Hour 1: Top 5 Athlete Weed Names In Sports History (feat. Pablo Torre)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Episode: Hour 1: Top 5 Athlete Weed Names In Sports History (feat. Pablo Torre)
Release Date: April 21, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz returns from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, featuring hosts Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and co-hosts Mike Ryan, Billy, Chris Cody, and Zaslow. This episode spotlights a lively discussion on the intersection of sports and pop culture, culminating in the main segment: "Top 5 Athlete Weed Names in Sports History," featuring special guest Pablo Torre.

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Debate on Professional Wrestling's Authenticity

Timestamp: 01:44 - 06:16

The episode kicks off with Stugotz introducing Pablo Torre, an award-winning journalist, to elevate the conversation around sports and entertainment. Early in the discussion, a heated debate arises concerning the legitimacy of professional wrestling.

• Stugotz: "Oversight wrestling is basically Broadway for dudes who won't admit that they like theater..." (04:54)

• Dan LeBatard: "It's fake. That's why." (03:10)

Key Points:

• Dan LeBatard argues that wrestling events like WrestleMania are scripted and questions the necessity of traveling to major events when local options are available.
• Chris Cody defends wrestling as a live performance, emphasizing the athleticism and immediate engagement of watching it in person.
• Pablo Torre likens wrestling to a stage show with predetermined outcomes, contributing to the debate about its authenticity in sports.

Notable Quote:

• Chris Cody: "They're doing it all right in front of you live. They're acting and performing incredible athletic feats right in front of you live." (04:13)

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NBA Playoffs Analysis

Timestamp: 10:44 - 24:07

The conversation shifts to the NBA playoffs, with a focus on the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers matchup. Pablo Torre provides in-depth analysis of the Nuggets' strategic decisions and the impact of star players like Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook.

Key Points:

• Pablo Torre expresses fascination with the Nuggets' experiment of leaving team management decisions to Nikola Jokic, highlighting his exceptional performance and influence on the game.
• Discussion on Russell Westbrook: The hosts explore Westbrook's aggressive playstyle in critical game moments, debating its effectiveness and its role in the Nuggets' victories.
• Coaching Dynamics: The episode delves into the firing of Clippers' head coach Mike Malone and its ramifications on team performance.

Notable Quote:

• Pablo Torre: "Russell Westbrook is the guy who will dribble the ball off of his foot into his arms at the end of regulation, and he'll also be the guy that will make you think, my God, this is Russell Westbrook aggression mode." (12:34)

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Insights from Pablo Torre

Timestamp: 35:01 - 39:46

Pablo Torre shares his perspectives from his journalistic endeavors, particularly his work on the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out. He discusses various topics, including Mina Kimes' performance on Celebrity Jeopardy and the internal challenges within the Dallas Mavericks' medical staff.

Key Points:

• Celebrity Jeopardy Incident: Torre critiques Mina Kimes for her performance and public handling of mistakes on the show.
• Dallas Mavericks' Medical Staff Issues: He highlights conflicts within the team's medical department and questions the effectiveness of recent trades, particularly the acquisition of Anthony Davis.
• Department of Defense Commentary: Torre offers a scathing critique of Pete Hegseth's tenure, labeling him as unqualified and ineffective, especially in relation to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives.

Notable Quote:

• Pablo Torre: "There is no greater example of truly unqualified incompetence and overall fraudulence than this guy." (17:43)

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Top 5 Athlete Weed Names in Sports History

Timestamp: 32:45 - 35:01

The main segment features Pablo Torre presenting his curated list of the top five athlete weed names, blending humor with sports trivia.

Pablo Torre’s Top 5 List:

1. J.R. Smith - (35:01)
2. Tree Rollins - (34:54)
3. Bobby Jenks - (33:58)
4. John Danks - (33:19)
5. Bobby James - (33:45)

Key Highlights:

• Each name is discussed with playful banter among the hosts, linking the athletes' personalities or playing styles to their whimsical weed monikers.
• The segment underscores the show's blend of sports analysis with lighthearted, offbeat content.

Notable Quote:

• Pablo Torre: "I do like Chris saying you're 6th grade, which is a 5th grade reference." (07:24)

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Closing Discussions and Reflections

Timestamp: 39:46 - End

As the episode nears its conclusion, the hosts wrap up lingering topics and engage in light-hearted banter, reflecting on the day's discussions and teasing future content.

Key Points:

• Apple TV Documentary: Dan and Stugotz debate the production of a documentary on the Dodgers' World Series win, executive produced by Derek Jeter, and its implications for rival fans.
• Jimmy John's Segment: The hosts promote the new toasted sandwiches from Jimmy John's, interspersed with humorous remarks about sandwich preferences.
• Final Banter: The episode concludes with playful exchanges among the hosts, maintaining the show's signature blend of humor and camaraderie.

Notable Quote:

• Dan LeBatard: "Miller time is always a good time. Miller Lite great taste. 96 calories." (28:48)

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Conclusion

This episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz delves into a mix of serious sports analysis and entertaining banter, anchored by Pablo Torre's insights. From debating the authenticity of professional wrestling to dissecting NBA playoff strategies and presenting a humorous top five list, the show provides a comprehensive and engaging exploration of sports and pop culture.

