Loading summary
Transcript268 lines
- [00:01]
Zyn Advertisement
What does Zyn really give you? Not just smoke free nicotine satisfaction, but also real freedom to do more of what you love, when and where you want to do it. Why bring Zyn along for the ride? Because America's number one nicotine pouch opens up all the possibilities of right now. With Zyn, you don't just find freedom, you keep finding it. Find your Zen. Learn more@zen.com this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
- [00:31]
State Farm Advertisement
This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want is a great feeling. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. 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.
- [00:56]
Dan Le Batard
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.
- [01:04]
Stugatz
I feel like I should owe the audience some apologies here for Amin's general disrespect of Jim Irsay and Stugatz not giving the people what they want. Today on the New York Knicks tears. He's a very public Knicks fan and all of a sudden he doesn't care about the Knicks anymore. We're two hours into the show and people are here for your tears and you're not giving it to him. You're saying, have perspective. Knicks and six.
- [01:30]
Amin Alhassan
Well, I have confidence in this team. They were down 20 twice against Boston. Tatum was healthy. They came back. They won both those games. They lost game three at home. They came back and they bounced back in game four and they won that game. They're sitting here in the Eastern Conference finals. Last night hurt. I'm not going to say it didn't hurt. Of course it hurt. I was broken last night. But having time to think about it and think about this Nick team, they're, it's game one. They're not going to back down from the Pacers. They're a strong team. Brunson's probably the best player on the court every time he takes the court at this point. And so I have confidence in the Knicks winning this series in seven games. Yes.
- [02:06]
Mike Ryan
I mean, what do you think of what he just said? Brunson's the best player on the court in this series.
- [02:12]
Jeremy Tashay
I don't, I don't think that's, that's out of question. Right. I mean, obviously Halliburton's great, too, but I think Brunson has kind of proven that He's. He's the real deal. They both are guys that are kind of underestimated by most people for different reasons. Brunson because he's short. Halliburton because he's annoying.
- [02:28]
Stugatz
The annoying is a lot of fun. And this is also a lot of fun. Stugats because you're saying I'm soaking all of this with numbers, that me and Jeremy are annoying with all of the math. How about some fun? Would you like to hear a Korean broadcast celebrating the biggest collapse in New York Knicks history?
- [03:09]
Mike Ryan
That was actually amazing to see the waveform, to see the gap between the ball hitting the rim. And you actually hear Knicks fans celebrating in the background thinking that it's a miss. Yeah. Can we just isolate the shot? That was crazy that. That was also a full second.
- [03:25]
Jeremy Tashay
You guys.
- [03:25]
Stugatz
You guys have to. You guys have to appreciate this part of it though. Stugats because the fear was growing in the building over. Over the last six minutes.
- [03:34]
Amin Alhassan
Right?
- [03:35]
Stugatz
Because there was such silence there. You're picking up sounds here that you normally wouldn't pick up because there's just a blanket of fear in the place. And the ball suspended as if the game's buffering.
- [03:55]
Dan Le Batard
Wow.
- [03:55]
Mike Ryan
That little moment of cheering for the Knicks fans.
- [03:57]
Amin Alhassan
The cheers on the way up.
- [04:01]
Stugatz
Because normally when it clangs that way on the rim, you don't get to be celebrated today as better than Dame Lillard. And the best player in this series, I'm reminded. Because he got lucky.
- [04:12]
Jeremy Tashay
Because he got.
- [04:12]
Stugatz
Because he got lucky.
- [04:13]
Amin Alhassan
Yeah.
- [04:14]
Jeremy Tashay
Shooter's touch.
- [04:15]
Stugatz
That was Shooters bull about that. Put it on the poll. Put it on the poll at Lebatard show.
- [04:19]
Mike Ryan
Bad shot.
- [04:19]
Dan Le Batard
It was a good looking shot.
- [04:20]
Stugatz
Put it. Put it on the poll at Lebatard show. Was that Shooter's touch or Shooter's Bull? Shooter's touch doesn't clank that far. High.
- [04:28]
Mike Ryan
Come on. It was on such a line. Like it was a good shot.
- [04:34]
Stugatz
It was so pure that it bounced totally vertically and as if pulled on a string to tear out the heart of all of New York.
- [04:42]
Mike Ryan
Little angelic.
- [04:43]
Amin Alhassan
We're celebrating a guy who made a mistake. He was trying to take a three, Took a more difficult two.
- [04:49]
Mike Ryan
I mean, that's a take. That's a take.
- [04:51]
Stugatz
But what he's saying is that was actually in every way a failure playing.
- [04:56]
Mike Ryan
The result opposite the player. Result out of all the players to say make a free throw or hit rim. Step back a little further. Halliburton's the take.
- [05:05]
Stugatz
I like what he's saying. Because a mistake and luck Knocks Neesmith off of the news. Six threes. Not as important as the one that wasn't a three, but he thought was a three and almost ended up with an eternal joke sign because he couldn't put his foot in the right place. You all thought of Durant there, right?
- [05:24]
Amin Alhassan
A little bit.
- [05:24]
Jeremy Tashay
Well, I mean, that's what I thought was going to happen overtime, that they were going to lose the game. And then we'd all look back and say, that's the second time. If a guy wore a sneaker that was a size smaller, they'd be moving on. But no. But no. They ended up winning in overtime. And that was the impressive thing about the Pacers.
- [05:40]
Stugatz
For reasons I don't understand, Stugots has a top five list of people who have scored more than Reggie Miller. He would like to do that in a second. But before we do that, I have been remiss. Mike blew so much NASCAR breath in my face when I got in here today. And IndyCar, too. Have you guys been getting this? Mike's got it all day yesterday. Mike's obsession with yesterday got it for.
- [06:04]
Mike Ryan
30 seconds, which is what I'm limited to on this ridiculous show. Even though NASCAR is now a proud partner of this show.
- [06:10]
Jeremy Tashay
30 seconds too long.
- [06:12]
Mike Ryan
NASCAR is now a proud partner.
- [06:15]
Stugatz
You know what? Hold on.
- [06:17]
Mike Ryan
This is still alive.
- [06:19]
Dan Le Batard
I love Mil.
- [06:20]
Stugatz
Get out of here.
