Hour 1: Hanging Your Hat (feat. Lucy Rohden)

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 1: Hanging Your Hat (feat. Lucy Rohden)
Date: November 4, 2025
Recording Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

---

Main Theme and Purpose

This episode centers around college football's chaotic playoff picture, the absurdity (and symbolism) of the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee's “hanging your hat” spectacle, and lively debates around teams’ résumés, fans’ emotional states, the state of the Miami Hurricanes, and the latest developments in sports business scandals, with Lucy Rohden providing color and insight alongside the regular cast.

The hosts and guests take on familiar targets – NCAA rankings logic, sports officiating, and quarterback debates – while maintaining their trademark irreverent and humorous tone, blending on-the-ground college football reporting with big-picture commentary.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Halloween Costumes and Tailgating Culture Shock

[00:43–04:01]

• Rose showed up in costume post-Halloween expecting others to do the same, but she was alone, leading to a self-deprecating rant on public embarrassment.
• Playful banter around Rose's costume, mistaken for Albert Einstein or a “Back to the Future” scientist (“I’ll take Albert Einstein, but no.” – Lucy, [01:37]).
• The crew describes the dissonance between the football atmospheres at Penn State versus Ohio State.
• Lucy and Rose note the absence of the usual debauched college tailgate staples: “I haven’t seen a single 30 rack being carried yet. I’m honestly really disappointed.” – Rose, [03:09]

2. What Is a Buckeye?

[03:36–03:55]

• Brief, comedic debate over what precisely a Buckeye is: nut, symbol, or “proud American.”
  • “A Buckeye is a proud, proud, proud American.” – Lucy, [03:39]
  • “And also, we have Buckeye nuts that grow on trees.” – Greg Cody, [03:41]

3. The Stakes: Michigan, Penn State, and Coaching Drama

[04:05–05:15]

• Discussion over “scarier” scenario: losing to Penn State or Michigan?
  • “Four years they haven’t won in what, 2,163 days. This is our second home. We use…Ann Arbor II.” – Lucy, [04:13]
• Brief clowning of James Franklin and Ryan Day’s Halloween costume possibilities (“Unemployed.” – Greg Cody, [04:42]) and growing contempt for Michigan.

4. Playoff Picture, Rankings, and “Hanging Your Hat”

[07:16–08:23]

• Lucy addresses the CFP’s now-viral “hat rack” video:
  • “They are hanging the hats of just the College Football Playoff logo. So essentially they’re saying they’re putting aside…their neutrality.” – Lucy, [07:50–07:52]
  • “Who’s got a hat rack anymore?” – Greg Cody, [08:15]
• The group riffs on the meaninglessness of neutral hats and the old-fashioned imagery used by the CFP committee.
• Rose critiques the CFP’s approach and expresses anticipation for the drama the first rankings will spark.

5. Ranking Chaos & “Lovable Losers”

[08:29–11:12]

• Rose and Lucy assess why teams like Vanderbilt and Indiana capture national affection.
  • “I think it’s just this sort of like, this is a team that was so bad for so, so long…To see them win is really exciting.” – Rose, [09:30]
• Fans predicted to be angry: Ohio State (if Indiana gets #1), frustrated SEC bases, and those who see perceived bias in the rankings.
  • “The SEC and the SEC are very similar in the way they’re beating each other, but there is a different narrative with both of those conferences.” – Rose, [11:00]

6. Big Ten and SEC Narratives: Who’s In, Who’s Out?

[11:12–13:18]

• Dan laments the Big Ten’s bottom-tier quality and the “hacking” of the system by dominating weak schedules.
• Rose articulates the anxiety of Iowa and Oregon fans in a de facto playoff elimination game, and how perception versus reality clouds the national perspective.
  • “This game is already ruining my life because I really think Iowa is going to win. And when they don’t win, it’s going to kill me.” – Rose, [11:58]
  • “Oregon, I do believe they still have Washington and USC left on the schedule. Those are two teams that could really sort of help your case.” – Rose, [12:30]

7. The Notre Dame–Miami Argument and CFP Head-to-Head Logic

[16:53–18:34]

• Dan questions Notre Dame being ranked above Miami, despite Miami’s head-to-head win.
• Rose voices her frustration with head-to-head wins not mattering in CFP logic.
  • “If you’re ranking a team that beat somebody else ahead of them…why did you even play that game?” – Rose, [17:43]

8. Haynes King, Georgia Tech, and Heisman Hype

[18:34–19:43]

• Greg and Rose champion Georgia Tech’s Haynes King as a cult hero and dark horse candidate for the Heisman, celebrated for his gutsy playing style.
  • “He’s everything. I love him so much and he should be in this Heisman conversation because he’s like maybe the most college football player ever.” – Rose, [18:55]

9. ACC’s Perpetual Underrating

[19:04–22:00]

• Dan calls out national polls’ tendency to project the ACC’s downfall, despite several strong one-loss teams.
  • “If the CFP does its job right, they should look at the ACC where it is right now and avoid the whole temptation of, ‘well, they’re going to fall apart, dude.’” – Dan, [19:31]
• Lucy, Rose, and Greg Cody agree that optics and national narratives often trump actual results in shaping rankings.

10. Lucy’s Internet Minute: The Oklahoma Kicker’s Short Shorts

[22:00–23:23]

• Viral discussion of Oklahoma kicker’s ultra-short shorts:
  • “I’m fine with it, I think. Look, if you want to dress a little slutty for your football game, go for it.” – Rose, [22:40]
• Laughter over how football fashion is evolving, with Lucy supporting short shorts on kickers.

11. Résumé Talk: No Team Has “A Good Résumé”

[23:46–24:25]

• The panel struggles to identify any college football team with a genuinely impressive résumé, poking fun at Alabama’s “worst loss.”
  • “I feel like nobody’s résumé is good…Like nobody’s résumé is good.” – Rose, [23:54]

12. TV Numbers, Conference Names, and Officiating

[24:27–25:29]

• Riffing on the Big Ten having more than ten members and the ACC including teams from way outside the Atlantic coast (“If you have a number in the name of your conference, the number has to reflect the number of teams…” – Greg Cody, [24:43])
• Extended laughter on officiating controversies and conspiracy theories.

