Hour 1: Judge Pope Zaslow (feat. Jessica Smetana)

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: Judge Pope Zaslow (feat. Jessica Smetana)
Date: November 19, 2025
Recording Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

This hour of The Dan Le Batard Show kicks off with a raucous blend of sports banter, college football debate, inside jokes, and a special appearance by Jessica Smetana. The group delves into the swirling drama around Notre Dame and Miami’s playoff outlooks, Lane Kiffin’s job rumors, the flawed College Football Playoff ranking logic, and some classic Miami Hurricanes nostalgia. An extended detour spotlights a humorous “courtroom” session with Judge Pope Zaslow presiding over podcast grievances. The show’s ever-irreverent tone and fast-paced debates are on full display.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Notre Dame, Miami, and College Football Playoff Rankings

• Jessica Smetana’s “Victory Lap”

  • Jessica is acknowledged for correctly forecasting Notre Dame’s rise in the playoff race and Miami's apparent fate.
  • Mike Ryan sets up the energy:
    “Jessica can dance and gloat with a victory lap because everything that's happened with Notre Dame is exactly what she said was going to happen…” (01:53)

• Lane Kiffin Drama

  • Jessica gives her take on rumors about Lane Kiffin’s alleged ultimatum and job hunting.
    “At first it's like when you're in a relationship, if you have to give the other person an ultimatum. You should probably just break up.” (06:26)
  • The group debates whether to trust Kiffin’s denials or the reporters’ claims.

• Playoff Selection Hypocrisy

  • Hostility toward inconsistent committee logic, especially regarding “quality wins” and teams’ resumes.
  • Zaslow: “It’s a hell of their own design.” (17:09)
  • Jessica: “Letting humans decide on these very complicated orderings of teams... there's always going to be bad choices made. We should just let the computers do it again.” (16:34)

• Notre Dame vs. Miami: Head-to-Head and Quality Losses

  • Heavy scrutiny placed on how the CFP values “quality losses” over head-to-head results.
    • Zaslow: “Why are they ranked ahead of SMU?... What is this mental programming that the CFP has where they value quality losses more than head to head matchups…” (22:22)

• Possible Future Scenarios

  • Jessica discusses what could happen if Miami finishes strong and Notre Dame falters:
    “That would be disappointing. But I also think that like, Notre Dame knew... they probably needed to win that game to be a lock in the playoff, and they lost by one point.” (23:22)

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2. The Coaching Carousel & College Football Culture

• Ole Miss, Kiffin, and Jobs Openings

  • Smetana and the crew dissect the credibility of rumors and the “relationship drama” metaphor for coaching ultimatums.
  • Jessica calls out Kiffin’s post-denial “Tumblr, like, poems” on social media. (06:26)

• Notre Dame’s Wealth vs. The Vatican

  • Amin Elhassan raises the playful question: “Does Notre Dame have to kick back to the Vatican?” (11:43)
  • Jessica elaborates: “...in terms of their art collection, real estate, etc., I think [the Vatican] is more valuable. But in terms of monetary endowment funds, Notre Dame probably has close to the same amount...” (12:10)

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3. Flawed Playoff Metrics, Statistical Debates, and Nostalgia

• Human vs. Computer Rationale

  • The panel rehashes why old computer-based rankings (BCS) were replaced and how human committees can be just as arbitrary.
  • Jessica: “The computers have Notre Dame ahead of Miami, as do the BCS race.” (16:34)

• Resume Stuffing and Manipulated Rankings

  • Zaslow accuses the committee of artificially boosting teams’ resumes by backfilling the bottom of the top 25.
    • Zaslow: “I highlighted Arizona State... at number 25. That represents Utah's best win. ...they find themselves at number 25, conveniently a week after Utah's athletic director joins the committee.” (19:38)

• Nostalgia: Hurricanes Offenses Through the Ages

  • Outstanding debate over whether the current Miami offense holds up historically, considering style-of-play inflation.
    • Mike Ryan: “If in the modern age... there are two offenses I think of in University of Miami history, when I think of just sheer absurdity…” (32:16)
    • Amin Elhassan draws parallels to the NBA’s statistical boom: “All kind of NBA stats are cuckoo right now. Like Buddy Hields, one of the greatest three-point shooters of all time.” (34:45)

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4. Pop Culture Sidetracks and Internet Minute

• Jessica’s Viral Segment

  • “Internet Minute” launches a mini-saga on a journalist’s bizarre romantic entanglements with public figures (including a sports tie to Keith Olbermann).
  • Mike Ryan’s blunt summary: “She pretends to be a journalist while dating our —or having an affair with RFK, who she was profiling.” (27:05)

• Cheerleading & The Rock Costume

  • Amin asks Jessica: “Do you know anyone who's not already a cheerleader who watches recreationally cheerleading competitions?” (25:17)
  • She jokingly points to the North Carolina Tar Heels coach, referencing his new relationship.

• On-Set Hijinks

  • Jessica: “By the way, Dan, I wore a costume today. I'm the Rock. I have a fanny pack on.” (28:02)

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5. Meta Podcast Grievance: Judge Pope Zaslow Presiding

• Who Was Mike’s Question For? Courtroom Drama
  • A classic bit: the show dives into an on-air dispute about who Mike Ryan was directing a long-winded question toward in a previous episode.
  • The segment parodies a legal proceeding with “Judge Pope Zaslow” presiding.
    • Zaslow: “Jonathan Zappo now presiding with prejudice.” (42:20)

Memorable moment:

Judge Zaslow’s Ruling

• Zaslow: “I rule in favor of the question being for Jonathan Zaslow...” (44:47)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jessica on Ultimatums:
  “If you have to give the other person an ultimatum. You should probably just break up.” (06:26)

• On Computers vs. Committee:
  “We should just let the computers do it again. And by the way, the computers have Notre Dame ahead of Miami...” – Jessica Smetana (16:34)

• Jessica on Cheating (and Mrs. Met):
  “The only thing I want to see clapping are them cheeks on Mrs. Met in my face, my shirt. All right, so that's one thing.” (15:46)

• Zaslow on Playoff Committee Hypocrisy:
  “This makes zero sense. And it’s a hell of their own design.” (17:09)

• Mike Ryan on Modern Offenses:
  “The question I was going to ask you is if in the modern age... you can tell me that Restrepo is the best receiver in Miami history because the production suggests as much. But he's not.” (33:40)

