Dave (2:15)

thing

Zas (2:18)

or fried a bag of onion ring When Timmy laughs until he has that's how you know that looks like his back Jack Let me hear you

Mike (2:32)

say looks love looks love

Zas (2:37)

Looks like his back Jack let's keep on doing it every year though. Antan vs. Pista bond welcome to Tan chair Jeff Fisher looks like shotgunning beers at a NASCAR track. If you say this game's the best, I'll say Zach looks like his back

Tony (2:57)

Chat Northwestern is gone from the tournament.

Mike (3:01)

Jim Harbaugh looks like a casket Salesman.

Dave (3:04)

Fairleigh Dickinson 16 seed repped by Mike

Mike (3:07)

McDaniel look like a college student on a full ride scholarship for esports. What a run.

Zas (3:15)

Looks like he's back, Jack.

Mike (3:21)

We did it, everybody. We made it. We made it to Friday. Give it up for making it through the week. We did it, everybody. Let's say hello as well to our pal Dave Damascia. He's out there on the west coast. Hello, Dave. Good morning.

Zas (3:33)

Yo, yo, yo. What was being served in the Miami headquarters there? What did you have? You have some of those nice pork things I like for breakfast.

Mike (3:41)

He likes the pork things. Dave misses the chicharrones.

Dave (3:45)

No, we did not have chicharrona. We didn't have.

Zas (3:48)

We had croquetas.

Dave (3:49)

We had pastelitos. We had a little bit of a Cuban sandwich situation.

Tony (3:52)

We had a little ham sandwich.

Zas (3:55)

Ay, ay, ay, cuidado.

Mike (3:58)

Dave misses the breakfast and lunch spreads every day we get here. That's one of the things. When I told. When I told the folks at espn, when I told the producers at ESPN radio, how we. We get a spread every morning here, every lunch, they couldn't believe it.

Tony (4:13)

They actually serve dinner, too. It's odd. I don't know why no one's ever here.

Mike (4:16)

I mean, granted, you know, they get Christine Lisa's cookies, and that's certainly.

Zas (4:20)

Those are fire.

Mike (4:21)

You know, Come on.

Tony (4:21)

But they just have a jar of. They couldn't believe.

Mike (4:25)

They couldn't believe that we get the food. And clearly Dave misses the food that we get here, so. Hey, we had Sweet 16 action get started last night. You got major league baseball opening day yesterday. Tony, you going opening day today?

Dave (4:41)

I'm going opening day. There's been a lot of talk in the front row here about my involvement in baseball and my love for baseball and the sport. I'm going to opening day. I'm going to be boots on the ground. I don't know who they're playing, and I don't know anything.

Tony (4:53)

I'm on to this guy.

Jeremy (4:54)

So I. I need Jeremy to let

Dave (4:55)

me know what's going on with the Marlins. Who do I need to look out for? What are the storylines? What am I getting myself into outside of copious amounts of beer and hot dog?

Tony (5:03)

Any sport besides MMA or football. I'm on to you, Tony.

Dave (5:07)

That's not true.

Jeremy (5:07)

Basketball, too.

Tony (5:08)

All right, you get three. Those. Any outside of those three? I'm on to you.

Mike (5:12)

Okay, hold on. Before Jeremy gets into, you know, the opening day tips, and it's the Rockies, right? Marlins have the Rockies this weekend.

Dave (5:19)

Yes.

Mike (5:19)

You. You, like everyone here has been to an opening day before, right?

Dave (5:23)

I don't Know, if I've been to an opening day, really great memories. Emilio Bonifacio's inside the park home run. Who can forget?

Zas (5:32)

Yep.

Mike (5:32)

I mean, that year was so funny because you. I mean, obviously, Mike, like, that year. Oh, Dan was getting hit with it from all angles because of Emilio Bonifacio. Like, Dave, do you even know. Have you ever even heard the name Emilio Bonifacio?

Zas (5:48)

I like. Well, if you want me to say no, I'll say no for the sake of the bit. But, yes, I have heard of him. Yes.

Mike (5:54)

Play along.

Zas (5:54)

Bonifacio.

Dave (5:55)

Who?

Mike (5:56)

Yes. See, there you go. You know what's going on.

Dave (5:58)

Dave watched sports.

Mike (5:59)

I mean, Dan got crushed after the start of that season, if I'm remembering it correctly. Right. Bonifacio had, like, three hits and an inside the park home run on opening day.

Zas (6:09)

Yeah.

Dave (6:09)

He went. He got out in front of Bonifacio is not that good. And then Bonifacio had a very hot first month. And then by the end of the season was. Right. But nobody cared because we all had our fun.

Mike (6:20)

Wow. So, Tony, you've never been to an opening? I always get jealous, Dave. Where. You know, the Marlins. The Marlins only came into action here in 1993. All right, so I was 12 years old when the Marlins began playing. Before that, I never had an opportunity, obviously. I don't think I'd ever even been to a major league baseball game before 19. I mean, how would I. Right. How would I have been to a major league baseball game before we got the Marlins in 93. But. But I used to always be jealous for the several years after that when I'm in middle school, where you would have some kids who were taken out of school early by their father to go to mag. To go to opening day down here, obviously, for the Marlins. I was always so jealous, Dave. I never got to do that. Did. Yeah, I mean, whatever. My dad had a job that he couldn't just leave in the middle of the day, you know, like, I never.

