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Dan LeBatard
Now's a good time to remember where Tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila. Cuervo, what are you doing here?
Stugotz
Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.
Dan LeBatard
Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out especially for one of our great partners.
Stugotz
Sweet, delicious Cuervo.
Dan LeBatard
Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.
Stugotz
Cuervo.
Dan LeBatard
So enjoy the tequila that started it all. Cuervo Cuervo the tequila that invented tequila. Proximo Cuervo.com Please drink responsibly Cuervo Black.
Stugotz
Friday Savings are here at the Home Depot, which means it's time to add new cordless power to your collection. Right now, when you buy a select battery kit from one of our top brands like Ryobi or Milwaukee, you'll get a select tool from that same brand for free. Click into one of our best deals of the season and stock up on tools for all your upcoming projects. Get Black Friday Savings happening now at.
Dan LeBatard
The Home Depot limit 1 per transaction.
Stugotz
Exclusion supply full eligible tool list in store and online. There's a reason Chevy trucks are known for their dependability because they show up no matter the weather, push forward no matter the terrain and deliver. That's why Chevrolet has earned more dependability awards for trucks than any other brand in 2025, according to J.D. power, because in every Chevy truck, like every Chevy driver, dependability comes standard. Visit Chevy.com to learn more. Chevrolet received the highest total number of awards among all the trucks in the JD powered 2025 US Vehicle Dependability Study Awards based on 20 models. Newer models may be shown. Visit jdpower.com awards for more details. Chevrolet Together Let's Drive.
Roy
This is the Dan Levator show with the ST Podcast.
Stugotz
I am consistently moved by how giving this audience is every single time we ask you to give on anything. And this can be a very difficult time of year for people who do not have money. And if you have some extra income where you just like to give kids that a lot of people don't care about, a chance at Christmas with some toys. We're teaming up with branches to do an annual toy drive that doesn't require you anymore to come to where we are and give us the gifts. We have updated this so that you could do it in the modern age and we want you to do this with us by going to le batardaf.com and shopping at Branch's Amazon wish list before December 15th. The things they want and need. And again, you can make a child's Christmas better with dolls, with remote control cars, with nerf toys, board games, craft kits, building toys, Legos. You could see your options@lebatardaf.com but if you have a little bit of income that's disposable and you want to make a kid's Christmas, we're teaming up with branches in order to do this. And we're going to have an assortment of things around here over the next coming days where we'll do some things. What are you laughing about?
Dan LeBatard
Or there's a nice little four edge rusher in New Jersey that we could use down here. Kane's connection.
Stugotz
Okay. That's not quite the Christmas spirit.
Mike Ryan
I've noticed that you. You say Legos.
Howard Bryant
Yeah, mispronounced it.
Mike Ryan
I've noticed that.
Howard Bryant
So Legos.
Stugotz
Legos instead of Legos.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, the right way.
Stugotz
Okay.
Chris
Lego. My ego.
Howard Bryant
How's it spelled? With an E, not an A.
Dan LeBatard
What an hypocrisy.
Stugotz
Pocracy. You guys want to take a guess? LeBatardaf.com is where it is that you go. It's a really easy way to help us help some kids that a whole lot of folks don't care about. So thank you doing that in advance because every time we do something like this, you do it very strongly. I want to ask you guys, I'm going to quiz the entirety of the room and we'll stop this when you get all four of the names. See if. And you can just shout names at me and I'll see if I hear them. The top four passers. Yardage in a game this season. Yardage in a. In a professional football. I'm sorry, An NFL game this season.
Dan LeBatard
All professional.
Stugotz
The top four. Four. Jared Goff, yardage total.
Dan LeBatard
Russell Wilson had one.
Stugotz
That's one. Yes. Jared Goff is not one.
Chris
Bryce Young.
Stugotz
That is another one. Go ahead.
Chris
You guys are playing, not playing this game, right?
Stugotz
No. You can go ahead and play.
Chris
Patrick Mahomes.
Stugotz
That is. That is incorrect.
Howard Bryant
Prescott.
Stugotz
That is incorrect.
Mike Ryan
Sam Darnold.
Stugotz
Incorrect.
Roy
Josh Allen.
Stugotz
Incorrect.
Dan LeBatard
Tua Baker Mayfield.
Stugotz
Incorrect. Incorrect.
Mike Ryan
Jacoby Brissette.
Stugotz
That is correct.
Chris
Justin Fields.
Stugotz
You're missing only the top name on the list.
Chris
The one Daniel Jones.
Roy
James Winston.
Stugotz
400. I haven't heard it yet. The 470 yard passer among group, Caleb Williams. That is incorrect. You don't think you'd know if he threw for 470? Y Jordan Love.
The top by yardage. Passer in the NFL season in a single game. Joe Flacco.
Jessica
Love that guy.
Dan LeBatard
Oh yeah, he had that game.
Stugotz
You remember that game against Pittsburgh. They'll give you a game, that very confusing game. Let's go ahead and play for the people. Before we go any further, the Boost Mobile hotline that has been very inconsistent. The telephone numbers 305486 Gotts 300-548-64689 how do you feel about this batch? The last batch was super disappointing to me. The last batch was not good enough. I am challenging the listeners and the callers to be better. That last batch was crushed.
