Hour 2: The Mascot Mafia (feat. David Samson)

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: The Mascot Mafia (feat. David Samson)
Date: April 7, 2026
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Main Theme:
This episode explores the wild world of sports mascots—the business, personalities, “mascot mafia” structures, and economics behind the costumes. The conversation is spiced with personal stories, a lively salary-guessing game, reflections on sports media, college basketball, and even a moving detour into space exploration. David Samson (ex-Marlins president) is the featured guest, offering insight into the business side of mascots and sports at large.

---

1. Mascot Showdowns & Iconic Moments

[01:41 - 04:16]

• Staring Contest: Benny the Bull vs. Dillon Brooks
  • The group kicks off with the “story of the weekend”: a staredown between NBA villain Dillon Brooks and Benny the Bull, the Chicago Bulls mascot.
    Tony Reali: “Benny the Bull… face never changing, is able to do a staredown with Dillon Brooks, one of the most villainous players in the history of the NBA.” [02:21]
  • Discussion of the mechanics of mascot vision: “Does Benny the Bull see through the eyes or the snout?” [02:45]
    Tony Reali: “No, that’s gotta be the snout, right?”
• Remembering Mascot Mayhem
  • Robin Lopez (“our goat of mascot interactions”) and the infamous moment when Conor McGregor punched Miami Heat mascot, Burnie.
  • Mike: “Barkley was good with [mascots] too, beat them up.” [03:26]
  • Lawsuits, chaos, and why mascots “make everything better.”

---

2. Inside the Mascot Business: Grievances, Unions & Salaries

[03:40 – 13:03]

A. The Business of Mascot-ing

• David Samson’s Experience:
  • Samson recalls getting “a bad rap” for firing the Marlins mascot performer who thought he was the star, not the suit: David Samson: “My interaction was just that I got such a bad rap for firing the guy inside the mascot, for somehow him thinking that he was the story and not the mascot.” [03:56]
  • On the tough job inside the suit: Samson: “It’s hot, you’re grumpy, you have to pretend that you’re okay dealing with all the fans and the kids and the pictures and the crap.” [04:16]
  • Discussion about mascots’ pay, side gigs, and outside appearances.
    • The conflict between the Marlins and John Ruth (original Billy the Marlin) over pay and side hustles: Samson: “We were not going to pay John what he wanted to get paid. And we were not going to in any way allow him to take outside appearances and make that money without giving us at least more than 50%.” [05:43]

B. Mascot Mafia & Local Monopolies

• The Atlanta Example:
  • Zas: “He [the Atlanta Hawks mascot] runs an entire mafia of mascots. He’s got the Chick Fil A mascot. He’s got this, he’s got that. So he runs an entire mafia of mascots.” [04:50]
  • Top-earner: Rocky the Mountain Lion (Denver Nuggets): $625K a year for his acrobatics.
    • Samson reacts: “What?” [05:07]

C. The Mascot Salary Game

[10:10 – 13:03]

• Zas quizzes the group, with Samson failing hilariously at estimating mascot salaries.
  • Phoenix Gorilla: Samson guesses $450K—real answer: $200K.
    Mike: “It’s [an] incredible amount of money to be the Gorilla.” [10:32]
  • Philly Phanatic, Gritty, Benny the Bull, Harry the Hawk—all discussed with actual earnings.
  • Harry the Hawk: “Outside of his deal with the Hawks, makes $600 grand a year because again, he’s got the monopoly on all [mascot gigs in Atlanta].” [12:33]
  • Joey (on Harry the Hawk): “We got to talk to this guy because this guy’s a mafioso. He’s a mafioso of the mascot kingdom.” [12:42]

---

3. The Value (and Soul) of Mascots: The Interchangeability Debate

[07:29 – 08:10]

• Philosophical Hot Take:
  • Tony Reali: “Is this offensive to you, Roy? Is it offensive to you that David Samson would take the business position of the mascot doesn’t have a soul. The mascot is interchangeable.”
  • Dan Le Batard (mock outraged): “It is offensive. It absolutely is, Roy, that you do that, David.” [07:43]
  • Samson (matter-of-fact): “I’m sorry to tell you this, Roy, but everybody’s looking to replace everyone with someone younger and cheaper.” [07:49]
  • Banter on whether mascots’ personalities are “the suit” or “the human.”

---

4. Catchphrases, Collusion, and David Samson’s Media Persona

[16:31 – 20:13]

• Catchphrase Makeover for David Samson:

  • Tony Reali wants a new indignant catchphrase to replace “Give me a break.”
    • David Samson (sheepish): “What about horse hockey?” [17:14]
    • Tony Reali: “That’s not great.”
    • Tony’s analysis: “There are any number of things you take no greater delight, it seems to me, than calling bullshit on something that the rest of the sports media isn’t noticing is bullshit. So to me, that is your gymnast’s routine of your greatest move.” [18:38]

• The Real “Mascot Collusion”

  • Samson clarifies he wasn’t talking about athlete or owner collusion, but actual collusion among mascot performers at events—setting appearance rates and collectivizing: Samson: “You have to make sure that there’s not some sort of sewing circle about, wait, what are you getting paid? What’s your rate for a birthday party Sunday at noon? There is major mascot collusion that goes on.” [20:13]

---

5. Sports Business, Salaries, and the Media

[20:13 – 22:14]

• Samson on Sports Business Coverage:
  • “Sports business is having a moment because people are more interested than ever, and not just in the salaries of players… now people want to understand what’s going on in sports media… behind the scenes.”
  • On mascot pay versus public officials, challenging comparisons to, e.g., governor’s salaries.

---

6. Baseball Old School Retaliation & The Purpose Pitch

[24:22 – 27:54]

• Samson explains the traditional baseball “eye for an eye” retaliation protocol: Samson: “Old school baseball was all about, if you hit one of our guys, we’re going to hit one of your guys. Every time you saw a batter get hit, that came from the front office or from the dugout, but it was planned before the game.” [24:29]
• Tony Reali challenges, asking if every hit-by-pitch is really intentional; the conversation lands on the nuances of control, intent, and “effectively wild” pitchers.
• Samson: “You can tell when someone’s getting hit on purpose. A mistake with the bases loaded… that’s not planned.”

---

7. College Basketball vs. NBA: Style, Identity, and the Championship Game

[30:15 – 38:38]

• Lively debate on why the NBA’s regular-season intensity can “out-entertain” the NCAA National Championship, and what makes college basketball unique.