- [06:21]
Mike Ryan
We've got a penalty. Five minutes, Major.
- [06:29]
Stugatz
Are you an idiot? Like, are you an idiot?
- [06:32]
Dan Le Batard
Say what you want about me, but I would never, ever, ever criticize the.
- [06:35]
Tony Reali
Brands that are invested in our show.
- [06:40]
Mike Ryan
Does he have to go to. We've got a penalty.
- [06:43]
Tony Reali
Five minutes, Major, back to back.
- [06:47]
Stugatz
Do you know how much I appreciate our sponsors? You can't possibly know how much I appreciate our sponsors. And we got this clown show back here. One. One in. One in a vest. The other one just. I'm a renegade. I can't be controlled. I got so many funny impersonations.
- [07:02]
Mike Ryan
Speaking of our proud sponsors, I've said a couple of times this week, it's the biggest week in motorsports. Sunday, the biggest day in motorsports. Now, yester we covered Kyle Larson, aiming to be just the second human being in history to run all 1100 miles in both the Indy 500 and the Coca Cola 600. So the nightcap of that double should Kyle Larson do the impossible.
- [07:24]
Stugatz
Can you explain this for a second? Because don't speed through this. I know we don't give you a lot of time here, but just this has been tried before, and he couldn't do it the last Time he tried.
- [07:33]
Mike Ryan
Last year, he tried it. It's actually what got me really into nascar, the pursuit of history. Kyle Larson racing two different races, two different cities, two different circuits. Kyle Larson made a rookie mistake last year in the Indy 500. Came in too fast into the pit and it cost him the opportunity.
- [07:50]
Stugatz
He's Deion Sanders.
- [07:51]
Mike Ryan
Yes, he's Kyle Larson. We've talked about him before. If it's got wheels, he's probably the best in the planet at driving it and in Charlotte, because I want to focus on the NASCAR end. He has the opportunity should the weather hold up, because that was also part of the issue last year. He finished all the miles in the Indy 500 last year, but that race got delayed by weather and he flew into Charlotte. He was going to switch with a driver in one of the pits. You can do that in nascar. But the weather did not cooperate in Charlotte and he never actually got in the car. So he didn't even feature in that NASCAR race. He's aiming to do all 1100 miles. The only person in history to do that was Tony Stewart. He finished top six in the Indy, which was really impressive, and top three in Charlotte. No one's ever won both races in one day. If Kyle Larson does that, every show in America needs to be talking about it.
- [08:40]
Stugatz
Unlikely for him to do that. Correct.
- [08:42]
Mike Ryan
It's unlikely because he's not an IndyCar driver. He just does this as a one off and we'll see if he has enough speed. He's kind of pushing the car a little bit. Crashed out a couple times in practice because he's really pushing that car. We'll get to what's going on in IndyCar, but I want to focus on NASCAR because should Kyle Larson finish the race in Indy, do all the miles there, he's aiming to do something for just the second time in history. Finish all the miles in what is NASCAR's longest race Charlotte has. And Larson won at Charlotte last year when it was the Roval. But he's going to be doing this very long primetime race. It's going to be Amazon Prime's first race of their new contract with Dale Jr. Helping on the call. And it should be an amazing race. Hendrick, he's a racer for Hendrick Motorsports. They usually perform quite well in Charlotte, so he has a really good chance at this track. Should he do the Indy 500 and just for him to complete all the miles, that's a hell of an accomplishment. Should he win it. Everybody needs to be tuning in to Charlotte to see if Kyle Larson can do something that no one has ever done. Gearhead, by the way, is presented by nascar, our proud partners. For all the latest insights and storylines. To find out when and where to.
- [09:49]
Stugatz
Watch, visit nascar.com he's too dangerous a pirate. This is what he is. He is Amin Alhassan. He cannot be trusted around our beloved brands because he's too. He's too dangerous for mainstream media.
- [10:04]
Jeremy Tashay
I love them all. I love all of our brands, every single last one of them.
- [10:08]
Mike Ryan
By the way, if we have another break, I'd love to tell you what's going on with team Penske and IndyCar. It's a huge controversy, biggest scandal in sports.
- [10:15]
Stugatz
Well, so I'd like to actually talk about this for a second before we get back to. I do want at some point Stugatz's tears because. Because when he says broken last night, I, I don't know if he still cares as much as you need to care about just in general sports. And I'm not like, we've been in this business a long time, Stugad. So this. I, I understand how it is that, like Ben Stiller, for example, would be just a child around the neck, still like a child. And then. And that being in this business would. Would harden you in a way that wouldn't make you break anymore after 25 years of suffering because you're an adult now and you're. You don't. You. You're not. You're not consumed and obsessed with sports being your entire life like when you were in your early 20s. And so it doesn't hurt for you if, if you don't care as much as the next person does.
- [11:10]
Amin Alhassan
I care deeply. It hurt last night, but it was game one of a best of seven series in which we have home court. And so I believe in this Knicks team. My apologies for believing in my team. I've been waiting 25, 30 years for this, for this team to get to an Eastern Conference finals. They're here. I'm not going to let the good feelings I have be sullied by one lucky basket by Halliburton. I'm just not going to do it.
- [11:36]
Jeremy Tashay
What if they lose game two?
- [11:38]
Amin Alhassan
Tears. Full tears. Then the series is over. Then I have something to cry about. Last night was a bad moment. The season's not over yet. There's still hope. I still feel like we have the better team.
- [11:47]
Stugatz
The thing that I'm confused by, the only thing that I'm confused by as it relates to how it is that Stu Guts would or should Suffra. Sure. That's the perspective to have if any team that's the favorite loses game one at home. However, the way they lost.
- [12:01]
Amin Alhassan
Right.
- [12:02]
Stugatz
The way they lost. Where your fan base goes from jubilant to now terrified. They're now going into the same arena they played in last time with. With this fear sweeping through New York because you dared to hope the thing that's been hopeless for a long time. And so in the careening emotions of that, I can imagine that this will linger. It'll. It. You're showing the correct perspective, but it's not.
- [12:25]
Amin Alhassan
It will linger if we lose the series. It will not linger if they win game two and go back to Indiana 1 1. They'll be fine.
