Hour 1: The Arch That Is Not A Bridge

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: The Arch That Is Not A Bridge
Date: September 17, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

In this engaging hour, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and their regular cast dissect Adam Silver’s increasingly scrutinized NBA tenure—contrasting the commissioner's early reputation as a progressive change-maker with the growing perception that he has become a compromised operator more accountable to ownership than fans or players. The hour also explores the peculiarities of Miami’s cityscape, debates the purpose of an infamous "arch that is not a bridge," and culminates with football banter, highlighted by Tony's "Top Five" segment. The tone weaves from critical and investigative to casual and irreverent banter.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Adam Silver’s Credibility Problem (00:38–15:05)

a. Following a Legend: Silver After Stern

• Dan Le Batard opens by comparing Adam Silver following David Stern to inheriting a legend’s legacy ("Don’t follow the legend—Nick Saban, Bill Belichick"), asserting Silver's early reputation was built largely on optics, not hard decisions (00:38).
• Quote (Dan Le Batard, 00:38):
  “The way Adam Silver followed the legend David Stern was by being so bold...taking the team from Donald Sterling...all the other owners wanted him to do that because they hated Donald Sterling.”

b. The "Highlight League" Backpedal

• The crew plays an extended soundbite of Silver awkwardly re-contextualizing his controversial "highlight league" comment, suggesting he’s minimizing fan engagement issues and the NBA’s growing detachment from traditional viewership (02:38).
• Mike Ryan and Tony are openly skeptical:
  “I think he’s full of crap...that’s a question about cost. Like, he’s full of crap.” (Tony, 03:43)

c. Pablo Torre’s Reporting and the Aspiration Sponsorship Scandal

• Pablo Torre’s journalism is lauded for exposing gaps in Silver’s claims—Silver initially says he didn’t know about Aspiration, a $300 million sponsor for the Clippers, but later walks back the denial (04:41).
• Quote (Dan Le Batard, 05:43):
  “Why is he lying? Because the truth makes everybody look really terrible...it is rare in my lifetime to see a journalist put in the work in sports that would come close to a smoking gun on things the seventh richest person in the world is trying to hide.”

d. What Is the Commissioner’s Job?

• The panel debates the job description of a commissioner—is it to protect optics and “integrity” or simply to enrich owners?
• Quote (Dan Le Batard, 11:47):
  “I’m not giving Adam Silver credit for discovering streaming. I’m simply saying that by happenstance, an amount of money has appeared out of nowhere that makes it so that those owners are probably happy with the job Adam Silver is doing. Because...what is the commissioner’s primary job?”

e. Silver Versus Stern: Owners' Power Shift

• Under Stern, owners weren’t the clear bosses; under Silver, the shift is pronounced.
• Quote (Dan Le Batard, 13:16):
  “The owners didn’t feel like they were David Stern’s boss. They are Adam Silver’s boss...and the job...beyond making money is to be the protective buffer.”

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2. Miami Infrastructure Rant: The Bridge That Isn’t (18:00–21:00)

• Dan and the team pivot to a local topic—Miami’s controversial, incomplete “downtown arch.” Is it a bridge? Is it anything useful? Local frustration is palpable.
• Quote (Dan Le Batard, 19:12):
  “We waste $800 million on that thing over there over that arch. That’s not a bridge. That is just a useless built thing making downtown traffic just awful in Miami. No reason for that.”
• The crew debates: Is it ever going to be functional, just a visual art piece, or an emblem of Miami’s construction waste?
  • Tony: “It's definitely not going to be a bridge.” (20:00)
  • Mike Ryan: “I think this is mainly aesthetics.” (20:18)

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3. Elevators, Superstitions, and Floors (21:00–22:15)

• A light digression as the crew muses on hotel superstitions—do most hotels label the 13th floor as such, or skip it due to bad luck?
• Leads to a playful poll for listeners.

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4. Tony’s Top 5 NFL Observations (22:29–30:17)

Tony delivers his “Top Five Observations” segment from outdoors—with the Miami cityscape as a backdrop. Topics segue from genuine football analysis to comic effect.

a. OLIs (Outside Looking In)

• Atlanta Falcons might surprise, but offense not convincing.
• Brandon Aubrey—too early to tout as “best kicker ever”?
• Humorous poll suggestion:
  “Is it too early to call Brandon Aubrey the best kicker of all time?” (23:28)

b. Top 5 List

1. Cam Ward—Flashes of Talent:
   • “There’s flashes there” but concern over decision–making. (24:18)
2. Panic Meter: Chicago / Caleb Williams:
   • Tony’s at a 5/10; Dan goes “eight” (25:54–25:56):
     “I mean, it’s not two games. It’s two seasons. It’s not two games.” (Dan Le Batard, 26:02)
3. Time for Joe Burrow Conversation?
   • Health and durability issues, likened to Andrew Luck’s career trajectory.
4. LA Football: Rams & Chargers Both “Tough Outs”
   • “The two LA teams that nobody in LA cares about...” (27:22)
   • What if we get a Rams-Chargers Super Bowl and “nobody in LA gives a ____”?
5. Danny Dimes: MVP Candidacy?
   • Playful speculation on Giants’ Daniel Jones.
   • Dan Le Batard (29:45): “I will not believe Daniel Jones is an MVP until seven or eight seasons after he’s won the MVP.”

