Hour 2: Work In A Salad

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Hour 2: Work In A Salad
Date: March 16, 2026
Host(s): Dan Le Batard, Stugotz
Guests: Amin Elhassan, David Sampson, Ethan Badowski, Roy
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

In this dynamic, often irreverent hour, the Dan Le Batard Show crew dives into the state of sports media, late-night television, and the current realities of basketball coverage. The conversation shifts from a broader cultural critique—media consolidation, reality distortion via AI, and political pressure on journalism—to specific gripes with NBA punditry, the negativity of broadcast commentary, Michael Wilbon’s changing tone, and the challenges of celebrating contemporary achievements. As always, the team's comedic chemistry results in tangents about Oscars drama, comedy classics like Tommy Boy, and uniquely Miami-tinged takes on sports, pop culture, and whatever else crosses their path.

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Key Discussion Points

1. The State of Media and Late Night (01:33–08:48)

• Media Consolidation, Political Interference, and Colbert

  • Dan Le Batard kicks off with concern over CBS's post-Colbert trajectory, mourning the potential loss of network late night as Colbert's politics-fueled show stands out for “honoring what Jon Stewart did” (03:02).
  • Dan critiques billionaire takeovers possibly shifting CBS towards a “Fox News” model, abandoning objectivity (03:19).
  • “What’s happened to one of our legacy media items is about to collapse as soon as Colbert leaves.” – Dan Le Batard (02:44)

• Government Pressure and Freedom of the Press

  • Ethan Badowski warns about dangerous territory: governments threatening media licenses if coverage doesn’t suit the President’s agenda, especially regarding war reports (03:42).
  • “Should be scary to everyone here, no matter your political views.” – Ethan Badowski (04:06)

• Era of “Post-Truth,” AI, and Information Overload

  • David Sampson likens current climate to McCarthyism, arguing fear and governmental pressure have never been this acute (04:18).
  • Amin and Ethan reflect on the rise of AI, deepfakes, and the impossibility of trusting what you see or hear, tracing “cooked reality” back to Facebook’s targeted manipulation in the 2010s (08:27).
  • “We’re beyond cooked. I don’t know if we ever get back from it.” – Amin Elhassan (08:27)
  • Amin calls for federal standards demanding AI-tagging for produced content (09:25).

Notable Moment:

• Stugotz’s comedic resignation to algorithm-driven content:
  • “Don LeBatard, my algorithm on Instagram is Dance All Boobs.” (12:44)
  • Dan: “Stugats.”
  • The panel erupts, marking the transition from heavy to hilariously lighthearted discussion.

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2. NBA Coverage, Negativity, and Generational Frustrations (13:03–24:27)

Michael Wilbon’s Sourness—A Sign of the Times?

• Dan expresses surprise at Wilbon’s admitted disenchantment:
  • “I hate it. I hate it this week more than ever...” – Michael Wilbon (13:42)
  • Complaints about load management, stars missing games, and the maze of streaming options (14:04).
  • “You don’t even know where they are. Is it on Prime? Is it on ESPN? Is it on NBA TV? Where the hell’s the game? I can’t find it.” – Wilbon (14:23)

Role-playing & Generational Divide in NBA Commentary

• The hosts discuss whether Shaq, Barkley, and Wilbon are genuinely grumpy or just playing up characters for TV.
  • “Haven’t their opinions always been old and crotchety? The only thing that’s different is they’re actually old right now.” – Dan Le Batard (15:29)
  • Stugotz defends Shaq, pointing out he understands modern basketball but plays the “old head” for TV (16:20).

Critique of Endless Negativity

• Negativity as a safe, profitable stance; players and pundits alike fall into it. Amin and Stugotz argue for a return to the NBA’s mantra: “I love this game” (22:25).
  • “You gotta flip that switch of positivity and love over eternal negativity.” – Amin Elhassan (22:32)
  • “When something good happens... let’s not sit around and nitpick.” – Amin (23:00)

Celebrating Achievements Amidst Criticism

• Reggie Miller defends Bam Adebayo’s record-breaking performance amidst critics saying it didn’t matter due to weak opposition:
  • “I do not care. 83 is 83... your hate is misdirected because it should be toward the Washington Generals.” – Reggie Miller [played clip] (23:09)
• Amin notes how positive voices do exist, but fans fixate on critics.

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3. Oscars, Comedy, and Pop-Culture Detours (28:24–44:18)

Amin’s Weekend Observations & Oscars Picks

• Amin runs down Oscars results and gripes, humorously bemoaning the “boring drivel” of “Train Dreams,” and celebrating “Begonia” as the creative standout (28:24, 42:11).
• “It’s like picking all the boring parts of Red Dead Redemption 2 and making a movie out of it.” – Amin Elhassan on “Train Dreams” (28:34)
• Discussion on attributed “big gaps” between movies on Amin’s annual list (43:02).
• Spirited debate over “Tommy Boy” as a cultural touchstone:
  • Stugotz: “Chris Farley’s not funny... Not for me.” (33:38)
  • Roy pushes back, showing that black audiences aren’t a monolith in tastes (32:52).

