Hour 1: Moisés Kangalou

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Episode: Hour 1: Moisés Kangalou
Release Date: April 9, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosts Dan LeBatard and Stugotz delve into a variety of sports topics, ranging from NBA coaching changes to unique athlete name discussions. The conversation is lively, filled with humor, insightful commentary, and engaging banter among the hosts and co-hosts.

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1. NBA Coaching Changes and Organizational Accountability

One of the primary discussions centers around the recent firing of NBA coaches Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets) and Coach Smith (contextual team not specified). Chris Cody provides a critical analysis of the trend of mid-season coaching changes, emphasizing the detrimental effects on team stability and success.

• Chris Cody discusses the "mania" of firing coaches prematurely:

  "[...] the idea that a coach is not successful unless they are fired before the end of the season is ridiculous."
  (04:10)

• Dan LeBatard adds his perspective on the organizational failures:

  "If you can’t give a coach the time to execute the plan, then you’re never going to know if they work or not."
  (06:01)

The hosts debate whether this trend is a generational shift or a departure from traditional accountability measures, with Mike Ryan noting the unprecedented nature of simultaneous leadership firings in Denver.

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2. Athlete Name Games and Top Five Lists

Stugotz introduces a humorous segment where the hosts create top five lists of athlete names that connote biting, inspired by Luis Suarez's infamous habit. The playful banter showcases the show's characteristic blend of sports talk and entertainment.

• Dan LeBatard presents his top five biting-connoting athlete names:

  "Number one, Rick Pitino. Number two, Moisés Kangalou."
  (02:56 - 03:08)

Later, a similar creative exercise focuses on Australian-themed athlete names, highlighting the show's penchant for quirky and entertaining content.

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3. Comparisons Between Sports Legends

A spirited debate ensues over whether Alex Ovechkin has surpassed Wayne Gretzky in goal-scoring prowess. The hosts dissect the merits and records of both players, ultimately arguing that while Ovechkin is a formidable goal scorer, Gretzky's overall contributions and achievements maintain his superior status.

• Dan LeBatard challenges the comparison:

  "Are people arguing that Ovechkin is the greatest goal scorer of all time because he has most goals?"
  (22:13)

• Greg Cody emphasizes Gretzky's all-around performance:

  "Gretzky just has 900 more assists."
  (22:30)

The discussion highlights the complexity of comparing players across different eras and the multifaceted nature of hockey greatness.

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4. Unprecedented Comebacks in Hockey

The hosts examine a remarkable Dallas Stars game where the team overcame a 5-2 lead in the final minute to lose 6-5. Mike Ryan explains the rarity of such a comeback, attributing it to exceptional special teams performance influenced by rule changes limiting power plays.

• Mike Ryan on power plays impacting game outcomes:

  "Teams are just so good at it right now that the league is kind of legislating it on its own."
  (35:19)

This segment underscores the evolving strategies in hockey and their implications on game dynamics.

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5. Australian Baseball League and International Sports Ventures

In a humorous twist, Dan LeBatard discusses an imaginary venture into the Australian Baseball League, joking about the league's popularity in Asia versus Australia. This lighthearted segment showcases the hosts' creativity and penchant for blending sports with playful storytelling.

• Dan LeBatard on the Australian Baseball League investment:

  "We own, me and you, 20% of the Australian Baseball League."
  (27:23)

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6. Weekend Observations and Humorous Banter

Stugotz shares his "Weekend Observations," a recurring segment filled with witty remarks and playful jabs at sports personalities and events. Highlights include jokes about coach nicknames, player performances, and humorous takes on recent games.

• Stugotz introduces his game notes:

  "No one in the media will tell you what happened better than my boy Stu."
  (14:02)

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Notable Quotes

• Chris Cody on coaching changes:

  "We're trying to win games and sometimes asking pretty, pretty please is not an option."
  (04:49)

• Dan LeBatard on Artemi Zubak's performance:

  "I just like to see it later in the playoffs. But I'll take it anytime I can get it."
  (38:23)

• Mike Ryan on the rarity of the Dallas comeback:

  "That's the first time that's happened. So yeah, six, several six on five goals goes overtime."
  (35:19)

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Conclusion

This episode effectively blends serious sports analysis with humor and creative segments, maintaining an engaging atmosphere throughout. Listeners are treated to thoughtful discussions on coaching accountability, player comparisons, and unique sports phenomena, all while enjoying the hosts' trademark wit and camaraderie.

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Disclaimer: This summary excludes advertisements and non-content sections to focus solely on the podcast's substantive discussions.

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Stugatz]

The Dan Levatar show with the Stugats Podcast.

[Greg Cody]

This episode of the Dan LeBatard show with Stugats is presented by Smirnoff. We do game days. Please drink responsibly. The Smirnoff Company New York, New York.

