Hour 2: B-B-B-B-B-BAD QUARTERBACKS

Summary

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The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: B-B-B-B-B-BAD QUARTERBACKS
Date: October 21, 2025

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Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the ensemble bring their distinct and comedic take to sports, pop culture, and "all the other funny weirdness and gripes of the day." This episode features a deep dive into the ongoing NFL quarterback struggles, a look at how difficult the position has become, context behind different NFL team trajectories, and fun with upcoming NBA and NHL storylines—plus the usual in-studio banter and trivia games.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stat of the Day: Stat-Off and Quarterback Disasters

Timestamps: 02:12 – 06:14

• The crew jokingly competes to produce the best football "stat of the day."
  • Jeremy presents a recycled stat about the Chiefs getting 30 first downs in a game where the Raiders only ran 30 plays.
  • Don counters with Christian McCaffrey’s dominance: more rushing yards, more receiving yards, and more points than the entire Falcons team.
  • Dan and Mike mock the “staleness” and “terribleness” of these stats:

    "And those are two truly terrible stats of the day." (Dan, 04:46)

  • Jeremy wins with a fresh stat about the Panthers' resurgence after being declared "dead" by Dan.
• The conversation quickly shifts to quarterback woes, with Dan admitting his ongoing apathy toward the Panthers, despite their win streak:

  "I proclaim the Panther season dead because that team is uninteresting and I don't want to watch them play the rest of the season." (Dan, 05:20)

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2. Quarterbacks Under Siege: Systemic NFL Problems

Timestamps: 06:23 – 11:57

• Mike Ryan and Dan dissect the struggle of young quarterbacks, highlighting the psychological and organizational challenges:

  "David Carr is the single best college quarterback I have ever seen... then he gets to the Houston Texans and gets sacked so much that they run him right out of the league." (Dan, 07:15)

• The dangers of bad organizations ruining promising QBs (ex: Carr, Cam Ward, CJ Stroud).
• The “buzzsaw” environment for young QBs, the need for resilience, and the thin line between excuses and context.
• Mike praises Cam Ward’s potential but notes the deck is stacked against him, drawing comparisons to Will Levis and CJ Stroud.
• Dan’s core point: QB is harder than ever—young players are thrust into doomed situations with limited public avenues to share their side:

  "You're forcing upon people who are too young a pressurized scenario where they... can't say it was the tackle's fault... or we'll start talking about whether your brain's injured." (Dan, 11:33)

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3. NFL Macro-Trends: Paying the Middle-Class QB & Defensive Evolution

Timestamps: 14:07 – 17:24

• The team debates contract trends for non-elite QBs:

  "Either he's an all time Hall of Fame-level talent who you pay a ton, or he's a quarterback far outplaying his rookie contract… There's no in the middle." (Zaslo, 16:20)

• Mike Ryan discusses why defense is keeping up despite offensive rule changes:

  "Defense and defensive minds in that league are at an all time high… you need to be good enough to take what the defense gives you. It’s literally Tom Brady’s greatest achievement." (Mike, 16:49)

• Examples of system and precision making the difference—how little moments swing entire seasons (Chiefs vs. Lions, Dolphins’ struggles).

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4. NFL Game Breakdowns: Weapon Deprivation and System Play

Timestamps: 17:24 – 22:57

• The group breaks down the Lions-Bucs, Eagles’ critical win, and injury-ravaged rosters.

  "The miracle has been that Baker Mayfield has stayed relevant without the weapons." (Dan, 19:32)

• Jalen Hurts’ evolution, AJ Brown’s impact, and how organizations and playcalling define success.
• The insanity of modern NFL coaching aggression, especially on fourth down (shout-out to Mike Vrabel).
• Comparative analogy: Eagles’ selectiveness with offensive power is like the LeBron-Wade Heat playing slow instead of exploiting superstars:

  "They want to play this, like, control the line of scrimmage game… but then they have these moments where… Jalen Hurts looks like the MVP… Why aren't you guys always doing that?" (Chris Cody, 22:05)

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5. Panthers Hockey: Brad Marchand the Unlikely Face

Timestamps: 26:04 – 31:44

• Transition to NHL: The panel questions why Brad Marchand, a big American hockey personality, now seems to represent the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers.

  "This iteration of the defending two time NHL champions are going to be represented in star power by the name of Brad Marchand." (Dan, 26:25)

• Zaslo explains it’s simply a media narrative as the Panthers play in Boston; Marchand is spotlighted for being quotable.

  "He’s a veteran. He’s been around this game for 20 years. So I don't think that they have that much animosity towards him taking over a leadership role." (Don, 29:25)

• Discussion on the limitations of non-English-speaking superstars and Paul Bissonnette’s banter with Marchand on TNT.

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6. NBA Nostalgia: NBC’s Return and Basketball’s Aging Stars

Timestamps: 33:00 – 40:22

• NBC is back broadcasting the NBA, with Michael Jordan joining as a face (and Mike Tirico as anchor).
• Panel gets excited about the return of the “NBA on NBC” aesthetic:

  "They got it right. The, the framing, the AI, the old school rock. Like just bring back the 90s graphic package. Exactly, yes." (Mike, 36:18)

• The group debates whether the opening “monologue” and other 90s NBC tropes should return.
• Dan notes the NBA's starpower is still dominated by aging legends (LeBron, KD, Curry), with “old faces in new places” in the NBA’s new season opener.

