Hour 2: The 1991 Wheaties Box (feat. David Stassen)

Summary

Detailed Summary of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" - Hour 2: The 1991 Wheaties Box (feat. David Sampson)

Release Date: April 30, 2025

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1. Tensions and Allegations with Zaslo

Overview: The episode opens with the hosts addressing recent tensions involving Zaslo, a key figure associated with the show. Chris Cody brings up allegations that Zaslo referred to David Sampson as a "swindler," which Zaslo vehemently denies.

Key Points:

• Allegation Details: Chris Cody [03:09] states, "Zaslow has said he never said what we accused him of saying," highlighting the denial from Zaslo.
• Evidence Discussion: The hosts discuss the discovery of a sound clip from March that may substantiate the claim against Zaslo. Billy Gil [02:26] mentions, "We have a sound from the end of March."
• Impact on Show Dynamics: Greg Cody [01:48] emphasizes the broader implications, saying, "The audience also has some problems with Zaslo because earlier in the show, David Sampson was on with us..."

Notable Quote:

Chris Cody [03:09]: "Zaslow has said he never said what we accused him of saying."

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2. Humorous Interlude: Boost Mobile Phone Line

Overview: A brief segment introduces humorous "boldest takes" from listeners via the Boost Mobile phone line, adding a light-hearted element to the show.

Key Points:

• Listener Engagement: Various callers share quirky opinions, such as Dennis from Charlotte [06:44]: "Sean Payton is one unsized kick away from being Jeff Fisher."

Notable Quote:

Caller Dennis [06:44]: "Sean Payton is one unsized kick away from being Jeff Fisher."

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3. Light-Hearted Banter: Toilet Humor and Alligator Anecdote

Overview: The hosts transition to a humorous discussion about a clogged toilet incident involving Amin Elhassan’s child, which led to a comedic misunderstanding involving an alligator.

Key Points:

• Amin's Story: Amin Elhassan [04:09] shares how his son mistook Sampson for "Samson" and connected negative sentiments based on parental influence.
• Clogged Toilet Tale: Greg Cody [09:05] recounts, "My child clogged the toilet so bad. When I looked inside, I thought it was an alligator."
• Humorous Debate: The hosts debate the plausibility of alligators navigating household pipes, adding to the comedic narrative.

Notable Quote:

Greg Cody [09:05]: "I thought it was an alligator. I thought it was the snout of an alligator coming out."

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4. Guest Interview: David Sampson

Overview: David Sampson, a prominent Hollywood showrunner, joins the show to discuss his work on major projects, including "Central Intelligence," "Blockers," "The Mindy Project," and his latest series "Running Point."

Key Points:

• Career Highlights: Sampson details his involvement in "Central Intelligence" and "Blockers," emphasizing the creative processes behind these projects.
• Collaborating with Mel Brooks: Sampson reflects on working with Mel Brooks on "History of the World Part 2," stating, "Mel is the nicest, sweetest man in the world" ([16:14]).
• Creating "Running Point": He explains the inspiration behind "Running Point," noting, "We're using her kind of life story as inspiration, but we wanted to make it not like Winning Time" ([17:14]).
• Age-Appropriate Viewing for "Blockers": Discussing the film's content, Sampson mentions, "We showed it with our son probably when he was 14. Is that too?" ([11:27]).
• Working with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: Sampson shares positive interactions with Johnson, highlighting his professionalism even in challenging scenes.
• Sports Media Background: Sampson recounts his experiences as a PA on PTI and working on Jim Rome's show, describing it as "the most fun I've ever had" ([22:18]).

Notable Quotes:

David Sampson [16:14]: "Mel is the nicest, sweetest man in the world."

David Sampson [11:27]: "We showed it with our son probably when he was 14. Is that too?"

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5. Personal Anecdotes and Collectibles

Overview: Sampson shares personal stories about his sports memorabilia, particularly an unopened 1991 Wheaties box from the Bulls' first championship, highlighting his deep connection to sports culture.

Key Points:

• Collectible Significance: Sampson proudly displays his Wheaties box, stating, "That is an unopened box from 1991 that I have in a special case. I bought it when the Bulls won their first championship" ([20:40]).
• Emotional Value: The box symbolizes a memorable achievement in sports history, reflecting Sampson's passion for basketball.

Notable Quote:

David Sampson [20:40]: "That is an unopened box from 1991 that I have in a special case. I bought it when the Bulls won their first championship."

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6. Debating Jamal Murray's Legacy

Overview: A substantial portion of the episode is dedicated to debating NBA player Jamal Murray's legacy, particularly focusing on his six 40-point games in the playoffs despite not being an All-Star.

Key Points:

• Comparisons to Hall of Famers: Greg Cody [38:49] argues that Murray's playoff performances rival those of Hall of Famers like Larry Bird and Charles Barkley.
• All-Star Status Debate: The hosts question whether Murray's lack of All-Star appearances diminishes his achievements, with Chris Cody [37:35] asserting, "He'll never be an All Star."
• Symbiotic Relationship with Nikola Jokic: The discussion highlights the dynamic between Murray and Jokic, likening it to legendary NBA duos such as Stockton and Malone.
• Statistical vs. Recognition: The debate centers on whether Murray's impressive playoff statistics should earn him a more prominent place in basketball history, independent of All-Star selections.

Notable Quotes:

Greg Cody [38:49]: "He’s got more 40 point games than Larry Bird, Charles Barkley..."

Chris Cody [37:35]: "He'll never be an All Star."

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7. Closing Remarks and Advertisements

Overview: The episode wraps up with lighter discussions about humorous topics like fart smells and playful debates among the hosts. Sponsored segments for Miller Lite, Huel, and Peloton are featured but are excluded from this summary as per instructions.

