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Dan LeBatard
You're listening to Giraffe Kings Network. Yeah, sure thing. Hey, you sold that car yet?
Stugotz
Yeah, sold it to Carvana.
Dan LeBatard
Oh, I thought you were selling to that guy.
Greg Cody
The guy who wanted to pay me in foreign currency, no interest over 36 months. Yeah, no.
Stugotz
Carvana gave me an offer in minutes.
Greg Cody
Picked it up, and paid me on the spot.
Stugotz
It was so convenient.
Dan LeBatard
Just like that?
Greg Cody
Yep.
Dan LeBatard
No hassle?
Mike Ryan
None.
Dan LeBatard
That is super convenient. Sell your car to Carvana and swap. Hassle. For convenience. Pickup fees may apply.
Tony
Now's a good time to remember where tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila. Cuervo, what are you doing here?
Mike Ryan
Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.
Tony
Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out, especially for one of our great partners.
Mike Ryan
Sweet, delicious Cuervo.
Tony
Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.
Mike Ryan
Cuervo.
Tony
So enjoy the tequila that started it all.
Mike Ryan
Cuervo. Cuervo.
Tony
The tequila that invented tequila. Proximo. Cuervo.com, please drink responsibly.
Mike Ryan
Cuervo. Shadow Show.
Greg Cody
Shadow Show.
Mike Ryan
Shadow Show.
Greg Cody
Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow Show.
Mike Ryan
Shadow Show.
Greg Cody
Shadowing it.
Mike Ryan
Shadow. In it, I walk into the room, Chris, and your father begins his good morning is in the ball section of my podcast. That is how a phrase started. And I. I think what he was beginning to do, because it became noise after a while when he starts talking about his podcast, like when other people talk about their kids or their fantasy leagues, and you just tune it out and stare at their forehead. I'm pretty sure that he was beginning an apology about something that he either misremembered or said incorrectly on the podcast. But then we started the show, I heard the countdown, and so we never got to it.
Greg Cody
Well, I had mentioned that in the balls section, one of the five I'll, you know, spoiler alert was sports balls.
Mike Ryan
Do you want to tell people what the balls segment of your podcast is? No more context. I know that your narcissism is such that you think that everything you know is something everyone else knows and everything you say is something that everyone else.
Greg Cody
Yeah, on my podcast, it's a March Madness celebration in which we don't talk about college basketball at all. But I have my mount Gregmore, which is a top five, a final five in the categories. Marches, brackets, baskets, and balls. And in the balls section, unavoidably, one of the top five was sports balls. Just sports balls in general. And so Christopher asked me, what's your favorite sports ball? And I mentioned that for many years of my life, it was a tennis ball. Because I played a lot of tennis. I loved tennis. I was pretty good at it, I thought. And then I casually mentioned that you and I used to play, but I couldn't remember how often we played. Like I said, we used to play regularly. I know we played several times, but I couldn't remember whether it was how periodic it was or anything like that.
Stugotz
And he claims, even though Dan has how many years younger, he claims you guys were even, that it was like, if you played 50 times, you won 25 and 25.
Mike Ryan
I would say that's actually pretty. Pretty close to true. But keep in mind, I believe that I have this right when I say he had played tennis before and I had not. I was not. I was playing tennis for the first time in my life. It's not something I'd ever taken up. So we were roughly even. And I hated his drop shots.
Sam Morrow
Like, because.
Mike Ryan
Because it was annoying. But you had. You'd been someone who played. Put on the Poll LeBatard Show. I suspect that Tony would take basketball if he. If he had to choose from among the best of the balls.
Chris Cody
Yeah, basketball for sure. Football's very close second. What I used to do, Greg, as a kid, we have. We had like, a sloped roof. What I would do is I would throw the ball on the roof and it would hit the shingles, and then I'd go down and try and catch.
Stugotz
Oh, yeah, we've all done that.
Chris Cody
Turning a punt. I would play against myself, and I'd be one team going one way on offense, the other team going the other way on offense.
Stugotz
Roofball is like a thing. Like, it went viral a few years ago. Like, they've started leagues.
Greg Cody
Really?
Stugotz
Yeah. Like on the Internet, obviously not real leagues, but, like, just people on the Internet.
Mike Ryan
You've never done that like, that. I thought he was speaking a language right there that a lot of us have done in lonely childhood moments where you don't have anyone else around and you want to just play something by yourself. You throw a ball on the roof and try and figure out where it's going to land and catch it before it hits the ground. I thought a lot of people did that.
Greg Cody
I am hearing of it for the first time. And my initial reaction is it's bad for the roof tiles, you know, I mean, that's why when you have your roof pressure cleaned, you got to be Careful, because somebody steps on tiles, they break and then all of a sudden.
Mike Ryan
Hey, kids, get off of my roof.
Greg Cody
Yeah, get off. You can be on my lawn, kids, but stay off of my roof. Exactly.
Mike Ryan
That's your first thought, is you worry about the roof tiles because a tennis ball is bouncing on the roof.
Greg Cody
Yeah. Keep in mind, not that many years ago, five, seven years ago, I had a real problem with Norwegian roof rats and that was an issue.
Mike Ryan
I don't know why they started there.
Tony
I know, but I actually enjoyed it.
Mike Ryan
I think we should do that. Go ahead and play that again. I'm guessing that Jason just made a giant plate of bacon and then sat on the wrong button. This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugats podcast. I need some help from the group here because Greg Cody is a bit cantankerous this morning because he's a little surrounded today and tomorrow. Zaslo, his sworn enemy, is going to be on the show tomorrow and Greg Cody and Zaslo have beef. And now we've reached out to Billy Corbyn, who of course is very busy at City hall because he always is, and we're trying to get a hold of him to talk.
Greg Cody
The hell's he doing at City Hall? Billy Corbyn?