Notable Quotes Recap:

• Dan LeBatard: "It's fake. That's why." (03:10)
• Chris Cody: "They're doing it all right in front of you live." (04:13)
• Pablo Torre: "Russell Westbrook is the guy who will dribble the ball off of his foot..." (12:34)
• Pablo Torre: "There is no greater example of truly unqualified incompetence..." (17:43)

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus on the core discussions and insights shared during the episode.

Transcript

[Mike Ryan]

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[Stugatz]

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[Stugatz]

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[Stugatz]

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[Stugatz]

Cuervo.

[Pablo Torre]

This is the Don Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Stugatz]

Award winning Pablo Torre is going to join us here in a moment to elevate some of the things going on around here with his highfalutinous and to talk NBA players playoffs because I'm hoping he got sucked into the fun this weekend. He may be too busy doing other things to. To dabble in basketball because he's doing journalistic things, important things in the world. But before we get to Pablo Zaslow, what is the issue? I feel like Mike Ryan and Chris Cody, peers of yours, guys you grew up with, you guys were all doing the same jobs at the same time. I feel like they feel judged by you and there's some judgment in general going on around here about WrestleMania nerds.

[Chris Cody]

Well, okay. They feel that I'm judging them. What? Like, what. What's their thought?

[Stugatz]

I don't know what's happening here around the WrestleMania. I think you're a passionate WrestleMania person, are you not?

[Chris Cody]

Love pro wrestling. Yes. I had a great weekend. It was WrestleMania weekend in the Zaslo Mansion. We all got together, all the Zazlow men, and we watched a lot of pro wrestling. How am I judging you?

[Stugatz]

The. Forgive me. I misunderstood the nature of the argument was not. Was there not somebody here who?

[Mike Ryan]

Me?

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm judging them. They're nerds. Okay.

[Stugatz]

Forgive me.

[Dan LeBatard]

Not real.

[Chris Cody]

I mean, really, that's what we're doing in the year 2025. That's all we're doing. It's not like. Do you think you just educated someone by telling us it's. Whoa. It's not real.

[Dan LeBatard]

Listen to me. If it's down the street from your house and you like wrestling, go to a wrestling event. You don't fly to Vegas for WrestleMania. That's not what you do.

[Chris Cody]

No, I mean, I didn't. But why?

[Dan LeBatard]

It's fake. That's why.

[Chris Cody]

Yes. Okay, everybody.

[Dan LeBatard]

Now wrestling fans feel like they are experiencing something differently than we're experiencing it. No, we're not.

[Chris Cody]

Can you answer me some. What is fake? What's. What's the definition? What's fake?

[Dan LeBatard]

What's them. Wrestling.

[Chris Cody]

No, but. Okay, it's a show.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's a show that. That you don't travel to Vegas for.

[Chris Cody]

But you go to Daddy Company. That's a show.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah, but that's the only place they play. The only place I can go. Wrestling. They have wrestling events all over the country. If they have one down the street, go to it.

[Chris Cody]

But this is the Super Bowl. Wrestling.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah. Yeah. What WrestleMania is this?

[Chris Cody]

41.

[Dan LeBatard]

41. And it's the super bowl of wrestling.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah.

[Dan LeBatard]

Okay. When you watch the super bowl, you feel like you're watching a real thing. Real people collide, real physicality, real. Real results.

[Chris Cody]

Right, Right.

[Dan LeBatard]

With wrestling. It's rigged.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, I understand. It's a show, though. I get to watch my show in person. It's a bad show. They're, like, the greatest athletes in the world. It's a. There's no. There's no second takes, third takes. They do everything in one take. They're doing it all right in front of you. They're acting and performing and performing incredible athletic feats right in front of you live. No, do.

[Zaslow]

Oversight wrestling is basically Broadway for dudes who won't admit that they like theater, right? Because, I mean, we're talking. It's a stage show with a bunch of acting and physical performances and storylines that you know how they're probably going to end up. But if you've never seen that stage production, then you don't know how it's going to go see a new Broadway show.

[Billy]

Right?

[Chris Cody]

Here's my big problem. All right? Why is it. And this is you now, Stugatz, you're the guy. Why is it you feel the need to. To tell other grownups like myself now, I wasn't there, but Mike Ryan was there. Other grownups. Why are you critical of other grownups enjoying something?

[Dan LeBatard]

That's what I do.

[Chris Cody]

Because that's what. But you're not the only one. Like, you're that representation here right now in front of me, but you're not the only one. Oh, you want. You watch wrestling. You go to wrestling. You're an adult. Why can't you turn on pro? You turn on WrestleMania this weekend, there were 60,000 people in attendance each night having a great, great time. What's wrong with people having a great time?

[Dan LeBatard]

60,000 dorks.

[Billy]

I mean, seriously, it is odd that there's like a post game press conference for a match that was predetermined.

[Chris Cody]

My son was asking me last night, we were watching the Post press conferences, and he's like, are these real media people, real reporters?

[Dan LeBatard]

There you go.

[Billy]

I said, yeah.

[Chris Cody]

I go, I could get a Kuda. I could do that if I want. He goes, but they. But they tell you what to ask, right? I go, no, that's whatever you want.

[Dan LeBatard]

Smart kid.

[Zaslow]

Post game presser for Jack Kelly and newsies.

[Stugatz]

Pablo, you had trouble taking your glasses off there. I'm familiar with that particular fight through the head headphones. What are your thoughts here as we bring you in as a skirmish breaks out between Zaslow and Stugat about whether or not wrestling is fake?

