Hour 2: Hubris

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Episode: Hour 2: Hubris
Release Date: April 29, 2025

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Overview

In "Hour 2: Hubris," hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz, along with guests Mike Ryan, Billy Corben, Amin Elhassan, Chris Cote, and Jonathan Zaslow, delve deep into the tumultuous management decisions of the Miami Heat. The discussion revolves around the team's strategic missteps, the overarching theme of hubris within the franchise, and broader reflections on sports culture and fandom. Additionally, the episode touches upon contemporary media phenomena and personal anecdotes from the hosts and guests.

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1. Miami Heat’s Management and Strategic Missteps

Mike Ryan's Critique of Management Decisions
Mike Ryan opens the discussion by expressing his frustration with the Miami Heat's recent management choices. He criticizes the decision to trade Kyle Lowry and acquire Terry Rozier, labeling it as "a slap in the face" to the franchise's approach (01:18). Ryan argues that these moves reflect a deeper issue of hubris within the organization, where cultural reputation overshadows practical team-building strategies.

Jonathan Zaslow on Hubris and Trade Failures
Jonathan Zaslow elaborates on the concept of hubris affecting the Heat's decision-making process. At 05:20, he states, “I think there was a lot of hubris involved there, and it backfired,” referencing the unsuccessful attempts to integrate Damian Lillard and the mishandling of Jimmy Butler’s trade.

Billy Corben and Chris Cote's Perspectives
Billy Corben and Chris Cote contribute by comparing the Heat's situation to other teams like Portland and Milwaukee. They highlight how the Heat's poor management has led to a decline, whereas teams like Boston have thrived despite similar challenges (02:04 – 03:20).

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2. The Role of Hubris in Team Culture

Amin Elhassan on Cultural Missteps
Amin Elhassan discusses how the Heat's overconfidence has led to critical errors, particularly in their handling of star players. At 05:09, Elhassan observes, “They chose not to pay,” referring to the Heat's reluctance to meet Jimmy Butler’s demands, which he labels as a "big time mistake."

Dan Le Batard on Franchise Mythology
Dan Le Batard critiques the Heat's "championship culture," suggesting that it has fostered a delusional perception among fans and management. He asserts, “They created, right? Which is championship culture. We're always in it banners, and we always get the guy,” highlighting the disparity between the franchise's self-image and its actual performance (11:03).

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3. Fandom, Loyalty, and Expectations

Mike Ryan's Struggle with Fan Loyalty
Mike Ryan shares his internal conflict as a Heat fan disillusioned by the team's recent performance. He states, “I was a mouthpiece for them,” acknowledging his role in supporting the team despite disagreeing with management’s direction (08:00).

Amin Elhassan on Evolving Fandom
Amin Elhassan advocates for a more flexible approach to fandom, suggesting that true fans support teams that play “fun and good basketball” rather than remaining loyal to underperforming franchises. He posits, “If I'm a fan of basketball, wouldn't it be smarter to... watch a team that plays fun and good basketball” (16:22).

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4. Comparative Analysis with Other Teams

Impact of Heat's Decisions on Rivals
The hosts analyze how the Heat's strategic failures have inadvertently strengthened other teams like Boston and Milwaukee. Mike Ryan notes, “It was a disaster that some saw two years ago. And we wasted two years,” emphasizing that the Heat’s missteps have provided opportunities for rivals to ascend (07:58).

Brandon Beane’s Insights
Brandon Beane, presumably the Miami Heat’s General Manager, responds to Mike Ryan’s criticisms by defending the team's recent performance. He challenges the validity of Ryan’s arguments by highlighting the team’s scoring prowess: “We scored 30 points in a row for eight straight games” (31:05).

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5. Media Influence and Contemporary Shows

Discussion on Nathan Fielder's "The Rehearsal"
The conversation shifts to Nathan Fielder’s innovative prank show, "The Rehearsal." Guests praise the show's intricate setup and its ability to blur the lines between reality and scripted events. Amin Elhassan describes it as “the most sophisticated prank show in the world” and compares its production quality to major series like "Game of Thrones" (26:32).

Impact on Viewers and Production Insights
The hosts and guests marvel at the show's production budget and the genuine reactions it elicits from participants. They discuss how Fielder's approach creates uncertainty and engages viewers by keeping them guessing if they are witnessing real or rehearsed scenarios (27:20).

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6. Personal Anecdotes and Audience Engagement

Jonathan Zaslow’s Encounter with Batista
Jonathan Zaslow shares a personal story about meeting actor Batista, highlighting the unexpected and exciting interactions that can occur during live events. He recounts, “I give him a fist bump, and you know, hey, hey. I go. And he's wearing a Pearl Jam shirt. And I go, did you like the show?” (19:19).

Stugotz’s Excitement During Games
Stugotz describes his unrestrained excitement during a game, detailing how he and his friends reacted enthusiastically to a significant play. “21:03” captures his exuberance as he screamed and jumped up and down, illustrating the intense emotions associated with live sports.

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7. Commentary on CBS Sunday Morning’s Interview with Bill Belichick

Awkwardness in the Interview
The hosts critique a recent interview between CBS Sunday Morning and Bill Belichick, focusing on the awkward dynamics between Belichick and Jordan Hudson. Billy Corben points out the incongruity of Belichick’s interactions, especially his reactions to scripted and staged social media posts involving Hudson (34:02).

Public Reaction and Implications
The discussion touches on the broader implications of the interview, suggesting that Belichick’s behavior reflects poorly on his legacy and raises questions about professionalism and personal boundaries in high-profile roles (36:08).

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8. Final Banter and Closing Remarks

Hosts and Guests Wrap-Up
As the episode nears its end, the hosts engage in light-hearted banter, reflecting on the earlier discussions and sharing final thoughts. The conversation maintains its dynamic energy, ensuring listeners are left with a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered.

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Notable Quotes

• Mike Ryan (01:18): “I just disagreed with all their moves.”
• Jonathan Zaslow (05:20): “I think there was a lot of hubris involved there, and it backfired.”
• Billy Corben (02:04): “Portland's better, though.”
• Dan Le Batard (11:03): “They created, right? Which is championship culture. We're always in it banners, and we always get the guy.”
• Amin Elhassan (05:09): “They chose not to pay.”
• Brandon Beane (31:05): “We scored 30 points in a row for eight straight games.”
• Jonathan Zaslow (19:19): “I give him a fist bump, and you know, hey, hey. I go. And he's wearing a Pearl Jam shirt.”
• Amin Elhassan (26:32): “The Rehearsal is the most sophisticated prank show in the world.”

