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Dan Le Batard
You're listening to DraftKings Network.
Stugatz
This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. There's nothing sweeter than baking cookies during the holidays. With Prime, I get all my ingredients delivered right to my door, fast and free. No last minute store trips needed. And of course I blast my favorite holiday playlist on Amazon Music. It's the ultimate soundtrack for creating unforgettable memories.
Mike Ryan
From streaming to shopping. It's on Prime.
Stugatz
Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.
David Sampson
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David Sampson
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Mike Ryan
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David Sampson
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Mike Ryan
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Stugatz
Visit MyFreestyle US to see all terms and conditions. Certain exclusions apply. Data on File Avid Diabetes Care for prescription Only Safety info found at freestylelibre US Shadow Show Shadow Show Shadow Show.
David Sampson
Shadow Show Shadow Show Shadow Show Shadow.
Mike Ryan
Show Shadowin It Shadowin It One of the reasons around here that we have been proud to help in the investing in talent and media building business is because we've gotten to see people like Pablo Torre and Mina Kimes and Bomani join us and then skyrocket to new things. It's one of the reasons that Samson is with us now and Tony and Jessica so you can have another career that gets bigger as you go, that can use metal arc or can be bigger than Meadowlark have we had around here. Any days that we can live back to back vicariously through someone's success. Better than Mina Kimes being a figure who was on the Simpsons one day and then the next day announcing that Netflix she's part of their Christmas Day NFL package because she's got freedom outside of ESPN to work on other properties.
Stugatz
I'm so happy for her success, but I, I think I was also named to Netflix's NFL coverage. They have two games and it was like 130 people on one graphic.
Mike Ryan
I would not diminish what it is Mina has accomplished there.
Stugatz
I'm not diminishing it either. It's just, it's a lot of people.
Dan Le Batard
Wait, he makes a good point. A lot of people have noticed there's a lot of people involved in the NFL Netflix thing and it's two games.
Stugatz
Lorenzo's on it.
Jessica
Bert Chrysler's on it, but it's.
Mike Ryan
It's a hundred. It's a top 100 important people who matter on Christmas Day around football thing. And you can't diminish it just because we are not on it and she is.
Stugatz
I swear to God. When I first saw the graphic, I thought it was like a Forbes list of, like, up and coming media people because there were so many people on it. And then I saw the Netflix logo. I'm like, wait a second. This is for two games.
Mike Ryan
I was making fun of her because I thought the Simpsons scrubbed the ethnicity out of her. Like her cartoon, it looked like Orlovsky.
Stugatz
Hmm. Well, no, they're pretty hard rules when it comes to that in the. In Springfield. I don't want to get into it, and you should not either.
Mike Ryan
I didn't want to get into it, but here we are nonetheless, because I thought these were too nice. Well, we. I thought they were two nice days, and now we've ruined them with our analysis. Like, I thought that they're two biggest days that anyone around us has ever had. Back to back in terms of media accomplishments. Back to back days.
Stugatz
You're talking about Taylor.
Mike Ryan
Well, let's talk about Taylor for a second, because you've been wanting Scoops.
Stugatz
Please call him Scoops.
Mike Ryan
You've been wanting to make him a star, and I'm reluctant, so let's just start.
Stugatz
No, no, I'm not. I'm not going to give him Shadow Show. This is main show Bright Lights.
Mike Ryan
No, let's just settle down, all right? Settle down. We're Settle down.
Stugatz
He kicked Adam Schefter's ass.
Jessica
I'm settled.
Mike Ryan
This is the Dan Levator show with the St.
Stugatz
Guts podcast.
Jessica
Today's episode is sponsored by DraftKings. Stay tuned because you'll hear more about DraftKings and all it has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings, the Crown is yours.
Mike Ryan
Before we get to Tua's home security, Jimmy Butler, and all the sports stuff of the day, including Bill Belichick. I just want to put a bit of metal arc tension business in front of the people. David Sampson is here. He's in the innards of our business because it needs a vigorous janitorial scrubbing the innards of our financial business. And when the corporate people start doing the focus groups, what comes back to me is some form of too many voices. You got too many voices on the show, focus groups. Too many voices. There are too many people talking. And Mike Ryan's out here saying, give me more, Taylor, while I'm going to Flanagan's and someone saying to me, less Taylor. Mike Ryan is insistent on making Taylor a star. I don't feel he's any kind of special, but what he has is an arrogance. An arrogance about him that makes him think that when North Carolina gets Belichick, he wants to do a rant. He wants the entirety of the show to do a rant. And I'm like, who are you?
Stugatz
Not the entirety of the show, Dan. He just wants some shine, I mean, segments. There was nobody more plugged into the biggest story maybe in the history of college football. And you just want to poo poo. That one guy comes up to you at Flanagan's and you make your whole mind up. Dork bomb. And then, by the way, 10 days later, Taylor's the biggest insider in the sport. Exactly.
Mike Ryan
Well, let's get to the story, because he did tell all of us, and he was casually breaking news around the office. He did have this before everybody. That the most successful professional coach ever was making the shocking leap into the minor leagues of football by going to a program that's not even one of the better programs that anyone would associate with great football.
