K-Pop, Automated Referees, And Mr. Fantasy | Hour 2

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: K-Pop, Automated Referees, And Mr. Fantasy | Hour 2
Date: May 8, 2026

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Main Theme / Purpose

This episode serves up the show’s signature, loosely structured mix of sports hot takes, NBA playoff breakdowns, pop culture banter, and irreverent humor. Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan, Stugotz, and their regular ensemble dive into the unexpected rise of the Detroit Pistons, heated debates over NBA officiating (and the potential for automation in sports refereeing), an exploration of pop-culture oddities like the "Mr. Fantasy" phenomenon, and a spirited new game segment. The hosts’ combative, self-aware, and self-deprecating tone is ever present, with frequent detours into asides, listener engagement, and behind-the-scenes gossip.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. The Detroit Pistons Rise & NBA Playoffs

• Detroit Pistons’ Unexpected Surge

  • Dan expresses surprise and admiration at the Pistons winning five straight, referencing their transformation from a historically awful team to legit contenders.
    • "Cade Cunningham, I'll tell you, I love watching him play... Think about that. He's the best player on an all time awful team, losing 29 games in a row. And now two years later, he's still the best player, but a team that could win the Eastern Conference." – Dan (00:15)
  • Chris Cody tempers the optimism, still viewing the Knicks as superior despite the Pistons’ hot streak.
    • "I'm not prepared to call them the team to beat in the east, even though they are the one seed. I still think the Knicks are better than them." – Chris (01:38)
  • Dan objects to "series is over" narratives after only two games, highlighting the need for Cleveland to play at home before calling things.
    • "Series can't be over until we allow Cleveland to play a game at home." – Dan (02:25)

• Debate: Does Home Court Matter Most in the NBA?

  • Mike Ryan argues that of all major U.S. sports, home court advantage is most pronounced in NBA playoffs, much less so in others.
    • "I think that home court in the NBA playoffs is the most important of the four major sports as we sit here..." – Mike Ryan (03:00)

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2. NBA Officiating: Respect, Decorum, and Automation

• Austin Reaves/Referee Confrontation

  • Heated discussion about Lakers’ Austin Reaves confronting referee John Goble during and after Game 2 loss to the Thunder.
    • "Why does anyone on every team get to dress down the referee? I feel like it should only be the captain, only the best player..." – Dan (06:45)
  • Chris argues that Reaves, being a top player, should have the right to advocate, while Dan questions the decorum and spectacle of the team surrounding the ref post-game.
  • Austin Reaves’ own words:
    • "I told him if I did that to him first, I would have got a tech. I feel like the only reason I didn't get attacked is because he knew he was in the wrong. So, yeah, I don't felt disrespected." – Austin Reaves (11:34)

• Who Has the Right to Address Refs?

  • Chris points out in other sports, captains wear identifiers (armbands, C’s), which is absent in the NBA, making boundaries blurry.
  • Dan claps back, arguing the referee’s authority is structural: “He’s not your equal. He’s above you. So, yes, if you would talk to him like that, you would get a technical foul.” (11:34)

• Automation & Robo-Ref Debate (20:00+)

  • Mike Ryan and Dave Damoshek predict a looming end to human officiating, especially in baseball (robo-umpires/K-zone) and possibly other sports, arguing human error should not determine the outcome at the professional level.
    • "Enjoy them while they're there because they ain't going to be around in about a decade or so. …We are going to look back in 10 years and say what the hell kind of behavior was that..." – Mike Ryan (19:42)
  • Chris pushes back, drawing parallels to automation threats in other industries and the human costs.
    • "Are you going to be having the same sort of vigor and happiness about the elimination of our jobs? Those people have mortgages, they have children that are going to college." – Chris (21:01)

• Self-Checkout/Automation Tangent

  • Amin El Hassan admits to "stealing" at self-checkouts as his “automation tax,” lampooning the shift away from human workers (24:07). Leads to comedic confessions and banter about misreading advocacy shirts and K-Pop vs. K-Zone confusion.

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3. Pop Culture Lightning Round

• Mr. Fantasy Reveal (36:12)

  • Jeremy pitches three pop stories for group vote; the panel latches onto the saga of KJ Apa (known for Riverdale) adopting the musical alter ego “Mr. Fantasy,” and the ongoing public mystery-mongering around the identity.
    • "Mr. Fantasy is essentially this alternate identity... People started to figure out through context clues that, wait, I think it's this actor, KJ Apa from Riverdale. He's refused to acknowledge..." – Jeremy (36:36)

• SNL Standouts & Film

  • Brief plugs for SNL’s Ashley Padilla’s breakout and discussion of the film “Last Dance” about a composer with AIDS going on a gay cruise.

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4. “Fun or Terrifying” Game Segment (29:24)

• New interactive bit: The group watches a video (hot air balloon over the Serengeti), voting if it’s “fun or terrifying.”
  • "This is a hot air balloon going over the Serengeti. It’s super low and it looks terrifying to me. This is not fun. This is my nightmare." – Jeremy (29:25)
  • Classic comedic detours ensue, especially about hippos, falling, and the depth of "wanderlust" at different ages.

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5. Show Banter, Gossip, and Running Gags

• Nonstop comedic sidebars on tanning beds, heads too big for planes, absurd sponsorships, and insider Miami show gossip (including the virtues of clam pizza at the Elser).
  • "Hear me now, believe me later, the best pizza I've had in the last two years…consistent coming out of Vice Versa. The spicy pepperoni…try the clam pizza." – Mike Ryan (39:24)
• Self-reflexive bits about segment quality: “Not all segments are winners. We tried here.” – Jeremy (32:00)
• Lighthearted ribbing on attire, personal style, and Miami behind-the-scenes experiences.

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6. Friday Thunder Picks and WNBA Banter (44:01)

• Juju delivers his betting picks, shouting out WNBA stars and the start of the season.
  • "We going for 20 points Scooby Snacks, at least tonight, as well as second leg, we going with at least 10 rebounds for my sister as well. Salute the bam…Atlanta Dream moneyline against the Minnesota Links. Lock it in." – Juju (44:01)
• Brief celebratory moment about the team’s ownership stake in the High Lie Cyclones, and a shout-out to show regulars and listeners.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Cade Cunningham…He's the best player on an all time awful team, losing 29 games in a row. And now two years later...a team that could win the Eastern Conference…You don't get that very often.”
  – Dan Le Batard (00:15)

• “If I would have done that to you, I would have gotten a technical foul. That's right. He's the referee. He's above. You're not equals.”
  – Dan Le Batard (11:34)

• “Enjoy them while they're there because they ain't going to be around in about a decade or so...We are going to look back in 10 years and say what the hell kind of behavior was that...”
  – Mike Ryan (19:42)

• “It's my automation tax. You're going to take away jobs...who are just checking out.”
  – Amin El Hassan (24:07)