13. Steve Ballmer Lawsuit & NBA Cap Circumvention

[34:33–39:44]

• The show pivots to NBA news, analyzing the reported lawsuit against Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and the implications regarding Aspiration—the company allegedly used as an under-the-table payment vehicle for Kawhi Leonard.
  • “So, yeah, the basic gist of it is...Ballmer and other Ballmer surrogates were funneling money to the company, keep it afloat, simply to continue to make the payments to Kawhi Leonard.” – Greg Cody, [34:47]
  • “If you go to discovery now, everything that we’ve talked about, like, it wasn’t circumvention, I was defrauded—all that gets entered in and now you’re really in trouble.” – Greg Cody, [36:36]
• Consensus: Ballmer settling is akin to an admission of guilt, but the NBA is incentivized to bury scandal rather than chase truth.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rose [03:09]: “I haven’t seen a single 30 rack being carried yet. I’m honestly really disappointed. Where’s the alcohol around here?”
• Lucy [07:50]: “They are hanging the hats of just the College Football Playoff logo. So essentially they’re saying they’re putting aside…their neutrality.”
• Rose [11:58]: “This game is already ruining my life because I really think Iowa is going to win. And when they don’t win, it’s going to kill me.”
• Rose [17:43]: “If you’re ranking a team that beat somebody else ahead of them…why did you even play that game?”
• Rose [18:55]: “He’s everything. I love him so much and he should be in this Heisman conversation because he’s like maybe the most college football player ever.”
• Greg Cody [24:43]: “If you have a number in the name of your conference, the number has to reflect the number of teams in your conference.”
• Lucy [22:21]: “I love it…if you want to dress a little slutty for your football game, go for it.”
• Greg Cody [34:47]: “...Ballmer and other Ballmer surrogates were funneling money to the company, keep it afloat, simply to continue to make the payments to Kawhi Leonard.”

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:43] – Halloween embarrassment and Rose's solo costume
• [03:36–03:55] – Buckeye identity explained
• [07:16–08:23] – “Hanging your hat” at the CFP committee
• [11:12–13:18] – Big Ten vs. SEC debate and playoff implications
• [16:53–18:34] – Notre Dame–Miami debate/self-defeating head-to-head logic
• [18:34–19:43] – Haynes King/Georgia Tech's cult status
• [22:00–23:23] – Lucy’s Internet Minute: Oklahoma kicker and football fashion
• [23:46–24:25] – No team has a “good résumé”
• [34:33–39:44] – Steve Ballmer, Aspiration, and fraud lawsuit explained

---

Tone & Style

The episode maintains the show’s trademark blend of sports analysis, improvisational humor, off-message digressions, and pop culture references. Panels riff with playful sarcasm and self-awareness regarding both the serious and absurd aspects of college football and the world of sports business.

---

Useful Takeaways

• The “hanging your hat” rhetoric is widely mocked for its emptiness—symptomatic of the CFP’s performative claims of neutrality.
• Resume debates and ranking drama are as much about narrative, fanbase expectation, and network influence as about football played on the field.
• Officiating controversies and playoff exclusions are perennial outrage fuel.
• Off-field financial and legal scandals (like the Ballmer/Aspiration affair) remain a focus, showing how much is at stake behind the scenes in modern sports.
• The episode exemplifies the unique blend of analysis and comedic chaos that defines The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.

---

Recommended Clip:
Start at [07:16] for the “hanging your hat” conversation, which exemplifies the episode’s irreverent yet insightful approach to college football culture.

Closing Thought:
As the regulars and Lucy Rohden dissect rankings, scandals, and misguided symbolism, the real message is clear: the only thing more entertaining than college football itself might be arguing about it.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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

[Greg Cody]

Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

What are you doing here? Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up. 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.

[Greg Cody]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

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

[Greg Cody]

Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all. Cuervo.

[Greg Cody]

Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

The tequila that invented tequila.

[Lucy]

Roximo.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cuevo.com Please drink responsibly.

[Greg Cody]

Cuervo.

[Lucy]

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast.

[Rose]

Hi, this is Rose. I thought we were gonna dress because yesterday was Halloween and I ended up being the only one dressing up. Yeah, so according to my calculations, this is very embarrassing. Hi, Dan. Happy Halloween. This is a special off roading spooky spectacular Halloween edition. Because what is scarier than coming back to Columbus, Ohio, the spot where our dear Rose was pepper sprayed? Well, it turns out we actually did find something scarier. Something spookier. It's that Rose is the only person dressed up and she looks certifiably insane. Because getting peppers right is bad. Being the peak of social embarrassment might be worse. Great Scott. What do you think?

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm dressed as Rick from Rick and Morty.

[Rose]

Oh, Rick and from Rick and Morty. It could be that, but no. Dr. Deucens Good punishments. No.

[Lucy]

What do you think I'm dressed as Albert Einstein.

[Rose]

I will take that.

[Lucy]

I will take Albert Einstein, but no.

[Rose]

What do you think I'm dressed as? A Labubu? I don't know what that is. How would you rate my friend Rose's costume here?

[Lucy]

Einstein is 10 out of 10.

[Rose]

Not Einstein.

[Lucy]

MC or MC square or E equals MC square. I remember that back in high school.

[Greg]

Go, go high.

[Rose]

Go baby. Go Bucks.

[Greg Cody]

Go Bucks.

[Lucy]

And we just gotta remember that if it wasn't for Einstein, we wouldn't be here today. We wouldn't have the technological advancements World War II we might have. If anything, we might not be defending the shoe.

[Dan Le Batard]

You know what?

[Lucy]

I out of him.

[Dan Le Batard]

You know.

[Rose]

Yeah, that was lovely. She's not dressed as Einstein.

[Greg]

Oh, okay.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sorry.

[Lucy]

Just a crazy scientist, I'm assuming.

[Rose]

Have you seen Back to the Future?

[Lucy]

Yes, yes, yes, Scott. Yeah.

[Rose]

Something that works. Do you want to come see him?

[Lucy]

In our handyman business, we get called out to fix the fix flux capacitors.

[Zas]

All the time.

[Lucy]

If it wasn't for Marty McFly and what they did at Back to the Future, I wouldn't be in business. Okay, let me just put it that way. So shout out to Halloween. Shout out to Marty McFly. Shout out to every scientist that's in America. Because if it wasn't for you guys, who knows where I'd be.

[Rose]

How are we doing just sort of mentally right now? Mentally? I mean, we're trying to just figure out the lay of the land. This is so much different than Penn State.

[Lucy]

Where's the tailgates?

[Rose]

Like, where's the tailgates? The vibes are a little bad. Vibes are a little bad.

[Lucy]

Not even just as a Penn State.

[Rose]

I haven't seen a single 30 rack being carried yet. I'm honestly really disappointed. Where's the alcohol around here? Where's the alcohol? Would you say you're the biggest college football fan?

[Dan Le Batard]

No. I'm just one of millions and millions of Buckeye fans and college fans.

[Rose]

Well, I'm gonna give it to you. I'm gonna award you the biggest college football fan because yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

For me to say that I'm the biggest and the best, that's not for me to say. That's for you to say. Exactly.

[Rose]

So now I'm saying it. So what is a Buckeye, man?

[Greg Cody]

Let me tell you something.

[Lucy]

A Buckeye is a proud, proud, proud American.

[Greg Cody]

And also we have Buckeye nuts that grow on trees.

[Rose]

Oh, so it's a knock.

[Lucy]

Yes.