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Conclusion

"Hour 2: Hubris" offers a critical and in-depth examination of the Miami Heat's management practices, highlighting the detrimental effects of overconfidence and poor strategic decisions. Through insightful discussions, personal anecdotes, and comparative analyses, the episode provides listeners with a nuanced perspective on sports management, fandom loyalty, and the intricate interplay between media and sports culture.

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Note: Timestamps correspond to the transcript provided and are referenced for contextual accuracy.

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Mike Ryan]

Hey, is your team still playing playoff basketball? I don't know what that's like. That's because my team got historically swept. But if you're in an NBA market and there's playoff basketball going on, it's probably a hard ticket to get, I imagine. Well, where do you go? Primary market, sold out. What are your options? If you're like me, you've probably scoured the entire marketplace and you found, like I did, that the Game Time app is the best, best place. Trust me when I say this, I've tried them all. Game Time gives you panoramic seat views, unparalleled ticket coverage. Download the Game Time app, create an account and use code Dan, that is Dan. And get $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Download Game Time today. Last minute tickets, Lowest price guaranteed. Best app for NBA playoff tickets.

[Billy Corben]

Billy, it felt like you were accusing Zaslow of being a front runner on his Heat stuff, but Mike Ryan has basically been. I've checked out on basketball for two years. The moment that I saw the Heat weren't going to be any good anymore. Mike Bryan has just checked out on all basketball because for 13 years he got to ride the highest highs. And then he said, I don't want to ride this anymore.

[Mike Ryan]

I just disagreed with all their moves. Like, they get rid of Kyle Lowry, which I hated, thank God, and they brought in Terry Rozier. It's like a slap in the face to me. So, like, I've just hated their approach. I hated that they. They allowed everybody in the Eastern Conference that they were chasing that Eastern Conference banner with to get better while they lost sometimes directly head to head and trying to acquire talent. It's been terrible. They're all about culture, they're all about trying hard, and yet their stars don't play half the season. They do all the same shit that everybody else does, and they've been living off of a reputation, trust me, like, making that run in the bubble, making that run as an eight seed from the playing on down. That's incredible. Outlier stuff that probably worked against the best interests of a franchise that wasn't that good to begin with.

[Chris Cote]

Man, that dame trade really didn't work out for anybody because it. It. The Heat have ended up where they are, and Milwaukee is equally in bad footing.

[Billy Corben]

Portland's better, though.

[Mike Ryan]

It seemed to work out for Boston.

[Billy Corben]

Are they.

[Amin Elhassan]

It worked out great for Boston, right?

[Chris Cote]

Yeah, they cleaned up the scraps of that trade. I just mean the Damian Lillard Part of it.

[Mike Ryan]

Look, all you have is a result. And you could say, well, I guess the Miami Heat dodge one.

[Chris Cote]

Oh, no, I'm not saying that.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think we'd ever really know.

[Chris Cote]

No.

[Mike Ryan]

How that would have gone with Dame the fit, his health. He had a lot of stuff going on in his life that hasn't been like, super reported on around the same time that he was told by the franchise he always loved and did the right thing by. We're not going to actually send you to the place that you want to go. We're going to make an example out of you. And to have the ringer do our.

[Chris Cote]

Bidding for us, it's just a shame. Like, for him, for the Heat, for the Bucks, for everybody. And you look at all these teams that in the last five or six years were in the Finals, you look at Phoenix, you look at Milwaukee, you look at even Denver, who, Who's battling now, the Heat. All these teams that had these stars that, that you thought, oh, you can continue to build around some of those guys in their prime, let alone. And now they're all sort of floundering, even for that matter, Golden State. The only reason they're there is because they took the star from one of the other teams, and that's the only reason they're still relevant.

[Mike Ryan]

By the way, I'm not hating on the ringer. I think what the ringer did, like, obviously by their pro Celtics personalities was a masterstroke. It's. It's why they have a banner. They reacted to that Lillard to Heat thing so out of proportion that it was such an outsized reaction that it really. It beat the market. It established a narrative, and it got a lot of buy in. Hey, this team that just made it to the Finals is an eight seed. We can't let them have an actual good player.

[Billy Corben]

This is one of the things that has happened here on a day meant to laugh at the Miami Heat. We were defeated by the ringer. It wasn't that long ago I was going to hang a Bill Simmons banner in here with you. Donnis Haslam of his face in game seven. And Zaslav's just eaten all of your work words, Mike, without rebuttal. I'm watching on television, they're saying, get rid of Pat Riley. I haven't seen that on television before. That's not something in my. In my lifetime. That's not something I have ever seen on television.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Such an easy stance to take. Look in the last five years that we're talking about here. Only two teams in the entire league have been to the finals multiple times. Only two. Only two. I mean, one of them won the title last year in Boston and the other one's Miami. Like, that's it. Only two teams in the whole league have been to the finals multiple times.

[Mike Ryan]

Dallas made the final last year. Okay, and how does their window look? Because we've been laughing at Dallas all season long now. You just got your ass kicked harder than any team has ever gotten its ass kicked in the playoffs before. I really sincerely hope that this is the wake up call that we were sounding the alarms for.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Well, I think the wake up call is when they decided to trade Jimmy Butler. Like, that's the signal that it's over. This run is over. Now we are going to make major changes.

[Mike Ryan]

But they slept through the previous wake up calls. The time to trade him was in the offseason. And they totally butchered the Jimmy. It's fact.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's fact.

[Mike Ryan]

They butchered it.

[Amin Elhassan]

Mike. I'll agree with you in this, Zaz. He's right in that the moment you knew you weren't going to pay him, you got to get out. There's no culture. There's no culture.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Well, that's where I think they screwed up.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's the misstep right there.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I think there was a little bit of hubris in that spot where it's okay, we know what happened in Minnesota. We know what happened in Chicago. Even though we've already. Well, no, Philly. I mean, like, they essentially chose not to bring him down.