• “One of them says K Zone slash abs. And I thought it was like a K pop group and someone had great abs…I’m like, why? Who put on this K pop thing, K Zone.”
  – Chris Cody (25:23)

• “This is a hot air balloon going over the Serengeti. It’s super low and it looks terrifying to me. This is not fun. This is my nightmare.”
  – Jeremy (29:25)

• “Mr. Fantasy is essentially this alternate identity…People started to figure out…wait, I think it’s this actor, KJ Apa from Riverdale. He’s refused to acknowledge…”
  – Jeremy (36:36)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Detroit Pistons/NBA Playoff Run:
  00:08 – 03:49

• Home Court Importance & Officiating Debates:
  03:49 – 11:34

• Austin Reaves/Referee Incident (with Austin Reaves Quote):
  10:39 – 12:29

• Automation in Officiating & Human Jobs:
  19:42 – 25:23

• Automation Tangents/Self-Checkout Confessions:
  24:07 – 25:23

• Pop Culture Lightning Round (K-Pop, Mr. Fantasy, SNL):
  34:40 – 37:49

• Fun or Terrifying Game Segment:
  29:24 – 32:11

• Friday Thunder Betting Picks/Show Gossip:
  44:01 – 46:45

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Tone and Style

The episode brims with the show’s trademark blend: irreverent, snarky, deeply informed but rarely self-serious, with the ensemble’s chemistry and extended riffs as the driving force. Even weightier topics spin into jokes, playful jabs, and collective self-mockery.

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Concluding Notes

Listeners can expect a swirling mix of NBA talk (with an eye on narrative over stats), persistent meta-commentary on the value and future of human judgment in sports, not-so-deep dives into pop culture curiosities, and plenty of banter about everything from Miami tacos to robot umpires. For fans new and old, the episode reflects the show’s ability to make the silly, the serious, and the surreal all feel part of the same conversation.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with

[Mike Ryan]

the Stu Guts podcast.

[Dan Le Batard]

I do want to address something positive from the basketball last night. I mean, James Harden was horrible, okay? But the Detroit Pistons have now won five in a row and they, they were dead in the water. Down 24 in the third quarter in game six at Orlando. They've won five in a row now and are looking every bit, you know, a team that can come out of the east now. Kate Cunningham, I'll tell you, I love watching him play. He is awesome. And when you think about it, like nothing. He is unflappable. Nothing seems to faze him. He has the same attitude the entire game. And I really got to give him a lot of credit because you go back just a couple years ago, I mean, that team lost, what, 29 in a row? I was like, whoa. I mean, like, think about that. He's the best player on an all time awful team, losing 29 games in a row. And now two years later, he's still the best player, but a team that could win the Eastern Conference. I feel like you don't get that very often where you're a great player and the team is just horrible. And then in pretty short time, this is a contending team. Like, I really enjoy watching Kate Cunningham play.

[Chris Cody]

No, he's spectacular. Remember, a lot of people thought he was going to be the MVP up until his lung collapsed pretty much. And that kind of had to take him out the running. And he might still be it, I guess. I don't know. But yeah, you're right. That's very rare to see someone who was around for the worst of times to be around for the best of times.

[Dan Le Batard]

Historically bad.

[Chris Cody]

Especially when the best of times happens. Literally two years after the worst of times happen. I'm still, I'm not prepared to call them the team to beat in the east, even though they are the one seed. I still think the Knicks are better than them. I think the Knicks are better prepared and deeper and they've been more impressive consistently throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs than the, than the Pistons have. But for certain, I have to imagine staring death in the face and not dying has to give you some sort of different level of confidence and belief that you can see it. And it also helps that they're, you know, they're going up against a team in the Cavs that in the recent history, people are looking at as, yeah, it's a little bit of a soft team, but again, I urge everybody to remember it's the playoffs. They won the first two games at home and now they're going to go to Cleveland and we'll see where it goes.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, that's my biggest pet peeve in the NBA playoffs where I'm sure we're getting this all over the place today. Where Pistons are up to a series is over. Series can't be over until we allow Cleveland to play a game at home. Now there's a difference between first thing home he loses. You like that saying no, I, I don't like that because of the whole Toronto and Cleveland series never started, started, never happened. Never started.

[Chris Cody]

Toronto's still waiting.

[Dan Le Batard]

There's a difference between the series being over because Detroit's up two games none. And I think Detroit's going to win the series. But those are two completely different things.

[Mike Ryan]

I, you know, we always try to apply this is true in that sport. So therefore it must be true in all sports. I think that home court in the NBA playoffs and is the most important of the four major sports as we sit here in 20 taking weather and

[Dan Le Batard]

I think it's out of the equation.

[Mike Ryan]

I think it's been the severe weather and both teams playing in it even that I think that the numbers indicate that it's kind of getting pretty close to a wash. Obviously if you're favored by nine and a half points because you have home, you have home field advantage, it shouldn't be a stunner that that team actually wins. But yeah, I think the numbers kind of bear out that home field advantage in pro football at this point in is negligible. I don't. I think in hockey that's true.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Baseball, who cares. That's who's the starting pitcher. So it would be only be the NBA, right?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yep.

[Dave Damoshek]

He's. He's at it again.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh yeah. You're smitten with Skip Bayless.

[Dave Damoshek]

Oh my God.

[Mike Ryan]

Wow.

[Dan Le Batard]

We could all learn something from him.

[Dave Damoshek]

Skip Colon. I'd rather be a Cowboys fan than a Knicks fan.

[Mike Ryan]

Wow.

[Dave Damoshek]

Such a good show. Much better than what we're doing. In fact. Leave us. It's okay, we understand.

[Mike Ryan]

Can I tell you something Cowboys related that I was galled by and I think you, Mike Ryan were too zaslow. Football America is coming at you in a matter of moments. As soon as this show ends, look on YouTube and or wherever you find your podcasts and there you will find the new episode of Football America. We did a deep dive. It was a special occasion because I was here in Miami and as it happens I still am. And so we did a special drip drill with Mike Ryan.

[Dave Damoshek]

My Partner, we changed it up, started talking uniforms.

[Mike Ryan]

That's right. And we brought fellow fashionista Meen El Hassan in. Pulitzer Prize winner. And we talked about uniforms, the whole thing. We ranked the best uniforms. Do you know what Buddy Budowski, producer supreme, said his favorite uniform is the Dallas Cowboys. Why their pants don't match their hat. I mean, how can they be in contention for best uniform? I was outraged by that.

[Dave Damoshek]

Yeah, well, sparks flew. Don't give away the goods.

[Dan Le Batard]

Football America today.

[Mike Ryan]

Football America today. Yeah, it's a good one.

