Loading summary
Dan LeBatard
You're listening to Giraffkings Network.
Stugatz
You know that sound? It's the sound of money hitting your Venmo account. A friend paying you back. Or maybe it's getting cash back from your favorite business when you pay with the Venmo debit card. Or it's realizing you can pay with Venmo at checkout at thousands of brands now. There are so many more ways to answer the question. What's your Venmo? Download Venmo today. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporate DOSH cashback terms apply.
Greg Cote
Shadow Show.
Mike Ryan
Shadow Show.
Greg Cote
Shadow Show.
Mike Ryan
Shadow Show.
Greg Cote
Shadow Show.
Mike Ryan
Shadow Show.
Greg Cote
Shadow Show.
Freddie
Shadowing it. Shadowing it.
Greg Cote
Are you ready to go, Greg?
Freddie
I'm ready.
Mike Ryan
He's always ready.
Freddie
Born ready. Headphones on, Mike in front of my snout. I'm ready to go.
Billy Corben
Are you.
Greg Cote
Are you aware that Mike, get away from his snout. Are you aware that we're on?
Freddie
I was born aware.
Mike Ryan
Yep.
Freddie
I came out of the womb. I'm like, what's next? Who needs me? Let's go. I was snapping my fingers at 2 minutes old.
Mike Ryan
I believe that I was.
Freddie
You know, I mean, I don't waste.
Jeremy
Any time, you know, a newborn saying.
Freddie
Who needs me When I'm. When I'm coming into the studio, I am ready to fly, man. I'm ready to go, baby.
Billy Corben
A baby's voice singing King of the Road.
Freddie
Hey, baby. And I meant it literally, that kind of thing, you know.
Mike Ryan
He's ready.
Freddie
I am ready. Sometimes I'm not, sometimes I am. But I get a bad rap. This time I was ready to go. My phone is off, my computer sound is off. Everything's good to go. I'm so ready. My name's Freddie.
Greg Cote
There it is, the thing that he said there. I just want to examine it, because he is legitimately the only person in the world keeping alive. Gary Stevens, the former offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, walking into a press room 40 years ago before a game in which the Dolphins were going to play the Bills with Bernie Pa Normally, as they're running back and he walks into the press room. Gary Stevens, lifelong offensive coordinator, never graduated to a head coaching job. Even though there were, like, protests and people in Miami and every. Every corner of the University of Miami were rooting for him to get a head coaching job he never got. He would come into the press room, usually smoking a cigarette, because back then.
Mike Ryan
You could do that, my man.
Greg Cote
And he would just say, who needs me, dummy?
Freddie
Right. As if Someone automatically did need him. Who needs me? Dummy, you're gonna go to Buffalo with Bernie Parmalee.
Jeremy
That story is like Piano Man. Like, I've heard it a few times, but it always slaps every time.
Greg Cote
I'm.
Freddie
Singing along with it.
Jeremy
I'm like, who needs me?
Billy Corben
This cigarette is a detail that I. I never caught before, really. The cigarette.
Freddie
Oh, yeah.
Billy Corben
Someone ripping a heater and saying, who needs me? Is. That's peak.
Freddie
It was very theatrical. It almost had a Rat Pack vibe to it.
Greg Cote
The thing that you guys have to enjoy about that, that is lost in. In. In the lack of context of a story that nobody remembers from 40 years ago, is just how sad that press room was. Like, it's not what the Dolphin. It's not what the Dolphins are today. Like, this is not St. Thomas Aquinas. Right. But this is a Soon thereafter. Right. This is a bad press room. This is a. You are taking inventory of your life and don't think it has much. Gary Stevens is blowing cigar breath or cigarette breath in your face.
Freddie
Yeah. It's amazing how everything has changed. Like, back then, it essentially. For a couple of years. For a few years, it would be me, Charles Bricker, and maybe Hal Habib, and we were the only reporters there. There was no ESPN yet. There was no national coverage element to the Dolphins or most NFL teams. And so it was very confined. So Gary Stevens would be coming in to a very small room, just a few people. Who needs me? You know? And so. And we always felt like duming. Yeah. Usually the dummy. Usually. Not always.
Mike Ryan
Not always.
Freddie
Not always.
Mike Ryan
Okay.
Freddie
But we also.
Greg Cote
Was he talking to. With the dummy? Who was that director?
Freddie
I don't know. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I like to think it wasn't me. But you're never quite sure.
Mike Ryan
Had to be Edwin, right?
Freddie
I mean. No, no, it would never be Edwin.
Stugatz
No.
Greg Cote
Guys picking the. I thought that was worse.
Mike Ryan
That was the joke.
Jeremy
No, I thought. I thought it's playful. A dummy.
Freddie
Yeah, no, it was playful. It was playful.
Jeremy
You can call it when Pope playfully.
Freddie
Dummy Edwin, God bless him, rarely showed up at camp. He was a guy who went to games.
Jeremy
And that's where you learned it.
Freddie
Yes, exactly. That's right. That's right. But Stevens, you know when somebody says to you, oh, Nades May. And you think he means it literally, you have to fabricate a question at that point. You can't leave him hanging. So even if no one needed him, you have to say, you know, Bernie Parmalee's playing great lately. Oh, you're going to go to Buffalo because at that time, you know, Buffalo had great players.
Greg Cote
I mean, they had Thurman Thomas and Jim Kelly and Andre Reed and Bruce Smith.
Freddie
Yeah. I mean, they went to four Super Bowls in a row. Lost them all.
Mike Ryan
Yeah.
Freddie
But went to four Super Bowls.
Greg Cote
So the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins kept coming into the press room and saying, how the hell am I supposed to win in Buffalo with Bernie Parmalee, a former UPS driver.
Freddie
Right, Exactly. Yeah. And, you know, that's honesty you don't get out of the modern offensive coordinator.