Key Points:

• Humorous Polls: The hosts engage in a mock poll about the smell differences between adult and child farts, maintaining the show's entertaining tone.
• Sponsor Promotions: Brief advertisements promote Miller Lite's 50th anniversary, Huel's nutritional drinks, and Peloton's fitness classes, providing listeners with sponsored content seamlessly integrated into the show.

Notable Quote:

Greg Cody [31:15]: "You think I haven't done that? You think that's what heaven is? Gifts?"

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Conclusion

This episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" masterfully blends serious discussions about internal tensions and industry controversies with light-hearted banter and in-depth interviews. The highlight is the engaging conversation with David Sampson, offering listeners insights into his successful career in Hollywood and his perspectives on current sports figures like Jamal Murray. Notable quotes punctuate key moments, providing memorable takeaways and enhancing the episode's overall appeal.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Chris Cody [03:09]: "Zaslow has said he never said what we accused him of saying."
• David Sampson [11:27]: "We showed it with our son probably when he was 14. Is that too?"
• Greg Cody [16:14]: "Mel is the nicest, sweetest man in the world."
• David Sampson [20:40]: "That is an unopened box from 1991 that I have in a special case. I bought it when the Bulls won their first championship."
• Chris Cody [37:35]: "He'll never be an All Star."
• Greg Cody [38:49]: "He’s got more 40 point games than Larry Bird, Charles Barkley..."

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting critical discussions, engaging interviews, and the show's signature blend of humor and insight. It serves as an informative guide for those who haven't listened, ensuring they grasp all pivotal moments and sentiments expressed during the episode.

Transcript

[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan LeBatard]

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[Chris Cody]

Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.

[Dan LeBatard]

Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out especially for one of our great partners.

[Chris Cody]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

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

[Chris Cody]

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[Dan LeBatard]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all.

[Chris Cody]

Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

Cuervo, the tequila that invented tequila. Proximo. Cuevo.com Please drink responsibly.

[Chris Cody]

Cuervo.

[Stugatz]

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast.

[Chris Cody]

It's too bad Jeremy's not here. I don't know why he's not here. I was just gonna go to the Shakira story that he so badly wants to tell anybody, but he's not here, so we're not going to be able to do that. That's unfortunate. Zaslo has created some tensions around here, and what are you shrugging your shoulders about?

[Amin Elhassan]

I mean, is what it is. I'm just living my life.

[Stugatz]

Who's he created tensions with?

[Chris Cody]

Well, you have some stuff with him.

[Stugatz]

I don't have anything.

[Chris Cody]

Okay.

[Stugatz]

I like him.

[Chris Cody]

Okay. That's been alleged. And I would say that Greg Cody has some problems with him. And I would also say that now the audience journalistic beef.

[Greg Cody]

The.

[Chris Cody]

The audience also has some problems with Zaslo because earlier in the show, David Sampson was on with us, and Zaslow said one thing to his face, and I alleged that he had said something about Sampson being a swindler, and Zaslow said we would not be able to find the sound. And then I was a lonely Kentucky frog chicken because nobody believed me. And I have been told we have found a sound. And so now I just want to get the. The nature of the dispute out in front of people. Because Zaslo has said. He never said what we accused him of saying. So, Chris Cody, what is the sound that has been found by our researcher?

[Billy Gil]

We have a sound that is from the end of March.

[Amin Elhassan]

Sound.

[Billy Gil]

We have a sound from the end of March. And you're going to hear the first 35 seconds here and think it's today's show because he goes into the thing of, like, my son impressed that I'm on. I'm telling you, I want to overlap today's show because it's. I didn't believe it was an old show.

[Chris Cody]

He's a radio professional. And you could have heard all of these thoughts on the starting point with Brian Scalabrine and Frank Isola yesterday, because he can do things on repeat. He's a good radio person. He's a rising star at ESPN Radio.

[Greg Cody]

Starting lineup. That's a fine.

[Chris Cody]

What did I say?

[Greg Cody]

You said starting point.

[Billy Gil]

So you're going to hear a 50 second clip here and 45 seconds in. I think we're going to get the quote you want.

[Chris Cody]

All right, well, hold on a second. So what? Let's just make the allegation clear. I am saying that when Zaslow talked with David Sampson, whose company he has enjoyed, it is without David Sampson having the knowledge that Zaslo has called him a swindler in the past. And Zaslo is claiming he's never done that.

[Amin Elhassan]

I think it's true.

[Chris Cody]

Okay, so he's saying it's not in any way true, but when introducing your son to our audience and your son's feelings about David Sampson because of what he's done to the Marlins, you put a framing on it that was positive, as if you've never said anything bad about David Sampson. But what you actually told your son, I think, is that he's a swindler who built the Marlins in Miami for millions.

[Amin Elhassan]

I'm going to ask you, in this clip that you're playing here, am I telling my son why people don't like him, or am I saying why I don't?

[Chris Cody]

Your son's appraisal of David Sampson is that he's a swindler and a liar based on what his father has told him.

[Amin Elhassan]

All right, I'd like to hear this. My son's at an age at 16 where his friends are all on social media and his friends say, hey, look at this clip. It's your dad on the LeBatard show, you know, the other day. And, okay, you know, my son's not that impressed with it, but he then sees he Looks at the comments, you know, and my son said, it goes, I got to tell you, the comments, people. People really liked you. And I go, it's just. It'll even out, all right? Don't worry about that. And then he says, I'll tell you who they don't like. I'm like, oh, okay.

[David Sampson]

Who?