Chris
Couldn't feel better about this. 305486 it's the boost mobile boldest take presented. Presented of course by Boost Mobile, the newest 5G network in the country.
Jessica
Hi, this is Russell from Wisconsin. I just turned eight and my bullshake is that Daz is a sucker.
Stugotz
They should replace NFL regular season overtime with a tug of war match. Jameis Winston is Tom Brady of Jeff George's. Jeremy looks like he picks the safest dialogue options in video games because he doesn't want to hurt their feelings.
Howard Bryant
Can I unthank Jeremy on Dan's behalf.
Stugotz
For that James Madison deal?
Dan LeBatard
Jeremy Pache is the Meg Griffin of the Levitar Network.
Stugotz
Messi and MLS is like Tom Brady joining the cfl. Stop acting like it matters.
Howard Bryant
It's a joke. If a slice of pizza could walk.
Stugotz
Would the head be the crust or the point? I refuse to take a poop until.
Howard Bryant
Dan stops calling offenses constipated.
Chris
It was a good one. I genuinely disagree. If if a pizza is walking, the crust is the top like the crust is ahead.
Howard Bryant
Now the point.
Chris
The point is the feet.
Stugotz
Put it on the poll at LeBatard show. If I don't know how it would walk. Roy, if a piece of pizza is walking, is the crust the head or the feet?
Mike Ryan
Well, if it's Sicilian, I assume that.
Stugotz
It walked on four legs. I didn't assume it had two legs and was an upright walker. I said I thought it just sort of slid the way that Matt Stafford.
Mike Ryan
So stupid.
Howard Bryant
Yeah, it's too like you're putting those are two legs.
Chris
You're putting eyes on a pizza. You're putting it on the top the wide near the crust. Like the eyes are not going by the pole.
Dan LeBatard
Talking about Pizzagate.
Stugotz
Put it on the poll as well. What do you imagine is the worst feeling someone felt on Sunday? Was it. I'm sorry. Over the course of the weekend and the NFL games, I shouldn't say just Sunday because it was the Monday night game. Is it the holder who ran? The panicked holder who ran after young Wei Ku stubbed his toe on a field goal? Or was it Matthew Stafford hydroplaning five yards on his back from the five yard line to the goal line at the end of a pick six that he had thrown because he was blocked. And so he had to watch that touchdown. He got up very quickly. Got up very quickly because he didn't want to be seen in that condition. Hydroplaning 5 yards on his back as the guy ran into the end zone with a football he had just thrown. Which do you imagine was the worst feeling someone felt? Just an ind. I know that Stafford is more accomplished than the panicked holder, but as a singular feeling, which one do you think is worse?
Mike Ryan
I mean, I think it was Juan Jennings because now everybody knows he's a hoe.
Howard Bryant
I think it was the kicker. The holder, the kicker thing, the holder.
Stugotz
Oh, well, it could be also Young way too. It could just be.
Chris
Holder doesn't want to be part of.
Howard Bryant
The story, but he's throwing the holder under the bus, though. He's not taking the responsibility for kicking the dirt. He's saying, I held up because the ball was. I saw the ball moving.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, so what?
Howard Bryant
Kick it, kick it, kick it.
Roy
Right.
Stugotz
The ball was moving.
Mike Ryan
Okay, but if you don't kick it, you don't get any points, right?
Stugotz
That's correct. Well, you could if the holder in that panic situation does complete a pass. Unfortunately, there were no wide receivers. There were no. There was nobody running any routes. And so he was just looping over to his right, rolling out with a run pass option that gave him the option of neither running nor passing. Let's play the sound again. Thank you. You're ahead of me. Of Aaron Glenn clearing his throat in the middle of a press conference. The now is what's important for all.
Chris
Guys to continue to understand.
Stugotz
Man, how do you win games that's more violent than the defense that Brian, Brian Schottenheimer was describing that. That. That is as violent a throat cloth or throat clearing as you will hear at a press conference.
Howard Bryant
Uncalled for.
Stugotz
That's the jets offense, right? Constipated.
Chris
Reminds me of Mike dancing yesterday. That was great.
Stugotz
Mike was so happy when Marty Smith.
Chris
Seven different dances all at one time.
Stugotz
Mike was so happy that Marty Smith said that Miami was better than BYU and Utah and Oklah and Notre Dame.
Dan LeBatard
They're better than that whole lot of SEC teams. But thankfully we're getting the cfp. That's what they told us.
Stugotz
What is the whole lot? What? Give me the entirety of the lot.
Dan LeBatard
Ole Miss, Alabama, Oklahoma, for sure. There is no more devastating result for Miami and their CFP outlook than Oklahoma winning that game in which Alabama doubled them up in total yardage. But they did what they had to do. Oklahoma seems firmly entrenched in there, but that whole lot of SEC teams, that three spot the ball. Let's go.
Stugotz
How is this gonna go with Jessica in about 10 minutes when she comes on and argues? Jeremiah Love is on her podcast this week. It's a Notre Dame podcast. She is as biased as you are when it comes to one of her schools.
Dan LeBatard
Yeah, no, I get it.
Mike Ryan
You think she's gonna come off a little panicked.
