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Dan LeBatard
Now's a good time to remember where tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila.
Stugotz
Cuervo.
Dan LeBatard
What are you doing here? Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up. Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out, especially for one of our great partners.
Billy Gill
Sweet, delicious Cuervo.
Dan LeBatard
Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.
Billy Gill
Cuervo.
Dan LeBatard
So enjoy the tequila that started it all.
Billy Gill
Cuervo.
Dan LeBatard
Cuervo, the tequila that invented tequila. Proximo. Cuevo.com Please drink responsibly.
Billy Gill
Cuervo.
Stugotz
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.
Billy Gill
All right, we back to the Dan LeBatard show sans dance. Me and your boy Hawk in the building. We had a couple changes to the shipping container. Jessica's not here today. Roy's not here today. But for game two, we're bringing a big dog in.
Stugotz
Yeah, we need it.
Billy Gill
One of everyone's favorites. Look at him locked in with the glasses on. There you go. Chest pound from Billy Gill. What up, Billy? Welcome to the show, buddy.
Stugotz
With his own intro music.
Mike Ryan
Hey, guys.
Billy Gill
Yeah. We got a flush. We got a flush. With 24 hour rule. We flushed game one. We on the game two. We came to get a split. Let's get a split. We need big dog Billy in the building to get the split.
Mike Ryan
How is game one? Because I just said. Oh, I saw you guys had Keenan.
Billy Gill
We got a flush. We got a flush. Game one.
Stugotz
We got to review the film.
Billy Gill
So 24 hours. We already reviewed it. I reviewed the film last night.
Stugotz
Technically, 24 hours is like 21 right now.
Billy Gill
But just the 24 hour rule is what it's called. I mean, even. It's not 24. I mean, we could go through it if you want to. I reviewed the tape.
Stugotz
I think Billy needs context so that he knows what to bring to game two.
Billy Gill
So first of all, before we get to that, at some point, we're going to get into some draft stuff today. We're going to refresh the Uber ratings because we got some. The big tease. We got a means rating. Guys, get ready. So we're going to update that at some point. I got a story for you guys about my racist cat. All this is going to happen. We're also going to discuss the. The tournament and the tush push rule. But before we do that, this is the last we do the little film session right now. This is the last time we talk about it. If you want to go into it. My assessment of yesterday's show was we got off to a good start. We were great. We got a big lead, great start. We were feeling good. And then they brought out a different a defense that I wasn't ready for. And as the point guard, I got flustered by the defense. It's like, what are we doing? Guess. Uh, oh, turnover, turnover, Turnover to back.
Stugotz
Guess.
Billy Gill
They were ugly. Turnover.
Stugotz
We didn't take a timeout. We didn't regroup. We didn't like huddle up, nothing. It was, if you can't stop the opposition from scoring, take the timeout, Coach. That is like coaching one on one. You don't just let it continue.
Billy Gill
As we discussed yesterday on the Dominique Foxhost show, me and Charlie have a thing where we say accountability plays and you have to be very accountable when you mess up. And I accept that. Yesterday I was full of myself. I parachuted in and we got off to a great start. I thought Chris was balling. We did the intros. We had some good topics. We was laughing. We had that thread of Leroy you hooked us up with that. We was going. I was like, man, I'm in this. This is easy. Hit it to my man in the corner. Hit a wide open three. Fast break. Ooh, great defense. Rebound. And then they started throwing guests at me.
Stugotz
And I was like, oh, no, what's happening?
Chris Cote
Steve Williams?
Dan LeBatard
Could you beat pro golfer?
Billy Gill
Oh, wait, hey, that was a little too. Who's ass?
Dominique Foxworth
Which ones could you beat?
Stugotz
Did you beat his ass, though?
Billy Gill
Could you beat his ass?
Chris Cote
That was good.
Stugotz
It was. It got.
Dominique Foxworth
Could you beat up Tiger Woods?
Stugotz
It got crazy. It got crazy for a second, Bill.
Mike Ryan
The only three things that I heard about yesterday was that you asked the caddy who could beat in the PGA Tour. You started the Keenan interview with who did Morgan Wallen call the N word. And then Keenan was with us on behalf of gerd.
Chris Cote
And then Mike made fun of him for.
Stugotz
Mike made fun of him.
Dan LeBatard
Fun of him. I was ailment, misread the room. He didn't like me.
Billy Gill
I.
Dan LeBatard
He said, why am I standing?
Stugotz
I never thought about it until he said that. At that. I never questioned why Mike is the only one who ever stands until Keenan.
Dan LeBatard
Thompson said, I only stand because Tony stands. I'm not going to get Alpha that way.
Stugotz
Yeah.
Chris Cote
And then we were finally getting Steve Williams best answer. And we heard in the middle of.
Billy Gill
It, hold on one second. In Mike's.
Dan LeBatard
I thought we burned the tape.
Billy Gill
In Mike's. We got to do a. We got to bury it. We got to bury it like Rex Ryan did back in the day when he buried the ball. In Mike's defense, I was the point guard, and I clearly couldn't point guard anymore. So Mike was trying to put.
Chris Cote
Chris, what do you got? That was another thing he kept doing. Chris, you have a question for the guest?
Stugotz
Mike definitely tried to bring the ball up the court.
Dan LeBatard
Chris, it is now your turn to ask a question of our guest.
Billy Gill
Please, sir. I refused to use the backroom communications. I wanted on air.
Stugotz
Mike was definitely an old, like a 90s five, not like a Today's. Like, not like a Jokic. And Mike was like, you know what? I'm putting it on my shoulder.
Billy Gill
He's like.
Stugotz
He brought the ball at the court and pulled from the logo and then went way over the backboard.
Dominique Foxworth
But hand up. I gotta know my teammate. Terrible entry pass. I brought up Jim Laranega. Mistake just derailed the show right there.
Billy Gill
You gotta get it to Mike at his spot.
Dominique Foxworth
Just feed Mike Michael Sweetney right there in the post, man. Don't take every shot, buddy.
Dan LeBatard
He's still going at it, this guy.
Stugotz
He was so short. Play call.