Sports Miscellany and Miami Flavor

• Sports pop-culture quick hits: Jim Irsay’s estate sale, WNBA CBA negotiations, March Madness reflections (35:12–36:20).
• Humorous back-and-forths regarding the viability of Vegas NBA expansion and casino-arena synergy (37:54–39:36).

Cultural Commentary and Jokes on Identity

• Running gags about who can joke about whom (fat jokes, race jokes, etc.), poking fun at modern taboos and hypocrisies (30:21, 30:43).
• “It’s called hypocrisy, Amin.” – Dan Le Batard (30:43)

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4. Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Media Manipulation
  • “I just don’t know what’s real anymore when I’m watching just about anything.” – David Sampson (07:20)
  • “We get to decide our own truth, which means we get to manipulate you.” – Amin Elhassan (09:02)
• On the Changing NBA
  • “Two people who are employed to talk about basketball on national television don’t know where the damn game is.” – Michael Wilbon (14:23)
  • “Negativity sells across the board in everything.” – Amin Elhassan (19:30)
• On Comedy and Cultural Tastes
  • “Tommy Boy. This movie set the standard for comedy for a generation of white people... For black people, not so much.” – Amin Elhassan (31:38)
  • “Roy, watch me be an ally. Dan, we are not a monolith.” – Stugotz (32:52)
• On Modern Reality
  • “My algorithm on Instagram is Dance All Boobs.” – Stugotz (12:44)
• On Celebrating Success vs. Nitpicking
  • “Let’s not sit around and nitpick and say, ‘Oh, this is the reason this 83 points doesn’t matter.’” – Amin Elhassan (23:00)

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Segment Timestamps

• 01:33–08:48: Media state, Colbert’s future, political pressure, rise of misinformation, and AI’s effect on truth
• 13:03–24:27: NBA negativity, Wilbon’s complaints, negativity in coverage, celebration vs. nitpicking in sports
• 28:24–44:18: Amin’s weekend observations, Oscars hot takes, dive into “Tommy Boy” cultural critique, sports ephemera

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Tone and Language

The episode blends earnest media and sports critique with irreverent comedy, self-awareness, and Miami-style banter. Speakers do not shy from passionate or even hyperbolic language, mixing nostalgia, cultural frustration, and sharp media criticism with signature silliness and inside jokes.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This hour is a whirlwind through the uncertain future of media, the polarized reactions to modern NBA, why it’s hard to celebrate anything without knee-jerk negativity, and how pop culture and sports intersect in both substantive and silly ways. The squad critiques generational divides, hero-worship, and the temptation to play characters—whether on TV, in sports, or in how we relate to the truth. They round out with freewheeling Oscars chatter, comedic detours, and reminders to both “work in a salad” and keep things in perspective.

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Summary prepared by podcast summarizer AI. Key opinions and quotes are faithfully attributed as requested.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats Podcast.

Amin's going to join us in a little bit here. We'll get his weekend observations. I also want to get his thoughts on the conversation we were just having and play for all of you, Mike Wilbon's last appearance with us where he was complaining like an old guy the way that Barkley and Shaq do about today's NBA. I was actually surprised by his response because Mike Wilbon has loved basketball like very few people I've ever known in my life. To see him sour on today's sport actually caught me off guard. But before I do that, I wanted to ask David and all of you if you're watching specifically what's happening at CBS as Stephen Colbert does the best show he's ever done. Freest show talking politics nightly in a way that he's uniquely equipped for. And to see Jimmy Kimmel's evolution from the man show to now he's regularly tackling politics and the both of them are doing something that's in the realm of Bill Maher While the established late night entity of Johnny Carson falls apart because Jimmy Fallon can't do what Colbert has always done and what Kimmel has grown into doing. But CBS is bought and paid for. What's happened to one of our legacy media items is about to collapse as soon as Colbert leaves. And you will see nothing on there ever again that feels anything like what Colbert is presently doing. His show's on fire. Like if you watch right now, he's honoring what Jon Stewart did when bringing the Daily show up as a credible news outlet that's fighting for democracy. And it's a jester fighting against our dull, incompetent, corrupt, felonious king. A court jester who's doing his job correctly. But are you watching, David? Everything specifically, specifically happening at CBS where there is a billionaire corporate takeover that is trying to turn it into something that more resembles Fox News and isn't in any way something that is in any way aspiring to objectivity.

[David]

Well, Fox News is actually not all that in good graces either with the government. And really what the bigger concern is is whether or not you can threaten to take away the license of a media company for not talking about an issue the way the President wants you to talk about it. That to me is the most concerning issue where you need them to talk about the war in Iran in a certain way or you will threaten them with their lifeblood. It is absolutely should be scary to everyone here, no matter your political views, if there is a risk of a state run media.

[Dan Le Batard]

And that's.

