Joel Embiid's Sixers Future Up In The Air + Mike's Top 5 Studio Shows | Hour 2

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour: 2
Date: May 11, 2026
Main Theme:
The crew dives deep into the uncertain future of Joel Embiid with the Sixers, explores the historic NBA playoffs particularly for the Knicks, debates why successful “funny” personalities are so rare in sports studio shows, evaluates the best current studio shows according to Mike Ryan, and discusses evolving attitudes in sports, notably around mental health in hockey. The episode is marked by the show's trademark mix of irreverent banter, sports obsession, and meta-media commentary.

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Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Joel Embiid’s Uncertain Sixers Future

[00:08]–[01:13]

• Discussion opens with Joel Embiid’s surprising comments about his own uncertain future with Philadelphia, despite a massive new contract extension not yet even starting.
• Notable Quote:
  • Joel Embiid: “I don't know who's going to be here. I don't even know if I'm going to be here. But you know, whatever happens, happens.” (Stu Gats, quoting Embiid, [00:25])
• The crew is perplexed by the public doubt preceding the contract kicking in.
• Tony Reali: “Has a player doubted what team he's going to play for next season before the contract that he just signed begins?” ([00:52])

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2. Knicks’ Historic Playoff Run & State of the East

[01:13]–[04:16]

• Mike Ryan presents stats highlighting the Knicks’ unexpected dominance: best point differential through 10 postseason games (+194), biggest playoff blowouts, substantial win streaks, and the city’s renewed excitement.
• Tony Reali asserts: “Yeah, they're going to win the East.” ([03:09])
• The group muses about the cyclical nature of Knicks hype and the rare continuity and improvement over recent years: “They've gotten better for four years. They've gotten better every year for four years.” (Mike Ryan, [03:45])
• Lighthearted speculation on renaming Manhattan streets for Knicks players after a deep run—parodying overexcited fan traditions.
• Notion that the Knicks are built to face the Celtics but might face more difficulty against Detroit.

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3. What Makes “Funny” Work in Sports Studio Shows?

[04:16]–[13:19]

• Central Question: Why aren’t there more genuinely funny, entertaining personalities in sports broadcast studio shows?
• Dan notes Draymond Green’s failed attempt to fill Barkley’s shoes, observing: “...trying funny is the worst thing that you could be on television. If you're going to make people wince and cringe…” ([05:06])
• Speakers rattle off rare examples—Charles Barkley, Paul Bissonnette, Bill Walton, John Madden, Bob Uecker, Gruden—acknowledging how true, authentic comedic chemistry is rare; most “funny” moments are unintentional or born of unique character rather than effortful jokes.
  • Chris Cote: “The funniest things in sports are usually things that are characters that were unintentionally funny, like John Madden...” ([06:59])
• Mike Ryan: “Baseball has more room to do it…” ([07:43])
• Discussion pivots to why more shows attempt “fun,” referencing Jimmy Kimmel’s odd stint on Monday Night Football to illustrate the jarring effect when genuine humor interrupts sports’ traditional seriousness.
• Tony Gonzalez: “A lot of the people that are those positions are kind of dorky… this is our lane. It's people that are comedians. Go be funny somewhere else.” ([09:35])
• Debate on whether current studio shows are too frivolous or just lack genuine chemistry (“Chuckle fests or faking laughter because you have to to help your teammate…” – Mike Ryan, [12:22])
• Chemistry versus forced comedy, with College GameDay and Paramount’s Champions League studio highlighted as rare successful blends of information and entertainment.

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4. Meta Commentary: The Business of Comedy & Brand Forgiveness

[13:19]–[25:34]

• Mike Ryan marvels at Netflix’s strategic acquisition of comedy, “saving” the art form by providing platforms for diverse comedians.
• Dan and the crew note the proliferation of streaming—Prime, Peacock, and different platforms showing unexpected games, referencing sports’ ever-changing media landscape.
• Extended, satirical riffs on the “cost of living” in LA (the price of a turkey sandwich at the airport: “$25.30”—a mini running gag in the segment [26:19–27:12]).
• Discussion on Louis CK's Mainstream Return
  • Mike is astonished that brands and billboards accept his comeback, given the “crimes” of the #MeToo era.
    • “...if you test these winds, what's coming back is some visuals of this guy in a corner masturbating around people who didn't want...” ([24:15])
    • Others crack jokes about what "should" be left off (or put on) the billboard (Roy, [24:22]).
  • Tony Gonzalez remarks on brand forgetfulness: “Corporations… have a goldfish mentality…” ([23:59])

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5. Mike's Top 5 Sports Studio Shows (Current)

[29:55]–[31:44]
Detailed ranking and rationale by Chris Cote:

1. College GameDay (Gold standard, chemistry, informative, and entertaining)
2. Paramount’s Champions League Coverage (“Incredible host, great panel, informative, funny...”)
3. Prime’s NBA Coverage (Not inside the NBA—a changing of the guard)
4. Turner's Inside the NHL (Gold standard for hockey)
5. Prime’s NFL Coverage and Prime's NASCAR Coverage (For access and personality-driven approach)

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6. Big-Brand Shifts in Sports Rights

[31:44]–[32:28]

• Crew discusses Amazon buying three Duke basketball games, paralleling Notre Dame’s independent broadcasting model, and more sports games moving to streamers like Peacock.

