Hour 1: The Meat and Cheese Delivery Service (feat. Jason Benetti)

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: The Meat and Cheese Delivery Service (feat. Jason Benetti)
Date: October 1, 2025
Guest: Jason Benetti

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Episode Overview

This episode, recorded from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, features renowned play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti in a wide-ranging and comedic sports conversation with Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the regular crew. Topics span the challenges of sports broadcasting, baseball playoff dynamics, high-profile managerial choices, and ongoing debates about NFL quarterbacks and racial discourse in sports.

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Key Discussion Points & Notable Moments

1. The Challenges of Play-by-Play Commentary

(01:23 – 04:15)

• Jason Benetti discusses the hardest sport to announce:
  • Benetti explains that hockey is the most difficult due to its pace, line changes, and lack of spotter support:

    “The hockey announcers do the games from like the ninth floor. They have no spotter. People are jumping on the ice in the middle of play as though there's no security...” (01:46 – Benetti)

  • He shares funny anecdotes about spotters and the chaos when they make mistakes:

    “My spotter texts me... says, please don’t ever do the Super Bowl because he’s nervous... that pointing at something wrong would be the end of his life.” (03:01 – Benetti)

• Production mishaps are humorously recounted:
  • Benetti recalls a live moment where he was handed a blank piece of paper and decided to own it on air.

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2. The Comedy of Baseball Playoffs and DoorDash Despair

(04:47 – 07:47)

• Benetti and the crew discuss playoff momentum, wildcards, and Detroit Tigers' struggles:
  • Baseball’s momentum-driven nature, small sample sizes, and weird matchups are analyzed.
  • Benetti shares a darkly funny low point after consecutive Tigers losses:

    “I went and DoorDashed Taco Bell... and I think this is officially rock bottom because I looked at the app and the Dasher was on a bike. Like, bike delivery Taco Bell, after your team lost again in the playoff race, I think is pretty close to the crater.” (07:11 – Benetti)

• Food court nostalgia and what Taco Bell means to America:
  • “It’s all a meat and cheese delivery device.” (07:23 – Benetti)

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3. Baseball Managing, Human Moments, and Crushing Losses

(07:47 – 13:03)

• Over/managing and bullpen blunders:
  • Benetti critiques overthinking in removing ace pitchers in playoff games, noting a shift back to trusting stars:

    “I think baseball is leaning a little more toward leaving your stars out there... You got to get there.” (07:58 – Benetti)

• Heartbreak of playoff collapses and the psychology of young teams:
  • Benetti retells Detroit’s late-season agony, comparing it to his previous experience with the White Sox. He explores how young, volatile teams can rip heartstrings but still inspire belief.
• Empathy in baseball:
  • Benetti praises Tarek Skubal for personally visiting a player in hospital after hitting him:

    “Tarik Skubal, in my experience... is like the most empathetic on the field monster you could possibly imagine.” (12:05 – Benetti)

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4. Yankee Meltdowns, Accents, and Social Media Games

(13:03 – 16:18)

• Nick Turturro’s viral misery and New York fan schadenfreude:
  • The crew listens to and laughs about Turturro’s Yankee rant, with Benetti openly rooting for maximum suffering and New York accent drama:

    “Anything that causes [the New York accent] to go to 11 is something I am absolutely rooting for.” (13:51 – Benetti)

• Rapid-fire association game:
  • Benetti names:
    • “Tim Anderson” for “bat flip” (15:28)
    • “Underrated Taco Bell, quesadillas” for “underrated” (15:33)
    • “David Ortiz” for “Fenway Park” (15:39)
    • “Derek Jeter” for “overrated shortstop” (15:44)

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5. Shameful Admissions and Baseball Obscurities

(21:41 – 23:24)

• Greg Cody admits a long-standing, box-score-based misconception:

  “I did not learn until yesterday that [Hunter Greene] was black. I assumed Hunter Greene was white because I’ve only been following him through box scores...” (21:41 – Greg Cody)

• Discussion about diversity, perception, and the oddities of baseball fandom.

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6. Lamar Jackson, Racial Discourse, and the Quarterback Standard

(24:15 – 38:05)

• Debating QB legacy and shifting narratives:
  • Greg Cody, Dan, and Mike Ryan dissect the media’s developing Lamar Jackson scrutiny and its racial undertones:

    “There’s two players in the history of this show that play that position... if I criticize them... I do get the tinge of you racist. It’s been Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson.” (26:23 – Dan)

    • The panel discusses how criticism is filtered, sometimes held back in the wake of historic bias (e.g., Bill Polian’s comments about Jackson).
    • Mike: “When we’re talking negatively about such a high-profile player like Lamar Jackson, it is in the back of some people’s minds... are people going to say that I’m being too harsh because he’s a black quarterback?” (28:05)
• Sample size and playoff records for QBs:
  • The crew contrasts Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen's achievements, noting the difficulty of the Mahomes era, and questioning how fairly "choker" labels are applied.
  • Billy on Allen: “When Josh Allen is losing these games, he ends up being outdueled by the other quarterback. Like Allen is still having a monster game... Lamar Jackson, when losing, the offense is not great and he does not play well.” (36:48)
• Historical context and MVP standards:
  • “It’s not escapable... Lamar Jackson can’t prove anything during the regular season other than... [winning] the big game.” (33:28 – Dan)

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7. Managerial Experience and the Jump from Player to Coach

(38:05 – 44:53)

• MLB vs. NBA vs. NFL on hiring practices:
  • Debate over former star players skipping the grind to become head coaches or managers.
  • Dan is surprised at how accepted this is in baseball:

    “I was surprised when Derek Fisher and Steve Kerr were immediately offered... the head coach... with no experience in coaching?” (40:16 – Dan)

  • Mike points out that in baseball the top job is less "scheme" reliant than football, so a player like Albert Pujols could make the leap more smoothly.
• Football complexity as a barrier:
  • “Is football that much more complicated than basketball that you guys just say simply, I would not allow an Albert Pujols to go straight to the front of the line?” (42:24 – Dan)
  • Recent negative NFL examples (Jeff Saturday, Antonio Pierce) reinforce the riskiness of such moves in football.