Stugatz
This is one of the biggest scoops of all time. And I think as a reward, we should also. Look, you're giving your own company a reward there. You want to tout the success of others like Mina. Taylor's right there. He's a star that is ascending. You should give him some mic time.
Mike Ryan
I. I've had the show polluted by college football. Jessica only wants to talk about bowl season start Saturday. The playoffs start Saturday. As far as Jessica's concerned.
Dan Le Batard
No, I want to talk about Bill Belichick going to UNC with Taylor. Dan, you're not going to poison this room against one another. We all want to hear from Taylor today.
Mike Ryan
Well, I don't know where he is.
Dan Le Batard
Whole season can wait.
Mike Ryan
Okay, I don't know where he is, but fine.
Stugatz
Can he play the rant?
Mike Ryan
Let's do a victory. No, not the rant.
Stugatz
You can do a rant.
Mike Ryan
Hit him a rant.
Taylor
Dan Levitar, you put Eric air quotes around me as a Carolina insider after I told you specifically Freddy Kitchens was coaching UNC in the Fenway Bowl. You heard the word kitchen and stopped listening to everything I said after. Yeah, get his ass.
Mike Ryan
So this is the story.
Taylor
Give it to me again. I told you this was done and finalized. Adam Schefter said there were still hurt Shefter, that ink was dry, and the only hurdles were the one I was leaping over as I ran circles around you.
Mike Ryan
He did. He did run circles around Shepter.
David Sampson
Where was Mike's hand during this?
Mike Ryan
I don't know what you're talking about. That's all. That's the only way that Taylor appears anywhere in my life is the way he's a megasaur. Give it to him again.
Taylor
Smu. You invented cheating in football and didn't win shit. Our head coach perfected it and won six Super Bowls. He did do that.
Mike Ryan
Yes.
Stugatz
Amazing core strength.
Mike Ryan
I'm pretty sure that Taylor didn't want Bill Belichick in North Carolina even as he was breaking the news.
Taylor
Give it to him again. Espn, the four biggest letters in sports got scooped on the biggest college football story of all time by someone living in Miami's smallest studio apartment.
Mike Ryan
It's not affordable to make a media career here. It's just not.
David Sampson
Not a lot of options.
Mike Ryan
It is. No, it is not a great place for media uprising. Belichick is going to try and dominate that sport or just hand over a program to his son. I don't know. I want to get into the details of that, but I've got to let him continue doing it.
Taylor
Dan Levitard, you tried to bring your school down. I only lift my school up like the phoenix from the ashes rising as one. The only way Miami could lift you is with a forklift.
Mike Ryan
Come on.
Stugatz
Those damn pale grandstands.
Mike Ryan
Jessica, you like that forklift joke a little too much. Jessica, I'm shocked by your fat shape.
Dan Le Batard
He's got more, Dan. He's got more.
Mike Ryan
Put it back.
Taylor
Duke football. Welcome back to another decade of irrelevance.
Mike Ryan
I can't believe that Jessica piled on with the fat shaming. I thought the lowest I would stoop this week is when I claim that people that if David Sampson got off an elevator with a woman, she would ask where his parents were. I thought that that was the cheapest, lowest, least subtle joke told this week.
David Sampson
Believe me, there is no end to your low lack of subtlety.
Mike Ryan
Does he have any more?
Taylor
Dave Clausen, what are you still doing here? UNC's mascot is a ram with big balls, and now their head coach is the goat with even bigger balls.
Mike Ryan
Very good.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, I can't wait till he plays against the slow mesh.
Mike Ryan
I am looking forward to Belichick against Cristobal. That should be.
Stugatz
Did you say Mario? Crystal ball.
Taylor
Mario Cristobal and whatever's left of life. Wallet. Best of luck against Bill bleeping Belichick and his giant, throbbing $20 million Galvan.
Mike Ryan
All right. He's a walk on at North Carolina football. That's where all his information comes from.
Stugatz
Saying walk on like a Sizzler sounds like a Sizzler.
Jessica
You walk on at nowhere the sizzler.
David Sampson
Another food joke.
Mike Ryan
Another one. Five minutes in I stopped listening. Kitchen.
Taylor
I did.
Mike Ryan
I stopped list kitchen. Sizzler's delightful. I will not have you shame me about loving Sizzler. Forklift jokes I think are a little far.
Stugatz
Two more times.
Mike Ryan
Two more.
Taylor
Our mascot's name is Ramses acc. Just wait until Bill Belichick Rams Dees and it's all captured on a ring camera for the entire nation to watch your red hot go again, kid. I have to find where I was.
Mike Ryan
He's reading from notes and he's screaming, turn red key.
Taylor
You better lock every door at practice and throw away that key because Bill Belichick is strolling into town.
Mike Ryan
You ran out of gas so much.
Stugatz
Spit on my microphone.
