Local Hour: Could Greg Be Walton Goggins?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Episode: Local Hour: Could Greg Be Walton Goggins? Release Date: February 25, 2025

Hosted by Dan Le Batard and Stugotz from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" delves into a variety of topics spanning sports team management, pop culture insights, and light-hearted banter about acting and movies. Below is a detailed summary capturing the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.

---

I. Critique of Cyclones' Management

Timestamp: 02:04 – 05:56

The episode kicks off with a heated discussion about the management of the Cyclones, a local sports team. Mike Ryan brings up the recent incidents where Greg Cody was heard questioning Cyclones' management, which is an unusual development for the group.

• Mike Ryan: "We've made a lot of good memories over the years at High Alai. Most recently Greg Cody coughing until he passed out there on the floor scaring everybody. But I've never before heard in our offices somebody questioning Cyclone's management." [02:04]

Stugotz and Chris Cody concur, noting that while criticism has been rare, this particular instance stands out because Chris Cody's image is prominently featured as the owner on a giant billboard, causing confusion about who is truly in charge.

• Stugotz: "It's the first time one particular person won't shut up about it." [02:30]
• Chris Cody: "It's happened a lot." [02:23]

The hosts delve into the inefficacies of the team's draft techniques and the apparent lack of leadership, pointing fingers at Fuentes, the head of scouting, for mismanaging player acquisitions.

• Stugotz: "If he's head of scouting, then he is the one that's to blame for the roster." [05:22]
• Chris Cody: "We are top two in the league. What are we doing?" [05:27]

The discussion highlights the frustration with recurring poor performance, the lack of new talent, and the stagnation within the team's roster, suggesting that the management needs a significant overhaul to bring about positive change.

II. Discussion on Movies, Trailers, and Acting

Timestamp: 06:05 – 21:24

Transitioning from sports, the conversation shifts to the realm of movies and acting. The hosts express their frustrations with long movie trailers and critique the current state of film promotions.

• Billy Corben: "Trailers should not be more than a minute. They should be short. Now they're like five minutes." [11:33]
• Dan Le Batard: "I thought I saw somewhere there was a state that was trying to pass a law and it could be fake because the Internet's not real." [11:59]

Jessica shares her aversion to marathon movie viewing sessions, particularly the Best Picture nominees, highlighting the overwhelming number of selections.

• Jessica: "I have a certain set of skills." [19:56]
• Billy Corben: "But ten is too many." [19:56]

The hosts also reminisce about classic movies like "Nosferatu" and engage in playful debates about acting capabilities, jokingly assessing each other's potential as actors.

• Mike Ryan: "You think you can star in a movie when the one time we were on stage, you missed your cue and went running right past the microphone." [23:07]
• Billy Corben: "Acting is easy relative to hitting a 105 mile an hour fastball." [28:30]

This segment combines humorous self-deprecation with genuine critiques of the film industry's current practices, especially regarding movie marketing and the complexity of acting.

III. Segments on Acting Skills of Hosts

Timestamp: 21:24 – 34:03

The conversation takes a meta turn as the hosts critique each other's acting abilities, referencing their own and each other's performances in projects like "Ballers."

• Mike Ryan: "I was terrible." [26:36]
• Billy Corben: "Acting is easy relative to hitting a 105 mile an hour fastball." [28:30]

Dan Le Batard humorously grades Mike Ryan's performance on "Ballers," giving himself a low self-assessment while encouraging Greg Cody to explore his acting potential.

• Dan Le Batard: "I would give myself a 3." [26:43]
• Chris Cody: "Acting is hard." [25:01]

This playful yet honest exchange showcases the camaraderie among the hosts and their willingness to poke fun at themselves and each other, all while discussing the broader challenges of transitioning from sports to acting.

IV. In-depth Analysis of Miami Heat's Performance and Management

Timestamp: 34:03 – 47:29

In a more serious vein, the hosts delve into the current state of the Miami Heat basketball team, expressing significant disappointment with their recent performances and management decisions.

• Mike Ryan: "You've been spoiled over the last 15 years. You're watching something die." [34:03]
• Billy Corben: "This has been a nondescript season that isn't even really worth talking about." [35:34]

The discussion centers around the trade of Jimmy Butler to Golden State, the performance of key players like Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, and the overall strategy of the front office under GM Riley. The hosts argue that the lack of effective player acquisition and development has led to the team's decline.

• Chris Cody: "It's a failure on the leadership when it comes to talent acquisition." [37:22]
• Billy Corben: "If Jimmy Butler is your best player, you're not going to compete for a championship in this league." [41:35]

They critique the management's reluctance to make necessary trades and the impact of losing star players on the team's competitiveness. The conversation also touches on the potential of acquiring superstars like Kevin Durant and the implications of such moves on the team's future.

• Stugotz: "They should have gotten Kevin Durant... You'll be more relevant, you'll sell out more because you have a star on your team." [43:51]
• Mike Ryan: "They decided to sit idly by while everyone else in their conference got better." [37:17]

This segment highlights the hosts' deep concern for the Miami Heat's trajectory, emphasizing the need for strategic changes to restore the team's former prowess and fan engagement.

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Conclusion

This episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" offers a blend of critical analysis and light-hearted dialogue. From scrutinizing sports team management and player performances to discussing the nuances of acting and movie promotions, the hosts provide listeners with a comprehensive and engaging conversation. Notably, the in-depth critique of the Miami Heat underscores a passionate investment in local sports, while the playful segments about acting reveal the camaraderie and humor that characterize the show's dynamic.

Notable Quotes:

• Mike Ryan at 02:04: "We've made a lot of good memories over the years at High Alai... somebody questioning Cyclone's management."
• Billy Corben at 11:33: "Trailers should not be more than a minute. They should be short."
• Dan Le Batard at 26:43: "I would give myself a 3."
• Chris Cody at 37:22: "It's a failure on the leadership when it comes to talent acquisition."
• Stugotz at 43:51: "They should have gotten Kevin Durant... You'll be more relevant, you'll sell out more because you have a star on your team."

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the episode, providing both context and specific insights for those who haven't tuned in.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

You're listening to giraffkings Network.

[Stugotz]

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[Greg Cody]

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[Mike Ryan]

Shadow Show.

[Billy Corben]

Shadow Show.

[Mike Ryan]

Shadow Show.

[Billy Corben]

Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow Show.

[Mike Ryan]

Shadow Show.

[Billy Corben]

Shadowing it. Shadowing it.

[Mike Ryan]

We've made a lot of good memories over the years at High Alai. Most recently Greg Cody coughing until he passed out there on the floor scaring everybody. But I've never before heard in our offices somebody questioning Cyclone's management.

[Chris Cody]

It's happened a lot.

[Stugotz]

Yeah. Quite frequently.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah. Usually from the same source.

[Stugotz]

It's the first time one particular person won't shut up about it.

[Mike Ryan]

It's the first time I'm hearing criticism of Cyclone's. And Billy you mentioned. Well, who's in charge over there. And it's Chris Cody's face that's on the giant billboard that suggests he's the owner of the Cyclones. Although Mike kind of acts like the owner of the Cyclones. He was dressed at the last highlight event.