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Notable Quotes

• On the art of sports announcing:
  • “The spotter... just pointing at walls in the booth, like pointing at the Cheetos bag that’s half empty. I don’t know. I don’t know who it is.” (02:25 – Benetti)
• On Taco Bell’s universal role:
  • “It’s all a meat and cheese delivery device.” (07:23 – Benetti)
• On New York sports anguish:
  • “Anything that causes [the New York accent] to go to 11 is something I am absolutely rooting for.” (13:51 – Benetti)
• On empathetic athletes:
  • “That dude is a legit good human being... small things that I don’t even want to share... he’s a really thoughtful person.” (12:05 – Benetti)
• On race and quarterback criticism:
  • “I do get the tinge of you racist. It’s been Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson wildly popular players.” (26:23 – Dan)
  • “When we’re talking negatively about such a high-profile player like Lamar Jackson, it is in the back of some people’s minds... are people going to say that I’m being too harsh because he’s a black quarterback?” (28:05 – Mike)
• On sports fandom self-awareness:
  • “…It’s not escapable that Zaz is correct when he says Lamar Jackson can’t prove anything during the regular season…” (33:28 – Dan)

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Highlight Timestamps

• 01:46: Benetti on hockey’s commentary challenges.
• 03:01: Spotter stress stories.
• 07:11: Tigers loss, DoorDash Taco Bell story.
• 15:28: Association game: “Bat flip.”
• 21:41: Cody’s shameful admission about Hunter Greene.
• 26:23: Dan on racial dimensions to quarterback criticism.
• 33:28: Dan summarizes narrative traps around Lamar Jackson.
• 38:41: Discussing MLB managerial opportunities for retired stars.
• 42:24: Dan contemplates game complexity vs. hiring practices.

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Tone and Style

The episode mixes irreverent humor with genuine sports insight. The crew’s frequent tangents, playful bits, and personal admissions keep the pace brisk and relatable for both hardcore and casual fans.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a great entry point into the Le Batard universe—rich with storytelling, meta sports debate, and signature comedic banter. Jason Benetti shines as a thoughtful, quick-witted guest, while the crew’s tangents (from Taco Bell confessions to media criticism to race and legacy in football) are classic Le Batard territory.

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Advertisements and promos have been omitted from this summary to focus on show content.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Greg Cody]

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[Jason Benetti]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Jason Benetti]

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[Dan Le Batard]

For a limited time at McDonald's, get.

[Jon Weisman]

A Big Mac Extra Value meal for $8. That means two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun and medium fries and a drink. We may need to change that jingle.

[Jason Benetti]

Prices and participation may vary. This is the Don Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Greg Cody]

He is one of the best play by play announcers anywhere in sports. You can hear him on Fox calling college football, basketball and NFL. He's also the television voice of the Detroit Tigers, who are up one nothing because Skubal is an animal. But Jason Benetti, among the sports that you do, baseball is your favorite to do, which is the hard. I would imagine I'm answering for you, but which is the hardest to do.

[Jason Benetti]

So I would say the hardest to do is the sport that I did like five times and I've never done since. And it's hockey. The hockey announcers do the games from like the ninth floor. They have no spotter. People are jumping on the ice in the middle of play as though there's no security and like the lines change two minutes before the game. I have no idea how they do it.

[Greg Cody]

Did you notice? And I don't know if you were working at the time. Did you notice that Jim Nant didn't know the names of some of the Baltimore Ravens players on Sunday?

[Jason Benetti]

I did not see that. Did that happen? That was a thing.

[Greg Cody]

I mean it's not his fault. It's because the Ravens were playing defenders that no one knew.

[Jason Benetti]

That's that's an exciting time for a spotter. You know, all of Us football announcers have somebody that gets paid to stand next to us, hold a pointer, and point directly at the board as to who's on the field. So there's always somebody standing there going, this is the running back, right? Just in case. Because there's a lot of stuff going on, and we're all really bad at life. So that spotter. I can't even imagine the panic for the spotter at that point, like, just pointing at walls in the booth, like pointing at the Cheetos bag that's half empty. I don't know. I don't know who it is.

[Mike Ryan]

What do we do if the spotter.

[Jason Benetti]

Points to the wrong person? Is it just a glare? We. We fling the spotter out the window, I think is really what. What happens generally. No, You. You kind of try to pump them back up and be like, we got the next one. Like, let's go. Here we go. It's. No, it's. It's actually a really awful job. My spotter texts me routinely during the super bowl and says, please don't ever do the super bowl because he's nervous watching the super bowl, that pointing at something wrong would be the end of his life.

[Greg Cody]

You are a kind and decent man. What would you do if you were in my position and a producer ran in in a hurry with a piece of paper for you to read, and it was totally blank. It didn't have anything on it. He gave you no instruction. It was just a piece of paper that had printed poorly.

[Jason Benetti]

So, funny enough, I had a stage manager at a basketball game, the person who hands you the cards, hand me a card that had my name on it and my partner's name on it. So I just turned to the camera. When we came on camera, I said, this is us. Thanks for joining us. So I think you just take it and you go. I've been handed this note.

[Greg Cody]

We've had multiple problems with Benetti and his wifi.

[Jason Benetti]

I thought he was doing a bit.

[Greg Cody]

That was a piss.

[Jason Benetti]

That's what.

[Greg Cody]

I knew it was a piss.

[Billy]

I'm so sure it's a great joke.

[Greg Cody]

I'm sorry.

[Jon Weisman]

Let it sit.

[Billy]

Hold for applause.

[Jeremy]

Jason, you available to go to Saudi.

[Mike Ryan]

Arabia for a set?

[Jason Benetti]

That is not a question I thought that I was gonna receive, but sure.