Mike Ryan
What do you mean, what's he doing in City Hall? Don't you imagine? Brings up a good always be in City Hall.
Tony
But Greg brings up a good point like he's just there. He's not there.
Stugotz
There's not a meeting.
Mike Ryan
I'm sure there is a meeting.
Tony
He's not voting on anything.
Greg Cody
Don't you understand? Billy Corbin is South Florida's self appointed watchdog, looking out over everything, protecting all of our rights. He's at City hall waiting for some controversy to happen. Good for you, Billy. Keep it up.
Mike Ryan
So like I said, he's cantankerous and he has called Billy Corbyn a jackass before on the air and he's asked me not to inflame that situation. But how do I not inflame that situation when I'm an inflamer? And also when he's coming on with us in a little bit to talk about this O Cinema story where you've got boycotts and protests over an Oscar winning movie that's being played and the mayor of Miami beach is looking to shut down an independent theater. I wanted to talk to Billy Corbyn about that. What do I do with Greg Cody here saying this was his life philosophy? If you treat me like a jackass, then I think you're a jackass. And so he didn't have any problem. Like I've said before with Edwin Pope and other columnists, when someone of his stature does something that out of character to call someone publicly a jackass, it gets my attention more than if a random person is doing it because he does it pretty infrequently. But I feel like Billy Corbyn is someone here who is almost universally annoying while always fighting for the right things. So I don't know.
Tony
It's subjective. It's super subjective.
Greg Cody
To who?
Tony
Even to those on the left, it's subjective.
Dan LeBatard
I want to hear Tony's reason why I'm good.
Greg Cody
I don't dislike Billy Corbyn. He has publicly disrespected me. And I think the human nature, I think all of us might agree, if somebody disrespects you and is against you, you tend not to like them a lot. And you tend to get your back up and say, all right, you're gonna call me this and this. I'm gonna call you that and that.
Stugotz
It is funny how it couldn't be further away from politics. My dad's reason for hating corporate.
Mike Ryan
Well, but no, it's all personal. No, but it's. There is something here. You say it's all personal. And this one's always interesting to me because that one's subjective, where people say in these kinds of conversations, hey, don't do anything personal. And then everyone has a different definition for how they take things personally. The source of this is that Billy Corbyn didn't want the Marlins to get that stadium. And Greg Cody was rah. Rahing on behalf of his business being fine with the taxpayers paying so that the Marlins could have a stadium that. Before the show, I saw Fuentes and Mike Ryan and a bunch of people screaming at each other as Mike Ryan claimed that Lone Depot park, you know, wasn't up to his standards.
Tony
It's a hole. It's a hole. It's an assault on the senses, too. All these different colors. And I know that they changed the. The apple green walls, which were just horrendous to look at, but it's just there's this constant ambient hum. The food options stink. Yeah, the. The sight lines are no good.
Stugotz
The sight lines are fine.
Tony
No, I hate.
Stugotz
It's designed to be a baseball stadium. You can see the, like, the field from.
Tony
And what's designed to be a baseball stadium? Camden Yards. That's designed.
Stugotz
I don't.
Tony
Baseball stadium.
Stugotz
I'm not arguing that Lone Depot park is a Top whatever ballpark in all of sports. I'm just saying we're, are, we're being affected by how bad the Marlins are. If the Marlins were in the playoffs the last 10 years, we would feel differently about this ball.
Mike Ryan
It's not a great park.
Tony
I gotta say. I never liked it from like opening day on and this. And I was someone that was a proponent of it, even though that meant tearing down the Orange Bowl. And I got there, I'm like, this is what they decided to do with it.
Stugotz
What started this debate is there was a, like Google, Yelp, they kind of formulated all the reviews from all the stadiums in the NFL, NBA and MLB, and they ranked 90, 90 stadiums. And Cassia center, the Heats arena is a top 10 arena according to reviews. And Lone Depot and hard rock were 62, 63 out of 90.
Dan LeBatard
Yeah, but what, I mean, we don't have to rehash this whole thing, but the controversy around Lone Depot park wasn't because the. It was ugly or like the walls were a bad color. Like they were. You understand that, right, Chris?
Tony
No, I know.
Stugotz
I'm talking about.
Tony
We all know that.
Dan LeBatard
So, like, the wins and losses thing like that doesn't really change the reality of how the park ended up where it is.
Tony
Yeah, but I mean, that's already known.
Dan LeBatard
Like, I understand that the conversation started.
Mike Ryan
Right.
Dan LeBatard
Isn't that why Greg.
Mike Ryan
And that's the personal nature of the beef starts there. And I don't think that there's anything else to it other than that.
Greg Cody
Well, I was one of the few people in this market who was a proponent of them building, getting that stadium built. And the difference between Corbyn and I on this particular topic is that he thinks I should have been protecting the taxpayers of Miami Dade by questioning the deal and how much money and who was paying this and how much tax were going. And that's up to the politicians. My job as a sports columnist in this market, I think in this case was to be a proponent for the new stadium they needed to keep the team down. Here they got it built. And that's actually, although it's a controversial one, that's actually the only positive legacy of Laurie's time here as the primary owner, or at least it's the biggest one, along with one World Series. Well, when you say though.
Mike Ryan
Well, when you say though, the one positive. And you guys in the other room say Billy Corbyn, according to whom is on the right side of things. Billy Corbyn is perpetually fighting corruption. He's on the right side of perpetually fighting corruption. You can have your issues with all of the other activisms depending on whether your political leanings are one way or the other. But there is no disputing that he's one of the few vigorous and vigilant about holding public officials accountable on how it is that they're supposed to behave with the public's money as servants. That's not up for dispute. Correct. No one here would dispute that portion of it. That's not subjective.