[Amin Elhassan]

For the first time in too long, we are going to have Stug's weekend observations. He's got a lot of thoughts. As soon as a coach is fired in the NBA, Amin flumes in from wherever it is he is to give us some poignant analysis. Before we get to that though, both of those things, Stu Gotts has a top five list of athlete names who connote biting in honor of the very famous Luis Suarez of Inter Miami. Do you have an Oli or do you just have a top five?

[Dan LeBatard]

I have two OLIs, Dan.

[Amin Elhassan]

All right.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yep. And then a top five and it's a beauty.

[Amin Elhassan]

All right. Athlete names who connote biting.

[Dan LeBatard]

Reggie Tongue, I don't think put it.

[Amin Elhassan]

On the poll at LeBatard show. Is the tongue involved in biting? Bite your tongue at LeBatard show.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes, yes, thank you.

[Billy Gil]

Bite your tongue.

[Dan LeBatard]

John Maynard. The dentist, of course.

[Billy Gil]

West Indies cricketer.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yep.

[Billy Gil]

Well known.

[Dan LeBatard]

Thank you, Greg. Number five Randy Moeller. Number four Sin Choo Choo.

[Amin Elhassan]

Number three.

[Dan LeBatard]

Louis Lips Number two Vic Fangio bangs number one, Rick Pitino.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yes, of course. A vampire. A well known vampire. The most well known vampire anywhere in sports Amin. Before you go do oddball with Izzy, give me all the best stuff that you have on Michael Malone so you can't use it on your own show.

[Chris Cody]

Great strategy. Number one, Big Fu goes out to the Denver Nuggets. This was supposed to be a nice, easy day for me. Instead, I have to do three different podcasts just. Just because they can't hold their shit together.

[Dan LeBatard]

What's the best stuff?

[Greg Cody]

You know you can say no.

[Dan LeBatard]

Don't you want news? Yeah.

[Amin Elhassan]

You would think that you would get excited by content, but okay, sometimes slow and dry.

[Mike Ryan]

Remember, guys, let them cook.

[Chris Cody]

No, this isn't. This isn't content. This is. This is mania.

[Dan LeBatard]

Right?

[Chris Cody]

There's a mania that's infecting our league. And it's this idea that a. I'm doing my team a favor by firing the coach three or four or however many games before the end of the season. I'm doing my new head coach, the interim head coach, a favor by giving him the reins. Like here, like here have this hot potato. And by the way, I'm showing respect to, in both the instances in the last couple of weeks, the best coach you've ever had in your blah, blah, blah life. I was gonna cuss, but I didn't realize we're still alive.

[Greg Cody]

So thank you for not.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, no, I do it for you, but it's ridiculous, right? You're not putting anyone in a position to be successful when you do this. Right. That's number one. Number two is between Coach Malone and Coach Smith, Coach Mike Brown. Excuse me. Earlier this year, we've got two instances of guys who are getting fired from what I see as holding guys accountable, men being fired for holding other grown men accountable.

[Dan LeBatard]

He's mean to me, huh?

[Chris Cody]

Like that. What do you think this is? What do we think we're trying to do here? We're trying to win games and sometimes asking pretty, pretty please is not an option. And so it's ridiculous. Ridiculous that the organization would like, not back their coach in that situation. Now, Denver has other issues in that there was behind the scenes tension between the gm, Calvin Booth, and the head coach, Michael Malone, but they fired the gm, too. So what exactly did we.

[Amin Elhassan]

In your history watching the league, have you ever seen this? Or something that rivals this in terms of puzzling? Universally received as puzzling because you're knocking out both your leaders with. This is the timing.

[Chris Cody]

No, I mean, I would say yes, Memphis. But these guys said, hold my beer, and they one upped him. And so it's something that, I don't know that I, you know, I thought Memphis was kind of isolated. I'm worried now that there's a precedent now, hey, if your coach says something that you don't like, just let him go. Doesn't matter what he's accomplished. For your downtrodden organization, I'm looking at.

[Amin Elhassan]

This as the obvious result of what's happened the last 15 years combined with the generational gulf of holding players accountable. Wah. No, we've got to do it differently because the 20 year olds have the actual guaranteed money power here.

[Chris Cody]

Dan, having actual guaranteed money power doesn't mean anything. Right. Doesn't mean anything unless you give it credence. Right? The organization is what gives a credence. When we talked about this before, not with Memphis, who was it? I think it was Sacramento. But the idea that when LeBron James and Dwayne LeBron James comes to Pat Riley and says, don't you ever get the itch? Like, that's a seminal moment. That's a seminal moment in organizational history where it is demonstrated at the highest level. We don't play that shit here.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, but look at what just happened to him on them.

[Chris Cody]

But the difference is, Dan, the difference is, is that you can do that and then set the standard and set the expectation, or you can listen to the whispers and the murmurs and the rumblings and say, oh, yeah, well, you know, once you start to entertain, you have already started to erode any sort of authority that the coach might have. And I don't mean authority like, I'm your boss. Do what I say. I mean authority like, hey, man, we have a plan. It's my job to come up with the plan. It's your job to execute the plan. If you execute the plan and the plan sucks, my bad, I'll take it. But if you don't ever get to executing the plan, then we'll never know.