[Greg Cody]

Okay. You know what? You guys take it from here. I'm gonna get.

[Dan Le Batard]

Penalty. Two minutes. Wow, Jason, is the sample just too small on these expanded wild cards? Because there. There seems to be something to these games not even making it to a third game since the expansion of the wildcard card round.

[Jason Benetti]

Yeah, it's four of them since they've done it. I. I think part of it is baseball really is a momentum sport, and then you have to go back and you do it tomorrow again. And especially, like, if you, if you lose game one and you had to burn more of your bullpen in losing game one than you ever would want to have burned, I think sometimes that will pop up in game two. I also just generally think, like, you end up with teams that are bad matchups for another team for whatever reason. Right. So I think that's part of the. For Lauren. Dan is very hilarious, by the way.

[Jon Weisman]

No eye contact.

[Jason Benetti]

Dan is a pretty. Honestly, if. If hockey players had to lorn after they were thrown in the penalty box, that would be an amazing benefit to the hockey viewing audience. Like, not only do you not get to go on the ice for two minutes, but you have to look really sad while you do it.

[Jon Weisman]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

If we don't believe you, you have to stay in that box. You're upset, right?

[Jason Benetti]

Has anything changed in your behavior? Is what they should ask people as they come back from a hooking penalty.

[Billy]

Jason, we all saw the Tigers, I mean, collapse when it comes to division late in the season. They won yesterday. Like, does it matter at all once you get to the playoffs that they didn't win the division?

[Jason Benetti]

I think it matters to the fans psyche more than it does to anything else. Those were two weeks that you just felt everybody in Detroit being like, man, what is going on? I mean, we. After the Wednesday loss in Cleveland, which was five in a row to Cleveland, Andy Dirks, my broadcast partner, and I were talking about just in between breaks, ordering a really big pizza and watching ATH versus the Astros. Like we were. We were reduced to rooting for aft is what we were. So I, I went and doordash Taco Bell. I hit the button to order a big bag of Taco Bell for us and watch ath. And I think this is officially rock bottom because I looked at the app and the dasher was on a bike. Like bike delivery. Taco Bell, after your team lost again in the playoff race, I think is pretty close to the crater.

[Greg Cody]

What's your go to? What's your go to?

[Jason Benetti]

Taco Bell Order Cheesy Gordita Crunch Crunch Wrap. What are we doing? It's all the same. It's all a meat and cheese delivery device. I like it sliced in fours. So I go with the quesadilla because there is a food court in college that had a Taco Bell and like, I just crushed quesadillas. Like, is this the steak one? Is this the chicken? I have no idea, but it's really good and makes me feel good.

[Jon Weisman]

So, Jason, is it fair to second guess managers when they take out their ace pitcher who's pitching a shout out and then the bullpen blows up, such as Aaron Boone, to use a random example.

[Jason Benetti]

It's a random example. I like that. It's nice to see random wheels of example. I think it is fair. I think, I think it is fair, especially considering the, the way pitchers, especially in a wild card round, like, your ace pitcher is your best bullet for sure. And I'm coming from the Tarek Skubal angle. So, like, I'm. I want AJ Hinge to leave him in as long as possible because he is the number one guy on your roster to do damage to the other team. So I do get it. Like, they spent a lot of resources on that bullpen, the Yankees did. But if a guy like that who is extra special beyond the level of really, really good, I just, I think it's, it's a choice you make as a manager, but I do think baseball is leaning a little bit more toward leaving your stars out there. But I, you know, David Cohn said it during the broadcast, and I do think you have to weigh this. If they're going to go anywhere, he's going to have to throw seven times or so. So, you know, I do think that is a factor there. But you got to get there. You have to get there.

[Greg Cody]

Put it on the poll, please. Do you crust quesadillas? Do you crush quesadillas and also put on the poll? Is Taco Bell just a meat and cheese delivery service? Can you tell me the last time that you were at the center of something in baseball that felt as bad to you as Scuba losing, flipping the ball through his legs over the first baseman's head, hitting a pitch, hitting Fry in the face, and just what seemed like a total, epic collapse on something that was a hopeful season for you. Like, when was the last time you felt exactly that in something you cared about in baseball? Because it looked like a total disintegration.

[Jason Benetti]

You know who I worked for before the Tigers, right? That didn't.

[Greg Cody]

The White Sox didn't have hope, though. Like, it wasn't like that.

[Jason Benetti]

No, no, no, I do. I do. I did. 2021, the White Sox made the playoffs and they, they started really strong. The second half was not great. They ended up going to the playoffs. They lost to the Astros in kind of epic fashion, Carlos Rodin tried to get out a start, and the Astros won that fourth game. It was. And then the next year, everything kind of fell off. The wheels fell off. Tony Larussa got replaced. There was a lot of hope in Eloise Jimenez, Johan Moncada, some of the young Andrew Vaughn, some really good young position players. And you kind of watch it evolve into a corkscrew into the ground that was slower motion. This I believe in substantially. Like, the Tigers really do know what they're doing, but they have young talent that is just kind of. Not kind of volatile. Like, they're pretty volatile offensively especially. Like, you go on these runs and there's great numbers, and then suddenly everybody's really pitchable. And I think the last calendar year is. Is a perfect example of what really young teams that are growing into, whatever they are, can do. And it's just. They rip at your heartstrings over and over again. But I still. I do think there's a lot of talent on this team. And Tarek Scubal, like you said, he's an absolute beast. Like, he is one of those guys that's just like, I'm going to do this. And you know what? Like, in the middle of all that that happened, I think he went between the legs because he felt like, if I don't do it, nobody's going to do it right now. Like, this has to be me. And that was so out of character. But I think it's the beautiful psychology of baseball that your star in the middle of all this, like, no run support, blah, blah, blah. He's like, you know what? If I don't get this, we're going to lose. And it's a window into the mindset of the team at that point.