Dan LeBatard
I think they are. They are panicked. It's very clear. There's a. There's a tone shift right now because they see what's happening and put me on truth serum. It does kind of suck. What's going to happen to them. If and when by Truth Zone will.
Mike Ryan
Show you you don't care.
Dan LeBatard
But it's sucked what's been happening to me for the last month. It's been unjust. And on Sunday, they're going to right the wrong. The most obvious thing in the world is going to happen.
Chris
You can almost make the argument that Notre Dame fans will be more like, what's happening to them is actually worse where, like, they're in it and then at the last second. Just kidding. Where they've been setting like Miami's been being set up. Like, you won't be that hurt if you don't make it because you've been. But you've been feeling for a month now that you get screwed.
Dan LeBatard
I've been feeling for a month. It's legitimately made me crazy.
Chris
But the idea. Right, but the idea that the last second. The idea that at the last second they're going to be like, you know what? Now Miami's change our mind.
Dan LeBatard
It's kind of tough. I've been living through a bunch of bullshit over the last.
Stugotz
All right, put it on the poll. Is it kind of at LeBatard show?
Mike Ryan
And by the way, he did just say, I'm going to feel bad for them.
Chris
At least we haven't felt the result of him feeling bad.
Stugotz
I just need to stop everybody, though, because it's. It's sort of. We had this conversation in some forms last year, the last few years about Alabama. Whenever it is that they're close and people just make the arguments for Alabama being in because they want to see Alabama. Because they're used to Alabama being in. It's bullshit right up until you consider that the entire point of doing this as a made for television spectacle is to get you talking about it for a month beforehand. Because somebody is gonna think something is unjust. It's the. It's the whole thing that they're doing. It exists as content for that reason. They televise it every night. I am sure that ESPN gets better numbers whenever Reese just comes out. And they contrive let's do this made for television. For me, it's as silly as if we were to interrupt the Country Music Christmas Awards on Monday to complain about it's unjust that someone's not in here. It's all made for television. Entertainment spectacle. The whole point is to get you to argue about it. It's why the whole thing exists as a television special.
Mike Ryan
So if we get to Sunday and the things that need to happen happen for the Canes to jump Notre Dame and they still don't jump Notre Dame, they'll have been giving us this. This storyline over the last month and we won't get the payoff.
Stugotz
Well, the payoff is already in play. It's to get Mike yelling for a month and then replace it with Notre Dame yelling for the rest of the off season.
Howard Bryant
The payoff is the debate. And it's been wildly successful. Wildly.
Stugotz
That's the thing that it's. It goes back actually to Chris Cody's ridiculous argument that Zion Williamson, I think.
Chris
You say do the right thing.
Stugotz
ACC Zion Williamson. That's a different. Different ridiculous argument. Zion Williamson, who still hasn't played in a playoff game bust that him and his shoe being destroyed in a college basketball game was good for Nike.
Chris
My best take ever.
Stugotz
Any attention is good attention. If. If you guys agree with me that the biggest sport in America right now is outrage. Outrage of any kind. It's just yell about things.
Howard Bryant
Sure.
Stugotz
That the one place where the leadership has shown and proven to be good is they know how to get attention for a television special for a month without actual games being played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Unless you got some action going on, which we all miss this time of year.
It's the whole point of the contrivance is just to continue to get people to talk about your things so that it continues to be bigger than all of the other sports. They're getting more attention not playing games then OKC is getting for having one loss and knocking off Golden State last night in an 11pm game that nobody can watch on the east coast because it's starting so late. Incidentally, if you did not see that game, OKC was up one late in the fourth quarter. Jimmy Butler left, Steph Curry is hurt. The warriors are 11 and 11. Jimmy Butler looks a bit disinterested and left last night injured. And OKC does what it does to everybody. They needed to use Shea, Gilgis, Alexander in the fourth quarter this time, but that game was close late. And then OKC is doing what champions do, like this. This has been, I've told you guys before, the two of the greatest things I've ever seen in basketball are the 72 win Bulls and the 73 wins Warriors. Being down late, Being down late in games was the best thing I've seen in the last 15 years in the sport. Well, I'm going back to Jordan. When those teams got down late, they do what, what OKC did to Golden State last night, which is just choke them out the last five minutes. Because the thing that's not being talked about, OKC OKC wise, is their defense is better than everyone else's by a great deal.
Mike Ryan
So they're 21 and 1, Oklahoma City. And like you said, they're like they have so much room for error every single game. They can play poor and still win by double figures. They're 21 and 1. At what point does their, like, how many more do they have to win before they lose their second game? For us to talk about are they going to win 80.
Stugotz
That has to get to halfway through the season, like 40 and 1.
Mike Ryan
40 and 1.
Howard Bryant
It's so bad for basketball.
Dan LeBatard
80.
Stugotz
Well, I think you're being ridiculous. I don't think they're going to win 80.
Jessica
They never lose.
Chris
Why is that bad for basketball?
Howard Bryant
It's bad for basketball when you have that kind of disparity. When you have a 21 team and then you have a 2 and 17 team and it's. You look at the bottom five of the NBA and they're already tanking like the season just started. And you have teams that have zero chance and you have okc, a dynasty in the making.