  • Roy: “The national championship game was a military operation of attrition, right? Nobody could get anything even from outside…” [31:43]
  • Roy (on what makes college great): “I like that college basketball teams have an identity… that tenacity on the defensive end can equalize a talent disparity. And you get teams with personalities like, oh, man, I’m playing St. John tonight. I better pack a lunch. These guys are going to make my life hell.” [34:13]

• On the cult of personality of college coaches like Dan Hurley vs. NBA stars as faces of franchises.

---

8. Space, Perspective & Human Achievement

[38:12 – 43:05]

• Jeremy/Joey introduces a touching story: astronauts on a journey to the far side of the moon name a lunar crater “Carolina” after a crew member’s late wife, leading to a rare on-air emotional moment.
  • Astronaut: “We lost a loved one. Her name was Carol… we would like to call it Carolina.”
  • Jeremy: “To be able to go further than any other human has ever gone before, to have this moment with your crew, to share with friends like that, it was so unbelievably moving.” [40:58]
• The group riffing on the profundity of space versus the banality of buying a star online.
• Roy reflects: “It makes me really appreciate the beautiful place that we have. It’s so unique… we are so lucky to live on this planet.” [42:26]

---

9. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mascot Identity:
  • Dan (mocking Samson): “It is offensive. It absolutely is, Roy, that you do that, David…” [07:43]
  • Samson: “I’m sorry to tell you this, Roy, but everybody’s looking to replace everyone with someone younger and cheaper…” [07:49]
• Mascot Mafia:
  • Zas: “He owns the Chick Fil A mascots. He owns the Atlanta.” [12:51]
  • Joey: “If somebody shows up in the mascot in the Atlanta area and doesn’t talk to Harry the Hawk, it’s over.” [12:57]
• Space Perspective:
  • Jeremy: “…to share with friends like that, it was so unbelievably moving. And maybe it’s because…I’m now moved by space discovery…” [40:58]
  • Roy: “It makes me really appreciate the beautiful place that we have. It’s so unique… There’s literally nothing like it that we know of in the universe.” [42:26]

---

Important Timestamps

• [01:41] Staring contests: Benny the Bull vs. Dillon Brooks
• [03:40] David Samson’s mascot firing story
• [05:01] “Mascot mafia” in Atlanta
• [06:02] Salary of top mascots; Denver’s Rocky at $625K
• [10:10 – 13:03] Mascot salary guessing game
• [16:31] Tony proposes catchphrase makeover for Samson
• [20:13] Mascot collusion explained
• [24:22] Baseball retaliation rituals
• [30:15 – 38:38] College hoops vs. NBA playoffs debate
• [38:12 – 43:05] Lunar tribute to astronaut’s late wife; space, perspective, and meaning

---

Tone & Vibe

The episode blends banter, business insight, and poignant storytelling—the hosts’ signature blend of mock-serious debate, affectionate roasting, and moments of real feeling. Samson’s matter-of-fact business style collides with the crew’s playful irreverence, while the space segment closes with genuine awe and emotion.

---

Summary prepared to give the full flavor and breadth of the conversation, skipping ads and non-content sections.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer 1]

Start your day with Quaker Protein Instant Oatmeal. The Instant Oatmeal ready to help you tackle whatever your day brings. Like wrangling your toddler into their car seat. That was fun. Coaching your 6th grader soccer team Go Girls and carrying all the groceries in one trip. Try Quaker Protein Instant Oatmeal Granola and Bars. Great taste and a good source of protein. Quaker Bring out the good folks.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

Most energy drinks taste like a dare. You loss well Bucked Up. Fix that. It's genuinely delicious. Science backed clean energy without the garbage. But Bucked up didn't stop at energy drinks. Their lightly carbonated protein drinks deliver 25 grams of protein per can. Clear protein, not milky or thick. And yes, it's insanely delicious. Bucked up is giving away an island vacation. No Purchase necessary. Ends May 30, 2026. See buckedupenergy.com for details and where you can also find the store nearest you get Bucked up and feel like a million bucks

[Commercial Announcer 3]

when everything's happening at once. Teams need clarity help move work forward with Loom, the AI first video platform from Atlassian. With Loom, you can quickly record your screen, camera and voice to explain what matters. AI instantly adds a title, summary and edits to your video. So clarity travels with the work. Fewer unnecessary meetings, more effective ones. It's a team changer. Try Loom [e-mail] this is the Dan

[Dan LeBatard]

Lebatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Tony Reali]

In these difficult times, we need our occasional clown levity. And so Tony has not been able to stop talking for two days about what he believes to be the the story of the weekend undercovered by our show. Which is, if I can spoil it a little bit, the villainous Dylan Brooks getting into an epic staring match with Benny the Bull. And it made me think, what are the greatest staring matches involving mascots of all time? Because Frank Robinson stared down an umpire one time for more than two and a half minutes, they stared at each other. It was Frank Robinson.

[Mike]

So good.

[Tony Reali]

It is Frank Robinson made that umpire stop star. But Benny the Bull, not smiling face, face, never changing, is able to do a staredown with Dylan Brooks, one of the most villainous players in the history of the NBA.

[Zas]

It's great because Benny the Bull, he doesn't blink because he's a mascot.

[Tony Reali]

That's right.

[Joey]

But neither does Dylan Brooks.

[Mike]

And that's the thing.

[Zas]

Dylan Brooks is standing there emulating the exact stance of Benny the Bull. And they're just going at it and they're like 45ft apart. And Dillon Brooks is just not breaking eye contact with those fake eyes. Now, the question is 2. Does Benny the Bull see the person inside Benny the Bull? Does he see through Benny's eyes, or does he see through, like, Benny's snout?

[Tony Reali]

No. Oh, let's see. No, that's gotta be the snout, right?

[Zas]

I don't know.

[Tony Reali]

That's all there has to be. No, that has to be the snout. That's a shorter person. That mascot's head is around where the eyes are.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Tony Reali]

David, what was your greatest or most memorable interaction with a mascot of any kind? Because this is not the greatest showdown in the history of.

[Zas]

It's damn close.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

Robin Lopez has had a bunch. I'd like to nominate him as our goat of just interactions with mascots.

[Mike]

Barkley was good with up.

[Zas]

Beat them up. I mean, Conor Mc. Conor McGregor punched Bernie in the face.

[Tony Reali]

Mascots. Yeah. Well, wasn't there a lawsuit?