Greg Cody
No, and I agree that looking back, there was malfeasance on the part of Miami and Miami Dade politicians to get fleeced by Geoffrey Lauria. It was. Jeffrey Laurie is a businessman and a pretty good one. His job is to get the best deal he can and boy did he.
Mike Ryan
That's correct. But when you guys say, and I ask, Billy Corbyn tends to be correct when it comes to this thing. It's been an enormous waste of money locally. It's not just that our politicians got taken, it's that the sport's only alive here, barely, and not functioning as a business in any reasonable way because they got that stadium. Otherwise they'd be in the situation the A's are in.
Tony
Local governments misappropriate funds all the time. It's one thing to say flatly that that money was used for a waste when you have no idea what that money would have gone to. You can have an idea, but you also have less say in the matter when this is something that was actually on the on the ballot.
Dan LeBatard
Crazy logic though, like a city shouldn't waste money because they'll just end up wasting it on something else.
Tony
I'm saying that stadium referendums are one of the few times that you can actually vote on these things and you can actually see whether or not and decide whether or not this is a good allocation when a lot of times they do stuff with autonomy or just commissioners do it. My big issue was they got the stadium, they cried poor, and then they sold the team that they spent a lot of money for right then and there. They made the Blue Jays trade, which I know in retrospect they ended up winning, but we don't need to litigate all this stuff. And yeah, while I agree that Billy is generally on the right side of corruption, how he goes about doing things rubs certainly a lot of people the wrong way. He's a rabble rouser.
Greg Cody
The state of the Marlins today is a whole different. The sad state of the Marlins today is a whole different subject. Bruce Sherman is one of the worst owners in all of sports. He's spending half, one third of what he needs to be spending just to compete.
Mike Ryan
But the stadium itself, to not even compete.
Greg Cody
Right. The stadium itself, I think is. Is very good. Looking at it from the macro, the retractable roof was a very smart idea, unnecessary idea. It overlooks the Miami skyline. It's a very pretty vista when, when you're at that stadium, they don't fill it because they have a lousy team because they don't spend. But that's 10 years, 15 years after this.
Mike Ryan
We're going to talk to David Sampson about this in about 30 minutes. He built that stadium. One of the most amazing things I've ever seen in South Florida business is the fact that he got that thing built and on time and with no overruns in this city because, yes, those people are very good at business.
Stugotz
We're going for likable this morning, huh?
Mike Ryan
Billy Corbyn going to join us at some point from City Hall. But you guys have it right when you say sometimes he's just hanging around City hall because he's like something out of a Carl Hiaasen novel in that Xavier Suarez did pull into his parking spot the other day and Billy Corbin's like leaning against City hall for no particular reason, just shouting at him. Hey, Mayor Tony, what are you shaking your head about?
Chris Cody
I'm not shaking my head about.
Mike Ryan
You were shaking your head about something.
Chris Cody
Your head was shaking in the chat. No, shout out to the chat.
Dan LeBatard
By the way, Tony, you have a lot of opinions. You have been saying them non stop since the show started, but none of them have been into a microphone.
Tony
Wow, let's not do that.
Chris Cody
Corruption doesn't usually happen at City Hall. It happens outside of City Hall. So go to other places around and try to figure that out. They happen in the back rooms of restaurants and things like that.
Tony
Are we sure he's there because of the politicians or the fact that their microphones there.
Mike Ryan
We will ask him that. I don't believe that those who live in ass houses should be throwing stones. We like our microphones too around here. It's not like anybody here has any complaints about microphones.
Dan LeBatard
Speaking of which, we need to get Taylor in here to talk about the North Carolina game last night.
Tony
He's always in here ready to go yet.
Greg Cody
How about that?
Tony
He's still rubbing his nipples.
Greg Cody
Where are all the critics now? Where is. Where are you Mayor of. Governor of West Virginia? How bad is North Carolina now? They kicked ass. They had a statement to make and they made it in capital letters. Go Tar Heels.
Mike Ryan
Who they make it against?
Greg Cody
You know, some team I'd never heard of.
Tony
They made a final four like two years ago.
Greg Cody
Oh, San Diego State. Yeah, they. It was the um, Final Four where um tanked and everybody else stayed good. They didn't tank intentionally.
Stugotz
Tanking team I've never heard of.
Greg Cody
No, I mean, it's a play in game is what I mean. But give North Carolina credit. Everybody maligns them saying they didn't deserve to be here. And they sort of made a statement for themselves. Good for them.
Mike Ryan
You seem to be very vibrant on behalf of North Carolina. The last team to make the tournament.
Greg Cody
Well, because they were maligned, which means unfairly criticized.
Mike Ryan
Not unfairly, not Fairly when you're 1 in 12.
Greg Cody
Okay, they. They ended their regular season by or the playoff ACC by almost beating a great Duke team. How did West Virginia end their season?
Tony
I really hated how to be San Diego State. Such a scrappy, underdog program. They do everything the right way. But what we had to do was put their head on a stake and remind everybody who North Carolina is. And that's exactly what we did.
Mike Ryan
We're on to Ole Miss.
Greg Cody
Preach.
Mike Ryan
Let's go on to Ole Miss.
Greg Cody
They're gonna make a run. UNC is gonna make a big long run.
Tony
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Dan LeBatard
Yeah, sure thing. Hey, you sold that car yet?
Stugotz
Yeah, sold it to Carvana.
Dan LeBatard
Oh, I thought you were selling to that guy.
Greg Cody
The guy who wanted to pay me in foreign currency.
Stugotz
No interest over 36 months.
Greg Cody
Yeah, no.
Stugotz
Carvana gave me an offer in minutes.
Greg Cody
Picked it up and paid me on the spot.
Stugotz
It was so convenient.
Dan LeBatard
Just like that.
Greg Cody
Yeah.
Dan LeBatard
No hassle?