[Chris Cody]

He was dressed in some shit, huh?

[Mike Ryan]

He was dressed.

[Stugotz]

This is what he does. He tells partial stories, and then the audience is like, whoa, that's crazy behavior. There's context missing, important context.

[Mike Ryan]

So feel free to offer it.

[Stugotz]

So Mike came in, and he said something like, it's a good time to be a Cyclone. And I said, you know, yeah, I guess they played yesterday. You can go to Friday games, but you can bet on Tuesday games. It's a whole Monday game.

[Mike Ryan]

You always leave Cyclones games with money.

[Stugotz]

Every time I leave a fri. Every time I've been to a Cyclone game on a Friday, I leave with actual American cash in my hand. It's the wildest thing.

[Jessica]

Can't sell it better than that.

[Stugotz]

I don't exactly understand the grift.

[Dan Le Batard]

And it's like, 80 bucks, too.

[Stugotz]

It's like real money.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like, money there, too.

[Stugotz]

Yeah. It's crazy. And if you kind of like, I'm not gonna tell people my secrets because I want to keep leaving with the money, but, like, if you coordinate with, you know, people, you can guarantee money leaving out there. It's great. Anyways, the point is this. Mike was saying it was a great day to be a Cyclones fan, whatever. And I said, how's, you know, the season going? Who's on the team? And they're like, oh, and it's the same names. And I was like, guys, I kind of feel like it's time to shake things up and start with a clean slate, because every year we're hearing the same names on the Cyclones, and it's been damn near four years since we've brought our four seasons, whatever. Since the. The cones have come back home. Hoisting the commissioner's cup of highlight, the Ray Lewis cup or whatever it's called.

[Jessica]

A lot of banners up there now between ours. Like, this was the first one and now just a bunch.

[Stugotz]

But every year there's a draft, and every year it's the same exact team with, like, one different person, it seems. So I was saying, I feel like. And I. I haven't checked out the squad yet.

[Mike Ryan]

Questioning management.

[Stugotz]

I was questioning the draft technique, and then I was questioning, well, who's actually in charge? Because based on how the team is doing is who's in charge.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, what I learned is that one time the draft was conducted by Fuentes, which suggests no one's in charge.

[Stugotz]

That's. That's exactly right. Like, he was out there.

[Chris Cody]

They were just making stuff.

[Stugotz]

They handed out varsity jackets one year to all of their players, like a season ago or something. Right?

[Chris Cody]

Bomber Jackets.

[Stugotz]

Okay, Bomber Jackets.

[Chris Cody]

Accuracy.

[Stugotz]

A season ago. And then Fuentes is attending the draft, and he.

[Chris Cody]

He's a member of the front office.

[Stugotz]

Did he or did he not give a speech? Draft night, one year.

[Chris Cody]

He did.

[Stugotz]

Okay, so he.

[Jessica]

But he never made a pick. Like, God, we would never.

[Stugotz]

He. He was acting as though he was making the picks.

[Chris Cody]

He's a part of the. That's right.

[Stugotz]

Mike's face is there. Or Chris's face is still on the wall. Mike was there, dressed to the nines last Friday doing interviews with all of the media.

[Mike Ryan]

A peach suit.

[Chris Cody]

Guava. Another inaccuracy.

[Jessica]

Fuentes is head of scouting, so he's the issue.

[Stugotz]

Okay, so if he's head of scouting, then he is the one that's to blame for the roster.

[Chris Cody]

What is to blame? All right, we're a top two team in battlecore right now. What are we. What are we doing?

[Stugotz]

But how far into the year are we.

[Chris Cody]

This is. We have a game in hand. We're six matches in.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's also hard to rebuild in the draft if you win because you're punished for winning.

[Jessica]

Yeah, we've done plenty of losing.

[Stugotz]

They don't win. The worst thing.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, you won the one time.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, we were.

[Dan Le Batard]

You suck.

[Chris Cody]

We were runners up two seasons ago, and that's the worst part.

[Dan Le Batard]

So you had to draft second to last.

[Jessica]

There you go.

[Chris Cody]

It's a tough one. And look, we. We went into this out of four teams looking to reshape the roster.

[Mike Ryan]

16.

[Chris Cody]

We only added one new face. Ikeda came back. He was away for a season, but we added Inyaki, who was a former Division 1 player. He's now in Division 2.

[Stugotz]

Division 1.

[Chris Cody]

What a front quarter. Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Stugotz]

Where do they play? College High?

[Chris Cody]

No, no, it's not college. It's his ranking.

[Jessica]

You don't know Pelota.

[Mike Ryan]

You question management, but you don't know Pelota.

[Stugotz]

I'm just saying. Look, everybody's talking about this Manu and how great he is every season. You guys don't have to. Okay, well, you don't bring home anything. Maybe you trade Manu and you still a rat. And you load up on picks.

[Chris Cody]

You don't.

[Stugotz]

I mean, how it works. Look, or you get a bunch of players. Guys, you are in charge of this league. This league needs you. You make your own rules.

[Jessica]

Slippery Savin's in charge of this league.

[Chris Cody]

We are top two in the league. What is happening?

[Billy Corben]

Out of four teams, six more inaccuracies.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't blame them for blaming management though, because you guys came out strong and you won the championship immediately. And since then it's just been a lot of division fighting and sending Fuente like one vision actually to take bl. No, there's.

[Billy Corben]

Fans are disappointed.

[Mike Ryan]

Don't tell me there's only one Julie.

[Stugotz]

Monsters had the trophy. Everyone's been walking around. Ray Lewis has had the trophy. I feel like Pitbull was there, then he wasn't there.

[Mike Ryan]

Weakened because Highlight is pushing Mike around because the Tony tonight from Highli has not run yet. And I saw Mike getting pushed around.

[Stugotz]

Was Roger Stone in that episode.

[Chris Cody]

We're being bad partners. Roger hasn't been there this season. I think he was at cpac.

[Stugotz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know if this is true of the rest of you. Too many of my evenings are spent sort of scrolling through trailers on things I don't think are gonna be any good and then going to bed because I can't find things that I wanna watch. And I don't know if this is happening to everybody, but Jessica is. She has embarked on something before the weekend that think a lot of people do. You are not one of them. Greg Cody. I don't know. When's the last movie you saw in the theater?

[Billy Corben]

Rocket Man.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay.

[Billy Corben]

A couple years ago.

[Mike Ryan]

Relatively recently.

[Dan Le Batard]

That was like six years.

[Stugotz]

That was before COVID Harlan Williams was it.

[Billy Corben]

And before that it was Swing vote.

[Mike Ryan]

Not Harlan Williams. Not Harlan Williams.

[Chris Cody]

Taron Edgerton. The Elton John movie.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, yeah.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Jessica is trying to watch all of the best picture nominees Sunday. And I get tempted by that sometimes when they group it for me and they're like, here, these are guaranteed to be good. Right? But I don't have the stamina for it. And I've tried to do that in years past. And I quit after half of the first one because I chose one that was a little too arty.