[Rose]

And is it poisonous?

[Greg]

Well, you already know the answer to.

[Dan Le Batard]

The question if you ask it. Oh, I know. That's the way we go.

[Zas]

Yes.

[Rose]

This trip to Columbus was presented by Fox one Stream, your favorite life sports on the Fox one app and download Today what's scarier? Losing to Penn State today or losing to Michigan again?

[Lucy]

Oh, Michigan.

[Rose]

We're Michigan all the way. Michigan. Michigan again.

[Lucy]

They're mad. Four years they haven't won in what, 2,163 days. This is our second home we use. This is a vacation home. This is Ann Arbor ii.

[Rose]

Do you guys have someone you would like for Penn State to hire as their head coach?

[Lucy]

Joe Brady.

[Rose]

Does anyone miss James Franklin out of this crew?

[Greg Cody]

Yes.

[Lucy]

Yes.

[Rose]

Yes. No comment. No, not really.

[Lucy]

No.

[Rose]

What do you think James Franklin went as for Halloween this year? Probably himself because he has a big ego. Unemployed.

[Greg Cody]

Yes.

[Rose]

Not a costume. I mean it's a fact. What do you think Ryan Day was for? Hallo.

[Lucy]

Crybaby.

[Greg]

One of those big blow up suits.

[Rose]

Crybaby. Where we go, we don't need roads. There's the scariest team in college football. That's not Ohio State.

[Greg Cody]

Oregon, Oregon, Indiana.

[Rose]

They're good.

[Zas]

They're good.

[Rose]

They're real good.

[Lucy]

They're real good.

[Greg Cody]

Kirk Signetti.

[Rose]

He's the man.

[Greg]

Google him.

[Rose]

Google him. If you want to go to a college football game, maybe even a UNC game, download the Gametime app and use code Lucy for $20 off your first order terms apply. It's spooky days and two hours.

[Greg]

We're going to be there.

[Rose]

Dan. Given the number of firings that I have been a part of, I was a little worried about credentials for this one. But I was like, no worries. We'll go to Columbus. We'll have a good time. I tried to walk into the stadium. They have this hanging up. They have this hanging up. Thank God they picked such a pretty picture of me, but guess I want to keep Ryan Day around here. All the gates are locked and they won't let me in because, what? I'm too pretty? That's not cool. Because, what. I might get your head coach fired. What do you think's going on in there? I feel like I'm being bullied, maybe discriminated against for being too funny. Is it because I'm wearing white? Do you think they're not letting me in because I saw how Rose was dressed? Michigan would never. Well, it turns out Penn State did need James Franklin to lose to Ohio State. They could do it with an interim, too.

[Greg Cody]

We welcome in Lucy, who's heading to Boone, North Carolina, Thursday night for App State's matchup with Georgia Southern. A little good. Fcs.

[Lucy]

I love Boone, North Carolina.

[Rose]

No, they're fbs.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, they're fbs. Yep.

[Rose]

Group of five action.

[Lucy]

It's one of the best towns in the country.

[Zas]

You still going group of five. I call group of six now, Lucy.

[Rose]

Oh, I always call it group of five. I still call it power five, even though I know that's wrong.

[Lucy]

All right, now, what do you know, Zaz?

[Zas]

I'm a college football expert. It's maddo you.

[Greg Cody]

He does. He flies every weekend and sometimes rides a bus.

[Zas]

No, it's one time.

[Greg Cody]

Lucy, how long was that picture of you folded up in your pocket because it was so creased?

[Rose]

Well, we did, like, a bit where we were, like, trying to throw it at me so it looked like it was, like, blowing through the wind. And it went so poorly, so we had to, like, crumble it up into a ball like six or seven times. And the bit didn't even work. Didn't Even make the.

[Greg Cody]

I love it. All right, so, Lucy, we've got the college football playoffs about to be tonight. They're gonna release first rankings. The first rankings. And they made a big dog and pony show out of releasing this video of them hanging their hats. And so this sparked great controversy and conversation in the office. We were like, doesn't that mean that they're going to be partial?

[Lucy]

Because you would think that they would be putting their team hats on the. But no, they are hanging the hats of just the College Football Playoff logo. So essentially they're saying they're putting aside.

[Zas]

Their hanging up their neutrality.

[Lucy]

Yeah, everybody's so old.

[Rose]

They all look the same. They all look exactly the same.

[Zas]

How will they know which one was their hat?

[Rose]

Maybe it's. That's a great question. Maybe it's like a national anthem type of deal where they're like, we have to show respect for the College Football Playoff. Like, you can't have your hat on. But yeah, it completely defeats the purpose if it doesn't have their team on it.

[Greg]

Stupid Lucy.

[Rose]

And they definitely were all given the hat the day.

[Lucy]

And the hat rack couldn't look older.

[Greg]

Who's got a hat rack anymore?

[Greg Cody]

Do you?

[Greg]

Nobody.

[Greg Cody]

You don't have a hat rack?

[Greg]

Oh, hell no.

[Rose]

I have a hat rack.

[Greg]

Do you?

[Rose]

Yeah, it's really funky looking.

[Greg Cody]

Do you have hats on it?

[Lucy]

I'm so surprised.

[Rose]

Purses on it.

[Greg]

First rack.

[Greg Cody]

A purse rack.

[Zas]

Lucy, will there. Will there be any juicy storyline that comes out of the first College Football Playoff rankings tonight?

[Rose]

Well, there are three things I'm like looking at particularly. One is, is I really do think there's a chance Indiana is the number one overall team. You're going to kind of figure out sort of how they're evaluating this year's sort of like group of teams where Indiana may not look as good eye test wise as Ohio State. Even though I don't really agree with that. Indiana has the best one in the country right now with a road win over Oregon. So what are they going to do with Ohio State? Indiana, what are they going to do with Oregon whose best win is now against Penn State, which is not as good of a win and you don't really feel as comfortable with that. And then looking at sort of kind of the. The mess that's the SEC and the SEC right now? Do you rank Tennessee, who hasn't beat anybody? Where do you put Miami after losing this weekend? I think we'll get a lot of questions answered. This always, always one of my favorite days because, like Everyone gets so mad and it actually really does matter. We're like the eight people. I'm just mad at it for no reason.

[Greg Cody]

Lucy what is America's fascination with Vanderbilt?

[Rose]

I think it's just like they're, I don't want to call them lovable losers because they're not losers anymore. They're winning. I think there's just this sort of like, this is a team that was so bad for so, so long. And in Diego Pavia, who has this great story of he went to a military college and then he went to New Mexico State and now he's at Vanderbilt and he's come in and he's striking the Heisman pose. And you saw them this weekend, obviously lose against Texas, but playing incredibly competitively, coming back from down double digits to be inches away from recovering an onside kick. That stuff never used to happen to Vanderbilt. I think it's weird to me that that sort of like, fascination hasn't necessarily, I think, hit the same with Indiana, who's also as historically bad as Vander Belt, if not worse. But I think it's because Indiana is so dominant and it's just so confusing because, like, we don't really like, there's sort of an SEC bias with it. But I think it's just this is a team that was so, so bad for so, so long. To see them win is really exciting.