Mike Ryan
None.
Dan LeBatard
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Greg Cody
I want to address Tony and all men who would wear that shirt in public. Stugats don't do it.
Mike Ryan
This is the Don Lebatar show with the Stugats. I want to ask all of you here, sports fans, the folks who over the years have gotten more than a little annoyed when you say likable and unlike of this show and what it's been regarding the Miami Heat for 15 years. I believe that there is audience here today exclusively to find out how we feel about Jimmy Butler leading the warriors last night in a way that he plays the entire fourth quarter. He gets a bunch of free throws. Steph is not needed. They beat Milwaukee, they beat Dame, they're beating Damon Giannis and they're doing so going through Jimmy Butler with Draymond Green holding Giannis to 0 for 6. Jimmy Butler must haunt Giannis. Giannis must be haunted by everything Jimmy Butler. Draymond Green says, hey, Wemby's out. I want to be Defensive Player of the Year again because he shuts down Giannis. Okay, nobody shuts down Giannis. And then after the game, Jimmy Butler is saying not only can he do that to anybody, he demands that no one help him with it. He does not want any help. He gets insulted by Draymond Green, old as he is, annoying as he is, still plays defense at a level that is insane.
Chris Cody
And he's flying up the Defensive Player of the Year rankings. And odds on. He's second odds on favorite right now to win at plus 650. On DraftKings, Evan Mobley's the only one ahead of a minus 275. Maybe three weeks ago, maybe a month ago, he wasn't even on the board.
Mike Ryan
And I'm wondering if to the group here, this feels like if you're an ex in a relationship, you see your ex out with somebody else, and all of a sudden it seems like they have a more passionate relationship than the one that you had. And all of a sudden you find longing for everything that's happening over there. Because the warriors are 14 and 2. And now when Steph is tired, because this part was interesting. So Steve Kerr says yesterday, steph's tired, he's exhausted. He's carried us for a month. Steph has seven turnovers in a game. Can't make anything. Says, I'm not tired, says it's my back, my back hurts. And Kerr is saying it's from carrying the team. Now you bring someone in somewhat. Jimmy Butler never had something like Steph here. Jimmy Butler. Everyone here was begging the Heat to get him something better than Jimmy Butler. So then Jimmy Butler could be that on select occasions when it's needed. So when you see that happen last night, your feelings are what?
Tony
I don't feel like a jilted ex lover. I don't. I feel like it's like the Tom Brady quote about his marriage. They put on a joint statement, our marriage did not fail. It was a successful marriage. I think I'm pretty confident. Unless he has an Andre Iguodala type finals that's paired up with a Steph Curry type finals where he wins an MVP in an NBA Finals, he's going to be remembered as a member of the Miami Heat. When people close their eyes and they think of Jimmy Butler, the image that they're probably going to get is him bent over a scorer's table in the bubble in a Miami Heat uniform. He went to two finals. Down here was a great time. He proved that he can be the best player on the team that went to multiple finals. And I'm very secure in it, and I'm actively rooting for him to win that championship. So that can't be held against his brilliant career.
Greg Cody
I think when people think of Jimmy Buffett. Jimmy Buffett, I say that all the time. Jimmy Butler in Miami, they're going to think of the burned bridge, which is still smoldering, and then they're going to think, you know what? Jimmy Butler was right after all, because he's so fit for that role in Golden State, where he doesn't have to be the best player anymore. He did have to be the best player in Miami. And although he had a fairly successful run here, it wasn't ultimately successful, and the Heat failed to make him the second best player on the team. And they're still looking for an elite player who's going to be the best player on the team because it's not Bam. And it's not hero and it wasn't Jimmy Butler. That's the problem with the Heat right now. They're stagnating without a premier player.
Mike Ryan
Again, though, 11 for 11 from the line plays. The whole fourth quarter, and every play in the fourth quarter is run through him.
Tony
Yeah, he's going to be great, I think, for them during this window, and then maybe next season it won't be as great, and then it will just keep declining. I think he's got one more run in him, and I'm hopeful to see that. I think if they have a good run and he's really good in the postseason, then even though it's part of the narrative down here locally, people will look back on his time, especially if he becomes an NBA champion, and his time in a Heat uniform will be remembered for the Miami Heat specifically failing him. And that'll become the narrative.
Mike Ryan
The part that I wanted to talk with you guys about, though, because the league has been taken away from Steph Curry, the way that you honor the back end of his career, one of the most amazing things any of us have ever seen anywhere across sports, the existence of Steph Curry, the way that you protect his aging. When the Van Gundy say, the hardest thing to do in coaching is to coach the aging superstar, that thing in Golden State that features Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. My question to you guys is, how does all of that age when both of them are unwilling, reluctant to give up who they've always been because they're in their later 30s, and at some point there has to be a diminishment? Cohen Draymond Green already, at this point, is only a defensive player. We laugh at him in every other respect because he is largely offensively washed. But he does one thing is the fuel of that thing. And when it's not working right, he'll punch you in the face. He'll. He'll. And so that's opposite Jimmy Butler. And so what? You have a lot of people feel this way. Sam Morrow was on with us. This is what he had to say about Draymond Green and just the very idea that he would say that Kat was avoiding Jimmy Butler in a game between the Knicks and the Warriors. And then afterward, the Knicks players were dapping up Draymond Green instead of defending their teammate.
Sam Morrow
Draymond bothers me. And you said he apologized. He didn't apologize. He gave a Draymond apology. He bothers me. The podcast he has bothers me because he brought in Baron Davis to make himself more likable. He's not likable. He's terrible at broadcasting. He lacks charisma. The way Shaq and Barkley ball bust Draymond. He's not able to do that. He's like the kid who thinks he can ball bust, but then says, your mom has cancer, and you're like, that's not a joke. That she actually does have cancer. That's his sense of humor. He sucks. He's mentally ill. If he was a football player, he'd be Antonio Brown by now. He's unhinged. He. He has, like, the ego of, like, it's like if Ringo Starr was the biggest dick in the Beatles, you know, like, it's weird that Paul, George, and John are nice, and then Ringo's a dick.