Mike Ryan
All right, enough. Thank you for all of your contributions to metal arc media. The story in front of us, David, is unlike any that I have ever had context for in my career. So I want you guys to walk me through something that I have found confusing. The greatest coach in the history of football was available to everybody and the pros did not want him for a variety of reasons have to do with personnel to. You didn't win without Tom Brady. You want too much power, et cetera, et cetera. But that coach then goes to North Carolina and what breaks out is an argument where I am seeing the polar extremes of the argument being expressed very confidently on both sides where people feel like they know coaching and the new college football enough to assert with conviction on both ends. There's no way this can work or he's gonna run over everybody. And so I'm confused how this person is available to this program. He's gonna go in with Mike Lombardi, he's gonna go in with whatever he of professional patriots way and be like, let's go, Ryan Day. What do you have? You want to see what it's like to build a corporation in the business of football? I've done that as a football coach. So I think he's going to go down there and conquer. But I'm stunned by the number of people on the other side who are like too old game has passed him by and they're just as strong in their opinion as I am here.
David Sampson
There is no way that we know and I'm going to tell you why. The 20 million which you just sort of threw away that's a big. He has a payroll. He's going in with the gm, he's going in with the payroll, and he's basically forming a pro team. So that's what we should be talking about is what is the reaction that college sports. It's not college sports anymore. I mean, Jessica is now going to be the expert in pro sports. Because it already is, David.
Mike Ryan
It already is pro sports. What just happened as a full organization when Andrew Luck comes and takes over as a middle manager for Stanford and we are watching these things become these multimillion dollar businesses in front of us. Bill Belichick just said, okay, you know what I get to do with the end of my career? I'll just be Bob Kraft. I'll be Bob Kraft. I'm not gonna watch his documentary about how he won those Super Bowls, how he and Tom Brady. No, I'll build my own shit here and I'll give it to my son, and I'll give family football legacy to my son when I hand it over. It's such a balls move in your 70s to say, I don't need the last 14 NFL wins to pass Shula. I'm gonna build my own empire down here in the minor leagues of business because I've won the major league of this business.
Dan Le Batard
Balls move indeed. I think what people are reacting to, Dan, is the fact that you could think of any quote unquote surefire higher in college football over the last 20 years. A lot of them don't work out. It's impossible to predict who will or will not be a good college football head coach. There's a million things that go into it. And so doubting that someone who's never done it before, especially in this new era of nil and the transfer portal, could possibly not be good at it, I think is like, it's a. You're, you're probably more better off guessing that than saying like, oh, he's gonna be awesome and great, cuz it just. It doesn't happen that often.
Mike Ryan
Okay, it does.
Dan Le Batard
It's a hard job.
Mike Ryan
It doesn't happen that often. But it has never happened ever, that this person is available to a college program. And so when I tell you that.
Stugatz
Remember Gruden to the U. We capitalize the U. And Gruden with Jay Gruden as a succession player.
Dan Le Batard
I actually don't remember that.
Stugatz
Oh, I was ready to throw a parade.
Mike Ryan
We'll get to Gruden in a second. And Gruden's polo and Gruden's barstool. Career as well. But for Bill Belichick, if I were to just simply say to you, never mind what you've seen over the last five years, that might confuse you about college football business and also might confuse you about, hey, who should get the Patriots credit on that? Is it Belichick? Is it Brady? Is it Kraft? Is that transferable? Because it wasn't transferable to any of the assistants. But can Bill Belichick just take that with him? If I just say to any of you, hey, guys, how good do you think Bill Belichick will be competing with $20 million at football, $20 million payroll, and whatever it is that he's going to now raise? Because Deion Sanders has made Colorado a money making machine. So surely that moneyed area is going to pour all sorts of money into. Yeah, I want to beat Texas, too. What do you say to me when I say to you I'm giving bill Belichick $20 million to compete at football with a bunch of other people who have only $20 million at the business of football? Do you think he's going to be okay in building whatever needs to be built there to run a $20 million business successfully, a $20 million payroll successfully? Wouldn't most of you say he'll figure out what needs to be figured out? To be smarter than Mario Cristobal?
Stugatz
Yeah, to be. Look, I think he enters whatever people may believe about Bill Belichick and his record without Tom Brady. I would say that knowing the level of coaching in that sport, they roll into most games with a sizable tactical advantage with Bill Belichick there. And I think a lot of people are doubting his ability to recruit talent. This is all about talent accumulation in this sport. He won his eighth super bowl five years ago. All the kids that he's recruiting right now know him to be the single greatest coach by a wide margin. He doesn't have the wins record, I get that. But he's the greatest coach of all time. I don't think it's going to be an issue. And as Taylor touched on, we're talking about Bill Belichick, the guy secretly taped super bowl practices, deflated footballs.
Mike Ryan
He's going to be working 20 hours a day to win.
Stugatz
He taught Nick Saban everything he knows.
Mike Ryan
He's crazy.
Stugatz
He's going to be perfectly fine in this seedy underworld of college football.
David Sampson
And he's financed.
Jessica
The only issue is in those finances and him being the person who's going to be pulling the strings and all. This guy deserves this. This guy deserves that he hasn't had a great track record the last, like 10, maybe 15 years of getting free agents and making them worth the money that he.