- [12:31]
Stugatz
Okay, so do you believe in the idea of. Of this kind of loss means something where we're having some conversations about. Do you think Karl Anthony Towns was relieved this morning because Brunson shot the airball and he merely ticked the front of the rim so it wasn't two straight air balls. While you're choking from your two big guys. Nicole Anthony Towns is waking up and raising a fist to the air because he's like, Brunson didn't even hit the rim. I came closer.
- [13:00]
Amin Alhassan
Dan. I look at last night's game because they're so evenly matched, but I see The Knicks up 14 with under three minutes ago, up nine with under a minute to go. And I feel pretty good about our chances moving forward. Like last night really, really hurt. But it was game one. It was not game six. It was not game seven. It was game one, and we have home court advantage. Get this thing back to the Mecca for a game seven at home. Believe what you're hearing and we win.
- [13:24]
Stugatz
Do you guys. Mike.
- [13:25]
Amin Alhassan
I learned it from you.
- [13:26]
Stugatz
Mike. We've been doing this show for 20 years now.
- [13:28]
Amin Alhassan
It's game one.
- [13:30]
Stugatz
Crushing, historic. Celebrate the pace for all time, and Stu Gats is going to just bravado his way through it.
- [13:36]
Mike Ryan
Also for his take to be. I have faith in my team. They're the New York Knicks.
- [13:41]
Amin Alhassan
That's this team.
- [13:43]
Dan Le Batard
No, no, no.
- [13:43]
Mike Ryan
Why?
- [13:44]
Amin Alhassan
This is not.
- [13:45]
Mike Ryan
Team hasn't done anything yet.
- [13:46]
Amin Alhassan
This is not a typical New York Knick team. This team is good.
- [13:50]
Mike Ryan
They just had the biggest choke in NBA history. What are you talking about? This is not the same New York Knicks.
- [13:55]
Amin Alhassan
They'll bounce back. Aren't you guys interested to see if this team has the mental fortitude to bounce back after that devastating.
- [14:01]
Mike Ryan
Yes, I'm very interested. But if I were a Knicks fan, I'd be highly doubtful and not cocksure the way that you are.
- [14:07]
Amin Alhassan
I'm confident in Brunson. What can I tell you? He gives me confidence, that guy.
- [14:12]
Mike Ryan
Folk cocksureness.
- [14:13]
Stugatz
It is. It is.
- [14:16]
Amin Alhassan
You think I'm devastated?
- [14:17]
Stugatz
I think it's a mask.
- [14:18]
Dan Le Batard
Yeah.
- [14:19]
Stugatz
I think you're spewing lies always.
- [14:22]
Mike Ryan
You were genuinely locked in on SARS Oilers. It's the only other explanation.
- [14:26]
Amin Alhassan
I mean, I can't believe they blew that third period lead.
- [14:29]
Stugatz
You are we the best player in the world?
- [14:32]
Mike Ryan
Dan wouldn't understand this. He's busy running a content circus. But if you're actually running a business, then you know, hiring the right people isn't just important, it's everything. And that's why LinkedIn jobs is an absolute game changer for small business owners. You're juggling payroll, logistics, maybe even mopping the floors before you open. You don't have time for flaky resumes, ghosted interviews, or job boards that feel like a black hole. When it's time to hire, you need a partner who grinds just like you. LinkedIn. They don't sleep. You clock out. They clock in. They'll help you write the job post quickly and clearly promote it. You'll get three times more qualified applicants. Not a guess. Real data. And Once it's live, LinkedIn helps you amplify it by sharing it with your network. You can even add that hiring frame to your profile, which doubles the number of qualified candidates you're likely to see. This is built for business owners who care about getting it right. Post your job for free@LinkedIn.com dls that's LinkedIn.com dls to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Howdy listeners, it's Mike. This is one of the best times of the year. You're caught up in the emotion of the playoffs. Big time, crucial games, going to games, hanging with your boys, hanging with your ladies, hanging with your family and having a good old fashioned time. Well, I can speak from experience. I've been doing all those things. But I've been doing so with a Miller Light by my side. Because having good times is great. Making those good times a Miller time makes it an unbelievable time. A time of your life. With Miller Lite, a brand and a beverage that has been around for 50 glorious years. That's hard to do. Remain popular and delivering on grape flavor for 50 years. Brewed with simple ingredients, none of the fluff, just real flavor. Malted barley gives it that rich, balanced, hoppy note taste. And the iconic golden Color that just hits right every time. 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.
- [16:45]
Tony Reali
Folks, listen up. The time has come to get some new golf clubs. And that means one thing. Heading over to my local PXG store for a fitting. They make the best golf clubs, period. Roy, I know you need new clubs, right? You're in that.
- [16:56]
Mike Ryan
Yeah, I need new clubs, man. My clubs are way too short. I need to get longer clubs. I need new.
- [17:00]
Tony Reali
The grips.
- [17:01]
Dan Le Batard
Grips.
- [17:02]
Tony Reali
I'm telling you, Roy, you go over to pxg, within an hour, you will be out the door with their good staff. They're going to get you fitted. You're going to take multiple shots. They're going to get you set up with their woods, with your irons. They're going to get you the right grips, the perfect length clubs. I'm telling you, nothing fixes your golf game like getting fitted.
- [17:17]
Mike Ryan
Oh, absolutely. I need to work on my short game. So these clubs are definitely.
- [17:20]
Tony Reali
I think you got to work on the whole game, not just the short.
- [17:22]
Mike Ryan
Yeah, well, you know, I. I got a long drive, so.
- [17:25]
Tony Reali
PXG fitters are highly trained, incredibly experienced, and have a deep understanding of how to optimize your clubs to get the most out of your swing. PXG fittings are educational and fun. Schedule your fitting today and for a limited time, you can save up to 20 on your entire order. Head over to pxg.com dan that's pxg.com dan to save up to 20% on your entire order. Pxg.comd a n restrictions apply. See site for details.
- [17:51]
Jeremy Tashay
Don Lebatard if Daniel Day Lewis did it, you'd be jerking off all over yourself.
- [17:55]
Stugatz
Oh, come on.
- [17:56]
Mike Ryan
Yeah, I would be.
- [17:57]
Stugatz
Aggressive Description. I mean, what is it? What is that?