Mike Ryan
I don't think you can just accuse him of being mentally ill. I think that's a bit irresponsible.
Sam Morrow
Okay.
Mike Ryan
He's.
Sam Morrow
He's got all his marbles. You think he's not mentally ill?
Mike Ryan
I don't know. I just don't. I don't know that. I'm not comfortable just saying that about somebody. Certainly the resume has a lot of behavior that's unstable on it.
Sam Morrow
Yeah. I mean, he's just upset that Rudy Gobert. Not Rudy Gobert's fault. He keeps winning defensive player of the years, and he just, like, puts him in a sleeper hold.
Mike Ryan
I don't.
Sam Morrow
That's not the behavior of someone who's got it all together. It bothered me that the Knicks dapped him up. I think if Jalen Brunson was there, it would have been a different vibe. I don't like I didn't like that.
Tony
Not pictured. Commissioner Gordon. Dan, first and foremost, let me say I'm proud of you and the growth that you've made over the last week. On journalistic responsibility. That's huge. I'm glad that you corrected Sam on saying that that wasn't fair to label Draymond Green as mentally ill. That is great work out of you. And also, Sam, I'm pretty sure you'd love Draymond if he were a New York Knick. There's so many of those guys. There's one in Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk, also on the Florida Panthers. Head. You hate them if they're not on your team. You love them if you're. If they're on your team.
Mike Ryan
But rare for two to be on the same team aging at the same rate is. Is what I'm saying, too.
Greg Cody
Yeah.
Tony
I mean, Jimmy's a different type of player. He brings more to the table offensively. But Draymond, like, he has his role offensively. I get what you're saying, and look, it's working now. We'll see what happens in the playoffs.
Mike Ryan
I'm not actually even questioning it. I'm just super interested in seeing how all of it plays out. Because you've got. The thing that made me think of it is I'm assuming that everyone listens, listening to this, knows it feels like to have somebody in your workplace, one person in a workplace who you think like Greg Cody thinks of Billy Corbyn. That guy. That person's a jackass. But when there are two of them in a small, small workspace and they're two of the ones in the league that we all look at and say that's the top of the food chain on unlike people others wouldn't want to play with. I think it's a fascinating bet that Golden State is making on pressing the gas on we a couple of months to figure this out for Steph. We can't even take next year for granted. We'll give Jimmy the extension. But this is about right now. Can we take out OKC before OKC becomes too good to take out?
Tony
What's the longest Jimmy Butler has ever been paired on a team with someone that is obviously greater than him? The flash that D. Wade had, no pun intended in Chicago, that locker room.
Mike Ryan
Had all sorts of problems between him, Rondo and Wade.
Tony
He gravitated towards Wade and like it was the vets against the young guys, but he was still younger in his career, and everybody knew that Dwyane Wade was historically the greater player then, then in Philadelphia, you can argue that Embiid was going to be, was, was the better player on that team. But that was a short term deal. So kind of blessed in his career. He, he rubs people the wrong way. But he also has the benefit of being able to do that while he is very clearly the alpha of the team.
Mike Ryan
But this is what I'm talking to you guys about when I say the Van Gundy say the hardest thing to coach is the aging superstar because confidence is the last thing to go. Last thing. And the mirror is the last thing to know. And so Jimmy Butler is not going to concede to anybody. He's not going to concede. But if he's the team player everyone thinks that he is, this is a fairly self aware, easy, easy genuflect to make. I'm going to Steph's team, right? This is all this. I'm. I got my money and now I'm here to get a. I'm here to go 11 for, 11 for. On free throws. And if they need me in the fourth quarter because Steph can't carry us, I'll play the entire fourth quarter and have all the plays run through me.
Chris Cody
I think the other thing too is having Steve Kerr in that locker room to kind of like get the tensions down a little bit. Obviously, Steve Kerr does a lot of stuff with USA Basketball, has the ability and has the track record of coaching some of these monster personalities and monster players. It's like, all right, Jimmy, this is Steph's team. You know, you know that you're coming in, but I can help you kind of fit in the way that you would if it was like a super team, like a USA Basketball, something like that.
Dan LeBatard
Except for one very famous example where it didn't work well.
Chris Cody
I mean, that wasn't his fault though.
Mike Ryan
I wanted to ask the group, though, because I'm guilty of something here that I see as a great source of conflict in the NBA and at the top of the NBA pyramid, media pyramid right now. You've got an interesting thing happening in the content game where Barkley and Shaq have kind of been running it for a really long time. And there are plenty of new voices in basketball who are tired of the old voices, no matter how popular they are to us. And they get bothered by things like Shaq being on inside the NBA and being able to get away with not knowing who the coach of the Pistons is, not watching the Pistons and criticizing a team that's one of the better ones in the league this year because we hang on to the. The things we've been talking about for 20 years. Stefan LeBron, Stephen LeBron. Michelle Beadle was on the other day saying, when Barkley said those fools at ESPN who are just talking Lakers, LeBron all the time, she got. She ran afoul of LeBron while at ESPN. And she's saying, yes, we were all fools and are fools the way that we just keep talking about LeBron all the time instead of celebrating this new generation of players because it's easier to talk about the thing you've always talked about then to talk about OKC or Minnesota or even Denver somehow, because their stars not interesting enough for us. But Barclay calls Kendrick Perkins a fool. And then the retort from Kendrick Perkins is this, hey, NBA on tnt might want to tell that senior citizen Charles Barkley that I'll be around when he sees an idiot or fool in person. Make sure he keeps that same energy straight from the 409, homeboy. And we bar none and fade all Texas. Boy. I read that quickly because I didn't want to read that. Yes, you see right through me. Jessica, you couldn't have noticed that from the.