[Zas]

Which fans will be angry tonight?

[Rose]

Lucy oh, that's a good question. I think Ohio State fans will be angry because I think they're going to put Indiana number one. I'm curious to see what happens. I think some SEC fan bases are going to be really, really angry. I don't think it's going to be Alabama and I don't think it' to be Georgia, but I think. And obviously not Tech cnn. But I think that the SEC right now for me is a very difficult conference to evaluate because I think, Mike Ryan, you'll appreciate this. The SEC and the SEC are very similar in the way they're beating each other, but there is a different narrative with both of those conferences. And so for me, I think the SEC is obviously going to get the benefit of the doubt. And you might see teams like Tennessee, who has not beat anybody at all, find their way in a good position when they probably shouldn't be.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, it's frustrating. I've been on the SEC thing for quite a while, but I want to turn my attention over to the because I don't think enough is made out of how bad the bottom third of this Conference is, I think you have one of the more impactful games of the weekend, your Iowa Hawkeyes. If Oregon loses this game, the national narrative needs to be they're out. They need to stack wins. Their best win right now is who? Northwestern. This is the second consecutive year. And credit to Indiana because no arguments there, they've done more this year, but they found a way. They found the hack inside that conference, which is don't really play anybody. And if you get one to two losses, you're in that discussion. Whereas Oregon, really soft schedule this year. Incredibly soft. So what do you think happens this weekend and what do you think the conversation should be around the Big Ten one?

[Rose]

I know that me personally, I'm going to be miserable because this game is already ruining my life because I really think Iowa is going to win. And when they don't win, it's going to kill me. This is like a playoff elimination game of some sorts for Oregon, Iowa, theoretically, if they win out the rest of the season, they should be in the playoff. They probably will be in the playoff. That's a stretch that I'm not really ready to take mentally and emotionally quite yet. Yeah, if Oregon loses this game, which, by the way, this is a very, very weirdly good Iowa football team. They're scoring a lot of points. Their defense looks phenomenal. Like, if they lose, it's not a bad loss. But Oregon, I do believe they still have Washington and USC left on the schedule. Those are two teams that could really sort of help your case. I think we're sort of in a little SEC bias mode again. We're like Washington, Iowa. These are teams that probably should be getting a little more praise than they are. So nationally, they don't look as good of wins as they could possibly be, but they are good wins. But I do think that if Oregon loses this weekend, it's over for them. And it's another team that you look at and objectively, what you've said, it's true. It's hard to evaluate how good they are because the only real example we have is them losing by two touchdowns to Indiana. Iowa did not lose like that. Iowa was, was, you know, a couple plays away from beating Indiana had their quarterback not gotten hurt. So, like, it's hard to evaluate this game. All I know is that I'm doing mentally really, really poor about it. Like it's ruining my life.

[Lucy]

Thursday Night Football's on and it's only on Prime Video this week. It's an old school rivalry as the Las Vegas Raiders collide with The Denver Broncos coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with football's best party TNF tonight. Not a Prime member? Not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. It's the Raiders and the Broncos on Thursday at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details. You ever try to name all your financial accounts and what they're actually worth? Like your 401k, your investments, your house? Yeah, I couldn't either. Most of us can't. And when you don't know, you're basically leaving money on the table. Feel organized and confident in your finances with Monarch, an all in one personal finance tulip that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface on your laptop or your phone. And right now, just for our listeners, Monarch is offering 50% off your first year with code [e-mail] I started using Monarch and I found an old 401k from an old job that I totally forgot about and it was worth way more than I thought. I also realized I wasn't saving as much as I imagined. Monarch shows you everything you're spending, your investments, even how much cash is just sitting there doing nothing. No spreadsheets, no chaos. Just a clear view of your money you can share with your partner, too. Which means fewer fighters about who spent what at Target and how much the baby actually needs. Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code [e-mail] in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first [e-mail] with code DAN.

[Greg Cody]

What does Zyn give you?

[Lucy]

Not just smoke free nicotine satisfaction, but real freedom. Freedom to do what you love and choose your rewards. With Zinn Rewards, you can redeem points for premium tech, outdoor gear and gift cards to your favorite retailers. Find your Zinn and keep finding rewards that fit your [e-mail] rewards. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

[Greg Cody]

Don lebatar Surely every time you're watching this, you recognize that your wife is laughing, that she married. She married Larry David.

[Greg]

I do. Yeah. One of the great characters in the history of television, in my humble opinion. And. And to my credit, my personality.

[Greg Cody]

In my humble opinion. Followed by to my credit, amazing.

[Greg]

My personality.

[Rose]

Just amazing.

[Greg]

Predate Curve youb Enthusiasm Stugats oh, wow. I'm not gonna say Larry David patterned himself.

[Greg Cody]

You copy? All right, put it on the poll, please. Juju did Greg Cody copyright being an asshole long before Larry David.

[Zas]

This is the Dan Levatar show with.

[Lucy]

The st.

[Zas]

Keeping it in the Big Ten. Lucy, am I looking at it properly where Michigan Ohio State, last game of the season is potentially to get to the Big Ten championship?

[Rose]

I I don't necessarily. Yes, I think it would be because I don't know who else would be in that conversation. It wouldn't. I think Michigan's got a pretty easy schedule but like I still don't think they're as great as as they're kind of being heralded as so like if they were to lose another one it wouldn't sh. But yeah, this is like almost a de facto playoff elimination game and for which is so awesome especially given just sort of the narrative of like you cannot lose to them for a fifth straight year. Especially with this Ohio State team, which is just as good as last year's Ohio State team. It's going to be so much fun.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let's talk about the the Miami upset over the weekend. Miami once again sitting at two losses, both by less than a score. Understandably. Today I saw Heather Dennis speak on this. She fully expects Notre Dame to be ranked ahead of Miami even though head to head Miami defeated Notre Dame. A month is an eternity in college football as we saw with Alabama and Oklahoma last year. There was a really bad loss and two weeks later everyone's saying if they're in the tournament they win the championship. I guess my long winded question here is if Miami I think the hardest thing for them is actually go4.0 in the month of December November, but if they do, they go 4.0and they're at a better place at the end of the season despite not even making it to their conference championship game. The Notre Dame thing is a pickle. Where do you see the cfp?

[Zas]

My movie theater sells pickles dog.

[Dan Le Batard]

Where do you see the CFP sighting on this?