I haven't seen, I have, I have not seen what is presently happening in media in my entire lifetime, not adult lifetime, even reading about history. I'd have to go back to McCarthy ISM to feel anything like what it is that is presently happening with the government weaponizing all sorts of things in order. What about Cuba?

[David]

I thought that was state run. That was part of the problem with the state run media.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, but that's talking, you're talking about 1959. That's before McCarthy is. You're talking about something. The last thing that I could remember that feels anything like what is presently happening in and around the media, where the government is actively trying to create fear. That changes the way that all of these free speech enterprises do business. It's something I've never seen in my life. This is something that no one listening to this has seen in their life.

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[David]

Oh, it's not surprising. Right. He's. Now that's the whole problem with dealing with authoritarian policy is that you think you're in, but then you're out. And when you're out, you can't get back in. And everybody who's in becomes out. And then all of a sudden you're left with one person sitting alone at the top.

[Dan Le Batard]

Trump has lost Alex.

[David]

Jo so this is the process that happens. And so the question is, can we hold on long enough?

[Dan Le Batard]

Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones now aren't far right enough.

[David]

It's not about far right to me anymore. It's really not about make America great. It's really about who is going to only do what he wants when he wants you to do it the way he wants you to do it. It's not really about far right or far left.

[Amin]

He's lost plenty of people on the far right that don't think he's far right enough because of what he ran on. Like Nick Fuentes is essentially a Nazi. He's a war white nationalist, and he's telling everybody to vote Democrat because this guy ran on Epstein Files, this guy ran on no wars. Like those are two central platform issues for many on the far right. Isolationism. You can't be claiming that when you're in yet another Middle Eastern war with no real plan. So he's lost a lot of people that are still white nationalists on the right for not going overboard.

[David]

One of the things that you have to focus on as we hit the midterms and as we go on is what position will Republicans take? And is it possible that you can go back to being a Republican? Because what got lost with Trump won 45, Trump 45 and Trump 47 is people who are run of the mill Republicans. There was no room for them anymore. And if you're seeing the possibility of room again and that room is manifested by voting Democrat, that's when you get a chance.

[Dan Le Batard]

But let's talk about the control of the media and let's talk for a second about a post truth world, because I think we're already there. When you talk about the things that my parents warned me about, which is you can't trust the propaganda, you can't trust the media, you cannot trust the way that communism fell in Cuba in the late 50s and early 60s has all of the things in it that we're presently talking about, minus the artificial intelligence, minus the fact that I now, and this has been the case with me for a while, but I'm a little stunned to see it happening with the young people around here. I just don't know what's real anymore when I'm watching just about anything. And my wife, who's younger than me, can spot all of this stuff better than me when I'm watching an ad and she's like, that's not a human being talking. That's a fake mouth on that person. And I'm like, I don't see what you're seeing here. But it's happening now all over the place in a way that's more confusing. Confusing than it's ever been. And it's only going to get worse. Imagine when the propaganda was just, you can't believe what you're reading in a newspaper because they can fake that. Now my eyes are consistently lying to me.

[Amin]

No, we're beyond cooked. And I don't know if we ever get back from it because AI is only going to get better. But this started really in the 2000 teens with Facebook targeted messages that essentially helped sway that election. And now here we are where you're counting fingers and, and looking at how much coffee might be spilling out.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's always my go to, I gotta look at the fingers.

[Amin]

It's insane. And the conservative oligarchy's assault on truth has been a wild success. Sometimes it looks like, hey, the verified account doesn't have a blue check anymore. Have fun. That's because you get to decide your own truth, which means we get to manipulate you and we get to devise our own truth too. We don't actually have to be accountable if we're beholden to journalistic principles. We're gonna consolidate all the trut journalism companies and they're gonna be owned by oligarchs too. I don't think there's any coming back from it because I don't know if we're gonna have that grand reshaping here in this country. You need to have a set standard, at least federally here in the United States, that if something is AI, it needs to be tagged. I don't know if we're gonna get there. It certainly won't be this administration. And by then, by the time you have an administration change, are we legit too far down that road to ever come back from it?

[Dan Le Batard]

So you know about that. Create your own algorithm, Zaz. I got a good algorithm. You know about that algorithm, Tristan Little bbl. Know what you're talking about.

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[Dan Le Batard]

algorithm on Instagram is Dance All Boobs

Stugats.

It's a good algorithm.

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

Amin is here and I want to get him in on the conversation we were having before this one. Amin Zaz was wondering whether Inside the NBA has gotten too negative as a studio show. Let's play this sound of Michael Wilbon again. Michael Wilbon, obviously a voice from my youth on loving basketball more than all of the other sports by leaps and bounds, and I was really surprised when this was his answer to my question recently. The sport today in its evolved form, where players are getting hurt all over the place. They're playing a different style, 53s a game, everything that's happening in the sport. Do you love it the same way that you did?