Tony
Very awkward.
Dan LeBatard
You didn't have to read it. Greg, how do you feel about him using senior citizen as a sort of slur in that post?
Greg Cody
I think it's a clever slur. I mean, is he 65? How old is Barclay?
Mike Ryan
Isn't he 60? I think he just turned 60.
Greg Cody
Okay. I think that's a broad parameter of the phrase senior citizen.
Dan LeBatard
62.
Greg Cody
See, this is all great, though. It's great for everybody. It's great for all the networks involved, all the principals involved. Like I said the other day, controversy is good in almost every instance, particularly when you're speaking into a microphone.
Mike Ryan
Okay. But you guys think just. I mean, I understand what is happening in the entirety of the content space, not just sports, but documentaries and people's lack of use for independent freedom. Not former player. The idea that Charles Barkley is critical of you and your coverage and that the response is make sure that when we're in front of each other, you might be ready to fight. That's a new thing. Like, that's not how we've done that before when the media is talking about the games and the criticism is going back and forth between two entities. In this case, we're gonna work together next year if Charles decides that he wants to be there with these people and it can all be wrestling. But I'm just curious if you guys care at all that. It all becomes wrestling.
Tony
That's perk being perk. Perk goes at people like that all the time. And I don't actually think they have to work together. It seems like they're licensing TNT's coverage, right? So they get to operate in their silo. They don't actually ever have to interface with ESPN's NBA team, which history tells us will change again. Like it's Q for Perkins to get involved in there. And I understand where he's coming from and defending himself, but I'm old enough to remember NBA finals at. John Barry was a key analyst for, you know, like Jalen, Antonio Davis. They just, they come and go and, you know, it's very transient over there. And if they actually have an anchor in TNT's coverage, I would. I'd try to ingratiate myself over to that. Otherwise you may end up looking like Lance Stevenson going up against LeBron.
Greg Cody
I also wouldn't assume genuine anger on either side. I think when these guys see each other, they're gonna shake hands, they're gonna have a little giggle. Hey, this was all a bit. You're a good guy. Clap each other on the back and move on. I don't think that they're really that angry.
Mike Ryan
Okay, well, but the thing that I'm asking you about all of you is back when we were the young, different thing, we were doing the bit to everybody because they were doing the serious thing. Now everyone's good with bit. Like we're good with. We're good with. What's.
Tony
You're asking us.
Mike Ryan
I'm. I'm asking.
Tony
I'm doing bit now.
Mike Ryan
I'm asking.
Tony
I am actively doing bit.
Mike Ryan
I am asking. You know what? I'm going to. Hold on a second. I've asked enough times for you guys to stop explaining the show here. That.
Stugotz
Major penalty.
Mike Ryan
Five minutes.
Stugotz
Grooming, comedy.
Mike Ryan
I don't need to hear anyone's actively doing bit ever again from anyone on the show. That's weird. The idea that two major media figures would go back and forth with beef is something I enjoy as content. I. Why have you not left yet? Why are you still here?
Tony
Is that. Was that okay?
Mike Ryan
That was for you? Yeah.
Tony
He thought that was pointing at me. You want me to go to a fake penalty box?
Greg Cody
Whoa.
Tony
Not doing that.
Mike Ryan
It's fake. It's not fake. What do you mean it's fake? Get out of here.
Greg Cody
Five minute penalty.
Mike Ryan
It's a five minute penalty and it's not fake.
Greg Cody
You did the crime, now do the time.
Stugotz
Somebody's listening. Right now. Like, wait, what?
Tony
I genuinely thought you were doing that to yourself.
Mike Ryan
Okay, that's good that that's what you thought, that you can leave now.
Dan LeBatard
But why would he be doing it to himself?
Tony
Why would anyone do it?
Chris Cody
Why do any of us.
Mike Ryan
I enjoy this. Does the audience is we're good with the trade, right? Because obviously a portion of this is personal to me. Right. I kind of like when ESPN allowed the journalists to have the strength. I've also been actively and publicly cheerleading for all of the athletes running into the space to make it a democracy. But when they do so what you get is documentaries that aren't actually the truth. They're just sort of documentaries that have access because we're blurring the line on some of where these conflicts are in the business economy of this. So when Beetle, as JJ Redick says, yeah, ESPN is just forcing LeBron on you through top. Like we're forced to do that as a topic because same way you do T bow. And I'm asking you guys, do you do the sport the right service when you're doing wrestling character about the guy you've been talking about for 20 years and ignoring that the MVP is in Oklahoma City because you can't. Because you don't know how to talk about that team even as it runs rough shod over everybody. And even if you do know how to talk about it, it your audience doesn't care. And your audience is dictating everything because everyone's fighting over the audience. So you have to talk about the things that's going to get the most people in the tent. But in the transaction, you lose the ability to sell young people anymore. You're just telling the same stories you've been telling for, for 20 years to the most important demo.
Greg Cody
Well, but as, as the media, we have to do both, right? We have to acknowledge the new wave and the NBA has, has a great young wave of stars right now. But people still want to talk about LeBron James. He's a unicorn. He's a one of a kind. And we've done that across time with extraordinary athletes. We talked about Tom Brady non stop. We talked about Serena Williams even after she was past her prime. We're still talking about Tiger Woods 15 years after his last major win. We do that because these are legendary figures in sports. Why wouldn't we talk about them? And LeBron James since they added Doncic, that's a good team right now. It's a little bit of a renaissance for the Lakers, which is a major franchise. We always talk about the Yankees. We talk about big franchises and big players and I don't apologize for that.