[Amin Elhassan]

Does this not feel to you in some way as someone who really loves basketball and understands how the basketball leadership works? Does it not feel to you like you, your way, your thinking of accountability is generationally behind. Now that there has been a sea change here that this is a symbol for, but the way that you think about these things, about how to govern people from a different generation who have a different relationship with work perhaps than Michael Malone does, this represents a sea change that leaves the Bill Belichick way, the Pat Riley way, the Michael Malone way, leaves it A little more behind than it was yesterday.

[Chris Cody]

I'll say this. There's been a formula for success in our league for damn near 80 years, and it doesn't include. We don't have to work that hard. All the successful ones, all the champions, all the great ones, they all bust their ass. They all bust their ass on the court. They all bust their ass watching film. They understood the plays. They understood their opponents. They were prepared. That's a constant. Like, you could say, hey, oh, Gen Z. They don't. The constant is the work. You look at the Celtics last year. You look at the Nuggets two years ago, the warriors, et cetera, et cetera. The teams at the top, beyond the good luck of health, beyond obviously having talent. It's discipline and it's hard work. Nobody's skating here. And if you think you can skate to a championship and you're firing your coach because he's not letting your guys skate, then you're part of the problem.

[Mike Ryan]

They have championship expectations there. We did a cursory look. I think the best, most recent example is Ty Lue, midseason coaching change, went on to win the NBA championship for a team, the Cavs, that had championship aspirations. Have you ever seen anything this late in the season actually work?

[Chris Cody]

It's never. It's never happened before. First of all, we'll start. It's never been this late. Taylor Jenkins was already kind of the latest of a good coach, right now, Michael Malone is the latest of any coach, even a bad coach. Right? So when you talk about Ty Lue, that's different. That was. That was more like Adrian Griffin, where they could see clearly, this isn't working. And we've given this guy.

[Mike Ryan]

Blatt didn't have the pedigree.

[Chris Cody]

He didn't have the pedigree. He didn't have. He didn't understand the language you talk about, Dan. The language of generational gap. David Blatt didn't understand the NBA language. Like, he did not know how to operate and how to interact with people.

[Mike Ryan]

It seems as though that was the case against Malone, though. He wasn't connecting with his guys.

[Chris Cody]

No, it's. I'm talking about David, but I didn't connect with him.

[Mike Ryan]

No, I understand.

[Chris Cody]

It's like, it's the difference between. I don't speak English at all. And I'm not saying that literally, I don't speak NBA basketball as a language. Versus these group of guys are starting to tune out. And by the way, when you talk about these group of guys, here's the other part of this, the tension between Calvin Booth and Michael Malone was that Michael Malone wanted vets, which is, by the way, how you win championships. And Calvin Booth says, no play. These young guys who make mistakes and don't watch film and aren't as committed, and that's, that's a hard gulf to overcome as an organization.

[Dan LeBatard]

Ron Jaworski, Jaws.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's a good one.

[Billy Gil]

That is a good one.

[Amin Elhassan]

Better than lips.

[Dan LeBatard]

Bite your lip.

[Amin Elhassan]

I mean, thank you. Amin Oddball four days a week.

[Chris Cody]

Yep, yep, yep, yep.

[Dan LeBatard]

DJ Shark.

[Amin Elhassan]

Wow, you were impressed by yourself on that one.

[Dan LeBatard]

That was a good one. You surprised yourself better than John Mayor, the dentist.

[Roy Bellamy]

Hey, it's Roy. And I've been a dad for about seven and a half years now. You know what that means? Dad bod has shown up. I used to have a six pack, and now I have a whole keg where my belly is. So I'm trying to better myself with exercise. And what's really helping me is this drink called Huel. I think you should try it too. And I got a good deal for you new customers. Visit huel.com dan today and use my Code Dan D A n to get 15% off your first order, plus a free gift. I've been drinking a Hugh Black edition, ready to drink. And what's great about that is it's high in protein, 35 grams, in fact, so I've been building muscle that way. It's also got 27 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, so you can build your immune system as well. Most of all, it tastes great and you don't have to exercise as an excuse to drink it. Don't feel like cooking because you're busy. Drink Huel instead. Trust me when I tell you when you try Huel, you. You're going to Love it. Visit Huell.com Dan and as a new customer, if you use Code Dan, you can get 15% off your first order, plus free gift.