[Amin Elhassan]

They chose not to pay.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Right, right. We know the mess that he made over there. We know that he's a crazy person. But, hey, we have heat culture here. We have enough stability. He's going to play out the remainder of his contract here because we're us and they're not. And that was where they made their mistake. There was, I think, a lot of hubris involved there, and it backfired.

[Mike Ryan]

That, to me, is a key word because I think their last two big missteps involved a lot of hubris from Pat Riley, sending out that memo, backing up the one player you never want to back into a corner. And also their whole approach to the Damian Lillard acquisition, Tyler Hero, take it or leave it, using us. I'm guilty of it. I was a mouthpiece for them. I played the game. I played the game way worse than Ringer.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I mean, you believe that's what it was? As opposed to Joe Crow refusing to even engage.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, because I think the refusal to even engage Was Miami's hubris in approach to it, in speaking through this show and saying, it's Tyler hero. What are your options? Can you get anything back?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah, but I mean. I mean, how many times in the league do negotiations for a trade start like that, and then eventually you'll work your way to the real trade.

[Amin Elhassan]

That was what we talked about at the time. It's not that, hey, this is a good deal. Why isn't Portland doing it? It's the. You won't even engage in conversation. Your star does not want to be there anymore. We're already here. Let's work. Let's at least give me a counter and then we'll work our way. This idea that we're not going to talk. But, Mike, I don't know if that's hubris. The Jimmy Butler, hey, he's fine thing, that absolutely is hubris. Which is crazy, because you know who else made the same exact mistake? It was Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota, where he was just like, no, no, Jimmy's fine. Jimmy told him as soon as their season was over, the last season, hey, you're not going to pay me. Get rid of me. And Tibbs was like, no, no, he's fine. Jimmy's my guy. I understand him. Just when the season starts, everything will be fine and everything unraveled. And so for them to not learn from that mistake at all and for them to think that, oh, no, things are different here, even though this guy has demonstrated a specific way of handling the situation, it was a huge misstep. To me, the Lillard thing is just like. It's what I was talking about earlier in the show with you, which is, yo, man, sometimes people just don't want to do a deal. So here's Riley's fault.

[Mike Ryan]

The four teams involved in that Lillard pursuit, Portland, Milwaukee, Boston, Miami, all the GMs got extended that were involved in that deal. Milwaukee's GM somehow got extended. Portland's GM got extended. The Boston Celtics are NBA champs right now. Like Miami's approach, they failed, and it ended up strengthening at the time, Milwaukee. But Lillard just hasn't worked out for them and made Boston into a champion, Right? We failed.

[Amin Elhassan]

Guys failed.

[Mike Ryan]

The plan didn't work, and it made everybody else stronger. It was a disaster that some saw two years ago. And we wasted two years. We just wasted two years with arguably the greatest head coach in NBA history.

[Amin Elhassan]

I don't think you can ever say we failed when it's trying to trade for someone. Now, if you trade for two finals.

[Billy Corben]

Appearances in five years is not failure.

[Mike Ryan]

You mean you made Milwaukee and Boston better, like they didn't want to deal with you. And it feels like they screwed you over and said, and F you Drew Holiday's going to Boston, like it was just such a disaster.

[Amin Elhassan]

But that's not Miami that did that.

[Mike Ryan]

No, but Miami had a hand in it. And I do think that the hubris thing is real. Having lived through it and having spoken to it. And I remember the tone of Tyler, hero, take it or leave it, try to find something better.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, I get it. What I'm saying to you is that's negotiations. And ultimately they don't trade a guy to seven different teams. They trade on one team. And so everyone else is inherently a quote unquote loser. But that's not the same as making a mistake. Now if you want to do, hey, Kyle Lowry trading Dragic and precious Achua to not only trade for Kyle Lowry, but to overpay him, that's a misstep. To say, hey, instead of just eating the Kyle Lowry contract, trading for Terry Rozier and having another year of that, those are missteps to me. And obviously the Jimmy Butler thing we just talked about. But when you say, I thought you're supposed to get Kevin draft but you didn't like, yeah, man, it's not a unilateral thing. Someone else is working on this one.

[Mike Ryan]

I didn't invoke that, even though I have my problems with that. I'm sure, like that's been the one that's eluded Pat his entire time down here. But yeah, Kyle Lowry, they made to the finals in spite of that, but they've made some very bad moves here while developing some guys into big time players and contracts. That guys have had nice careers in the NBA because of the development down here in Miami, but they've made mistakes.

[Amin Elhassan]

I think like the mistakes you're talking about are the real ones are marginal mistakes. Mistakes, yes, but marginal, yeah.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Trying to acquire a player, not getting him is not a mistake.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's not a mistake.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think nuking your entire season and having Jimmy Butler hold your season.

[Amin Elhassan]

Hostage, that's a mistake. That's a mistake.

[Mike Ryan]

That's a, that's a big time mistake. Hold out every step of the way.

[Amin Elhassan]

That'S a big time mistake. The Jimmy Butler thing, big time mistake. But not acquiring a trade, not consummating a trade.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Try to get this guy, try to get this guy. Try to get that. Like, these aren't mistakes.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's the job, bro.

[Billy Corben]

That's like saying, no, no, no.

[Amin Elhassan]

But, Dan. It's like saying Ted Williams was a failure because 60% of the time, he didn't get an.

[Billy Corben]

This is how he and Heat fans have been influenced by the last 15 years. That ends with, hey, I'm out. If you're not championship good in two years, I don't even care about basketball. Wait a minute. When you talk about what's happened down here in 15 years of spoiling is, yeah, Miami gets all the guys. Miami's used to getting all the guys. And for many years, they don't get the guys. They got Jimmy Butler. I don't know how they did that. It still confuses me. They didn't have any money, and they had Dion Waiters and Hassan Whiteside. Like, I don't. I still don't understand how that happened.

[Amin Elhassan]

By the way, they got all the guys. They've got four guys.

[Billy Corben]

No, but.

[Mike Ryan]

They got.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, but LeBron.

[Billy Corben]

At the start of Heat, fans being obnoxious starts with a stage. And they got all the guys.