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7. Legacy Remembered: Bobby Cox & “Unbreakable” Records

[32:36]–[36:52]

• Bobby Cox honored for his record 158 (possibly 162) career ejections—a record deemed “unbreakable” due to modern replay review and changes in umpire relations.
• Crew reminisces about the ’90s Braves era, the TBS “superstation,” and Ted Turner’s quirky legacy (ostrich races at the ballpark).
• Notable Quotes:
  • “He was ejected from almost a season's worth of baseball games.” (Mike Ryan, [33:56])
  • “The next active manager is Terry Francona and he is currently sitting at 54. He's got a ways to go, buddy. Better get angry now.” (Tony Reali, [35:55])
• Joking rivalry over who 'deserves' ejections: Aaron Boone’s pace, and lamenting what’s lost in the replay era.

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8. Mental Health, Hockey Culture & Victor Hedman

[37:08]–[43:11]

• Panel unpacks Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman stepping away for mental health reasons despite being team captain—a significant culture shift for such a “toughness-mandated” sport.
• Mike Ryan: “...the culture of that sport, the amount of strength that it requires while feeling weak to say I cannot do anything at the end of this season, I am not available to my teammates during the difficult time of everyone is playing broken at this time of year…” ([38:24])
• Empathy shared for Hedman’s decision; panel contrasts hockey and football's “play through pain” ethos with evolving acceptance of mental health leaves.
• Chris Cote notes mental health absences in hockey becoming more accepted, citing Spencer Knight.
• Dan Le Batard: “He’s basically the extension of the coach. He’s able to talk to the referees and in the seven game series… he absolutely would have made a difference in that series.” ([40:20])
• Consensus: This is a notable, positive sign of changing sports culture, though some doubts about how the locker room views such absences in high-pressure moments remain.

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9. Memorable Quotes & Exchanges

• On Draymond Green & studio humor:
  “He’s the guy at the great party who does the thing to ruin the great party and I think cost himself that job.” — Dan Le Batard ([05:06])
• On why genuinely funny sports voices are rare:
  “Trying funny is the worst thing that you could be on television.” — Dan Le Batard ([05:06])
• On brands forgetting past scandals:
  “…corporations… have a goldfish mentality when it comes to remembering things of the past…” — Tony Gonzalez ([23:59])
• On culture shift in hockey:
  “It’s a unique situation because not only is he a champion for this franchise, a retired jersey capable player… but it was pretty bad, but it was between the ears.” — Chris Cote ([41:32])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Time | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | Embiid’s Uncertainty & Contract | 00:08–01:13| | Knicks’ Remarkable Playoff Run | 01:13–04:16| | Barkley, Draymond & Humor in Studio Shows | 04:16–13:19| | Netflix/comedy business & Louis CK discussion | 13:19–25:34| | LA airport turkey sandwich price gag | 25:34–27:12| | Mike's Top 5 Studio Shows | 29:55–31:44| | Sports rights shifting to streamers | 31:44–32:28| | Bobby Cox & ejections; Braves/Turner nostalgia| 32:36–36:52| | Hedman, Mental Health, Hockey Culture | 37:08–43:11|

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Tone & Style

• Language: Conversational, sarcastic, playful, and occasionally acerbic, with offbeat analogies and cultural callbacks.
• Chemistry: Freewheeling, inside jokes, sports nostalgia mingled with present-day hot takes, and meta-commentary on both sports and media.
• Style: Panel hopping, occasionally chaotic but packed with sincere insights among jokes and non-sequiturs.

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Summary Takeaways

• The NBA and sports at large are in a rare moment of upheaval, with superstars like Embiid projecting instability instead of confidence.
• Knicks’ surprise playoff dominance is creating new, perhaps excessive, optimism.
• Genuine comedy in sports studio shows remains elusive, with most who try either unintentionally succeed or fall flat—authenticity and chemistry trump forced humor.
• The proliferation of streaming platforms changes where and how fans find their teams.
• Old-school sports characters, like Bobby Cox and Ted Turner, left indelible marks that the modern game’s tech and culture shifts may never emulate again.
• Attitudes toward mental health in sports, especially “tough guy” leagues like the NHL, are shifting—slowly, but visibly.
• As always, the Le Batard show navigates the intersection of sports, culture, and media with wit and irreverence.

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Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast.

[Mike Ryan]

Joel Embiid's three year, $193 million extension begins next season, which made these comments from Joel Embiid with his colicky baby super confusing.

[Stu Gats]

VJ's gonna. I know you know and you know I'm gonna talk to him. He's gonna be better and he was amaz year. Tyrese is going to be better and he's taking a step every single year PG that we saw the last couple weeks. You know, he still got it and then everybody else. I don't know who's going to be here. I don't even know if I'm going to be here. But you know, whatever happens, happens.

[Mike Ryan]

What are you smiling about?

[Tony Reali]

Has a player doubted what team he's going to play for next season before the contract that he just signed begins? That's what we're talking about here. He doesn't know if he's going to be a six, a six or next season. His new contract hasn't even started yet. I don't think I've ever heard of that before.

[Mike Ryan]

I've got some stats here from the Knicks and I want you guys to tell me which is the most impressive of these stats. Best point differential through the first 10 games of a postseason, the Knicks are plus 194. The next best ever is the 2017 Warriors. I think that's the team I said when I saw it play. That's the best team I've ever seen. They were plus 170. So the Knicks are 24 points better than the warriors were in 2017. This is the longest post season win streak in the 80 year history of the New York Knicks. This is from Josh dubow of the AP. There have been eight times in the play by play era since 1997 that a team led a road player playoff game by more than 40 points eight times. The Knicks have done it in two of their last three playoff road games and the last game they just played, the 1.459 points per possession, it falls just short of the NBA playoff record.

[Chris Cote]

Such a good time to be a Philly sports fan.

[Tony Reali]

A week ago Knicks would have dog walk the Celtics. I'm sorry, let's call Space Spade.

[Mike Ryan]

They beat them last year. They were built to beat the Celtics and they will have it tougher against Detroit but the way that they look is super impressive. Tony, still not convinced. Anything Detroit related?

