Hour 1: Just When I Thought It Couldn't Be Any Worse (feat. Jemele Hill)

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz: Hour 1 - "Just When I Thought It Couldn't Be Any Worse" (feat. Jemele Hill)
Release Date: July 21, 2025

Introduction
In this compelling episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz engage in a multifaceted discussion featuring notable guest Jemele Hill. The conversation navigates through light-hearted banter about mustaches to a serious analysis of the economic struggles and labor disputes within the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). This episode provides insightful commentary on gender and racial equity in sports, labor relations, and the evolving landscape of professional athletics.

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Mustache Mayhem: A Light-Hearted Start [01:35 - 04:30]
The episode kicks off with a humorous segment centered around Greg Cody's newly shed mustache. Stugotz remarks, “Greg Cody's terrible mustache has disappeared. It is gone. It was not unlike Stephen Colbert's. It was pathetic” ([01:43]). The hosts playfully critique the mustache, highlighting Greg's brief attempt to sport facial hair and the subsequent backlash from his wife. This light-hearted exchange sets a convivial tone before delving into more serious topics.

WNBA Labor Disputes: Valuing the Game [04:30 - 20:19]
The conversation takes a pivotal turn as Stugotz introduces Jemele Hill to discuss the burgeoning labor disputes within the WNBA. The discourse centers on the stark disparity in revenue sharing, with current WNBA players reportedly receiving only about 9% of their league's revenue. Jemele Hill underscores the gravity of this issue, stating, “The WNBA players are not asking for NBA money. They have never asked for NBA money. Currently, they get about 9% of their portion” ([09:54]).

Hill elaborates on the systemic undervaluation of WNBA athletes, drawing parallels with other sports leagues' labor negotiations. She emphasizes the strategic timing for potential strikes, noting, “The WNBA players are already accustomed to not making money. [...] This is the window for them to strike for pensions and higher salaries” ([11:50]). The discussion highlights the resilience and determination of WNBA players to secure equitable compensation and benefits, especially in light of a forthcoming $2.2 billion media rights deal set to energize the league's financial landscape.

Comparative Analysis: WNBA vs. Other Leagues [20:19 - 22:54]
Stugotz and Jemele Hill delve deeper into comparisons between the WNBA and leagues like the NBA and MMA organizations. Hill critiques the limited revenue share, contrasting it with the more favorable arrangements in the NBA where players receive up to a 50% revenue split. She points out the irony and injustice of WNBA players, many of whom are Black women, being pressured to accept insignificant portions of revenue despite the league's growing popularity and media presence.

Hill argues that the WNBA's leadership must recognize the critical moment for change: “This is the time to strike for pensions. This is the time to strike for higher salaries and set the tone” ([19:43]). She emphasizes the importance of collective action and solidarity among players to leverage the league's increasing visibility and investment.

Union Leadership Crisis: The NFLPA Parallel [34:11 - 43:07]
Transitioning to broader sports union issues, Stugotz discusses the recent resignation of Lloyd Howell from the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), attributing it to mishandled leadership and questionable expenditures. He claims, “He took a $700 car service immediately from the airport to Tootsies, the world's largest strip club” ([37:00]), highlighting concerns over financial mismanagement within player unions. This segment serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of trustworthy and responsible leadership in advocating for players' rights and interests.

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Key Takeaways and Conclusions
This episode adeptly balances humor with serious discourse, providing listeners with both entertainment and thoughtful analysis. The primary focus on the WNBA's labor disputes sheds light on critical issues of equity and fair compensation in professional sports. Jemele Hill's insightful commentary underscores the urgency for systemic change and the pivotal role of player solidarity in achieving meaningful progress. Additionally, the parallel drawn with the NFLPA's leadership challenges serves to emphasize the broader implications of effective union governance.

Notable Quotes:

• Stugotz on Greg Cody's mustache: “It was pathetic. It was an embarrassment to all other mustaches throughout the history of facial hair.” ([01:43])
• Jemele Hill on WNBA revenue share: “Currently, they get about 9% of their portion” ([09:54])
• Jemele Hill on striking: “This is the window for them to strike for pensions and higher salaries.” ([11:50])
• Stugotz on NFLPA leadership issues: “He took a $700 car service immediately from the airport to Tootsies.” ([37:00])

Final Thoughts
Hour 1: Just When I Thought It Couldn't Be Any Worse serves as a thoughtful exploration of pressing issues within women's professional sports, wrapped in the signature wit and camaraderie that The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz is known for. Listeners are left with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by WNBA players and the broader implications for labor relations in sports.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugotz]

Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

[Mike Ryan]

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[Stugotz]

Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.

[Mike Ryan]

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

[Stugotz]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

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

[Stugotz]

Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all.

[Stugotz]

Cuervo. Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

The tequila that invented tequila.

[Jamel Hill]

Proximo.

[Mike Ryan]

Cuervo.com, please drink responsibly.

[Stugotz]

Cuervo.

