Local Hour: Bigger. Bigger! BIGGER!!! (feat. Mike Ryan)

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Local Hour: Bigger. Bigger! BIGGER!!! (feat. Mike Ryan)
Date: January 8, 2026
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Overview of the Episode

This episode revolves around the Miami Hurricanes’ long-awaited opportunity to compete in the College Football Playoff and the overwhelming sense among the show's cast (especially Mike Ryan) that this is not just a sports moment, but the “biggest game in 20 years” for Miami. The conversation, true to the show’s tone, fluidly bounces between hyped-up sports talk, personal investment, inside jokes, and sharp socio-political commentary, especially regarding current news in America. The “bigger” theme punctuates Dan’s demands that both the team behind the show and the city itself rise to the occasion.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Demand for “Bigger” and Show Dynamics

• Dan’s Frustration with Complacency

  • Dan expresses frustration that the show didn’t seize the opportunity to do something huge to match the Miami Hurricanes moment, pushing for a “24-hour livestream” and reminiscing about the original 'shadow show' concept.
  • “Bigger. The game needs to be bigger.” (Dan, [02:11])
  • Others (including Mike Ryan) push back, noting fatigue and personal responsibilities, but Dan remains adamant: “Challenging Meadowlark Media—live the entire way.” ([06:37])

• Mike Ryan’s Personal Investment

  • Mike Ryan’s passion for the Hurricanes is on full display—he’s traveling with the team, financially and emotionally invested.
  • “There isn't a passion that matches this. The only thing that comes close […] was my former love for the Cleveland Browns, and I just took that passion and doubled up on my Hurricanes passion.” (Mike Ryan, [08:14])
  • Mike admits to moving money he used to spend on Inter Miami to Hurricanes Athletics. ([09:10])

2. Miami’s Moment & Media’s Role

• The Biggest Game in Decades

  • The hosts agree that this is the biggest football event Miami (college or pro) has seen in 20 years. Dan insists the city, fans, and the show must rise to meet the moment.
  • “This is the biggest thing. Football is the biggest thing. And in 20 years, they have not mattered—either team… Not really. Not like this.” (Dan, [07:01])

• Roots of Hurricanes Fandom & Show Content

  • The panel discusses how the show is entwined with Miami’s frequent heartbreak, debating if another loss is really "best for content."
  • “Over the course of its 20 plus years, [the show has] had enough of Miami sadness… I think 21 years in, we can finally have a happy ending.” (Mike Ryan, [22:16])

3. Crosscurrents: Sports, Distraction, and Real-World News

• Pivot to Current Events: Minneapolis Shooting & Government Response

  • The show confronts the day’s major news: a white woman being shot by law enforcement in Minneapolis, sparking significant outrage.
  • Mike Ryan and Dan argue about using the show’s platform to not ignore this moment, equating its significance to prior watershed moments like George Floyd.
  • “We cannot let this be okay. We cannot let life go on and not address what's happening right now.” (Mike Ryan, [10:17])
  • Dan denounces both the act and the political response: “You can't have fake police… You can't shout 'fake news'... and then have this, what you have happening right now in America.” (Dan, [29:55])

• Balancing Levity, Distraction, and Moral Responsibility

  • The hosts reflect on how their show often provides a needed distraction, but sometimes silence on national trauma becomes complicity.
  • "There are times for levity and there's times for transfer portal and there's times for the Verbo Fiesta Bowl. Maybe we can do all those things at the same time. But now is absolutely a time to use your microphone and say: this is not right." (Mike Ryan, [16:07])

4. Political and Media Critique

• Collapse of Norms: Media & Government Critiqued

  • The conversation turns toward the collapse of mainstream media and the dangerous way government actions are justified and reported.
  • “Mainstream media has already collapsed… CBS, home to 60 Minutes… is afraid of the mad king.” (Dan, [20:35])
  • “When you do a military action in a foreign land, saying it’s under the auspices of law enforcement… and then you announce the successful operation by saying, ‘we're going to run Venezuela’... that's not law enforcement, that is imperialism.” (Amin, [35:41])

• False Promises & Public Disillusion

  • Amin points out the dissonance between campaign promises and current actions, referencing Democrats and Republicans alike.
  • “If you voted for him, he's letting you down. He's not letting me down.” (Amin, [39:15])

5. College Football: Matchups, Odds, and the New Landscape

• Miami’s Football Strengths & Matchups

  • Mike Ryan lays out why Miami should be favored: strong pass rush and ground game, better preparation time than Ole Miss due to coaching changes.
  • "Miami should win this game based on its advantages and will only lose if they turn the ball over." (Dan, [25:25])
  • “Our coaches have way more time to prepare for this game now.” (Mike Ryan, [27:38])
  • Miami is described as “peaking at the right time,” signaling how college football now mirrors the NFL in unpredictability and importance of late-season surges. ([42:20])

• Parody in College Football

  • Discussion highlights increases in parity in college football, dismissing the old orthodoxy that early-season losses are disqualifying.
  • “You need to look at the regular season in college football in this new age of parody more like the NFL than you used to.” (Mike Ryan, [42:20])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

[02:11] Dan: "The game needs to be bigger. And then we fart out that intro yesterday. And I'm like, no, bigger! ... We've been waiting for this football game for 20 years in this town, pro or amateur, like, bigger."

[08:14] Mike Ryan: "There isn't a passion that matches this. The only thing that comes close ... was my former love for the Cleveland Browns. That would have meant a lot, but I just took that passion for the Cleveland Browns and I doubled up on my Hurricanes passion."

[10:17] Mike Ryan (on the Minneapolis shooting): “We cannot let this be okay. We cannot let life go on and not address what's happening right now… This is not a political statement. I think this is an American statement.”