Zas (7:13)

You got to pay it. Pay it forward. First of all, I think I mentioned it a week ago during the tournament. Mo Damaschek once boosted me from school so I could go home and watch the Pitt Panthers play in March Madness against Karl Malone and Louisiana Tech. The Pitt Panthers lost that day, but the big winner, Dave Damaschek, an ally for life, he found in his mother. I went and picked up my two boys from school, and we went off to a getaway game.

Tony (7:39)

A good father.

Zas (7:40)

Go see the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. It was. It was grand stuff. And it really. Of course you should be doing that kind of stuff. That's good parenting right there.

Mike (7:48)

But like, Chris, you probably didn't ever do that either, because wouldn't your father have been working?

Tony (7:52)

That's. That's true. My mom took me, though.

Mike (7:54)

I went, oh, is that right?

Tony (7:55)

I've been to so many opening days.

Mike (7:57)

Yeah. So your mom would come to school, take you out early, and you would go to opening days.

Jeremy (8:00)

Of course.

Mike (8:01)

I can't believe it.

Tony (8:02)

Good parenting.

Mike (8:02)

Wow. I know. I never. Clearly, Tony didn't do that either. Doesn't know if he's been to an opening day period.

Dave (8:06)

I've been to a lot of closing days.

Mike (8:09)

What you felt like instead of going to the first game where I'm going to the last pop and circumstance.

Dave (8:13)

Right.

Mike (8:14)

You got a lot of hope. Let me go to the last game when it means nothing.

Dave (8:17)

Those are great games and appreciation. And not only that, it was the concert series. I saw the Steve Miller Band. It was Pirates. It was Pirates, Marlins. The last game of the season wasn't Willie Torino. No, no. Steve Miller Band. Like you said, you idiot. Thank you, Steve Miller Band. And it was the last day. I think it was the last game at pro player. Who was it? El Gron Combo.

Mike (8:40)

If it was the last game of proposal, it was 2011, then that was the last.

Dave (8:44)

Somewhere around there. All right, they had some bangers. Some like, regrettable ones like Diddy played. Oh, yeah, I went to see that one.

Mike (8:51)

What a shock. What a shock, though. What a shock, though it's going to be though, today. That crowd, the atmosphere, when you compare it to the last time there was a baseball game in that ballpark with the world. Baseball.

Dave (9:02)

Oh, let's not do that.

Jeremy (9:03)

Why are we doing that?

Dave (9:04)

Why not doing day of the year for Marlins fans? They're expecting a good crowd. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, this is because the Rockies are terrible.

Zas (9:12)

Yes.

Dave (9:13)

And have been for a little bit. Here. The Marlins are favored, expected to win. There is. There is. I put my finger on the pulse of Marlins fans. They're excited about this year.

Mike (9:22)

Oh, you. You've. You've pulled Marlins fans.

Dave (9:24)

I'm doing my best. I'm done being like, the NBA sucks and baseball sucks. I'm trying again. I'm done saying that. You know, I don't. It's boring because I don't watch it.

Mike (9:33)

That.

Dave (9:33)

That carried me for three years. I'm back in.

Mike (9:36)

It's funny you say that, because last year I went the whole year last year out on the Marlins. I'm giving the Marlins zero of my time. How is that a fool? What do they do last year that would tell me I missed something?

Jeremy (9:47)

They were the best team in baseball for a month and a half in the middle of the year. That got them back into the wild card race in a way that was. They had the best run in franchise history. Tied with the 2003 season where they won the World Series. They got off to a slow start.

Mike (10:01)

And that I should regret that I missed that.

Jeremy (10:02)

It was a lot of fun. It's entertainment in the middle of summer in a sport that's a lot of fun. Like, I don't understand why we have to roll our eyes.

Dave (10:09)

I just don't know if I can actually follow it because I believe the package that I got was heat Rays. So let's go raise.

Jeremy (10:15)

Hey, new, new broadcast deal, Marlins TV. You can get the entire season for 100 bucks.

Zas (10:19)

Can we now agree? I think this. I might even be late to the party to say this on this show, but this is something I've been saying for a couple of years. Baseball ahead of NBA now, right? Do we agree on that?

Dave (10:32)

Absolutely not. Baseball in NBA. Head of NBA in what metric? In any metric.

Zas (10:37)

Pleasure.

Dave (10:39)

All right, so that's one of the metrics. That's a no.

Mike (10:41)

Do you have any other methods, any other metrics?

Zas (10:45)

I don't care about what the ratings are. I'm not one of those people about like, well, look at where the audience. That is neither here nor there.

Dave (10:53)

So not a single metric straight up.

Zas (10:55)

Except you're viscerally. I right. Yeah.

Dave (10:57)

Okay. All right.

Zas (10:58)

My opinion is, is that I am much more interested in Major League Baseball. But I also feel that there's something in the air that we have become cynical about the NBA for a number, number of reasons. And the Major League Baseball has kind of fixed itself up, addressed some of the issues that people had with it and it has amounted to, I think, a little more interest in our former national pastime.

Mike (11:24)

Well, I will tell you, you know, between the two sports, MLB and NBA and baseball being the, you know, old fuddy duddy white guy sports, Major League Baseball has done a much better job at. At adapting and being progressive with the times than the NBA has, where you look at the things that the NBA and that nothing Adam Silver have tried to do to fix the league, nothing has worked. And you look at Major League Baseball, the changes that they've made when it comes to pace of play. And now we're going to see the ABs is here. Like I think, I think Pretty much everything that Major League Baseball has done to try and help the game along has worked.