[Dan Le Batard]

So last night, the Thunder took a 20 series lead. They beat the Lakers by 18. And the main story coming out of this one is the same story that it's really been for the playoffs so far, which is the Oklahoma City Thunder get away with everything. A ton of complaining about the officiating. We do this every single year in the playoffs. Whatever team it's going to be, we do this every single year. It's Oklahoma City this year. And there. There was a really weird scene last night, like, so after the game ended, Austin Reeves, Austin Reaves is on the court confronting referee, who was probably the crew chief, John Goebel.

[Mike Ryan]

Never seen this.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, yeah, like, if you're watching on video, here's Austin Reeves confronting John Goble. This looks like it's actually in the middle of the game because you can see the clock up there. There, it says 553. So that's actually in the middle of the game at a timeout. And he says something to him along the lines, if you're reading his lips, you can't talk to me like that. That's bullshit. And then as he walks away, he calls him the word that rhymes with stussy. So, I mean, that's not the one

[Jeremy]

I would have gone with.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, well, anyway, so you got that video right there where he's complaining, where he's complaining about the officiating. And then after the game, even more bizarre, the game is over at this point, and Austin Reaves surrounded by what looks like the entire Laker team, has confronted John Goble. And he's just laying into him. Why is the official. Why is John Goble even standing there? I mean, and taking it like insane visual.

[Mike Ryan]

The whole team gathered around the official.

[Dan Le Batard]

And I would also say this is something that's happened in the NBA over you know, last however many 10, 15, 20 years. Guys like Austin Reaves a good player. All right, but why does anyone on every team get to dress down the referee? I feel like it should only be the captain, only the best player should be able to have this kind of extended discourse with the referee.

[Chris Cody]

You know, in soccer, they have an armband to let you know who the captain is.

[Dan Le Batard]

In hockey, you got the C. We don't have that.

[Chris Cody]

In basketball, it's hard to tell because sometimes the captain is a guy who doesn't play a whole lot.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right. But, you know, the guy coming off the bench is not the guy who should be reacting and arguing with the officials.

[Chris Cody]

But that's not Austin Reese. He's not a guy coming off the bench. He's one of their best players. He's a good enough player to, I think, advocate on his behalf towards a referee. The irony is, I think the conversation was centered around the way John Goble was addressing Austin Reaves. Austin Reaves did not appreciate that.

[Dan Le Batard]

And do you remember the play?

[Chris Cody]

I don't remember the play. I know that I listened to the post game presser and he said, basically the way he was talking to me is so disrespectful. It's like. I wasn't disrespectful. I. I've said way worse things in the past to referees. This was relatively calm. The way I was talking to him, for me. Him to talk to me in that way was beyond across the line. And the big thing he said is. And I think he knows it because he should have teed me up.

[Mike Ryan]

He couldn't work for that. But again, it was over a jump ball, and if you look at it, it looks like nothing happens. I can't grasp what the. His foe, who is aligned around the jump ball, is to his right.

[Dan Le Batard]

The.

[Mike Ryan]

Then he moves his spot to the other side of Austin Reaves. And that was the thing that set Reeves off.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cobalt, apparently, then turned around and yelled at him. Probably some effect of, you know, stop moving. And.

[Mike Ryan]

And that apparently Reeves felt disrespected just

[Jeremy]

the way he delivered the message.

[Chris Cody]

Look, I don't know what Goble said to him. I know that players get into it with refs all the time. And dav. That's a call. He was arguing a call. It happens all the time. That's not the point.

[Mike Ryan]

It.

[Chris Cody]

His point is the way that Goebbels spoke to him crossed a line of decorum, and that's what that scene at the end was about. Like, you don't. You don't talk to me like that. You can. You can call whatever you're going to call, but you can't talk to me like that. We've had this in the past. I. When I Worked for the Suns. We had a player, Zabian Dowdell, who had. The referee called him. Called him a. And we're like, yo. Regardless of what Xabian. Whether he argued the call, where he was like a kind of like a journeyman guy. So is he relevant enough to use kind of Zazzle's terminology, to argue the refs? Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. But the point is that does not allow for the refs to carry themselves with no decorum there. And that's the part that this whole argument is about. It's not about, oh, was that a jump ball? No one cares. That's just one of many calls that players argue about during the game.

[Dave Damoshek]

It did 12 minutes on. Would you rather be a Cowboys or Knicks fan? 12 minutes.

[Mike Ryan]

This is. This is iron sharpening. Iron irons. As this is a test. We're in the crucible right here. This is difficult to try to conduct the conversation while Mike Ryan. This is what he's doing. Do you see this?

[Dave Damoshek]

Yes. I'm texting all my friends.

[Jeremy]

This is him.

[Mike Ryan]

This is him challenging you to raise your game. I'm not going.

[Dan Le Batard]

Is that what you're doing, Mike?

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not going to give you my eyes, ears, or any of my attention until you earn it over Skip and Stephen A. Hey, Steve. No, no. Stephen A. Please. That's all you need to know. That's all you need to know. If somebody says to you in your life, what if I said to you, hey, Johnny, would you go like, no, no.

[Dave Damoshek]

He just. He just pointed at Stephen A. And said, don't you disrespect Paul George like that.

[Dan Le Batard]

Chris, can you give me Austin? Austin Reeves, Not Austin Rivers. He's in a beef with Draymond right now. Can you give me Austin Reeves? After the game, I felt like I

[Austin Reaves]

was respectful to all of them all night. I mean, there's times in the past I've said way worse stuff. And when we were doing the whole tip ball, they were switching spots. I wanted to get on the other side because they had a guy on the other side who was just trying to keep an advantage. And he turned around, just yelled at my face. I just thought it was disrespectful. The whole time that was going on over there, I don't think he said much to them. I don't think. I think stepped in and said something. But at the end of the day, grown men and I just didn't feel like he needed to yell in my face like that. I told him that I wasn't disrespectful. I told him if I did that to him first, I would have got a tech. I feel like the only reason I didn't get attacked is because he knew he was in the wrong. So, yeah, I don't felt disrespected.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, first of all, if I would have done that to you, I would have gotten a technical foul. That's right. He's the referee.

[Chris Cody]

Right.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's above. You're not equals. He's above you. So, yes, if you would talk to him like that, you would get a technical foul. That's correct.

[Chris Cody]

That's his point, is that it's not like, oh, it's not fair. Why, if I did it to you? He's not saying that. He's saying, if I had done that, I would got a technical foul, but I didn't do it, and hence I didn't get a technical file, despite me telling him this was very disrespectful.

[Dan Le Batard]

I thought I took it as him saying, I can't talk to you like that, so you shouldn't be allowed to talk to me like that.

[Chris Cody]

He shouldn't talk to him like that. That's right. Like, he shouldn't talk to him like that. But the point he's making is, as I'm pointing this out to you, if I was disrespectful the way you are, you would be teeing me up. So the fact that you didn't tee me up, as I'm pointing out, this disrespect to you indicates you know I'm right. You know I'm in the right here.

