Hour 1: The Modulated Voice is Revealed

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: The Modulated Voice is Revealed

Date: September 3, 2025
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, plus Regulars (Greg Cote, Roy, Billy, Mike, Chris Cody)
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

Broadcasting from Miami, the Le Batard crew dives—sometimes irreverently and sometimes with surprising sincerity—into a range of topics: blockbuster NBA investigations, old-school and modern sports media dynamics, college football surprises, classic show games with a new technological twist, and a sidebar on podcast copyright confusion. The episode is marked by tangents, inside jokes, and the ever-present tension between sports talk and general mayhem.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pablo Torre NBA Report & Clippers/Ballmer Response

Timestamps: 03:11–05:04

• Dan opens with fallout from Pablo Torre's bombshell NBA report:
  • "The alleged violations in this incredibly detailed Pablo Torre report are staggering and without precedent. A story that has shaken the NBA already like very few." (03:13, Dan)
  • The Clippers categorically deny any wrongdoing regarding salary cap circumvention: "Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct..." (03:56)
• The show's panel pokes fun at the formal, almost regal way the Clippers refer to Steve Ballmer as “Mr. Ballmer,” and riffs on the futility of reporting when billionaires simply deny everything.
  • Dan: "Traditional media versus a billionaire. I know how this one goes." (05:04)

2. Shannon Sharpe, Ray Lewis, and Sports Media Beef

Timestamps: 05:10–13:43

• Dan pivots to a “gossip” vein hitting sports media:
  • Shannon Sharpe, recently ousted from ESPN, feels hurt by comments from former teammate Ray Lewis criticizing Sharpe’s turn toward "gossip" content.
  • Ray Lewis audio (played by the crew): "That route is to become so worldly that you become popular because you're talking about ignorance. Right. A lot of times, a lot of these gossip conversations that they're having... I'm not in the business for that." (07:14, Ray Lewis quoted by Dan)
  • Shannon Sharpe's response, with Chad Ochocinco:
    • "I'm going to say my thing, whatever transpired, I bite my tongue. I'll be the bigger person. I'll walk away... Y' all got me. It's all right. Yeah, it's okay. We gonna be all right." (09:35, Sharpe)
    • Ochocinco’s “sidekick” role is lampooned by the hosts as being particularly elliptical and unhelpful.
  • Dan and the panel reflect on empathy for Sharpe, especially after ESPN released news of his dismissal during his brother’s Hall of Fame weekend, stealing his family spotlight.
    • "Who doesn't understand loving your brother? It's his big day...and that week you're the news, not your brother." (12:27, Dan)
  • But there’s friendly debate about how much empathy the public has for Sharpe’s situation ("empathy bandwidth").

3. Revealing the Modulated Voice: Game Time

Timestamps: 18:00–22:24

• The segment turns meta and self-referential:
  • The crew brings back a classic show game: trying to guess who is speaking through the show's infamous “voice modulator.”
  • “Do I still want to play the game suggests I want to play the game from the start.” (18:21, Dan, with typical grumpy humor)
  • Multiple failed attempts and in-jokes about who is doing the voice or moving around; the tech does not impress ("We stink at voice modulation. All right, game over." 19:45, Stugotz).

4. NFL & College Football Weekly Predictions

Timestamps: 20:48–29:15

• Dan introduces Greg Cote: 35 years of NFL picks experience.
  • There’s a comedic, slightly contentious reveal about Greg’s actual record: “My record against the spread is over 500. I want to say about 525, 518, 522.” (22:07, Greg)
  • Dan points out the reality: picking at just over 50% doesn’t actually beat the Vegas “vig” and would "cost you money." (22:27)
  • Cote defends his method: "You like the pros better than college, don't you?...It's the NFL where the biggest points of the week are like 7 or 8. It's ridiculous...Anybody can beat anybody." (23:28, Greg)
  • Discussion transitions into college: Miami, Florida, and FSU all ranked top 15, but skepticism about judging teams after just week one.

5. Miami vs Notre Dame, College Football Paranoia

Timestamps: 24:35–29:15, 33:49–38:42

• The group analyzes Miami-Notre Dame and other college results:
  • Key analytical insight: One game doesn’t reveal season-long truths; both teams looked good, but it's too early for conclusions.
  • Major Miami-ND takeaway: “What we did see is a team with a two turnover disadvantage have maulers on the offensive and defensive line...I can tell that this offensive line can't handle this defensive line.” (34:47, Dan)
  • The emotional angst of Miami fans: "The loudest people who aren't satisfied with a win over Notre Dame...you didn't like that you were scared at the end of the game." (38:34, Dan)
  • The fun of college football as overreaction and paranoia after just one week is a theme.

6. Alabama, DeBoer Stat of the Day Bit

Timestamps: 30:14–33:15

• Stat game time, with Dan and Chris tossing stats about Saban and Kalen DeBoer's early Alabama record.
  • Little actual stat drama—Chris already knows the “start of the day” answer (four losses to unranked teams in 230 games), which irks Dan and saps comedic potential.