Chris
I guess every sport, every sport, every sport has a best team and five at the bottom.
Howard Bryant
Every team has not, not to the NBA's degree.
Chris
I guess we've argued. The NFL doesn't. I don't know. The NFL seems to have every year three or four teams that pretend like they're trying at the beginning of the year with who their quarterback is or who they've signed in the off. Season that they're not trying.
Stugotz
We'll get back to this.
Howard Bryant
Who's the OKC in the NFL this year?
Stugotz
No, there is not one in the NFL this year. And the Dodgers are that in baseball. But we'll get back to basketball because there's plenty to talk about in basketball in the next hour.
Chris
Folks, listen up. You know my holiday pattern by now. Every single year I tell myself, listen, Chris, you're going to be thoughtful this year. You're going to get good gifts. You're not going to be lazy. You're not just going to get gift cards. And this year, guys, I have news. I pulled it off. No panic. No sad little card. You know what I gave? I gave an aura frame. Like, why is it so hard to find a personal gift these days? It's for the people I'm closest to. My parents, my wife, my in laws, my kid. The most important people in my world. I have no idea what I'm supposed to get them as a gift. But one thing I know, people light up when they get photos. People love photos. So I loaded up my aura frame with all the moments I know they'll love. My daughter being adorable, random selfie group pictures where none of us are looking in the same direction. I kept adding them because aura lets you send unlimited photos and videos right from your phone anytime. And the best part, you can preload the thing before it even ships. So when it's open on Christmas morning, all the memories are already there. I'm telling you guys this is a great gift. And folks, for a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get 35 off or's best selling Carver Matte frames named number one by Wirecutter by using promo code DLB. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast. So order yours now and get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply.
Stugotz
Hey, Amin here. And the NBA on Prime is back this Friday with another great doubleheader. The action starts with one of the best rivalries in sports as Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers face Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics. Then Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks meet SGA and the Oklahoma City Thunder. And if you're not a Prime member, that's not a problem. Sign up for a 30 day free trial to get started today. The Lakers and Celtics. The Mavericks and Thunder coverage starts Friday at 6:30pm Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details.
Roy
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Stugotz
Dan LeBatard.
Jessica
Mr. Mr. Schurt, if I may say for a second, Miami, they were simulating the snap count the entire game, and they were clapping at the line of scrimmage. And the only thing I want to see clapping are them cheeks on Mrs. Met in my face Mike shirt. All right, so that's one thing.
Stugotz
Stug.
Jessica
They're a bunch of cheaters, Dan. And you know who should be cheating? Mrs. Met on Mr. Met. And he can watch if he wants.
Stugotz
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugach.
But I wanted to bring Jessica in, as I told you. Jeremiah Love is on. I might have called him Jeremy. Jeremiah Love is on her podcast.
Chris
No, you would never associate the word Jeremy and love together.
Stugotz
Echoes is the name of the podcast that Jessica does. And how do you feel? Thank you, Jessica, for being on with us. How do you feel in general about what happened last night? Are you worried that they're gonna. They're gonna pull the rug out from under you? They're already setting it up so that you know that in a couple of weeks, Notre Dame's all of a sudden gonna be out.
Jessica
Yeah, we'll see. I really don't know what will happen on Sunday, Dan. But like I've said all season, Notre Dame really didn't have.
Anything to be upset about other than themselves for losing to Texas A and M in week three. The margin for error is very slim when you only win 10 games, as you know, Vanderbilt or Miami or Utah or any of these other teams would tell you. So I think that they're one of the best teams in the country. I think that the stats would support that. I think they could make a legitimate title run. But that's what happens when you lose two games. You kind of are up to a little bit of luck. It would have been helpful for a bunch of teams if LSU could have pulled up the upset last weekend or Auburn or even ucf. Jeremy, way to go. But that didn't happen. So now you have to just kind of wait and see what the committee decides. And as we've seen, I think in years past, they tend to get it right at the end of the day. But the way that they talk about getting there leaves you with very little confidence in the process. So while they may end up getting it right, whatever your definition of right is, it doesn't help when they talk about how their methodology is.
Stugotz
What do you think is going to happen and how scared are you of of the nightmare scenario for you assuming BYU loses?
Jessica
Yeah, I think it depends. I mean if BYU loses to Texas Tech right now they're a double digit underdog. I think that it's possible Miami could jump ahead of Notre Dame. I'm not exactly sure why the committee would wait until the end of the season to do that when they could have done that last night. But I also think if you have a scenario where Alabama loses to Georgia, they could could fall behind Notre Dame again. It sounded like it was a really close call between Notre Dame and Alabama at the 9 and 10 spots last night. And although we've seen in the past they don't kick teams out of the playoff for losing their conference championship games, they have dropped spots for losing conference championship games. So I don't think that there's stasis among the teams playing in the conference championship games. It will depend if let's say Indiana gets gets blown out by Ohio State or vice versa. I don't think that those are going to be 1, 2 next week and I could be wrong. But I think that there's obviously a lot of scenarios at play.
Stugotz
Can you update us any on any information you've seen around the Penn State thing that we have been talking about here before you came on with us because I'm having trouble sort of getting around the new rules that make James Franklin more important, important than the program brand that is Penn State. When it comes to recruiting, I would.