• Debating Tom Brady’s Broadcasting:
  “You guys say that, though. But I have found that athletes take to coaching well and want to be better, so they crave criticism… I assume he wants to be better at it. I don't think he wants to be bad at it.” – Mike Ryan (39:58)

• On Meta-Podcast Courtroom:
  “Let’s revisit the question in question from yesterday’s show. Let’s play. I need some evidence here. And we will decide if the question was for me or... for Amin.” – Mike Ryan (43:02)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:38] - Episode content begins, Notre Dame–Miami context introduced
• [06:26] - Jessica Smetana on Lane Kiffin and relationship ultimatums
• [09:00] - Mike Ryan and Jessica on unprecedented nature of coaches leaving before playoffs
• [11:43] - Amin Elhassan jokes about Notre Dame “kicking back” to the Vatican
• [16:34] - Jessica advocates for computers over human committee for rankings
• [17:09] - Zaslow rails against selection committee hypocrisy
• [19:38] - Discussion on committee resume-stuffing/backfilling
• [23:22] - Jessica on Notre Dame’s playoff fate if Miami jumps them
• [25:17] - Cheerleading competition sidebar with Amin and Jessica
• [27:05] - Scandalous “Internet Minute” story about political reporter
• [32:16] - Mike Ryan’s Miami Hurricanes offense ranking debate
• [34:45] - Amin’s NBA-UM nostalgia/statistical inflation parallel
• [42:20] - “Judge Pope Zaslow” legal skit over podcast question attribution
• [44:47] - Judge Zaslow delivers his ruling

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Podcast Tone & Style

The hour is dense with playful antagonism, football obsessiveness, and meta-humor. Jessica Smetana’s delightfully dry, rapid-fire analysis and willingness to “gloat” is matched by Mike Ryan and Zaslow’s sardonic urgency. Frequent asides, layered in-jokes, and detours define the show’s signature irreverence. Even weighty sports debates are given the show’s trademark levity and meta-awareness, aided by spontaneous audience-like banter among the hosts.

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Summary for the Uninitiated

Listeners will enjoy:

• A sharply-cut debate on the college football playoff, highlighting the faults of current selection logic.
• Jessica Smetana’s razor-sharp insights on college football politics, with plenty of gloating and jabs at rivals.
• Nostalgia for signature Miami teams, comparisons to NBA statistical inflation, and how sports metrics are now warped.
• An offbeat yet entertaining “courtroom” session that turns meta-podcast gripes into a satirical legal proceeding.
• Frequent pop-culture asides and in-jokes, making for an engaging, unpredictable listen even when you’re not familiar with the on-field particulars.

Skip to [16:34] and [42:20] for the most entertaining, memorable showdowns.

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

Hello, friends. Guess who? That's right, it is I, the replacer. Once again, I've been called on so you can play the new Call of Duty Black Ops 7 with three expansive modes, 18 multiplayer maps, and the tastiest zombie gameplay you've ever freaking seen.

[Stugats]

Call of Duty Black Ops 7 available now.

[Mike Ryan]

Rated M for mature. Oh Hilton, stay.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh Hilton stay. Your beds are soft and cozy.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No lumpy couch, no stiff futon, no.

[Dan LeBatard]

Shower line at crack of dawn. Oh Hilton stay.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Oh Hilton stay.

[Jessica Smetana]

When you want holiday comfort you can.

[Mike Ryan]

Count on it matters where you stay.

[Jessica Smetana]

Enjoy comfortable rooms and friendly service when you stay with Hilton. Instead, save up to 25% this season when you book with Hilton Hilton for the stay. Terms apply.

[Mike Ryan]

Thursday Night Football is on, and it's only on Prime Video. That is unbelievable. This week, the Bills stampede into Houston to meet the Texans in a showdown under the lights. Are you kidding me with this catch? Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with football's best party, TNF. Tonight presented by Verizon. Not a Prime member, Not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. It's the Bills and the Texans Thursday at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details.

[Producer/Announcer]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Mike Ryan]

The Arkansas athletic director is still hovering over the shoulder of Mike Ryan. Jessica Smetana must be loving everything that's happening exactly how she said it would go with Notre Dame and Miami.

[Stugats]

Should we make them promise to play nice here or how should we do.

[Mike Ryan]

This on the front? Well, first what we're gonna do is play the useless sound mont. Then we're going to get to Jessica. But they don't have to promise to play nice. This is going to be Mike Ryan really pissed off as he has been for the last few days. And I think that Jessica can dance and gloat with a victory lap because everything that's happened with Notre Dame is exactly what she said was going to happen with Notre Dame. So let's play the useless sound montage.

[Producer/Announcer]

All right.

[Amin Elhassan]

What a day.

[Dan LeBatard]

This is. Was a rough night.

[Stugats]

Yeah, I've never been in a, in a city this big and this clean before.

[Mike Ryan]

All winds are are good. It's hard to, you know, go on the road to Tampa, but like I told them, man, I, you know, yeah, we got beat every which way you could possibly be beat.

[Stugats]

I'm grateful to be a part of this team. I love the way that they just stay connected. They stay together. They're never out of the fight.

[Mike Ryan]

We had a good game plan. When you score 32 points, you're supposed to win. We were hunting up front, that's for sure.

[Stugats]

This is not a one way street.

[Mike Ryan]

Where everything is on the players. You know, coaches are involved in that too. At the end of the day, it's about making plays.

[Stugats]

What a great opportunity for us to.

[Mike Ryan]

Be able to learn some things.

[Stugats]

Offensively we needed to do better.

[Mike Ryan]

We got beat in every possible way from the beginning. Executed, executed, but that's life is good to learn. I'm excited we're nine and two. I'm excited that I don't have to see him until Monday.

[Stugats]

But we're never going to apologize for finding ways to be able to win.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean it really was kind of.

[Amin Elhassan]

One of those days.

[Mike Ryan]

I hate saying that, but it was just a little bit of one of those days. We were playing seven on seven football starting from the midfield and beyond the entire game. Game that's tough to do in the NFL.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's really disappointed that we didn't stop him.

[Stugats]

Why would you ask me a question? You trying to bait me? You gonna get me fine right there.

[Mike Ryan]

Details and discipline.

[Producer/Announcer]

That was a box that we didn't check off today.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Most important thing is, you know, just secure the W. Gonna fly back to la.