Billy Gill
No, I'm sorry.
Chris Cote
For the love of God, anything but that.
Billy Gill
No more Laren. A guitar.
Stugotz
Now, look, I will say that, what they always say. Yes, 24 hour rule. But they also say the tape is never as good as you think, and it's never as bad as you think. And I don't think the game film was as bad as we thought it to be when we left the game. Because somebody asked Keenan Thompson that question yesterday, and he answered it somewhere, and it ended up on variety.com so maybe we shouldn't have came out the gate with that play.
Billy Gill
Yeah. Hand up. Hand up.
Stugotz
But you weren't wrong to see in that opportunity in the defense.
Chris Cote
That's why he was wrong, because he asked it in such an aggressive way.
Stugotz
That it was out the gate before he said hello. It was. I mean, but I'm. We learned from our mistakes.
Chris Cote
He went for comedy instead of for journalism.
Stugotz
Yeah. Which I'm okay with. That move with the comedian.
Billy Gill
It was a decision. It was a choice. A poor one.
Chris Cote
But I think his response was, this is what happens when Dan's not here for sure.
Dan LeBatard
Which is like his biggest mistake, thinking that it would be less awkward with Dan in there. But, you know, when. When you're starting a series on the road, you really just want to take away home court advantage.
Billy Gill
I mean, we all had our.
Stugotz
We had our down.
Billy Gill
No, no, no, no, no.
Dan LeBatard
So, like, if we, if we take game two, we coming back for game three. So let's. Let's focus on one game at a time. Game two is right there in front of us. We know where we went wrong. And, I mean, even though the vine, the Jim Laraniga vine is right there, we're not going to take it.
Chris Cote
It's rare in the first quarter of this game, too. We're like, can you guys believe that? Game one, that shit was crazy.
Billy Gill
No, we have. I was trying to start game two, and you guys wanted to do an assessment. And one thing I'm not going to walk away from is some good, open criticism of me. Let's dive into. So we good? Is it all out on the table?
Stugotz
I did say. I did say two up, two down. And I feel like we glossed over that.
Chris Cote
You even forgot about that.
Stugotz
And I also want. I want to raise my hand with accountability.
Billy Gill
There you go.
Stugotz
Especially as one of the only two blacks in game two that say, I, I am ashamed of myself. I will be better today.
Billy Gill
Yeah. I mean, two black people's not enough. We got to get another black person. I, I, Hey, Carl, find me a black person to join the show today.
Stugotz
Literally, two up, two down is what we are today. All right.
Billy Gill
All right. So we're good.
Stugotz
We're good.
Billy Gill
That was the third time I tried to put the show behind us, and then someone else jumped back in.
Dan LeBatard
There was one positive that we can learn from game one. And you mentioned the hot start, which was. You guys were just calling fullback dive. Yeah. We had pigskin as America's pastime, and we talked football to start, and that was a good start that we had. So should we replicate that?
Billy Gill
I think we should. I think we should. Perfectly done, tush push. Get that crap up out of the league. Am I right?
Stugotz
Should we.
Billy Gill
You're not one of these guys.
Stugotz
I'm just playing devil's advocate here because I don't feel great about punishing somebody for doing something better than everyone else, because that is the name of sports. And it does, like we talked about, tie into the legal corked bat situation going on in New York.
Billy Gill
They're not corked. It is also framing matters. They're just a little misshapen, I guess. It's a design. It's not. Because when you say it's a corked back, it's suggested they're cheating.
Stugotz
Yeah. And it feels like it.
Billy Gill
They just.
Stugotz
What?
Billy Gill
I don't understand. If we're Moving over to basketball, I mean, to baseball, what I understand is why everyone doesn't have a torpedo bat right now. Like, what are you doing?
Dominique Foxworth
La Cruz busted torpedo bat yesterday.
Billy Gill
Two home runs.
Dominique Foxworth
Seven RBI is two home runs.
Billy Gill
See, I think that I need a torpedo bat just to hold while I do the show.
Stugotz
Yeah, it'll. It'll help us in game two for sure. So, look, the Tush push. What happens. The. The only reason why I kind of agree is what happened in the super bowl when the refs were like, we're going to give them a touchdown and.
Billy Gill
That'S like a conference championship game.
Stugotz
Yeah.
Dan LeBatard
Which I thought that was compelling. I thought the Commanders were really going out of the way and were effective outside of that one time where they jumped offside, like seven consecutive times.
Dominique Foxworth
They let up 55 points. As a Commander's fan, that does not affect.
Stugotz
But.
Dan LeBatard
But, I mean, no, it was. They were showing that there was a play, there is a path. And like Hawk alluded to, this play is available to all 32 teams in the league. Two teams do it exceptionally well, and we're going to stop it because one team is a Super bowl champion and really does it exceptionally well. No one else does it as good.
Billy Gill
So this is the. What happened in the Commander's game was on the goal line. The Eagles were trying to do the Tush push, and the Commanders were completely comfortable with jumping off sides in order to stop the Tush push because half the distance to the goal is nothing and six points is a lot. So eventually the ref suggested that you do it again. We just gonna give him six points, which is.
Stugotz
Come on, man. We should have made a bigger deal about that as a society. What the hell are we doing? Who gives you the right. Who gave you the authority to award touchdowns for plays that aren't touchdowns in the conference championship game?
Dan LeBatard
Wow. Thank you. Tush push. We had no idea that a ref could do this.
Mike Ryan
What.
Dan LeBatard
I mean, it was an exciting, captivating moment that we found out that the ref can do that.
Billy Gill
To. To answer your question, the NFL bylaws and rule book give you the right to do it.
Stugotz
There's no way that's legal.
Billy Gill
It is legal.
Stugotz
I've never heard of that ever in my history of life.
Billy Gill
So, I mean, I guess you have to take it out to the most extreme is if they just continue to jump off sides, the game would never end. So the ref has to have some sort of power at that point, because no time runs off the clock. The ball moves a smaller fraction of an inch every Play like, if we're talking about ending this game and having a game, if you're in that situation, the refs have to have some sort of recourse, right?
Stugotz
No, I don't believe.