[Tony Gonzalez]

Look, I love Cade Cunningham but I think if you're picking guys in series like even with the cavs I'd probably pick Cade first, and then everybody else would be a cav for the next three or four or five players. Right. I'm looking at the Knicks the same way. I'd probably take Cade, then Brunson, then Cat, then og, then like, I'm going a long ways away before I take Amen or assure Thompson they're going to win the East. New York New York has the best shot to make the NBA Finals they've had in the last 25 years.

[Tony Reali]

Yeah, they're going to win the East.

[Mike Ryan]

So 80 years franchise history, the Knicks have won a total of six playoff games by more than 25 points. But over the past two weeks, during their seven game winning streak, the average margin of victory is 26.4 points. Points. This. If. If I put the Celtics uniforms on this Knicks team, the way it's playing, you'd say that team could beat okc.

[Chris Cote]

This also marks the third consecutive year where Dan says, this is the best time to be a Knicks fan since that lyric.

[Mike Ryan]

They've gotten better for four years. They've gotten better every year for four years.

[Chris Cote]

I know, but, like, we gotta get used to it. They were in the Eastern Conference finals last year and, like, Halliburton had, like an Eastern Conference final, like, moment after moment after Mom.

[Tony Reali]

Now, the real question is, because they did this last year, after the Knicks advance past the second round, are they naming the streets in Manhattan after Knicks players? That's what you do when you win a second round playoff series. You change the names of the streets to the players.

[Mike Ryan]

Mike is not wrong when he accuses me of saying this is the best the Knicks have felt every year for the last four years, but they've improved every year. It's actually the way that an ascent tends to look when you get to the Finals. You suffer, you suffer, you suffer, and then you break through. I know you guys talked last week. I wanna bring this up, though. I wanna bring it back, because I found really interesting the way that people rallied around Charles Barkley as if he were a lovable underdog because Draymond was mean to him. And the part about this that I wanna talk about, because I know it was chewed up by everybody last week, is something that I don't think has been chewed up by everybody, which is Draymond was trying to be funny, but he doesn't do funny well because he's,

[Roy]

you know, as we saw last night at the Kevin Hart roast, yeah, he's

[Mike Ryan]

mean and unlikable, and so he'll not be able to replace Charles Barkley on that show because they're not gonna make the mistake of going with someone who's just a loudmouth and doesn't have any actual range. But the question I wanted to ask you guys is think about this for a second. History of sports broadcasting. Give me all the people who are funny, because I find really weird that the sports playground, which should be fun in games, doesn't have more funny people in it. More people trying funny. And one of the reasons it doesn't have more funny people is because trying funny is the worst thing that you could be on television. If you're going to make people wince and cringe, which is what Draymond did with trying to be funny. He made everybody wince and cringe and somehow made the most fun studio show there is. He spoiled it by his mere presence. He's the guy at the great party who does the thing to ruin the great party and I think cost himself that job. Like, I think that they're making their determination on no Charles will be done in a few years. But you can't be the guy because you're not actually someone who's amusing enough. You don't make fun of yourself. You're not. You take yourself too seriously. Even when you try to be funny, it's not funny. Give me the list of names. Go ahead. The people who have been in sports. We talked to Jimmy Kimmel about this once, and he says, yeah, everybody's worried about what the television critic is gonna write, so they don't take any chances. Jimmy Kimmel was on, you know, Monday Night Football one time for five minutes, and it sounded different than anything Monday Night Football has ever done, because all of a sudden, near the serious stuff, you had the funny guy. But give me the names you associate with funny in sports, History of sports broadcast.

[Tony Reali]

Well, I'll tell you right now, like, Paul Bissonnette's good right now.

[Jeremy]

Yes.

[Chris Cote]

He and Charles have nailed. And it's a testament to Turner's production that these guys go for funny and they deliver on funny and they come off likable. Yes, because sometimes people overshoot the mark. But the funniest things in sports are usually things that are characters that were unintentionally funny, like John Madden and then Gruden, and they kind of find their zone and people tune in because they make them smile. But that's just them naturally doing that. Not trying to be Bill Walton.

[Tony Reali]

I was going to say Bill Walton. Was that.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, that's it.

[Roy]

Ray Hudson, not funny again.

[Chris Cote]

In that same Class of like, this guy's just brilliant. Actually, you could say that Ray Hudson is trying to be funny, because he certainly works and writes those things out.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, Kruko is funny. I mean, the Giants broadcast baseball has more room to do it, Right? Benetti is funny. Baseball has more room to do it.

[Roy]

I'm stealing from our YouTube chat now, Bob Uecker. People are throwing in.

[Mike Ryan]

It's rare, though. My larger point, and it's strange, right? So I was. I was in Los Angeles last week, and I want to talk to you guys about the Kevin Hart roast last night, because Netflix is doing something that I find just fascinating because Netflix has just purchased comedy, and really what they've done is saved comedy. Right? Because if late night is going to be gone and if Joe Rogan is going to be fading as a place where comedians break out, Netflix is there to save all of comedy by doing the smart thing and just realizing that all of these comedians have their own audience. You can make a special relatively cheap. You put it on Netflix, and all of a sudden, comedy has a whole lot of money flowing through. But last week in la, all of America's biggest comedians, all of them purchased by Netflix, were in Los Angeles, and all of them were having trouble selling out their shows because there were so many comedians performing in Los Angeles last week. And I'm surprised that sports, which ought to be a playground, doesn't have more funny in it, where you're getting Walton dead euchre no longer in the game. You're naming people and you're going into the past to get them. I'm giving you a couple of baseball names, but to me, it's super strange. And I'm asking you guys, isn't it strange to you guys that sports doesn't have more shows and people who are going for funny?