[Rose]

I I personally don't love when you're ranking a team that beat somebody else ahead of them. Like I don't think that Notre Dame should be ranked in front of Miami because what you're telling me is that head to head matchups don't matter. Why did you even play that game if it doesn't matter? But that's doesn't matter what I like I think that like it's so tough. I think there's so many extra circumstances with Miami where it really does matter of what happens everywhere else. Like what if Iowa does win out weird enough that's going to hurt Miami. What happens with Georgia Tech after a really kind of tough loss against NC State this weekend giving up 40 points to the wolf pack. Like there are so many extra circumstances and I just don't see Miami kind of getting the good end of things because like, like we sort of talked about if it comes down to a two loss ACC team or a three loss STC team, I think we all know what direct they're going to go.

[Greg Cody]

Damn Georgia Tech. What, what Haynes King got to do to win Heisman. He's the Heisman, isn't he?

[Rose]

I don't know that.

[Greg Cody]

So here's.

[Rose]

I saw this great tweet. I wish I could remember who said it. It's Haynes King is what people think Diego Pavia is like Haynes King is running out every Saturday and he's like, I'll die for this team. I don't care, I'll do it. You need me to play Blood in the Earth, I will.

[Dan Le Batard]

No big deal.

[Rose]

He's everything. I love him so much and he should be in this Heisman conversation because he's like maybe the most college football player ever. Like I just love him so much.

[Greg Cody]

Like I know he's got no future after this.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean you're the Georgia Tech guy on this show. Are you emotionally preparing? Because it seems as though down to the AP and the coaches poll, what everybody is doing is projecting the ACC to fall apart. And I get that. But right now they have three one loss teams, all right, that are pretty, pretty good, that have played some SEC teams that you can do transit a property with some of the teams that they beat and the results that those teams have that were defeated at the hands of the.

[Lucy]

Did you say transitive property?

[Dan Le Batard]

Transitive property. I think that the ACC look, if the CFP does its job right, they should look at the ACC where it is right now and avoid the whole temptation of, well, they're going to fall apart, dude.

[Greg Cody]

I think we did them a favor by losing NC State because if we were undefeated, first of all, we've been underranked this whole time. Part of my question about Vanderbilt was a little shade on my part. It's like everyone's fallen over Vanderbilt. Like we're better than them. But like the loss to NC State actually makes it easier for them. I feel like to dismiss.

[Lucy]

What's your good win for Jordan?

[Dan Le Batard]

It's Clemson.

[Lucy]

Yeah, that's the difference.

[Zas]

That team sucks.

[Greg Cody]

Didn't suck when we beat their ass though.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, they did though.

[Greg Cody]

No, not when we beat their ass.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't know. They did.

[Greg Cody]

No, when they beat their ass.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well then I guess Florida State sucked when Florida State beat Alabama's ass.

[Greg Cody]

Well, let me tell you something. We beat Florida State's ass last year. That started this whole thing. And they were good back then.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, you know what? Don't answer the question. Same question.

[Greg Cody]

Yes.

[Rose]

Well, that Amin's answer was, have you guys seen that tweet that's going viral of like, look at what Alabama did to preseason number 13, South Carolina. And so everyone's just been, quote, tweeting with, like, look at what we did against 1998 national champion. Like, whatever. It's very, very funny. I can't even remember what the question was.

[Greg Cody]

Beat the ass is the question.

[Dan Le Batard]

Are they going to project the ACC falling apart and play into narratives? Are they going to look at the ACC as a whole, where it is right now, which has three really, really good teams in it?

[Rose]

I think they're not. I don't think they're going to look at the ACC and be like, this is awesome. I think they're going to look at it with the, like, wow, we're at this point and like, Duke is in the conversation and Virginia is in the conversation. I don't think they're necessarily going to look at the ACC and be like, I think that Virginia is better than, you know, Ole Miss or anything like that. I assume they're going to look at the ACC with a very, maybe a three teams, four teams ranked. I don't think they're going to give them much benefit of the doubt at all because, like, I. I hate to, like, be this way, but, like, they are going to push the SEC more than anything, and then it'll be the Big Ten. The Big 12 is messy as it is. I just think the ACC is going to get the short end of the stick. And I do think part of the reason that plays into it is because I think it would be very different if Miami was in Virginia spot where, like, they're going to. They don't want people to be like, yes, Virginia is here. Like, it just doesn't have the same appeal. Even though us real ones know that we want to see Virginia do well, we want to see Chandler Morris have a good season.

[Greg Cody]

Chris, I believe it's time. Time to get in it.

[Lucy]

It's Lucy's Internet minute.

[Rose]

Oh, I love that so much. It never gets old. We have a rare college football Internet minute that I'm excited to talk to you guys guys about. We've all seen the Oklahoma kicker, right?

[Greg]

Huh?

[Zas]

I don't like it.

[Rose]

Oh, he is wearing some short shorts.

[Lucy]

I love it.

[Greg]

Ridiculous.

[Rose]

People are losing their mind. Kirk her was like, I literally thought he was gonna.

[Zas]

That's not a football uniform.

[Lucy]

Yes, it is. What do you need knee pads for? You're a kicker.

[Greg Cody]

That's tackle somebody.

[Rose]

So also. So what's our overall takeaway? I'm fine with it, I think. Look, if you want to dress a little slutty for your football game, go for.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I hope that Amen telling and probably fashion forward and where the the sport is going. I, I, I really hope for this.

[Lucy]

I've seen wide receivers do it. I've seen tight ends. I've seen corners do it. Like, everybody's starting to do it.

[Dan Le Batard]

So they pickers up, man.

[Lucy]

No, not like that. You've never seen it, buddy. You don't see everything.

[Zas]

I see everything.

[Lucy]

You don't see everything.

[Rose]

I see.

[Zas]

We already did this.

[Lucy]

I guarantee you don't see everything.

[Zas]

We already did this. I see everything. I watch everything.

[Greg Cody]

What happened to the barefoot?

[Rose]

My bad.

[Lucy]

Greg Cody, did you not kick your.

[Dan Le Batard]

50 yard field goal barefoot?

[Greg]

I did, yeah.

[Lucy]

About in short shorts? Yep.

[Greg]

I think those shorts should be even shorter.

[Lucy]

Okay.

[Greg]

I mean, why stop there, you know? Ride them up.

[Greg Cody]

That's been Lucy's Internet minute.

[Rose]

You guys are so horny for college football. It's great.

[Greg Cody]

It's new to me. Lucy, this horniness is new to me. I haven't felt it in like 15 years, 25 years maybe.

[Rose]

Yeah, Haynes kink will do that to you.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, man. Haynes kink. Yet black is theme for a white. Cool backup. It is cute.

[Lucy]

You think Georgia Tech's good?

[Greg Cody]

What?

[Dan Le Batard]

They are cute.

[Rose]

I think Georgia Tech's good.

[Dan Le Batard]

They are good. But their resume, when you really, like, hold it under a microscope, you line.

[Greg Cody]

Them up, we knock them down. How about that for a resume?

