. Two first names, whatever.

[Joe Posnanski]

Who is obviously the guy they wanted. I mean, he's the guy that the coach likes. And then they've got Shador. I mean it's going to be an absolute mess. This is, I mean HBO should absolutely hard knocks this team. I mean this is going to be a complete fiasco. This whole, the whole, I mean from here on in it's going to just be complete nuts. But of course that's what it always is in Cleveland.

[Greg Cody]

Joe, if I were doing the devil's advocate thing, I would say getting Shador Sanders in the fifth round with four 144th pick is a steal and Browns fans should be absolutely thrilled. Why don't you think so?

[Joe Posnanski]

Well, you might be right. I'm not saying that. The funny thing is that my prediction had nothing to do with whether or not Chidor can play. I mean, I think obviously the arguments are there. It's just perfect. Browns, right? Like the Browns could have taken him in the third round. That would have been just as much of a steal because from what everything was going in, they wouldn't have had to trade up. They traded two picks up to get him. Like none of it makes sense and it's just the fiasco that is this organization. Right. I think nobody agrees with anybody. This feels very much to me like a Jimmy Haslam pick. I'm sure he saw, you know, President Trump's tweet. I'm sure he just like freaked out, said we gotta get him now and doesn't let the organization run the way they wanna run. So it could end up being absolutely the right choice. I mean, I don't have any idea if he's even gonna make the team. Right? Cuz I mean they've got five quarterback that and one they cannot cut. So I don't know exactly how that's going to work. But it's. Here's the thing, if it works out, it only works out by luck because they, if they really thought Shoulder Sanders could play, they would have taken him before Saturday.

[Mike Ryan]

Joe, are you someone that just assumes that like Your team is going to ruin any chance for a star because, like, I'm like that with my teams also. I have the Dolphins, I have the Marlins. I have a number of teams that I know. You know what? Like, Aaron Judge would not have been Aaron Judge if he was on the Marlins. You could name anyone. They would not have turned out who they are on the Dolphins. Because if you look at it, Shedeur, if the Browns take him number two, people are excited. The fact that he falls to the fifth round and now you have all these quarterbacks that you have to compete against, it's like, okay, well, now what do we do? Right? But he's probably the most, if not the second most talented one on the roster that's actually going to play because Deshaun Watson is never going to play again the way that they've spoken about Deshaun Watson. So he's. He's on the roster, but he's not going to play. So Shador has a shot. He has Kevin Stefanski. You drafted two running backs, a tight end. You also got him basically on a Brock Purdy deal for this. So for someone that people thought could be the second pick in the draft. So it's there. But the reason it wouldn't work is just because it's the Browns. Right?

[Joe Posnanski]

100% right. No, that's. That. That couldn't be more right. I mean, yeah, if at the end of the day, it works out, if Shador can. Can really play, if he. If he obviously beats out the guy that the coaches obviously wanted more than him, if he can, if he can play and lead this team. Yeah, they're going to look back and say, yeah, the whole thing was completely planned. But as a fan, you know, it's not going to work out. It never does. At no point has anything worked out for the Browns and in my entire life and, and certainly not since they came back. And so I think, yes, I have played this game. I'm sure you have to. I mean, every fan does. What happens if the Browns take Tom Brady? Right? Tom Brady is. Is working as a, you know, in some like a Starbucks or something. Like. Like nothing good would ever put it on the poll.

[Stugotz]

Please. Juju at LeBatard show. If the Browns had drafted Tom Brady, would he have made immediately gone to work at Starbucks?

[Dan LeBatard]

It would have been a Browns Dolphins thing where he's good somewhere else. Like, you draft Shador Sanders. He's there.

[Stugotz]

You.

[Dan LeBatard]

Then he goes to like, Green Bay or something, and then he's just great over there.

[Stugotz]

I want to Read to you guys what it is that Joe Posnanski wrote here, because this is an unusual thing to get right when nobody else had this. Right. Okay.

[Greg Cody]

It's an exacto.

[Stugotz]

How many exactos did you have, by the way?

[Greg Cody]

Had nine, which is good.

[Stugotz]

Is that good?

[Greg Cody]

That's good job. Greg Kuiper had 12.

[Stugotz]

Damn him. Kuiper beat you.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. Edged me.

[Stugotz]

Hey, yo, instead of reading this, I'm just going to ask you, do you have this defeatist attitude about anything else in your life? Do the Browns do something to you that nothing else in any walk of life create because you're an optimistic person?