[Zas]

Yes.

[Tony Reali]

Mascot. No. Mascots make everything better. David, have you ever had a bad interaction with a mascot?

[David Sampson]

No. Tommy Laura and the Philly fanatic was a good one, but that's. That's really old school. My interaction was just that I got such a bad rap for firing the guy inside the mascot, for somehow him thinking that he was the story and not the mascot. So it's.

[Tony Reali]

It.

[David Sampson]

Mascots are an interesting part of the business of a sports team.

[Tony Reali]

But what I'm asking you is, do you have a funny story involving the mascot thought he was worth $20,000 more? And you're like, that's funny. I could put anybody in this costume and mascot sitting there saying, do you know I have a personality? I'm the mascot. And you're saying, no, I'm going to save $12,000 here.

[David Sampson]

Well, that's exactly how it was. But it was more than $12,000. But, yes, it is amazing. Now, I don't want to impugn the people who are inside the mascot suits. It ain't easy. And no, you're not looking through the eyes, Dan. You. It's way lower than that. It's hot. You're grumpy. You have to pretend that you're okay dealing with all the fans and the kids and the pictures and the crap.

[Tony Reali]

So you're. So. Wait. At LeBatard show. Are mascots unhappy people? I just want to put that out there. Are people employed as mascots unhappy people? Because David is making this sound like a misery.

[Zas]

Dan, we talked about it with the meme the other day. He talks about the Atlanta Hawks mascot who has an Entire monopoly over all the mascots in the Atlanta area. He's got the Chick Fil a mascot. He's got this, he's got that. So he runs an entire mafia of mascots.

[Tony Reali]

You got to love your job.

[Zas]

The guy in Denver makes 600 grand a year being the mascot in Denver. I think he's doing all right.

[David Sampson]

What?

[Zas]

Yeah. Wait to see.

[David Sampson]

That's got to be firm's outside appearances that he's keeping the money from. Which is what the issue was with Billy the Marlin, where we did not feel that that was proper, that we were not getting our proper stuff of the extra.

[Tony Reali]

Wait a minute, wait a minute. So you guys, what was the controversy? Was it. What was it with John Ruth, the greatest mascot in the history of South Florida?

[David Sampson]

John Ruth is the greatest mascot in the history of South Florida, or do you mean Billy the Marlin? Well, he became not a mascot. He's a man.

[Roy]

John Ruth is a performer.

[Tony Reali]

He was the original.

[David Sampson]

The performer.

[Tony Reali]

He was one of the original. Billy the Marlins was. He still was this. Who the. Do you remember the name of the person you were arguing with?

[David Sampson]

It wasn't an argument. It was that we were not going to pay John what he wanted to get paid. And we were not going to in any way allow him to take outside appearances and make that money without giving us at least more than 50%.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

This go conversation is presented by Frank's Red Hot. Make every dish the greatest.

[Tony Reali]

Eat the goat.

[Zas]

Rocky the mountain lion, the mascot for the Denver Nuggets, is the highest paid mascot in professional sports with an annual salary of $625,000 attributed to his 25 year tenure and acrobatic performances and all that stuff.

[Mike]

Gorilla.

[Tony Reali]

Did they cut the pay of the Phoenix Gorilla because the Phoenix Suns Gorilla was the highest paid mascot in sports?

[Roy]

How do you possibly know that? Give him a second.

[Zas]

If he makes more than 625 grand,

[Tony Reali]

I'm going to be a no. But I think. I think he did make more than.

[Zas]

Look, I'm going to take Bernie's job.

[Joey]

What David's saying here is funny. I didn't think it's a conversation we'd

[Tony Reali]

be having, but the idea that the mascot thought he was on his own economy and David's wandering over and saying, because John Ruth was famous in this city before David was, but he's in the costume and so he's coming over and saying, no, I'm the mascot of the kids of South Florida. I'm the unique personality inside the suit.

[Mike]

Why would he think that?

[Tony Reali]

And David's coming over and saying, nope, I'm going to cut $125,000 out of your pay because the mascot was being paid. What, back then, David, I'd have to go back.

[David Sampson]

You're talking 20 years ago. But more than that, so you know, Billy the Marlin became a guy named John DeCicco and he was amazing and he understood what the job was. When we hired him to do it, he couldn't have been happier to do it. And he became Billy the Marlin, did all the appearances, gave us our share. He got paid and got insurance and was a full time employee and that was the end of it. To me this was a non. It was such an easy decision that it's just staggering to me, Roy, that anyone would think otherwise.

[Tony Reali]

Is this offensive to you, Roy? Is it offensive to you that David Sampson would take the business position of the mascot doesn't have a soul. The mascot is interchangeable. The mascot is the costume. The mascot is not the person.

[Dan LeBatard]

It is offensive. It absolutely is, Roy, that you do that, David, every.

[David Sampson]

I'm sorry to tell you this, Roy, but everybody's looking to replace everyone with someone younger and cheaper. That's just the reality. So I'm sorry, I really am sorry. Because younger, that harder.

[Tony Reali]

What about younger now you got to

[Zas]

pay those people more. We need the younger and stupider.

[Tony Reali]

Younger and cheaper is what?

[Joey]

Look at, look at how delighted he is. Younger and cheaper. Look at him. Look how happy he is.

[David Sampson]

You want to really start worrying about something. Not 8pm tonight, which has occurred to me that I actually thought about where I would be at 8:00'. Clock. Sort of like seeking a friend for the end of the world. Do I want to be with someone? Not with someone. Do I want to be in the fetal position?

[Tony Reali]

Is David a part of the livestream tonight? Because I, I don't know who's been invited to this tonight. I don't even know what your schedule is. David Sampson, nothing personal, is something he's doing during a very difficult time and he's a legitimate baseball expert, like on the side. He really cares about baseball and knows a lot about baseball and the discussions around him and the business of baseball are super interesting. But I don't know if you've been invited tonight, have you?

[David Sampson]

No, I actually just keep seeing the commercials cuz I watch the show every day. So no, I was not invited. But it's an amazing. It's just funny that that was chosen to be tonight and sort of an hour and a half into it, there's Going to be a moment where we're going to look at our watches and say, hmm, like, do we need a bunker? And isn't that insane that we're even talking?