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5. Patrick Mahomes at 30: Is He Already a Hall of Famer? (34:09–36:59)

• Mahomes turns 30; celebrated for statistical dominance.
• Debate: Is he a Hall of Famer right now? Panel is unanimous: “Yes.”
• Discussion pivots to the limits and blame athletes face, particularly when supporting casts create challenges:
  • Mahomes’ current obstacles (injuries to key receivers).
  • Comparison to Tom Brady losing a Super Bowl due to weak supporting cast.
• Dan Le Batard:
  “What Patrick Mahomes is enduring right now is very nice—Mike, you all defend him when he's responsible for all the winning but isn't responsible for any of the losing. That's a good position to be in.” (34:54)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Le Batard, 05:43:
  “Why is he lying? Because the truth makes everybody look really terrible. The truth that...this is, and I know this is complicated thicket of information because it is rare in my lifetime to see a journalist put in the work in sports that would come close to a smoking gun on things the seventh richest person in the world is trying to hide.”

• Tony (13:05):
  “He was that commissioner that I just described. We wish or thought that commissioner is supposed to be—the ones that keep the league in order and make sure everything is on the upper.”

• Mike Ryan (12:33):
  “But few sports a decade ago were better positioned for global domination like the NBA. And that stuff is cool. They've been slow on this expansion to Europe. I don't know if the same energy because of the things that I outlined: style of play, load management—you don't know if you buy a ticket, you're going to see the stars playing. These are all new, newer things that have happened on Adam Silver's watch.”

• Dan Le Batard (19:12):
  “We waste $800 million on that thing over there over that arch. That's not a bridge. That is just a useless built thing...that is just wasteful spending.”

• Dan Le Batard (26:02):
  “I mean, it’s not two games. It’s two seasons. It’s not two games.”
  (On why Chicago's panic meter is higher than Tony suggests)

• Dan Le Batard (29:45):
  “I will not believe Daniel Jones is an MVP until seven or eight seasons after he’s won the MVP.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Adam Silver scrutiny / “highlight league” and Aspiration scandal: 00:38–15:05
• Local Miami “arch that’s not a bridge” rant: 18:00–21:00
• Hotel elevator superstition discussion: 21:00–22:15
• Tony’s Top Five NFL Observations: 22:29–30:17
• Patrick Mahomes/Is he a HOF’er at 30? 34:09–36:59

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Tone & Flow

• The hour flows from serious and critical (Silver’s accountability) to sardonic and playful (Miami infrastructure, NFL banter).
• The panel’s chemistry is marked by rapid-fire quips, transparent skepticism, and frequent digressions into local oddities and everyday comedic observations.

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Summary

This episode is an incisive critique of shifting power and accountability in American pro sports as embodied by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Amid soundbites, journalistic skepticism, and reflections on the commissioner’s true job, the crew expands into Miami local color and NFL observations, never taking themselves too seriously—even as they raise important questions about leadership, transparency, and the spectacle of modern sports. The balance of in-depth analysis and comic levity makes this a representative, memorable hour from the Le Batard universe.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

Olivia loves a challenge. It's why she lifts heavy weights and likes complicated recipes. But for booking her trip to Paris, Olivia chose the easy way with Expedia. She bundled her flight with a hotel to save more. Of course, she still climbed all 674 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. You were made to take the easy route. We were made to easily package your trip. Expedia made to travel flight inclusive packages are atoll protected.

[Stugotz]

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'd like to talk with you guys a little bit about what is happening surrounding Adam Silver because you guys say don't follow the legend. Nick Saban, don't follow the legend. Bill Belichick and the way Adam Silver followed the legend David Stern was by being so bold or appearing so bold. I should say appearing so bold. Because when he took the team from Donald Sterling, it was actually a very easy decision because all the other owners wanted him to do that because they hated Donald Sterling. Donald Sterling was an embarrassment to all the other owners for a long time.

[Mike Ryan]

Except for Mark Cuban, funny enough.

[Dan Le Batard]

And the position that Adam Silver now finds himself in is an interesting one because I thought once upon a time he was a progressive modern leader who was younger than David Stern, who would be ally to the players, more gentle, wouldn't be iron fisted dictator.

[Tony]

You don't believe that anymore.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, he's just gotten old, right? Adam Silver has aged during the tenure in a way that might make him make a few of the mistakes that he made when he called it a highlight league. He's walked some of that back here recently because he had to. When you've signed this much in television contracts, you cannot tell your television partners that it's a highlight league on the Internet. Let's listen to Adam Silver walking some of that back before we get to some other Adam Silver comments. Because he's, he's been caught off guard by Pablo Torre's reporting that is so thorough that it has showed that Adam Silver benefited from a soft media for the last few years, that he's smarter than usually in the way that we cover some of these things. But he's been behind Pablo Torre and Pablo Torre has made some of the things that he has said look bad with new information. But let's get some walking back here. Some backpedaling on Adam Silver calling his league a highlight league.