[Mike Ryan]

You want to talk about some good bread? Any. Anywhere I go there's awesome bread percentages that you're gonna take a few and lose a few of those. And that's why I say stats are for losers. We got challenged in a lot of.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Ways, but you're going to get challenged.

[Mike Ryan]

In the National Football League on weekends. When defense gave us a stop, you.

[Stugats]

Know, we turned it into points and then vice versa.

[Mike Ryan]

If we got stopped, defense would, would.

[Stugats]

Go back and forth with that.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think we have any more plays left on the call sheet.

[Dan LeBatard]

We play better pissed off.

[Mike Ryan]

We got beat every which way you could get beat at that point where we got to find a way to just to win win football games and.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Got to keep moving forward.

[Mike Ryan]

That's what this league's all about. You know, I didn't help those guys and I hate that. Doesn't matter what I think.

[Stugats]

I'm not the ones making the call.

[Dan LeBatard]

So I thought Trevor was playing really well especially you know, just spitting the ball ball accurately.

[Mike Ryan]

You got to be able to throw short and run long. Sometimes you're trying to look at, at.

[Stugats]

Everything while also trying to focus on what you're. You're doing.

[Mike Ryan]

So you never try to relax and.

[Stugats]

Whether we came up short, and they make that field goal or whether we end up winning. There's nothing like celebrating with those guys. You don't make that decision unless, you know, I thought the play was going to work, and it didn't.

[Dan LeBatard]

The guys just executed and play their tails off.

[Mike Ryan]

We got stability at the safety position other than, you know, Jalen not finishing the game away. So the United States again. But just go playing. Just go play in Hawaii, I think that'd be pretty cool. But in Europe, shoot, it'd be pretty cool to. To go play in Jerusalem.

[Stugats]

I don't know.

[Mike Ryan]

That'd be sick. Roy, were you laughing because of Mike Tomlin speaking in poems? You got to be able to throw short and run long sometimes.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah.

[Producer/Announcer]

Yes. That was. That was. That doesn't make any sense.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Splash.

[Mike Ryan]

He's great at little poems that say nothing. McVeigh's hard charging when it comes to. He's so good coach gibberish. That doesn't mean anything. And then I'm pretty sure I heard Mike Ryan in there. Did I?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Pete Carroll. Most important thing is, you know, just.

[Mike Ryan]

Secure the W. That was not Pete Carroll.

[Stugats]

No, I hear the chewing of gum.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Thing is, you know, just secure the W. Pete Carroll.

[Amin Elhassan]

Pregame of Monday night. I think.

[Mike Ryan]

If last week's game for the Chiefs was a must win against the Broncos and they lost it, what's this week's game against the Colts?

[Amin Elhassan]

Must, must win. Double, must.

[Stugats]

Season ender.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

If they lose Waterloo.

[Mike Ryan]

Jessica Smitten is with us now, and there's plenty in college football to talk about. I want to bring her in on the Lane Kiffin conversation that we were having earlier. The alleged ultimatum that he denied on the Pat McAfee Show. What do you make of everything happening there, and what did you make of Mike Ryan's contention that the question. Excuse me, the question that if Lane Kiffin doesn't. Doesn't coach during the playoff games, that the committee might consider just taking him and Mississippi out entirely the same way they did FSU when they lost a critical piece and were undefeated.

[Jessica Smetana]

Yeah. I don't know what would happen if that's the case. That's why this is so crazy, because Ole Miss is actually in a better position this year than they were last year into getting into the playoff. That would not be the case if they had actually lost to Florida last weekend, which looked like it could happen. But it's one of those things where at first it's like when you're in a relationship, if you have to give the other person an ultimatum. You should probably just break up. Like, they've already kind of broken up with you at that point. You don't really want to get to the ultimatum route. Obviously, his denial was noteworthy. He said, that's absolutely not true. There's been no ultimatum, anything like that. And I don't know where that came from. Like, a lot of stuff out there. He then like, posts, you know, his, like, Tumblr, like, poems and stuff on his Twitter account afterwards. But, yeah, reportedly his family was in Gainesville and Baton Rouge last week. So that is where it's coming from. I think he knows that. And the Athletic and both them. And on three said there was an ultimatum. So I don't know. You could believe Link Hiffin or believe the reporting. Either way, we all know he's sniffing around. He hasn't signed an extension yet at Ole Miss, so it would not surprise anyone if he took one of these jobs. As you know, we all kind of expected when they both became open.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Did you hear Kim Mulkey weigh in on the situation?

[Dan LeBatard]

No.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

She took all the air out of it. She was, like, on the zoom, leaning in like, he's meeting in Gainesville. Stop asking him. I know everybody here is so interested in Lane Kiffin.

[Stugats]

She was joking about the lack of reporters. There she goes. You guys are all on the lane beat right now.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'll do this for you. He's in Gainesville.

[Mike Ryan]

You mentioned, though, Jessica, who do you believe?

[Jessica Smetana]

I like her?

[Mike Ryan]

Lane Kiffin. Or the. Or the reporting? You believe the reporting, right?

[Jessica Smetana]

I mean, maybe there wasn't necessarily a direct ultimatum given, but maybe, you know, maybe they're both right. Like, maybe they've told him, hey, you need to make a choice about this. Maybe they didn't give him a deadline of the egg bowl or whatever it is, but I think both can kind of be true, right? I mean, maybe we're just splitting hairs. He didn't necessarily say, I'm not looking into other jobs. He said, there's no ultimatum.

[Mike Ryan]

Put it on the poll, please. If you have to give someone. If you have to give a person an ultimatum, should you just break up? I was asking earlier, would there be any other coach in the nation, any other coach that you wouldn't laugh at the possibility? If that person doesn't coach in the playoffs, then maybe his team shouldn't be in the playoffs, even if his team deserves. Deserves to be in the playoff? Like I. What Mike Ryan was suggesting, there is not something I would apply to any other coach in that sport.

[Jessica Smetana]

I don't Know, I mean, I don't know about all that, but I do think if he did leave the team and then they went into the playoffs and won a game, I mean, that would have to crush him, right? Like that. He, he's been wanting to be in the playoffs this whole time and for that to finally happen, like, it's like the same reason why Brian Kelly was criticized so much when he left Cincinnati before a New Year's six game and left Notre Dame while they were in the conversation for the four team playoff. Like, it would be a terrible and unprecedented thing, almost unprecedented thing to do to leave your team before playoffs. So that's why I can't really apply any sort of like precedent for it.