[Dan LeBatard]

The Heat are just victims of their own mythology that they created, right? Which is championship culture. We're always in it banners, and we always get the guy. The Godfather closes all the deals, right? And then when he doesn't close the deals, it's like, well, that's the job. You don't always get everyone that you want. It's like, but you've been telling me for 20 years now, we do get everyone that we want. And you got the big guys, so why can't you.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That you get everyone.

[Stugotz]

They just got some good players.

[Amin Elhassan]

So now we're expecting that, like, literally in the history of their franchise, sha zo. Shaq, LeBron.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Hardaway.

[Amin Elhassan]

Hardaway was done when they got him. When they got him, his knees were dust.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Okay?

[Amin Elhassan]

Everyone's like, oh. It's like saying, oh, well, they got. They got Jimmy Butler. Like, I knew Jimmy.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Don't we say the same thing then about Shaq? Like, Shaq had two really good years. That was it.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, if you don't think this franchise has been yanking its own crank for 10 years off of this reputation.

[Dan LeBatard]

You've been doing it down here. Like, you've been doing it down here. Whale hunting, the Godfather. They're going to.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

They're going to do it.

[Dan LeBatard]

Like, you're part of.

[Mike Ryan]

Created this culture of delusion in the corner. Cranking that hog to culture.

[Billy Corben]

I'm one of the an.

[Mike Ryan]

And it was.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No one's cranking.

[Amin Elhassan]

You know what?

[Mike Ryan]

I sang a sad peppas and I apologized to the audience because I was being used. And it took the hubris that they approach that Damian Lillard thing and the failure of that for me to realize this is. Oh, this is a systemic.

[Dan LeBatard]

You shouldn't apologize, Mike. You were a victim.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Okay, so what?

[Dan LeBatard]

Victim blaming?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

So what's gonna happen, though? Okay, what's gonna happen? Maybe it even takes a couple of years. Couple years till they're gonna have left. Like, are you back as a fan? Then in a couple years when they're good again?

[Mike Ryan]

I like the Heat.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Whoa.

[Dan LeBatard]

What happened?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

What do you say?

[Mike Ryan]

He killed Pat Riley.

[Dan LeBatard]

No, I didn't.

[Mike Ryan]

You said how many years?

[Billy Corben]

Amin's leaving.

[Stugotz]

I asked a question on earth.

[Billy Corben]

You've made leave garbage.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's a question.

[Mike Ryan]

And no, I so like to answer your question.

[Dan LeBatard]

I was going to report something a couple weeks ago, and then it ended up turning into this ice cream thing, but it was, like, very morbid in the morning. I'm telling you, it was like a funeral that day. Everyone was.

[Chris Cote]

Thought he was dead.

[Dan LeBatard]

Something bad is going on here behind the scenes. And then last minute pivot. I don't know if we got new test results or something, but it's like ice cream, not cookies. Everyone was confused. I mean, was here. He remembers.

[Amin Elhassan]

I was here. It was. It was because Dan said, I have some very important Miami Heat news. I'm going to break it on air. And then he walked away. And so we all sat there like.

[Dan LeBatard]

I went to the greenery. I can't. I can't be part of it, this meeting today. And we're like, whoa. Dan loves the meetings. He's in this meeting every single day. He's blowing this off. This has to be something serious.

[Amin Elhassan]

We all, like, in hushed tones, are.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Like, what did you expect it to be?

[Dan LeBatard]

That Pat stepping down.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, not stepping down. No, not stepping down. It was. It was. Either Pat is dangerously ill or he's no longer with us.

[Billy Corben]

No.

[Dan LeBatard]

And we started. Yeah, because we started thinking, like, oh, my gosh. They. They retired. They named the court after him. The Lakers making a statue after him. Like, something's going on. All of a sudden, everyone's honoring him out of the blue. And now Dan is sad here. And then, boom. Ice cream.

[Billy Corben]

Like, whoa, okay, well, it's on the television. Get Pat Riley out. And I want to object to only one thing that was said in the last, I don't know, 10 minutes, which is that Zaslow again is saying what the Heat are guilty of and what the Uber is. And he said that already on the Starting lineup this morning with Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine said the same thing. Word for word. Like, the words were the same. So.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And I'm supposed to assume that your entire audience is the same as the audience from starting line.

[Billy Corben]

I just don't want your recycled shit. We're hiring you for good stuff.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

My thoughts.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah. I mean, Billy Joel doesn't come out and play new songs at his concert. Opinion, piano man. That's what he does. Billy Joel, you want the hits.

[Billy Corben]

Pearl Jam does whatever it wants.

[Stugotz]

I can't believe Dan listened to that interview.

[Mike Ryan]

Is the shocking thing is that Dan's just like, mainlining starting lineup.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's a good show.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's a great show.

[Amin Elhassan]

Anytime Dan Levitar is in his carr, he listens to NBA Radio because he's on eight. I know. I get.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I hear a mean on a lot also.

[Amin Elhassan]

I get a lot of screenshot texts. It's always in the mean.

[Billy Corben]

And Jason Jackson are getting it done. On your Sunday morning.

[Amin Elhassan]

Jason Jackson. Jackson. If you're nasty.

[Mike Ryan]

I understand Zaz coming at me for being a bad fan. I'm still a Heat fan. I just don't want to be like.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It'S kind of garbage. Like, in a couple years, if the Heat are good again, you're going to be all in again. It's like, come on, man.

[Mike Ryan]

I'll be. I'll be in again. I'm not watching them.

[Dan LeBatard]

You're wearing a Panthers jersey.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

They're.

[Mike Ryan]

They're behind a. They're behind a paywall.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

What does that mean?

[Dan LeBatard]

Flatly, you abandon this team as soon as they get eliminated. Stanley, over here.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The only one of our teams that is still actively playing games.

[Amin Elhassan]

No.

[Dan LeBatard]

Support the team that brought you here. Dance with the one you brought. Dance with the one that brung you.

[Mike Ryan]

The Miami Heat acquired my least favorite player of all time, and then they put their games behind a paywall.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

And I didn't feel like rewarding them by accepting the paywall with the product.

[Amin Elhassan]

That they were putting out this attitude.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

For several years, man.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. Because I haven't agreed with what the direction of the franchise. Like, do you want to talk about America? And my feelings about that. Like, people can check out and circle back and be like, once there's a change in direction, I'm back in.