[Dan Le Batard]

But he also says earlier than that, I've said a million things worse than

[Chris Cody]

that in other games.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I'll bet he didn't get a million technical fouls.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, also, I don't know if Austin knows this. This might be helpful for him going forward. This isn't just a random game. This is round two, game two of the playoffs. What are you doing, Austin Reeves? It's like talking about the ballroom, whether there's a war overseas somewhere. What do you. What are you focusing on, man?

[Amin El Hassan]

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's 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 love a deal. And Quint 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 everyday 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 Q-U-I-N-C-E.com Dan for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com Dan

[Dave Damoshek]

the other night I was staying in. At least that was a plan. Then the text from my buddy Eagle Eye comes in. Mike, we've got the games on. I say, yeah. I grab a pack of Miller Lite and immediately my plan's gone. Now it's playoff basketball. Every possession feels huge. Baseball's on another screen. And I. I somehow care about that too. Everybody's got takes flying. Nobody's watching just one thing and we're all way more into it than we ever expected. It was one of those nights that you take a sip, you look around and you think, yeah, this was the right move. That's why I reached for Miller Lite. It's clean, refreshing, easy to drink, brewed for taste with simple ingredients. Just 96 calories and 3.2 carbs. The original light beer since 1975. And it still hits different 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. 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Promotions Announcer]

Most valuable promotions and Netflix are bringing you a blockbuster MMA event with a triple header of fan favorite fighters on Saturday, May 16th.

[Mike Ryan]

16th.

[Promotions Announcer]

This marks Netflix's first ever MMA fight, and it's going to be massive. In the main event, she returns to the Octagon. Ronda Rousey returns to shake up the world of combat sports, stepping back into the cage for the first time in nearly a decade to take on fellow women's MMA pioneer Gina Carrano. Plus, combat sports icon Nate Diaz faces off against Platinum Mike Perry, two of the toughest, most relentless fighters going head to head. Plus, the big man is back. Francis Ngannou, widely regarded as the hardest puncher in MMA history, takes on Felipe Linz in a heavyweight showdown. You will not want to miss five rounds. Five minutes each. One chance to leave it all in the cage. Don't miss it. Watch Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano live only on Netflix. Saturday, May 16th at 9pm Eastern, 6pm Pacific.

[Dan Le Batard]

Don LeBatard. My algorithm on Instagram is Dan. It's all boobs,

[Dave Damoshek]

stugats.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's a good algorithm. This is the Don Levatar show with the stugats.

[Promotions Announcer]

Hold on.

[Chris Cody]

He didn't come out and say, guys, assemble media. I got something. Oh, they asked him the question. He's answering.

[Dan Le Batard]

Open a meeting. Confronted the referee the whole game.

[Mike Ryan]

Surrounding the officiating after Game 2 of a playoff game. That's wise. That's. That's focusing on what matters.

[Chris Cody]

What are they supposed to do? The game's over.

[Dan Le Batard]

Exactly.

[Mike Ryan]

Not bellyache about the officiating.

[Chris Cody]

He didn't belly ache about it until they asked him about it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, but they only asked him about it because the scene that he.

[Jeremy]

That was belly aching. Well, we saw in that court with ever. That's belly aching. I don't know what belly aching is. That's not every player surrounding the ref.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, like, if he. If he doesn't do that at the end of the game, the media is not confronting Austin Reeves.

[Amin El Hassan]

What are you.

[Chris Cody]

What are you guys trying to protect the referees from having someone have a conversation with them?

[Mike Ryan]

No.

[Chris Cody]

Then what's the deal?

[Mike Ryan]

When have you ever seen an entire team surround the officials after a game?

[Dave Damoshek]

Don't go.

[Chris Cody]

Go be mad at the team. Like, he can have that conversation. He can have that conversation. You could be mad at LeBron and Jackson Hayes for hanging around. Maybe they want to make sure their teammate doesn't do something crazy like slap a referee or whatever. Like, the presence of these people is not somehow an indication that you guys are worried about the wrong thing. That's kind of ridiculous. The game's over. I'm going to say what I have to say. My teammates are here to make sure nothing gets out of hand.

[Amin El Hassan]

And LeBron created another legendary meme. Did you. I mean, did you see just him nodding along? Oh, my God, the Internet's having a field day with it. It's my favorite thing. Someone said it's like, oh, when. When my girl is arguing with the front desk about a hotel reservation. Yeah, that's the best one I've seen so far. Just nodding along.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, to be clear, if you are a referee, you are a weirdo. Have you ever met when you were growing up? Zaz, ask the kids as you're driving on your, on your road trip this weekend, ask them. Any of you aspire to be a referee? Any of you want to grow up to. To lord the rules over people better at a sport than you?

[Chris Cody]

I'm not.

[Mike Ryan]

You got to be a weirdo. Chip on the shoulder. I want to be one of the guys. Oh, I got drafted last one too many times and pick up basketball. Now I am going to get my revenge by. By officiating you. I'm going to call.

[Chris Cody]

I'm not going to stand here, Dave Damacek. I have many friends who are NBA officials, both past and present, and I won't stand here as you besmirch them, call them losers and weirdos.

[Dan Le Batard]

I didn't say losers. I said weird weirdos with chips on their shoulder.

[Chris Cody]

That's not true. These are people who love the game and there's a role for everybody and someone has to do that role and they do a good job. And also many of them former players, pretty good players. Leon Wood was, was a. Was in the NBA. Heywood Workman was an NBA player. So don't do this. Don't take your anti referee thing that you got from the NFL because your guys are lawyers and plumbers and shit on the weekdays. And then come, oh, wait, I got game today. I got to fly in and do my game. Now I'm going to go back to my. My job lifting weights. I'm Ed Hockley. And then also litigating. That's your NFL biases. Don't bring them over here. It's a. My NBA sandbox damage pulled, surprise winner out.

[Mike Ryan]

Enjoy them while they're there because they ain't going to be around in about a decade or so. I mean that the writing is in the wall and on the wall. And I think either way I think that we are going to look back on the era in which we sit and say what the hell. That must have been bizarre to be watching baseball games with the K zone and you pitch after pitch football. You're absolutely right. You can go back. The suspended sort of reality in which we're asked to live in is that we can all see in HGTV like, oh, he did get both feet down and he did control that, that pass and that exposes the NFL officials. Sure. But every pitch is in a baseball game. You can see if they got it right or wrong. And yet we have to defer even though we all see the same thing that was in the rectangle or it was outside the rectangle. We don't want to hurt these old guys feelings though. Let them call ball or strike. Let them say ball or strike. You can challenge it. What the hell are we doing? We are going to look back in 10 years and say what the hell kind of behavior was that who we were deferring what to the feelings because they have these umpires egos are going to be hurt. Guess what? Get ready to stand behind there to call the occasional play at the plate. That's about the only value they'll have.