Dave (12:04)

That's a terrific point by Zaz. And I guess it's a point for Dave Danishek, too. I can't believe it. But, like, we're now talking about the NBA as a team that needs to do some drastic rule changes to adapt to the style of play, because the math has kind of gamed the system much like baseball. And baseball was always reputed to be the sport that was so against change.

Mike (12:24)

Yep.

Dave (12:25)

And here they are trying to change with the times and the NBA, inexplicably, because there is a clear and obvious problem with the sport. But I'm not going to get into that because I'm trying to give it another chance is still dragging its feet.

Mike (12:36)

Well, and the commissioner, Adam Silver, you know, who again, was. Is a nothing. His solution to everything is let's do a tournament. Any problem that the NBA has, you got to do a tournament, Dave.

Zas (12:46)

I mean, we're taught the entire debate this season, once again, kind of is the amount of games being played. And a lot of people who love the NBA advocating for a lot fewer games, like, let's cut the season down by 10 or 15%. That doesn't sound like a sport. That's booming to me. When people are trying to rationalize their way around how we can have an MVP if he only plays, let's say, 75, 80% of the season. I mean, that's the rolling discussion. It's dissatisfying, obviously, and baseball is booming. The only question is, and I hear you, Mike, let's not do. Or who was it, Zaz, who said let's not do the. The World Baseball Classic versus a Marlins regular season baseball game. But if they can somehow bridge some of that energy. I understand it's not going to be a sellout with people going gaga inning to inning, but if they can somehow get some of that spirit. I thought it was a bad look during the World Baseball Classic when MLB is tweeting out and otherwise, like, look at the energy in this place. Like, yeah, that's exactly what you don't have. And in fact, that's what you sort of. You discourage formally as a league. You don't like individual celebration. But if they can bring more and more of that in there. Yes, I continue. I think that MLB's rise continues, by the way, very quickly. Dynasties, whether people say they hate them or not, are good for sports. And the Dodgers make baseball more compelling than the NBA, which is intentionally trying to create some parody that works in the NFL because it's wildly popular. It's not going to work in the NBA or other sport.

Tony (14:20)

Oh, folks, look at me. I'm in my 30s, which is old enough to know better and somehow still young enough to ignore that information pretty regularly. Like you know me. I'll have a couple drinks, normal adult behavior, nothing crazy. And then the next morning, my body reacts like I have made a series of terrible decisions with no supervision. My sleep score tanks. I wake up confused. Suddenly even replying to one text feels like a full task. But that is why I have discovered and gotten into Cheers Restore. Alcohol hits differently now. It affects your brain, your sleep, your liver, all of it. And Cheers Restore is made for that. It's a dual action after alcohol aid designed to support your brain and your liver after drinking. And the origin story is wild. It started with a Princeton student researching dhm which is this compound tied to alcohol related effects in the body. It's in Walgreens CVS 7 11, basically everywhere. It was on Shark Tank. All I do is take three capsules after my last drink or before bed. And the next morning is way less dramatic. Same night out, way better morning with Cheers. For a limited time, our listeners are getting 20% off your entire order by using code dan@cheershealth.com just head to cheershealth.com and use code dan for 20% off. After your purchase they will ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them the Dan Levittard show sent you.

Dave (15:36)

Hey Roy, buddy.

Jeremy (15:37)

Yo.

Dave (15:37)

You know that energy shift when the game gets good and everybody all together in unison knows to stand up on their feet? Oh, absolutely, Mike.

Zas (15:46)

Yeah.

Dave (15:46)

You've been at many big time sporting events. You know that moment quite well. That's what it's like when you take your first sip of Cuervo. Oh, delicious. It's the signal that says we're not checking the time anymore, pal. It's when small talk turns into stories. Cuervo, man. It's that high five. A random stranger effect. That's right. The game is popping. You're hugging people you never met before. That's the kind of energy that Cuervo brings. It's so smooth, so delicious. That's the Cuervo effect. Keep it Cuervo.

Tony (16:20)

The world moves fast. Your workday even faster. Pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data. Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft 365 apps you use, helping you quickly write Analyze, create and summarize so you can cut through clutter and clear a path to your best work. Learn more@Microsoft.com M365 copilot Don Levatar My

Mike (16:50)

algorithm on Instagram is Dan. It's all boobs,

Dave (16:55)

stugats.

Mike (16:56)

It's a good algorithm. This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

Dave (17:07)

I mean, the, the Dodgers dynasty was a huge storyline in a World Series. Had injected a lot of enthusiasm around the sport. I mean, Jeremy makes orgasm noises anytime that you mention that. Game seven.

Jeremy (17:17)

I mentioned that 30 pitch.

Zas (17:19)

I watched it again the other night while I was sitting in a bar tache. It was, it was up on the screen. And I mean, from the eighth inning through the completion of that game, it is. I can't believe that was game seven of the World Series and only our collective cynicism has gotten in the way of us celebrating that moment, that hour or whatever it was in real time for the, for the Fall Classic that I can't get over it. Now I'm getting excited. Andy Pa has collided with Kiki Hernandez in the Albion caught them. I mean, the season is over if he drops that ball. They collided and he catches the.

Mike (17:55)

Oh, what, what, what a.

Zas (17:56)

What a stretch that was. And we haven't celebrated it enough.

Dave (17:59)

There is a lot of momentum. Hopefully there's a good crowd today at Lone Depot Park.

Tony (18:05)

There's enough concession stand workers.

Jeremy (18:07)

They did a great job during wbc.