Billy Gill
No. So you want. You want that Bill Belichick just like, you know what? We going to jump off sides until tomorrow. We're going to have a war of attrition. It's the only song see who gets hungry soon enough.
Stugotz
Who loses more in commercials by continuing to keep this play going. Was it not the most effective we've ever seen against the tush push? It was, but it's in that two minutes.
Dan LeBatard
It's a. It's a quarterback sneak. Like, I don't understand. Like, just because it looks a little different than your conventional quarterback sneak, we're going to outlaw it, then outlaw the quarterback sneak. And the argument is, it doesn't look like football. It looks exactly like football to me.
Stugotz
It's a little like rugby.
Billy Gill
Yeah, it looks a lot more like.
Chris Cote
Rugby, which is a lot like football was. Like, it's not because they're good at it. It just doesn't feel like football.
Billy Gill
All right. There's a couple of different things. I think that there's a couple of different reasons why I think it should be banned, and it's not because of how effective it is. The idea that it's not against the rules is kind of murky because, like, you can read the rules a different way to suggest that you're not allowed to help pull or push any player in the league. It's always been against the rules to be able to do that. Recently they kind of de. Emphasized it, I guess, because it's still technically in the rule book, isn't it, that you can't aid and assist someone in that situation? The reason why I don't like it is not because it's effective. I think people want to make it like, oh, you can't stop it, get it out the game is because it's the responsibility of the league to create the best product. And I think oftentimes we think about rule changes as it relates to health and safety, which sometimes is true. But the rules changes, as we've learned in baseball recently, you got to tweak them. And the NFL and even the NBA has been comfortable with. With tweaking rules in order to keep the entertainment quality there. And. And I think Mike is right at this point. The tush push doesn't bother me as far as, like, entertainment quality. There is some suspense to it, but I do think that it encourages us to a version of football that we don't like. Because if, if the rules aren't going to make it so you can't do it anymore, then the coaches and general managers have to design plays and draft players in order to stop it. And I think that sends us in a path that's less fun to watch.
Dan LeBatard
It's getting stopped. I mentioned that there are two teams that are really good at it. The other one's the Buffalo Bills. Famously in their conference champions game, they got stopped. Now it might have been a controversial call, but it wasn't the only time in that game in a short yardage situation, Buffalo lined up and Casey was ready for it. I think teams just got to get better at it. And I did think towards the tail end of the season you started seeing teams find ways around this.
Dominique Foxworth
Ironically, one of the best teams at it is the Arizona Cardinals with tiny Kyler Murray. So it's like we talked. There's all that like every single discussions like will jalen hurt squat 600 pounds?
Billy Gill
Yeah.
Dominique Foxworth
Nah. Five foot nine quarterback.
Billy Gill
I mean I've seen Kyler Murray run the ball. I'm not sure that he doesn't also squat 600 pounds.
Dominique Foxworth
I was gonna say good point.
Billy Gill
That dude's got power.
Stugotz
He's probably all thighs actually.
Billy Gill
But it goes to people make the argument like if you don't like, you stop it. Like it's a, it's a manly thing. Like my pushback from the defensive perspective is why y'all gotta push. If we want to do a quarterback sneak and you want to go mono and mono, your centers and guards against ID tackles and linebackers, then do it. Tell Saquon to get his big quad ass out of there and stop pushing. I want it. It's not as if Makai Becton ain't big enough. Like I want to see that. That to me feels like a fairer matchup in a more interesting and a less lopsided way.
Dominique Foxworth
Should a team draft Desmond Watson, the 464 pound defensive tackle from Florida, one of the NFC east teams just for tush push situations?
Billy Gill
Yes.
Stugotz
And so we can just run a jet sweep on his ass every time he's on the field just to say, hey, we took away 10 on 11. Let's go far left.
Dominique Foxworth
So Bob finished by Desmond Watson. Good job, buddy.
Billy Gill
Desmond Watson is not like a great college football player. He's just £460.
Dominique Foxworth
464.
Billy Gill
Yeah.
Chris Cote
And he wore number 21, which is funny.
Billy Gill
Perfect.
Dominique Foxworth
Perfect.
Dan LeBatard
I know. It's like an old run boy.
Stugotz
He can run though.
Billy Gill
He can't get them knees up.
Dan LeBatard
468 Grande Porguso. That guy sucks. It's like a seven foot nine college basketball recruit. That's like outside the top 100. What's going on here?
Stugotz
How is that? Didn't he walk on?
Dan LeBatard
How are you 7 foot 9 and not one of the top 100? High school basketball, that's kind of crazy.
Dominique Foxworth
Florida has a 7 foot 9 guy too. Olivier Rue.
Stugotz
I thought that's what we were talking about.
Dan LeBatard
That's exactly hand up.
Stugotz
My bad. It's all right. We can bounce back from that.
Dan LeBatard
I know it's an old fogey take, but there were people that were doing this for forward passes. You know, it's just. I don't understand it. There's. It's available to everyone.
Billy Gill
So first of all, everybody could do it.
Stugotz
What if they just tush push all the way down the field? What if they're averaging.
Dan LeBatard
I would love to see that.
Stugotz
Three yards a clip and they just say, you know what? We're just going to tush push this entire drive.
Dan LeBatard
I'd love to see that. You're acting like there isn't other unfair things in the sport. I think Patrick Mahomes is pretty unfair. Let's outlaw him.
Stugotz
See, this is.
Dominique Foxworth
This is.
Stugotz
This is.
Dominique Foxworth
This is amazing. Mike, your two takes. NFL executives agree. This is. An anonymous NFL executive said that if this was. If these guys were around during Johnny Unitis years, they'd be banning the forward pass. And Mike Vrabel literally said, well, I guess Lamar Jackson's unfair.
Dan LeBatard
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Jessica
Hey friends, it's Jerbear here and I'm.
Dan LeBatard
Here to tell you all about Boost.