[16:07] Mike Ryan: “There are times for levity and there's times for transfer portal and there's times for the Verbo Fiesta Bowl. Maybe we can do all those things at the same time. But now is absolutely a time to use your microphone and say: this is not right.”

[20:35] Dan: "Mainstream media has already collapsed and now they're picking up the pieces. Of course CBS, home to 60 Minutes, is afraid of the mad king … as he chases Kimmel and bombs Venezuela because there's a loon in charge."

[22:16] Mike Ryan: “I think 21 years in, we can finally have a happy ending. I think that.”

[25:25] Dan: "Miami should win this game based on its advantages and will only lose it if they turn the ball over."

[35:41] Amin: “…when you do a military action in a foreign land, saying it’s under the auspices of law enforcement because this guy’s a drug trafficker, and then you announce… ‘we’re going to run Venezuela’… that’s not law enforcement, that is imperialism.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:00–04:30]: Dan pushes the crew on “bigger” coverage and Miami football’s rare championship moment.
• [08:00–10:00]: Mike Ryan opens up about his personal investment in the Hurricanes.
• [10:00–14:25]: The team addresses the shooting in Minneapolis and reflects on the show’s civic responsibility.
• [20:35–21:30]: Media critique; linking the current state of journalism to the show’s mission.
• [25:25–29:12]: Deep-dive on Miami’s matchup, advantages, and why Mike is so confident.
• [35:41–39:00]: Amin’s breakdown of American imperialism and constitutional process.
• [42:20–43:32]: The evolving college football landscape: why “parity” means a two-loss champion is possible.

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Tone and Style

The episode oscillates between irreverent humor and earnest intensity. Dan is fiery, demanding, and poetic about the local moment and media’s failures. Mike is emotionally raw and personally invested, while Amin offers a sharply analytical—and often exasperated—global perspective. The crew’s camaraderie and insider references foster an atmosphere both playful and pressing.

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For listeners: This episode delivers a whirlwind fusion of local sports euphoria, insider fandom, comedic banter, and a frank, sometimes somber, take on an America at a crossroads. It’s a candid illustration of why the Dan Le Batard Show resides at the intersection of sports and societal conversation: both matter, both hurt, and both can be “bigger.”

Transcript

[A]

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[A]

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[B]

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[C]

Prime's exclusive wild card playoff game is Saturday night. Jordan Love and the packers take on Caleb Williams and the Bears. Not a Prime member Sign up for a 30 day free trial to stream the game that's gonna be caught for the touchdown. NFC north rivals square off in the latest chapter of the NFL's oldest feud, the packers and Bears and Prime's exclusive wild card playoff game Saturday at 7:30pm Eastern. Only on Prime. Sign up for a 30 day free trial today. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details. So yesterday, professional critic Mike Ryan explained how it is that I don't do the shadow show well enough for his liking on whatever his visions were Once upon a time for a Shadow show Starting low again. The thing that I always wanted the shadow show to be is like a private meeting we were having amongst ourselves that the audience could overhear how we actually interact, as if we didn't know the microphones were on. That was the original intent of what the shadow show was supposed to be.

[B]

Lasted all of about a week.

[A]

That's how we talk to each other off air. We whisper.

[C]

No. So the way that I the way I imagined it is the following. You laugh, Roy. You laugh, Roy.

[A]

Because it's funny, Roy.

[C]

But I'm very frustrated, okay? Because I'm gonna let the audience in on what was the private meeting. Which was the private meeting was just me sitting in the middle of the room, squatting and then rising up my palms and just asking everybody in the room, bigger. The game needs to be bigger. And then we fart out that intro yesterday. And I'm like, no, bigger big. Like, why? What do you guys not understand about. We've been waiting for this football game for 20 years in this town, pro or amateur, like, bigger. And everyone's looking at me. We're tired, Dan. The muffins are good. We don't want bigger. We would just want to eat and watch the game. I'm like, let's do a livestream. Let's do 24 hours straight. Like freedom. Bigger. And everyone's like, dan, I've got kids. I got, you know, we got practice.

[B]

You were muffins yesterday.

[C]

I want to do 24 straight hours leading to this game.

[A]

Blueberry.

[B]

Too late.

[C]

I want to do. Mike Ryan does too. He's snorting the west coast right now. This Mike Ryan is care. Do you guys understand? He said earlier this week, with no self awareness whatsoever, he's like, you guys think I care about, um, football? Mario Cristobal cares more. He's. That's a thing.

[D]

I sure would hope so.

[C]

That's. And now he's running around tell everyone, Mario Cristobal, that meathead is genius.

[D]

Well, have you seen his offensive line play?

[C]

He's the modern. He in. You don't watch the games, Dan. He's in the cult. That's right. If you watch the games. What do you mean if I watch the games? I'm watching all the games. Just like you are. Not for my box. You're not, Dan. Not moving and shaking with the, um, women's basketball team fundraising golden cane. He's everything the country hates about Miami. Damn nice box he has though.

[B]

Sure is. You guys been.

[A]

I, me and Roy went once for the Stanford game.

[C]

I genuinely, I genuinely don't know if there's anything that would make Mike Ryan happier. And he loved the Panthers winning than the University of Miami winning this championship.

[B]

Well, we gotta talk about that. That's the best thing for the show, right? Is for them to make it to the championship game, but then to get absolutely annihilated. That's what. From a content standpoint by Indiana. That's what we're rooting for.

[C]

Yeah, like what? Huh? How'd that happen? The best story, yes. Is Indiana dragging them like they did Alabama in the final.