[Joe Posnanski]

Yeah. Yeah. No. We've known each other for a long time. I am. I am an optimistic person about every single thing except for the Cleveland Browns. I mean, really, Cleveland sports in general has done this to me, but the Browns particularly and specifically, I just. I always believe that whatever is the worst case scenario, that's what's going to happen with the Browns. And, you know, it didn't have to be that way, but when I was very young, the Browns proved that that was the future when Brian Sipe threw the interception against the Raiders when I was 13 years old. And that's it. And it's been that way ever since. So, yeah, my full defeatist attitude comes out every time with the Browns.

[Stugotz]

Well, let me read now from this. When the Browns take a quarterback nobody had going in the third round over Shedeur Sanders, they are emphatically saying, we don't want Shadore Sanders. And that's why I'm convinced they will take him today. It's the perfect Brown setup. As Bill James wrote me this morning.

[Mike Ryan]

Look at me, Lil Wayne.

[Stugotz]

The Browns love quarterback stories. That seems to be their one and only scouting technique. This is a team that over the last decade plus, has acquired Brady Quinn, Colt McCoy, Johnny Football, RG3, Baker Mayfield, Jameis Winston, and most infamously, he who Shall Not Be Named. They don't draft quarterbacks. They draft headlines. A Browns camp with hwsnbn, that's he who Shall Not Be Named. Joe Flacco and poor Dylan Gabriel would be precisely the sort of mess that this team cannot resist. I know nothing about the NFL draft at all, but I'm making the call now. The Browns curse. Put it in sports context for me, please. All the other curses that you've known and lived.

[Joe Posnanski]

I mean, I am. Obviously, it's personal to me, but I think it's the worst. I think it is the single worst curse. I mean, there are two teams, obviously The Browns and Lions are the only two teams that have not been to a Super Bowl. But the Lions, first of all, they're good now. And second of all, it just hasn't been this, this wreck throughout. I mean, the lines never moved in the middle of, you know, just, just left town for four, four years. They've never had, you know, they both have had Owen 16 seasons, but the Browns had a 1 in 15 season the year before and they kept the coach they had. They actually had a coach who at 1 in 31 and they were like, yeah, let's bring him back. That guy's doing a great job. I mean, this organization is something else. And, and I think it's, I think it's number one. I mean, I think it is, I think they're the biggest fiasco in sports right now, but I also think it is the number one curse because it goes all the way back to before I was born.

[Stugotz]

I'm going to give you the choice of one of two things in baseball to talk about. The Giants having a T ball home run on a baseball that never left the walk off T ball home run on a ball that didn't even leave the infield, or Eugenio Suarez hitting four home runs in a game.

[Joe Posnanski]

Yeah, I'll go with Suarez because I love that story. You know what I love most about that? That is, you know me and how I just love goofy baseball things. That list of the players who have hit four home runs in a game, there are 19 of them that have done it. That list is so wonderful because it has Willie Mays on it and Lou Gehrig on it. And it also has Scooter Jeanette on it and hard hitting Mark Whitten and, and now Suarez. Like, it's, it's, it's just a beautiful list that, that for one day anybody can be like a legend in the game. And, and so I love that so much and I love that he did it because also he is, I think, pretty. I mean, I wouldn't say underrated. I think everybody, baseball fans know what he's about. But that guy might hit 500 home runs in his career. I mean, he's, he's got close to 300 now and he's 33 years old. I mean, it's, it's a long shot, but he might hit 500 home runs in his career. And people outside of baseball probably have never heard of him. I mean, so I love that he had this moment, but I love that he added to this, this Wonderful list of 4 home run hitters.

[Stugotz]

Put it on the poll please. Juju, can you be truly considered great at sports if your name is Eugene at lebatar? I know it's it's not better. You know what? It is better. I will grant you that Eugenio is better than Eugene, my grandfather, but but it's not very much better. Is Mark Whit the last one to do it? Joe, Is Mark Whitten the last one to hit four home runs in a game? That's like the only name I associate with it because it's the only one I can remember outside of Eugenio this weekend.

[Joe Posnanski]

Now J.D. martinez didn't he J.D. martinez hit a home run ahead of four home run game a few years ago. I think he might be have been the last one before this.

[Stugotz]

Roy is asking if Mike Cameron did it. Did Mike Cameron.

[Joe Posnanski]

Cameron did do it? Yeah, that's right. My Cameron is a great one to add on that list. Josh Hamilton did it. That's a fun name from the past. I mean it's a very cool list. I love the list.