Jessica
Mobile, which is now a legit nationwide 5G network. So I must take a break from the jokes here for a second and put on my serious voice because I would never ever joke about a 5G network that has invested billions building 5G towers across the country. Not even once. Not even if Mr. Boost Mobile himself asked me to. There is nothing funny about it. Boost Mobile is now a legit nationwide 5G network and also provides coverage across 99% of America. Seriously? Visit boostmobile.com or your nearest Boost Mobile store location to learn more. The Boost Mobile network, together with our roaming partners, covers 99% of the US population. 5G speeds not available in all areas.
Dan LeBatard
Hey audience. You know it's that time of year where everyone is debating who the number one pick is going to be. Well, let me tell you something that is undebatable. Who the world's number one vodka is. That is Smirnoff. And as fun as it is to debate whether or not the team with the number one pick goes pass rusher, wide receiver, quarterback, one thing that we all know is we're going with Smirnoff as our number one vodka pick. Isn't that right, Dano? Smirnoff rules. Smirnoff rules. So while you're over there hosting your draft parties, you know one thing in particular you need. Well, there's two things that you absolutely need. The draft on tv, that's a must. But number two, what is it? Dano Smirnoff. Do you like Dano?
Billy Gill
Support the people who support us. Smirnoff supports us.
Dan LeBatard
I like Smirnoff.
Billy Gill
I don't like Dano.
Dan LeBatard
And thanks to Smirnoff, God Bless Football is doing their first ever watch along livestream in front of a live audience in Nashville, Tennessee. Join God Bless Football during round one of the draft on the LeBatard Show YouTube channel on April 24th. More details to come. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff number 21 vodka distilled from grain, 40% alcohol by volume. The Smirnoff Company New York, New York. Please do not share with Anyone under legal drinking age.
Stugotz
Don Levatard.
Chris Cote
Cheaters never prosper.
Billy Gill
Stugats.
Dan LeBatard
I ain't cheating.
Stugotz
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.
Mike Ryan
Nick Sirianni should start next season if they don't ban it. The first drive of the first game while the entire country's watching. No, not. No. The first drive should just be push. Push the entire drive to see how far they can go. Just the twitch.
Stugotz
Push. That's what'll get a.
Mike Ryan
He has. He has nothing to lose. He won the Super Bowl. I think his fan base, who hates him, would love him for doing that.
Stugotz
His fan base? Him.
Billy Gill
He won him a Super bowl and they still don't like him.
Stugotz
That's crazy.
Billy Gill
So Desmond Watson looks like Big X, the plug while he is jumping and running, by the way, did he not?
Stugotz
Yeah, he did look like Big X. And he also played college football.
Billy Gill
Yeah, he did. Did he? Yeah, he did. He wasn't any good, obviously.
Stugotz
I think he went to a D2 school, D3 school.
Billy Gill
I've seen big X on stage. I'm pretty sure he. He don't look all that. He don't be moving like he could.
Stugotz
He don't got a lot.
Billy Gill
That outside zone would have got Big X.
Stugotz
Hell, push. Tush push, though.
Billy Gill
Oh, Big X would have plugged.
Stugotz
Might have been the plug for the commanders.
Billy Gill
So the. The thing I will push back against you, Mike. Just saying. I think it's fair. All the things that you're saying is fair. However, it doesn't address the point that I was making. Like, my point isn't about it's not fair. You know why you don't outlaw the forward pass? It's awesome. You know why you don't outlaw Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson? This is awesome. Like this end. It encourages people to get faster, more athletic, more fun to watch people onto the field. In order to compensate for Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes and also the forward pass, you got to get a more aerial, more fun game. And I feel like some of the rules changes in football were partially about moving us away from a more physical game in the 90s, but also encouraging passing because it's more fun to watch. And that is my argument for. For why I don't love the tush push. Because you end up in a situation where you start to increase the value of players like Desmond Watson, which. No.
Chris Cote
Okay with that. Honestly, I'm serious.
Billy Gill
I know.
Chris Cote
You are like the big guy. Like, I. I don't mind. Like, I don't want it all the way down the field. But I don't mind a package where it's like, okay, you got your tush push. Where they're bringing their. Their two 400 pound guys.
Dan LeBatard
I like specialists and there's something to be said for. They leaned into their identity. They. They built an entire roster for those situations. And it kind of got all boiled down to that one play. It took every single guy on that side of the ball to basically buy in and execute that play better than everybody. And now you're going to change the rule and you have to look at your roster and try to figure things out. I don't think it's fair.
Billy Gill
Right. Well, I mean, Howie Roseman's roster construction strategy is something that Charlie loves because it's pretty plain and simple. Him big, him fast, him strong.
Stugotz
Him and Eagle.
Billy Gill
Him an Eagle. Right.
Dan LeBatard
Him. Georgia Bulldog.
Stugotz
Yeah, yeah.
Billy Gill
Because I believe Kirby Smart also has the same strategy as like, hey, get the biggest, fastest, strongest guys. And so I don't think the two drive really fast.
Dan LeBatard
Yeah, they got to drive super fast, man. Can we talk?
Dominique Foxworth
For this is a small detour. Georgia had a receiver named Nitro Tuggle driving 107 miles an hour, no pun.
Stugotz
Intended, on that tour rules he should.
Dominique Foxworth
Not get a ticket. If your name is Nitro, he's going.
Dan LeBatard
To make a great Eagle.
Billy Gill
Yeah. So I think what I have a. I'm having a hard time with is when I present my reasoning, no one refutes the reasoning that I'm suggested. Like you keep twisting it back to something else that I don't think I will.
Dan LeBatard
I will refute it. I like watching a team try to stop an unstoppable play. And I think that there was high drama in those conference championship games because Washington did make Philadelphia. Think about it. Philadelphia was hopping off sides. Philadelphia was trying to do different things out of it because Washington was providing an issue. And in the AFC Championship game against a team that is second most famous for doing this, there was a play that decided the game by Kansas City. Stopping it. So I think it's high drama.
Billy Gill
The. I'm sorry, go ahead.
Dominique Foxworth
I was gonna say, I don't think you think there was drama in that. In the NFC Championship game of the super bowl, the second Saquon Barkley took that first run to the house.
Stugotz
Fair enough.
Dominique Foxworth
The super bowl was over.