[Pablo Torre]

Just realize that I've been shown this entire time struggling to both keep my glasses on and off and keep pace with whatever we're arguing about. Mike Scherz there or was there? Mike Scher also went. I think Mike and Mike Ryan and Mike Scher both went to Vegas for this thing. The coalition of wrestling fans always surprises me as someone who wasn't one of them. I didn't know there were post game, post game pressers. I didn't know that was a thing. That's a thing I've never seen. I've never seen a wrestler behind a microphone.

[Stugatz]

Chris Cody thought the coalition there was unnecessary. I'm just telling you, Pablo.

[Dan LeBatard]

Coalition.

[Stugatz]

Pablo. Here's what's happened.

[Pablo Torre]

You floated six word.

[Stugatz]

You, you're sixth grade Pablo. You have floated off into left field MSNBC land. You have no connection anymore.

[Billy]

Coalition of wrestling fans.

[Stugatz]

Put it on the poll at Lebiton show. Is coalition a sixth grade word at Le Bizard show? Because I think it is. I think you might be right here. I think you might get it dead on. And we're the idiots here.

[Pablo Torre]

I do like Christo saying your 6th grade which is a 5th grade reference.

[Stugatz]

Can we get please the sound and video of Mina Kimes on Celebrity Jeopardy. Because Pablo's most recent episode of Pablo Torre finds out is deep dive into. I don't believe there is another podcast anywhere in the space dominating game show talk the way that Pablo Torre is. Katie Nolan, Mina Kimes and Pablo have all had like these amazing game show moments all funny for different reasons.

[Dan LeBatard]

In defense of Pablo, coalition is a sixth grade word.

[Stugatz]

That's just Chris Carney. We're. We're trying to dumb it down for our executive producer.

[Billy]

I don't believe that.

[Stugatz]

And there you go. And that's. How do you know what words are.

[Billy]

Sixth grade, by the way?

[Stugatz]

Arguments. That is how argument go to sixth grade dot com. You see all the words presented with alternate information. The person who was just told that it's sixth grade word says I don't believe that. End of discussion. Case closed. Chris Cody wins the argument.

[Pablo Torre]

America loses sixth grade.com though we should squat on that URL the business here.

[Stugatz]

This. Let's just play for Pablo here. Mina Kimes. This. I just. I don't recognize her and I felt like this was extraordinary confidence to see from someone Pablo who I remember didn't know how to put on a headset on television. Her failing on a game show and leaning into it this way is crazy to me.

[Chris Cody]

And you don't have to kick yourself.

[Pablo Torre]

I think because the way it worked.

[Stugatz]

Out with Dave being the only one.

[Pablo Torre]

Who knew final listen. Yeah, I would have been more mad if I had done the math wrong. And once that was, I was like alright, you know. Because that would have just been embarrassing.

[Stugatz]

Well, you made small wagers on problems.

[Pablo Torre]

You ended up knowing on Nero and then scared. Money don't make money.

[Stugatz]

I just can't believe that.

[Dan LeBatard]

The greatest.

[Stugatz]

I still can't believe it.

[Chris Cody]

Which is better, the lean or the eyes at the very end the lane.

[Pablo Torre]

The most. The most confident Mina was in her entire celebrity Jeopardy semifinal was when she gave that post game press conference answer to Ken Jennings about how unconfident she was in her strategy for daily doubles.

[Stugatz]

I have not seen how Pablo cut this up, but I assure you I'm urging everyone in our audience to go see Pablo Torre finds out or just listen to it if you don't want to see it. Because I don't believe we've ever been able to laugh at Mina like that. And the circumstances of her doing math wrong or feeling like she kicked a field goal and was a chicken in a big situation. Like you couldn't have written it in fiction. Better to go funnier if you and I were writing it.

[Pablo Torre]

No, beyond the fact that Dan ended up being able to have this weapon to just beat Mina over the head with in the post game presser that we staged for her was the fact that Mina, of course, like could not do the thing. And this is her own. Her own self awareness. In the episode that Dan's referencing, she realizes that after a career spent telling people telling NFL coaches to go for it on fourth down, she punted. She just repeatedly punted throughout the game and didn't realize it until this taping we did in which she had to reckon with how unbelievably, cosmically cursed it is to be her on NFL Live and her in this episode of Celebrity Jeopardy. It is remarkable and you cannot script that it's true.

[Stugatz]

Let's talk about the NBA from the weekend. Which of the things did you find most interesting if you had to choose only one?

[Pablo Torre]

The Nuggets. The Nuggets being the Clippers. I think that the whole experiment with we're going to fire our head coach, fire our gm, leave it in the hands of Nikola Jokic, who's on off. Numbers are incredible. Has made me more intrigued by this team than any one other team in this postseason. Because all I want to do is get you. Put a little box of me in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. I just want a little box with Mike Malone in it during these games. Like, what's it like to be him?

[Stugatz]

That's good television.

[Pablo Torre]

What's it like to be.

[Stugatz]

Watch this. Let me ask you about the end of that.

[Dan LeBatard]

I want to box at Nico watching Laker games.