[Stugotz]

Joe, good seeing you. Thank you. I will tell the people. Again, as good as sportswriting gets, you should check out all the things that Joe Posnanski does, including his eight books. Thank you Joe.

[Joe Posnanski]

Thank you.

[Dan LeBatard]

Game Time is the official ticketing partner of the Dan LeBatard show with Stu Gotz. I am Mike Ryan and as you know, on this show I am often touting Game Time because I believe in this product. And as a play in Tournament begins this week, why don't you head on over to Game Time. As a Miami Heat fan, I've got plenty of great experiences with that play in Tournament. A lot of good runs started in this play in tournament. Might be a little frustrated that they're always in the play in tournament, but that's a story for another day. The good news is Game Time makes getting tickets to that play in tournament faster and easier even for hard to get playoff seats. Prices on the GameTime app may actually go down the closer it gets. To tip off with killer last minute deals, all in prices, views from your seat and their lowest price guarantee, GameTime takes the guesswork out of buying NBA playoff tickets. And don't forget about that all in pricing toggling. This feature shows the total up front with no surprise fees at checkout. And GameTime's got its unparalleled ticket coverage. Your purchase is covered with the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app create an account and use code DAN for $20 off. Your first purchase terms apply. Again. Create an account and redeem code dan for $20 off. Download the Gametime app today. Last minute tickets, Lowest price guaranteed. Hey you in the audience, it's Mike. You've been a fan of this show, hopefully for a long time, and you know how much Miller Lite means to me. This partnership, it's real. It's documented. For almost 20 years, Miller Lite has been a partner of the Dan Levittard show with Stu Gotts. And now Miller Lite is celebrating its 50th anniversary. I've had so many great moments with Miller Lite, so many great activations, so many great events presented by Miller Lite. A great partner. Cheers to them. Cheers to 50 incredible years. And for you at home, you know that Miller Time always means a good time. From game night to parties with friends or a special anniversary, celebrating important occasions means more moments for the coolest people in your life. Cheers to 50 years of Miller Light, the great tasting light beer. For people who Love beer since 1975, now's a perfect time to celebrate legendary stories with friends, family and a great tasting light beer. It's Miller Time. 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. It's Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Stugotz]

Don Levatart sports Stugats More Sports this.

[Mike Ryan]

Is the Dan LeBatard show with the Stugats.

[Stugotz]

I mean, I wanted to ask you a question based on something we were talking about last week that was just delightful. That was from a Reddit message board that Brad Williams asked the commissioner of football about where he said, in short yardage situations, can you give the football to a little person and then just have someone throw him over the offensive line for a five or six yard game? I saw that Kevin O'Connor was doing something with this in the NBA. Is there anything that keeps the four Golden State warriors from locking arms in a circle around Steph and just allowing him to shoot jump shots that a defender cannot get near? Because 4.

[Greg Cody]

Wow.

[Stugotz]

Because. Because for. I've asked this question too, about whether we could put a sumo wrestler in hockey in the net and see if we could get some good results with a sumo wrestler in the net. Do you believe, I mean, that that would be legal or successful to have Golden State warriors lock arms in a circle around Steph Curry and allow him to take jump shots in key situations. As a play. Like Steph Curry, Steve Kerr calls it out of a timeout at the end of a game.

[Amin Elhassan]

I love that. Our show always likes to think outside.

[Dan LeBatard]

The box or inside the box. Well, Steph is inside the box there, so he's trying to shoot inside.

[Stugotz]

This time we're thinking inside the box.

[Mike Ryan]

Credit to Mike Leach also, who apparently was the one who allegedly came up with the plan to throw a little person over the line on a third and short.

[Amin Elhassan]

Is Mike Leach still with us?

[Mike Ryan]

No, he's not.

[Dan LeBatard]

No.

[Mike Ryan]

He passed but not forgotten.

[Greg Cody]

Rip Dan.

[Amin Elhassan]

I think the issue would be, at some point, the screeners, the boxer ins or whatever, they would be compelled to be moving. It's not that. Hey, this part isn't hard. The part that's hard is when they're trying to make sure someone doesn't slip in between the cracks. And once you move, that's a moving screen.

[Stugotz]

You're taking the fun out of it. I think it would work. I think it would work as a one time. You can't use it a lot, but it would really be genius at the end of the game if there's nothing actually against the rules against it to see if you can make it happen, because you'd also disorient the defense. They wouldn't be thinking, how do I sneak in under Draymond's arm?

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, didn't Stan Van Gundy famously say, build the effin wall?

[Stugotz]

Yes.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yes, he did.