[Greg Cody]

Can you tell me how rare it is or isn't that Scubal would drive himself to the hospital to go see Fry after he's hit him in the face? Like, how rare or not rare is that in baseball?

[Jason Benetti]

Yeah, I think, like, I don't think everybody's going to do that. I think everybody's going to send a text message. But Tarik Skubal, in my experience, in a bunch of different ways, is like the most empathetic on the field monster you could possibly imagine. That dude is a legit good human being. He's done a ton for the Detroit community, but also, just, like, small things that I don't even want to share. But, like, I've seen him. Like, we'll be going over to somebody to say hello or whatever. And he'll ask me a specific question about that person that he knows about that human being without even needing to have any idea who this person is. Like, he. He's a really thought. And that makes a lot of sense. And I think the best ones are the ones who have the switch that takes them all the way to the extreme on the field. And the reason they can do that is the emotional understanding of how they got to be great at what they are.

[Greg Cody]

I want to play this sound from earlier of Nick Turturro, and I want to get your honest. Okay, I'm going to give you a minute to process this so I don't blindside you. I want to know your honest rooting interest when the Yankees had three on nobody out in the bottom of the ninth, because I enjoy when Yank Yankee fans and New York fans suffer. And so this is exactly what I was rooting to happen. How do you not score? How could you not score three singles in a row? Unbelievable. That same.

[Billy]

Every year.

[Greg Cody]

Then you take out a guy pitching a shutout. It's the most magical thing that happened at the end of that Yankee game. Were you rooting for it?

[Jason Benetti]

So I will start by saying Andy Dierks and I were doing a bit in the booth before a game the other day about the overuse of the phrase, as they say, by New Yorkers. Like, it's a grid system, as they say. Like, why did you use that phrase? Like, there's no need to add that. I love the New York accent in general. So anything that causes it to go to 11 is something I am absolutely rooting for. I also happen to really like Alex Cora as a guy. Like, I've done games with him, and I kind of like the Red Sox this year. So I, you know, I. Those two things combined. Had I had. I, like, had that been cognizable for me at the moment, I would have rooted for that. Absolutely. And I think somewhere down deep, I just wanted to see the carnage because I like the accent when it's on tilt so much. So, yes, I think the answer is yes. That was the desired result.

[Mike Ryan]

I actually saw Nick Turo after the game on the street right next to Yankee Stadium, yelling into someone else's phone. Just like that. Who had just walked up and put the selfie video in front of him and he just started yelling like that. Dan, if you didn't know Nick Turturro actually named after front man of the Jonas Brothers, Nick Jonas, why would I know that?

[Jon Weisman]

Wow. Interesting.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's not possible.

[Greg Cody]

Where did you sleep last night? Where did you sleep last night?

[Mike Ryan]

The Doubletree Hilton. By myself. Leave me alone.

[Dan Le Batard]

Doing too many of the AI jokes.

[Jason Benetti]

Cookies.

[Greg Cody]

Benetti, you like to post a picture of a ballpark on socials and ask people the first person they think of. So I want to do this with you, play this game with you. You give us the first person you think of. When I say bat flip.

[Jason Benetti]

Tim Anderson.

[Greg Cody]

When I over batista. When I say underrated.

[Jason Benetti]

Underrated. Taco Bell, quesadillas. It's a great answer.

[Greg Cody]

When I say Fenway Park.

[Jason Benetti]

David Ortiz, Tigers. Tarik Skubal. Right now.

[Greg Cody]

Leadoff hitter.

[Jason Benetti]

Overrated shortstop Derek Jeter. Overrated leadoff hitter. Dan. Dan LeBatard's comedic awareness after today's segment.

[Greg Cody]

Manager.

[Jason Benetti]

Manager. That's so generic. Terry Bevington.

[Greg Cody]

That's so generic. Yeah, that's it. Terry Bevington is the first. That's the.

[Jason Benetti]

My mind is broken.

[Greg Cody]

He is one of the best play by play announcers you will find anywhere in sports. Thank you for playing along, Jason. I hope you go deep into the postseason, sir.

[Jason Benetti]

Thank you, guys.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hey, Jeremy, old buddy, old pal. Hey, Mike. I want to talk to you about Miller Lite. You and I have bonded over these last few weeks talking about our shared love of Miller Lite.

[Mike Ryan]

That's right.

[Dan Le Batard]

A great partner of our show for practically its entire existence.

[Mike Ryan]

It's been a partner of this show since I was 10 years old and.

[Dan Le Batard]

It'S been around for 50 years and they've been a part of our show for almost 20. We're approaching incredible partner status with Miller Lite.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, to think that people were celebrating at my bar mitzvah with Miller Lite as they were a partner of this show is pretty incredible.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're talking about the moments that are made better by making those times, those special times. Miller time. Jeremy, there's nothing like cracking open Miller Lite with your crew this football season. It's especially true whether it's a 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 years. Brewed for flavor with simple ingredients, rich toffee notes that iconic golden color. And here's a kicker. Jeremy.

[Jon Weisman]

What's that?

[Dan Le Batard]

It's just 96 calories.

[Mike Ryan]

I still can't believe that we say it every week. I can't believe it.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's just 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. It's the original light beer since 1975 and still hit and 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.

[Jeremy]

Fall's here, kids are back in school, vacations are over, and cozy season is officially on. And you know what that means. Bomba's season is on. I've been rocking their socks, tees and underwear lately and honestly, it's next level comfort. Merino wool keeps you warm but not sweating. Supima cotton is soft but tough. And that classic rag wool that's straight up fall vibes. And it's not just socks. Bomba's Sherpa lined Sunday slippers are perfect for staying in. And the Eva Friday slides perfect for running out, grabbing coffee or whatever. And the best part, every item you buy, they donate one to someone experiencing homelessness. Over 150 million items donated so far. And with their happiness guarantee, if you're not loving it, they'll make it right. No risk, all reward. So yeah, treat yourself, feel good and do something good while you're at it. Bombas has you covered this fall. Head over to bombas.com dan and use code DAN for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O M B A S.com dan code DAN at checkout.

