Local Hour: Heat Stroke

Summary

Summary of "Local Hour: Heat Stroke" Episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Release Date: March 25, 2025

In the "Local Hour: Heat Stroke" episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosts Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, and Jonathan Zaslow delve into a fiery discussion centered around the Miami Heat and their star player, Jimmy Butler. The episode is marked by spirited debates, personal anecdotes, and sharp exchanges that highlight the dynamic chemistry among the hosts.

---

1. The Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler's Impact

The primary focus of the episode is the Miami Heat's ongoing season and Jimmy Butler's role within the team. Mike Ryan initiates the conversation by expressing frustration over the Heat's performance and Butler's influence, stating, "I think that Jimmy Butler stuff is going to contaminate the show, poison it" (02:47). This sets the stage for a heated debate about Butler's contributions and the team's dynamics.

Jonathan Zaslow defends Butler, emphasizing his genuine commitment to the team: "I am watching the Heat begrudgingly the last couple of months... but I'll wake up begrudgingly over the last month" (14:32). Conversely, Mike Ryan criticizes Butler's playoff performances, highlighting his numerous 40-point games without securing a regular-season championship: "All those 40 point games were required from him in the playoffs. He had eight of them, never won in the regular season" (12:20).

The hosts also discuss the broader implications of Butler's leadership and the Heat's prospects for the season. Dan Le Batard remarks on the anticipation surrounding the team's final game: "But locally, I feel like this game has been. It just needs to happen already because we've been talking about it for so long" (10:42). This sentiment reflects the mounting pressure and high expectations placed on the Heat as the season concludes.

---

2. Interpersonal Dynamics and Host Conflicts

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the playful yet contentious interactions between Mike Ryan and Jonathan Zaslow. Mike accuses Zaslow of being the biggest Heat "homer," claiming, "He bought a championship ring" (04:09), a statement Zaslow vehemently denies: "Earned it. How do you steal something with your name on it?" (06:27). This back-and-forth highlights underlying tensions and differing perspectives within the show's host lineup.

Stugotz mediates between the two, attempting to lighten the mood and redirect the conversation. However, the exchanges often escalate, revealing deeper frustrations. For instance, Mike Ryan laments the constraints felt by fellow hosts in criticizing the Heat: "Billy has felt not the ability to speak freely. Well, it's because of Pat Riley" (44:24). Zaslow counters by addressing the influence of media talking points on fan perceptions: "The media just gives everybody all these talking points... and then if you dare say anything against... who hurt you?" (44:50).

These interactions not only provide entertainment but also offer insight into the challenges of managing diverse opinions within a collaborative environment.

---

3. Audience and Fan Base Reactions

The discussion extends to the broader Miami Heat fan base and their reactions to team performance and media narratives. Stugotz comments on the sensitivity of Heat fans to criticism: "The Heat fan base. Very sensitive bunch. Anytime I say anything slightly critical of the team, they say, who hurt you?" (27:10). Zaslow rebuts this by asserting that Heat fans are receptive to constructive criticism: "Yeah, like, I want to hear the fan base. That is... they take criticism really well" (27:27).

The hosts explore how fan expectations shape the discourse around the team, especially in high-stakes moments such as playoff games. Mike Ryan poses a critical question about what events would justify the extensive media and host attention: "What has to happen tonight for it to merit even a fraction of the amount of talk it's gotten?" (12:34). This reflects a broader debate on the balance between fan engagement and critical analysis in sports commentary.

---

4. Personal Anecdotes and Side Stories

Beyond the central theme, the hosts share personal stories and anecdotes that add depth to the conversation. Dan Le Batard narrates encounters with spring breakers in Miami, illustrating the vibrant yet chaotic local culture: "We're gonna keep moving along. And there's like, these, like, hordes of college kids chasing us down the sidewalk trying to pet our dog" (19:19). Mike Ryan interjects with a humorous observation about unusual public behavior: "I saw a woman squatting in front of the post office, urinating in a bush... holding a sandwich" (19:56).

These side stories not only provide comic relief but also paint a vivid picture of life in Downtown Miami, enriching the episode's local flavor.

---

5. Future Prospects and Closing Thoughts

As the episode nears its conclusion, the hosts reflect on the future of the Miami Heat and their outlook for upcoming games. Stugotz expresses cautious optimism: "I think this Heat team can go on a run" (13:31), while Zaslow remains pragmatic about the team's standing: "I'm glad that they won the other day... I don't need that in my life" (12:26).

In their final exchanges, the hosts address internal challenges and the evolving landscape of sports media. Jonathan Zaslow discusses his professional relationships within ESPN and the potential repercussions of past criticisms: "I know there was going to be a reckoning when I started to work at ESPN Radio" (34:33). This introspection underscores the complex interplay between personal integrity and career dynamics in the realm of sports journalism.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Mike Ryan: "I think that Jimmy Butler stuff is going to contaminate the show, poison it." (02:47)

• Jonathan Zaslow: "I am watching the Heat begrudgingly the last couple of months... but I'll wake up begrudgingly over the last month." (14:32)

• Mike Ryan: "All those 40 point games were required from him in the playoffs. He had eight of them, never won in the regular season." (12:20)

• Mike Ryan: "He bought a championship ring." (04:09)

• Jonathan Zaslow: "Earned it. How do you steal something with your name on it?" (06:27)

• Stugotz: "The Heat fan base. Very sensitive bunch. Anytime I say anything slightly critical of the team, they say, who hurt you?" (27:10)

• Mike Ryan: "What has to happen tonight for it to merit even a fraction of the amount of talk it's gotten?" (12:34)

---

This episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz offers a deep dive into the complexities of managing team dynamics, host relationships, and fan expectations, all while maintaining the show's signature blend of humor and critical analysis.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

You're listening to Giraffe Kings Network.

[Stugotz]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. You might say all kinds of stuff when things go wrong, but these are.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The words you really need to remember.

[Stugotz]

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. They've got options to fit your unique insurance needs, meaning you can talk to your agent to choose the coverage you need, have coverage options to protect the things you value most, file a claim right on the State Farm mobile app, and even reach a real person when you need to talk to someone. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Jeremy Tache]

Hey there travelers and dreamers. We all have that dreamtrip that we've been wishing we could go on. But too often life just gets in the way. Whether it's work, family, responsibilities, or in my case, and I'm sure many of yours, price. But your dreamtrip doesn't have to stay a dream any longer because Priceline is here to help you book it. With millions of deals on hotels, flights, cruise cruises and rental cars. That bucket list destination. Yeah, it's a lot closer than you think. You know, I've been wanting to go see the Pittsburgh Pirates for a long time at PNC park in Pittsburgh. That's like at the top of my list of bucket list destinations of baseball parks around the country. And because I now know about the type of deals that Priceline offers, I may pull the trigger this summer and go see those Pirates. Priceline makes it easy and stress free to book a flight and a hotel so I can go see my team play live. With millions of travel deals like up to 60% off hotels, I know I'll be able to find great options even when I need to book last minute. So don't just dream about that next trip. Book it with Priceline, download the Priceline app, or visit priceline.com to go to your happy price. Actual prices may vary. Limited time offer terms apply.