[Tony Reali]

All right, so do we have. All right, so are we going to do this? Is David going to be. Do you have a panic room in your. Like, are you going to be in an actual bunker? Because we could have a doomsday clock on you tonight as we're talking Marlins, Panthers and heat at 8pm Unfortunately, I

[David Sampson]

appreciate the invitation, but I am not going to be available at 8 o' clock to be where I am right now. I'm going to be elsewhere with someone else and someone else who doesn't have a huge interest in being a part of your.

[Tony Reali]

Well, you were invited. You were invited.

[Zas]

Thank you, Dan and Dave. I've got the top six salaries in Mascot World. Would you. Would you guys like them?

[Tony Reali]

Yes. But Zazlow, which way would you guess? Here. And Sampson, let's see. Who could do this more poorly between you and Sampson, because I don't think Samson Simpson puts a value on these things at all. So I think if we were playing the prices right, of who's going to be out of touch. I think Zaz is going to be better at this game than our business expert.

[Mike]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Zas]

So what's the game? You want me to give you the mascot and you tell me how much

[Tony Reali]

he makes or how much he makes for. Just take. Make the list random, and let's have David go first.

[Zas]

The Phoenix Gorilla. What does the Phoenix Gorilla make?

[David Sampson]

450.

[Mike]

I'll go. I'll go under that.

[David Sampson]

Okay.

[Zas]

Under wins. He makes about 200 grand a year.

[Mike]

It's incredible amount of money to be the gorilla.

[Zas]

Yeah, it is. Number five, the Philly fanatic. How much is the Philly fanatic bank?

[Mike]

That's a good one.

[Zas]

A lot of games there, too.

[David Sampson]

325.

[Mike]

I'm gonna go under that also.

[Zas]

Yeah, yeah. David's bad at this. Zaz is right again. He makes 200 grand.

[Roy]

All Zaz has to do is say, we don't know if he's good at it. We just know that he's better than David.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

David's guessing horribly, and Zaz is just cleaning.

[Jeremy]

Why don't you go first?

[Roy]

Why don't you go?

[Mike]

All right.

[Dan LeBatard]

Y. Great.

[Zas]

Another Philly guy. Gritty. How much does Gritty make a year?

[Mike]

Who's that, the flyer guy?

[Zas]

Yeah. You tell me, buddy.

[Roy]

You don't know.

[Mike]

I just guess it right with me, and I Don't know.

[Tony Reali]

I got it Right.

[Jeremy]

Clarification.

[Roy]

Gee, every.

[Mike]

Calm down. 225 Dave.

[David Sampson]

I'll go under.

[Zas]

Size is good at this game. Makes250

[Roy]

going in ascending order.

[Dan LeBatard]

Why would you go under?

[David Sampson]

Because he's a new mascot.

[Tony Reali]

David is our money expert. He knows nothing about mascot.

[Zas]

The aforementioned.

[David Sampson]

They'd all be at 125 for me.

[Joey]

Dan, you should say that on your tombstone.

[Zas]

The aforementioned Benny the bull. 260 Dave. Under makes 400 grand a year. Look at that man staring down Dylan Brooks.

[Joey]

Almost just as much as Dylan Brooks. David, how are you so terrible at

[Roy]

going in ascending order?

[Joey]

David, how do you not understand what's happening here?

[Roy]

Why do you keep going lower than the previous number?

[Joey]

Why are you finding this so elusive?

[David Sampson]

I thought you were doing it randomly, Tony. Are you just doing it in order?

[Roy]

That's what we told him, but then he just started doing it in the way. The conventional countdown way. It wasn't that hard to like seize on what?

[David Sampson]

All right, I'll get the next one.

[Zas]

Aforementioned aforementioned Harry the Hawk.

[David Sampson]

You want me to give the number for this?

[Roy]

No, let's do Zaz first. Let's see if you figure this out.

[Mike]

290.

[Joey]

He's ruthless over

[Zas]

Harry the Hawk. Outside of what his deal is with the Atlanta Hawks. Makes 600 grand a year because again, he's got the monopoly on all.

[Tony Reali]

Yeah, so. No, but this, this.

[Joey]

We got to talk to this guy because this guy's a mafioso. He's a mafioso of the mascot kingdom

[Tony Reali]

in like Atlanta where it's hard to

[Joey]

make an Entertainment $.

[Zas]

Yes, 100%. He owns the chick fil a mascots. He owns the Atlanta.

[Tony Reali]

No, he knows how to plug.

[Joey]

He knows how to factory farm ma.

[Zas]

And if somebody shows up in the mascot in the Atlanta area and doesn't talk to Harry the Hawk, it's over.

[Jeremy]

Hello, friends. Hello listeners. I want to talk to you about Chime. Because chime is changing the way people bank. And honestly, it just makes sense. This is fee free smarter banking built for regular people like you and me, not old school banks charging overdraft and monthly fees just for trying to get through the week. This is banking that actually feels like it's on your side, which is very, very important. Chime isn't just another app. They unlock smarter banking with tools like MyPay giving you access to up to $500 of your paycheck when you need it. And boy, do we sometimes need it. It even lets you get paid up to two days early with direct deposit. I know someone who would benefit from that. No overdraft fees, no minimum balances, no monthly fees. Chime helps your everyday spending Work harder with credit building tools and savings earning up to 3% APY. And there's the new Chime card. Build credit with your own money and with qualifying direct deposits. Earn 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases. Chime is not just smarter banking. It is the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to chime.com dan that is chime.com

[Chime Disclaimer Voice]

dan Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking Services A secured Chime Visa credit card and MyPay line of credit provided by the Bancor Bank NA or Stride Bank NA. MyPay eligibility requirements apply and credit limit ranges $20 to $500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com feesin advertised annual percentage yield with Chime+status only. Otherwise, 1.00% APY applies. No min balance required. Chime card on time Payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms.

[Roy]

Hey Roy, buddy.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yo.

[Roy]

You know that energy shift when the game gets good and everybody all together in unison knows to stand up on their feet?

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh, absolutely, Mike.

[Zas]

Yeah.

[Roy]

You've been at many big time sporting events. You know that moment quite well. That's what it's like when you take your first sip of Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh, delicious.