[Mike Ryan]

Folks, it's Mike Ryan. And you know that Miller Lite has basically been a partner of this show for almost 20 years. And as we celebrate 50 years of Miller Lite, that means for a large chunk of it. And look, I didn't go to school for math, but I'm pretty sure that's like 80% of the time that Miller Lite's been existing. They've been with our show, and I'm so grateful for it because we truly believe this. If you listen to us back in our radio days, throughout our times in national radio, to the pirate face to now, you know that Miller Lite has been a huge supporter of ours, and I've always been a huge supporter of Miller Lite. Why? Because it's got tastes. You know, you can depend on a great beer. Trusted by beer lovers for 50 years. Miller Light. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Amin Elhassan]

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

[Billy Gil]

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

[Amin Elhassan]

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

[Billy Gil]

My personality.

[Amin Elhassan]

Just amazing.

[Billy Gil]

Predate Curve youe Enthusiasm Stugats.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, wow.

[Billy Gil]

I'm not going to say Larry David patterned himself.

[Chris Cody]

You copy?

[Amin Elhassan]

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

[Stugatz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stug.

[Amin Elhassan]

Time now for Stugatz's Weekend Observations.

[Stugatz]

It is time for Stugatz to share his game notes. No one in the media will tell you what happened better than my boy Stu.

[Dan LeBatard]

Weekend Observations are brought to you by Miller lite. Dan, in 20 years of doing this show with you, perhaps it's the only thing I've been consistent about the entire time that this week is the best week on the sports calendar. Magnolia Lane, Rays Creek, Jim Nance, Hogan Bridge, Amen. Corner, Butler Cabin, and of course, the azaleas. Ah, the azaleas. And Dan, just like that. Make no mistake about it, Masters week is back. Exciting.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yes.

[Dan LeBatard]

Perhaps we'll talk about it more than.

[Amin Elhassan]

Just talking about Vijay Singh's withdrawal.

[Mike Ryan]

I want to talk about the par three today.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh, I love the par three. Oh, do I love the par three. I'll be glued. Speaking of back. Hello, Stephen a. Smith on first take, debating what does Ovechkin's record mean for LeBron's legacy? That's why he gets paid the big bucks. How did he weave those two together? He is a genius, that man. He really is. The Mariners have two pitchers in their starting rotation named Luis Castillo. You know what they say, Dan? If you have two Luis Castillos, you don't have one. The C in Luis Castillo stands for a couple of Castillos. Cutting it up, Billy.

[Amin Elhassan]

How do you feel? You you correctly pointed out yesterday that I should be saying it. Los Angeles instead of Los Angeles.

[Jess]

You shouldn't. I'm just saying.

[Amin Elhassan]

But how do you feel about how he says. No, it's Luis. The way. The way that you make it. Two syllables. The way that you make it. Louis.

[Jess]

I mean, stugats. His name is Louis Castle.

[Dan LeBatard]

All right?

[Jess]

I mean, seems like a guy you would like.

[Dan LeBatard]

I have no idea who he is.

[Jess]

You don't know who Luis Castillo is?

[Dan LeBatard]

The Marlins second baseman.

[Billy Gil]

Oh, good Lord. Marlin's hall of Famer.

[Jess]

He's been. Well, not yet. He's been a good pitcher in the league for years.

[Dan LeBatard]

Okay, listen, I was just trying to make a Castillo joke. You don't. You know, you have two. You don't have one. Couple of Castillo's cutting it up.

[Jess]

Have you guys seen the thing about the Los Angeles Angels? So they're called the Los Angeles Angels. It's the. The Angels Angels.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah. It's stupid. Put it on the poll. Did you know that the Los Angeles Angels is the. The Angels. Angels.

[Dan LeBatard]

The two best days of the NCAA Tournament are the day it starts and the day Duke loses. Taylor. They're called the Duke Blue Devils because they were blue in the face from choking away a national title. Taylor, how is the answer to everything around here more David Sampson? I could promise you this. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is asking for more David Sampson. How'd we get here, Dan? I left for five weeks. I mean, Samson dominated the airwaves here. They still airwaves. We're doing a. I don't know. How does that work?

[Amin Elhassan]

Excellent questions. All of them.

[Dan LeBatard]

The Samson one, too.

[Amin Elhassan]

All of them. Excellent questions.

[Dan LeBatard]

Thank you.

[Amin Elhassan]

How did we get here?

[Dan LeBatard]

All of it. Walter Clayton Jr. Senior Guard. Play to everybody comparing Walter Clayton Jr. To Steph Curry. Do me a favor. Stop doing it. What are we doing? Why are we comparing him? To start, he's not Steph Curry. No one is.

[Amin Elhassan]

Just size and step backs. That's all it is.

[Dan LeBatard]

Whenever I bet on a team, nobody can make a free throw. It's the worst.

[Amin Elhassan]

Put it on the poll at Levitar. Show Juju. When you bet on a team, does it stop making its free throws?

[Dan LeBatard]

Dan, do you know what we witnessed on Saturday? Todd golden versus Bruce Pearl. A couple of Jews coaching it up. Amazing time for Jewish coaches. Three of the Final Four.

[Billy Gil]

Wow, That's a trend.