[Chris Cody]

So Dave, I just want to be clear here when because you know, I don't know if you've seen this. They've got a Colin cowherd app that AI's Colin Cowherd sports arguments for you. So when our jobs are replaced by automation, are you going to be having the same sort of vigor and energy and happiness about the elimination of our jobs? Those people have mortgages, they have children that are going to college. They're just trying to make a buck, an honest buck in this country where people are losing their jobs every day. And here comes big elite, Dave Damachek and his friends Elon Musk and Sam Altman and they want to make sure we're all out of a job.

[Mike Ryan]

That's right.

[Chris Cody]

And that's why Spirit Airlines and I just spit everywhere. Spirit Airlines is out of the the running because people like Dave D want big business pro automation.

[Dave Damoshek]

Let's hear him out.

[Mike Ryan]

A human sport question to be. To answer your question, no, I will not be as excited.

[Jeremy]

Jeremy, I bet you like the Sun Pass. All right. I bet at one point you missed the little toll workers. I bet you're okay with Sun Pass.

[Amin El Hassan]

Now that's a. First of all, there are still people who get to work at the sunpass tolls because not everybody has a Sun Pass.

[Dan Le Batard]

Do you miss Throwing the coins, the quarters into the bucket.

[Amin El Hassan]

It was fun to like shoot it. Like I and you go follow through, man.

[Dave Damoshek]

But why is this taking 20 minutes? Just drive on by.

[Amin El Hassan]

That's right for that.

[Jeremy]

But like Dave is So right though. 15 years from now we're going to be like, wait, so there was one year in between.

[Amin El Hassan]

You'll miss it.

[Jeremy]

We had miss it.

[Mike Ryan]

No, you don't get to have it blown away.

[Amin El Hassan]

It's going what they really.

[Jeremy]

They touch their head.

[Amin El Hassan]

You're ridiculous.

[Mike Ryan]

Zaslo just said, no, no, he's not your equal. He is your superior. The player is answers to the official.

[Dan Le Batard]

The official is in charge of the game. Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Then they need to be right. The standard that. Well, human error is part of things. Not with officiating. We are challenging ourselves or the professional athletes out there doing it are challenging what they are capable of. Can they complete what they are efforting to do? That is not the standard for the referee. It is to say he violated the rules in his attempt to accomplish this. That's it. Get that right. It is not the same standard of human error that's part.

[Amin El Hassan]

These people are the most excellent in the world at their job. They had to work through several layers of whatever their sporting league is. If you started as a referee and you were doing high school refereeing in football, you worked your way through to get to the NFL. If you were doing it in the NBA, you started a level and you worked your way through. If you're doing baseball umpiring, you worked your way through. You're one of the best in the world. And yes, in anything, there's going to be human error. Tony earlier this week said there's going to be a great day today on Saturday. That's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing when we have human error.

[Jeremy]

Not in the bottom of the ninth of the world Series.

[Amin El Hassan]

Guess what? You can challenge it because we have the automation to back it up. But this is just like the self checkout line. You know what I do? I steal from the self checkout line because we cannot explain accept this automation

[Dan Le Batard]

in our lives taking over. Oh, incriminating. Hold on a second. You go to Publix and you're stealing.

[Amin El Hassan]

That's absolutely right.

[Jeremy]

Teach me how do you do you

[Amin El Hassan]

weigh like, you know, you get five tomatoes, you weigh four of them, you get. You get a little soda, you put it on the bottom of the cart,

[Mike Ryan]

this lousy son of a.

[Amin El Hassan]

And you walk out. You know why? It's. It's my automation tax. You're going to take away jobs from working class people who are just checking out.

[Mike Ryan]

You're stealing from our failing farm.

[Amin El Hassan]

Who.

[Jeremy]

You're also a cow. Like, do half that. You put.

[Dan Le Batard]

You pay for four of them, right? You get one for free.

[Amin El Hassan]

I might steal avocado on occasion.

[Dan Le Batard]

Come on.

[Amin El Hassan]

No. What it really ends up being a

[Dan Le Batard]

lot of times I'm.

[Amin El Hassan]

I. Okay, first of all, you're not going to. You're not going to take away more jobs.

[Dan Le Batard]

Get 10 and pay for one. Okay, now you're talking to him, Robin Hood.

[Amin El Hassan]

Sure.

[Chris Cody]

I.

[Amin El Hassan]

Hey, I don't see you doing it. I don't see you doing anything about automation. All of you are just advocating for more of it. Like, oh, throw this AI slap here. Oh, get rid of the umpires. What. What are you doing? You're a human being. But, oh, it's okay because, you know the kids, they'll deal with that later. It's ridiculous. You've gotten to live your dreams and you're just. You're just happy to get rid of it.

[Chris Cody]

Can I make an admission? I want to reveal something. You know, it's big day for reveal.

[Dan Le Batard]

Are we doing reveals?

[Chris Cody]

Big week for reveals. Chris revealed whatever he revealed. Jeremy just revealed something right there. I got to reveal to pull back the curtain. We have a whiteboard, has all the topics, right? The topics that we're talking about, right? One of them says K Zone slash abs. And I thought it was like a K pop group and someone had great abs. And we're going to talk about it. I'm like, why? Who put on this K pop thing, K Zone.

[Amin El Hassan]

I mean, it probably would have been me.

[Chris Cody]

Doesn't K Zone sound like a. Like a K pop group?

[Dan Le Batard]

I have a shirt project Main street is raising money for Lou Gehrig's Day ALS, which is coming up June 2nd. And we all have these shirts, and I had it laying around my house a couple of days ago, and it says in big bold letters, end als. All right. I think Roy wore it here a couple of days ago. Yeah, my very big letters ended and underneath it, als. My wife got home. She goes, why are we ending owls?

[Jeremy]

Oh, we are making fewer of them.

[Dan Le Batard]

You think we're just killing owls? We're getting rid of owls. That's what you think that shirt is.

[Amin El Hassan]

That's what you're going to want next.

[Dan Le Batard]

And once.

[Amin El Hassan]

Once you kill all the jobs, you start, I pick owls and you go alphabetically.

[Jeremy]

I picture Jeremy walking out of the grocery store like he did after that interview he did where it's just like a nice fist bump.

[Mike Ryan]

Like, yeah, I saved.

[Jeremy]

I don't even know what you're saving,

[Amin El Hassan]

but you're trying humanity.

[Chris Cody]

Bundy. Jefferson. Right. Harrington.

[Dan Le Batard]

But you want to end these guys.

[Chris Cody]

All these guys. Get them up out of here.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wow.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right.

[Austin Reaves]

Michaels.

[Dave Damoshek]

Hey, Roy, buddy.

[Mike Ryan]

Yo.

[Dave Damoshek]

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

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, absolutely.

[Chris Cody]

Mike.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Dave Damoshek]

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.

[Chris Cody]

Oh, delicious.

[Dave Damoshek]

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.

[Mike Ryan]

That's right.

[Dave Damoshek]

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.