Jessica
Say it's one thing for a bunch of the heavy hitter candidates like your Lincoln Riley's or Marcus Freeman's or Mike Elkos to not be interested in the job because that all makes sense. Like Lincoln Riley's got the number one recruiting class coming next year. Marcus Freeman's got the number one or number three recruiting class signing today. Mike Elko obviously pretty happy where he's at a Texas A and M. But then once you see like James Madison's coach or even like Brian Hartline looking elsewhere, especially Bob Chesney because he's a Pennsylvania guy and has DMV ties, that would be really helpful in recruiting at Penn State. That's where I'm like, it doesn't really seem like they had a plan other than they thought they could convince another like big time power for name to come to Penn State. And it just seems like with the way that a lot of, of whether it's the 12 team playoff or nil or sort of like the spreading out of talent and just more attractive jobs than ever for certain people, it just doesn't seem like you would want to give that up for the opportunity to maybe be like the second or third best team in the, in the Big Ten at Penn State.
Dan LeBatard
I actually happen to know.
Chris
Oh my God, he knows.
Come everyone come and listen.
He happens to know.
Well informed.
Dan LeBatard
Chesney did finish second in the race to be Penn State's head coach. He finished behind Sataki. Sataki was done, delivered, they had their guy and then the CEO of Crumble came along and stole huge.
Jessica
I mean that's a huge miscalculation. And also I think Sataki fits the profile, like I said, of like coaches where it would take a lot clearly to drag him away from byu. I mean that's obviously a school that means a lot to him. He's been very successful there. There is a lot of money there that they can tap into and they appealed to all of his sensibilities and convincing him to stay. Mike, I think that that's a huge miscalculation on Penn State's part. And then of course you end up pissing off your number two candidate because you, you know, now it's too late, he's moved on. I think UCLA is also a fine place to end up in the power four. I think he's going to have A lot of work to do. But now if you look at. At recruiting rankings for Penn State right now, as it stands, it doesn't look. That's not going to get anyone to come to your school either. Like, you've got to. I mean, and now it's like at the point where, you know, obviously there's certain coaches where you could hire them and, okay, they're going to bring a bunch of transfers with them from. From schools, and those are going to be great players. And now it seems like a lot of those candidates are kind of locked in next year at where they want to be. So it's just becoming a worse situation, I think, by the day. And also, I think Penn State's been like. And Mike, you could, could. You could probably attest to this, too. They're like, we're going to run a quiet, very smooth. No one's going to know what we're up to. We're going to keep this under wraps. And it's like, well, what did that get you? Because now it's like, we.
Chris
We.
Jessica
You still don't have a coach like lsu. Say what you will about their governor embarrassing them and, like, publicly lusting after Lane Kiffin. They got the coach they wanted.
Dan LeBatard
Yeah.
Jessica
It doesn't matter.
Dan LeBatard
Yeah, they got their guy.
Jessica
Yeah, he's going to sign a huge recruiting class. They're probably going to be preseason top 10.
Dan LeBatard
LSU was a circus and Penn State was the model. And yet LSU gets their guy and Penn State gets left at the altar. And now they're looking at Manny Diaz.
Jessica
Yeah, I mean, potential ACC champion Manny Diaz. And it seems like Penn State fans like Manny Diaz, I don't know if he has the upside of some of the other coaches that they were looking for, but he obviously was a popular person at Penn State, from what I can tell. I don't know.
Stugotz
I want to play. At the worst, I want to play for you. Some Schefter sound on Kevin Clark's podcast. You've probably heard this. What are your thoughts on this sound from Adam Schefter?
Mike Ryan
I don't think that there is a Ben Johnson this year at the NFL level. The only guy I could think of that would be in this category, and I don't know that he would be interested, would be Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame. That's a guy that, to me, if I owned an NFL team, I'd want him on the phone right now. That's a guy that I would want to be hiring right now. That's a guy that I would be Investing in right now.
Stugotz
That happened fast for Marcus Freeman. Man, he would look good if you.
Chris
Ripped his shirt off.
Dan LeBatard
Like, that was like the whole bear strategy last year. One in two candidates look good with your shirt off.
Jessica
Does Ben Johnson look good with his shirt off?
Mike Ryan
Good, better, best.
Chris
The Mississippi State of shirts off.
Stugotz
Well, I, I would be fine with playing that video for Jessica and having her, having her decide. But what did you think of the sound?
Jessica
I agree. I think, you know, I think Marcus Freeman's a great coach. I think, you know, you would be stupid not to. To kick the tires on trying to hire him if you're an NFL team. I don't know. I don't know his personal interest level, but if he's interested in it, then, yeah, I could. He's a great head coach.
Stugotz
Let's play this video then for Jessica and see if she is as impressed by Ben Johnson shirtless as we were here. We good, better, bad or bad? Never let it rest.
Chris
Never let it rest.
Stugotz
Good gets better. Gets better.
Chris
Sneaky, decent.
Howard Bryant
Wow. Stealing my lines.
Jessica
So that's why Greg was doing okay. Now this is all coming together. I. A lot of things are making sense to me right now, Dan. I would also add, I believe Marcus Freeman was on the Today show today and was asked if he was going to stay at Notre Dame. And he said yes.