[Roy]

It's the signal that says we're not checking the time anymore, pal. It's when small talk turns into stories. Cuervo man. It's that high five. A random stranger effect. That's right. The game is popping. You're hugging people you never met before. That's the kind of energy that Cuervo brings. It's so smooth, so delicious. That's the Cuervo effect. Keep it Cuervo

[Dan LeBatard]

in sports, championships aren't one alone. The one with the right people around you. That's exactly what Intuit TurboTax brings to taxes with TurboTax Expert. Full service match with a dedicated tax expert who handles your taxes from start to finish. The experience is seamless. Start in person, finish online. Move between both whenever needed. The dedicated tax expert keeps things updated every step of the way so nothing falls between the cracks. Think of it like having a great head coach with a solid game plan. The players are called, adjustments are made and the work gets Done while everyone stays focused on what actually matters. And just like Gamefilm doesn't wait for business hours, neither do taxes. With TurboTax Expert full service, you can get any tax question answered at no extra cost, even on nights and weekends during tax season. This is having someone in your corner running the whole operation and helping put points on the board. Get [e-mail] only available with Intuit TurboTax full service experts real time updates only in iOS mobile app.

[David Sampson]

Don LeBatard Go Pee Pee Stugats. Go pee pee.

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan LeBatard show with the stugats.

[Tony Reali]

Okay, but one of the.

[David Sampson]

Can we talk collusion Dan, please, for one quick second?

[Tony Reali]

Yes, in just a moment. But before we do that, because I will get to that with you, I just wanted to ask the group. Okay. As a creative community here that cares about David Sampson and loves to help him grow creatively. Okay, David Sampson. When Luca goes to Europe has sort of. I don't know if it's a signature catchphrase, but it has not quite caught on.

[Joey]

It's.

[Tony Reali]

Give me a break. That's when he's at, like up to here. I don't know what some of his other sayings are, and I was wondering if you guys would help him with perhaps a catchphrase he could try on when he gets to the height of indignation. That would make it a better catchphrase than Give me a break. Can you guys help him?

[David Sampson]

What about horse hockey?

[Tony Reali]

They're not great.

[David Sampson]

They sell shirts@david Sampsonpodcast.com.

[Tony Reali]

but if you had more. But if you had more. Right? If you had more horse hockey and Give me a break. I'm not saying they're bad catchphrases. I'm saying that you get so indignant that I'd like to come up with one that goes a tier higher. Because right now. Give me a break. Is the highest you got on. What a joke. Correct. That's your highest indignation?

[David Sampson]

If you have a suggestion with your mass of people, I'm all in at nothing personal. We're lean, so if you have something, we'll take it. Because there's so much to be indignant about. If we thought that we could get a player's injury recovery cut in half, we send him to the damn moon and all of a sudden you get to go to Europe in a grade two. You're out half the time. Give me a break. It's horse hockey. Sorry, I just used.

[Tony Reali]

No, but that's really what it is.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

Hogwash.

[Tony Reali]

My point is, okay, this is a verbal crush that he's got, and I want to help him with it. I want to give him something, if he wants to market it, I want to give him something that will stop him from doing what he's presently doing, which is. That happens to you 20 times a day, does it? Not on any matter. Any subject matter under. Under 20.

[David Sampson]

I don't talk 20 times. Does anything happen to you 20 times a day?

[Tony Reali]

No, I would think that. I would think that on your show. Look, David, you've been called nothing personal for a while, okay? But there are any number of things you take no greater delight, it seems to me, than calling bullshit on something that the rest of the sports media isn't noticing is bullshit. So to me, that is your gymnast's routine of your greatest move of, hey, everything everyone's telling you is bullshit. Here, here's the truth. And you do that about 20 times a day.

[David Sampson]

Well, that is the show. The show is to really let people understand when you are being spoken to and you're being spoken down to, because I was a part of that machine, what actually is being said and what's not being said.

[Tony Reali]

Szaz, if you're interested in the business of sports, I've told you that what he does with John Skipper and Pablo the sporting class is the best business thing. But routinely, David, every day trying to make sanity in an insane world, is doing a business show that it might as well be whatever Jim Cramer was doing on television where he's navigating the day's daily financial mess with a fluency that no one else has. Like Florio has some of this language. But nobody's stimulated by this stuff the way that David is. And David, you presently see, right, you see, with collusion and other examples, stuff that's happening that that should be shouted about from the mountaintops. But largely, the sports media doesn't care because largely, the real tough business parts of this sport and sports, we don't actually want to cover it. We're complicit in sort of just being the marketing machine.

[David Sampson]

Yeah, I disagree, Dan. I would say that sports business is having a moment because people are more interested than ever, and not just in the salaries of players, because that's as old as time when USA Today would publish the list of every player's salary in Major League Baseball. But that used to be the only topic that we'd want to talk about. But now people want to understand what's going on in sports media. They want to understand what's going on behind the scenes in some of these transactions. And collusion. Dan I wasn't talking about player collusion. I was talking about mascot collusion. Do you know, and you've all been a part of this, when you celebrate a mascot birthday and invite all the mascots from the other teams to come into your home to celebrate that, you have to make sure that there's not some sort of sewing circle about, wait, what are you getting paid? What are you getting paid? What's your rate for a birthday party Sunday at noon? There is major mascot collusion that goes on. So I'm fascinated by these numbers that you're giving me. And I love the Atlanta Hawks mascot who has taken over for the collusion from the team, if he has actually.

[Jeremy]

So per the Phoenix New Times, the Arizona governor only makes $95,000 a year. Of course, the gorilla makes 200,000. And in an interview, a former pro sports mascot with more than a dozen years of experience in the industry, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preserve the mascot code, told the Phoenix New Time that as of at least five years ago, the $200,000 a year figure was correct. So we're going based off something back from 2020. You can only imagine the way that has escalated now with rising prices.

[David Sampson]

You can't really look at the governor's salary, Jeremy, because look what the president makes now. I'm not talking about what is made outside of being president in the corruption. I'm talking about the actual salary. And look at senators and congressmen. They generally don't make their money till they're out of office, which is the same as many people in the public sector. They are poor until they go private, but so that's not a great comparison.

[Tony Reali]

David, before I get to what's going on with Wilson Contreras, because it doesn't happen a whole lot in baseball or anywhere where one team keeps hitting one guy. One guy is getting hit six times by the same pitcher. The brewers continue 20 times they've hit him. And so he's finally had enough at 20. And I want to get to that. But before I get to that, I want to put up on the screen Chris Cody and Levi McCather and the the attorney for Pukinakua. And my question to you, Sampson, is you're from law. You know law. This person is good at law in Texas. He's down to earth. Would you trust this person based just on how it is that he's dressed?