[Amin Elhassan]

Mike, I'm going to stick up for you here because one of the things that happens as you get older is you begin to realize things that we were fixated on as younger people is so dumb. And one of the biggest ones for me is the Idea that, like, I'm a fan of basketball. I love basketball. Who's your favorite team? It's xyz, the Miami Heat. Why would I chain myself if I'm a fan of basketball? Why would I chain myself to watching bad version of basketball?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's how fandom works.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, but like, if I'm a fan of basketball, wouldn't it be smarter to, like, I want to watch the team that plays fun and good basketball. So now I'll be a Cavs fan or maybe a Thunder fan. And then in a couple of years, maybe it'll be the Rockets. That'll be best team.

[Billy Corben]

I don't like the guys.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't like the guys. I've supported plenty of bad teams that I like. I was a Browns fan where they won one game for two years. But I love Joe Thomas, I love Andrew Hawkins. Like, I don't like the guys on the team, but it's. I don't like Bam. I don't like Tyler. I would have loved to have watched Jimmy. He was out half the games. Like, I'm sorry for cursing. I got emotional. This is why I said I was gonna speak when spoken to. I'm sorry. It's just like, yeah, come at me for being a bad fan. But I think I got your ass on America. I don't see you guys wrapping yourself in the flag like you did during the Clinton years.

[Amin Elhassan]

They did during the damn Four nations cup when everyone all of a sudden turned into the biggest patriot ever.

[Billy Corben]

I couldn't, couldn't believe what happened to my country, my people. One was swayed by patriotism in the middle of the year for a hockey.

[Amin Elhassan]

Tournament, A made up hockey tournament.

[Billy Corben]

Can I, Can I just.

[Dan LeBatard]

And yes, is also Canadian.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I am, I'm born in this country.

[Amin Elhassan]

Wait a second. Hold on now. Hold on. That wasn't a denial.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Well, I have dual citizenship.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, now who's a fence sitter?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's not my fault.

[Amin Elhassan]

So, so, so when it's almost exclusively. So when America loses by 60, then you all of a sudden become a Canadian?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No, I am American. I'm a proud American. I was born here. There is no denying that me being a dual citizenship is something my mother set up for me when I was born.

[Amin Elhassan]

In case.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Just in case that's true.

[Amin Elhassan]

Just in case it gets swept.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's always, that's in case things went awry.

[Dan LeBatard]

Just in case. Just in case the Heat are bad, I have this Panther. Just in case the Panthers are bad, I have a Heat church. Just in case one of the Countries I have, you know, citizenship in the other one.

[Mike Ryan]

My approach to the Miami Heat is one that you revealed is your approach to the Florida Gators even though you went to Santa Fe.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Wow.

[Amin Elhassan]

Okay. Wow.

[Dan LeBatard]

You didn't go to uf.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

This is.

[Amin Elhassan]

Hold on now.

[Dan LeBatard]

He went to Santa Fe.

[Mike Ryan]

Santa Fe. But it was close enough.

[Dan LeBatard]

No, wait a minute. No, it's no shame in that.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I know people.

[Mike Ryan]

I went to a community college.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

There is no.

[Dan LeBatard]

There's no shame. But don't pretend you're a gator if you're not.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

There is no shame in that if.

[Dan LeBatard]

You'Re not a gator.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Why would someone take credit for going to a community college if they never went to a community college?

[Dan LeBatard]

So you didn't go there either. Where'd you go?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

University of Florida graduate. I have a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. How dare you?

[Billy Corben]

You guys, quit inciting Zaz, please.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The day man. I'm super happy. Panthers last night.

[Dan LeBatard]

Did you go to Santa Fe for like, two years, and then you went to us.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

If you asked me right now to go to Santa Fe Community College, if you're. And your life depends on you getting.

[Dan LeBatard]

There, I'd be dead.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I would never know how to get there.

[Billy Corben]

This is what.

[Dan LeBatard]

You blocked it out.

[Billy Corben]

Billy, I need you because you. All you had last night was Dodgers, Marlins, and you're just.

[Dan LeBatard]

No, I have my ice catch talking.

[Billy Corben]

And below deck Med, you're just mad that Zaslo gets to live a giant life right now with his sports fandom. Zaslo came in saying, I'm on a heater dog.

[Dan LeBatard]

Of course, if you always choose a winning team, your team's always going to win. What do you expect?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Got to the casino Saturday night for Pearl Jam, Decided to play a little money wheel. Won 500 bucks.

[Dan LeBatard]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Sam's listening.

[Billy Corben]

Met. Met Dave Batiste on the way out and talked to him. And his teenage son was mesmerized by how popular Zasla was with Dave Bautista.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

He had such a funny, organic reaction by some. We're leaving concert the other night, and I see walking right next. I think that's Batista. And obviously, we're huge pro wrestling fans, because wrestling is everything. And I just go, Batista and I give him a fist bump, and you know, hey, hey. I go. And he's wearing a Pearl Jam shirt. And I go, did you like the show? He goes, effing awesome. I go effing awesome.

[Stugotz]

Must have gone Saturday.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And then my son. Right. No, it was Thursday. And then my younger son Right next to me because he never been around like celebrities and he loves Batista too. Drax Guardians Galaxy. My son sees me just casually talking to batista and my 13 year old son Jordan goes, what? And, and I look, I go, yeah, just go, go say hello to Batista. He was, he was shook that we were talking.

[Billy Corben]

And. And your panthers give you the 11 seconds of your life last night I.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm telling you, I almost passed out and fell down the stairs. I, I had, I had to control myself for a moment there. I was so overly excited jumping up. I forget, I don't know. I know you look at this face like, wow, he's super young. I'm not that young anymore, all right? And I got really excited and I had to calm down.

[Billy Corben]

I don't think that these guys care the way that you do. I think that they've had parts of them extinguished here in places that now.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I still have it.

[Stugotz]

Should have seen video me when they scored that third.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

You went into it.

[Stugotz]

Oh, my God. I screamed for like two minutes straight. I left with a headache.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I told you, jump up and down. I jumped up and down.

[Stugotz]

I was jumping non stop.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Two fists in the air.

[Stugotz]

That place was. Everyone was that place where you fish.

[Dan LeBatard]

Where your fist, Chris, where are your fists?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Show me. Give me an example.

[Stugotz]

I think I was more. I had my friend with me. I was more like, oh, yeah, I'm.