- [18:00]
Jeremy Tashay
I'm just saying.
- [18:01]
Stugatz
No, that's just saying.
- [18:02]
Dan Le Batard
What?
- [18:03]
Mike Ryan
That's me. I see that photo of Daniel Day Lewis looking like Lincoln before he's about to start filming. Lincoln. And you know what I do Amin stugats. I jerk off all over myself. That's what I do.
- [18:16]
Stugatz
Lincoln, who you outed the other day.
- [18:17]
Mike Ryan
Don'T make this a rejoin.
- [18:18]
Dan Le Batard
This is the Don lebatar show with the stugats.
- [18:25]
Stugatz
Tony Reali, would you like to make a verdict here? We think that Banged up.
- [18:30]
Dan Le Batard
Stu got just amused. I love Stu feeling these emotions in his life where everything's gonna work out great. And it's wonderful because we have such history of year upon year of success. You should be panicked. You should be pulling your hair out right now, Stu. What are you talking about?
- [18:50]
Stugatz
You're not giving the people the authentic heartbreak that they want today. New York Stugach they dared to hope. I'm not saying that it's hopeless. It can't start worse than that.
- [19:01]
Amin Alhassan
It can't dare. But if he asked any Nick fan, hey, Eastern Conference finals home court advantage before the season, they'd be like, yeah, we'll take it.
- [19:09]
Dan Le Batard
Sign me up.
- [19:10]
Amin Alhassan
That feels good.
- [19:11]
Dan Le Batard
That's just a coping strategy. What you're doing now is you're trying to lower expectations.
- [19:15]
Amin Alhassan
Thank you.
- [19:16]
Dan Le Batard
So that the, the fall from the top of this mountain is not going to hurt.
- [19:20]
Stugatz
It's all self protection. He's not. He won't show us his real feelings. This is just, this is caveman male behavior from him.
- [19:27]
Dan Le Batard
He's wrapped in admirable trait. It comes from a place of being a Jets fan. It comes from a place we get what that is. But there is a part of the Knicks that is jets and that is Mets. There isn't a part of the Knicks that is Yankees in that way. The fans may feel they're that, but they're not. There is a trait, a DNA sequence in the New York Knicks that leans Mets and Jets.
- [19:51]
Stugatz
How did you feel as somebody who loves New York?
- [19:54]
Dan Le Batard
I would say I have melancholy of missing out right now. I said this to somebody this week because this show's ending in the middle of the playoffs. Dan. Now I'm beginning to at least feel a little bit like what, you know, in the middle of the playoffs. I've waited for this story for 20 years to talk about New York basketball and I'm not going to see to the end. I went to the game a couple games ago. I see all my colleagues courtside, press row. I went as a fan just to hang out with some friends and I'm not going to see it to the end. So now I'm experiencing that and I'm watching how good these games are. And it's just like I'm going to have a chance to talk about it today on around the Horn, but I won't next week. And that's now something that's in this part. It hits me here. It hits me right here.
- [20:40]
Stugatz
Well, can I hire you as a Meadowlark New York Knicks correspondent? Better than Sam Morel. Please to do something after around the horn.
- [20:48]
Dan Le Batard
You've got. You've got Stu. I am impressed, honestly, by your positivity.
- [20:55]
Amin Alhassan
Thank you.
- [20:55]
Dan Le Batard
That I find aspirational. So I think you've got still. You got it covered.
- [21:01]
Jeremy Tashay
Do you know how sad it is when Tony Reali is looking for inspiration for podcast?
- [21:07]
Dan Le Batard
That's the sign that this is rock bottom. Stu got.
- [21:10]
Amin Alhassan
This is Tony's fault. I spent too much time with him, talking to him.
- [21:13]
Dan Le Batard
Had a wonderful conversation. Stu has questions. He asked the tough questions. He asked the questions Dan Patrick won't ask. Right. And that was. That was a wonderful thing. So Stu and I shared a moment this week and that he may have taken on my overall outlook of life with the New York Knicks, which is undeserved that you should not have that outlook with the Knicks. They haven't earned it, man.
- [21:33]
Mike Ryan
A guy that's going to be out of work soon. Dan offered him a job and he said no.
- [21:36]
Dan Le Batard
That.
- [21:41]
Stugatz
I thought he said he wanted to work around the Knicks. He's going to miss it so much. And then he's not for us.
- [21:46]
Mike Ryan
Sounds like a Patrick.
- [21:48]
Dan Le Batard
I don't know. I'll be yelling at a street corner. I'll be yelling for you. I don't know what I'm gonna be doing. I just wanted that to. To see a season to the end and not end on May 23rd. Going away to the end of the houselessness over us.
- [22:06]
Stugatz
You're making the media rounds these days. I'm reading a lot of things about you.
- [22:10]
Dan Le Batard
All of a sudden, I said yes to everybody, which is, you know, somebody called me a recluse. Dan. This week, the usually reclusive reality. I've been on TV every day for 25 years. I think I felt like I had my voice out there. I didn't need to do interviews every day. But I was. You know what? I was appreciative. I came on. You said, come on the show that one day the press release came out or whatever it was. I was basically holding a phone in front of. You know, I was on the screen. I just came on. It was the worst photo you could possibly. Now that's. The photo they put out there went awful. Announcing is like, you know, we pulled five people in her office and around. The horn was just, okay, well, thanks for that article now. And this is the photo. We're going to put a reality out there, too.
- [22:54]
Stugatz
Yeah. Your hair was terrible in it. You looked unprofessional. You look.
- [22:57]
Dan Le Batard
I dropped the phone to my Crotch in the middle of it.
- [23:00]
Stugatz
It was embarrassing. As an audition for Americ, it was embarrassing. You seem nervous as well, but things.
- [23:05]
Dan Le Batard
You did that. But things you love. But.
- [23:07]
Stugatz
But now look at you now, now soaring through the sky, turning down job offers, have competition for. All of a sudden, everyone's like, look at this positive television sports person who can do live things. Well, perhaps. Perhaps he's been in a cage at ESPN and is now going to soar freely through the.
- [23:26]
Dan Le Batard
I never felt I was in a cage. You know, I'd be the circus animal who'll be dancing along in the cage like, hey, guys, how are we doing? You know, I'm too much of a pleaser to begin with.