Stugotz
Tiger woods won a major in 2019.
Chris Cody
Point still stands though, Greg. But I think it's all part of the issue that first take kind of put everybody in where it's like we're going to talk about LeBron and Skip is going to argue with Stephen A. And we're just going to have this be debate culture. And all of a sudden now we're seeing the seeds of that 10, 15 years down the line where, yeah, all we can kind of do is talk about LeBron. Right. Nick Wright, who's now one of these new voices of the generation, continues the propaganda of talking about LeBron. When are we going to talk about Jokic? When are we going to talk about sga these like, when is that going to happen? Who's going to bring that to the forefront? Where the casual fans going to be.
Mike Ryan
Able to understand that Jayson Tatum is listening and watching the coverage of him a champion. He's done what right. He's done whatever it is he was supposed to do with his talents, he has achieved. Now we cannot diminish him in much of any way. He's saying I don't get my proper respect. Part of that is because we're always talking about the other people. We're refusing a narrative to give the league over to the other people. We'll talk about Anthony Edwards, we'll talk about John Morant, but not this way. Not, not. Not with the stories that we've fallen in love with with for 15 years so that we're still talking about the warriors and Theo Pinson who is proving to us that there are just too many podcasts. Theo Pinson is out here saying this of Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. The Miami Heat is worse. That is a worst trade than Dallas and the Lakers. Yes. By far. Yeah. Dallas is just getting cooked by injuries.
Tony
I kind of agree with that.
Mike Ryan
The Heat are healthy and they suck. Jimmy Butler was Heat culture. Yes. Regardless of what the you thought he was doing off the court. That mother brought a toughness. He brought a mentality.
Greg Cody
Leadership.
Mike Ryan
He had leadership. It, bro. I swear to God, it did not matter what seed the Miami Heat worked. If they got in the playoffs. Any team that played them, you didn't.
Chris Cody
Want to see them.
Mike Ryan
They had to buckle the up. You didn't want to see him be a dog fight.
Chris Cody
Theo Pinson played for the Dallas Mavericks. Played a couple years in the NBA. Cup of coffee, by the way, just for those of you out There Like Theo Pinson. I feel like I've heard that name.
Tony
Google Raymond Felton's on that.
Stugotz
Byron Scott has a podcast.
Mike Ryan
There are a lot of podcasts. What sentence could you put together that would be the funniest there? If I went all in with Byron Scott has a podcast. What are you beating me with as.
Dan LeBatard
A Chris Cody, Jess, Tony, Tony's brother, Taylor, Billy, Ethan, Mike Fuentes.
Mike Ryan
We have a podcast, the Greg Cody show.
Dan LeBatard
That's what's beating that.
Mike Ryan
Featuring Greg Cody.
Greg Cody
Damn right.
Mike Ryan
Has a podcast. In the most recent episode, we've got a best marches, best balls, best brackets, best baskets.
Greg Cody
Correct. I'm honored that you remembered all four categories.
Mike Ryan
It seems like a real delight that you just making lists with your son is also proof that there are too many podcasts.
Stugotz
Now that the window has now that the window has closed on the voting for the top five marches, do you want to reveal the top five marches to this audience? You don't remember them, do you?
Greg Cody
I don't remember all five off the top.
Stugotz
The worst.
Mike Ryan
I mean, come on. How important are you disrespect trying to promote your podcast? Disrespect the march by not remembering that the Million Man March is among your greatest marches.
Greg Cody
No, it actually wasn't.
Mike Ryan
Stunner.
Greg Cody
I. Okay, I can name the march.
Tony
Ides of March. Were you there for it?
Greg Cody
The what? The Million Man March.
Tony
No, the Ides of March.
Greg Cody
Oh, no, that'd be. That would have been a good one, though.
Tony
You were covering it.
Greg Cody
That was oli.
Stugotz
I know two of them. You had March of 77 when you lost your virginity.
Greg Cody
Right.
Stugotz
And then March of 2023 when you and I went to the Final Four.
Greg Cody
Right. Which was a lovely father son trip. One of them is Peggy March. Little Peggy March, who had a great million selling record in the 60s. I will follow him wherever he will go. What were the other marches? Oh, the march in Selma. The mid-60s Selma March for civil rights. That was on there. And what was the missing march you remember? Oh, John Philip Sousa's famous march. The all time great musical march. So it turns out the winning march, spoiler alert. Was the me losing my virginity. It won in a landslide. I would have voted for.
Tony
This is a new and unimproved Dan.
Mike Ryan
Levitar show with the stugats. Gamble on by DraftKings. Hey, friends, it's Jerbear here and I'm.
Tony
Here to tell you all about Boost.
Mike Ryan
Mobile, which is now a legit nationwide 5G network. So I must take a break from.
Stugotz
The jokes here for a second and.
Mike Ryan
Put on my serious voice. Because I would never ever joke about a 5G network that has invested billions building 5G towers across the country. Not even once. Not even if Mr. Boost Mobile himself asked me to. There is nothing funny about it. Boost Mobile is now a legit nationwide 5G network and also provides coverage across 99 of America. Seriously? Visit boostmobile.com or your nearest Boost Mobile store location to learn more. The Boost Mobile Network, together with our roaming partners, covers 99 of the US population. 5G speed beads not available in all areas.
Ethan
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Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – Local Hour: Greg Cody's Top 5 Marches
Episode Information:
The episode kicks off with a light-hearted conversation about selling cars, highlighting the convenience of using Carvana. Greg Cody shares his positive experience:
Greg Cody (00:26): "Picked it up, and paid me on the spot."
Stugotz echoes the sentiment, emphasizing the hassle-free process:
Stugotz (00:28): "It was so convenient."
This segment underscores the hosts' rapport and sets an informal tone for the show.