[David Sampson]

The first thing you learn first year of law school, Dan, do not judge a book by its cover. So I would never judge a lawyer. One of the lawyers who helped us in our RICO case, he was fully tattooed, and back then, that wasn't a thing. And when it was a thing, it was people who are in the West Village. And so you. And he was one of the smartest lawyers I've come across in three decades. So I would not judge him based on the fact that he looks like he's on the set of the Big Lebowski.

[Tony Reali]

Can you trust that man? It's a yes or no question.

[David Sampson]

Yes.

[Tony Reali]

What about the man to his left?

[David Sampson]

I mean, it's just. Your costume department is outstanding.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

How much. How many years younger?

[David Sampson]

Same hat.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

How many years young? Younger. Do I look than him?

[David Sampson]

I would. Well, it looks like he dies his goatee. So I'm gonna go that he is 56, and I'm gonna go that you look 34.

[Tony Reali]

Congratulations, Chris Cody. You again win.

[Joey]

You do indeed.

[Zas]

34.

[Tony Reali]

20 years younger. That slimming, powder blue naugahide jacket has done wonders for you, as has that starched, sweaty collar.

[Roy]

Naga hide.

[Tony Reali]

Is leather sticking?

[Zas]

What is Naga hide?

[Roy]

It's a. It's a leather.

[Jeremy]

For those of you who had it being said three times over the course of two weeks on this show on calsha, you win.

[Tony Reali]

Okay.

[Roy]

He's definitely in the prediction markets. That's too many, especially when it's not a leather jacket. But you mean to tell me the brewers are doing this to this dude the entire time his brother is behind the plate catching these?

[Tony Reali]

Well, before we get to the Wilson Contreras sound, David, do you want to set up what you find interesting about this story?

[David Sampson]

I just know that the old school baseball was all about, if you hit one of our guys, we're going to hit one of your guys. And every time you saw a hit, a batter get hit, that came from the front office or from the dugout, but it was planned before the game.

[Tony Reali]

Not every time.

[David Sampson]

We would.

[Tony Reali]

Not every time.

[David Sampson]

Dan. I'm telling you what we would do before the game. Inside the manager's office, we were going through the lineup, and we were saying, hey, from last night, from last month, from last year, this is the opportunity. We want to do it with this picture, in this inning, in this circumstance. If that circumstance doesn't happen, then don't do it. There are also, in game decisions that get made when there's someone goes up and in that you do not like. And then you get down to the dugout to make sure that we're going up and in as well. So, Dan, that does happen.

[Tony Reali]

Actually, the detail that I'm asking you, though, for when it comes to. Because I'm not disputing that it happened. You said that every time. It sounded like you said every time someone gets hit, it's on purpose.

[David Sampson]

Well, hold on. You can tell when someone's getting hit on purpose. A mistake with the bases loaded in a one one game with a fastball that gets away because guys have no command anymore. That's not planned.

[Tony Reali]

All right. This happened this weekend to Yuri Perez, who does not yet know how to pitch. He walked four guys in an inning and hit another batter, and they stole three bases, and he throws 99 miles an hour. It's all. It's a windmill. It's just fired all over the place. And with the bases loaded, he hit Aaron Judge in the back. That is not an act. That's incompetence. That is correct.

[David Sampson]

No, it's.

[Expedia Announcer]

It's.

[David Sampson]

It's not that, Dan.

[Tony Reali]

No, it.

[David Sampson]

It happens.

[Tony Reali]

No, no, that pitching performance was incompetence. It's 99 miles an hour, sprayed in every direction.

[Joey]

And with the bases loaded, you hit

[Tony Reali]

Aaron Judge in the bat because you don't know how to pitch yet.

[David Sampson]

Well, it doesn't mean that Yuri doesn't know how to pitch. It means he doesn't always know where it's going. And that's something, if you ask a Major League Baseball hitter that they can't stand. They can deal with Mason Miller 101, even though no one's getting hits off him right now. But they'd rather face Mason Miller at 101 with command than face a guy blowing 98 who has no idea.

[Jeremy]

They call it effectively wild.

[Tony Reali]

Okay, but Kurt Schilling. Kurt Schilling once said some form of. Do you understand how precise we are? Every person who is hit is hit on purpose. The reason that I was asking you that question is because. And maybe it's different now, but once upon a time, it could be said that pitchers were precise enough that if they were hitting you, it was always on purpose.

[David Sampson]

I don't know, Dan. I wouldn't say always. I just. They're pitches that get away. There's just the whole reason for the spider tack and why hitters actually are not upset when pitchers use some sort of substance is because it helps with their command. But again, it's a balance. What Garrett Cole was doing. Reason why spider attack is not allowed anymore is it was giving actually different spin to the ball in addition to better command. And that all of a sudden is unfair. So it's a command issue. What I'm talking about is when you are in retribution four, if Contreras slides hard into second base inappropriately and takes out your shortstop in a way that you don't like, you hit Contreras. That is what baseball was and what I love about baseball and would still do were I still running a team. Because there is a unwritten rule that if you do something, it will be done to you. And we're not just going to do it to you, we're going to do it to your best guy.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

Folks, you know the place. Everything can turn in a moment at Augusta. One swing, one hole and the entire leaderboard shifts. And that's what makes this the perfect week for live betting. DraftKings Sportsbook, America's top sportsbook for live betting has action from the first tee to the final putt so you can react in real time. And with same game parlay, you can combine finishing positions with player props in one bet. More ways to play the moments that matter New Sportsbook customers bet just $5 and if your bet wins, you'll get $300 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now and use code DAN. That's code DAN to turn five bucks into $300 in bonus bets. If your bet wins in partnership with DraftKings, the crown is yours.

[DraftKings Announcer]

Gambling problem call 1-800- gambler or 1-800- My Reset New York call 877-8-HOPE and wire text HOPE and why Connecticut? Call 88 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boothill Casino in Kansas. Wager tax pass through may apply in Illinois, 21 and over in most states. Void in Ontario. Restrictions apply. Bet must win to receive bonus bets which expire in seven days. Minimum odds required for additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see sportsbook.draftkings.com promos Limited

[Expedia Announcer]

Time Offer hey you, whatcha doing scrolling doom scrolling Looking at other people's vacations. Miami, San Diego, Cancun. Okay, what about you? What places will you go? Expedia is the one place you go to go places your trip can earn rewards which you can use towards your next eligible stay. Soon people will be doomscrolling you. You'll be that friend's friend, but with rewards. What are you waiting for? Expedia, the one place you go to go places Terms apply.