- [23:36]
Stugatz
Okay, well, pleaser, you've made the media rounds here recently on a show that had more episodes. I saw Pablo wrote this the other day. More episodes than Oprah, more episodes than Jerry Springer. There was somebody else. I'm. I'm.
- [23:49]
Dan Le Batard
I'm forgetting it was on there. You know, these are talk shows, right? I mean, Sesame street and Simpsons have incredible numbers. Were at a higher number than that. But those aren't talk shows. I'm just having to generate show every day. Those are the numbers. That's the. And PTI is even above us by another 200 episodes. You know, so, yeah, that's pretty great. That's in the top 10 all time in the history of that medium. If. If. If you trust Wikipedia.
- [24:15]
Stugatz
Art of conversation. Art of conversation is what you hit me with. It was Riley. It was two episodes.
- [24:23]
Mike Ryan
Two episodes.
- [24:24]
Tony Reali
Riley and Ricky episodes.
- [24:25]
Amin Alhassan
Oh, Ricky, huh?
- [24:26]
Stugatz
No, not Tyson.
- [24:28]
Dan Le Batard
My bad.
- [24:29]
Mike Ryan
Didn't know what he was doing.
- [24:30]
Stugatz
You know, what I'm doing there.
- [24:31]
Mike Ryan
They had Ricky in the can. It didn't get picked out. Do you have the unreleased Ricky part of conversation?
- [24:40]
Jeremy Tashay
Do we have the right to that? Don't you hear that.
- [24:43]
Stugatz
It was unnecessary. We're celebrating this, man.
- [24:46]
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, yeah. You could give me. I could take anything you got. That's fine.
- [24:50]
Stugatz
Well, but no.
- [24:52]
Dan Le Batard
No.
- [24:53]
Stugatz
They're making fun of the art of conversation. A two epis.
- [24:58]
Dan Le Batard
What a talk show is. Somebody was critical of me today because I had allowed to say that there were journalists on our show and they even practiced journalism from occasion because. Because I didn't acknowledge it was a show, a sports show, an entertainment show. I mean, I didn't think that was needed to be said. Right. I mean, I think that was that we. Do. We take ourselves too seriously. I. Nobody in my life would imagine that. I think.
- [25:24]
Mike Ryan
I think he might actually literally be thinking about the art of conversation.
- [25:27]
Amin Alhassan
He doesn't know about the show.
- [25:28]
Stugatz
He doesn't know about it.
- [25:29]
Dan Le Batard
It was only two episodes.
- [25:30]
Mike Ryan
How should he know which aired.
- [25:34]
Dan Le Batard
People are still talking about it.
- [25:37]
Stugatz
He was faking it. He can do that. He's a professional television person. He can roll with anything. He has no idea what the art of conversation is. It was a joke you made to cut me. And it was funny to the people in our audience who saw either of those two episodes or have heard us talk about it. But Reali doesn't know what you're talking about.
- [25:54]
Mike Ryan
Were you ever tuned in to ESPN2 at 2am in the morning in the year 2017?
- [25:58]
Amin Alhassan
I was sabotaged for a two week period.
- [26:03]
Dan Le Batard
There was no. I missed. I missed those two episodes, but I. A lot of people did.
- [26:07]
Jeremy Tashay
It was a third.
- [26:07]
Dan Le Batard
They're important in the story that didn't.
- [26:09]
Stugatz
Get a prime time slot, had a longer run, wasn't given a real shot. Not the point when I'm talking about around the Horn. One of the great success stories in the history of ESPN and in sports television. And he now leaves the job. And you guys should know the conversation. Conversation around it, by the way, because your last show was next Friday, Tony. And then you're gonna come this Friday.
- [26:32]
Dan Le Batard
But thank, yeah, thanks. Keeping up with my life.
- [26:34]
Stugatz
Sorry.
- [26:34]
Dan Le Batard
Okay, tomorrow I'm on here. You're the second to last person I'm gonna talk to. Cornheiser gets that last one on Friday and, and, and that's where we are. And then, then on Friday afternoon, I'm gonna be taking the boat over to the studio for the last time and we got our finale play.
- [26:54]
Stugatz
Forgive me for this. I have been very in tune with your life, as you know, over the last many months. And you've been running toward this springboard with trepidation and excitement because it's an entirely new life for you. But while you're making these media rounds, I'm seeing someone who is my friend, an exceedingly kind person. I like all the time having to make arguments against Jay Marioti about your show or ESPN being too political. Political or too woke when all I've ever seen you to be politically on air is kindness and decency.
- [27:31]
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I don't know where it really started. I'm not that person. But I mean, I know what I am, so that's fine. I don't feel like I have to respond to anybody. I don't mind responding. I still in my head am scoring those arguments. You read an article about the show that is even viewing it in a critical eye, prove why your opinion is right. But if you're not going to give me examples of the reason why you feel this way, why the show got too serious, because on the week that a Denver Broncos player died by suicide, Woody Page wrote a column about his depression and we talked about it on the TV show that's taking you too serious. I can understand that some people view one show is only one thing. This is only an escape. I only want to see faces get muted and I only want. But the show could evolve to something else as well and aspire to be something else for 30 seconds, for 60 seconds and then go back to whatever it was we were doing before. I was proud to be in a show that had that type of flexibility and agility and I thought that and I think the network should be happy about that, that it's not just cowboy hat wearing. Cowboys stink and it's not just good cop, bad cop on the show that I love more than anything. Pti. You know, then there was a moment where somebody may have rebaring a soul for 30 seconds and then the same breath we'll be talking about who you got. Aaron Judge versus Shohei Ohtani. In my life, I like to do it all. I like to do everything. So the conversations in our show were. I was hopeful that they were everything. But I can understand people feel differently.
- [29:06]
Stugatz
How's the last week been for you?