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[Jeremy]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Don Lebatar witty.

[Dave Damoshek]

We have a photo right here. If you can see in this photo with my daughter there I am pointing exactly to the point on the Stanley cup where it says, you suck ass stugats right there.

[Mike Ryan]

Engraved.

[Jeremy]

Really?

[Dave Damoshek]

It's like, yeah, they got an engraved right there. It says, chris Whittingham sucks ass.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats. Chris has a very, very fun new game that we are going to debut now, everyone. Chris, you want to let everybody know what it is?

[Mike Ryan]

Yep.

[Jeremy]

It's called Fun or Terrifying. I'm gonna play a video here for you guys, and we can just kind of watch it and react together. This is a hot air balloon going over the Serengeti. It's super low, and it looks terrifying to me. This is not fun. This is my nightmare.

[Dan Le Batard]

You want Serengeti?

[Jeremy]

It's like in Africa, right? It's like, just like, don't shame me.

[Dan Le Batard]

Who cares? Why do I have to know the Serengeti?

[Jeremy]

You don't have to, but I'm explaining it to you. It's just the why. It's wildlife. There's hippos that could kill you. There's lions that could kill you, everything. And this, like, people are what look like, what, a hundred feet over. Maybe it's the depth. It's hard to tell. But it's like, I'm asking you guys because this is probably very expensive. Very cool thing to do to some people. Not for me. This is terrifying.

[Chris Cody]

Chris, there's another name for this game. Not Fun or Terrifying. It's.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, but I'm white. I would say I'm pushing back off that, though, because I'm white, and I think this is terrifying.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. You know what? I'm gonna go fun. I. I think I would do that. Because you're not very high. I don't want to go very high, but I think I'm going to go fun there.

[Jeremy]

For me, the higher the better here. Like, I don't want to be 50ft above all these Dan Levitards. You're worried about a hippo jumping up

[Chris Cody]

and trying to get you?

[Dave Damoshek]

It's just.

[Jeremy]

No, I'm worried about it. Having to make an emergency landing, and all of a sudden I'm terrified.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, but the same thing would happen if you're higher up.

[Jeremy]

But then I could at least have a longer fall. We could get away from the hippos as we fall.

[Dave Damoshek]

I don't ask him. Follow ups. You know, that's unfair.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, I'm going fun.

[Mike Ryan]

Mike and Amin speaking. All this talk about being high. There is a gigantic joint standing right behind you guys.

[Chris Cody]

A cyclone. That's a.

[Mike Ryan]

Is that what that is? Dave, are you in on this unibrowed blunt?

[Jeremy]

Dave, you ever been in a hot Air balloon?

[Mike Ryan]

No, I would never. I mean, I would never even be in that position in the first place. I would never. My wanderlust is gone at this age.

[Dan Le Batard]

You know about that? Wanderlust?

[Mike Ryan]

I have no interest in traveling to exotic lands if I ever was interested. That has come.

[Jeremy]

Have you been in more hot air balloons or tanning beds?

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, you need to see Vietnam before you die. I'm okay.

[Dave Damoshek]

Is tanning beds

[Chris Cody]

wander Franco's full name? Wanderlust Franco.

[Jeremy]

Was that question random to you, Mike? Sorry about that.

[Dave Damoshek]

Well, random answer is Vietnam question, though.

[Juju]

Ask again.

[Jeremy]

I'm sorry, I didn't hear.

[Mike Ryan]

You simply must see exotic Egypt before you. Before it's. No, thanks. I'm all right. Just let me know. Just show me the pictures of it. I'll just take a look at yours.

[Jeremy]

Zaz, not all segments are winners. We tried here.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, I think we'll give it another try another day.

[Dave Damoshek]

What are you trying to do with it?

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm not out on fun or terrible.

[Jeremy]

I was trying to get them to tanning beds.

[Dave Damoshek]

Yeah. I mean.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, yeah. That is.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thank you.

[Mike Ryan]

It did. It did come up. It did come up. Previously. Who do you think Cody has spent more time in a tanning bed in his life? Dave damoshek or Jonathan Zasla?

[Jeremy]

I would imagine zaz has never been in a tanning bed. And you live in California, so if you made me play this game, I would think you have been more tanned.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Dave Damoshek]

I believe you maybe bowed to the societal pressures of Los angeles.

[Jeremy]

You just have. You're a little darker, so you just look like somebody who has tanned. I could argue zaz has never tanned.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah. Look at zaz's skin tone. He can't even tan even if he wanted to. Also, big eye head. How's he gonna fit in the tanning bed? Like, it won't close.

[Mike Ryan]

That would be tough to negotiate your head through the tanning bed space.

[Dan Le Batard]

You will be surpr to know that I have done tanning beds several times.

[Mike Ryan]

Why are you able to get onto a plane with your head? Like, when that. Because that hole is a little.

[Dan Le Batard]

Asking me.

[Dave Damoshek]

I don't know. He's asking you if you've been able to board a plane because he questions whether or not your big ass head fits.

[Mike Ryan]

If your head.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, that's in a tanning bed, then

[Mike Ryan]

how's it gonna fit on an airplane?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I have been in a tanning bed.

[Jeremy]

When's the last.

[Dan Le Batard]

Several times. Early twenties.

[Dave Damoshek]

Can you. Was this, like, a radio sponsorship?

[Dan Le Batard]

No, it was before I was in College.

[Jeremy]

Oh, early 2020.

[Dave Damoshek]

I thought it was 2020 Santa Fe.

[Chris Cody]

Speaking of radio sponsorship things, another Sudano video has dropped. I'm going to go. I'm going to go effort that right now, before the end of the show.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, so I've never to answer. I've never been in a tanning bed. I have. I have dignity. And why would L. A me living in LA now mean I would go to a tanning bed. The sun's out there. Why would I need the fake thing? I've got the real thing over my head.

[Dave Damoshek]

That stopped everybody else in la, so

[Mike Ryan]

everybody I know just. It's a steady flow of people going to the tanning bed every day.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, well, while Amin is efforting the latest Sedano video, walking around in a robe. By the way, I've never worn a robe in my life in any setting. I have never put on a robe.

[Amin El Hassan]

It's not even when you're being a cuck.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's all right. I told you about that.

[Dave Damoshek]

You can just open it up.

[Dan Le Batard]

You know what, Jeremy? I was just about to let you talk about something that you would want to talk about. So instead, because Jeremy comes in here on a daily basis wanting to talk about things that nobody wants to hear about. So instead of that, allow you give us a couple of topics and we'll pick which one we give you a little bit of a time to talk about.

[Amin El Hassan]

Okay. All right.

[Dan Le Batard]

How many, Max?

[Amin El Hassan]

Okay, I got three. I can give you three. All right, so let's start here. Ashley Padilla. Y' all know about that? Ashley Padilla. Ashley Padilla is currently emerging as one of the all time great SNL performers.