Dave (18:09)

But to Dave's point, I've seen some ballparks try to replicate the athletics. I think had a drum section like 15 years ago. It takes a full house to capture that energy. Yeah, there are instruments. Yeah, there's dancing. Yeah, there's chanting. But all that stuff is sad if there's only a smattering of like 400 folks doing it.

Tony (18:30)

We're replacing a bunch of Dominicans with

Zas (18:31)

me and my family.

Dave (18:33)

I don't think the Marlins are totally incapable of recapturing that energy, but it is highly dependent on the Marlins. I'm going to try on field product that gets the people in that building and then that stuff will take care of itself. But first and foremost, the Marlins have to be good.

Jeremy (18:48)

That's the whole thing with them, right? Like that's, that's this town in general. You've got to be good for a sustained period of time to get people to show up. And they might not leave once you

Dave (18:56)

do, or they might stop showing up if you don't make the playoffs. According to a Minnesota Wild play by Play guy.

Jeremy (19:00)

Well, that's a whole other conversation that we can get into. But with the Panthers, right, they've had a couple of good years. The crowds continue to show up in a year where they've struggled. The Dolphins haven't been good in God knows how long, but because they were great in the childhood of so many people that are now in their 60s.

Mike (19:15)

I don't think this rule that you are putting out there applies to the NFL. The NFL is like, sure, a completely separate. So even look at the Heat, your teams can be horrible and people are still going to go to NFL. But the other sports, yes, you're right. Heat, Panthers, once you win a championship, you're golden. I mean, the Heat have been golden attendance wise since 2006. The Panthers now, because you, you have the generation. You have captured the generation of fans and they're never going to go anywhere and they're going to pass it down to their kids as well. You are golden once you win the championship. And that's why you, you, you're. You see the Panthers in a year that, yeah, they're not making the playoffs and we've really known it for a while now. It's still a very big house as

Jeremy (19:54)

they've won two World Series.

Tony (19:56)

It's.

Jeremy (19:56)

It's doing.

Mike (19:57)

Oh no.

Jeremy (19:58)

It's a sustaining champion.

Mike (19:59)

But you can't tear. You didn't. You have to give the fans an opportunity the next year when you're going to have packed houses because they just won a World Series. You have to give the fans an opportunity to celebrate the World Series. And Wayne Huizenga at The parade in 1997 says, Enjoy it now while it lasts. And he tore the whole team down.

Dave (20:20)

Yeah, there was, there was a point after 03 where I will give credit to Jeffrey Luria and David Sampson. They were trying to compete for.

Mike (20:30)

They were good. Oh five. They spent money in.

Dave (20:32)

Oh five.

Mike (20:33)

They were good too.

Dave (20:33)

Yeah, they made big time acquisitions. They were. They were going for it. And you know, like the attendance did reflect that. It was an uptick in, in attendance, but you were going from a very low point to a point that wasn't really impressive. And then everybody argued. Well, we're trying this hard, but no one's showing up because the stadium is bad.

Mike (20:52)

People don't understand. Dave. Like, like the stadium while, you know, it's world class now, but for baseball, every day, sometimes in the middle of the day, holy shit. Like unbelievably hot.

Zas (21:05)

Like you. I missed that.

Dave (21:07)

I miss it too. And there were rain delays like every

Mike (21:09)

game, June, in the middle of the

Tony (21:11)

day, just for nostalgic purposes.

Dave (21:13)

But, but they, they were competitive there and they were trying. And I do think that there was an uptick in, in attendance just a little bit, even though it was hard to get to. And then they threw it all away once they got the new ballpark because everything that they told us ended up being lies because they. Look, I don't want to do. Look, let's restart.

Mike (21:28)

No, it's opening day.

Dave (21:29)

Yeah, I'm just. Because Dave's here and I'm trying, I'm trying to like, explain why we're here and how this is a new day and how there's momentum for the sport and for the first time in a long time, there's actually genuine enthusiasm and optimism surrounding this ball club and playoff talk.

Zas (21:50)

I am. I could listen to you guys talk about this for a few hours. I would. The lore, sincerely, of the Florida Marlins, Miami Marlins and all the rest of it from a distance nationally, I think both. It's, it is wild that one franchise in the span of a half dozen or so years won two championships. And both are deeply resented by the rest of the nation. I mean, really, in the history or in the last 50 years of big time American sports, I don't think people nationally are more dismissive about a couple of championships than they are about those two Marlins World Series titles. What that does to you, I don't know down in. If that makes you guys puff your chest out even more or, or put a chip on your shoulder. Sincerely, also, Mike, fellow drip driller, how much does the lack of consistency in the look and, and, and, and really bring it home for me? Give me the 1, 2, 3 Marlins outfits, their uniforms, because the teal is where they start. And then they just decide like one day, I can't stand when. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know we used to be. Now we're. Now we're black and orange. Like what, what the hell? You don't get the, you know, what kind of voodoo are you trying to work on us? You don't get to just change your color scheme because you decide it's convenient for you. You chose teal and black. Now deal with it.

Dave (23:15)

So, yeah, Dave, I actually agree and I've argued this point. It's why I'm excited that the teal is coming back on Sundays because for a franchise that's roster construction has always been very transient. There haven't been players that have been here long enough to really put their roots down. And the second that you Start feeling like, ah, this guy's a face of the franchise, an all timer. They end up getting moved. So for me, the connection point to my childhood, when I watched every game, when I really loved the game, when I could honestly say baseball was my favorite sport. They were wearing teal. And so they move into this new ballpark. That's a shock to the system. Whatever. And for their color scheme, you said black and orange. No, Dave, they picked every color. Their logo was the entire color spectrum. Pick a color.