Dan LeBatard
Fair enough.
Dominique Foxworth
Five minutes.
Dan LeBatard
Well, what I remember forever is the seven straight plays that my guy from the Commanders hopped over the line of scrimmage. Frankie Woozu, the official to say, hey, you keep doing this. I'm just going to give him the touchdown. That was amazing.
Stugotz
That was. That was crazy talk, man. I still don't think. I don't understand where that ref gets off. I'm pissed about that. This is.
Chris Cote
Does every ref have a different number? OK, mine's six. Then I'm giving it to you. For me it's 10. I'll wait for 10.
Stugotz
I think the refs should have names in the back of their jerseys and we should. They should get on the podium after the game and go through the game tape like we had to do today. There's no accountability for you just to say, hey, I'm. All of a sudden the touchdowns are. And I'm just going to decide you get a touchdown and you get a pick over there. Because I like the way that you've been paying attention this game. No, that's not how this works.
Billy Gill
I was with you until we handed out interceptions.
Stugotz
That's what I'm saying. Where does it stop?
Billy Gill
I'm on board with handing out picks. I'll take a couple more.
Dan LeBatard
I'm pretty sure Charlie has the answer for this. But what makes a tush push? The tush push. Having like a big running back push your quarterback sneak. So that's specifically what you outlaw. Because you're not going to outlaw the quarterback sneak, right? Because a white guy was really good at it in Tom Brady. So we're not going to do that.
Dominique Foxworth
It's the scrum formation too. It's even some of the linemen get pushed so you can get like a bigger push forward from inline tight ends and fullbacks.
Dan LeBatard
But I'm just saying, like, how do you legislate it? How do you.
Billy Gill
How do you know you can't. You cannot. I think it's already in the rule books. Like, you cannot help a runner. You can't push from behind. You can even add to it that you can't push a guard from behind. Like it's.
Chris Cote
But linemen do that a lot. I love when there's.
Dan LeBatard
I love when a pile moves like.
Chris Cote
Nine yards, like a guard come flying up and it pushes it across the first down.
Dan LeBatard
Great play.
Chris Cote
Yeah, I want that still.
Billy Gill
That's in the course of the game. I don't mind that as much. And I think that when it's an obvious thing that's like clearly bad for the game. The decision is easy in the course of a game. All of this is torch push is.
Dan LeBatard
Also in the course of a game.
Billy Gill
Saying that it's in the course of a play, a normal play. It's like a slot receiver catches an out and the guard just hauls ass downfield to help out. That's different. That is not lining up court. That's different from lining up.
Dan LeBatard
It's not a different play than. They're all football plays.
Stugotz
I get what he's saying. I do. But like they say, his explanation is tough, but I'm trying to. I know exactly. Everyone.
Billy Gill
Everyone gets it.
Chris Cote
Will they still have that, what we were just talking about? If they ban the tush push, will the linemen still be able to do that?
Billy Gill
I. I would. I would prefer them not to, but I'll make the concession that they can, like, get out of here. The guy has. The guy has the ball. Let him run and tackle you. Flying downfield, throwing your fat ass body into a group of football players. Feel stupid and unfair.
Stugotz
He's gotten hurt multiple times.
Billy Gill
Like, get out of here. Stop it.
Stugotz
Your job is to block somebody, then block.
Billy Gill
But whatever. What I don't like is the put the tush push formation. And I think that it's easy when there's a rule that is obviously bad for the game. I think it's hard when you have to project how it will impact the game going forward. Which is why I agree with you, Mike. Last year, the tush push, it's overpowered, but it doesn't bother me near as much as I guess. And this is my fault. What I'm projecting, it will do because people, if you don't outlaw it, and I know you said some people found a way to stop it. It's overwhelmingly unstoppable. If you don't do something about that, then the teams have to do something about that, which I think pushes us in a direction that I thought we were steering away from. And we love the way football is played now.
Stugotz
I like your point about, like, the formation. What if you have to declare that you're going to touch push and then the defense gets their team ready for the. Because the real fear is that you can't commit too much to the tush push because they'll throw it deep. But if you want to do the tush push, you declare you get your tush push team ready. We get our tush push team ready and we just.
Chris Cote
The head coach. The head coach, like, hits his butt to signal it.
Stugotz
Yeah. And it's like, yo, tush push team. It becomes a specialty.
Dan LeBatard
We're gonna make it look less like football. How about it's just four guys on the line.
Dominique Foxworth
I'll tell you one thing. Trent Richardson would have had a 10 year NFL career as a tush push specialist. Coming under center for one play.
Stugotz
That's really what it is. It's teams. That's where we're missing it. We just cracked the code. It's not a play. It's a special teams play that doesn't fit within the other course of plays, much like all the other special teams plays.
Billy Gill
I would say that one thing about the tush push that I like is it encourages more aggression from coaches on fourth down. It does somehow though, discourage aggression on third down, which is like, we don't take that to account. Also when it's third and six, one of the greatest beauties about being on defense. Third and six, we know you're throwing. Here comes our best blitz. Here comes our nickel and dime package. Now it's like third six, y'all gonna run it again. And I get. I get what you're saying.
Dan LeBatard
That's whack.
Billy Gill
What do you mean it's whack?
Stugotz
Wow.
Dan LeBatard
You're making defense harder. Like, come on, man. That's a game of football.
Billy Gill
That's not the argument I'm making. Mike. You like. Of course you like it.
Stugotz
I don't know if you guys.
Billy Gill
Is.
Dan LeBatard
This defense thing. I don't even know how hard it's. It's already really difficult to stop these offenses and now we're going to change obvious passing situations just because they're good at running. That's a.
Stugotz
That's actually the best probably take for in. In. What am I saying?
Billy Gill
You're trying to.
Stugotz
I got a rebuttal because here's my thing really quick. I've been flip flopping back and forth, arguing both sides of the take. Nobody's noticed.
Billy Gill
No, no, no. What's your. What's your thought?
Stugotz
I can't. I forgot which take I was arguing for in that moment.
Dan LeBatard
I know. You said that. I was.
Stugotz
That I was Entire conversation.
Billy Gill
So you.