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7. Lightning Round: Old Faces, New Places NBA Game

Timestamps: 40:22 – 42:26

• Chris Cody runs a trivia session: which NBA veterans are playing for which team? The panel gleefully guesses (and mostly misses).
• Jokes at the expense of aging stars and muted excitement for Kevin Love’s new home:

  "Can I ask you a question? Why is Kevin Love still doing this?" (Mike Ryan, 41:51)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan on the NFL’s QB crisis:

  "This position's even harder than you think it is. And it's harder than it's ever been. Like you're forcing upon people who are too young a pressurized scenario..." (11:33)

• Mike on paying QBs:

  "For as many people on the planet as there is, there are like seven guys that we've deemed are good enough to quarterback the game's most important position and win you a Super Bowl." (15:19)

• Zaslo on the Miami Heat and hidden agendas:

  "What hidden agenda had the Miami Heat had? There's one agenda. Win. Play basketball, win. Where's the hidden agenda from the Miami Eats?" (38:59)

• Chris Cody’s perfect analogy:

  "The Eagles sometimes remind me of the Big Three era Heat...they would always try to win by playing defense...but you have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Why don't you just go score 120?" (23:00)

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Selected Timestamps for Key Segments

• Stat of the Day & NFL "Stat-off": 02:12–06:14
• Quarterback Difficulties & Organizational Impact: 06:23–11:57
• QB Contracts & Defensive Adjustments: 14:07–17:24
• NFL Game Analysis (Weapons, Coaches, Precision): 17:24–22:57
• Brad Marchand & Panthers Hockey Leadership Debate: 26:04–31:44
• NBC NBA Nostalgia & Jordan’s Role: 33:00–36:30
• NBA Opening Night ("Old Faces, New Places" Game): 40:22–42:26

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Tone & Style

High-energy, rapid-fire banter, sports-nerd inside jokes, and the classic Le Batard flavor of meta-narrative ("why are we talking about this?"). Sarcasm and irreverence abound, but grounded by real insight into the brutality and complexity of pro sports, especially for the much-maligned NFL quarterback.

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For New Listeners

If you missed the episode, you’ll come away understanding:

• The broad struggles and nuances of modern NFL quarterbacking
• How narratives around professional athletes are constructed and contested in real time
• The deep connection between sports nostalgia, media presentation, and fan engagement
• Why Dan, Stugotz, and crew are masters at blending humor, skepticism, and genuine sports analysis

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Memorable Moment:

"If your ears were as big as your nose, you would have." (Marchand to Paul Bissonnette, 32:03)
"Can't really hear what you’re saying, Biz, because I got my two cup rings plugged in my ears." (Marchand, 32:53)

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Skip: Commercials, intros, outros, and live ad reads which occur at [00:00–01:35], [11:57–14:07], [25:12–26:04], [42:26–42:59].

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Transcript

[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.

[Mike Ryan]

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.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all. Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

The tequila that invented tequila. Proximo. Cuervo.com Please drink responsibly.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo. When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail] Limu Imu and Doug. Here we have the Limu emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Mike Ryan]

Cut the camera.

[Dan Le Batard]

They see us.

[Jeremy]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty, Liberty, Liberty.

[Dan Le Batard]

Liberty Savings.

[Jeremy]

Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company Affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

[Don Levatar]

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast. Start of the day, Start of the day. It is the start of the day. Start of the day. Start of the day. It is the start of the day. Start of the day. Start of the day. It is the start of the day. Start of the day. Start of the day. It is the start of the day.

[Jeremy]

Stat of the day presented by Amazon Prime Video. Thursday night football is on. The Minnesota Vikings take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Coverage begins Thursday at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. We have how we're gonna do this this week, Dan, is we have competing stats of the day. I'm gonna give a stat.

[Dan Le Batard]

What just happened to you there? What you explain to me you everything that just happened there where you pointed to me and then started talking and then just ran and tripped over.

[Zaslo]

Get it together.

[Dan Le Batard]

Tripped over your feet.

[Jeremy]

Trying to set up what we're doing today, Dan. Let me try it again. Take two.

[Dan Le Batard]

But you. Okay. But you said. You said you Wanted it. You said you were gonna do the stand of the day music. You said you were gonna get us off to a roaring start. And now flailing about.

[Mike Ryan]

He didn't say any of that. Damn. Come on, be a teammate. Lift him up. It's not like we seize on every mistake on this show.

[Jeremy]

Here's the stat to beat. Okay? I'm gonna say this stat, and then we can go around the room if anyone wants to compete. But I got news for you. You're not gonna beat this one. On Sunday, The Chiefs had 30 first downs. Also on Sunday, in the same game, The Raiders ran 30 plays. Try to beat that.

[Dan Le Batard]

You gave that stat yesterday so good.

[Jeremy]

It was worth repeating.

[Dan Le Batard]

He gave that stat yesterday. These are recycled stats.

[Jeremy]

He said it twice yesterday. Yesterday I just casually worked it into conversation. Today, gave it as a stat.

[Don Levatar]

All right. Is my stat. I'm going to try to beat it here.

[Dan Le Batard]

Shouldn't be very hard. This was a stat we already had yesterday. So all you have to have is a new stat like this. This game's very easy to play when all you have to do is produce a stat. The audience doesn't know because they weren't listening yesterday when it was said and then recycled today. And stold. This is like stol. This is sponsored. And you're bringing a stat from yesterday that's 24 hours old.

[Jeremy]

Damn good stat. Try to beat it, Roy.

[Don Levatar]

All right. This is from the Falcons 49ers game. Christian McCaffrey had more rushing yards than both teams combined. McCaffrey had 129 yards to 107. For everybody else, he led all players on both teams in receiving yards. He had 72. And he scored more points than the other team.

[Dan Le Batard]

He Stats stink somehow. And Atlanta had somehow this.

[Jeremy]

I think I got one. I think I got one.

[Don Levatar]

Whoa. I'm not done. No other player in the super bowl era has done all that in the same game.

[Chris Cody]

Bad game.

[Mike Ryan]

Atlanta has Bijan Robinson on it, so that's impressive. The craziest thing about this football season is everyone on San Francisco is hurt except for the guy that everyone thought.

[Dan Le Batard]

Would get hurt, who's made of bones at this point. And those are two truly terrible stats of the day. And if I.

[Jeremy]

My stat is fantastic. It's a great stat.

[Don Levatar]

My stat is better than his.

[Dan Le Batard]

Your stat is great, but it's stale. It's a stale stat. It's 24 hours old. We're moving really fast in this game.

[Jeremy]

Stats can't get stale. There, I said it.