[Stugatz]

Okay. This is good stuff. Yes. Basketball shots off should evolve into that as a narrative based sport that loves the stories and the drama. You're absolutely right. That's the next evolution. But walk me through. End of regulation. Nuggets, Clippers. If you guys did not see this, the way they guarded Westbrook was crazy. On average, 9.6ft away from him. Go ahead. You're the worst three point shooter in the history of the league. You're aging poorly. Shoot all the threes you want, we're going to respect you less than Tony Allen, than anybody 10ft off him. End of the game situation. Stu Cots, what are the Nuggets going to do? Well, obviously it's going to be Jokic and Murray. Jokic and Murray. Oh, no. Westbrook has the ball. Oh, no. Oh, my God. Throw it off someone's foot. Out of bounds. Nuggets win anyway. Headlines. Westbrook attack mode wins for the Nuggets. And I'm like, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. Almost lost that one game maybe because you got the best player anyone's ever seen on earth, but you will not beat them four times that way. So your thoughts there, Pablo? Because Westbrook mode at the end of games is an insanity.

[Pablo Torre]

Well, this is. This is why I want Mike Malone in the little box. I want the Mike Malone cast because part of the reason he got fired, we were told, was because he played Russell Westbrook in the fourth quarter too much. Like, Mike Malone was watching the reason he got fired result in a headline that praised the team that he got fired from coaching for doing the thing they did only to win a playoff game in overtime. It's incredible. Like, the Russell Westbrook thing. I mean, man, two things are true, and this is always true about Russell Westbrook. He is the guy who will dribble the ball off of his foot or whatever into Zubots his arms at the end of regulation, and he'll also be the guy that will make you think, my God, this is Russell Westbrook aggression mode. And yes, he. He has so much more left in the tank than you think. But also, what a nightmare. What a nightmare to just watch someone else get praise for the thing you got fired for doing. It is remarkable.

[Chris Cody]

So, yes, we all saw that. That apparently it was a big point of contention that Malone would play Westbrook too much. He would play him in the fourth quarter. But don't we now have to question the validity to that? If in the first playoff game of the season, the interim coach plays him the whole fourth quarter, 34 minutes, like, like, wouldn't you be doing the opposite? Because, you know, you kind of want to get the job next year and not do the thing that apparently got more Mike Malone fired? Right?

[Pablo Torre]

I mean, it's a good question. If the GM had not also gotten fired. Like, I don't even know what's happening. Over there. I don't know who's in charge. I genuinely have no idea. I don't know who they're supposed to please. I think we're supposed to realize that Russell Westbrook in the fourth quarter bad until it was good in this playoff game, I guess, because they won. And also in terms of who's running the team. Zaz. Yeah. I don't know. We're also running that experiment. Who's your boss? I don't really know. I guess Jokic is. Or Jokic, his brother is at this point. Sure. Or his agent is, which we've also heard. It's very, very confusing.

[Stugatz]

Juju, put it on the poll, please. At Lebatard show. Did you have a friend today who was too eager to tell you the Pope had died at LeBatard? And also, I don't think that we should move too far past the fact ever, when talking about Jokic, that his brothers are much bigger than he is. I just want to put that out there. I don't. They're going to make a return at some point during this postseason, I assure you. Please do not take your eye off the ball. James Harden is saying, yes, I'd prefer Shea Gilgamesh Alexander for mvp. But we all know, of course, the best player in the world is that guy over there. That guy we're all on board with. Yes, of course, he's the number one.

[Lucy]

Because of the Netflix show, the Top five, where they go around starting five or whatever. My wife was introduced to Yoko. She's like, oh, so he doesn't. He doesn't care about basketball, but he's the best player. I'm like, yes. And then she started learning, started watching the games this season. And then I showed her a picture of the brother, and I was like, that guy's his brother? And she's like, no, there's. There's no way that's. That's enhanced.

[Pablo Torre]

Right?

[Mike Ryan]

He's.

[Lucy]

He's made bigger on purpose. On.

[Chris Cody]

He looks like Kingpin.

[Lucy]

I'm like, no, he's like. He's like three times bigger than Jokic's. And Jokic is seven feet tall and 290 pounds.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, he looks a bit like a Greco Roman wrestler who also was in the World's Strongest man competition throwing kegs of the mountain over a wall. Yes.

[Pablo Torre]

His brother Jokic. His brother makes Jokic look like Yao made Shaq look like. You need just that level.

[Stugatz]

It just doesn't make sense. I'm telling you, it visually does not make sense. If you're someone who does not know and has no sense of proportion. And I didn't tell you. One of these people is the best basketball player in the world right now. He's the small one. People would say, well, he's six foot and quick, right? Or he's. He's five, five. He's five ten. He's a point guard right now, have.

[Pablo Torre]

You guys seen that photo of Giant of Ginny tiny Jeff Passon from that set? He was on a baseball. He was, he was. He was on set doing some ESPN baseball broadcast. And he looks tiny. You guys know I'm talking about.

[Stugatz]

We have, we have our own version. We have our own version of. Of amin doing one of those. And we, Julian Stugat sitting with Derrick Henry as well.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, right.

[Stugatz]

Where we play with the proportions of people. I wanted to ask you about something that happened during the Celtics game yesterday where Tatum goes down. Missoula says to the trainer, don't go out there. And. And Tatum is writhing around and Missoula is just like, get up. What is that?

[Dan LeBatard]

It's playoff time.

[Stugatz]

But it's playoff time. But I also got Tony coming in here tonight saying, hey, is Derrick White better than Jalen Brown?