- [29:08]
Dan Le Batard
It's been great. I got to see Michael Smith who I hadn't seen in years. I got to see Israel Gutierrez is, you know, around us. I got to see, you know, all some old friends that hadn't been on the show for a while. I have enjoyed every second. This is the weird thing about goodbyes. I've had a long goodbye, too long of a goodbye if I had my pick. I don't think we should be saying goodbye the show. But now that it's been decided and we're saying goodbye, I'm enjoying that. Right, because you don't usually get to go out on your own terms and. And maybe somebody might. No one said anything to me. I haven't heard a thing from anybody even in this week. But I not know like it's going to be a great week. We're watching. I haven't heard that from anybody. I don't need to hear that. So I'm going out the way I want to go out, which means I'm going to be the real ones. Know that the first two minutes of tomorrow's show are going to going to have a very reality moment. I'm going to recreate something that means a lot to me and the back end of the show is going to have the scoring explained because I'm happy to do that. We're going to see our eight greatest panelists, our eight, you know, biggest winners in the show's history. For the breadth of the show, how.
- [30:17]
Tony Reali
Difficult was it to pick the panelists for this week? Because I'm sure you, I'm sure you wanted everyone part of it. I'm sure everyone wanted.
- [30:23]
Dan Le Batard
I wanted to go with the 30 bucks, Chris. You know, when Atlanta gets a snowstorm and they, they show the weather people in an 18 box or whatever it is and they're all pulling their hair out because there's an inch of snow, I wanted that, you know, we couldn't necessarily pull that off. I think it's pretty easy when you look at the final standings, which we do still. When you're on the show, we sent you a research packet. You never opened that up. There's no doubt in my mind. But if you had opened it up, the last page of every research packet was the all time standings because I wanted everyone to be competitive about that. So we have a pretty clear top eight actually wins and appearances. So that's what it came down to. I think you would know the list. Of course you can't do tomorrow's show, the finale, without Woody Page and Bob Ryan and Tim Calishaw and Jay Adande and Kevin Blackistone would be able to welcome Jackie McMullen back as well, which is great. You know, Frank Isola is on the show tomorrow, which, which I love. And Pablo's gonna be in the house. But he didn't crack the win percentage because of all those terrible predictions he had.
- [31:27]
Amin Alhassan
Would I be in that 30 box, Tony? Would I be in that 30 box?
- [31:30]
Dan Le Batard
Would you crack the top 30? Yeah, I think Lil Wayne would be pressing you out right there.
- [31:35]
Stugatz
Oh, that's too bad.
- [31:36]
Dan Le Batard
He had an incredible take in his face. Just went back and watched it. This is Lil Wayne just dropping in for an episode cuz he was a fan of the show. He had just won, you know, Grammys and he was on his way to having eight root canals. Eight root canals. I remember this because I was tracking what he was doing the week after and the story came up. But his FaceTime was, I've spent my whole life with this, this fear of Lawrence Taylor. Lt the toughest guy in the world, the toughest football player in the world. Oh, he's going out there like a pack of craze dogs. LT You. And he talked about how great of a. Of a player he was. And they said, now. Lt is on Dancing with the Stars, Little Twinkle Toes. Lt and I thought, what a great FaceTime. So sorry, Stu. That knocked out the moment where you appeared as the enlarged mononuclear of Sam Darnold, your Jets quarterback, who was at that time out with mono.
- [32:33]
Amin Alhassan
Yeah, I won that week, too.
- [32:35]
Dan Le Batard
You did. You deserve the win. You dressed up as a spleen on international television, and the first words you said was Tony Le. Let me explain something to you, all right? I got some spleening to do here. I mean, how could I not reward that? So, yes, this was a show that took itself very seriously. I thought of myself as 60 minutes and meet the Press as I was interviewing a spleen on tv.
- [32:56]
Stugatz
How does this work for you in terms of being surprised?
- [33:01]
Dan Le Batard
Look at that face right there. That's my surprise face, too. You know, that's listening face. You know, that's. That's surprised. That's his hair. I'm sorry, Dan, I interrupted.
- [33:08]
Amin Alhassan
That was my young face.
- [33:09]
Stugatz
That's okay.
- [33:09]
Dan Le Batard
That's your young face.
- [33:10]
Amin Alhassan
Look.
- [33:10]
Dan Le Batard
But why. Why is your hair red? Wet?
- [33:12]
Stugatz
He showered for your show. He sh. That was him cleaning up for television.
- [33:17]
Dan Le Batard
It was at Dan's wedding.
- [33:20]
Amin Alhassan
Yeah.
- [33:20]
Dan Le Batard
When you were rolling in. Well, after the ceremony, like, I mean, why watch Dan rushing and you just. And you took a shower with a water bottle. I saw it.
- [33:31]
Amin Alhassan
In a guy's driveway on the walk.
- [33:32]
Dan Le Batard
From the car to where we were. And you put water in your hair. You like that look, huh?
- [33:37]
Amin Alhassan
I do.
- [33:37]
Jeremy Tashay
He's brushing his teeth behind the bush.
- [33:40]
Dan Le Batard
We were all there. I mean, we saw it. We saw it. We were all there. You can't run from that. That's. That's why that man is not worried about the Knicks, because he knows when it comes down to it, he's going to be able to brush his teeth on the way to somebody's most important moment of their lives and wash his hair with the water bottle.
- [34:00]
Stugatz
Can you take us through here? When you're talking about how great this week has been, whatever goodbye is going to be, and however you want the punctuation on this thing to look tomorrow, I am certain that you will get emotional. I know I did. And I did a show that I was very proud of that didn't have a third of the run, the art.
- [34:19]
Mike Ryan
Of conversation of your show.
- [34:22]
Stugatz
You have. You have something in your legacy that very few people ever get, which is A community of a generation of people who care about something that you did on television. And so what's going to happen tomorrow as you say goodbye? What are you imagining as you walk in? And what are you leaving?
- [34:41]
Dan Le Batard
I mean, this week, just to start with that, I've had to already say Goodbye to now 10 panelists, 15 panelists, they won't be on tomorrow's show. Their spirit will be there, yada, yada. So, I mean, to see Harry Lyles yesterday was very emotional talking about it, because I know what's behind that, too. I really do. We've done the work, Harry and I together, you know, and I tried to do that with it with every panelist, but I know what he's feeling and what he's talking about because he was a reporter much like myself when I was 25 on TV as a host. You know, we all had imposter syndrome, and we're faking until we make it and doing everything right. And he's just imagining himself. What am I going to be thinking? Well, that first two and a half minutes of the show where I am going to be in Tony performer mode, you know, which is naturally me. But it's going to be, you know, I'm not going to get emotional at that. My kids are going to be on set.