Mike Ryan
His talent evaluation has not been great.
Stugatz
Yes, I hear that. I keep hearing that, especially from Miami fans. He just has to open up 247Sports, see how they've ranked the guys. And then he walks into a room and after he flirts with the player's mom, he'll get them to commit.
Mike Ryan
What? What I'm telling. Look, David Sampson just made the point of Bill Walsh. Bill Walsh did coach at Stanford. And Bill Walsh was fine and innovative, but he didn't conquer everything. I'm asking when you mention. And he's financed. I'm asking about the money opportunity that Bill Belichick and the economy around him has decided is the next play for him. Nick Saban. I'm watching be the only guy with the credibility of the way to be on Disney television and not get bleeped on live television for cursing because he's got a power and sway as a voice for college football. This is the man who taught Saban how to be Saban available to colleges at a time. Okay, when the business of this. When I've talked to you guys about. Don't you think it's interesting that Tom Brady and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are now all competing for and Peyton Manning for content and dollars and millions, that they're all competing around football and their sports to make the business of money work for them? Bill Belichick has just decided with the economy of his career, which could have been any number of media jobs that he just throws to the side now because he can have those whenever he wants with management and with people tending to the career of the greatest there's ever been, he chooses in the shadows with a year to prepare. I'm going to build a thing that gets me to run my own family business in football. And I'm going to do it at a time that not everybody realizes that college sports is the new professional football and that there's a money opportunity and a career opportunity over there that will make me forsake passing Don Shula in the pros. Because in my 70s, I can reinvent myself at being good at the business of this when all I gotta do is beat Bilama.
Stugatz
Yeah, I think you're. He's a beast, by the way. I think you're a little too hung up on the business of this. He's not creating a template. The template he's creating is by Putting his friends back in there. He's just recreating what he did in the NFL. These templates within this own conference has been around for a while. Miami had a GM with NFL personnel experience and Alonzo Highsmith, too. Miami was well funded. That's going to be a huge hurdle for North Carolina. Ken, Bill Belichick, engage their boosters.
Mike Ryan
Sampson said he was financed, though.
David Sampson
I mean, not only is he financed, I also personally.
Stugatz
We're all financed.
David Sampson
We're all financed. He's making 10 million. So what?
Mike Ryan
You're.
Dan Le Batard
What?
David Sampson
You didn't mention out of all this, all of his media that he threw away, he wasn't making 10 million a year.
Stugatz
For me, it's his ability to walk into a room and say something that no one else in sports can, which is, I'm the greatest ever at developing talent and helping you win. I have all these relationships in the NFL. And look, Alabama sold for 15 years. We can get you to the NFL. Ohio State sells that to the receivers. We can get you. We have a tried and true program here that develops players to the NFL. That's what he'll sell. And it could be a couple of years before you take all the air out of that pitch. But it's a solid pitch coming from the greatest of all time. I'm not looking at the business of stuff. I'm looking at his ability to coach and his ability to walk into a room and have an aura about him that no one else can.
David Sampson
That used to matter way more, Mike, because remember, with Alabama, the players weren't really being paid except for a car commercial once in a while.
Stugatz
They were all being paid over.
David Sampson
So getting them to go to the NFL was not just to be the pinnacle of the profession. It was to make the money they.
Stugatz
Were all being paid.
David Sampson
But they're all being paid way more now.
Stugatz
Yeah, yeah, but by comparison, they were getting paid way more at Alabama than they were getting paid everywhere else.
Dan Le Batard
It's incorrect to say that they weren't being paid at all, but I think that the money, the promise to, you know, $20 million, whatever the number is, I mean, that's what, four times what their nil budget was last year? That's a huge deal. That means that they're actually willing to put a number behind their commitment to him, not just the three year, $10 million a year deal that they gave him. They actually want to be able to retain a talented staff in this college football era, and that costs money.
Stugatz
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Taylor
It'S been lonely now. The best players on our side been losing and losing for much too long. But now we're back with New York Pride Stugats. J. Lynn, you've got us on our feet. Jaylen. We're gonna win the East. Jaylen. Without Randall, we're still doing fine.
Mike Ryan
This is the Dan Levatar show with these two gods.
Stugatz
I understand having the questions. I kind of have them too. But I'm gonna default to. This is a pitch that no College, no 18 year old has ever received, certainly in our lifetimes. But how hard do you think he laughs at night over the last couple of days knowing that Rhett Lashley just strolled into this conference and made it to Charlotte in his first year.