7. Podcast Bits & Notable Moments

Timestamps: 41:51–43:50

• Le Batard show voice appears in a Wall Street Journal podcast about Cracker Barrel, catching the panel by surprise.
  • "Yo, that's me...That was me. What was this?" (42:31, Zaslow)
  • The crew debates whether they’re owed money for clip use, poking fun at the modern content landscape and A.I. voice replication paranoia.
  • "They stole that sound from our show. Copyright. Yo, that sounds like some AI nonsense. I'm entitled to some kind of monster money." (43:26, Zaslow)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan on media-vs-billionaire disputes:

  • "Traditional media versus a billionaire. I know how this one goes." (05:04)

• Ray Lewis (via Dan) on modern sports media:

  • “You're going to take that route. I can't go that route...That route is to become so worldly that you become popular because you're talking about ignorance.” (07:14)

• Shannon Sharpe's weariness:

  • “I bite my tongue. I'll be the bigger person. I'll walk away...Y' all can have it...Y' all got me. It's all right." (09:35)

• Dan on empathy and family:

  • "Loving your brother? It's his big day. And look at what you've done. You're the news, not your brother." (12:27)

• Game debacle humor:

  • “We stink at voice modulation. All right, game over.” (19:45)
  • "As a company, we stink at voice modulation. Let's continue to see if we can get better at this as we go along, shall we?" (19:50)

• Greg Cote on NFL pools:

  • "This is king sport...Anybody can beat anybody. And I'm slaying the dragon." (23:28)

• Dan on Miami-ND and fandom:

  • "I can tell that Miami's offensive line can handle this defensive line. If I give that team a two turnover advantage, put them at home, they're not kicking for the game with a minute left..." (34:47)

• Stat bit fizzle:

  • “He just asked the question, how do you do any research? ... He undercut the whole bit. I knew it.” (32:24)

• Podcast copyright confusion:

  • “They stole that sound from our show. Copyright. Yo, that sounds like some AI nonsense. I'm entitled to some kind of monster money.” (43:26, Zaslow)

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Important Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Time | |:--------------------------------------:|:---------:| | NBA/Pablo Torre/Clippers | 03:11–05:04 | | Ray Lewis vs Shannon Sharpe Media Beef | 05:10–13:43 | | Voice Modulator Game | 18:00–22:24 | | NFL Predictions/Greg Cote | 20:48–24:32 | | Miami/Notre Dame Analysis | 24:35–29:15, 33:49–38:42 | | Stat of the Day (Saban/DeBoer) | 30:14–33:15 | | Cracker Barrel Podcast Bit | 41:51–43:50 |

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Tone & Style

• Playful, sarcastic, occasionally deeply sincere.
• Sports talk serves mostly as a jumping-off point for culture, nostalgia, and show meta-commentary.
• Hosts and regulars are willing to undercut sentimental moments with humor and vice versa.

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This episode is classic Local Hour fare—South Florida-centric but universal in its curiosity, irreverence, and willingness to let sports anxiety spiral into comedy and reflection.

Transcript

[A]

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Liquid IV.com Mark Stein, one of the longtime journalistic voices in basketball, not unlike Tim Kirk. What do you say? Someone who only cares and anything about his sport and knows very little else, by his own admission, knows basketball, says the alleged violations in this incredibly detailed Pablo Torre report are staggering and without precedent. A story that has shaken the NBA already like very few. I should mention that Steve Ballmer and the Clippers have sent out a response. Quote, neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false. That team ended its relationship with Aspiration years ago during the 20222023 season when aspiration defaulted on its obligations. Neither the Clippers nor Mr. Ballmer was aware of any improper activity by Aspiration or its co founder until after the government instituted its investigation. The team and Mr. Ballmer stand ready to assist law enforcement in any way they can.

[A]

So case closed.

[B]

The funniest part of this statement is the Mr. Ballmer is capitalized, and I'm certain that's how they refer to him. Everyone refers to him there. It's not Steve Ballmer, it's mister. It's not even mister, period. The mister is capitalized and the Ballmer is capitalized because he is referred to by Capital, Mr. And Ballmer in press releases and in person.

[A]

Do you think they pronounce it like the way you would if it were all capitalized, like Mr. Bulmer.

[B]

That's.

[A]

That's how you would say capital.

[B]

It should have an exclamation point.

[A]

That's how he talks, right? Like that's it.

[B]

Like Mr. Ballmer.

[A]

So does Pablo owe Mr. Ballmer an apology now that they've come out and cleared this all up. You're good with the defense there. I mean, it feels like this could have just been resolved over a phone call. Like, hey, did you do it? And like, nah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Traditional media versus a billionaire. I know how this one goes.