[Dan LeBatard]

That's what it is. Build the effing wall, baby.

[Greg Cody]

But then if you do that, you got four guys wide open for a pass, right, Greg?

[Amin Elhassan]

They're on offense.

[Stugotz]

All right, I'm going to have to let him go now because he got confused by everything that we were talking about and minor penalty.

[Mike Ryan]

Two minutes for a terrible question.

[Greg Cody]

You're better. You're better off. You're better off with the 500 pound guy in goal in the NHL.

[Amin Elhassan]

But.

[Greg Cody]

But Jabba the Hut in goal. Nobody gets that puck passing.

[Stugotz]

It's true.

[Amin Elhassan]

All right, you know what?

[Stugotz]

Get out. Please.

[Amin Elhassan]

Hold on now. How hard is it to train a sumo wrestler to have balance? I feel like they already have balance.

[Greg Cody]

That's right.

[Mike Ryan]

It has to be a knee thing, right?

[Stugotz]

Skates would be hard, I think.

[Amin Elhassan]

They're not skating around, they're just there.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, but you can't kneel, can you? I mean, what if. Rory, you're the hockey guy. What are the rules?

[Amin Elhassan]

Can you get out of here.

[Stugotz]

Get out.

[Amin Elhassan]

Please.

[Stugotz]

How does he not know he can't hear what you're saying, Greg, Just try to be a professional broadcaster for six seconds.

[Mike Ryan]

What are the rules, Roy? Can a goalie just kneel on the floor the entire time?

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah, they can be in a butterfly position to make a save. But this question offends me because these hockey players are so accurate with their shots, they can just pinpoint a corner and get it past the sumo wrestler. Not an assumo wrestler. The guy's weighing, like, 500 pounds.

[Amin Elhassan]

And also, let's not disrespect the fine tradition of sumo wrestling.

[Mike Ryan]

Thank you.

[Amin Elhassan]

These guys are great athletes with great reaction times of their own. Right. I think you could train one. I think you could train one. I think you get them out there. Here's the thing. Is there a rule that says I have to wear skates because if I'm the goalie, I don't really get outside that much. Right?

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, yes, you can go out and play the puck as a goaltender.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, no, but. But let's assume, hey, I got a goaltender that I don't need him to play.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, exactly.

[Amin Elhassan]

Upfield or whatever.

[Mike Ryan]

Up ice, Exactly.

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, a goaltender can't cross center ice. That would be a penalty.

[Mike Ryan]

No, we know.

[Amin Elhassan]

Okay.

[Mike Ryan]

Amin knows.

[Amin Elhassan]

I knew that he needs.

[Dan LeBatard]

Behind the.

[Stugotz]

Let's talk about something that Amin does know about, which is Pistons and Nick's last night. I just hate when he starts asking, like, baseball questions and hockey questions, and they're the most familiar questions.

[Dan LeBatard]

I was trying to learn, Dan.

[Amin Elhassan]

How do we educate if we are afraid of ourselves admitting we don't know things? The childlike innocence and wonder, that's something that we should all preserve and encourage.

[Mike Ryan]

Others to have and celebrate. I shared my vulnerabilities earlier when I said, I don't know the rule about dunking at a buzzer beater. I don't know if it has to be off your hands or not.

[Amin Elhassan]

Did I ridicule and belittle Mr. Gill? No, I uplifted him and I gave him the information. And I said, thank you, Billy. Thank you for asking that question.

[Mike Ryan]

Imagine if Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, Benjamin Franklin were met with such critiques. When they asked, they simply ask questions.

[Amin Elhassan]

Ask a question like, hey, why is it so dark in here? And then everyone's like, oh, look at Edison. This dumbass wants to know why it's dark.

[Mike Ryan]

Isn't there a way we could bright up the darkness? No. Thomas Idiot.

[Amin Elhassan]

And then he met a black guy who invented the light bulb. And said, I like that idea.

[Dan LeBatard]

Let me have that.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's how it works. Dan tied like idiot. It's in one progress.

[Stugotz]

He didn't ask, let me have that. He just took it nicely.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's a nice story, Dan, Please.

[Stugotz]

The end of the Pistons, Knicks games. And I'm sure Detroit is soothed by this. Speaking of admitting when you got it wrong, the NBA has now said, well, yeah, the officials got that wrong. At the end with Hardaway, the officials.

[Amin Elhassan]

Said, I got it wrong.

[Dan LeBatard]

David Guthrie was right there.

[Mike Ryan]

He didn't have the guts to call it.