[Tony Gonzalez]

Dan, a lot of the people that are those positions are kind of dorky. Dench, this is our lane. It's people that are comedians. Go be funny somewhere else. Like, right, like every rapper wants to be an athlete. Every athlete wants to be a rapper. There's a reason why there's only one lane for you to be in. You can't be a comedian, but then also be, you know, heading Houston Astros broadcast.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not saying be a comedian. I'm saying where are the people that you just simply associate with, lighthearted and not serious and just names that you associate with that person's entertaining, Right?

[Chris Cote]

But I'm gonna ask you an honest question. Isn't there too much of that going around in Sports. Everyone is trying to replicate some derivative of the inside the NBA Fox NFL coverage. Jocular. Here's an entertainment segment.

[Tony Reali]

Are you the athlete podcast? Is that what you're saying?

[Chris Cote]

I think I saw awful announcing doing something on this, that all the studio shows have just gone for funny and most of them are just not funny and also not informative and seem to make sports fans feel a certain type of way. I got an original idea. Because there are so many funny options out there. Why doesn't someone try to do more of what Amazon does with its basketball stuff? Like just if I am watching this, I want a freebase on insight and analytics and expertise. Give me the hardcore stuff.

[Mike Ryan]

I think there's a lot more of that than funny.

[Chris Cote]

I don't. I don't see.

[Roy]

I think Mike's right that people are trying to, but nobody's doing it. So, like, who are the actual funny ones, though? Like, I agree that people. People are. They want this. They want their Barkley character. Every studio show wants their Barkley. I get what Mike is saying, but they're. They're failing at it. So there aren't that many options out there that you're like, that's funny.

[Chris Cote]

There are great shows that. That are able to do both. Like, I think College Game Day kind of found this lane. It took them a little bit and they're still kind of navigating a post core so world. But there are a couple of segments. There's one that Wiley produces with Nick Saban where it's with Rhys Davis. And you are getting incredible stuff there to the point that you're like, I kind of wish this was a little bit more of the show and a little less giving away money, but at least I get that nutritional value. When I go to a soccer match, I'm learning most of the time. But Paramount plus, this is actually the Paramount plus Champions League studio show should be talked about a little bit more. I know you guys, I mean, getting you to watch it with the sound on is probably a laborious ask, right? But if you were to ever give that a chance, you'd find a way to be entertained and certainly learn something. Because soccer is a little bit different. But I like being able to get nutritional value when I'm getting hyped up for a sport.

[Mike Ryan]

But you guys are talking about two different things, right? Because I think what you are talking about when you say a lot of people are going for X, it's chemistry that they're going for and most don't have it. Chuckle fests or Faking laughter because you have to to help your teammate is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about give me a name. You associate it with funny because John Madden's not even that. But I'll give you entertaining on John Madden. He wasn't funny, but he was. He was entertaining.

[Chris Cote]

Euchre Gruden was a laugh.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, Euchre Bill Walton and, and, and Gruden. But part of the reason that that's happening. Okay, I guess Walton and Euchre are different. Gruden, you get funny because the bar is so low on expectations for funny with Gruden that he climbs over a very low bar. Euchre and Bill Walton were just funny to listen to because they had a little bit of comedian in them.

[Tony Gonzalez]

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[Chris Cote]

Chris Cody when you come over to my house and we put on the games, I got basketball, I got baseball going on. But what do I lay out for you and the boys for entertainment and drinking?

[Roy]

Miller Lack.

[Chris Cote]

Uh huh. Those beautiful white cans or on draft or the bottle if you prefer.

[Roy]

Oh, when you open that with the can though, and you one of the

[Chris Cote]

best sounds on the planet. You pair that with the right game, you take that first sip, we both look around. It's not a bit.

[Roy]

I have goosebumps thinking about the first sip.

[Chris Cote]

We take that first sip, we open it up and we're looking around. There's just that five seconds of almost eerie silence where you're just soaking it all in and you're like, man, did we make the right call or what? That's why we reach for Miller Lite. It's clean, refreshing, easy to drink, brewed for taste with simple ingredients.

[Roy]

Ah, that golden color.

[Chris Cote]

Just 96 calories and 3.2 carbs. The original light beer since 1975 and it still hits different I love you Miller Lite. Cheers to legendary moments 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.

[Jeremy]

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[Chris Cote]

Don LeBatard yeah, it's not my favorite rejoin.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Context needs to be applied for going

[Jeremy]

for a joke and thought that context was applied.

[Chris Cote]

We we'd like to rip that out of context. I was going for a thing and you're gonna I have a family.

[Mike Ryan]

You're gonna pretend here that you don't love Matthew Tkachuk more than you love anybody you've ever loved.

[Chris Cote]

I don't love Matthew Tkachuk more than my daughter. Stugats. Now it's pretty damn close.

[Mike Ryan]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats Foreign. I still do find it weird, like genuinely weird that this wouldn't be a space that many broadcasters. In order to stand out, it would be easier to stand out by being funnier than everyone, than to have better information or insight than anyone. Being funny would be. Is easier, but than being at the trough and being smarter than everyone else.

[Chris Cote]

Biz got there by being funny. And if you look at his NHL career, there's really no reason to say he is worthy. I mean, he sits next to Wayne Gretzky, he sits next to all time greats on that day is. And he is the best part of that show because he is the most entertaining. He is the funniest. He delivers on a high expectation of being funny and entertaining every time.

[Roy]

But I would argue he's just being genuine. Like, I would like. I don't think he's like, not like going for one liners and like he's just being himself. He does feel entertaining.

[Chris Cote]

And he dresses up.