[Jamel Hill]

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[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Stugotz]

Greg Cody's terrible mustache has disappeared. It is gone. It was not unlike Stephen Colbert's. It was pathetic. It was an embarrassment to all other mustaches throughout the history of facial hair. Can you guys put up on the screen please? The text exchange of Greg Cody leaving last week with his mustache painted and sending it to his wife. And his wife. Yeah. Says, ugh, just when I thought it couldn't be any worse. And so Greg Cody had to let go of the mustache. It was. It was let go after five or six days or what? How long did it last?

[Greg Cody]

Too long, according to my wife.

[Stugotz]

Okay. Yeah. She did not like it. You left here very confidently last week after everybody was complimenting that look of the painted on mustache.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. But she convinced me that they were just, you know, kidding me or we.

[Stugotz]

Were not kidding you. We were not kidding you. We thought it was a good look for you. We'll bring in Jemele Hill here We'll ask her if she thinks this is a good. A good look for you because we've got a number of things to talk to her about. Didn't you think. Don't you think this makes him look younger? Jamel, how do you think he looks better with this painted on mustache or with this clean face that doesn't conceal some of the age under his nose?

[Jamel Hill]

Now, even though it's true that women typically love facial hair, I think we love more goatees, so. Really? Really, Greg, the problem is that you didn't take it far enough. It should have been a full goatee. But I would take the clean baby face look over this sort of slightly nefarious. Should he be within a playground look.

[Stugotz]

He does.

[Greg Cody]

Slightly nefarious.

[Stugotz]

I think I would arrest you based on profile. It would be the mustache. I would just arrest you if you were near a playground and no one would dispute it. Like no one in America would have any issue.

[Dan Le Batard]

That guy.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, we understand who's happy about us perpetuating this mustache PDF thing that we keep doing through societies. The political elite, Stan, the political elites. They don't look like that. All right? I know there are no files and someone else wrote the files that don't exist, but we need to stop doing this. Mustaches.

[Greg Cody]

Jamel makes a good point. My wife has said at least if you grow the entire goatee, that's marginally acceptable. She has given me that much. So.

[Stugotz]

Well, the mustache was especially terrible, by the way. You're having a bad arm day. Your right arm is bleeding. Something has happened there to have made your.

[Dan Le Batard]

Are you first and foremost, are you okay?

[Greg Cody]

Anybody get a napkin?

[Mike Ryan]

We have a first aid.

[Stugotz]

Can anyone.

[Mike Ryan]

This happens.

[Stugotz]

There is a bloody arm here. I don't know. It looks. As I'm looking at it, it looks like a sore. Has simply belched up some blood.

[Greg Cody]

Okay.

[Dan Le Batard]

Are you okay?

[Greg Cody]

I'm fine.

[Dan Le Batard]

Does this happen?

[Stugotz]

Can you hold it up so we can see it at least?

[Greg Cody]

I don't want to do that.

[Stugotz]

Okay. It's a visual medium, though.

[Mike Ryan]

All right.

[Stugotz]

In the interim, let's play for Jamel here, some video. Does this have any audio on it? This is WNBA all star game this week. What are you laughing about, Tony? Just in general, you look.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're like your arm is bleeding.

[Stugotz]

It's a lot of blood. It's not. It's not a little bit of blood. It's like. It looks like he was shaved. It's not a small amount. Anyway, the wnba, the video crew caught you.

[Greg Cody]

I'm going to he's going to, he's.

[Stugotz]

Going to flee the room in disgrace. He's going to do it himself because people were too slow. Look, they're helping you over here with some bombs.

[Dan Le Batard]

Did he not feel it?

[Stugotz]

Like an assortment of needles, like what is happening?

[Dan Le Batard]

We got many bombs here.

[Stugotz]

An assortment of bombs to take care of. You wear gloves. Just. This is why he wears long, long sleeve shirts.

[Greg Cody]

Anybody get a tourniquet?

[Stugotz]

Let's, let's, let's play this video. There is no audio, but I want to talk about. This is super interesting to me, Jamel, because the wnba, the women have realized what they're worth. And that's going to make for a fight with management who are not going to want to think they are worth that. These things between players and management are usually contentious. And the CBA is, they're not close here. But on Friday before the All Star Game, you've got players dancing with the WNBA commissioner, Kathy Engelbert, and they're wearing shirts that say, pay us what you owe us. Okay, so go ahead and play that instead of Greg Cody's bloody arm so that we can see what the ladies are doing here. What do you make of the economic, the economic fight at, at the center of this? Because it is really cool to see these players realize how valuable they are in the streaming age, how this has exploded. And of course, management's not going to be prepared for how to deal with that.