Mike Ryan
I want to discuss both parts of this with you guys because I do not believe that the people listening to this have a full fundamental understanding of how insulting it was to this man, given what he's done and how hard it is to do what he achieved, to have no job offers and have to interview multiple times in Atlanta. If you think this person who had to watch a documentary made by Bob Kraft for Apple TV that shreds him and explains how Kraft and Brady won all those Super Bowls together. If you do not understand that he is vengeant in what his pride is right now in making sure that as a football genius and glass eater, he is going to do whatever is within his means to not be as mortal as you think he is at his age, because he's not. He's immortal. And he's going to take that job and want to crush everybody with. I walk into every room as Bill Belichick, and Sampson's here saying no to 10 million in immediate career for Belichick. McAfee was giving him a million to just show up. Belichick's name shows up in a room, and North Carolina money's going into it. Deion Sanders just made a mince of money with a nowhere program. Dancing and being Dion. This is a beast coming to college football. This is not a lazy old man that you underestimate because you're forgetful about what he did before the last five years. You were watching. Do you know what it takes to win in that sport? Everyone is fighting for money, for careers with their bodies. This dude conquered everyone. Had a murderer on the roster, went through cheating scandals, conquered that league again and again like no one has, and now wants to prove it in the minor leagues of professional football. I'd be terrified to compete against whatever he's got coming my way.
Stugatz
I don't feel good about it as a Miami fan. Look, that program's had my program's number. And that was when they had Mack Brown there. Now they have the greatest head coach of all time. Like, you can have your opinions. This is a major hire for unc. This is a program that was. That's a basketball school. An afterthought. This is a huge hire for the accident.
Mike Ryan
Not just this sport for sports. How Brady leaves Patriot Way and is like, oh, shit, look how much my brand is worth. This kind of winning championship. People inside and outside of Sports pay $100,000 for 15 minutes in a corporate speech to hear what this man's wisdom is. Please don't make him an old fool because he's 73 and you think he's Mac Brown. Like you haven't been paying attention to what this person does for a living.
David Sampson
Are you scared of him or what? If North Carolina made an announcement that the coach was someone you never heard of, but the money was going to 70 million.
Dan Le Batard
A coach you've never heard of. Who would that even be?
Stugatz
I've heard all the coaches.
David Sampson
Okay, fine. Someone not the greatest coach of all time.
Stugatz
$70 million.
David Sampson
I'm more scared of the money.
Mike Ryan
Robert our IT guy. Make it Robert, our IT guy.
Stugatz
If they have said a $70 million in talent acquisition when the high end in this Sport is like 25? Yeah, that'd be really terrifying.
Dan Le Batard
But look, wait, hold on, Robert, there's three minutes left in the game. You have all three timeouts. The other teams on the 40 yard line, they're driving, they're trying to score. When are you going to use your timeouts?
Mike Ryan
All right, we'll interview Robert at the end of this segment. Robert, go get to your introductory press conference in the media room so that we can get Robert as the 70 million. He's the fictitious coach. He's going against Belichick because he's got a $50 million advantage. It's Robert from. It is what you're telling me has a. And so you're now going to interview him as if he's got a game against Belichick or he's inheriting a program to compete against Belichick?
Stugatz
I think, all jokes aside, I think that. But North Carolina made a huge hire. And yes, I'm more nervous about this because this to me seems like a pretty obvious improvement over what they had. And you can have your questions. It sounds like this program is going to take a beat. What if he gets to practice and he realizes, damn, this entire roster is not up to snuff? That's going to take time. Even the greatest recruiters of talent, it takes a little bit for them to get their program in place. When you're Talking about a 73 year old, how much time are we talking about? These are all valid questions, but also, I seen the coaching inside this conference and I've seen his career. I think he'll be fine in a one game sample.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, it's a three year deal. So you have to figure like, this gets people excited about North Carolina football. This invigorates the boosters. They see, here's what we can do with a really good head coach and a shit ton of money in three years. Let's set it up for the future and then see what happens after Bill Belichick. I think that they're trying to like set up this program for the next decade and get people reinvigorated about this football program.
Mike Ryan
I thought when Jim Laiga came to Miami that he was coming to retire, to take it easy, to take one last job, to just cash out. You were right and I understand. Well, I wasn't right.
Stugatz
Particularly the last two seasons.
Mike Ryan
The last two. This one. Boy, did they lose seven straight. Charleston Southern at home by 20. Good News is a 25 point favorite.
Stugatz
Good news is Dan not Only are we bad in college basketball, but according to Ken Palm, we're the unluckiest team of all time.
Mike Ryan
Well, but you're also bad.
Stugatz
Yes, yeah, that too. But also very.
Mike Ryan
But I accused him of coming down here to retire, and I was wrong. And in the subsequent 10 years, he built a program and fought the business. Well, the last couple of years, until recently. I want to talk about the entirety of Belichick's career management. At this point, as an enterprise, he doesn't want to lose forever. The. What do you mean? Brady was responsible for all my success. Like, he doesn't have any reason to need to do any of what he's doing, except he is built to try and win at these things.
David Sampson
What he got five years, $50 million. So you think that that's 73. There are not a lot of 73 year olds who are able to monetize. And you just said McAfee gives him a million for showing up. A million is not 50. And he sets up where it can be a family. And don't forget always pleasing your dad. So there were a lot of factors. He didn't just wake up poof and say, I'd go to Drexel.
Mike Ryan
I'm guessing that Belichick was making $10 million a year in his media career. I'm guessing take the under and pound it. He was doing so many jobs.