[Mike Ryan]

What did you make, what did you make of yesterday's made for television stupidity?

[Jessica Smetana]

Honestly, I, you know, I don't think that Miami's necessarily out of it. I think there's still a dozen or so games left that are going to matter a lot to this. I mean, the Oregon, USC game this weekend is going to be huge. Obviously the Iron bowl is always even without Hugh Freeze. I mean, maybe even because Hugh Freeze is gone is going to be a good one. We still don't know who's even going to play in the SEC championship game because there's a number of scenarios there. We don't know who's going to play in the ACC Championship. There's still a backdoor way Miami gets into it. So I don't know. My opinion since the first ranking came out was we have to just like let some of these games play out as possible. Notre Dame could stumble against one of their next opponents. And I don't even mean necessarily just lose, but obviously the committee will look at if they have game control. That's something that they care about a lot. Same goes for Miami, same goes for BYU in Utah and Vanderbilt and Alabama. So I'm not going to, I'm not counting my chickens, Dan. I'm not booking my, my ticket to Oklahoma for the first round playoff game against Notre Dame. But also when I came on the show two weeks ago after the first ranking, I thought Mike was going to be really mad and yell at me. And he was totally defeated and was like, yeah, we played like crap and like blah, blah, blah. Miami needs to look at themselves in the mirror. And now it's like, okay, I feel like it's kind of late for all this. Like this has been the case now for, for over two weeks.

[Mike Ryan]

You can count your chickens. You can count.

[Jessica Smetana]

Not counting my chickens.

[Mike Ryan]

You can count Them though Notre Dame, its chickens. What do you mean? You're playing like Syracuse. You don't have anything left.

[Jessica Smetana]

Yeah, but I think that what the committee had said last night was that if Miami and Notre Dame get closer, maybe they will factor in a head to head. But right now they're not in the same pod and they rank the teams. I know you guys have already discussed this by now, but like three at a time they'll do, you know, or Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama were the three that they were debating the order of in this ranking. It wasn't Alabama, Miami and Notre Dame or Vanderbilt. Alabama, Notre Dame. So I think it's possible that there is some sort of upset in the middle there and it brings the two teams closer together. I also think like if, if there is, if that is the case, then both teams should make it. I think Miami is a good football team.

[Amin Elhassan]

Jessica, another big question today regarding Notre Dame is does Notre Dame have to kick back to the Vatican? Like do they got to.

[Jessica Smetana]

No, I don't think. Again, Notre Dame's comments probably I let him go.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm like to have some discourse but Amin has something good here.

[Mike Ryan]

Imagine that.

[Amin Elhassan]

Guys, I try to get Jessica's answer. She's enthusiastic and want to give it. And what do you guys do? Talk over her allies? I think not.

[Jessica Smetana]

Okay, thanks Amin.

[Stugats]

I got your back.

[Jessica Smetana]

The Vatican, probably in terms of their art collection, real estate, etc. I think that's more valuable. But in terms of like monetary endowment funds, Notre Dame probably has close to the same amount of money as them in their endowment. I mean, I don't. I think maybe it was the other names got like a $13 billion.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

She said it like this. They have a crazy Vatican, has their.

[Mike Ryan]

Own city in the world.

[Jessica Smetana]

That's what I said. Tony, did you listen to the first podcast?

[Stugats]

I've been there.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I've been there.

[Stugats]

My point is.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, okay. But if you do say it like that, it does make me believe you more when you do it with clenched teeth and sort of let some of the words sneak out between your teeth.

[Stugats]

Thursday Night Football is on and it's only on prime video. This week, the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans collide in an AFC showdown. 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 Bills and the Texans on Thursday at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.

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[Dan LeBatard]

Don LeBatard, Mr. Mr.

[Jessica Smetana]

Shirt. If I may say for a second Miami, they were simulating the snap count the entire game. And they were clapping at the line of scrimmage. And the only thing I want to see clapping are them cheeks on Mrs. Met in my face, my shirt. All right, so that's one thing.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Stugats.

[Jessica Smetana]

They're a bunch of cheaters, Dan. And you know who should be cheating? Mrs. Met on Mr. Met. And he can watch if he wants.

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan lebatar show with the Stugats.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

If I may jump in. I understand what they said. Somehow Notre Dame is in a different tier because of its loss to Miami than the tier that Miami pods are tears for. Beating them. We're not going to agree on. We're not going to agree on Miami, Notre Dame, but they're separated by three teams. Like this is. This was my issue with yesterday's television show. The chair said a bunch of things that made no sense. Three teams is not close enough to start counting.

[Jessica Smetana]

Headband Mike, if I may say, I agree with you. Letting humans decide on these very complicated orderings of teams with a million variables is. I mean, there's always going to be bad choices made. We should just let the computers do it again. And by the way, the computers have Notre Dame ahead of Miami, as do the BCS race.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Right. We got away from the computers because they didn't take into account head to head, and that pissed us off. And now here's a committee doing the same thing. But I want to move on to some other things. Hunter Jurecheck said, you shouldn't be leaving one of these with more questions and more conflicts and more hypocrisies. This is something that he said, basically in the same breath, he said that Oregon still gets credit for beating Penn State even though the Nittany Lions fell off after that game. And in the same breath said it hurts Virginia that Louisville fell out of the rankings. That was one of their best wins. This makes zero sense. And it's a hell of their own design.

[Jessica Smetana]

The Penn State, Oregon thing is one of those, like, human calls that is difficult to really wrap your head around because Penn State had not played anyone out of conference. That was good before the Oregon game. But we watched the Oregon game and Penn State was toe to toe with them. And if you think Oregon's a good team, which I think is also up for debate, I actually think that this USC game, it might be a playoff eliminator for Oregon. I don't see a way with their resume that they stay in the top 10. I guess if they lose to USC this weekend, right now, they're eight point favorites at home. That's because like that Penn State game really hasn't aged well. But I mean, I think like that one, I just, I don't know what you do with that, Mike. Like, I don't know what you do with that. Penn State obviously completely fell down the crapper afterwards and fired James Franklin. But they are a good football team statistically in some of the advanced analytics, despite the fact that they barely have a. So I don't know, I think that's like totally human judgment call that I don't know what you do with.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

They clearly pick and choose the advanced analytics because Miami is 44 top 40 SAG wins and that doesn't take into account. But I think one of the more curious.