[Jamel Hill]

First, what people don't know, because I, I, I understand you probably can't play the audio, but they are dancing to knuck if you book, which ironically is about fighting. So as we discuss the fight that is taking place between the players and of course, NBA or ownership, I should say WNBA ownership, here's a few things that I need. Players, not players. People. Excuse me, to understand. The WNBA players are not asking for NBA money. They have never asked for NBA money. Currently, they get about 9% of the their portion of things is 9%. And what you saw across social media is people react in a way that shouldn't surprise you. Dan, you've covered sports enough to know that whenever there is labor strife or labor tension between player and owner, people side with the owners, which always blows my mind because I don't understand this constant glazing of billionaires as if they need help, as if they need more support than they already do. And so already you see how these pieces are aligning when it comes to how fans and how people who are casual observers feel about this fight that they are waging. People have to understand that these women, maybe not this generation of women, but what the generations of women in the WNBA have had to endure to make sure they got to the point where, yes, they could say, you owe us. They have shared hotel rooms. They have traveled commercially. They have. They don't even have a pension. All right, The WNBA players do not have a pension. People talked about, say, a franchise like the Chicago sky, where they are practicing in a rec facility, where if you're coming in there to do your thing, 30 minute water aerobics class, you also get to see Angel Reese because she is working out and practicing at the same gym. So that's what we're talking about here, about resources and about investment. And so the players, they see what's coming down the pike. The fact is, next year, a $2.2 billion media rights deal kicks off for the WNBA. You have record investment. The Valkyries. The Valkyries are already The. The newest WNBA team. They're already valuated at $500 million. The New York Libert at $420 million. And I know this will really surprise you, Dan, given how long that you have covered sports, but when people keep on regurgitating that, oh, but they lost 40 to 50 million dollars last year. What's the source of that? The source of that is, oh, my God, it's the NBA. The NBA said it. You mean the same NBA that in 2011 when there was a lockout, they said they were losing a billion dollars? You mean the same NBA in 1999 when there was another lockout, they told people the majority of NBA franchises were losing money. All I have to say is this, like, I ain't the brightest person in the world. I'm not the best business owner. But if the WNBA business was so bad, how are they adding five teams by 2030? Why are billionaires literally tearing an ACL to buy into this league if the business of it is so bad? It's because as much as the revenue, the revenue certainly counts. The valuations tell you exactly what is possible for this league. And the players know this, and they want their cut.

[Stugotz]

Jamelle, go through some of these numbers with me because you said something that just shocked me and I did not know it. 9% is half of what Dana White gives his fighters. And that's offensive, what Dana White is doing. And 9% is unbelievably bad.

[Jamel Hill]

Yeah, it is bad. Because listen, your rookies shouldn't be making the same as the bank manager at bank of America. They shouldn't be making the same as that and again, people need to compare it to, as you said, other leagues and what they're making. Like, we realize with the NBA is very generous. The players are getting a 50% split, but 9%, 9%, Dan, and no pension.

[Stugotz]

All right, but that's crazy. Is there anything else like that? Like, what's comparable? Tony, you know this. Like, MMA is notorious for being despicable to its labor. And this is half of that. Like, 9% is offensive.

[Dan Le Batard]

When you said that, I wasn't registering, like, yeah, 18%. Like, 9% is like less than. It's less than 10% of what everybody's making.

[Stugotz]

That's great math by you.

[Jamel Hill]

Thank you.

[Dan Le Batard]

On the fly.

[Stugotz]

That's lunacy. That's lunacy. That. I mean, what's. What's comparable to that? What historically, what do you have that would have an entertainment vehicle that's as valuable as this one with the labor making 9%? And what are they asking for, Jamel, like, if you can, if you can look at this in any way sort of objectively. Right, Because I know this is. This is also something that you're rooting for. You would say, what else would compare to something as poor as 9% when you have probably the most. What has been the most undervalued thing in sports, given that the TV age and the streaming age is going to need this programming soon, given the numbers that it does.

[Jamel Hill]

Dan, I can't really think of a comparable. But I can say this in terms of what the players are asking for. Like, obviously they're going to go for an even split, and I'm not sure if they're going to get it, but I will say if they get, like, at this point, considering how low it is, if they get a UFC style split, it would be a major win. And, you know, that's what sort of bothers me about the conversation around it, is that there is this mentality, especially when it comes to women. And then you're dealing with a league that is black women, primarily black women, 70%, that the idea is that they need to just be happy with the crumbs and whatever that they're given. It's like the people that are investing in this league and even the NBA itself, the reason that they have chosen to subsidize this league is not because of charity and because women's sports is always positioned as something charitable, as something that people are doing just because it's the right thing to do. No, this is a business. And the reason that the NBA started the WNBA is because they knew that this moment would eventually come. It wasn't because sure, David Stern had a vision that of being able to do something that hadn't been done in America, which is have a viable, profitable league that showcases the very best women's basketball players in the world. But he also was thinking about this from a business standpoint, as was everyone who has been involved along the way. And even as the WNBA has been losing money, and I put that in air quotes because we frankly don't know what the books look like because that's kind of the way it goes in professional sports. At the very least, they have provided a very safe tax bunker for a lot of NBA owners. Hence why for a long time that they had no real reason to invest. And now that they see an opportunity here, through Caitlin Clark, through Angel Reese, through the fact that just as a public being that much more interested in women's basketball, they want their share, I think to protect the product. And it makes sense for the owners to do this, is that you eventually, I mean, this, this season alone, the WNBA will play more games than they've ever had, you know, through the regular season, in the playoffs. So it'll be, you know, 50 something games. You want to make sure you pay them enough at least so that they're not going overseas. What does it say about the salary structure in the WNBA that the whole reason that Brittney Griner was playing in Russia is because in Russia that has not so good of a record of human rights pays their women's basketball players better than they do here in America? That's the whole reason why she was there. That's why Diana Taurasi was there. That's why many of them go and go overseas. They go overseas to countries that have terrible human rights violations because they actually could get paid what they're worth in those countries and not in this country.