[Amin Elhassan]

Didn't have the Guthrie to call it.

[Stugotz]

That soothes no one. Obviously, in Detroit, that's a huge swing in that series. New York is ready to doubt and fear because of its basketball team. And at the end of that game, Detroit gets one stolen from them. Right. Like that's. And I always prefer no calls in that situation. I prefer you let them play a lot more in the last 10 seconds than you do at any other time. But what do you do with the admission today that they got the call wrong when Detroit's going to have his season ended over this? And it's a. It's a really nice season, but it's exactly how Detroit season should end. When they're learning playoff basketball where Cade Cunningham can't make one of those pressure shots down the end and Brunson is making all of those shots because Brunson's been in that situation already a bunch of times.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's exactly right, Dan. It's not about that last play. It's about, okay, did you guys value those possessions down the stretch? Did you do what it takes to win? Did every. Was everyone on the same page and they weren't? And that's how you learn. You learn through these. These heartaches. But I'm gonna tell you this right now. I'm surprised everyone thinks it's a foul. I'm like, this dude jumped with his leg all the way out. That ain't no natural shooting motion. Why is that a foul?

[Stugotz]

You didn't think it was a foul?

[Amin Elhassan]

Nope.

[Stugotz]

The officials admitting it's a foul and you're saying it's not a foul?

[Amin Elhassan]

I'm saying that had they called that, we'd be way more outraged today. No, we'd be way more outraged, first of all, because there are 8 billion Nick fans. Let's start there. But then second of all, just. It's because it's the way he was trying. He wasn't trying to make it short.

[Stugotz]

You're trying to Fan? You're a Knicks.

[Amin Elhassan]

I'm not impartial.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Stugotz]

What do you mean you're not a Knicks fan?

[Amin Elhassan]

Not a Knicks fan. I haven't rooted for the knicks in, like, 25 years. What are you talking about?

[Mike Ryan]

He's a fan of the league.

[Stugotz]

Greg, what are you doing? Why are you not in the penalty box? This isn't. You get to sit up relaxing with your thermos. Relaxing like what? Why are you not.

[Amin Elhassan]

I thought it was a beer at first.

[Dan LeBatard]

He's got a big grin. Dan.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's talking. My favorite part is he's actually talking.

[Stugotz]

No, no microphone. And he's just. He's doing show. Probably better show out there than anything that he's doing in here.

[Amin Elhassan]

Dan, can I ask you a question? Are you. Are you a fan of chicken?

[Stugotz]

Yes.

[Amin Elhassan]

You are? Okay. I don't know. Cause, you know, with Dan, you don't know. Sometimes some of these things. Unseasoned chicken. I would take that sitting down.

[Stugotz]

Dan Levatar, I'm waiting for you to ask the question that follows the question, do you like chicken? So I can get back to doing our show.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, I am doing show.

[Stugotz]

Greg's doing his own show out there. You're asking me questions about chicken so you guys could laugh at the lack of flavor in my chicken. Where are you going with this?

[Amin Elhassan]

So I did a thing for Pablo Torre finds out, and it was about the infatuation. First of all, the NBA with the free chicken giveaway. So a lot of NBA arenas, they do this thing that if you miss. If the opponent misses two free throws in the fourth quarter, everybody in the building gets either a free chicken sandwich or chicken wings or something like that. But then in the process of me doing this investigation for Pablo Torre finds out, I discovered that there is one particular individual who is a God amongst men in terms of giving away chicken to opposing fans. Do we have the video queued up? So you might be asking yourself, how much does Gianna Sennaticounmpo love fast food chicken? And the only answer I can come up with is, as much as any human being has ever loved anything. So you might be asking yourself, how much does Yannis Antetokounmpo love fast food chicken? And the only answer I can come up with is, as much as any human being has ever loved anything in the history of mankind. I'll be getting free Chick Fil a for life. Now I want free Chick Fil a for life. There's no way. That's why I signed in Milwaukee, so I can get free Chick Fil A for life. So there's all of these documented instances of Giannis professing his love for chicken. There's a time he showed up to a press conference with a bucket of chicken wings. There's a time where he tweeted about Roscoe's and how much he loves Roscoe's Costco's and wishes they would open one in Milwaukee. There's the trip to China where he goes and he professes love for chicken feet.

[Stugotz]

Try the chicken feet.

[Joe Posnanski]

I love chicken feet.

[Stugotz]

You love chicken feet.

[Greg Cody]

I love chicken feet.

[Amin Elhassan]

Okay.