[Rose]

I have a take. I feel like nobody's resume is good.

[Lucy]

Good.

[Rose]

Like nobody's resume is good.

[Greg Cody]

I'll allow it.

[Lucy]

Like, tell me the good resumes. Hit me.

[Rose]

Yeah, I mean, you could go Alabama with wins over Vanderbilt, Texas, Georgia, obviously Texas A and M. But it's also funny that Alabama has like, right now, what might be the worst loss, which is like, objectively really funny. A and M has a good resume.

[Dan Le Batard]

But that's about it.

[Lucy]

Ohio State's undefeated. You only play who you have on your schedule.

[Greg Cody]

Like them up, we knock them down.

[Rose]

Ohio State schedule is, is like there's nothing left.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm sick of, I'm sick of this Big Ten.

[Lucy]

I'm.

[Dan Le Batard]

How many years are teams going to get away with this?

[Greg Cody]

I can't keep Getting away with.

[Dan Le Batard]

They can't like. And it's just like, well, we'll have three lost teams in there. We deserve it. That is our birthright. Because we expanded and added a whole bunch of shitty teams. F out of here. What is this?

[Greg Cody]

If you have a number in the name of your conference, the number has to reflect the number of teams in your conference.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good.

[Greg Cody]

Take. Enough, enough.

[Lucy]

I second Big Ten.

[Zas]

I get behind that.

[Greg Cody]

Better get tell some of these teams to get out of here.

[Dan Le Batard]

Says the guy with an ACC team. With two teams in the Pacific Coast.

[Greg Cody]

That's not numbers.

[Lucy]

No numbers.

[Greg Cody]

That's not numbers.

[Lucy]

Atlantic Coast Conference, but Pacific.

[Greg Cody]

They're all coasts.

[Rose]

And Texas.

[Dan Le Batard]

I was in Texas in an ACC game.

[Lucy]

Sad stadium, by the way. Silicones down there in the Big 12.

[Greg Cody]

Galveston. Ever heard of Galveston?

[Dan Le Batard]

Last question. They cheated, right? The refs cheated in Dallas. They cheated. They cheated.

[Rose]

Did you guys see the Clemson Duke call at the end?

[Greg]

Yes.

[Dan Le Batard]

That was brutal.

[Rose]

That was insane.

[Dan Le Batard]

What happened to the Gators was unfortunate. There's a lot of bad officiating. I got my eyes on Al Riveron. I got my eyes dead on Al Riveron.

[Rose]

It's been a rough year. We went to that Auburn Georgia game where the officials were so bad they literally had to fire the crew after the game. They're not allowed to ref anymore.

[Greg Cody]

Damn.

[Dan Le Batard]

Speaking of fired, in Auburn, who do you like there? Summerall. Get a lot of Summerall juice.

[Rose]

Yeah. I think that that's where I would go if I were Auburn. But my whole thing is, I think that's a smart decision. And because I think it's a smart decision, I know Auburn's not gonn make that. There's no way Auburn makes that call. Like, I just don't trust that school to do anything. Yeah. Hugh freeze bad idea from the jump. They hired him because he beat Nick Saban twice and Nick Saban retired and there was no point to having Hugh freeze there.

[Greg Cody]

I definitely think they should hire some role just so we can hear him say, gannon steps back.

[Lucy]

Gannon. Gannon.

[Dan Le Batard]

I thought it was Cannon.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, it was Gannon. Yeah, steps back.

[Dan Le Batard]

No relation, right?

[Greg Cody]

No relation to Gannon and Don camp. Or are you talking about the Summeralls? My bad.

[Lucy]

Where is Don Cannon right now?

[Greg]

I don't know.

[Greg Cody]

As fat Summerall.

[Lucy]

We need to find Pablo Torre finds out where's Don Cannon.

[Greg Cody]

Lucy is going to be in Boone, North Carolina Thursday night for App State match up with Georgia Southern. Lucy, thank you very much. Bye. There she goes. There she goes again. Yes.

[Lucy]

Jeremy and three starts with the Arizona Cardinals. Jacoby Brissette has completed 65% of his passes. Thrown for 850 plus yards, thrown for six plus touchdown passes, rushed for a touchdown. The only other NFL quarterback to do this over his first three starts with a team was Kurt Warner with the Rams in 1999.

[Greg Cody]

And we all know how that ended.

[Lucy]

Greg, don't look so shocked.

[Greg Cody]

You remember.

[Lucy]

I look so shocked.

[Greg]

Greg. I mean, are we still on Jacoby Brazil?

[Lucy]

We are.

[Greg]

He's had three seasons where he started more than half of the games. Never had a passer rating above 80.

[Lucy]

Kurt Warner was bagging groceries, Greg.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good point.

[Greg Cody]

And you know what he did after that? He bagged the Super Bowl. Don Lerd.

[Greg]

He called me on my own podcast. He called me full of shit, claiming that I'm faking interest in the solar eclipse.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, you do do this.

[Lucy]

You love to just get excited about everything.

[Greg]

Okay, Junior stugats. I had to school you and explain.

[Greg Cody]

To you he was going to take you to Augusta.

[Greg]

I mean, when I was 17 years old, Alan Sherry and I used to haunt the Bueller Planetarium.

[Zas]

This is the Dan Levatar show with.

[Lucy]

The st.

[Greg]

You know what happens when you let a career backup be your starter?

[Lucy]

Go on.

[Greg]

Geno Smith happens. It's, it's just. It, it, it.

[Greg Cody]

I was gonna say Tom Brady happens, but you know, you know, to each his own.

[Greg]

It's an anomaly.

[Greg Cody]

That's.

[Greg]

That's the exception to the rule. The rule is if you're a career backup and all of a sudden you become a starter, you remind people why you are.

[Lucy]

Sure, agreed, Greg, but we can all admit, admit Kyler Murray is kind of on the downslide of what we thought he was going to be like in his prime. He should be a quarterback that should be dealing, running around, throwing touchdown passes. And he just doesn't seem to be doing that at the rate that we thought he was. Ceiling is still so much higher than.

[Dan Le Batard]

Does he not know the definition of a career backup?

[Greg Cody]

Career backup?

[Dan Le Batard]

He wasn't a career backup.

[Greg Cody]

Yes, he was.

[Dan Le Batard]

He was the Orange bowl mvp. I know. He split time.

[Greg Cody]

We're not counting college.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, then what are you counting? Because he was a backup for like six weeks.

[Rose]

It was his second year.

[Greg Cody]

So that was his career up to that point.

[Lucy]

I mean, I mean, he was right about that. It was his screw up the entire career.

[Greg Cody]

And then they started him and the rest is history. Same thing here.

[Zas]

So Shedeur Sanders starts at one point this season for the Browns. Was he a career backup?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, so far, his career is a backup.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't like this game.