[Amin Elhassan]

He goes, that Samson guy. And that's why I laughed. And he doesn't know who he is, though. I said, you know who David Sampson is. Like, he thinks he's just a personality on your show. And I guess that makes sense if you're 16 and David Sampson hasn't been the president of the Marlins and what, seven years? Like, it makes sense. Like, yeah, he was a president of Marlins. He swindled the city and got the stadium. Like, you know, everybody hates them, they're cheap, whatever. But he.

[Chris Cody]

Those were the Cliff Notes.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, those.

[Dan LeBatard]

I mean, that's it.

[Amin Elhassan]

That's what you lead with, right?

[Billy Gil]

$2 billion for you.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah. So he has been introduced to David. You know, they don't like that Samson.

[Chris Cody]

He swindled the city.

[Amin Elhassan]

So again, that's not me saying that. That's why people don't like him, because they believe he swindled the city.

[Billy Gil]

You said it.

[Amin Elhassan]

I'm giving him the reason why people don't like him. I don't believe that.

[Greg Cody]

Zaz is just the messenger. Why are you guys blaming the messenger?

[Amin Elhassan]

Why do they hate him? Well, because they think this. That doesn't mean I think it.

[Greg Cody]

He didn't say it because he swindled the city. He said it's because they think he swindled the city. Yeah, I'm with Daz here. What's this witch hunt we're doing?

[Chris Cody]

The Boost Mobile phone line is a subject of great ridicule by me. It has slightly. Slightly improved. It is still not yet good. Let's.

[Greg Cody]

Before we even play this. You are so off base on this.

[Billy Gil]

So wrong.

[Greg Cody]

You are so. You allowed wrong on this dance. They're good, man. They're good and they're getting better.

[Billy Gil]

The Boost Mobile boldest take from the weekend is presented by Boost Mobile, the newest 5G network in the country.

[Caller]

Josh on the payphone. A long sleeve shirt with shorts is a much better combination than a short sleeve shirt with pants. I'll hang up and listen. Keith from New York, long time, first time. Sharp cheddar tastes better at the end than it does at the front of the bite. Second half, cheese.

[Chris Cody]

Hey, guys.

[Caller]

Dennis from Charlotte, real simple. Sean Payton is one unsized kick away from being Jeff Fisher. I'll hang up and listen.

[Greg Cody]

This is Alex from Cleveland. Best place to fart in public.

[Chris Cody]

Disney World by far.

[Caller]

Hey, this is Ben on a bicycle phone. You know, they say when people are hesitating, they hem and haw. Can you hem without hawing? Can you haw without hemming? I'll hang up and listen.

[Dan LeBatard]

Hey, this is Tate from Nashville.

[Caller]

In honor of the draft, I've got a limit. Fake Sean Connery scouting Travis Hutter.

[Roy Bellamy]

He's playing both sides.

[David Sampson]

Hey, this is Steve in Pittsburgh.

[Chris Cody]

My boldest take is that a spoon.

[David Sampson]

And a knife are the only utensils that you need. A spoon can do everything that a fork can, but a fork can't do.

[Chris Cody]

Anything the spoon can.

[Caller]

Thanks.

[Chris Cody]

I'll hang up and Listen.

[Caller]

This is AJ from Indianapolis, and this is my limited fake, Dan LeBatard.

[Greg Cody]

No, no.

[Amin Elhassan]

I can't believe you took Duncan over Hibbert.

[Chris Cody]

That's a good badge.

[Billy Gil]

I'm telling you.

[Greg Cody]

I'm telling you, Dan, you've been trying to hate on this thing.

[Chris Cody]

That's a good badge.

[Billy Gil]

Forks are overrated.

[Dan LeBatard]

The sharp cheddar guy, he's onto something.

[Greg Cody]

First of all, to the spoon versus fork gut. That's my dad. My dad is like, why do you need a fork everything? He just spoons all the time. I'm like, I want a fork.

[Billy Gil]

Maybe pancakes you need a fork for. But like most things, you can get away with a spoon. Pasta.

[Chris Cody]

Put it on the poll at LeBatard show. Can you get away with never using a fork your entire life?

[Greg Cody]

Best place to fart is Disneyland or Disney World. Because of Disney, Chris.

[Billy Gil]

Airplane.

[Greg Cody]

No, no, no.

[Chris Cody]

That's the worst.

[Greg Cody]

What a monster.

[Billy Gil]

No one here. Like, you can go for days. No one hears.

[Chris Cody]

Oh.

[Greg Cody]

The point is, you do it at Disney.

[Chris Cody]

Lurk in a tube, stuck with people.

[Billy Gil]

Everyone loves their own brand, but what.

[Greg Cody]

About everyone else's brand?

[Billy Gil]

I like to see the look of other people like. And then you give them a look like, I smell, too.

[Greg Cody]

Chris, you do it at Disneyland when you're in line. Because no one will blame an adult. We'll just assume it's one of these little turds here.

[Billy Gil]

That's true.

[Chris Cody]

A lot of kids, I think there's a difference. That you can smell the difference. Do I have this wrong between adult farts and child farts? Do I have this wrong?

[Stugatz]

Yes, you do.

[Greg Cody]

I need to introduce you to my children.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, I'd really rather not be.

[Stugatz]

Dude, children are so foul. It's disgusting.

[Greg Cody]

I don't want to take it to toilet humor, but my child clogged the toilet so bad. When I looked inside, I thought it was an alligator. I thought it was the snout of an alligator coming out. I was like, how?

[Amin Elhassan]

There's no way you actually thought it.

[Billy Gil]

Was an alligator, dude.

[Greg Cody]

I'm telling you, the shape and the size, the sheer size it was. That was not like. That was not a log. That was something.

[Billy Gil]

Thought of texting Ron.