Greg Cote
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast. So I have a little stuff for you here, Stugatz, surrounding, I think the part of the Heat trade deadline that most people were interested in, which is the Kevin Durant part of it. And Kevin Durant was, as it relates to the Miami Heat, Kevin Durant was blindsided, according to Shams, that he was going to be traded. All of that is a mess. And I will tell you, after the Heat dealt with the Suns, Ishbia is a nightmare. Like, just the guy that owns the Suns trying to play general manager is making a mess of things, is the rich person who's in charge of everything and wants to run his team and is doing so poorly as an amateur rich guy with toys and doesn't know that you don't, you know, try to make a trade for Jimmy Butler and then just ruin everything by informing your superstar who came to be with you through means that aren't direct that he's going to be traded. Like that's a poison. You can't have that. And I wouldn't be surprised at all if Kevin Durant left after this season because of it. But he's saying about an ESPN report that the Sun's locker room has been toxic. The following quote, I heard that Ramona Shelburne came out and says our locker room is toxic. I try to tell people who aren't around this game much that it's easy to say our locker room is not connected. When you come in there 45 minutes before and guys are in their game mode and not talking to each other, four or five guys might be in the training room, a few guys might be in the weight room. It's not a welcoming environment right before the game. That's part of getting ready to play. I think it's unfair and lazy to categorize our team as toxic. When you come in there for five minutes throughout four months, that's the only time you've been in our locker room, and then you can make a narrative. I don't think that's fair to us, but like I said, that's part of the game, part of the business. We signed up for shit is not fair in this game, but we got to deal with it and accept it. What are your thoughts there?
Billy Corben
Was that. Was that ISHB or Durant?
Greg Cote
That's Durant.
Billy Corben
Okay.
Mike Ryan
Yeah. That's weird. I mean, Kevin Durant, first off, I'm certain that's done by reporting. I'm certain the sources are good. That it's toxic in that locker room, and Kevin Durant's in charge of that. So for him to take it personally, he should, because he's one of the leaders of that team, make sure the environment's not toxic.
Greg Cote
I believe the reports, but he's denying the.
Mike Ryan
I don't care what he's denying. I mean, I believe the reports. I believe the sources. It's coming from a good place, and Kevin Durant has. This has followed him to many of the places that he's gone. And so I'm not surprised by the reports.
Greg Cote
I don't think a lot of people have said that he works in toxic locker rooms. I don't think that Kevin. That's followed Kevin Durant. I don't.
Mike Ryan
I think that was the case in Brooklyn. I think he. He teams up with guys who are considered toxic, like Kyrie Irving, and then you have a toxic environment. Why would this be surprising to anyone and why would it be surprising to a single person that Kevin Durant is questioning the sources and the story itself, saying, no, you've been there for five minutes. No, this is not about how long you've been in the locker room. This is about sources within that organization telling a credible reporter, hey, it's toxic in here.
Billy Corben
I also saw Ramona speak on this, and to me, it sounded like the report is a report, but on tv, it also sounded like a fair amount of forecasting, like, this is going to be a bad situation. It might not be a good situation now. It's only gonna get worse. I think Kevin might be seizing on a more literal definition of what's happening in the past or the present.
Freddie
Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. Is that because Kevin Durant was blindsided by this idea that he might be suddenly traded, he is a part of whatever toxicity there might be. Right. Based on. On his attitude and feeling blindsided and feeling not appreciated or whatever one feels when you don't expect to be traded and all of a sudden you're in the middle of all these rumors, Miami rumors and such. I mean, that he's got to be pretty sour right now.
Greg Cote
I find usually very interesting how different the player perspective can be from everybody else's perspective. So he's arriving at this conclusion that you don't know what you're talking about because you're not in here.
Mike Ryan
Right.
Greg Cote
But Ramona is not someone. She may not have been there very much for four months, but she's talking to the people who are there. Like she's doing the kind of reporting. This is not just some gas bag saying something on television or on the radio that hasn't done the reporting on that. She's not going to make stuff up for clicks. She's never done that. And Sugats is right that the credibility there is in place in a way that I think we should treasure at this time. As things become more and more and more murky, what's true and what's not true. I saw that Hank Azaria, AI is now trying to create his voices so that all 21 of the Simpsons characters can. He can not be paid for them. Because I have no idea what's coming for our future in terms of what's real and what's not real. But for the moment, well, just trust.
Billy Corben
The leadership in place during this really highly volatile time. I partially wrap my head around it so much because I fear AI. It grows more powerful every day.
Freddie
Should fear it.
Billy Corben
And we have this leadership in place. There's so much tech influence. I'm really scared about it. But you know how when you botch a Google search and it says, did you mean. And you could be in this endless loop. What if the leadership that we have right now is so confusing, keeps AI on its heels the entire time, that it's just left in a perpetual. Did you mean. Wait, I can't actually reason with this. Maybe this is the perfect leadership to have during these times.
Greg Cote
Elon Musk, it feels like, is running our country. And furthermore, he's investing in all future AI technology because the amount of power that he wishes to have over a future that is uncertain and scary is a bit terrifying. Especially since he's a descendant of apartheid and you've seen some of his behavior and how shameless he is about grabbing at power, money, and attention.
Billy Corben
He did try to buy OpenAI for like 97.4 billion. And the counter was, we'll just buy X for 9 billion. No, thanks.
Greg Cote
Yeah. So I wanted to explore, though, the parts of this that happened with the Miami Heat as it relates to Kevin Durant. First of all, you should know that was not close. It was never close. There was nothing close there. A conversation.
Billy Corben
It wasn't a whiff by Riley.
Greg Cote
It was not a whiff. It wasn't close. Well, it's a whiff if you think this is where it is a whiff. Okay. The reason it wasn't close is because of the Heat, not because of the Suns. And because the ask was according to the people I've talked to our entire team. It wasn't one of these young players. It wasn't Hawkez and Ware. It was. They wanted our whole team. And and Ishbia isn't going to trade Durant with He's not going to trade Durant for pennies on the. He's not going to blindside Durant unless he was just sort of sniffing around on what's the most I can get for Durant. I know the Miami Heat are interested in this.
Stugatz
I mean the Suns have a better record than the Heat. Maybe they should have done it. Do you think so trade the whole team, the entire imagine they just for.
Greg Cote
36 year old Kevin Durant.
Billy Corben
Seems. It seems like Riley's gonna have fun.
Stugatz
He would have landed a whale.
Mike Ryan
Seems like a big ass also.
Stugatz
What do the Suns do then? They have way too many players.