[Adam Silver (quoted)]

A portion of the question, the end of the question was about the impact of social media. That's what I was answering on our sport and what I was Saying in a very positive way. And I don't think it takes. I think it's additive to those who watch our games live and increase the likelihood that they'll watch our games live. By saying highlights based, I meant, you know, when I watch the traditional sports center, you know, and they have the top 10 plays and five of those are NBA plays, I'm like, yeah, I'm not thinking like, oh, damn, like more highlights are being promoted from our league. I mean, I conventionally the reaction that was like, that's really good. You know, it's a live game full of highlights. I mean, by definition, highlights aren't necessarily past tense. I mean, like when NBA games are packed with action. And I guess it was misconstrued, but the point I was trying to make is that there is this community of social media followers, frankly, globally estimated at over at roughly around two and a half billion people connect with the NBA in some way.

[Tony]

I think he's full of crap. Like, I think he's full of crap because he says there that, you know, if you remember what the question was I was answering about social media. I have the question. You want to hear what the question was? This was back after the owner's meeting, which is what, like a week and a half, two weeks ago. The actual question was, it's becoming very expensive to watch the NBA as a fan, not just to go to games, but also in order to. There's different streaming services you have to subscribe to. Some of the RSNs are expensive. I know there are points of entry for fans to interact with the NBA. There's social media, a lot of younger fans. That is how they're experiencing the sport. But I wonder how much you think about that and how that will shape the next generation of fans. That's a question about cost. Like, he's like he's full of crap.

[Dan Le Batard]

Not the only time that he's full of crap because. Let's go to the original sound that Adam Silver gave us before Pablo Torres. Additional reporting that made all of this sound very foolish.

[Adam Silver (quoted)]

The podcast came out. It was news to me. I frankly never heard of the company aspiration before. And I'd never heard a whiff of anything around an endorsement deal with Kawhi or anything around engagement with the Los Angeles Clippers. So it was all new to me.

[Dan Le Batard]

And that didn't seem right at the time. And it proved to not be right when Pablo Torre reported what he did. And so this is what Adam Silver had to say after that.

[Stugotz]

He has said that you have said.

[Mike Ryan]

You hadn't heard of aspiration before, but.

[Stugotz]

A $300 million deal with the team.

[Tony]

You, team was going to be like a jersey patch sponsor.

[Mike Ryan]

They had aspiration on the back of the courtside seats.

[Adam Silver (quoted)]

I think, just to be clear, I'm not sure if I said I never. If I said I never heard of it. I meant in the context of the accusations here. I mean, I certainly was aware of the brand, but I didn't know anything about it.

[Tony]

Yes, because I think just earlier today.

[Mike Ryan]

Pablo tweeted, He said that because it.

[Stugotz]

Was a $300 million deal, it was.

[Mike Ryan]

A founding sponsorship agreement, and those, as.

[Stugotz]

I would expect, have to be approved.

[Tony]

At the league level.

[Dan Le Batard]

Why is he lying?

[Tony]

I mean, like, you can't be any clearer than, quote, I've never heard of the company aspiration.

[Dan Le Batard]

Why is he lying? Because the truth makes everybody look really terrible. The truth that. Why allegedly. Why is everyone lying? Because the truth is this is, and I know this is complicated thicket of information because it is rare in my lifetime to see a journalist put in the work in sports that would come close to a smoking gun on things the seventh richest person in the world is trying to hide. Usually we can't get close to those things. The corridors of power in sports and around money in general make it that there is just these giant gulfs between the people who are running sports and the people covering sports. And we're not actually allowed near many of the guard gates, never mind through them. Them. So Pablo Torre's reporting on this, if it is factual that Ballmer put in tens of millions of dollars should make this one of the biggest sports scandals that we've seen in a decade and the biggest one in that sport. Non crime division. Non. And there is the accusations here are not crimes around.

[Dan]

That's a big asterisk. Non crime division. Because there have been a lot of gambling scandals in the NBA, like just these past two years.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, you tell me.

[Mike Ryan]

Sterling was pretty big.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes, it was Sterling.

[Dan]

I think that was over a decade.

[Dan Le Batard]

Ago, though, at this point, Donaghy Sterling was pretty big. And I would say that it was pretty big because of what the commissioner did. If the commissioner did the same thing here, this one would be as big. It doesn't have the racial elements, but it would be as big if they got rid of the owner, which they're not gonna do.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm glad that you mentioned Sterling because Silver came out of the gates getting a lot of cred for his handling of Donald Sterling and being more progressive than any of the other commissioners when it came to gambling. But in retrospect, that seemed like we were moving in that direction either way. So he got a lot with. He bought a lot with how he handled Donald Sterling. Do you remember how poorly he handled Robert Sarver and what the initial punishment was? I don't remember. Just a year long suspension while Chris Paul and LeBron James came out and heavily criticized what went on with Robert Sarver and how it was allowed to. Do you remember what pushed Bud Selig out? It feels like maybe I'm remembering this wrong, but people weren't happy with that All Star Game fiasco. The NBA has got its own All Star Game fiasco. In fact, the NBA has bigger problems right now. Style of play, ratings way down, load management. These are all things that happen on Adam Silver's watch.