Dan LeBatard
You.
Billy Gill
What you got to understand is I think that you came in today thinking like, hey, I got my man. I'm going to be everything for my guy today without.
Stugotz
But don't worry, I'm doing a lot of jobs right now.
Billy Gill
Don't worry.
Stugotz
I got to get back into my system.
Billy Gill
I got this hosting thing under control. You do? I got it under control.
Chris Cote
Maybe we get rid of motion too. That's hard to cover.
Stugotz
See, now you're being sarcastic.
Mike Ryan
I feel like you like declaring plays. I hate that. Like, I hate that they have to declare on site kicks now.
Stugotz
Yeah, I don't like that portion But I do. I do like the idea to even the playing field. There's no way you can stop the tush push in a way where it seems fair for both sides. And the argument Mike was making that. Well, he was saying it in jest, but in sarcasm. But it's true. All the rules do benefit the offense. So now you give them another one. I can't. When is the last defensive rule not never passed?
Billy Gill
Oh, you know what it is, is they re emphasized illegal man downfield is that they had, like, a whole season of RPOs where the offensive lineman would be 4 yards downfield and the quarterback would pull it and throw a slant. And defenses, like, you may think that we look to see if the ball's handed off. We get our run pass keys from the offensive lineman. So, like, it was really unfair to be like, hey, we're running the ball. Look at this tackle who's 3 yards downfield. Psych your mind.
Stugotz
So they also made. Did they take away cut blocks?
Billy Gill
Yeah, they took. That was the health and safety thing. Not completely, but you can't cut block from the outside in anymore where you used to be able to do that. They also took away the defender's ability to cut. So as a cornerback, they will run screen passes.
Stugotz
That plays into this as well. Because in the tush push, if I'm on the D line, can I just dive at the offensive line's legs?
Billy Gill
You can.
Stugotz
Okay, so they didn't take that away. All right, well, I got nothing for you. Unique.
Mike Ryan
I wish we was, like, an evolution of the tush push, right? Like, I'm looking at the formation here, and I feel like if we had, like, a. A wildcat come out of the tush push, right where, like, Jalen's down there, they hike it to Jalen, and then he just, like, passes it between his legs to someone else who just, like, pitches it out to Dallas Goddard, who's, like, wide open because everyone's just expecting the push push. The problem is it's so effective that they don't need to change the play, right? Like, if they were blocking it, you could start experimenting with stuff like that. But they don't even need to because they just get the first down and they get four more downs.
Billy Gill
They've had a couple plays off of it that they just do just because. But to Mike's point, if I were to switch sides of the argument, my. The position would be someone should stop it, because then it would lead to something else. But what do you think about it?
Dominique Foxworth
My thing is, Mike you are noted non NBA ball watcher because the game has gotten boring and redundant and homogeneous. You're asking them to do that into the NFL, just make it a more boring game.
Dan LeBatard
I don't think that that play happens that often where it's every time down the court. They're looking for threes every play, every snap. They're not looking for a tush push. So I understand the point and I understand why people are fearful. But it's been around for three years now. And so like one team's doing it all the time. They're famous for it. None of the other teams are doing it as well.
Dominique Foxworth
So they're in my division now. That's a problem.
Billy Gill
So my point, and maybe I'm wrong, but I think that's an excellent analogy that you bring up the three point, like the three point line. When it was introduced, it took decades before it became a homogeneous part of the game. My point is we keep getting back to why this matters in competition and saying, whoa, defense is just being soft. My point is, and it's a hard thing to do in professional sports. It's a business with two goals. It's one to win and. Well, actually it's probably one to make money and two to win. And I agree wholeheartedly if we're focusing on the winning part of it, yeah, that's fine. But if you're talking about the make money part of it, I do believe that this is a step in a direction that I could be completely wrong. Maybe if we allow this to keep going, it does not go down a path that makes the game less entertaining or less interesting. But, but to the point about three pointers, let's add three pointers. They're fun. This is cool. This is different. Now we're in a place in modern basketball where the three point shot has taken over to the point where some people complain about it.
Dan LeBatard
Okay, no, I'll listen to that NBA point because it's a good one. Look, the Phoenix Suns were really exciting because they kind of saw the inefficiencies out there. D'Antoni, then Daryl Morey, and then after Phoenix had their success with it, it took a couple of years, but then every team in the NBA started playing like the Phoenix Suns and having more possession. Literally in the every level of football, one team's doing this to this level. You're not really seeing it in college football. You're seeing, well, high school football, who knows? You get all sorts of kooky offenses there. But in terms of football, top down it's the Philadelphia Eagles. We haven't gotten to the point where it's been oversaturated and every team in the league is doing it and ruining the game. The way that the Phoenix Suns revolutionized the NBA and to a degree kind of ruined it. To the point that I'm here saying that we got to back up the, we got to make the courts bigger. We got to back up the three point line because they've mastered this. They've cracked the code. Baseball, they cracked the code and then baseball had to come in and correct it. I don't think we're at that tipping point. It's one thing to be fearful of a tipping point, but when one team is doing it that much better than everybody else, it kind of feels like sore loser, dumb.
Billy Gill
Let's not get to the tipping point to me is my point, but can we. Are you think you're capable of switching sides of the argument?
Dan LeBatard
Yeah. Yeah. If every team is doing the tush push and it becomes like, I'm asking, man, this is so boring. Every play like this is so predictable. Like, I'll come around on I used to love the reason I'm not asking.
Billy Gill
If I can convince you to. I'm asking that if I decided that you are a lawyer and it just so happens that your firm decided that you're going to argue, argue the other side, would you be capable of doing that?
Dan LeBatard
I wouldn't take the case this year.
Stugotz
I wouldn't recommend it. It was a tough, it was a tough go round for me this morning. I was trying to go back and like, hey, I'm opposition. I think it's great for football and it just.
Dan LeBatard
I only take cases I can win.