[Dan Le Batard]

You gotta come up with a Fresh.

[Jeremy]

Stat per NFL plus, after Dan declared their season over, the Panthers have won three straight games for the first time since weeks one through three of 2021. So Jeremy wins just because it's fresh?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes. Oh, and it makes fun of me. And I was thinking about this this morning because I was thinking I proclaim the Panther season dead because that team is uninteresting and I don't want to watch them play the rest of the season. So.

[Zaslo]

So don't watch them.

[Dan Le Batard]

No.

[Jeremy]

I feel like if they had packers jerseys on, you'd have a different attitude.

[Zaslo]

Or Alabama jerseys or Tampa Bay Rays jerseys.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, I just want. Look, they are. This is what's going to happen. I'm going to give you my honesty here on what it is that I'm doing with Carolina because they have the schedule of feeding off the shit that is that division. And now they get to feed on jets and Dolphins as well because they're playing against the AFC East. They might stumble their way into nine or 10 wins that I don't want to see in the playoffs because they're not good enough. And they might stumble their way in because you get to beat the Saints and. And Baker Mayfield somehow can't have. You know he's going to be down seven receivers by the time he gets to them.

[Mike Ryan]

Late in the season they destroyed Atlanta and. And they beat Dallas. Their resume isn't as flawed as you're making it.

[Chris Cody]

Also, can I make you a little bit intrigued with now Bryce Young high ankle sprain. Guess who's up next.

[Mike Ryan]

Red Rifle revenge game against the Bills. There is a conversation surrounding Bryce Young that I'm interested in because I don't know why I do this to myself, but I sat down in front of a television. Well, it's because I had money on it. I sat down in front of a television to watch CJ Stroud and his office play football.

[Dan Le Batard]

Woof.

[Mike Ryan]

Remember the conversation. And I guess it. Remember that list that I put together yesterday?

[Dan Le Batard]

He's going to say one year wonder on. On CJ Stroud.

[Mike Ryan]

They made the. They made the playoffs his first two seasons. He wasn't nearly as good as he was his rookie season, but the rookie season was incredible. Yeah, he was unbelievable. Making every throw super athletic. He himself is now saying, like, I've gotten old. What are you talking about? Well, I would rather have Bryce Young at this point. And that was not the discussion.

[Dan Le Batard]

Can I analyze something with you guys, though, that gets forgotten? And wherever it is that it's superhuman Joe Burrow, who can't Be shaken of confidence even as his body falls apart on the difficulties of playing the position. Because I think the humanity gets inside. It gets lost inside the helmet. So I ask you this question. David Carr is the single best college quarterback I have ever seen. Fresno State with Pat Hill. And then he gets to the Houston Texans and gets sacked so much that they run him right out of the league. Because you cannot be sacked 55 times in that league and keep your confidence. You have to have confidence in that pocket. It's a terrifying place. It's violent and scary and you can get hurt. CJ Stroud was protected for many seasons, but that franchise can wreck a quarterback. And when I do the quarterback analysis, so much goes into this. I want to. I want to explore this with you guys because I think it's fascinating. Clearly, the way they do the measurements. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold have unique skill sets that would make them good at the quarterback position. But then they have to go through a million different things. That means burning up the Browns organization to the ground or failing in New York where it hurts to fail. Learning whatever they had to learn. The measurement was right on what they are physically top five talents they can play in this league. But it is a buzzsaw to be sacked. Cam Ward has been sacked 27 times this season and has five fumbles.

[Mike Ryan]

Learn it. Eat it.

[Dan Le Batard]

In seven games. Best college player. Your team is terrible and you're going to be terrible, too. Learn it fast. Get ruined or get better. Do it fast. Do it faster than ever.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm a huge jackass. And Cam Ward fan. Right. I love Cam Ward. I think it's really interesting that everyone who watches tape says this guy is going to be good. Surround him by the right talent. He's off to a worse start than Will Leviss was. And if you watch these games and I watch every single.

[Zaslo]

His team is worse than what Will Levis was given.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. And certainly the coaching staff. I mean, it's.

[Dan Le Batard]

And Vrabel matters.

[Mike Ryan]

And Vrabel matters does matter. But Cam Ward needs to do a better job of helping his team out. And it's not be number one pick. Great. All right. I think we. When we apply proper context, we know how difficult that position is under the circumstances that he's playing it. But be better than Will Levis is a low mark to clear, and he's got to do that. We started C.J. stroud. Same thing. I'm not going to say for three years. Pressure up the middle. You know what? Deal with the pressure up the middle.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's the fact of you playing football.

[Mike Ryan]

Now for this franchise. Do better or they'll find somebody else. It's not just pressure up the middle. They know exactly what they're doing on defense. And neuter C.J. stroud. And he doesn't have an answer.

[Zaslo]

How much money did you have on this game last night?

[Mike Ryan]

No, I had the Seahawks.

[Jeremy]

Jackass meet Jack shit. Yeah, I mean, I'm not.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm not surprised.

[Jeremy]

Cam Ward struggling. He didn't even have as good of a fall camp as Carson Beck. And that guy just threw four picks in a college football game.

[Mike Ryan]

Jack.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jack shit is the name tag that Jeremy is presently wearing.

[Mike Ryan]

It's just like, why the excuses that we. That were present, that I have made more excuses for CJ Stroud over the course of his career than I have wax poetic about him. And, and there was plenty of poetic wax.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thin, thin line between excuses and explanations. And when I'm telling you that these jobs are hard. The jobs are hard for a number of different reasons, including when C.J. stroud is failing. He cannot publicly say to anyone if he thinks it's a reason other than him. He can't say it's organizational. He can't say it's the coach. He can't say anything publicly. This is what swallows to it right now. If indeed CJ Stroud is a one year wonder. What happened last night is informative to me. To me it's informative. You know the Detroit Lions are one of the best teams in the league, and you know that Baker Mayfield has a lot. But you can't keep losing receivers and keep beating the best teams on the road. He already beat Sam Darnold. We know Seattle's good. If they're healthy, they're good. They've got a great receiver, they've got big plays. They'll beat just about anyone because Sam Darnold is an NFL quarterback who took all of this learning to show everyone he's a top five pick. Physically top five pick. Baker Mayfield, they measured his guts and they made him and a CMB a top five pick. And Cam Ward in seven games can either get wrecked, ruined, or he blossoms out of it. But I got to imagine, and my larger point is this position's even harder than you think it is. And it's harder than it's ever been. Like you're forcing upon people who are too young a pressurized scenario where they. They're not even old enough to know. You can't say it was the tackle's fault. You can't say it was anybody's fault but yours, tua. Or we'll start talking about whether your brain's injured.