[Mike Ryan]

Shadow Show.

[Stugotz]

Shadow Show.

[Mike Ryan]

Shadow Show.

[Jeremy Tache]

Shadow Show.

[Mike Ryan]

Shadow Show.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Shadow Show.

[Mike Ryan]

Shadow Show.

[Stugotz]

Shadow in it. Shadowing it.

[Mike Ryan]

Jess, I really need your help today. I think more than I ever have in the history of our company because your face when we talk about the Heat and Jimmy Butler and Cult. Yeah, your. Your face speaks for what I know is the audience outside of Miami and Zaslo is a bigger homer than Mike.

[Dan Le Batard]

I just don't think that's true or possible.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think that's true. I'm telling you it's impossible. Dan, I think that Zaslow is more than Parakeet Cortez.

[Dan Le Batard]

Ask him what he thought about Xavier Restrepo's 40 time and see what he says, and then we can decide who's a bigger homer. But it's really hard to beat Mike and Jeremy.

[Mike Ryan]

So this is what I need your help with, because I think that Jimmy Butler stuff is going to contaminate the show, poison it. And I've seen over the last, I don't know, 12 months, you have been beaten down by heat disease. Like, it's. It's. There's no subject around here that it's called heat stroke. Any amount of heat talk makes. Like, I see it on your face, and when I see it on your face, I see the rest of our audience outside of Miami.

[Dan Le Batard]

I've hated the Miami Heat since the decision because Michael Wilbon told me LeBron James was going to come to the Bulls, and he didn't. And then I moved here, and I hated them even more because I had to sit next to Mike Ryan and Jeremy for four years.

[Mike Ryan]

So what am I going to do today?

[Dan Le Batard]

I can't do it, Dan. I can't do it anymore.

[Mike Ryan]

No, but I have. I have to do it. Jeremy just ran across the street for live coverage. He just. He just ran across traffic. What are you laughing about?

[Stugotz]

What if we just tell him he's going to be on the air, but we really just leave him across the street?

[Dan Le Batard]

I think that's what Dan was planning to do already.

[Mike Ryan]

I have a problem, though, because, Roy, you can vouch for this. Like, if I. Who's a bigger Heat? Homer, Zaslow or Mike Ryan? Oh, it's Zaslow. He bought a championship ring.

[Stugotz]

What?

[Mike Ryan]

He did. I think he owns.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's crazy.

[Mike Ryan]

No, I think he owns two championship rings that the team gave him. Why did you just accuse him of buying a championship ring? He. He fought the championship ring. That is not in any way true.

[Stugotz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Mike Ryan]

If you are not listening during the shadow show, I do believe that I just heard Roy make an accusation against Jonathan Zaslow. That is the single greatest insult uttered from one person who works here to another that I have ever heard. I read on the face of Jonathan Zaslow. More hatred for Roy, who he shocking, who he's loved all his life. More hatred for Roy for accusing Jonathan Zaslow of buying a Miami Heat championship ring.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Shocking instead of undeserved.

[Mike Ryan]

Earning it.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Earned, not given. You've heard that before, right? Earned, not given.

[Stugotz]

I didn't say you didn't earn it.

[Mike Ryan]

I just said you bought it.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That is a. That is a shocking Accusation is very. That's very. That's not how I expect to start a Tuesday. I thought I was coming in here. I thought, everybody's feeling good about themselves. I thought, we're gonna be all over the Heat tip tonight because Jimmy Butler is here and he's part of the Enemy. I'm just saying, all right? I thought we were all on the same page, and that is. That is a heavy accusation.

[Stugotz]

What do you think, hypothetically, hard times, Zaslow Manor. What do you think you could get for those rings?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

You know, let's just put it this way, all right? Everybody knows that if their house caught fire in the middle of the night, we all that one thing that we would grab on the way out. And the box with my rings in it. That's right. Rings. Plural. Plural. The box of my rings in it. That's what I'd be grabbing. So. So the best way to answer that question is priceless, baby.

[Stugotz]

Okay, let's say, hypothetically, you have to sell something, and in this weird world, it's like a Zaslo fan that just wants Zazzle memorabilia. And it is either one of your rings or your children's birth certificates.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Birth certificate. You can get another. Yeah, you get another one, no problem. I can't. I can't go to the championship ring store and get another one with Zaslow engraved on it. No, but I can go to the birth certificate store.

[Stugotz]

You bought the first one. You just buy another one.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's insulting.

[Mike Ryan]

You guys need to be nicer to him.

[Dan Le Batard]

So he didn't buy it. The team gave it to him.

[Stugotz]

Stole it.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Earned. Stole it. How do you steal something with your name on it? It has my name on it.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, so this Roy, that was shocking. Okay? Just. I can't think of anything worse in the executive producer seat than to have someone new as a co host.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Not how you make someone feel wanted.

[Mike Ryan]

It's unbelievable that you would accuse him of buying his championship solicited. Well, he made an accusation there that I would also make of Zaslo. He was actually paid to wear that ring because the Heat paid him Four years as the pregame post game.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, my God. How many people on the show have been on the Heat payroll?

[Stugotz]

Okay, he wasn't.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's not. That's not true. I was paid through the radio station, not the Heat. I've never been on the Heat payroll. I do. I do have to mention. I do have to mention.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jeremy says same thing. Jeremy's paid by. Does the media get regional network?

[Stugotz]

Okay, the media get talking Points from the Heat, like this is what's going to be put out there.

[Dan Le Batard]

Because that might be the stupidest question that you just.

[Stugotz]

Well, I ask a pretty bad hypothetical that earlier. Yeah, he did.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, so go ahead and do that then, Billy, if you.

[Stugotz]

Well, no, we could get to that later. We're talking about the Heat now. I'm just saying.

[Dan Le Batard]

Talking points this week were the Jimmy Butler tribute video to get a gauge for what the fans want to get a gauge for what the reaction is going to be. Right. You. You're told to put feelers out there.