[D]

I came back after our two week break like actually for the first time in a really long time, ready to root for Miami. I was like, you know what? It's cool for the show. It's, you know, the local story. I care about Miami teams in general. Mike broke that within about two hours of the show.

[A]

I was two hours.

[D]

That team.

[B]

First segment.

[C]

Fake break home show. Duh. You fake break home show.

[D]

Let's go.

[C]

Fake break home show. Fake big ham show. Biggest game in 20 years. Mask kicks ass. How does it rub you? We put belt to ass.

[A]

It rubs me beyond the wrong way.

[C]

Fake break him show.

[A]

Do you think that your family would.

[C]

Get a lot of joy from Malaki? So did we head to head. It's good. Hello. Just having fun, man.

[D]

Punk.

[A]

And boom goes the dynamite.

[C]

Fake breako show.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I'm not letting that story mess with my glory. Talking about how long, damn it, how long? History is gone. We are right here, right now, and every team they thought was gonna beat us is taking their ass home. Sorry. And we gonna keep doing it until.

[B]

We land back home in our stadium.

[C]

For the national championship. Belt to assume. Bigger. Bigger. Biggest game in 20 years. This means more to Mike Ryan than any sports thing ever. I have to imagine even the Panthers winning multiple championships. I believe Mike Ryan, who's flown across the country to be closer to the fiesta. I believe Mike Ryan would be made happier by the Miami Hurricanes winning this football game and the next one than he would by any sports thing that's ever happened in Miami. Miami Heat included, everything included. I believe he cares more about this than anything. I need this to be a bigger fake pregame show. I'm challenging this company right now to do Freedom all over again. Right now, today. What? 24 straight hours. Let's just go straight through right now, beginning today. Fake pregame show right up until the game. Challenging Meadowlark media live the entire way. Let's go right up until the game and then watch the game together and then go home for the night. Because Miami's gonna play the next biggest game in 20 years. Pro or college. In this town, the football games are the biggest. Miami wins championships in soccer. South Florida wins championships in hockey.

[B]

Plural.

[C]

This is the biggest thing. Football is the biggest thing. And in 20 years, they have not mattered either team. Not really. Not like this. This is the biggest thing. Is Meadowlark media going to rise to the moment? Because I'm in the meeting before the show. Bigger rise to the moment. Michael Irvine saying Belt to ask to all of you and all of you, like, I got to go take care of the kids. And then Zaz is like, I got to go to the Beach Bowl. And so What? I'm like, no. Livestream. Let's go. 24 straight hours. Freedom. Isn't this why we do this? We've been waiting 20 years. They win championship. South Florida, plural. Soccer, hockey. And here it is, the biggest thing before the next biggest thing. You got me hyped, Dan. No, but it's the time. Michael Irvin's been asking. It's the time right now. You don't get these chances. Miami's been waiting 20 years for this chance again, and tonight they're favored. And I want to do right up until the game.

[A]

Jeremy.

[C]

Make another open.

[A]

Bigger.

[D]

I'll make it bigger.

[C]

Bigger.

[B]

Debacled it.

[C]

Mike Ryan is already landed at the Fiesta Bowl. I don't know what his festivities planned. I don't want to speak for him here, even though I did. This is bigger by how many miles on any championship that you care about.

[A]

This is the biggest. You were right. I. The Panthers, for personal reasons, was. Was big, kind of full circle, because that was my first job in sports. But this one. There isn't a passion that matches this. The only thing that comes close to this was my former love for the Cleveland Browns. That would have meant a lot, but I just took that passion for the Cleveland Browns and I doubled up on my Hurricanes passion. Put my money behind it, too. So, yeah, this is the. The biggest thing ever for me.

[B]

Whose grandma's house are you at?

[A]

Right. Well, there's that. You know better than anybody this is an Arizona ass house right now.

[B]

Weather house.

[C]

Yeah. You just said, put my money behind it now. You're somebody, wherever it is, that you connect with these teams spiritually. Like, you bailed on Inter Miami because they gouged you, like, financially, they were ripping you off. And so your emotional investment was lost somewhere in there because you cared about everything that was happening there. You've actually invested your money and your heart in what it is you're doing. There aren't a whole lot of people, Mike, traveling with the team.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Well, I mean, the people that care. I mean, it's hard. It's expensive. That's what I've learned about the College Football playoff is if you make it, it's expensive. And I just diverted those inter Miami funds to Miami Hurricanes Athletics because, you know, I wanted to be here one day. And we're here. I gotta be honest, Stan, it feels a little surreal. I. Especially after losing to smu. I definitely didn't think that it was gonna happen this year. And to be going down this run, I. It's very like, pinch Me the entire time. Yesterday, I didn't really get to soak in the. The environment because of everything that was going on. It was kind of like a crappy day. But today I'm gonna get fired up for it, and I'm really happy that Miami's made it to this moment. It's pretty validating acceptance speech right here. Right?

[C]

Was. And he said crappy day while in the middle of. Yeah, okay, we're now doing the shooting white women in the face in Minneapolis thing.

[A]

Yeah. If I could. Because if I could, if I may for a second, because that's kind of ruined everything for me. And I'm around this country, and I know no Miami Hurricane fan wants to hear this. If they don't want to play this game today, I'm okay with it. Like the sports, the world paused during the George Floyd thing. And in Minnesota, we all saw a video of an American citizen getting shot multiple times in the face for moving their car. And our government is lying to us about it. And if this isn't a tipping point for all of us to stop what we're doing, I don't know what is. We cannot let this be okay. We cannot let life go on and. And not address what's happening right now. That last. What happened last night was the sum of a lot of fears when we were talking with all this rhetoric about the previous election. And we're here, and things are happening so quickly that I think we're all struggling to stop it because there's something crazy and new every day. This we cannot let happen. And I would really prefer if sports took the moment to acknowledge that like it has before. And even if it's just to rip the games away from you and force you to look at this and what's going on, do it. I would. I would say I don't know why that conversation's been absent from the sporting conversation. I don't. I don't know what we're doing right now. Things are moving too fast, I guess. But last night was one of the worst days in American history, I think, and we need to talk about it like that.