[Dan LeBatard]

John Shire. I have no idea. Things you think about on a gummy. On a walk to the sphere. On the way to your third consecutive Dead and company show is Jimmy Garoppolo good or is he just good looking?

[Amin Elhassan]

That feels like you're thinking about that four years after everybody was thinking about.

[Jess]

Is a question though. If he didn't look the way he did, would he still be in the league?

[Billy Gil]

Yeah, he's still good looking four years later.

[Amin Elhassan]

Is it a question?

[Greg Cody]

There have to be some ugly backups out there that we're just not thinking of.

[Jess]

Who's the guy with the long neck that was in the league for a while?

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah, Dan thought he was gonna be great. He did.

[Jess]

He had the neck.

[Amin Elhassan]

Look, what I said was when he was at North Carolina, you liked him, that he was a first round pick. That's what I said.

[Dan LeBatard]

But you thought he was going to be good, right?

[Amin Elhassan]

A first round pick is what I said.

[Dan LeBatard]

Houston would win a national championship every season if basketball was played without a basketball.

[Amin Elhassan]

I agree with that.

[Dan LeBatard]

Thank you. Duke was 79. Zero under John Shire. One leading by more than 10 points. You know what that means, Dan?

[Amin Elhassan]

Something had to give.

[Dan LeBatard]

They were due.

[Amin Elhassan]

Look at that.

[Dan LeBatard]

Thank you, Greg.

[Amin Elhassan]

Look at the ally. I know he loves that one. 70 year old thumb just lifted.

[Dan LeBatard]

I will take it. I love that thumb. Hell yeah. He might not show it, but Coach K is definitely happy. Anytime John Shire loses a big game, he is. You agree? It seems like you agree.

[Billy Gil]

Totally believe it.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, I, I don't know if happiness is what comes to mind, but I'm sure that Coach K didn't want immediate championship winning. As soon as he leaves, you think.

[Dan LeBatard]

He says to his wife, he's not me. He's good, but he's not me. He had to say it, right? Coach S. Wfan debating for hours.

[Billy Gil]

Why Coach S. You know Coach K. Coach S. Yeah.

[Amin Elhassan]

Okay. Thank you for the elaboration problem.

[Greg Cody]

That's an all timer right there.

[Amin Elhassan]

Like, what are you doing?

[Billy Gil]

I mean he, you know, he's striving to get that nickname. You know when you're called Coach K.

[Dan LeBatard]

Comes before S, right?

[Billy Gil]

Yeah. You got it made.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's the, the comment that you made.

[Billy Gil]

He hasn't earned it yet. So you point if he wins a championship, he's Coach S. Yeah. You know, clearly. I mean, I got to explain that.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes. You know, short of that, right now, he's still John shy. He wasn't the guy that Coach K laughs at.

[Billy Gil]

Right.

[Mike Ryan]

He wasn't Coach K because his last name merely started with a K. He was Coach K because it was a lot easier to say than his last name.

[Jess]

Well, no, his last name does start with a K. I understand.

[Dan LeBatard]

That, but debatable. Sounds like an S. Maybe he should be coach.

[Billy Gil]

S. Wow.

[Jess]

Wow. That is true.

[Greg Cody]

Great point by Jess.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, I hadn't considered.

[Dan LeBatard]

WFAN debating for four hours whether or not Juan Soto is a needle mover. Good job, boys. That's what sports radio is all about. 20 shares Roki Sasaki crying after a bad first start for the Dodgers. Hey, Roki, there's no crying in baseball. Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's goal record with Gretzky in attendance. The great one. Alexander the Great. The comparisons between Ovechkin and Gretzky are ridiculous. Seriously, Gretzky was a far better play. Are people arguing that Ovechkin is the greatest goal scorer of all time because he has most goals?

[Greg Cody]

Wait, you mean the best player of.

[Dan LeBatard]

All time or the best goal scorer because he's neither.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, he is.

[Dan LeBatard]

The. Gretzky did it in fewer years. I believe they did it in the.

[Jess]

Exact same number of games.

[Dan LeBatard]

So now take Gretzky's rings, put them in a box, and take Ovechkin's rings and put them in a box and tell me who's better.

[Greg Cody]

Gretzky just has 900 more assists.

[Mike Ryan]

Ovechkin had two work stoppages and Covid to deal with as well.

[Greg Cody]

I mean, no one's.

[Mike Ryan]

You want to hear about two work stoppages in Covid.

[Greg Cody]

I think his point is right, though. No one is arguing that Ovechkin is a better player than Gretzky.

[Mike Ryan]

No, no, that's not the argument.

[Dan LeBatard]

But in terms of goal, he's not the great one. Now he's a great one. And there's another great one. He's a better goal scorer. There's one great one. Well, what if there's two?

[Billy Gil]

And by the way, Gretzky still has more goals if you include the playoffs. 122 to 72 in the post.

[Dan LeBatard]

Because he would go deeper into the playoffs. Right?