[Chris Cody]

Thursday Night Football's on and it's only on Prime Video. This week, the Minnesota Vikings head west to face the Los Angeles chargers. Covers begin 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 Vikings and the chargers Thursday at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon Amazon prime for details.

[Mike Ryan]

Howdy listeners. It's Mike Ryan and Chris Cody. Hey everyone. Hey Chris. We love hanging out so much. You were on my birthday the other day.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're old.

[Mike Ryan]

You know what I saw in your hand?

[Jeremy]

What?

[Mike Ryan]

A can of Miller. Whether it's a can, whether it's a bottle, a draft pour of Miller Lite. The draft pour. You see that beautiful iconic color. The cold right away.

[Jeremy]

The ice coldness to it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, so good.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, Chris, the ice coldness to it. Oh, whether you're hanging out with me on my birthday because I'm old or you're at a game, you know that Miller Lite just makes every special time a Miller time. That's how you make the special times by making a Miller times. Game day just hits different with Miller Lite in your hand. Hittin different from jaw dropping touchdowns to fantasy heartbreaks. It's a beer that has been there for every moment. 50 years of great taste, simple ingredients and that iconic golden color. That coldness, Chris, that.

[Jeremy]

That icy coldness.

[Mike Ryan]

That icy coldness. The original light beer since 1975 and still hitting different five decades later. Miller Lite Great Taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Jeremy]

I see coldness. What does Zyn give you? Not just smoke free nicotine satisfaction, but real freedom. Freedom to do what you love and choose your rewards. With Zinn Rewards, you can redeem points for premium tech outdoor gear and gift cards to your favorite retailers. Find yours in and keep finding rewards that fit your [e-mail] rewards warning. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

[Dan Le Batard]

Don Lebitard While there's nothing official and conversations are still ongoing.

[Zaslo]

Was that a fake chef dirt? Because it was pretty good. It was excellent.

[Mike Ryan]

I feel like there's legs.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I tried at the beginning and then I lost confidence in it.

[Mike Ryan]

Good.

[Don Levatar]

It was good.

[Dan Le Batard]

There's nothing official. Conversations are still ongoing. St. It is trending towards Nick Sirianni remaining the head coach of the Eagles.

[Don Levatar]

This is the D Ler show with the st.

[Mike Ryan]

You mentioned a couple of examples that you could make the argument, well, the league found you out. How are you going to adjust? Carson Wentz, same deal. They found ways. And I'm not saying CJ Stroud is beyond that, but I'm saying he's got to find that. He's got to tap into what Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield did. Because I think we're at that point in his career where you got to start wondering, are we going to pay this guy? Is this guy really our franchise quarterback? Because for as many people on the planet as there is, there are like seven guys that we've deemed are good enough to quarterback the game's most important position and win you a Super Bowl.

[Zaslo]

No one doesn't pay the guy.

[Mike Ryan]

No one.

[Zaslo]

Everyone pays him. Like, what's the example of. And okay, C.J. stroud, fine. What's the example of the guy where.

[Mike Ryan]

It'S like, yeah, you know, Baker Mayfield.

[Zaslo]

Here's the thing with Sam Darnold, that's a good example. Except they didn't expect Sam Darnold to be anything. And they had already drafted Someone at number 10.

[Mike Ryan]

Same Darnold had the benefit, had the esteemed honor of not being the guy they pay twice. Because he had a career year in Minnesota. He seemed like he figured it out, and Minnesota was like, we're gonna let you go.

[Zaslo]

Well, they would have paid him if they didn't trap McCarthy the year before.

[Mike Ryan]

You can have him sit for a couple years. McCarthy was injured for an entire season. You forget real quick about that.

[Zaslo]

By the way, they won 14 games.

[Mike Ryan]

With Sam Darn sitting quarterbacks.

[Zaslo]

No one does that anymore.

[Chris Cody]

Okay, but what if you buck the trend and start doing it again?

[Don Levatar]

Right?

[Chris Cody]

Because now you're looking at Cam Ward, Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, like all these. You look at Kyler Murray, he's been in the league for six years, you're like, is he even good?

[Mike Ryan]

We don't know. He was really good as rookie year. And then they had answers for him, and he doesn't seem to have an answer back.

[Zaslo]

We know the way this league goes now. Like, the only way that you wind up winning, there's two ways with your quarterback. Either he's an all time hall of Fame level Talent who of course, you pay a ton of money to. Or he's a quarterback who is far out playing his rookie contract.

[Dan Le Batard]

Those are the.

[Zaslo]

There's no in the middle. Got a lot of in the middle guys. All right, Tua, Trevor Lawrence, lot, Kyler Murray, a lot of in the middle guys. You only win two ways. Hall of Fame caliber, making a ton of money, rookie contract, outperforming his contract.

[Mike Ryan]

It's why I don't want to see the rules change, because I think defense and defensive minds in that league are at an all time high right now. And if you give a defensive coach an off season of obsessing over to take away what you're good at, you need to be good enough to take what the defense gives you. It's literally Tom Brady's greatest achievement in that he recognizes what defenses are going to take away and he will play to win the game. He is. At no point in Tom Brady's career was he the best and most talented at anything except for that trait. And guys like CJ Stroud need to figure that out.

[Dan Le Batard]

And the quarterback sneak.