[B]

We can move on to other subjects. But just to close the loop on what it is, that not Greg Cody accused me of earlier. Poor journalism. Judgment. In a story from 30 years ago about the White House in Dallas. The story was about sex and the Super Bowl. That's the story that I was doing. And one of the other things in that story that I've told you about recently was that I called Derrick Thomas for that story, the late Derek Thomas, to ask him if it was true that when he and Shannon Sharpe got into a fight on Monday Night Football that got Derek Thomas ejected for three straight or two straight penalty flags for unsportsmanlike conduct because Shannon Sharpe had enraged him. I was calling, calling Derek Thomas to ask him if all Shannon Sharpe was doing was repeating a woman's telephone number that he cared about. And Derek Thomas hung up on me as soon as I called him. And Shannon Sharpe, because Derek Thomas has passed away. Says I will never say what it is that I was saying to Derek Thomas. Shannon Sharpe has been in the news recently. Let go by espn, fumbled a bag like very few people ever have. And we have. These guys were teammates Ray Lewis and Shannon Sharpe for a championship team. Shannon Sharp among the best tight ends I've ever seen before we started making gronks and Travis Kelce's really prolific, productive. And given that I saw the 30 for 30 on the Ravens, given that I saw Ray Lewis and Shannon Sharpe interact, I didn't think that where we've now arrived in public discourse would be a thing that I saw given the unity of the huddle. Here's R.A. lewis talking about Shannon Sharp. And listen to what Ray Lewis has to say before you hear Shannon Sharp hurt by what Ray Lewis had to say. Yeah.

[A]

So you're not surprised by the success.

[B]

He'S having with his podcast and TV and. No. Him and Skip and Stephen a.

[A]

All that stuff?

[B]

No, I'm not surprised. I'm. I'm shocked at his content. I. I wouldn't in a million years, the things that Shannon has said now or did now, I would never believe that Shannon will say or do anything. Yeah. And then. So I kind of started to watch him, and then we kind of went our own separate ways. Because I'm like, you're going to take that route. I can't go that route never can go that route. And that route is to become so worldly that you become popular because you're talking about ignorance. Right. A lot of times, a lot of these gossip conversations that they're having and bringing up all this stuff. I'm not going to do that to nobody. I'm not in the business for that. I'm in life to try to teach people what does it mean to be a better man or get back to the kingdom. Ray Lewis is not the only one who feels that way about Shannon Sharpe. The all the smoke guys say that they don't like some of the stuff that is being done in modern media that Shannon Sharpe is also doing. But I do feel like Shannon Sharpe is pretty close to authentically himself in public. Because this is the guy that during games would pick up the phone that goes to the offensive coordinator when they were scoring and scream on the sideline, call in the National Guard. They're in trouble. Like, this is the person personality that Shannon Sharpe was. But Shannon Sharpe, because of everything going on around Shannon Sharpe, was hurt by this and is trying to take the high road. I want you to listen to this, though, and not just for Shannon Sharpe's hurt. I'm here to maintain that Ochocinko does the Stugatz job better than anyone does the Stugach job, except for Stugats. Ochocinko, the perfect sidekick to help Shannon Sharpe do what he's doing. I got nothing bad to say because a lot of things when, when, when, when you tolerated. I'm going to say my thing, whatever transpired, I bite my tongue. I'll be the bigger person. I'll walk away. Hey, you right. Because you know why? Oh, is low hanging fruit. Yeah, you know how I know? Cause your boy, you looking at him. He low hanging fruit. And there are a lot of people taking your shot at your boy. Come on now. Y' all can have it. Y' all got it. Y' all got me. It's all right. Yeah, it's okay. It's okay. We gonna be all right. O.J. yeah. That trivia say we gonna be all right. Yeah, listen, I, I could have told you that.

[A]

I can say I've been telling you that.

[B]

Yeah. Everybody. Everybody want to pile on. Everybody jump on now. Hey, we got him down, Ocho. We got him down. The best time to. Hey, let me get, let me get my lick now. Everybody want to get a lick now. Because where your boy was doing good. Even here, a lot of people that have a whole lot to say thank you. Everybody Got something to say? What are you guys shaking your heads about?

[A]

I think Ocho said more than Shannon did. I don't know what anybody's saying.

[B]

Why is everything going to be talked about in code?

[A]

I. I care about this even less than when it started.

[B]

It's not code. He's saying that he's low hanging fruit, everyone's taking their shots and he's hurt by Ray Lewis being one of the people who's taking the shots there.

[A]

Don't forget it was a very famous scene ahead of that Ravens first Super bowl win where Ray Lewis was going through it, you know, with all the legal stuff. And Shannon Sharp invaded the, the media day, put his arm around Ray Lewis and did a whole deal about what a great man this is. And I don't like the way that you're treating him. That was a big thing back then. I don't think Ocho really helped him out there either. I mean, you got to talk so much, so much silence. At least two gods will like, fill the gaps with a fake laugh.

[B]

Ocho, he didn't even say anything. Did he? Like literally, did he say five words?

[A]

I mean, it sounded like call and response while you're in church. Well, that sort of thing.

[B]

Did we change the numbers? The technology on your modulated voice? What A different person happened there? It's a. Who do you mean? I've been here the whole show, that kind of thing.

[A]

Roy sounded fine, Chris sounded fine. What are we talking about here?

[B]

The thing that I saw while I was on vacation that actually made me feel really bad for Shannon Sharp, even though you may not feel bad for Shannon Sharp was when he was lamenting the fact that he implored ESPN to not release the news that he was being released until after his Brothers hall of Fame weekend. Obviously that's not how the news works, but I did feel bad for Shannon Sharpe, having to be around Sterling Sharpe, profusely apologizing when Sterling Sharpe is telling him, please don't apologize, but he ends up soiling what was a, you know, one of the great nights of Sterling Sharpe's life.

[A]

I think given the three, because Chad had stuff in the pros too. Three of them. Generally, to most people, they elicit very strong opinions and I don't think empathy is usually one of them.