[Jason Benetti]

What does Zyn give you? Not just smoke free nicotine satisfaction, but real freedom. Freedom to do what you love and choose your rewards.

[Greg Cody]

With Zinn Rewards, you can redeem points.

[Jason Benetti]

For premium tech outdoor gear and gift cards to your favorite retailers. Find your Zen and keep finding rewards that fit your [e-mail] rewards.

[Billy]

Warning.

[Jason Benetti]

This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. Don LeBatard Quiet man.

[Jon Weisman]

Yes. You know, I'm a married man. I don't cheat on my wife. Despite that gratuitous line in back in my st. I wish you were here. My wife, I really miss her. No, I don't. That's the thing about being married, you know, you're not allowed to say, I don't miss my wife. I've been gone two days. I haven't been gone long enough to miss my wife. I'm sorry. I call her. I'm 30 seconds. You know, what am I? Hello? All right, all right, we'll see you. All right. And then, you know, I'm gonna see her in two days. How's Jumping Charlie. Good.

[Jason Benetti]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the st.

[Greg Cody]

We didn't do any impersonations that time. That is my failure. As was recognizing that he was going for a joke there.

[Jason Benetti]

And he did sit there for a long time.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. I'm glad it was you. Really? I thought the same thing.

[Jason Benetti]

A few seconds in. I was like, I think he's doing a bit. I knew.

[Billy]

I was able to tell it's his fault.

[Jeremy]

He sucks, not you.

[Greg Cody]

He's very funny. Thank you, Billy, for the support there.

[Jeremy]

I have to be positive.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, that was yesterday.

[Jason Benetti]

Oh, okay.

[Jon Weisman]

Good.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, you do have to. Wait a minute. I didn't. What was your mustache? Where's your Ted Lasso?

[Jeremy]

That was an extra. That was an extra.

[Greg Cody]

If you were serving the punishment the way that you were supposed to today and you still owe us one, look.

[Jeremy]

I could say this. I went above and beyond as we discussed. I planted the extra trees also. So I'm four. I'm four in the green right now. But also, I will say Jeremy just kind of sauntered in here midway through a show and claims he's paying off a punishment, assuming that this is going to count as a full payoff for a punishment when he missed half of the show. So if this counts for him, yesterday counted for me.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know what I'm supposed to say to that, outside of the fact that I'm here wearing a costume, doing a punishment and spewing out facts such as Jason Benetti, you know, named after Jason Dominguez. I don't know. I'm done with these people I just picked.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wait a minute. No one understands.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, that's the bit. Like it's supposed to happen. I try hard.

[Greg Cody]

Either do it or don't do it. Like what you just did there. Like, just.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, Jeremy, you know, minor penalty.

[Greg Cody]

Two minutes for boring. I mean.

[Billy]

Make the joker don't buy lack of sleep.

[Greg Cody]

I've got a shameful admission from baseball, and I can't believe I'm making this. And I can't believe it happened to me. Me, because I am legitimately embarrassed by this. Now I know who Hunter Green is because the ace of the Reds has been throwing 100 miles an hour for two seasons now. He is a pitcher who I have been following. I did not learn until yesterday that he was black. I assumed Hunter Green was white because I've only been following him through box scores, and I have not watched him pitch in a game for the Reds. I'm only following him through box scores. But I've been following him since the beginning of last season. And yesterday is when I discovered during the Dodger game that he was black.

[Billy]

I love this game.

[Greg Cody]

It is a great game.

[Billy]

I love this game.

[Greg Cody]

We've got to play shameful admission more regularly around here because I was embarrassed. I'm embarrassed to say it now. I was embarrassed to feel it yesterday because I'm literally learning this, I don't know, 18 months ago. And the last time it happened to me was with Padre shortstop Khalil Green.

[Jeremy]

Did you watch the whole game between the Reds and the and the Dodgers?

[Greg Cody]

I did not. I just watched the beginning of it.

[Jeremy]

Oh, what'd you think? Shohei was.

[Greg Cody]

Great at baseball.

[Jeremy]

You know, he's Japanese.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hunter Green had an SI cover. Oh, yeah. He was a prodigy. He was being compared to LeBron and Lee Jenkins did the story.

[Jeremy]

Is SI still a thing? Like, I don't understand.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, this was several years ago.

[Jeremy]

I don't get SI and I don't get Deadspin. They're still working, right? But there's no one working for them.

[Jon Weisman]

I think they do. They still put out a magazine.

[Greg Cody]

They still have him employees. They just do things, in the case of Sports Illustrated, like also sell supplements. They're no longer what they used to be.

[Dan Le Batard]

They license their name a lot. A rarity in Major League Baseball today. It's happened a handful of times, actually fairly recently. But a player for the Guardians is making his Major League Baseball debut in the postseason.

[Greg Cody]

Wow. I made the mistake here of watching the Guardians yesterday and learning that they had three hitters. And I don't think I've seen this in a playoff team before. Three hitters hitting under.200. They for the season have allowed more runs than they've scored. Do you know how rare that is for a baseball team to be in the postseason with a minus 6 run differential?

[Jason Benetti]

Could have been so much worse.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. Imagine how many of them have lisp.

[Jason Benetti]

We were worried about that setup. You said you saw three hitters.

[Jon Weisman]

We were like, oh, where are we going?

[Dan Le Batard]

Batting down the hatch has been one.

[Jason Benetti]

Of those days at the Hunter Green path.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thankfully, societal shift pilots under 200.

[Greg Cody]

Cody had a lot of thoughts on what Nick Wright had to say. Speaking of societal shifts that now protect Lamar Jackson. Instead of criticized Lamar Jackson, Cody didn't get any of those shots off while Nick Wright was here.

[Dan Le Batard]

But what were known to the Hatches?

[Jason Benetti]

This one. Who's on the Greg Cody.