[Chris Cody]

And the point to C.J. stroud, too. Like, we have some of the smartest football minds on the planet. Has anybody figured out what the situation is with CJ Stroud? Is everybody just like, oh, he just kind of stinks.

[Dan Le Batard]

Laramie, Laramie, Tunsil matters. They traded him before the season. We forget that. Never mind. Pressure up the middle. Also. Delta was important for them. Like, they used to have two wide receivers. It wasn't just Nico Collins. They had two wide receivers. Look, there are a lot of reasons all this stuff happens. All I'm saying to you, as, as we obsess over the quarterback position last night, the quarterbacks who were playing, we have now reinvented golf through system and talent and precision there. Like, I keep coming back to precision for this reason, okay? The chief season was saved because against the Lions, who we all know to be good, when they were down 10, six, they scored at the end of the first half to take the lead. They scored at the kickoff of the second half to take the lead. And look at what happens to change the season there. While the Dolphins come out 17 6, they score a field goal to end the first half, and they come back. First play, pick six, your season's over. Right there. Like in terms of precision, what I'm talking about, the little tiny things that are the reason that football games get one and there are winning organizations. Last night, you've got one quarterback in Detroit we all expect to see in the playoffs. Don't totally trust that he won't be the reason they lose in the playoffs because four interceptions get thrown. Don't totally trust it. You got Baker Mayfield, who's out there with a crew of receivers that Rob Gronkowski, if you gave him a lot of practice, still wouldn't get it right. Emeka Egbegboo, he's running around. Shouldn't probably even been playing last night. God knows how much they shot him up with to get him out there with Baker Mayfield. 50 yards, because that guy on one leg will get you 50 yards.

[Mike Ryan]

You got receivers running into one another and routes. And, yeah, Baker was off, no doubt. And credit to Detroit's defense. I'm not sure there's a team in the sport that beats Detroit. Last night.

[Jeremy]

Awesome.

[Mike Ryan]

That was awesome. It. It's not often where you're watching a football game with a talented quarterback and a talented team, and you're like, man, this shit looks hard.

[Zaslo]

Cowboy played for the Dolphins. I forgot that.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, Baker was missing high. But also, we don't know that if it's his normal complement of healthy receivers, if those balls are on target, if there's something that these wide receivers are doing.

[Dan Le Batard]

He just beats Darnold in Seattle with a slugfest when he had some of his talent out there. Because, look, we've seen enough so far to know that even Mahomes can be slowed in a way that makes me sound stupid if for 18 weeks, he doesn't have his primary weapons. To me, the miracle has been that Baker Mayfield has stayed relevant without the weapons. To me, the. The lack of weapons sinks everybody. Like what I just saw this weekend. Look, man, what Philadelphia pulled out of its bag with Jalen hurts. Oh, you're going to dare me to throw deep? All right, I'll do it to you that way. And I'll have the best game you've seen as a pro, because A.J. brown and Saquon keep getting mad at me because they want the ball. They want the ball. They want the ball. And I'm like, no, I'd rather just win 20 of 21 and Tush Bush and learn all the things that need to be learned. So I could be the Alabama quarterback whose career isn't what two is is about to be because he gets swallowed whole by the organization. Jalen hurts what he did to Minnesota. Like, when you talk about the fight in the trenches, where Brian Flores is inventing things to try and stop the Tush push. Vikings in the red zone. Five field goals, okay? And Wentz kills Them with the pick he can't throw, just kills them with a pick six. That in a game of precision, Wentz kills them and then kills himself to try and get back in the game. Defense is great. Slowing Philadelphia, daring. Jalen hurts to throw deep. Okay, here you go. We can do that, too. We'll do that on the road. We'll save our season. Because A.J. brown's better than your corner. And I saw your corner in a game this year have the best game I've ever seen a defensive player have when Rodgers is getting whatever it was, two pick sixes and a fumble. Cause. And here's my best player against your base player. I'll use AJ Brown when I need him. That's some. That's some shit at the top of the league where, like, when you see how organizations are run, I can't believe what I'm watching on Sundays, the way these coaches are behaving. On fourth down, Vrabel bent over sick on the sideline because it hurt him up 17:13. Instead of kicking a field goal on 4th and 2 inside the 10. He was going to go for it. He had to. But it looked like he was going to throw up because we used to always kick a field goal in that spot to make it a field goal lead. And he's like, no, I can he. I want Cam Ward back here. I'll go for it. These coaches are crazy. Now on 4th and short, and it's the mathematically prudent thing to do because why wouldn't I throw deep to AJ Brown? I've got that in my short. Here's a 60 yarder I rarely use, throwing to AJ Brown deep. That team has dominated the sport for the last 24 weeks. And what they just did to Minnesota is like, tear their soul out.

[Chris Cody]

And the weird thing is, like, they want to play this, like, control the line of scrimmage game. They want to play complimentary football, run the ball 46 times, play great defense. But then they have these moments where you look at them against the Rams, they were down 26, seven, come back, Jalen Hurts, looks like the MVP. And then this game against Minnesota where he looks again like one of the best quarterbacks in league. You're like, why don't you just do that all the time? Like, why are you guys trying to play this football brand? That doesn't make sense.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's. It's interesting to watch the ego check at the door when the quarterback can always play like that. And you're like, why aren't you guys always doing that. And it's what A.J. brown's complaining about. He's like, guys, hello, guys. I used to do this in Tennessee. Look what they've become since I became, you know, this guy who you can always throw the ball to, who's always open. It's a funny thing, is it not? Like we were introduced by Vrabel to A.J. brown and the idea that Tennessee can play explosive football and we'll fool another franchise into thinking Tannehill's the answer for six years.

[Jeremy]

The Eagles sometimes in a way remind.

[Chris Cody]

Me of the Big three era heat.

[Jeremy]

And that they would always try to win by playing defense and win like 85 to 82.

[Mike Ryan]

And it was like you have LeBron.

[Jeremy]

James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Why don't you just go score 120.

[Mike Ryan]

And play with pace? And whenever they felt like it was they could, but for whatever reason they.

[Jeremy]

Decided like, no, we want to be a defensive oriented team.