[Jeremy Tache]

Okay.

[Dan Le Batard]

Video.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I am certainly not told anything since I stopped being on the broadcast. I haven't been on that broadcast since the year 2022 of our Lord. All right? Since then, I've never been told anything. All right, the thing. The words that come out of these. At that mouth. The words that come from this lips.

[Mike Ryan]

You saw that. You said that. Very poor, very poorly.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Are we live?

[Mike Ryan]

The seat gets everyone.

[Stugotz]

Erase that about the words coming out of that.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Start over.

[Mike Ryan]

Wait a minute. Let's go to a real broadcaster live across the street, Jeremy Tashay is in the weeds with the Miami Heat because it's a very serious day. Uh, the Jimmy Butler is returning to the Miami Heat. Let's go out to Jeremy Tashay. He is the first reporter who's out there right around the ambiance. What's going on out there, Jeremy?

[Jeremy Tache]

Dan, we wanted to be the very first ones on this story. As the energy gathers here outside the Kaseya center, we have Dwyane Wade over my right shoulder, but we know that Jimmy Butler will be looking over both shoulders as the heat approach him tonight. Jeremy Tash, Metal Arc Media here outside the Kaseya Center.

[Stugotz]

Why is he wearing sunglasses? The sun is rising behind him, and there's a building in the way. He's standing in shadows.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, that's a live report. Thank you.

[Jeremy Tache]

There is indeed a reflection off the building across the street. The voice, too. I don't like it.

[Mike Ryan]

What? The sing song you brought.

[Jeremy Tache]

Keep that for your. For your paid stuff.

[Mike Ryan]

No, that's. That's. No, he wants.

[Jeremy Tache]

Jeremy Tache, Metal Arc Media.

[Mike Ryan]

He wants.

[Jeremy Tache]

He already got his marching orders, Dan. He went inside, got his marching orders, and came back out.

[Mike Ryan]

No, he want. He wants to. He wants to run between both worlds and then eventually be a sideline reporter who's playing a kaleidoscope or playing, you know. You know, doing something.

[Jeremy Tache]

Xylophone.

[Mike Ryan]

A xylophone.

[Stugotz]

Kaleidoscope is that thing that looks like a. Yeah. Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, it would have been a better joke. Is a xylophone. But he wants to. He wants to be a sideline reporter who. Who does. Who dabbles in the arts. But he's got to go sell his soul with cheese Broadcasting first.

[Jeremy Tache]

I am selling grilled cheese. Is that what you said out here, Dan? Grilled cheese? No, they don't sell grilled cheese at Big Face Coffee, but they do sell $50 cups of coffee. Unless you're a Golden State warriors employee, in which case that will cost you $30. That's the latest report from Jimmy Butler and his camp here outside the Kaseya Center. Jeremy Tash, Metal Arc Media.

[Mike Ryan]

That's good information. Thank you, Jeremy. We'll be checking back in over the course of the next important four hours. He's dying to talk about this stuff.

[Jeremy Tache]

He's gonna be out there for four hours.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, it's a big day. It's a big. This is the big story of the. Well, juju Watkins should be the big story of the day.

[Dan Le Batard]

But locally, locally, I feel like this game has been. It just needs to happen already because we've been talking about it for so long. We just need to get this over with.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm just glad that they won the other day, man. You think I need 11 game losing streak as the headline on national TV? I don't need that in my life.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, but let me ask you guys this question because I would imagine the nation at large is weary of all of this, especially here. I would say that there's just a general fatigue about. Really we're going to make all of this noise about Jimmy Butler when, yeah, he kind of made himself a star in Miami and got the things that he wanted. And what was a blessed marriage for both parties for the entire time they were together. And then at the end he said, I'm more valuable than this. And since then has proved it. Because the last 16 games, I think we can all say, oh, he was right. All those 40 point games were required from him in the playoffs. He had eight of them, never won in the regular season. So these guys were helpers. Bam. All star Olympian champion, you know, winner guy. But you're number two and you're number. You're not. You're number two. And look at what it looks like when it's you and hero as the number one. Jimmy. Jimmy ends up winning there. He's coming back a winner on what this looks like. But what I wanted to ask Jessica about and the audience at large is what? Because I hate pre Games. But this stuff, we love this soap opera nonsense. The narratives, the stories, the things that make it all easy and dumb but is fun for content. But when sports can be great, what has to happen tonight for it to merit even a fraction of the amount of talk it's gotten? When the nation at large says get Jimmy Butler out of my life. He's not a champion. He is. He's a number one who's actually a number two because he's never gonna win a championship as the lead guy.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I think. I think. I'm sorry, Jess. I was gonna say I think most everyone is watching tonight hoping Jimmy Butler quit crushes the.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's what I was about to say. 50 point game from Jimmy Butler. I will go run a lap around the Kasia center tomorrow morning.

[Mike Ryan]

So that is what. That would make it worth it. It's not game winner. It's not a fight. It's like what do you. What is the. What's the ideal situation like? Content goldmine of. I'm interested in sports and the build up to a regular season. Like this is the last regular season. This is the last game of the Heat season that will matter because even in those play in games we all know this team is not going anywhere. It's br.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

You're not getting fired up for Heat.

[Mike Ryan]

At Chicago playing Chicago put up 150 on the Lakers.

[Dan Le Batard]

They love the playing game too.

[Jeremy Tache]

Chicago's a fun team.

[Stugotz]

Listen guys, just a couple of years ago people were saying that he should lose a play in game so that they could increase their shot at getting the number one pick or winning the lottery. And what happened? The Heat went on a magical run because of Kulture and Jimmy Butler and they made it all the way to the NBA finals in a Hollywood type story that just didn't have that ending that we needed. But once you win and you get in, anything can happen. I think this Heat team can go on a run.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, Billy, thank you for that.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

What to do with that?

[Mike Ryan]

No, no. Well, I'm going to explain something that's happening with Billy right now. He feels that. A genuine snort. I'm going to explain exactly what's happening with Billy. Okay. He's been very frustrated for 12 months, more than 12 months actually. Probably his lifetime with our show because he believes. What do you mean? I haven't even made the accusations yet.

[Stugotz]

We're starting with 12 months and I'm looking at my timeline and life. I don't know what's going on here but.

[Mike Ryan]

Ok. Over the course of you living In a world where the Heat are talked about the way this show talks about them, I believe that for largely 20 years, you believe that there are things you're not allowed to say about the Miami Heat.

[Stugotz]

Oh, I can't. No.