[Chris Cody]

Is it arty or artsy?

[Billy Corben]

It's artsy if you're Dan.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's not farty.

[Chris Cody]

Okay, well, because I've heard gutty and gutsy before and we need to. We need to figure that one out. But arty or artsy? I think it's artsy.

[Stugotz]

Where do you watch trailers? Do you guys remember when Max used to Come with like a little thing at the bottom where you could just watch a bunch of movie trailers. It was awesome.

[Dan Le Batard]

I will say, the trailers I saw before the movie I watched yesterday didn't look that good. One of them was like a Rami Malek iRobot meets Taken trailer.

[Mike Ryan]

Jim, why are we making faces on iRobot meets taken? I thought all the boys always loved anything meets Taken.

[Chris Cody]

No, but Remy Malek, it just didn't look interesting.

[Jessica]

I have a certain set of skills.

[Dan Le Batard]

Exactly. He's like a tech guy and he's trying to get revenge for his wife particular set.

[Chris Cody]

Too many robot movies out there right now.

[Stugotz]

And Rami Malek was like, mean to someone that he went to school with. Rachel Bilson. You guys know that story.

[Chris Cody]

He was mean to Rachel Billson.

[Stugotz]

Yeah. Rachel Bilson put out like a picture like he won an award or he was going to win an award. So, like, she put out a picture of like, oh, here's me with Rami, like in high school. But he was a little chunkier than he was at the time. And then he, like, apparently, as legend has it, reached out. As I remember the legend has it, he reached out and was like, please take that down. And then that was like the whole thing. Just like someone's trying to be nice to him and be like, I, you know, I'm so happy for my friend that I've known since high school. And then he was a giant D word.

[Dan Le Batard]

That was a while ago.

[Stugotz]

Yeah. I'm never going to forgive him.

[Billy Corben]

It was.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, you know, Cross Rachel Billson, pre Covid times.

[Billy Corben]

Is Malick the guy who played Freddie Mercury?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes, that was. I think that was in the Bohemian Rhapsody era.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

That is your father trying to keep up with the conversation. He's proud of himself for knowing who an actor is. This is what happens with age. I'm not even blaming him. I'm just recognizing him.

[Jessica]

I feel like he knew that answer and just wanted to get.

[Mike Ryan]

That's all. That's. That's all that happened there. But I want to get into what it is and. Good call by you. You saw your father clearly there. He just wanted to participate. Show that he knew something. Was asking as if he didn't knew, but knows.

[Billy Corben]

I thought I knew.

[Stugotz]

No, I like, move. Set yourself up for a spike.

[Mike Ryan]

It is. That's exactly. Well, he's good. He's good at that on Tuesdays. But you, Billy, talking. Talking about the idea of these Taken movies. I thought. I thought that those are the. That's a. That's A fine. That's a fine.

[Chris Cody]

That's a fine.

[Mike Ryan]

Your phone. Your phone just went off. You can't. You can't. How is it that we all get off? How is it that we can all hear a phone that's near you better than you can?

[Billy Corben]

Even though it's ear muffs on.

[Mike Ryan]

We all do. And they're not ear muffs. That's not. That's not an ear muff.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah. All that talk about trailers. Trailers for sale or rent.

[Stugotz]

That's right.

[Billy Corben]

For the love of God, how long is a trailer? I mean, because I've seen trailers 15, 20ft. They shouldn't be more than than 15 cents. Yeah. Say, Lauren, trailers should not be more than a minute. They should be short. Now they're like five minutes. They're like.

[Jessica]

I don't think they're ever five minutes.

[Billy Corben]

I've seen.

[Stugotz]

There's some long ones. Yeah, Greg's right about that.

[Dan Le Batard]

Two and a half minute trailers. I do feel like I've seen the movie at some point.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah, for sure.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Stugotz]

I thought I saw somewhere there was a state that was trying to pass a law and it could be fake because the Internet's not real. There was a state that was trying to pass a law where you had to say that the start time of the trailers and the start time of the actual film and a state was trying to implement that.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah. Introduce legislation.

[Stugotz]

That would be great.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's very.

[Jessica]

Also, no homeowners tax unnecessary.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. We don't need municipal services. I think that part of the thrill of going to the theater is sort of ballparking when the movie's going to start. Like yesterday I walked in right at Showtime. Perhaps for someone who is not a seasoned moviegoer veteran, because we were perfect timing.

[Mike Ryan]

You don't like the trailers?

[Dan Le Batard]

No, I do, but I want to kind of get there right as the trailers are ramping up. So I've got like six or seven minutes and then I'm cozy by the time the movie.

[Stugotz]

She's a celeb. She needs to sneak in and out of theaters so that there's not people talking to her with the lights on.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, I would think at this point, the theaters are pretty empty and you can get in them pretty easily, I would assume. I thought theaters were largely dying. Do I have this wrong cruise?

[Dan Le Batard]

I think there's a resurgence.

[Mike Ryan]

He saved them.

[Dan Le Batard]

Theater going in the last couple years. Yeah. Especially because there's been so many good movies that have come. Dune 2 in theaters. I mean, a spectacle.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know if you guys wonder about this, right? But as things as we continue to gravitate toward convenience in a way that makes Bezos so rich, what is happening in movies is the same thing that's going to happen in sports, is it not? Where people realize that the convenience from home and the ability to also get add from home, where you can check in on other things all the time, is more fun than going to the theater. This is all coming to sports, is it not? I don't know if it'll come.

[Chris Cody]

It's not more fun, it's more convenient?

[Mike Ryan]

Well, no, but. Yes, more convenient, but also just more. If you're at home, you get to be more in the devices and more in the things that disconnect you from the energy of sports. This is not true in college football, but this is what's happening in theaters, is it not? The reason theaters die is because people have the convenience of, I'll just watch it at home for $20 in my underwear.

[Stugotz]

But like at sporting events, if I turn around and I call someone an MF or and I push them, I'm a great fan. If I do it at home, I'm a bad dad.

[Jessica]

Plus, I find being on my couch in only my underwear, not like I like to at least throw a sweater on just my underwear, I get chilly.

[Mike Ryan]

Do you not believe this is coming to sports or is it not? Is it already here with sports? It is.

[Billy Corben]

It's coming for sure. We saw that in the unrivaled league where they barely let fans in. They don't need fans. But I've always said, long before the streaming age, one of my complaints about going to a stadium is that you learn less at the game than you would watching it on tv. In instances, such as injuries, if a player is injured, you're asking the guy sitting next to you what happened to him. You never find out.

[Mike Ryan]

I guess what I'm asking you guys, you know how you look back at those photos of baseball games in the 50s and people are going in suits and a top hat to the game. Are we gonna look back at this time 30 years from now and be like, look, all those people used to go to the games. Those people used to go and have to sit there because they wanted to be close to what it is that's happening. If that can happen to theaters, why wouldn't it happen to sports? It's already. You don't want to bother with the parking. You may. Saturdays and Sundays, I think, are different.