Billy Corben
Seems like the opportunity to whiff on Kevin Durant will present itself once again. And I know we're on the Heat aspect of it right now, but one thing that I can say with certainty is toxicity is subjective. I guess Kevin Durant famously just cares about ball, keeps his head down. Whatever the locker room situation is in Phoenix, he prefers that well over going back to Golden State. Like whatever you may think of that Phoenix locker room, he thinks going back into that Golden State locker room, which would be a cool story on the outside if you have no inside information, go back to Golden State. Come back to a hero's welcome. Hell, you may actually be able to compete for a title with Steph again. He does not want to go back to Draymond Green in that situation.
Greg Cote
I'll get back to the Durant part of this in a second. But last night the warriors won against Milwaukee in Milwaukee. And I don't remember this. I'm trying to do it off the top of my head. Steph's been very good the last four games, especially the last two with Jimmy Butler. Has he ever played with somebody who can get 15 free throws a game? Because the way Jimmy's playing there, it doesn't even matter that he's 4 for 12, he's just going at the rim. And I'm wondering, have they had a player in Steph Curry's entire tenure that'll kick cave in the defense at the rim so that he's getting 15 foul shots a game?
Mike Ryan
I mean, it wasn't their game when they were winning championships, right? So you're looking at Klay Thompson, Draymond Green. I don't remember those guys getting to the line 15, but has there been.
Greg Cote
Anybody, has there been anybody in step, Has Steph Curry ever played with a player? Like, I know they went at the beginning of all of that. They were throwing boguts and bigs and just bigs at that at the rim. And I, I just don't remember whether Steph has had that ingredient before or not. But Billy, do you, like, if I say to you, I don't even know, like, I don't have the contract matchup and I didn't ask about particular players and they wouldn't tell me about particular players anyway. But when they say the whole team, if I say it's some combat, if it's, if it's Ware, Hawkes and Bam and like, if that fits up and, and Joe and Jimmy and Jovic and Jimmy, like if I, if I make it all of those players, you want a 36 year old Kevin Durant to just play with Tyler Herro and not guard anybody?
Stugatz
I mean, I think we're just married to guys that are playing team every year and then they go on a run and make the finals. But like this core isn't good enough, right? Like, can we all. I, Jeremy, want to agree, but can we all agree they're just, they're not good enough. They've made it to the finals twice. But like Jimmy, this isn't a team that is like competing with the Celtics in the east. This is like a 7, 8, 9, middling team that then goes on a run at the right time. At a certain point you have to like accept, and I mean I do this as someone who's a fan of the Marlins, who are never really good enough, you have to accept that like the people you've fallen in love with just may not be good enough to get done what you want to get done. And you need to move on now. Trading all of them for Kevin Durant isn't the solution. But Kevin Durant and he uniforms pretty cool.
Jeremy
I feel like if you kept just Bam, I would have been okay with it. Like, I give up, Tyler. Give up where?
Mike Ryan
Really? Just so we're clear, you're just trotting out Kevin Durant and Bam, everything.
Jeremy
You just lose so much defense. If you lose Bam from this team and you have, you're left with Durant and Tyler Hero.
Stugatz
I mean, they're 25 and 26. What are you giving up? You know what I mean? Like, you're making it seem like you're breaking up a powerhouse. That's not the reality. You just like all these players because you're familiar with them and they've been around.
Jeremy
Bam was a starting player on Team usa.
Stugatz
Okay, great.
Jeremy
I, I just said I'd give up everybody.
Mike Ryan
I mean, Team USA is not you guys.
Jeremy
Not to acknowledge that Bam is a good piece.
Stugatz
I'm not saying he's. He's not a good piece. It just like these pieces have proven that they're really not good enough.
Billy Corben
He's a good piece that we've been saying for a decade, can he piece it all together? He is never going to be the total package. He's never going to be the more aggressive Bam. He is never going to be the guy. He's well past that tipping point. He is a finished product if you want to hold on to that.
Greg Cote
Cool.
Billy Corben
He's a nice, good player. Nice player, fun player. Retire his jersey in the rafters, but we know what he is. The day of projecting Bam out of bio, that shit ended three years ago.
Jeremy
But you do that for Luca 25. Like, I wouldn't give up that. Even though I'm not disagreeing that he is limited, but I'm not giving him up for a 36 year old.
Greg Cote
Chris, he was their lead player last night and they scored 85 points, the worst of the season. Understood that it's discombobulated out there. He cannot be your best player, he cannot be your most important player and he cannot be weakened as you make Tyler Hero your best player because of the usage rate.
Jessica
This is a message from sponsor Intuit TurboTax. Guys. Taxes was dealing with piles of paperwork and frustrating forms and then waiting and wondering and worrying if you're going to get any money back. Now, Taxes is easily uploading your forms to a TurboTax expert who's matched to your unique tax situation. An expert who's backed by the latest technology which cross checks millions of Data points for 100% accuracy. While they work on your taxes, you get real time updates on their progress and you get the most money back guaranteed. All while you go about your business. Busy day, no stress, no worry, no waiting. Now this is taxes into a TurboTax. Get an expert now on TurboTax.com only available with TurboTax Live. Full service real time updates only on iOS mobile app. See guarantee details@turbotax.com guarantees.
Greg Cote
Don Lebatard Billy, somebody has written in here. I need way more.
Jeremy
I'm sorry, I just said in his headset. Haven't you been to all of them too?
Freddie
It sounded like you were speaking aloud. My bad. Totally on me. That's 100 on me.
Greg Cote
All right, Stugach.
Freddie
But that goes without saying, right? That it couldn't.
Stugatz
Well now he said it, didn't. He didn't say it again.
Greg Cote
Greg.
Freddie
My apologies, Greg.
Greg Cote
Why Greg? Yeah, Greg.
Mike Ryan
He apologized sincerely.