[Jessica Smetana]

Well, in fact, if you also want to look at like sad ratings, Notre Dame is ahead of Miami in that.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah, look, this is all data points and those are all really good tiebreakers. Just like quality loss is a good tiebreaker in the committee's own words in the event that there isn't a head to head. But in Miami and Notre Dame's case, there is a head to head also, if you apply the quality loss, quality win logic, there's no reason you should be ahead of BYU if you're Notre Dame. But the thing that I can, the.

[Jessica Smetana]

Committee though is looking at in the Texas A and M game, which was a one point loss that Notre Dame had at home and they're just not really digging them for it because that game came down to like a botched hold.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

All right, well, I didn't.

[Jessica Smetana]

That's just what, that's just what I think about like quality loss or what. That game's basically a toss up. Like that was a one point game against a team that's now still undefeated and probably has a. A pretty good chance of making the SEC championship game as long as they beat Texas.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm not knocking Notre Dame's playoff credentials. I think them being ahead of Alabama is, is the right thing. I think Notre Dame is a playoff team. I, I think Notre Dame is a playoff team.

[Dan LeBatard]

No, but you think they should be ahead of Alabama.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah, because Alabama lost to a trash cellar dweller from the ACC in Florida State. But I'm. The thing that I'm most curious by is them backlogging the, the top 25 with teams that can boost resumes when they don't deserve to be in there. I highlighted Arizona State, their best winners. Arizona state at number 25. That represents Utah's best win. Jeff Sims was at quarterback There. Arizona State is not ranked in the ap. They are not ranked in the coaches poll. They are behind SMU and Louisville and others receiving votes there. However, they find themselves at number 25, conveniently a week after Utah's athletic director joins the committee. Also, you take number 20, Tennessee, and number 22, Missouri. Those two teams have combined for zero FBS wins against teams above.500. They are just there to reverse engineer arguments for the teams that are in the top.

[Jessica Smetana]

Yeah, I hear you. I think that, like, even if you look at this week's AP poll, I believe North Texas, like, the last five are. Or six are Tennessee, jmu, North Texas, Missouri, Tulane, and Houston. I feel like we're kind of splitting hairs there. Like, I think JMU is not in the CFP rankings because their strength of schedule is. Is not good enough. Like, they have one loss to an FB or a power team in Louisville. Louisville's not ranked in either. After they. I mean, that. I don't know if you guys watch the Friday night Louisville, Clemson game. What a fricking disaster that was. I mean, just horrible game. But then, like, yeah, I. I don't know. I. Tulane, they need to put in there. I think that's fair across both the CFP and the ap. Missouri is in both. Like, North Texas has a really bad loss, but they're nine and one. They have still have a pretty good shot at winning their conference. Mike, I just don't know how you backfill that and compare, like, Illinois to North Texas. Like, I don't think that that's necessarily wrong. It's just, like, depends on what you care about when you're ranking them. Like, Illinois has beaten better teams than North Texas has. They've also lost by 50 points to Indiana.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

So I'm not even using the. I'm not even using the group of five in this argument. Like Tennessee at 20 and Missoula 22. They are only that high in this CFP to boost the argument for teams that are actually in the playoffs.

[Jessica Smetana]

Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I think Tennessee. I can. I can see that They. I think their best win is probably Mississippi State. Mississippi State. I.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's a joke.

[Producer/Announcer]

That's.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's a joke. Why are they ranked ahead of smu?

[Jessica Smetana]

It's a joke because SMU lost to a pretty bad Baylor team and they lost to a pretty bad Wake forest team by one point. Only scored 12 points in that game.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

We're talking about losses, though, and lost.

[Jessica Smetana]

To tcu, which is also.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And beat Miami. But, like, you're at. You have to ask, who did Tennessee beat? Why? What is this mental programming that the CFP has where they value quality losses more than head to head matchups more than quality wins? The point of football is to win a game. And we're out here arguing, we're entering every debate with who did they lose to?

[Jessica Smetana]

It's so philosophically. I, like, I totally understand where you're coming from. I don't even really disagree with you on any of it. I think that there are just, just whether you agree with their logic or not, like they're looking at a team's ceiling versus their floor. And if your floor is a lot lower than another team's floor, I think they're dinging you for it. Jesse, I don't know if I agree with it, but.

[Dan LeBatard]

Jess, are you gonna have a problem if in a couple weeks the Canes, they win their games? So they wind up moving up a couple spots, let's say, in the playoff rankings, and then the committee does exactly what your check said was, okay? Now, Notre Dame and Miami are close together, so we got to evaluate them. Miami then jumps Notre Dame, and Notre Dame finds itself out. How mad are you gonna be?

[Jessica Smetana]

Yeah, I mean, that would be. I think that would be disappointing. But I also think that like, Notre Dame knew going into week two or week three against Texas A and M that they probably needed to win that game to be a lock in the playoff, and they lost by one point. Now, I think Notre Dame has vastly improved in the last eight games, and I think the committee's taken note of that. Their defense is basically shutting out teams in the second half. They've held their last know however many opponents to only a touchdown, maybe two. This last game against Pitt, they shut out the offense until the last four seconds of the game when they scored in garbage time. So I think Notre Dame is totally deserving. And of course I'm extremely biased. And I think they're also probably taking into account that C.J. carr was playing his first road game against Miami as the starting quarterback, etc. But I think that like, that's Notre Dame knew if they were going to start, oh and two, they would have to get a little lucky with the rest of the teams in the standings. And so far they have gotten lucky. But we know that there's still two games left. And like I said earlier, if Notre Dame even has any sort of, you know, close game against Stanford, I think that could end up hurting them too, even if they win.

[Mike Ryan]

Check out her extremely biased Notre Dame podcast with Mike Golick Jr. The echoes. I'd be totally fine with North Texas being in the playoffs. I'd be totally fine just choosing the 12 best quarterbacks and putting them in the playoffs. I think Drew Messer Maker is one of the 12 best quarterbacks in the country.

[Jessica Smetana]

Yeah, he's good. I. I think that the. I feel bad for the G5 teams this year there. I think everyone's mad at them. And they're also in two large conferences where they can't all play against each other. And whoever ends up making it is going to be a multi touchdown underdog and they're going to get laughed at. And it's going. I'm going to feel bad for them and it's going to make me feel bad even though it shouldn't. Because this is the playoff format that we all decided on when there were five power conferences and now there's only four.