[Tony]

This is his NBA.

[Mike Ryan]

This is his NBA. And now you add the Kawhi thing to this. Let's not forget the Daryl Morey china thing. There have been a lot of bad things that have happened to this man's resume when just a few years ago along the time of Ray Rice, he would have argued easily. Roger Goodell is the worst commissioner in sports and Adam Silver is the best shoes on the other foot.

[Tony]

You're right.

[Mike Ryan]

Roger Goodell's wholly turned that thing around.

[Dan]

I mean, unless they find actual federal crimes or whatever that have been committed in this, the story's like in terms of how it's affected the league, it's largely insignificant. Right. Like you have a guy who refuses to play a lot of the time who went to a team where he didn't really impact anything, they didn't win a championship or anything and they circumvented a salary cap and again, didn't really impact any of the results.

[Tony]

Well, it's up to the owners, right?

[Dan]

Yeah, but I'm saying like big picture. It's not like, oh, now we need to strip a team of a title. This is the integrity of the game. Like it hasn't really impacted results very much.

[Tony]

Right. Like if they want a title, if they had any kind of actual success, I suppose there'd be a bigger outcry.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think it depends on what the penalty is, guys. Like, I will.

[Dan]

We don't think there's going to be a big penalty is what we're saying.

[Mike Ryan]

That's a big problem.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay. And maybe there won't be sin. Maybe there won't be a big penalty. I don't know that we can comment on this intelligently though until we see what all the reporting is and what the penalty is. Because the Donald Sterling story was obviously a salacious, scandalous story because we had audio of racism at a time. Think of the time period this was like race as subject matter was something that it mushroom clouded for reasons that have been happening in this country for the last 10 years at that time. And so you had the scandal there. But what made it the story that it became is, holy shit, a commissioner just came down and took somebody's team. Like it was the penalty. That made it mushroom into the larger story. When you guys talk about a commissioner doing a good job or not, what's the job? Because Goodell was seen as a clown, but was making money for the league and Adam Silver. While not a clown, Adam Silver found a revenue source in streaming that didn't exist before. And the consequences if not for streaming, maybe all those things you just mentioned would have actually hurt the dollars because people, fewer people were watching. But it doesn't matter. The teams are worth more than they've ever been and the money is rolling in at an unprecedented number.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think you can give them credit for finding streaming when I think they're last to the streaming rights fees. Now, streaming platforms have evolved and have increased resources and a higher priority on getting live sports rights. But the NFL was talking to streamers well before and they had their deal with prime and Netflix, the NHL like their. Their basically league pass package went to espn. MLB had Roku and Tubi. Yeah, we're doing the streaming thing again. They had exclusives. So I don't know how much credit you can give Adam Silver for finding this. But to your point, the saving grace for Roger Goodell, when he was in the middle of the Ray Rice stuff and it legitimately felt like he was going to get fired, was he kept raising the watermark in terms of rights and what the league was generating. And Adam Silver's done that.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm not giving Adam Silver credit for discovering streaming. I'm simply saying that by happenstance, an amount of money has appeared out of nowhere that makes it so that those owners are probably happy with the job Adam Silver is doing. Because I will ask you guys again, what is the commissioner's primary job? Because I think we think of it as protect the league, protect the optics, protect the future of the league. And I think the owners say no. How much cash are you making me right now? That's the number one job of Adam Silver.

[Tony]

No, you're right. I think the average sports fan thinks the commissioner's job is to be in Charge of the league to be like the law and order of the league and be in charge of making sure everything is fair and just. But in pro sports, that's. It's literally the job of the commissioner just to make the.

[Mike Ryan]

But few sports a decade ago were better positioned for global domination like the NBA. And that stuff is cool. They've been slow on this expansion to Europe. I don't know if the same energy because of the things that I outlined. Style of play, load management. You don't know. If you buy a ticket, you're going to see the stars playing. These are all new, newer things that have happened on Adam Silver's watch. That David Stern. Say what you will about the man.

[Tony]

I think he was the best.

[Mike Ryan]

He would not let this stuff happen when it came to I buy a ticket to set game.

[Tony]

Yep.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't see star because of what. Because they're resting.

[Tony]

He was that commissioner that I just described. We wish or thought that commissioner is supposed to be the ones that keep the league in order and make sure that everything is on the upper Popovich.