Greg Cote
This is the Dan lebatar show with the St Gods. This is clearly not good enough. It leads me actually to another conversation about the Swifties today. Do they understand what just happened? Like given that they've just been winning. Like Taylor Swift is getting brooding boyfriend for the first time in three years. Like he's going to go home and he's going to need some nursing here over the next 14 days of hiding. Hiding because of how much this hurts. And. And when you talk to Travis Kelsey today, because the not good enough, the acknowledgement to know that you're not good enough, it's so easy to say from over here. And I. Billy's right too. And Mike's been saying this for two years about the Miami Heat and Mike ends up being more right than heat management, about Terry Rozier and keeping everything together because they were this close. But the self awareness of not good enough does crap. Does Travis Kelsey know today if you sit in front of Travis Kelce and say you guys aren't as good as the Eagles, does he acknowledge that? Or does he say, now we just had a bad game? Like does he, does he acknowledge, yeah, that team is just a lot better than us and that's it. If we play them a bunch of times, we're going to lose every time. Or does the mind of an athlete and the perspective of an athlete that's different than ours get it wrong? Because the confidence has to be there to think that you're better than others.
Mike Ryan
I think he acknowledges that his team is not as good as the Eagles team. It was pretty obvious. It was on full display on Sunday. I tried to tell him three years ago. No one listened to me. But I was right and I was early. I was early to the party. So I think he would acknowledge that. But he has number 15 at quarterback and he would say, I think if we just add a few more pieces, perhaps we can get back to what we want.
Greg Cote
I don't think he acknowledges that.
Mike Ryan
Really?
Greg Cote
I don't think.
Mike Ryan
You think he thinks this run is done with Patrick Mahomes.
Greg Cote
I know. I don't think that he thinks the Eagles are just flatly better than they are. That the Eagles. I don't think that he thinks that the Eagles can do that to him in every game they play against him.
Stugatz
The thing about the Chiefs in particular, though, is, like, they've beat teams that are just flat out better than them in the super bowl, and they've always been able to just make it work. When they needed to make it work in the super bowl this year, they couldn't. So I think that they may not think that they're not less talented than other teams, but, like, this Eagles team isn't the first team that was just flat out better than them. This is just the first team that beat them.
Greg Cote
Yeah, but you're saying flat out better than them because that's what the scoreboard says and it says. And it's what we all saw. I'm telling you that the perspective of the. Of the huddle is very often to never acknowledge that.
Freddie
Right. I agree with you. I think the Chiefs think right now that if the teams played again a week from Sunday, Kansas City would win. I think. I think every key player on that team, including Travis Kelce, thinks that. I think they're wrong. I think the Philadelphia Eagles lesson for the rest of the NFL is that you have to build from the. You don't have to, but you build from the inside out. Philadelphia dominated because their offensive line is the best in the league and showed it. And their defensive line was able to sack Mahomes six times without blitzing, which left the pass coverage deep more than.
Greg Cote
He'S ever been sacked in a game because he's elusive. Mike Ryan came in here today. This was funny to me. Stu Gotts, the way this turned. Okay. This was really funny because Mike Ryan came in here today and he's like, you know how you beat that? You just run draw plays.
Mike Ryan
Yep.
Billy Corben
Yep. How do you beat pressure with four when they have seven guys back there in the secondary? Yeah, you run the damn ball.
Mike Ryan
Yeah.
Billy Corben
That's how you beat it. It's not something. It's not. You want to play a numbers game? Okay. They got seven back there. That means we have a numbers advantage up front. Let's run the ball.
Mike Ryan
Yep. In Mike's defense, he did re. Watch the Super Bowl.
Billy Corben
I mean, crunch of tape. The draw was there.
Mike Ryan
Put the timing.
Billy Corben
Dan the Draw was there all game long.
Greg Cote
The shock draw. They didn't run the ball. That's true. And this is simple math, right? If you're getting pressure with four and Kansas City's adjustment was to not try and block their 4 with 5, but with 6, like if they're still getting the pressure with 4 when they're using the running back to chip and they're using six guys, you've got a problem in your secondary when your receivers aren't good enough. But the thing that's interesting about what Mike's doing, I think is just the very idea that you can watch that for one half and be like, yep, I know more than Spags and Andy Reid. I do. Like, they haven't thought about the drop play. They have not considered it. They're confused.
Mike Ryan
That is not the Spags job.
Greg Cote
No, Andy Reid, right, was calling Spags and texting me. He's like, well, why did we forget about the draw? Pacheco was doing that so well on Tuesday.
Billy Corben
Excuse me. Only one in this show was trying to take credit away from coaches yesterday and that was you with fangs.
Greg Cote
I am going to know. I'm. It wasn't with Fangs. It was with all of the Eagles. Because if you think the Eagles suddenly got smarter than Andy Reid and Spangs, you guys just want to credit coaching for stuff like Andy Reid and Spags were supposed to be the standard going into that game, not Fangs. If, if I asked you before that game who's got the coaching advantage, what's your answer?
Mike Ryan
Everyone would say the Chiefs.
Greg Cote
Yep.
Mike Ryan
It doesn't mean we're right.
Greg Cote
Well, but I don't think that them losing is because that had anything to do with coaching. Like, I really, I saw so much yesterday. Patrick Mahomes choked and Andy Reid and. And Spags. Well, not so much Spags, but Andy Reid was undressed, exposed. And I'm like, that's not what happened.
Billy Corben
They did abandon the run early. They had that. It was 170 where everyone kind of knew, okay, including the Eagles, by the way. At that point we're going to try to re establish the run. And they get like 4 yards on their first two plays and they're like, well, I guess that's that. And to me, that's not how you do that. That's not how you stay committed to the run. Those weren't creative run plays. Everybody in the building knew that they were going to run there. I think you stick with a run. Beyond that, you go four down territory. You run on third down, you run to something Other than an HB dive.
Freddie
It'S easy and fair to say in retrospect that Kansas City should have run the ball more. One of the Chiefs problems this year is that they didn't run the ball very well. Pacheco and Kareem hunt both averaged 3.4 yards of carry, well below average. This is not a great running team.
Mike Ryan
I love football so much. Nick Sirianni was the guy who couldn't win the big game. He was crazy. He was a lunatic. And now he's a leader of men. And Andy Reid doesn't know what he's doing.
Freddie
That's stupid.
Greg Cote
That's stupid.
Jeremy
What would Andy Reid's eye honest reaction be to Mike's note? Hey, should have ran the ball more. Like, what would he say?
Greg Cote
Yes, yes, he's right.
Jeremy
He'd probably be like, no shit.