Stugatz
David did have a lot of jobs, but probably, what, closer to five?
Mike Ryan
He was selling his name everywhere and people were competing for that name. Grant me, grant me a little bit that I know a little bit about what is being done when people come into the content space and can cash in on their name. Like when he's helping Tom Brady with his pod. These guys know the value. This is a sports brand name in America's most popular sport. Better at excellence than any of them. Like, you will not make this a dirty old hobo who's fishing on the side and walking shirtless out of his girlfriend's apartment behind me and looking at this.
Stugatz
He's the only person making him a dirty old hobo.
Mike Ryan
No, because I feel the one that's.
Dan Le Batard
Mentioned his age more than anyone else.
Mike Ryan
Because I feel like he's being disrespected in what the assessment of the questions are because they're so extreme on the other side of this, as if the last year of the NFL not hiring him erases that. He conquered it for a quarter century.
Jessica
But it's a what have you done for me lately? Kind of league. And that's where we are right now. The last couple of seasons in New England were not great. People were not happy with what he was doing. So now you take all that professionals and then you move it up to college and it's like, is that going to be just replicated there?
Stugatz
He's about three years older than Greg Cody.
David Sampson
Would you give Greg Cody a five year deal right now?
Mike Ryan
If you gave me. Drake may live if you gave. If. Can you imagine Belichick with Drake may a couple of years ago?
Jessica
You just missed him too.
Mike Ryan
You guys think there would be all these questions then? Because I understand the Patriots didn't do anything when they. They failed at a first round quarterback. No team does like when you get it wrong at that position. There's no coach that can overcome it.
Stugatz
He's got to be able to get superior talent. I'm worried as all hell because right now Miami is looking at the transfer portal, looking at the names that might possibly jump in there, and you felt pretty good about your chances. And Bill Belichick saunters into a room, you feel a little bit worse about your chances. This is a grim reality.
Jessica
I feel like everyone's seeing him on in the media right now and they're like, I could see this guy being a good recruiter. I hope it is. Introductory press conference. He goes back to coach Belichick. It's just like, hello, you know, I'm.
Mike Ryan
Happy to be here.
Jessica
We're going to take one game at a time. It's on to Syracuse. And I'm just saying, like, if he goes back into that mode. We were talking about him not connecting with NFL players and now we're just expecting him to connect with younger.
David Sampson
He does connect with younger people.
Mike Ryan
All right, wait a minute.
Dan Le Batard
That is proven.
Stugatz
Different connection.
Mike Ryan
Okay. But he doesn't. He will hire. He will be a curator. Okay. And he will hire an assortment of people who can do all this connecting that. People are very worried about how much the Bill Belichick had in common with Richard Seymour, because that was the place, you know, they went to a place emotionally. Coach and a previous generation. You guys are doing it wrong when it comes to what I think is happening here. And I want to ask Sampson what he thinks moves with Belichick. Lane Kiffin. Charming, nice. We all like him. When I saw him at FAU with very small players, I'm like, wow, they're really good, well coached. And he is running roughshod because he's better. He's more of a professional. He is out coaching this person over here who's an amateur by a lot. That's Lane Kiffin. What do you guys think? Surrounds as a management team, the economy around Bill Belichick, champion excellence for all time. I've seen Don Shula in this town get an expressway named after him, get steakhouses just because of that name. When he lands in North Carolina with that name attached to that excellence that I'm asking you, what do you think the management team of his looks like? Even when you consider the height, whatever you think Dan Lanning's entourage of people is?
Stugatz
Well, I think we have a pretty good idea of what this entourage is going to look like. It's going to be Patricia's, it's going to be his son. It's going to be Lombardi, it's going to be, you know, Josh McDaniel, guys that have been around his staff. And that's. That's fine. And you can poke holes in guys like Patricia and Lombardi. But I will tell you, in this world, in college football, those guys not. Not only come in with way more cachet than everybody else, but probably a lot more skill than most of the people that they're competing against. The resources is one thing. Look, man, Wake Forest doesn't have, like, a huge football team around it. They're. They don't have a huge scouting network. They don't have all these things that they can put in front of a recruit and say, I have relationships. Look, if you go into the draft, I have a deep relationship with the Tampa Bay Bucks coaching staff, and I can improve your chances on getting you where you want to be. Selling the NFL. And relationships in the NFL is commonplace in that sport. Harbaugh had plenty of success doing it.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, I think there's probably some places where he has advantages over other coaches, but probably also where other coaches have spent decades in the college game and have advantages that he doesn't have. Because ultimately, it is a different ecosystem. It's a different atmosphere. It is a slightly different game than what he's used to. And so it may take an adjustment period. That being said, David Drexel ended their football program 50 years ago.
David Sampson
No, they did not.
Jessica
It was a great name to drop, though, by David.
David Sampson
50 years.
Dan Le Batard
The Drexel Dragons last season was 1973.
Stugatz
We've mentioned it for years when talking about this program. No, the North Carolina Tar Heels. When it comes to football, this is a sleeping giant. All their resources mostly diverted to basketball. But if they ever engage that alumni base, if they ever tap into the revenue, because I've told you this School is more well positioned than anyone else inside the ACC to be an attractive commodity for another major conference.