[Amin Elhassan]

Jessica, do you know anyone who's not already a cheerleader who watches recreationally cheerleading competitions? Other than the scene in dodgeball where Justin Long goes to compete in Vegas?

[Jessica Smetana]

Do I know someone who's not a cheerleader who watches cheerleading competitions? Is that your question?

[Amin Elhassan]

Earnestly. Yes.

[Jessica Smetana]

Yes, I know one person. He was the former head coach of the New England Patriots. He actually currently coaches the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was at his girlfriend's co ed cheer event this past weekend. Weekend.

[Mike Ryan]

Thank you, Jessica. Yeah, that's why we were discussing it and Amin was saying that nobody likes watching. What? What was that? What? What? What does that mean?

[Jessica Smetana]

Well, time to get in it.

[Stugats]

Internet minute. Go ahead, Jess.

[Mike Ryan]

That's your cue.

[Jessica Smetana]

J. Oh, okay.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Wait.

[Jessica Smetana]

Can I have a ruling on if this counts as an Internet? It happened in real life. But I read about it on the Internet.

[Stugats]

It does. It counts.

[Jessica Smetana]

Okay. Okay, Dan, what do you know about this reporter named Olivia Newsy Nutsee? I'm not sure how to say her last name.

[Dan LeBatard]

You know about that?

[Mike Ryan]

She had an affair with scrotum face.

[Amin Elhassan]

Her name's Lucy.

[Jessica Smetana]

Which scrotum face?

[Amin Elhassan]

Lot to pick from.

[Stugats]

Dolphins logo.

[Jessica Smetana]

Because there's multiple affairs with scrotum faces that potentially occurred in this.

[Amin Elhassan]

In this story, including one with two scrotum faces.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, go ahead and give me the details.

[Jessica Smetana]

I wish I knew nothing about this, Dan, but unfortunately, I've learned everything that there is to know about this person against my will, so. So this woman was a political reporter? You may. Oh, that's disgusting.

[Stugats]

Dolphins logo.

[Mike Ryan]

It's an old man's ass.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

We don't know about that.

[Mike Ryan]

It's an old man's ass on the dolphin helmet.

[Jessica Smetana]

It's like a werewolf's ass. Okay, so she was a political reporter. And I don't know, I feel like people have probably seen the. This name around.

[Mike Ryan]

It's not. She pretends to be a journalist while dating our. Or having an affair with rfk, who she was profiling.

[Jessica Smetana]

So, yes, the story came out last year that she had an affair with RFK Jr. Who she was. Who she had written a profile for. So then she was, I guess, sort of let go of her New York mag job, later on became the west coast editor of Vanity Fair. And her ex fiance, Dan, is also a political reporter who previously worked at the New Yorker but was let go because of some other misconduct allegation. He wrote. Wrote a blog post the other night. This is where it gets like, there's a dramatic twist.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, what?

[Jessica Smetana]

He wrote a blog post or a substack, whatever you want to call it, the other night about her affair with this presidential candidate. But then if you read the whole thing, there's a huge twist at the end. Allegedly. This was about Mike Sanford. Not even about RFK Jr. She's had multiple affairs with presidential candidates and previously dated Keith Olbermann. And there's your sports tie.

[Amin Elhassan]

She's got a type.

[Jessica Smetana]

By the way, Dan, I wore a costume today. I'm the rock. I have a fanny pack on.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, nice. Yeah.

[Stugats]

Well done.

[Mike Ryan]

It is. Thank you, Jessica. Again, her extremely biased Notre Dame podcast, the Echoes with Mike Golick Jr. Yes, we'll do it this way. I guess this is not, not, not an echo chamber. Thank you, Jessica. Appreciate the time. Bye.

[Stugats]

The holidays really stress me out. I try to be a really good gift giver. And when you get toward this time of year, you keep thinking, oh, I have enough time. And overall, really, the holidays are stressful, but especially if you run a business. I see what you guys go through. It's like one minute you're planning a sale, next minute your website's crashing, your inventory's off, and someone's DMing you a discount code that expired in 2022. It's total chaos. That's why you need Shopify. It takes that holiday madness and turns it into. Shopify powers millions of businesses. We're talking everyone from Mattel and Gymshark to the folks just getting started this Black Friday. You don't have to be a tech genius either. Shopify's got thousands of ready made templates, AI tools that write your product descriptions, even polish your photos, and built in marketing tools to cut through the holiday noise. And that purple shop pay button that's a secret sauce. This Black Friday Join the thousands of new entrepreneurs hearing for the first time with Shopify. Sign up for your free trial [e-mail] batard that shopify.com batard b a t a r d go to shopify.com batard and make this Black Friday one to remember. What does Zynn give you? 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] re warning this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical Real quick.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

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[Dan LeBatard]

Don LeBatard Someone say conservative entity?

[Stugats]

Wow.

[Mike Ryan]

No. Oh see, this is why stugats.

[Stugats]

Hers is better than mine in the fifth Zagaki.

[Mike Ryan]

How is the fifth Zagaki better than the third and the fourth Zagaki already?

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Mike Ryan]

I wanted to ask something based on a contention that Mike Ryan has had here for a couple of days. I don't know how you guys do these kinds of measurements, Mike Ryan has said. And Tony, I'd like you to help me here because I'm going To go to a roster literally from 40 years ago. Mike Ryan has said that the University of Miami's offense this year is positioned to be the second best in the history of the program. The best one being the one with Cam ward.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No, last 20 years.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, so the best since. Okay, so I was going to go back 40 years because I didn't realize you were. I thought you were saying it was the second best statistical offense the University of Miami has had. Regardless, Mike, the conversation I wanted to have with you is if in the modern age, right, there are two offenses I think of in University of Miami history, when I think of just sheer absurdity, right, there's the one at the beginning of the 2000s where you had Clinton Portis, Willis McGahey, Frank Gore in the backfield, you had Brian McKinney as a first round pick on the offensive line and you had Andre Johnson. I don't know who the second receiver on that team was. Andre Johnson was a top pick. But then when I look back at the 1986, I believe offense of the University of Miami, you had as the wide receivers, you had second round pick in Brian Blade, second round pick in Brett Perriman, first round pick in Michael Irvin, and your quarterback was Vinny Testaverde, a first round pick, and Alonzo Highsmith was your running back. So that's a top five pick as well. Well, I don't look at the University of Miami offense and see a whole bunch of first round and second round picks.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Do you on the line there might. We'll see what happens with Markel Bell. But Ma Noa on the offensive line, they have, they have two of those players. Believe it or not, out of all the offenses you just invoked, last year's was statistically the greatest offense in the history of the program.