[Pablo Torre]

Is he. Joe Missoula is. I don't want to diagnose anybody from afar, but he has something in his brain, circuitry wise, that is just very different. And the only thing I can compare it to is that there is a group of guys in sports, we did an episode about this, actually, who all have tattoos of the Joker on their body. Not Jokic, obviously, but like the Joker from the Dark Knight. And Joe Missoula is one of these guys who idolizes that sort of a character, which is to say there are people who see being a sociopath as being virtuous and like good strategy. And that is an incredible photo of Billy next.

[Billy]

That has to be one of the.

[Pablo Torre]

Funniest pocket.

[Billy]

Running back.

[Stugatz]

I thought that's what you were thinking of that Derek Henry is Trump's size and weight.

[Billy]

Oh, my photo has to be doctored like that.

[Stugatz]

So Billy did that on purpose. The reason he put his chair down that low. So look, do you guys understand that every single person who meets me thinks I'm 59 because my chair was down to sit next to my father? So like, Billy just moved his chair down.

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, no, Dan is right. Billy came up with the idea to move both our chairs down and keep Derek Henry's at the same height.

[Pablo Torre]

And so history is not going to know that context. And that was a terrible decision by Billy. Gill.

[Stugatz]

He is Derrick Henry is. He was listed last week by us at 6 3, £245. I believe so. But Pablo, when it comes to what it is that you were watching, you were. You were talking about Missoula. Because this is a really unusual coach. Two guys, look, can we just stop for a second and find it really weird that a young guy we were making fun of that was about, you know, a second or two from being fired as a laughing stock from the Celtics because he managed to lose to the Heat 8 seed, now is a champion. And not just a champion, but he's a champion who behaves in, like, really unusual ways, unlike and really young and I think empirically strange.

[Pablo Torre]

Like what is incredibly strange.

[Dan LeBatard]

I think the whole Celtic thing is strange. The reaction to them winning, people not taking them seriously, people not talking.

[Stugatz]

But in that town, when you're young, brilliant wizard, you get to be Theo Epstein. You get to be brilliant for all time. Are we saying that this is brilliant for all time, or are we saying this is circuitry that we don't understand? And, well, he's winning, so therefore he's our back.

[Pablo Torre]

I'm saying that he forced Jason Tatum to watch the Dark Knight with him and to focus on Heath Ledger's the Joker for inspiration. I just think there's a type of guy, and Missoula might even be just weirder than even this one data point, but there's a type of guy who, who isn't just like, wow, this guy's a really hardcore, like, you know, high energy, or not even high energy, just all consuming coach guy. He's the guy who thinks Heath Ledger's Joker is a hero. I don't know how often I can just keep repeating this, but that's literally insane. You're idolizing an insane person, which would make me think that you are also an insane person just. Just by the laws of, you know, logic.

[Dan LeBatard]

But if you win, we'll assign winner to you. It doesn't matter how strange you. Phil Jackson was strange. He won a lot. Belichick, strange one.

[Billy]

Oh, no.

[Stugatz]

But what. No, no, wait a minute, though. What we won't do, though, if you give us totally strange and we almost fired you because we all remember that this was very close to not being allowed to go even one more season. Uh, it wouldn't have been if the Celtics had indeed fired him. No one would have been surprised. No one. And to go from that to, oh, they won the championship easily and he's super unusual and they're young and good enough that that's, you know, a team that can obviously knock off OKC because they've been there before and OKC has it and then you've got a two time champion on your hands and we don't get to reverse engineer this. Belichick we saw become a genius. Like we saw it happen. We watched it. Theo Epstein saw it, watched it. Young strange person doesn't get to be eternal genius. We saw the formative years. We saw too much at the beginning. No, do I have it wrong?

[Pablo Torre]

I think, look, Missoula, as a coaching prospect, what Stugats is saying is fundamentally like directionally correct. Which is that at a certain point if you're going to be the guy who's winning all of these titles and being in the conference finals and the finals every single year, we're going to just not think too deeply about the fact that yes, you watch the town like four times a day or whatever it is that you have these press conferences where you don't seem to exist on the same like emotional, psychological wavelength as anybody else. It's, it's ends justify the means. Which I guess in that case is exactly the lesson of the joker.

[Dan LeBatard]

Does that mean I'm right? I mean fundamentally, directionally, the reason, the reason I want to say I'm right.

[Stugatz]

Before I move to Lakers in the.

[Pablo Torre]

Direction of Right, right. I wouldn't say you're necessarily fundamentally, fundamentally the coalition of people who are directionally, yes, pointed.

[Stugatz]

You are pointed toward it. But before I get to the Lakers portion of this, when it comes to the Celtics, I do think it becomes hard to make some of the appraisals because the starting point is all of these people seem to be better than I thought they were. All of them. Like it's not, it's across the roster coaching. So I would have to concede I'm wrong about everything I thought. And if I'm wrong about everything I thought, where do I put the credit? I know the strange coach who's at the front of all of it. And I saw it when it wasn't every guy is better than all the others. That it that it needed to get rid of Marcus Smart and add a 7 foot 3 lego person to it. And now every bit of them is better than any of us thought they were. And so the appraisal becomes, you can begrudgingly say holy shit, they beat the respect out of me. I was wrong.