[Tony Reali]

He's being regular hockey dressing room guy.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah. Yes, yes. And it works because he seems to be the very best at it.

[Tony Gonzalez]

And Zaz, correct me if I'm wrong, last week we talked to Amin and Dave was here. And it's like the realization that you're not funny is something that people don't really get right. So when you're. When you're growing up and you're like, oh man, I'm funny, people are laughing at me. But then you take this job super serious and you get to a point where you're now One of the 50 people on TV talking about sports, you don't have that muscle of like, oh, let me be funny here.

[Tony Reali]

Oh, go be funny improvisationally. When the camera light is on and you don't know what's going to be said next, not where you can sit around and construct a tweet that you now realize, oh, yeah, this is a good copy, I'm going to send this out now.

[Chris Cote]

No.

[Tony Reali]

Being funny on live television, that's hard. And yeah, I think Draymond probably thought he was funny.

[Mike Ryan]

You say it's hard, but the reason that I would say it's easier than being smarter than everyone else is because of an important thing. Right? Comedy as a professional comedian is hard because everyone goes in with the expectation of funny. In sports, there's not that expectation. So you're fully capable of surprising us because the bar is so low and there are so few people doing it well that, that there's not the burden of having to climb over a high bar where you're walking into the room with the expectation of funny. I think the reason that it doesn't happen more often is because there's nothing worse on television than cringe and therefore people don't risk it. The degree of difficulty makes it so that they don't even risk that they're going to be someone who makes you cringe. I heard some of you talking earlier about that. The Kevin Hart roast on a few occasions made you wince because what, whatever. Tom Brady's out there and he's not a comedian or Draymond Green is out there and he's just clearly not a comedian. So where you place them in, in a room where there's the expectation of funny, they've got no shot even if you're doing written material for them.

[Tony Gonzalez]

And the tough part is there's actual, the greatest comedians that are there that do this for a actual living with the expectation of funny and then crush and deliver over expectations. And then you got Tom Brady, who won, if I remember correctly. I'm old enough to remember that he said he wanted to go and be a stand up comedian. Remember that?

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. Blake Griffin has wanted to be a standup comedian as well. And there's something about, look, they've got a playground on Amazon where they can do whatever they want. They got all the money in the world, all the success in the world, all the job security in the world. And what kind of chances are they're taking. How many chances are being taken where you try and rattle the cages of the people who have certain expectations aren't funny? And Blake Griffin, Blake Griffin does not have the room on that show to show anyone that he's actually somebody who can do stand up comedy.

[Tony Gonzalez]

No, because he's looking around. He's got Steve Nash, who's not an incredibly funny guy. I think Dirk is probably funny in spurts, but like they're really funny.

[Roy]

You think Dirk is funny?

[Tony Gonzalez]

I think Dirk is funny.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Dan, Would you say Dirk funny?

[Tony Reali]

What actual evidence you have?

[Chris Cote]

I don't know.

[Tony Gonzalez]

I think he's a funny guy.

[Chris Cote]

He's been good.

[Tony Gonzalez]

He's been good.

[Mike Ryan]

I think Tone, I think it's really hard for anybody to be funny in their second language. Anybody.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Also true.

[Mike Ryan]

It's not, I'm not even putting that on Dirk. He's struggling to find some words in English and that's not something that you can do when you're trying to be.

[Tony Gonzalez]

With that said, though, that's that studio show, as Mike said, like is one of the better ones that have come out of this new era of streaming for the NBA because they're breaking it down on the court. They're giving you the mind of a two time mvp and Steve Nash, they're giving you a guy in Dirk Nowitzki who's one of the greatest players of all time. Like, it's like you're looking at greatness explained on TV in a way that I wish we got on football, I wish we would get in college football because we get those small things and nuggets from Coach Saban where they kick it out for a five minute piece like in the middle of the show when nobody's watching.

[Mike Ryan]

There was something else that I was surprised by in Los Angeles. Tell me if you guys are surprised by this at all. Okay. I'm not surprised that Louis CK is working again and having great success again. Given his talent level and given the way that time heals. I am surprised that Louis C was on billboards with brand affiliations being sold actively with brands right next to his name showcasing him while I was in Los Angeles.

[Tony Reali]

It's been a long time.

[Mike Ryan]

It has been a long time. But the nature of those crimes are usually something that you allegedly can't come back from if there's indeed cancel culture. And he's not only back, he's all the way back. Like the work itself got comedy, you know, got album of the year and, you know, he made his way back through a podcast circuit that has less restrictions than the mainstream and has gotten some of its success from feeling freer than the mainstream. But I was still surprised to see his face on billboards. That's not something I thought would have. I didn't think that corporate brands would be forgetful in that regard.

[Tony Reali]

I think he also started before the things that he did were realized. I think he started producing his own specials. Like, didn't he. He used to stream on his own website.

[Mike Ryan]

He was way. He was way ahead of the curve in trying to get around all the Ticketmaster stuff by making things more photo affordable and more direct to his fan base. But still, that doesn't explain what I'm saying, which is seeing his face on a billboard and seeing Netflix be okay with his face on a billboard is not something I was expecting.

[Tony Gonzalez]

But Dan, when you look at corporations, they're kind of like, stick their finger in their mouth and put it to the wind and see which way it's blowing. It's like, all right, can we. Is everybody good with putting Louis C K on a billboard? Okay, let's do it. Like, it doesn't really matter what corporations do because they have a goldfish mentality when it comes to remembering things of the past and going into the future.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh. But usually, though, if it's masturbating around women without their consent, that one is dangerous enough.

[Roy]

They leave that off the billboard that

[Mike Ryan]

you don't get quite forgetful about. Like you.