A significant portion of the episode centers around Greg Cody's strained relationship with Billy Corbyn, a local watchdog figure at City Hall. Greg expresses frustration over Corbyn's actions and public persona:
Greg Cody (06:19): "Billy Corbyn is South Florida's self-appointed watchdog, looking out over everything, protecting all of our rights. He's at City Hall waiting for some controversy to happen."
Mike Ryan delves deeper into the tension, questioning how to handle Corbyn's involvement in recent controversies, especially regarding the Marlins' stadium deal:
Mike Ryan (06:09): "Billy Corbyn is someone here who is almost universally annoying while always fighting for the right things."
The discussion highlights the complexities of local politics and media interactions, with Greg defending his stance on the Marlins' stadium:
Greg Cody (10:19): "He thinks I should have been protecting the taxpayers of Miami Dade by questioning the deal... My job as a sports columnist... was to be a proponent for the new stadium."
The hosts debate the balance between personal disagreements and professional responsibilities, acknowledging Corbyn's role in holding public officials accountable.
The conversation shifts to the contentious issue of the Marlins' stadium, Lone Depot Park. Tony criticizes the stadium's aesthetics and functionality:
Tony (09:07): "It’s a hole. It’s an assault on the senses... The sight lines are no good."
Stugotz defends the stadium's design, focusing on its purpose for baseball:
Stugotz (09:28): "It's designed to be a baseball stadium. You can see the field from..."
Mike introduces data from Google and Yelp rankings, noting that while the Heat’s arena ranks highly, Lone Depot Park falls below average:
Stugotz (09:58): "Cassia Center, the Heats arena is a top 10 arena according to reviews. And Lone Depot and Hard Rock were 62, 63 out of 90."
Greg reflects on the financial missteps associated with the stadium's construction and the Marlins' performance, linking it to Corbyn's criticisms:
Greg Cody (12:24): "Looking back, there was malfeasance on the part of Miami and Miami Dade politicians to get fleeced by Geoffrey Lauria."
The segment underscores the tension between sports management decisions and public perception, emphasizing fiscal responsibility and team performance.
A substantial discussion revolves around Jimmy Butler's impact on the Golden State Warriors and his performance against Giannis Antetokounmpo:
Mike Ryan (22:16): "Jimmy Butler must haunt Giannis. Giannis must be haunted by everything Jimmy Butler."
Greg Cody analyzes Butler's role and the Warriors' defensive strategies, noting Butler's growing reputation as a Defensive Player of the Year contender:
Greg Cody (22:30): "He's flying up the Defensive Player of the Year rankings. And odds on. He's second odds-on favorite right now to win at plus 650."
Tony shares his admiration for Butler's career and his pivotal role in the Miami Heat's success:
Tony (23:00): "I'm actively rooting for him to win that championship. So that can't be held against his brilliant career."
Sam Morrow joins to criticize Draymond Green's behavior and its impact on team dynamics:
Sam Morrow (27:08): "Draymond fucks me up because he brought in Baron Davis to make himself more likable. He's not likable. He's terrible at broadcasting..."
Tony praises Dan for addressing inappropriate remarks made by Sam:
Tony (28:21): "First and foremost, let me say I'm proud of you and the growth that you've made over the last week. On journalistic responsibility."
The hosts explore the challenges of integrating star players into team dynamics, the aging of key players like Steph Curry and Draymond Green, and the future trajectory of the Warriors.
Mike Ryan initiates a conversation about the evolving landscape of sports media, particularly the tension between established voices like Charles Barkley and emerging talents:
Mike Ryan (35:03): "Now everyone's good with bit. Like we're good with... We're actively doing bit."
Greg Cody defends the media's focus on legendary figures, arguing that iconic athletes deserve continuous coverage:
Greg Cody (40:23): "LeBron James since they added Doncic, that's a good team right now. It's a little bit of a renaissance for the Lakers... We always talk about the Yankees. We talk about big franchises and big players."
The hosts critique the media's reluctance to shift focus to younger, rising stars like Jayson Tatum and Nikola Jokić, advocating for a more inclusive narrative that celebrates the new generation:
Mike Ryan (36:18): "We're refusing a narrative to give the league over to the other people."
This segment highlights the ongoing debate about content diversity in sports media and the need to adapt to changing audience interests.
Greg Cody introduces his podcast segment, "Top 5 Marches," with a humorous take on memorable marches:
Greg Cody (43:15): "I'm honored that you remembered all four categories."
The segment reveals the unconventional nature of his top picks, ultimately crowning a personal milestone as the winning march:
Greg Cody (45:05): "So it turns out the winning march, spoiler alert. Was the me losing my virginity. It won in a landslide."
This playful exchange showcases the hosts' chemistry and ability to engage in light-hearted banter amidst serious discussions.
The episode wraps up with a blend of humor and camaraderie as the hosts tease upcoming content and reflect on the day's discussions. Stugotz and Greg continue their jovial exchanges, emphasizing the show's dynamic and entertaining nature.
Local Politics and Sports Intersection: The episode delves into the complexities of local governance, sports management, and personal conflicts, particularly focusing on the Marlins' stadium and Greg Cody's antagonism towards Billy Corbyn.
Player Impact Analysis: A thorough examination of Jimmy Butler's influence on the Golden State Warriors highlights the intricacies of team dynamics and the challenges of integrating star players with established teams.
Media Evolution in Sports: The hosts discuss the tension between traditional sports media figures and emerging voices, advocating for a balanced narrative that embraces both legendary athletes and the new generation.
Engaging Host Dynamics: Throughout the episode, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Greg Cody, and Mike Ryan showcase their chemistry, blending serious analysis with humor and personal anecdotes to create an engaging listening experience.
This episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz offers a rich tapestry of local sports commentary, media critique, and personal interactions, providing listeners with insightful discussions and entertaining banter.