[Tony Reali]

K Pop Demon Hunters, Taja Boy's Breakfast Meal and Hunt Tricks Meal have just dropped at McDonald's. They're calling this a battle for the fans. What do you say to that Rumi, it's not a battle. So glad the Saja boys could take

[David Sampson]

breakfast and give our meal the rest of the day.

[Joey]

It is an honor to share.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

No, it's our honor.

[David Sampson]

It is our larger honor.

[Tony Reali]

No, really stop. You can really feel the respect in this battle. Pick a meal to pick a side

[DraftKings Announcer]

a participating McDonald's while supplies last.

[David Sampson]

Don Lebatard Taytas stewgats Taytas this is

[Dan LeBatard]

the Don Levatar show with the stugats.

[Tony Reali]

Real quick here folks, from last night in sports. I don't know how the rest of you felt about this, but I feel a little bit of guilt in that the college basketball game which decided a championship and had the largest stakes on it, was vastly less interesting to me than what it is that I have seen from Hawks and Knicks because of how fun it was to watch those two teams get us ready for the playoffs when you can see the Hawks coming from a mile away. Like even if they're not good this year, you can just see the length and athleticism improvements where you're like, whoa, that team's going to be a problem for a while. I found myself more interested in in the professional game and then the way that game ended, right? All of the things where Jalen Brunson is a non factor most of the game and then fourth quarter. That's why the Knicks fan loves him right there because you see all those athletes on the court and at the end one guy's going to be 15 points tougher because he does amazing things in important times for the Knicks. And the Hawks might not quite be ready for that yet, but CJ McCollum hitting to tie the game with a tenth of a second left, a three quarters of a court three pointer that would have tied the game if we hadn't gone to replay and seen that it was barely touching his fingertips as the buzzer went off. He banks in a three. I feel guilty about that being so much more of an interesting game to me last night than the one with the stakes.

[Roy]

I don't know if it was more interesting. It was probably more entertaining, I'll give it that. I watched both games. That Hawks Knicks game was within 10 points the entire time. It was just a war from the. Well, I'm sorry, military operation from the tip. And the national championship game was a military operation of attrition, right? Like nobody could get anything even from outside. You kind of grown accustomed to that in the Final Four with the depth perception issues that come with having these games at these retractable roof stadiums and whatnot. But what I found so fascinating was how hard it was to get a bucket on the. The inside Terrace.

[Tony Reali]

Reed is a good post player. Like, I watched him all season in the post and he did what he wanted in the post against everybody but Michigan.

[Roy]

The way that they have that camera angle with the elevated court makes you really appreciate how giant these teams are.

[Mike]

Mara is big.

[Roy]

Yeah. Michigan's A is a very long team.

[David Sampson]

And I was the most fascinated gentleman with the fact that Michigan had all transfers. And Mike, I was thinking about you while watching the game. Game that if you are a part of a team the way you are with the Hurricanes and you look at Michigan and you see that they have a national championship first team ever with five portals in the starting lineup, you got to be saying to yourself, why not us? Why not now? And I think that'd be the first of many championship teams in, in basketball with all transfers at the starting lineup. What a change that is.

[Roy]

Yeah, I, I appreciate it. I like what, what college basketball is, and I understand there was very clearly some issues with one side of that stadium because I think the two teams went and combined like 3 for 30 from 3. I don't like the depth perception issues that come from the final four being played in these stadiums.

[Tony Reali]

It's a funny thing to say, isn't it? Like you're deciding the championship and then you start playing a different game of different altitudes.

[Roy]

It's spaceball, Pablo, get on it. The ball definitely bounces different off of these hoops.

[Mike]

Dusty May was practicing inside the big house.

[Roy]

In the big house, which I thought, you know, coaching, that's inspired. But I do like that it's a different sport. Look, it's the rare NBA occurrence in which a game the entire way wire to wire is played so much fun inside of 10 points and you got playoff atmosphere. Like, I understand why that was certainly appealing. I was really into that game too. But what I like about college basketball and why I favor it a little bit more than the NBA right now is, is these teams in college basketball have an identity. I like that kids can throw up on the front of their jersey because a moment gets too big to them because, of course, they're 18 years old. I like that coaching matters. I like that athleticism can make up for talent. I like that tenacity on the defensive end can equalize a talent disparity. And you get teams with personalities like, oh, man, I'm playing St. John tonight. I better pack a lunch. These guys are going to make my Life hell. I like those.

[Tony Reali]

There are lunches being packed.

[Roy]

I, I like that about college basketball, where in the NBA everybody plays the same style. And it's just who's better at playing this one style.

[Mike]

It's who hits more three pointers on any night he's going to win an NBA game. Unless you're the Grizzlies and you hit Almost a record 293 point field goals and you still lose by double figures. But the, the college game now, like every team has a style of play. Oh, they pound the ball down low. Oh, they shoot more three pointers. Ooh, they do this, they do that. Like, like the NBA doesn't have that anymore.

[Zas]

You keeping up for Memphis all of a sudden? Memphis man over here.

[Mike]

Well, I'm just telling you, they hit 29 threes.

[Zas]

They still lost them yesterday too.

[Roy]

I just like everything about the college game from like how the two coaches were basically on a pedestal and they're on the court there. Dan Hurley, quite literally. And they have these big cults of personality type of coaches over there.

[Mike]

Don't you like when they just sit on the stool that's by itself.

[Roy]

I love the theatrics of it. I thought the drama, even though it wasn't a good game, I'll give it that. Like they were not shooting well. It was a dramatic game, but the basketball stinks, dude. I mean, how could you not marvel at how difficult it was to get a layup?

[Zas]

How could you not kept missing layups.

[Roy]

No, it wasn't because they kept missing layups.

[Zas]

It's because Michael's watching the game. I was watching the game.

[Tony Reali]

You know what?

[Roy]

You know why they missed it? Three arms, like holding up broomsticks.

[Zas]

Inches away from this, from the goal, and he can't put the ball in. Guys are stiff.

[Roy]

He's not a stiff.

[Zas]

He's a stiff.

[Roy]

He's not a stiff.

[Joey]

I saw him running just stiff. Compared to Nikhil Alexander Walker, this is like one of them is playing, one of them is playing spaceball, and one of them is the modern day Zach Edie.

[Roy]

I like that players like Zach Edie can still have something to offer in the college game because he plays into an identity. So I, to answer your question, I liked it. Both. I like both. I like the national championship game for what it was, which was ugly, I'll admit that, but it was certainly dramatic. Every possession was big. And I love the NBA game. How could you not?