Zas (24:01)

It's outrageous. It's like OKC did the same crap. Like we're a new franchise now. We're, we're. We have the troubling choice of thunder, singular, like we've talked about before. What? What the hell? Why couldn't you just go Twisters? Why couldn't you just be the OKC Twisters? That would have been cool. Instead, Thunder. Now the grammatical conundrum. And then on top of it, what's your color scheme? All. We're taking all. What do you mean? No, you need like a couple colors. No, we want them all. We're taking orange and we're taking two or three shades of blue. We're working some black. No, no, choose your color. I'm with you.

Dave (24:37)

So then they decided to move to like black blue, caliente red. And that's where they are right now for me, like, since I don't have luminaries really hanging around, since I don't have a player that has been around long enough during the time that I've been really actively following the sport. I. The connection point that would always take me back down a nostalgia trip would be those uniforms. I want to see a team on the field reflect that of my childhood. And I'm excited about the teal thing on Sunday. Even though the teal jersey that they're wearing, the never actually wore during game. But I think that this franchise, it's the most obvious thing in the world. When you look at the problems that face this franchise and the connective tissue to the community, it's the easiest solution for me to say let's go back to our old look. That way people can start feeling like they have some kind of connection.

Mike (25:28)

I used to like the cutoffs, the sleeveless that they used to wear.

Dave (25:33)

Hard to sell though with. Yeah, hard to sell. Like that's why they, the MLB went away from that because guys don't want to buy vest on fanatics or whatever. It's hard to rock that at a get about that vest.

Zas (25:45)

Who's most likely who's most likely to wear that in that. In that room right now. I'm gonna go with in a. In a surprise prize, a slight upset over Tony Mike. Ryan Ruiz is the most likely to wear one of those out on the street. Unironically.

Dave (25:59)

I would. I would rock a vest to a game.

Zas (26:02)

I like Tony Conigliara.

Dave (26:05)

I think that I have my own frustrations with Lone Depot Park. Hopefully they turn it around. It's not just the atmosphere. It's concessions. Like, I look. I like college baseball. I love going to Mark Light Stadium. There is tradition there. There is a community there. And I like the ping of the baseball bat. I have a team that, you know, it's college baseball, so I don't actually get attached to the players. It's always a program. And those colors ain't a changing. Right. If the Marlins can just guarantee me a good time, because I've been there about like 10 times since they moved into Lone Depot Park, I'd go more.

Mike (26:39)

That's it.

Dave (26:39)

I'd go more.

Mike (26:40)

Yeah.

Dave (26:40)

It's a bad ballpark, dude. I don't like it. And I've gone to so many ballparks. I even as somebody that would admit I don't like the sport all that much anymore, I love sitting outside, drinking a beer, hearing the crack of the bat, smelling the grass. It reminds me of a bygone era. I like it. Lone Depot park doesn't do it for me.

Mike (27:01)

Do we know what the setup is tonight, Jeremy? Are we doing roof windows? We know what the deal is.

Jeremy (27:06)

The plan is always roof open on opening day so long as the weather allows it.

Zas (27:10)

Right.

Jeremy (27:10)

The last thing you want is an opening day rain out. So if the weather's holding up, it looks good. It would be a roof open if the weather is holding up. And it really plays into what Mike is talking about where you're looking for a reason to have connection. Sandy Alcantra is making his sixth opening day start tonight.

Dave (27:28)

That is. That is actually a real rarity for this.

Jeremy (27:31)

No, he's. I think that's most is three. It is a record. It is a record, but it was

Dave (27:35)

by a wide market. It was probably a record four years ago.

Jeremy (27:38)

Yeah, it was a record probably before the time.

Tony (27:40)

Set the record twice.

Dave (27:41)

Yeah, it's.

Jeremy (27:41)

It's crazy.

Mike (27:42)

Who was the three like Ricky Nolasco, I think Nolasco.

Jeremy (27:45)

Josh Beckett, I think had a few. I think there's a few guys.

Mike (27:49)

Yeah.

Jeremy (27:49)

Josh Johnson might have had a few there as well. But you'd be surprised how. How Josh Johnson is one of the best pitchers in this franchise.

Tony (27:57)

He got great.

Jeremy (27:58)

He got hurt.

Dave (27:58)

Those battles with Roy Halladay, dude.

Jeremy (28:00)

Doc One of my least favorite memories is I was supposed to go to the Roy Halliday perfect game, but I had a JV baseball game and my dad was like, you know, you have commitments, you have commitments that you made to your team. You're supposed to be there. It was Josh Johnson against Roy Halliday. Johnson throws seven, seven innings, one run. He was amazing. Royalty throws a perfect game and I wasn't there. I'll never, I'll never, I'll never forget my dad.

Tony (28:23)

Nelasco actually never did it. A bunch of guys have done it twice. Only Josh Johnson did it three times 10, 11 and 12. And then Beckett did it three times. 303-0405 but with Sandy Alcantara on the

Jeremy (28:36)

mound like that, that's one of the things to look to here, right?

Dave (28:38)

Is.

Jeremy (28:39)

Is this opportunity for Sandy to come back and have a great year.

Zas (28:42)

Dave well, I just think it's there. There's a weird paradox for Miami based baseball fans. Baseball is huge in your part of the country, but playing it under a dome like Mike kind of hints at isn't terribly satisfying. It's just not the esthetic that you want for.