Mike Ryan
But this is the part I want to talk talk with you and Jessica and Lucy about because you have seen some of the innards on what it is to be the money management around nil and how some of this is shifting. The thing that I keep asking you guys, when I mix the business, the economy, the legend, the name, the brand of all of these things, is I want to ask Samson, as an expert in business, and you guys as people who know this business business, what's it worth for an agent to walk into a room anywhere in town and bring bill Belichick for 15 minutes? So the local furniture guy wants to give $10 million because he gets 15 minutes with Belichick. Phil Knight figured this out when he bought the college program and put Nike on Oregon. And he could do in the skybox, the remote control stuff. Bill Belichick is coming to North Carolina to play video game football with a giant business that has potential in it. And what I'm asking you guys about the. And the money managers tell me how the agents are going to turn this into a business. Because Bill Belichick is worth more than what they're paying him. Like just the name walking into the city is worth the amount that they're going to be paying him for five years.
Stugatz
I mean, you just think about the obvious accounts that he can engage. There have been. There's been frustration around Chapel Hill that Michael Jordan doesn't give enough to the basketball program. And his whole attitude is, I give you your uniforms, I give you the jump man. I'm the greatest of all time. Time. But he can certainly be more engaged. I think his experience in NASCAR shows you what you can get when you get an engaged Michael Jordan. He coached Lawrence Taylor. Lawrence Taylor has some money. I think that he can absolutely get more from these boosters. Hell, Dan, this move was born out of boosters giving more than ever. Look at the recent hires. Does this seem normal to you? Rich Rodriguez going back to West Virginia. Dan Mullen going to unlv. Bill Belichick going to North Carolina. This is all born out of boosters giving more than they've ever have and the accountability being higher than it's ever been. And people are getting desperate.
David Sampson
So what the schools do is they're now saying to their donors, they're saying, it used to be that we'd give and we'd spread it across, maybe some players. How about some facilities? We want to improve our facilities. We haven't really seen it leak the way it has from coaches maybe the last five, 10 years, but now just the numbers are big, Bigger. That's really what all we're talking about.
Mike Ryan
But I'm talking with you guys about what's this all worth? Because to who, though? Well, let me do it this way with you, because we've been watching over the pandemic like this is a pretty seismic change that we're living in in this sport as it explodes in front of us streaming everywhere. WNBA is exploding. People are looking for value everywhere. Television contracts, insane sports is the place. There's a giant business burgeoning everywhere. College football in the last five years is a totally different thing than it has ever been. It's pro, and it's more important, more relevant, bigger stakes, more professional than it's ever been. And it happened as soon as the players started asking for money during the pandemic, and then everything caved in. And everyone sees that there is money everywhere. When I tell you we're on the ground floor of this, really exploding into a business when it can welcome someone like Bill Belichick, when it can lure someone like Bill Belichick to compete at the top of what the money in this sport is, how much money is it worth? When Deion Sanders comes to Colorado, you were the worst program. And for two years, you've just been cashing checks like, he's so underpaid. He's in all the commercials, and now it's Bill Belichick. I'm asking you. Name optics, sales, business credibility. What's it worth? Because I really clearly.
Stugatz
$50 million. North America.
Mike Ryan
I feel like they're getting him cheap. I feel like they're getting him cheap.
David Sampson
Give you a price, Dan. You want to hear a price? Because now people are trying to buy the teams. So you talk about boosters. They're actually going to be owners of college football teams. So you're going to not have to rant or guess what teams are worth. Someone could come in and buy the North Carolina football team. What is that team worth today? Well, all I know is they've got huge expenses. I haven't seen one concomitant increase in revenue. They haven't been to the cfp. They get to pay. They get conference money.
Dan Le Batard
Haven't won the ACC since 1980. I think it's.
David Sampson
So that's. That's a lot. That's more than Drexel.
Stugatz
Did you. Did you say Rand? Did. Did you say Rand?
Taylor
Mario Cristobal. I looked into my crystal ball and it says to you we'll never win an ACC title. You had a life wallet. We have a Bella check.
Stugatz
I didn't know he was gonna do that one.
David Sampson
That's a repeat. A Bella check sounds like life wallet.
Mike Ryan
A Bella check one more time. I think he thinks Bill O'Brien.
Taylor
You learned at Bill bellic knee. Now prepare for him to bend you over it and give you that proper spanky.
Mike Ryan
It's too much yelling. It's. It's spitting. You gotta, you gotta be more subtle than that.
Taylor
Dabo Sweeney is on the record as being a God fearing man. Dabo. Congratulations. Next December in Charlotte at the ACC championship. You get to meet em yourself.