[C]

I am curious, as I do ask us to go legitimately. Now, I'm not joking when I say I want to be live here for a while, going up to this game tonight, because I'd like to enjoy ourselves during perilous times, during times that we've been doing the song and dance every day around here, pretending that it's just about sports. Just about sports, while ignoring some things that feel like beyond infringements on democracy, where you're just got a senile old orange turd talking about oil, oil, oil and not democracy, while. While bombing Venezuela and making a whole lot of people in a section of Miami really happy. Because, yes, Maduro is down, and that's lovely. That feels like communism falling and it feels like America being right. But there's nothing going on right now with this country when the ICE agents and the military, state police are sitting there shooting even white women from Minneapolis in the face. And when this happened in Minnesota five years ago, we did protest in the streets because of a race thing. And like, this is a white woman shot in the face. Like what? That's. That's where we are on this. And I also want to cover both things at the same time, though, Mike, because as David Sampson goes through something very difficult, and you sat in for an hour today on Nothing Personal. Did you talk about this?

[A]

No, no, I. We were talking about the Mon Williams in the transfer portal, which, you know, I was actually welcoming of that conversation, too. Like, the Miami hurricanes are proving to be one hell of a distraction, as you described a lot of the events that happened. And I think our show and the audience would kind of note this, too. We stepped away from talking about this because I think we all collectively saw the value in being a welcome distraction and bringing levity back. I think our show, probably too much over the course of the previous years, tried to buck against what was happening, and it was a sacrifice for our show. And I think, to a degree, we paid somewhat of a price. And we've had these conversations before the show like, how do we want to talk about this? Do we want to be the bright spot in people's day? And I think to a very large degree, Dan, we've done the right thing. We've tried to make people happy and make them laugh. But you see that video last night and you see the disgusting statements from the people in our government that are supporting the actions of that ICE agent, this fake police that is not doing what?

[C]

Not qualified. Not fake police. We did it with fake news, fake police. People who are not qualified to be shooting anybody in the face. They're not qualified to have those jobs.

[A]

Seen a group of people that are so welcoming and un. Humiliated to be lied to directly to their face. None of the stuff that's happening right now is what was on the platform of what they voted for. These are not violent criminals that were chasing down. There wasn't an invasion of Venezuela that was on. On the platform. How many times you have to pivot. Are you not embarrassed? There is a tipping point. And if it's not a woman trying to move her car away from a fake police, an unqualified fake police, and getting shot in the face three times for it, and then having everyone in politics on that side of the aisle gaslight you and telling you what you saw is not right and that the victim here is the person doing the shooting. When are you going to. When are you going to face reality? This is a moment in time that I. That I hope that all people meet. I. It's not on sports. I know. I opened up with that. Sports is just a part of it. If people want to make a statement, I don't think this is a political statement. I think this is an American statement. I think that people should take the opportunity to take a stand right now and say, this is not right. That's all I can do. I can't go to Minneapolis right now and protest. But I have protested in Miami and I have made my voice heard when I was fearful of something like this happening. Something like this just happened. I do think that we need to take to the streets. I do think that we need to make statements. I do think that anybody with a platform should speak on it. And I do agree that there are times for levity and there's time for laughter and there's times for transfer portal and there's times for the Verbo Fiesta Bowl. Maybe we can do all those things at the same time. But now is absolutely a time to use your microphone and say, this is not right. Hey, Jeremy, Happy holidays.

[D]

Happy Januga.

[A]

I want to toast you. Actually, I don't. I will toast with you.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

We're co workers.

[E]

Mm.

[D]

Friends, you could say.

[A]

No, we cannot say that. But we both enjoy an ice cold Miller Lite. That's true. Especially around the holidays. You know, it's a 50th anniversary of Miller Lite.

[D]

It's really amazing every time we say that. I can't believe it.

[A]

Well, it's crazy because, like, they've basically been partners with the Dan Lebatard show for half of their existence. When I put it to you that way. We got an old ass show.

[D]

Yeah, we do. That's crazy.

[A]

Hey, let's look around at our friends, not each other. And our family, even though they're not here. I do miss your brother, though.

[D]

Yeah, I know.

[A]

I'll bring him back and take that first sip. Look around and know that we made the right decision when it comes to a domestic light lager. Miller Lite is the best. And it's a holiday season, as we mentioned. Why don't you enjoy that holiday season by drinking a beer that won't weigh you down? The original light beer since 1975, still hidden different 50 years later. Brewed for flavor with simple ingredients like malted barley, rich balanced toffee notes, and that iconic golden color that you can see from across the room. The best holiday beers are the ones you don't expect. 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. Tis Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces is.

[E]

All right. Kicking things off with Smearing off, the official vodka sponsor of the NFL and the number one vodka in the world. Chris Cody, you're here.

[A]

Smear Off.

[E]

Wow, you're on the money with Smear.

[C]

Smear Off.