Mike (29:01)

Oh, that doesn't bother me.

Zas (29:03)

Summertime. I hear you. That's. I think you have to accept that if you're going to be a Marlins fan and be a regular at the ballpark, then you're going to go and sit under the dome. But I susp fact that a lot of people, in theory at least, are purists about it. I want to be under the sun drinking a beer. Dave I get that just described.

Dave (29:22)

I get that. But again, playing a pro player and sitting in the stands of pro player

Zas (29:25)

was playing on the surface of the sun.

Dave (29:27)

I prefer it. I prefer it then the surface of the sun. I prefer it, honestly, than the ambient hum of the AC and yeah, I just don't like it. It needs to do something that's happening. A character. It doesn't have character. Nothing brings people together quite like Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games. From NBCUniversal's iconic storytelling to the innovative technology across Xfinity and Peacock, Comcast brings the Olympic Games home to America sharing every moment with millions. When Team USA steps onto the world stage, people aren't just watching, they're cheering together. This winter, everyone is all on the same. Team Comcast, proud partner of Team usa.

Tony (30:13)

Your little one grew three inches overnight.

Mike (30:16)

Adorable.

Tony (30:17)

Also expensive Sell their pint sized pieces

Dave (30:20)

on Depop and list them in minutes with no selling fees because somewhere a dad refuses to pay full price for the clothes his kids will outgrow tomorrow

Tony (30:29)

and he's ready to buy your son's

Dave (30:30)

entire wardrobe right now.

Tony (30:32)

Consider your future growth Bird budget secured. Start selling on Depop where taste recognizes taste.

Dave (30:39)

Payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details. Are you stuck staring at your W2?

Jeremy (30:48)

Are tax refund worries holding you back? You probably have FOMO. The fear of messing up the fix

Dave (30:55)

using TurboTax on Intuit credit Karma.

Jeremy (30:58)

They find every credit and deduction to help you get every refund dollar you

Dave (31:02)

deserve or your money back.

Jeremy (31:05)

It's time to overcome your fear of

Tony (31:07)

messing up and get your taxes done right.

Dave (31:10)

Start filing today in the Credit Karma app.

Tony (31:13)

Don Levitard Our Panther Group chat We're confident against the lighting. This is a different team. You're a Panther Group chat no, no. I think no. But dude, you're. You're so wrong on that. We've been terrified of this team forever and I think there's a different energy where the Panthers, they want the lightning st.

Dave (31:29)

I want T shirts made for this Panther run. What could be this Panther run Our

Mike (31:34)

Panther group chat we're not afraid of the lightning.

Dave (31:37)

That's a Tagline for World Raw 3.

Mike (31:40)

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stuff.

Zas (31:50)

Why can't they do a thing like soccer stadiums do in Europe? And now more and more you even see NFL stadiums. Seattle kind of has that. In Buffalo, what they're building looks like that where you cover at least the fans and get out of the severe sun. I know they have that.

Jeremy (32:07)

The Dolphins games, they have that at Hard Rock.

Dave (32:09)

It's just not a complete covered thing. But I don't know. They made it covered and like there's nothing we could do about it.

Jeremy (32:14)

They just don't want all the rain out.

Dave (32:15)

Closes it. Yeah, they don't.

Jeremy (32:15)

It's that simple.

Dave (32:16)

Rainout's plagued this this market for such a long time. And I and it was something that I would openly complain about because we're like half the time I would go to a Marlins game. I was in the concourse for like two and a half hours. It wasn't a short amount of time. I get it. But I would like to have the roof open a little bit more. I'd like to have the breeze running through there a little bit more. But also I would just like, I would just like a better park. I think they missed Some work with the park, and it's not like they can do much with it. But let's switch gears because we alluded to it, Zaz, earlier. There was a Minnesota Wild guy that really tapped into what little energy we had left about this disappointing hockey season.

Mike (32:53)

You want my attention? You got it. So the Wild beat the Panthers last night. Three, two. I mean, the Panthers are really fielding a mass unit at this point. Like, Evan Rodriguez is now going to miss the remainder of the season. He broke his finger. Why are you laughing?

Zas (33:11)

A mass unit on purpose. Why? I mean, what is it with the. With the Florida NHL teams just trying to game the system all the time? Anyway, all of a sudden. All of a sudden, these specious injuries are cropping up all over the place. It turns out we have to shut down two thirds of our team all of a sudden.

Mike (33:28)

I don't.

Dave (33:28)

You know, you follow the sport. I think you have an idea of how much hockey this franchise has played and how beat up they've been in those runs. But I'd like to let Zaz continue to speak, Dave.

Zas (33:38)

He has a hurt finger.

Mike (33:40)

Really tough loss last night. The Panthers scored a tie with the empty net, and then they gave up the winner with five seconds left. Tough loss. It could have used the point. Anyway, so last night, apparently in the middle of the game, and it's a photo you could see on video. We'll put it up there. Some guy named Anthony laplanta. All right? He apparently is the. He's the play by play guy for the Minnesota Wild. So get this, all right? Mid game, if you were to zoom in, video team does not have to. But if you were to zoom into the scoreboard, this is almost six minutes into the start of the game. All right? It's very early in the game. And the Minnesota Wild, play by play guy decides in the middle of calling the action. I'm going to take a photo of the crowd and I'm going to post on Twitter and I'm going to accompany that caption by saying, good to see all of those quote, die hard, lifelong Panther fans that were seen in public for the first time ever during the Stanley cup finals have gone back into hiding and end of tweet. So now this isn't. This isn't some podcaster who follows the Minnesota Wild. This isn't some blogger who follows the Minnesota Wild. This is their actual play by play television announcer who decides we are going to come after Panther fans for not showing up at the end of the season. Which, by the way, the announced crowd Last night, just under 19,000.