[Greg Cody]

Absolutely. I pulled my phone out.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, I think Chris is right. I want to know for how long you thought of it. You thought to yourself, is this an alligator?

[Greg Cody]

I walked in.

[Chris Cody]

Whoa.

[Greg Cody]

I said, what's going on? I was like, oh, toilet won't flush. I'm like, what's wrong? And I looked inside, and I saw, like, kind of like the snout, you know, like in the movies that come out the water like this. That's what I saw staring back at me. And then I looked at you like, oh, no, no.

[Chris Cody]

David Stossen joins us now. I can't imagine how he's been absorbing this. Okay, this is one of Hollywood's great showrunners. You've got. You've got two movies on his resume that Zaslow loves. Two of them. Central Intelligence and Blockers. The Mindy Project is wildly popular, and he's now got a series on NetFL. What are you laughing about, Billy?

[Stugatz]

Well, which one surprised you there? Was it Central Intelligence or Blockers? Because you seem surprised when we said, like, two of your movies.

[Chris Cody]

No, I. Yeah, he did seem surprised that Zaslo was such a big fan of both of those movies. Why were you surprised? And what did you make of the conversation that you walked in on where one of Amin's children had clogged a toilet so badly that, I mean, his father thought it was an alligator in the toilet?

[David Sampson]

Yeah, I mean, that's the classic comedians worst nightmares that come in after a great bit, and I feel like I came in after an amazing story. Yeah, well done. Well done. No, you know, as a writer, I'm just surprised anyone ever knows anything about me, so I was just cool to hear those movies.

[Chris Cody]

I worked on Zazzle. You want to tell the man I am more interested in the gutter parts of your story that involve working on the Jim Rome show and Pardon the Interruption.

[David Sampson]

Oh, yeah.

[Chris Cody]

But Zaslow has questions about your actual success.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, I love those movies so much. So let's start with blockers, though. Blockers. It's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, but it is filthy raunchy. So what is. What Is in. What's the age where you should not be watching with your teenagers?

[Chris Cody]

He's got two sons. How old are your sons?

[Amin Elhassan]

16 and 13. And my wife and I, who love this movie, we showed it. We watched it with our son probably when he was 14. Is that too.

[Chris Cody]

I think you're good.

[David Sampson]

I think you're good at 14. I was gonna say 13 would be. I think the. The youngest. I would go now, when I was a kid, I mean, you know, my parents, I was watching, like, you know, the Predator and Commander when I was, like, 7 years old. So I was seeing people's guts being torn out of their bodies. But now I think we're all more careful. I think 13 for blockers is good.

[Greg Cody]

I got a quick question for you. My whole life, I've thought the movie was called Blockers. Is it unofficially Blockers, but because of, like, censorship, we got to call it Blockers? Or is it Blockers? And you guys are always just doing a wink, wink thing.

[David Sampson]

It was. The original title was Blockers, and. Yeah, and then I think they change it to, like. Then they. They workshopped a few titles before I came on board. I think, like, Roosters might have been one of them. And we were on set kind of. We're like, no, there's no way it can be roosters. What? Like, the. The tagline is going to be like, cock a little do. So then they just went with Blockers, and it worked out because, you know, everyone on this. On this session here has found the movie.

[Chris Cody]

Do you want to talk to him about Central Intelligence? I imagine the Mindy Project is the thing that you've done that's gotten the most critical acclaim.

[David Sampson]

Yeah, it's definitely up there. It's beloved. And it's one of those things where, you know, once it gets on Netflix, it has a second and third life and, you know, younger people start to find it. And Running Point, which just came out a couple months ago, has been most recently, just because it's first run on Netflix, Just the reach is incredible. And I've never had more people reach out to me about anything than the Running Point.

[Amin Elhassan]

When. When you wrote or, you know, co wrote Central Intelligence, do you have the Rock and Kevin Hart in mind for those roles while you're writing it?

[David Sampson]

We wrote it, actually. It took seven or eight years to get made. So when we wrote it, we were picturing the. It was. We kept pitching it as fat Jason Bourne. And we are obsessed. Ike and I are obsessed with Danny McBride. So we were always picturing it was Like Ed helms and Danny McBride. And then the movie was bought and sold to another studio. And we took about three other jobs in between and stopped caring about it and thought it would never get made. And then we had lunch with. With Ross and Thurber, the director of it, and he was like, I'm going to get the Rock and Kevin Hart attached. And we were like, all right, well, good luck with that. And he did it.

[Amin Elhassan]

What was Rock like working with on a comedy?

[David Sampson]

Super nice guy. You know, I was only on set a little bit. I was. I actually have a little cameo in the movie. I'm at the high school reunion at the very end of the movie. And I was. I was on set that day. But the Rock, that's his nude scene. That's where he strips down on stage. And you know how those guys are. Like, he had. I don't think he'd had water in, like, a week. He had not eaten. And he had a long. He had a long speech in that moment. So he was very nice. Like, you know, they introduced me as the writer of the movie, but he also was locked into being nude and having to make a long speech in front of a high school gym of 400 people.

[Chris Cody]

You're being nice and you're being. This is a very kind story, the way that he's telling it. There's no way under that circumstance that the Rock wanted to talk to you or wanted you anywhere near him. And so he was nice under the circumstances, but you. He would have wanted to tell you to bleep off.

[David Sampson]

Yeah, exactly. That's how nice of a guy he is. He was probably going through some sort of, like, low blood sugar, like, you know, chemical withdrawal, memorizing a page of dialogue, and had to meet some, like, guy. They flew in from LA for one line in the movie. Oh, my God. I'm sorry. Oh, no, you're good.

[Chris Cody]

Oh, scandalous, though. One of the writers for Blockers has said a word that we don't like around here. So sorry.

[Stugatz]

How is the rocks package?