Roy
Yes.
Dan LeBatard
He looked. He looked a little broken.
Jessica
Why?
Dan LeBatard
Because he knows what's happening on Sunday.
Jessica
Okay. I think he just looks fine, honestly. But sure, Mike, I think that the College Football Playoff discourse is, like, gotten to a kind of a toxic point when your podcast is tweeting that Jim Phillips should resign as the ACC commissioner because he's a Chicago Catholic. So, yeah, I just.
Dan LeBatard
That's not the only reason.
Chris
Who's behind that account?
Dan LeBatard
I mean, there's several. I could. How much time do you have? I could. I can relay a bunch.
Stugotz
What are you excited about this conference championship weekend coming up?
Jessica
Man, all of it, honestly. Starting with Friday night with Mountain West, Boise State, UNLV rematch Saturday, obviously. The Big 12 championship, I think is the one that the most people will have their eyes on because it has the most clear cut stakes attached to it. Whereas I think the Big Ten championship is two really, really good teams playing against each other that we all know we're going to see play again in the postseason and the SEC championship. I also, I'm curious. I'm curious if Georgia can pull it off. Kaylin DeBoer has been really good against Kirby Smart in his short time at Alabama, but Alabama, I think probably feels safe in the playoff, but would really like the security of an SEC championship. And then there's also the question of like, would they move up into a by position if they beat Georgia? So yeah, I've just. There's going to be a lot of great games this weekend. Even like Dan Maxon. Maxion is going to be great. It's not going to get the eyeballs, but man, I will be rooting for Miami of Ohio all morning on Saturday.
Stugotz
Let's go ahead and examine what Jessica was confused about. I'm not sure. Did we start doing this daily after shows after Jessica left? Because I felt like she was involved in all of these when we would do it after shows daily. I want you guys to notice here how excited Mike Ryan isn't and how much Mike Ryan isn't participating, as has been the case since we started this daily tradition months ago. Go.
Howard Bryant
Hey, hey, hey.
Stugotz
Great show, everybody. We won the day.
Jessica
We won the day.
Stugotz
Good, better, best good.
Jessica
Never let it rest.
Stugotz
Then your good gets better and your better gets better.
Chris
I was legitimately worried for my dad.
Stugotz
During this profound indifference. You from Mike Ryan midway.
Chris
Yeah, Mike Ryan.
Stugotz
Look at a lingering Roy. Like the. The smell. Smell left in a bathroom after someone's left it after Andy Reid has left it.
Dan LeBatard
It was made very clear that Greg wasn't taking his shirt off. So it's like if he's going to half ass it.
Chris
Although he yelled so hard you can see me in there midway through. Give him like a hey, don't kill yourself doing this.
Mike Ryan
You were choking me.
Stugotz
Dan, you look very excited. Look, you look at Roy in the background. They're just profoundly indifferent. Surrounded by joy.
Chris
Had done te day. So he was broken.
Stugotz
Sitting on the fringes of our fun. Jessica. Jessica is always. She's got good taste when it comes to televised and movie entertainment. So what do you. What are you watching or what are you recommending these days for our listeners?
Jessica
Dan, what do you know about the new knives out.
Stugotz
Is there a third? There's now a third one. Okay, so you guys were recommending the second one and I haven't gotten to that. I like the first one.
Jessica
Don't even bother with the second. We're well past. There's too many Covid references. It's not going to age well. I haven't rewatched it since it came out, but just don't worry about it.
Stugotz
So there's a third one now and you're recommending it?
Jessica
The third one is currently in theaters, are doing a limited theatrical release and Then it'll be on Netflix next week. And I went to the theater and saw it yesterday and it was so, so good. It is probably my favorite of the three. If you like Whodunits. Dano. I don't know. This one might be one of the better. Who not? It's.
Chris
I've seen it all.
Mike Ryan
Can I ask you seriously? Like, I like going to the movie theater also, so. But why would you go to the movies when it's coming out your home next week?
Jessica
Because it just looks so much better on a movie screen. And also I just had two and a half hours to kill, so why not?
Dan LeBatard
Yeah, I like going to the movies, but.
Mike Ryan
But my preference is always watching my couch.
Stugotz
Well, you.
Chris
You've helped sound like the movie theater. Sounds like you don't like movies.
Jessica
It sounds like you don't. I think. I think zaz it. It totally depends if it's a movie that I'm not that, that, you know, excited to see. Don't care that much about. Like, yeah, I'll just watch it at home. I'll wait for it to come out on Demand. But if it's a movie that I think I'm really going to like, it's so much better to watch it at the theater than watching it on my TV in my little, you know, small apartment.
Mike Ryan
It's your favorite of the three, right? That first Knives out was very good, I would say.
Jessica
It's. It's not as funny as the first one. There's not as many laughs. But it's overall, like, the writing is better. It has like, more deeper themes to it. It's not just like a quirky, funny, you know, who done it. It's like, oh, there's actually some, some depth to this, which I thought was nice. I don't. Have you guys seen Poker Face on Peacock? I think it recently got canceled. Yeah. So Rian Johnson is the. The mastermind behind that, which is that show is kind of like a modern spin on like a Columbo type show, Dan, where, you know, who did the crime before the detective shows up. And the detective in that show is Natasha Leone. This. This is obviously not like that. You. I was trying to figure out what was going on the whole time, and I couldn't figure it out. It was a very good mystery, but just the. The general genre is. Is one that I love and I think that this really knocks it out of the park.