[B]

Anyone can understand, though, Embarrassing your family though? No. Like you, any. Anyone. I understand that empathy can be hard to come by when we prefer to laugh, especially as cruel as social media is. But who doesn't understand loving your brother? It's his big day. And look at what you've done. You're more famous than your brother. You're a better football player than your brother. Your, your brother is getting one moment in the lights. That is a fountain of youth. And that week you're the news, not your brother.

[A]

Maybe if there was more separation from the events, but if you've got an empathy bandwidth and it's directed around whatever is surrounding Shannon Sharpe, I don't think it's going his way.

[B]

Why would anyone have an empathy bandwidth like I do?

[A]

I can't muster up the same kind of empathy for Shannon Sharpe that you are, obviously.

[B]

But it's not. These things can both be true though that. But you can not feel bad for Shannon Sharpe and see a situation here that anybody would feel bad in if they were the one responsible for it.

[A]

Empathy bandwidth sounds like you have only so much empathy you're willing to give out.

[B]

That is what he's saying.

[A]

When it sounds like you just. You only have empathy for certain people who deserve it. I just don't care. I just don't care. I just, just don't care.

[B]

I think, I think the two brothers handled it very well on the hall of Fame stage that day. Right? If, if there was apparent acrimony then I would feel bad for one of them. But they, they seem to handle it very well. Good for them.

[A]

What's up listeners? I don't know about you, but when I was a kid I certainly dreamed big. I think when we were all kids we dreamed big whether we wanted to be astronauts, presidents. Personally I wanted to be a pitcher for the then Florida Marlins. Now we're dreaming of something else like owning our own businesses. But let's be honest, launching it is total chaos. Websites and shipping, your cousin who wants to collab, it's a mess. That's where Shopify comes in. They power 10% of all E commerce in the United States from brands like Mattel to your aunt's candle shop. Can't design a site Shopify's got ready to go templates. Need help writing copy or touching up pics? AI tools want customers built in email and social tools. And if you get stuck 24. 7 support real award winning human beings. Turn those dreams into and give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com batard go to shopify.com batard shopify.com/batard. Howdy folks, it's Mike Ryan. It's also NFL season. Lots of big time matchups you know your boy is an NFL free agent, so he's looking all across that NFL schedule for the very best games. And when I do, my very first and only stop is the Game Time app. Because the Game Time app gives the advantage back to the fans. It's a hack for unlocking amazing tickets and experiences in just a few taps. It's incredibly easy to use and the Game Time guarantee means that you can trust that you'll get 100% authentic tickets on time and at the very best price. Plus, fees are always included. So what you see is what you pay. You have incredible features such as zone deals. You get to save even more when you choose a section and let gametime choose the seats. You get panoramic seat views. If you know nothing about the venue you're about to buy tickets for, this is a huge tool. Take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account and use code dan for 20 off your first purchase terms. Apply again, create an account and redeem Code D a n for $20 off swipe tap ticket. Go download the Game Time app today. Hey listeners, it's Mike. Hey, Billy Gill.

[B]

Hey.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Don LeBatard. I got somebody here making fun of me. How old do you have to be to reference Shaky Green? Man, I went comedically there with the funny name of a comedian. That's on you for not knowing who Shaky. Oh, you're gonna know who Shaky Green. You don't have to know who Shaky Green is, but your ally. No, no. Yeah. I don't like my allies.

[A]

Belt stug.

[B]

I have the soul of a borscht belt comedian. I should be in the Catskills in 1945 opening for Shaggy Green. That's who I was destined to be. This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats. Do you guys want to play the game? Do you guys still want to play the game where I turn my back and try to figure out whether on the voice modulator? Who's on the voice modulator?

[A]

Should we go back to the monster.

[B]

Or leave that one? This is a fun game.

[A]

I'm on this. Do I still want to play the game suggests I want to play the game from the start. And also, Ray kind of lost me with all the signatures behind him on that podcast. Let's try it one time.

[B]

Turn around, and then we're gonna have someone talk, and then you will have to guess who it is. All right. But Zaslow Zaslo was saying that he saw Ray Lewis recently not wearing a baseball cap. And because he was not wearing a baseball cap, did he come home or. No, Ray Lewis wasn't as intimidating as he used to be.

[A]

Yeah, he's got the horseshoe going on.

[B]

He's got to go home, Mike. Also, what was suggested is that the original voice modulation sounds a little bit like Andrew Luck. And I was wondering if at some point we might able to get Andrew Luck or fake Andrew Luck talking on the voice simulator to see if we can distort that a little bit. But I'm going to play the game that Mike doesn't want to play right now. I'm going to turn my back here to the proceedings, and I'm going to try and guess which one of you is talking, but I don't see. I don't think you guys are much for getting out of your seats and scrambling. So I'm going to guess before I even do this that this is going to be Greg, that none of you are going to move, and it's going to be Greg. All right, well, now, right now you're hearing shuffling around like, we're moving a lot of People are moving.

[A]

All right, let's see here. All right, I'll go there.

[B]

All right. A lot of shuffling. All right. That kind of thing. Is that Roy?

[A]

Wow. That was Roy.

[B]

We stink at voice modulation. All right, game over.