Greg Cote
Yes, he would be right. They ran the ball seven times when it wasn't Mahomes running the ball. But I just want you to. I want you all to absorb. I want you all to just let this soak in, okay? What you saw on Sunday was so shocking that Mike Ryan is boldly coming in here with the argument, you know what needs to happen. I need to take the ball out of Mahomes hands, right? Give it to Pacheco.
Mike Ryan
Yep.
Greg Cote
Go Hunt. And yes, I need. I need to take it out of the hands of like, that offense was so limited all season and we forgot just because Hollywood Brown comes back and they scored 30 for the first time all season against Buffalo. That offense was bad this year. And he, Mahomes was the one always bailing him out. It wasn't Pacheco. It wasn't Kareem Hunt. It wasn't running the ball. Unless it was Mahomes running the ball on third and five for seven yards.
Mike Ryan
I tried to tell you.
Billy Corben
I mean, I, I saw them win a Super bowl in which you could have made a sound argument that Damian Williams was the MVP of that game. And last year they had a lot more balance. Look, Pacheco is hurt. Kareem Hunt is older. Maybe they have to address that position. There are reasons why it wasn't as effective. Pacheco never looked the same. He is a punishing runner. But last year, Pacheco getting the ball more and taking the ball out of Patrick Mahomes, that wasn't a bad play. That was a very effective play. They could have used Pacheco from last year.
Freddie
Another problem with they should have run the ball more is that this game got out of hand very quickly. And if you're running the ball down 34 to nothing, people look at you like you're crazy. And you are, you know, you.
Mike Ryan
The.
Freddie
The head coach needs a breathalyzer test if he's running the ball down 34 nothing. When your quarterback's Patrick Mahomes.
Greg Cote
The thing that is always funny to me about this is, and I remember this all the time, when Dallas and Jimmie Johnson were winning their champ and they would hit any kind of hiccup of any kind on offense, the suggestion to Jimmie Johnson would be some form of, why don't you guys run more screen passes for Emmitt Smith? And you know what his answer was? We're not good at that. The Chiefs are like 22nd or 23rd in the league in running the ball. And it's not like Mahomes was stolen for 300 yards every game either. Their offense was limited against bad defenses. Their offense was limited.
Billy Corben
It's a huge disconnect between people that try to talk about this. And I understand fully the resentment of coaches that hear us say things like run a draw and think that we're idiots, but honestly, we have no idea what those coaches are actually trying to achieve. We don't actually know. We can assume, yeah, pressure with 4 collapsing the pocket, that'll wreck it. But we don't actually know what they're doing in the secondary, how they're disguising coverages. We don't know if they're actually executing a game plan. We just have the results to work off of.
Mike Ryan
Dan, I wasn't giving praise to any coach yesterday. In fact, the guy who deserves praise is Howie Roseman. He put together a roster that is good enough and took a lot of chances. Jalen Carter was a guy who had some stuff coming out of college. He fell to the Eagles, I think, at number six or seven, and he was willing to take that guy. He put together a team that was capable of not just beating the Chiefs, but blowing out, beating them up, beating them up. The offensive line, the defensive line, the quarterback in the second round, getting A.J. brown, drafting Devonte Smith. He has put together a tremendous roster.
Greg Cote
One of the quiet things that happened on Sunday, and I'm not used to it right, because every time you win a championship, whether you're Tom Brady or anyone else, you better have some defensive help. That's not going to get acknowledged as we give all of the credit to the quarterback. Man, that was an awfully quiet Chris Jones super bowl. And it wasn't just an awfully quiet Chris Jones super bowl on the Goal line. He's curled up in the fetal position, trying to keep the tush push out of the end zone. And what happens? He hurts his neck. He's just laying on the floor trying to get lower than their offensive lineman, and he's getting pushed by that force so much that they have to tend to his injured neck. And my guess is that if I ask anybody in our audience, maybe some would go with McDuffie. Hey, the championship run, who's the most important defensive player? Who's the guy? Who's the guy that's always going to make the play on third and fourth down when you need something in the backfield. Tell me all the things he did on Sunday that made you notice him. When you guys know what kind of a champion menace that person is. They were losing games when he was holding out. Like, they were just losing games when.
Billy Corben
When he held out, he was dealing with like a neck thing on the sideline that they were working on throughout that.
Greg Cote
After that play. Yeah, it was after that play that they started dealing with that.
Billy Corben
No doubt, to the Roseman point. Great off season. Potentially one of the greatest ever.
Mike Ryan
Amazing.
Billy Corben
Hired Fangio. We know Fangio wanted to go back to that, but hired Kellen Moore, who had to rebuild his reputation. Now maybe a head coach in the league and possibly New Orleans. Signed Saquon Barkley. Signed Zach Bond, was amazing for them. C.J. gardner. Johnson was also signed. Makai Bechton was huge for them. Traded for John Dodson. Drafted Quinn Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. And honestly, we should look back at this Carson Wentz trade and supplant the Herschel Walker trade. This is the greatest trade in NFL history because in the Cars and Wentz trade, they got Devontae Smith, A.J. brown, Jalen Carter, Cooper DeJean. These are all picks that turned into these players. And don't forget, they ended up flipping Carson Wentz for a bunch of picks, and those guys became guys.
Stugatz
He also didn't cut A.J. brown in the middle of the playoff run. Reading a book on the sidelines, Sampson said he should.
Freddie
Yeah, by the way, anybody could have had Becton, including the Dolphins.
Mike Ryan
The jets had him and they gave him.
Freddie
And they didn't go for the Philadelphia Eagles. Three of their top five players are offensive linemen. I don't know whether that's unheard of, but it's certainly rare and it showed. And I can't overemphasize that. In my opinion, the Eagles are great because their offensive and defensive lines are great. Nobody talks about the two lines much. Enough but that's fundamentally why they're changing.