- [35:34]
Stugatz
Set.
- [35:34]
Dan Le Batard
You know, I have a special guest on set that is probably going to make me not get emotional. It's going to make me giggle and have fun. So the first. The first segments of the show will be that I'm going to have, you know, some. Some close people to me right off camera, too, which is. Which is probably going to throw me for a loop a little bit when I am in the moment of the show. But I'm going to be very focused on Woody and Bob. Bob, Tim and J. A and making sure that they get their moment, too. I'm not. I mean, it's. I'm the star in my own movie, but everybody's a star in their own movie. So.
- [36:10]
Stugatz
Is that his. Is that. Who's. Who's dinging around here?
- [36:13]
Dan Le Batard
That's me. So, I mean, I don't know if you know this, but I'm also, you know, doing around more today. Yeah, you're very popular. What was the thing you heard? That's the. I have to do the twinkle from Back to the Future right now that you guys are gonna be charged when.
- [36:25]
Stugatz
You come down here later, when you come down here in America month. $5 you owe us because.
- [36:31]
Dan Le Batard
Sorry about that.
- [36:31]
Stugatz
That's not allowed.
- [36:32]
Dan Le Batard
Let me Turn it off. So, yeah, so I have to. I mean, I'm gonna be too present. There's my mononucleos.
- [36:38]
Stugatz
Definitely Sam Darnold spleen. Ladies and gentlemen. This is two guys breaking through the.
- [36:43]
Dan Le Batard
Stardom through the costume. Right. I mean, you can see that that was touched by the finest seamstress in land.
- [36:53]
Stugatz
We didn't have much of a costume budget then. I don't think.
- [36:55]
Dan Le Batard
Think that just looks terrible. If you look at a different angle, it's just even going to a worse place than the spleen. Oh, my goodness. What did we. Why do we allow that on tv?
- [37:04]
Stugatz
Let me ask.
- [37:05]
Amin Alhassan
Let me ask what a great question. Did the Nats win it or the Astros blow it? I mean.
- [37:09]
Dan Le Batard
I mean, this is. This is what you want a spleen answering. See, that's so that way. Let me get that right. So then that had to be like game three of the world.
- [37:18]
Stugatz
Yeah, I. I heard. Tony, when you came into. When you came into the. To the broadcast, I heard someone say that you were sh. Shaking your head before you came on because someone said something around here about mental fortitude, that you. That you immediately. Who was it?
- [37:34]
Dan Le Batard
Was it stalking about intestinal fortitude? Mental fortitude, you had said. Maybe even the word tortured soul. So, of course, this is what I'm walking into. I didn't know what I was listening to. I thought you were talking about me. You always do.
- [37:48]
Amin Alhassan
You always do.
- [37:49]
Stugatz
That's what television.
- [37:51]
Dan Le Batard
But yeah, yeah, mental. These are. That would be a banned phrase around the horn of admitted.
- [37:58]
Stugatz
Yes, that is correct. Because. Because no matter what the critics would say about that show, it did do it differently and it made things smarter. It was viewed and weaponized as a political vehicle. Just because Tony proudly gave diverse voices a chance to speak on a stage where ESPN was woefully deficient in that area. These were groundbreaking shows that Eric Ridholm proceeded over and his. This one ends. And I'm reading reports with this that they wanted Tony and Mike to do twice the show now, but they weren't. The reports are saying they weren't offering them more money to do more of the shows, but clearly what's being what. What was built there is being pushed out because you still haven't gotten a good explanation from anybody to live with.
- [38:46]
Dan Le Batard
The idea that, I mean, do I need one? One. I've gone through, you know, moments where do I need one? Do I not mean I have to now? Because of the absence of any explanation and any communication, you know, they got their hands full and they have to be Understanding that, you know, I have to be understanding that they're dealing with things that are, yes, much, very serious. So they have to be addressing those. And they've already made their decision. I thought I could change their mind for many, many more months and maybe there was a plan. I would have to believe and hope there was a plan. But I don't know if I had it explained to me. I know I definitely said, well, this is going away. You know, what, what if I was doing. If I was in the business of, of running things, I would be paying the highest rated show all the money in the world and asking them to work as long as I possibly could. So, yeah, I don't think it would be the best PTI if PTI expanded from 30 minutes to an hour, but I sure as heck would want. Want the highest rated show and my friends to be making so much more money to do more work. Absolutely. That's what I would have approached it as. Yeah.
- [39:53]
Stugatz
But you're proud of what you made?
- [39:55]
Dan Le Batard
Of course. Of course, Dan, I'm proud. I mean, I still will believe it's good that there's different shows on the network and there's different voices on the network and the shows that do different things. So I will be more than I always felt. PTI and around the Horn. And I will say this proudly, it wasn't the ESPN PTI 30 minutes. It was the ESPN happy hour. You know, you can tell me anyway. I know this show drew was driving ratings that they had to be happy and proud of. Because I've seen press releases for shows that are network that they've been happy and proud of, and the ratings weren't even that. And the ratings growth wasn't even what we had the day the first report came out that they were thinking about it. So I know what that is. I've heard from, from people who know the business a lot more than me well, how profitable a show this was. I have an idea how profitable it was because I. Because people have written about other shows and they're wonderful contracts and everybody should be making all the money in the world. But hearing all these wonderful things. I know our show had to be incredibly profitable for a network. And that. That fills me with a little bit of pride from a business side of it. But that doesn't mean anything to me. When I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night after doing a show, I wanted to put great content out there. Great, great shows out there, fun shows. Because I think more than anything, I have to say this now because somebody thought I was being serious at times in our 50,000 episodes and I was happy to be heartful would be the word I would use. We had fun. So this was a fun show. And pti around the horn. Highly questionable. I know in my heart and I know viewers have told me this for 20 years. Plus those shows feel different. They feel different than what the network does. And that's good. You should want different. That's how I feel.
- [41:52]
Stugatz
You've always been very cool about being publicly vulnerable and honest. So I am legitimately curious about this because I haven't asked you this off air in what tomorrow will be for you at the. At the punctuation of an incredible run. Do you think you'll have 100% gratitude without any of the hurt or the like. I know you. We can put.