Chris
Thursday Night Football's on and it's only on Prime Video. This week, the Dallas Cowboys take on the Detroit Lions in A new rivalry with lots of heat. Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with football's best party, TNF tonight. Not a Prime member? Not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. It's the Cowboys and lions Thursday at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.
Folks, fuel your game day with the unbeatable crunch of Hampton Farms, the official peanut of bowl season. Perfect for sharing with friends, tailgating outside the state stadium, or cheering from the couch. Grab a bag from the produce aisle of your local grocery store and savor the game one peanut at a time. Let's get nutty On Fox one.
Jessica
You can stream your favorite live sports so you're there for the biggest moments as they happen. For me, I cannot deal with spoilers, so I need to see it live. Especially on college football Saturdays and NFL Sundays. With Fox 1, you get it all. NASCAR, the MLB postseason, Edge of your seat plays, jaw dropping moments and that rush like you're right there in the action. Sports are meant to be watched live and you can do that with Fox One. Fox One. We live for live streaming now.
Stugotz
Don LeBatard.
Jessica
I don't look smutty either. Stugats women stay home in the kitchen where they belong.
Stugotz
This is the Don Levatar show with the Stugats.
Thank you for including me with that Colombo reference. One of the most adorable thing my parents do is they continue on Saturday nights to text me, are you watching Colombo right now? Because they're just watching a telethon.
Jessica
It's Colombo season.
Stugotz
It's Saturday night.
Jessica
Anytime it gets cold out, they watch.
Stugotz
Like three straight hours or four straight hours of Colombo and they think they're confused by streaming. So they still think that it's on Saturday night and it's just a marathon of 1970s detective television.
Dan LeBatard
I've never shared this story, but the lead in Poker Face is Natasha Lyonne and there was rumors that they may recast this. Like, yeah, when I was producing for the show in like the Waxy days, Dan, like we used to have, like, let's track this person down. So there was an FBI agent that called me like 15 years ago who was a fan of our show and asked me to help track down Natasha Leone.
Roy
Yeah.
Dan LeBatard
Because like any information that I might have because he was looking to speak with revelation. Yeah, that was, that was something that happened that was very strange. I feel like the FBI should have better resources than I had at Waxy.
Stugotz
Today's FBI does not, I can assure you of that. So HBO Max has a ton of good stuff. I remain stunned. And I don't know how he did it, how Adam McKay got the chair company to exist on HBO. It's one of the stranger things you will ever watch. Is there anything HBO Max related that you're either recommending or you think that is worth talking about?
Jessica
By the way, another semi whodunit. I mean, it's, it's a mystery thriller. The Chair Company. So. Right up my alley. Dan, I don't know if you've seen the controversy about the Mad men remastering in 4K that's been up on HBO the last few days, but apparently Mad Men, one of the greatest television shows of all time, highly recommend if you've never watched it. Now they're, they're all on hbo. But in remastering the Mad Men original film, I guess whatever film copy of it, they somehow took out some of the visual effects. And so there are scenes where you can see extras in the background. And in particular there's one scene where Roger Sterling is growing up and you can see that guy in the back on the right is holding like the puke cannon that's going up along John Slattery's back and making it look like he's puking. And then there's a guy behind him with his hand, like on his back, making sure he stays steady. So this is a pretty embarrassing mistake. I'm sure they're going to clean it up and fix it and figure out how all of that actually happened. But it's, it's just a reminder of how many important people there are on the, on the set of an important show. Pukeanan guys having his moment right now. I hope someone reaches out to him and gets his comment on this. But just as important to the shot as Don Draper and Pete Campbell watching Slattery puke up martinis and oysters.
Stugotz
That is pretty terrible, though. It's not as terrible as a Starbucks cup appearing in the eighth year of Game of Thrones.
Jessica
Yeah, right, Right. Well, this is, yeah, this did not, to be clear, this was not in, like, the original airing of Mad Men. They, they took the, the people out. This is in the digital remastery where they have made a few, there's a few, like, television accounts that are posting, like, some of the differences and some of the things that they accidentally took out or didn't leave in from the original. So, yeah, this was, this was not AMC's fault.
Stugotz
Put it on the poll, please. Juju, have you failed at life? If you're being referred to as Puke Cannon Guy. Jessica, thank you for being on with us. Her and Mike Golick Jr. Have Jeremiah love Heisman candidate on their weekly Notre Dame podcast.
Jessica
The episode this week, breaking news. I heard Puke Cannon guy is now the leading candidate for the Penn State job. How about that?
Stugotz
Let me see here. I got.
Dan LeBatard
I love the the evolution of our show in which giving Dan a button bar is just him saying, let's see here.
And then a delayed sound.
Roy
Yeah, glasses.
Stugotz
Thank you, Jessica. I appreciate your time.