I hate it. I hate it this week more than ever. I wanted to come and sit down and watch a real game between Oklahoma City and San Antonio the other night. And then I find out half the people aren't playing, which is the norm. It's the norm for half the people you paid to see. Whether you paid to see in person or at home on one of the nine streaming services. That makes it so you don't even know where the games are. You don't even know where they are. Is it on Prime? Is it on espn? Is it on NBC? NBA tv? Where the hell's the game? I can't find it. I was with Charles Barkley one night in Arizona recently. We're having dinner and we were like, hey, we gotta go watch that game. And Charles and I both look at each other go, where's the game? Where is it? Two people who are employed to talk about basketball on national television don't know where the damn game is.

Yeah, but that's just old guys. That's just.

No, it's not old guys. No, it isn't. It actually isn't. I asked my son about it. He's 17. He plays high school basketball. I don't like All Star Weekend. Talk about lightweight and talk about the the NBA's had years to address and fix the All Star Game and apparently is afraid to who do they not want to cross? They don't want to cross.

LeBron.

They don't want to cross. Who is. They don't want to offend Steph, I doubt, I doubt it's those two guys. But who are they? Who's the league afraid to offend? You want to put a game out there of international players versus us, you'd have interest in that. The moment the Super Bowl's over, you'd have fascination with that. They're scared to do it and they come up with three teams. It's just lazy. You know what it is? I know I'm not going to curse and say what I want to say. You know what it is? Starts with a B and an S.

[Amin]

We're going to bring in Amin here, who I want to commend because I'm trying to change my relationship with the NBA because of Amin's valid criticisms of my opinion, because I subscribe to all these tropes. Let me reengage with the sport and let me see if it's actually entertaining again. So I'm doing that right now. I mean, we've played these opinions from Michael Wilbon, Shaq and Charles Barkley and how they sound crotchety and old and disgusted with the game as it is today. And I'm just asking the question, haven't their opinions always been old and crotchety? The only thing that's different is that they're actually old right now. I mean, Shaq was complaining about the NBA when you had traditional bigs. Dwight Howard wasn't good enough of a traditional big man for Shaq. So I'm sure he's not going to like some guy that doesn't come out to the perimeter. I think the only difference here is these guys have just gotten older, but their opinions are the same.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I mean Shaq for sure. I've told the story on this program a million times. But I saw Shaq the year the warriors won their first championship. This was in January, February of that year. So they saw and won anything. And I saw him out and he said, hey, how's it going? Da da da. Said who do you think is going to win? I said, who do you think is going to win, big fella? And he said, nobody's beating them light skinned boys from Golden State. This is someone who absolutely understands the modern game. Showed me video soon after of his high school son who's 69 or 610 and how is nothing but perimeter based? He said, this is the way the game is played and they do it better than anyone else. So Shaq's not like, oh, I can't believe they shot so many. That's not at all his real opinion. The problem is when you're dealing with Shaq, you're dealing with someone who constantly feels like, I gotta play a character, I gotta be on. Now sometimes the character services his own legacy, meaning I played this way. So if I speak ill of playing that way, well, basically, what have I done to my own legacy? I, I've ruined it. So sometimes he speaks in service of that, sometimes he speaks in service of just being antagonistic. And we've seen it all the time, even within the context of the show, against Barkley, telling him, your opinion doesn't matter because you've never won a championship. This is all someone who is playing a role on tv and a role that's rewarded him quite handsomely when it comes to Wilbon. I, I, I. This is where I see him getting old. Because he's complaining about not knowing where the game is instead of saying, wow, the game is now on in more places for people who don't have to get a league pass subscription. Instead of doing that, he's complaining about in the first year of a new TV rights deal, having to find some new stations. That's all it is. Five years from now, will we still hear these complaints? Probably not.

But what do you make in general of the negativity of the coverage? You still love the sport. You get mad at Mike when he's that critical of it. Your passion shows all the time. Your enthusiasm has not waned. Jeff Van Gundy was let go, at least in part, cuz he was criticizing officials too much. Your enthusiasm for the game is infectious. What do you make of old people railing against the game?

I don't think Jeff Van Gundy got let go because he was critical. I think Jeff Van Gundy got let go because ESPN does weird things sometimes where they let people go who are more than qualified to do their job. That's, that's, I truly believe that. I don't think. Because let me put it this way. If the NBA was pressuring ESPN about coverage, there'd be a lot of people who got let go. There'd be a lot of people who got let go.

You can believe what you want here. I have slightly more information than you do here on why it is and how it is. Jeff Van Gogh Sunday was let go. And it's not quite as random as one bozo executive making dumb decisions like happen to know they had a problem. I do have sounds Like, I happen to know it is, you know, Jeff, they happen to. Happens to know they have a problem. They had a problem with how negative he was on the official.