[Chris Cody]

There it is.

[David Sampson]

You know, we should all see his next movie. We'll get another view of it.

[Stugatz]

Really?

[Chris Cody]

Chris, can you get the timing right on Wild Willie Wednesdays? It's never been more appropriate. The Wild Willie question, please put it in every Wednesday.

[Greg Cody]

David. I grew up in a household where Mel Brooks was a staple. I had watched all the movies, among them History of the World Part 1. You were the showrunner for History of the World Part 2, which is on Hulu. My question to you is a How did that come about for you? And B, was there any point where you were like, holy, I gotta do this Mel Brooks thing? And that's a lot of pressure, right?

[David Sampson]

Yeah, it was a lot of pressure. It's still surreal to think that I got to work with Mel Brooks like you. I grew up, I call him my first babysitter. You know, my parents would go out or have people over and it was just a couple of VHS tapes, you know, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, History of the World. So there was some pressure, but Mel is the nicest, sweetest man in the world. When we first met with him, he said, I'm only doing the show for the health insurance. And I was like, okay, this guy's 95 years old, he's still got it. And Nick Kroll had met with Mel and, and talked about this idea. And so Nick then brought, Nick wanted some comedy partners on it to help, help write the show. And he brought, he brought Ike and me aboard to do it. And that was still, still a dream come true.

[Stugatz]

How was Mel's package?

[David Sampson]

Mel, I mean, you know, you know, he's packing.

[Chris Cody]

I didn't know, but I'm glad we were able to confirm it. Confirmed.

[Greg Cody]

Whoa.

[Chris Cody]

I wanted to ask him. Thank you. I was asking him about, I wanted to ask him about Running Point, as he mentioned, because it's Jeanie Buss, it's Kate Hudson. The Lakers story continues to be mined for gold everywhere. And I was curious about how some of this got made. Jeannie Buss is forthcoming with all parts of her story here. How much of this is fictionalized and how much to you feels like it's just Jeanie Buss turned up to 10.

[David Sampson]

Well, we're definitely using her kind of life story as inspiration, but we wanted, we wanted to make it not like Winning time, which winning time is great, but we weren't doing, you know, a biography. And Mindy and Ike and me are all just comedy writers first and much, you know, lean much more towards 30 Rock or arrested Development or Righteous Gemstones than capturing the exact history of something. So it's a loose representation of what the Buss family is. But really we've created this world and these characters and this made up team. So we've been able to do it our own way. And Bagini is super open. I mean, she tells us stories and we try and, you know, tweak them to make them funny and make them our own. But she and Linda Rambis, who's also a producer on the show, they are just incredible partners.

[Chris Cody]

Can you help me understand Jeanie Buss. I don't know what her relationship is or was with Jay Moore or with comedy. I believe she's got a special relationship with specifically comedy, does she not?

[David Sampson]

Yeah, she loves comedy. She. She loves stand up. She is married to Jay Moore. That's the relationship I know of. And, yeah, she and Linda, because they're. I think they work in this pressure cooker. All they do when they're free is watch comedies they've seen every half hour comedy that's come out in the last 20 years. They're just huge comedy fans. And that's why they always felt like, oh, we're two women running an NBA team. Our lives are crazy. It'd be a funny TV show.

[Dan LeBatard]

Was Chet Hanks the number one get. Were you like, all right, we're gonna go for Chet Hanks, and if he doesn't show up, we're screwed.

[David Sampson]

Chet. Yeah. Chet was brought to us by our casting director, Kim Coleman. And it was just. It was. Yeah, it was perfect. It was right away, it was like, it's gotta be Chet. He said, this part was literally written for me. If I don't get it, I should kill myself. And so we kind of had to give it to him.

[Chris Cody]

I hope that seems dramatic. It's the first season of Running Point. It is streaming now on Netflix, which is in more disarray, weirdness, and general uncertainty right now. Hollywood, the sports media, or your Chicago Bulls? Ooh.

[David Sampson]

Oh, man. I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say Hollywood, The Bulls have a couple pieces. I would give almost all of them up for Giannis and. Yeah, all of them.

[Chris Cody]

You'd give all of them up for Giannis? Not almost all of them. You'd give all of them.

[David Sampson]

Fair enough. But then we're just the Bucks.

[Chris Cody]

That wouldn't be a bad thing to be if you were properly.

[Greg Cody]

You're the Bulls, right?

[Chris Cody]

Hold on. Congratulations. You're the Bulls.

[Greg Cody]

Being the Bucks is like a dream come true.

[David Sampson]

True. I would take Giannis for the whole squad.

[Amin Elhassan]

Is the cereal still in the Wheaties box above your left shoulder?

[David Sampson]

That is an unopened box from 1991 that I have in a special case. I bought it when the Bulls won their first championship. And, yeah, there are. There are unopened Wheaties in there.

[Greg Cody]

I'm sorry, David, what year was that from? You said 1991. 1991. That's a collectible. That's a fan. Zaz. Our good friend Jonathan Zazel wants to bring in his most prized possessions. He brings us T shirts from like 2019. I'm like, these are not collectibles. They're just T shirts in the rotation.

[David Sampson]

You can't see it, but I also have a 92 Dream Team Jordan autograph jersey.

[Greg Cody]

92.

[Chris Cody]

Is there any way, I don't know how much you value. How much do you value that Wheaties box? Like, what would we have to do in order to get you to try and eat a piece of 30 year old cereal?

[David Sampson]

Oh, I think I need a producer credit going forward on the show.

[Greg Cody]

We give those out like you do here.

[Chris Cody]

Such an easy negotiation. It seems like we are now in a negotiation that will make you eat from that box right now. At the end of today's show, you will get a producer credit.