[E]

Chris, do you know what goes great with Smear Off? Yes, but I'm really talking about Game Day Fit. The style's got to match the vibe. All right, here's the deal. Game day is everything, and that's exactly why your fit has to match the occasion. Starting this December, Smearing off is giving fans to 21 and over the chance to score limited edition Smirnoff commission merchandise from some of today's top creators, including Kayla Jones, Gavin Matthew and Ali May Smear. Here's the kicker. One lucky fan will take home the grand prize, a trip to the biggest game of the offseason. Plus, one fan will win Ali May's one of one Game Day jacket.

[A]

Wow.

[E]

The merch will be dropped on select dates from December to January 21st. And it's all courtesy of what brand. That's right, Chris. Fans 21 and over can head to Smear enough socials to learn how to sign up. And don't forget to grab a bottle of Smirnoff vodka number 21 at your local retail. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff number 21 vodka distilled from grain 40 alcohol by volume. The Smirnoff Company New York, NY. Please do not share with anybody under legal drinking age. No purchase necessary. Must be legal. US resident, 21 or older. Sweepstake starts 12152025 at 12:00am Eastern and ends 1232026 at 11:59:59pm Eastern. See official rules at program website. One of my big goals for 2026 is just less money stress. How about that? I've got a kid now and I want to start a real travel fund, knock down some debt and not feel like every surprise expense is a mini heart attack, which I've had about 11 now since the holidays. Managing your money doesn't have to be a struggle this year. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool designed to make your life easier. It brings your entire financial life, budgeting accounts and investments, net worth and future planning together into one dashboard on your laptop or phone. Start the new year on the right foot financially after the chaos of the holidays, Monarch has been my full financial reset. I can actually see what I'm spending, set realistic budgets and track goals. I'll stick with past February. It even tells me what goals are doable based on our real numbers, which I desperately need. The weekly recaps alone keep me honest even when I'm sleep deprived. Like the last three days, the baby has been absolutely insane. But Monarch helps me know that I'm financially okay. Monarch help users save over 200 bucks per month on average after joining this new year. Achieve your financial goals for good. Monarch is the all in one tool that makes proactive money management simple all year long. Use code [e-mail] for half off your first year. That's 50 off your first [e-mail] with code dan.

[A]

And you mentioned distractions. That's absolutely right. People want the sugar instead of the medicine. The media as a whole is just not helping. I mean, especially cbs who seems like they've bought and pay for. They're just making excuses for this government.

[C]

Well, so this is okay? Yes.

[A]

I'm sorry. This is not the fiesta.

[C]

No, cbs. Of course. Look, I've been wanting to talk about this stuff for a while and I felt a bit cowardly in not talking about some of it because this is a hugely interesting time in media. It's collapsing. Hollywood is collapsing and mainstream media has already collapsed. It's already done collapsed and now they're picking up the pieces. And of course CBS, home to 60 Minutes, one of the great journalistic empires is afraid of the mad king. Like run by the mad king. And that's one network gone. As he chases Kimmel and bombs Venezuela because there's a loon in charge. A loon that has a million deficiency, including trying to cover up an alleged pedophilia scandal that is in the middle of everything that we're doing as the world burns and brown people are jailed and now white women are shot in the face by fake police yes, it's enraging. But the Fiesta bowl tonight, it's a huge game.

[A]

Yeah. Big game. Yeah, boy. Look, I don't think there's many things that could lift my spirits, but lifting up that Burbo Fiestable trophy might. Might help. Might help matters.

[C]

I want to. I'm not kidding you when I say I want the stunt of. This is what just happened in the meetings before the show where I have to agree to live stream the national championship game whether or not Miami's in it. And I'm like, no, I'd only like to do it if Miami's in it. I don't really want to do it the other way. And they're like, nope, you gotta commit to it now. And so if Miami loses tonight, I get the pleasure of being able to livestream a game I don't even want to watch. Mike, how do you.

[B]

Mike, how do you feel about. We talked about it right before he came on. I think collectively we're all rooting for Miami to win and then get their ass handed to them in the national championship game for the sake of the show, for the sake of content.

[C]

What?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

No, no.

[B]

That's the best.

[A]

No.

[B]

Yes. What?

[A]

Oh, I'm sorry. Amin has the show, over the course of its 20 plus years, not had enough of Miami sadness. You think that we need yet another heartbreaking loss? I think there's been a pretty consistent theme throughout the history of the Dan LeBatard show with Stu Godson. That's Miami and its fans and Mike are sad. They're pathetic. And I think 21 years in, we can finally have a happy ending. I think that.

[D]

I don't want to put this out.

[A]

There, but if we're just talking. Funniest thing for the show. It's like a Mario blunder at the end of the championship. Funniest thing for the show.

[C]

Even better than get their hazard. I like that. You're not going to do better than that. So he doesn't kneel at the end or something? Or. I'll show you. I'll show you guys. I'll keep running up the score through the face. I'll show you what toughness is.

[A]

Rest assured, I'll get the most enjoyment out of Dan hosting a corporate sponsored live stream for Oregon Ole Miss. That's what I'm listening, boys.

[C]

No, with my father. Mike's been saying for years, my father's gonna be the casino greeter right over there near the Freedom Towers because they're building the Trump Library right here that my father at the end is just gonna be welcoming people into the Freedom Tower for a token so he can go get some government cheese.

[A]

Guys, please don't treat Mike like he did me when the panthers were up 3 nothing on Edmonton. That was not fun.

[C]

Don't do that to me.

[B]

But Roy, it's just. It's a different strain of pain. Right? Like he's right. We've celebrated the sadness in the paper towel. But this one would be. Oh, this is a rare.

[D]

They never really get this close. Right?

[C]

No. Best for show content. Everyone gets to laugh at us is no one will do better in their imagination than a Mario Cristobal coaching blunder at the end. There's nothing funnier than that. They haven't had that.