[Dan Le Batard]

The last one was a watch. We're under warning now.

[Jason Benetti]

Fast forward through this one.

[Billy]

We're under warning.

[Jeremy]

Don't worry, man.

[Jon Weisman]

I am very tired.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, boy.

[Jeremy]

It's okay, guys.

[Jason Benetti]

The government shut down. Nothing can happen.

[Jon Weisman]

I'm very tired. About the criticism of Lamar Jackson. Jackson. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, two great quarterbacks. Not pretty good, but great. But all you think of is, well, they never reached a Super bowl. Won a Super bowl, so how good can they be? That is BS of the highest order when you say that Lamar Jackson chokes. And that's what he was saying. It's still a small sample. He's 28 years old. He's got plenty of time to win a Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson is coming off the best year of his career. Last year, 41 touchdown passes, four interceptions. He's having a better year this year. He's scoring 33 points a game. If his defense is even average. And they're three and one or four zero. Nobody's talking. Nick Wright's not on recycling his old bromides about how Lamar Jackson is a choker.

[Billy]

Yeah, you can't do small sample size. Then give us three plus games. What Lamar Jackson. Jackson's doing this year?

[Jon Weisman]

That's what I'm saying. Oh. Oh, well, what he's doing this year.

[Greg Cody]

What are you saying?

[Jon Weisman]

How about all last year?

[Billy]

What about it?

[Jon Weisman]

He had a great season.

[Billy]

Oh, yeah.

[Jon Weisman]

No, he should have been the mvp.

[Billy]

No, but we're far past the point though, with Lamar Jackson where whatever he does in the regular season doesn't matter.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I don't. I think Josh Allen was a worthy mvp. And let's. Let's just say they had an MVP elimination game and Josh Allen won it.

[Jason Benetti]

The.

[Dan Le Batard]

The problem with Lamar Jackson is he doesn't get over the hump to have an opportunity to get over the other hump.

[Greg Cody]

Hump.

[Dan Le Batard]

Or Josh Allen is labeled with guy that can't get over the hump. And there might be some macro Buffalo Bill stuff too attached to Josh Allen. But it does seem like Lamar Jackson does avoid some of the same scrutiny. Like, he's not even held to the same standard that Dak Prescott is. And I thought.

[Billy]

I think that's coming to an end, though. Like, I think it's starting to turn perhaps.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, look, the optics of being ruled out of a game in which he's not actively getting treatment for a soft tissue injury. That the optics of that were pretty weird. And I do think that. That the tide is turning a little bit because this guy has to do something again. At no level of football has he won a championship. But I thought, Nick, I found Nick's conversation, especially on the front end, a little illuminating because I felt it. There's two players in the history of this show that play that position, which if I criticize them now, I don't know what real engagement is on social media, but I do get the tinge of you racist. It's been Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson wildly popular players. Now I don't necessarily understand the Cam Newton one, especially when I was criticizing him at a time that it was worth criticizing.

[Billy]

Fall on the ball, it's right in front of you.

[Dan Le Batard]

But the Lamar Jackson stuff, I think I understand it better now because we were introduced to Lamar Jackson with a racial discussion, Bill Polian, which, I mean you can't ignore the race there. And I do think that there's been an overcorrection. And also as Nick has pointed out in invoking Mina and there honestly others in the media space is I don't think they want to align themselves with people on perhaps the other side. So they'll stay away from that because they can't necessarily see themselves agreeing with other people that are just doing like sports that may not necessarily have. Well, they may not just be doing sports is what I'm trying to get at. There may actually be more to it for some of these people that are making those Lamar Jackson arguments. But I've always found it weird that we're so far removed from the Bill Polian thing. I'm just trying to talk about this guy as a multiple time MVP that it's fair to say we're just doing sports. Sports commentating is about like, hey, why isn't this guy won a championship?

[Billy]

Yeah, but you, you know, and you're alluding to it and Nick talked about it like when we're talking negatively about such a high profile player like Lamar Jackson, it is in the back of some people's minds where if they want to criticize it was like, oh, are people going to say that I'm being too harsh because he's a black quarterback? I mean that's 1000% real.

[Jon Weisman]

Well, one of the reasons I lump Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson is that I don't think it's black and white here. I think that those two are victims of us being in the middle of the Kans City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes era. Just like a handful of really great quarterbacks were trampled by Tom Brady in New England during their dynasty. I think that it's unfair to find shortcomings in Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson because they haven't been in A Super bowl yet when Patrick Mahomes clearly is dominating his era.

[Billy]

Well, but what do you make of like, Nick brought up the point. Yes. Allen keeps losing to Mahomes. Jackson's only lost him once.

[Dan Le Batard]

And Greg, to your point. Yeah. Brady Manning, unbelievable quarterbacks. Probably the greatest era in quarterbacking history. Brady got his, certainly. Manning even got his. Drew Brees even got his. Aaron Rodgers got his one. Yeah, we're talking about Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. They've yet to even get to the game to have an opportunity to get theirs right.

[Jon Weisman]

And they're both in their prime though, like we're consigning them to the something's wrong shortcomings choke category prematurely. Peyton Manning took a while to win a.

[Dan Le Batard]

All the other guys did it when they were in their prime. All the other guys didn't when they were in their prime. Hell, Roethlisberger did it as a. As a very young guy.

[Greg Cody]

Is Lamar Jackson a Lobo?

[Jon Weisman]

He used to be, yeah. He's a long time. He's an all time great Lobo, to be honest with you.

[Billy]

See, that's good. That's good journalism right there.

[Greg Cody]

Okay, that's why you're biased.

[Jon Weisman]

The point is, if, if Lamar Jackson's available in the first, second round of my fantasy draft, I'm a grab him without hesitation.

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[Jon Weisman]

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[Jon Weisman]

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[Jason Benetti]

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[Billy]

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[Greg Cody]

When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together.

[Jon Weisman]

Use polls to settle dinner plans, send.