Greg Cote
It may have been nobody talking much about it beforehand. That ceases today though, because even though the quarterback, even though a lot of people are talking about Jalen hurts and trying to elevate him a tier the way that Stu Gotz is, I think most people acknowledge how it is and where it is that that game was won in a way that was obvious. The thing that I was trying to tell you guys yesterday about throughout the history of football, when the, the line advantages are that obvious to the eye because Mike's sitting here saying, well, we don't know what the scheming is, right? We don't, we don't actually know. We don't know enough while we're watching to know what the adjustments were in the second half, in the second innovation. But what we do know and what all of us saw overt to even the biggest of amateurs is offensive and defensive line play. That if I put the advantages on any team that has played a game throughout football, that team will never lose a game like it. If it's that obvious that you don't lose at football because the whole thing is can you get 10 yards in three plays? And you're going to get it every time and you're going to prevent it every time if you have those pressures. The idea that the Chiefs went for 23 yards in the first half, half crazy. Like that's, that's it. When Mike Ryan says why did Patrick Mahomes look like he didn't want to be out there? Who the BLEEP would want to be out there for that? The world is watching and I can't do anything and I'm trying to throw a three yard pass to Travis Kelsey and I'm so scared I'm throwing it as his ankles because I don't have time and I need him to get down and cradle one of these balls because I don't fully. I don't feel like I can do anything down the field that I don't have any time to do anything down the field.
Billy Corben
I'm sure you could look at Super Bowls in which you, you could find a distinct advantage along the lines and that team doesn't end up winning. But what never happens is the team with the advantages along the trenches gets blown out. Never.
Greg Cote
I, I will tell you that one of the few times I have ever seen a team that had those kind of advantages lose is when the Miami Hurricanes lost to Penn State in a Fiesta bowl. And it's because Jimmy Johnson wouldn't stop throwing the ball. But on that game, it wasn't Mahomes throwing two interceptions. It was Testaverde throwing five of them.
Mike Ryan
Right?
Greg Cote
Like it took a ton of interceptions to make that even a close game. Which it was right up until the very end.
Mike Ryan
Because Are you blaming J for that game? I mean, it sounds like he just maybe retired. I mean, Jimmy can blame himself. I don't think you should be blaming.
Greg Cote
I blame Jimmy. Jimmy would blame Jimmy. It's Jimmy's fault. It's the most haunting loss of Jimmy's career because he's like, nobody ever loses that game.
Freddie
And it should be because Miami's defense was so great that despite all of those test averte turnovers, Penn State scores 14 points. Despite all that, that's how great Miami's defense was.
Greg Cote
I want to right thank you, Billy. Appreciate it.
Dan LeBatard
The Dan LeBatard show with stgots is sponsored by Better Help. We talk a lot about red flags, the warning signs that tell us to stay away from toxic relationships. But what if we spent more time looking for green flags? You know, the signs that a relationship is healthy, supportive, and worth investing in. So what are some green flags to look out for? Good communication, emotional safety, mutual respect, and someone who genuinely listens to you.
Greg Cote
You.
Dan LeBatard
Whether it's a romantic partner, a friend, or even a co worker, recognizing these positive traits can help you build relationships that will truly love you back. And if you're not sure how to spot them or even how to practice them yourself, therapy can help. Therapy can teach you positive coping skills, how to set boundaries, and how to show up as the best version of yourself. BetterHelp is accessible, affordable, and convenient. With over 30,000 licensed therapists and a fully online platform, you can find the right match for you. Plus, you can switch therapists anytime at no extra cost.
Greg Cote
Cost.
Dan LeBatard
So why not invest in the relationship that matters most, starting with yourself? Discover your relationship green flags with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com DLB today to get 10% off your first month. That's better help h lp.com DLB Valentine's Day is coming up and for me, there's only one place I trust. 1-800-flowers.com Every year I order stunning, high quality bouquets from 1-800-flowers that my grandma absolutely loves.
J
Loves Jessica. Holy. I got the most gorgeous roses. I don't think I ever got that many roses in my whole life. Certainly not from your lovely grandfather. May I still rest in peace? Thank you. You made my day. I mean, they are gorgeous. Never had so many roses in my whole life. 85 years. Holy.
Dan LeBatard
And this year, we're partnering with 1-800-FLOWERS to make sure you're a Valentine's hero with an exclusive offer for Lebatard listeners. Double the roses for free. When you buy one dozen, they'll double your bouquet to two dozen roses. It's the perfect way to say I love you without breaking the bank. All roses from 1-800-Flowers are picked at their peak, cared for every step of the way, and shipped fresh to ensure lasting beauty. To claim your double your roses offer, go to 1-800-flowers.com dan. That's 1-800-flowers.Com dan.
Greg Cote
Dan LeBatard.
Freddie
He called me on my own podcast. He called me full of shit, claiming that I'm faking interest in the solar eclipse.
Jeremy
You do do this. You love to just get excited about everything.
Freddie
Okay, Junior stugats. I had to school you and explain.
Mike Ryan
To you he was gonna take you to Augusta.
Freddie
I mean, when I was 17 years old, Alan Sherry and I used to haunt the Bueller Planetarium.
Greg Cote
This is the Dan Levatar show with the st. I wanted to get back to the Kevin Durant Heat thing because Jeremy had a thousand things that he wanted to say and he continues to get boxed out. Do we get that sound of when Terry Rozier was traded to the Miami.
Billy Corben
Heat and it saved my life, it.
Greg Cote
Broke Mike Ryan and, well, he's rivaling Antoine Walker and Eddie Jones as one of the most unpopular players right now in Heat history. And I am told that a sideline discussion broke out yesterday among media members about whether or not Terry Rozier is the worst player in Heat history to ever wear that uniform and get those kind of minutes. That game. In the modern age of offense, last night is an abomination. It's hard to watch them be that far behind the Boston Celtics, even if you understand that Tyler heroes not playing. But the 85 points. The 85 points make it an unwatchable basketball game. But Jeremy will always have the 22 to 13 start they got with the hope of Andrew Wiggins.
Jeremy
That's exactly right, Dan. That's exactly right. It was unbelievable off the bat where you got Alex Burns in there instead of Tyler Hero. And they're up 22 to value at a timeout. It was amazing. What a real Jeremy's tweet from before the game. Obsessed with this start. And I was right to be. They got off to a 22:13 start despite shooting only 30 something percent from the field.
Stugatz
I. I may have missed something because the super bowl was last week, but like, isn't Terry Rosier actively being investigated for throwing games? How is he still playing?
Mike Ryan
Great points.
Greg Cote
Yes, it is a great point. We didn't.
Mike Ryan
What's going on with the investigation?
Stugatz
How are we just allowing someone who maybe was fixing games to continue to suit up and play?
Billy Corben
Every allegation is just one game.