[A]

Good game. Nobody moved.

[B]

As a company, we stink at voice modulation. Let's continue to see if we can get better at this as we go along, shall we?

[A]

Would it kill you to talk some football? I mean, not football. For years he didn't know it was starting tomorrow. I mean, damn, give him a day. Ravens, Bills, huge games. We got Cowboys, Eagles. We got so many big games that people are gonna want. These are Chiefs, Chargers. These games are sold out, Hollow. You don't have the option to go to the primary market because these tickets are flying. So what do you do when you want to see these teams in action? That's right, Chris Cody, you download the Game Time app. It is super easy, guys. I'm telling you time and time again I go to this app because it makes it so easy. It takes a guesswork out of buying NFL tickets. Download the Game Time app, create an account and use code DAN for $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Swipe, tap, ticket, go.

[B]

Since you want to talk about football, I am very pleased to have Greg Cody in studio. As a longtime NFL WR, one of the longest timed NFL writers, he is entering his 35th year of making NFL predictions weekly. I believe my brother did the first art for the upset bird that he consults whenever it is that he thinks there will be an upset in the NFL over the 35 years. Greg, have you tallied your overall record? Do you know your Overall record over 35 years picking games both against the spread and straight up. I. Greg's not here but let me speak for him. He does know his all time record.

[A]

I don't personally know it right now.

[B]

But I can tell you overall. Oh my God. Overall, the max is faster.

[A]

What happened?

[B]

Wait a minute. It's you. Wait, it's Greg. I'm back. It's Greg Cody. You guys. You guys tricked me. You fraud.

[A]

Where have you been?

[B]

Greg? You missed. Okay, what's going on here? No, my, my overall record, meaning not the spread is in the neighborhood of 650 to 660.

[A]

And my record against the spread is so distracting.

[B]

My record against the spread is over 500. I want to say about 525, 18, 522. There's an echo chamber in here. What's going on? The echo.

[A]

What else is new?

[B]

This is not, not, not an Echo chamber.

[A]

Now people are going to think this is Greg the whole time. I know, right?

[B]

That's not terrible. But it sounds like you have spent 35 years picking games. And basically, if you had been doing that with your money, it would have cost you money because the vig would have made it so that you would be a career loser in money at that clip. Again, I'm guessing on the percentage. You wouldn't be, though, if you were at 73%. That's not. If you were 73%. What are you insane? Any. Anybody who says there is 73% is lying or hallucinating.

[A]

You must be high.

[B]

I mean, come on now. Let's get real. I had a great season last year.

[A]

I was like 68, 69% overall and about 53, 54% against the spread.

[B]

It's difficult. You know, this isn't the NCAA where, you know, Miami's favorite over Bethune cook, went by 100, 115 points. This is king sport.

[A]

This is the NFL where the biggest.

[B]

Points of the week this week is like 7 1/2 or 8 points. It's ridiculous. Every game is close. Everybody can beat anybody. And I'm slaying the dragon. I'm the man in the arena with his sword, slaying the mighty points spread. You like the pros better than college, don't you? I do. No, I do. For that reason, you know, you can pick whoever you think is the best team in the NFL. Let's say Philadelphia, whoever you think is the worst team. Let's just say New Orleans. It could be a competitive game in the ncaa. You have a couple of difficult games and then you have five or six wins that are just baked in, okay? You start the season with five wins. And then you have here, the Bethune Cookmans. And no offense, Billy, the FIUs. I mean, Penn State versus FIU. Come on, what are we doing here?

[A]

I mean, FIU's others receiving votes and the coaches poll. I saw that.

[B]

I didn't know you had a vote. Billy, since I prefer to talk about games that have been played than games that are going to be played, let's talk about college football for a second. Let's talk about the polls. Let's talk about the coach's poll. Poll. Let's talk about the fact that Florida, Florida State and Miami are all in the top 15 after week one. One of the things every year that I guard against because I don't believe that before week one, anyone knows much of anything. Which is why you get the fsu, Alabama result that you get and no one sees it coming. But I also feel that while coaches always say the biggest improvement always gets made from week one to week two every season because of what happens in game one with jitters and people being off, I also believe it can be hard to detect in watching games like Notre Dame, Miami, for example, if Notre Dame is actually going to be good this season because I don't believe their quarterback is going to carry them this year. I don't believe that. C.J. carr. I believe Miami's defense is good and I would have believed it was good before what I saw yesterday just based on some of the things that they did in the portal and in the off season and just revamping the defense. But I don't actually know after watching Miami and Notre Dame if that Notre Dame offense is going to be limited all season because I don't believe in their quarterback. And though he played well under the circumstances, seeing what I saw, I don't, I know now it's a signature win, but I also know that anyone that was in your top 10 in week one was made in your top 10 by a lot of people who don't know anything. And so some of those things can end up being a mirage. And so today I don't know if FSU is really good or if Alabama is really bad.