[Mike Ryan]

We want to hold possession of the ball like the Eagles. It made no sense then and it doesn't make any sense.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sirianni is holding them back. They should have won 24 of the last 20.

[Chris Cody]

Now you're getting to the root of it.

[Dan Le Batard]

The anchor meathead is holding them back. He's. He's confining A.J. brown. They should be slaughtering everyone instead of leading the league in three. Now it's because they insist on tush pushing their way to victory.

[Zaslo]

I'll tell you, it's going to be cool when they stack the defenders.

[Chris Cody]

That's a great idea by you, by the way.

[Zaslo]

That's going to be a pivotal moment.

[Don Levatar]

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[Jeremy]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Don LeBatard where the motherfucker Ruiz at? Bring his ass on here. Where's the Ruiz? Is a great question. Stugats running, huh? He running today, huh? I'm ready.

[Don Levatar]

This is the Don Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Dan Le Batard]

I have two things that I have not gotten to today that I'm at least a little bit ashamed of. The basketball season starts today and also because it's a touch confusing to me to see the two time defending NHL champions being led publicly by Brad Marchand being led to microphones to cameras. Replacing Tkachuk, replacing Barkov. This iteration of the defending two time NHL champions are going to be represented in star power by the name of Brad Marchand. Zaslo is a resident hockey fan who cut forth, cut, cut short his vacation in order to win one championship for the Panthers in a way that was thanked publicly by Paul Maurice. What can you tell me about how I am to feel about Brad Marchand being the face and Leader of this team.

[Zaslo]

I mean, he's. It's the juicy story right now because they're on ESPN tonight. All right. Like, that's the main reason that you have this impression that he's the face of the team. It's on espn. They're in Boston tonight. And it's the first time that Marchand is facing his former team in Boston. So I know throughout the day today they're going to be airing parts on ESPN of his sit down with Mike Monaco, which I'm really looking forward to hearing. Apparently, he gave him a lot of time, and it'll be interesting how that crowd reacts to him tonight. Like, I imagine there will be a video package at some point in the first period during a commercial. He'll give the wave and all that. But Marshan is coming up a couple things. The teams lost four in a row. They look like shit. They can't score after winning three in.

[Dan Le Batard]

A row at home. They went on the road and immediately. And that's not surprising. What's surprising about that? They're missing two important players to score.

[Mike Ryan]

You gotta go to Buffalo with Bernie Palmer Lee and lose to the listless Buffalo Sabers.

[Zaslo]

And Marchand is also coming off a game where he clearly has decided, okay, we need to, like, need to kickstart something.

[Mike Ryan]

He.

[Zaslo]

He fought that Darlene, and then he ripped up his helmet and. And the straps. It was very, very cool.

[Mike Ryan]

That's as pissed as I've seen Brad Morgan. So he's in, like, sweater that I love watching him wear so much.

[Zaslo]

He's in, like, a mood going into tonight's game. So it'll be interesting if he's picking fights and pulling his Marchand tricks against the Bruins this evening.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't know how cowboy Mike Ryan gets away with any of this.

[Mike Ryan]

What? By admitting that I'm wrong. I was wrong about the whole Brad Marchand thing. He's our rat. He's going to Boston right now, a city that he once played for but won't be remembered for playing.

[Jeremy]

I love Dan talking about, like, Marshawn being our vocal leader right now. Are you longing for this, Bobby? That guy never said anything.

[Mike Ryan]

I miss him so. It is curious that Brad Marchand is a huge star in the sport. And naturally, I understand why that's where the media goes. I'm not so sure. Maybe Roy can speak to it with more authority on this year, around the team more. I'm not so sure that that perception is reality. I know he's one of the leaders, but the fact that we've made this guy who was playing on the third line last year now the de facto captain. With these guys out. I think it insults like some of these guys that have been around, like Sam Reinhardt and some of the other leaders on the team.

[Don Levatar]

No, I don't really think so because I mean he's a veteran. He's been around this game for 20 years. So I don't think that they have that much animosity towards him taking over a leadership role.

[Mike Ryan]

Thank you. I'm not suggesting animosity. Is it. So is Brad Marchand now the leader of this team because they don't lack for leadership?

[Jeremy]

I think he potentially is just basing that off of like TNT interviewing him and then him doing the helmet thing because I'm sure Reinhardt is leading.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is all that happens here. And it is the normal thing. Leave with more goals to happen. The leader of your team in this circumstance, if he weren't kooky and trying to fight his way through his second language, would be your two time champion goaltender. That.

[Mike Ryan]

That goaltenders are all weird.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay. But this, I mean, Patrick Waugh was the leader of his team when he was the best, most important player.

[Mike Ryan]

Patrick Wall was Joe Sakic. Patrick Waugh was a psycho.

[Zaslo]

He talked to the goal post.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. You don't want that guy leading your team. Like. No, I. Look, Aaron Ekblad is probably.

[Don Levatar]

Yes.

[Mike Ryan]

Maybe it takes a village with Florida, especially with those two guys out.

[Zaslo]

But Marshan's the star tonight. They're in Boston for the first time. Like that's really what it boils down to. The star tonight.

[Mike Ryan]

I saw a commercial during Monday Night Football hyping up his return to Boston and his sit down. A Florida Panther. Yep. What I'm saying is the national perception may not even be that far off the truth, but it doesn't appear to be the truth. But they've decided it's Brad Marchand and it's his team now.

[Zaslo]

Just win tonight. Thank you.

[Dan Le Batard]

There was an interview last week that Marchand did with tnt and TNT has killed it again with its studio shows. We've known this for a while. This is not new information, but they know how to do the studio show well. And do we have the sound? Can we get the sound in moments here about how Martial Marchand is going to be presented as the face and voice of this team, whether he is or not. Because he's a bigger star than Reinhardt and Bennett and Bobrovsky and all of them. He's an American star. That matters. Tkachuk Represented this team before. That's not irrelevant. Barkov might be the best player. Not a great public speaker, not a great interview, Not a great personality. Not embraced by people beyond hockey because he's a superstar and the people in hockey know that he's transcendent on the ice. But not the kind of personality that's gonna be loved, Bey.