- [42:14]
Dan Le Batard
I think I'm there. I think. I think I'm already there. That's about me releasing the need for an explanation or me knowing, you know, I've had my two conversations over five months and I don't know if I'm getting another one. I would welcome another one. I would welcome another one today. Even someone saying, you know, I know you had a big show tomorrow. We'll be watching and the shows have been great. That would be nice to hear. But I don't need to hear that. I've had six months really to deal with this, Dan. And you've been on the other end.
- [42:43]
Stugatz
Hold on, Tone. But hold on, if I just may. Right. Like you're putting a brave face on them. Yeah. It's business. Nobody has to care about you. You're not owed anything. That's what the money's for. They paid you. But it sounds like what you're saying is some form of. Hey, does someone over there want to give me a hug? Because we did a nice thing here for 23 years.
- [43:02]
Dan Le Batard
I mean, I give hugs. The hugs are free. So yes, I would appreciate a hug. Yeah. Of course I can admit that I have had heart to hearts with many people in the industry and you're at the top of that list then who have told me what a gift this is for me. A gift. So I was given a gift. They may not even be thinking about me as know. But I have a gift going forward and I've had. You have a many moments in the last. Yeah, again, I'm sorry. Two to three weeks where people who are in the industry that I don't know who. Who are just aware of me, who have given me a gift that I don't have anxiety about May 24 and August 31 and the next whatever years of my career. I have no anxiety for that because I know I am appreciated. I know it was not unnoticed that I was on TV for 23 years for a show that, that made an imprint and did some wonderful things. I know that's, that's known. I have no fear. I don't need someone to tell me it every single day. Well, the end, the punctuation's coming, so they should, there should be a conversation.
- [44:17]
Stugatz
But just so you know, and I know you know this because I know you know the power of television. I know you know the power of feelings. Just so that you know, Jeremy Tashay says that you are his greatest inspiration. Now that is a lovely compliment and also an insult and defined.
- [44:37]
Dan Le Batard
He was incredible with the bachelorette party at the baseball game last week. Thanks, Tony. I haven't said you that note yet, Jeremy, but it's on my things to do list. I said this stupid thing that I was going to reach out to everybody who said something to the show. Now I'm starting my website. Daniel, you want to. Can you give me a yes, please? Here the floor is your reality dot com.
- [44:55]
Stugatz
But hold on, if I may. I look to support everything that unspools in Tony's future here.
- [45:02]
Dan Le Batard
And so there's going to be a lot of unspooling.
- [45:05]
Stugatz
Tell the people where they, where and what they can find, where they look for you.
- [45:09]
Dan Le Batard
I want to connect with, with people like Jeremy. But even, I mean, I've been getting a lot of letters throughout my career. I've been getting books sent to me and vice versa. These are about sports. These are about sports casting. But more often they're not. They're about some of those more hurtful stories, not the too serious as was called the more heartful stories. I was on the phone yesterday, Dan, with a phone number that was left on the bottom of a letter that I've been trying to call for a week. And there was no one picking up on the other end of that phone. And I was worried and I had someone pick up on the other end of that phone yesterday. And right when I sign off with you, I'm getting called. So yesterday's pickup was I can't believe you actually called. Today's phone call is going to be talking about exactly how heartfelt his letter was to me and why somebody needs to be talking to him right now. So I want to be doing that in spaces as well. And this is sports conversations as well. But on my website, TonyReality.com I'm going to have some buttons and I'm working with tech people where we can have this connection and forums where we can and had the great sports debates that I was having with everybody and Stu included experts and stu that I had on around the horn. I want to go around the horn with the average viewers, our average sports fans. Our fans.
- [46:27]
Stugatz
We gotta go reali.
- [46:28]
Dan Le Batard
Okay. And there's a YouTube page too. There's a YouTube page too.
- [46:33]
Stugatz
All right, we're going to put it up here for you. We're going to put the graphics up for you. There's a YouTube page too, but has an important question for you as punctuation.
- [46:41]
Amin Alhassan
All right, very quick, panelists, for your last life, okay, Someone, you have to choose one of these guys. They go on around the horn. They have to win the game or you die. Okay?
- [46:49]
Dan Le Batard
Yes.
- [46:49]
Amin Alhassan
Bob Ryan, Woody Page, panelist for your life.
- [46:52]
Tony Reali
Wow.
- [46:56]
Dan Le Batard
Bob. Brian would. Would win the debate. Woody page would be the one left standing with life. You said for life. Then Woody Page is going to survive.
- [47:07]
Stugatz
Cowardice in that answer.
- [47:09]
Dan Le Batard
No cowardice. You asked me who would be surviving for their life. Woody Page. No.
- [47:13]
Amin Alhassan
You need to choose one panelist. They need to win around the horn. Otherwise you die.
- [47:18]
Dan Le Batard
That's right.
- [47:20]
Amin Alhassan
Sarah Spain.
- [47:21]
Dan Le Batard
Absolutely. Wow. Finger on the laser beam and we're about to explode planet earth. And I needed somebody to win the argument and do it in an around the horn way, prove their opinion, do it in an entertaining way. Maybe the commish. Sarah Spade.
- [47:37]
Stugatz
Good seeing you, Tony. We'll see you in a couple of weeks.
- [47:39]
Dan Le Batard
I love you, Dan. The middle of June. I'm coming for a full week in Miami.
- [47:42]
Stugatz
Love you, buddy.
- [47:44]
Mike Ryan
Howdy, listeners, it's Mike. This is one of the best times of the year. You're caught up in the emotion of the playoffs, big time, crucial games, going to games, hanging with your boys, hanging with your ladies, hanging with your family and having a good old fashioned time. Well, I can speak from experience. I've been doing all those things, but I've been doing so with a Miller life by my side. Because having good times is great. Making those good times, times of Miller time makes it an unbelievable time. A time of your life. With Miller lite, a brand and a beverage that has been around for 50 glorious years. That's hard to do. Remain popular and delivering on great flavor for 50 years. Brewed with simple ingredients, none of the fluff, just real flavor. Malted barley gives it that rich balanced coffee note taste. And the iconic golden color that just hits right every time. Miller Light Great taste 96 calories. Go to Millerlight. Com Dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Light 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.