[Chris Cody]

But what year is this? Theaters are rebounding some. This is A conversation like people not going to sports and people not going to theaters. This is like a 2021 conversation. Like there's a little bit of a rebound.

[Dan Le Batard]

I do. I do think there's a threshold of ticket prices at which maybe attendance will drop because it's getting very, very expensive to go to games. Like very, very expensive and like not good games sometimes. But I think the, the in person experience at a theater is still something you can't get at home. Just like the in person experience at most stadiums and arenas is something you can't get at home. So you're paying to have the experience, not just to watch the game.

[Chris Cody]

Dan, you articulated something that. Yeah, I guess I want to be surrounded by my devices. If it's a movie I care kind of want to see, yeah, it's fine. There's a nice supplement. Like, I'll give it a chance. But if it's a movie that I'm excited about, if it's Nosferatu, I want to see it as the filmmaker intended. I want to be.

[Dan Le Batard]

I didn't like Nosferatu that much.

[Mike Ryan]

Right.

[Chris Cody]

It's. It's a mustache. Right? It's device.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, actually wasn't the mustache. I just thought the middle portion was a little boring.

[Chris Cody]

I can understand that.

[Jessica]

If I really want to see a movie, I only take my phone out like six times throughout the movie.

[Mike Ryan]

Jessica, you weren't here yesterday, but I still haven't recovered from my wife deciding on Nosferatu at 7am on Saturday. I still haven't gotten the cold off of me from that moment.

[Dan Le Batard]

Did you like it?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, I did like it. Well, but I liked it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Spooky.

[Mike Ryan]

I liked it because I just rarely feel these days. I don't know if you guys do this. I just rarely feel these days with. Especially with period pieces like a transporting. But I'm telling you, at 7:00am on a Saturday, that's aggressive. And I feel like I made a mistake. I still haven't gotten off of me on Tuesday. I've got a film on me that feels uncomfortable because I visited the depths of hell.

[Chris Cody]

Bobby Eggs. That's what he does.

[Mike Ryan]

And it was romantic.

[Chris Cody]

You should do Christmas Morning Lighthouse. That's what I do.

[Dan Le Batard]

Was it romantic like watching it with your wife or the.

[Mike Ryan]

No, just eternal love. Eternal love. Running dark.

[Dan Le Batard]

That wasn't really the message.

[Chris Cody]

I think it was the opposite of that.

[Mike Ryan]

Bram Stroker.

[Chris Cody]

Bram Stroker. All right. My guy.

[Mike Ryan]

That was the first time I was introduced to dark love. I didn't like it back then in the 80s whatever it is that vampires are supp.

[Chris Cody]

I think I was like 92. I've traveled oceans of time.

[Stugotz]

You got to check out Twilight, Dan.

[Dan Le Batard]

You would love it. There's a really good baseball scene in the first movie.

[Mike Ryan]

Are you going to get to Sunday and watch all of these movies that the best picture nominees?

[Dan Le Batard]

I have one ginormous hurdle in my way. The Oscars are indeed this week. Sunday, March 2nd, I believe is the date. The brutalist. It's 3 hours and 35 minutes long and that is my last hurdle.

[Chris Cody]

I paused Conclave in the middle of it last night to go to bed.

[Dan Le Batard]

At 9 because their marketing is getting out of control, by the way.

[Chris Cody]

Well, I mean, it's a perfect time to watch Conclave. Although I do hear the Pope is rebounding.

[Dan Le Batard]

I hope so.

[Mike Ryan]

Greg Cody, do you want to participate in the Conclave conversation? Do you want to throw out anything about Freddie Mercury?

[Billy Corben]

No, the Conclave doesn't appeal to me as I don't want to, you know, Vatican based, I assume you know, Catholicism. I don't care too much about that.

[Chris Cody]

Stanley Tucci's in it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Ray Fines is in it.

[Billy Corben]

The movies to me took a big downward turn. We will watch the Oscars Sunday because my wife is totally into award shows and red carpets and all that. So I will watch it. But you got to go back to five nominees for best picture. What do they have now? 12?

[Chris Cody]

10? 10.

[Billy Corben]

Way too many.

[Jessica]

You don't care though.

[Billy Corben]

Way, way too many.

[Chris Cody]

You didn't see the five when they had the five.

[Billy Corben]

But, but it was a dig number. Like when it was five, there was a chance that I could name all five nominees and I would.

[Jessica]

Therefore you're smirking cuz you just.

[Billy Corben]

No, ten is too many.

[Chris Cody]

I mean, they're doing that to get people to the movies.

[Stugotz]

Huh?

[Chris Cody]

They're doing that. It's, it's, they're doing that to get people to the movies.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think it's good that there are more movies getting recognized for being well made movies, even if they don't really have a chance.

[Stugotz]

But they're not.

[Billy Corben]

They're 25.

[Dan Le Batard]

I haven't seen a bad movie yet. I've seen movies that I was like, this isn't the best thing, but there's one by Netflix.

[Stugotz]

There's ones in there that they know are not gonna win. They're just doing it to do it. You say like, oh, Academy Award for best Picture.

[Dan Le Batard]

Even Emilia Perez. I didn't care for the story, but it's a well made movie. I could see it Getting nominees, nominations for editing and production and stuff like.

[Mike Ryan]

There aren't going to be any bad movies that are nominated, right? There might not be movies that are, that the popular, that are popular, that people like, but there's not going to be any such thing as a nominated bad movie, is there?

[Chris Cody]

I hope Wicked wins. I'm just gonna come out and say that there are movies that I have enjoyed more than Wicked, but I love the message that Wicked sends and practical effects, practical set design, big sweeping cinematic musicals. It harkens back to a previous time. And I think you really should encourage that type of filmmaking.

[Dan Le Batard]

When you think about businesses that are selling through the roof, like Mattel, Heinz or Skims, sure, you think about a great product, a cool brand and brilliant marketing. But an often overlooked secret is actually the business behind the business making and selling. And for shoppers, buying. Simple for millions of businesses, that business is Shopify. No one does selling better than Shopify. Home of the number one checkout on the planet. And the not so secret secret with shop pay that boosts conversions up to 50%, meaning way less cards going abandoned and way more sales going. So if you're into growing your business, your commerce platform better be ready to sell wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling on the web, in your store, in their feed, and everywhere in between. Businesses that sell more sell on Shopify. Upgrade your business and get the same checkout Heinz uses. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com, all lowercase, go to shopify.com but to upgrade your selling today, shopify.com.

[Mike Ryan]

Don Libertard.

[Billy Corben]

He has been great. He's made great hires.

[Chris Cody]

I said all we've said all.

[Billy Corben]

He said all that everyone has heard.

[Stugotz]

Everyone. First time I heard any of this.

[Mike Ryan]

Greg, everything you're saying, it's all been said.

[Billy Corben]

Okay? You gotta understand one thing. Stugats me maximum.

[Stugotz]

That's right.

[Billy Corben]

Until I say it, it hasn't been said.

[Stugotz]

Boom.

[Billy Corben]

Okay. Understand that you're the mayor. Until I say it, it hasn't been said.