[A]

They haven't had that. They've had plenty of that.

[C]

No, there would be. There would be nothing funnier than them about to beat Indiana undefeated. You give me the funnier than them.

[A]

You suck. Like I thought you met this moment with the right energy at the start. You're a Cane's guy. Can we be happy?

[B]

We want to.

[A]

Can we have happiness? I'm not even just talking about the Miami Hurricanes and its relationship with the show. Can we have some happiness period?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Like let me be happy.

[C]

So. So yeah. Yes, I will let you be happy now by pointing out again again as you make an acceptance speech.

[A]

It was a validation speech.

[C]

You care about this in a way when you're saying you are putting your money where your mout almost as much as Mario and and the nil money and the business of it. You've become an an insider on journalism stuff and sports stuff. And one of the interesting analysis is of this game that I would say is the greatest advantage Miami has. I don't think there's a better one than the one I'm about to say. I think Georgia in pass rush was like 120something in sac rate and and they were bothering Chambliss Miami 7 and it's the best advantage that Miami has on the field. It's the best advantage either one of these teams has. Although Miami's running game against their inability to stop the run is also a second secondary advantage. But Miami should win this game based on its advantages and will only lose it if they turn the ball over.

[A]

Yeah, Miami should win this game. We had a pretty contentious discussion about it yesterday. I agree. Ole Miss does things that that can bother Miami. I'm curious to see the matchup. I do think Miami's offense will be challenged to respond. They haven't trailed in these games and I, I think that they'll have to rise to the occasion. But also, as I noted, Miami's played plenty of tempo this year. I'm pretty sure Julian say and thought he got that ball out pretty quick as he was watching Keonte Scott run the other way. With it, Miami can press you at the line of scrimmage and those receivers, Miami can really nuke a lot of what Ole Miss does well. And while the coaching thing that Ole Miss has done has been incredibly impressive, it's one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. I can't tell if Philip Rivers playing football or Ole Miss coaching staff. Navigating this Lane Kiffin thing is more impressive. But people need to realize in the College Football Playoff they played Tulane and Georgia. Those are two teams they'd already played in the season. They just had a microwave their game plan. They haven't seen anything like Miami and they're going to find out today.

[B]

Mike, how different would you feel had Lane Kiffin not left Ole Miss if he was the head coach right now?

[A]

I can't lie, like, this situation helps Miami. I don't know how these coaches are navigating it, especially with the portal being open and having to worry about talent retention. Like you have quality control. Coaches that have never been in this situation having to step up and, and coach position groups. I don't know everything that goes into coaching, but I have an idea of, of game day preparation and I know what our side is doing. I know what our coordinator.

[C]

Wait a minute, wait a minute. That's a happen to know. That's I. That's an I know. He gave it as an I know. But that's a happen to know. That's. That's even stronger than happen to know.

[A]

Oh my God.

[B]

He knows.

[C]

He happens to know.

[D]

Come everyone come and listen.

[C]

He happens to know.

[B]

Well informed.

[C]

What do you know? Wise golden cane. What do you know?

[A]

I know that our coaches, our coaches have way more time to prepare for this game now. I don't know how much that helps. Like I haven't. This is pathetic to say and it really speaks to you.

[C]

I thought you knew. I thought you just you.

[A]

No, no, no. I do know about. I do know about the time that our coaches are dedicating to this and how it's impossible for Ole Miss to dedicate that same amount of time when they're flying back and forth to Baton Rouge. That part is. That part is obvious. It's pathetic to say I haven't been around college football at this level in. In my lifetime as an adult. So I don't know how to read vibes. I thought Miami had a really good vibe and a really good intensity and a really good focus when I was around the coaches and the players over the last two college football playoff games.

[C]

What are you laughing about? What? Look at me.

[A]

Lou, look at me.

[C]

Louie, of course. Look at me.

[A]

Why?

[C]

Because he knows?

[B]

No, because when I was around the players and the coaches of the last couple of.

[A]

No, Miami's got. Miami's dialed. But I look at the other end. I look at the. The Ole Miss coaches put out a video of them playing baseball in one of the, like, meeting rooms. And I don't even know if they have enough coaches to feel the baseball team. Like, these guys are loose. But I guess I'll just play the result if Ole Miss wins this game. Like, I'll be like, they were just incredibly loose. That's a house, money. They were unburdened by everything. But these people look awfully happy to be here. And they're not giving off, respect, the opponent, nearly as much as Ohio State and Texas A and M did.

[C]

Oh, are you demanding respect from Mississippi as an opponent?

[A]

No, I'm not demanding respect. We will take it.

[C]

So what is happening here? So wait a minute. So Ohio, what you're saying is that.

[A]

Texas A and M, they play the game.

[C]

Hold on.

[A]

What if they play the game?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Which I'm not so sure they should know.

[C]

You. I believe you said they shouldn't. I.

[A]

They probably shouldn't. I probably shouldn't be on the air right now. I should be doing anything. I should be home with my. With my family and probably stocking up on canned goods.

[C]

And we should be broadcasting live from what is still a live bunker, a media center. Right? As CBS gets bought. Yes. In a little bunker. We laugh. That's not funny, Roy.

[A]

It's not.

[C]

This is funny, right? This is funny. We're in a bunker. We're going to have one of the few free microphones out there in four weeks. When the fake cops start shooting other people, they're shooting the white women in the face. Like, what? In Minnesota, it's a fake police. Like, you can't have fake police. You can't have. You can't shout fake news, fake news, fake news, fake news. While we're in the streets with George Floyd. Fake news, fake news, fake news, fake news. And that's a roast, a race protest, and then have this, what you have happening right now in America, which is not overstated to Say the propaganda of the networks that are bought and paid for by this orange person and his powers that can't be taken away, that the country is. Is under attack now when the white women in Minnesota are being shot in the face by fake police that aren't police, that are only police, because the white president, who's senile and crazy and getting his crazy people crazier, is saying brown people are the problem. Get all the brown out of the country. Kill the black. Get the brown of. Get it all out of here.