Sure, sure. But, you know, again, espn, I don't think I ever will use them as the. The kind of the weather vein of which way or bellwether, there you go. Of which way, you know, these things are going. But overall, Dan, negativity sells across the board in everything, it seems like. And I think people went 10 toes in on just this negative coverage. And it's funny, I heard you earlier mention all players don't like Barkley, man. Like, I've been listening to some of these player shows. They don't sound enthusiastic or positive either. It's just they don't like when someone else does it, right? When. When they complain about who are these guys that are held, you know, who haven't played. How dare they have opinions. I'm like, because some of your opinions are all about, hey, when I did it. When I. It's all about again, servicing your legacy and your resume rather than just seeing it how it is. And Zaz, I thought you were absolutely right. And that's. I mean, I guess everyone go play some bets tonight because Zaz got something right. Like the idea of, like, hey, man, we. It's okay to say Saturday night was a fun game and we don't have to look at it in the big picture. Does this mean they're going to win a title? No, we can just talk about Saturday night. Two good teams in the Western Conference jockeying for position, and we got a great game, and we can just talk about that.

[David]

The whole point, I mean, is that they wouldn't talk about that as a great game. That's how this conversation started. It is that they did not. They weren't wowed by the greatness of what should have been an important game.

[Dan Le Batard]

The larger point as it relates to that specific game is what regular season game is going to get you excited. If that one between the Lakers and the Nuggets with all the stars playing with a controversial ending isn't the one that gets you excited.

But, Dan, at the same time, I. I feel like everybody's sports journey includes a rearing by the people who brought you that sport. So for me, I think of people like Walt Clyde Frazier, I think of Bill Walton, I think of Doug Collins, I think of Isaiah Thomas, I think about all those guys who, in my formative years of watching basketball, these are Hubie Brown people who are breaking down what's happening in the game and why you should do things this way and why you shouldn't do things that way. And overall, being fairly positive about the game. You're right, Dan. I love this game was the slogan of the NBA. I think the NBA should bring it back because you got to make it flip. That switch of positivity and love over eternal negativity about everything now. But positivity doesn't mean we never criticize. Positivity doesn't mean everyone's always awesome. I, I got a weekend observation note about Doug Christie talking about, oh, we never tank in Sacramento. Like, like, you know, like that doesn't mean I gotta be like, way to go, Doug. Chris, you're doing a great job. But it does mean that when something good happens, like BAM out of BioScoring 83 points, let's not sit around and nitpick until this is reasons why this 83 point doesn't matter. Because this, that and the other one, we know we go through history. All these big scoring events have the same element in it. And that's my biggest thing when it comes to NBA criticism. It's when things are being done that have always been done. But we're going to pretend like it's brand new right now.

We're going to get to Amin's weekend observations in a second. But let's hear Reggie Miller here, defending the 83 point performance of Bam Adebayo.

I don't care if it's your local church league, you get a chance to go for history, you go for it. And I'm so tired of all these podcasters and all these guys that never played the game talking about all the sanctity and they ruined basketball, I do not care. 83 is 83. And for coach Bolstruck and for Bam to be getting a lot of hate from this, your hate is misdirected because it should be towards the Washington Generals.

I know they're the Wizards, but the

way they were playing, they look like the Washington Generals. Okay, but. And that's where your hate should be.

I mean, your thoughts there.

So, number one, I agree 100% with Reggie. Number two, Reggie's a guy who's an old guy, was drafted in 1987, who played much of his career in an era where the game didn't look like what it does now. And Reggie, for the most part is a positive voice when he talks about games. Now people hate Reggie Miller for other reasons. I can't speak to that. But like, but again, the other thing that we're victims of is we focus in on the negative voices when there are a lot of people on broadcast, not on podcasts, not on these weird. You have to dig to find it on the national broadcast who speak about the game in a glowing and positive manner.

[Amin]

Quick break to tell you about a special Miller time I had with my good buddy Mochetta. Mochetta texted me the other day, said, hey, what are you doing for the game? I said, I'm just on my couch right now doing nothing, enjoying it. He's like, hey, do you want some company? I said, from you, Mochetta? Absolutely. Mochetta comes over to the house and I pull out the Miller Lite. Miller Lite made that casual hang a memorable good Miller time with my good friend Mochetta because Miller Lite brought us together. We took that first sip after we toasted our beers and we knew we made the right call. We watched a game. All of a sudden we're standing up on our feet and big threes are being drained and white cans are being clanged. See times like these. That's exactly why Miller Lite is my go to Clean, refreshing, easy to drink, brewed for taste with simple ingredients. The original light beer since 1975 and it still hits different for yours truly and his good friend Mo Chedda. Cheers to legendary moments made with 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.

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Your little one grew three inches overnight.

[Dan Le Batard]

Adorable.

[Ad]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Don LeBatard doesn't matter anywhere.

We could do it in Buffalo or

Baltimore either, he said. You could do it where? Anywhere. Oh, whoa.

[Ad]

Oh.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's crazy.

That's crazy.

That's crazy.

He said he could do it anywhere.

That's crazy.

Murder. Murder. Tell him Stugach.

[Amin]

I had no idea. Mean had that in his locker.

[Dan Le Batard]

That might be his best.

[Ad]

That's crazy.