[Pablo Torre]

But the thing about, I mean this is, it goes back to the Mike Malone in the little box thing though. Like we're testing actively what it means to not have a coach during a playoff run effectively. And you're right, Dan. Like, there is no real good statistic. There's no good analytics for coaches. Because they exist in the realm of motivation. Because they exist in the realm of, hey, watch this movie scene. This is going to inspire you. Because they exist in the realm of, like, press conference theater. And so, yes, it's very easy to ascribe everything. We can't calculate to them, except for when in the case of Denver, like, they're basically saying, we don't really need this. And now you give it to Westbrook. Which is how it is that the NBA is both a league of math and the opposite at the same time.

[Stugatz]

Mike Malone cam is such a good idea. What other cams like that could I give you for the playoffs that you guys. Number one that would enjoy. Yeah, but Mike Malone cam cam is really good. Like, Taylor Jenkins is enjoying the holy hell out of yesterday, right?

[Billy]

No one wants a Taylor Jenkins game. No, but you can agree.

[Stugatz]

But I'm saying just him, like up him. Him just, you know, celebrating them down by 50, you know.

[Chris Cody]

Well, do you think he sits there and watches the game at home or does just check his phone? Checks the box.

[Stugatz]

But even that's funny. If he's just sort of walking around, if he's at like a bar mitzvah and he's just sort of checking his phone.

[Dan LeBatard]

Or how about Riley during warrior games?

[Stugatz]

That's a good camp too.

[Billy]

I might be second best.

[Chris Cody]

I just like the idea of Taylor Jenkins being out at a bar mitzvah or an event and just rolls up on someone into the third quarter and, you know, Grizzly are down by 50. See the score of the game.

[Stugatz]

Do I have this wrong? I know, I know. I snuck it in there. Did you guys have any friends who are a little too eager to tell you today that the pope had died overnight?

[Lucy]

A lot of them Jewish. I don't know what that's supposed to be.

[Chris Cody]

Tony got on me today.

[Lucy]

Ethan comes in, Jeremy and Zaz are like, hey, the pope died.

[Zaslow]

I'm like, okay, Mike, the pope died. Hey, look, man, it's. It's the news. You know, when J.D. vance kills the pope, you got to tell someone about it.

[Pablo Torre]

Wait, didn't Peter King do this with Robin Williams? Guys, remember that story? Peter King wrote that column where he talked about how he told a restaurant host that Robin Williams had died? This is like the lead of his column. And took like, very strange pleasure in telling him that Robin Williams had died in A particularly unfortunate way. Am I. How am I the only one who remembers this?

[Stugatz]

You're alone now. On an island. You're gonna have to swim us to safety.

[Dan LeBatard]

That photo.

[Stugatz]

All right, let's everyone jump on his back. We'll help you as much as we can, but you're unprepared for what it is that you're presently doing. Hey, I gotta have a story. We'll play with you, but you're gonna have to find the details.

[Pablo Torre]

I gotta get off. You gotta get off me. All right. Before I drown. All right, here we go. Milwaukee Dash Dash asked restaurant host colon. God. Did you hear about Robin Williams? Question mark? No. Me died. He killed himself. End quote. Thought he would cry. Sipeterking August 12, 2014 huh?

[Stugatz]

What?

[Dan LeBatard]

Yep.

[Billy]

Different.

[Pablo Torre]

I'm the only one who remembers Peter King. Okay, very good. Just gonna return to the bottom of the ocean now. See you guys later.

[Dan LeBatard]

The King's disease Gout.

[Unknown]

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[Billy]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Stugatz]

Don LeBatard I think I would have.

[Mike Ryan]

Been on his side.

[Pablo Torre]

I would have looked at you like.

[Billy]

What did you say? I'm telling you, me and my friend the rest of the Way home, all we kept saying was, I ain't cheating stugats.

[Stugatz]

It's like, why did you got your ass? I think he got your ass.

[Billy]

I got his way.

[Mike Ryan]

Chris.

[Zaslow]

Chris won this one for sure.

[Billy]

Not bad, Jeremy.

[Zaslow]

It was great.

[Stugatz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stug.

[Billy]

Let me grab the steering wheel here. We were just talking about. Yesterday was a big holiday. A lot of people were celebrating 4 20. And so now we're going to celebrate 420 with our friends at Jimmy John's.

[Pablo Torre]

This.

[Billy]

This 420 segment with Pablo is sponsored by Jimmy John's. They're finally here and they're hot. Try the new toasted sandwiches at Jimmy John's. Order one today.

[Stugatz]

This looks really good.

[Billy]

I got a couple questions for Pablo. I know he's got a top five. We'll start with your. A lot of people do this in golf. Your ideal foursome for a golf. Give me your ideal rotation, Pablo. You and three other people. Your dream.

[Stugatz]

My mouth dream watering.

[Pablo Torre]

Living or dead.

[Billy]

My goat that can be alive or dead.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, I mean, Bill Walton, number one, obviously. Solid.

[Dan LeBatard]

Good one.

[Pablo Torre]

Can I draft four Bill Walton? Nope.

[Billy]

You get one Bill Walton.

[Dan LeBatard]

You can have Luke.

[Pablo Torre]

I don't know if I want Luke. Speaking of these sandwiches, are coaches that I'm not sure are any good?

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah.

[Billy]

Nice and warm.

[Stugatz]

It is a good sandwich. And we can be snobs in Miami about our sandwiches.

[Billy]

Yeah. Who's the next one after Walton?