[David Sampson]

Well, I think I need an. Well, my. This is why I have an agent, because I'm.

[Chris Cody]

This is this.

[Billy Gil]

We almost had him.

[Chris Cody]

No, we did have. No, that should be orally binding. And now he's backing out. What do you mean we almost had him? We. We did have him. And then he realized, wait, they let all the producers talk around here? It doesn't mean anything. Yeah, that's what he realized. Can we talk for a moment before you go about your PTI sports radio Jim Rome days?

[David Sampson]

Yeah, absolutely. I was finishing grad school in LA for screenwriting and got a letter in the mail that I owed money for student loans. And I said, oh, crap, like I need to. I need a job. And the great Eric Reidholm hired me all the way across the country to be a PA on PTI and I moved to D.C. and worked on PTI and around the horn for a couple of years. And it was the most fun I've ever had. It was like working in a sports bar with, you know, Tony and Wilbond just swearing all morning as they kind of like molded their arguments in the newsroom. And I wanted to get back to screenwriting, so moved back to L. A and Eric hooked me up with producer at Jim Romans Burning. And I did that in the mornings while I continued to write in the afternoons until. Until we sold Central Intelligence, actually.

[Amin Elhassan]

Were you ever scared of Tony, you know, early on?

[David Sampson]

Because I was a very, you know, young, poor guy living in D.C. they'd bring in a catering before the show every day and I would always grab a sandwich and shove it in my bag as I left. And they did come up to me one day and just so, you know, let Tony pick his sandwich first before you put it in your back, put one in your backpack. And so, yeah, Tony, Tony was A little more Intimid will buy Willbound's from Chicago. He used to get me Bulls tickets when they're playing the Wizards. And we both went to Northwestern. Tony. Yeah, Tony was a little more. A little more intimidating.

[Chris Cody]

The Jim Rome experience different than that, right? It's a little. It's not quite as. I wouldn't imagine the community is locked in arms, laughing and singing toward the sky there.

[David Sampson]

No, there's definitely more of a separation of church and state. We would. We would stick in our editing dungeon and work on the clips and never see the light of day.

[Chris Cody]

Were you allowed to look him in the eye?

[David Sampson]

Yeah, yeah, I was. I didn't do it too often, but yeah.

[Chris Cody]

Were you allowed to call him Jim?

[David Sampson]

I don't think I ever called him Jim.

[Chris Cody]

Mr. Rome.

[David Sampson]

Mr. Rome, sir.

[Chris Cody]

So you were scared of him?

[David Sampson]

Well, he was an intense guy. He takes his job very seriously. Look, what am I going to say?

[Chris Cody]

I'm not you. Did I put you in a bad spot there? No, I'm the only. The only reason I'm laughing is because knowing the two environments and knowing how much I love the environment backstage at Pardon the Interruption, I can see how a communal show would be much different than writing for one person who's doing one show as one voice. Those are. Those are very different projects. And so I put you in a bad spot, but I did it on purpose.

[David Sampson]

Yeah, no worries. We still actually had fun on Jim Rome. It was still a great group of people, you know, in our little. In our little hole.

[Chris Cody]

Do you miss anything about the sports beginnings?

[David Sampson]

No. I mean, I loved it. You know, I feel like I. I kind of burned out on sports because it was so full time, and now I can watch it more as a cad. Like also having the Bulls won all their titles. I don't really care what happens anymore. I'm a Bulls fan, but I can enjoy all NBA now.

[Chris Cody]

Wow, what a great position. Did you hear that? Position as a sports fan? To win so much that I no longer care about sports because I've had my fill. I've moved on to other things.

[Greg Cody]

He's got a 93 box of wheaties or 91 box of wheaties behind him. What more do you want?

[Chris Cody]

Nothing again will feel that good.

[Greg Cody]

It can't.

[David Sampson]

Exactly. Yeah, yeah, it was incredible. It was the best ever. It was probably like living in New York in 1922 when Babe Ruth was hitting homers and, you know, nothing will be better. So I can just enjoy the NBA now, you know, every game.

[Chris Cody]

David, thank you. We appreciate the time. I do recommend Running Point, the new comedy series on Netflix. These folks do nothing but good work, so I would recommend it to you strongly. Thank you.

[David Sampson]

Thank you, guys. Really fun.

[Greg Cody]

Next time we'll talk about the Oath.

[Chris Cody]

Yes. Thank you for being quite the endorsement.

[Billy Gil]

On that at the end.

[Chris Cody]

Yes. Yeah, you got a thumbs up.

[Dan LeBatard]

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 Light. 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.

[Roy Bellamy]

Hey, it's Roy. And at the ripe old age of 40, I'm gearing up to learn how to play hockey. I emphasize ripe old age of 40 because I'm not as young as I used to be. I'm tired all the time, haven't been working out as much. So I'm going to need to build muscle and have the energy to accomplish this goal. What's going to help is this drink that I've been enjoying lately called Huel. It tastes great and has been helping me while exercising. You'll enjoy it too. New customers. Visit Huell.com DanToday and use my code DAN to get 15% off your first order plus a free gift. The Huell Black Edition Ready to Drink is high in protein with 35 grams. It's low in sugar, and it has 27 vitamins and minerals to help build the rest of your body. It's better and cheaper than any cup of coffee. Don't feel like cooking? Grab a bottle of Hue. It tastes great, so you'll definitely love it. Be a new customer today and visit huel.com dan use code D A N and you'll get 15% off your first order plus a free gift.

[Dan LeBatard]

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 watched 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 emo playlist. Find your push, find your power with Peloton. @1peloton.com Don LeBatard, you're getting started on the breakfast flan.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, man. I've been singing a song to myself all morning long. Breakfast Fl?