Stugatz
Howdy, it's Mike. Wanna talk to you about Game Time. For my money, the very best secondary ticket marketplace app there is on the market and trust me, I've been around the block a few times when it comes to this and I always come back to Game Time. Plenty of reasons why. Let me detail them for you all in pricing, panoramic seat views, the lowest price guarantee Game Time will credit you 110% of the difference if you dare find a better deal out there. And their unparalleled Game Time ticket coverage has your purchase covered with the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry. And also they have this brand new wonderful feature called Game Time Picks that makes getting tickets to see your favorite teams play live even easier. Gametime Picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets with Game Time Picks. It helps to make curation easier to save more on sports, concerts, comedy, theater and more. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime Picks. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code DAN for $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code dan for $20 off. Download game Time today. What time is it? Game Time.
Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Local Hour: Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels
Release Date: December 12, 2024
In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosted by Dan Le Batard and Stugotz, the team delves into the groundbreaking news of NFL legend Bill Belichick taking the helm of the North Carolina Tar Heels football program. The discussion explores the implications of this unprecedented move, the potential impact on college football, and the various opinions surrounding Belichick’s transition from the NFL to collegiate coaching.
The primary focus of the discussion centers around the shocking announcement that Bill Belichick, widely regarded as the greatest coach in NFL history, has accepted a position with the North Carolina Tar Heels. This move marks a significant shift in both Belichick’s career and the landscape of college football.
Dan Le Batard initiates the conversation by highlighting the magnitude of Belichick’s decision:
“[07:07] Dan Le Batard: Balls move indeed. I think what people are reacting to, Dan, is the fact that you could think of any quote unquote surefire higher in college football over the last 20 years.”
Stugotz expresses enthusiasm about the hire, emphasizing Belichick’s unparalleled coaching prowess:
“[17:24] Stugotz: He's the greatest coach of all time. I don't think it's going to be an issue.”
Dan Le Batard concurs, noting the unpredictability of coaching success in college football and the risks associated with such high-profile hires:
“[14:02] Dan Le Batard: It doesn't happen that often. But it has never happened ever, that this person is available to a college program.”
Mike Ryan acknowledges Belichick’s commitment and potential, despite initial reservations:
“[07:26] Mike Ryan: He did. He did run circles around Schefter.”
Not all opinions are favorable. Mike Ryan voices skepticism regarding Belichick’s ability to adapt to the college environment:
“[05:19] Mike Ryan: I just want to put a bit of metal arc tension business in front of the people... I don't feel he's any kind of special.”
Taylor, an insider, critiques the decision, questioning the logistics and the fit:
“[07:07] Taylor: Dan Levitar, you put Eric air quotes around me as a Carolina insider after I told you specifically Freddy Kitchens was coaching UNC...”
Jessica expresses concern over the potential decline in the program’s performance:
“[38:08] Jessica: It was a great name to drop, though, by David.”
The hiring of Belichick is seen as a catalyst for transforming college football into a more professional and business-oriented landscape. The hosts discuss the potential ripple effects on recruiting, talent development, and financial investments within the college sports ecosystem.
Mike Ryan delves into the business aspect, pondering the financial implications:
“[38:08] Mike Ryan: When I tell you we're on the ground floor of this, really exploding into a business when it can welcome someone like Bill Belichick...”
David Sampson elaborates on the financial strategies and the increasing role of boosters in college athletics:
“[40:39] David Sampson: So what the schools do is they're now saying to their donors...”
A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the financial dimensions of Belichick’s move. Topics include salary negotiations, the valuation of Belichick’s brand, and the broader economic trends influencing college sports.
Mike Ryan questions the financial arrangements, suggesting that North Carolina might be acquiring Belichick at a favorable rate:
“[42:23] Stugatz: $50 million. North America.”
David Sampson discusses the financial burden on universities, balancing expenses with limited revenue growth:
“[42:57] David Sampson: So that's a lot. That's more than Drexel.”
Dan Le Batard underscores the commitment North Carolina is making by investing heavily in Belichick:
“[38:38] Dan Le Batard: This is a three-year deal... they actually want to be able to retain a talented staff in this college football era.”
The episode concludes with a consensus that Bill Belichick’s transition to North Carolina is a monumental shift with far-reaching consequences for college football. While there is excitement about the potential revitalization of the Tar Heels program, concerns about adaptability, financial strain, and the broader transformation of college sports remain.
Dan Le Batard wraps up by emphasizing the strategic long-term vision behind Belichick’s hire:
“[31:05] Dan Le Batard: Yeah, it's a three-year deal. So you have to figure like this gets people excited about North Carolina football...”
Dan Le Batard [07:07]: "Balls move indeed. I think what people are reacting to, Dan, is the fact that you could think of any quote unquote surefire higher in college football over the last 20 years."
Stugotz [17:24]: "He's the greatest coach of all time. I don't think it's going to be an issue."
Mike Ryan [38:08]: "When I tell you we're on the ground floor of this, really exploding into a business when it can welcome someone like Bill Belichick..."
David Sampson [40:39]: "So what the schools do is they're now saying to their donors..."
This episode provides a comprehensive analysis of Bill Belichick’s unexpected move to North Carolina, blending expert opinions, insider insights, and critical evaluations. Listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the potential transformation awaiting college football, the challenges ahead for Belichick, and the broader implications for athletic programs nationwide.