[Mike Ryan]

Your voice has been suppressed for 20 years around here, and today's your day, Billy Gill, because this is the biggest Heat homer I've ever met.

[Stugotz]

Him, this right here, he's a journalist.

[Mike Ryan]

Jonathan.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I am a journalist. I mean, I'm not a journalist.

[Stugotz]

Ignore what he's wearing. He's a journalist.

[Mike Ryan]

Jonathan, Look, I. Mike Ryan criticizes poisonously the Miami Heat. Zaz will get mad at him. Zazz will not rip the Miami Heat the way Mike Ryan does.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Well, and Mike sits here. Mike. Mike. Mike sits here and will tell you that he's not watching the Heat. I'm. I'm watching the Heat begrudgingly the last couple of months. Like, I wake up in the morning. Now, I don't feel that way today because I'm looking forward to the game tonight, but I'll wake up begrudgingly over the last month, like, great, The Heater playing tonight. That's what I got to do for two and a half hours of my life tonight. Like, I. Mike Ryan won't watch it, though. I mean, I'm sitting here and hang with him, man.

[Dan Le Batard]

When I'll still tell you what he thinks. Don't worry.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay? But when I talk about Heat fans in the history of this market, what this team means to Zaslo and now Zaslow's kids, because he insisted on passing it down as someone who was proud, honored to earn working days and nights, his shifts were crazy.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's why I have all. I have all the gray hair. I mean, that was. I did that for seven years.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, so for seven years, he's doing the post game and then waking up to do the morning show. And he aged about 40 years. In seven years, he arrived here broken, man. He used to be the young one, Tony. Laugh in his face. He used to be the young one. He used to be the kid. And seven years of loving the Heat. He gave his heart and age over to this franchise.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I gave them years of my life, Tony.

[Stugotz]

Well, explain Tommy Tyke to me then, because he doesn't have a gray hair on his head.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Well, maybe there's some performance enhancement going on.

[Mike Ryan]

Whoa.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm just trying to. Great Tommy Tig.

[Stugotz]

I'm trying to be reasonable.

[Jeremy Tache]

I saw him that day in the studio. Did not look like PD the day.

[Stugotz]

You threw trash at Tony.

[Mike Ryan]

Exactly.

[Billy Gill]

Right.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, we go back out to Jeremy Tache now. Jeremy Tache is reporting live at the Kaseya center where there's a lot of mood and a lot of fans. What's the energy out there, Jeremy?

[Jeremy Tache]

I mean, the energy is palpable.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Dan.

[Jeremy Tache]

I've got Trevor from Georgia here with me now. Trevor was a fan of the Miami Heat because of Jimmy Butler. So, Trevor, what are your thoughts on Jimmy Butler's return to the Casaya Center?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Oh, I'm excited. I think Jimmy's about to whoop some, but.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, that's not good.

[Jeremy Tache]

We're not going to talk about that any longer. All right, conversation of that.

[Mike Ryan]

Good, good report.

[Jeremy Tache]

We're calling it the Butler, but. But larmaged.

[Stugotz]

Just give Trevor the microphone, Dan.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's totally something you would ask Trevor here.

[Jeremy Tache]

Would you like the microphone angel to.

[Dan Le Batard]

Mock up for you?

[Mike Ryan]

Sure, please.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I think Jimmy's about to do great. He's not.

[Stugotz]

Bam.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Ain't gonna do anything. I hope Steph comes out and plays. I'm sorry, Heat, but Jimmy's about to give y'all some whooping.

[Mike Ryan]

All right.

[Jeremy Tache]

Outside the Kaseya Center.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Jeremy Pache, Meadowlark media.

[Mike Ryan]

All right, thank you.

[Billy Gill]

Hey, everybody, it's Mike Ryan. And how great is this weather? We're getting out of the coldest part of winter into the early on stage spring. I know down south the weather is perfect. It is perfect Miller time weather. You got mlb, mls, you got NHL, you got all the sports going on. Plenty of excuses to gather around a TV and have yourself a wonderful Miller time. Thanks to Miller Light, the great tasting light beer for people like you and me who love beer. Now is a perfect time for friends, family and a great tasting light beer with taste that you know you can depend on. No games, no gimmicks. I hate gimmicks. Just a great beer for people who like beer. Miller Lite is brewed for taste. It hits different than other light beers because it has simple ingredients like malted barley for rich, balanced toffee note flavors and that iconic golden color. At just 96 calories and 3.2 grams per 12 ounces. Miller time is always a good time. The original light beer since 1975 and still the very best one Miller Light grape taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.comdaniel to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer Tastes like Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Stugotz]

Don LeBatard.

[Mike Ryan]

Teammates can't shoot from three. Now.

[Jeremy Tache]

They're gonna see a different Jimmy now.

[Mike Ryan]

He's just.

[Jeremy Tache]

Just playing nickel back in the locker room.

[Mike Ryan]

And stugats.

[Stugotz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugach.

[Dan Le Batard]

You guys must run into, like spring breakers all the time down here this time of Europe. We ran into a few on Saturday. Okay, well, maybe not. Maybe not where you live. But, Dan, you. I'm sure you do occasionally. I'm walking my dog and there are these, like, drunk 20 year olds coming up to us on the sidewalk Saturday night. And they're like, oh, my God, what a cute dog. And they're, like, petting her so aggressively, and we're like, trying to just like, okay, you're a little intoxicated. It's spring break. We understand. We're gonna. We're gonna keep moving along. And there's like, these, like, hordes of college kids chasing us down the sidewalk trying to pet our dog. Yes, that is sp in Miami.

[Mike Ryan]

It is. Well, what they've. What they've done to spring break is interesting. We'll go back out to Jeremy in a second. But I did see something yesterday that I've never seen. And I have to think that no one's ever seen before. I saw it because I'm driving, and in front of a post office, okay, where you've got a four lane stretch of traffic, there is a woman who is squatting in front of the post office, urinating in a bush, trying. But not just that. She's got a yoga mat under one arm, she's got a cigarette in her mouth, and she's holding a sandwich. There's no way. Like a sub. There's simply no way that is something that has ever been seen by anybody before that by anybody.

[Dan Le Batard]

When you gotta go.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, but we'll go back out to Jeremy in a second. But I want to show everybody here because I need to. I want everyone to understand how much Zaslo cares about this team. I have a photograph from a long time ago now, and I don't remember the context exactly of this.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I know what this.