[Stugotz]

This is the Dan lebatar show with the stugats.

[Jessica]

The Oscars in my house were just a yearly tradition where my dad annoys my brother saying that he could be an actor.

[Chris Cody]

Well, can you, Jerry Jones can.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah, I. I like.

[Jessica]

Growing up, every year my brother and my dad would be arguing with each other because my dad would just be like, yeah, you give me a month, I could go win best picture.

[Billy Corben]

Well, I couldn't direct a film. Could I star in a film?

[Mike Ryan]

You Got to be shitting me.

[Jessica]

That's what I'm saying.

[Stugotz]

What type of film?

[Mike Ryan]

You have to be shitting me. You think you can star in a film?

[Jessica]

We've done bits around here where you've.

[Billy Corben]

Had to act, okay?

[Mike Ryan]

Are you joking?

[Stugotz]

Well, we didn't give him a month, in fairness. Okay, hold on.

[Billy Corben]

All right. There are different skills for different things, right? Could I hit 105 mile an hour fastball? Probably not. Probably, you know, I'd make contact, but it wouldn't go out of the infield. Probably, you know, could I take a handoff and run in an NFL game? Yeah. But I'd lose three yards. But acting, to me is. Is. Is an art form, a skill that is attainable if you have any. Any talent for performing.

[Mike Ryan]

You think you can star in a movie when the one time we were on stage, you missed your cue and went running right past the microphone.

[Billy Corben]

Because it's not a movie.

[Stugotz]

There was one rehearsal, too. Not a month, right? Greg said a month.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, I'll get back to this in a second.

[Billy Corben]

I'm watching White Lotus last night. Good series, by the way. Movie, whatever you call it.

[Stugotz]

Which episode are you buying?

[Billy Corben]

The second one. We just watched the second one. I'm watching that thinking to myself, frankly, these are some roles that someone like me could play.

[Dan Le Batard]

Which role specifically do you think you could play from White Lotus?

[Billy Corben]

You know what? I don't. It's. I don't do names, and I'm too into the father.

[Mike Ryan]

The father who's in trouble who keeps.

[Dan Le Batard]

Going out of Jason Isaac. You think you could do Jason Isaacs role?

[Stugotz]

The brother that we saw as Wiener?

[Jessica]

What about my role?

[Dan Le Batard]

You know, I do think you could play her ex husband.

[Billy Corben]

Okay.

[Mike Ryan]

Your father.

[Jessica]

Come on.

[Mike Ryan]

Your father didn't recognize your impersonation. He's in the White Lotus conversation. Jennifer Coolidge.

[Billy Corben]

Oh, that. She's not in it.

[Mike Ryan]

It's me.

[Billy Corben]

Okay.

[Mike Ryan]

How do you not recognize your son's impersonation from White Lotus?

[Billy Corben]

Okay, because he's referring to someone who is in a less season's White Lotus. Not this season. I love that they completely changed cast.

[Mike Ryan]

Which is the role you think you could.

[Billy Corben]

Don't. I. I can play. I can play the guy who's not. Not the main guy who's in trouble. Not.

[Mike Ryan]

Not the father who's in trouble on the phone.

[Billy Corben]

The other man.

[Stugotz]

Walton Goggins.

[Billy Corben]

Bad mood.

[Mike Ryan]

Wait a minute. You think you could be basically Billy?

[Billy Corben]

Yeah. Yes.

[Chris Cody]

One of the great character actors of our time. Yeah.

[Billy Corben]

Like a sour individual. I can Play that. You know, that's me.

[Mike Ryan]

Greg. Cody thinks he could do Goggins.

[Dan Le Batard]

He just said he could do Jason Isaacs like, five seconds ago. Greg, I think you could actually play Greg in the show.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

I can't believe that. Greg Cody. Greg.

[Dan Le Batard]

Greg. Do you know which one Greg is?

[Billy Corben]

No.

[Stugotz]

It's only two episodes.

[Billy Corben]

I haven't memorized all the names.

[Dan Le Batard]

He was only in the other two seasons.

[Chris Cody]

Your name go on the record and say, acting is hard.

[Mike Ryan]

Here's what we have happening here, and I love that people get to see it, okay? Because it's part of being in that chair. It's part of who Stugatz is. And Greg and Stugatz have somehow, over the years, both of them been diagnosed with Dunning Kruger, which is that they think they can do anything, even though neither one of them can do anything. Stugatz is presently not here because he's in Australia right now, and he's looking to secure some sort of digital media company opportunity, and he's calling it. I'm not sure whether it's Operation Boomerang or Operation Bloomin Onion. Or Operation Boomerang. Bloomin Onion. But he. He thinks he can do anything. Cody thinks he can do anything. It is asinine. Asinine for you to think that you could star in a vehicle if we give you a decade of training.

[Stugotz]

Hold on a second, Dan. You just walked on and you were on an HBO show, like, so. Why can't Greg be on an HBO show?

[Mike Ryan]

Because I had two lines. It took nine hours, and I was stiff.

[Billy Corben]

And may I be frank, that was an amateur actor.

[Stugotz]

Really?

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, I was.

[Stugotz]

How would you have done it?

[Chris Cody]

That was a great performance as Frank.

[Stugotz]

I'm going to get you the script, Greg, and then see if by the end of the show, you could reprise Dan's role in Ballers.

[Mike Ryan]

Let's do that.

[Billy Corben]

I totally could. All right, what's the end game? You know, whatever your line.

[Jessica]

Nailed it.

[Billy Corben]

What's the end game? Spence with a. With, like, a fake cigar in his hand.

[Mike Ryan]

It was a real cigar.

[Billy Corben]

All right. That was hilarious.

[Dan Le Batard]

How do you grade your performance in Ballers, Dan?

[Mike Ryan]

I was terrible.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah, you were.

[Dan Le Batard]

Letter letter grade A plus through F.

[Stugotz]

Minus 1, 3 or 5.

[Mike Ryan]

D. I'd give myself a 3.

[Jessica]

I think a solid 3.

[Dan Le Batard]

So all Greg has to do is.

[Billy Corben]

Beat a D, right? I can do that.

[Chris Cody]

Hell, yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Have I told you guys the story of Beat that D, Jay?

[Billy Corben]

I can do that.

[Mike Ryan]

Jay Glazer stole. Ends up stealing ballers from what could have been ours. Because one of those seasons was supposed to open with N'Damic and Sue tackling me on a recreate creation of the Clevelander set. Like one of those. So perhaps I would have learned something that Jay Glazer learned about acting and become better at it. But I don't think so.

[Jessica]

No, I think you.

[Chris Cody]

No. Jay Glazer started as a stand up. He has better performative aspects to his talent than you do.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, like, just because you were on Ballers in Jay's role doesn't mean you'd then be like this MMA aficionado in the Octagon. Like, you guys wouldn't have swapped just because of that role.

[Mike Ryan]

Thank you, Billy. I don't know why your MMA aficionado moves with those shoulders walking that way.

[Stugotz]

Well, I'm not Jason.

[Chris Cody]

He's just trying to say you're not gonna be able to take a knee from Mercedes Luz.