[Dan Le Batard]

I remember where that started. Popovich in Miami let his starters stay in San Antonio, and David Stern thundered in and corrected that. But this is an important distinction you guys are making between how it is that these leagues are led, because I would say that soon after on a commissioner's job, very soon after on the priority list of make owners money. And David Stern did this very differently. And this has happened quietly under Adam Silver. The owners didn't feel like they were David Stern's boss. They are Adam Silver's boss. And the job of Adam Silver beyond making money is to be the protective buffer. This is all Goodell did at the beginning when there was chaos around him. Hey, make sure this shit doesn't get near Jerry Richardson. Make sure that none of this shit gets close to the money. Just take the hit as the leader of the league so that we're not yelling about any of the owners be the protective buffer on this. But here he's compromised because this is an owner everyone loves, and this is an owner who is very much Adam Silver's boss. Like when. When Steve Ballmer returns Silver's calls a little more slowly than Silver returns Ballmer's calls. That's the way that relationship works. The money is the power there. And part of the job is protect the owners from being seen as. As all of this. Protect all of the owners from being covered in the garbage. You take the hit on it.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, it's very clear that Adam Silver is TR on this story. His answers on it have been bad. When Deflategate is happening or when the Steven Ross tampering stuff is happening, Roger Goodell kind of sprang into action. You announced like this investigation panel and I know that Adam Silver has done that, even though there's ambiguity surrounding that. But he wasn't, he wasn't saying quotes that made things worse. It's, it's a challenge for him to navigate, and I don't think he's navigating it. Well.

[Stugotz]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan]

Thursday Night Football is on and it's only on Prime Video this week and AFC rivalry ignites as the Miami Dolphins battle the Buffalo Bills in a heated division showdown in the Empire State. Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with Football's Best Party TNF tonight presented by Verizon. Not a Prime member? Not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. It's the Dolphins and the bills Thursday at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.

[Mike Ryan]

Don Le to US residents.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh wow. That's for sure.

[Stugotz]

Think I haven't been practicing st.

[Dan Le Batard]

I didn't realize we had a substitute complicated legacy brought to by headquarter Toyota.

[Stugotz]

441 power line road second down to nine.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Lebatar show with the ST. When you say zaslo that Adam Silver is full of crap. Aren't we all like actually literally aren't we all full of crap?

[Mike Ryan]

You're talking about the GI track.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes, I'm talking about how your back hurts when you take a big dump.

[Dan]

What?

[Stugotz]

That's never happened to me. Unlike that caller.

[Mike Ryan]

I did like his accent though. I gotta tell you, I do love that segment. Pull this take. It's growing on me.

[Dan Le Batard]

Tony has football observations that he has not made this week and he is somewhere outside. It is raining outside and I don't know exactly where he is because I can't see him at this precise moment. But I suspect there he is. I see him on the preview and soon. Look at that. Look at that landscape. That looks fake. Behind toady. That is freedom. Behind him over his right shoulder he have freedom.

[Stugotz]

The.

[Dan Le Batard]

The freedom tower over his left shoulder. What do we do with that freedom? We waste it. We waste $800 million on that thing over there over that arch. That's not a bridge. That is just a useless built thing that is making downtown traffic just awful in Miami. No reason for that. That is just wasteful spending. Downtown Miami is filled with construction because we can only build up. What is that thing Behind Tony. It is a giant waste of money. I don't understand why that's there.

[Mike Ryan]

Don't forget the flooding.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, and it floods right under there. Yes.

[Mike Ryan]

That thing is edging right now.

[Dan Le Batard]

That would be a useful bridge if, if, you know, 10 years from now all of South Florida is underwater and that's how we were traveling that high up. But it's not a bridge.

[Dan]

Is it going to be a bridge?

[Dan Le Batard]

Is it. Are we sure? You sure it's not just a visual arch? Are you positive?

[Tony]

It's definitely not going to be a bridge.

[Dan]

It's called the downtown Miami Arch bridge.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, but, but is it a functional.

[Tony]

Bridge or is it just when they.

[Dan]

Build the road under it, like the Golden Gate Bridge? Didn't you didn't just snap your finger and then all of a sudden there was a bridge there. You have to build the different portions of the bridge.

[Stugotz]

So that's where what they're going for.

[Mike Ryan]

Right?

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not sure this is structural, though, as a part of the whole bridge thing. I think this is mainly aesthetics.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right.

[Stugotz]

Tom Cruise movie where he's going to like jump across something.

[Tony]

Yeah. We got two people full of shit right now, Adam Silver and Billy. That's on a bridge.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, it's going to be a bridge. It's going to be. It's going to be the. Associated with the bridge.

[Dan]

It's whatever you guys want it to be.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know. I'm trying to back you up here, Billy, I think. But right now, like, it is going to be a bridge. But is this part of, like, the structure or is this just aesthetic?

[Stugotz]

This was part of the thing that'll make you say, oh, that's a cool looking bridge. Look, it has this over it, Right.

[Dan]

We built this just for Tony's segment.

[Mike Ryan]

When this is done 25 years from now, you're going to love it and call it a bridge.

[Dan Le Batard]

So you're assuming South Florida is going.

[Mike Ryan]

To be 25 years from now. That thing will be done, I think.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay.

[Stugotz]

Hello, Tony.