Freddie
He hasn't been charged with anything. I think that's fair to say. He's being investigated along with others, but he has not been charged with any wrongdoing. I want to point out that the heats, three new players last night were 5 for 25. They were all pretty bad. They're going to be better. They had like one practice with the team. I would not judge that trade or this team based on.
Greg Cote
You say they had one practice with the team. Jimmy Butler played his first game, knew three plays, hadn't done anything with. Hadn't done anything with the Golden State Warriors. And without. Not a meeting, not anything, just showed up. And that's fair.
Freddie
No, that's fair.
Greg Cote
One of the things that people are very excited about is that Mitchell and Wiggins with the Heat are two of the top eight perimeter defenders in the league. The problem is the 85 points when Tyler Herro is not playing. And one of the things. Can you give me the stat of the day music here, Chris? Because this is, I believe, something that doesn't have a precedent in NBA history and I defy someone to come up with a statistical precedent to what it is, I'm about to say. Start of the day, start of the day it is the start of the day. Start of the day, start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day Start of the day it is the start of the day. Start of the day Start of the day it is the start of the day. During his entire Heat tenure, Jimmy Butler during The regular season had zero 40 points games. In the postseason, he had eight of them. That can't exist anywhere in the history of basketball.
Mike Ryan
Playoff. Jimmy just there.
Greg Cote
There must not be such a thing as that. And it's been interesting to watch him in Golden State go for 4 for 12 last night, but go and get all of the free throws. There just aren't a ton of people playing like that. Shay Gilgis Alexander doesn't object to the. To the criticism that he's a free throw merchant. He's like, I get a bunch of free throws because I'm hard to guard. But that didn't get him so much.
Jeremy
The last few games with the Heat. That's awkward.
Greg Cote
I don't know what happened there. Yeah, interesting.
Jeremy
I wonder what was going on.
Greg Cote
I think you do know what happened there. Things are so. Things are so bad between Jimmy and his agent and the Heat. He'd have no time for his agent, like at all. That guy was talking like a lot of media members doing his job, doing what the agent is supposed to do. But the thing is so bad that they can't even agree on who called whom unhinged first because Jimmy Butler is claiming that Pat Riley was unhinged in the meeting. But the Heat think that he got the word unhinged from them, saying that he was unhinged about things.
Billy Corben
This is all very ugly. And the athletic piece, which you could deduce because of the slant that the story took came from Jimmy's camp. And it does paint the Miami Heat in a very negative light. From meeting with Pat Riley, trying to awkwardly bond over their fathers, to Mickey putting off a meeting. No, no, this is a priority. But I actually can't make this meeting. It's all bad. But I would say some of this stuff seems to me pretty disingenuous and pretty. It's bad ball because he's invoking. If you see the back of his jersey, he's really like seizing on this relationship that he had with his father, a relationship that really bloomed more through sickness and adversity. And the Miami Heat were very supportive. I happen to know this for a fact. Were very supportive.
Greg Cote
This is a happen to know report.
Billy Corben
I know this for a fact. Everybody in that organization would. Was supremely supportive of Jimmy when his father was going through this. And to turn the. Turn the temperature up and use that as if the Miami Heat were somehow awkward around that situation is. Is to me a little bit of.
Mike Ryan
Bad ball is crying. One of the characteristics of becoming unhinged, because I don't view it like that. I view it like you start throwing papers, you start doing stuff like that. Just getting emotional, you know.
Greg Cote
Well, I want to talk to you guys about this because I started doing this yesterday and crying. The thing that's happened over the last five years with me and we were talking yesterday with Chris about his dad crying later in life over things. The idea of using crying to be male weakness, that is so weak. Honestly. Like the idea that what is male is to repress the feelings, push them down and secretly not show anyone that you're or hurt about the death of your father. Like that. You would want that. You keep that buried inside. You'd private. And if you need to blubber on the toilet with the door locked. Fine, but don't show that to anybody. It's so uniquely male and so uniquely repressed and stupid that it's totally unsurprising to see it used to slap Pat Riley across the face. When Pat Riley is somebody that I have known to cry when he talks about his father. Father since I've known him.
Mike Ryan
Right. I love a good cry. I'm not certain how Greg feels about it, but I do. You feel better after you cry. I mean I don't view it like hey, I'm not as manly as the next guy. I'm just crying and it feels good.
Greg Cote
I have been embarrassed by crying a number of different times and I will tell you that I'm doing a substantive amount of work through acupuncture and a whole lot of medicines that I don't totally understand. Holistic medicines to try and lubricate whatever it is that this thing is here that makes you shut down around where your emotions are in order to let them go. The idea I began to say this yesterday with Jimmie Johnson and where it is that he decided to quit on coaching because he had been an unfeeling cutthroat mercenary creature who was disgusted with himself at his mother's funeral because he did a lifetime of regret on I haven't been the father. I haven't been the husband. I haven't been the son that I wanted to be. And breaks down sobbing for the first time time letting all of that go to use. What Mike is saying there. What, what is particularly dirty. The Heat obviously did not like that athletic story. The ESPN did a more even handed one than that. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald did one that was more pro heat than that. Everyone's got their truth here. Jimmy Butler says I haven't even told my part of the story and when I do it'll be with Shaq. Why will it be with Shaq? Because Shaq was outside the facility and wouldn't be allowed in to get his stuff back when he wanted to punch Pat Riley. That's why Jimmy. That's why Jimmy Butler is doing we'll do it with Sha if he ever tells his part of the story. But I don't actually know what the truth is here. Everyone's got their own truths and everyone is self interested and biased about what those truths are.
Dan LeBatard
Valentine's Day is coming up and for me there's only one place I trust. 1-800-flowers.com Every year I order stunning high quality bouquets from 1-800-flowers that my grandma absolutely loves Jessica.
J
Holy. I got the most gorgeous, gorgeous roses. I don't think I ever got that many roses in my whole life. Certainly not from your lovely grandfather. May I still rest in peace?
Freddie
Thank you.
J
You made my day. I mean, they are gorgeous. Never had so many roses in my whole life. 85 years. Holy.