[Mike Ryan]

Agreed. I walk it back. I am making fun of him for thinking he's a better actor than he is. You guys are making me the butt of the joke as the actor from Ballers. But I was terrible, and I didn't think I'd be any good at it either. I'm not afflicted with what Greg is. Greg thinks he'd be good at any. He tried. He's.03 in cooking competitions. Here.

[Billy Corben]

It's called self confidence. Try it sometime.

[Mike Ryan]

But. But you. But it's not. How does your self confidence not get derailed by the lack of success?

[Billy Corben]

Because I haven't attempted to act. I've never given it a chance.

[Chris Cody]

It's hard.

[Billy Corben]

Okay, here's the thing. I need to. I need to say this because he's painting me as the guy he thinks he can win an Academy Award the first time he walks on a set. All I'm saying is that relative to other skills such as we see in sports, I don't think acting is that tough. It's. It's not, you know, playing tennis against, you know, Jacob Skinner or whatever his name is. It's not.

[Mike Ryan]

I love you.

[Jessica]

Trying to find stuff.

[Billy Corben]

Well, I was gonna say macro, but it would have been a dated reference.

[Chris Cody]

Sinner or whatever.

[Mike Ryan]

Sinner.

[Billy Corben]

Yelling Jacob Skinner. Whatever his name.

[Stugotz]

He's not here to take a quiz.

[Mike Ryan]

Greg, how did you have all of tenets at your disposal and you st stumbled into that?

[Chris Cody]

Skinner.

[Billy Corben]

I don't follow men's tennis.

[Mike Ryan]

But why did you do that?

[Chris Cody]

He's more of a WTA guy.

[Dan Le Batard]

You could have named a women's player said Venus Williams.

[Mike Ryan]

Anyone in the history of Sport.

[Billy Corben]

Venus is 44. I think I could stay in a set with her.

[Greg Cody]

Shut your mouth.

[Billy Corben]

Kidding. That was a joke. That was a joke.

[Chris Cody]

Wow, that's good acting.

[Jessica]

Wow.

[Chris Cody]

You acted like a sexist. You had me convinced you were sexist.

[Billy Corben]

I'm just saying acting is easy relative to hitting 105 mile an hour fastball. That's all I'm saying. Okay, deny that.

[Mike Ryan]

No, I will. I will grant you. Look, there are degrees, right? There are all sorts of actors who are doing song and dance or doing like, things that show great, great range. It's not a character actor in a role part. You said starring in a movie I.

[Billy Corben]

Would be a character actor.

[Mike Ryan]

You could not care. You could say you were just.

[Chris Cody]

Actors have range.

[Billy Corben]

I'm not delusional. I don't think an inexperienced guy my age stars in a movie.

[Mike Ryan]

You are delusional. Here you are delusional.

[Chris Cody]

You've never tried it, so you don't know how difficult it is.

[Stugotz]

Okay, I have a question. I have a question. Which Quaid brother would you be? Dennis or Randy?

[Jessica]

You know either of those people?

[Billy Corben]

Randy's the goofball, right?

[Stugotz]

Yeah. You're more of a dentist.

[Billy Corben]

I think I'd be a dentist, yeah. Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

One of the great moments on this show's history is asking Dennis Quaid what's the strangest thing about his brother Randy Quaid, and him saying he can eat an apple in one bite.

[Chris Cody]

Apple a day.

[Stugotz]

Green or red?

[Chris Cody]

I miss him. Rick Barnes.

[Mike Ryan]

Rick Barnes.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, I miss him. Hopefully he's back for Talladega so we can barn some rubber.

[Mike Ryan]

You were trying to make a podcast with him after the show yesterday. Rick Barnes, NASCAR aficionado. You wanted to turn a NASCAR product immediately around for metal art.

[Chris Cody]

Barn and Rubber with Rick Barnes. I found a soulmate. I had no idea he was locked in. He watched that entire race two days ago. Man, that's what it took to get some nascar. It's weird because we don't really talk a lot of nascar and we certainly don't talk a lot of college basketball. And in one beautiful segment, we were Barn and Rubber with Rick Barnes.

[Billy Corben]

You don't hear many references to the Wood brothers anymore.

[Mike Ryan]

Let me hear from Dennis Quaid on that real quick. Please give us a wacky fact about your brother Randy.

[Billy Corben]

Oh, he can eat an apple and one bite.

[Mike Ryan]

That is insane. You do realize that I don't believe him. Okay, that's fine. But I can imagine it.

[Chris Cody]

I think I'd like to watch that.

[Greg Cody]

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[Stugotz]

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[Mike Ryan]

Don Lebatard, you are a fool.

[Billy Corben]

You're nobody.

[Mike Ryan]

You are an infant.

[Billy Corben]

You have nobody. I literally put together Mike Ryan freaking stage for your toenail.

[Greg Cody]

I am your career right now, pal.

[Mike Ryan]

Look at me. No. I am your career. No st. You have messed with McDavid and now you're messing with me and.

[Greg Cody]

I'm more dangerous, pal.

[Stugotz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stuff.

[Mike Ryan]

I wanted to ask you guys a couple of local questions here about both the Panthers and the Heat. We have talked a lot more about the Heat and this is as bad as it'll look in Miami. I think we've gotten used to a certain relevance around here in basketball that when you lose that way to Atlanta, we've been spoiled over the last 15 years. You're watching something die. It could have been foretold. You were with Boston at that point. And then you see Jimmy Butler go to Golden State and he's saying while there, this is the best team I've ever played on. And they're blowing people out. And you're seeing Greg Cody called the Andrew Wiggins trade a home run. You're seeing a frustration around the Miami Heat that I don't believe I've seen in the last 15 years around here. Do I have this wrong, that this is about as bad as it gets? You lose to Atlanta, you're having all sorts of trouble scoring points. And Tyler heroes, your all, your all star. And he'll give you 40 every once in a while. But you know that if that's what's leading your team, this is its team, this is its record. If, if Tyler Herro is going to be your all star, this team's record is going to end up being six games under.500. Fighting for the play in game.

[Jessica]

Yeah, you've lost six out of seven. And all the shows, if you're watching yesterday, are doing the. Look how good Jimmy is with Golden State. It's just, it feels like a low point for the Heat in like at least a decade.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah, they're. They're suddenly a team in a franchise that doesn't matter. I, I saw a list of the top 15 most watched NBA games this season. Heat not among them. Like, zero. Like, there's no interest other than the Jimmy Butler trade drama. This has been a nondescript season that isn't even really worth talking about. I don't think. I think the Heat for the first time in a long time, don't have what I would call a star player.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, but hold on. When you say not worth talking about because I want to get to Tkachuk on Fallon and I want to get to the team that is worth talking about locally. But when you say not worth talking about. Not quite. Because the embers on this aren't going to die quietly. When you're talking about 15 years of raging, burning heat. Twitter as a community.

[Billy Corben]

Right.