I'm not kidding.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's crazy.

Killer. It's two America's dead. You don't get it.

This is the Don lebatar show with the Stugach.

You mentioned Bill Walton. Here is a photo from years ago of the late Bill Walton. We forget how tall these human beings are and how regular things in life don't apply to them. They can't shower in normal showers in hotel rooms. They cannot sleep in normal beds. And their legs are so long that they have to sit on three banquet hall chairs.

[David]

He had a bad back.

[Dan Le Batard]

That too, but. But he also needed help.

[David]

Sound like they did that?

[Dan Le Batard]

Nobody. He needed to be higher as well. He needed to be higher.

It's for his knees.

It's for his legs.

It's why the players on the NBA bench, they sit on that huge cushion.

[David]

Phil Jackson, when that started. Go back and watch Phil Jackson with the Bulls. That was in regard to the pain.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's right. But the players who sit on it today, it's because of their knees.

[Ad]

What?

[Dan Le Batard]

Dave? What are you discussing? What are you doing? What are you doing?

[David]

You try to prove a point by finding something of Bill Wall.

[Dan Le Batard]

No.

No.

[David]

Because I disagree.

[Dan Le Batard]

No time now for Amin's weekend observations. It is time for Amin to share his game notes.

No one in the media will tell

you what happened better than my boy Amin.

[Ad]

Weekend observations brought to you by Miller. Light legendary moments. Start with the light.

[Dan Le Batard]

By the way, I could see David's legs on his way out. He should hole. They only see. See me from the waist up thing. Yeah.

We should put a bunch of chairs in there for him to sit in for his long legs.

Not enough chairs. Then last night at the Oscars, there were a lot of rooting interests. Some people wanted Michael B. Jordan to win Best Actor, and he did. Some people wanted PTA to win Best Director, and he did. David Sampson wanted Mr. Nobody versus Putin to win Best Documentary, and it did. I wanted Train Dreams to get shut out of every possible category and get. By God, it did. Just like that. Make no mistake. Anonymity for that piece of movie is back. The gone. Boring drivel. Oh, I have to listen to this all weekend. Lovely little train dreams are so beautiful. Boring. Nothing happens in it. Train Dreams. It's like picking all the boring parts of red Dead Redemption 2 and making a movie out of it. Oh, you want to just pick certain herbs and flowers and then ride around for 20 hours or across American West. Yeah, that's it. Congrats to Team usa. Way to go on the road in a hostile environment and get a win. It's gotta hurt for the public, right? I give. Team USA had lost. There's literally dozens of other other sports that we turn our attention to. Like, okay, cool. That's what's next. Let's do that one. This is literally the only thing that doctor has.

[Ad]

No.

[Dan Le Batard]

You know what they say? Hello, K. Poppy. Albert Pujols is their manager working a salad.

[David]

Whoa, What?

[Dan Le Batard]

Wait, you and me can't be making that joke. Need to be the work in a salad. Work in a salad. I do as my fifth meal.

Is he looking big these days?

I didn't see that's what he's saying. Yes.

Who made it a salad? Why is that, Dan? Why is it black people can make black people jokes, but fat people can't make fat people jokes?

[David]

Yeah,

[Dan Le Batard]

right. Like, if you guys made a black person joke, I'd be offended. But if I make a fat person joke, you're offended. But if you make a fat person joke now, it's taboo.

[Ad]

It's called hypocrisy, Amin.

[Dan Le Batard]

Ah, thank you. Thank you, Roy.

[Ad]

You're welcome.

[Dan Le Batard]

Victor Wembanyama. Hippo said the other day that the inflammation and swelling is down all over his body, except for in one place. Hey, Wemby, leave the cheeky humor to Ant man. Your job is to be the NBA saint. Nobody comes to a Jerry Seinfeld show expecting Richard Pryor material. If you're looking for an independent sports and entertainment podcast network with great content like pack your knives, basketball, Illuminati, here's the science. And Cinephobe, check out Count the Dongs. I mean dings. Count the Ding.

Count the Dongs is a totally different website. I think you got to be careful with that.

[Ad]

Don't type that in Dark Web.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's called a callback, folks. In comedy to things that happened in yesterday's show. Speaking of cinephobe. Cinefobe Episode 303 the long awaited Much Requested. Everyone's been dying for this one, Tommy Boy. This movie set the standard for comedy for a generation of white people, including my co host and my freshman year college roommate at Georgia Tech. For black people, not so much. Cinephone. Wherever you get podcasts, you guys like Tommy Boy. Let me get Zaz. You love Tommy Boy, right? Love it. Never seen it.

[Ad]

Excellent movie.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh my God.

I wasn't even going for that joke. Zaz dang.

[Amin]

Never seen it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Roy.

Just holding.

Excellent though. What do you do with that? Because this does not not fall along your racial lines, your convenient racial tropes.

Yeah. Roy, you're not being an ally right now.

[Ad]

I'm sorry, but it's a foul.