[Roy]

Although that would get people's attention.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, I just think it's word association with him. It's almost the first thing. Like, I don't even know what you guys. If I do word association with Louis

[Roy]

C. I go stand up.

[Tony Reali]

I think of red hair.

[Mike Ryan]

You go, funny. Red hair or crimes.

[Chris Cote]

I gotta be with Dan here. I think about the masturbating.

[Mike Ryan]

Really, it's just such an unusual, weird thing to be publicly accused of and to be doing in private that I just. I thought he'd be able to work again in time. I did not think that it would be forgotten, because once you. Once you're. You're saying that corporations put their finger up and test the wind. If you test these winds, what's coming back is some visuals of this guy in a corner masturbating around people who didn't want.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Not a great visual.

[Mike Ryan]

Masturbating.

[Tony Gonzalez]

I get it. I get it. Not a great visual. But when you get the name terrible visual. Terrible visual.

[Roy]

Is he behind a plant?

[Tony Gonzalez]

No, he's out in the open, which

[Mike Ryan]

is what makes it bad into a plant.

[Roy]

I knew there was a plant involved.

[Mike Ryan]

Speaking of affordable. Because we. We were talking about that.

[Tony Gonzalez]

You knew there was a plant involved, huh?

[Mike Ryan]

Speaking of affordable, I want you guys to guess because you've heard me complaining recently, as many people are about just the ridiculous prices everywhere. But I saw something after buying an $8 bottle of water that I have not seen before, which is just a regular turkey sandwich.

[Roy]

Welcome to L. A.

[Mike Ryan]

Not a special turkey sandwich. Just a regular turkey sandwich. You guys want to guess what I saw the price of for just a regular turkey sandwich? Not a foot long, not a hoagie, not anything like that. You want to take a guess? And I'm telling you that it was outrageous. Take a guess for what an airport turkey sandwich cost in Los Angeles.

[Tony Reali]

250.

[Mike Ryan]

You play the game very well. It's higher than that. Guesses. Keep going.

[Dan Le Batard]

$25.

[Roy]

I'm just still marveling at you eating in an airport.

[Chris Cote]

Airport food is lounge guy pretty taxed. Famously, I eat okay.

[Tony Reali]

You don't got that sky club.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Good for you. Good for you.

[Chris Cote]

Stand up to the man. You took a stand, Lax. I'm gonna say $23 higher.

[Tony Reali]

No way.

[Tony Gonzalez]

What is this, a combo? You're getting chips and a drink?

[Mike Ryan]

Nope.

[Chris Cote]

Was this Wolfgang Pucks?

[Mike Ryan]

No. This is all you can eat earth. You are natural.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Oh, they got your ass there.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah. The way that Conor McGregor says farm the table.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Wow.

[Chris Cote]

So, all right, so that's a farm to table. Yeah. 31.

[Mike Ryan]

No, it's $25.30. Roy got it. And I just ignored him because he played the game wrong. You're saying you're taking thank yous and everything else, but I needed you to go lower because when I go only 30 cents higher than what you've got.

[Dan Le Batard]

He already went $2.50.

[Chris Cote]

What would it do?

[Mike Ryan]

Alien dirt.

[Chris Cote]

Hey, Roy, buddy.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yo.

[Chris Cote]

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

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, absolutely.

[Chris Cote]

Mike. Yeah. 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 Le Batard]

Oh, delicious.

[Chris Cote]

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.

[Jeremy]

Hey, listeners, it's Jeremy here. I am the member of the shipping container that cares about style. You already know this, and lately I've been trying to make getting dressed a little bit easier because I care a lot about the way I present myself, but I don't want to overthink it. I just want to be able to walk to my closet, have stuff that fits, feels good, works together. And thankfully for me, I have quints. They've taken over my closet. They've got all the spring staples, 100% European linen shorts and shirts that start just a tick over $30. Very good deal. Lightweight, breathable, but they still look put together. And their Pima cotton tees are ridiculously soft. Their pants hit the same balance. They're comfortable, but clean enough to wear anywhere. And the reason it all works is that Quint cuts out the middlemen. They go straight to the source. You're getting premium materials, but you're not paying all the insane markups. Like, I'm talking 50 to 80% less. Than similar brands. You guys know I love a deal and quints provides it. I recently got one of their 100% linen shirts in a sky blue color. It's been in a constant rotation. I literally wore it out to dinner the other night with my wife. It's light, it breathes, it works with pretty much everything I have. You'll see it on the show soon, I can promise you that. Refresh your every day with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com/dan for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Quincom slash Dan for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com/dan Dan Lebartard.

[Chris Cote]

Did you get lost on the way to Home Depot today, Dan? Like what? What's going on with the plate, Stu? Look like you're about to ask me to like check the oil on my car or like come over and like look around and point things in my house that need to be fixed.

[Mike Ryan]

This is the D ler show with the st.

[Chris Cote]

I put together a top five of the best studio shows presently.

[Stu Gats]

Yeah.

[Chris Cote]

In all of sports. We begin with Oli Prime's NASCAR coverage. Now I have learned that NASCAR itself, like the UFC, basically produces 95% of all the races that you see. And all that separates all the different broadcasters are the window dressings and shows pre and post. Well, prime did a really good job with its one season. We're coming up to their next opportunity here. Loved the access, loved the superstars. Dale Jr. Was really good in his first year. So this will be a common theme. Prime's really good at this studio show thing because number five is Prime's NFL coverage. Great stuff. And when they go for funny, it's usually with Marshawn lynch and everybody likes him. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth, these guys are really, really great. Chris is a great host.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Tony Gonzalez guy.