[Chris Cody]

Stets.

[Greg Cody]

Have you never heard the breakfast fl?

[Dan LeBatard]

Hit me with it.

[Greg Cody]

Okay. I wish I had some breakfast fl. Where can I find a breakfast like that?

[Stugatz]

This is the d? Ler show with the st. G.

[Chris Cody]

The conversation he walked in on of Amin and his child clogging a toilet that began with not to go too deep into the woods on toilet humor here that then became a alligator.

[Billy Gil]

I believe the first thing he heard was can you smell the difference between an adult and a child?

[Chris Cody]

I still would put that on the poll at Lebiton show. Is there a difference in the smell?

[Stugatz]

You have to smell. I would children waste Dan like it is so foul.

[Chris Cody]

Not saying. I'm not saying waste. I'm saying the farts of children versus the farts of adults. Is there a scent difference that would make you in a Disney world line be able to accuse a six year old instead of his lumberjack of a 340 pound father with the turkey Leg in his.

[Stugatz]

But do you think, like. Like, you grow up and you got a smelly bone, and the kid's smelly bone just hasn't come in?

[Billy Gil]

I think that farts.

[David Sampson]

A fart.

[Billy Gil]

I think a kid's fart either smells like the mom or the dad.

[Greg Cody]

Absolutely not.

[Chris Cody]

My wife.

[Billy Gil]

My. My wife has said that my daughter's farts smell like my farts.

[Stugatz]

I could see that. Actually, like, genetic fart smell.

[Greg Cody]

Dude, you've just been given the gift from heaven.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

Anytime you're around your kid.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

Like, yeah, it was her, man. I didn't do it.

[David Sampson]

Come on.

[Billy Gil]

You think I haven't done that?

[Chris Cody]

You think that's what heaven is? Gifts?

[Billy Gil]

The biggest dad move there is is you fart and you go, graceland, why'd you fart? You guys don't do this.

[Greg Cody]

No, the biggest dad move is. What was that sound? You do that like. Hey, did you guys hear that?

[Chris Cody]

Billy. I would like tomorrow on the show or next Wild Willie Wednesday to put adult poop, baby poop, and dog poop in front of you, and you pick which is Pepsi Challenge. Blindfolded. Yes.

[Stugatz]

Okay.

[Chris Cody]

No, blindfolded.

[Roy Bellamy]

Have baby poop if you want.

[Chris Cody]

That's too bad. Wild. Wild Willie Wednesday needs to be wilder.

[Greg Cody]

I can provide the human poop, the adult poop.

[Stugatz]

You live in Arizona.

[Greg Cody]

I do.

[Stugatz]

There are no alligators or crocodiles that are native to Arizona. So do you think this one was, like, on a long journey to your toilet?

[Greg Cody]

Hey, man, the pipes. It's all pipes.

[Stugatz]

Do you think that some, like, from somewhere, an alligator just crawled in pipes.

[Chris Cody]

And made all the way to your home in Arizona? It happens in South Florida with snakes. Iguanas. Like, these are things that are.

[Stugatz]

Frogs are like. Are in Florida. There are no crocodiles and alligators in Arizona.

[Greg Cody]

I think you're missing the point. It's all pipes. It's all connected.

[Chris Cody]

But they're not pipes big enough for alligators.

[Stugatz]

You'd be surprised, dude. See, videos like, Komodo dragons come out of toilets. Like, it's crazy what can fit in pipes.

[Greg Cody]

Maybe it was a Komodo dragon.

[Stugatz]

Maybe.

[Chris Cody]

I mean, I wanted to ask you about where it is that we are placing Jamal Murray on the pantheon of performers. When I've been telling you here, and it's a tricky thing to trust James Harden. And it's a trickier thing to trust the Clippers. I've been telling you that I believe that team for two seasons now is championship good, if healthy. They run into the best player in the league. When James Harden was asked recently who should win the mvp, he said, we, we'd all like Shai Gilgeous Alexander to win. But of course Jokic is the best player. He's obviously the best player. Last night, Jokic again controls a basketball game in a way that is super strange and allows us and allows Jamal Murray to enjoy the heightened excellence of what it gets to be. When you're the number two guy who doesn't ever have the number one guy responsibilities and you can occasionally put up the 36 because he's going for a triple double 13 points and you don't. And that's the day they decide he's just going to pass the ball and allow Jamal Murray to be a player that generally he's not. I mean, he is not. I don't believe that Jamal Murray without Jokic would be putting up a great many 40 point games. I believe he's afforded what he's. And, and not that. How many 40 point games did Jamal Murray put up in his career? Is it five? You'd say?

[Greg Cody]

What would you guess?

[Chris Cody]

Just all total? I would say that if he's done that, he may have done it more than five times, but I don't think of him as a player in game five. Even if someone who saw him in the bubble and says that first round playoff series of Jamal and Jokic playing together is the best basketball I've ever seen him playing against Donovan, Mitchell and Utah because it was that unstoppable. Those two guys was that unstoppable.

[Greg Cody]

Jamal Murray has six games of 40 plus points in the playoffs alone.

[Chris Cody]

Okay. And. But for his career, I bet you it's not a ton more than that. Like, I, I'm, I'm going to guess, I'm, I'm going to guess that this guy is putting up something that would resemble Jimmy Butler if, if Jimmy Butler didn't exist in terms of what he does in the postseason versus what he's doing in the regular season and what that buys you in reputation when the next two games. Nobody trusts James Harden in the next two games. Like there is nobody listening to this. Nobody who will say that I trust that James Harden in these next two games isn't going to put up what he just put up there when they needed him to do something.

[Billy Gil]

He also has six 40 plus point.