[Mike Ryan]

But I've been sending this photograph to Jonathan Zaslow for. Is this 15 years? Because we can mark the date on. On. Before a Miami Heat game when the blueprint was at risk, when everybody was scared. John. John Zaslo claimed that he was not scared before a game. And this photograph of Jonathan Zaslow not being afraid, being a Heat fan who would never lose hope and would not Be despondent. This was Jonathan Zaslow very much believing their season was over.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That, that right there is now. It was the worst moment of my sports fandom life at the time. It's now the second worst. But that is, that is right after. That's in the bowels of the arena. I just got off doing the post game show, a postgame where the Miami Heat lost game five in the Eastern Conference finals to Boston. And they fell down now three games to two. They were going to Boston now for game six. We all know what happened there. LeBron, he had the eyes, Heat when the series, amazing. But that right there, they fell behind three to two. And Sedano, I mean, like a snake. I'm sitting there with George Sedano. You see, I got a beer, I'm several beers deep at this point. And Sedano, he sneaks his phone and snaps a picture and he routinely shares it in a group chat. Very dirty move by Sedano. I didn't even. I mean, look at me. Do I. Do I look like I'm posing for a picture?

[Stugotz]

You're not consenting.

[Dan Le Batard]

Is that the group chat?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's not consent.

[Stugotz]

That's not consent at all.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Not consent.

[Stugotz]

That seems liable. So sue Hollywood Sedano.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

So like a snake, George Sedano now and that right there at the time, it's not anymore. It's now the second lowest. But at the time, that was the lowest I had ever been over one of my teams. And yes, I thought they were going to lose.

[Stugotz]

How do you feel about Sedano? Because he was down here when he.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Was Snake for doing that.

[Stugotz]

Well, Snake for doing that. But I want to ask you a little bit deeper because down here he was Mr. Miami Heat. Now he's over LA. Hollywood Sedano, he's a big Laker guy.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

He's Pacific guy. He's so la. Yeah, I don't tell you, he's big time L. A guy.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know what to tell you. What are you. No commenting.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm just saying I don't tell you. Big time LA guy.

[Mike Ryan]

You're a big commenter though. What do you like?

[Dan Le Batard]

You know what to tell us. You do time LA guy.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I know what to tell you. In regards to Sedano, it just makes.

[Stugotz]

You wonder, did he really like the Heat at all while he was down here or not? I mean, if he's able to flip it that if you were to move, if you were to get the big gig, espn, la, they call zazzle. They say, zaslo, we need you to come out here to write Tinseltown, Hollywood. We need you to be the voice Los Angeles.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No, really? I'm 305 till I die.

[Stugotz]

Really? Well, you're not.

[Jeremy Tache]

You're 954.

[Stugotz]

Yeah. You live in Cooper City.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

My cell phone's 305. That's what matters.

[Stugotz]

Hmm.

[Jeremy Tache]

You got me.

[Stugotz]

That's true.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Everybody knows that.

[Mike Ryan]

I need to tell you guys, this is. This is funny with Zaslow, because there are a number of things about him that are super curious. I. Jeremy Tashay is saying that he's got another report that's ready to go. I don't know if we should just break into all programming every time he's ready. I don't trust his judgment on this. What are you guys laughing about?

[Stugotz]

Have ever lived in Miami?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Of course. I grew up there. I'm from North Miami Beach.

[Mike Ryan]

That's not.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Come on now. NMB Senior High. What?

[Stugotz]

What?

[Dan Le Batard]

I like North Miami Beach. Underrated part of the beach.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That's good.

[Mike Ryan]

It is.

[Dan Le Batard]

There's a dog beach up there.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. You've been North Miami Beach. Have I been.

[Dan Le Batard]

I grew up there.

[Jeremy Tache]

It's not a great place.

[Stugotz]

Sorry to go to Atlantic. It's just so far. My God. That was. It was like Trek163. Orlando.

[Mike Ryan]

That's not.

[Jeremy Tache]

That's not Miami, by the way.

[Dan Le Batard]

It took me an hour and a half to get to that plan again.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's the OG Mall. 163rd Street.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Come on now.

[Mike Ryan]

What are you doing?

[Stugotz]

So G Mall, dan.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm repping 305 is what I'm doing. I don't know what you're doing.

[Stugotz]

What are you doing?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, what are you doing there? Let's go back out to Jeremy. He is outside of the Miami Heats Arena. Jimmy Butler is approaching. And Travis, or whatever his name was, reports that Jimmy Butler's here to kick ass.

[Jeremy Tache]

No, Dan, we are not talking about the OG Mall or OG Anunoby. We're talking about Jimmy Butler here outside the Kaseya center with Meadowlark Media. I'm Jeremy Tache, and we need to be focusing on the details of this experience. What color will Jimmy Butler's hair be? What color will his shoes be? How petty will he be during the video presentation tonight? Not at the Kaseya Center. That's not how you kasey it. It's the Kaseya center here in downtown Miami. Reporting live for Meadowlark Media, I'm Jeremy Tasche.

[Stugotz]

He gets a standing ovation today. Right? Like no Jimmy Butler. Like he should. He meant more to this organization. Than Alonzo Mourning did.

[Mike Ryan]

Whoa.

[Jeremy Tache]

Wow.

[Mike Ryan]

Whoa.

[Stugotz]

He led them to more finals. Did he not put his ring in.

[Jeremy Tache]

A box and then put Jimmy's rings in a box and see which one.

[Stugotz]

Shakes out Eastern Conference finals rings? We have a conversation zone. Came in as a mercenary. At the end, if we're gonna be perfectly honest, he betrayed the Heat. He left. He didn't want to be here. He had a fit, he left. Then he had his. His medical situation.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Like, almost everything you just said is factually incorrect.

[Stugotz]

No, that's not. That's not true at all.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The only thing that was correct was the medical situation.

[Stugotz]

He had a medical situation, but he. He. He left town, betrayed this team, and then all of a sudden, all of a sudden, all of a sudden, he comes crawling back when he realizes, easy championship. All I have to do is act as a barnacle on this ship over here, this Carnival Cruise liner towards the NBA Finals. I mean, that's not what happened. Yeah.

[Jeremy Tache]

Block, though.

[Stugotz]

That's not what happened.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No, it's not. He had that block, and he, you know, did the freak out on the ground. Great moment. Game six, 2007 block. Wow.

[Stugotz]

Just asking. Special done. Great. He has a school named after him. All the charitable work, all that. But, I mean, terrible trash. He kind of betrayed this. He kind of betrayed the city. Zo's summer groove and crawling back, and all of a sudden we forget about his actions.

[Mike Ryan]

There are things Billy has not been able to say for 20 years, and he's here to say them to.