[Pablo Torre]

I now am remembering how Giannis, you know, won All Star MVP and decided to celebrate in the way that you are alluding to.

[Stugotz]

So. So what's it feel like to finally.

[Joe Posnanski]

To finally win this thing?

[Amin Elhassan]

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

[Pablo Torre]

And yet none of this has to do with the promo that we're talking about. Emead. So this is his love of chicken in general, but what about how he's interacted with the incentives that we're dissecting?

[Amin Elhassan]

Okay, so here's a video of him at a Milwaukee Bucks game where there's a chicken giveaway while the opposing team is in a chicken scenario.

[Pablo Torre]

Speaking of wings, everybody gets wings. Free wings from wingstop redeemed.

[Amin Elhassan]

Look at Giannis.

[Billy Gill]

He's scanning it.

[Stugotz]

He's capturing the moment. He's getting the.

[Greg Cody]

He wants to get the QR code.

[Stugotz]

To get his free wings.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's on the bench, obviously, it's end of the game, and he pulls a phone out to scan the QR code for the free chicken giveaway that they've given to the fans. He's so enthusiastic about chicken, about the promo, he wants in on it like everyone else in the arena.

[Pablo Torre]

It's such ridiculous video that I'm overlooking the fact that Giannis just had a cell phone on the bench.

[Amin Elhassan]

By the way, you never know. You never know when a QR code might pop up. Pablo. So, Dan, the. The premise of the investigation that is an oddball investigation for Pablo, Tory finds out is that Giannis Antetokounmpo very huge fan of chicken. As we've seen through that little montage.

[Stugotz]

Video, we've established that, yeah, he.

[Amin Elhassan]

When it comes to missing free throws that end up giving free chicken to the crowd, he is the greatest among them all. And there was a question as to whether this could actually be intentional, because we actually went through and did the analytics, the heavy crunching of numbers, including, by the way, creating the analytics to measure such an event.

[Pablo Torre]

Do we have that video ready in eligibility. I'm trying to run through the research here that you've assembled for a term that you dropped on our audience. As if anybody would know what the you're talking about.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yes. What I found, Pablo, is when you are investigating ground that has not been sullied by human feet, Right. You have to create metrics to measure the things that no one even considered. And so we came up with this term, chicken eligible shots. If the opposing player makes the first free throw. Guess what? We don't care what happens on that second free throw shot. Right. So the only way we can figure out if you're handing out chicken as an opposing player is if you are converting. I do. I thought they were eligible shots. So that's the second missed free throw after you missed the first one.

[Pablo Torre]

Right. You've created a helpful graphic here. Chicken eligible parentheses CE any free throw where a miss on that individual shot would result in the activation of a chicken based promo.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yes, prec. We have another term we need you to understand.

[Pablo Torre]

Why?

[Amin Elhassan]

Because metrics. We have to build metrics off of this. It's not enough to say, hey, how many chicken eligible shots did he take?

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, sorry, you're moving us from counting stats now to efficiency, which is the.

[Amin Elhassan]

Key to any good metric, is we want to know how efficient you are.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, yeah, of course, of course. I must agree with this.

[Amin Elhassan]

And here's the graphic. The chicken conversion rate, which is your chicken eligible misses, divided by your chicken eligible attempts. In essence, this number gives you the efficiency you have at providing chicken to 20,000 people.

[Pablo Torre]

So just to over explain this, CCR is the rate at which a player will miss a free throw with chicken on the line.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yes.

[Pablo Torre]

And so Giannis Antetokounmpo, when it comes to his conversion rate, when he's chicken eligible, I mean, is what.

[Amin Elhassan]

So his CCR over the last two years. 80%. 80% of the time he's got an opportunity to get you chicken, he comes home with it.

[Pablo Torre]

Eight out of ten times, Giannis is converting free chicken for the crowd.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah. He's cheating 20%.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, that's pretty bad.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's awful.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, but he's also a bad free throw shooter, though.

[Amin Elhassan]

Sure. Yeah. I mean, look, he's not great at shooting free throws, right? Overall in his career, he's in the 60 percentage spot. But the only time we have a drop is when he's shooting free throws versus when he's shooting free throws with chicken on the line. And then that drop goes from 64% all the way down to 20%, Pablo, that is the difference. That Delta that we have there is the equivalent of Steph Curry shooting a free throw versus Shaquille O'Neal.

[Stugotz]

You're making an official accusation that he shoots 64% on free throws in the fourth quarter and that it goes down to 20% when it's chicken. That's not a coincidence.