[Mike Ryan]

Correct. And so the question I was going to ask you and Amin when we start talking about the changes in how it is the game is played, right, you can tell me that Restrepo is the best rest receiver in Miami history because the production suggests as much. But he's not.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Correct. And so he's not the best receiver ever put on.

[Mike Ryan]

So what, so what do you. So how do you do this? I just listed an assortment like that's an absurdity of wealth I'm talking about where you cannot dispute what I'm saying. That amount of talent at the skill positions is just asinine.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And so did test Avery go number one overall?

[Stugats]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. And so you got. So you got test averting number one overall, you got Highsmith behind him. You got Bratton behind him as well. Like Melvin Bretton was good. Like that was a first round pick as well. So I'm not looking at this Miami offense. And I mean maybe Malachi, Tony is a high pick. I don't know, he seems undersized. Maybe his quickness is such that three years from now he will be a high pick because he's an obviously very productive receiver. But how do you guys do this when the game has changed so much that what you're talking about is collegiate talent and passing, but you're not really talking about, oh, I see those skilled guys and they're just unbelievable.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I think, I'm sorry. I think Amin could probably invoke the NBA in that. All kind of NBA stats are cuckoo right now. Like Buddy Hields, one of the greatest three point shooters of all time. What statistically, where is he? All time.

[Amin Elhassan]

So like that's a crazy thing. I remember when Reggie Miller's three point record was broken, it was a big deal. Ray Allen did and then Steph Curry broke his. And I just saw last night that Reggie Miller is now seventh or eighth on all time.

[Dan LeBatard]

LeBron passed him, right?

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, LeBron. LeBron passed him. So it's like all these little things. Vince Carter in one night got passed on two days, different things. He got passed by Steph Curry in points scored and passed by LeBron James in, in seasons played. The numbers are accelerating because of the pace and the style of play. I don't. But this is goes right back to Dan when I hate when people ooh's better. So like it's impossible to compare. Like just because the numbers are bigger doesn't necessarily mean this is a better quality athlete.

[Dan LeBatard]

I feel like, you know, because we're going back 40 years, right? 1986. I feel like sometimes we, we obviously acknowledge how much better, how much more skilled, bigger, faster players are today than they were say 40 years ago. I don't think we mention often enough how much better the coaches are like coaches today. The way they scheme, design the plays, play calling is definitely so much better and more complicated than it was 40 years ago. Like those players that you just mentioned back in 86, those guys on this Hurricanes team. It's completely different than with these current players. But this kind of coaching, meaning, you know, the kind of plays design schemes.

[Amin Elhassan]

And all of that with just the technology that's available. Think of scouts, think of how many cameras we got. Think about our ability to have playbooks not on thick stacks of paper, but on an iPad and each play has video associated with it. The tools available to the modern athlete are so much far beyond what we had 40 years ago.

[Dan LeBatard]

There's no way the coaches back then 1986 were close to what they are right now.

[Amin Elhassan]

Zazi, even.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Even though it would like a word.

[Amin Elhassan]

Even though it's staffing. Right. Like the idea of like how big was the staff 40 years ago versus the staff now. There's just so many people just around on the staff who can do these things.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

It's funny that you mention that because we didn't talk yesterday at all when you mentioned staff that chip Kelly's making $6 million a year. He's the highest paid offensive quarterback in the league.

[Stugats]

Coordinator.

[Mike Ryan]

Coordinator. Excuse me. And I. I find amusing that so many people were upset about the conflict of interest with Tom Brady when clearly he's not providing anything on offense that is helping them in any way. When Ashton Genti is carrying six times for seven yards and leads.

[Stugats]

When Matthew Barry told us he was going over.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, leads the league. And being tackled in the backfield and being hit before. Like I've seen Ashton Genti and this has to be a record, an NFL record.

[Stugats]

Record.

[Mike Ryan]

I have seen Ashton Genti hit 7,000 times this season before he gets the football. Like there are people in that back. That's a bad Dallas defense.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

So I did make a personnel change though. That was a helpful acquisition and it directly impacted Genti.

[Mike Ryan]

Correct. But what has happened, clearly. Look, I think Pete Carroll regrets going back to Oakland. I think he underestimated, as we all did, how much Geno Smith was helped by having Metcalf, Lockett and Smith and Jigba on the same team. Like those all on the same team at one time, those three guys. And they clearly made Geno Smith look a lot better than he looks right now.

[Stugats]

You take Ashton Genti over his rushing yards and then you check mid game, he's got two rushes for minus one yard. Not a good feeling.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, well, Dallas was putting so many, they had 700 people in the box.

[Stugats]

Matthew Barry didn't tell me that.

[Mike Ryan]

I saw Leon let and two tall Jones get into the backfield and. And hit Ashton Genti. The thing that happened in that game, though, what are you paying Chip Kelly for? What is Tom Brady doing there? We talked so much about conflict of interest and he's wearing a headset. What possible wisdom is he giving them? They are terrible at offense.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The Chip Kelly thing is interesting and it's why the NFL, when they talk about Lane Kiffin, they worry about his offense. Why would we trust you to develop our quarterback even though you worked with him before, when you have. Have a recent history of guys coming back from college to the NFL and their offense is not working out?

[Dan LeBatard]

When we see Brady in the booth and he's got the headset on and everything, are we sure he's not just practicing, broadcasting?

[Mike Ryan]

Well, there's no proof that he's getting better at it, so I don't know how much he's practicing.

[Stugats]

There were a few plays the last time I listened to him where I was like, he seems to be stopping now because, you know, before he was just pushing through the next play, there were a few times where I'm like, he may have gotten the note because he stopped talking at the right time. He's still not good.

[Mike Ryan]

Great.

[Stugats]

But he at least has the timing down a little better.

[Producer/Announcer]

It's kind of like one of those.