[Billy Corben]

A high five left with a headache.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, like a splitting headache. I got this. The season ticket holders around me.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

If you're with someone you like, you gotta jump on each other.

[Stugotz]

It's a whole routine. You jump, you start high five.

[Billy Corben]

Calves hurt, calves hurt, everything hurts. Any pain, any soreness in the calves?

[Amin Elhassan]

No soreness. They beat the heat pretty handily last night.

[Dan LeBatard]

You guys ever wonder like, when you're in an arena and you're jumping because. For joy, right? Because you're so excited and you're like, you know, the engineers, they have to have planned for a lot of jumping.

[Stugotz]

I think about this all the time.

[Dan LeBatard]

All the time. I think how much jumping is too much jumping based on the structure here and what they plan for. Like, did the engineers plan for a very successful hockey team 20 years after you built the arena? And we're going to have a lot of jumping. And, you know, I'm assuming the average weight of the American has gone up in 20 years. So when you're planning this 20 years ago, are you thinking, you know, an average American, you know, carry the two, whatever, probably like 250 for the average American. And they're jumping. How long can they jump before we're not structurally sounding?

[Billy Corben]

And that arena is built to sink into the ground. Yeah.

[Stugotz]

How do you test an arena when you build it? It's like, all right, let's fill this thing up, make sure it's good for people. You got to just send people in.

[Mike Ryan]

Game Time is the official ticketing partner of the Dan LeBatard show with Stu Gotz. I am Mike Ryan and as you know, on this show I am often touting game Time because I believe in this product. And as a play in tournament begins this week, why don't you head on over to Game Time? As a Miami Heat fan, I've got plenty of great experiences with that play in tournament. A lot of good runs started in this play in tournament. Might be a little frustrated that they're always in the play in tournament, but that's a story for another day. The good news is Game Time makes getting tickets to that play in tournament faster and easier. Even for hard to get playoff seeds. Prices on the gametime map may actually go down the closer it gets. To tip off with killer last minute deals. All in prices, views from your seat and their lowest price guarantee, GameTime takes the guesswork out of buying NBA playoff tickets. And don't forget about that all in pricing toggling. This feature shows the total up front with no surprise fees at checkout. And GameTime's got its unparalleled ticket coverage. Your purchase is covered with the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code DAN for $20 off. Your first purchase terms apply Again, create an account and redeem code dan for $20 off. Download the Gametime app today. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Hey you in the audience, it's Mike. You've been a fan of this show hopefully for a long time. And you know how much Miller Lite means to me. This partnership. It's real. It's documented. For almost 20 years, Miller Lite has been a partner of the Dan Levittard show with Stugatz. And now Miller Lite is celebrating its 50th anniversary. I've had so many great moments with Miller Lite, so many great activations, so many great events presented by Miller Lite. A great partner. Cheers to them. Cheers to 50 incredible years. And for you at home, you know that Miller Time always means a good time. From game night to parties with friends or a special anniversary 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, now's a perfect time to celebrate legendary stories with friends, family and a great tasting light beer. It's Miller time. 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. Hey, folks, it's Mike Ryan. And if you're watching our show, you probably know and your boy has undergone a little bit of a body transformation. And I gotta tell you, Peloton has helped me on my fitness journey. It got the ball rolling for me because I watch my wife on the peloton. She takes all these great classes. She has her favorite instructors. I listen to the music. I'm a big music guy. Gets me fired up. Makes me want to take part in this fitness phenomenon known as Peloton. Peloton offers a variety of challenging classes, from four week strength building classes to running, cycling, and everything in between. Peloton will help you achieve your goals and maybe you'll have some fun along the way. I know I have. It's backed by thousands of members whose lives have been changed. Be part of that group. Telling you I'm better for it. Have it in my office. Sometimes I can put on the baseball game. Sometimes I can put on a soccer match. Some other times I'm totally locked in on an email playlist. Find your push. Find your power with [e-mail] Don LeBatard.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

John, can you rate my Al Pacino from that billiard scene in Carlito's way? If I do it for you? I think it's pretty good.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Okay, Stugarts, you think you're big time when you're gonna die big time.

[Amin Elhassan]

That is my infamous scale of 1 to 10.

[Chris Cote]

That's a.

[Mike Ryan]

That's a 7.6 solid. That's a suey nominee right there.

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan lebatar show with the stug.

[Amin Elhassan]

You know what you do? You get Nathan Fielder to build a replica of the arena and then have.

[Billy Corben]

That show's crazy. I can't believe what he's doing with television.

[Amin Elhassan]

What's his budget? That's all. That's the only question I've had through two seasons now of the show. What is the budget?

[Billy Corben]

He's getting the only money in Hollywood. They're giving, like, the Game of Thrones money. He's getting it.

[Amin Elhassan]

It has to be. They're spending more on that than the last of us. I'll tell you that right now. Last of us is soon out on location. They're spending a. He built a replica. He's using it to make a replica.

[Dan LeBatard]

Of Hudson News for some reason.

[Amin Elhassan]

Hudson News, he built an entire terminal from Bush Intercontinental Airport.

[Billy Corben]

I want terminal.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I want to see his budget.

[Billy Corben]

I want to see what he's doing, what they're allowed. Like, somebody is allowing real genius there in a way that's unusual. Like, usually it's not funded like that.

[Amin Elhassan]

And also, Dan, to be honest, Game of Thrones, they spent, what, like, bajillion dollars an episode. But, like, they got 10 million viewers, right, per episode every week. So it's like, okay, it's costs a lot, but it's getting great, like, reviews and audience attraction. I still feel like the rehearsal is, like, this small show that me and a couple of my friends, I'm just.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Learning about it over the last couple of days. I had Amin explain it to me a few minutes ago.

[Billy Corben]

It might take a minute for interest to develop, because I was interested from the first moment. Just because of who was making it, because of the choices. He has a. I mean, he hasn't made anything that's bad. He makes interesting art. And on this, he's being funded.