[Amin Elhassan]

When the chicken's on the line, yes. I'm not making an accusation, Dan. I'm asking questions. Cuz it is an investigation. I will go on to say that you should watch the entire episode to find out, to discover our findings, including. Pablo took it a step further and he went and talked to the closest source, to Giannis Antetokounmpo known a man Thanassis.

[Stugotz]

I feel like we've already covered it. We don't need to have Pablo Torre finally cover. I feel like we just saw it right now.

[Amin Elhassan]

You don't know what the findings are and you don't know what the Nazis had to say about it. And that's the important part, Dan.

[Mike Ryan]

If you go on, Pablo Torres finds out. But you're the one finding out.

[Stugotz]

He says he's not finding out. He says he's just asking questions. I thought an investigation didn't just ask questions. I thought an investigation came up with answers.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, it does come up with answers. The answers, unfortunately, are in the episode that you're gonna have to watch.

[Stugotz]

Pablo Torre finds out. The award winning podcast that takes journalists and others, including the Oddball crew, and investigates things that ask questions.

[Joe Posnanski]

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Amin Elhassan]

I don't like the way you frame. It takes journalists and others like this clown over here.

[Stugotz]

Are you a journalist?

[Amin Elhassan]

I am now. Hey, Dan, let me ask you a question. How many Peabody's do you have? Might be 10 for old Amin over here.

[Stugotz]

You have a Peabody?

[Amin Elhassan]

I'm about to win one.

[Mike Ryan]

Really?

[Amin Elhassan]

Papa Torre finds out it's nominated.

[Stugotz]

You guys didn't hear, but it's nominated for a different episode.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, that's not true.

[Stugotz]

Not this episode.

[Amin Elhassan]

No. This episode is for next year's Peabody's. This year's. This year's Peabody is for the one where I stayed at the haunted hotel in Oklahoma City. Wow.

[Mike Ryan]

Two time Peabody winner.

[Stugotz]

Let me play some sound here for a group of journalists about a show that actually does investigations that produce answers. I don't know if you guys saw this happen with 60 minutes. And I know that our war against the media in this country is so strong that even an establishment like 60 Minutes that has done groundbreaking, important and award winning journalism for longer than just about any television show that there has ever been. When the Last minute of 60 minutes ends with what I'm about to play for you, you should be a little bit concerned about everything that's happening with this country around the media, and more importantly, with the power and money that resides above media, that controls media in a way that makes it very difficult to separate the business of media from the objectives of media. So look at what it is that 60 Minutes ended with here, because I found it to be a little bit debilitating as I continue to see people all over America who have F you money and never say F you, because like the Cleveland Browns or anyone else who was scared by Trump yesterday, there are a whole lot of people running scared when you're arresting judges over immigration stuff.

[Billy Gill]

In tonight's last minute, a note on Bill Owens, who until this past week was executive producer of 60 Minutes. He was our boss. Bill was with CBS News nearly 40 years, 26 years at 60 Minutes. Bill resigned Tuesday. It was hard on him and hard on us, but he did it for us and you. Stories we pursued for 57 years are often controversial lately. The Israel, Gaza war and the Trump administration. Bill made sure they were accurate and fair. He was tough that way. But our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked. But Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires. No one here is happy about it. But in resigning, Bill proved one thing. He was the right person to lead 60 minutes all along.

[Stugotz]

Brutal. Greg.

[Greg Cody]

Wow. That's, that's, that's. I'm surprised Paramount let that on.

[Amin Elhassan]

Right?

[Greg Cody]

I mean, that was pretty damning.

[Stugotz]

I always admire the John Olivers and the David Lettermans and the people who take out their employers on their employer's time and their employer's dime. But seeing that show shout, hey, we're under duress here because the money is in charge, reminds me of what happened to Jon Stewart in leaving Apple. And I've never heard him talk about it because he was doing stuff on Apple that was dangerous and honest and good. And Apple, with all the money in the world, said, no, thank you, Jon Stewart, whatever your talent is, we'd prefer to go another route. I just think the more and more of this that happens, I am a combination of both grateful and afraid about what we do around here with the independence of these microphones because they're getting less and less independent as people in power and people with money run Away from someone who, who they feel like has more power and money and is more shameless about wrecking some very basic things about democracy that he doesn't respect as he tries to turn the world into his personal bank.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. When you have the president of the United States undermining journalism and, you know, propagating the phrase fake journalism and fake news.

[Stugotz]

No, but. And being rewarded for it by a constituency in an America that is at least partially aligned with hating the media that way more hating the media more than it loves democracy, evidently in the.