[A]

Oh, at the end of the season that could look like an 8 and 5 team, be, you know, a 7 win team. I think that that's probably more likely for FSU and Alabama given that Alabama's 5, 5 in their last 10 and FSU is coming off a season where they had two wins. Gus Malazan, he can do that to certain teams that are, that are unprepared to play. And it certainly looked like Alabama was unprepared to play. There are so many highlights on social media of guys giving up jogging to where they think the play is going to go, not caring whatsoever. I do think that Miami's win over Notre Dame will age while I rewatch the game a little bit. That game was actually pretty close. It's just that Miami won that middle eight the last four minutes of the, the first half, the first four minutes of the second half and that's when Miami looked their best. But other than that, they were kind of matching blow for blow over there. And CJ Carr, I think really impressed because I thought he looked great for a dude that never played. And yeah, maybe, certainly, certainly nervous in the first half. You know, the throws weren't good. He, he looked nervous. They were conservative with him. The short passes kind of get him going and then when he had to start making plays, he was doing so with his feet. And Minchi was to be the more mobile of the quarterbacks. I think Notre Dame is going to be all right and historically under Marcus Freeman, that is a team that gets stronger as the year progresses. And after that it was week two last year they lost in Northern Illinois. Right. And you see games that could be tricky on their schedule like Arkansas and Boise. Well, Boise looks like they've completely fallen off without Gentee. So I do think that Notre Dame is going to be in that conversation and I do think we'll look back on Sunday saying, oh, those two teams have made sense. They kind of remained in the conversation to the FSU point though. Like they looked great on almost every side of the ball. Right. Offensive line was going and attacking people at the point of attack. Defensive line looked good. Their defense was actually something that last year was obviously embarrassing. This year they stood up. I don't really like Ty Simpson that much. I think that he's kind of a stop back quarterback for whoever they get next. But their offense, Tommy Castellanos was dynamite. Yeah. And he didn't have to have to throw and I was laughing at things. But even the throws he did make were like spot on. You don't really see that from him. Yeah, I think early on he kind of grew into the game and he's one of those front running quarterbacks that as soon as he knows that he's got something, he feeds off that energy. And to the other team from the state of Florida that is also ranked in the top 15 collectively with the big three for the first time since the pre ranks in 2006. I actually came away with a ton of concerns for Florida, which is rare in a game that a team wins 550 you get 0 sacks against a Long island school that we all learned at the same time has a football program, they surrendered 11 tackles for loss. That is a team that is not winning the line of scrimmage as impressively as they should against a school that again we just learned has a football team. And that schedule, have you seen that schedule? It gets tough. Holy crap.

[B]

Packages by Expedia. You were made to occasionally take the hard route to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We were made to easily bundle your trip Expedia made to travel flight inclusive packages are atoll protected. Don Libertard Greg Cody of the Miami Herald. He's actively playing defense against my ability to do the show because what are you laughing at? You're just laughing. Honey Boo Boo is embroiled in controversy. It's funny to me. Sorry, Stu. He couldn't stop laughing. Just looking at the picture of Honey Boo Boo. That doesn't sound healthy. It's his laughter. Fantastic. We can't make him laugh like that. It's how he's gonna die right here, just laughing and coughing.

[A]

I want to die like that.

[B]

This is the Don Levatar show with the stugats. Breaking news, espn. Stephen A. Smith and First Take are talking about the Pablo Torre blockbuster. I like on the screen, it just says, according to documents obtained by Pablo Torre. It's just his name.

[A]

It's not Pablo Torre. It's the documents that he has.

[B]

No, but it's just Pablo Torre even saying Pablo Torre finds out. They're just saying Pablo Torre has documents. You don't normally see somebody by name being referenced as having documents on espn. I want to ask you guys, from among all the stats that you saw in Alabama, did you. Did any of you see a better stat than this one? I gave it on the show that we did on Labor Day? Chris, Cody, can you please get me the stat of the day music? I want to ask you guys, of all the numbers that you saw, did you see any number better than the one I'm about to give you here? Start of the day, start of the day. It is the start of the day. Start of the day. Start of the day. It is the start of the day.

[A]

Start of the day.

[B]

Start of the day. It is the start of the day. Start of the day. Start of the day. It is the start of the day. Hey, Z, you want to take a guess as to how many times? If you don't know it, how many times Saban, in 230 games, lost to an unranked team?

[A]

Oh, man. 230 games. All Alabama.

[B]

All Alabama, all. Do you guys have any guesses on this? Because he played obviously against a lot of ranked teams, but he played against 200, 230 unranked teams.

[A]

You know, I'm gonna say zero.

[B]

I'm gonna say four. Four is exactly right. I do my research. My due diligence. He just asked the question, how do.

[A]

You do any research?

[B]

Well, he undercut the whole bit. I knew it. I mean, I knew it. That happened to be in my. In my. So that's not research. That's not research.

[A]

That's the thing about sources. They know the information.

[B]

That's why you have to cover his voice. So you don't know.

[A]

Who knows?

[B]

That's not the stat, though. The stat. That's the first part of the stat.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

DeBoer has coached 14 games at Alabama. You want to guess how many times he's lost to unranked teams?

[A]

Ooh, yes, yes, yes. I'm gonna go 1, 2, 3, now 4.

[B]

Oh, I was gonna say 35. I'm pretty done with that bit.

[A]

Also, Jeremy read that stat yesterday on the air.

[B]

I know.

[A]

So we did it. We ran it into the ground.

[B]

The stat.

[A]

All right.

[B]

We did it.