[Mike Ryan]

Howdy, folks, it's Mike Ryan. If you were listening to the show just a couple of days ago, you know that Jeremy came up with the top five breath of fresh air type of list. A really refreshing feeling. And on that list, Jeremy, help me out.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, that first sip of a Miller Light at the barbecue on a hot day, crack it open. That sound feelings better.

[Mike Ryan]

That sound ultra satisfying. And then that first sip, it hits. And yes, while it's hot outside as it is presently cools your body down, it hits a little different down here in South Florida. But as someone that had Miller Lite north of the border and basically football tailgates as the leaves turn, there really isn't a bad time to turn into Miller Time.

[Dan Le Batard]

Next time we should do a top five times to have Miller Time.

[Mike Ryan]

I like where your head's at because it's every time. That's right, every time. Morning time. Well, scratch it now.

[Stugotz]

Morning time. Morning morning time.

[Mike Ryan]

If you're on vacation.

[Dan Le Batard]

If you're on vacation, you're on vacation. If you're at a morning tailgate, there's a noon game.

[Mike Ryan]

It's Miller Time somewhere. Miller Light Great Taste 96 calories Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Cheers to 50 years of Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces hey.

[Dan Le Batard]

Friends, it's Jerbear here and I'm here to tell you all about Boost Mobile, which is now a legit nationwide 5G network. So I must take a break from the jokes here for a second and put on my serious voice because I would never, ever joke about a 5G network that has invested billions building 5G towers across the country. Not even once. Not even if Mr. Boost Mobile himself asked me to. There is nothing funny about it. Boost Mobile is now a legit nationwide 5G network and also provides coverage across the that's 99% of America. Seriously. Visit boostmobile.com or your nearest Boost Mobile store location to learn more. The Boost Mobile network, together with our roaming partners, covers 99% of the US population. 5G speeds not available in all areas.

[Jamel Hill]

On WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone Don Lebatard.

[Mike Ryan]

Are the stakes that high that if Angel Reese loses to Caitlin Clark, you need to start over again as a race?

[Stugotz]

Stugats.

[Jamel Hill]

I don't know that we have to necessarily start over, but it might have to be. It will be a black people's meeting, an important one that will be called the next day, where we might have to put some things on the agenda and get it on the table.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

[Greg Cody]

Jamel I was going to mention Brittany spending a year in a Russian jail directly linked to the embarrassingly low WNBA salaries. I was also going to mention the unrivaled league in Miami began expressly because these women couldn't make enough money in their own league. What's it going to take to be fair with these salaries? And do you envision a time when the players may threaten a strike if they don't get what they want?

[Stugotz]

Where's all this headed?

[Jamel Hill]

In my mind, I think both parties know that a strike, especially right now, while the product is so hot, is not a deal. Big good idea. But that being said, let's look at the resolve of these women. They're already not used to getting paid. I think they're willing to see this to the mat. And when they wore those T shirts, it reminded me of another time they wore some T shirts, which was just recently, in the last couple of years, and that would be the year of 2020, where they wore T shirts to support Raphael Warnock, the senator out of Georgia who was polling at 9% before these players decided to take on a WNBA owner. And Kelly Loeffler, who was the sitting senator at the time, who made some disparaging comments about the players participating in the Black Lives Matter movement. She made those comments. They took it personally. They did their research. They got behind her opponent, an opponent nobody thought could win, and they decided that to put their entire platform and muscle behind an owner to get that owner kicked out of the United States Senate. So that's the type of resolve that they have. This is the crowd you don't want to mess around with. Because, yeah, to prove a. Not to just prove a point, but to get what they're finally worth. They're willing to go as far as required to do this. And I hope that the WNBA ownership and the NBA league brass understand this. This is not the crowd to play with. Play with somebody else. Don't play with these women from the wnba.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jamel, to that exact point, though, like, isn't it the perfect time for a strike if your product is hot? If you have all this resolve, say, okay, you guys want to make all this money off us and pay less than 10%, 9%, like, all right, we're done. Like, we'll bring somebody else.