[A]

Yeah. I think the vice president yesterday said America has a Somali problem. Look, let me try to focus. And I know that a lot of what Dan said, if you're on the other side, you might view as toxic. All right, let's just look at this from the facts. We all saw that video. It ain't right. That was an American. That wasn't some violent criminal that crossed our border that you believed ICE was here to stop. That's not what was positioned. We all know over the last few months, that's not what they're doing. We've all seen the videos. You can politicize that. I think yesterday we can all agree, maybe with the exception of Stephen A. Smith, that was wrong. That was really wrong. And we, as what we think we are, as Americans, if we want to honor anything that that flag is supposed to represent, we all got to unify and say, this has to stop. This is not right. And I'm not even talking about the act. I'm talking about how people are talking about it afterwards, saying that it's okay, gaslighting you, lying to your face about what you saw with your very own eyes, that's wrong. That is wrong. Shooting someone in the face that shouldn't have been shot in the face absolutely is wrong. But for nobody to actually conduct an investigation, put the blame on this innocent murder victim, and tell you that they were a domestic terrorist. Fuck that. Straight up. Everybody needs to come together and say, no, that is not okay. People need to lose jobs. People need to be held accountable. People need to say, it's not right.

[D]

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[C]

The video does not lie. But in this age of what media are you going to trust? You can't trust any of it. It's all fake news, propaganda. What's real? What's AI? How do you manipulate the masses? I mean, you must be. I'm curious because I haven't heard from you on anything like this. You know what government. You came to America for reasons that didn't have this in it. You thought this country didn't have this in it. Correct?

[B]

Yeah. No, I mean, this is. There's a level of like, I'm listening to you guys talk and there's a level of like, almost like naivete I'm hearing from you guys. Like, well, you guys, now you, you think it's been happening. Like, this has been happening not by fake police, but by real police to citizens, but citizens that aren't white women. But now it's like, oh, my God. I'm like, yeah, every time you push an inch of a limit and no one reacts and no one pushes back and no one really stands in solidarity, like, okay, we can say that it's gone too far. This is what happens. And so this is the next logical. The next logical evolution, which is. Yeah, people who aren't even ordained or, you know, like law enforcement officers are allowed to do these things in the name of the great dictator. Right. The. Hey, maybe we could change the Constitution, run a third term. Hey, maybe we can invade a country regardless of how bad it is over there without any congressional approval. Like, there's a whole list of things you have to do before you can declare war on a country. And before you say, oh, it wasn't declared, well, we're arresting him for drug trafficking. Well, then why did the president say, we're going to run Venezuela? Yeah, that like, at that moment, you have just announced we annexed the country or military operation, or pardoning.

[C]

Honduras for.

[B]

An assortment of similar things, hypocrisy aside. I'm just saying, when you do a military action in a foreign land, saying it's under the auspices of law enforcement because this guy's a drug trafficker, and then you announce the successful operation by saying, we're going to run Venezuela, ladies and gentlemen, that's not law enforcement, that is imperialism.

[C]

And for oil just said flatly, no oil, and said several times, we're doing this for Venezuela's oil, never mentioning democracy.

[B]

Secretary of State says, we're going to set up an account and we're going to sell the Venezuelan oil and we're gonna get the money and then we'll pay Venezuela, you know, to help them. Like, guys, this I don't understand. If we just call it the East India Tea Company or whatever, maybe it'll.

[C]

Be a little bit more imperialistic.

[B]

But it is imperialism. But all of this is complicit because for years and years, and this is why I say it's not a partisan thing. There's always been parties, and for the last however many years, Republicans and Democrats, and they're at each other's necks or whatever. But there was a process in a decorum, which, with this is done. Decorum just in terms of, hey, how we speak to each other. Process in terms of, like, there are rules that we're all following.

[C]

No, Polite society is dead.

[B]

Forget polite society.

[E]

There were rules.

[B]

Polite society is the unwritten rules that we all follow. You don't say fuck around and find out on national TV because it makes it seem like a big tough guy. Like, that's just not appropriate. But besides that, there are rules to how this stuff gets done. Constitutional rules written years ago by the framers because they envisioned a world where the leader of this country could just do whatever the hell they want. And they didn't want that. What we have now is this because it has been complicit. Everyone's complicit with it. Go along with, yeah, why not? He's on our side, so who cares? The number of people I got to hear about, like, oh, Venezuela is so bad. Y' all didn't give a damn about no Venezuela. You didn't care. Now you care.

[A]

To a means point. Like, think of it in sports terms. Like, you have a winless team. Everybody wants to coach out there. Isn't Brand loyalists that say, like, no, this is what I wanted. This. People in sports have the awareness of, like, well, our plan didn't work out, and we must change it. A lot of what's going on right now, not just the Venezuela thing, because maybe you can find some campaign stop where he talked about Venezuela and maybe some campaign stop about Greenland, but Colombia, Honduras, Cuba.

[C]

Cuba.

[A]

We're putting out propaganda from our social media account saying, this is. This is our hemisphere. We're straight up Imperial. We're going. We're. We're threatening to take military action to fellow NATO members. What is this? He wouldn't have won the election talking about these things. Nobody would have said this was okay.

[B]

Mike, what do you talk about when he won the election? What was the thing that he was really talking about all the time? America first, no wars number one and number two, economy.