[Dan Le Batard]

I would say South Florida might be done in 25 years. At LeBatard show. Put it on the poll. More likely to be finished in 25 years. That bridge or South Florida, Tony. So you are on what floor right now of the lovely and extravagant and luxurious elser.

[Stugotz]

Dan? We're on the 13th floor, I believe. It just says pool, so I don't know. They don't have the floor Exactly.

[Dan Le Batard]

We have 13 floors. I thought most places tried to not have 13 floors.

[Dan]

The floor still exists, though. Yeah, they just don't call it that.

[Tony]

That always confuses me because we don't want to label it 13, but then I'm not stupid. I know that the floor then that's labeled 14. You know, where you really are is actually 13. So how do we. How do we handle that?

[Stugotz]

Hotel should just have a blank, empty space. Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

How does that work? What percentage?

[Stugotz]

Well, we've got pool and fitness.

[Dan Le Batard]

What percentage?

[Stugotz]

That's the floor we're on.

[Dan Le Batard]

You guys, imagine what percentage of hotels actually label it 13 and then don't label it 13 simply because it's unlucky. Unlucky because it's totally inconsistent. Right. Do you think the majority of hotels will have 13 as the number or won't have 13?

[Stugotz]

I usually see in an elevator it's skipped 12, 14, and it's wild. Everyone knows where you really are.

[Dan Le Batard]

Juju, put it on the poll, please. At Le Batard show, most hotels, do they have a number 13 on the 13th floor or not? Tony, do you have Olis? What are these? Just NFL observations?

[Stugotz]

Well, we got every week. Dan, on my top five observations from the week, and usually we do have some oli. I've got two OLIs for this week. A lot of football played and I had a lot of observations for football being played. So you want to start in the Oli. Atlanta gonna surprise a lot of people this year. Defense playing tough. Offense looking good. Bijan Robinson looking good. I like what Atlanta's doing. Dana, what do you think about Atlanta?

[Dan Le Batard]

Offense doesn't look that great to me. And they. I believe that what happened in Minnesota is Minnesota's got a quarterback problem, and I don't believe that that was because Atlanta's offense looks that good. But we'll see.

[Stugotz]

That's why that's the Oli. Just a. Just a little appetizer to get the conversation going.

[Mike Ryan]

And Tony Falcons Twitter.

[Stugotz]

Here's all I.

[Mike Ryan]

Number two, Zach Robinson is getting so much crap online, they hate that offense right now.

[Stugotz]

Second, Oli, is it too early to call Brandon Aubrey the best kicker of all time?

[Dan Le Batard]

Put on the poll, please. At Le Batard show. Juju, is it too early to call Brandon Aubrey the best?

[Mike Ryan]

I don't like what I'm doing, but I. It's Justin Tucker, clearly.

[Dan]

We talked about Justin Tucker earlier.

[Stugotz]

Oh, wow.

[Dan]

Is anyone going to be desperate enough to sign him? And we failed to mention he's suspended the first 10 games of the season. However, week 11, people start getting desperate.

[Stugotz]

What. How long does Brandon Aubrey have to keep this up to be the best kicker of all time.

[Mike Ryan]

10 more years, I think. 10 more years.

[Dan Le Batard]

More than. More than just a few games.

[Tony]

At least a few more games.

[Mike Ryan]

10 years and 10 years of making everything and then falling off for his last season. He can be in that conversation. I'm not going to do this. Where we forget how incredible Justin Tucker.

[Dan]

Was or Sebastian Janikowski.

[Mike Ryan]

Seabass.

[Stugotz]

Mmm. Smoking a cigarette on the sidelines. I love that. All right, starting off at number five, Mike, stand up. Cam Ward showing flashes. There's something there with Cam Ward and I don't love the 37 yard throw across his body. Yeah, number one pick. I don't love the 37 yard throw across his body from the six yard line, which is a terrible throw. Somehow or another across his body away from kind of like a fade away throw and he still gets it there. There's flashes there.

[Mike Ryan]

Dano, you're not allowed to claim you're seeing things other people don't see when it's a number one overall pick.

[Tony]

Could be something there.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, but he. Yeah, but again, there's been a lot of number one picks as of recent that haven't been good. You called number one picks ass.

[Mike Ryan]

You can't.

[Stugotz]

Last segment. Did you forget that?

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not going to let you do this. You're not allowed to take credit for thinking ass. Yeah, he's ass.

[Stugotz]

No, I didn't say camm. I'd be good. Okay. All right. Okay, fine. Number four, panic meter at five right now for Chicago. My internal panic meter is at five. Five out of seven or eight, it goes up to 10. It goes up to 10. So right now I'm like halfway a little worried about what's going on in Chicago. I don't know if Caleb Williams is the answer, guys. I'm a little worried about it if you want me to be honest. The body language isn't great. There's plays that he makes that are just like, what are you doing? Kind of like the Trevor Lawrence situations. Like you always try to find a way to lose the game somehow. Caleb Williams, even though he makes great plays, makes some really stupid plays, I'm just like, I'm a little bit worried about the, about the situation over there. Dan, what's your panic meter after Chicago?