[Lucy]

So if you don't start your first game, you're a career backup.

[Greg Cody]

As you're sitting, you know what you are? You're sitting. There's a guy, there's a QB one. You know what that makes you?

[Dan Le Batard]

You know there is backup.

[Greg Cody]

How long has your career been. What have you done in your career? You're a start. No, guess what you are.

[Lucy]

Mac Jones started as a starter, not a career backup.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's really fine to ADM when you're wrong. As good as I thought they were and he. Tom Brady wasn't a career backup. Like, I don't know. I don't understand why.

[Greg Cody]

How do you not understand?

[Dan Le Batard]

It's actually liberating when you're like, you know what? My bad had that one wrong.

[Greg Cody]

What do you think I thought? You think I thought that Tom Brady was bouncing around the league and then all of a sudden got a shot?

[Zas]

No, I think you thought he was probably in the league for several years.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's what I think.

[Greg Cody]

Several years.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's what I think.

[Greg Cody]

How many years was he in the league?

[Zas]

His whole career.

[Greg Cody]

When he was a backup.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm going to turn this on him.

[Zas]

When he was a backup, like one, like 18 games.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, so more than. More than one season.

[Greg]

Yes.

[Greg Cody]

More than one year. Yes. Hey, Tony, what happens when you have a year and then you have more than two years? It's called years, years, years as a backup.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jeff, Career backup did win a Super bowl.

[Lucy]

The last two Cardinals quarterbacks with 200 plus passing yards, two passing touchdowns in three consecutive games. Jacoby Brissette, Carson Palmer. Tyler's never done it. Who's missing there, Greg?

[Greg Cody]

I'm not.

[Lucy]

This is not a pro Jacoby Briss set conversation. It is an anti Kyler Murray conversation.

[Greg Cody]

And there's also an English language conversation. For some of the people.

[Lucy]

Exactly. Thank you.

[Greg]

For some of the people, what is true is that there's a level of franchise quarterbacks where you think it's a franchise quarterback and the jury is still out 2. Is one of those guys.

[Zas]

Tyler Murray's jury made their decision there.

[Greg]

You think?

[Lucy]

Yeah, Journey did. Last few games.

[Greg Cody]

Journey did.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let's go. We don't want to deliberate anymore. Bailiff.

[Greg Cody]

Champ, bailiff.

[Lucy]

To that point though, it feels like Kyler Murray should be in some of these stats and he's not. Who has So a pedestrian guy like Jacoby Brissette can go in and make those stats happen where Kyler Murray cannot. Like, how are we still having this conversation. If you take the contracts away from it, who has less value right now, Kyler or Tua?

[Greg Cody]

I know the to take the contracts away is a big thing because at.

[Zas]

Least Kyler Murray can run around and make plays. Tua can't. Kyler Murray absolutely has more value.

[Greg Cody]

Does he have more value?

[Greg]

I don't know, but I would just.

[Dan Le Batard]

A lot more value.

[Greg Cody]

No, we're taking the contracts out of it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, he has a lot more value.

[Greg Cody]

A lot more value. Yes, he's a better player.

[Lucy]

He's not a hit away.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes, he's not a hit away. That's one thing. I mean, everybody's a hit away, but not in the way that Tua is. And he's more dynamic. He's got an arm that's way more live.

[Zas]

He's much better.

[Greg Cody]

Are we, like, for sure that Tua's lost it? He'll never get it back. That's what we're saying.

[Zas]

That's what happens when you're washed.

[Lucy]

Yeah. You're already calling it.

[Greg]

I don't agree, Judge Zas.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think he's toast. He's washed.

[Zas]

I said he was washed weeks ago.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, he's toast. I think he's toast now.

[Zas]

Kyler Murray may not be very good, but he's not washed.

[Dan Le Batard]

Correct. I think Kyler Murray has certainly way more of a chance to make something of himself in the NFL. I'm not even, like, in on how we're talking about him. I don't think he's shown you that he's a complete bust just yet.

[Greg Cody]

I feel like this is a classic. Better to have loved and lost, loved and lost than to have never loved at all. Right. Tuo was actually great at one point.

[Dan Le Batard]

So it's Kyler, Kyler. That rookie season, everyone's like, they freaking nailed it.

[Greg Cody]

His peak, Kingsbury was so right.

[Dan Le Batard]

To get Rose into his peak was.

[Zas]

Probably higher than Murray's best.

[Greg Cody]

Much higher.

[Lucy]

Much higher. Yes.

[Zas]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Lucy]

Kyler never led the league pass to.

[Dan Le Batard]

It to had an amazing year.

[Greg Cody]

His peak, his peak is undeniably higher. But Kyler hasn't been scrambled eggs, so that's what puts him, on average, better. But even then, like, I'm kind of.

[Dan Le Batard]

In the playoffs his rookie year, like, everyone was like, wow, they nailed that.

[Greg Cody]

I feel hesitant to just declare that two is done.

[Greg]

You shouldn't. Nobody should.

[Zas]

Well, if you want to be accurate.

[Greg]

I don't think the Dolphins are declaring that yet.

[Greg Cody]

Well, clearly they're not. Right.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes or no? We see Quinn Yuzo over You heard.

[Greg]

Diana say that there's dispute within the franchise about whether or not they want to move on with him. Meaning some people still believe in him.

[Zas]

Oh, no. I took it the other way. Like what Diana was saying there made it sound like they are kind of close to done with tua.

[Greg]

Well, I think if you replay the tape. She also said there's debate within the franchise.

[Zas]

Right, but that'd be the first time that you've heard that. So that would mean we're trending in.

[Greg Cody]

The wrong direction if there's debate.

[Greg]

I mean, he leads the league in interceptions. Of course you're going to be down on him. When a quarterback of a 2 and 7 team has 11 picks, he's having a lousy year. Two years ago we made the Pro Bowl. I'm not ready to give up on the guy.

[Greg Cody]

Greg, do you think is there a possibility for Tua to have success somewhere else? Like in that sense that let's say they do give up on him.

[Lucy]

Like a Sam Darnold situation.

[Greg Cody]

Would you fear a Sam Donald situation?

[Greg]

Yeah, I would think he has trade value somewhere. I don't think you're going to get three first rounds for him or even two. But I think he has trade value.

[Zas]

You'd be lucky if he got a 5th round pick pick for him.

[Lucy]

Oh, that's the way they're prognostic is you got to give picks away to get him off the roster and get him to somebody else's team.

[Greg]

You think he's less valuable to a team that needs a quarterback than Jalen Phillips.

[Zas]

You also got to remember like there's a money situation. We're talking about trade. You can't then say all things equal. No, all things are not equal. Like you have to take the money. They'd be lucky to get a fifth.

[Greg]

You would have.

[Zas]

Jaylon Phillips doesn't have any money right now.