[Greg Cody]

Event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail] Don Lebatard Surely every time you're watching this, you recognize that your wife is laughing, that she married. She married Larry David.

[Jon Weisman]

I do, yeah. One of the great characters in the history of television. In my humble opinion, and to my credit, my personality.

[Greg Cody]

In my humble opinion, followed by to my credit, it's amazing.

[Jon Weisman]

My personality. Curb your enthusiasm, Stu.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, wow.

[Jon Weisman]

I'm not gonna say Larry David patterned himself.

[Greg Cody]

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

[Jason Benetti]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

[Greg Cody]

One of the things that you've heard me be exasperated about for a long time because we all have our opinions and we think we know football and we know ball and we don't know because ball nowhere. When Brockemeier for the Hurricanes gets a bunch of penalties as the center and then Mike comes out and says, well, he graded very well. One of the things that we do that is lazy and it's ignorant is we made Peyton Manning a choker he won a championship one year when he had nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions. It's the worst version of Peyton Manning they've ever been, they've ever had, and that's the year that he won a championship. There are a lot of things that go into winning, but it's not escapable that Zaz is correct when he says Lamar Jackson can't prove anything during the regular season other than we'll make the last game the. The big game because he had a bad one. If he'd had a good one, it wouldn't have mattered. It's a bad one. So we say that's a big game. That's what we're going to do to him until he starts playing in the super bowl like it's not even he can have. I'm sure he's had a good playoff game game that no one remembers because it doesn't matter. He's got to get to the super bowl because when you're the quarterback and you're the mvp, that's where the line gets.

[Dan Le Batard]

He was solid in that Bills game.

[Jeremy]

Right?

[Dan Le Batard]

I know he made. I think he made a mistake there, but that one's kind of remembered for Mark Andrews not making the catch.

[Billy]

How many points did they score in that game?

[Dan Le Batard]

That was probably the most that they. I. That they've had in terms of like they. They've both. They historically.

[Greg Cody]

I'll.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'll look it up right now. But that game is remembered for Mark Andrews botching.

[Billy]

Right. But the point I'm trying to is he couldn't have had that great a game if they're scoring 17 playoffs.

[Greg Cody]

Well, but, but the, the standard. Listen to what Mike just said there, just so that we have an accurate appraisal. After you saw what happened to Tyreek Hill's leg. Lamar made a mistake there. Look at all the plays in the game.

[Dan Le Batard]

The Bills forced three turnovers, and if.

[Greg Cody]

He'S got a turnover, that turnover is going to stick to him because he's not a player who turns the ball over. In all the other games that we're saying aren't big game, I think that.

[Dan Le Batard]

Was the first time in a playoff loss that his team scored over 20 points. So it wasn't as bad. And again, like, it fell on. He did have an interception in that game, but that game is remembered for Mark Andrews not making a catch the way that Dalton Kincaid didn't make a play for Josh Allen in the following game.

[Jon Weisman]

Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl a generation later. We continue and Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are now the victims of this. We continue to put too much emphasis on did he win a Super bowl or did he. Is Aaron Rodgers an all time great because he only won one Super Bowl? How about we judge? Yeah, but he's by something beside that.

[Greg Cody]

He's an all time great but as a four time mvp, everyone listening to this would say that Aaron Rodgers is a winner. Underachieved.

[Dan Le Batard]

Two point. That was a two point game. 27, 25. Lamar Jackson had two turnovers, an interception and a fumble loss.

[Billy]

Yeah, it's not good. And the part that I would push back with Allen and Lamar Jackson, both of whom of course have not won one when, when Jackson is losing these games, their offense is not great and he does not play well. When Josh Allen is losing these games he ends up being out dueled by the other quarterback. Like Allen is still having a monster game and just oh yeah, he wasn't as good as Mahomes.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, when he loses some homes it's like you left 13 seconds on the clock. How dare you. You didn't get an opportunity to get the ball back. Or Dalton Kincaid, he's performing. You get the throw off in the game against the Ravens. While LaMar Jackson has two pivotal turnovers numbers, Josh Allen has none. And that's the difference.

[Jon Weisman]

Right. And I would agree that relative to their greatness, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have both underachieved to this point. I'm also not ready to write off Lamar Jackson and consign him to the choker failure category. He's 28 years old and he's in his literally in his prime.

[Greg Cody]

It is curious though because there is a empirical drop in performance from the MVP in the league of the league that will have questions surrounding him until he wins a Super Bowl. It's not even going to be getting to a Super Bowl. He's placed the bar in an impossible place for, for a guy who was thought to not be a quarterback when he came out of Louisville.

[Dan Le Batard]

Is it fair to say that I am now satisfied with the level of Lamar Jackson hasn't been able to do it discourse. Because I've been waiting to just have this show. Hey, like let's talk about it. Let's talk about the racial aspects. I think like now he's in a position that John Elway found himself in. At least John Elway got to the game though. Lamar's got to get to the game.

[Jon Weisman]

That's fair.

[Greg Cody]

I want to play some sound here that we made fun of a while ago when Ron Washington appeared at an introductory press conference for the Angels. And I want to have a conversation afterward. Ron Washington has been let go by the Angels. Bruce Bochy, a champion, has been let go by the multi time champion, has been let go by the Rangers. But here's what Ron Washington had to say and we made fun of this press conference when he came in all gangbusters talking a big game. And then of course the Angels end up going as they always do, 70 and 92. I've always been a part of winning.

[Jason Benetti]

I don't know anything else but winning. We're going to be about it, we're not going to talk about it. Our whole focus is going to be be to run the west down and you can take that to the bank and deposit it.

[Greg Cody]

So he didn't last very long with the Angels. And the thing I wanted to ask you because they're talking about Albert Pujols as the next manager possibly of the Angels. We just got in basketball to doing this where we give unqualified people who we thought were smart players the top job with Steve Kerr, Darren, Eric Fisher. We just started doing that in basketball. Baseball's got a long history of it. Baldelli was managing the, the Twins and baseball does it all the time. Football doesn't do it right. You're not allowed to go straight to the top spot.