[C]

Economy.

[B]

Like, the economy sucks in the shitter.

[A]

So, like, if you're on that side. And also, let's not forget releasing the Epstein files. You're literally getting, like, almost none of the stuff that you're asking for. Yeah, that's like, how are you waking up, sucking that down and defending it? It's humiliating.

[B]

If you voted for him, he's letting you down. He's not letting me down. He's doing everything I thought he was.

[A]

Going to do, be pissed with us. Like, this is all bad. You should agree. You're not. You're also not getting what you wanted. There's a whole bunch of people in this country on both sides of the aisle that are getting.

[C]

I knew you were going to get that wrong. I knew you were going to get the timing on that wrong. You could have done it a second earlier. They just gave me 20. And you could have stopped him at the right time, but you blew it. You cut him off. Biggest game.

[A]

And I was making a good point. I felt.

[B]

Yo. You didn't see him say.

[C]

But you were just sitting there. You waved every. You waved everybody off. And you're like, I got it. I got biggest game in 20 years. I got it. I got the timing on this. And then you couldn't get your timing right with Mike. But it is a. It is a giant game.

[A]

It is. It's huge. And maybe, maybe, maybe we went in and host a. Natty might be great.

[B]

Mike. This might be just a figment of my old age. Right? But I remember the last time Miami was this good. Everybody on that team was famous. I'm talking about famous in the moment, right? Not years later. We, oh, I can't believe those guys were all on the same team. It's like in the moment we're like, wow, these guys are all famous. If you asked me to name University of Miami players right now. And again, this might be just because I'm old and I can't pay attention to shit. I know Carson Beck, he's infamous. That might be the only name.

[C]

Hold on, hold on. So Amin's coming into this with the expertise of Georgia Tech football fan who really cared the last couple of years about Haynes King and is amused by an entire system that produces Duke wins the ACC championship game. Haynes King is probably the best quarterback in the conference. And Georgia Tech collapses at the end. And now Miami plays for a most improbable of championships. It sneaks up on you a bit because there's never been a champion that has also lost to Louisville and SMU before the year. Like that's not, that's not something that's happened before.

[A]

Can I. I talk to people about this stuff and someone made a really good point about you mentioning the loss of Louisville and this being a potentially the first two lost champions since lsu. And it's a historical outlier. I also don't think you can find many champions that would have, you know, 14 wins. But I think parody has come to this sport and you need to look at this sport more like the NFL. Geno Smith, Pete Carroll, they went to Foxborough and beat the New England Patriots Week 1. Their season wasn't over. You know, and I think that you need to look at the regular season in college football in this new age of parody. More like the NFL than you used to was a weird game. The Raiders beat the Pats week one.

[C]

Wow. It's why I haven't believed in the Patriots since. If you ask me, if you ask me for any of the numbers, any. You can give me all the metrics. I keep expecting them because their players are injured, the linemen are injured. I expect Drake may to not actually be the next great thing. Are you kidding me? The Patriots got another one that fast? No, it can't be that fast. And the reason I'm saying is Pete Carroll dragged your ass. He dragged your ass in New England Week 1 held you to 10 points. I watched it. But.

[A]

But in the NFL, we pay extra close attention to how well teams are playing at the right time, peaking at the right time. There's that cliche, you want to play your best ball at this time of year and for whatever reason, we can't program our brains to do that because of what college football used to be. We still think that Miami can. Is the team that lost to Louisville and SMU when like the NFL, they're bumps in the road. They can learn from it and they can find their form and they have. They're peaking at the right time. I think the sports changed and I think that media is kind of struggling how to apply the logic, which is the sheer absurdity of the CFP discussion.

[C]

Okay, Mike, you're right about this and you're also, you'd also be right if you said the following. Okay. Did Navy win its last bowl? Did Navy beat Oklahoma at the end of last year? Because the Navy team I watched this year was as good as any I've seen. They beat Memphis, they beat South Florida, but they won a bunch of close games. And so no one will ever believe that Navy is playoff good like that because there have been too many years.

[A]

It was a couple years ago, I think the Navy team that beat Oklahoma.

[C]

Right, okay, so, but, but no, no one's ever going to believe that Navy's going to be playoff good. Even though the. This was an amazing Navy team this year and the wins over Memphis and South Florida were legitimately impressive.

[D]

So last year they went 10 and three after beating Oklahoma in their bowl game. This year they were 11 and two. Their two losses were at North Texas and at Notre Dame and they got.

[C]

Crushed by Notre Dame. And that's part of the reason. But I only bring up the point for this reason. Nobody would consider Navy. You can make the argument the Navy that was better than some of the playoff teams that would have beaten James Madison, you can make that argument. It wouldn't be very hard. But when I look at also what's happening with the SEC is that there is this assumption that Alabama and Georgia would be Alabama and Georgia. Just because you've seen Alabama and Georgia in those uniforms look like that for 10 years. And that defensive line was terrible this year. Like what? There are only 136 teams. It's 126th in pass rush. Georgia won championships because I had NFL guys on the defensive line. You're loving the uniforms. Alabama and Georgia, ain't that Indiana just showed you what Ohio State type football does to Alabama. Like runs it into the ground. So what. What Mike is overseeing over here is you're in the new system of investing your money. Miami is very close to having the best thing most probably to win, even though its offense is the worst thing remaining statistically because it can also beat you with its offense tonight. It just hasn't had to do it so far. It's why Mike's this kind of confident. He knows if you can beat Ohio State that way, you can do that to anybody. You're good enough to do it to anybody.

[D]

So we're not going to talk about the Edward Cabrera trade?