Dave (35:16)

It was a good crowd.

Mike (35:17)

Just under 19,000.

Tony (35:19)

This guy hasn't seen a bad crowd from us.

Dave (35:21)

No, no. I've seen plenty of bad crowds. And most importantly, as in that photo, to boost his argument, it's. It's Club Red.

Mike (35:28)

He's Dave. So you got to understand here, he's pointing the picture at the Club Red, although it's not called that anymore. Whatever it's called. Amaranth. Amaranth Vault. This is the. The two sections, center ice, which have the all you can eat buffet, which I don't know about you, Dave, but if I purchase those seats in the Amarin Vault, I'm probably going to spend a few minutes at the all you can eat buffet before I get to my seat drinks.

Dave (35:56)

It's a big time hospitality area for the Panthers.

Mike (35:58)

And so he points there and does the whole die hard, lifelong Panther fans have gone back into hiding. Let me also remind everybody, okay. That this dolt doesn't point out to everyone. Let me remind everybody the Minnesota. The city of Minnesota had their hockey team taken from them. And I'm sure it had nothing to do with fan support. Their team moved to Texas. Texas.

Zas (36:32)

The city of Minnesota is in fact two cities. It's. I like it very much too, by the way. It's the Twin Cities. What goes on there, by the way, it's the same thing. Nothing good with Tampa and St. Pete. I don't understand. I don't get the I didn't take civics class. What goes on that you're allowed to be Minneapolis and St. Paul and just count as one. That's. That explains Zaslow's confusion. You also have to understand NHL people as somebody who has been an NHL diehard for 25, 40 years now, they're ashamed of us. There's a collective. There's a collective chip on the shoulder about the sport and how people support it or don't. And all of that. People are much. It's. It's like liking an indie band versus a major label band. You feel like you. You have to defend it a little bit more. You know, like U2 doesn't need to be defended, but Built to Spill or Modest Mouse does or Pavement. They need you to perpetuate them a little bit more. I think that. But. But nevertheless pretty crappy stuff out of the play by play guy from. From Minnesota. Of course I'm with Zaslow. Well, Evan Rodriguez isn't playing because he has a hurt finger. The. You think I'm gonna sit there and watch the Game. No. I'm gonna go down in the bowels and eat the all you can eat. I'm gonna go for plate number four

Dave (37:54)

from several months ago.

Tony (37:55)

If anyone was unclear what this guy Anthony does for a living, he clearly has the microphone in his profile picture. That's when you know someone's really made it is when they put the the microphone.

Dave (38:05)

It's the Dom Draper meme. I don't think about you at all. What is why why you're a Minnesota Wild play by play guy. I don't. I barely think of you. What is a wild.

Zas (38:13)

That's right.

Mike (38:14)

See outsides Jeremy. Tony needs some opening day tips. He's going. He doesn't even know if he's ever been to an opening day.

Dave (38:21)

I don't think so. Maybe.

Mike (38:22)

I mean what a childhood.

Tony (38:23)

I don't like what he's doing closing days.

Dave (38:25)

I go to closing days though and

Mike (38:26)

Steve Miller band concert and you have a Marlins storyline top five for us.

Jeremy (38:31)

Yeah, I do. I have basically everything that you need to know and be thinking about in terms of what this season is going to look like for the Marlins based off last year. So a couple of olis last year there were several rookies, first year players who contributed to that roster in a big way.

Dave (38:49)

So good rookies.

Jeremy (38:50)

Good rookies. There are guys coming back for their second year. The question will become in the long run who are the guys that come up this year and contribute. Is it Thomas White or Robbie Snelling? The left handed pitchers who are at the very top of their prospects list. Is it Joe Mack, the star catcher who could come up maybe by May or so. Is it Kemp Alderman, a power hitting outfielder that they could go to for some right handed pop?

Tony (39:12)

Tony say two of the names.

Jeremy (39:14)

He just said Mac, Mac, Jack Mack.

Dave (39:17)

Was it Jack Mac, Joe Mack.

Zas (39:18)

But Jack, Jack, Mac's back.

Jeremy (39:20)

Jack another oh I the Marlins calling pitches from the dugout. So the Marlins and the Mets followed suit.

Tony (39:29)

I don't like this.

Jeremy (39:30)

The Mets followed suit here but the Marlins pitching coaches will be the ones calling the game. They'll be signaling to the catcher and to the pitcher through pitchcom. It's their scouting, their control and they're taking that out of the thought process. For the catcher it's just hey here's what we're executing and we're ready to go. They were doing it at the minor league system last year to a lot of success.

Mike (39:48)

Where is the pitch computer?

Dave (39:50)

In their ear. In their ear.

Mike (39:51)

He has an earpiece in.

Tony (39:52)

Yeah.

Dave (39:52)

They all catcher and the Pitcher both

Jeremy (39:54)

have an ear and the entire, the entire field has it so that they can know what's coming.

Tony (39:57)

I heard Clayton, I heard Clayton Kershaw say last night on the NBC broadcast that he's skeptical that a lot of teams are using this to like anytime they want to like slow an offense down and get away from the pitch clock. You just act like you're having an issue with the monitor.