[Stugats]

Things with the great players. Like, why. Why can't great players be great coaches? Like, just go, do what I did. And it's like, hey, Tom, we can't.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Like, I'm Geno Smith. I can't do what you did.

[Amin Elhassan]

Whose job is it to give Tom Brady notes? Who's the guy I want. No, no, I know whose job it is on paper. I'm talking about in real life. Who's the one? You tell him. No, you tell him. You tell them, Tom. You're. You're. Can you.

[Stugats]

I pictured Burkhart just being like, try to stop before the next place starts.

[Mike Ryan]

You guys say that, though. But I have found that athletes take to coaching well and want to be better, so they crave criticism. Like, they're different than most media people. They are not the sensitive.

[Stugats]

He's like, give it to me straight. Right after the first one. He's like, give me real notes.

[Mike Ryan]

I assume he wants to be better at it. I don't. I don't think he wants to be bad at it. I don't think he wants to be bad at anything.

[Stugats]

Do you think, like, it matters, though? Like, he. He wants to be better? He already knows the checks coming. It's like, I can just kind of. He sees the. Like, he gets the overall vibe of the Internet. I feel like he could tell that it was not positive.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Tony. Like, I. That goes against everything I know about Tom Brady. I think Tom Brady is fighting like hell to not have his name brought up as the biggest gulf between what they did on the field and what they did in the booth. Because right now, he's top of that.

[Amin Elhassan]

Heap who's got that title. Who's he taking that title from?

[Jessica Smetana]

Who?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's great.

[Mike Ryan]

That's a pretty good one. That's a pretty good nominee for somebody who was great on the field. But Miller, but was famously bad at broadcasting or is famous.

[Stugats]

Remember when he wanted to be a stand up comedian?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That was like a short stint of.

[Stugats]

Like, yeah, I'm gonna be a stand up comedian.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

We're like, who did?

[Producer/Announcer]

Really?

[Stugats]

Tom Brady. That's crazy. Before he was broadcasting, he was like, I'm gonna be a stand up comedian. We were all like, really?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Okay.

[Stugats]

I don't remember that part.

[Dan LeBatard]

You're telling me Tom Brady's gonna stand up in front of me and say things and I'm gonna laugh?

[Stugats]

Look it up.

[Dan LeBatard]

There's no way.

[Producer/Announcer]

Look it up.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I don't think.

[Stugats]

And you remember.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I know you remember.

[Stugats]

You're locked in on stand up comedy.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I know you do, but what's that for real? For real.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's like when Ti tried to stand up. It's like, I don't know.

[Mike Ryan]

Blake Griffin tried stand up. Blake Griffin was good at standing up.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

He's good. He's good.

[Stugats]

Tom Brady bad.

[Mike Ryan]

I have had a source of tension here for three fourth these three hours, and I'm gonna say pretty close to the 24 hours before it. There have been very few sources of tension with Zaz since he's been here, but he left here yesterday genuinely pissed off because he felt like I was asking him a question that I was asking Amin.

[Dan LeBatard]

I know you were.

[Mike Ryan]

And everyone was confused by whether I was asking Zas the question or whether I was asking Amin the question. And then Amin objected by when Szaz.

[Dan LeBatard]

Answered the question, the look that Amin was giving me, I was confused while I was talking. And I mean, why are you looking at me like that? I'm answering a question here. I'm giving good information. Amin was very upset. I don't like it.

[Amin Elhassan]

Forgive me, Father, for I've sinned.

[Mike Ryan]

And so the tension here develops into what? Ruling from among everybody. What do we come to say?

[Stugats]

Ruling?

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. A consensus.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Jonathan Zappo now presiding with prejudice.

[Mike Ryan]

Wait a minute. He's ruling on his own. He's going to rule. He's got bias here. What do you mean? It's without prejudice. He's got prejudices here. He's going to.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Dan, enough from you.

[Stugats]

Your papacy.

[Dan LeBatard]

Thank you, Dan.

[Mike Ryan]

You want to explain to people? Do we have. You want to explain any more? Does it need any more context than what I've just offered on what it.

[Dan LeBatard]

Is I know how to run a courtroom, thank you very much, Dan.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm sorry.

[Dan LeBatard]

So let's revisit the question in question from yesterday's show. Let's play. I need some evidence here. And we will decide if the question was for me or the question was for a mean. Can I please. This is exhibit A.

[Mike Ryan]

You have been very hard on LeBron James. As low you have said that LeBron James is faking an injury. It made me laugh to see the headline LeBron James and then parenthetically sciatica returns to the Lakers. You are thinking, what's about to happen here, given that the usage rate of Luka has made the Lakers look like the Mavs that went to the finals. Because when you give Luka the ball all the time and just allow him to dominate the ball, he will dominate the game. And Amin, I'd be curious about your thoughts here, because the Lakers with Luka through 14 games and Luka has missed a few of them, and Austin Reeves have been great. They haven't looked like they missed LeBron at all, even though statistically LeBron was a top 10 player in the league.

[Stugats]

That was the first half of the question.

[Dan LeBatard]

Okay. Holy crap, what a long question. All right, I. I would like some eyewitness accounts. Mike Ryan, please.

[Mike Ryan]

Some witnesses.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Hey, how's it going, buddy? Was here earlier here. I think that question was for mean Chris.

[Dan LeBatard]

I would like an eyewitness account.

[Mike Ryan]

You're a biased judge.

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm getting eyewitness accounts.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I think it started for you face.

[Mike Ryan]

You got a witness, you're threatening the witnesses.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I think it started for you. And then Dan realized as he was asking it, like, oh, Zaz isn't the perfect person. Has this question too. It's a mean.

[Stugats]

This is like a 3/4 of the way Zaz, he pivots at the last second for a mean. So if you're asking me who was this question for, I'm going, zaz, if.

[Amin Elhassan]

It may, Please court. He's just talking.

[Dan LeBatard]

Go ahead, Amin.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's just talking to Zaz. You're one of those guys. And he makes his point and then.

[Mike Ryan]

He ends with the question directed at me.

[Dan LeBatard]

He asked the question invoking Jonathan Zaslow, his name. And then mid question, you may have heard, asks another question directed at Jonathan Zaslow. And then later in this God forsakenly long question question, does he then address Amin? I rule in favor of the question being for Jonathan Zaslow, for giveable. That's my gimmick. You don't pour water on me.

[Stugats]

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[Jonathan Zaslow]

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