[Amin Elhassan]

So it started with a segment on a show in Canada called Nathan on youn side. And it was. The segment was literally like three or four minutes long. I can't even remember what the show was, but, like, they had, like, a segment, a recurring segment, Nathan on your side. And he goes and he. And he helps, like, a small business, right? And then from that, they grew into Nathan for your, which was a bigger show helping two small businesses. An episode for 30 minutes, right? 22 minutes of runtime. And now the rehearsal is like the latest evolution of this thing where it is, as I told Zaz, it is the most sophisticated prank show in the world, right? Like, we've reached a point in time where prank shows are people on the street acting like assholes. Like, oh, spilled milk all over you. Ha ha. No, it's a prank. It's a prank. Like, you stupid little clowns. That's not a prank show. That's just you being an asshole. A prank show is what this man is doing, where he is. To give you an example, there was a guy Last season, who was in a trivia crew and had a confrontation that he wanted to have, but he was a little scared. So what Nathan did was rebuild the bar down to the. Every spec. Down to the upholstery being torn a little bit here. His upholstery. He hired actors to play bartenders and patrons. And the guy running the pizza oven, the functional pizza oven, right? And then he game planned basically, with this dude how to have this confrontation. And they did it over and over and over again until when he finally did it for real, he walks into the bar, and us as viewers could not tell whether this was the real bar or just another work because Nathan kept doing this. Every time you think this is real, it's like, no, no, no, this is still a rehearsal.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

They show you all the rehearsals.

[Billy Corben]

Yes.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's not just one rehearsal.

[Amin Elhassan]

All of it, again and again. And then they never tell you when the rehearsal is over because you're like, okay, this is the real. No, wait, no. Still rehearsal. Still rehearsal.

[Chris Cote]

That's the genius of the show, is that basically every detail, you never know whether or not he's telling you the truth, whether this is scripted, whether it's an actor or a real person, what any of that is totally left up in the air. And it. I've never seen any show like it. It says that last year, the season one, or I guess a few years ago, $60 million budget season one bullshit.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Don't you wonder. Don't you wonder how you even pitch a show like that?

[Amin Elhassan]

I mean, for him, I would guess it's off the strength of, hey, I made Nathan for you, and that was a successful show. If you give me a little bit more money, I can push it to another limit, but 60 million sounds low.

[Billy Corben]

Well, this is the second season. It's more this season. Right, Let's. I want to get to a couple of things here. Mike Ryan was just criticizing Miami Heat management, and I'm imagining that Miami Heat management would receive that criticism the same way that Brandon Beam, the Bill's general manager, received criticism of his drafts when he went on a local sports radio show.

[Brandon Beane]

Listen, the last few minutes of your show before I came on, waiting on your. Sounds like 2018 all over with you guys.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, we're very. How so?

[Brandon Beane]

Well, you guys were in 2018 about Josh Allen. You guys wanted Josh Rosen, and now you guys are. That we don't have a receiver. I don't get it. Like, we just. Hold on, let me talk. We just scored 30 points in a row for eight straight games. We A year ago, I get you guys asking why we didn't have receivers, but I don't understand it now. You just saw us lead the league in points. When you add all the postseason, no one scored more points than the Buffalo Bills, including the super bowl champions. So you just saw us do it without Stefon Diggs. Same group. How is this group not better than last year's group? Like, I don't like. Our job is to score points and win games. Where do we need to get better defense? We did that. So I get it. You got to have a show and you gotta. You gotta have something to about. But about wide receiver is one of the dumbest arguments I've heard.

[Amin Elhassan]

The four count there.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I mean, the last part is obviously super condescending, but overall, he's right.

[Billy Corben]

Well, they scored a lot.

[Stugotz]

I would say the whole part was condescending.

[Amin Elhassan]

The whole part was right.

[Billy Corben]

They have more expertise than we do generally.

[Mike Ryan]

What does Ellisberg's voicemail sound like? No one owns the Chicago Bulls in a play in, like this franchise over the last three years. We've displayed that time and time again. And also you guys keep complaining that we have no title chances. Well, no one got their ass kicked harder than us in NBA history in a playoff series. That guy actually has no 10 seeds.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Ever made the playoffs.

[Stugotz]

He said the most history. Ellisberg would be like, we scored the 27th most points this season.

[Mike Ryan]

We were the first 10 seed to ever make the playoffs.

[Chris Cote]

Look at us, the 24th most points. Come on, get it right.

[Mike Ryan]

Like there are actual bona fides there. Like that's true. And by the way, get off his back. There's plenty of good free agent wide receivers out there.

[Billy Corben]

If you heard him on the starting lineup this morning with Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrini. Jonathan Zaslow had a lot of things to say about the Miami Heat. And one of the things he had to say is, well, maybe we shouldn't have 10 seeds in the playoffs.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Fair.

[Chris Cote]

I mean, how bad were the Hawks and the Bulls, though? That they lost, yes.

[Billy Corben]

But that we. We can agree. Heat, based on playing 82 regular season games and the results we have now in hand, probably shouldn't have been in the playoffs. And while we're at it, yeah, Bulls, yeah, Hawks, you shouldn't have been in either while we're at it. Because if you lose to the heat and a 10 seed, and we just saw what that is, a whole lot of people, a whole lot of people still feeling the embers of maybe Andrew Wiggins and that One time, Jimmy did it to Giannis. You remember the one time? Nope. That's what it looks like almost every time. You will see in the future that.

[Amin Elhassan]

A one plays a 10 glass half full. Isn't that what the one seed should get? A patsy in the first round? That's. That's what they should be getting. Why do we want that?

[Billy Corben]

They should get a buy. They should get a buy.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, no, no buy. We got to play the game. Buy. Hold on now. You know how much gate revenue we got? How much parking and concessions? Huh? You think we just giving this shit away?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

If you do it in front of the owner said you could have a buy and it automatically advance the semifinal. Or you have to play.

[Amin Elhassan]

They're playing.

[Billy Corben]

I want to go back to something that we talked about briefly yesterday, but it really was something to behold. This weekend, CBS Sunday Morning, a majestic television show made for Angela Lansbury and people who are 90 years old. Bill Belichick did an interview, and during that interview, there was some awkwardness. Now here's Bill Belichick talking just about Robert Kraft and his relationship with Robert Kraft. But this show is an excellent show. But I've got to make fun of the broadcaster who did this interview, because he was maximum television. Like, this was some gotcha shit CBS Sunday Morning was doing.

[CBS Interviewer]

I have to ask about Robert Kraft because 24 years together, six Super Bowls. Unless I'm wrong, he's not in this book.