[Mike Ryan]

Was that you who compared her to Kristen Wiig?

[Amin El Hassan]

I did.

[Mike Ryan]

A few days ago I did. That's a loco thing to talk about.

[Amin El Hassan]

I know it is. She is at the beginning of her career. She is still just a featured cast member on this show. She's amazing. So I'll stop right there. There's also a new film coming out called Last Dance. Not what you think it is. It's a new film about a composer who invites his daughter on a gay cruise in the Caribbean in 1991 while retreating from the reality of his AIDS diagnosis.

[Dan Le Batard]

All I need to know. Okay, next.

[Amin El Hassan]

You want to know about the stars.

[Dan Le Batard]

Next,

[Amin El Hassan]

actor named KJ Apa from Riverdale. He's got an alternate identity as Mr. Fantasy, a musical artist, and he recently called out Mr. Fantasy saying he's a liar.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dave Thief. Vote. Which one?

[Mike Ryan]

Can you go oh, for three?

[Dan Le Batard]

You can.

[Amin El Hassan]

I Mean, guys, Rachel Zegler's in that movie I was talking about.

[Dan Le Batard]

Horrible.

[Amin El Hassan]

Talked about her a lot.

[Mike Ryan]

I.

[Amin El Hassan]

One of the great young actresses of our time.

[Mike Ryan]

Sometimes the hate will win in my heart.

[Amin El Hassan]

Super talented.

[Mike Ryan]

I would like to hear, because I already hate that guy. Terrific vocalist, whoever that guy was, who has an alternate.

[Amin El Hassan]

Oh, Mr. Fantasy.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right.

[Mike Ryan]

Whatever that is.

[Amin El Hassan]

All right, KJ Appa. There's a show called Riverdale. All right, so Mr. Fantasy is this alternate identity that came out on Tick Tock about a year ago, and I think it was May of 2025. And there's.

[Mike Ryan]

But we don't know who's, like, who his real identity is.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I like it.

[Mike Ryan]

I like that we barely know who he is, but he's like, hey, guess what? If you like this, I don't know who you are. Well, you get a load of my old id.

[Amin El Hassan]

Old id?

[Mike Ryan]

A fool. Again, I don't know who.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jeremy, you're losing your time to Dave.

[Amin El Hassan]

KJ Apa is an actor who was in the TV show Riverdale. It's the Archie comics. If basically the Archie comics wasn't that 20 years ago. So as the cyclone comes through here and is spinning around, Mr. Fantasy is essentially this. This alternate identity. Everyone was like, oh, my God. Who is this person? I don't know who this person is. And then ultimately, people started to figure out through context clues that, wait, I think it's this actor, KJ Apa from Riverdale. And so, over the span of time, he has refused to acknowledge. But recently, there was a new music video in which the other stars of Riverdale, including Plantations, own Camila Mendez. Okay? Cami Mendez, graduate of American Heritage Plantation. She was in the music video. So were the other members of this show. But it didn't make any sense because Mr. Fantasy can't possibly, possibly be KJ Apa. And so KJ Appa says, you know what? I'm gonna call you a thief and a liar. But we all know the KJ Appa is actually Mr. Fantasy. It's a really cool thing that's happening in pop culture.

[Mike Ryan]

Amin's taking four naps in the last couple of minutes.

[Amin El Hassan]

Mr. Fantasy's super cool.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right.

[Mike Ryan]

You should look.

[Amin El Hassan]

He looks ridiculous.

[Mike Ryan]

I think Mike was right. Put on Skip and Stephen A.

[Amin El Hassan]

It's good music.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dave, you really don't want to know about Rachel Zegler.

[Mike Ryan]

Thank you.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thank you. Your time is up.

[Amin El Hassan]

Adrian Brody.

[Dan Le Batard]

Your time is up. Dave, today is your last day with us. You've done that. Let's give it up to Dave Real Quick. For spending the week.

[Jeremy]

Toast to Dave.

[Dan Le Batard]

Coming. Oh, okay.

[Jeremy]

Brought to you by Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, all right. Toast to Dave. How about that? Dave, you've done a wonderful job. We've enjoyed having you in. But last night, I was just about

[Mike Ryan]

to say, speaking of toast, you got

[Dan Le Batard]

lit up last night, huh?

[Mike Ryan]

Well, it wasn't my fault. Our pal here on the other side of that door, Zaslow Cynthia. I went up to get my tacos, as I do when I am here. I love that they have delicious tacos here at the Elser. And I went up there to get my standard fare of tacos, and Cynthia was there. I found her seated at the bar and I joined her. And the next thing I knew, we threw it on real good. We threw it on real good. And we went name by name through the company. And she told me the truth.

[Chris Cody]

Wow.

[Mike Ryan]

About everybody. And then, as if I needed to punctuate it, I went down. Cuz I didn't have. They were like, oh, kitchen closed. I'm a kitchen closed. We've been boozing so long, I forgot to order my tacos. So I needed to get food. So I went down to Vice Versa. And hear me now, believe me later, the best pizza I've had in the last two years consistently coming out of Vice Versa. On the first floor in the lobby of the Elser, I have been eating the spicy pepperoni. But then the bartender said, do me a favor, do yourself a favor, try the clam pizza. And I said, clam?

[Dan Le Batard]

What does that mean? Clam piece, clams on it.

[Jeremy]

That's what I would go with, right?

[Dan Le Batard]

What are you laughing at me for?

[Mike Ryan]

Because I think they figured out what it meant when clam pizza meant clam pizza that had clams on it. You know, Art?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes, I know now, right?

[Mike Ryan]

And then the next thing I knew after that, I was seated atop cloud nine eating my clam pizza, and I barely was able to return to planet Earth in time for the show. Clam pizza, Spicy pepperoni pizza. A toast to you. Vice versa. Nay. To Cynthia, a delightful companion to bend the elbow with over and over.

[Jeremy]

Keep it Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

Do you feel like you learned a bit about everybody on the show that you needed to know about?

[Jeremy]

I did.

[Dan Le Batard]

You got the. You got the gossip on everyone.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm gonna side eye a lot of you now.

[Jeremy]

You just talked about the firefighter for the whole time. Is that's what I'm imagining?

[Mike Ryan]

That's right. So what is Chris Cody's. But seriously, though, what's his deal? Really, though, why. Why Chris Cody. Why?

[Jeremy]

No idea.

[Amin El Hassan]

Dude.

[Chris Cody]

Guys, as promised.

[Dave Damoshek]

Wait. Oh, I thought you wanted to talk about how Skip has LeBron as his ninth best player ever. Behind Bird, behind Kobe.

[Chris Cody]

Guys, as promised, the second Sedano video has hit the Internet.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, here we go.

[Chris Cody]

Now he's selling flowers. Check it. And if you have a busy lifestyle like me.

[Amin El Hassan]

Just give me one second.