[Jamel Hill]

I mean, that's exactly why they opted out. That's why they opted out of their collective bargaining agreement that was already in place, is because they saw and understood what the moment was. And likewise as a part of this back and forth battle. Hence why I find the timing of suddenly the New York media knowing exactly how much money that the WNBA lost last year. I found that to be pretty interesting.

[Stugotz]

There's a lot of. There's a lot of interesting stuff here, Jamel. Like when you mentioned the resolve of these women, it is not lost on me that these women were stronger during 2020 than even the men were. You're mentioning that they're used to not making money. You've seen what's going on with the NFL players union. It's a disaster there, at least in part because those very wealthy people aren't willing to miss a single paycheck. In unity, I would. These are the people to be least trifled with, given all of the conditions. Like they're the most likely to strike and they're the most likely to have resolve.

[Jamel Hill]

Yeah. Because they're already accustomed to not making money. And it's interesting that you bring in the NFL because one of the things that I think. I mean, granted, obviously, NFL player salaries have increased dramatically. You have more and more players that are able to get fully guaranteed contracts. But if you look at the NBA history, is that their fight early on, in the early stages when the league, when people wondered whether. Whether or not this league would survive. And we were talking about the early 70s, particularly when they merged for the ABA and when Oscar Robinson fought for the league to have free agency, borrowing what Curt Flood did in Major League Baseball. People have this idea that the time to strike is when it's already profitable, when things are already good. That is not the time to strike. The time to strike is now, when you're on the verge of something, because that's when you can get the conditions met. See, I don't think we'll ever see guaranteed contracts in the NFL because why would the owners ever agree to that? They have no reason to do it. But here in the wnba, now is the time to get those things that would further submit them as a real legitimate professional league. Now is the time to strike for pensions. Now is the time to strike for higher salaries and set the tone. The NBA players set the tone in the early 70s, and that is why you have players making 400, 300 and $400 million today. And so this is unfortunately a window into what is the American mentality about a lot of things, especially when it comes to women and black women demanding things. It's like, no, you guys should really be on their side, because the struggle that they're facing is a struggle a lot of women can relate to. Being undervalued, being underpaid, but doing similar work. This should be easy to root for. And yet for a lot of people, they look at who is doing the asking and they have more of a problem with that as opposed to a problem with the people who have been exploiting them in this league for almost 30 years.

[Stugotz]

Did you have any opinion on Stephen Colbert being fired?

[Jamel Hill]

Well, it's funny that we're talking about this, because it was interesting to see how when that figure got out, and again, we don't know where this comes from, about the amount of money that he was losing. And I will say this, it was already a really bad precedent that Paramount set by settling with Donald Trump. And naturally, somebody like Stephen Colbert, who has always been politically fearless when he expressed his displeasure with that, which, by the way, I think that's a pretty popular opinion that people saw what was going on there. It just the journalist in me. And as somebody who's in the medium of giving their opinion, it is just quite triggering for me because it's just another reminder that everything is good until it's not. And, you know, for him, I think seeing something like this happen to him is just a reminder about the kind of atmosphere and political climate that we live in. The truth is that a lot of these companies, a lot of media companies, don't have the stomach for this kind of time. We're in a wartime mode when it comes to speaking out and speaking against the things that are happening in this country. And it's easier to get along and to stay uninvolved and to stay neutral. And when you don't, there's a cost and a price that comes with that. And I know some people will say, well, the show is losing money and that sort of thing. And I'm just of the opinion that let's say Stephen Colbert never says anything about Paramount settling with Trump. You mean to tell me he wouldn't still be on air? Because I have a feeling that he would be. And those losses, they were more than acceptable when they felt like they weren't being challenged in the way that he was challenging them. So I think it's a very stark reminder, and unfortunately, it's a very harmful message to be sending right now.

[Stugotz]

You guys ready to play? Would you die on that hill? Is everybody ready? Is it ready? Does it have music? Do we have better music?

[Mike Ryan]

No. Wood Beauchamp.

[Stugotz]

Would you die on this hill?

[Mike Ryan]

We don't know this or that.

[Stugotz]

We just said that hill. It's that hill. Would you die on that hill? Venus Williams might be returning to tennis at 45 years old. That's A good thing. Would you be willing to die on hill Hill?

[Jamel Hill]

Yes. I am of the opinion that professional athletes, especially those who have done as much for the game as she has, that have accomplished as much as she has, they have the right to retire in any way they see fit. So, yes, I would love to see mid-40s Venus Williams come back to tennis.

[Mike Ryan]

Diplo should change the music. He's playing at a WNBA All Star party because Courtney Williams tells him to change that, quote, lame ass music and play some hip hop.

[Dan Le Batard]

Would you die on this at Hill?