[Chris Cote]

Yeah, well, we know how he got it. Number four, inside the NHL Turner's coverage again. I mean, a gold standard. One thing that you won't see though is inside the NBA, it's fallen off that much for me. Number three, another big reason why is the best NBA coverage belongs to Amazon Prime. Their NBA coverage has been really good. I like that we've had a new sampling of studio shows. I don't have a problem with it. I think NBC's in game coverage and presentation still slaps. But the studio show prime continues a hot streak. Number two, Paramount's Champions league coverage. Incredible host, Great Panel, informative, funny. Everybody really gets along in terms of chemistry. Probably the best chemistry in a standard studio show. And number one, no surprise here, gold standard. Now, college game day.

[Mike Ryan]

Did you guys talk at all about Amazon just buying three Duke basketball games and changing? Basically Duke's going to do some of what Notre Dame did, which is we're powerful enough as a brand to be just making our own deals and we're bigger than college basketball. We don't have to be something that exists within college basketball. We'll make our own deal and just give three games to Amazon. I was flipping through yesterday and was surprised watched a Marlins nets game on Peacock. I'm like, why is this on Peacock? When did Peacock Fanta was there? When did Peacock get like. First of all, why is this game being televised nationally? Two sub 500 teams, the Nationals and the Marlins.

[Chris Cote]

Dan was on NBCSN on YouTube TV in which you can also find the Dan LeBatard show with Stu Gats on presently. Well, I'm, I get surprised by that every time.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm going to tell people where we are, everywhere we are because we're on in more places than we've ever been. So it's the DraftKings network and you can also get us on Samsung TV plus the Roku channel, Vizio watch free plus to find all the places you can watch, go to the draftkings network.com draftkingsnetwork.com but also you can watch us on Peacock and NBC Sports now, Monday through Friday from 12 to 3 Eastern and on YouTube of course, right now. And for podcasts, we're on Apple, we're on Spotify, we're on Amazon music and Sirius XM channel 85. So we're in a lot of places everywhere. You can get us wherever it is that your menu choices are. I wanted to talk about something here. Bobby Cox represents or represented now that he has passed away at the age of 84. A dinosaur from another time when the manager mattered in a way the manager will never matter again. And also I believe he now has an unbreakable record. Tony, can you tell me who is in second place? Because I believe it's going to be one of the most unbreakable records in Sports, which is 158Ejections. He was ejected from almost a season's worth of baseball game.

[Roy]

Would have loved him to get to that full season mark. That's a, that's something he left on the.

[Mike Ryan]

On the field. I'd say number two. I'd like to know who was second because that is now over. Right? With instant replay, you're. You're just simply. That's a good. That's a good guess. I don't think that we're going to come close. Can you guys find video, please of Lou Piniella just coming out and grabbing second base and throwing it into center field? Because just get. Get that video of Lou Pinella. But it does.

[Chris Cote]

Baseball was baseball.

[I]

Is.

[Mike Ryan]

Is there anyone else in triple figures for ejections?

[Roy]

Who's McLendon?

[Mike Ryan]

Second place ever.

[Tony Gonzalez]

I'm looking at John McGraw on second place with 131. Bobby Cox. According to a large language model here, Bobby Cox had 162.

[Roy]

I saw this on X yesterday. It's regular season if you include playoffs. I believe he did get to one.

[Mike Ryan]

So he was thrown out of four playoff games as well.

[Roy]

158 regular season.

[Chris Cote]

Dan, you often talked about the Superstation. That was a tough week for anybody who grew up with the TBS superstation because those 90s Braves represented something to everybody. Either hated them or you loved them, but it brought out a lot of emotion from you. They were in every world championship discussion. Probably didn't live up to their expectations, but they were good. Every year during the 90s. Ted Turner and Bobby Cox in the span of five days. That's a little bit of the 90s dying.

[Mike Ryan]

The 80s Braves introduced me to cable television. I don't think Ted Turner ever won a Pulitzer. I don't think CNN ever won't win a Pulitzer. But my information has been wrong.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Let me look that up.

[Mike Ryan]

Hold on. I do believe though that Ted Turner managed at least one Braves game. He was in the dugout and tried to do ostrich races as well. I believe they had ostriches on the field running around. But that's an unbreakable record now, right? With instant replay, no one will ever get to 158 or 162 ejections again.

[Tony Reali]

The next active manager is Terry Francona and he is currently sitting at 54. He's got a ways to go, buddy. Better get angry now.

[Roy]

Aaron Boone is on a much better pace than Terry Francona. Like Aaron Boone is only seven injections behind and he's done like a third of the games that Francona. So it's. If there's anyone that can fight this good fight, it is Aaron Boone. But I don't even think he has the clubhouse leader.

[Chris Cote]

And respectfully disagreeing.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think in the modern age with technology, I think this makes it something that no One's going to be able to get to because even Aaron Boone, though, he gets ejected. I've got to assume empirically, ejections are way down, correct?

[Roy]

Yes. How are you going to look it up? They are.

[Mike Ryan]

Don't have to look it up.

[Roy]

I mean, come on, Challenges, they gotta be down. You could assume they're down.

[Tony Gonzalez]

You could get ejected if you challenge the abs, even though it's completely right. But then you lose your mind and then get kicked out.

[Mike Ryan]

Right?

[Tony Gonzalez]

That'd be an easy way to get kicked out.

[Jeremy]

Yeah.

[Roy]

All right, fine, I'll look it up.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. But I don't think it's going to happen. 158 times is my only point. I have not talked yet about hockey and there were a couple of things that I wanted to bring up. I don't know how you guys feel about Carolina being like okc, where they have not lost a single playoff game yet.