[Mike Ryan]

How come he's not?

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, again, it's about my life lessons in football, and it's really more about.

[Mike Ryan]

The ones that I experience directly.

[CBS Interviewer]

He's not even in the acknowledgment section.

[Amin Elhassan]

Correct.

[CBS Interviewer]

Do you feel like you were treated with dignity and respect when you were let go by Robert Kraft?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, it was a mutual decision for us to part ways.

[CBS Interviewer]

He said fired.

[Amin Elhassan]

It was a mutual decision.

[Billy Corben]

I want to play the awkwardness of Jordan Hudson, sort of. His manager, according to Pablo Torre, finds out and handling a lot of. A lot of his business. And it is now being reported that UNC is concerned with Jordan Hudson. And also Jordan Hudson is. She's releasing on her social media the suggestion that Bill Belichick is about to have some commentary going forward.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. So there has been a couple developments. Late night, TMZ reported that the interview was actually worse than we saw. They had to cut 30 minutes from it. Jordan, at one point, according to TMZ, stormed out, expecting Bill Belichick to follow her. Now, earlier in the show today, I follow Jordan on Instagram and she screen capped what is purported to be an email written by Bill Belichick kind of explaining the situation and how they feel decontextualized in the media and getting unfair coverage, saying that a full statement's coming later today and I gotta say, like, however this ends or whatever, but like this is a very strange, peculiar story arc for Bill Belichick's legacy. I don't think many people kind of saw common.

[Amin Elhassan]

Can we all agree there's nothing worse than the come on, we're leaving and you storm out and then the other person doesn't leave. That. That's like, that's a lonely place to be.

[Billy Corben]

Well, let's listen here and watch here at the awkwardness of her being off camera and there being some. The reports were from Florio and others that there were many moments like this and CBS Sunday Morning just aired one of them.

[CBS Interviewer]

The other change For Belichick is 24 year old Jordan Hudson, his creative muse. As he writes in his book, Jordan was a constant presence during our interview. How did you guys meet?

[Mike Ryan]

Not talking about this.

[CBS Interviewer]

No, no. It's a topic neither one of them is comfortable commenting on, though Hudson has recently posted about it on Instagram. You join instaface, as you put it. I love that there's some great pictures of you and Jordan where you're a fisherman and she's a mermaid. It's charming. It's a different side of you. What's the reaction been like, what's it been like to have these different sort of photos? There's another one where you're doing. I know you're not into meditation or yoga or pilates. You're balancing Jordan on your feet. She's doing kind of the Titanic pose.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes.

[Amin Elhassan]

So I'm, I'm on some of those social media platforms, but I honestly don't follow them.

[Billy Corben]

This is where the media game has passed him by because he thinks it we're on to Cincinnati is going to work in that spot. Not once you got the pictures of you on the beach, Coach.

[Stugotz]

We have this one where you're a fisherman and she's a mermaid. I just love the like dynamic dissecting these like ridiculous Instagram posts.

[Amin Elhassan]

Chris, the sigh and the kind of like little gaze he had right there. I know exactly what that is. So I knew I shouldn't have done that, man. She. I knew I shouldn't have let her talk me into doing that. That's. That's what that is.

[Billy Corben]

Don't blame that on her. He makes his own decisions.

[Dan LeBatard]

I really doubt Bill Belichick is uploading the photos.

[Chris Cote]

I certainly don't think it was his idea.

[Dan LeBatard]

No, I think that some of these things, like, he's like, let's say this picture be fun. He's like, okay. And he has no thought as to where this is going to end up. And then all of a sudden, he's like. Like getting the news. Like the fisherman, like, mermaid. Like, oh, you guys. You guys have seen.

[Billy Corben]

You think he's learning.

[Stugotz]

He thought that that was Jeff. I love the idea of him not knowing that that's out there, you know.

[Billy Corben]

Of this, you know, the day we.

[Stugotz]

That was an intimate detail. What's going on with his shirt?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

How about putting on a shirt where you don't look like a bum? Cps.

[Stugotz]

Is this a style thing?

[Mike Ryan]

Are you familiar with Bill Bellinger, cbs?

[Amin Elhassan]

Absolutely. Absolutely. This is him getting styled by her. And if you want proof. Did you see what she was wearing?

[Mike Ryan]

She was wearing a navy shirt, too. But he's had holes in his clothes for 20 years.

[Stugotz]

It seems purposeful.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's purposeful, man.

[Mike Ryan]

It seems purposeful when he goes out to Oppressor and has holes in his clothes. It's always what he does. He very clearly is head over heels. I mean, we've known Bill Belichick. I've known of Bill belichick for, like 35 years. And this is. This is crazy behavior.

[Amin Elhassan]

You know what? I love love.

[Mike Ryan]

I love, love, love, like, man, dude.

[Chris Cote]

If you would have said to me.

[Stugotz]

Who in sports would be least likely to get caught up in, like, just this story of what we're talking about, I would have thought there were signs.

[Dan LeBatard]

There's a lot of creepy old men.

[Mike Ryan]

There were. There were signs. There were signs. It's not. It's not too surprising. It's surprising that she's like, basically like, okay, okay, now his, like, she's his creative muse.

[Billy Corben]

Look, this is what I'm not gonna say, and you're not allowed to say love, love. As not. This isn't surprising. I know you know it all, but I didn't have him as a fisherman with a mermaid taking pictures.

[Mike Ryan]

Hey, you in the audience, it's Mike. You've been a fan of this show, hopefully for a long time. And you know how much Miller Lite means to me, this partnership. It's real. It's documented. For almost 20 years, Miller Lite has been a partner of the Dan LeBatard show with Stu Gotz. And now Miller Lite is celebrating its 50th year anniversary. I've had so many great moments with Miller Lite. So many great activations. So many great events presented by Miller Lite. A great partner. Cheers to them. Cheers to 50 incredible years. And for you at home, you know that Miller Time always means a good time. From game night to parties with friends or a special anniversary, celebrating important occasions means more moments with the coolest people in your life. Cheers to 50 years of Miller Light. The great tasting like beer. For people who Love beer since 1975, now's a perfect time to celebrate legendary stories with friends, family and a great tasting light beer. It's Miller Time. 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.