[Jamel Hill]

Hell, I would die more than once on this hill because, hey, edm, I can't stand it, all right? I hate that dude. I hate this music, all right? And I don't consider EDM to be the same as house music. I grew up in Detroit. We listen to house music. House music and EDM ain't the same. Listen, haven't been to a WNBA turn up a time or two. I can tell you knuck, if you buck and wipe me down, goes way harder than some of the things that Diplo does. Now, I'm not. Look, Diplo's very talented. His crowd just ain't for me. But Courtney Williams saved the party by doing that. So I got your back court. You did the right thing.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, if anybody was familiar with Diplo, they'd know that he was getting to it. Hey, you know, he'd get to it. But Courtney Williams is well within her right to interrupt. Diplo's set to tell him what to play in an NBA All Star game. You are dying on that hill.

[Jamel Hill]

Yes, I am. And listen, I generally get for DJs, it's very annoying when people come up and say, hey, could you play this? Could you do this? They don't like it when you interrupt their set. And they have a flow and they have an idea how they want to do things their way. But with a WNBA party, he could have just left that EDM stuff, left it on the Mac unplayed.

[Mike Ryan]

He changed it right away.

[Jamel Hill]

He did because he understood. So thank you, Courtney. You saved the party.

[Stugotz]

Scottie Scheffler should be forced to play with only three clubs. Are you willing to die on that?

[Mike Ryan]

Make up your mind.

[Jamel Hill]

Now, as somebody who took up golf three years ago and has become completely obsessed, can I just say in general, like, you know, I don't know that people have the full appreciation for what Scottie Scheffler is doing. He shouldn't have to play with three clubs. Of course, if anything, give him more clubs because I want to see more dominance. This is a run, obviously a lot of people are thinking about Tiger Woods 2000 run, which was historic. And while I do think there is a difference in the dominance, Scottie Scheffler's consistency, the fact that he is so poised, him being completely unflappable. I watched the entire Open and it was one of the best sports performances that I have seen this year.

[Dan Le Batard]

The CEO of the company that was cheating on his wife with the head of HR should have played it cool in the Jumbotron. Will you die on that hill?

[Jamel Hill]

Okay, well, it's what led to it being a viral moment. I don't know that millions of people find out because you're right. If he plays it cool, millions of people don't find out because it's was the reaction that created the drama and the question asking. However, I still think Mr. CEO gets caught. Why would you take the side piece to a concert with 60 plus thousand people? Nobody there you know is gonna see you.

[Dan Le Batard]

She loves Coldplay. I'll take care of your girl on the side, you know what I mean?

[Mike Ryan]

Javone, come on now.

[Dan Le Batard]

I heard it was an out of town concert, so maybe it was a business trip.

[Jamel Hill]

It does not matter some. This world is too small. Somebody knows somebody who knows somebody. And I'm just saying his reaction is what created the viral moment. But these two people were just meant to. They were meant to get caught. And so I think regardless, somebody goes back, tells the wife or tells their spouses what's going on, they get caught regardless. But now they are the butt of a national joke because of the reaction.

[Stugotz]

I would like to the audience to get clever and tell me what band names would be better given what that viral moment was. To describe what it is that you're watching when you're watching live being ruined. Then Coldplay, it's not a great name for the situation, but it's not a bad one either. Give me some better ones.

[Mike Ryan]

Cheap Trick.

[Stugotz]

A band. Yes. Give me some better nominations there, Tony, what do you got for Jamel?

[Dan Le Batard]

Jamel? Speaker phone and public. Talking on the phone. Speakerphone in public is never the move. Ever. Are you gonna die on this hill?

[Jamel Hill]

Yes, I will die on this hill. There's a particular post office that I go to and every single time I come in there, somebody is on their speakerphone having a full on conversation inviting me into their life in ways I did not ask for. The conversation is never, hey honey, can you pick up some eggs? The conversation is always so utterly ridiculous. Like last time I Was in this particular post office. I had to hear about an entire weekend confrontation that happened because somebody got slapped over something. And it was just like, okay, hold on.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm in, though.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm in your world. Hold on. No, somebody got slapped. We got to figure out why. So I'd be. I'd be leaning in a little bit longer, like, oh, what'd she say?

[Stugotz]

Watch it.

[Jamel Hill]

I mean, it was. Whatever it was, it was quite contentious, and it was over somebody telling somebody something about somebody's child they shouldn't have been telling them. I was like, okay, I don't. I don't need to know all of this. So, people, please, for the love of God, use your headphones. I don't need to hear all your business. And certainly the people that walk down the street with, you know, with the. With, you know, with their beats. Their beats, bill on, like, I don't need to know that about the JBL.

[Dan Le Batard]

Speaker playing fetty wap. You don't like that?

[Jamel Hill]

I mean, I like fetty wap. I do. I just don't need to hear it out loud in environments where I'm not expecting to have loud music. Like, if we're at a pool. If we're at a beach. Yes. But, yo, I'm just trying to come in here and retrieve the items out of my post office box. I don't need to hear the sounds of the soundtrack of your life. Real quick, though, Dan, I will say this. You talk about what would have been an acceptable band to be caught cheating to. I would say earth, wind, and fire, especially if they were playing or singing reasons, because that's a cheating song.