[Lucy]

You'd have to eat some money because they ate some of Jalen's money to get that third round pick. I think to. To get anything for two, you'd have to eat a lot of money. Money.

[Greg]

You would have to see him as, as a franchise quarterback.

[Lucy]

They'd be lucky to get Jacobe Brissette because the Cardinals passing offense with Jacobe Brissette 287 yards per game, two touchdowns per game, 25.7 points per game. With Kyler Murray just 192 yards per game, 1.2 touchdowns per game and 20.6 points per game. The plot seems to be Kyler Murray does not that good. We've lost the plot like it seems to be.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's the plot.

[Greg]

Here we go.

[Greg Cody]

All right, so let's talk about something completely different. Steve Ballmer getting sued, baby.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thank you. Finally. All right, this is. Look, there's a lot of news stories out there. We chewed on the John Moraine thing, but Steve Ballmer getting sued by, what was it, 11 people from Aspiration.

[Greg Cody]

Well, 11 investors in Aspiration, Mike. This is what I'm gonna say. So, yeah, the basic gist of it is. Let me just. For the people who don't know, obviously, Aspiration is the company that was paying Kwai Leonard allegedly under the table, some cap circumventions stuff. There's a lot of evidence that Palpaturi finds out, has uncovered. I'm part of that investigation, so I guess I could say I'm gonna uncover some of it too. But anyways, that the. Even as Aspiration was crashing. Steve Ballmer and other Ballmer surrogates were funneling money to the company, keep it afloat, simply to continue to make the payments to Kwai Leonard.

[Zas]

So wouldn't that also kind of prove Mark Cuban's point originally, right, where. Well, no, where you don't want the company to go bankrupt because then. Then everything comes out at that point.

[Greg Cody]

So, yeah, it proved Mark Cuban's point. That proved Pablo's point.

[Zas]

Right?

[Greg Cody]

Right. Yes. So that's the story. And then last night, we get the update that Steve Ballmer is being sued by people who are investors in Aspiration. And the basic gist of it is we saw Ballmer's infusion in cash as a. Like a stamp that, like, oh, everything's.

[Lucy]

On the upline lifeline, almost.

[Greg Cody]

Not just a lifeline, but like, oh, yeah, this is a real thing that, that we're right to invest in. And then to find out, literally through Pablo's reporting, that, no, all that was was basically a clearinghouse to Pei Kwai. They feel like they've been defrauded because it was not an up and up. They were committing fraud, basically. And so they're suing Steve Ballmer for that. And the first thing I thought when I heard Pablo talk about it and I read through the lawsuit, I said, this is the most brilliant lawyer ever. Because they know they've got Steve Ballmer against the ropes with this situation.

[Zas]

There's two options, right? Like either Ballmer pays or they go to Discovery, Right?

[Greg Cody]

Yes, exactly. And if you go to discovery now, everything that we've talked about, like, it wasn't circumvention. I was Defrained all that gets entered in and now you're really in trouble. So I just think it's brilliant. But it's also like a cash grab.

[Lucy]

100%. Oh, yeah. Does it feel like it's going from instead of salary cap circumvention to now wire fraud and like fraud of other sorts for Steve Ball?

[Greg Cody]

So up until this point, it hasn't been a criminal conversation. Right.

[Lucy]

The whole does this make it Is my question.

[Greg Cody]

That's a, that's so I'm not as informed when the SEC and that level of it. But we do know that Joe Sandberg, who's also being named in the lawsuit, has been investigating. Right. And has been charged and taken to trial over this. So there are criminal aspects to this case, Greg, but the Clippers up until this point have always been like, oh, no, this is an NBA story. And now it becomes a court story.

[Greg]

Yeah, I think that Steve Ballmer probably is going to try to settle this out of court, which is going to be incriminating to him. I think on its own merit.

[Zas]

The NBA will still be like, yeah, it doesn't prove anything.

[Greg]

I know, but see, that's a problem. I don't think the Pablo Torre finds out reporting. I think it's been maligned, meaning unfairly criticized or not taken seriously enough. And I think this lawsuit against Ballmer is sort of going to force Ballmer's hand. If you see him settle out of court, that's incriminating.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I think it's going to force him to settle. Force him to settle because there's no way this goes to discovery. If this goes to discovery, they're doing the NBA's job for them. And we already saw how the NBA panics when someone does their job for them.

[Greg Cody]

Greg. The big thing is I'd rather people think I'm guilty, guilty than to remove any shadow of a doubt that I'm guilty.

[Zas]

And the NBA look like if he settles. The NBA's really like, the NBA is going to look and be like, all right, it doesn't prove anything.

[Greg Cody]

No, yeah, exactly. Well, like they're, they're. Greg's right. People are gonna be like, oh, they had to settle. That means they had something to hide. People are gonna say that. But that is more advantageous of a position to be in than for them to low. We're gonna take it to court. And then everything comes out and it's like, absolutely.

[Greg]

So, no, the lawsuit was filed as a money grab. There's no doubt about it. But if you're the NBA. And you see Ballmer settling that out of court rather than facing discovery. That's pretty incriminating, no?

[Greg Cody]

Yes. On the outset, I think the NBA.

[Zas]

Is going to say it's pretty satisfactional.

[Greg Cody]

Thank God he's rooting for that.

[Dan Le Batard]

Probably advising him on the side.

[Greg]

Right, right.

[Dan Le Batard]

Most billionaires don't want to go to discovery for anything, whether they did it or not.

[Greg Cody]

But more than anything, the league doesn't want this. Right. The league's best interest, obviously. I'm not saying that they're going to subvert. They're gonna subvert the investigation that they're doing, but the best interest of the league is to find out that there was no Capstar convention.

[Greg]

Right.

[Greg Cody]

To find out there was this massive cap circumvention thing would be a huge black eye. So if discovery is withheld and this guy settles out of court and then they can't find anything corroborating on their side, it's a little bit of a, oh, thank God. Rather than, oh, no, you almost don't wanna find out.

[Greg]

Well, from day one, the NBA wanted this whole thing to and ignore it.

[Greg Cody]

Adam Silver said, I'd never heard of aspiration. And in the words of Maury Povich, we found out that also was not a truth.

[Dan Le Batard]

Fraud.

[Greg Cody]

Not a truth. There you go. Shout out to Sid Seshero.

[Dan Le Batard]

Fraud.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, man, I miss him. We should have him on again.

[Lucy]

Kyler Murray has hit 260 plus passing yards and two plus passing touchdowns just twice since Jonathan Gannon became head coach. Jacoby Brissette has done it in three of three starts this year.

[Greg Cody]

You know what that makes him? It makes him a fraud.

[Zas]

Fraud.

[Dan Le Batard]

Now's a good time to remember where tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila. Cuervo, what are you doing here? Cuervo. Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up. 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, sweet, delicious Cuervo. Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.

[Greg Cody]

Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

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

[Greg Cody]

Cuervo.