[Mike Ryan]

Two work stoppages in Covid.

[Dan LeBatard]

I heard you rings.

[Amin Elhassan]

I don't know how you argue, though, that Ovechkin's not a better goal scorer.

[Greg Cody]

That was a wild sentence.

[Dan LeBatard]

Then he's just like. You can't argue he's a. Gretzky just.

[Amin Elhassan]

Traveled to where Ovechkin was to make that acknowledgment.

[Billy Gil]

Like, well, he has to say that, right?

[Greg Cody]

You can't say he's a better goal scorer just because he has more goals.

[Billy Gil]

Correct.

[Amin Elhassan]

In the same number of games.

[Dan LeBatard]

Goal for your life.

[Chris Cody]

Oof.

[Jess]

You're right. Who you take It Empty net or. You know who we got in there?

[Dan LeBatard]

Grant Fear.

[Jess]

Oh.

[Dan LeBatard]

Go for your life. We're all taking Gretzky. You take Ovechkin, you're dead.

[Mike Ryan]

His rookie season was delayed an entire year because of a work stoppage.

[Dan LeBatard]

I heard you. If someone was about to beat my record, I would be as far away from the arena as possible. In fact, when John Toto broke my Clark University goals in a season record, I was halfway across the globe in Italy. The Boot. I've never met Toto. I heard he's a good player. I did it in less games. I will tell you that.

[Billy Gil]

That matters.

[Dan LeBatard]

Thank you. I'm the great one. Clark. Clark University.

[Billy Gil]

He's not in Kansas anymore, that Toto. I tell you that.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah. Thank you. Every time I walk through customs, I feel like I'm about to be arrested. Every time, man. Nothing worse than walking through customs without anyone checking a suitcase and everyone greeting you with smiles and saying, good day, mate, realizing you could have put 20 packs of dog walkers in your suitcase. Dan, I could have taken 10 pounds.

[Amin Elhassan]

Of weed, put it on the pole.

[Dan LeBatard]

And it's disappointing because then I'm in an alley, I'm talking to Kiwi, I'm making sure I don't get arrested. It's like, you know, it's old school.

[Amin Elhassan]

At Lebatard Show. Put it on the poll. Do you feel like you're going to get arrested every time you go through customs if you're not a criminal?

[Dan LeBatard]

I do. In honor of me going to Australia. Top five athletes, if they were named after something Australian. Oli. Desmond. Brisbane. Crocodile Dundee. Wade.

[Amin Elhassan]

Did you just snort?

[Billy Gil]

I did.

[Dan LeBatard]

Kangarooi Hachimura. Number five, Boomerang Asayasid. Number four, Brandon Bandai. Beachy. Number three, Rashid Khawalis. Number two, Moises Kangaloo. And number one, the Great Barrier Sharif. Abdur Rahim.

[Amin Elhassan]

Moises Kangaloo.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's so good. Here come the habs. Abs are tough. Moises Kangaloo is good.

[Billy Gil]

No, Boomer Siason's got to be number one.

[Dan LeBatard]

You know what the A in Australia stands for? Not air conditioning. They have AC issues there. And ice issues. They don't have ice.

[Jess]

We have ice issues here.

[Dan LeBatard]

In this office or United States.

[Mike Ryan]

Different kind of ice.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh, Dan. They have a community radio station on Bondi Beach. Anyone could walk in there and take the mic. So naturally, I did fire two rugby coaches. Compared the careers of Patrick Rafter and Leighton Ewitt. 14 shares.

[Amin Elhassan]

You dominated 10 minutes the airwaves as part of Operation Bloomin Onion.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yep. Next day, got a job offer from a radio station in Perth. The morning hop around with Kangas stew. Told him I get back to him. Also, Dan, we own, me and you, 20% of the Australian Baseball League.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, wow. Nice. Thank you.

[Dan LeBatard]

Got it. It's not big in Australia. It's big in Asia. So that's the play. You're fronting all the capital. 10% for you, 10% for me. We good? I'm serious. No, because the play is. Dan, there are many Asian players playing in the Australian Baseball League. So they get massive numbers. Those games stream in Asia, Japan, China, everywhere. They get massive numbers. No one cares in Australia, but in Asia, they care.

[Amin Elhassan]

So this was Operation Blooming Onion. This is why you were there?

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes. Yeah. And you're welcome. We'll cover it on the hop around. Kangasoo. Perth. Perth is a funny name.

[Amin Elhassan]

It was. It was a good. It was a good choice.

[Dan LeBatard]

It was Perth.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah.

[Dan LeBatard]

Hey, parents, got news for you. If your son or daughter is studying on Bondi beach, guess what they're not doing. Studying. Partying their asses off.

[Amin Elhassan]

You don't believe in studying abroad, do you?