[Stugotz]

I will not watch movies with limited interruptions. I will not stream movies with limited interruptions. Are you willing to die on that hill? Who just walked behind you? Is that an exterminator? Somebody just behind it? Oh, I didn't watch exterminator. He looked like he was holding, like, a. He looked like he was holding, like, a scuba tank or something that. Like, something that he would spray the house with anyway. Limited interruptions on a streamed movie. Are you willing to die on that hill?

[Jamel Hill]

Yes, I will. I will watch one if it's good enough. If it's good enough. If they got me in with the previews, I will die on the hill of watching it with limited interruptions.

[Stugotz]

Will you watch a Netflix movie that does not I will not watch a Netflix movie that does not have a trailer to it that's missing the trailer. Are you willing to die on.

[Jamel Hill]

I never watched the trailers on Netflix. I gotta be honest, I don't like. I mean, I just kind of fast. I just kind of look at the movies based off the poster. If the poster looks good, I'm like, all right, I'll watch it. I don't really need to see the trailer.

[Stugotz]

Last thing then. July 27th, I learned the other day is national chicken fingers day. I learned this from Snoop Dogg. There has never been anyone to go from a murder trial to a commercial career like Snoop Dogg. I am willing to. Are you willing to die on that hill?

[Jamel Hill]

I am. Although the closest I can think of in the sports world is Ray Lewis. To go from being accused of murder to suddenly becoming a ambassador and the face of the league and to be somebody who, you know, he was in all the Under Armour commercials. Like, he. And be considered. And generally now and again, I'm making no judgment on this character to be considered by most as a good guy. It was probably the biggest turnaround I've ever seen other than Snoop is probably Ray Lewis.

[Stugotz]

Jamel, nice to see you. I will tell everybody here that you should check out all her work. Spolitics is the podcast that she has. And it's Jamel hill is the YouTube handle. Nice seeing you, Jamel. As always, thank you for stopping by.

[Jamel Hill]

All right. And I'll tell my husband that you thought that he was an exterminator.

[Mike Ryan]

He's gonna love that.

[Stugotz]

Text me what it is he was holding in his left hand because it looked like a cannon, like a canister of some sort. Good thing.

[Greg Cody]

Called it a scuba tube.

[Stugotz]

I thought he was fumigating. I'm sorry. See you later.

[Jamel Hill]

Bye. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want, like that dream house or ride, is a great feeling. That's why the State Farm personal price plan can help you save when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts, and savings and eligibility vary by state. Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh, my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugotz]

1-800-Contacts Pro Savings Day's doorbuster deals are on at Lowe's. My Lowe's Pro Rewards members save an additional $120 on a GE 21.9 cubic foot top freezer refrigerator. Plus members save $70 on a Bosch hammer drill. Now only 99 Not A Pro rewards member join for free today. Lowe's we help you save valid through 723 while supplies last selection varies by location. Loyalty program subject to terms and conditions. See lowe's.com terms for details. Subject to change. Don Libertard While there's nothing official and conversations are still ongoing.

[Dan Le Batard]

Was that a fake chef dirt? Because it was. It was pretty good. It was excellent. I feel like there's legs.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, I tried at the beginning and then I lost confidence in it.

[Dan Le Batard]

It was good.

[Jamel Hill]

It.

[Dan Le Batard]

You got this.

[Stugotz]

Nothing official.

[Jamel Hill]

Yeah.

[Stugotz]

Conversations are still ongoing. Stugats it is trending towards Nick Sirianni remaining the head coach of the Eagles.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Stugotz]

Did you guys see any of the details reported over the weekend on the on Lloyd Howell who resigned from the players union? The details on the story? I, I texted Pablo and Dominique. I'm like, I'll stay with him. Did Lloyd Howell resign because of what this was before I read the most recent reporting. Did Lloyd Howell resign because of what you reported or because of what he fears is coming next in the reporting? Because they stood pretty strong the first few days on. He' not resigning. We're rallying around him and now they're having just total leadership turnover. It's not just him. The NFLPA is in a mess. And these details on Lloyd Howell were being asked about by ESPN right before he resigned. And some of the details are that he arrived in Fort Lauderdale at 10:21 night and took a $700 car service immediately from the airport to Tootsies right around the corner, the world's largest strip club. And not an $800 car service unless you're making the car wait for you till you get back to your Sunny isles apartment at 6am because you went hard at that strip club. I think he's resigning because of the questions about that. He didn't want that to come out because the initial reaction was not him resigning. He, he ended up staying in that position and the quotes were supporting him. And this is, I believe this is what got him fired. Because when I, when I asked Dominique and Pablo, I answered my own question with yes he's resigning because of what was reported and what's coming. They don't want any more reporting around the things that they were doing. That's a ridiculous fee for a car service that that trip is. Is less than $100 unless you're in a limousine.

[Mike Ryan]

I love how much authority you're speaking on this matter with, too.