[Stugotz]

I'm not saying anything that I'm not allowed to say. I will say this. This the Heat fan base. Very sensitive bunch. Anytime I say anything slightly critical of the team, they say, who hurt you?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Okay, what fan base? I want to hear the fan base. That is. Ah, you know what? They take criticism really well.

[Stugotz]

It's not a criticism.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No, but you're saying that when the Heat are criticized, that the fan base is very sensitive. I want to know the fan base that's like, yeah, you know what? We're good with being criticized. No big deal.

[Jeremy Tache]

Marlin's fans, I feel like, are pretty good.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, they just kind of like, you know what? Right off our back sounds like, yeah, yeah.

[Jeremy Tache]

Or bad.

[Stugotz]

You're right.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

For the worst.

[Jeremy Tache]

Billy was telling me the roster today. I was like, that's not a team.

[Stugotz]

It's going to be rough. Thursday is going to be a rough one.

[Mike Ryan]

Pablo who? Let's go out to Jeremy Tache and ask him what the Marlins lineup is going to be. He's Going to be on sidelines for the Marlins this year. Jeremy, what is the Marlins lineup going to be? Let's go through it right now outside of the Casaya center, where Jimmy Butler will soon bring his fury.

[Jeremy Tache]

Yes, Dan, we are looking forward to not only Miami Heat basketball tonight, but a spring training game between the Marlins and the Yankees at Lone Depot Park. You could expect to see the likes of Nick Fortes, Matt Mervis and Eric Wagaman in the heart of the order for the Miami Marlins. Reporting live from outside the Kaseya Center, Jeremy Tashay, Metal Arc Media.

[Mike Ryan]

I would so, Mark Mervis. Well, here's the thing, Tony. I'm actually scared to do this Tim right now because we're live, but I actually want to quiz him on what the lineup might be. And he's really good. Like, he should know, but I'm not totally sure he does, and that would be a bad position to put him in.

[Stugotz]

Well, he also could just make it up and none of us.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, that's true, too, but then he'd be on live television. Somebody would know. Yeah. The Burger guy's not here. What? No, he's not. I liked him. I'll miss him. They made me fall in love with Burger.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, he's a Ranger now.

[Jeremy Tache]

Whoa.

[Stugotz]

Skip went over there. I'm not going to say Skip stole him, but Skip went over there. He's a consultant in Texas, and all of a sudden, Burger's in Texas.

[Mike Ryan]

Jessica, I've asked for your help today with some things here. Yes. I'm sorry. Should I or should I not ask Jeremy to take a guess at what the Marlins opening day lineup is going to be?

[Dan Le Batard]

I would be surprised if he didn't know. He gave me the Cubs entire opening day lineup for the game last.

[Mike Ryan]

This is harder, though. This is much, much harder.

[Stugotz]

I think a better way of the game is. Jeremy, name the Marlins lineup and we stop you when you made someone up.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's a good idea. Let's do that one.

[Mike Ryan]

This is like that scene in Major League where they were building a roster like, this guy's dead.

[Stugotz]

Cross him off then.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay. Jeremy, what's the final heat report you have for us?

[Jeremy Tache]

The final heat report is that Jessica's heat stroke will have to continue as we will, without a doubt, continue to discuss this Miami Heat team. No matter who is on the roster, whether it's Matt Mervis, Xavier Edwards, Otto Lopez or Eric Wagaman, we will see an especially strong Heat team tonight because, Dan, as many former players say, that is how the cookie crumbles. Reporting live from outside the Kaseya Center, I'm Jeremy Tasche.

[Mike Ryan]

That was not a report with information in it.

[Stugotz]

Those are all. Those were all real people. Eric Dragoman.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Otto Lopez.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, Otto Lopez. Starting second baseman.

[Jeremy Tache]

Otto Lopez is going to win a Gold Glove.

[Stugotz]

He is not.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That lineup is a book.

[Stugotz]

I mean, in the Marlins defense, Connor Norby is hurt.

[Mike Ryan]

That's a great sentence. Make that a T shirt. I'd love a pack of Marlins fans to go go to the game with that as their T shirt. Jeremy, thank you.

[Jeremy Tache]

Hey there travelers and dreamers. We all have that dream trip that we've been wishing we could go on. But too often life just gets in the way, whether it's work, family, responsibilities, or in my case, and I'm sure many of yours, price. But your dreamtrip doesn't have to stay a dream any longer because Priceline is here to help you book it. With millions of deals on hotels, flights, cruises and rental cars. That bucket list destination? Yeah, it's a lot closer than you think. You know, I've been wanting to go see the Pittsburgh Pirates for a long time at PNC park in Pittsburgh. That's like at the top of my list of bucket list destinations of baseball parks around the country. And because I now know about the type of deals that Priceline offers, I may pull the trigger this summer and go see those Pirates. Priceline makes it easy and stress free to book a flight and a hotel so I can go see my team play live. With millions of travel deals like up to 60% off hotels, I know I'll be able to find great options even when I need to book last minute. So don't just dream about that next trip. Book it with Priceline, download the Priceline app, or visit visit priceline.com to go to your happy price. Actual prices may vary. Limited time offer terms apply. Hey friends, it's Jerbehr here and I'm here to tell you all about Boost Mobile, which is now a legit nationwide 5G network. So I must take a break from the jokes here for a second and put on my serious voice because I would never ever joke about a 5G network that has invested billions building 5G towers across the country. Not even once. Not even if Mr. Boost Mobile himself asked me to. There is nothing funny about it. Boost Mobile is now a legit nationwide 5G network and also provides coverage across 99% of America. Seriously? Visit boostmobile.com or your nearest Boost Mobile store location to learn more. The Boost Mobile network, together with our Roaming partners covers 99% of the US population. 5G speeds not available in all areas.

[Stugotz]

Don Levitard, all these high paid analysts. I don't want to mention names. Tnt, espn, you know. Oh yeah, they are dead. They cannot, they're not going to make it. You know, even if they win in, if they lose in Miami, I need.

[Mike Ryan]

To calm you down.

[Stugotz]

That's right. They lose in Miami, they don't get a chance in Boston or they are going to have their ass.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

You know what?

[Stugotz]

In Boston, you know, Stugats. They were wrong. Are they going to lose their job? No. Are they going to get a cousin pay?

[Mike Ryan]

No.

[Stugotz]

What are they going to do?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Keep predicting.

[Stugotz]

What is the obvious. They are going to say, oh, the Nuggets are going to win. Oh, Denver, the altitude. And you know what?

[Mike Ryan]

The Heat are going to win it all.