[A]

Oh, okay. Not the modulator. Oh, that's all got legs.

[B]

Do you guys have a better stat than that one?

[A]

I mean, I liked that Kaylin DeBoer, he has lost in four of his five losses are when Alabama was a double. What was a 2 touchdown favorite? 4 losses so far as a 2 touchdown favorite like that. That's pretty wild. Do you want to play devil's advocate though? Marcus Freeman had that reputation. He's lost some big games as a multiple touchdown favorite and they usually grow into seasons and everyone would concede Marcus Freeman's a very good.

[B]

I thought Carr looked good under the circumstances, but I'm bringing in previous knowledge and Jeremiah Love when I say I think that's going to be a big playoff. I didn't see a lot of examples of a quarterback who was going to produce a big play offense against Miami might be circumstance, might be Miami's defense. I expect Notre Dame to be good. I'm just telling you that I often see games before week one and after week one where two teams are playing and I can't quite tell you how good they are because I don't know if both of them are bad or both of them are good. I don't know if both of them are somewhere beneath where I expected them to be or whether they're going to be better. When I'm watching Miami and Notre Dame play against each other, though, the thing that did jump out to me and it's why it is I understand the Miami fan base's criticism of Mario Cristobal. What we did see is a team with a 2 turnover dis advantage have Maulers on the offensive and defensive line. And usually when that combination of things is in play, I can tell that this offensive line can't handle this defensive line and I can tell that Miami's offensive line can handle this defensive line. If I give that team a two turnover advantage, put them at home, they're not kicking for the game with a minute left and then you have to.

[A]

Remind Yourself, that's a Notre Dame team that yeah, leaned on Riley Leonard a lot to make plays, but they brought a lot of dudes back from that team that ran through big time programs all the way to a college football playoff final. You could argue that's the best secondary in the nation. In fact, many are. And Miami was making plays against that secondary. So look, we've been there. There was a Labor Day night game with Jecory Harris where we all thought Mark Whipple was the next greatest thing and Jecory Harris was a Heisman favorite. And then it turns out neither FSU or Miami were good. And who's to say? I'm sure there will be games like that. When we look back and look at week one under a microscope, I just happen to think given the very recent track record of Notre Dame and the fact that Miami looks a certain way, that those two teams seem to be legit. Well, that's what it is for me, is Miami looking a certain way. You know, like I like that Hurricane team that we saw Sunday night. Those bodies, the physicality that they showed. All right, the Canes, you know, you go back the last eight, nine, 10 years, they've had some, they've been few and far between. But you've had some big wins, you know, specifically 2017 against Notre Dame. But, but like that, to me, you won that game 41 8, that game against Notre Dame, you weren't 33 points better than that Irish team. You know, you look at this win.

[B]

Sunday, the fact that it was a close game, I thought that, I thought.

[A]

That spoke better for Miami if they want. They go up 217 and they keep pouring it on Notre Dame. It's like you're not this much better than Notre Dame.

[B]

The fact that they won a tight.

[A]

Game, it turned out against the Irish.

[B]

I thought that spoke a lot about.

[A]

This Canes team and they left some points on the ground. They were very spooked by Notre Dame's special teams. They, they called a timeout on a punt return because they didn't like the look. And then they rushed another field goal because they didn't want to take two timeouts on special teams and they end up getting zero points from that Justin Scott force turnover. I think that Miami still has a much better performance in them and it's great to lean on the defense and win a game in which you feel like you left some points on the board. But you thought blowing a 10 point lead and winning a close game was better than laying it on and blowing them out. Yeah, because if the Canes go on and they win that game, let's say by 28, 31 points, you're not four touchdowns better than Notre Dame.

[B]

Like, I don't know, I don't know what that proves in that spot.

[A]

The fact that they were able to have a 14 point lead at one point and then, okay, Notre Dame makes.

[B]

The comeback and then you were still.

[A]

Able to respond in a tight game and pull that out, that to me meant something. I think it means more than a blowout victory. I think I see your logic. I would have preferred I would feel better about Miami if they did. But you feel better about it because you wouldn't have been nervous at the end of the game. Right. I do think that, that there was potential for that game to get out of hand. And a slip here on a wet field, a big busted coverage here and there. Like there were moments where Notre Dame just made certain plays, maybe got lucky or whatever, but they hung around the same exact way they hung around last year to an annoying degree. That made me think Notre Dame, CJ Carr, they're going to be all right.

[B]

I wanted to see them just, I.

[A]

Wanted to see them pulled out in a big spot. We saw they were capable of building a double digit lead and we also saw they were capable of responding and pulling out a game in a big spot. But they like, they blew a lead and if you didn't have a freshman quarterback, a two minute, they could have lost. They blew a lead.

[B]

They also have more confidence in their kicker.

[A]

Now you can argue four of 12 last year at FAU.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Well, that was my problem with the final drive. Like I didn't like settling for a 47 yard field goal nailed, by the way.