[Greg Cody]

Behavior that seems to be the case. But when you have billionaires buying the Washington Post and stuff like that, it just, it undermines the whole concept because the money talks. You know, the money's going to make a profit over journalistic integrity every time.

[Stugotz]

So CBS Sunday Morning, I've told you, this is a wonderful show for old people. On Sundays, the demo has to be over 70 years old.

[Greg Cody]

I watch it.

[Stugotz]

They do good television consistently. And yesterday they did the Bill Belichick interview that no one else has done. And it was super awkward. And his girlfriend Jordan was in the shadows. And when asked when Bill Belichick was asked, how did you two meet, you here shouted off camera. We're not going to answer that. Because she was. They showed her as being a presence in everything that he was doing during the interview. And that is front facing. Pablo Torre finds out on its way to a Peabody nomination, did some reporting and has reported that Jordan, his 24, 25 year old girlfriend, is acting basically as his manager and publicist and is handling things that he's probably too old to handle. Right. If you're 72 years old, aren't we assuming that most people like Belichick are like Cody, that they can't do much of anything for themselves technologically, that they are giant technological toddlers?

[Dan LeBatard]

Absolutely. I'm surprised you can use your phone, Greg.

[Greg Cody]

Thank you. Thanks, Roy.

[Stugotz]

You're welcome.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, I'm a Luddite. What of it?

[Amin Elhassan]

That kind of thing.

[Greg Cody]

Exactly. That kind of thing. She's also behind Jordan is. She's also behind Belichick's suing for trademark rights to a couple of the phrases that he made popular while with New England. So reportedly she's behind that effort.

[Mike Ryan]

So is Bill Belichick. Okay? Like, are we certain he's not being held captive or like, against his will?

[Amin Elhassan]

Like, it seems amazing.

[Mike Ryan]

Do you think he picked out the sweatshirt that he was wearing that had the holes in it? Because, like, that's right on the line of fashion and just slob Right. It's a thin line fashion and slob. Right. I mean, he's always kind of teetered that line. But I can't decide if that outfit was picked out for him or not.

[Amin Elhassan]

I don't think he picks out anything anymore. Well, which, by the way, if all you wanted to do was coach football, all these other decisions get in the way. What should I wear? What do we eat? What do I post on Instagram? Now you found this wonderful human being who takes care of all of those things. This is the best thing ever.

[Mike Ryan]

You might be right. Like this might be his dream. Right. He doesn't have to do anything but think about football. Even in the interview, right? Where we're like, this is not a typical interview for Bill. Like Bill doesn't really do that many interviews. Right. Like how many times we see him get interviewed. So he's completely out of his element. So for him that probably was like a normal interview.

[Stugotz]

CBS Sunday Morning is his element. That demo is 73 years old. He's 73 and that demo is 73. It is magical television, but it's also much slower than average television. They go at their leisurely Sunday morning pace. I was surprised to see him on there and I was also surprised to see all of this framing like that. All of that seems to me to be not the look a college coach or leader would normally want around his program. The doing of an interview where they're showing you all of the wires and behind the scenes in a way that I don't know if Jordan and Bill would feel betrayed by that, but I could see how they would be. I could see how they would not like the off camera stuff ending up on camera because of whatever salacious content is around. Everybody's curious, everybody in sports is curious about what's happening in that relationship.

[Mike Ryan]

As a journalist, and I don't want to go down journalism talk, but like as a journalist, how did you feel about that? Because that very much seemed like off the record kind of things that were going on. It's in the middle of an interview. But it was off camera, off scene. I don't think that they anticipated that there'd be a camera pointing off to the side where you would see Jordan in the background and hear her kind of interrupting. And they elected to air that. Now, I believe the reports are. That wasn't the only interruption that that was going on a number of times. So they chose to air a portion of it for you to understand kind of what you were going on with. But how did you feel kind of seeing that they chose to air that portion of the interview.

[Stugotz]

I would ask Greg Cody what his rules are on this. Usually when someone says off the record is when things are off the record for print media, but television rules are a little more slippery, and I haven't seen that before. I could understand how Jordan and Belichick would feel betrayed by how it is that played out, even though I could argue that television's only responsibility there is to frame the truth.

[Greg Cody]

I think it's absolutely newsworthy that they aired that. Chances are what she said was the most newsworthy thing to come out of that interview. Absolutely.

[Stugotz]

This is a new alun proved Dan.

[Mike Ryan]

Levitar show with the stugats gamble on by DraftKings.

[Roy Bellamy]

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