[Mike Ryan]

So no, it's not. Don't say it's not worth talking about because I'll read you the tweets of all the people and where you get into. When you say not worth worth talking about all of these people writing things like, you can't continue to be pitiful in fourth quarter struggle to break 100 points and not even be questioned as a head coach. What are we doing? The talent isn't that bad. Spo's getting some of it now and it's not. It's not a little bit. It's like, I don't like this thing. I'm spoiled for 15 years. This isn't what it's supposed to look like. I was promised that if Spo gets the players, they'll always be 500. Wait a minute. It. It's all broken down around Spo. Oh, it's supposed fault, right? Every. Every GM, every coach. You do the polling. Suppose the best coach in the league. There is no other best coach in the league. But now they'll come after SPO too. Because it's not supposed to look like this. Where are the answers, spo? Don't you always have answers? And there are no answers. They're bad.

[Chris Cody]

I don't think it falls on SPO whatsoever. It's on the front office 100%.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, he's always bailed them out though. SPO has always bailed out wherever the front office deficiencies have been.

[Chris Cody]

St Ben Gundy's really good on the topic, but sometimes even Greg Popovich, the franchise dips in such a way that it's impossible to dig out from immediately, I think. Look, the peers respect spo. The players respect SPO now, especially now that Jimmy's gone. This is time to get Eric Spoelstra some players. He's a proven commodity. It's not like the game has passed SPO buy. I mean, yeah, but it's just so.

[Jessica]

Bad right now that everyone's getting it. Like, that's why. Yeah, it's so bad right now. The Jimmy stuff hurts so much that it's like the writers, the fans, they're just. I'll give it to everybody right now who wants it. Spo, it's your fault. It's Riley's fault.

[Mike Ryan]

No, but it's. It's not just that they're losing. It's that it. And it's not just that they're uninteresting. It's that offensively they're bad. Like there are only four or five teams worse than them throwing out an 8 point fourth quarter and a 9 point fourth quarter because you get strangled at the end of games because you don't have anything at the end of games. Like. But to have their offense be bottom of the league bad when you're watching it is something else entirely.

[Chris Cody]

Right. But you could maybe resent them for the lack of development of Players on the roster. You can't actually do that. Tyler Herro has become an all Star despite things being bad over here. Bam. Adebayo has met his ceiling, but he was developed into a player that potentially gets his jersey hung up in the rafters. You see so many great examples of player development with this limited roster that you can only help but turn your attention to the merely dozen over the last four year pursuits of talent that have failed miserably by this franchise. And that lands on the front office, not on Eric Spoelstrom.

[Billy Corben]

And Ware has had a good rookie season. Last time I looked, he was among the Rookie of the Year front runners. So, you know, they've developed him pretty quickly.

[Chris Cody]

Somebody favorite for Rookie of the Year a month ago, last I checked.

[Mike Ryan]

That's nice. And where's Hawkes? Where's he been? Like, what happened there? Like, somebody's going to get the numbers on a basketball team that's a professional basketball team that in the modern age is scoring 110, 120 points a game. This, what we're watching right now, isn't something that we've seen in 15 years. I don't think. I can't remember it. Terry Rozier, the poison being thrown his way on how bad he's been most. Right.

[Jessica]

Mike's ever been.

[Mike Ryan]

What? Oh, my God. Yeah. You want to take a victory lap on that one, Mike? Do you want to?

[Chris Cody]

I think I did already.

[Mike Ryan]

No, you already did the Terry Rozier victory lap. Okay, sure. Okay. Because we haven't had a win around here like that.

[Dan Le Batard]

Do you really feel like you need to invite Mike Ryan to do a victory lap?

[Mike Ryan]

It's a good.

[Dan Le Batard]

Just do it.

[Mike Ryan]

It's a good point, Jessica. The fact that we're in reruns on this and it's already happened is an indictment of me.

[Chris Cody]

You're isolating it to Terry Rozier and you're not giving me enough credit.

[Billy Corben]

Gary. Sherry.

[Chris Cody]

You're not. This whole thing was predicted two years ago. This. This is the end game, Spence. For what they have wrought, they decided to sit idly by while everyone else in their conference got better. I feel like I sound like a broken record. I'm incapable of new thoughts when it comes to this franchise. Because I've been saying this was coming for two years. It's a failure on the leadership when it comes to talent acquisition, even when they actually acquire people. It's Kyle Lowry and Terry Rozier. And we were saying, no, don't do that.

[Billy Corben]

Even when they were making the finals. I said, oh, here we go, no, no. I said, if Jimmy Butler is your best player, you're going to be good, but you're not going to compete for a championship in this league. And Jimmy Butler is gone now, and their best player is, you know, a guard who scores 40 points one night and then is four for 14 the next night.

[Mike Ryan]

Bam.

[Billy Corben]

Out of Biden.

[Mike Ryan]

You said Wiggins was a home run. You don't get to take a victory lap. You said Wiggins was a home run on the Jimmy Butler relative to what.

[Billy Corben]

They could have gotten if they didn't.

[Stugotz]

A relative home run.

[Billy Corben]

If they, if they didn't trade him, what would they have gotten for Jimmy Butler?

[Mike Ryan]

It's not a home run. No.

[Billy Corben]

Tell me.

[Mike Ryan]

Take it back.

[Jessica]

Just say double. Can it be a double?

[Stugotz]

Dodging the question, Greg.

[Billy Corben]

Yeah. They did the best they could at the trade deadline.

[Jessica]

When Durant was. When Durant was an option, they got the best they could.

[Stugotz]

Well, some, some are saying was never going to come. They should have realized that this was going to happen with Jimmy and made the move in the off season.

[Billy Corben]

I'm not denying that, but what I said two years ago is true, that if Jimmy Butler is your best player, you're not a championship contending team. I don't care if you just made the luck to make into the final.

[Stugotz]

In fairness to the Heat front office, Steph Curry is a free agent in 2027, 2028. So we're just kind of waiting around whale hunting again.

[Mike Ryan]

And Ben Ryder is reporting for CBS Sports that Giannis is sniffing around.

[Stugotz]

Oh, great. Again. To be the third time that they are going to get him. Right?

[Chris Cody]

Sick of this franchise.

[Stugotz]

Really?

[Chris Cody]

Yeah. It's just like, okay, it's our birthright to get this whale. Please. How many times? How many times are we gonna fail just on Kevin Durant alone?

[Stugotz]

Is whale hunting legal?

[Chris Cody]

No, apparently it's banned, especially down in South Florida.

[Mike Ryan]

You know what? Do you know what I enjoyed most about what happened with the last Kevin Durant thing? Mike Ryan is over here with the brave face of how many times are we going to fail on Kevin Durant? And he's covered himself with the scar tissue. You gotta. When your fandom got birthed by 2010 through 2014, not birthed, but just inflamed by everything that happened with LeBron. You come to expect mattering at the top of the sport. And they competed for five years very close to the top of the sport. And now he's insulated himself with this armor of don't hurt me anymore with Terry Rozier I'm embarrassed by what represents our uniform now because it, you know, Boston comes in here and drags them and the franchise has fallen on its face. And so he's scarred and covered up, and he doesn't want anyone to see his pain. But he has been right about this team for two years.