[Dan]

Oh, this is good.

[Stugotz]

I want to know this.

[Tony]

Out of 10, Dan.

[Dan Le Batard]

Eight.

[Stugotz]

Wow. Yeah. Out of 10. Wow. Over two games. You're at an eight already.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, it's not two games. It's two seasons. It's not two games.

[Stugotz]

I made Tony go.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's but it's, it's two seasons and if they wanted Caleb Williams to be the solution, they need to not allow 50 points against the Lions.

[Stugotz]

Good point. But it's, it's only two games in of Ben Johnson. Right. I feel like I almost trust Ben Johnson more than I do Caleb Williams. Williams trying to get things back on track. He made Jared Goffin a 200. $200 million quarterback. So I'm gonna. That's why I have it at a 5 right now. Because Ben Johnson, I still trust him enough to maybe dial things in for. For Caleb Williams. All right, number three, A lot of questions here on the Tony Stop five. Number three, is it time to have a conversation about Joe Burrow? Time to have a conversation about Joe Burrow.

[Dan Le Batard]

He gets hit a lot more. He gets hit a lot more than any other quarterback. It made Andrew Luck retire. Andrew Luck was retired like Andrew luck was sacked 50 times fewer during this portion of their careers than Joe Burrow. He's getting hit way too much.

[Stugotz]

Out of six seasons, three of them could, could be potentially season ending with injuries. So 50% clip of being healthy is not good. I feel like there's a conversation that needs to be had. I don't know if I'm the one to have it. I just feel like somebody maybe needs to have it. So just wanted to put that out there for others.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thank you.

[Stugotz]

All right, number two. Yeah, just, just, just food for thought. That's what I do here. Food for thought. Something going on in la? Rams and Chargers are tough. Dan, you said it. Rams are built Ram tough. But the Chargers also seem to be kicking ass. The two LA teams that nobody in LA cares about. Dan, you spent a lot of time in la. You were on the beat for the Chargers a couple years ago. I remember you were talking to Sedano. I think. What is the vibe right now in la where all of a sudden your teams are good? Dan, your second home in la, what do you think?

[Dan Le Batard]

Zaslow says that Jim Harbaugh is an all time great as a coach.

[Tony]

Yeah, it's true. Why would I not say so much true?

[Dan Le Batard]

Their defense. Their defense. No one can throw downfield on them through two games like you have to dump because their corners and their secondary is too good.

[Stugotz]

And what about the Rams? Ram tough.

[Dan Le Batard]

The Rams are going to be that for as long as Stafford's there. I'm going. Look, man, Stafford in the playoffs is the guy who beat Brady. Stafford is the one who made the throw to cup to beat no one. Mahomes couldn't beat Brady at home. Rodgers couldn't beat Brady at home, but Stafford went on the road, went to Brady, went to Brady and beat Brady.

[Stugotz]

The grizzled vet, Matthew Stafford. So, yeah, LA is going to be a tough out for a lot of teams. What if we have. Ooh, this is devious. What if we have the first LALA Super Bowl? Chargers on one side, Rams on the other side, and nobody in LA gives a wow.

[Dan]

Can't wait to hear wow.

[Stugotz]

Can you imagine? Yeah, well, you heard it here first in week two. Lala Super Bowl. All right, getting back to number one. It was a joke at first, but after 10 scoring drives with zero punts and a 20 record, beating a tough Broncos team. Guys, Danny Dimes putting in position for an MVP run. I don't know what to tell you guys. All I'm saying is he's playing the best footballs of entire life. Shane Steichen and them boys playing some tough football. Danny Dimes right now, if you look at certain books, plus 7,500 to be the MVP, put a couple quid on that. I've already got some locked in. I'm very excited for the Danny Dimes train, Dan. How long do you have to see it for it to be real? Two games. Not enough, of course. What's the. What's the week where you're like, all right, it's for real. 10, 11, 12.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm going to stop you real quick because I don't think anybody would be saying this right now if a Bronco hadn't jumped off sides at the end of that game. And the. Well, we're just one and one.

[Stugotz]

Okay. Okay. Well, sure. But that's not the point where we're at, right? No, it's a point. He's a two and, oh, he hasn't punted yet.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right? I won't. I will not believe Daniel Jones is an MVP until seven or eight seasons after he's won the mvp. Tony, thank you for being. Thank you for joining us from a freedom, a space of freedom. We appreciate it.

[Stugotz]

Tony's top five is presented by Smirnoff, the official vodka sponsor of the National Football League. Smirnoff. Please drink responsibly. The Smirnoff Company New York, New York. Vodka, 40% alcohol by volume.

[Dan]

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[Stugotz]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugotz]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Points for premium tech, outdoor gear and.

[Stugotz]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Find your Zinn and keep finding rewards.

[Stugotz]

That fit your [e-mail] rewards warning this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical Howdy, it's.