[Stugotz]

Oh, you're. You're hungry. If you're going straight from Fort Lauderdale airport landing, you're leaving your suitcase in the car, you're leaving whatever your travel is in the car, and you're going straight to the club from the airport. That's aggressive.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. It should be noted that Pablo and his team uncovered a second NFL PA cover up. And then almost hours later, we had the executive director resign. And over the weekend, JC Tretter also resigned. And yeah, now you have Pulitzer Prize winning journalists working for the Big Letters also poking around seeing what else they can expose. And they really probably looked at one another and said, this is probably it.

[Stugotz]

Tootsies does advertise as the world's largest strip club. Is it? It's a warehouse. I've never been there, but it's 76,000 square feet.

[Dan Le Batard]

It used to be a BJ's Wholesale Club.

[Greg Cody]

I bet it did.

[Stugotz]

You haven't been there either, right?

[Greg Cody]

No, of course not.

[Mike Ryan]

I believe you.

[Stugotz]

It has to be the largest. Right. If it's 76,000 square feet of strip club and if it.

[Mike Ryan]

And well, this is a great. I mean, Billy is trying to carve out a niche here, travel correspondent. Maybe we can send him across the nation to see if he can find one bigger.

[Dan Le Batard]

I am.

[Stugotz]

You guys would agree that amusement park guy.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, yeah, I guess for your amusement, but an amusement of sorts.

[Stugotz]

You guys would agree that Costco is the single largest place I can offer you in any kind of retail. That would be funny to put a strip club in. Right. Like Home Depot would be closed, but it's pretty good. Isn't Costco's. Isn't Costco or BJ's, whatever, that kind. That's the largest thing of its kind that you will find anywhere. Right? There's. There aren't. I don't know. In Memphis, I think there's a. There's a pyramid of some sort for.

[Mike Ryan]

The Bass Pro Shops.

[Stugotz]

Pro shops, yes.

[Mike Ryan]

But it's also like a hotel as well. It's where the grizzlies used to play.

[Stugotz]

There can't be strip clubs more than 76.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's the biggest in the world right now, Dan.

[Stugotz]

That world, I believe that Future reporting is what has ended up sacking the very top of the NFL players union. It is a players union that is very hard to keep unified. And I've spoken to enough players here like mortified, Mortified by the leadership in this case. I was talking a couple of weeks ago about Demorris Smith's book and sort of was interesting to me to hear that he had written a book, because that position almost demands that you not be a look at me person. And Damor Smith was a super look at me person. And then he writes a book that's totally unnecessary. He's not Marvin Miller in any way. Like, he didn't do any groundbreaking things in the negotiating of contracts for the players. And the players generally don't trust their union leadership. And this is why, like, when I tell you what that drive is from Fort Lauderdale to Tootsies, and I tell you the car service is $700 and I'm a player, if I'm a player, and I'm reading that you are an advocate for me, the fact that you are high paid is only because of the talent that we have and you are wasting our money living a lifestyle. And incidentally, I should say media relations departments, I don't know if they still do this, but media relations departments in New York, for example, had a strip club budget for their media people. So this is a way that a union representative might entertain being around with players.

[Mike Ryan]

Was it called specifically that or just wait.

[Dan Le Batard]

So like the Dolphins have a budget for Greg to go to the strip club on the Dolphins dime?

[Stugotz]

I said New York, not Miami. I just said.

[Dan Le Batard]

But I'm saying, like the team wise.

[Stugotz]

New York, I don't know.

[Mike Ryan]

Not for the people covering them, for the people that work in the media relations department there. Okay. I mean, part of the reason that they gave. And I guess in a vacuum, that being a salacious headline does nothing to jeopardize his status. Nothing. Because the excuse that he gave was, you know, a team building expense. All right, that's fine. It looks bad when it's scooped on top of everything that's going on around.

[Greg Cody]

Yes, that's the only reason. Going to a strip club, not against the law. Players go to strip clubs.

[Stugotz]

It's not the strip club. It's the $700 car charge. Wasted money.

[Greg Cody]

My question is, who's paying for that? If he's paying for that out of his.

[Stugotz]

Oh, he's not. What do you mean?

[Mike Ryan]

It's an expense.

[Stugotz]

He expensed it. That's the. That's why he left. Like what do you mean, says who?

[Dan Le Batard]

They know.

[Mike Ryan]

That's where. That's where he screwed up.

[Dan Le Batard]

It was for a business meeting.

[Greg Cody]

I think it's barely a controversy if. If it isn't piggyback on top of what Pablo reported, and if it isn't preceding what's about to come out. Otherwise, a strip club is benign.

[Stugotz]

I will tell you that it would be a controversy if NFL players found out, not this one thing about the cost of the car and the car service. But if that's what he's doing on one trip, it's what he's doing on all trips. And it's not the way that they should be spending their money. It's not an accurate way to be a union representative or leadership for players when all you war is an advocate for them. You're an administrative assistant.