Appreciate it. Thank you. I wanted to get to some of the basketball stuff from last night. I don't know if you are seeing the quotes from LeBron James when he's being asked about how manage his left foot injury.
Mike Ryan
Remember when I own Nick Wright earlier.
Stugotz
Today that LeBron kept him out of Sunday's game. But the quote from LeBron is it's called old. You just wake up that you didn't have the night before. End quote.
Howard Bryant
Great quote.
Stugotz
It's also true. Most relatable thing, the most human thing he's ever said. The guy's an immortal. He's a superhuman.
Chris
But it my right elbow this morning, it's hilarious.
Dan LeBatard
Like, well, I. I slept wrong so I guess I'm a bad shoulder guy now for the rest of my life.
Stugotz
The quote is it's called old. So likable you just wake up that you didn't. Didn't have the night before. I believe in the history of our show there has not been a funnier injury than Howard Bryant waking up one morning and tearing both his hamstrings getting out of bed.
Chris
Still on to that story.
Dan LeBatard
How can you get tennis elbow if you don't play tennis?
Stugotz
Last night though, the late game. How do we feel about the both a game starting at 11pm the defending champions against Golden State. That's a game people want to watch. You put it at 11pm Eastern. It's not a lot. Not a lot of people are going to see it. But also getting back to the point I was making earlier in the show. Peacock having Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony doing the pregame while Bob Costas reads an essay that calls New York Boston one of the great rivalries when it's not like that's not one of the great rivalries. I don't. It's just not in baseball.
Howard Bryant
It is.
Stugotz
But. But it's not. That's not what they were televising last night. What they. What they were. It's not.
Dan LeBatard
Yeah, but it's Costas this is what MLS is missing.
Stugotz
But Boston, New York is not a great rivalry in basketball.
Chris
Yeah, but Costas's mind, he's thinking about base. He's always thinking about baseball, Dan, as he should.
Stugotz
Those broadcasts, though, on Peacock, they're really good. Like the idea that I'm watching just excellent regular season telecasts where there's a lot of money. It really is a gold age in sports. A weird time to have Inter Miami behind a paywall.
Chris
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Dan LeBatard
Now's a good time to remember where tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila.
Stugotz
Cuervo.
Dan LeBatard
What are you doing here?
Stugotz
Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.
Dan LeBatard
Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out, especially for one of our great partners.
Stugotz
Sweet, delicious Cuervo.
Dan LeBatard
Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.
Stugotz
Cuervo.
Dan LeBatard
So enjoy the tequila that started it all. Cuervo, Cuervo, the tequila that invented tequila. Roximo. Cuervo.com, please drink responsibly.
Stugotz
Cuervo.
Episode: Hour 1: The Puke Cannon Guy (feat. Jessica Smetana)
Date: December 3, 2025
Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the crew delivered their signature blend of sports analysis, pop culture banter, and comedic takes. This hour features Jessica Smetana, who joins to break down the latest drama in college football, offer insights on the Penn State coaching carousel, and provide pop culture recommendations. Along the way, the show indulges in laugh-out-loud debates (e.g., pizza anatomy, the "Puke Cannon Guy" phenomenon), and reflects on the manufactured outrage of sports television.
[01:43 – 03:23]
[03:23 – 04:52]
[05:26 – 06:29]
“Put it on the poll at LeBatard show: If a piece of pizza is walking, is the crust the head or the feet?” — Stugotz ([06:40])
[07:11 – 08:30]
[09:26 – 13:49]
[14:09 – 16:58]
[20:14 – 27:49]
"Notre Dame really didn’t have anything to be upset about other than themselves for losing... the margin for error is very slim when you only win 10 games." — Jessica Smetana ([21:30])
“It doesn't really seem like they had a plan other than they thought they could convince another big-time Power 4 name to come. ... It’s just becoming a worse situation, I think, by the day.” — Jessica Smetana ([24:00 – 25:13])
[27:49 – 29:47]
“I think Marcus Freeman’s a great coach. You’d be stupid not to kick the tires on trying to hire him.” ([28:49])
[29:28 – 30:07]
"The College Football Playoff discourse has gotten to a kind of a toxic point...” — Jessica Smetana
[30:15 – 31:23]
[33:05 – 35:31]
“It is probably my favorite of the three… The writing is better. It has more deeper themes to it.” — Jessica Smetana ([34:37])
[38:33 – 40:46]
“This is a pretty embarrassing mistake… Puke cannon guy is having his moment right now. …just as important to the shot as Don Draper.” — Jessica Smetana ([39:05])
[41:48 – 43:33]
“It’s called old. You just wake up [with injuries] that you didn’t have the night before.” ([41:48])
The hour is a vibrant, loose, and comedic dive into the week’s sports and pop culture stories, fueled by the panel’s sharp wit and self-deprecating humor. Jessica Smetana seamlessly matches the show’s irreverence, especially during college football debates and the pop culture segment.
This episode encapsulates why the Le Batard Show is a staple: it’s less about final scores and more about the ridiculousness of sports culture, personal quirks, and the glory of inside jokes—from the existential “outrage cycle” of televised sports to the unsung production heroism of the “puke cannon guy.” Even the hot takes are delivered with a wink.
End of Hour 1: "The Puke Cannon Guy"