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. This is cruel. I'm gonna stay with ucla. I'm gonna go. Kareem Cream's a stoner, guys. He does. He's on the record.

[Billy]

And finally on the record.

[Stugatz]

Did you see? Did it, did it, did it make you as sad at all seeing him show up to the tribute for Jackie Robinson? Giant wheelchair. So difficult to move around people that size. It's kind of stunning to see him still moving around at that size.

[Pablo Torre]

Verging a bit on the Peter King vibes with that comment, Dan. We're trying to have a fun power ranking of guys want to smoke weed with. And he brought it to a real dark place.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's what he does.

[Stugatz]

It's the sandwich. They're making me crazy. The sandwich. I've got to leave. I've got to leave the room. It smells too good. This weekend it was the meat. Like you can't keep. I cannot eat these things.

[Billy]

Get you a JJ's out there.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, I want to.

[Billy]

Who's next? So did you finish your list here?

[Pablo Torre]

Someone sent me someone. Someone sent me a photo Of Ricky Williams, noted friend of Meadowlark media at a pool in Austin. Not to like Dox Ricky Williams, but he was wearing the Apple Vision Pro and sitting at a table by himself. And Ricky Williams is my third.

[Billy]

That's a strong four right there.

[Dan LeBatard]

What about me?

[Billy]

He's been there, done that.

[Dan LeBatard]

Several times.

[Pablo Torre]

We have.

[Billy]

What top five do you have for us?

[Pablo Torre]

I have the top five athlete, weed names in sports history.

[Billy]

Give it to us.

[Pablo Torre]

Oli, Outlighter.

[Billy]

Stots is writing it down.

[Pablo Torre]

Number five, Legarette, Blunt, Strong. If that's number five, number four, John Danks.

[Billy]

Oh, wow.

[Dan LeBatard]

Really good. That is good.

[Pablo Torre]

White Sox lefty.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah. Thank you, Pablo.

[Billy]

Lefty stole number three. I think he was a righty.

[Pablo Torre]

I think he was. There might have been. There might have been another Danks.

[Dan LeBatard]

Actually, I think Danks. The Danks you're talking about is a righty, I believe.

[Billy]

A reliever, right?

[Zaslow]

No, the Danks he's talking about is a lefty. John Danks.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah.

[Billy]

Who am I thinking of, Jeremy? Tell me who I'm thinking of.

[Zaslow]

Bobby Jenks.

[Billy]

There it is. Bobby James.

[Pablo Torre]

That's what it is.

[Zaslow]

Also White Sox closer.

[Pablo Torre]

Probably also enjoys weed. That's who I was thinking, based on various.

[Billy]

Thank you for telling me who I was thinking.

[Pablo Torre]

You're welcome.

[Dan LeBatard]

What are you basing that on? Just. Just be clear.

[Pablo Torre]

Feels like he's a guy who enjoys a Jimmy John's every once in a while, you know? Yeah, the saying. Okay, he'd be in the rotation.

[Billy]

No, they talk about the sandwiches. Don't sleep on Jimmy John's chips. Their chips are strong. The cookies, the chips. You know, A nice complete meal here with JJ's.

[Pablo Torre]

What kind of chips you got there, Chris?

[Billy]

Going with the little barbecue flavored chips here. Listen to this crunch. Solid. Number four.

[Dan LeBatard]

I got salt and vinegar.

[Pablo Torre]

We're at number three.

[Billy]

Number three.

[Pablo Torre]

But that sound of Chris eating those chips makes me want to hit the Jun Kyun Bong.

[Dan LeBatard]

Excellent.

[Billy]

See what you did there.

[Chris Cody]

How you spelling that, Stugas?

[Dan LeBatard]

B, O, N, G.

[Pablo Torre]

Not wrong. He's directionally correct on that as well. Fundamentally, fundamentally directionally correct. Number two, Tree Rollins.

[Dan LeBatard]

Excellent staple on my list.

[Billy]

I feel like we've hit all the ones. Like what could number one be?

[Pablo Torre]

Number one, J.R. smith. Yep.

[Billy]

Checks out.

[Dan LeBatard]

No Manute bowl or Bol Bowl. Huh.

[Stugatz]

Pablo, any. Any thoughts on the Luca piece that just dropped by Tim McMahon?

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, I mean, I just. I just scarfed down like so many Jimmy John's barbecue chips. This like 5,000 word Tim McMahon piece. Tim is incredibly plugged in to this team over at espn. He just tells the story of how there is so much more to why this has fallen apart. A lot of having to do with the medical staff. A lot of it having to do with Nico Harrison installing his own people who are in charge now of the bodies of these players. Breaking the trust of Dirk Nowitzki and this guy Casey Smith, who was like the NBA is highly regarded medical trainer, one of the best in the league. The guy in Dallas. It just seems like when it comes to a coalition, you might even say that you need when you make a trade like this, Nico Harrison doesn't have it. And it's just incredible. Palace intrigue, man, all around, like injuries all around. Dirk and Luca basically in communication about why they shouldn't trust this guy. And it is something that you don't want to read if you're a fan of the Dallas Mavericks, who just traded for Anthony Davis, whose body you may have heard is in need of medical attention. Not a great thing to know that your medical staff is internally feuding. And also you messed up the worst transaction in the history of sports.

[Stugatz]

Not great, Zaslow. I saw over many years what morning radio did to you. What it do. It just.