You keep a six pack of beer soda in here.

I'm with you mean swag.

[Dan Le Batard]

Roy, the Ravens.

Roy disagrees. But what about Roy? What about Roy's opinion here? You're. Roy sideswiped you. He is saying that he is a black person who liked Tommy boys.

Roy, watch me be an ally. Dan, we are not a monolith.

There you go. That's how you do that. Good job.

Good job.

[Ad]

Tommy want wingy?

[Dan Le Batard]

You said it's white people movie. You made white people a monolith. You did that. I didn't do that. You did that.

Dan, do you. Do you like Tommy Boy?

I do. Now.

The Ravens.

Now where are we on?

[Ad]

What are we doing with Tommy Boy?

[Dan Le Batard]

Tommy Boy is not funny. You don't want to do this. It's not funny.

[Ad]

It's crazy.

[Dan Le Batard]

And for. For years I had to hear people say something in something baby voice with a Y in the indie and think

[Ad]

that's like a guy in a little shirt.

[Dan Le Batard]

See, I beat you to it. It's not funny. It's just a fat guy, a little co. You ate paint chips as a kid, did you?

[Ad]

Chris Farley's not funny.

[Dan Le Batard]

You could take a bull and put

[Ad]

it up your ass, but.

[David]

But I'll take your word for it.

[Ad]

Butcher.

[Dan Le Batard]

I. I mean that's. He butchers it. That's the joke.

[Ad]

He butchers it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Put it on the poll at Leonard show. Was Chris Farley funny? Go ahead, Amin.

I give Chris Farley a lot of credit for being an incredible physical comedian. He was not afraid to put his body on the line. He was incredibly nimble, despite being a bigger guy doing cartwheels and stuff. And not for me.

[Ad]

Not for me.

[Amin]

Where did he get the energy to do all of that?

[Ad]

Never been cow tipping before. What you do, you put your shoulders into it and you push.

[Dan Le Batard]

You are proving a means point. You specifically.

[Amin]

It's not a bad impression.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, it's a good impression. But the fact that he can recite every single, every single line from that movie as if he's been studying the script at home. It's herby Hancock when it's that old. When the movie's that old. He has proven at every point a means point.

[David]

Bo Derek

[Dan Le Batard]

Lowe.

Rob Lowe was ineffectual in that movie. He wasn't even in good shape. That was the 90s for you hot mom. The Ravens voided the Max Crosby deal that would have sent Vegas two first round picks. Instead, they signed Trey Hendrickson to a deal, thus losing zero first round picks. I know you're not here, but put that into something the Ponder File

[David]

Hey,

[Dan Le Batard]

March Madness reminds me of last year, getting in a heated, spirited debate in the office with Florida alum Ethan Badowski by how the Gators had no shot to make it to the Final Four for battling to a stealmate. I walked away and mentioned to Mike Fuentes. I haven't watched a single second of Florida basketball since Nick Calathez that time of year. Jim Ursay's estate sale netted $93 million, including Muhammad Ali's fight robe from Ali Liston 2 from his first public appearance after changing his name from Cash's Clay to Muhammad Ali. That sold for $444,000, a Jackie Robinson bat from the 1953 season sold for $406,000 and a Me spiral notebook containing 28 pages of Sylvester Stallone's original Rocky script sold for $58,000. You disrespectful sons of bitches. Speaking of disrespectful sons of A new season of Bar Rescue and we've got you covered at here's the Science of Bar Rescue podcast hosted by real life bar restaurant consultant Chelsea Reynolds, commercial kitchen and food truck vet Colin Casser, and two guys who might actually have paid even more for an original script to Rocky 5, Zach Harper and myself. Spoiler alert. It's just crayon scribbles in the back of a utility bill. Wherever you get podcasts WNBA Commission Kathy Engelbert setting an artificial deadline of today for a deal to get done to avoid disruption of the season. Textbook Create a sense of urgency negotiation tactic. I learned this yesterday. Chalamet is older than SGA and about a year younger than Giannis. Think about how y' all talk about these people and then put into perspective that dude is older by three years than SGA and a year younger than Giannis, who is like damn near ancient now. Ridiculous. NBA Board of Governors meeting this week to explore two new expansion locations, Vegas and Seattle. Mark my words, if the Vegas expansion team is not also a gaming licensed operator in the state of Nevada, it will never work. David, I'm interested in your opinion on that.

[David]

They're not going to allow them to have an independent source of revenue that the other teams don't get. They're not going to get a license as their own team as part of expansion.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't think they. No, I'm saying if they're not already licensed. So if it's not someone who already owns a gaming operation in Nevada, it will never work. It's the most saturated market in the world in terms of venues per capita.

[David]

There can have gambling inside the arena. If you're referring to that where you can have slot machines and games and betting.

[Dan Le Batard]

David, how do you make make money at your building on non game day nights? General.

[David]

No, you have to have other events. You have to have.

[Dan Le Batard]

The sphere is struggling for this reason. It costs way too much and the ability to get events every night in a building makes it too hard.