[Dan LeBatard]

No, I do not. It's a scam. I mean, the work. At least two more years to pay for Ambush Trip because Sydney was not enough. Studying abroad was not enough. She went to spring break in Japan. Jesus. She watched some Australian baseball there. Where was it? Bill Raftery is better at his job than anyone in our industry is at their job. How about that?

[Amin Elhassan]

He's pretty good.

[Dan LeBatard]

Do you agree, though? Top five people who are better at their jobs than everyone in our industry is at their job. Oli, Roy, Billy, Chris, Mike. Number five, Greg, Cody.

[Amin Elhassan]

What happened to Jess?

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, I mean, I'm sorry. Jess might be in my top five. Yeah.

[Billy Gil]

Spoiler alert.

[Dan LeBatard]

Jesus, man. Let me finish. Number four, Jess.

[Amin Elhassan]

I don't believe that's what that is. Let me see your number four.

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm not going to show you my number. It's my number four. Get your own number four. What do you mean?

[Billy Gil]

Good ad lib.

[Dan LeBatard]

Thank you. Number three, Christopher Mad Dog Russo.

[Greg Cody]

Of course. He replaced the woman.

[Dan LeBatard]

Number two. Jess.

[Amin Elhassan]

They're going at a time.

[Mike Ryan]

She was four.

[Jess]

You were supposed to say Elle Duncan.

[Dan LeBatard]

I forgot about L. I had L at 4. Listen, I had to scribble some stuff out. We don't have ink here, so.

[Jess]

I mean, we don't have ink.

[Dan LeBatard]

It printed out. It was fuzzy. I can't really read the list. So Al Duncan is for. Jesse's two gods.

[Amin Elhassan]

Came in yesterday saying that he was wildly jealous of ESPN Radio's morning show because they had invented a game. Pen or pencil?

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh, my God.

[Amin Elhassan]

Shador Sanders.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes.

[Amin Elhassan]

Pen or pencil?

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, Shador Sanders to the Giants. Pen or pencil? If you write it in pen, Dan, you can't erase it with a pencil. You can erase it. So if you're saying if you're doing it in pen, then it's happening. Pencil. You're not so sure it's a good game.

[Billy Gil]

Evan Cohen what about whiteout?

[Dan LeBatard]

You still making that?

[Billy Gil]

I think.

[Dan LeBatard]

All right.

[Jess]

Big year last year. Whiteout.com stugouts Number one.

[Dan LeBatard]

I didn't finish the list. Jess was two. Bill Raftery was number one.

[Amin Elhassan]

What happened to a top five list?

[Mike Ryan]

It was three.

[Amin Elhassan]

What happened to that list?

[Dan LeBatard]

Oli, Roy, Billy, Chris 5. Greg Cody 4. E.L. duncan 3. Christopher Mad Dog Russo. Number two. Jess. Number one. Bill Raftery. Just get mad at Taylor. Dan Taylor Stugatz book number two titled I Didn't Ask for any of this. Collision Course Watching people trying to get organized after a golf round is funny. Whenever a basketball game goes to overtime, I have to turn to the person next to me and say, free basketball. My wife hates it. Why is she still married to me? I put her through hell. Speaking of hell, art brials, Dan. Those are the weekend observations.

[Unknown]

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[Stugatz]

Don Lebatar.

[Jess]

Every cup game and at what?

[Stugatz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the st.

[Amin Elhassan]

Did you guys catch last night? We have not talked about this. Either one of these games, the Dallas Stars game or the Knicks Celtics game. Because the Celtics are rounding into form and I believe no one believes in them. Anybody watching basketball knows that one of the best Knicks teams we've ever seen isn't quite good enough, even when healthy, to do the things necessary to topple OPC and Cleveland and Boston. And I don't believe, even though Cleveland's going to be the one seed, I don't believe that many people listening to this will believe that Cleveland can get past Boston until they've actually done so. But how many times have you seen in hockey a three goal lead evaporate in the last minute? In the last. I don't know.

[Dan LeBatard]

I don't ever.

[Amin Elhassan]

I don't know. I couldn't remember.

[Mike Ryan]

Correct.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's never happened before. Never, never happened before where a 52 lead has disappeared in and how much time was left? Was it more? Just more than 60 seconds.

[Mike Ryan]

The score bug that I saw was 5:2 with a minute left and Dallas ended up losing that game. 6 5.

[Billy Gil]

That's crazy.

[Dan LeBatard]

Imagine you had Dallas.

[Mike Ryan]

There are probably a lot of people that did.

[Dan LeBatard]

It.

[Mike Ryan]

Looks more and more like we're going to get Dallas and Colorado in the first round there. Yeah, I've never, never seen that before. That's the first time that's happened. So yeah, six, several six on five goals goes overtime. Vancouver wins a game that I win probability. This might have been the first ever 100% win probability that's been lost in sports history is insane.

[Amin Elhassan]

You say 100% win probability but I'm always noticing when a game is 61 to 3 or something with a minute left that the win probability will always be 99.9% because they don't actually want to give you the hundred percent because.