[Chris Cody]

Games in his regular season career.

[Billy Gil]

So there is a stark difference between.

[Chris Cody]

The efficiency on that and the playoffs.

[David Sampson]

In the regular season.

[Greg Cody]

I think first of all, this goes back to what Jeremy was talking about earlier, about the, the need for consistency and not making rash decisions. Murray and Jokic have something special. Like, that's not just, oh, because he plays with a great player.

[Chris Cody]

That's Stockton, Malone.

[Greg Cody]

Yes, they are Stockton and Malone. They are Nash and Stoudemire. They have a symmetry and a symbiosis that I think elevates both of them. Obviously, Jokic is a great player. He'd be a great player without Murray, but I think he's a greater player with Murray. They play off of one another so well at this point. Much of these aren't even play calls. It's just telepathy almost, right? And you can throw in Aaron Gordon there as a third. It's like an unconventional Big Three. They're not stars on their own, right, the other two, but together they are the formation of something incredibly special and symbiotic. We talk about, where are we going to regard Jamal Murray? I said this the year they won the title. Someone was like, he could be an All Star. I'm like, he'll never be an All Star. I said, how could you say that? I said, because look at the Western Conference. Look at who the guards are in the Western Conference. He's always going to be not quite good enough to be regarded as one of the best. But there's a long list of guys, whether it's Monta Ellis, whether it's Jamal Crawford, Lou Williams, Eddie Johnson.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's better than all those guys, though.

[Greg Cody]

No, I think. I don't know. I think he's. I think all those guys were really, really, really, really good players, but they didn't get the opportunity to play alongside for a long period of time with one of the best ever and create that chemistry. Like, if those guys played with great players, it was always fleeting. It was always like, oh, for a year or two, I played over here in Indiana with Reggie Miller, where I played a year or two over here with Chris Paul. But you never got that. Hey, the bulk of my career is being built building, not just playing and benefiting, but building something that is so strong you can't recreate it or replicate it in, like, a season or two.

[Chris Cody]

You believe, though, that there is a lot of comps for guy who will score 40 points in six playoff games, is a champion and is not an All Star.

[Greg Cody]

Not an All Star makes it harder for sure. Again, the names that I just dropped are probably the guys.

[Chris Cody]

But I'm saying that if I just give you Jamal Murray statistics and I just show you things being done in important moments on the way to important victories, Right.

[Greg Cody]

No, I mean, look like that's, that's.

[Chris Cody]

A player that's remembered for all time. If you put up six 40 point games in the playoffs, he absolutely.

[Greg Cody]

He's made a name for himself. He is. Him and Brunson go back and forth on who is the leader. Biggest differential between my career points per game average during regular season and career in the playoffs. And even that, when you say that Brunson has kind of a sneaky advantage that helps his number in that way because Brunson started his career as a guy, second round pick, wasn't even supposed to play and he would come in, in spot duty and stuff. And so his regular season numbers are kind of depressed from his time in Dallas. Whereas Jamal Murray was a lottery pick and really got the playing time from the beginning. So his jump is actually a more representative, like. No, he's actually doing way more. But Dan, when you put all those parameters, obviously it gets really hard. You're saying guy who's never been all Star, guy who has this jump in scoring and you add in champion, now you've really narrowed it down. We don't typically see a lot of those.

[Chris Cody]

I think that off of the games yesterday, you're going to have some difficulty finding something that's harder to talk about than the placement of Jamal Murray. Given that from Statmuse, he Now has more 40 point playoff games than Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Kawhi Ant, Mitchell, Jokic, Dan. Yeah, Carmelo Dame, McGrady, Magic, Trey, Oscar Robertson, Paul Pierce, Carl Malone, Jason Tatum.

[Greg Cody]

So Dan, I'm looking at the list right here and when I tell you every guy on the list ahead of him is either a Hall of Famer right now or is going to be a Hall of Famer. I think like Devin Booker might be the one where it's like, okay, that's on the cusp. But everyone else on this list, we're talking Steph Curry, we're talking about Rick Barry, we're talking about Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Bernard King, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Kevin Durant, Jerry West, LeBron, Michael Jordan. These are the names. These are the names. Shaq is on that list. Iverson's on that list. Kareem, like I said, the in question. And I think these guys are going to be hall of Famers eventually. Devin Booker, Jimmy Butler, and there was one. And Jalen Brunson. Those are the questionable names on that list. Everyone else on the list ahead of him is either a Hall of Famer right now. Or is a surefire hall of Famer.

[Chris Cody]

And he'll never be an All Star.

[Greg Cody]

He'll never be an All Star.

[Chris Cody]

I can't believe that my father saw Mickey Harrison leaving the arena in a wig, sunglasses, and a mustache like a ball of wax.

[Dan LeBatard]

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 dugouts. 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 for 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.

[Roy Bellamy]

Hey, it's Roy. And at the ripe old age of 40, I'm gearing up to learn how to play hockey. I emphasize ripe old age of 40 because I'm not as young as I used to be. I'm tired all the time, haven't been working out as much. So I'm going to need to build muscle and have the energy to accomplish this goal. What's going to help is this drink that I've been enjoying lately called Huel. It tastes great and has been helping me while exercising. You'll enjoy it, too. New customers. Visit Huell.com DanToday and use my code DAN to get 15% off your first order plus a free gift. The Huel Black Edition Ready to Drink is high in protein with 35 grams. It's low in sugar, and it has 27 vitamins and minerals to help build the rest of your body. It's better and cheaper than any cup of coffee. Don't feel like cooking, Grab a bottle of Huel. It tastes great. So you. You'll definitely love it. Be a new customer today and visit hu.comdan use code D A N and you'll get 15% off your first order plus a free gift.