[Tony Reali]

The thing that I'm just watching. And it is fascinating because college will stir up regional feelings. Of I love sports no matter how professional the model is. Right. But we've made amateur sports professional sports when it's still a minor league. And it. They're practicing basketball and much of it isn't even as good as the G League. And so how do we sell it to you Better the cult of personality of coaches. If the basketball is going to be crappy, isn't Dan Hurley interesting as someone the Lakers tried to hire? Because I want a personality as a coach. And getting to that game three times in four years is actually more impressive than what Michigan just did by getting into the Hurley game. Hurley's been dominating that sport. Hurley was going to be hired to caretaker LeBron's last years. He's the only one paid more than Patino in that conference because he's the star of that sport. When we're replacing the programs with the coach like you're. In this instance, you're. This isn't about. He's not Jim Calhoun. Yukon. UConn is good because Dan Hurley makes them good. They.

[Joey]

They shouldn't have been in that game last night. They shouldn't have been playing in that game. They shouldn't have been Duke.

[Roy]

They fought the entire time. And their coach is agonized on the sideline from like a. From a gambit. Hey, Michigan might be one of the greatest college of basketball games. You've one of the best college basketball teams you've seen this century. And they're going against a team that is shooting for dynasty status.

[Mike]

That.

[Tony Reali]

That.

[Roy]

That is what you want to see. You want to see the best run through the best. And UConn's path to the final was insane. What they did to get there. I love the drama of it.

[Tony Reali]

Sampson, I'm sorry that we talk so much college basketball and I haven't talked to you about space and what is going on on the other side of the moon. I am told that Jeremy, or Joey as Chris likes to call him, that Joey that he wept. I did because of the astronauts. And the astronauts have gone further than humans have ever gone in spacecraft in the middle of the insanity of what is happening in this country at all times. And why did you weep?

[Jeremy]

They were tasked with naming new discoveries on the far side of the moon. And I believe we have the video of this or the audio of it. But they decided as a group to name a part of the far side of the moon after a deceased loved one.

[Astronaut]

And the second one, and especially meaningful for this crew is a number of years ago we started this journey in our close Knit astronaut family. And we lost a loved one. And there's a feature in a really neat place on the Moon. And it is on the near side, far side boundary. In fact, it's just on the near side of that boundary. And so at certain times of the Moon's transit around Earth, we will be able to see this from Earth. And so we lost a loved one. Her name was Carol, the spouse of Reed, the mother of Katie and Ellie. And if you want to find this one, you look at Glushko, and it's just to the northwest of that, at the same latitude as home. And it's a bright spot on the moon. And we would like to call it Carolina. And you spell that. C, A, R, R, O, L, L.

[Jeremy]

And there you can see the hug. The astronaut speaking is not. The man who lost his wife. The one who placed his arm on his shoulder is. And to be able to go further than any other human has ever gone before, to have this moment with your crew, to share with friends like that, it was so unbelievably moving. And maybe it's because. And I'm wearing the hat right now. Like, maybe it's because I saw Project Hail Mary and I'm now moved by space discovery and it just changed sort of perspective to have these two things come out at the same time. But this was a special. Like, this is a special moment, a special thing to happen, and all of you are just gonna laugh at it.

[Tony Reali]

Thank you.

[David Sampson]

You know what's even easier, Joey, you can go online and buy a star and name it.

[Roy]

Yeah, but what are you.

[Zas]

They just.

[Jeremy]

They just discovered this. David, no one's ever seen this before. It's a special.

[Tony Reali]

Why is that laughing? No, no, no, it's a beau.

[Jeremy]

You guys suck.

[Tony Reali]

I'm not shitting.

[Jeremy]

All of you suck.

[Zas]

We're not. Me and Zaz just didn't think that not you, boy. That the. The promotion of I'm Wearing the Hat matched what we were talking about.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

I'm with Joey.

[Tony Reali]

He put too much sauce and syrup on it. I'm wearing the hat because this is a cause.

[Zas]

The Carol had. Project Hail Mary had. I can't see.

[Roy]

I don't know why you doing that. It was. It was. It's been a credible adventure.

[Tony Reali]

No, there.

[Roy]

There's been amazing moment after amazing moment. Did you guys see that? The late astronaut, the commander of Apollo 13, Jim Lovell, he died a year ago. But before he died, he recorded a message for the Artemis crew that they woke up to. And they played the entire message On CNN of him congratulating them for going further into space and any human being

[Tony Reali]

also moving and in the places that zsas and others can be disrespectful. I would like it noted that in terms of human achievement and being on the boundary between here and wherever there is like just, just if you're someone who believes in the idea that we don't know what we don't know and how close we can get within human limits to spiritual outer space. Losing a loved one at the height of love and death and the biggest things that human beings can feel while in a tube that risks your life. And the toilet doesn't work. And there's a reason humans haven't been this far before that you risk your life in order to do it and you trust space and spiritual station.

[Roy]

I find their perspective fascinating. There was one astronaut that was saying like we're up out here. There is vast nothingness. It makes me really appreciate the beautiful place that we have. It's so unique. There's literally nothing like it that we know of in the universe. We have this beautiful place. We have gone out further than anybody else and we don't see anything else. We are so lucky to live on this planet. And it makes messages like we saw from the president this morning even more head scratching because it feels like they're. They're imploring us to take care of this place because there's nothing else like it. And we're constantly threatening to destroy it.

[Tony Reali]

Samson.

[David Sampson]

What do you want me to respond to that? I mean, Mike. Yes, it's true.

[Zas]

It was a dead fish. You threw a dead fish.

[Dan LeBatard]

Love doing that.

[Roy]

Eight o' clock tonight.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

That in a costume. Dan loves it.

[David Sampson]

If 8 o' clock is something, then tomorrow's show. Wait, do we have to come to work tomorrow? Dan, if it's the end of the world tonight, is there a show tomorrow?

[Mike]

Wait to see.

[Tony Reali]

At 8pm tonight?

[Joey]

We might be. Wait to see. We need to come up with David something.

[Tony Reali]

Something better than Give me a break. No, I got it.

[Jeremy]

Cut it out.

[Zas]

Send him back out.

[Tony Reali]

Oh my gosh.

[Joey]

Dress corn. Dress Joey up as the layered joke.

[Tony Reali]

Corn again.

[Roy]

There's two layers.