Dan LeBatard
And this year, we're partnering with 1-800-FLOWERS to make sure you're a Valentine's hero with an exclusive offer for Lebatard listeners. Double the roses for free. When you buy one one dozen, they'll double your bouquet to two dozen roses. It's the perfect way to say I love you without breaking the bank. All roses from 1-800-Flowers are picked at their peak, cared for every step of the way, and shipped fresh to ensure lasting beauty. To claim your double your roses offer, go to 1-800flowers.com dan that's 1-800-flowers.com dan.
J
All right, I know I gotta do this ad read, but hold on. Let me reapply.
Dan LeBatard
Did you hear that? Yep.
J
That's my new favorite lip gloss from NYX Cosmetics. Now I'm ready to talk to you. I've been a huge fan of NYX Cosmetics for many years now. In fact, I use their thick It Stick it brow gel every single day. So you can imagine my excitement when we recently received a special delivery to the Lebitard Studios from our friends over at NYX Cosmetics. And there it was when I opened the box. Glowing. I heard the angels sing. It's their latest lip gloss, Fat Oil Lip Drip. It's Nyx Cosmetics first lip oil of its kind. This creamy lip oil will have your lips dripping with fat perks. You get all the shine of a lip gloss and none of the stickiness while experiencing 12 hour hydration. I'm usually a matte lip gloss kind of gal. My normal go to is NYX Cosmetics Lip Gloss, the lingerie xxl. But after applying the status update shade, I have found my new go to lip gloss. Fat Oil Lip Drip has high shine, fade finish with comfortable wear and none of the sticky texture. A lip product that's hydrating, non sticky and only $9. Now that's a win. Try Fat Oil Lip Drip from Nyx Professional makeup. Available in 14 universally flattering shades. Find your perfect fat Oil Lip Drip. Shop now@nyxcosmetics.com or a retailer near.
In this engaging episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz," hosts Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and their panel delve deep into the latest happenings in the sports world, particularly focusing on the Miami Heat's internal dynamics, Kevin Durant's potential trade, and a critical analysis of the recent Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl showdown. The discussion is rich with insights, anecdotes, and spirited debates, making it a must-listen for sports enthusiasts.
Timestamp: 00:52 – 04:42
The episode kicks off with a nostalgic recount of Gary Stevens, the former offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. Greg Cote introduces the story, highlighting Stevens' memorable catchphrase, "Who needs me, dummy?" This phrase became legendary as Stevens would dismiss the need for his position despite widespread support for his advancement to a head coaching role.
Freddie adds humor and context, describing Stevens' theatrical demeanor, complete with cigarette smoking, which added a "Rat Pack vibe" to his press appearances. The panel reflects on how this attitude underscored the bleakness of the press room environment at the time.
Timestamp: 05:24 – 19:42
The conversation shifts to the hot topic of Kevin Durant's relationship with the Miami Heat. The panel discusses reports suggesting that Durant feels the Heat's locker room environment is "toxic," a claim Durant denies.
The discussion touches on Ishbia's (presumably the Suns' management) handling of trades and Durant's dissatisfaction with the process. Billy Corben emphasizes Durant's preference for staying away from environments he perceives as toxic, likening his loyalty to personal performance over team dynamics.
The panel debates the credibility of Durant's statements versus reports from sources like Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Greg Cote defends Shelburne's reporting integrity, suggesting that Durant's rejection of the reports may stem from personal bias rather than factual inaccuracies.
Mike Ryan echoes these sentiments, expressing skepticism about Durant's denial and supporting the notion that credible sources have highlighted genuine issues within the locker room.
Timestamp: 12:09 – 30:16
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to dissecting the Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl game. The panel critiques the Chiefs' offensive strategies, particularly their over-reliance on Patrick Mahomes and ineffective running game.
Mike Ryan and Billy Corben discuss how the Chiefs failed to adapt their game plan, focusing too much on Mahomes and neglecting a robust running strategy.
Freddie highlights the Chiefs' poor running game, citing Pacheco and Kareem Hunt's below-average yardage, which severely limited their offensive versatility.
Greg Cote emphasizes the importance of offensive and defensive line play, arguing that such fundamental strengths should have ensured victory, irrespective of other game aspects.
The panel also touches on coaching decisions, with Greg criticizing Andy Reid's adaptability and Mike praising Howie Roseman's roster-building acumen.
Timestamp: 30:17 – 43:11
The discussion returns to the Miami Heat, focusing on Jimmy Butler's role and the team's overall performance. The panel debates Butler's acknowledgment of the team's shortcomings against top-tier opponents like the Eagles.
Freddie praises the Eagles' strategic build, particularly their offensive and defensive lines, attributing their success to foundational strengths rather than star power alone.
The conversation also touches on internal conflicts within the Heat, including allegations against Terry Rozier regarding game-fixing, which the panel approaches with caution, stressing the importance of due process as Rozier has not been charged.
Greg Cote emphasizes the complexity of interpersonal relationships within the team, highlighting Butler's emotional struggles and the challenges of balancing personal grievances with team cohesion.
Timestamp: 43:11 – 47:05
Towards the episode's conclusion, Greg Cote delves into the stigmatization of emotional expression among male athletes. He shares personal experiences with crying and emotional vulnerability, challenging the traditional notions of masculinity in sports.
Mike Ryan counters by advocating for the emotional benefits of crying, promoting a healthier approach to dealing with stress and emotions.
The panel reflects on Jimmy Butler's emotional outbursts, debating whether they are genuine expressions of vulnerability or strategic moves within the team's tumultuous environment.
This episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" offers a multifaceted exploration of current sports narratives, blending analytical critique with personal anecdotes and emotional insights. From dissecting high-stakes Super Bowl strategies to examining the intricate dynamics within the Miami Heat, the hosts provide listeners with a comprehensive and thought-provoking discourse on the ever-evolving landscape of sports.
Notable Quotes:
Greg Cote (02:42): "Gary Stevens, lifelong offensive coordinator, never graduated to a head coaching job... he would come into the press room and say, 'Who needs me, dummy?'"
Billy Corben (09:28): "I think Kevin Durant thinks going back into that Golden State locker room... he thinks that's not going to work."
Greg Cote (23:36): "If you have those pressures, you don't lose at football."
Greg Cote (43:01): "Everyone's got their own truths here."
Note: Advertisements and non-content sections have been omitted to focus solely on the core discussions and insights shared during the episode.