[Stugotz]

Shouldn't they have gotten Kevin Durant? Like. Like take anyone on the roster for Kevin Durant? Like, because you're not winning anyway. So why not have one of the greatest basketball players ever associated with your franchise, your organization? You'll be more relevant, you'll sell out more because you have a star on your team for the rest of his career in basketball history. Look, we had Kevin Durant on the team. Let's say he plays here a year, two years, maybe three years. You retire his jersey, you do the whole he's part of Heat culture and all of this stuff. Like, there is value in getting Kevin Durant, even if it wasn't going to win you the basketball games that you're not winning anyway. 80 points a day.

[Mike Ryan]

So let me ask you this question, because Phoenix is burnt, too. The place that I was headed with Mike Ryan's fandom is he can say, how many times are we going to fail on Kevin Durant alone? But I saw him perk up when Kevin Durant reports came out. I saw him interested yet again. His hope peaked by, oh, maybe Kevin Durant. And then I told you guys that that was never close to happening because Ishba, who's running the Suns poorly, wanted what the Heat were describing as our whole team for Kevin Durant.

[Chris Cody]

So different.

[Stugotz]

It.

[Mike Ryan]

And your response is they should have just traded for Kevin Durant. Yeah.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, I like that plan.

[Stugotz]

Yeah. They've won one out of what, the last, like, nine games?

[Chris Cody]

Yeah.

[Stugotz]

What are we hogging these players for? Who cares who's.

[Chris Cody]

Who's. Who's on this roster that's going to help the Miami Heat win a championship.

[Mike Ryan]

Bam out of bayou would.

[Stugotz]

Has he though so far with Jimmy.

[Chris Cody]

He got hurt one time. Like he's.

[Jessica]

Let's not be. He could be a piece on a team.

[Chris Cody]

Please stop talking to me about Bam Adebayo. Please stop talking to me about not him. We know what he is.

[Stugotz]

He's not a centerpiece.

[Chris Cody]

No, he's not. We know what he is. He's been around for a decade. We know what he is.

[Billy Corben]

He's a starter caliber player, though, and so starting caliber player.

[Mike Ryan]

He was on the dream defensive player. Come on.

[Stugotz]

I will not Dream team's like the Pro bowl at this point.

[Billy Corben]

All right.

[Chris Cody]

If you could have one for the rest of their career. Are you taking wearer or bam?

[Mike Ryan]

This is disrespectful. That's a good question, though. That's an excellent radio question.

[Billy Corben]

I think Bam. Hero and where are keepers? I think you build around them. They need a star.

[Chris Cody]

I don't have any more money. I got max contracts to hero and Bam.

[Mike Ryan]

I wish we could.

[Chris Cody]

That's not winning anything.

[Jessica]

I wish we could just see Jeremy's face right now.

[Mike Ryan]

No, I don't want to do that.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's so mad we're talking about this without him.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. And you're so mad we're talking about it with you.

[Chris Cody]

I'm honestly mad, too.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, I kind of enjoy when, like, the sky is falling with the Miami Heat. It's better than when the Miami Heat are good and then everyone's, like, pumping their chest about it. This is the kind of conversation I actually enjoy.

[Chris Cody]

This was what I was ruing. This was what I was fearing. He was ruing this.

[Jessica]

Love a good rue.

[Chris Cody]

I don't like being totally insignificant.

[Stugotz]

Mike hates being right about these things.

[Chris Cody]

I do. I hate it. I hate being this right about this team. Now. We are totally insignificant. And we're not tanking in the year that we should. There's a player coming down here that we'd like to watch at the Watts go. That is a. You know, it's a unicorn.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Chris Cody]

It'd be great to have, like, one really bad year.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Chris Cody]

Get some assets. Realize that. Hey, Bam, we got the most out of you. Thank you so much. Let's get some assets. Let's do that. But no, we're just gonna keep.

[Mike Ryan]

They. They held on to Bam at all. Bam was not a. It was not a grabbable piece. Bam was not. Has not been available to anybody the.

[Chris Cody]

Last few years, and neither was Jimmy for a long time. We even put out a press release. And then we're not going to trade him like they. This franchise. I understand. But it was. It was retrospect really such a bad thing that happened. Them being such a historical outlier and getting hot and making it to those two finals because that wasn't a championship team. It may have been the best team in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but it wasn't close to what they needed to be.

[Jessica]

I'm going to be down the middle, Chris, on this. We are being disrespectful to Bam, but they should also be listening to offers for him. He shouldn't be off the table. That's ridiculous.

[Stugotz]

Making the Finals was arguably the worst thing that could have happened to the Heat.

[Mike Ryan]

You guys are doing something funny, right? Because.

[Stugotz]

No, it's true. Because now they're stuck in no man's land in a team that couldn't actually win.

[Mike Ryan]

We can have a long discussion about whether or not it would have been right at any point in the last two and a half years to trade Bam, but it has not become obvious until the last six months. Like this team, it has not become obvious that BAM is somebody that you should put on the trade market because if that was the case, we wouldn't have been talking about Lillard and Durant. They wanted to come and play with that piece. That's the piece. It wasn't Hero.

[Stugotz]

Well, they wanted to come and play with that piece because they could be the star with that piece.

[Chris Cody]

They could alpha him.

[Mike Ryan]

No, but. And, and he does the specific things that now Steph Curry benefits from because Jimmy Butler's willing to do them. Like the. The idea that somebody's taking a step back this year. No, it's not that Pam is taking a step back. It's. They've had to give all the usage rate to Tyler Hero, like. And so when they do that, all of a sudden BAM becomes less than because they're not playing the game through Butler.

[Chris Cody]

And Bam, as someone that was arguing to trade Bam out of bio even when it wasn't popular in this market. They failed so many times in talent acquisition. They failed in the mission that we all agreed Jimmy Butler is not good enough to be your best player on a championship winning team. We had an asset to trade for a player that was better than Jimmy Butler. It was bam. We refused. We now suck.

[Mike Ryan]

This is crybaby stuff. I'm embarrassed by you.

[Chris Cody]

Howdy, folks. It's Mike. And look, it's been an exhausting couple of weeks. Even on the show, there's all sorts of debate which sport takes it seriously and where's the effort. Let me tell you something. As long as I'm sitting down on the couch and I have a beautiful white can of Miller Lite in my hand, I'm good. I make any sports time a Miller Time. And it's the perfect supplement because Miller Lite makes all the moments better with great tasting light beer. For people like you and me, who love beer, it's always the perfect time for friends, family, and a great tasting light beer tastes like Miller Time. Miller Lite is brewed for taste. It hits different than other light beers. The tasting, you know, you can depend on no games, no gimmicks, just great beer for people who like beer. It has simple ingredients like malted barley for rich balanced toffee note flavors and the iconic golden color that we all know and love. 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 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 and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces all.

[Greg Cody]

Right, I know I gotta do this ad read, but hold on, let me reapply.

[Dan Le Batard]

Did you hear that?

[Chris Cody]

Yep.

[Greg Cody]

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