Jeremy (40:11)

It's like the tire sheet.

Dave (40:12)

I saw that during the WBC when I first discovered that our time honored tradition of signs from the catcher.

Tony (40:17)

It's a way to throw people off without breaking.

Jeremy (40:20)

That's interesting. I, I'm gonna try to pay attention to that.

Mike (40:23)

But wait, so they will pause the pitch clock if you're having a problem

Dave (40:25)

with your, if you're like, yeah, pseudo mound visit.

Tony (40:28)

It's a tech issue almost.

Mike (40:29)

So I mean they don't, they don't pause the NFL play clock when you're having a problem with your headset, you know. All right.

Jeremy (40:34)

I mean it's something that happens here. But the Marlins are going to be calling pitches from the dugout, so we'll see how that impacts their pitching. Number five, how do those two productive rookies from last year fared this season in Augustine Ramirez and Jacob Marcy?

Tony (40:47)

I thought that was the first Oli

Jeremy (40:48)

how the rookies do. No, those are the guys that could come up. This is how will the guys do in their sophomore year? Also Jack, I'm not gonna see tonight Joe Mack. You're not gonna see tonight Jacob Marcy.

Tony (40:58)

Max a barstool influencer.

Jeremy (40:59)

Jacob Marcy and Gus Ramirez. Agustin Ramirez. Those were the two star rookies for the Marlins in the first half of the year. It was Augustine Ramirez who came up lit the world on fire as a catcher. Could it be does that's, that's what we have to see is can he do it and is Jacob Marcy as good as he was last year? Because if he is, he is a building block for this organization. A star in the maker.

Tony (41:17)

Could the Marlins building block. Could the Marlins calling pitches from the dugout be that they don't Augustine Ramirez defensively at all.

Jeremy (41:23)

Whether it's Gus, whether it's Liam Hicks, whether it's Joe Mack, but Joe Mack is a like going back to him a like a star in the making defensively in particular. And they were doing this with him in the minor leagues as well. This is them just wanting to execute from the top down everything that they have and they're taking that out of the hands. So that they can rely on defense so that they can focus on abs.

Tony (41:42)

Just put up on our screen what it looks like.

Jeremy (41:43)

That's the pitch.

Tony (41:44)

Come splitter low inside, low middle. Like it just seems very complicated.

Jeremy (41:48)

Number four, how will Kyle Stowers fare this season? Now you're not going to see source tonight because he's starting the year on the il, but he should be coming back soon. He said yesterday that he's feeling, you know, a lot better than anything. It's called I. It is called the il, not the deal.

Mike (42:05)

Have some sensitivity.

Jeremy (42:07)

Injured list. So Kyle Stowers last year was an all star. Was one of the best left handed hitters in baseball for pretty much the entire time he played. He was a top 5 to 8 MVP candidate throughout most of the season. Really he was until. Until he got hurt.

Tony (42:24)

Really?

Jeremy (42:24)

Yeah, he was in the National League.

Mike (42:25)

That's not that.

Jeremy (42:26)

That's not that surprising. He was having a great season in. In as of, I think it was July. It was like him and Shohei were the only guys or he and Judge were the only guys who were hitting above a certain average with a certain amount of home runs. He was great. What happens from here? Number three, who is this year's Kyle Stowers? Who's the guy that shows up and has a year where you think he's going to be good and then he's great? They're going to need at least one of those. It could be Otto Lopez. It could be Grand Paulie. It could be Gus Ramirez. Number two. Is Sandy the guy. Is he back? Is Sandy Backjack? Is he the guy from the first half of last season coming off Tommy John? Is he the guy from the second half of the season where he's an ace? He and Yuri Perez can be the best one, two punch in baseball. If they're both at their best, people are predicting him for the Cy Young.

Tony (43:12)

And number one, which one, Sandy or Yuri?

Jeremy (43:15)

Yuri. Number one. How will Jeremy Tashe fare as the in game host for the start of this season?

Tony (43:21)

We talked about it on our livestream yesterday. I'm looking at. He's got the first two series.

Jeremy (43:25)

I do.

Tony (43:26)

I think the Marlins are giving him a little tryout.

Dave (43:28)

I wish.

Tony (43:28)

My man cleans up.

Jeremy (43:30)

Here they go.

Mike (43:30)

Six and.

Jeremy (43:31)

Oh, I can't stop.

Dave (43:32)

Sorry, Jeremy. I'm a Ryan Bass guy because of the nature of my subscription.

Tony (43:35)

Damn, Mike. You know I have one rule to live by, right?

Dave (43:39)

Don't place parlays on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is won when it hasn't hit triple zero.

Tony (43:45)

Always drink your Jagermeister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion.

Dave (43:50)

Everything else?

Tony (43:51)

Everything else?

Dave (43:52)

Wearing clean underwear every day, well, that's

Tony (43:55)

just a personal decision. Brushing your teeth, obviously smart, but not a rule.

Dave (44:00)

Never pee. Pee on an electric fence.

Tony (44:02)

Okay, maybe there are two rules. But the one that is 100%, that I insist on completely, Jaegermeister must be drank ice cold or don't drink it at all.

Jeremy (44:10)

Damn, that's cold.

Tony (44:11)

Exactly. You're finally starting to get it.

Dave (44:13)

Drink responsibly. Jaegermeister liqueur, 35% alcohol by volume, imported by Mass. Jaegermeister, U.S. white Plains, New York.