Billy Gill
I do. So that I was going to try to do that in order to put me on the other side of argument, but because I wanted to make the point that I think what I am the trap that I could be falling into is I could be trying to protect against something that it's not going to happen. So like if the element of the tush push stayed the way it was this season, I don't have a problem with that. I agree with you. It's entertaining. My concern is what it then leads to from an entertainment standpoint. And a lot of the reason why the NFL has not found itself at this tipping point for so many different issues is because you know what happened when things happen that impact the entertainment value of the game. NFL address it. When Tom Brady gets his knee hit the beginning of the season, I'm in The league as a defensive player, like, that's terrible. Well, you doing everything, you make it so hard. Where can we hit them? Hit them between here and here. It is not good. But when we have Tom Brady's career extended and we have quarterbacks healthier longer, I recognize that that is better for the health and the interest of the game. And they didn't wait until four quarterbacks got their knees torn up. And that's just the point that I'm making is you stay ahead of these things. This would fall into category for me of them staying ahead of these things. And the reason why the trade off for me is all decisions are about trade off. And so if I see this and if we're willing to understand that the Tush push has a 10%, 15%, 30% chance of metastasizing into a version of football that we don't like, is that worth it to save the Tush push? I would say the Tush push is not fun or interesting or exciting enough for me to keep in the game. If I'm willing to accept that where it could go in the future is somewhere that makes football less like the football that we enjoy.
Dan LeBatard
That's a great.
Dominique Foxworth
Damn good.
Dan LeBatard
That's a damn good argument. I would, I would just say, like, let's wait till it gets to that point. Like, yeah, like, let's. Let's have it actually tip.
Billy Gill
So that's.
Stugotz
That's. What is it? What is it in place of the.
Dan LeBatard
Tush push, conventional sneaks or a punt.
Stugotz
It's more fun than a punt.
Dan LeBatard
It is, but.
Stugotz
And if it extends an offensive drive, which means the most points, you make an offensive more aggressive technically making it more entertaining.
Billy Gill
You said it's more fun than a punt because you scared to return punt.
Stugotz
No, I'm a gunner. I'm also scared to return punts.
Dan LeBatard
Punts are fun, but so it's more aggressive offenses. And knowing that you have four downs to play with fair catches.
Stugotz
Go to the bathroom on punts, man.
Billy Gill
I'm. By all means you are right, but I don't think that that's what would happen in this version of the NFL where coaches are being a lot more aggressive on fourth down. You're saying that now on fourth and one, if we take the Tush push away, all these hyper aggressive coaches who are going for it on 4th and 3 in their own territory are going to all of a sudden say, oh, well, we can't push, guys. Well, we can't push that one yard is so scary now. Like, I don't think that's gonna happen. They're gonna do an actual football play. They're gonna hand it to Saquon Barkley, and I'm gonna be like, hey, this is fun. That might go for 60. This is cool.
Dan LeBatard
When Bill Goldberg was in WCW and he started out his career with this undeniable streak.
Dominique Foxworth
Yeah.
Dan LeBatard
We didn't just outlaw the spear and the jackhammer.
Stugotz
No.
Dan LeBatard
Kevin Nash got a Taser and did what he had to do to end the streak.
Stugotz
That's how you stop a football play with a Taser.
Dan LeBatard
Well, what I'm saying is, can I see someone stop it? Can I think it's going to be high drama when a team and the day is going to come in a big moment where a team finally has an answer for this, and that'll stand the test of time.
Stugotz
I like that.
Dan LeBatard
Especially if it's in a game of import. That's going to be a moment in time.
Billy Gill
I like that take. I love that take.
Stugotz
That's a good take.
Billy Gill
If you could promise me, if you could guarantee me that that is how the Tush Push ends, I would sign up for it. But what you're saying, yeah, let's have.
Dan LeBatard
A loser leaves town match.
Billy Gill
However, the point I'm making is maybe that's not how it ends up. Maybe no one figures out how to stop the Tush Push. And then maybe every other team in the league starts to draft in order to run their own Tush Push and to stop the Tush Push. And then we end up with a league where one Tony Saragusa.
Dan LeBatard
Awesome.
Billy Gill
We end up with a league where everybody got three Tony Saragustas. And we like why they don't throw the ball no more.
Stugotz
Come on, Dominique.
Dan LeBatard
I'm conceding that. I don't want to see that either.
Billy Gill
And you're saying, wait until, Wait until we start seeing.
Stugotz
I don't mind it. I'm okay. Because I like. Now there's another entertainment factor.
Billy Gill
Hold on. The smallest guy.
Stugotz
Yes.
Billy Gill
In football is now like, I want more of them big dudes.
Stugotz
I want more physical nature on the field, man. I miss it. It's the one thing you don't get in corporate America. There is no 40 under 40 that could give, you know, hit, hit, hit, hit that. I miss it, man. All right, So I need it in my football. But I do like the entertainment version of it. Yes. The game entertainment in and of itself. But I think the thing that we a lot of times miss is like the character arc of football. Meaning, like, we, we. We go through the drafts. What did this guy run in the 40 or how did this guy perform in college when he transferred here and there. He's a five star recruit. Does he perform? And over time you learn the characters and with the Lamar Jackson. We've been covering this story from the beginning and it's a documentary or a movie playing out right in front of us. And as you look at football and to Mike's point, there's also an arc of like the game of like okay, here's something new that someone can't stop or Lamar Jackson comes onto the scene. How will they stop him when beating is like this kind of athlete we've never seen. How does this develop over time? Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't to your point. But I do think that is entertaining of itself to see the teams try to stop it. Over the next couple of seasons we.
Dan LeBatard
Do have some breaking news on the rule change front in the NFL. Now both teams can possess the ball in overtime, but amended to 10 minutes.
Chris Cote
In the regular season because that was the case in the playoffs.
Dan LeBatard
Yeah, yeah. In the regular season. And expanded replay assist has also passed.
Billy Gill
Yeah, I, I didn't like that the, the changes to the overtime rules. Never loved it for another time conversation, I guess argument. I think your point is perfect though about the evolution of the game. Understanding that we also, while we're viewers of the game, the factors that cause the game to, to evolve, they have influence on it also. So we need to accept that they also have influence on it and take responsibility for your influence and don't just wait for the game to change. And that's the final point. We should probably wrap up here for a second. In a second. But that's the final point that I would make to, to you, Mike, is that you would argue that they want wait until it gets to that point before we do something. And I will point to these other sports and say once you get there, it's too late.