[Stugotz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugach.

[Mike Ryan]

One of the bad spots that we put Sedano in when we ask him about some of his colleagues, like that Snake Sedano. Because this needs to be talked about right now. And I'm going to betray some confidences here and I'm going to ask ZSAs to walk a little bit of a labyrinth with me here as a rising star at espn as he is on ESPN Radio already making people like Clinton Yates jealous because they haven't put in the time, the way Zaslo has to be a celebrity picker during March Madness. You, you have gotten to ESPN now and have a rising star. But over your history, a history that has that fandom in it, you have a number of people at ESPN who are now colleagues that you have excoriated on the air for 15 years like Bryan Windhorse that you cannot see in the hallways without it being a problem, I would imagine, because no one was harder on Brian Windhorst in the regional or national media than you were during the LeBron years.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I was not a nice person. And, and he certainly knew about it. I know that he knew about it, all right. And I knew there was going to be a reckoning when I started to work at ESPN Radio. A day is going to come because I don't book the guests like the producers booked the guests, you know. And there's going to be a day where, hey, we're gonna have Brian Windhorst on today. And I'm like, oh, crap. So that day came, you know, and I'm gonna have to deal with this in some fashion. And I don't know him personally at all. So I have no idea how this is going to go down. And I actually sent a text message to another co worker and I said, listen, I don't know how I should handle this. Should I call Windhorst right now and just be like, do a whole mea culpa, or are we just gonna do this on the air?

[Mike Ryan]

But mea culpa. You. You meant those things when you said them.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Well, yeah, well, I. I. First of all, it was never anything personal. I ever said anything personal about him. Did I mean the things where I would say that, like, he hates the heat and has a bias against heat? Yeah, like, I. I meant those at the time. Sure I did. I didn't know how it was going to come off on ESPN Radio. I thought maybe I should call him in advance. Like, hey, listen, I'm not like a total a hole.

[Mike Ryan]

You know how many people are there at ESPN that you have to look at the floor when you walk by them because you're afraid they know what you've said?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Well, I will say that he was. He was totally good about it. I didn't even have to do a whole deal explaining myself. He's very professional. I asked him basketball questions. He answers to the best of his ability. But that was the one where I was like, man, a total pro. Always has total pro.

[Mike Ryan]

Wind Horse has always been a total pro.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm dopey. He's a total pro. And it obviously showed. He's at the top of the list of people.

[Mike Ryan]

It's like, but how many are there? We'll see if we can extract them over the course of.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Bayless is not there anymore. So, you know, he's. He would be right up there.

[Jeremy Tache]

Did Wendy know who you were?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Like, definitely.

[Jeremy Tache]

Oh, okay.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

He knew that He. He knew that my show had him in the Tool of the Week hall of Fame. All right. There was a banner hanging in my studio with him hanging from the rafters.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wouldn't know of the Tool of the Week hall of Fame.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Right? That's what I'm saying. It was sponsored.

[Stugotz]

So who was the sponsor?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It was a tool company. Yeah.

[Stugotz]

No, it was like Harry's Tools in Fort Lauderdale.

[Mike Ryan]

Why do we not do that? Why have we not just stolen that idea?

[Dan Le Batard]

Can we have that? Do you own the IP for that? Can we buy it from you?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No, you can have it.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, but we have to. But we have to put up the tools that are already in the Tool of the Week hall of Fame.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah. There were four members. Really? Yeah, for, like, every week we nominated someone, but. But you had to be really special against the hall of Fame. The four. Well, the inaugural member was Brian Wintour. Yeah, okay. He was the inhog. You gotta remember the times that we're living it. It was all right.

[Jeremy Tache]

So worlds as.

[Stugotz]

No, it was. No, it was a fun. He would go around the room and everyone would nominate a tool. And then I think the fans would call in and they get to choose who.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And once you were in the hall of Fame, you can't nominate that person because they're in the hall of Fame. And they would hang from the rafters in our studio.

[Dan Le Batard]

He was his first ballot.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Well, no, not much as he was the first inaugural class. He was. He was in the inaugural class.

[Dan Le Batard]

Who were the other three?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Brian Winters, Michael Wilbon.

[Stugotz]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Michael Wilbon hates the heat. Benny the Bull. Come on. And Jeffrey Lauria, of course.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, of course.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And former Marlin closer Heath Bell.

[Stugotz]

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Those were the four members.

[Mike Ryan]

Good class. Class.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Well, there were separate classes. We only nominated one at a time.

[Stugotz]

Okay.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

You want to give proper respect.

[Dan Le Batard]

If you could nominate someone right now to be in it, who would it be?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Oh, I'd have to. Well, this is something that you can't just, you know, come up.

[Dan Le Batard]

There's no one, like, off the top of your head that you're like, I.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Gotta put a lot of.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thought you would put him in the tool.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Gotta put a lot of thought into it.

[Stugotz]

And to clarify, Benny the Bull is not in the hall of Fame. You call Michael Wilbon Benny the Bull.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

We used to. Again, you gotta remember the times we were living in back then. All right? It was us against the world.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's like 15 years ago.

[Mike Ryan]

Exactly.

[Stugotz]

Is your whole life, this reality that you've created in your head or just related to.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I'm saying this reality that I created in my head, like I think I just told you, is factual. It's not like. It's not like it didn't happen.

[Stugotz]

It wasn't you against the world.

[Jeremy Tache]

I mean, it was us against the world.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

You don't think it was us against the world?

[Stugotz]

Who's us?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Miami.

[Jeremy Tache]

He.

[Stugotz]

Look around. I mean.

[Dan Le Batard]

So Billy is someone that you might consider for the Tool of the Week. Hall of Fame?

[Stugotz]

No, I was. I was a heat. I was out there. Heat lifer. I was wearing a Dwayne Wade jersey. Yeah, I had a Dwayne Wade shirt out there. When LeBron signed, I was celebrating a la Carreta on Bird Road.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Again, it's important to understand I didn't make the. I didn't make the whole I didn't give the tools of the week. It was our listeners. All right? We listened to the. To. To our audience, to the Miami fans, and then when they're nominated, a certain amount of times, they go up in the rafters.