[B]

It was four. It was four of 11. I want to attack a couple of things here. You said that Miami fans were just nervous. That is absolutely where all of the spoiled entitlement is coming from. The loudest people who aren't satisfied with a win over Notre Dame, you didn't like that you were scared at the end of the game. And so you're mad at Mario Cristobal because you were scared at the end of the game. That happens all the time. I told you guys what I saw between championship locker rooms when I walked in as a freshman. University of Miami, they never lose a home game while I'm in school, but I don't have any context for what college football players are supposed to look like. So I walk in as a freshman and I see Jerome Brown and I'm like that's not a fellow student in the locker room. But years later when they were on probation and I'm going in there and it's Ryan Clement and a bunch of kids with pimples. When CJ Carr took his helmet off on the sidelines and I'm seeing that guy being chased by Ruben Bane, I'm like, that's a child. That is a. That is a young. That car. Carr looks very young. He's taken off his helmet and he looks like the leader of Notre Dame is not yet grown up because he's very young. And so what I didn't see was a big play offense in that game from either team like they were. I understand that there were three fun touchdowns of 30 yards in the first half, but. And there was a broken play late in the game.

[A]

Pretty good secondaries it would appear, but.

[B]

But there were not big plays in that game.

[A]

Two good defenses. Yeah, I mean that. That's what it is. And the word, like I watched that. I love the first touchdown pass from Beck and I gave him more credit than Malachi Tony because I thought everyone was hyperbolic about the 17 year old. And in watching the game back, seeing Malachi Toney shorten his route, adjust to the ball the second it leaves Carson Beck's hand against that secondary, it's a pro move. That's a 17 year old boy that is making that decision in that play. And to the second touchdown pass, I came away more impressed with the throw from Carson Beck, especially knowing that that was something that they recognized in their prep and knew that that specific 2 foot by 2 foot area was going to be there for that play. Perfect execution there. I think Miami's in good shape. Yeah, I thought calling Carson Beck's throw lucky on that second touchdown pass is garbage. You know, you had to make a great throw and also a great catch. Both of them were necessary in order to get a touchdown there. And they did both. It was a great throw and a great catch.

[B]

But the thing being lost on both of these, the thing being lost is that his eyes are still downfield on both of them right before he's about to get crushed. Right. Like he waited until the last possible second to make both of those throws. Put it on the poll here, please. Juju, did you ever think Mark Whipple was the next greatest thing and also put on the poll? Can anyone named Mark Whipple ever be the next greatest thing? I want to play for you some sound here and see if you recognize anything about it. It's not sports. It's that Cracker Barrel. That silly Cracker Barrel controversy. The Wall Street Journal has a pod called the Journal. This is not a sports story. And I want to see if you guys notice anything about this reporting done by the Wall Street Journal's podcast on this Cracker Barrel story.

[A]

All because a new streamlined logo erased that old timer and set off a digital pitchfork mob. Our colleague Heather Haddon has been covering the story. A lot of commentators were like, no.

[B]

We do not like this. This.

[A]

So Cracker Barrels made everybody crazy today.

[B]

Yo, that's me. It would have been good to leave the trailing sound of other serious podcast voices at the end of that so that people would have noticed that that was you on the podcast as opposed to you speaking right here next to me for the audio audience that's not watching. Well, I was shocked. I didn't expect to hear myself.

[A]

That was me. What was this?

[B]

Yeah, what is that?

[A]

This was a serious Wall Street Journal.

[B]

Podcast breaking down everything going on with Cracker Barrel. And they wanted to give some context.

[A]

So they just dropped in. Zaslow.

[B]

I told you. He's a rising star. I told you that he. Everyone in media is noticing what it is that Jonathan Zaslow is doing these days. And so this is not an edit. This was something that the Journal put together. And we were all shocked when we heard Jonathan Zaslow's voice inexplicably in the middle of the Cracker be Barrel controversy.

[A]

All because a new streamlined logo erased that old timer and set off a digital pitchfork mob. Our colleague Heather Haddon has been covering the story. A lot of commentators were like, no.

[B]

We do not like this.

[A]

So Cracker Barrels made everybody crazy today.

[B]

His voice is so distinctive. I wasn't on that show. No, you were not. They stole that sound from our show.

[A]

Copyright. Yo, that sounds like some AI nonsense. I'm entitled to some kind of monster money. Wait, what is AI?

[B]

I wasn't on that show. They're using my voice.

[A]

Have you. I mean, you've done radio shows for how long? You know how playing clips work? Yes. You know what? You know what?

[B]

You are entitled to money. You know what?

[A]

You should play the lottery. You should play Jackpocket.

[B]

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[A]

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[A]

September 30, 2025 Howdy folks, it's Mike Ryan. It's also NFL season. Lots of big time matchups. You know your boy is an NFL free agent, so he's looking all across that NFL schedule schedule for the very best games. And when I do, my very first and only stop is the gametime app. Because the gametime app gives the advantage back to the fans. It's a hack for unlocking amazing tickets and experiences in just a few taps. It's incredibly easy to use and the Game Time guarantee means that you can trust that you'll get 100% authentic tickets on time and at the very best price. Plus fees are always included. So what you see is what you pay. You have incredible features such as zone deals. You get to save even more when you choose a section and let gametime choose the seats. You get panoramic seat views. If you know nothing about the venue you're about to buy tickets for, this is a huge tool. Take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code DAN for $20 off your first purchase terms. Apply again, creating the account account and redeem code dan for $20 off swipe tap ticket. Go download the Game Time app today.