[Don Levatar]

Well, you got to keep in mind that Marshawn, the media converges around him because he's the best quote on the team. He knows how to work a microphone. I mean, you've seen on tnt, him and Paul Bissonnette have a nice rivalry going. Brad, thanks so much for joining us.

[Mike Ryan]

Appreciate it. Paul Bissonnette's got about 19 questions for you.

[Zaslo]

He has a iPad, John, for sure.

[Dan Le Batard]

Playmaking advice. No, I said that you guys have. What are we doing here, fellas? Time out. I said you guys have a big, big core group, and then you guys are familiar with each other's tendencies. All right, Brad. And by the way. Okay, I didn't catch that part. Yeah, well, if your ears were as big as your nose, you would have. First of all, congratulations on your six year deal. I'm no rocket scientologist here, but that would bring you to 43. Like you're gonna still be playing in six years, Brad. Well, the two choice I have are to. To keep playing or I gotta come sit and listen to you every day. So I want to keep doing this so that my ears don't take a beating. We got. We got a new guy on staff, Diener. And he. I wrote down the question he had. He goes, how does a 37 year old who's so slow get so many breakaways? Can't really hear what you're saying, Biz, because I got my two cup rings plugged in my ears.

[Jeremy]

Beautiful.

[Dan Le Batard]

Perfect.

[Zaslo]

Well played.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dropping my. You can't do better. You can't do better than an eyepatch there. In terms of visually, there's just nothing I can put in there that's funny. Visually funnier than the eyepatch.

[Chris Cody]

Also, I like the point guard. I don't know who the guy is. Who's the host of the TNT, Liam McHugh.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay.

[Chris Cody]

I feel like he got very nervous there for a second.

[Mike Ryan]

He's like, all right, mic job, guys. Okay.

[Chris Cody]

All right.

[Dan Le Batard]

Relax.

[Mike Ryan]

Hockey's come a long way with its interviews. Yeah.

[Jeremy]

I mean, the eyepatch is just what you wear. If you're a rocket Scientologist.

[Dan Le Batard]

The hockey player is a notoriously bad quote. You're not wrong when you say Marshawn dominates microphones. Tonight, basketball returns. And it does better.

[Mike Ryan]

Thank you.

[Dan Le Batard]

With the soap operas than any of the other sports we just read you. Everyone's eating up those details on Westbrook and LeBron, but I'm genuinely curious from the group here, because LeBron James has spent 20 years as this generation's most dominant American athlete, but he's always paled and failed in chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan. And round ball rocks. And NBC from a different time. Michael Jordan's return with Mike Tirico tonight as voice and face lording over the sport still from on high. Are you guys expecting anything from that? Because if last dance brought us together during the pandemic, Michael Jordan coming out from hiding to play the role of Tom Brady. My guess is this is going to hit nostalgia across generations, is it not?

[Zaslo]

Oh, I'm super excited. Like, they haven't had NBA and NBC, I think, since 2002. I grew up with NBA and NBC. I am excited for this broadcast tonight. I don't know how good Michael Jordan's gonna be over the long haul, but look, they've been able to prepare him for tonight for a long time. Like, tonight, he'll probably be good.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hit it, Chris.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, I'm into the basketball game. Basketball. Gimme, gimme, gimme the ball because I'm gonna dunk it. Yeah, basketball. Shut up, Jack. NBC was incredible at covering the NBA, and I'm nostalgic, and I'm hopeful they can just microwave it back up. And I'm super into Michael Jordan being there. Look, I follow the sport that Michael Jordan actually is an active part of, and I happen to like his interviews in NASCAR because he has a real passion for it. I imagine people are aware of his deficiencies. Gonna produce this thing. You know who else has deficiencies when it comes to public speaking and being charismatic? Nick Saban. And the guy's a goddamn bess on television right now. This is how I celebrate peacocktober Dan.

[Chris Cody]

I was going back into some of the archives of NBC and the NBA, and I think they need to bring back the monologue. The monologue is a missing place that made. Made it feel.

[Dan Le Batard]

So the Bob Costa's monologue.

[Mike Ryan]

Give me a monologue.

[Chris Cody]

Okay, Set the table for me. Set the scene.

[Dan Le Batard]

Make it feel big.

[Chris Cody]

This is big. And I need it to match with the monologue.

[Dan Le Batard]

They wouldn't do that, would they? They wouldn't bring Costas out of retirement just to do, like, one essay to lead them in.

[Zaslo]

What about Marv?

[Dan Le Batard]

If Torico's in charge.

[Mike Ryan]

Marv. Why aren't they bringing back like an AI generated voice to make it feel even more nostalgic?

[Don Levatar]

Yes, yes. The guy who intros the actual broadcast.

[Mike Ryan]

They got it right. The, the framing, the AI, the old school rock. Like just bring back the 90s graphic package. Exactly, yes.

[Dan Le Batard]

Recreate that, please. Okay, but let's talk for a second here. As we talked about TNT in the studio show and what producing and broadcasting requires to have the correct touch. Okay. On NBC returns to basketball. You're basically reaching for a whole lot of 40 and 45 and 50 year olds who want to tap back in to when Michael Jordan and Ahmad Rashad were friends.

[Mike Ryan]

It's what's happening with me. And it hurts me to say I am now one of those 40 year olds that is looking to tap back into the sport. This is a nice way for me to start. There's gonna be a basketball game on the TV every night this season, it would appear.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, look at the framing of this. Look, man, so much is about to change. The Rams just played a game at 6am and you just saw a football game between Houston and Seattle. They're like gonna bounce against time zones here to just hit you with as much action as you can. As the streaming services are all in the fight for this stuff, but NBC, returning to this fight, they have to hit the note of bring dad and grandpa from a previous generation. Let's show you what it sounded like when, when Bob Costas was welcoming you into the national game of the week with an essay. Because, you know, the Knicks and the Heat hate each other and, and it's, and it's, it's unbelievable soap opera.