[Dan Le Batard]

If you have a busy lifestyle like

[Chris Cody]

me, right, where I'm traveling all the time, where, you know, when I come to the office, you got to talk to different people.

[Dave Damoshek]

Just.

[Chris Cody]

I'll be right with you. All you gotta do is do what I do.

[Mike Ryan]

Good for him.

[Chris Cody]

I just love him. Shilling for all of these things. He's like. He's like for Mother's Day, like that car shield commercial with Stephen A. In it. Like, I just see. I see Sadana there. The only thing that's missing is the bathrobe. I wish he had worn the bathrobe.

[Amin El Hassan]

Who's his agent?

[Dave Damoshek]

Oh, man. Stephen A. Is selling like Shawn Michaels in a WrestleMania right now. These facials, look how serious they are.

[Mike Ryan]

That's the key, you know that this is an important conversation just based on their facial expression.

[Dave Damoshek]

This is Dolph Ziggler type selling.

[Jeremy]

He's doing the, like, rest his chin on his hand, just kind of like

[Chris Cody]

nodding along, eyebrows raised. He's looking away, by the way. You see how. Here we go. The wide shot. He's not even looking at. Is he cleaning his glasses?

[Dave Damoshek]

No, I think he's checking his nails.

[Chris Cody]

Checking his nails.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh.

[Dave Damoshek]

Oh, this is great.

[Chris Cody]

We are so bad.

[Mike Ryan]

What performance.

[Dave Damoshek]

That's flare, steamboat.

[Dan Le Batard]

How are we supposed to compete with that?

[Dave Damoshek]

Don't we punt?

[Amin El Hassan]

Chris, show me your belly button.

[Mike Ryan]

Sedano. Did you notice the beige linen suit? That's Damoshek's future. I'm following his lead. That's where I'm headed. Maybe as early as next week, there will be a whole new Dave for the world to see. Dave, the one who wears T shirts and ratty old flannel button downs and everything else. That's. That's. That's a Dave of the past. It's the don of a new Dave. Fancy Dave, Old Dave, Elegant Dave, Classy Dave.

[Dan Le Batard]

Keep going. You got more adjectives.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, that's. I don't have to claim every adjective.

[Dave Damoshek]

Affluent Dave. You got like 30 more seconds.

[Mike Ryan]

If that, if, if. If that's the. What you take from it. I think that picking up what I'm. Yeah, maybe, maybe. As long as you don't say ass. Dave. Dave the ass. I Don't want to be Dave the Ass. I would much rather be given a choice. I'd much rather be known as Dave the Asshole. That means I have gravitas that maybe I could one day sit and say ridiculous things with a serious face. To Skip and Stephen a. Steve. No, no Stephen.

[Jeremy]

A

[Dan Le Batard]

special shout out to the clones. Good luck. Let's go tonight.

[Mike Ryan]

Big one.

[Dan Le Batard]

Very big night for all of us.

[Mike Ryan]

Cyclones.

[Dan Le Batard]

George Cloney in the house today. Cyclone, come on now.

[Mike Ryan]

Hey, shout out to everybody. Always makes me feel so welcome here, especially Kristen and Cynthia. But Zaslo, you're in the tough chair, man, steering the ship here and everything else. Point guard, you're like.

[Dave Damoshek]

You're some tough chairs.

[Mike Ryan]

You're more. You're more Steph Marbury than you are John Stockton. You can score, but you also distribute.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, there you go.

[Chris Cody]

Starberry, you got a bigger hat, too.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let's bring aboard juju today for a very special edition of Friday Thunder.

[Juju]

Yes, sir. Man Salute to all the big dogs out there who became millionaires last night because Thursday Thunder struck and hit again. And guess what? We back. Man. The WNBA season is kicking off, so you got to know I got a couple picks for my ladies. Starting off first with Queen Wilson, aka Big Asia. We going for 20 points, Scooby Snacks, at least tonight as well as second leg, we going with at least 10 rebounds for my sister as well. Salute the bam. Moving on to the next leg, Alyssa Thomas at for eight assists at least. Man, lock them in. And you got to know, before I get out of here, I gotta show some love to the home team, man. Tomorrow, the Atlanta Dream moneyline against the Minnesota Links. Lock it in.

[Dave Damoshek]

Man.

[Chris Cody]

Salute.

[Dan Le Batard]

Juju. Speaking of the Atlanta Dream, you know about them me bounds?

[Juju]

I know about them me bounds. I can't wait to see them. I hope I get one of them me bounds. You dig it?

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, there you go. Angel Reese, now Atlanta Dream. Big star there.

[Mike Ryan]

Tamu Salami.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yep.

[Chris Cody]

You guys see the big birthday the. That oh. Carter gave for Asia for? Excuse me, what's going on here? I don't know.

[Dan Le Batard]

What are these words?

[Chris Cody]

Dude, you know what I'm talking about, right?

[Dan Le Batard]

What?

[Juju]

Yes, sir. Having the best gambling week ever known to man. History did. No one has ever seen this type of president. So as you were saying,

[Chris Cody]

juju, you bet on that Pulitzer?

[Dan Le Batard]

Salute to George. Speaking of which, with the Pulitzer and of course the Cyclones, this could be a. A once in a lifetime thing that happens tonight, right? I mean, yeah.

[Chris Cody]

No, I mean, look, I'm already The first Sudanese Pulitzer Prize winner ever. Now, there's a chance that I could be the first Sudanese Pulitzer Prize winner. Was also a High Alai winner.

[Dan Le Batard]

So.

[Dave Damoshek]

Battle for all right. Battle court champion. It's never happened before.

[Mike Ryan]

The Cyclone. You have a piece of this action. I mean, I didn't realize.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, we all do.

[Dave Damoshek]

You can be a Battle Corps champion.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's.

[Dave Damoshek]

It's the show owns the team.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Holy hell.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're in on this.

[Mike Ryan]

Feel what it feels like to be a winner for once.

[Chris Cody]

Champion.

[Dave Damoshek]

Are you gonna be watching?

[Mike Ryan]

You can watch because they don't let lefty, so I don't feel included.

[Amin El Hassan]

Damn.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, why would. You know what kind of just right out in the open Discrimination against my people.

[Dave Damoshek]

The other night, I was staying in. At least that was a plan. Then the text from my buddy Eagle Eye comes in. Mike, we've got the games on. I say, yeah. I grab a pack of Miller Lite, and immediately my plan's gone. Now it's playoff basketball. Every possession feels huge. Baseball's on another screen, and I somehow care about that, too. Everybody's got takes flying. Nobody's watching. Just one thing, and we're all way more into it than we ever expected. It was one of those nights that you take a sip, you look around and you think, yeah, this was the right move. That's why I reached for Miller Light. It's clean, refreshing, easy to drink, brewed for taste, with simple ingredients just 96 calories and 3.2 carbs. The original light beer since 1975. And it still hits different 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, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.