[Dan LeBatard]

It aged you.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, it aged you a great deal. Pablo last week had to do a week he starred on morning television. I want to ask him in a second about Pete Hegseth's general awful around Jackie Robinson and all things dei, but can you give Pablo some words of advice on what mornings might do to him?

[Chris Cody]

Oh, my God, Pablo. Like you have a choice whether or not to do mornings. I would tell you, don't do evenings along with it, because I did evenings into mornings for seven consecutive years. That was troublesome. I used to have a nice head of hair. All right. And now I have no hair on this beautiful head. And the little hair that I do have is very gray. All right, don't work nights if you're going to do mornings. That's really the best advice I can give.

[Pablo Torre]

I have Zaz like, no Wiley in the pit, like just that. But then at the end of his shift, he's lost all of his hair due to stress.

[Chris Cody]

Good show, by the way. I watched that.

[Pablo Torre]

Great show.

[Chris Cody]

Good show.

[Stugatz]

What do you have for me most recently on Hegseth?

[Pablo Torre]

Just that they're the Dallas Mavericks, the Defense Department of the United states of the U.S. government. Every news story that involves. By the way, they just cleaned house. They just fired, like, his entire cabinet over at dod, followed by, oh, by the way, he's also been on a separate signal chat with his brother and his wife and his personal attorney on his personal cell phone, which he's talking about yet more airstrikes. All of it just makes me think of how his only defense for any of this so far in writing at least, has been to reply to like the Democrats Twitter account talking about how the reason that you're against me is because you're in favor of DEI and DEI is dead at the Department of Defense. And all I can think about is how there is no greater example of truly unqualified incompetence and overall fraudulence than this guy. This guy is the ultimate affirmative action hire. He is the guy that they hired because they wanted to put a literal Fox News weekend host up there and has proven in three months that he is totally unqualified for this job. Like the next time you hear anybody in this administration yell about dei. And by the way, I'm not saying that DEI didn't have his excesses, didn't have its own mistakes when it came to what it became by 2025, but the next time you hear anybody from this administration tell you about dei, just know that they should be looking into a goddamn mirror and seeing the face of Pete Hegseth, who has stepped on a series of rakes. That is unprecedented, truly unprecedented when it comes to the American military and how the departments of defense has been run. It is unbelievable and it would be hilarious if it wasn't also the thing trying to keep all of us literally alive.

[Stugatz]

All right, excellent dismount. Good talking to you. Thanks for all your time and all your hard work on Pablo Torre finds out it really is. It deserves all the awards that it gets. Thank you, Pablo, good seeing you. Good talking to you.

[Pablo Torre]

I'd like a sandwich next though.

[Stugatz]

They're really good, man. I'm going a little bit crazy here looking at this one, smelling this one. I wanted to ask you before we got out of here for this segment, Stugatz, I saw on Apple TV a documentary about the World Series last year.

[Dan LeBatard]

When your Internet was working.

[Stugatz]

Yes. Yes, good call. Yes. Last week it was last week back during really my glory days of Internet better times. Yes, the weekend it was a calamity.

[Billy]

But I gangster.

[Stugatz]

I did see last week that there is an Apple plus documentary on the Dodgers winning the World Series last year. And I don't know if you've seen Apple has a ton of options on what it is can it can make and it makes some really prestige television and it can choose whatever it wants. With all of the money in the world and it's choosing some giant brands, right? 10 part series on the Patriots, Magic Johnson, like just big things. So they do the World Series because they've got their big Friday package and it is executive produced by Derek Jeter. And so I'm wondering how that felt taking that money for Jeter celebrating the Dodger championship over his Yankees that had a just giant explosion in the World Series. Aaron Judge drops a fly ball and now you're. You've agreed to executive produce a series in which you're going to celebrate eternally. The Dodgers beating your franchise when you're the greatest of rivals that there is in that sport.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yankee fans upset with him? They had to be. That's 20 shares for Boomer and Gio.

[Stugatz]

I mean, I don't know whether they're upset with him. I'm just asking, asking the rest of you. Derek Jeter clearly made a deal with Apple before that series and his name is executive producer on Watch the Dodgers. Hey, here's Freddie Freeman. Oh, my God. The most heartbreaking home run Yankee fans have ever felt. Executive produced by Derek.

[Pablo Torre]

Grand slam.

[Stugatz]

No. Somebody want to ask him about that? Does he need the money after ripping us off down here?

[Pablo Torre]

Folks, listen up.

[Billy]

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[Mike Ryan]

It's the 50th anniversary of Miller Lite. And for many of those 50 years, they've been partnered up with the Dan LeBatard Show. Back to our terrestrial radio days. All throughout national syndication. Pirate face. Where we are now so grateful for that partnership because you guys know we believe it. It's a beer for people who love their beer. And hopefully our audience loves their beer enough. Enough to always trust Miller Light like I do. From game night parties with friends or a special anniversary like 20 years together on air, celebrating important occasions means more moments with the coolest people in your life. Cheers to 50 years of Miller Light, the great tasting light beer for people who Love beer since 1975. It's Miller time. Miller Lite is brewed for taste. Simply put, it just hits different because of those simple ingredients like malted barley for rich balanced toppings, note flavors and the iconic golden color. Oh, and that white can do. I love that white can. 96 calories and just 3.2 grams of carbs per 12 ounces. Miller time is always a good time. Miller Lite great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.