[Mike Ryan]

Mike and football season is here. It is quite possibly every sports fan's favorite time of year. It's a real special time. Make your football special time a Miller time, please, because I know from experience having that beautiful white can by my side or a draft at the sports bar while the big game is on. Man, all those memories having that Miller Light there, knowing that it's a beer that just hits different. Look at the tailgate. There's nothing like cracking open a Miller Lite with your crew. Whether it's that touchdown you didn't see coming or just arguing about fantasy lineups you already know you're gonna lose. Miller Lite has been the taste you can depend on for 50 wonderful years. Rude for flavor with simple ingredients, rich toffee notes and that iconic golden color. The original light beer since 1975 and still hitting different five decades later. Miller Lite Great Taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Dan Le Batard]

Don LeBatard. No one else here is willing to do a Trump or a Biden.

[Stugotz]

That's not true, Dan.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, Tony, you can catch up.

[Stugotz]

Dan. Of a thousand impersonations. That's not bad, man.

[Dan Le Batard]

Finally. Pretty good, Stugach.

[Stugotz]

Yours is terrible. You just gotta get a little redder, a little pinker.

[Dan]

You're right there, man.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yours is not that you're biting.

[Mike Ryan]

What do you mean? Oh, his is good.

[Tony]

That's actually not bad.

[Stugotz]

That's not terrible.

[Dan Le Batard]

We gotta come together. Little George Bush in that one. This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

[Stugotz]

What's up?

[Dan Le Batard]

Today is the 30th birthday for.

[Stugotz]

I'm not pushing it.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'll push it. I got it. But I'm just laughing at your reading. I'm just laughing at your reading in general, but.

[Stugotz]

Oh, he stumbled over a word.

[Mike Ryan]

I wish you guys could have, like, the director's cut of I see you.

[Dan Le Batard]

Shouting F bombs when you read. Today is the 30th birthday for Patrick Mahomes.

[Stugotz]

Happy birthday to him.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't care.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good luck. I should also mention that he has the most TD passes, wins playoff wins, and is tied for the most super bowl WINS before turning 30.

[Dan]

And a good career before it ended this season.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think he's going to age like Brady, though.

[Dan]

Is he a Hall of Famer already?

[Mike Ryan]

Yes.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, you guys are doing a funny thing, though, because when Patrick Mahomes lost to Tom Brady in the super bowl and it was obvious, oh, look, his offensive lineman. They're all out. And now he's got to run loop de loops in circles because they're going to get crushed because he doesn't have all of his players. That was something that Patrick Mahomes rightly shouldn't have been blamed for that game. What Patrick Mahomes is enduring right now is very nice, Mike, that you all defend him when he's responsible for all the winning but isn't responsible for any of the losing. That's a good position to be in.

[Mike Ryan]

That's right. And he's earned it. I'm sorry, why are we doing this? If there's one dude that's deserved, like, hey, hold on. Let's not write this dude off. And I know maybe you were feeling a little cocky because you were so right about writing off Tom Brady seven years before he retired. But Patrick Mahomes does.

[Dan Le Batard]

How about you not do the absolutism? I'm not writing him off. I'm simply saying that what they were at offense, the pleasure they were bringing us out of the Brock Osweiler age of everyone's throwing five yard slants and outs and that's how we're doing it. The whole league is plagued by it right now. Every quarterback in the league is afraid to throw the ball downfield. I just watched a Monday night game where Geno Smith was more incompetent down the field field than a quarterback has ever been. He had. He had a dozen throws down the field more than 10 yards. Two of them were intercepted. All of the others were incomplete.

[Mike Ryan]

Doesn't mean he was afraid to throw it down the field.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm not saying Mahomes is afraid to throw it down the field. I'm. I'm just saying he's not throwing it down the field. He did it one. He did it twice in the last game. Mr. Receiver. A nobody receiver. Obviously a nobody receiver. Missed him down the field by 10 yards. I know he wants to do it, but what I'm saying is there are limitations that are keeping him from being able to do it.

[Mike Ryan]

And I agree. And the limitations are his two receivers being out. Rasheed Rice has basically been out two seasons at this point.

[Dan]

It's a weird way to celebrate his birthday.

[Mike Ryan]

It is weird.

[Stugotz]

Happy birthday to him.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't care.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good luck.

[Tony]

Howdy.

[Mike Ryan]

It's Mike. And football season is here. It is quite possibly every sports fan's favorite time of year. It's a real special time. Make your football special time. Jamie Miller time, please. Because I know from experience having that beautiful white can by my side or a draft at the sports bar while the big game is on. Man, all those memories having that Miller Lite there. Knowing that it's a beer that just hits different. Look at the tailgate. There's nothing like cracking open a Miller Lite with your crew. Whether it's that touchdown you didn't see coming or just arguing about fantasy lineups you already know you're gonna lose. Miller Lite has been the taste you can depend on for 50 wonderful years. Rude for flavor with simple ingredients. Rich toffee notes and that iconic golden color. The original light beer since 1975 and still hitting different five decades later. Miller Lite Great Taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you or you can pick up some Miller Lite. Pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.