[Chris Cote]

I hate the Carolina Hurricanes that I can't believe this is going to work out for them. Just like, let's just hope Florida gets injured. It actually worked out for them. I hate this NHL playoff format that allows Carolina to do exactly what they did last year, by the way, too, and fool everybody that they might be championship good just because they benefit from a bad NHL playoff format that sees them go through the eight and seven seeds to get to an Eastern Conference final.

[Tony Reali]

The only difference, Dan, is this year in the Eastern Conference final, unlike two of the last three years, they're not going to run into the Florida Panthers. Panthers, who would take that ass again.

[Mike Ryan]

The other thing I wanted to talk to you guys about, it's not just Carolina, but I know you guys hate Tampa as well. And the story involving Victor Headman, I want to get into this because he's the captain of their team and he missed the last 22 games of the season, including the seven playoff games. And he did so because he said he needed to take care of his mental health, which is something that everyone can get behind. I just don't think of hockey where you're expected to play through everything, no matter what it is that's happening with you, but especially if you're the captain,

[Tony Reali]

I think that makes you believe it's pretty serious.

[Mike Ryan]

Right. I just can't imagine what it must be for someone to take care of themselves like that, to go against all of the pressures that are in all of your patterns culturally in that sport. To say, I'm feeling frail, I am not available to my teammates and I'm the captain, I'm the Captain of the team. Now, I don't know if you think he would have made a difference in a seven game series, but I think of the locker room for hockey and especially when I read his quotes and he's talking about the toll that hockey takes when it's taking, one would assume largely the same toll on everyone who is in that locker room with him. The specifics of being the captain in that sport, the culture of that sport, the amount of strength that it requires while feeling weak to say I cannot do anything at the end of this season, I am not available to my teammates during the difficult time of everyone is playing broken at this time of year. I'm curious how that one goes over in the locker room where they have more information that we do about what's going on in his life, which I imagine must be incredibly serious for him to do what he just did. Because I'm trying to think of the place in sports where more is required of you on this particular front than captain of a hockey team. Because I think captain of a hockey team means more than it means anywhere else. Football, basketball, wherever it is that you think of captains. I think, and Roy, you could speak to this. You can talk to the culture about the culture of pressure involved with what is demanded of you when you're the captain. And one of the things that's demanded of you is you're available.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, absolutely. He's the basically the extension of the coach. He's able to talk to the referees and in the seven game series which they went through with Montreal, which they lost 2 to 1, he absolutely would have made a difference in that series.

[Tony Reali]

My guess is it's captain of the team spin on the team for 17 years. My guess is that the guys in that dressing room are like good with it.

[Tony Gonzalez]

Yep.

[Tony Reali]

They, they know that this, I'm sure they, I would imagine they actually know what's going on and they're, they probably know it's something that's very serious.

[Chris Cote]

Over the last like three years, there's over a half a dozen examples in that sport in particular where players are granted mental health breaks. Hockey is actually pretty, pretty good about this. We experienced it down here when Spencer Knight was going through it. What's rare is when you see it be a team captain, a guy who's going to have his jersey retired by that franchise, a championship winning player come out and say, and when you say it was a seven game series, he certainly could have helped. They've had to navigate some. There was always something weird going on with Victor Hedman, you didn't really know if he was actually hurt. And hockey, so secretive about injuries and guys play through insane stuff all the time that you just thought it was this nagging physical injury that had to be pretty bad for their captain and not be out there now. It was pretty bad, but it was between the ears.

[Mike Ryan]

Football and hockey, the violent physical sports where you're doing, you know, borderline crazy, inhumane things to make sure that you get out there. Can I count on the guy next to me is a giant part of the culture and to go into the playoffs and have a seven game series, they have more details than we do. And I am not questioning here because if someone has to take a mental health leave for that amount of time, I am going to give that person grace. I'm just less sure than you guys are, given what the culture of the sport is, that the other guys don't look at him and say, why couldn't we count on you? With the last 22 games we had left when we're former champions, when we've just watched the defending champion Florida Panthers go down and there's an opening here for a team that had a chance, you know, to go through the Eastern Conference because it was good enough to get through the Eastern Conference.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, you got to look at it on the other side now because he viewed himself as a liability going through this. So obviously the team understood that he's going to have to take a little leave of absence so he doesn't hinder what would have been, you know, a possible seven game win.

[Chris Cote]

It's the most important point that he felt that he would be a net negative out there in their pursuit of a cup. And it's a unique situation because not only is he a champion for this franchise, a retired Jersey capable player, but also that team, they've been through a lot of runs together. It is a veteran team. They know what Victor Hedman is made of and they probably were in full support.

[Mike Ryan]

We're in a real new age, though, a real new age when it comes to mental health. When a captain of a hockey team does this quietly.

[I]

If you're like me, I don't drink coffee. I'm not big into hot drinks. I like me a cold drink. Say, oh, drink of iced coffee. Iced coffee tastes like trash. So I need energy. Where do I get it from? Get them from energy drinks, right? So I tried all the other energy drinks, but they taste like trash too. I was. I'm making that face. You ever make that I don't want to have to force it down. Well, guess what? Bucked up came and saved my life. They fixed it. They fixed the problem with energy drinks tasting like trash. Bucked up tastes great. It's genuinely delicious. Science backed clean energy without any of the garbage. But Bucked up didn't stop at energy drinks. No, my friend. Their lightly carbonated protein drinks deliver 25 grams of protein per can. Clear protein, also not that milky or thick stuff. And yes, insanely delicious. So here's the deal. This is what I'm going to tell you. Bucked up is giving away an island vacation. You heard me right. An island vacation. No purchase is necessary. Ends May 30, 2026. See buckedupenergy.com for details and where you can find the store nearest you get Bucked up and feel like a million bucks.

[Dan Le Batard]

Come on.