Dan LeBatard
I mean they were so hesitant to change. Major League Baseball was famous for trying to and the NBA struggled with this. The NFL has been pretty on top of it when, when they hit rough patches, they change rules. When the Seattle Seahawks are doing their thing at the line of scrimmage with their cornerbacks. The NFL like is pretty quick to change things. When Josh Allen doesn't, when Josh Allen doesn't get the ball in the, in the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs, what did the NFL do? They changed it immediately. So the league is pretty good about that and I think we should give them some credit there. Weather is starting to warm up. Regular season starting to wind down. Games of consequence in sports starting to ramp up. I know what you're gonna need by your side. It's by my side already. Miller Lite. Yeah, that's right. I'm making my springtime a Miller Time. I'm making my sports time. Miller Time. Going to a car race. Miller Time. Gonna see some tennis. Miller Time. Gonna chill in the backyard with some friends and make some memories. Miller Time. I love Miller Lite because it's got tastes that I know I can depend on. No games, no gimmicks. It's that simple, folks. It's just a great beer. For people who like beer, Miller Lite is brewed for taste. It hits different than the other light beers. It's got simple ingredients, and at just 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces, Miller Time is always a good time. The original light beer since 1975 and still the very best one. Miller Lite. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Tastes like Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.
Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Local Hour: Burn The Tape
Release Date: April 1, 2025
In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz titled "Local Hour: Burn The Tape," hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz, alongside guest Billy Gill, delve into a comprehensive analysis of recent football games, with a particular focus on strategic plays and their implications on the NFL landscape. The conversation is rich with humor, insightful critiques, and passionate debates, providing listeners with an engaging take on sports tactics and their broader impact.
The show kicks off with a candid review of Game One, where Billy Gill expresses frustration over the game's outcome and his performance.
Billy Gill at [01:11]: “We got a flush. We got a flush. With 24-hour rule. We flushed game one.”
Stugotz at [02:30]: “We got to review the film.”
Billy critiques his own gameplay, admitting he was "flustered by the defense" and acknowledges his mistakes in executing plays effectively.
This self-reflection sets the stage for a deeper analysis of team strategies and individual accountability.
As the discussion transitions to Game Two, the hosts emphasize the importance of learning from past mistakes and adjusting strategies accordingly.
Billy outlines the agenda for the day, indicating topics such as draft strategies, Uber ratings, and specific football rules like the "tush push."
The core of the episode revolves around the controversial “tush push” play in the NFL. The hosts dissect its mechanics, effectiveness, and the debates surrounding its legitimacy within the sport.
Billy Gill at [08:04]: “You're not one of these guys.”
Stugotz at [08:45]: “Yeah, it'll help us in game two for sure.”
Billy provides a critical perspective on the rule, questioning its alignment with traditional football values.
Stugotz and Chris Cote engage in a robust debate about whether the NFL should outlaw the tush push, weighing its impact on the game's integrity and entertainment value.
Chris Cote at [22:01]: “Billy Gill: I know.”
Stugotz at [24:27]: “That's what I'm saying. Where does it stop?”
The conversation highlights differing viewpoints:
Against the Tush Push:
It deviates from traditional football playbooks.
Encourages a less skill-based, more brute-force approach.
Potential to make the game less entertaining and more monotonous.
Billy Gill at [21:58]: “...this would fall into category for me of them staying ahead of these things.”
For the Tush Push:
Adds a new strategic element to the game.
Encourages physicality and aggression.
Seen as a legitimate evolution of football tactics.
Stugotz at [37:16]: “...extensions an offensive drive, which means the most points, you make an offensive more aggressive technically making it more entertaining.”
Dan LeBatard interjects with a balanced view, advocating for allowing the play until it possibly oversaturates the league.
The hosts discuss how the tush push could influence future NFL strategies, team compositions, and rule changes, drawing parallels with other sports' evolution.
Billy Gill at [34:44]: “...this is a step in a direction that I could be completely wrong. Maybe if we allow this to keep going, it does not go down a path that makes the game less entertaining or less interesting.”
Stugotz at [39:39]: “...the character arc of football. Meaning, like, we go through the drafts. What did this guy run in the 40 or how did this guy perform in college…”
To contextualize the tush push debate, the hosts draw comparisons with rule changes in other major sports, notably the NBA’s adoption of the three-point line and baseball’s adjustments to pitching and batting mechanics.
This analogy underscores the potential for the tush push to become a widespread, defining strategy within the NFL, much like the three-point shot transformed basketball.
As the episode nears its end, the hosts reflect on the ongoing discourse surrounding the tush push and the NFL’s responsiveness to evolving game dynamics.
Billy Gill at [41:50]: “...the NFL is pretty good about that and I think we should give them some credit there.”
Dan LeBatard at [38:46]: “...can I think it's going to be high drama when a team and the day is going to come in a big moment where a team finally has an answer for this, and that'll stand the test of time.”
The conclusion emphasizes a hopeful outlook that the NFL will find a balanced approach, maintaining the sport's integrity while embracing strategic innovations.
Billy Gill ([08:04]): “You’re not one of these guys.”
Stugotz ([24:27]): “Where does it stop?”
Dan LeBatard ([37:00]): “That's a damn good argument.”
Billy Gill ([21:58]): “If we're willing to understand that the Tush push has a 10%, 15%, 30% chance of metastasizing into a version of football that we don't like, is that worth it to save the Tush push?”
Stugotz ([22:11]): “Bill Belichick just like, you know what? We going to jump off sides until tomorrow.”
In "Local Hour: Burn The Tape," Dan LeBatard and Stugotz, along with Billy Gill, present a thorough examination of modern football strategies, centering on the contentious tush push play. The episode expertly balances humor with critical analysis, encouraging listeners to contemplate the future of the NFL amidst evolving gameplay tactics. Through spirited debate and insightful commentary, the hosts provide a nuanced perspective on maintaining the sport's excitement and integrity.