[Mike Ryan]

It's beautiful. It's akin to what it is that Greg Cody would do with the PFPI gala. He has a shrine to his fandom. And Sedano, that Snake loves to send the photo around, and we all do, because that was Heat fandom broken, which is what people are rooting for tonight nationwide. They are the people who tune in will be doing so to watch Jimmy kick their ass. Correct. That is the. What is the other thing people are rooting for? Because it's not just kick their ass, but, oh, look, you remember the 15 years of this team doing. It's us against the world. Well, here comes what you've wrought. It's leading a team that has actually been a champion the last few years. And that storyline is the one that's carrying us today.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I think you're hoping for a moment as well. If you're the national audience, certainly if you're tnt, you're hoping for a moment where you catch Butler gesturing in the direction of Pat Riley. Like, that's.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's like, he does, like, that way.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Like, crying face, maybe, you know, Butler and one, and he's just, like, staring at Riley.

[Jeremy Tache]

Gives him the old, like, bicep flex over at Riley.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Some kind of gesture or stare toward Riley is what everyone's going to be wanting tonight.

[Stugotz]

I was hoping for, like, closure, like, maybe an embrace, a handshake, like, you know what?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

So you live in fantasy world.

[Stugotz]

I'm just saying, like, we go and we embrace. Look, we look up and we see, like, you know, the Eastern Conference finals banners and look what we did together. And then, like, you move on.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good riddance from Green Day plays in the background and everyone's like, yeah, then.

[Stugotz]

Tip off, and then it's all done.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I mean, look what we did together the other day. Jimmy Butler said we didn't do anything. I mean, literally said we didn't do it.

[Stugotz]

Well, he comes in and then he gets the nostalgia and he realizes maybe I spoke out of turn.

[Dan Le Batard]

Was he wrong about that?

[Mike Ryan]

The Standard is winning championships.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah, right, right. I don't have a problem with him saying that because if you ask Pat Riley, Pat Riley would say the exact same thing, that they didn't do anything. I don't see that way from a fan perspective because even, like, even not winning the title in 2020 and 2023. Those were two of my all time favorite years as a sports fan. Like it was amazing those runs. It didn't end with the championship. We played in the last game. It didn't end with the championship, but still, like I look back on those two years. Super fine.

[Mike Ryan]

Can we play the sound of Jimmy Butler talking about this? We didn't win nothing like we were supposed to. So we made some cool runs. We had some fun. I think that's all we did. That's what he say. That wasn't true there.

[Dan Le Batard]

We had fun, but that's all we did. That's what you just said.

[Mike Ryan]

Did they have fun? You know what? I'd like that on my tombstone.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, fun.

[Mike Ryan]

We had fun, but that's all we did. Like that's a good life.

[Billy Gill]

Conference champion.

[Mike Ryan]

This was a good marriage, man. Like he can. You could get your heart broken because, oh, he's treating me. He's not respecting me as the ex lover. You could say, man, that was a wild ass fling. That was fun. When he'd go again. Never seen it before in my life. 00:40 Port games his entire career. Eight of them in the postseason. What the hell is that? And you're not even that good of a three point shooter. Like what the hell is that? 40 point games. I just saw Andrew Wiggins put up 42. And roads reminded. Oh yeah, that's a number one pick. That's a champion. That's the player that they thought they were trading for. And then 11 game losing streak.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It was the second greatest five year stretch in the history of the franchise.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wendy should put on on his tombstone tool of the week hall of Famer.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Wow.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think that's what he should have on his tombstone. And Dan on yours. You should put we had fun. Yeah, I don't know who the we.

[Stugotz]

Is, but I had a source, Zaslow, tell me that you had special imaging where you ripped Aaron Goldham.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Oh yeah.

[Stugotz]

And you now do a show with Aaron.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Another co. Another now co worker.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The first show I ever did on ESPN radio was with him. And I'm like, oh, that's gonna be fun. I was brutal to him. Here's the thing, Cleveland, me don't really mesh. That's what it was back then. And yes, we had. We. We were very mean. My show was very mean back then to Cleveland and anyone associated with Cleveland.

[Mike Ryan]

But Cleveland and you don't mesh. You're giving off right now in gear. Daytona Beach.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Why? This is something someone from Daytona beach wears.

[Stugotz]

Big Heat fans up There.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm just saying in general, this is.

[Dan Le Batard]

What you Wore for like 20 years on TV. A flat brim hat and a sports.

[Jeremy Tache]

Not backwards.

[Mike Ryan]

I would never go backwards.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, no, never back.

[Mike Ryan]

I would never do it backward because it's my look.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's not your look. It's my look.

[Mike Ryan]

Billy, what have we kept you for saying for 20 years?

[Jeremy Tache]

Because nothing.

[Stugotz]

I've got talking. You know, Pat Riley can say that he'd accomplished nothing, and then if I say it, all of a sudden I'm a pariah and who hurt you? And it's like I'm literally just repeating what the Godfather said and all of a sudden I'm out of line. I don't understand it.

[Mike Ryan]

Billy has felt not the ability to speak freely. Well, it's because of Pat Riley.

[Stugotz]

No, it's not Pat Riley. It's that we talked about it. There's talking points in the media, right? And the media just gives everybody all these talking points and the fan base just believes all the talking points that the media is fed by the machine over there across the street. And then if you dare say anything against, you know, the talking points, you're out of line. And who hurt you? And it's like I'm just telling you they didn't win the championship. Oh, how dare you. We played in the last game of the year here.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Is that what I sounded like when I said it? That's what I sound.

[Stugotz]

I'm not saying you. I would never say you.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

So those are the words that came out of my mouth.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, you sounded like this. Awesome.

[Jessica]

All right, I know I got to do this ad read, but hold on, let me reapply.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Did you hear that?

[Mike Ryan]

Yep.

[Jessica]

That's my new favorite lip gloss from NYX Cosmetics. Now I'm ready to talk to you. I've been a huge fan of NYX Cosmetics for many years now. In fact, I use their thicket stick it brow gel every single day. So you can imagine my excitement when we recently received a special delivery to the Lebatard Studios from our friends over at NYX Cosmetics. And there it was when I opened the box. Glowing. I heard the angels sing. It's their latest lip gloss fat oil lip trip. It's NYX Cosmetics first lip oil of its kind. This creamy lip oil will have your lips dripping with fat perks. You get all the shine of a lip gloss and none of the stickiness while experiencing 12 hour hydration. I'm usually a matte lip gloss kind of gal. My normal go to is NYX Cosmetics Lip gloss the Lingerie xxl. But after applying the status update shade, I have found my new go to lip gloss Fat Oil Lip Drip has high shine finish with comfortable wear and none of the sticky texture. A lip product that's hydrating, non sticky and only $9. Now that's a win. Try Fat Oil Lip Drip from NYX Professional makeup, available in 14 universally flattering shades. Find your perfect fat oil lip drip. Shop [e-mail] or a retailer near.