[Dan LeBatard]

Things like this, they don't want to commit to it.

[Amin Elhassan]

That should be put it up on the poll at Le Batard show. If you're up 5:2 with a minute left in hockey, should your win probability be 100%?

[Mike Ryan]

There is something curious happening in hockey. There have been fewer power plays called this year. Not by a little, by a lot, by an incredible amount. And the reasoning behind it is not that the players are playing any cleaner. It's at that power plays have become such an advantage in this league. The Teams have gotten so good with the man advantage and a couple of the goals there came with a man advantage, 6 on 5, which is different than a 5 on 4. But the power play has become such an advantage. Teams are just so good at it right now that the league is kind of legislating it on its own. We cannot call what was a penalty last year a penalty this year because it is almost a certain goal. So that comeback kind of speaks into how good these special teams have gotten on the offensive.

[Amin Elhassan]

Is anyone better than Edmonton was last year when they were they. They end entered the playoffs at like a 42% clip of succeeding on power plays. Is there anyone this year that is mathematically, empirically better than that? And as you look for the answer on that question, and you mentioned a first round matchup, how close are we in the west to getting Lakers warriors in the first round because of how things have to break here at the end as Denver is firing it. There's a first. There is going to be a first round. I don't, I don't know if you guys are, are watching what the Clippers are doing, but I thought the Clippers were championship good last year if they'd been healthy, and I never expect them to be healthy. But if you see what's happening not with Kawhi Leonard or James Harden, but with Zubak who like just had a perfect game of 25 and 10 where he made all of his field goals, didn't have a turnover, made all of his free throws, it was something that has rarely happened in the sport. They're playing a style of basketball that makes it that a dominant postman can actually matter in the league in a way that's a little bit unusual. And I don't know what is going to shake out on four or five in the first round in the west. But would you be excited or disappointed if it was Lakers warriors and one of them was suddenly eliminated? Given how everybody is covering basketball or so many people are covering this basketball this year where they refuse to talk about the top four seeds unless it's the Lakers.

[Dan LeBatard]

The Clippers have won five straight. It's incredible when you consider Paul George is no longer there. They won 8 of 10. I think Tyrone Lu is probably. He has to up there. Tyron Lou, in terms of, you know, top three or four coaches in the NBA, I would love to see the Lakers and the Warriors. I just like to see it later in the playoffs. But I'll take it. I'll take it anytime I can get it. Like that's going to be fun. Right?

[Amin Elhassan]

I think that people will be disappointed if you don't get the star power, the aged star power that you want deep in the playoffs. I don't. I. I think if I offer that to the average basketball fan and say, would you like to see Warriors, Laker in the first round, or would you like to see them play others and try to advance to a round that has more stakes given what happened on Christmas Day. Right. That, that the, the clinging to familiar makes it so basketball cannot compete with the NFL, except when it's LeBron and Stefan. It happened the other night. Right? It happened. The, the Laker games are still the ones that are doing giant numbers, even though it's been a little bit uneven with the Lakers. And I still don't really know how this is going to work with because I see an awful lot of six for seventeens or six for nineteens from him and it's just not, it's not what you need from him. He's got to be the best, the best basketball player on your team can't be the oldest player in the league.

[Dan LeBatard]

I know he can. If you asked the NBA, if you asked Adam Silver, who do you want matched up in the Western Conference finals, if you could have any two teams, he would tell you. Lakers, Warriors. Right? That's the answer.

[Billy Gil]

That's the highest rated TV series in this playoffs. If that happens.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes.

[Billy Gil]

Potentially higher rated, I think, than an OKC Cleveland Finals.

[Amin Elhassan]

Can you get me the stat of the day music here, please? And the gas bag of the week as well? Because I want to tie. I want to tie the stat of the day to something here that people aren't talking about, that perhaps they should be.

[Stugatz]

Start of the day, Start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day Start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day Start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day Start of the day it is the start of the day.

[Amin Elhassan]

I don't. I don't think this stat has changed in the last couple of days because Oklahoma City was just playing against the Lakers and this is a couple of days old and I have not refreshed it. But the Oklahoma City Thunder against the east this year, 29 1. They've lost one time against the east and it is a little bit strange to have a team doing this well in the league. League and have it be in the shadows. But what Oklahoma City has done in terms of architecture on team building, the Paul George, Kawhi Leonard trade is going to go down as one of the greatest trades the other way that there's ever been. And the stockpiling of draft picks in a city where you can tie people down for a while by contract because of the economy of the sport puts them in a position with young players because that team is super young. They behave young. They behave. They behave goofy and silly in a way that's not immature the way Ja Morant is immature, goofy and silly after games in a way that is childish and fun. Their style of play offensively and defensively is fun. And the team is personality fun. But we're not quite ready to give the league over to them yet.

[Dan LeBatard]

Folks, listen up.

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[Roy Bellamy]

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