[Billy]

Dion was the guy.

[Greg Cody]

Well, but Dion, people laughed at the idea of Deon being an NFL head coach without any training.

[Dan Le Batard]

They're doing it at hbcu. Sorry.

[Greg Cody]

Wow. No wonder they question you on Lamar Racing.

[Jon Weisman]

Yeah, really Lisp.

[Dan Le Batard]

What? By invoking the fact that these are the schools that are.

[Greg Cody]

So don't get defensive. You're the one who struck struggled with hbcu.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, but desean Jackson, Michael Vick, Deion Sanders, as you outlined before, they're giving the opportunities to players that haven't had head coaching experience and just getting them right to that top position to hopefully launch pad them to get that top position. Because a lot of the guys they don't want to be, they don't want to do the Jason Taylors thing which is toil away as a position coach. A lot of these guys who have had borderline hall of fame careers, they want to go right to the big job.

[Greg Cody]

So what's the difference there though? Why is it I don't feel like people question like I say Albert Pujol, manager of the Angels and everybody's like okay fine, we do that all the time in baseball. I was surprised when Derek Fisher and Steve Kerr were immediately offered five year, $25 million contract. And I'm like, wait a minute, you're going to make this that person, the head coach of your team when he's got no experience in coaching?

[Mike Ryan]

I think there's a split difference where basketball kind of finds itself in the middle where it can be surprising or not. J.J. redick almost put his credentials on display.

[Billy]

J.J. redick just got an extension after one year.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, they were, they, they ran a pretty good offense under J.J. redick. And with baseball, I think the reason you see it more often is it's not like playing one individual position necessarily changes what the schematic side of the game is. Right. So if you were a random NFL quarterback, even, what's to say you know how to coach the defensive side of the ball and run a full system where if you were a major league baseball catcher, you know everything that there is to know about the, the scheme going into the game and you have your position coaches who are working with these guys individually. There's not as many things, there's not plays that you're running outside of, hey, lay down a bun or put on a hidden run, which also don't happen.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, but as complicated as football is, I believe that most of the people analyzing basketball ball don't have any idea what they're actually watching in terms of how much is going in to the scheming of everything that they're doing. It's not as complicated as football, but I am confused. Baseball. You got it. I happen to feel like, and Boog Schambi has disagreed with me on this, but I believe Boog could manage a major league baseball team. I think he has enough knowledge of the metrics and the strategy that I believe that he would be a good manager, strategy wise. But I don't assume that because Derek Fisher and Steve Kerr were good, smart players that they can be a good head coach for a basketball team. But everyone seems to be in agreement that if I made your football coach right now, somebody who was the head coach of the team, even though I believe that person could be a delegator, I believe I could make Deion Sanders my game day coach of an NFL team with no experience and let him delegate to the offensive and defensive coordinator and all of his line coaches and everything else else, the, the game day stuff, so that he could be a face and a voice for a team without having to be anything other than the guy roaming the sidelines sort of making fourth down decisions. But is football that much more complicated than basketball? That you guys just say simply, I would not allow an Albert Pujols to go straight to the front of the line. Head coach of my team with no training. I would not trust that.

[Billy]

I think it's clear really with basketball, the player, he's on the floor, he sees everything that went on during his career, there wasn't anything happening that he wasn't aware of. When with football outside of your position, there's definitely so much happening that you are not aware of. And we've seen some recent examples of former players who were elevated rather quickly and it didn't work out. I mean, heck, you can go back. It was a while ago, Mike Singletary disaster with the 49ers. But even more recently, Antonio Pierce with the Raiders one and done really bad. And last year, Drod Mayo with the Patriots one and done.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jeff Saturday was a joke like, like people like a joke. And yeah, you don't have the example of it working. So the more high profile examples like you lay out right there. I think Singletary had some experience, he was coaching on staff. So it wasn't, it wasn't quite like that. But you're only scaring more people away from taking that chance in the NFL. And also the scrutiny and the attention that comes with the NFL, a sport in which more than any of the other sport, the people on their couch think they know what they're talking about because it's king sport here.

[Mike Ryan]

I could be an O.C.

[Greg Cody]

Jack Del Rio. How much coaching did he do, assistant coaching did he do before he got a bit? I think he did a job. It is curious to me that people would think that Albert Pujols would be good at that job, even understanding as much about baseball as Albert Pujols.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, if you're a, a bilingual player that already has the credentials in a clubhouse that you do by just simply being Albert Pujols. If you're willing and able to be a communicator with the rest of your, your teammates and you're someone who hit 1,698 home runs in your career, then that's the perfect spot for you is major league manager already.

[Jason Benetti]

And you can take that to the bank and deposit.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hey, Jeremy, old buddy. Ol pal. Hey Mike, I want to talk to you about Miller Lite. You and I have bonded over these last few weeks talking about our shared love of Miller Lite.

[Mike Ryan]

That's right.

[Dan Le Batard]

A great partner of our show for practically its entire existence.

[Mike Ryan]

It's been a partner of this show since I was 10 years old and.

[Dan Le Batard]

It'S been around for 50 years, and they've been a part of our show for almost 20. We're approaching incredible partner status with Miller Lite.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, to think that people were celebrating at my bar mitzvah with Miller Lite as they were a partner of this show is pretty incredible.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're talking about the moments that are made better by making those times, those special times. Miller Time Jeremy, there's nothing like cracking open Miller Lite with your crew this football season. It's especially true whether it's a touchdown you didn't see coming or just arguing about fantasy lineups you already know you're gonna lose. Clues Miller Lite has been the taste you can depend on for 50 years. Brewed for flavor with simple ingredients, rich toffee notes that iconic golden color. And here's a kicker. Jeremy what's that? It's just 96 calories.

[Mike Ryan]

I still can't believe that we say it every week. I can't believe it.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's just 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. It's 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 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.