[Jeremy]

I.

[Dan Le Batard]

Think, I think this guy's.

[Zaslo]

Are you playing the bass mic?

[Dan Le Batard]

It sounded like hearing a water bottle sing. It's fun to do though, right?

[Chris Cody]

Good hoops tonight, by the way, boys. We're getting away from the whole point, okay?

[Dan Le Batard]

So, yes, thank you for that. Jimmy Butler has some quotes saying there's some. There's. I don't know if we'.

[Zaslo]

Are we gimmick.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sorry, Are we tired of the Jimmy Butler stuff? He has told the San Francisco Chronicle, quote, all that noise, all that chaos paid off in a major way. I'm lucky to be part of this phenomenal organization. Everywhere starts off great, but then, you know, someone has to be the bad guy and it gets to be me. I've always the one doing something unbearable all of a sudden, but that's okay. I get to play in this wonderful league with amazing teammates. But being here They've only got one goal to keep hanging those things up on the wall. Ain't no hidden agendas.

[Zaslo]

That's.

[Mike Ryan]

What he's being super truthful. I'm always the one that's making it unbearable.

[Zaslo]

Yeah, no, but what hidden agenda had the Miami Heat had? There's one agenda. Win. Play basketball, win. Where's the hidden agenda from the Miami Eats? That's why it's. What's he talking about, man? Jimmy Butler.

[Mike Ryan]

He will always get under your skin. Will you ever forgive him?

[Zaslo]

Him freaking for what?

[Mike Ryan]

That's how I'm at. That's where I'm at with Zoe. Every time they do the. I know he was my boy. I know he was my boy during 2006. But every time I'm like, I remember what you did.

[Zaslo]

What did he do?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, he left.

[Dan Le Batard]

He got more money.

[Zaslo]

He wanted him to leave.

[Mike Ryan]

You left.

[Zaslo]

He didn't want to pay him.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, no, you're.

[Zaslo]

You're off base.

[Mike Ryan]

You don't do that.

[Zaslo]

You're off base. You don't do what?

[Mike Ryan]

Wait, wait. Am I not knowing jack shit right now?

[Dan Le Batard]

Are you talking to me, Tony, when you say that the basketball is good tonight. If you want to enjoy a night of nostalgic basketball, it's the old timers tonight. Like they're giving you the star power with a little Luca. But it's Kevin Durant out there. It's Steph Curry, it's LeBron James, it's the. It's the 40 year old league debut. Like they're not giving it to Anthony Edwards tonight. They're not giving it to any in the New York Knicks. They're giving it to the people who have run the league for the last 20 years.

[Mike Ryan]

I looked at these rosters, Tony. Clint Capella, still out there doing it.

[Chris Cody]

A lot of old faces in new places.

[Don Levatar]

Chris, hit it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, my God, are you kidding me? Hit it.

[Chris Cody]

Now, Dano. Old faces, new places. We love doing this during the NFL season, right? When the NFL starts now, the NBA starts. Dano. We've got old faces in brand new places.

[Jeremy]

Love this game.

[Chris Cody]

We'll start tonight. He's on one of these four teams.

[Jeremy]

Maybe you say the team and then we say, I guess the player. All right, go ahead, do.

[Chris Cody]

That's crazy.

[Dan Le Batard]

So first of all, who do we have playing tonight? Set it up for the audience.

[Chris Cody]

Rockets versus Thunder in the first game on Peacock.

[Dan Le Batard]

And then you got the Lakers and.

[Chris Cody]

We got Lakers warriors after that in the nightcap. What team does Marcus Smart play for?

[Mike Ryan]

Ooh, Marcus Smart.

[Chris Cody]

Washington Again, one of the four teams playing tonight, the Rockets.

[Mike Ryan]

Ooh. Why would they do that?

[Dan Le Batard]

Daslow, why did you do what you did after we just covered which teams we were talking.

[Zaslo]

Cuz I was confident that he played for Washington.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right. Okay.

[Mike Ryan]

I, I, I probably Houston.

[Chris Cody]

He's an LA Laker.

[Don Levatar]

No, no.

[Zaslo]

That's an old face in a new place.

[Mike Ryan]

No, why would they do that?

[Dan Le Batard]

He was the heart and soul of the champion Celtics before they became champions.

[Mike Ryan]

And I was happy every time he had.

[Jeremy]

What's the next one?

[Zaslo]

Always wanted him to shoot with.

[Chris Cody]

Next one. Somebody from local. Where does Kevin Love play this year?

[Mike Ryan]

He's a Laker.

[Zaslo]

Utah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, well, that's.

[Mike Ryan]

He's a Utah Jazz Jazzlow.

[Don Levatar]

Jazzlow.

[Mike Ryan]

He's in Utah.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's not a team that's playing tonight. That's why.

[Zaslo]

I guess Washington tonight.

[Chris Cody]

I didn't say that.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay?

[Chris Cody]

I said that for the first.

[Mike Ryan]

Can I ask you a question? Why is Kevin Love still doing this?

[Chris Cody]

Love the game.

[Mike Ryan]

Love in Utah.

[Don Levatar]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Cody]

They're paying money, right?

[Dan Le Batard]

You can't love the car washes there.

[Don Levatar]

Good point by him.

[Chris Cody]

All right, we'll probably throw a quick one. John Collins. Where's John Collins? Friend of the show.

[Dan Le Batard]

He is.

[Don Levatar]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Local guy, right?

[Dan Le Batard]

He's not a friend. He's a Clipper. Dano, aspiration?

[Jeremy]

Definitely not a friend of the show if he's a Clipper.

[Dan Le Batard]

They're not playing tonight.

[Chris Cody]

Oh, you're hung up on that.

[Mike Ryan]

Now's a good time to remember where tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila. Cuervo, what are you doing here?

[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo. Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.

[Mike Ryan]

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.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all. Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

The tequila that invented tequila. Cuervo.com, please drink responsibly.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cuervo.