[David]

Wizard of Oz has helped a lot.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's not, it's not that. It's not the. Just the ability to get ax. It's the ability to get acts in the most saturated per capita venue market. You're not just in New York, you're competing Barclays and MSG in Vegas. There's no shortage of 16 to 20,000 seat venues. And they all have casinos attached to them. You know which one doesn't? The Sphere. That's why they're struggling, because they totally

[David]

connected to the Venetian. What do you.

[Dan Le Batard]

What are you talking about exactly? Who owns the Sphere?

[David]

David Dolan.

[Dan Le Batard]

Who owns the Venetian? Not Dolan.

[David]

You're talking about the Sphere making money as a standalone entity. It's because the expense of turning on the lights is way more than T Mobile arena every time they do an event there.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm talking about when you own a gaming operation next door. It doesn't matter. You can take an L on the event because you're funneling them to your slot machine machines. That's why, by the way, the Cleveland Cavaliers make money hand over fist because they have a gaming operation literally attached via Skyway to their arena.

[David]

So you're assuming the Mets with their casino now where the chop shops are, they're in good shape.

[Dan Le Batard]

They're gonna. They're about to be in a lot better shape than they've ever been. Leave it to the Kings to even be bad at being bad. Winners of two straight five and five in their last 10, head coach Doug Christie defiantly announced the Kings will never tank. And I said, oh, so you guys are 18 and 51 by trying your best. There's a Marco Bellanelli documentary coming out. No, we're a long way from the last dance, folks.

No.

The hell we doing? Speaking of hell, art brials, those are the weekend observations.

[Amin]

That one Bellanelli summer league, though, he had to be there. I mean, do you remember that one summer league?

[Dan Le Batard]

I was there, man. It was the Golden State warriors were all trying to break their own wreck the summer league scoring record. It was between Bellanelli, Anthony Morrow and Anthony Randolph and all three of them. You couldn't have told me on that day that those guys weren't going to run the league in like three years. They were amazing.

The New York jets have traded Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs. That just happened. According to the athletic. I am found. I found that I'm surrounded by complete indifference about this and every face that I look at in the room. Amin your thoughts last night on the Oscars?

Oh, you know, it was our again. I was just rooting for one eventuality and that was for train dreams to get. Get blocked on everything. That sucks. Oh, no. I'm gonna be negative on this, David, because I posted my rankings of the best movies I watched from the Oscar nominees. I said number one was Begonia. I thought that was the best move. Not that it was going to win. I'm just saying that was the best movie I saw. I thought Sentimental Value was incredible. I actually thought it would win because it was about a filmmaker in. In part. And I thought that would get the academy really invested.

[David]

It did win.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I thought it would win Best picture is. Is what I thought. But yeah, it's Sentimental Value I thought was just an incredible movie.

You thought the best movie of the year was Begonia?

It was the most creative story, most entertaining and incredible performances by Emma Stone and by my man Jesse Flemings. Jesse.

[Ad]

I just didn't like the ending. I liked it all the way up until the last like 15 minutes.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't know how.

[Ad]

I don't know. I don't know how they were supposed to land that plane. But, you know, I just was a little disappointed. I really liked it the whole time.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. The ending is weird because without spoiling it, I found myself because the movie is about how people will believe whatever they want to believe and they're going to believe it to a crazy extent. Right. And it's kind of a real commentary of the world it is. That we live in today. And then the ending kind of subverts that a little bit. But. But I thought it was an incredible movie. Sentimental Value was incredible too. But I know that people don't like reading subtext Subtitles so there's that.

David, I. I want to know what you think of this list. This is from Amin on the movies of the Year. He's got at number 10, train dreams. And then there's a canyon sized gap. And then number nine, F1. Number eight, Hamnet. Number seven. There's a big gap between Hamnet and number seven, Frankenstein. There's a big gap between number six, Marty Supreme. Number five, Sinners. Number four, One Battle. Number three, Secret Agent. Number two, Sentimental Value. And as he says, number one, Begonia.

[David]

What's the big gap? I didn't know you could do a big gap in a top 10 that is brand new for me.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I put the gaps in there, David, to indicate to people that there is like. So for instance, between 2 and 3 there's a massive, massive leap. To me, the incentimental value and Secret Agent. They're like tears. Was a. Yeah, like tears. Yeah. I just want to make it clear that it's not like the same separation between 1 and 2 as there is from 2 and 3. And definitely not the same separation between 2 and 3 as there is from 9 and 10. 10 was awesome.

I'm glad we made all that clear.

I'm glad the Oscars made it clear.

[Amin]

Shot clocks, Big shots, upsets, aces. TGL playoffs are here. First Atlanta Drive starts their repeat run against Los Angeles Golf Club. Then Rory's Boston Common golf and Tigers Jupiter Lynx face off in their playoff debuts. Who will advance? Keep up its playoffs. Tune in Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30pm and 9pm only on ESPN and the ESPN app.